《The Great Mage Returns After 4000 Years》
Chapter 0
Prologue The man opened his eyes and absent-mindedly took note of his surroundings.
This is
It was a place so dilapidated that it couldnt be considered a room. The dusty, cramped area made it difficult to even stretch ones legs.
Ugh
His head throbbed. Memories surged forth like waves. If he were an ordinary person, his mind would have collapsed at this moment. However, the man only furrowed his brow.
I am
The man continued speaking with an uncertain expression.
Frey Blake, third son of the Blake House and student at Westroad Academy but at the same time
Taking a breath, he called out his true name.
Lucas Traumen.
If there was someone else present, they would have certainly looked upon him as a mad man.
Lucas Traumen. A name that was hailed as the greatest mage in human history.
Finally Im finally out.
A smile bloomed on Lucas face. It was his first emergence since the great mage suddenly vanished from the continent 4, years ago. Sar?h the novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Chapter 1 - The Academys Worst Student (1)
Chapter 1 - The Academy''s Worst Student (1) Frey might kill himself.
Professor Dio felt a splitting headache upon hearing those words. It would be better if it were a joke, but not a single student at the academy was brazen enough to play this kind of prank on him. In other words, this student was telling the truth.
Tell me whats going on.
The student trembled at the frigid tone of his voice.
Its about David and his group
David. When that name was spoken, Dio was barraged by a series of worsening headaches, adding to the one prior.
David Stonehazard. Although he was only a sophomore, he was also a student whose decorum was closely being watched by Dio. He was not an individual with good intentions.
The fact that his parents were counts bore no significance to the professor, as Dios house also carried a notable reputation of similar standing. Moreover, since entering the academy, David couldnt openly defy him even if he was a dukes child. The problem was that David was very cunning.
He knew how to use his parents halo most effectively and excelled in finding various ways to exploit loopholes in the school rules. On top of that, he was vicious. In particular, he was even showing some kind of fanatical obsession with trampling on the weak. It was a public fact everyone was aware of, but never mentioned.
Frey, abandoned by his family, was the best prey for David to unleash his darkest desires to his hearts content.
What did David do?
He said he was going to break both of Freys arms tomorrow afternoon during the practical training session.
Both arms?
Thats not all. He plans on crushing the vocal cords and completely blinding him to-to make him incapable of using magic ever again.
If both his arms were broken, vocal cords crushed, and his sight lost, it was evident that Frey would be unable to use magic unless he were an 8-star magician from the past era.
However, yet another weakness remained after taking away all of those abilities. Frey Blakes mana sensitivity was so hopelessly low that it was embarrassing to even call him a magician. Even an illiterate commoner would respond better to mana. It was hard to believe that such a disaster came from the prestigious Blake family. As a result, his family treated him as filth, causing him to flee to attend the academy.
For a year, the students, unaware of Freys family situation, treaded carefully around him because he was a Blake. Some even pretended to be close out of fear of falling down the social ladder. Nonetheless, as Freys history came into light, all the students ultimately turned their backs or mocked him.
The disgrace of the Blake House. That was Freys position in the academy.
Dio rubbed his temples and sighed. He didnt think badly of Frey. Rather, he viewed him in a positive light. He was an exceptionally bright student, and his passion for magic was second to none.
However, God had given Frey only passion and no talent.
The practical training session was tomorrow. David wouldnt really make Frey a half-paralytic, but hed probably break one of his arms.
Not to mention Davids family wouldnt need to bother to cover the incident up. The Stonehazard House had a particularly strong influence on the faculty of the academy.
Perhaps the Blake House wouldnt make an issue of it either. Rather, they may have been hoping for such a result. Most aristocrats were already aware of the rumor of Frey possibly being an illegitimate child.
What scum.
Professor Dios wintry gaze lowered. The bloodthirst in his eyes so fierce that the student in front of him hiccuped.
Itll be curfew soon, so return to the dorms. I will go see Frey.
Ye-Yes sir.
He nodded and hurried back. Like the student prior, many found Davids wicked acts disagreeable. It was just that no one could show it openly.
Dio rose from his seat.
I need to hurry.
He should be in the cheapest dorm next to the stable. Dios pace hastened, hoping that Frey had not already seen it through.
* * *
Lucas quickly regained his composure. For a moment, he was overwhelmed with his newfound freedom from the damned seal, but he should not be too excited.
Lucas began to grasp the situation at once.
It took much longer than I thought.
He could determine roughly 4,000 years had passed since he was sealed away. For nearly forty centuries, he had endured.
Among all those long years, it was his first time gaining a physical body. All he could do was simply stare at his surroundings.
The moment he dreamed of became a reality at last. But there was a problem.
This guy is my reincarnation.
Recalling fragments of Freys life left him with a migraine.
Frey Blake.
He was born the third son of a rather prestigious family of magicians. No matter. From the start, it was of no importance to Lucas whether his new body was the child of a commoner or an illegitimate one of the emperor.
The problem lied with the man named Frey.
His sensitivity to mana is abysmal.
How could such terrible talent be born from a prestigious magician family! It was no exaggeration to say that he lacked talent entirely. Because of this, only the most basic, 1-star spell Magic Missile could be used.
Youve had a miserable upbringing.
Freys childhood was filled only with degradation from his mother, humiliation, and fear. He could not find happy memories no matter how hard he tried. For him, blood ties did not mean family.
He had two older brothers directly above him, whose talents were outstanding. If Frey was a pebble rolling on the dirt, they were brilliantly shining jewels. Nevertheless, since they were a family, they should have taken care of them. But no one had even bothered. The two older brothers lacked upright personalities despite their brilliant talents, and so did their parents.
And then he entered the academy as if he were driven out.
Lucass attention shifted to the dingy blanket where a large number of pills scattered about.
Pills.
It was a simple sleeping pill, but if he swallowed so much at once and waited, there was only one result. Suicide. Frey wanted to escape his despair by death.
That was how I was able to obtain this body.
It was safe to assume that Freys spirit had already left. Frey himself would also think he was dead. The moment he gave up his life, Frey had completely abandoned any lingering desires to continue living. Thanks to him, Lucas was able to take over Freys body.
Though he couldnt say that they were entirely different existences. He accepted all of Freys memories. He was currently Lucas, however Freys mind and memories blended together with his own.
Lucas gradually began to rummage through Freys memories. He had been confined for as long as 4,000 years. On occasion, Lucas was able to catch glimpses of the outside world through the eyes of someone else, but the cycle was awfully long and even worse, irregular.
Sometimes he had been left in the dark for hundreds of years. The information available was fragmentary, and his questions about the outside trends were more often amplified than they were answered.
I need more information.
Lucas closed his eyes and accepted Freys memories bit by bit. However, his expression became increasingly warped. With his eyebrows furrowed, he scowled as if he found something distinctly abnormal. When he finished sorting through all his memories, he had no choice but to grind his teeth.
Nonsense.
It was difficult to accept.
4,000 years! No less than 4,000 years have passed! Sarch* The N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Magecraft should have already progressed by leaps and bounds. At least that was what Lucas had expected. Yet, the current world he saw through Freys memories was shocking.
Is there no difference from those times?
The development of society, the economy, as well as magecraft, was minimal. The same was true of technological progress. It was as if time had been frozen for 4,000 years.
Even magic itself seemed to have regressed. 4,000 years ago, only the Great Mage Lucas could reach 9-stars, but there were quite a few 8-star mages just below him. But now, let alone 8-stars, it was as if there were only but a few 7-stars.
Were they all gone? If not, perhaps hiding their existences?
Nothing could be done for now, so it was pointless to erupt in anger. Sighing, Lucas cooled his emotions and thought about what to do first.
For starters
Regaining his former power was his top priority. Right now Freys mana reserves were less than a cup of water. If not an ocean like it was in the past, at least mana the amount of a lake should be collected.
The sound of knocking abruptly filled the room. Who could it be?
Lucas worried for a moment, then rose and opened the door. A cold-looking man stood before him. His blond hair was slicked back while a monocle adorned his face, giving him an austere impression.
I apologize for intruding so late.
Lucas frowned and picked through his memories. It was not difficult to recall the identity of the man in front of him.
Professor Dio Persman.
One of the three most famous professors in the academy. Students liked to call him Iron Heart. Befitting his nickname, he had an iron heart which rarely showed emotion.
And.
Pretty good.
Lucas noticed Dios level at a glance. He was a 5-star magician whose age seemed to have been somewhere in his thirties. It was a great achievement, even considering talent. He probably focused on training day and night.
Meanwhile, Dio was surprised in his own way. He realized that Freys mood had gone through drastic changes. His drooping eyebrows were strong, and his shrunken shoulders were straight.
His submissive appearance had become indifferent. That alone gave him a completely different impression as if the person himself had become another.
What in the world could have happened?
Dio looked at Frey suspiciously.
Those are
His face hardened at the sight of the large number of pills scattered about the bed.
Chapter 2 - The Academys Worst Student (2)
Chapter 2 - The Academy''s Worst Student (2) Frey, what are those?
Lucas looked at the pills strewn all over the bed and replied.
Sleeping pills.
That wasnt what I meant. What I want to know is-
Swallowing five would cause you to lose consciousness, while ten puts your life at risk. Im aware of what you want to talk about, professor.
Dio was astonished. The timid Frey he knew would never cut him off. Moreover, the timbre of his voice was much more powerful than he could remember.
Im sorry to have caused you to worry, but its not going to happen.
His voice was firm, a quality not found in the original Frey. Dio was flustered, but soon made a guess.
Was it a great awakening?
Perhaps he did swallow the pills and arrived on the brink of death, only to survive by the will of the heavens. He must have gone through a multitude of inner changes. If an outsider heard this, they would object in fervor. But however rare, some magicians have gained strength after passing through the veil of death. Moreover, raising the level of ones magic a star higher also results in the strengthening of ones mental power. The more he thought about it, the more he believed it to be true.
The reality was different, but Dios mind was set.
Ill need to retrieve the pills.
Yes sir.
Lucas personally picked up the pills scattered on the bed and handed them to Dio. Taking them, he nodded.
Frey, I wont ask you how you got this many sleeping pills. However, keep in mind that I cannot allow such behavior twice.
I understand, sir.
Dio intended to leave at those words, but he turned his head and added.
It seems like something fortuitous occurred. Congratulations.
Lucas nodded with an unsure expression.
Thank you.
But make sure to skip the practical training session tomorrow afternoon.
What do you mean?
It was really an honest question for Lucas, but Dios expression became rigid as if he thought he was trying to feign innocence.
You dont think youll be able to defeat David just because you climbed a rank, do you? Hes well-known for being an excellent 3-star magician. You wont be able to do it as you are now.
?
Ill tell the professor in charge of the afternoon class, so go to bed early.
Dio parted with those words. Lucas remembered Davids threat.
Im going to make you half-dead in tomorrows practical training session.
Bastard of the Blake House!
Hahaha! You can look forward to it! Sarch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
A contemptuous cackling brunette came to mind. His name was David Stonehazard.
When he recalled Davids face, sweat pooled on his palms. Frey was frightened. But the fear soon vanished without a trace; his identity as Lucas forbade him to be afraid of such a teeny brat.
Tomorrows training session.
Lucas was not worried. There was a mountain of work to be done ahead of him. In comparison, the problem of a little kid like David was not worth his effort. Deciding to head outside first, he opened the door and left the dormitory.
Lucas breathed deeply, the brisk night air permeating his lungs. It had an unpleasant odor. Freys memories let him know precisely where he stood.
The student dorms.
It was the worst dormitory among them. Because it was near a garbage disposal site and a stable, the air smelled foul. Even worse, it took as long as 20 minutes to walk to the main building. As a result, there were less than 10 people living in the large space.
Lucas surveyed his surroundings and found an area where mana thickly concentrated. It took little effort since the area in question was the dormitorys backyard. It was a place hardly visited by others and was left mostly untouched. Hence, the nearby natural mana had been preserved to some extent.
But what a shame
Lucas thought of the places he used to train at in the past.
Glaciers that no human set foot upon, rivers of flowing lava, and summits that seemed to pierce the heavens All of them were natural areas that allowed him to feel the purest mana. Regrettably, he knew that as he was now, he could not go anywhere near those areas without losing his life.
Lets not be impatient.
Lucas muttered to himself. Patience should be exercised thoroughly. Not only that, it was crucial that he remained level-headed without ever losing sight of the anger which drove him. Closing his eyes, he began to steadily concentrate.
* * *
What Lucas was practicing was the most basic training technique called assimilation. The goal was to become one with nature through immersion. It was his former friend, Schweizer Straw, who devised this training method. Recalling him left Lucas a bit nostalgic.
The most distinctive feature of this practice was that the effect varied greatly depending on the mental discipline of the trainee. In the past, when Frey would do this training all day, the mana he was able to concentrate amounted only to a handful of dust. Lucas on the other hand
The sun steadily climbed over the horizon. Nevertheless, Lucas did not move an inch and maintained his posture. He slowly opened his eyes, which were overflowing with a cerulean aura. To an onlooker, it would have been an astounding sight. The cerulean energy that was clearly visible at first glance was the manifestation of mana. The heady concentration was unmistakable proof of reaching five stars.
Ugk!
Lucas vomited a mass of foreign matter. The putrid black substance reeked. Before long, similar liquids began to trickle out from pores all over his body.
It was the impurities accumulated in this body since Frey was born. In order to move mana more efficiently, they needed to be cleared first. The movement speed would increase drastically from just this purge alone. In addition, the body could now be cloaked with mana more easily, making it possible to engage in a fierce battle with sufficient maneuverability.
Ugk
For about a dozen minutes, Lucas sat down and spewed forth an amount of black liquid so great that it was unthinkable to have come from such a small body. Once finished, he sighed with a satisfied look. Although he smelled dreadful and his clothes were drenched with the black substance, he was full of vigor.
Looking at the mass of impurities that left his body, Lucas muttered.
This guys blood vessels were blocked so severely, its abnormal.
It was almost unbelievable that he was a child of a renowned magician family. His blood vessels were tightly clogged, and his sensitivity was hopeless.
Though impurities this great cannot be natural.
He couldnt tell if someone had a hand in this. It was not improbable, as Frey had a missing memory from his childhood.
Hmm
He decided to put away his thoughts for now. In any case, Lucas was successful in raising his power to the fifth star. Magecraft laid within the realm of the mind, not the body. Though it was obvious that the two could not be separated entirely. However, as long as he remembered himself as the Great Mage Lucas Traumen, it was only a matter of time before he regained his original position.
He was certain that time would be greatly reduced.
But right now, five stars is the limit.
Freys body could collapse if he was too rash. How could he waste this body so vainly? Lucas shook his head and waved his hands.
A loud rumble echoed. At that moment, the ground was uprooted and dirt rose from the earth. Transient Spear! It was an advanced spell only 5-star magicians or higher could use with ease. Frey took some of the upturned soil and masked the impurities on his body. There was still an awful stench, but no one would find it odd since he resided near the garbage dump.
He then returned to the dormitory, as cleaning his body took precedence. It was still dawn and not many lived there in the first place, so he was able to wash alone.
When Lucas was done, he began changing into his student uniform. Seeing his face reflected in the dusty mirror, he murmured.
Well, youve got a pretty good face.
Lucas said it offhandedly, but in fact his appearance had changed a great deal overnight. As the impurities in his body were removed, his skin became dewy while his eyes glistened. Even his unkempt hair was now as silky as a nobles. Frey was not ugly to begin with. Rather, he was strikingly handsome. However, the usual Frey had always cowered with his back curved, shoulders shrunken, and head bowed.
But now he was different. His waist and shoulders were straight, and his always trembling eyes were firm. Overall, the impression he gave had changed remarkably.
Freys appearance now shone as if a diamond in the rough had been thoroughly polished through persistent workmanship. So much that the students who knew him would not easily recognize him. In that sense, Lucas was indifferent.
As he finished changing, he realized that both his stomach and throat ached painfully, evidence that he needed sustenance. His thirst for mana was satiated, so now his body desperately craved a meal. He wanted to eat. Anything would do. He just wanted to chew, swallow, and drink.
The cafeteria is in the main building.
He headed straight to the cafeteria. It was early in the morning, so there were only a few people present. In the past, he preferred quiet meals, but after 4,000 years of being stuck in a space with nothing, more silence than necessary felt uncomfortable. The current low hum was just right. The clatter of dining utensils, the whirring of the busy kitchen, and the low roar of the students chatter created a tranquil atmosphere.
Wheat bread and hot soup. Something so simple caused tears to well in Lucas eyes as he ate.
Delicious.
It was his first meal in 4,000 years, so he probably would have had a similar reaction even if he chewed on roadside weeds. Lucas ate the soup with care as if it was the best one he ever had. The food at Westroad Academys cafeteria deeply moved him, living up to its stellar reputation.
With a sigh, he finished his meal. Lucas wanted to close his eyes and immerse himself in the lingering bliss of satiety, but he could not afford it.
He quickly regained his senses and headed to the classroom where his first class took place. The reason why he wanted to attend class was simple.
Freys knowledge is lacking.
Since he liked to study, he was a bit more knowledgeable compared to his peers, but he was still like a frog in a well. Lucas needed to figure out how the current world operated. In this sense, his position as a student at the academy was perfect. He intended to use his current status to its fullest until he could grasp the situation and gather enough information.
Lucas decided to live as Frey for the time being.
This is it.
He opened the classroom door and entered not as Lucas, but as Frey.
Chapter 3 - The Academys Worst Student (3)
Chapter 3 - The Academy''s Worst Student (3) Such a shame. The coward couldnt even kill himself properly.
As David spoke confidently, the man called Jack next to him shook his head.
Nah. Someone saw that son of a bitch sneak a bunch of sleeping pills from the infirmary yesterday. He mustve heard the rumors that you could die a painless death by swallowing a bunch at the same time.
He mustve not taken the pills then.
David agreed with the other man Anthony.
I think so, too.
Damn it. Want to make a bet, then? I bet ten meal tickets that he died.
Then I bet that he didnt.
Same.
Lets do five each.
Looking at each other, they grinned. The other students in the classroom glanced in their direction distastefully. No matter how they thought about it, Davids wickedness had gone too far. It was unbelievable how he could bet on others lives so easily. Even so, there was no one who dared to openly defy him.
It was not just his behavior that kept some of them quiet. David had better skills and was from a house of much higher status than them. But such students were usually indifferent to the business of others. They were the type to not move until Davids party tried to murder someone in the classroom. The rest of the students were weak and clumsily avoided Frey out of fear of being targeted. Some were even thankful for Frey being there.
It was then that the door opened, which quickly caught Davids attention. A handsome man entered the classroom. His neat figure and calm expression exuded indifference. Though now was not the time for such empty thoughts.
Isnt that Frey?
He almost didnt recognize him if it werent for his unique, faded grey hair. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
What?
Thats Frey, right?
Other students also chatted among themselves. It seemed that David was not the only one bewildered by his sudden change.
Frey looked around the classroom and leisurely made eye contact with David. For a short while, their gazes were locked onto each other. David thought that Freys expression would be full of dread as usual, but it wasnt. He didnt know what happened last night, but human nature did not change so easily.
Hurry and lower your eyes already.
He had it seen dozens of times. The self-conscious demeanor that was unfitting of someone from the distinguished Blake House. But it was natural for Frey, the disgrace abandoned by his family and the academys worst student.
However todays Frey was different from usual. He ignored David and his typical high-strung appearance was strangely relaxed. He had never seen Frey walk with his back so straight.
Frey went to his seat, sat down, and took out a textbook from his desk. He started reading each page in fascination as if he was lost in his own world.
Hah.
David unwittingly exclaimed, dumbfounded. His reaction was rather dry. Meanwhile Jack and Anthonys faces were already distorted. They made eye contact with Frey and had the same reaction. Jack became impatient and wanted to speak up, but David called Freys name first.
Frey Blake.
Frey turned his head and looked at David with indifference. Even his uselessly glossy face today was unpleasant. He continued boldly.
Look. Didnt I tell you? The bastards a coward whos too afraid to even die.
Jack and Anthony, who had frozen at Davids words, quickly remembered their roles. Their faces filled with ridicule and contempt.
Yeah yeah, you win.
God this sucks. Here, your meal tickets.
Among them, Jack felt the worst. Not just from Freys attitude, but also because he just blew 10 meal tickets. He calmed himself, approached Frey and sneered.
Whats wrong? Did you eat something wrong yesterday?
He spoke in a gentle tone that seemed to be filled with friendly concern, but his expression was murderous.
But Frey did not respond and just kept reading his textbook. Jacks face hardened. Infuriated, he walked over as fast as he could and took away Freys book. Only then did he look up at him.
Whats your problem?
Whats your problem? Hah.
Jack was about to spew a string of curses. However, the moment he received Freys attention, he stopped without even realizing it.
W-whats with this bastard. Those eyes
His bottomless gaze seemed to peer inside of him. Jack forced himself to keep smiling, feeling both unnerved and terrified.
Y-You thought sleeping pills were good for your skin, huh? Seeing the oil oozing from your face.
Pfft haha!
Anthony busted out laughing at his joke, causing Jack to regain confidence.
Give me your meal ticket, Frey.
Meal ticket?
Yeah, I just lost ten from my bet.
The tension from earlier had completely left him. Waving the book he took from Frey, Jack continued.
I bet ten meal tickets on you dying, so how could you show up to class like this? Thanks to you, Im gonna starve for a while.
Bwahaha!
Yeah its Freys fault!
David and Anthony jeered enthusiastically. In comparison, Freys reaction was simple.
F*ck off.
Once again, silence engulfed the classroom. The students gaped at Frey with their eyes wide open. Of course, Jacks expression stood out the most.
What did you say?
His hesitation toward Frey disappeared in an instant and turned into anger. Jack had a very imposing physique and vicious impression for a magician. When seen by others, he would even be mistaken as a mercenary.
When Jack grated his teeth threateningly, some of the weak-hearted students paled.
Frey, on the other hand, remained calm. Actually, he was rather annoyed by him.
Give me my book back and get lost.
Jack was not the type to be babbling over such provocations. He immediately put his anger into action. His cauldron-sized fist struck Frey in the face.
Huh?
Or so he thought.
What?
Jack quickly realized that Frey was standing right next to him.
W-what happened?
When did the guy who was just sitting in his seat stand up? He felt like he had seen a ghost. Whereas Frey simply stared at the dumbfounded Jack.
What the hell is up with this guy?
As he scrutinized these guys in more detail, Freys memories clearly surfaced - from the moment he had entered the academy to the end of his life.
In the beginning, his life was decent. Everyone smiled and treated Frey well, and he was happy. He felt as if he had finally found a place to belong.
That was until they had discovered the truth. He had a hopeless mana sensitivity and could not even use 1-star spells properly. Even worse, he was a totally abandoned son of the Blake House.
Trash.
A bastard like you doesnt even deserve to attend the academy.
Im begging you, so just hurry up and die.
In Freys memory, Davids horde were devils. Even Lucas impregnable mental strength could not prevent Freys body from trembling so weakly. He could guess how much he had suffered until now. He had had a hard and painful life. Above all, it was due to the fact that he had no one to rely on.
Frey accepted his memories completely. And at the same time, he made a judgment. Frey did not intend to retaliate against David and his party. This was because the level difference was too great. It is like an adult getting involved in a playground dispute.
But it was not the same. Davids partys atrocious acts were as vicious as any other corrupt aristocrat.
I cant.
W-what?
Jack was a little scared from the sudden change in Freys attitude and how he vanished and reappeared like a ghost. But mainly it was his eyes.
His eyes were like bottomless pits. Just by looking into them, he felt as if he was being sucked into his soul.
Frey recalled his memories when he was Lucas. By the time he was hailed as the Great Mage, he had garnered another name, the Great Teacher. He raised, led, and supported many of his disciples.
However, he did not consider himself a good man. Because Lucas never forgave those who pointed a sword at him. Nevertheless, thanks to him nurturing a spirit of deep discipline, unnecessary disputes tended to be avoided as much as possible.
But now it was different. 4,000 years.
He had been sealed in the abyss for a long time. Regardless of how much Lucas kept his reason intact, it was difficult to stay alone in a space where there was nothing. He had been on the brink of madness hundreds of times, and had several occasions where his consciousness had nearly been consumed.
But Lucas had succeeded in maintaining his self-awareness.
How? There was only one way. He expelled his violent emotions endlessly. He constantly recalled the beings who had sealed himself away. His outrage neared bloodthirst. For months, he would mutter words of hatred and curses so profane that they were difficult to say aloud.
Clear mirror, still water (Rֹˮ) was essential to increase the rank of ones magic, but Lucas at that time had no choice. Had he maintained only such static emotions, his consciousness would have been consumed by the abyss ages ago.
Phwack!
Kgh!
Jack was unable to make a sound. All of a sudden, he felt severe pain in his abdomen and could not even breathe properly. He felt like he had been impaled by a spear. His eyes rolled back, and he lost consciousness, his body slamming against the ground with an audible thud.
W-what was that?
Whats going on?
Jack had fallen down in an instant. At least it appeared that way to the students in the classroom. No one saw what really happened.
It was Frey. His actions were surprisingly simple. After activating mana all over his body to drastically improve his physical ability, he brought his fist into Jacks stomach. And with a faster move than the previous, he recovered it.
However, this series of processes was unorthodoxly fast. At least to an extent the other students would never realize.
Chapter 4 - The Academys Worst Student (4)
Chapter 4 - The Academy''s Worst Student (4) Jack!
Anthony rushed over to examine Jack. Sarch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
He fainted?
Why all of a sudden? Anthonys eyes turned to Frey. He was sitting at his desk again, reading his textbook.
From the timing, Im sure this fucker did something.
But did he have such a talent? Wasnt he just a lowly student who could only use Magic Missile?
Just as Anthony tried to speak, the door opened and Professor Dio came in. It was already time for morning class to begin. His gaze reached Anthony, who wobbled where he stood, and Jack who was out cold.
Anthony, what is going on? Why is Jack laying on the floor?
T-thats he just suddenly fell down.
Suddenly?
Puzzled, Dio approached Jack. He then turned him over and examined his condition.
These are
Dios face hardened. He felt faint, lingering traces of mana on Jacks stomach so weak that they would go unnoticed if it werent for his keen perception.
These are traces of martial arts skills using mana.
It meant that this was the work of a magic warrior. Moreover, it was not something a mere student could have done.
Quick and intricate. He was certain that there was not a single professor who had this level of skill. Who could have done this? Dios eyes wandered around and reached Frey. He was engrossed in reading, not sparing any attention to Jack who had fallen nearby.
Tell me the details.
Dios razor-sharp, azure eyes swept through the classroom. Every student who met his gaze flinched. After a moments hesitation, David stepped up and said.
Jack and Frey were talking for a moment but
Those two? Talking? Even Dio, who treated his students indifferently, knew of Davids relationship with Frey. They were not on friendly enough terms to talk.
David paused mid-speech when he met Dios gaze.
he just suddenly collapsed.
When Dio looked away from him, David felt a cold sweat down his back. Then Anthony said.
P-Professor, hows Jack?
He seems like hell be knocked unconscious for a while. Dont worry, its nothing life-threatening.
What made him collapse?
Well, I think Ill need to examine him further.
There was no need to tell the student about the martial arts as he would not understand. Dio paused briefly, then said.
Im taking the morning class off.
Huh?
Ill arrange for a substitute professor. Everyone, wait in the classroom.
Dio intended to study Jacks symptoms in more detail. While unlikely, it could have been the work of an outsider.
Which professor will take over?
Professor Kevin arrived earlier today. I know he doesnt have anything scheduled this morning, so Ill ask him.
At Dios words, the students fell into despair. Professor Kevin. He was also one of the three most notable professors at the academy, which included Dio. However, his evaluation was the worst among the students.
Although Dio had a cold personality, he was deeply respected by the students. His abilities were remarkable and his high-quality classes were easy to understand.
But Kevin was different. He behaved pretentiously even though he had the worst skills among the professors and was extremely harsh. None of the students liked him. He had a severe inferiority complex, especially towards Dio, as well as another professor named Adelia. If Dio asked him to substitute, he would certainly accept to do so thinking he got one over on him.
Dio left carrying Jack on his back.
The students sighed and prepared for Kevins class. At that moment, David approached Frey and spoke bitterly.
What did you do?
No, theres no way you couldve done anything my eyes wouldnt catch.
David concluded that it was just a coincidence and laughed to reassure himself.
Dont ditch afternoon practice.
Then he looked straight at Anthony and said.
We should skip class.
Its Professor Kevins class, though. Will it be okay?
It will. Im sure Professor Kevin will understand.
As David said so with a grin, Anthony also smiled. Kevin realized that he could not touch David.
He finally looked at Frey. Even with the commotion that occurred just a short while ago, there was little change in his expression.
Yeah, keep up that attitude. Im looking forward to seeing what kind of face youll make when I crush you.
He was going to end it with breaking an arm, but now he thought it would be better to take an eye, too.
With that, David and Anthony left the classroom.
* * *
Ah, of course.
Kevin was a balding middle-aged man with half his hair already gone. The protruding lower lip, slanted eyes, hooked nose, and bulging belly made him look more like a thief than a magician.
I look forward to your kind cooperation.
At Dios words, Kevin burst into laughter.
Dont worry. Professor Dio himself bowed and begged me to do my best! Haha!
He made sure to strongly emphasize the begging part. Dio neither bowed nor begged, but he nodded once because he did not want to waste time childishly arguing with him. Kevin headed to the classroom grinning ear to ear. In the first place, he did not really hate teaching classes. Rather, it was more of a preference.
Most of the students at Westroad Academy displayed trust and respect to their professors. Even if they were displeased, few people showed it openly.
Kevin liked that. It was the reason he tried so hard to become a professor at Westroad. He struggled to the point of having nosebleeds, but the fruit was so sweet.
If he lacked the same professors position, he would never be spoken to politely from elites such as Dio and Adelia. He would be lucky to not be ordered around, let alone be asked for a favor.
When Kevin opened the door and entered, most of the students looked up without delay. The grades for each subject could only be determined by the professor in charge. In other words, if a student displeased him in any way, they would receive poor grades regardless of their actual scores.
The quick-witted students knew what expression Kevin liked the most. When he saw the students bright eyes, Kevin laughed softly.
Im not sure if you were already aware, but due to unavoidable circumstances, I will be in charge of the lessons this morning. Then, everyone, open your textbooks.
The students rushed to open their textbooks. Knowing Kevins fastidious personality, they had all taken out their books in advance.
Frey was lost for a moment because he did not know what subject Kevin was in charge of teaching. He looked around and saw the title of a book taken out by another student.
The History of Magecraft.
Fortunately, all of his textbooks were already on the desk. He began to sort them out one at a time. His figure stood out and caught Kevins attention.
At first, he did not recognize Frey. But upon seeing his signature grey hair, he immediately realized his identity.
Frey Blake? That bastards back in my class?
Frey Blake. He was a notorious student in the academy, so Kevin obviously knew of him. He disliked Frey. He wanted to be respected by the children of distinguished families who were carefully selected from all over the country. He did not have a speck of interest in what a lesser-born illegitimate child thought of him.
Rather, he thought that Frey was the one who lowered the quality of his classes. After letting him know that his efforts would never get him anywhere, Kevin had driven him out very cruelly.
Frey Blake ran out of class with his face flushed and never attended since. Kevin thought he would never see him sitting there again.
What kind of winds blowing today for this to happen?
Moreover, the air around Frey seemed to have changed slightly. Kevin naturally could not recall Freys appearance in detail, but his frightened eyes and his shriveled shoulders were unforgettable.
But the Frey now was imposing. There was strength behind his gaze, and his back was straight. If it werent for the color of his hair, Kevin would not believe he was Frey.
Hmm.
It did not matter. Although he could not tell what was going on in Freys mind, kicking that spineless brat out again was no big deal. Grinning widely, Kevin said.
Frey, its been a while since Ive seen you. Was there any special reason for not attending my class?
Frey found the textbook just in time, and replied while putting the rest back.
I couldnt find the right time.
Maybe there was something that you thought was more important than my class?
Kevin said forcefully with his teeth clenched. Initially, it was the result of his harassment, but now Frey was speaking as if he had rejected Kevins class on his own.
The other students looked at Frey with half worry and half expectation. Most of them realized that Frey had changed a bit by witnessing how he had stood up to Davids crowd.
However, this time his opponent was Kevin, the most disliked of all the professors. He would not be able to rebel like before.
I guess so.
Frey responded lightly. Someone among the students gasped loudly. They were not alone, as most of the others had similar reactions. Then,
Oh?
Kevins face hardened.
Chapter 5 - To Change Overnight (1)
Chapter 5 - To Change Overnight (1) It would be meaningless to show his anger here. Frey was a student while he was a professor. If he stooped to his level, his authority would only plummet. Kevin smiled and clapped his hands.
Good, good. All right. Some things are more important than class. Im sure you wouldnt waste all that time. Certainly, youve got plenty to show for it.
Thank you.
In that case, lets stop with the idle chatter and begin.
Kevin opened and skimmed through the textbook. With a smile, he said.
Frey, heres a question for you.
The students held their breath. Kevins questions were notorious for being tricky. He never asked questions that could easily be guessed. Moreover, the punishment for not answering correctly was severe. In addition to docking grades, there were times when students had to stand until the end of class. To make matters worse, Kevins target was Frey, who had never even attended his lessons before.
What were the three artifacts used by the Magic Warrior King, Kassajin?
Frey did not reply. The students thought the question was distasteful. The Magic Warrior King Kassajin was the greatest magic warrior in history, yet most of Westroads magic-oriented students knew him only as one of the Great Mage Lucas companions. Some even had no clue who Kassajin was. Of course, it was not that he was omitted entirely from The History of Magecraft. Rather, his mention only encompassed a mere three lines, as he had walked the path of a warrior.
Of course, the information about which artifacts he used was left out altogether. Kevin leered. Sar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Whats wrong, Frey? Didnt you spend all that time accumulating knowledge that you couldnt find in my class? Or is it that you thought the achievements of a magic warrior were not even worth your time?
Frey remained silent. Just as he began to answer, a student seated in the back spoke for him.
I object. As far as I know, the Magic Warrior King Kassajin has no place in the history of magecraft.
For a moment, Kevin was silent. If it werent for her blood ties to the academy, Isabelle Triznine would have been chased out of the classroom in a more terrible way than Frey.
She had always interfered with his classes in every aspect.
Kevin replied smugly.
Kassajin was the first person to develop a method that used mana to enhance physical abilities. Although his pursuit was different, no one can deny his advancement of magecraft.
But Kassajin was a martial artist who used mana solely to train his body. Such a person cannot be considered a magician.
That was true. Isabelles knowledge was far ahead of her peers and was no less than a professors. But a sly smile still remained on Kevins face.
Then are you choosing to ignore everyone who walks the path of a magic warrior, Isabelle?
That is an outlandish interpretation.
Oh, that may be. However, whether or not magic warriors should be considered magicians is still a major debate in the academic community. Its a sensitive subject that can sometimes lead to a contest of pride between learned societies. While its important to voice your opinion, do pay more attention to your remarks. If you want to succeed as a magician, that is.
But
The one I asked was Frey, not you, Isabelle.
Isabelle bit her lower lip. She disliked Kevin to begin with and thought he was repulsive. He was the worst sort who enjoyed tormenting the weak for his own satisfaction. She was also well aware of his lecherous gaze that would often sweep her body.
Even now, Kevin thought he was being discreet, but Isabelle could tell. She felt horrible as he ogled her, as if a thousand insects were squirming over her entire body.
Kevins eyes narrowed as he noticed the look on Isabelles face.
What a shame. If it werent for her relation to the academy
Frey, who remained silent throughout the whole exchange, finally replied.
The Tiger Kings Glove, the Giants Belt, and the Gale Necklace.
Kevins eyes widened while Isabelle gazed at Frey in astonishment.
Am I wrong?
His memory was hazy, though Frey left that part out.
That is correct.
What a relief.
There was an uproar among the students. Frey answered the questions with ease even though they were meant to be nearly impossible to guess. But it would be even stranger if he did not know. The Great Mage Lucas and his companions were very close. Those four were like family to each other. From their favorite foods to their most trivial habits, he knew them all.
As Frey reminisced, his expression dimmed for a moment. Kevin became solemn at once.
This was just a warm-up. Ive still got more questions for you, Frey.
Alright.
Frey was rather pleased with the situation.
* * *
Unbelievable.
Kevin openly gaped at Frey. His attention was absorbed in the book as if he was not the least bit interested in what Kevin had to say.
He answered everything correctly?
Since the question about Kassajin, Kevin had asked about five more questions. All of them were difficult enough to baffle even the top students. The last two especially, since they could only be answered by professors in a specialized field.
Frey did not immediately respond. Before answering, he would remain silent as if he was reliving old memories. His silence would last anywhere from a few seconds to a solid minute.
But whatever left Freys mouth ended up being correct. Kevin was at a total loss.
Is this really Frey Blake? He was told that his grades were not bad. However, whenever Frey looked at him, Kevin would shrivel like a mouse in front of a cat.
Freys eyes were aglow with each answer he gave, while Kevins voice gradually withered. Eventually, he could not make a single sound and could only stand still.
Even though he should be the shame of Westroad Academy!
The past Frey would have turned beet-red by now. But what about the current Frey? He was not cowering in the least. He was neither reddening nor stuttering. Instead, his eyes were lucid and his voice was full of vitality. Kevin was very familiar with these types of people. Only those who had strong self-confidence carried themselves that way.
Like Professor Dio and Professor Adelia!
Impossible!
How could Frey be in the same league as the two most distinguished faculty members of Westroad Academy? Kevin immediately withdrew his line of thought.
That was good.
Meanwhile, Kevins barrage of questions was a great stimulus for Frey. Memories that he thought were long forgotten re-emerged and set off a chain reaction.
Kevin would have never dreamed of such a thing, but the harder his questions became, the more helpful they were to Frey.
Frey truly did not care if he was wrong. Rather, that was what he hoped for to some extent. He wanted confirmation that magecraft hadnt regressed for 4,000 years. But it never came.
Not one field of magecraft had made even an ounce of progress. How absurd. It was especially laughable to call the era when magecraft shone the brightest 4,000 years ago the Light Ages.
Was there anything else you wanted to ask?
Keven was rendered speechless by Freys question. For a while, he could only gnaw at his lips until his eyes lowered to the textbook.
Page 131.
Kevin could not hide his humiliation. He had just admitted defeat during his own class.
Before long, it was time for the lesson to end. Kevin glowered at Frey then took his leave.
I should go eat lunch at the cafeteria.
As Frey recalled the especially delicious meal he had there, his mouth began to water. Ever since his escape from the abyss, eating became very enjoyable.
Frey rose from his seat and realized that the students around him had been watching him for some time. Many appeared hesitant to speak. Frey had already been targeted by David. Very few of them were in a position to be able to ignore Davids warnings.
Are you going to the cafeteria?
One of them was Isabelle. The power of the academy was much greater than that of David. She looked directly at Frey with an irresistible curiosity burning in her seemingly tranquil gaze.
He seems like a completely different person.
Isabelle knew Frey. The Blake House was an esteemed family of magicians. When she first heard that a magician from the Blake House was admitted, she had expected a tremendous talent.
But then Isabelles expectations were soon shattered. It was safe to say that Frey had no talent at all. If it werent for the Blake family, he would not have even been allowed to attend the academy.
That kind of Frey had changed overnight. The cowardice that plagued his every step vanished. He was no longer subservient to David and his crowd when they tried to toy with him.
He was not even intimidated by Kevins deluge of questions, and instead answered them with ease.
Frey swept past her and kept walking. For a moment, Isabelle was dazed.
Am I being ignored?
At least, it was her first time being ignored since entering the academy. Panicking for a moment, she hurriedly chased after Frey. This time, she stood right next to him and spoke more clearly.
Frey Blake.
Only then did Frey spare Isabelle a glance, rolling his eyes.
Are you talking to me?
Yes.
I didnt know. Im heading to the cafeteria.
Frey did not slow down even when answering her. Naturally, Isabelle turned to pursue him.
About the last question that Professor Kevin asked.
The last question. What was it again? Frey, thought it over and soon came up with the answer.
Schweizers three training methods?
Yes, that one.
While talking, they arrived at the cafeteria. Frey took his lunch after exchanging his meal ticket and sat down. Isabelle set her tray across from him.
The surrounding people stirred up at once.
Isabelle was one of the most popular students. It was not just due to her relation with the academy. Her grades were outstanding enough to place her among the top three, and her appearance was beautiful. Even David had expressed his favor to Isabelle on several occasions.
But there she was, sitting across from the worst student, Frey, eating her lunch.
Isabelle, sitting with him? Except for those who were just in the same class as Frey, a majority of the students glared fiercely in his direction.
I thought Schweizer had developed only two training methods. Assimilation and amplification. You mentioned battling earlier. Its the first Ive heard of it.
Is that so.
However, battling was also the most dangerous of the three methods. Frey cut a large piece of sausage and scoffed it down. It was extremely delicious.
At first, I thought you were just saying whatever came to mind. But from the professors reaction, the answer seemed to be correct.
What are you trying to say?
Isabelle hesitated for a moment, then continued.
What kind of training method is battling?
It was what Isabelle was most curious about. Frey replied lightly.
What stage are you at right now?
I have reached three stars.
Isabelle spoke humbly, but Frey was shocked and fell into deep thought. He then said with a nod.
Thats pretty good for your age.
At that moment, Isabelle felt as if she was speaking to a wise old magician instead of Frey. But then she remembered his situation and looked remorseful.
It seems as if you dont have any grievances.
Thats right.
Frey finished his meal in a flash, while Isabelle had taken a mere two bites of her salad.
Ill be going first then.
?W-wait a minute. What kind of method is battling?
Refer to the book - what I know may not be certain.
His knowledge might be outdated, so he was not sure if any odd side effects would occur. Frey left the cafeteria, the conviction behind his gaze bewildering Isabelle.
Chapter 6 - To Change Overnight (2)
Chapter 6 - To Change Overnight (2) Afternoon class had begun. David stepped onto the vacant lot, arriving early. Anthony, who just stopped by the infirmary, said.
I heard that Jack will be alright. They say hell be up by evening.
What were his symptoms?
The professor doesnt know yet, but knowing him it was probably just mana exhaustion.
Hmm
David was unsure. The other students were starting to gather.
It was almost time for the lesson to begin when Professor Jane made her appearance. She was one of the few female professors at the Academy, but was unmarried even though she was over forty. Students who attended her classes at least once were well aware of the reason. She had an awful personality similar to Professor Kevin and was not enthusiastic about this class. That last point was especially important to David.
If Dio was the professor in charge of todays class, chances were high that he could not achieve his goal. He treated all students fairly. Perhaps there was no difference even in the way he treated the unparalleled genius Peruan and Frey the disgrace.
But Jane was different. David understood her personality well and had the confidence to use it to his benefit.
But why hasnt he showed up yet?
He didnt run away, did he? David began to think so, but soon shook his head. Maybe the past Frey would, but not now.
Frey made it to the practical training field just in time. David was anticipating the moment he would kill him. When he saw Isabelle accompanying him, his face hardened.
Isabelle Triznine? What was she doing with Frey?
They seemed to be absorbed in conversation. What was even more surprising was Isabelles expression. She, who rarely displayed emotion, was now more animated than ever. She gestured as she talked, and her admiration showed clearly on her face. She was even giggling.
The very same Isabelle who would not spare David a single glance despite his efforts to woo her.
Professor Jane turned to Frey.
Frey Blake, what couldve happened to cause Professor Dio to say that he would not be able to supervise the class?
She was puzzled but did not care too much about it. Jane looked around then spoke in a bland tone.
I see youve all gathered. Then, Ill call roll. Ian Durite.
Once she noted that there were no absentees, she continued with a nod.
Todays class will be a practical training session. You will all compete one on one. However, the match may be suspended at any time according to my personal judgment. Only 1-star spells will be allowed for the sake of fairness. Any questions?
David raised his hand.
Speak.
How are you deciding the pairs that will compete?
The professor in charge will decide. Dont worry, Ill match only those similar in level.
With an expression devoid of any ill intent, David spoke what was really on his mind.
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Id like to be matched with Frey.
Frey?
Jane was baffled.
Arent you a 3-star, David? Youre not on the same level as him, though.
I dont think it matters since I can only use 1-star spells anyway.
Jane knew that he was wrong.
For example, she was confident that even if all the students here attacked her at once, she would be able to overpower them with 1-star magic. In the same way how a first-class knight would overpower scores of fledgling soldiers.
David, who will soon reach three stars, and Frey, who will show signs of mana exhaustion after casting just a few shots of Magic Missile
The result would be obvious. Nevertheless, Jane was not going to fret about it.
If its the Stonehazard House, things shouldnt get too bad.
Jane nodded, thinking of Davids family.
Ill allow it.
Janes words caused an uproar among the students. Most of them had seen David threatening Frey yesterday. Some even quietly disproved of Janes irresponsible decision.
I have something to say.
Frey raised his hand. David laughed, guessing his intentions.
Its too late to back out now, no matter what you say.
Only a very small portion of the professors did not need to be wary of the Stonehazards. Of those were Adelia and Dio.
Tell me.
As far as I know, a lot of accidents occur during practical lessons. If someone were to be badly injured, would the other get punished?
Jane focused on Frey, nodding inwardly.
So youre already assuming youre going to be the one getting hurt?
Since it would be impossible to defeat David by himself, he was asking if David could be punished by the school rules. Freys intentions were clear, but she could not meet his expectations.
Jane firmly shook her head.
Dueling occurred frequently among those who studied magic in particular. He would have to accept the consequences of losing without arguing about it.
It was a sacred battle held to put a magicians authority and honor on the line. Even ones house or parents could not interfere.
This practical lesson has been conducted throughout the academys history. Frey, lets say you lost your arm in a future duel. After the duel is over, would you resent your opponent and borrow someone elses hand to plot revenge?
No.
Okay. Thats all I needed to know.
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Jane affirmed that he would not act according to her suspicions. He could not punish his opponent for the injuries sustained from losing the match. It would be different if he lost his life, but David did not want to go that far.
Ill help treat you if anything happens.
If he was crippled, the Stonehazards would not be able to avoid punishment, no matter how much power they had. S~ea??h the N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Davids smile grew.
As I said before, I will stop the match myself if your life is in danger. Any more questions?
None.
Then let the first match begin. Frey, David, head to the practical training field.
Frey and David went to the nearby training field and faced each other, surrounded by the rest of the students and Professor Jane.
Youve earned my praise for not running with your tail in between your legs.
David laughed aloud.
You want me to tell you what Im planning to do to you now? First, Im going to crush your vocal cords so that you wont be able to speak. Of course Im not going to stop there. Ill break all your limbs, too. I want to see you crawl, so your legs are going first.
David was not planning to go that far. But he threatened him like this as a bluff, attempting to draw out the look the original Frey would make.
Frey, however, asked without lifting an eyebrow.
Can you even do that with 1-star magic?
That doesnt matter. Im going to use vision magic.
His expressionless face he answered with irritated David. However, Freys expression finally changed at the words vision magic.
Vision magic. Only the direct lineage of a family who carries it can inherit it. Youre going to use that here?
Yeah. Pfft. Why, you scared?
David thought Freys face would have been filled with fear. Vision magic was precious enough to be called a family treasure.
The vision magic that most magician houses had was tightly veiled because it was considered the secret art of the family. But David paid it no heed.
Vision magic wont make a difference.
With the right conditions, even a 1-star wizard could use vision magic. It was one of the possible loopholes in the practical lessons.
Although a strict professor like Dio wouldnt have allowed it, it was clear that Jane wouldnt be blamed.
Begin!
Janes voice resounded throughout the field. David immediately used Stone Rage, the vision magic of the Stonehazard family. This technique was used to pull rocks from the earth and bombard the target at once.
The size of the rocks could have been adjusted by David. However, even if a rock the size of a fist was pulled, it would be enough to crush Freys vocal cords. David sneered inwardly. The earth shook and many stones rose. Looking at it, Frey muttered.
Magic Missile.
Hahaha!
David couldnt hold back his laughter. It was as he expected. After all, no one had ever seen Frey use anything other than Magic Missile. Nevertheless, he could not guess how he would use Magic Missile even in front of Stone Rage.
You shouldve surrendered when you had the chance, Frey Blake!
CRUNCH
Kuagh!
David writhed on the floor, not realizing what had happened.
Ugk
He felt terrible pain in his throat and tried to scream, but could not even do that. Were his vocal cords completely destroyed?
Its unbelievable how sh*tty you have to be to waste vision magic like this. The Stonehazard house certainly is special.
If he was in his right state of mind, he would have vented his anger. But at the moment, David was in tears from the pain. This was the first time he felt pain, who grew up under the halo of Stonehazards. Only then did David understand what happened. Freys Magic Missile broke through Stone Rage and smashed into his neck!
What did you say again? That you were going to break my legs after my neck?
Another Magic Missile formed in front of Frey.
David stared at the scene, his body limp.
S-Stop it! I give up! I surrender!
He cried frantically, but there was no sound. Only a powerless whistle came out, and even that was too weak to reach Frey.
CRACK
Kuuagh
Davids eyes rolled to the back of his head. He almost passed out. In fact, he wished he did. But the breathtaking pain kept his mind teetering on a thin wire.
I-I get it now.
He remembered what Frey had asked Jane before the match. It wasnt that he was worried about himself. Clearly, Frey wanted to know what would happen if he made David a half-paralytic.
Is it really that painful? Having your vocal cords ruined and legs broken?
Only
Frey was frighteningly indifferent. David was afraid of the look on his face, but his voice terrified him more, sending shivers down his spine. It had a light tilt.
Youre trash who doesnt even deserve to be called a magician. Ill give you a little help in giving up your miserable dream.
That, thats enough!
If that happened, David would be abandoned by his family. The past Frey had clearly shown how those who failed to use magic in magician families were treated.
The vision magic would fall into the hands of his brothers, and he would have to live under the care of his family for his entire life.
Magic Missile.
It was unbelievable that 1-star magic could be so petrifying. David looked at the Magic Missile, his eyes filled with horror.
Chapter 7 - Overnight Changes(3)
Chapter 7 - Overnight Changes(3) Translator: Seven
Frey Blake had changed!
The rumor quickly spread through the student body.
Did you know he successfully faced Professor Kevins barrage of questions? 5 times!
Unbelievable. Isnt he the first person other than Peran. Even fourth-grade students might get them wrong!
Besides, he even fought with David during a lesson and destroyed him.
I heard about it too. Werent his vocal chords and both his legs broken?
Wow. If he doesnt get healed then hes done being a wizard.
Freys environment also changed.
It was the next day. After the lessons, someone approached Frey, who was reading a book in the library.
These days he had been getting along well with Isabelle, so he thought it was her, but when he raised his head, there was a man standing there instead.
Are you Frey Blake?
Thats right.
you dont say much. Dont you know me?
As he was trying to recall, the man frowned unconsciously.
What kind of look is that
The man coughed lightly to break the awkwardness and introduced himself.
Im Douman Milost. A fourth-grade student.
Since he was only a second grader, Frey bowed his head without any complaint.
So you are a senior. Whats the matter?
Douman sighed slightly in relief at the attitude that he was more familiar with from his juniors.
Join the Traumen Rings.
Troman Rings?
You dont know it?
Frey nodded at that.
The thing that he was curious about was the Traumen part.
That was Lucas own last name in the past.
We are a group of students who represent the Westroad Academy. Of course, its not just a social gathering. The Traumen Rings is a club with a long standing history within the academy and only those who are selected can join.
At this, Douman showed off the ring he was wearing with a confident expression. It was an orange colored flat ring that was covered in runes.
Even after you graduate, as long as you possess this ring, everyone will look up to you. From a simple village tower to a royal mage or even a mercenaryyoud be able to pick whatever career you want.
Hmm.
Douman licked his lips. An ordinary student would be quivering with excitement after hearing this but this guys reaction was very dry. It was the first time hed seen such a reaction.
So he took out his trump card.
Peran Jun is the current leader of the Traumen Rings.
Peran Jun?
Come to think of it, hed heard that name many times before.
Like a world record that would continuously be boasted in the history of the academy. He was a celebrity of the academy in a completely different sense from Frey.
Thats right. Peran Jun, the heir to the Jun Family which is one of the Three Great Noble Families of the Empire. When you join the Traumen Rings, youll be able to form connections with children from many aristocratic families, including Mr. Peran. We can even rely on our senior students and professors to help us improve by point out our shortcomings
Doumans expression seemed to say, could you possibly refuse that?
Frey nodded at his words.
I understand, but I will have to reject your offer.
What?
Doumans eyes widened substantially.
He thought that Frey was only pretending to be unimpressed, but he never expected him to directly refuse.
Wa-, wait a minute. Think this over carefully. I dont know if its because youre just a second grader, but if you join
Id like to practice by myself now.
Doumans face became red. Then he turned around. He hid his face because he wasnt confident that he could hide his shame and anger. No matter how upset he was, he couldnt display his anger to his junior.
Frey on the other hand, maintained his nonchalance.
Im a bit interested in this Peran though.
Genius.
Frey had taught, been taught by and shared opinions with geniuses before.
In his life he had seen countless geniuses.
Nevertheless he had never seen a genius who surpassed all, form a group of friends. In his experience, geniuses didnt form groups. Of course, Peran, who stands out among the crowd could be a bit different.
But right now he wasnt too interested. Frey had a lot of work to do.
Frey Blake rejected the offer of the Traumen Rings!
The rumors spread very quickly. Maybe it was Doumans handiwork.
The students reactions to the news varied. There were those who wanted to befriend him, those who showed hostility and those snuck glances at him from a distance.
Of course, Frey had a common response to all of them.
Ignore.
Frey became isolated.
He got a bit stronger and now he acts pretentious.
Was his personality always like that?
Just leave him alone, he even refused the Traumen Rings Scout.
Hes a lone wolf.
The students began to see Frey as an Arrogant brat because he had improved his skills.
It was a rather biased opinion, but Frey didnt care. Rather he felt like it was easier now because he didnt have to bother with socializing.
Of course, there were exceptions.
Isabelle murmured depressedly and Frey looked at her.
I still couldnt find anything about battling. When I asked the professors, they said it was a very dangerous training method, so there are no records of it in the academy library.
That sounds about right.
It was very dangerous. When Frey was Lucas, only wizards who had reached at least 5 stars were taught how to do it.
Then where did you learn it?
Book.
Can you lend it to me?
No.
Frey responded briefly and went back to reading the book in his hands.
Isabelle pouted her lips as she saw him begin to focus on reading properly.
She knew that in that state, he wouldnt answer anything.
As Frey read the book he had a different idea in his mind.
It had been about a week since he left the abyss. In the meantime he steadily gained information from the professors lectures and books.
The existence of those guys was not revealed yet. It was quite different from the past.
Conversely, there was little distortion of the history of Lucas and his companions. This was quite unexpected.
We were a thorn in their side. If they gained complete control of human society, it would have been logical to erase all traces of our existence.
Thats why he came to a conclusion.
It was likely that there were those who took up the will of him and his companions to fight against them.
For a whopping 4000 years.
Finding them is my top priority.
Who is the best wizard in this academy?
you ignored all of my questions.
If you answer in detail, I will answer one thing that youre curious about.
At that, Isabelles expression became extremely bright. She gathered her thoughts for a moment before opening her mouth.
Among the students, Peran Jun. Among the professors is Professor Dio or Professor Adelia. But the strongest overall is my aunt.
Your aunt?
Yeah. Syris Triznine, the Head of Westroad Academy. Shes a 6 star wizard who was granted the title Glacier by the Empire.
6 Star.
It wasnt a low level to attain.
But Frey was confused.
Something hed realised while looking at the books was that there were no wizards who had reached the 9 star level in this era. The last 9 star wizard had appeared more than 3000 years ago.
Thanks to that, the 9 star level was considered a legendary myth, almost like a dragon.
8 star wizards were called Archmages and were praised as the strongest under the heavens. Fewer than 10 people had reached that point.
The magic that protects the Academy is not simply at a 6 star level.
Frey hadnt realised it at first.
But there was clearly magic surrounding the entire academy.
There were also various types. From simple location tracking, to alerts, defense and power increments. (Note: simply buffs/debuffs)
If shes the head of the academy then she should be the one who installed it.
If it was a wizard of that level then she might know something about them. However she could be hostile toward him. No, it is very likely.
I need to raise my level to at least 7 stars first.
If Frey was at the 5 star level then he would be able to defeat wizards at 6 stars.
However from 7 stars and up it was different.
In the past, Frey classified all wizards at and aboe 7 stars as Arcmages. (Note: yes arcmage not archmage)
5 star wizards can beat 6 star wizards. But 6 star wizards couldnt beat 7 star wizards.
Mana reserve, casting speed, magic power and mental power. There was a big difference in every aspect.
Because the difficulty to reach the 7 star phase could not be compared to what you experienced before.
That meant that Archmages had one or two mysterious means. It was power that Davids Vision Magic could never compare to.
In order for him to defeat a 7 star wizard, he had to at least enter the beginning state of the same stage.
A month should be enough to reach 5 stars.
It would be possible even if he only did morning training in the empty lot near the dormitory.
However it would be difficult to reach level 6 with the poor mana there. And it would be even more difficult to reach 7 stars.
Should I just give up my status as a student now? (Note: i.e. drop out)
Frey contemplated for a moment.
In any case he had already been abandoned by his family so they wouldnt care if he went missing.
He was sure that if he asked Professor Dio about the expulsion related procedures it would be easy.
But he soon shook his head.
It would be difficult to come back in if I leave.
It was best for him to maintain his status as a student until he knew the true identity of Syris Triznine.
Then Ill just wait for a vacation in a month.
When the vacation began, students usually returned to their hometowns to take a break.
Although a few tasks were given, they were not difficult as it was only a formality. Even if you didnt do them the punishment wouldnt be too serious.
The vacation was two months long, that was enough time.
I should go to Schweisers Dungeon.
Perhaps his dungeon had collapsed or been robbed already, but it didnt matter. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
In the past Lucas Traumen had quite a few stashes.
You could say that in his dungeons one could find books that hed read in the past, a few golems hed made out of interest and other miscellaneous things(junk).
But Schweiser was different. He gave his dungeons a lot of care and affection.
His dungeon shouldnt have collapsed yet.
Moreover, the dungeon was positioned in a place unimaginable by ordinary people. If someone was able to find it, then they deserved to take some of the stuff inside of it.
Ill need to go to the Ispania Mountains in the North.
He was well aware of the strength of the monsters there.
Even at 6 stars it was impossible to guarantee that you can come and go as you pleased.
Good.
Freys goal was set.
First, hed wait and hone his skills.
Then, on his vacation, hed go to the Ispania Mountains to find Schweisers Dungeon.
After reaching the 7 star stage with the help of the magical equipment there, he would come back and meet the Head of the Academy.
Chapter 8 - Overnight Changes(4)
Chapter 8 - Overnight Changes(4) Translator: Seven
After a week or so had passed, David returned to class.
As soon as he entered the classroom, he ignored Jack and Anthony who welcomed him and looked for Frey.
After finding him, he headed over with a glare.
Do you know who you threatened, you bastard? Ill never forgive you. Ill use all my connections and power to destroy you.
Kuchik
David never got a chance to finish speaking as Freys magic missile made contact with his face.
Ugh
David fell onto his ass.
He put his hands to his face and blood spilled past his fingers. It was obvious that his nose was broken.
Even though hed created a terrible scene in the middle of the classroom, Frey was still absorbed in his book without any expression.
The students stared at Frey with fearful expressions. It was because they couldnt imagine that he would break Davids nose without responding to him.
David returned to his family again to fix his nose.
Frey was punished because it wasnt a duel that time.
Fortunately, it was not severe punishment. Professor Dio used his strength.
It was a week of suspension and extra study but it helped him instead.
The first day after he returned from his suspension, a senior student approached him with a glare.
Are you the one who touched David?
Who are you?
Like before with Douman, he didnt use honorifics. It was obvious that he came with hostility.
Im Alex, the youngest son of the Drimid family. Ive admired the Stonehazard since I was a child. I treated David as my cute little brother.
So?
As Ive heard, youre a really cheeky guy. Is that the way you always talk?
Are there any rules that said we need to respect our seniors?
Alex seemed speechless for a moment before quickly turning red.
A Blake family loser actually dares
You talk a lot. I dont know much of the Drimir Family, but it seems a characteristic is that you talk a lot.
How dare you insult my family!
Alex shouted, his face flushed with anger.
Why? Do you want to duel?
Huh? Youre going to refuse anyway, it wouldnt change anything.
I have no intention of rejecting it.
really?
Right. If you want, Ill stick around after school.
Ha. You became very proud after beating David. You better not regret it. Ill show you the dignity of a senior.
Alex growled in a low voice and then left.
After school when Frey arrived at the promised spot, Alex was already there.
Frey looked around.
There are a lot of onlookers.
Kuku. Why. Are you feeling regretful about being disgraced in front of so many people?
He hated the noisy atmosphere. Alexs behaviour was very similar to David and he couldnt help but consider it troublesome.
It seemed Alex had called a lot of people.
Isnt that Alex Drimid the one who made it to the round of 16 in the last Gratid Magic Competition?
I heard that many towers have eyes on him.
There are rumors that he might become an academy professor.
Alex seemed to be pretty famous, but Frey didnt care much.
Magic Missile.
Ugk
As Alex fell down while holding his stomach, Frey couldnt help but think.
I was trying to get a feel first by using that magic (Note: kinda like testing your opponent before getting serious.)
Freys body is different from Lucas. Even if he used the same magic as in the past, the power was different. So Frey wanted to get used to that difference.
He could tell by practicing alone, but he thought it would be easier if he could practice with someone.
But against a weak man who was knocked down by a single magic missile, there was no practice for him to get.
Is this the average level in the academy?
The average age here was between 18 and 20. They couldnt be called old, but they werent children.
At least the wizard trainees hed known in the past werent this bad.
When Alex fell, the students who were his friends walked forward with their arms outstretched.
Im Golgorex, the eldest son in the Gilard family.
Im Prix, the youngest son of the Finalac family.
Im
Magic Missile.
Kuk!
Ack!
Ugh!
Frey didnt know what to say.
Maybe this was the first time since hed gained this body that he felt that Magicology had degenerated.
He felt that the current magic students were so poor. No, in fact they were the worst.
Of course, there were some students who were better than the rest.
Frey, I did what you said.
One of them was Isabelle, who was now talking to him in an excited voice.
She seemed to be trying her best to stay calm but she could not hide the excitement she was feeling inside.
I knew that Trolls blood could be used for engraving formulas. But to think of combining it at a ratio of 7:3its a groundbreaking innovation.
Halftroll blood is a bit more effective. The monsters unique dark energy is more diluted.
I see. So what are you gonna teach me this time?
Next
Frey hesitated for a moment.
I was treating Isabelle as a disciple without even realising.
Instinctively, he was giving her tasks just as it was standard for a teacher, and advising her on what to do.
In fact, Isabelles talents were remarkable.
If it wasnt for the current era, she had hope of reaching 7 or even 8 stars.
Frey decided not to care too much about it.
By the way, what have you been doing these days?
What do you mean?
I heard that Freys nickname is now Death Missile.
Death Missile?
Arent you the Death Missile?
It wasnt wrong, but he didnt like the name Death Missile because it sounded childish.
Besides, it was a bit unfair because he didnt kill anyone.
Their magic was just terrible.
Come to think of it, you asked who was the strongest in the academy. I think youre a good candidate.
That
Frey thought for a moment.
He thought that it would be better to get information by using this as a pretext rather than bluntly denying it.
Maybe. So the guys I fought were the strongest among the cadets?
I dont know. Were any of them wearing an orange ring, a golden necklace or a blue bracelet?
He thought back to his memories, there was no such person.
NoThe orange rings should be the Traumen Rings. What are the golden necklaces and blue bracelets?
Strow Necklaces and Fispaunder Bracelets. They are the most powerful clubs in the academy, alongside the Traumen Rings.
The relevant names popped into his head one by one. Lucas Traumen, Schweiser Strow, Iris Fispaunder.
Frey listened to Isabelles explanation as nostalgic feelings swept through him.
Most students are in a club.
Are you?
Isabelle shook her head.
Im comfortable being self-taught.
Doesnt seem like it to me.
Isabelles face reddened as she realised that she had been asking Frey for help a lot recently.
Anywayif youre not in a club then youre probably not very talented. Even the prestigious families have members with poor performances.
Mm.
Since he wanted to see how good he was, Frey began wondering how he could go up against them.
Seeing as they are all silent, theyre not as thoughtless as those ones before. Sarch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
If they were all like David, it wouldve been better.
Frey wanted to test his skills, but he didnt want to go and cause trouble.
Ill just wait quietly for the vacation.
It was not that important for him to see the skills of the aspiring wizards.
Chapter 9 - Overnight Changes(5)
Chapter 9 - Overnight Changes(5) Translator: Seven
It was finally time for a vacation.
After the ceremony, Frey returned to his room and looked at a map.
Its a pity I cant teleport yet.
He had to be at least 7 stars to use it, if he was lucky then he would be able to use it come back. He even got the coordinates for the dormitory just in case.
Lets think positively.
He had to broaden his horizons by exploring around the world.
His theoretical knowledge was solid, but seeing with his own eyes was better than reading books or seeing paintings.
Firstly he had to visit the capital of the Kastkau Empire, Kausymphony.
There were many other ways, but the fastest and safest way to get there was with a warp seat.
The existence of the warp seats interesting Frey greatly. This mode of transport didnt exist 4000 years ago.
Its expensive, but its efficient and safe.
He didnt know much else, but he knew that it was a good idea to commercialize warp seats.
Of course, as he said, its only flaw was the price.
At the moment, Freys wealth was only about 1 gold coin.
It was enough to stay in a relatively decent inn for about a month, but the capital was much more expensive.
As a noble, his reputation was as non-existent as his fortune.
Freys situation was deplorable, but he was fine with it.
Lets go to the capital first before thinking about this.
Since it was a crowded place, it would be easier to make money there. If that didnt work then he could just kill a few monsters.
Frey went to the south gate of the Westroad Academy.
After leaving there, he walked for a few minutes before arriving at a river.
Taking a boat from the dock was the fastest way to get to Kausymphony.
In addition, it should be noted that students could travel on the ships for free.
As Frey walked along the way to the river, he looked around.
There are many students
Kausymphony was home to one-fifth the population of the country and its proportion of nobles is much higher.
Before long, he arrived at a river.
There, he could see a ship in all its grandeur. If the river was any smaller, the bottom of the large ship wouldnt even be willing to fit.
But the number of students was too large. By the time it was Freys turn, the number of seats on the ship had already been filled. Sear?h the N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
A sailor approached him.
Are you a student of Westroad Academy?
Thats right.
Can I see your identification?
Frey showed the man his student certificate from the academy.
The man, who appeared to be a sailor, especially checked for the official seal of the Westroad Academy before smiling politely.
Im sorry for the inconvenience. The Nitilus is already full. The next ship will only come after four days. If its okay with you, would you like to come on our boat?
Your boat?
Yeah.
As the sailor said this, he pointed toward one side. Hidden by the large ship was another boat.
It wasnt very large. About half the size of the large ship that had been filled before. But it wasnt shabby.
Rather, it seemed very simple and elegant even.
Its via the Geotanbul city-state, but if the weather is fine then well be able to arrive in Kausymphony in five days.
Five days was not slow.
Frey asked the next important thing.
What about the fare?
Of course, its free for academy students.
That was good too since he intended to save every penny he could.
Is there a reason that people dont get on your boat?
As Frey said this, the sailors expression became a bit dark.
We only have two escort ships. As you know, the ships pass by the Oscar Islands and there are rumors that the pirates there are terrible
After saying all of this, the sailor raised his head and shook it.
Of course, you dont need to worry about it as much as Seagulls hole! There are two 4 star mages on the Cortes Frigate. Battlemages from the Magic tower! They are practically reapers in a sea battle! Those pirate bastards will run like hell at the sight of their mage robes!
When he spoke in a hurry while being excited, bad words poured out of his mouth.
Frey nodded his head and didnt give it much thought.
The sailors face brightened.
Welcome to the Cortes. We promise to take you to your destination quickly and safely.
The sailors age seemed to be similar to or younger than Frey.
He was smiling, but the only flaw was that he was missing a front tooth.
Then Ill show you to your cabin.
Frey followed the sailor.
Chapter 10 - Talent revealed to the world (1)
Chapter 10 - Talent revealed to the world (1) Translator: Seven
Lets have a hearty meal this time.
Kunst, captain of the notorious Bloodred Plunderers of Oscar Islands lifted his head as he said this.
It will be a big one this time?
The one-eyed man beside him also lifted his head.
Although this man looked very dumb and naive, he was a madman who pulled out his own eye while saying, Pirates should only have one eye.
Well, it was nothing to be surprised about. There were a lot of crazy people there.
Kunst stroked his beard and said.
A ship carrying students from the Westroad Academy will be passing by the island.
Doesnt this happen twice a year? Besides dont they have warships overlooking them?
These words came from the vice-captain. He was a weak man, but he was very smart and cunning, that was how he made it to his current position.
The Nitilus has them. But the Cortes that follow it is different. It is going via Geotanbul which means theyll have to pass right by the Oscar Islands.
Kunst laughed very loudly.
They only have two escort warships with only about 50 guns.
They are passing close to the Oscar Islands?
One-eye asked angrily.
What they were doing was similar to a rat shaking its ass while walking through a cats den.
However, the vice-captain was much more cautious.
You gotta remember. The Academy is packed with talented people who are important to the Empire. No matter how little it is, there should be some protection
Two 4 star battle mages are escorting them.
Battlemages!
The One-eyed man couldnt help but shout at those words. Even a few pirates nearby turned pale when they heard that.
4 star Battlemages were unrivaled demons on a naval battlefield. In fact, some of the men here had witnessed such a scene before.
Were going to attack a ship protected by battlemages? Captain, did you get a knife to the head?
The vice-captain couldnt help but ask roughly.
Kunst laughed loudly at those words.
Ive been hit twice. Of course, Im fine regardless of that. My dear right-hand man, its not that we dont have any chance of winning. Because we have an old man who will help us in the future.
Old man?
Kuku.
At that time, a dark sound came from behind Kunst and all the pirates were surprised.
Though it was dark, they shouldve been able to tell if there was someone behind Kunst.
Although the person was wearing a black robe, they shouldnt have been hard for them to see.
The faces of the pirates were struck with astonishment as the hood was pulled back and the face was revealed.
Huk!
Gh-, a ghost!
Hik
It was a walking skeleton. It was a white skeleton without any flesh.
In the place of its eyes, there were deep black holes filled with red flames.
Seafarers usually had strong beliefs in superstition. In particular, they were especially afraid of the seas evil spirits and ghost ships.
The skeletons appearance reminded them of both.
Kunst enjoyed the expressions of his men with a triumphant look on his face.
Let me introduce you to Dullard. A lich sea??h th NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
* * *
Frey sat on the deck of the ship and looked around.
There were few people there besides the sailors and a man who was giving orders here and there saw Frey before approaching him.
Are there any inconveniences?
Frey realized he was the captain and shook his head.
I just came up to get some fresh air.
Frey subconsciously spoke politely to the captain because of his age and title.
The captains eyes shined.
He has a class.
The captain was only a commoner that had been employed by the empire and since most of the students knew this, those who boarded usually treated him poorly.
The captain was even used to it after experiencing it for a long time. For this student to use a polite tone when speaking to the sailors showed that he was someone with an amazing background.
Of course, it wasnt a definite indicator that he had a good family. There were many students who did not have a trace of elegance or politeness even though they hailed from great families.
Either way, the man in front of him was truly remarkable.
The captain took off his hat and bowed politely.
My greeting was late. I am Mac Martinez, Captain of the Cortez.
Im Frey Blake.
Ah! You are a son from the Blake family.
The surprise in Macs eyes was easily noticeable.
After doing this for such a long time, he was able to memorize the names of some of the noble families. Hed heard that the Blake family was one of the most prestigious families in the region.
Indeedhe is a child from a great noble family.
Mac was inwardly filled with admiration however it was only an illusion.
Had it been any of Freys older brothers, he wouldve been disappointed.
In any case, Mac liked this young cadet so he smiled before saying.
Can I sit beside you?
Frey laughed at that as it was a bit strange.
Arent you the owner of the ship?
Haha.
It meant that his permission was not necessary.
Mac grew increasingly more fond of Frey.
Frey mumbled softly while looking around the deck.
Its a good ship. The most important thing about sailing is the division of the roles, even though Im a layman, the crew seems to be very organized.
They were all carefully selected. Although they might not be very smart, they are all good at their own tasks.
Praise to the crew and ship was the highest praise a captain could receive. Even those empty words managed to make him feel good.
Mac couldnt help but smile and laugh happily.
So what do you intend to do in the capital city?
I plan to use the warp stone1 there.
I see. Ive used it once before. In the blink of an eye, I arrived in Passfield across the east sea. Im not sure when Ill use it again since it is too expensive for me.
Frey looked at Mac.
The person in front of him was a captain who had probably traveled the world.
Im going to the Ispania Mountains in the North. Do you have a recommended route?
The Ispania Mountains?
Wasnt that the place that was called the Monsters Paradise? It was the hell mountains that even A-class soldiers would find it hard to return alive from!
It was practically suicide for a wizard to go there without any protection.
But Mac was smart.
He knew that if he asked, he wouldnt get a complete answer.
Mac thought for a moment before he opened his mouth.
(Note:
Minor change, after browsing the manhwa for the first time, I decided to change warp seat to warp stone.
Also just my own opinion, I feel like the mc portrayed in the manhwa is ratherwhimsical and childish, I prefer the novel mc better
Also, the discrepancies between the novel and the manhwa is much larger than in any other combination Ive seen)
Chapter 11 - Talent revealed to the world (2)
Chapter 11 - Talent revealed to the world (2) Translator: Seven
One of the cities with a warp stone that is closest to the Ispania Mountains, is Ispaniola. If you walk about half a day from the North Boulevard there, you will arrive at the entrance to the mountains. Of course, its an area where a large number of monsters appear
He wasnt completely sure but he still added that information to his words.
However Frey was unsurprised at the mention of monsters.
How much do you think itll cost?
Its quite the distance from Kausymphony actually so you will need at least 10 gold coins.
That was ten times Freys current wealth.
If he didnt manage to reach 7 stars and gain the ability to use teleport then that would mean hed need 20 gold coins.
I need to earn money.
Two months of vacation. Initially he had felt that it was more than enough time, but the more information he got, the tighter the time actually felt.
Frey spent some time chatting with Mac.
He was forty-four years of age, and as expected he was a veteran who had explored all over the continent.
Their conversation was very helpful for Frey.
Mac explained the situation around the continent in an easy to understand manner and he sometimes answered without hesitation even when the things he was asked were mysterious or questionable.
Unlike the other students, Mac didnt dislike him, in fact the captain appreciated him a lot for the respect he was given.
Three days after, as they were passing by Geotanbul. Frey looked around before addressing Mac.
There are a lot of warships.
Its a maritime country. Moreover these days those pirates from Oscar Islands are very active.
A sailor without front teeth was the one who answered him.
Frey shook his head.
The Geotanbul Navy seems to be very strong, why cant they root out the pirates?
There have been multiple punitive operations. But each time, the pirates would come together and form an alliance. S~ea??h the N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Mac sighed heavily.
Can you believe it? Whenever those selfish and cruel creatures felt that their lives were at risk, they didnt hesitate to join hands. Its a horrific union. They are so powerful after joining together that it is impossible to get rid of them using only the power of Geotanbul. Besides it is impossible to get rid of them completely.
Are you unhappy?
Yes. Its easy to talk about having Geotanbul get rid of them, but its thanks to those pirates in the Oscar Islands that no other country dare take over this one. It is ironic that the pirates who eats the countrys flesh also act as their guardians.
Hmm.
There are times when dangerous guys like that have their uses.
How powerful would the city state be while utilizing their power?
Still the existence of pirates was unpleasant.
Frey frowned but didnt say anything as he didnt want to offend Mac.
You dont have to worry. Im not sure if you heard, but we have two 4 star battlemages in our escort this time.
In this modern time a 3 star wizard was the standard and 4 stars were considered elites.
At 5 stars he could be eligible to be the head of a small academy.
In addition, wizards from the magic towers were seen as more reliable so it was understandable why Mac was so confident.
Ill say this, if pirates aim for us, it will be a bad day for them. Well, if they had brains then they wouldnt aim for us while were escorted by imperial warships.
Unfortunately, Macs expectations turned out to be wrong.
That evening, pirates raided.
Even then, Mac was not afraid.
They came to dig their grave at my feet.
Soon however, an amazing scene appeared before his eyes.
The warships that were escorting the Cortez had been smashed by ice spikes.
* * *
Kuhahaha! Did you see that you bastards?
The pirates were excited as Kunst shouted those words.
Initially, they had only been half-confident.
They had only heard rumors of the undead beings.
In fact, many ominous and horrifying things had been said about them, but the pirates wondered if it would be able to face off against the battle mages who were unparalleled in naval battles.
As it watched the Cortez that floated in the distance, Lich Dullard began to murmur ominously as black smoke began to pour out from its body of bones.
The pirates trembled in fear and took steps away from the lich.
Before long, Dullards murmuring stopped.
Soon words flowed from his mouth as he looked at the ships in the distance.
[Ice Spear]
Piching.
In an instant, an ice spear materialised before the ship.
It was thicker than the ships mast and looked like a giant awl.
This awl descended to the ship at a furious speed.
The battlemages responded as well, covering the ships with a light shield.
However it was to no avail.
Kwajik.
The ice spear shattered the shield like it was glass and easily crashed into the warship.
Wooooow!
The pirates cheered loudly.
Even if all of them smashed with their mights, they would not be able to achieve a similar effect.
They looked at Dullard with expressions of worship and fear.
Kunst approached him with a smile.
That was an amazing skill.
[its a bit odd.]
Dullard muttered grimly.
It was impossible to tell what he was thinking because of his empty bone face, but one could see that he was confused.
What do you mean? No matter how good those battle mages were, they couldnt even protect themselves.
[I summoned three Ice Spears.]
Yes?
Kunst had an odd expression before quickly saying.
Lord, didnt we agree that the ship in the middle couldnt be sunk? The students there should be used as hostages
[It wasnt large enough to sink it. It would just prevent them from running away or giving annoying resistance.]
What happened to it?
[It was blocked.]
What does that mean?
Although Kunst could be considered a smart pirate, that was the extent of it. He still had a hard time understanding what Dullard was trying to say.
Dullard glanced at Kunsts face for a moment before looking away.
[There is a skillful wizard on that ship.]
Chapter 12 - Talent revealed to the world (3)
Chapter 12 - Talent revealed to the world (3) Translator: Seven
The Bloodred Plunderers swiftly closed the distance between them and the Cortez.
They were trying to save lives instead of running away. Maybe they knew they wouldnt be able to escape.
The Oscar Islands was after all the home of the Bloodred Plunderers and even when considering the size of the ships, the Bloodred Plunderers would be much faster.
The fact that he didnt have to go through any annoying chases made Kunst feel better.
After the pirates got close enough to the Cortez, they threw planks and ropes to connect the ships and some of them even directly jumped onto the ship.
Kunst looked around and laughed loudly.
Kukuku. This is amazing.
He hadnt had high expectations because it wasnt the Nitilus, but this ship had quite a few students on it.
There seemed to be at least 40 of them.
Most of the students in the academy were children of nobles.
Since they valued their bloodlines and seeds so much, they would have no choice but to accept any offer he gave them, even if it was ridiculous.
If I do it well this time, I can earn enough to play around and eat well for the rest of my life.
Then a middle aged man with a stiff face came forward.
It was Mac, Captain of the Cortez.
He quickly realized that Kunst was the leader of the group of pirates so he addressed him directly.
Do you know what this ship is?
Of course I do. Its the treasure ship thats gonna make us rich. Kuhahaha!
Kuhahaha!
The pirates behind him laughed as well.
Mac realised that they had indeed encountered the worst situation.
These pirates had intentionally attacked the Cortez.
Hed had a rough idea when the warships had been destroyed before, but he couldnt believe that they dared to lay their hands on imperial ships.
Ice Spears had destroyed the two escort ships in an instant.
How did pirates get a wizard like that?
The sky seemed to turn yellow.
When the battlemages had suffered such gruesome deaths in vain, Mac knew that there was probably nothing he could do or say.
You dirty piratesyou picked the wrong opponent.
A student rose up from his seat.
As soon as he saw the students angry expression, Mac became flustered.
He urgently turned to the student.
Wa-, wait a minute.
Shut up. As the son of the Gilassion Family, I can no longer tolerate these scum acting in such a manner.
The male student who said that, closed his eyes and began channeling a spell.
No, more like he tried to.
The moment the student tried to speak.
Swish.
Puk.
Kuk.
A dagger flew out from nowhere and got stuck in the students throat.
The student grabbed his neck like he could not believe what happened and it wasnt long before blood poured from his lips.
Ku-, kukkuk
The wheezing student fell to the ground and soon stopped moving.
He was dead.
Kyaaaa!
Hiiik (Note: think a squeak)
The student all screamed in horror.
All of them were fine bred nobles, believed to be at the top of the food chain, but just a moment ago one of their own was killed in a bloody manner right in front of their eyes which caused them to scream loudly in terror.
The students screams made the pirates laugh loudly in enjoyment.
Puhahaha! Do you think anyone will give you time to cast your spells?
I guess you all havent realised your situation yet. If you wanted to use magic, you should have done it before I came over here.
The pirate captain laughed loudly.
Of course, if they had cast their magic before he boarded then it wouldnt have made much of a difference anyway.
One of the students collapsed and peed himself.
Of course, the pirates wouldnt miss such a sight.
Kuku. You disgusting bastard. It smells.
Ah! I cant take it, throw him into the sea so he can get clean.
Waaah!
U-, uwa!
The student was so frightened that even though the one eyed pirate approached him slowly, he did not have the strength to resist.
One eye carried the student into the sea and the student seemed like he didnt know how to swim as he was flailing around like a fish out of water. (Note: get it?)
The student swung his hands, trying to find something to grab on to, however the fragments from the broken ships were all quite a distance away from him.
Puhp! Help! Sa-save me!
The student eventually got tired and sank into the dark cold water, never to be seen again.
To the students on the ship, it looked as though he was buried in the darkness.
O-, Oak is dead
I dont believe it. He was a 2 star wizard.
A 2 star wizard could tackle ten normal men on their own.
At least thats what the students were led to believe.
However before they could even do anything, two students had already died.
Helplessness and fear slowly enveloped them.
The students had never encountered a situation like this and they did not know what to do.
Only a few of the group manage to keep their resolve.
The rest were huddled together, embracing each other.
And that was exactly what Kunst wanted to happen.
Each one of the students were a valuable piece of treasure, but he had killed two of them to get rid of the chances of any bothersome rebellion.
He smiled and stepped forward.
Now. Sir Captain, now that the mood has been set, how about we talk business?
Im just an employee.
I know. Still, none of these brats would be able to talk to me.
Mac couldnt help but think of one person, who didnt seem to be affected by the situation at all but soon shook his head and stepped forward.
It was at that moment.
A dark shadow appeared behind Kunst and began forming into an ominous shape.
Mac was shocked at its appearance.
Li-, lich? Yo-, you joined hands with an undead?
Im just getting some assistance from Sir.
Yo-, youre crazy! Undead dont care about the living! Youre nothing but a toy to him!
Huh? Thats just bullsh*t spread by some foolish old men.
Mac grit his teeth.
It was only then that he realised why the two 4 star battle mages had been defeated so quickly.
From its power, this lich had to be 5 stars at least.
It wasnt just pirates, this is more dangerous than I thought. S~ea??h the Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Kunst didnt understand how dangerous the undead were.
Mac hurriedly opened his mouth again but was interrupted by the lich.
[Come out.]
His voice was horrible, sounding like demons screaming.
Some of the students trembled at the voice.
[I know you are hiding here. If you dont come out, Ill kill them one by one.]
Clang.
At that moment hundreds of ice spikes appeared above the heads of the students.
If the lich made a move, dozens of students would die.
Sik.
Then someone stood up from among the students.
The Lichs red eyes shined brightly.
[Hooit was youwho stopped my magic.]
Mac recognized that persons face and couldnt help but make a hard expression.
He was the most important person on the Cortez and he was who Mac believed to be the best wizard there.
Mac didnt want anything to happen to him because he was quite possibly more valuable than all the other students combined.
However the person simply raised their head and spoke in an even tone.
Thats right.
[Whats your name?]
The mans reply was as firm as his expression.
Peran Jun.
Chapter 13 - Talent revealed to the world (4)
Chapter 13 - Talent revealed to the world (4) Translator: Seven
Peran Jun.
Throughout the long history of the Westroad Academy, there were few who were as talented as him.
He was the head of one of the largest clubs in the academy, the Traumen Rings, as well as the heir of the Jun family, which was one of the three most powerful influences in the Empire.
Even his appearance attracted attention. Though it was not hard to understand why.
With a pale but gorgeous face, whenever he laughed, the female students in the academy screamed.
His aura of nobility was ever present and his magical talent was not something that could be overlooked.
Some students even called him The Man Blessed by God.
The same Peran, who would usually be smiling regardless of the situation, was now standing there with a pale face.
It was because of the lich in front of the.
Dullard looked at Peran with interest. In his eyes, Peran had to be at least a 5 star mage.1
That was because it was impossible for someone to counter his spell if they werent that strong at least.
Meanwhile, Peran was filled with regret.
Why did they come to the Cortez?
He disliked noise so he avoided the Nitilus and came onto the Cortez. He even hid his face to ensure none of the other students knew he was on board. He had only given a slight hint to Captain Mac.
If this situation didnt occur, no one wouldve known he was even there.
Peran had believed that with his magic power, he could handle any opponent that came during the trip. And he believed that it was not arrogance, but simple fact.
In fact, a 5 star mage could overcome most of the dangers that one would find around the continent.
But the opponent this time was just too strong.
This is a lich.
Peran couldnt handle this.
Honestly, he was doing his best to not appear afraid because the pressure that was coming from Dullard was very heavy.
Some of the other students had already fainted after being subjected to his presence.
The only way they could escape was to trick the pirates who only knew about looting and murderor if there was a mage with strength that surpassed the lich.
But there is no such mage here.
It felt like even their most powerful teacher, Professor Dio Perseman, would not be able to defeat the lich before their eyes.
In truth, Peran never really showed his true strength in the academy.
With the exception of a few professors and the academy president, everyone believed that he had only reached the 4 star level.
However Peran had already reached the 5 star level.
You couldnt call a full 5 star mage because he had only just reached the threshold but he had achieved enlightenment and released the impurities and debris from with his body.
But
Perans face was pale.
His fingertips were cold and his body was shaking.
The ice spear that Dullard had cast had been blocked by Peran before it was fully casted.
However forcibly interrupting the casting of someone at a higher level than you was incredibly dangerous.
Although he had succeeded, the aftereffects were severe.
He had already vomited blood twice.
Nevertheless, Peran was forced to show himself.
If not, the students here would all be killed by that devil.
[Kuh. Nice. I never expected to meet a talent like you here.]
Dullard laughed happily.
When Mac heard his laughter, his heart stopped for a moment.
That was how horrid the lichs laugh was.
Peran straightened his back so as to not appear afraid.
He looked at Dullard and spoke with all his willpower.
I have a proposal.
[Tell me.]
Kunst watched their conversation with his arms folded. He had an unpleasant feeling, but he didnt dare to affect Dullards plans.
The lich was strong enough to kill every being on the ships.
What is your objective?
[Do you want to divide us?
Divide?
[The purpose of them and I are different. We are simply working together.]
As he said this, Dullard glanced at Kunst.
Kunst caught the meaning of the glance and could only smile.
He is right. Our purpose is simple. Sar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Please tell me.
Kunst shrugged.
You all know that the Oscar Islands is a very dangerous place. Its a place where you dont know when and where dirty pirate bastards will jump out and threaten you.
This was a fact that everyone knew.
However when it came out of the mouth of the pirate captain who captured their ship, it just seemed ridiculous.
Kunst laughed.
As proper sea men, we cant just stand and watch as academy students pass such a dangerous place. Um, so you seeWe will politely and promptly bring you all to Kausymphony. Thats it.
Kuhaha!
What a broad minded attitude! He is a true seaman.
The pirates clapped their hands and laughed loudly.
Kunst raised his hand, causing them to go silent.
Of course, the students here all belong to prestigious aristocratic families, so Im sure you wouldnt hesitate to reward us for our time.
The pirates once again made a fuss.
This time Kunst didnt stop them.
Most of the students were pondering his words.
It was hidden within the words, but in the end, what he said was that they would use them as prisoners to intimidate their familys and gain money from it all.
However none of them were able to say anything as they were afraid of the pirates in front of them who were swinging their swords and laughing.
The students had never seen such coarse and dirty people before.
Most of the pirates had scars on their faces, and their bodies were dirty and stank.
The lack of teeth was visible every time they smiled and the clothes they were were basically pieces of cloth.
A female student shuddered when she saw their enthusiasm.
As they saw the reactions, the pirates enjoyed it even more.
Then Peran spoke.
I alone am enough.
What?
The expression on Kunsts face changed. He had not been expecting such a response.
Peran did not panic.
I will give you all the money that you need. So please release the students.
Hooh.
Interest flashed in Kunsts eyes.
That was because the face of Peran after he finished speaking looked so noble and pitiful.
The students standing behind looked at Perans back with emotional expressions.
Some students even sniffled.
[That wont work.]
That was Dullards answer.
Perans heart grew heavy.
Even if they were cruel and ignorant, it would be better to talk to the living.
There was knowledge and perspectives that a human would have that the undead would not understand.
Such beings were not meant to converse with.
Peran added in a hurry.
Its not a bad thing for you either. Its much more work for you to take care of all these students when compared to just one
[You are mine.]
What?
Peran had caught Dullards interest.
At that time, the skeleton looked particularly creepy.
Peran felt that the skeletal face without any skin was smiling at him.
[Mages like you are rare. Since youre hard to come by, there are many ways that you can be used. I can kill you then turn you into an undead to serve meor I can eat you alive to absorb your mana.]
At those words Peran finally showed fear.
Then Kunst laughed loudly again.
Kuhahaha! Do not waste any time. Get on our ship quickly.
Kunst pointed towards one of the boards they used to get on the Cortez, but the students stayed still.
The vice captain couldnt take it and shouted.
Our noble children cant walk on the plank without the help from their servants! What are you doing? Hurry up and dont make us carry you there.
Kuh.
I will escort the ladies over there.
Shut up. Thats my job.
The pirates laughed gruesomely as they stepped toward the students.
Peran was forced to watch this happen.
At that time a student that caught the one eyed pirates eye.
He was a student with grey hair and unlike the others who looked terrified, he was expressionless and even had his arms folded.
Ho, well arent you a brave one.
One Eye chuckled and approached him.
In the beginning he was bored because all the students from the academy had the same frightened expressions.
The only person who was different, Peran Jun, who had awakened his appetite, had been claimed by Dullard.
But now hed found another student with a similar temperament and of course he had no reason not to move.
You, come here.
The student with the grey hair turned to glance at him.
Are you talking to me?
One Eye was shocked by his reaction.
This was because Freys words were very plain, as if he was talking to a friend.
Whats with this guy? Is he acting like this because hes scared?
One Eye laughed forcibly to calm down the odd feeling that came up within him.
Yeah you. The one that looks like a stick.
If you have business with me then you should come over.
At that time, not only One Eye, but even the students around him began to look at Frey.
One of them was Jack, a member of Davids group.
He looked at Frey with amazement.
I dont know if this guy became crazy because he won a few times.
Did he not see the previous student fail to cast a spell and die?
As long as the pirates came close, the student level wizards could do nothing to stop them.
No, even if their skills were better, without experience it didnt make a difference.
It could be seen from what happened with Peran Jun.
Hes out of his mind. Definitely.
Jack was convinced that Frey had gone crazy.
One Eye shivered and lowered his head.
Soon after he pulled a knife from his waist and advanced violently.
This motherfucker
The students beside him shivered when they heard the knife being drawn but Frey still didnt have any reactions.
His facial expression was as blank as ever.
Ah. I dont know what great family you are from, but Ill see how you keep flapping your tongue after I cut it off.
One Eye approached like he had already made up his mind to kill Frey.
The students beside Frey shivered in fear and the weaker ones even closed their eyes.
Splash.
But the students were surprised to see what happened next.
It wasnt Frey that was thrown from the ship.
It was the pirate.
Chapter 14 - Talent revealed to the world (5)(Final)
Chapter 14 - Talent revealed to the world (5)(Final) Translator: Seven
(Note: Just a minor note before we get into it. Vice captain has been changed to first mate because that is usually what theyre usually called)
No one had been able to see Freys movements.
Not Peran who grew up watching royal wizards duel from a young age, of Kunst who had fought dozens of naval battles.
It was as if they blinked their eyes and the pirate was thrown into the sea.
But Dullard had an idea.
Magic Martial Artist?
His actions were too fast.
Dullard had been vigilant yet even he hadnt been able to see what happened entirely.
For the first time, his ever present glare slightly subsided.
Wha-, what the hell was that!
A single armed pirate screamed and pulled out his sword. The other pirates also became alert, spouting out obscenities.
One Eye was one of the higher ups in the Bloodred Plunderers. He was very good at fighting and more importantly, he was known for his cruelty which allowed him to reach such a high position.
So when he suddenly fell into the sea, the pirates became uneasy.
Frey looked around with his ever present nonchalance and the first mate for the pirates gulped before saying.
B-, be careful. Theres something strange about that kid.
Frey could easily tell at a glance that he was another one of the higher ups.
Unlike the other pirates, his clothes could actually be called clothes instead of being rags and he had three pirate bodyguards around him.
Shik!
Freys body suddenly disappeared before arriving before the first mate.
He then raised his right hand and stuck it into the first mates chest, above his heart.
His flesh split apart like tofu and his ribs shattered like old dry wood.
The first mates eyes widened in fear.
Kuk
Fi-, first mate!
Damn it! This monstrous bastard!
The bodyguards beside the first mate swung their swords as they shouted.
Even with his bare hands through another persons chest, Freys expression did not change one bit.
This caused even the pirates who were used to murder and looting to be afraid.
Frey used the body of the first mate as a shield against their attacks and the blades became stuck in the body.
If they had been good fighters, they would have been able to cut through or around the first mates body, but they were only simple thugs who only knew about slashing and stabbing with their blades.
Frey threw the first mates body at them without giving them a chance to react.
Ugh!
Two of the bodyguards were hit by the first mates body and only one of them managed to barely evade it by letting go of his sword.
He fell to the floor, staring at Frey with a look of fear.
Splash.
If the ship had been noisy before, now it was completely silent.
Everyone on the ship was staring at Frey.
However even with their attention on him, Frey expressionless shook his hand.
Sticky blood splashed onto the deck.
Frey Blake?
Peran stared at him with astonished eyes.
He had heard that the formerly worst student in the academy had suddenly become amazing in the past month but could it have been such a large change?
He killed four people in an instant without batting an eyelid.
Additionally, the martial arts skill that Frey had just showcased was the greatest that Peran had ever seen.
Amazing.
Kunsts voice had lost the mocking tone.
He couldnt be described with the word grace, but he definitely showcased the charisma that proved him to be the leader of the Bloodred Plunderers.
He only said one word and stopped smiling, but the aura around him had changed completely.
Even Peran felt uneasy.
But Frey spoke without any agitation.
You guys are just terrible.
do you know who you just killed?
Well I think it was one of the higher ups, but Im not sure.
He was my first mate.
Hoo. Second in command. Bigger than I thought.
Kunst nodded while watching Frey with his cold eyes.
Thats right. Are you a bodyguard who was disguised as a student?
It was understandable why Kunst would have that thought.
Even most of his pirates would sweat and avoid his gaze when he looked at them while releasing his aura like this, but there was no change at all to Freys expression as if he didnt feel anything.
This shouldnt be something that a flower raised in the academy could do.
Frey didnt bother to correct Kunsts misunderstanding.
Kunst however, took it as an affirmation.
He hesitated for a moment before making up his mind and speaking with determination.
Lets make a deal.
A deal?
That move just now. Its obvious that youre a mage with excellent skills. But can you save all the students here from us?
Kunst looked at Dullard for a moment as if to give pressure using his presence.
Frey chuckled at that moment but Kunst kept talking.
Half. Give us half the students on this ship and we wont touch the rest.
The nearby pirates looked at their captain with amazed gazes.
It should be known that the captain of the Bloodred Plunderers rarely yielded to anyone. sea??h th N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
However Kunsts judgement was a natural decision.
This guy is a lot more powerful than I thought.
The evidence of this was Dullards silence.
If he had the confidence to subdue the man before them then he would have acted already.
Even the lich cant guarantee that hell beat him.
It was clear that Dullard didnt want to fight the man either.
Frey raised his eyebrow and said.
I killed your first mate. I also took care of three or four other guys. Arent you going to take revenge?
Revenge? You see pirates as too caring.
Kunst laughed, revealing his yellow teeth.
With the exception of me, the first mate has changed five times in the past year. Theyd find it hard to hold the position for half a year.
Frey seemed to not understand his meaning.
Kunst continued speaking.
Do you think its bad? Dont you think the unnecessary bloodshed is inefficient? Additionally, we dont touch our prisoners. This means that the twenty or so people we are taking now will be released right away once we get our money.
He then glanced at Peran.
Of course, the man from the Jun family must be taken unconditionally. Youre not a man with no eyes.
Although the ancestors of the Jun family were powerful, as long as they hid within the Oscar Islands, then not even the emperor could do anything even if he brought his entire army.
Frey seemed to hesitate.
Kunst thought he had almost convinced him, and smiled.
I will leave the selection up to you. Send 20 people over, including Peran.
If he had common sense, then he would keep the students from the larger aristocratic families. That way he could be said to have protected the core students with the exception of Peran, so his punishment would be minimal.
Frey looked at him silently.
The students looked at each other and began to shiver.
This was until a student couldnt take it any longer and shouted out.
Me, Pick me! G-, when I go back to my family, I will give you a reward!
She said this and stuck to Frey.
Frey looked at her in bewilderment.
She didnt seem to be making the proper judgment because she had been corroded by fear.
1-, 100 gold! Ill give you 100 gold! Ill give you more if you want!
100 gold was hard for ordinary people to collect in their entire lives.
Her words seemed to have lit a fuse.
Wha-, what are you doing? I have to save myself! You know the power of the Plasico family right? Ill give you one hundred and fifty gold coins!
Damn it! I am Ian Corona! Ill give you two hundred gold coins! So choose me!
Th-, these guys!
They didnt care to know what Frey was anymore.
Whether he was the academys poor performing student Frey Blake, or a secret bodyguard placed on the ship as Kunst said.
The only important thing to them right now was that Frey held the right to their life and death.
The appearance of the students shouting their family names and bargaining for their lives was incredibly disgusting.
Even the pirates who were known for their craziness and shamelessness were speechless.
At the end,those who kept their prides as nobles and didnt bow down their heads could be counted on one hand.
Frey closed his eyes, and when he opened them again there was a sharp flash of energy within them.
Shut up.
He said it in a quiet tone, but it was heard by everyone on the ship.
The crying voices of the students quieted immediately.
He looked around slowly and the students all shivered as his eyes landed on them. When he looked at Jack, Jack couldnt help but become afraid.
The last thing Freys eyes met were the fires within Dullards head.
[Kukuku.]
Suddenly Dullard let out a quiet laugh, causing Kunst to look at him.
Whats going on?
[I felt something strange in that mans mana. It was a unique mana that I had never felt before, so I was alert. Butit seems hes nothing special.]
Dullard laughed darkly as a smile stretched across his skinless face.
[He should be a 5 star mage at best. It seems he has a few good moves, but Ive killed more than a hundred such men already.]
Dullard lifted a black hand.
Chujuk.
A black shape began to form within his fingers.
[Living Missiles.]
The black energy on his fingertips soon took shape before shooting toward Frey.
Frey simply leaned back and dodged the attack.
[Hut.]
Dullard laughed.
At that moment the living missile that had passed, turned around and headed for Frey again.
That!
Peran realised what Dullard had done. It wasnt a magic that needed a preset direction.
From the beginning the magic of the missile was tracking magic.
Dullard did not need to control the magic at all.
That way, Dullard had no problems casting another spell.
[Bone Hand.]
Kugugu.
Soon skeletal hands rose up from the deck. At a glance there seemed to already be dozens of them as they shot towards Frey.
Be careful!
Peran shouted subconsciously.
With the bone hands at the bottom and the living missile at the rear, it seemed that Frey would soon become a pool of blood.
But at that moment, Frey disappeared.
Shik.
[Kuk!]
Everything happened in an instant.
As soon as he disappeared, Frey reappeared behind Dullard, his hand protruding from Dullards chest while holding a pulsating, glowing crystal.
Peran knew what it was.
The lichs life vessel?
Dullards flaming eyes flashed and he stuttered.
[Ho-, wmoving shipused blink]
Blink, which allowed the user to narrow the distance within the blink of an eye was a very well known spell, so of course Dullard knew what he had done.
However this was ona ship. It should have been an impossible feat to use blink on a moving ship!
Wouldnt you need to do at least five calculations at the same time?
There was something else that he was wondering.
How could he tell the precise location of the life vessel
As his vision dimmed, Dullard finally reached a conclusion.
He was deliberately stalling for time
While pretending to hesitate under Kunsts offer, he had actually been observing Dullard.
Even so, it didnt make sense.
The guy had looked through him and discovered his life vessel, but that was only something that a 7 star Archmage should be capable of doing.
How could it be done by a mage who is weaker than me
If he had fought head on from the beginning, then it wouldve been his victory.
Frey did not have a way to beat him from the start and could only stall for time.
But he was defeated by Freys unwavering and creepy calmness.
Even when Kunst had killed students and created such a horrifying atmosphere, he didnt lift a finger.
Dullard was unable to complete his thoughts as his consciousness finally faded.
When the glow of the fires in his eyes faded, his bones all shattered and spread in the air like dust.
Once again silence took over the ship.
No one could believe what they had just witnessed.
The mighty lich had been killed before he could truly show his hand.
Everyone stared at Frey, their mouths wide open, but of course, Freys expression remained the same.
He looked at Kunst and spoke slowly.
There will be no transactions.
Then with the same face, he looked at all the pirates there and said in a flat tone.
You will all die here.
Chapter 15 - Preparation and Training(1)
Chapter 15 - Preparation and Training(1) Translator: Seven
Unfortunately for Kunst, he was the one who was closest.
He quickly opened his mouth when he saw Frey turn to glance at him.
Wa-, wait!
Pit. (Note: sfx)
Kunsts head soared into the air in an instant.
The pirates stared at the blood which was gushing up like a fountain, with dumbfounded eyes, as if they couldnt believe what was happening.
Huh?
One of them couldnt help but let out a sound of confusion, unfortunately, that became the signal for the slaughter. Sar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Papapat.
Ugk
Kuk!
Sa-, save
There was no resistance to the murder.
It was the same 4000 years ago and it was the same now.
He didnt mind getting his hands dirty with blood even when he was called the Great Mage.
Besides, the opponents this time were pirates.
Frey knew that all of the pirates were garbage that had become insensitive to rape and murder. So he showed them no mercy.
* * *
Those were some great skills. Youre really amazing.
Frey, who was looking out at the sea, turned to his right. Peran was standing there and had spoken in a cool tone.
Frey didnt respond and turned his head forward again.
Thank you for your help. I will never forget this favor.
As he said this, Peran bowed in gratitude.
His figure gave a fresh feeling. He was different from all the nobles that Frey had met before even though he was from one of the three largest influences in the empire.
Frey was pleased by Perans candid behavior and decided to change his attitude a little.
Hows your condition? It wouldve been a heavy burden to cancel the lichs magic.
You knew that too.
Peran laughed bitterly at that.
Im better. I spat out the dead blood several times, I now feel refreshed.
Your exaggeration is large.
Haha.
He moved naturally to sit beside Frey.
The sailors were busy cleaning the blood, guts and bodies that had been scattered all over the deck of the ship.
Most of the students had returned to their cabins, but some of them offered to help the sailors clean up.
Peran deliberately looked at the sea and said after a moment of silence.
Who are you?
That lich was a wizard at least at the 6 star level. Even if it was an imperial mage, it would be impossible for them to deal with such a terrifying foe so easily.
It was an existence that caused him to feel an overwhelming helplessness as if he would die in the blink of an eye.
He wouldnt overestimate himself. What was truly unusual was Freys ability.
Peran recalled Kunsts words.
Are you really onboard as a bodyguard?
What do you think? Frey asked in return.
Peran shook his head after thinking for a while.
it should be impossible. It has been two years since you entered the academy.
When the Blake Families scion entered the academy, it had raised a fuss. That was why Peran knew that Frey was a Grade 2 student.
But its only recently that you stood out. Its like you became talented and powerful all of a sudden.
You are right.
After saying this, Frey closed his mouth as though he had nothing else to say.
Peran realised that he had no intentions of continuing that conversation. There was no reason for him to continue to question his benefactor who saved his life.
He got up with an awkward smile.
Would you like to stop by my family later? I will give you a reward.
He was giving away the opportunity to become a guest at the Jun Family, one of the three great noble families in the Empire!
To any other noble, such an invitation would be an unprecedented boon, but Frey was still indifferent.
When the time comesah.
Frey suddenly lifted his head and stared at Peran.
He had finally expressed a different reaction.
Can you lend me some money? About 20 gold.
20 gold coins.
For common people, this was a large amount, but it was nothing to Peran.
Perans eyes widened slightly because he would never have expected such a strong person to suddenly request financial assistance.
20 gold? It doesnt matter, but what do you need it for?
To use the Warp Stone at Kausymphony. The price is quite high.
Indeedso thats why youre going to the capital.
Hed heard that the Blake Family was not located in the capital, but in Pilat on the eastern end.
Peran nodded before taking some coins out of his pocket and handing them over.
This is all the money I have, you can take all of it.
They were three coins. Frey glanced at them before looking back at Peran.
Platinumyou dont need to give that much, just 20 gold will do.
Platinum coins were worth 100 gold each. There were three of them, so that meant it was 300 gold altogether.
Peran shook his head.
Its okay. Theyre nothing compared to what I would have lost. Plus.
Plus?
Unfortunately, I have no change.
Upon hearing that, Frey laughed heartily for the first time.
Chapter 16 - Preparation and Training(2)
Chapter 16 - Preparation and Training(2) Translator: Seven
As the ship continued on to its destination, Frey developed a friendship with Peran. He was a much nicer man than Frey had thought and he turned out to be the best type of person to make your friend.
They quickly felt like they were very much alike.
Compared to Frey, Peran could only be considered a baby, but he had never been biased when it came to making friends. If that was true then he wouldnt have been able to survive after thousands of years.
Thanks to that, the time was well spent.
In the blink of an eye, the Cortez arrived in Kausymphony.
As they disembarked from the ship, Peran spoke seriously to Frey.
Frey, make sure you come to my family when youre done. Dont make me a coward without honor.
Peran laughed bitterly as he continued.
Actually, Id have liked to invite you right away, but it seems that my family has been discussing an engagement recently.
Youre really popular.
Haha. Thats not a good thing. I respect my father deeply, but I wish hed fix the fact that he enjoyed throwing parties sometimes. I dont know how many times Ive heard about engagements.
As he said this, Peran looked tired.
This time its with people from the Luanoble Kingdom
The Luanoble Kingdom?
Frey didnt know anything about it but Peran nodded and continued speaking since he didnt realise that.
It will be the young daughter of the Aquarid Family. Honestly, I dont know if shell like me. Her family is large and has produced countless knights with amazing skills while her fiance will only be a weak mage.
Make use of your handsome face. Most women would be distracted when you smile.
Im worried it might seem cheap.
The two of them laughed after sharing a glance.
Then Ill go now. Frey, I wish you good luck.
Right.
Frey nodded.
Peran left soon after.
A group of four students approached Frey again.
He thought they were coming to pick a fight, but their faces made him think otherwise.
Frey Blake, thank you for your help. I will make sure to repay this debt.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
They didnt mind lowering their heads in gratitude.
Only then did Frey realise that when he was supposed to screen the students, these few were the ones who didnt humiliate themselves.
Frey shook his head.
Its not something you need to thank me for.
We dont think so.
When you have time, stop by my family. I will take care of you to the best of my ability. Sar?h the n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
They were no longer treating Frey like the loser from the academy.
Their clear eyes showed their deep respect for him.
Frey nodded at them and made sure to remember their family names. He didnt realise it then, but they were actually the children of some very powerful families.
Next came Mac.
He took off his hat and bowed his head politely.
I owe you so much Mr Frey.
It was nothing.
No. What would have happened without Mr. Freys helpI dont even want to imagine it.
Mac looked at Frey with a sincere expression and Frey could only smile in return.
I wish the Cortez a safe journey.
Thank you. If I have the chance, I will see you again when you return to the academy.
After saying those words, Mac took his leave.
Frey looked around, but it seemed that no one else had any business with him.
Only then could he finally take a glance at Kausymphony.
As he walked past a group of carriages, Frey muttered quietly to himself.
The population is clearly larger than it was in the past.
The population density was very high.
Frey looked around and admired the scenery in the city.
There hasnt been a large amount of changes, but it is definitely different.
There was a large difference in certain details, such as the style of the buildings, the streets and the fashion.
But it still didnt make sense since that kind of change could happen within 10 or so years.
What did he do to stop human development?
The most valid explanation was that he suppressed the growth of strong human beings. But didnt that guy usually treat human beings like bugs?
It was a little strange.
I will probably need to meet him in person and ask him myself.
In order to do this, the first step was to find out about the past. Something that could only be done a step at a time.
That was it.
When he had been Lucas, Frey had nothing to fear.
Even beings who had supreme confidence in their strength were nothing but bugs in front of his towering might.
But there were others that even he couldnt beat. And they were likely to still be alive even now.
They grew older at a much slower pace when compared to humans.
Even so, 4000 years had passed.
He didnt believe that they all wasted that time.
As he thought about this, Frey suddenly had the feeling that the road ahead of him was filled with uncertainties.
He felt a little helpless but he shook his head soon after.
There was no reason for him to rush his thinking.
No one knew that he was back anyway. He just needed to advance slowly, step by step.
No one knows Im back. That is my biggest advantage.
Frey decided to head to the Warp Stone first.
Because it was at the center of the city, Frey was able to arrive there easily by following one of the main roads.
Then he spoke to one of the guards near the Warp Stone.
I would like to use the Warp Stone.
Do you have anything to prove your identity?
Frey took out an identification certificate.
The guard examined the certificate closely before nodding.
So you are a student of the Westroad Academy. Please tell me your destination.
Ispaniola.
Please wait a moment.
After the guard said that, he began taking out some documents before handing them over.
After Frey glanced over it, he realised that it was a kind of timetable/schedule.
I see. So I couldnt go right away if I wanted to, I need to set a time similar to a ship or a wagon.
It was an efficient system.
Frey was in admiration once again.
It was then that the guard looked up at him and said,
The earliest departure is tomorrow afternoon.
Frey nodded.
Id like to join then please.
The fee is 15 gold. You need to pay 5 gold in advance.
It would have been some trouble if he had only had 20 gold coins.
Frey took out a platinum coin.
This was something that most commoners might not see in their entire lifetimes, but the guard wasnt surprised and accepted the platinum coin easily, giving him 95 gold coins in return.
The Warp Stone was something that was often used by the nobles, so it really wasnt a surprise that the guard was used to seeing them.
Tomorrow when you come make sure to give this to the guard stationed. Please keep in mind that it wont be reissued in the event that you lose it.
Frey put away the yellow ball that the guard gave him as he walked away from the Warp Stone area.
Tomorrow afternoon.
There was still a lot of time.
Frey looked down at his body. He was wearing the student uniform of the Westroad Academy.
It wasnt uncomfortable, but it also wasnt comfortable either.
Besides, there were some bloodstains on it from the pirates.
Its not suitable for a trip to the mountains.
The search for Schweisers dungeon would only begin after he reached 6 stars. So all Frey needed to do was practice.
After about a month of practice, he should then have all the mana he needed to advance to the 6 star stage.
To stay in the wild, he would need comfortable clothes, tools and food.
Thanks to Peran, he had a lot of money, so it would be better if he bought the things now since he was in a big city.
Frey began searching for a store.
Chapter 17 - Preparation and Training(3)
Chapter 17 - Preparation and Training(3) Translator: Seven
The first thing Frey needed to buy was clothes.
The uniform he was wearing was not very comfortable and would not be suitable for a long term camping trip.
He would also need to buy hiking shoes and a cloak.
Some kind of leather armor for mercenaries would also be good.
It was safe to say that the armor mercenarieswho had to spend long amounts of time outdoors wore should be the most appropriate for outdoor activities.
As he wandered around, Frey found a store that looked promising.
It seemed to be a sort of general merchandise store dedicated to adventurers since not only armor, but weapons, potions and other tools could all be found there.
The store seemed to be among the largest that one would be able to find in the entire city.
Since it was so large, then Frey figured that he would probably be able to get all of the items he needed without having to search for another store.
When Frey opened the door and walked in, a middle aged man who gave a generous impression, greeted him.
Welcome Sir. How may I help you?
Im looking for a set of practical armor.
The owner of the store, Dumpid1, quickly scanned Freys clothes.
Thats a Westroad Academy uniform.
It was a well known academy where only elites could attend. Dumpid had received customers from there many times before.
Maybe some guys with poor eyes might not notice, but Dumpid certainly ensure that he treated these students warmly.
They contributed a lot to the stores sales as they were easy to cheat.
He knew what things they preferred to buy and how to deal with them.
Dumpids eyes glistened as he inwardly admired his nose.
Another duck walked in on its own two feet today.
He laughed happily inside though he hid it well.
Very well. Please follow me.
Before long, Dumpid brought him over to a very colorful outfit. It could not be considered armor, more like something that a theatre actor might wear.
When he saw Freys blank stare, Dumpid couldnt help but smiled brightly.
Its done.
This is an armor made from the fur of a Silver Fox. It is gorgeous, but it is a difficult design for most people to pull off, however I believe that it has met its fated owner today. Im sure it will match your aura perfectly.
Dumpid continued, pointing toward the chest of the armor.
The sapphire was personally hand carved by a first class craftsman. There is also cleaning magic on it, so even if it does get dirty, after a moment
Owner.
Freys expression became cold.
Are you saying that this armor is practical?
Dumpid looked slightly afraid.
Ye-, yes? Th-, thats right.
I think Ive come to the wrong store.
Then as he turned around without hesitation, Dumpid realised that something wasnt right.
Wa-, wait a minute. Please tell me what type of armor youre looking for.
Frey responded coldly without stopping.
Excellent durability and elasticity. The type that is lightweight and that wont have much of an odor even if its not washed for a long time. It would be best if it was easy to remove.
Then he looked around and said.
I dont think theres anything like that in this store.
Dumpid shook his head as he followed.
N-,no. I was mistaken for a moment. Please forgive me.
After that he led Frey into the depths of the store. A thought coming to his mind as he passed a few rooms.
He talks like a mercenary who has been through many battles. Ive never heard of a noble who wanted to purchase such armor
Soon Dumpid brought Frey to the very back of the store.
When he opened the door, Frey looked around before his expression softened.
There was armor like what he wanted.
Dumpid looked at Frey with a curious expression.
Such a mysterious customer.
In all honesty, he was only half confident when he brought him here.
The armors here were all simple and aimed for practicality before anything else, however from a certain point of view, they could be considered as shabby.
At least they didnt fit the usual tastes of the nobles.
He was preparing to be yelled at for showing such garbage but after seeing Freys face he realised there was nothing to worry about.
As Frey slowly began to browse through the room, Dumpid took a seat and waited for him to pick the clothes and armor he wanted.
This was because this customer seemed like the type who didnt like to be disturbed. Therefore he waited in case he was asked any questions and then he would go and answer them sincerely.
Soon Frey pointed toward an armor.
Owner, can you tell me about this armor?
That is leather armor made from the Ispanian Bear.
The Ispanian Bear? Sarch* The n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Yes. Its a monster that lives in the Ispania Mountains. It grows to about 4m on average and its skin is so tough that most soldiers cant even scratch it.
Frey took down the armor, carefully inspecting it, even smelling it as Dumpid watched from the side in admiration.
He checked in particular if the seams were correct and sturdy and if the tanning process had been done correctly.
I dont know who this student is, but he is choosing his equipment more meticulously than even the most well known mercenary.
A good mercenary knew that the quality of their equipment directly correlated to their lives. Overly cautious mercenaries could even spend a day doing inspections.
The student in front of him was showcasing all the traits of an excellent mercenary.
You said that this was made from the hide of an Ispanian Bear, so what if I wore this and encountered one?
What?
For example, would they become overly hostile?
Ahh.
He nodded his head as he understood.
There was a well known tale of a mercenary who had been wearing armor made from an Ogres hide, who, together with his team, had been destroyed by a horde of Ogres.
And such attacks by monsters were not necessarily limited to Ogres.
While it was mostly a superstition, that didnt mean that the occurrence of a similar event was impossible.
It wouldnt matter. The Ispanian bear is not known for its fratricide. Plus, because of the unique smell of the armor, they are more likely to mark their territory before leaving.
Dumpid laughed a bit as he continued.
Of course, thats only if youre going to the Ispania Mountains.
The Ispania Mountains was a place that was called a haven for monsters. It should be known that in the wild the fertility rate increased by 5%.
No one would be insane enough to go there on their own.
Frey nodded and pointed toward the armor.
Ill take this. Whats the price?
its 25 gold.
Dumpid considered raising the price for a moment before deciding not to.
Frey paused while taking out the money before saying.
I want to get a few things beside armor.
What are you looking for?
A leather bag or water bottle, ah. Do you have maps?
I have everything. But what do you mean by bag?
A bag to hold things in.
Dumpid hesitated for a moment before speaking.
Are you talking about subspace bags?
subspace bag?
If not, then Im sorry, but Ive never heard of anyone asking for a normal leather bag
Frey asked about the subspace bags. Dumpid explained patiently even though he was inwardly curious how a noble didnt know about such a common magic tool.
I seeso there is something like that.
A bag that could hold much more than its size would lead you to believe.
This was the second time that Frey had been surprised after the Warp Stone discovery.
I understand now. Magic has penetrated deeper into daily life that I expected.
Using subspace magic wasnt something he was currently capable of, but now he didnt have to do it himself.
How much does it cost?
It depends on the storage size and durability.
Of course there were some bags that had extravagant appearances but small space. However if he recommended any of those then Frey would probably leave again.
This is the recommended product.
Dumpid showed him a blue bag.
It is made with Ice Troll leather. The storage space is the size of one wagon which is very large for its size. And it is very durable. Im sure I dont need to tell you how tough Troll leather can be.
Frey nodded appreciatively when Dumpid treated him as a proper mercenary.
Of course, the price is a little higher.
How much?
50 Gold.
Hmm.
That was expensive.
Still it was a very large convenience, considering the price. So Frey decided to purchase the subspace bag while thanking Peran for his generous gift.
Thank you.
After completing his payment, Frey changed into the armor immediately and put his school uniform into the subspace bag. (Note: subspace bag will be bag from now on unless there is another type bag later in which case Ill specify)
Afterwards, he left and glanced at his bag once more.
Its worth it.
In the worst case scenario, Frey would have to stay in the mountains for at least a month, so he was very satisfied by the fact that he could store many of the items he needed in the bag instead of fetching it all.
Frey soon found an inn and got a room before heading to bed since the next day he would be travelling.
The next afternoon, after he arrived at the warp stone, Frey handed the token to the guard before paying the rest of the fee.
There were already a few people there. Including Frey, there were five of them.
After waiting a while, several wizards came out of a building at the side.
The warp will start soon. All users please dont leave the magic circle.
Woowoong.
They divided it. Excellent. Well have more than enough mana for the warp
This way was efficient and safe.
As Frey admired their wisdom, the magic circle shined beneath his feet.
Woowoong.
The sensation from warping would cause those unfamiliar with it to probably suffer a bout of extreme nausea.
A few minutes passed.
Paat.
When Frey opened his eyes, he realised that his surroundings had changed.
He looked around.
So this is Ispaniola.
Huge towering mountains overlooked the city. As he looked at those mountains, Frey couldnt help the complicated feeling that filled his chest.
There are things that havent changed even after 4000 years.
The Ispania Mountains.
Hed arrived at his destination.
Chapter 18 - Preparation and Training(4)
Translator: SevenEditor: Ana_Banana
Frey looked around immediately.
Ispaniola was a small, secluded city.
However the residents faces didnt have that general carefree feeling that was common to rural cities.
The reason was a bit obvious.
Its adjacent to the mountain range so monsters must come down frequently.
The guards faces were solemn and there were many mercenaries walking around. Sarch* The n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
The city was as noisy as any other, but the atmosphere was filled with tension, similar to the feeling of walking on thin ice.
As one would expect from dangerous geographical locations, safety was a priority.
First off, Frey bought food and water. The bag hed bought was quite large so even when he bought more than he needed there was still a lot of space.
With this much I can easily last three weeks.
Then, he headed to a bar.
The bar he picked was one in the center of the city that was filled with many mercenaries.
However, contrary to what you would believe, the bar was not noisy, instead, the mercenaries focused on drinking their alcohol in silence and words were only spoken every now and then.
What was also unusual, was that the inside of the bar was dark even though it was the middle of the day.
Frey glanced around once before heading to the counter.
Welcome.
A bald giant of a man, who appeared to be the owner, greeted him bluntly.
Frey sat down at the bar and spoke in his usual tone.
A glass of beer. And something to eat.
What if it doesnt taste good?
Bread and meat are good. As long as it fills my stomach.
The owner nodded and brought the food after a while.
It was a simple meal of bread and tasty sausages.
Frey took a sip of the beer before looking at the owner and saying,
Are you familiar with the Ispania Mountains?
Are you a mercenary?
Frey nodded at that.
The owner glanced at his appearance before letting out a laugh.
Hmm. From what I can tellyou just started working as a mercenary. Am I wrong?
Strictly speaking, he indeed was wrong. Frey shrugged instead of answering.
Then the owner shook his head.
I already know. You think if you dress up in water proof armor and wear a new sword on your waist then you can beat a dragon. I dont mean to say that its wrong. Passion is a privilege of the young.
To be young and courageous. Maybe it had been so long in the past that he couldnt even remember what it was like.
But youve come to the wrong place. The Ispania Mountains isnt a place that you should come to for an adventure.
Its called the Monster Paradise. I know that already.
No, you dont know anything.
The owner said as if he was chewing the words. When Frey looked at him with curious eyes, he shook his head.
Pardon me. I also had a son. He was around your age. He also wanted to become a mercenary from a young age. He was a good kid.
Looking at the owners face, Frey couldnt help but ask.
Your son is now
Hes dead. Died in the Ispania Mountains. Its been 2 years now.
Im sorry.
He continued with a sigh.
He was escorting a mother and daughter who went there to pick herbs. The daughter barely made it back to the town alive.
The over glanced over Frey.
No one will insult you, so just go home. Im not trying to project my son onto you. But you must know that even the greatest mercenaries call that place the Hell Mountains.
The owner thought Frey would understand if he said this. He sincerely hoped that this young man would not lose his life at such a young age.
But Frey silently emptied his mug before saying.
I want to know what types of monsters appear in the mountains.
Hoo. You have no intention of bending?
I have a reason to go there.
Frey spoke in a calm voice.
The owner could only shake his head, even if he didnt tell, he would get the information from elsewhere. The owner scratched his head.
Dont blame me later.
Why would I blame the owner.
Ai. Im afraid I wont be able to sleep well tonight.
The owner continued speaking.
The Monster Heaven. Just like the nickname says. All kinds of monsters can appear in that mountain range. Goblins, Ogres, Trolls, Drakesthere isnt a monster out there that wouldnt be in those mountains.
Maybe the owner remembered something which scared him, as his face became pale.
Thats not all. Two headed or Albino Trolls, goblins who are able to make poisontheres a lot of mutants everywhere.
The owner explained as much as he knew. In fact, he was trying to show that entering that mountains was a hopeless idea. Nevertheless he gave up on exaggerating when he saw Freys calm eyes.
I see.
After hearing the explanation, Frey nodded and stood to his feet.
When he was about to pay however, the owner shook his head.
I wont accept your money. When you come back alive, then Ill accept it.
Frey paused the hand that he was about to pull out of his bag and laughed.
That is not an attitude suitable for business.
Youre like my wife nagging in my ears. Its fine as long as I can feed my family.
Frey moved away from his seat. He had enough money now, but he didnt want to refuse the owners favor.
It was a great meal. Especially the sausages.
Youre different. Usually in our place, the conversations are about monster corpses or alcohol.
The owner smiled.
I will remember your face. Please come back alive. When you do, Ill cook even more delicious sausages.
I look forward to it.
As Frey turned around, the owner called out to him again.
Oh yeah, corpses have been turning up near the mountains these past few days.
Was it the monsters?
No. The wounds were made by weapons.
Made by weapons
Frey understood what the owner meant immediately.
someone is killing by the mountains?
Thats how it seems. Even some of the best mercenaries were attacked. No one knows if its one murderer or a group, but we do know is that they are highly skilled.
Were there any bodies discovered recently.
Thats right.
The owners expression became heavy, maybe he was thinking about his son.
The guards are doing their investigations but there hasnt been any results yet. As far as I know, some mercenaries have also been hired but there are still no leads. I dont know what you intend to do, but youre going into the mountains, so be careful.
He was reminding him to not poke the beehive for no reason. The place he was going was already dangerous so there was no reason to add to it.
Was he looking for something in the mountains?
Or maybe he was searching for someone.
Frey nodded.
I will be careful.
Frey finally left the bar and left Ispaniola immediately after.
Then he saw a huge boulevard.
Mac said that half a days walk from here would allow me to reach the entrance.
He had thought it would be completely untamed since it led to the mountain range, but surprisingly, it was actually smooth enough to be called a road.
Frey had this thought as he walked along the path.
Schweisers dungeon was probably not a cave.
A mountain that pierced the clouds, with a beautiful lake on top and a serene island in the middle of the lake.
Schweisers previous words were the best clues.
And he had an idea what they were describing.
Ungwanbong. The mountain known as Drake mountain.
At the top of the mountain should be a volcanic lake and there was probably a small island in the middle of it.
So he just needed to find the small island.
The problem was that there was no easy way to get there.
If it was at the outskirts then even a newbie would be able to make it. But as you got to the middle, the levels of the monsters there skyrocketed.
If he wanted to deal with them effortlessly then he would need to be 6 stars at the least.
Of course, that was not much of an issue. Here in the Ispania Mountains, the natural mana was very high, so if he found a place to settle and train here, his level would increase quickly.
It would probably take about a month.
Ive arrived.
Frey thought to himself.
In front of him, a lush forest could be seen. The forests continued up the mountains and there were hundreds of mountains in his sight.
In other words, he had finally arrived at the Ispania Mountains.
Read latest Chapters at W u xiaWorld.Site Only
Now it really starts.
Clenching his fist, Frey headed into the forest.
(TL: At first I didnt like the bar owner, but he turned out to be really nice in the end
Now for the true purpose of this note, Im thinking of changing mercenary to adventurer since they have the same meaning here. Tell me your opinions in the comments on woopread.com since thats the only place I read them and respond)
For any errors and issues contact me through discord:- https://discord.gg/Q3dStgu
Chapter 19 - Preparation and Training (5)
Chapter 19 - Preparation and Training (5) Translator: Seven
Frey wanted to focus solely on his training.
I decided it would be a month.
In fact, that was also pretty tight. Except for fulfilling his bodys needs, all his time would have to be devoted to training. Sar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Even an experienced sorcerer might not be able to handle such torment, but for Frey who had suffered for 4,000 years, it was not much.
The most important thing was to find a place to train.
And that place had to meet two requirements.
It should be relatively safe. The mana should also be concentrated enough.
Searching for the right place was time consuming in its own way.
Frey slowly began to look around.
It was not smooth.
There were many monsters around which suited the name Monster Heaven.
Two days later, Frey finally found a place he considered suitable.
It was a spectacular waterfall.
It had the classic feel of a training place. Of course, he didnt intend to meditate while having the waterfall pound onto his head.
What Frey had noticed was a cave that was hidden behind the waterfall.
It was a place where few monsters, let alone humans, would touch.
It was dark behind the waterfall but that was fine since he could make light with magic.
This will be fine.
The best part was that it could handle two of his needs at the same time.
The cave was a good shelter since it was easy for him to get water and food. This meant that he would be fine even if the rations he brought ran out.
Good.
Frey deliberately spoke out loud as he settled his heart.
The battle training was going to be hard.
It was because of how dangerous it was that Frey did not tell Isabelle about it when she was curious, as it would be risky.
First, he had to collect mana.
A smile stretched across Freys face as he began to absorb the mana from the air.
The mana here is not as dense as I remember.
He had trained on Ispania Mountain in the past.
His memory of that time was blurry, but he was sure the mana had been denser back then.
Sss.
The mana began to gather in Freys body.
After it entered his body, the mana gathered in the Mana Room1 below his belly button.
Frey had gathered mana until his capacity was almost filled and all that was left was a sliver.
Sss-
The sun rose and set.
And as it rose again, Frey finally managed to collect the last bit of mana that he had needed to fill his core.
A sense of satisfaction, different from a sense of satiety, seemed to envelope his entire body in its embrace.
This was a unique feeling that an organism would have only when it had filled its capacity for mana.
Hoo
Step 1 was complete.
Frey opened his eyes and immediately took some drinking water from his bag as he let out a long breath.
He couldnt help but be thirsty after not having replenished his bodys moisture after an entire day.
He didnt feel hungry, but that was only the feeling of the mana confusing his body.
He forced himself to eat some of the jerky he stored and immediately after, he found a comfortable position and went to sleep.
After five hours of sleep, Frey woke up again.
Hed slept much longer than expected.
From now on it will be much more difficult, so this can be considered my last break.
He sat up again before taking a deep break.
Gathering mana was only a preparatory step.
Frey then divided his mana room into two.
This process was easy to explain, but the actual process was incredibly difficult.
After it entered the body, mana tended to stick together. But Frey skillfully separated his mana room into two equal parts.
50/50. His mana had been divided into equal parts.
He was finally ready to start the battle training.
Hoo
From now on, it would be nothing but pain.
Frey made the mana on the right take on the properties of fire. Conversely, he made the mana on the left take the properties of water.
Kuk.
The mana, which now had opposing properties, immediately began trying to suppress each other.
Frey could not stop himself from frowning as an intense pain rose from below his navel.
Its been a while, so its hard to control.
This was the battle training.
The mana room was now the battlefield instead of just a storehouse and each side had become factions whose soldiers began a war.
If you didnt pay close enough attention, the mana would go out of control and in the worst case scenario, you would die.
Frey observed the struggle, giving a little assistance to one side if he felt like they were too weak.
As the balance was regained, the mana was refined further. And while the mana was moving frantically.
Sweat began forming on Freys forehead.
Chapter 20 - Preparation and Training (6)
Chapter 20 - Preparation and Training (6) Translator: Seven
A week passed.
Frey looked extremely disgusting.
Once he had determined that his spot was indeed safe, he set up a few alarms, took off his armor and began to train wholeheartedly.
It was more efficient this way.
However his beard began to grow and his body began to smell.
There was a waterfall right in front of him so he could decide to wash himself at any time, but in the end he chose not to.
This was because his concentration would be broken by the cold water falling on his body. The situation he was in right now was extremely sensitive.
Other than to take care of the physiological needs of his body, Frey devoted all of his time to training.
Time passed.
Kooo.
A week later.
A blue haze began to form around Freys body. His mana had become clearly visible!
This sign meant that Frey was on the verge of breaking through to 6 stars.
His mana capacity had more than doubled. The purity was also incomparable to the way it was before.
Though this was an achievement that was almost impossible to attain in a week, Frey was still not satisfied.
It was still not enough.
More. More. More.
He was as desperate as a person that had been condemned to death, but he wasnt impatient.
It was like walking a tightrope, but Frey carefully kept the balance and perfectly digested it.
Time passed again.
Three weeks.
But this period was a little more stimulating than the other weeks.
One of the alarms hed set alerted him in the midst of his battle training.
This
Freys expression became hard.
When doing this training, the wizards body was as defenseless as a newborn baby. Just a simple touch and it was possible for the pulse in his body to become entangled and he would die instantly.
He barely managed to calm the two halves of his mana room that were locked in battle. Then he removed the properties that hed given them and waited for the mana within him to slowly calm down.
Afterwards, he opened his eyes to look at the intruder.
you are.
Black eyes were looking back at him.
It was a bird, but it was no ordinary bird.
It had a profound gaze, with feathers that seemed to be made from flames and exuded warmth. Frey knew this creature.
No, there was no one who did not know its name.
A Phoenix.
A monster so rare that it was called a fantasy, had appeared.
A flash of happiness appeared in Freys eyes.
He had worked with Phoenixes before. In general, they were incredibly difficult to tame. No, it should be said that its impossible.
However this was only because they were very picky when choosing their companions and only for those who were worthy would they bow their heads without hesitation.
It is the Ispania Mountains which has all kinds of monsters.
But he would never have expected to meet a Phoenix here.
Besides, why was it there?
There was no hostility in its gaze. From the beginning this divine creature simply waited calmly until he opened his eyes.
Frey soon guessed why.
It must have been attracted by the fire mana that I was manipulating during the battle training.
What he also took note of, was the state that the Phoenix was in. Its feathers were soaked.
Was it because it came through the falls?
No. There was a faint rain smell coming from it. However the flames on a Phoenixs feathers burned so strongly that it shouldnt be wet by rain.
But this guys flames were weak and seemed as if they would go out at any moment.
Looking closer, he realised that there was a large scar on the birds chest. As if its body had been slashed by a huge claw.
If the wound had been a bit deeper, it wouldve ripped through its heart.
Contrary to what many people believed, this creature wasnt actually immortal.
It was only called that because given the right conditions, it would be able to escape death compared to other creatures.
Frey smiled gently and gestured.
Come here.
The Phoenix blinked and kept staring at Frey.
Are you going to keep staring at me? Didnt you come here for help?
His gentle tone was that of Lucas, who was praised as an amazing teacher in the past.
The Phoenix paused for a moment before making its way over to Frey.
If anyone had seen this sight, they would have suspected that something was wrong with their eyes.
A noble being that was famous for never obeying anyone had been attracted with a few simple words and gestures?
Frey slowly stroked the feathers of the Phoenix that had come closer to him. This action was akin to holding a ball of flames with your bare hands, but Frey did not feel any heat.
This was proof that the Phoenix felt no hostility towards him.
You must have fought a mighty creature. Its alright. I think I can help you.
Frey immediately began pouring his mana into the Phoenix.
The mana had been given the properties of fire once again.
Changing the properties of mana was a very difficult skill that even some of the most well known mages would not dare to try it, but it was very simple for Frey.
As he touched the Phoenixs neck, Frey muttered.
Youre taking away the fruits of my training.
Kuruk
The Phoenix stomped its feet and made a low sound. Frey laughed.
It was a joke, so stay still. It will be over soon.
Time passed slowly.
The sound of the rain made the scene pleasantly harmonious without breaking the stillness of the image.
Frey enjoyed this moment.
Past places, past ties, past memories.
A rare soft smile spread across his face.
You remind me of the old times. My old friend looked just like you.
Frey slowly stroked the Phoenixs feathers.
This is in return for reminding me of those good memories. Next time you see your enemy, beat him.
Kuruk
The Phoenix looked at Frey with a deep gaze.
Frey gave it another bright smile as he returned its gaze.
The Phoenix slowly turned around before separating the waterfalls flow and stepping out.
Frey watched it leave with many complicated feelings before noticing something on the floor in front of him.
Um.
It was a Phoenix feather.
You gave an excessive gift.
Frey let out a low laugh.
It was a gift that had endless value as it could be used from things such as healing wounds, to manufacturing magic items.
He looked at it for a moment.
Then he sat down, closed his eyes and returned to his training.
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Four weeks.
Deep in the cave, Frey had become completely indistinguishable from his previously handsome appearance.
He didnt clean himself so his hair, beard and body smelled quite rotten and his face became black as if it had been painted with charcoal.
His food had run out a week ago.
Originally he had intended to go out to hunt for food if necessary, but Frey was so focused on his training that he decided to starve.
If he hadnt drank any water, then he probably wouldve died.
His cheeks were thin and seemed to be just skin.
Looking at his appearance it would be more believed that he was a beggar instead of an aristocrat.
However if there was anyone to see this scene, they would not have been able to open their mouths.
This was because Frey, who was fully concentrated on his cultivation with his eyes closed, gave off a very mysterious feeling.
Ssss
A long hiss came from his mouth.
Anyone who had working eyes would be able to see the blue mist that came out of his mouth along with the hiss.
Frey slowly opened his eyes.
Unlike his gaunt face, Freys eyes were brimming with life.
He calmly accessed his condition.
I became 6 stars.
He had become a 6 Star Wizard!
It was a dream that every wizard hoped to achieve and it was the marginal line that everyone thought they could reach with enough effort.
7 Stars and 8 Stars. These were levels that could never be reached unless a persons talent, effort and ability were all at a high level.
On the other hand, the 6 star level was achievable as long as one had enough talent and was willing to put in enough effort.
Of course, no one knew how long it would take.
The age of the youngest wizard to reach 6 stars, was 35 years. On the other hand, Frey Blake was just over the age of maturity.
If this became known then maybe all the wizards all over the continent would faint. They would all then fight a scouting war to take him away with all their might.
However there was no excitement on Freys face.
After all he was simply walking on a road that he had already walked long before.
Now I can collect mana simply by breathing.
This was one of the skills that 6 star mages were capable of. It was definitely a big advantage to absorb mana simply by going through your daily routine.
If he closed his eyes and concentrated, then he would be able to collect richer mana, faster.
Frey muttered to himself while looking at his skinny wrist.
Ive been starving for a while so Im in terrible shape.
However it wasnt too much of a problem since he could still be efficient even when he was not in his top form.
In any case, the form he was in was not perfect, so he intended to eat until his stomach exploded when he was finished and gain some weight.
Frey went out and suddenly let out a laugh.
This guy
Bodies of monsters were piled outside the cave.
There was a wide variety of monsters that had one thing in common. They all had burns on their bodies.
Frey immediately knew who was behind it.
The Phoenix.
You knew I was defenseless so you watched over me.
He had stayed in the cave for a very long time without seeing even the slightest glimpse of a monster.
The service was a solid one.
Frey looked around for that troublemaker but he didnt know if it was hiding or if it had left already.
If fate willed it, they would meet again.
Frey made a light decision.
Now then
It was time to achieve his goal in the Ispania Mountains.
Exploring Schweisers dungeon.
Just as Frey was about to set off.
Ahhhh~
A scream was heard from far away.
The birds in the trees ahead were also startled by the horrible scream so they flew away together.
But it was not a monsters scream. Not even a common beast.
It was the scream of a human.
Frey suddenly recalled the story hed heard in the bar.
Corpses had recently been found near the mountain range and there was a high probability that it was done by other humans.
Freys form, which had been standing still for a while, suddenly disappeared, leaving nothing but a soft sound.
Chapter 21 - Sonia Aquarid (1)
Chapter 21 - Sonia Aquarid (1) Translator: Seven
It had been a month since theyd entered the stupid mountain range.
Lawrence, a member of the Skeletal Axe Mercenary Group, missed cold beer, strong tobacco and Amys amazing body.
Goddammit. When is that bitch Sonia or whatever coming?
If it wasnt for the high pay, he would have canceled this job already.
It was okay if it was a bit dangerous. It wasnt a day or two since he started risking his life after all.
But a boring job was the most unbearable.
As mercenaries, the members of the Skeletal Axe Group were all rather patient and brave when waiting for their objective.
But in a forest without alcohol or women, it was practically torture for them to stay there for an entire month.
As a result, they played games to pass the time.
Now thats it! Juan, you lost!
Shut up and wait a bit! Victor! Where do I hit to win? Adams apple? Heart? Or should I aim for the space between the front teeth?
Forehead. If its an instant death, then you get 10 points and you win.
Lawrence clicked his tongue as he stared at his partners.
The Human Darts that they were playing was a game they made to pass the time.
It was a simple game where a person was hung from a tree and they took turns to throw daggers at them.
The closer to the target, the higher the score.
Sometimes theyd capture strangers from the mountain to be their targets.
And if they managed to find a woman to use as a plaything, they would use her a few times before letting her go on the mountain and the monsters would take care of her for them.
Juan was one of the members who especially liked to play.
Stay still
He grinned maliciously and aimed his dagger.
The man tied to the tree was already covered in blood. He was in such a bad condition, that he would probably die even from a slight touch.
When I hit the forehead itll be 10 points? Then Ill come from behind.
Lets see if youll get it.
Shwik!
The dagger flew quickly and if it continued along its flight path, it would hit the man right in the center of his forehead.
Just as Juan was about to shout for joy, the mans head drooped down.
Pak!
The dagger ended up sticking to the tree just above the top of the mans head.
Puhahaha! Juan you bastard, look at you luck!
What the hell? Did he die at such a time? Kuhaha!
I win! I get 10 silver now haha!
As his partners were all laughing, Juans face became red with anger and his cheeks trembled.
Who is this little bitch to bow his head?
Juan approached the man tied to the tree and chopped his neck.
Thump.
The head bounced a couple times before it stopped rolling. The face of a man locked in an expression of pain and fear was revealed.
To take out your anger on a man whos already dead.
Let him be. Hes already lost 5 games in a row, its such a big blow that he had to let out the steam somehow.
Hey, lets get out of here. I am the vice-captain after all.
Youre right.
When his other partners showed their intentions of returning, Juan had no choice but to follow them.
However before he left, he made sure to spit on the distorted face with an angry expression on his face.
Damn bastard.
Just as he said so and turned around, Juan was surprised.
Hu-, Huk!
A man was now standing in front of him.
However the mans appearance was quite bizarre.
The man was emaciated and his head looked messy.
He had a long, tangled beard and his face looked like it had been washed several times with mud.
Even a cold blooded murder who had experienced many life and death battles couldnt help but find his appearance to be terrifying.
Y-, you bastard! What the hell are you!
Juan quickly pulled out his knife.
However the mans gaze remained on the body without even taking a glance at Juan who was standing there.
Gh-, ghost? N-, no. There must be an explanation
The rotten smellrotten smell?
Un-, undead?
Did undead also appear in the Ispania Mountains?
Juan kept looking at the figures face with an uneasy expression until the figure finally opened its mouth.
I was late.
Huh? Wh-, what did you say?
Shik.
Those were the last words that Juan ever spoke.
At that time, a white sickle had appeared behind him and removed his head from his shoulders in one swipe.
Juan died without realizing that it had been done by a 5 star spell Light Sickle.
His head rolled to the body of the man that was still tied to the tree who had died a few moments before him.
The skinny man, Frey, kept looking down at the body.
The man had died because he was toyed with by all the mercenaries, not just Juan.
Then he looked back.
In the dark of the night, Freys eyes could still clearly see the rest of the group of mercenaries who were heading back to their camp slowly and calmly while still in the mood to joke around with each other.
Freys pupils began to shine brightly like a burning flame. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
* * *
We lost contact with the vice-captain.
The head of the Skeleton Axe Mercenary Group, Karles, frowned as he heard those words.
He was getting a lot of stress these days.
Were there any survivors?
Just me.
What kind of monster was it?
Thatit was a ghost.
Karles made an odd expression as his subordinate said those words.
A ghost? Are you sure you know where we are?
Yes of course. Weve been here for over a month, how could I not know where we are?
You say you know but youre talking as if you got hit in the head by a boulder.
Karles stared at his subordinate with a vicious gaze before looking around.
A vast forest, with tens of thousands of trees which towered high above their heads as well at the mountains which stretched up into the clouds
This was the Monster Paradise, the Ispania Mountains.
The mercenaries familiar with this place called it the Hell Mountains.
It was one of the three greatest danger zones on the entire continent that even B class mercenaries like themselves did not dare to go further than the outskirts.
There was what in this place? A ghost?
Id rather see a ghost. Ive only been seeing the faces of trolls this entire time and Im honestly getting sick of it.
Karles subordinates laughed insidiously.
Is it a female ghost? Then its more than welcome to come.
Its not a joke. This is serious. Fifteen members of our group, including the vice captain, were killed by an unknown monster.
If they lost more of their group then it would be much more challenging for them to face off against the strong knights of the Aquarid family.
It was natural that he took this matter seriously.
And there was no trace of them. Like they had all evaporated. I know. They were just joking around to help us relax.
Karles doubted their story. If they were truly eaten by a monster then there would be some traces left because monsters were messy.
Even if it ate the whole body, would it also eat the armor and weapons?
What did it look like?
It was a man. With long scattered hairumm it had a very rotten smell.
Rotten smell?
Yes. On top of that it appeared and disappeared like a ghost, even though it was the middle of the day.
Hmm.
Karles closed his eyes for a moment.
Then he slowly opened them again.
It was a wizard.
He should be very skilled and capable of double casting as well.
So thats why vice captain and the rest got taken out. A battle mage?
Maybe. After all its much more believable than some guy who came back from the dead to kill us.
He let out a sigh.
A mage in itself was tricking, but being able to fight so well in the mountains as well as double casting and barehanded combat?
How many years have they been acting as a mercenary?
If so, it would be the most prickly type of enemy.
Strengthen the perimeter. That ghostif you see that ghost, then kill it immediately. It could be a wizard sent by the Aquarid family.
Alright. But isnt that strange? Its hard to believe that that family of high ranking knights actually hired a sorcerer.
Its not like its not possible. It is to escort the only daughter, so they might have bowed their heads this once. Anyway, we only need to focus on our mission, so stay alert.
As Karles was about to turn around, he suddenly thought of something and opened his mouth.
Ah. You said yesterday that you found five guys around here. What did you do with them? I feel like theyd die if we let them go anyway so we might as well play with them.
Which ones do you mean?
The women who came to pick herbs and the mercenaries were escorting them.
Karles subordinates let out a laugh.
I dont know, but you kill anyone who comes searching for herbs. You never get tired of it and always want to keep going. Its human nature to share the good stuff with your fellows. Isnt it?
They want to die soon. We have to help them.
Kuku. So what did you do to them?
We used the women to let out our desires and used the mercenaries as targets. Ah. They died at dawn. The wolves ate them alive as they slept. One of them was actually played with by the vice captain yesterday.
This time Karles was the one who let out a laugh and he laughed for a long time.
Put all the toys away. According to the information, Aquarids daughter will be here tomorrow. Throw the bodies to the monsters. Dont leave them near the city like last time alright? Were leaving this place soon but its still a hassle.
Spa-, spare me, plea
A quiet voice was heard.
Karles turned and gazed toward the sound. There dangling from a rope was a man with blood all over his body.
The clothes barely covered his private parts and there were daggers in almost every bit of his exposed skin.
I b-, I begthe things I saw hereI will never tell anyone.
The man looked pitiful.
Karles looked at him for a moment, before turning.
Tion, what did I just say?
Yes.
Tion smiled and pulled out his sword.
You said to dispose of it.
Chapter 22 - Sonia Aquarid (2)
Chapter 22 - Sonia Aquarid (2) Translator: Seven
A woman with blue hair panted as she looked around.
The mercenaries around her were laughing loudly in excitement.
Her eyes became dark at the desperate situation. Her body was practically screaming at her to rest, that she was at her limit, but it would all be over if she did.
Sonia Aquarid took pride in her swordsmanship.
From a young age she had an exceptional comprehension ability toward swordsmanship and her talent shocked the Aquarid family which had always been known to produce the most talented knights.
If she had been born as a man, she would definitely have been able to take over as the head of the family.
At 13 she was able to display Sword Aura. At 15 she was able to win in a fair duel against a Royal Knight, at 18 she was granted the title Rainstorm by the King.
To be given a knights title was one of the greatest honors in the Luanoble Kingdom and it was also the first time in the history of the kingdom that someone was able to gain a title under the age of 20.
Sonia felt that she couldnt find any more opponents and in a way it was true.
While she was dedicating her life to the sword, she suddenly got word of a marriage proposal with the Kastkau Empire.
The person was from the Jun family, one of the Three Great Noble families of the Kastkau Empire.
From generation to generation, the Luanoble Kingdom had always shared a close blood relationship with the Katskau Empire.
There had already been several similar situations where great noble families were able to form bonds through marriage.
However Sonia did not like the choice that the family had made for her.
All wizards are weak.
At least, all the wizards she had met.
In all honesty, Sonia had never had a good opinion of wizards. The days when they stood in the limelight were long gone.
In fact, it was the publics opinion that since the age of light 4000 years ago, they had been getting worse.
Even Kastkau, which had formerly had the reputation of being the Magic Empire, was currently working hard to train its own knights.
This was the era of the knights.
She had fought Battlemages from the Magic Towers before and won without much difficulty.
This led her to believe that her thoughts were not wrong.
Now she wanted to meet the people called Magic Martial Artists.
She had heard that they were people who were experts in close combat who strengthened their bodies using mana instead of aura. She felt that they would at least be more fun to fight than the boring wizards.
Sonia didnt want to marry a man who was weaker than her, but she had no way to refuse her fathers wishes.
In the end, it was decided that she would go directly to the other family to meet them for herself.
Originally, she was supposed to use the Warp Stone.
But Sonia vehemently refused to do so. She had used a Warp Stone once when she was younger and ended up suffering from upset stomach, headaches and vomiting for more than a week.
Other than that, the only way to get to the empire was by boat or by crossing part of the Ispania Mountains.
However the weather at sea was not good and it would take much too long for her to wait for a ship when it calmed.
Inevitably, this meant that she had to go through the infamous mountain range.
With the knights from the Aquarid family, the monsters that they would find at the outskirts were no challenge at all.
After all, there were over a hundred mountains in the range, so there were still ways to avoid the truly dangerous areas.
Her convoy was made up of 10 knights and 5 servants. Sonia thought their presence was cumbersome, but in the end she decided to accept it instead of complaining.
She thought that it would be a boring trip.
But her expectations couldnt be more wrong.
It seems the tales of the knights of the Luanoble Kingdom are only rumors.
A man with a scar on his face finally spoke.
There were dozens of bodies around her, including those from his party, but the mans face was still relaxed.
The reason was quite clear however as there were still around 20 of his men around.
On the other side there were only four survivors, including Sonia.
Even then the other three were only two servants and an old knight who had retired for more than 10 years already.
I was carelessno.
Even if she had been vigilant, they wouldnt have won.
From the start there were too many enemies.
However that wasnt the only reason. The main reason was how well prepared the enemies were.
They aimed for the moment we were just about to leave the mountains when we had been the most relaxed.
By the time theyd realised what was happening, three knights had already been killed.
What are you after?
Sonia tried hard to speak while panting and Karles responded with a bright smile.
Youre asking me that? Your head of course.
He glanced over the body of the silent Sonia.
Ah. Of course I dont just intend to kill you. Its always been my dream to taste a noble woman. The only daughter of the Aquarid family is the perfect partner to fulfill my dream for the first time.
Sonia knew that her opponent was intentionally saying such things in order to affect her reasoning.
But even though her head knew that, her body couldnt ignore it.
Her face became red after being humiliated in such a way.
I would take my own life before giving you that chance.
Oho. Well that would be worth seeing. Then well just have to take it out on the old man and two bitches behind you.
Im confident in my torture skills. They would all beg me to kill them before 10 minutes had passed.
The man gave her another smile and bowed slightly.
Sonia bit her lip.
So thats why they kept them alive.
It was now clear to her what their purpose was. Besides their job was to only kill Sonia.
She thought they didnt care about it but now she realised that they did it to stop her from killing herself.
Dont worry Sonia. We would never be a burden.
Luther, the retired knight and a father figure to Sonia, spoke to her with a smile. It was a smile that showed that he was already prepared for anything.
Sonias eyes shook. Then she closed them.
Then she looked towards the two maids.
You will lose your lives because of my incompetence. Im sorry.
Its okay.
It was something that I prepared for when I became a maid of the Aquarid family.
One of the maids laughed.
Would you please end my life by your hand? I do not want to become a toy for those beasts.
okay.
Sonia bowed her head.
The maids lips were shaking slightly. Though she spoke casually, it was obvious that she was afraid to die.
Karles clicked his tongue.
It truly is a prestigious noble family. Even a simple maid has such a strong willpower.
He ordered his men.
Stop them.
The mercenaries rushed towards them, but Sonias sword was much faster than their movement.
Chik.
And something was even faster than her sword.
Ah?
Sonia looked blankly at her hand.
The sword was not there anymore.
Someone took my sword.
But it did not take her long to realise what happened.
As a knight this was the greatest humiliation, but Sonia was so focused on what happened that she did not think of that.
Instead she pondered while shaking her head.
Did any of them have that sort of skill
Didnt that mean that they could stop her desperate suicide if they wanted to?
Despair flashed across Sonias face.
Just as she was about to try to bite her tongue in order to save her dignity, she realised that the mercenaries that had been previously running toward her were now looking behind her with wide eyes.
What happened?
Sonia looked back and was startled immediately.
This was because there was someone behind her.
It was a sloppy man. He had messy hair, a beard that was much too long and he looked like he had not washed himself in a long time.
Although his clothes and armor were in relatively good shape, no one noticed that because of his overall messy appearance.
Sonia had never seen such an unkempt man. Nevertheless, she couldnt open her mouth.
A sword was in the mans right hand. The sword that Sonia had just been holding.
It was the same for the embarrassed mercenaries. They all turned to look toward the man that was standing in the center of them.
This man, Karles, the leader of the mercenary group, rolled his eyes once.
A ragged appearance, overgrown beard and that grey hair
He then spoke quietly.
Right. So you are the ghost.
Even after the vice captain had disappeared, members continued to vanish into thin air.
Eventually ten more had been taken by him. Some of them held key roles for this mission.
If it wasnt for those members that had disappeared, the number of members that had been killed in this raid wouldve been reduced by half.
Frey ignored Karles words. Instead he looked at Sonia and returned her sword.
Aht.
Sonia hurriedly received her sword. Normally she would have taken it calmly, but this was enough to show that she was not in her right mental state.
Only then did he turn to look at Karles.
You are the leader.
The mountain range was so large that it took him a long time to find them. In the first place, Frey had no talent for pursuit or search.
Because of this, he had not been able to clean himself since he wandered the mountain.
Karles looked back at Frey and a serious light flashed in his eyes.
So he was looking for where the camp was.
They had been there for a month so there were a lot of things to be stored. It couldnt be neglected or it would be taken by monsters, so he had to let 10 men guard it.
What happened to my members?
Exactly what you think.
Karles face became cold immediately as he realized something.
This man never had any intentions of sparing them. The members description that he was cruel was accurate.
We shouldnt give him time to cast spells.
Karles gestured quickly.
Aim at the wizard! Dont approach from the front, use the trees!
The mercenaries moved immediately.
A Battlemages power is usually equal to five B class mercenaries. We can defeat him with the amount we have now.
Kehuk!
At the end of his thoughts, blood splattered from a mercenary.
Karles blinked in shock.
What? What just happened?
For a moment he could only stare blankly.
Then his instinct told him that something was coming to him.
His body reacted before his mind could and he pulled his two swords up to block.
Clang!
It was a spell.
It was a spell with so much power that Karles wrists began to throb after he managed to block it!
It seemed like he would lose grip on his swords but he gripped his teeth and endured it.
Karles was an A class mercenary.
His skills were solid and his experience was abundant. He had even fought Battlemages numerous times before.
Therefore he knew that there was a certain cooldown after a wizard casts their spells.
He wont be able to keep attacking.
The moment that his attacks paused would soon come. No, it didnt matter if it came or not.
He still had over a dozen men around him. He was sure that they would chop off the mages head while he had to take a break.
Thats what was supposed to happen.
However something was strange.
Clang. Clang.
Cold sweat covered Karles entire body.
His legs shook and his wrist throbbed as if they were broken.
Nevertheless he refused to let go of his swords. The moment he let go was the moment he died.
Why hasnt the spell ended?
It was as if dozens of wizards were alternately shouting spells at him.
Hed been holding on for so long but what were the other guys doing!
Karles decided to take a look around despite the danger.
He immediately felt like hed have a breakdown.
Cr-,crazy
He wasnt the only one holding his sword desperately.
All the mercenaries were being attacked by the spell!
Wh-, who is that man?
Was he able to cast and control this many spells at the same time?
Even the Deputy Head of a Magic Tower that he had met before wasnt this powerful!
It was at that moment. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Ttuk.
The magic finally stopped.
Huk! Huk!
Uh, uhh
The mercenaries lowered their hands and desperately took breaths of cold air.
Karles also lowered his hands while shouting loudly.
Hi-, his mana should be empty! We have to kill him now!
If this missed this chance then it was over.
Karles wasnt confident in withstanding such a barrage again.
These words seemed to light a fire in the mercenaries who looked like they were about to fall over any moment.
Kill him!
This bastard!
The mercenaries rushed forward at the same time.
Sonia, who had been watching in a daze, hurriedly raised her sword and tried to confront them. She didnt know who this person was, but at least he wasnt an enemy.
Then Frey raised his hand to stop her.
Stay back. Its already over.
O-, its over? What
Kuahh.
At that time the ground began to shake. The mercenaries gasped.
Ea-, Earthquake! 5 star magic!
Da-, dammit! Lets get out of here!
The mercenaries struggled to escape the spell but the range was too wide. They didnt have enough experience when facing a wizard.
Also had they been in perfect condition, they might have been able to escape. But now that they had reached their physical limit, it was impossible.
Even those who stood at the back could not escape the furious shaking.
Ugh!
Kuk
The mercenaries were buried in the ground in no time. They tried to wrestle and dig their way out with their hands but they were soon sucked into the ground.
I, I cant believe it! The magic he used so far was simply to stall for time?
Karles was astonished as he felt the pain of rocks crushing him from every direction.
This man had kept them in check with one spell while using that chance to cast another!
He knew the wizard had been capable of double casting.
But this was the first time that hed ever seen such a powerful double casting.
The entire mercenary group had been suppressed by a single spell before. And what was with the power of that Earthquake spell?
Rather than simply shaking and opening the ground, it had sucked them in as if the earth itself was alive.
Oh, oh no. In such a way
Karles was filled with grief, but he had no way to escape.
Kuuuu.
The shaking stopped and the ground returned to its previous appearance.
Oh, oh my God.
Sonia stared at the man in front of her.
Then it clicked in her brain. This man had wiped out the mercenaries in the blink of an eye.
Chapter 23 - Sonia Aquarid (3)
Chapter 23 - Sonia Aquarid (3) Translator: Seven
Th-, thank you for your help.
Luther hurriedly bowed.
Frey looked over at him and Luther immediately became nervous because he did not know what this strange man would say.
He had helped them, but he also might not have approached them with good intentions.
No problem. Are you hurt?
As Frey responded to him, Luther let out a sigh of relief.
Now that he thought about it, if such a powerful wizard truly had any bad intentions towards them then they might have already been buried in the ground together with the group of mercenaries.
The mercenariesare they all dead?
It was Sonia who spoke next.
Frey nodded.
Do you want to see the bodies?
N-, no. Thats okay.
Sonia was a cold woman so she wasnt usually embarrassed, but she stuttered because she was still amazed.
She believed that he would really show her the mercenaries corpses if she had answered too late.
She cleared her throat a few times before finally speaking in the proper tone befitting a noble lady.
Thank you for your help. Im Sonia Aquarid from the Luanoble Kingdom.
Although he was her benefactor, it was not easy for her to speak formally. For a woman, Sonia usually spoke in a very cold, stiff tone and she rarely used respectful speech.
However Frey shook his head slightly when he heard her words.
Aquarid? I think I heard that somewhere before.
It felt relatively recent, but since it didnt come to his mind after he thought about it for a moment, he determined that it wasnt that important.
I am Frey Blake. From the Kastkau Empire.
Sonia was surprised when there was no change in his expression even after she had revealed her identity.
This was because the Aquarid family was one of the most well known knight families on the continent.
Even if he was from the Empire, he should have heard of it.
Is he a commoner?
In reality, she thought he was a commoner because of his unsightly appearance. Even the beggars on the streets of the kingdom were much cleaner than he was.
He was also smelly, but Sonia took care to not reveal her thoughts.
However Luthers next actions surprised her.
I see, so youre a member of the Blake Family.
When Sonia turned her questioning gaze to him, he answered with a smile.
It is one of the most famous wizard families. It has produced some of the most outstanding wizards who supported the Kastkau Empire.
Luther continued, feeling his explanation was a bit insufficient.
Earl Isaka Blake, the current head, is one of the eight 7 star wizards in the empire, and is the head of one of the six Magic Towers.
thats right.
Luthers reactions indicated that he was a member of a family that was at least on the same level as the Aquarid family.
Sonia turned to look at Frey in amazement as she recalled the magic that he had just used.
Hundreds of light shapes had flown from his fingertips and constantly suppressed the mercenaries, and when they thought it was over, the ground opened up and devoured all of them.
It had been a beautiful and also overwhelming scene.
I could never beat all of them.
Especially the man with the scar on his face. It was the first time that Sonia had been confronted by such an anomalous and unconventional swordsman.
Even if she was to duel him one on one, she could not guarantee her victory.
To deal with such a group without getting a single scratch.
This is definitely a first class wizard.
It was at that moment that Sonias impression of the wizard changed greatly.
After a while, she tilted her head.
But why does such a person look so terrible?
Frey looked toward where the mercenaries had been buried and opened his mouth.
They must have been waiting in the mountains for more than a month. It seems that you are their target, is there any reason for that?
How did you know that they stayed for a month?
That was when corpses were first found nearby. They seemed to have captured people from the city who were wandering nearby and tortured them.
Sonia nodded at that.
Their speech and behaviour were very vulgar and lowly.
Luther also nodded.
For a monththat seems to coincide with the time that we left the Luanoble Kingdom. It could be that someone hired them. The Aquarid family has just as many enemies as we have comrades.
But they knew one thing.
Given that these mercenaries were so strong, the person who hired them must also have a considerable amount of power.
Frey seemed to think about something before saying slowly.
So what will you do now?
First we need to go to a city. I heard that there is a city called Ispaniola nearby.
Just follow the boulevard when you meet it. It is not that far away.
Luther sighed in relief.
Thats great.
On the way here I found traces of battle. A lot of the corpses seemed to be from your party, what will you do with their bodies?
They all have families. It would be great if we could take them home but we cant afford to. So the least we can do is bury them.
Ill help.
Luther wanted to refuse as a courtesy but Freys offer was like a welcome rain after a long drought.
He couldnt help but ask with a happy face.
are you sure?
Yes.
Th-, thank you. So while you collect the bodies, could you please check to see if there are any survivors?
Frey shook his head.
Luther sobered up and felt that he had asked for too much but Frey then spoke.
Ispaniola. There is a warp stone there, Ill take them there so you can send them back to Luanoble.
Can you really?
It was an unimaginable proposal.
Sonia, Luther and the two maids could not help but stare at him with wide eyes.
Frey nodded.
I have to stop by the city anyway. And I need to take care of the other bodies as well.
* * *
Frey showcased his amazing magic again as he carried the bodies to the city.
He stacked the bodies on a wagon with broken wheels and used that to move them.
Sonia and her maids only looked on in admiration, but only Luther knew how ridiculous his actions truly were.
He should not be more than thirty
He could not imagine how heavy the wagon was to move.
Moreover, Ispaniola wasnt only ten minutes away.
Instead it took them a few hours to get to the city on foot. Nevertheless, Frey did not show any kind of strain at all.
In fact he was still able to have normal conversations with Sonia and Luther.
This was proof that he was not devoting much of his attention to the spell that he was using.
Twenty?! Really?
Thats right.
I thought you would be at least over thirty
Thats rude. Sar?h the N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Frey and Sonia seemed to become quite close. The two seemed to be years apart but in truth they were the same age.
Luther looked at the sight with a curious gaze.
Shes fully acknowledged him.
Usually it was incredibly difficult for Sonia to become acquainted with a man.
Especially when it was not someone that she was related to.
Even in Luanoble, the number of true friends that Sonia had could be counted on one hand.
So the sight of her chatting with a man, and one from another country, was a very unfamiliar sight for Luther who had watched her from a young age.
Thats fine. With the amount of talent that this Blake boy has, it would be fine for her to marry him.
After all, the Blake family was comparable to the Aquarid family.
If the agreement with the Jun family didnt go well, then Luther would suggest this to the head of the house himself.
Eventually, they arrived at the city without Frey losing a drop of sweat. By this time, Luther was looking at him as if seeing a monster.
His mana capacity is amazing.
Only then did he begin to ponder about Freys unkempt appearance. Perhaps it had something to do with training.
After all, the mana concentration in the Ispania Mountains was known for being extremely dense.
Even so, there were probably extremely few people who would be willing to train in the place that was given the name Hell Mountains.
Shortly after arriving in Ispaniola, Luther immediately sent the bodies back to the Luanoble Kingdom.
He hired a mercenary guild to escort them and sent one of the two remaining maids to guide them.
Meanwhile, Frey seemed to have left the other bodies with the city guard.
These bodies belong to the inhabitants of the city that had been murdered.
When it was all over, Luther seemed to come out of his daze.
Although Sonia had higher status, she had the least amount of experience, so it was up to him to express his gratitude first.
Thank you very much. I do not know how to repay your gratitude
It was nothing.
Frey didnt seem to be very sociable.
He never had much to say and seemed very cold.
Then I will take my leave. I hope the rest of your journey will be better.
Wa-, please wait.
Luther hurriedly tried to stop Frey.
Frey only turned his head to look back at Luther.
Please let me give you a reward.
I didnt do it hoping for a reward.
I know, butplease. If I was to let you go like this then the Aquarid family would be considered dishonourable
Luther was quite desperate.
As long as Frey was a child from a noble family, then he should show them this bit of courtesy, otherwise they would be in his debt.
No, the political implications aside. Luther really wanted to repay Frey for all that he had done for them.
Please Frey. Let me repay your favor.
Sonia also bowed her head.
It was very rare for her to bow.
Frey was lost for words for a moment, before he let out a sigh.
Ill only accept dinner.
Th-, thank you.
They were lucky, if he had decided to be stubborn, then he would have left without hesitation.
Luthers face was shining with happiness and Frey spoke after a moment.
I know a good place, lets go there.
Alright.
Chapter 24 - Sonia Aquarid (4)
Chapter 24 - Sonia Aquarid (4) Translator: Seven
The place they arrived at was a bar.
At first Luther was quite embarrassed but he quickly schooled his expression.
He could not understand why Frey had brought them to this place.
This is not a place for nobility
This was the sort of place that mercenaries who had vulgar mouths and behaviours would come to.
But Frey opened the door without any hesitation.
Immediately, the smell of tobacco and beer were prevalent.
The bald giant behind the counter, who was the owner, seemed to recognize Frey immediately.
He observed Frey for quite a while before he burst into a loud, pleasant laugh as if he was filled with joy.
After a short conversation with the owner, Frey came back to the group.
They will prepare the food while we go wash up and come back.
Ah, I see.
It seemed that now that he had the chance, he wanted to immediately clean himself.
Despite not showing it on their faces, Sonia and Luther quite agreed with Freys decision to go clean up.
As soon as they had opened the door, the faces of all the people in the bar had become sour.
There were bathrooms upstairs since the bar seemed to also function as an inn.
Quite unexpectedly, even warm water was prepared for them to wash their bodies much more comfortably.
Sonia soon returned to the first floor after a pleasant bath, but she found a man sitting at their table. sea??h th novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Did he sit here by accident?
Sonia narrowed her eyes at the man.
The man that was sitting there had very handsome features. Sonia had seen many handsome men in the Luanoble Kingdom, but this man seemed to have a sort of charm.
What she noticed in particular was his slightly long grey hair that was tied behind him and his deep set eyes.
The only blemish was that he was a bit too skinny, but that wasnt a really big deal
Hmm?
Sonia couldnt help but tilt her head. The mans appearance was extremely similar to someone else.
The skinniness, the grey hair, the deep set eyes.
If youre done, why dont you take a seat?
The moment she heard the voice, she realised.
Nevertheless a confused expression appeared on her face.
Frey?
* * *
Is something wrong?
N-, no. You just look completely different from before
I looked a bit old after not taking care of myself for a while.
Frey laughed and Sonia blushed while complaining in her mind,
Thats not a bit.
She couldnt even compare the current him to the beggar-like appearance he had before.
For the first time in her life, Sonia felt a tingling sensation in her chest.
Y-, your clothes look good.
Sonia, who was not used to praising people, turned her head away as she said that.
What he was wearing at that moment was his Westroad Academy uniform which was made for its appearance instead of practicality.
It went very well with Freys current appearance though he would look even better if he gained a bit more weight.
I didnt have any other clothes to wear. My armor needs to be washed since it is so dirty.
R-, right.
Are you going to keep standing? The food will be here soon.
Ah, Ill sit down.
How many times will you stutter, you idiot!
Sonia scolded herself inwardly as she hurried to take a seat.
She was nervous.
Seeing Freys indifferent face seemed to make her feel worse somehow.
Sonia felt it was unfair that she was the only one who was embarrassed. Thinking quickly, she desperately tried to find a topic.
Your spells were amazing. It was the first time I saw such an amazing wizard like you.
It was nothing.
While he said this, Freys face showed no signs of being flattered.
This was proof that this was what he really thought, that his present level of skill was truly nothing.
When he thought of the guys hed have to face in the future, his current power was like he was holding a dagger as small as a pebble in his hands.
However, Sonia felt even more admiration when she saw his humility.
Hes completely different from all the wizards Ive met before.
All they knew was how to boast.
About how well they could develop magic, or that they had ongoing research that was going well or that they were one of the top 10 mages in the tower
In a fight, they were only a group of children who knew how to recite spells.
They didnt even have time to finish their spells before Sonia had drawn her sword, closed the distance between them and pressed it against their adams apple.
Why do they want to duel when they were no good in the first place?
So where are you headed?
Freys voice brought her out of her thoughts.
I know you were heading to Kastkau, but Im curious about your destination. Of course you dont have to answer.
Is he concerned?
It felt like he had brought up the topic when the conversation had paused, so Sonia interpreted it favourably.
She replied without hiding anything.
Im going to the Jun family.
Jun family?
Frey raised an eyebrow.
For some reason, Sonia felt proud that she had finally managed to get a reaction out of this man.
What are you going to do there?
Thata marriage proposal.
She didnt know why her face became red and her voice cracked a bit.
Frey didnt notice Sonias behaviour.
Ah, right. The daughter of the Aquarid family that would become Perans fiancee. So thats you.
Huh? How did you know?
I heard it from Peran.
Are you familiar with Peran?
Luther came down from his bath and interrupted the conversation.
Frey could only give a smile as Sonia looked away in embarrassment.
Im sorry to interrupt your conversation.
Thats fine. Sit down, lets talk.
Im sorry again but I cant join you. Im sure you understand.
Luther and the single remaining maid stood behind Sonia.
Luther and Sonia shared a pseudo father-daughter relationship, but even then there were strict protocols in a master-servant relationship that could not be ignored.
This was their houses business so Frey did not interfere. He simply took a sip of water before answering Luthers previous question.
Peran is my friend.
I see. Both of your families are famous wizard families in the Empire. Have you been friends since childhood?
I met him for the first time on a ferry to the capital. It was only for a short while, but I appreciated his character and so we became friends.
I see
Luther was relieved.
A good way to tell a persons character was to look at the friends he kept.
And from what he had seen of Frey, Luther believed that he was a man of good character.
If a young man like Frey could accept him as a close friend then that meant that he was a good person.
Soon the food arrived.
Venison with mouth watering spices, fresh salad and lamb soup.
Luther admired the quality of the food.
Finally, a sausage was placed in front of Frey.
Frey looked up at the owners face and the owner returned his gaze before they both burst into loud laughter.
Sonia and Luther could only watch their interaction with confusion.
Chapter 25 - Sonia Aquarid (5)
Chapter 25 - Sonia Aquarid (5) Translator: Seven
Frey spent a day in the inn to get rid of his fatigue.
He intended to rest for today before heading into the mountains again tomorrow.
Early the next day, Sonias party left.
They seemed to be headed right to the Jun family residence in Kastkau. (Note: yes Kastkau and now Kausymphony)
Were probably gonna stay with the Jun family for a while. By the waywill you come to the house to visit?
Sonia tried to speak as casually as possible, but she was unable to hide her expectant and anxious expression.
Frey did not notice her behavior, he was only thinking about the fact that Peran had asked him such words before.
When I find what Im looking for, if you are still at the Jun family then well meet.
right.
Though Sonia spoke plainly, her face was practically shining.
Frey watched them as they left the city before turning around.
It was finally time to go to the dungeon.
* * *
I have about three weeks left.
He would use the last week to travel back to the academy.
Of course, this wasnt because he was willing to learn in the academy.
He was curious about the identity of Syris Triznine, but it wasnt just that he wanted to uncover her identity.
Frey had a habit of setting a deadline for himself when he had to work on a task.
There were more than a hundred mountains in the Ispania Mountain Range and naturally it would be almost impossible to search all of them quickly.
Fortunately, Frey had some clues as to what mountain Schweiser would have put his dungeon on.
That should be the place.
Frey looked up at an extremely tall mountain in the distance.
This mountain, which was twice as large as most of the other mountains, directly pierced the clouds.
Ungwanbong.
Though it also had another name.
Drake Mountain.
Kuaahh~
A Drakes roar pierced the ambience of the mountain range.
Frey narrowed his eyes and looked towards it.
Drakes were among the best predatory monsters and the ones that lived in the Ispania Mountains were especially powerful. S~ea??h the N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Just their teeth alone were enough to easily destroy huge boulders.
The worst part was that these creatures lived in packs.
This was the reason why Frey decided to move only after achieving 6 stars.
Now I should be able to handle about 20 Drakes.
However, there was no one who could say just how many drakes could be found in the Ispania Mountains.
There was also a chance that a mutant that the bar owner had told him about could also appear.
Frey calmly began to climb the mountain.
Drake Mountain was very tall, but the danger was beyond imagination.
Even a 6 star mage could easily lose their life if they were negligent.
After climbing for about an hour, Frey finally encountered his first monster. It was not a Drake, but an Ogre.
But unlike normal Ogres, this one had red skin and three eyes. In its hand was a huge tree for a club, and there was a mass of flesh and blood nearby.
The mountain was called Drake Mountain, but that did not mean that other monsters couldnt be found here.
To enter their territory, one had to reach the waist of the mountain. Below that was the area where all sorts of monsters lived. (Note: waist of the mountain=the middle area similar to foot of the mountain=bottom)
It has keen senses.
Frey narrowed his eyes as he inspected the Ogre.
That should be fire resistant skin. So. Did it evolve to survive against the Drakes?
From what he knew, since it was strong against fire, then there was a high chance that it was also relatively weak against ice.
Frey quickly chanted a spell.
Ice Spear.
Chang.
Three ice spears appeared in front of him.
When the Lich Dullard had attacked the Cortez, the spears he created were much larger in comparison to the ones that Frey created, however, the difference in the concentration of mana was not something that could be compared.
Shik.
Pupuk.
Kurk!
Frey clicked his tongue.
The skin and bones of the Ogre were much stronger than he had anticipated.
The spear aimed at its head had been blocked with just his skull and the one aimed at its chest had been blocked its ribs.
To block my Ice Spears means that its bones are as hard as steel.
For these types of monsters it was most effective to burn them with fire, but this one happened to be fire resistant.
Frey realised that the Ogre in front of him would be more annoying than the mercenaries that hed faced the other day.
Drake Mountain lay in the center of the Ispania Mountains.
This meant that the monster one would find here were much stronger than those that could only live in the outskirts.
I could kill it if I used Earthquake, but thats too loud.
If he made too large of a fuss then other monsters would surely flock toward the sound
The same was true for wind magic, while it might be helpful, the disadvantage of that was that it had a very large range.
Theres nothing else I can do.
He had no choice but to choose a slight foolish method.
Ice Spear.
ChaChaChang.
Ten ice spears materialised in front of him and a bone freezing chill could be felt.
Kuaahhh!
The Ogre roared at him and it was so powerful that it destroyed the ground.
If you make so much noise, what reason would I have to keep quiet?
As he muttered this in a low voice, Frey lined the spears up.
Papapat.
Tutututuk.
Kuk
The Ogre opened its eyes wide. An ice spear was sticking from his forehead
Frey had hammered the ice spear as if it was a nail, sending it deeper with each successive spear.
Kuung.
The Ogres body fell to the ground, causing it to shake.
As he looked at the body, Frey couldnt help but mutter.
That wasnt bad.
The fight just then had been pretty helpful for him to adjust himself.
Fighting the students in the academy could never compare to this.
This one battle had been much more beneficial to him even when compared to fighting the mercenaries of the Lich, Dullard.
This is what I want.
This was something he could become immersed in.
Freys eyes shined.
It seemed that this trip wouldnt be as boring as he thought.
Chapter 26 - Dungeon, Inheritance, The King of the Mountains (1)
Chapter 26 - Dungeon, Inheritance, The King of the Mountains (1) Translator: Seven
Magnificent.
Frey sat on a large boulder and looked down from his position on the largest mountain in the vicinity.
He could see the other mountains, the buildings in Ispaniola City which looked like nails sticking into the sky, a large flowing river and a vast meadow, all at once.
The process that he had needed to see such an amazing sight was incredibly difficult.
He looked down at his armor.
The armor was ragged and his overall appearance was rather messed up.
He did not have any healing spells so he was covered in wounds.
If before he had looked like a beggar to Sonia, now he looked like he had been on a battlefield for a week.
The strength of the monsters which lived on Drake Mountain was much higher than he had expected.
The Drakes which hed met after he entered the mid levels of the mountains were strong enough to make his blood run cold.
Especially that guy
An enormous Drake that he had only managed to see once.
It had the body of a Dragon, completely with scales that looked harder than steel and a roar that shook the entire mountain range.
Frey was able to roughly tell how strong an opponent is just by looking at them. It was a skill developed with age.
And that skill told him one thing.
He couldnt beat it.
Its the King.
Perhaps the entire mountain range was his territory.
It was a Monster Lord.
Frey made sure to avoid that guy.
This was because this was not an enemy he could defeat, even if he tried to resort to tricks.
At the same time, Frey diligently practiced to master his senses and control. Thanks to that, he finally gained an achievement.
I finally made Freys body mine.
Such an adjustment was only possible through real world experience where the pressure could push him over his limit.
He was now convinced that he had fully gained control over Freys body, without the slightest error.
However, it had taken him two weeks and three days to reach the summit, which had exceeded his expectation.
It was the result of him being too focused on his practice.
Hoo.
Frey realised that his mana was once again full.
At the top of the mountain, the air was thin, but the mana concentration was incredibly dense.
Thanks to that he was able to refill his mana capacity before he had even realised.
He turned around and looked at the volcanic lake behind him.
As the size of the mountain was beyond imagination, the volcanic lake at its peak was not a joke.
What Frey truly paid attention to, was the island in the middle of the lake.
Fly.
Woowoong.
He flew over using the flight spell.
However, he still remained wary of the lake. It would not be weird if that freak had raised a monster in the lake.
Tat.
Fortunately nothing happened and Frey was able to land without any trouble.
He looked around. The island was small but it was very beautiful.
Frey recalled Schweisers words from the past.
The peak of a towering mountain that pierced into the clouds. Where there would be a beautiful lakewith a small island in the centre.
It was consistent with what the guy dreamed about every day.
Frey looked at the ground.
Then he closed his eyes and concentrated for a moment.
I knew it.
His lips stretched into a smile.
No matter what that guy did, he liked to make it big, so there was absolutely no way that such a small island would be able to fit his dungeon.
And just as he had expected, there was an enormous space below the island.
The only entrance is this island. If someone tried to force their way in from any other directionthe entire mountain would collapse.
That tricky guy.
Frey thought it was troublesome, but he was glad to have found a trace from one of his best friends after such a long time.
Frey looked around.
The entrance to the dungeon wasnt that hard to find.
It was the largest tree on the island. Literally a giant tree.
There was a large hole in the tree that served as an entrance.
Frey went into the hole without hesitation.
The fact that he had been nice enough to build stairs showed that he intended for the dungeon to be found.
It wasnt too dark as there were soft lights in the stairwell.
After walking for a while, Frey stopped and looked ahead of him.
In front of him was a gigantic door that was covered in magical runes.
With a quick glance Frey had already noticed a few things.
I cant open it by force.
It was a magic technique that Schweiser himself had created.
Maybe if he was in Lucas body, but at the present, Freys body would explode like a firecracker the second he tried.
That meant that he had to follow the rules.
Freys gaze was drawn to a small marble that was on the front of the door.
After dusting it off a bit, he realised that it seemed to be a jewel of some sort.
Placing his hand on it, Frey began to send his mana into the gem.
Woowoong.
After a moment, white smoke began pouring out of the marble.
Soon the smoke began to take shape.
It became a grey haired, golden eyed boy.
Tadah.
There was a mischievous smile on his face and he was wearing a funny white robe that was free of any dust. S~ea??h the N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
He looked like an immature child who was pretending to be a wizard.
Ahem! Can you hear me? Can you hear-?
Frey felt like crying for a moment. It was a voice that he had missed more than he himself had realised.
The smoke figure had a face that he had not forgotten even after all those years that he had been stuck in the abyss.
Schweiser Straw.
Frey knew that it was only a simple illusion, but he could not prevent the flutter in his heart.
long time no see.
First of all, congratulations on finding my dungeon! Though I dont know what youre here for.
You old man without a conscience, did you feel good making yourself look that young?
If youve come all this way, that must mean that you have a great interest in the study of magic! Congratulations! No matter what it is that you want, you will get it here! Because this is none other than the dungeon of the Great Sage Schweiser Straw! Uahahahat!
Youhow did you die?
They were standing in front of each other.
Nevertheless, Frey felt empty because the figure of Schweiser just kept saying what it was meant to say.
It could not respond to Freys voice at all.
Schweiser giggled and kept talking.
Of course I cant just let you into such a place so easily. I will give you a question. If you get it right, you can get into the dungeon.
Frey clenched his teeth as he felt like tears might roll down his cheeks.
4000 years.
It was so long.
It was a long time filled with only loneliness and pain. But he had made it through.
It was an accident, but in the end he still got a body.
Frey had believed that after he had made it through it all, he could withstand anything.
But it wasnt true.
The moment he saw Schweisers face, the moment he heard his voice, he felt lonely like he was once again stuck in that huge ocean filled with nothing.
All those that he had known were now dead.
no.
Not everyone was dead.
There was still one left.
Sparks seemed to fly from Freys eyes.
It was ironic.
All his family, friends and everyone hed had a close relationship with in the past were all dead, and the only one who was still alive was the enemy that he hated more than anything else in the world.
I hate dragging my feet so Ill ask right away!
At that moment, Frey felt like Schweiser had truly made eye contact with him.
What does Schweiser Straw hate the most?
Though he was still smiling, there seemed to be a light in his eyes that was different from before.
Of course Frey knew the answer to that question.
How could he not.
The thing that Schweiser hated the most was the same thing that he himself hated.
Freys face became ice cold.
He then spoke a word as if he wished he could destroy what it meant.
It was his lifelong enemy.
The one who had sealed him into the abyss.
The one that killed all his friends.
Demigod.
Chapter 27 - Dungeon, Inheritance, The King of the Mountains (2)
Chapter 27 - Dungeon, Inheritance, The King of the Mountains (2) Translator: Seven
Thats correct.
Schweiser smiled faintly and then the smoke disappeared.
Krrr.
The huge door then began opening slowly. Frey, who was one step away from it, stood there and watched this happen.
Finally, the inside of the dungeon was revealed. However, Frey didnt seem the least bit happy about it.
The huge room behind the door was empty.
No, it wasnt empty.
There were two metal figures standing there that seemed to be made from an unknown metal.
They were Iron Golems.
But these werent something that could be taken away because they were, in essence, the guardians of the dungeon.
They were so powerful that even Frey might not be able to defeat them.
Originally, this room should have been some powerful spells, magic research notes or amazing equipment.
Frey had thought that no one had visited this place before, but he had forgotten to factor in the fact that it had been there for 4,000 years.
I dont even know when they were taken.
Frey paused as he looked around quietly.
This spacewas it so small?
When he had checked from the island, the dungeon had appeared to be much larger than what he was seeing.
As he looked around in confusion, his gaze was drawn to another door on the other side of the large room.
On the right side of the huge door, which looked just like the one hed just opened, was another marble.
Frey approached this marble and infused it with his mana.
Pshhh.
Then just like before, the smoke once again poured out before taking the shape of a grey haired figure.
Schweiser had reappeared.
The only difference was that this time he appeared to have aged a bit.
The first illusion had been that of a boy, this time, he appeared as a young man.
Then for the second question.
The second question?
Ah, I might not have explained it properly. The further you go inside, the greater the legacy you will obtain. And keep in mind that you can only remove one item.
Schweiser didnt actually respond to him.
It was just that the timing of his question had been so perfect that it seemed as though they were actually having a conversation.
Schweiser pointed toward the Iron Golems.
I wont be responsible if you decide to break this rule. I might be able to forgive you, but they definitely wouldnt allow it.
Then he gave a bright smile.
If youre wrong then youll be sent out immediately, so theres no need to be nervous.
* * *
Then lets move on to the question.
At that moment Frey began to feel a bit nervous.
He felt that he knew a lot of things about Schweiser but he didnt know if he could be said to know everything.
Everyone had something that they might not want to reveal.
This was the same for Lucas who was called the Great Mage and Schweiser who was hailed as the Sage.
The Black Witch. Iris Phisfounder1. I really disliked that woman.
It was a very random statement.
Frey tilted his head slightly in confusion.
He knew that Iris and Schweise didnt particularly like each other but
Was there a problem with Iris?
Frey narrowed his eyes slightly.
That woman seemed to personify the word riddle. She liked to hide away and she was even good at it.
While Frey was contemplating seriously, Schweiser continued.
She pretended not to care while we were running around and saving the world. At the start, I really disliked that witch because I couldnt understand her way of thinking. Did she really have to fall in love right before the continent would become a sea of fire?
Hoo
This was interesting.
Frey began to recall Iris.
She was a woman who always wore a mysterious smile which went perfectly with her dark hair. Hed never known if she tried to seduce because she was truly sex starved, or if it was just her character as a witch.
But what did he mean there was a man that Iris liked?
There was never any gossip about her having a relationship in their group of friends.
Lucas, that stone headed bastard. He was the only one who could never see that she was blatantly flirting with him.
huh?
Freys face became a little pale at those words.
What are you talking about
Like I said, I really disliked Iris, but when I saw Lucas face, who didnt even raise an eyebrow at her obvious affection, even I got mad at him. Im sure a Stone Golem would have noticed it faster than him.
S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
While Frey was still in shock from the revelation after 4,000 years, Schweiser continued speaking in a leisure tone.
Ah. My mouth is sore. If I kept talking like this Id feel bad, so thats all for that little chat. Anyway, about this woman named Iris. There were three powerful demons that she was contracted to. Among them, there was one who held a different weapon in each hand, and represented the existence of good and evil
Asura.
Thats correct!
Krrr.
The huge door slowly opened and dust rose.
Schweisers figure once again disappeared after giving a bright smile.
Instead of stepping forward, Frey hesitated while wearing a complex expression.
dont tell me he is going to keep going like this?
It felt like sneaking a peek at his friends diary.
Whether to go in or not.
Frey was seriously feeling troubled.
* * *
The next room was also very large, but unlike the first room, it was not empty.
However, there was only one thing that seemed to be a magic item.
[Bracelet of Perpetual Snow]
It was a magic tool that let the user cast the 7 star spell Blizzard once a week.
It could be called an amazing item.
Yet Frey passed it immediately without a second glance.
It was not what he wanted.
Frey approached yet another door.
After infusing his mana, Schweiser appeared again.
A cheerful smile was on his face and he appeared to be a few years old.
Then the next question
The dungeon was very long. Fortunately, there was no question that Frey was unable to answer.
However, most of the questions were not things that many people would know.
He knew Schweiser was weird, but Frey hadnt expected him to make the questions in his dungeon like this.
They had nothing to do with magical knowledge.
When he arrived in the fifth room, Schweiser spoke again.
Youre the first to have come this far.
That was right.
In this room there were Schweisers many magic items, spells and research books that would be extremely valuable if taken outside.
There were even martial arts books and scrolls that could be used by knights or magical martial artists.
Lava Shoes, Flying Cloak, Iron Golems Summoning Stone, Moonlight Sword
Even if it was a wizard, mercenary or knight, the items that they could find here were things that they would even sell their souls for.
However, Frey only continued walking as he took a glance at them.
Passing through the room.
Passing through.
Passing through again.
At one point, Frey had lost count of just how many rooms he had gone through.
This is the tenth room.
This is the last room.
Schweiser was wearing his usual smile but Frey couldnt help but stare at him.
This was a Schweiser that he had never seen.
The long white beard, the numerous wrinkles and now his white robe seemed to match his overall appearance.
When Frey had seen Schweiser last, he was only middle aged.
He had never seen his old friend this old.
Frey couldnt help but mutter even though he knew that Schweiser couldnt hear him.
But this means that you lived longer than I did.
Freys body died at the age of fifty and his soul was trapped in the abyss.
Now, Schweiser appeared to be in his 70s. His previous mischievous attitude was nowhere to be seen.
He was still smiling happily, but now it appeared more like the kind smile of the elderly.
Frey listened to what Schweiser had to say.
Lucas Traumen.
At those words, Freys body shook.
Because his name was called in a voice that seemed to contain an indescribable sense of sadness.
Standing at the top of the world by the age of forty, the Great Mage! The master who received the respect of everyone in the world! Being able to be his friend is one of the things Im most proud of in my life.
me too.
Freys lips twitched and he felt an itch in his eye.
I do too.
I will give you the last question. What is my real name?
!
Frey shuddered.
He felt like Schweiser was smiling and looking at him.
This question
Maybe in the entire world, only Lucas would know the answer to that question.
At that time, Frey truly began to feel like Schweiser was looking at him.
Like he was looking at him with an expectant gaze.
Schweiser Wilsemann.
Schweiser let out a laugh.
It was bright and refreshing.
Thats correct. Andeverything inside is for you.
Did you know? Wait.
Frey, with a voice filled with longing, hurriedly asked. Knowing that his voice could never reach.
Schweiser still smiled and moved his lips.
What was that?
Frey could not hear the words.
Schweisers figure slowly disappeared like a ghost.
Chapter 28 - Dungeon, Inheritance, The King of the Mountains (3)
Chapter 28 - Dungeon, Inheritance, The King of the Mountains (3) Translator: Seven
The size of the last room was very small compared to the ones before.
On the left was a desk and chair and on the right was some shabby looking storage boxes.
If the rooms that he had seen so far were storage rooms, then this room seemed more like a room that someone lived in.
First Frey went to the boxes.
There were two of them, when Frey opened the first box, he found the item that he had been looking for.
Inside was a small bottle filled with a milk like substance.
Looking at it, Frey couldnt help but say its name.
Frozen River.
It was a liquid that could only be found in the Wailing Cavern out of human reach and formed at the rate of one drop every thousand years.
Drinking just one drop would activate all the veins in the body and increase the maximum volume and sensitivity to mana explosively.
In addition, the size of ones mana room would also increase by several times, if the original Frey had taken a single drop then he would be able to directly reach the 4 star level in one leap.
Frozen River was one of the treasures that no one truly knew whether it actually existed or not.
It was also the thing that Frey needed to reach 7 star as quickly as he wanted.
He carefully put the bottle away in his bag. This was the only thing in the first box.
He opened the second box on the right of it.
What he found there was a pair of earrings, a blood red gem and a blue bracelet.
Frey closed his eyes.
On the way here, Frey had seen numerous magic items. These magic items were ones that wizards would exchange for even at the cost of their lives.
However, while looking at them, Frey had no reactions at all.
But now it was different.
The earrings in front of him now, were his own.
Typhoon Earrings.
It helped the mind concentrate smoothly and also contained barrier magic.
It was not an amazing item even though it was in the last room. Sar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
In the beginning Frey had made them just to pass time, but he had given them to Schweiser after he had said that he liked them for some reason.
Nevertheless, Frey lifted the earrings out of the box like they were a treasure.
I cant believe you left this in the last room.
Frey smiled and then looked at the bracelet.
This was something that transcended all of the magic items that he had seen so far.
The Great Sages Staff.
Although it was in the form of a bracelet right now, it was the staff that Schweiser loved dearly.
It was also his symbol.
It made your mana purer and concentrated it to the maximum, increasing your magic power by several times.
It also had the effect of storing 5 spells that could be used in emergency situations.
Frey didnt use magic items, but now he decided to change his mind.
Because above all else, the item belonged to Schweiser so he wanted to use it.
Frey immediately wore the earring and put the bracelet on.
Then he picked up the red gem.
Thisis a Golems core
He didnt quite understand.
Schweiser was an excellent wizard but he also had a habit of creating dolls.
Just by looking at how much mana was in the core, he could tell just how much work had been put into it.
Finally, he looked at the desk.
It was warm as if someone had used it just moments ago. In fact there was a candle on that looked like it had just been lit.
What he found on the desk was a book.
Was it a diary?
He opened it and read it.
[Lucas is gone.]
This was just the first phrase, but Freys chest felt heavy.
The elegant handwriting that he was used to was completely disheveled, as if the writer could not control their emotions.
[Its obviously the work of the Lord. No one else could make him disappear without leaving a trace.]
His judgement had been correct.
It was the Lord that Schweiser mentioned that had sent Lucas into the Abyss.
[Lucas was the peacemaker. It was a role only he could play and a job than no one else could take over. I tried to bear his burden, but theres not a moment that I dont feel that it is not enough. Im sorry. Im so sorry. Lucas, its impossible for me.] (Note: peacemaker as in the one keeping the group together and happy)
The words in the book ended there.
No, there seemed to be one last paragraph.
[If anyone sees this, please complete Anastasia. The clues are therein my greatest masterpieceAnastasia.]
Frey took out the gem again.
When he looked at it carefully, he could see letters engrave on the gem.
They formed a word.
[Anastasia]
* * *
I see. So this is a golem created by Schweiser.
Maybe he made it after he disappeared.
Frey was curious.
From what he could remember, Schweiser had reached the pinnacle of puppeteering.
He also loved every golem he made.
But he had never expressed such confidence in any of his golems.
A golem that Schweiser was able to call his masterpiece.
How much power would it have?
Frey shook his head and put the Golem core back in his bag.
It was basically the nucleus. It was the most essential part, but it still wasnt enough to create a Golem.
He knew almost nothing about making golems. The Golems that he had made while bored had been so disastrous that it drove Schweiser crazy.
Schweiser had even burst out laughing.
Never try to make a Golem again!
He remembered that guy laughing so hard that he shed tears until he was hit in the face by a fireball.
Anyway, he didnt have any ingredients and he didnt know how to do it. So he would need to look for a talented puppeteer to make it for him later on.
If I make that Golem then Ill have a clear picture of how things went after I disappeared.
The information in the book was too sparse.
It was closer to Schweiser whining about his situation at the time.
Most of the information that Schweiser had left was probably with Anastasia.
Frey glanced around the room.
There was one more door which seemed to be the exit.
He looked around the room one more time to ensure that he had taken everything he needed.
Frey hesitated for a moment before putting the book and pen on the desk into his bag and leaving.
Krrrr
Immediately after Frey left the room, the door closed.
Chang.
Defensive Magic also appeared to protect the room, this meant that one could not reenter the room after leaving it.
Of course, this didnt matter because hed gotten what he wanted anyway.
Frey walked through a dark cave and when he reached a few steps from the exit, he stopped, his expression becoming hard.
He looked back.
The cave he was in was a dead end so hed have no choice but to go out.
He was sure that he knew this and was waiting for him outside.
Taking a deep breath, Frey left the cave.
[]
It was a Drake.
Dozens of times the size of a normal Drake, staring at Frey with its fiery, red eyes.
Every one of its sharp teeth were about the size of Frey himself.
-Drake King.
He was the ruler of the mountains that Frey had not wanted to encounter.
It was not just him either.
As if guarding the king, there were dozens of Drakes hovering nearby.
Frey looked around.
This is the worst position.
It was a sheer cliff, with nowhere for him to step properly.
The opponent was also a monster that could fly and had tough skin that magic would not work very well against.
Frey sighed and opened his mouth.
Were you waiting for me?
[]
The Drake Kings bright eyes just kept staring at Frey.
Frey continued calmly.
I know you have intelligence. Answer me. Were you waiting for me?
[Kukuku.]
The Drake King laughed. The Drakes in the surroundings also screeched like they were responding.
[Youre a pretty interesting guy. Yeah, I was waiting for you. I was waiting for the human who entered the mountains of Torkunta without fear.]
The Drake King, Torkunta, let out another laugh.
[Youre here to gain the power that is hidden in this mountain.]
you know about the existence of this dungeon.
[Oh oh. Of course. It has been a thousand years since Ive ruled over this place. How can I not know even this?]
A thousand years.
Frey frowned.
He had felt it from the moment he saw it, but after hearing those words from the Drake itself, he was sure.
It has transcended its race.
The ridiculous size, the human-like intellect and the long lifespan.
It must have taken a lot.
A mutant that stood out from the moment it was born, with superior intellect compared to others in its race and the luck to eat a few magic herbs or items.
If you were to compare him to an ordinary Drake, then Torkuntas existence could only be attributed to a bunch of overlapping miracles that were impossible to replicate.
Frey realised it once again.
The monster in front of him was the first one that he had met since his return that had the ability to kill him.
[At first I wondered why humans that werent from around had come. I was curious about what they wanted, so I let them have their own way for a while.]
Those who came before Frey were probably looking for the remnants of Schweiser.
[I searched many places before I noticed this mountain. It was pretty easy to notice. I also knew that there was a space hidden inside]
Torkunta spoke in a slightly offended way.
[ButI couldnt get in there. I couldnt even break it.]
Of course this would be the case.
No matter how smart Torkunta was when compared to normal Drakes, there was no way for him to compete with a human Sage Schweiser Straw who had created the dungeon on this mountain.
He wouldnt have been able to solve this mountain unless a Dragon decided to give him a hand.
[So I waited. I watched what the humans were doing. They either got some kind of weapon from the hidden space or directly got stronger as they came out. From the very cave you just walked out from.]
Torkuntas eyes curved into half moons.
[Of course since they were human. Majority of them became my prey.]
At that moment a faint hint of displeasure appeared on Torkuntas face.
It was because hed remembered a woman who had escaped his grasp.
She had purple hair and an ice cold gaze.
Torkunta kept talking to chase away the humiliating memories.
[It made me very happy. Some of them had weapons that even I couldnt break. They were annoying to handle so I disposed of them. But what I paid most attention to werent the ones who came out with weapons.]
Torkunta let out a low laugh.
[The ones who took elixirsthey smelled so delicious. And as I ate them, I became stronger. From then on I waited for humans like you to come.]
Torkunta looked delighted.
Frey now understood how Torkunta had been able to get such an amazing life span.
When he ate the humans who chose to take elixirs, he also ate the elixirs that were in their possession.
Or he ate the humans who had already consumed them. Either way would have the same result.
Torkunta was fishing humans this way.
He couldnt go into the dungeon, so he waited for the humans who went into the dungeons and took elixirs then he killed and ate them.
Frey became angry.
His hair almost became white from anger.
This filthy monster was using his best friends precious dungeon as bait.
It was a disgrace to Schweiser who treated this dungeon as his own child.
At the same time, it was necessary for him to remain rational right now. He quickly assessed his current situation.
My spells cant kill Torkunta.
He could not defeat it.
It was just like how a 6 star wizard could never defeat a 7 star wizard.
Even if he used his strongest spells, he would not be able to kill it.
Using the Staff of the Great Sage would not help his situation at all.
Damn it.
Frey tried his best to not show any expressions on his face, but the Torkuntas presence was very shocking.
From a human perspective, this being had transcendental powers and was not impatient at all.
His cunning matched his age as he was in no hurry for his meal.
Pfft.
[Your eyes are pretty fierce. But that is all you can do. Comeyou will be my nourishment.]
Torgunta opened his mouth wide and a lava like flame could be felt climbing up its throat.
Frey put his mana into the bracelet.
At that moment the Staff of the Great Mage materialized in his hand and he used one of the stored spells without hesitation.
Earth Wall.
Krrrr.
It was a simple spell which raised the ground in front of the caster and created a wall, but Frey was utilizing the terrain.
He used the angle of the sheer cliff to stab towards Torkuntas neck like a spear.
It was so powerful that it no longer seemed like an Earth Wall.
Kwajik.
But it didnt work.
The spear like Earth Wall, which should have been stronger than even a steel spear, couldnt even leave a scratch on Torkuntas neck.
Now it was Torkuntas turn and his breath was coming.
Even the cliffs would melt like ice in a desert under his breath. (Note: sounds like someone I know)
Frey leapt into the air and activated flight magic.
Hooook.
Then he felt something hot flow past his back. But Frey did not pay much attention to it.
Kueeek!
The Drakes who had been watching from the air all began to swoop down.
Frey bit his lip and began casting spells with both hands.
Ice Spear. Wind Storm.
Ice spears appeared in the sky and empowered by the wind storm, flew with incredible power toward the Drakes.
The spears tore apart the Drakes thick skin like it was paper.
Frey was able to do triple casting now, but he did not have the time to do so.
Theres too many of them.
Krrrk.
His barrier was scratched. It had been formed from his Typhoon Earrings.
If it wasnt for the barrier, he would have been forced to cast defensive magic.
He didnt want to waste time focusing on these little minions.
Unless he did something about Torkunta who was the core, the pack of Drakes would keep attacking him indefinitely.
Frey looked around furiously while killing the drakes that were nearby.
Could I cause an explosion within its body? If I coordinate it properly, I should be able to do it somehow. Maybe I should block his sight with fog or smokeno. A simple flap of his wings would be able to get rid of such small tricks.
Additionally, even if he was able to cause an internal explosion, he could not deal enough damage to knock it out of the air.
Torkunta was much too big for that.
He needed to escape, but the moment he thought about it, he knew it was impossible for him to get away.
They would never let him get away and he was still not at the stage where he could use the warp spell.
No, even if he could use it, he would still need 10 minutes to activate it.
Magic wont work. Otherwise the others he hunted wouldnt have been eaten. This
It was an absolute crisis.
To take Torkunta down, he would need one large powerful spell, not a bunch of small, weak ones.
But at this moment, Frey was unable to use any such magic.
If I cant do it, Ill need to take the Frozen River
But it would take at least a week for the Frozen River to stabilize.
He had come out because he would die if he didnt get food and water.
I dont have a choice.
Frey made up his mind. He didnt know how stable it would be.
If he made a single mistake, his body would be badly damaged, but anything was better than dying here.
With that thought, Frey took out the Frozen River from his bag.
Kiieeek!
From the distance, something flew toward them with a screech.
All the Drakes, including Torkunta, turned to focus their gazes on the figure that was coming.
Frey couldnt help but mutter when he saw the creatures shape.
You
It was the Phoenix.
The same guy that Frey had healed using his mana was now screeching at Torkunta while exuding heat fueled by extreme rage.
Chapter 29 - Dungeon, Inheritance, The King of the Mountains (4)
Chapter 29 - Dungeon, Inheritance, The King of the Mountains (4) Translator: Seven
The Phoenixs feathers burned brightly and soon a wild flame covered the whole area and the flames that came from the feathers formed smaller Phoenixes.
These small Phoenixes then screeched and dashed toward the Drakes.
Frey clenched his teeth.
He knew what this skill of burning its feathers to make clones meant.
and what it cost.
Hes using his own life as fuel.
This meant that the Phoenix was risking its life.
Nevertheless, it didnt have much of an effect since the Drakes were resistant to fire.
They could be considered natural enemies of Phoenixes but the flame Phoenixes did not give up and clung to them anyway.
There was only one reason why it entered a fight that it couldnt win, yet continued to fight so persistently.
To draw time.
Are you telling me to run away?
Frey was filled with a sense of guilt.
This might not have happened if he had been a little more calm and composed.
After he had returned, everything had been a flash.
Nevertheless, he had believed that he hadnt slackened or let down his guard.
Now it seemed like he was only convincing himself.
4,000 years was long enough to drive anyone crazy and the world he met when he came out was very different from what he knew.
The poor wizards ability dulled his senses and his failure to experience any crises became a poison.
Frey finally realised.
There was no despair or pressure in the life that he had started this time.
So in the end he found that he wasnt decisive enough.
Ugh.
Frey bit his lip and blood rolled down his chin.
Humiliation, anger, regret.
The biggest thing he felt was disappointment in himself.
Pathetic. Youre pathetic, Lucas Traumen.
Frey inspected his situation.
He could not waste the time that the Phoenix was desperately buying for him.
Nevertheless.
He didnt plan to run away.
Frey looked around.
The Drakes all had their attention focused on the Phoenix. This moment might be the only chance he could get.
He soon saw a cave that was formed by a collapse part of the cliff and flew into it without any hesitation.
The entrance might get blocked at any time by one of Torkuntas attacks, but he did not have the time to care about that.
The cave was dark to a certain extent, Frey sat without any delay.
Frey looked at the Frozen River in his hand for a moment before drinking it all.
Hum!
Hum.
Kuk!
Immediately after, his eyes flashed like thunder.
Frey felt a terrible pain as if his body was being torn to pieces as it pierce through him. Blood began to pour from Freys eyes, nose, mouth and ears at the same time.
It was not something that should be taken without preparation.
But he had no other choice.
Freys eyes that were dripping blood shone with a venomous light.
The roars and screeches of the Phoenix and Drakes could be heard from outside.
please.
Dont die
Just hold on for a little longer, wait for me.
It wont take long.
* * *
The Phoenix had known from the moment he was born, that he was meant to be alone.
This was because he also knew that he was far superior to all others.
He looked down on all the monsters that lived in the vicinity including those that had lived for a long time or those that were much larger.
But in the state of looking down on everything, the Phoenix looked around and suddenly felt lonely.
There was no concept of parents, since Phoenixes were creatures birthed directly from nature.
There was also no group or family since they were rare enough to be considered mythical creatures.
But the others were always together.
They got along with others who looked like them and didnt have to feel lonely.
But not him.
The Phoenix was lonely.
So one day he decided to wander around the continent to find something similar to himself.
However, he could find none.
After wandering around aimlessly for a while, it arrived at the Ispania Mountains.
The Phoenix had learned that there were many beings with transcendental strength in this place. So he felt that if it was here, he might be able to find others of his own kind. He wandered about excitedly.
There was none.
There was nowhere else he could search.
He was truly alone.
His loneliness then devolved to become anger.
Torkunta appeared one day while he was flying in the sky filled with rage.
He hadnt come there to have a conversation.
[A Phoenix. Thats rare. Then Ill eat you too.]
Kieek!
So he fought, and for the first time since his birth, he lost.
If he hadnt been a Phoenix, instead of being gravely injured, he would have died right then. So he fled, feeling afraid and threatened for the first time.
This place was not where he belonged. He had to go back.
But where could he go?
Slowly, he could feel that his body was cooling down. He could feel that this meant his death was approaching.
Then he felt warm energy.
His Phoenix feathers could easily make flames, but he never felt any warmth from them.
He didnt know what it was, but for the first time in his life he felt a bit of comfort.
So the Phoenix struggled to move its wounded body and headed toward the place that the feeling originated from. Sar?h the N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
He found a man in a cave behind a waterfall.
A messy, dirty, stinky human.
The Phoenix knew what humans were.
They were a race of covetous, selfish, lowly creatures who were only blinded by their own desires.
Perhaps the most harmful out of all the creatures that lived in this world.
But this human was different.
The man had looked at him in amazement at first before his expression slowly became more gentle and he gave him a gentle smile.
He had been attracted by that smile, and so a magnificent Phoenix had bowed its head to a man.
The human had treated him like he knew him. The Phoenix couldnt help but feel some affection.
It was a feeling that he had never felt before, that he had never known he could feel.
For the first time, he felt that he had found what he had been searching for all along.
You remind me of my past memories. My old friend was like you.
Then the human poured in energy similar to his own, into his body. This caused his failing body to become energized once again.
It was enough to help him escape the clutches of death.
The Phoenix took a careful glance at the man who had saved him. The man was still giving him that gentle, yet somewhat sad, smile.
Then the Phoenix turned and left the cave.
He realised that he was hindering the human from doing something. Nevertheless, his smile, his touch and his face would never be forgotten.
After that, he secretly followed the human.
Even he didnt know what he intended to do at that point.
However, a dangerous situation had occurred before he could obtain an answer.
When the human came out of the cave, he was attacked by Torkunta.
Before he could realise what he was doing, the Phoenix was already flying towards Torkunta.
(Note: The author used it so I believe either the phoenix is genderless or it will be revealed later, I used he because it is much easier to build a connection that way.)
Chapter 30 - Dungeon, Inheritance, The King of the Mountains (5)
Chapter 30 - Dungeon, Inheritance, The King of the Mountains (5) Translator: Seven
Torkunta laughed at the Phoenix. He was the one who had failed to catch it the last time.
He already knew what it was.
A creature that was called a mythical being.
[Are you coming to me again? Do you think I cant burn you with my flames just because your feathers are made of fire?]
Kooo.
Torkunta opened his mouth once again and his flames spewed out toward the Phoenix. The Phoenix twisted its body in pain.
[Why did you come back here after running away in fear? I never miss a prey twice.]
Eating a Phoenix might give its persistent vitality to him.
Torkunta had gained the special properties of several monsters in this way. This time, he wanted it to happen again.
Tuk.
The breath attack stopped and Torkunta looked down.
He hoped that he hadnt burned the Phoenix to ashes.
[Hoo]
However it still seemed to be okay. It was strange
Torkunta understood his power very well, and it was also possible for him to guess the approximate level of his opponent.
Originally, he just had to use his breath and the Phoenix would be panting and barely holding on.
[So you were hiding yourself.]
Torkunta laughed happily.
[There are many humans that I can step on. That guy who ran away also seemed to be a rare talent, but not like you. Good. Lets have some fun.]
* * *
Kuk!
Frey let out a pained grunt.
A storm like chill seemed to be rising from his body.
White frost clung to his face and he looked quite pale. There was white steam leaking from his mouth. His fingertips were cracked like pottery and his lips were blue.
If anyone touched his body at that moment it would be as though they were touching ice.
Freys body was cold to the extent that even the north and south poles could not compare to him.
This was the Frozen River.
An elixir of extreme coldness.
If Frey hadnt been able to reach the 6 stars level before taking it, then his body would have slowly become an ice sculpture and his heart wouldve stopped completely.
No.
The power of Frozen River was so strong that even a 6 star Wizard would have troubles handling it properly.
But Frey was able to.
Ultra precise mana control, a sense of balance that did not tolerate errors even if they were the width of a hair and mental power that couldnt be distracted by the pain that was ripping through his body.
Without even one of them, his body would have already shattered like a piece of ice.
Originally he had intended to take the elixir together with a potion that had a large amount of flame power or after his body had reached the stage perfection.
Even then, it would still take him a week to fully digest the Frozen River.
But now he couldnt afford to do so.
Jurk.
Blood poured out of his nose.
Frey could feel nothing but pain and cold throughout his body.
Such horrific pain would have caused the mind of any other person to stir and twist but Freys mind remained the same as though nothing was happening.
This is nothing.
This pain, this cold, it was nothing.
Hed suffered much more than this numerous times. The problem was that the time was too tight.
A little bitjust a little bit more!
The cold air that was surrounding Freys body began to spread to his surroundings.
Crack. Crack.
The rocks around him became white before cracking and splitting into pieces. The ground slowly began freezing over.
The range slowly extended outside the cave.
[Hm?]
This caused Torkunta to notice the chill.
At that moment, he was very relaxed. This was because the Phoenix could not hurt him no matter how much it struggled.
Simply his skin was able to fight against the flames.
But he was weak against the cold.
What the hellis that?
Torkunta felt a chill down his spine.
He noticed its existence immediately. His instincts warned him that that cold could kill him.
I have to deal with it immediately
Just as Torkunta turned his gaze away.
Kieeek!
[Ack!]
The Phoenix struck Torkuntas left eye with its beak.
Torkunta struggled with the great pain. For him, this was the first injury he received in decades.
[This, This! How dare you!?]
He roared in anger and smacked the Phoenix to the ground. Even then he could not get rid of his anger and trampled on it repeatedly.
Kwang! Kwang!
When Torkuntas massive body trampled the ground, the surroundings shook as though there was a major earthquake.
Soon, Torkuntas stomping stopped. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Kuk
The Phoenix, whose body was a mess, spat out some blood, yet it still managed to forcefully raise its head.
At the moments that their gazes met it provoked Torkuntas anger once again.
He felt like this bird was laughing at and mocking him.
[Impudent!]
It was at that moment.
Crack! Crack!
Ice poured out of the frozen cave.
The ice was like a plant growing at a tremendous rate. Moving as if it was alive, it then pierced the bodies of all the drakes around Torkunta.
This happened in an instant.
[What?!]
Torkunta looked around.
His offspring groaned and spat out blood.
Kieek!
Kuk!
Crack.
The ice broke apart.
The drakes blood and flesh rained down together with the pieces of ice.
Meanwhile.
Frey walked forward.
(Note: Very different from the comic but the main points are still similar. The last chapter will be the last one for Book 1)
Chapter 31 - Dungeon, Inheritance, The King of the Mountains (6)
Chapter 31 - Dungeon, Inheritance, The King of the Mountains (6) Translator: Seven
Freys grey hair had become white and cold air seemed to be billowing from his body.
Torkunta felt his heart sink as he saw this scene.
Hes dangerous.
It was the first time in hundreds of years that hed felt scared when looking at a figure that was so small it seemed like he could crush it with just a fingernail.
He attempted to fly straight up into the sky.
Frey quickly closed the distance between them before Torkunta could truly get away.
Clang.
Behind him, numerous ice arrows began to form.
Torkunta couldnt help but steal a nervous glance at them.
Those arrows of ice are strong enough to pierce my skin.
He knew he had to stop them somehow. However he had just used his breath so he wouldnt be able to use it for a short while.
As Torkunta hurriedly tried to think of a way to escape this predicament, an ice arrow shot into his body with unstoppable momentum.
[Kuh!]
The shard of ice seemed to dig into his bones and it was at that moment that Torkunta, who had never been dissatisfied with his large body, couldnt help but feel that he was unnecessarily large.
Where did he go?
Frey had moved behind Torkunta, taking advantage of his left eye that had been blinded.
Crack.
In his left hand was a spear that was made of ice which he then stabbed into the Drake Kings back.
Kishik.
[Kuk!you little rat!]
As soon as he felt the pain in his back, Torkunta spun and swung his tail to smash Frey aside.
Freys body flew at an enormous speed and smashed into the rocky mountain behind him.
Boom!
The impact was so powerful that the mountain collapsed, but Torkuntas expression was not better.
He kept his eyes on the pile of rocks.
Patter.
As expected, Frey walked out looking like nothing happened.
When he had seen Torkunta move, Frey had put ice spikes in front of him like a shield.
Instead, Torkunta felt his tail throbbing.
Torkunta felt shocked when he looked Frey in the eyes.
Human? This is a human?
Torkunta had reigned over the mountain range for quite a long time and he had seen numerous humans.
He also knew that the humans who could reach this location were all very strong individuals, but even they were just bugs.
No matter how excellent a human was, to him it was only an ant who could carry a larger amount of bread than the other ants. (Note: he conveniently forgets the way that girl kicked his ass)
But this man was different.
[Human! What the hell are you!?]
Frey didnt respond.
Instead, white breath came from his mouth.
Torkunta hadnt seemed to notice, but Freys body was currently in a state that was infinitely close to collapsing.
The longer I drag this on, the worse it will get.
Crack crack.
In Freys hands, a piece of ice slowly began taking the shape of a spear. The gathering mana which was visible to the naked eye, was shaking.
Torkunta realised that the man in front of him was preparing to unleash a strong attack.
This is exactly what I wanted!
He could not use his breath and in a head to head confrontation, he refused to believe that his breath would lose.
After all, not even a Phoenix had been able to withstand his breath.
No matter what power this human awakened or what spell he used, Torkunta was confident that he would win.
Krrrr.
Torkunta began gathering his breath to the maximum.
He planned to bet his life and death on the one attack.
Then.
Kwang!
Freys spear and Torkuntas breath soon met, causing an explosion of fire and ice that spread in the surroundings.
Beyond that, a mighty gust of wind and an indescribably loud sound shook the entire Drake Mountain.
At first they were even.
However as more time passed, it was Torkuntas breath that gradually began to overpower the ice magic.
Torkunta realized that he was winning.
This is my breath
Tuk.
At that moment, Torkuntas head fell from his body, his eyes still showing his conviction in his victory.
It was an unexpected and empty end to the King who had ruled over the mountain range for over a thousand years.
Was he lucky to have died while thinking that hed won?
Huk!
Frey sank to the ground.
Panting from exertion, he fixed his eyes on Torkuntas decapitated body.
This was the Drake King that had lived for 1000 years.
A mutant who was several times more superior to others.
It was unknown just how many elixirs he had consumed to reach his current level. Such miracles, which had overlapped continuously, had strangled him now.
He didnt have much fighting experience.
He may have had a lot of experience from the fights that he had had over the years, but he was a guy who had never fought someone on a similar level as him.
He was used to and good at trampling his enemies with his overwhelming power, but he didnt know that winning and losing in a fight among those of similar power levels could be decided in an instant.
Torkunta had failed to put away the confidence in his power that he had gained over a thousand years at the end.
During that last moment, Frey had created a spear of ice using only 80% of his power. However he had deliberately caused a mana reaction to make it seem like he was giving his all in that attack.
Right after he had thrown the spear forward, he immediately moved over to Torkunta.
At that time, the Drake King was completely defenseless because he had put all his focus on resisting the flying spear.
In that moment, Frey was able to decapitate Torkunta using a scythe of ice.
Somehow, he had managed to defeat his enemy, but his appearance now was so disastrous that he did not look like a winner at all.
He had used his body which was in a bad state, to cast spells that were much too powerful, too many times.
He needed to get his raging mana under control, but instead Frey began to approach Torkuntas body with a sword made of ice in his hand.
Then he stuck it into his chest.
Crack.
Although there was no power left in his body, Torkuntas flesh was still incredibly hard for Frey to cut in his weakened state.
If he let his guard down for even a moment, he would lose his mind.
Then hed die.
Frey managed to endure with his superhuman mental strength and he finally saw the thing that he was searching for.
The heart
It was the heart of the Drake King, Torkunta.
A strong heat was being exuded by the heart. In fact, the heat was so high that it would burn anyone who touched it, but Frey was too desperate to care at that moment.
He immediately sat with his legs crossed beside Torkuntas heart, his closed eyes trembling slightly.
Kuh
The ice energy flowing from his mana room seemed to carry enough force to crush his entire body.
It was already to the extent that Frey could no longer control how it spread. This was why he needed Torkuntas heart.
Whoosh.
On its own, Torkuntas heart contained an enormous amount of flame energy, and Frey was drawing this energy into his body to counteract the cold from the Frozen River.
However this was a dangerous act that had a high chance of causing death.
This was because neither of these forces actually belonged to Frey.
In addition to the unrefined Frozen River, the flame energy from a Drake Kings heart was extremely dangerous.
BalanceI need to balance them.
The method he used was similar to the battle training, but the amount of risk he faced was tens of times more than that.
If he made even a single mistake, his body would either burn or freeze.
So Frey couldnt afford to be careless.
He didnt know how much time passed.
Frey put all his focus to perfectly controlling the forces in his body.
The crisis this time was greater than before. This was because his mental strength had already been greatly depleted by that point.
But Frey, no.
Lucas Traumen had overcome it.
He slowly opened his eyes.
the most pressing moment has passed.
It was safe to say that the mortal crisis had finally passed.
The chill of the Frozen River had finally subsided and there was a slight flush on Freys face as his blood once again circulated all over his body.
Of course, it was not perfect.
To completely dissolve the ice energy, he would need an elixir with strong flame energy.
Hoo
When he calmed down, he felt that it was very hot, so the first thing that he did was climb out of Torkuntas body.
When he had first entered, it was day time, but now it was a dark night.
How many days has it been?
He wondered how long it had been since he left the dungeon.
No.
Before that, there was another priority.
Frey looked around and soon, he found what he was looking for.
It was the Phoenix.
The fiery feathers had long become cold, and there was not even the slightest movement from its body.
It was dead.
Its body had been trampled by Torkunta until it was almost flat.
Frey looked down at its body with a face filled with sorrow.
you saved my life. Thank you.
Frey grieved for a while, then he lifted the Phoenixs body and carried it over to Torkuntas body.
When he reached it, he placed the Phoenixs body into the hole that he had made while he whispered.
the conditions have been met. There are few places better than this to revive. You should be able to come back to life. Youll have power incomparable to how it was before, so you might look a bit different.
He paused for a moment before adding.
Of course, thats not necessarily a good thing.
He looked around.
This was the Monster Paradise, the Hell Mountains.
Frey didnt know how many beings here were on Torkuntas level or higher.
Torkunta was the ruler of this region. His death will cause a drastic shift in the ecosystem. All the monsters will fight for that throne.
Torkuntas heart slowly began to be absorbed by the Phoenixs body and a small light began to shine from within it.
You will reign. Follow Torkuntas footsteps and become the ruler of these mountains. Protect my friends dungeon.
Of course, he didnt know how long it would take, and he did not have the time to wait until the Phoenix absorbed all of Torkuntas power.
Frey drew his hand back as he got up.
Slash.
Torkuntas heart split in half.
Frey then took out the bottle that the Frozen River had been stored in and murmured.
Completion.
Gugugugu
Half of the heart was sucked into the bottle. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
The bottle made by Schweiser was a well crafted magical tool that had been able to hold the Frozen River.
The reason he was taking half of the heart was not hard to understand.
It would be extremely difficult for the Phoenix to accept all of Torkuntas power.
This was why Frey took it.
Additionally, Frey also needed this power to fully absorb the power of the Frozen River.
As he looked at Torkuntas body which was hiding a scene that many would find unbelievable, Frey muttered quietly to himself.
I look forward to seeing you again someday.
Chapter 32 - Friend (1)
Chapter 32 - Friend (1) Translator: Seven
Freys body, which was about to descend the mountain, stopped.
Torkuntas words suddenly appeared in his head.
Some of them had weapons that even I couldnt break. It was too troublesome to deal with so I put them in my lair.
He should have been talking about the items that were taken from Schweisers dungeon.
Torkunta said he put them in his lair.
After thinking for a moment, Frey flew up into the sky. When he reached quite high, he could see all the mountains that were right around Drake Mountain.
There was a reason for him to pay attention to these mountains and he soon found a hole in one of them.
It was a cave, large enough to accommodate Torkuntas body.
Frey dived into it without any hesitation.
Near the cave there were about fifteen drakes and when Frey approached, they all opened their eyes and looked at him.
Frey shook his hand slightly.
Crack crack.
The bodies of the drakes quickly became frozen sculptures.
Frey looked down at his palm.
As long as its water or ice spells then its not inferior to 7 star magic.
But only those two types would be able to display such power, he couldnt use the rest.
This was because the power of the Frozen River had caused the balance of his mana to become skewed to one side.
This was a situation that Frey, who liked balance, could not tolerate.
Itll take about a month to digest this energy.
He needed to use the half of Torkuntas heart to digest and regain the balance of the energy, after that, hed be reborn as a complete 7 star wizard.
Frey put those matters aside for now.
Inside the cave was very large and a warm energy could be felt immediately.
This was similar to the heat that he felt from Torkunta. Therefore Frey was certain that this play was Torkuntas lair.
Frey looked around again.
On the left wall, there were a dozen or so smaller holes.
He frowned as he glanced over at them because there seemed to be a bad smell coming from within them.
There were monster and human corpses there. Some of them were just bones while others were more fresh.
Frey searched through the holes a bit and found what he was looking for in a hole at the top.
Schweisers items.
Its not just a few.
After all, quite a few people had gone down to the dungeon.
While, unsurprisingly, no one had made it past the fifth room, that didnt mean that they didnt leave with anything valuable.
Salamanders Robe, Conconyls Dagger, Four Seasons, Eiz Necklace.
The Salamanders Robe was particularly resistant to fire magic. It would have been better if he had been wearing it during the fight with Torkunta.
The other three were useless to Frey.
He wore the robe right away and placed the others into his bag.
Now it was time to go down.
He hurried, but he didnt get into the town until the sun was coming up.
He then headed to the bar where the owner looked at him with a dumbfounded expression.
What are you doing, that everytime you come, you are this messy? And what did you do to your hair?
Compared to his messy appearance which he had seen before, the white hair caught his eyes the most.
Freys hair seemed to contain a chilling air that even as he was looking at it he felt a shiver go down his spine.
Its called the Hell Mountains. Anything can happen.
When Frey refused to answer directly, the owner shook his head but he did not continue questioning him.
Go up to the room. Ill send some hot water.
Soon after, as hed said, a middle aged woman came up with a bucket of warm water.
She was probably the owners wife.
After washing himself and fixing his messy appearance, Frey changed back into his school uniform.
The Ispania Bear Armor was basically rags from his recent trip, so he decided to throw it away.
Then he headed straight toward the warp stone in the town.
To return to the academy he first had to go to Kausymphony.
He checked the schedule and found that the nearest warp to the capital was at 7pm, so he still had over 12 hours to spare.
Frey returned to the bar and ate breakfast before deciding to rest his eyes.
He was very tired and quickly fell asleep, but he was still able to get up on time.
I feel a bit better after that rest.
He felt that some of his tiredness had been relieved although it was still not enough for him to completely recover to peak condition.
When Frey was ready to leave, he first went downstairs and greeted the owner.
Im about to leave.
Right. Did you get what you wanted?
Yes.
Thats good. Have a safe journey.
The owner saw him off roughly at the end.
Frey left without saying much.
When he arrived at Kausymphony, the sun had already set but the streets of the city were still very much alive.
The street lights were so bright that it might trick someone into believing it was still daytime.
The capital is truly the capital.
When he came back from Ispaniola, which could be considered a rural city, he truly felt the difference.
In fact, Frey had only stayed in Ispaniola for less than a week.
I was going to look for a ship, but there doesnt seem to be any here now.
He would have preferred to ride on the Cortez and have a conversation with Mac who he found to be far-sighted and good natured but there were no vessels at the harbor.
Frey looked around and tried to find an inn before suddenly thinking about Peran.
He had requested him before to visit his family.
I should stop by. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
On thing that stopped though, was that he didnt know how to find Perans house.
After thinking about it for a moment, he just decided to ask someone who was walking down the road and ask them.
Where can I find the Jun Family house?
The man, who was in a hurry to leave the office, wondered why he was suddenly asked about a noble house from a little beggar kid.
His thoughts werent completely unwarranted.
He had looked a little better because hed washed up in Ispaniola but his appearance was still messy.
His previously smooth skin was rough and dark and his hair was long and unkempt.
This was only natural after he had been rolling around in the mountains for a month.
Also Frey hadnt realised it, but the insignia for his prestigious school which was on his uniform was covered by the Salamanders Robe.
In other words Frey did not appear to be a noble in any way.
The man looked down at him.
Is he going to sight see?
The residence of the Jun Family was large and elegant so it was normal for people to travel the distance just to take a look at it.
If you go straight down the west road you will be able to find it. It is the largest and most spectacular mansion in the area so you will know it immediately.
Thank you.
Frey walked down the west road for about thirty minutes.
By the time the sun was almost completely set, Frey managed to find the mansion.
Thats the building.
It was truly the largest and most spectacular as the man had said.
The mansion was so big that it was hard to see all of it at once. The size of the garden that stretched from the front of the house to the 10m tall fence was enormous.
Frey approached the guards who were standing at the gate.
What are you doing here?
Even the guards were superb.
They spoke with a respectful tone despite Freys appearance.
This proved that they were well educated and well trained.
I came to see Peran.
Frey spoke calmly.
He came here to see his friend.
He didnt have a need to be intimidated or feel nervous.
If he left a bad impression on the Jun Family then it might affect Perans status.
The guards eyebrow twitched.
This was because Peran, the name of the young master of the Jun family was just casually called by a little beggar boy.
What is your relationship with Peran?
Hes my friend.
The guards looked at each other.
Friends?
Did he say friends?
A friend of the young master who was known to like being alone?
Please tell me your name.
Frey Blake.
huk!
At that moment the guards eyes widened and they immediately remembered something that Peran had told them as he entered the compound.
[My friend may come here before the vacation is over. His name is Frey. Hes one of the three sons of the Blake family. If he visits this mansion be sure to be as polite to him as you would to me.]
B-, but he appears to be a little different from what he said.
They had been told that he was grey haired, but the person in front of them has stunningly white hair.
This child is not trying to cheat us with something he picked up is he?
However was there anyone who dared to impersonate Perans friend to enter the Jun family?
The guard could not help but feel conflicting emotions.
Taktak.
The sound of a horse drawn carriage could be heard coming down the road and the guards couldnt help but release sighs of relief.
This should be enough to send him away.
They first politely asked Frey, whose identity was still unclear, to step aside.
Please wait a moment.
Then they hurriedly opened the iron gates.
But the carriage stopped right in front of the guards instead of continuing through the wide open gate.
Soon after, a woman got out of the carriage.
She was a beautiful girl with golden hair who looked to be about the same age as Frey.
She was wearing a white dress which seemed to compliment her beauty perfectly.
She, the eldest daughter of the Jun family, slowly turned to the guards and opened her mouth.
What is it?
Ah. Th-, that. A friend of the young master came
My brothers friend? Ah.
Lylia recalled what Peran had told her.
He said that he had made a close friend on the ship when he was on his way home.
As her brother was someone who had a hard time getting along with people, Lylia was delighted to hear that.
However she still had some doubts.
Because for Peran, the word friend might not have the same meaning.
Her gaze turned to Frey who was standing still.
Is this the man who defeated the lich?
On their way to Kausymphony, they had been attacked by pirates and it was said that the pirates were backed by a great lich.
At first, many people didnt believe it, however an investigator sent by the empire soon proved that Perans words were indeed true.
Still Lylia couldnt fully believe it.
Especially when someone defeated a lich that even Peran couldnt beat.
Hes said to be two years younger than my brother
A man who was the same age as her was stronger than Peran who was said to be one of the worlds greatest geniuses?
She knew that Peran wouldnt lie for something like that but she couldnt help being skeptical.
Lylia hid her feelings and smiled.
So youre Frey. I heard a lot about you from my brother. If its okay with you, you can take my carriage with me.
Yo-, young lady?
Thats dangerous.
The guards hurriedly tried to stop her, but Lylia let out a laugh instead.
What is dangerous? Sir Nihad is with me.
Frey saw a gloomy looking man who came to stand beside Lylia.
He seemed to be a knight, considering the sword that hung at his waist.
The guards took only a single glance at him before swallowing their words.
The young ladys guard, Sir Nihad was one of the strongest knights in the capital, maybe even in the top 5.
But we are not yet sure.
You said he was a friend of my brother. All we need to do is take him to my brother first and if he is lying then it wouldnt be too late to punish him then.
After she said that, there was nothing else that the guards could say.
In the first place Lylia had the most capricious and stubborn personality out of all the children of the Jun family.
If they kept pushing like this then it might lead to trouble so the guards reluctantly closed their mouths.
Lylia gave a bright smile and turned to Frey.
Then would you like to go?
Chapter 33 - Friend (2)
Chapter 33 - Friend (2) Translator: Seven
Lylia stared at Frey who tilted his head slightly and asked.
Is there something youd like to say?
youre a bit different from what my brother said.
Frey touched his hair and mumbled.
A lot has happened.
I see. Ah please speak comfortably. Youre a friend of my brothers and a child of the Blake family.
Sure.
Lylia looked at Frey with a slight expression of bewilderment as he immediately agreed to her polite suggestion.
Nevertheless, Frey kept staring into space with an expressionless face.
What is with this man?
All of the children of noble families that she had met before either tried to flirt with her, or make some kind of connection somehow.
Lylia knew that she was very beautiful and she also knew how men usually acted in front of her.
Her beauty was one of her weapons after her familys prestige.
But this was the first time that she had been treated like this by a man from outside of the family.
She had some slight misgivings about this, but she hid her innermost thoughts and instead gave a beautiful smile.
I heard that you are attending Westroad Academy. How is my brother in the academy?
I dont know. Peran is a few years above me, Ive never run into him at the academy.
AhI see.
So it turned out that they had met for the first time on the Cortez.
While the conversation lapsed into silence, the carriage stopped.
They had arrived at the building.
The door slowly opened and revealed a very welcoming face.
Haha! You came!
It was Peran who had arrived in front of the carriage.
He spoke to Frey with his voice brimming with joy.
Man, you were almost late.
I had a lot of work to do. Im glad I somehow managed to get here in time.
It was a close call.
Lylia looked at Peran with a somewhat shocked expression.
It might have been the first time that shed seen him so happy. He was soft and always smiling, but he still knew how to control his emotions.
That Peran that she knew was now smiling like a little boy.
When she realised that not even the family had ever seen him like that, she felt a little jealous of Frey.
Lylia gracefully descended from the carriage and spoke.
Im here too, brother.
I cant miss our princess. How was the party?
you ignored me until just now.
Uh. What was that?
It was nothing.
Lylia looked away sharply and walked into the mansion.
Peran turned back and said with an embarrassed face.
I still dont know how I made Lylia upset. Do you have an idea?
No.
Umwell. Ill have to cheer her up later. Lets go inside first. There is so much that I want to talk about.
Peran looked at Frey who nodded quietly.
He was just skin and bones.
He had thin cheeks and his wrists which were revealed from within the robes could have been held together with one hand.
His skin also looked rough.
Above all else, the white hair on his head was the most eye catching.
He must have worked hard.
Peran wished to know what he had been through, but first he wanted his friend to get some rest after his long trip.
Well take our time to talk. Daphgon please bring Frey to one of the guest rooms. Frey, how about a meal?
Its okay. I only need some lukewarm water.
Sure. Then lets talk tomorrow. You should get some rest for now.
Thank you.
Frey followed Daphgon to the room.
Shortly after, they arrived at a large room that had enough space to run in.
The furniture was also of very high quality.
Frey gave a wry smile when he realised that the size of the room and bed were much bigger than his dorm room.
Daphgon smiled and put a bottle of water on the center table.
Here is the water you requested. If you have any other needs, please tell the maids.
He pointed to the maid behind him, but Frey shook his head.
I would like to be alone.
Frey realised that Daphgon was actually a fairly powerful mage that might have been placed to watch over Peran.
He did not wish to be rude even if it was someone younger or if they were just a guard at the front gate.
Daphgon looked perplexed.
But
I apologize for the rudeness of rejecting your favor. But please understand that I am a mage before I am a guest.
Ah
Meditation.
Obviously wizards would want to keep their privacy. S~ea??h the ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
In particular when they meditated from time to time they would be particularly sensitive.
Daphgon bowed his head.
I understand. Then these maids will be waiting in the next room. If you have any requests, please call for them immediately
Thank you for your kindness.
Daphgon was inwardly impressed.
I heard that the Blakes third son not only lacked talent as a wizard but also basic etiquette and refinement
Because of his job, he was sensitive to rumors about nobles and he had heard some about the three sons of the Blake family.
So when hed heard the identity of the young masters friend, he had congratulated outwardly, but on the inside he was worried.
Peran was excellent in many ways, but he was too young to fully grasp the thoughts of man.
But his face to face encounter with Frey had given him quite the shock.
Like any good son of a prestigious family, he had a very disciplined attitude, seemed to be a simple person and was firm enough to not be swayed easily by others.
Daphgon thought of a man. The Blake Family.
Compared to the Jun Family, it was slightly less, but it was still powerful enough to be among the five most powerful families in the empire.
The eldest and second sons were good, but the main power behind the Blake Family was Isaka Blake.
He was one of the five 7 star mages in the empire and at the same time the master of the Sixth Magic Tower.
He was younger when compared to the other Arch Mages, but he still had the ability to afford the name.
Daphgon had also met Isaka Blake once. He left a rather cold and dry impression.
Is it that a man like this is not enough to be his son?
Daphgon couldnt help but wonder, but he kept it within him and spoke instead.
There will be a banquet tomorrow.
A banquet?
Yes. Since you will be going back to school soon, the family decided to host a banquet. The young master seems to want you to join him.
After thinking for a moment, Frey nodded.
Alright.
Thank you.
Daphgon retreated as hot water was brought to the room.
Frey washed himself with the water and then changed into the pajamas that were placed on the bed before going to sleep immediately.
The next day, Frey awoke at dawn.
Immediately after he woke up, he sat down and began working on suppressing Frozen Rivers freezing energy.
This will be all I do for the time being.
When he opened his eyes, there was a maid from the day before in front of him.
She immediately kneeled before him and looked at Frey with a pale face.
I, I have sinned.
What?
Pl-, please spare my life. I am sorry.
Frey had no idea why she was so terrified.
After comforting the maid who seemed like she was about to burst into tears at any moment, he asked her and found that she was under the illusion that he had been meditating.
And he knew that Daphgon must have told them never to disturb a wizards meditation.
She had only entered the room to change the water used yesterday and bring him breakfast without having any other intentions.
Its okay as long as you dont touch their body.
After he sent the maid out, Frey briefly washed himself with the water that he controlled to float.
Then as he finished the simple meal, he heard a knock on the door.
Can I come in?
Yes.
It was Daphgon who came through the door.
Even though it was early in the morning he seemed undisturbed.
Did you enjoy the breakfast?
It was a little small.
Is that so? I will have them double the amount from tomorrow.
The more food he ate the better, because he needed to gain weight urgently.
And Frey was also very fond of food. Especially after his return.
And as expected, the food served by the Jun Family was incredibly delicious.
The young master is waiting for you. I will guide you there so please get ready.
Frey changed back into his uniform. It was a bit shabby, but he had nothing else to wear.
After leaving the room, he followed Daphgon once again.
Peran was looking into a fountain in the garden, but he let out a bright laugh when he saw Frey.
You look so thin. I guess you havent been eating.
It was a terrible month, but I gained what I wanted.
Thats a cause for celebration.
Peran smiled softly then he suddenly spoke again as if something had just come to his mind.
I never would have thought that your destination was the Hell Mountains.
Did we talk about this?
Frey pondered for a while before remembering the existence of a girl with blue hair.
You must have heard it from Sonia.
Thats right.
Where is she?
Her room. Or the training grounds. She swings her sword right after she opens her eyes and right before going to sleep. Its the first time Ive ever met such a tough girl. Um, and Im not joking.
Frey let out a laugh as Peran shuddered.
Without a lot of effort she would not be that skilled. Talent alone was not enough.
It could even be four people, but for Miss Sonia, youre the only one who
Huh?
no. Nevermind. I cant say it.
Peran smiled bitterly and shook his head for some reason.
Frey felt that he looked quite depressed.
Then Peran opened his mouth and changed the topic.
I told you right? That I wanted to introduce you to my family.
Right.
If its okay, then how about now? Especially my father, I really want you to meet him.
If it was Perans father then he should be referring to the head of the Jun Family. His name was Shepard Jun.
He was also one of the five 7 star mages in the empire.
This was what Frey gained from his memory.
Someone I should meet.
The more powerful the wizard, the more likely that they knew something about the Demigod.
Anytime is fine.
Thats a relief. Actually, there arent many times when my father is at home. Hes got piles of work to do at the tower
Shepard Jun was also the head of the Fourth Tower.
Peran looked very excited while Frey simply nodded his head.
Frey then followed Peran back to where Shepard was.
In a large room, there was a long table with a white cloth over it.
On the left and right sides of the table sat those who seemed to be Perans family.
The younger sister Lylia that he saw yesterday, two men of similar age, and a beautiful woman.
They should be Perans brothers and mother.
Which meant that the strong middle aged man sitting at the end was Shepard Jun.
I am Frey Blake, one of the three sons of the Blake Family. I would like to express my belated gratitude for the generous treatment of the Jun Family.
Nice to meet you. And we welcome you as you are Perans friend.
Frey raised his head and looked at Shepard.
At first glance he seemed to be cold but his expressions and voice were soft so the impression didnt stay.
But Frey was paying attention to something different.
There was a tattoo on Shepards face.
That tattoo is
Is Count Blake doing well?
Frey stopped his pondering for a bit at Shepards words and gave a formal answer.
That is correct.
The Sixth tower is very far away, thanks to that I only get to see him during the tower meetings once a year. Conversations with the count are always very enjoyable and informative so its a pity.
it is a pity.
Hoohoo. Have a seat. I want to hear about how you became friends with my son.
As he said that, Shepard gave a bright smile.
Frey bowed his head but his thoughts were completely different.
There was a six pointed star with a crescent moon in the center of it under his left eye.
There was nothing else that he paid attention to.
Because that was one of the magic tattoos that Schweiser had made and used.
Chapter 34 - Friend (3)
Chapter 34 - Friend (3) Translator: Seven
Except for Lylia, everyone else seemed to have a very good impression of Frey.
Shepard let out a low laugh.
Come to think of it, you know Sonia right?
I met her in the Ispania mountains.
I heard about that. She said you wiped out a band of mercenaries by yourself. From a lich to mercenariesand I know you are two years younger than Peran which makes this achievement even more unbelievable.
It was not just a compliment.
Frey narrowed his eyes slightly as Shepard continued speaking as though it was simply a passing statement.
But what kind of business could you have in the Hell Mountains?
The timing of his question was simply exquisite.
Frey, of course, had no intentions of telling the truth, but he had gotten a clue as to what Shepard was trying to do.
Everything the Duke had said up to that point was to ask that question.
Frey responded without expression.
I had personal business.
Hoo. Personal business?
It is only a trivial matter, not something that would be of interest to my Lord.
When Frey smiled and said those words, Shepard didnt continue to dig.
He simply looked at Frey with a slightly interested expression and no longer mentioned the topic.
For a while there were conversations about many different things. Things about the academy, the magic tower and other families.
As their conversation progressed, Shepard once again spoke as if he had just remembered something.
There is some magic I was working on recently and Im curious to hear your views.
After an awkward moment of silence, Frey finally responded.
I dont think Id be of any help.
That doesnt matter. What I need now is a new perspective. I just realised it through our conversation. The way you look at the world differs greatly from me. Im sure youll meet my expectations.
Of course, I wouldnt blame if you didnt get the results I expected. Im not forcing you and Im not trying to put any more pressure on you.
He wanted to speak privately.
Frey exchanged eye contact with Shepard for a moment.
There was one thing that was clear to him and that was that Shepard had an interest in him.
And it was the same for Frey.
Therefore he nodded without worrying about it for too long.
If its fine. S~ea??h the N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Thank you. Ill send Daphgon to guide you later.
The conversation ended there.
Peran and Frey soon left the room and walked the hall.
My father seems to be very interested in you. Dont be too nervous. He is strict but he is not the type of person to play tricks.
Well, I dont think youd be nervous anyway.
Peran added in his head before letting out a laugh.
The training grounds are at the back. Ms. Sonia should be there so you can go say hello before coming back.
What about you?
I think I need to appease Lylia.
Frey nodded and went straight to the backyard.
The training grounds were very spacious, but it seemed that only Sonia was there practicing with her sword.
Of course, there was one other person there with her.
It was Luther, who was watching Sonia practice from a distance.
He spotted Frey and he approached and turned to face him.
Mr. Frey?
Long time no see,.
Ah, youre finally here.
Luther seemed very happy.
Frey had a little reunion with him before turning back to watch Sonia train.
As she swung her sword her face appeared to be as sharp as a sword.
Frey realised that she was more outstanding than hed thought.
Luther looked a bit proud.
It is very rare to be conferred a title by His Majesty at such a young age.
A title?
Yes. It is Rainstorm.
Frey listened to Luthers words and paid more attention to Sonias sword.
However the trajectory of the sword was somewhat familiar to Frey.
Lucids Swordsmanship [Dreadment] no.
It felt similar but it was a bit different.
Frey frowned.
Is this really it?
There were parts that seemed a bit clumsy.
It seemed that the flow unique to Dreadment was not established properly.
He didnt master swordsmanship, but he had good eyes.
Since 4,000 years had passed it was understandable that Lucids Swordsmanship could not have been passed down fully.
After being spread out into different branches, it was quite possible for each of them to develop in different directions.
Now that he thought about it, the current location of the Luanoble Kingdom was the former location of Lucids homeland Icollium.
Was the Luanoble Kingdom the successor of Icollium?
Or had it been absorbed after being invaded by another country?
Frey began to ponder.
Frey!
Sonia was looking over at him with surprise.
Frey lifted his head and looked at her.
It was good swordsmanship.
I-, it was? Thank you.
He hadnt been trying to compliment Sonia, it was just an honest opinion about Dreadment.
In any case, there was no reason for him to point that out and spoil the mood.
Frey talked to Sonia for a while but the conversation was not very good.
Sonia was unable to truly concentrate on the conversation and was showing signs of restlessness.
Luther could only smile bitterly when he saw that.
Then Daphgon came.
He spoke after a brief look of understanding to Sonia and Luther.
Mr. Frey, the Lord is requesting you.
Ill head over now. Sonia, lets talk later.
U-, uh? R-, right
Frey immediately followed Daphgon.
He was led to the top of the mansion.
After walking for a long time, up ordinary stairways and spiral staircases, they finally reached the rooftop.
There was a garden on the roof and it was well made to match with the garden that was on the ground.
Shepard was sitting at an outdoor table there, waiting for him.
Daphgon left after bowing.
Now there were only the two, Frey and Shepard, on the roof.
Would you like to take a seat?
Frey complied and sat in front of them.
The two men shared a gaze for a long time then Shepard slowly opened his mouth.
What brings the Traumen Rings to my house?
What was he talking about?
Wasnt the Traumen Rings a club in the academy?
A club that was led by his own son.
Of course Frey had nothing to do with that.
Didnt this guy know that?
In addition, there is some warning in his voice.
I am not in the Traumen Rings.
You can stop pretending. You must have come here because you had something to say.
Shepards eyes turned cold.
Using Peran was a pretty smart strategy. Did you hear it from my son that I was in the mansion at this time?
There seems to have been a misunderstanding.
Ha. Misunderstanding? Right. Lets say its that. Then why did you do something that would be misunderstood?
What?
Typhoon Earrings. Didnt you wear it openly to show me?
He knew about the Typhoon Earrings?
It wasnt entirely surprising.
Perhaps when Frey had noticed his tattoo, Shepard had noticed the earrings.
The thing that bothered Frey was his attitude.
Shepard was confidently pressing him about something and didnt realise that he was wrong.
Thanks to that, the conversation could not go anywhere.
I dont have any idea what Lord Duke is talking about. Isnt the Traumen Rings a club in the academy thats headed by Peran?
Shepard paused for a moment at Freys words and it seemed that he was pondering.
If he had said all of this and didnt raise doubts then he would not have had more to say. However Frey did not believe that Shepard was a foolish person.
It was not long before Shepard sighed.
I see. You are a wanderer.
Wanderer?
That was not something that could be used to describe one of the three sons of the Blake Family.
Although he was treated like a stranger by the family, he was not kicked out of it.
Shepard glanced up at Frey and continued talking.
Just like you said. I have misunderstoodright. I see. The Typhoon Earring must have come from the Ispania Mountains right?
Frey looked at Shepard without answering.
Are you wary of me?
To the same extent that the Duke is wary.
Hoo hoo. How bold. Its not like you dont know where this is.
Im well aware, of course. It is the home of my friend Peran.
The reason that I came to the Jun Family was not to see Lord Duke. I came here to see Peran.
At Freys firm response, Shepard had no choice but to hesitate once more.
What hed said was right after all it was he himself who requested to see Frey.
I dont trust you completely yet. But I will give you an explanation for my rudeness. I wont treat you like an outsider since you have those earrings.
He once again mentioned the Typhoon Earrings.
Frey glanced down at the Staff of the Great Sage that was in the form of a bracelet.
He recognized the earrings but he didnt notice the bracelet.
Did he know about the Salamanders Robe?
He listened to Shepard while hiding his innermost thoughts.
And his following words exceeded his expectations.
In a good way.
Who do you think is the owner of this continent?
Others might have considered it as an absurd question, however Freys eyes became sharper instead.
Shepard continued without realizing it.
The Kastkau Empire is the greatest among human nations. However it couldnt claim more than a tenth of the land of this continent.
This matter was quite understandable.
The power of the intellectuals living on the continent could be taken as ten fingers.
And the human power could be said to be barely within three fingers.
This was to say, that humans were not the owners of the continent.
But Frey knew this.
He knew of the existence of transcendental beings who controlled the continent from the shadows.
Frey stared at Shepards mouth, almost forgetting to blind.
Would he say the word that Frey wanted to hear the most?
Demigod.
!
That one word made Frey shiver all over.
At the same time, numerous questions of his seemed to be answered.
The reason why Shepard wasnt completely wary of him.
The reason he had Schweisers tattoo on his face.
In the first place, hed never considered him to be a complete enemy.
Shepard was the one that Frey was looking for. To learn about the Demigods presence.
He knew their purpose.
The ones who wanted to stop it.
The transcendental beings control human society. We are trying to break free from that controlwhy are you smiling?
Shepard stopped and asked, wearing a confused expression.
This was because Frey had suddenly given him a bright smile as though he had gone mad.
In the old days, there were only five humans fighting against the Demigod.
Only five of them rebelled against that transcendent entity.
And they lost.
It was a crushing defeat.
- And years passed.
4,000 years had passed.
Frey was sure that now there were much more people who shared the same purpose as they did in the past.
They had found out who the Demigod was, and those who were struggling to not give in were holding their breaths, waiting for the right moment.
Why was he smiling?
There was only one reason.
He was truly happy.
Chapter 35 - Friend (4)
Chapter 35 - Friend (4) Translator: Seven
What is it?
Shepard was unsettled.
He had felt that he had misunderstood after hearing Freys words.
Nevertheless, it did not completely dispel his doubts and he still felt like he was in control of the flow of the conversation.
That fact was very important, but suddenly the flow had changed.
When he had mentioned the Demigod, the wariness on Freys face had disappeared as if it had been washed off.
There was even a smile on his lips.
Of course, the smile disappeared just as fast as it appeared.
Please continue.
do you know of the Demigod?
If he didnt know then his reaction could not be explained.
Frey nodded.
A little.
How?
When I got my hands on these earrings, there was a note from Schweiser near to them.
Shepard was shocked.
Sch-, Schweisers notes? Do you still have it?
Maybe. First of all, Id like to keep listening to your story.
Shepard was forced to admit that hed lost the initiative. He could only swallow his questions for now and continue his story.
fine. Demigods. Half-God beings that transcended humans. Theres no way for us to know just how many of them exist or how much power they can exert. However, the tip of the iceberg is, they have revealed enough to dominate the entire continent.
It was certain that there werent many.
Frey knew that their numbers didnt surpass one hundred.
However, every one of them was so powerful that it wasnt an exaggeration to call them a disaster.
We dont know how many of them exist, what their purpose is or why they choose to remain hidden. But there are some things that we can be sure of.
Shepards gaze sank.
That it is possible for them to destroy every race other than themselves on a whimAnd that it has been done a few times before.
They knew the most important thing, so that was enough.
4,000 years ago, there were five heroes who fought bravely against them.
Shepard listed each of them.
The Great Mage, the Sage, the Magic Warrior King, the Sword King and the Black Witch.
But after Lucas disappeared, the relationship between the rest became fractured. There was fighting between the King of Magic and the Swordmaster, the Black Witch disappeared and the Sage struggled on his own, but it wasnt enough. That was the point when the most powerful rebels against the Demigods disappeared from history.
Shepard said this and pointed at his tattoo and the magic tattoo shined slightly as if in response.
Our Circle is an organization that inherited their will.
Frey didnt expect Shepard to claim to be their successors.
He felt a bit odd.
Is Circle the name of the organization?
Thats how its usually called, but it is actually a bit more complicated than that. As the years have passed, the Circles will could not be united as one.
so there are multiple circles?
In a way. Theyre basicallykeeping each other in check.
Frey didnt know what to say, he was speechless.
What were they doing in this time where the odds of them winning were low even if they gathered together?
Shepard sighed as if he had noticed his thoughts.
There are many big and small circles, but three largest at the present are the Strow Necklaces, Phisfounder Armlets and Lucid Swords.
The names were familiar.
They were like the clubs at the Westroad Academy.
Other than that, there was still a question.
Two of the names were missing.
I dont know much about the other circles, but Ive heard that the current situation of the Traumen Rings isnt very good. There are rumors that they are on the verge of collapsing. Not long ago, the Circle Master died and half of the executives moved to other circles.
What about the King of Magic Kasajin?
King Kasajins inheritance is said to be passed down to one person at a time but no successors have appeared in a long while. We are looking for the whereabouts, but so far we havent found anything.
What is the relationship with the clubs in the academy?
Shepard laughed at that.
Most of the club members dont know of our existence, but we know who all of them are. The circles are always in need of talent. If anyone stands out in a club, we approach them first.
Was it necessary to pick the same names?
It looks pretty simple at first but its actually pretty effective. In fact, there are many groups with similar names around the continent and there is a benefit to it. After all, the Demigods eyes and ears could be anywhere.
He spoke calmly but in truth his heart was a bit restless.
If the Demigods had any misunderstandings then their lives would be ended as easily as bugs. (Note: is it a misunderstanding when they actually do wanna stop the demigods?)
While recognizing that fact, Shepards expression remained unchanged.
As I said, the circles keep each other in check. Just a decade ago, there werent three large groups, but four. It included the Traument Rings.
After saying that, he looked at Frey with a complicated gaze.
That was why I was confused. You have the Typhoon Earrings so I thought that you were a member of the Traumen Rings.
From what hed heard, Frey knew that it was a natural misunderstanding.
Nevertheless, Frey clicked his tongue.
It was certainly good news that there was a group called Circle who were against the Demigods, but it was not good news that they were not united as one.
The Demigods werent something that they could handle with decentralized power.
Ive told you everything I could. Now its your turn. Did you obtain those earrings in the Ispania Mountains?
Yes.
Hm
Shepard sank into thought and Frey made a guess from looking at his attitude.
Do you know about it?
I heard rumors that there was a high probability that there were artifacts of the heroes there. But among those who went there, only a handful made it back alive and none of them had anything to show for it.
This was natural.
Frey knew that there was a dungeon under the volcanic lake on Drake Mountain, but others didnt.
Even an ordinary mountain would take a long time to search even with over a hundred people. But the Ispania Mountains were called the Paradise for Monsters.
And even if they were lucky enough to find the dungeon, there was still Torkunta waiting for them when they left.
Frey spoke after a moment.
The Typhoon Earrings are the legacy of Lucas. If I had these would that mean I am a member of the Traumen Rings?
Its not like that.
Then why did you mistake me for one of you.
You were wearing them with such pride. Most of us feel a strong sense of belonging to our circles.
Frey looked at Shepards tattoo which caused the man to laugh proudly.
I admire Sage Schweiser more than anyone else in this world.
Congrats, Schweiser.
Frey was lost in thought for a moment, offering heartfelt congratulations to his long dead friend.
Circle. I dont need to go back to the academy now that Ive found them.
In the first place, the reason he continued at the academy was to gain an understanding of the current world and he had intended to find out the true identity of the academys dean Syris Triznine.
Now that he thought of it, wouldnt Shepard know the answer?
Syris Triznine. The Dean of Westroad Academy, her abilities are much higher than is revealed to the public. Is she also in Circle?
I believe she is an executive of the Phisfounder Armlets. I dont know more than that.
He had even learned the identity of the dean, his only real reason for returning to the academy had disappeared.
Frey tried to organize his thoughts.
He could feel that Shepard was still looking at him with a suspicious gaze.
Is there anything else you want to ask?
I must say that I am curious about your reaction. Ill tell you in advance, I still dont trust you fully.
It was rather sudden.
Frey looked on curiously as Shepard slowly opened his mouth.
First of all, I want you to show me one thing. Try using the Typhoon Earrings.
Was he asking him to use the barrier magic?
Frey was curious about Shepards intentions, but it wasnt difficult so he played alone.
Woowoong.
He activated the barrier spell. sea??h th novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Then he could feel the glimmer of doubt fading from Shepards eyes.
Hoo. Okay. Its not the worst case.
What are you talking about?
It wasnt because I mistook you for a member of the Traumen Rings that I was wary of you. Theres a bigger reason for that.
Frey didnt rush him and instead simply looked at him.
Shepard opened his mouth slowly and spoke.
Isaka Blake.
This was Freys fathers name, but why had it appeared now?
After carefully checking the reaction of Frey who simply tilted his head, Shepard continued.
After the tower meeting a month ago, I heard reports that he had been in contact with the Demigods.
* * *
That evening, the banquet was held.
Members of the most prestigious families in the capital made sure to attend and the addition of the finest drinks and food made the atmosphere in the banquet hall very warm.
Frey looked around at all those who came dressed in stylish clothes, but his gaze was only drawn to certain items.
There were a lot of people there, but eventually, he found what he was looking for.
Those who were from the circle organizations were the ones that he was looking for.
But the situation wasnt too good.
Other than that, he still had a few scattered problems.
Manufacturing Anastasia.
Fully digesting the Frozen River.
What kind of place was the circle and just how far could he trust Shepard.
There was also the news about Isaka Blake.
Shepard also didnt fully trust him yet.
No, he was still rather suspicious.
One reason was Isaka Blakes suspicious behavior.
At the same time, he had gained another piece of important information.
It was the fact that the Demigods informants cant use the heroes legacies.
This was why after hed used the Typhoon Earrings, Shepards doubts had lessened a bit.
Its best to not reveal the Staff of the Great Sage if possible.
It was the symbol of Schweiser.
The reaction would be completely different from the Typhoon Earrings.
He didnt need to reveal it and complicate matters even more.
Frey shook his head.
All of his problems were rather difficult and it was impossible for him to solve all of them at once.
He would take it one step at a time as though untangling a knotted thread.
Frey felt that the most pressing matter was to make the Frozen Rivers power completely his. At the same time it would restore his currently unbalanced body.
He saw someone walking toward him as he tried to think of how to solve his problems.
After a glance, he realised it was Sonia.
She was wearing a white dress which seemed to go well with her blue hair.
Frey, youre here.
Perhaps shed walked around the banquet looking for Frey.
When he thought about it, he realised that as a foreigner, Sonia probably didnt have any other acquaintances at this banquet.
The main character of the banquet, Peran, would show up when the atmosphere in the banquet had reached its peak.
Youre attending as well?
Right.
I see.
Frey tried to continue thinking, but Sonia didnt leave and it seemed that she still wanted something.
Sonia.
H-, huh?
When she heard her name she looked into his eyes.
Frey asked a question after seeing her attitude.
Do you have something to say?
?
its nothing.
Then she shook her head with a sigh.
Frey handed her a glass of wine, thinking she was thirsty.
Come to think of it, what about the engagement?
He thought for a moment. In truth it was very easy to ask, but he wasnt actually that interested.
As soon as he was about to think again, Frey saw that a fat man was looking at him.
His clothes looked like they were about to burst and his face was covered in oil.
The moment their eyes met, the man approached him.
Frey, right?
You are?
Haha! What. Are you trying to look cool? Huh?
Frey tried to jog his memory.
His attitude suggested that he was Freys acquaintance
I think I met him at the academy.
Just as he was trying to dig deeper into his memories.
The mouth of the man whod walked towards him twisted into a sneer.
Its been a long time loser Frey.
Frey stopped trying to jog his memory.
It was clear that this guy hadnt approached with good intentions.
Chapter 36 - Friend (5)
Chapter 36 - Friend (5) Translator: Seven
Haha. Are you sure?
Thats great.
Its no big deal.
Guspa Peleros laughed cheesily while drinking his wine.
A banquet held for Peran himself.
How hard did he try to get in here?
It wasnt just about the food and the wine.
Friendship.
It was to build friendships with the prominent nobles in the capital.
Guspa was a provincial nobility.
When he was young he felt that he was among the top of the empire, but when he grew older he realised how far from the truth it was.
In the capital, banquets were held almost every day. They were places for friendship and exchanges, a different battlefield.
The nobles would prove their worth while checking the others and those on the same level would naturally gather together to form a group.
Such relationships might have a profound effect as they might later inherit their respective families.
But Guspa didnt get the chance to participate in the banquets held in the capital because he was from a province.
That was why this banquet was a great opportunity for him.
For this day, hed had clothes custom made by a top notch store and he had learned the names of many expensive wines and other local specialties.
This was to keep up with the current trends.
Guspas strenuous efforts soon paid off.
By nature, he spoke well so the nobles in the capital could easily ignore his origins.
Of course, the fact that the Peleros Family was a well known provincial aristocratic family also helped him out.
Itll be difficult to talk to Peran.
Peran Jun.
He was a man who stood at the apex of the capitals society. Even the most high nosed and snobby nobles would have to lower their heads to him.
Even if he managed to have one conversation with Peran, it would be difficult for them to have a deep relationship.
Guspa had heard that despite his soft looks, he was surprisingly picky when it came to making friends.
After learning this, he wisely chose to change targets. Patrick Dercidy was the one that he was working on.
He was the eldest son of Marquis Dercidy, and the child of one of the five most prestigious families in the capital.
I heard rumors that Patricks sword skills were not inferior to the regular knights in the Luanoble Kingdom.
Hahaha! Well if a man focuses on one path, shouldnt he be at least at that level?
Outstanding.
Patrick was a very easy man.
He was a man who believed himself to be quite exceptional and carried himself in such a way.
It was quite easy to deal with this type of person.
I should get invited to Patricks banquets in the future.
Guspa was convinced that this social debut was a complete success.
Therefore he slowly sipped his wine as he looked around.
There are so many nice girls.
They were definitely different from the girls in the province.
They all had killer bodies, beautiful appearances, and cunning personalities that knew how to control a mans heart.
Guspa inspected them one by one, carrying the wicked thought that maybe one of them would become his wife.
Then a woman caught his eye.
In that moment, Guspa had been instantly enchanted.
She was still incredibly eye catching even while she was surrounded by other beautiful women.
She had stunning, water colored hair, purple eyes and lips that seemed to draw the eyes of everyone looking.
Th-, there is such a beautiful woman
Was it Lylia Jun who was said to be the queen of social gatherings in the capital?
No, hed heard that she was blonde.
It was not just Guspa. Most of the nobles kept stealing glances at this woman while pretending not to.
Nevertheless no one approached her because of her stunning beauty and unfamiliar presence.
It was then.
As if shed found something she was looking for, her face brightened considerably and she immediately headed in the direction that she was looking.
Guspa hurriedly turned to see who this beautiful womans acquaintance could be.
It was a very skinny man.
Guspa didnt find it hard to spot him. This was because the mans hair, which had been bleached white, stood out among the crowd.
At the same time, he judged the man to be a nobody.
This was because the man was alone at the banquet.
If he didnt have any acquaintances then he should be walking around and sweating like himself, what was that attitude?
Surely he must be a novice who was lucky enough to have been invited to the banquet.
That was what he thought.
Whats their relationship?
Guspa watched the conversation between the two of them with a jealous gaze.
It was at that moment.
Huh?
When he looked closely at the white haired mans face, he felt that it was very familiar.
Almost like he had seen it somewhere
Ah! Isnt that Frey Blake?
The Blake Family was one of the five greatest families in the empire, but it has nothing to do with this timid guy.
All of the nobles from Pilat knew that Isaka Blake didnt treat Frey like a son.
How could a loser like that know such a beauty
After thinking for a while, Guspa came up with a guess.
It must have been because of the name of the Blake Family.
Otherwise there was no other explanation.
Huhuhu!
Guspa came up with a good idea.
He had the thought of giving a blow to Frey and raising his own status at the same time.
After thinking for a moment, he approached Frey.
Frey, youre Frey right?
You are?
At that moment, Guspa had a strange feeling.
That was because Freys voice was much colder than he remembered.
But he still shook his head. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Haha! What. Are you trying to look cool? Huh?
He looked calm on the outside, but he was going crazy on the inside.
When he thought about it, his mouth curled up subconsciously.
Long time no see, Blake Familys loser.
Guspa thought that if he said this, Frey would have some kind of reaction, but it was not so.
Instead, Frey looked away from him as if he was no longer interested.
It was obvious disregard.
Guspas face turned red for a moment, but he still managed to hold back his anger.
I heard you got into the academy? The Blake Family is really powerful. I cant believe that you, who is less talented than me, could be admitted.
Get lost.
Huh?
Guspa had no choice but to open his mouth subconsciously at that moment.
What did he just hear?
Get lost? Did this guy just tell me to get lost?
Frey, who could not even make eye contact with him before had just told him to get lost?
Y-, you
Frey, do you know him?
Just as Guspa was about to explode, Sonia intervened.
He thought that her voice was incredibly beautiful and so he tried really hard to suppress his anger.
He could not show an ugly face in front of a beautiful lady.
He gave Sonia his greasy smile.
I am sorry, my greetings were late. My name is Guspa Peleros. Would you give me the honor of knowing the ladys name?
Sonia forcefully suppressed the twisting in her stomach.
The moment she saw his face and heard his voice, it made her feel sick.
In the first place, the nobles in the Luanoble Kingdom were very informal. To her the attitudes of the nobles here just felt pretentious.
That was why she looked for Frey who spoke to her with a blank face.
Sonia Aquarid.
Still, she couldnt ignore it so she could only answer reluctantly.
Ah! Now I see, you are Perans fiancee.
The engagement has not been confirmedyet.
Guspa smiled.
Right. Now he understood.
Shes from another country so she was fooled by him easily.
In truth, the fact that Frey was the shame of the Blake Family was an open truth that was known to everyone in the aristocratic world.
However if the other person was a noble from another country it was understandable that they wouldnt know.
Guspa whats going on?
Thats when Patricks group came over.
They came seemingly for Guspa but their eyes were obviously on Sonia.
Guspa had an absurd thought as he saw their gazes.
Theyre like a pack of Dholes.
It seemed that he had already forgotten that he had approached for the exact same reason.
It occurred to him that a number of obstacles had appeared but he soon thought of a way to take advantage of the situation.
Once again he gave his greasy smile and said.
My lady, there is fine wine on that table over there. Would you like to go over for a drink?
N-, no. Ino, Imtalking to Frey.
She didnt add any honorifics.
She was already close enough to call your name?
Guspas lips twitched.
My lady, you seem to be mistaken about something.
Mistaken?
My lady, this man here is indeed a member of the Blake Family, but he is a loser who is unable to use magic. He is even called the shame of the Blake Family.
Guspa spoke quietly, but his voice certainly reached Sonias ears.
When she then looked at him with a very confused gaze, Guspa became even more excited.
Earl Isaka has already given up hope in him and instead stuck him into the academy.
Ah. Is that friend Frey Blake?
Kuku. I heard he was disgracing himself in the Westroad Academy.
As expected, Patrick and his friends played along with Guspa.
In this way, the plan was almost complete.
Patrick gave a smile as he said.
Frey BlakeI know your older brothers. Mischael and Heinz. They are both wizards in the magic tower. Mischeal recently even became a floor master in the magic tower.
So?
They are both incredible people who share your blood. No, I might have made a mistake. I dont think they have the same bloodline as you!
Kikikikikik! (Note: What a weird laugh)
Frey was annoyed.
It was only because this was a banquet for Peran that he tried to put up with it.
If he hit these guys here then the atmosphere of the banquet would be messed up which would then cause trouble for Peran. (Note: omgan mc who doesnt kill or cripple an enemy who insulted them at their friends party????)
However the sarcastic remarks from these few were truly going overboard.
It was then.
I think thats a bit harsh.
Someone approached the group while saying those words and everyones eyes turned to see who it was.
There were four people there, each of them a familiar face to Frey.
Looking closely, they were the nobles who had expressed their gratitude to him on the Cortez.
Guspa looked over at the man who spoke in surprise.
Isnt this Enzo Teifals?
He was a child of the Teifals family who Guspa had also been paying attention to.
He wasnt as influential as Patrick Dercidy, but his family was still one of the best among all of the participants in the banquet.
Why would such a man side with Frey?
What do you mean by harsh?
Freys skills are such that he has no competition in the entire academy. Dont disregard him.(Note: everytime Enzo speaks about Frey, he does it in a respectful wayits just hard to show in english since Mr doesnt fit the statement)
Haha. Are you talking about people like us?or are there so few talented people in the Westroad Academy?
Compared to Patricks smiling expression, Enzos face looked fierce.
That wasnt all.
The expressions of those standing behind him were similarly hostile.
They knew how amazing Freys skills were.
Frey was even stronger than Peran who was recognized as the best genius in the academy.
He had the ability to defeat a Lich who was said to be around 5 stars!
However few nobles knew about it.
It was none other than the imperial frigates that had been escorting the Cortez. No matter how powerful was, the fact that two imperial frigates were sunk before they even had the chance to retaliate could damage the prestige of the empire.
Because of that, the matter was buried.
The majority of the noble students also refused to admit that their lives were saved by Frey who they considered inferior.
Some of them even said that it was Peran who saved them.
However Enzo didnt forget that he owed Frey his life.
When hed seen him at the banquet, hed initially wanted to go talk to him, but when he saw that he wanted to stay alone he decided against it.
Enzo and the others were in awe and greatly respected Freys power.
But then they saw that Frey was being disregarded in the banquet and they could no longer stand still.
But now, not only Frey, but the entire Westroad Academy was being insulted.
Dont talk about the Westroad Academy.
It was a joke so why dont you relax? I dont want Enzo to get flushed.
If you apologize to Frey then Ill accept it.
Apologize? To him?
Patrick put on a look of bewilderment. He didnt understand why Enzo was suddenly biting him.
Of course he didnt intend to apologize.
Im sorry but the Dercidy family never bows their head. More than that, the friendship in the Westroad Academy is really touching. Were you the one who invited this pathetic man to the banquet?
Kukuku.
Now the waters all muddy.
It wasnt me whoinvited him
Enzo didnt finish his statement, instead he was staring behind Patrick with a blank face.
Then Patrick heard a cold voice in his ear.
I.
What?
Patrick looked back and his heart almost stopped.
He saw a blond haired man walking toward them.
Iinvited him.
It was the first time that Frey had seen Perans angry face.
Chapter 37 - Friend (6)
Chapter 37 - Friend (6) Translator: Seven
I guess this wasnt the face you were expecting. Im sorry to disappoint you.
Pe-, Peran.
Patricks face had turned white.
Peran Jun.
He was a scion of the Jun Family which was one of the three major noble families in the empire with power just below that of the imperial family as well as a genius of the Westroad Academy.
When he reached the 4 star level below the age of 20, it caused a buzz in the empire for a long while.
Patrick had no memory of ever feeling so intimidated.
The Dercidy family was so powerful that they did not have to bow to anyone. But the Jun family was an exception.
Peran was a noble among nobles and just his followers would easily exceed half of the nobility in the capital.
At least in the social world, making him an enemy was the same as biting your own tongue to commit suicide.
Patricks face became white.
He had to say something, but his mind was blank and he couldnt think of anything.
Peran continued to speak with his freezing tone.
But since when did I need to get the permission of the Dercidy family before inviting my friends? Also to a banquet held in my name.
Th-, thats not
The Westroad Academy has no talent? Thats also a weird statement. As far as I know, you didnt pass the entrance examination to the academy. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
I, I
His mouth was open but no words came out.
The other nobles also chattered to each other while looking at Frey in surprise.
Peran Juns friend?
Who?
Frey Blake?
How?
Was there anyone who Peran would call friend?
As Patrick stood there stuttering without saying anything, Perans cold eyes turned to look at Guspa.
At that moment Guspa unconsciously hiccups before hurriedly closing his mouth again.
And you?
Gu-, GuspaPeleros.
Peleros?
At that moment, Guspa saw the clear confusion in Perans eyes. It was clear that he had never heard the family name before.
Originally, he would have felt humiliated by that fact, but Perans eyes were so cold at that moment that he couldnt even think about it.
What about you?
W-, we
Just to the lady here, thatwe just wanted to talk
The voice faded after. They were just like Dholes after all.
They knew a hundred ways to suppress the weak, but when faced with the strong, they only knew how to bow their heads.
They couldnt say anything in front of Peran who was the owner of the banquet hall.
Peran was going to say something more but instead closed his mouth slowly and looked around.
He became a bit embarrassed when he noticed the tense and cold atmosphere.
It seemed that he had finally regained some of his composure.
He took a few small breaths before smiling right after.
I would like to express my gratitude to everyone for attending the banquet today.
He raised his chin and leisurely walked to the center of the hall.
As Peran continued to speak, the cold atmosphere in the hall began to soften.
No one dared to make any comment on the angry display just a moment ago.
Patrick and his followers as well as Guspa hurried to a corner of the banquet and hoped that they would be forgotten.
Frey turned around and Enzo, who was near to him, approached.
He shot a cold look at the fleeing Patricks back.
Hmph. The Dercidy name is wasted on someone like him. Are you okay?
Thank you for your help.
Enzo and the others laughed a bit awkwardly at that.
I just didnt want to be a coward who didnt know how to repay grace.
Thanks to you I could take a breather.
As Frey gently bowed his head and Enzo couldnt help but be surprised at the unexpected situation.
Frey looked so cold that he had expected to be rebuked for intervening in a situation that he wasnt needed.
Enzos expression softened considerably as he saw this.
Were more grateful. Ah, we still havent paid off our debts with this. Whenever you visit my family, I will make sure to repay you properly.
I will remember.
Righthere comes Peran so well get going.
Enzo party stepped away and Peran, who had just finished his speech, walked over.
I knew youd get angry.
Because Im human.
Was the atmosphere ruined because of me?
What did you do? HooIts been a while since my head was filled with blood like this.
Peran sighed.
He was a bit disappointed because he had not been able to control his anger.
Frey took a sip of wine before mumbling.
Thank you.
Huh?
If you hadnt intervened then the banquet wouldve become a mess and I would not have been able to face you.
Haha. Would it have evolved into something that would cause a huge commotion?
Peran let out a laugh, clearly in a better mood.
Sonia was unable to interject while listening to their conversation.
It was as if there was a space only for men so she couldnt even open her mouth, no matter how much they didnt notice her.
the incident on the Cortez. If it had been widely known then those guys attitudes would have been very different.
What do you mean?
There was a movement to cover up the incident. Thanks to that its not widely known by the public. There were two frigates that were deployed, if news that they were so helpless in the face of a threat was released then it would have an impact on the status of the empire
Peran sighed again.
The story had been blocked at its source so only a few nobles truly knew what happened.
In particular nobles from the provinces and people like Patrick who didnt pay much attention to the goings on in the empire would have only heard stories.
It doesnt matter.
He knew that it wouldnt remain hidden forever, but Frey felt like he did not need to stick out too much at this point.
Peran looked at him with a strange gaze.
You are really weird. If the truth was revealed, your status would jump up by a few dozen times at least.
Its because I dont want such a situation.
I thought so.
As he said that, Peran let out a laugh.
What did you talk about with my father?
he asked if I was a part of the Traumen Rings.
Perans hand that was about to lift a wine glass to his lips stopped.
He sent a strange glance at Frey but changed it when he saw Sonia beside him.
right. Are you finally interested in joining our club?
Maybe.
Id like to go into more detail, but its too noisy here.
Frey nodded, then he spoke about his plans for the future.
Im not going back to the academy.
Huh?
There is nothing more for me to learn there.
It was a bit unexpected but Peran wasnt surprised.
He stroked his chin for a moment while pondering, before saying.
Then where are you going?
I havent decided yet. Rightfirst Ill need to recover my condition.
Frey said while looking at his thin wrists.
I think I need to gain some weight.
Thats a good idea. Youre too skinny right now.
Peran pondered for a moment before speaking.
Then what about a magic tower?
A magic tower?
Right. Although its a bit expensive there are various training centers and also many valuable books that couldnt be found outside. There are also many great wizards so if you have any questions you would be able to get an answer right away.
Hmm.
Frey thought that Perans proposal was quite attractive.
In particular the fact that there were many valuable books there.
Perans lips curled up a bit as he continued.
Of course, you have to take a test.
Test?
Its not a big deal. Its really nothing. Especially for you.
Its a shame that I cant see the faces of the wizards when they see your results.
?
Frey was curious but he didnt ask because he knew that Peran wouldnt tell him even if he did.
If you use the name of the Jun Family, you will be treated well.
I dont need to.
I thought youd say that.
The two of them bumped their wine glasses.
It was at that moment that Peran flinched before looking at Sonia.
Ah. Such rudeness. We didnt pay any attention to Ms. Sonia. Im sorry.
no. Itsfine
Sonia, who had been listening to their conversation could only give a bitter smile and feel very envious of the relationship between men.
After that the three of them had a good time together and shared personal stories and the banquet ended without any more problems.
* * *
The next morning, Daphgon came again.
The master would like to speak with you.
Now?
He is waiting in the rooftop garden and he said to find him when you are free
Those were his words, but it was impolite to make the master of the house wait.
Since he had nothing else to do, he headed to the roof of the mansion right away.
Shepard was sitting on the terrace sipping tea.
Where are you going to go now?
Did you not hear it already from Peran?
Its not polite to ask him about you.
Frey told him honestly since he didnt have anything to hide.
Im going to enter a magic tower.
A magic tower? Hmm. At your level it wouldnt be hard to get in.
Shepard made a rough guess about Freys current power. He probably guessed him to be at the 5 star level.
I heard that there were many books there that I couldnt find outside. Im also curious about the training centers.
Hmmthen Ill recommend the 3rd Magic Tower. Its power isnt as good as the other towers but it is the best out of all the towers when it comes to books.
The 3rd Magic Tower.
There was a big difference in the wizards from each magic tower.
The 3rd Magic Tower was the place which held the most alchemists from what Frey could remember.
This also meant that it had a calmer atmosphere when compared to places like the 1st Magic Tower which had the most battlemages, the 2nd Magic Tower which was devoted to the development of new spells or the 4th Magic Tower which was considered the holy land for wizards.
There was no other tower than he could spend his time quietly.
Ill do as you say. Thank you for your advice.
Im glad to help. And now for my business.
His expression became serious.
Do you know why I dont suspect you as one of the Demigods subordinates?
Isnt it because I can use the Typhoon Earrings?
That is one reason. I still had some doubts but I was assured yesterday that they were irrelevant.
?
Someone proved his identity?
Who the hell?
Shepard revealed the name of the person.
It was Heinz Blake. The second son of the Blake Family.
He observed Freys reaction before adding.
By the way, he is a member of the Strow Necklaces, like me.
Chapter 38 - Friend (7)
Chapter 38 - Friend (7) Translator: Seven
Heinz Blake.
At least in Freys memory, he was no different from Isaka, Mischael or his mother Eini.
Of course, he couldnt be sure.
Frey could be called a late child. Mischael was twelve years older and Heinz was ten years older so there was a possibility that something happened during his childhood that Frey couldnt remember.
Shepard let out a bitter laugh, perhaps realising that Freys expression had become a tad more distant.
I know how your family treated you. I have no intentions of defending Heinz in that matter. But I do want to tell you that he is different from Earl Isaka and Mischael. It may sound like nonsense to you, but there is a story.
What story?
It is not something that I should tell you about. But I trust you because he guaranteed your identity. Just keep that in mind for now.
It was unexpected information.
The fact that Heinz Blake belonged to a circle and that he had guaranteed his identity.
Shepard continued with a serious expression.
In the future you will probably become entangled with the circles in some way or form. But I dont think you intend to do that right now. Right?
Thats right.
Shepards words were true.
Frey thought about coming into contact with the circles after reaching the 7 star level in the magic tower.
He had heard that they were a group against the Demigods but he could not be sure until he saw it with his own eyes.
He had to find out how much power they had at their disposal. In truth, he was looking forward to it.
He wondered if there were any great talents among them.
For example a wizard with potential to reach 9 stars, or a knight who could rival Lucid or a magic warrior who could surpass Kasajin.
How much does Peran know about the circle?
He knows a little more than you do.
Shepards eyes narrowed slightly. There seemed to be a slight hint of disapproval in his eyes but when Frey looked at him in askance, he simply waved his hand and continued.
Well. Heit seems that he is trying to get into the Traumen Rings. It is a circle that is falling apart but it doesnt seem like he will change his mind.
Is there any specific reason?
Im not too sure about that. I know that he idolizes Lucas a lot but
Anyway that was all I had to say, I apologize for calling you here so early in the morning.
Its fine.
Frey felt that it was time to leave the Jun Family home.
Instead of returning to his room, he requested Daphgon to call Peran.
After a while, they met each other on the bench in the garden.
If you are absent without reason for more than a week, you will be automatically expelled from the school. Are you okay with that?
Yeah.
That place no longer held any importance for Frey.
He looked at Peran and brought up the reason that hed asked to meet.
Im leaving the family tomorrow.
Are you determined to go to the tower?
Right. The Duke said that the 3rd Magic Tower is fine so Im going to go there.
The 3rd Magic Tower. It is a good place.
Peran hesitated for a moment.
Did you learn about the Demigods in the mountains?
Frey had no choice but to go along with this convenient excuse.
Thats right.
My father didnt ask you to join the Strow Necklaces?
He didnt,
Yeah? I was sure hed want a talented guy like you.
Maybe it was because he knew that Frey wouldnt accept the invitation.
Shepard seemed to be a quick witted man.
Im glad. I wanted you to join the Traumen Rings. Ah, its just a wish, I wouldnt force you.
I heard that its not a good place right now.
The circle had inherited his name, but Frey didnt feel any attachments to it.
Thats right. But we cant let the Great Mages legacy crumble.
As he said this, Peran clenched his fist which caused Frey to look at him strangely while an awkward smile came on his face.
Because Lucas is my hero. But I dont like Lucas because he is a Great Mage.
Then?
A great teacher.
Perans expression became serious.
Lucas said that he would never reject a disciple one he had accepted them. Even those who would have become wicked and evil became noble heroes under his hands.
Legends always tended to get misinterpreted because a lot of the information was bluffed or exaggerated.
Frey didnt do anything so grandiose. He simply comforted, advised and guided.
That was all.
Do you want to be like that?
Huh. I dont have a good enough memory to be a teacher.
Perans face looked a bit sad as he said this.
When Frey kept looking at him without saying anything, he laughed bitterly.
I feel at ease whenever I talk to you. Like the weight on my shoulders was lessened.
Frey gave him a level of comfort that even his family never did.
He never rushed him. He didnt try to pry further.
Whenever he released the heavy problems that were bothering him within, Frey only looked at him with his deep gaze. (Note: I think Peran is falling in love)
There were moments when he needed such things.
I first felt mana when I was five years old.
!
Even Frey could not help but be surprised at that fact. He looked at Peran in a new way.
He really is a genius.
Even Schweiser and him only felt mana for the first time when they were about seven years of age.
Of course, he could not say that Peran could become an archmage with certainty, but to call him a true genius was no exaggeration.
And when I was seventeen, I became a 4 star wizard. Though it was revealed externally that it was at the age of twentyat that time, I had a teacher.
A teacher?
Right. He was the wizard in charge of the 5th Tower. He was a 6 star wizard who had a long white beard growing down his chest.
Frey without for him to continue his story without hurrying him.
He was a very knowledgeable person. He had a smile as if he was able to answer any question that I could ask. Everytime he answered a question, he would pat my shoulder, and I dont know why, but it made me happy to the point where I even asked some unnecessary questions.
It was an ideal master/student relationship. At least from what he had heard.
But Frey was able to discern from Perans tone that the story came with some kind of twist.
Peran hesitated for a long time before forcing himself to speak.
I was the one who ruined the relationship. I was too excited. I didnt consider my teachers position and went too far asking questionsOne day, my teacher couldnt answer my question.
He yelled at me in anger. Monster! You are a monster!
Peran laughed bitterly again.
He sighed and forced himself to brighten his expression.
You are the first person Ive told this to. I didnt even tell my father.
Youve been afraid to progress since then?
Peran was silent as the answer was obvious.
Learning magic is still fun. And I know that my aptitude for magic is high. ButIm not sure.
Peran looked distressed. His face was twisted in pain.
The moment that I truly immerse myself in it, my teachers face keeps popping up. Am I really a monster?
You overestimate yourself.
Huh?
At Freys words, Peran looked up with wide eyes, but Frey kept talking in a calm tone.
And youre underestimating magic. Listen, Peran. Even when labeled by the word genius, if a person does not work hard enough, even to the point of vomiting blood, then it is impossible for them to unlock the true meaning of magic, even if they have the most luck in the world.
!
Your talent is obviously excellent. That man who was your teacher was afraid of it and maybe he was even jealous. He knew that sooner or later you would surpass him.
Such creatures could not be called teachers. Frey looked at Peran with a calm gaze.
He knew how to deal with this type of personality.
What are you going to do now?
Huh? Ifirst of all I will return to the Westroad Academy.
Peran responded while wondering about the sudden change in topic.
Westroad Academys education was essential for him to carry on the family that he would inherit one day.
Then?
I was thinking of entering a circle.
Then it looks like it would be a very long time before we meet again. I assure you, by then I will be several times stronger than I am now.
Dont you understand yet? What I want to say.
Frey kept looking at Peran.
I want to continue an equal relationship with you.
!
Of course, such a relationship is not necessarily determined by your strength. I also dont make friends for things like that. What Im truly worried about is your level of thinking. If the gap widens much more than it is now I believe that you yourself would not be convinced.
Peran was speechless.
He was right.
Peran was unexpectedly a very proud person. He knew that Frey was stronger than him now but he did not think that it was at a level that was completely different than his own.
But what if it kept going on like this?
What if the next time they met, Frey was much stronger than his current self while he had made no progress at all?
He would not be able to accept that and would end up suffering from self-loathing.
Peran hesitated.
can I really face it? I.
I assure you, the world is very large. There are many other geniuses. If you enter a proper magic tower and pretend to be a genius then you can continue living as you are now. But if you want to face the Demigods and the other transcendent beings then the current you is not good enough.
Perans eyes shook violently.
Then he closed them and muttered softly.
youre right.
That was the end.
There was no conversation afterwards. sea??h th N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
How Peran took his words, what he was thinking and what conclusions he had made. Frey didnt ask him any of that.
Looking at a flowing stream of water, he didnt know why but he felt like it wouldnt be much longer before he met Peran again.
And the next day.
Frey left for the 3rd Magic Tower.
(Note:
Magic Martial Artists will be called Magic Warriors but the skills will still be Magic Martial Arts.)
Chapter 39 - The 3rd Magic Tower (1)
Chapter 39 - The 3rd Magic Tower (1) Translator: Seven
Shepard had told him that there was a circle hideout nearby and before Frey had left to go to the magic tower, he had offered to him there once.
But Frey refused.
Although he was still curious about the tower, he had decided to make it his priority to restore the state of his body and enter the 7 star stage completely.
Because I dont want what happened with Torkunta to happen again.
Pride and carelessness had caused him to encounter a crisis. One such experience was enough for him.
Good luck on your test.
As he said that, Shepard gave him a square card.
On it, there were many elongated circles overlapping over to form a strange ring.
In half a year, the circle will be recruiting people. Youll have to go through some tests, but you will be able to get through them with ease.
Is it like an entrance exam?
Its the same concept. As long as you have that card, you will be able to participate in the test.
It was in half a year so there was plenty of time to spare.
Of course, its fine if you dont want to participate. Im not forcing you.
Then he looked at the card that hed placed in Freys hand before saying.
Theres also a card with my name on it. There are many benefits to having it but
He looked back at Frey and gave a big smile.
You dont need it right?
Yes. This is enough.
Hoohoo. I knew it. So will you be staying in the tower for half a year?
Unless something special happens.
If you want to take part in the exam look for a man by the name of Lucas or Mikael. Theyre not Strow Necklaces, but they are also in the circle so they would be able to help.
Frey bowed his head.
Thank you for your concern.
No problem.
Before leaving the mansion, Frey went to visit Sonia last.
It seemed that she would be leaving the mansion soon as well. Although the engagement was not successful, it did not seem to cause any serious problems between the two parties.
Frey finally asked her a question that he had from long ago.
Sonia, Im curious about the swordsmanship you were using.
You mean Dreadment?
Right. Is it a swordsmanship passed down by the Luanoble Kingdom?
No. Its my familys arcane swordsmanship.
So it wasnt from the kingdom but was instead a family technique.
Then was Lucid the ancestor of the Aquarid family?
Frey wanted to ask more, but family secrets was a sensitive topic so he did not dig any further.
It couldve been his student.
Unlike himself, Schweiser and Iris, Lucid had many disciples.
One of them might have been from the Aquarid family.
Maybe Sonia is also connected to the circle.
One of the three large circles that Shepard had mentioned was called Lucids Sword.
But he couldnt jump to conclusions.
Frey then said goodbye to the regretful Sonia.
There was nothing left for him to do in the Jun Family.
Frey left the mansion.
The 3rd Magic Tower was located in a city south of Kausymphony called Uthiano.
As a city with a magic tower, Uthiano had its own warp stone which allowed Frey to arrive there the same day.
* * *
Mischael Blake, the eldest son of the Blake family, looked at Patrick with a frown.
SoFrey is Peran Juns friend?
Right. It turned the banquet hall upside down. They seemed to be pretty close.
I thought Floor Master needed to know this, so I came to tell you. Then I will take my leave.
Hmm. Thank you.
Patrick bowed and left the room. (Note: snitch)
Mischael who was left alone in the room, frowned.
Freyfriends with Peran Jun.
Frey Blake.
There never was and never will be someone with such horrible talent in the Blake Family.
He was the shame of the family with no sensitivity to mana, a timid and docile personality, no stubbornness, no passion and no ambition.
That guy could become Perans friend?
Mischael had met Peran before.
Even though they were both great nobles he couldnt help but feel a bit of respect.
No matter how much he thought about it, he couldnt imagine that person hanging out with the timid Frey.
What do you think, Heinz?
Heinz Blake, who had been leaning against the window listening to the conversation, responded as if he had no interest in Mischaels words.
They both go to Westroad Academy. Theres nothing strange for them to have a relationship if he got lucky.
Hmm. That loser has done quite well.
It seemed that there was a good result from a guy he would have never expected it from.
Mischael thought for a moment before getting up from his seat.
I should tell father. (Note: another snitch)
Maybe there was something they could use from this.
Mischael slowly walked out of the room.
Heinz stared at his back with an indifferent expression.
* * *
Frey arrived in Uthiano and began looking around.
It seemed to be a moderately bustling city, but because he had been staying in the capital for a while, it did not leave that big of an impression.
But there was something that Kausymphony didnt have.
He looked up at the big tower that was in the center of the city which could probably be seen from any direction within the city.
It was very tall and wide.
Frey immediately headed toward the tower. Up close, he felt that it was even grander than he had thought.
Frey was absorbed by emotion.
Was it when I was 20?
The first place that he had become seriously immersed in magic was in a magic tower.
There, he had met Schweiser, and Iris too.
The tower at that time was shabby compared to this one, but it was still fun.
It was good to have friends to learn magic together with. He had been so absorbed that he didnt even want to waste his time sleeping.
The three of them gave each other positive stimulus. Competition had been an excellent facilitator, allowing them to become the best wizards.
A smile stretched across Freys lips.
In a way, the days hed spent in the magic tower were some of the best days of his life.
A time when he could happily wait for tomorrow without having any worries or burdens.
As he looked up at the tower and became filled with nostalgia, he noticed a group of people passing by him.
They were all wearing brown robes, but their robust physiques made it seem like they werent wizards.
They werent even human.
They had eye catching dark skin, contrasting silver hair and pointed ears.
Elves?
They were also Dark Elves which were said to be incredibly rare.
A group of Dark Elves were in a human city?
This was a sight that was unthinkable 4,000 years ago. Sar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Looks like the walls between racial groups have been torn down.
When he was in the academy he had read something about it in a book. In particular, he learned that the relationship between the Elves and the Dwarves was so good that they continuously traveled between each others land.
And it seems like the Elves have been able to accomplish unity and harmony.
It seemed like the destination of the elves was also the magic tower.
So Frey naturally followed after them.
Chapter 40 - The 3rd Magic Tower (2)
Chapter 40 - The 3rd Magic Tower (2) Translator: Seven
Nik, one of the receptionist wizards at the 3rd Magic Tower, stood at the front desk with a nervous expression.
Unable to contain his anxiety, he shifted his feet and let out a few coughs for no reason.
He had no choice but to be nervous because a group of guests were going to visit the tower today.
Reynols Great Forest!
Guests that hailed from the lands of the Elves. Those who came from the Great Forest were of course Elves.
And the Dark Elves were known to have the smallest population.
A long time ago, the Elves and the Kastkau Empire signed a mutual non-aggression agreement which later became an alliance.
Of course, there were some people who criticized this alliance. After all, it was not easy to tear down the racial wall.
Nevertheless, over time these stereotypes and prejudices began to fade away.
At least the humans living in the empire no longer considered elves to be strange or hostile. Nevertheless, there was still a sense of awe.
Their life spans, physical capabilities, breathtaking beauty and natural talent with spirits completely overwhelmed humans.
And recently, the Elves had grown interested in human magic. That was why they would sometimes send their people to human countries like this.
The group of elves would stay at their 3rd Magic Tower.
By order of the Imperial Family, they were to ensure that the Elves lacked nothing during their stay as they were here to learn magic.
Ah!
At that time he spotted a group of people wearing maroon robes in the distance.
Nik was able to realise right away that they were elves.
Firstly their average height was much taller than that of humans.
The men easily passed 2 meters and the women were only a head or so shorter than them.
Are you the group from Reynols Great Forest?
The Dark Elf at the front stared at Nik with cold eyes, causing him to sweat slightly.
His eyes were ferocious. Hidden by his robes were muscles that were lithe and firm.
He appeared to be nothing like a man from a race of gentle forest lovers but instead seemed to be a warrior who had seen many bloody battlefields.
I-, Is it true that Dark Elves are an arrogant and aggressive race?
The gaze seemed to give his brain the same flight response that he would get when he encountered a monster.
At that time, a male elf, who appeared to be shorter than the others, stepped forward.
Thats right.
His tone was a bit awkward and rough, which proved that he was not used to using the human language.
We-, welcome to the 3rd Magic Tower. May I see your identification?
The man took out a ruby from his breast pocket. After he received the ruby, Nik also took one from his breast pocket.
It was almost identical to the one that hed received from the elves.
When the two gems faced each other, a small resonance occurred.
Woowoong.
Nik observed the lights coming from the gems for a moment before returning it to the elf.
It has been confirmed. How many people are in your group?
11 people.
Nik counted the elves one by one before nodding.
It has been confirmed. I will now show you to the rooms that you will be staying in in the tower.
Then the small elf at the front spoke once again.
I heard that you have to do some tests before you can enter the Magic Tower.
He didnt know where he had heard it, but Nik still nodded because it was true.
In principle yes, but our Dark Elf guests do not need to do it.
I would like to try.
Yes?
I said I would like to try. Can I do it?
Uh
Nik rolled his eyes, not knowing what he should do in this type of situation.
At the same time he felt a little resentful to the short elf.
Why couldnt he just stay still?
Of course, the ferocious eyes and aura around the Dark Elves made it so that he did not say these words out loud.
Okay. Then I will carry out a simple and concise test.
Liamson, why are you creating more trouble?
A cold faced elf woman shot him a glance as she asked.
The short elf, Liamson, only responded with a smile.
Arent you curious? How accurate the human tests are and what our current stages are.
Our state is about 5 stars. Thats what the wizard from the empire told us last time.
!
Nik was inwardly surprised by the conversation between the elves.
Were all of these elves 5 stars?
Even in the tower there were not many 5 star wizards.
Then theres only one test.
He thought that he would just do something simple because they wanted it but now he realised that there wasnt much that he could test them on.
With his innermost thoughts hidden, Nik guided the elves to the training ground on the first floor.
It was the sturdiest and most spacious room in the tower.
The test is simple. Make an energy ball.
1 star spell energy ball? Is that a test? Its too lame.
Liamson looked disappointed, but Nik shook his head slowly.
If you were only making energy balls yes. This test is not just about the spellIll give an example. Energy Ball.
Woowoong.
An energy ball appeared about Niks right hand. It was about the size of a human head which was the normal size.
Nik narrowed his eyes.
Tsutsu. (Note: I did the best I could *bows*)
The energy ball began to get smaller and smaller.
A drop of sweat rolled down Niks face.
By then the energy ball had been compressed to the size of an adult males fist.
Whoo! You have to compress the energy ball to at least this size before you would get accepted into the tower.
Nik raised his chin proudly, but Liamson let out a laugh.
So its compressing the Energy Ball. The size decreases, but the power increases. It is not that difficult.
T-, this is the historical test of the Magic Tower, it not only tests ones understanding of mana, but also their sense of distribution and their ability to make adjustments.
Liamson ignored Niks words and instead made an energy ball.
His mouth didnt even move which caused Nik to be surprised at the wordless casting which he did easily.
Tsutsu.
And he was even more surprised when he saw what happened to the energy ball.
Huk!
The energy ball that Liamson had made had been compressed down to the size of a humans eyeball!
Nik knew that there were probably no more than 10 people on this floor who could compress the energy ball so much.
Th-, there were rumors that Elves had a terrifying understanding of mana, it seems that they were true
The other elves also tried the test.
A feeling of emptiness seemed to flash within Nik as he witnessed this scene.
It was not only Liamson, but all the elves who were able to perfectly pass what he considered a challenging test.
The human wizards test doesnt seem to be much.
The tall elf spoke indifferent. There was no ridicule or amusement in his voice.
His voice was calm as though he was only stating a simple truth.
Still, his gaze was locked onto Nik.
Nik bit his lower lip but he couldnt say anything.
I cant believe that they came the day that I had to work.
He could tell just from looking at those eyes. The elves now looking down on him, no.
They were looking down on all humans.
He really wanted to tell them no. That he was the only one who was inferior and that they should not look down on humans.
However he couldnt open his mouth.
Nik had never been so upset and helpless because of his timidity.
It was then.
Is that the test?
The pronunciation was fluid so it wasnt an elf.
Nik raised his head and at the same time the elves turned to see who was talking.
Standing there was a man with white hair.
You are?
Frey spoke calmly.
I would like to join the tower.
* * *
P-, please wait a moment. After Im finished guiding them
We are fine. Well wait.
Yes?
Did you not understand? Well wait here. Until that man is tested.
Liamson said it one more time, slowly and carefully as though he thought his words were not clear enough.
Of course, it wasnt that Nik didnt understand what he was saying. It was that the statement was so unexpected that he had asked before he himself had realised.
V-, very well.
They said that they would wait so there was nothing more that he could say.
Nik turned to look at the white haired man in front of him more carefully.
Hes young.
He was 20 years old at best.
His appearance was a bit strange for his age but for some reason it seemed to suit him.
If you reduce your energy ball to the size of my fist, then youll pass.
Frey knew what the test was because he had been following the elves since the beginning.
Its a simple and efficient test.
If a person with a good eye did the screening then they would be able to have a rough idea about the examinees capabilities.
Frey looked at the elves with an interested gaze.
Elves learning magic, that was quite unusual.
At least 4,000 years ago that was not something that he would have even been able to imagine.
Magic was exclusive to humans and the ancient, proud and noble elves had intentions of learning human skills.
And now even Dark Elves who preferred to fight with their bodies had decided to learn magic.
Frey shook his head slightly then muttered.
Energy Ball.
Woowoong.
An energy ball appeared in front of him.
Frey immediately compressed it down to the size of a fist.
It is stable. Youve passed.
The energy ball disappeared faster than it appeared.
Nik was disappointed.
This was because hed inwardly hoped that Frey was an excellent wizard.
If so it wouldnt squashed those elves egos.
It was only his delusion.
He remembered from their previous conversation. All of the elves were around the 5 star level.
The young man in front of him wasnt their match.
If he was truly talented then he wouldve gone to the 1st or 2nd Magic Towers instead of coming here.
You will need to fill out the paperwork. Please wait at the front desk. I need to guide these S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Hey.
It was Liamsons voice.
Nik shuddered subconsciously because the voice was very sharp.
Ye-, yes?
Not you, you.
He was pointing at Frey.
Only then did Frey turn to look at Liamson.
Dont you have the ability to compress it even more?
Frey raised an eyebrow.
Why do you think that?
Just a feeling.
The idiotic answer actually made him smile. It was actually the first time that hed encountered a Dark Elf.
4,000 years ago, the ones that he dealt with were usually High Elves. These guys were more like warriors than people of the forest.
Compressing an energy ball to the size of a fist is the condition to pass.
Show me more. I want to see just how far you can compress the energy ball.
Dont bother me. I have to go do my paperwork, so get out of the way.
Frey frowned as he looked at Liamson sharply.
Liamson observed him for a moment before stepping aside.
Nik could only look at their conversation without being able to do anything about it.
Freys words seemed to have awakened his nerves although it seemed that he hadnt realised that all his hairs were standing up.
I-, Ill guide them to their rooms before returning. Please wait at the front desk.
Frey nodded and Nik began leading the Dark Elves up the stairs.
Hey, human.
Liamson called out again.
Frey responded without even turning his head.
Its Frey.
Frey, are you staying in this tower too?
Thats right.
Liamson threw another weird glance at him before heading upstairs, leaving Frey alone in the training ground.
He made another energy ball.
smaller.
Shuk.
The size of the energy ball gradually reduced. The size of a head, the size of a fist, the size of an eye.
The energy ball continued to shrink until it was almost invisible to the human eye.
It is pretty efficient.
Freys voice rang out in the quiet hall.
Chapter 41
Chapter 41 Translator: Seven
Ah! You are a child of the Blake Family. And youve been a student of the Westroad Academy for two years.
I dropped out of school.
Dropped out? Westroad Academy is a very prestigious institution, famous for its systematic curriculum.
Usually, only wizards above the age of 30 who could handle themselves would enter towers because of the slightly neglectful manner in which they were treated.
Nik wondered why he had come to the magic tower, but he had no courage to pry further than necessary.
HmmI see. How long do you intend to stay at the tower?
I think it will be about half a year.
Half a year.
It was a time that was neither too long nor too short.
It will cost 1 gold coin for 6 months. Meals are served twice, in the mornings and evenings and facilities like the library or training centre are free except for special places.
Thats very cheap.
It was already pretty normal for it to cost as much as 1 gold coin to stay in an inn for a month.
Didnt that mean that staying at the tower only cost around 20 silver coins a month, including the cost of using the library and training centre?
Thats because this is a place of learning. We are willing to accept anyone as long as they meet the minimum requirement for talent and dedication.
This is a great place.
Haha. Thank you. And thisis the pass to enter the magic tower.
Nik handed a ring to Frey.
It was a simple silver ring that had numbers inscribed on the band. (Note: proposal?)
You dont need to wear it all the time, but it costs 1 silver coin to get another one in the event that it is lost.
I understand.
Frey put the ring on his finger.
The number engraved on the ring is also the number for the room you will be staying in.
It has 6-13 inscribed on it.
That means the 13th room on the 6th floor. You should be able to use it right away. Just put the ring in the groove on the door and it will open. It is the same process to lock it.
Frey thanked Nik before immediately heading to his room.
It was a small room, but it had everything that he would need.
A single bed, a desk, a chair and a table to eat on.
Frey felt that they had used this narrow space to the max. Above all, he liked the fact that it had windows.
They were at just the right height so that the view outside was really clear, and it was quite the sight.
Frey unpacked before roughly hanging his robe over the chair. Then he sat on the bed and began to contemplate his future plans.
The first objective is to completely digest the Frozen River. To do that, Ill need to make Torkuntas heart into an elixir.
Frey took a glass bottle from his bag.
Inside this bottle was the compressed heart of the Drake King Torkunta, which was shining a bright red similar to magma.
It would work if I took it just like this but
Frey wanted to get the maximum effect.
Torkuntas heart would certainly be of great help to him if he was able to digest it perfectly as well.
When it comes to fire and water magic, I would have power similar to that of transcendents.
And that would be a great help to him in his fight against the Demigods.
To make the best elixir he could, he would need the best ingredients, the best recipe and the best manufacturer.
Frey was no stranger to making elixirs.
Rather, he had quite a high level of knowledge, but he still didnt think that it was enough.
I have to go through the books in the library.
The 3rd Magic Towers library!
This was the most decisive reason that he had come to this place.
Frey immediately left his room in search of the library.
As Shepard had told him, the library in the 3rd Magic tower was exceptionally large.
He had been told that there were millions of books stored in this place. (Note:is he describing heaven?)
In addition, they were well sorted by category, so it wasnt hard to find the books that you wanted.
After looking around the library for a bit, Frey returned to his room and thought about how to spend his days.
In the morning, he focused on digesting the power of Frozen River. Meditation was also one of the most important forms of training for wizards.
Frey realised that the magic tower had been built on a mana vein[1].
That wasnt all.
Every single brick in the tower was engraved by a First-class craftsman so that ones concentration would be noticeably increased just by being in the tower.
The assigned rooms were completely soundproof and the curtains were capable of blocking all light which made them ideal places to concentrate.
In the afternoon, he exercised his body.
After eating lunch, it was easy to get tired due to satiety and so it was the most likely time when one would be unable to focus.
So for those like Frey who valued efficiency, the afternoon was the best time to exercise.
His body that had been damaged by his tussling in the Ispania Mountains would be returned to its original state, no, he would make it much better than it was before.
A healthy mind resides in a healthy body. (Note:*looks down at belly*no wonder)
Frey knew that that widely used phrase was in fact true.
A normal lifestyle, balanced diet and steady exercise.
As long as these three things were combined properly, his physical condition would improve rapidly.
The tower also had a training centre where the magic warriors trained their bodies and practiced martial arts.
He then locked himself in the library during the evenings as it was open 24 hours a day.
Thanks to this, Frey would be able to concentrate on reading until his body cried out for sleep.
Frey realized that he quite liked his life in the magic tower.
His current autonomous behaviour suited his taste much more than his days in the academy where he was suppressed by the schedule.
And like that.
Time passed.
I, I lost.
Hmph
Liamson snorted and retracted his fist.
The man in front of him, Nikita, lowered his head with a sad expression on his face. (Note: no not Nik, different person.)
Hes a monster.
Nikita was a Magic Warrior and he had pride in his skills that werent too bad.
Although it was not possible for him to enter the 4th Magic Tower which was considered the Holy Land for magic warriors, he still considered himself as one of the top 5 within the 3rd Magic Tower.
Then he heard that Dark Elves were staying in the tower.
Dark Elves had a reputation for being mighty jungle warriors rather than a gentle forest loving species, but Magic Warriors had always had a feeling of superiority towards them.
Then one of the Dark Elves approached him.
Lets fight.
!
He spoke in a very crude tone.
However his words had awakened the superior feeling within Nikita.
Therefore, Nikita accepted the challenge.
But he lost.
Horribly.
I couldnt even touch
It couldnt even be considered a fight.
As soon as it began, he felt a sharp pain in his abdomen. Then, before he was even given a chance to react, his body was sent to the floor.
Nikita didnt even feel any resentment or disgrace from the loss. Because they were on completely different levels.
He looked at him with a respectful gaze, but Liamson was already looking somewhere else as though he was no longer interested in him.
And his eyes seemed to be filled with curiosity.
Naturally, Nikita also turned to look at what he was looking at.
That guy
Wasnt that the nerd who came to the training centre every now and then but hung around the library most of the time?
He remembered him clearly because of his hair which was like a mixture of grey and white.
Why is he looking at him?
Even Nikita didnt pay any attention to him.
At first he had observed him because of his strange behavior that he had never seen before but his actions seemed to have no real purpose.
As Liamson approached the man, Nikita recalled his name.
Was itFrey?
Are you a magic warrior?
Frey stopped moving and looked at Liamson.
He was wearing a thin coat that was very different from his clothes a month ago. It showcased his body that was filled with muscles.
Even his cheeks didnt seem to be as skinny as they were before.
No. Im a wizard.
A wizard that walks in such a way
Liamson, who was pondering for a moment, soon smiled.
Human.
Its Frey.
It was a repeat of their conversation a month ago.
Liamson nodded.
Right, Frey. Fight with me.
What?
No. Its not fight
Liamson seemed a bit frustrated because he could not find the right words.
Then he heard a voice from his left.
Spar.
Ah. Right. That.
It was the only woman among the elves party.
She approached with an expressionless face before looking at Frey.
Call me Camille.
Frey.
You can ignore that idiots request.
Her words made Liamson a bit angry.
Im not an idiot. Teacher didnt you see how this man moved? He has to be a warrior.
It was in the Elf language.
Of course, when they spoke to each other they would use the language that they were all more comfortable with. Sar?h the N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Besides this woman was his teacher.
There was nothing more difficult than trying to determine the age of an elf. Both Camille and Liamson appeared to be in their 20s.
Camilles eyes turned cold.
You still havent fixed your habit of sticking to warriors yet.
B-, but
You should properly ask the other persons opinion first. There are times when warriors are restrained by their own beliefs.
Liamson bowed his head at those words.
Then Frey spoke.
I dont care. If its just a battle.
The two elves turned to look at him in surprise. They did not think that anyone there would be able to understand their conversation.
Even Camille who had remained expressionless so far, could not hide her surprised expression.
you, you know how to speak Elvish?
Frey nodded.
A little.
(Note:
1- So this is your chance to give a bit of feedback guys. Should I call it mana vein or leyline or if you have other suggestions, then you can comment your choice.)
Chapter 42 - The 3rd Magic Tower (4)
Chapter 42 - The 3rd Magic Tower (4) Translator: Seven
You are a strange human. You use magic, move like a magic warrior and you even know how to speak Elvish.
From my perspective, Elves learning to use magic is also quite strange.
Mm? Thats exactly what an old person would say.
After all, it was a very conservative statement.
She couldnt imagine those words coming out of the mouth of a human who was less that 100 years old.
Frey was silent because there was nothing he could say.
He felt Camille giving him a curious gaze.
Liamson will become the next leader of our tribe. If its fine with you, why dont you fight him?
A good spar.
Just as Liamson constantly observed Frey, Frey had also watched a few of Liamsons battles so he knew that his skills were substantial.
There were five main stages for Magic Warriors.
Apprentice, Third-class, Second-class, First-class.
And finally, Warrior King.
Liamson was at least a Second-class Magic Warrior from what Frey had seen.
This kind of fight against a strong warrior was a good way to increase experience.
Also, after doing nothing but training for a month, Frey felt a bit sick of it.
Lets get on with it.
They then stepped to the center of the room and faced each other.
All of the people who had been in the training centre stopped moving and instead turned to watch their fight.
It was Liamson who made the first move.
Swish.
At that moment his figure seemed to become a blur.
The first thing that Frey noticed was his unique gait. It reminded him of fireflies swaying in the dark.
Smack.
He felt a heavy feeling on his wrist.
Freys right hand had reached behind him and accurately blocked Liamsons attack.
A look of surprise flashed past Liamsons face.
This easy?
It had been a month since he had entered the magic tower.
In that time, he had fought many magic warriors but he felt that they were all trash.
To put it bluntly, they couldnt even withstand his first attack.
But Frey had managed to do it.
What was more important was how easy the action seemed to be for him.
Frey gave him the same feeling he felt whenever he fought his teacher.
How did you know?
Because this is a bright and open location. It would have been many times more difficult if we were fighting in the dark.
That was true.
Shadow Attack was an incredibly terrifying skill when used in the dark.
Liamson narrowed his eyes and looked down at his hand.
For a moment he recalled the wrist which felt a bit weak.
Kukugood. This will be fun.
Liamson let out a laugh and rushed forward again, only this time, Frey also made his move.
His eyes were fixed to Liamsons feet.
The key is in his foot movements.
As long as he did not miss his foot movements then he would be able to roughly guess what kind of move Liamson would make next.
Pahpahpah.
The fight went back and forth.
As they continue, Frey felt that Liamson was not used to fighting barehanded.
It seemed that his main focus wasnt his fists, but some kind of weapon.
Thanks to this, Frey was able to block all of his attacks while landing counterattacks.
Liamson was visibly puzzled.
This is hard.
Dark Elves movements usually didnt leave any sound. Even another Dark Elf would not be able to hear Liamsons footsteps.
That was why the most effective means of reading their movements was to use your eyes.
Liamson had realised something.
The eyes of the man in front of him were sharp enough to transcend common sense.
Does he have experience fighting against Dark Elves?
Liamson moved faster, hiding his innermost thoughts.
He could see it after fighting him for real.
This man was not a Magic Warrior.
There was no way that a magic warrior would have such a weak body.
He was certain that he only needed a chance to land one hit to secure his victory.
But it seemed like that one chance was incredibly rare.
This guy has a lot of fighting experience. But from what I can tell, this human should only be about 20 years old.
Liamson was 74 years old.
It had been 30 years since he had become a warrior and in that time he had fought tens of thousands of times.
He was confident that his experience was second to no one and never in his life had he met someone like this human who was able to read all of his moves.
He felt restless.
This was turning out to be more fun that he had initially expected.
A smile appeared on Liamsons face.
* * *
this doesnt make sense.
Nikita and the other people who were training in the hall couldnt help but open their mouths as they witnessed the fight unfolding before them.
Even if the levels were different, they were too different.
They realised that this was how a real battle between the strong looked and that they were simply frogs in the well all along.
How on earth can you react to such movements?
They were not the only ones surprised.
The Dark Elves were quite shocked as well.
No, their surprise was even more than that of the humans.
This is impossible.
He can hold out like that against Liamson, who is being groomed to become the next tribe leader.
Other than the teacher, we couldnt hold out for a few
Is he really human?
Among the Dark Elves, Liamsons skills were particularly prominent.
Except for Camille, the current chiefs sister and the training instructor, no one could last more than a minute against Liamson.
This was why they could not believe it when the human, who had been doing strange movements in the corner of the training centre from time to time, continued to fight equally against him.
Camille narrowed her eyes.
His physical ability is poor.
She was certain.
This man, Freys body, did not have the suitable musculature for such a fight.
In the beginning, he had said that he was a wizard and not a magic warrior, and from what she could see, Camille knew that he was telling the truth.
But even when that was true, he was still able to fight on equal footing with Liamson.
Unbelievably precise mana distribution and experience.
Even if he could do the former because of natural talent and senses, what about the experience?
The average human lifespan was 100 years and no matter how old he was, he would not have surpassed 30 years.
Who the hell is he?
Camilles curious gaze never left Frey.
* * *
Liamson attacked endlessly while Frey blocked or avoided them.
It seemed to be a simple, boring battle but both men were soaked in sweat as though they both had just taken a shower.
This couldnt be decided by a spar.
In terms of physical ability, he knew that he had an advantage.
Maybe in another 10 minutes or so, Frey would be too exhausted to continue and he would naturally win. But Liamson didnt want such a victory.
Liamson stopped attacking.
Then Frey naturally stopped moving as well.
For a moment, they did not say anything and simply maintained eye contact.
It was Liamson who broke the silence.
How long will you stay at the tower?
About 5 months.
Will you keep coming to the training centre?
Maybe.
Good.
With those words, Liamson turned and climbed up the stairs.
While the Dark Elves chattered among themselves, Camille approached him.
You have a tremendous amount of skill. I didnt know that you were on par with Liamson.
Camille didnt look down on humans. It was simply that there were few among them who were capable of fighting toe to toe with Liamson.
Camille was purely expressing her admiration for the man in front of her.
Can you occasionally spar with him in the future?
It doesnt matter. I was getting tired of my normal exercise anyway.
Thank you for taking care of us.
Frey nodded and turned around.
At that moment, his fluttering earrings caught Camilles eyes.
Ah
Her mouth opened but then closed just as fast.
Frey returned to his room and sat onto his bed while thinking.
It was an unexpected harvest to get the chance to fight against Dark Elves.
Any opportunity to increase his actual combat experience was always welcome, especially because Liamsons fighting prowess was excellent.
If you wanted to claim that you were a warrior then you needed to have at least that level of skill.
This was the level of skill that Frey had hoped to find from the nobles in the Westroad Academy in the past.
Of course, he knew now that his expectations in the academy students were too high.
Other than that, there was some more good news.
Ssss-
Frey closed his eyes and inspected his mana room.
That was when he realised.
The freezing air of the Frozen River had been completely melted.
His hair had started turning gray again about two weeks ago so there had been signs.
Thanks to that, his hair had become a strange mixture of gray and white.
Then now
He had to eat Torkuntas heart.
Frey took the glass bottle from his pocket before looking at it.
He had read many books in the tower in hopes of finding some way to refine it into an elixir with no luck.
Of course, his desire for knowledge had been satisfied, but it still wasnt enough.
Frey left his room and headed for the library once again.
When he got there, he went to look for the librarian in charge.
Are all the books that the 3rd Magic Tower possesses stored in this library?
Of course not. The only books that can be found in the library are Rank 3 books.
Rank 3?
Yes. Books in the magic tower are separated into three levels. Rank 3 can be easily obtained in the market and can be read by the general public without repercussions. Rank 2 can only be read by wizards who have made contributions. And Rank 1 can only be read by those who are approved by the 3rd Magic Tower.
Then he added.
Rank 1 books are commonly called Grimoires.
What should I do if I want to read a Grimoire?
In the tower there is the Tower Master and 10 Floor Masters. To read a Rank 1 Grimoire you must be approved by three Floor Masters or by a Deputy Tower Master or the Tower Master.
Then he looked at a calendar before he continued talking.
A test is held every two months. Five Floor Masters are the judges. You just need to get their approvalThe next exam is just around the corner. Only three days away. Sar?h the N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
He turned to look at Freys eyes.
Would you like to participate?
Frey nodded.
* * *
Three days passed.
The test was set to be held in the basement of the tower.
This was the first time that Frey learned that the tower had a basement.
Quite a few wizards gathered in the basement. Each of them forming their own small groups of two or three.
In the tower Frey usually stayed by himself without interacting with others.
Nik from the front desk was one of few wizards that he had spoken to, most of them out of necessity.
Of course, the other wizards were of course not that interested in Frey.
But now he knew that they would pay more attention to him.
Is that him? The guy who fought hand to hand with a Dark Elf?
He doesnt seem like much from first glance
Dont say anything. He was moving so fast that he did not even seem like a human being.
Then why is a magic warrior taking the test?
It seemed that they had mistaken Frey to be a magic warrior.
But Frey had no reason to clear up the misunderstanding so he simply stood silently in a corner.
Then someone approached him.
He looked up and found that it was Camille and Liamson.
You guys are here to take the test?
Theres a Grimoire that I want to see.
What about the guy beside you?
Camille let out a laugh and poke Liamson in the side.
I just brought him because I was bored to come alone.
Then a group of people entered the basement.
Frey glanced over at them.
They were all wearing clean white robes and all seemed to be past their middle ages.
Frey realised that they were the Tower Masters that the librarian had told him about just a few days before.
There are a lot more here for the test than I expected.
It doesnt matter since the group will be thinned out pretty quickly.
Right. Theres no need for me to explain so lets just start the test right away. First of all we need to set the minimum qualifications. Everyone cast Energy Ball.
As he said those words, energy balls began appearing here and there.
Frey also created an energy ball.
The eyes of the wizards once again turned to the Floor Masters. One of them spoke in a calm voice.
Now compress them.
Someone made a rude noise.
Could it be that these tests were actually so simple?
Maybe it was because it was the first test, so it was quite relaxing. This was the thought that most of the wizards had.
Then one of the Floor Masters took a small bead from his pocket. The bead was smaller than a knuckle.
Those in the group couldnt help but look at the bead with confused expressions. Those who were quick witted looked suspicious instead.
The minimum requirement is to make it smaller than this bead. All of those who do not succeed, please go back up.
The faces of the wizards hardened collectively.
They shared a thought.
The difficulty of the first test was incredibly high.
Chapter 43 - Adelia (1)
Chapter 43 - Adelia (1) Translator: Seven
Ugh
Nikita grunted in pain.
His face was red and his eyes were bloodshot.
This proved that his focus was concentrated to the limit. And yet, the energy ball before him was no smaller than a fist.
He turned to look desperately at the Floor Master. Sarch* The ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
P-, please wait a little longer!
Youve reached your limit. If you try to make it smaller, you will overexert your concentration. Retrieve your mana.
Uh
It wasnt just him.
Most of the wizards who were taking the test also had the same limit as he did.
Those wizards, who were unable to compress their energy balls to the desired size, could only go back upstairs with drooping shoulders.
Hmmpass.
I, I did it!
Of course, there were also those who were successful.
Several of these sweaty people cried out in delight while the Floor Masters simply nodded their heads and calmly announced that they passed.
It was understandable that they would be happy.
One of the Floor Masters of the 3rd Magic Tower, Mikel, looked around the room while thinking.
This time the level of the test was below average.
Then Mikels gaze landed upon the two Dark Elves.
When he saw the sizes of the energy balls in front of them, a feeling of admiration could not help but appear in his heart.
The energy ball in front of the male elf was excellent, but the energy ball in front of the female elf was the size of a fingernail.
Mikel could not conceal his surprise at her precise control.
How long have you been learning magic?
20 years.
Hmmmagnificent. You pass.
Then he added.
I dont think she needs to take any more tests. She should be allowed to read a Grimoire. Do you agree?
I agree.
Excellent.
The other Floor Masters nodded in succession.
Camille and Liamson only shrugged and accepted the decision.
After waving at Frey, they headed back upstairs.
Im jealous.
Damn. Those without talent can only live in sorrow.
As the other wizards watched the elves leave with eyes filled with envy, Mikel turned to gaze at the next in line.
It was Frey.
At first glance, there didnt seem to be an energy ball in front of him.
Mikel stopped in front of him without saying anything.
The wizards began whispering among themselves as they saw this.
What? Did he give up?
I think so.
Then why is he standing there so confidently.
Looks like he really is a typical magic warrior.
There is no way a guy who was strong enough to fight toe to toe with a Dark Elf is a wizard.
It was then.
Mikel approached Frey while saying.
I cant believe it.
Mikel wasnt looking at Frey.
What he was looking at, was the empty space in front of him.
No, it wasnt empty.
The curious wizards began narrowing their eyes one by one.
Gradually, looks of shock began to spread across their faces.
Th-, that
Im-, impossible
Only then did the wizards realise.
Floating in front of Frey was an energy ball the size of a speck of dust.
Even Mikel was not confident that he could reduce it that much.
Not only that, regardless of which Floor Master you asked, the answer would be the same.
This was not possible without extremely precise mana control.
What is your name?
Frey.
Frey. I see.
Mikel pondered for a moment before speaking with clear eyes.
You dont need to take any more tests.
What do you mean?
You passed. And
He glanced around for a moment before continuing.
If its okay with you, why dont we talk for a bit.
* * *
Frey followed Mikel to the 9th Floor of the dungeon.
He had been staying in the tower for a month, but this was the first time that he had come to this place.
That was because only important officials of the tower were able to enter past the 7th floor.
Mikel stared at Frey for a moment before he finally opened his mouth.
Where are you from?
He asked a very ambiguous question.
At the same time, he deliberately looked at the Typhoon earrings dangling from Freys ears.
If he didnt want to continue such a line of questioning, Frey could simply answer that he was from the Blake Family.
However, he didnt do so.
Duke Shepard was the one who introduced me to the 3rd Magic Tower.
Hmm.
Mikel frowned when he heard the name Shepard since he knew that he was a member of the circle.
Then he let out a heavy sigh.
I see. This time Honor Shepard has managed to find an excellent talent.
It seemed that he had misunderstood something.
I currently have no intention of joining the Strow Necklaces.
Hoh. That means youre a wanderer. Thenwould you like to join us?
Frey was speechless for a moment as he had not expected him to suddenly throw out such an offer.
us?
The Phisfounder Armlets.
Frey shook his head.
I have no intention of joining any groups right now.
Thats unfortunate.
I dont think thats why you called me here.
Mikel hesitated for a moment before opening his mouth.
You seem like a wizard whos reached at least 5 stars. Am I right?
I wont deny it.
Even though he could be considered as halfway to 7 stars, it was not wrong to say that he was at least 5 stars.
Frey nodded.
Mikels gaze became more intense.
How much do you know about the Demigods? (Note: omgisnt this supposed to be a secret?)
A little bit.
Then the conversation wont be too long. Not long ago, traces of the Demigods were found in Uthiano.
!
Freys eyes became cold.
What trace?
To be precise. They were the traces of fanatics who worship them. They are people whose lives and consciousness are controlled by the Demigods. Of course, most of them are small fry so we dont pay attention to them. But there is a high chance that there was an Apostle among them.
?
Ah, you dont know. They are people who were chosen directly by the Demigods. They call them Apostles. They are able to use the power of Divinity which was originally exclusive to Demigods.
It was the first time that Frey had heard about them.
At least, they were not around 4,000 years ago.
Uthiano is the area under the control of Honor Lukes and I.
What is an Honor?
Hmm. You really know nothing about the circle.
Mikel shrugged and explained.
Force Honor. To put it simply, they are executives in the circles. The only positions higher than that are the Circle Master, who could be considered the head and the Circle Rounder, who is second in command.
He had just heard that Shepard was also a Force Honor.
He was at the 7 stars level, which meant that one had to be at least at the same level to be an executive.
Then the Circle Master and Circle Rounder are likely to be stronger than that.
Frey decided to ask the thing that he had been most curious about after his return.
What levels are the Circle Masters at?
Mikel observed Frey for a moment with a speechless expression on his face.
I have nothing to say about that. The level of the Circle Master is not something that I would know.
In Freys eyes, Mikel was not a wizard who would kneel to just anyone.
It was clear that he had reached at least the 6 stars level.
He was curious.
half a year, no. The test is in five months.
If he went there, then he would have a high chance of meeting the Circle Masters. Those who carried the names of him and his closest friends.
They were the people who probably knew the most about the Demigods in the current era and there was a high probability that they also had the power to confront them.
Therefore they were the people that he had to meet.
Frey did not believe that they used those names purely out of admiration for the heroes of the past.
The heroes from 4,000 years ago were mythical figures to humans. Frey had read about it in many books already.
Schweiser Strow, praised for being wiser than anyone else in the world.
Iris Phisfounder, who completely changed the worlds perception of witches.
Kasajin, who was said to have paved the road of magic martial arts.
Lucid, who ascended to the throne of King of Swords.
And Lucas Traumen, the only man in history to be given the title Great Mage.
There was no bait better than those names to attract attention and people.
Of course, he didnt blame them.
To fight the Demigods, they had to use every method that they could think of.
Frey was also in favor of that method. But it should not exceed a certain extent.
This was why Frey intended to see them with his own eyes.
If he met them in person, he would be able to learn the extent of their power as well as their true intentions.
Why did you tell the news of the Apostle to me who hasnt even joined the Circle yet?
There is no other Circle member in the magic tower currently. Honor Lukes was called to the hideout for an emergency meeting. Meanwhile, traces of an Apostle have been found.
After he had said so much, Frey understood his intentions.
So you are asking for my help?
To be honest, yes.
Mikel continued speaking while clasping his hands in front of him.
Honor Lukes has given me orders to not leave until he returns but this situation is worse than anticipated. If we leave it alone as it is, a few villages could evaporate without a trace.
The reason that youre asking for help from an outsider like meis because there are no other circle members in the tower?
Thats right.
Swish.
Mikel lifted his sleeves, revealing a black bracelet that was tightly fastened to his wrist.
Frey realised that it was a relic of Iris.
The Circle has to move more secretly nowadays. Since the death of the Circle Master of the Traumen Rings by the hands of the Demigods, they have been more active. Originally we wouldnt have had to talk in secret like this.
Its true. You may have noticed already, but there is a spell on the walls.
It cant completely stop someone from eavesdropping, but you designed it in such a way that you can tell immediately if someone tries to break it.
! That, thats right.
Mikel spoke after a moment of shock.
He hadnt even looked at the wall properly but he was still able to easily grasp the true nature of the spell that he had used.
Um. He doesnt seem like a twenty year old at all.
It was like talking to an old wizard.
In addition to the size of the energy ball which had been smaller than a speck of dust and the sheer volume of mana that he had sensed within it
Mikel had never been jealous of another persons talent, but the young man in front of him became an exception.
But now was not the time for that.
Mikel, who had coughed for a moment, finally revealed his intentions.
Of course, I dont intend for you to play a major role. Im taking you as insurance.
Insurance?
Mikels expression became serious.
actually, I asked for reinforcement from our allies in the Circle. That was a month ago.
If it was a month agoah.
Mikel nodded when he saw the realisation in Freys eyes.
The Dark Elves, they are also a part of the Circle. At the same time, they are the reinforcements from [Blacktooth] that I requested.
Indeed.
He could now understand why he allowed them to read the Grimoire in the tower so easily.
Perhaps that was the price of their support. Attending the test was simply a formal process.
They say that they are here as reinforcements, but I dont completely trust them. Ive heard a lot of bad rumors about the Dark Elves. Thats why I saw you wearing the Typhoon Earrings.
Frey fiddled with one of his earrings.
Chapter 44 - Adelia (2)
Chapter 44 - Adelia (2) Translator: Seven
The Typhoon Earrings were magic items that Frey had created himself.
But they seemed to be more widely known than he had expected.
Yet no one seemed to recognize Schweisers Bracelet.
Shepard hadnt noticed it and neither had Mikel who was in front of him right now.
Perhaps no one knew that the staff was usually stored in its bracelet form.
In all honesty, the Typhoon Earrings could not be considered high quality magic items. However the Great Sages Staff was different.
This was Schweisers symbol and its utility and power were at a level that all other artifacts could not compare to.
If the presence of the staff was revealed, then there would be a great disturbance in the world, especially in the circle.
In particular, the reaction of the Strow Necklaces who proclaimed to be Schweisers successors could be easily imagined.
Originally I would not have reached out to you. But to be properly prepared for the situation this time it would be best to have at least two wizards.
Apostles.
Questions arose about their existence.
Human beings who were selected by the Demigods and given the ability to use their divine power.
Could he think of them as agents?
Frey slowly opened his mouth.
I can help you, butwhen do you intend to take action?
Im not sure. But I believe it will not take more than a week. I think I still need to gather more information.
One week.
That was enough.
But of course there were conditions.
I would like to start reading the Grimoire from today.
Is it urgent?
Yes.
Hmmwhat book are you looking for?
There was no reason to hide, so he answered honestly.
A book about alchemy.
Alchemy?
There is an elixir that I want to refine.
HmmIt would be better to ask for her help in refining it than for the book itself. I think she mightl be staying at the tower for a while.
She?
Mikel nodded.
Adelia. She is an authority in alchemy and you would be hard pressed to find someone on a similar level. I have not encountered anyone better than her, especially when it comes to creating elixirs.
Adelia?
Freys eyes narrowed.
It was not familiar, but he had definitely heard the name somewhere before.
And after hearing Mikels next words, he understood where he had heard the name.
Shes staying at the tower for a while, but shes a teacher at the Westroad Academy, so I dont know when she will leave. So if youre going to ask, youd better hurry.
Adelia.
It was a name hed heard several times in the Westroad Academy.
She was an elite who could stand shoulder to shoulder with Professor Dio Perseman, who was regarded as one of the best among the faculty.
But Frey had never met her in person.
This was because Adelias subjects did not match up with any of the classes that he had been taking at that time.
He knew very little about her since he rarely paid attention to rumors.
Among the professors she was one of the young ones and she was a woman.
That was all he knew.
Adelias stage isnt very high, but even the Floor Masters in our tower would often request her help when it came to alchemy. I dont know what it is that you want, but it should save a lot of time instead of having to rummage through books.
Hmm
With Mikel, one of the Floor Masters in the tower boasting so much about her, Frey could not help but be a bit curious about this woman called Adelia.
Frey looked at Mikel for a moment before asking.
Where is she?
* * *
Frey was standing in front of Professor Adelias room.
It was the 20th room on the 6th Floor.
He hadnt expected to be staying on the same floor as her, but had he ever encountered a woman other than Camille on the 6th Floor?
Frey tried to jog his memory but found that that was truly the case.
He decided to knock on the door.
Tak Tak.
There was no response so he decided to knock once again.
Tak Tak.
There was still no response.
Frey knocked a little harder on the door.
Thump thump.
Only then did he hear some sort of noise from the inside.
There was a rumbling sound followed by what appeared to be a curse in a womans voice and the sound of something breaking.
Frey took a step back and waited.
Click.
The door opened and from there a woman looked out.
The woman had messy hair and puffy eyes.
And those eyes were staring at Frey filled with irritation.
What do you want?
Youre Professor Adelia right?
Yeah.
I came after receiving a recommendation from Floor Master Mikel. I heard that you are an authority in alchemy and Id like to ask
I dont know about that. Im busy so go away.
After saying that she tried to close the door, but Frey put his foot to stop it.
He hated to be such a nuisance, but he wasnt in any position to let it go.
For a moment, the two of them made eye contact.
Adelia pulled the door a few times before sighing after realising that it was impossible to do it by force.
Who are you?
Frey Blake.
Blakethe Blake Family?
Yes.
HmI dont think youre the first one Mischael. Ah. Come to think of it, Heinz did tell me that he had a younger brother.
It sounded like she knew Heinz Blake.
She narrowed her eyes for a moment. But soon after she sighed and scratched her messy head.
Nothing has been going well since yesterday. Can you tell me what you want and then leave? Im very busy.
Frey followed her into the room.
Adelias room was very large. It seemed to be about ten times larger than the room that Frey was staying in.
This was not a room, but a lab.
However there were mountains of books, magical materials that gave off weird smells and glass bottles storing liquids of suspicious colors scattered everywhere which made the space feel much smaller than it actually was.
Above all, it was dark and carried the smell of dust as if it was not well ventilated.
Frey followed Adelia who cleared away some dust with her hand.
Sit wherever you like.
Where did she want him to sit?
Frey forcibly made a seat and attached his ass to it.
Adelia then spoke with a rather open attitude.
Though Im curious as to what you want. Im busy, tired and irritated, so cut the unnecessary back and forth and get to the point.
I heard that you are an authority in alchemy. Especially when it comes to the creation of elixirs.
Huh. When it comes to elixirs even the Master of the 3rd Magic Tower Julian could not compare to me.
She said this without showing any expression of pride. Like she was simply telling the truth instead of showing off.
Only those whose self confidence had turned into conviction could display this kind of attitude.
Frey pondered for a moment before asking her a question.
The creation of Mana Fluid. Can you do it? (Note: should I change it to Liquid Mana instead?)
Of course-
Its not just about if you can create it, but if you can extract the true, purified liquid.
Adelias eyes changed and the gaze she gave Frey was now one of interest.
Hmm. It seems you know something about alchemy.
The liquid refining process that Frey had just mentioned was a complicated task that frustrated even the top alchemists.
In addition, if he had no knowledge of alchemy at all then he would not have been able to even mention it.
Adelia shrugged.
Its possible. Ive extracted up to 100ml of pure liquid by myself without any assistants. Did it take about half a day that time?
100ml
What a woman.
Frey couldnt help but feel some admiration,
For a normal wizard it might be possible for them to extract about 10ml in half a day even with the help of two assistants.
It seemed that her statement about being ahead of the Tower Master when it came to alchemy was not an empty boast. (Note: only there hasnt yet been any proof of her ability) Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
At the same time, it was easy to see what kind of person Adelia was.
She was the incarnation of an inquisitive mind with a strong desire for knowledge.
The public would probably treat her like a geek, but Frey was used to people like this the most.
Frey was certain.
Tak.
He took out the bottle which contained Torkuntas heart and placed it on a dirty table.
Adelia looked at the bottle with an uninterested expression.
Whats that?
Why dont you check for yourself?
Adelia narrowed her eyes slightly and slowly examined the bottle.
Then slowly, her eyes began to widen.
Hmm. H-Huh? N-, no. Surelyw-, wait a second! Really?
Perhaps she didnt realise the things that she was saying.
Adelia looked at the small bottle with an expression filled with disbelief.
Ca-, can I touch it?
As soon as Frey nodded, she gently lifted the bottle as if she was holding a great treasure before slowly opening it up.
H-, hehehe. This beautiful colorsuch dense mana yet it can still be held in one handthe warm heat exuding from it. What the hell is this?
Thats the heart of a 1,000 year old Drake. The estimated Mana Energy(ME) is about 100,000.
100,000-!!!!
Adelias heart seemed to pound in her chest.
If it was 100,000 then that meant that it had 100 times the energy of an average wizard.
How could so much mana fit into such a small bottle?
The glass bottle is an amazing magic tool as well. But even more amazing than that is the fact that he was able to transfer such pure and sensitive energy into a glass bottle.
Although it seemed simple, it was the same as moving a broken glass jar while keeping its original shape. (Note: I added jar to make it easily understandable, but the author meant glass as in cupbut glass cup sounds weird)
Adelia looked at Frey with a little doubt but she was unable to tell anything from his expression.
She carefully placed the bottle back on the table. Her previous lethargic appearance seeming to have been given a burst of energy.
She stared at Frey with a slightly excited expression and said.
So what do you want?
To make that into an elixir that I can take.
Thats crazy.
Frey let out a laugh.
Your expression says otherwise.
Adelia touched her cheek and found that without her realising, her mouth had spread into an excited smile.
This, this is just a habit. All alchemists are like thisand Im not just saying that.
Why is it crazy?
The difficulty of the refinement is already high, but the real problem is the ingredients. The other thingright. I can get everything else. Most of them are here right now. And for the things I dont have, they are not too hard to get.
Adelia looked around her room as she said that.
It seemed scattered and messy, but it was actually organized in her own way.
From the moment shed heard of his intentions to make an elixir, she had begun to recreate the refining process in her head.
But there is one thing that we wouldnt be able to find.
Something that cant be found?
Adelia looked to him with a stern expression.
The feather of a Phoenix.
Seeing that stupid expression on your face, you know how hard it is to get right? Its not something that you can get just by meeting or killing a Phoenix. You can only barely get it when they are in a good mood. But they are called fantasy creatures because no one knows where they are on the continent
Frey pulled out the Phoenix feather that he had in his bag.
Th-tha-
Adelias pupils shook.
She kept stuttering and it seemed like she was unable to form coherent sentences, as if she had been broken.
What else do you need?
Adelia closed her mouth for a moment before speaking in a slightly weak voice.
an assistant who is excellent enough to assist me. Apart from their stage they must have a natural talent for mana control. They at least need to be at the level of easily compressing an energy ball to the size of a fingernail
An energy ball suddenly appeared in front of Adelia and began compressing until it was just smaller than a fingernail.
Adelia opened her mouth for a moment before speaking in a voice that sounded like her soul had left her body.
when do you want to start?
Chapter 45 - Adelia (3)
Chapter 45 - Adelia (3) Translator: Seven
You, what are you?
Adelia looked at Frey with a tired expression on her face. And yet, her hands were still moving busily.
Frey didnt answer her and continued mixing an elixir.
Where did you learn alchemy? Its kind of old fashioned but definitely on the level of a Professor.
Its all from books.
Right. Its all in the books. Do you think I dont know? But its completely different to do it in practice.
Adelia paused for a moment before continuing.
You know what. You, would you like to be my assistant?
If any of her acquaintances had been around, they would have wondered if something was wrong with their ears.
Adelia.
What kind of woman was she?
Regarding alchemy, she had boasted that she would neither request someones assistance nor advice and when asked for collaboration, she would usually frown openly, causing that person to feel embarrassed.
Was she really making an offer first when she was the one that usually said that assistants were hindrances?
Sorry.
Of course, Frey, who did not know the conflict that was happening inside her simply shook his head.
But even if he did know, he would still have refused.
Adelia froze for a moment.
This might have been the first time that she had willingly lowered her head to someone else.
Since she was always the one who was being asked, she didnt know how to coax the other party or what words to say to leave a good impression.
Wh-, Why dont you think about it a little more? As my assistant umyou can make a lot of money too! And, anduh. Ill teach the formulas that only I know. Those old guys in the magic tower couldnt even get me to teach them if they begged. So what do you think?
Professor, the one on the left is not Mandrake extract, its Troll Blossom. (Note: blossom used tentatively since the author wasnt exactly clear)
O-, oops.
Adelia hurriedly changed the glass bottle that she was holding.
But not before she glowered at Frey for a moment.
It would be really comfortable if I had him.
Adelia usually felt that assistants were cumbersome and would get in the way, but Frey was the exception.
He noticed things quickly.
If there was a material that she needed, he would bring it to her before she had even opened her mouth.
This was proof that he did not stop paying attention to Adelias actions even while completing his own tasks.
This was an impossible task unless someone was able to have multiple thoughts at the same time while also having a large field of view.
She didnt intend to get an assistant primarily because they did not have a high enough understanding of alchemy.
However, Frey knew very well the moments to help, the moments that he should stand back, and the moments he should give advice.
It was as if he had done similar things hundreds or thousands of times.
Thanks to this, Adelia was able to work at a rate of at least three times her usual efficiency.
Moreover, Frey didnt lack the necessary knowledge of alchemy. In fact, there were even some areas where he was better than her.
How am I supposed to entice this guy?
Adelia glanced at Frey, revealing her greed for a talent for the first time in her life. (Note: not greed for his talentbut greed for him the talent)
Professor Adelia.
Huh? No. Wait a minute. Why are you calling me professor?
Because I went to Westroad Academy.
Huh? Really? Then why dont I remember seeing you before?
I didnt take professors class.
Let me get this straight. Are you saying that there was nothing for you to learn in my class? If I wanted to
Thats not important, I have something to ask.
What is it?
He had had to open his mouth so many times to finally get to the point.
Frey felt like Adelia was not a suitable conversational partner.
Are you skilled in creating Golems?
To what extent? I should be better than those guys who call themselves puppeteers. Its one of my areas of expertise.
Adelia shook a bottle in her hand as she answered.
for example.
Frey carefully told her the story of Anastasia.
If I gave you a core with 1 million ME, could you make it into a Golem?
Thats crazy.
Adelia spoke coolly.
This time her expression was much more determined than when she had talked about Torkuntas heart.
Then she shook the bottle some more and raised it to the light to inspect it, before speaking.
First of all. You said it was a core with 1 million ME right? How would you make that? No, well. In theory, its possible, but it would probably require an Archmage who is crazy about golems to spend decades working on it.
He couldnt refute that.
When he had first measured the ME in Anastasias core he himself had doubted what he was seeing. sea??h th N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
His doubt had then turned into astonishment.
Frey had realised then that it was something that was beyond a Golem core.
And even if you could somehow make it, there were still problems. In order to contain that much ME the entire body would need to be made from Orichalcum and the nervous system would need to be Mithril. And what about the plating? Right.
Then lets say you collected all of the materials somehow. To create the Golem youd still need dozens of experts in the field to design and form the body, inject the commands into it as well as input the ego.
The wrapping paper of Schweisers last gift to him was much more difficult than Frey had anticipated.
Adelias ability was obvious.
Frey had certainly realized that fact while helping her manufacture the elixirs.
When it came to alchemy, it certainly wasnt an empty boast to say that she was better than the Tower Master.
That was why the situation was even more helpless.
But why do you ask? You dont have a 1 million ME Golem core do you?
It would be too much of a shock if he was to take out the Golem core after already showing her Torkuntas heart.
Frey shook his head.
thats ridiculous.
* * *
Time passed.
Nothing really changed.
Instead of meditation in the mornings, physical training in the afternoons and reading in the evening, Frey spent his time with Adelia, making elixirs.
Adelia had a strange personality, but her skills and knowledge were top notch.
In particular, it was safe to say that there was little that she did not know when it came to alchemy.
If Schweiser was alive, he wouldve made her his disciple no matter the cost.
Perhaps the two of them could have had a really good master-student relationship.
As he thought this, Frey paused for a moment and smiled bitterly.
The frequency of which he projected the past onto the present was increasing.
Did that mean he was old now?
Its been 4,000 years.
Had he really been stuck in the abyss for 4,000 years?
Frey had found himself questioning this fact a lot lately.
He knew that a long time had passed.
But he didnt truly know how long it was because he hadnt been counting.
It was a space where only his consciousness had floated without really affecting anything.
It was not unreasonable for him to mistake 400 years as 4,000 years.
But the reason I think 4,000 years have passed is because thats how much time passed in the outside world.
However, it couldnt be confirmed whether the time in the abyss and the outside world were the same or not.
Frey clicked his tongue.
This is a difficult problem.
It was also not the kind that could easily get an answer.
Frey decided to reconsider this matter at a later date.
Smack.
Thump.
Kuh. I lost.
Liamson lowered his head for a moment with a somber expression on his face.
Frey smiled and reached out a hand to him.
Im now completely used to your movements.
Ha. You just caught me off guard.
He spoke roughly but still reached up and accepted Freys hand.
Their win-loss ratio was 50:50
If it had been a real fight then it might not have even, but this result was possible because it was a simple competition.
Frey glanced at him.
The Blacktooth Tribe.
It was one of the circles among the elves.
Frey was pleased with the fact that different races had knowledge of the Demigod and they all had the will to rebel together.
This was completely different 4,000 years ago.
At that time only the humans and the Dragons dared to bare their fangs at the Demigods.
Dragon.
Associated with this word was the face of his teacher.
On the off chance that teacher is still alive
He would be a great help.
In that case, he wouldnt even need any more reinforcement.
But he soon shook his head. The probability of that was too low.
Even in the past, lives were at stake. Moreover, Dragons wouldnt easily cooperate with humans.
This was because they insisted on being mediators.
In a way
They were quite similar to the Demigods who had many restrictions on their use of their transcendental powers.
Frey, I have a question today.
You can ask me anything.
As Frey nodded, the other Dark Elves also gathered around.
He no longer needed to melt the power of Frozen River so he had a lot more spare time.
During that time, Frey helped the Dark Elves learn magic. (Note: the teacher couldnt help but teach)
Of course, it wasnt just a one-sided relationship.
How was yesterday? Camille asked, to which Frey responded.
There was still no response.
Dont be impatient. It usually takes at least three years to sense the spirits. If you continue to practice after we leave then you might be able to sign a contract someday.
Frey learned Spirit Magic from Camille.
It was also the Darkness Spirit Magic that only Dark Elves should be able to handle.
This couldnt exactly be considered as a deviation from standard magic.
Once one reached the 7 star level, ordinary training would have little effect on them.
Therefore it made more sense to learn something else in that time.
Ill use whatever I can.
But there was one problem.
As Camille had said, hed tried to call the spirits, but there had been no response.
Isnt it something only you guys can use?
I dont think so. Ive taught a few open-minded friends of mine before. Although they were only low level spirits, they were still able to successfully sign a contract.
Well it wont work if you hurry, so just take it slow.
Frey could only nod at Camilles words.
After parting from the Dark Elves, Frey headed to his room to wait for Adelia. (Note: how can this not be misunderstood?)
Today was an important day.
This was because it was the day that the elixir would finally be completed.
Adelia said that she wanted to do the finishing touches alone.
And she had emphasized that he shouldnt come till sunset.
Frey listened to her words.
He didnt even think about the possibility of her running away.
Even if she did run, he had the confidence to catch her.
Of course, Adelia had no reason to take it in the first place.
If she drank if at her current level, then instead of digesting it, her entire body would melt into a pool of blood.
Most importantly, Frey had gained some degree of understanding of this strange human called Adelia.
She was rational and had little interest in anything other than satisfying her own knowledge and desire to learn more.
The sun set.
Frey was about to get up but he soon felt someone outside his door.
Knowing who it was, he simply walked to the door and opened it.
As he stepped out of the room, he saw Adelia standing there, however, there was a rarely seen serious expression on her face.
Are you done?
I want to ask. Youre going to take this, arent you?
Frey nodded.
Adelia hesitated for a moment before she spoke again.
I dont think you should.
Did you fail?
He assumed the worst but Adelia shook her head.
Its the opposite. It is very well made.
Then she took out a small bottle from her pocket.
The ME increased to double the previous amount. It would be difficult for even one of the Floor Masters to consume this. I know that you are very powerful compared to your peers but you should take care of yourself first.
Its fine.
Huh?
Frey collected the elixir from Adelia and gave her a rarely seen, genuine smile.
I was lucky to have met the professor. No one else could have made this elixir so perfectly.
Of course. I am a geniusno, thats not the point. Didnt you hear me? Its dangerous.
Its fine. I have the confidence to handle it.
Adelia seemed like she wanted to say more but in the end, she sighed and gave up.
Just had Frey had gained an understanding of her, she had also done the same for him.
He was not someone who told lies.
Take care of yourself. Im going now. If you need anything else, come and see me. Ill help you if Im not busy.
Thank you very much. I will make sure to repay this favor. And
Frey took out an item from his bag and gave it to her.
I hope that professor will accept this.
Huh?
Eizs Necklace.
It was an item that could increase its users concentration as well as allow them to precisely measure the ME of a material.
Not only that but it was incredibly helpful to an alchemist like her because it allowed her to manage her mana more efficiently.
Above all, it was made with the finest rubies by a First-rate craftsman so it was beautiful enough to captivate whoever was looking at it.
But Adelia was thinking something else which caused her face to turn red.
You, what are you thinkingNo-, not a chance. You are a student and I am a professor.
Yes? (Note: 4000 years and hes still as naive as a childwell actually children nowadays)
No-, not a chance! No means no!
Adelia blushed and ran back into her room, but she still made sure to take the necklace with her.
Frey shrugged then looked down at the elixir in his hand.
It was finally time for him to completely reach 7 stars.
Chapter 46 - Apostle (1)
Chapter 46 - Apostle (1) Translator: Seven
7 Star Wizard.
The meaning of those words was by no means simple.
It was in fact the first step into the realm of Archmages and they were guaranteed to be given at least the title of Earl in any country on the continent.
The Kastkau Empire which was also called the Magic Empire listed the names of every 7 star wizard on a stone tablet in the Imperial Palace. An action that was considered by the wizards to be one of the highest honors.
Frey walked into his room.
Then he scattered frozen crystals that he had made whenever he had free time, around the room.
These were made with Adelias advice and the effect was excellent.
Cold air immediately spread across the room as if it was winter. sea??h th ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Frey waited for a while and then sat when it was cold enough that he could see his own breath.
Then he took the elixir made from Torkuntas heart and drank it in one gulp.
Freys face immediately turned red.
It felt like he had swallowed a ball of fire.
The sensation of it going down his throat was as clear as if he was holding it in his hand.
The first thing that had a reaction was the Frozen River that had been stored in his mana room.
Saaah.
Fire and Ice.
Similarly to when he was on the Drake Mountain, the two energies began clashing again and again.
However this time, the Frozen River was gently enveloping Torkuntas power.
Frey couldnt help but give a small smile. It was different from the last time.
At that time he could not control the power of the Frozen River and he had only been able to use Torkuntas unrefined power.
However the cold energy was now stable and Torkuntas heart had been refined to make it easier to digest.
As Adelia had warned him, the refinement had greatly boosted the ME, but that wasnt much of a problem.
He was rather pleased.
Kooo.
Frey sank into meditation and time passed slowly.
And by the time Mikel came to visit him, he had already made the power of Torkuntas heart his own.
In other words, Frey was now a 7 star wizard.
* * *
Holbridge.
This was the name of a small village that was located not far away from Uthiano.
Mikel seemed to think that there was a high possibility that the Apostle was there. And the moment that Frey set foot in the village, he was sure that Mikels assumptions were correct.
Divine power. Just feeling it makes me nauseous.
He felt so disgusted that he had goosebumps.
More importantly, the village was too quiet. Even though it was still the middle of the day, somehow the village carried a dark feeling.
Its a really small village. There are fewer than 500 residents here and because they are basically self-sufficient, they rarely interact with other villages.
The perfect place for the Apostle to play some tricks.
Exactly.
At Liamsons words, Mikel gave a nod.
Then Camilles ears pricked.
Several young and middle-aged men were approaching them.
A middle-aged man at the front looked at Mikels robes before bowing his head.
Are you a wizard from the Magic Tower?
Thats right. And you are?
I am the mayor of Holbridge, Allard.
Allard answered him with a fearful expression on his face.
may I ask why Sir Wizard has come to our village?
Have any strangers come to this village recently?
Strangers you say?
Allard tilted his head to one side and seemed as if he was trying to recall to the best of his ability.
Soon he shook his head.
At least, not to my knowledge.
Are there any dangerous criminals hiding around here?
Well. There is a possibility.
Allard seemed like he wanted to assure them, but it was dangerous to conclude that it couldnt happen.
Allard began to look more frightened.
Then Frey stepped forward.
I only want to ask you one thing.
P-, please ask.
Where are all the villagers?
Yes?
Allard had a puzzled expression on his face.
Frey simply turned his indifferent gaze to the village.
I cant feel the presence of any villagers. Its as if the village is deserted with no one in it. It seems like there is no one but the five of you.
Ahtoday isthey have work to do. In the forest nearby
All of the villagers?
Allard broke into cold sweat.
Not all of them. Some
Liamson, check it out.
Got it.
Liamsons figure disappeared.
Mikel watched this scene in astonishment.
This was because a Dark Elf, who were known for being a warlike and prideful race, had followed Freys orders as though he was a loyal subordinate.
After a while, Liamson returned.
There is no one in the village. And
He looked at Allard without any expression on his face.
There were large pools of blood.
K, kuoh! (Note: it should be a roar, but I cant exactly put r-, roar now can I?)
Allards expression changed instantly.
Then a change began to take place.
His back became hunched, the nails on his curled fingers began elongating and his mouth ripped all the way to his ears.
He became a monster that looked like a wolf. (Note: werewolves everywhere crying out in protest rn)
It wasnt just Allard, but also the men who were beside him that also began to transform.
Th-, the Demigods creatures!
Mikel shouted and used a spell.
Flame Wall!
A wall of fire rose up in front of him.
Kieeek!
But the monsters easily broke through the wall and pounced at Mikel.
Oh my God!
He didnt expect them to break through a 4 star spell so easily.
Mikels entire body stiffened.
He was a wizard who didnt have much practical experience.
But Frey had already finished casting his spell by then.
Wind cutter.
Pah pah pat.
Blades made of invisible wind tore the bodies of the monsters into pieces in an instant.
The easily crossed flame wall was immediately overshadowed.
Most of the monsters blood and body parts fell into a puddle. Only Allard was left.
He stared at Frey with an unbelievable expression.
I-, impossible. A creature who directly received his powerd-, died from just a simple wind cutter
Bam.
Thud!
Ugh
Liamson overpowered Allard and Frey walked up to him before speaking in a cold voice.
Tell me everything you know.
I, I dont know anything.
Of course, he didnt expect him to open his mouth so easily since he was a Demigod Fanatic.
Therefore Frey decided to use the most efficient method of torture.
Fire.
Uh, uhwh-, what are you doing?
Crackle. (Note: sfxmy bane)
When a small flame appeared in Freys hand, Allard began shaking his head with a horrified expression on his face.
St-, stop!
Liamson, hold his left eye open.
Liamson did as he said and forced Allards left eye open and as he did that, Freys flame began shrinking until it would be able to fit in his eye.
Allards already pale face paled even further.
Can a wizard from the empire do something like this?!
Theres no law that says I cant. In my eyes, youve already become livestock. Dont expect to be treated like a human being.
Just as Freys flame was about to reach Allard.
Stop.
It was Camilles voice.
Frey simply threw her a glance.
Instead, it was Liamson who got angry.
Youre not going to talk about morality and ethics here, are you teacher?
Of course not. Its just that there is a simpler and easier way.
After saying that, she began muttering in a low voice.
Frey recognized the language even though he did not understand her words.
Ancient Elvish?
Shiiik-
Something bizarre then appeared from Camilles shadow.
It was a creature with a round body and a single eye.
Only then did Liamson realise what she meant.
Ah! I see. Youre thinking about stealing the information using the spirits of Darkness.
Is that a spirit of Darkness?
Thats right. Its a Dark Gorun, a high class spirit.
The Dark Gorun rolled its eye around.
Then Camille spoke in a calm voice.
Take control of that mans mind.
The Dark Gorun spoke in a weird voice before transforming into steam and being sucked into Allards head.
Hu-, huiiiik!
Allard shook, his eyes closed and drool began pouring from his mouth.
He was like a man with a damaged brain.
Mikel couldnt help but ask anxiously.
What if he dies?
I can control that much. It might look like its going wrong but its fine.
As he saw this, Mikel got the feeling that even if he had to die, he shouldnt get captured by a Dark Elf.
After a while, Allard, who looked completely muddleheaded, spoke quietly.
Wordsdo it
Camille glanced and Frey, hinting for him to ask his questions.
Where are the villagers?
All are dead.
Mikel shivered.
Camille and Liamson on the other hand did not show any emotion.
Why did you kill them?
The offeringwe needed to.
What offering?
create the creaturesto liberate the power of the Apostle
Liberate? What are you liberating?
Uh, uhh
Allard began to shake and Camilla cried out in haste.
Get back!
At that moment, Allards body swelled.
His eyeballs popped out like they were about to fall out of his head and a strange sound could be heard from inside his body.
Boom!
Allards body exploded, his flesh, bones and blood scattering everywhere.
Frey didnt receive any damage as he activated the spell in his Typhoon Earrings.
Camille approached with a stiff face.
His mind was already being controlled. He was supposed to explode right before revealing any important information.
Thats cruel. Hes treating his own men as expendable.
The situation is not good.
Mikel approached with a stiff face.
He pointed at the monsters on the ground and continued.
There are also grades among Apostles. Weak ones cant create creatures, and theyre not too hard to deal with. If he can make creatures of this level then the power of this Apostle is considerable. Thisthis problem is out of our league.
So? Do you intend to withdraw?
In the first place, this was only for reconnaissance. First, lets head back to the tower and wait for Honor Lukes to return.
We have to continue.
For a moment, Mikel and Freys gazes clashed in midair, neither of them appearing like they would back down.
Finally it was Mikel who opened his mouth.
Why?
The Apostle is already aware of our approach now. We dont know when Honor Lukes is returning and there is no guarantee that the Apostle would still be here when he gets back. Which means you might lose him.
Is there any other reason?
He wouldnt have time to come up with a contingency plan to deal with us right now. These flimsy creatures and the empty village are proof. When you return the next time you can be assured that he would have prepared effective countermeasures to welcome you.
you dont know anything.
Mikel shook his head.
Ive heard your reasons. We can say that they are not wrong and that there are benefits to going now, however the disadvantage of not having Honor Lucas still outweighs them.
What do you mean?
Hes a 7 star wizard. You need at least one Archmage to fight an Apostle head on. Its not a recommendation, its a requirement. Just like a knight uses a sword and a wizard uses a staff.
I can fill the space for Honor Lukes.
Ha.
A looked of coldness flashed across Mikels face.
I admit that you have great talents and accomplishments for your young age, but arrogance will only lead you to an early grave.
Im not being arrogant.
Do you really want me to get angry?
Frey simply stared at Mikel and at that moment Mikel felt a shiver for some reason.
Wh-, what was that?
He had an indescribable feeling.
Then Frey held out one palm.
As Mikel looked at it in confusion, flames appeared over his hand.
Crackle.
What are you doing?
Frey didnt answer.
Instead, he held out his other palm, and on this one, cold air began to form.
Crack.
As Mikels expression became strange, Frey slowly began combining the flames and the cold air together.
What!?
Mikel was startled.
The fusion of two opposing elements!
That was crazy.
It was a suicidal act and it wouldnt be strange if it caused an explosion.
It was then that Mikel tried to stop him.
What are you doing!? Huh?
The two elements merged together smoothly.
A small storm of fire and ice had been created above Freys palm.
Mikels expression hardened like a stone.
Perfect fusion of opposing elementsth-, thats only possible after reaching at least 7 stars
Shuk.
I.
The storm disappeared from Freys hand and he spoke in his usual indifferent tone.
Ill fill the space of Honor Lukes.
Chapter 47 - Apostle (2)
Chapter 47 - Apostle (2) Translator: Seven
Liamson pointed to the village and said.
I forgot to tell you, but theres a strange body in the center.
A strange body?
Led by Liamson, they immediately went directly to that place.
As hed said, there was a charred body in the center of the village.
Camille squatted down and began examining the body, but she didnt touch it, in case it was a trap.
The cause of death was immediately apparent.
It wasnt burnt. I think they were struck by lightning.
It seems the Demigods Apostle might have the power of lightning.
At those words, Frey turned to look at Mikel.
You said that the Apostles can use the Demigods powers. To what extent can they borrow their powers?
Well. Come to think of it, I was never told in detail.
Mikel inwardly realised that he was treating Frey as a superior.
He managed to keep his composure without being disturbed by the things that were happening, so it was impossible to treat him like a newbie.
Its true that the Demigods have transcendental powers, but they cant fully utilize them on the continent. We dont know for sure, but if certain conditions arent met or they arent in specific areas then their power is limited.
That was all he knew.
The thing to note however, was that they did not know what those conditions were yet.
There were some things that they had noticed but even then they couldnt be certain.
Frey focused on Mikels words without expressing any opinions of his own.
Its through the existence of the Apostles that they are able to bypass those limits. Every Demigod is able to create one Apostle to follow their will.
Is one the maximum?
As far as we know, it is. And the created Apostles can use the powers of the Demigod they serve.
Freys expression became serious.
Then doesnt that mean that the Circles situation is quite desperate?
Not exactly. The Demigods have their own risks.
Freys gaze became sharp.
What risks?
If you kill an Apostle, it will affect the Demigod.
Mikel continued his words with a serious expression as well.
The Circle has some information on a few Demigods who are hiding in the Kastkau Empire. It is valuable information that took us as little as a few decades and as much as a few centuries to gather.
This was great news.
If the Demigods truly wanted to disappear then there was no way that the Circle would be able to find any traces, but they did not do that.
However, Frey had been given a glimpse of the Demigods arrogance from this information.
It was almost certain that they knew the humans were keeping tabs on them. Yet they chose not to respond to it.
This was obviously a sign.
They were convinced that regardless of what they did, the humans would be unable to stop them.
We once defeated a Demigods Apostle in the Kastkau Empire. Then something strange happened.
Something strange?
The Demigod disappeared.
!
Mikels eyes sharpened.
It was then that we were sure. Killing the Apostles has some effect on the Demigods.
Frey had never heard such rumors.
Because he had experienced it in the past, he knew how impossible it was to face the Demigods head on.
He had thought that it would be nice if they had found some way to deal damage to them but now he had learned of the existence of Apostles.
But why did they create such an existence?
They werent there 4,000 years ago.
Did they learn how to create Apostles over the years?
Or were they able to do it from the start but there was another reason why they decided to use them now?
Anyway, there were now even more reasons why they couldnt back down here.
If they could really deal damage to the Demigod, then it was worth it to risk it and try to kill the Apostle.
Thats all I know.
Its enough.
As Liamson looked around, his eyes were soon drawn to a hill behind the village.
Now that were done talking, we can start looking for the Apostle. My teacher and I will go up that hill. We will be able to see the surrounding area from there.
Then Mr. Mikel and I will look around the village one more time.
Sure.
Liamson and Camille then left.
Mikel, who was now alone with Frey, turned to him and asked.
how old are you this year?
Im twenty.
Mikels body shook for a moment.
Twenty! At that age you managed to reach the 7 star level. ReallyI really cant believe it.
His astonishment was natural.
There had never been a 7 star wizard in history who was as young as he was.
Could the word genius even describe him?
Arent 7 star wizards common in the Circle?
Not really. If you are 7 stars, then you would get the position of Force Honor in any circle.
Shepard and the wizard named Lukes were Force Honors.
He had also learned of the higher positions Circle Rounder and Circle Master.
Frey slowly feigned ignorance and said.
Im a bit interested in the Phisfounder Armlets.
Hmm? Youre interested in our circle?
If youre not interested in Iris Phisfounders black magic, contracts and summons, you couldnt claim to be a wizard.
Hoho! Thats right.
Mikel smiled proudly at those words.
From his conversations with Shepard, Frey had learned that each circle member had an extreme amount of pride in their respective organizations.
However, Mikel let out a low laugh, unaware of Freys thoughts. Sar?h the n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
If Frey joined our circle then it would be a tremendous boost in strength.
Maybe he could be a step ahead of the Lucid Swords and Strow Necklaces.
If the talent of this up and coming young man was revealed, it would certainly cause a huge commotion within the circle.
They would all go all out to invite Frey.
This was his chance to put in a few words before the massive recruitment war started. It was a huge advantage.
Mikel opened his mouth the same moment that he came to that conclusion.
The Phisfounder Armlets, Lucid Swords and Strow Necklaces. These three circles are normally referred to as the Three Heads. This is because they have the most strength, numbers and influence out of all the circles.
I see.
Our Phisfounder Armlets are a bit smaller when compared to the other two circles. However, we have a large number of contractors and summoners. Of course, the number of pure wizards like me is not small either.
Contractors were those who made contracts with Demons from the Demon World while Summoners were those who summoned Demons to do their bidding. (Note: should I change Demon World to Underworld?)
Mikel explained that becoming a contractor or a summoner relied more heavily on talent than being a pure wizard.
This meant that simply putting in the effort would not be able to help them much.
Our leader, Master Altan, has signed a contract with Barbatos, one of the Grand Dukes in the Demon World.
Demon of Greed Barbatos?
Frey couldnt help but be surprised at that bit of information.
The Grand Dukes of the Demon World were very cunning and incredibly dangerous.
It was a well known fact that it was incredibly hard to sign a contract with a Grand Duke rank Demon because they all viewed humans as nothing more than bugs.
Mikels face was shining with pride.
I guess you know a bit about the demons of the Demon World. Everything Ive said is true.
Thatspretty amazing.
Iris was the only one that Frey knew who had been able to sign a contract with the Grand Dukes.
Although she had signed contracts with three Grand Dukes, he didnt know if Master Altan had also signed contracts with more Grand Dukes.
It seems that the Phisfounder Armlets arent all witches.
I told you. There are pure wizards like me. It is the same in all the circles. There are Magic Warriors in the Strow Necklaces and Wizards in the Lucid Swords. Its only that the numbers are slightly lower and their strengths are a bit weaker.
As Mikel said this, he turned to look at the hill that Liamson had gone to.
Actually thats not that big of a deal. It might seem funny to say this, but the Circle is an open organization. Although only a few people would actually admit.
Well. Hed never expected to fight side by side with Dark Elves one day.
Im telling you this specifically, but among the Force Honors in our circle, there is a Half-Demon.
Afterward, Mikel continued to list the advantages of the Phisfounder Armlets.
Frey nodded cooperatively, pretending to be interested, but the thoughts in his head were completely different.
He hasnt told me any key information.
There was absolutely no words about the identities of the Circle Master or Circle Rounders who Frey was most interested in.
Although he knew the Circle Masters name was Altan and that he was contracted to a Grand Duke rank Demon, it seemed that he didnt know any other useful pieces of information.
Perhaps the fact Altan was contracted to a Grand Duke was something that was known by most of the circle members.
With that kind of achievement, they would not embarrass the pride of the Three Head Circles.
Or maybe Mikel just doesnt know much.
Mikel was powerful enough to become a Floor Master in the 3rd Magic Tower, but in the circle he was not even strong enough to become an executive.
It seemed that if he wanted more information, it would be better to talk to an executive like Shepard.
By the time their conversation had ended, Liamson and Camille had returned.
Camille spoke with her characteristically calm face.
There is a forest over the hill, it seems to be suspicious.
Suspicious?
There was a bloody smell, but no traces in the forest. It gave me a bad feeling.
Dead forest. Its a dead forest.
Liamson had an unpleasant look on his face.
Regardless of their behaviour, Dark Elves were also a race of the forests, so seeing damaged trees made them upset.
First, they headed toward the forest.
Frey felt the strangely unpleasant air and finally understood what Liamson meant by Dead Forest.
There wasnt even the sound of small insects or the fresh smell of grass.
It was as if all life was missing from the forest.
Camille clicked her tongue.
Only a shell is left. Even the trees are dead.
It was all absorbed.
Right.
Camille nodded at Freys words before kneeling on one knee and putting her palm on the ground.
The entire forest is likely a trap. Its impossible to get a sense of whats happening inside because of some sort of array.
Everyones eyes simultaneously turned to Frey.
What should we do?
Frey though for a moment before opening his mouth.
You said that this forest is already dead. So you wouldnt mind if I destroyed it right?
It doesnt matter, but how? It wont be easy to burn the forest with the interference from the array.
I dont intend to burn it.
It was dangerous to set fire to the forest.
Frey got closer to the forest and looked around.
This is it. The array.
Just as Camille had said, he could feel something covering the forest.
Frey stood there blankly for a while.
Liamson looked toward Camille and asked.
What is Frey doing?
I think hes looking at the array.
The focal point of the array?
Thats right.
Camille was looking at Frey with a dubious expression on her face.
Breaking down an array that had already been activated was very complicated and time consuming.
Mikel was also aware of this face.
It would take at least 2 days to break down this kind of array
In order to destroy the array, not only did the wizards level need to be high, but their brain must be extraordinary.
This was because one had to find the answers for dozens or even hundreds of intertwined equations and expressions using only mental arithmetic.
If one made even a single mistake then there was a chance that they would entangle the array even more, or there could be backlash that they would suffer from directly.
Then Frey seemed to come out of his daze and walked back to the group.
Camille looked at him and said.
If you intend to destroy the array properly then we will stay here and stand guard.
Theres no need for that.
Frey shot a strange gaze at Camille.
Then?
The array has already been destroyed. Now all I need to do is destroy the forest.
Wh-, what?
You should step back.
Camille, Liamson and Mikel all stepped back with confused expressions on their faces.
Frey looked at the forest once again and cast a spell.
Windstorm.
Hoooo.
A violent wind suddenly began blowing in the area.
Mikel hurriedly cast a Barrier spell.
This was because the winds were so strong that he felt that his body would be blown away.
Liamson and Camille also hurriedly entered the barrier.
Kooo.
Freys robe fluttered violently.
The huge storm that was happening in front of him had already reached the level where it could be considered a natural disaster.
Mikel opened his mouth wide as he witnessed this incredible feat of magic.
Un-, unbelievable!
The fluctuating mana!
And the storm!
Mikel had thought that Frey was just a wizard who had recently reached the 7 star level, but the magical power that he was currently exhibiting was beyond imagination.
It was not enough to say that he already had great achievements
Kuaah.
The storm literally smashed against the forest.
Trees were uprooted and huge boulders were thrown into the sky as though they were small pebbles.
Even Camilles normally calm expression could not help but change when she saw this seemingly transcendental sight.
And when the storm stopped.
In the completely decimated forest, a man could be seen walking.
Frey realised that that man was most likely the Apostle.
It was then.
Mikels face became overcome with grief when he noticed this man.
I, I dont believe it. Thisthis is impossible.
You know who that is?
Ah, itsHonor Lukes!
What?
Liamsons face twisted and Mikel kept speaking with a trembling voice.
Thats Honor Lukes, the deputy head of the 3rd Magic Tower.
(Note:woah)
Chapter 48 - Apostle (3)
Chapter 48 - Apostle (3) Translator: Seven Sar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
It was a middle-aged man.
He didnt have any distinct characteristics, but there were no clothes on his upper half, exposing his skinny form.
His body was not trained. (Note: yeah well at least hes skinny)
In all honesty, this person did not appear to be the deputy head of a magic tower.
However, Frey and the other three immediately became tense.
Its been a long time. This dirty feeling.
Divine power.
Seeing that the man in front of him gave off remnants of power similar to that of the Demigods, he was certain that the Apostles were able to use a bit of the Demigods powers.
Ah, Honor Lukes. Why are you here?
Frey sighed deeply.
Mikel did not make a good judgement. Or he was forcefully averting his eyes from the truth. (Note: Ostrich)
The situation was clear to everyone who witnessed it.
Honor Lukes was one of the Demigods informants.
He might have been a true circle member in the past, but now he was nothing better than a servant for the Demigods.
Mikel was the only one here who could not accept it.
Lukes spoke with an indifferent tone.
Mikel, my friend. Didnt I tell you to wait? I thought you were supposed to be good at following orders.
Th-, theres something wrong here. Te-, tell me this isnt true! I
Hoo. Thats too bad. You couldve lived if you had killed your curiosity.
Lukes pat his waist.
Hmm. I dont think I need to answer to a wizard. Then, good-bye.
There were no signs.
After speaking, Lukes simply glanced at Mikel.
But Frey, who had fought the Demigods many times before, was able to react to it.
Clang!
!?
Mikel collapsed.
All hed felt was a faint lightning energy coming from Lukes fingers.
He looked at Lukes with a horrified expression.
Mikel knew that if he had been hit by that attack then he would have died immediately.
Lukes turned to Frey with a surprised expression.
Huh? You were able to block that? What are you?
Indeedit wasnt just the two Blacktooth members who came. Which circle are you from?
Frey didnt answer and instead glanced at Mikel who climbed up from the ground.
nonsense. A circle executive becoming the servant of a Demigod. Th-, then the artifact that you have (Note: was tempted to use bs since that also works)
I cant use it. Of course, I am unable to use mana anymore. But it doesnt matter. I now have a much more powerful form of energy.
There was a glow of madness in his eyes.
Frey looked at him with an unpleasant expression.
Fanaticism.
There might not have been any Apostles 4,000 years ago, but there were still enough people who chose to worship Demigods.
Hed seen them, fought them, killed them.
Frey realised.
The man in front of them wasnt being manipulated or confused.
He had already pledged his allegiance to a Demigod of his own free will.
Frey turned to Mikel and muttered.
You need to pull yourself together. It is clear that he doesnt intend to spare us.
K-, kuh
Mikels shaking eyes became clear and firm.
No matter what, he was a Floor Master who had gone through his own share of hardships as well as a circle member.
The stronger a wizard was, the better they were at controlling their own mind and calming their emotions.
Mikel managed to regain his composure without embarrassing himself further.
Lukes looked on with interest.
I see. So you are the one who broke the array and destroyed the forest. That isnt something that Mikel could do. Youve already reached the 7 stars levels. No matter how I look at you, youre not over the age of thirty. Impressive.
Why did you betray the circle?
Kukuku.
Lukes let out a low laugh.
I realised that no matter how hard we struggle, we couldnt defeat themwe are less than worms in their eyes. A fly that can be trampled to death at any time.
Flames seemed to flutter within Freys eyes.
There were people whod made the same argument.
The unpleasant memories of that time seemed to come back to him.
Were not worms.
Humans are not worms.
Frey spoke each word slowly as though he was chewing them, the anger in his eyes clear.
Frey?
Liamson took a quiet breath at the sight.
In the short time that hed known him, Liamson felt that Frey had a very special countenance.
He seemed to always be in control of his emotions and he didnt speak easily. His smiles were faint and he was calm even when making jokes.
Liamson could hardly imagine the sight of him expressing intense feelings such as anger or sadness.
That Frey was now showcasing anger so fierce, he felt like he could see it.
You gave in.
I gave in?
I know that the Demigods are transcendent beings. Everyone in the circle knows. Still, they dont hesitate to confront them. Why do you think that is?
He said circle, but in fact Frey was talking about himself and his friends.
Do you think they arent scared? Do you think its because they are ignorant of the Demigods true power? Not at all. They know everything but they still have the courage to face it. To overcome it without running away! (Note: ???!)
People in the world see them and think they are foolish.
Frey let out a cold laugh.
Its better to be an idiot than a coward. You dont deserve to speak ill about them, you piece of garbage.
Huhuhu. A young man who knows how to make use of his mouth. Then what was I supposed to do?
Kwajik.
A huge thunderbolt formed in Lukes hand, letting off small sparks of electricity.
There seemed to be excitement in his gaze.
Look at this. This is power. The power of lightning. Pure lightning that could never be made with magicyou dont need to learn a mind breaking formula or worry about how to efficiently distribute your mana. Just by accepting his power, it became mine. I have more power than any 7 star wizard.
Kurrung!
Dark clouds began forming in the sky.
They were no ordinary clouds, but thunder clouds filled with lightning that were able to instantly turn a human into ashes.
Kwang!
Lightning struck the ground, scorching it black.
The sheer power of nature itself caused Liamsons face to stiffen. He realised that if he was hit even once, he would become a corpse like the one in the village.
Frey checked the power of his team.
Liamson was a true warrior. Although his talent in magic was high, he would only be able to showcase 100% of his strength by fighting with his body.
On the other hand, Mikel was an atypical wizard. For example, a warrior like Liamson would only need to take three steps before he slit his throat without giving him a chance to launch his spell.
Camille was an allrounder. She was a better warrior than Liamson, and a better wizard than Mikel.
Maybe she would be the key to this fight.
Frey came up with some of the most efficient tactics with this group and then he picked the most appropriate one for the current situation.
Liamson, youll take the lead. You have to pay attention to that guys movements. Imagine that the lives of the other two are in your hands.
Understood.
Mr. Mikel please block that mans divine power from the back. Of course, you shouldnt face it head on. You have to stop before reaching your limits.
Magic and Divine power were two opposing forces.
If they went head to head, then the side with the most power would overwhelm the other side, but depending on the wizards ability, they could make it annoying for the opponent to utilize their power.
U-, understood.
Mikel wondered how Frey, who was meeting an Apostle for the first time, was about to make such accurate judgements, but now was not the time to ask.
Finally, Frey turned to Camille.
Camille, you have the most important role. I need you to help fill in the gaps left by Liamson and Mikel. Youll need to have a wide view of the entire battlefield and understanding the situation at all times will be your top priority, can you do it?
I can.
Good.
Liamson looked at Frey and asked.
What about you?
Ill move separately.
It was more efficient to use two units than to come together for an all out attack. One unit had just been completed.
There were only three of them, but they would be fine as long as they worked together.
The other unit would be made up of Frey alone.
Camille anxiously asked.
will you be okay?
This will be the last time you can afford to worry about someone else. I assure you.
As he finished his words, Frey began running straight to Lukes.
Liamson, Camille and Mikel began running in the opposite direction.
Huh
Lukes let out a short laugh.
At that moment, indiscriminate lightning began falling from the sky.
Kungkungkung!
The lightning either scorched the ground black or sent bits and pieces flying.
This destructive power kept Frey from feeling relaxed in any way.
The barrier from the Typhoon Earrings could only take three hitsno I should assume that it can only take two.
Frey decided that it wasnt the time to hide any cards.
Woowoong.
The Staff of the Great Sage, which had been in the shape of a bracelet, revealed its true form.
With this, his magic power increased by several times.
He didnt know the defense of the Apostle, but he was sure that he could at least do some damage.
First, he would check the enemys reactions.
Burning Ground.
7 star magic!
10% of his total mana disappeared in an instant.
Freys mana pool was incredibly high, but the 7 star spell Burning Ground required much more mana than other spells of its rank.
Massive flames covered the area as dozens of fires sprung up at the same time. The heat of these flames converging upon Lukes.
Because of the reinforcement by the staff, the magic power of the spell was now comparable to Torkuntas breath.
However, Lukes wasnt troubled at all and instead scoffed softly.
Hng!
Paat.
!
The attack didnt reach him. Frey realised it even though his vision was blurred by the flames.
He didnt feel the sensation that wouldve occurred.
Pijik.
The flames slowly disappeared and the figure of Lukes was once again revealed. His body was wrapped in a sphere of lightning.
What tremendous defense.
He didnt even scratch it.
Hahaha! You are fairly skilled for a 7 star wizard but you could never crack my Lightning Barrier with just that level of skill.
Frey ignored his words and swung the Staff of the Great Sage.
Kugugu.
There were 5 skill storage slots. In them, he had stored three attack spells, one Blink and one Warp.
Frey used two of them simultaneously.
Dozens of 5 star Flaming Balls appeared. Followed by a 6 star spell Frost Scream
Its no use!
Boom boom boom!
The sound was loud, but there was still no significant damage.
However, Frey had gotten an understanding of the Lightning Barrier.
Its not that it takes no damage, but that it recovers faster than the damage is being done.
And the thing that provided the necessary energy for it to recover was none other than the thunderclouds in the sky.
The vacant location where the dead forest had once stood had become a devastating battlefield that would never regain its former appearance.
The lightning that Lukes utilized himself and the lightning that constantly fell from the sky with bright flashes of light and loud sounds could easily distract the mind.
Even a wizard who had encountered many hardships would not be able to cast their spells in all of this noise.
As he tried to come up with a plan, Frey avoided Lukes indiscriminate attacks with a combination of Haste and Blink.
Even so, he did not forget to counterattack occasionally.
Frey specialised mostly in spells of the Fire and Water attributes.
Even when he didnt cast the spell that took longer, he was still able to present a formidable and destructive power.
However, the two attributes werent enough.
Even if they managed to reach the barrier, their power would be reduced by half.
Wind attribute magic.
Wind magic, which showed its strength in destroying spells, terrain and barriers was his best option to eliminate the thunderstorm.
And of course, the range was also fairly high.
However, it was difficult for Frey to do it directly. Not only because it would lack power when compared to his fire and water attributes, but because he could not make the time to do so.
Its not possible to significantly shorten the casting time like with fire or water magic.
To be able to accumulate enough power to blow away the thunderclouds, hed need to charge the spell for at least 1 minute.
Lukes wouldnt miss that opening.
Even now, Lukes was giving almost all of his attention to Frey.
Casting for one minute in this situation was tantamount to suicide.
But it didnt need to be 7 star magic.
He pretended not to notice the weakness of the lightning barrier and intended to give a mission to the other group.
Frey telepathically contacted Camille when he had a bit of breathing space.
[Camille, we need to get rid of the thunderclouds. Can you do it?]
One of the most important things when casting spells was how calm and stable the caster was.
Rather than a 7 star spell that had been cast unstably, the 6 star spells cast by the three of them together would be much stronger.
[I can do it if Mikel helps me. But]
[Well get Lukes attention.]
Frey subconsciously gave a small smile.
[Ill take care of that.]
Chapter 49 - Apostle (4)
Chapter 49 - Apostle (4) Translator: Seven
What the hell is he?
Lukes looked at Frey with a surprised gaze.
Even though he was a 7 star wizard, he couldnt be older than thirty.
It was surprising, but it was not exactly impossible. He had seen a few people in the circle who had ridiculous talents.
The reason why Lukes was shocked was not because of Freys talent. Instead, it was the composure that he was displaying.
Hm
Lukes had seen a few geniuses before and felt that he knew more about them than other people.
Basically, they were arrogant.
They might not think so, but to Lukes who had a lot of experience, there was always a flaw that he could find.
Whether it was carelessness stemming from their hubris or from their lack of hands on experience, there were always flaws.
But Lukes couldnt find any of that now.
Frey did not show any carelessness.
There wasnt even space for him to insert a needle. It was ridiculous.
Furthermore, Frey was a child who didnt even have wrinkles on his face. He was at an age where he couldnt have much real life experience.
Thisits like Im dealing with an old Archmage!
As long as he had the divine power, the fact that his opponent was a 7 star Archmage made no difference.
In fact, with the power of his lightning, even if three Archmages tried to face him, they would still not be enough. After all, he was once an Archmage before becoming the Demigods Apostle. (Note: *cough* slave *cough*)
Therefore he knew the strengths and weaknesses of wizards.
He knew dozens of ways that he could use that information to improve the war situation or to even pressure the opponent.
But Frey seemed to always be one step ahead of him.
Am I really losing this fight?
Lukes had no choice but to admit it.
Otherwise, there was no reason to explain why he couldnt take down a single Archmage, two Dark Elves and Floor Master.
Boom Boom Boom!
The Flame Balls crashed down once again.
The spell couldnt break through the Lightning Barrier but Lukes couldnt help but have a bad feeling inside.
He could tell just by listening to these sounds that the power of this magic had already surpassed that of a 7 star wizard.
Without the lightning barrier, he would have already been covered in blood.
Lukes kept an eye on Freys behavior and paid attention to his seemingly unending attacks.
He is deliberately using loud spells. Is he trying to hold my attention?
So what was his real purpose?
Lukes turned his focus to Mikels team, who were moving in their formation.
They tried to hide it, but he was able to feel that the mana around them was shaking. It felt like wind attributed mana.
Lukes eyes flashed.
These guys! Theyre thinking of getting rid of the thunderclouds with wind spells!
Bang!
At that moment the strength of the thunderstorm seemed to have doubled in strength.
Frey clicked his tongue.
He figured it out faster than I expected.
Perhaps because he had been a former wizard, but it was difficult for them to completely conceal their intentions for long.
Frey didnt think that he was in any position to conserve his mana anymore.
The most powerful spells he could use at the moment were from the fire and water attributes.
However, water attribute spells would have a disadvantage against the power of lightning.
Therefore there was only one option left.
Kooo.
Mana began soaring rapidly around Frey. Thousands of red threads seemed to be flying around him.
Lukes, who had been focusing on Mikels group, let out an involuntary shiver.
Th-, that much mana! Newbie! Who the hell are you?
Frey didnt answer him.
The spell that he was preparing to use boasted the highest destructive power among all 7 star spells.
Frey wanted to maximize the damage caused by this spell as much as possible.
Lukes swung his hand.
Boom!
A thunderbolt struck down from the sky and spears made of lightning formed within the thunderstorm before flying toward him.
But just before the attacks hit, Frey opened his mouth.
Lava Blast.
Boom Boom Boom!
There was a huge explosion, followed by Lukes screams as he felt the horrific pain of his right hand getting burned.
Kuaack!
Pain?
Was he feeling pain right now?
This was the first time since he had become an Apostle. Lukes couldnt even believe that his lightning barrier had been breached.
Lukes bit his lower lip so hard that it bled in an effort to forcibly keep control of his mind which felt like it would fly away because of the intense pain.
Lava Blast! This spell is dangerous!
His right arm was already almost completely gone, but he could feel the heat spreading from that area.
At this rate, his body would soon be covered in horrific burns and he would lose his ability to control the lightning.
With a fierce look on his face, Lukes cut off the rest of his right hand with a thunderbolt.
K-, kuhyouthrough the lightning barrier.
It was something that was so powerful, that it could never be breached with 7 star magic.
However, there was something that Lukes couldnt know.
Freys fire magic had been boosted by several times by the consumption of the elixir, and his power had then been amplified by the Staff of the Great Sage.
Frey wasnt in a good condition either. Instead, he felt incredibly dizzy at that moment.
Not only that.
My nervous system is overheating.
He couldnt use magic at the moment in his current condition.
It felt good to smash the lightning barrier and actually hit him, but now he wouldnt be able to use magic for a few minutes.
However, that didnt mean that his ability to continue fighting had completely disappeared.
Frey assumed the posture that hed learned from the Magic Warrior King.
You!
Lukes shook the one hand that he had left and lightning began arcing over his fingertips.
Itll be too late even if he sees this attack coming and tries to avoid it.
However, he didnt know that Frey was paying attention to his fingers.
Papapat.
!
As Frey avoided a series of successive lightning strikes, Lukes eyes widened.
The moves that hed just displayed were so fast that he could not believe they were done by a wizard.
Lukes could not even begin to imagine the identity of the man in front of him.
A 7 star Archmage, with skills and composure that didnt match his age and was skilled at magic martial arts?
What the hell are you!
Im human.
You, are you really human like me?
Dont misunderstand.
What?
Youre not human.
Frey quickly narrowed the distance to Lukes.
The lightning barrier was still recovering, and as long as he was close enough, then it would be easy to attack through the gap.
Paak!
Urk!
Freys fist hit Lukes chin.
Crack.
The sensation of his jawbone becoming like powder was vividly felt.
If it was an ordinary person, then they would have long since lost consciousness from that one blow.
And theyd live the rest of their lives only able to eat porridge.
It was a truly sad life, but Frey would not feel any pity for the man in front of him.
Paak!
Paak!
Paak!
Freys attacks slowly hit Lukes. These were not light hits at all.
There was a lot of weight behind each blow.
Frey didnt know how long this man had been an Apostle, but he knew that he would have lived most of his life as a wizard. So he wouldnt have much experience when it came to close combat fighting.
As Frey expected, Lukes was unable to make any proper situational judgement because his brain had been shaken.
Of course, this positive situation didnt last for long.
Crackle.
At that time, the lightning barrier recovered fully and a lightning bolt repelled Frey harshly.
Freys body flew dozens of meters away because of the tremendous shock before landing on the ground.
Ugh
He hit his head hard on the ground.
He felt blood on his head and it seemed that he had been cut on his forehead.
Did he bite his tongue?
He could also taste both soil and blood in his mouth.
Frey looked at Lukes while spitting out the bloody mess.
His appearance was terrible enough that calling him a wreck didnt seem to be enough, he was incredibly hideous to look at.
I wontforgive
It was great that he could even say so much with his smashed jaw.
Although the pronunciation was a bit off and it was more raspy, it was not hard to understand what he said.
Frey inwardly praised Lukes for his mental power.
Every time his chin moved, he would definitely feel a horrific pain.
Its already too late.
What?
Weve won.
Fwoosh. sea??h th NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
At that moment a heavy torrent of air flew into the sky.
Freys eyes shined at the sight.
Howling Tempest.
It held great power.
This was natural. Three people had been casting the spell together for a few minutes, it would instead be strange if it didnt have at least this level of power.
The thunderclouds were swept away by the powerful winds and at the same time, the lightning barrier that had been protecting Lukes faded before disappearing completely.
Lukes fell to his knees with a blank look on his face.
Th-, this. Th-, this doesnt make any sense.
The thunderstorm faded away and the suns rays once again reached the ground.
Frey did not take his eyes off of Lukes who had his head bowed in exhaustion.
We won!
Liamson shouted in delight. Camille simply let out a sigh of relief. And Mikel had mixed feelings.
Honor Lukesit didnt have to be like this.
Frey walked slowly to Honor Lukes, who was drooling with dazed eyes.
Ian Apostle like me lost
Lukes, why did you betray us?
Lukes glanced at Mikel before letting out a crazed laugh.
H-, huhuhu. You dont want to know. Anyone who sees them with their own eyes is bound to be discouraged. Circle? Inherited the wills of the heroes? So what? In the end, humans are only mortals.
So you chose to wag your tail? You chose to give up your pride as a wizard and your duty as a member of the Circle to become a dog?
As Liamson looked at him in contempt, Lukes simply shook his head.
Youyou all dont know anything!
His mad eyes turned to Frey.
Compared to them the powerful humans are nothing but bugs! But they dont treat us like bugs! He promised me salvation! He said that he would evolve humans into a higher existence! D-, do you see?! You are the ones that are truly hindering the progress of mankind!
Maybe theres a Demigod like that.
Frey said these words coldly which caused Lukes to shiver involuntarily. Even the light of madness within his eyes seemed to be stalled by the anger he could feel.
There might be a Demigod who thinks as you said, wants to develop and wants to protect humans. But do you really think its because of their love for humans? Do you think they reached out because they truly want to understand humans?
Th-, thats right!
You are the one who knows nothing.
Crik.
Frey ground his teeth together.
For the Demigods, this is all just a game. They just enjoy raising and developing humans as a form of entertainment. So what do you think will happen when the game has ended? What do you think will happen to that advanced civilization when they finally lose interest?
H-, hik
As Frey stepped forward, Lukes backed away. Nevertheless, Frey didnt stop.
They will overturn the game. Its more accurate to say that they would reset it. The transcendental beings are the fences with promises of progress and the future. That sounds great.
But you have to think about what will happen once the Demigods grow tired of being the Guardians of humanity or they become bored. What would happen to the race that obeys them?
Frey had once tried to understand the Demigods before.
There was a time when he really believed that there might be good ones among them who were really looking out for the human race.
But there wasnt.
For them, everything was entertainment.
How many civilizations and races had disappeared in their hands?
Even if you were bored enough to count, you would not be able to do so before you became dust.
The Demigods whispers were lies.
They probably dont even know that they completely cheated the humans.
Crackle.
A flame appeared above Freys hand.
Mikel was startled and stopped him.
Wh-, what are you doing?
We cannot leave him. We have to end it here.
Capture was only possible when you could afford to do it.
Frey had no confidence in his ability to capture Lukes while dealing with his unknown divine power.
Of course, it would be more efficient to capture, torture and extract information from him, but the risk was too high.
Frey had no intention of gambling.
You dont have to do that , do you? Hes already lost his will to fight. Youre not making good judgements because you are angry.
Come now Floor Master Mikel. Who do you think is the one not properly judging the situation right now?
Wh-, what?
Freys cold eyes turned to Mikel.
Youre still looking at him as Lukes, the Deputy Tower Master. How many humans do you think he killed to become an Apostle? Im sure youve forgotten the scene in Holbridge.
But (Note:really dislike Mikel right nowhes useless and stupid)
It was then.
Lukes, who had been silent until now, grabbed a hold of Mikels wrist in an instant. (Note:seeI called it)
Mikel and Lukes had been so close, that Frey, who was paying attention to his movements, wasnt able to react in time.
Mr. Lukes?! This, what
I will take you and you and you down with me!
Uh!
Damn. Get away!
Frey grabbed the napes of both Liamson and Camille before activating his Typhoon Earrings.
Boooom!
A huge explosion sounded immediately after.
(Note: I saw the name Lucques today and I felt like it would have been a much better choice, but its too late to change it, bummer.)
Chapter 50 - Contact (1)
Chapter 50 - Contact (1) Translator: Seven
Crackle
In the spot where Lukes and Mikel once were, there were only flames.
The smell of burning flesh in the air was strong enough to make ones stomach twist.
Frey sighed as he looked at the black residue that was once flesh and blood. There was nothing more to see.
The two of them had died instantly, without even leaving complete corpses.
Mikel had been in a bad position. Had he been any closer, Frey might have been able to save him.
H-, he blew himself up?
Such horrific power.
There wasnt even much of the body that they could retrieve.
Frey sighed again.
He couldnt accept Lukes betrayal till the end.
So it seems.
After a moment, Frey shook his head and turned around.
Wait. There should be a crystal.
Right. Its said that if you kill an Apostle
Liamson walked to the spot that Lukes had self-destructed. Then he began rummaging through the charred pieces with his hand.
It wouldve been normal for him to receive burns on his bare hand, but seeing that his facial expression was fine, he must have protected his hand with mana.
Soon he found something and took it out.
This is it.
Hm
Freys eyes narrowed as he looked at the crystal in Liamsons hand.
At first glance, it appeared to be a simple white jewel. It was more transparent than a diamond and there seemed to be a mysterious light shining within it.
It was more beautiful than the finest jewelry, but what Frey paid attention to wasnt the shell.
Is that a power source? That must be why Lukes was able to use divine power.
Frey looked at Liamson.
What is this crystal used for?
I dont know either. But the chief said that it was very valuable and important.
Then he turned to look at Camille.
Would she know something about this?
Liamsons right. Its something helpful, its not dangerous. Frey, you are the one who defeated the Apostle, so you should take it.
Frey decided to accept her words and put the crystal into his bag.
Then he looked around.
It was an intense fight.
There was no place around them that was untouched.
The entire area had been destroyed by Freys spells and Lukes thunderbolts.
Thats what I said. But what the hell are you?
What do you mean?
Liamson was looking at him as though he was looking at a monster.
Your magic. Ive seen 7 star wizards a few times before but none of them displayed such tremendous power. Are you an 8 star wizard?
Frey shook his head.
Of course not. Im just better at fire and water magic than others.
He couldnt call himself an 8 star wizard with just that.
Liamson nodded in realisation.
Hmthats true. If you could use powerful wind spells then you wouldnt have needed to ask for our help.
Frey, you havent joined a circle yet right?
Camille suddenly spoke out in a friendly tone, which caused Frey to let out a short laugh at how strange it was.
Youd like me to join Blacktooth?
We are small in number, but we treat each other like family.
Ill have to politely decline.
Camille shrugged as if it had only been a half-hearted invitation. It seemed like she had done it to soften the ice cold atmosphere.
But what do we do about this? It feels weird to just leave everything like this.
The circle will clean up the mess. First, lets get back to the tower and report this incident. Its a huge achievement to take down an Apostle.
Camille had a curious expression on her face.
One of the Phisfounder Armlets hideouts should benearby. Wed better go and report it to them directly.
Are you going to go, teacher?
I cant let you go.
I dont mind.
No way. If I sent an inexperienced guy like you, our entire tribe would become a laughing stock.
You are so harsh
Camille let out a laugh.
Im just kidding. Itll be faster if I go and maybe Ill see someone I know.
Frey nodded as the plan was finalised.
Then lets head back to the 3rd Magic Tower first.
* * *
When they returned to the magic tower, the sky had already become dark.
Camille seemed to be planning to leave early tomorrow morning after taking a short break in the tower for the night.
Frey suddenly tilted his head.
Im sure the Tower Master here must be incredibly powerful. Does he not have anything to do with the Circle?
Im not sure. I dont have much information concerning the human situation.
But since the Deputy Tower Master and a Floor Master were members of the Circle then he should know of its existence. There are actually quite a few people like that. They are powerful enough to be executives within the circles, but they choose to not get involved.
Frey washed away his fatigue and fell asleep soon after.
The next day, just after he woke up, he heard a knock on his door.
As he opened the door and stepped out, he saw Adelia standing there.
She stood there, absentmindedly twisting her hair.
Old man Julian is requesting to meet you.
Who is Julian?
The 3rd Magic Towers Master.
He was initiating contact?
Frey had also been feeling the need to speak with him at least once.
Adelia gave Frey a once over before saying.
I guess you just woke up. Wash up and eat first, then come to the 10th floor.
Suddenly, he realised that she had not looked him in the eyes even once.
Frey found it odd, but as shed suggested, he washed his face and headed to the 10th floor of the tower after having breakfast.
It was his first time going to the 10th floor.
Two wizards were guarding the entrance, they did not say anything and simply let him enter, probably because they had been given instructions already.
When he opened the door, he saw an old man.
Frey immediately realised that this man was a wizard who wasnt inferior to Shepard.
Are you Frey?
Nice to meet you. I am Frey Blake.
Adelia was standing beside this man.
She still had a lazy expression, but she was acting much more politely than usual.
This is my first time seeing you in person. I am Julian Montolivo, the Master of the 3rd Magic Tower.
Ive heard of your great name before.
Adelia let out a low laugh as she knew that he definitely had not heard of his name before that moment.
I dont want to take a lot of your time, so Ill get straight to the point. Four days ago. Mikel left to complete a job for the circle. Accompanied by you and two Dark Elves.
Thats right.
What happened to Mikel?
He died.
Adelia shuddered.
Julian closed his eyes for a moment before speaking.
I see.
Frey wondered if he should tell him about Lukes, but he decided to wait in silence for the moment.
And his body?
Im sorry. There wasnt anything to bring back.
It must have been a terrible fight.
Julian sighed.
That was all I wanted to know. Sorry for taking your time. You may leave.
The fact that Lukes had betrayed them would probably be better for Camille to reveal when she came back from the circle hideout.
Frey got up and left the room.
Adelia followed him.
Is Mikel really dead?
Yes.
Who did it?
An Apostle.
Apostle
Adelia bit her lip.
He shouldve waited for Tower Master Lukes.
Frey once again wondered if he should reveal that they had been betrayed, but there was something that he wanted to know first.
Is professor also a member of the circle?
Thats right.
Whats your affiliation?
Adelia scratched her cheek before saying in a low voice.
Traumen Rings.
isnt that almost destroyed? If its the professor then you must have received invitations from better places.
Adelias talent was fearsome.
Aside from her level, she was so smart that it would not be strange for the other circles to scramble to get her to join them.
Theres nothing that I need. So shouldnt I go to a place I like instead? Well, Im only a member in name in the first place, I rarely interact with the other circle members.
At that moment, Peran came to Freys mind.
Frey wondered why these incredibly talented people were so interested in the collapsing Traumen Rings.
At the same time, he grew concerned about the situation that the Traumen Rings was in.
How many members did they have, who was their leader, and what was the current situation that they faced?
But Frey knew that circle members were usually very reserved when revealing information about their own groups.
Mikel was like that and so was Shepard.
Maybe Adelia was like that too.
Frey decided not to speak about it anymore.
As he looked back at Adelia, Frey suddenly remembered the Apostles crystal that he had in his bag.
Professor, do you know how this is used?
Huh?
Adelias eyes narrowed as she observed the crystal.
Then.
Shock spread across her face.
H-, huk
Frey felt that she was even more surprised than when hed shown her Torkuntas heart.
Th-, is this an Apostles crystal? D-, did you defeat the Apostle?
Didnt I say that?
You didnt say anything! I thought that when Uncle Mikel died, you all managed to escape!
now that he thought about it, it was easy to understand her reasoning.
As far as she knew, several 7 star Archmages were required to defeat a single Apostle.
Adelia knew that Frey must be astonishingly powerful, but not even in her wildest dreams would she have thought that hed reached 7 stars.
She took a few breaths to calm herself then invited him to her room so that they could talk about it.
Adelias room was much cleaner than before.
This is a pure crystal that holds Divine power. Its useless in this state, but if you process it then it would transform into an incredible elixir!
Elixir?
Maybe one even better than the Drakes heart that you gave me. H-, hehehe.
Adelia laughed in a similar way to that day.
Then can I ask the professor to make it?
This crystal is yours? sea??h th ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Yes.
Hmm
Adelia looked at Frey as though she was looking at a monster before shrugging.
It doesnt matter butI felt it last time, but dont you trust people too easily?
I do?
Thats right! The Drake heart before and this crystal now, what if I took them and ran away?
Adelia inspected the crystal with one eye closed.
An average wizard would even sell their soul for stuff like this.
Its not that Im not worried.
Then-
But I have my own way of looking at people.
Huh?
I trust you, professor.
Then Adelia trembled.
you, you. If you say that one more time then I wont accept your request!
Yes?
Shut up!
Adelia quickly disappeared into her room.
Itll only take a month! Ive done it a few times before!
Frey burst into laughter.
Chapter 51 - Contact (2)
Chapter 51 - Contact (2) Translator: Seven
Frey spent his time reading Grimoires or sparring with Liamson.
On the first day of the next week, Camille returned from her trip to the Phisfounder Armlet hideout and she didnt come back alone.
Instead, she returned with two new companions.
One of them was a stern looking middle aged man wrapped in a pure black robe who exuded a very powerful aura.
However, Frey had no choice to ignore him when he saw the person that came together with him.
The other man was also staring at Frey.
Uncommon grey hair, hollow eyes and a cold expression.
It wouldnt be a complete exaggeration to say that it was like looking at a mirror.
Frey didnt avoid the mans gaze.
The man opened his mouth first.
Long time no see.
Frey nodded and replied.
Long time no see.
One of Camilles companions was none other than the second son of the Blake family, Heinz Blake.
* * *
Do you know each other?
This is my younger brother?
Huh.
The middle aged beside him glanced over at Frey with a cold look.
It was a very rude action to do to someone whom hed just met. In fact, it made Frey feel rather uncomfortable.
It was then that Camille came to his side and whispered in his ear.
This man is Dugenjar, a Force Honor from the Phisfounder Armlets. He has a nasty temper so be careful.
Then she continued with a slightly surprised expression.
By the way, I didnt know Heinz was your brother.
You know him?
Theres no way I wouldnt know a Force Honor from the Strow Necklaces. Hes a big celebrity. Even a circle as isolated as ours has heard of his name.
Freys gaze met Heinzs once again.
His eyes and facial expression carried no emotion, so it was impossible for them to guess what Frey was thinking.
Then we can now hear about this nonsense.
Dugenjar spoke to Frey in a sharp tone, his voice filled with arrogance.
Explain the situation in detail.
It was a very high handed attitude.
Frey opened his mouth without showing any expressions on his face. Sear?h the n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Lukes, the 3rd Magic Towers Deputy Master betrayed humanity. He became an Apostle and in the process of defeating him, Floor Master Mikel died.
I already know that. Fool, didnt you understand my words? Im telling you to explain what happened in detail.
Liamsons face twitched. Frey was someone who had received his acknowledgement and respect.
When hed left the forest, he didnt expect that one day he would have such a strong friendship with a human, but Frey was different.
With the power and achievements that hed shown, Frey was someone who truly deserved respect even after climbing over the wall of race.
But when an old bastard popped out from nowhere and began disregarding him, it made him very uncomfortable.
And if he knew anything about Frey, it was that he would never accept such treatment.
I am not a member of any Circle yet.
What are you talking about?
Dugenjar had an irritated expression on his face as though he didnt expect Frey to talk back to him.
Im telling you to stop speaking down to me. I am not your subordinate.
!
At Freys words, Camilles eyes widened and Heinz couldnt help but raise an eyebrow.
Liamson burst into laughter.
But it was Dugenjar who reacted the most violently.
This, thissomeone who doesnt know their place!
Dugenjars beard trembled and mana began swirling around his body.
Seeing this, Freys face was filled with contempt.
He didnt like arrogance, but as he saw Dugenjar venting his anger because he could not handle the humiliation, he truly felt that it was pathetic.
Since he was a Force Elder, this meant that he was at least at the 7 stars level, but Frey could not help but feel that he was very weak.
I cant believe this trash is a circle executive.
He felt disappointed in the Circle, no, in the Phisfounder Armlets.
Honor Dugenjar, let me talk to him. I will explain the situation in detail to you afterward.
It was Heinz.
He stepped forward with his signature expressionless face, but Dugenjar did not calm his anger at all.
Are you siding with him because he is your younger brother? Do you really think I will put up with his rudeness?
He is still young. I hope you will be understanding.
I dont tolerate humiliation! Stand back!
Hoo.
Heinz sighed and sent an annoyed glance at Dugenjar.
Then Dugenjar shuddered.
I will get my brother to explain the situation to me. Do you need me to repeat myself again Honor Dugenjar?
At that moment, Dugenjar was opening and closing his mouth, but no words were coming out.
Frey managed to see a flash of fear in his eyes.
no. (Note: this is the first time he spoke politely)
Thank you for your consideration.
Heinz nodded stiffly before turning back to look at Frey.
The two of us will talk. Is there anywhere we can go?
we can go to my room.
Frey got up from his seat while wondering what Heinz was thinking.
But he also welcomed the chance to talk with him alone.
The two then headed for Freys room.
Closing the door, Frey sat on the bed. Heinz remained by the door and observed Frey for a moment before speaking.
I heard that Honor Lukes betrayed us. Camille has already given us a report, but explain what happened one more time for me.
Understood.
Frey explained what happened in as much detail as he could.
While hearing the story, Heinzs expression didnt change much.
I dont think he was like this.
He felt like a completely different person than the Heinz who used to bully Frey.
Did he change over the years?
There was a possibility of this, but Frey felt like this man in front of him now was the real Heinz Blake.
So why did such a man treat Frey in that way?
thats what happened.
Heinz had finally shown a reaction when he heard that Frey had reached 7 stars.
However, he didnt interrupt Frey nor did he react violently to the information.
What about the Apostles crystal?
I left it to an alchemist I know.
Thats a very difficult item to deal with.
Its Professor Adelia. She is an authority in alchemy and she should be able to handle it.
looks like shes also in the 3rd Magic Tower.
Now that he thought about it, Adelia had once hinted that she knew Heinz.
What exactly is the relationship between them? (Note: jealous?)
Heinz looked at Frey with his hollow eyes.
The crystal is yours. You are the one who subjugated him so it is your reward. Adelia will be able to make it into an elixir.
Though rumors about you havent spread yetthe larger circles are already watching your movements. Including the Big Three.
?
Id like to say dont take the elixir made from the crystal but you wouldnt listen to me even if I did, so just go ahead. But youll have to be prepared for whatever happens after you take it.
Frey didnt know what he was talking about and instead of answering the question in his eyes, Heinz sighed.
Youve changed a lot. You must have awakened. Right. You also have the blood of the Blake family inside of you. But dont get conceited. Dugenjar, hes a dirty guy, but his position in the circle cant be ignored.
Its good to raise your self esteem, but sometimes, you have to face reality.
This time he gave off a weird feeling. It was like he really wanted to talk and give advice to his younger brother.
If Frey had been the one hearing this, he might have become emotional.
In time people from the family will come. They will tell you to return to the house for a while.
But his expression and tone did not change.
Reject them. Going to the Blake family manor is dangerous right now. You heard about your father from Honor Shepard didnt you?
What are you doing?
Heinz was not surprised by the sudden question, in fact, it seemed like he was expecting it.
Their eyes met once again.
I dont know why youre suddenly acting like an older brother. Are you trying to atone for what happened in the past?
Frey didnt think he deserved forgiveness.
The third son of the Blake Family was already dead and the man in front of him was partly responsible for that.
That was why he was able to become Frey.
In his eyes, Heinzs current behaviour was hypocritical. In fact, it made Frey feel nauseous watching him pretend to be nice all of a sudden.
No matter what the reasons for Heinzs actions were, the fact that he was one of the persons who drove Frey to death remains unchanged.
Atonement. I dont want that. I dont even reflect on what I did to you. Its just.
The look in Heinzs eyes changed for the first time.
Honestly, I never wanted you to learn magic.
Also, you shouldnt trust the circle too much.
Why?
You will find out soon.
With those words, Heinz left the room.
Frey didnt try to stop him.
The Blake familys blood.
Freys eyes were cold. At that moment he became sure.
He would have to go to the Blake Family.
(Note: this chapter was so steamy that I didnt even want to leave any notes)
Chapter 52 - Contact (3)
Chapter 52 - Contact (3) Translator: Seven
Frey never met Dugenjar again. (Note: thank god)
They left the magic tower after having a short conversation with the Tower Master.
If that was all they wanted to do then Frey could not understand why they had come all the way there.
did they come to see me?
He had this thought for a moment before discarding it.
Strangely enough, the moment he saw Heinz, his best friend had come to mind.
Schweiser Strow.
It wasnt difficult for Frey to realise why.
Heinz looked like he was carrying many heavy burdens. His expression was that of a man who faced a situation beyond his own capability. And it probably had something to do with the Blake family.
Frey tried to think of what it could be, but the answer never revealed itself.
This was because there were no clues in Freys memory.
I guess Ill find out when we meet face to face.
Especially the family head Isaka blake. The key was most likely held by him.
He would see for himself.
Frey was extremely sensitive to divine power, however, Heinzs advice prevented him from going to check right away.
If Isaka Blake had truly become an Apostle then it was highly likely that he would be more powerful than Lukes.
I wont find the answer even if I continue to ponder it.
Frey decided to stop thinking about it and enjoy this brief moment of peace.
But his peace was immediately broken the next day.
Its been a long time, young master.
It was a middle aged man with neatly styled grey hair.
Frey knew who this man was immediately.
Alexandro, the steward of the Blake family.
He had come to visit Frey himself.
They came much sooner than I expected.
However, thanks to Heinzs reminder, Frey was able to figure out a way to handle this situation.
Frey immediately bent his back and cowered.
He also rolled his eyes nervously while deliberately lowering his voice.
I dont know how much they investigated me beforehand.
First, there was no need for him to show them any signs that he had changed.
Although he had talked informally with Heinz, that didnt really matter because Frey had decided to not think of him as an ally or as an enemy.
H-, how did you know I was here?
I checked the records for your Warp Stone trips.
A background check.
And he said it without displaying any shame.
No matter how important the steward was, in essence, he was still a servant yet he used the smallest amount of respect possible when talking to Frey.
Just as Frey was observing him. Alexandro was also taking a good look at Frey.
Not much has changed.
Except for his slightly bigger physique, he seemed to be the same as before he was sent to the academy.
There were rumors circulating that he had destroyed a band of pirates but it seemed that those were just nonsense.
What kind of luck did he have to become friends with someone like Peran Jun?
Alexandro concealed his thoughts and explained the purpose of his visit.
The Lord is summoning you back home. He says that there is something he needs to talk to you about.
Hmm. What should he do?
Frey felt that he had reached a crossroads.
Should I accept Heinzs advice or go meet Isaka?
Depending on the choice he picked, the actions that he took would also change.
Frey was lost in thought but he could not remain silent for long. Because Alexandros expression was slowly changing.
Now is theres something I need to do so its impossible.
Frey decided to put the meeting on hold for now.
It was partly because of Heinzs advice, but also because he wanted to see what the circle was like first.
This caused Alexandro to have a troubled expression.
But its a request from the Lord
Its something that cant be helped. T-, tell my father that Im very sorry.
Alexandro couldnt help but be surprised because he had never expected Frey to refuse Isakas order.
Has he changed a little?
It looked like he was too scared to agree.
However, this was still an unexpected situation for Alexandro.
No matter how the family criticized Frey, he couldnt actually force him to do anything.
He had no choice but to bow his head.
Ill wait.
With those words, Alexandro took his leave.
If Alexandro had looked back at that moment he wouldve seen a shockingly cold gaze that didnt leave him until he disappeared from sight.
* * *
The refinement of the crystal seemed to take longer than expected.
Whenever Adelia appeared, she looked quite emaciated.
Yet there seemed to be an aura of excitement that exuded from her otherwise unsightly appearance.
Feeling of curiosity, Frey couldnt help but ask.
Havent you been away from the Academy for too long?
Its fine. In the first place, I accepted this position as a professor on the condition that my freedom wasnt limited.
Adelia answered coolly.
Naturally, if you wanted to hire a talented person like her, certain provisions needed to be made.
Frey spent his time constantly training his body.
One regret however, was that Liamson and Camille had left.
In the first place, they were sent here to help the Phisfounder Armlets so after the Apostle was defeated they no longer had a reason to stay.
Before they left, Liamson went up to Frey.
You said that you were going to take the upcoming test right?
Im not completely sure.
Well. Passing is a given and there will definitely be a scouting war for you. Hopefully, we can also participate. If were lucky, well meet then.
He raised his fist to Frey.
Ill win more the next time we meet.
Sounds absurd.
Frey and Liamson bumped fists and laughed.
Before Camille left, she gave Frey a black stone.
This is a Darkstone thats only found in the Spirit World. This should help you feel the Dark Spirits better.
Thank you for your help.
Its fine.
Camille had only let out a gentle laugh.
The Blacktooth Warriors had left the magic tower the very next day. Frey didnt see them off.
Afterwards, Frey simply began training on his own again.
This was because none of the magic warriors in the 3rd Magic Tower caught Freys eye.
He simply passed his time by training his magic martial arts or reading books in the library.
Or while holding the Darkstone, he would try to contact Dark Spirits.
When a month had passed, it was Julian, the Tower Master, instead of Adelia, who contacted him first.
What did you call me for? (Note: hard to make this sound polite in englishbut it was said politely) sea??h th n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Hmm. I have a proposal for you.
?
A proposal.
Julian was not a member of the circle.
Or did he want to trade something?
Before long, he continued.
Would you like to be a Floor Master?
Floor Master!
It was a position that almost every wizard longed for.
Simply becoming a member of a magic tower was already something that would cause wizards to walk around with their chins raised, not to mention a Floor Master who could be considered an executive.
Regardless of which tower it was, those in that position were admired and respected by all wizards.
It was a hard to come by opportunity.
Julian simply continued calmly.
Mikels seat is currently vacant and I think that you are a very talented person who is fit to take his place.
Are there any Floor Masters as young as I am?
Mischael of the Blake Family became a Floor Master at the age of 28, you are much younger than him so you might be the youngest in history.
Frey remained silent.
Julian spoke in a persuasive tone, maybe assuming that he was unsure of what to do.
If you become a Floor Master you would get many benefits. As soon as the documents are filed, the Empire will award you with your own mansion, lab and a research grant. You can trade or request knowledge and information about magic sciences from other Floor Masters. Depending on your achievements, you could even get some hard to find materials or rare magic tools.
It was an amazing proposal that most normal wizards would not be able to resist.
But Frey shook his head without hesitation.
Thank you for the offer, but Im sorry.
well. Have you considered joining the circle?
Julian laughed bitterly but Frey remained silent.
It wasnt just for that reason.
It was mostly because he had no need for any of the benefits offered for becoming a Floor Master.
I understand. Then please forget what I said.
I wont forget the kindness that the Tower Master has shown me.
Huhu. Thank you for saying that.
Frey went back to his room and just as he opened a book to read, he heard a knock on the door.
He knew who it was.
The people that Frey interacted with in the tower were very few, and with the departure of the Blacktooth group, it became even less.
Its open.
Creak.
As expected, it was Adelia who opened the door.
She looked at Frey with a strange expression on her face.
Did you really turn down old man Julians offer?
Yeah.
You, you threw away such an amazing opportunity. If its because of the circle then you have the wrong idea. Just like uncle Mikel, its possible to hold two positions at once. No, instead I should say most circle members are like that. The Floor Master of a magic tower is the perfect identity to show the outside world.
What she said wasnt crazy as it could be proven simply by looking at Tower Masters like Shepard or Deputy Tower Masters and Floor Masters like Lukes and Mikel.
But Frey didnt have any regrets.
I just judged that I wasnt ready to take on the position of Floor Master. I still have a lot of work to do.
There was nothing that she could say when he said that.
This was because, as Frey had said, there were still things that a Floor Master needed to do after they took their position.
They had to report their achievements and findings to the empire regularly or teach wizards in the tower.
If thats what you think then I have nothing more to say.
Did you just come here to say that?
No way.
Tak.
Adelia put two glass bottles onto the table.
Well?
Not one but two?
One of them was filled with clear liquid and the other was difficult to see through.
After receiving Freys puzzled gaze, Adelia explained.
Ive made crystals into elixirs a few times before, but Im sure that this time was the trickiest. That crystal had lightning energy. Lightning is one of the most intricate powers! Thanks to that, I had to use hundreds of gold coins to do it right.
If thats the case
No, no. I just wanted you to know how hard I worked, so I complained a little.
Adelia patted her chest slightly and Frey realised that shed taken care of him once again.
But why are there two bottles?
One is a mana elixir. The other one is, uma bundle of extracted lightning energy.
A bundle of lightning energy?
Mhm. I cant think of a suitable word to describe. Anyway, dont just open it. I had to force it in there so its pretty dangerous.
Frey had a strange expression on his face.
Why are you giving me something so dangerous?
Its only a feeling, but I thought that you would be able to use it.
As she said this, Adelia seemed a bit doubtful of her own judgement.
Still, it was a waste to just throw it away. If it was Frey, she was sure that he would find a use for it.
She shrugged her shoulders.
Well if youre uncomfortable with it, you can just throw it away.
No, Ill take it. Andthank you.
Hmph. You should be more grateful. Adelia is the only alchemist in the world who could do this. (Note: yes she used third person.)
Frey let out a quiet laugh.
I dont tend to forget my debts. Ill definitely pay you back.
Debt. Hehe. I like that.
Adelia laughed darkly at whatever it was she was thinking and seeing her playful expression also made Frey smile.
Im leaving soon.
You mean from the tower?
Mhm. Ive been away for too long I think. If I goof around any longer then that hag, Syris, will nag about it for months.
It seemed that she also had a special relationship with the dean of the academy.
Frey nodded.
Have a safe trip.
I dont know what your goal is, but be careful. Ah. Even if you take the elixir right now, there will be no problems.
With those words, Adelia waved her hand and left.
Later, Frey heard that just after she met him, she packed up her things and left for the academy.
That was when Frey realised that the reason she had stayed away from the academy for so long was to help him, and his appreciation for her deepened.
Then
Frey decided to inspect the lightning elixir later and first picked up the mana elixir.
Outwardly, it appeared no different from water. It didnt appear to be as extraordinary as Frozen River or Torkuntas heart.
However, Frey could clearly feel the essence of mana that was contained within this liquid.
I can feel the tremendous power inside of it. Three more elixirs like this. No. Even two elixirs like this would help me reach 8 stars.
Frey gave a slight smile as he discovered one more reason to attack Apostles.
Heinzs words appeared in his head once again.
Didnt he say not to drink the elixir?
Frey couldnt guess why.
However, he wouldnt think too much about it.
Heinz was not a reliable source of information and there was nothing wrong with the elixir.
He was certain of this.
Adelia, a genius alchemist had also confirmed this.
So what was Heinz thinking?
Was he talking about the situation Id be in by taking the elixir rather than a problem with the elixir itself?
Frey didnt know and he didnt make it a habit to worry about things that he could not find the answers to.
Without any hesitation, Frey uncorked the glass bottle and raised it to his lips.
Gulp gulp.
He felt a coolness as though he was drinking ice water.
He clearly felt the elixir slide down his throat as he drank it.
Woowoong.
!
The mana was denser than he imagined!
Frey realised that if he managed to make all of this mana his, then hed be able to increase his mana capacity by at least 1.5 times.
Frey was convinced that there would be no 7 star wizard who could beat him when it came to pure mana capacity.
Good.
Soon his body was dripping with sweat like a waterfall.
It wouldnt be strange if this caused him to be severely dehydrated, but Freys mouth was curved into a smile.
With this concentration on mana, I can extend my mana room to my entire body.
This was because it would allow him to expand his mana storage.
If it was completed perfectly then his mana veins would expand like rivers and allow him to maintain his top condition at all times.
This was a great advantage to wizards whose magical power varied, widely depending on their condition during the day.
Huuk.
Frey quickly calmed his mana.
His body had already succeeded in absorbing great amounts of mana again and again.
The mana in the crystal elixir wasnt negligible, but it wasnt dangerous. It wouldnt take too much time to absorb.
It would take a month at most.
After that he would probably leave the tower.
Chapter 53 - Contact (4)
Chapter 53 - Contact (4) Translator: Seven
A month went by quickly and the mana from the crystal elixir was absorbed completely.
This signified another step toward 8 stars.
Frey was content with that, but it wasnt the only good news.
The night before, he had succeeded in signing a contract with a Dark Spirit.
It was a medium level spirit named Darkming.
It looked like a small cat with black fur and when it signed the contract with Frey it displayed a very haughty attitude.
Camille had said that nine times out of ten the first contracted spirit that a person would gain would be low level, so it was quite good that he had been able to get such a good spirit.
At this point, Frey felt like he no longer had any reason to stay in the magic tower.
There was still some time till the circles test and he felt that it was much better to travel around the world than stay in the tower.
With that in mind, Frey immediately packed his things and got ready to leave the tower.
Just as he was about to open the door, he felt that someone was standing just outside of it.
For some reason, Frey got a familiar feeling and so he opened the door to see who it was.
Ah, ah. Hello.
A young woman bowed to him.
She looked to be about three or four years older than Frey, but it was her green hair and eyes that caught his attention since they were quite rare even in the entire continent.
Frey was speechless.
Then he shot a complicated gaze at her cloak before finally opening his mouth.
Who are you?
My name is Beniang.
He didnt ask for her name.
Was there something wrong with this womans head?
Beniang shook her head hurriedly when she saw Freys strange expression.
Ah. So-, sorry. Are you Frey Blake?
I am.
Im sorry for bothering you. Let me introduce myself properly. I am Beniang Argento.
As she continued, Frey realised that his expectations were correct.
I am the Circle Master of the Traumen Rings.
* * *
Frey climbed the stairs of the tower once again and headed to his room.
This was because there was no other place for him to serve guests. And no matter how much he wanted to, he couldnt take a Circle Master to a restaurant.
Plus the security of the tower was quite good.
Tak.
Frey closed the door and looked towards Beniang who was sitting in the chair, looking quite nervous.
Although he didnt show it, Frey was currently in a very complicated state of mind.
That cloak wasnt a magic tool.
In the first place, when he was Lucas, he didnt like using magic items.
He had only made a few of them to pass the time.
That cloak was just a plain leather cloak of good quality.
Thats why he almost didnt recognize it.
Now, 4,000 years later, the cape was quite different from how it used to be.
Did they add to it one after another as the years went by?
It seemed as though someone had replaced parts of it with different types of leather.
Thanks to that, the ordinary leather cloak had become a magic item which matched its name as a heros legacy.
But it wasnt the cloak that confused him.
He voiced the thoughts that he had inside.
What is Circle Master here for?
That
Watching her become embarrassed as she searched for words to say gave Frey a new feeling.
This was because he would have never expected that the number one in a circle could be like this.
It was even more pronounced when compared to the arrogance of Dugenjar whom he had met not so long ago.
By chanceam I the first one to do this?
The first one?
Well
Beniang furrowed her eyebrows slightly as she explained.
It doesnt often happen, but when a super rookie like you appears, they will sometimes be approached even before they take the test.
Before they even take the test?
Yeah. Ah. And you wont have to take the test. With your subjugation of an Apostle youve already been judged to be stronger than an executive from the Big Three.
He didnt have to take the test.
It seemed like hed be able to avoid something troublesome, but he couldnt trust the circle just yet.
What if they tried to force him to do something else?
Are there already rumors of me defeating the Apostle?
Not yet. Only a few circles know about it. I only managed to hear about it with luck
Thats when he understood what she meant.
Beniang had come here to invite him to join the Traumen Rings.
Frey was surprised.
He didnt know how things were done in the circle, but he was certain that the Circle Master didnt go to recruit members personally.
Have you already decided on which circle youre going to join?
Huh?
Ive heard that youre Heinz Blakes brother. And you also have a relationship with the Strow Necklaces Honor Shepard
Even this information was leaked.
Frey had a feeling that these circles were releasing the information on purpose. From what Beniang had revealed it seemed that they wanted him more desperately than hed originally thought.
I havent thought about it yet.
I, I see.
Beniang tried to calm the flutter in her stomach. At least she didnt come here for nothing.
She glanced up at Freys eyes before continuing.
What do you think about the Traumen Rings?
I dont have any particular thoughts.
It was the truth.
Even if the woman in front of him was the leader of an organization bearing his last name, that fact remained unchanged.
Beniang was disappointed.
It could be said that nine out of ten wizards would have great respect for Lucas Traumen.
But now her plan to build a common ground by talking about Lucas has failed before it could even begin.
hey, is it okay if I tell you about our circle?
Id love to hear about it. Sar?h the N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
When Frey responded in such an unexpectedly positive way, Beniangs face brightened up considerably.
He was very curious about it.
This was because many of his associates were either directly or indirectly linked to the Traumen Rings.
Peran said that he really wanted to join and Adelia is a member of the Traumen Rings circle.
Our circle
Beniang began explaining with a nervous face while Frey simply listened to her quietly.
Freys expression remained the same throughout the explanation so Beniang had no idea what he was thinking.
And when she was done, Frey quietly brooded over Beniangs words.
From the other circle members that hed spoken to, whenever they spoke about their circle it was always wrapped in a veil.
What surprised Frey was that Beniang unexpectedly revealed just how bad the situation of the Traumen Rings was to him.
If her purpose was to recruit Frey, then it would have been better for her to conceal some things.
To put it mildly then, at least she was honest, otherwise, it could be said that she was inflexible.
If Frey comes to our circleI can also give you some magic items.
Magic items?
Yes.
Frey didnt realise it, but this was actually an incredibly aggressive move.
Except for the Big Three, the number of artifacts that the circles had in their possessions was not high. At most, there would be two or three and some circles didnt even have any at all.
In the past, there were only five magic items in the Traumen Rings circles, so giving one to a rookie was quite shocking.
Beniang thought that there would be a change of expression on Freys face when he heard this, but he simply lowered his head as if he was thinking about something.
This reaction was rather discouraging for Beniang.
Id like to ask you a question.
Ah! Yes, please ask me anything.
She had no choice but to welcome Freys words because she just wanted him to show any kind of reaction.
Is Master Beniang a Dragon?
For a moment silence descended upon the room.
Clack.
Then Beniang hurriedly stood up from the chair.
She stared at Frey with trembling eyes, unable to hide her agitation.
Th-, that, that
Frey looked at her calmly.
It wasnt because of the cloak. Frey knew that the woman before him was a Dragon or was related to Dragons, which was why he had a complicated feeling.
However, he began to doubt it after seeing Beniangs reaction. It was far too emotional for her to be a Dragon.
why do you say that?
It seemed that this was the only thing that Beniang could ask.
Frey opened his mouth slowly.
Dragons dont have Mana Rooms. Dragon Hearts. The transcendental power source which allows you to use mana immediately without having to accept it from nature.
It was for this very reason that the mana around Dragons had a different quality. It changed so that it would be able to accept the Dragon hearts call at any moment.
It was due to this that Dragons were able to bypass having to cast spells.
The stronger the wizard, the better theyd be able to realise this fact.
Freys gaze met Beniangs.
Master Beniang has a distinctive, pure, unrefined mana.
you seem to know a lot about Dragons. Have you ever met one?
Thatno.
At that moment, Frey saw a flash of disappointment in Beniangs eyes.
She sighed before saying.
Hooo! Well. Since youve noticed that much then theres no reason to deny it but I can only be called a halfling.
Half?
Yes.
Beniang nodded, putting her hand on her chest.
I am half Dragon.
Chapter 54 - Contact (5)
Chapter 54 - Contact (5) Translator: Seven
Frey read in a book that the presence of Dragons had slowly faded from the present world.
To be precise, they vanished.
No one knew if the strong mediators who watched over the continent in the past had truly disappeared.
There were no records. In fact, Frey always felt like there was something missing when he read history books.
It was as if someone had intentionally distorted or hid certain parts of history.
Actually, I dont even know what my father and mother look like.
Are Dragons still on the continent?
I dont know.
Beniang smiled bitterly.
She shook her head as if to shake off her sadness before looking at Frey with clear eyes for the first time.
Frey Blake, what Im about to tell you is something only a few people in my circle know. Are you confident that you wont talk about this?
Frey noticed that she didnt want this information to get out.
After explaining the situation to him in detail it seemed she had chosen to trust Freys character.
Shes soft-hearted.
He meant it.
If it was Shepard Jun here speaking to him, there was a good chance that he would threaten Frey or even directly try to take his life.
That was the surest way to ensure a secret was kept, Frey had no intention of denying that fact.
However, Beniang had chosen such an uncertain method.
To ask him to keep it a secret after he found out. It was like leaving her fate to another person.
Her gentle appearance reminded him of Schweiser. He was a nice guy who didnt know how to doubt people and could smile even after he was betrayed.
Again
Once again he had felt a semblance of his old friend in these modern humans.
Frey shook his head.
I wont tell anyone.
Thank you.
Beniang continued speaking in a calm voice.
My egg is said to have been found in a Green Dragons lair that had already been swept through by Demigods. 200 years ago.
!
200 years ago.
It was much longer ago than Frey thought.
According to the records, when it was found, the lair had already been completely devastated and the Dragons corpse could not be found. It was recorded that the only thing that was left in the lair was me.
They couldnt even find a body.
It was unknown how the only thing that remained safe in the destroyed lair was the egg.
50 years ago, I hatched from that egg.
You incubated for 150 years.
Yes.
Frey also guessed the reason.
In order to hatch a Dragons egg, the parent Dragon needed to incubate it by slowly injecting their mana into it.
The mana would be changed to temper the babys Dragon Heart.
This process alone greatly reduced the incubation period as well as ensured that the hatchling would be healthy.
But Beniang did not get to receive this process.
No, it was already a miracle that she had even hatched in the first place.
Now she must be so unstable and weak that she couldnt even be considered a Half-Dragon.
My form when I hatched was not that of a Dragon, but of a human. That was when the members of the circle realised that I was a Half-Dragon.
It would have been almost impossible for them to tell that from the outside.
There might have been a slight difference in the size of the egg, but it was highly unlikely that people in that time would have been able to accurately determine the size of a Dragons egg.
Afterwards, it was Osel Argento, the former Circle Master of the Traumen Rings, who raised me. Iconsidered him, my real father.
The previous Circle Master who died in battle with a Demigod.
When she said his name, Beniangs expression drooped slightly.
It seemed that she really took this man Osel, who raised her, to be her father instead of a Green Dragon she never saw.
After his death, I, his foster daughter, took his place. It was not the custom. Its just that, since the incident, a lot of people decided to leave the circle. Not only the Force Honors but even the Circle Rounder.
This meant that she had no choice but to take the position.
Beniang looked depressed.
Ive said everything I can. Now tell me about you. How do you know about dragons? (Note: Frey: Iam Lucas Traumen.Beniang: *head explodes*)
Frey looked at Beniang.
In other words, her parent was a Green Dragon like his teacher.
It didnt seem like a coincidence.
Whats more, Beniang looked very much like his teacher.
Her personality was different, but her eyes and aura were the same.
Frey wondered for a moment if one of her parents might have actually been his teacher but he soon realised how ridiculous the probability of that was.
I saw it in a book.
A book?
A book I found in the Great Sages dungeon. There was a detailed description of dragons inside of it.
Schweiser Strows memoirs!
Beniang was startled.
In-, indeed. Thats right. It was recorded that 4,000 years ago, Humans and Dragons joined forces to fight the Demigods.
There was a moment of silence.
After thinking for a while, Beniang got up from her seat.
thats all I have to say.
Thank you for your honesty. I will never speak of the things that you have told me.
Thank you.
Even though it was only a verbal oath, Beniang did not seem to have any doubts.
She looked at Frey and spoke cautiously.
well, so what do we do now? I cant be away for too long so Im thinking of heading back right away.
Frey didnt need to think too long.
After all, he wanted to know of the inner workings of the circle and also to see it with his own eyes.
Although it was in the midst of a downward spiral, the Traumen Rings were still suitable.
Rather, it was because there would be no useless arrogance or confidence that made this the best corner.
If you dont mind, may I take a look at the Traumen Rings?
Of, of course!
Beniangs face brightened to the point that she was almost shining.
In all honesty, Frey was completely unfamiliar with her expressions and reactions.
This was because Frey had never met a Dragon who expressed emotion so clearly.
No. Shes a Half-Dragon.
Ill just pack my luggage and go down right away.
Yeah. Then Ill wait downstairs.
Beniang headed downstairs.
He had no luggage to pack. Frey just wanted to take some time to organize his thoughts.
He had always been thinking about creating a strong force.
It was impossible to bring down the Demigod all alone.
That was why he was overjoyed when he learned of the existence of the circle.
There were limits to what one could do on their own. Especially when it came to humans dealing with Demigods.
Therefore Frey needed a force behind his back.
To be precise, what he needed was a force he can trust.
Although he withheld his judgment on the circle, Frey couldnt help but feel extremely disappointed with the things that he had seen recently.
It was enough for him to feel anger at the Big Three who were playing with their power but were still unable to unite together.
We need to unite our forces.
The circle should be one.
If the executives of the three largest circles heard that, they would definitely laugh, but Frey had the confidence to do it.
To do that, they needed a central point.
Frey was planning on going to the Traumen Rings and taking a look around.
It didnt matter how powerful they were. The important thing was not their external strength but their inner strength.
He wanted to know what their standpoint was on the fight with the Demigods.
If he felt that the Traumen Rings was the right circle to be the center, then he would revive them.
Frey, no.
The Great Mage, Lucas Traumen was confident in his ability to do that.
* * *
Thats not
What are you so upset about? Did I say something wrong Master Beniang?
As Frey came down to the ground floor, he frowned as he heard a voice that he was sure hed heard somewhere before. sea??h th n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
There seemed to be a quiet conflict happening not far away.
When he turned his head to look, he found where Beniang was standing.
She was standing with her head lowered, biting her lips.
And in front of her was a man who did not seem to be pleased to see Frey.
Oh. Youre finally down. You seem to have more weight than a Circle Master. How impressive.
A middle aged wizard who was a blatantly arrogant Force Honor of the Phisfounder Armlets and someone who Frey had had a dispute with not long ago.
It was Dugenjar.
Chapter 55 - Contact (6)
Chapter 55 - Contact (6) Translator: Seven
Frey looked around.
Standing beside Dugenjar was a bald man who appeared to be in his thirties who had a sword at his waist and a young man with a gentle expression.
It didnt seem like these three were in the same part as there was a subtle distance between all of them.
Unfortunately, Honor Heinz isnt here today. (Note: goodkill him)
Thinking that Frey was looking around for Heinz, Dugenjar gave a snide remark.
However, Frey ignored him and instead turned to the men beside him.
You are?
I am Jerome Berner from the Lucid Swords.
I am Steve Jacks from the Strow Necklaces.
Do you have any business with me?
Yes. WellI think were a step too late.
Steve smiled bitterly and looked over at Beniang.
Frey realised that these people were scouts from the big circles. He became speechless for a moment when he realised that all of the big circles were interested in him.
As this was happening.
Dugenjar who had been completely ignored slowly became redder at the face.
He was the worst possible person to send as a scout.
No. He didnt have any intention to recruit him in the first place.
Dugenjar looked at Frey and said.
Are you going to join the Traumen Rings?
So what if I am?
Hmph. Likes attract
It was just a murmur, but everyone present was still able to hear it.
Beniang bit her lip.
Frey was sure he saw something flash in her eyes for a moment and couldnt help but feel a bit of relief.
If she had become submissive here then he would have been very disappointed.
Beniang was timid, but that didnt mean that she was without pride.
For those who walked the path of magic, a certain amount of pride was important.
Maybe even more so than their lives.
Frey Blake, do you intend to join the Traumen Rings?
Strow Necklaces member Steve asked straightforwardly.
He was nervous inside.
Even though he had hurried as much as he could, he still didnt arrive first.
The internal meeting took longer than I expected.
Besides the Traumen Rings hideout was much closer to the 3rd Magic Tower.
Anyway, the circle had come to a conclusion.
And that was to attract Frey Blake even if it meant that they had to bleed a little.
The fact that Frey Blake, who was only 20 years old, had defeated an Apostle was already becoming widespread.
As long as it was a 7 star wizard, every circle, including the Big Three would covet them. Besides, look at his age.
In all honesty, Steve still couldnt completely believe it.
A wizard who became an Archmage at the age of 20?
Wasnt that something that even the legendary heroes hadnt been able to achieve?
Im going to take a look around first.
When Frey said that, both Steve and Jeromes eyes seemed to shine brightly.
So you havent decided yet.
Yes.
Then why dont you also take a look at our circle after?
You mean the Strow Necklaces?
Yes.
Steve nodded vigorously.
Frey nodded without thinking about it for too long.
If I havent joined a circle by then.
Haha. Thats good enough.
As he said this, Steve gave Frey a scroll from his bag. Sar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
This is?
Its a scroll engraved with warp magic. The coordinates lead to the entrance of our hideout. If you tell them my name, they will treat you politely. Mana is required to activate it, but at your level it shouldnt be a problem.
I see.
Then Ill take my leave.
This seemed to be his only objective for going there.
Before he left, Steve shot a look at Dugenjar.
I hope this fool doesnt do anything stupid.
He felt like something would happen.
Not only because of Frey, but also Beniang, the Circle Master of the Traumen Rings.
Everyone in the Circle knew that the Phisfounder Armlets were especially hostile to the Traumen Rings. (Note: probably because of her unrequited love)
Their pressure had not reduced, even now that the Traumen rings were slowly spiralling downward.
No, instead it could be said that their contempt had increased.
Steve shook his head.
He hoped that Dugenjar was able to at least judge the situation properly.
Jerome came forward next.
I apologize but I didnt bring anything like a scroll. If you ever come to Geotanbul or Silkeed in the Luanoble Kingdom, please be sure to visit our circle. If you talk to the nobles or lords in the cities, they will contact us.
It seemed that this was the area where the Lucid Swords was most active.
Again Frey nodded and Jerome left not long after.
Naturally, Freys gaze turned to Dugenjar last.
What did you come here for? I dont think you came to do the same thing as the other two.
Hmphthere are too many eyes here. Follow me. Master Beniang you dont have to come with us.
After saying that, Dugenjar turned around and started walking away.
As Frey watched him walk away, Beniang approached him.
Im sorry. I think that I am the reason you are getting into a conflict with Honor Dugenjar.
It seemed that she had misunderstood something.
Frey gave her a smile.
That man was already upset because he couldnt deal with me before. Whats the difference?
Yes?
Are you going to follow that man?
he said that I shouldnt come, so Ill wait here.
As she said this, Beniang bit her lip.
It felt pitiful for a Circle Master to listen to the words of a circle executive of another circle.
She felt ashamed to show something like that to Frey, who was an outsider.
Frey, who was following Dugenjar, noticed the contempt that was on Beniangs face.
They didnt stop walking until they left the city.
Not far away from the city was a large forest. Only after arriving there did Dugenjar turn around.
His face was filled with ridicule.
Show me your skills, I will judge you.
It was completely unexpected.
Frey took a while before answering.
Judge?
Thats right. To see if you really have the ability to take down an Apostle!
So you dont believe what I said?
If so, it was beyond absurd.
He was probably among the group that had gone to the sight of the fight between Frey and Lukes to clean up.
If he had any doubts then wouldnt they all be cleared up if he examined the traces that were left behind?
Thats why Im telling you to prove your strength. Dont make me repeat myself. (Note:Lava Blast)
What about the Blacktooths testimony?
When Frey recalled Camille and asked, Dugenjar simply snorted.
How could I believe the words of other races? I have to see it with my own eyes. Its not that difficult. You just have to prove it.
Thud.
Dugenjar took out a long staff from his bag which knocked against the floor.
Roar.
At that moment, mana was released from his body explosively.
The visible mana fluttered like a haze before gathering to put pressure on Frey.
This wasnt the pressure that one would use to scare a rookie.
Such a large amount of mana could be practically suffocating. If the person was weak willed, it would be enough to stop their heart.
Im going to enlighten you on how big the world really is. You need to be educated, so Ill help you.
As he said this, Dugenjar slowly began increasing the pressure on Frey.
Dont get proud just because you beat Lukes. Even within the 7 stars level, there are different classes.
That was the truth.
Although both Lukes and Dugenjar were considered 7 stars, Dugenjar was actually stronger than Lukes.
Unlike Lukes, who could be considered to be in the middle stage of 7 stars, Dugenjar could be considered to be close to the peak.
Although the difference between them might not seem that large on paper, in reality, it was actually enormous.
It was almost impossible for Dugenjar to lose a fight against Lukes.
And maybe Frey had entered the 7 star stage by luck.
With his amount of skill he should not have much control over his mana.
I cant kill you because the Circle already has eyes on you. But Ill make you crawl on the floor here.
At that moment, when Dugenjar had just started smiling.
Crack Crack.
White, cold air seemed to billow out from Freys body.
Dugenjar shivered unconsciously.
What is this?
The mana felt cold.
cold? The mana was cold?
He could imbue attributes? Into his mana? (Note: yes these were two separated sentences)
His expression stiffened. This couldnt be true.
It was impossible.
It was impossible for even him to imbue attributes into his mana so naturally.
Frey spoke softly.
Youre right.
Wh-, what
Dugenjar didnt even realise that Frey was speaking to him informally.
Even if its the same level, there are still different classes.
Freys face was as cold as ice.
He was angry.
It wasnt at Dugenjar who was picking a fight with him.
To him, all he felt was mild displeasure and contempt.
No, the reason that Frey was angry was because garbage like this could still confidently call themselves 7 stars.
Crack crack.
The cold air easily pushed Dugenjars mana aside.
However, it didnt stop there. Instead, it began to slowly apply pressure to Dugenjar.
Dugenjar hurriedly cast a barrier while exclaiming.
Bu-, bullsh*t!
Frey looked down on Dugenjar.
At that moment he realised that all this while he had been overestimating these modern 7 star wizards.
Being able to maintain a calm mind without being frustrated regardless of the situation.
That was the Archmage that Frey knew.
An Archmage should never lose their composure.
This didnt only refer to pain, but anything that could cloud ones judgement.
Including emotions like anger, sadness and joy.
This didnt mean that they had to suppress those emotions. Because humans were not dolls.
It meant being able to feel every emotion clearly, but still being able to maintain ones composure and think of a way to get out of any adverse situations.
But this man before him.
When the opponent who he was trying to trample suddenly began to pressure him instead, he could not accept the reality and his mana began fluctuating.
This was evidence that he was so agitated that he couldnt even get his own mana under control.
Frey couldnt understand how hed reached his current level.
He couldnt know.
Maybe he had taken many elixirs like Frozen River or he began deteriorating after reaching 7 stars.
Freys eyes were frozen on Dugenjar.
Dugenjar felt his heart quiver.
He suddenly felt that those eyes were incredibly scary.
More than the Circle Rounder or even the Circle Master.
II am an Archmage! A, a great wizard!
Dugenjars face was filled with rage.
Frey simply responded in a cold voice.
If you subtract your level of mana, you are below the standard in every way. A wizard who just happens to have 7 star mana. Theres no better expression to define you than that.
Uh, uh
Dugenjar struggled and tried to cast a spell. Frey shook his hand.
Paat.
,,,!!
Dugenjar wasnt even able to make a sound.
My, my spellhe negated it before I even began casting it
It was unbelievable.
Dugenjar once again tried to use a spell.
F-, Flame Wave!
Paat.
It was negated once again.
I, I dont believe itt-, to negate m-, my spells with such precisionth-, this
It shouldnt be possible without reading his mind.
He needed to know exactly what spell he was going to use, know how to cast said spell, speed and instantaneous computational ability to negate a spell.
Above all, he needed to have a lot of self confidence.
It was incredibly difficult to negate another persons spell.
If they failed at even one step, the person who tried to negate the others spell would have to bear a very heavy burden!
At that moment, for the first time, Dugenjar came to a realisation.
He had believed that it was just a weak Apostle.
Lukes was originally a wizard so he should not have been too adept at using divine power.
That was why he believed that this rookie had been lucky enough to defeat him.
But that wasnt the case.
The man in front of him definitely had the ability to subdue an Apostle.
Crack crack.
Freys cold mana covered Dugenjars body and he slowly began to freeze from his toes upwards.
Dugenjars face was tainted with a trace of fear.
You, are you going to kill me?
It might happen.
You are out of your mind! I am a Force Honor of the Phisfounder Armlets! Dont do anything that youll regret!
If he went missing then the doubt would definitely fall to Frey.
There were also witnesses like Beniang, Steve and Jerome.
However, he wasnt certain of his safety.
Frey was confident that he would be able to completely wipe away any traces, given the need.
However, he had no intention to kill Dugenjar. (Note: although I expected it, its still very disappointing)
There was a much better way.
Stop it! What do you intend to do?!
Honor Dugenjar, your life might be in my hands but I have no intentions of killing you. I dont think you wouldve shown such mercy, butIll give you one chance.
He could still change. (Note: the author put this twicebut I figured one time was enough)
Dugenjar would have to make a critical choice.
And if he couldnt change himself in the end then he wouldnt be able to melt the ice.
What are you talking about
Its a trial. If you cant melt the ice, you will die.
Dugenjars gaze turned to the ice that entombed his body.
He immediately realised that it wasnt ordinary ice.
H-, how
Dont panic. The more you do that, the faster the ice will devour your body. You said it yourself. Youre an Archmage. If you can truly act like a 7 star Archmage, then you will be able to melt it.
Iare you testing me? With what qualifications?
I am qualified.
Dugenjar didnt know why, but he was not able to deny Freys words at that moment. (Note: maybe the part with him being frozen in ice)
Instead, he just looked at Frey with a slightly dull gaze.
You
You have one day. In order to melt the ice, you have to let it burrow into your heart. This is my sincere advice.
I hope you get through this.
Great. Hes too Great.
Dugenjar felt that Frey was incredibly amazing.
There was a ripple deep in his mind.
Great shame and regret filled his heart.
Kuk.
Dugenjar bit his lip.
Immediately after, he closed his eyes and began activating his mana. At the same time, the rate that the ice covered his body slowed.
He did not pay much attention to the advice.
Right now, it didnt matter.
The important thing right now was the time.
At that moment, a day did not seem that long. And Dugenjar could not afford to waste any time.
Frey hoped that he would overcome the challenge and change himself.
There was a chance, because regardless of how arrogant he was, he had, in the end, managed to reach 7 stars.
The ice would not kill Dugenjar.
After a day, it would cover Dugenjars entire body, and after two days, it would melt away on its own.
Of course, Dugenjar didnt know that.
Even if he managed to survive this, he would be filled with shame and keep it a secret of his own volition.
He was the type who would risk his life for his pride. Therefore, he would never willingly talk about his shame.
Of course, that didnt matter.
If he revealed it, Frey would be able to determine what kind of circle the Phisfounder Armlets was depending on their response.
Honor Dugenjar.
If he was able to abandon his useless stubbornness and arrogance then he had the potential to be a good wizard.
If he was able to abandon his conceited self, he would be reborn as an even better being.
Frey knew how precious a 7 star wizard was.
That was why he didnt want to kill him unless he was truly determined to be an enemy or betrayed humankind like Lukes.
There are two kinds of humans in the world.
Humans who could change and humans who couldnt.
Frey hoped that Dugenjar belonged to the former.
(Note: Someone pointed out my inconsistency when capitalizing circle so from now on when referring to a specific circle it will be circle and when it refers to the organization as a whole it will be Circle - which is what I intended but probably forgot at times
Chapter 56 - Traumen Rings (1)
Chapter 56 - Traumen Rings (1) Translator: Seven
Beniang waited anxiously in front of the tower for Frey.
Should I have followed them?
It didnt seem like it would just be a simple conversation.
Beniang, thought of Dugenjar.
Among the executives of the Phisfounder Armlets, that man was the one who could be said to have the most hostility towards the Traumen Rings.
Before, when the Traumen Rings was one of the four largest circles, Dugenjar would stare at them with a fierce gaze at every meeting.
It was the same even when the previous master Osel Argento, was alive.
Whenever Osel looked at him with a soft smile, Dugenjar would turn his head away with killing intent in his eyes.
However, after Osel died and the circle began to deteriorate, the situation changed.
Beniang had difficulty speaking after seeing his gaze. No, it wasnt just Dugenjar.
None of the people there were friendly to a fallen circle.
Ah!
From the distance, she saw Frey approaching.
Beniang ran up to him.
Is, is everything okay?
Yes.
When Frey simply nodded with a calm expression, Beniang felt a bit confused.
Did nothing really happen?
From what she could see, there didnt seem to be anything abnormal.
And Honor Dugenjar?
He went back.
Honor Dugenjarjust went back?
I explained the situation and he believed me.
It didnt make sense.
Beniang found it impossible to believe Freys words, but she had a feeling that she would not get an answer even if she continued to ask.
She could only put on a confused expression.
so are you done with your business?
Yeah. I think we can leave right away. Where is the headquarters of the Traumen Rings?
In the Peinsisko Forest. About three days away from Uthiano by foot.
By foot?
Im sorry, but the road isnt developed enough for a wagon to drive on and there are no Warp Stones.
Beniang smiled awkwardly and Frey nodded.
They bought food, drinking water and camping equipment from a nearby general store and immediately left Uthiano.
And so their short journey began.
As Beniang had said, the road was not very developed.
Even though it was a short walk, because it was on a rough mountain road, it was rather tiring.
It might have been difficult for him before he had trained in the tower, but now it was quite relaxing.
Beniang also didnt seem to be lagging behind either.
No, instead she was even more relaxed than Frey.
Just before they crossed a small mountain, Frey stopped walking and looked back.
With the reddish sunset in the background, Uthiano looked small in the distance.
The beautiful sight warmed his heart.
Come to think of it, this is the first time Im traveling by foot since my return.
To get to Kausymphony, he took a ship and then to get to every other destination, he used Warp Stones.
They were comfortable and efficient trips.
No, it was more like moving than actually travelling.
This wasnt to say that the current journey was bothersome and difficult. Instead, it had a certain beauty to it.
Frey prefered to have leisure trips and he especially liked taking a slow look at the surrounding scenery.
Beniang didnt rush him and instead matched Freys relaxed pace.
The first day.
When the sun finally set completely, Frey and Beniang set up a campsite.
Surprisingly, it seemed that Beniang was familiar with camping.
Even on the mountain road, she managed to find suitably level ground for camping, made a campfire and skillfully laid their sleeping bags.
She even offered to make dinner herself.
She also had a Subspace Bag.
From it, she removed utensils and ingredients and began to make soup on the spot.
It was better than he expected, so Frey was surprised.
Beniang smiled as she handed a bowl of soup to Frey.
I hope it suits your tastes.
He took a sip and found that it was very delicious.
When Frey praised the great flavor, Beniang smiled so brightly it seemed like she would fly away.
Would you like another bowl?
Please.
Okay!
Looking at her act like this, one would never believe that she was a Circle Master or a Half-Dragon.
She felt more like an innocent country girl.
After the meal, Frey spoke.
The man who was the previous Circle Master. Did you say his name was Osel Argento?
Thats right.
Which Demigod killed him?
Beniang froze at that.
Then she smiled bitterly and turned to Frey.
you asked a very sensitive question. sea??h th N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Ah.
He inwardly thought that his question might have been too much.
It occurred to him that he might have to reflect on his straightforward way of talking. Since his return, his computational mindset which focused on efficiency had become more pronounced.
He didnt have a very friendly personality 4,000 years ago, but it wasnt this bad.
Im sorry.
Frey bowed his head and reflected.
Embarrassed, Beniang shook her hand at him.
N-, no. Ive already learned to accept my fathers death. If I had allowed myself to wallow in it then the Traumen Rings wouldve been destroyed.
How much do you know about Demigods?
I know that they are transcendent beings that surpass human understanding.
Since Frey wanted to hear about the Demigods from a Circle Masters perspective, he acted like he didnt know much.
Beniang nodded without having any strange thoughts about his response.
I cant tell you everything. Since youre still an outsider.
Would I be able to learn it if I entered the Traumen Rings?
Beniang gave a bright smile.
Of course. With your skill, you would be able to become an executive immediately. But for now, Ill only tell you what I can.
Thank you for that.
Beniang looked into the campfire for a moment before speaking.
The Demigods also have a superior. An entity that was able to command all Demigods. We call him Lord.
Freys eyes shook.
Lord.
How could he forget?
He couldnt help but think about what had happened at that time.
It was a being that he had encountered after he reached 9 stars. The being who had utilised its incredible power to seal him in the Abyss.
Frey had been avoiding thinking about it as much as possible.
This was because he still had not figured out a way to defeat this all powerful being who had crushed him even when he was a 9 star Great Mage.
At that moment Frey realised that this information had been hidden from him deliberately.
The Circle knew about Lord.
In the past, Shepard had told him that they didnt have much knowledge about Demigods.
Frey now realised that that was a lie.
Of course, he didnt feel betrayed or disappointed in Shepard.
He didnt fully trust Frey at that time, and wouldnt tell him the truth.
In fact, it was rather strange that Beniang was even telling him this secret.
And even among the Demigods, there are individuals with tremendous power. We call them [Apocalypses] for easy classification
Apocalypse?
While they are not as strong as Lord, they are still strong enough to have a certain influence among the Demigods.
Beniang stretched out three fingers.
Weve figured out the power of three of the Apocalypses. Sword, Poison and Death.
At first, it would seem like these words have no connection, but Frey knew the identity of one of them.
The Demigod who controlled poison.
An ugly old man with many age spots.
That old man is definitely strong among the Demigods.
It seemed that as the years passed, Demigods like that old man, who had more power than the others, were classified separately from the rest.
My father was killed by a Demigod who has the power of Death. It was not that long ago. Only two years.
Was that when the Traumen Rings suffered a devastating blow?
Yes.
Beniang spoke bitterly.
Our circle utilised our full strength for the battle. As a result, we suffered heavy damages.
And what about the Demigod?
She smiled bitterly and stayed silent. That was the answer.
If they had succeeded in their subjugation then she wouldnt have stayed silent.
Frey wanted to learn more about the Demigods but, remembering his previous mistake, he couldnt open his mouth easily.
Ill stay content with this much information for now.
Afterwards, they had a few small conversations in which Frey deliberately avoided talking about the circle.
She wasnt very outspoken.
She even showed him her earrings which she usually kept hidden.
These are Typhoon earrings. Its one of the few magic tools created by the Great Mage Lucas Traumen. By simply injecting mana into it, you can create a magic barrier. The strength of the barrier was also directly related to the strength of the user.
Wow! I saw them in a book before. Theyre so beautiful.
Frey realised that, for the first time since his return, he was actually leading a conversation.
The reason wasnt hard for him to guess. It was because he felt sympathy for Beniang.
She was currently the head of an organization that was slowly being destroyed. This was a burden that many would not be able to understand.
Frey couldnt help but feel sorry for her when she had to carry such a burden on her little shoulders.
In addition, Beniang had the blood of a Green Dragon like his teacher.
In the past, Frey had always wanted to repay his teachers kindness but the situation was unfavourable and he had been unable to do so.
Frey felt that if he helped Beniang now, it would also give him a bit of self comfort.
So he was also being selfish.
This child would have been happier if shed grown up normally.
Frey continued the journey while trying to take care of Beniang as much as possible.
Thanks to this, by the time they arrived at the Traumen Rings headquarters, she was quite close to Frey.
This Peinsisko Forest.
Frey looked at the forest in front of him.
It was a normal forest without any special features.
But when he realised that it was in fact a natural barrier spell, Frey was impressed.
This took a great amount of skill.
He didnt think that he would be able to destroy it at his current level
Did you set up this barrier yourself?
No. If it is damaged then I can repair it, but it was created by my father.
It was clear that the man called Osel Argento was at least an 8 star Archmage.
Beniang on the other hand should be around 6 stars.
Considering the Dragons talent, this was a very disappointing figure.
She shouldnt learn the human way, because she is Half-Dragon.
It was probably Osel Argento who taught her.
But Frey had no intentions of finding fault with him. Perhaps in the current world, there was no one who could properly teach Beniang.
If I teach her
Dragons had a ridiculous sensitivity to mana, the presence of their Dragon heart and their talent.
If she made use of these things, she would naturally flourish. If he taught her well, shed be able to grow incredibly strong in a short time.
Just as Frey was delving deeper into his thoughts about Beniang.
He felt someone approaching them at a fast pace from the forest.
Just as Frey began to summon his mana since he did not know who it was, Beniang shook her head.
It will be someone from our circle.
Before long, a middle aged man appeared from the forest.
He seemed to be in his 40s.
He was wearing a brown open collared robe and had a large build. He looked more like a mercenary who had been through many hardships, pretending to be a wizard.
The man seemed to be in a hurry.
He ran up to Beniang and spoke with a sorrowful tone.
Ma-, Master Beniang!
Honor Gisellan, whats going on?
The man, Gisellan, hurriedly bowed his head.
Please forgive my rudeness! The problem is
Its fine. Just tell me the situation.
Beniang spoke in a calm tone. Frey turned to look at her.
It seemed that she performed her role as Circle Master much better than Frey thought.
But at Gisellans words, her demeanor cracked.
Im sorry! Wewe lost in the relic battle again!
His words caused Beniang to take a deep breath.
After biting her lip for a moment, she finally responded.
who was your opponent?
The Basilisk Tails! Those jackals have come to our circle again!
Chapter 57 - Trowman Rings (2)
Chapter 57 - Trowman Rings (2) Translator: Seven
(Note: So you might notice some changes in this chapter. These are explained in the notes below.)
Beniang went back to her residence, saying that she had something to think about, and Frey was escorted to a room where he would be staying, which turned out to be a small house on the outskirts of the village.
After hed washed himself and changed his clothes, he heard a knock on the door.
It was Gisellan, a Force Honor of the Trowman Rings.
Do you have a minute?
Yeah.
Thanks.
Gisellan walked in and sat on a nearby chair.
He appeared a bit disheveled as though he had not been able to clean up before arriving.
Gisellan looked down at himself and smiled bitterly.
I couldnt wash up because I was in a hurry.
Its fine.
Thats a relief. Ive embarrassed myself before you.
He was talking about what had happened before.
Frey did not think too much about it.
I have a few questions that Id like to ask.
Please go ahead.
What exactly is Relic Battle?
For a moment, their gazes met.
Gisellan hesitated for a moment before slowly opening his mouth.
Its exactly that. It is a duel where the winner takes one of the Heroes relics from the loser. Originally it was organized as a way to promote and foster friendships between the circlesnow, the meaning has changed a great deal.
Cant you refuse?
We have a few tricks up our sleeves butthe way things are now
At that moment, Frey realised that the circles werent really getting along with each other.
They called themselves the Circle, but in truth, they were like a group of individual forces who were forced together and were more preoccupied with keeping each other in check than actually helping.
His eyes sank faintly but Gisellan just gave a bitter laugh without realising it.
I understand it roughly. So, a circle called Basilisk Tails is fighting for the Trowman Rings artifacts?
That
Gisellan hesitated for a moment, but Beniangs advice resounded in his head.
She said it was better to tell him everything in an honest way than hide it from him.
He was a man who still came personally to check out the Trowman Rings despite their desperate situation.
It was better to be honest than to get caught lying and appear deceitful.
Gisellan nodded.
Youre right. It has happened many times already and its not over yet. Its not as though the Basilisk Tails are the only jackals.
What do you mean?
Relic Battles between circles can only happen once a month. The small and medium sized circles near to us have already joined forces. They are taking turns every month to fight for artifacts. And they will only do it when Master Beniang and the other executives are away from the circle. Sarch* The ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Gisellan looked at Frey, who was speechless and spoke bitterly.
If they fought 1 on 1 they might win, but when the groups joined forces then it wasnt so easy.
Since they had no allies to rely on, the Trowman rings were completely isolated.
You know that the situation of the Trowman Rings is not very good right?
Yes.
In fact, its a lot worse than it seems. Our scale is less than a tenth of when we were at our peak and our talented members are all on long term missions to build results. Otherwise, our circle might break apart and be absorbed by other circles.
Frey was also surprised.
This was because he had so simply and honestly told him about the extremely precarious situation that they were in.
He was well aware of the fact that the Trowman Rings was desperate for talent.
For them, even if they had to lie, they would want to do everything they needed to attract them.
Gisellan, who guessed what he was thinking from his expression, answered his unspoken question.
It was Master Beniang who told me to be completely honest with you.
Master Beniang.
A young hero who managed to become a 7 star Archmage and defeat an Apostle. All the major forces in the Circle are watching you. I heard that you were scouted by all three of the major circles. Is that true?
Dugenjar hadnt been there for that purpose, but Frey still nodded because Mikel from the Phisfounder Armlets had made him an offer before.
Thats right.
Hoo.
Gisellans attitude experienced a slight change.
He really wanted to attract Frey somehow.
But with the little bit of composure that he still had, he realised how pointless his thoughts were.
Even if he managed to attract him with a lie, it wouldnt be difficult for Frey to leave the circle if he was really determined.
Gisellan knew this better than anyone.
It was an incredibly painful feeling when the Circle Master Osel Argento left and many of the Force Honors and even the most trusted Circle Rounders, left the Trowman Rings.
It was a lie to say that he wasnt hopeful at all.
If it was Frey, who was said to have defeated an Apostle, then he would not find an opponent in the Trowman Rings.
If he did enter the circle, that fact alone would be enough to prevent those small and medium circles from appearing whenever they felt like it.
Everyone knew how powerful a 7 star wizard was.
But it would literally take a miracle.
Its impossible for things to go so smoothly.
There was no merit for Frey to join the crumbling Trowman Rings.
From this little conversation, Gisellan realised that this young man in front of him was truly worthy of the name Wizard.
He was the type of man who did not blink even once when he tried to appeal to his compassionate side.
This wasnt to say that Frey was wrong.
Instead, he should be considered wise.
After all, there was no person who would decide to climb onto a sinking ship.
Thats all I have to ask.
right. Then Ill take my leave. Have a good rest.
If its no problem, Id like to take a look around the village. Would that be okay?
Gisellan nodded.
Theres no problem. But dont snoop around Master Beniangs house on the far west end. That might lead to unnecessary suspicion. If theres anything you need, come to my house. Its the one directly opposite.
I will keep that in mind.
Gisellan left the room, and after a while, Frey followed him.
Although it was supposed to be the headquarters of a circle, Frey couldnt help but be reminded of a normal village.
Frey walked slowly down the street while looking around.
Then he stopped.
There was a statue.
A very big statue which didnt seem to fit in at all in this little village.
The statue was off a man, who appeared to be in his thirties, wore a blue robe, and seemed to be looking into the distance with a lonely expression.
On his left shoulder sat a small Phoenix and in his right hand was a crooked, old, wooden staff.
His name was written below the statue.
[Lukas Trowman] (Note: this is in English)
Do you admire Mr. Lukas too?
When he heard the voice, he turned around to see a young man.
He was a handsome young man with a gentle expression and a smile in his eyes.
He bowed his head politely when Frey turned to look at him.
Im sorry if I startled you.
Its fine. More importantly. I wonder why you think I like Lukas.
Because you look captivated. Well. It seemed to me that you had many thoughts about Lukas.
Frey turned back to look at the statue of Lukas.
I dont like him that much.
AhI see. Im sorry.
He bowed his head again while apologizing.
My introduction is a bit late. My name is Fianne. Its not much, but I hold the position of Force Honor in the Trowman Rings.
Force Honor.
He didnt expect that this young man would actually be an executive in the Trowman Rings.
Was it because they lacked talented personnel?
No.
Frey could see that Fianne was actually quite outstanding. He seemed to be at a similar level to Gisellan, with whom Frey had just been speaking.
Is it because theyre numbers are too small that they lose to the small and medium sized circles?
Frey had this thought while introducing himself.
Im Frey Blake.
Ive heard a lot about you. Its said that you defeated an Apostle. Thats an amazing achievement. I was so thrilled when I learned of itI would like to express my sincere respect to Mr. Frey for your achievement.
Thank you.
Frey politely bowed his head as well.
And the conversation ended there.
Fianne gave an embarrassed smile at Freys reaction which was much calmer than hed anticipated.
It seems that I am in the way. I will take my leave.
Then Frey stopped him just as he was about to turn around.
One minute, can I ask you something?
Ah. Of course.
I apologize in advance for my rudeness. Honor Fianne, why are you staying in this crumbling circle?
Yes?
Fiannes face stiffened for a moment.
But Freys eyes remained firm.
This was the most important problem to him.
With your skill, wouldnt you be able to get into another circle easily? Not just you. Master Beniang, Honor Gisellan and all the other members here. I dont understand why you all are bailing(2) water out of a sinking ship.
If it stayed the way it was, then the Trowman Rings would disappear someday.
Their actions were nothing more than delaying when it actually happened.
you are a very reasonable person. Truly the model wizard.
Fianne gave a bitter smile.
Frey knew it wasnt a compliment but did not say anything about it.
A sinking ship. That is an appropriate analogy. It is true. And we all know the most realistic outcome. To be distributed among the other circles together with our remaining artifacts.
It was true.
In the end the purpose of the Circle was to overthrow the Demigods.
The collapse of the Trowman Rings didnt mean that someone had to die or live a miserable life.
So he didnt understand.
But we cant be so cold.
Why?
Because that would mean that the Trowman Rings disappeared.
What does it matter?
The Circle is an organization connected through the will of the heroes of old, Mr. Frey. If we break apart, then Lukas name will also be cut off.
I know it sounds stupid. I have no intentions of forcing others to understand either. But Frey. In the first place, the Circle began because of our respect for those great legends.
Fianne gave a soft laugh.
Do you know why Lukas is the only human in history to be given the name Great Mage?
Frey didnt answer.
Fianne continued to speak, perhaps thinking that he didnt know.
Its because he is the pioneer for everyone walking along the path of magic. 4,000 years ago, its not enough to say that the relationship between the wizards and the magic warriors was the worst.
Ignoring or despising each other, there would even be fights to the death happening every day. It is the same for witches. They were treated like heretics instead of comrades who followed the same path.
Lukas wasnt like that. As long as they used mana, then they were the same kin. He said that they were all comrades who also shared the purpose of pursuing the long road known as magic.
Fianne laughed again.
It was a small start, but someone had to do it. It was Mr. Lukas who made the first step. At that time, there were many who were unconvinced. Many who were hostile towards Lukas. Even wizards just like him. ButLukas overcame it.
Mr. Frey, Ino. Our circle is a simple group. We admire Lukas, who was able to embrace even those who wanted to take his life and lead them along the path of magic, more than anyone else in the world.
And if possible, we all wish to be able to imitate that sublime spirit, even a little. We never want his traces to disappear from our world.
Frey thought of Shepard and Peran again.
He thought of the smiles that came across their faces when they talked about the heroes they admired.
Ah.
Frey realised at that moment how they really thought of the heroes.
It wasnt simply about respect or paying homage to the great people who lived in the past.
To them, Lukas was like their soul. He was a spiritual pillar that was more important than even their own lives.
At that moment, Frey truly understood their hearts.
I understand.
Frey turned his head away from Fianne and scratched his cheek like he was embarrassed.
Lukas must be happy.
Yes?
Hed be very pleased to have successors who have inherited his spirit.
Haha. I sincerely hope so.
Frey was grateful for their respect. As much as they respected and admired him, Frey respected and admired them.
He hadnt thought about joining the Trowman Rings, but Frey wanted to at least give them something in return for their appreciation.
And that was not something difficult to achieve.
Freys footsteps lead him toward Beniangs house.
(Note:
1. The name Lucas Traumen has been changed to Lukas Trowman because the author actually put the name in English.
I feel like it is my duty as the Translator to keep the authors desires for their novel in mind, hence in situations like this where English is used, I will stick to the authors desires. Even for those cases where I find the choice to be strange.
Of course, this doesnt mean that I will go back and change all the Lucas Traumen in the chapters before, this change is only for the chapters going forward. And in the event I encounter another similar situation, e.g. Schweiser being Schwezer, I will also change those according to the authors decisions.
2. To bail is to clear (water) from a boat by dipping and throwing over the side.
The Mr.s that I use are my way of portraying ? but it always feels a bit odd because Mr doesnt quite cut it, in my opinion.
This was such a heartwarming chapterdo you think its enough for you to forgive my delays?)
Chapter 58
Chapter 58 Translator: Seven
The conversation with Beniang didnt take very long.
Frey simply asked what he needed and within an hour he left the house once again.
Just in case, Gisellan, who was outside, asked while looking at Freys retreating back.
Master Beniang, what did he want to talk about?
He just wanted to ask a few questions.
What did he ask?
The location of the Basilisk Tailsand some of the rules that existed in the Circle.
Gisellans expression stiffened a bit.
This was because he was worried that Frey would stand on the other side after learning the location of the Basilisk Tails.
On the other hand, Beniangs expression was complicated.
Freys questions once again resounded in her mind.
One of them was the most impressive.
Can I apply for a Relic Battle with a wanderers status?
* * *
It really is true that there is no bird that doesnt fall.
Antoine laughed at the words of Alan, a young executive of the Basilisk Tails.
That describes the Trowman Rings perfectly. Sear?h the N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Its just like you said. Hahaha.
Antoines group, who had just returned to their headquarters burst into pleasant laughter.
They looked down happily at the gains from their trip.
The Trowman Rings which was once one of the four largest circles! But look at them now.
Their headquarters was smaller than a mouse hole and their power was not even a tenth of when they were at their peak.
Well. Thanks to that we can drink sweet water.
They had already taken three artifacts.
If the amount taken by the other medium and small circles were added up then it should be around ten.
At first, they were worried, because they did not know how weak they were, but after fighting a few times they had gained confidence.
They only needed to be wary of two people in the Trowman Rings. The Circle Master Beniang and a Force Honor called Azeg.
The best time to strike was when these two were away and it paid off.
Rounder Antoine, a guest is here.
A circle member came to report to him.
Antoine frowned because he had yet to unpack and take a rest.
A guest so late at night? Who is it?
Its a wanderer.
A wanderer?
This wasnt literal.
Wanderer was a term used by the Circle to describe persons who knew about the Demigods and had relics of the heroes but were not connected to any circle.
What does he want?
Thathe wants to have a Relic Battle with us
What?
Antoines expression became filled with disdain.
In fact, this was something that had happened numerous times before.
This was because the Basilisk Tails were the most powerful circle within the region. Because of this, numerous wanderers and runaways who escaped from their own circles, would come here seeking fortune.
In any case, the artifacts they had were low level items that were barely qualified to be called relics so there wouldnt be much damage even if they lost.
Throw him out. Make sure he never wants to come back.
The rules said that a Relic Battle couldnt be refused, but there was no problem if you threw them out.
Only those with poor skills usually chose to wander so they didnt have a strong backer to stand up for them.
Except if it was one of the rare few with enough strength to be an executive.
W-, well we tried to do that. Hes stronger than we expected, so its not possible.
The guards werent enough?
Yes. Additionally, it seems that he has some reasonably good artifacts.
As the circle member said this, he recalled the cloak that the gray haired wanderer was wearing.
He wasnt exactly sure, but the cloak looked expensive.
That made Antoines expression change a little.
If he had decent artifacts then the story would be different.
Besides, didnt he already say that they couldnt kick him out even with the elite guards they had specially selected?
Ill take a look personally.
Rounder Antoine will go personally?
Right.
Usually, he would send one of the Force Honors to handle a situation like this, but he was in a good mood today.
Hed realised that the Trowman Rings collapse was just around the corner and hed managed to obtain an artifact.
Therefore Antoine decided to grant this wanderer the opportunity to meet him personally.
He followed his subordinate.
The headquarters of the Basilisk Tails was located in a cave not far from the Peinsisko Forest.
Because of their expansion work, the interior of the cave was spacious and able to fit up to 200 people. They had also created a hold in the ceiling to allow sunlight to enter the cave.
Hallucinatory Spells and barriers had been placed at the entrance of the cave so that they did not have to fear any wild animal or lost travellers wandering into their base.
As he arrived at the entrance of the cave, he saw a young man standing there.
He was a handsome, gray haired man who wore a calm expression that did not seem to match his age.
Antoine didnt recognize Frey.
He had immediately lost his nerve when he learned of Beniangs arrival and hurriedly left the Trowman Rings.
You are the wanderer? What is your name?
Frey.
It was the first time hed heard the name.
Freys name was naturally something that only the executives of large circles like the Big Three were aware of.
In the first place, most small sized and medium sized circles like the Basilisk Tails had never even seen an Apostle, let alone a Demigod.
Their jobs were usually to clean up, defeat monsters and collect information.
It was impossible for him to have heard the news.
Right. What business do you have here?
The man, Frey, responded, recalling Beniangs words.
Your subordinate must have informed you already. Or do I have to say it again?
It didnt matter.
Frey muttered under his breath for a moment before clearing his throat and announcing in a loud voice.
Wanderer Frey formally declares a Relic Battle against the Basilisk Tails. I dont know if this is enough.
Kuhh.
Antoine scoffed.
He wasnt alone.
The faces of all the members around him were filled with ridicule.
I dont know where this kid came from. So? What artifact do you intend to wager?
This.
Frey took a dagger out of his bag before throwing it forward.
The dagger spun a few times in the air before sticking into the ground with a soft puk.
It was a dagger encrusted with many bright jewels.
Kungunils Dagger. Its a premium item that is perfect to use as a weapon, it is engraved with a return rune so it will return when thrown and a blink rune which would allow the user to teleport to it.
if youre lyin-
Check for yourself.
Antoine observed Frey with his sunken eyes before shooting a glance at Alan who was behind him.
Alan pulled out the dagger which had been stuck in the floor and inspected it carefully.
Gulp!
Th-, this!
It was an amazing item.
One could tell that just by looking at it. The blade was silver and was engraved with many runes.
I-, Im sure this is from the Age of Light! This dagger is made of Mithril and there are multiple magic runes engraved on it!
Antoines eyes shined with amazement.
If it was from the Age of Light, didnt that mean that it was an item from the Great Mages era when Lukas and the other four heroes were active?
The relics from that time were all engraved with powerful magic runes.
Antoines eyes became filled with greed instantly.
Its not insufficient to call it a relic. What do you think?
Kuku. Good.
From the looks of it, he must have found it in a dungeon somewhere, but Antoine had dealt with many little wizards like this before.
Young men who were filled with youthful vigor. He must have come here to pick a fight because he was confident in his skills.
He should be a 5 star, maybe even a 6 star wizard. But Antoine was not worried.
Relic Battles could be fought up to three times a day.
He didnt think that it was possible for him to win all three battles, but it did not matter even if he did.
Because this was their headquarters. No one would know the truth if he killed him here.
Thats why he felt that the wizard in front of him was still a child.
Otherwise, why would he go alone to anothers headquarters and request a Relic Battle?
It was madness unless he had the power to destroy the circle on his own.
Antoine smiled.
Come in.
Chapter 59 - Trowman Rings (4)
Chapter 59 - Trowman Rings (4) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Do you know the rules of the Relic Battle?
Rejection is impossible, and there can be as many as three battles in a day. There is no penalty for killing your opponent, and it is possible to increase the number of wagered artifacts after mutual agreement. Did I get it right?
Hoh
It seems hed heard the rules somewhere before.
He didnt seem to like speaking formally but that could all just be a part of his cute little act.
Antoine smiled and said,
You know them well. Good. We will wager this against your dagger.
When Antoine opened his hand, there was a red ring sitting on his palm.
Frey looked at the ring for a moment before nodding and walking toward the center of a large open space.
Alan Piax, youll be first.
As you wish.
Alan walked out with a confident look and Frey was able to realise at a glance that he was a Magic Warrior.
Hey you, what class are you?
Wizard.
At that, the members of the Basilisk Tails circle burst into laughter.
Puhahaha!
There are indeed many ways to commit suicide.
He has the nerves of a Circle Master!
Even a runny nosed child knew that Wizards were weaker in head-on confrontations.
He wore a robe, so they had an inkling, but they never truly believed that he was actually a Wizard. sea??h th N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Alan laughed and increased the distance between them.
Is that so? Then Ill start from ten steps away.
Are you one of this circles executives?
Thats right.
Since he was selected to be the starter, he should be quite skilled among the executives.
Frey didnt know it, but it was this very same Alan before him who had defeated Fianne, the Force Honor of the Trowman Rings.
Alan could be considered almost as strong as a First Class Magic Warrior.
In fact, he was one of the three strongest fighters among the Force Honors of the Basilisk Tails circle.
It would be great if it ended in an instant.
Alan prepared himself.
His martial art, like a two headed snake, aimed at persistently penetrating the enemys defenses by utilizing his anomalous movements.
A wizard without enough fighting experience would never be able to avoid his swift and graceful movements.
A single blow.
Alan intended on finishing the fight with a single blow.
It would be better to kill him.
Then there would be no need for them to have any more fights.
It was not against the rules and most of all, since he was only a wanderer, there would be no backlash.
It was possible that he had more artifacts hidden away, so it would be better to kill him and search his corpse.
Alan narrowed his eyes.
Begin!
Paak!
Kuk
Thud.
Alan.
Collapsed.
Huh?
Someone finally reacted after a moment of silence.
In the silence, his voice was especially loud and it managed to awaken those around him, who then had similar reactions.
Wh-, what just
Something just flashed past
D-, did Alan lose?
Frey lowered his hand.
Antoine watched with a frozen face.
Thats one.
Freys low voice sounded exceptionally loud in the quiet cave.
Antoine, who had finally come to his senses, blinked his eyes rapidly.
Wh-, what didhe just do?
Even he, a 6 star Battlemage, could not understand exactly what had happened.
No, it was more accurate to say that he refused to accept what happened.
I-, if I didnt see incorrectlythen that should have been an Ice Arrow.
He couldnt believe it.
It was impossible.
Antoine vehemently denied the thoughts in his head.
Alan Piax, one of the strongest Magic Warriors in the area and a Force Honor of the Basilisk Tails had been defeated with just a two star Ice Arrow spell?
Impossible.
Even he himself, no.
Even Felix, the Circle Master of the Basilisk Tails, would be unable to accomplish such a task!
Arcane Magic! Right, it must have been Arcane Magic. He is only pretending to be calm, he must have almost no mana at this moment!
Otherwise, there was no way to explain the destructive power, casting speed and projectile speed of the spell.
Antoine hid his thoughts and let out a forced laugh.
Y-, you are quite skilled. Where did you learn such magic?
There is no reason for me to answer. Bring the artifact. Or do you not intend to accept defeat.
Damn it.
Antoines expression became filled with rage.
This little bastard, who was still filled with youthful exuberance, truly dared to speak in such a way, even in such a situation.
Before, when he didnt see him as a threat, Antoine felt that this attitude was amusing and cute, but now it was different.
Antoine gritted his teeth angrily.
Ever since the Basilisk Tails grew, no.
Even before the circle had reached the level they were at now, there was never anyone who dared speak to him in this way.
As he looked at his subordinates with a fierce gaze, one of them brought out the red ring and handed it over.
Frey put the ring on his thumb finger without really thinking about it.
Back when he was still Lukas, it was always his habit to put a ring on his thumb.
Is he provoking us?
A spark seemed to light up in Antoines eyes.
Frey briefly observed the red ring on his finger before putting Kungunlis Dagger back into his bag.
Then Ill take my leave.
W-, wait!
Antoine hurriedly stopped him, his eyes shining.
As I expected. He is only pretending to be calm but instead, he wants to go back and get some rest.
Looking at him closely, he could see that Frey was panting a bit. This was proof that he was actually tired.
I propose we have another duel.
Thats good.
Huh?
Freys attitude seemed to change in a flash as he immediately continued.
Ill bet two artifacts this time. The red ring and the dagger. What do you think?
What?
Why was he suddenly acting confident?
Antoine began to feel a bit anxious, but he still nodded his head in the end, expressing his assent.
G-, good. Well wager the [Kelvin Stone] and [Winged Boots].
He agreed because if he took a step back here it would appear as though he was afraid of this young man.
However, Freys current attitude worried him.
Hes just pretending to be confident. That must be it.
Since a Relic Battle cannot be refused, he must be trying to hide his weakness.
Antoine shook his head.
The maximum number of Relic Battles in a day is three. It doesnt matter if we dont follow the rules, but
Firstly he had to be vigilant as the situation progressed.
I will observe this guys magic once more. If we fail again, then Ill just go up and kill him myself.
After making his decision, Antoine spoke to the man beside him.
Killa, youre up.
Yes.
you saw the Arcane Magic he used, right? Its characteristics should be its short casting time, high speed and destructive power. At first glance, it might appear that it has no weaknesses but look at his complexion. It seems that the mana consumption is actually quite high.
It should be impossible for him to use it continuously. Do you understand what Im saying? If you block the first attack, then victory will be yours.
I will keep that in mind.
Killa nodded once with a stiff face.
Antoine had faith in him.
Killa was a Wizard, not a Magic Warrior, which meant that his mana sensitivity was relatively high.
More importantly, he had seen what had happened in the previous fight.
It would not be the same situation where he failed to defend against an unexpected blow and was thus defeated.
This guys Arcane Magic! If I can withstand it, then I will win!
Killa analyzed all the information he had so far.
With a nervous expression on his face, he gripped the handle of his staff tightly.
It was not an artifact but a staff that was able to store one spell. The spell hed chosen to store was a barrier spell.
He intended to activate it the moment the fight began, defend against the attack and then defeat his opponent.
Bring it on!
Begin!
Crack!
Urk
As soon as the voice cried out, something broke.
Antoine realised that it was the barrier spell Killa had stored.
Ice Arrow.
The spell didnt stop after destroying the barrier, instead continuing till it met Killas stomach.
Killa then fell to the ground with his eyes closed.
There was no fuss.
Instead, a heavy silence seemed to fill the area once again.
The Basilisk Tails members could no longer laugh.
The only things they felt at that moment were fear, awe and doubt.
Or they just stared at Frey blankly without knowing what to think.
Freys voice rang out in the cave once again.
Thats two.
Chapter 60 - Trowman Rings (5)
Chapter 60 - Trowman Rings (5) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
(Note: Before we start, the Basilisk Tails Circle Master is Pelik not Felix, sorry about my previous misinterpretation)
Antoines face trembled as he shouted.
Th-, this! What kind of trick did you use?
Trick?
Frey laughed at the ridiculous statement.
You arent serious.
I-, if thats not the case, then theres no way that one of the best Wizards in our circle would just collapse without being able to do anything.
You can check for yourself. Isnt it possible to have a Relic Battle three times in one day? You guys still have one chance left.
kuh!
Antoine realised that he had no choice but to step out himself.
He raised his staff and glared at Frey.
I dont know what tricks youre using, but you wont be able to fool this staff!
Antoine aimed his staff, which had an eye-shaped gem at the top, at Frey.
The [Eyes of Truth] was a staff that could perfectly pierce through the veil of all kinds of illusory magic. So of course the usefulness of this staff went without saying.
Antonie glanced at the referee.
This glance made the referee swallow some saliva to help his dry throat, before shouting.
B-, begin!
Antoine felt something shooting towards him the moment he heard the referees voice.
I cant block it!
He couldnt stop it.
Antoine realised that even with his skills, he could not block Freys attack, so he immediately cast the Blink spell.
Chantless Magic! (Note: this one kicked my butt)
This was a skill that only wizards at 5 stars and higher could do.
Antoine remained vigilant.
The strength that Frey had shown was far above his expectations.
Fire Arro-w?
Antoines mouth widened involuntarily.
In front of his now slightly teary eyes, he saw a large number of Ice Arrows. The number of which easily surpassed a hundred.
Th-, this doesnt make sense. Was it notArcane Magic?
Arcane Magic? This?
Frey smiled and touched one of the Ice Arrows beside him with his index finger.
As you can see, theyre Ice Arrows.
Thats impossible! I-, Ice Arrows cant do that much dama-
It can do enough.
Besides, the Ch-, Chantless Magicto make all of this without preparation
Antoine realised just how ridiculous the sight before him was.
His blank face quickly became red.
K-, kill! Kill him!
When the circle members all looked at him with blank expressions, Antoine furiously shouted at them.
What are you doing!? Are you going to let him take all of our artifacts?!
B-, but
Follow my orders! No matter how strong he is, he cant overcome our numbers!
Ye-, yes!
Fi-, Fireball!
Magma Wall!
Wind Cutter!
The circle members hurriedly chanted their spells and began to attack Frey.
Dozens of spells flew towards Frey, creating a very magnificent sight.
Boom!
Boom!
For a moment, continuous deafening explosions sounded in the cave.
If it werent for the defensive arrays, the entire cave would have collapsed from the commotion.
It was incredibly devastating, yet Antoine did not feel relaxed.
Anxiety began to creep in.
Common sense dictated that it would have been impossible for anyone to survive the sheer destructive force of that magical bombardment.
And because there was a wide range of spells, it could not have been avoided or negated because several different elements had exploded at the same time.
So why was he still feeling uneasy?
Crackle.
The flames subsided, and standing there, without even a scratch, was Frey.
The only thing that had changed was the cold smile that now graced his lips.
Antoines heart shook.
Can it be considered self defense from now on?
Th-, this doesnt make sense. How could you survive
I have no intentions of killing all of you. Go call your Circle Master. Your judgement will be decided after my conversation with him.
That was impossible.
Antoine bit his lip.
If Circle Master Pelik found out about this, then his position would be in jeopardy.
Now was the time when he had started flying after crawling on the floor all his life. Even if he were to die, he would not let it be taken away.
Thats ridiculous! Do you think youve already defeated us? Nonsense!
Frey pointed at Antoine.
Youre good at inciting a group. In an emergency, you push your men forward to act as shields and only think about yourself.
He could only be described as scum worse than Dugenjar.
In truth, Frey didnt think too badly of Dugenjar.
His only problems were his arrogance and not understanding just how high the sky was.
But this man was different.
He was such an ugly human that Frey hated the fact that he was considered a Wizard just like him.
I want to kill you right now.
Frey shook his head.
He had to think twice before he took another Wizards life.
This was a request that Schweiser had made to him.
but Ill reconsider it after remembering the words of my old friend. But if you open your mouth again
S-, shut up! Youre the-
Pit.
!?
A thin red line appeared on Antoines neck.
He reached up to his neck as the focus in his eyes disappeared.
And like a fruit that had been cleanly cut from a tree, his head fell to the ground.
Ro-, Rounder Antoine!
This doesnt make sense!
A Wind Cutter had appeared from Freys hand and cut Antoines neck before anyone could realise.
Even Antoine, whose neck had been cut, did not realise how he died.
The Circle Master
Call them.
Frey didnt finish the rest of his sentence.
This was because he saw someone walking over from the far end of the cave.
It was a middle aged woman.
She was wearing a witchs hat and her face was heavily covered in makeup.
Frey looked at her and said.
Are you the Circle Master of the Basilisk Tails?
The woman nodded with a stiff face.
thats right. Who are you?
Frey ignored her question and continued.
I just had a Relic Battle with your circle.
Pelik, the Circle Master of the Basilisk Tails, bit her lip as she realised that she could not have a full conversation with him.
Frey turned his gaze back to the decapitated body of Antoine.
The blood from his neck had already formed a puddle.
Rounder Antoine so easily
She didnt know who this young wizard was, but she was sure of one thing.
He was at least 7 stars.
An Archmage!
An Archmage, which was rare even in the Three Great Circles, had come to this place.
continue.
I fought a total of three times and won every time.
The final battle could be considered his win since Antoine had incited his men to attack before the fight had ended.
But that man. Rounder Antoine was it? He incited his men and tried to kill me.
So he
I killed him. I gave him one chance. Antoine didnt heed my advice, and there are no second chances. I hope you arent the same.
Pelik involuntarily swallowed a mouthful of saliva at those words.
She heard sincerity in Freys calm voice.
What is your name?
Pelik Oviet.
Master Pelik, tell me, what is the purpose of the Circle?
Yes?
Frey looked at Pelik silently.
Stricken with fear, Pelik quickly recalled his words.
T-, to break free of the Demigods clutches.
Do you know what they are?
O-, of course. They are transcendent beings who surpass human understanding and are capable of destroying an entire city with a single finger.
You know it well. Rightyou know it well.
Frey took a step forward.
But it seems that you lost control of yourself after becoming powerful.
Crack crack!
The earth beneath his feet began to freeze.
The circle members tried to move their feet to evade the ice, but it spread and froze their feet in an instant.
Ugh!
I cant move!
Even the Circle Master Pelik was unable to escape its range.
Th-, thisits not something that we can handle.
After judging the situation, Pelik urgently informed her members.
Everyone, dont try to forcefully escape! If you make a wrong move, you might lose your flesh!
I dont think you have the time to worry about other people.
The anger Frey held toward the Circle seemed to be exploding all at once.
When faced with a powerful enemy like the Demigods, pathetic guys like these were not only not united, but they even kept each other in check!
Their purpose wasnt to overthrow the Demigods.
They were focused on snatching artifacts and keeping the Trowman Rings in check to boost their own power.
Their goal was obvious.
To gain power and wealth.
Boom.
Freys eyes were filled with anger.
His anger turned into momentum, and this momentum became pressure aimed at Pelik.
Ugh
Pelik felt pressured as if someone was squeezing her heart.
Breathing became difficult, and sweat began pouring down her body.
With clattering teeth, she stared at Frey, realizing that she was the only one who hadnt been frozen.
Making a quick judgement, she fell to her knees.
P-, please spare us.
T-, tell me what you want. I will follow your orders. So pleaseplease dont destroy our circle.
Even if I asked you to take your own life?
!
Freys heartless eyes stared at Pelik.
She was shocked for a moment before she nodded with determination.
If you can promise that you will not destroy our circle after that. Gladly.
M-, Master Pelik!
Dont!
The circle members all began venting their anger loudly.
Frey slowly lifted his hand.
There, red mana began to flow and an incredibly hot flame soon appeared on his palm.
Pelik closed her eyes and waited for her end.
Instead, she heard Freys voice, filled with admiration.
Excellent.
Pat.
At the same time, the ice that had frozen the bodies of the members quickly disappeared.
Pelik looked around, confused.
Bring all the artifacts you took from the Trowman Rings.
U-, understood.
After that, Pelik hurried to her home from which she brought back the artifacts and handed them to Frey.
Frey looked at them with a complex gaze.
One of them was a purple ring.
A ring that he had made.
The other was a pair of blue gloves, but this was the first time that Frey had seen them.
It was likely a relic of a hero who came after him.
Tell me the locations of all the small and medium circles around here. Without exception.
Th-, that
Cant you say it? Sarch* The Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
It was basically stabbing the members of their alliance in the back, but Pelik shook her head.
This was not the time to hold back.
No.
It couldnt be helped.
Pelik couldnt resist the man in front of her.
And the alliance had only been formed in pursuit of practicality.
They didnt have much of a bond between them.
So Pelik clamped down on her weak guilt and started talking.
Apart from us, there are a total of five medium and small circles nearby. The closest one to us is
Frey only asked for their locations, but Pelik told him everything she knew, their features, numbers, and points to take note of in detail.
It was a clear betrayal, but the more she explained, the more she realised.
There was no circle in this area that could resist this man.
In general, that was the status of a 7 star Wizard.
Pelik sighed.
Antoines death had been a major loss, but it could not be compared to what was going to happen that night.
I hope our circle doesnt get any collateral damage.
Pelik sincerely hoped.
And as she expected, before dawn had come, the six small and medium circles, including the Basilisk Tails, had been defeated by one man.
Chapter 61 - Trowman Rings (6)
Chapter 61 - Trowman Rings (6) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Did Frey leave the village last night?
Yes. I think he left right after speaking with Master Beniang. I thought you knew
I see.
Beniang sighed with a gloomy expression on her face.
Did he really leave without saying anything?
He didnt seem to be that type of person, but she couldnt deny what had happened.
There was a magic array in the forest, but for a Wizard at Freys level, it would not be difficult for him to leave it.
The timing was not good.
Beniang agreed with Gisellan.
As soon as hed arrived, hed witnessed their artifacts being taken by the Basilisk Tails.
They had shown the worst possible appearance to a guest who was prepared to see the best they had to offer.
Beniang forced a smile to negate the sour atmosphere.
After experiencing so many troubles, it became second nature for her to make such an expression. Sarch* The N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Hey. Dont give up! Weve been doing great so far on our own.
Youre right.
Gisellan and Fianne bowed their heads.
They both noticed Beniangs forced smile, but they did not comment on it.
It was then.
Master Beniang.
Ah.
A sudden voice made Beniang turn around.
Frey was standing there.
Gisellan, who was a Magic Warrior, was especially surprised.
This was because even with his superior senses, he did not notice Freys presence before he spoke.
F-, Frey? Didnt you leave already?
Frey tilted his head as if hed heard something strange.
I wouldnt just leave without saying anything. I just had some business to take care of.
business?
Gisellan was puzzled.
Business?
Could he have business in this area?
The only things of note in this region were the headquarters of a few circles.
Now that I think about it, I didnt inform you before I left. Sorry. I was in a rush.
N-, no. Its fine!
Frey looked at Beniang before speaking in a quiet tone.
Id like to speak with Master Beniang for a moment. Is that okay?
Yes. Thats fine. Then shall we go to my house?
Yes. And I hope that Honor Fianne and Honor Gisellan can join us. (Note: Frey cant take a hint)
They nodded at the same time.
Thats alright with us.
When they arrived at Beniangs house, Frey sat at one end of a large table, facing them, and he looked at them with calm eyes.
Gisellan swallowed his saliva.
He didnt know why, but whenever he looked into Freys eyes, it felt like he was looking at the previous Circle Master Osel Argento.
No, it wasnt just Osel.
The faces of the Circle Masters of the Three Great Circles flashed in his mind.
Honor Fianne, your story was truly impressive.
Yes? Ah. Yes.
Recalling the conversation they had in front of the statue, Fianne nodded his head dazedly.
I-
Frey started, looking at the three before him.
Intend to erase Demigods from this world.
W-, what
It was an unexpected statement.
Beniang started in surprise, but when she caught Freys eye, she subconsciously closed her mouth again.
Frey slowly continued.
Its impossible to do it alone. So I need allies. But I cant rely on the Circle.
What do you mean you cant rely on it?
With the way it is divided and the fact that the circles always try to keep each other in check, there is no way that it will triumph.
To become one.
The first steps to defeating the Demigods could only happen after that was achieved.
However, the expressions of Beniang and the other executives were stiff.
This was because they knew just how impossible Freys words were.
It was impossible to tell just how many years had passed since the Circle had become the way it was.
At least, in the records left behind by their ancestors, there was no mention of the Circle ever having been a singular entity.
It will be difficult.
Beniang also spoke in a serious tone.
It was hard to say if it was possible, and it was too much to call it truly impossible.
In fact, had it been anyone else from the Circle instead of Beniang, they would have already called Frey crazy.
Frey took note of that.
Even though he was saying such absurd things, Beniang was still taking him seriously.
This was very important as it could become an advantage in the future.
I know.
Wont you bend in the end?
My aim will never change.
!
A strange emotion seemed to swirl within Beniang, Gisellan and Fianne when they heard those words.
No matter how they looked at it, those words were not something they expected to hear from a young man just over twenty years old.
Nevertheless, instead of feeling awkward, it felt natural.
The Trowman Rings. Im considering using this circle as the center.
The center?
Thats right. The center of the Circle. To stand above not only the small and medium circles, but even the Three Great Circles.
Th-, that
Gisellan was in a state of disbelief.
What he was saying was impossible even when the Trowman Rings were at their peak.
Even when Circle Master Osel was still alive, they had only managed to match the Three Great Circles.
Step over them and stand at the top of the Circle?
That was nothing more than a fanciful dream at the moment!
It will be difficult enough to describe it as hell. We will need to work till we are worn down to our bones. It will truly be a miserable task. But you need to be prepared for it.
Frey took out his bag and poured its contents on the table.
!
Th-, this!
I dont believe it
They couldnt hide their amazement.
The items that he had just poured out of his bag were all the artifacts that they had lost to the other circles.
No, it wasnt just their artifacts.
There were also things that they had never seen before.
Ill take care of that part.
So the reason you left last night
Frey nodded.
Ive subdued the six small and medium circles in the area. They will no longer pressure or even be hostile toward the Trowman Rings.
Then he turned to the artifacts.
Ill return these artifacts to you.
are there any conditions for your help?
Frey shook his head.
No. This is just a small repayment.
A small repaymentwe havent done much for you.
Then take it as a favor.
Huh?
Im making it clear. I dont want you to feel pressured. It wasnt difficult for me to do this, and I dont have much use for these artifacts.
It was an arrogant statement.
How many people in the Circle could say such words without hesitation?
Yet Frey remained calm since he was only telling the truth.
It wasnt that he was bragging after completing a hard task or lying even though he coveted these items.
These were his actual thoughts.
Frey calmly spoke again.
I will give you a day to think about it. I dont have a lot of time to waste.
W-, wait.
Beniang stopped Frey as he was about to get up from his seat and asked with a serious expression.
Frey, you understand that what you just said is hard to believe, right?
Of course. That is why Im giving you time to organize your thoughts.
I dont need time. Please answer one question.
Beniang took a deep breath before looking at Frey with determination in her eyes.
Can it really be done?
That question seemed to contain all her emotions.
Of all the people in the Circle, how many of them truly believed that they could defeat the Demigods?
Beniang recalled that even her father, Osel, had a slightly apprehensive expression whenever he talked about them.
It wasnt just Osel.
The circle executes had an even worse expression whenever a Demigod was mentioned, including the Circle Masters.
This was the first time that shed ever encountered someone who could speak about the Demigods with such determination.
A 7 star Wizard who had yet to meet the peak no less.
While they might appear to be monsters to the other small and medium sized circles, they were only executives in the large ones.
However, it did not feel like Frey was a frog in the well who had overestimated his own power.
Yes, Beniang might consider him crazy, but she was truly fascinated by what Frey had said.
She wanted to walk that path with him.
This was the same for Gisellan and Fianne as well.
If it was a trick then they would have been able to notice it immediately.
But how could it be a trick when his eyes and tone were clearly filled with unyielding determination.
I will bet everything to achieve it.
Beniang made up her mind then.
It was the day that the Trowman Rings struggle for freedom truly began.
Chapter 62 - Trowman Rings (7)
Chapter 62 - Trowman Rings (7) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
The next day.
Early in the morning, all the circle members who were in the town gathered in front of Beniangs house.
This was something that Gisellan had ordered the night before.
Whats going on? Its so early.
There is an important announcement.
I hope its not a declaration of dissolution
That wouldnt happen.
Although they said so, the gathered members were all feeling uneasy.
When Master Osel Argento died and the Circle Rounder left, it triggered the downfall of the Trowman Rings.
Following that, even the members who had a strong sense of belonging to the circle also left.
Now, the only ones who still remained in the circle were those who valued the continuation of the circle more than their very lives.
That was why they were anxious.
No matter how much they wanted to keep the circle from falling apart, it was useless if Beniang declared that it was being dissolved.
At this point, she was the only one who was talented enough to handle the duties of the Circle Master.
The burden might have been too heavy for Master Beniang.
Damn those Basilisk Tails, we shouldve destroyed those bastards.
Who could have known that they would be able to form an alliance so quickly?
Master Pelik is a crafty woman. By the time we noticed what was happening, everything was almost finalised.
While the members chatted amongst themselves, the front door of the house opened and Beniang walked out.
She stood in front of the door and slowly observed the crowd.
Good morning, dear members of the Trowman Ring Circle.
Her voice reverberated in the morning air.
The members liked her voice.
Especially in this place that was surrounded by dense forest, it was not enough to say that Beniangs voice was as beautiful as the morning sun.
I have an important announcement to make today, which is why Ive called all of you here so early in the morning.
When they heard the word announcement, the circle members once again began discussing loudly among themselves.
They also looked at Beniangs face to see if they would find any hints about the nature of said announcement.
Beniang smiled in a bid to ease their anxiety.
I would like to happily introduce a new Circle Rounder to our circle.
Huh?
A Circle Rounder?
Ththis is too sudden.
It was totally unexpected.
The Circle Rounder was the second in command in a circle, but at the same time, they shared a closer relationship with the circle executives and members than the Circle Master.
In addition, they were more likely to take part in external events than the Circle Master so in a sense they could be considered the face of the circle.
That was why the Circle Rounder was usually the most talented member of the circle.
It was to show a strong face to the other circles.
Is she promoting Honor Azeg?
He hasnt returned yet. He is still completing his long term mission in Geotanbul.
Then it must be Honor Gisellan.
Indeedhe deserves it.
Gisellan was the member who had stayed the longest in the circle and was like a father to the other circle members. Sear?h the N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
So the members would understand if it was him.
But they were skeptical about whether he was talented enough for the role.
His character and experience were flawless, but it was his lack of talent that held him back.
Master Beniang knows that, thats why shed been keeping the Circle Rounder position vacant
What exactly is she thinking?
They all paid attention to Beniangs words while they were filled with their own doubts and expectations.
Once more, the door to the house opened, and another person stepped out.
This caused the faces of the members who had thought it would be Gisellan to be filled with surprise.
This man
Isnt he our guest, Frein Blake?
Isnt it Frey Blake?
Anyway. Why is he coming out of Master Beniangs house?
Frey stood near to Beniang without paying much attention to the gazes of the dozens of people before him.
Gisellan and Fianne, who followed him out of the house, settled on both sides of him.
The expressions of the circle members became stranger.
The scene reminded them of executives escorting their superior.
Then Beniangs voice rang out again.
Let me formally introduce you. This is Frey Blake. Starting from today, he will be the new Circle Rounder of the Trowman Rings.
Wh-, what was that
From outsider to Circle Rounder?
This was something that most of the circle members gathered immediately began to protest against.
Frey looked at Beniang who nodded slightly.
My name is Frey Blake, and from today onward, Ill be your Circle Rounder. Im sure that many of you have complaints about me becoming the Circle Rounder. After all, this is not something that you can easily accept.
Most of the circle members were staring at Frey with dissatisfaction.
Even if they pretended, there was no way they could accept this informally speaking youngster as their superior.
Beniang saw this and silently clenched her fist.
She recalled the words that Frey had told her the night before.
The circle members wont be easily convinced. I have an idea, so leave it to me.
Beniang, Gisellan and Fianne all looked at him nervously.
You have to speak well, Frey.
But you dont have the qualifications to question me.
huh?
Beniang subconsciously made a sound of surprise while Gisellan also stared at Frey in shock.
It is only because there is no talent in this circle that a rookie like me, who only joined yesterday, was allowed to become the Circle Rounder.
What did he just say?
He just said
The faces of the circle members became grim.
However, while receiving their fierce glares, Frey only smiled.
If you have any complaints, I will accept them. I just need to prove my ability. If there are any of you who can manage to even touch my collar, then I will resign from the position of Circle Rounder and even give you a gift.
He pointed at his earrings.
These are Typhoon Earrings. A relic created directly by Lukas Trowman whom you respect dearly.
Frey looked at the glaring eyes of the circle members.
Now then, shall we begin?
* * *
do you have any idea what Frey is up to?
Gisellan tentatively nodded his head at Fiannes question.
This decision had a very high chance of being resisted by the circle members. And yet, Freyno, Rounder Frey, insisted on doing it. I think there are two reasons for this.
Two?
One is to concentrate the circle members dissatisfaction onto himself. This was probably out of consideration for Master Beniang. And the otherI think he wants to test the circle members himself.
Gisellan shrugged.
However, this is only my guess. So lets just wait and see. Havent we already decided to bet on him anyway?
Fianne nodded and turned his complex gaze back to Frey.
* * *
Frey stood in a wide open space.
The angry circle members surrounded him, their eyes filled with pride and indignation.
Even if they were members of a crumbling circle, they still had their pride.
Ill go first please.
Name.
Fio Guntar.
Class.
Im a Wizard.
Go ahead.
are you not going to prepare?
Frey, who had his hands hanging at his sides, looked very defenseless at that moment.
It was natural for Fio to ask such a question, but Freys expression remained unchanged.
If I think your attack is threatening, I will.
Fireball!
It was a basic 2 star spell. However, Fios specialty was Fire Magic.
Frey didnt move.
To be precise, he did not even move his eyebrow.
But that didnt mean that he did not do anything.
Crackle.
Just before the Fireball reached him, Frey also cast a fireball.
Same size, same power.
The two Fireballs collided midair, forming a large explosion that quickly dissipated.
Fio silently shuddered.
Ch-, Chantless Magic!
H-, hes at least 5 stars! No, hes probably a 6 star Wizard!
If that was the case then he was an excellent candidate to be the Rounder in a crumbling circle.
Rather, from the perspective of the Trowman Rings, he was a talent that they would want to acquire, even if they had to beg.
The circle members now understood Beniangs unconventional move.
Fio Guntar, is Fire Magic your specialty?
Th-, thats right.
Fios became subconsciously filled with nervousness. A sense of awe had replaced the indignation he had felt before.
This was a 6 star Wizard after all.
Tell me the characteristics of Fire Magic.
Yes? Ah. I-, its destructive power.
Right. The most common characteristic is that it is much more destructive than other magic attributes. Of course, that also means it is more difficult to control, but its obviously attractive enough despite that risk.
Fio nodded.
Freys words were something that every Wizard who walked the path of Fire Magic knew.
That Fireball you just showed me had a pretty good degree of perfection. You must have practiced day and night.
Th-, thank you.
Fios heart was instantly filled with pride.
After all, it was a 6 star Wizard-he thought- who was praising him directly.
Fio felt as though his hard work had been validated.
Of course, there are still some things you need to work on. It felt like you were putting more effort into maintaining its shape than was necessary. You should pay more attention to increasing the power. After all, making a perfectly shaped Fireball doesnt increase its power.
It was extremely practical advice. At least it wasnt the type of advice that you would be able to learn even from the best teachers at an academy.
Frey knew that what they needed was not a stereotypical education.
I dont know how to increase the power
Image training comes first. The imagination is the most important thing for a wizard. In the past
Frey shook his head while looking at Fio with a somewhat distant expression.
one of my friends had suffered terrible burns all over his body. The burns were so severe, that they could not be completely healed, even with magic. After that incident, he became afraid of fire, but eventually, he overcame it, and after working hard, he became the most powerful authority in Fire Magic.
Fio listened to Frey attentively.
Freys voice, which seemed to sound indifferent at first, rested gently on his ears like a soft breeze in the forest.
Come to think of it, when last had he been personally taught by someone?
This was possible because hed felt the fierceness of fire with his entire body. Of course, that was an extreme case, but its important to think about the image to that extent. From today, you should try to create a concrete image of fire while also keeping the risks in mind.
Th-, thank you for your teaching.
Go back now.
Fio respectfully bowed his head at the gesture from the 20 odd year old man in front of him and stepped back.
Then one of the members at the side approached him and poked his side.
What was that? Didnt you shout out that you would put him in his place.
N-, no. Thats what I planned to do
How strong is he?
Fio sighed deeply before whispering.
I dont know. No, he should be a 6 star Wizard. Hes the talent our circle needed badly.
Did you lose your pride and start bowing your head?
The circle member was being sarcastic but Fio still shook his head.
Thats not it. But I cant explain it. You should also ask for his teaching. Rounder Frey will help you.
Oh boy.
He was already calling him Rounder?
The circle member frowned slightly.
Worthless guy. Im different. No matter how amazing a Wizard that guy is, I will never bow my head to him. You stay here and watch the way I mess up that Circle Rounders face.
Laughing, he turned and walked toward Frey.
Fio simply watched with his arms folded.
After a while.
Rounder Frey is the treasure of our circle.
Fio stared at him with a dumbstruck expression, but the member didnt notice since he was staring at Frey with a clenched fist and expression filled with admiration.
Chapter 63 - Trowman Rings (8)
Chapter 63 - Trowman Rings (8) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Thats all for today. For those circle members who still need advice, I will be here tomorrow as well.
Some people were disappointed at Freys words.
Not even a day had passed, but their expressions were distinctly different.
Most of them were looking at Frey with respect.
A wizard with tremendous skill.
He accurately recognized my flaws and told me how to solve them.
His words are very easy to understand. Strange. A 6 star Wizard at that age must be a terrifying genius
It wasnt true for all geniuses, but most of them have trouble teaching others.
This was because they usually could not understand the perspective of ordinary people.
But Frey was different.
He adjusted his perspective to that of the circle members, made easy to understand analogies and descriptions, and taught them straightforward ways to train.
Timely advice for a Wizard was a treasure that could not be measured even in gold.
Only a day had passed, but because they were Wizards who walked the path of magic, the way they looked at Frey changed greatly.
Is Rounder Frey an Elf?
His ears are round.
You can hide that with magic.
Or he couldve signed a contract with a Devil.
Now that you say that, the Circle Master of the Phisfounder Armlets looks like a young man without any wrinkles.
Frey returned to Beniangs house under the warm gazes of the circle members.
Then he spoke to Beniang who was staring at him with a dumbfounded expression.
Im going to invest three months to teach them. Not just the circle members, but Master Beniang, Gisellan, and Fianne.
Is there a reason for the three month deadline?
At that time Id like to have a friendly battle with the medium and small sized circles around us.
A friendly match
Beniang looked worried.
If it was the small and medium sized circles near them, then the Basilisk Tails would have the most power.
Not a Relic Battle. Theyre already been subjugated by the Trowman Rings. In short, they are now our subordinate circles. The idea is that a friendly match will be held for mutual exchange, but
To be precise, it was an individual called Frey Blake and not the Trowman Ring who had subjugated the surrounding circles, but there was no need to point that out.
Master Beniang cant participate, so Gisellan and Fiannes skills will need to improve. We cant afford to lose this friendly match.
Isnt it just a friendly match?
It was Fianne who asked this question with a confused expression on his face.
Since they didnt have any experience with such a task they werent able to predict the consequences of defeat easily.
Even if they dont show it on the surface, they will be dissatisfied. They will want to know why those who are weaker than them are above them. Its not easy to get rid of such thoughts when they appear. Its better to stop them from budding in the first place.
Of course, they wouldnt make it obvious in front of Frey.
But Frey couldnt always stay in the circle.
He would have to leave the Trowman Rings at some point to strengthen himself, and these were not problems that could be solved right away.
From then on, the Trowman Rings would be the leader of the Small and Medium Circle Alliance.
And in order to do so, it was necessary for them to clarify the relationship between the top and bottom.
It is not possible to do it by force. We need a perfect victory, to the point that it is overwhelming.
The room became silent following those firm words.
Gisellan and Fianne looked worried.
I dont think that will be easy with my current skills.
To be exact, its impossible. But dont worry about that right now. You will win as long as you follow my advice. Of course-
Frey smiled.
It will be very painful. Even the word hell might be enough to describe it. Especially you, Honor Fianne, you better be prepared. You seem to be wasting your talent, which I cant allow.
The moment he saw Freys smile, Fianne unconsciously had goosebumps.
The next person he turned to was Beniang.
Master Beniang, can you follow me for a moment?
Ah, yes.
Frey led Beniang out of the house and soon arrived in the center of the forest.
Then he turned around and looked at Beniang who was staring at him with a curious look at her face.
Cast a spell.
At that moment, Beniang realised that Frey was going to teach her magic.
Even my father couldnt teach me properly
Beniang looked like a human, but inside, she was more like a Dragon on the inside.
And the magic that Dragons used was very different from that of humans.
Even Osel, a Circle Master, hadnt been able to teach her properly.
Frey knew that she was half Dragon.
Did he think that he could teach her magic?
Though Beniang was skeptical, she had never met anyone who knew as much about Dragons as he did.
She decided to listen to Freys words first.
Energy Ball.
Woowoong.
The most basic spell.
A bluish round mass of energy floated above her hand.
Frey squinted at the Energy Ball.
Hm
It was like forcibly wearing clothes that didnt fit.
Frey realised that Beniang was already used to using magic like.
Master seems to have made a Mana Room by force.
Yeah. Without this, I cant use magic at all
She had made it forcibly to use magic.
She had no other means at that time, but considering how the Dragons bodies were made, it was too inefficient.
Originally, Dragons knew how to handle mana from birth
Well, she was half Dragon.
Dragons dont need to store mana in their bodies. You can take control of the mana around. Unless its not a special location, you can fight more efficiently than humans.
Special location?
Where the mana distribution is extremely low. Like land that is already dead.
Ah!
Has Master Beniang ever experienced mana exhaustion?
N-, no. Never
Youll have to experience it today. Use all the mana in your mana room right now. You can release the mana through.
Beniang looked embarrassed.
Is there a problem?
II dont know how to release my mana through my skin.
Frey was speechless for a moment.
Beniang had just declared that she did not know how to do one of the first things that one needed to learn before becoming a Wizard.
then we will need to use a slightly idiotic method. Start to chant spells, but dont finish them. The mana will escape but the spell wont be cast.
Okay. I will try.
Beniang closed her eyes and began to chant spells while Frey watched silently from the side.
About thirty minutes later, when her mana had been expended, Beniang gasped for breath and said
D-, done.
Her face was flushed and she was panting, but it wasnt because she was tired.
To be precise, Beniangs body was under the illusion that it was difficult. This was also a side effect of her Mana Room.
Frey looked on in interest.
He wondered just how strong Beniang would become after she fully digested the Dragons strengths.
Turn around and sit down.
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Beniang sat down and Frey placed his palm on her back to look inside her.
There, he found something similar to a Mana Room.
However, it was weaker and smaller than Mana Rooms found in humans.
Beniang is 6 stars. Perhaps she was able to reach this level faster than anyone else. But its impossible to become an Archmage this way.
Frey spoke to Beniang.
Dont talk, just listen. Master Beniang, from now on, I am going to destroy the incomplete Mana Room that you built in your body. You have to stop the small amount of mana in your body which will try to prevent the destruction.
Beniang nodded.
Frey then immediately injected his mana into her.
It carried the cold of the Frozen River.
!
Beniang shivered involuntarily.
This was a natural reaction.
For her, it felt like freezing cold water was being poured into her body.
Still, she followed Freys instructions.
Despite the cold, she did not loosen her control of the mana that wanted to prevent what he was doing.
Thanks to her efforts, the cold mana reached her Mana Room without a hitch, and the Mana Room became frozen in an instant.
It will hurt a little from here on, but you need to endure it.
Clang!
mm!
Beniang grunted and Frey frowned.
Its more deep-rooted than I expected. ThisIm going to have to shave it away slowly.
If he tried to do it hurriedly, then it could damage Beniangs body.
If that happened, it would be the end of the story.
Therefore, Frey slowly and carefully wore down the Mana Room.
Every time a piece was removed, Beniang would flinch, but she was taking it much better than most could.
Although the process was extremely painful, she did not make a single sound after that grunt at the start.
Another thirty minutes passed.
Finally, Frey moved back and wiped his sweat while Beniang collapsed, exhausted.
I-, is it over?
For today.
F-, for today?
There was a little fear in Beniangs eyes.
However, in order to maintain the dignity of a Circle Master, there were some things that she had to endure.
Frey spoke in a calm voice, unaware of her thoughts.
At the very least, well have to continue this for a month. Once a day, every day. Master Beniang, please take care of me.
U-, uhh
Beniang collapsed in despair, feeling that Freys face looked very much like a Devils at that moment.
Chapter 64 - Trowman Rings (9)
Chapter 64 - Trowman Rings (9) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
The next one that Frey instructed after Beniang was Fianne.
He stared at Frey with apprehension as he recalled the dull and lifeless look in Beniangs eyes when she returned home.
Without noticing Fiannes anxiety, Frey asked.
What is the name of your martial art?
It is called Baekwanggwon(White King Boxing).
It was a tacky name.
He couldnt understand why the practitioners of martial arts liked to use king in their technique names.
If they deviated from the stereotype, he was sure that they would be able to come up with some better sounding names.
Frey shook his head, remembering Kasajin.
First lets spar. So that I can know your skills.
Fianne nodded with a stiff expression.
He had seen Frey teaching back at the village.
Of course, among those who had been dissatisfied, there were a few Magic Warriors.
They had attacked Frey with extreme determination but they had not even managed to touch his collar.
It was then that Fianne had realised.
This young man before him was not just a talent Wizard, but he was also a First Class Magic Warrior.
At the very least, he was an opponent that Fianne had no guarantee he could beat.
Come.
Tat.
Fianne quickly narrowed the distance, his fist outstretched towards Freys face.
Huk.
Frey avoided the attack simply by moving his head.
Fast.
It was a fierce attack.
If it had landed, his face would definitely have been deformed.
Fianne wasnt disappointed when his attack failed to connect, instead, he quickly retracted his arm and attacked Freys abdomen with his left hand.
Fianne knew that because he was so close, such an attack would be in his opponents blind spot.
However, Frey caught his fist as though he was expecting the attack. S~ea??h the N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Kuk
How did he know?
No, there was no time to think about that.
Fianne twisted his body and roughly shook his hand free.
And using the rotational force, he turned and fired a kick.
Although it was called Baekwanggwon, that didnt mean that it only consisted of fist techniques.
There were times when one would use their feet, knees, elbows, hands and even their forehead to attack.
Kwak.
!
It was blocked again.
Frey had managed to stop Fiannes attack with just one arm.
If it had landed, he might have been able to end the fight at once.
He clenched his teeth and pulled his foot back.
Frey didnt pursue him and remained standing in the same spot.
I need to understand your skills.
This was what Frey had told him and thats what he was demonstrating right now.
It was not time for him to make a move yet.
Instead, it was time for Fianne to show Frey just what type of martial art his Baekwanggwon was.
Taat.
Once again, Fianne rushed forward and delivered a flurry of blows.
Frey avoided all of these attacks with only minimal movements and blocked the ones that he couldnt avoid.
This is frustrating.
That was truly how he felt.
Obviously, it was his first time fighting Frey, but it felt like he was fighting against someone who had carefully examined all of his strengths and weaknesses.
No matter how he attacked, it didnt seem like he would be able to do any damage.
Its like punching a rock.
Fianne continued his attacks for nearly a full minute.
His body was covered in sweat and he was panting slightly.
Thats enough.
Fianne stopped his attacks.
He didnt expect that he wouldnt even be able to land one hit.
Frey looked at Fiannes expression of indignation and shame before speaking.
Honor Fianne, you have the skill of a Second Class Magic Warrior or below.
Fianne was much weaker than Liamson who could be considered to be a peak Second Class Magic Warrior.
Although this level was quite impressive, it was not enough for an executive of a circle.
He should at least be able to be him(Frey) who only learned martial arts in passing.
Fianne bit his lip fiercely to the point where it became white.
Frey approached him and patted him on the shoulder.
This wounded your pride.
yes.
Thats a good thing. Fianne, never forget the resentment you are feeling right now. Pride is very important for those who walk the path of magic. Others might not understand, but sometimes you will even have to risk your life to defend that pride.
There are situations where you would have to put your pride before your life?
Thats right. Its not that hard to imagine. You are prepared to risk your life to defend the honor of the Trowman Rings. The details might be different, but the determination is the same in this context.
I see.
Fianne nodded as he felt that he understood what Frey was saying.
Then he looked at Frey with a strange gaze.
Are you a Dragon, Round Frey?
Why do you say that?
Its because it doesnt feel like you are younger than me. They didnt say it, but Im sure the circle members and Master Beniang think the same.
Frey laughed.
Is it because I helped Master Beniang who is half Dragon?
Yes.
Your reasoning is amusing, but I am human. I just know a bit more than other people.
Fianne recalled their previous engagement before asking.
Is martial arts one of those things?
Thats right. Of course, my martial art skills are lackluster. I can barely be considered a Second Class Magic Warrior.
Huh? Is that true? I couldve sworn you were a First Class Magic Warrior
It was not unreasonable for Fianne to be mistaken.
However, it was true that Freys skills could only pass as a Second Class Magic Warrior.
Nevertheless, it was his eyes and his experience which allowed him to beat Fianne in such an overwhelming manner.
Anyway. Did you say the name was Baekwanggwon? It seems to be a standard martial art. There are no anomalous attacks and few tricks.
Fianne smiled bitterly.
Thats correct. This makes it easy to read, which means that after a few exchanges, someone can recognize the patterns.
Thats because of your lackluster skills. A standard isnt called a standard for nothing. The Baekwanggwon will grow stronger as your level increases. Even a First Class Warrior might not be able to find a flaw in your movement. On the other hand, your attacks will crush your opponents guard.
Really?
There was a flash of joy on Fiannes face.
This was because he was happy that the martial art he practiced was recognized.
Your martial art would be able to show results regardless of whether your opponent is weaker, stronger, or the same strength as you. This can be both an advantage and a disadvantage. Wellits a bit of a headache.
What do you mean?
Because of the nature of Magic Warriors, there are no shortcuts on your path. You have no choice but to climb the stairs one step at a time.
It was very different from Beniang who would be able to achieve explosive growth after simply destroying her mana room and correcting a few mistakes.
Fianne nodded to show that he understood.
AhI see.
Of course.
Frey let out a laugh.
There are ways to help you climb the stairs quickly.
yes?
One of my close friends had a method of training for Magic Warriors, if you are able to digest it, you can become a First Class Magic Warrior in three months.
If you can digest it.
Frey said this again in his head and let out a short laugh.
Unfortunately for Fianne, he failed to notice this.
The image of Beniangs staggering figure had already disappeared from his mind.
Instead, he looked at Frey with a burning gaze.
Can you teach it to me?!
* * *
Basic Physical Strength Enhancement.
Although the name sounded simple, Fianne felt that the name should be changed to Torture of the Twisted Executioner instead.
Fianne was laying face down on the hard ground.
No, that was wrong.
The truth was that he had collapsed and no longer had the energy to move even one finger.
Ill just pretend to be unconscious
Splash-
Cold water landed on his face and Fianne hurriedly got up.
Youre not even halfway done. How can you be this tired already?
Kill
Kill?
You might as well kill me
Frey smiled and said.
Stop being a crybaby. Dont worry. Ill relieve your muscle pain with my mana. I also picked some nutritious herbs on the way, so you can eat those to recover faster.
Im not a crybaby!
Fianne wanted to shout with all his might, but at that moment, he did not dare.
(Note: Do you guys prefer I use the transliteration(Korean words in English characters) or translation for the techniques?)
Chapter 65 - Trowman Rings (10)
Chapter 65 - Trowman Rings (10) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
The last executive to be taught by Frey was Gisellan.
Frey looked at him and spoke.
Honor Gisellan, you are a 5 star Wizard.
Thats right.
5 stars wasnt bad.
However, it wasnt good either.
There were many scattered problems, but above all, there were a few major flaws.
Did you know that thats your limit?
Im fully aware of that.
Frey looked at Gisellan who nodded calmly.
There was no way for Frey to avoid that.
The reason for this was more attributed to missing the best timing instead of a lack of talent.
Frey noticed that Gisellan had begun studying magic at a fairly late age.
While this might not seem like a big deal at first glance, this was, in fact, very detrimental.
I dont know if I should give him an elixir.
If he was given a suitable elixir, then the impurities in his body could be cleared away, and his mana sensitivity would increase explosively.
However, this was a problem that needed thorough consideration.
It was not very efficient for Gisellan to take an elixir.
To maximize effects, it would be better if it was given to Fianne or Beniang instead.
After thinking about it for a moment, Frey handed something to Gisellan.
Take this.
It was Kungunils Dagger.
When he saw the dagger, Gisellans expression became filled with surprise.
Thislooks like an amazing dagger
It is a relic from the Age of Light. It has two runes, Blink and Return, engraved on it and the dagger itself is quite sharp. If you use it well, then it would prove to be quite helpful.
But why would you give such an item to a Wizard like me
How many years have you been using daggers?
!
A look of surprise flashed through Gisellans eyes.
how did you know?
Your physique is not innate. Your muscles are still taut I dont think youve missed even one day of training.
Gisellan smiled bitterly.
I practice every morning. If I miss even a single day, I begin to feel uneasy. As Rounder Frey knows, I was once a mercenary. I probably did that for more than ten years.
Ten years. With that much experience in the mercenary world, you can be considered a veterandid you start learning magic during that time?
Little by little as time went by. I only truly focused on learning after I turned thirty.
There was no need for him to lie about that.
It was a shame.
If Gisellan had begun learning in earnest at a younger age, then he would have reached a higher level by now.
Of course, it was still quite amazing that he had been able to reach 5 stars.
This was something that was impossible without backbreaking hard work and determination.
I think youd be better off as a Magic Swordsman.
A Magic Swordsman
At only 5 stars, it would be impossible for you to win in an overwhelming manner during the friendly competition. But if we make use of your physical ability, it would be an entirely different story.
Frey looked at the dagger in Gisellans hand.
That dagger requires a tremendous amount of skill to use, but if you are able to make it your own, it would be incredibly helpful.
Im not confident I can do that.
Frey smiled.
It was the same smile that Frey had given to Beniang and Fianne, and it gave Gisellan goosebumps.
You will be.
* * *
Two months.
That was how long it took for Frey to be completely accepted into the Trowman Rings.
It wasnt just acceptance.
There was no longer any circle member who dared to complain about Freys position as Circle Rounder.
Instead, most of them were even proud to have Frey as the Rounder of the Trowman Rings.
A total of five people will be participating in this friendly competition. With the exception of Honors Gisellan and Fianne, I will need to pick the other three members.
Frey looked around at the gathered circle members as he said these words.
Of course, I will thoroughly select the participants by order of skill, and they will be given a reward.
After saying this, he pulled out a few items from his bag which greatly shocked the circle members.
Heroes Relics!
Surely these benefits
Thats right. Im going to award these artifacts to the participants.
The circle members were in an uproar.
At the same time, their faces were filled with enthusiasm. Sarch* The N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
This was natural.
Artifacts were so precious that few medium and small sized circles had any of them, and the few artifacts they had were in the hands of their circle executives.
That was why these ordinary circle members were shocked to learn that just by becoming a participant, they would be given these items that they couldnt get even if they were willing to risk their lives.
This was an opportunity that they might never get again!
Becoming an executive would no longer be just a dream if they were able to grasp this chance and make steady progress.
Frey smiled as he watched the circled members become filled with excitement.
Fianne, who was standing at the side, could only watch with a tired expression on his face.
Hes very good at dealing with people. It was almost at the point where the circle members were becoming complacent, but now, he has lit a fire in them at the best time.
Whats more, we might be able to fill the empty executive positions. In fact, there were a few talented members who stood out after receiving Rounder Freys advice. If they are refined a bit more, they would be good candidates for Force Honor.
Hes the perfect Rounder for the circle members.
Fianne looked at Frey with fearful eyes.
But he is merciless.
Fiannes right.
Beniang had the same expression on her face.
They had managed to successfully remove her mana room, but it was impossible to get rid of a habit developed over so many years in such a short time.
Of course, Frey noticed this immediately, which meant that she had to experience a new type of hell.
Gisellan let out a dry laugh.
Rounder Frey is a great teacher.
Huh?
The way he teaches depends on the personality of the person hes teaching. Strict to some, gentle to others. He knows what approach to use to help every person the most.
Huhso you think the strict teaching he gives to Master Beniang and I is the most effective method?
Dont delude yourself when you know the truth.
Fianne, who was about to say more, closed his mouth immediately.
This was because he could not deny the fact that his skills were rapidly improving because of Freys teachings.
By the way, isnt today the day that Honor Eizek returns?
Now that you mention it, it should be around this time.
Do you think he will accept Rounder Frey?
Its hard to say, but we will know soon enough.
At that moment, Beniang, who had been quietly listening at the side, smiled.
Its scary that you just brought it up. I think Honor Eizek is here. Hmm. He even brought someone who is usually hard to meet.
After a while, two people appeared in the distance.
One was a man in his thirties, and the other was a woman with a stern expression on her face.
When they came near, the man bowed toward Beniang.
Master Beniang, Im back from my mission.
Good work, Honor Eizek. Was everything all right?
Of course. More importantly, how is the situation with the circle?
There was a crisis, but it has been resolved now.
What crisis?
Then Eizeks gaze turned to Frey, who was standing in the empty lot, surrounded by circle members.
Frey was in the middle of teaching the circle members.
Eizek became confused.
It didnt seem like this person was a guest.
who is that man?
He is
Huh? Isnt that Frey?
The woman behind Eizek finally spoke.
Gisellan nodded.
It seems Adelia knows Rounder Frey already.
Of course I do. I was the one who told the Master about him. No, wait a minute. RounderRounder?
Adelia, who was tilting her head in confusion, suddenly shouted in surprise.
Frey is the Rounder?!
(Note: I recently found the need to point something out after having a conversation with one of the readers. They made mention of my use of both relic and artifact. The word the author uses is ?? which, among a few other things, can be used to represent both. So when I use relic or artifact, its not that the author is using different words, but that I use these two words in an effort to prevent redundant or odd sounding english sentences/paragraphs.
Also minor change, Azeg will now be Eizekas you might have noticed.)
Chapter 66 - Trowman Rings (11)
Chapter 66 - Trowman Rings (11) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Now that all the Force Honors of the Trowman Rings, Gisellan, Fianne and Eizek were gathered, Beniang held a meeting.
It was mainly to introduce Frey and Eizek to one another and to address the circles situation.
Eizek was the one who opened his mouth first.
I never imagined that you would find a Circle Rounder while I was away.
The situation was urgent. Im sorry if I offended you.
Eizek shook his head at Beniangs words.
Its not that. Im just worried about the circles future.
Eizek looked at Frey with calm eyes.
Rounder Frey, if Master Beniang and the other two Force Honors acknowledge you, then I have nothing to say.
Frey did not believe that Eizek truly accepted him, but that he would simply watch the situation for the time being.
In fact, Eizek never had any intentions of opposing Beniangs decision.
Apart from that, it would be strange if he was not wary of this strange man named Frey.
From the start, Eizek had been looking at Frey with a searching gaze.
And Frey was the same.
So this is Honor Eizek.
Frey inspected him quietly.
He then realised that the man in front of him was neither a Wizard nor a Magic Warrior.
Eizek was a Contractor.
If one was to be blunt, he was more suited for the Phisfounder Armlets than this circle.
Everyone said that he is unrivaled among the Trowman Rings executives.
He was the man who played the role of ace before Freys arrival.
Frey felt that this reputation was most likely not an exaggeration.
Then Adelia crept up to his side and poked him in the ribs.
Hey. What the hell happened in two months that allowed you to become the Rounder?
Before Frey could even respond, Gisellan spoke up with a stiff face.
Adelia, be more polite to the Circle Rounder.
its driving me insane. He became successful in a flash.
Adelia grumbled.
But her reaction was understandable.
A cute(?) student who used to address her politely had suddenly become her superior.
For Adelia, who had been agonizing over a way to trick Frey into becoming her disciple, this was really too shocking.
Gisellans eyes became filled with anger when he saw her grumbling.
Then Adelia sighed and pouted.
Alright, alright. Rounder Frey. Do I need to address him like that?
Use honorifics.
am I doing it right now?
Frey found her reaction to be quite amusing.
This was because Adelia, who could even address the 3rd Magic Towers Master as old man, behaved like a mouse before a cat in front of Gisellan.
Adelia sighed again at the unfairness before changing her way of thinking.
wait a second. Doesnt this mean hes not a student anymore? (Note: oooh I like where her mind went)
While Adelia seemed to be staring at Frey with a different look in her eyes, Eizek began to speak.
Master Beniang, if its okay with you, Id like to give my mission report before learning about the circles situation.
Go ahead,
Thank you.
Eizek nodded before continuing.
As you know, my mission was to find any traces left behind by the Successor of the Magic Warrior King. And I found a clue near the Great Reynols Forest, the territory of the Elves. I immediately gave chaseand I made contact with him.
A-, are you serious?
Those words make Gisellan and everyone elses eyes widen.
The Successor of Magic Warrior King Kasajin!
His whereabouts were something that was of great interest to the Circle.
Many had been able to find traces of his movements, and there were even a few circles who had successfully made contact with him.
Nevertheless, he had yet to join a circle and was still acting alone.
Eizek knew why.
Even though he had not been careless, hed still managed to receive considerable injuries.
Hes not the kind of person you can talk to.
Sik.
Eizek took off his coat and revealed a horrible wound.
H-, hup!
A-, are you okay?
His chest was sunken as though he had been crushed by something heavy.
The severe bruising and red, swollen veins caused even the former mercenary, Gisellan, to frown.
That was because it was much worse than it appeared. Several of his ribs must be broken, but it seemed that Eizek had done some preliminary treatment.
Eizek put on back his clothes before continuing.
Im fine now. I was near death for four days, but it was luck that saved my lifejust as it is said within the Circle, he has an unpredictable personality. He said that he had no intention of talking to anyone unless he acknowledged them.
This caused the expressions of those who knew of Eizeks prowess to stiffen.
If it had been any other circle executive who had been sent to complete the task, they would have already become a corpse.
He already knows about the Demigods. However, he didnt seem interested in the subjugation of the Demigods or the Circle. He said that seeing the end of the martial arts path is his top priority.
Even though he knew about the Demigods, he refused to cooperate.
Frey frowned at that.
He didnt like the idea that such a person was using the title Successor of the Martial Warrior King.
However, his personal opinion aside, it was very clear from Eizeks wounds that he was proficient in the Warrior Kings Fist. (Note: translation it is)
Now that I think about it, Kasajin wasnt that interested in the Demigods at first either.
When he had first created his group, it was Kasajin who had been the hardest to persuade.
But when he joined their side, he was more determined than anyone else.
Frey felt like he needed to meet with this Successor of the Magic Warrior King.
No, he didnt think.
He had to meet him.
He doesnt need to be on the same level as Kasajin. If we could get the help of a First Class Magic Warrior proficient in the Warrior Kings Fist
They would be a great help when he tried to defeat Demigods in the future after reaching 9 stars.
Is he staying in the Great Reynols Forest?
I dont think soit doesnt seem like he stays in the same location for more than a month.
One month.
He didnt know how long he had been staying in the Great Reynols Forest, but he figured that there was not much time left.
After pondering for a while, Frey opened his mouth.
How far is the Great Reynols Forest from here?
Do you intend to meet him?
Thats right. It would be very good if we could get him to join our circle.
Eizek fell silent.
It wasnt wrong.
Well, the words werent wrong.
In fact, there was nothing that Eizek could say about it because he had also been confident that he would be able to persuade that man.
But when he met him in person, it was more like meeting a wild beast instead of another human being.
And that was when he realised why the man was more comfortable being alone instead of in a circle.
From the Circles perspective, it did not look good when the Successor of the Magic Warrior King ran around doing whatever he wanted.
There were many extremists who thought of capturing him and then getting rid of him after they pried the secrets of the Warrior Kings Fist from him.
Nevertheless, this man was still able to frolic all across the continent.
This was because both their main plans and their contingencies failed.
It wasnt just the Three Great Circles.
Many small and medium sized circles, some of whom were even stronger than the Trowman Rings, also sent many scouts.
And all of them failed.
Not a single one of them had been successful.
Although he had these thoughts, Eizek still took out a map from his bag.
The Circle Rounders question could not be ignored.
Chuk.
Eizek pointed to the map while speaking.
Ill show you the shortest route. This is the location of our circle. First, follow this road south to Grode. Its a bit closer to us than Uthiano, and it has a Warp Stone. Then, using the Warp Stone there, head to Pillat. Pillat is one of the closest cities to the Great Reynols Forest. From here to there, it takes about three days.
Pillat.
The moment he heard that, Freys expression slightly changed.
This city, on the eastern end of the empire, was none other than the home of the Blake Family.
From there, you can only go by foot. Of course, the mountain path leading to the forest is quite long and roughif you use a carriage, youd be able to save time and energy.
I can hire a carriage?
Eizek nodded.
There is a caravan of peddlers who trade with the elves. It seems like there are transactions every month. Of course, we cant use them to enter the forest.
So the fastest way would be to join their group.
Thats right. The peddlers are always looking for mercenaries to accompany them. Someone with Rounder Freys skills would be very welcomed.
Eizek did not know exactly how strong Frey was, but he did know that in order for him to become the Rounder, he had to be at least 6 stars.
There was no reason for Frey to not join the caravan since the mercenary world treated anyone who had reached 5 stars like nobility.
Frey pondered for a moment before turning to Beniang.
Master Beniang, I think I will go meet the Successor of the Magic Warrior King.
Yes. I thought you would.
Beniang nodded as she agreed.
For now, the circle is fine. The foundation has been solidified, and even those who were wandering have found a path to follow. And Honor Eizek should be healed in time for the friendly competition in a month.
Friendly competition?
Fianne was the one who responded to the confused Eizek.
I will tell you later. Anyway, Rounder Frey, you dont have to worry.
Frey looked at their faces before nodding.
Alright. Honor Gisellan, when is the Circles next biennial meeting?
In one year and six months.
One year and six months.
It was enough time.
The Trowman Rings were still not ready for such a meeting.
Of course, it might not be enough time for him to achieve his goal.
9 stars.
Frey was thinking about reaching 9 stars before the next meeting.
Or at least have enough power to unite the scattered circles.
Of course, that alone wasnt enough.
Frey recalled the Golem core he had retrieved from Schweisers dungeon.
The faster I create Anastasia, the better.
To reach 9 stars and to create Anastasia.
Neither one was easy.
If he stayed in the circle, then it would be quite difficult, but if he moved around on his own, it might be a different story.
Frey looked at Beniang and said.
I will return before the meeting.
are you saying that the Circle Rounder will be away for that long?
Eizek was the one who spoke up with a stiff expression.
His reaction was natural.
The Circle Rounder was very different from the Force Honor.
Except for special cases, they rarely left their posts for such a long time.
It was Gisellan, not Frey, who answered him.
He told us that it might happen from the beginning.
I dont understand. I know that the Trowman Rings situation is dire. And that Rounder Freys abilities are excellent. But
I know what you want to say. Youre worried that Rounder Frey might have requested a lot from us on the condition that he joined our circle. However, I can swear on my name that something like that never happened. In fact, we owe him a debt that we could never pay back.
You will understand soon enough. For now, trust me and let it go.
Eizek sighed.
Since it was Gisellan who was talking, he was forced to believe him.
He was not as gullible as Beniang or Fianne.
He was a thick-skinned old man who had spent more than a decade in the ruthless mercenary world.
Gisellans presence was the only reason he could take long term missions without worry.
Alright. Rounder Frey, please forgive my rudeness.
Frey, who was looking at the map, simply nodded.
Its fine. Rather than that, would it be possible for me to take this map with me?
Sure. Its not that expensive.
Thank you.
Frey put the map away as he said this.
Master Beniang, Ill take my leave now.
Huh?! A-, already?
I think I need to leave as quickly as possible. I think it would be better than missing him by a small margin.
I, I see.
Frey observed Beniang for a moment before saying.
Please take good care of the circle, Master Beniang. Im sorry that I wont get to see the results of the friendly. Ah. But I dont think I need to worry
When Freys eyes fell on them, Beniang, Gisellan and Fianne all flinched.
it shouldnt be a problem, but if you dont win by a landslide or at least by a large margin
That wont happen!
O-, of course! Isnt that right, Honor Gisellan?!
Naturally!
Ill take your word for it.
Frey smiled.
Then I look forward to when we meet again.
* * *
[I look forward to when we meet again.]
She blinked.
It felt like she was in a dream for a long time.
She slowly woke up.
It was the middle of the night. The pale moon was high in the sky.
She felt like something was missing.
Looking down at her body, she immediately realised what it was.
Ah
Feathers.
No feathers.
She couldnt understand.
Why the hell did she have skin without feathers? S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
The shape of her body had also changed drastically.
She had no beak, no wings.
Did that matter?
It wasnt like her power had weakened.
She could still spew out the flames that she was so proud of.
No, it felt like she had gotten even stronger than before.
She got up from her seat.
Flame-like hair cascaded like a wave down her back.
[Follow the footsteps of Torkunta and become the ruler of these mountains. Protect my friends dungeon.]
A warm voice filled her head.
It was that persons voice.
She immediately understood that she should listen to what it said.
First of all.
To become the ruler of the mountains, she just had to put this area under her control.
She was reluctant to follow the footsteps of that unlucky Drake King, but there was no helping it.
And it wouldnt be difficult. The strength she had now was more than enough.
Second.
Protect that persons friends dungeon.
He was probably talking about that space inside the mountain.
That was easy too.
Naturally, as long as the area was under her control, it would ensure the safety of that space.
So, when she had achieved both of those thingscould she go find that person?
[You will reign.]
She closed her eyes as she quietly remembered those words.
Chapter 67 - Mercenary (1)
Chapter 67 - Mercenary (1) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Frey called Gisellan aside and asked him for a favor.
When Gisellan heard what he wanted, he rubbed his chin.
Hm. You want to disguise yourself?
Right. Pillat is the home of the Blake Family. Have you heard about Isaka Blake?
Yes. Its highly likely that he is connected to the Demigods thats what you meant isnt it?
Thats right. And hes after me right now. The Blake Family is a place that I must visit someday, but it is too soon. So Id prefer to avoid meeting them.
I see.
It was an unquestionable fact that Frey stood out because his grey hair color was rare on the continent.
If he was to walk around Pillat as he was now, it was guaranteed that Isaka would find out about it in less than a day, which would definitely lead to a confrontation.
I can change my appearance with magic. The problem is that I do not have any proof of identity.
In order to travel around the continent, one needed to have proof of identity.
All Frey had now was his student ID from the Westroad Academy.
However, that wasnt enough.
For the time being, he wanted to hide Frey Blake, so he needed a disguise.
After pondering for a moment, Gisellan finally spoke.
Honor Eizek should have the means. He often takes missions in foreign countries, so he has a few fake identities.
After a while, Gisellan came back with Eizek.
Gisellan must have informed him of the situation beforehand as he immediately brought up the main point.
I have something that can help you.
As he said that, he stretched out his hand.
In it, there was an old card which appeared to be made of bronze.
Its a C-rank Mercenary. The name is Kain Rixton. 26 years old and lives in a city in the far south called Temigo. Its okay to update the rank in the Mercenary Guild whenever you like.
Can you tell me more about his background.
Of course. It would be better if you memorize everything Im about to say.
Eizek started talking about Kain Rixtons personal story.
Frey paid the most attention to the appearance as he would need to make the illusion as accurate as possible.
After listening to all of the information, Frey received the Mercenary Card.
Then, after giving Eizek his sincere gratitude, he immediately began packing his luggage.
It was time to leave.
Frey opened his door and stepped out, but he was forced to stop.
The circle members had gathered in front of his house.
At the front was Fio, who was the first person to receive Freys teaching.
Compared to the rest, the gaze that he was staring at Frey with was particularly emotional.
He was one of Freys most adamant followers within the circle, and he had decided to disregard the age difference and consider him as his mentor.
This was why he was especially disappointed by the approaching separation.
Rounder Frey, we heard that you were leaving on a long term mission
Thats right, I dont think I can come back until the next Biennial meeting.
The next meeting is a year and a half from now
Well, if it wasnt that long, could it still be considered a long term mission?
What can we do without Rounder Frey, what can we do
The circle members all looked at Frey with sad faces.
There were even a few members who were crying.
Frey smiled gently at their goodwill.
You can do well without me. Honor Eizek said that he would not be taking any missions for the time being.
Still
Freys expression became serious.
The Trowman Rings have completed all the preparations we need to soar. Its up to all of you whether we can spread our wings and completely shock the world or if we become a shabby figure with no feathers. And I believe in you all.
The circle members bowed their heads with enlightened expressions on their faces.
We will wait.
Rounder Frey, I wish you good luck.
Please come back safely.
Come back soon.
After that, Frey immediately left the village.
And for a moment, he seriously wondered if he had developed a habit of wandering.
Since he had returned, Frey had not stayed in a location for more than one year.
Im sure itll be the same in the future.
He would probably continue to move around unless something special happened.
After leaving the village, he found the southbound road Eizek had told him about.
Its condition made it a bit of a stretch to call it a road, but he was still able to find it.
He said it was a two day walk.
He had no problem with that as there was camping equipment along with a large amount of food and water in his bag.
Frey walked at a leisure pace.
Occasionally, monsters would appear on the mountain road.
Usually, Frey would threaten them or kick them away, but for those who could not understand his warnings, he killed them.
After a while, he just used flight magic.
There were no threatening flying monsters nor people around him, so he didnt have to worry about anyone seeing him.
Freys current mana capacity was so outrageous that it would not be emptied even if he used the flight magic, which had poor cost-effectiveness, all night.
Thanks to that, he was able to reach Grode within a day.
Grode wasnt a very big city.
In fact, it was a bit strange that such a small place could have a Warp Stone. Perhaps it was its geographical location which made it necessary to give it a Warp Stone.
Although Frey had arrived at the city much faster than he expected, he still couldnt go to Pillat right away.
The number of places available for the Warp Stone was just as small as the size of the city.
Frey found an Inn.
Then after entering the room, he stood before the mirror and began practicing changing his appearance.
He didnt do a very good job at first.
It was just an illusion spell. However, it was so complex, that even if someone was at 8 stars, a level higher than him, they would not be able to notice.
First, he changed his hair to dull blonde.
This was the color that was most common within the Kastkau Empire.
He made his eyes dark brown and then he slightly altered the structure of his face.
The entire process took about ten minutes.
Frey looked at his face in the mirror.
Standing there was a young man with a gentle expression.
He matched the description of Kain Rixton as provided by Eizek.
This is enough.
Frey went to bed right after that and the next morning, he left the inn while the waitress stared at him with a confused gaze.
Then he headed straight to the Warp Stone to go to Pilllat.
When he arrived and was asked to provide identification, he handed out Kains Mercenary ID.
The guard confirmed his identity before returning the card without feeling any suspicion.
With this, there would be no way for anyone to trace his travel using a Warp Stone like the last time.
Freys whereabouts would have been cut off at Uthiano.
Woowoong.
Immediately after suppressing the special feeling that came with Warp Stone travel, Frey began observing his surroundings.
He had a sense of familiarity and unfamiliarity to everything around him.
So this is Pillat.
It was the largest city in the east, and home to the Blake Family.
At the same time, it was the closest city to the Great Reynols Forest, east of the empire.
Frey ignored the strange nostalgia he felt and headed to the Mercenary Guild.
As it was near to the forest, there would naturally be a large number of monsters.
Although it wasnt as high as Ispaniola, Pillat was also one of the cities with a large floating population(1) of mercenaries.
However, Frey did not feel the same tense atmosphere like the one in Ispaniola.
Pillat had incredibly strong walls, and they were not something ordinary monsters could easily destroy.
This led to the citizens having absolute confidence in their safety, so their expressions were much more relaxed.
The Mercenaries were all gathered to collect materials from the nearby forest or to hunt rare monsters to obtain precious materials rather than to subjugate the monster population.
Pillat had dozens of Mercenary Guilds.
Frey was heading to one of them with the name Vulcano. (Note: yes, u not o)
Click.
When he opened the door, he was greeted by an obnoxiously loud noise.
This building served as a Mercenary Guild, and at the same time, it functioned as a bar, a restaurant, an inn, and even worse, a brothel.
It smelled like bad alcohol and cheap tobacco.
Although it was the middle of the day, the Mercenaries held bottles of alcohol in their hands with many more on their tables. Sear?h the ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Several of them glanced at Frey as he entered.
Ive never seen this face before. Is he a rookie?
Hes wearing a very pretty robe. Hihihi. Maybe hes pretending to be a Wizard.
No! Isnt this proof that the status of our Vulcano has risen to such a height that even a noble Wizard would come here in person?!
Puhahaha!
There werent many of them who actually believed that Frey could be a Wizard.
There was a higher probability that he was just an admirer who liked to follow their style.
Their reaction wasnt surprising.
It was extremely rare for Wizards to enter the Mercenary world.
They didnt do so unless they needed a lot of money badly.
The more prestigious the family, the less likely they would resort to doing this.
This was because even the shortest tenure as a Mercenary could become a shame that would last a lifetime.
Frey ignored them and headed to the counter.
Standing there was a young woman who did not seem to fit in with the tough atmosphere in the Mercenary Guild.
She seemed to be one of the employees.
She had a pretty face, but she was wearing a dress that showed her deep cleavage and bare thighs.
It seemed she served as eye candy for the Mercenaries.
Hello, how may I help you?
Im here to receive a mission.
Are you a Mercenary?
Thats right.
Show me your identification please.
Frey handed her the Mercenary Card, however, she only read the information at the back.
This is a card issued from Temigo in the south. Your name is Kain Rixton. Are you a C-rank Mercenary?
Yes.
Ive confirmed your information. Please wait a moment.
Then she rummaged through something below the counter before showing him a few flyers.
These are the currently available missions. The more difficult ones are to the left
Frey shook his head.
Id like to escort the peddlers to the Great Reynols Forest.
That mission can only be taken by B-rank Mercenaries and higher.
Then I would like to apply for an advancement.
Right now?
Yes.
okay.
The employee looked at Frey with a strange gaze, but she could not interfere with his wishes.
On the back of every Mercenary Card was the date of issue, and it showed that this man had become a C-rank Mercenary three years ago.
It was possible to become a B-rank in three years.
You can go to the counter in the basement and apply for an advancement. Please note that you need to pay 10 silvers as an application fee.
Frey nodded and immediately headed to the basement.
The basement was actually quite deep.
As he walked down the staircase illuminated only by candles, the sounds from the first floor slowly began to fade away.
And once he reached the bottom, even his footsteps began to sound loud.
Tap tap.
The underground space was quite large, or it might have looked that way because there were only a few people there.
The corridor was long, and there were doors on both sides.
Frey walked down the hall.
At the end of it, there was a chair and a desk, behind which a one-eyed man sat.
The man wore an eyepatch which reminded Frey of the pirates hed encountered back on the Cortez, but the aura that the man exuded was completely incomparable to those weak pirates.
Did you come to take an advancement test?
Thats right.
Whats your current class and rank?
Wizard, C-rank.
I see. You know there are two ways to advance, right? Mission or demonstration. What would you like to choose?
Eizek had already explained this to him.
Choosing Mission literally meant that he had to prove his capabilities by completing an assigned quest.
It had the advantage of allowing you to get help from others, but it could take a lot of time depending on the type and difficulty of the quest.
Demonstration meant to show your skills to the examiner assigned by the guild.
It didnt take a lot of time, but most Mercenaries chose the first method even if it took a long time because the examiners were known for their strictness.
Frey didnt hesitate as he didnt need to think about it.
Demonstration.
Hmm. Its been a while since someone chose demonstration.
Good. Follow me.
Frey followed the man without a word.
The one eyed man walked down the hall that Frey came from and opened one of the doors.
A fairly large space was revealed.
That wasnt all.
Frey also recognized the presence of several large, overlapping protective spells in this room.
In this room was another door.
The man walked through the door, and after a while, he came back, followed by another person.
This time, it was a young woman.
Like Frey, no.
Like Kain, she had dull blonde hair and wore a robe.
Frey realised immediately that she was a Wizard.
I never thought wed have guests so early in the morning.
Its work time. Irene, act a little more respectably.
Yes yes, boss.
As she said this, Irene yawned loudly.
You said you want to advance to B-rank, right? Then shoot a spell at this wall.
She tapped the wall beside her.
Ah. Of course, you dont have to worry about breaking it. These protective spells were cast by the only 5 star Wizard in our guild, so Im sure even this muscle head beside me would have to swing a sword at full force a few times to break it.
Frey turned to look at the one-eyed man.
Are you an A-rank Mercenary?
Thats right.
Then if I break this wall, would I become an A-rank Mercenary?
Puhahaha!
Irene let out a loud laugh.
Right. I like your confidence. But this wall is even more resistant to magic than physical attacks. If you can break it, then I will use my name to have you recognized as an A-rank Mercenary.
Then I think it would be better if you stepped back a little.
Ahhh. Whatever you like.
Irene shrugged and stepped back a few times.
Then she looked at Frey with her arms crossed over her chest.
Flameball.
huh?
Wait, wasnt that a 5 star spell?
Before Irene could open her mouth.
Boom!
!
The Flameball hit the wall, and the tremendous force of the explosion forced her to close her eyes.
On the other side, the one-eyed man watched this scene with wide eyes. (Note:do I feel bad for the pun?a little bitdo I feel like it was worth it?ohhhh yeah)
The dust cloud soon subsided.
Patter.
There was a large hole in the wall.
The one-eyed man muttered in a disbelieving tone.
congratulations on becoming an A-rank Mercenary.
(Note:
1. Floating population is a terminology used to describe a group of people who reside in a given population for a certain amount of time and for various reasons, but are not generally considered part of the official census count.)
Chapter 68 - Mercenary (2)
Chapter 68 - Mercenary (2) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Frey immediately received a new Mercenary Card.
Unlike the C-rank card which appeared to be made of bronze, the A-rank Mercenary Card seemed to be made of sparkling gold.
The one-eyed man, Domki, gave him a warning. (Note: you guys cant understand the forbearance it took to not give him a dumber name)
As you can see, this Mercenary Card is made of gold, so its worth a lot. They can be sold for dozens of gold at a general store so they also cost a lot to reissue. So you should pay attention not to lose it.
I understand.
are you a 5 star Wizard?
Yes.
Domkis eyes flashed with amazement.
Looking at his reaction, Frey thought back to Eizeks advice.
Eizek told him that it would be the most convenient to act like a 5 star Wizard whenever working externally.
This was because it made it easier for him to have people recognize his strength without raising any suspicions.
If it was a wizard who was above 5 stars then it would be strange for them to be a mercenary who wasnt already a part of a group or well known.
Especially if it was a young Wizard like Kain.
Therefore, while Frey donned the face of Kain, he did not intend to use any spells above 5 stars.
He didnt expect to encounter anything that would force him to.
Youre amazing even without a staff.
Staff.
Now that he thought about it, Frey realised that he had forgotten to find a staff.
This was because he already had the Staff of the Great Sage.
A Wizard without a staff would raise some doubts.
Because of this, he would need to carry a staff, just for appearances.
Frey decided to get one that very day.
Fortunately, Domki didnt say anything else about the staff.
Are you a part of a Mercenary Group?
Im not, and I dont intend to join any groups at the moment.
I see.
Domki smacked his lips with a slightly regretful expression.
As the leader of a Mercenary Group, he desperately wanted this young man standing before him.
No matter which Mercenary Group they wished to join, a 5 star Wizard would be welcome with open arms and treated like royalty.
This was because there was always a lack of Wizards in their line of business.
That was why even 3 star and 4 star wizards were paid more than ten times other Mercenaries in the same rank.
Domkis Mercenary Group already had a 5 star Wizard which was already impressive, however, no matter how he looked at it, Frey was much stronger.
Of course, he couldnt force him since Frey had already told him his thoughts.
A-rank Mercenaries are given free accommodation within the Mercenary Guild and you can request free equipment repair once a month at any affiliated blacksmith. In addition, there are no restrictions when entering or leaving the borders of the empire and its allies, and you can create a Mercenary Group of your own. There
Domki began explaining the benefits of being an A-rank Mercenary.
Frey listened to Domki.
A-rank Mercenaries made up less than 1% of the Mercenary population, and it was the goal that most Mercenaries aimed for.
This was because they knew that the S-rank and SS-ranks which were filled with monsters were dreams that could never be achieved.
After listening to the benefits, Frey understood why so many Mercenaries would risk their lives to reach the A-rank.
thats it. Do you have any questions?
Domkis voice was gentle and it was nothing compared to the cold and harsh tone that hed used before.
Frey felt like the man in front of him was trying to obtain his favor.
I have a request Id like to make.
What is it?
There is a mission to escort a group of peddlers to the Great Reynols Forest.
Great Reynols Forestat this time
Huh?
Domki shook his head.
There are much better missions for you to choose.
Is it difficult?
Its pretty standard, but something terrible happened recently.
Something terrible?
Im sorry but I cant talk freely. Its confidential for now. If you really want to take the mission then you can directly talk to the person who made the request.
I understand.
If its money you want, then its not a bad mission. Ive heard that that mission pays quite well.
The pay.
Although he still had one platinum coin left, Frey intended to wander the continent, so the more money he had, the better.
Frey decided to tell Domki his plans and seek a second opinion.
Im afraid I wont be able to return with them after taking them to the forestwould that be okay?
One way escorthmm. Its a tricky condition, but
For an A-rank Mercenary and a Wizard at that, the requestor would be willing to accept a few conditions.
After doing some calculations, Domki nodded his head.
Ill tell you in advance. The pay will drop to less than half. Are you fine with that?
Yes.
Stay in the guild today. Ill inform you as soon as the date of departure is coordinated with the peddlers.
Thank you.
It didnt matter because Frey could use Warp whenever he wanted to anyway.
Whats more, he had memorized the coordinates of the places that hed visited before.
He knew the coordinates for Uthiano, as well as Grode, Pillat, the 3rd Magic Tower, and even Drake Mountain.
Frey returned to the first floor where he showed his new Mercenary Card to the girl at the counter.
You became an A-rank Mercenary
Not even an hour had passed.
The man in front of her turned out to be much more amazing than shed expected. sea??h th N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
I heard that I can rent a room for free.
O-, of course. Heres the key.
Frey took the key from the employee and put it in his pocket. He didnt have any intention of going upstairs just yet.
Instead, he looked around.
Mercenaries.
In a sense, there would be no one who was as sensitive to the surrounding situation than this group of people.
The more skilled a Mercenary was, the better their understanding of the happenings in the world.
A few days ago, I saw the S-rank Mercenary Elsie, and her face really is amazing. If I didnt know it was her, I mightve tried something.
Your fingers wouldve gotten cut off. Hehe.
They said theres going to be another civil war in Silkid. Its dangerous but its also a really good place to make a killing. Wanna come with me?
Geotanbul is also a great place to earn nowadays. I heard that there are pirates there that are working with undead so they are trying to draw in as many escorts as possible.
Undead again? Damn skeleton bastards. Weve been seeing them a lot lately.
There were many interesting stories, but they werent what Frey was looking for.
It was then.
Did you hear that Count Isaka might step down from his post as the 5th Magic Towers Master?
Huh? Really? What for?
Well. Im not sure. I just heard about it from my friend who does chores at the 5th Magic Tower.
Come to think of it, he has been staying at their family home for a long time. Hasnt it been about two months?
It doesnt make sense for the Tower Master to be away for such a long time. I feel like he will be fired.
Frey got up from his seat and headed over to those Mercenaries.
There was a gentle smile on his face.
Hello, seniors.
Huh?
Who the hell are you?
The Mercenaries looked at him with suspicious gazes.
Im just an ugly junior who knows nothing about the world. Id like to ask you some questions.
Well
Of course, I cant hear your experiences if your mouth is dry. Please bring plenty of beer and snacks.
Frey made an order to a waitress who was passing by and the Mercenaries faces brightened immediately.
Junior really has good eyes.
There is probably no one else in all of Pillat who has as much experience as our party.
Right. What do you want to know?
It was much easier than Frey expected.
There were two reasons for this.
One was that Kain Rixtons appearance gave people a good impression.
Kains face allowed him to easily gain peoples favor simply by giving them a gentle smile.
The other was the simplicity that came with people who were called Mercenaries.
Most of them lived in the present and enjoyed the simple pleasures in life.
The Mercenaries in front of him were either C-rank of D-rank but they would not find his actions strange.
Instead, they would only think that he was in a good mood that day.
Are there any rumors about the Blake Family recently?
Rumors?
Even small things are fine.
Why do you want to know about that?
Frey thought about it for a moment and made a slightly hesitant expression.
I want to become one of the Blake Familys guards.
Taking a hint from Freys memories, he knew that there were always many people who desired to become the Blake Familys guards
The Mercenaries laughed and nodded at his words.
Well. The salary is high and its a stable job.
Sometimes those guys can even eat what the nobles eat and enjoy other luxuries.
Except for the intense competition, it is a great job.
Most of their words were useless, but Frey still smiled and waited for them to finish their chatter.
When the beer was finally brought out to them, a large man sitting on the right began speaking.
Well, come to think of it, Hans did say that he saw several wagons entering the Blake Family property at dawn.
Why was that? Were they supplies from the capital?
There were too many for that. And I heard someones voice from inside. Sounded like they were screaming or something.
Freys gaze became sharp.
He immediately thought about human sacrifice, but the other mercenaries simply laughed at those words.
Puhahaha. Screaming? Thats a pretty good ghost story.
That sort of thing is common for those aristocratic families. Its probably a servant from another province or country.
Well. I dont think we need to take it seriously.
After that, they told Frey a lot of information about the Blake Family, but most of it was unimportant.
They mainly praised the amazing talents of the eldest and second sons Mischael and Heinz, as well as the head of the family Isakas tremendous magic skill.
Frey Blakes name was not even mentioned once.
Was he simply forgotten, or was simply not important enough to discuss?
He didnt think too deeply about it because he wasnt that interested.
After asking the Mercenaries for forgiveness, Frey stood up from his seat.
Then he went to a nearby store and purchased a suitable staff.
That will be 10 gold.
The price of a staff had been ridiculously expensive 4,000 years ago and it remained the same now. It was the same for all magical items.
Frey paid the bill without complaint.
Then he decided to explore the city of Pillat since he had nothing to do until it was time to sleep.
He also had the slight expectation that hed be able to receive a clue about Isakas actions.
But, of course, he found nothing.
The next day.
A waiter approached Frey after he came down to the first floor after washing his face.
Mr. Kain Rixton, Mr. Domki asked me to pass this to you.
It was a flyer.
On it, was the information about the escort mission to the Great Reynols Forest.
Its a union of peddlers. So they handle many kinds of goods.
It ranged from simple clothing and local specialties to precious metals, magic items, and scrolls.
If there was such a large collection of precious goods, then it was understandable why thieves would target it.
There will be a total of twenty-five Mercenaries.
This was a mission with a fairly large number of people.
The specific numbers were 1 S-rank, 7 A-rank, 12 B-rank and 5 C-rank Mercenaries.
Frey tilted his head slightly when he saw the 5 C-rank Mercenaries, but then he realised that they all had specific professions such as Scout, Priest and Herbalist.
Such professions did not need to have a high combat ability.
But 7 A-rank Mercenaries?
Turk.
Then someone sat beside him.
Turning his head to look, he found that a bearded man who appeared to be in his thirties was looking at him.
Are you Kain Rixton?
And you are?
The man smiled cheerfully and stretched out his hand.
Im Alkon, leader of the Great Reynols Forest escort mission.
The leader.
If that was the case then there was a high chance that this man was the sole S-rank Mercenary on the mission.
Frey grabbed his hand/
I am Kain Rixton. Please take care of me.
Haha. We werent able to leave because we lacked a Wizard, but you arrived just in time. Domki is famous for being incredibly strict, but he couldnt stop praising you.
Alkon laughed as he shook his hand.
His grip was so tight that not even a needle would be able to fit between their hands.
He carried a large axe on his back, so it was almost certainly his weapon.
If hes an S-rank Mercenary then he should be at least a First class Magic Warrior.
This meant that this person was stronger than the Dark Elf Liamoson, or Honor Fianne from the Trowman Rings.
Of course, there were not many people who had reached such a level of strength.
From what Frey had heard, the number of people on the continent who had done so didnt surpass 100.
Is this mission so dangerous that it requires an S-rank Mercenary?
At Freys question, Alkons face became a bit solemn.
Something terrible happened recently. Have you heard about it?
I only know that something bad happened.
This was because Domki did not tell him what happened.
Alkon nodded.
I see. Well, you will need to know since you are now a part of the group. A group of peddlers who were headed to the forest to deliver their goods was annihilated.
Including the Mercenaries?
Thats right.
Who did it?
Then he heard something that he would never have expected.
Undead.
?
Freys expression became a bit strange.
At most he thought that it would be a monster or a bandit who was after the goods.
Alkon sighed.
These days, undead are being spotted all over the continent. They say that sometimes they join hands with other races. Either way, its not good.
Come to think of it
Frey recalled the Lich who had attacked the Cortez.
The 6 star Undead who had joined hands with the pirates to attack the ship was a creature that had an unreasonable hatred toward living beings.
The stronger an undead was, the more intelligent, but they could never get rid of the hatred they felt.
Frey frowned.
It wasnt about the problem with the undead.
The problem was that they might slow him down.
I dont think Ill have to worry too much about this mission because the guild is paying a lot of attention to it.
He spent the rest of the day conversing with Alkon.
Alkon seemed to like Frey. No, he simply pretended to feel that way so that they could be closer
Perhaps it was because he was a Wizard.
It was almost as though he was afraid to show any dissatisfaction.
Frey simply conversed with him while maintaining a certain distance.
And the very next day, Frey got onto a carriage and headed toward the Great Reynols Forest.
Chapter 69 - Mercenary (3)
Chapter 69 - Mercenary (3) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
There were five carriages in total, and they carried a group of 40 which consisted of Mercenaries, merchants and coachmen.
The number of carriages was small, but that was because they were able to maximize space through the use of subspace bags.
Frey was seated in the fourth carriage.
This was the carriage hed stay in for the entirety of the journey.
As he found a comfortable seat and watched the passing scenery, Frey felt someone staring at him.
It was an old woman with an ugly appearance.
She had an aged face that was stained black, a hawk-like nose, wrinkled skin and crooked, yellow teeth.
From the staff in her hand, he guessed that she was one of the two Wizards on the trip, including himself.
Illusion Magic.
She was hiding herself the same way he was.
Her spell was at a pretty good level, but he could still see through it.
Shik.
When he concentrated his mana into his eye, the real appearance of the old woman was revealed to him.
She turned out to be a dazzlingly beautiful blonde woman with blue eyes. However, Frey was not paying attention to her face.
Long ears, an Elf.
Her blonde hair and fair skin were also tell-tale signs that she was a High Elf, the most noble among the Elves.
Frey got a complicated look in his eyes.
What is a High Elf doing here?
He also wondered why she was looking at him.
She shouldnt have been able to notice his illusion. Her level wasnt high enough.
Was she interested simply because he was another Wizard?
When he thought this, his expression became a bit strange.
While he was trying to understand the reason for her staring, Alkon spoke. S~ea??h the N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Kain, how are you feeling?
He was still acting friendly.
Fine.
Thats good. You can relax for a few days while we cross the grasslands. Nothing will really happen until we enter the forests.
To get to the Great Forest, they had to go through a long stretch of grasslands before arriving at the forest.
The grasslands were flat and open on all sides, so it was easy to spot if there was someone approaching, but the forests would cause their field of view to narrow.
It could be said that most of the encounters with monsters and bandits intending to steal their goods happened within forested areas.
Alkon, who is that old woman over there?
By then, she had stopped looking at him and had begun fiddling with her staff.
Alkon stroked his chin as he responded.
Shes a 5 star Wizard, just like you are, and shes also an A-rank Mercenary. Her name is Syax. I dont know her last name.
Hmm
If you ask someone else, youll get the same answer. Shes a bit unapproachable because she is always in a quiet and gloomy mood. How should I sayits like talking to a wall.
Alkon shrugged.
Among the Mercenaries, there are many who are like that. The kind of people who have strong personalities.
Has she been a Mercenary for a long time?
As far as I know, shes been one for at least 5 years. You can say shes a veteran. Its been a while since Ive been around Pillat, but shes quite famous around here, shes called Green Wind Syax.
He wasnt surprised that she decided to hide herself.
In the past, Elves appearances were always conspicuous, so they always wore a robe.
Elves have learned magic now. There may be more worlds hiding in the world like she is.
Frey didnt look at her.
Perhaps because he expected her to approach him first.
And that evening, while dinner was being served, Syax approached him.
Frey had deliberately chosen to sit a bit further away from the others while eating his soup.
Fortunately, Alkon had gathered the other mercenaries.
Do you have a second, young man?
Fey glanced up at her and nodded calmly.
I do.
Thank you. Im just an old lady called Syax. You must beKain Rixton, was it?
Frey felt a bit weird seeing Syax call herself an old woman.
This was because, in his eyes, Syax was just a young, beautiful woman pretending to talk like an old lady.
For him, it was very strange.
From her appearance, Syax should be a High Elf younger than 100 years old.
I am Kain Rixton. Ive heard rumors of your name, Green Wind Syax.
well. Its nothing much.
She scratched her cheek in embarrassment at the blatant compliment.
She certainly didnt have the character of a Mercenary.
So what business do you have with me?
When Frey asked that question so bluntly, Syax, who hesitated for a moment, finally opened her mouth.
Are you a Spiritualist?
Huh?
I felt your spirit energy. Thatis a very rare type of energy.
Ah.
Only then did Frey realise why Syax was interested in him.
She had noticed that hed signed a contract with the Dark Spirit Dark Ming.
High Elves had great affinities to spirits. The especially talented members among them were even able to contract Spirit Kings who could be considered transcendent beings.
Perhaps she herself had a level of spirit power.
Because of this, she could easily see that he had signed a contract with a spirit.
It was not something he could hide.
Is Ms. Syax a Spiritualist?
well, you could say that.
I have a contracted Spirit, but I am not a Spiritualist.
Syax waved her staff slightly and her expression became strange.
Which Spirit did you contract?
I cant tell you that. Rather, how did Ms. Syax know that I had a contracted Spirit?
This question caused Syaxs expression to become a bit strange.
It seemed that she had asked impulsively before thinking of an excuse.
Frey sighed inwardly.
He knew that she was an Elf anyway, so there was no need for him to question her further.
If you cant say the reason, its fine.
Thank you.
Is it okay if I ask another question?
Sure. Ill answer if Im able.
I would like to know why Ms. Syax took this mission.
Syax hesitated for a moment.
It was a question that was so easy to answer, she wondered if there was a special meaning behind it.
Im worried about the undead that appeared in the forest.
The undead?
Yes. It is unusual for undead to appear near the Great Forest. It has not happened in the last thousand years or so.
Frey let out a low laugh.
A thousand years.
Syax flinched.
She realised that such a long time frame was not one that humans often used.
Frey could see why Syax chose to avoid interacting with others and stayed alone.
She was very bad at lying, and she knew it well.
She chose not to interact at all rather than to say strange things by accident.
This was why she chose the appearance of an ugly old woman.
This was probably the reason why Elves dont like lying in the first place.
Still, this was an improvement.
She was much more flexible than the Elves from 4,000 years ago.
Your soup will get cold.
right.
Syax let out a sigh of relief and began to eat her soup.
Frey looked at her for a moment before he continued eating.
As Alkon boasted, the journey through the grasslands continued without incident.
The Mercenaries became relaxed, and Alkon did not reprimand them.
However, three days later, the atmosphere changed completely as they entered the forest.
Alkons previously relaxed expression became so serious that it was almost as though he had become another person.
From today, keep an eye on our surroundings. Well break up into three groups with two reconnaissance teams.
Alkon decided the team leaders and members after considering the characteristics of every Mercenary on the trip.
But this did not include Frey or Syax.
Not only that, but they did not have to help with setting up camp, preparing meals or anything else of that manner.
As Domki had said, Wizards were treated like nobles by the Mercenary world.
The Mercenaries around them looked at them with envious gazes, but none of them found this strange.
Of course, apart from that, Frey also paid a lot of attention to his surroundings.
His facial expression behind the illusion was stiff.
It wasnt because of the undead.
He didnt particularly care about the undead.
Instead, it was something else that made his expression so serious.
It was because he could feel traces of Divine Power in the vicinity.
Is there an Apostle here?
Eizek hadnt mentioned that.
Come to think of it, he had not mentioned anything about undead either.
Did the Demigods servant enter the forest after Eizek left?
Undead and Demigods.
At first glance, they appeared to be unrelated, but at that moment, Frey recalled Beniangs words.
[There are five of them that the Lord trusts the most. Theyre the ones with outstanding abilities even among the Demigods. We call them Apocalypses.]]
[Theyre not as strong as theLord, but they are strong enough to have some influence among Demigods.]
[We have identified the power of three of the Apocalypses. They are Sword, Poison and Death.]
A Demigod with the power of Death.
He knew to some extent that the Demigods power had been enough to easily destroy a large subjugation team.
Hed learned this information after joining the Trowman Rings.
He is said to have released a fog that could immediately kill those with weak resistance with just a touch. Not just that, he could also use corpses of the people he killed as tools.
Is that Demigod the origin of the undead?
Hed never thought about that.
Frey had only ever seen them as destroyers. At least, he had never seen them exercise the power of creation.
If there really is a Demigod here
He would have to run without looking back.
At his current level, he would be completely helpless if he were to face a Demigod.
But Frey knew that the odds of that were low.
If it was really a Demigod, then the traces of Divine Power wouldnt be so faint.
It was highly likely that it was either an Apostle or other subordinates of the Demigod here rather than a Demigod themself.
If so, then it would be a great opportunity for Frey.
If he managed to kill another Apostle and create an elixir from their crystal, then it would be a major step on his path to 8 stars.
Frey was more concerned about the fact that the Successor of the Magic Warrior King was in the vicinity of the Great Forest.
He didnt think too deeply about it, but he couldnt think of a reason for why the Successor would be in the forest.
It might be related to the Demigod.
Or he could be the Demigods subordinate.
Frey felt that that was the worst case scenario.
The successor of the Magic Warrior King, Kasajin, becoming the subordinate of a Demigod?
It was absolutely unacceptable.
If that were the case, Frey would kill him without hesitation.
Kasajin had always claimed that the Warrior Kings Fist was the only martial art that could slay a Demigod.
Frey respected those words.
He would not allow his dead friends martial art to be tainted.
Chapter 70 - Ivan (1)
Chapter 70 - Ivan (1) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
On the second day after entering the forest, one of the ranger leaders reported to Alkon.
Captain Alkon! We have a group of undead at 7 oclock!
Alkons expression stiffened.
Tell me more details.
I didnt take a close look as I was afraid that theyd notice if I got closer, but there are at least dozens of them. Its not only low level undead like Ghouls and Skeletons, but there also seems to be Dullahans and Death Knights there as well.
At 7 oclockdamn. Theres no way to avoid them.
Alkon grumbled and drew his sword.
Rexler, you keep watch of the carriages here. Ill give you ten Mercenaries.
Understood.
The Wizards and everyone else will follow me. Kain, can you enchant weapons?
Yes.
Good. Ms. Syax, please help out as well. We will leave as soon as you are finished, so please hurry.
Except for light, the elemental attribute that worked best against undead was fire.
Therefore, Frey applied fire enchantments to the Mercenaries weapons. With this, the low level undead would be unable to regenerate and could be easily defeated.
The problem was the Dullahan and Death Knight.
It was basically impossible to do much damage to them unless it was a 5 star spell.
Frey decided to watch the situation first.
This was because Alkon had a confident expression on his face. sea??h th n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Ill get to see how strong an S-rank Mercenary is.
After a while, the subjugation team set off.
Frey and Syax were placed at the back of the group, together with the priest, and the rangers led from the front.
The expressions of the Mercenaries became more and more tense as they drew closer.
Some of them even began to sweat.
Even veteran Mercenaries who had gone through many bloody battles would want to avoid undead.
This was because their characteristic persistence, grotesque appearance and powerful odor covered everyone fighting them with the uncomfortable and dirty feeling of death.
In addition, high ranking undead such as the Dullahan or Death Knight were powerful enough to threaten the lives of A-rank Mercenaries.
However, when the Mercenaries arrived at their destination, they were shocked by the scene before their eyes.
W-, what? This
What happened here
The place where the undead was supposed to be.
No, the only things in this location were pieces of debris that appeared to have once been undead.
Broken bones, rotten flesh and shattered, pitch black armor were haphazardly strewn around the area.
The undead had been annihilated.
W-, we only took thirty minutes to get here.
It hasnt even been thirty minutes yet.
And they did not disappear naturally.
Someone had eliminated them.
Frey only paid attention to the Death Knights corpse, although it was strange to say that about an undead.
There was a large fist print on its chest plate.
And the back of the armor was torn as though something had exploded from within.
The Death Knights armor was made from a material stronger than steel, but it had still been torn like a piece of paper.
Mana was used to smash it from the inside.
Frey was sure that the scene inside the armor was much worse than what could be seen from the outside.
He knew who had gotten rid of the undead.
It was the Successor of the Magic Warrior King.
It couldnt be anyone else.
* * *
Frey immediately examined the scene.
And he realised that it should have taken no more than ten minutes for this group of undead to be annihilated.
It seems he is even better than I thought.
From the traces of the fight that he saw, his strength should be around the top ranks among First class Magic Warriors.
He might not yet be a Warrior King, but his strength was close to that level.
The more he looked at the bodies of the undead, the more he felt that his judgment was correct.
Im starting to become more curious as to what type of person he is.
At least he could be sure that this person was truly Kasajins heir.
Frey felt strange.
The Warrior Kings Fist was created solely by Kasajin and was a martial art tailored for his own body.
Of course, this didnt mean that you couldnt use it simply because you had a different physique from Kasajin.
In fact, Frey also trained his body using the Warrior Kings First. The problem lied in the efficiency.
No matter how hard he tried, Frey would never be able to draw out the true essence of the Warrior Kings Fist because he was not suited for martial arts.
It would be a good thing if he was able to even bring out 20% of its true might.
But this guy was different.
He has a good understanding of the Warrior Kings Fist. He must have trained his body the same way Kasajin did.
The whole body would be composed of muscles harder than rocks. It was probably possible for him to smash a boulder apart without using any mana.
At the same time, Frey was relieved.
Seeing that hed annihilated this group of undead with such prejudice, it seemed that he was not one of the Demigods subordinates.
Did you notice something?
Alkon asked.
Frey stood up and replied.
I found traces of martial arts.
When he pointed out the fist mark indented on the Death Knights armor, Alkons face became colored with amazement.
You are a Wizard of great knowledge and skill. No, wait a second.
Alkons expression became serious again as he looked around.
Hmthis appears to have been done by one person.
He had a good eye. His S-rank wasnt merely a title.
I think so too.
Hoh. I dont know what to say. To defeat this number of undead, it would have to be at least an SS-rank Mercenary.
Frey looked into the forest.
That guys trail continued inward, but Frey didnt think he needed to pursue him right now.
Eizek said that he was near the Great Reynols Forest.
However, this forest was nowhere close to the Great Reynols Forest, even if one was to exaggerate.
This meant that the Successor had come all the way here for some reason.
Is it to get rid of the undead?
Perhaps that was the case, but it was too soon for Frey to draw a conclusion.
First, he went back to the carriages with Alkon and the rest, and after making preparations, they started moving immediately.
The Mercenaries did not relax.
Although they did not personally fight the undead, they had still felt the sinister aura that exuded from their bodies.
It made the Mercenaries expressions stiffen considerably.
However, the deeper they went into the forest, the more unsettled they became.
Again?
Someone muttered.
No one else said a word, but they were all thinking the same thing.
The broken bodies of undead lay scattered before them
It was a scene that they had seen numerous times so far.
One of the Mercenaries kicked a skeletons skull while saying.
Maybe well meet this person soon.
His words soon became a reality.
Shortly after they began moving again, they could hear sounds coming from the distance.
Boomboom
There was also a slightly muffled explosion.
The Mercenaries all turned to look at Alkon, who thought for a moment before giving his orders.
Subjugation team, follow me.
Since he had divided the group beforehand, the team moved without hesitation and followed him.
The sounds grew louder as they approached, and after a while, they came to a clearing.
And in it, a man was beating up undead.
The expression beating up was not a mistake.
In a way, it was a very unrealistic sight.
At first glance, the image of a topless man standing among a group of undead would make the viewer feel that he was in danger, but the ones in danger were the undead, not him.
Boom!
Whenever his fist struck, there was the sound of something exploding.
The Death Knight that was hit by this blow flew away as if it had been struck by a cannon, and it did not stop until it had shot through quite a few trees.
Hoh
Its hard to believe even when watching it with my own two eyes.
The Mercenaries muttered with blank expressions on their faces.
What the hell was his fist made of? It had made the Death Knights armor crumple like a piece of paper.
However, it could be said that the high ranking undead were fortunate since the Skeletons and Ghouls struck by his fists simply popped like firecrackers.
The man smashed through the group of undead while his lion-like mane flew in the wind.
It was insufficient to call his entire body a weapon.
Every time he punched, kicked or headbutted an undead, they would shatter like a sand castle against boisterous children.
The fight, no.
The one-sided massacre soon ended.
Crack!
The man crushed the last remaining Dullahans skull with his bare hand.
Even though it was wearing a helmet, its head was smashed like a rotten apple.
Ptooey!
He spit on the body before turning his head to look at Alkons group as though hed known of their existence the entire time.
As soon as he caught the mans gaze, Alkon shivered.
There seemed to be a light within his eyes that threatened to explode at any moment.
Who are you guys?
W-, were Mercenaries.
Is that so? Okay then.
The man immediately turned around as though he had lost interest. However, Alkon stopped him.
W-, wait.
What is it?
Who are you?
Ivan.
I, I didnt mean your name. Why are you removing undead here
The man, Ivan, frowned.
That alone seemed to change his expression to one similar to a beast.
Why do I have to tell you that?
H-, huh?
Dont annoy me or get in my way. Or Ill kill you.
Alkon, who was an S-rank Mercenary, could not even mutter a word at Ivans threat. In the meantime, Ivan turned around and continued on his way.
Frey realised that now was a pretty good time.
This man is suspicious.
I think so too. Still, it doesnt seem like hes an enemy
We cant jump to conclusions. And it would be dangerous to leave it unverified.
Alkon tilted his head slightly.
Hm. Is it? He didnt seem to care much about us just now.
That may be true for now. But Im worried by the aggression he showed.
Alkon scratched his cheek while remembering Ivans threat.
But he soon shook his head with an embarrassed expression.
I think so too, but we cant track him or fight him.
He wasnt confident that he could defeat that man even if he gathered all of the Mercenaries.
It was an accurate judgement.
Ivans strength was not something that they could overcome simply with a numerical advantage.
Frey pretended to think for a while before speaking with a stiff face.
Wouldnt it be better to find out this mans identity? We still need to continue along this route, but it is too dangerous to let an unidentified man wander around.
Thatsright.
So Ill go find out.
A Wizard alone? Thats too dangerous. Wouldnt it be better for a ranger to go?
It was normal for him to think so.
Frey slowly persuaded Alkon in a low voice.
Its better for a Wizard to hide from a Magic Warrior than a ranger.
You would be risking your life. I could tell just by looking at his eyes. That guy is a beast. If you get on his bad side
I know. But I cant think of a better way. Besides, Ill only be in the group till you arrive at the Great Reynols Forest.
Alkon probably knew that already.
Frey kept speaking in a low tone.
So you probably intended to make use of my power as much as possible before we arrived.
right. Youre smarter than you look.
Alkon nodded since his intentions were already exposed.
Then Ill leave it to you. Since you are willing to do this dangerous task, Ill give you double, no, triple the reward. And if you feel its too dangerous, then you should leave right away.
Yes.
Frey nodded and immediately chased after Ivan. It was easy to find him.
All he had to do was head to the huge commotion that was shaking the entire forest.
Boom!
Ivan was slaughtering undead again.
Frey watched on with a curious expression.
Why is he hunting the undead?
Because undead were a threat to humans?
No, he didnt seem to have such a noble purpose.
Was it for training?
It couldnt be that either.
Although these groups of undead had high ranking undead like the Dullahans and Death Knights in them, they were no more difficult than some after meal exercise for Ivan.
He could see it now.
Ivans face while he faced the undead was filled with nothing but irritation and annoyance.
Damn bug like bastards
He corrected his posture and seemed to draw power from the earth.
Boom!
At that moment, a violent storm broke out and swept the swarm of undead away at once.
Knife Fist. Not bad.
It was one of the few long range attacks in the Warrior Kings First style. The tacky name was also given to it by Kasajin himself.
Then a Ghoul that was behind Ivan bit his shoulder.
kuk?
The expression on the half rotted face of the Ghoul became strange.
No matter how hard it bit down, its teeth could not penetrate.
Hmph.
Ivan snorted and smashed the Ghouls head. That was the last one.
Ivan then spit on its body.
It was the same thing he had done before. Was it one of his habits?
What the hell do you want?
Ivans eyes turned to look at Frey.
Frey didnt bother to hide his presence. Instead, he was openly watching Ivans performance with his hands folded over his chest.
Frey didnt answer and instead inspected the bodies of the undead.
It was a deliberate act.
He didnt know much about this man, and this was his first time meeting him, but he already had an idea of what his personality was like.
He was his own man.
He lived in his own world, and he felt no loneliness or regret in that fact.
To deal with a man like this, you must first make him interested in you. (Note: you hear ladies?)
Ivan raised an eyebrow when Frey ignored his question.
This meant that he was already slightly interested.
Frey spoke just as Ivan opened his mouth.
How long has it been since you started learning the Warrior Kings Fist?
Then Ivan gave a fierce smile.
I was wondering what kind of guy you were, but youre just another Circle dog. Get lost. I have no intention of joining your little group.
Youre using the Warrior Kings Fist, but you wont fight against Demigods? How shameless.
Thats not something an outsider would understand.
Frey glanced at him for a moment before touching one of the undead body parts at his feet.
These undead. They seem to have sprung up recently. Does it have something to do with you?
Ivan stayed silent.
He didnt deny that it was related to him in some way.
After staring at Frey for a while, he finally spoke.
You cursed me for not doing anything about the Demigods. Thats where youre wrong. I know about the background of the Warrior Kings Fist. This martial art was specifically designed to kill Demigods.
It seems you are well aware. Then why did you refuse the Circles offer?
Youre talking about those guys? Ha. Thats ridiculous. Then Ill ask the opposite. If I join the Circle, will we be able to kill Demigods?
Ivans question was sharp.
He glared at Frey.
Ive met guys like you many times before. No matter how well I cover my tracks, you always seem to find me. But do you know what they say as soon as they see me?
Grk.
He grit his teeth.
They clamor at me to join their circle without even mentioning two words about the Demigods. The current Circle is rotten. Its a place filled with pigs who only know how to fill their own stomachs while Demigods pull strings from behind the scenes. Im not going to join such a filthy pigsty.
Ivan stared at Frey with a gaze that seemed to say if you dare to say nonsense, I wont let you go.
But his expression became a bit strange when he heard Freys words.
Everything you said is true. I agree with you.
Chapter 71 - Ivan (2)
Chapter 71 - Ivan (2) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Youre a strange guy. What circle are you in?
Trowman Rings.
Trowman Rings?
Ivans face became a bit strange when he heard that.
I heard rumors of your imminent collapse, but it seems to be direr than I thought. I didnt expect you to come again so soon after I beat that Egjay guy or whatever.
He didnt even remember Eizeks name properly. He wasnt important enough to remember, so he hadnt paid much attention to his name.
I heard you guys suffered greatly in a fight against an Apocalypse. There were rumors that the Three Great Circles mightve played some tricks at that time
What?
It was the first time hed heard something like that.
All Frey knew was that they simply persecuted or ignored the fallen Trowman Rings.
But was it possible that they had a hand in the Trowman Rings downfall from the start?
Ivan shrugged at Freys reaction.
Im not sure. But I heard it from my teacher too.
Teacher?
Stop asking questions. Thats enough from me. Now its my turn to ask. You said you agreed with me. Did you really mean that?
Frey nodded.
Of course. The Demigods seem to be working pulling the strings of the current Circle, and all each circle is focused on is empowering themselves and suppressing other circles.
If you know that
Thats why Im thinking about changing the circle.
Change?
Although it is currently in a pathetic state, the amount of power the Circle has is not negligible. If we could unite this scattered group into one true form, we could become a group that could threaten the Demigods.
Ivan was dumbfounded.
What this man before him was saying was the truth.
He was sure that the power the Circle had easily surpassed that of a country.
This was to be expected as the Circle was a group of different nations, races, ideologies and religions, all gathered together with the goal of defeating the Demigods.
But it was different now.
It is said that stagnant water is bound to rot, and after so many years, the circles had all become focused on amassing their own power while under the halo of the Circle.
And at the center of this cesspool was none other than the Three Great Circles.
Bringing those people together?
That would be difficult even if the great heroes from 4,000 years ago were to return.
This is not something I expected the collapsing Trowman Rings would say. Or did you get a resurgence without my knowledge?
No. At this stage, we are simply preparing to rebound.
Such a strange fellow.
As he looked at his face, Ivan couldnt help but have this thought.
It was a confident remark that seemed easy to dismiss as utter bullsh*t, but strangely enough, he did not feel like mocking him.
This was because Freys eyes were filled with calm confidence.
This guy did not doubt himself at all.
Regardless of whether he could actually achieve his goal or not, at least his faith in himself was unshakeable.
Likelike himself.
Im sure that hes not just spouting nonsense, but at least he is an interesting guy.
The little interest he had increased.
Ivans mouth curled upward.
It seems that an interesting guy has finally appeared in the Circle. And you seem to be pretty high up. The highest ranking member that ever came to me was that yellow haired chick
Chick? (Note: this is actually a pretty bad insult similar to bint or broad)
Sheryl Roland. The Circle Rounder of the Phisfounder Armlets.
That brat is the Circle Rounder for one of the Three Great Circles?
Brat? Haha. It seems you dont know as much about the Circle as I do.
Ivan laughed and said.
Sheryl Roland is a monster who has been alive for hundreds of years. She should be what the world calls a Vampire.
Vamp
Vamp? Ah. Vampire. Right. That chicks a Vampire.
Frey was confused for a second, but he soon shook his head.
He had already heard that there was a Half-Demon in the Circle, so there was nothing surprising about the presence of a Vampire.
The problem was that such a dark race had the position of Circle Rounder.
There probably isnt a single human among the Circle Masters.
He couldnt help but worry a little.
Even Beniang, the Circle Master of Trowman Rings, was a Half-Dragon.
The fight with her took a really long time. She summoned some pretty strong Demons, but they werent that interesting to fight.
If it was the second in command of the Phisfounder Armlets, then it was highly likely that she had contracts with high ranking Demons.
Ivan was saying that a fight with several high ranking Demons was not that interesting.
I dont care about the Circle, but Im pretty interested in you. Do you have the power to unify the scattered circles? Id like to see if youre capable of what youre talking about.
Thud!
Ivan slammed his fists together as he stared at Frey.
It wasnt a particularly unexpected outcome.
Rather, it was intended to some extent. Frey was also curious about Ivans skills.
This introduction is too long. Lets get started right away.
Kuhh. You dont talk like a Wizard.
Taht.
Ivans figure disappeared following that sound.
Even Frey couldnt catch his movement.
This was natural.
It was normal for a Wizard to be unable to follow the movements of a First class Magic Warrior who honed their martial arts to an extremely high level.
However, being unable to see his movements and being unable to react to them were completely different.
Frey used Blink to move back into the dense forest.
Crack.
He could hear Ivan approaching.
He wondered if it was because he trained in the Warrior Kings Fist, but he was a very violent person.
He smashed through everything in his path as if to show that he had no intentions of hiding himself even when he could easily avoid the trees in his way.
Naturally, this was so noisy that it seemed like the entire forest was shaking, which allowed Frey to identify Ivans location.
Ice Spear, Wind Storm.
Frey cast two spells at the same time.
It was a combination of ice and wind magic that he had used before.
Dozens of Ice Spears appeared in front of him and shot toward Ivan together with the heavy storm winds.
Hmph!
Ivan snorted.
His body, which he had trained to the extreme, gained an unimaginable defense when covered in mana.
Most spells couldnt even scratch his skin.
And this fact alone was enough for Ivans entire body to be considered a deadly weapon.
Ivan clenched his fist and pulled his hand back with a fierce smile.
Crack.
Then he smashed the Ice Spear in front of him.
This Ice Spear, which had even been able to pierce the skin of the Drake King, had been broken like an icicle by a humans fist.
The moment that Ice Spear was destroyed, Ivan fixed his gaze on his next target.
Crack crack crack.
As the destruction continued, his speed began to increase.
Second, third.
The rough looking fist technique had a natural and unstoppable aura.
Dozens of Ice Spears were shattered by Ivans fists.
The Wind Storm couldnt even scratch his sturdy body.
A smile stretched across Freys face as he saw this.
It reminded him of the old days.
If he was to fight with Kasajin, ten times out of ten he would be defeated.
In the first place, it was crazy for a Wizard to try to face a Magic Warrior in a head-on confrontation.
But that didnt matter.
Because the man before him was not Kasajin.
From the time that hed used those two spells, Frey had already begun chanting his next spell.
The spell he had cast this time was one that Ivan would not be able to handle easily.
He finished his chant.
Frey began to emanate a cold white air. His eyes seemed to exude a bright blue light.
Frost Breath.
Saaah.
A Magic Circle appeared in the air, and Ivans expression finally changed.
He instinctively knew that this spell would not be so easy to handle.
He didnt know it, but Frost Breath was actually a 7 star spell.
The Magic Circle began releasing a freezing cold air, and the moment Ivan tried to avoid it, he felt something restricting his ankle.
What?
A hand of ice was holding his leg.
Even the usually confident Ivan couldnt help but feel slightly shocked at that moment.
Magic Warriors were usually much more sensitive to mana than Wizards.
This was because although Wizards had larger amounts and greater control of their mana due to their mana rooms, Magic Warriors directly used their mana through their skin and veins throughout their bodies.
This was one of the reasons why Magic Warriors had an edge in confrontations with Wizards.
At first glance, they could tell whether their opponents spell was strong enough to pose a threat to them or if they could handle it.
In addition, it was incredibly difficult for a Wizard to successfully launch a sneak attack against them because they would quickly detect the movement of the mana.
How did he cast this spell so stealthily?
He didnt even notice the spell on his leg until he tried to move.
Ivan shook his leg and shattered the hand of ice, but it was already too late to avoid the Frost Breath.
Clicking his tongue, Ivan crossed his arms in front of his face and began concentrating his mana.
Kugugu.
Red energy began flowing from his body.
Frey narrowed his eyes.
Rock Shield.
It was a technique that focused the users mana in front of them like a shield, enhancing their defense for a short period.
The name was Rock Shield, but his body was now at least ten times as hard as a rock or a shield.
Hm!
The Frost Breath struck Ivan head on.
Even the Rock Shield was not able to completely block out the cold. His spine ached and his teeth chattered.
White frost also began to spread over his body. However, the fighting spirit in his eyes did not diminish at all.
Rather, it seemed to become more ferocious as time passed.
In fact, the look in his eyes was so fierce that if a weak willed person were to see the look in his eyes, they would probably faint immediately.
And when the magic circle disappeared.
Creak. (Note: This is the best I could do??)
Ivan opened his eyes.
At the same time, steam began rising from his entire body.
Chiik.
The frost on Ivans body melted in an instant, causing water to flow down like a waterfall.
Boom!
After gathering strength to his toe, he tapped it against the ground and just like that, the earth exploded.
In the blink of an eye, Ivans figure approached Frey.
Youre pretty good, but I win.
Crunch.
Ivan clenched his fist. As long as he could get close enough, it would be his win.
Just as his fist was about to touch Frey, Ivans vision suddenly flipped around.
Thud!
?!
Ivan stared blankly at the sky for a moment.
Before he realised what was happening, he was already laying on the ground.
Although he had not received any injuries, Ivan could not get over his shock and muttered with a dazed expression.
That techniqueBull Rushyou also learned the Warrior Kings Fist?
Frey reached out a hand to him.
I see you have some questions. Lets start talking. Sar?h the N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
* * *
Ivan got up on his own without accepting Freys hand.
Frey dropped his hand, a bit embarrassed.
Ivan was not injured, but the current situation was quite confusing for him.
He shook his head after agonizing for a moment.
No matter how I think about it, I cant come up with an answer. How does a Wizard know to use Bull Rush?
Let me ask something first. Do the groups of undead that have appeared here have anything to do with the Demigods?
Well
He opened his eyes wide and scratched his head.
Thats right.
How are they related?
Ivan gave a simple answer with his arms folded.
I dont know either.
Frey shot him a strange look.
If youre lying
Im not lying. I really dont know anything. In the first place, Im only getting rid of these undead because of that guys request.
That guy?
Right. Hmm
Ivan rubbed his chin and inspected Frey for a moment before nodding his head.
Youre not like those other circle guys, so I suppose you can meet him. Besides, Im curious about what your reaction will be.
Who?
A Demigod.
Freys expression cracked.
At those words, he could not help the shocked expression that came across his face.
To be precise, hes someone who betrayed the Demigods.
Chapter 72 - Ivan (3)
Chapter 72 - Ivan (3) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
What did he just say?
Frey could not hide his astonishment.
He could not remember the last time hed been so surprised.
No, this was definitely the first time since he had entered Freys body. That was how shocking Ivans words were.
Did Ihear that incorrectly?
A traitor?
A Demigod traitor?
That was ridiculous.
Those prideful beings were loyal only to themselves.
Frey knew this better than anyone.
Demigod infighting!
How would he not have thought about it before?
No matter how much the mortals struggled, it would take an unprecedented number of casualties just to kill one Demigod.
It would be accompanied by thousands or even tens of thousands of mortal lives
Then what would happen if they fought amongst themselves? If they turn their swords against each other and destroy themselves.
just one.
Even if only one of them decided to betray the others
It was a useless delusion.
The Demigods valued their own kind just as much as they valued themselves.
Frey could still remember Lords face as he vented his anger with a burning gaze.
Lukas, who had killed many of his people, was an insignificant being that Lord could tear to pieces in an instant.
However, he didnt even allow him to die.
Instead, he trapped his soul in the Abyss so that he would suffer for all of eternity.
This was why Frey despised the Demigods.
The only thing the Demigods had was power.
The fact that they had such immature personalities and displayed such emotional behavior despite living thousands and even tens of thousands of years, proved that fact.
This was why he could not believe there was a traitor among the Demigods.
The Demigod himself told you that he betrayed them?
Right.
You didnt actually believe his words, did you?
Ivan looked at Frey for a moment before nodding.
I know what youre trying to say. Youre afraid that I was tricked by the Demigods lies.
Im not boasting, but I have a keen eye. Especially with slimy bastards with slippery tongues. If he was that kind of person, Id never associate with him. No. All of these assumptions are meaningless.
He looked down at his fist.
If that guy was trying to trick me, Id be dead already.
Just meet him. I think meeting him will be helpful for you.
Frey gave a stiff nod.
This caused Ivan to smile which relaxed his serious expression.
Great. Follow me.
Ivan soon began heading deeper into the forest.
It seemed he no longer had any antagonistic thoughts towards Frey.
By the way, whats your name?
Now that he thought about it, he had not even introduced himself.
Frey.
Hmm. I see. Im Ivan.
I know.
Huh? How? Did you hear it in the Circle?
No. I was there when you were threatening those Mercenaries.
Hmm. So you were there.
Ivan scratched his head, and Frey asked something that he had been curious about since the beginning.
If the Mercenaries hadnt backed down, were you really going to kill them all?
Of course not. I would have only broken their arms and legs. In the first place, I never even killed those annoying bugs from the Circle.
It seemed that Eizek hadnt survived because of luck.
Ivan had probably let him go.
This was natural.
Ivan was so powerful that even Frey could not guarantee his own victory.
Additionally, he was one of the most difficult types of enemies.
The funny thing was that Ivan, who was shooting glances at Frey, was thinking the exact same thing.
Ivan recalled the brief fight that they had.
Just as he hadnt used his full power, he was sure that this guy hadnt either.
The two of them continued on their way while hiding their thoughts about the other.
Frey then spoke up.
Why dont we increase the pace a little?
Hmm. It would be hard for a weak Wizard to follow.
Its fine. Ill just use magic if I start falling behind.
If you insist
Tadat.
Ivan nodded and started running immediately. Once again surprising Frey with his explosive speed.
Ivan, who had shot forward, turned to see if Frey was still keeping up with him.
Hmm. Youre keeping up pretty well.
Although he was not a Magic Warrior, his pride was still hurt from being looked down on in such a way.
Frey clenched his teeth and continued chasing after Ivan.
The surrounding landscape rapidly changed, and before long, Frey was gasping for breath.
Even though he had been training his body in the magic tower, he hadnt been able to do a lot.
Ivan had a comfortable expression on his face as though he was taking a leisure stroll.
On the other hand, Frey panted while his entire body was drenched in sweat.
After about an hour, Frey began to use flight magic because he felt like he would collapse if he ran any longer.
Ivan shot a glance at Frey before speaking.
You learned some of the Warrior Kings Fist.
Frey, who had not yet recovered his breath, replied while panting.
Why do you think that?
Your excellent Bull Rush was a hint, but it was your gait while we were running that convinced me. You showed the peculiar grace that could only be the Clown Steps(1) of the Warrior Kings Fist.
You really do have keen eyes.
Ivan shot him a curious glance.
Im really curious about you, but Ill save it. Until you meet Riki.
* * *
Ivan continued to head northeast, and on the way, he fought against many undead and other monsters.
Even the greatest A-class Mercenaries would have become cold corpses after fighting so many powerful monsters. However, for Ivan, it was not even a challenge.
Crack.
Crack.
Against Ivans Warrior Kings Fist and Freys spells, even the strongest high ranking undead could not survive more than a moment.
They were annihilated without a chance to fight back.
This put Frey in a strange mood as it reminded him of fighting alongside Kasajin.
This guy is truly a genius when it comes to fighting.
He was the same as Kasajin.
Because of this, he was able to fight in the most efficient way possible.
Frey made use of Ivans explosive power and easily supported him from the back.
Thanks to Freys experience, the coordination between the two of them was as perfect as a small stream joining a river.
Recognising this fact, Ivan couldnt help but look at Frey with admiration.
This is amazing. I cant really put it in words, but this is much more comfortable than fighting alone.
Thats great.
Hmyou really are a mysterious guy.
He looked at Frey with complicated eyes for a moment before shaking his head.
Ivan was comfortable being alone with nature.
Humans were said to be social animals, but not everyone was the same.
He was the type who enjoyed solitude. He didnt hate spending time with others but he preferred being alone.
This was especially true when it came to fighting.
However, for the first time in his life, Ivan felt that it wasnt so bad to fight with another person supporting him.
And from then on, Ivans attitude changed a little.
He still spoke in the same casual manner, but Frey felt that he had secretly begun respecting him more.
It was at that moment that Frey felt like he had finally understood this complex human known as Ivan.
At least he was not the type who would do things that he knew he shouldnt do.
Of course, because of how prideful he was, being acknowledged by this man was not a simple endeavour.
After four days, they reached their destination.
This is it.
It was a hut built deep within the forest.
For a moment, Frey completely forgot that this was a forest where monsters and terrifying undead roamed freely.
Ivan took a deep breath before shouting.
Riiiikiiii!!! Im here!
Ugh.
Frey covered his ears.
The roar was so loud that it even caused birds in the distance to fly away, startled.
A weaker persons eardrums wouldve already burst.
Ivan shot an embarrassed smile at Frey, who was staring at him angrily.
I have to do this to wake him up.
Hes sleeping in the middle of the day?
Right. He cant help it.
Creak.
Then the door opened, and a man walked out.
The man had waist-length silver hair that contrasted nicely with his plain black robe.
What truly stood out was the giant sword that was slanted across his back.
The man spoke with a sleepy look in his eyes.
Ivan, did you do everything I asked?
Hmph, of course.
The two of them began speaking, but Frey could not pay attention to their conversation.
Babump.
His heart was pounding.
In fact, Frey did not completely believe Ivans words.
Maybe he had been tricked by someone pretending to be a Demigod.
Or maybe Ivan was just mistaken.
But now he could see it for himself.
It really is a Demigodand hes as strong as the old man who uses poison.
Frey broke out in cold sweat.
Suddenly, he was full of regrets. Why didnt he consider it more seriously before deciding?
With his current ability, the transcendent being in front of him simply had to shake his hands, and his head would fall to the ground.
Then the man turned his eyes to Frey.
You brought a guest.
Right. Hes from the Circle.
The Circle. Hmm.
He scratched his head and seemed to think about something.
Come inside first. Ivan, I just happened to have something I needed to ask you. I think Ill get a pretty good picture if this friend of yours helps.
Then he went back inside as though expecting them to follow.
Frey, who had been preparing to risk his life, felt drained.
You dont need to be so nervous. Hes unpredictable, but hes a good guy
Frey looked at Ivans face for a moment before saying.
Its not very convincing when you talk with such a stiff expression.
Kukuthe higher your level, the more you can sense Rikis terrifying power. That guy is a monster.
As Frey had said, Ivans face was just as stiff as his.
Frey nodded while wiping away his sweat.
Theres no mistaking it. Hes a Demigod.
Dont be openly hostile. While I dont think hed kill you, from here on out, were in his territory, and its not like I can stop him.
understood.
Frey nodded, and the two entered the hut.
As soon as he opened the door, Frey was surprised. Sarch* The n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
This was because the interior was incredibly spacious.
He couldnt even tell how large this space was.
The hallway was long, and the walls were decorated with swords of all shapes and sizes. Suits of armor that seemed like they were guarding the hallway were also displayed.
Together with the subtle candlelight that illuminated the dark space, this place had an atmosphere that could not be found anywhere else in the world.
Spatial Distortion
Whats that?
By twisting time and space, a limited space can be expanded dozens of times.
Hmm. I always thought it was just a Warp or something.
Frey shook his head.
When he opened the door, he had not sensed any distortions that were characteristic to a Warp.
His expression became solemn.
Space-Time Magic was a field that was difficult to handle even by a 9 star Wizard. However, the Space Distortion that was placed within the cabin was so stable that there wasnt even a single crack.
This must be his Divine Power because Demigods cant use Magic.
Was it this Demigods power?
Frey and Ivan walked through the dark hallway, and at the end, they found Riki sitting in a room.
He was sitting on the floor with his eyes lowered. At his side was the sword that he had been wearing on his back.
Have a seat. Im sorry I dont have tea to serve.
Frey looked at him for a moment before speaking.
You talk like a human.
Riki looked up at Frey.
You are a strange human. You dont seem like a human who could barely live to 100 years. Ivan, you brought an interesting guy this time.
Frey gathered himself and stepped forward.
I heard that you betrayed the Demigods. Is that true?
Thats rightbut would you believe that just because I said so?
Freys expression became a bit strange.
The being before him was probably not too far off in age from him.
The only difference was that he had been locked in the Abyss for 4,000 years.
He could usually look at a persons expressions, speech, or trivial gestures and infer what they were thinking, but this time was different.
The one before him was a quasi-immortal who had been living for who knows how many years while Frey had been stuck in the Abyss.
I cant tell what hes thinking.
Frey nodded, deciding to speak frankly.
No, I wouldnt believe it.
Youre not wrong to doubt me. Since youre a part of the Circle, it makes sense that you find a Demigods betrayal so hard to believe. In truth, I have no intention of proving myself to you, but I can, at least, relieve some of your doubts. If you can tell me what information you dont have about Demigods, I will share it with you.
Hmm. Anything we dont know?
Right.
At Ivans question, Riki said something that Frey was not expecting.
(Note:
1. For this technique name, from all of the possible translations, this is the one I liked the most/found the most suitable.)
Chapter 73 - Ivan (4)
Chapter 73 - Ivan (4) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
If you kill an Apostle, it forces the Demigod who created them into hibernation. And at that time, they are completely defenseless. For instance.
Shuk.
A small fruit knife appeared in Rikis hand.
Where did it come from?
Riki continued speaking as though it was nothing special.
You could even kill them with this practically harmless fruit knife. Just by stabbing them in the nape of their neck.
For a moment the room fell into silence.
This was because Frey and Ivan were staring at Riki with shocked expressions on their faces.
Did he really just say that they could kill a Demigod, who could destroy a city with one hand, with just a fruit knife?
Didnt that mean that a hibernating Demigod was as weak and harmless as a child?
It was hard to believe, but if this was true, then it was an extraordinary piece of information that they might not have gotten even with all the effort in the world.
The problem was Rikis attitude.
As hed spoken in a very nonchalant manner, it was hard for them to ascertain whether he was speaking the truth or not.
Ivan couldnt help but ask.
Thats unbelievable. In that case, why do the Demigods create Apostles in the first place?
Is that a problem?
That
Frey decided to pick up after Ivan who stumbled after the unexpected question.
Of course its a problem. The power that the Apostles have at their disposal is only a drop of water in comparison to the ocean of power the Demigods have. Isnt it too risky to create a subordinate who can only wield that bit of power?
Freys question was reasonable.
Although he wasnt sure about the average power of the Apostles, he had still been able to Lukes, the former Deputy Tower Master of the 3rd Magic Tower soon after hed reached 7 stars.
If all the Apostles were at a similar level, then even if he only managed to reach 8 stars, he could easily get rid of all the Apostles in the world.
So was it worth it for the Demigods to risk hibernation for such weak underlings?
That was like digging their own graves.
Frey knew that Demigods would never make high-risk/low-reward decisions like that.
They were arrogant and childish sure, but they were not stupid.
Riki responded in the same casual tone.
They dont have a choice. If they dont do it then they might very well get erased.
Erase the Demigods? Is there any being in this world who could actually accomplish something like that?
Riki looked at Ivan and Freys faces for a moment before answering.
God.
The silence was many times heavier than before.
Frey looked at Riki with a solemn expression as Ivan asked another question with a blank one.
I dont think youd waste your time telling us nonsense. Are you serious?
Of course.
Oh my God. Im an atheist. I hope the temperature of hellfire is lukewarm
It doesnt matter. It is another beings job to judge souls after their death. The one I am referring to, rather than being Godit might be more accurate to refer to him as the Great Law.
What do you mean?
It is an absolute mass of energy that maintains the balance of the world. It is the power that creates transcendental phenomena in both creation and destruction as long as certain conditions are met. Demigods are pieces that fell off from that mass of energy and gained self awareness.
Frey had never imagined that he would learn the origins of the Demigods in this shabby hut.
There was once a time when he had considered the existence of God. This was natural since the name of the enemy he had been fighting his whole life was Demi God.
However, even the oldest Dragon in the world did not know the answer to that question.
Riki looked at Freys complicated expression for a while before continuing.
We Demigods have ended countless lives in the past thousands of years. Lord doesnt think so, but I believe that we are being punished for our actions.
Punishment? Do you mean that a Demigod has died already?
No.
He lamented that fact. It would have been great if the Demigods numbers had been reduced, even by one.
However, Rikis next words shocked him greatly. (Note: We can only assume he in this instance is Ivan.)
The last time I checked, the total number of Demigods who were destroyed was twenty.
!
After that, Lord had no choice but to pay attention. In order to stop any more from disappearing. For us, death means the destruction of our souls and the end of everything, that is why they are desperate.
Ivan was dumbfounded.
Everything that hed heard so far was a secret that the Circle would be willing to do anything to obtain.
No, apart from that.
Why was Riki suddenly telling all of this information to Frey who had just appeared as though he had been waiting?
Riki scratched his head.
Hmm. I told you more than I intended. Well, it doesnt matter.
Riki, may I ask why you betrayed the Demigods?
I have no intention of talking about that. You should be satisfied with the information you just obtained. Sar?h the ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
It was a firm rejection.
Frey looked at Riki and was sure that regardless of how much he pressed, he would never receive an answer to that question.
I need to organize my thoughtsfor a moment.
Sure. Ivan, come here and give me a detailed report about the undead.
Who are you talking to like that?
Although Ivan said those words in a rather rude tone, he still approached Riki without any hesitation. The social ladder between them had long been established.
Frey took the time to gather his thoughts.
Each of the things that Ricky had spoken so nonchalantly about was incredibly sensitive and valuable information.
Of course, he didnt believe it completely. However, dismissing all of it as lies was also incredibly foolish.
Therefore, he slowly went through everything to see if there was anything strange about what he was told.
First of all, if an Apostle was killed, then their Demigod master would be forced into a hibernative state and become completely defenseless.
This corresponded to what he had learned from Mikel while they were fighting against Lukes.
Hed said that killing the Apostle did affect the Demigod in some way, and now, according to Riki, that way was forced hibernation.
There should be some credibility in that statement
He had no choice but to admit that the two facts corresponded naturally.
The only problem was that he didnt know how long they hibernated/
If he asked, would Riki tell him?
In any case, he believed that the time was much longer than he first expected.
Otherwise, the Circle would have noticed if the Demigod had created another Apostle after their reawakening.
It should be at least decades. Maybe more.
Next was the information about God.
Frey was also an atheist, and after learning about the existence of Demigods, he had developed an even more antagonistic view toward God.
However, since he didnt believe in God, Rikis words seemed plausible.
That the God who existed did not have its own consciousness but was instead a simple existence consisting of the rules of the world.
If so, then it was understandable why God remained unresponsive when hundreds and thousands of races suffered at the hands of the Demigods.
They must also have a firm understanding of the laws and balance of the world, making it easy for them to bend them according to their needs.
Perhaps that was the reason they created the Apostles.
The killings they committed did not have any effect on the Demigods. The only thing that was important to them was Gods punishment.
If there really is punishment from God, it would also explain why the Demigods havent been able to exert complete control over the continent.
In fact, if they really wanted to, they would easily be able to control the entire continent and even if every race combined, they would not be able to stop them.
Frey didnt call them transcendental for nothing.
Nevertheless, Demigods rarely revealed their power.
It was the same 4,000 years ago and it was the same now.
And punishment from God seemed like a perfectly reasonable excuse.
After he thought this, he came to a conclusion.
Either Riki was a great, amazing liar, or he had been telling the truth.
and at that moment, Frey felt that the latter was more likely.
You must be finished thinking.
Frey nodded at Rikis words.
But why are you telling me all of this?
Because I cant get rid of all of the Demigods by myself.
Did he really need the power of two humans?
Frey tilted his head slightly as he looked at Riki with confusion.
I asked the wrong question. Do you expect me to believe you? I could take everything you said as nonsense.
My eyes are not that bad. And it doesnt matter even if that was the case.
Riki didnt give a reason for this and Frey felt that it might be safer not to ask why.
Ivan scratched his head in frustration for a moment.
Thats enough of that. What should I do now? I already hunted all the undead in this forest.
Thats a bit strange. Ivan, my request was to bring me the Apostles head, not play with undead.
hmph.
Ivan snorted.
Apostle?
Ignoring Freys curious look, Ivan kept talking.
That request didnt make sense in the first place.
Why didnt it make sense?
I couldnt get in no matter how hard I tried. There is no spell or barrier, instead, its as though the forest itself is driving outsiders away.
Ivan shot a dirty look at Riki.
I was going to break a few trees to enter but then I remembered you said not to do that.
If you want to become the enemy of all the Elves and Spirits in the Great Forest, I wont stop you.
tch.
It seemed the Apostle had disappeared into the Great Forest.
Personally, Frey hoped for this outcome the most. He felt that it would be much easier that way.
Frey was known for their hospitable treatment to their allies, and there were many circles among them.
Therefore, if he revealed his identity as a circle member and requested their cooperation, things would probably go smoothly.
However this time, the case wasnt so simple.
Shik.
Riki took a piece of paper from his pocket and spread it out for them to see.
It was someones portrait.
It was an incredibly handsome man.
Among the men that Frey had encountered since his return, Peran could be considered the most handsome, and the man in this portrait was just as good looking.
He also had the characteristic long ears. This man was an elf.
This man is Oydin Predickwood. He is a High Elf, and at the same timean Apostle.
This caused the situation to become extremely complicated.
High Elves could be considered royalty among the Elven Race. If they attacked him without conclusive evidence, they would become the enemies of the entire Elven Race.
Frey sighed.
Arent there Circle members among the Elves? They would be able to sense Divine Power. How is this man able to hide his?
There is someone who can conceal the Apostles Divine Power. He is one of the most powerful Demigods, and is considered to be just under Lord, a being that the Circle refers to as an Apocalypse.
then that guy named Oydin.
Riki nodded.
He is the Apostle of Nozdog, the Demigod who controls the power of death.
It was worse than hed expected.
Then Riki sighed, revealing his feelings for the first time.
Our last chance was two months ago. There was a moment when he left the Great Forest without an escort. But we missed it because Ivan was taking a nap.
When Frey glanced over at him, Ivan shamelessly said.
the night before, I felt the moonlight was beautiful, perfect for some alcohol. I will tell you now, I dont regret it. In any case, since its already past, what can we do about it?
Cant you kill the Apostles yourself?
If that was possible, I wouldve killed most of the Apostles with my own hands and then handled the Demigods right away. If I were to do it, it would leave a trace since the Apostles are connected to the Demigods. My betrayal would be revealed immediately.
It was true.
If the Apostle managed to get even a slight glimpse of Rikis figure or aura before they died, that information would be sent directly to their Demigod.
You dont mind killing a Demigod right away?
Thats right.
Frey thought for a moment before saying.
Not so long ago, I killed an Apostle who used lightning. As you said, the Demigod that he followed should be hibernating.
Rikis eyes shined at those words.
lightning. Hmm. Is it Indra? If your words are truethat would be very useful information.
After pondering for a while, Riki spoke again.
Can you prove that you killed Indras Apostle?
No. I already used the cryst
At that moment, Frey recalled the lightning elixir that Adelia had given to him together with the mana elixir.
He immediately took it out of his bag and showed it to Riki.
Would this suffice? It contains the lightning energy that was stored in the crystal
that should be Indras lightning. That energy can only be obtained from killing his Apostle. It is enough.
A cold smile blossomed on Rikis face.
Give me a moment.
Chuk.
Riki grabbed the sword beside him before disappearing.
Frey once again wondered whether Riki had the power of space while Ivan grumbled.
Ive already experienced it several times, but whenever he appears or disappears like that it also surprises me. And if I actually dont get surprised, he smacks me at the back of my head.
Paat.
At that moment, Rickys figure reappeared. His appearance causing Ivan and Frey to narrow their eyes.
Ricky was covered in blood but he did not have any visible wounds.
He was holding a bloody sword in his right hand and something else in his left hand, both of which he placed on the table in front of him with his characteristic nonchalance.
Tuktuk
It was someones head.
The head of a man with blond hair and a beard.
There was only one thing that Ivan and Frey were curious about.
Who is this?
Riki gave them a casual answer.
Demigod Indra.
Ivans jaw dropped.
what?
Do you understand? We will work like this in the future.
Riki sheathed his sword with a solemn expression.
Chuk.
You guys kill the Apostles. Then I will get rid of the hibernating Demigods myself.
Chapter 74 - High Elf (1)
Chapter 74 - High Elf (1) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Without caring about the reactions of Frey and Ivan, Riki drew a line in the air with his finger.
Indras head was then split in half as though it had been cut by a sword.
Rikis hand moved even faster.
Halves, quarters, eightsand he cut the head continuously. Before long, Indras head had been completely destroyed.
Ivan couldnt help but click his tongue. It was a monstrous display of skill.
The skill that Riki had just shown was something that even master knights might be unable to do even if they wielded the sharpest sword.
Frey, who had been silent for a while, finally opened his mouth.
Was that the Demigod with the power of lightning?
Thats right. Of course, theres no way for me to prove that
No. Theres no need.
It had only been a head, but he could tell.
This was because Frey had probably encountered the most Demigods out of all the beings on the continent.
The head that Riki had brought back exuded a tremendous level of Divine Power.
It was not something that could be mimicked even when using an Apostle.
Riki took a glance at Freys confident expression.
You act as though youve met Demigods before. You are a much more interesting human than Ivan.
Well. It doesnt matter right now. Anywayits better to kill Oydin as soon as possible.
There seems to be some special reason.
Thats right. Apostles appointed by Apocalypses are different from the others. As I said before, not only can they conceal their Divine Power, but the power they have is also many times higher. And most importantly, they get stronger at an explosive rate.
Ricky pointed at Ivan.
Two months ago, Ivan alone was enough to deal with Oydin. But he had only been an Apostle for a short time then. Now, you might not be able to defeat him even if you were to join forces.
could he really become so strong in just two months?
Frey found this hard to believe.
He didnt know how much RIki estimated their strength to be, but Frey was sure that he could defeat a few Apostles on the same level as Lukes at the same time if he worked together with Ivan.
The undead that have appeared in the Great Reynols Forest are the remnants left after Oydin uses his power.
Remnants.
If one considered the one sided slaughter by Frey and Ivan, the undead might not seem like much, but the groups of undead in the forest would be able to annihilate any B-class Mercenary unlucky enough to encounter them.
In the first place, high ranking undead like Dullahans or Death Knights were similar in strength or could even be stronger than A-class Mercenaries.
If those undead were just the leftovers, how strong would the ones he intended to create be?
Hes dangerous.
Oydin was really strong now, but as Riki said, the part that was truly terrifying was his growth potential.
What if another Apocalypse, or even Lord, already appointed Apostles?
What if years or even decades had passed since then?
How much power would those Apostles, who had grown unhindered for years, have?
I have one question.
Go ahead.
Are you an Apocalypse?
Rikis blank eyes stared at Frey for a moment before he nodded.
I am the Demigod with the power of the sword. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
It was as he expected.
The three Demigods that the Circle had information on were sword, death and poison.
Riki was the Sword Apocalypse.
This made Frey even more confused.
He wasnt just an ordinary Demigod but a prominent figure even among the transcendental beings.
Why would he, who was considered as one of the strongest below Lord, betray them?
It wouldnt make sense to ask.
With his current strength, it was impossible for Frey to force Riki to answer.
But Frey felt that he would not be able to fully trust the man before him without knowing that reason.
Apart from that, Rikis existence was a great help for Frey.
He killed an Apostle, and then this man went to kill the Demigod before his very eyes.
This meant that a means to shorten his goal by a few decades had appeared.
In a month, Lord, the five Apocalypses and numerous other Demigods will be gathering together. You guys need to kill Oydin before that.
Why are you gathering?
To weed out the traitor. I have killed numerous hibernating Demigods in the past few decades, and the only one who could do such a thing is a Demigod. Of course, its impossible for them to notice it was me. Perhaps Lord intends to inspect us with his own eyes.
Why do we need to kill Oydin before then?
Theres a high probability that the Demigods will participate in the event together with their Apostles. Oydin is currently staying in the Great Reynols Forest, and when the time comes, he will go with Nosdog. And after that, it will be hard to tell his whereabouts.
Riki closed his eyes while saying.
Oydin has yet to fully grasp his Divine Power. You guys might not be able to sense it, but I can sense the resonance. But if he disappears with Nozdog, Ill have no way to find him.
WellI think I see what youre saying.
It wasnt that hard to understand, but Ivan still shook his head. It wasnt his fault; it was just that whenever a conversation got complicated, he just found it hard to continue paying attention.
As though he already knew this, Riki spoke again.
Then Ill make it simple. Getting rid of even one Apocalypse would benefit you greatly. Thats all you guys need to keep in mind for now.
Hmph. You shouldve said that from the start.
Ivan snorted at the side while Frey continued calmly analyzing the situation. The Demigods meeting would be in one month, but before that, he had to kill Oydin.
To do that, our first priority should be entering the Great Forest.
I have a great idea.
What is it?
You flew when we were coming here, didnt you?
Freys eyes became cold as he immediately realised what Ivan was about to say.
You want us to fly into the sky and enter the forest that way?
You catch on quickly. So what do you think? If were in the sky, then that damn forest cant block us.
Faced with Ivans triumphant expression, Riki and Frey sighed at the same time.
I see, so youve been hunting Apostles with this idiot the entire time.
That is why I sincerely welcome you joining us.
Bastards.
Looking at Ivan, who was venting his anger, Frey spoke in an unsympathetic tone.
And what will you do after we enter that way? If you enter the Great Forest without permission, you will be treated as an intruder.
So we just need to not get noticed
The World Tree in the High Elves village is the core of the Great Reynols Forest and is connected to every tree in the forest. The Queen, who shares her consciousness with the World Tree, would notice our intrusion in less than an hour.
Ivan frowned.
Sh*t. Even if I squeeze my brains out, all I can get is nonsense. So what will we do? You smart people, come up with a plan.
well, theres someone I can talk to.
What? Who?
Frey made a strange expression as he remembered the Elven woman he met in the group of Mercenaries.
* * *
Hoo! I can finally take a breather!
We arrived earlier than I expected.
Thats because we didnt encounter any undead.
That muscular man mustve destroyed all of them.
The Mercenaries sighed as they almost collapsed onto the ground.
They knew just how they had managed to get to the entrance to the Great Reynols Forest so quickly.
However, although they had managed to arrive there without encountering any danger, the Mercenaries were still exhausted because they could not relax at all during the trip.
Alkon clapped his hands before saying.
Youve done a damn good job, you bastards. The Elves will only appear around this time tomorrow, so get some rest today. Of course, if theres any son of a bitch who dares take off his armor and put down his weapon, Ill kill him myself.
Damn, Captain, arent you tired?
Since I became S-class, the worst thing Ive felt on a trip is a stiff neck.
The Mercenaries exchanged playful banter with relaxed expressions.
Syax observed them from a distance before approaching Alkon and saying.
I will look around for a while before returning.
Hmm. Around here? We are on the border of Elf territory
Dont worry. I wont be careless.
Alkon looked at Syax for a moment.
She was an old Wizard who appeared to be in her seventies, so she probably had a lot of experience.
And with the calm attitude that Syax had shown so far, Alkon didnt think that he needed to be worried.
Dont go too far.
Thank you.
Syax nodded before leaving the campsite.
The noise of the campsite gradually faded before it disappeared completely, and only Syaxs soft footsteps could be heard.
the forest is too quiet.
She couldnt hear the sounds of any beasts, birds, or even insects.
Normally, people wouldnt notice these sounds, but she, an Elf, was different.
Syax bit her lip nervously.
This is not good. If more undead continue to appeartheres a chance the earth will die.
The forest and the earth it stood on would die.
For an Elf, watching such a thing was the same as watching their own mother die. So she intended to risk her life to stop it.
Syax was one of the Elves who roamed the world instead of staying within the forest.
It was rare among High Elves, but ever since she was young, she felt uncomfortable being surrounded by the dense forest every moment.
So as soon as she came of age, she left. She then learned magic in her spare time, which she now used as a way to disguise herself.
Thanks to this, she was able to live a relatively stable life as a Mercenary without causing a stir because of her race.
Syax traveled around the continent in order to broaden her knowledge. However, she had been staying near Pillat recently under the guise of an old woman.
That was until she received a message from the Queen.
It seemed that a necromancer had taken up residence near the border of the Great Forest and was releasing their undead into the region.
The Great Forest was the home to all Elves. The wandering Elves never forgot their birthplace.
Syax was given a mission by the Queen because of her excellent skills and bountiful experience after exploring the continent for many years.
Her mission was to investigate exactly what was happening in the Great Forest.
However, she had yet to find any traces of the necromancer.
Did he leave the area? He couldnt have been able to get into the Great Forest
Or they may have hidden themselves near here.
Syaxs expression hardened.
Such a powerful necromancer was a threat to the forest just by their very presence, and it must be eliminated. But could she really take on someone like that on her own?
Syax immediately remembered the muscular man who slaughtered all the undead.
She didnt know who he was, but the power he displayed was amazing. It would be great if she could get the help of this powerful man who treated high level undead like goblins.
No. This is my task.
She couldnt be weak.
This was a task given to her by the Queen, who was deeply respected by all Elves, regardless of race.
Even if she could lose her life, she had to complete it.
Bask.
A nearby bush was shaken.
Syax immediately lifted her staff and became vigilant.
She couldnt feel anything before, but she could now pick out the presence of someone nearby.
Someone who was good enough to escape from an Elfs enhanced hearing and sight had chosen to reveal themself.
Is it the necromancer?
Syax held her staff nervously.
A man walked out from the bushes right in front of her.
You
It was a blonde man with a gentle expression.
He was the Wizard, Kain Rixton, who had suddenly disappeared.
Chapter 75 - High Elf (2)
Chapter 75 - High Elf (2) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
A light seemed to shine in Syaxs eyes for a moment before she said.
You only just got back?
Kain nodded.
Syax felt a bit strange because of his attitude.
Did you learn anything about that Magic Warrior? sea??h th ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Kain didnt answer, and instead continued to look at Syaxs face.
She felt a chill run down her spine at that moment because his gentle eyes seemed as though they were seeing right through her.
After a brief period of silence, the words that came out of the mans mouth made her heart shake.
We need to go into the Great Forest.
Those words had come suddenly, but he had spoken them in a calm, natural tone.
Syax did her best to hide the shock that she felt at that moment.
why would you tell something like that to an old woman like me?
This isnt the time for bad acting. Were running out of time.
What are you talking-
Then youre an old woman who doesnt understand anything.
Another man with a fierce voice appeared from behind a tree.
It was the muscular man who had destroyed the undead. She remembered that his name was Ivan or something like that.
Syax was surprised by his appearance for a moment before her eyes became sharp.
did you guys know each other?
What the hell is that supposed to mean? Just shut up and lead us into the forest. Even if youre an Elf, if you dont help us, then you may as well kick the bucket.
What
Ivans rude remark brought anger to Syaxs face.
Frey sighed and stopped him.
You stay out of it. Its hard enough to talk to her as it is.
Hmph.
Syax, I know youre a High Elf.
I dont know what youre talking abou
Shuk.
At that moment, Kains body trembled before a silver haired man appeared in his place.
Syax sighed.
She knew at that point that the man before her was a wizard who was far superior to her.
Kain, no.
Frey, whod changed back to his original appearance, spoke softly.
Im a Wizard from the Circle. Do you know about the Circle?
This was a crucial point.
Syax bit her lip for a moment before sighing.
a bit.
Syax finally stopped acting.
If he was able to see through her illusion, then it didnt make sense to keep up the pretense.
Meanwhile, Ivans expression became strange. This was because he couldnt see through her illusion, and the old woman with age spots before his eyes had suddenly begun speaking in a feminine tone.
Then you should know about the Demigods. No. From the start, you said you took this mission because you were worried about the undead.
Thats right. DemigodI heard that they are transcendent beings who have near godlike powers. No way, is the necromancer in the Forest
There is a high probability that they are a Demigods subordinate.
Hmm.
Syax frowned at that.
Cant you sense the Divine Power?
I am not a part of the Circle. I felt a strange power, but I didnt know that it was Divine Power.
She wasnt a part of the Circle, but she knew about the Circle.
She was the same as Julian Montolivo, the Tower Master for the 3rd Magic Tower.
Since the High Elves population was said to be very small, they did not need to hide the existence of the Circle, like the humans.
The necromancer we are hunting has entered the Great Reynols Forest. Itll be dangerous for us to leave him be.
Thats impossible. The Great Forest would not accept outsiders. Even if they were to use radical methods
The Queen would notice right away, yes. But this guy is different.
How is he different?
Frey had no intention of talking about Oydin at that moment.
High Elves were a particularly loyal race. This meant that it would be difficult for her to accept the possibility of a traitor among their ranks, and there was a higher probability that she would doubt his words and drive the two of them away.
This was something hed also talked to Ivan about before they arrived.
It wasnt just that. They also didnt intend to immediately reveal that the one they were after was an Apostle.
It felt like a lot to hide, but it was important for them to subdue the Apocalypses Apostle.
I cant explain it to you as youre not a member of the Circle. So all I can say is that we are the only ones who can find him. Youve seen the undead he created, havent you? What if such a disaster were to happen within the Great Forest?
Syax seemed to hesitate.
Frey judged that now was the best time to play his trump card.
He sighed helplessly.
If thats the case, then it cant be helped. Well have to find another way.
Syax couldnt help but ask with a confused expression.
Another way?
I have acquaintances among the Dark Elves. If its them, they will believe me.
Then he turned around without hesitation.
It seemed like he truly intended to leave, but in fact, Frey was feeling rather desperate at that moment.
At first glance, the plan that hed just said was not a bad idea.
Frey had a good relationship with Liamson and Camille; they had even experienced a life and death battle together. So it was highly likely that not only would they trust him completely, but they would even give him their complete support.
The problem is that its impossible to tell how long itll take to get a chance to meet the Dark Elves.
So the best option would be to enter the forest with Syaxs help.
The most important thing at this moment was how much time they could shave off.
Frey hoped that the rivalry between the High Elves and Dark Elves hadnt been completely dissolved after 4,000 years.
W-, wait!
Syax stopped Frey with an urgent tone.
Do you really have a relationship with the Dark Elves?
Thats right.
How could a human interact with themthe Dark Elves havent completely let go of their closed nature even after the Great Unification.
The Dark Elves are still closed off?
At least Frey didnt think so.
How could a closed-off group go to a magic tower in another country and ask to be taught magic?
Were the Blacktooth Elves the strange ones?
I dont care if you believe me or not. Whats important is that we dont have the time for this.
Ivan snorted.
He was trying hard not to show it, but he didnt like the thought of begging the woman in front of him for help.
If he could, he would smash through the trees to enter the forest, grab Oydin from wherever he was, and kill him.
Hed beat any Elves that interfered half to death.
Of course, they couldnt actually go through with such a plan.
If that guy, Oydin, noticed the commotion and decided to hide deeper in the forest, they wouldnt be able to find him before the Demigod meeting.
Even more so in the Great Forest which was the Elves territory.
Can you tell me the names of the Dark Elves that you know?
Liamson and Camille.
!!!
Syax took a deep breath.
From her reaction, it seemed like she knew them, so Frey tilted his head as he asked.
Are they famous?
Ive never heard the name Liamson. But there is probably no one in the Great Forest who hasnt heard the name of the Leopardess.
Frey felt pity for Liamson who was being groomed to be the new leader of their village, and he recalled Camilles powerful momentum.
Leopardess. It suits her.
It was with her help that hed been able to defeat Lukes, the Deputy Tower Master, turned Apostle.
That was because her ability to recognize and coordinate both Liamson and Mikels powers was incredibly accurate.
Besides, the only thing Frey could truly see through was the magic that she had learned superficially.
When it came to the martial arts and Spirits that she was most proficient in, Frey was unable to tell just how strong she truly was.
However, since she was the teacher of Liamson, who was a Second Class Magic Warrior, she should be at least a First Class Magic Warrior.
I see. An acquaintance of the Dark Elvesso the Spirit contracted to you is a Dark Spirit. Hoo.
Syax lowered her head with a small sigh.
Im sorry I doubted you. I will believe what you said. Ill show you to our village. Will you follow me?
Dont you have to inform the other Mercenaries?
He was asking because she had left the Mercenary group not so long ago. However, Syax shook her head.
As you just said, every second counts.
At least, now was not the time to care about her human identity.
Ivan snorted at Syaxs firm words. (Note: he snorts so much)
Hmph. Now youre making sense.
Frey looked at him with a dumbfounded expression for a moment. The one who had done nothing was the most satisfied.
Syax took Frey and Ivan in an opposite direction from where the caravan was heading.
Isnt the entrance to the Great Forest over there?
This made him think about the Mercenaries that were waiting there.
Syax nodded.
That is an entrance for outsiders, but I am a wandering Elf. That entrance has a troublesome entry and exit process as well as a winding road, so it would take at least a few days to get to the nearest village. What Im taking you to now is a shortcut that every Elf race knows about.
Shortcut.
They liked the sound of that.
If we use the shortcut, it wont be long before we arrive at the High Elf village, Lilund. Should I contact the Circle members in Lilund?
We can talk about that when we arrive.
Frey remembered the incident with Lukes.
There was no telling whether Oydin would be the same.
Therefore, their first priority was figuring out just who this particular Elf was.
Cooperating with the Circle could come after.
It would be great if he was just a normal guy.
It was just a personal wish, but he knew that the odds were low.
After all, Oydin was appointed to be an Apocalypses Apostle.
Chapter 76 - High Elf (3)
Chapter 76 - High Elf (3) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Oydin Predickwood looked down at his palm.
The skin was white and jade-like, which was common for a High Elf; however, his skin appeared to be pale even when compared to other Elves.
Even his veins could be clearly seen through his skin.
Kooo.
Suddenly purple energy seemed to erupt from his pale palm.
Nozdogs Divine Power.
It was a transcendental power that could not only resurrect the dead and make them his servants, but it could literally inflict death upon others.
It was a power that didnt suit Elves, who were symbols of harmony, but the purple energy still brought a smile to Oydins face.
Shuk.
In a flash, he recalled his energy, causing it to disappear without a trace.
What are you so worried about?
At that moment, the space in front of him became blurred, and the illusion of something could be seen within it.
It was a skeleton!
It was an illusion of a giant skeleton made of pure white bones and surrounded by purple energy, with green smoke spewing from its eye holes.
If death was given shape, wouldnt it look like this? (Note: many anime would disagree)
Even if the boldest man were to encounter this figure, they would collapse from the sheer pressure exuded onto their minds.
This skeleton was the Death Apocalypse, Nozdog, one of the five most powerful Demigods.
[Indra is dead.]
It had a terrible voice, like the screams of demons, but Oydin simply tilted his head as though it was nothing strange.
Was it the traitor again?
[Thats right. And just like before, no traces were found.]
Oydin didnt understand.
He still couldnt understand the fact that there was a traitor among the Demigods.
Well. How could a mortal understand the thinking of such great beings?
Oydin didnt think about it too deeply.
[Be careful until the next meeting. If you die, I will also be in danger.]
As you command.
Ssss.
Nozdogs figure gradually disappeared, and the space once again became stable.
Oydin snorted.
Be careful.
That was only something hed need to do outside. After all, no one could hurt him within the Great Reynols Forest.
Wasnt this a place that was closed off to outsiders?
Of course, that was only one of the reasons.
But in other words, this place was safer for him than anywhere else in the world.
He then heard a knock on his door.
Oydin got up and fixed his clothes.
Come in.
A young High Elf politely opened the door.
He bowed before saying.
Oydin, the Queen has summoned you.
Tell her Ill be right there.
Oydin smiled.
After all, I cant make my sister wait too long.
* * *
As the forest began to get thicker, Syax said.
This is where the Great Forest begins. Dont fall behind.
Hey. Take off that Illusion Spell.
Huh?
Its weird for an old woman with age spots to talk the way you do.
Syaxs expression hardened.
youre rude.
Ill take it as a compliment for my honesty. He hasnt said anything, but I bet he thinks the same thing.
No. (Note: in case you might not have realised, this is Frey)
Huh. Sorry.
As Ivan shrugged unapologetically, Syax sighed before removing the illusion.
As her real face was revealed, Ivan whistled appreciatively.
I knew you were an Elf, but you look way hotter than I expected.
I just thought it was unnecessary to continue using the Illusion Spell at this point. Not to be your dirty eye candy.
Now youre grumbling.
Ivan said before turning to Frey.
Are you not gonna say anything?
I dont care either way. The mana consumption isnt that high.
That remark surprised Syax a little.
Illusion magic wasnt a very high level skill, but it took a considerable amount of skill to maintain it naturally.
Even the mana consumption was slightly annoying.
That was why Syax distanced herself from the humans when she was disguised as an old woman.
It was because it was quite exhausting to pay attention to a conversation while maintaining the illusion.
If he was able to do that process casually.
Is he a 6 star Wizard?
But his real face, which he had revealed not long ago, looked quite young.
He might not be human. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Shed heard that there were all kinds of races within the circle.
While Syax was thinking that she should not underestimate these two men with her, Frey looked around at the trees before asking.
Do foreigners frequently enter the forest?
This was completely unthinkable 4,000 years ago.
I cant really say. It became better after the Grand Unification. But, of course, I wouldnt say its exactly open either.
Syax looked around.
Her ears perked up, and then she changed direction.
This was the reason that Elves were the only ones who could find their villages in the forest without getting lost.
They could hear the forest whispering the way to go in a voice that only Elves could hear.
Frey followed her while saying.
Id like you to introduce us as partners you found while hunting the necromancer, instead of members of the Circle.
Hmwhy?
Because we dont know who or where they are. Just because they entered the forest doesnt mean they wouldnt go to the High Elves village. If the necromancer isnt there, then we have to search for him.
That was a lie.
There was a very high chance that Oydin would be in the High Elf village.
However, he was just making a plausible excuse for hiding their identities as Circle members.
Ivan wasnt really from the Circle anyway.
After hesitating for a moment, Syax nodded.
I understand, but I will tell the Queen the truth.
She was more flexible than he expected.
Was it because she was a wandering Elf who had explored the continent?
If she had lived in the forest all her life, then she probably would find it beneath her to tell such a trivial lie.
Frey felt that this was a good thing.
Of course you should.
It was then.
A voice sounded in Freys mind.
[What are we going to do after we enter the village?]
It was Ivans voice.
It wasnt the Telepathy spell, but instead, it was a skill called Conductive Sound that was used by Magic Warriors.
No matter how low he whispered, he would not be able to evade an Elfs hearing, so he chose this method instead.
Frey responded to him using Telepathy.
[We have to find out what Oydins doing.]
[Why? Why dont we just reveal his identity to the Queen or a princess or something.]
He was much simpler than Frey expected. He just hoped that Ivan wouldnt run his mouth in the village.
Well.
He decided that it was smarter to tell him as much as possible before he did something stupid.
[If he completely hides his Divine Power, then well have no evidence to prove that hes an Apostle. We are practically outsiders, so they would be slightly cautious toward us, and if we do something wrong, they might kick us out of the village altogether.]
[Since Oydin is a High Elf, theres a high probability that hes in the village.]
Frey turned to look at Syaxs back.
[I was just testing the waters, but there seems to still be some tension between the two races. It would be almost impossible for us to get into the High Elves village with the Dark Elves help. And even if we do, it would take a lot of time.]
[Hmm]
Only then did Ivan realise why Frey had said so many interwoven lies.
At least, it wasnt something that he would have been able to do.
Were all Wizards like this?
He had only heard small bits and pieces, but it felt like Frey had a very systematic plan, so he lost the vague sense of anxiety that he had and was instead filled with reassurance.
It was at that moment that he understood the look Riki had given him.
[We have to find conclusive evidence. That means we have to find evidence that would give them no choice but to accept that he is an Apostle.]
[That must have taken a lot of thinking. Its nice to meet you, friend.]
At that moment, Frey stared at Ivan for a long while with a blank expression on his face.
Ivans playful voice and expressions seemed to overlap with someone elses.
Ivan tilted his head, as if to ask Frey what he was looking at.
Frey shook his head and erased the impression of Kasajin that came to his mind at that moment.
Because the person in front of him was not Kasajin.
Chapter 77 - High Elf (4)
Chapter 77 - High Elf (4) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
It took half a day for them to reach the High Elf village Lilund.
Frey and Ivan looked at the huge tree that loomed in the distance.
There was nothing there just a moment ago.
It mustve been hidden by barriers.
Thats right.
Syax nodded, and Ivan stuck out his chin.
So thats the World Tree. It truly is big enough for that name.
We call it Hruhiral.
Hruwhat? (Note: my reaction exactlysounded it out maybe five times)
Hruhiral.
Ivan, who tried to pronounce this word a few times, soon gave up.
So dirty. Pronouncing it a few times makes it feel like your tongue is being twisted.
Because it is in Elvish. We have no problems saying it.
Syax stood before the entrance to the village.
There was a small fence around it, but it didnt seem like they were put there to stop anything from entering.
However, there were two Elves standing there who appeared to be guards, both of whom were women. (Note: girl power?)
The one on the left approached.
Syax? You came back sooner than I thought you would.
She spoke in Elvish.
Ivan clearly didnt understand what she was saying, and Frey also pretended to not understand and stayed silent.
It just happened, Pippin. Is everything okay here?
No problems. Hows the hunt for the necromancer?
still progressing.
The Elf named Pippin glanced at Frey and Ivan.
Those guys behind youlook like humans.
I got some help while hunting the necromancer. Theyre my partners.
Fortunately, she introduced them like Frey asked.
Her expression was a little stiff because of the lie, but Pippin did not doubt her words at all.
Even so, is there a reason why youre bringing the two of them into the town?
I was assigned a mission by the Queen. I have enough authority to bring these two outsiders into the village, Pippin.
Of course I know that.
She shrugged.
Im not trying to pick a fight. I know youre smart and experienced.
Thanks. Im sorry for being so aggressive. (Note: awww how wholesome)
Thats fine. But you cant keep these outsiders in the village for too long. You know that, dont you?
Of course.
The two quickly finished their conversation, and Syax turned to Frey.
Its standard procedure for outsiders to greet the Queen. Kainno Frey. Shall we go to Hruhiral first?
If that is the procedure, then of course we should follow it.
Im sleepy.
It wont take long. After this, you can rest your eyes on a soft bed.
A soft bed. You know exactly what to say to convince me.
He then followed Syax together with Ivan.
This was the first time hed entered the Great Forest.
That was because 4,000 years ago, he did not interact with the Elves very much; moreover, they completely closed the Great Forest off to outsiders.
That was why this was his first time seeing Hruhiral in person. The giant tree exuded a dignified aura that befits its name.
Also, the atmosphere of the village was peaceful and comfortable. It was very different from what he imagined a Dark Elf village would be like.
It was the same for humans who had different tendencies and dispositions depending on race, region and country.
It wasnt very surprising.
The Queens hall is in Hruhiral. It wont take long, so please try to maintain a basic level of courtesy.
With those words, she shot an anxious gaze to Ivan, who snorted.
I know youve mistaken me as a rude man. Because thats how it appeared. But you shouldnt be biased.
He glared at Frey.
Are you worried too?
Not really. The Elven Queen is said to be a good person. The words nobility and elegance alone would not be enough to describe her. If you saw her with your own eyes, you probably wouldnt be able to disrespect her even if you wanted to.
Syax looked at Frey in surprise because he appeared to know more about the Queen than she expected.
Besides, his relationship with Ivan was a bit strange.
At times they appear to be friendsat others, its like a mischievous, immature disciple and his teacher.
After a while, they arrived at Hruhiral.
When they looked up, even if they bent their necks 90 degrees, they would not be able to see the top.
Fortunately, the Queen didnt stay at the top.
It was obvious that it would take a very long time to climb the tree that was much larger than any magic tower.
After climbing a set of natural stairs made from stems, they saw a huge space inside of the World Tree.
They couldnt tell whether the space had been dug out, or if it appeared naturally, but even such a large space was no problem when considering the size of Hruhiral.
When they reached the top of the stairs, four High Elves fell from above.
Ivans eyes shined brightly at their soft landing that had no sound.
He felt that these Elves were Magic Warriors with considerable skill.
Syax, who are those people behind you?
The Elf at the front was the one who spoke.
There were only slight wrinkles on his face, but considering the lifespan of Elves, he was probably around 200 years in age.
They are outsiders who are helping me hunt the necromancer. I think we will have to stay in the village for a short time because of that, so I brought them here to greet the Queen and get permission.
I see.
The Elf looked at them with a sharp gaze before speaking in the human language.
Be mindful of your words and actions before the Queen, outsiders.
Frey nodded before looking at Ivan.
Ivan, who was about to say something smart, simply shrugged and kept his mouth closed when he saw Freys look.
As if to say that Frey knew what he wanted to do.
It was then.
Someone walked out from the Hruhiral.
After seeing them, Frey felt a bit surprised.
It was a group of Dark Elves with their signature dark skin and silver hair.
And wasnt Camille one of the ones at the front of the group?
A middle aged man stared at him for a moment before saying something to the man beside Camille.
I dont know if this went well, Chief Reeves.
The man called Reeves spoke in a cold tone.
I think it will all work out in the end.
Hmmthats good to hear. Im glad that you became the Chief of the Blacktooth Tribe.
You are quite good with your honeyed words. Well, well be taking our leave now.
Reeves turned his head to look at Freys group. While he simply stared at Frey, he sent a slightly fierce gaze toward Ivan. (Note: hes just like liamson)
Are those outsiders? He seems to be very skilled.
I dont know what youre saying, but I like your expression. Do you want to fight?
Patience.
Two voices overlapped.
They were the voices of Frey and an old Elf who stood beside Reeves.
The old Elf and Freys eyes met at that moment before they nodded at the same time.
Reeves restrained his desire before continuing on with hurried steps.
Then I will leave some of the young people here. Camille, you choose.
Yes, Chief.
We will also send some young people.
After nodding his head, the Dark Elves left.
As she passed by, Camille met Freys eyes.
?
She tilted her head.
It wasnt because shed seen through Freys illusion. It was because she was wondering why this strange outsider was staring at her.
Frey soon dropped his gaze.
For now, he should focus on meeting the Queen.
* * *
The High Elf Queen stayed within the innermost parts of the World Tree.
The moment one entered, it was not too much to say that the noise of the world disappeared.
And this entity, who could easily grab everyones attention, sat on a throne woven from grass.
She had pure white hair that looked like fresh snow and pale skin that seemed to be even whiter.
Her two silver eyes shined like stars in the night sky.
Upon seeing her appearance, even Ivan was left speechless.
Compared to Syax, whose appearance could already be called extraordinary, her beauty was otherworldly.
She also exuded a divine presence which made it difficult to look straight at her.
Syax bowed her head.
The Queen seemed to be even more beautiful than she remembered.
And it would continue to be so.
Frey noticed another fact.
She had hardly any High Elf characteristics. Was she even a High Elf in the first place?
He couldnt tell because her ears were hidden behind her shining halo of hair.
All the Elf Queens Ive known have been High Elves.
He didnt quite understand.
He had the feeling that she wasnt a High Elf at all, and it was due to some circumstances that gave her such an appearance.
That seemed to be the likely case.
Anyway, it wasnt something that he needed to worry about at the moment.
Her lips slowly parted.
Syax.
Even her voice was beautiful.
It felt like the sweet whisper of a lover.
Ivan felt a chill run down his spine and swung his forearm for no reason.
Syax politely bowed once again.
Anaryls first daughter, Syax, greets Your Majesty.
You dont need to greet me so politely, old friend.
Im grateful for your favor.
There seemed to be a subtle change in the Queens expression at those words, but it disappeared faster than it appeared.
Her silver eyes then turned to Ivan and Frey.
Can you tell me who the ones behind you are?
They are partners who have been helping me track down the necromancer. Ivan, Frey, greet Her Majesty the Queen.
Ivan shook his head slightly, feeling like hed go crazy if he kept looking at the Queens figure.
He was bothered because seeing the Queen caused something within him to stir uncontrollably.
As a result, his words got stuck before they could come out.
Ivan.
Then he closed his eyes as if he had said everything he wanted to say.
He did it simply because he could not bear to look at the Queen any longer, but it was clear how such actions would be viewed by those around.
How rude
The face of an old Elf beside the queen became red.
Syaxs expression wasnt much different.
How dare you behav
Gelpik, enough.
But Your Majesty
Its impossible to impose Elven etiquette on humans, dont you think?
I apologize.
Gelpik bowed his head at the Queen, but he still looked at Ivan with fierce eyes.
He didnt know why Ivan closed his eyes, but Frey clicked his tongue slightly.
The atmosphere had become tense.
The Queen, who had the highest authority, did not seem to mind what had happened much, but the Elders around her did not have good expressions.
The Elders words are only below the Queens. Nothing good will come from antagonizing them for no reason.
The Queens gaze turned to Frey.
Frey slowly bowed his head while saying.
May the grace of the forest flow for an eternity and may the sunlight ever brighten the sky. My name is Frey, a Wizard from the Kastkau Empire, Your Majesty. (Note: uwu flowery speech is so hard ??)
Oh
Hmm.
The Elders expressions improved greatly.
Some, including Syax, looked at Frey with astonishment.
The Queen looked at Frey with a strange gaze.
Wizard Frey, you seem to be very familiar with Elven etiquette. Its a bit old-fashioned but amazing nonetheless.
Ive had a few chances to make Elven friends.
Syax tilted her head at that.
It would be impossible for him to learn such an old-fashioned greeting from the Dark Elves as they never liked such things.
Did he have other Elven acquaintances as well?
I am Snow De Predickwood. The Elven Queen.
At that moment, Ivans eyebrow twitched, and he opened one eye.
Frey, who was silent for a moment, bowed his head once more.
it is an honor to meet you, Your Majesty.
For Elves, middle names had a special meaning and could not be used by everyone.
De was a middle name that only those who sat on the throne as the Queen could receive.
But the thing that Frey and Ivan paid the most attention to was her last name.
Predickwood.
It was the same as Oydin.
They forcefully swallowed their surprise.
The Queens relative. Frey wondered if things could get any more complicated than they already were.
At the same time, he was extremely glad that he had decided not to reveal Oydins name to Syax. It was truly a divine move.
It wont be for a very long time, but I still hope that you can enjoy your stay comfortably. Syax, can you teach your companions the rules of our society?
Of course, Your Majesty.
Snow twitched slightly at that.
Frey and Syax bowed once again while Ivan simply turned around.
The Elders faces became ugly once again, but Ivan didnt seem to care.
They followed Syax and left the Hruhiral.
After a while, they arrived before another tree.
Because it was the High Elves Village, every tree was quite large. This allowed the Elves to build their houses without damaging the trees.
Tak.
Syax, who closed the door, looked around, and her eyes seemed to light up.
This was proof that she was angry.
Ivan, you reallyhow could you be so rude to Her Majesty the Queen? Had it not been for Freys quick thinking, that couldve gone very badly!
Ivan, who rarely shut his mouth or backed down, sighed before saying,
Im sorry.
huh?
It is entirely my fault. I failed to control myself.
This left Syax speechless for a moment as she had never expected him to lower his head and apologize.
She opened and closed her mouth a few times, not knowing what to say, before sighing.
you two can stay here while youre in the town.
You live alone?
At Freys question, she nodded.
Thats right. Is there a problem?
Frey didnt know what to say.
It would be considered very bold among humans for an unmarried single woman(1) to have two adult men alone with her in her home, but it seemed to be nothing special among Elves.
I have to go out for a while. I have a few things to report whenever I come back to town after a while. I might not be able to come back before sunset, so please try not to leave the house.
There is food in the master bedroom. See you.
After saying that, Syax left the house right away.
Frey and Ivan exchanged glances before heading to the bedroom.
And as they looked at the food on the wooden table, they were dumbfounded.
In short, it was a salad.
There wasnt even any dressing.
You probably couldnt taste anything but grass while eating it. (Note:ive said something similar)
Ivans expression crumpled to the extent that it was barely discernible.
This is goat food
Frey silently took some jerky from his bag and threw it at him.
This caused Ivans face to brighten immediately.
Your preparations are quite thorough.
Its a bit tough, but that shouldnt matter to a beast like you.
Let me see.
Ivan smiled and bit into the jerky.
Then he stopped.
If anyone else had made such a joke, he wouldve smashed their head without hesitation, so why was he accepting it now?
Instead of eating the jerky, Frey began eating the food that Syax had prepared.
Vegetables without any dressing would only have their natural flavor.
Ivan shot him a strange look.
How does it taste?
After a few bites, it has its own flavor. You should try it.
No way.
[This job just became much more complicated.]
Naturally, Frey said this using Telepathy.
He wasnt trying to show off. If an Elf was concentrating, they would be able to hear a whisper even if it was hundreds of meters away.
Ivan replied casually while chewing on his jerky.
[Because Oydin is the Queens relative?]
[Right. If we dont have any conclusive evidence, then we will get kicked out in an instant.]
[So what are we going to do?]
[Well look for what Riki told me.]
Huh?
Ivan let out a surprised sound.
When Frey glared at him, he casually pinched his chin.
Did you make this from whale meat? Its so tough and tastes horrible. sea??h th N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
[What did he say?]
[He only told me.]
[And left me out? You guys already have such a close relationship huh.]
Frey ignored Ivans words.
[He said that he needs a medium through which to contact the Apocalypse. In particular, he would need a powerful item which was able to send a signal outside this dense forest.]
[A medium?]
[He doesnt know exactly what it is. It could be a bracelet or earrings, a small statue, or an ordinary looking stone. It could even be a tattoo on his body.]
[Thats so vague. How will we find it?]
[Somehow.]
Ivan felt like the instructions were vague, but Frey was just thinking that the task had become more complicated.
He felt like his head would explode while thinking about a way to expose Oydins identity as an Apostle and kill him.
It wasnt easy, but it wasnt impossible.
If they were able to kill an Apocalypse with just this bit of hard work then it would be more than worth it.
Naturally, it was something that would still be worth it even if they had to suffer 100 times more than this.
This was why Frey felt extremely fortunate to meet Riki at this point.
Although I cant fully trust him.
However, he had yet to give up his doubts.
His bad relationship with Demigods had lasted far too long for him to be able to do that so easily.
Riki probably knew that.
One was suspicious, and the other one knew it.
Nevertheless, the two did not hesitate to work together. They were well aware that it was the only way to achieve their overlapping goals.
Of course, it was Rikis goals that made him more suspicious.
A Demigod, or more specifically, the Sword Apocalypse.
He was one of the five Demigods directly below Lord. What reason did he have to kill his own kind?
His thoughts had strayed.
Frey used Telepathy again.
[If he contacts Nozdog, it should release a trace of Divine Energy. You probably wont be able to feel it from here, but I can. Then we can find out what the medium is.]
[Hoh. I see. So well just wait here until Oydin contacts the Demigod?]
[Right.]
Was that it?
It was easier than he expected.
Ivan suddenly realised something and asked with a slightly perplexed expression.
[But what if he doesnt contact them?]
[Well just have to give him the right amount of pressure to do it. He will be so anxious that hell have no choice but to contact the Demigod.]
A smile stretched across Freys lips.
[Ive finally thought of a good plan.]
[Hm?]
At that moment, Frey was thinking about Camille
His first goal would be to contact her.
Ivan sighed.
[Ill be bored. There are no monsters around her for me to kill, so how will I pass the time?]
He shot a subtle gaze at Frey who shook his head firmly.
[I cant as Ill have business to deal with.]
[Just a bit. Couldnt you just spar with me a few times?]
[Its important. I will think about it after our task is finished.]
He didnt know when hed be able to enter the High Elf village again.
To be precise, he might never again get the opportunity to see the World Tree up close.
The World Tree Hruhiral.
There was something he wanted to test on the World Tree which had been around for more than 5,000 years.
If he could do what he was thinkingthen hed get a much bigger harvest than he expected.
(Note:
1. The word used here could also mean virginjust thought Id let you guys know.)
Chapter 78 - Hruhiral (1)
Chapter 78 - Hruhiral (1) Translator: Seven
As Syax advised, Frey and Ivan did not leave the house.
However, instead of it being because they were simply following her orders, it was because they noticed the gazes of guards nearby.
It was better to stay quiet and wait than to sneak around and get caught.
Frey decided to meditate.
The mana in the Great Reynols Forest was just as rich as in the Ispania mountains.
Although he was long past the stage where meditation would make a difference, the more powerful a Wizard was, the more habitual mediation became.
It helped to stabilize the mind and body as well as improve concentration. It was a great help when there was a lot to ponder.
Ivan, on the other hand, took a nap.
Syax returned the next day looking haggard. It seemed she had stayed up all night.
Are you finished with your business?
Yeah. You can now wander around the town a bit. Except for a few restricted places.
Restricted places like what?
Places like Hruhiral. There will be Elves guarding them, so you will be able to tell at first glance.
Syax rubbed her eyes before saying.
The Hiralgard are working to remove the damage caused by the necromancer. Its going to take a lot longer to restore the dead areas than I expected. It might take a weekmaybe more. Ah. Hiralgard is the name of the circle.
One week. Maybe more than that.
The delay in the contact with the circle made Frey feel that they were fortunate. It meant that they could conceal their identities a little longer.
I cantI need to sleep a little.
Syax then mumbled before stumbling to her room.
Ivan snorted as he watched her leave.
She mustve been up all night.
[What should we do?]
It had now become natural for them to communicate with Telepathy or Conductive Sound.
Frey told Ivan the plan hed concocted.
[Contact a woman among the Dark Elves named Camille. She should be somewhere in this High Elf village. If the High Elves ask why youre looking for the Dark Elves, tell them that you want to spar.]
[Then?]
[You just need to tell them my name and that I want to meet them.]
[Thats it?]
[Thats right.]
If it was Camille, she would find a way to contact him.
She would have more knowledge about the High Elves than he did. Besides, Dark Elves were masters of stealth.
This was something that hed learned while sparring with Liamson.
Ivan grinned and nodded.
He was getting an opportunity to fight the Dark Elves anyway, so he had no intention of rejecting Freys plan.
Frey and Ivan split up.
Since the day before, the number of people watching them was not large, so by splitting up, they were able to greatly reduce the amount of attention placed upon them.
I dont need to go too close to Hruhiral.
It was impossible in the first place. It didnt matter if he was a reasonable distance from the World Tree.
For his objective, it was better for him to find a quiet place.
The condition necessary to communicate with the World Tree was pure Nature Energy.
Elves, who were born in the forest, raised in the forest and live in the forest, met this condition easily. Among them, the Elven Queen was especially pure.
Hed heard that by staying in the Great Forest their entire lives, they were able to connect with nature more than anyone else.
This was what made his current plan possible.
Thanks to the Frozen River, Torkuntas Heart and his time training in the Ispania mountains where Nature Energy was overwhelmingly abundant, his body now contained just as much Nature Energy as an Elf.
Only the Queen could share their soul with the World Tree, but it was still possible for Frey to have a brief contact.
Not too long after leaving the house, he was able to find a suitable place.
It was behind and in the shadow of Hruhiral, so no Elf wanted to live there.
The team of watchers still followed him, but that didnt matter.
It was normal for Wizards to meditate in places that were rich in Nature Energy.
On the outside, he would simply look like a Wizard who was devoted to his training, so they wouldnt act hastily.
He closed his eyes and immediately felt like his mind was floating.
This could be described as a partial out-of-body experience.
Of course, this didnt mean that he was completely defenceless. He had already set up several barriers in advance, and he could still react to any nearby movement.
The world that only the mind could see was completely different.
There were dozens and hundreds of lights in a dark space. These things were spirits or, as some would call them, souls.
Some of these lights were particularly bright.
These lights represented people like Queen Snow, the Elven Elders and Ivan.
Ivans light was intense.
Frey could approximate a persons level of skill based on the light of their soul.
And among these bright lights was a light so strong that the other lights could not compare to it even if they were all combined.
Even Ivan was only like a firefly before the sun.
Frey moved his soul closer to this bright light, and it slowly began to leave his body.
He felt the pleasant sensation of floating, followed by warmth, comfort and relaxation.
This warm, joyful feeling filled his entire body.
Frey tried to find the core of this bright light without letting go of the feeling.
Then.
found it.
Frey dived into the center of the light.
* * *
The world was completely white.
This was the Soul Space. (Note: or Spirit World)
It could also be called the Imaginary World.
Frey looked down at his body with surprise.
This body
It wasnt Frey Blake but Lukas Trowman.
It was the body he had in his peak, in other words, before hed died.
When he flexed his mana, he felt power that Frey could not hope to match currently.
I see. Since this is the Imaginary World, did I subconsciously see my original image?
His expression became strange as he wondered if he had been longing for the feeling he currently had.
Hello.
A soft voice entered his ear.
Frey turned around.
Standing there, was a beautiful, gentle woman with brown hair. She had a presence that felt like the Goddess of Nature.
Frey bowed in a much more polite manner than when he greeted Snow.
Its an honour to meet you, Hruhiral.
Hoohoo.
Hruhiral chuckled softly before lightly waving a hand.
The white space flickered for a moment, and in the next instant, it became a comfortable room.
They were now in a wooden house, which had warm sunlight streaming from the open windows and steaming cups of tea on a small wooden table.
Hruhiral sat at the table first before gently beckoning to him.
Would you like a seat?
Frey sat in front of Hruhiral without saying anything.
She picked up her tea and took a sip before speaking.
Its been a while since I had a chance to talk to anyone besides Elves.
Does it make you uncomfortable?
No way. Im actually very happy right now. Ive been longing to meet someone new for a while now.
Hruhiral let out a laugh.
Frey also smiled.
theres something Id like to ask you.
If its about them, I have nothing to say.
Unlike before, the voice that came out was extremely cold. There was no need to ask who they were.
Even Hruhiral couldnt escape the influence of the Demigods.
Frey felt a bit disappointed.
Had Hruhiral, who shared a bond with Snow, vouched against Oydin, then they would need no other witnesses.
However, that wasnt what Frey wanted to ask.
I understand. However, what Im actually curious about is the past. First of allI think I should show you something about me.
At that moment, Frey conveyed his memories to her.
Hruhiral accepted his memories while silently admiring his ability.
He has a great understanding of the Soul Space.
This was the Soul Space.
It was possible to share memories and feelings with those you were connected with.
However, such a task was not as simple to do as it sounded.
The man in front of her had a better understanding of the Soul Space than Snow, who could be said to be the most talented out of all the Queens she had witnessed.
But that was just the beginning of the surprise.
What Frey showed her were the memories of Lukas Trowman.
After he gained this body, Hruhiral was the first person that he revealed this information to.
!
Hruhirals eyes widened and her mouth opened slightly.
The time it took was not long. Maybe a dozen or so seconds.
However, Hruhiral had been able to fully accept all of Freys memories in that time.
Bloody battles with immensely powerful Demigods, a group of friends that hed travel to the ends of the world with, being sealed by Lord, the years of solitude spent in the abyss, acquiring a new body, realising that 4,000 years had passed and the loneliness that came with knowing that no one he cared about was left.
Gulp.
A stream of tears flowed from her eyes.
The memories of Lukas were so filled with thorns and downfalls that even a transcendent being like Hruhiral who had powerful mental capabilities could not control her emotions.
It was a miracle that he did not give up after experiencing more pain than anyone could hope to imagine.
Hruhiral had no choice but to feel respect and pity for the human sitting before her.
Youve had a really, really hard timeah! Youve walked a path of pain and loneliness for so long. You reallydoing all of that alone
Hruhiral could not find the words to express how she felt and simply cried sorrowfully.
Frey looked at her.
He knew she was crying on his behalf, yet he was calm in comparison.
I can take it.
Hruhiral wiped away her tears.
She understood.
This man in front of her could truly handle such pain and pressure.
She knew this because she had seen Lukas memories and felt what he had in those moments.
But being able to endure it and being okay were completely different.
The pain that Frey had endured and will endure in the future. The burden on his shoulders was too heavy.
An ordinary person would have already been crushed by the weight of it all. Still, in her eyes, this face, which had just said that it could endure it, looked incredibly sad at that moment.
I am also bound by Lords power.
I know. The power the Demigods can exert on transcendent beings is much higher.
It was ironic.
Demigods couldnt exert their full power on mortal creatures like Humans or Elves, but when dealing with semi-transcendent and transcendent beings like Hruhiral or Dragons, they could use their powers without restraint.
But I want to help you. I will tell you anything you want to know.
Hruhiral said this with a determined voice. Her attitude now was more serious than ever.
Frey looked straight into her eyes before speaking.
I want to know what happened to my friends.
This is something that you should know since you are connected to all the earth in this world.
Hruhiral, who was silent for a moment, finally opened her mouth.
Thats right. I know how the Heroes of the Age of Light ended up. The most mysterious one was actually you, Lukas Trowman.
Only after seeing his memories did Hruhiral understand how Lukas had disappeared without a trace.
Not even Hruhiral could see through the Absolute Field which usually surrounded 9 star Archmages.
Perhaps except Lord, who had made Lukas disappear.
It was understandable that Hruhiral found no traces since it was the power of the being considered closest to god.
Ill tell you everything I know. First is the Magic Warrior King. He was killed in the Amakan Desert.
The Amakan Desert
After fighting against a Demigod for more than a week, he eventually died. It was a terrible battle.
To die while fighting to the end. It was truly a death befitting Kasajin.
Frey praised him for being able to fight a Demigod to death on his own, but he couldnt stop the heavy feeling in his heart when he heard about his death. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
The Sword King met his end in his homeland, Icollium.
Hruhiral didnt say exactly which Demigod killed him. It seemed it was not something she could say directly, but it didnt matter.
All of this information should be stored in Anastasia by Schweiser anyway.
And the Great Sage Schweiser Strow. His endI can give you the details. Unfortunately.
Unfortunately?
Why would it be unfortunate to give him the details?
You will have to prepare your heart. No matter how much of an impenetrable fortress your mind is.
Hwak.
At that moment, their surroundings began to change once again.
The quaint living room distorted and disappeared completely, replaced by an area that looked black and dead.
Frey looked up.
A black sun was burning in a purple sky.
He wondered if this was the way the world would look before it ended.
kuk.
A painful cough was heard, causing Frey to turn around.
He saw Schweiser.
He looked just like he had in the last room of the dungeon. However, he was not in good condition.
His white robes and beard were stained with blood, and his wrists, which were visible from his sleeves, looked like withered tree branches.
Schweiser wiped blood from his mouth with his hand.
I always knew that there was a traitor among us.
What?
ButI would never have expected it to be you. Now, I understand why the relationship between Lucid and Kasajin had worsened to such a degree, and how the Demigods got their information.
hoohoot.
At that moment, the space in front of him shifted, and a woman appeared.
Her ebony hair fluttered in the wind.
The woman wore revealing clothes that fully exposed her alluring body, and a seductive smile on her face.
Schweiser closed his eyes.
trusted you.
The woman laughed. Her white teeth which contrasted with her ebony hair was very eye-catching.
Dont be ridiculous, Schweiser. We both know thats not true.
I wasnt talking about me.
Schweiser staggered slightly and shook his head.
Then, with clear eyes, he looked toward the woman, Iris Phisfounder, and said.
Lukastrusted you.
Chapter 79 - Hruhiral (2)
Chapter 79 - Hruhiral (2) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
(Note: This is not something I usually do, but Ive found that this chapter hits even harder while listening to In the End by Linkin Park. Also, prepare your tissues, this one is a tear jerker.)
Today is the day I die.
Schweiser predicted his own demise.
His internal organs were a mess. Even if no one came to finish him off, he probably wouldnt live to see another day.
But in the end, Iris had come to finish the job herself. Because of this, his probability of survival plummeted to zero.
His life flashed before his eyes like a kaleidoscope of memories.
He didnt have many happy memories.
Meeting Lukas for the first time, learning magic in the magic tower and finding friends who would accompany him for the rest of his life. The sincere gratitude from his students.
But there were countless bad memories.
Especially after Lukas died.
In the face of death, Schweiser realised why a calm heart preceded regret or fear.
Im so tired.
Schweiser looked at Iris before saying.
Lukas trusted you. So I no, we all trusted you.
He disliked Iris Phisfounder.
But it was not to the extent of being hatred or disgust.
Instead, as someone who had overcome countless trials with her, he felt like he knew her more than anyone else.
This was why he found it hard to believe that she had betrayed them.
Hed just assumed that she could not accept Lukas death and had shut herself off from the rest.
He never would have guessed this outcome.
Same here. While we were teammates, I trusted all of you.
do you know what you are doing?
Blood began to clog his throat.
Unable to hold it in, Schweiser turned his head and spat. Pieces of his organs were visible in the blood.
He struggled to wipe his mouth again.
Lukass life-long desire was to completely destroy the Demigods. And now you are directly opposing that wish.
You are making it sound like the subjugation of the Demigods will end with your death. Arent you overestimating yourself too much?
Iris was still smiling.
Schweiser couldnt tell what she was thinking.
She only ever revealed her true emotions in front of Lukas. In front of him, she became a girl in love.
However, the dense Lukas never seemed to realise it.
Are you blaming us? Do you think that we are the ones who drove Lukas to his death?
I dont have any feelings towards you guys.
Iris walked towards Schweiser slowly while speaking in a sing-song voice.
This is the truth. Of courseit did make me sick to see you trying to take Lukas place.
As you said, my abilities were lacking.
Ahaha. Dont pretend to be modest, Schweiser. Its disgusting.
Iris let out a laugh as she said those vicious words.
Had the situation not been the way it was, she might have been able to take his words as a bad joke.
What are you going to do next?
Next?
After killing me.
Thats not something you need to know.
Schweiser looked at her with sunken eyes.
Are you really working with the Demigods?
Iris smile faded, and a strange light seemed to flash in her eyes.
If soIm sure that Lukas would feel extremely disappointed, even in death.
For the first time, anger erupted on her young, beautiful face.
Shut your mouth. Lukas isnt dead.
After a while, a bright, seductive smile appeared on Iris face once again.
Schweiser, Im sorry that I have to kill you. Truly.
Paat.
In that instant, a crack appeared in Schweisers chest, from which blood poured out like a fountain.
He felt no pain.
He couldnt speak for when he was at his peak, but there was definitely no way for him to defend against Iris attacks now.
He could hear Iris whisper through his fading consciousness.
Dont worry, and take a rest, Schweiser. I will fulfill Lukas wish personally.
Schweisers body collapsed, his blood forming a pool around him.
Because Ive thought of a way to deal with the Demigods. However, its impossible in this era. A little more time will have to pass. Enough to drive them into a corner. Perhaps4,000 years
I know, its a very long time. But thats fine, Im patient. Ah. You probably cant even hear me anymore.
Iris shrugged and left.
Schweiser couldnt even watch her departure. His head was slowly sinking into his pool of blood on the dead earth.
My eyelids are heavy.
He knew that if he closed his eyes now, he would never open them again.
So Schweiser stood up.
No, he tried to stand up.
Thump.
Schweiser struggled but ended up falling face first into his blood again.
His body felt like it weighed a ton.
In the endin the end, I accomplished nothing. (Note:in the end, it doesnt even matter??)
He couldnt defeat the Demigods, bring his friends back together or even prevent Iris betrayal.
No. In the first place, he couldnt even prevent Lukas death.
How unsightly.
He never felt more undeserving of the title Great Sage than at that moment.
I have to get up
He felt that even death was a luxury he didnt deserve. But his body wouldnt move.
Hed lost too much blood. It was an injury that even a Saint wouldnt be able to heal if they were to come.
In the endI still failed.
His vision became blurry.
Schweiser realised that he was crying.
This was the first time hed cried since Lukas disappeared.
His lips parted slightly.
Im sorry.
Im sorry, Lukas.
Im so sorry.
Its impossible for me now.
how embarrassing.
* * *
Hruhiral shook her hand, causing the scene to fade away.
She turned to look at Frey.
He had a rather strange expression on his face.
It felt like he was angry and grieving, yet at the same time, it still felt like there were no changes to his emotion.
No.
There was no way he was okay.
Hruhiral knew just how much he cared about his four friends. Because she had seen his memories.
Iris had betrayed him, and he had even seen her kill his best friend, Schweiser.
This would be incredibly difficult for Frey, who cared about his friends more than anyone else could imagine, to accept.
Still, there was something she had to say.
Hruhiral opened her mouth with a stiff expression.
Iris Phisfounder is still alive.
Alive. In this era?
Yes. Butthere is no guarantee that she is the woman you remember because too much time has passed. Its possible that even if you were to meet her again, you would not be able to recognize her.
Frey remained silent.
It was natural that she would not be able to recognize him since he now had the face of Frey. But Iris would have to become an entirely different person for Frey to be unable to recognize her.
And it was possible that it was not just her appearance that had changed.
Frey remembered Schweiser.
He remembered the tears that he had shed at the end.
Im sorry.
And just like in his note in the dungeon, Schweiser had apologised to him.
He didnt have to.
Frey felt that he was the one who should apologise.
He had irresponsibly and impulsively fought against Lord and lost.
And now, he was seeing the consequences of his actions.
All the heroes who had been fighting to save mankind were now dead.
Except for one.
Iris.
When he recalled her face, he couldnt help the heavy feeling from filling his heart again.
He still couldnt believe that she really killed Schweiser.
A part of him felt like it still wasnt true. But he was forced to accept the truth.
What Hruhiral had shown him was one of the earths memories, which meant it was something that had definitely happened.
It was something that was impossible to fabricate. And even if it was an illusion, there was no way he wouldnt see through it.
Hruhiral said that Iris was still alive.
This was information that he would have originally been pleased to learn.
There was someone from the same era as him who had survived 4,000 years. Moreover, it was one of the friends who he had opened his heart to, so it would be strange if he didnt feel a sense of joy.
However, Iris killed Schweiser.
There must have been a reason for it.
She might have been threatened, or she might have acted after coming up with a plan of her own.
Regardless, she wouldnt kill Schweiser for no reason. Because she was a reasonable person.
But that didnt matter to Frey right now.
The important thing was that Iris had killed Schweiser. Regardless of her circumstances or reason, that fact could not be changed.
Killing a friend.
That was something that Frey, no. That Lukas would never accept.
It seemed there were more and more things that he had to do.
Not so long ago, hed thought that he would be able to relax. But he couldnt.
There were so many things that he had to do and so many things that he had to look into.
Frey felt like he didnt have time.
He looked back at what hed been doing. Until now, hed assumed that he was making good progress.
He thought that he was calmly putting one foot in front of the other without being impatient.
He hadnt spent his time in vain. In fact, he even had a few achievements.
Buthe had been too relaxed.
Its not enough. Sear?h the N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Frey muttered to himself.
Hruhiral tilted her head slightly.
Huh?
Oydin Predickwood, the Apocalypses Apostle.
To subdue him, Frey had tried to be cautious and careful.
Without alerting him, without revealing his identity, he would have slowly applied pressure onto him as if driving his prey into a corner.
But was that really the best way?
Wasnt excessive prudence just as bad?
It was time to reconsider.
As time passes, Oydin will get continually stronger. Hell keep growing stronger every day until he is defeated.
Riki had told him that Oydin was already strong enough to defeat them even if they worked together. So what would happen if a week or more passed?
Or what if the situation became complicated and they ended up being delayed till just before the deadline?
How strong would Oydin be by then?
Frey, no. Lukas was once defeated by the terrifying being known as Lord.
Hed thought that hed gotten over it, but that didnt seem to be the case. The defeat from that time had left a deep scar on his heart.
So even when he was dealing with Oydin, he tried his best.
He was moving under the impression that he would become stronger as time passed. But Oydin was the same.
He knew that.
Yet he still didnt make an effort to move quickly. This was because it was more comfortable to prepare thoroughly.
The fact that Oydin was Snows blood relative was a good excuse.
Frey realised what he was lacking.
Of course, there were many aspects of him that had improved compared to 4,000 years ago, Like his calmness, coldness and experience.
If so, what had worsened when compared to then?
Ambition.
He had been determined. To the point where he was even willing to throw away his life.
4,000 years ago, in a situation where defeat was inevitable, he would have still tried to take down even a single Demigod with him.
Sometimes, there were even moments when he would throw his body into thorny situations without hesitation.
At that moment.
Frey regained that desperate mindset that hed lost 4,000 years ago.
Then, he was able to view his present situation from a different angle.
He could not delay this any longer.
Oydin was a barrel of gunpowder that could explode at any moment without warning.
He was a risk factor that needed to be dealt with even if it was a second sooner. He shouldnt give him any time.
Wait for Oydin to contact the Demigod?
Report to Snow after obtaining conclusive evidence?
No. This was not a situation where he could be so relaxed.
He would kill Oydin before the Elves could notice.
Even if his relationship with the Great Forest became sour as a result, it was still nothing compared to being able to kill a Demigod.
His thoughts were still complicated, and his chest still felt like it was filled with dark clouds.
But he knew what he needed to do now.
Tonight.
He would settle it before dawn.
Chapter 80 - Hruhiral (3)
Chapter 80 - Hruhiral (3) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Thank you for accepting my request.
Learning of his friends deaths was like prying open the wounds that Frey had tried so hard to cover, and the sadness that followed was daunting.
Nevertheless, it was something he had to confirm.
As Frey bowed in gratitude, Hruhiral shook her hand.
Im happy to help you, Lukas. No, it should be Frey now.
Call me whatever you likeHruhiral, the forest will be noisy tonight.
Frey informed her honestly.
He immediately noticed the grief that filled Hruhirals eyes, but he had no intentions of changing his plan.
He had already made up his mind.
Hruhiral sighed.
There would be many casualties that night, and it would leave a deep scar in the forest that would take a long time to heal.
For her, it was no different from watching her children get hurt. But there was nothing she could say.
Because she understood the fate of the man standing before her.
Blessed be your path ahead
And more than that, she hoped that happiness, tranquility and good fortune would follow him.
Before Freys mind was utterly destroyed.
Thank you.
As Freys words left his lips, his surroundings began to blur.
It was a sign that he was leaving the Soul Space. Hruhirals face was covered in a bright light before her figure disappeared completely.
After returning to his body, Frey slowly opened his eyes. His body was cold and stiff as though hed slept outside during the night.
Frey got up from his seat and looked at the sky.
The sun was just setting.
It shouldve been about half a day.
It wasnt exactly that long, but it should be around that time.
He could still feel the presence of watchers around him. Frey stretched before heading back to Syaxs house.
Creak.
When he opened the door, he found Ivan doing one-handed handstand pushups, his arm bending and straightening at a steady tempo.
When he looked closely, he realised that he was actually using one finger instead of his whole hand.
His entire body was being supported by one index finger.
Two thousand eight hundred seventeen, two thousand eight hundred eighteen
For a second he wondered if he had misheard as the numbers he just heard far surpassed even his wildest imagination.
.
Seeing that his entire body was dripping with sweat, it seemed that quite some time had passed since hed started his training.
[I met the woman called Camille. She said she would come when the sun had set completely.]
Ivan sent a message over to Frey without looking up or stopping his pushups. This showed that such an act had already become natural.
Frey also responded telepathically while pretending to not care about the bizarre spectacle before him.
[Good work. But it would be best if you stopped working out though.]
[Why? Im now starting to feel a burn.]
[Because were going to deal with Oydin tonight. Youll need to be in your best condition.]
Ivans rhythmic movement faltered for a moment.
Frey could instantly feel the battle lust that exuded from his body.
Taht.
Ivan applied force to his finger and shot up off the ground before flipping once and landing on his feet.
I need to rest a little. Theres a stream nearby; Ill go wash there.
Then he went outside.
Frey watched him leave before heading deeper into the house.
Syax was sitting at a table mixing herbs. After a quick glance, he saw that she was mixing various medicinal and poisonous herbs.
You were gone for a long time. What were you up to?
I was just doing some meditation nearby. Im sorry, but do you have anything to eat?
He was hungry since he hadnt had anything to eat all day.
Syax stood up while saying.
Wait here.
After a little while, she came back with a bowl in her hands. Frey thought that it would be a salad similar to the day before, but he was surprised to find that it was a stew.
There was even meat in it.
This?
Im sorry about yesterday. It was my first time entertaining human guests
It seemed the plain salad that shed left yesterday was not intentional.
Frey shook his head.
It wasnt bad.
Im glad to hear. Ivan didnt seem to like it.
Hes just an immature guy. Its like someone complaining about having no side dishes. Just ignore him.
Hoohoo.
Syax chuckled softly at Freys joke.
Frey sat at the table and took a sip of the stew.
It was delicious.
It seemed that she had learned to make stew very well during her adventures around the continent.
Its delicious.
Great. Are you going to rest tonight?
I think so.
I have some work to do. I will probably be back by tomorrow morning.
Alright. Ill tell Ivan.
Please do.
Syax left the house, and Frey returned to his room.
Then he blew the candles out, sat on the bed and started meditating.
It was unexpected, but Syaxs absence made Camilles imminent visit much easier.
When the sun had set completely and moonlight settled upon the village, Frey felt something.
He slowly opened his eyes.
There was someone standing in a dark corner of the room. The persons body, though blurred slightly by the darkness, had curvature that could only belong to a woman.
Frey spoke calmly.
Its been a while, Camille.
She didnt answer and instead stood there. Frey released the illusion of Kain on his face and showed her the Frey she knew.
Only then did Camille step forward, following the sound of a quick breath.
She spoke in a confused tone.
it really is you, Frey. I was looking forward to meeting you again, but I never expected it to be in a High Elf village.
Likewise.
Camille had a strange expression on her face.
I heard rumors that you joined the Trowman Rings. Besides, the Phisfounder Armlets
?
Camille, who had a strange expression for a while, eventually shook her head.
No, I dont think its something I should say here. Anyway, why are you here?
That
Frey briefly explained everything that happened up until that point.
Of course, there were some things that he kept hidden. For example, the meeting with Riki.
He couldnt explain to the Circle that hed made a temporary alliance with a Demigod, and an Apocalypse at that.
Camilles expression became serious after hearing everything.
Especially when she heard that Oydin was the Apostle. At that moment, even Camille, who had experienced countless difficult situations, could not control her emotions.
Is it really Oydin
He appears to be the Queens blood relative.
Thats not exactly true. The relationship between Oydin and the Queen is a bit strange.
Strange?
Queen Snow was adopted by the Predickwood family.
Adopted
It was a word rarely used when referring to Elves.
Camille smiled bitterly since she also knew this fact.
It doesnt happen much in Elven society. But this time, it was unavoidable. The Queens from every generation are born from the Predickwood family. However, no girls were born in this generation.
He didnt know that the position of Queen was hereditary.
So they adopted Snow?
Right. You met Queen Snow, didnt you? You shouldve been able to tell that she is not a High Elf.
Indeed
Frey recalled Snows appearance.
Except for her white skin, none of her characteristics were that of a High Elf.
Shes an Ice Elf.
This is the first Ive heard of that.
In addition to High Elves and Dark Elves, he knew of Wood Elves and Grey Elves, but this was the first time hed ever heard about Ice Elves.
Camille nodded as though she expected as much.
Theyre not a race from the Great Forest. Theyre a small group who live in the Frozen Lands in the far north.
The Frozen Lands in the far north
That was a place where only animals and monsters that had thick fur could live. He didnt expect that there would be Elves living there too.
Camille continued with a serious expression.
Oydin was a friend of Chief Reeves. I heard he had a lot of complaints when Snow was chosen to take the position of Queen. He believed that he would be able to communicate with Hruhiral.
I guess it wasnt possible.
There has never been a case of a male Elf communicating with Hruhiral before. Oydin was very talented, but he couldnt change historyEven if he was able to form a connection with Hruhiral, he would not have gotten the seat in place of Snow.
Its already been a few decades since then. At that time, it was said that Oydins anger was enough to burn the entire forest down.
Enough to burn the forest down.
This was an idiom that was often used by the Elves. Simply put, it meant he was extremely angry. If it had been anyone but Frey, the listener might not have understood what it meant.
then at some point, he just went silent. Since then, everyone believed hed change as he became extremely hard working and did his best to benefit the Great Forest, even to the extent of becoming one of Queen Snows greatest aides.
He mustve become an Apostle at that time.
Camille mumbled under her breath before biting her lip.
Frey asked the thing that concerned him the most.
Is Oydin strong?
Very strong.
Camille answered assertively.
Oydin is a Spiritualist. He has even managed to sign a contract with the Wind Spirit King. High Elves have naturally higher spirits than other Elves, and Oydin is extremely talented, even among High Elves.
Spiritual Energy wouldnt collide with Divine Power.
This meant that he would be able to use the power of the Spirit King together with the power of Death.
This made dealing with Oydin several times trickier.
4,000 years ago, the Spirit Kings would never work with Demigods.
If so, the Spirit King, who had an extremely acute sense of pride, would not lend its power to Oydin, who had become an Apostle.
Camille, Im going to attack Oydin now.
Right now? Arent you being too hasty?
No. Rather, now might be the best time.
No matter what happened, Oydin would eventually learn about their presence.
Since they were outsiders who were here to hunt the necromancer, it was inevitable that he would not view them in a friendly light.
Therefore, the best time to launch a sneak attack was when he had yet to notice their presence in the village.
Alright. Ill help you.
Are you sure?
You sent your partner to call me here to ask for it anyway. But I didnt expect him to be the Magic Warrior Kings Successor. Hes really no joke.
What happened?
He provoked our young warriors. They couldnt take the beating and came to find me, but I couldnt even touch the hem of his shirt.
It was as expected.
He wasnt belittling the power of the Dark Elves, but they could not hope to defeat Ivan.
That man is a monster. I dont think even Chief Reeves would be able to face him in a head-on confrontation.
Camille shook her head for a moment before she looked at Frey again and asked.
So what would you like me to do?
Did you see the watchers who are looking over Ivan and me?
I did. It was embarrassingly easy to avoid their notice.
It was less than he expected.
Even Frey hadnt been able to identify just how many there were. As expected of a Dark Elf.
Please knock them out. Only until sunrise. Can you do that?
Its not difficult, but
Camille looked worried about something.
Frey immediately understood what it was that worried her.
I will take full responsibility. If something goes wrong and the High Elves accuse you, tell them that you were blackmailed.
Im sorry.
Theres no need to apologise. Just this much is already tremendously helpful.
He meant it.
Camille was staying with the High Elves as a guest. There was no way she would want to be put in a difficult situation.
She had already hardened her resolve and decided to help. In particular, not just anyone would be able to get rid of the eyes watching him in a stealthy manner.
This point was especially important since the Elves had extremely sensitive vision and hearing. sea??h th N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
This was something that only Camille, who had both stealth and skill, could easily accomplish.
Then, please.
Leave it to me.
Camilles figure disappeared.
Chapter 81 - Hruhiral (4)
Chapter 81 - Hruhiral (4) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
It hadnt been long since Oydin Predickwood became an Apostle. This meant that he hadnt made Nozdogs power completely his.
This was natural.
Apocalypses were much stronger than other Demigods. Moreover, even among the Apocalypses, Nozdogs power was the extremely dangerous and volatile power of death.
He knew that. After becoming an apostle, it was something he kept in mind.
Hed always treated his power carefully. However, there was something he didnt know.
In order to not be consumed by Nozdogs power, it was necessary to release the bloodlust that built up over time.
Kuk
Oydin groaned and clutched his head.
His eyes became bloodshot.
Its getting harder to suppress the bloodlust.
When he was outside the forest, he did not suffer from these symptoms because he could kill someone every day.
However, after returning to the Great Forest, he had no one to kill.
It had only been a few days, but it had already reached this state.
I want to kill.
No, he had to kill.
If he continued suppressing it, he felt like he would go crazy.
His vision became tinted red.
It didnt matter who it was. He wanted to kill someone.
He wanted to split their flesh, drain their blood, rip out their intestines and smash their bones to pieces.
Oydin scratched his shoulder crazily.
It was so violent that his skin split, and blood began flowing out.
However, the pain cooled his head.
Lets kill someone.
Oydin left his house the moment he made up his mind.
All he had to do was not use his divine power.
Of course, Oydin had the ability to kill someone and cover his tracks without having to use his divine power.
Then he saw a woman walking near the stream.
Oydin observed her from the side.
Her beautiful face was familiar, and after a moment, he realised who she was.
She was the girl who used to hang out with Snow a lot before she became the Queen.
Syax.
Oydin smiled as he whispered her name.
* * *
Hoo
Syax closed her eyes as she let out a sigh.
She was tired.
She didnt think shed slept more than five hours in the last few days.
This was a common occurrence while she was a Mercenary, but she hadnt expected to do it even after returning home.
Her body demanded rest.
I should call it a day.
It was late at night. It would be rude to visit someone at this time.
Just as she made up her mind and turned around.
Ah.
Someone was standing behind her. Syax froze for a moment.
Did I surprise you? Im sorry.
A soft voice was heard. At that moment, the clouds that were covering the moon shifted and illuminated the persons figure.
Seeing the exposed face, Syax sighed in relief.
It was Oydin Predickwood. He was one of the High Elf Elders and Snows older brother.
And he shared a very good relationship with Syax.
Mr. Oydin.
Mm. Hello.
Oydin gave her his usual bright smile.
At that moment, Syax froze for a moment. For some reason, she felt that something was out of place.
it must be an illusion.
What are you doing out here so late at night?
Ah, I guess you havent heard. But Ive brought two outsiders into the village. I have to deal with a few things while reporting on them
Outsiders?
Theyre helping me track down the necromancer that has been operating around the vicinity of the Great Forest recently.
Mr. Oydin?
Ah. Sorry. Im just a bit tired. so youre the one whos responsible for finding the necromancer.
It was a mission that Snow must have given her.
Syax nodded with a proud expression.
Thats right.
Have you gotten any clues?
No. Unfortunately
I see.
Crunch.
Oydin mumbled softly as he stepped closer to her.
When she saw this, the strange feeling she felt earlier became even clearer.
It was similar to the feeling she had when she was in danger.
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Oydin was one of the Elders who protected the village, and he had the noble blood of the Predickwood family flowing in his veins.
He was one of the Elves who worked harder than anyone else to maintain peace in the Great Forest.
Hed also had a close relationship with Syax for almost one hundred years.
In fact, when Syax was younger, she also considered Oydin to be her older brother. (Note: Oppa!)
Shed been shy, so she never showed it or said anything, but it was a thought that she had.
But what is this feeling?
While she tried to sort through her feelings, Oydin continued to approach her.
Syax stepped back subconsciously.
The cold water of the stream wet her ankles, but her spine was similarly cold.
Syax.
Just as Oydin whispered her name.
Splash.
Syax fell on her buttocks into the stream, causing water to splash up.
She hadnt fallen.
Someone had pulled her by the nape of her neck.
She saw a mans back.
It was a man with a large and muscular body that shed notice anywhere.
Ivan?
Yep.
Ivan swept his bangs while responding to her. It looked like he had just been washing his body as his hair was still wet.
Syax was confused and couldnt help but ask.
Whats this about?
What a rude way to talk to the person who just saved your life. Stop whining, and get out of here. I cant fight while taking care of you.
Fight
At that moment, Syax was startled as she suddenly felt a stinging pain in her cheek.
Her cheek had been cut, and blood was flowing from it.
Th-, this
Is that a spirit?
Ivan raised an eyebrow while asking this.
Beside Oydin was the blurry figure of a woman who had her eyes pointing at the ground.
Syax muttered in a low voice.
Stonia. A High-grade Wind Spirit
It was only then that she understood what was happening.
Oydin had tried to kill her with Stonias power.
If Ivan hadnt pulled her back at that moment, her head would have fallen to the ground.
Mr. Oydinwh-why
Oydin was still smiling.
He was smiling so brightly that his white teeth seemed to shine.
You should be one of the outsiders that Syax brought. I suppose you are also the Magic Warrior who has been destroying my undead.
Hoh. Your undead? Youre not even trying to hide it. Even if youre related to the Queen or whatever, its over motherfucker.
He said what he liked as though he didnt care that Syax could hear him.
Oydin laughed at Ivans words.
Did I say that? In any case, its your word against mine.
You dont seem to be very sane. Well. Thats okay. Let this old man help you with that. You should feel better after I hit you in the head a few times.
Crunch.
Didnt look sane?
Kuku.
Oydin let out a laugh.
That wasnt wrong.
He felt strangely excited.
His bloodlust soared.
He had come out to kill someone. He finally saw Syax, but when Oydin tried to kill her, he failed.
It was nothing to be happy about, but Oydin was happy.
Right. He was happy.
He felt an extremely strong sense of liberation that he had never felt in his life.
Oydin felt like the dark clouds in his heart had truly cleared at that moment.
HAHAHAHA!
He started laughing like a madman.
He understood why he felt so liberated.
It was because he had finally revealed his identity. And it was even in the place where he was born and lived for hundreds of years.
Good! Very good!
He had the blood of the Predickwood family, which made him a noble among High Elves, yet he wielded the power of a Demigod and defiled the world.
The feeling of immorality was so addictive that it seemed to paralyze his brain.
Oydin slowly looked around.
Lilund, the home of the High Elves. It was the most sacred place in the Great Forest as it sat atop the roots of Hruhiral.
I just got an interesting idea.
Purple energy began flowing from Oydins hand.
Ivan furrowed his eyebrows.
This bastard is planning on using his divine power.
It seemed he had truly decided to stop hiding his identity.
This was what Ivan wished to see, but he couldnt help the anxiety that filled his heart.
This guy was truly strong.
Hey, human. Do you know why the High Elves chose this place to start their village?
How would I know that.
Its because of Hruhiral. The World Tree that is connected to every tree in the Great Reynols Forest. Therefore, the Queen of the Forest would be able to immediately grasp the situation of the Great Forest simply by observing the World Tree. How many races reside here, if there are any invaders, if the forest is being polluted and to what extent
What are you talking about?
What I want to know is What would happen if the mother of this forest, Hruhiral, were to die?
!!!
Shock blossomed on Syaxs face.
She knew.
If Hruhiral died, then the entire Great Forest would die.
D-, do you know what youre saying?
Syaxs shock was natural.
For the Elves, Hruhiral was like a mother.
At least Syax had believed all the Elves thought so.
Regardless of whether they were the obvious High Elves or Wood Elves, even the highly aggressive Dark Elves, the seclusive Grey Elves or the Ice Elves who lived all the way in the Frozen Lands.
What was more shocking was the fact that these words had come from the lips of a noble Predickwood.
Of course I know. I know even better than you do. Im a Predickwood, after all.
Oydins body slowly began rising into the air as ferocious winds blew around him.
It was Stonias power.
This wasnt my original plan. I intended to just rest for a while before leaving. But Ive changed my mind. The Hiralgard are also away at the moment, which means there are no obstacles. Syax, listen to me carefully. Then pass what I say onto my sister.
Crack! Crack!
The ground began to crack, and undead began crawling out of the cracks.
Cold sweat dripped down Syaxs face.
Your one and only brother will transform the Great Forest into a land of death.
A ferocious light shined in Oydins eyes.
Syax looked at the undead and bit her lip.
These undead are much stronger than the ones we encountered before.
Could the village stop them?
No. It was no longer a question about whether they could stop them or not.
They had to stop them.
Even if they had to risk their lives!
What the hell? There arent any bodies here, so how can you make undead?
Ivan could not help but ask in confusion.
Oydin laughed.
You are misunderstanding something. I am not a necromancer. I am an Apostle with the power of death. Dont compare me to a simple necromancer.
Th-, that.
Oydin laughed and turned to Syax again.
I will slowly kill Hruhiral in this way. If I use all of my power, it will take about a week. Do your best to stop me.
Do you think we will just let you do as you please?
You can say that after youve defeated my friends.
Ivan laughed as he watched the undead, lust for battle practically flowing from his pores.
After playing with them for so long, these guys even became your friends.
Ivan clenched his fist before he froze for a moment and smiled.
My friends are better looking.
What?
Fwoom!
At that moment, a powerful firestorm appeared in front of Oydin, causing his expression to become stiff at the surprise attack.
Kuk!
Oydin shook his hand violently.
The nearby skeletons all hastily threw themselves to block the fire. But they were unable to block it completely.
Oydin threw himself back using Stonias power, his body rolling across the dirt floor.
Ivan laughed at this scene.
Am I late?
No, your timing was perfect.
Thats good.
Frey said this as he came to a stop beside Ivan.
He looked at Oydin with a sharp gaze.
I thought he was smart, but it turns out that he is quite stupid. Otherwise, he would never summon his undead in the middle of the village.
Well he certainly has a few screws loose. Are all Apostles like this?
I think so.
Lukes also didnt appear to be completely sane when he met him.
anyway, if I knew he was such an emotional guy, I wouldve provoked him from the start. Or maybe sneak attack him.
Well, it doesnt matter. We can just attack him now.
Ivan smiled viciously as a red haze seemed to rise up from his body. This was proof that hed entered full combat mode.
Oydin got up.
There were no injuries as hed only rolled across the dirt, but he looked at Frey with an expressionless face.
I see. So there were two outsiders? A First Class Magic Warrior and a powerful Wizardvery powerful indeed.
Oh oh. You still have time to run your mouth. It seems Ill have to fix that. Frey, Ill kill him.
No, wait.
Why?
Ivan was a little annoyed as his body longed to fight.
On the other hand, Frey was calmly observing Oydin.
By revealing himself in the Elven village, this showed that he had the confidence to win even if the entire village became his enemy.
Moreover, despite knowing how powerful Frey and Ivan were, he was still quite calm.
Paat.
Frey released the Great Sages Staff from its bracelet form.
This was an opponent that he needed to go all out against. Just as hed done against Lukes.
Then Oydin began to mutter.
I originally had a contract with the Wind Spirit King.
Although this was information that Frey had already received from Camille, it was still strange for him to bring it up here.
However, Frey still listened to him.
But the proud Spirit King could not stand the power dwelling in my body. As soon as it felt it, it terminated the contract. Kuku. Well, if your spiritual power is strong enough, you can take control of a Spirit and use it like a puppet.
Spirits have consciousnesses.
Frey knew this because the Darkming, the Spirit contracted to him, had its own distinct personality.
Mental domination. Oydinyou actually used the forbidden contract.
Anger was clear in Syaxs eyes.
It wasnt a contract between equals. Instead, it was a slavery contract.
Spirits were creatures that were born from and dwelled in nature. In a way, they could even be considered as nature in itself.
Naturally, Elves who loved nature would also love spirits.
It was unthinkable for them to use Spirits as tools. Furthermore, the act of forcing them to sign a contract and controlling their minds was considered extremely revolting.
At that moment, Syax realised that Oydin had truly thrown away his Elven nature.
The power of death is extremely powerful, but I still felt that it was lacking something. So I learned a new skill.
Oydin removed a dagger from his pocket and cut into his own palm.
Blood flowed from the injury and fell onto the ground.
Frey immediately realised the skill he learned.
A contract. You signed a contract with a Demon?
Theyre less resistant to the presence of Demigods. Unlike the spirits. Fortunately, Im talented with contracts.
A blood colored seal appeared on the ground.
Freys eyebrows furrowed as he saw this because the seal was familiar.
Seals shapes were not fixed and instead were dependent on the Demon being summoned.
And Frey knew the seal that Oydin was using well.
Are you going to summon Asura?
Oydin froze.
it seems you know a bit about Demons. But knowing wont change anything.
Frey lowered his staff as a weird light shined in his eyes.
Asura.
One of the three Demon Grand Dukes contracted to Iris Phisfounder.
If Oydin intended to summon him, then Frey would not stop him.
This could be an opportunity.
Chapter 82 - Hruhiral (5)
Chapter 82 - Hruhiral (5) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Sh*t. This is why I told you to let me kill him!
Ivan was clearly annoyed, but Frey ignored him as he observed the undead surrounding them.
His eyes then landed on Syax.
It seemed that she had finally grasped how horrible the current situation was.
Frey approached her while speaking.
Leave this to us. You need to go explain this situation to the Queen.
Huh? Explain this situation
How was she supposed to explain something like this?
Syaxs face suddenly darkened because she knew that she was the only one who could complete this task. Outsiders like Frey and Ivan would never be trusted enough.
Syax bit her lip before saying,
Ill be back soon. Ill be sure to bring reinforcements, so please hold on until then.
Syax left immediately.
Frey looked at the undead again.
They were stronger than the ones theyd encountered outside of the forest, but they werent much of a threat.
Stop hesitating so much! Theyre just a bunch of weak bastards!
Ivan roared and swung his fist in all directions.
Knife Fist.
He unleashed the ranged attack that turned the undead into powder, but the effect he saw was not what hed expected.
Ivans expression froze a bit.
These guys are tougher.
If the undead that theyd met outside the Great Forest were sand, then the ones in front of them now were rocks.
Far from turning them into powder, his attacks hadnt even been able to destroy any of them completely.
When some of them tried to put themselves back together, Ivan roared with anger.
Eat this, you boney bastards!
Fwoosh.
Red air came out of Ivans body, pushing back the skeletons that were trying to pick up their pieces.
Psss.
This time, the effect was much more obvious as numerous skeletons exploded into powder.
Frost Scream.
Bright light emerged from the tip of the Great Sages staff as Frey unleashed one of the spells hed stored.
A large piece of ice smashed many of the surrounding skeletons. However, Frey never took his eyes off of Oydin.
He was looking at him because he wondered when Oydin would be finished, but Oydin, who felt that he was checking because he was anxious, let out a loud laugh.
Its too late!
Woowoong.
He spat out a mouthful of blood onto the shining summoning circle.
The blood soaked into the ground, causing it to clump together and form various shapes. They were the lost souls of hell shedding bloody tears.
These souls simultaneously released a terrible scream.
Ahhhhh-
And Frey couldnt help but think that they were fortunate Syax had already left.
This was because anyone without a sufficiently strong will would go crazy simply from hearing that horrific scream.
Wooooh.
An ominous wind seemed to blow through the trees, causing the screams of the lost souls to stop.
A Demon slowly rose up from the summoning circle on the ground.
The first thing that appeared were two heads. Then, forearms thicker than trees began appearing one after the other.
The Demon had six such arms, each holding a different weapon.
Asura.
It was a moment when one of the six Archdukes of the Demon World once again appeared on the continent.
He was so large that one would feel suffocated just from looking at him.
Pak.
Ivan, who had just smashed a skeletons head, spat on the ground before saying.
This guy is way stronger than the high-ranking Demons I encountered before. Is he one of the Archdukes?
Thats right. Although I wasnt able to summon him in perfect condition.
Although Oydin said this, satisfaction was evident on his face.
It had only been three years since hed learned of the summoning method, but being able to summon an Archduke was clear evidence of his talent.
His smile became even more relaxed.
This is Asuraeven though the summoning was not perfect, he is still strong enough to easily get rid of you two. What do you think? Dont you think hes a suitable replacement for the Wind Spirit King?
Frey and Ivan didnt answer.
They mustve been terrified.
Oydin let out another laugh as he spread his arms.
Now! Asura! Kill them!
[]
Asura didnt move immediately and instead inspected his surroundings.
He looked at the surrounding forest, the stream and Hruhiral that stretched high into the sky.
There was a bit of discomfort in his gaze.
[is this the land of the Elves? To summon me to a place like this. You must be out of your mind.]
Wh-, what did you say?
[Your words are short. Be more polite, little Elf.]
huk!
As he said this, Asura turned his eyes to glance at Oydin.
Oydin, who was just about to speak, felt an incredible pressure in his heart and was forced to take a few steps back.
[If it wasnt for your talent, Id never have signed a contract with a youngling like you.]
Even though his words were insulting, Oydin didnt dare to refute them.
His back was wet with sweat.
[But its been a while since I had a vacation, so it feels pretty good. It would have been better if it wasnt the land of the Elves though.]
He felt his appetite stirring.
Asuras different faces each turned to face Frey and Ivan respectively.
The moment he met his gaze, Ivan felt his heart flutter subconsciously, and immediately, his pride flared up.
What are you afraid of, Ivan?!
Frey was even more shocked by the familiar gaze.
[Anyway, a contract is a contract. Should I kill these two humans?]
R-, right.
Oydin responded with a pale face.
Frey approached Asura.
Then he looked up at its faces before saying,
The Archduke of Demons and the ruler of the Slaughter Hell, Asura.
[Thats right, human Wizard. Do you intend to beg for your life?]
Not exactly.
[Hmm.]
Asura observed Frey closely.
Then, both of his heads tilted at the same time.
That look in his eyesI think Ive seen it before.
He couldnt remember it very well.
It was strange.
He would never forget such a unique human, and he didnt think hed met the one in front of him before.
It couldnt be possible either.
The humans that hed known before shouldve been nothing more than cold corpses by now.
Because they were only mortal.
I want to ask you something.
[Do you think I will give you an answer?]
[You should, Asura. Because you owe me.]
[?]
Conductive Sound.
No. Was it Telepathy?
Using Telepathy on a Demon.
This was the first timeno.
This was not the first time.
There had been a guy who did the same thing a long time ago.
Asura frowned at the memories that he could not recall completely.
[Pardon my manners, Asura.]
[What?]
It was at that moment.
The landscape around Asura suddenly changed. It transformed from the lush forest to a desolate hell filled with endless screaming.
It was the Slaughter Hell, his own territory
Asura realised that this was his Soul Space. And the man was still standing calmly in front of him.
His appearance was different from before, but Asura paid no attention to that.
[Youre a pretty ridiculous guy. Do you understand what youve just done?]
Asuras body grew to dozens of times larger than he had been before. Almost as if he was trying to pierce the sky with his size.
The fierce aura that exuded from his body also became many times stronger.
This was natural.
The body that had been summoned in the Great Forest could only use a portion of his true power.
However, this was his true form.
The true essence of the Demon known as Asura, the true monarch of the Slaughter Hell in the Demon World.
This is your Soul Space. With your power, it would not be difficult to erase my existence.
It was exactly as Frey said.
He was currently in his soul form, which meant that Asura could snuff out his existence without much effort.
In a sense, he had placed his bare neck against the tigers fangs.
No, it was much more dangerous than that.
[Why did you come here?]
I wanted to talk quietly with you.
[Just because of that?]
Asura let out a laugh.
[Ill admit, you are a very interesting human. However, thats all that you are. I have lied for thousands of years. Do you think Ive never met anyone who also pretended to be as bold as you?]
Asura lifted one of his weapons.
It was a hammer.
When Asura had grown to the size of a mountain, his weapons had grown with him.
The hammer in his hand was a mountain in its own right.
[Begone, mortal. I have nothing more to say to you.]
Then the hammer fell slowly, creating tremendous wind pressure.
The screams of the souls in the surroundings became even louder, as though they were screaming for him to kill Frey.
It was safe to say that if the hammer hit his soul, Frey would cease to exist.
However, Frey still remained calm.
I came here to receive the debt from a bet, Asura.
[]
The hammer stopped.
[Debt from a bet?]
I made a bet with you, and won. You promised me three favors to use at any time.
[]
Asura had a strange expression on his face.
[Was it a contract?]
It was.
[Theres only one person that I ever made such a contract with.]
It was about 4,000 years ago.
At that time, Asura hadnt yet become an Archduke, but he had power that was close to one. At least, he had the strength to defeat the Archduke who ruled over the Slaughter Hell at that time.
However, the Archduke of the Slaughter hell was not such a simple figure.
Therefore, Asura increased his power by signing contracts with mortals in the Middle Earth. (Note: the author used the exact same Middle Earth as in LoTR, so expect to meet Frodo soon ???)
Then he met a human.
A Wizard who was a friend of his contractor at that time, Iris.
He remembered him clearly because he was the one human who had the highest chance of crossing the transcendent boundary.
Lukas Trowman.
[Tell me what bet we made.]
Frey looked around.
Is this scene the Slaughter Hell?
[Thats right.]
Frey, who was silent for a moment, finally spoke.
I made it possible for you to view this landscape from the highest point.
[]
Asuras eyes suddenly glowed a bloody red.
Frey realised that he was using one of the powers Archdukes gained upon reaching their level.
The Essence of Man, the ability to view the soul.
Asura looked at Frey for a long time before bursting into maniacal laughter.
[Hahahaha! Hahahaha-!]
His mad laughter shook the Soul Space violently.
Even Frey had no choice but to cover his ears because of how loud the laugh was.
The lost souls also began screaming as though they were sharing their masters joy.
[Its really you. Kukuku! How interesting. I heard you died during a fight against Lord. Did you come back?]
Thats what happened. Sear?h the Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
[Butyoure ridiculously weak now.]
Thats none of your business. More importantly, are you more willing to answer my questions now?
[Of course. You deserve at least that much.]
The stronger the Demon, the more important the agreements, contracts or promised, and the weaker the Demon, the less likely they were to keep their promises.
There were even cases of them eating their contractors.
Asura had never been like that. This was one of the reasons that he was able to sit on the seat of Archduke.
For Demons, the only way for them to truly elevate themselves was by signing contracts.
Of course, they could still become stronger if they broke the contract or ate their contractor. It was not that hard.
This was why a majority of Demons could not resist the temptation and chose the easy way to become stronger.
Iris Phisfounder. I was told that she is still alive. Is that true?
[Thats right.]
Frey wasnt sure how to feel.
Hruhiral and Asura. Two transcendent beings had confirmed her survival.
Iris Phisfounder was truly alive, just like he was, somewhere on the continent.
I want to hear everything you know about Iris.
[Thats not difficult. But I find this really interesting.]
Interesting?
[Kuku]
[At the moment, I am no longer contracted to Iris.]
Did you end the contract?
[No. She was the one who ended it.]
Why?
[I guess she no longer had a need for my strength.]
He didnt understand.
Frey narrowed his eyes.
youre saying that she wouldnt need the power of the Ruler of the Slaughter Hell and one of the Six Archdukes of the Demon World?
[The power I can exert on the continent is limited anyway.]
When he heard the words that Asura said next, Frey felt his heart become heavy as though it was filled with lead.
[She must consider herself to be out of my league after spending thousands of years with the Demigods.]
Chapter 83 - Hruhiral (6)
Chapter 83 - Hruhiral (6) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Are you certain that Iris joined hands with the Demigods?
[Thats how it appeared to me. There was one time that Iris summoned me, but when I finally arrived, I was met with quite the surprise. The Lord of the Demigods was standing right beside her.]
Hed seen her standing with none other than Lord.
Frey had no choice but to accept the truth.
[It wasnt just me either. Barbaros and Zefar were there too. Kuku! It was certainly rare for three Archdukes to gather in one place. Only Iris, who had a once in a thousand year talent, could do itbut.]
She never summoned you to fight. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
[Right. Because our power is very limited on the continent. I dont know what exactly happened after the war, but I think Iris made some kind of deal with Lord.]
A deal? What deal?
[Im not sure. But it seemed she didnt want to fight a losing battle against Lord, so she wanted to negotiate more favorable conditions.]
When did that happen?
[It wasnt long after you disappeared. So about 4,000 years ago.]
Iris, no.
Schweiser and his other friends seemed to have guessed that Lord was the reason behind his disappearance.
Lord did not leave any trace of his actions, but in truth, the fact that there were no traces was the best piece of evidence.
What Asura was talking about happened right after Frey had been trapped in the Abyss.
Schweiser thought that Iris had gone into hiding at that time because she could not handle Lukas death.
But that wasnt the case.
It seemed Iris was moving alone to achieve some sort of goal.
[Iris changed a lot since you disappeared. It used to be hard to guess what she was thinking, but it became impossible. However, she didnt go crazy. Thats for sure. Ive seen enough crazy humans to tell the difference.]
[Anyway, after her deal with Lord, she began working with the Demigods.]
Is it possible that they controlled her mind? Or threatened her?
[I dont know about threats, but it wasnt mind control. Im not sure if theres anything that could subdue her mind in the first place.]
Frey agreed.
No matter how powerful the Demigods were, Iris spiritual power was not something to be trifled with.
All five heroes, including Frey, were masters of their respective fields, which meant that their mental states were far beyond the capacity of normal humans.
In particular, Iris was a witch who specialised in Demon contracts, so her resistance to mental attacks was much stronger than the others.
[Over time, the frequency with which she summoned me began to lessen, and then she suddenly ended the contract a few hundred years ago. Without even the slightest explanation. I heard the same thing happened to Barbatos and Zefar.]
Asuras lips curled upward.
[Zefar was extremely offended by that, and he hasnt signed any contracts with mortals since then. Hes quite narrow-minded.]
is that all you know?
[Thats right. Nowait.]
Asura seemed to think about something for a moment before opening his mouth.
[Irisseemed to be searching for something.]
Looking for something? Like what?
[That human. The one with white hair and golden eyes. His name was]
Schweiser Strow.
Asura nodded as Frey supplied him with the name.
[Right. That was the name. The one who was called the Great Sage. Iris seemed to be looking for his inheritance.]
Schweisers inheritance?
[Right. I heard her muttering about finding a core or something.]
!
Core.
The only thing that Frey could think about at that moment was Anastasia, Schweisers magnum opus.
A Golem core that stored a whopping 1 million ME.
Iris knows about Anastasia?
He didnt know why Iris was looking for a core. However, if he was able to complete Anastasia, he felt like hed be able to understand why.
Anastasia would have the answers to most of his questions.
Im running out of time.
Frey realised once again that he did not have the time to relax and enjoy a slow pace.
[Is that all you wanted to know?]
Yes.
[Good. You still have two more requests. Tell me what you want.]
Frey pondered for a moment before asking.
Can you kill Oydin?
[Impossible.]
Asura shook his heads.
[Id never do something demeaning. Im not bragging or anything, but Ive never harmed my contractors. No matter how many favors I owe you, its not something I will do.]
It was a pity, but he knew he was asking for too much.
Then what about returning to the Demon World without listening to Oydins orders?
[Thats easy enough.]
Doing that alone was quite easy.
Although his current strength in the outside world wasnt complete because of the faulty summoning, he was still not something that Frey and Ivan were capable of handling on their own.
[Then theres one more.]
could you sign a contract with me?
With you?
Asura spoke in a surprised voice.
[Didnt you say before that you werent interested in signing contracts with Demons?
Im no longer in a position where I can pick and choose as I like. I have to use every option available.
It was clear to him that a contract with Asura would be of great help to him. Although his powers were restricted on the continent, the power of an Archduke was not something that could be ignored.
Asura looked at him with a slightly weird expression.
[Do you still intend to kill all the Demigods on the continent?]
That is my only purpose in life.
[Kukuku!]
It was a clear voice filled with determination, and Asura could not help the laughter that escaped his lips.
Demigods.
They were transcendent beings who were practically the rulers of Middle Earth.
If a Demigod appeared in the Demon World, Asura would not be afraid of them.
Each of the six Archdukes, who each ruled over a hell, was no less powerful than the Demigods.
In fact, it was safe to say that they were stronger than the Demigods, excluding Lord and the Apocalypses.
Thats why Freys existence was so interesting.
Compared to Demigods, humans were insignificant beings.
Yet one of these insignificant creatures had declared that they would annihilate the Demigods.
And it wasnt the case where this man was ignorant of the Demigods power. Instead, he was probably someone who had more knowledge about the Demigods strength than anyone else in the world.
Nevertheless, he didnt hesitate to fight back. Even when he was afraid, he struggled to overcome it.
Asura realised exactly what Frey was.
[You are a true warrior.]
Im a Wizard.
[I mean your fighting spirit, you fool.]
It had been a long time since hed been called a fool.
Asura let out a hearty laugh.
[Fine. Ill sign a contract with you. You dont have much talent, but I will do it because of our agreement. Kuku. You will be my most interesting contractor since Iris.]
Woowoong.
Blood-colored patterns began forming in front of Asura, and when Frey took a closer look, he realised it was the summoning circle used to summon him.
[This is my summoning circle. Make sure you memorise it well so you can summon me when you get the time. We will form the contract then.]
Got it.
Asuras figure slowly began to blur.
Frey wasnt surprised at all. After all, this was a phenomenon that he had already witnessed once that day.
His soul began leaving Asuras Soul space.
And just before he left completely, Frey heard Asura mutter under his breath.
[What an interesting human]
* * *
Frey blinked.
He had returned to reality.
They had spoken for a long time in the Soul Space, but only a few seconds had passed in reality. (Note:so why did he spend half a day with Hruhiral then?)(YH: author wont reveal naughty things)
Asura looked at Oydin and said.
[Im heading back.]
Wh-, what did you say? What are you talking about?! I summoned yo
[So noisy.]
Asura swung his arm. The sword in his hand twisted and barely missed Oydin.
Crack! Crack!
Crash!
urk!
Hundreds of trees behind Oydin were swept away in an instant.
With only the wind pressure released from his lazily swung blade, even the heavy forest trees that were deeply rooted in the ground were sent flying.
[You should be more concerned about whether youll survive tonight, puppet.]
?
Puppet?
Gurgle
While Frey was trying to decipher the meaning behind those words, Asuras body transformed into blood and fell to the ground, soaking it once more.
Ivan, who was unsure of what was going on, could only ask with a confused expression on his face.
What the hell? Why did he just leave? Frey, what did you do?
All he knew was that Frey spoke to Asura.
He was asking because this guy looked innocent, but he knew that Frey had something to do with what happened.
Well. Its a good thing for us in any case.
That but something doesnt feel right.
Lets focus on Oydin first. Just because Asura is gone doesnt mean we can defeat him.
Freys expression was a bit strange.
He looked at Oydin while pondering the words Asura had said while leaving.
Oydin trembled.
I, I dont believe this! Bullsh*t! H-, heclearly said that I could use Asura to avert any crisis!
Now that he thought about it, there was something he couldnt understand.
Who taught Oydin how to summon Asura?
It could be Iris.
He couldnt let a clue about her slip away.
Oydin looked exhausted, but he didnt let his guard down. Because he still had his divine power.
Uahhh!
Crack.
The ground split apart, and undead began appearing once again.
This time, there were many more of them, but there were four Death Knights at the front who stood apart from the group.
They all wore blood red armor.
Ivan, watch out for those guys with red armor at the front.
What are they?
Bloody Knights.
Huh?
in short, they are a higher ranking undead than Death Knights. They have a more developed combat ability compared to Death Knights.
Uhso theyre basically just sturdier punching bags?
Frey opened his mouth before closing it again.
Ivan shouldnt die at his level.
Then he turned back to Oydin.
He was flying in the sky on the back of a Bone Drake hed summoned.
Did he intend to run away?
But he was acting strangely.
Ivan, can I ask you a favor?
Go ahead.
After seeing Ivan snort, Frey covered him in some strengthening spells. They wouldnt help him much, but it was better than nothing.
Ivan smiled as he saw his faintly glowing body.
This is nice.
Be careful. They arent easy to handle.
Got it.
Frey flew up with a flight spell and shot after Oydin.
The Drake was flapping furiously as it headed towards its destination without looking back.
It didnt take long for Frey to realise where Oydin was headed.
The top of Hruhiral.
Oydin landed there before turning around to glare at Frey.
Anger and hatred were clear in his eyes.
Who the hell are you? And what trick did you use against Asura?
Its pointless to tell you since you will die here.
You can try!
Oydin shook his hand.
The Bone Drake shot forward with a loud roar.
Thud!
Then the body of the Drake that was rushing towards Frey froze in a block of ice and fell to the ground.
Eeeek!
Oydin shook his hand again, and purple energy began to flow from it.
Undead began to rise from the branches of the World Tree, and upon seeing this, Frey couldnt help but say.
I also have a question.
Shut up! (Note: how rude)
The undead began rushing toward him.
However, Frey quickly understood that Oydin was no threat to him.
Was it because Oydin had been weakened?
If so, then why was he so weak? Was it because he expended a lot of energy to summon Asura? Or was it because of the Bone Drake and Bloody Knights he just summoned?
It was possible since summoning Asura consumed a large amount of energy.
After all, summoning an Archduke was no easy task.
If another Archduke other than Asura had been summoned, then everyone in the village including Frey and Ivan would have had to risk their lives to force it back.
There was only one thing that Frey was curious about.
Why was Oydin investing so much energy into tricks like summoning Demons despite being an Apostle?
Crack! Crack!
All the undead became frozen and shattered.
Oydins gestures became more frantic. However, in contrast to Oydin, Freys facial expression became.
A haze of icy air seemed to come from his body.
Nozdog has control over the power of death. Yet you seem to only have the ability to summon undead.
This is the power of death! I, I control death!
This is just necromancy. I dont understand. Are you really Oydin?
Whatwhat are you talking about?
Crack.
The sound of Frey stepping on a piece of ice was particularly loud.
Oydin, who received his sharp gaze, shivered subconsciously.
You, are you even an Apostle?
Chapter 84 - Hruhiral (7)
Chapter 84 - Hruhiral (7) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Among the Apostles, there are those who are able to hide their divine power. The Apostles of the mighty Demigods, who the Circle calls the Apocalypses, and Lord.
That was the information he received from Riki.
Riki claimed to have betrayed the Demigods, but Frey didnt really believe him.
So naturally, he wouldnt just take his words at face value.
He believed the story about the Demigods hibernation because he had seen Indras severed head with his own eyes.
However, the phrase Apocalypses Apostles could hide their divine power was different.
He had ample reason to doubt it.
Asura called Oydin a puppet.
He didnt know exactly what he meant by that. However, it made Freys question implicitly clear.
The power that Oydin showcased was in no way threatening.
In fact, Frey had never felt any threat to his life since encountering the man.
To put it bluntly, the effort that he needed to exert paled in comparison when compared to Lukes, Indras Apostle.
Besides, the depth of his ability was too shallow. It was too meager for him to believe it was the power of death.
Otherwise, why would he be so willing to summon a Demon while being able to utilise divine power?
All of this brought one question to his mind.
Is Oydin really the Apostle?
Frey walked toward Oydin, whose cold, sweat-covered arms were shaking.
A-, Apostle? Did you ask if I was an Apostle? Obviously! I. I am Lord Nozdogs Apostle!
Ive heard about Nozdog before.
Nozdog, the Demigod with the power of death.
There was a fair amount of information about him in the Circle.
This was natural. After all, the Circle had once led a punitive expedition against him. And the result was a disastrous defeat.
The Trowman Rings, who had power comparable to the Three Great Circles, headed on a downward spiral following the deaths of the Circle Master and many key circle executives, and although it wasnt as much, the other circles also suffered heavy damage.
Its not just about bringing the dead back to life. It was said that he always had a purple mist surrounding his body. If anyone who was not strong enough inhaled this mist, they would die instantly.
K-, kuh.
It wasnt just that either. With just a touch, he had the power to melt skin and flesh from bone, and he could create ghosts that couldnt be defeated through normal means. You are an Apostle, so it is impossible for you to have all of his power. However, even if we take that into account, you are still too weak.
Frey looked at the undead around him.
Look at this. Oydin, look at the undead that you summoned. Is this all the power you have? The power of the Death Apocalypses Apostle?
U-, uh
Oydin shivered.
The man before him was calling him weak. Originally, he would not have expected it just because he said it. sea??h th N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Buthe knew that this man was stronger than him.
[Im sorry. But this is a choice that you will regret for your entire life.]
The voice of the Wind Spirit King appeared in his mind at that instant.
At the time, he had only scoffed at her words, but now, he felt somewhat uneasy, as if her prediction was about to be proven.
Was Nozdog really tricking him?
NozdogLord Nozdog!
Oydin cried out his name.
At that moment, divine power erupted from his left eye, and purple smoke began spewing from it.
Pshhk.
Artificial eye? Is that the medium?
The plume of smoke rose into the air before taking shape.
Frey was dumbfounded.
He had not expected him to contact his Demigod in such a situation. However, Oydin was already unable to think clearly.
He looked up at the sky with a desperate expression. He looked towards the only one who would be able to assuage his doubts.
That being stood high in the sky, looking like a god of death at that moment.
It was a skeleton with pure white bones wearing a sharply contrasting black robe. (YH: Overlord?!)
Even Frey felt his heart shake when he looked into the green fires that burned within the skeletons eye sockets.
Cold sweat began forming on his forehead.
Thats Nozdog.
He realized it immediately.
The power of the being in front of him reminded him of Riki.
He already found it difficult to breathe just by looking at the image in front of him, which wasnt even the main body.
[What is it?]
Please tell me. Lord Nozdog! Am I really not your Apostle?
[]
Th-, this guy said that I was too weak! Is he telling the truth? He must be spouting nonsense, right? I I am Lord Nozdogs Apostle, arent I? Ha, haha!
Nozdog looked at Oydin, who was laughing awkwardly.
His gaze could be predicted by the movement of the fires in his eye sockets.
So when Nozdogs gaze turned to him, Frey stepped back and raised his guard.
[I didnt expect Oydins identity to be revealed so quickly. Interesting. How did you find out?]
It was a questioning tone.
Frey realised that Nozdog was curious as to how hed learned of this.
Because of the traces that were left around the Great Forest.
[You felt it? Youre quite sensitive for a human. There are a few people like that. But even then, it would not be so fast.]
What are you trying to say?
[The traitor.]
Frey sincerely felt that it was fortunate Ivan wasnt with him at the moment. Otherwise, if that simple guy heard Nozdogs words, he would have reacted as though they had already been caught.
Frey wouldnt make such a rudimentary mistake.
He simply looked up at Nozdog with an expressionless face, as if to ask what nonsense he was talking about.
Nozdog stared at his face.
Then the pure white head of the skeleton tilted to the side.
[Thats rightI would expect no less from someone who realised that Oydin was not actually my Apostle. As expected, this little ploy attracted enough attention.]
this bastard.
Was the undead plague that had been unleashed on the Great Reynols Forest simply bait to lure out the Demigods traitor?
No, it wasnt just that.
Frey looked at Oydin, who was staring at Nozdog with a horrified expression on his face, once again.
I see.
From the start, Oydins purpose had only been to serve as bait.
He wasnt sure exactly how it was possible, but he couldnt just ignore this chance.
If he poked at him a bit, he should be able to get a reaction of some kind.
I dont know what youre talking about. This is my first time talking to a Demigod, but you talk a lot more than I expected.
[]
Nozdog observed the human in front of him.
He had been alive for tens of thousands of years, and it was not a hard task for him to understand the thoughts of mortals.
After asking a question that he determined to pierce the core of what he wanted to know, he would immediately be able to know the truth from even the slightest reaction.
That was why he had responded to Oydins call so quickly.
He was sure that if someone who was able to force Oydin into a corner, to the extent that he would call for him, appeared, they would definitely be connected to the traitor.
But somehow, he was unable to read anything.
How perplexing.
This was something that Nozdog had not felt in over ten thousand years.
He could not tell what this man before him was thinking.
If other Demigods heard him say that, they mightve burst into laughter, but it was the truth.
He, who had lived for tens of thousands of years couldnt read the intentions of a man who had not even lived 100 years?
That makes it even more suspicious.
Oydin slowly stepped forward.
Lord Nozdogplease answer me. I threw away everything. You cant do this. Pleaseam I just a puppetno. I, am I
[Youre not a puppet.]
Nozdog shook his head.
When he heard this, Oydins eyes lit up.
Do youreally mean that? Then I am really you
[Youre not my Apostle. You were just bait. And.]
Nozdog pointed a boney finger at Oydin.
[Theres no reason to keep the bait alive when it failed to catch the fish.]
Uhurk
Oydins body began to melt.
First, his hair fell out. Then his skin flowed down like water, and his eyes fell out.
Oydins appearance, which was even more gorgeous than Perans, disappeared in an instant.
U-, u-, urkugh!
He tried to catch his melting skin, but it was impossible.
His hands had also melted, revealing his white bones.
Ahno wa
Those were Oydins final words.
Puk.
His body collapsed in a pile.
Hed died in vain.
Frey felt a little empty inside because he had been prepared to risk his life against him.
He turned to Nozdog once again.
It might have been because of Oydins death, but his figure had begun to blur.
[Circle. Its definitely starting to become a pain. And if the traitor is intending to cooperate with youit will become even more annoying.]
He muttered softly as he disappeared.
[Even if we have to pay a price, itll be better to wipe it out completely.]
With those words, Nozdogs image vanished completely.
Frey looked up at the sky. It was still the dark nights sky.
He really wanted to see the crescent moon that was hidden behind the clouds. But there was something he needed to do first.
I think you can come out now.
After he said that, someone finally appeared.
Frey turned around.
White hair that seemed to glow in the dark and skin that was even whiter than that.
She smiled gently with her destructively beautiful face.
Snow De Predickwood
The Queen of the Elves and Oydins sister.
How did you know?
You mean after you purposefully revealed your presence?
Frey didnt speak politely, and Snow did not show any displeasure because of that.
Instead, she looked at Frey with a curious expression on her face.
Hmm.
Her aura was very different from the last time they met.
At that time, her body seemed to exude the nobility and grace that one would expect from a Queen, but now, it was like she was a completely different person.
In fact, she even looked a little cheerful.
Her gaze turned to Oydins corpse, which was in a pool of blood in front of Frey.
So this is how it ended.
Thank you. For putting my foolish brother to rest. Originally, it was something I intended to do with my own hands.
was this her true appearance?
The way she spoke didnt change much, but her expression was completely different.
You knew that this man was a Demigods subordinate?
Thats right.
Snow nodded and touched her slender waist, causing Frey to notice the sword that was holstered there.
How? Did Hruhiral tell you?
No. Hruhiral does not say anything about them.
then.
It was the one who told you about Oydins identity.
Riki?
Riki was the one who told her?
Why?
Frey remained expressionless, hiding the agitation he felt inside. It was possible that she was lying just to get information from him.
However, after hearing what Snow had to say next, he knew that she wasnt.
Demigod Riki with the power of the sword. Rest assured, Wizard Frey. You and I are on the same side.
Who are you?
Snow Predickwood, Queen of all Elves. But that isnt what you want to know, is it?
Snow laughed, revealing her white teeth.
As for my identity, I will tell you when the Magic Warrior Kings successor joins us. For now, we should head down. Theres something we need to deal with.
What do we have to deal with?
My brothers final struggle.
The moment she smiled and spoke bitterly, divine power began to pour out of Oydins corpse.
Hes already dead, so how is this happening?
As he thought this, Frey prepared his mana.
Snow muttered while slowly pulling out her sword.
I tried to kill Oydin outside of the Great Forest because I was afraid something like this would happen. But it is inevitable now as his evil plan has already been exposed.
Snow pointed to Oydins body.
Nozdog planted seeds into Oydins body as he killed him. He intends to make use of the divine power still within it, and something really troublesome will come out.
Chh.
Oydins blood began to clump together. Then it flew toward Frey at a tremendous speed.
Frey used Blink to escape the blood.
However, the blood continued and fell from the tree as though Frey had not been its target in the first place.
That was it?
Look down, and youll understand.
Frey stood on the edge of the branch and looked down at the village.
Chapter 85 - Clean Up (1)
Chapter 85 - Clean Up (1) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
As he looked down from Hruhiral, Freys expression became strange.
A gigantic magic circle had been drawn on the ground.
The magic circle, which could be seen clearly even from the top of Hruhiral, was emitting an ominous, bloody light, similar to Asuras circle. However, the pattern was different. Sar?h the N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
He used Oydins blood as a medium to summon something.
Its huge. Maybe even a Dragon might come out of it.
Rooooaaar!
At that moment, a Dragon made entirely out of pure, white bones, stepped out of the magic circle.
Its eye sockets lit up as a ferocious roar tore through the forest. (Note: if this doesnt wake those elves upnothing will)
Snow let out a cheerful laugh.
A word can become a seed. This proverb seems to represent this situation quite well.
Well then
Snow covered her face with a wooden mask.
It wasnt any ordinary mask.
Instead, the moment she put it on her face, her appearance began to change.
Her white hair became black, and her noble and mysterious aura faded.
A magic tool?
Its called Jenkis Mask. Because my normal appearance is too eye-catching.
I suppose you dont want to reveal your identity.
Right. Its not yet time.
Frey nodded.
If you help me, Ill be able to stop the Dragon.
Thats a weird thing to say. The Great Forest is the home of the Elves, so arent you the one helping? Thank you in advance.
He could feel that she was smiling behind the mask just by looking at her eyes.
What she said did make sense.
It seemed that Snow was someone who liked having conversations, but now was not the time to chat.
Roooaaar-
The Bone Dragon caused a large commotion.
In that short moment, it had already uprooted countless trees, and deep scars marked the ground.
After looking at each others eyes for a moment, Frey and Snow lept from the tree at the same time, completely in sync.
* * *
Fuck this!
Ivan swore loudly.
Anyone would react in the same way if a gigantic skeleton Dragon appeared from out of the ground.
Whats more, hed had a hard time defeating the Bloody Knights and had finally gotten the chance to take a breather.
I thought this would happen
Syax was sad as she saw the destruction being wrought upon the forest.
From the moment the Dragon appeared, it had already smashed dozens of trees, and the destruction seemed far from over.
It was a truly heartbreaking sight for Elves.
This was true for the Elves she brought as reinforcements as well.
Wind Spirit!
Lend me your strength!
The Elves began using all of their means to desperately attack the Bone Dragon, but they failed to produce any results.
The Dragons bones were too hard, and its magic resistance too strong.
Someone couldnt help but mutter.
I cant believe the Hiralgard isnt here at a time like this
They would not have been this desperate if the Hiralgard had not left the village for a mission.
Most of the High Elves outstanding warriors were a part of that group.
It was then.
Crack!
Ivans fist smashed the Dragons bones, causing the eyes of all the Elves that saw this to widen dramatically.
This was because the Dragons bones, which they had been unable to damage, even after trying their best, were smashed so easily.
However, Ivans expression crumpled.
I used up too much of my strength. Its not like I cant damage it but I wont be able to last for much longer.
Tat.
Then Frey and Snow fell from the sky and landed beside him.
Ivan clenched and unclenched his fist as he threw a glance towards them.
It would be different with that guy around.
What about Oydin?
Dead. Now, all we need to do is clean up the aftermath.
You say that like its as easy as flipping a palm. That monster wont be easy to beat.
But we have to anyway.
As snow spoke in a bright tone, Ivan tilted his head slightly.
Whos this chick?
A partner. Not completely trustworthy.
Youre too much. Couldnt you introduce me more warmly?
Frey didnt pay attention to her joke. It wasnt a situation where they could afford to play around.
Snow grumbled as she tightened the grip on her sword.
Hes loud, but hes not that much of a threat. The three of us should be enough.
fine.
Lets get to it.
Frey, Ivan and Snow looked up at the Dragon, and maybe it felt their gazes, because the forest was once again shaken by a loud roar.
* * *
Youre late, Riki.
A gloomy and unpleasant voice sounded out.
It sounded like someone was scratching the bark of an old tree with their nails, but it was a voice that hed heard countless times before.
Riki turned his head calmly without even the slightest twitch of an eyebrow.
It was a hideous old man who sat slouched in a chair. He had numerous age spots on his face, a bulbous, aquiline nose, hazy eyes and messy hair.
Even if one tried to find something good in his appearance, it would be impossible.
Youre early, Ananta.
Kukukuku. Same old, same old.
Riki sat down after taking a look at Ananta, who was laughing in the darkness.
He wasnt as late as he made it seem.
Apart from him, there were three others there. And they were still waiting for two more to join them.
Wasnt Nozdog the one who called us here today?
This time, it was a bubbly voice.
Demigod Leyrin, who had gray hair, put her chin on her hand as she spoke in a bored manner.
This is a special occasion. I cant believe that Nozdog, who is the most taciturn after Riki, actually called a meeting.
There must be something important to discuss.
It was a Demigod with hair that looked like fire.
Leyrin looked at him before saying.
Agni, did you make an Apostle yet?
Not yet.
Arent you a little too late? Lord said that everyone should bring an Apostle to the next meeting. He said hed check each and every one of us.
I will make one in time. Dont worry.
Youre such a pain in the neck. Fine, I wont worry. Youre on your own.
Leyrin frowned and waved her hand a few times.
It was then.
[It seems I am the last one.]
The void split, and with a gloomy voice, Nozdog appeared.
His skeletal appearance stood out a lot among the group of Demigods.
Lords not here yet?
[Lord wont be coming this time.]
What? I wanted to see his face after such a long time.
Leyrin leaned over the table with a sad expression on her face. However, her grumbling ended there as it was a common occurrence.
After all, Lord was busier than the five of them combined.
So? Why did you call us here, Nozdog?
[Im sure youve already guessed the reason for this meeting. At this point, theres only one thing that would warrant such an urgent meeting.]
Ananta let out a low laugh before saying.
You discovered a clue about the traitor.
[Thats right.]
Nozdog nodded and observed these people whom hed known for tens of thousands of years.
Hed deliberately spoken publicly about the traitor, but no one had any noticeable reactions.
He didnt expect to see any anyway.
If he could have found out who it was with only so few words, then they would have been captured already.
He wasnt even sure that the traitor was an Apocalypse in the first place.
Nozdog still found it unbelievable.
Was there really a traitor among their people?
Theirs was not a bond that was bound by a few years or decades as those among mortals.
They had been together for thousands and even tens of thousands of years.
Their minds were already entangled like webs down to the deepest depths, reaching to the point where they even shared feelings and emotions.
Nevertheless, the fact that they had been unable to find the traitor meant that they were extremely adept at controlling their emotions.
Therefore, in order to find the traitor, they must first break their composure.
Thats easy to say.
He knew how difficult such a task was since even he himself would not so much as twitch an eyebrow if something were to not go as he wanted.
Huh? Really? Yay! So we can finally get rid of that ungrateful bastard?
[No. I only have a clue. We still dont know who it is.]
Hmm. I see.
Leyrin.
At first glance, one might think from her actions that she was quite expressive. However, her insides were colder than ice.
Nozdog continued speaking without paying much attention to her outburst.
[I created several Apostles and scattered them across the continent.]
You made several Apostles? Thats possible?
[It would be impossible if they were all the real thing. But except for the real one, the rest are just trash who cant even properly use the bit of power I gave them.]
I see. So theyre bait.
[Thats right. And one of them, whom I planted near the Great Reynols Forest, died.]
The Great Forestthats near where Riki stays.
The Demigods eyes all turned to Riki. Though no one looked at him openly with suspicious gazes, it didnt make it any better.
Riki simply nodded.
There were some undead around the area.
[Riki, you said you made an Apostle a while ago.]
Is there a problem with that?
[Its not that. Its justhavent you hated interacting with mortals since that incident 4,000 years ago?]
As he said this, Nozdog turned to Riki.
[That human country you destroyed. What was the name again]
Icollium. (Note: )
Riki said the name for him.
Nozdog, no. Every Demigod seated there felt his emotions fluctuate slightly.
However, it was not suspicious. They all knew that Riki had been greatly impressed by the man hed fought there.
It was called Icollium. Nozdog, I wonder why youre suddenly bringing up that story.
[Its because Im curious as to why you would suddenly make an Apostle,]
Lord said to make one. It was in preparation for the meeting.
[]
He wasnt wrong, but Nozdog was a little suspicious.
The only ones who could get away with disobeying Lords orders were the five seated in this room.
And among those here, Riki especially had numerous conflicts with Lord.
It was slightly suspicious that Riki so obediently followed Lords orders.
Leyrin spoke with a bored expression still on her face.
Alright, thats enough. Tell us what clues youve found.
[The dummy Apostles I made also had the ability to hide their divine power. This means that unless they revealed their power first, those troublesome pursuers from the Circle would never be able to find them. Only a Demigod would be able to see through it.]
Then
[For now, the more suspicious are the ones who reside near the Great Forest.]
For a moment, silence descended upon the room.
Finally, Agni said.
Does that include Riki?
[Thats right.]
Agnis expression became slightly strange.
In truth, he still didnt believe that there was a traitor among the Demigods. And even if it were true, he did not believe it would be one of the five.
[If we consider the range of a Demigods perception, then four people, including Riki, are the main suspects. Lord will speak directly to the four of them during the meeting in three months time. Riki, you are no exception.]
Ill keep it in mind.
Riki nodded calmly without showing any reactions.
Nozdog looked at him for a moment before speaking.
[Everyone must bring their Apostles to the meeting. However, we should consider alternatives to hide their appearances. Our Apostles identities are our weak points as long as we dont know who the traitor is.]
Everyone nodded.
The meeting was important for the Demigods, but it was also an opportunity that the traitor would not dare to pass up.
The Apocalypses Apostles were particularly well hidden, so they would participate in the meeting just to learn their identities.
Then, Ill see you there.
Leyrin was the first to leave, followed by Ananta, Agni and finally Nozdog.
Riki was the only one left in the dark room.
Hmmm
He tapped on the arm of his chair, deep in thought.
As it is my plan wont work.
If he was to take his real Apostle, then Nozdog was bound to be suspicious.
He had made a blunder, so to speak.
However, he could use the method Nozdog mentioned and use someone who wasnt his Apostle to fool Lord.
Its difficult. Its a really difficult problem.
But it wasnt impossible.
Rikis murmur echoed in the dark room.
Chapter 86 - Clean Up (2)
Chapter 86 - Clean Up (2) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Syax was dumbfounded by the sight in front of her.
The Bone Dragon, a monster powerful enough to be considered the Lord of undead.
It was the first time Syax was seeing one in person, but from the knowledge that she had gained, she knew how ridiculously powerful it was.
When the Bone Dragon first appeared from the bloody summoning circle, Syax believed that the villages destruction was inevitable.
And she was not alone.
The majority of the Elves thought so too.
Neither their spells, spirits nor weapons had been able to so much as scratch the Dragons bones.
Thats why the sudden appearance of people, who suddenly began fighting the Dragon, was like the arrival of a team of heroes to the Elves.
Crack, crack.
Suddenly, hundreds of ice spikes filled the sky, causing Syaxs jaw to drop.
So many ice spikes were created in an instant
It was clear who had cast the spell. Because there was only one Wizard in the village who mightve been able to utilize such powerful magic.
Frey.
Moreover, she didnt just focus on the scale of the attack.
The movement of the Dragon made it tricky to deal damage to it while minimizing the destruction of the village.
!
Syax shuddered.
Freys skill was phenomenal. It was beyond amazing.
Syax was perhaps the only one among the Elves present who could truly understand how shocking the sight before them was.
Archmage.
Frey was definitely an Archmage.
Syax finally realised the weight of the word at that very moment.
She could see it clearly.
An image of the entire battlefield was in Freys mind at that moment. On it were the positions of every ally, enemy and civilian that were present, and by using that image, he was able to think of ways to combine dozens of spells, and he was able to pinpoint the right places to release them.
But it wasnt just Frey who was amazing.
Kuhh!
A man roared as he charged toward the Bone Dragon, his lion mane-like hair blowing fiercely in the wind.
Boom!
His fist struck the Dragons leg with a loud sound.
Considering the Bone Dragons size, such an attack should have been akin to being bitten by a mosquito. However, the result was the opposite.
Crack!
The Bone Dragons front paw was smashed, and the giant monster staggered backward.
The bones of this large Dragon, which had not been scratched by the Elves attacks, shattered like glass.
A-, amazing.
They are?
Then someone appeared behind the Dragon and swung their sword at the Dragons remaining foot.
Kak!
The forefoot was cut off easily, revealing a clean cut.
Aht!
Th-, that lady!
The High Elves simultaneously revealed expressions of relief.
They soon cheered with their arms raised in the air.
They immediately recognized the masked, black-haired swordswoman.
I-, its Swordna!
Hiralgards Swordna is here!
* * *
Its loud, but its not that much of a threat.
Snows judgement had been accurate.
As she said, they had overwhelmed the Bone Dragon from the moment the fight began.
However, it wasnt that the Dragon was weak.
How could that be?
The being that they faced was none other than a Bone Dragon. Something that only a necromancer who had reached the pinnacle of necromantic arts could even hope to summon.
But this one was incredibly clumsy.
It was unable to properly use its destructive power, the strength of its bones or even the simplest of spells.
Come to think of it, none of the undead that Oydin summoned had a consciousness.
Undead were not monsters that were all without intellect.
Like the Lich that Frey encountered on the Cortez, the higher the undeads rank, the closer they got to human intelligence.
However, Oydins undead were different.
Their power was slightly higher than normal undead, but their intellect was much lower.
Was it because he was only half an Apostle?
Get down, you lizard bastard!
Ivans fist crashed into the Dragons head.
Boom!
There was a loud explosion as the Dragons head was smashed.
The Bone Dragon lost its balance and stumbled backward, and Snow did not miss that opening.
She jumped up with a light step that looked like a gentle dance move, and sliced the Bone Dragons neck.
Krrrr
That was the final blow.
Smoke billowed out of the Bone Dragons body as it began to fall apart like a rain of bone fragments.
The size of these bone fragments were large enough to be threatening to the Elves, even if they couldnt harm the three of them.
Snows expression hardened.
That savage
Barrier.
Suddenly, a barrier appeared to block the bone fragments, and Snows stiff expression smoothened.
Youre an even more amazing wizard than I thought.
Frey responded after confirming that no more fragments were falling from the sky.
The front was strong, so supporting from the rear was easy.
Snow smiled and turned to Ivan.
Right. This Magic Warrior is also quite powerful. But you know. You are the reason that guy and I could fight so comfortably.
Freys ability had long surpassed the level that could be described as skillful or talented.
He had overwhelming experience, impeccable judgement and was able to maintain his composure even in an extremely chaotic situation.
Thanks to this, they had been able to defeat the Dragon while sustaining barely any damage.
It wasnt that there were no casualties, but considering the Dragons might, their losses were negligible at worst.
His battle awareness is really strange.
Ivan approached them while brushing bone dust off his face.
Snow nodded and sheathed her sword.
Chuk.
Just as she admired Freys ability, Frey was also astonished by the skill that she had displayed.
Frey noticed that there was something hidden in her power, but he chose to keep it to himself for now.
Hoo
Ivan shook his head, his mane-like hair swinging wildly and his face red with exhaustion.
He was definitely the most tired among them.
After defeating the four Bloody Knights as well as the other undead, he had helped them subdue the Dragon without taking a break.
Goddammit. I came out to have a bath. I didnt expect to have to deal with this sh*t.
Lets clean up first. Then well hear what this woman has to say.
Sure.
Snow looked around.
They won, but it had left a huge scar on the forest.
She muttered with a depressed voice.
First I should probably say something to everyone.
* * *
It took about three days to restore the forest to a state that was barely acceptable.
In particular, Frey once again displayed a spectacular performance.
The moment he cast a cleansing spell on the trees that had been damaged by the death energy, Snow showed a shocked expression for the first time.
You even know purification magic?
Is that a problem?
N-, no. Theres no problem but isnt that magic basically useless to humans?
It is.
Purification magic.
It was something that was only used by priests and saints who specialised in purification.
The mana cost was not very high. However, it was very inefficient and difficult to control, so most Wizards didnt bother to learn it.
Of course, Frey, who had been known as the Great Mage in the past, had learned a lot of magic that many would not have bothered to learn. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
He had used many small tricks before, but none were on the same level as purification magic.
Snow became even more curious about Freys identity.
She could not understand him at all.
The man in front of her had displayed incredibly high attack, defense and support skills. And looking at him now, it seemed that his skill in purification magic was not lacking in the slightest.
You know a lot about magic for an elf.
I cant learn it myself because my talent is lacking, but I am incredibly interested in Magical Science.
This made Frey wonder just what she was talented in then. He looked at her waist.
The sword that shed used to kill the Dragon was no longer there.
Snow smiled.
Huhu. Whats with that lecherous gaze? Are you having trouble taking your eyes off of this Queens slender waist?
From her words, it would have been impossible to tell that she was an Elf.
Was this type of personality common among the Ice Elves?
Frey began pondering that and completely ignored Snow.
its not fun when theres no response.
Snow grumbled and left.
That night, Frey and Ivan headed to Hruhiral since they had been summoned by Snow.
Tak.
The door closed behind them.
They were in a large room, but only Frey, Ivan and Snow were present.
Snow sat on a chair with her legs crossed.
If its here, then we wont have to worry about our conversation being overheard.
Ivan snorted and said.
You are quite courageous, Your Majesty. To call us here without any escorts.
He clearly still didnt like this demonically beautiful woman.
However, when Snow simply smiled and took out Jenkis Mask, his expression changed.
That mask
I have the skills to protect myself, so of course I wouldnt worry.
As she put on the mask, her hair changed color once again.
Ivan had a dumbfounded expression on his face.
you were that strong fighter wearing the mask?
Thank you for the compliment. Youre not bad yourself.
Ivans lips shut tightly.
He had been the one who had watched her fight from the closest distance. He knew that her skill was in no way inferior to his.
Ivan, who believed in giving respect where it was due, could no longer ignore Snow.
Even though he still didnt like her, he would not continue to treat her in the same rude manner.
Thats enough for introductions. Can you tell us your identity now?
Of course. I am Rikis Apostle.
Frey and Ivan fell silent at the same time.
They were shocked when she had simply revealed her identity without any hesitation.
That guy has an Apostle? No. Well. Theres nothing strange about it even if he did.
In the first place, they hadnt been interacting with Riki for very long.
Ivan nodded as he inspected Snow once again.
That explains your sword skills.
Huh? I didnt use my divine power in the fight.
youre that strong even without using divine power?
Right. Isnt it natural? If I was to use my divine power, then the aura would definitely leak out. Im an Apostle, but I rarely use my divine power.
If that was the case, then her true strength was quite terrifying.
But Frey felt that something wasnt right.
What was Rikis power in the first place?
Demigod with the power of the sword.
That was how Riki introduced himself.
It was a very abstract power, unlike the other Demigods who had powers over lightning, poison, or death.
Using a sword?
He felt that it was very likely that something more was hidden beneath that simple explanation.
The Queen of Elves is an Apostle. If Syax learned of this, she would be devastated. So thats why you go under a different name while using the mask.
I am also the Circle Master of the Hiralgard, and while I play that role, I use the pseudonym Swordna. Only a few people know this.
does anyone know that you are an Apostle?
No one else knows. Only you two. Its not an easy thing to accept.
Why did you become Rikis Apostle?
My entire family was destroyed by a Demigod. That means that I am the only surviving Ice Elf on the entire continent.
Snows voice was calm. It didnt sound like she had any anger or resentment toward the Demigods.
But Frey knew that everything wasnt as it seemed.
But they are too strong. As a mere mortal, there was nothing that I could do. So I dont regret accepting Rikis offer.
Snow smiled bitterly.
You are a true Queen.
Snow felt like Frey was one of her own kind.
This man was truly interesting.
She was sure that he was human, but she couldnt help but feel that he was much older than her. Even now, as they sat face to face, she couldnt even begin to guess his true depth.
Although he seemed so warm and kind, he was also able to become more heartless than anyone when necessary.
And she was sure that it would be one of his greatest weapons when he faced transcendent beings like Demigods.
Shes so similar.
Frey didnt think that his words were wrong.
It would have been impossible for him to sign a contract with Asura 4,000 years ago, even if in a desperate situation.
How would he react if a traitor other than Riki were to appear before him and offer him the chance to be their Apostle?
Anyway, what Id like to tell you is hmm.
Snow suddenly stopped talking and closed her eyes.
Ivan tilted his head.
Whats wrong? Why did you stop talking?
It seems shes connected to Hruhiral. Lets just wait for a moment.
She calls us here late at night and then does sh*t like this.
Ivan folded his arms and grumbled in a childish manner. It was clear that he really didnt like Snow.
After a while, Snow woke up from her state and looked at Frey with a complicated gaze.
Youve been in contact with Mother.
Thats right.
To enter Mothers Soul Space without being an Elf I dont know how many more surprises you will give me.
anyway. Mother would like to express her sincere gratitude for your help before.
Anyone can express their gratitude in words.
When Ivan said those words in a blunt tone, Snow gave a laugh, showing her agreement.
Huhu. Right. I also have my face as a queen, so I wont be stingy. Follow me, and I will give you something as a sign of gratitude. You will not be disappointed.
Ivan scoffed as he also stood up.
Hmph. I wont take it lightly if you make me look forward to it like this and your gift turns out to be a salad.
Chapter 87 – Clean Up (3)
Chapter 87 - Clean Up (3) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Frey and Ivan followed Snow as she began to head downward.
Were going underground?
To be precise, were going to the roots. Huhu. Usually, only Queens and a few Elders are allowed to enter. You should feel honored.
Youre taking us to such a place?
Ivan spoke a bit hesitantly.
Rather than feeling honored at such an opportunity, he felt more like he was being dragged into something troublesome.
Snow shrugged.
It doesnt matter. It was Mother who gave me permission after all.
They continued a bit further.
The surroundings began to darken, and they could no longer feel the presence of Elves around them.
Frey realised that they were really close to Hruhirals roots.
One interesting thing he noticed was the fact that although it was not bright, it was not very dark either.
And the reason for this was small firefly-like creatures that floated around and gave off gentle light.
What are these? Fireflies?
Youre so rude. Theyre Spirits.
there are Spirits this weak?
Its because they havent even become low-ranked Spirits yet. In a sense, they are the closest beings in nature to true purity.
Snow nodded at Freys words.
Dont touch them. They dont like savages like you.
Sorry for being a savage. (Note: classy, bougie, ratchet)(YH: a savage wouldnt say that :o)
After a while, they arrived at a huge room.
The strange thing about this room was that it was brighter than the others, and there was a tree in its center.
Ivan made a strange expression.
There is a tree among the roots of another tree?
In truth, this is Hruhirals true form. If Oydin knew about this, he would have come here to contaminate Hruhiral instead of going to the top.
This tree was much smaller than the ones on the surface.
The trees in the Great Reynols Forest were all quite large, but this tree was only about half the size of the others.
Nevertheless, despite its small stature, this tree exuded a majestic aura that surpassed even the enormous Hruhiral on the surface, so much so that even Ivan, who usually had a smart mouth, had nothing to say.
Snow walked up to the tree before leaping lightly and picked two fruits that were growing on its branches.
She then smiled and stretched her hands out to Frey and Ivan.
Ivan made a face.
although its not a salad, I dont particularly like this gift any better.
What nonsense are you saying? This is Hruhirals fruit. For those like you, who walk the path of magic, it is a precious item that they couldnt obtain even if they were willing to spend thousands of gold coins.
A treasure? Well. Ill admit it does look better than an apple.
Snow turned her head with an angry expression and looked at Frey.
Frey, you understand its true value, dont you?
Right. It is truly amazing. It is an item that doesnt fall short of any known elixir. Ivan, eating it at least double your mana capacity.
really?
Mana was the most important power source for Magic Warriors. Especially for Ivan, whose martial art required much more mana than the others.
If Ivans mana capacity could double just by eating this fruit, then it would benefit him greatly.
Snow shook her head.
Youre like a monkey who cant even recognize a treasure thats right in front of your face. Its been over a hundred years since anyone other than an Elf was given the chance to eat this fruit
Hruhiral has given us an amazing gift. It is a great honor.
Snows expression softened a bit when Frey expressed his sincere gratitude.
Ivan simply glanced at the fruit before taking a bite out of it and beginning to check.
!!
Well. The taste isnt bad.
Frey and Snow both had shocked expressions when they saw this.
Y-, you idiot! If you eat it like that without any preparation!
Huh? Ugh
Ivans blank face suddenly turned red.
Frey instantly slapped his palm onto Ivans back.
Chak.
Urk!
Sit down and focus immediately. I just scattered the fruits mana. When the shock disappears, the fruits mana will begin running wild once more.
K-, kuh
If you want to keep your insides where they are, you need to concentrate.
Ivan nodded, his face covered in cold sweat.
Looking at him, even Frey couldnt help but make a comment.
What an idiot.
* * *
Hes going to be like this for a week.
Frey sighed as he looked at Ivan.
He was sitting on the floor with a serious expression on his face, doing his best to keep his mana in check.
It was a good thing he was a First Class Magic Warrior who had trained his body to the peak, or his body would have already burst like a firecracker.
Snow looked at him with a bit of pity. sea??h th ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
This guy really knows nothing. Has he never taken an elixir before?
If you think about it, hes actually pretty amazing.
What?
If he never took an elixir before, it means that he reached his current stage just by training.
He wasnt saying that it was wrong to rely on elixirs but that Ivans talents should be recognized since he was able to become a First Class Magic Warrior with nothing but pure effort.
Especially when considering the fact that the martial art he practiced was none other than Kasajins Warrior Kings Fist.
Frey only had superficial knowledge of it, so he wasnt too certain, but he was sure that the higher the stage, the harder it became.
At the least, it would have been impossible to reach Ivans current stage without working yourself to the bare bones.
Thats true.
As Snow was someone who walked the path of the sword, she was the first to admit to Ivans effort.
With just a glance one would see that his entire body was covered with scars, which showed that he devoted himself to hellish training.
It cant be helped. Frey, you still need to prepare for tomorrows event.
hm.
Freys expression stiffened a bit.
Suddenly, he became a little envious of Ivans situation.
As if she guessed his thoughts, Snows expression became a bit serious.
Elves do not forget favors. You wouldnt stop them from showing their gratitude, would you?
I guess not.
I think so too.
Snow smiled brightly. At that moment, it seemed as if the dark underground suddenly brightened.
Snows beauty was truly destructive.
She can only be like this in an Elf village.
Elves who valued harmony and balance in nature would only feel admiration and awe at Snows beauty.
However, if Snow were to appear in a city of humans, who were more sensitive to beauty than any other race, there was no telling what hideous acts might happen.
Frey shook his head slightly.
When will you eat the fruit?
Hmm.
He looked down at the fruit in his hand.
Although it wasnt much compared to Torkuntas heart or the Frozen River, it was still a significant stepping stone to his goal of 8 stars.
Besides, he wouldnt need to control his mana for a week like Ivan.
Freys current body made it easy for him to absorb elixirs.
In addition to this, Freys superb mana control meant that he would be able to absorb the fruits mana within one or two days.
In other words, there was no need for him to rush.
Ill take my time. First, I need to prepare for tomorrow.
Well. Thats a good idea too.
Snow let out a soft laugh.
* * *
The next day was bound to be very busy.
Frey was going to be thanked directly by the Elven Elders as well as the general High Elf population.
Thank you.
You saved our lives
Their eyes, which had been filled with suspicion and hostility before, were now filled with warmth and gratitude.
This was to be expected.
After all, Frey and Ivan were two heroes who helped save the Elf village in its crisis.
He wasnt sure what would have happened if Snow killed Oydin and had to deal with the Bone Dragon herself and if there would be less damage.
Its a good thing Ivan isnt here.
Frey shook hands with the elves.
They grabbed both of Freys hands, their gazes filled with gratitude.
With Ivans personality, it was almost certain that he would not have been able to handle such a stiff atmosphere.
To be honest, even Frey found it a bit tedious and tiring.
Contrary to his inner thoughts, Freys outward appearance and reactions were excellent.
Savior, I praise your courage.
The scar on the forest is not light, but I believe the children of Hruhiral will be able to overcome anything.
Frey remained humble and listened to every one of them while maintaining a smile on his face.
The Elves became even more enthusiastic when he even gave a light greeting during the event.
The Elves reacted as though they were personally witnessing the Heroes return.
That wasnt much.
Inwardly, Frey was quite shocked. The Elves he remembered were a much simpler species.
Even if they were sincerely grateful inside, they would still express it in a modest manner on the outside.
However, these Elves were expressing their emotions as clearly as humans.
Well, 4,000 years had passed after all, so it wasnt strange that they might have changed after their interactions with humans increased.
The next one to step forward was Camille, who wore a tired expression on her face.
She looked at Frey before saying.
Youve truly become a hero.
Camille, Im sorry.
He felt like he had no choice but to apologize to her.
On the day they fought Oydin, Camille had knocked out the elves who had been monitoring him.
Fortunately, Camille was quite skilled, so no one knew that she was the one who did it. Nevertheless, Frey felt sorry for asking for her help knowing she wouldnt refuse.
Its okay. Im more sorry for not being more helpful. All I could do was watch from the side.
Camilles eyes shined.
It was my first time seeing Hiralgards Swordna in person, but she is just as strong as the rumors claimed. Same with that man, Ivan come to think of it, where is he?
he had a bit of a situation. So hes recuperating at the moment.
Hmm. He looked fine to me, but I guess its impossible to fight a Bone Dragon without sustaining any injuries.
Frey didnt bother to fix Camilles misunderstanding.
She gave a bright smile while saying.
Anyway, why dont you come over later? The brats with me want to try their hands against you, and even Im itching to have a go.
Sure.
With that, Camille left.
Frey greeted a few more Elves before returning to Syaxs house.
Syax and Snow were sitting at the table and seemed to be discussing something.
When Frey appeared, Syax got up and bowed,
Then I will take my leave, Your Majesty.
hmm. Right. I understand.
Frey felt that she was fleeing the house.
When Frey turned and gave her a curious glance, Snow sighed.
When I first came to Lilund, Syax and I were the closest friends. She was very curious for an Elf. She was the only one who came to see me, an Ice Elf. I was very happy back then
Snow seemed to reminisce about that time.
However, after shaking her head a few times, she returned to her usual demeanor and turned back to Frey.
Theres been some news. Riki wants to see you. He said he wants to discuss something about the upcoming Demigod meeting.
Why me?
When he asked this, Snow shot him a strange look.
It seems like he intends to take you there.
Chapter 88 - Clean Up (4)
Chapter 88 - Clean Up (4) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Frey decided to head straight to Rikis hut.
There were no other events planned anyway.
When Snow got up as if she was going to go with him, he could not help but ask.
Is it okay for the Queen to just leave the village?
Huh?
You have to protect the Great Forest.
He didnt know if she could just leave the forest like that.
Frey thought his question was quite reasonable, but the gaze that Snow shot him at that moment made him think something was wrong.
Sometimes you say some very old-fashioned things. Does the Queen have to stay in the village all the time?
true. High Elves also seem to have gained a high degree of flexibility.
It was clear that he should no longer hold any preconceived notions he had because of his past knowledge.
As Frey tried to reflect on this, Snow tilted her head slightly.
Huh? What are you talking about? If the Elders knew what I wanted to do, theyd definitely try to stop me.
What?
The important thing is to stay hidden.
Taking the mask from her pocket, Snow gave a short laugh.
Dont worry. I always leave a doppelganger in Mother when I leave. I dont mean to brag, but Ive never been caught. Im an expert at this. Huhu!
It certainly didnt seem like something one should boast about, but Frey did not say anything as it was difficult to enter or leave the Great Forest without an Elf to guide you.
It would be troublesome to get a guide.
It couldnt be helped. After all, he couldnt ask for Syax to take him to see Riki.
Ivan couldnt accompany him as he was still absorbing mana in the basement below Hruhiral.
Before they left, Frey turned to Snow and said.
Its going to take us a long time to go back and forth. So shall we use Warp?
Huh?
Snow looked at him with a confused expression on her face.
That would be more efficient but is that possible?
It wont be too hard since its just the two of us. I memorised the coordinates of Rikis cabin.
When theyd gone to Rikis cabin the first time, hed immediately memorised the coordinates because he was sure that there would come a time in the future when he would need it.
When using the Warp spell, there would be a mana trace, so it would be too conspicuous if he did it in the city.
If something went wrong, it was possible for pursuers from the Blake family to notice it. However, in the Great Forest, where the mana density was quite high, the traces of the mana would disappear after a few hours.
In the first place, it would be strange if they were able to enter such a place.
Snow shot Frey a disbelieving stare.
Is it possible to cast Warp on your own?
Of course, theoretically, it was possible.
Frey seemed to be a 7 star Wizard whose mana control and capacity was nothing to scoff at.
However, there were no Warp Stones there.
Using Warp without a Warp Stone was not simply memorizing coordinates as Frey had said. It also required at least a dozen Wizards just to perform the necessary complex calculations and adjustments.
It would take weeks to do all of that alone.
In any case, she had no reason to refuse if the Warp was really possible.
Then Ill owe you one. However, if we do it near the village, it may attract attention, so we should do it after we get out of the Great Forest.
Frey nodded since he agreed with her opinion.
They were able to leave the forest within half a day by using the same shortcut that Syax had shown him when they arrived.
However, the time they took was reduced by half because they moved with haste.
Frey then found a large clearing and immediately began drawing the magic circle for Warp on the ground.
Snow couldnt take her eyes off Frey who moved his hands without hesitation.
Ive finished drawing the circle, so you can come in.
Is there a magic circle at Rikis hut too?
No.
He responded immediately.
Frey observed the magic circle on the ground for a moment while explaining.
The reason why both departure and arrival points are drawn is because you can save a lot of mana by doing most of the calculations and creating the magic circles beforehand. Of course, this also means the Warp points are fixed.
Then, wouldnt it be difficult without the other magic circle?
Not necessarily. On the other hand, if you complete all the calculations before casting the spell, have the required quantity of mana and accurately pinpoint the target coordinates, there would be no problems.
Frey laughed, and his robes fluttered as his mana was unleashed.
In other words, its no problem for me.
* * *
As the Warp ended, Snow looked down at her hand.
The stability is ridiculous.
The floating feeling, motion sickness and dizziness that were usual characteristic of a Warp were hardly felt.
It was, in part, because the number of people moving was low, but this result was not possible if the controlling Wizard wasnt skilled.
Snow looked closely at Freys face.
Despite using the immensely complex and taxing Warp spell, he hadnt even broken a sweat.
Theres so much I want to know.
The amount of questions she had about Frey only grew.
However.
There are things that take priority.
She looked at the little shabby hut in the middle of a clearing.
The moment her gaze turned to it, the door of the hut opened, as if it was waiting for them.
Cree-
It was basically a sign for them to enter.
Frey and Snow entered the cabin.
It was the same unique space that hed witnessed during his first visit. Even Riki was sitting in the same place.
You came quickly. Warp. Its a really useful spell.
There was a cup of tea in front of him, including ones for Frey and Snow.
Steam rose from them, and it seemed they had just been brewed.
Would you like a cup of tea?
Frey, of course, had no intention of drinking it.
Oydin wasnt Nozdogs Apostle.
Even though he said that with a sharp tone, Rikis expression didnt change. Sarch* The N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
I didnt know that such a shortcut was possible.
is that all you have to say? Ivan and I fought in vain because of you.
Do you want me to apologise?
I dont want anything from a guy like you who has a stiff neck. However, you need to acknowledge the fact that you gave us wrong information. To maintain a smooth, cooperative relationship in the future.
The atmosphere became heavy.
Frey and Riki glared at each other while Snow gulped inwardly.
This guy
He was not backing down at all even though he was facing a Demigod.
This was something that Snow could not help but be shocked at.
This silver-haired man was a transcendent being who ranked within the top 5 among all the Demigods.
Even a Wizard who had reached the highest level, a Knight who had seen the peak of sword arts or a Magic Warrior who had sharpened their martial arts to the limit would not be able to break free from the shackles of mortality to face him.
Even though she knew that he wouldnt kill her, the innate fear that an animal felt in the presence of a true predator could not be ignored.
However, it wasnt that Frey was not afraid of Demigods.
The difference was the fact that even while knowing their strength, possibly better than anyone else, he refused to back down.
Youre right. I understand what youre saying, and Im sorry for giving you false information.
!
Rikis honest apology changed not only Snow but also Freys impression of him.
What Frey had just done could be considered a gamble with his life. To see if the man before him had truly betrayed the Demigods.
Although it was just a minor provocation, the fact that the other person was a Demigod made what hed done very dangerous.
But Frey had still willingly made that choice.
If Riki was not sincere, then it would be much more dangerous for him to continue this alliance.
Riki continued speaking in a calm manner.
Its not enough to just give a verbal apology, so I will also give you something that will help you.
Something that will help?
If you kill an Apostle, you get a crystal. The Circle seems to have learned of this already.
Thats right.
Frey already knew how amazing these crystals truly were.
The mana contained within one of them was comparable to the Frozen River that hed taken before. If he was able to get a hold of two more, he would be able to reach 8 stars immediately.
Riki took something from his pocket.
Thats
Its a crystal. However, I didnt get this from an Apostle. This is the crystal I got after killing Indra.
!
Looking at Freys shocked expression, Riki continued.
This is only the leftover, but it should still be of great help to a human.
Leftovers.
Although Riki said that, Frey knew that this crystal was not something to look down upon.
When hed hunted Demigods in the past, there were also spoils. No, he couldnt call them spoils.
With the knowledge and technology available at the time, they would not have dared to try to digest anything obtained from the Demigods.
Instead, their lives would be in danger if they werent handled properly.
However, the crystal that Riki had brought out was different.
Thats more than enough for a human.
Moreover, it was several times larger than the crystal he had obtained from Lukes.
It couldnt be said that the crystals capacity was in direct proportion to its size, but he was certain that if he refined it, he would be able to reach 8 stars.
8 stars.
Frey shuddered inwardly at the weight of those words.
If I were to reach 8 stars and Ivan completely absorbs the fruit. As well as a few 7 star Wizards and strong Knights to support me
It would be possible for them to kill one of the weaker Demigods.
Of course, he couldnt be sure, but there was no doubt that their chances would, at the very least, increase exponentially.
It mightve been impossible for any other Wizard, even when they reached 8 stars.
But Frey had experience. Hed fought against Demigods numerous times before and had slain many of them.
The experience he had was literally worth its weight in gold.
If you take this, you will be able to go up one level.
Riki seemed to know that too.
He looked at Frey with a deep gaze before speaking.
Frey, you should participate in the Demigod meeting in three months.
What was that?
Riki, what are you talking about?
It was completely unexpected.
Freys expression changed, and so did Snows, even though she expected it.
Unlike them, however, Riki kept talking in the same tone.
The other four Apocalypses, as well as Lord, will be attending this meeting together with their Apostles. Although they will use all kinds of methods to hide their identities it is still an opportunity we cant afford to miss.
I agree, but isnt it too dangerous? Besides, Frey isnt an Apostle. Wont Lord be able to see that?
He can see whether someone is an Apostle or not. However, there are ways to bypass Lords scanning. Just like how I didnt notice Oydin was just bait. Demigods arent omniscient.
Snow didnt understand what Riki was talking about,
Freys expression became a bit strange.
youre suggesting that I become an Apostle?
Thats right.
!
It wasnt something that he hadnt thought of before.
Frey had thought something similar while looking at Snow.
How would he react if another Demigod like Riki offered to make him their Apostle?
I refuse.
Frey was certain.
Inwardly, he was quite surprised.
At the time, hed thought that hed at least consider the matter, but unexpectedly, there was no hesitation in his words.
Why?
No matter how powerful it might be, I have no intention of ever using divine power. Im a Wizard.
Right.
That was the reason.
Frey did not intend to throw away magic.
Magical studies, which had accompanied him since birth, was already deeply imprinted into his consciousness.
It was not an exaggeration to call it his foundation.
If he were to fight the Demigods after giving up his magic power, he was certain that his sanity would be destroyed in no time.
4,000 years.
He was able to stay sane throughout all the time he spent in the Abyss, which felt like it lasted for an eternity, all because of Magical Science.
Right. Theres no Demigod who wouldnt understand that.
What was that supposed to mean?
Before Frey could even begin to ponder what those words meant, Riki continued speaking.
Frey, absorb Indras lightning crystal. You will be able to control both divine power and mana.
Thats impossible.
The two powers were completely incompatible.
However, Rikis expression remained confident.
No. Its possible.
Why do you think so?
Because.
Rikis eyes turned to look at Freys grey hair.
A color that was rare in the Kastkau Empire. No, a color that was rare even in the entire continent.
Because you have the blood of the Blake family. (Note: oooooh)
Chapter 89 - Whatever it takes to Become Strong(1)
Chapter 89 - Whatever it takes to Become Strong(1) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
The tea had cooled down, and no more steam rose from it. However, Frey did not notice that fact.
It was possible to use both divine power and mana!
Riki had spoken with confidence, but Frey wouldnt just believe his words so easily.
Still, the reason he did not reject the notion outright was because of a persons voice that floated in his head at that moment.
[Youve changed a lot. It seems you awakened. Right. You have the blood of the Blake family after all.]
[If Ill be honest, I hoped youd never learn to use magic.]
[It would be better to not put too much trust in the Circle.]
Heinz Blake.
The second son of the Blake family and Freys second brother.
He seemed to know something about the Blake family, which was why he gave Frey that advice.
Frey didnt ignore his advice, but at the same time, it couldnt be said that he had taken it to heart.
I didnt think too deeply.
Right.
He hadnt thought too deeply about it.
Frey raised his head and looked at Riki once more.
Riki spoke slowly, as if giving him the time to gather his thoughts.
I looked into you. Frey Blake, the third son of the Blake family. Was considered to be desperately lacking in magical talent, so he was treated like an unwanted child from a young age before eventually being sent to the academy like hed been expelled from the family.
So Isaka Blake would not have said anything to you either. He looked for you after learning that you had awakened your talent for magic, but he was unable to find you as you had hidden your whereabouts.
Thats right.
The information Riki had revealed wasnt much.
Information about Freys childhood was an open fact with Pillat, and one would be able to learn it simply by asking anyone on the street.
What Frey was more curious about was the Blake family.
What on earth is the Blake family?
In simple terms, it is a huge laboratory.
What?
That answer surpassed even his wildest imagination.
A huge laboratory?
The Blake family, which was one of the most prestigious families in the Kastkau Empire?
Research on a way to harmonize divine power and mana has been going on for a very long time. Then, under the direction of Leyrin, one of the Apocalypses, they began research in earnest.
Leyrin.
It was the first time he had heard the name, but it was worth remembering since it belonged to one of the Apocalypses.
It is said that there were thousands and tens of thousands of trials and errors. But even then, Leyrin didnt give up. Hundreds of years cant be considered a long time for Demigods, but given our tendency to get bored easily, her persistence is commendable. She devoted that much time to do countless experiments and research. Then.
Riki met Freys gaze.
The Blake family was born.
Frey spoke after a heavy sigh.
The Blake family is one of the top five within the Kastkau Empire. If even such a place is just a Demigod laboratory
The Demigods influence in the Kastkau Empire is particularly strong compared to other countries.
The most powerful empire in the history of humanity was actually controlled by Demigods.
He had vaguely expected it, but he was still shocked to actually hear it.
Do you also know everything about the Circle?
No. Their hideouts are too numerous and scattered. Even if a few are destroyed, it doesnt actually affect the entire organisation. Besides, those Circle Masters and Rounders have learned not to stay in any single location for too long, so its difficult to carry out targeted attacks.
But isnt it possible to do something if youre really determined?
Rikis expression changed for the first time.
You are a member of the Circle, but you dont seem to know much about it. The Circle is by no means an organisation that can be looked down upon. In fact, although they were only low ranking ones, the Circle has succeeded in killing a few Demigods. Theyve been a thorn in the Demigods side for numerous years.
Frey had trouble agreeing with the remark that it was not an organisation that one could look down on.
The Trowman Rings and the few small circles close to it, as well as Beniang and Honors Dugengar and Lukes, had caused him to subconsciously underestimate the Circle because that was all hed seen.
I cant do that. I havent met any key figures yet.
He decided not to form any opinions before seeing more in person.
Anyway, after hearing that theyd succeeded in hunting Demigods before, the confidence that Frey had in the Circle rose a bit.
Thats all I know about the Blake family. I know nothing about the details or the processes. But Im certain that the members of the Blake family, including you, can use both divine power and magic.
Isaka, Mischael and Heinz.
Freys expression became a bit strange.
Perhaps it was highly likely that Isaka and Mischael were subordinates of the Demigods, but Heinzs involvement was questionable.
Heinz definitely knew the Blake familys secret.
Perhaps, he might even know things that Riki didnt.
Nevertheless, he was a part of the Circle.
Is he a traitor?
Or a spy?
He couldnt know.
Heinz could be classified to be on both sides, but where was he really?
The Circle is now suspicious of the Blake family.
Shepard had said that they knew Isaka Blake was communicating with Demigods.
That was several months ago, so their doubts should have deepened by now. They might have even found conclusive evidence.
He was not suspicious of Heinz at the moment.
Shepard had seemed to trust him greatly, and Dugenjar was afraid of him, but he showed no hostility.
But what if they found out that the Blake family was actually the Demigods laboratory? Would they have the same feelings towards him?
But now wasnt the time to worry about him.
I would also be suspicious.
Considering the fact that hed been abandoned as a child, the suspicion towards him might not be as much as Heinz, but it would be present nonetheless.
It makes sense why Heinz told me not to fully trust the Circle.
Hed given the advice because of their family history.
Lets return to the reason why youre here. Frey, will you accompany me to the Demigods meeting?
Its not something I can decide immediately. I need time to think.
I understand.
Riki expected something like that.
But you cant wait too long. You will need at least a month to get used to using divine power, so tell me before then.
It wont take that long.
Frey looked at him for a moment before saying,
I will decide after Ive reached 8 stars.
Go ahead.
But I cant absorb this crystal in its current state cant it be refined into an elixir?
There were very few people on the continent who knew how to refine the crystals.
The only person that Frey knew was Adelia, who had unparalleled talent for alchemy.
In fact, it was not hard for him to meet her. He could even head to the Trowman Rings hideout right now since he had memorised the coordinates.
Of course, because of the barriers, he wouldnt be able to enter the village directly, but if he were to call her from outside the forest, she would definitely agree to meet him.
However, the Trowman Rings were working very hard at the moment to get back on the right track, so Frey didnt want to go back and distract them.
Hmm. Now that you mention it, its probably useless to humans in this form.
Riki picked up the crystal and rose to his feet.
Come back at this time tomorrow. Ill have refined it by then.
It would only take him a day to refine the crystal.
Frey was once again forced to acknowledge the Demigods power.
Riki took the crystal with him as he disappeared into the void.
Frey and Snow exchanged glances for a moment before they both stood and left the hut together. (Note: I honestly forgot she was there)(YH: Same :o)
As they stood in the warm sunlight, Snow began to speak.
Honestly, I didnt understand anything you two were saying.
She had a complicated expression on her face.
The things about the harmony of divine power and mana or a huge laboratory but from your expressions, they should be very serious, right?
Right.
They were very serious.
No one could deny that the divine power the Demigods used was an extremely powerful force.
If he could truly use divine power and mana at the same time, then Freys strength would at least double.
Im thinking about spending a day here. Is that okay?
A day or so is fine.
Alright.
Frey then began drawing a magic circle on the ground.
Snow, who was curious, couldnt help but ask.
What kind of magic circle are you making now?
A summoning circle.
Huh? What are you going to summon?
Asura.
Asura from the Demon World? You are going to summon a Great Demon here?
Yep.
He needed to sign the contract.
Frey ignored Snows shocked expression as he continued his work.
Then he looked around.
As expected.
There was a light barrier around them, and it was probably Riki who made it.
It was so well hidden that even Frey had been unable to immediately notice it.
This barrier should be able to conceal the aura that will be released when Asura is summoned.
Now was the best opportunity for him to summon Asura since he couldnt do it in Lilund.
* * *
Its harder than I expected.
She smiled awkwardly.
Around her, many monsters kneeled with their heads bowed.
These were the ones whod chosen to surrender.
Despite the fact that there was a large number of monsters, just as many of them had chosen to defy her.
Ill just have to kill them.
Her pupils instantly lengthened like those of a predator.
However, when she blinked her eyes, they returned to normal.
It was then.
?
She felt someones presence.
She immediately flew into the night sky, her red hair fluttering behind her and leaving a fiery trail in her wake.
Theres someone on Drake Mountain.
She had an ominous feeling.
The intruder was at the top of the mountain, where the entrance of the dungeon was located.
It was strange.
She had successfully taken control of several mountains in the area, including Drake Mountain. In short, they had become her territory.
Therefore, when someone invaded her territory, she would be able to notice it at once.
However, this person was different. It was almost as if they appeared out of thin air.
Tat.
She landed on the small island in the center of the volcanic lake and found someone standing there.
It was a woman with fascinating purple hair.
It was strange.
She was sure that this was the first time seeing this human woman, so why did she feel like shed seen her before
Ugh
She instantly felt a strong pain in her head, causing her to bite her lip.
Its not me. sea??h th novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Torkunta.
It was Torkuntas memory. His memory was warning her.
This woman came out of the dungeon as well.
When was it? Decades ago? Centuries ago? She couldnt tell.
However, she was sure that this woman was extremely strong.
She was someone who had suddenly disappeared like a ghost after casually brushing off Torkuntas breath attack.
She suppressed the headache and spoke, her voice slightly hoarse from the pain.
Who the hell are you?
However, the woman didnt respond to her.
She just continued looking at the island with a blank expression. She seemed to be looking at the largest tree on the island.
The tree where the entrance to the dungeon was located.
I cant believe the last room was opened.
What?
It must have been something only he could solve.
What are you talking about?
The woman had a complex expression on her face, and the wind began to blow heavily for a moment.
huh?
However, in the next instant, the woman had vanished.
Chapter 90 - Whatever it takes to Become Strong(2)
Chapter 90 - Whatever it takes to Become Strong(2) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
There was a reaction immediately after Freys blood dripped onto the ground.
Fwoosh.
A whirlwind of demonic energy blew fiercely in the clearing.
Snow took a few steps back and frowned.
Such dreadful energy.
Elves, especially High Elves who were particularly sensitive to energy, would have trouble withstanding such energy.
As an Ice Elf, Snow was able to handle it a little, but it still made her very uncomfortable.
Crunch!
Asura appeared from the summoning circle
He was smaller than when Oydin had summoned him, being only two times larger than a human at best.
However, the aura he exuded was just as powerful.
Frey looked up at him.
Asura, I summoned you to sign the contract.
[Right. You summoned me faster than I expected.]
Asura nodded before he suddenly frowned.
[such concentrated divine power. Is there a Demigod nearby?]
Frey was amazed.
Riki was currently in his cabin, and because the space inside the hut was distorted by Rikis ability, it could be said that it was in a separate section of space from the forest.
Frey, who was extremely sensitive to divine power, could not even feel a hint of it till Riki opened the door and stepped out.
However, Asura had instantly realised that there was a Demigod around.
Is it because hes an Archduke?
An Archduke of the Demon World and the Ruler of the Slaughter Hell.
It seems he was truly not inferior to Demigods when it came to ability.
Thats right. Theres a Demigod nearby.
[Hmm. You want to sign a contract with me now in case you have to fight him?]
No. For now, there wont be any fights with Demigods.
[I see.]
He didnt find it necessary to tell him about the alliance with Riki, and Asura did not question him further.
His attitude showed that he didnt care whether they had to fight or not.
Only an avatar was brought to Middle Earth anyway.
Although it came with extremely limited power, death or injury had no significant effect on his real body as a result.
If Frey asked him to fight against Riki, then he would do so to the best of his ability.
Even though the Demons, as a race, had no hostility toward the Demigods.
[The contract has already been completed.]
Already?
[Right. Your blood was transferred to my main body in the Demon World by the summoning circle.]
Hed signed a contract with a Demon Archduke, yet he felt like nothing had changed.
As Frey inspected himself, Asura added.
[You wont find any significant changes because the contract I signed with you was not normal.]
is it because I lack talent?
[In the first place, a person with your talent could never become my Contractor.]
He understood.
The talent that the Demon was talking about was a completely different field from the magic he was good at.
And Demons were able to see a Contractors talent with just a glance.
He didnt know the standard, but Frey believed that his talent was underqualified in the eyes of the Archduke Asura.
[Anyway, keep in mind that the contract can never be terminated unless you do it yourself.]
[I look forward to the next time you summon me. Of course, youll need to use mana.]
He smiled in a strangely bright way.
[Your talent is definitely lacking. but your mana is really amazing. The density and purity of your mana has probably not been seen in over a thousand years if Lilith learned about you, shed probably get jealous.]
Lilithyou mean the Succubus Queen?
[Right. Hmph vulgar Demon slut.]
Asuras voice was filled with contempt.
Frey knew that Lilith was also an Archduke of the Demon World like Asura, but Frey didnt focus on her.
If mana is required for your contract, how did Oydin summon you?
Then Asura spoke in his deep voice.
[Divine power and mana are both just lumps of energy to me. When theyre sent to the Demon World, everything is converted to demonic energy.]
[If you have nothing else to say, Im leaving.]
Asuras body was sucked into the summoning circle, and it disappeared together with the demonic energy.
Frey then approached Snow, who was standing a distance away.
its not even enough to call you amazing anymore. I cant believe you signed a contract with a Demon Archduke after only a couple words.
It was not strange that she felt that way.
For Frey, the contract with Asura was due to an agreement they made 4,000 years ago, but in the eyes of Snow, a third party, he was a monster who signed a contract with a Great Demon without even having a proper conversation.
Frey didnt correct her misconception.
He started preparing to spend the night near the hut.
He found a relatively flat piece of land, made a bonfire and took out a sleeping bag.
Snow noticed this and came over to the bonfire.
Frey handed her some jerky from his bag. Snow said thanks before biting into it.
Just like Syax, she didnt really behave like an Elf.
They looked up at the starlit sky.
Frey fell asleep while looking at the sky.
* * *
Its done.
Frey received the glass bottle from Riki with a strange expression on his face.
Some of the effect was lost in the process of refining the elixir, but there isnt that much of a difference.
You refined it yourself?
Thats right.
If youre done here, then leave. I have work to do.
Frey left the hut at Rikis prompting.
Snow stretched and said.
Then shall we go back home?
Frey once again used Warp to take them to the entrance of the Great Forest.
Then he followed Snow into Lilund and went directly to the basement below Hruhiral.
It had only taken them half a day to return, and the sight he saw was the same as when they left.
Ivan was still sweating profusely and moaning in pain as his mana spread messily around him.
Magic Warriors usually had no knowledge of how to make fine adjustments with their mana, and it seemed Ivan was no different.
Frey walked over to him and placed his palms on his back.
Ssss-
Hm!
Ivan stiffened up for a moment before he relaxed as he realised it was Frey.
Frey infused his mana into him and helped calm the wild mana, causing Ivans expression to become more relaxed.
Frey then removed his palms and turned to Snow.
Im going to take the elixir that Riki made for me now. Itll take between three days and a week for me to absorb it. This place is very isolated, so I want to absorb the mana here.
Do whatever you like. Ill get some food and water for when you and Ivan wake up.
Things to eat.
Frey turned to look at Ivan and found an arrangement of salads at his side.
Snow let out a laugh.
Its the perfect payback for that savage.
If Ivan sees that, he might collapse in despair.
Ahaha. That sounds wonderful.
Snow playfully waved her hands before taking her leave.
Frey then picked a spot near Ivan and sat down before taking out the elixir he got from Riki.
Lets leave Hruhirals fruit alone for now.
The elixir alone was enough to let him reach 8 stars, so he decided not to waste the fruit.
Freys expression became a bit strange.
Just by looking at the elixir, he could tell just how much mana it contained.
If I just measure the quantity of my mana, I will soon surpass my past life.
Frozen River, Torkuntas heart and now Indras crystal.
It was natural that this would happen as hed consumed those three items that were worth more than their weight in gold.
But real his problems would start now as he could no longer increase his strength with the help of elixirs.
It would take a completely different process for him to reach 9 stars instead of simply increasing his mana control and capacity.
Frey shook his head.
Thats something to think about later.
He took the elixir.
* * *
You called for me, Your Majesty.
Syax bowed her head. It was a very humble and polite greeting.
Snow smiled gently, inwardly feeling sad at her attitude.
I called you because Id like to ask something.
Ask me something?
The Queen of the Great Forest shared her consciousness with Hruhiral, and the knowledge of every successive Queen was stored in Hruhiral to be shared with the next generation of Queens.
In others, as the Queen, Snow had immediately become one of the most knowledgeable Elves in the forest.
Right. Its about Magical Science. You are the best Wizard in all of Lilund.
I see.
Syax nodded. Certainly, if it was about magic, it wasnt a surprise that the Queen didnt know about it.
Do you know that Frey is a 7 star Wizard?
I do.
To put in simple terms, how strong is he really?
Syax went silent for a moment before slowly opening her mouth.
I have wandered the continent for decades.
Shed recently been staying in Pillat, but in fact, she had traveled all over the continent.
The memories of her travels had remained imprinted in her mind.
It was an opportunity to broaden my horizons. Ive been to almost every region, and Ive met a lot of people. Among them were 7 star Wizards who were praised as great Archmages.
Syax remembered the scene of Frey fighting against the Bone Dragon.
At that time, Syax was probably the only person who accurately understood the power Frey displayed.
They are 7 star Wizards like Frey. But their skills arent on the same level. Frey is far better than any Archmage Ive ever encountered.
better? In some aspects?
In every way.
Syax was certain.
His mana capacity, casting speed, the strength of his spells, his mental ability and his situational awareness are all perfect. To be honest, his true strength is not something I dare to guess. Frey is the strongest Wizard Ive ever met.
Hmm
Snow felt that she had to agree with Syaxs words.
The power hed shown in their fight against the Dragon was extraordinary.
He used triple casting as easy as breathing, and his situational awareness made one wonder if he had a third eye in the sky.
Hes an expert.
Snow only had a superficial knowledge about Magical Science. However, she could see that he was very skilled at fighting.
I cant see the limits of his power.
After thinking for a while, Snow finally spoke.
What exactly is the difference between 7 stars and 8 stars?
Spatial control.
Huh?
There was a moment of silence as Syax tried to organize her thoughts before speaking.
8 star Wizards are able to project their mana rooms in the space around their body.
I dont understand what you mean.
It was a bit of an esoteric theory to explain to someone who wasnt a wizard, but Syax tried to explain to Snow who had a confused expression on her face.
Every Wizard has a mana room, and they are able to control the mana stored there at will.
then if they were to project it out
Exactly. Although the scope would be limited, they would be able to take control of the space that embodies their mana room. In other words Sarch* The ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Syaxs eyes shined.
At least within that space, no one else would be able to use mana.
Chapter 91 - Whatever it takes to Become Strong(3)
Chapter 91 - Whatever it takes to Become Strong(3) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Mm
Ivan opened his eyes with a groan.
Hed finally managed to get that goddamn mana under control.
He stood up with a grimace.
He had been sitting in place for a long time, so his muscles were so sore he felt like he wanted to die.
He hadnt even been able to wash himself, so he smelled quite bad at that moment.
In simple words, he was in the worst condition.
Youre finally awake.
Ivan turned around and saw Frey standing there. He stared at him with wide eyes.
How long has it been?
One week and two days.
His sense of time was a mess. Hed felt like only four or five days had passed.
Ivan stretched his sore muscles while looking at Frey. Unlike him, he was dressed in a neat and clean outfit.
I guess the fruits mana wasnt much of a problem for you.
I didnt eat it.
Huh?
When Frey took out the fruit and showed it to him, his expression became strange.
Werent you also sitting here with me? Im sure I felt it.
Youre right, but I took something other than the fruit.
Ivan looked at Frey with the same strange expression.
While Freys words were a bit strange, it was Frey himself that he was paying more attention to.
The aura around him was completely different to what hed felt a week ago.
This why does it feel like hes a normal person?
From his aura, one would think that he was a normal person who had never studied magic rather than a powerful Archmage.
In fact, Ivan couldnt feel any mana from him at all. Just like his teacher.
And that made the way he looked at Frey even weirder.
Finally, he couldnt help but ask.
You did you advance?
Frey laughed at his question.
Right.
You were 7 stars, so now
Im 8 stars.
Ivan was dumbfounded. Even he, a Magic Warrior, knew the significance of an 8 star Wizard.
You how old are you?
Im twenty.
Or was it twenty-one?
Frey tilted his head as he muttered to himself.
However, Ivan, who saw this, was lost for words.
Hed grown up hearing he was talented, but Frey was on a completely different level.
no.
Could Frey even be described by the word talented anymore?
As though he didnt notice Ivans emotional turmoil, Frey spoke calmly.
So what are you going to do now?
Huh?
Although we didnt really achieve our goal, we still killed Oydin as Riki requested. We have completed our mission.
Hmm
Frey was right.
Oydin was dead, and hed even managed to obtain a fruit from Hruhiral. sea??h th N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Lilund was an amazing village, but it was the worst place for someone like Ivan.
Ill continue doing what I was doing before.
What you were doing before?
Right. Im looking for Kasajins relics.
By relics
The Tiger Kings Gloves, the Giants Belt and the Gale Necklace. Kasajins three artifacts.
Ivan clicked his tongue lightly.
Master has the Gale Necklace, but even he doesnt know where the Tiger Kings Gloves and the Giants Belt are. I dont like relying on magic items, but Master told me that I needed to find them if I ever wanted to surpass Kasajin.
Master?
The former Magic Warrior Kings Successor. Hes dirty and strong but mostly dirty.
Ivan made an expression of disgust.
This reaction made Frey curious about the identity of Ivans master.
Where is he now?
No idea. He suddenly disappeared three years ago and left nothing but a letter telling me to find the Tiger Kings Gloves and Giants Belt. I had nothing better to do, so Ive been doing that ever since.
Frey nodded.
Finding the three artifacts was the best thing for Ivan to do.
If you want to surpass Kasajin, youll need to find the three artifacts.
Huh? What for?
Only then will you be able to see the true form of the Warrior Kings Fist.
Really? No, more importantly how do you know all of that?
Come to think of it, he still hadnt asked how this guy knew the Warrior Kings Fist.
Hed forgotten to after the whole series of crazy events recently.
Frey didnt even pretend to find an excuse and simply shrugged.
Somehow.
So you wont tell me. Hmm. Well, Im not that curious anyway.
Ivans reaction to that, however, was surprisingly cool. It was clear that he wasnt pretending when he said that - he truly wasnt curious.
And even more than that, he felt that if Frey didnt want to tell him about it, then there must have been a reason.
However, he still felt a bit strange.
That was because hed only ever felt this kind of trust with his teacher before.
Is this normal?
The important thing that he kept in mind was that Frey was strong and trustworthy.
So what are you going to do, Frey?
Im going to attend the Demigod meeting with Riki.
Huh? Why are you going there?
That
Frey briefly explained what hed heard from Riki. He also told him some of the things hed learned about the Blake family.
This was because Frey was certain that Ivans attitude wouldnt change after he learned where he was from.
Ooh. So youre a hybrid who can use both mana and divine power?
His reaction was just as hed expected, but it did not feel good being called a hybrid.
Frey nodded stiffly.
I see. Nevertheless, it will be dangerous.
Its dangerous, but I dont intend to die. And Ivan, after that.
When Freys tone became serious, Ivan tilted his head curiously.
Huh?
The biennial Circle meeting will be held in about a year and a half. It is said to be an important meeting that all the important members of the Circle will attend.
Right. Ive heard about it.
Hed heard about it from his master a few times.
Of course, Ivan had never attended it, and his master also stopped attending it after an unpleasant event.
Im going to overturn it.
huh? Overturn it? Overturn what?
Everything. As you said. The current Circle is a pigsty filled with livestock.
Frey let out a short laugh.
I agree with you. So Im going to fix that. Ill remove the smell and organize it properly think of it as house cleaning.
House cleaning!
Ivan looked excited. Had it been anyone else saying those words, he would have just ignored them. But if it came from Freys mouth, then it was different.
This guy was a bit strange, but he was not a fool.
When he thought this, he laughed subconsciously.
Why are you telling me this.
Youll help
Help?
Ivans expression became a bit proud, and upon seeing that, Frey decided to change his words a bit.
create a chance.
The grammar became a bit strange, but he didnt care. It was the meaning that mattered.
As he said that, Frey reached out a hand to Ivan.
Uhahaha!
Ivan couldnt hold it in any longer and burst into happy laughter, his loud voice filling the dark room.
With tears in his eyes, he gripped Freys hand tightly.
After a year and a half.
After a year and a half.
Ivan couldnt help but think to himself.
It will be a mess.
He was looking forward to it so much that he didnt know if he would be able to wait patiently.
* * *
Ivan said he was going south.
Silkid, the Desert Country. According to Master, it was the last place where traces of Kasajin were found.
Is it in the Amakan Desert?
Thats right.
He knew it because hed heard of Kasajins demise from Riki. (Note: Im pretty sure Hruhiral was the one who told him, but its cute that the author made a mistake)
Ill try to find the traces left there. It shouldnt be too boring. I heard that the desert is filled with strong warriors.
Frey nodded.
I wish you luck.
Thanks.
And with that, Ivan left.
Syax was the one to guide him out of the Great Forest.
It seemed that she had managed to let go off all the bad feelings she had towards Ivan. No, rather, her eyes were clearly filled with respect as she looked at him.
Well, her attitude was understandable since he was one of the heroes who had saved her village.
Thinking that they looked better together than he expected, Frey then spoke softly.
Snow.
While Im wearing the mask, call me Swordna.
Snow dropped down from above him. She then turned to look at Frey with confusion visible in her eyes.
How did you know I was there? I didnt reveal myself like last time. And Im quite confident in my ability to hide.
Its because Im now 8 stars.
It really was because he became 8 stars.
Snows expression changed a little as she remembered the explanation Syax had given her.
something like that is really possible at 8 stars?
Thats right. But thats not why I called you.
Can you take me to Riki? Id like to talk to him.
Understood.
With that, Frey and Snow headed to Rikis cabin once again.
However, this time, Frey completely skipped the process of drawing the magic circle and just directly cast Warp. It took a bit of time to cast, but the spell felt as light and as a simple Blink spell.
Just as Rikis hut came into view.
[Dont come here!]
!
It was Rikis voice.
Frey and Snows expressions changed instantly.
[Hide nearby! Quickly!]
Hearing Rikis urgent tone for the first time was enough to explain the seriousness of the situation.
Their reactions were swift. Frey and Snow met each others eyes for a moment before they immediately scattered to both sides of the clearing and hid in the underbrush.
At the same time, the door to the cabin opened.
It was a woman with snakes for hair.
Frey shuddered slightly at her bright, yellow eyes.
A Demigod.
The pressure she gave him wasnt the same as Nozdog or Riki, which meant she wasnt an Apocalypse.
However, she was still a Demigod, so he had to be vigilant.
Slurp.
She stuck out her long tongue.
Thats weird~ Im sure I felt a wave of mana~
She had a strange, listing tone that made her voice difficult to listen to.
Riki, who was following her, spoke with an expressionless face.
You mustve been mistaken, Hydra.
Is that so~ Hmm~
The woman named Hydra tilted her head to the side.
It was then.
Her gaze turned to the spot where Snow was hiding.
Hmm.
Her expression became strange.
Once again, she struck out her tongue and wiggled it a few times.
Then she began to walk to the place where Snow was hidden.
Freys expression hardened.
Did she notice my divine power?
Snows expression was even more serious.
With her hand on the hilt of her sword, she watched as Hydra walked towards her with anxiety.
Where are you going, Hydra?
However, Riki blocked her at the last minute.
Then Hydra tilted her head again.
I could sense something over there~
my Apostle is over there.
Hmm? Really?
Thats right. And I have no intentions of showing anyone what my Apostle looks like until the identity of the traitor is revealed.
Even though Rikis tone was quite sharp, Hydra still acted in a carefree manner.
Hmm. Right. Thats right. Lord said so too. The identities of our Apostles should remain hidden.
It was then.
Hydra suddenly began to giggle hysterically.
Hehehe! Hehehe! but its so funny.
What is funny?
In fact, I saw them already. Because I have a lot of eyes9 times more than you do. So I didnt miss it~
Hydra let out another laugh.
Riki, your Apostle is an Elf? Huh. Come to think of it, the bait that Nozdog lost not so long ago was also an El-
It was at that moment, that Rikis expression which had been only a bit embarrassed, sank like a stone in a river.
Then.
Shik.
Hydras head flew into the air, and green blood shot up like a fountain.
Chapter 92 - Whatever it takes to Become Strong(4)
Chapter 92 - Whatever it takes to Become Strong(4) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
It happened so quickly.
They blinked, and Hydras head was on the ground.
Had he killed Hydra in one stroke just like hed killed Indra?
No.
It wasnt the same. In fact, these two situations couldnt be more different.
Hydra hadnt been hibernating, and Frey knew how resilient Demigods were.
The sword skill Riki had shown was better than Lucid, but he didnt think it was good enough to kill a Demigod in one strike.
Kyahahaha!
As if responding to Freys doubts, Hydras voice rang out.
Two heads grew from the stump of her neck. It was a very grotesque sight, but no one present was weak enough to cry out in disgust.
Hydra fluttered around as though she were dancing.
She then made a noise of excitement.
Now I understand! Riki! It was you! You were the traitor all along! Hehehe! If I tell Ananta, he will surely reward me greatly!
Hydras hair quickly began falling out.
No, it wasnt just her hair.
Snakes began crawling on the ground at a tremendous speed.
Then Riki swung his sword again.
Shuk.
Green blood splattered once again as the snakes were all precisely cut into six pieces.
Chiiik.
The blood corroded the ground.
Did her blood contain strong acid?
As Frey noticed this fact, Riki spoke with a stiff expression.
I missed two.
As he stepped out of his hiding spot, Frey asked.
What do you mean?
She split her lives and ran.
Split her lives?
It was not an easy concept to understand.
Riki spoke quickly as he explained.
Hydra has 9 lives. This means that she will not completely die unless she has died nine times. In addition, she has a lot of annoying skills that make it possible for her to divide and scatter her lives like she just did.
Frey couldnt understand much, but he understood that it made her extremely dangerous.
Rikis expression also hinted at the urgency of the situation.
Then this is not the time to be explaining like this, is it? We need to start tracking her as soon as possible
Frey agreed with Snow.
But Rikis expression remained the same.
Although, its just two of them. They scattered in two different directions. Chasing one means inevitably losing the other.
Even with your abilities?
Frey asked with a disbelieving expression.
At first glance, it might have seemed impossible to catch the two Hydras that had gone in opposite directions; however, the one standing in front of him was an Apocalypse, one of the five who stood above the normal Demigods.
Riki sighed.
If I could use all of my power, Id naturally be able to kill her even if she scattered in four directions instead of two. But Im currently putting a great deal of effort into maintaining the barrier currently surrounding this forest.
He was talking about the barrier that Frey had felt before.
Then cant you release it and hunt Hydra down?
The moment that happens, Hydra will immediately tell the other Demigods everything she learned here. The barrier is blocking any communication to the outside.
Only then did Frey truly understand the urgency of the situation.
If the other Demigods learned that Riki was the traitor, everything would be over.
Then what will we do?
Ill take one. As for the other one
Well handle it.
He hadnt said it first because he understood what Riki intended to do.
Rikis expression stiffened a bit.
Can you do it?
Its not about whether we can or not. If we let Hydra go, we all know what will happen.
Thats true.
Then we have no choice.
I know. We dont have time, so lets move out immediately.
Riki looked at the forest around them.
My barrier covers this entire forest. However, that means we have to kill Hydra before she can leave.
Understood.
The power of the snake clone would be only about 1/9th of Hydras full power, but that doesnt mean she can be underestimated.
That made sense.
Originally, Frey would not have accepted such a request. It was not easy to deal with a Demigod even when he had been at his peak.
But this time was different.
Frey felt calm confidence fill his heart.
the first time I defeated a Demigod, I was also 8 stars.
However, now was not the time for him to dwell on such thoughts.
Snow, well have to hurry.
Understood.
You go east. Ill handle the one in the west. She stopped controlling her power, so you shouldnt have any trouble tracking her, right?
Of course.
Then I wish you luck.
Just as Riki was about to leave, Frey called out to him.
Wait. What exactly is Hydras power? I dont think that its just the extra lives you just told me about.
Its tenacious vitality, regeneration and poison. Stay away from the green liquid that she spits. You guys wouldnt be able to withstand it.
green liquid.
It seemed that her blood was also like that.
Fire is her weakness. If you can manage to cast powerful fire spells, you will have an advantage.
Riki said this as though it was insignificant, but the information was actually extremely useful for Frey.
Originally, these were all things he would only earn after entering a life and death struggle with the Demigod, but now, he had been given such information without any risk.
I definitely cant break this alliance with Riki just yet.
He still had yet to fully grasp his allys true intentions, but at least for now, it was worth it to stick with him.
Shik.
Rikis figure disappeared, and Frey left with Snow.
As Riki had said, Hydra no longer paid attention to controlling her enormous strength, which made her easy to track.
It wasnt long before they caught up.
Hehehehe! Hihihihihihi!
She was showing off her tremendous strength, her aura rising fiercely. Trees were uprooted and thrown out of the way as they collided with her body. Even so, her speed did not decrease at all as she swept forth like a typhoon hellbent on destroying the forest.
It doesnt seem like shes trying to run away.
Frey felt that the situation mightve been a little dangerous as he turned to Snow.
Lets split up and attack. There is no plan. We will attack while assisting each other.
This was more efficient than trying to create a detailed plan on the spot. Both Frey and Snow had a lot of practical experience so they could fully understand each others intentions.
Understood.
Snow then shifted her trajectory, moving to the side.
As he kept following Hydra, Frey decided his next move.
If fire magic is her weakness
It may have a much greater effect than they expected.
A resolute glint flickered in Freys eyes.
He had no intention of holding back just because they were surrounded by trees. Even if the entire forest was to turn to ashes, it would still be worth it if they were able to get rid of Hydra.
Lava Blast.
He didnt even need to chant.
As soon as Frey said those words, a Lava Blast, which was the 7 star spell with the highest destructive capability, appeared immediately.
It had been powerful enough to destroy the lightning barrier that Lukes had been proud of!
However, the Lava Blast that he cast this time was much more powerful than it was at that time, despite the fact that hed omitted the chant.
Kaboom!
The spell struck Hydras side.
Despite this, Frey did not lower his guard, and instead, he paid close attention to the cloud of smoke created by the explosion.
Hihihi!
With her signature giggle, Hydras body shot into the sky. One of her arms hung loosely while covered in horrible burns, but Hydra simply ripped it off with her other hand.
It was a similar situation to what happened with Lukes. At that time, Freys Lava Blast had also injured Lukes arm.
The difference, however, was the attitude.
Hydra didnt show any reaction even after discarding one of her own arms.
Taht.
Snow shot up after her. Her speed at that moment was so fast that she appeared to be twice as fast as Ivan.
And the speed with which she swung her sword was even greater.
Shiik.
Hydras head was cut off.
Nevertheless, her body was still filled with overflowing vitality.
Hehe!
She turned in the air while letting out a laugh, causing her green blood to splash towards Snow.
The green liquid is dangerous.
She remembered Rikis advice at that moment, but because she was in the air, there was no way for her to evade it.
She tried to minimize the damage as much as possible with the one handed shield in her other hand.
Psshk!
Nevertheless, Freys barrier was much faster.
The barrier didnt last very long. After blocking the blood for a few breaths, it shattered.
However, it was enough.
Snow hurriedly dived away from the blood.
Kuurk!
The heads sprouted from Hydras neck, and her severed head flew toward Snow at a tremendous speed. Sear?h the ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
The two heads sprouting from the severed neck was something shed witnessed before, so Snow had raised her sword in preparation.
Kwak!
Ugghh!
Snow grit her teeth.
The blade of her sword creaked, and more than that, her joints screamed in protest. But if she reduced her strength for even a moment, there would be a new Hydra head sized hole in her body.
Her body smashed through several large trees, creating a large scar in the ground.
Ahhhhhp!
Snow desperately hit Hydras head into the sky. (YH: home run?)
Hydra, who was still in the air, spoke with a laugh.
Youre pretty good! Then its my turn
And with that, she began to vomit something.
Urrk!
!
From her mouth came snakes with bright green scales. These snakes rained down from the sky, which would cause one to wonder how so many snakes managed to fit in such a small body.
Snow made an expression of disgust.
You are so disgusting. (Note: agreed, bleh)
This was very tricky.
Her vitality was beyond imagination. Before Snow realised, her arm had also regenerated.
If this was just 1/9th of her power, just how strong was this Demigod at full strength?
Snow had never doubted herself, but now, she couldnt help but feel something deep within.
I just need to stall for time. Frey will use that chance to cast a powerful spell.
They would need to burn her entire body all at once. Otherwise, they would never be able to kill this ridiculous monster.
But now wasnt the time to ponder.
She had to delay this Demigod as long as possible, even if it meant using Rikis divine power.
It was then.
huh?
Suddenly Snow looked up at the sky, wondering why there were suddenly two suns floating there.
Of course, that wasnt the case. She soon heard Freys telepathy.
[Snow, get back.]
Snow didnt think too deeply and retreated hurriedly.
After confirming that Snow was out of range, Frey muttered while looking at Hydra.
His first 8 star spell.
Another Sun. (Note: literally)
h-, huh?
Hydra looked back with a blank expression.
I see the sun but why are there two?
That was Hydras last thought. Shortly thereafter, her entire body became black ash before scattering in the wind.
Frey didnt let his guard down against Demigods because he knew better than anyone how strong they were.
He had had countless experiences of someone he thought dead jumping up and attacking him again.
That was why he didnt lower his guard until he was certain that Hydra had definitely been killed by the spell.
8 star Magic, Torkuntas heart and the Staff of the Great Sage.
The synergy created by these three elements created an effect that not even Frey had been able to expect.
No. It wasnt just that.
Originally, it should have taken many times longer to cast an 8 star spell. Yet Frey had been able to drastically reduce that time.
Ultra-high speed computation gained from my years in the Abyss. Im finally able to use it.
In that space completely cut off from the outside world, the only thing that Frey had the freedom to do was think.
He thought a great deal to maintain his sense of self. However, the only thing that hed been able to think about was Magical Science.
Frey thought and thought and thought.
It was strange to call it hard work.
Killing time.
Right, it was more accurate to call it killing time.
Nevertheless, one of the by-products of this endeavour to kill time was an ultra fast computational ability.
As he was now, he could do the calculations for dozens of magical formulas at the same time. (Note: I was wondering why he was so fast at that and didnt want to put it under the banner well hes the great magenow it makes sense)
Regardless of how complex it was, if he was to calculate it hundreds or even thousands of times, eventually he would figure it out.
This meant that even the most complicated large-scale spells could be created instantaneously.
Omitting the chant required a tremendous amount of mana, many times more than if one was to chant the spell, but even that could be disregarded.
Freys current mana capacity was already double of when he was Lukas.
And when he reached 8 stars, the Ultra-high speed computation that had only been possible in his thoughts had become a reality.
In a sense, this was much more important than any elixir he had taken so far or the Staff of the Great Sage.
Frey realised.
At that moment, he was already stronger than the 8 stars Lukas of the past.
And also that it wasnt impossible for him to deal with Demigods.
Chapter 93 - Whatever it takes to Become Strong(5)
Chapter 93 - Whatever it takes to Become Strong(5) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Snow was shell-shocked.
The scene shed just witnessed was too unbelievable.
Half of the forest, which had completely filled her sight just moments ago, had become ash in the blink of an eye.
She didnt even see them burn.
Her gaze then turned to Frey.
Even when the Demigod had been killed in an instant and most of the surrounding forest had been turned to ash, he hadnt even broken a sweat.
Doesnt that mean that he can cast more spells like that?
When she heard Syaxs explanation, shed thought he was amazing. However, the prowess he was displaying now far exceeded her expectations.
He was like a natural disaster that a human would be powerless against.
Shuk.
Riki appeared beside her.
It was obvious that hed hurried over as his clothes were messy, and sweat was dripping down his face.
Rikis expression stiffened as he looked around.
He clearly saw the ashes on the ground and felt the traces of Hydras aura lingering in the air. The result of their battle was already clear for him to see.
His gaze also turned to Frey.
Did you kill Hydra?
I did.
After hearing Freys response, Rikis expression became strange.
He paused for a moment before speaking in a weak voice.
I see. So my worry was unnecessary in the first place.
He then raised his head, and Frey felt his gaze had become more serious.
First, lets return to the hut.
Frey and Snow nodded.
The middle of the burnt scene, where ash was blowing constantly, was not a suitable place to have a conversation.
Is Hydra completely dead now?
Thats right.
Riki nodded, but his expression didnt improve.
Although it was an unexpected situation, since theyd managed to deal with one Demigod, didnt that mean they turned a crisis into an opportunity?
Snow wanted to ask this question, but his expression made it hard for her to say anything.
Soon after, they arrived at the hut.
Perhaps it was because he returned to his own territory, but Rikis expression relaxed a little.
Frey observed him for a moment before asking.
Why did a Demigod come to you?
There wasnt a specific reason. Hydra stops by from time to time.
They had arrived at the worst possible time. Had it been earlier or later, he could have prepared properly.
Riki let out a heavy sigh.
The fact that Hydra died wont be hidden for long. Ananta will soon learn of it.
Ananta?
He is one of the Apocalypses. He uses the power of poison.
So that old mans name was Ananta.
He had met him a few times when he was Lukas, but he hadnt known his name.
Snow asked with a strange voice.
Then what do we do now?
If Hydra told Ananta that she was coming to visit me then her death would make him suspicious.
This would make attending the meeting an act of suicide. Ill have to investigate some things.
Rikis expression became even more serious.
Time is running out. Frey, have you made up your mind?
There was no need to say anything since he was already determined.
Frey simply took out the vial of the elixir containing Indras lightning and put it on the table.
Ill do it.
Divine power.
The transcendent power used by Demigods.
To learn more about it, he decided to learn how to control this energy.
It was an old saying, but if he knew his enemies and he knew himself, wouldnt victory be assured?
The harmony of mana and divine power.
The words that Riki said resounded in his head.
Maybe he would be able to find a clue to defeat Lord.
It was impossible for him to defeat him. This was something that Frey had realised 4,000 years ago.
Because of that, he had tried to learn as much as he could in this life, after hed gained Freys body.
Warrior Kings Fist, Spiritism, Alchemy and even making contracts with Devils.
He learned everything regardless of the type.
And now, for Frey, the divine power would just be another way to increase his own power.
He had no intention of rejecting a method to become stronger because the power of the Demigods had always made him uncomfortable.
Good. Then absorb the energy in that lightning elixir right away.
Frey stared at the lightning elixir in his hand.
Can I really drink this?
You can.
Pijik.
The pale lightning swirling within the bottle made him think the elixir wasnt edible.
Perhaps he would just be electrocuted.
Riki spoke to the suspicious Frey.
It will probably sting a bit.
The worst case scenario would be it colliding with his mana, which was something that Frey believed he could handle.
Frey opened the bottle and took a deep breath before putting the vial to his lips.
Gulp.
!
Krrrng!
He immediately felt dizzy.
The shock of the lightning racing down his spine made his mind completely blank, and he almost lost consciousness.
Kuk
Because it is divine power, it might collide with your mana at first. It would be best to not forcefully separate them. Just let it run its course.
He heard Rikis cold voice.
Frey desperately controlled his roaring mana.
So this is divine power
He had a rough idea of how the energy felt.
However, feeling it running through his veins allowed him to realise just how explosively powerful this energy really was.
Before, he had only seen it from afar, but now, it was like he was touching, tasting and smelling it.
At that moment, Frey truly began to understand just what divine power truly was.
Gather the power into your heart. Its more efficient to store it there.
After a while, the divine energy, which had been running around like a mad bull, slowly began changing direction, following Freys guidance.
Snow, who was watching from the side, couldnt help but make a shocked expression.
Freys body had only just received divine power for the first time. More importantly, he had to control his mana to stop it from reacting.
Nevertheless, the skill with which Frey was handling the divine power was completely incomparable to her when she took it in for the first time.
Rikis eyes shined brightly.
a natural talent.
No.
Divine power was not something that could be controlled with just talent.
This was only possible because Freys body had the Blake familys blood in its veins.
His body had been optimised to handle divine power.
Isnt this creating a being that cant be contained?
A thought suddenly occurred to Riki.
He didnt know much about the inner details of the experiment being conducted in the Blake family. He only knew that it was possible for mana and divine power to coexist in their bodies.
However, Leyrin had said that the current rate of synchronisation was not too good.
[It will get higher and higher in the future generations! If we wait a few hundred years, well get a race better than any other mortal!]
Leyrin had laughed loudly at the time.
Riki looked at Frey.
Divine power and mana, two energies that could not coexist naturally, were now gently embracing each other as though they were lovers.
It could even be called fusion.
The vortex that had silently formed around Frey slowly subsided, and Freys body, which had seemed on the verge of collapse, stabilised.
When he saw this, Riki laughed in a way that he hadnt for decades.
hundreds of years?
How long had he been waiting?
Frey slowly opened his eyes.
Pijiik.
Lightning wriggled around his head.
Riki observed this calmly for a moment before speaking.
It seems it was successful.
Of course, this was only the beginning.
It was natural for him to be able to use divine power since he was a descendant of the Blake family.
His synchronisation rate was much higher than Riki had expected, but what really mattered was what would happen from that point on.
There were three months left until the meeting. During that time, Frey would need to learn how to use his divine power to some extent.
At least to a level where no one would be suspicious of his disguise as an Apostle.
Youll be really busy starting today. Itll be difficult, and you will feel that time is passing quickly.
Riki looked at Frey before saying.
Are you still going with me?
Frey nodded.
Although Riki had asked him something, he couldnt even open his mouth.
His tongue was paralysed, and he couldnt speak.
* * *
Time will pass quickly.
Riki was right.
Time flew by in the blink of an eye.
A bolt of lightning from Freys hand upturned the ground.
He was running, his robe flapping wildly in the wind.
His sharp gaze turned towards Riki, who was standing there with his hands at his sides.
Pijiik
Once again, lightning shot out from his fingertips.
Riki had just one thought as he looked at the bolt of lightning that twisted like a spiderweb.
Isnt his power higher than a normal Apostle?
He gently swung his sheath.
Chain Lightning.
This was the name that Frey had given to the fierce bolt of lightning that looked like a spiderweb.
At the same time, Frey jumped into the air.
When he stretched his arms up to the sky, Indras divine power, which filled his body, shot into the sky.
Dark clouds formed instantly.
Boom!
Then, without warning, a lightning bolt struck down towards Riki.
Shik.
However, Rikis sword cut through the lighting at an even greater speed.
Silence fell upon the clearing.
At first glance, it would appear that Riki had cut Freys momentum, but instead, a deep smile blossomed on Freys face instead.
You drew your sword.
right.
On the other hand, Rikis expression was not happy.
Hed drawn his sword, so he had to admit it.
The man before him had been learning to control divine power for about two months.
Its not perfect. There are still a few shortcomings.
However, that wasnt very important.
What was truly important was the fact that it had only been two months since Frey had accepted divine power into his body.
Hed learned how to utilise his new power at a tremendous speed.
Snow was a true genius who only needed to be instructed once to learn something.
But Freys talent was much more than that.
No.
It could no longer be considered as just talent.
Freys power was already close to exceeding that of an Apostle.
Riki could only guess the reason.
Maybe its because Indras dead.
In essence, Apostles borrowed divine power from the Demigods and utilised that power.
However, Indra, who was the owner of the divine power of lightning, was already dead.
That was the reason why Freys lightning power was uninhibited and was able to grow to such an extent with training.
At that point, it might be an advantage or a disadvantage.
What would happen if they created fake Apostles using the energy extracted from dead Demigods?
This was something that not even the research fanatic, Leyrin, would have been able to research.
In the first place, the death of a Demigod was something that would only happen once every few hundred years or so.
Riki concealed his thoughts and said.
I drew my sword today, so as promised, it will be the last day of training.
To reach the level where he would be forced to draw his sword. That had been the minimum requirement.
Even if Riki hadnt been serious, this was still an incredibly hard thing to do.
At least, it was not something that most Apostles would be able to accomplish.
What about the situation with Hydra?
It seems no one has noticed anything yet. Well attend the meeting as planned.
Where is it being held?
The Luanoble Kingdom.
Hmmm.
It was the country of Knights and Sonia Aquarids homeland.
It was quite far from the Great Reynols Forest.
Did you think of a means of transportation?
Im thinking about using Warp Stones.
I didnt think Demigods would use Warp Stones as well.
He knew that Riki had a different way of getting from one location to another.
When he killed Indra, hed suddenly appeared and disappeared. However, Riki shook his head as he realised Freys thoughts.
Space-time movement is not an option. There are many conditions to using it, and the human body wouldnt be able to withstand it. Theres a high probability that at the end of the movement, you would become a pool of blood.
Over the past two months, Frey had become accustomed to Rikis way of speaking, which often included harsh words.
Thanks to this, Freys expression didnt change much as he heard that.
Theres a Warp Stone in Pillat. If we use it, well be able to arrive in Luanoble in no time. But we have a lot more time than I expected.
It wouldnt even take them a week to get to Pillat. And even if they were late, they could just use the Warp spell to arrive nearby.
As though he suddenly remembered something, Riki turned and said.
You shouldnt use mana from now on.
Why?
Because you have to completely erase the reverberation that mana gives off.
The mana reverberation.
At 8 stars, it was possible for him to appear no different from the general public, but it wasnt perfect.
The possibility of Lord sensing his mana was very high.
And if he didnt use mana for a month, the reverberation would fade by a large amount, if not completely.
If you use your divine power, you should be able to trick Lords senses.
This meant that he had to use divine power as much as possible.
Frey nodded.
Understood.
Shall we go then?
right now?
Why? Is there a reason not to?
When he heard Rikis words, Frey pondered for a moment before shaking his head.
No.
He felt a little bad for not saying goodbye to Snow, Camille and Syax, but they were all busy anyway.
Snow helped Frey learn to control his divine power for the first month before she had to return to deal with her overdue work, and Syax was busy helping rebuild the village.
Camille also had her hands full with the Dark Elf youths she was leading.
Its fine. Ill meet them again soon anyway.
He felt that it wouldnt be long before he met Syax, as well as Snow and Camille, who were a part of the Circle, again.
Then lets go.
Riki only carried his sword as he turned and began walking away.
Frey also followed him since most of his belongings were in the Subspace bag.
I never would have imagined that Id go on a trip with a Demigod.
If he told the Lukas from 4,000 years ago that this would happen, he would have laughed in his own face.
Frey gave a wry smile as he followed Riki.
There was very little conversation as they walked through the woods.
Frey didnt have much of a chatty personality, nor did he really want to have any real conversation with Riki.
Riki was also the type who only spoke when absolutely necessary.
However, their comfortable silence was soon destroyed.
Halt!
Kuhuhu!
A group of men stepped out from behind the trees.
There were about twenty armed men, and greed was clearly visible on their faces.
Thanks to that, it was easy to identify them.
Bandits.
They were dressed in shabby clothes and didnt appear to be very strong.
From what Frey could see, even the most common mercenaries would be able to defeat them easily.
They were probably a group of bandits who specialised in terrorising the merchants who traded with the elves.
Freys expression became strange.
Riki also looked at them with slight confusion.
Can we help you with something?
Of course you can. Thats why we stopped you.
Boss! Doesnt the silver-haired one look pretty good for a man?
Kukuku! If we sell him to a male brothel after were done playing with him, wed probably make a lot of money! (Note: *gag*) Sar?h the ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
That one has a nice sword. I call dibs.
Frey was dumbfounded.
This couldnt even be called a comedy.
These poor men couldnt even dream of the fact that the silver-haired man in front of them was one of the strongest beings in the world.
A hairy man standing at the front let out a cruel laugh, not even imagining the terror he was about to face.
If you do everything I say, this old man will allow you to keep your puny lives.
you mean my life?
Riki tilted his head as if he didnt understand.
Do you really mean that?
Does our boss look like someone who would mess around?
Shwing.
One of the bandits drew his sword with a twisted expression on his face.
Rikis expression became more suspicious.
The hairy man laughed loudly.
Be careful. The silver-haired one is mine. I dont care if you kill the other one. (Note: poor Frey)
Yeah!
You heard that, didnt you? Dont resist too much. We wouldnt want you to get hurt.
Frey looked at Riki and folded his arms.
You get a penalty for killing humans, right? Should I take care of this?
But Riki shook his head expressionlessly.
No.
He drew his sword quietly.
Chuk.
I just have to not kill them.
Chapter 94 - Meeting (1)
Chapter 94 - Meeting (1) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Five people from all walks of life were gathered in a room.
While only one candle lit up the interior, a blonde girl, who didnt seem to fit into the heavy setting, opened her mouth.
Is it true that the Sword has made a move?
Her voice was filled with irritation.
Shepard Jun, the middle aged man who was being glared at by the girl, could only give a bitter smile.
He removed the barrier he placed in the forest. Trust me, Rounder Sheryl, Ill bet my reputation on it.
If anyone were to see this sight, they would have doubted their own eyes.
Shepard Jun, master of a magic tower and head of the renowned Jun family, was acting so differentially to a young girl?
Was he really the one who did not dare to meet this girls gaze and continuously avoided it?
However, there was no one in the Circle who would find fault with Shepard Juns actions when they heard his words.
Rounder Sheryl!
This blonde girl was none other than the second in command of the Phisfounder Armlets, one of the Three Great Circles.
On the surface, she appeared to be a blonde girl who did not exceed twenty years, but in fact, she was actually a vampire who had already lived for hundreds of years.
Sheryl smiled slightly and lifted her chin.
Where is he headed?
Pillat, the city we are in currently. Thats why I called you.
Hmph
Sheryls sharp crimson eyes swept across the people in the room.
Most of the people who received her gaze seemed to feel uncomfortable as they hurriedly avoided meeting it.
She licked her lips once before saying.
Well, it makes sense that youd call for me. After all, youre nothing but a baby chick in front of an Apocalypse.
Crunch.
She gritted her teeth with an angry expression.
But arent you forgetting the battle to subjugate Nozdog? The Trowman Rings, who were on par with the Three Great Circles, was almost completely annihilated in one battle. At that time, we only obtained one piece of information, and that was the fact that that monster had the power of death.
Hundreds, almost thousands of people died just to obtain that one piece of information.
She knew the five of them were very talented. Even Sheryl alone had centuries worth of knowledge and experience.
As long as she had a good enough plan, she could even take down a small fortress by herself.
But the opponent this time was a Demigod. Transcendent beings who could destroy a city or even a country by themselves, depending on their power.
Shepard shook his head with a determined expression.
Of course, I didnt call you here to fight.
Then?
Were thinking of tailing him.
It was a grey-haired man who said that.
Sheryl frowned.
You what was your name again?
Heinz Blake, Rounder Sheryl.
The youngest executive in the Strow Necklaces? Ive heard the rumors.
Nevertheless, she still looked at him with her sharp gaze.
What can we get from following him?
We received information that the Demigods are gathering in one place.
Shepard was the one who spoke, but Sheryl didnt take her eyes off of Heinz.
From which source?
Me.
Once again, it was Heinz who spoke.
Sheryls expression became strange.
Is it information from the Blake family?
I overheard a conversation between Isaka Blake and a Demigod.
The fact that Isaka, the head of the Blake family, had a certain relationship with the Demigods was something that was an open secret among the main figures of the Circle.
And Heinz was the one to report it.
From then on, he kept on giving the Circle information that couldnt be obtained by normal means.
Therefore, the information that Heinz brought was highly reliable.
Nevertheless, there were still many in the Circle who doubted him.
Heinzs expression remained calm even when he knew that she might be one of them.
He didnt look like he was lying.
Hes a strange kid.
That was the judgement Sheryl reached for Heinz.
Even with her experience, it was difficult for her to see through him.
Either he was really telling the truth, or he was really good at lying.
The meeting will be somewhere in Luanoble, but I dont know the exact location.
Luanoble? Thats the exact opposite direction from here.
I think he wants to use the Warp Stone here.
For a moment silence fell in the room.
A Demigod using a Warp Stone? Dont they have their own form of transportation? Ive never heard of them entering a human city just to use a Warp Stone.
This time, it was Dugenjar, a force honor of the Phisfounder Armlets.
Shepards gaze turned to him.
Hes changed a lot.
Dugenjar was a Wizard who was widely rumored to have a personality that didnt quite match his ability.
Although he was a 7 star Archmage, his stubbornness and narrowmindedness made him unpopular among the other executives of the Three Great Circles.
However, this man had suddenly changed a few months ago.
It was said that he no longer argued about pointless things, and his reputation in the Circle had been climbing since then.
Shepard had been disbelieving at first, but after spending these few days together and conversing with him, he realised he really had changed.
He didnt know what happened, but it seemed Dugenjar had come to some kind of realisation.
Then a Knight with a thick mustache tapped on his armor.
Thats not the problem. This is a very serious situation. Can we be sure that monster doesnt intend to just destroy Pillat completely?
He was an executive from the Lucid Swords named Jerome Berner.
Heinz shook his head.
If that was his purpose, he would not have moved so slowly and allowed us to catch onto his trail.
It could be just a whim. Nothing is more pointless than trying to rationalise a Demigods behaviour.
Thats true, but Pillat has the Blake family. The Demigods have a relationship with the Blake family, so I dont think they will attack this place.
Jerome didnt say anything further because there was nothing to refute.
Sheryl pressed against her temples before speaking firmly.
Alright. I think I understand. Hes coming to Pillat just to use the Warp Stone to head to Luanoble. Then he will attend the Demigod meeting thats being held there somewhere. Is that everything?
Thats right.
Then what can we do with that information?
Shepard agreed with Sheryl.
Usually, when your enemies congregated in one place, it was the perfect opportunity to strike them down in one blow.
However, their enemies were Demigods.
It would not be possible for them to overwhelm the Demigods when they were congregated together.
To put it bluntly, if dozens of Demigods gathered in one place, the Circle would be unable to do anything even if every member showed up.
Heinz spoke calmly.
Throughout the long history of the circle, there has never been a case of more than a dozen Demigods gathering. For those arrogant beings to all gather in one place to discuss something, Im not sure what it could be about, but Im sure that it would be incredibly important.
so you want to eavesdrop on whatever they are going to talk about.
I think it would be worth the risk.
Sheryl tapped on her chin.
Certainly Heinz was right. Sear?h the N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
It wasnt just a matter of curiosity.
If there was something that could cause dozens of Demigods to gather, then it would be worth finding out even at the risk of their lives.
And we dont have to attack the Demigods directly.
Huh?
I heard the Apostles will also accompany the Demigods to the meeting.
!
This information caused a ripple to spread throughout the room.
Sheryl stared at Heinz with wide eyes.
Are you certain of this information?
Thats right.
If that were true, the situation would be completely different.
The most effective means that they knew of to hurt a Demigod was to kill their Apostle.
The Circle had not yet figured out what kind of penalty the Demigods faced when their Apostles died, but they knew it caused some form of break in their usual operation.
And the people in this room were all powerful enough to handle even the most skilled Apostles.
Even if we only got a few of them, it would be a great harvest.
Everyone seemed to turn and look at Sheryl at the same time.
This was because she was the most authoritative among those gathered.
Shepard and Heinz were the ones who called this meeting, but in order to carry out such an emergency operation, Rounder Sheryls presence was indispensable.
They were powerless in this regard.
Good.
Sheryls lips slowly parted.
First, well stay in Pillat and monitor the situation. And after the Sword makes his move, well make ours. Understood?
Everyone nodded with serious expressions.
Chapter 95 - Meeting (2)
Chapter 95 - Meeting (2) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Frey looked on.
It happened in an instant.
Riki seemed to simply draw his sword before sheathing it again.
Huh?
What are you doing?
If you draw your blade, then you should probably cut something. Hm?
Rikis unusual actions caused the bandits who had been approaching them to pause for a moment.
However, they simply thought he was scared and laughed uproariously.
Tuk tuk tuk.
In the next moment, the arms of all the approaching bandits suddenly fell to the ground simultaneously.
At the same time, blood shot up like a fountain as the bandits experienced pain more terrifying than they could ever imagine.
Aaaack!
M-, my arms!
It was a beautiful sword stroke.
Even Frey was only able to barely make out the trajectory, and there was no way these weak bandits couldve kept up with such speed.
Frey walked up to the hairy man.
He hadnt been overwhelmed by the pain; instead, his eyes were rolling around as he tried to analyze the current situation.
But when he noticed Frey walking over, he immediately pressed his forehead to the ground.
M-, My Lord! Please spare my life!
That silver haired man was a monster.
He realised that the man before him was much more powerful than anyone he had ever encountered in all his life.
If he dared run his mouth here he would certainly become a cold corpse in an instant.
Who are you?
W-, we are the Red Evil.
It was a very tacky name.
Frey thought for a moment before continuing.
What are you doing here?
Th-, that
Speak honestly.
After saying that, Frey deliberately looked at Riki.
The hairy man then spoke quickly, his voice filled with nervousness, fear and pain.
W-, we came to steal goods.
From whom?
T-, the merchants who trade with the Elves in the Great Forest
How many times have you done this?
When Freys eyes sharpened, the hairy man hurriedly answered.
A-, about ten times.
Ten times.
It seemed they were quite experienced.
You must have killed everyone during those robberies.
Th-, that
He didnt need to hear more.
Lightning shot out from Freys hand.
Pajik.
The bodies of the bandits were consumed by the lightning in an instant.
They died without even being able to let out a proper scream.
As the scent of charred meat filled the area, Riki looked down at the bodies and said with a calm tone.
That was unexpected.
What do you mean?
I didnt think you would kill humans so easily.
You must have thought I was a good-natured man.
That was a big misunderstanding.
And Riki had misunderstood something else.
The trash that he just killed was not human.
Riki looked at Freys face for a moment before saying.
You humans are quite interesting.
What?
He hadnt expected that statement.
Frey looked at him like he thought he was making a joke. However, Rikis expression didnt change.
In the first place, he wasnt the type to make jokes. Sar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Because you are more three dimensional than any other intelligent race Ive ever encountered.
What do you mean?
I mean what I said.
Riki continued walking along the path, and Frey followed him after a brief moment of hesitation.
A Demigod who was interested in humans.
He wasnt sure he could quite believe it.
* * *
They bypassed the inspection at the gate easily since Riki already had sufficient identification.
The moment he pulled out the mercenary card with his distinctive lack of expression, Frey became speechless for a while.
D class Mercenary Riki. Is that correct?
Thats right.
It was crazy.
He hadnt even bothered to create a pseudonym.
If the guards hadnt been in front of them at that moment, Frey would have definitely looked at Riki with a strange expression.
And you?
Kain Rixton, A class Mercenary.
Hmm. Youve been verified. Welcome to Pillat.
The guards nodded before returning their cards, and they easily entered the city.
Looking back at the gates, Frey couldnt help but say.
I didnt think youd even have a mercenary card.
It has quite a few uses, so I got one in passing.
Did that mean that he travelled around the continent often?
He lived in a hut in the middle of a forest, so Frey had thought he lived a hermit life away from the rest of the world.
well, if he hides his true strength, no one would be able to realise who he is.
At least, they wouldnt be able to realise unless Riki himself decided to reveal his power.
However, Frey could clearly feel the enormous power that was circulating around Rikis body at all times.
Was it because hed received divine power?
It will be nice to know whenever I encounter a Demigod.
As Frey had this thought, they headed to the Warp Stone in the citys center.
When they asked the guards about the schedule, they learned that there would be a trip to Luanoble in three days.
Three days. Why arent there any today or tomorrow?
Isnt it a foreign destination? Besides, three days isnt that long. Instead, you guys should consider yourselves lucky.
Lucky?
The only reason you can go directly to Luanoble without any special procedures is because of your statuses as Mercenaries. Thats because your job requires such freedom in order to travel all over the continent with merchants. If it was anyone else, theyd have to fill out many documents and undergo a strict process. And if you think this is slow, that process is even slower; it can take a few weeks rather than just three days.
The guard spoke while waving his hands at them.
In other words, Eizeks advice that it would be better to obtain Mercenary status was indeed correct.
They had no choice but to stay at an inn for three days.
That night, after dinner, Riki looked up and said.
Im going to the Blake family home.
What?
It was an unexpected statement.
Frey turned his gaze to Riki, asking him to continue.
They already know that I am in the city. If I dont go to them first, they will come to me. They might not be suspicious of us, but it would be better if they didnt encounter you here.
Then, after a moment of silence, he added.
If Im lucky, I might be able to learn more about Leyrins experient or even a clue to the identity of her Apostle.
Leyrin, one of the Apocalypses like Riki.
At the same time, she was the figure that controlled the Blake family from the shadows.
A clue to the Apostles identity?
Its just a speculation, but I believe that Leyrins Apostle is likely to be a member of the Blake family. The one with the highest probability is the family head, Isaka Blake.
Isaka Blake, the Tower Master of the 6th Magic Tower, the current head of the Blake family and Freys father.
The Circle would never even imagine the possibility of him being an Apostle.
Mana and divine power could not coexist, and Isaka Blake was one of the strongest Archmages in the empire.
If Frey hadnt learned that vital piece of information from Riki, he would have also had trouble believing Isaka was an Apostle.
At best, he would have only assumed that he had succumbed to the Demigods temptation.
But it was different now.
He knew that the Blake family was just an experiment designed by the Demigods and that it was possible to use both divine power and mana as long as one was a descendant of the family.
For this reason, he did not doubt Rikis assumption that the head of the Blake family was the Apostle of Leyrin, who was in charge of the experiment.
Riki got up from his seat, and it seemed that he had decided to head to the Blake family immediately.
He stopped as he was about to open the door and turned back to Frey.
It might be unnecessary, but Ill tell you anyway.
Huh?
Theres a tail clinging to us.
Freys expression stiffened.
Tail.
He clearly understood what that meant.
They were being followed or watched.
It seems that the one watching us is a Contractor. (Note: should I change to summoner?)
A Contractor?
They hadnt used magic, which made the fact that Frey didnt notice understandable.
Is it the Circle?
Theres a high probability of that. There have always been a few people following me, even when I was in the forest. They are probably trying to figure out the situation since I removed my barrier and came here. They should at least be executives.
They should have already confirmed that I have a companion. Even if I go to the Blake family, the watchers will not go away. In fact, they might even use the opportunity to approach you.
Frey didnt want to stand on the other side of the Circle. Things were getting troublesome.
Frey frowned while Riki spoke in his usual calm tone.
I can kill them.
What?
Arent you worried they will attack you?
didnt you say that you are punished by god for killing mortals?
That doesnt matter since it would require hundreds of kills for me to really feel anything. And unlike that trash from the forest, executives from the Circle are worth having me draw my sword.
Frey noticed the subtle tone in Rikis voice.
If he agreed, the man in front of him would really kill all of the Circle executives monitoring them.
No. I want to assess the situation first.
Alright. Be careful.
With those blunt words, Riki left the room.
Frey sighed.
He was truly a tricky man to deal with.
Although he was listening to his opinion at the moment, Frey could not guarantee that he would continue to do so.
Rikis power was too dangerous to handle.
After he began using divine power, Frey had felt this fact even more clearly.
Thats why this is even more troublesome since I cant break our alliance just yet.
At least, if he knew the reason why he betrayed the Demigods, Frey felt that he would be able to trust Riki more.
However, he never said a word about it, which caused Freys doubts and suspicions to become even more pronounced.
Frey shook his head.
It wasnt something he would be able to figure out even if he thought about it all night.
Chapter 96 - Meeting (3)
Chapter 96 - Meeting (3) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
It appears the Demigod is heading toward the Blake familys residence.
I will handle the surveillance.
As Heinz said this, he glanced at Sheryl as though to seek information.
There was no reason for her to refuse.
Heinzs entrances and exits would draw the least attention in the Blake familys residence.
Then well find out about the man who was with the Demigod.
Ive already investigated his identity.
Jerome was a little surprised by Shepards words
Already?
It wasnt hard. I simply asked the guard who inspected them what form of identification they presented. They entered the city as Mercenaries.
Mercenaries, huh. Definitely one of the easiest identities to fake.
Dugenjar nodded.
Anyone could become a Mercenary, regardless of status, age or race, as long as they had no criminal record and there was no problem with their skills.
It was a system with many loopholes, but the advantages were so clear that not even the empire could suggest an alternative.
Their names are Riki and Kain Rixton. When I checked at the Mercenary Guild, theyre a D class Swordsman and an A class Wizard. Riki has no mission records in the last three years, while Kain went missing on a mission two months ago.
It had only been a few hours since they entered the city, yet he had been able to acquire such detailed information.
As the others looked at Shepard with admiration, Sheryl shook her head firmly.
Theres no need to investigate further. You wont discover any vital clues anyway since they are undercover, and if you try to dig further, you might be discovered.
Understood.
Sheryl pondered while rubbing her chin.
Kain Rixton.
If there was any person they could get leads from, it would be with this man who accompanied the Demigod.
Sheryl smiled, revealing the canines that were characteristic of vampires.
Ill need to get close to him.
Do you think thats a good idea?
Im thinking about using Lilith.
Shepards expression changed when he heard that.
Lilith.
There had been rumors that Sheryl had signed a contract with the Succubus Queen, one of the six Grand Dukes who ruled over the Demon World, but he hadnt believed them.
I know Mongma is good at gathering information, but Im afraid shed leave a trace.
Lilith is the Succubus Queen. In other words, dreams are something that she can manipulate with ease. So we wont have to worry about anything.
Moreover, she would be extremely effective.
Even a man with steel-like willpower, who wouldnt open his mouth even with the harshest torture or blackmail, wouldnt be able to last more than a few moments in a dream before he revealed everything he knew.
What was great was that it wouldnt leave any traces.
The man named Kain would even forget meeting Lilith in his dreams.
Then I will summon Lilith this very evening. I will inform you of what I learned tomorrow.
Everyone nodded.
* * *
That evening.
Sheryl entered her room and drew the curtains.
Immediately, the space became pitch black, but she was still able to see since a vampires dark vision was excellent.
She bit her index finger slightly. The blood dripped down to the floor before flowing to form a precise summoning circle.
As light began to flow from the circle, Lilith slowly rose up.
She was a woman with a very distinct charm.
She had eyes filled with lust and purple skin that was almost completely revealed by her breathtakingly seductive clothes.
Even a man with an iron will wouldnt help but glance over at her, and when he did, his body would be unable to contain the lust created by her fatal charm.
The room became filled with an atmosphere that would even cause a woman to blush and feel hot even if they were the same sex, but Sheryl did not show any reaction.
She was a vampire. The race that was known for its seduction and charm.
This was why Sheryl was such a good match for Lilith.
If she wasnt a vampire, there was a high probability that she wouldnt have been able to sign the contract.
Huhu. Its been a while, Sheryl. (Note: why do I get some ara, ara vibes right now?)
I summoned you because I have a favor to ask.
Of course, Ill do whatever my cute baby bat wants.
Lilith giggled seductively.
It was clear from her tone that she treated Sheryl like a child, but at the same time, the expression on her face seemed to tell a different story.
Sheryl spoke in a flat tone.
Theres a man whose dreams I want you to manipulate.
Huh? Who?
A man staying on the third floor of an inn in the western part of this city. The exact location of his room is
After listening to the explanation, Lilith giggled again.
Understood. Right, what should I ask him?
If there really is a meeting between the Demigods and the reason for it.
Hmmm information about the Demigods?
Liliths expression changed slightly, but that was it.
She nodded again with the same coy smile.
Ill be right back.
Sss.
Her figure disappeared.
She became a Sprit Body and went to find Kain.
Sheryl sat in a chair and waited for Lilith to return.
After about thirty minutes, Lilith reappeared.
Sheryl immediately rose from her seat, her expression tinged with anxiety.
You came back really quickly. What did you learn?
Lilith?
Lilith remained silent for a while. Her expression was also quite strange.
She looked at Sheryl for a long time before speaking with the same strange expression.
I failed. (Note: this would have been a perfect cliffhanger if the scene wasnt so short)
* * *
You failed? What the hell is that supposed to
It wasnt unreasonable for Sheryl to be so shocked.
The one standing before her was the legendary Succubus Queen, not some ordinary dreamweaver.
She had been contracted to Lilith for hundreds of years and had asked her to do the same thing countless times before, and never once was she met with failure.
Is that man also a Demigod?
That idea suddenly came to mind.
After all, it wouldve been impossible for Lilith to infiltrate the dreams of a Demigod, even if she was the Succubus Queen.
But Lilith shook her head.
No, he was human. Though, Im not sure if Id still call him human.
Please stop being vague and explain in detail.
Umm
Liliths wings fluttered slightly to show her embarrassment.
His mental power is ridiculously strong. If a normal mortal is like a wooden fence, then I suppose he is an impregnable wall? Its the first time Ive ever encountered one so strong except for Dragons or Demigods.
Sheryls expression became strong.
And you said hes human?
Im positive he is.
But youre comparing him to Dragons and Demigods?
I cannot properly explain how strong it is without using them as references.
Lilith grumbled bitterly, but Sheryl was still confused.
Naturally, mental power varied widely depending on the individual, even among humans.
As far as Sheryl knew, the strongest mental power could only be found among two types of individuals.
Wizards and Contractors.
The Contractors who had to make direct contracts with Demons and the Wizards who were required to train their mental power could be considered exceptional among the humans.
However, Lilith had been able to easily penetrate and manipulate the dreams of a 7 star Wizard, as well as a Contractor who had signed a contract with a High class Demon.
If I try, I could maybe get in, but he smelled quite dangerous, so I decided against it.
Dangerous smell?
Im sure hes signed a contract with another Grand Duke.
what?
Sheryls eyebrows rose subconsciously.
By Grand Duke do you mean one of the rulers of the Demon World?
Do you think I meant a peacock from the human world?
A Grand Dukes contractor was working with the Demigods.
If Liliths words were true, then the situation was much worse than shed initially imagined.
Which Grand Duke is it?
I dont know. If Id tried to find out, he would have noticed my presence.
Although Lilith said this calmly, the fact that someone might have been able to notice her in her Spirit Body was already strange in itself.
Sheryl couldnt help but feel that everything was going wrong.
Hoo
It couldnt be helped. S~ea??h the ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
As Lilith said, if they tried to press further, they mightve gotten caught, which would cause the situation to change drastically.
For the time being, they had no choice but to watch him while maintaining their distance.
Chapter 97 - Meeting (4)
Chapter 97 - Meeting (4) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
There was something that Lilith hadnt realised.
Frey had noticed when her Spirit Body arrived and left.
No, to be precise, someone told him.
[Hmph]
Standing beside Frey with his arms crossed was none other than Asura, Ruler of the Slaughter Hell.
His appearance was as daunting as ever, but it was strange that his overwhelming aura could not be felt at all.
This was because he had not been summoned directly, and his current form was only an illusion meant for communication.
I didnt think youd be able to contact me from your world.
[Its possible because Im a Grand Duke. Its impossible for even the best Demons.]
Do you dislike Lilith?
[Are you really asking me that? Shes an embarrassment to Grand Dukes like me. Shes a cowardly bitch whos afraid to even leave her territory in the Demon World. If I met her in person, Id tear her crotch apart.] (Note:tmi)
Asuras voice was dripping with malice.
He slowly turned his head to look at Frey.
[Anyway, be careful. I dont think you need to worry with your mental power, but at least for now, that bitch is still a Grand Duke. You never know if she might have different means to get inside your head.]
Right. Thanks for the advice.
He sat down and fell into thought.
So its a circle member from the Phisfounder Armlets.
The evidence wasnt conclusive, but the probability was very high.
This was because he didnt think there would be anyone from the other circles who would be able to sign a contract with a Grand Duke. (Note:except him)
A Force Honor? Or is it the Circle Rounder?
Still, he didnt think the Circle Master would show up in person.
Then was it the Circle Rounder?
The Circle Rounder of the Phisfounder Armlets was a vampire by the name of Sheryl Roland. This was what Ivan had told him.
He remembered because he said she looked like a girl who didnt appear to be that old.
Hmm
Frey narrowed his eyes.
One thing was clear at that moment.
If they were acting so carefully, it would be difficult for Frey to find them first.
Such a headache.
He was also uncertain if hed be able to explain the situation even if they met in person.
This was because he was unsure if they would even believe anything hed say.
He didnt know if there were any members from the Trowman Rings among them, and he couldnt tell executives from other circles about his divine power or Riki.
Should I just kill them?
He thought about it for a moment before deciding against it.
This was because they were people with the potential to help him in his fight against the Demigods.
This meant that he would have to subdue them if he was forced to fight them.
Unfortunately, this wouldnt be easy since he couldnt use mana for a while, and it was naturally harder to subdue people than it was to kill them.
Frey looked down at his hand.
Crackle. (Note: considering using this as the sfx for the lightning)
Lightning bounced across his hand.
Although it was only slightly released, the destructive aura of his divine power could be felt clearly.
It should be stronger than 7 stars but weaker than 8 stars.
He was referring to the destructive power of his lightning.
This fact was certainly amazing.
It had only been two months since Frey had first come into contact with divine power, but it had already reached such a high level.
This allowed him to understand a little why Lukes and Oydin had fallen to the allure of divine power.
The thought of achieving such strength without much effort or time was certainly alluring, and the more desperate the person was, the harder it would be for them to escape the temptation after falling into it.
It was a powerful force that came with little risk.
However.
Its not so simple.
It was possible to get strong fast. However, easily gained strength would lead to weakness of their willpower.
That was, in a way, much worse than ruining your body.
There was no way that kind of strength could be gained for free.
But Frey didnt intend to rely on divine power.
It was but another means to an end. His foundation was firmly embedded in Magical Science, and it was not something that could be shaken.
He had resolved to remain this way for the rest of his life.
First, Ill wait for Riki.
Frey murmured to himself before laying on the bed and extinguishing the candle.
* * *
Riki returned exactly three days later. S~ea??h the N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
He spoke in his characteristically blunt tone.
I didnt learn anything. Leyrin wasnt there, and the head, Isaka Blake, was also away Ah.
Then he suddenly paused as if he just remembered something.
The second son, Heinz Blake, was there.
Heinz?
Right. He was the one who guided me. However, his timing was too coincidental. He arrived just after I got there.
It seemed Riki didnt know he was a member of the Circle.
Frey thought about sharing that fact for a moment, but he decided against it in the end.
After all, he didnt fully trust Riki.
Heinz
Certainly, as Riki said, the timing was too coincidental. Frey felt that there was a very high possibility that Heinz was among the circle members who were monitoring them.
It wasnt like he wasnt strong enough.
Riki led him out of the inn while saying.
Shall we get going?
That very afternoon, they used the Warp Stone to head to Luanoble.
After the short Warp ended, Frey looked around.
So this is Luanoble
The place that Frey and Riki had arrived at was Lupei, a city in the Luanoble Kingdom.
Although it wasnt the capital, it was one of the largest cities in the country.
The Luanoble Kingdom in itself was not small, so Lufeis appearance was quite grand. The architectural style especially caught his eye.
There were many white, sharp-tipped buildings that looked like swords, giving the entire city a very sharp aura.
This way.
Rikis tone was a bit sharp as he walked ahead.
Frey stopped looking around and followed him.
Riki led him through the back alleys in a skillful manner as though he was familiar with the complex road structure.
Dont we have time before the meeting starts?
Theres still a month left.
Then why are you in such a hurry?
The meeting isnt being held in Lufei.
Hmm?
It was the first time hed heard of that.
Riki spoke without turning his head.
Just follow me for now. Theres something I need to do before we go to the meeting.
He paused for a moment before saying.
Ill speed up a little.
Swish.
He immediately accelerated.
Frey wondered why hed increased pace so suddenly, but he soon realised it was an effort to lose any pursuers who might have followed them to Lufei.
The next warp wont be for at least four days,
That thought occurred to him before he realised that with the Circles influence, it wouldnt be impossible to carry out successive warps.
An hour or so passed.
By the time they stopped walking, Frey was slightly out of breath.
Riki glanced at Frey before speaking.
You are weak, unlike Ivan.
How could he compare him to that stamina monster?
Frey looked around, keeping those thoughts to himself
The loud noise of the city sounded faint.
This place was dark even though it was broad daylight as the buildings in the other sections of the city almost completely blocked the sun.
A disgusting smell lingered in the air, and rats could be clearly seen running around the garbage filled streets.
In other words, this was a very dirty place.
Riki pointed to a stairway leading down to a basement and said.
If you go down there, you will find an old man wearing a straw hat. Ask him for a mask.
What mask?
If youre going to the meeting, you need to hide your identity. Didnt I tell you before? Most of the Apostles will participate in this meeting, but they will all hide their appearances.
Are you saying that Ill be able to hide my appearance if I use that mask?
Right. It will completely conceal the aura of your divine power.
If that was the case, then it would be very useful indeed.
However, there was still something he wanted to know.
Why arent you going with me?
The man down there is one of Lords men. If I go with you, they would immediately know that you are my Apostle.
That made sense.
Frey glanced at the stairs for a while before walking down.
It was an incredibly deep, dark staircase.
Frey slowly stepped deeper into the basement.
So long.
How much farther would he have to go?
Because of the circular structure of the staircase, the light from outside, however little it was, could not reach very far, and by the time Frey felt it would have been polite to place a lightsource, the staircase came to an end.
The basement was very bright.
The light that Frey felt was previously lacking in the stairwell was now overly abundant in the basement.
Frey looked around, noticing the heavy scent of dust.
It was like an old junk shop.
It was large, but it was smelly because many miscellaneous items were piled up like a mountain.
As Frey looked at one strange object after another, he heard a lively voice from behind him.
Welcome!
Frey was a bit surprised.
He had not been able to sense the slightest thing before hearing the voice.
What brings you here?
Blonde hair, purple eyes and a maid outfit.
None of these things seemed to match the description Riki had given him.
However, Freys gaze deepened slightly.
The person before him appeared to be a cheerful girl with moist eyes and a healthy blush on her cheeks. Her body seemed to be brimming with vitality.
Yet he could feel none of it.
A Golem?
It was a Golem of extremely high quality.
It was very possible that another person would never have been able to notice this.
Frey thought of Schweiser.
He had been the best puppet master Frey had ever known.
It seems a very perceptive guest has arrived.
A man appeared from inside a back room with a relaxed expression. He was a messily dressed man wearing an old straw hat.
He walked over and patted the girls shoulder.
Aeri, head back for now.
Yes, Master.
The girl called Aeri gave a bright smile before heading to the back of the store.
I apologise if that made you uncomfortable.
Its fine.
Thats good then.
The man then sat on a stool and spread his arms.
Welcome to Hectors General Store. Ah. For reference, Im Hector.
Youre quite a tight-lipped customer.
Hector grumbled.
Frey ignored his words and stated his reason for being there.
I came to get a mask.
Ay. Youre a boring customer too.
He scratched his head for a moment before heading inside.
After a while, he returned with a white mask in his hand. The mask had a crying face printed on it and was covered in dust as though it had been poorly stored for a long time.
Hector glanced at Frey as he brushed the dust from the mask.
Hectors expression then changed, and his mouth opened wide as he spotted the bracelet on Freys wrist.
H-, huk
His entire body convulsed slightly, and he jerked his head up to look at Frey.
A strange light shined in Hectors eyes.
E-, excuse me. But would you mind if I took a look at that bracelet?
Chapter 98 - Meeting (5)
Chapter 98 - Meeting (5) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Did he notice the bracelets secret?
Frey was concerned for a moment before quickly regaining his composure.
It was impossible.
Very few people knew that the Staff of the Great Sage could be transformed into a bracelet.
Even the Strow Necklaces, who claimed to know Schweiser best, and Shepard Jun, who was an executive in that circle, did not know the bracelet was a relic.
Frey shook his head.
You cant.
C-, come on, just a little
Why are you so interested in this bracelet? Its just an ordinary bracelet.
Hector laughed when Frey said those words indifferently.
An ordinary bracelet you dont need to lie to me.
Well. It makes sense that youd think so. Most people wouldnt be able to realise the true value of that bracelet.
Perhaps, even the most proficient appraiser wouldnt be able to notice anything.
However, he was different.
Hectors gaze sharpened.
This item was definitely priceless.
He calmed his desperately beating heart.
I know its not believable if I say it myself, but I am one of the best alchemists. In fact, Im sure that I am among the top three among those on the continent.
It was something that was not completely believable since he was the one that was saying it. But it was impossible for Frey to dismiss it just because he couldnt take his word for it.
At least, this man in front of him was the first to even notice Schweisers bracelet.
I cant even remember the last time I saw a magic tool and admired it. Thats why that bracelet is so shocking. This is just my speculation, but I believe it might be a relic passed down from the Age of Light, where Magic Science was most prevalent.
This was the first time hed ever felt inferior while looking at a magic item since hed begun studying alchemy.
Hector wasnt confident that hed be able to make something like that bracelet even if he was given all of the necessary materials.
This was what made him so curious.
He wanted to see how it was made.
Pure curiosity practically boiled within his gaze.
Frey was happy to hear his acknowledgement of Schweisers skills, but there was absolutely no way he would show this item to one of Lords followers. sea??h th N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
He couldnt afford to get caught in such a foolish way.
You cant.
hoo. Of course, my words wouldnt mean anything.
Hectors voice was low.
He stood up from his seat with a firm expression.
Seeing this, Frey raised his guard as he noticed Hectors strange momentum.
Thud!
Hector pounded his forehead against the floor.
Please!
W-, what are
Please! Show it to me just once!
After saying that, he crawled over and grabbed the hem of Freys robe.
Frey looked down at him with a shocked expression.
Hectors face looked desperate and pitiful.
Was this all an act?
No.
He would not have been able to make such an expression even if he was the best actor in the world.
Frey hesitated after he saw this performance.
an alchemist ranked among the top 3 on the continent.
This was how Hector had introduced himself.
So he should be better than Adelia, right?
Frey couldnt tell. However, even Adelia had not been able to notice the Staff of the Great Sage in its bracelet form.
At least in this aspect, Hector was better than her.
I want to ask you something.
Yes! You can ask me anything.
Hectors eyes shined brightly as he said this.
Frey quickly spoke with a slightly troubled expression.
this doesnt mean that Id show you the bracelet just because you answer.
That doesnt matter! After hearing my response, your heart might soften a little!
This was what Frey wanted.
He nodded and recalled the questions he had asked Adelia in the magic tower in the past.
Can you create a Golem with a core that contains 1 million ME?
A core with 1 million ME? Hmm
Hector narrowed his eyes.
After thinking for a moment, he shook his head.
It would be extremely difficult.
His response was better than Adelias, who had called it downright crazy, but it wasnt a far cry from Freys expectations.
I see. As expected.
Expected?
Even the best alchemist I know told me it was a crazy idea.
Hectors expression changed a little.
Hmm can you tell me in detail? What they said.
Was he interested in the other alchemists opinion?
That didnt matter. Frey told him what he heard from Adelia.
First of all, they said it was almost impossible to create a Golem using a 1 million ME core.
I agree with that opinion. In general, a 10,000 ME core is required to make an Iron Golem.
One Iron Golem was capable of fighting ten Ogres at once.
In other words, with a simple calculation, that would mean that a single Golem with a 1 million ME core would be able to fight 1,000 Ogres at the same time.
When he thought that, he realised just how ridiculous a 1 million ME core really was.
In terms of raw numbers, it might not be challenged even if it went head to head with an adult Dragon.
They said the body would have to be made with Orichalcum, and Mithril would have to be used as the nervous system in order to drive such a large amount of energy. They also said that the process of calculating formulas, programming commands and establishing its consciousness would be even more challenging.
Hector lowered his head as he pondered for a while before looking at Frey again.
What is their name?
I have no intention of telling you that.
After all, Adelia was a member of the Circle. And even if she wasnt, he wouldnt reveal her name since his identity could be traced through her.
Theres no need to be so cautious. Lord has ordered me to not reveal anything I see or hear here. Once given, a command cannot be disobeyed. In other words, everything thats happened here would be a secret kept between the two of us.
Anyway, that person is pretty good at alchemy. Although, they still have some ways to go. Huhu. They remind me of myself from a hundred years ago.
A hundred years ago.
Freys expression became strange.
Exactly how old was this man?
You mean youre better than the alchemist I know?
Of course.
You dont seem to believe me. Then
Hector put his hands together and clapped twice
Pak pak!
Yes, Master!
The maid, Aeri, who had left earlier, approached them once more.
Hector pointed at her and said.
This kid is a Golem I made myself.
I see.
There was silence for a moment.
Hector then looked at Frey with a strange expression on his face.
Is that it?
What other reaction was he supposed to give?
When he saw Freys puzzled expression, Hectors expression became weirder.
He had the insight to tell that Aeri was a Golem with just a glance, but he doesnt have any knowledge of puppet making?
He was a strange man.
Then he wouldnt be able to figure out just how elaborate Aeri was or how skilled he was at puppet making to have created her.
Hector sent Aeri back with a bitter smile.
Do you really have a 1 million ME Golem core?
Once again, he received no answer.
Hectors expression became awkward. He didnt know just what this man was thinking.
If he had some idea of what he wanted, then maybe, he would be able to make a deal to get what he wanted.
I want to see that bracelet one way or another.
Recently, Hector had been feeling like there was a slump in the progression of his alchemy knowledge.
To put it bluntly, he hadnt made any progress in decades.
Hed searched, examined and read countless research books, magic tools and Golems of other people, but he couldnt find any new stimulation.
This was natural.
Most of them were much worse than him.
Day by day, he felt his body and mind slowly rot, and he feared that he would not be able to progress any further in his life.
Alchemy was the only thing keeping him going. But at this rate, he would lose interest in alchemy.
This was the last thing he wanted to happen.
Freys bracelet, which had appeared in a time when he was floundering in the dark and shivering in fear, was like a light of salvation for Hector.
Then Frey spoke.
Hypothetically, if I said I had it, would you be able to make a Golem with it?
Hectors expression became serious.
Frey couldnt help but feel that this face was the true face of the man before him.
His expression was one that could only be seen when someone who took pride in their job became serious about their job.
Hector pondered for a long time.
He blankly tapped his finger on the counter and mumbled to himself.
Frey waited patiently.
Finally, Hector opened his mouth.
Its possible.
You dont believe me?
Would it be strange if I didnt?
Hector let out a laugh.
The hardest thing to do would be to get the ingredients. You would need large quantities of orichalcum and mithril. You must know that those two metals are not things you can just buy with money.
He was right.
Both were valuable items fit to be called the divine metals.
This meant that not only were they basically impossible to buy even if you could afford them but that they were also incredibly hard to work with.
But those arent the only metals you can use. I know of metals that can be used as replacements. I assure you, there is no other alchemist who knows as many metals as I do.
Could he be sure that this man was better than Adelia?
Hector sighed as though he could sense something from the subtle shift in Freys expression.
I do not want to belittle the alchemist you know, but as far as I know, there are only three top alchemists on the continent currently.
Including you?
Including me.
His eyes were firm as he said those words.
Frey looked at him for a moment before asking.
Who are the other two?
The Eleventh Tower Master of the Kastkau Empire. And Akrich of the Frozen Lands in the North.
The Eleventh Tower Master and Akrich.
They were figures that he would have never imagined.
Especially the former.
I thought there were only ten magic towers
Thats right. However, the Eleventh Tower Master exists. He is one of the hidden guardians of the Kastkau Empire. Thats all I can say.
And Akrish of the Frozen Lands?
Hectors gaze deepened slightly.
He stared at Frey for a moment before saying.
Hes not an alchemist; hes a Wizard. But hes a damn monstrous bastard whos knowledge of alchemy surpasses both myself and the Eleventh Tower Masters. This can be considered natural, though, since hes lived for more than 1,000 years.
Anyways, you should remove any thoughts you have about asking him for help. Hes stuck in his dungeon below the Frozen Lands, devoting all his time to Magical Science. Hes also got a nasty temper, so dont approach him unless you want to risk getting cut into unrecognisable pieces.
His words only made Frey curious.
But there was something else that Frey was even more curious about.
Who are you?
Im Hector.
Im not asking for your name. Im asking who you are since you are able to stand equally beside the hidden guardian of the Kastkau Empire and Akrich who has over 1,000 years of accumulated knowledge.
Hector was silent for a moment before slowly opening his mouth.
Well. Although my current state appears quite miserable, I used to be a member of a pretty powerful race.
A powerful race from the past?
All of it was stolen from me, and I was trapped inside this fragile body. Strong scales that couldnt be cut even with the sharpest sword, a body that was large enough to blot out the sun and a heart that was more powerful than any power source imaginable.
After hearing that, Freys expression changed greatly.
Still, I survived because he recognized the large amount of knowledge Id accumulated in my life. Or maybe he wanted to laugh at my miserable existence from close by.
you cant mean
Hector gave a self deprecating smile.
I was a Dragon.
Chapter 99 - Meeting (6)
Chapter 99 - Meeting (6) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
He was a Dragon.
The fact that he used past tense was shocking.
At least, Frey had never seen such a self-deprecating and miserable use of past tense.
Hectors bitter smile quickly disappeared.
He returned to his customary lively tone.
Sorry for bringing up such a boring topic. So uh. What were we talking about again?
Frey was left speechless for a moment as he watched Hector scratch his head and apologize.
Suddenly, Beniangs words came to mind.
[The report at the time said the lair was already destroyed, and no Dragon bodies were found. The only thing that had been left in the lair was my egg.]
They hadnt even found a body.
Of course, at the time, he hadnt thought this was strange.
A Dragons corpse had immense value.
There was the Dragon Heart, which was regarded as a supreme treasure, as well as the other parts like its teeth, bones, scales, eyes, blood and flesh.
So Frey had thought the Demigods had simply taken all the corpses after killing the Dragons.
But now that he thought about it, that was strange in itself.
Mortals were the only ones who would put a high value on the corpse of a Dragon.
For Demigods, even the Dragon Heart would not be something they really needed.
But what if the Dragons body hadnt been their target?
What if they wanted something else, like capturing the Dragons alive to subjugate and control their powerful souls?
If the man in front of him was truly a Dragon, then Freys guess would no longer just be speculation.
It would mean that in the end, the Demigods managed to subjugate the soul of a Dragon and made it into their servants.
Dog-like bastards.
Frey forcibly suppressed his urge to curse.
Before the Demigods had revealed their horrific presence, Dragons were the only completely transcendent race on the continent.
Not only that.
They had also been the ones who realised the danger the Demigods posed first, so they supported the mortals in their bloody battle with the Demigods 4,000 years ago.
Or rather, it would be more accurate to say mortals assisted the Dragons in their fight against the Demigods.
There was only one race capable of confronting the Demigods.
The Dragons.
Frey bit his lip and clenched his fist tightly.
Such revered beings were now in a more miserable state than humans.
They werent extinct. However, their current state was much worse than that.
They were barely living while being forced to do the Demigods bidding.
Considering this, it wasnt even enough to say that their race fell.
They wanted to see their miserable appearance up close.
This was the reasoning Hector had just given about why they were keeping a Dragon alive.
And he was probably right.
Why are you looking at me like that?
It wasnt unreasonable for Hector to say this.
The fact that he was a Dragon was not only known by the Demigods; some Apostles knew about it as well.
He hadnt intended to reveal it, but it was discovered anyway.
Then the Apostles, people who had betrayed their races to side with the Demigods, looked at him with eyes filled with ridicule.
They mocked the miserable fate of the ones who once ruled over the continent, who fought against the Demigods till the end.
And as they looked at him, they felt that their choice wasnt wrong.
He couldnt even laugh at the fact that they were feeling satisfied by their decisions and actions.
Since then, hed come to accept reality.
Now, he didnt mind revealing his identity as hed already built up a bit of tolerance.
You
Frey started speaking before he stopped.
The words he was about to say got stuck in his throat, and instead, he said something entirely different.
are the other Dragons the same as you?
Some of them. Not all. Most are dead.
Are you sympathising with me?
No.
Frey shook his head.
He didnt intend to do that.
He used to pay homage to the Dragons in the past, and even now, as he saw Hector, it was the same.
Im sorry if you felt that way.
Hector was puzzled by Freys sudden change of attitude.
It was exactly from the point when hed revealed that he was a Dragon.
A smile forced its way onto his face. Hector chuckled and shrugged.
Ay. Do you have any reason to apologise? Like I told you. I was a part of a race that was considered pretty powerful in the past. Its nothing now.
Frey wanted to ask Hector about his teacher, but he couldnt.
After all, he couldnt believe everything Hector said.
To put it simply, it was impossible for Frey to know if this man was under Lords full control or not.
Therefore, he kept all his doubts, regrets and sadness to himself and opened his mouth with a stiff expression.
can I have the mask?
Ah. Here you go.
Frey received the mask from Hector and dusted it off a bit before saying.
Do you stay here?
Thats right.
To be exact, rather than staying, he couldnt leave. It wouldnt be entirely wrong to say he was confined to this space.
Of course, he wouldnt reveal that.
Then, please make the body of Golem that can handle a 1 million ME core that I mentioned earlier.
Did he really have a core with so much ME?
Hectors expression became strange.
Even he was not confident in his own ability to make a core with such capacity.
And he felt the same for the Eleventh Tower Master and Akrich.
He scratched his cheek while hiding his inner thoughts.
Hm. Just showing me that bracelet wouldnt be enough for that. Im a businessman after all.
What else do you want?
Hector made a playful expression.
That bracelet. Give it to me.
Hed said this intentionally to see his reaction. S~ea??h the N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Perhaps Frey hadnt expected this as his expression changed subtly.
However, to Hectors surprise, he didnt refuse right away.
If you promise me in Dragon Tongue, Id be more than happy to give it.
! You know about Dragon Tongue?
No, that was a silly question.
If he didnt know about Dragon Tongue, he wouldnt have brought it up in the first place.
Hector sighed.
You seem to know a lot about Dragons.
Can you not do it? Is it because your body was stolen?
The body doesnt matter. The power of Dragon Tongue comes from our very souls. I might not have the same destructive and transcendental power, but making oaths is still possible. (Note: Fus Ro Dah!) (YH: I dont get it :|)
Hector seemed to contemplate something for a moment before he looked at Frey.
Then he spoke in the serious tone from before.
Ill take back what I said about the bracelet. Ah. Im not saying this because I dont want to make an oath in Dragon Tongue. Its just, I said that in the first place because I wanted to see your reaction I apologise for that.
Its fine.
Just let me take a look. Thats enough payment.
Hector let out a laugh.
I had nothing to do anyway. But I think I might make one that matches my taste. Would that be okay?
His taste.
However, Frey didnt pay much attention to Hectors words, and he simply nodded.
It doesnt matter as long as it can handle the core.
Great. Now, hmm. To get the supplies and craft it should take at least 6 months. So you can come see me at that time.
6 months.
Will that be a problem?
Frey couldnt respond immediately.
He wasnt sure whether Rikis identity could remain hidden until then. However, hed finally found a person who could make the Golem that even Adelia said was impossible to make.
He didnt think hed find a better opportunity than this.
No. Ill see you then.
Have a safe journey.
Hector mumbled farewell as Frey turned and left.
what an impressive man.
He wasnt sure, but Hector had a strong feeling he would have more interactions with this man in the future.
* * *
When Frey came up from the basement, Riki asked him.
What about the mask?
Frey showed him the mask without responding, and Riki nodded before turning around and walking away.
Frey followed him while memorising the coordinates for this place.
They soon left the dark area and once again arrived in the city proper.
The sun was about to set, but Riki never had any intention of staying in the city.
They immediately left and began walking down a road.
In the meantime, the sun set, and day turned into night.
Still, Riki didnt stop walking.
Around the time when moonlight fell gently, Riki finally opened his mouth.
The Luanoble Kingdom. Although its called the Country of Knights, it is the most corrupt among all the human countries I know.
? I see.
Riki seemed quite aware of the state of humanity.
Frey simply nodded.
It was the first time he was hearing this, but it would be strange if there was no corruption in a large group of humans.
As he looked at Rikis face while he said this, though, he couldnt help but be surprised.
This was because, for the first time, there was a trace of anger on Rikis face.
theyd rather talk and do bullsh*t rather than carry on that mans legacy.
That man?
Look at that mountain.
Riki pointed to the mountain hed led Frey to.
It was a large, dense mountain. Of course, it wasnt as large as the mountains in the Ispania mountain range, but those mountains were the largest in the continent.
Marquis Dalaman. The oldest and ugliest among the Luanoble nobles. Trash who does anything to satisfy his own self interest.
What does he have to do with this mountain?
This is the place where Marquis Dalaman does his business.
business?
Slave camps were secretly built all over this mountain.
Those words shocked Frey greatly.
Slaves? Theres no slavery in the Luanoble Kingdom, is there?
It shouldve been the same with the Kastkau Empire.
In Lukas time, most countries still participated in slavery, but now, 4,000 years later, most of them had abolished slavery, except for a few barbaric ones.
Were there really slave camps in the Luanoble Kingdom, which was praised as the country of Knights?
On a mountain that wasnt far from a large city?
Youre a really strange man. You have knowledge that not even some of the wisest men on the continent would know, but you still cant see behind the thin curtain that conceals the darkness of human society?
Riki sighed.
Slavery still exists in the dark. The size of the slave market is growing continuously every year. In fact, the current supply cannot even keep up with the demand.
It wasnt a bright spot for human society.
Frey suddenly felt that Riki was extremely strange at that moment.
Isnt he a Demigod?
At least, in his memory, there had never been a Demigod who showed such deep interest in humans.
Without responding to Freys curious expression, Riki continued.
You dont hesitate to kill trash-like humans.
He was talking about the bandits back in the forest who Frey had turned to ashes.
Frey didnt deny it, though, because he wasnt wrong.
And you have to use your divine power as much as possible for the remainder of this month.
Riki stopped talking after saying that, but Frey understood what he wanted him to do.
Freys eyes followed Rikis as he looked toward the mountains once again. (YH: oh sh*t this is cool)
Chapter 100 - Meeting (7)
Chapter 100 - Meeting (7) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Ill have to take a look first before deciding.
Do you not trust me?
It wouldnt be wrong to say that I dont
Frey gave a blunt answer.
However, Rikis expression showed that he had expected such a response.
And we look at things differently.
You want to see it with your own eyes. I understand.
As he nodded, Riki paused for a moment before saying.
What do you think about other races?
what?
What kind of question was that?
When Frey turned to him with a puzzled expression on his face, Riki said in a flat tone.
Im asking you if you believe humans are a superior race.
No. Not really.
Naturally, Frey liked humans.
He liked the positive actions and potential that humans had, and above all, he valued their determination even when faced with challenges.
However, this didnt mean he considered them superior, as Riki said.
He knew that there were many other amazing species besides humans.
Riki nodded in relief.
If so, then I have nothing to worry about. Go take a look. There are a few camps on the mountain, but I personally recommend that one.
Riki pointed with his finger.
Frey focused his eyes on where he was pointing, but he couldnt see anything.
I dont see it.
Theres a castle hidden in the trees. He has about thirty men guarding it. Most of them are Knights, but theyre only Second class at best. It wouldnt be hard for you to get rid of them with your divine power.
If I decide that they dont deserve to be killed
Naturally, you can just leave. I wont force you.
Riki spoke in his normal, calm tone.
Frey felt a bit strange when he saw this because it seemed like he had already guessed his reaction.
Firstly.
He had to check for himself.
It might cause an issue if he killed one of the countrys Marquises, but Frey showed no reluctance or hesitation.
This was because he had successfully reached 8 stars.
As long as his opponent wasnt a Demigod, Frey was not afraid to have a one on one battle with anyone.
And even if he were to fight a Demigod, Frey had the confidence to at least escape with his body intact, as long as it wasnt Lord or one of the Apocalypses.
As he thought this, Frey flew over to the place Riki had pointed out.
As Riki had said, there was an old castle hidden behind the trees.
He didnt see it before because he was far away, but now that he was closer, it didnt seem hidden at all.
Instead, its surroundings were brightly lit by a number of torches.
Freys expression stiffened slightly.
This mountain wasnt very far from the city. So if this place was displayed in such an open way, there was a high probability that the officials of Lufei knew about the existence of this camp.
Its the most corrupt human country I know.
Rikis words sounded in his head again, but Frey shook his head and decided to check the interior of the castle.
There were Knights in armor standing atop a short wall.
Their levels are definitely not high.
Rikis information was accurate.
These people were Second class warriors at best.
Currently, Frey was capable of facing off against Master class Knights even if he didnt use his mana.
At their level, even hundreds of these Knights wouldnt be able to stop him.
From the start, Indras divine power was especially effective when used against crowds. It was difficult for them to defend against because of its long range and the effects of the electricity.
However, it wasnt just their lack of power.
Their vigilance was also quite lax.
There were some who yawned loudly, chatted with their colleagues or even sat on the ground and dozed off.
It seemed that they didnt expect anyone to attack them.
Frey silently climbed over the wall.
The first thing he saw was a large clearing.
And in it, there were dozens of cages.
The cages were all made of iron, and every single one of them was filled with slaves.
There werent just humans.
As well as other intelligent races like Elves, Dwarves and Beastkin, all kinds of rare creatures were imprisoned here.
They all had something in common.
Physically, they looked fine. However, while they had no visible injuries, they all appeared listless as if they had lost their souls. S~ea??h the N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Those who were particularly bad would randomly start hyperventilating, seemingly for no reason.
The cages were all very small and dirty.
They were almost the perfect size for their captives, so even a sane person would go crazy after a few days if they were forced to stay in these cages.
There was something piled on the right, and when Frey focused on it, his expression immediately changed.
Bodies of dead slaves had been piled up.
Freys rage built up in an instant, but he still managed to quickly analyze the situation calmly.
Why did they kill them?
For these people, slaves were commodities, products that they used to make money.
They were pieces of trash, but Frey didnt think they would ignore the value of their own merchandise like this for no reason.
But after a while, he realised why.
A Knight was walking toward the place where the corpses were piled with light steps.
On his shoulder was a Beastkin girl.
A Knight standing near the pile started talking to him.
Did you let it all out?
Mhm.
Thats? Is she dead?
Not yet. But from the looks of it, it shouldnt be long now.
Urajil take it easy. Dont you know the Marquis hasnt been in a good mood for the last few days?
It doesnt matter. He only cares about the Elves anyway.
One of the Elves died today, so be careful.
Really? Hmm understood.
The Knight then threw the girl from his shoulder onto the pile.
The girl flailed her arms for a moment with dead eyes before she slowly stopped moving.
Frey saw this scene from start to finish.
It wasnt just the Beastkin girl.
Occasionally, the Knights would take slaves to use or torture to relieve their desires or boredom. (Note: I put use here, but you all should know what it means)
That was the reason why the corpses of the slaves were treated in such a way.
It was a scene of collective madness.
Had they all lost their minds because they were stuck in this place for a long time?
Or was this a place where only the ugly and evil people gathered?
Frey completely understood Rikis attitude.
How could he not be angry when he saw humans behaving in this way?
As someone who liked and had faith in humans, this sight made Frey feel disgraced as though his privates had been exposed in public.
Sss.
His emotions were soon restrained.
The calmness and tranquility that came with his 8 stars rank did not let him get swept up by his emotions.
Taht.
Frey descended from the wall and landed with a light sound.
With just the robe and mask, Freys identity was effectively hidden.
The mask had the effect of concealing his divine power, but when Frey actively used it, this concealment stopped.
Huh?
One of the guarding Knights tilted his head as Frey appeared in front of him.
What the? Thats a funny mask.
He spoke with a drowsy expression on his face.
Even though Frey had appeared before him so openly, he did not consider him as an intruder.
After all, they didnt believe that there was anyone brave enough to infiltrate this place, and so openly at that.
He probably thought it was one of his colleagues playing a prank.
Crackle.
Blue lightning sparked in Freys hand.
At first, hed just intended to get rid of the person in charge of this place.
But he no longer thought that way.
All of the people working here were rotten garbage.
He was ashamed to even consider calling them human.
But above all, it was their outfit that made Frey the most angry.
What the hell are you wearing?
What?
Plate armor, silver sword and cape. Do you really think of yourself as a Knight?
The Knights expression changed to one of anger.
What the hell are you talking about? No. Who the hell are you? Ive never heard your voice before
In the next instant, shock became plastered across his face.
No way, intrude!
Crackle.
Deep blue lightning pierced the mans body before he even got the chance to scream, causing him to fall to his knees, his body burnt black.
However, the lightning was bright and noticeable.
Wh-, what was that?
Intruder! Theres an intruder!
Only then did the other Knights charge towards Frey as a group.
Frey stood in the middle of the clearing with his hands at his sides, waiting for the Knights to get closer.
Knights?
No, these werent Knights.
Frey recalled his idiotic friend who worked himself to the bone in order to become the best Knight in the world.
The Sword King Lucid.
What would he have done if he had been here and seen what these evil trash had done while boasting the name Knight?
Of course, Frey knew the answer.
What he was about to do was nothing special.
He was simply going to do what Lucid wouldve done if hed been there.
That was all.
Chapter 101 - Meeting (8)
Chapter 101 - Meeting (8) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Another one died?
I-, Im sorry.
The Marquis face turned red.
Then, he threw the glass of wine that he had been drinking at the subordinate who brought the report, causing the sparkling glass to shatter.
The subordinate didnt get hurt since he was wearing a helmet, but as a Knight, he still felt humiliated to be treated in such a way.
However, the Knight simply deepened his bow with a servile smile on his face, not daring to show any dissatisfaction.
Dalamans bloated body was quite large.
Although he was an outstanding Knight who had crossed the threshold of the Master class in the past, his body, which had been soaked in the pleasure of retirement, had become large like a pigs.
Havent I told you to handle the Elves with care? Do you know how much even a single one of them is worth?
Im sorry.
Useless.
Dalaman gritted his teeth in frustration.
The value of Elves was so high that they were easily one of the ten most expensive types of slaves to purchase around the world.
With beautiful appearances, long lasting youth and even high spiritual talent, it wouldve been strange if their value wasnt high.
Of course, there were also some drawbacks.
They were quite difficult to maintain.
They were used to living in the forest, and they even drew energy from nature, so if that energy wasnt replenished regularly, they would die quickly.
They were also quite tricky to tame as they were a proud race who looked down on everyone else.
Of course, there were many kinky nobles who loved that particular trait.
There was a reason why Elven slaves bought by nobles didnt last more than five years at best.
Of course, this was a good thing for Dalaman.
When a slave died, their master would simply come to him to buy another one.
But now, out of the 10 Elven slaves that he had taken a lot of effort to capture, three had already died.
Two of which were female, which made the loss all the more painful.
I need to calm down.
Dalaman looked toward the attendant standing beside him before saying.
Prepare some alcohol and meat.
The attendant shivered after hearing those words.
That was because they knew what kind of meat Dalaman was referring to.
The ingredients
Didnt you just hear that fools report?
S-, sorry. Ill do as Master has ordered.
Dalaman swallowed a mouthful of saliva.
Elven meat was the delicacy among delicacies. (Note:wtf?)
But it wasnt just Elves.
Dalaman also enjoyed eating the flesh of Dwarves, Beastkin, and even Humans.
He was under the impression that he was quite the gourmet foodie.
Just as Dalaman rose from his seat with a bottle of alcohol.
M-, Marquis.
The Knight, who he had thrown the wine glass at, came back.
Anger once again erupted on Dalamans face.
If you came to tell me another slave died
Th-, theres an intruder.
What?
An intruder?
At that moment, Dalaman wondered if hed heard wrong.
This was natural.
It had been more than 20 years since he had invested in the slave trade, and in that time, not once had there been any intruders.
He always made sure to handle the rats who mightve known too much after completing each deal.
But Dalaman simply shook his hand in annoyance.
Just deal with it quickly.
It was clear that the guards hed hired didnt know how to deal with intruders, so they had come to bother him with such things.
They really were useless.
Dalaman clicked his tongue.
They had been cheap, but it wasnt like he couldnt afford to spend more now.
Should I just hire better guards
He felt that it wouldve been better to spend some more money.
As he thought this, Dalaman turned to see that the Knight who had reported to him still hadnt left.
Instead, he was sweating and stuttering incoherently.
What is it?
Now he was truly angry.
Dalaman began wondering as to how he could punish the Knight to make up for the annoyance.
A-, all the Knights have been annihilated.
What?!
Dalamans expression stiffened.
This happened just as the wall crumbled with a loud explosion.
* * *
A man wearing a robe and a mask appeared from the dust cloud created by the explosion.
The mask was a crying face, but it didnt feel like it was mourning at all.
Instead, the clown-like mask gave a very ridiculous feeling.
If it werent for the current situation, it was quite possible that Dalaman would have burst into laughter. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
However, he couldnt laugh right now.
Not even a little.
The man walked forward at a slow, steady pace, without saying a word.
Wh-, who are you?
Dalamans face was red as he asked this question.
Youre Marquis Dalaman.
I asked who you were
Frey didnt feel like he had to answer.
It was then.
The attendant beside the Marquis leapt toward Frey at a tremendous speed, his teeth lengthening visibly.
Beastkin.
The instantaneous speed wasnt something that could be ignored, but Frey didnt so much as twitch.
He didnt need to.
Crackle.
Aarrgh!
An electric current shot through the body of the attendant who had been rushing toward Frey.
Lightning Barrier.
This was an ability that Lukes, the Apostle of Indra that Frey had fought in the past, had used.
Freys barrier was not as conspicuous as Lukes. At first glance, it was almost impossible to even tell it was there.
However, the barrier was much stronger than Lukes.
The attendant fell to the ground, their entire body burned black.
They had died immediately.
Dalamans expression became stiff to the point where it looked like he was wearing a mask on his face.
Only then had he truly come to understand his situation.
Do you think youll be able to get away with this?
Guys like you always say the same things.
Frey muttered in a calm tone.
Dalaman then swung his hand at the Knight who had come to report to him.
What are you waiting for?! Go kill him!
H-, huk
The Knight shivered and drew his sword.
However, in the same instant, a bolt of lightning shot out from Frey and pierced his body.
He died without being able to make a sound, just like the other Knights.
Now, Dalaman was the only one left.
Wh-, what do you want?
Dalamans eyes rolled frantically in his head.
He couldnt tell what kind of power this person was using, but he was certain he could be killed in an instant.
Still, they had kept him alive.
There must have been a reason.
He was almost certain that it was his identity. After all, he was a Marquis of the great Luanoble Kingdom.
He probably doesnt have the confidence to kill me.
When he thought this, Dalamans face regained a little color.
Frey nodded.
Right. Theres something I want.
T-, tell me what it is. As, as long as you spare my life-
Zap.
Ahhhk!
Dalaman screamed.
Frey wanted him to suffer.
Unlike with the others, Frey reduced the power of the current so that it wouldnt kill him instantly.
Dalamans screams resounded for a long time before they eventually became hoarse.
He didnt last as long as Frey thought he would.
After some time, Dalamans eyes closed, and Frey realised he was dying.
He didnt have a habit of torturing people.
After all, he couldnt derive any pleasure from hearing people scream.
Frey realised he had vented his anger, but it didnt really make him feel better.
Click.
Frey left the castle and looked at the large clearing.
Its done.
Riki appeared beside him.
He was looking at the slaves trapped in the cages.
What are you going to do about them?
Are you just going to leave them in the middle of the Luanoble Kingdom?
Frey looked at the slaves.
He couldnt even see a sliver of hope on their faces.
Dalaman and his subordinates were all dead, but the slaves couldnt even pretend to be happy.
They had already lost their will to live.
Frey left the responsibility to Riki.
He didnt believe Riki made him save them without considering the aftermath.
I could take them somewhere safe with Warp.
However, that would completely defeat the purpose of using his divine power to mask his manas aura.
Riki jumped down to the clearing.
Then he approached them and drew his sword.
Chuk.
His swordsmanship was incredibly precise.
However, the slaves didnt appear happy that their restraints had been broken.
They simply looked at Riki with dead eyes.
You are free now.
what is freedom?
It was a Beastlkin man who asked this in a hoarse voice.
He looked at the pile of corpses and said.
My younger brother is there. He lived like a puppet for the humans and still died. And its not just my brother. Out of my twenty relatives, only five are left.
Juk.
Tears of blood fell from his eyes.
So please tell me. What is freedom?
At least, it is not death.
Rikis tone was the same as usual.
I know youve lost a lot. And that you have scars that will take the rest of your lives to heal.
Dont try to console us!
The Beastkin man opened his eyes and shouted.
He knew Riki was extraordinary.
He knew that he could kill him with just a finger.
But still, he didnt restrain his anger.
From the start, this was not something he wanted.
Its not consolation.
we are tired. You said death is not freedom. But for us, it would be a long rest.
The man collapsed, and the other slaves lowered their heads at the same time.
It was like they were all agreeing with the mans words.
Riki looked around at them before saying.
If you want to die, you can. I will do it for you. There would be no pain. In fact, you wouldnt even be able to tell it happened.
Riki slowly drew his sword, the blade shining in the moonlight.
But are you satisfied with just that?
what are you talking about?
Ive seen many like you. Those who wished to end their lives to escape from despair. Those who stopped moving forward. Those who gave up.
Gave up? Youre saying weve given up?
Isnt that exactly what you did?
Riki tilted his head slightly.
I understand. I dont want to admit it, but in the end, its your choice. It is something that must be respected, and its not something that a third party can comment on. But you should also consider it from another angle.
Another angle?
You are fortunate. Me and that man happened to be here by chance, learn what was happening to you, and have the power to kill all the people here, including the Marquis. So you were freed. But what about those who arent?
Emotion slowly began to show in Rikis voice.
There are some who are in much worse situations than you but are still unwilling to give up.
So you want us to live on with gratitude for our good fortune?
No.
After a moment of silence, Riki asserted.
I want you all to save them.
Huh?
There are still many like you on this mountain. There are dozens of camps around this place, all filled with slaves.
The Beastkin mans body trembled.
It wasnt just him.
As though theyd been struck by lightning, all the slaves perked up at Rikis words.
His voice was quiet, but there was something in it that seemed to stir the spirits of everyone listening.
To be honest, it would be much easier for you all to just die here. So if youre not confident, speak up. Ill send you on your way without pain, just like I said. But if you were moved even a little by what I said.
Puk!
Riki stabbed his sword into the ground.
Then this time, you all will be their good fortune.
* * *
Frey watched the Beastkin man and the other slaves as they left, unable to forget the look in their eyes.
There was anger, determination and a liveliness that hadnt been there before.
And it was clear who gave them that new energy.
Riki.
He was the one who gave them the will to live.
They wont last very long.
It was no wonder a Marquis of the Luanoble Kingdom had been able to engage in the slave trade for such a long time.
Just as Riki had said, it was very likely that the royal family and the nobles of this kingdom were all corrupt.
And the place that these slaves had been released into was the heart of the Luanoble Kingdom.
Even if they engaged in guerilla warfare in the mountains between the cities, it wouldnt be long before they were overpowered.
And it would take at least a months travel for them to get to the nearest border.
Therefore, the probability that they would be able to escape this country was less that 1 percent.
Frey was sure that Riki knew that.
I know.
And you let them go anyway? Thats irresponsible.
Its up to them now. Ive done my part.
Riki spoke as emotionlessly as always.
What is he thinking?
He was very straightforward.
Still, there was one thing he could be certain about Riki after staying with him the last few months.
Riki was completely different from the other Demigods.
Hed especially felt it during Rikis conversation with the Beastkin man.
There are still more camps around here.
This was what Frey had been told before he attacked this place.
Frey looked up the night sky and muttered.
Theres still some time until sunrise.
No. Thats all for today. Marquis Dalaman is already dead, and the rest are just garbage. (Note: any KoreanEnglishman fans?)
Wont the fact that Dalaman died spread soon? Theyll be expecting us.
Thats right. At least, they wont be as defenseless as this group was. Theyll definitely be more prepared.
Right.
The battle that just took place could not be called a battle; it was a massacre.
Riki had told him to use divine power as much as possible, but it was useless if it was for battles like that.
I still think its too big for the middle of the kingdom.
Luanoble wont be able to move openly. Since they opened an illegal place of business in the first place, they wont be able to send a subjugation team. Marquis Dalaman was officially supposed to be staying at his own estate during his retirement.
Riki pointed to Lufei.
At best, they would only be able to request reinforcements from nearby cities, so they wouldnt be much of a threat to you.
Right.
They were playing with mud in the first place, so even if Frey made a mess, they would have a hard time dealing with it.
Frey thought that this place was perfect for getting rid of the traces of his mana while also practicing his divine power.
Then well stay in this castle for the rest of the month.
Frey turned and looked at the castle.
It was in a bad shape.
This was natural since hed used his divine power to his hearts content.
If he had known he would end up living in it he would have practiced a bit more restraint.
* * *
A month passed by quickly.
Frey destroyed the camps around him in a systematic manner.
They prepared as much as they could, but the difference in power was too stark.
In addition, as more slaves were liberated, their strength increased gradually, and they also became a threat.
Eventually, the slavers, who could not handle the pressure, abandoned their camps and ran away.
It was just as Riki had said.
Luanoble did not send any official reinforcements.
By their last day on the mountains, Frey was certain that all the remnants of Marquis Dalaman had been destroyed.
Thank you.
The Beastkin man bowed his head.
It seemed like after a month of fighting together, the freed slaves considered Frey to be their benefactor.
Where will you go?
Were thinking about going to the Ispania Mountains in the south.
It was definitely the closest place they could go to.
And as the monster paradise, if they escaped to that place, the Luanoble Kingdom would not be able to pursue them.
Thats not an easy place to live.
It would still be better than this one We will definitely repay the grace you have given us.
Wait.
Frey stopped him.
Whats your name?
Bekend.
After saying that, Bekend turned around and left without looking back.
As he watched the former slaves leave, Frey spoke.
Will the meeting start soon?
Thats right.
Rikis expression was quite relaxed as he said this.
It wouldnt be a problem even if they left now.
Freys mana aura had already disappeared completely, and there was no longer anyone for them to deal with.
Frey, who was a bit puzzled, soon nodded.
Then lets head to the meeting.
Hmm?
Riki looked at Frey with a weird expression for a moment before realising.
It seems I forgot to tell you.
What?
Its here.
here?
The place where the meeting will be held. Hmm. Put on your mask, Frey.
He didnt even have to ask why.
As soon as Riki said those words, the sky suddenly split.
Chapter 102 - Lord
Chapter 102 - Lord Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
The Circle members, including Sheryl, continued following the Sword Demigod.
They almost lost track of them a few times, but somehow, they were able to catch up.
Though catch up might not have been completely accurate.
To be precise, theyd only managed to catch up because they had stopped on a mountain near Lufei and didnt move from there.
Still, they didnt dare get too close even though they had stopped on a mountain.
Because there was still a chance that it was a trap to catch them.
Due to this, they camped out a distance away from the mountain and monitored it from afar.
The pursuers were deeply puzzled by their subsequent actions.
For some reason, they were attacking camps located on the mountain.
What are they doing?
I think this is one of their old outposts.
Only Jerome Berners expression was strange.
This place is where they conduct the slave trade.
He knew the affairs of the country better than the others because he himself was a citizen of Luanoble.
Although there were no bodies left in the places destroyed by the Demigod, they were able to ascertain what was being done in those places because of the cages and other tools.
He also knew that the country had been going down a very unsightly path recently.
However, the exact location of this place had never been revealed.
I would never have thought that they were doing this right next to Lufei.
Jeromes face was stained with shame.
Fortunately, his companions didnt have the time to care about the corruption in the Luanoble Kingdom.
This was because the Demigods actions were too strange.
What the hell are they planning?
And just as they were getting a headache trying to figure out what was happening.
That how
Shepards jaw dropped.
The same thing happened to the others.
The sky, which had been normal just a moment ago, was now split open.
This sight made it hard for even Shepard, who was a 7 star Wizard, to maintain his composure.
Sheryl was the only one who managed to keep her cool.
She simply bit her lip with her sharp fangs, showing that the experience that came with age wasnt for naught.
Were in trouble.
Why do you say that, Rounder Sheryl?
Being able to see this phenomenon means that we are already within the boundaries of that Demigods domain.
that means
Right.
Sheryls expression was severe.
We cannot leave until the Demigods meeting is over.
* * *
Frey suddenly felt a wave of heat.
But it was strange because it didnt actually make him feel hot.
The heat came from the sky.
A huge being completely made of fire in the shape of a man appeared among the clouds.
His figure was burning fiercely as though he would burn the whole world.
I told you about him before, didnt I? He is one of the beings you call Apocalypse.
From now on, be careful with your words and actions. In fact, it would be better if you didnt say anything at all.
Frey nodded.
As Riki said, it was better to keep his mouth shut than speak and reveal a clue.
Riki shot him a glance before looking toward the sky.
Agni, who was even larger than the mountain, slowly began shrinking until he was the size of a normal human.
If he was like a transcendent being made of fire before, now, he was like a normal human man with flaming red hair.
Frey had subjugated and exterminated many Demigods in his time, but it was the first time hed seen such a sight.
He can change his size this much?
He thought about it for a moment but soon realised that it wasnt that strange.
Because Dragons also had the ability to change their shape and size.
Maybe Riki can as well?
Was Riki the same?
Frey was curious, but he couldnt ask in this situation.
This was because Agni had already approached them.
To his right was a figure wearing a robe and mask just like Frey.
It seems you were the first this time.
Right.
Hmm but its a bit unexpected. I wouldnt have expected you to already clean this place up.
Cleaning.
It seemed that he was talking about Dalaman and his men who had been staying on the mountain.
Riki answered bluntly.
I did it because I was already nearby.
I see. Anyway, good job.
Then Agni turned his eyes to Frey.
Is this your Apostle?
Right.
Hmm. Indeed.
Agni nodded before walking to the side.
He should be able to withstand seeing Lord face to face. You got a pretty good one.
I see you finally made an Apostle.
Right. I struggled a bit to get this one.
At that moment, the figure who was standing behind Agni turned to glance at Frey.
The moment their eyes met in the air.
!
!
They both felt the other persons shock.
They then looked away at the same time and pretended to be calm.
Why are they here?
He couldnt even begin to imagine the reason.
But he was certain that he knew the person behind that mask.
Frey hurriedly fixed his expression.
Fortunately, Agni didnt seem to notice Freys shock.
He just walked past him and into the castle.
Frey wanted to tell Riki about it, but now wasnt the time.
Suddenly, a huge gale blew, and Freys expression stiffened.
He felt three overwhelming presences at the same time, and at that moment, he found it hard to even breathe.
The space seemed to twist, and before long, three figures stepped out.
A young woman with blonde hair, a Skeleton and a wrinkled old man with a hunched back.
Leyrin, Nozdog and Ananta.
Frey realised that he had some history with all three of them.
Leyrin was the puppeteer who was pulling the strings of the Blake Family from behind the curtains. She was the reason Frey could use both divine power and mana in the same body.
Nozdog tried to bait the traitor by using Oydin, and he appeared as an illusion in front of Frey before Oydin died.
He had felt the pressure of his aura at the time, but it was nothing compared to meeting him in person.
And Ananta was one of the Demigods hed fought against when he was Lukas.
At that time, Lukas, Schweiser, Iris, Kasajin and Lucid could not defeat this monstrous old man.
On the contrary, Kasajin had been inflicted with his poison and was bedridden for a month in a near-death state.
Of course, they had succeeded in doing some damage to Ananta, but defeat was defeat.
It was even more shocking since at that time, Lukas and his party had only just started building up their confidence to fight the Demigods.
Compared to back then, Ananta didnt look much different except for the fact that his clothes were different.
I dont think were too late.
Kukuku. I cant believe Agni beat us. How surprising.
Ananta smiled and spoke in his phlegmatic voice as he looked at the castle.
He could feel Agnis power within it.
Riki looked at them with folded arms.
The three of you came together?
Yeah.
What for?
I heard some interesting information from Lord, so I came to see if it was true.
interesting information?
Ill tell you when the meeting starts. Im sure youll like it. sea??h th n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Leyrin smiled as she said this, but Riki couldnt help but feel anxious.
Nozdog, who hadnt said a word since they arrived, looked down from the mountain as he said.
[There are intruders.]
What?
[Just that. There are intruders trying to enter the barrier. No. Theyre already in thats strange.]
Nozdogs blazing eyes turned to Riki.
[I dont believe that you, who are the most sensitive among us, did not sense them. Whats going on, Riki?
there have been a lot of things Ive had to worry about, so my senses have been dulled lately.
[]
After a moment of silence, Nozdog nodded.
[If its coming from you, then it must be true.]
[Then I shall go take care of the rats.]
Will you be okay? Wont you get penalised?
[Leyrin said it, didnt she? We heard something really interesting from Lord.]
At that moment, Frey couldnt help but feel that the skinless skeleton in front of him was smiling.
[Everything has been confirmed. It will be very fun and exciting.]
Then Nozdog disappeared.
Frey followed his presence. Fortunately, he was able to clearly see outside of the castle.
And he immediately became confused.
Because there were hundreds of Knights in black armor standing in a clearing.
Riki muttered.
they came here with Warp.
He said it as though he was explaining to Frey.
I didnt think theyd send the Black Dragon Knights. It seems they valued the Marquis business more than I expected.
Riki. Luanoble is your territory. How could they set up here without your knowledge?
It was Leyrin who answered Anantas words.
This territory. Its been hundreds of years since he left. The path this country took is quite the spectacle. Did you know, Riki? The reason Lord wanted to meet in Luanoble.
No.
He thought it needed cleaning.
Leyrin pointed toward the Black Dragon Knights.
This is the beginning.
Nozdog was standing in the sky, looking down at them.
The Black Dragon Knights noticed his presence, and they began to busily prepare, but nothing could save them anymore.
They couldnt damage Nozdog, who was in the air, with their swordsmanship.
Nozdog, with a relaxed motion, stretched out a finger, and a clump of black energy began gathering at the tip.
Shuk.
The black energy then separated to form hundreds of small black spikes.
Frey realised the number of spikes matched the number of Black Dragon Knights exactly.
The spikes then accurately pierced through their helmets like paper.
Then the Knights, who stood there for a few moments after their deaths, collapsed in unison.
That was it.
In an instant, all of the Black Dragon Knights had been annihilated.
[This is death.]
After muttering contentedly, Nozdogs body flashed and reappeared beside Riki.
Riki had an incomprehensible expression on his face.
Even if you could withstand the penalty isnt it too much to kill hundreds of people?
[Huhu. We wont have to worry about that anymore.]
What?
[Rejoice, Riki. We have finally found the possibility of evading gods punishment.]
!!
Freys expression twisted behind his mask.
Rikis surprise was no less than his.
It was then.
[Come inside.]
Freys entire body froze.
It was a voice he would never be able to forget.
It was a voice that sounded as sacred as hearing Gods call in a cathedral, but the owner of this voice was anything but sacred.
Frey turned to look inside the smashed wall of the castle.
Beside Agni, a being was silently revealing its presence.
The reason it was called a being was because there was no other way to express it.
It had the overall shape of a man. However, its head was as smooth as an egg because it lacked any features at all.
It didnt even have hair.
There was not a stitch of clothing on its body, revealing its strong masculine figure, and above all, white light was constantly being emitted from its body.
It looked exactly as it had 4,000 years ago.
[Come inside, my dear family.]
Lord beckoned gently.
(Note: This is the end of book 4)
Chapter 103 - Lord (2)
Chapter 103 - Lord (2) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
At those words, the Demigods, including Riki, began entering the castle.
Frey was reluctant to face Lord.
However, some Apostles were already waiting in the castle, so he had no choice but to follow Riki.
[Its a little chilly.]
Lord mumbled quietly to himself before shaking his hand.
Then, the broken wall was restored as if time itself had been reversed.
It was a process that could not be explained with the laws of nature. However, the Demigods present seemed to be used to such things as they showed no reaction.
There was a new Apostle in the castle, who was also wearing a mask.
When did they get here?
Except for Agni, the other Apocalypses had not brought their Apostles.
Was that person Lords Apostle?
Just like himself and Agnis Apostle, this person wore a large robe, which not only hid their appearance but even information about their sex and age.
As Frey thought this, Riki turned to Lord and said.
Its been a while.
[Riki, my oldest brother. Have you been well?]
I have.
[Thats good.]
Lord laughed happily.
Riki kept looking at Lord for a while before opening his mouth once again.
May I ask what it is youve been doing all this while?
[It was very important. Of course, youll find out right now. Leyrin.]
Lord gestured to Leyrin, who smiled and took something from her pocket.
It was a metal ingot.
[Illuminium]
This is the first time Ive heard of this.
[Thats to be expected. After all, its a metal we discovered and named personally.
Riki felt a bit anxious.
It seemed the other Demigods knew about this metal already.
Only Riki and Agni were making expressions to show that they hadnt heard of it before.
Leyrin touched the metal before saying.
At first glance, its a simple metal without any special properties. Its not that strong, and it does not conduct divine power very well. But.
Then a shocking sight unfolded.
Leyrin ripped off a small piece of metal with her finger and put it in her mouth.
Crunch crunch.
The piece was about the size of a knuckle, and even if it wasnt hard, per se, it was still a metal.
Even a Drake, which was known for its strong jaws and sharp teeth, would be left with a bloody mouth if it tried the same thing.
Nevertheless, Leyrin moved her jaws as though she was just munching a cookie before swallowing it.
Huk.
Then, at that moment, Riki felt the divine power in Leyrins body disappear.
What do you think? Doesnt it feel like my divine power has disappeared?
It does.
But its still the same.
Whoosh.
A small whirlwind formed above Leyrins hand.
It was clear that her divine power was just as powerful as before.
Nevertheless, it couldnt be felt at all.
Rikis expression stiffened.
did you conceal it?
Do you think Id deceive you? Youre still too behind the times.
Leyrin was smug.
Riki looked at her strangely.
How?
The power of Illuminium. Its an alloy I created, but I originally made it to conceal our divine power. I was tired of those Circle bastards following me around. But it ended up being more effective than I predicted.
Leyrin didnt hold back her laughter.
Just by eating a bit of metal, you could kill as many mortals as you want for a certain period without having to worry about punishment. In other words, we can deceive gods laws.
!
Well. It only lasts a few minutes at best, and the more you use divine power, the shorter the duration, but its better than nothing, right?
If this was true, then this was catastrophic news for all races on the continent who opposed the Demigods.
Behind the mask, Freys face was harder than stone.
Only then did he understand why Nozdog had been able to annihilate the Black Dragon Knights without worry.
Can the metal be produced indefinitely?
Riki casually pointed out a very important point.
Frey paid close attention to what Leyrin said next.
If this metal could be mass produced, then it wouldnt take more than a few years for the entire continent to completely fall into the Demigods hands.
It would be great if I could, but the production process is so complicated that its no joke. The ingredients are also difficult to acquire. So for now, we need to use it sparingly.
After saying that, Leyrin threw the Illuminium in her hand to Riki.
Cut it into small pieces and eat it. Im also considering making it into a liquid, but Ill have to wait to do research, or our supply might run out.
Riki put away the ingot silently.
Nozdog narrowed his eyes.
[You dont look very happy, Riki.]
[This is an opportunity to destroy the insects that have been troubling us for so long. Arent you excited?]
Im not interested.
[Youve always said that. No. Not always.]
Nozdog swayed slightly.
[Did you know? Ever since you destroyed Icollium 4,000 years ago, youve been acting very strangely.]
Frey was once again grateful that he was wearing a mask since it was almost impossible for him to conceal the flash of surprise that appeared on his face.
Icollium was Lucids birthplace.
Was Riki the one who destroyed it?
[The Sword King Lucid met his end together with his country.]
Hruhirals words once again resounded in Freys mind.
Then didnt that mean that Riki, the one who destroyed Icollium, was also the one who killed Lucid?
4,000 years have already passed, Nozdog. Thats enough time for things to change.
[Stop saying disgusting things. Change is something only imperfect beings experience. It doesnt apply to beings like us, who are perfect from birth.]
I dont think we are perfect.
[]
At those words, a terrifying aura suddenly billowed out. Sar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Nozdog had released his full power.
Clear suspicion was visible in his gaze. (Note: arent his eyes just fire?)
Frey felt a little frustrated by Rikis attitude.
He didnt understand why he was using words and actions that could cause conflict with Nozdog when it was better to lay low.
Kukuku come to think of it.
It was Ananta who began speaking with a grim smile.
His smile made his heavily wrinkled face look even worse as he said.
Hydras dead.
Huh? Really?
Leyrin tilted her head since it was the first time she was hearing this news.
It was the same for the others.
Agni spoke bluntly.
Why are you only saying this now?
I only just found out.
Ananta locked gazes with Riki.
Theyre suspicious.
Riki was convinced at that moment.
Even if the others didnt think the same, these two suspected him.
However, he wasnt too surprised by this. After all, he had done too many suspicious things.
It was clear that they werent yet certain, but the current atmosphere was already bad.
There was a chance that their suspicion might spread to Agni and Leyrin.
It was then.
[Nozdog, Ananta.]
At Lords quiet words, Nozdog and Ananta shivered before turning to look at him.
Suddenly, a mouth appeared on Lords previously featureless face.
As if something that had been buried in a snowfield finally revealed itself, Lord smiled, revealing white teeth.
[What are you doing to your brother?]
[Im sorry.]
I was too hasty.
The two proud Demigods immediately apologised.
Lords mouth disappeared again.
This time, he turned to Riki.
[Please understand, Riki. This is proof of how unusual our current situation is.]
I know.
Riki responded bluntly, and Nozdog felt angered inwardly by that fact.
Its so different.
It was different.
Apocalypse.
That was the term the Circle used to describe the five Demigods gathered here, but Nozdog was the only one who knew that unlike them, Riki was not pressured at all by Lord.
He could guess why.
Lord was the first to separate from the enormous body of energy known as the laws of the world.
And the next Demigod to emerge with self consciousness was Riki.
For this reason, there was a relationship between Lord and Riki that they could not even wish to interfere with.
In fact, there were several instances where Lord was soft to Riki when he would normally be brutal to others.
The Demigods here all controlled large cities or even small countries from the shadows.
And even if they didnt have total control, it was certain that they had some amount of influence.
But this country, Luanoble, was supposed to be completely dominated by Riki.
But Riki didnt do it.
Instead, he built a hut in the woods and started living like a hermit.
It was like blatantly throwing away his responsibility.
But Lord did not reprimand him at all.
Nozdog couldnt understand that.
Riki opened his mouth with a calm expression.
Lets get down to business. Didnt you call this meeting to find the traitor?
[Right. But not all the Demigods have arrived yet, so well wait a bit longer. Why dont we share a little secret?]
A secret?
[Lets reveal our Apostles to each other.]
Lord, are you serious?
It wasnt unreasonable for Leyrin to ask this question with such a strange tone.
She didnt doubt Riki like Ananta and Nozdog did.
She wasnt raising her hand to say one of the people here was the traitor.
Nevertheless, there was still a possibility.
If there really was a traitor among the people gathered here, then revealing the identity of their Apostles was very risky.
[You might be reluctant. I completely understand. Its okay, no need to worry about it.]
As he said this, Lords voice was very quiet.
He told them not to worry, and he also hadnt given them a reason, but Leyrins expression softened at his words.
The same was true for the others.
Only Rikis expression remained the same.
[Since Im the one who brought it up, Ill show you mine first.]
Just as Lord laughed and said this, he was interrupted.
Wait.
[What is it, Agni?]
Lord, I dont think you should reveal your Apostle.
[Hmmm.]
Lord paused for a moment before saying.
You are the core of the Demigods. If there really is a traitor here, then your Apostle would be the one they care about the most.
How accurate.
This thought flashed through Rikis mind, but he didnt show it.
Somehow, Lord managed to show an awkward expression.
[Then Id be the only one who wouldnt reveal my Apostle, wouldnt I? Im the one who brought it up, but it has become such a funny situation.]
Lords head dropped down for a moment before he said.
[If you all agree with Agnis opinion, then I wont reveal mine.]
Riki almost sighed.
It was clear that he had predicted this situation since he was the one who brought it up in the first place.
I agree.
I concur.
[I am in agreement.]
Agreed.
The other four all nodded. Then, as if planned beforehand, they all turned to look at Riki.
I dont care, but.
Riki turned to look at Lord.
If you dont reveal your Apostle, then I wont, either.
Chapter 104 - Lord (3)
Chapter 104 - Lord (3) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Stop talking nonsense.
Riki, are you out of your mind?
Anger was evident on the other Demigods faces.
This was a natural reaction.
After all, what Riki had just said had clearly crossed the line.
Even Agni and Leyrin, who had simply been observing the situation from the side, stared at Riki with fierce expressions.
However, it was Nozdog who was most angry.
He looked at Riki as if he wanted to tear him apart.
[If Lord doesnt reveal his, you wont reveal yours? Dont be ridiculous. Are you now considering yourself equal to Lord?]
All Demigods were inherently equal.
But by calling Lord Lord, the Demigods were paying homage to the being who was the very first Demigod.
[Stop spouting nonsense. He is the only one who can handle the work and responsibility that comes with being Lord. On his own, he can do things that even all of us combined would fail to do.]
Youre not wrong. But there are things I can do that Lord cant.
[You!]
The terrifying aura of death rose from Nozdogs body.
This time, Riki also put his hand on the hilt of his sword.
With just these actions, the atmosphere in the room became as taut as a bowstring waiting to be released.
Once again, it was Lord who broke the tense silence.
[Enough.]
But this time, Nozdog didnt intend to back down.
The flames in his eye sockets burned fiercely with rage.
[Do not stop me any more, Lord. It is clear that Riki is suspicious. Im not the only one who thinks that.]
Kukuku. Thats right.
Ananta nodded.
From the moment he had learned of Hydras death, he had begun to have doubts about Riki.
He was the only one who could get rid of such a resilient person without a trace.
Leyrin and Agni were clearly hesitating, but it was obvious that their suspicion had grown stronger.
[Nozdog, your suspicion is valid. However, it would be best to pay attention to your words and actions until everything is confirmed.]
Nozdog grit his teeth.
However, since he wanted to gain the authority that came with Lords recognition, he could not continue to be disobedient.
The deathly aura disappeared as if it had been washed away, and Riki also let go of his hilt.
[The thing that truly makes me angry is the fact that Riki is not even trying to alleviate our doubts. His attitude makes it seem like it doesnt matter if we are suspicious of him. Its impossible for me to not feel upset by this.]
[]
Lord fell silent for a moment.
He felt that Nozdog had a point.
After thinking for a while, he finally said.
[I understand.]
You understand?
When Leyrin asked with a confused expression on her face, Lord spoke in a flat tone.
[After this meeting ends, I will personally check if Riki is the traitor or not.]
Silence fell at those words.
This was because they knew Lord was not one to lie.
Lord turned to look at Riki before saying.
[Of course, you will cooperate, wont you?]
[woopread, woopread]
Sure.
[Good.]
Lord then stood to his feet.
[Now then, will you show me your Apostles?]
that.
Well
[]
At Lords words, the other Demigods showed uncomfortable expressions.
They all glanced at Riki.
If Riki was truly the traitor, it would be very risky for them to reveal their Apostles to him.
When he saw this, Lord waved his hand.
[Theres no need to worry. Ive put a barrier around this place. People can enter, but it is impossible for anyone to leave.]
This explained why the Black Dragon Knights had been able to enter this place.
Frey turned to Lord.
[I will not release the barrier until we have confirmed the identity of the traitor. Even if it takes a week, a month, or a year.]
I see.
It cant be helped.
The Demigods all nodded since it was understandable.
Then Ill go first.
It was Agni who stepped forward.
In the first place, he seemed to have very little hesitation when it came to revealing his Apostle.
Looking at him, Frey couldnt help but feel that he was quite similar to Ivan.
He seemed to be the type who could burn with passion from his very soul if he found something interesting. Conversely, he also seemed to be the type that wouldnt care what happened if it was something uninteresting to him.
And to Agni, this meeting seemed to be the latter.
He turned to the Apostle standing behind him and said.
Take off your mask.
The Apostle stepped forward slowly, removing the mask from their face.
The face revealed was that of a woman Frey had never seen before.
She was very beautiful, with full lips, a small nose and burning eyes.
The hair that could be seen from under her hood showed a color that was reminiscent of boiling lava.
However, Frey felt a connection to this woman.
Babump.
[read at woopread]
His heart beat felt exceptionally loud at that moment.
He knew that she was probably feeling the same.
Phoenix.
Her appearance had changed, but she was definitely the Phoenix he had left in Torkuntas body.
Frey was certain.
The reason he felt this was simple.
He had absorbed half of Torkuntas heart.
A slight exaggeration would be to say that Frey felt like she was his other half.
It wasnt too surprising that shed gained a human form.
In a near death state, the Phoenix had absorbed Torkuntas body and half of his heart.
The enormous amount of energy she had absorbed would have made it easy to construct her body.
In fact, there would still be a lot of energy left after the reconstruction, and there was a chance that the great change in the Phoenixs appearance might have been influenced by her will.
But he never imagined that shed become Agnis Apostle.
Was she forced to become Agnis Apostle? Or was it of her own volition?
He couldnt tell, but Frey sincerely hoped it wasnt the latter.
Leyrin narrowed her eyes before saying.
The outer shell looks human, but within Im not sure. What exactly is she?
A Phoenix. I found her when I was passing over the Ispania Mountains. Shes a dozen times stronger than a normal phoenix.
A Phoenix? Those are really rare nowadays, yet you managed to find one. But it seems to be mixed with something It doesnt appear to be a half-breed. Hmm. It is certainly a unique entity. How interesting.
Leyrins eyes sparkled.
If it wasnt for Lords next words, it was quite possible that she would have said something ridiculous like wanting to dissect it.
[Next.]
At Lords words, Ananta beckoned.
The Apostle standing behind him took off his mask. (Note: I even double checked, the author did not mention anything about the others bringing their apostles, only Riki, Agni and maybe Lord.)
It was a man with a very common appearance. Brown hair and eyes with a blank expression on his face.
Nozdog didnt look pleased as he said.
[Ananta. Were in front of Lord.]
Right. Jenta, take it off.
The man named Jenta pulled on his face without a word.
The skin on his face ripped easily and revealed his real face beneath.
The mans face gave off a very sharp feeling, especially because of the large wound that went across his nose.
Is he an assassin?
The mask made of human flesh caused Frey to have an idea about the mans identity.
The man had a very formidable aura, and Frey was sure that he was a very skilled assassin.
If this kind of assassin decided to hide
He would be difficult to find even if one had thousands of troops searching.
Ananta must have taken that into account when making his decision.
Even 4,000 years later, he was a tricky and wicked old man.
[Next.]
It was Nozdogs turn.
When he beckoned his Apostle to remove their mask, the person that was revealed turned out to be a Demon.
A Demon? Isnt that a Demon?
Leyrin couldnt help but ask in surprise.
How did you make a Demon into your Apostle? No. More importantly isnt this this Demons true body?
Moreover, it wasnt a weak Lower Demon. For it to be of any use, it would have to be a Superior Demon at the least.
How did you manage to do that?
[I had help.]
Help.
Frey thought of Iris.
She had researched for a long time for a way to allow a Demon to project its full power to the continent.
At that time, she hadnt made any progress, but 4,000 years had passed, so it was possible that shed made a breakthrough.
It was also suspicious that Oydin knew Asuras summoning circle.
Nozdog has some connection to Iris.
Frey thought that this speculation was pretty credible.
[Next]
When Leyrin beckoned, the Apostle behind her also took off their mask.
The person behind the mask was a woman with a very cold, expressionless face.
She looked to be about 30 years of age, but Frey knew she was older than that.
Riki had said there was a high chance that Isaka Blake was Leyrins Apostle, and Frey agreed with him.
He felt that even if it wasnt him, it would still be a member of the Blake family.
The eldest son, Mischael, or even Heinz the second son.
But it wasnt any of them.
Leyrins Apostle was none other than the Lady of the Blake Family, Reita Blake.
[Good. Thank you for fulfilling my request despite the risk, my companions.]
When Lord spoke out with satisfaction, the Apostles placed their masks back on their faces.
Frey realised that everyones eyes were on him.
They must have been curious. Sarch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Because he was the only Apostle who hadnt revealed their appearance.
come to think of it.
Lords Apostle was not among the people gathered here.
It seems he did not intend to reveal his Apostle from the beginning.
Or maybe he could summon them at any time.
Nevertheless, Frey had learned the identities of all the Apocalypses Apostles.
However, none of them were easy opponents.
One was a Demon who was able to use its full strength, one was the Lady of the Blake family, and one was a formidable assassin whose identity could be changed at any moment.
And the other one was someone hed promised to reunite with in the future.
Nevertheless, it was too soon for him to think about them.
Frey recalled Lords words.
[I will not release the barrier until we have confirmed the identity of the traitor. Even if it takes a week, a month, or a year.]
A barrier created by Lord himself.
Warp would definitely not work, and there was a chance that not even Rikis space/time movement would work.
He intended to use this opportunity to flush out the traitor.
He had even let the Apocalypses reveal the identities of their Apostles.
Even if Lord had another reason for doing so, one thing was made clear by this.
And that was the fact that Lord was confident he could find the traitor.
He would do it somehow, regardless of the method.
This situation has become rather amusing.
Although he thought that, this situation wasnt funny at all.
The disconnected space, Lords unexpected move and Rikis incomprehensible actions.
Frey had begun to seriously wonder whether hed be able to leave this place alive.
Chapter 105 - Lord (4)
Chapter 105 - Lord (4) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Lord said they would have to wait a little longer for the other Demigods to gather.
Then, he ordered the Apostles to leave because he wanted to discuss something with the Apocalypses.
There was no way they could disobey him, so the five Apostles headed down to the basement of the castle.
Frey was the one who acted as the guide, which was natural since Frey and Riki were the ones who got there first.
The basement was quite large, but since it had been used to house slaves, it was quite dreary and filthy.
Frey and Riki didnt bother cleaning it up since they only stayed in the upper floors.
Thanks to that, the entire room was filled with a horrid stench.
However, none of the Apostles seemed to be bothered by it.
Even Letia, the Lady of the Blake family, grabbed an old wooden chair and planted her buttocks on it without hesitation. (Note: authors wordsnot mine)
The rest were the same.
They each found a corner to sit quietly in.
Do you have anything to eat?
It was the Demon who asked this question in a deep voice.
Frey glanced at him for a moment before answering.
I have bread.
What about to drink?
Beer.
Thats good.
Frey then went upstairs to the food storehouse and brought back four servings of bread and beer to give to everyone.
No need.
Letia was the only one who didnt accept it.
Frey also didnt eat anything.
He wasnt hungry, and he didnt want to take the mask off his face.
After the short meal, Jenta approached Frey, who was sitting in a corner.
Take off your mask.
It was clearly an order.
Frey wasnt surprised. Rather, he expected something like this to happen.
They were bound to be dissatisfied at Frey who didnt reveal his face like everyone else.
What if I dont?
Of course, he didnt have to respond, but Frey chose to provoke him.
Do you intend to take it off by force?
I dont see why not.
Quit it.
It wasnt Frey who said that.
It was the Demon who was tearing into the bread viciously.
He had red skin and pupilless eyes, and it seemed he had no intention of hiding behind a mask.
Jenta and the Phoenix had both eaten their bread while trying to keep their faces as covered as possible.
Quit it? Arent you curious about this guys identity?
Of course Im curious. But thats not something we have to worry about.
You cant do much about your curiosity. Especially when the Demigods are nearby.
Jenta didnt say anything further. He simply turned around, walked back to his corner and sat down.
Frey sighed inwardly before turning to the Demon.
Sensing his gaze, the Demon also turned to look at Frey.
Besides that, there was also another gaze that was locked on to Frey.
The Phoenix.
She was also looking at him.
Frey turned his head and met her gaze, but everyone remained quiet.
Its so frustrating not being able to use Telepathy.
He wondered how exactly shed become Agnis Apostle and what exactly was on her mind at that moment.
One good thing was that he did not sense any suspicion or hostility in her gaze.
Otherwise, she would have already revealed his identity.
Frey had sincerely hoped to have a happy reunion with her. However, this was quite a contrast to the reunion he had envisioned.
For now, he decided not to think about that.
* * *
[Thats all I have to say for now.]
When Lord said that, the other Demigods nodded.
[The rest of you may leave. Riki, Id like to talk to you for a moment.]
understood.
Theres something coming.
This thought floated in Rikis head as the other Demigods slowly left the room.
As Ananta passed by, he shot Riki a mocking look.
He was certain that Lord would now pay close attention to Riki.
Before long, only Lord and Riki remained in the hall.
Lord shook his hand slightly.
Woowoong.
The room was suddenly covered by layers of barriers.
Rikis expression hardened as he felt the power of the barriers.
He was certain that he wouldnt be able to escape it unless he used his full power.
[Theres no need to feel nervous, Riki.]
Lord spoke softly.
Riki then realised that he had subconsciously put his hand on the hilt of his sword.
[I just didnt want anyone to hear our conversation. You know that Nozdog and Ananta currently dont have any positive feelings towards you. Leyrin doesnt seem to be suspicious but shes definitely curious.]
There was certainly a chance that they wouldve tried to eavesdrop on this conversation.
But now that Lord had erected multiple layers of barriers, they wouldnt be able to.
What do you want to talk about?
[Riki, my oldest brother, I still remember the joy I felt when I saw you for the first time.]
It was an unexpected statement, but Lords voice was so filled with nostalgia that he didnt question him.
Lord pondered for a moment.
He couldnt even remember how long ago it had been.
In the old days, humans and the other mortal creatures hadnt even learned to use proper tools yet, Dragons had simply been large monsters, and the continents terrain had been completely different.
That was when Lord had broken off. A small, broken fragment that had detached from the will of the world.
It had taken hundreds of years for him to gain sentience.
At that time, it didnt take long for Lord to realise that he was stronger than every other being alive, that he was superior to every other race.
He felt that even if all of these beings worked together to fight against him, he would still be able to win without difficulty.
But that fact didnt impress Lord.
What did it matter?
He didnt even know why he had such absolute power.
He had the power to rule the world, but he had no purpose.
He didnt even know why he existed in the first place. So as time went by, he slowly became consumed by a deep sense of loneliness.
Then, another piece fell from the will of the world.
[You wouldnt understand the sheer joy I felt to finally find another person in this world who was like me.]
He was finally not alone.
That fact alone suddenly gave Lord the will to live.
No purpose?
Then hed just have to make one.
He had the power to do whatever he wanted after all.
That wasnt all.
After Rikis appearance, more Demigods began appearing one after another.
They, like him, were confused at first.
They experienced the same loneliness and confusion that hed felt.
That was when Lord realised what his purpose was.
He was to be their leader.
The leader who would guide these people who did not know how to control their transcendent powers.
The reason why he had gained consciousness before the others was because there would always be a pioneer who had to suffer for his kind.
Since then, Lord had been leading the Demigods superbly.
Why are you telling me this?
[Riki, I want to treat all of my kind fairly, and Im trying to do that. But I feel that there is some truth to Nozdogs complaint.]
[As he said, Im too soft towards you. Ive let you get away with things that the other Demigods wouldnt even dare to do. Not meeting your quota, not managing your territory, ignoring my requests]
As he fell silent, eyes appeared on Lords face.
He turned these eyes to look at Riki.
[Killing our kind.]
Riki didnt look surprised.
Instead, hed expected this.
He had suspected that Lord knew he was the traitor.
But when Lord asked them to reveal their Apostles to the others, he had been certain.
So he went a step further.
Frey might not have understood why hed acted in such a way, but he needed to create a situation that would prevent Lord from being soft once again.
He didnt know where he had slipped up or when Lord had found out, but Riki knew he wouldnt know every little detail.
With his insight, Lord would have been able to notice even the most minute details.
Lords voice sounded once again.
[Killing our people is unforgivable, Riki.]
I know.
[I want to ask. Why did you betray us? You werent like this before. You understood me better than anyone else and agreed with my goal.]
Thats obvious, Lord.
Riki looked at Lord with a firm gaze.
Its because I realised at the time that we were in the wrong.
[So youre saying youre in the right now?]
Thats right.
Lord sighed emotionally.
His piercing eyes disappeared once again.
Lords features only changed when there was a significant change to his emotions.
It seemed he had regained his composure.
[Perhaps, this is all my fault.]
What?
[4,000 years ago. Ive never seen you as angry as after I killed that Knight.]
He couldnt deny it.
That was because that had been the first time that a negative thought towards Lord had appeared in his mind.
That was the beginning of everything.
That negative view towards Lord changed his way of thinking and started making him question the existence of the Demigods.
And he began to feel repulsed by what they were doing.
Are our actions really correct?
[Then lets pretend this never happened.]
what?
That was completely unexpected.
Riki looked at him in suspicion.
However, it was impossible to read Lords intentions when he was in a featureless state.
The only way to catch a glimpse of his emotions was through his voice, but even that had fallen to a monotone.
[Im going to forgive you, Riki. Because this is as much my fault as it is yours.]
You would forgive me for killing our kind?
[Thats right.] Sar?h the Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Riki had not expected such an outcome, but he knew that Lord wasnt trying to deceive him.
The words he was saying now were truly sincere.
Lord was willing to forgive him even though he had killed so many of their people.
Will the other Demigods accept something like that?
[Thats right. Therefore its unfortunate, but well have to trick them.]
Trick?
[Because I promised to find the traitor unconditionally. The others might not say anything, but Nozdog and Ananta will not be convinced.]
certainly.
Lord smiled.
Or rather, it felt like he was smiling.
[Ive picked a suitable candidate from the Demigods that are coming to this meeting. There will be no suspicion, and everything will go smoothly. You will have nothing to worry about.]
Those words made Riki speechless.
He stared at Lord in disbelief.
youre going to falsely accuse an innocent Demigod and kill them?
[It is unfortunate, but it cant be helped. Because you are more important than they are.]
Rikis pulse froze at that moment.
I see.
He wasnt the only one who had changed over the years.
If it had been the Lord of the past, he would not have made such a suggestion.
No matter how much he cared for Riki, he would never falsely accuse and execute an innocent member of his own race.
[Of course, it will also take some acting on your part.]
[Its nothing much. Just kill your Apostle with your own hands.]
What?
[Then you will fall into hibernation. Maybe for 100 years. Thats not a very long time for us, so just take it as a long nap. In the meantime, I will protect you. And when you wake up, I assure you. There would be nothing left for you to worry about.]
Right.
If he were to fall into hibernation, it would clear Ananta and Nozdogs suspicion.
It was clear that Lord had thought of everything to ensure the plan would go smoothly.
Maybe even the Demigod who would be framed would be convinced.
[The Demigod who will take the blame for you will be Ur. Itll take a few more days for him to get here. Kill your Apostle right after he arrives. I will handle the rest.]
Lord got up from his seat.
[Thats all I wanted to say, Riki. Keep in mind, if you choose to accept this, we can start over. Just like how the ground will harden after the rain, we can build a stronger relationship with more trust than before.]
He then tapped Riki on the shoulder and left the room.
By that time, the barriers had already disappeared.
can they really change? Lord, the Demigods?
Since he had changed, there was nothing preventing the others from changing as well.
Then would he still need to kill them?
Couldnt he work together with Lord to change the Demigods from within?
If that was possible, then it would be much more logical than trying to fight against the Demigods on his own.
Even after thinking for a long time, the answer didnt come easily.
Riki stood as though he was nailed to that spot.
Chapter 106 - Riki (1)
Chapter 106 - Riki (1) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
While they were waiting for the other Demigods, Frey paid close attention to the Apocalypses Apostles.
He wanted to be able to track them down and kill them if possible. Only if he would be able to leave this place, that is.
Letia, who had the most prominent status, was pushed as far back in his mind as possible.
The same went for the Phoenix.
This left only Jenta, Anantas Apostle and the red-skinned Demon.
First was the Demon.
He had even boldly revealed his name to them.
Im Kaltud.
Kaltuds attitude had broken all the stereotypes of Demons.
He was serious, had good discernment and was able to have proper conversations.
In addition, he had even taken it upon himself to clean up the foul-smelling basement.
But that was it.
Frey was unable to get any other clues about him.
In the first place, there was no one for him to really talk to, so there were no conversations to eavesdrop on.
The Apostles didnt talk to each other.
In addition, he was clearly wary of Frey, so even if he were to have a conversation, he would certainly make sure Frey couldnt hear.
Next was Jenta.
However, he hadnt learned more from him than he had from Kaltud.
He simply sat in his corner, cleaning his dagger or mixing some strange chemicals.
And whenever their eyes met, he would glare at Frey.
Im glad I learned his face and real name.
The only things he knew were Jentas name and face.
In particular, the scar across his face was a rare characteristic that would certainly make it easier to hunt him down later.
But that was all Frey had.
Personally, Frey wanted to find a way to talk to the Phoenix, but it wasnt easy.
Frey simply spent his time meditating.
Even then, he didnt let down his guard in case any of the Apostles made a sudden movement.
And so, time passed rather boringly.
But a few days later, when Riki opened the door and stepped into the room, he was quite happy.
However, his happy expression didnt last long.
Although Riki was expressionless as usual, Frey couldnt help but feel that something had changed.
Come on.
It was clear who he was talking to.
Frey immediately got up and followed him
The other Apostles were a bit dissatisfied, but they didnt dare say anything against the Demigods actions.
When Frey got up to follow him, Riki continued heading down.
Lower? Sar?h the N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Was there another room below this one?
As if in response to Freys question, a dead end appeared before them.
Riki raised his hand lightly and cut the wall.
Shik.
The wall split apart, and a large space was revealed.
Freys expression became a bit strange.
He hadnt known there was this hidden space here.
He would have learned of its existence if he had searched more thoroughly, but he hadnt found it necessary.
Behind this wall was a large amount of gold and silver.
This was all the wealth that Marquis Dalaman had obtained with his blood, sweat and tears.
Of course, it couldnt gain Frey and Rikis attention.
Riki only stopped after he reached the deepest part of the room
Do you know what Lords power is?
No.
Its space.
He has control over space.
This was the first time Frey was hearing about this.
But when he heard it, many pieces fell into place.
Even the Absolute Field, which only 9 star Wizards could unleash, had no effect when used against Lord.
He had also been able to separate his soul and trap it in the Abyss.
If Lord truly had the power to control space, then it would explain the power he had displayed.
Do you understand what Im trying to say?
No.
Im saying even if you become a 9 star Wizard, you would still be far from being able to defeat Lord.
Frey wanted to refute Rikis words, but he couldnt.
He knew that Riki was telling the truth.
The thought that he couldnt defeat Lord simply by reaching 9 stars remained in his mind since his return.
And at that moment, Riki was just confirming his worst fear.
Thats why Im targeting the Apostles.
Right. But youve seen it, too, havent you? Illuminium. With that metal, the Demigods would be able to exercise their power without being punished. This means they no longer need to rely on the Apostles. (Note: The author used illuninium the first time and I thought it was a typo as ? and ? are beside each otherbut the same thing was done here. Should I change the name?)
That was true.
When Leyrin first explained about the metal, Freys heart felt heavy.
The short duration wasnt a large hindrance either.
It was obvious to him that if they exerted their full force, it would only take the Demigods a few minutes to completely destroy a city.
This doesnt mean they will just get rid of the Apostles right away. Because its not possible to create Illuminium indefinitely. However, its an undeniable fact that the value of the Apostles has fallen.
So? You want to give up?
Riki fell silent.
Frey had no idea what he was thinking at that moment.
Ssrng.
Then, Riki drew his sword.
Frey started to gather his mana, but Rikis sword was faster.
Shuk.
Kuh ugh
Another being appeared in the dark room with them.
!
When Frey saw the ugly, wrinkled face, he couldnt help but doubt his eyes for a moment.
Ananta, one of the five Apocalypses, had a large wound across his chest.
Ri ki
Ananta burst out angrily.
Riki spat out coldly.
Did you enjoy eavesdropping like a rat?
As I expected you are the one Hydra
Right. I killed Hydra.
Chuk.
Rikis sword moved once again, and Anantas body was cleanly cut in half.
Frey looked at Riki in shock.
You what are you
It was the same sudden way in which he killed Hydra, but the location, situation and opponent were all incomparable to last time.
This was the castle where Lord and the other Apocalypses, who were already suspicious of Riki, were staying.
Besides, this was Ananta, the Poison Apocalypse, not some small-fry Demigod.
Riki pointed at Anantas body.
This is just a clone he sent to watch me. His real body will notice this before long, so you have to hurry.
After saying this, Riki closed his eyes.
Then, he drew his sword and took a deep breath.
Sss
Krrr.
Tremendously powerful divine power began emitting from Rikis body, causing Frey, who was standing in front of him, to shudder and feel small.
This the same as Lord!
It wasnt just the vault.
The castle. No.
The entire mountain began shaking violently.
Chuk.
Frey didnt see Riki swing his sword. He only saw him slowly return it to its sheath.
Riki looked extremely exhausted, and sweat slowly dripped down his face.
However, there was a look of satisfaction on his face.
as I expected. It wasnt easy to cut Lords barrier.
The void in front of him had been cut open.
Go in there and wait.
And you?
Ill be there soon.
What? Dont you believe me?
It was true that he still hadnt fully come to trust Riki, but Frey became certain at that moment.
I dont think youll make it.
Haha
When he heard Freys blunt words, Riki let out a rare laugh.
Rare?
No, Frey was certain that he had never heard Riki laugh before.
Riki gestured with a smile.
Its fine, so go ahead.
Frey nodded and dived into the crack in space.
Immediately afterwards, the crack sealed up once again.
Riki took a deep breath, then stood there, as if waiting for someone.
Then, four figures entered the vault.
The Apocalypses.
[Have you finally decided to reveal your true colors?]
Kukuku
Nozdog and Ananta both looked like theyd expected this to happen.
On the other hand, Leyrin and Agni looked like they were having trouble coming to terms with it.
I really didnt expect you to be the traitor.
Riki, what were you thinking?
What was he thinking?
They wouldnt understand even if he told them.
If it was possible to convince them through conversation, then he would have done that far sooner.
But it was impossible.
They were Demigods. Their utmost confidence in themselves and their strength were things that had formed over a countless number of years and could not be easily changed.
[You even cut Lords Barrier to let your Apostle escape and youre standing in our way to give them more time.]
Thats right.
[For a mortal Ha. You really are crazy. Is this the change you were talking about, Riki?]
Riki didnt respond.
In fact, saving Frey was only a secondary objective.
Lords deal for him to kill his own Apostle and go into hibernation for 100 years. Riki couldnt accept it.
As Lord had said, when he woke up from hibernation, he would no longer have anything to worry about.
Now that they had discovered Illuminium, 100 years was more than enough time for the Demigods to take complete control of the continent.
For Riki, living such a life was no better than dying.
Riki looked around before saying.
Where is Lord?
[Hmph do you want to beg Lord? You want him to let you off?]
Nozdog snorted.
[Thats too bad. Lord didnt come here. He didnt even tell us to spare you. Its a shame for us to kill our kind with our own hands, but youve gone too far.]
Youre mistaken.
[What?]
Ill tell you something interesting. The Circle was the one to put us in the same category. Calling us Apocalypses.
Kukuku. It was a pretty accurate analysis by them. I dont know how they managed to measure our strength.
Ananta let out a low laugh.
However, Riki shook his head.
I dont know why Lord didnt come. However, that has greatly increased my chances of getting out of here.
Leyrin couldnt help but ask a question when she heard his ridiculous words.
Riki, you are you saying you can take on the four of us on your own?
I know your strength, Riki. You might be stronger than us, but the difference cant be that large.
Riki shook his head at Agnis words.
Itll be different from that time. For one reason.
Riki drew his sword while looking at the other Demigods.
You and I, were no longer on the same level.
* * *
The place that Frey was sent to was a dark, empty cave.
No, it wasnt empty.
He spotted a lone grave on the far end of the cave.
Frey walked towards it as though he was possessed.
A simple sword was stuck in the grave.
This sword
Diukid.
Sword King Lucids sword.
Then this grave
[There you are.]
Then he heard a voice.
Frey shivered and turned around.
[Is it you? The foreign entity that caused my oldest sibling to be confused?]
Lord.
He stood at the entrance to the cave, and his words were filled with anger.
Chapter 107 - Riki (2)
Chapter 107 - Riki (2) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Not on the same level?
Nozdog subconsciously shuddered when he heard those words.
He had no choice but to shut his mouth.
Riki drew his sword.
Then, something strange happened.
Fear gripped Nozdogs very soul as he gazed at this simple, unadorned sword.
He was astonished by this fact.
Am I afraid? Me?
It was impossible.
Because of his control of the power of death, fear was something he was very familiar with, more than any other Demigod.
Although he didnt actually have any memories of feeling it, he knew better than anyone how to control and induce fear.
Lord was the only one who could make him feel that way.
Or so hed believed.
Until Riki drew his sword, that is.
Riki drew his sword in a slow, smooth motion.
Nozdog didnt move.
No, he couldnt move.
The experience he had gained over the years warned him that moving at that moment would be extremely dangerous.
It would be no different from suicide.
First, he should observe.
They all knew Rikis power.
Power of the sword.
From the moment a sword entered his hand, even if it was an old, rusty sword with a blunt edge, it would become a sword that was capable of cutting anything.
That was all they knew about Rikis power.
But was that truly all?
[Not on the same level.]
These words were said very confidently.
Riki looked down at his sword.
[A sword without conviction is just a piece of metal.]
He could hear the heavy voice of a man in his ear, as clearly as 4,000 years ago.
He wanted to ask himself. sea??h th N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Is there still no conviction in me?
Am I just swinging a piece of metal?
He was curious.
If that man saw his sword now, what would he think?
Everything started from one question.
[Are you really satisfied?]
I dont know.
He still didnt know yet.
[Have you ever risked your life while wielding a sword?]
He hadnt.
Because he was too strong.
Riki only knew one being who was stronger than him, and he never had a reason to fight him.
But if he were to face four opponents at the same time, he would have to stake his life.
[When that time comes, maybe youll feel something.]
Right.
Riki mumbled softly and swung his sword.
His sword seemed to disappear, becoming a flash of white light.
The one standing nearest to Riki was Agni, but Riki wasnt aiming at him.
Agnis body was made of inextinguishable flames.
In terms of regeneration, he was the best among all the Demigods.
He could still cut him with his sword and even deal a severe blow. But the damage would be insignificant compared to the others.
Because of this, Riki chose to target Nozdog instead.
[!]
He couldnt avoid it.
Nozdog knew this.
As he had the power of death, Nozdogs defensive techniques were mediocre at best, and he knew that he would be unable to block Rikis attack with just that.
In that case
Kooo.
The power of death erupted from his right hand.
It would be a terrible joke for someone who knew they had weak defense to just watch on and wait for death to take them away.
The gold and silver in the room turned purple and melted quickly.
Clang!
The power of death was released as energy.
This caused its speed to match that of Rikis sword.
Can you destroy it, Riki?!
Nozdog asked this question inwardly.
Rikis answer was yes.
Crack.
[Kuaak!]
Nozdogs right shoulder was completely destroyed as he released a scream at the tremendous pain he hadnt felt in centuries.
[How did he stop my death energy?]
Just before reaching him, his death energy had disappeared without a trace.
Riki revealed a dagger in his left hand.
Nozdog hadnt realised it because it was in his blind spot.
[E-, even such a small blade could block my power]
The size doesnt matter. It just needs to be in the shape of a sword.
[I cant accept]
Fury shined from Nozdogs eyes.
He looked around.
This place was small.
Too small.
He couldnt even stretch properly.
So what would he do?
It was obvious.
He would just have to make it bigger.
Kugugu.
Nozdogs body began to grow.
Leyrin spoke hurriedly.
Nozdog! If you release your power here
[Shut up!]
What did you say?
Nozdogs words caused Leyrins expression to stiffen.
This was because the Demigods rarely ever used such harsh terms toward each other.
This was proof that Nozdog was no longer thinking clearly.
Tch
Leyrin decided to let it go for now.
Then, she turned to the relatively calm Agni and said.
Ill protect the Apostles. Agni, you and Ananta help Nozdog.
Help
Agni made an uncomfortable expression.
What were they?
They were Demigods.
Beings who had overpowered the dragons and were praised as the strongest.
They were unmatched on the continent.
As such, they were all incredibly proud.
Of course, he had never fought against his own kind.
However, he didnt have a choice at this moment.
understood.
After receiving Agnis nod, Leyrin disappeared from her spot.
Riki saw this, understanding that she had gone to move the Apostles to a safe place.
He continued to pressure Nozdog with his swordsmanship.
Come to think of it.
He hadnt even used his divine form.
There was a high chance that he would use it in this fight.
This is a difficult situation.
Agni analysed the situation calmly.
He was the master of flames, but that didnt mean he had a fiery personality.
Instead, he was the second most logical among all the Apocalypses, after Riki.
That was why he was able to quickly grasp their current situation and the problems they faced.
The most unexpected thing for him was the fact that Riki really was much stronger than the other Apocalypses.
When it came to divine power, he was certain that Riki was the strongest one after Lord.
However, he couldnt say if he was strong enough to suppress the four Demigods gathered here.
Agni, Leyrin, Nozdog, Ananta.
These beings were among the strongest Demigods in existence.
Nevertheless, there was no sign that they could conclude this situation easily.
Nozdog spread his death energy, covering Ananta and himself.
Even if Leyrin wasnt there, they shouldve been able to suppress RIki and force him to kneel down.
[Kuk!]
Nozdogs left arm was injured next.
Riki used his sword to completely dominate the fight even when the blade was only the size of a fingernail compared to Nozdogs huge body.
This isnt good.
Nozdogs death energy might have had the ability to cause death itself to his opponent, but he was similarly able to give the dead life.
The undead that he raised were dozens of times stronger than normal undead.
This was natural since even the undead summoned by Oydin, who was simply used as bait, were extremely strong.
Yet, Nozdog still hadnt summoned any undead.
The reason was simple.
It was meaningless.
Even if he summoned hundreds or even thousands of small fries, they would be unable to stall Riki, even for a moment.
No. Theyre not even small fry.
Even the weakest among Nozdogs undead could massacre groups of A class monsters.
However, even these undead would not be able to withstand even a single slash from Rikis sword.
But why can Riki show such strength in that form?
For Demigods, it was common for them to exert more power the larger they became.
However, Riki was still maintaining his human form.
no way.
Was this his strongest state?
If so, then there was a chance for them to win this fight.
Crackle.
A ball of flame flew from Agnis hand.
It looked like a normal fireball at first glance, but the heat it stored was terrifying.
Riki glanced at him before pausing his attack for a moment to swing his sword at Agnis flames.
I knew it.
What do you know, Agni?
Ananta, who was standing beside him, asked.
Agni narrowed his eyes as he looked at Riki.
Isnt it weird? Riki is able to overpower us even in his human form. If he were to enter his divine form, this fight would definitely be much easier, so why doesnt he do it?
Hmm is it because hes not in a hurry?
No. Lord will be back soon, so Riki has to end this fight before that. He doesnt have the time to relax.
Then
Agnis gaze was locked onto Riki.
His serious expression, skillful swordsmanship and his body filled with divine power comparable to a divine form.
That is Rikis strongest state.
What?
Youd understand if you remembered that he has the power of the sword. For Riki, entering his divine form wouldnt mean becoming strong. Instead, it would be a hindrance.
Ananta nodded.
When they entered their divine form, they would become larger.
For the Apocalypses, while their divine forms werent as large as Agnis, who had the largest, they were still much larger than ordinary Demigods.
And for Riki, who used swords, that was a disadvantage. (Note: they dont really explain it, but Im assuming this has something to do with him having to use swords, and there not being any swords of that size/the tediosity of having to carry around a sword so large)
Maybe for the past few thousands of years, Riki trained himself to be able to unleash his full strength in that form.
Kukuku right. But that still doesnt mean we have any clear countermeasures. As you said, he can still use his full power in that state.
Theres one. If he stays in that state, then his durability should not surpass that of an ordinary mortals by much.
Of course, Nozdog also knew this.
Nevertheless, Riki was moving too quickly, and he was unable to do any damage.
Agni was also not confident he could keep up with his speed, either.
But he had a solution.
Roar!
A pillar of fire rose up from Agnis body and shot into the sky, causing Ananta to have to back away to not get burnt.
In his divine form, Agni looked down at Ananta and said.
[You should enter your divine form as well.]
Why?
[Because Im planning on raising the temperature of this place.]
The heat rapidly rose, and Anantas usual smile disappeared from his face.
To what extent?
[Beyond the tolerance of the human body.]
* * *
Hes angry.
Frey was certain.
Lord was practically exuding anger. Far more than 4,000 years ago when he had locked him in the Abyss.
This showed just how much he cared for Riki.
It was also evidence that Rikis betrayal was more painful to him than any Demigods death.
[I wont kill you easily. That wouldnt assuage my anger at all. You did something you shouldnt have done. Ill make you pay for that.] (Note: Lock him in the Abyss!)
Kung.
He felt the space around him get sealed.
Frey sighed.
He couldnt beat Lord even if he awakened his full power at that moment.
He wouldnt even be able to put up a fight.
Just as Frey was about to gather his mana.
Wait.
A passage appeared in the frozen space, and someone stepped out of it.
It was a woman hed never seen before.
The woman had a very sensual body and bright, purple hair, but Frey couldnt help but feel like she reminded him of someone.
Lord turned to her.
[Iris, what are you doing here?] (YH: oh it gets better)
Chapter 108 - Riki (3)
Chapter 108 - Riki (3) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Iris.
The moment he heard this name, Frey was glad he was wearing a mask.
Her appearance had changed a lot.
Iris always had a neat appearance with black hair and black eyes.
Her full lips had always been curved into a sensual smile, and he still remembered the shy smiles she sometimes gave him.
But all of that had changed.
The purple hair, revealing clothes and the wicked aura.
Still, he could tell.
The woman in front of him was definitely Iris Phisfounder.
One of his closest friends with whom he fought against the Demigods 4,000 years ago.
He didnt know why she suddenly appeared here, and he also didnt know her relationship with Lord.
This wasnt like the old days.
Back then, Frey believed he knew Iris well enough to guess what she was thinking.
But now, he had no idea what Iris was thinking or what her purpose was.
One cruel fact coldly awakened his disillusioned mind just as he started questioning what had happened.
Iris was the one who killed Schweiser.
Why
Frey clenched his fist tightly.
Why did you kill Schweiser, Iris?
If it werent for that, he would have been happier than anyone to see her.
He would have laughed heartily upon learning that she was still alive.
It would have completely washed away the sadness and loneliness hed felt since his return.
He was sad.
He was very sad.
Iris, who had once been one of his most precious friends, had become someone he could never forgive.
[I find your entering of my space without permission incredibly unpleasant.]
Lord, dont kill that man.
Frey turned to Iris with a shocked expression.
He never would have expected her to defend him.
As if she didnt notice his gaze, Iris continued looking at Lord.
[]
Lord didnt respond.
Instead, he turned his head towards Iris and slowly lifted his finger.
Its dangerous.
It was just a simple gesture of raising ones finger, but when Lord was the one doing it, this gesture rose to a different level.
At that moment, Frey wondered if he should warn Iris.
Then Iris spoke.
This is my request.
[what?]
Lord asked in a confused voice.
Eyes filled with confusion appeared on Lords face.
[What did you just say?]
I said please, Lord. Let him go. This is my request.
Lord was silent for a while, and it seemed he was still wondering if he had heard her words correctly or not.
[thats ridiculous. Are you really going to use that opportunity here?]
Are you not going to do it for me?
[No.]
Lord lowered his finger before speaking in a blunt tone.
[That promise, Ill keep it.]
Then he continued in a calm tone.
[Thats it, Iris. You can no longer ask me for anything.]
Yes.
[Ha. I dont understand. Youve been patient for so long no. I dont care. He will eventually die by my hands anyway.]
Lord spoke of his death as though it was set in stone, then he disappeared in the same manner that he appeared.
Frey and Iris were the only ones remaining in the cave.
No words were said for a while.
There were tens of thousands of thoughts floating through his mind, but none of them came out of his mouth.
Frey still didnt trust her.
He couldnt tell what she was thinking.
But she had just saved his life.
However, this only made him more confused,
What exactly was Iris goal?
The mask.
Iris finally spoke.
Can you take off the mask?
It was a very sad voice.
It was desperate and fragile as though it might break at any moment.
Frey almost nodded subconsciously.
No.
But he didnt.
Instead, he shook his head and spoke in a blunt tone.
It was possible that Iris was only acting like this to make him feel that way.
He was relieved when his voice didnt falter like he thought it would.
why?
Because I dont trust you.
At that moment, Iris looked like her world had ended. She slowly lowered her head to the ground.
dont make that face.
It would be a lie to say that Freys will wasnt shaken after seeing her expression.
Even now, he couldnt fully believe that she had killed Schweiser.
However, Hruhiral had shown him the memory of the earth directly.
With that undeniable evidence, there was nothing Frey could say to deny that.
Iris looked up again.
The weak expression had disappeared, replaced with the blank expression she had when shed first arrived.
pardon me. Ill take my leave now.
The void split in front of Iris.
It was the same power as Lord.
As Riki had called it, the power of space that meant.
Iris was Lords Apostle.
Frey asked her before she stepped into the crack in space.
Why did you save me?
Iris responded without looking back.
Because I wanted to.
* * *
Its hot.
In the scorching heat that was beginning to burn the air, Riki continued wielding his sword, unable to even wipe his sweat.
However, it was clear to anyone that his sharpness was beginning to dull.
The long battle was beginning to wear on his concentration.
Besides, there were too many things that he had to pay attention to.
Agnis fiery hell, Ananta, Nozdog, and even Leyrins return.
Their onslaught, which would not tolerate any carelessness, gradually wore away at his concentration.
As time goes on, my situation will become more disadvantageous.
They had noticed his weaknesses.
This was why they had settled for guerilla warfare within the field of fire rather than a direct confrontation.
In fact, their plan was perfect.
I suppose its time to show my cards.
As he had this thought, Riki held his sword upright.
Then, he looked at Nozdog and took a deep breath.
Ssss
What he intended to use now was not his own power.
Instead, it was the swordsmanship that had been created by the only human he had ever considered a true opponent.
Riki had stolen this swordsmanship and polished it over the years.
Dreadment.
Lucids swordsmanship, whose name and movements had been changed drastically since the formation of the Luanoble Kingdom, was about to be wielded in Rikis hands.
With my current strength
There werent many moves in Dreadment. S~ea??h the ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Additionally, it was a very risky technique.
If one made a wrong move, they might be the one to die instead of their opponent.
But that didnt matter.
Riki felt no anxiety.
Instead, he felt a pleasant tension begin to build within his body.
Badump.
His heart began pounding violently.
He forgot everything.
Even breathing, which had become painful at that point.
Is this it?
Was this the battle that Lucid told him about? Where he had to risk his life?
A smile formed on Rikis lips.
He stretched his sword towards the sky.
Sky Break.
!
Leyrin looked at the sword that Riki was extending with wide eyes.
For a moment, even the flames surrounding Riki seemed to freeze in place.
Ananta, who had been waiting for Riki to reveal an opening, suddenly stiffened.
Agni and Nozdog did the same.
They all looked up to the sky.
And literally watched as the sky began to split.
Crack.
A sword beam cut through the sky soundlessly.
That is all for Dreadment.
From now on, this was the power of the Demigod Riki.
Rain began pouring down from the cut in the sky.
Nozdogs face became stoney.
It was a rain of swords.
Heavy rain made from a sword strike so powerful it threatened all of their lives!
[Ri-ki-!]
Nozdog raised his hand to the sky as he shouted out his name.
Crack! Crack!
However, Nozdogs bones, which boasted strength similar to mithril, were being cut apart as easily as worn stones.
Nozdog was struck by the horrific pain that coursed through his arm.
The same happened to the other Demigods.
Even Agni, who was known for his superb resistance to physical attacks, could not escape the threat of the sword rain.
The worst of them all was Ananta.
Even Leyrin was able to make use of wind pressure to deflect some of the swords.
Now.
Riki realised that this was his best opportunity.
His head was dizzy because he used Sky Break, and blood dripped from his nose.
That wasnt just a temporary symptom.
The longer he delayed, the more dizzy he would become.
So he forced his body to move.
Riki kicked off from the ground.
His body soared into the air, and he appeared before Nozdog in an instant.
[! You!]
Just as Nozdogs flaming eyes turned to Riki.
Shuk.
Rikis blade slashed horizontally, and Nozdog was beheaded cleanly.
[Nozdog!]
Agni cried out urgently.
Naturally, Riki targeted him next.
He moved through the air and appeared beside Agni instantaneously.
Agni.
The Demigod with a body of flame.
He could hurt him with his sword, but it wouldnt have much of an effect.
He couldnt just deal a single fatal blow like with Nozdog.
Therefore, it became a game of speed.
Papapat.
In less than the time it took to take a breath, Riki swung his sword hundreds of times.
[Kehuk!]
Agnis entire body shattered.
At the same time, Ananta appeared behind Riki.
Puh!
He spat, and his purple saliva flew towards Riki at a tremendous speed.
Riki didnt look back.
He used the dagger in his left hand to block the saliva before immediately throwing it into Anantas heart.
Kuk!
Anantas heart would corrode faster than the dagger.
Next was Leyrin.
Riki lifted his sword and charged toward her.
[Stop.]
Rikis body froze in the air.
His expression hardened.
[Stop it, Riki.]
Lord spoke in a cold voice.
Riki turned his eyes to look at Lord, whod just appeared.
He looked calm.
Riki couldnt remember the last time hed looked so cold.
[You made a foolish choice in the end.]
Lord.
[Dont call me that, you traitor who turned his back on the Demigods.]
As he said this, Lord looked around.
Nozdog was missing a head, Agni was in thousands of pieces and Ananta had a dagger stuck in his chest.
[Ive decided to not consider you a Demigod anymore. Youve caused our kind so much pain. Its unforgivable.]
Lord came closer to Riki and spoke in his ear.
[It was your choice that led to this. Im sorry, Riki.]
Chapter 109 - Riki (4)
Chapter 109 - Riki (4) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Lo-, Lord.
Leyrin stuttered.
She was looking at the scene in front of her with a trembling face.
There were not many things that could agitate a Demigod who had lived for thousands of years.
This was because the experience that they accumulated over the years allowed them to handle almost any situation.
But at that moment, Leyrin couldnt help it.
This was because Riki, the Demigod who Lord cared for most, was now laying on the floor in an incredibly miserable state.
His right arm was severely burned, his left arm was inflicted with deadly poison, his right leg was filled with death energy and his left leg had been torn apart by fierce winds.
It was clear who thought of this method of punishment.
Lord lowered his finger.
[Can you feel the pain of your kind, Riki?]
Riki, like a doll, showed absolutely no reaction to Lords torture.
Being a Demigod didnt mean that they didnt feel pain, nor did it mean it was quickly alleviated.
Instead, Demigods were actually more susceptible to pain because it was something they rarely felt.
Nevertheless, Riki didnt even frown.
Kill me.
Instead, he spoke in a calm voice.
Lord looked at him for a moment before turning around without a word.
[Im leaving. Leyrin, take care of Ananta, Agni, and Nozdog.]
Take care?
[They suffered fatal injuries and need to be treated urgently. Im going to travel around the continent for the time being and prepare the necessary items. So take care of them until I return.]
Wa-, wait. What about Riki?
[]
Lord glanced at Riki before walking away without another word.
Leyrin watched him leave with a dazed expression.
What in the world am I supposed to do?
Her gaze then landed on Riki.
He had been fatally injured.
Not even a Demigod would be able to survive with such injuries.
Even if she left him as he was, she was certain he would die.
After all, there was no one who knew the anatomy of a Demigod better than her.
Nothing could save him now. Rikis death was a foregone conclusion.
Leyrin raised her hand, and a violent gale wrapped around it.
In his current weakened state, even this much was enough to easily finish Riki off. His body would be shredded.
But Leyrin couldnt do it.
Huk.
The gale disappeared.
you should regret until the moment you die, Riki. I dont know how you could be so stupid.
The only reason I wont kill you now is because I dont want to see the miserable end of someone I once considered a brother.
Riki didnt respond.
Leyrin bit her lip.
Go somewhere else. Somewhere my eyes wouldnt reach. And die there.
With those words, Leyrin disappeared.
Following Lords instructions, she had probably gone to help the ones Riki had injured.
Riki slowly got to his feet.
Then he slowly staggered away, his shattered sword held tightly in his hand.
* * *
Frey was alone in the cave once again, a sudden sense of helplessness striking him clearly.
if it wasnt for Iris help, I wouldve died here.
The fact that his opponent had been the strongest among the Demigods wasnt a good enough excuse.
After all, he came back in the first place to kill that very being.
But as he remembered his pathetic state not so long ago
Frey bit his lip so hard it bled.
dammit.
He was weak.
Too weak.
If anyone else heard that, they would have given him a scornful look.
He had reached 8 stars, signed a contract with Asura, the ruler of the Slaughter Hell, and now, he could even control divine power, yet he called himself weak.
However, in a way, this was inevitable.
Because his opponents were Demigods. Transcendental beings that mortals could not do anything against.
But could he really convince himself with such an excuse?
Wasnt it his determination to fight them that helped him return in the first place?
Im sorry for showing you such a shameful sight, Lucid.
He had displayed such an unsightly scene in front of his friends grave.
He glanced at the sword that had been stuck into the grave.
Even though 4,000 years had passed, Diukids edge had not dulled at all.
tell me, Lucid. What exactly did you do to Riki?
What caused that man to betray his kind?
The answer came from behind him.
he gave me an admonition.
!
Frey turned around.
However, he was immediately lost for words.
Riki was standing there in a miserable state.
Frey had never seen someone who could still move after sustaining such injuries.
There were places that were burned, places that were purple from poison, places that seemed to have been sliced apart by some kind of blade, and places where the skin had completely discoloured and died.
He was so badly injured that it was incredible that he was even able to stand.
Your injuries
Its fine.
As he said that, Riki began walking forward with slow footsteps.
Discoloured blood dripped down with every step.
Thump.
He collapsed after a few steps.
However, even when he collapsed heavily onto the ground, a pained expression didnt appear on his face.
In fact, it was almost as if his face and body belonged to two separate entities.
He only frowned slightly as he said.
Im sorry, but can you give me a hand?
Frey never thought there would be a day when hed hear such a request from a Demigod.
After a brief silence, Frey approached Riki and supported him.
Riki seemed to want to lean against Lucids tombstone, so Frey did just that.
Riki took a deep breath before saying.
it seems Lord was here.
Right.
Its my fault. Huhu. I thought I had an opportunity, but it turns out he came here. He wasnt supposed to know about this place.
Riki laughed self-deprecatingly before coughing up a mouthful of blood.
He didnt even bother wiping the blood from his chin as he asked.
How did you survive?
well. Thats not very important right now.
Then, Freys expression stiffened.
Rikis left arm, which had been filled with deadly poison, fell to the floor.
Riki only glanced at his left arm before saying.
I bought you a year.
a year?
Right. Ananta, Agni and Nozdog have been severely injured. Especially Nozdog that one is fatal. Itll take at least a year for them to heal. Until then, they wont be able to make any moves.
What about Lord?
He will help them together with Leyrin. If he leaves them as they are, they might die.
are you saying you beat the other four on your own?
Riki didnt deny it.
He looked exhausted.
It was a very strange sight. His body was filled with horrible wounds, yet Riki didnt even groan once.
Hes beyond saving.
Frey, who had killed several Demigods, could immediately tell that Riki had received many fatal injuries.
Riki, the Sword Apocalypse, was dying.
Under normal circumstances, this was something that he wouldve welcomed with open arms.
But Frey couldnt be happy at this moment.
Instead, his heart felt heavy.
why did you betray the Demigods?
He asked the question hed held inside from the first day they met.
Riki turned his head to look at Frey.
Looking closely, his left eye was already half closed.
4,000 years ago I fought a man.
Frey knew who that man was.
Sword King Lucid.
Right. He was an amazing man. His physical abilities were great, but his willpower was absolutely outstanding. He had a strong, unshakeable conviction that couldnt be swayed by anything.
Riki calmly recalled his battle with Lucid.
The memories flowed through his mind as if it had been just yesterday.
Among them, it was Lucids words that had left a particularly strong impression on him.
It wouldnt have been an exaggeration to say that those words had changed everything about him.
A sword without conviction is just a piece of metal.
!
Frey trembled slightly.
That was because, at that moment, he saw Lucids face overlap with Rikis as he recited those words.
At first, I thought it was just nonsense. Conviction is conviction, and violence is violence. I always believed the strong didnt need a purpose. But the more I learned his swordsmanship, the more I understood his thoughts.
It was a mysterious experience that could never be repeated.
At that time, Riki hadnt gone all out. This was because he wanted to steal Lucids sword techniques.
For him to completely control the power of the sword, there was a need for him to witness and master many different types of swordsmanship.
And Lucids Dreadment was the most perfect swordsmanship hed ever encountered.
But it wasnt just that.
Lucids will was firm. It never wavered.
It seemed he would be able to stand firm even if his sword was destroyed and his heart was pierced.
At that moment, Riki had understood.
That it was Lucids faith in his sword.
But when he looked down at his sword, he felt nothing.
What I held in my hand was just a piece of metal. I realised then just how ridiculous I was. When it came to pure sword ability, without the power of sword that I was born with I couldnt even scratch at Lucids toes.
He wanted to learn more.
He felt that this mysterious hunger that filled him would be sated if he kept fighting against this man.
However, his wish didnt come true.
Lord killed Lucid. (Note: so I misinterpreted this before and thought Lord forced Riki to kill Lucid, probably due to my own preconception. Ill fix it in the chapter it was initially mentioned, sorry for the mistake.)
It had happened in an instant.
Lord had appeared from a space crack and immediately killed Lucid.
His match had been interrupted.
Riki had never felt so angry.
I attacked Lord at that time, but he tried to gently soothe me. He even apologized. He said that was your prey, Im sorry.
Prey?
What did he mean by prey?
It wasnt like that.
Lucid wasnt his prey.
Riki had only realised at that time.
What kind of being Lord was.
Riki looked at Frey with only one eye still open.
He had something to tell him.
For himself, for Frey, for every species on the continent and even for the Demigods.
Listen, Frey. In Lords world there are only Demigods.
If there was a flaw in Lord, who appeared to be an absolute existence, then it was this. For Lord, the Demigods were everything.
That was his only weakness.
But Riki wasnt comfortable talking about it. Because he felt that it was just as much his fault as Lords.
He had agreed with that ideal. He had believed it was right.
He had thought that the continent was meant to belong to the Demigods.
But it wasnt.
How could that be the case when there were countless beings living on the vast continent?
How could all of it belong to the Demigods whose number hadnt even reached a hundred?
We werent meant to exist in the first place.
Fragments of energy that had broken off from the laws of the world who had gained sentience and could exert its power.
It was something that was never supposed to happen.
Riki had pondered that fact for a long time.
Then what should he do?
If everything continued to progress at the same rate, then it was only a matter of time till the Demigods were truly the only absolute existence on the continent who would rule over it until the end of time.
Their only rival, the Dragons, were almost extinct.
The other transcendental beings from other worlds who were comparable to the Demigods could not exert their full power on the continent and werent even interested.
Then there was only one option left.
He would have to end it with his own hands.
But Riki had failed.
Psss.
! Your leg
Rikis toes turned to ash and scattered into the air.
Frey was shocked, but Riki was as calm as ever.
He spoke in his normal, blunt tone.
go to the Blake family. They should have some clues about the Illuminium. If the Demigods manage to mass produce it, itll all be over. You have to stop them somehow.
understood.
Frey could only nod.
Hesitation bloomed on his face.
He didnt know how to react to Riki dying before him.
Should he console him?
Should he make a promise?
Neither one made sense.
Not only was there nothing he could do, Riki wouldnt want him to do anything, either.
In the Frozen Lands in the north there is a Demigod named Elliah
Elliah?
Shes a weirdo who doesnt care about the Demigods or the Circle. Even Lord has given up trying to get her to do anything if there is any Demigod who would help you it would be her.
His voice was gradually fading.
For Snow tell her Im sorry and that she has nothing to worry about. Even if I die, it wont affect her
Rikis vision was becoming increasingly blurry.
He knew he was at his limit.
Death for Demigods was different for other beings.
It meant the collapse of their consciousnesses and an end to their eternal lives.
He wasnt afraid of it, but he couldnt help but think it was a bit regrettable
Lucid if you saw me now and if we fought
What would he say?
He could only wonder.
It was regrettable that he would never hear the answer, but it wasnt something he could help.
It was then.
It was great swordsmanship.
! Sear?h the novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Riki looked at Frey, and Frey continued speaking without avoiding his gaze.
If you had fought right now, that is what Lucid would say.
You who are you?
Frey was silent for a moment.
However, he didnt take too long to answer.
Lukas Trowman.
!
Complex emotions were visible in Rikis eye.
He looked at Frey for a long time before finally closing his eyes.
I see you huhu. Im relieved
Thank you, Lukas
Then he gave a satisfied smile that stretched across his face.
In time, his entire body became ashes.
The Demigod with the power of the sword, the Sword Apocalypse, Riki.
Had died.
Chapter 110 - Blake Family (1)
Chapter 110 - Blake Family (1) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Frey couldnt move from the spot for a while.
As he looked at Rikis ashes, a whirlwind of emotions seemed to run amok within him.
At the same time, he came to realise something.
Frey realised that he had just lost an unparalleled helper who would have had an enormous impact in his fight against the Demigods.
if I had trusted Riki a bit more
Or if they had moved more carefully.
Such regrets began to fill his head.
However, all these assumptions were meaningless now.
Riki was already dead.
Now, Frey could only think of ways to best make use of the year Riki had earned him at the cost of his life.
Before that.
Frey used his mana to dig a hole beside Lucids grave.
Then, he carefully buried Rikis ashes in it with his own hands without using mana.
At that time, something bumped against Freys hand.
When he checked to see what it was, Frey found a marble the size of a fist buried under the ashes.
The glittering silvery bead reminded him of Rikis hair.
It must be his Demigod crystal.
Frey wondered what he would do with the crystal. After all, this was a Demigods crystal, not an Apostles.
It would only be possible for him to make use of it after it had been processed into an elixir, but it was not something he was capable of doing on his own.
In fact, he was certain that Adelia couldnt either.
Then, Hectors face flashed across his mind.
Wouldnt that Dragon turned man, who was extremely talented in alchemy, be able to process this crystal?
But there was a problem.
Is it really okay to go to Hector?
It was possible that his identity would have been exposed.
But Hector didnt know that he was Rikis Apostle, besides, he was supposed to collect Anastasias body from him in the future.
When he remembered Hectors eyes, Frey was sure that he was working on the production of the Golem, even at that moment.
Even if it was risky, it was still worth it to visit Hector.
As he had that thought, Frey put the crystal away.
Chuk.
Frey then stabbed Rikis broken sword, which was little more than a hilt, into his grave.
Frey looked at the two graves that laid beside each other.
Lucid and Riki.
A human and a Demigod.
It was strange for the graves of such opposing beings to be placed beside each other.
Frey shook his head and focused his mind.
There was a lot of work to be done, and he didnt have the time to dwell in sentimentality.
He remembered Rikis words.
Blake family.
Otherwise known as the site of Leyrins experiment.
There should be clues about Illuminium there.
Frey had been planning on visiting the Blake family in time, but now, he felt like he had to make his move sooner rather than later.
Illuminium.
The metal that removed the Demigods inhibitors.
If they managed to find a way to produce this metal in bulk, the circle, no.
It would be a disaster for all life on the continent.
I have to stop them.
He only had a year.
In that time, the four Apocalypses and Lord would be unable to move properly, so it was his best chance.
Of course, it was still risky.
Out of the four Apocalypses, Leyrin was the only one left unhurt.
However, Frey did not intend to miss this opportunity.
The next thing that came to mind was the mysterious Demigod Elliah.
Riki had described her as a weirdo who did not care about the Circle nor the Demigods. He had also added that she was mostly likely the only other Demigod who would cooperate with Frey like he had.
A Demigods cooperation is necessary.
If he wanted to kill Demigods who had been forced into hibernation because he killed their Apostles, then he would need a Demigods help.
The only problem was that he didnt know how strong the Demigod Elliah was.
He had no idea just what she was capable of. More importantly, he wasnt even certain if she would cooperate with him like Riki had.
Even so, Frey trusted Rikis words.
If it was impossible from the start, then he would not have mentioned it in the first place.
of course, it wont be easy.
Nevertheless, he had to hurry.
Lord could try to kill him at any moment. After all, he held a grudge against him.
The anger he directed at Frey now was many times greater than the anger he had towards Lukas 4,000 years ago.
He felt that Frey was the reason Riki betrayed him.
Frey was certain that Lord knew just how ridiculous that was, but he still wouldnt change his mind.
Because he needs something to direct his anger at.
It was the betrayal of Riki, the sibling he cared the most for.
No matter how clear it was, he would never believe that he was the one at fault.
In this way, Freys existence became the perfect justification.
Besides, Frey knew the identities of all the Apocalypses Apostles, so that was even more reason to kill him.
Depending on how he used this information, he could put a lot of pressure on the Demigods.
Phoenix.
He couldnt help but think about her.
It was still something he had a hard time coming to terms with.
The Phoenix, who he had promised to reunite with, had become Agnis Apostle.
This meant that at least for Agni, he would not be able to deal with him through his Apostle.
Then what could he do to kill Agni, a powerful Demigod otherwise known as an Apocalypse?
It was a difficult problem.
He didnt know about the other Apostles, but hed have to at least keep the Phoenixs identity to himself.
Otherwise, the Circle might try to kill her after learning of her identity.
Good.
First, he would head to the Blake family.
After thinking this, Frey stood to his feet before he suddenly thought of Iris.
why did you save me?
It was obvious that Iris had saved his life.
If she had not arrived and stopped Lord, he would have been tortured and killed right there.
At first, hed felt resentful and ashamed for what shed done, but looking back, more questions popped into his mind.
Did Iris really betray them?
And if not, then why did she kill Schweiser and start a feud between Kasajin and Lucid?
Lucas, that stone-headed bastard. He was the only one on the entire continent who didnt realise she was blatantly flirting with him.
Schweisers voice drifted in his head once again.
Surely
No way. Frey shook his head.
Regardless of the circumstances, nothing could change the fact that she was the one who killed Schweiser.
Frey stopped thinking about her and walked out of the cave.
* * *
He came out of the cave and looked around before realising how close he was to Dalamans castle.
In fact, he could clearly see the smashed castle not far away.
Shuk.
Frey warped to the castle.
After all, he no longer had a reason to hide his mana.
He hadnt used his mana in a month, but it still moved in a smoother manner than his divine power.
At this point, he felt like he could smoothly use a close range warp even if he was half asleep.
After arriving at the castle, Frey couldnt help but fall silent for a while.
The castle and its surroundings had been completely destroyed. The fact that the terrain itself had been irreversibly changed showed the ferocity of the fight that had happened.
by himself, he was able to defeat the other four Apocalypses.
Frey had not witnessed Rikis full power personally, but he was able to get a rough idea from the traces that had been left on the battlefield.
It was amazing.
No, even such a word was not enough.
Riki was truly incredibly powerful, even among the Demigods.
It was then.
Frey felt something nearby.
He turned around without bothering to hide his presence.
When those who were carefully approaching from a distance saw Frey standing in the air, their expressions hardened.
Mm!
Standing there were people from the Circle.
Among them were many people that Frey were familiar with.
No, most of them were.
Shepard Jun, one of the few Archmages and Tower Masters in the Kastkau Empire. Dugenjar from the Phisfounder Armlets whom hed had a dispute with in the past. Jerome Werner from the Lucid Swords that he saw not so long ago.
And Heinz Blake, the second son of the Blake family and his older brother.
There was only one person in the group that he hadnt seen before.
It was a woman with the appearance of a blonde girl with red eyes.
Frey realised that she was Sheryl Roland, Circle Rounder of the Phisfounder Armlets.
The word girl was suitable for her appearance, but she was, in fact, a terrifying vampire who was actually several hundred years old.
Shepard, who was at the front, couldnt help but mutter in a confused voice.
I couldnt feel anything.
It wasnt his fault.
Freys control over his energy was, in itself, outstanding, and it was further enhanced by the mask.
At that moment, even though Frey was clearly standing in front of them, they could barely feel his presence.
What the hell is going on?
Shepard stared at Frey with a stiff expression.
They had seen the Demigods fight unfold from a distance.
At first, they were shocked.
Why had they suddenly started fighting?
However, the answer quickly made itself known.
Internal strife.
They had personally seen the infighting with their own eyes, something that had never happened in the past thousands of years.
They had borne witness to an indescribable fight.
And while they were still shaking from the sheer power the Demigods had displayed, the fight had ended.
Once they confirmed that the Demigods had left, they finally approached the scene of the fight.
Shepard knew that the masked man in front of them was the Sword Apocalypses Apostle.
And the Sword Apocalypse had been the one who was fighting against the other Demigods.
Therefore, it was too early to regard this man as an enemy.
What are you waiting for, Honor Shepard? This man is an Apostle.
Jerome spoke bluntly and drew his sword.
He glanced at those around him and said.
All of us are executives in our circles. Now that the Demigods are gone, we can subdue him for questioning.
its not that simple, Honor Jerome.
Shepard sighed heavily before looking up at Frey.
Kain Rixton, right?
They were aware of his fake identity.
Frey realised that they were the ones who had been monitoring him and Riki in Pillat.
Hed believed that they had managed to lose them, but it seemed they were even able to follow them here.
He nodded his head, answering positively.
You know were from the Circle, dont you?
I do.
Shepard spoke in a solemn tone.
we saw the Sword Apocalypses fight with the other Apocalypses. We believe that it was infighting. Should we consider you an enemy?
Frey admired Shepards social skills and flexibility.
He felt that this man was truly deserving of the title Archmage.
It wouldnt be strange if a fight broke out immediately simply because of his identity as an Apostle.
Shepard, however, calmly analysed the situation and was able to determine that infighting had occurred for some reason, and he sought a way to avoid fighting.
Frey realised then that the outcome of this situation could change greatly depending on his response.
Except for Jerome, he could see that none of the others had any intention of fighting him at that moment.
It was then.
Freys eyes turned to Heinz.
Then he unleashed his divine power.
Kooo~
Mm!
Kuk!
All of those present could feel it.
Frey calmly observed the circle members who were rapidly distancing themselves from him.
Hmph!
Jerome snorted coldly and kicked off from the ground.
His body soon appeared beside Frey. His speed was quite admirable.
But to Frey, who had trained with Riki for the past few months and had gotten used to his movements, Jerome was even slower than a slug.
Besides
Crackle.
Kuk!
He had no reason to make a move anyway.
The Lightning Barrier.
At Jeromes level, he couldnt hope to break through the barrier.
That?
Lightning divine power? How?
Confusion was clear on Shepards face.
The Apostle who had the power of lightning had already died.
He had been killed by Frey, Camille, Liamson and Mikel.
When an Apostle died, the Demigod would fall into hibernation. S~ea??h the novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
The Circle wasnt able to get all the information, but they were certain that Apostles using the same power wouldnt appear for a while.
Its not the same
Shepards confusion deepened.
But in the next moment, everyone present was shocked to the core.
Woowoong.
!!
Wh-, whats going on?!
The expressions of Shepard and Dugenjar showed astonishment beyond comparison.
Everyone had suddenly been deprived of their control over mana.
Sheryl and Heinzs eyebrows furrowed.
Mana Room Projection.
In other words, he had taken control over this space.
an 8 star Wizard?
Chapter 111 - Blake Family (2)
Chapter 111 - Blake Family (2) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Impossible.
It was natural for Shepard to be shocked.
Everyone knew that mana and divine power could not coexist.
It could even be called a law of nature that was irreversible.
But the man in front of them was clearly using both.
More importantly, werent the powers he was using the lightning energy that Lukes had used before and the mana of an 8 star Wizard, which was rare, even in the Circle?
The more he thought about it, the more he felt like a fool.
Just who the hell was this man?
On the other hand, Heinzs expression became serious for another reason.
Frey was paying attention to him secretly while pretending to look around, so he easily noticed this change.
[I want to talk to you.]
Frey sent Heinz a telepathic message.
Heinz did not say anything, and instead nodded subtly.
After all, the only ones who were able to use divine power and mana together were those with the blood of the Blake family.
Heinz also knew that Frey had obtained the crystal from Lukes.
Heinz is likely to have already guessed my identity.
This was the judgement Frey reached.
There were a few things he wanted to ask Heinz.
Heinz was the only person that Frey had immediate access to who also had a good grasp of the situation within the Blake family.
His help was essential to gain clues about Illuminium.
Frey finished thinking about that as he looked around.
It wouldnt be hard to overpower Dugenjar, Shepard and Jerome.
This was a remark that most people would doubt if they heard it.
After all, he was talking about two Archmages who had reached 7 stars and a Master class Knight.
Nevertheless, in front of Frey, who had reached 8 stars, taking care of them was no more than childs play.
Jeromes ability was nothing he needed to worry about as he couldnt even pierce the lightning barrier.
He didnt have a good grasp of the strength of Heinz, the youngest Force Honor of the Strow Necklaces, but Frey knew he wouldnt fight with his full strength.
For that reason, there was only one person that Frey would need to be wary of.
Sheryl Roland.
Circle Rounder of the Phisfounder Armlets and the Contractor of Lilith.
Because of her nature as a Contractor, she didnt need to use mana, which meant that Frey could not suppress her power, even if he controlled the surrounding space.
Sheryl also knew this, which was why her expression was currently tense.
She realised that her life would be in danger the moment the others were overpowered.
Frey had no intention of killing her, but there was no way for Sheryl to know that.
So in this situation, she would naturally unleash her full strength.
Crackle.
Lightning wriggled around Freys body.
Now that he thought about it, this was the first time he was using both divine power and mana at the same time.
During his mock battles with Riki, he only ever used his divine power, and after that, he stopped using his mana.
Sik.
Sheryl quickly drew a magic circle, and Frey immediately realised that it was Liliths summoning circle.
It was fast.
It was already too late for him to stop her.
Upon realising this, Frey changed plans.
Instead, he also drew a summoning circle.
Woowoong.
Two summoning circles turned the ground red at almost the same time as two rulers of the Demon World appeared together.
Dugenjar, who was watching this scene from afar, couldnt help but lower his jaw in shock.
Is it not enough that he can use magic and divine power at the same time? He can even summon Demons?
However, when he saw the Demon that the man summoned, his eyes widened to almost an impossible extent.
He couldnt help but cry out.
Th-, the Ruler of the Slaughter Hell, Asura?!
This didnt make sense!
It had been a very long time since Asura had been summoned to the continent.
This was because even the Phisfounder Armlets, who had the most knowledge about Demons on the entire continent, still hadnt figured out Asuras summoning circle.
How the hell did that man have it?
Dugenjar could only swallow his question.
Lilith looked around and quickly grasped the situation.
She looked at Sheryl, then at Frey and Asura, before letting out a laugh.
Huhu. So that man is your Contractor. Its been a hundred years, hasnt it, Asura?
[Who do you think youre talking to like that? You dirty whore.]
Asura spoke roughly before looking at Frey.
It seemed he was waiting for instructions.
Ill leave Lilith to you.
[Gladly.]
Asura smiled fiercely and turned his eyes back to Lilith.
Ohohoho. Shall we play again after such a long time?
Although Lilith laughed as she said that, Sheryl recognised that the situation wasnt that relaxed.
Among all the Archdukes, Liliths combat ability was by far the lowest.
In the first place, Succubi were not a race that were proficient at fighting.
It was fine for her to easily handle three or four top-grade Demons, but against Demons of the same level, it was an entirely different story.
But this guys qualifications as a contractor arent very high.
Sheryl could notice something like that with just a glance.
His talent wasnt the worst, but his body was certainly not one that should have allowed him to summon an Archduke.
The differences between their contractors had managed to balance the combat powers of Lilith and Asura.
The two of them began their battle in the distance, further damaging the already destroyed terrain.
Whenever Asuras arms fell, the ground would explode, causing everyones ears to ring.
Sheryl looked toward Jerome and commanded.
Honor Jerome, protect the other three.
understood.
Jerome bit his lip as he realised that he was nothing more than a hindrance in the present situation.
However, he realised it wasnt the time to wallow in despair because of his own uselessness.
He had to evacuate with the others before the aftermath of the fight spread to them.
He quickly left together with Heinz, Dugenjar and Shepard.
Sheryl then turned to look at Frey once again.
He hadnt made any movements even as Jerome and the others moved to a safe place.
You seem quite relaxed. Are you certain that you can catch them even if you let them leave now?
What is your goal? What happened here?
Im sorry, but black magic doesnt work against me.
When Frey said those words bluntly, Sheryl felt a slight stinging pain in her face.
This was because she had just tried to secretly use psychic persuasion to induce a conversation.
Of course, it had absolutely no effect.
His mental power is incredibly strong.
These were the words that Lilith had said while making an embarrassed expression.
At that time, she hadnt understood how a human could be able to make an Archduke of the Demon World make such an expression, but now, she understood completely.
In terms of mental power, he was truly comparable to a Demigod or a Dragon, who had vanished from the continent.
It was not an exaggeration.
Well.
In the first place, if even Lilith had not been able to pierce the mans defenses, there was nothing she couldve done.
After that, there was only one option left. Head to head confrontation.
Sheryls eyes turned golden.
Chak.
Then, large, bat-like wings sprouted from her back.
That wasnt all.
Her shadow began to stretch, thickening as a group of bats suddenly poured out of it.
Frey fired a lightning bolt into the cloud of bats that were frantically flapping their wings.
Crackle.
The swarm of bats instantly turned into ashes, but another group of bats quickly took their place.
She wants to obscure my vision.
It wouldnt have taken much time to deal with, but Frey decided to play with her a bit.
Indras lightning.
To make use of this power, a bit of preparation was required.
Frey looked up at the sky.
Shadows began growing in the sky as dark clouds began rolling in.
Kaboom!
A bolt of lightning brightened the surroundings as it shot from his hand and instantly destroyed the swarm of bats.
This allowed Frey to see what Sheryl was up to.
Summoning Demons.
It was likely to be a top grade Demon as well.
This wasnt surprising.
After all, as a Contractor, the most familiar and effective method of combat that she knew was to summon Demons.
But when Frey saw her summon another Demon after summoning Lilith, he couldnt help but admire her talent as a Contractor.
Grrr.
The growl of a beast came from his left.
Then, a giant black dog appeared from among the group of bats.
Of course, this dog was almost twice as big as even the largest horse.
Kung!
The giant dog then spat a ball of black lava at him.
Crackle.
The grazed past the Lightning Barrier, and slightly to Freys surprise, it managed to damage it a little.
If he hadnt moved at that time, he might have been injured.
Is this a Hellhound?
The lava that the dog spat was quite dangerous.
Since it was able to damage his Lightning Barrier, which was much stronger than Lukes, it was clear that the spit was comparable to a 7 star spell.
Besides, it wasnt just one.
Three.
She had summoned quite a few Demons by then.
Frey was slowly beginning to get annoyed by the swarm of bats.
Looking at the sky again, he noticed that it was already covered in dark clouds.
It was no longer hard for Frey to control his divine power.
He raised his right hand and shot a lightning bolt into the sky.
Kaboom!
The dark clouds trembled violently as they became filled with Indras lightning power.
Seeing this, Sheryl, who was hiding among the bats, stiffened her expression.
Its dangerous!
The moment she decided to move.
Flash.
Her vision was filled with white light.
It was a thunderbolt.
Kaboom!
Immediately afterward, a large thunderbolt struck the ground, the sound of an explosion only following it.
Frey realised that the swarm of bats had been vaporised instantly.
This was the maximum amount of divine power that Frey could output at one time.
The power of the lightning was comparable to an 8 star spell.
This was proven by the fact that the top grade Demons that Sheryl had summoned were staggering, their skin badly burned.
Their wounds were fatal, but Frey couldnt help but admire the fact that they were maintaining their presence even if they were dying.
Sheryl was nowhere to be seen.
He determined that she was probably hiding in the shadows.
Frey didnt know a lot about vampires, but he at least knew the power she used.
Ssk.
Sheryl then appeared from the shadows, as hed expected.
Her body appeared slightly tanned, but it was clear that she had avoided the brunt of the attack.
A look of frustration was on her face.
Hes much stronger than I thought I cant defeat him.
Sheryl clicked her tongue resentfully and prepared to use another trick.
Thats enough.
What?
I have no intention of killing you.
At Freys words, Sheryl made an expression of disbelief.
Then why did you unleash your divine power?
When they first met, Shepard had tried to communicate with Frey.
And it was none other than Frey who rejected the conversation and instead unleashed his powers.
He didnt have an excuse.
To be honest, Frey just wanted to test the powers of the Force Honors and above all, Circle Rounder Sheryl.
I was curious. I wanted to know how powerful you all were.
Why?
Because I wanted to see if you were capable of confronting the Demigods.
Sheryls expression became strange.
do you intend to fight against the Demigods?
Thats right.
You dont believe me.
Im not a fool who would just believe everything Im told.
Well.
Frey agreed with that.
Then he looked at the wings on Sheryls back before muttering.
I heard that there is no race as sensitive to power as vampires.
Sheryl stared at Frey without responding.
She had no idea where he was going with those words.
As long as you submit to someone, you have no choice but to obey their orders. And they dont need to be from the same race as you.
What are you trying to say?
He had nothing more to say.
He had just said that to see what Sheryls reaction would be.
And it seemed that Freys knowledge wasnt wrong.
Vampires could be made to yield. The process didnt matter.
You just had to make them submit somehow.
They just had to accept that the being before them was superior to them.
Sheryl Roland, the number two in her circle.
If he could make her submit, then everything would be much simpler.
After thinking this, Frey gathered his mana.
* * *
Shuk.
Lords body appeared from a crack in space.
The Frozen Lands.
It was a place where it was hard to see anything because of the ever present blizzards.
Even Ice Trolls, which were known for their excellent thermal insulation, would not be able to last more than 10 minutes in this unforgiving place, but this was no problem for Lord.
He walked forward at a calm pace, as if his surroundings were at room temperature.
And not long after, he stopped walking.
Because he found a woman standing in the corner of his eye.
Her white hair fluttered beautifully in the blizzard.
Lord called her name.
[Elliah.]
Lord?
The woman turned her head to look at him.
Then she spoke with an eerie glint in her eyes.
I thought I talked to you about trespassing in my territory.
[I came here to tell you something.]
I dont want to know. Get out of here.
[No. You need to know.]
You still havent broken that habit of doing whatever you want. Right. It wouldnt be bad to loosen my bones after so long. Especially if my opponent is you.
A deadly chill began arising from her body.
Lord spoke briefly. Sarch* The N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
[Riki is dead.]
what?
[To be precise, I killed him.]
What the hell Riki you? Why?
[Because he betrayed us. He killed several of our kind, so I punished him.]
Elliah stared at Lord with her mouth wide open, unable to process what she was hearing.
[I want you to take his place, Elliah. If its you-]
Get out.
Lord looked at Elliahs face as she said those words.
Her expression was unreadable.
[Ill come back another time. Ill expect another answer when I return.]
With those words, Lord disappeared in a space crack.
Elliah stood for a long time in that same position, seemingly frozen in place.
Chapter 112 - Blake Family (3)
Chapter 112 - Blake Family (3) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
In order to completely subdue the vampire Sheryl, he would first have to show her his full strength.
It was clear that if he used tricks or shortcuts to beat her, she would not accept defeat.
He would have to use brute force to pound the truth into her skull.
The fact that Im stronger than you.
Freys gaze deepened.
He didnt think it would be difficult.
Of course, he knew that Sheryl was a formidable opponent.
After all, she was the second in command of the Phisfounder Armlets, one of the Three Great Circles.
There was no one who dared to look down on her.
What a joke!
Fury blazed in Sheryls eyes as she realised the man in front of her had indirectly said that he would make her submit to him.
She hadnt felt this humiliated in a very long time.
She was a several century old, pureblooded vampire, one of the few on the entire continent.
Even Circle Master Altan didnt dare to look down on her.
Sheryl could admit that the man in front of her was strong. The fact that hed reached 8 stars was proof enough.
Even so, she didnt believe he was strong enough to disregard her like that.
Crunch.
Sheryl bit her wrist, then swung her hand, causing her blood to splatter and soaked the bodies of her summoned Demons.
Gurgle.
This caused the Demons near death to recover in an instant.
Frey realised that it was one of the recovery techniques used by Contractors.
After looking at the bodies of the other two recovered Demons, Frey was finally able to identify them.
A Nightmare and a Starving Ghost? (Note: Or Starving Demon)
Both were top-grade Demons as well.
Frey waited silently until Sheryl had completed her preparations with his hands at his side.
Sss~
Black fog began emanating from the Nightmares body.
Frey frowned.
Blinding me again.
This method had already become a little boring.
As he had this thought, Frey felt movement on his left and right.
He stretched out his hand and created walls of ice.
Thud!
The Hellhound and Starving Ghost collided head first with the ice walls.
Although the walls had been created with chantless magic, they were still hard enough to stop their charge completely.
Then, he felt a chill at the back of his head.
Shek.
Frey lowered his head slightly to avoid the incoming attack, and Sheryls well-groomed finger brushed against his hair.
When he simply glanced at her, she snorted before fading into the Nightmares fog once again.
A group of bats appeared from the place she disappeared, their vicious fangs clearly visible.
They were probably vampire bats, so it would be annoying to get bitten by them.
Im going to have to cut them down one by one.
After making this judgement, Frey touched the ground.
Burning Ground.
Fwoosh.
Flames from Freys hand instantly spread across the ground.
In no time at all, his surroundings were set ablaze, with dozens of flaming pillars shooting up into the sky.
Not only the annoying swarm of bats but even the black fog created by the Nightmare could not withstand the heat of Burning Ground and disappeared.
Kuk!
Sheryl, who was hiding in the fog, was once again revealed.
This isnt the power of a 7 star spell.
She forcefully swallowed her words and spread her wings.
Now that such terrifying fire had engulfed the ground, she could no longer hide in the shadows.
The Starving Ghost immediately climbed onto the Nightmares back and fled to the sky, and the Hellhound remained on the ground.
As a being born from lava, it was able to withstand flames of this level.
Unfortunately, it wasnt just flames.
Frost Scream.
Dozens of ice fragments were embedded in the Hellhounds body.
The Hellhound, which was easily able to withstand the 7 star Burning Ground, was completely helpless against the 6 star Frost Scream.
The cold aura of the ice quickly began covering its body.
It didnt take very long for the Hellhounds body to be completely frozen.
Frey shook his hand lightly.
Crack.
A gale from his body then shattered the Hellhounds body.
A top-grade Demon.
One that had the potential to defeat almost any circle executive under the right conditions.
Sheryl bit her lip nervously.
The power of his spells is so strange.
Strange?
No, it was more than just strange!
Who the hell was this man?!
Just a Burning Ground and a Frost Scream.
The power of the two spells this man used far surpassed her expectations.
They had the same names, but she wondered if they were really the same spells.
Get it together!
Sheryl shook her head.
There was no time for her to think about things like that.
Frey then turned his eyes to the Nightmare and Starving Ghost.
Roar!
The Starving Ghost expressed its frustration.
This cannibal Demon, who was always hungry, grew stronger and more violent the angrier it became.
It angrily pulled on the Nightmares reins.
The Nightmare also responded to the Starving Ghosts anger and rushed forward while spewing black fog from its mouth.
Overwhelming victory.
As he recalled his plan, Frey had a thought.
First. he would have to break Sheryls fighting spirit.
Chuk.
A spear of ice began forming in front of Frey.
Sheryls eyes widened.
It cant be an Ice Spear.
The mana fluctuations from this spear did not feel like a threat.
She quickly pondered what she should do.
Avoid it, prevent it or face it head on.
And during that momentary pause, Frey completed his spell.
The spear was extremely large and sharp.
Despite appearing in the middle of the Burning Ground, its coldness did not seem to be diminished at all.
Shuk!
The spear shot forward, and Sheryl realised that it was too late to do any of her three thoughts.
She couldnt avoid it, prevent it or confront it.
She snapped her finger, and the charging Nightmare changed its course.
No, it was almost as though it had been dragged by an invisible force.
Puk!
The Ice Spear pierced the bodies of the Nightmare and the Starving Ghost at the same time.
Even when two top-grade Demons were used as Shields, the Ice Spear did not stop.
However, it slowed down a little.
Thanks to that, Sheryl was able to escape.
After all, her agility was by no means lacking. Thanks to the bat wings on her back, she was able to fly very quickly in the air.
Sheryl was no longer shocked.
Even the Starving Ghost and the Nightmare had been recalled, but to an extent, she had expected this to happen.
Ever since the Hellhound died.
She felt like this mans power was brushing against her skin.
Sheryl wondered what to do now.
Even three top-grade Demons were useless.
And her vampire abilities were of no use either.
Even if she used some kind of trick, it would only be useful to stall for time.
In addition, she had already used too much mental power.
This was because her power was also being drawn out due to Liliths battle with Asura.
should I summon Lucifer?
No.
Summoning another Archduke was a burden that her body would not be able to handle.
Moreover, unlike Lilith, she had no control over Lucifer.
The moment he found an opening, he would devour her soul.
Sheryl sighed.
Frey kept looking at her.
It seemed he had no intention of making the first move.
His attitude seemed to say if you are going to struggle further, then go ahead.
This made her angry, but she was also convinced.
You want to make me submit, right?
Thats right.
Ill admit it. You are qualified to say that.
Frey couldnt help but make a strange expression at Sheryls words.
Ill stop fighting. Its my loss.
She had admitted defeat?
But it didnt seem like she had lowered her guard at all.
Although she said it was her loss, Sheryls expression did not seem to show that.
You are strong. Stronger than anyone Ive ever fought. Other than the Demigods, of course. sea??h th N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Divine power, magic power and the ability to summon Demons.
And none of them were at a low level.
In particular, his magical prowess was unbelievable.
He was at least as strong as Altan, the Circle Master of the Phisfounder Armlets.
So will you submit?
No. Instead I have a proposal.
A proposal?
I also want you to submit to me.
It was the last thing Sheryl could think of.
In any case, Frey didnt seem to have any intention of killing her, so while it was unsightly, she had no choice but to make use of that fact to make a deal.
Frey tilted his head slightly.
Psychic domination doesnt work on me. Havent you learned that already?
I know. I meant something else. I am a part of the Vampire Royal Family.
Vampires also had specific rankings or social standing.
In particular, Vampires with the blood of the Royal Family could suppress other vampires with their blood alone.
Hed thought she was a formidable woman, but he had still assumed that she was a high-ranking noble at best.
Frey had never expected that Sheryl would actually be royalty.
I see. Do you want to try to make me your blood relative?
Right.
Her fangs sparkled a little.
Frey shook his hand, and the Burning Ground spell disappeared.
Standing on the charred ground, he nodded to her.
I accept.
Really?
Of course.
Her gamble had succeeded, but now, she was feeling a bit worried since Frey had accepted it so easily.
Sheryl couldnt feel pleased because his attitude made her feel like shed made a mistake.
Its just baseless anxiety.
She didnt have any other choice anyway.
Before that, should we recall them? If we leave them like that, then well have to make a new map of the area by the time theyre done.
As she said this, Sheryl turned to look at Lilith and Asura.
She could see that a nearby mountain had already been leveled by them.
Frey agreed with her.
[Thats enough, Asura.]
[I havent been able to tear this damn bitchs crotch yet.]
[Today wont be your only opportunity. Ill give you another chance sooner or later, so just wait.]
[I guess it cant be helped.]
Asura responded with dissatisfaction clear on his face.
Likewise, Sheryl also recalled Lilith.
Then, she slowly landed on the ground and started walking towards Frey.
Once she finally reached Frey, he rolled up his sleeve and held his hand out to her.
You dont have to bite my neck, do you?
It doesnt matter.
It was true that biting the neck was more effective, but at Sheryls level, such a thing didnt matter.
Sheryl bit his wrist.
It didnt hurt much, but it felt a little like a shock.
Kuk.
Sheryls eyes began to glow red.
This was proof that she was using her mental power to the max.
After all, her opponent was a Wizard. An 8 star Archmage.
Moreover, his mental power was much stronger than other Wizards of the same level.
She believed this was probably the reason Frey stuck his wrist out so easily. His confidence was understandable.
But Sheryl had her own reason for her confidence.
Huk.
Frey suddenly felt his vision go black.
He blinked his eyes.
Once, twice.
When he blinked a third time, he found that he was standing alone in a dark space.
Suddenly, he turned his head and saw Sheryl standing there.
Surprisingly, she was naked.
Her golden hair barely covering her.
But Sheryl, who was standing there naked, felt little to no humiliation, and Frey, who was looking at her, didnt seem fazed.
Instead, Frey was thinking about something else.
When he first saw this dark space, an unpleasant memory came to his mind.
This is a mental world that I created. There is absolutely nothing in this space. Even you, an Archmage with great attainments, will soon go crazy in this empty place. (Note: pfft)
In addition, this place does not follow the same time as reality.
Freys mental power was strong.
Sheryl knew that.
So the first thing she intended to do was wear away at his mental power.
If you stay here for a year, no matter how resilient you are, your mind will-
Youre wrong.
Frey interrupted Sheryl.
What?
Its not that theres nothing here.
Frey looked down at his body.
He clenched his fist.
The sensation of his nails digging into his palm could be clearly felt.
His senses.
His body.
There was even another person with him.
A cold smile blossomed on his lips.
Compared to the hell-like Abyss, this place was practically heaven.
Paat.
Freys mana spread out and began dominating this space.
Sheryl anxiously took a step back when she saw this.
Wh-, what are you doing
Thanks to you, Im now in a bad mood. Its only fair that I show my gratitude.
Pat.
Frey appeared before her in a flash, and at that moment, Sheryl showed fear for the first time.
It was an emotion that shed only shown to beings who far surpassed her ability or understanding.
But that was a good thing for Frey.
After all, there was no better emotion for forcing someone into submission than fear.
Frey put his hand on Sheryls head.
Sheryl shivered.
This couldnt be considered a gentle act like petting.
In the end, Sheryls decision had been the worst she could make.
Ill show you some of my memories.
His 4,000 years of solitude.
With those words, Frey took control of Sheryls mind. (YH: Turn the tables :D)
Chapter 113 - Blake Family (4)
Chapter 113 - Blake Family (4) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Ahhhh-
Sheryl let out a silent scream and her eyes turned white.
Frey showed her the memories of the early days of his time locked in the Abyss.
The memories of when he was the most desperate, lonely and distressed.
I think it should be a few hundred years.
Of course, that was just Freys assumption as it was impossible for him to accurately measure time in the Abyss.
During that time, he had been unable to escape, and he was also unable to tell when his torment would end.
He was certain that if he lost consciousness, his soul would disperse in this empty space.
In a way, this was a punishment much worse than death.
This was the end of Lukas Trowman that Lord truly wanted.
But Frey didnt give up.
He didnt stop thinking.
How much time had passed since he entered this place?
He began to see the flaws in the Abyss.
Frey found that he was able to send his consciousness out of the Abyss, and he was able to make contact with people who had the suitable aptitude to peek outside.
It was only for a short time, but he was delighted since it had given him hope of discovering a way to escape this world.
Of course, he had still been a ways away from escaping the Abyss at that time.
I dont need to show her everything.
In the first place, if he made her experience all 4,000 years of his imprisonment, Sheryls brain would explode.
It was enough to give her small fragments that contained the negative emotions that he had experienced.
A few minutes later.
Huk.
Sheryls imaginary world was lifted liked a veil.
Frey looked around, realising they had returned to reality.
yo- yo-, you no way
Sheryl looked at Frey with a shocked expression.
Frey could tell from the look on her face. Sarch* The N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
It seemed that a few of Lukas memories had been mixed into the memories he had shown her.
She stuttered with her eyes wide open.
Great, Great Mage Luk-
Stop.
Frey forced Sheryl to close her mouth.
The first being to learn of his existence other than transcendent beings like Hruhiral and Asura turned out to be a vampire hed met that very day.
It felt a bit strange, but that was all.
Sheryl couldnt go around spreading this fact unless he allowed it.
Instead, she might have given in so easily because she became aware of my identity.
I have something Id like to ask.
anything.
Sheryl went down on one knee, bowing politely.
Some might have felt that her attitude had changed too quickly, but for Sheryl, such a reaction was natural.
In fact, she believed that even this level of politeness was insufficient in front of such a man.
Tell me why you followed us and what you know. Without omitting a single detail.
Understood.
Sheryl began to explain.
She told him that the Circle had been monitoring Riki for a while and that she learned of the information about the Demigod meeting from Heinz.
After hearing this, Freys expression became a bit strange.
This was because while he thought that their tracking and individual abilities werent bad, the information they actually had wasnt much.
Frey nodded and said.
After sunset, bring Heinz Blake here. Make sure no one else follows him.
Heinz Blake?
Why?
Questions filled Sheryls head, but she did not ask them.
She didnt believe that she deserved to know even though she already had a bit of an idea.
Understood.
Keep your knowledge of me to yourself.
Yes, sir.
Sheryl couldnt help but speak up urgently when she realised that Frey intended to leave after saying those words.
Can I ask you one thing?
What is it?
Are you really back?
Frey met Sheryls desperate gaze.
Then he nodded slowly.
ah!
Sheryl smiled.
Then, she lowered her head and quickly headed towards Heinz and the others.
If before, she fit the image of a several hundred year royal vampire, now, she had a smile like that of a young girl.
The members of the Circle all admired the heroes engraved in the pages of history, and among them, the heroes of the Age of Light were revered as almost divine beings.
Sheryl Roland, Circle Round of the Phisfounder Armlets, was no exception.
Frey watched Sheryls back as she left.
She might find it strange that he was able to come back to life since she didnt see the end of his memories, but Frey would be able to come up with a good excuse using his years of experience.
There was nothing to worry about.
Finally turning his head away, he used Warp.
This time, he traveled a long distance instead of a short jump.
Shuk.
Ssp
He took a deep breath.
It hadnt been very long since hed last visited this place, but Frey still enjoyed the refreshing air.
Nevertheless, he couldnt help but feel a bit strange.
Was it because this was where Schweisers dungeon was located?
Frey looked down from the top of Drake Mountain located in the Ispania Mountains.
It was still unchanged.
Well.
That was natural for a mountain range inhabited by nothing but monsters.
Frey sat on a large rock nearby, as though he was waiting for something.
About thirty minutes passed before a beautiful red-haired woman appeared.
The person he was waiting for had arrived, but Frey was dumbfounded.
He realised he didnt know how to address her.
Hmph!
There was a snort.
It wasnt from Frey.
It was the woman.
I didnt expect you to come crawling back here again!
She spoke in a voice filled with hatred.
Whats going on?
He didnt know a lot about the Phoenix, but he could feel that something was strange about the woman in front of him.
Was it supposed to be like this?
When they met at the Demigods meeting, she had been much calmer.
Something was different.
The woman shook her head and spoke with disgust.
Right. Did you enjoy digesting my heart?
Freys expression became strange.
Heart
Torkunta.
You noticed it quickly, human.
The woman, who he presumed to be Torkunta, laughed viciously when he realised it.
How? You shouldve died
Youre right. I did die. But you guys were sloppy.
Freys expression hardened.
Unlike Frey, who only absorbed half his heart, the Phoenix was likely to have absorbed Torkuntas entire body.
Were there fragments of his consciousness left that the Phoenix absorbed, which let him take over the Phoenixs body instead?
That would mean the woman in front of him was not the Phoenix.
If so, then theres no reason not to kill him.
Just as Frey was about to unleash his mana, Torkunta began speaking while frowning.
What are you talking about? This is the guy who killed me. How else am I supposed to act in front of him?
?
W-, wait. Dont yell u-, ugh! I understand. I was wrong. Im sorry. So please
Torkunta, who had grabbed his head in agony while shooting a resentful glare at Frey, let out a sigh.
Goddammit. I cant believe the mighty Drake King has fallen to such a state.
whats going on?
Torkunta gave him a deep look.
Whats going on? Ive become so miserable that I cant even cry even if I had the tears.
What?
When that bitch absorbed my body, she absorbed some of my consciousness as well. I fought for control of this body, but I lost.
Originally, even the Phoenix would have been unable to defeat the thousand year old Drake, but Torkuntas consciousness was weak at that time.
Eventually, the Phoenix won, and Torkunta was defeated.
The woman sighed.
Thanks to you, Ive been put in such a miserable state. Theres nothing I can do when that bitch is in control of the main consciousness, I can only be in the subconscious all the time. (Note: I really dislike that bitch but they addressed it later so I cant change it ??)
Indeed.
It was truly in a miserable state.
But Frey didnt feel sorry for it.
Then why are you in control of the body now?
Because of you.
Me?
Right. That bitch is now connected to that man called Agni. So if she meets you, she might get caught.
This was something that Frey had heard from Riki before.
The Demigods could view the thoughts and memories of their Apostles without any restriction.
So she let you be the front.
Its just a simple trick, but we heard that hes not in very good shape right now, so it shouldnt be a problem.
Frey didnt know how to feel about Torkunta.
The appearance was that of a beautiful woman, but inside was a thousand year old male Drake.
Was it even possible for there to be a bigger difference between the entity on the inside and its appearance?
How did you become Agnis Apostle?
Torkunta sighed.
Im dead, that bit-
Wait.
What is it?
Its uncomfortable to hear that bitch and that bitch. Cant you call her something else?
Shes a bitch without a name, so theres nothing else I can use. Just roug-
Then Torukunta paused for a moment before turning to Frey with an unwilling look on their face. (Note: pronouns are so hard)
Please pick one.
What?
A name. She wants you to give her a name.
Frey thought for a while.
Nix.
Hmm. Where did you get that from?
I dont know.
Hmph.
Torkunta, who had been agonizing for a while, snorted grumpily.
Aha. I know. You picked Nix because shes a Phoenix, right? Haha. Thats so tacky.
Every single word was said with a sharp attitude.
He didnt think Nix felt the same but it was clear that Torkunta didnt like Frey very much. Which was natural considering the fact that Frey was the one who killed him.
Then Ill continue the story.
Her story went like this.
After Torkunta died, an unidentifiable amount of time passed before Nix was resurrected.
And although her appearance had changed greatly, she had also become more powerful, which was a bonus.
As Frey had told her, after she came back, Nix proceeded to subdue the surrounding monsters one by one and expand her territory in order to become the ruler of the mountain range.
And during that time, Agni appeared.
It didnt make any sense.
Torkunta gritted his teeth.
At that time, hed been overcome by fear that was completely incomparable to when he fought Frey.
Just at first glance, he was able to realise they were on completely different levels.
Nix had the determination to fight even at the cost of her life. Id felt it in the past, but shes really a fearless bitch. However, I was able to coax her into accepting Agnis offer.
Thats unexpected. I didnt think you could persuade someone.
Its not something Im used to. But if Nix dies, so will I.
Frey felt that Torkunta had changed slightly.
He felt that his manner of speaking had become much softer and smoother compared to before.
But we couldnt even refuse to be turned into his Apostle.
You were only able to survive because you accepted.
It was completely unavoidable.
Right, it couldnt be helped.
But it still made them uncomfortable.
Torkunta looked at Frey before saying.
But what the hell is up with you?
What do you mean?
We saw that silver-haired Demigod, who you were with, fighting. With just his sword, he completely overwhelmed those other Demigods. We didnt get to see the end, but
Hes dead.
What?
That man, Riki, hes dead.
Torkunta fell silent.
I cant tell you who I am, but I can tell you my purpose. Im going to kill all of the Demigods.
You want to kill those monsters?
Right.
it would be really difficult.
I know.
Hmm.
Surprisingly, Torkunta didnt laugh at him.
Because he expected Torkunta to shout at him that it was impossible, this attitude took Frey by surprise.
After thinking for a moment, Torkunta spoke.
Alright. Well help.
How?
Nix was connected to Agni.
Even if Torkunta was able to help them hide what was happening to some extent, it would still be hard for Nix to openly lend a hand.
Dont we just have to kill Agni?
Thats easy to say.
Riki had proven that killing a Demigod didnt affect the Apostle. So if they killed Agni as Torkunta said, they would be able to take advantage of that.
However, their opponent was one of the Apocalypses.
Even if he was weakened, he would not be an easy opponent.
Most importantly.
I dont even know where he is.
I know.
Torkunta let out a laugh.
I said I know where Agni is.
Chapter 114 - Blake Family (5)
Chapter 114 - Blake Family (5) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Where is he?
The desert.
Frey furrowed his eyebrows.
Silkid?
Probably near there. Wed have to find out more once we get there.
Watching Torkunta nod his head, Frey fell into thought. (Note: for Nix, Ill just use him/her depending on whos in control)
This was because Silkid was the place where the Magic Warrior King Kasajin met his end and where Ivan was currently trying to find Kasajins relics.
Dont tell me Im going to encounter Ivan.
Frey then shook his head as though he was erasing an ominous thought.
Itll take him about a year to heal, which means if we fight, we need to do it within that time.
Sounds good.
We are bound to that monster, so we wont be able to fight him. But we can still help you fight. I believe we can find his location since were his Apostle.
That would be enough.
He had no reason to refuse.
It seemed like a much smarter idea to attack the Apocalypses while they were heavily injured rather than giving them time to recover.
The only issue was the fact that he didnt know where they were.
But Torkunta had now come to him with Agnis location.
After he finished forming a plan in his head, Frey warned Torkunta.
Dont let the Circle find out youre an Apostle. Otherwise, the situation might become troublesome.
Hmph. I, at least, have that level of discernment Id love to say that, but someone has already seen my face.
What? Who?
That guy named Jenta. Do you remember him?
Frey frowned.
There was no way hed forget.
Hes the assassin whos Anantas Apostle. What happened?
When the silver-haired Demigod caused the commotion, my mask came off. He saw me. (Note: didnt they already reveal their faces to each other?)
Hmmm.
It wasnt good news, but Frey didnt think it was a big deal.
Just because hed seen her face didnt mean Jenta would attack Nix for no reason.
After all, the only reason they covered their faces in the first place was to hide their identities from the traitor, who had already been revealed.
but he could still try to find out who Nix is.
Of course, that wasnt a big cause for concern, either.
Nix had never left the Ispania mountains since she was born other than to attend the Demigod meeting with Agni, and even then, they had not left many traces. (Note: Agni said that he found Nix in the Ispania Mountainsbest place to start a search)
If you can, try not to leave the mountain range.
I wouldnt have done so even if you didnt tell me.
Then Ill take my leave now. I have somewhere to go.
Whatever.
Torkunta flung his hand like he didnt care before suddenly frowning.
Then, after hesitating for a moment, he turned to Frey and said.
Be careful.
?
its from Niks.
Frey looked at Torkunta before he spoke to Niks who he knew was looking at him.
You too.
* * *
Frey returned to Dalamans castle.
In fact, it was embarrassing to even refer to it by that name anymore.
The castle had been completely destroyed, with only a few walls remaining.
The sun had already set, allowing Frey to realise that he had been talking to Torkunta for far longer than he expected.
Heinz was already there.
He was standing on a broken wall and seemed to be looking at something in the distance.
are you Frey?
He turned his head and looked back.
As expected, he had already guessed who Frey was.
To be precise, it was Frey who basically revealed his own identity to him.
Frey nodded and took off his mask.
Right.
Heinz muttered under his breath.
Judging from his reaction, he had still been skeptical up to the point when Frey took off his mask.
To be able to use divine power, you mustve consumed Lukes crystal.
Without a word, Frey climbed the stairs and stood beside him.
This allowed him to see what Heinz had been staring at.
It was the area that had been ruined by the Demigods.
The current situation in Luanoble is pretty serious.
What do you mean?
We also saw the Black Dragon Knights get annihilated. And Honor Jerome has already informed the leadership of Luanoble. Not so long ago.
Heinz let out a cold laugh.
It was completely by accident. Isnt it funny? They had no intention of confronting the Demigods. If they knew they were here, they wouldnt have even dared to send the Black Dragon Knights. S~ea??h the novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Frey knew that the Luanoble Kingdom was rotten to the core.
However, the servility they displayed, even when the kingdoms proudest Knight regiment was destroyed, made him sick.
I digress. Frey, I heard about your movements. You disappeared after contacting Beniang from the Trowman Rings.
He glanced at Freys mask before continuing.
It hasnt been that long since I last saw you, but it feels like a lot happened. What the hell-
Heinz Blake.
Frey intentionally cut him off.
Heinz closed his mouth and threw a calm look to his side.
I learned about the true nature of the Blake family. That its a huge experimental site for the Demigods to study the harmony between divine power and mana.
thats right.
Heinz wasnt particularly surprised.
This was because from the moment he saw Frey using both divine power and mana, he assumed that he might know of what was going on at least to some extent.
Which side are you on? The Circle or the Demigods?
Neither. Im just struggling to take care of my own life.
Can you also use divine power?
To some extent.
And Mischael and Isaka?
Thats right. Mischael is about as good as I am, but you cant ignore our fathers strength.
Heinz spoke as though he had no intention of hiding anything from him.
Frey wondered if he should trust this man beside him.
Im going to the Blake family.
Why?
Theres something I need to find out.
Whats that?
I have no intention of telling you.
Frey ended it there.
He did not hold any hostility towards Heinz, but information about Illuminium needed to be handled with care.
Its possible that I will exterminate the Blake family.
Frey spoke of the worst case scenario, but if someone were to hear him, he would be seen as crazy.
His words were extremely arrogant.
Was he really talking about exterminating the Blake family, one of the Five Great Families of the Kastkau Empire?
However, Heinz knew he wasnt bragging and actually had the power to carry out such a task.
The man beside him was an 8 star Archmage, could summon a Demon Archduke and could also use lightning divine power.
Every one of these was already immensely powerful, and there was still the possibility that he had some cards hidden.
You want me to help you enter the family more naturally?
I dont want to raise any suspicion.
Leita Blake.
As Leyrins Apostle, she was the one he had to be the most careful of in the Blake family.
Isaka was only an Archmage, and Mischael was a 5 star Wizard at best.
Even if the two of them were able to use divine power, Frey didnt think they were that threatening.
However, Leyrins Apostle, Leita, was different.
She was not an opponent he dared to underestimate.
You can do whatever you like, but
If you have a request, Ill try to fulfill it to the best of my ability.
If possible.
Frey swallowed the end of his sentence and instead turned to Heinz, but what he heard was surprising.
in that case, Id like to ask you some questions when were finished.
Questions?
Right. But you dont have to answer them.
If you have any questions, you can ask them now.
No. I still want to observe some more.
It was quite the strange request.
It didnt matter if he answered or not, but he still wanted to observe a bit more first?
Frey was curious, but he didnt think Heinz would tell him if he asked.
It doesnt matter if I answer.
Frey nodded.
Sure.
Then shall we leave right away?
What about the other Circle members?
They have already withdrawn. Rounder Sheryl led them away.
I see.
It was a shame.
He wanted to ask Sheryl a few questions.
But it didnt matter that much. He would just wait until the next Circle meeting.
The two immediately set out for Lufei.
If he wanted to, he could simply warp them over to Pillat as hed remembered the coordinates.
However, as it was a long warp, it would be impossible to completely erase the traces.
Since he was going to the Blake family to get clues about the Illuminium, he wanted to stay as discreet as possible.
It was better to experience some hardship than get caught in vain.
This was the reason they chose to use the Warp Stone to get to Pillat.
The Warp to Pillat was scheduled for four days later, so the two decided to wait in a nearby hotel.
Although they were brothers, they each had their own room, and not once did they go into the others room.
Even when they occasionally encountered each other in the restaurant in the hotel, they didnt say a word to each other.
Though it seemed quite dreary, Frey didnt have a problem with it, and Heinz didnt seem to, either.
And so, four days passed quickly.
They were finally able to Warp to Pillat.
Shortly after the Warp ended, the two headed over to the Blake family residence without hesitation.
Standing before the magnificent mansion, Frey couldnt help but feel a slight tremor in his heart.
This place
The residence of the Blake family had a strong aura of dignity surrounding it, and it could be considered on par with the Jun family residence.
In fact, the overall size, including that of the garden, seemed to be much larger than that of the Jun familys.
Ah! Young Master Heinz!
Are you returning home now?
The guards recognized Heinz and all began bowing respectfully.
It was clear that the respect and joy they had on their faces were genuine.
Frey felt like he was finally getting a glimpse of Heinzs human side.
Right. I just got back. Whos home?
All the members are in at the moment.
I see.
Heinzs expression changed slightly.
The fact all the members were in the house at the moment meant that the head of the family, Isaka Blake, was also there.
It would have been a lot easier without him.
Then the guards gaze turned to Frey.
Ah, by the way.
The one behind you?
Then, Heinz spoke with a stern expression on his face.
Hmm. Did the Blake familys guards forget my younger brothers face?
Hu-, huh?
If its his younger brother no way
Young Master Frey?
Embarrassment sprang up on the guards faces.
Rumours about Frey were also prevalent among the members of the Blake family.
The child of a wizard family who was treated like an abandoned child because of his lackluster talent in magic and who had been practically chased into the Westroad Academy.
Few nobles knew of Freys feats afterwards, such as fighting the pirates and the Lich or becoming close friends with Peran Jun.
So naturally, there werent many members who knew of these rumors.
Heinz ignored their reaction while saying.
Where is my father?
I-, in the garden.
Good, Frey, lets go.
Yes.
Because there were many people around, Frey bowed his head politely to show his respect.
Yo-, Young Master Heinz, please wait!
What is it?
We currently have a guest in the manor. The Lord said that no one is to disturb him because he is entertaining them.
A guest? Who is it?
Heinzs expression was filled with displeasure.
No matter who it was, Heinz was still the second son of the Blake family.
Of course, there was no such thing as Heinz and Isaka having a close relationship, but externally, there was no better justification for his actions as he was a son who had been away from home for a while.
He couldnt think of a guest powerful enough to negate this justification.
But as soon as Heinz heard the guards next words, the displeasure disappeared in an instant.
its the Third Imperial Princess.
Chapter 115 - Blake Family
Chapter 115 - Blake Family (6) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
They passed the front gate and headed inside.
Heinz seemed a bit shaken by the guards words.
Does the Third Imperial Princess come to the mansion often? (Note: Ill shorten it to Third Princess from now on)
There was no one around, so Frey didnt bother speaking politely.
Heinz responded after thinking for a moment.
she has been visiting frequently for the past few years. She mainly talked to mother whenever she came.
With Leita Blake?
Suspicion flashed across Freys face.
If it was related to her, who was an Apostle, then it might also be related to the Demigods.
The Third Princess.
Frey tried to recall his memories of her.
He remembered that her name was Fiore.
She was beautiful and very smart, and hed heard that she was greatly favored by the Emperor even though she was a woman.
It was highly likely that her reputation was genuine and not made up by the imperial family as she had appeared in the cabinet, where only the highly ranked and intelligent figures in the empire could participate, several times.
She was 25 years old this year and had missed the best time to get married.
Maybe she herself refused a marriage, or she had the emperors backing.
What do they talk about?
I dont know or without having to think too deeply about it, the visits might just be a politically motivated performance.
Were her visits just to show that the Third Princess and the Blake family had a close relationship?
Id prefer it if that were the reason.
He didnt care about the politics in this country, but Freys instincts were warning him that that might not be the case.
He was aware that the Demigods had a much bigger influence on the major countries than hed expected.
As Fiore was a member of the imperial family, it might be better for him to be more suspicious rather than relaxed.
While Frey was focused on his thoughts, they arrived at the garden and found a group of people walking there.
Isaka, Mischael and Leita.
All of the members of the Blake family were gathered.
And it wasnt just them.
A woman, who was probably Fiore, was standing in the center of the group, seeming to exude noble elegance.
Then Mischael, who was at the front of the group, spotted Heinz, and his face brightened.
Heinz?
Oh my.
Hmm.
At Mischaels words, Leita and Isaka turned to look at Heinz, who bowed his head politely to Fiore as he approached them.
Heinz Blake, second son of the Blake family, greets Your Majesty.
Its been a while, Heinz.
It seemed Fiore and Heinz were well acquainted as she greeted him with a bright smile.
Your Majesty seems to become more and more beautiful every time we meet.
Thank you.
Frey glanced at Heinz.
He found the sight of this blunt man speaking in such a flattering way quite strange.
Heinz only looked at his family after greeting the princess.
Father, Ive returned.
Good. Well talk later. For now, entertaining Her Majesty is the priority.
Yes.
however
Isakas gaze turned to Frey, who was standing behind him, a complex light seeming to shine in his eyes.
He forcibly contained the questions that sprung up within him at the moment and suppressed the deep sense of incongruity he felt.
Frey.
Its been a long time, Father.
Im curious as to what youve experienced during this time, but Ill ask about it later.
Understood.
Then. Fiore looked at Frey and said.
We havent met before, have we? My name is Fiore Diak Kastkau.
I am Frey Blake. It is an honor to meet Your Royal Highness, who is praised as the sapphire of the imperial family.
Oh my.
As Frey bowed politely, the expressions of Mischael and Isaka became strange.
This wasnt because hed made a mistake.
Rather, it was the opposite.
Freys greeting had been perfect.
His manners had been impeccable, and there was no sign of nervousness, even when faced with the princess.
It was even more surprising because these two, who were used to his usually timid appearance, were inwardly anxious that he would make a mistake in front of the princess.
Id love to share the honor of hosting Your Highness, but I dont think it would be so polite to do it with such a dusty appearance.
Huhu. I dont mind, but Ill respect Heinzs will.
Thank you for your consideration.
Heinz then nodded at Isaka.
Well see you at dinner.
Yes lets go, Frey.
Frey also nodded at Fiore and Isaka before following Heinz.
After they disappeared, Fiore spoke out with a slight smile.
I only just found out that Duke Isaka has three sons.
Frey is a student at the academy, so hes rarely at home.
By academy?
The Westroad Academy.
Fiore looked a little surprised.
Thats a very prestigious academy.
thats right.
If it hadnt been for his backing, Frey would not have been able to get into the academy with his skills.
But it was the best choice.
After all, even if he was an abandoned child, if he went to an academy worse than that one, it would tarnish the Blake familys reputation.
Hes not as good as Heinz and Mischael.
it didnt seem that way.
Im sorry, what did you just say?
Nothing.
After mumbling to herself, Fiore shook her head.
* * *
Tak.
Heinz closed the door.
Then, he turned to Frey and said.
Theres a high probability that Father, Mother and Mischael will question you this evening.
I know.
He could tell from the brief encounter just now.
They didnt have any good feelings towards him.
But with Fiore beside them, they couldnt ask the questions they were thinking.
So, how are you going to act moving forward?
First Ill have to act like the Frey Blake they remember.
He had to move as stealthily as possible in order to find clues about the Illuminium.
If he revealed himself for no reason and drew their suspicion, his actions might be restricted.
When Ive found what Im looking for, I can take action. sea??h th NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Then it might be the time to kill Leita.
Frey was determined to kill her since she was Leyrins Apostle.
Compared to that, the fact that she was Freys mother was not that important.
It would be better for you to show a different side.
Why?
They already know of some of your deeds. Like defeating the pirates and being recognised by Peran Jun. If you acted that way despite that, they might become suspicious.
Mischael might be too stupid to notice, but Isaka would definitely be suspicious.
Heinz was certain of this.
hmm. Youre right.
Although he agreed so easily, the task would still be pretty difficult.
He would have to play a slightly more mature Frey instead of a loser Frey.
But it makes sense.
It would be annoying, but there was nothing he could do about it.
He had no choice but to do what Heinz had suggested.
He had come to the Blake family with a strong resolution anyway.
After all, if everything worked out as he planned, he would be able to force Leyrin into Hibernation while also finding the information he needed.
Then Ill take my leave.
Heinz left the room.
Frey looked around, only just realising that they had been standing in Freys old room.
It wasnt shabby; on the contrary, it was as large as a room in an expensive inn.
However, there was a large amount of dust sitting on every surface as though it had not been cleaned in a long time.
Frey took off his robe and opened the closet.
Fortunately, the clothes in the closet were relatively neat.
Frey took out some house clothes and put them on.
Although it had been a long time since he had been home, he didnt feel impressed.
Instead, he was currently feeling a headache because of all of the things he had to think about.
Frey sat on the bed with his back straight, intending to meditate to pass the time.
A little after the sun went down, the door to the room was opened without warning.
Frey opened his eyes.
Standing there was a man who appeared to be the butler.
His name came to Freys mind easily.
Fabian.
He was in his late 30s and was one of the people who had looked down on Frey when he was younger.
Even at that moment, his attitude was extremely rude.
He opened the door without knocking, then he stood there looking at him as if he hadnt done anything wrong.
He even furrowed his eyebrows while looking at him.
I remember this situation, but its still shocking to see it again.
When he saw that Frey had yet to say anything, he finally spoke.
The Lord is calling for you.
He crossed the line.
Thinking this, Frey got up from his seat and stared at Fabian for a moment before saying.
Dont forget to knock next time.
huh?
Fabian was taken aback and asked with a confused expression.
He was surprised by Freys sudden words.
The timid young master who would get embarrassed just from being looked at too strongly was now talking to him in such an informal tone.
With an indifferent expression, Frey spoke again.
I will forgive you this time. But there wont be a second time.
ah. Yes.
Fabian nodded in a confused manner with his head tilted to the side.
what was that?
Did he just get reprimanded?
Where is my father?
In the dining room on the first floor.
Frey immediately headed to the dining room.
There, he found the entire Blake family sitting around a long table.
Isaka, Letia, Mischael and Heinz.
Their eyes turn to look at him at the same time.
Amazing. Its been a while since I last saw you, but now, it seems that you have become quite proud.
When Mischael spoke out with a very sharp tone, Frey simply bowed his head and held back a sigh.
Sorry.
Hmph. Do you think thats enough? You are the reason weve been wait-
Thats enough, Mischael.
Isaka interrupted him before turning to Frey.
Sit. We will talk after we eat.
Yes.
Frey took his seat.
Unfortunately, it was beside Leita.
Frey picked up a spoon while shooting a glance at her.
Leita turned her head to him with a mysterious expression on her face while taking a sip of tea.
Do you have something to say?
Frey pretended to flinch and shook his head.
N-, no.
Hmmm.
Leita turned her head without questioning him further.
Not long afterwards, the food came out, and for a moment, only the sound of the cutlery could be heard.
They wont say anything while having dinner.
It was one of the tacit rules of the Blake family.
Frey cut the steak before him and began eating,
The meal soon ended.
The quality of the food was incredibly high so it was the most satisfying meal that Frey had in a long time. (Note: ironic)
He felt a bit drowsy after having a few sips of wine with his meal, but Frey cleared it away with his mana before turning to Isaka.
The important part was coming.
Frey, where have you been?
Frey put on a determined expression while saying.
I wanted to travel the world.
Hahaha
A laugh filled with ridicule.
Needless to say, it came from Heinz.
So you didnt go back to the Westroad Academy, huh? You know youve been expelled, dont you?
Yes.
You didnt enter the academy with your own ability in the first place. Do you understand what Im saying? It took a lot of money and effort to get you into that school.
My deepest apologies.
Tch
Frey lowered his head, and Mischael snorted.
You dont have to listen to any more of this, Father.
Then, he turned to look at Frey.
You want to travel the world? Thats a good excuse. It seems to me that he had a miserable time at the academy and ran away because he couldnt take it. Truly the trash of the Blake family.
Isaka didnt try to stop Mischael, Leita continued drinking her tea and Heinz acted like he wasnt interested in what was going on.
It seemed that they were waiting to see his reaction.
I didnt run away.
Really? Then did you get anything from your travels?
Mischael Blake.
It was like he was looking for any reason to continue the argument.
Frey felt a bit dirty as it was like being bitten by a child over and over, but the situation itself wasnt bad.
He couldnt openly confront Isaka because he was the head of the family, and he needed to be careful around Leita.
Heinz could be considered an ally.
This meant that Mischael was the easiest target among those in the dining room.
I did.
Hoh. Tell me what you got.
At least.
Frey locked gazes with Heinz.
I dont think Id lose to you, brother.
Chapter 116 - Blake Family (7)
Chapter 116 - Blake Family (7) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Puhaha!
Mischael burst out laughing, Isaka smiled slightly and Leita covered her mouth with her hand.
Only Heinz maintained his calm indifference.
Mischael looked at Frey with tears in his eyes from laughing too hard.
I guess you have some pride now. At least its better than the old days when you were more timid than a mouse.
Mischaels gaze became cold.
Distinguish courage and foolhardiness, stupid.
I know how to make the distinction.
The atmosphere in the room suddenly became frozen.
MIschael wasnt smiling anymore.
Instead, displeasure and disgust were clearly visible in his gaze.
It was the same way one would look at a bug if it landed on them. (Note: before or after freaking out?)
What was wrong with this weakling who used to tremble with a single glare?
Because we are in front of father, Ill let this go once.
You dont need to let it go.
are you really out of your mind?
When Frey openly challenged him, Mischael expressed his anger in a threatening way.
But Frey didnt stand down at all.
Instead, he completely ignored Mischaels posturing and took a sip of tea.
okay. Good. I intended to teach you some manners later, but it seems I have to do it much sooner than I expected. Follow me.
Mischaels face burned red as he left the room.
If it wasnt for Leita and Isaka being in the room, he might have already flipped the table in anger.
Frey got up and followed him.
It seems that child has changed a bit.
Leita giggled softly as she said.
Maybe well see an unexpected result.
no. Frey could never beat Mischael.
Isaka got up from his seat and followed Frey and Mischael with a stiff expression.
Leita then turned to look at Heinz.
Heinz, arent you going to go watch?
Im not interested.
To be exact, it was obvious to him what the outcome would be.
At Mischaels level, he would be unable to win even if Frey decided to lay down and sleep during the fight.
No, it would still be their loss even if the entire Blake family tried to fight him.
The Blake family was a Wizard family, but no matter how many wizards they had, they would all be powerless in front of an 8 star Wizard.
Im not sure about the Apostle.
Heinz also knew that there was an Apostle among the members of the Blake family.
Personally, he believed that it was the family head, Isaka.
Hmm. I see.
Leita gave a mysterious smile.
Heinz shot a glance at his mother and a thought flashed in his mind.
He had a faint feeling that this woman in front of him, Leita, his mother, could also be the Apostle.
* * *
The training ground in the mansion.
Having come this far, Mischael now sported a suspicious expression.
He couldnt help but shoot an incredulous glare at Frey.
Did he really lose his mind?
This was his younger brother.
No, he didnt even consider him to be his brother.
Unlike Heinz, who was second to none when it came to talent, Frey was pathetic in every way.
He was trash who could not even use 1 star spells.
This was why they didnt share the secrets of the family with him and instead sent him away to the distant academy.
Yet such a guy was now standing in front of him with a calm expression.
This fact made his mood worsen.
It wouldnt be enough for him to just win.
He had to make Frey realise the difference between them.
So that he would never look at him in such a way again.
Cast the first spell.
Huh?
When Frey tilted his head, Mischael let out a laugh.
Im saying Im giving the first move to the younger brother I havent seen in a long time.
Frey wondered what his next move should be.
When he glanced to the right, he found Isaka standing there without any expression on his face.
And after a while, Leita walked over after receiving a parasol from an attendant.
It wasnt hard for him to beat Mischael.
Certainly, he was a top notch Wizard, but he was only human.
For Frey, who had been traveling together with the Demigod traitor, Riki, and had even encountered their leader, Lord, Mischael was as dangerous as a newborn baby.
An overwhelming victory, a difficult victory, or an unfortunate defeat.
Those were his three options.
First, hed need to get an idea of Mischaels ability.
After thinking this, Frey finally cast a spell after a very long time.
Magic Missile.
Chut.
ha.
The disdain on Mischaels face was evident.
It seemed like he was thinking about what to do for a long time, but in the end, he only used the 1 star spell, Magic Missile?
Shek.
!
He hurriedly scrambled to the right.
In the same instant, the Magic Missile rapidly narrowed the distance and brushed past his side.
What was that speed?
Mischaels embarrassment was palpable.
He felt a stinging pain in his side as the spell had grazed him.
Taht.
Frey kicked off from the ground and rapidly approached Mischael.
Isakas eyes shined slightly when he saw Freys movements.
Kuk! Ice Arrow!
Mischael hurriedly cast a spell.
An arrow made of ice shot towards Frey.
Its accuracy, speed and power were intimidating.
At least, for someone other than Frey.
Paht.
Frey didnt slow down at all, and instead, he twisted his body to avoid the Ice Arrow.
What?!
It was a move that almost surpassed human ability.
The shock was even greater for Mischael, who only saw Frey as a Wizard.
Seeing this, Isaka clicked his tongue softly.
He learned magic martial arts
That was the only explanation.
Frey avoided three arrows and destroyed two more with his fists, but his advance didnt slow down at all.
In an instant, Frey arrived in front of Mischael.
Their eyes met.
Spirit Fire!
Fwoosh!
Flames engulfed Mischaels body.
This 5 star spell, Spirit Fire, was the strongest spell he had in his repertoire.
The flames fluttered around Mischael as though they would burn anything that tried to approach him.
But.
Grab. (Note:I agonised over this sfx for literally ten minutes before giving up)
Frey ignored the Spirit Fire and grabbed Mischael by the collar.
Shock covered Mischaels face.
Freys hand was burned by the flame.
But the thing that shocked Mischael the most was Freys expression.
Although his hand was being burnt, Freys face didnt even twitch.
Ps-, psycho!
Frey raised his hand without saying anything and lifted Mischaels body into the air.
Uh, uhh
Dozens of spells passed through Mischaels mind, but his mouth didnt move at all.
This was proof that he lacked practical experience.
His ability to cope with unexpected situations was also poor.
Spirit Fire, a 5 star spell, was burning his hand, but he was able to ignore that and continue fighting?
What the hell were his nerves made of?
Crack!
Kuk!
Mischaels body was slammed to the ground, and he coughed as the wind was knocked out of him.
Isaka clicked his tongue.
Its over.
The most important thing for Wizards was the ability to remain calm regardless of the situation.
Failure to do this would result in hesitation while casting.
And even if the spell did manage to get cast, it would only be about half as powerful as normal.
Mischael was obviously shaken.
No, he probably couldnt even think properly at that moment.
Even now, as he lay on the ground, he probably didnt realise what happened.
On the other hand, Freys strategy was perfect.
With the skill he displayed, Frey didnt need to say the name to cast Magic Missile.
Yet hed done so anyway.
In a loud voice that Mischael was able to hear.
This was obviously deliberately done to make him lower his guard.
Mischaels carelessness had reached the peak when he saw Frey, who had been thinking for such a long time, cast a 1 star spell.
But the Magic Missile had been fast and threatening.
At that point, Mischaels composure was slightly shaken.
Then, Frey quickly narrowed the distance, which was an unthinkable move for a Wizard.
Mischael used Ice Arrow to fend him off, but it didnt work.
His carelessness had vanished, but in its place was confusion. Sarch* The N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
At that point, the match had been decided.
Frey looked down at Mischael.
He had no grudge against this man, and the match had already ended.
However, Frey Blakes debt still remained.
Kuk.
Frey clenched his fist.
Then he put it right in front of the face of Mischael, who was groaning in pain.
Pak.
Ugh!
He felt a slight resistance before his nose bones were crushed.
Blood quickly covered Mischaels face.
Li-, Little Master!
Someone cried out from the side.
It was Alexandro, the steward hed met before.
He came running over with a white face.
I-, Ill take him to get treated!
With those words, he quickly ran back into the mansion with Mischael on his back.
If it was dealt with quickly, they might be able to fix his crushed nose.
Then Isaka walked up to Frey as he wiped the blood from his fist.
The burns from the Spirit Fire stung a bit, but it was still bearable.
You learned magic martial arts.
I thought it would be difficult to win with magic, so I tried something else.
It was excellent.
thank you.
Isaka spoke with pure admiration.
Frey was certain that he hadnt garnered any suspicion.
Using martial arts was indeed the wisest decision.
If he had only used magic to defeat Mischael, they would have wondered how he got so strong so quickly, but since he also made use of martial arts, they would not question him.
The duel had highlighted Freys exceptional wit and quick judgement while also emphasising Mischaels sloppiness and inexperience, so Isaka wouldnt think that Freys skill was too high.
In conclusion, he had managed to attain an overwhelming victory without revealing any of his true strength.
But magic martial arts also requires mana. Has your mana sensitivity increased from before?
Its improved a lot since then.
Hmm.
He had changed.
Isaka was sure of it.
Was it an awakening?
He couldnt help but think of the Frey of the past, who would always be extremely timid in front of him.
It was a great display of skill. Magic Warrior. Theres also that path,
He had a surprisingly calm reaction.
Frey, who was puzzled, couldnt help but ask.
Is it really okay for me to learn martial arts?
It doesnt matter. Youre the third son anyway. Plus, were not a Wizard Family. Were a Magic Family. (Note: coughs in translator)
You are the third son anyway.
Freys expression became a bit strange when he heard that.
These were words that Frey had longed to hear in the past.
It was a remark made by a father who finally recognised his child, but it didnt affect Frey in any way.
He was more curious about Isakas calmness.
This was because he showed no reaction even when the familys eldest son and heir, Mischael, had to be carried away with a destroyed nose.
Is he really a 7 star Wizard?
It was then.
Leita, who had walked over while they were talking, gave Frey a beautiful smile.
Im proud of you, Frey.
Even Frey was made speechless at that moment.
If a stranger had been looking at this scene, they would think that she was a mother who cared deeply for her child.
But that was impossible,
The cold Isaka in front of him, the smiling Leita, Mischael, who had been carried away before, and even Heinz, who was not there, had all made Freys childhood a nightmare.
Heinz might have been forced by circumstances, but that didnt change the fact that he was one of the culprits who forced Frey Blake to make the extreme decision of taking his own life.
This was why Frey felt extremely disgusted watching Leita approach him with a motherly smile on her face.
Frey, do you remember Princess Fiore that you met in the afternoon?
Leita spoke in a quiet voice.
Of course I remember.
Why do you think the princess, who is favored by the Emperor, came to our family?
I dont know.
She came to pick a husband.
huh?
Originally, I was thinking of choosing Mischael or Heinz. Because theyre both of age to start their own families.
That was completely unexpected.
He didnt even know why she was bringing up such a topic with him.
Well, the Blake familys prestige certainly wasnt much lower than that of the imperial family, but
But now that I think about it, you would also be a perfect match for the princess.
Frey fell silent at Leitas words.
An arranged marriage?
He never would have expected such a thing.
Even when he saw the engagement between Peran and Sonia, he didnt think that he would have to go through something like that.
Much less with a party like the Third Princess.
Leita laughed as she saw Freys expression.
Although the Third Princess certainly isnt young, she is still the best prospective bride as she lacks nothing, being it appearance, pedigree, or intellect. She is the perfect partner.
I know that. But its so sudden.
Well, I have no intention of revealing it to the public immediately. First, wed need to raise your reputation, which has been swimming at the bottom for such a long time. So as to not make Fiore embarrassed to have you as a partner.
Fortunately, the princess doesnt seem to have a bad opinion of you. It might just be a small appreciation right now, but it will certainly develop into a good relationship if you keep meeting over time.
Although it was incredibly surprising, he didnt have any reason to accept.
Just as Frey opened his mouth to reject the offer.
Dont be hasty. If you do this, you could proudly become a true member of the Blake family.
What would that change?
Leita let out a low laugh.
Well share the secrets of our family.
Chapter 117 - The Third Imperial Princess (1)
Chapter 117 - The Third Imperial Princess (1) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
I need time to think.
Is three days enough?
Thats enough.
Alright. Get some rest.
At Isakas words, Frey bowed once and returned to his room.
Coincidentally, it was the butler, Fabian, who led the way.
When he met Freys eyes, he subconsciously lowered his head as he said.
I, I will guide you.
When he returned to the room, Fabian spoke with a stiff expression, unlike earlier.
Do you need anything else?
The room.
Frey slowly walked over to the window sill and rubbed his finger through the dust that had accumulated there.
Dont you think its a bit dirty?
I-, Im sorry. Ill immed-
No. Ill bear it for today, so take care of it tomorrow.
Ill make sure to clean it while you are having your meal.
Frey then pointed at the closet.
Add some more clothes there.
Yes.
Right. And Im thinking about going to bed right away today. Im a little sensitive while I sleep so
I will station a guard. I hope you sleep well.
He catches on quickly.
Fabian immediately left the room when Frey dismissed him with the shake of his hand.
The attitude he displayed was very different to what he had shown before.
But this was natural.
That man had been able to knock down the heir of the Blake family, Mischael Blake, in a one on one duel.
Moreover, Isaka and Leita, who had always ignored him before, were showing signs of acknowledging Frey as their son.
Only a few servants, including Fabian, had witnessed the fight, but it was certain that everyone in the mansion would learn of it by the next day.
Naturally, Freys reputation in the mansion would also rise significantly.
Frey Blake, the loser who had been ignored by everyone was no longer present.
In his place was Frey Blake, the third son of the Blake family.
Fabian was certain.
By the next day, there would be no one else who dared to ignore him.
* * *
Frey was laying on his bed.
Unlike what he told Fabian, he actually had no intention of sleeping.
Instead, he had a much more important task than fighting Mischael and gaining recognition.
Frey closed his eyes and muttered in a low voice.
Darkming.
Shik.
The intermediate Dark Spirit, Darkming, appeared.
It looked at Frey with a drowsy look in its eyes.
I want you to alert me as soon as someone with a hostile aura approaches. Can you do that?
Darkming nodded.
It could do that much.
Naturally, this Spirit, which looked very much like a house cat, was not very good at fighting.
Freys greatest trump card was that he could summon Asura, the ruler of the Slaughter Hell.
If he protected him, then no one in the mansion would be able to hurt him.
I could make the summoning circle and call him, but
He couldnt just ask a proud ruler of the Demon World to be his bodyguard.
Darkming was enough.
Ghost.
Shik.
Freys spirit body came out of his real body.
This was that 8 star spell, Ghost.
He was now in a state where he could ignore all the laws of physics and almost all physical attacks.
Naturally, he was still able to cast some spells.
Most importantly, those who were at a lower level than him wouldnt be able to see him at all.
It was the perfect spell to search the mansion.
Frey floated through the wall and began searching the house.
He didnt believe that anyone would be able to see through his spell.
No human at least.
Leyrin.
He couldnt forget her existence.
Riki had heavily injured three Demigods in their fight.
Agni, Ananta and Nozdog.
Leyrin and Lord are still okay.
Leyrin might be in the Blake family residence.
He wasnt sure, but Frey still made sure that he was fully prepared for the possibility.
He slowly and patiently expanded the scope of his search.
He wasnt anxious.
Not even a little.
For Frey, patience was one of the virtues he was most confident in.
And sooner than he expected, he was able to find the characters he was looking for.
-id you mean that?
Of course I was.
Isaka and Leita Blake, the two people in charge of the Blake family, were having a serious conversation in their room.
Fortunately, neither of them seemed to notice Freys presence.
He continued listening to their conversation from a short distance away.
Is it because Mischael is like that?
I wont say it doesnt have some sway in the decision. Alexandro took him to the best physician we have and got the diagnosis. His nasal bones were completely crushed, and itll take at least two weeks to heal.
Leita shrugged.
We cant send him to the imperial family with a crushed nose, can we?
Right. But we still have Heinz.
It cant be Heinz. Dont you already know? That childs talent, his role.
Isaka was silent for a moment before finally speaking in his characteristic, cold tone.
now I understand. You intend to use Frey as a disposable card.
Huhu. Frey came back at the perfect time. With some improvement as well.
Frey furrowed his eyebrows.
With the help of the light from the lone candle in the room, he was able to make out a gentle smile on Leitas face.
You were originally going to use Mischael, werent you?
If worst came to worst, that was the plan, yes. As you know, Fiore, the Third Princess, is no pushover. Even in the whole empire, the people smarter than her can be counted on one hand.
She sighed.
its a pity that such a talent couldnt be on our side.
Shes not a member of the Circle.
Yes. Leyrin has the entire imperial family in the palm of her hand, so if any risk factors pop up, theyd immediately be ousted.
Nevertheless, she did not completely obey the orders she got from their side.
Whenever they requested help, she would come up with a plausible excuse and devise ways to extricate herself.
Isaka sighed.
On the surface, Princess Fiore is maintaining her neutrality.
Thats right.
Leita nodded.
And yet she proved her worth to Leyrin. Shes a very cunning girl. Shes walking on a tightrope with her own life as collateral I cant believe shes made it so far.
If she was born a boy or had talent in the fields of magic, martial arts or swordsmanship, her situation would have been many times more difficult than it currently was.
It was the same for her status.
She was fortunate to have been born into such an ambiguous position like the Third Princess.
Moreover, the Third Princess is backed by the Eleventh Tower Master. And its still troublesome for Leyrin to deal with him at the moment.
The Eleventh Tower Master.
It was a title hed heard from Hector not so long ago.
He was one of the three best alchemists on the entire continent.
Isnt he also the secret protector of the Empire?
At that time, he hadnt paid much attention to it.
After all, even if he was the Empires guardian, he wouldnt be able to do much against the Demigods.
But now, Leita had brought up the Eleventh Tower Master again.
It seems he has the ability to deter the Demigods a little.
Frey became curious about his identity.
If he had the chance, he would have liked to meet him somehow.
No, it wasnt an option. Sarch* The ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
He had to meet him.
If he wasnt on the Demigods side, then Frey had to meet him.
Cant we cooperate with others from the imperial family? The Third Prince or Fifth Prince, even the First Princess. Their ambition makes them much easier to deal with, and their influence in the imperial family is just as high as Fiores.
Its impossible. Only Fiore can give us what we want.
Isaka sighed and muttered.
Illuminium.
Shh.
Leita put her finger to her lips and slowly looked around.
Dont you know that Leyrin told use to maintain strict secrecy about that term?
I know, but its strange. Isnt it an alloy that Leyrin made herself? Why do we need to rely on the princess?
Because we need her skills to get a hold of a large quantity of Harkon, the most essential metal for creating Illuminium.
Hmm
She doesnt know why we need it. And if we urge her or show her that we need it desperately, she would grow suspicious. I cant keep doing this tiring thing forever
So you want to make her a member of the Blake family, ostensibly.
Leita smiled and nodded.
Just bringing her out of the imperial family is enough to greatly restrict her movements. At least, she wouldnt be able to act as freely as she is now.
If her status as Third Princess disappeared, Fiore would no longer be so hard to deal with.
Moreover, if they brought her into the Blake family, then they might be able to coax her over to their side over time.
Up until now, Fiore has been against marriage. But shes already 25 years old, so she is being forced to make a decision.
true. Theres still one more thing Id like to ask.
What is it?
Where is Leyrin now?
Frey held his breath and looked at Leitas lips.
However, Leita simply let out a smile and said.
Thats none of your business.
At that moment, there was a subtle flash of emotion on Isakas face.
Leita didnt notice, but from his position, Frey was able to see it clearly.
Hmm is Isaka
Frey shook his head after making some guesses.
It didnt matter to him anyway.
That was all he heard that was worth listening to.
From then, the conversation turned to the family situation, the magic tower and the Circle.
There was no useful information, but Frey still stayed around just in case.
An hour passed, and the candle went out.
Only then did Frey return to his room.
It was already dawn, but he didnt feel tired at all. He simply sat on his bed and organised his thoughts.
so.
Leita had been ordered by Leyrin to mass produce Illuminium.
But to do that, they needed large quantities of metal called Harkon, which they needed the help of the Third Princess, Fiore, to acquire.
Currently, the princess didnt know that Harkon was so useful to the Demigods, and it was possible that they might encounter problems if she were to find out, such as an interruption of the supply.
That was why they planned to bring Fiore into the Blake family and then forcefully isolate her, gradually weakening her influence.
Leitas plan seemed plausible at first glance, but Frey was more curious as to how Fiore would face this plan.
After all, he didnt think that the Third Princess, labeled the Sapphire of the Imperial Family, would fall so easily.
Maybe she has a plan, too.
Frey finished organizing his thoughts.
The Blake family, Illuminium and the Eleventh Tower Master.
Princess Fiore was related to all three of these things, so Frey decided to start there,
The question is, how would we meet?
Even if they were to meet, it would be in the Blake family or the imperial family, neither of which was suitable.
They wouldnt be able to talk about anything sensitive as it was more likely they would be separated before they could.
If possible, it would be better for the two of them to talk in a quiet, deserted place alone.
Frey currently had no way to contact her.
However, he was unexpectedly given the opportunity the very next day as Fiore came to the Blake family without warning.
Chapter 118 - The Third Imperial Princess (2)
Chapter 118 - The Third Imperial Princess (2) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
If you have contacted us beforehand, we would have prepared to receive you.
Its fine. I didnt come for any serious business.
Fiore smiled gently as she took a sip of tea.
Dak.
By the way, wheres Mischael?
Leita answered with a calm expression.
He has returned to the tower for a while. I heard that theres a meeting for the Floor Masters. If he knew you were coming, he definitely would have postponed his departure.
Ah, now that you mention it, I just remembered Mischael is a Floor Master.
Fiore, who was smiling, suddenly furrowed her brows slightly.
Huh? But thats strange.
What is?
Mischael is a member of the 9th Magic Tower, isnt he? I thought the Floor Master meeting was held four days ago.
The atmosphere cooled down a little.
Leitas fingertips paused a bit as she reached to pick up her cup, but her expression didnt change.
maybe there was an unexpected situation which forced them to call for another Floor Master meeting.
I see. The 9th Magic Tower is to the east, isnt it? Ill stop by later to find out what kind of trouble has arisen.
I dont think it would be something the princess would need to worry about.
Thank you for your consideration. But Im a very meticulous person, so I cant just let this go.
As she said that, Fiore let out a soft laugh.
Leita smiled.
Both of them were smiling, but Frey couldnt see the subtle trace of emotion on Leitas face.
Shes pushing her.
Princess Fiore was pressing Leita.
And there was no way for Leita, who had been making excuses without thinking about it too deeply, to fool her, someone who had memorised the schedules for all ten magic towers, without the correct details.
The atmosphere had been completely upturned by Fiore.
Then, with a relaxed expression, she turned towards Frey.
Yesterday, you left so quickly that we did not get the chance to have a proper conversation. So Ill introduce myself again. I am Fiore Diak Kastkau, Third Princess of the Kastkau Empire.
I am Frey Blake, third son of the Blake family. It is an honour to meet you again.
Fiore slowly rose up from her seat.
Frey, would it be okay for me to request a tour of the mansion?
She was formally asking him to escort her.
As it was impolite to reject a ladys request, Frey nodded.
It would be my honour. Sar?h the N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Isaka, Fiore and Heinz also began rising from their seats, but Fiore shook her head gently.
I would like to talk to Frey alone.
Will you be okay?
Of course.
There was some suspicion in Leitas eyes.
She and her husband were already thinking about making Frey her husband, but when she saw Fiore being so interested in him, she felt suspicious instead.
Maybe these two already knew each other or had some kind of secret conversation that she didnt know about.
I heard you were a student at the Westroad Academy?
I dropped out of school
To be precise, he had been expelled from the school.
Then do you know Peran?
Peran?
Was Fiore an acquaintance of Peran?
if not.
Hes one of my few friends.
Wow.
Fiore gave a wide smile.
I used to play with Peran when we were younger. I havent been able to meet him these past few years since Ive been so busy, but we still exchange letters on occasion.
I see.
Id like you to tell me about Peran. Is that okay?
Frey rose from his seat and offered the approaching Fiore his arm.
Leita had no choice but to watch this without saying anything.
She had already made a mistake by mentioning the Floor Master meeting. Fiore didnt say anything else about it now, but if she kept pushing, there was a high chance that she would bring it up once more.
* * *
They went to the garden.
She had formally requested a tour of the mansion, but it was obvious she just wanted a chance for the two of them to be alone.
Peran has always been interested in magical science since we were children. He especially liked the Great Mage, Lukas Trowman
Hes become a fanatic.
Ahaha.
It looked like they were just having a pleasant conversation, but that wasnt entirely the case.
Fiore would occasionally look around, and Frey noticed that she wasnt just admiring the scenery.
There are people tailing us.
Instead, she was looking at the people that Leita had sent to follow them.
They werent hiding. Instead, they disguised themselves as servants, and they were scattered everywhere.
This made it annoying because they couldnt question them.
At first glance, they were only servants who were preoccupied with the management of the mansion, so they couldnt make them leave.
The servants didnt get too close, but they still pressured Frey and Fiore.
This was Leitas intention.
They werent enough to be obvious, but they were enough to be annoying.
ah!
It was then.
Fiore tripped over something and stumbled, and Frey hurriedly caught her.
Ah thank you.
Are you hurt anywhere?
Im fine.
Fiore smiled shyly as she stood up straight once again.
There was some disturbance for a while, but that was all.
Afterwards, they continued their friendly conversation.
The two of them circled the garden about two times before returning to the mansion as the sun began to set.
Fiore greeted Isaka and left the mansion.
And when Frey returned to his room, he took a note out of his pocket.
The note that Fiore had placed there after her fall.
[2 am, Millakid Inn 3-B]
* * *
The reason she chose that time was in consideration of Frey.
After all, it would be very suspicious if he decided to go out right after being alone with the princess.
Of course, he still had to move stealthily when he left just after midnight, but it wouldnt be that difficult.
A map of the Millakid Inn, which was located not far from the Blake family residence, was also included on the note, so he could arrive there with Warp.
There would also be no trace left because it was only a short distance Warp.
The only problem is if someone comes to my room.
It was possible that Isaka or Leita would suddenly visit him during the night.
If they found out that he was away, he would definitely be interrogated upon his return.
Frey didnt want them to even have the slightest bit of suspicion. Not yet at least.
He wanted them to act as they would normally so he could make use of their lack of caution.
After all, it was only because their guards were lowered that Frey was able to eavesdrop on Leita and Isakas conversation the night before.
If they knew Frey was an 8 star Wizard, then even if they were in a secure area, they would never discuss sensitive topics like Fiore or Illuminium.
After thinking for a moment, Frey went to find Heinz.
Im going to be away just after midnight.
Are you going to meet the princess?
Right.
When Frey nodded, Heinz pondered for a moment before saying.
Go and come back quickly. If you get caught, I will cover for you.
Frey didnt completely trust Heinz, but they shared a secret.
Moreover, Heinz wasnt the type to lie needlessly, so he didnt have anything to worry about.
Frey waited in his room and then left the mansion at 1 am.
Just in case something happened, he changed his appearance with an illusion once again.
His appearance had once again become that of Kain Rixton.
Shuk.
Freys figure suddenly appeared in the air above a street before gently floating to a back alley.
Taht.
He was immediately hit by a foul smell.
Some of the streets of Pillat might not have been very clean, but the back alleys were much worse.
Frey brushed some dust from his robe and walked into the street.
1 am.
This was usually the time when people would be asleep, but Pillats nightlife seemed to have only just begun.
Mercenaries gathered in groups of three to five and slammed their pints of beer against each other loudly.
It wasnt hard for him to cross the lively street.
Frey looked around a bit before heading to the Millakid Inn.
From the outside, it was a larger and more luxurious inn than hed initially expected.
It was not a place where Mercenaries, who lived from paycheck to paycheck, would be able to enjoy.
Creak.
Welcome.
When he opened the door and entered, the clerk bowed and greeted him.
His attitude was calm and reserved.
We provide meals and lodging. Which would you like to have?
Lodging.
Are you alone?
My party has already booked a room. 3-B
I see.
The clerk paused for a moment before nodding and saying.
Heres the key.
Frey took the key and headed to the third floor.
Then, he turned the doorknob to the room with the nameplate B.
There was no need for him to use the key as the door was already open.
The room was spacious and quiet.
Fiore was sitting calmly on a chair. When she heard the door, she turned her head and gave a gentle smile.
Youre early.
Even though he was using the face of Kain Rixton, she didnt show any surprise.
She couldnt have seen through the illusion because she hadnt learned magic.
Frey sat in front of her without responding.
Fiore raised an eyebrow when she saw the attitude that was completely different from the one she had seen earlier.
Ive heard of your prestige.
Prestige?
The Trowman Rings new Circle Rounder.
Frey was still unresponsive.
Oh my. Youre not surprised.
Why would I be surprised?
I know your hidden identity.
She was testing his reaction.
Frey shook his head.
He didnt want to deal with such a troublesome process.
Lets skip the nonsense, Princess Fiore. If you didnt know that in the first place, you wouldnt have had a reason to contact me.
The most important factor when maintaining neutrality was to have good sources of information.
You needed to have a good understanding of the situation on both sides so you could take care of yourself.
Fiore had a good understanding of some of the inner workings of the Demigods as well as the Circle.
And Frey had learned from Heinz that he had become somewhat famous in the Circle.
He was called the young Archmage who had revived the Trowman Rings.
Fiore would only have tried to contact him after learning that fact.
well. Youre right.
After being silent for a moment, Fiore shrugged.
In any case, I wanted to meet you. The young talent who brilliantly revived the fallen Trowman Rings. Well, these days it looks a bit precarious.
When Fiore suddenly brought up the Trowman Rings, she especially emphasized the last part.
It seemed she intended to break Freys composure by mentioning the circle he was a part of.
But Freys expressionless face didnt even twitch, and he clicked his tongue inwardly.
She still had yet to bring up the main point.
Instead, it seemed that she wanted to understand Freys disposition and, if possible, take the initiative and direct the conversation.
This was one of the bad habits of people who had been rolling in the muddy pit known as politics for too long.
The conversation wont progress until this little reconnaissance skirmish has ended.
The look in Freys eyes changed a little.
If she wanted to have a battle, then so be it.
Is that so?
Havent you been in contact with them?
Ive been busy.
Fiore was momentarily perplexed by Freys indifference.
She was confident that when it came to psychological warfare, she would not lose to anyone.
No one could disagree when she was easily handling Leita, who could be said to be quite proficient at politics.
But the man in front of her was different.
I cant tell.
She couldnt tell what he was thinking because he remained expressionless, regardless of how much she poked and prodded.
Even when she mentioned his hidden identity or the situation of his circle, he remained indifferent.
Or was he just pretending to be calm?
Hes only around twenty. He never stepped foot in the political arena
No, her plan had been wrong from the start.
Fiore understood that now.
The man in front of her was a 7 star Archmage. Honestly, when she had heard it before, she had only half believed it.
After all, Frey Blake was only a little over the age of adulthood.
No genius ever recorded in the history of the continent had ever been able to become an Archmage at that age.
But if it was true.
If Frey Blake really was 7 stars, then he would have had the ability to maintain his composure regardless of the situation.
if so.
She had to choose another tactic.
Just as Fiore was about to open her mouth after a brief calculation.
By the way.
Frey finally spoke.
As his voice sounded out, Fiore almost jumped out of her seat.
The timing was so exquisite that it made her speechless of a moment.
He was aiming for that.
Impossible.
There was no way.
It had to be a coincidence.
Thinking this, Fiore gave him a smile.
What is it?
I also wanted to meet the princess alone.
youre doing it now, arent you?
Is that so?
Freys gaze met Fiores.
Then the one hiding in the ceiling is an enemy.
Kuoh.
Mana raged around him.
Even she, someone who couldnt use magic, was able to tell the sheer power of the mana he was releasing.
It was not a joke. He was serious.
Fiore spoke up hurriedly.
Wa-, wait!
What is it?
hes my bodyguard.
Shuk.
The mana disappeared.
Frey then muttered in a careless tone.
I see. I hope youd tell me earlier next time. I almost killed him.
It was intentionally direct, an intentional threat.
This man knew.
He must have noticed from the moment he entered the room that there was someone hiding in the ceiling and that the person hiding was most likely her subordinate.
Nevertheless, he purposely unleashed his mana before adding that he almost killed them.
The reason was obvious.
He had taken the initiative.
That was an act?
Fiore was dumbfounded.
In her eyes, Frey was no longer a young man who had just entered his twenties.
Instead, he was like an old noble who had been rolling around in the political arena for decades.
Now, then.
Frey adjusted himself slightly and looked at Fiore.
I think we can have a proper conversation now.
Chapter 119 - The Third Imperial Princess (3)
Chapter 119 - The Third Imperial Princess (3) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Taht.
Someone dropped down from the ceiling.
It was a woman whose face was hidden behind a mask.
She was wearing a tight-fitting nocturnal suit, which made it easy to tell her gender.
Her mask only covered half her face and left her forehead exposed, her rich black hair tied back in one braid.
Overall, she gave off a very cold impression.
Youre her bodyguard?
Yes. Thats right.
A fake smile would never work on this man, so she didnt bother to waste her time doing so.
Fiores expression changed as she thought of how to proceed with this conversation.
I hate to admit it.
She had to admit it.
This battle had ended in her defeat.
Her complete and utter defeat.
Using an Assassin as a bodyguard. How eccentric.
Veronica isnt an Assassin.
Fiore quickly denied it.
It would not be good for her if he used that fact to pressure her.
Frey nodded as he said.
My apologies. Shes wearing a voice modulating mask, a black leopard skin bodysuit and has nine daggers, so I was mistaken.
Fiore pressed her temples.
It was a habit that shed developed when she felt mentally burdened.
hoo.
She couldnt even feel admiration anymore.
Finally, she nodded, trying to minimize her losses.
Youre right. Veronica is an Assassin.
Even if she admitted it, she knew she wouldnt get much of a reaction.
At that point, Fiore felt like she might get more of a reaction from a wall of bricks.
She was tired.
She never would have expected that she could feel this tired after only engaging in psychological warfare with this person for a few minutes.
Frey was right.
The woman next to her, Veronica, was an Assassin.
In fact, she was one of the most skilled Assassins on the entire continent.
Veronicas expression was cold.
She was staring at Frey with an incredibly cold gaze. Her pride had been severely wounded by this man.
Why dont you repeat what you said earlier?
Her eyes were practically burning.
Fiore felt her reaction was unusual and quickly tried to stop her, but Freys response was even faster.
What I said earlier? Ah, I said I could kill you.
Ha. A Wizard killing an Assassin. That sort of nonsense only comes out of the lips of Wizards who think too highly of themselves. sea??h th n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Then, she drew a dagger and glared at Frey.
But Frey simply shook his head at her.
Are you really threatening a top-class Archmage? You dont have the strength. Put your dagger away.
Piht.
Clang.
Fiores eyes opened wide.
A small skirmish broke out, but her eyes couldnt keep up with it.
She looked at Veronicas face.
Veronica had her head down with a somber expression on her face.
The dagger in her hand had also disappeared.
Frey, on the other hand, remained expressionless, and a dagger floated in front of his eyelid.
Chang.
I will let this go this time because of your master.
Dont babble-
Veronica, enough.
Fiore spoke out in a cold voice, and when she saw her fierce gaze, Veronica flinched and lowered her head.
Im sorry.
I will forgive you this time. But if something like this happens again, there will be consequences.
I will keep that in mind.
Veronica took a few steps back, and Fiore sighed inwardly before looking at Frey once more.
Please forgive my rudeness.
The sincerity in her voice was palpable.
The implications behind this were clear.
It meant that the princess no longer intended to treat this man like the Blake familys third son but like a top class Archmage.
Frey shook his hand.
Its fine. By the way are you planning to let her stay?
My status as the Third Princess makes it difficult to have private meetings without at least one guard.
If she wanted to keep her status as princess, there were certain concessions she had to make.
There was no way that the things discussed here would be leaked anyway.
Moreover, Veronicas skills werent a threat to him.
Frey nodded.
The tedious battle of wits had truly come to an end, and now, the truly important topics could be discussed.
Then I will speak without hesitation. How much do you know about Leitas plan?
Even when he said the Duchess name, Freys expression did not change even the slightest bit.
It didnt seem like he was talking about the mother who gave birth to him.
My preparations were insufficient.
Fiore bit her lips.
She should have carried out more investigations on Frey.
However, there was not much information on him as he was treated as a man abandoned by his family and had only been in the academy for a short period of time.
After he came into contact with the Circle, his movements had been even more mysterious.
Fiore decided to change her strategy.
She had already lost the initiative, so she had to at least prove her worth. She couldnt let the other person think she was incompetent.
That was something she absolutely couldnt let happen.
She wants to bring me into the Blake family to isolate me from the Imperial family and.
Fiore hesitated as she wondered if she should continue.
It couldnt be helped. Because the information she was about to say was still unverified.
but.
That alone wasnt enough.
She could see it in Freys eyes.
He was not urging her, he was just observing her quietly.
But Fiore was able to tell what his true intentions were.
Hes testing my value.
She could tell that much.
How long had it been since people started looking at her in that way?
It wasnt just a blessing to be born into the Imperial family.
If you let down your guard a little or if you showed a flaw, you would be devoured without hesitation.
After that, it was obvious.
You would have to live the rest of your life like a puppet for your siblings.
A truly miserable life.
In order to not experience such a life, Fiore learned how to live.
She made use of every resource available. Just to survive.
The Circle and the Demigods were also tools used by Fiore.
They always tested and questioned her value.
And Fiore knew.
The moment she didnt live up to their expectations, she would lose her voice and her influence. After all, there were many members of the Imperial family for them to make use of.
She didnt want to end up like that, so Fiore desperately thought about what to do, and eventually, she found a way to survive.
She had succeeded in showing her value to both sides.
I even proved my worth to a Demigod.
The man in front of her wasnt much different from them.
So Fiore strengthened her resolve and opened her mouth.
they need something from me.
Hoh.
Frey quietly expressed his admiration.
The look in his eyes changed for the first time.
A flicker of interest could be seen.
Why do you think that?
She couldnt miss this opportunity.
Fiore licked her lips and continued her explanation.
The Blake family usually purchases magical materials, rare metals and magic tools from me. But in recent years, their purchases have tripled.
Triple.
That was not a simple figure.
After all, all the items that Fiore had just mentioned were quite expensive.
Even if the family bought double, it would cost a jaw-dropping amount, not to mention triple.
Such an amount would certainly be burdensome, even for the Blake family.
On the surface, they said they were using it for the study of magical science, but I didnt fully believe that.
Why?
Because items like Black Iron ingots and herbs unnecessary for magical science were included.
Black Iron ingots can be used in alchemy. And the more herbs a family has in stock, the better, especially for large families.
He was arguing, but he wasnt attacking her.
Rather, it seemed like he wanted to see how she would respond. He even looked a little pleased at that moment.
This was the first time that Frey had revealed any emotion to her.
?
At that moment, Fiore couldnt help but see the image of her teacher projected onto his figure.
No.
No way.
Of all the Wizards she knew, her teacher was the most amazing.
She could admit that the man in front of her was really amazing, but there was absolutely no way that he could be compared to her teacher.
Fiore calmed herself and said.
The amount was too much. No matter what they were making, they wouldnt be able to make use of close to a ton of Black Iron in such a short time. Even the herbs came up to hundreds of kilograms. The amount they bought is well above the standard, even if we include all the members of the Blake family and their servants.
And they didnt need to buy it from the Imperial family in the first place. Those items arent extremely hard to obtain, and the Blake family certainly has its own suppliers.
Hiding the tension she felt inside, Fiore released the last piece of information.
Trolls blood, Ten year old Wild Ginseng, Harkon, Emeralds and Bloodstones. Some of them are surely decoys, but Im certain that there is something among these that the Duchess wants to obtain.
Frey narrowed his eyes.
She had kept close records of her transactions with the Blake family, which had allowed her to get a rough estimate of the familys size.
She then analyzed this information without exaggerating any details before reaching her conclusion.
At least, in the field of mental calculation and reasoning, Fiore could be considered among the best on the continent.
If even one aspect had been lacking, she would not have been able to produce the same results she had thus far.
Frey nodded.
Excellent. Among the five materials Your Majesty mentioned, the item Leita is aiming for is listed.
Ah thank you.
Fiore responded while blushing subconsciously.
At that moment, she was filled with a sense of accomplishment and pride from successfully answering his question.
Rather, Veronica, who was standing beside her, watched this scene with wide eyes.
Who the hell is this guy?
It was always Fiore, the Third Princess, who embarrassed those old men who believed they were experienced and strong in politics.
At least, Veronica had never seen her lose a battle of wits.
No.
To be exact, she couldnt even imagine such a thing happening.
Yet, this man before her was treating Fiore like a child and praised her like he was her superior.
But the thing that truly shocked her was Fiores response to it.
Why was she acting proud and happy like she had been praised by her teacher?
It had been almost ten years since Veronica had stood beside Fiore, and she had never seen her in such a state before.
Which of the five materials does the Duchess want?
Before I answer that, can I ask one question, Your Majesty?
Yes. Please ask.
Are you going to continue being neutral?
At that moment, Fiores expression hardened, and her blushing face regained its cool.
thats none of your business.
I know my rudeness, but dare I ask, Your Highness. How long do you think you can remain neutral?
What do you mean?
The Demigods will soon take over the continent.
huh?
Fiores eyes widened when she heard that ridiculous statement.
Veronicas reaction was not very different.
But Frey didnt say these words without reason.
I am telling you in advance. This isnt a guess nor a delusion. In a year at the earliest and two years at the latest, they will begin acting in earnest to take control of the continent.
B-, but why now? They have been silent for thousands of years
It has been a long time. Enough that we might have forgotten their nature. But dont be fooled. They could do it at any time, and they want to.
Even if he said this, she wouldnt believe his words easily.
This was what Fiores expression told him.
But it didnt matter.
Nothing he could say would be able to convince her.
Frey spoke without hesitation.
And before that happens, Your Majesty will die.
Silence descended on the room for a moment, then Veronica spoke out in outrage.
You, I dont know what you
She knows.
As a guard, it was clear that she was very loyal to her charge. In the face of such words, it was natural for her to express her anger when she heard someone talk about her masters death so openly.
But Fiore, on the other hand, remained calm as though they were not talking about her life.
Can I ask why?
To answer your previous question, the material that Leita needs is Harkon. And the only one in the Imperial family who could supply it to them is you.
Ah thats right. Im the only one in the Imperial family who knows how to obtain Harkon. But that its not a very useful metal.
Fiore tilted her head slightly and closed her eyes, seemingly trying to organize her thoughts.
they want to restrict me in order to find out the origin of Harkon or its location. Is that what youre trying to say?
Yes. And if their schedule hadnt changed, it might have happened already.
If Riki hadnt injured the apocalypses to the point where Lord and Leyrin had to run around to treat them, it almost certainly would have happened already.
After all, if they were able to mass produce Illuminium, they would be able to act without restraint.
If it was Leyrin, she would be able to wipe out Kausymphony on her own.
Leita judged you to be a true neutral, but I think differently. Your Highness life is in jeopardy. If you take even one step in the wrong direction, you would fall off a cliff where you couldnt even see the ground.
Fiore bit her lip because he wasnt completely wrong.
It was true that she was forced to gamble with her life dozens of times before, and if she had made even one mistake, then she wouldnt be sitting there at that moment.
She spoke in a slightly disheartened tone.
Then are you recommending I join the Circle?
No. They cant protect you.
Then
Not the Circle. Join me instead.
Frey looked into Fiores shaking eyes.
I will be your shield.
Chapter 120 - The Third Imperial Princess (4)
Chapter 120 - The Third Imperial Princess (4) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Even if Frey said that, it was impossible for her to believe him so easily.
He was publicly known to be at the 7 star level. Not to mention the Demigods, he wasnt even comparable to most circles.
From the thorough nature of the princess, it was natural for her to be suspicious of his words at first.
This wasnt a problem, though, as that was Freys intention from the start.
After all, the effect would be much greater if she had doubts beforehand.
However, the princess reaction was completely unexpected.
Ah
Why was she looking at Frey with wide eyes while her face was as red as a beet?
Seeing this, Veronica, who was beside her, poked her in the side with her finger.
Your Majesty.
Ah? Ahh. I, I see. Gi-, give me a second.
Fiore tried to calm herself down while fanning her face with a hand.
Veronica sighed and muttered in a low voice.
Your Majesty, its better to not show that youre an old maid(1).
Sh-, shut up!
After a moment, Fiore looked at Frey with a calm expression as though nothing had happened.
Youre right. Im in a much more precarious situation than I seem to be in.
Leita seemed to believe that Fiore would be safe as long as she was within the Imperial family, but she was wrong.
The Imperial family was not a safe place for Fiore.
On the contrary, in a way, there could be no place more dangerous for her.
It wasnt just because of the Circle and the Demigods.
There were invisible rank skirmishes, feuds between factions and constant checks.
She couldnt even remember the last time shed slept soundly.
She had survived on such a battlefield, and to some extent, she had even established herself to some extent.
This was something Fiore was proud of.
But even the Demigods wouldnt kill me easily.
The Eleventh Tower Master. Is it because of him?
you know about him, too.
Fiore smiled bitterly as she said those words, but she wasnt completely surprised.
There werent many people who knew of the Eleventh Tower Master, but the number was still quite large.
The secret guardian of the Imperial family.
A Wizard that even the Demigods wouldnt touch easily.
That was the person who stood behind her.
By relying on that fact, Fiore was able to overcome numerous threats in the Imperial family.
Thats right. The reason I have been able to survive in the Imperial family is because I have his support.
Of course, it was her ability that had caught the Eleventh Tower Masters attention. (Note: really need a new name for this guy)
Frey was curious about him.
I would like to meet him sometime.
Well
Cant I?
Fiore shook her head.
Thats not something I can decide. The biggest reason is that I dont know where my Master is.
Even the princess doesnt?
Right.
This was unexpected.
Frey had thought he would be able to meet the Eleventh Tower Master using Fiore as a proxy.
By the way, Master I dont think the princess has learned magical science. (Note: considering calling this Magicologythoughts?)
Hes the greatest Wizard I know, but my Masters knowledge isnt necessarily limited to magical science. Ive learned a lot from my Master. I dont believe I could ever repay his grace to me even if I worked for the rest of my life.
Hmmm
Anyway ah!
It was then.
Fiore frowned for a moment before taking a small marble out of her pocket.
Freys eyes shined slightly when he saw it.
Magic tool.
Fiore then spoke with a slightly confused expression on her face.
My Master is contacting me. He rarely ever does so first
Should I leave for a while?
No. You dont have to. I think perhaps my master would like to speak to Frey.
Fiore then tapped on the marble with her index finger before muttering in a low voice.
Connect.
Woowoong.
Then, a small light was projected from the marble before forming into the blurry shape of a man.
The figure was wearing a robe, but his appearance couldnt be clearly seen as the image was very dark.
[Its a pleasure to meet you, Frey Blake.]
The voice was strange.
It was impossible to even guess the gender of the one speaking, let alone the age.
The hood of the robe was not deep enough to provide full coverage, so it should be the magic tool that obscured their appearance.
This meant the person had no intention of revealing his identity, which was quite common.
Even Frey himself was currently using the image of Kain Rixton.
The Eleventh Tower Master?
[Correct. I heard your conversation.]
Did he eavesdrop on his conversation with Fiore by using the marble? (Note: although Im using male pronouns, the Eleventh Tower Masters gender hasnt been confirmed.)
This didnt make Frey feel good.
Did Fiore know about this?
Frey shot a glance at her, a brief glimmer flashing in his eyes.
But Fiore seemed to be as surprised as he was.
Did she not know that the marble could eavesdrop on her?
It was clear that the Eleventh Tower Master hadnt fully explained the functions of the marble to Fiore.
There might have been a hidden reason, but right now, he felt a bit upset.
Then the Eleventh Tower Master continued.
[The Demigods domination over the continent will start in a few years. I dont think thats too far from the truth.]
Its very likely.
Frey spoke casually.
It was a stark contrast from Fiores polite use of honorifics, but the Eleventh Tower Master wasnt a title that existed officially in the first place.
Frey also didnt see a reason to be polite in the first place.
The Eleventh Floor Master didnt seem to mind his manner of speech.
[the Luanoble Kingdoms Black Dragon Knight regiment was destroyed overnight.]
Hmm.
Frey wondered how he had learned that information.
Of course, Frey knew because he had been right next to Nozdog as he annihilated the group of Knights.
[The Black Dragon Knights were strong enough to take down a small fortress in a day. Yet after they received some kind of mission from the Royal family, they simply disappeared as though they had evaporated. As far as I know, the only beings capable of such a thing on the entire continent are the Demigods.]
It was the Demigod with the power of death.
It wasnt something he needed to hide.
The Eleventh Tower Master nodded.
[So it was Nozdog. I also thought it would be one of the Apocalypses.]
The three Apocalypses that the Circle had identified were the Demigods of the sword, poison and death.
It seemed the Eleventh Tower Master also knew about Nozdog.
[No one knows why the Demigods have remained in the shadows for so long. But Im certain about one thing. The reason they didnt take control of the continent before was not because they lacked confidence.]
It was an accurate judgement.
After all, it was safe to assume that there were few beings on the entire continent who could threaten the Demigods after the Dragons disappeared.
Even so, there was one reason why they remained hidden.
Because they were afraid of the punishment.
But the Illuminium that Leyrin had created had given them the chance to deceive the Laws of the World.
Even if there was a time limit, that was not a big issue.
And this meant that they no longer had to stay silent.
[Killing the Black Dragon Knights was one of the most striking massacres carried out by the Demigods in decades. It wasnt through their Apostle or subordinate; it was a massacre carried out with their own hands.]
What about the attack on Nozdog before? Thousands of people died at that time.
The Eleventh Tower Master shook his head.
[They found out where Nozdog was staying and, the Circle was the one to make the first move. To paraphrase it, it was a foolish act to touch the nose of a sleeping lion.]
Freys eyes shined when he heard those words.
You know a lot about the Circle. Information that outsiders would not be able to know
[mm.]
The Eleventh Tower Master paused for a moment before letting out a sigh and saying.
[I let down my guard. Youre right. I was originally a member of the Circle.]
!
Fiore was the most surprised by that.
This was her first time hearing this information.
Frey thought for a moment before saying.
Were you a member of the Strow Necklaces?
[why do you say that?]
That marble was probably made by you.
He pointed towards the marble Fiore was holding.
It looks like it was just made with alchemy, but it is a precise magic tool that couldnt be made without the highest degree of magical knowledge. Its not something that couldve been made by someone who didnt belong to the Strow School, who have deep knowledge about the Great Sage and are masters of alchemy.
That wasnt all.
He couldnt be sure because of the blurriness of the image, but Frey was almost certain that the robe the Eleventh Tower Master was wearing was also a magic tool.
The Eleventh Tower Master nodded his head, not intending to deny Freys observation.
[I was once the Circle Master of the Strow Necklaces.]
!
Frey couldnt help but be surprised by this information.
He had believed that the Eleventh Tower Master had at least been an executive, but he had never imagined that he would actually be a previous leader of one of the Three Great Circles.
Why did you leave the circle if you were the Circle Master?
[I didnt leave. I was kicked out.] Sarch* The novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
What do you mean?
[Frey Blake. I can see it in your eyes that you are seriously thinking about defeating the Demigods its a look that reminds me of Osel.]
you knew Osel Argento?
Osel Argento.
Beniang Argentos foster father and the man who had sat on the seat as head of the Trowman Rings when it was one of the most prominent forces in the Circle.
The Eleventh Tower Master nodded.
[Osel was one of my closest friends. We promised to revive the Circle and one day fully escape the Demigods clutches.]
His voice was bitter.
[His death was the thing that truly highlighted just how rotten the Circle was. If he had listened to me and left the Circle sooner, he might not have met such a gruesome end]
When he heard that, Frey suddenly recalled Ivans words.
[The Trowman Rings I heard they suffered considerable damage during the battle with the Death Apocalypse. There were even rumors that the Three Great Circles had a hand to play in that]
Im not sure, but that is what I heard. (Note: this was in [] but I dont think the 11th was the one who said that)
At that time, Frey had felt that Master Osels death was quite suspicious.
However, looking at the Eleventh Tower Masters reaction, it seemed that there really was more to his death than it seemed.
[When I was kicked out of the Circle, I wanted to take Beniang with me, but it didnt work out. But unexpectedly, I have a new chance.]
Chance?
[Im going to make a formal offer. Would you like to take the Trowman Rings out of the Circle?]
[With your level of insight, Im certain you know that the Circle is rotten to the core. If you stay there, you will never be able to accomplish your goals.]
And joining you would be different?
[Of course.]
The Eleventh Tower Master said those words with conviction.
[It has already been 50 years since I was kicked out of the Circle. And during that time, I struggled to create a group that truly inherited the will of the heroes of the past and just recently, I managed to achieve that.]
His voice, which had been calm up until that point, became filled with passion and vigour.
[I have a strong alliance, Frey. It wont become like the Circle. No, our alliance might already be more powerful. With us, defeating the Demigods might not be just a dream!]
The Eleventh Tower Masters proposal was perfect.
Moreover, his behaviour was something Frey could understand.
He thought that it was amazing that someone would still have the fire of fighting spirit burning within, even after being kicked out of the Circle.
Besides.
The Eleventh Tower Master was at least an 8 star Wizard.
If not, he would not have been able to hold the position of Circle Master of one of the Three Great Circles, and he would not have been able to keep the Demigods at bay.
The group he belonged to might very well be stronger than the Circle. So there was no need to go further.
This group would be able to move alone without Freys guidance, and they would be able to steadily move toward the destruction of the Demigods, Freys long-cherished desire.
On the other hand, the Circle was different.
It needed to be fixed.
If it was left the way it was, then it would only take a brief offensive from the Demigods to completely destroy.
Since the Circle was the biggest thorn in the Demigods sides, the first thing they would do when they got enough Illuminium would be to destroy them.
He couldnt do it.
Although it was a fact that the Circle was rotten, Frey couldnt help but feel that it was a waste of power and potential to leave it as it was.
I appreciate the offer, but I intend to fix the Circle from the inside.
The Eleventh Tower Master was shocked by those words, but then he gave a bitter laugh.
[Hoho reform the Circle from within. You really are like Osel.]
[Thats not as easy as it sounds. In the past, the Trowman Rings was as powerful as the Three Great Circles, but it took less than 10 years for them to collapse.]
Then he gave a slight smile
[My proposal still stands. I will always welcome someone with your talent I just hope you dont meet the same end as Osel.]
That wont happen.
[I hope not. Then we will meet again someday. Lets have a serious conversation when that time comes.]
He then turned his head and spoke to Fiore.
[Fiore, spare no effort in helping him. Although we are currently walking two different paths, our destinations are still the same]
Ah yes, Master.
Shuk.
After Fiore nodded, the Eleventh Tower Masters image became hazy and began to disappear.
It was clear that he was disconnecting the call.
Frey opened his mouth just before he disappeared.
Can you tell me your name?
[I am Cairo Wilsemann.]
!
With those words, the Eleventh Tower Masters figure disappeared completely.
Nevertheless, Frey kept staring at the spot where he had been standing.
Cairo Wilsemann
Wilsemann.
That was the surname that Schweiser had before he changed his name to Strow.
(Note:
1. The expression emphasizes the paradox of being old and yet still virginal and unmarried. It wasnt the only term that was tried out; the eras literature also poked fun at superannuated virgins.)
Chapter 121 - When to Crouch (1)
Chapter 121 - When to Crouch (1) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
After Cairo left, silence fell upon the room for a moment as Fiore and Frey both took time to organise their thoughts.
I managed to bring in the Third Princess.
Their brief conversation showed him how deeply she admired her teacher.
So now that Cairo had given her the task of helping Frey, she would certainly do so to the best of her ability.
Of course, it would have been best if he had been able to get the Third Princess completely on his side, but Frey knew it was unrealistic to believe he could sway the princess in just one meeting.
Just with her promise to help him, he had already achieved his goal.
After he finished organizing his thoughts, Frey said to Fiore.
There are three favors Id like to ask of Your Majesty.
Please go ahead.
First off, please hold off on your engagement to me.
Fiores cheeks reddened considerably, and she coughed a few times to calm herself.
Without making further mention of this, Frey continued speaking.
But dont directly cancel it.
You want me to walk on a tightrope? Thats fine. Im confident in doing at least that much.
After all, she was a woman who had established herself in the Imperial family by walking on a tightrope.
There was nothing to worry about.
What else?
You need to delay the sale of Harkon for a while. It would be best if you could give a suitable excuse so Leita doesnt become suspicious.
Hmm.
Fiore furrowed her brows slightly.
Delaying sales wasnt the hard part. After all, she was the one who held the full sales rights for Harkon, so the deal with the Blake family could be ended with a simple stamp.
But it was obvious that Leita would become suspicious if the deal was to just end suddenly.
Fiore knew how perceptive she was.
Last time, she succeeded in taking the initiative due to her sudden visit, but that didnt mean Leita was a pushover.
She had to delay the sale of Harkon as much as possible while preventing that woman from noticing.
It wasnt as easy as it sounded.
Well, for anyone other than Fiore, at least.
She smiled confidently.
Alright. Whats your last request?
That
It would take some time to explain.
Frey slowly began telling Fiore his third request, and her expression steadily became harder and harder.
its not difficult. If the plates are made as Frey said. (Note: I used plate here but this might change since the word ? has a couple meanings and there wasnt much context)
Thats good.
Fiore was dumbfounded for a moment.
She looked at Frey like there was something she wanted to say, but Frey deliberately avoided her gaze and looked out the window.
The sun was beginning to rise.
This was proof that they had been talking for much longer than expected.
Frey got up from his seat.
Then Ill take my leave.
Ah yes. Have a safe trip.
Thank you.
Fiore, who also didnt realise the time, spoke up.
Frey politely bowed his head before leaving the room.
Veronica, who had been silently observing them from the side, finally spoke.
That third request. Are you really going to fulfill it?
If the plate just needs to be made as he said, Ill do it. Its not difficult.
Your Highness should know well just how ridiculous this request is.
Veronica was right.
She knew it well.
but he doesnt appear to be someone who would do something for no reason.
Fiore sighed.
That was the problem.
She felt that Freys words would really become a reality.
* * *
Frey returned to the mansion.
He had stayed out all night, but he didnt feel very tired.
He took off his robe and removed the illusion magic. Then he meditated for a while until the sun came up.
When Frey opened his eyes once more, all signs of tiredness had disappeared completely.
There was some time until breakfast, so Frey got up and went to Heinzs room.
It looked like he had just woken up, but he still gave Frey a curious look.
It seems you had a really good time with the princess.
I didnt come here to talk about that.
Frey shook his head as he spoke.
Heinz nodded.
Since you came at a time like this, there must be something you want. Tell me.
Frey said what he wanted, and Heinz agreed.
And when it was time for breakfast, all the members of the Blake family, except Mischael, were gathered.
After the light meal, Frey spoke out.
I will accept Mothers decision.
Oh my.
Leita was slightly surprised by his words.
Frey glanced at Isaka.
Isakas expression had become a bit stiff.
Frey had purposely responded to Leitas suggestion in such an open manner because he wanted to see Isakas reaction.
He wanted to know how he felt about this.
And looking at his stiff expression, Frey was able to make a guess as to how he was feeling.
Good thinking. You are now a proud member of the Blake family.
It is an honour.
Then Heinz.
Yes?
Teach Frey about the secrets of the Blake family. And Frey, when youve learned everything, come down to the basement.
Understood.
Frey then followed Heinz back to his room.
Tak.
The door closed quietly.
There wasnt much for the two of them to talk about, which was understandable since Frey knew just as much as Heinz did.
After a moment of silence, Heinz finally spoke.
I did what you asked.
That was fast.
shell be here by the day after tomorrow. Although, thats under the assumption that she would even listen to your request.
She doesnt have much of a choice.
I dont know why youre so confident. That person is one of the top executives in the Circle. Plus, Sheryl Roland is known for her pride.
Thats right.
Freys request to Heinz was to ask the Phisfounder Armlets Circle Rounder, Sheryl Roland, to come to the Blake family mansion.
Soon, the mansion would become a battlefield.
And he knew what would happen on that battlefield.
With Sheryls assistance, they would easily be able to deal with almost any situation.
But Heinz didnt believe that Sheryl would listen to Freys request.
It was natural that hed think so, as he didnt know that Sheryl had already submitted to Frey.
stay here for an hour, then go down to the basement. What you see there might be a bit too much to handle, but I think you can keep yourself together.
Heinzs expression, which had been blank from the start, suddenly became serious.
And
He felt conflicted.
This was proven by the fact that he was no longer able to control his emotions.
But in the end, he couldnt say what he wanted to.
Heinz bowed his head and sighed.
No. Its nothing.
About an hour passed before Frey left Heinzs room and headed to the basement.
Leita was waiting for him at the entrance.
Are you finished talking?
Yes.
She gave him a mysterious smile. Sarch* The Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Alright. I wonder how you feel, now that you know the truth of the world.
honestly, it hasnt sunken in yet.
Proper acting had never been more important.
Leita nodded as she saw Freys conflicted expression.
Thats natural. Itll be confusing at first, but dont worry. I will slowly tell you your role.
His role?
Follow me.
Leita turned around with those words, exposing her back to him.
But Frey didnt dare lower his guard.
An Apocalypses Apostle.
Until now, the only Apocalypses Apostle that he had seen the true power of was Snow, Rikis Apostle.
Oydin didnt count because he was only half an Apostle.
Snows combat power was simply amazing. This was something Frey had noticed during their fight with the Bone Dragon.
She had shown an almost overwhelming amount of power during the fight with the Bone Dragon without even using the power of the sword.
Snow hasnt been Rikis Apostle for a long time.
As time went on, the divine power an Apostle could utilise steadily grew stronger.
And since he didnt know how long it had been since Leita had become an Apostle, letting his guard down was tantamount to suicide.
Tak tak.
They walked down the stairs leading to the basement.
The fact that the Blake family had a basement was something he had learned while searching the mansion with Ghost. However, he hadnt gone too close.
This was because the security magic that had been deployed around this place was many times stronger than anywhere else on the property.
If Frey had approached it carelessly, he would have triggered the numerous alarm spells, which would have alerted the entire house.
Tuk.
They reached the bottom of the stairs.
A heavy iron door stood in their way.
Leitra placed her hand on it, and after a moment, it began opening with a heavy sound.
Krrrrrr
A moment later, the iron door was fully opened.
And Freys expression became stiff at the sight that unfolded before his eyes.
U-, ugh
Urk, kuk
It was a prison.
A huge prison.
The rotten smell of blood and decomposing corpses filled his nose as soon as the door opened.
There were many kinds of people and monsters of all ages and sexes imprisoned behind the bars.
All types of living things seemed to have been locked up in this place.
Above all, none of them were in good condition.
All of them had serious injuries on various parts of their bodies, and those who appeared to be mostly intact were drooling heavily and had dull eyes as if they had lost their minds.
Leita, who saw his reaction, turned to Frey with a small smile.
Whats wrong?
Im just a little surprised.
Get rid of your sympathy. Theyre just test subjects.
Yes.
Frey nodded as he recalled information hed heard when investigating the Blake family in the past.
[Well. Now that I think about it, Hans did say that he saw several carriages enter the Blake family at dawn.]
[And he said he heard the cries of humans from within them.]
It was only at that moment that he realised what was in those carriages.
There wasnt even a hint of compassion in Leitas eyes as she looked at the test subjects.
There was only a cold gleam similar to a farmer looking at livestock.
Leita turned to Frey once more.
Are you disappointed?
Huh?
I wonder what you think about this scene.
He thought it was disgusting and cruel.
Frey wanted nothing more than to kill this woman in front of him who was so happily doing the Demigods bidding.
But he didnt show it.
He couldnt show it.
Now was the time to crouch.
Frey controlled his emotions so that they wouldnt show and bowed his head to her slightly.
I dont think anything.
Huhu. Im happy you can say that.
Leita smiled brightly and stroked his hair.
It was an obvious gesture of a mother praising her son.
Disgusting.
He had thought it before, but this time, it was different.
This thought had come from the residual feelings left over from Frey.
The introverted and mistreated loser, Frey Blake, felt disgust towards his mother.
Lets go deeper.
Yes.
Frey followed Leita.
He knew the basement was large, but in the end, he had still underestimated the sheer size of it.
After leaving the prison, they came to a room that appeared to be a laboratory.
It was larger than the prison, and quite a few people could be seen wandering around.
These people, many of whom were mixing ingredients in glass bottles, appeared to be Wizards.
They didnt pay much attention to Leitas arrival, and they only seemed focused on the result of their various experiments.
Who are they?
These are the Wizards and Alchemists who belong to the Blake Family.
But they look a bit strange
Well, of course. After all, we took away their ability to think. Theyre better than Golems, but they are still a type of puppet. Although this decreased our efficiency, isnt this the safest option?
You have to keep in mind. When running a place like this, it would be too troublesome if they had a sense of self.
Ill keep it in mind.
Soon, they left the laboratory and were approaching the end of the basement.
And Freys expression became progressively stiffer.
At first, he thought that the divine power he was sensing was because of their experiments, but it wasnt.
The divine power he felt became stronger and stronger the further they went, and it reached to the point where it was not an amount that could be released by anything other than a Demigod.
There was a Demigod in the basement.
And there was only one Demigod who would be in the Blake family mansion.
Leyrin.
She was at the end of this path.
Chapter 122 - When to Crouch (
Chapter 122 - When to Crouch (2) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Frey looked at Leitas expression as they walked.
She had a slight smile on her face and seemed to bounce slightly with each step.
She doesnt know who I am.
Leyrin was in the basement.
But it didnt seem like Leita was taking him there as a trap or to kill him.
At least, he could say that it was okay.
Its not that its not dangerous.
Within Frey was divine power that once belonged to Indra.
That wasnt all.
The mask he obtained from Hector and the marble he took from Rikis ashes were also in his bag.
If Leyrin noticed any of these things, he would get caught, and she would try to kill him.
But there was no way he could justify turning back at this point.
Frey clicked his tongue inwardly. The only way for him to overcome his present crisis was to adapt to the situation.
When they arrived at the final door in the dungeon, Leita stopped walking.
She then turned to Frey and spoke in a serious voice.
Inside this room is our Master.
By Master
Leyrin, the Demigod with the power of wind. The Emperor no. Think of her as a being even higher than the Emperor, and pay special attention to what you say and do.
Understood.
Good.
Leita nodded and opened the door.
All the rooms they had walked through so far had been dirty and gloomy, but this place was different.
It was clean and well lit. It was also quite wide.
The room wasnt luxurious, but it had all the furnishings one would expect to find.
It felt like someones bedroom rather than a room in the basement.
A grey-haired woman stood in the center of the room.
You arrived early.
I hope we didnt disturb you, True Master of the Continent.
Leita knelt down.
Frey also knelt down, following suit.
He felt offended by the title, True Master of the Continent, but he didnt show it.
Leyrin simply nodded her head.
Her youthful appearance was a stark contrast from those of the other Apocalypses.
Frey paid attention to her grey hair.
Grey hair that was unique to the Blake family.
That wasnt all.
Some of Leyrins features had some similarities to himself.
Perhaps.
It was highly likely that the genes of the Blake family had been taken from her body.
After all, the simplest way to obtain samples of divine power was to take them from her own body.
Nothing happened, right?
Thanks to you, everything is fine.
Leita was being extremely polite and there was no sign of her previous haughtiness.
Even when the Lady of one of the five greatest families in the empire bowed to her, Leyrins expression didnt change.
Thats great. Then Ill listen to your report. How much Harkon have you collected?
Weve already accumulated half of the target amount.
Thats too slow. I dont think well meet the deadline.
Im sorry. Plans are in progress to bring down the Third Princess. Please wait a while longer.
The Third Princess. Shes such a nuisance. If it wasnt for the Eleventh Tower Master and Paragon
Paragon?
Frey tilted his head slightly at the new word.
Perhaps that was the group that the Eleventh Tower Master, Cairo, was a part of.
In any case, the recovery of my brothers is going better than expe
It was then.
Leyrin stopped talking and turned her head to look at Frey.
Who is this? This isnt Heinz or Mischael Ah. Really, you humans all look alike. Leita, who is this guy? (Note: Author put Leyrin here, but Im sure it was just a mistake.)
This is my third son.
Third son? You had three children?
Thats right.
Shed never heard of this before.
The Blake family had never bothered to make a report about Frey, who had been branded as a failure.
Leyrins sharp gaze turned to Frey, and he bowed his head and said.
True Master of the Continent, I am Frey Blake, the third son of the Blake family.
Leyrin didnt respond.
She walked up to Frey and inspected him closely.
Frey bowed his head even more, the tip of his chin was shaking slightly.
Originally, he intended to act pressured by Leyrins aura, but when she did release her aura, he realised that it was much more bearable than he expected.
As soon as he had that thought, he subconsciously raised his head slightly.
It was bearable?
Frey had fought many Demigods before.
Therefore, it was possible for him to gauge the power of Demigods by the density of the divine power they subconsciously released.
But now, Leyrin didnt seem that strong.
All the Demigods classified as Apocalypses that hed met so far. Nozdog, Agni, Ananta.
The aura they exuded showed their strength as transcendent beings.
Riki, who was much more powerful than them, didnt count.
However, even when compared to the other three Apocalypses, the divine power Leyrin was now exuding was not powerful.
No, to be precise. She seemed to be much weaker than she had been during the meeting.
Why?
Leyrin grabbed Freys arm.
!
!
Shock appeared on both of their faces at the same time.
Leyrins jaw dropped.
You
She noticed.
She felt Indras divine power flowing within him.
His head became cold as though someone had poured cold water over it.
His eyes and chin, which had just been shaking due to the pressure, became completely still, and his confused mind calmed.
At his current stage, it was easier for Frey to stabilize his body and mind than flipping his palm over.
Think.
What was the best course of action he could take at that moment?
He had to do something to break out of his current situation.
Freys eyes turned to Leita.
If he killed her Apostle-
hes a good material.
Leyrin fixed her expression as she said those words.
But Freys expression became stiff as he heard that.
What did she just say?
I believe he will be helpful in bringing down the Third Princess.
Leita, who didnt seem to realise the tense situation that had just occurred between them, spoke gently.
Is that so? Hmm. Hes certainly more useful than Mischael. Well then, leave first.
huh?
Frey was confused.
Leyrin shrugged.
I have something to discuss with Leita, so leave.
Ah. Yes.
She was letting him go?
Despite knowing that he had Indras divine power in his body?
Why?
Was she playing with him because she could catch him later?
Thats not it.
But I dont know why.
He didnt think that was the reason, but he couldnt find a better one.
Firstly, he needed to get out of his current situation.
Leita and Leyrin.
It would take a long time for him to organise his thoughts while staying on guard against them.
Frey bowed his head.
And then, without hesitation, he turned and left the room.
Shortly after he disappeared, the smile on Leyrins face disappeared.
She quickly turned and spoke to Leita.
I want to ask you one question, Leita.
P-, please ask.
Her voice trembled slightly.
Leita could feel the anger hidden in her voice, and as Leyrin approached her, the pressure she released increased.
That guy named Frey. Has he accepted divine power yet?
H-, he hasnt accepted it yet. We only explained the secret of the family to him today
You stupid bitch. (Note: choke)
Leyrins anger was palpable as she strode over and lifted Leita off the ground by her delicate neck.
K-, kuk
I told you. I dont care if you make ten small mistakes. But dont you dare make even one crucial mistake you fool.
T-, thats right kuk
Kurk.
The blood was gradually draining from Leitas face.
Tell me, Leita. Are you an idiot? Did I really take an idiot as my Apostle?
I, Im not
Crunch!
Leyrin grit her teeth and threw Leita to the floor.
Then, she looked at her with a cold gaze. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
If you hadnt been my Apostle, I would have already chopped you into small pieces and fed you to a dog!
H-, huk huk
Shut up.
Leita couldnt imagine why her master was suddenly so angry.
This was the first time shed seen Leyrin, who was always smiling and cheerful, this angry.
Leyrin bit her nails.
This wasnt a situation that could be fixed with anger alone.
She had to think.
Think of a way to escape her current situation
Chapter 123 - When to Crouch (3)
Chapter 123 - When to Crouch (3) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
After returning to his room, Frey immediately drew Asuras summoning circle.
This was so he could summon him at a moments notice.
Then, he immediately began to pay close attention to his surroundings.
No one had followed him, and there was no one revealing any hostile intentions towards him.
Frey frowned.
Why did she let me go?
Leyrin had definitely noticed the divine power hidden within his body.
He had no doubt about that.
Nevertheless, she didnt attack him but instead sent Frey back upstairs.
Her reaction didnt make any sense.
There was no trace of hostility at all.
She hadnt even sent someone to follow him.
Is it because she can kill me at any time?
No.
That wasnt it.
That wasnt the feeling he had gotten from her reaction.
But could there be any other reason?
Frey replayed his memory of the scene.
Leyrin was surprised to find Indras divine power in my body.
That was understandable.
But then she panicked.
Why did she panic?
With Leyrins power, she shouldve been able to overpower him easily.
It would be even easier for her to kill him.
Even if he had reached 8 stars, it was still impossible for him to win in a head to head clash with an Apocalypse.
Did she see my stage?
Had Leyrin realised that he was also an 8 star Wizard?
No, that wasnt possible either.
Even if he didnt know much about divine power, he knew that it was impossible for Leyrin to have sensed the mana he was concealing.
That was not it either.
Frey kept thinking.
Questions popped up one after another.
All of his previous assumptions were wrong. This meant that he had taken the wrong step from the start.
Frey closed his eyes.
Since he couldnt reach a conclusion, he needed to change his approach.
He diverted all his energy to thinking.
A drop of sweat rolled down Freys face.
If he had the brain of a normal person, this sort of repetitive thinking would have already burnt it out by now.
Since his previous assumptions were incorrect, he relentlessly calculated and narrowed down the possibilities.
After an unknown period of time, there was only one thought left in Freys mind.
What if it wasnt that she didnt want to take action but that she couldnt take action?
Avatar.
He opened his eyes.
It was an avatar, not Leyrins true body.
A being who only had a small portion of the main bodys power.
It was strong enough to wipe out tens of strong fighters, but it was not strong enough to defeat the current him.
In general, there were only two reasons why a Demigod would use an avatar. When it was trying to hide its power and when it could not move its main body.
Frey believed it was the latter.
It would make the most sense if the Leyrin he had met was just an avatar, not her main body, and it would also mean that her main body was unable to move at that moment.
After all, she was either weakened or had limited strength.
He couldnt be sure, but Frey believed it had something to do with the other Apocalypses who were fatally injured.
She wasnt confident.
She wasnt confident that she could perfectly deal with Frey in her current state.
That was why she sent him back.
She was trying to buy time by pretending she didnt notice.
Hmm.
That last part was particularly important.
Leyrin wanted to buy time.
He didnt know why, but that fact was obvious.
If so, it meant Frey had to move faster.
I have to completely revise my plan.
Frey left his room.
Before long, the entire Blake family would be overturned.
Probably by his own hands.
Before that, there was a man whose position he had to confirm.
* * *
The Livindak Mountains.
Located near the Silkid Desert, it was one of the most rugged alpine regions on the continent.
Even monsters, known to be able to survive even the harshest of conditions were nowhere to be seen as this place consisted mostly of barren, rocky mountains where vertical cliffs of dizzying heights were endless.
It was a barren land where not even weeds grew.
Atop the mesa(1) on Mount Roxeo, there were transcendent beings.
Kooo.
Not one but four. A skeleton, a ball of flame and a scorpion.
The one thing they shared in common was their enormous size that seemed to surpass imagination.
And standing in the center of these huge beings was one whose body was devoid of any common features.
White light constantly flowed from this featureless figure and illuminated the surroundings.
Lord.
And the three Demigods who had been severely injured by Riki.
[]
The white light that was exuded from Lords body was slowly being absorbed by the other three.
He was sharing his divine power.
An ability that only Lord had among all the Demigods.
Riki.
The power of the sword.
In this world, there was nothing that couldnt be cut by a sword wielded by him.
This was clear by the fact that he had even been able to cut the barrier Lord had created.
If it wasnt for Lords help, these three would have already died painful deaths.
It was then.
Leyrin appeared beside Lord.
She solemnly watched this scene of divine power being transferred.
if it wasnt for this, I wouldnt have had to use my avatar.
There was only a small amount of divine power left in her body at that moment because Lord had extracted most of it and infused it into the bodies of the other three.
If Leyrin had been at full power, then it would have been a simple task to capture Frey, who shed found in the family, and extract information.
But it couldnt be helped.
After all, she couldnt just ignore her siblings who were on the verge of death.
Lord.
[Leyrin, whats the matter?]
When she heard his words, Leyrin couldnt help but sigh.
Theres a problem.
[Those words arent pleasant to hear.]
Especially in the current situation.
[Tell me.]
An enemy appeared in my lab.
[An enemy?]
A man with Indras lightning energy. No other details are known, but he is currently a threat.
[Indras lightning.]
Indra was one of their kind who had died already.
In fact, Riki had killed him while he was hibernating due to his Apostles death.
Lords eyes appeared.
[He is connected to Riki.]
Thats right.
[Dont kill him. Capture him.]
that would be best, but its not as easy as it sounds.
Leyrins grumbling was natural.
The opponents strength was unknown, and she was currently in the weakest state shed been in in centuries.
It was impossible to make a move hastily. S~ea??h the novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
If I were to leave this place
This was truly an absurd situation that shed never experienced, even in her thousands of years of life.
She couldnt make a move.
Lord was also aware of Leyrins current crisis
He spoke calmly.
[I will send some of the others.]
Leyrins eyes lit up.
How many will you send?
[There are three of our kind near the Kastkau Empire. I will send them.]
Three Demigods.
That way, even if the man with Indras lightning could overpower a single Demigod, he would still be captured.
Thats more than enough. How long will it take them to get there?
[None of them know how to use Space-Time movement, so it will take about three days.]
three days.
Leyrins expression darkened once again.
This was because even three days felt like an eternity for her at that point.
After all, this wasnt a situation that she could stall by running away.
The Blake family residence was the place where the research on Illuminium was steadily progressing.
If it was destroyed now, it would cause a huge disruption to the mass production of the Illuminium when they were currently only a few steps away from continental domination.
In addition, her own Apostle, Leita, was there.
Is he aware that Leita is my Apostle?
She wasnt sure, but the chances were very high.
When Leyrin had grabbed Freys arm in the basement and he realised that she had sensed the lightning in his body, the first place he looked was towards Leita.
She was certain that if she made a move at that moment, he would have immediately killed Leita.
Did he find out from Rikis Apostle?
She thought about the masked man who had been standing behind Riki during the meeting not long ago.
No, now that she thought about it.
Lord himself had gone to kill that man.
After he returned, Lord hadnt said anything, but Leyrin didnt believe that a single Apostle would be able to escape from Lord.
Moreover, Demigods powers could not be replicated.
Except for Lord, there were no Demigods who could use two powers.
The same was true for Apostles.
That said, it was possible that Frey had learned of Leitas identity through his own independent investigation.
It was also possible that he was taking a gamble by aiming at Leita.
Then is he the one Riki left just in case something happened?
So he gave him Indras crystal.
Leyrin clicked her tongue.
Indras main body was dead.
This meant that the lightning power in that mans body was no longer borrowed power, but it had instead become his own power.
With time and opportunity, it was possible for his power to go beyond the limits of Apostles.
And because he was a member of the Blake family, he also had the ability to use mana.
This is difficult.
Leyrin never thought that a creature born from her own actions could make her feel such a way.
It wouldnt be easy to endure the next three days.
(Note:
1. A mesa is an isolated, flat-topped elevation, ridge or hill, which is bounded from all sides by steep escarpments and stands distinctly above a surrounding plain.)
Chapter 124 - When to Crouch (4)
Chapter 124 - When to Crouch (4) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Frey headed towards Heinzs room, and as soon as he knocked on the door, he heard a heavy voice from within.
Come in.
He opened the door and headed in.
Heinz was sitting at his desk, leisurely flipping through the pages of a book.
He didnt appear surprised to see Frey.
I came because I have something to say.
I see.
Heinz closed his book and pointed toward a chair in front of him.
Frey sat without any hesitation and looked at Heinz.
Looking at him like this, Frey immediately noticed the many similarities between him and Heinz.
If they walked down the street together, everyone would immediately know that they were brothers.
Frey shook his head.
He didnt come here for that.
There was also no need for him to be indirect.
He didnt have time for that.
Instead, Frey immediately said the main reason why hed come to Heinz.
From today, I will be devising a strategy to kill Leita.
Heinzs mouth became a thin line.
Why?
Because shes Leyrins Apostle.
Frey looked Heinz straight in the face as if he didnt want to miss even the slightest reaction.
There was no immediate response.
Heinz paused heavily for a moment before sighing.
I see.
Did you expect it?
Naturally. My mother had always been one of the suspects. Even so, I always thought Father would be the Apostle but how did you find out?
Thats not important.
Frey crossed his hands.
I came here to find out what your goal is.
My goal?
What exactly do you want?
Freys question was quite natural.
Even now, he had yet to learn Heinzs goal.
At the moment, it seemed that he assisted the Circle by being a spy in the Demigods camp.
But he had once advised Frey to not put too much trust in the Circle.
If he really was on the Circles side, Heinz would have never said those words.
Heinz also knew just how big the ripple that would spread through the Circle would be if they learned that he could control divine power.
If that fact was revealed, he would have to be wary of violent backlash at any moment.
So was he a spy for the Demigods instead?
Frey believed that that was also unlikely.
After all, Heinz had no reason to cooperate with him if he was a spy for the Demigods.
Regardless of what his intentions were, as a spy, he would never bring Frey to the Blake family when Leyrin was in such a weakened condition.
Instead, he would have found any excuse to prevent it.
Frey could tell from Leyrins reaction that it was never in their plan for Heinz to bring him back to the Blake family. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
If I had come to the house alone.
He wouldnt have been able to meet Leyrin so easily.
Instead, he probably would have been suspected by Isaka and Leita.
It was only because Frey had returned with Heinz that he had been able to win their trust and subsequently be exposed to such vital information.
then, I would also like to ask a question.
Heinz then spoke in a heavy voice.
Where is the real Frey?
Freys expression didnt change.
After all, hed expected that something like this would happen someday.
This was because he and Frey were too different.
Their personalities, values, habits and the steps hed taken to reach this point.
If Frey had had any number of friends, or if he had many people who knew him, then he would have been suspected much sooner.
But few people knew the previous Frey.
Most of them had never even spoken to him. Instead, all they knew about him had been from what theyd heard.
This was why Freys sudden change had never aroused any doubt.
However family would always be different.
at first, I thought it was just a great awakening that caused you to change so much. After all, anyone would change given the circumstances. But this isnt something that could be explained away with mere change.
answer me. Please.
Heinzs voice gradually began shaking.
The same was true for his eyes.
His appearance was similar to a stone statue that was beginning to crack.
What happened to my younger brother?
Hes dead.
Frey gave a simple answer.
What
What do you mean what? What are you trying to say now?
Frey got up from his seat, approached Heinz and lifted him up by his collar.
Kwak.
Heinzs body was limp.
It seemed that his reaction to the news was genuine, but there was no sympathy in Freys gaze.
Instead, his eyes seemed to burn brightly.
Frey Blake is dead. Exhausted and distressed by the poor treatment he received from you and your family. In the end, he could find no salvation, and while struggling in pain and solitude, he killed himself.
Heinzs mouth opened wide.
Frey frowned slightly.
This wasnt it.
He didnt intend to blame Heinz for what hed done.
What he really wanted to say was
What right do you have to mourn Freys death?
!
Shepard had said that Heinz was different.
He didnt know if that was true, but in truth, it was none of his business.
No matter what his intentions were or how hed felt while doing what hed done, it wouldnt change the fact that Frey Blake had died.
If it was really Frey who was standing there at that moment, maybe he wouldve forgiven Heinz.
If you thought about his personality, the probability of that was actually really high.
But he wasnt Frey.
Instead, he was just someone who was using Freys body.
That was why he didnt believe he had the right to listen to Heinzs explanation nor the right to forgive him.
For him, there was only one thing that mattered.
And that was the fact that Heinz Blake was one of the causes of Frey Blakes death.
This was the qualification which granted him the right to vent his anger at Heinz, who had helped drive that child to death.
Taht.
When Frey let go of him, Heinz lost his balance and fell to the floor.
Frey shook his head, annoyed.
He hadnt gone there to talk about this.
Instead, after confirming Heinzs true intentions, he had intended to persuade him and get his help in killing Leita.
However, when he saw the pathetic look on Heinzs face, Frey felt emotional.
His mind and body were both disturbed, and the thing that upset him the most was the fact that he felt sympathy for Heinz.
Of course, these werent his own feelings.
Dont do that, Frey Blake.
Frey spoke to himself.
He could feel Frey shouting within him.
Something must have happened to his brother.
He wanted to hear his explanation.
He wanted to forgive him.
What a soft-hearted guy.
Frey sighed as he looked down at Heinzs shivering figure.
(Note: and so ends this chapter of the novel. Just from the title, Im sure the next chapter will be quite intense.
See you guys soon for Family Extermination (1)).
Chapter 125 - Family Extermination (1)
Chapter 125 - Family Extermination (1) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Youre right.
Heinz staggered up from the floor.
His head was lowered, and there was a strange expression on his face.
If Frey is dead, as you say, then I really dont have the right to mourn his death. Huhu.
He laughed blankly as if he had lost a piece of his soul.
I just wanted to get Frey out of this hell.
Hell?
Right.
Shuk.
Heinz took off his shirt.
Upon seeing this, Freys eyebrows furrowed.
Terrible scars covered Heinzs well-trained body.
Cuts, tears and stitches could be found on almost every inch of his skin.
A body which can contain and utilise both divine power and mana at the same time is, in itself, a rare sample. For the Blake family, Ive always been just another test subject. Nothing more, nothing less.
After staying silent for a while, Heinz continued.
It was the same for Mischael. He was also different before the experiments began. I wouldnt say he was a good person, but he certainly could have become one with the right education. But the intensity of the experiments became stronger and stronger with each passing day, and Mischael, who wasnt strong-willed, had no choice but to go in such a crooked direction just so he wouldnt break as the chosen ones, we all had to go through these ordeals.
When Frey was born his smile was like that of an angel. I hoped that such a beautiful smile would never go away. I didnt want my precious brother to suffer in this cursed family. So I purposely blocked his mana veins.
Frey frowned.
He clearly remembered the feeling of discomfort hed felt when he first inhabited Freys body.
He was certain that a third party had blocked the mana flow, and now, Heinz was admitting he was the cause.
I thought it would be better for him if he wasnt in the Blake family. If he could go somewhere else. Like the academy, where he could stay with his peers I believed they would get along.
The Westroad Academy was just another hell for Frey Blake.
When Frey said these words calmly, Heinz bowed his head once again.
I didnt hear about any bullying in the school.
Of course, he wouldnt know.
All the students in the Westroad Academy were nobles.
Almost from the moment they could talk, they were taught the basics of politics.
Therefore, they were able to carry out their bullying in secret, without alarming the professors.
And because of Freys timid nature, there was no way hed tell someone about it.
That was why Heinz had never heard about his brothers treatment in the academy.
but given that childs personality, I suppose something like that was natural.
He was in a hurry, and he hadnt thought it through.
But such excuses were meaningless now.
Heinz bit his lip.
And it was us who made him so weak. Theres no excuse for it.
So what will you do now?
I dont know.
Heinz sighed. Sear?h the novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
I really dont know. To be honest, I didnt expect Freys death to have such a big impact on me.
Whats done is done. Dont think about it too much.
Heinzs expression became strange at that moment.
If someone else had said those words to him, he definitely wouldve gotten angry, but Freys voice seemed to be filled with experience.
Like the voice of someone who had overcome a situation even greater than the one he was going through.
First of all, help me.
help you?
There are still remnants of Frey inside of me. Originally, I didnt care about your story, and I didnt intend to listen. I only did so because Frey wanted to.
Frey.
He wants to believe that there was a reason for what youd done.
Those words made Heinzs expression clear up a little.
Can you tell me more?
That depends on your choice.
That reminded Heinz of what Frey had just told him.
In other words, he was forcing him.
So youre asking me to cooperate with a mysterious being that took over the dead body of my little brother?
It doesnt sound good when you put it that way, but yes.
I want to ask something first. Why did you join the Circle?
When he heard that, a vicious light seemed to shine within Heinzs eyes.
To erase the Demigods from the face of the continent.
They had left irrevocable scars on his body.
And because of them, he was constantly suffering from pain and anguish.
Why him? Why did he have to suffer like that?
Anger and resentment blossomed within his heart, and as time passed, they only grew stronger.
And then hed realised.
The Demigods were the reason for everything.
Frey could clearly see the rage in Heinzs eyes, and for him, that was more convincing than any oath or promise.
This was proof that he could trust Heinz.
Apocalypses. They are considered the strongest among the Demigods. We now have the opportunity to slay one of them.
by killing my mother?
Do you still consider them your parents?
Freys words caused Heinz to pause.
No positive or negative thoughts came to mind immediately. However, he was certain that he had no attachment to them as his family members.
But that didnt mean he was willing to kill them just because of that.
After all, werent they the ones who gave birth to him and raised him?
Im not sure.
Thats understandable.
That was a natural response that anyone with a moral compass would give.
This meant he couldnt ask for Heinzs help to kill Leita.
Then Id like to ask you for something else.
What is it?
There is a metal called Illuminium.
Illuminium?
Right. Its features
Frey gave him a rough overview of the characteristics of Illuminium, and after hearing everything, Heinz nodded and asked.
Its stored somewhere in the mansion?
Theres a high probability that its stored in the basement.
Heinz shook his head.
There are many basements other than the one below the mansion.
There are?
Besides this one, there are numerous labs scattered throughout Pillat. I know a few of them, but I dont know all of them.
Hmm.
Frey pondered for a while before saying.
Then focus on finding these hidden laboratories as quickly as possible. It would be better if we could find clues about the Illuminium.
Understood then what about you?
first, Ill watch how the situation develops. If possible, Id like to wait until Sheryl gets here before making a move.
Frey thought for a moment before adding.
And I think we need to call in for more reinforcements.
Two days was not a short time. Especially in an urgent situation like this one.
Nevertheless, there was a reason why Frey had remained silent for two days.
One was that he was in the heart of the enemys territory.
No matter how powerful he was, Frey couldnt completely ignore the strength of the Blake family.
The fighting strength of the Blake family wasnt a threat if Leita was excluded, but there was one variable that remained unknown.
I dont know how strong Isakas divine power is.
Even Heinz didnt know.
Isaka, the 7 star Archmage, was of no threat to Frey, but Isaka, who wielded divine power, was a different story.
He was someone Frey had to be mindful of.
The other reason, and in fact the decisive reason, was that Leita had disappeared ever since she had taken Frey to the basement.
Frey had scoured the entire mansion, but he was unable to find any traces of her.
At least, it was clear to him that she was no longer in the mansion.
She evacuated her immediately after talking to me.
Leita was her weakness.
At the same time, it was ironic because Leita was the main fighting force, but Leyrin had still chosen to evacuate her rather than use her as a deterrent force against him.
Heinz didnt return to the mansion either.
At Freys request, he began searching the entirety of Pillat.
Thanks to that, meals in the house were only attended by Frey and Isaka.
Isaka simply moved his spoon with a robotic expression on his face.
And even after the meals, there were no conversations between the two of them.
After dinner, Frey returned to his room, and in the dark room lit only by the moonlight streaming in from the window, he found a blonde-haired girl.
Sheryl
Did you call for me, Master?
Master?
Frey tilted his head slightly at the unfamiliar title but decided not to say anything about it.
I called you because I need your help.
Please give me your orders. Your wish is my command.
It was said calmly, but her word filled him with confidence.
After all, Sheryl Roland was second in command of the Phisfounder Armlets and also the Contractor of Lilith, one of the Five Demon Archdukes.
She also had her abilities as a vampire and hundreds of years of experience, so she was sure to be a great help to him.
I want you to track down Leita.
do you mean the Lady of the Blake family, Leita Blake?
Right.
Understood.
Sheryl nodded without asking any more questions.
It seemed she was also preparing to go look for her immediately.
Seeing this, Frey warned her so that she would take the proper precautions.
Shes an Apostle.
Sheryls expression changed to one of shock.
An Apocalypses Apostle at that, so you have to be careful.
Dont worry, Im used to being discreet.
Sheryl smiled and disappeared into the shadows.
His basic preparations had all been completed.
Heinz and Sheryl were both trusted allies. And the reinforcements
He, or they, would only arrive before dawn.
Then.
The time to lay low had finally come to an end.
Frey left his room and walked down the dimly lit corridor.
Alexandro, who was patrolling the halls, spotted him, and when he saw Frey, he flinched slightly and bowed his head politely.
He then tried to pass by Frey quickly without greeting him.
Frey knew that the servants in the mansion were usually busy dealing with various things, and Alexandro was no different from them, but this time was different.
He blocked Alexandros path.
Seeing this, Alexandro displayed a frightened expression and quickly lowered his head even further.
Frey shook his hand, his powerful mana erupting.
Alexander quickly raised his head, realising that his body was now floating in the air.
W-, what is
Alexandro squirmed and writhed in the air.
Frey then made dozens of Flame Arrows, all of which were pointing at him.
Fwoosh
H-, huk
Alexandros face became pale when he saw the many arrows aimed at him.
He turned to Frey with fearful eyes.
Yo-, Young Master Frey, t-, this
I will only ask you once butler. Where is Leita?
A look of horror overtook Alexandros expression.
Frey was the third son of the Blake family, but in truth, he was like the son who had been abandoned by the family.
However, after his return, all of his actions had been shocking.
He had defeated the eldest son, Mischael, in a duel and won the recognition of his parents, and even the Third Princess of the empire, who visited the family on occasion, seemed to admire him.
In this short time, Freys status in the family, which had been below even that of the servants, had shot up at an astounding rate.
Since then, Alexandro had made sure to pay particular attention to his behaviour in front of Frey.
But he couldnt help but think right then.
Wasnt this too much?
Even if he might have wronged Frey before, he was still a butler who had served the Blake family for decades.
But threatening his life like this?
In the Blake family mansion, no less?
If he was in a calm state, then his anger would have soared at that moment, but he wasnt even able to think.
If you would like to expose your guts to the world, you dont need to answer.
That
The moment he saw Freys eyes, his hair turned white.
Freys eyes were so cold that for a moment, he could not even feel the heat from the Flame Arrows.
Alexandro realised immediately.
If he didnt give the right answer, he would die there.
M-, Miss Leita said she was going to the capital!
The capital? What for?
I dont know
Im telling you. Please believe me
Alexander had a desperate expression on his face as he said those words.
Frey looked at him closely. Then.
Thump.
Huk
Alexanders body fell to the floor.
He was sweating profusely, and his body was shaking, but Frey simply ignored him and left the mansion.
Then he flew into the air.
He flew up to a height where hed be able to see every detail of the property with a glance, then he looked down.
The information that Leita was going to the capital was almost certainly false. She had probably spread the false information, hoping he would chase after her.
However, it was true that she wasnt in the family home at that moment. Frey believed that she was monitoring the situation from nearby.
Sheryl is tracking her.
His role was to affect Leitas composure as much as he could.
And in order to do that, he would need to take some drastic measures.
He needed to do something large enough for Leita, who was monitoring the mansion from afar, to notice.
Hyper Bolt.
Chichichik.
Hyper Bolt, a 6 star spell.
A powerful sphere of energy shot from Freys hand to the annex to the west of the main building.
Boom!
In an instant, the 5 story building was smashed to pieces.
There were no people there as the annex had just been a decoy to hide the underground lab, so Frey didnt hesitate.
Next, he aimed at the eastern annex.
Just as the energy sphere formed in Freys hands once again, the figure of a person soared into the sky from the main building of the mansion.
This figure, which exuded a fierce aura, rushed up towards Frey before stopping.
You bastard what are you doing?
It was Isaka Blake.
He was glaring at Frey with a grim expression on his face.
I am rebuilding the Blake family.
Nonsense! Can destroying a building be called rebuilding?!
Of course.
Boom!
Once again, a Hyper Bolt was fired.
The eastern annex was destroyed, and smoke began rising.
Looking at this sight, Frey spoke simply.
Before we start over, we should clean up first.
(Note: This is the end of book 5)
Chapter 126 - Family Extermination (2)
Chapter 126 - Family Extermination (2) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Rebuild the family? You?
Mana surged within Isakas body.
He was the head of the Blake family, as well as a Tower Master and a well-known 7 star Archmage.
I guess you learned some tricks, and now, you can no longer see things clearly. Who do you think is standing in front of you right now?
Then I will ask you the same. Who do you think I am?
Freys quick response made Isaka pause for a moment.
What? What nonsense
What a load of crap.
Isaka was just about to say that, but he was unable to.
!!
Isakas body suddenly shook, and his eyes widened considerably.
My mana?
It wasnt responding to him.
Isaka began falling from hundreds of meters in the air.
While his body could not be compared to that of a warrior, he was still stronger than ordinary people, yet if he was to fall from such a height, his entire body would be crushed like a tomato and he would die instantly.
He couldnt use magic, so he had no choice but to rely on another source of power.
Isaka hurriedly unleashed his divine power.
Chak.
A platform made of ice formed below him, preventing him from falling to his untimely demise.
After firmly standing on this platform, Isaka turned back to Frey.
You just controlled the surrounding mana. Thats not possible for someone below 8 stars
Although Isaka himself was the one saying those words, the expression on his face showed that he didnt believe it.
But Frey simply gave him a cold smile.
You know it well.
D-, dont be ridiculous. Thats impossible with your mana sensitivity and talent
Isaka was the one who knew the most about the condition of Freys body.
For Frey, not to mention 8 stars, it was almost impossible for him to even reach 5 stars.
However, the destructive power of the Hyper Bolt, the ability to control all mana within a certain range and most importantly, the deep, abyssal gaze that seemed to look at his very soul were constantly suggesting that ridiculous possibility to Isaka.
A-, answer me, Frey! What kind of trick did you just do?
Trick? Do you think its possible to take control of mana with a trick?
Th-, that
You said it yourself. Its not possible for someone below 8 stars.
I dont believe you could have reached that stage at your age
Isakas confusion was natural.
This wasnt 6 stars or 7 stars.
This was 8 stars!
A level that transcended normal Archmages.
Even on the entire continent, the number of Wizards who had reached that level could be counted on one hand.
8 stars? Frey is 8 stars?
He couldnt believe it.
No, he wouldnt believe it.
Isaka had reached 7 stars 10 years before, and even up to that point, he was still on the same level.
But that didnt mean that hed progressed a lot within that time.
To put it bluntly, there was barely any difference in his skill between then and now.
His proficiency and accuracy when using his power might have improved a bit, but the increase was insignificant.
This didnt mean that Isaka had neglected his study and training of magic.
He still meditated for more than three hours per day, and he read every magic book on the continent that he could lay his hands on.
He also didnt forget to regularly meet and have exchanges with Wizards on his level either.
Nevertheless, he still saw no hope of advancing.
He didnt even find a single clue as to how to advance to the next stage.
The 8 star stage wasnt something that could be reached just with some talent and effort.
Therefore, Isaka, who had been regarded as a genius since childhood, remained unconvinced.
But now, his third son, the one who he had thrown out because he lacked talent, had returned after a few years as an 8 star Wizard?
Isaka felt like he was having a nightmare at that moment.
The power of ice? I thought youd have wind because of Leyrins personality, but I guess not.
Isaka felt like those words were mocking him for abandoning magical science and relying on divine power.
Shut up!
He felt inferior at that moment, but Isaka would never admit that he felt such a way because of his own son, especially when it was Frey.
A shard of ice formed in his hand before shooting towards Frey.
Clang!
Frey could have avoided it, but he let it hit his barrier.
This was so he could judge how strong Isaka was.
As the shard of ice struck the barrier fiercely, Frey narrowed his eyes and thought for a moment.
7 stars.
This much wasnt threatening at all, but he was unsure if it was Isakas full strength.
Besides, Isaka wasnt the only enemy he had to face,
Rooaaar!
Something shot out of the ruins of the annex, and upon closer inspection, Frey realised that it was a grotesque monster that seemed to be a mix between a bug and a human.
But its body was much larger than Freys.
Demigods Creature.
This was a special creature that was born purely from experimentation rather than physical transformation.
It was many times stronger than normal creatures. (Note: I guess there are many creatures? strange)
Kyaaaak!
The monster roared loudly and spat out some kind of fluid.
Frey didnt know what it was, but he knew it was dangerous, so he erected an ice barrier.
Frost Wall.
Suddenly, the ice barrier in front of Frey disappeared.
!
Though confused, Frey quickly used Blink, but his reaction was a bit slow and some of the fluid managed to touch his shoulder.
Crackle.
Immediately after, his robe began dissolving.
Frey quickly took off the Salamanders Robe.
It had only been a slight touch, but before long, the entire Salamanders Robe was dissolved.
magic tools created by Schweiser arent so simple.
If that fluid touched his body, he would have to immediately cut off whichever part it touched.
No, but the most important thing was to figure out why his Frost Wall had disappeared so suddenly.
Huhu
Isaka let out a laugh.
Then he gave Frey a mocking smile, as if he had won something.
Even if youre an 8 star Wizard you wont be able to use ice in front of me.
Thanks for the kind explanation.
Frey immediately fired back a response, but inwardly, he couldnt help but feel that the situation was becoming a bit tricky.
Fire and ice magic were his specialties.
This was because he had consumed the Frozen River and Torkuntas heart, which caused the power he could display to far surpass that of Wizards on the same level.
But now, one of them had been sealed.
Can he cancel it even if I use 8 star spells?
He wasnt sure.
Nevertheless, Frey was certain that Isaka wouldnt be able to simply get rid of it like he had the Frost Wall.
He wanted to try.
However, the creatures constantly pouring out from the ruins were a bit troublesome. Sarch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Even for him, he still needed time to cast 8 star spells.
Frey clicked his tongue and decided to use one of his favorite spells.
Flame Ball.
He could create many in a short time, and they were all considerably powerful. Moreover, because it was a 5 star spell, he didnt need to shout a chant to cast it.
Fwoosh.
Dozens of fireballs appeared behind Frey before shooting down towards the creatures below.
Boom boom boom!
A long series of explosions sounded out.
At first glance, it appeared as though his attack had been successful, but Frey clicked his tongue instead. A skilled Wizard could tell the extent of his attacks by the size, sound and smell of the resulting explosions.
Frey was the same.
Even though hed used a 5 star spell, it didnt have much effect.
It was much more serious than he thought.
This meant that these creatures magic resistance was much higher than Frey expected.
However, since Leyrin was the one who created them, it made sense that their magic resistance was so high.
After all, didnt the undead that Oydin, a half-Apostle, made show tremendous power?
Frey glanced at his bracelet.
The Great Sages Staff.
If he used it, his magic power would increase several fold, but Frey still had no intention of taking it out.
Leita is probably watching from afar.
Because of that, Frey didnt want to show his hand.
This was also the reason he hadnt summoned Asura yet.
However, there was still a power that Leita knew about at his disposal.
Indras lightning.
Freys body suddenly became covered in lightning.
Crackle.
Kiiieeek!
The creatures cried out sharply.
This reaction was quite surprising, considering the fact that these guys hadnt even flinched after being hit by his Flame Balls.
has my power increased?
Frey felt that his divine power was now twice as strong as when hed fought Sheryl.
Does it get stronger the more I use it?
It hadnt been very long since Frey had gotten the divine power, but it was already equivalent to 7 stars.
However, even if the power of his lightning had increased, the creatures reactions had been too pronounced.
They have no resistance to divine power.
The creatures that were created by the Demigods had no resistance to divine power.
At first glance, this might have seemed like an ironic situation, but in truth, it was quite understandable.
After all, the enemies these creatures were created to fight were those who used mana.
It was safe to say that they would never be able to fight against the Demigods themselves, and in the event that some of them might become rebellious, a resistance to divine power would cause them quite a lot of trouble.
Of course, the most important factor was that there were very few situations that would cause these creatures to have to fight enemies that used divine power.
That said, it was quite clear what kind of power Frey had to use.
Crackle.
A pale bolt of lightning began dancing over Freys hand, and a thunderstorm seemed to be brewing in his eyes.
* * *
That night turned out to be the night of the full moon.
For vampires, the full moon was the time when their blood seemed to boil.
Of course, Sheryl Roland, who had the blood of vampire sovereignty in her veins, was able to maintain her composure and not get swept away by her instincts.
Its a good night.
But that didnt mean that the excitement would disappear completely.
Her lips pulled back into a bright smile, revealing her sharp fangs.
No, no. She couldnt get excited.
After all, she had been given a mission by none other than the Great Mage himself.
Mistakes or failure would not be tolerated.
It was nighttime.
More importantly, it was a full moon.
All the conditions were in place to maximise her vampiric powers.
Sheryl slipped into a dark alleyway in the town.
After looking around for a while, she found several large sewer rats.
Find Leita Blake.
Squeak.
These sewer rats then wiggled their noses before turning their little bodies around and disappearing into the darkness.
The abilities that a high ranking vampire had were truly unbelievable.
No matter how weak rats were, to communicate with such a large number of them was simply unthinkable for normal vampires.
Pillat was a very large city. Because of this, even though she was getting the sewer rats to help her, it still took her some time to find her target.
It was then.
She felt a surge of dense divine power.
Sheryl frowned.
Is it a trap?
She couldnt help but think so.
The Blake family had been under the control of the Demigods for decades, perhaps even longer than that, yet they had still managed to hide it perfectly.
Had it not been for Heinzs information, she would not have noticed it at all.
Sheryl felt that this showed the thoroughness of the Apostle, Leita.
However, such a careful woman was now acting in a very open manner.
It was too suspicious.
Squeak.
The sewer rats bodies went stiff.
They were beasts with low intelligence, so they wouldnt be of much help anymore.
Sheryl sighed.
I have no choice but to move directly.
Her body then melted into the shadows.
It would be a bit risky, but it was still manageable.
The full moon in the sky and the darkness in the city were perfect for her. Even if the Demigods themselves were to arrive, they would not be able to discover her easily.
It was still possible for her to escape if the situation became too dicey.
Leitas hiding spot appeared to be deep underground.
Sheryl moved quickly in the shadows.
Ssss.
It didnt take long for her to reach her destination.
It was a basement that was connected to the sewers. In this place, the scent of blood, drugs and decaying bodies were overwhelming.
It was disgusting.
Sheryl slowly looked around the basement, frowning.
The floor was moist with blood, and there was a decaying body lying in a corner. From what she could tell, it hadnt been long since the person died.
Sheryl continued to go deeper.
There, she found a large magic circle, painted entirely with blood.
At the same time, she saw a bunch of bodies piled up upon an altar.
Sheryls expression hardened.
This
Human sacrifice.
Was it evil black magic, a curse, or necromancy?
It was clear that she was trying to enhance the efficiency of the ritual by using living humans as a sacrifice.
Because it was so unethical, this practice had been banned by the Wizard Association as well as the Kastkau Empire, also known as the Magical Empire.
Leita stood in front of the altar.
Hurry, hurry
She was staring at the magic circle with an impatient expression on her face.
Sheryl assessed the situation as she watched on.
The ritual is almost over.
That was why there were no longer any living beings on the altar.
What sort of magic did she want to cast at the expense of so many human lives?
Woowoong.
Suddenly, light erupted from the magic circle.
Sheryl retreated deeper into the darkness in order to remain hidden.
Flash~
The intensity of the light increased momentarily before a man walked out of it.
It was a young-looking man with a solemn expression.
M-, Mr. Apep!
Leita almost screamed with joy.
Im glad you made it!
The man, Apep, looked down at the altar with an expressionless face.
Hmm. I was curious as to how you would warp a transcendent being like me. Indeed. Did you use human sacrifice to maximise the efficiency of the Warp?
Thats right!
It had only been a few hours.
In those short, few hours, hundreds of humans had been sacrificed.
Nevertheless, there wasnt even an ounce of guilt on Leitas face.
It seemed the only thing she could think about was the fact that she was now safe.
The other two were relatively close, so they should arrive by dawn.
I see.
The man named Apep muttered in a low voice.
Frey is probably creating a mess right now. Mr. Apep, please deal
Theres no need to hurry.
Huh? But
Apep turned to look at the shadows.
To be precise, he turned to look at Sheryl, who was hidden in the shadows.
Lets start by getting rid of the rats first.
Chapter 127 - Family Extermination (
Chapter 127 - Family Extermination ( Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
How many times did I come to this place?
Heinz looked around the messy laboratory as he had this thought before shaking his head.
In any case, he knew that it wasnt less than twenty times, and counting it wouldnt change anything anyway.
Heinz had believed he had an idea of the true scale of the Blake family, but now, he realised it was only an illusion.
I didnt expect it to be this much.
The scale and influence of the Blake family had far surpassed even his most absurd assumptions.
Moreover, he had expected that theyd be so deeply embedded and widespread throughout the city.
Luckily, it hadnt been too difficult to find the various research labs. This was because, though they were all in different places, they were all connected in some way.
They were researching the same things and frequently exchanged information, so they knew each other quite well.
This meant that just by knowing a few, he was able to figure out the locations of the rest.
And this place was the lab that Heinz had just besieged.
From the information hed gathered, Heinz had learned that this laboratory was one of the three largest in the city of Pillat.
In particular, it was the site where the research of Illuminium was progressing particularly quickly.
Heinz looked down at the documents lying on a desk before picking them up.
These documents detailed the complete production process of Illuminium.
So complicated.
The first thing he noticed was that the process was completely different from the usual way of making alloys.
To manufacture this metal, one needed not only an extensive knowledge of metals but also the capabilities of a leading alchemist together with knowledge of magical science not below the level of a Magic Towers Floor Master.
It takes a long time to make.
But this was only because they werent yet familiar with the process.
As time passed and the researchers got used to it, the speed of production would almost certainly increase.
Suddenly, Heinzs expression hardened as he was looking through the documents.
This was because he had turned to the page that detailed the materials required to produce Illuminium.
Did they really use something like this as an ingredient?
He couldnt believe it.
Was his family truly rotten to such an extent?
Crunch. Sarch* The N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Heinz roughly crumpled the documents in his fist.
* * *
There was a limit to the number of creatures that could continuously pour out of the ruined annex.
Frey was certain that their numbers were dwindling as hed already burned hundreds of creatures to ash.
After killing so many, he could see the end was near.
Isaka attacked him with ice whenever he had the chance, but it had little to no effect.
He wasnt an Apostle.
Although he could use divine power, it was still weaker than Oydin, who was just a half-Apostle of Nozdog.
If Frey had to compare him, hed say that Isaka was similar to Lukes.
Huk huk
Isaka panted.
The constant use of divine power had exhausted him. His complexion was pale, and a film of cold sweat covered his entire body.
Impossible even your divine power is stronger what the hell
At that moment, lightning flashed once again, burning the last of the creatures Leyrin had created.
Frey clenched his fist.
Crackle.
Pale lightning danced around him.
Although he had been fighting for so long, he still had divine power to spare.
It seemed that not only had his divine power become stronger, his capacity had increased as well.
The growth rate of his divine power was so abnormally fast that even Frey himself couldnt help but feel a bit scared.
Frey shook his head.
It was undeniable that divine power was strong and attractive, but for someone like Frey, who had lived his entire life as a pure Wizard, it was still possible to resist its allure.
He turned to look at Isaka, who was panting and staring at him.
He said he could seal ice magic.
Frey wondered if he would be able to seal an 8 star ice spell.
Id love to find out.
8 star spells were so powerful that even Frey would have to pay a certain price to use one, and since he wanted to remain in the best condition to fight Leita, Frey decided to be patient for now.
Then, he saw a man approaching from the ground.
It was Heinz.
Frey adjusted the space so that Heinz could use mana to come up to him, and he asked him as he drew near.
What did you find out about the Illuminium?
I found it. I think this is everything.
As he said this, Heinz handed a bag to Frey. (Note: once again, bag refers to subspace bag which can contain many things)
This bag contained most of the Illuminium the Blake family had managed to produce, as well as the research information.
Frey put away the bag.
Then he observed Heinzs expression, which was not in its usual, blank state.
What happened?
I learned the ingredients needed to create Illuminium. Frey did you know them?
Heinz spoke in an angry voice. Frey shook his head.
I only know about Harkon. I dont know anything else.
I see.
Heinz took a deep breath before continuing.
I want to ask one thing. Why was the Blake family trying to make Illuminium? What power does this metal have?
Frey glanced at Isaka.
Although he had not lost his fighting spirit, Isaka had exhausted almost all of his divine power, and even his mana had been sealed. In his current state, he wouldnt be able to hurt him even if Frey went to sleep in front of him right at that moment,
Ill explain it briefly.
Then, as he said, Frey briefly explained about the penalty the Demigods had to face. That they were under the threat of extinction by the laws of the world if they violated its rules and that Illuminium was the only way for them to escape said punishment.
There was no need to hide it.
Instead, it was the Demigods only known weakness, so it was better if it was known by more people.
After hearing what Frey had to say, the anger on Heinzs face became even more pronounced.
So in the end, Illuminium is just a tool for the Demigods to act as they please on the continent.
Thats right. But what made you so angry?
the human heart is among the list of ingredients.
What?
It was the first time Frey had heard of it, so he couldnt help but ask in a confused voice.
It said that in order to make 0.1kg(1) required about 100 human hearts. And
Crunch.
Heinz grit his teeth.
I found more than a few tens of kilograms of Illuminium in the lab.
!
Heinzs ferocious gaze then turned to Isaka.
Isaka could never have imagined a day when Heinz would look at him in such a way.
Answer me, Father. Just how many humans have you sacrificed so far?
K-, kuku right. So you betrayed the family too, Heinz.
Isaka laughed as he realised this fact from Heinzs cooperative attitude and the conversation the two of them had before.
Then he stopped and stared at Heinz with a contemptuous gaze.
I never could have imagined that youd turn your back and hit the parents who raised you instead of repaying our kindness. And it wasnt even Mischael youve truly disappointed me, Heinz.
Stop saying nonsense and answer my question.
Huhu. Didnt you just say it? It takes about 100 hearts to get 0.1kg.
Isaka gave a twisted smile.
To make dozens of kilograms, it would have taken as many hearts.
Heinz trembled.
where did you find that many people?
It wasnt difficult. Our family has Warp Stones. All that was left was to find slave traders, but that was also simple if we used contacts who dealt in the dark.
You mean you bought slaves from other countries?
For the most part, yes. Of course, there were also enemies that the empire captured. Also in the slums of Pillat, there are many parents selling their children for a single silver coin. Because theyre even lower than commoners, it was easy to do it quiet-
This scum!
Heinz couldnt take it any longer.
He rushed toward Isaka in an instant with a roar and lifted him up by his collar.
You said we only had to make necessary sacrifices!
This was a necessary sacrifice!
Bullsh*t!
K-, kuku youre a hypocrite all the prosperity the Blake family was able to enjoy was because Leyrin was behind us! All the luxuries youve enjoyed are all thanks to her!
I never asked for such luxury!
At that moment, Frey grabbed Heinzs shoulder.
Thats enough.
Heinz wanted to say more, but in the end, he bit his lip and stepped back.
As he did so, he muttered.
What had I been thinking all this time? This was evil from the start ah! I couldnt see the darkness of the family because of the mask of my parents
Isaka coughed a few times before giving a dirty smile to Frey.
It mustve been you who tricked Heinz. I have so many regrets. Instead of kicking you out, I should have killed you. In the first place, you were someone who never shouldve been born.
This was something that parents should never say to their children.
Even if it was someone with formidable mental power, if you were to hear those words from your parents mouth, you would certainly be shocked.
But Freys mental power was something that couldnt be shaken, and even if it wasnt, he had never considered this man to be his father in the first place.
Where is Leita?
Do you think Id tell you that?
No. But I know a few ways to make you talk. I dont really like torture, but its effective for situations like this.
Hahaha! I am a 7 star Wizard! Do you intend to torture an Archmage?
Thats exactly what I intend to do.
After saying that, Frey stretched out his hand towards Isaka.
Shuk.
Suddenly, something shot up towards Frey at a tremendous speed from the ground.
Frey was just about to dodge, but when he saw what it was, he could no longer do so.
Thud!
Kuk!
There was a heavy impact then Frey looked down at the figure in his arms which turned out to be a girl.
It was Sheryl, gasping for breath and covered in blood.
She was so severely injured that it wouldnt be strange if she lost her life in that same instant.
She looked up at Frey with difficulty.
So-, sorry I was caught
You were caught? By Leita?
N-, no. He
Frey didnt listen to the rest of Sheryls words.
Instead, he looked down at the ground with a stiff expression.
To be precise, he was looking at the man whod thrown Sheryl at him.
Rounder Sheryl? What the hell
Heinz, please take care of Sheryl. Also, keep an eye on Isaka for me.
What about you?
Frey didnt respond. Instead, he gestured towards the ground with his chin.
The moment he saw the man with the gloomy expression, Heinzs face became as stiff as stone.
Demigod.
Right. This should be what Leita was waiting for.
Just as Frey was about to go down to the ground, Sheryl grabbed him by the arm.
H-, huk huk Master.
Dont speak. Focus on healing your injuries.
There is something you need to know
This little pain wasnt a problem.
Although shed come back with her life seemingly hanging by a thread, there was still some information she had to deliver.
Tell me.
That Demigods power is darkness (Note: no wonder)
Darkness?
Thats right thats all I managed to see. I dont know what happened.
By the time shed realised what was happening, her body had already become a mangled mess.
However, she could still remember the very darkness that she was hiding in suddenly attacking her.
Sheryl spat out a mouthful of blood before delivering something that was even more important.
And he said that two more Demigods would arrive before dawn.
!
No matter how calm Frey was, his heart couldnt help but shake slightly when he heard those words.
Not one, but two more?
So didnt that mean that together with the guy below, there would soon be three Demigods in this place?
I have to resolve this quickly.
The Demigod, who was staring at him from below, was a very formidable existence.
Frey felt uneasy within, but he didnt show it. After all, he couldnt let Heinz and Sheryl become anxious.
Instead, he nodded calmly.
I understand. You just rest up.
P-, please be careful
Frey nodded and began to formulate a plan as he slowly descended.
His odds of losing were much higher than his odds of winning.
Even if this man below him was the weakest Demigod, he was still someone that an 8 star Wizard couldnt hope to defeat on their own.
If it was an ordinary 8 star Wizard, that is.
Frey took a deep breath.
Just for a time like this.
Frey had learned everything that could help him even if it was just a little.
Warrior Kings Fist, Spirit Arts, Contracts, even Divine Power.
He didnt know how helpful they would be, but he intended to make use of everything hed learned since becoming Frey.
Light emanated from his bracelet.
Today, I will defeat a Demigod.
By himself.
Frey landed on the ground while gripping the Great Sages Staff tightly.
(Note:
1. To put it into perspective, a standard basketball is 0.625kg(1.4lbs). The kg to lbs ratio is about 1:2.2, so.1kg is.22lbs)
Chapter 128 - Family Extermination (4)
Chapter 128 - Family Extermination (4) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Leita watched Frey slowly descend from the sky. His indifferent face and fluctuating mana intimidated her greatly.
She felt confused.
Whats going on?
Frey Blake. Her third child, who she didnt want to admit was hers.
Her first son, Mischael, had been as expected, and her second son, Heinz, was even better than expected.
Therefore, Leita had high hopes for her third son, Frey.
Maybe, hed have a talent that was even better than Heinz, and if not Heinz, at least a talent equal to that of her first son, Mischael.
But from the start, Frey, a child born from a Wizard Family, had a lower mana sensitivity than children born to commoners.
This fact had become an intolerable disgrace for Leita.
Frey was suspected to be an illegitimate child, which naturally led people to mock her behind her back.
Naturally, there wasnt anyone foolish enough to do so to her face, but the fact that such rumors were in circulation in the first place humiliated her greatly.
So she stopped caring for him.
When Mischael vented his anger at him, when Isaka didnt treat him like a person, not to mention a child, and even when their servants mistreated him.
To call him an eyesore would be an understatement.
Even the sight of Frey wandering around the mansion annoyed her, which is why she agreed to send him to the academy.
After that, she intended to stick him in some unassuming magic tower and leave him there so he would not cause any trouble for their family.
Then, Frey suddenly became stronger and returned.
When hed easily overpowered Mischael and displayed a different side to himself, Leita had finally accepted him as her child.
But now, she began to doubt.
Was this child really hers?
Taht.
As Frey landed on the ground, his eyes turned towards Leita.
In fact, he had only just noticed her presence. This was because hed been completely focused on the Demigod.
When their eyes met, Leita spoke in a cold tone, ignoring the unknown fear that had crept into her heart.
You did it quite splendidly.
I cant believe you managed to turn Heinz traitor What exactly did you tell him?
Both Leita and Isaka appeared to trust Heinz greatly.
Frey shook his head.
Heinz was never on your side from the beginning.
Nonsense.
You can keep thinking that.
Hmph.
Leita snorted coldly.
Then the man beside her spoke.
Is this the guy? The one Leyrin considered an enemy?
Thats right, Mr. Apep.
Disappointment filled Apeps gaze.
Hmm. Just a Wizard.
The Wizards were the ones who had opposed the Demigods the most over the years.
He didnt know why. But he guessed that it had something to do with the incompatibility between mana and divine power.
Yet strangely, Magic Warriors didnt seem to be that opposed.
Nevertheless, their conflict had been going on for thousands of years.
Thanks to this, the number of Wizards that Apep had killed personally had long reached tens of thousands.
Naturally, he was very familiar with the way Wizards fought. In fact, he didnt consider it threatening at all.
In the first place, Apep wasnt the type who was very interested in fighting.
However, he couldnt help but feel disappointed after hurrying to Leyrins assistance only to find a single Wizard.
It seems Leyrin was weakened by a lot.
As one of the strongest Demigods in existence, she had actually felt threatened by a single human.
This was something that Apep never thought possible well, it didnt matter anyway. Hed just kill this guy and be done with it.
Just as Apep stopped thinking about that and prepared to use his power, Leita spoke.
Ill assist you.
Dont interfere.
Huh? But
Do you need me to say it again?
Leita hurriedly lowered her head when she saw Apeps annoyed expression.
Ah, I understand.
Freys eyes shined slightly.
A Demigod, who could basically be called a lump of pride, would never accept help to kill a single human.
Instead, there was even a high possibility that a Demigod would reject help even at a critical moment.
Of course, this wasnt always certain, but Apep had already drawn the line.
No one could interfere.
So naturally, a 1:1 match had been established by the Demigod.
Frey couldnt help but feel fortunate. After all, Leita was not as easy to handle as Isaka was.
Fighting them together would be too much for him.
The power of darkness.
As with all Demigods, one could never imagine what kind of fighting style they would display after hearing their simple power.
In particular, Apeps power was quite abstract, similar to Nozdogs power of death.
In Frey experience, these kinds of powers had many applications, but knowing that didnt give him any real advantage.
It was accurate to say that every Demigod was a completely independent individual. This was because their appearance, size, habits, abilities and fighting styles were completely different from the others.
In the past, he and his teammates had fought against a Demigod and won, but when they used the same tactic in the next fight, they were almost annihilated.
Wizards, on the other hand, were different.
Even if the spells they used might be slightly different, it was impossible for them to escape the classic Wizard combat method.
This was simply because that was proven to be the most efficient and powerful method.
Thats why its important.
The other abilities hed learned as Frey would show their usefulness in cases like this.
In fights between Warriors or Knights, the weaker one was usually the one to move first. This was because they couldnt withstand their opponents pressure and were forced to make the first move.
But for Wizard fights, it was different.
For them, it was the speed of their chanting and casting that were the most important.
So Frey was the first to show his hand.
He stomped his right foot down heavily.
Crack!
Instantly, an awl made of ice shot out of the ground towards Apep.
Apeps eyebrows furrowed when he saw that.
Motion Magic.
It was a technique that used movement to unleash spells, rather than casting or chanting words.
Freys usual manifestation by swinging his arms was also a form of motion magic.
Theoretically, this was a technique that could be used by 6 star Wizards and higher, but it was rarely used because of its inefficiency.
However, Freys motion magic was different.
Be it in terms of power or speed.
Better than I expected.
Apep smiled coldly and raised his right hand, darkness hanging from the tip of his fingers like a curtain.
At the same time, the places that had been previously dark seemed to have become a bit brighter.
Frey was momentarily speechless. It mightve sounded strange from a Wizard, but what Apep had just done was truly magical.
Sarch* The Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Crack.
The ice awl shattered without leaving even a scratch on the dark curtain hanging from Apeps hand.
What is it?
The darkness hanging from Apeps hand looked like a black streak of paint hanging in the air.
Paht.
This time, he slowly lifted his left hand.
The darkness then broke apart like drops of water and moved forward.
Thats dangerous.
Freys instincts sounded an alarm in his head.
Although he had the lightning barrier surrounding him, he was certain that it wouldnt be able to block those dark droplets.
Instead, Frey used one of the spells stored in the Great Sages Staff.
Solid Barrier.
Papapat.
The black water-like droplets clung to the whitish barrier.
Crackle.
And in an instant, the barrier became covered with cracks.
At first, Frey thought the barrier caused physical damage, but that wasnt the case.
The black drops were actually corroding the barrier, and the cracks were formed from those corroded parts.
If he did not do something, the barrier would be destroyed in no time.
Lava Blast.
Boom boom boom!
Lava Blast shot from Freys fingers and shot towards Apep with vicious momentum.
But Apep didnt move. Instead, he once again lifted his right arm.
Ssssk.
And once again, a curtain of darkness hung from his fingers and blocked the Lava Blast.
It was perfect.
He couldnt even scratch Apeps body, not to mention inflict actual wounds.
Freys expression hardened.
He can block 7 star spells easily.
They were the same spells that had done damage to the Demigod, Hydra, even though she had been weakened at that time.
Crackle.
In the meantime, his barrier was still being destroyed.
First, he needed to increase the distance.
Frey used Blink to move backwards, and Apep didnt pursue him.
He just slowly lifted his left hand once again, and it was the black droplets that followed Frey.
Swoosh.
The droplets moved at a surprisingly fast speed. Moreover, they were so dark that he was unable to see them clearly, and there was a large number of them.
Frey couldnt avoid them unless he blocked them with a barrier or kept using teleportation. He would probably need to have physical ability similar to Ivan or Snow in order to avoid them.
In other words, it was impossible for him.
Frey used Blink continuously.
His mana wasnt a problem. Even at this rate, he could continue doing it for another three days and nights.
However, it didnt make sense to just avoid it constantly.
When dawn came, two more Demigods would arrive.
Haha.
Frey stopped with a laugh.
He actually had a time limit in a fight with a Demigod.
But I have no choice.
First of all, he needed to figure out just how much defense that dark curtain had.
Since even the 7 star spell, Lava Blast, was unable to do anything to it, he would have to resort to 8 star spells.
The power of darkness.
Those black water-like droplets and curtain reminded Frey of black magic.
He didnt think that simply because of the dark power within them. Instead, it was the strange attack and defense that almost matched it perfectly.
So Frey decided to try a simple solution.
Its not mainstream, but
He would use white magic. (Note: yes, white not light)
He began chanting a spell.
Woowoong.
White light began fluttering around Freys body. The spell hadnt been released. He was simply chanting, but signs already began appearing.
Apeps expression changed for the first time.
He stretched his hands out and controlled the black droplets.
Frey didnt stop casting, and instead, he knocked his staff against the ground.
Thud!
The ground shook, and a huge earth wall was erected. It wasnt very sturdy, but it was thick.
Apep frowned upon realising that.
Did he already notice the nature of my droplets?
His droplets could eat through any obstacle, but the rate of corrosion was fixed.
This meant that the powerful barrier hed just created and the simple wall of earth would both be corroded at the same rate.
In other words, this meant that this simple but thick wall of dirt would hold out much better than the thin barrier.
The black droplets pierced through the wall at a snail pace, and by the time Apep diverted some droplets to circle around the wall, Freys chanting had ended.
Holy Breath.
Woowoo.
White particles poured from Freys mouth. Well, they were too big to be called particles.
The white particles appeared to be moving slowly, but they appeared before Apep in an instant.
The Holy Breath made contact with the dark curtain.
Boom!
There was an enormous explosion, and all the nearby buildings collapsed, unable to withstand its shockwave.
Frey was inwardly shocked. He had never expected an explosion to occur.
Was the explosion caused by the collision between the Holy Breath and the dark curtain?
It was an unexpected effect, but its power was terrifying. He was certain it had to have caused some damage.
The dust cloud eventually lifted, and Apeps figure was once again revealed.
There was now a hole in his stomach about the size of a fist. Any ordinary person would have certainly been killed by such an injury.
No, even if it was a Demigod, an injury like this was not easy to deal with.
However, Freys expression wasnt happy.
This was because there had been no change to Apeps expression at all.
He didnt seem to be worried or agitated at all. That wasnt all. No viscera or blood could be seen from his wound. The only thing there was darkness.
Apep rubbed his abdomen and said.
Its been hundreds of years since I was last injured to this extent. Indeed you are quite skilled.
It was then.
The surrounding darkness flowed like a mist, and it was sucked into Apeps abdomen.
Krrk, Krrk.
There was a strange, grotesque sound, and his injury began regenerating at an astonishing rate.
It was an unbelievable sight.
Even Trolls couldnt regenerate so quickly. In fact, such a feat was impossible unless it was an artificial lifeform created through magic engineering or a Golem that had a simple structure.
What did you just do?
Its not difficult. Especially on such a dark night.
Frey narrowed his eyes.
At first glance, this was a power that transcended common sense, but he had managed to spot a few flaws.
Recalling that fact, he observed Apeps surroundings.
the darkness around you has faded. It was the same when you created the dark droplets and the curtain.
Hoh. Youre quite sharp.
Apep spoke with sincere appreciation.
He had also easily admitted that Freys speculations were correct.
He spoke in a carefree tone.
Youre right. I cant use my power recklessly. The more I use it, the more I consume the darkness around me. Of course, I consume divine power as well.
Are you wondering why Im telling you this? Thats simple. It doesnt matter if I tell you or not.
In other words, it was because of his arrogance.
Frey forcefully suppressed his disgust and stared at Apep.
The night is particularly dark today.
At that moment, the clouds covered the moon, making it much darker.
My power grows stronger the darker it gets. In truth, when the sun is up, I cant even use half of my strength, but my companions will arrive by dawn.
Upon grasping the situation, Freys expression hardened.
It is often said that it is darkest before sunrise. But theres no way you will survive when the darkness gives way to light.
Apep seemed to enjoy his expression while saying.
Come, Wizard. What are you going to do?
Chapter 129 - Family Extermination (5)
Chapter 129 - Family Extermination (5) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
In fact, Apep had no intention of waiting till dawn.
The man before him was 8 stars at best. While that may have seemed quite powerful to humans, from a Demigods perspective, he was just a bit more troublesome than a normal human.
Apep was confident he could deal with this man even if they were to fight in the middle of the day.
Hes a bit stronger than normal 8 stars.
But that didnt matter. A large bug was still a bug in the end.
Apep looked at Freys face.
The reason hed explained the situation in such detail was because he wanted to savour the look of despair that would bloom on his face.
But while Freys expression was stiff, he didnt look the least bit afraid.
Definitely 8 stars.
Apep smiled.
He was all but certain now.
The higher a Wizards level rose, the stronger his mental power became. At 8 stars, he would have already reached the stage of calmness and tranquility, and most things wouldnt affect the wizard.
This was good.
It wouldnt be fun to play with a toy that broke so easily.
Frey realised that Apep wasnt going all-out.
So far, the only powers he had revealed were the black droplets and the curtain, and while these were tricky to deal with, they certainly werent all Apep was capable of.
Hooo.
Frey took a deep breath.
Although he had been shocked by Apeps words, he didnt think his situation was hopeless.
Demigods werent invincible. While they were classified as transcendent beings, that was not an absolute fact. They were absurdly strong beings, but they were still beatable.
Before fighting a Demigod, there was one thing that had to be kept in mind.
Of course, the power that Apep had displayed so far wasnt his true power. Someone who was unaware might despair at that fact, but for Frey, it was an opportunity.
The fastest and easiest way to deal with a Demigod was to fiercely attack during the time when it was looking down on you.
Frey looked up at the sky.
Did he say that it was darkest before sunrise?
Now that the moon had disappeared behind the clouds, the night sky had become dark as if one was looking into an abyss.
Dawn was only a few hours away. Frey had no time to relax.
Pff.
His figure disappeared.
Soon after, countless black droplets filled the spot he had been standing. He had avoided them in an instant using Blink.
First of all, he chose to run again.
He then observed Apep from a distance,
At first glance, Apeps power appeared to be perfect, but Frey had found a flaw.
At that moment, Apep was lifting his left hand, and with his direction, the black droplets were rushing towards Frey.
Not so long ago, he had lifted his right hand to block the Holy Breath.
Does he need to use his left hand to attack and his right hand to defend?
It was subtle, but it meant that he needed to move before using his power.
Then what would happen if Frey prevented him from lifting his right hand to use the dark curtain?
Would that also prevent him from using his power?
But
Hed already seen how amazing Apeps regeneration was.
Even when the Holy Breath had broken past the curtain and created a large hole in his body, which would have been fatal or near fatal for any other being, Apep had repaired the wound with his ridiculous regenerative ability.
Breaking through the curtain was already a monumentally difficult task, but even if he did, the damage could still be fixed in an instant.
Apep was clearly a Demigod who focused on defense more than attack.
And in a race against time like this, he was more annoying to deal with than someone who was aggressive.
Originally, the best strategy wouldve been to fight this Demigod during the day.
It would have been much simpler to deal with Apep while not being surrounded by darkness.
He was almost certain that the power of the droplets, curtain and regeneration would be greatly reduced during the day.
But two more Demigods would be arriving at dawn.
It was quite literally a dilemma.
hopefully, my reinforcements come.
Frey clicked his tongue softly while recalling the reinforcements hed requested two days ago.
He had persuaded them as much as he could, but whether or not they truly came was entirely up to them.
He would have tried harder to persuade them if hed known three Demigods were coming.
Ssk.
At that moment, a droplet brushed past Freys cheek, corroding the skin and causing blood to drip.
Theyre getting faster.
Were they accelerating over time? Or was Apep slowly revealing more of his power?
Either way, it wasnt good news for Frey.
He roughly wiped the blood on his cheek.
* * *
Heinz looked at Isaka.
His eyes were closed, and he was unconscious. Heinz had also frozen part of his body so that he couldnt move even if he was awake.
It hadnt been hard to overpower Isaka. He had already exhausted his mental power during the fight with Frey, and it seemed he was unable to use either magic or divine power.
Heinz, on the other hand, was in near peak condition, not counting the fatigue that came from staying awake all night.
He looked down.
He couldnt see very well because the moonlight was obscured by the clouds, but he was able to see Frey and Apep fighting fiercely.
Amazing.
Heinz was truly impressed.
While he knew that Apep wasnt doing his best, it was still amazing that Frey was able to have a 1-on-1 confrontation with a Demigod.
Who the hell was he?
Heinz couldnt help but feel his suspicions grow.
no. Its not the time to think about that.
His attention was once again drawn to the fight.
As time passed, he couldnt help but feel that Frey was getting pushed back. If that was the case, it wouldnt be long before they would all be in grave danger.
Just as Heinz was about to join the fight.
hooo.
Sheryl sighed.
She then wiped blood from her lips before saying to Heinz.
Im done, Heinz.
Are you okay?
Even if Im not okay, I cant continue lying down on the sidelines.
Heinz, who agreed with Sheryl, turned to look at her.
When she had been thrown up to them, her entire body had been covered in blood, but now, it seemed her most severe wounds were mostly healed.
This wouldve been impossible if she wasnt a vampire.
Sheryl looked down as well before biting her lips as she assessed Freys situation.
he wont last much longer.
Yeah.
Heinz, Im sorry, but can I drink his blood?
Sheryl pointed to Isaka as she said this.
You want to drink his blood?
Right. Itll help me recover faster. Then, I can go help my Master.
Master.
Heinz almost tilted his head when he heard the unexpected term.
Why was Sheryl, the Circle Rounder of the Phisfounder Armlets, calling Frey her master?
Her master should be Altan. (Note: Circle Master of the Phisfounder Armlets)
Perhaps this had something to do with Freys real identity.
Even a centuries old vampire had accepted this man as her master.
Heinz felt an even greater sense of unfamiliarity towards his brother.
Of course, now wasnt the time to ask.
Is there a point?
There is. If everything goes according to plan, it wouldnt be a dream to defeat this Demigod.
Heinz tilted his head at those words.
If there is a way, why are you only using it now?
Because it would be impossible without Masters help.
It was strange, but Sheryl was not the type of woman to speak loosely.
Heinz nodded.
Alright.
As soon as Heinz gave his permission, Sheryl approached the unconscious Isaka. Then, she opened her mouth and bit into his neck.
After looking at her for a moment, Heinz turned away.
This wasnt because he had any psychological rejection or guilt over feeding his father to a vampire.
Instead, it was because an enemy had appeared.
Heinz observed the woman looking at him in the air.
Heinz, dont listen to Freys nonsense.
Leita gave a gentle smile.
However, despite her soothing words, Heinzs expression remained as cold as ice.
Nonsense? So youre saying Frey lied?
I am.
no.
Heinz grit his teeth,
I wasnt shaken by Freys words. Id just refused to believe the truth that was laid out before me.
So youre going to rebel against me?
Dont be mistaken. I was never obedient to you, Mother.
even you have disappointed me.
You were the one who disappointed me first.
Leita sighed.
You are important to my plan, so I wont kill you.
* * *
Sheryl wiped the corner of her mouth.
Then, she looked towards Isaka who had dried up like a mummy.
Shed taken more blood than she expected, but it didnt matter. At least his life wasnt in danger.
In any case, her physical condition had recovered to a certain extent. Sheryl was extremely glad she was a vampire. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for her to recover so quickly.
Flap.
Sheryl spread her wings before flying towards Frey.
Frey was struggling to deal with the black droplets, and he was surprised by Sheryls appearance.
Sheryl? Did you already recover?
Yes. Im not in perfect condition, but I can fight.
Thats good to hear, but
Frey looked at Apep in frustration. sea??h th Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
To put it bluntly, nothing would change, even with the addition of Sheryl.
Master, theres a way. Its not impossible to deal with Apep if we do it properly.
What way?
We have to Warp Apep.
Warp?
Yes.
Sheryl nodded confidently, but it was hard for even Frey to understand her words.
After thinking for a moment, he shook his head.
Even if its a long distance warp, all it would do is buy us time. Plus Im not sure he would give me the time to do it.
Hm. I might have said it incorrectly. To be precise, its not Warp but a dimensional shift.
what?
Sheryls words were sounding more and more obscure.
Frey set up an earth barrier to block the droplets before saying to Sheryl.
Explain.
Send Apep to the Demon World.
To the Demon World?
Yes. Then we can ask the Archdukes to deal with him.
It sounded like a bunch of nonsense. Had it been anyone other than Sheryl who was telling him this, Frey would have immediately disregarded it as mad ramblings.
But this blonde girl in front of him was the Circle Rounder for the Phisfounder Armlets as well as the Contractor of Lilith.
She definitely had more knowledge than him when it came to black magic and demon contracts.
Is it possible?
It is in theory. Only beings with transcendental mental power and physiques can travel across dimensions. Demigods meet all the requirements.
That was true.
Nevertheless, Frey couldnt trust Sheryls words so easily.
As if shed noticed Freys suspicious look, Sheryl hastily continued.
There are two reasons why it was never implemented before.
Tell me.
Yes, sir. The first is the combat power of my contracted demon. Lilith is not considered strong among the Archdukes. Regardless of if she is able to use her full power in the Demon World or not, there is no guarantee that she can defeat a Demigod. So I intend to borrow the power of Asura, who Master is contracted to.
So you want to send him to the Slaughter Hell.
Thats right. If its Asura, whos called the Fighting Demon King, it shouldnt be too difficult.
Naturally, although Lilith and Asura were both Archdukes, Asura would always come out on top in a direct battle.
In the first place, one was a Fighting Demon, and the other was a Dream Demon. (Note: This one gave me hell, if anyone who knows chinese has a better translation for ^ħ and ħ, please tell me. I only just started learning so Im particularly inept and mtl couldnt help)
Even if they were on the same level, it was natural for them to have different combat abilities as their specialties were different.
The other reason is that dimensional movement requires huge amounts of mana.
He understood. It was quite clear now.
The Warp spell required far more mana than any other spell of the same grade, so he couldnt imagine just how much mana was required to travel between dimensions.
Generally, Contractors didnt use mana. This was the reason Frey had been so shocked when Oydin summoned Asura the first time.
The offensive ability of the droplets became fiercer, and Frey seriously pondered the situation while dodging them.
The mana that he would use to cast the dimensional movement was equivalent to two to three 8 star spells.
He had to decide.
Would he cast the dimensional movement? Or would he save the mana to cast 8 star spells?
Both are gambles.
However, if he could really send Apep to the Demon World, Asura would definitely kill him.
On the other hand, even if he managed to hit him with one or two 8 star spells, Frey wasnt sure he could kill him.
Frey felt his choice shifting towards the dimensional movement.
Fine.
He made his decision.
He then turned to Sheryl and opened his mouth.
Lets do it.
Chapter 130 - Family Extermination (6)
Chapter 130 - Family Extermination (6) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
First, we need to know the specific location of the Slaughter Hell.
Do you mean we have to ask Asura?
Yes.
There is a summoning circle already prepared in my room. It can be activated at any time, so go do that. It shouldnt be a problem for you.
What about you?
Ill hold his attention.
understood.
Sheryl nodded with a firm expression.
Frey hesitated for a moment before adding.
Actually, I planned on defeating that Demigod.
This caused a little playfulness to appear on Sheryls face as she said.
Defeat a Demigod alone? Huhu. Thats hard to believe. Is that something that happened often in the past?
It is.
But it had been after hed reached 9 stars.
Frey sighed.
At his current level, it would be difficult to defeat Apep at night.
He could try fighting some more and maybe think of another method, but right now, the only thing he could think of was to stall until sunrise.
If it werent for the time limit.
If there werent two more Demigods coming as reinforcements, Frey would have had more than enough time to take care of Apep.
And he had the confidence to easily defeat him when he was in a weakened state.
But it was hard to do so during the night.
those are just excuses. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Unfortunately, his pathetic excuses wouldnt make a difference.
In the end, the thought of defeating a Demigod alone had stemmed from his arrogance.
Frey shook his head and said.
Anyway. It didnt go as planned, so thank you for your help. And please be safe.
Please leave it to me!
Sheryl nodded firmly, trying hard to not reveal the joy she felt inside as she turned around.
Im fighting alongside the legendary hero right now.
She felt strange.
To be precise, a feeling of excitement that she hadnt felt for a very long time blossomed within her.
Sheryl was excited.
She was excited because she was now on the same battlefield with the great hero who had bravely fought against the Demigods 4,000 years ago.
Even Sheryl herself was surprised by that fact.
Shed thought shed gotten rid of such immature emotions centuries ago.
Like a girl in love, she tried to calm her pounding heart while thinking.
This isnt weird.
She admired Iris Phisfounder greatly, but she admired Lukas Trowman no less.
No, who wouldnt admire Lukas Trowman?
4,000 years had passed since his death but there was yet to be another person who was given the title Great Mage. Not even one!
A name that could be used to represent all Wizards!
That was what Lukas Trowman was.
And now, that legendary Great Mage had returned, and she was even fighting against a Demigod with him!
This was something she believed could only happen in novels.
I started feeling doubt about our fight against the Demigods some time ago.
Probably all the Circle members had struggled with similar thoughts.
Was it really possible for them to expel those transcendent beings from the continent?
It was nigh impossible.
This was something shed felt for a long time. And that feeling had only become stronger after the failed battle against Nozdog a few years ago.
Demigods were insanely powerful.
But now.
If its Master
If she followed him, she believed they could achieve it. That seemingly unrealistic goal of defeating the Demigods.
She turned to the mansion.
Fortunately, unlike the rest of the property, the main building of the mansion remained intact.
Sheryl headed to Freys room. There was no sign of the summoning circle.
Naturally, Frey mustve hidden it. Sheryl swept the floor.
Shh.
Then, Asuras bloody summoning circle, which had been concealed, was revealed.
It really is ready to be used at any time.
All that was left was to actually do so.
Sheryl immediately activated the summoning circle.
Kugugu-
Asura appeared in the room. He was so large that the ceiling collapsed, and even the furniture in the room was smashed.
[what, you]
Asuras expression became hard.
He looked down at Sheryl before speaking coldly.
[Liliths vampire Contractor? Where is Frey?]
At that moment, Asuras aura slammed down upon Sheryl, almost causing her to kneel subconsciously.
Hes completely different from Lilith.
Asura, Lord of the Slaughter Hell. A vicious tyrant with six powerful arms.
Shed heard that he was the most vicious of all the Demon Archdukes.
Lilith had a wicked and twisted side, but she didnt give off such an overwhelmingly intimidating aura.
Of course, that could be because Lilith had somewhat of an affinity to Sheryl.
Sheryl struggled to maintain her composure.
It was unwise to allow yourself to be suppressed by a Demon.
I summoned you at the request of your contractor.
[Do you think Id believe that bullsh*t?]
Its true.
[Then bring Frey. I will talk to him myself.]
Hes currently not in a position to talk to you.
[Not in a position? Dont play with me, girl. I will decide that myself.]
Asuras expression became murderous.
He hated Lilith.
In fact, his feelings for her had long surpassed simple hate. So naturally, he would not have any good feelings for her Contractor, Sheryl.
Sheryl felt a deep sense of foreboding that Asuras six weapons would strike her down if her words werent satisfactory, so she hurriedly pointed outside the mansion.
Look outside. Then youll understand what Im saying.
[]
Asura turned his gaze outside, where he saw Frey dodging Apeps droplets.
[That guy is fighting another Demigod? It hasnt even been that long since In a sense, hes a pretty amazing guy.]
Master is currently in a fierce battle with the Demigod. The reason I could summon you was because he prepared in advance.
[Hmph]
Asura snorted slightly before speaking in a slightly softer tone.
[If you say so. Why did you summon me? Was it to help in the fight?]
That would be great, but first, I need you to tell me the Slaughter Hells location.
[Why do you want the Slaughter Hells location?]
That
Sheryl briefly described her plan to Asura.
After hearing it, Asura seemed a bit displeased.
[So you want to send the Demigod to the Demon World and leave it to me?]
is that a no?
Sheryl became nervous.
If Asura refused to help, then their plan wouldnt be able to progress.
After being silent for a while, Asura spoke.
[I will help you this once.]
In the end, he wanted to fight a Demigod at least once.
After all, he had been treated badly by them numerous times.
Ah!
Sheryl did not conceal her joy.
Then, Asura asked the question he was curious about.
[But is it possible? Dimensional travel consumes an enormous amount of energy.]
It wasnt the same as sending an avatar like he had done to come to the continent. The plan was to transmit the Demigods true body.
But then, after thinking about it, Asura nodded.
[Nevermind. Its possible with Freys mana.]
He knew just how dense and abundant his contractors mana was.
If it was that guy, he would be able to activate the dimensional movement without difficulty.
[To travel between dimensions, one would need to have a transcendent level body and mind. But since its a Demigod, that wouldnt be a problem either. Hmm. Interesting. It certainly is a different approach.]
Hed always wanted to fight against a Demigod, but hed never thought about forcing one into a fight in such a way.
A fierce smile spread across Asuras face.
[Fine, vampire. But you dont know much about coordinates in the Demon World, do you? So how would I tell you the location of the Slaughter Hell?]
The Black Dream hell is Liliths territory. If you tell me the approximate location relative to there, then wed be able to calculate the coordinates.
When he heard Liliths name, Asuras expression became uncomfortable, but in the end, he sighed and said.
[The Black Dream Hell is to the southern end. My territory is in the opposite direction from that bitchs.]
What?
Sheryls mouth opened wide.
[Is there a problem?]
its much farther than I expected. It would require much more computational power than I thought.
No matter if he was Lukas Trowman or an 8 star Archmage, it would still be an enormous burden for him to carry out so many calculations. (Note: if only she knew)
[Besides that, I doubt the Demigod would get caught in the dimensional movement.]
That was also something Sheryl had thought about.
A magic circle was required to cast the dimensional movement.
A huge amount of mana will be released. Besides, it will take a while to cast.
Unless the Demigod was a fool, he would surely move away from it.
That meant they would need to find a way to keep him from moving.
At least for 5 seconds.
It was a short amount of time, but when the target was a Demigod, the difficulty rose significantly.
Sheryl realised at that moment.
She had been excited by the atmosphere and proposed a strategy that turned out to be filled with loopholes.
The probability of success had already dropped below half.
She felt bad for making a fuss out of nothing.
but.
She couldnt just give up.
She had already told Frey about it, and he had even thanked her for her help.
So Sheryl had to live up to his expectations, even if it cost her her life.
I will start drawing the magic circle for the dimensional movement, so can you please explain the situation to Master?
[Sure.]
Asura nodded and went to Frey.
Freys body was soaked in sweat. He still had a lot of mana left, but it required a high degree of concentration to avoid the droplets.
He glanced at Asura and said.
Asura, youre here.
[I am.]
What about Sheryl?
[The vampire is drawing the magic circle for the dimensional movement. But there are two problems.]
What are they?
[One is to lure the Demigod to the place where the circle will be. The other is that you would need to restrain the Demigod for about 5 seconds while the dimensional movement is being activated.]
[And according to the vampire, the location of the Slaughter Hell is too far away, so it would require extensive calculations. No matter how much you]
No. I can do it.
Frey spoke, interrupting Asura.
Then, after thinking for a moment, he added.
There must be a better way. Asura, can you connect Sheryl to me?
[This is really unpleasant. Im not an errand boy.]
I cant leave.
Even while they were talking, Frey was continuously dodging droplets.
[hooo. You are the first contractor to make me do such a chore.]
Asura shook his head and contacted Sheryl.
What is it?
Please explain the technique for the dimensional movement to me.
Huh?
Frey spoke in a clear voice.
I will draw the magic circle myself.
* * *
Im getting tired of this.
Apep had this thought while looking at Frey.
At first, hed found it pretty interesting.
He was pretty agile for a Wizard, and the timing, application and power of his spells were much better than other Wizards.
Most importantly, there were almost no 8 star Wizards among the humans for Apep to play with.
But after a few hours, he had grown bored.
Frey had only used that 8 star spell once. Apep wasnt sure if it was because his mana was running out or if he was just waiting for the right timing, but he had already grown tired.
Therefore, Apep decided to end this boring battle.
That strange time-consuming movement is annoying.
Apep slowly lifted both hands.
The darkness around him strangely shook. This was no longer a simple attack like the droplets.
Instead, the darkness around him began to take shape, becoming sharp thorns.
To someone who had grown used to the slow but unusual movement of the black droplets, these sharp thorns would pierce through him easily.
Apep was sure of it.
He wouldnt even know how he died.
Apeps smile widened considerably.
Pat.
!
A huge beam of light erupted from the ground, causing Apep to pause momentarily.
This wasnt an attack. Instead, it was the manifestation caused when a large amount of mana was being used.
Are these his death throes?
He didnt know what kind of spell it was, but the range was enormous.
The light seemed to cover almost all of the Blake familys territory.
I cant avoid it. Hmph good.
Perhaps this spell was his last-ditch attempt. There was no reason for him to meet it head-on.
Apep wrapped himself in the darkness he was just about to use to attack.
It was a complete defense. Literally.
The defense he was using now was many times stronger than what hed used against the Holy Breath.
No matter how amazing the spell was, there was no way it could kill him.
Regardless of what it is, when this spell ends, youll die.
It was then.
Woowoong-.
!?
Suddenly, Apep felt like heaven and earth were being overturned.
That wasnt all.
He felt like he was floating, then sinking, then bouncing around.
It made him incredibly dizzy. He felt like vomiting.
Apeps head was spinning to the point where he could no longer tell up from down.
Wha-, what is happening?!
The cocoon of darkness was so thick that he could not see what was happening on the outside. However, Apep did not understand what was happening.
Was there something that could cause such dizziness even to Demigods?
His vigilance increased to the max.
Thanks to that, he hesitated in removing the cocoon.
When the tossing finally subsided, Apep slowly removed the cocoon.
And the scene that unfolded before him was something that Apep had never seen in his thousands of years of life.
Ahhhhh-
A terrible scream pierced his ears.
The pitch-black ground, purple sky, and disgusting stench that caused Apep to unconsciously cover his nose.
[I was dubious at first, but it really succeeded.]
!
Then he saw a throne as large as a mountain, on which sat an equally large being.
It was a creature with two heads and six arms, and as he spoke, a red haze seemed to flow from his body.
[Welcome, Demigod, to the Slaughter Hell.]
Brrr.
Apep shivered without realising it.
Then, he was stunned by that fact.
I feel intimidated?
It was the first time hed felt this way toward someone who wasnt of his kind.
Humiliation gripped him as he grit his teeth.
Who are you?
[I am Asura, Lord of this place.]
This place?
[Didnt I tell you? This is the Slaughter Hell.]
Asura let out a laugh before becoming serious.
[hmm. By the way.]
He inspected Apep closely, his disappointment clear on his two faces.
[Looking at you here in the Demon World, Demigods dont seem that impressive. Im not sure I could even enjoy you properly.]
You are you insulting me?
[Did it sound like that?]
Even after hearing Apeps angry tone, Asura remained indifferent.
He simply looked down at him from his large throne.
Apep grit his teeth at the fact that someone was looking down at him.
Dont look down at me.
[I could barely hear you from up here.]
Apeps face turned red.
He knew where the Slaughter Hell was.
The Demon World.
The place where the Demons lived. It was one of the six hells in this place.
He also knew that this place was very chaotic.
Apep wasnt sure why he came here, but he couldnt tolerate this scumbag pretending to be above him.
Shut up! Youre just a demon whos locked up in this world and acts like a slave to the humans! Do you know who I
[Youre stupid. Dont you understand yet? Who are you to tell me to shut up?]
Asura laughed.
[This is my world, my territory, my castle.]
So what? My strength hasnt changed! It will be the same as on the continent!
Mine isnt.
What?
[I said my strength isnt the same as in that place.]
Kugugu.
Asura lifted one of his six arms, and the sword held in its hand was lifted as well.
It was a sword larger than a mountain.
[Do you know what that means?]
Apep stared at the sword with a blank look on his face.
[Here, you are less than a bug.]
Chapter 131 - Family Extermination
Chapter 131 - Family Extermination (7) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Sheryl looked at Frey in shock.
In truth, anyone would have the same expression if they understood what he had just done.
Amazing.
Frey had just covered the entire Blake property with the magic circle for dimensional movement.
It was unbelievable.
The size of his magic circle was hundreds of times larger than the one shed been creating. Naturally, this meant that the mana required to activate it was tens of times higher and that the entire magic circle would have had to be redesigned.
Thanks to that, the dimensional movement spell had reached a level that made it comparable to a great spell.
And after realising that, it became even harder for her to guess just how much mana Frey had.
But there was something that was even more amazing.
The dimensional movement magic circle is covering the entire property, but its only targeting Apep.
It wasnt possible for Frey to accomplish such a feat if he only had an enormous amount of mana but no knowledge.
Magic computational power.
Sheryl was certain that the calculations Frey had done to create that magic circle would not have been possible even if dozens of 7 star Wizards worked together.
In fact, it was more likely that they would melt their brains if they attempted it.
Yet, hed done it alone.
Chuk.
Ah!
Frey suddenly started bleeding from his eyes, nose and mouth at the same time.
As Sheryl rushed over to assist him, Frey simply waved his hand, signifying he was fine.
This didnt mean he was in good shape. In fact, he was so dizzy that he couldnt even stand properly.
I used a stupid method.
He had been too hurried in using his mana, which even he didnt know the limit of.
Frey wanted to rest, but he couldnt. The fight wasnt over yet.
He looked up to the sky.
Heinz and Leita were exchanging moves, and when he narrowed his eyes, he was able to get a rough understanding of the situation.
Leita used divine power of wind, and a strong gale rampaged around her. Surprisingly, Heinz had the same power as her.
That might be the reason why he was in an iffy situation right now.
The difference in power is too great.
Heinz could be said to have a backwards compatibility with Leita. Since they used the same power, it was hard for him to outwit her.
If it had not been for the fact that he was occasionally mixing spells into his attacks, he would have already been overpowered long ago.
No. Perhaps the reason he could last that long was because Leita was also paying attention to the situation while fighting against him.
Frey then looked at the sky, dumbfounded. The sky was steadily brightening they didnt have much time left.
Sheryl, you have to help Heinz kill Leita. Before the other Demigods get here.
Is it possible? Her strength isnt simple.
I know, but you have to do it anyway.
It was suicide to try to fight two Demigods in his current state, but that didnt mean they had to retreat right away.
They would have to at least kill Leita to make it worth all the trouble.
Most importantly, just because they wanted to retreat didnt mean that Leita would let them go.
Frey took a deep breath.
My mana is low and my mental power is almost completely exhausted.
His head was still swinging a bit because of the extensive calculations he had just done.
It was hard for him to use his physical strength if his mental power was exhausted.
Nevertheless, he had to continue.
Frey flew up into the night sky, and Sheryl followed suit.
Leita stopped attacking. Instead, she stared at Frey who had come to stop beside Heinz.
Why was this man standing here?
where is Mr. Apep?
I killed him.
Dont be ridiculous.
Check for yourself.
Leita turned her gaze to the ground. However, the Demigod with the power of darkness was nowhere to be seen.
Her expression hardened.
What on earth did you do?
I fought him, and I won. And now, its your turn.
Thats funny!
Swoosh-
The winds around Leita began blowing fiercely.
If they relaxed for even a moment, their entire bodies would be sucked into the whirlwind and torn to pieces.
Heinz created a wall of wind in front of them while saying.
My mother is much stronger than I expected.
Right, she is.
Leita was much stronger than any Apostle Frey had encountered so far. Of course, she was still nothing when compared to the Demigods.
If Frey had been in his peak condition, it would have been no problem for him to deal with her alone. But for the worn-out Frey, she might be an even more difficult opponent than Apep.
I can use one more 8 star spell.
Do you think that would be enough to end it?
I dont know. But do we have a choice but to try it?
true.
Heinz nodded.
The chanting will take a minute.
With the current amount of mana he had left, Frey could not use chantless magic.
The stronger the spell, the more accurate and meticulous the chanting had to be to cast it. To cast it without the chant would require many times the regular amount of mana needed to cast the spell.
Nodding at Freys words, Sheryl said.
Heinz and I will buy you time.
Thanks.
Frey immediately closed his eyes and began chanting while Heinz and Sheryl faced off against Leita.
The fierce winds were becoming stronger and stronger.
Im curious as to what kind of relationship Rounder Sheryl has with Frey.
I think this is a bad time to ask such a question, Honor Heinz.
It seems like a long story.
Sheryl chuckled at those words.
Well. Dont be impatient. If we survive, youll find out sooner or later. After all, were in the same boat.
Do you intend to leave the Phisfounder Armlets?
If he wants me to.
Heinz fell silent.
This was because Sheryl was one of the oldest members of the Phisfounder Armlets. Even if she preferred to wander the continent instead of doing any work in the circle, that fact didnt change.
He found it hard to believe she would leave the circle immediately at a single request from Frey.
Who was Frey exactly?
Kuaaah~
The gale intensified.
Just as Leitas fingers were about to move, her eyes met Sheryls.
Throb.
Kuk!
Then, she suddenly frowned as she felt a sharp pain in her head.
Psychic domination you have a very troublesome power, vampire.
Hmph.
Sheryl snorted briefly, but she wasnt relaxed either.
The minds of Apostles were already deeply connected to their Demigods. Therefore, it was impossible to take control of them.
It was possible to break their concentrations, but she couldnt go in for the kill.
Its fine.
Her goal wasnt to kill Leita, it was simply to buy time.
Kwakwakwa-
Thanks to this, she was able to realise that the power of the gale was much greater than she expected.
Sheryl created shields from her bats, and Heinz tried to offset the power of Leitas attack with his own wind power.
Leita turned to look at Frey, who was standing behind them.
It seems like Frey is preparing to do something, so you guys are trying to buy time for him.
She smiled coldly.
I cant let that happen.
Paht.
!!
Leitas figure suddenly disappeared.
Heinz and Sheryl hurriedly tried to follow her movement, but they couldnt find her anywhere.
Kuk!
Then they heard Frey grunt from behind them.
Before they knew it, Leita had appeared behind Frey with her fingers stretching forward.
Pipipit.
Frey hurriedly leaned to the side.
He was capable of triple casting, so he could use Blink, but at that moment, he was focused completely on casting the spell, so he couldnt.
In addition, he was already using flight magic.
Despite his dodging, something invisible still brushed past his chin.
Shuk.
Was that extremely compressed air?
It was highly destructive. In addition, it was obscenely sharp.
Because of its blade-like shape, if the attack had connected, not only would it have easily pierced his body, his flesh would have been severely mutilated as if he had been stabbed by a blade with a jagged edge.
If even one attack lands, it would be near-fatal.
Leitas attack had been simple but also tricky.
Moreover, she had moved at a speed that surpassed their imaginations. Not just Heinz and Sheryl - even Frey had lost track of her for a moment.
Master!
Sheryl hurriedly went to his side.
Heinz looked around.
We dont know where her attacks will come from next, so it would be better to protect you from the side than from a distance.
I agree.
Meanwhile, Leita had disappeared once again.
Heinz then muttered in a low voice.
She isnt moving at a speed that exceeds our perception. Instead, shes hiding in the wind.
Hiding in the wind?
Sheryl couldnt help but frown at the almost unbelievable statement.
Anyway, all that is important is that she isnt moving at an imperceptible speed.
Right. While its still tricky to deal with at least we know what were dealing with.
Hm?
At that moment, Heinz clenched his fist.
Hoooo-
Without warning, a blizzard erupted from his body.
Sheryl couldnt help but shiver at the sudden cold.
A spell?
No, she couldnt feel any mana. There had also been no signs of chanting or casting.
Above all, the power that was currently erupting from Heinzs body was not mana. It was divine power.
The raging blizzard spread out in an instant, exposing Leitas position.
She had been hiding nearby, and when the snow surrounded her, the empty space revealed where she was lurking.
Ssuk.
Leita reappeared.
She was glaring fiercely while being bombarded by the snow and heavy winds. Then, with an angry voice, she said.
Heinz! Are you really going to use the power of ice here?!
Didnt you give me this power so that Id use it?
You dare!
Heinz Blake.
He was an incredible sample created after countless experiments. He was the only one who had been able to use two powers.
Her owner, Leyrin, was greatly pleased by this discovery. If she continued to study Heinz, she might be able to recreate such results in not only creatures but even in the Apostles.
For this reason, Leita adored Heinz very much. Much more than her eldest son, Mischael, or even her husband, Isaka.
And now, this Heinz, whom she so dearly loved, was baring his fangs at her.
Now that it had come to this, Leita no longer intended to hold back.
Just as Leita was about to unleash her full power.
Pit.
?
She suddenly felt a chill in her chest.
This wasnt from Heinzs blizzard. It was a different type of cold.
But what exactly was this chill?
Kurk!
Leita suddenly vomited a mouthful of blood before looking down at her chest.
Blood gradually spread on her clothes.
She lifted her head heavily and stared at Frey. Smoke was slowly rising from his finger tip.
This what is this spell?
Frey wiped the blood from his lips before saying.
I havent named it yet.
you created it?
He didnt answer.
It wasnt grand enough that he would say he created it, but Leita couldnt hide her astonishment as she interpreted his silence differently.
ha. Impo ssible.
It was a bit shabby for her last words. Especially when considering that they were the last words of the Blake family.
Leitas body collapsed backward, falling to the ground.
Frey breathed a sigh of relief.
They were lucky.
The spell hed used was just a modification of the Magic Arrow spell, so to speak.
The power and speed were hundreds of times greater than a Magic Arrow, but the concept was the same.
What was different was that unlike normal Magic Arrows, its appearance didnt stand out.
I-, is it over?
He nodded at Sheryls words, causing her to sigh in relief.
Heinz was looking at his mothers cooling body with a bitter expression on his face.
However, this wasnt the time for sentimentalism.
He hurriedly spoke to Frey and Sheryl, who had returned to her senses.
Ah. This isnt the time for this. We have to leave this place quickly. The Demigods will
no.
Frey shook his head while looking off into the distance.
Im sorry. I took too long.
A light could be seen coming from the east.
Sheryls expression hardened.
Dawn had come.
Kooo-
Suddenly, a pressure descended upon them. They couldnt even lift a finger.
A man and a woman were standing in the sky. Their appearances were different but also similar in that they both had exceptionally cold expressions.
They didnt need to guess their identities.
The Demigods that Leita had called as reinforcements had finally arrived at the Blake family residence.
The man then spoke in a cold voice.
I dont see Apep.
I dont think these bugs couldve done anything to him.
Hmph we can just find out by asking them. It wouldnt be difficult to find out what happened here.
The Demigods slowly descended to the ground.
Frey fiddled with the Great Sages Staff in his hand.
If he used the Warp spell that was stored there, he would be able to escape without any problem.
But
Hed need some time. It would take less time than it took to blink, but his opponents were Demigods. If he moved hastily, they might attack immediately.
I need to think.
What should he do? Should he pretend to have a conversation? Should he pretend to be ignorant? Should he force a pause by mentioning Apep?
All those options were gambles.
In the meantime, the Demigods had walked closer to them.
Just as Frey grit his teeth and decided to open his mouth.
Crackle-
The space behind them split without any warning.
Sheryl looked back in confusion. S~ea??h the Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
This was a sign that a Warp spell was being used.
Juk.
A group of people walked out from the rift in space.
Sheryl gulped subconsciously.
They were all beings of different shapes and sizes, but the one at the front was particularly gruesome.
It was a Lich who exuded a bloody red aura.
However, Sheryl had never seen one who had such powerful, eerie energy. Her body had become so filled with fear that it completely erased the image of Liches that shed had before.
There were more?
Despair filled Heinzs face.
They were completely surrounded. There was absolutely no way they could escape now.
But the Demigods looked at the group of people with strange expressions.
Who are you?
[Paragon.]
The Lich slowly opened its mouth and spoke.
When he heard those words, Frey realised that the gamble hed taken three days ago had paid off.
[We came here at Cairos request, Frey Blake.]
Freys request for reinforcements had been accepted by none other than Cairo Wilsemann, the Eleventh Tower Master.
Chapter 132 - Paragon (1)
Chapter 132 - Paragon (1) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Paragon? What is that?
Was there a circle by that name?
This was the first time the Demigods had ever heard of Paragon.
Believing them to just be another circle, they narrowed their eyes and stared at this new group while releasing an intangible pressure.
The Lich ignored them and spoke to Frey.
[Are those two the only enemies?]
Thats right. Sarch* The N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
[Hmm.]
The Lich looked at Frey for a moment.
It seemed he was quite interested in him.
[Hoh indeed. Cairo was right.]
What do you mean?
[Its nothing.]
The Lich responded in a strangely indifferent tone before turning his head away.
Frey frowned inwardly.
This guy
He had gone beyond the limit of Liches.
Even Frey felt a little intimidated by his aura.
It was impossible to compare him to the Lich hed met on the boat or the undead Oydin had summoned. In fact, he felt more like Nozdog, who had the power of death.
But he wasnt a Demigod.
In other words, this Lich was a being who had surpassed the limit of his species enough to exude an aura similar to a Demigod.
[Its going to be a long fight. You guys can head over to Cairo first.]
Do you not need my help?
Then the Lich turned to glance at Frey again,
[If you had been in perfect condition, I wouldve agreed, but now, you would only be a burden.]
Frey agreed with the Lich.
If he were to stay beside him in his current state, he would only be a hindrance.
The Lich turned to look at the two Demigods before continuing,
[Dont worry. It wont be hard to kill these two.]
These words definitely reached the Demigods above as they froze for a moment.
A heavy silence fell.
It was the male Demigod on the left who broke this silence.
Ignorant fool
Frey felt a huge build up of energy in the Demigods hands, so he tried to gather his strength.
He called upon the little scraps of mana he had left.
It would be impossible for that little bit of mana to defend against the Demigods attack, but his body instinctively began to circulate mana anyway as he quickly tried to think of a way to overcome this situation.
But soon, he realised that he didnt have to.
Crack crack crack!
In an instant, thousands of hands tore through the ground. These hands, which were made of bones without a single bit of flesh, grabbed the Demigods.
Useless struggle
After trying to break free of the restraints, the Demigods expressions became hard. At that moment, they realised they couldnt move at all.
The Demigods expressions changed.
[You were careless.]
They recalled the words Lord had once told them with a solemn tone,
Lord had said that sometimes, such people would appear among the worm-like mortals.
He told them to not be careless.
To not look down on them.
Because mortals who were able to threaten them would occasionally appear.
I-, is this guy
Crack.
Thousands of bones wrapped around the Demigods bodies without leaving any spaces. The Demigods roared and struggled to break free, but it wouldnt be that easy.
Frey turned his head to look at the Lich.
His expression was full of surprise, astonishment, disbelief and anticipation - things that had rarely appeared on his face.
Even after receiving his gaze, the Lichs eyes remained locked on the Demigods with a murderous glint.
Are you a 9 star Wizard?
He didnt receive an answer.
* * *
Shuk.
Frey allowed himself to be sucked into the spatial movement casted by one of the Paragon members. (Note: should I call them Paragons?)
The reason why he called it spatial movement and not Warp was because he could not figure out what trick theyd used.
The one who had cast the spatial movement was an Orc Shaman with deep wrinkles on her green skin.
Still, he hadnt been able to tell her exact age. Perhaps around middle-aged.
She wore a necklace made of bones, and spoke a human language in a somber tone.
Follow me.
When they followed the Orc Shaman, darkness surrounded them. And darkness that Sheryl could not see through could not be natural.
Master, is this Paragons hideout?
Perhaps. Do you know about Paragon?
Heinz was curious because this was the first time hed heard this name.
Sheryl shook her head.
I only know their name and goal. I came into contact with them about ten years ago. They asked if I would leave the Circle and join them.
There was no need for him to ask what her response was.
If shed agreed, then she wouldnt still be in the Circle.
They said the Circle was rotten and that they were the ones who truly followed the cause. I refused because they still hid a lot of things.
The Orc Shaman listened to Sheryls words without making any comments.
After walking down a brief hallway, they arrived at a wooden door.
Go in.
The Orc Shaman spoke in a cold voice, but then, she shook her head when Frey, Heinz and Sheryl all moved forward.
Only Frey Blake can enter.
Displeasure was clear on Sheryls face. Heinz, on the other hand, was expressionless as always.
Frey glanced at them before going in alone.
Dak.
In the room was a mysterious person in a robe. Frey could tell who it was from a glance. It was Third Princess Fiores teacher, the Imperial familys hidden protector, and Schweisers descendant.
The Eleventh Tower Master, Cairo Wilsemann.
Welcome to Paragon.
As he said this, Cairo gestured in front of him, and Frey sat on the chair that was placed there. Then he bowed his head.
Thank you for your help. You saved my life.
Thats okay. To be honest, it was an opportunity for us as well. Chances to kill Demigods are rare.
Was he so sure that the Lich could kill the Demigods?
Frey looked at him with a strange expression for a moment before saying.
if Ill be completely honest, I didnt expect you to send reinforcements.
He heard the robe flutter slightly. He wasnt entirely sure, but Frey believed Cairo had a perplexed expression.
Why?
I thought you were a person who wouldnt make a move unless you were completely sure about it. I thought you wouldnt believe me so easily.
huhu!
Cairo chuckled.
You know me well. I wouldnt think this was our second meeting.
Then he removed his hood.
!
The moment he saw the exposed face of a middle-aged man, Frey subconsciously sucked in a breath of air.
White hair and golden eyes.
Although the specific characteristics were different, he definitely looked like Schweiser.
Youre right. I dont make any moves unless Im certain. Well, call it an occupational habit. Anyone who leads an organisation more covert than the Circle for decades would be the same.
He let out a laugh.
But I sent reinforcements because I was convinced. After listening to your words, I investigated it for myself and learned the truth about the situation.
The truth?
Exactly. We were able to figure out the location of the other three Apocalypses as well as Lord. They are now on Mount Roxeo in the Livindak mountains.
!
The situation doesnt look too good. Lord is instilling his divine power into the other Demigods. He was so focused he didnt even notice us even though we were so close.
This was definitely something that wouldnt have been possible before.
Cairo shrugged.
As you said, Lord was in a position where he could not move easily. The three Apocalypse have also been confirmed to be in near-fatal conditions.
That was right.
In order to convince Cairo, Frey told him that the other three Apocalypse, as well as Lord, were unable to move at the moment.
But he didnt tell him how he knew that because he would definitely have to mention Riki in order to do so. And Frey didnt trust this organization called Paragon enough to tell them something like that.
Naturally, this caused Freys information to have many flaws. He was aware of that, but he didnt think that mattered at that moment.
This was because Frey hadnt known that Leita had called for reinforcement from three Demigods.
In other words, there was a lack of urgency.
He thought it would be the same regardless of if they came or not. The request for reinforcements was simply for insurance, and he thought that even if they didnt come, he would be able to overcome the situation together with Sheryl and Heinz.
If I didnt make that request, it wouldve been over.
They would have died at the hands of the two Demigods.
Frey sighed.
but can they really defeat those Demigods?
Of course. Didnt Diablo go?
Diablo?
The Archlich. Im sure you noticed. Hes a 9 star Wizard.
That was true. But when Frey heard Cairo confirm it, he couldnt help but feel shocked.
There were 9 star Wizards other than him, and they were even fighting against the Demigods.
Frey felt his heart pound.
Archlich He is the Archlich of the Frozen Lands. (Note: After seeing this, I realised that it wasnt a name Akrich Ive already changed it in the previous chapters, sorry for the mixup)
How do you know that?
Cairo couldnt help but ask this with a perplexed tone. There should be less than ten people on the entire continent who knew about Diablo.
After a moment, Frey said.
I heard it from Hector.
Hector? I didnt realise he knew. Hmm. You are a very mysterious person.
Cairo was truly surprised.
Then as if he had been convinced about something, he nodded firmly.
If thats the case, do you know what he is and what hes like?
I do.
I see.
Frey hesitated for a moment before asking.
Are there any other 9 star Wizards in Paragon besides Diablo?
Huhu. Youre trying to know too much. Im sorry, but thats not information I can give to an outsider.
Frey thought he had asked at a good time, but it seemed it was still too early.
After all, Cairo wasnt an easy opponent.
Frey concealed his regret and said.
Even if hes 9 stars, it would be difficult for him to kill two Demigods.
If Diablo was alone, that would certainly be the case, but those people with him are the elite forces of Paragon. They will win.
Cairo was certain. Paragons current strength was equal to or even higher than that of the Circle
Frey had been a bit dubious at first, but he also realised that it mightve been the truth.
Then Cairos voice became serious as he said.
Frey, I will offer you once more. Join Paragon.
You are the talent we need.
Why are you fixated on an 8 star Wizard?
Im certain that you will reach 9 stars in time.
As he said this, Cairos expression was firm.
Of course, Frey thought the same. He didnt know how long it would take, but he was certain he would reach 9 stars in the near future.
Before I hear your answer. This may sound strange, but there is a question Id like to ask. Do you think a 9 star Wizard can defeat the Lord of the Demigods?
No.
It was a question that should have required some thinking, but Frey answered without hesitation.
This took Cairo by surprise. He blinked before laughing dumbfoundedly.
Hoho. I didnt expect that answer.
Is it surprising?
Of course it is. Isnt 9 stars considered a mythical level for those who walk the path of magic?
He wasnt wrong.
Officially, there were no Wizards on the continent who had reached 9 stars. That was the reason why most Wizards regarded a 9 star Wizard as the most powerful existence in the world.
You seem to know a lot about the 9 star level. How strange. To know so much about a level that has never been achieved
In any case, it will make this conversation easier. As you said, it is impossible to kill Lord even if youre a 9 star Wizard. This is because Lords abilities are the perfect counter for a 9 star Wizards abilities.
Absolute field.
This ability that 9 star Wizards gained, which allowed them to gain complete control over a portion of space around them, had absolutely no effect on Lord.
When Frey was thrown into the Abyss, hed despaired over this fact. Lord, at least had the power of space, and it was unclear how many other powers he had besides that.
But Frey was surprised that Paragon knew so much about Lords abilities.
Paragon has been researching ways to get rid of Lord and the Demigods more than anyone else on the continent. So we quickly realised that no matter how many 9 star Wizards worked together, they still wouldnt be able to kill Lord.
That was right.
Frey agreed with Cairo.
No matter how many 9 star Wizards teamed up to face Lord, they would never win. The most they would be able to do is draw out the battle.
We thought a lot about it. Lords control over the Demigods is absolute. He is their head, so if we manage to kill him, the rest of the Demigods will become disorganised. But even if we know that, we are still far away from killing Lord so, ten years ago, we came to a conclusion.
A conclusion?
We have to remove the shackles of mortality first.
Cairo looked at Frey and spoke with a firm tone.
Frey, were thinking about creating a 10 star Wizard.
Chapter 133 - Paragon (2)
Chapter 133 - Paragon (2) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
10 stars.
The weight of those words made Frey silent for a moment before he finally asked.
You realise the weight of what you just said, dont you?
I know it well.
That means you are also 9 stars.
This made Cairos expression become strange, and he seemed to be wondering how he should react to Freys words.
why do you say that?
Because you are certain that 9 star Wizards cant defeat Lord.
These words caused Cairos expression to become even stranger.
Just that? What about Diablo? Dont you think I couldve gotten the information from him?
I dont.
Frey let out a low laugh as he continued.
You are a Wizard through and through.
Whats that supposed to mean?
The more genuine a Wizard is, the more they will doubt any information they dont confirm for themself.
Cairo felt like he had been struck by a hammer.
Frey couldnt help but find his expression a bit amusing.
Another reason is the fact that you would never talk about the 10 star level without personally experiencing 9 stars. For the average person, even 9 stars would be an unimaginable height.
This was the truth.
For most Wizards, 9 stars was already a mythical level, not to mention 10 stars.
Cairo sighed and raised his arms.
It seems I was careless. Its been a while since I was on the losing end in a conversation.
Is that a compliment?
Of course it is. Huhu. Now I want you even more.
Cairo nodded and continued.
You guessed correctly. Im a 9 star Wizard like Diablo well, to be precise Im only half of a 9 star Wizard. It would be embarrassing to compare me to Diablo.
Frey wasnt surprised.
The possibility that the Eleventh Tower Master could be a 9 star Wizard had appeared in his mind from the moment he learned he could keep the Demigods in check.
He found the half part to be strange, but now wasnt the time to ask.
Have you ever fought Lord?
Huhu. It would be embarrassing to call it a fight. I barely managed to find an opening and escape.
Although he said that, just being able to escape from Lord was, in itself, a great achievement.
Frey observed Cairo, who was smiling bitterly, before asking.
Have you found any clues about 10 stars?
Of course we have. Why else would I bring it up to you now?
What was it?
The 10 star level really exists!
Cairos face became filled with excitement. However, Frey couldnt help but fall silent for a moment when he heard this unexpected answer.
Is that it?
Thats right.
you have to be joking.
Of course not. Dont you understand? Just knowing that the 10 star level really exists is already a great discovery!
Cairos excitement was almost palpable at that point.
After hearing that, Frey felt that he could understand a little.
Generally, Wizards believed 9 stars to be the end. End here meaning the end of the path.
It was considered the limit of Wizards, as well as the limit of all mortals.
However, even after reaching 9 stars, it wouldnt be possible to kill Lord. In other words, it was impossible to kill Lord even after reaching what many believed to be the mortal limit.
This fact must have caused Cairo and the other high-level Wizards to feel despair, as if the heavens were falling.
Then, in the midst of that despair, they realised it wasnt the end. The 10 star level really existed!
By the way, how did you learn that the 10 star level was real?
We found a record.
A record? Whose?
Of course, it was a record left by the Great Mage Lucas Trowman.
Freys expression became very strange when he heard that.
Did I ever leave any records about 10 stars?
He hadnt. No. Definitely not.
Frey had only begun thinking about 10 stars after being trapped in the Abyss. Before that, hed just focused on thoroughly digesting the powers of 9 stars.
Naturally, after finding that, we began full-scale research of 10 stars, but to be honest, we havent had much success. Hmm. I will be honest with you.
After thinking about it for a moment, Cairo finally spoke up with a firm expression.
Currently, the only 9 star Wizards in Paragon are Diablo and I. We still heavily debate and research the 10 star level whenever we get the chance, but recently, we havent made much progress. We have reached a wall. Thats why we need the opinions of other 9 star Wizards more than anything else.
Then he sighed and shook his head.
But even across the entire continent, it is truly difficult to find 9 star Wizards. And even if there are any, it is unclear whether any would help us. Then you appeared.
We will give you our full support to help you reach 9 stars. If you join us, it would take you 10 years. No, you might even reach 9 stars faster than that.
Cairo spoke with confidence.
It was truly an attractive proposal that would move any Wizards heart. It was especially meaningful because Paragon, the organisation that was making the offer, already had two 9 star Wizards, including Cairo.
However, Frey didnt respond immediately.
Cairo looked downtrodden.
do you still not intend to change your mind?
Youre more stubborn than you look. Huhu. No, a man like you would never change his mind easily it was my mistake.
Cairo shook his head as he smiled deprecatingly.
Please forget what I said before. I suppose its still too early to bring it up.
Thank you for your consideration.
Frey bowed his head.
He was glad Cairo was a good person. In fact, he felt a considerable amount of pressure.
This was because Cairo had sent the Paragon members, including Diablo, to save him.
The Demigods didnt know about Paragon.
This proved that the organisation had been working quite secretively up until that point. Nevertheless, Cairo had shown no hesitation in revealing them in an effort to save Frey.
It could even be said that he had suffered a big loss in order to do so. Frey owed a huge debt to Cairo and even to Paragon.
I will definitely repay this debt soon.
Huhu. Its quite a lot to repay.
The amount doesnt matter.
The two smiled at each other.
Frey was suddenly struck with the illusion that he was joking with Schweiser at that moment.
Before this thought became stronger, he changed the topic.
Can I ask you a question?
Go ahead.
The Third Princess told me that the Trowman Rings are currently in a bad situation. Do you know anything about it?
Well
Cairos expression became heavy again.
It continues from our conversation last time.
The rotten side of the Circle?
exactly. At this point, Ill say for sure. I dont know exactly how many sources of corruption there are in the Circle, but I can tell you the most important ones. One is the current Circle Master of the Strow Necklaces, Rezil Wilsemann.
Wilsemann?
Cairos voice became bitter.
My younger brother.
Cairo had said hed been kicked out from his seat as the Circle Master of the Strow Necklaces and his younger brother was currently the head.
It was clear that there was some complicated backstory, but Frey didnt pry any deeper.
The other is Jekid, Circle Master of the Lucid Swords.
The Lucid Swords.
Frey couldnt help but sigh. He realised that the present day Knights had fallen far short of his expectations.
Luanoble, also known as the Country of Knights, was currently the most corrupt human country, and now, it seemed its circle was the same.
It was something he was glad the dead Lucid wouldnt have to witness.
What about the Phisfounder Armlets?
Its fine there. The current leader, Altan, has no interest in wealth, fame, politics or hidden struggles.
I see.
Now, to your question. Its probably the Strow Necklaces who are pressuring the Trowman Rings right now.
Disgust spread across Cairos face.
They dont want the Trowman Rings to regain their former power, and they wouldnt mind using dirty tactics to do so. Just like when they killed Osel. With Rezils personality, its definitely something he would do.
It seems they are currently using Relic Battles to keep the Trowman Rings in check, but sooner or later, they will resort to more forceful methods.
What methods?
Theres a high probability that they would use the same tactic they used against Osel. They will force them to fight against Demigods then sacrifice them. Thats usually how they deal with those who dont conform.
Frey frowned.
It should be fine as long as Beniang doesnt give in.
Beniang will give in.
Why?
Because Rezil will bring up Osel.
Cairo sighed as though he was ashamed.
He would encourage her to take part in the battle, saying its her chance to avenge her father. And if you know that childs personality you should know exactly what her answer would be.
Frey nodded.
Beniang had a timid personality, but there was no one she respected more than her adopted father, Osel.
If she was given the chance to honor him, she would accept it without hesitation. Sarch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
When do you think hell act?
Maybe as soon as they learn the location of another Demigod.
That meant that he didnt know the exact timing.
Frey clicked his tongue.
Despicable.
Didnt I tell you? The Circle is rotten.
Frey was worried.
Although they had already absorbed all the small and medium circles in the alliance near them, it was still too soon for the Trowman Rings to go against the Three Great Circles.
They needed more time.
I have to warn them.
The Strow Necklaces and Lucid Swords.
He had to warn them to be wary of those two circles.
* * *
Afterwards, Frey talked with Cairo for a while longer.
It wasnt about anything particularly important he just felt a slight connection to Cairo.
It wasnt because he was Schweisers descendant. Cairo himself was also an interesting person.
By the way, that third proposal you made to Fiore was quite interesting. Did you expect that to happen?
If I knew that would happen, I wouldve prepared more thoroughly.
Huhu. Anyway, the board will be made as you specified. You can take a look for yourself. (Note: Still not sure if board is the right translation, the author used ? but there is no real context hopefully it is.)
Hm. Speaking of that proposal, Id like to make a few modifications.
What do you mean?
That
Cairo nodded after listening to Freys amendments.
Its not difficult. Ill pass it on to Fiore.
Im in your debt.
You will become one of us someday, so this much is fine.
Cairo seemed convinced that Frey would join Paragon, and even Frey could not deny the possibility.
After all, he would need Cairo and Diablos help to reach 10 stars.
ah. Theres one thing that I want to discuss with you.
What is it?
I want to rescue Hector.
Hmm
Cairo subconsciously frowned at those words.
Hector.
He was one of the Dragons who had lost his body during the war against the Demigods. In the past, he had reigned as one of the supreme beings on the continent, but now, he had fallen to a miserable state where he could only do chores for others.
Why?
After thinking for a moment, Frey revealed the Great Sages Staff to Cairo.
His bracelet gave off a bright light before transforming into the staff, causing Cairos jaw to drop.
that staff it couldnt be
Its the Great Sages Staff.
H-, how do you
I got it from Schweisers dungeon. This wasnt all. I also found a Golems core. A core that contains 1 million ME.
A, a million?
Cairo was shocked.
His knowledge of alchemy and Golem creation was among the best on the continent. This was why he knew just how far beyond imagination a Golem core with 1 million ME truly was.
I need a body capable of withstanding the core, so I asked Hector. He said it would take six months, but
Frey looked Cairo in the eyes.
If you two also help, then Im sure it would be much shorter.
Yes, of course!
Cairo was excited.
Schweiser Strow!
The lifetime masterpiece of the Great Sage who was unrivaled in Golem creation! A Golem core that contained 1 million ME!
To be able to help make the body
It was an honor that Cairo would never be able to encounter again. His hands trembled just thinking about it.
In addition, it wouldnt be too hard to save Hector right now since Lord was preoccupied with the other Demigods treatment!
In other words, this was their greatest chance to save Hector.
Cairo nodded without hesitation.
Well do it. Do you know where Hector is?
Of course.
Great! Well leave as soon as Diablo returns!
Will he agree to help?
Of course he will! He also has great alchemy skills! For something like this, he would agree without hesitation!
Cairo spoke with an excited expression on his face.
Though he didnt show it, Frey was relieved.
The idea of saving Hector had been in his mind ever since he met him, but he didnt dare to do so under Lords watchful gaze.
But now, Lord was preoccupied with treating the Apocalypses.
Of course, that didnt mean it would be easy to heal Hector. It was impossible for them to know just what dangers might have been lurking there.
But.
Cairo had promised him his and Diablos help.
They were definitely two of the strongest Wizards on the continent.
Frey was certain. As long as there were no Apocalypse-class Demigods around Hector, they would definitely save him.
Chapter 134 - Paragon (3)
Chapter 134 - Paragon (3) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
After they ended their conversation, they allowed Sheryl and Heinz to enter the room. The Orc Shaman, whose name he later found out was Elakut, also came in with them.
Cairo looked at Sheryl with a smile.
Sheryl Roland, its been a long time.
Cairo Wilsemann? Didnt you die?
It was no surprise that Sheryl knew Cairo, who was one a Circle Master.
It had been half a century since Cairo had been kicked from the Circle, but for Sheryl, who was a vampire, it wasnt a very long time.
On the other hand, Heinz, who had only recently joined the Circle, was seeing Cairo for the first time.
I didnt have a life.
I see. So Paragon is an organisation created and led by you.
Its true that I created it, but its a bit incorrect to say I lead it. All the members of Paragon are basically equal. Hmm. I suppose you could say that I get a little more respect than the others.
Frey was actually surprised to learn that. Hed always had the impression that Cairo was the leader of Paragon.
Basically equal.
In other words, Paragon was probably much smaller than Frey had expected.
It wasnt a principle that could work for an organisation like the Circle with a large number of members.
So what do you say?
What?
Have you given it any more thought about joining Paragon? Our offer still stands. A talented person like you is always welcome here.
Sheryl responded in a plain tone.
If Master joins.
Hmm. Unfortunately, because of Altans personality, I doubt he would join us.
Im not talking about Altan.
Hmm?
Cairo was shocked when he realised that Sheryl was looking at Frey.
Are you the Master shes talking about?
Frey didnt answer, but Cairo understood that it was a silent agreement.
hoho. You did something that even Altan couldnt do. You subdued the Vampire Queen.
Vampire Queen.
Frey had known she had a noble identity among vampires, but he hadnt known that she was actually the queen.
Sheryl lowered her eyes and shook her head.
thats a title I abandoned over a hundred years ago.
Frey didnt pursue it any further.
He was a bit interested, but he didnt feel the need to ask. It didnt matter to him if she was a Queen or a Grand Duke.
There was something even more important.
Sheryl, you have to contact the Phisfounder Armlets Circle Master for me.
You mean Altan? Hmm
Sheryl narrowed her eyes slightly.
Will that be a problem?
hes a guy who wouldnt care even if the world crumbles around him. His head is filled with nothing but black magic, Demons and contracts.
This meant that even if Sheryl was the one to contact him, it wouldnt be easy.
After thinking for a while, Frey finally said.
Tell him Ill give him Asuras summoning circle.
are you serious?
In fact, such an offer wasnt really attractive for another party. This was because it wasnt guaranteed that one would be able to sign a contract simply by using the summoning circle. Whether or not the person would be accepted as a Contractor would be purely up to Asura.
But Sheryl was certain that Altan would accept the bait.
Yes. Understood excuse me.
A small bat emerged from Sheryls shadow and flew over to Frey before diving into his body.
This was a simple contact method, and knowing that, Frey didnt try to stop it.
After Ive finished talking to Altan, Ill contact you through the familiar I just gave you.
Im counting on you.
Please leave it to me.
Sheryl bowed her head.
Then Frey turned his gaze to Heinz.
Heinz, there is something Id like you to do.
What is it?
Become the head of the Blake family.
whats that supposed to mean?
Even the usually expressionless Heinz couldnt help but make a confused expression when he heard those words.
You are one of us. It would be a bit of a hassle since the eldest son, Mischael, is still alive, but it shouldnt be too difficult. You will receive the full support of the Third Princess to succeed the position of family head.
This was Freys third request to Fiore.
Hed believed that Leita and Isaka, who were the heads of the family, would both die in this incident.
Of course, everything didnt go exactly according to plan.
Leita was dead, but he wasnt sure what happened to Isaka.
However, it was true that there was currently no one to lead the Blake family.
Even if Isaka was alive, there was no way he would return to the family in this situation.
Originally, I intended to take over the position, but now, I think you are much more qualified than I am. (Note: translation: I originally planned to kill all of you)
He believed it was a waste to destroy the Blake family.
After all, the influence, wealth, fame, power and value of the family name had all accumulated over a long period of time.
There might be a time in the future when he was in need of these things, and they were not so easily obtained.
After hesitating for a long time, Heinz finally sighed.
I suppose it cant be helped.
He didnt think he could ever forgive his parents. And although he was tired of and disappointed in the Blake family, this didnt mean that he had to get rid of it.
Although the family had been created as an experimental site for the Demigods, it was still Heinzs family. The place where he was born and raised.
Denying the family wouldnt change the fact that he was Frey Blake.
If he left it as is, what would happen to the innocent staff and Wizards who worked for the family, and their families?
Cairo, can Heinz stay in Paragon for a while? Just until we figure out what the Demigods intend to do.
Of course. Its not a problem.
Cairo happily agreed.
* * *
Heinz would stay in Paragon for the time being, and Sheryl left to find Altan.
Generally, Circle Masters didnt stay in one location for too long in order to avoid the Demigods pursuit. Sheryl seemed to have a way to track him, but she was unsure how long it would take.
Frey, on the other hand, rested and waited for Diablos return.
He arrived the next day.
He was a mess. His robe had been torn to shreds, and the flames that blazed in his eyes had dimmed slightly.
There were also many cracks on his white bones.
No matter how great Paragons strength was, Demigods were definitely not easy opponents. Sar?h the N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Good job, Diablo. What about the casualties?
[Five serious injuries and two minor injuries. Simone and Ahid died.]
hooo.
Cairo sighed bitterly.
But soon after he shook his head as if to shake off his sorrow, and said.
We will continue their will, and their souls will always be with us. Until the moment the Demigods have been completely removed from this continent.
Diablo nodded and spoke without any change in his tone.
[Thanks to their sacrifices, the subjugation of the Demigods was successful. Here are the spoils.]
You worked hard.
What Diablo had just handed over were the Demigods crystals. Cairo put them away.
After he was finished with what he had to do, Diablo immediately turned around as though he planned to leave, but Cairo hurriedly stopped him.
Wait, Diablo. Im sorry, but I need your help for one more thing.
[What is it?]
Rescuing Hector.
[Hoh]
Interest arose in Diablos eyes.
[Tell me in detail.]
Cairo then slowly explained what he heard from Frey, who was leaning against a wall as he listened to them.
Cairo then asked after finishing his explanation.
Youll help us, wont you?
[Of course. I always thought Hectors situation was unfortunate.]
Then when should we leave?
Now.
It was Frey who answered. The sooner they did it, the better.
Leyrin has entered hibernation.
Not only that, three Demigods had also died.
Lord would definitely find this out soon, and it was impossible to predict what he would do afterwards.
Thats why they needed to move as fast as they could.
Even so.
Frey glanced over at Diablos injured body.
Diablo, who had just returned from a fierce battle, definitely could not leave right away.
[]
Noticing Freys gaze, Diablo thought for a moment then spoke as he left the room.
[I will return in two hours. I, at least, have to refill my mana.]
And with those words, Diablo was gone.
Cairo glanced at Frey and said.
He agreed, so well be able to leave in about two hours. Go prepare and come back here at that time.
Understood.
Frey then returned to his assigned room.
Then, after activating a magic circle hed stored in the Great Sages Staff, he immediately summoned Asura.
Kooo.
Asura, who had been summoned in a much smaller size, looked at Frey and asked.
[Whats wrong?]
I want to hear what happened to Apep.
[you really summon me for stupid reasons.]
Asura spoke in an annoyed tone.
[Hes dead.]
was it hard?
[No, just annoying.]
This was a bit hard to accept, considering the power Apep had displayed, but Frey knew that overpowered was a word that described Asura perfectly.
do you think you could defeat an Apocalypse in the Demon World?
Asura shook his head at Freys words.
[I might be able to beat one, but it wouldnt be an easy battle. That Apep guy couldnt really do much in the Demon World since there is no day or night.]
So you mean he wasnt able to use the power of darkness properly?
[Thats right. But he was pretty persistent.]
Asura observed Frey for a while before saying.
[I told that vampire chick before as well, I only agreed to do that kind of annoying thing one time.]
When Asura once again asserted his stance, Frey couldnt help but feel a bit disappointed.
It would have been great if he was able to deal with the Demigods without needing much effort, so he had wanted to ask Asura to do it a few more times.
[If thats all, then Im leaving.]
With those words, Asura disappeared.
Two hours later, Frey headed back to Cairos room. He was just on time as Diablo was already there when he arrived.
Cairo nodded to Frey and said.
Everyones here. Should we discuss the operation briefly?
Sure.
According to what Frey told us, Hector is currently in Lufei, in the Luanoble Kingdom.
Frey and Diablo nodded.
Its not that far away, so we can head over there with a Warp spell. And if there is more than one Demigod guarding it, we will leave immediately.
Cairo looked around.
Because this is Paragons main hideout, there are numerous barriers surrounding it, so remember that the Demigods would never be able to trace us if we return to this place.
Understood.
Then lets go.
Frey nodded and unleashed his mana as he was the one who would be using the Warp spell. After all, he was the one who knew the coordinates for the back alley where Hector was located, so it was natural.
Warp.
Shuk.
In the next moment, their visions twisted, and their figures suddenly appeared above the back alley in Lufei.
Paht.
Frey immediately spread his mana and checked the surroundings.
I dont sense anyone.
[Same here.]
My side is okay, too. Looks like there arent any Demigods here. As expected, they couldnt afford to worry about it.
Frey then pointed towards the stairs leading downwards.
Hector is down there.
Good. Lets head over immediately.
Frey took the lead and headed towards the stairs.
As they headed down the dark staircase without bothering to use any lights, Cairo spoke in a heavy tone.
if Ill be honest, Frey, Im really happy right now.
Why are you happy?
Because we actually have an opportunity to save Hector. I always felt sorry for him, no, for the entire Dragon race. They used to be the most powerful together with the Demigods, but now, their bodies were taken away and theyre being forced to do chores. They cant get more unfortunate than that.
They were probably not even allowed to take their own lives. Every breath they take in such a life is like a day in hell.
Frey nodded.
For him, hed always found the fall of his teacher, who was a mediator on the continent, and his race, who were the best allies against the Demigods, to be very unfortunate.
Cairo then spoke with a firm tone.
Lets save him.
Frey nodded again.
Finally, they reached the bottom of the stairs, and Hectors general store came into view.
Wait.
Frey stopped walking. Then he put a finger to his lips.
He could hear voices coming from within the general store.
Was someone there?
Huhu, huhuhuhuhu.
?
This is paradise! Huhahaha!
It was a silly voice.
And shortly after, he realised it was Hectors voice.
Frey, Cairo and Diablo all turned to look into the store.
There, they saw Hector sprawled comfortably on a chair with a large smile on his face.
Aeri, please give me a cookie.
Yes, Master.
At Hectors words, Aeri, the female Golem wearing a maid outfit, put a cookie in Hectors mouth.
After chewing a few times, Hector lifted his thumb with a smile.
Mm. Its delicious. It seems you are getting better.
Its an honour.
Could you get me some tea please? Id love to have the tea I drank last time.
Yes. Please wait a moment.
Sure. Take your time.
Hector then laughed happily and stretched his arms and legs out.
Ah~ Life is so great Im going cra-
Then, his eyes fell upon Frey and the others who were standing at the door.
Hectors expression stiffened like a rock.
After a long period of silence, Cairo finally spoke with a heavy voice.
were here to save you, Hector.
(Note: That last part is so funny, Cairo was getting all depressed and talking about Hectors suffering, and how hes gonna save him, but Hectors actually living his best life. I died laughing.
I also like the fact that the author put a bit of comedy in here. There arent many scenes like this in the novel.)
Chapter 135 - Paragon (4)
Chapter 135 - Paragon (4) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Hector coughed and said.
Ahem! This is quite the powerful lineup. The Archlich, Eleventh Tower Master and
Hectors gaze then turned to Frey and he paused.
Uh lets see
He didnt forget his face; it was just that hed only now realised that Frey hadnt given him his name last time.
Im Frey Blake.
Ah. I see. So Frey, are you here to pick up your stuff? Didnt you come too soon? Isnt there still some time till the deadline? Well. That doesnt mean I was slacking off or anything.
The words poured out of his lips at a rapid rate, and it took Frey a while before he could process everything Hector had just said.
Hed had a slight feeling last time, but now, Hectors proud image as a Dragon had completely collapsed in Freys eyes.
Frey slowly shook his head.
Im not here for the Golem.
Then?
Instead of answering, Frey turned to look at Cairo.
Hectors eyes narrowed.
Hmmm
Cairo had definitely said that theyd come to rescue him.
It was at this time that Aeri returned with a cup of tea, but Hector smiled gently and gestured for her to leave.
Please give us a minute, Aeri.
Yes, Master.
Hector silently watched Aeris back until she was completely gone.
Then, he opened his mouth while playing with a strand of hair that had escaped his straw hat.
What do you mean youve come to rescue me? Has it got something to do with the recent weakening of Lords influence? Sarch* The n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Lords influence has weakened?
Yes.
This was new information. Maybe they could also save other dragons as well.
Frey thought for a moment before saying.
Then Ill be brief. To put it simply
Frey explained to him the crisis the Demigods were currently experiencing, the likes of which had never happened in thousands of years, and the reason why Lord could not move easily.
As the story progressed, Hectors playful expression gradually became more serious, and by the end, it became more serious than ever.
When Frey stopped talking, Hector didnt respond immediately. Instead, he contemplated for a while before finally opening his mouth.
I see. But there are many gaps in your story.
First of all, the reason why the three Apocalypses are so heavily injured is incredibly vague. Youre hiding something.
He knew it.
No matter what happened, Frey knew it was impossible to cover the flaws in his story.
After all, there was no one in the world who understood the power of the Apocalypses better than the three in this room.
And now, not one but three such entities had been gravely injured at the same time.
Hmm
Cairo also frowned.
He had definitely noticed this when Frey had asked him for help before, but he probably didnt mention it because he got to know Frey.
Hoo.
Eventually, he sighed.
If he continued to hide it, it would be hard for him to avoid their suspicion.
If that did happen, distrust would slowly blossom, and in the worst case scenario, they would be unable to properly collaborate.
That was a situation that Frey wanted to avoid at all costs.
It cant be helped.
Frey looked at the people standing in the room.
Diablo, who had successfully slayed two Demigods, Hector, a former Dragon, and Cairo, the founder of Paragon.
They could be trusted.
Unlike the corrupt people in the Circle, these people all had clear identities and objectives.
Frey made up his mind.
To put it simply, there was a traitor among the Demigods.
A traitor? Among the Demigods?
Yes. Riki, the Demigod with the power of the sword. He was the traitor.
An Apocalypse!!!
Riki
[Hm!]
All three of them frowned at those words.
The former Circle Master, Cairo, might not have known him, but Frey believed that Diablo and Hector knew him.
No, wouldnt it be strange if they didnt?
One was a Dragon whod fought against the Demigods for thousands of years, and the other was an Archlich who had been alive for thousands of years.
A traitor among the Demigods I never would have imagined.
[At the least, it isnt something that has ever happened before.]
Wa-, wait. So what happened to that Demigod?
It wasnt strange for Hector to ask this question so hurriedly.
If a Demigod who had betrayed his kind joined their resistance, it would boost their power exponentially.
More importantly, he was an absolute monster who had injured three Apocalypses on his own.
Unfortunately, Frey couldnt give them the answer they had hoped for.
Hes dead.
Ah
I see.
[]
In an instant, the hope filled atmosphere once again became somber.
Frey shook his head and continued.
Nevertheless, it doesnt change the fact that Riki granted us a tremendous opportunity.
Indeed.
Hectors eyes lit up.
Three Apocalypses had been severely injured, and Lord was stuck healing them.
This was a chance that would probably never come again.
The remaining Apocalypse, Leyrin, is also incapacitated. She will fall into hibernation soon if she hasnt already.
Hmm? What do you mean by hibernation?
Now that he thought about it, most people didnt know about the Demigods hibernation.
It was Hector who answered Cairos question.
If you kill an Apostle, the corresponding Demigod will fall into hibernation. Even, Lord wouldnt be able to wake up from it. The time differs between individuals, but the Demigod will fall into a deep sleep for at least 100 years.
Ah! I see! So thats why the Demigods disappeared after we killed their Apostles!
Cairo nodded and shouted in realisation.
Frey looked at him.
Thats not all. Riki also gave me another hint.
A hint?
He said I could get the help of a Demigod named Elliah from the Frozen Lands.
[Elliah?]
Diablo spoke up in a perplexed tone.
Cairos gaze turned to him.
Diablo, youve lived in the Frozen Lands for hundreds of years now. Do you know a Demigod named Elliah?
[It would be hard not to know her. Shes the reason winter in the north never ends but I cant believe the words Frey just said.]
Diablo shook his head.
Why not?
[Because as far as I know, she doesnt have much interest in what happens in the world.]
Riki said that too.
Frey muttered as he recalled Rikis words.
A weirdo who doesnt care about the mortals or the Demigods. The only Demigod that Lord gave up trying to control.
Of course, this statement shouldnt have been misunderstood.
She wasnt as nice to humans as Riki was.
Her disinterest wasnt much of an advantage, either. If they were to act too recklessly, she might very well attack them instead of listen to them.
But the merit of bringing a Demigod to our side is enormous.
[]
With that said, even Diablo had no choice but to agree.
He sighed heavily.
[100 years ago, Elliah contacted me. She asked if I would be her Apostle.]
Then he shook his head.
[I refused. Divine power and mana are incompatible. I want to continue walking the path of magical science, so I had no reason to accept and then, she almost killed me.]
Cairo shuddered at those words.
[I suffered from heavy injuries and was put in a near death state. It took me over twenty years to heal.]
Do you mean shes a threat?
[Well. It depends on how you look at it. Elliahs attack on me was simply to vent the anger she felt.]
Diablo sighed.
[so I hate Demigods. They dont have dignity and grace befitting their ages. Theyre just ignorant children who dont understand the power they wield.]
Cairo fell silent.
He had known Diablo for decades but this was the first time hed learned of the reason why he hated the Demigods.
[However, I will still cooperate as much as I can if you do intend to attract Elliah. Her strength is top tier among the Demigods. Shes at least as powerful as an Apocalypse. She would be a tremendous help if we managed to bring her in.]
Then he added after a moment of silence.
[Of course, there is no guarantee that things will go smoothly.]
Its better than nothing.
Frey then turned to look at Hector.
Anyway, thats our current situation. Does that satisfy you?
It does.
Good. Then it might be a little late to ask this, but do you want to get rescued, Hector?
Hector nodded without hesitation.
Of course I do! This place is hell for me! I was waiting for a moment like this.
When he said that, Frey, Cairo and Diablo gave him strange glances.
I, I really mean it.
anyway. There isnt a problem leaving now, is there?
All you need to do is get rid of the barriers around the general store. But that shouldnt be a problem for Diablos negation magic.
[Theres an inscription on the staircase itll take some time because it has Lords power imbued in it.]
With those words, Diablo turned and walked towards the basement stairs.
Hector shrugged.
He said itll take some time so do you wanna go see the Golem you requested?
Did you make it already?
I made most of its skeleton and appearance. Its still empty inside, but youll get a rough idea of the result. Since youre here, you can give me some feedback, and I can make adjustments so that it can be more to your expectations.
His words made sense.
Even though he knew nothing about Golem creation, Frey was still curious about how they were made.
Sure.
Frey followed Hector, and Cairo decided to go with them since it would be better than just waiting in that spot.
After walking past the storefront, they entered a large room. It turned out that this underground space was many times larger than Frey expected.
The smells of metal and herbs filled the air, and anyone who came here would immediately be able to tell that it was an alchemy workshop.
Multiple Golems, who were dressed like maids, could be seen moving around.
Its a well-made workshop.
Not only were there a lot of potions being brewed, numerous furnaces were also blazing. This workshop was definitely on a higher level than any workshop owned by the magic towers.
It would be quite a waste to leave it.
They passed through the workshop as he had this thought, and they entered a very dark room.
Wait a moment. The lanterns will light up soon were here.
Fwoosh.
As soon as the lanterns lit up, the room immediately became bright.
And as they saw the scene unfolding before them, Frey and Cairo became speechless.
This seemed to be the place where the Golems assembled. Naturally, if that was all, there wouldnt be a need for their shock.
The problem was that all of the Golems were made with the appearances of beautiful women, and they were all in maid outfits.
Freys face became serious as he looked at the Golem in the middle.
is this the Golem I requested?
Dont worry about it. Im a pro. Putting personal preferences into your work is what amateurs do.
Frey felt a bit uneasy because of his boast.
Finally, they arrived at the end of the room and found the Golem Hector had made for him. It had the appearance of a beautiful girl with long, silver hair.
whats the difference?
Its not in a maid outfit.
That is already a huge concession.
Frey and Cairo exchanged looks and reached a conclusion at the same time.
This guy really was special.
Chapter 136 - Power Formation (1)
Chapter 136 - Power Formation (1) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Frey knew he would not be able to say anything as Hector had already swept him up in his pace.
So he looked away from Hector and instead observed the silver-haired Golem.
The Golems appearance was no different from that of a human. Its skin didnt look hard at all, appearing soft and supple just like a females skin. In fact, there was a high chance that it actually was.
The most impressive part, however, was its waist-length, silver hair. It was a bit darker than Rikis hair, but it had a soft glow, like a star in the night sky.
He couldnt tell what color the eyes were as they were shut tight.
All in all, the Golems appearance was that of a 16 year old girl. But considering the fact that all the other Golems looked like girls this age, it was clear that Hectors tastes were quite heavy.
In any case, this golem was hundreds of light years away from what Frey expected to see.
He imagined a Demigod slaying machine 10 meters in height with a body of Orichalcum that looked like it could bring down a wall with a single punch, but what he saw was a thin, beautiful girl who looked like a tree branch one could snap with barely any effort.
Of course, Frey knew that the Golems appearance was meaningless, he only wondered if it would be able to handle an output of 1 million ME with such a fragile body.
Im sure Hector wouldnt treat this lightly.
But he wasnt able to completely suppress his doubts.
Thinking this, Frey turned to look at Cairo, but Cairos eyes were alight as he observed the Golem.
Hoh. Its appearance leaves a bit to be desired, but this is incredible.
Did you notice?
Did you use Dignite for the skeleton?
Its a special product I made myself. The nervous system was made out of Mithril.
It looks like an alloy
Of course it is. The efficiency of pure isnt high enough, especially since its rare and expensive.
It couldnt have been easy. Youre amazing.
Honestly, Frey didnt really understand what they were talking about.
Hed also heard of the metal called Dignite for the first time. And blending another metal with Mithril?
Even Frey, who didnt know much about metals understood that that was a very dangerous and demanding process.
As you said, the exterior is perfect. As long as the interior is finished, itll be able to operate immediately. Together with Diablo and myself, wed be able to finish it in a month.
Haha. With your help, it wouldnt even take a month.
Hector said these words with a happy expression.
Afterwards, they began discussing and sharing their thoughts on the art of Golem creation. Seeing this, Frey decided to show them Anastasias Golem core, hoping that they could get a better understanding of it.
Oh, oh!!!
Th-, this is
It wasnt just Hector, even Cairos eyes widened considerably.
They looked at the core and made strange gestures but they didnt dare touch it. It was clear to see how shocked and ecstatic they were with just a glance.
You can touch it.
Re-, really?
Wouldnt you be able to make a better Golem if you understood the core properly?
Youre right!
Hector shouted in excitement but he gently reached out to pick up the Golem core.
I cant believe Im seeing this with my own two eyes. Its amazing. The legacy of the Age of Light do you know who made this?
Schweiser Strow.
The Great Sage Schweiser Strow! N-, no wonder.
Hector muttered in a low voice.
History called him the greatest alchemist of all time. At first, I didnt believe it, but now I feel like that title is still not good enough. Its clear that he is an unparalleled genius who has left his mark on the history of alchemy.
It made Frey slightly proud when he heard his best friend being praised. Especially by Hector, who was a Dragon with a vast amount of knowledge.
Hmm? But what are these letters engraved on it?
Anastasia. I think it might be the Golems name.
Hmmm?
Cairo had a strange expression on his face.
This worried Frey slightly, so he couldnt help but ask.
Is something wrong?
After thinking for a moment, Cairo shook his head.
no. Its fine. Its just a Golem anyway.
* * *
After a while, Diablo came back.
As soon as he entered the room, he sighed heavily.
[These past three days have been more tiring than the past 100 years.]
Youve worked hard, Diablo. What about the barriers? Sar?h the N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
[All gone. We can leave at any time.]
Its finally time to leave this stuffy place.
Hector smiled and got up from his seat.
Is there anything you need to pack?
Just bring all of my lovely Golems.
It wasnt just one or two of them, Hector had almost 100 Golems.
In addition, a normal Warp spell would not be able to carry the potions and metals from the workshop.
Ill have to use a large scale Warp spell.
Frey agreed with him. Cairo then looked around and said.
Ill use this room as the scope. Hector, bring everything you want to take here.
Give me a second.
Hector had his Golems bring the items he wanted to take.
After a dozen or so minutes, he wiped sweat from his forehead that never appeared, and said.
Whoo! Thats everything.
then well leave immediately.
Cairo unleashed his mana.
Warp.
Shuk.
They reappeared in the Paragon hideout in an instant. Frey observed the reverberation of mana from the Warp.
It was only then that he was able to roughly guess where this space was located.
So this place is underground. Hundreds of meters from the surface.
Thats correct.
That was all he was able to gather.
However, it was certainly true that the Demigods wouldnt be able to find this place easily. This was because even Frey, who had been in the Warp spell, still hadnt been able to learn more than the fact that it was underground.
Cairo then looked at Hector and said.
This place is larger than you might think. How about taking a break today and resuming production tomorrow?
Sure.
Hector didnt care if they started immediately, but he understood that Diablo had to take time to recover.
Then Cairo turned his gaze to Frey.
What are you going to do now? As you heard, itll take about a month for the Golem to be finished.
Theres a place I need to go to.
Where?
The Great Reynols Forest.
Cairo tilted his head at those words.
Isnt that the land of the Elves?
Right.
I heard that its a closed place that rejects outsiders. Why are you going to a place like that?
The High Elf Queen, Snow, is Rikis Apostle. I need to tell her about Rikis death.
Hmm
Cairo furrowed his brow at the unexpected fact.
Looking away from him, Frey thought about Snow. She was probably already aware of Rikis death without him having to inform her. After all, the Apostles and Demigods shared a very close connection.
But she still had the right to know just how Riki died.
Anyway, youll need the coordinates to return to this place. Ill teach you.
Im not a member of Paragon yet.
Despite Freys firm tone, the smile didnt leave Cairos face.
The fact that were on the same boat remains unchanged. Its fine to learn it now.
Frey then memorised the coordinates of the Paragon hideout that Cairo gave him. Although hed said what he said, he was still inwardly pleased by Cairos trust.
After all, Cairo was right.
They were in the same boat.
* * *
Frey used Warp to enter the Great Reynols Forest. He chose a location a little away from Lilund rather than directly entering the High Elf village.
Then he sat on a nearby boulder.
The entire forest was connected to Hruhiral, so his intrusion shouldve already been noticed. Being noticed by Hruhiral meant that sooner or later, Snow would learn of his presence as well.
Just as he expected, Snow appeared a short while later.
She was wearing Jenkis Mask which hid her appearance. Therefore, her mysterious, white hair was dyed black, and she no longer exuded that distinctive, noble aura.
Snow.
I knew youd come.
As she said that, Snow took off the mask, causing her hair to become white once more.
Her face was just as beautiful as he remembered. However, it was filled with strange emotions.
It was only then that Frey realised Snows voice was much heavier than usual.
Is Riki dead?
Snow brought up the main topic immediately.
Frey nodded quietly.
Yes.
Who killed him?
Lord.
Silence fell as Snow closed her eyes.
Frey realised that her eyelids were trembling slightly, so he stayed quiet and gave her time to calm down.
After a while, Snow slowly reopened her eyes.
Then she sat on the rock beside Frey and opened her mouth.
Did I ever tell you where I was from?
Didnt you say you were from the Frozen Lands in the north?
Right. All Ice Elves lived there. However, my entire family was annihilated by a Demigod. I heard from Riki later that it was a Demigod named Leyrin.
Hed heard before that the Ice Elves had been destroyed by a Demigod, but this was his first time hearing that it was Leyrins handiwork.
It was Riki who saved me from almost certain death. Huhu. I still remember it vividly. As I lay, slowly dying in a pool of my own blood surrounded by the never ending snowstorms, Riki appeared to me like an Angel of God. (Note: Snow refers to herself as this queen and I find it cute every time)
Snow closed her eyes again.
Then, as if to release the feelings pent up within her, she sighed heavily.
I owe him my life. If it wasnt Riki, Id be dead right now. And I cant even get revenge, like a bug that lost its nest to a human.
Can you give me a second?
When Frey nodded, Snow slowly got up from her seat. Then she walked back in the direction from whence she came.
Frey waited without asking anything. Perhaps she just needed time to organise her thoughts.
About an hour later, Snow returned.
Her expression was much lighter, and the heaviness from before was nowhere to be seen. Instead, she looked quite refreshed.
Huhu! Ive stepped down from my position as queen.
What?
Ah. I shouldve done this sooner. Its really refreshing.
What did she mean stepped down from her position as queen?
Frey looked at her with a confused expression.
I dont think its that easy to step down
Well. Thats why it took an hour. I didnt see an end to the Elders nagging, so I simply ran away.
Dont worry! I didnt really step down, just think of it as a temporary retirement. Ive set a proxy to do my duties until Im finished with what I have to do, so theres no problem.
He was certain there would be a lot of troubles, but Frey kept these thoughts to himself as he asked.
Then what will you do now?
Right, Frey.
Snow smiled and pointed at him.
From today onward, Ill do my best to take on the Demigods. So please take care of me.
Why would you ask me
Because I feel like Ill be able to accomplish my goal much faster if Im with you!
Her confidence made it hard for him to say anything, so Frey shut his mouth instead of rejecting her instinctively.
shes a bit of a handle, but
Snows combat power was astonishing.
She was at least as strong as Ivan, but it was possible that she was much stronger. After all, even when they had faced off against the Bone Dragon, Snow hadnt used her full power.
Although she was a handful, it was a small price to pay for someone so strong.
After he finished calculating in his head, Frey stretched his hand out to her.
Then I look forward to our cooperation.
Huhu. I wont let you down.
First, he had to get her to change that tone.
Frey briefly shook hands with snow before thinking about his next destination.
The Trowman Rings.
He intended to check how the circle was doing at that moment.
Chapter 137 - Power Formation (2)
Chapter 137 - Power Formation (2) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Where are we going now?
Im thinking about heading to the Trowman Rings first.
The Trowman Rings?
Dont you know it? Its one of the circl-
I know it. Its a circle that used to be on par with the Three Great Circles. Im the Queen of all Elves, dont look down on me.
Snow sounded a little offended. After all, there were also many Elves who were a part of the Circle.
There was even a Circle made entirely of Elves, so it would be strange if she didnt know it.
I was asking why youre going to the Trowman Rings.
Im the Circle Rounder of the Trowman Rings, so I have to stop by every now and then.
Actually, it was a bit more complicated than that, but he didnt want to explain it further.
Snow blinked rapidly at that remark.
The Circle Rounder? You?
Didnt I tell you?
This is news to me.
Snow then looked at Frey with a confused expression.
But isnt the Trowman Rings a circle on the verge of collapsing? Wouldnt you be able to get into a much better circle with your strength?
The size doesnt matter. Its the conviction of the circles members thats important.
Hmm thats a really old fashioned statement.
Snow thought about it for a moment before shrugging.
Ill trust your judgement.
In any case, she had already made up her mind to stick with Frey until the Demigods are defeated.
For the time being, it would be wise to just trust his judgement and see what happens.
Since most of her childhood had been spent in the Frozen Lands, and she stayed in the Great Forest after she grew older, Snow had little to no experience with the outside world. And she had a feeling that Frey would be able to help with her lacking experience.
Nodding, Frey used Warp.
Warp.
Shuk.
In a flash, they arrived at the Peinsisko Forest, where the Trowman Rings hideout was located.
Chantless Warp. Plus the stability was enough to make it seem like it was just a simple blink. Are all eight star Wizards such monsters?
Its not far from here.
Where are we?
The Peinsisko Forest.
thats almost on the other side of the empire.
Snow spoke with a strange expression on her face.
Frey ignored Snows whining because it wasnt the time to chat.
He looked around.
The members of the Trowman Rings circle were all looking at them with wide eyes and open mouths.
Ro-, Rounder Frey!
Rounder Frey is back!
There was a huge commotion.
* * *
After a while, Frey was guided to a room by Fio Guntar, one of the first Trowman Rings members that hed interacted with.
Frey could easily tell that his skills had greatly improved over the months, probably due to his endless studying, training and meditation regardless of day or night.
Please wait for a moment, Rounder Frey. Master Beniang will be here shortly.
Alright.
Snow shrugged as Fio left the room.
There was a lot of respect and admiration in that guys eyes. And from their reaction when you returned, it seems your popularity is pretty high.
Was that a compliment, or was she teasing him?
It was natural for him to think it was the former, but he wasnt sure because he knew just how mischievous Snow was.
In the end, Frey decided it was better to simply not respond to her words.
After a while, the door opened, and the first thing he noticed were the green hair and eyes that were rare even on the continent.
It was Beniang Argento, the Circle Master of the Trowman Rings,
Shortly after she opened the door, her entire body stiffened.
Ro-, Rounder Frey.
It seemed that tears would fall from her eyes at any moment.
Frey panicked a bit inwardly as he said.
Master Beniang, our reunion was a bit earlier than normal. Have you been well?
Ah, yes! I-, Ive been fine.
She wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes before saying.
I was just surprised to hear that you came back At first, I thought Id heard wrong. Ah. Enough about that. What about you? Are you hurt anywhere?
Im fine too.
What a relief!Uh. But who is this beside you?
There was no need for Frey to introduce her as Snow stood up with a bright smile and greeted Beniang.
Im Snow. Nice to meet you.
Ah. Yes. Nice to meet you. Huh are you an Elf?
Beniang glanced at Snows ears as she asked that question.
Snow nodded.
Mhm.
From a certain standpoint, it would appear as though Freys colleague was talking informally to his superior, but he didnt say anything about it.
After all, even though shed withdrawn temporarily from the position, she was still the Elven Queen.
Im just Freys teammate, so you dont have to worry about it.
I dont?
Kuku.
A question mark bloomed on Beniangs head.
Snow smiled and turned to Frey.
Your Master is really interesting.
Dont make fun of her.
I didnt do anything wrong. I was actually a bit apprehensive to travel around with you, but I didnt expect to run into such a cute child. I wonder if this is how a traveler feels after finding an oasis in the desert.
You shouldnt make fun of her because Beniang is a Dragon.
huh? D-, Dragon?
Well, a half.
Frey ignored Snow who had a disbelieving expression on her face and turned to look at Beniang again.
Master Beniang, theres a reason why I came back to the Trowman Rings sooner than expected. I heard the Trowman Rings has been experiencing some difficult times lately.
Ah
Obviously, Beniang was not the type of person who was capable of hiding things. This was because her expression immediately darkened after hearing Freys words.
Its nothin-
I am the Circle Rounder of the Trowman Rings. I deserve to know whats happening in the circle.
Or do you still not have faith in me?
N-, no. How could that be it? Its only thanks to you that our circle was able to reach such a stage! Im sorry for making you feel that way.
With a depressed expression on her face, Beniang sighed.
I didnt mean to hide it. I just Im just scared. Im afraid youll be disappointed in us.
Disappointed?
You molded us, and you said that youd make the Trowman Rings the center point of the Circle.
Frey nodded.
It wasnt something that had happened so long ago that hed forgotten.
And you also said that even hellish wouldnt be enough to describe the hardships wed face. That we might miss the miserable lives we had in the past. You told us to be prepared for that.
That was the truth.
It was only then that Frey understood exactly what Beniang was trying to say.
They had accepted all of the hardships theyd faced up till the present as part of the hellish days that Frey had mentioned.
They also thought it was their responsibility to overcome it.
She wasnt completely wrong, but there was something shed overlooked.
Im also a member of the Trowman Rings.
Huh? Of course you
Of course I am. But Master Beniang still seems to be treating me like an outsider.
This caused Beniang to shake her head fiercely.
Tha-, thats not true!
If you really thought of me as your Circle Rounder, you wouldnt hide something like this from me. You shouldnt be afraid to consult and work together with me. I am also a member of the Trowman Rings.
If there is trouble, then we can resolve it together. Naturally, I wouldnt hesitate to give my absolute best.
Beniangs eyes widened.
She shuddered for a moment and lowered her head.
everything you said is true. Im sorry, Frey. I was wrong.
Her timid personality stood out at that moment.
To put it bluntly, it was not a good personality for a leader to have. It could be considered a major flaw, but it was also one of her advantages as well.
She admitted to her faults and actively tried to change. Of course, this wasnt as easy as it sounded. After all, Beniangs personality wasnt just a recent change.
So please tell me exactly whats happening in the Trowman Rings, Master Beniang.
* * *
Beniang left the room after her explanation.
It seemed she was very busy at the moment.
Perhaps because she had taken too long talking to Frey, as soon as she was finished with her explanation, she was taken away by Honor Gisellan.
She wasnt the only one.
It seemed that the entirety of the Trowman Rings were busy. A far cry from their previously lethargic state.
It was a positive change.
He wanted to take a closer look at the overall atmosphere of the circle, but first, he needed to focus on what was ahead of him.
Hed already gotten a rough idea of what was happening to the Trowman Rings before he came. Therefore, he only wanted to listen to Beniangs explanation to reaffirm and supplement the information he had.
Strow Necklaces.
If he had to pick the circle that was pressuring them the most, he would pick the Strow Necklaces without hesitation.
At first, they slowly took away their artifacts through Artifact Battles, but recently, theyd changed their method.
They ordered them to send reconnaissance teams to incredibly dangerous places where the Demigods might be located.
It was a mission that had an extremely low survival rate. Most of all, it was difficult for them to communicate with the teams so it was perfect for covertly dealing with them.
In fact, during the past few months of reconnaissance missions, dozens of talented members of the Trowman Rings had gone missing.
Frey was certain that they were already dead.
And perhaps the Strow Necklaces directly or indirectly drove them to their deaths.
He was disgusted by the sloppy and petty methods not befitting of the name of the Three Great Circles.
What will you do? The opponent this time is one of the three strongest circles. You cant touch them easily, can you? There isnt enough evidence.
She was right.
It was common for medium and small sized circles to be tasked with reconnaissance missions, and while it was not common for members to go missing, it was not unprecedented.
He had no way to prove it even if he wanted to confront them and pull the veil off of their actions.
I dont have to touch them.
Hmm?
I just need to show them. Its too late to try to keep the Trowman Rings in check.
He would just make them pay a little for what theyd done.
The price of killing dozens of his circles members would be incredibly expensive. Freys eyes become cold.
It was at that moment that a bat popped out of Freys arm.
Snow narrowed her eyes.
Is that a familiar?
Its not mine.
It was Sheryls familiar.
As he looked at the bat, he suddenly heard Sheryls voice in his head.
[Master, Ive found Altan.]
Shed managed to find him much faster than hed expected.
Frey nodded and said.
What did he say?
[He accepted, but he wants to meet you in person.]
This was what Frey wanted as well.
Whats the location?
[He said if you tell him your location, he will come to you.]
That was surprising.
He wants to come to me? Thats surprising.
[Its because Asuras summoning circle was the best bait to use against Altan.]
Frey thought for a while before finally opening his mouth.
Then why dont you bring him to the Trowman Rings hideout? Ill come pick you up when you get to the Peinsisko Forest.
[Peinsisko thats the forest near Uthiano. Understood. Then well arrive in the morning, tomorrow.]
Okay.
The communication ended there.
Tomorrows discussion with Altan would be extremely important, so Frey headed to Beniang right away.
Master Beniang.
Aht.
When Frey called her name, Beniang looked up from the monstrous pile of documents she was wrestling.
Whats wrong, Frey?
Nothing much, there will be a few guests visiting the circle tomorrow. I thought I should tell you in advance.
Guests? Are they your guests, Frey?
After thinking for a bit, Frey nodded. After all, it wasnt a circle to circle visit.
Thats right.
Hmm. I see. I understand. Ill make sure theyre treated well.
Huh?
He had not been expecting that. Beniang simply showed a triumphant expression to Freys confused look.
She patted her chest and said.
Because our circle is no longer the same as it had been in the past! Besides, Im sure that your guests will be as amazing as the Elf you came with, right?
well.
He was certainly a great person.
Frey felt he needed to explain to her exactly who would be coming.
Just when he was about to open his mouth.
Master Beniang! Theres an emergency report from Honor Eizek!
Aht! Ill be right there. Im sorry, Frey. Can we talk later?
Frey nodded.
Since Beniang wouldnt be part of the negotiations tomorrow, he decided that it didnt matter if she knew who was coming or not.
It doesnt matter.
Your important guests
No. Master Beniang doesnt need to worry about it. Just relax and focus on your work.
Ah. Then thats good. Excuse me! sea??h th n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Beniang excused herself once again before leaving the room.
At that time, Beniang believed that the people coming were simply Freys acquaintances.
So the next day, when Altan and Sheryl, the Circle Master and Rounder of the Phisfounder Armlets arrived at their hideout, Beniangs pupils could not stop shivering.
Chapter 138 - Power Formation (3)
Chapter 138 - Power Formation (3) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Beniang recognized Altan immediately since shed seen him in numerous Circle meetings in the past.
Of course, knowing his face didnt mean she understood why hed come to their circle. As soon as she saw Altans face, Beniang immediately forgot everything Frey told her about receiving guests.
It wouldnt be too much of an exaggeration to say her hair turned white at that moment.
Ma-, Master Altan.
He was a very young-looking man.
However, Contractors age could never be judged by their appearances. They knew dozens of tricks and methods to prolong their lives or maintain their youthful appearances.
Altan looked to be around the age of 20 or even a bit older, but in reality, he was a monster whod long surpassed two hundred years of age.
Altan shot an indifferent look at Beniang.
Honor Beniang no, it should be Master Beniang now. Its been quite a while.
I-, it certainly has.
Beniang stuttered subconsciously before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.
The Trowman Rings members who were watching on from the side looked at her with anxious gazes, unsure of what was going on.
I cant embarrass them.
Beniang opened her eyes. Then she straightened her back, focused her gaze and spoke in a clear voice.
Master Altan, what brings you to our circle today?
I came here to meet Frey Blake, the Circle Rounder of the Trowman Rings.
Frey? Ah!
It was only at that moment that Beniang realised the man who was standing before her was Freys guest.
It was also at that moment that Frey finally walked out of his quarters.
Altans eyes flashed when he saw Frey, who was much younger than he expected.
Master Altan, welcome to the Trowman Rings.
Youre Frey Blake? Youre much younger than I expected.
Hmm. Shall we have our discussion inside?
Of course.
As they passed Beniang, Frey said.
Would you like to join us, Master Beniang? If you have the time, of course.
Ah. S-, sure.
No matter how busy she was, Altan, the Circle Master for one of the Three Great Circles had come to visit. Sar?h the N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Even if she didnt have the time, she would have to make time in order to show this big figure his due respect.
I-, if I knew Master Altan was coming, I wouldve prepared more.
Beniang followed Frey while crying inwardly.
* * *
Frey, Snow and Beniang sat on one side of a table while Altan and Sheryl sat on the other side.
Altans gaze turned to Snow for a moment as he wondered who she was, but he soon turned back to Frey as if he had lost his interest.
This was in itself quite an impressive feat since Snows appearance seemed to defy common sense.
I heard you are willing to share Asuras summoning circle with me. Since Sheryl was the one who said it, it shouldnt be a lie, but I doubt you would tell me for free. What do you want in return?
It was exactly as Sheryl had said.
Altan didnt seem to have any interest in what was happening in the world at that moment. If it wasnt for Asuras summoning circle, it wouldve been almost impossible for them to meet.
Frey wondered how this man managed to become the Master of a circle.
Of course, this kind of straightforward conversation was welcomed by Frey.
The Strow Necklaces and Lucid Swords have been putting pressure on our circle recently. Do you know anything about that?
Ive heard about it.
Then I can cut to the chase. They havent been doing it openly so far, but I believe it wont be long before they openly reveal their evil intentions. Id feel very relieved if we could become close allies with the Phisfounder Armlets.
When he heard that, Altan fell silent for a moment. It seemed as though he was calculating profit and loss.
After thinking for a while, Altan finally shook his head.
Im sorry, but I cant accept that request.
It was more resolute a rejection than Frey had expected.
Of course, his refusal was natural. If he were to accept the request, he would be going against the other two circles, which might cause his circle to lose its position as one of the Three Great Circles, which was too costly.
However, considering Altans obsession with Demons, his direct refusal was completely unexpected.
May I ask why?
Personally, Id love to accept, but I cant ignore those two circles. Before anything else, I am the Circle Master of the Phisfounder Armlets. So my circles well-being and survival are my top priorities.
Frey felt at that moment that hed finally gotten a slight understanding of this man known as Altan.
At first glance, he seemed like a person who was willing to do anything to pursue his personal interests, but in reality, he also felt a strong sense of responsibility due to his position as Circle Master.
Well, if that wasnt the case, then he never wouldve gotten the opportunity to be the Circle Master in the first place.
After all, it was only natural that someone else would be as talented as him. His position meant that he at least had charisma in addition to talent.
So he could finally bring up the important part.
Im not asking to form an ironclad alliance. For example, we dont need you to help even if they blatantly try to pressure us. It would be enough if we could just show those two circles that there is a friendly relationship between our circles.
If you were only being pressured by one circle, I would have accepted. However, the Trowman Rings is currently being pressured by two of the Three Great Circles.
Altan shook his head.
Even if we back you up, it would not be much of a deterrent if they were to join forces.
Before we continue, I believe I need to correct a misconception.
Misconception?
Frey nodded and said.
What we are asking for is an alliance with the Phisfounder Armlets.
Altans expression changed as he immediately understood what Frey was trying to say.
Alliances can only be made when the parties involved are equals.
I agree.
Altan furrowed his eyebrows at those words, and the atmosphere in the room froze instantly.
Frey felt Beniang, who was beside him, flinch, but he ignored it as he locked gazes with Altan.
Are you implying that the Trowman Rings is the Phisfounder Armlets equal?
Thats correct.
Hmm.
Altan looked away from Frey, and he instead looked around.
Snow was watching the discussion as though she was watching a reality show, and Beniang was visibly nervous.
Was this man the real boss?
At that moment, Altan understood why the Trowman Rings had been rising so rapidly as of late.
They had gained an unshakeable player who was capable of locking gazes with him without losing his composure.
This is something that would only be possible for an Archmage.
He was also extremely skilled at negotiations, and he could measure the perfect timings for when to push and pull.
The Trowman Rings was equal to the Phisfounder Armlets.
At first glance, this seemed to be a rude statement, but in reality, this was a calculated statement that had only been made after properly understanding Altans disposition. It was clear that Frey knew Altan would not be angered by that statement.
Just where exactly did this talent appear from?
His face was expressionless, but he was quite impressed on the inside.
Thinking this, Altan opened his mouth.
Can you prove that?
Then, as if he had been waiting for that question, Frey took something out of his pocket.
When he saw what it was, Altan couldnt help but freeze.
That
Since youre the Circle Master of the Phisfounder Armlets, you should know what this is, right?
a Demigod Crystal.
Frey nodded.
The item Frey had retrieved was a bright silver, fist-sized bead.
I slayed him.
I didnt just devote my time to bettering the Trowman Rings.
The death of a Demigod!
If that was true then Freys words would be completely acceptable because only the Three Great Circles were capable of such a feat.
Altan couldnt help but ask with a hesitant tone.
Where did you get that bead?
This is a Demigods crystal. This isnt something you can just pick up. Im sure you know that, dont you?
Those words were true.
It was just because of how unbelievable the truth was that he had to ask again.
Altan sighed.
The balance, which could have been said to be barely maintained, completely collapsed at that moment.
Frey had taken the initiative.
Sheryl was the one who helped me take down the Demigod. If you dont believe me, you can ask her yourself.
When Altan turned to Sheryl without saying anything, she nodded.
Rounder Frey defeated a Demigod. I saw it with my own eyes. On my honor, I can swear that its true.
Beniang shot him a look of disbelief.
Ill explain later.
Frey shot a glance at her while putting the bead away.
Altan seemed to be lost in thought, his expression growing more and more serious as time passed.
Then, after a few minutes of thinking, Altan nodded.
alright. I agree to the alliance.
Then, he turned to Beniang and stretched out his hand.
Please take care of us in the future.
Ah, yes. Well be in your care.
Beniang quickly got up and shook hands with him.
After watching them shake hands for a moment, Frey spoke up.
And I would like Rounder Sheryls help.
What for?
If we just say that we made an alliance, they might now believe our words. However, if we show proof of our agreement, they will have no choice.
Hmm.
That meant he wanted to use Sheryl to show off the fact that they were in an alliance.
After all, if the number two of the Phisfounder Armlets was to be seen with him, it would be worth more than a hundred words.
I see. But dont push it. Dont forget, our alliance is not deep.
It was a warning that if they went overboard, he wouldnt hesitate to leave the alliance.
Frey nodded.
Something like that probably wouldnt happen.
Beniang silently stared at Frey.
Although neither Altan nor Frey reacted outwardly, the negotiations that occurred in this small room would definitely shake the entire circle after they were brought to light.
The Trowman Rings had allied with the Phisfounder Armlets, one of the Three Great Circles!
* * *
Altan left immediately after learning Asuras summoning circle from Frey.
Then, Beniang immediately ran up to Frey and stuck her face incredibly close to his.
Frey! What the hell was that all about?!
The Trowman Rings and Phisfounder Armlets are allies from today on. You should announce this to the members, Master Beniang.
Ah, yes! Aht. But thats not what I was talking about. I dont understand how this
Ill tell you the details later.
Frey then turned to look at Sheryl.
For the time being, well be moving together.
Yes. Please look after me.
As Sheryl responded with a bright smile, the question mark over Beniangs head became several times larger.
She couldnt believe that Sheryl, who didnt even speak politely to Altan, was doing so to Frey.
Just as Beniang was about to open her mouth again, Frey did so first.
Master Beniang, has there been any improvement to your magic skills?
There hasnt been that big of a change since you left. There are still some things Im not sure about
Hmm.
Frey couldnt help but narrow his eyes slightly at Beniangs words.
He couldnt help it, after all, she was a dragon.
A Dragon?
A lightbulb went off in Freys head at that moment.
Master Beniang, Im going to go somewhere for a while.
Huh? Wa-. wait.
Excuse me.
Frey ignored Beniangs shout and immediately warped to the Paragon hideout.
After arriving there, he immediately headed over to Hectors quarters. After all, it was around lunch time, so he figured he would be resting in his room.
Knock knock.
Come on in.
Frey opened the door and walked inside.
Hector was there lounging among his maids. He had his unique, loose smile on his face as he turned his head to look at Frey.
Huh? Frey? Whats the matter?
Im here on business.
Hmm is it important enough to interrupt [Hectors Little Happy Time]?
When Freys face stiffened, Hector laughed and shrugged.
It was a joke. What do you need?
Id like you to accompany me to the Trowman Rings for a moment.
It was a very unexpected request.
This was proven when Hector tilted his head to the side and asked.
Why?
I would like you to help the Circle Master of the Trowman Rings.
How can I help the Circle Master?
Shes a Half-Dragon.
Hectors expression immediately became filled with interest.
A Half-Dragon?! I didnt expect there to still be any of them on the continent. What type is she?
Green Dragon. Theres still much I dont know about using Dragon Hearts. I taught her the basics, but I felt that you would be a much better teacher, seeing as youre a real Dragon.
Hoh how do you know how to use a Dragon Heart?
Well. It doesnt matter if you dont want to answer.
Hector let out a laugh.
Anyway. Since its a Half-Dragon were talking about, Im quite interested. Lets go.
Fortunately, he agreed easily. Frey sighed inwardly and walked out of the room with Hector.
As they were walking through the hideout, they eventually saw a young girl standing in the distance. She was small in stature and appeared to be very young, but Frey knew that she had to be a member of Paragon in order to be there.
While her outer appearance might have appeared weak, no one knew what kind of monster couldve been hiding within.
Especially since most of the members here could easily overwhelm the upper echelons of the Circle.
This girl had no redeeming characteristics other than her age, but Frey still stopped immediately upon noticing her.
This wasnt because she was looking at him, but it was instead because he felt something familiar from her.
Can I ask you one question?
It was a soft, weak voice.
It was then that Frey realised.
Where did you learn the Warrior Kings Fist?
Although her appearance, personality and demeanor were different, the intangible momentum overflowing from her body at that moment reminded him of Ivan.
(Note: so the Loli teacher appears. It seems the author is intent on adding all the common tropes in this novel.)(YH: KEK gotta love it)
Chapter 139 - Power Formation (4)
Chapter 139 - Power Formation (4) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Frey hesitated instead of answering the question.
However, the girl didnt rush him, and she simply looked at him with a calm gaze.
I know you are Frey Blake. I heard the stories from Cairo and Diablo. They said youre an incredibly talented person who is almost guaranteed to reach 9 stars in the near future.
The girls voice was very soft and gentle, almost as though she was whispering.
Im not sure about Cairo, but its not easy to earn Diablos recognition. That guy is stingy when it comes to praise. So I decided to see you for myself
The faint curiosity in her voice disappeared and was replaced with hostility.
But I didnt expect you to know the Warrior Kings Fist. Thats strange. Our martial art has a tradition of being passed down from one master to one disciple.
Kasajin, you son of a bitch. (Note: this made me choke)
Why did he have to decide on a single successor tradition?
Frey vented his anger at his dead friend, but there was nothing he could do about it.
This girl had just indirectly revealed her identity to him. After all, there were only a few martial artists on the continent who could call the Warrior Kings Fist our martial art.
Frey had already met Ivan, who was the current Warrior Kings Successor.
Just from her appearance, this girl before him could be Ivans disciple. But Frey was certain that she wasnt Ivans disciple.
The aura that was subconsciously being exuded by this girl was calm and steady, similar to that of an old master. Her aura was much stronger than Ivans.
In other words, this girl was Ivans teacher.
Ssss.
When Frey hesitated to give her an answer, the girls aura slowly erupted like a haze around her body.
Her expression had yet to change, but her hostility was obvious.
Hector smiled awkwardly and took a few steps back.
Just before the girls momentum reached its peak, Frey opened his mouth.
Ivan.
The haze gradually faded as Frey looked at the girl and said one more time.
I learned it from Ivan.
The girl tilted her head with a strange expression.
from Ivan?
Right.
Sorry, Ivan.
Frey inwardly apologized to Ivan, but he had no other choice.
Even if she mightve found out the truth later, this was the only way for him to remove her suspicion.
He knew how sensitive martial artists were when it came to their martial arts. Especially martial arts that were passed down in such a secretive way.
If he didnt react fast enough, he mightve gotten treated like a thief who stole the martial art.
Of course, his solution was far from the best. It wouldnt be strange if she still burst out in anger at him.
Then, Frey would have no choice but to fight back. He observed the girl without letting down his guard.
The girl seemed to be lost in thought for a moment before turning to look back at Frey. For a moment, their eyes met.
Her eyes then moved away as she inspected Freys body.
I bet you barely learned anything. Rather than learning martial arts, its like you were just training your body. Youre probably a Second-class Magic Warrior at best.
Then she sighed.
I apologise. Please forgive my rudeness. The tradition of one successor per generation is very important to the Warrior Kings Fist.
I understand.
My introduction is a bit late. Im Nora.
So Ivan taught you?
Yes.
Nora nodded and continued.
Im the previous Warrior Kings Successor.
Frey recalled hearing about her from Ivan a few times before. Hed said she was incredibly cruel and ridiculously strong.
Frey agreed with the latter, but he wasnt yet sure about the former.
Instead of appearing cruel, Nora appeared to be very calm.
Of course, the aura she released was incredibly intimidating.
Shes a powerful Magic Warrior.
Frey felt admiration.
It was possible that Nora had already reached the level of Warrior King, or at least, she was very close to that level.
Whats your relationship with Ivan?
We first met near the Great Forest, but things took a strange path, and we ended up fighting against an Apostle.
Hoh. Fought together
Nora smiled slightly.
It seems Ivan is finally heeding my advice.
Frey wasnt sure why, but she appeared satisfied with that information, and the way she looked at Frey became even more favorable.
Where is he now?
He said he was going to Silkid to look for Kasajins relics like you told him.
He complained a lot, but in the end, he still listened to me.
She lowered her head for a moment before letting out a laugh.
Huhuhu. Even so, I cant believe that hed teach a Wizard the Warrior Kings fist. Did he teach it to you because he was bored? Or did he actually think about taking you on as a disciple? Either way, this is quite interesting. Ahhh. Its all my fault. I should have beat it into his body that the Warrior Kings Fist has a single successor tradition
Hector stepped forward once more and spoke in a shady tone.
This lady is really dangerous. Are there no nice people in Paragon other than Cairo?
Frey couldnt help but think that that wasnt something that should be said at that time as he turned to look at Nora, who seemed to have come out of pondering.
Are you a member of Paragon?
No. I just have a partnership with them.
Its the same for me.
Nora smiled as she looked at Frey with a curious expression.
Im just helping out a bit. There are actually quite a few people like that in Paragon.
I heard you were originally a part of the circle?
When Frey asked that after recalling Ivans words, Noras expression darkened a bit.
thats old news.
It was said in a faint voice, but Frey felt the sadness that was contained in those words.
You believe the Circle is rotten, so you left. Like Cairo.
Nora didnt deny it. Instead, she lifted her head to look at Frey.
I heard from Cairo that you intend to fix the Circle from within. Do you understand how difficult a task that is?
I cant change everything. Im sure there are some rotten and dirty parts that cant be saved.
Freys eyes turned cold.
Ill cut those parts out.
Are you saying that you will purge them?
If its necessary.
Nora took a deep breath.
Then she spoke in a bitter tone.
youre not a very good person.
This remark was a penetrating statement about Freys nature.
He was definitely not a good man. In the past and even now.
Nora looked at Frey with a curious expression.
How interesting. I wonder if you have what it takes to truly reform the circle.
What do you mean?
She then smiled and made an unconventional proposal.
Then can I watch from your side for a while? (Note: facepalm)
* * *
Frey returned to the Trowman Rings, and when Hector saw the dense forest, he cried out in an excited voice.
Ahh! How long has it been since I smelled the forest?!
Wait a moment. Ill go get Master Beniang.
Frey then headed into the house without waiting for a response.
Seeing this, Hector shrugged.
Hes alright, but its like hes always in a hurry. I would have been much more relaxed at his age.
Then the girl standing beside him, Nora, spoke up.
You should know that time lost can never be regained.
Her gaze then turned to Freys back as she continued.
Although, that isnt something one would usually learn at his age.
Mmm by the way, did you say your name was Nora?
Yes.
Then is it okay if I ask you something?
What is it?
Hectors face and voice became serious as he said.
Please be my model.
Model?
I would love to make a Golem with your appearance!
Please!
I refuse.
After a while, Frey came back with Beniang, who appeared to be more excited than ever before.
This was because Frey had told her that a Dragon was there.
Hello, Im Beniang Argento, Circle Master of the Trowman Rings.
Im Hector.
Hector smiled and shook her hand.
After shaking his hand, Beniang turned to look at Nora.
And you
Nora shivered slightly when she received Beniangs gaze, which burned with excitement.
Im Nora. Nice to meet you, Beniang.
Yes, nice to meet you.
Beniang looked back and forth between Nora and Hector with her head tilted to the side.
Umm but which of you is the Dragon?
That would be me~
Beniang couldnt hide her surprise when Hector raised his hand with a wide smile on his face.
This was because Nora exuded a mysterious aura, which caused Beniang to subconsciously believe that she was the Dragon.
Part of the reason was also because she couldnt feel anything in particular from Hector. In fact, to put it bluntly, Hector felt no different from a normal person.
Realising it was rude to think in such a way, Beniang shook her head to get rid of such thoughts before stepping towards Hector and bowing.
Please take good care of me.
Haha! Yes, leave it to me.
Hector, who was still beaming, rubbed his chin as he slowly observed Beniang, the interest evident in his eyes.
Hoh. Your Dragon Heart is truly well placed. It allowed you to obtain even more Dragon blood.
What do you mean?
Just because youre a Half-Dragon doesnt mean you would have a Dragon Heart. You are actually quite lucky to have a human appearance together with a Dragon Heart. If it was the other way around, your body would have collapsed on itself not long after hatching.
The other way around? Ah!
Beniangs body shook.
A human heart in a Dragons body. There was absolutely no way that a Dragons body could be supported by a weak, human heart.
This was the first time Frey was learning this. Hed thought that every Half-Dragon was born with a Dragon Heart.
Well then, shall we get a move on? I want to see you use magic. Sar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Ah. Yes!
Im not sure you are able to yet, but Id like to practice Speaking(1) with you and Im also curious about your spiritual sensitivity.
Ill be in your care, Master!
Master?
Hector and Beniang left, and Frey turned to speak to Nora, who had yet to take her eyes from Beniang.
Do you know Beniang?
I saw her a few decades ago. When I was still a part of the Circle and Osel was still alive. But it seems she has forgotten me.
Nora shook her head with a bitter smile.
Frey wondered if part of the reason why shed accompanied him was to see Beniang again.
He decided to change the subject.
Im planning to visit the Strow Necklaces soon.
Nora tilted her head at those words.
Are you going to start your purge already?
No.
Frey shook his head.
It would be done in the future, but it wasnt time yet.
I intend to show them that the Trowman Rings are alive and well.
Hmm. Why are you telling me that?
I would like you to come with me.
It was possible that the executives in the circle would recognize Nora, so he would be able to showcase the Trowman Rings power by having her accompany him.
Of course, in simple words, this meant that he was having Nora help fight in his political battle against the Circle. But this didnt mean that Frey intended to force her to do so since things like these were part of the reason why she left the Circle in the first place.
Sure.
But to Freys surprise, Nora agreed easily.
Will it be okay?
Of course.
Noras eyes lit up a bit as she continued.
The Strow Necklaces owe me, after all.
(Note: And so ends this chapter.)
Chapter 140 - Emergency Meeting (1)
Chapter 140 - Emergency Meeting (1) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Frey looked at the two-story house that he had been led to with a strange expression on his face.
It was shabby when compared to the Blake Family residence, but it was still too large for Frey to live in by himself.
Honor Gisellan, what is this house for?
This is the house that Rounder Frey will be staying in from now on.
I never saw it before
Thats because it hasnt even been a month since it was completed.
Gisellan replied politely, and Frey turned his head to look at him.
Gisellan was one of the three Force Honors of the Trowman Rings, and he was currently walking the path of Magic Swordsman.
The Kungunil Dagger, which hung at his waist, was especially noticeable.
When Gisellan noticed Freys gaze, he stroked the dagger at his waist with a smile.
The dagger given to me by Rounder Frey was incredibly helpful.
I heard you had a complete victory in the friendly competition.
I was just lucky.
Luck had nothing to do with it.
Frey spoke firmly.
From the start, the path of a Magic Swordsman required many times more effort than other classes.
In addition, after considering Gisellans age, it was clear that he was literally working hard, day and night.
Frey patted Gisellan on the shoulder.
You are one of the circles treasures. Please keep up the good work.
! O-, of course!
Gisellan choked, feeling a lump in his throat. It seemed to him that hed become more emotional as he grew older.
He was really becoming an old man.
Gisellan coughed awkwardly and cleared his mind.
Just a few words from Frey were enough to make him feel a sense of achievement. He realised then that the back-breaking effort he had put in in the past few months were not in vain.
Frey turned to look at the house once again.
But no matter how I look at it, this is way too big for me to use by myself. I just need one room.
This was the truth.
He had no desire for a large house, and he didnt need a workshop or anything of the sort.
All he needed was a single room he could meditate in, and if he wanted to add a bit of luxury, he could add a soft bed.
But Gisellan was resolute.
I cant do that. How could the Circle Rounder stay in one room like a normal circle member? If the other circles found out about it, they would ridicule us endlessly. This is also linked to the Trowman Rings status, so please uphold your dignity as the Circle Rounder.
Understood.
When he heard that, Frey could no longer refuse.
And
Gisellan continued with a strange expression.
You wouldnt be using it alone.
?
It was only after Frey entered the house that he understood what Gisellan meant.
Oh. You came.
It was Snow, who was sitting comfortably in the living room.
That wasnt all.
She was wearing very thin clothes that one would only wear in ones home. It was almost as if she had taken this place for her own.
This Queen(1) is staying in the third room on the right on the first floor. Make sure you knock before you enter.
Why are you here?
Because were Masters guests and because well be staying here for a long time.
It was Sheryl, not Snow, who answered.
She was sitting beside Snow with a sullen expression on her face for some reason.
By the way, who exactly is this rude woman?
Be careful of what you say. This Queen is the Queen of Elves~
Sheryl scoffed at Snows words.
Ah. So? I am the Queen of Vampires.
Oh ho. I didnt know that. Then why dont we get along since were both queens.
Hmph! Somehow, those words dont sound sincere at all
Frey hoped they wouldnt fight because it only would give him a headache.
He had too many things to think about, so he decided to head upstairs since he felt that he would really get a headache if he stayed there. But then he suddenly stopped.
It was Sheryl and Snow. Two leaders who had centuries of knowledge and experience.
If he got their help, then it would be much easier for him to come up with a good plan.
Is it okay for me to ask a question?
Im not doing anything, so ask away.
Its okay to ask.
Sheryl glanced at Snow.
It seemed that this woman didnt know who Frey actually was. If she did, she would never act so rudely. There was absolutely no way this woman would act so rudely in front of Lukas Trowman, the Great Mage from 4,000 years ago.
She really didnt know who this dirty woman was.
Suppressing her displeasure, Sheryl turned to listen to Freys words carefully.
Frey then briefly summarised the current situation up to that point, and then, he explained their options.
After saying everything he had to, he took a deep breath and looked at Sheryl and Snow.
this is the situation. What should I do next? Id like to hear your opinions.
Sheryl was well aware of the Trowman Rings situation, but this was Snows first time hearing about it.
At first, she seemed interested, but as the story progressed, Snow appeared increasingly bored.
Hmm. That sounds so boring.
Youre on your own. This Queen wont waste her time to help you with things like this. Sarch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Then she yawned and stood up.
Well then, I guess Ill go take a nap.
Sheryl scoffed openly as Snow left the room.
If that woman is the queen, then the Elves are doomed.
Was it possible that Vampires and Elves had a bad relationship?
They certainly didnt seem to like each other at all.
Frey decided not to confront Sheryl and Snow about it.
As for what you said hmm. First, I think it would be best to watch how things progress.
Frey nodded, agreeing with Sheryl.
In all honesty, it was still unreasonable to want to begin the resurrection of the Trowman Rings in earnest with just the members they had now.
That was why he kept Snow, Sheryl and Nora by his side. These three women would be tremendously helpful when it came to showing their prowess.
Each of them was at least on par with a Circle Rounder from the Three Great Circles. In fact, Sheryl was the Circle Rounder of the Phisfounder Armlets.
Truthfully, its quite simple if you think about it. If you just want to give them a warning, going with me to one of the Strow Necklaces hideouts tomorrow would be enough.
This was also true.
There wouldnt be a need to have any deep discussion. Their attitude would probably change even if they simply went to have a short meeting.
But would that really be enough?
The other circles would admit that the Trowman Rings regained some strength. They would no longer pressure them. They would no longer pick fights with them.
All three of the great circles would accept the reemergence of the Trowman Rings.
At first glance, this seemed to be an extremely attractive idea, but there was one question that needed to be asked.
Was that really enough?
No, it wasnt.
That alone wasnt enough.
It would not bring back the circle members whod recently left.
It would not change the fact that the former Circle Master Osel Argento had been driven to his death or that the Trowman Rings had been brought down.
It wouldnt change the fact that in order to take away the circles power, they sacrificed hundreds of circle members, including executives.
They did this in order to maintain their own power and grow stronger.
It was disgusting, absolutely rotten.
That alone isnt enough.
Frey himself was surprised by how cold his tone was.
Sheryl nodded. After all, she was aware of what had happened to the Trowman Rings. In fact, she actually had a better grasp of the situation than Frey, who had only become the Circle Rounder recently.
Then the most effective method would be to talk to Rezil Wilsemann of the Strow Necklaces, but as you know, Circle Masters and Rounders of the Three Great Circles dont stay in one place for too long. (Note: This confused me so much because the author put Argento instead of Wilsemann, I almost thought it was a different person)
To avoid the Demigods pursuit, the higher-ups of the larger circles would not reveal themselves unless an executive in their circle had a good reason for searching for them.
This created a difficult problem.
Frey frowned, and after thinking for a moment, Sheryl spoke up.
Generally, the only time the Circle Masters gather is for the biennial Circle meeting. However, there is still about a year before the next meeting.
A year.
Frey closed his eyes.
No matter how he thought about it, they couldnt wait a year.
The odds are low, but Ill do my best to find Rezil Wilsemann.
Id be in your debt.
No. It is my honour to be able to help you. Truly.
Sheryl replied with a slight smile.
First, theyd observe the situation for a month.
In the meantime, Frey decided to spend the time organising and collecting information from the Trowman Rings and focusing on reaching 9 stars.
Besides, Anastasia would probably be completed in that time.
Just think positively.
It was better than rushing forward recklessly and encountering an unexpected situation.
Although he thought this, Frey didnt actually expect things to go smoothly. So he was surprised when a Circle emergency meeting was called three weeks later.
But as soon as he heard the agenda for the meeting, he had no choice but to temporarily put aside his thoughts about the Strow Necklaces.
There were two agendas.
Responding to the Demigods who had started making public appearances.
And.
The recovery of the Geotanbul, which had collapsed overnight.
* * *
Not long after Frey killed Leita.
U-, urk
Leyrin, who was heading somewhere, suppressed her urge to sleep.
She never would have imagined that even three Demigods werent enough.
How the hell did he kill Apep?
She had looked at Leitas memories, but she still couldnt figure out what happened because Leita had been focused on her fight with Heinz.
In that time, Frey had defeated Apep and even the two Demigods who arrived after.
Even if he reached 9 stars, he shouldnt be able to kill three Demigods on his own.
No. It had already happened, so nothing would change now.
In any case, she had already failed. That was it. Soon, she would fall into hibernation without a doubt.
So she felt that she at least had an obligation to inform Lord of what happened.
It was this sense of duty that was keeping her awake.
She forcibly kept her eyelids, which seemed to want to close at any moment, open. Had it not been for that, she would not have been able to resist the temptation to fall into a deep, comfortable sleep.
Lord.
Lord was focused on treating the Demigods in front of him, so he answered without turning his head.
[Leyrin.]
My Apostle was killed.
[I see.]
Lord didnt seem surprised.
He spoke in a dry tone, and his blank face didnt change.
Leyrin spoke quickly, feeling relieved by Lords attitude.
It was impossible for him to do it alone. Its possible that he got help from the Circle.
But even Leyrin felt doubtful as she said those words.
Was it really the Circle?
Their momentum wasnt the same as it had been hundreds of years ago. Back then, they truly risked their lives with desperate determination, but now, they seemed more content to maintain their high-class lifestyles than fight against the Demigods.
Urk
Leyrin almost collapsed on the spot. She was already at her limit.
Lord, this
Leyrin pulled something from her pocket and placed it in front of Lord.
Illuminium. Its not a lot, but this is all I have left. They stole the rest of it.
[Good job, Leyrin. You can get some rest. Theres nothing to worry about.]
Ha, haha. I trust you.
Lord never lied to his People.
This had been the case in the past, and it would continue to be the case in the future.
Thump.
Leyrin fell to the ground with a thin smile on her face.
[]
Lord finally turned his head to look at her.
Eyes appeared on his head. Eyes filled with deep sorrow and sadness.
[You really did a good job, Leyrin. Have a good rest.]
(Note:
1. Someone said they wanted to see what it would be like if I didnt edit Snows words, so I put them just as she said them. But Ill change it back to usual after this)
Chapter 141 - Emergency Meeting (2)
Chapter 141 - Emergency Meeting (2) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
It was nothing but rubble.
The place where the Blake family residence once stood had become a ruin that told a tale of the terrifying battles that had taken place there.
As one of the most prestigious families in the Kastkau Empire, it had hundreds of years of history.
And now this legendary family seemed to have encountered a rough patch.
Below the ruins, in a place that not even Heinz or Leita Blake knew about, and neither Sheryl nor Frey, who searched the property, could find.
Kuhuhu.
Laughter could be heard.
He had lost everything in a single day. The power and authority hed had, had all but vanished, and it was only through luck that he kept his life.
Everything was gone.
No. Hed expected this would happen.
From the moment Leyrin had accepted Leita as her Apostle, he had been relegated to a chess piece.
He was too weak. Even being a 7 star Wizard and the head of the Blake family had not been an assurance.
He couldnt even remember the last time hed had a good nights sleep.
Isaka only wanted to be confident in his own safety.
I am not one of your toys.
Isaka muttered in a low voice.
Then he removed a bead from his pocket.
It was a Demigods crystal.
When the Lichs group finished their fight with the Demigods, they left before checking their bodies properly.
This allowed Isaka to get a final chance.
Hu-, huhu
If he went out as is, he would die anyway.
Neither the Circle nor the Demigods would spare him. Therefore, he decided to gamble with his life.
Huhuhahaha
Isakas insane laughter filled the underground area.
* * *
It was Eizek, the Force Honor of the Trowman Rings, who had been away on an important mission, who brought the urgent news.
As soon as he returned, Beniang summoned all of the circles executives.
About ten minutes later, the Trowman Rings executives, some key circle members, and those who accompanied Frey, all gathered in a large conference room.
Eizek looked around the room, noticing that there were quite a few people hed never seen before.
A black-haired woman wearing a mask, a young girl with a frightening aura, and a strange man wearing a straw hat.
All of them were strange individuals, but it was the blonde-haired girl who truly drew his attention.
Sheryl Roland?
Why was the Circle Rounder for the Phisfounder Armlets in their circle?
Eizek was curious, but he decided to put it away till later.
After all, there was currently something that took precedence to that.
Eizek bowed towards Frey.
First of all, Rounder Frey, Im happy
This isnt the time for formalities, so you can skip it.
Frey waved his hand and Eizek raised his head to look at him.
Thank you for your consideration.
Beniang then spoke with a heavy expression.
Honor Eizek, the Demigods appearance and the destruction of Geotanbul is all of that really true?
Yes.
Gasp~
When Eizek nodded his head firmly, a ripple seemed to go across the room.
Please explain exactly what you mean by the Demigods appeared?
It is exactly that.
Eizek chewed on his words slightly with a sour expression on his face.
Up until now, the Demigods have been moving in the dark. And the last time they destroyed a city was decades ago, but it wasnt a big city like Geotanbul. Moreover, they also concealed the fact that they did it. But now, they
Did they openly reveal themselves and destroy Geotanbul?
it happened in a single night.
This time the reaction was larger as everyone realised that the situation was much worse than they expected.
The destruction of Geotanbul was a major situation, and it was possible that this was only the beginning.
Why did they suddenly make an appearance?
What the hell is going on
What are we supposed to do now
Freys expression was slightly different from the others. This was because he had a better idea about the Demigods situation than the rest.
Why now?
Three of the Apocalypses were gravely wounded. Lord couldnt move because he was currently treating them. And most importantly, Leyrins hibernation was inevitable because her Apostle had died.
In other words, the Demigods were currently facing a situation that they hadnt encountered in the past thousands of years.
That was why it was strange. sea??h th novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
The Demigods would only make such a big move if it was an order from Lord, and this was what made Frey even more confused.
The best move they could make at this time was to curl up and cover their flaws. And it wasnt possible for Lord to not know this before he made his move.
So why did he authorize the destruction of Geotanbul and revelation of the Demigods?
Frey narrowed his eyes.
Was it possible that they were retaliating out of a sense of crisis?
Just like a beast would show its fangs when backed into a corner, it was possible that they were acting violently because they felt threatened.
It had been thousands of years since they last experienced such a crisis.
4,000 years ago, it was Lukas and his team, but they couldnt even defeat an Apocalypse at that time.
If that was truly the case, then this seemingly dangerous situation might actually be an opportunity.
The entire continent must be in an uproar.
I heard that most of the nations leaders were demanding an explanation from the Circle.
It was understandable. They were bound to be anxious.
Geotanbul was by no means a small city. On the contrary, the security of that city was on par with the capital cities in most countries.
And yet, such a city had been destroyed in a single night.
Chills must have flowed back and forth on their spines when they heard that as they realised that they wouldnt be safe even if they hid in the deepest parts of their palaces.
But its still too much to ask the Circle for an explanation.
The only reason they turned the Circle was because they couldnt demand an explanation from the Demigods.
Whats the situation in Geotanbul right now?
So far it has been confirmed that more than half of the citys population was killed. The entire city was covered by flames and the sky was hidden by the clouds of smoke. It is said that the city became like hell.
its a show of power.
When Gisellan muttered in a heavy tone, Eizek bit his lip before continuing.
Three days from now, an emergency meeting will be held in the Kastkau Empire.
Whats the exact location.
The Jun family residence, in the capital city, Kausymphony.
Frey spoke in a quiet tone.
Im sure most circles would be there.
Yes. All the influential circle leaders will participate, not just the leaders of the Three Great Circles.
This was an opportunity that Frey had been hoping for just yesterday. An opportunity to show the world that the Trowman Rings had changed.
But now, he could no longer care about such things. This situation was many times more important than that.
What is the minimum number of people that can participate in the meeting?
There is no limit, but it shouldnt be too many. Also, Circle Masters and Rounders must attend.
Frey looked towards Beniang and said.
Master Beniang, I know the coordinates for the Jun family residence. With Warp, we would be able to arrive there in an instant.
Then would it be okay to delay our departure?
Yes. It wouldnt be a problem even if we leave on the same day.
Beniang nodded happily.
Understood. Then well depart in three days.
* * *
See you in three days.
Sheryl left the Trowman Rings that same day.
With the situation as it was, she had to return to the Phisfounder Armlets. Perhaps, if Frey told her to do so, she would immediately leave the circle, but there was currently no need to do so.
Instead, having her in the position of Circle Round of the Phisfounder Armlets would make it easier for them to compromise in the future.
After sending Sheryl off, Frey went to find Hector.
Hector was probably the busiest person out of all of them as he traveled back and forth between the Trowman Rings and Paragon several times a day in order to teach Beniang, and to help complete Anastasia.
Hector, how is the production of Anastasia going?
Of course its going great. Uh, but it will probably be delayed a little.
Is there a special reason?
Because you introduced me to Adelia.
?
Frey tilted his head.
As Hector said, Frey had introduced him to Adelia. While Adelia might still be lacking when compared to Hector, Diablo and Cairo, she was still one of the best alchemists on the continent.
He had been certain that introducing them would have been a good thing, but Anastasias production was being delayed?
Is Adelia bothering you?
No. Not at all. Instead, its the opposite.
The opposite?
Her knowledge is very modern. It has truly expanded the perspectives of Cairo, Diablo and I. Hmm. Shes still lacking a bit when it comes to truly in-depth knowledge, but she has passion, ambition and creativity. Huhu. And those are the most important things for an alchemist.
Hmm
To put it simply, she was young blood.
Hector seemed a little excited.
Then I became a little greedy about the completion of Anastasia, which I thought was already perfect. I want to add more parts but you are the client. If you ask me to hurry, I will.
Will it take much longer?
It would probably take an extra week at most.
Then its okay.
That made Hectors expression brighten considerably.
Haha. Thank you.
By the way, how is Master Beniangs training coming?
Its coming along well. You have good eyes. Shes a very talented Wizard.
Frey agreed with that.
Afterwards, Frey headed to Paragon with Hector, and upon realising that he wasnt heading back to the Trowman Rings as usual, Hector asked.
Do you have something to do in Paragon?
Yes. Is Diablo around?
I think so. Hes probably in his workshop hmm. Lets go check.
Frey then followed Hector through Paragons hideout.
From what Frey had gathered, there were less than twenty members in Paragon.
Of course, this didnt include the lower members, instead, that was the number of members who were allowed to enter the main hideout.
Therefore the hideout was usually quiet, but now, it was a bit noisy.
This was probably because theyd received word of the Demigods actions. Frey wondered how Paragon would react to the incident.
Before long, they arrived at Diablos workshop. It was a place filled with an extremely gloomy atmosphere that seemed to ward off visitors.
Hector then directly opened the door to the workshop and walked in without knocking.
Diablo, are you here?
[what do you want?]
After a moment, a unique and creepy voice could be heard.
Diablo, who was creating a potion of some sort, didnt even lift his head. He tapped his finger bone against the bottle, creating a clear sound.
Frey is here to see you.
[]
Dak.
Then Diablo put down the bottle and turned around.
[Hmm. What is it?]
Its about 9 stars.
[]
Diablos eyes flickered at those words.
Frey looked into these blazing eyes that would make even men with iron-like wills crumble, and continued.
I need your help to reach it.
[Hoh.]
Interest fluttered in Diablos eyes.
Even his voice was filled with interest as he said.
[It sounds like you already know how to become 9 stars.]
[Kuku. Sure. Im curious as to what you want. Besides, you need to reach 9 stars before we can try making you a 10 star Wizard]
Frey was relieved.
Diablo was a Lich with tremendous power, and unlike Cairo, it was impossible for Frey to tell what he was thinking.
Even if they acted in the same way they did before they died, in the end, an undead was still an undead.
And as a living being, he felt an instinctive repulsion to such creatures.
In all honesty, if they didnt have the Demigods as a mutual enemy, they would not be talking to each so peacefully at that moment.
[But I have a condition.]
Frey didnt think it was strange. Instead, he expected something like this.
What is it?
[Follow me to the Frozen Lands in the north.]
The Frozen Lands? Why?
Diablo fell silent for a moment before saying.
[Because I have to meet Elliah.]
* * *
Frey couldnt spend the three days leisurely.
It would take at least one day for Diablo to help him reach 9 stars. And he had to be prepared to leave on the last day.
This meant that they had a day to meet and persuade Elliah.
Do you know where Elliah is?
Diablo shook his head, causing Frey to make a solemn expression.
The Frozen Lands was incredibly vast, in addition, it was very hard to see anything through the never ending snowstorm.
In other words, looking for someone in this place without any clues was the same as looking for a needle in a desert.
I remember you said Elliah almost killed you last time.
[She entered my workshop on her own. I dont know where she came from.]
but dont you have any clues
[No.]
When he said that in a firm tone, Frey couldnt help but ask with a slightly disbelieving expression.
Havent you been living in the Frozen Lands for a long time?
Diablo snorted.
[I moved to the Frozen Lands because it is the best environment to focus on training and study. Because it was mostly uninhabited, there is no place as quiet and peaceful. Its the perfect place to carry out my experiments, training and meditation in an underground cave.]
Well, it was true that it was almost impossible for him to find a more suitable place to train for an undead.
This place had an extremely high mana density since it was barely touched by mortals, and his body wouldnt be affected by the extreme cold.
As Diablo said, he wouldnt have to worry about being disturbed by anyone. And since his body didnt have any physiological needs, he would have been able to cultivate and polish his magic without distraction.
It was something that Frey understood perfectly.
He sighed.
I think we need a guide.
[I also think it would be better to have one. But do you know someone who would be well versed in the geography of the Frozen Lands?]
Frey nodded.
There was a certain Elven Queen who had grown up in the Frozen Lands. He could ask her for help.
Chapter 142 - Emergency Meeting (3)
Chapter 142 - Emergency Meeting (3) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Hmm
Snow didnt agree immediately after hearing Freys request.
Her normally mischievous expression had become serious. This expression reminded Frey of his first meeting with this queen.
I dont intend to force you.
At Freys words, Snow shook her head.
no. This isnt something I should avoid. I have to get over it someday.
Did she have trauma?
It was natural since this was the place where her entire tribe was annihilated.
Snow then turned her gaze to Diablo.
But who is this?
Frey couldnt think of a proper way to introduce him, so he just explained it roughly.
Hes a member of Paragon.
Snow knew about the existence of Paragon because Frey had already given her a simple explanation before. Of course, all she knew was the organisations name, and a little about their goal.
However, Snow kept looking at Diablo with a strange look in her eyes.
is he the Archlich from the Frozen Lands?
Hmm? You know about him?
Huh
Snows expression changed to one of amazement.
it is said that he appears like a haze in the coldest parts of the Frozen Lands. When I was a child, my mother would tell me that if I got lost while wandering in the snowstorm, I would get kidnapped by the vicious and cruel Lich, and used as a material for his experiments.
That sounded more like a ghost story just used to scare children.
Besides, kidnapping?
When Frey shot Diablo a curious glance, even Diablo seemed to find it absurd.
[I would never bother to do something so troublesome. Im also not interested in such experiments.]
Snow continued speaking with a complicated tone.
Its a legend that was passed down through the tribes living in the Frozen Lands. I thought it was just a story that was made to scare us, I never would have expected it to actually be true.
Only then did Diablo finally turn to look at Snow.
He inspected her for a moment before saying.
[An Ice Elf? I thought those were wiped out by the Demigods.]
She is the sole survivor.
[I see.]
Diablo didnt seem particularly interested.
Basically, he had little to no interest in anything other than the Magical Science and the Demigods.
anyway.
It hadnt been too hard for them to obtain Snows help.
Since there was no time to waste, Frey intended to leave right away, but Nora walked over at that moment.
She looked back and forth between Diablo and Snow a few times before finally speaking in a curious tone.
Well, this is a rare combination. Where are you headed?
The Frozen Lands. We intend to find a Demigod there.
Realising that it wasnt a simple trip, Noras expression changed slightly.
Hmm what do you plan to do after you find them?
Now that he thought about it, Frey didnt actually know what would happen after.
Frey turned to look at Diablo, who said.
[There has never been a precedent for the Demigods to act in such an impulsive and open way. There must be a reason why they did something like this.]
Isnt it because they want to buy time for the Apocalypses treatment?
When Frey said his conjecture, Diablo paused for a moment before saying.
[It would be common to think in such a way. But our opponents have a completely different set of values and different ways of thinking.]
Frey nodded.
Although values and beliefs differed between species, the differences between mortals and Demigods was particularly large.
Therefore, it was difficult for them to guess the moves and motives of the Demigods since they couldnt understand their perspectives.
Thats why youd like to talk to Elliah.
[Thats right.]
It was a decision that had been made after more careful deliberation than Frey had initially thought.
Frey looked at Diablo in a new light.
It wasnt just that they were in a rush to get Elliahs help.
Even if they didnt get her help, it would be good if they could at least gain an understanding of the Demigods current situation so they would know how to proceed.
Of course, that didnt reduce the risk.
Then Id like to join you.
Frey nodded simply at Noras words.
Youre welcome to.
Noras presence would reduce the risk by a few times as well as increase the teams stability. Sear?h the ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Nora and Snow would stand at the front while Frey and Diablo would support from the rear.
With this amount of power, it wouldnt be difficult for them to defeat a Demigod with a team this powerful.
Diablo then spoke in a slightly interested tone.
[Im surprised. You, the most reclusive member of Paragon, is willing to go somewhere.]
Im not a member of Paragon.
[Hmph]
Nora snorted.
And Im interested.
[In Elliah?]
No.
Nora turned to look at Frey before letting a chuckle.
* * *
The Frozen Lands was a place where winter was never ending.
Frey couldnt help but miss the Salamander Robe that had been corroded in the last fight.
The Salamander Robe was an excellent piece of magical equipment with exceptional defense and magic resistance while also being lightweight.
The robe itself also gave off warmth, making it excellent for preserving the wearers body temperature.
Now, all he could do was wear the thickest clothes he had while covering his body with fire mana.
Although it was not the most effective, he didnt have any other choice.
Snow and Nora seemed to have a bit of a resistance to the cold, maybe due to the fact that they were powerful martial artists.
Not to mention the undead, Diablo.
Hoooooo-
This is definitely not a place where people could live.
Snow chuckled at Freys murmur.
Thats because this is one of the coldest areas, even for the Frozen Lands. Its not this cold in the southern regions.
As she said that, Snows eyes dimmed a little.
Just as she was about to say something else, Diablo spoke up.
[We have to hurry, we dont have time to chat.]
Frey nodded before turning to Snow.
Snow?
right. Follow me.
With every step they took, their calves would sink into the snow. Just this repeated action quickly drained their stamina.
The raging blizzard was enough to paralyze anyones sense of direction, and the loud noises made it impossible for them to hear each other even if they shouted.
At first glance, it would seem like Snow was moving slowly, but Frey didnt express any dissatisfaction. However, after a few hours passed, he couldnt help but become a bit impatient.
You have some idea where youre going, dont you?
Are you looking down on This Queen? (Note: quite a few people have said they like unedited Snow, so Ill leave her dialogue as is)
Snow glared at Frey before sighing.
This is an extremely cold place that even Ice Trolls with the thickest fur would be reluctant to traverse. Its not a polar region, yet it is a place that has a never ending blizzard. I never really thought deeply about the reason, but if there really is a Demigod named Elliah here
Then she might be the one influencing the blizzard?
Snow nodded.
And were currently on our way to the place where the blizzard is the coldest and the fiercest.
[Thats right. There is a very high chance that Elliah would be at the center of the blizzard.]
Diablo also agreed with that.
On the other hand, Frey was still a bit skeptical. Would she really be that easy to find?
They could only continue forward step by step. With such a heavy blizzard it would incredibly hard for them to use the Flight spell to search faster.
It wasnt impossible, but the amount of mana that it would take to maintain their body temperature and their ability to see clearly while in flight could not be ignored.
And they wanted to maintain their peak condition as best as they could until they met Elliah. After all, they werent sure how she would react.
Even so, the physical fatigue is considerable.
If Frey hadnt trained in the Warrior Kings Fist in his spare time, he was almost certain that his body would be frozen stiff or exhausted.
They walked for a few more hours without bothering to waste energy communicating with each other.
Then Diablo suddenly stopped.
[Found her.]
Freys eyes flickered, but he still couldnt see anything. Looking at Snow and Nora, it was clear that they also didnt see anything.
But all of them could feel the overwhelming divine power that filled the area.
[Dont lower your guards.]
Everyone nodded at Diablos words as they began walking once again.
About five minutes after, they finally managed to catch sight of Elliah. She looked like a young girl with white hair who was staring up at the sky.
They couldnt see her expression as her back was to them, but it was still difficult for them to just start talking to her.
Elliah didnt budge as Freys party approached, but it was obviously not because she didnt sense them.
Just as they were prepared to say something, Elliah turned to look at them. Her expression was so cold that it completely overshadowed the blizzard blowing around them.
What do you guys want?
[Demigod Elliah, we came here to ask for your help.]
Go away.
The moment she said those words, the blizzard around them intensified by several times.
Jiiing.
Frey cast a barrier, and the white snow hit against the barrier like hail.
This isnt good.
They couldnt even feel a strand of goodwill. They couldnt be sure why, but it was clear that she was angry.
Elliahs sharp eyes turned to Diablo.
Now I remember, youre that Lich I met before. Right. Did you think I didnt kill you that day because I was weak?
The anger in Elliahs voice was clear. They had picked a bad time. She didnt seem to be in the mood to talk.
But.
They didnt have time.
Frey grit his teeth.
Demigod Elliah! I came to you because of Rikis will.
The blizzard stopped at that.
No, to be precise, it was as if a membrane had formed that isolated Elliah and Freys group from the outside world.
Frey quickly continued.
Before he died, Riki said that the if there was any Demigod in this world who would help me it would be y-
Shut up.
These words were harsh and cold, like chewing a piece of ice.
At Elliahs words, Snow, Nora and Diablo began preparing for battle, their auras building up explosively.
Me, help you? That guy still did whatever he wanted even when he was on the verge of dying. Haha. Ahaha.
In the first place, I never had any interest in the Demigods or the Circle. The survival of the Demigods? Lords orders? Ha. Fuck that.
The blatant disregard for Lord already showed that Elliah was very different from the other Demigods.
Nevertheless, Freys wary expression didnt relax in the slightest. Elliah might not care much about the Demigods, but it was the same for them.
Crunch.
Cold air swirled around her hands.
And you want my help? Sure. Ill help you. But first, you have to prove that youre worth my help.
Elliahs freezing eyes turned to Frey.
Especially you, human Wizard. I heard that you had a part to play in Rikis betrayal. So I want you to show me just how exactly did you influence Riki too.
Chapter 143 - Emergency Meeting (4)
Chapter 143 - Emergency Meeting (4) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
A Memory from the past came to Freys mind. It was the time when they tried to subjugate Ananta.
They had used their full power in the fight, but they still suffered a crushing defeat. They didnt even manage to do much damage before being forced to run for their lives.
It was then that theyd realised that the Demigods werent all the same. That they were divided into levels. And those beings that the Circle had nicknamed Apocalypses were on a completely different level.
Just looking at Elliah now was enough to send shivers down his spine.
It wasnt just the cold. Frey was certain.
This woman in front of them was at least on par with an Apocalypse.
Shes not stronger than Riki.
But that didnt make the situation much better. In the first place, if he were to use Riki as the target for comparison, then every other Demigod other than Lord would appear weak.
He was truly the number two among the Demigods, capable of defeating the other four Apocalypses on his own.
Frey looked around.
A Magic Warrior, a Knight and two Wizards.
If a Witch had come with them, they wouldve been the same as his team from 4,000 years ago.
When he had that thought, Frey felt a little disappointed that Sheryl wasnt there.
If she had been with them, the range of strategies they could use wouldve expanded greatly.
The versatility of Witches was definitely top-class among the five jobs.
Then it occurred to him that he could use this battle to make up for his failure in the past.
Frey turned to Diablo.
Ill take charge.
[]
Those words made Diablo turn to look at him.
[I am 9 stars.]
I know that.
[Are you saying youd have a better perspective of the battlefield than a 9 star Wizard?]
I wouldnt have brought it up if I didnt think so.
[Hoh. I wonder where this confidence comes from.]
Because its the truth.
Diablo fell silent for a moment.
At first glance, it seemed he was embarrassed, but he was also a bit angry.
[If I find that your orders are]
Ill pass command to you immediately.
[hmph. Understood. Then take the lead, Frey Blake.]
Frey nodded before turning back to Elliah.
The terrain isnt favorable for us.
Elliah probably had the power of ice.
He wasnt certain, but he believed that to be the case since she was able to manipulate the blizzard at will.
It was a very tricky ability. Cold caused the body to stiffen and lowered the its capabilities, which could prove fatal for Wizards and Knights.
Nora, Snow. Please keep the pressure on Elliah.
Understood.
This location is no good.
Nora complained in a low voice. This was understandable since her small body was almost half-buried in the snow.
Ill enchant you with fire magic.
Fwoosh.
Nora and Snows bodies became covered in fire mana.
It was difficult to expect an excellent effect, but it was better than nothing.
Taht.
Suddenly, Nora and Snow disappeared at the same time. They moved so quickly that it was almost impossible to follow them with the naked eye, but it was no problem for Elliah.
Clang clang clang!
Dozens of small skirmishes happened in an instant. The sounds of which were mostly covered by the blizzard.
Nevertheless, Elliah did not move from her position. It was almost as if she was a spear of ice stuck in the earth to stop their advance.
Is this the power of ice?
Snow was dumbfounded. Her blade, which could cut through steel like it was paper, was being blocked by a mere chunk of ice.
It would be a lie to say that her pride wasnt wounded by that fact.
Hmm.
Noras fist was also blocked by the ice. But since she was much stronger and more experienced than Snow, she was able to think of a way to overcome it.
She looked down at her fist, and then at the ice, before putting her thumb in her fist.
Then she tried again.
Crash!
Her outstretched fist shattered the chunk of ice like glass, sending shards of ice flying everywhere.
Elliahs eyes widened slightly.
What a sharp gaze. She managed to immediately grasp the nature of the ice.
What was even more surprising was the fact that her body was strong enough to immediately target the weakness after she grasped it.
This human is only a step away from becoming a Warrior King.
But that alone wasnt all.
Crack crack!
The ground split apart at that moment, and thousands of hands popped out of it. These skinny, skeletal hands swayed.
This was Diablos personal spell, Grasp of the Dead.
It was this very spell that held the Demigods in place back at the Blake family residence.
Elliahs body lightly rose into the air, and the skeletal hands flew up after her before they all suddenly stopped moving.
The simple cold air had blocked their movement.
[Spells below 7 stars wont be able to affect that woman.]
As he said that, Diablo began casting another spell.
[it seems 8 star spells only have a slight effect.]
My spells wouldnt have much of an effect either.
In this blizzard, the strength of fire spells would be reduced to less than half. As for ice spells? He didnt think they would have any effect.
It would be like attacking Nozdog, who had the power of death, with necromantic spells.
Frey spoke briefly.
I think well have to fight blindly, Diablo.
[What do you mean?]
We just have to cast spells until our mana runs out. The stronger the Demigod is, the less decisive Wizards should be in the fight. We just need to force an opening for Snow and Nora to take advantage of.
[I agree, but it still sounds stupid when you say it aloud.]
Our top priority is to find out her abilities while stalling for time. If we attack without any information, then we wont even be able to scratch her.
It was a standard statement.
Diablo nodded heavily and muttered.
[It will be a long fight.]
There were still three such beings out there.
Apocalypses.
Diablo sighed.
Fortunately, they were currently in critical condition.
At least two of them need to die before the odds turn in our favor.
Then Diablo put those thoughts aside and focused on the fight.
* * *
Agni opened his eyes.
[Youre awake.]
Then he heard an eerie but familiar voice.
When he turned his head, Agni saw Nozdog looking at him.
where
[Were in the Livindak Mountains.]
I
Agni frowned as memories began flooding his mind.
Kuh
Rikis betrayal, their fight against him and their overwhelming defeat.
He was a monstrous being who completely overwhelmed four Apocalypses and even fatally injured three of them.
If it wasnt for Lord, they all would have died.
How long has it been?
Kuku. Its only been a few months.
Ananta gave his signature laugh, but his expression wasnt cheerful.
Our injuries werent things that could be healed so easily
Agni touched his chest.
He remembered Rikis power of the sword. Riki had even been able to cut his body and soul without issue.
For Agni, wounds on his body would be healed in an instant, but Rikis attacks had almost killed him.
Not only that, it had also been the same for Ananta and Nozdog. But now, their bodies were fully healed.
There were still questions he wanted to ask, but Agni looked around before asking.
Wheres Leyrin?
[She went into hibernation.]
The answer came from behind.
There, a crack appeared in the air from which Lord walked out.
Then he spoke in a happy voice.
[Youre all awake, my comrades. I sincerely welcome you back.]
Wait a minute. Leyrin is hibernating? What do you mean by that?
[Leyrin was the only one of you four to not be injured. And while I was treating you, she gave all her divine power to help you. Then her Apostle was killed.]
Hmm. So thats what happened.
[Such a shame.]
Ananta clicked his tongue, and Nozdog nodded.
At that moment, only Agni seemed unable to come to terms with reality.
Just as he was about to open his mouth, Lord suddenly spoke up.
[I had a lot of time to think while you all were incapacitated. I thought about why we had encountered such a situation in the first place. I wondered why we should be bothered to rule over every species and why we should be so concerned about their survival, development and balance hmm. And it turns out the conclusion is much easier than I expected.]
Paht.
Suddenly, Lord and the other Demigods teleported away. It was Lords spatial movement.
They appeared in the country closest to the Livindak Mountains, the desert state Silkid. And the place they appeared was none other than its capital city, Talhadun.
Wh-, whats going on? Who are these guys?
They appeared so suddenly
Are they Wizards?
The warriors of Talhadun were shocked when the four transcendent beings suddenly appeared in front of them.
At first, they thought they were Wizards, but when they got a good look at them, their expressions hardened.
That isnt that a Lich?
Th-, their auras are strange.
Why does that guy not have a face?
Some of the more experienced warriors immediately put their hands on their weapons while gulping nervously.
Ignoring them, Lord threw something to Nozdog.
[Nozdog, take this.]
Tak.
Nozdog looked down at the little piece of metal in his hand.
[Illuminium.]
[Eat it. Then clean the surroundings.]
When Lord gave the indifferent order, Nozdog immediately put the Illuminium in his mouth while saying.
[Understood.] Sarch* The N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Crunch.
Then he made a weird shape with his fingers.
Kugugu.
Immediately afterwards, a giant skull appeared in the sky. The chin of the skull moved up and down slowly, and it gave off a bloody, red glow.
[Swallow.]
Gulp.
Hundreds of people who were looking at the skull suddenly fell to the ground in unison.
This wasnt because they planned to do so beforehand. Instead, it was because their souls had been absorbed, and all that was left was the shell.
Hundreds of lives had been lost just because of one word from Nozdog.
[This is my conclusion.]
Did you finally decide to wipe out all of the bugs? Our dear leader.
As he asked this question, Anantas voice had a pleased undertone.
Lord responded simply.
[For thousands of years, the humans and other races have steadily developed their strength. We tried to dominate their growth, but our influence is only superficial. Meanwhile, they quietly developed even further in the shadows. They even created a group called the Circle. Accordingly.]
Lord looked down at his hand.
[Our strength has also weakened.]
Weakened? Our strength doesnt change.
[To be precise, the range of our actions has decreased. Since we realised that the will of the world can destroy us, we became reluctant to act.]
They couldnt help but nod at those words.
Since theyd confirmed the will of the worlds existence, the Demigods became hesitant to expose themselves and gradually retreated into the shadows. Doing their best to control the continent with something other than force.
[That was a weak judgement. Think about it, comrades. Remember how we drove out the Dragons, who fashioned themselves as the continents mediators.]
Lord clenched his fist, his voice becoming more and more emotional.
[At that time, we prepared for casualties. Because that was just how powerful the Dragons were. And in truth, we did suffer some losses in the fight with them.]
I dont understand what youre trying to say.
Lord shook his clenched fist as he explained to the confused Agni.
[From now on, we will acknowledge the humans and other races as true enemies, and we will face them with all our might.]
His gaze then turned to the crude castle built in the center of Talhadun. It was the Great Chiefs residence.
Although he realised what he intended to do, Agni had no intention of stopping him.
Instead, there was still something that he needed to know.
I dont care whether you want to destroy Silkid or not, but theres something Id like to know first.
[What is it?]
Where is Leyrin?
Hmm? Didnt he already say she was hibernating?
Ananta was the one who responded, but Agni shook his head.
Then Ill change the question. Lord, why did you say everyones awake when watching us come to our senses?
[]
Was that just a simple mistake? If not
[Isnt Leyrin there?]
Lord interrupted Agnis words, but Agni couldnt help but respond in a confused tone when he heard that.
What do you?
Agni realised that Lord was pointing at him, then his finger moved.
[She resides in your body, Anantas body and Nozdogs body. Leyrin has become a powerful energy thats flowing through you at this very moment.]
When Agni heard that, he felt a lightning bolt strike his head. He forcibly stopped his body from trembling, and he slowly opened his mouth.
no way, so we were able to heal so quickly
[Thanks to Leyrin.]
Lord finished in a flat tone.
[After I absorbed her, I gave her divine power to you.]
Chapter 144 - Emergency Meeting (5)
Chapter 144 - Emergency Meeting (5) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Stop.
At Elliahs words, Frey stopped moving. The same was true for the other three.
But this wasnt because they were just obeying her orders. Instead, Elliahs divine power disappeared at that moment as if it had been wiped away.
Frey then spoke with a confused voice.
What do you mean stop?
Ill admit it. You guys are qualified to fight against the Demigods.
Elliahs expression, which was even colder than the winds blowing around them, didnt change, but her tone became strangely gentle.
Are you done testing us?
Only a bit. If you werent good enough, I wouldve just killed you here.
It didnt seem like she was lying.
The anger that Elliah had shown was not something that couldve been an act.
Nevertheless, her ability to control her emotions so easily was proof that she was a transcendent being.
Elliah seemed to think for a moment before finally opening her mouth.
If I were to give a proper evaluation, then the Lich and the Magic Warrior pass without a doubt. The two of you have already reached the level to be called heroes. And
Elliahs gaze turned to Snow.
You were Rikis Apostle?
Thats right. How did you know? I cant even use my powers.
Elliah snorted at Snows surprised expression.
Hmph. You probably watched Rikis sword techniques too many times, so you subconsciously absorbed them. All of Rikis habits are embedded in your swordsmanship. Oh, and say it correctly.
What?
Its not that you cant use your powers; Its that you wont. Rikis dead, so youre not an Apostle anymore. In other words, the divine power in your body is no longer borrowed. If you dont increase your strength and control, then the power in you will just become a nuisance.
Snows expression became solemn, but she didnt dare refute those words.
This meant that Elliahs words were true.
But if I consider your potential, you pass. Riki is dead now, so with his power in your body, you will definitely grow to a tremendous level. Now then human Wizard, did you say your name was Frey?
Elliahs expression somehow became colder.
To be completely honest, Im disappointed in you.
You know, I had really high expectations for you, but what the hell was that magic? That was 8 stars at best. Something like that would only work against mortals. Plus, the divine power youre using belongs to Indra. Not to mention Lord, you cant even fight Agni or Nozdog at your level.
[Freys commands were flawless.]
Surprisingly, it was Diablo who came to Freys defense. This was because he was completely surprised by Freys analytical ability and clear judgement that hed displayed in the battle just now.
Elliah nodded at those words.
I agree. Thats why I find it so strange. I dont think hes even been alive for 100 years, but it feels like he has a lot of experience fighting against Demigods.
Even though Diablo had been alive for more than 1,000 years, the Demigods had already retreated to the shadows in his time.
On the other hand, during Freys time, 4,000 years ago, the Demigods moved much more openly than they did now.
There were times when he would have dozens of skirmishes with Demigods in a month. Therefore, when it came to combat experience, there was no one in modern times who had more than Frey.
So when he reaches 9 stars, he will be extremely useful.
[Thats not as easy as youre making it seem.]
I know. Nevertheless, you still need to act as soon as possible. Because your time is running out.
Running out?
You must have heard about the incident in Geotanbul by now, right? That was just the beginning. Lord will soon give orders to all the Demigods.
Orders.
Everyone watched as Elliah looked up to the sky.
Despite the fact that she wouldnt be able to see anything through the heavy wind and snow, her eyes seemed to be looking beyond that.
Hes going to destroy all the nearby cities and towns. You probably have a week or so to prepare. After that, you will probably have to watch thousands of people die every day.
Her gaze then turned back to Frey.
So I will start training you from today.
Training?
Right. Ill tell you in advance, but I wont let you leave until youve reached 9 stars. After all, youre the one who inherited Rikis will. So I cant let you die.
Wait a minute. I have to attend an important meeting in three days.
In the first place, Frey had gone to meet Diablo in order to get help reaching 9 stars, but he knew that there was a high chance of failure.
Even when she heard Freys urgent words, Elliahs serene expression didnt change.
Then youll have to reach 9 stars in three days.
Frey grit his teeth.
He knew this woman was serious.
* * *
Warchief.
In the desert state, Silkid, it was a position that only those with honour, good reputations and outstanding skill could ever hope to achieve.
It could also be said to be the goal of every warrior in Silkid.
Yet these Warchiefs had been cut down with a simple gesture from Lord, unable to even make a sound.
The rough floor became covered in blood.
arent you breaking your promise?
When the Great Chief, Tuarik, saw this, he couldnt help but bite his lip.
Lord tilted his head.
[Promise? What are you talking about, mortal?]
Didnt you say that youd spare our lives as long as we obeyed you?
[Then Im not breaking my promise.]
What do you
[I already know that you have connections to the Circle. That cant be called obedience.]
Those words made Tuariks expression change.
He rose from his seat, his scared expression disappearing immediately. Then, he picked up a vicious looking double-edged axe on his right. (Note: mad respect)
Tweh. You fucker. You were playing us even though you already knew everything. (Note: Tweh=spitting sound)
[I showed mercy before, but now, Ive changed my mind. After all, you still didnt try to atone for your actions in the end. Your foolish pride and stubbornness has made my inner conviction stronger. So thank you.]
Stop it with your pointless words. You want to kill me, dont you? Well, it wont be easy.
wait.
Agni stepped forward.
Leave this to me.
[May I ask why? Dear comrade.]
Silkid is my territory.
[]
After a moment, Lord lowered his hand, falling silent.
His silence was particularly uncomfortable. Lord currently had no features, so no one could see his face. In other words, it was usually impossible to read his emotions.
The same was true for this situation. Agni had no way of knowing what he was thinking at that moment.
[understood. Ill leave it to you.]
Lord nodded.
Then he disappeared without another word.
Nozdog and Ananta left soon afterwards, and it seemed they all intended to leave Silkid to Agni.
Huhu. Silkids guardian deity will destroy it with his own hands. Its an honor.
Guardian Deity.
That was Agnis other identity. The Guardian Deity who protected Silkid from the shadows for hundreds of years.
This wasnt wrong.
In fact, Silkid was Agnis territory, and hed even helped it out a few times when it faced certain crises.
For this reason, every successive Great Chief was informed of Agnis identity.
It was also a method that helped him control Silkid more easily.
Agni spoke in a calm tone.
The destruction of Silkid is inevitable.
Huhu. Youre a good talker. Why would that happen?
Do you want to die here?
Of course.
honour. I know you all are obsessed with it. And I know the most honourable death would be as a warrior on the battlefield. So Ill ask you again, Tuarik.
Fwoosh.
Fire began burning around Agni.
Do you really want to die here?
This time, the answer didnt come immediately.
Tuarik grit his teeth.
He knew.
Fighting against Agni would only lead to dying a dogs death. It would be far from a glorious death on a battlefield.
Instead, it would be similar to the death of a bug who died from an accidental swing of a hand.
I might be able to save one more life by stalling you here.
You dont actually mean that, Tuarik.
Kuk.
Of course not.
In fact, Tuarik knew it well. Just standing in front of Agni now made his heart beat uncomfortably in his chest. He found it hard to breathe, and his jaw was already aching from how hard his teeth were clenched. His axe, which usually felt like a light branch in hands, now felt like one of the roots of the World Tree.
You are the Great Chief. Not a Warchief.
What are you talking about?
Choose. Will everyone die here? Or will we maybe make a plan for the future?
Tuarik blinked, not understanding Agnis words for a moment.
are you saying youd let me go? S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Agni didnt respond and Tuarik let out a laugh.
Kuhuhu youre asking a warrior to run away.
I dont care what choice you make.
He meant it.
Agni was deciding their fate.
It wasnt that hed developed sympathy nor that he felt attached or responsible for them after protecting them for so long.
Instead, it was just because there were some doubts bouncing around his head at that moment.
Doubts about Lord.
Before he realised it, Tuarik had left. In the end, he chose to act like the Great Chief and give his country a chance at survival rather than confront Agni like a warrior.
That was the reason he was able to step above the rank of Warchief to become the Great Chief.
You spared him.
!
Agni turned around to find Lords Apostle standing there.
Iris Phisfounder was looking at Agni with a mysterious look in her eyes.
Are you disobeying Lords orders?
what he wants is the destruction of SIlkid. The fact that the country will disappear wont change.
Thats a play on words. Lord wont be convinced.
He knew.
But he couldnt do anything about it. This was because Iris was the one whod caught him.
Iris had Lords power. If she wanted to run, there was no one on the continent who could stop her. Except for Lord, of course.
After a moment of silence, Agni spoke up.
Are you going to tell Lord?
No.
Why?
You must have heard about Leyrin.
She was only answered by silence, so Iris slowly continued.
Did you know that Lord tried to cover up Rikis betrayal?
What are you talking about?
He hadnt heard about that.
Agni looked at Iris in shock.
He tried to cover for Riki by framing another Demigod for his sins. Riki didnt change his mind in the end, so Lord was forced to kill him.
Yo-, youre lying.
Agni felt extremely shocked at that moment. Lord, of all people, thought about sacrificing a Demigod?
Naturally, he knew just how much Lord cared about Riki. But he didnt think his judgement would be clouded to such an extent.
Would Lord really frame an innocent Demigod? In order to save Riki?
I have a question, Agni. Lord valued and cherished every Demigod. He was fair and led you better than anyone. That was why the Demigods didnt hesitate to call him Lord.
Do you think he is fit for the name Lord right now?
Agni couldnt answer easily.
Instead, he stood there as if he had been rooted to the ground.
Seeing this, Iris turned around and left.
Shed done enough.
Chapter 145 - Emergency Meeting (6)
Chapter 145 - Emergency Meeting (6) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
It was finally the day of the meeting.
Therefore, the residence of the Jun family in Kausymphony, where the meeting was being held, was filled with many mysterious guests.
Shepard looked around at the different circles that filled the seats around him.
There was a stream of big players coming in one after another. A sight that was rarely seen except at the regular Circle meetings.
Arent you excited, Honor Shepard?
One of the Force Honors of the Strow Necklaces, Steve Jacks, laughed as he said those words.
Shepard turned to him with an incredulous expression.
Dont you understand the current situation?
Haha. Even those who dont know will be paying attention. After all, this is the Trowman Rings first official appearance in a long time.
The remark couldnt be denied.
Even now, there were people who looked towards the Warp Stone without filling the seats prepared for them. These people were probably waiting for the Trowman Rings, who had yet to make an appearance.
Thereve been a lot of rumors. Beniang Argentos awakening, the growth of the circle members, the perfect subjugation of all the nearby small and medium circles. Well, its still the rumored Frey Blake who is the most eye-catching.
Shepard contemplated inwardly, and Steves eyes glistened.
Come to think of it, didnt Honor Shepard meet him before?
I did, a long time ago. He wasnt part of the Circle yet.
Even at that time, Shepard had thought Frey was an extraordinary person. But he never could have imagined that he would become the Circle Rounder of the Trowman Rings or that he could fix the collapsing circle.
I met him once too.
I know. You were the one who went to recruit him back when he was staying at the magic tower.
I didnt expect him to be such an extraordinary man. It is really unfortunate. If I had been a bit faster, he could have joined our circle.
No. He wouldnt have.
Shepard shook his head inwardly.
No matter how fast they were, Shepard didnt believe Frey would have entered any of the Three Great Circles.
I hope they come soon. Are they coming late on purpose?
When he saw Steve giggling to himself, Shepard couldnt help but release the sigh he had been suppressing.
Even in a crisis like this one, there was no feeling of urgency.
Geotanbul was destroyed, and the capital of Silkid was taken down.
Both countries had military strength that could be compared to the top powers on the continent. Nevertheless, they were rendered helpless when the Demigods revealed their fangs.
However, this fact wasnt that strange.
Neither general military knowledge nor war strategies could work against them. They were monsters who could wipe out hundreds of soldiers with just one simple gesture.
The only ones who could do anything about them was the Circle.
That was why this meeting was called and they all gathered.
Suddenly, the noisy room became completely quiet.
Even before he looked, Shepard was sure he knew the reason.
Steve muttered in a low voice.
Theyre here.
As he lifted his head, Shepard saw a group of people walking forward while receiving the attention of every single pair of eyes in the room.
The Trowman Rings.
* * *
There were a total five members from the Trowman Rings attending the meeting. And no one would deny that the most prominent among them was the Circle Master, Beniang Argento.
Her green hair and eyes, which were rare even across the entire continent, and calm demeanour immediately drew the attention of everyone.
The gazes of those in the crowd sharpened, and some of them who knew her from before couldnt help but feel a bit of admiration in their hearts.
Shepard Jun was one of those people.
Shes so different that I almost didnt recognise her.
The current Beniang was almost the complete opposite of her previous timid and introverted self. Her calm but resolute face seemed to carry the dignity one would expect to see in a Circle Master.
Beniangs changed demeanour also let everyone know that the Trowman Rings had indeed changed.
Shepards gaze then turned to those whod come with Beniang.
Those two are Gisellan and Eizek.
These two had chosen to remain with the Trowman Rings even when the majority of the circle executives decided to leave.
Especially Eizek, who was so talented that many circles drooled over the prospect of attaining him.
The other two were covered by their robes, and Shepard couldnt see their faces as their hoods were up.
generally speaking, theyre more likely to be Fianne and Frey.
However, at least one of them was someone completely different. This was because this person was much too small to be an adult male. (Note: what a jab at all the short guys and tall girls)
Then is the other person Frey?
Honor Fianne was also extremely talented, but he was young and inexperienced, so it might have been a bit inappropriate to bring him to such an important meeting.
Although Frey, on the other hand, was much younger than Fianne, he had a mind that no one in the Circle could read easily. Most importantly, he was the Circle Rounder for the Trowman Rings.
There was absolutely no way he would miss such an important event when he held such a high position.
Suddenly.
Someone walked towards the Trowman Rings group with light footsteps.
Shepards expression changed greatly when he saw who this person was.
Why is he
Was he going to pick a fight?
If so, they had to stop it.
Even Shepard knew the conflict between them. It wasnt something simple that could be solved with a few words.
But by that time, the man was standing in front of Beniang.
Its been a while, Beniang.
Gisellans expression immediately became one filled with hostility while Eizek, on the other hand, had a look of disgust.
Rounder Sven. No, it should be Honor Sven now, right?
Hut.
Sven Heimdrik, the man who once held the position of Circle Rounder of the Trowman Rings, simply chuckled.
Gisellan didnt try to conceal his contempt as he said.
I didnt expect you to approach us first.
Why cant I talk to you? Even though we are now walking different paths, we used to be one family.
When Sven slickly said those words, Eizek grit his teeth. In his heart, he wanted to rip that dirty mouth off that mans face.
Circle Rounder.
Despite his position as number two in the circle, this man was the one who left the circle the fastest after Nozdogs massacre, and then, he quickly joined another circle.
He even joined the Lucid Swords instead of another magic-oriented circle.
That was why, despite being an 8 star Wizard, he was only able to get the position of Force Honor.
At that time, Beniang was certain that Svens defection would cause the circle to collapse, so in order to prevent his withdrawal, she bowed her head and begged.
However, Sven pretended not to hear Beniangs request and left the Trowman Rings.
Following that, the circles young talents, artifacts and even its funds were swiftly absorbed by other circles. So in a sense, he was even more resentful than the Three Great Circles, who were known to have organised the fall of the Trowman Rings by using Nozdogs hands.
no. Its possible
This man might have directly been involved in the downfall of the circle. After all, despite everything that happened, he did not sustain many injuries in the battle with Nozdog.
With that in mind, it was impossible for Gisellan to maintain his composure when Sven was standing in front of him.
Just looking at his face made him want to vomit.
Its been a while.
Beniang, on the other hand, nodded calmly as she spoke.
She didnt even frown as she showed a rather relaxed attitude.
Even Gisellan and Eizek couldnt help but feel their hearts fill with pride at that moment.
This young lady, who had always hidden behind Osels back in the past, was finally showing that she was worthy of the title Circle Master.
I also want to solve our issues with you, but before that, theres something I need to remind you of.
huh?
No. She had already long surpassed their expectations.
You are no longer the Circle Rounder. And I am no longer just Beniang Argento.
Beniangs gaze became cold.
I am now a Circle Master, Honor Sven. Be polite.
Svens expression changed.
I wont pursue this rudeness any further. After all, even though we currently walk different paths, we were once family.
While saying that, Beniang walked past Sven.
Now. Lets go.
The Trowman Rings members followed Beniang without a word.
After walking for a while, Eizek couldnt help but speak up in a pleased tone.
Master Beniang, that response was perfect.
Hoho. I cant even keep my pride off my face. I cant believe Im so old I get carried away by my emotions
Master Beniang?
P-, please be quiet for a second.
Beniang said these words with a straight face, but inside, her heart was pounding, and her face was burning.
It had taken all her willpower just to say those few words just now.
After all, people didnt just change overnight. Right now, Beniang was doing her best to pretend to be brave like Frey had told her to.
Gisellan and Eizek were shocked for a moment, then they realised that a certain man was still not there yet.
Rounder Frey.
They wondered if they would be able to get through the meeting without him.
* * *
Three days before the meeting.
Elliahs residence in the Frozen Lands was a strange place.
After Diablo, Snow and Nora left, she headed to a place where the blizzard was somehow blowing even more fiercely.
The winds were so strong that even Frey had trouble keeping his eyes open, and the freezing blizzard hit him exceptionally hard.
Then, as if magically, it all disappeared. There was no wind, no snow.
When he looked around, Frey realised he was in a place where fresh grass was growing. The ever-present snowstorm was nowhere to be seen, and there was even warm light, though he wasnt sure if it was from the sun.
The small hut, which sat in the center of this paradise, immediately made Frey think about Riki. Just like his, the moment they opened the door and entered, it was revealed that this space was much larger than expected.
Space-time movement.
It was the Demigods method of transportation, but it wasnt something that every Demigod was capable of.
In fact, it was something that could only be used by Demigods at the Apocalypse level and higher.
Of course, he had long known that Elliah was an Apocalypse level Demigod.
The two of them sat at a table, facing each other. However, Elliah didnt offer him tea like Riki had.
She didnt even open her mouth to say something first. It was as if she was pressuring Frey to do so.
After all, he was the one who would be at more of a disadvantage as time dragged on, so he had to speak first.
You told me youd help me reach 9 stars.
Thats right.
Youre talking as though you know how to do it.
Elliah let out a soft laugh.
Why? Is it strange for a Demigod to know the secrets of magic?
Wouldnt it be similar to me saying I know how to help Demigods develop their divine powers to Lords level?
Hmm. Thats a good analogy, but theres something you overlooked. Have you ever heard of a normal Demigod reaching Lords level?
Normal Demigod.
Frey looked at Elliah while thinking that those words were said in a strange way.
Ive seen 8 star Wizards become 9 stars before. I suppose Ill call it awakening for conveniences sake. After seeing it so many times, it wasnt hard for me to conclude the conditions.
It made sense.
After all, how many Wizards had Elliah fought over the past thousands of years?
They would have had to be at least 7 stars to face a Demigod, and the number of 8 stars certainly wouldnt be few. Otherwise, they would die before they could even make a Demigod like Elliah feel even a little strain.
It was incredibly difficult for the average Wizard to reach 7 or 8 stars. But 9 stars was even more ridiculous than that.
First of all, the body and mind must be complete.
In other words, one needed to have the right container in order to move on to the next stage.
In addition, one had to fulfill two other conditions.
The crisis of death. And the torrent of emotion.
Hoh
This time, Elliahs eyes lit up.
I cant believe you have a perfect grasp of the conditions. You really are a strange human. Even 9 star Wizards who already awakened successfully werent completely sure of the conditions
Youre right. The Wizards I fought against they reached 9 stars after meeting those conditions.
Instead, Frey was also surprised.
No matter how many times one saw it happen, it wasnt easy to figure out what the conditions were.
Frey was also unsure of how hed reached 9 stars in the past. He wasnt even able to make a guess.
It was only after being stuck in the Abyss for 4,000 years that he managed to figure out the answer. The time he spent thinking about it was incalculable.
That was why Frey had gone to Diablo.
He thought about getting put into a near-death state after fighting with him. After that, he would release his control, letting his emotions run wild.
Diablo looked similar to Nozdog, one of the Apocalypses. That made it easier to fool his senses.
Frey would have been able to make Diablo into Nozdog through a type of self-hypnosis. After all, it would be easier to incite his emotions because of the subconscious disgust he felt towards Diablo.
But its not as easy as it sounds.
After reaching 7 stars, it was already hard for your emotions to fluctuate. At that point, it was already incredibly difficult to experience emotional turmoil, and after reaching 8 stars, this iron-like composure became even more solid. Sar?h the ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
In that regard, the Demigods presence was special to Frey.
On the entire continent, there were only two things that could stir Freys emotions.
The Demigods and his friends from 4,000 years ago.
Frey looked at Elliah and said.
So you will help me by creating the environment I need is that what youre saying?
Thats right.
Elliah nodded cheerfully.
Do you have any experience making someone reach 9 stars like this?
I dont. But I wanted to test my theory. To see whether it was possible to fabricate an awakening to 9 stars.
Elliahs words pierced the heart of the matter perfectly.
This was also Freys biggest concern when he initially came up with the plan.
Would it be possible to reach 9 stars by faking a near-death experience and causing his emotions to explode through hypnosis that was practically self-brainwashing?
There was no definite answer to this question.
Hed tried to ponder upon this for a long time in the Abyss, but since he had no body to use as a container, he could only make conjectures without any definitive conclusions.
However
It was actually a good thing for him that his helper had changed from Diablo to Elliah.
Elliah was an actual Demigod, making it much easier for his emotions to fluctuate, and if she wanted to, she could give him an authentic near-death experience.
At first, hed been a bit hesitant, but now, Frey realised this was actually a very good opportunity.
Chapter 146 - Emergency Meeting (7)
Chapter 146 - Emergency Meeting (7) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
The venue where the meeting was being held was the large banquet hall on the first floor in the Jun family residences main building.
All the Jun familys employees who were not affiliated with the Circle were either given a vacation or sent home. Therefore, the only ones in the manor at that time were the members of the Circle.
The banquet hall, which could accommodate hundreds of people, was practically filled to the brim, but despite this fact, it wasnt noisy at all.
The only thing that could be heard on occasion was whispers. In fact, most of the people there had their heads bowed with sorrowful expressions on their faces.
A heavy atmosphere seemed to engulf the room.
However, this was natural when considering the situation they were currently facing.
The atmosphere is heavier than I expected.
It cant be helped. In just three days, Talhadun, the capital of Silkid, fell as well. The Great Chief and the other high ranking officials said that they managed to escape with their lives, but thats still not very comforting.
Beniangs heart felt a bit heavy following Eizeks words.
In a sense, the fall of Talhadun had a much larger impact than the destruction of Geotanbul.
Then an old man in a butler uniform walked up to them.
Please tell me the name of your circle.
Were from the Trowman Rings.
The butler looked around and asked.
A total of five?
Yes.
Your identity has been verified. Follow me.
After saying that, he turned around and began walking away.
Eizek made a bitter expression upon seeing his attitude. It couldnt be considered rude, but it also wasnt very sincere.
He felt bitter because it was far from the respect their circle gained in the past.
Originally, our first priority was to change their attitude.
Eizek shook his head.
But this wasnt the time for that.
They had to prioritize devising a plan against the Demigods rather than showing off the new Trowman Rings.
The party silently followed the butler to the seats designated for the Trowman Rings. Which turned out to be a round table that wasnt very large.
Beniang looked around.
Almost every circle had been assigned tables similar in size to the Trowman Rings but there were also some unusually large tables.
The size of these tables easily stood out because they made the other tables appear to be those of subordinates.
These were the tables belonging to the Strow Necklaces, Lucid Swords and Phisfounder Armlets.
The Three Great Circles.
The Circle Masters and Rounders for all three of the top circles came.
Beniang nodded at Gisellans words.
All the important members of the Three Great Circles, who were usually incredibly hard to meet, had gathered for this meeting.
That wasnt all.
All the top personnel from the top medium and small sized circles were gathered as well.
if we hadnt increased our power, we wouldnt have been invited.
It was then.
The huge hall door opened and a man strode into the room.
It was Shepard Jun, the owner of the mansion.
He walked to the center of the hall slowly, and deliberately looking around the room, before realising that almost all the top personnel had arrived.
It seems like almost everyone has gathered, so well begin the meeting. Sarch* The n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Shepard politely bowed his head before continuing.
I am Shepard Jun, a Force Honor of the Strow Necklaces. I am not much, but I will be taking the lead in this meeting. Please take care of me.
Following his introduction, applause filled the room for a moment.
First of all, although this is an emergency meeting, Id like to thank every
I dont think this is the time for such rituals, Honor Shepard.
It was a middle aged man with a strong aura who said those words with a heavy tone. He had a blunt expression, but his eyes seemed to be filled with wild energy that seemed ready to explode at any moment.
This was Jekid Deosis, the Circle Master of the Lucid Swords.
He was a swordsman capable of slicing through a wall with a simple, rusty sword, and Knights respectfully referred to him as Sword Master Jekid.
Shepard bowed his head at Jekids words.
you are right. Then I will immediately move on to the main point Imagine Mirror.
Woowoong.
At that moment, a large-scale illusion spell was activated in the room.
Some of the Wizards were amazed by the quality of the spell as they were unable to distinguish real from fake, but their expressions soon hardened.
Oh my God.
This is horrible
It was an extremely horrific sight, as if hell had descended on the continent.
There were collapsed walls and buildings so damaged that it was almost impossible to determine their original shape, and most importantly, bodies covered the ground to the point where it would have been impossible to find a place to step.
It was such a frightening scene, that many didnt even want to look at it.
This is Geotanbul.
Mm!
Those who knew the original appearance of Geotanbul couldnt help but gulp at those words.
The Geotanbul City State. It was a maritime nation whose national defense was comparable to the top countries on the continent.
The Oscar Islands were filled with pirates 365 days a year, and there were many powerful countries who drooled over Geotanbuls territory and resources.
If Geotanbul didnt have powerful defensive capabilities, it would have long become a subordinate state for another country, if not completely destroyed.
Nevertheless, it was this very Geotanbul that had been unable to last even a single night. Some perceptive Wizards even realized that even the land of Geotanbul was dead, and that it would certainly take hundreds of years before this land was revived again.
That wasnt all.
More than 90% of Geotanbuls proud warships had sank, and its protective walls had collapsed.
According to the reports, half of Geotanbuls population had been directly killed, and the other half wasnt in good shape either.
Most of the leaders of Geotanbul were said to have died, so at this point, reconstruction was virtually impossible.
The destruction of Geotanbul isnt something we could change. Not only that. As most of you should have heard, Talhadun, the capital of Silkid, was also captured. This made it clear.
Shepard continued in a heavy voice.
The Demigods are definitely revealing themselves.
The only sounds that could be heard in the quiet room was the heavy breathing by some of the members.
There wasnt even a buzz of whispers, of the sounds of clothes rustling from their movements. Nevertheless, the hearts of every member gathered were shaking violently.
Shepard paused for a moment before saying.
They no longer have any intentions of hiding themselves. In fact, Circle members around the continent are receiving reports of multiple Demigod sightings every day. This means theyre no longer a potential threat hidden in the dark.
Thats not all.
Then a cold voice suddenly sounded out.
It was Rezil Wilsemann, the Circle Master of the Strow Necklaces, who spoke.
You all know that there are many key figures from the various countries in quite a few circles. Many of these have now requested to withdraw as their positions in their countries are more important than here.
Beniang nodded at those words.
This wasnt the case for the Trowman Rings, but it was a situation that was quite common in other circles.
In fact, Shepard Jun, who was hosting this meeting, was an indispensable figure among the Wizards of the Kastkau Empire.
However, it was still a bit strange that they expressed willingness to leave the Circle.
Wasnt it wiser to unite more firmly now that the Demigods had shown their fangs?
This means that the fence known as the Circle, is too weak.
It wasnt wrong to want to prioritize ones family, town or country. However, it was clear that they didnt feel the sense of belonging or responsibility that they should have as members of the Circle.
Leaving the Circle as soon as the Demigods surfaced basically meant that they didnt believe the Circle had the power to prevent the disaster.
A red-haired man then lifted his hand and asked.
Why have they suddenly begun acting in such a violent way?
I have a bit of information about the reason. But before that, there is something Id like to ask
Shepards gaze turned to the Trowman Rings table.
Is Rounder Frey attending this meeting?
Beniang hesitated for a moment before sighing.
It seemed she could hide it no longer.
no.
Then who are those people with their faces covered?
Is that important?
Of course it is. Only those who are verified are allowed to participate in this emergency meeting.
It was Rezil who turned to look at them with a sharp gaze.
Beniang spoke with a firm expression.
We can guarantee their identities.
Im sorry, but we have to confirm that for ourselves.
Are you saying you dont trust us?
Maybe they could be insidious, and good enough at disguising that they deceive your eyes. I would like to judge it for myself.
Although it was said in a roundabout manner, he still meant that he couldnt trust their ability.
Just as Beniang bit her lip and was about to retort, the woman covered by a robe beside her opened her mouth.
It seems youre still suspicious of everything, Rezil Wilsemann.
Insolent!
When they heard their Circle Master called by his name in such a disrespectful manner, the aura around the members of the Strow Necklaces became violent, but Rezil and a few other Circle executives froze when they heard the womans voice.
that voice. You cant be.
Long time no see.
The woman pulled back her hood, revealing that it was Nora.
A few people who saw her face couldnt help but exclaim in shock.
No-, Nora?
Why is that woman here?
Who is she?
Th-, the former Magic Warrior Kings Successor. I heard she left the Circle a long time ago
Why is she with the Trowman Rings?
Rezils face was stiff as he said.
How unexpected. I never expected you to return to the Circle.
I didnt return to the Circle.
Then why are you with the Trowman Rings?
Nora answered in her usual, light tone.
Because Im supporting Frey Blake, the Circle Rounder of the Trowman Rings.
Woosh-
This remark stirred up the entire hall once again.
Most of the members there had never even seen Frey Blake, but the rumors about him were deafening.
At an age that defied all logic, hed managed to reach 7 stars, and although he received the attention from all three of the Three Great Circles, he refused. Whats more, he even went into the collapsing Trowman Rings and managed to revive them.
These feats alone had been enough to draw peoples attention and curiosity, but now he was receiving the support of the former Magic Warrior Kings Successor?
Rezils gaze turned to the other person.
then who is the other person.
Stop your sloppy scouting. All of the Circles strongest forces are currently in this room. Even if this guy was a Demigod, he wouldnt be too much of a threat. You just dont like the fact that you cant identify someone from the Trowman Rings, dont you?
Rezil remained silent because she was right.
If someone else had said that then he would have found a different way to continue pressing them, but the opponent this time was Nora.
She was not someone that Rezil could take lightly.
Nora sighed when she saw Rezils attitude.
some time has passed since I left the Circle, but they still havent changed.
In truth, Nora had come to this meeting with high expectations. The Demigods had revealed themselves, and destroyed Geotanbul and Talhadun in the process.
It was a big enough event for even the Circle to feel a bit threatened. Therefore, she had the expectation that it would naturally cause the Circle to grow closer and more united.
But that wasnt the case.
Even in a situation like this, Rezil seemed to be more concerned with keeping the others in check. And it was probably the same for the Lucid Swords, who were currently sitting quietly at their table.
ahem. Shall I continue?
At Shepards words, Rezil hesitated for a moment before eventually nodding.
Thank you the Demigods have been appearing all over the continent. And even at this moment, they are repeating these acts of indiscriminate destruction. Now, we must figure out a way to deal with them.
Isnt it obvious that we just have to go and stop them?
It was the red-haired man who spoke up once again.
Gomez.
He was the master of the Dijellik Gauntlets, which was said to be the most powerful among the medium and small sized circles.
Shepard was in a quandary.
He obviously knew the words that Master Rezil wanted him to say, but if he did say it, it was certain that he would receive backlash from Gomez.
Gomez wasnt someone that Shepard, who was just a Force Honor of the Strow Necklaces, could easily handle.
Thats not necessarily the answer, Master Gomez.
It was Jekid who helped Shepard out this time.
Gomezs gaze turned to him.
What do you mean?
We do not know anything about them. How many of them they are, how strong they are, or how long they will keep acting in this way. Even if these are things that we can learn in time, shouldnt we at least know why they are doing this first?
Gomezs expression became harder than stone as he figured out exactly what Jekid was trying to say.
so we should stay hidden until we figure that out. Is that what youre trying to say?
I believe your words are a bit harsh. Im just saying we should watch how things progress.
Ha! Isnt that the same thing? Youre really amazing! You saw what happened to Geotanbul and you can still spout this bullsh*t?
Its best to make a long-term decision. If the Circles power is reduced any further then things will spiral out of our control.
But to just watch innocent people die like this
Jekid sighed deeply.
Master Gomez. Dont you understand? We, the Circle, are the only ones on the continent who can do anything against the Demigods. The Circles defeat means the defeat of all of mankind, and the subsequent destruction of the continent. How can we move recklessly when the fate of the entire continent rests on our shoulders?
Rezil nodded at those words.
Thats right. The Strow Necklaces agrees with the Lucid Swords opinion.
Gomezs expression became solemn.
You guys are you out of your minds?
We are being logical. Instead, I think you are the one who cant make the right decision.
Two nations perished! Hundreds of thousands of people lost their lives, and the damage is sure to expand, but you still wont make a move?
Exactly.
Boom!
Gomez was unable to contain himself and hit the table in front of him. The round table made of the finest wood in the empire was smashed to bits of pieces as though it was just rotten wood, and the drinks and snacks that had been on it flew in every direction.
Gomez, whose face was now red, then shouted.
Bullsh*t! Wasnt the Circle created to deal with situations like this? Every living being on the continent is waiting for our help, but you dont want to move because you havent figured out their motive? What bullsh*t is that?
Its heartbreaking. But we have to endure it. Patience is the most important thing in order to achieve our goal.
So even if hundreds of thousands of people die, you will still be patient?
Rezil responded in a calm voice.
Even if millions of people die, we wont make a move.
(Note:disgusting. This marks the end of Book 6. Just four more to go before we end this season.)
Chapter 147 - Purge (1)
Chapter 147 - Purge (1) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
(Note: So I made a tiny bit of an oopsy last chapter. Were now in Book 7, so we still have a ways to go)
A heavy silence fell in the room.
Gomez glared at Rezil with a sharp gaze, to which Rezil simply returned a calm, confident look.
It seemed as if he was asking what else Gomez would do besides glaring.
This standoff continued for a while.
Crick.
Then, someone stood up.
The loud noise caused by the chair scraping against the floor pierced the silence of the hall, and it naturally drew the eyes of everyone there.
I cant listen to this nonsense any longer.
It was the Circle Master of one of the Elven circles, Black Tooth, Reeves. Beside him were Camille and Liamson, to whom Frey were well acquainted.
Did you summon us here just to tell us this bullsh*t?
Would you please be polite? Young Black Tooth Chief.
When Rezil said that, Reeves let out a cold laugh.
Young Chief? Huhu. I never imagine Id be called young by a human.
There is no reason to be respected just because you have lived for a long time. This is the reason why the Elves have the smallest territory out of all the intelligent races on the continent.
Those words made the expressions of the Black Tooth tribe, as well as the other Elves sitting in the room, freeze.
The Elves did not conquer any land because of their peaceful temperaments, which disliked acts of destruction.
It was also inevitable that nature would be destroyed during battles.
Of course, Rezil knew the Elves character. He also knew that they were not a weak race.
Nevertheless, he continued his provocations.
Do not go overboard, Rezil Wilsemann.
Im just speaking the truth arent you the one overreacting?
There were no signs that he intended to take back his words.
As Rezil continued speaking in a calm, relaxed manner, the atmosphere in the room steadily grew colder.
It wasnt just the Elves.
Other circles were also staring at Rezil with hostile gazes,
In the first place, they couldnt understand Rezils mentality of trying to buy more time by sacrificing the continent.
Then, they realised something was wrong with his previous words.
Gisellan frowned at the situation.
Rezil Wilsemann was certainly an insidious old man.
He tried to say that their people were pretending to be members of the Circle.
Then, he antagonised the Dijellik Gauntlets and the Black Tooth Tribe.
While these circles might not have been the Strow Necklaces opponents, they were still traditional circles with a lot of influence.
Creating a grudge with them was not a wise decision.
If it was the original Rezil, then he would not have done things like this so recklessly.
Is he trying to deepen the conflicts in the Circle?
For what reason?
He couldnt understand why he would try to break apart the Circles power even further in this current state of emergency.
In a situation like this, wasnt it smarter for them to unite?
This is quite disgusting.
It was the one beside Nora, who had been silent from the beginning, who spoke this time.
The moment he heard this clear voice, Reeves eyebrows furrowed.
The figure then pulled back its hood to reveal Snow. Or to be precise, it was Swordna, who was revealed as Snow was wearing Jenkis Mask.
Reeves then spoke up in a strange voice.
Hiralgards Swordna?
Snow shrugged at those words.
Ive left the Hiralgard.
Did you join the Trowman Rings?
Thats not quite right, but it doesnt matter to me if you think so.
After saying that, Snow turned to Rezil.
Ive heard your argument, Circle Master Rezil. So you wont make a move until you are completely sure of what the Demigods are up to.
Exactly.
Then what if a circle decides to not follow your wishes?
I wont allow it. Im not sure if we can defeat the Demigods with the current power of the Circle. No, to be honest, it would be enough to say that its impossible. I cannot allow even the smallest amount of power to be wasted.
Rezil completed his statement without a change in his expression.
Please understand.
Anger finally surfaced on the faces of those who disagreed with Rezils opinion.
To be arbitrary to such an extent was no different from being a tyrant.
At that moment, Gisellan vaguely understood Rezils intentions.
He is deliberately expressing his opinion in a strong manner. To see all those who will oppose him.
After being selected, they would either be kicked out of the Circle or forced to make a mistake and be punished for it.
He had a feeling that this was the purpose of this meeting in the first place.
In fact, Rezil and the Strow Necklaces had that much power. After all, it was public knowledge that they had a good relationship with the Lucid Swords.
Knowing that, the others could only make angry expressions, but no one dared to speak out anymore.
Instead, they naturally turned their gazes to another table.
Circle Master Altan. He was the head of the Phisfounder Armlets, the last of the Three Great Circles, and the only one who could oppose Rezils opinion this time.
Many people were looking at him with anticipation.
Altan had a moderate presence in the Circle, advocating true neutrality and usually choosing to follow the majority.
When the other two members of the Three Circles expressed their opinions, he rarely went against them.
That was why Rezil didnt think much of it this time.
So when Altans gaze turned to Beniang, he frowned subconsciously.
Beniang, what do you think?
Rezil and Jekid furrowed their eyebrows at the same time.
Was he asking Beniangs opinion, instead of them, who were also masters of the Three Great Circles?
Altan, I think you asked the wrong person.
Altan replied indifferently without looking at him.
I wasnt mistaken. Im asking Beniang Argento, the Circle Master of the Trowman Rings, for her opinion.
I
Receiving the gazes of everyone in the room, Beniang felt her heart sink, but she soon gave her answer regardless.
I think we should stop the Demigods.
Rezils gaze immediately became harsh.
Be careful of your words, Master Beniang. Have you forgotten the death of your predecessor, Osel?
When he said that, Gisellan and Eizek stood up at the same time.
Master Rezil, youve gone too far.
Excuse my words. But it was advice based on good intentions.
He was a smooth talker.
Gisellan grit his teeth.
Rezil had deliberately brought up the subject of Osel, knowing that it was still a sore wound for the Trowman Rings.
This was a move to break their composure.
Beniang was also angry.
If it had been her old self, she might very well have collapsed at that moment.
hooo.
But she was able to endure it.
In the past few months, Beniang had come to realise the real importance of a Circle Master. And she tried hard to be a person deserving of the title.
Fortunately, there was a role model nearby for her to rely on.
Frey Blake.
He was truly a man born to lead. She had felt this from the first time she met him, and even now, these thoughts remained unchanged.
If he so wished, she would willingly give up the position of Circle Master in an instant as she knew she could never be like that.
After all, she knew herself better than anyone. Beniang was sure that she would never be able to reach that level no matter how hard she tried or how much experience she gained. It just wasnt possible.
However, she could at least imitate Frey,
In this situation. Even when she was at a loss as to how to react, she was strangely able to calm down by thinking of Frey.
Then she thought hard.
How would Frey react in this situation?
I appreciate your kind advice, but we will never forget the deaths of our predecessors.
Rezil frowned at Beniangs cool voice.
Beniang then continued.
You said you wouldnt move until you confirmed the Demigods intentions.
I dont know how many times I have to repeat that, yes.
Does Master Rezil know why the Circle was founded?
There was overt displeasure on Rezils face.
Why do you ask that? Do you intend to lecture me?
If you are wrong about something, Ill naturally try to help you correct it.
When Beniang smiled and said those words, the entire hall burst into an uproar.
Rezil no longer expressed his feelings. His emotions disappeared from his face as if they had been wiped away.
Then, a middle aged man beside Rezil spoke up.
How about being polite? Beniang Argento.
It was Simone Kylia, the Circle Rounder for the Strow Necklaces.
Beniangs attitude seemed to offend him, and his expression wasnt nice.
Master Rezil was leading the Circle before you were even born.
There is no reason to be respected just because you have lived for a long time.
Simones expression became filled with anger.
She had just returned Rezils words to him.
On the other hand, the Elves in the room had cheerful expressions on their faces. Altan and the others also looked at Beniang with interest.
Many of them remembered how Beniang was in the past, and looking at her now, they couldnt help but wonder.
How could someone change so much?
That is rude. Having the same position doesnt mean you are equal, Master Beniang.
Im not wrong, and I dont think I was being rude.
Simone stopped responding and instead simply stared at Beniang.
At first, she thought that it was because he no longer had anything to say.
However, Beniangs face soon became paler and paler.
This wasnt just because of the glaring.
In fact, Simone was secretly releasing his mana and pressuring Beniang with it.
It was so secretive that even Eizek and Gisellan, who were beside her, didnt notice. Snow and Nora seemed to realise what was happening, but they were simply partners. They wouldnt make a move unless it was a direct threat.
It was a low-class and disgusting act that was no lower than a threat by street thugs.
Simone would definitely recall his mana if Beniang was to reveal his actions now. And he would even be looked down upon by the other circles.
It wouldnt be hard to do.
She was under a lot of pressure at that moment, but it was still possible to open her mouth.
But was it really okay to do so?
As the Circle Master of the Trowman Rings, she couldnt even withstand the pressure of a Circle Rounder, yet she dared to reveal it?
Maybe that was exactly what Simone wanted.
He would certainly be looked down upon, but Beniangs Trowman Rings would also lose prestige.
It had changed and revived, but it still fell short of the Three Great Circles.
For the Trowman Rings, who were trying to make a resurgence, such a perception would be a shackle.
Beniang grit her teeth.
It was absolutely unacceptable.
Above all, she had regained her pride.
Endure.
Endure, Beniang.
She could withstand at least this much pressure.
Her opponent was not even a Circle Master. No matter how powerful the Three Great Circles were, she couldnt let herself fall short of a Circle Rounder.
She would not allow it.
Beniang didnt let herself succumb to the pressure.
The fact that she was even able to withstand this pressure was shocking in itself.
This baffled Simone.
He was one of the five 8 star Wizards in the entire Circle. So for Beniang to withstand his pressure to this extent meant that she had reached at least 7 stars.
Should I press more?
It wasnt difficult, but he mightve gotten caught. Sarch* The N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
The time the two of them were staring at each other was getting longer, so someone mightve questioned it.
Kuk.
But he couldnt back down like this.
Hed received Rezils instructions, so he couldnt back down even if he wanted to.
Just as Simone was about to raise his mana higher.
This rudeness of yours.
It was the voice of a man sitting in a corner that no one had paid attention to.
It was only after this person spoke that everyone realised his existence. Including the people sitting close to him.
This was strange.
The tables were all sorted according to circle, so if someone was sitting alone, he would naturally stand out.
Nevertheless, no one had noticed a thing until he spoke.
This person was a young man with dirty blonde hair and brown eyes. And although he had no distinctive features, there were still people in the hall who recognised his face.
These people were Snow, some of the Elves and Eizek.
Who are you?
Such a shame. You cant even recognize the man youve been looking for.
What does that mean?
The young mans eyes became cold.
Firstly, I will return the rudeness you showed to Master Beniang.
As he let out those words, Simone directly collapsed in his seat.
Ro-, Rounder Simone!
What the hell?!
Ah ah
Simone couldnt even answer. He could only widen his eyes in horror.
Eizek gulped.
He was certain.
This was the face of Cain Rixton.
How could he not know? After all, he was the one who gave this fake identity to Frey!
Rounder Frey!
Frey released his illusion.
Several Wizards took deep breaths when his face was revealed.
All of them were great Wizards and Archmages on the continent, but none of them had been able to see through the illusion.
It was the same for Rezil.
I heard everything already. It was quite interesting. There are many things that I want to say, but before that you.
Rezil didnt think that Frey was referring to him at that moment. The reason he didnt think so, despite the fact that Frey was looking right at him, was because no one had the audacity to call him you in decades.
But the following words were even more shocking.
You dont deserve the title of Strow Necklaces Circle Master. Why dont you step down from that position?
Chapter 148 - Purge (2)
Chapter 148 - Purge (2) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Elliah sighed.
She had met various people and experienced countless situations over the years. But Frey was the first human to ever make her so curious.
In the first place, it was incredibly strange that he knew how to reach 9 stars. After all, it wasnt something that could be explained in a book.
It was something that could only be obtained through countless attempts of trial and error, incredible suffering and luck.
But she didnt think too deeply about it.
After all, humans were one of the most populous species on the entire continent. So it was entirely possible for him to be a rare genius that was likely to be born every few thousands of years.
However, when she remembered the fight, she couldnt help but wonder.
After all, experience wasnt something that one could gain with talent.
This guy when he gets to 9 stars, Lord will face some trouble.
Even Elliah, who rarely gave high evaluations, couldnt help but think so.
Except for Lord, the Apocalypses and herself, all the Demigods would surely get beaten up by Frey.
Of course, itll be difficult on his own
In a sense, that part was even more difficult than magic.
Nevertheless, that guy turned out to be really popular.
Elliah couldnt help but think about the talents beside him.
The Elf Knight, the Magic Warrior and the Archlich.
They were all people with distinct personalities. More than that, they were beings who could be called the peak of all mortals.
However, these three didnt seem to have any real connection to each other. And it was a well-known fact that powerful individuals would not easily work under someone else.
They needed something that would bind them together. And Elliah knew exactly what that thing was.
But I dont understand where all that rage comes from.
The anger that Frey had towards the Demigods was so deep and dark that even Elliah was unable to properly measure it.
After all, most mortal races didnt even have a lifespan surpassing 100 years.
Riki.
What was this mans identity?
And just how was he able to reach 9 stars in a single day?
* * *
Everyone froze.
That was the only way to properly describe it.
Even those who didnt understand the true strength of Rezil and the Strow Necklaces were looking at Frey in shock.
It was the same for the Trowman Rings and Beniang, who had just been helped.
No matter how talented Frey was, what hed said had gone too far.
Rezil was the master of one of the Three Great Circles, and even the masters of the other two circles would not be able to remove him.
But the Circle Rounder of the Trowman Rings, which had only just started flapping its wings again, had asked such a disrespectful question.
F-, Frey.
Beniang stared at Frey with trembling eyes, but he didnt turn to look at her.
Even at that moment, as he faced Rezil, cold anger was raging in his heart.
The Strow Necklaces. The organisation under the name of his friend had no intention carrying on Schweisers will.
Instead, this Rezil guy was taking advantage of Schweisers name.
This fact disgusted Frey beyond comparison. He even felt like throwing up at that moment.
Among his friends, the most self-righteous and straightforward one had always been Schweiser.
And now, a sick person like this claimed to be his successor.
Im not a good person.
The Trowman Rings.
Thinking about all those people who were upright and sincere, Frey couldnt help but grit his teeth.
Originally, they were more suited to carry on Schweisers will than his own will.
Lukas Trowman was definitely not as good of a person as they believed him to be.
Huht.
Rezil smiled.
It only took him a moment to take control of his mind and body.
Then, he calmly opened his mouth.
You asked for my qualifications. Id like to reverse that question, Rounder Frey. Do you deserve it?
Of course he did.
It was Sheryl, not Frey, who almost got up and shouted at the absurdity of his question.
She was the only one there who knew Freys true identity.
Altan, Snow and Nora. There were a few who knew of Freys strength, but Sheryl was the only one who knew who he truly was.
So she couldnt understand what this crazy guy was talking about.
Rezil Wilsemann! Do you dare to actually compare your qualifications?
The Great Mage, Lukas Trowman!
None other than the Great Mage, Lukas Trowman! The greatest Wizard in history! The man who laid the foundation and developed the basics for Magical Science! The Demigods fiercest rival and a mythical being from the Era of Light who led the great team of heroes!
If he didnt deserve it, who did?
Sheryl immediately wanted to share Freys true identity to these ignorant beings, but she couldnt.
And there was only one reason.
Frey was keeping her mouth closed.
Frey didnt say anything.
Rezil furrowed his eyebrows.
He thought he would say something again, but this was even more disrespectful.
It was clear that this man knew well how to impact the will of a skilled Archmage.
Right. Since you wont answer. Then it cant be helped.
Rezil acted with a slightly impulsive attitude.
He slowly raised his hand to his chest with his palm facing upward.
Motion Magic.
Then, dozens of spells appeared behind Rezils back. They were literally dozens of spells.
This didnt mean dozens of manifestations of a single spell. Instead, dozens of different spells were cast at the same time. Without chanting a spell or saying a single word!
The Wizards in the room found it hard to believe their eyes.
This was no longer on the level of double or triple casting. Literally, every spell was on a different level.
And the power?
Each of these spells was at least 6 stars. And since Rezil was the caster, it was quite possible that each of these spells was twice as strong as usual.
Cr-, crazy! Master Rezil! Are you trying to erase this mansion?!
Gomez shouted in an urgent voice.
With that much magic power, not to mention the mansion, even half of the Jun familys land would be wiped out.
However, the Wizards present didnt make a fuss.
Rezil was a 9 star Wizard. For him, concentrating his power on a single point would be easier than flipping his palm.
This would also increase the power of the spells.
Now. How are you going to stop this?
Rezil glared at Frey.
One might say that he was going overboard, but he had a good reason. First of all, it was Frey who had been rude and disrespectful.
Therefore, Rezil had the right to vent his anger.
Dozens of spells were aimed at Frey.
If he was lucky, then he would only lose a few limbs. But that was fine too.
Rezil felt that it would be even better to see him crawl helplessly on the floor.
Then Frey lifted his finger.
Rezil almost laughed at the action.
Motion Magic?
Was he feeling self-conscious?
It seemed he had some pride after all.
Rezil was about to laugh. But suddenly, his expression hardened instead as he felt chills run down his spine.
This was something he hadnt felt since hed reached 9 stars.
Emotion? No. This was a primal instinct.
Frey straightened his index finger.
It was a gentle and graceful movement, similar to the first stroke of a master calligrapher using the finest brush.
Huh?
And after that, time seemed to slow down.
It was a strange sensation, as if that single moment had been stretched out. And the moment of the moment seemed as though it had been sucked into a black hole in space.
No. Was it the space that was getting sucked in? Or was it him?
So youre half, too.
Following the sound of an indifferent voice, a dark red light fluttered once. Sound disappeared. And no one could hear, as though everyones eardrums had been destroyed.
The first one to realise was Rezil, who had cold sweat running down his face.
What a stupid thing to do
He could tell without looking back.
The dozens of spells behind him had already disappeared.
They had completely disappeared.
Just like a wave crashing against a rock would shatter, the red light from Freys finger had completely erased Rezils magic.
What the hell did he just do?
Did he use a spell?
He could feel the reverberation of the mana, but he couldnt tell just what Frey had done.
You wont see the peak.
Freys voice came again.
Rezil could no longer maintain his composure. His face distorted like a ghost.
Who are you to say that?
When those in the room heard this rough voice as if the speaker had swallowed sand, they couldnt help but flinch.
They looked at Rezil in shock.
Rezil Wilsemann, a man who was known to never lose his composure, was actually showing agitation at Freys words.
In order to reach the peak, you need to have a firm foundation, an unwavering mindset to follow the same path no matter what happens. Beit the Magical Path or the Martial Arts Path.
Unbearable humiliation covered the face of Rezil, who had been speechless for a while.
Are you lecturing me?
Although its only half, it can already be considered a miracle that you manage to take a step towards the peak. However, no matter how hard you try, no matter how much you struggle, no matter how long you wait, you will never be able to take that final step.
Rezil could no longer refute it.
He couldnt even open his mouth anymore.
He could feel it. Even in just his voice.
This man standing in front of him was like a vast sea. He was standing on the landscape that Rezil longed to reach but could never see.
He had already reached his end.
He returned to his senses.
Kuh
Thump.
Rezil collapsed.
The Circle Master of the Strow Necklaces, Rezil Wilsemann, a highly praised 9 star Wizard, collapsed.
I cant believe it, I dont
The surge of uncontrollable jealousy could not be hidden from Rezils gaze.
This little sh*t had reached a higher level than him?
Could he have actually reached 9 stars?
This reality how could I accept it?!
Rezils eyes became bloodshot.
He was running mad.
The so-called tranquil heart and mind of an Archmage disappeared without a trace.
Instead, intense emotions filled his entire being.
Frey narrowed his eyes.
Is it jealousy?
This intense feeling that Rezil was releasing. It was the source that hed used to dip his toes into the 9 stars level.
Kuku
Rezil was on the verge of madness.
Hed felt this feeling before.
Rezil Wilsemanns brother, Cairo Wilsemann, the former Circle Master. The jealousy in his heart was many times darker than that time.
But.
He could bear it. He was resilient; he would rule.
Because he would be the one to win in the end.
Same with Cairo.
Freys appearance was unexpected, but it removed the hesitation he had before.
Rezil got up and said in a hoarse voice.
Why did you come to this meeting?
To fix things.
do that yourself.
With those words, Rezil returned to his seat and sat down quietly.
The man who had been leading the meeting so far now looked incredibly haggard and humble.
The only good thing was that no one else in the meeting was paying attention to him at that moment.
There wasnt even the sound of clothes rustling.
Frey walked to the center of the hall with a calm gait.
Shepard subconsciously backed away, giving up his spot as the host. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Frey stopped and looked around.
He could feel everyones gazes on him. He could feel the gazes of all those who struggled and sacrificed for the Circle.
The Circle.
He still had vivid memories of that time.
How happy hed felt when he learned of its existence.
But the more he got to know it, the more disappointed he became.
He didnt want to. This wasnt what he wanted at all.
Frey wanted them to live up to his expectations.
He hoped that the crazy will that Lukas Trowman and his friends had in the old days had been revived and matured.
But 4,000 years was long. It was too long.
It was enough time for that will to change.
So he had to check.
He was going to do what should have been done much earlier.
I would like to know.
He wanted to ask them a mountain of questions, but there was only one simple question that filled Freys mind at that moment.
Why did you join the Circle?
To beat the Demigods, the Circle had to be completely united. There could no longer be such dispersed power.
If they couldnt unite, they couldnt win.
It wasnt easy.
And Frey didnt believe he would be able to keep everything.
That was why his decision to cut off the rotten parts remained unchanged. To make a perfect sphere, it was necessary to grind off the rough edges.
The Circle created in this way would then be perfectly round and beautiful.
With one Circle, surely, they would finally be able to pose a threat to even the gods.
Chapter 149 - Purge (3)
Chapter 149 - Purge (3) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
There was no answer, but Frey wasnt impatient.
The silence didnt even make him feel uncomfortable.
After all, his question wasnt easy to answer, and because hed just defeated Rezil, the atmosphere in the room was very heavy.
Nevertheless, he wanted them to think deeply about this topic at least once.
Rezil Wilsemann said the only thing that can stop the Demigods on this continent is the Circle. So the survival of the Circle is paramount, and we cant afford to lose even a small amount of power.
Even though his name was called, there was no response from Rezil. He simply stared at Frey with an unreadable expression on his face.
He wrapped it up in a very reasonable way. Right. It didnt sound foolish at all.
Rezil didnt know about the existence of Paragon.
And even if he did know, he didnt know that its power was equal to or even greater than that of the Circle.
This was why he believed only the Circle could do something about the Demigods.
In short, he is insisting that we survive till the end. The context is a bit different, but hes basically saying that by surviving, we would win.
Rezils eyebrows twitched.
But that would just be limited to a personal victory. Can we say we won if half of the continent is killed? The Circle survived, and the Demigods showed their power, so could it be said that our chances of winning increased?
Several of the members faces changed when he said those words.
Then, someone raised her hand.
It was Simone.
She was still breathing heavily with a pale face, but she seemed to be in a much better condition than before. (Note: Yes, Simone is female, I will explain at the bottom so as to not affect your reading) Sarch* The ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Half the population? Is Rounder Frey suggesting that they would carry out a massacre of that scale? I dont have any intention of defending them, but theyre not indiscriminate slaughterers. We might not understand them, but they definitely move in accordance to the principles of thought.
You are making contradictory claims. If theyre not slaughterers, then do you know why they destroyed Geotanbul and Talhadun?
Simone hesitated for a moment before responding.
it could be a simple warning. A threat to the Circle in order to encourage submission
Then Ill change my question. Do you understand the principles of the Demigods actions, who might have destroyed a country and a city as a warning?
Frey looked at her with a cold face.
The Demigods act on principles that we dont understand. That is why theyre so dangerous. We dont dare to understand them, but from a mortals perspective, the Demigods are nothing but a group of slaughterers.
Frey spoke with a clear tone.
The Demigods and the other races living on the continent could not understand each other.
Like mana and divine power, they could never be mixed.
Nevertheless, Simones dissatisfied expression didnt go away.
Frey looked at her and said.
You dont seem convinced. Fine. Then show me how solid your thoughts are.
What do you mean?
There should be circles from Geotanbul and Silkid here, right?
here.
Here too.
Some raised their hands.
They looked incredibly depressed, with dark rings around their eyes and a dismal aura surrounding their bodies.
They seemed very listless since their homes had been destroyed.
Simone was quite shocked as well.
Because their hostile gazes were all locked onto her.
Simone Kylia. Can you look them in the eyes and say those words again? That the Demigods arent slaughterers?
Simone couldnt open her mouth.
Frey looked at her.
He had expected the Strow Necklaces to be rotten, but he never would have expected them to stoop so low.
Dont be afraid. We can win. Demigods arent absolute beings. Isnt the reason they call themselves Demigods because they know this fact, too? Our enemy has appeared from the dark. So we should make our move, too. War is inevitable.
War.
Someone from the Phisfounder Armlets couldnt help but gulp at those words.
A-, are you saying that were going to have an all-out war against the Demigods?
Thats right.
Everyone sucked in a cold breath at Freys resolute words.
The Trowman Rings members, including Beniang, were all incredibly shocked.
That doesnt sound like Frey
She felt a little strange, but she couldnt tell why.
Are you afraid of fighting?
Th-, that
No.
It was Altan.
He had an interesting look on his face as he said.
The Phisfounder Armlets will unconditionally follow Frey Blakes will.
What?
This was the first time that Altan, who had always remained neutral, had ever picked a side.
His sudden remark shook everyone in the room once again.
Rezil swallowed his shock.
He was certain that Frey had already recruited the Phisfounder Armlets even before the meeting began.
What a meticulous man.
He must have planned to hide in the hall from the start.
First, he waited and observed how the meeting was going. Then, when Rezil took control, he appeared.
He aimed for the moment when the attention of everyone in the hall had been concentrated on one place.
And by overwhelming Rezil, he was able to bring that attention under his control.
In the end, everyone in the room had no choice but to focus all of their attention onto Freys every move.
If he had appeared with the Trowman Rings, he definitely wouldnt have been able to gather this much attention.
Moreover, those who had agreed to cooperate with Frey could not be looked down upon.
Nora, the former Magic Warrior Kings Successor.
Swordna of the Hiralgard, who had the absolute support of all Elves.
Not to mention the Phisfounder Armlets, one of the Three Great Circles.
We will not accept it.
Rezil was forced to open his mouth at the end.
He looked at Frey with a burning gaze.
Frey looked him in the eyes and said.
You wont fight the Demigods?
Thats right. The Strow Necklaces will not move until we fully grasp the Demigods intentions and abilities.
Right. You said even if millions died, you wouldnt move.
Frey nodded with an expressionless face. Then, he turned his gaze to the Lucid Swords.
How about you? Will you obey Rezils will?
we.
Jekid glanced at Rezil before saying.
will follow the will of the Strow Necklaces.
That was better.
That saved them from the worst.
The atmosphere had been overturned by Frey, and the Phisfounder Armlets had gone over to his side.
But now that two of the Three Great Circles had announced that they wouldnt participate, he couldnt act arbitrarily.
Rezil saw disappointment spread across Freys face. It quickly disappeared, but he was certain that he saw it.
That face made him believe that things werent going the way Frey had hoped.
Rezil decided to be content with that.
* * *
The meeting ended shortly after that.
Of course, the emergency meeting wasnt over.
After all, it wasnt a matter that could be easily concluded in a day or two.
The meeting wouldnt end until proper countermeasures were decided.
For the time being, the Circle members would continue to stay in the Jun family residence.
When he returned to his room, Rezil couldnt help but grit his teeth.
It was supposed to be an easy meeting to lead.
He closed his eyes and went over everything that happened.
Since joining hands with the Lucid Swords, the Circle had been as good as being in the palm of his hand. He could lead however he wanted, and he could get rid of the troublesome members as he pleased.
He had no doubt that it would be the same that day. But the appearance of one man changed everything.
Frey Blake.
From today, the Circle will be split into two factions.
Perhaps everyone who had been in attendance felt this too.
After the confrontation between Frey and Rezil, they would forever be incompatible.
It was far from Rezils intentions.
He screened the opposing parties, and then, he tried to forcefully absorb them. It was a coercive method, but he did it in order to make the Circle become one.
But Frey was different.
Somehow, hed polarised the Circles way of thinking.
Why would he do that?
Wasnt it suicidal to want to fight the Demigods with a divided Circle?
He was definitely not a foolish man who wouldnt even know something so simple.
[This is war.]
Thats what Freyd said.
Rezil slammed his hand on the desk.
War? War?!
It was an unusually radical decision, but he didnt even seem to be aware of it.
How could he dare to say such a word?! The higher the level, the more clearer youd feel it.
Those on Earth might not have known just how far past the clouds the sun was.
But as you got closer to it, you would certainly feel it.
It was a gap that couldnt be narrowed even if one traveled for a lifetime.
The Demigods were like the sun, and the higher a person reached, the more clearly one would realise this fact.
One would realise the Demigods overwhelming presence.
At the same time, a single conclusion would be reached.
We cant win.
Humans would never be able to defeat the Demigods.
Why couldnt he accept the simple truth?
Circle?
The power that fights against the Demigods in the dark?
Protectors of the continent?
Bullsh*t!
It was all bullsh*t!
What could the Circle do when they couldnt even beat a Demigod?
They would only be able to survive if they got a bit of recognition. It would be enough even if they only moved from beings that are easy to kill to beings that are slightly annoying to kill.
At that time, perhaps the continent would be able to enter an unprecedented era of peace and prosperity. At least, all the petty fighting and war would disappear.
Different races and countries would no longer have to fight against each other.
It would literally be a paradise, a utopia.
Why couldnt he understand this?
It cant be helped.
The choices had all disappeared due to Freys appearance.
The Circle would probably bare its fangs towards the Demigods and be defeated.
And he had no intention of joining its mass suicide.
Rezils expression became frozen, and his heart stilled.
He called Simone into the room, and after he told her what he had to, she left.
* * *
A group of people stood in the backyard of the Jun family residence.
Rezil realised that all of the core members of the Strow Necklaces, as well as many executives of other small and medium circles who promised to cooperate with him, had come.
There were quite a few of them, at least forty. Each of them was either an Archmage, a First Class Warrior or a Master Class Knight.
Rezil opened his mouth.
We will be leaving the Circle today.
This had already been discussed beforehand, so everyone nodded without panic. There were some executives who werent completely convinced, but they still decided to join Rezils group.
One of these executives asked.
Where are we going?
To where Lord is.
By Lord do you mean the Demigods Lord? D-, do you have a connection to him?
Exactly. He will accept us.
It was unavoidable.
Originally, he wanted to walk a bit closer to him.
He should have showcased more of the Circles power.
That way, the other side would have accepted his surrender more eagerly. Even Lord wouldnt want to participate in troublesome and drawn out battles, so he would be useful.
Still, it couldnt be helped.
Because saving his own life took priority at that moment.
Frey Blake would soon launch an all-out war against the Demigods. If he surrendered after that, there was no guarantee whether Lord would accept it or not.
Rather, he might be wary of him, or even worse, he might torture him for information before killing him.
Luckily, Rezil knew a lot of information that Lord would find useful.
Today, we will be leaving this place. And we will abandon our circles names as well.
You mean we cant use the Strow Necklaces name anymore?
Right.
What if the Demigods give us a coercive command?
Well follow it.
Any order?
Thats right.
Rezil frowned.
What was going on? That was quite an unseemly question.
He had already discussed most of what was happening with those gathered here. There was no way someone would ask such a silly question unless they wanted to tease him.
But when he turned and saw the speaker was wearing a hooded robe.
Rezil felt a chill.
It was as though a cold ice spike had been rubbed against his spine.
The atmosphere cooled down as well, and no one else in the group spoke up, perhaps feeling the coldness.
He opened his mouth.
I thought so.
The man then took off his hood, and when Rezil finally saw his exposed face, his expression froze.
Frey Blake.
I hoped my prediction wouldnt be right. Truly. But you guys still ended up crossing the line.
Prediction.
It was expected?
Was that the reason for Freys disappointed expression at the end?
Rezil spoke with a hard look.
Right. You didnt trust me from the start.
No. But I tried to trust you.
Krrr.
The ground started shaking, and the atmosphere seemed to shake with it.
The faces of those nearby paled considerably.
Mana rose up from Freys body. Just that alone was enough to blow their minds.
Rezil Wilsemann, if you had been willing to give up your position, I would have changed my mind a little. The things youve done so far werent extreme enough to be completely unforgivable. After all, it was only your narrowmindedness that caused this to happen.
At that moment, Rezil realised that he had no intention of sparing them.
His mana erupted as he looked at Frey with cold eyes.
I admit that you are very strong. But you were too arrogant to come here alone.
When did I say I was alone?
Shuk.
A group appeared around Frey.
Seeing their faces, Rezils expression became as hard as stone.
Deep down in Freys heart, he couldnt help but sigh.
He had sincerely hoped they wouldnt resort to betrayal. He had expected Rezil to have at least a single shred of human dignity left.
Even though he was only halfway there, he was still considered a 9 star Wizard, someone who walked the path of Magical Science.
Moreover, he had the true last name of Strow.
But it seemed his expectations were for naught.
Frey closed his eyes, and when he reopened them, there was no longer any hesitation.
Frey spoke in a low voice.
Purge.
(Note: So, as many of you might know, Korean is a language that often omits certain things, for example he and she. Hence when you see it in translated text, its usually added by the translator to help the reader(at least that is the case for this novel). Usually, this isnt much of a problem as most names are gender specific, but sometimes its not so clear. Simone Kylia, Circle Rounder of the Trowman Rings is a woman. The hangul for the name Simone is ??? but the pronunciation is See-mo-ne, so I took it more as the Italian masculine name rather than the English feminine name because the feminine name in hangul is simply ??. Sorry about the mix up.
ED: The same happened recently in SLR. He/she pronouns will be assigned to characters to avoid any ambiguity and maintain the translation teams sanity.)
Chapter 150 - Purge (4)
Chapter 150 - Purge (4) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Snow, Nora, Sheryl.
Those were the ones Frey brought with him. In order to move secretly, only a few persons couldve joined him.
Naturally, Frey could have brought more people, but there were two reasons why he only brought these three.
Their individual strength, and their sword-like coldness.
At least, the three of them had mindsets that would allow them to not let any of these people keep their lives.
That was why he chose them.
I cant understand.
Snow muttered with an unusually solemn expression on her face.
These were all senior members of the Circle.
It wasnt just the Strow Necklaces. There werent only members of the Three Great Circles there either. There were also Elves from the Hiralgard in the group.
Snow looked at an Elf with cold eyes.
She couldnt believe there would be such degenerates in her race.
Do you know what youre about to do?
Ku-, kuk.
Unable to answer, the Elf stepped back.
Right. They couldnt know.
There was no way they would do something so crazy if they knew.
Passing key information about the Circle to the Demigods was no different from trying to completely destroy the Circle.
After all, the biggest reason why the Circle was able to survive for so long was because of secrecy.
They had no way to win an all-out war, so they hid themselves thoroughly.
In the case of the Three Great Circles, they had dozens of hideouts scattered across the entire continent, and their key executives, including their Circle Masters and Rounders, never stayed in one location for too long.
But Rezil Wilsemann definitely knew most of the key information about the Three Great Circles. Things like the locations of their hideouts or the usual paths and patterns of the travelling executives.
If all of that information was handed over, the Circles power would cut by at least half.
Sheryls anger was as pronounced as Snows.
Especially after she saw the faces of the many Phisfounder Armlets executives in the group.
Right. Completely rotten.
Sheryl knew the corruption in the Circle better than anyone. After all, she was one of the members who had been in the Circle for the longest.
The meaning of the group had completely changed from what had been decided at its founding, and instead, the group had become disgusting, like a rotting abscess.
The deterioration had been happening even before she joined. At that time, she turned her eyes away because she didnt have the power nor influence in the Circle to do anything about it.
Later, she told herself that the corruption had been going on for too long and it was already too late to fix it.
It was really late.
At that point, it had reached a stage where she could do nothing about it even if she knew it was happening.
She also didnt have the confidence to challenge it.
So she averted her eyes.
In the end it was meaningless.
It was too late.
She was late, too late.
But now she had a chance to make it right.
Frey and Rezil didnt move, simply facing each other, yet cold sweat dropped from Rezils chin.
He realised at that moment.
Just the ripple of mana fluctuating around Frey was enough for him to know.
I cant win.
This man had truly reached 9 stars, which was considered a mythical stage for all Wizards. It was completely different from a half like him.
He had taken the other step.
And that single step was all it took to put them on completely different levels.
He finally knew what that red light Frey had shot out before was.
Was that the real power of Absolute?
Frey nodded.
Its not just the ability to create your own field.
huhu. Any power that is rooted in mana would instantly become useless. Its no different from an absolute death sentence.
The manipulation of external mana was something that could only be done by those 8 stars and higher.
Absolute field could only be used by those who reached 9 stars.
The next stage was the dark red light Frey had shown.
It condensed the absolute space and projected it as an energy body.
It sounded simple when put in words, but Rezil couldnt even imagine how to use his power in that way.
No. He wouldnt be able to do it even if he knew how to.
you said the Demigods werent absolute. Thats right. In fact, there have been many instances of defeating Demigods in the Circles history.
But there is one truly absolute being.
Frey immediately knew who he was talking about, so he simply said the name.
Lord.
I always thought my older brother was an unrivaled genius in Magical Science. I didnt think another such genius would appear in the next few hundreds of years, but you completely outstrip my brother when it comes to talent. So I want to ask. Be honest. Are you confident you could beat Lord?
Frey couldnt answer readily.
As long as youre a Wizard, its impossible to beat Lord. Do you know what I mean? The gap between a normal human and a Demigod, is the same gap that exists between the Demigods and Lord. If he made up his mind, this continent would have been destroyed by now.
There were very few people in the Circle who knew Lords true power. And those who knew, kept a strict silence, not daring to reveal it.
Because the others would definitely lose their will to confront him, and would instead feel helpless.
So Lords power was kept confidential.
Rezil chuckled slightly and said.
So Im afraid. What if Lord no longer feels like there is any hope for us? What can we do if he decides to destroy the seeds of life on the continent?
So youre saying youd rather be a slave? Since humans are useful, are you going to beg for your life and hope he feels compassionate?
What the hell is wrong with that?!
Rezil roared like a lion.
He glared at Frey with bloodshot eyes.
Is it wrong to beg for your life? Why is it so strange to be afraid of death Why cant neither you nor my brother understand such a simple thing? One thing. You just need to throw away one thing
Frey knew what he meant.
Pride. What do you call someone who abandons that?
Freys voice also became heated.
He finally knew what Rezil was thinking.
Right. In all honesty, he understood.
He understood that such an extreme conclusion could only come after facing incredible hardships.
It was the same in the old days.
There were those who bowed their heads to the Demigods and went under them.
After all, they were incredibly terrifying.
The Demigods strength was not something that mortals could compare to.
During the battle with the Circle in the past, Nozdog probably didnt give his all. After all, he knew how valuable the Apocalypses were to Lord. He didnt want Lord to be upset because of his death at the hands of the will of the world.
But Frey still couldnt understand.
Livestock. Dont you understand? You would become livestock. You would slowly be tamed while eating their feed, and in the end, you would lose the right to have thoughts of your own. Is that what you want?
you can only say that because youve never met him.
What Rezil meant was that he was simply creating a delusion.
I know all about Lord.
What?
Because I fought him. I fought and lost. I know his overwhelming power better than anyone else on this continent.
Rezils eyes shook violently.
He looked at Frey with a confused expression.
Who who the hell are you?
Frey was silent for a moment before saying.
Lukas.
!!
Rezils eyes grew as large as balls. He could barely keep his mouth closed as he stared at Frey with disbelieving eyes.
What are you talking about? But he
I went missing. It was the price for fighting Lord and losing. I was locked away for 4,000 years in a place with nothing but my soul. It was only because of a fortunate accident that I was able to keep the ability to think. I wondered how Id get out of there and what Id do after.
What the hell was he talking about?
Lukas? Did he say Lukas?
Is this guy calling himself Lukas Trowman?
Not even the most arrogant Wizard in history had ever claimed to be the Great Mage himself. After all, the deeper one dived into Magical Science, the more they would feel it.
Lukas Trowmans work. How amazing he really was. And just how great his contributions to Magical Science were.
But now this guy was claiming to be none other than the Great Mage, Lukas Trowman?
Ah.
At that moment, Rezil felt as though a hammer had hit him in the back of the head.
The attitude Frey had shown, the reason he asked him about his qualifications, and the anger hed shown at that time.
And the way hed been able to reach 9 stars at such a young age.
The scattered dots suddenly began to align.
Right.
It might actually be real. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Ha haha.
4,000 years.
He endured for all those years?
With just a human mind?
He didnt give up?
How how is that possible?
Rezil stepped back.
He no longer showed any anger, instead, it was replaced with shock.
How the hell
Rezil stepped back again before tripping on something and falling on his buttocks.
What did he trip on?
Ah.
It was a corpse. Simones corpse.
Had she come on her own?
No. This was the body of the Circle Rounder of the Strow Necklaces who had been influenced by him.
Rezil looked up at Frey.
I
He was made aware of the Demigods existence.
He learned magic.
His talent was recognized.
He entered the Circle.
Then he got a teacher.
The Circle Master before his elder brother, Cairo.
His teacher was a 9 star Wizard.
Rezil was no longer afraid of the Demigods because of his teacher. The strength of his teacher and the Strow Necklaces.
He thought that they would be able to drive the Demigods from the continent as long as they were around.
Then his teacher died.
He lost his life to Lord.
It couldnt even be called a fight.
He died without being able to even leave a scratch on him.
The Circle Members glorified his death, and praised his bravery. But Rezil knew the truth.
His teacher had died a dogs death.
The sky fell.
His teachers position was then taken by his elder brother, Cairo Wilsemann.
Rezil would sometimes ask his brother.
Can we beat Lord?
He never received an answer.
He just needed some assurance. Even empty words would have been fine.
Just one word would have been enough.
We can win.
We can defeat Lord.
Either of those would have been enough. With that, all his anxiety could have been eliminated.
But no one answered.
Those who didnt know anything would speak easily.
The Demigods are nothing, we can kill Lord.
Could that even be considered as comforting?
They could only say that because they never saw Lords power. Even if they only saw a tiny bit of Lords power, they would never dare to speak in such a way again.
They were all ignorant.
But Rezil was even worse than they were.
He was a coward.
All he wanted was something that would allow him to nod his head to, despite knowing Lords true capabilities.
Someone who reached the legendary 9 stars stage.
If they answered with confidence
Why now
A cracked voice sounded out.
Why was he here now?
A little bit if only hed come a little bit sooner If so he too
Huk!
At that moment, as if hed been hit by a bucket of cold water, Rezil awakened, and looked down at himself.
Rezil Wilsemann you are trash.
What bullsh*t had he just been saying?
He staggered to his feet.
Dead bodies formed a pile on the ground. They belonged to those who had listened to his words and followed him, those who were scared of the future.
They had all ended up becoming cold corpses.
And they were all staring at him with empty eyes, dripping blood.
Huhu
So Rezil laughed.
Rather, he smiled and looked at Frey.
What was needed was to pursue the extreme righteousness.
Be rooted.
In other words, to have an immovable mindset.
Perhaps when speaking about belief.
It was a difficult lesson. The advice of the Great Mage.
He stared at Frey with a calm expression.
I dont think Im wrong.
Humans cant beat the Demigods. If we keep on going like this, we will lose. So I wont change my mind.
Freys expression changed as he saw Rezils eyes.
He understood what kind of end he wanted.
Could there be corruption without reason?
Rezil must have also been a young Wizard, venting his anger at the Demigods at first.
However, he realised the reality, became frustrated, and in the end, he decided to compromise.
It was just a pity that hed chosen the worst compromise. Worse than that was the fact that his past mistakes would never go away.
No matter how much he regretted or repented, he would never be able to reverse what hed done.
Everything I did.
The fact that he interfered with the defeat of Demigods, drove thousands to their deaths, connived to sacrifice the continent, and planned to give the Circles information to Lord.
He was definitely a filthy piece of trash smelly enough to make someone want to puke.
So he wouldnt reflect on it. He wouldnt regret it.
Those who agreed with his perspective and listened to his words had already been killed, and were now staring at him with hollow gazes.
We are not compatible, Frey Blake. You shouldnt forget your purpose for coming here.
Youre right.
Red light once again shined from Freys hand.
You will not have a pleasant death.
Thats exactly what I want.
Juk.
Rezil shed tears of blood.
Then he looked at Frey Blake, from whose hand the red light was shooting.
The scene seemed to be in slow motion so he immediately realised.
Frey lied to him.
The red light was aimed precisely at his forehead.
Huht.
In that way, he would feel no pain at all.
It was an honor to meet you, Great Mage.
Frey had said that a man without pride was livestock, and he had finally understood what that meant.
Sometimes, it was necessary to put your pride before your own life.
There were times when the body must protect the soul, even if it meant dying.
Ill pretend.
He would keep the last of his pride so that hed die as a human being, not as human trash or livestock.
Just before the light hit him, Rezil met Freys gaze once again.
He had a sincere thought at that moment.
He hoped that he was wrong, and Frey was right.
(Note: I really disliked Rezil, but I still slightly respect him for the end.)
Chapter 151 - Anastasia (1)
Chapter 151 - Anastasia (1) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Someone approached Frey, who stood still for a while.
It wasnt someone he brought with him. He didnt promise to cooperate, but the man still asked to accompany him.
It was Cairo Wilsemann.
I guess I was mistaken.
As his eyes turned to look at Rezil, Cairo paused for a moment before walking over and looking at his brothers corpse.
I didnt know what effect teachers death had on him. No, I didnt even want to know. It was too much for me to handle myself. My vision narrowed I shouldnt have done that. I forgot my duty to my brother.
Cairo smiled bitterly.
Thank you. For letting him die as a human.
Frey nodded.
He didnt ask for forgiveness in the end.
He reflected and regretted his actions, but he didnt open his mouth to say it.
Rezil died as the head of the traitors. He didnt let down those who had followed him.
It was a twisted belief and twisted justice.
He couldnt compliment him, but he couldnt curse him either.
Frey looked around.
Sheryl, Nora and Snow all suffered small and large wounds. After all, the people they fought were all executives in the Circle.
It was almost impossible to annihilate them without taking damage
Frey sighed heavily at that moment.
It was a victory with only a few wounds. No, it couldnt even be called a victory.
Knowing that didnt help him feel any better.
Hed crossed the heavy mountain known as Purge so he couldnt feel happy at that moment.
Was this really the best option?
Frey forcefully suppressed such questions.
It wouldnt be too late to get sentimental after everything was done.
Right, it definitely wouldnt be too late after the Demigods were defeated.
* * *
The Circle Master of the Lucid Swords, Jekid Deosis, sat in a small room lit by a single candle.
The image of him lost in meditation with his eyes closed showed a distinct air that could only be seen from first class masters.
Jekid quietly opened his eyes, and saw a man standing in front of him.
Frey Blake.
Rezil?
Dead.
I see.
Frey looked at the silent Jekid.
He was a man who agreed with Rezils will, but did not take that irreversible last step. Of course, that didnt mean that all his evil deeds would disappear.
However, he couldnt cut down the Circles power more than he already had.
One of the Three Great Circles had already been destroyed.
The Trowman Rings could be used to take its place, but if another one collapsed, he would have nothing to fill the gap.
The Circle would lose its balance and would eventually collapse.
He needed the Lucid Swords reputation.
What are you going to do now? You dont really intend to have an all-out war with the Demigods.
Why do you say that?
Saying that you would do so at the meeting was simply to expose the traitors.
Frey didnt deny it.
If they were to really fight the Demigods, even if there were less than a hundred of them, the Circle would lose.
Nevertheless, hed announced an all-out war in order to incite betrayal, and as Frey expected, Rezil was overcome with anxiety and made his move, leading him to be purged.
I will announce my real plan at the meeting tomorrow.
Right. So you came here to secure the Lucid Swords cooperation tomorrow?
No.
Jekid tilted his head to the side when he heard Freys firm tone.
then?
Think for yourself and make your decision. You dont have to follow me if you think Im wrong. I dont intend to pressure you or retaliate against you if you dont either.
Are you serious?
I dont need a puppet.
He was serious.
There was no one in the world who could say that all the choices theyd made so far had been right.
Frey believed that hed made the best possible decision at that time, but there were still things he might have missed. So he needed comrades
People who werent unconditional yes-men, but who could make up for his own shortcomings and help guide him to a better choice.
After being silent for a moment, Jekid nodded.
Understood, Rounder Frey.
* * *
The next day, the second meeting began quite early.
Before the sun had risen completely, people gathered in the hall and it was soon filled.
Nevertheless, there were three Circles that had yet to make an appearance. The Strow Necklaces, Lucid Swords and Trowman Rings.
Shepard Jun was silent, but his expression was heavy.
Last night, he had also gotten the offer from Rezil. The proposal to abandon the Circle and join the Demigods.
But Shepard couldnt accept it. His last remaining sliver of conscience didnt allow him to.
Of course, that didnt mean that his conscience was clear. After all, he gave the Strow Necklaces a chance to escape.
Shepard was filled with self-loathing.
After all, the most pathetic men were those who could be neither black nor white, and had to settle for grey.
What will happen to the Circle now?
No. It wasnt just the Circle.
What would be the fate of the continent?
As an uncertain Shepard sighed inwardly.
Tap tap.
A group of people entered the hall, causing a bit of commotion from some of the people who saw them.
Shepard was confused.
The Lucid Swords? Didnt they leave with the Strow Necklaces yesterday?
Although some of the executives were missing, the Circle Master and Rounder were both present. Sarch* The N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
The strong alliance between Jekid and Rezil was something of an open secret in the Circle.
Did the two Circles change their minds?
Something like that would be a miracle
Shepards puzzled expression became even more pronounced as the Trowman Rings walked in soon after.
They crossed the hall with steady steps before seating themselves at the Strow Necklaces table.
Shepard hesitated because of the unexpected action.
Rounder Frey, that spot
Frey ignored Shepards mumbling and opened his mouth.
Looks like everyone is here. So lets get started.
The Strow Necklaces havent arrived yet
Someone carefully raised their hand and said that, but Frey continued in an irrefutable tone.
No. Everyone is here.
It was just one phrase, but it instantly caused the atmosphere in the room to become heavy.
No one could easily open their mouths.
Just like the day before, Frey walked to the middle of the hall.
Then he looked at each of the empty seats before saying.
The Circle Master of the Strow Necklaces, Rezil Wilsemann, the Circle Rounder, Simone Kylia, and eight others, seven from the Lucid Swords, five from the Phisfounder Armlets, and 21 from the middle and small sized circles. A total of 43 people. After the meeting yesterday, they expressed the desire to leave the Circle and join the Demigods, so they were killed.
W-, what was that?
Theyre all dead.
Surely
The Circle members looked at Frey with disbelieving gazes, and he could feel the subtle fear in them.
Fear was one of the most effective ways to take control of a group, but it wasnt the way Frey preferred it.
That was why he brought this matter up first.
What was to follow would definitely cover the shock they felt from this news.
Today, I intend to share with you the information I gained during my travels around the continent. Im sure you will have a lot of questions, but please wait until Im finished before asking them.
Frey took a deep breath before continuing,
The Demigods are currently facing a crisis.
Huh?
What does that
Everyone couldnt hide their confusion.
After all, those words sounded ridiculous.
Frey spoke slowly.
One of the five Apocalypses is dead. The other has fallen into hibernation.
Hibernation?
When an Apostle dies, the corresponding Demigod goes into hibernation. While hibernating the Demigods are completely defenseless. Even an ordinary person would be able to kill them with just a knife.
I-, I dont believe it.
I-, impossible.
Frey pulled out Rikis bead, causing the hearts of many in the room to shake.
Mm!
Demigod crystal! Its ridiculously large
I killed this Demigod.
It was a lie. So he was deceiving them, but it was urgent.
There was no time for him to reveal all the circumstances and convince them. Therefore, this was the only method he could use, even if they might be a bit suspicious.
The other three Apocalypses were fatally wounded, and Lord was stuck in one place trying to heal them. Then they destroyed Geotanbul and Talhadun. Im not completely sure, but I believe that there has been some change to the situation. But they cant fix everything. Their actions this time were very impulsive.
Are you saying the destruction wasnt planned?
Right. One more thing. The Demigods would be placed in a very difficult situation if they just slaughtered indiscriminately.
Why?
That
He told them all he had learned about the will of the world from Riki. The more massacres they carried out, the more karma they would accumulate, and in the worst case scenario, they would be destroyed.
The faces of the Circle members, who were hearing this for the first time, were filled with shock.
Su-, sure enough.
So thats the reason why weve been able to survive for so long
Then isnt there a high chance that the Demigod who destroyed Geotanbul was also destroyed?
No. There is an alloy called Illuminium. If a Demigod eats it, they would be able to trick the will of the world for a short period. But its a very tricky thing to make so they have to use it very sparingly.
Frey didnt explain any more than that about Illuminium. After all, the Blake family was deeply entwined with it.
And we dont know how much Illuminium they have left.
The attack on Geotanbul and Talhadun meant that they still had some Illuminium left,
This amount definitely shouldnt be large as he had obtained the largest portions of it, but he couldnt be a hasty judgment.
We have to kill the Apocalypses Apostles.
Do you know who they are?
I know two of them.
In fact, Frey knew all of the Apocalypses Apostles, including Lords.
Anantas Apostle was Jenta, a man who appeared to be an assassin, Nozdogs was Kaltud, Agnis was Nix Lords
Frey shook his head.
Then he opened his mouth and said.
An assassin named Jenta, and a Demon named Kaltud.
A Demon? You mean a Demon became a Demigods Apostle?
I cant believe it.
Wait. By Jenta, does he mean the King of Darkness?
When the commotion subsided, Frey once again opened his mouth.
We have to kill them somehow. If we can make two more Apocalypses hibernate, then the chance to overcome this hopeless war might not be a fantasy. After all, they are Demigods that Lord considers special.
It was true.
Even when Frey was identified to have been in the Blake familys residence, Lord didnt come to kill him personally, instead choosing to keep healing the others.
If they could make Ananta and Nozdog hibernate, theyd be able to restrict Lords movement a bit more.
10 stars
The fantasy level that Cairo spoke about. He would need to avoid Lord until he reached that level.
So the more restricted his movements, the better.
Frey nodded at Jekids words.
From now on, the Circles members will be scattered across all the major cities on the continent. Itll be up to the Circle Masters exactly who to send to which place, but I hope you respect the Circle members opinions as much as possible.
If possible, it would be much better to station them in their own hometowns. In addition, the efficiency would be much higher.
If possible, you should stay in cities that have Warp Stones.
To prepare for the worst.
Frey nodded.
In addition, we should create a team that will search the continent thoroughly. Because we need to find those two Apostles.
That was all he had planned at the moment.
At that moment, a subtle air began flowing around the hall. It was a heat.
The information Frey had given them was incredibly shocking and it opened up the possibility for them to deal a blow to the Demigods.
I think thats good
Can we win?
The mood improved, and Frey inwardly sighed in relief.
In truth, their situation wasnt that good. So he had tried to convey as much positive information as he could.
He controlled what he told them, and he mixed a few lies in.
Frey felt a bit guilty for that, but he didnt have a choice.
He couldnt let them think too much about the Strow Necklaces betrayal. To do that, he had to give them something that would take their minds off of it.
They would track down the Apostles and protect the cities.
He wasnt sure what the outcome would be, but at least they would not have any free time.
It was the same for Frey.
Agni.
Frey had to defeat Agni. After all, he couldnt kill Nix.
He closed his eyes, settling his thoughts.
Hed regained his 9 stars level, and although it had been done in a violent way, he had achieved the integration of the circles.
He had also secured many like-minded partners.
The goals he had set, big and small, were slowly being completed one after the other, pointing towards the ultimate goal.
The real fight starts now.
A fight that wouldnt end until one side was destroyed.
The full-fledged war with the Demigods had begun.
Chapter 152 - Anastasia (2)
Chapter 152 - Anastasia (2) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
The man named Jenta is probably the King of Darkness.
Frey tilted his head slightly at Jekids words. (Note: author put lucid here but Im sure its a typo)
The King of Darkness?
Thats right. Hes a legend in the underworld since he has assassinated not only high ranking nobles, but even royalty. Although it was just a member of a royal family from a small country Nevertheless, his techniques are so clever and tricky that they couldnt find any traces of him even after scouring the entire country.
He sighed.
If we didnt have the clients testimony and see the contract, wed have treated the King of Darkness as a fictional character.
Frey recalled Jentas face.
From what hed seen, he was sure that Jenta was a top class assassin. But he never would have imagined that he was a legendary assassin who had even assassinated a member of a royal family.
This wasnt something that was possible simply by having the ability to assassinate people.
Having clients who would even request the assassination of a member of a royal family meant that he at least had that much influence in the underworld.
Hes from Hitume Ikar, so we can start looking for his traces there.
Hitume Ikar was an island country that was located in the southeastern part of the continent. It was a country with a very unique personality and national power that couldnt be ignored, but it was known to be rather closed off, making it very difficult for outsiders to enter or exit its borders.
Fortunately, there is a branch of our circle in Hitume Ikar. We also have a few connections there. Well use them to start looking for Jenta.
You should be careful. For the Demigods, the Apostles are simply tools. Its possible that they would set him as bait.
Of course, I know that. Dont worry. If we didnt know how to move secretly, the Circle would have been destroyed long ago.
Jekid said this and the Lucid Swords left the Jun family residence. (Note: lucid again)
The next person Frey talked to was the Circle Master of the Phisfounder Armlets, Altan.
He was with Sheryl and the other executives of the circle.
Kaltud is a High class Demon. Have you actually seen him?
When he nodded, the question continued.
What does he look like?
Red skin. His eyes didnt have whites. And his attitude was strange to the point where he didnt even seem like a Demon.
Altan turned to look at a man in his group, who lowered his head when Frey also turned to look at him.
Im Jullian, a Force Honor of the Phisfounder Armlets. I was Kaltuds Contractor. I think the Demon Rounder Frey is talking about is Kaltud, my previous contract.
Is it possible for a High class Demon to live on the continent?
Its possible in theory. But it would take tens of thousands of lives to perform a ritual like that. Its not very efficient
Frey frowned for a moment.
It was a little unpleasant that he didnt mention the ethics or moral repercussions of such actions, but instead looked at the efficiency.
However, he knew that it wasnt done maliciously. It was simply that all Contractors were like this.
Therefore, Frey wouldnt say anything about it.
Kaltud suddenly disappeared about 15 years ago. He wouldnt even respond to my summons. The Demons are naturally capricious, but Kaltud was particularly severe, so I didnt find it strange since our contract was about to end soon anyway
Julien sighed.
But if he came to the continent with his true body then its natural that my calls couldnt reach him.
Is there any way to track him?
Its not difficult. The Demons evil energy isnt something that they can hide easily. But I cant guarantee how long it would take.
The Lucid Swords are responsible for finding Jenta. So well take charge of finding Kaltud.
Frey nodded at Altans words.
Sheryl, too, bowed her head slightly before following Altan.
Her tracking skills were among the best in the Phisfounder Armlets, so she might as well cooperate in the pursuit of Kaltud.
Frey then returned with the Trowman Rings group to their hideout.
It felt like returning home after a long trip, but he didnt have time to rest.
He immediately took Beniang to a clearing. Then he said to Beniang, who was staring at him with a nervous expression.
Master Beniang, starting from today, Ill teach you how to fight Demigods.
T-, to me?!
Frey looked at her shocked expression.
Id like Master Beniang to accompany me to Silkid. Dont you want to help repay the Demigods for the massacre they committed there?
De-, Demigod subjugation!
Beniang tried to forcibly suppress her stutter.
It was true that she had matured a bit over the past few months, but she hadnt grown to the extent that she was prepared to have an all-out war with the Demigods.
could I really help?
I heard it from Hector. He said your skill with handling your Dragon Heart has increased significantly.
Beniang hesitated for a moment before nodding.
Hectors advice had been incredibly effective. It wasnt that Freys advice had been wrong, but that the words of Hector, who was once a Dragon himself and had his own Dragon heart, was worth its weight in gold.
Thanks to that, Beniang was able to control the power of the Dragon Heart to an extent.
I heard you can use Dragontongue twice a day.
Yes. If I try to use more than that, Ill lose consciousness.
Dragontongue is one of the most effective ways to threaten the Demigods. What Im focused on isnt on how many times you can use it, but the fact that you can use it in the first place.
Frey spoke in a firm tone.
Indeed, the reason that the Dragons were able to fight off the Demigods for so long was because of the devastating power of Dragontongue, a power that was inherent for the Dragons.
Demigods could endure 9 star spells, powerful sword energy, and even the Warrior Kings Fist, but they had no resistance to Dragontongue.
Two times a day wasnt much, but depending on how it was used, it might play a crucial role in the fight against Agni.
To do that, first, he had to teach her the fundamental rules to remember in a fight against Demigods.
But before that, Im curious as to how strong Master Beniang is.
Beniangs face went pale.
W-, with your ability, we dont have to fight to do that, do we?
It would be more accurate to measure you in this way than just by looking. Get ready.
Frey planned to head to Silkid in a week or two. To be precise, he planned to go there when Anastasia was finished. Sarch* The n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
I need the power of that Golem.
Although he was stronger now, the opponent this time was an Apocalypse, not a normal Demigod.
There was no reason not to use Schweisers final masterpiece for the battle.
U-, uhh.
On the other hand, a look of despair came upon Beniangs face as she recalled her past experiences.
* * *
Most of the Trowman Rings members left the hideout.
They seemed to have returned to their hometowns so that they could monitor the situation as had been decided by the Circle.
Because of this, the hideout, which wasnt that large, suddenly became empty, but Beniang didnt notice this.
Come on. Do you think thats enough pressure to stop a Demigod?
So-, sorry!
Beniang shouted a reply and used Dragontongue once again.
Hector looked at this before clicking his tongue.
I really do think its better to be strict as you said. Did you already figure out her personality?
Master Beniang is a passive person. Shes not weak-willed, but shes not driven, and shes not aware of just what her limits are. Therefore, she needs training that would pull her from the front, and push her from the back.
It was a bit coercive, but it was also very effective.
This was one fact that Hector could agree with.
But how is her talent?
Shes pretty good for a Half Dragon, but there are still some limitations.
Do you not think shed be helpful in a fight?
Its not that I just feel that its a shame. Shes a half, but its more because her disposition is as you said.
Disposition?
Its too moderate. I can feel that she doesnt like fighting. If you dont have the right mindset, you cant get very far. Regardless of what field youre in.
Arent Green Dragons originally a pacifist clan?
Hector turned his head at those words.
Who told you that bullsh*t?
Well
It was the time that Hector, who was normally gentle and cheerful, had ever expressed anger so openly.
And in front of this reaction, Frey couldnt help but sweat slightly.
Hector continued talking in the same disbelieving tone.
What do you know? They were a clan with dual personalities. When they want to be peaceful then theres nothing wrong with it, but when they go crazy, its like they dont care about anything anymore. And you wouldnt even know what makes them angry cause they wouldnt tell you even if you asked. When I think about all the times those sons of bitches hurt me
His tone grew harsher by the second, and there seemed to be an illusion of fire billowing behind his back.
Frey looked at him.
What type of Dragon were you, Hector?
A Red Dragon.
Frey was immediately convinced.
Anyway, lets head over to Paragon as soon as Beniang is done here. It might be finished already.
He didnt even need to ask what it was.
It had been a week since hed started training Beniang, and from what he had been told, he knew that Anastasia should be finished soon.
* * *
When Frey and Hector arrived at the Paragon hideout, they immediately headed towards the workshop.
There they found Diablo and Cairo standing in front of a silver-haired girl laying on a table with her eyes closed.
Hector looked down at this beautiful girl and laughed happily.
The three best alchemists on the continent joined forces to create a Golem! You could probably buy a few castles with the price of the materials! As for the unbelievable Golem core made by the Great Sage, Schweiser Strow, during the Age of Light? Hoohoo! There will probably not be another Golem who could match up to this child for the next few hundreds of years.
Frey thought that his rant was a bit exaggerated, but Cairo and Diablo agreed with him.
It was exactly as he said.
The power that this fragile looking girl possessed had long surpassed the known limits of Golems. In all honesty, even they werent entirely sure how powerful the girl was at that moment.
Hector walked up to the Golem and flipped her over. Then, he began to reach for her clothes before pausing and looking back.
Would you please respect our Anas privacy?
What are you talking about?
Shes at the age where she would be greatly embarrassed by something like this, so please turn your backs
[Enough of your nonsense, put the core in.]
When Diablo said those words coldly, Hector shook his head.
You guys, dont ever have a daughter in the future.
Then Hector began taking off the Golems clothes.
What was revealed was smooth back skin. The Golems skeleton, skin and even hair were such that it was almost indistinguishable from a normal human.
Just from looking at it, it would be impossible to tell that it was actually a Golem.
Frey, core.
Frey handed over the core, and Hector took it and placed it on the Golems back.
Shuk.
Then, the core was absorbed into the Golems body.
Stand back.
Hector stepped back with a slightly nervous face.
Babump-
Suddenly, a heartbeat could be heard.
Those in the room all stared at the Golem, Anastasia, with serious expressions.
Babump-
The beating sound was heard again. This time, it was followed by a small ripple of energy.
Anastasias core had an output of 1 million ME, which was absolutely terrifying.
If you only consider the mana capacity, it will surpass Diablo.
Mana capacity wasnt something that was a very important factor, but it was still a great tool.
In particular, Diablo had lived for more than 1,000 years, so his mana capacity was enormous.
What synergy! The core has 1 million ME, but the power it can exercise has already surpassed that! Hahaha!
Hector was filled with joy, laughing like an old buffalo. At the same time, his eyes were filled with affection, similar to a father looking at their little baby.
Shuk.
Then Anastasia opened her eyes, allowing Frey to see them for the first time.
It was a clear, deep turquoise.
She blinked a few times before speaking in a confused voice.
the time how much
After going silent for a moment, she spoke once again.
4,000 years 7 months, and 23 days mm. A lot has passed.
She pressed a hand on her temple before looking to the side.
Then are you the future generation who woke me up? Its a lot later than I expected, but Im happy that mankind hasnt gone extinct yet. I have so many questions.
Wh-, what are you talking about who are you?
Anastasia laughed and gave a shocking reply.
I am Schweiser Strow.
Gre-, Great Sage Strow!
Cairo shouted out in surprise, and Frey clenched his fist subconsciously.
Anastasia chuckled.
Huhu. It seems my reputation still persists even after 4,000 years. That makes me happy. After all, geniuses shouldnt be forgotten, no matter how much time passes.
Then she frowned and touched her throat. (Note:not sure which pronoun to use)
But the voice is a bit strange. Quite similar to a young girl
Anastasia finally looked down at her body.
Shuk.
At that moment, because her clothes had been loosened so that they could put in the core, he was able to see a lot of flesh with that small movement.
No one could speak for a while.
It was as if time had stopped, and space had frozen.
In the end, it was Anastasia who broke the silence.
Crazy.
Chapter 153 - Anastasia (3)
Chapter 153 - Anastasia (3) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Anastasia was stunned, and it seemed like she was unable to open her mouth for a while.
Then an extremely rare sight unfolded. Hector began to sweat profusely.
They had only seen his easy-going expression before, so it was quite refreshing to see him have such a reaction.
I-, Im sorry.
I never would have thought something like this would even in my wildest dreams. I swear.
M-, me too.
Cairo, who was looking at this scene, couldnt help but confess with a guilty expression.
Its my fault too.
Hm?
Anastasia is originally a male name.
Frey tilted his head at that.
Is it? It sounds like a female name because of the soft tone.
In the ancient eastern regions, it was often used as a mans name. That was where the Great Sage came from. I noticed it before but I didnt say anything because its common for Golems to not have a sex.
Then he sighed. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
By the way, I wonder if Schweisers soul was
I have no soul.
Anastasia replied.
She still had a confused expression on her face, but it seemed that she had resigned herself to her fate.
But what did she just say?
What was that?
I dont have Schweisers soul.
It was said in a much clearer tone than before.
Freys expression changed, and Cairo couldnt help but ask in a strange voice.
Didnt you say you were Schweiser Strow?
Thats right.
But you dont have a soul?
Of course I dont. Moving souls is not the field of alchemy.
[Contractors.]
Diablos eyes shook slightly as he said.
[Its the field of Contractors.]
Right. This Lich is pretty smart.
[]
Of course, most contractors could only dream about reaching such a level. Out of all the Contractors I knew, there was only one who would have been able to do so
Anastasia fell silent for a moment before saying.
but I didnt have a very good relationship with her. I couldnt ask her to do it.
Frey narrowed his eyes.
I heard that the Great Sage and the Black Witch werent very close, I guess it was true.
Even that was passed down? How shameful.
Anastasia laughed bitterly.
Besides, if I transferred my soul to this core, then my body would have died. Because of the various complications, I simply copied all of my memories and personality, and put them in the core.
It was an incredibly shocking statement.
Copying memories and personality?
Frey wasnt very knowledgeable when it came to alchemy, but he could tell from the faces of those around him just how ridiculous those words were.
That is that even possible?
Cairo spoke with a trembling voice.
I was only half confident at the time, but seeing that Im able to think and move like this, it seems my gamble paid off. I must commend you for your alchemy skills. It wouldnt have been easy to create a body capable of holding the core I created.
Then, after inspecting her body once again, she said.
Though it would have been better if it didnt look like this. I thought it would have been good as long as it was humanoid, but this was out of my calculations
Kuhum. Hum.
There was a brief cough from somewhere in the room, but Anastasia simply shook her head. It seemed shed already realised what happened.
After all, this was Schweiser.
Right, I didnt even ask your names.
Ah. S-, sorry. Its an honor to meet you, Im Cairo Wilsemann.
Wilsemann?
Is something wrong?
Mm. No. Its nothing.
Frey felt a bit strange.
Though he didnt think about it too deeply, it appeared that Cairo didnt know that Wilsemann was Schweisers real last name.
He doesnt realise that he is looking at his ancestor.
Then was he from another line with the Wilsemann name? Or
I have one question Id like to ask.
Everyone listened attentively.
Then Anastasia spoke in a slightly cold voice.
Who was it that found the core?
Immediately, they all turned to look at Frey. Anastasia also turned to look at Frey.
Her turquoise eyes seemed to comb his entire body. As if she didnt want to miss even a single detail.
He knew why she was doing this.
The place where Anastasias core was kept was in the final room in Schweisers dungeon. And in order to enter that room, one was required to answer the final question asked by Schweisers hologram.
Schweisers real name.
This was something that very few people knew.
In fact, seeing that even Cairo, who was Schweisers descendant, didnt know, it was possible that Frey was the only one.
I would like to talk to him alone for a moment.
That
Cairo hesitated for a moment, but Frey quietly glanced at him.
Then he nodded, and together with Hector and Diablo, he walked through the door.
Tak.
The door closed behind them.
The two faced each other. They were probably the only ones who had experienced something like this in the long history of the continent.
They had reunited with their best friend after 4,000 years, but they both had different names and faces.
Frey and Anastasia simply looked at each other for a while.
Not Lukas and Schweiser. It was Frey and Anastasia.
Frey had come to realise this fact once again.
Whats your name?
Frey Blake.
Anastasias expression became complicated, and there seemed to be many things she wanted to say, but Frey opened his mouth before she could do so.
You cant use the same name as before. It would be better for you to use the name Anastasia for the time being.
What
The stories about us in the modern era seem to have been exaggerated far beyond our expectations.
you.
Anastasias eyes became red, and tears began rolling down her face.
You came back?
It took 4,000 years.
Suddenly, Anastasia ran up and hugged Frey, and he hugged her back.
However, his expression became strange. He was clearly hugging his best friend, but what was this soft feeling?
You bastard, youre late, youre really late.
Its great that I could even return. If it was you, it would probably take 4,000 years more.
What the hell do you mean by that? Ugh. Dammit. Its hard to even hug you properly. What the hell is with this body? You, you bastard, do you like this sort of thing? Were you the one who decided to make it like this?
It was beyond my control. But I dont think its bad like this.
What do you mean?
It feels better than hugging a man.
Anastasia spoke in a disbelieving voice.
You can make such jokes while looking at me?
Kuku.
Frey chuckled.
He couldnt remember the last time hed laughed so cheerfully.
* * *
It was almost as though they had returned to the past. It was a bit strange.
Both had different looks and names from the past. Yet the fact that they were best friends was not changed or doubted.
The more they talked, the more convinced they became.
Both were sure that the other was their closest friend.
They talked endlessly in quiet voices. Then they were silent after a while.
It wasnt that they had run out of things to talk about. It was their first reunion in 4,000 years.
Even talking for a month wouldnt be enough.
So there was no rush. It wasnt like they wouldnt be able to talk as much as they wanted after, it was just that there were some things that had to be discussed first.
I saw the memory of the earth through Hruhiral. Iris killed you.
as expected. Iris was the one who killed me.
Those words sounded a bit awkward.
As expected?
My memories are up until I went to see Iris.
I see.
From the way he spoke, it seemed that he had slightly expected to be killed by Iris.
Anastasia hesitated for a moment before continuing.
I had my suspicions.
About what?
That Iris betrayed us. For a reason
That may be. But that is not a good enough reason. You know it too.
Anastasia fell silent.
Either way, she still killed you, and destroyed the relationship between Kasajin and Lucid. We cannot forgive her for that. And she has to pay the price for what she did.
I dont think its my business anymore.
Then she spoke with a complex tone.
Maybe it didnt feel real because she had no memory of dying to Iris.
Youll have to make the judgement on your own but do you think of me as Schweiser?
What do you mean?
I told you. Im nothing but a copy of his memories and personality. To put it bluntly, I cant actually call myself Schweiser.
Anastasia said this in a slightly uneasy tone.
Nevertheless, Frey understood her troubles to an extent. She didnt speak about her feelings, but it was clear that she was unsure about her identity.
This was natural. The situation she was in was quite special.
Therefore, he spoke in a calm voice.
Thats something for you to ponder.
Huh?
I have a lot of other problems to think about. So roll that around in your head on your own. I dont know if Id have the time to think about that in the first place.
From now on, he would be extremely busy every second he was awake.
When she heard Freys casual response, Anastasias expression became blank.
Is that it?
When you get your answer, tell me. Whether youre Schweiser or someone else. Then Ill think about it.
haha.
Anastasia laughed.
Right. You were always like that.
There are more things you need to know. Ill try to be as concise as I can, so listen carefully.
Im all ears.
How the world changed, what was the continents current situation, and how they would move in the future.
Frey spoke for a long time.
* * *
You did a good job today, Great Warrior.
An Orc bowed his head.
Ivan roughly bandaged his arm while grumbling.
Im not a Great Warrior.
You still say that. Give up. You are a warrior among warriors, and you have the charisma to lead the tribe. Without you, the monsters would have already wiped us out.
It wasnt exactly monsters. Instead, they were actually Demigod Creatures. They were fast, strong, and tough.
They were so powerful that even Silkids greatest warriors were barely able to handle them.
These creatures first appeared after the fall of Talhadun.
After that, these creatures began appearing randomly all over Silkid, and began an indiscriminate massacre.
No city was considered safe from these monsters, as they came in huge armies, like ants.
Ivan was wandering around Silkid looking for Kasajins items when he saw a group of creatures attacking this group.
He couldnt pretend he didnt see them, so he saved them, but since then, these guys had been calling him Great Warrior, and started following him.
It hasnt been that long but theyve already grown a lot.
At first, there were only around twenty people, but now, the group had swelled to around 100.
Getting food in itself was tricky, but the truly annoying part was word of mouth. Most of the Warchiefs, the core forces of Talhadun, had died in the fall of the city.
Fortunately, several Warchiefs and other great commanders had survived, but the fact remained that they were few in number.
Therefore, for the people of Silkid, rumors about Ivan would have the same response as the coming of the Saviour.
A hero wandering around Silkid and gathering strong warriors! His fists made it seem as though the Magic Warrior King Kasajin had returned!
At first, it was just considered a silly rumor, but it gradually gained weight, and eventually, it sprouted wings and flew away.
It took less than a week for that to happen.
And from that point, they began calling Ivan Great Warrior. Of course, Ivan loathed this title that had been placed upon him.
Its rotten. Who cares about that.
Ivan clicked his tongue as he had that thought.
Then a Centaur walked into his tent.
Great Warrior, someone has come to see you.
What is it? Are there more warriors who came because of the rumors?
I dont think so. She didnt appear to be a warrior.
Annoyed, Ivan could only wave his hand and say.
Tell them to come in first.
Understood.
Soon, someone walked into the tent.
When she walked in, the dark tent seemed to brighten up. This wasnt a metaphor. Her hair, which looked like fire itself, seemed to contain light more intense than the candlelight in the tent.
Ivan narrowed his eyes.
Definitely not a warrior.
It was usually apparent on a womans body whether she trained or not. His teacher looked like a child, but under that fragile appearance, her condensed muscles were easily visible.
In that sense, it was clear that this woman was far from a warrior.
Who are you?
Im called Torkunta.
It wasnt the strangest name hed heard.
Right, Torkunta. What is it that you want?
I have something Id like to ask.
What is it?
The woman, Torkunta, took a deep breath before speaking in a heavy voice.
Kill me.
Chapter 154 - Anastasia (4)
Chapter 154 - Anastasia (4) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Frey told Anastasia everything that happened.
It was literally everything.
Frey didnt hide anything from her. It was probably the first time hed been so honest to someone since hed entered Frey Blakes body.
Anastasias expression became more and more serious with each story that she heard.
Then she looked surprised at Rikis betrayal.
A Demigod betrayed them?
Thats right.
Thats really hard to believe.
It seems he was influenced by Lucid.
Then Frey continued with a bitter tone.
He continued helping us even after death.
Frey thought of Lucid for a moment. Since Lucid was the biggest contributor to Rikis change of heart, it would be safe to say that his influence could be felt even 4,000 years after his death.
So he put all the other Apocalypses in a near death state on his own?
Can you not believe it?
would you believe it? Apocalypses are all like that old man who used poison. The Demigods who were as powerful as him could probably only be counted on one hand.
Frey nodded.
Then Anastasia spoke with a ridiculous expression on her face.
Its really hard to believe, but if its true, thats pretty amazing.
Riki was the number two among the Demigods, both in name and ability.
That was what made it even more unfortunate.
As the fight against the Demigods became fiercer, the greater the role Riki could have played. If he was still alive, the war situation would have been many times better than it was now.
However, this wasnt the time to be disappointed.
Riki was already dead, and while it was not completely guaranteed at the moment, they had gained another partner.
There is a Demigod named Elliah, who helped me reach 9 stars.
I guess the world really has changed a lot. We would never have imagined something like a Demigod traitor back in our day.
Anastasias grumbling wasnt unreasonable. Even Frey had not fully believed it at first when he learned about Rikis betrayal.
After that, the countries known as Geotanbul and Silkid were destroyed, right?
For Silkid, only the capital city Talhadun, disappeared. The Great Chief seems to have kept his life.
Hmm
After thinking to herself for a moment, Anastasia then said.
There is too little information.
I agree.
We need to know why they destroyed two countries. Above all, it would be great if we could predict Lords movements
Frey nodded.
Lord was literally a walking natural disaster. And since he was not as predictable as a common natural disaster, and he was far, far worse.
His space-time movement is troublesome.
He was an absolute existence who had a risk free means of transport to almost any location he desired. The fact that Lord could appear and disappear at will anywhere on the continent meant that preparation and defense were meaningless.
Anastasia spoke after a moment of silence.
Theres a way to monitor his movements.
What is it?
We can get help from Iris.
what?
Frey frowned deeply, but Anastasia continued talking as though she didnt notice her expression.
As you said. Iris is Lords Apostle. Since she can use Lords power, she should be able to predict his movements to an extent.
How are we supposed to trust her?
You said she saved your life.
Anastasias words made Frey speechless.
When Riki died, if Iris didnt appear to stop Lord then you would be dead. You know that.
There was nothing he could say.
Frey hadnt thought deeply about this before. No, to be precise, he had intentionally avoided thinking about it.
He wanted Iris to remain a traitor.
I didnt want this to get any more complicated.
Realising this, Frey sighed.
One thing is clear, Lukas. Iris is not someone who would ever betray you.
She betrayed us.
Stupid, she didnt betray you, she betrayed us.
Frey frowned.
Its the same, betraying you means betraying me. (Note: at this point, I dont know if hes intentionally dense or pretending)
Hoo. I cant believe I have to explain this to the guy called the Great Mage.
Anastasia awkwardly reached her hand to her chest, then as if realising something, her hand fell to her side once again.
What are you doing.
I dont have a beard. Stroking it helped me calm down. Now, everythings changed.
Would you like us to give you a beard?
No thanks.
Anastasia sighed.
Do you think I have good feelings toward her? We werent really close even before she betrayed us. Ha. Really. Even though Ive lived for such a long time, I never would have thought that I would take her side.
Anastasia laughed for a moment before her expression became serious once again.
there is one thing that I can be certain about. Even if Iris betrayed the entire world, she would never betray you. Unless her mind is controlled.
Relax, Lukas. I know how deeply you care for all of us. But now its time to let go of your personal feelings.
Anastasia was right.
Frey suppressed his pent up feelings. Maybe it was because hed reached 9 stars. His emotions seemed to have become more intense than when he was in 8 stars.
Thats why this sensitive topic affected him so much.
Understood.
Good. So do we have any way to meet Iris?
I dont, And it would be difficult to meet her openly. The Demigods and their Apostles are connected mentally.
If they didnt use shortcuts like Nix and Torkunta, there was no way for them to escape the Demigods surveillance.
Maybe Iris had a way.
ah. As I listened to your story, I had a question. Sarch* The N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
What is it?
The Dragons. Are they really dead?
Mm.
Frey shook his head after a moment.
I dont know. Theres no way to check.
But the fact that there was a Half Dragon means they were still active not so long ago.
Right.
In addition, there was also Hector who was trapped in a human body after losing his body to the Demigods.
The Half Dragon probably wouldnt know much, so it would be better to ask Hector. Please call him here for a moment. I have something to ask him.
It seemed Anastasia was thinking the same thing as she then spoke up. Frey nodded, went out, and brought Hector, who then sat politely in front of her with a pensive expression.
No way.
Whats wrong?
The core and Sia have become one. Have you reached a state of unity, where the core became Sia and Sia became the core? (Note: pronounced sha)
What is Sia?
Its a nickname.
Frey clicked his tongue, remembering the name Anastasia.
It seemed Hector hadnt fully gotten over it yet. He probably expected Anastasia to ask him to change bodies.
But as an authority in alchemy, he knew how ridiculous that thought was. Apart from the fusion of the core and the body, there was almost no way to reproduce a Golem with the same quality as Anastasia.
Nevermind. I just wanted to talk to you about Dragons.
Anastasia was polite because she knew Hector was once a Dragon.
When he saw this, Hector spoke with a strange expression on his face.
That feels weird. You dont have to be polite when you talk to me. Like Frey.
That was right.
Frey and Anastasia were great figures from 4,000 years ago. People who knew them would remember their amazing feat of fighting off the Demigods in a time when no one else would.
And if they knew that, then they had no choice but to pay their respects.
Well. Enough of that. Please ask your question.
Are all the Dragons really dead?
For the most part. Some of them are stuck doing chores like I was.
It was the same question Frey had asked him in the past. But now, they could ask even more questions than at that time.
Mostly. Then there are still living Dragons.
I dont know. I dont know if you know this, but its not like we used to have any close relationships with each other or anything like that.
Frey and Anastasia nodded at the same time.
They were certainly a race with strong, individualistic tendencies.
Then Ill change my question. Where is the Dragon Lord?
Hectors face changed. His light attitude evaporated in an instant and instead, it was replaced with a serious expression.
For a moment, Frey felt like he was looking at his teacher.
He tilted his head.
Dragon Lord?
Did the Dragons have a Lord?
He had never heard the term before, but from the look on Hectors face, Frey knew that it was something serious.
How do you know about that? Among the Dragons, only the ancients know
I got the help of a Blue Dragon when making this core. It was a Dragon named Aitlans.
Mm Aitlans. He
Hector clicked his tongue before sighing.
The Dragon Lord is dead.
Dont lie to me. The Dragon Lord is a natural being connected to the continent. If he dies, the continent would be destroyed.
To be precise, hes in a state that is no better than death.
Huh?
Anastasias expression became one of confusion.
On the other hand, Hector, whose expression was incredibly calm, continued.
I only know about it from the records. It should have been 1,000 years before the Great Sage was born, so 5,000 years ago. The Demigods Lord and the Dragons Lord. Two absolute beings, fought, and the Dragon Lord lost. Like you said, the Dragon Lord is connected to the continent. So Lord didnt kill him, instead, he trapped him in another world.
The process was a bit different, but it was still similar to his own case, so Frey couldnt stop himself from asking.
The Abyss?
Wheres that? Ive never heard of that name before.
Guess not.
Then where is he?
The Demon World.
At that moment, he thought hed heard wrong. Therefore, Frey subconsciously asked him again.
where?
The Demon World. The world where the Demons live.
Frey clicked his tongue.
The Demon World.
The Land of the Demons was a place that no human had ever set foot.
* * *
This is probably the first time in history.
Iris looked back while feeling the hot, unpleasant breeze that shed never felt before.
Standing there was a pale young man. Though his appearance could not be seen clearly, she knew that this was Lucifer, one of the six Archdukes of the Demon World.
He had been reigning over his domain, the Corrupted Hell, for the longest time among the Archdukes, and many Demons would readily open their mouths and proclaim that he was the true ruler of the Demon World.
In fact, even the proud Asura admitted that Lucifer was one level above him.
Lucifer narrowed his eyes before saying.
A human actually came to the Demon World. Calling you a genius really isnt enough. Its unfortunate. Its really unfortunate. If you were born a Demon, you definitely would have been equal to me, if not greater.
Iris expression remained cold.
Lucifer couldnt even remember the last time shed actually shown any emotion since her heart died 4,000 years ago.
Maybe this was just a way to protect herself. After all, no matter how firm and strong-willed she was, she was still human.
There was no way she could have survived 4,000 without any changes in her mindset.
Therefore, she suppressed her emotions, forgot her personal thoughts, and only focused on her mission.
Lucifer felt that she was no different from a corpse. Perhaps she didnt even have a sense of self left.
The end for people like this was usually quite miserable.
Either they ran away or they collapsed.
It was such a shame. The only person hed signed a contract to, and the only other existence hed actually acknowledged, would end up in such a miserable state.
Where are you going?
To where the Dragon Lord is. Lucifer, you know where Lord placed him.
I do. But what are you going to do?
About 5,000 years have passed since he was sealed. If it goes as I expect, he should be opening his eyes soon.
Iris spoke with a cold glint in her eyes.
I will stop him.
Chapter 155 - Silkid (1)
Chapter 155 - Silkid (1) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
They decided to put the Dragon Lord on hold for now. After all, even if they were sure he was sealed in the Demon World, they couldnt reach him with their human bodies anyway.
Should I ask Asura for help?
Frey had this thought for a moment before he shook his head. He didnt believe Asura would accept such a troublesome and dire request.
Even if they had a good relationship, he couldnt forget that Asura was whimsical.
Their contract was also half-baked at best.
First things first: Silkid.
But before that, he would have to meet Nix again.
Frey was about to leave when he turned to look at Anastasia.
Im going to the Ispania Mountains. Would you like to go with me?
Id love to.
When she nodded her head, Frey immediately used Warp to carry them to the Ispania Mountains.
Shuk.
After feeling the Warp, Anastasia nodded appreciatively.
Youre definitely 9 stars again.
I told you that already.
I still wanted to see it for myself. In any case, thats a relief. Mm. In fact, I think youre even stronger than you were in the past.
Am I?
You consumed a bunch of powerful elixirs like the Frozen River from me, the Drakes heart and the Demigods crystal, so its natural.
Indeed.
To collect this much mana the usual way, one would have to devote oneself to meditation for decades in a place with high mana density and minimal distractions.
In addition, after training his mind for 4,000 years in the Abyss, it was safe to say he had long surpassed the Lukas Trowman of the past.
Anastasia looked at the mountains surrounding them with a deep gaze.
It feels like this place didnt change much.
Its been 4,000 years, so it definitely feels different.
Hmm. Well, for me, I just feel like I woke up from a very deep sleep. It still doesnt feel like 4,000 years have passed.
From Anastasias perspective, it was like she was just continuing from where her memories were cut off, so she couldnt really feel the time difference.
The amount of time that passed was the same, but her situation was very different from Freys.
Frey went to the same rock, where he sat last time and waited for Nix. Anastasia looked around for a bit before saying she would go to the dungeon.
Frey nodded because he didnt think hed have to wait too long.
An hour passed.
As time went by, Frey couldnt help but get up from his seat. The last time he came here, Nix had arrived in less than thirty minutes.
Did something happen?
In the first place, Nix was placed in a very precarious position from the moment she was made into Agnis Apostle.
Therefore, he would understand if she encountered a dangerous situation, but he didnt believe she would disappear without a trace.
As he was agonising over this.
Kiiik
Someone hesitantly approached Frey.
It wasnt a human. It was a monster. However, instead of a Drake, it was a Goblin with a large, protruding belly.
It was much larger than ordinary Goblins.
With a curious gaze, Anastasia looked at it while saying.
The size of Goblins has really changed a lot in 4,000 years.
The monsters here are larger than normal.
I know that, but the Ispanian Goblin I saw 4,000 years ago wasnt this big.
Then, isnt it just mutated?
The Goblin opened its mouth while they were having their silly conversation.
Grey hair, human, Masters Master, came.
The Goblin looked at Frey with shaking eyes. It was clear that it was terrified.
Masters Master.
By master it should be referring to Nix. It seemed shed become the ruler of the entire mountain range.
And the Nixs master was that referring to himself?
What did Nix want you to say to me?
Ma-, Master said. A dangerous situation. Came. Cant. Hold on.
So will create. A flaw. For Masters Master to. Take advantage of.
He couldnt understand what it meant, and from Anastasias confused expression, it was clear that she didnt understand either.
When Frey pressed the Goblin more, it only repeated those words with a terrified look on its face before finally saying just one word with a shaking body and a tearful expression.
Si-, Silkid. Silkid. Silkid
He reluctantly sent the Goblin back, and it hurriedly disappeared without any hesitation.
Frey grew anxious.
Dangerous situation.
Agni should not have been able to move properly at that moment.
Frey bit his lip.
He had probably woken up. Freys original plan had been to deal with him while he was in a weakened state, but if he had somehow made a recovery
I dont know anything else, but I do know where we need to go now.
Frey nodded.
They had to go to Silkid.
* * *
He woke up but didnt open his eyes right away as he felt like dozens of loaches were wriggling around in his head.
When was the last time hed gotten a good nights rest?
Ever since hed come to the desert, he wasnt able to get more than four hours of rest a day. (Note: relatable my life is the desert)
But he had no choice but to reduce his hours of sleep since he had to keep up his training regimen.
Ivan sighed heavily before leaving the tent.
The sky was bluish, and it seemed dawn was approaching.
Ivan went to the warriors who were keeping watch and asked.
Is everything okay?
There were no problems.
The night before seemed to have passed quietly.
Ivan scratched his head while asking another question.
The suicidal girl
It seems she left during the night.
she didnt appear to be possessed. This was the first time a woman came to me and asked me to kill her. Even in such a tumultuous situation.
Ivan thought of the night before.
A red-haired woman came and asked him to kill her. Ivan judged her as a madwoman, and he promptly kicked her out.
So she bit her lip and left.
It looked like she had a lot to say.
But she didnt open her mouth in the end. She looked like it was urgent, and she was desperate.
It was a rather strange story.
A woman who was desperate to die. If she wanted to die so badly, she couldve just hanged herself rather than come to him.
Hoo.
Ivan suppressed his thoughts about her. He didnt have the time to think about something like that.
The warriors began to come out of their tents one after another, and light slowly spilled over the horizon.
The light soon covered the desert.
They had made their camp on high ground, so they could see the surrounding area with ease.
Naturally, this allowed them to see the swarm of monsters charging in from the east.
It would have been pretty bad if I woke up ten minutes later.
It seems their numbers are gradually increasing.
So disgusting. It looks like there are hundreds of them.
Kuraksar is in that direction.
It was an Orc Warrior who spoke with a heavy voice.
His name was Guarus, and he was the most outstanding warrior out of the hundred or so gathered there.
Not counting Ivan, of course.
His analytical and physical abilities were both excellent, which was why Ivan remembered his name quickly.
He was also the one who first praised Ivan as the Great Warrior.
Just what kind of magic are they using? Even when we wander around, they still find us as though they have dog noses.
It can only be one of two things. One, they have an excellent tracker.
Guaras turned back, his cold eyes settling on the warriors.
Or there is a traitor telling them exactly where we are.
* * *
The reason why Talhadun was able to become the capital of Silkid was because, before anything else, it was the location of the largest oasis in the desert.
Now, there were no longer any traces of warriors in Talhadun. Most of the buildings were either partially or completely destroyed.
It was a terrible sight as if a powerful sandstorm had swept through it. But the oasis had been able to maintain its original form, which was close to a miracle.
No.
In truth, it had nothing to do with miracles.
There was only one reason. Because Agni didnt destroy it.
With his power, it was a very simple task to evaporate the entire oasis.
But Agni didnt do that.
[What is it that you wanted to talk about?]
He turned around and found Nozdog standing there.
Agni noticed that there was a bit of annoyance in his voice.
[Speak quickly. Im also in charge of an area.]
I wonder what you think about Leyrins disappearance.
The answer didnt come immediately.
Nozdog didnt have any expression on his face, but Agni noticed that there were no ripples in his breathing.
[Leyrin sacrificed herself to awaken the three of us. Thats all. Its a simple story.]
That wasnt a sacrifice. It wasnt Leyrins will. It was all Lords idea to convert her into divine power and inject it into us.
[Whats the difference?]
What
Nozdog seemed to sigh.
[The will of Lord is the will of all Demigods. This might have happened while Leyrin was hibernating, but if she was awake, she would definitely have met her end with a smile. So would I, and so would Ananta.]
Nozdogs fierce gaze turned to Agni.
[Arent you the same?]
Yes.
It was true.
If Lord asked him to sacrifice himself, he would do so without any hesitation.
But
Lord didnt tell us about the sacrifice.
That was what confused Agni.
Even after leading the Demigods for such a long time, he never asked us to sacrifice ourselves.
For the Demigods, Lord was many things.
A guide, a pioneer, a leader.
For the Demigods, the most benevolent being was their Lord.
That was why it was strange for Agni, a Demigod, to question why Lord sacrificed one Demigod to save three.
[Something must have changed, but I dont think Lord did anything wrong.]
I
[Why dont you trust Lord?] Sar?h the N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
There was hostility in Nozdogs voice.
Agni fell silent for a moment before responding honestly.
Im not sure yet.
How to deal with Lord and why he was so agitated.
Nozdog was dumbfounded for a moment before he spoke in a disbelieving voice.
[No way. Have you suddenly started respecting the mortals stance and whatnot?]
No.
Agni shook his head firmly without hesitation.
No matter how many races other than Demigods died, it had nothing to do with him.
It wasnt out of sympathy that he spared Talhadun. It was because Lords actions made him uncomfortable, and he wondered if destroying Talhadun would have had a positive effect on the Demigods.
He hated the fact that the thought run away kept popping up whenever he looked at Lord.
All Demigods were free, dignified and equal. It was none other than Lord who taught them that.
But wasnt the same Lord the one who wanted to sacrifice an innocent Demigod to save Riki?
Agni wanted to bring this up, but he chose to keep his mouth closed.
The source of this information was Iris, and since Nozdog hated her, he wouldnt have believed it even if he told him.
[I dont care as long as you dont step on the same path as Riki. Experiencing fighting my own kind once was enough.]
That was the only consolation that Nozdog could give him.
Theres no need to ask Anantas opinion.
He would probably have the same thoughts as Nozdog.
Agni wondered why he was the only one out of the three who was confused.
The answer came easily.
Leyrins existence was particularly special to Agni. Her death saddened him more than anyone else.
Nozdog, who was about to leave, suddenly asked a question.
[This might be a pointless question. But Agni, how are you managing your Apostle?]
Managing?
[Frey Blake.]
He was the greatest enemy of the Demigods at that moment. After saying his name, Nozdog continued.
[He knows all of our Apostles. That means he knows all of our weaknesses. Hes also very cunning, so you should pay extra attention to your Apostle.]
What did you do?
[My Apostle is somewhere the humans would never be able to find.]
Nozdog laughed darkly.
[Anantas Apostle appears to be very proficient at hiding. And Lord doesnt have to worry about his at all.]
I have a relatively moderate method.
[Moderate? What do you intend to do?]
I was thinking of a way to get rid of this weakness entirely.
Agni paused for a moment before continuing.
And it matches well since my Apostle is a Phoenix. If I achieve the conditions, I will no longer need an Apostle.
Chapter 156 - Silkid (2)
Chapter 156 - Silkid (2) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
How long are you going to keep running away?
There was no one around, but Torkunta grumbled.
Then, despite receiving no response, she grit her teeth.
Didnt I tell you? I have no intention of accompanying you on your suicide quest. Understand? Youre the only one thats gonna die.
There was silence again before Torkuntas expression became even more grim.
Youre so young.
Torkunta, who seemed so upset she would vomit, suddenly sighed.
Youre afraid of dying, yet you claim to want to sacrifice yourself. Its not even for your own satisfaction. Hmph.
Then do it yourself. Im letting go of the reins. But I should warn you. You didnt forget your promise, did you?
Torkunta bit her lips before saying one more thing.
Stupid bitch.
* * *
Hot winds blew across the desert.
Frey narrowed his eyes as he looked ahead. The half-hidden sun was tinting the golden earth scarlet.
It was an incredibly beautiful sight, but unfortunately, he didnt have the time to admire it.
Cairo looked at Frey and said.
Im sorry. I wish I could help you, but
No.
Frey shook his head.
It was already enough for him to warp them there.
The only reason hed asked Cairo for help in the first place was because he didnt know Silkids coordinates.
Paragon was still busy with its own business.
Cairo nodded.
There is a warrior from Paragon in Rnei. He and Nora are acquainted, and he should be able to tell you about the situation in Silkid.
Cairo left with those words.
Frey then turned around to look at the ones whod gone to Silkid with him.
Snow, Nora, and Beniang.
Anastasia didnt come.
Frey remembered what shed said before they parted.
I need time.
What do you mean by time?
Time to get used to this body. I dont think I can use it to fight the way I used to.
Frey nodded.
Although the Golems body could control mana, it was a body that was more suited for a Magic Warrior than a Wizard.
So like it or not, she would have to learn to fight with her body from now on instead of with magic. Because it was more efficient.
To do that, she would need to get rid of all the stereotypical combat methods and habits that shed developed as a Wizard.
You want to train here?
I think its a good place.
Thats true, but how will you get to Silkid?
He didnt think Anastasias body could use Warp.
Anastasia laughed.
Theres a way.
She tapped on her earrings that hadnt been there when they first came to the mountains.
Thats?
I brought it out of the dungeon. And this is for you.
Then she handed him a ring.
Keep it on. Itll tell me where you are.
Both were magic items.
Frey nodded and put the ring on.
Understood.
As soon as I get used to my body, Ill head over.
Keeping my word is one of my ironclad rules.
Anastasia nodded.
Thus, Anastasias arrival would be a bit delayed.
The entire desert is covered in divine power. Even when seeing it for myself, I find it hard to believe. I cant believe the Demigods are revealing themselves like this.
Nora spoke in a calm voice, and Frey agreed with her.
Divine power indeed covered the entire desert. It was like a beast deliberately marking its territory with its scent.
Considering the size of Silkid, it couldnt be just one.
This meant that they wouldnt be able to tell how many Demigods were staying in the desert.
Naturally, this meant that they had to move as stealthily as possible.
Frey took out a map from his bag and looked at it.
Rnei. Its close. Well go there to obtain information first.
Cairo must have brought them this close on purpose. Frey was once again grateful for his consideration.
Then Snow spoke.
Wasnt it said that creatures swept all the cities in the country? I dont think he would still be there.
Hmm.
That made sense.
Ill still check it out first.
He then flew up into the sky using Fly. When he got high enough, he was able to see the blurry image of Rnei.
From what he could see, the buildings were not destroyed, so from the outside, it still looked fine.
I dont know if a Demigod is there or not.
With all the divine power scattered across the desert, it was impossible for him to determine a specific source.
Its a good thing that they cant find us easily either.
Frey then pointed to Rnei and said.
Lets walk. Itll take a couple of hours to get there.
Using Warp would be too conspicuous.
Im so glad its not midday~ Its less hot.
Snow spoke in a relaxed tone as the party headed to Rnei with a rapid pace.
Frey looked at the desolate desert before turning to Nora.
Who exactly is the Paragon member in Rnei?
A warrior.
Nora thought that answer was not enough, so she continued.
He was once a Great Warrior who was spoken about in history.
Great Warrior?
It is one of the highest honours one can receive in Silkid.
It was Snow who answered.
Frey then turned to her and said suspiciously.
You know quite a lot about a country thats on the opposite side of the continent.
Just as hed said, Silkid and the Great Forest were indeed on opposite sides of the continent.
Snow put on a triumphant expression at his words.
Hoohoo! It was this queens dream to travel around the continent and challenge the strong! The strongest fighters in every region on the continent.
After saying that, she tilted her head.
Mm. But in the last ten years, there hasnt been a Great Warrior in Silkid.
It is a title that can only be given to one person. But lately, many outstanding warriors have appeared. Guarus the Berserker, Heildek the Grappler, Twin Blade Urha if the Demigods hadnt destroyed Talhadun, there definitely would have been the most spectacular martial arts competition in history.
Hmmm.
Urha is the Paragon member. Hes a swordsman who uses the Fire and Ice Swords.
Twin Blades.
In the past, Frey had once asked Lucid, who had countless legendary swords, why he insisted on using just one sword.
Then Lucid gave him one simple response.
[Its not efficient.]
There was nothing wrong with wearing many magical items. Of course, Frey avoided using them to avoid being dependent on them.
But it didnt seem to be the same for swords.
Now that he thought about it, Riki also used just one sword.
Although he hid many small daggers in his pockets, when fighting, he only drew one sword.
[Then why are you collecting so many swords?]
Lucids answer to this question was spectacular.
[Its my hobby. Please respect it.]
[]
Twin Blade Urha.
He should at least have had some skill since he was able to become a member of Paragon. But Frey wondered just how strong he was.
It was at that time that he noticed Beniang moving forward with an exceptionally stiff expression on her face.
Master Beniang, you dont have to be so tense. Were not going to fight any Demigods yet.
Ah, I see. Thank you.
Beniang smiled shyly and bowed her head.
Her Dragontongue would be a great help in battle against the Demigods.
Then Frey saw Snow turn to look at him.
What is it?
Its unfair.
What is?
Why do you only use honorifics with that woman?
Shes my superior. Sar?h the N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
you used to use honorifics with this queen too.
That was when you were still a queen.
Mm
Snow pouted, clearly not convinced.
Then Nora asked.
What about Hector?
Theres nothing to compare. Hes a Dragon. That alone makes him deserving of respect.
What a strange man.
Nora and Snow had this thought at the same time. All of them had lived for a sizable amount of time, yet they still got an archaic feeling from this young man who wasnt even thirty.
Could this be called a generation gap?
Strangely enough, it was the girls who had the trendier way of thinking.
After all, it had been hundreds of years since the Dragons disappeared from the continent. Only stories of them could be heard from time to time, and even then, most of the stories were about them losing to the Demigods.
Nevertheless, Frey was extremely polite to Hector.
This was something that was extremely strange when considering that he spoke informally to Cairo, Diablo, and the other Circle Masters.
It was almost as if he had seen the time period when Dragons ruled the continent in the past.
Him using honorifics to Beniang might not necessarily have been because she was his superior. It might just have been because she was Half-Dragon.
What kind of relationship does Frey have with the Dragons?
They wanted to ask, but they didnt think they would get an answer.
Just as Snow clicked her tongue, they arrived at Rnei.
* * *
Silkid is finished.
There wasnt anyone who didnt know that fact.
But the power those words contained depended on who was saying them.
Take the man in front of him for example.
Sarman, the Warchief and guardian of Rnei, was not someone who should say such words.
Urha frowned, opening his mouth before reluctantly closing it again.
He was angry, but he couldnt argue.
Sarman continued in a deep voice.
Of 17 cities, 7 have already fallen and 4 have surrendered. There are only 6 cities left including Rnei.
Are you going to surrender?
Sarman shook his head at Urhas words.
I just got a report. What happened to the 7 cities saying their fall is not appropriate.
Entire cities vanished. Theyre gone. All that was left were ashes that were blown by the desert winds. Thats when I realised. We cannot expect any mercy from these monsters.
To die or to surrender: those were the only two options.
So you, a Warchief, plan to surrender.
Urha understood Sarmans feelings, but that didnt stop him from speaking in a sharp tone.
Do you know the will of a warrior?
it is to fight.
So you do know.
Then Sarman continued with an empty voice.
Against the Demigods, we cannot fight.
They had no chance of winning.
Sarman bit his lip.
The bitter taste of blood spread on his tongue, but the strength of his bite didnt diminish at all.
How could he not be angry? His family, friends, and people had died. They were still dying even now.
But they couldnt talk to the Demigods. There was no negotiation.
They asked for one thing - surrender. Those who disobeyed would die.
They would die regardless of sex or age.
Even the term tyrannical could not express their attitudes. Their actions werent things that mortals could understand.
Even a fly wouldnt do so vainly.
Have you heard the rumors of the Great Warrior?
I have.
There was a warrior wandering around Silkid, gathering the other warriors together. It was said that his name was Ivan.
Given that this was the first time many were hearing his name, it was certain that he wasnt someone who was famous before.
I heard that hes the Magic Warrior Kings Successor.
even if Kasajin himself returned, he would not be able to change this situation.
Sarman spoke cooly.
Then he added in a dejected tone.
The number of warriors is still lacking. What we lack at the moment is troops.
They couldnt fight the Demigods with warriors alone. Urha fell silent because he also knew that.
Then someone came into the tent.
Urha, you have guests.
Guests?
They say theyre from Paragon.
!
He got up in a hurry.
Unexpected reinforcements had arrived.
Is it Diablo? No, even Cairo!
9 star Wizards!
Any one of them would be able to convince Sarman.
Urha hurried out.
The first person he saw was Nora. Because she was in front.
Seeing him, Nora lifted her head and spoke in her signature, calm voice.
Its been a while, Urha.
Ms. Nora, how have you been?
Urha returned the greeting out of courtesy while looking around.
Ah
Neither Cairo nor Diablo were there.
The only ones standing beside Nora were a woman with a mask, a timid looking green-haired girl, and a young man with an expressionless face.
He didnt know any of them. This also meant that they werent helpers from Paragon.
Urha couldnt help but sigh in disappointment.
Chapter 157 - Silkid (3)
Chapter 157 - Silkid (3) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Urha?
ah. My apologies.
Noras voice woke Urha from his thoughts.
Then, he stepped forward and extended his hand towards the party beside her.
This one is called Urha. I hope you can understand that I couldnt give you a proper welcome because of the current situation.
Im Frey, and I understand completely. Is the situation bad?
Frey?
Hed heard the name somewhere before.
Urha narrowed his eyes for a moment, but he came to his senses when Freys cool hand touched his.
They did a few perfunctory hand movements before releasing their grip.
Its not good. Are you our reinforcements?
Right. Im from the Circle.
The Circle ah. Its you. The Trowman Rings young Circle Rounder.
Frey nodded.
The Circle didnt even know about Paragons existence, but Paragon had a good grasp on everything happening in the Circle.
Hed also felt this during his conversation with Cairo.
Of course, it didnt seem like he knew about the recent activities. Perhaps Cairo didnt have the time to spread the information.
Ive also heard of your prestige.
His appearance wasnt quite what hed expected.
Frey looked at Urha.
He looked to be about 30 or so years old, but he gave off a fragile feeling unbefitting of a desert Warrior.
His whole body wasnt filled with muscles like Ivan, nor was his aura as fierce as Ivans. And his smile wasnt confident like
Frey became puzzled for a moment.
Before he knew it, the image of Warrior in his mind had become Ivan.
But he wasnt a Warrior; he was a Magic Warrior.
No.
What exactly was the difference between a Warrior and a Magic Warrior?
Im Beniang.
Snow.
Short voices sounded at that moment.
Frey turned to look at Snow.
Youre using your real name?
Whats wrong with that? Were on the other side of the continent. And its annoying to use aliases.
Although Snow said this in a casual tone, Frey was certain that only the latter part of the sentence truly mattered.
Nora looked at Urha and said.
Urha, we want to know the current situation in Silkid.
Please follow me.
Urha nodded before turning around.
Frey looked around as they walked behind Urha.
U-, urk
Damn.
Hey, are there any more herbs?
There was no one uninjured.
There were those covered in bandages and groaning painfully and those who had suffered severe injuries and seemed to be on the brink of death.
One thing to note was the fact that almost all of them had been burned.
They werent hurt by a Demigod.
They were hurt by the creatures they created. How did you know?
Freys following words made him speechless.
Because theyre still alive.
They soon arrived at a small barracks tent.
Although there was dust and sand everywhere, this place was much cleaner than anywhere else.
When they went inside, they found space large enough for five people.
Urha sat down on a shabby looking chair. Then, he covered his face with his hands before mumbling.
it was a Demigod made of fire.
Freys brows furrowed.
I dont mean to brag, but Ive encountered a few Demigods before. I know that they differ greatly depending on the individual and that its not just their features and habits. There are differences in strength. But he was on a completely different level.
Thats right. Hes an Apocalypse.
I knew it.
Urha sighed as if hed expected it to an extent.
Frey also wanted to sigh at that moment.
Agni. They had successfully treated his wounds.
Riki had said it would take at least a year before they could barely begin to move again.
Frey couldnt help but wonder if Agni was barely moving or if he was completely healed and, if that was the case, how it happened.
He suppressed the questions in his heart and continued listening to Urha.
Of the 17 cities in Silkid, 7 have already been destroyed, 4 have surrendered, and the 6 remaining cities, including Rnei, are still fighting. But now, Sarman, Rneis Guardian Warrior, shows signs of wanting to surrender.
What is a Guardian Warrior?
it is difficult to explain. Just take it as the City Lord.
If one looked at the details then the two were very different, but that was all he could say at the moment.
Frey continued listening to Urhas explanation attentively. Then, his expression changed when he heard the next bit of information.
A Great Warrior?
Right. A man named Ivan. I dont think hes from Silkid, but he has a lot of charisma to pull the warriors together and form a counter force. Its probably the largest single force in Silkid at the moment. And its still growing.
Frey chuckled.
He was a man who stood out no matter where he went. This wasnt unexpected.
Ivan seemed to like being alone, but he had the natural aura of a leader and innate charisma.
In times of chaos, it was natural for people to gather around a focal point.
Hes just like him.
Noras expression also changed, and she smiled softly as she thought about Kasajin.
For some reason, however, her smile appeared quite cold. To put it bluntly, her expression seemed to say Ive got you now.
Come to think of it, Frey remembered that he still needed to resolve the misunderstanding.
mm.
Well. He could always do it when they met.
Frey shook his head and put those thoughts away.
Its been a while since Ivan and I parted ways.
They had agreed to go upturn the Circle together, but Frey had unexpectedly done it all by himself. But with that guys personality, he shouldnt mind that too much.
Frey wondered how much stronger hed gotten.
Ivan was a genius. A true genius who wouldnt lose even when compared to Kasajin.
Frey was looking forward to seeing how much stronger hed gotten since he came to Silkid.
Have you encountered any other Demigods?
We havent. Weve only seen the fire Demigod.
Hmm.
Agni was the only one whod made an appearance.
Frey clicked his tongue at those words.
The divine power that was covering Silkid was not something that could have come from Agni alone.
That meant that there were still two or three Demigods hiding in Silkid.
They wouldnt stick together.
Demigods wouldnt group up unless there was a special situation, for example, when Lord called a meeting. They were extremely individualistic beings.
Maybe he was on a different mission.
Nixs image appeared in his head for a moment.
Could it be that Agni was chasing her?
He cant kill her since shes his Apostle.
Did she think he was going to restrain her?
It was possible.
From Agnis perspective, it might not be good for her to keep wandering around as she pleased.
Of course, this wasnt a good situation for Frey either.
Anastasia was the only one who knew that she was Agnis Apostle. If anyone else found out, it was almost certain that they would try to kill Nix.
So before that happened, he had to find Nix first.
Urha finished his explanation while Frey agonised over the difficult problem.
Have you ever heard about a red-haired woman?
It was at that moment.
Mr. Urha!
The tent was suddenly opened, and Warrior Lieutenant walked in. He had run so quickly that his entire body was covered in sweat.
He spoke with a quivering voice.
T-, theres a raid.
Urha immediately rose from his seat with a stiff expression.
Tell me the situation.
I-, its the Demigods creatures.
How many?
that
Report it properly. How many enemies are there?
The man gulped.
they cover the horizon. The dust cloud they are kicking up also makes it hard to see, so we arent fully sure.
Then he forcibly squeezed out a few words.
but there are at least thousands of them.
Urha sighed heavily.
It was as if his soul had just left his body, and his face became filled with despair.
Thousands.
If that was true, then it was over for Rnei.
What about Demigods?
A flat voice sounded out. It was Frey.
The lieutenant turned to look at him, and Frey once again asked in a calm manner.
Has the Demigods presence been confirmed?
This Warrior, who was seeing Frey for the first time, could not help but respond with honorifics as he was intimidated by his mysterious aura.
I-, it hasnt been confirmed, but there doesnt seem to be any Demigods.
So there arent any.
It was a relief but also a shame.
Feeling a bit upset, Frey rose from his seat.
Which direction are the creatures coming from?
So-, southeast, but that. Who are you
Frey walked past him with a brief response.
Reinforcements. (Note: Kyaaa!)
* * *
He headed southeast.
A stone spire had been erected there. It was quite high.
When he got to the top of the spire, he could see hundreds of kilometers in every direction. So, naturally, he was able to see the horde of creatures galloping toward them, creating a large dust cloud.
Frey narrowed his eyes and examined this group closely.
Its still quite bizarre.
They looked like Fire Spirits. Beings whose entire bodies were covered in flames.
These were probably creatures that Agni himself had created.
Are you really going to stop that army alone?
Urha couldnt erase the doubt from his voice.
Do you think its a joke?
As far as I know, there are only two Wizards in Paragon who could accomplish such a feat.
Cairo Wilsemann and Diablo.
Urha was shocked.
Frey didnt turn around as he continued.
You seem to have been hoping for them to arrive from the start.
you noticed?
How could I not notice when it was so obvious?
Frey spoke simply, but Urha was shocked.
He was confident in his ability to hide his inner feelings. And he had believed hed hid his disappointment too quickly for anyone to notice.
To correct one misunderstanding, I am not below them.
What?
Watch closely.
Frey walked to the end of the spire with dozens of calculations spinning in his mind.
They have spirit bodies, so they are bad opponents for warriors. It would require a lot of force to subdue them with physical attacks.
Their firepower is also formidable. Their flames can even melt rocks.
Urha bit his lip.
although their numbers are small, there are still a few Wizards and Sorcerers in Silkid. But their ice magic didnt really have an effect on them.
Thats natural. There are also classes among creatures.
After all, they were made by the Apocalypse Agni.
It depended on the individual, but he was sure that the strongest amongst these creatures were Intermediate rank Spirits.
That meant that any spell below 6 stars wouldnt really have much of an effect on them.
Even I cant guarantee victory over a hundred of them, but you alone
Youre not very knowledgeable about Wizards.
Freys words made Urha speechless.
what is that
The number of enemies doesnt matter to a Wizard. As long as you know their coordinates, it doesnt matter if there are hundreds or thousands.
Pak.
As soon as he was finished speaking, Freys robe flapped.
Originally, he intended to move in the shadows since he didnt want to be spotted by the Demigods spies that might have been hidden in the desert.
But hed changed his mind.
Agni hadnt been seen since Talhadun, and the other Demigods whereabouts were unknown.
But it was possible that he was chasing after Nix.
If so, then Frey would draw their attention.
It didnt matter if the Demigods came.
It would be even better if Nix came.
And drawing attention was something that Wizards were the best at.
Roar-
Urha stumbled back a few steps. Sar?h the Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
W-, what is this
A horrifying amount of mana was spewing from Freys body. It was so dense that it seemed as if thousands of threads were encircling Freys body.
And for 9 star Wizards, size and location dont matter at all. Everything within my sight is my space.
9 star?
Urhas mouth fell open.
Frey drew a line with his two fingers.
This action felt holy to Urha, as though a devout believer was drawing a cross.
Blizzard.
Then
Urha saw snowflakes falling in the desert.
U-, uhh
The ground froze, snowflakes fell, and the atmosphere became cold.
Everyone saw and felt it.
Despite that, they couldnt believe their eyes. It was such an unbelievable sight.
Then, a wave of ice swept across the army of creatures in an instant. They werent even able to let out a scream before their bodies froze in place.
Is this young man really a 9 star Wizard?
Hed heard it before.
9 star Wizards could even control nature.
And that was exactly the scene that had unfolded in front of him.
He dared to say. Frey had just made the desert submit.
A-, ahh
What the hell
No one would have ever imagined that a day would come when they would be able to see their breaths in the desert.
This is the difference between a Wizard and a Warrior.
Frey let out a breath.
Immediately afterwards, the pieces of ice broke, and Agnis creatures shattered.
Urha blinked twice at this scene before he finally understood the situation.
Thousands of creatures had been wiped out in an instant.
Ho-, how
Wiping out small fry is a Wizards specialty.
This was to be expected.
After all, these werent Apostles, they were only creatures. Just Blizzard, a 7 star spell, was enough.
In such large-scale battles, the utility of a Wizard would surpass any other strategic weapon.
The tricky part was when they had to face powerful individuals. Like the Demigods, for example.
Frey turned around and said.
The ice will melt quickly in the sun. Itll stay cold for a bit, but that will also go away soon.
Frey headed down the spire, and Urha hurried after him.
The only ones left were the two guards tasked with observing their surroundings, who still felt like they were dreaming.
lets have a snowball fight. I always wanted to try it.
Sure. But if we tell the others, theyll think were crazy.
Chapter 158 - Silkid (4)
Chapter 158 - Silkid (4) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Urha went to report what happened to the Warchief, so Frey returned to the barracks alone.
Snow and Nora had an idea about Freys power, so they werent very surprised by the fact that he could freeze thousands of creatures in an instant.
Instead, the one who was the most surprised was the Wizard, Beniang.
She looked at Frey and couldnt help but ask in a shocked tone.
Rounder Frey really is 9 stars?
Didnt I tell you?
ah. Yes. You did. Ahaha.
Beniang let out a weak laugh.
Frey saw through her intentions.
At that moment, Frey turned his head and opened his mouth.
Agni should have noticed that spell.
I guess so.
Snows eyes lit up.
Are you intentionally trying to draw attention?
Its said that Agni is still in Talhadun. We need to know if hes tied to that area.
Thats a risky gamble. What if he comes here personally?
He probably wont.
Frey knew that there was a hidden hierarchy among the Demigods. Of course, this didnt mean there was a clear separation between the upper and lower levels.
Basically, it was true that all Demigods under Lord were equal.
However, there was a bit of a line between them.
Just like Hydra, who Riki had killed in the past. She was one of Anantas subordinates.
The three Demigods who rushed to help Leyrin should be her subordinates.
And perhaps the Demigods who were currently in Silkid were Agnis subordinates.
Rumours about me will definitely spread all over Silkid.
Snowflakes appearing in the desert would certainly have such an effect.
There was no doubt that news of this would reach Agni soon.
Nora spoke in a calm voice.
What if a Demigod comes? The damage could spread to this city.
Thats why Im thinking about moving in separate groups from now on.
Mm?
Snow furrowed her eyebrows.
Please explain.
From now on, I will go around Silkid and attract as much attention as possible. I will deal with whatever Demigod creatures I encounter at random, and if I encounter a Demigod, I wont avoid a fight.
Agni was the only exception.
An Apocalypse was not something Frey could deal with at the moment.
In the meantime, you will join Ivan, go to the Great Chief of Silkid, and try to propose to fight against Agni with him.
Noras eyes lit up.
Join Ivan. I like that idea.
Im not sure if the Great Chief will agree as Silkid has lost a majority of its forces.
Well have to make him agree somehow.
The Great Chief Tuarik was indispensable when it came to uniting the warriors of Silkid.
Nora tilted her head.
But Frey, without you, itll be annoying to deal with the creatures. Its gonna be tricky if we are unable to avoid a fight with a Demigod.
The presence of a Wizard during a fight with a Demigod was like the difference between heaven and earth.
But Frey shook his head.
That worry is unnecessary. There is an excellent Wizard right beside me.
Freys gaze turned to Beniang.
She was visibly shaken.
M-, me?
With the skills that Master Beniang has now. She is more than enough to take my place.
Bu-, but
Her eyes shook. Her hands, which were being clasped gracefully, began shaking.
She seemed to be much more intimidated than when she was at the Circle meeting before. Beniangs imposing appearance at that time was took quite a toll.
So he was disappointed.
If Frey hadnt shown up, he was sure that her guts would have grown even more.
Frey got up from his seat.
Master Beniang.
Ye-, yes?
Shall we go talk for a moment? Just the two of us.
Th-, the two of us?
Frey nodded and looked at Beniangs wide eyes.
Yes. The two of us.
* * *
The desert night was exceptionally cold. Perhaps it was a result of Freys Blizzard spell.
A cold wind blew, as if it would freeze her heart.
Frey went up to the spire with Beniang. When they got there, he asked the guards to kindly give them some time.
The guards nodded without hesitation before heading down.
A-, Archmage.
So amazing
They could hear the guards murmur to each other as they left.
Youre amazing, Frey.
Beniangs voice reverberated in the cold, winter air. She was staring at the black horizon with a blank gaze.
The darkened desert looked like a sea of darkness, whose depths couldnt be seen. The shards of ice that sat there perfectly represented the beauty of the moment.
Frey didnt respond. sea??h th novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Ive thought so since the beginning. You always move confidently, without any hesitation. As if you looked ahead a few steps before making the right decisions. Compared to you, Im
Pathetic?
Beniang flinched before nodding.
Yes.
Frey could see her worries. It wasnt jealousy or an inferiority complex. She was not the type of person to be jealous of others, nor did she think so highly of herself to have an inferiority complex.
She just had deep doubts about herself.
Frey, Ive wanted to say this for a long time. Im sure you are the one who will lead the Trowman Rings-
Just a while ago, my friend woke up.
Beniang paused at the unexpected words.
Huh?
From a very long sleep. I thought Id never see him again. Indeed it was a really long time since I last saw him.
Ah. Congratulations.
Despite her confusion, Beniang still congratulated him. This was because she could hear the sincerity in Freys voice.
His face was also filled with joy.
Since Frey was usually a very reserved person, she couldnt help but wonder just who was able to bring such joy to him.
A long sleep.
What did that mean? Was his friend injured?
Or did he have an incurable disease?
Even while Beniang contemplated in silence, Frey continued.
Hes a much better guy than I am. The same way Master Beniang thinks of me, I thought of him. He was a good, strong, wise friend. He was a good friend who always respected my beliefs.
He meant it.
For Frey - no, for Lukas - Schweiser was the best friend and life coach.
He was able to learn a lot from watching his attitude towards life.
He was an amazing guy, but strangely enough, he never took any disciples. Its been that way for a long time. He was definitely better at teaching than I was, and hes much more compassionate, but in the end, I was the one who was called the Great Teacher.
Great Teacher?
A ripple of shock flowed through Beniangs eyes.
Frey quietly continued.
Not so long ago, he became interested when he found out about the Circle. I understood it completely. After all, I was the same. He was curious about how the younger generation inherited our will to fight against the Demigods. And he was definitely the most interested in the Strow Necklaces.
That was natural since it was a group that inherited his name.
Beniang couldnt speak anymore.
She couldnt even lift a finger. Her entire body was frozen.
Yet, her gaze remained locked on Freys lips.
Frey was still in his reverie.
But I didnt tell him everything about the Strow Necklaces. If I did, he wouldve been disappointed. I didnt want to see his bitter expression.
Frey frowned slightly.
that friends name.
Beniang could finally open her mouth. Frey kept looking into the distance as he said.
Schweiser Strow.
T-, the Great Sage
Beniang almost collapsed as she lost feelings in her legs.
I shouldnt have, but when I found out the Strow Necklaces was rotten, the first thing that crossed my mind was
A small smile spread across Freys lips.
Im a lucky guy.
A-, ahh
I was very happy. Even after 4,000 years had passed, my will was still being carried on perfectly. No, it was even better. I was so proud that you guys were the ones to carry my name.
F-, Frey. N-, no, you cant
Freys eyes finally turned to Beniang.
His eyes were filled with warmth and kindness that shed never seen before.
Thank you.
!!
When she heard those words, Beniang became emotional, and she couldnt help but tear up a little.
I wanted to say this ever since I met you. Thank you very much.
Tears fell from Beniangs eyes.
N-, no. I, I I just did e-, everything was collapsing everything was falling apart
She fell silent, but there was a slight sound coming from her throat.
The circle was falling apart so I led. It was hard. I wanted to die I wanted to throw in the towel and run so many times! But I couldnt. I, I
Her face burned with shame. She was whining.
She knew this, but she couldnt stop. Her feeling just poured out like water from a dam that had just collapsed.
It was so hard she wanted to die.
It wasnt just hard.
Everyone left. The Circle Master, the Rounder, the executives. Even the magic tools and relics were taken away.
All that had remained was the shell of the Trowman Rings. Nevertheless, the pressure from the other powers didnt stop.
Their few assets were continually taken away, and the talented members of their circle left day after day.
Their power leaked out endlessly, like water flowing off the edge of a cliff.
She felt like she was falling into a never-ending abyss.
Still, she held on.
When she was a child, Osel would always read the fairytale of the Great Mage to her.
Lukas Trowman.
She loved his story. He was respectable and amazing, and she couldnt help but want to be like him.
After the fight with Nozdog, those who remained in the circle were those who had similar thoughts.
So she couldnt run away.
She couldnt abandon the Trowman Rings.
I! Really!
I know.
Frey laughed as Beniang sobbed and blurted out her feelings.
I see.
Now, she understood why she saw Osel in Frey. Why she felt so relieved when she was around him.
Just his presence was enough to fill her with confidence.
She felt a cool touch on her head.
I am truly proud of you.
A-, ahh
How could she accept such an honour?
Beniang began to cry once again.
It wasnt because she was sad. They were tears of joy.
Frey stroked Beniangs head while saying.
You did well. And you will do even better in the future. I trust you, Beniang Argento.
What she needed wasnt teaching. Nor was it a word of warning.
It was comfort. Frey could see that.
The reason he was called the Great Teacher wasnt anything special.
Frey simply had the ability to tell a person exactly what one needed to hear when one was going through the toughest situations.
That was all.
Chapter 159 - Silkid (5)
Chapter 159 - Silkid (5) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Lets head back. Urha should have returned by now.
When Freys tone returned to normal, Beniang tilted her head slightly.
Ah, yes. Uh but you can speak casually
How can I, the Circle Rounder, speak casually to the Master?
Huh?
Frey didnt answer her question, instead opting to just give her a quiet glance.
Then, their previous conversation came to her mind.
[You have done well. And Im sure youll do even better in the future.]
Right.
Frey was asking her for the same relationship theyd had up to that point.
U-, umm!
She couldnt help but make a sound of discomfort.
It hadnt been a problem before she knew who Frey really was, but now that she knew, it would be extremely hard for her to treat him the way she had before.
Beniang asked carefully.
May I ask why youre hiding your real identity? If you revealed who you truly are, Im sure there would no longer be any problems in the Circle
Im not confident that I can play the role of Lukas properly.
Frey spoke his thoughts honestly.
If he were to reveal the fact that he was Lukas, the Circles morale would certainly soar. But that was probably the only positive thing that would come from that.
After that, they would definitely have an infinite amount of expectations, and they would try to completely rely on Frey.
This was not a good thing.
Including the heavy burden that would be placed on Freys shoulders, it would also not be a good thing for the Circle.
The current Circle had entered a very important period of growth. Most of the rotten parts, including Rezil, had been removed, and a new wind was blowing both internally and externally.
This strong wind would make the Circle stronger and stronger over time. After overcoming its current predicament, the unity and harmony within the Circle would definitely become firmer.
If Frey were to reveal himself at this time, it would do more bad than good.
Of course, another reason was the fact that Frey didnt particularly like being looked up to.
He knew that moving in the same way that he was currently was the most efficient way to make use of his abilities.
It allowed him to have a wide and objective view, and it also made it easier for him to handle emergency situations.
So please look after me, Master Beniang.
Ye-, yes.
She never thought there would be a day when she heard those words from the Great Mage Lukas Trowman himself!
Beniang nodded, unsure if her heart was thumping because of joy, anxiety, or something else entirely.
This was exactly the feeling of not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
They then returned to the barracks tent and found that Urha had indeed returned.
There was a middle-aged man standing beside him who bowed his head the moment he saw Frey.
Id like to thank you on behalf of Rnei.
You are?
Im Sarman, the Guardian Warrior.
His voice was filled with emotion. His gestures, speech, and facial expressions were all filled with good will.
From his perspective, Frey was the saviour of Rnei, so his response was natural.
However, Sarman was a Guardian Warrior. Someone who only had to show respect to the Great Chief.
Even Urha, who was a candidate for Great Warrior and a member of Paragon, would not be able to obtain such a level of respect from him.
Sarmans polite speech was the greatest indicator of the respect and indebtedness he felt towards Frey.
Im Frey Blake, Circle Rounder of the Trowman Rings.
When Frey stretched his hand out, Sarman immediately grabbed it.
Rounder Frey, that was an amazing spell. I humbly salute your great achievement.
He spoke in a confident voice.
Your spell has firmed up my resolve. We will never give in.
It seemed Urhas persuasion had worked perfectly.
This meant that the next part would be easier.
Have you heard our plan?
What plan?
Frey then told him the plan hed told to Snow and Nora.
As he talked, Sarmans expression gradually became brighter and brighter.
Thats a great plan. But wouldnt Rounder Frey be exposed to too much danger? To run around Silkid alone in the current situation would be no different from suicide there are a lot of Demigods hiding in the desert at the moment.
It seemed that Sarman didnt have a full understanding of Frey.
As long as it wasnt Lord, Frey would be able to escape from the clutches of any Demigod, including Agni.
No need to worry about that.
Hmm. If so
After thinking for a moment, Sarman started speaking again.
Id recommend you head north.
Any special reason?
Most of the cities there have surrendered to the Demigods. In other words, its the Demigods territory.
Hmm.
Of course, this means that youd have to be extra careful. I heard the northern region has become a completely lawless zone.
Frey nodded.
Theres one thing Id like to ask you.
Please ask.
Have you seen a red-haired woman about the age of 20?
Hmm
Sarmans expression became strange at those words. Even Urhas complexion became a few shades lighter.
Freys eyes lit up. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
It seemed that he indeed knew something.
It sounds like youre talking about the strange person from the rumours that have been circulating recently.
Rumors?
A woman who wants to die.
Frey furrowed his eyebrows.
A woman has been wandering around Silkid asking people to kill her. But then, when you do try to kill her, she would scream crazily and unleash flames at whoever tried to do it and no one understands why she does this. Its quite hard to believe it to be true.
At that moment, some of Freys questions had been answered.
Nixs sudden disappearance, the words of the Goblin from the Ispania Mountains, and the words that Sarman had just said had allowed him to have an idea of what Nix was thinking.
Is she trying to use the fact that shes an Apostle?
It was efficient, but he had no intention of praising it.
Perhaps it was because of Torkunta that she hadnt actually gotten herself killed by now. If it werent for him, there was a high chance that she would already be dead.
It couldnt be more ironic.
Frey never would have imagined that he would have to owe the thousand year old Drake anything.
This is all I know about her. Im sorry. Shes a very elusive woman
Frey shook his head.
Its enough.
* * *
Alone, Frey left Rnei before sunrise.
He didnt say goodbye.
This was because they would meet each other soon anyway.
He wore a loose coat he received from Sarman together with a robe. He even put a turban on his head and used an illusion to alter his face.
If he were to go around with Freys face, it would be the same as advertising that he was an outsider.
The most important thing was to make his skin darker. Then, after making a few other minor changes, the impression he gave changed completely.
Thanks to the martial arts training he did on occasion, his physique was by no means small.
He even had a shamshir(1) at his waist to complete the look of a desert Warrior.
Frey took out a map from his bag.
The nearest city.
It was called Al-Tarha.
It was about three days away by foot. Frey didnt use magic.
He didnt know the exact coordinates, so he would be unable to use Warp, and flying across the desert would be too conspicuous.
While he could conceal his presence, there was no guarantee that hed be able to hide from the Demigods.
Therefore, the safest way was to walk through the desert while pretending to be a Silkid Warrior.
At first glance, it might have seemed like he was being very relaxed, but Frey knew this was the fastest normal way to get to Al-Tarha.
He had enough food and water, so he was able to arrive at Al-Tarha after putting one foot in front of the other for three days.
Al-Tarha was a much larger city than Rnei. Its walls were about twice as high, and the city itself was about three times bigger.
Frey jumped over the wall and went inside, and he immediately became speechless when he saw the scene within the city.
He then remembered the words that Sarman had told him.
A lawless zone.
It certainly was.
There were people fighting randomly in the streets, and foul smells were coming from every corner from the carelessly thrown trash.
The fights were also not honourable duels; instead, they were dog fights filled with dirty intentions.
And the people around them were cheering or enjoying meals as they watched.
There was no one among them who still had the appearance of a Warrior. Their dignity as humans had completely disappeared. In less than a month.
Frey bit his lip.
It was like this 4,000 years ago as well.
Those who surrendered to the Demigods quickly degenerated. After all, they chose to submit to an absolute being, or in other words, they chose to become livestock.
Frey realised that Al-Tarha had basically become a large kennel.
He was instantly struck with the urge to wipe out the entire city, but he shook his head. There was something that had to be done before that.
He went back to the wall.
There, he found a guard standing at the gate of the city yawning. He determined that since he was a guard, he would probably know more than the others.
Frey snuck up behind the guard and grabbed his head.
Huk?!
Mind control.
Although it was a very dangerous method, Frey was skilled enough as to not damage the guards consciousness.
As he skillfully injected his mana into the guards brain, his expression slowly became blank.
Heeeh
From that moment on, the guard would be unable to disobey Freys words.
Whats your name?
Wilter.
Wilter, are you one of Al-Tarhas guards?
yes.
After a simple test to ensure he was in control, Frey began asking questions in earnest.
How do you deal with intruders?
kill them.
Even if its one of your kind?
yes.
Frey then spoke with a strange tone.
I will ask my question again. Would you kill citizens of this city just a month ago if you found that they broke in?
those were his orders.
Who is he?
Demigod.
Is it the Demigod of fire?
not fire.
Then?
I dont know.
It seemed that that was all the information he would be able to obtain, but Frey wasnt disappointed.
It was a big harvest to learn that the Demigod who brought down Al-Tarha was not Agni. There was even a high chance that the Demigod was still in the vicinity.
Even if it wasnt in the city, it shouldnt have been too far away.
Frey had the guard return to his original position.
One Demigod.
time to draw some attention.
* * *
I heard you cant find your Apostle. You look much more relaxed than I expected.
Agni turned around and saw an uninvited guest.
He turned back as he said.
I dont remember calling you here, Ananta.
Kulkul. Am I interrupting?
No.
That wasnt it.
Agni shook his head.
Ananta smiled grimly as he came to Agnis side and sat down.
Arent you nervous? Your Apostle is running around as she wishes. If I were you, I wouldnt be able to sit on my ass in these ruins.
Just tell me what you want.
Hmm.
Ananta shrugged. It seemed Agni really wasnt pressured at all.
Lord told me to check up on you. He wants to know if the reason why you havent made a move yet is because there were some problems with the treatment.
There are no problems. The treatment was perfect.
Then why are you still here?
Theres no need to move.
Anantas eyes lit up at those words as he realised the meaning behind Agnis words.
You called your people.
Agni nodded.
Right. Theyre scouring through Silkid even at this very moment. Soon enough, my Apostle will return to my hands.
Come to think of it, you have a pretty large following. How many of them did you call?
Ten.
what?
Ananta blinked his eyes for a moment, thinking hed misheard, but Agni simply continued on with a calm tone.
At the moment, there are ten of my subordinates in Silkid.
(Note:
1. A shamshir is a type of Persian/Iranian sword with a radical curve. The name is derived from the shamshr, which means lions claw or lions tale in the Persian language. )
Chapter 160 - Silkid (6)
Chapter 160 - Silkid (6) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
First of all, he needed to gather more information.
The most important part of the fight was information.
Just how many Demigods were in Silkid, what powers they had, why Agni hadnt moved, Nixs current location. There were many things he needed to know, but none of them were easy to find out.
It would be a great help even if I just found out what powers they had,
Anything that would point out their weaknesses would help.
In the past, Riki had told him that Hydras weakness was fire. Thanks to that small piece of information, Frey was able to kill a Demigod with just an 8 star spell.
Although he had only been able to do it because she was barely alive after Riki attacked her, the fact remained that he was able to do so because he knew her weakness.
Did he say Guardian Warrior?
The true ruler of the city. Urha said that it was a concept similar to a City Lord.
Therefore, he was likely to know more about Demigods than others.
Didnt Rnei almost surrender simply because of Sarmans choice?
After making his decision, Frey headed to a bar in Al-Tarha.
The city had reached a state of lawlessness, but it hadnt devolved completely yet.
There were still several open bars that seemed normal. But it was unclear how long this last bit of order would last.
It was fine to grab guards and pull the information directly from their minds as hed just done, but if he wanted to get a good grasp of the overall situation, it would be best to observe a large group.
That being the case, bars were some of the best places to gather information.
Creak.
He pushed open the shabby door and headed in.
Even though it was midday, the bar was crowded. However, contrary to what one might expect, there werent any loud noises in the bar. Only a low murmur could be heard in the bar since most of the customers were drinking quietly.
When the door opened, everyone turned to look at Frey for a moment before they turned away, uninterested.
This proved that Freys disguise was perfect.
Frey sat in a spot that made it convenient to listen to the others conversations while ordering a simple meal.
Have you heard the story about Rnei?
The rumour that the desert was frozen? Do you believe that?
Its not a rumour. Lukel said he saw it with his own eyes.
Hmph. Its not rare to see a mirage in the desert.
Thats true.
Freys actions in Rnei seemed to have already spread far away as warriors in Al-Tarha already knew about it.
If its already spread this much, the Demigods should have heard about it.
But there were few people who actually believed it. After all, a desert had been frozen.
Just saying those words was enough to spark disbelief.
Perhaps the longer one lived in Silkid, the less likely one was to believe such a story.
So the Demigods will be more vigilant.
It was possible to trick the eyes with a mirage, but it wasnt possible to annihilate the creatures with one.
They would also know that freezing a desert wouldnt be a difficult task for a 9 star Wizard.
What should we do now?
Were already in the same boat. What can we do? Whether we live or die, we have to follow Milled from now on.
I dont like him. Sir Porto is the Guardian Warrior. So why is he acting like hes in charge?
We cant do anything about it. The monster who burned Talhadun favours him.
Frey narrowed his eyes.
So it wasnt Porto, the Guardian Warrior, but a man named Milled who was controlling the city?
Besides, the fact that Agni favored him was important information. This man wasnt Agnis Apostle, so that meant hed pledged allegiance to him.
Or.
Another Demigods Apostle.
That was a possibility.
If not
Frey shook his head at the sudden thought. He didnt have enough information to make a random conclusion.
Should we just stick with Ivan?
The so-called Great Warrior? Forget it. No matter how strong he is, hes only human.
Were on the right side. I saw Talhadun disappear with my own eyes. Fighting those monsters is suicide. I I dont wanna die just yet.
Silkid.
It was a place known as the Land of Warriors, but it seemed that not all of them were proud and honourable Warriors.
At least, most of the people in this bar had chosen to run away without fighting.
Nevertheless, they were afraid because they were unsure about the choice theyd made. Therefore, they used alcohol to drown away their anxiety.
To save their lives by discarding their prides.
Frey didnt blame them.
After all, it wasnt wrong to fear death. But at the same time, he was disgusted.
Frey listened for another half an hour while filling his stomach with food.
Then he slowly organised the information he obtained.
Al-Tarha hadnt intended to surrender at first. They had formed armies of their own to fight against the enemies, but unfortunately, they were annihilated before they could even fight. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Then a man named Milled appeared to rally Al-Tarha together with the Guardian Warrior Porto.
This is all Ill learn from here.
He wouldnt learn anything else even if he kept sitting there.
Frey got up and left the tavern before looking at the castle in the center of the city.
According to the information hed obtained, Milled was living in that castle.
So Milled holds the key.
Frey recalled the information.
A man who appeared to be in his early 30s with pale, white skin that was rare to see in the desert, which made him easy to find.
Frey was about to head straight for the castle when he noticed there were people crowded around something. Naturally, Freys eyes turned to see what it was.
It was a group of corpses.
They were corpses that had been dismembered and displayed in the town square on a spear.
It seemed that the corpses had been there for a long time already as they were covered in maggots and had an extremely rotten smell.
It was a sight so disgusting that it would make most people vomit.
A word had been engraved on a sign in front of the corpses.
[Purge]
Frey clicked his tongue.
Then, he went towards a man among the onlookers nearby who gave him a good impression.
Who is he?
Huh? Did you just arrive in the city?
The hairy man looked at Frey with a suspicious gaze, but Frey simply responded without a change in his facial expression.
I arrived from Gollod yesterday.
Ah. I see.
Gollod was one of the cities that had been destroyed by the Demigods. The survivors were only those who were away from Gollod at that time or those who had barely managed to escape with their lives. Most of them headed to Al-Tarha
This was a story Frey had just heard in the bar.
The suspicion on the mans face disappeared, and he nodded.
These are those who rebelled against Milled.
Rebelled?
They rebelled against the formation of a subjugation squad, and this was the outcome. Tch. If they had kept to themselves, they wouldve still been alive. They were proud for nothing.
Who are they going to hunt?
The Great Warrior, Ivan. Have you heard about him? Hes a man who has recently been traveling around Silkid gathering forces. Its said that he is a thorn in the side of the monster who captured Silkid.
Frey was speechless.
This man had just told him that they were building a team to subjugate Ivan, who was going all around Silkid to gather forces, and had brutally executed everyone who protested.
Hah.
His chest cooled down at that moment.
They had crossed the line. It was no different from selling not just their pride but also their morals and ethics as humans.
The scale in Freys heart gradually shifted to one side.
He took a small breath to organise his thoughts.
Theres no way their subjugation team could annihilate Ivans forces.
And Milled shouldve known that.
Then, what was he aiming for? Did he want to inflict losses on Ivans group at the expense of the complete destruction of the subjugation team?
Or did he simply want a reason to execute rebels?
No.
Those were all byproducts.
What Milled was after was probably a civil war.
This was Freys thought.
He intended to create animosity between the two sides and eventually lead people of the same country to point their swords at each other.
Step 1 was already successful. Silkid had been divided into two groups.
And now, it was time for step 2. Which was to deepen the hostility between the two forces. Until it reached the point where they regarded each other as their sworn enemies.
This isnt good.
If this insidious plan was to work, Silkid would not fall from the outside but from the inside. The Demigods would be able to remove one of the most powerful countries on the continent with barely any effort of their own.
This wasnt simply about losing the nations territory.
Even the identity of the country called Silkid would disappear.
In a sense, it was a far more terrible end than the simple destruction of the country.
This isnt a plan a Demigod could think of.
If one didnt understand the dark side of humans, one wouldnt be able to make such a plan.
Frey looked towards the castle again.
Milled.
He would have to meet him and, if necessary, kill him.
* * *
[You seem to be pretty busy these days.]
Iris looked back and found Lord standing there without any sign.
Iris was confident in her ability to move without a trace, but Lord was on a completely different level.
This fact remained even after shed obtained the power of space after becoming his Apostle.
[Where have you been?]
Silkid.
[Why there?]
It was a suspicious tone.
Iris answered without panicking because it was a common occurrence.
Agni called over ten Demigods. I thought it was a bit too much, so I went to take a look. Maybe he was planning something.
Although she said it in a roundabout way, her words were definitely hinting at Rikis betrayal. After that incident, even the Demigods would not easily talk about Riki in front of Lord.
This was because it was no different from pushing Lords buttons. But this time, Lord was surprisingly calm as he said.
[I see.]
[Im heading to the Kastkau Empire today.]
Are you going to destroy it?
[That depends on their choice.]
It was said with a lazy voice. Iris expression didnt change as she said.
Is that all you wanted to talk about? If so, then
[That man you saved. He is called Frey Blake.]
Those words broke Iris composure for the first time. Lord also showed a reaction for the first time.
A smile appeared on his otherwise blank face. As if he was enjoying Iris reaction.
[I wont ask why you saved that man. After all, that was one of the conditions. But the next time I meet him, I will kill him. And just as I declared the other day, I will do it very painfully. I will make him regret not dying at that time.]
Iris understood Lords intention.
It was a warning.
Maybe the next time she tried to stop him, she herself might not be safe.
Hok.
The Lords figure disappeared without a trace. Maybe he had gone to Kastkau as he said.
Left alone, Iris almost collapsed as she felt her legs lose strength, but she forcibly endured it.
Then, she leaned her head against a wall and muttered.
I want to rest.
Just one day would be fine.
But she soon shook her head.
Rest was a luxury for her. It had already been that way for 4,000 years.
* * *
A man opened his eyes. It felt like hed been sleeping for a long time.
This is
Where was he?
He looked around.
All he could see was a desolate land where not even a blade of grass could be found.
Although it was a desolate landscape, the man was feeling an unknown emotion.
Longing.
He was happy but also sad at the same time.
These conflicting emotions blended together, causing confusion.
Why the hell was he feeling this way?
The man had a headache.
And more importantly, who the hell was he?
He couldnt remember.
He couldnt remember anything.
But there was one thing he was certain of.
The desert wasnt pleasant.
Chapter 161 - Proof (1)
Chapter 161 - Proof (1) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Its a pity I cant use Ghost.
It was the most effective spell for infiltrating and moving around unnoticed, but the fatal disadvantage was that it left your body defenseless.
The Blake family residence had been a dangerous place, but this place was on a completely different level.
This was in the heart of enemy territory.
Frey decided to go in person.
There was a higher chance of being caught, but it would be much easier to deal with any emergency situations.
Before that.
Frey put on the crying face mask hed obtained from Hector that time. Not only did it hide his identity, it also had the effect of suppressing his mana and erasing his aura.
After he was fully prepared, Frey entered the castle.
And his eyes soon lit up.
The guard perimeter is much tighter in here than the one outside.
Infiltrating Al-Tarha had been so easy that he could have done it in his sleep.
The guards watching over the entrance were so relaxed that anyone would be able to break into the city if one wanted to.
But this castle was different.
Those who stood on the walls were all skilled fighters, and there were even patrol teams deployed to protect the castle more efficiently.
There must be something here for this castle to be guarded to such an extent.
Frey observed these guards.
Then, he realised something else. Security was much tighter at the bottom than it was at the top.
This meant that whatever was being hidden, was below the castle.
Why do they all like the underground so much.
Frey inwardly clicked his tongue as he recalled his previous experiences, but that didnt mean he didnt understand.
The basement was a good place to hide something. It was an enclosed space, and there was only one entrance.
These two facts meant that not only was it difficult for intruders to break in, but even if they did, it would be hard for them to stay hidden.
It would also be hard to escape after being caught there.
Of course, all of these facts were irrelevant to Frey, who could cast the Warp spell in an instant.
Frey stopped just as he was about to head down the basement stairs, observing the dark entrance with narrowed eyes.
Perhaps it was because of the setting, but that place felt ominous like a Devils waiting mouth.
No.
It wasnt just a feeling.
Frey could sense a powerful divine power coming from below.
He hadnt realised until hed gotten closer. The aura of divine power covered the entirety of Silkid, including Al-Tarha and even this very castle.
However, the divine power he was sensing from this basement far exceeded the divine power in any other part of Al-Tarha.
In other words, Frey had made the right decision.
Frey lifted himself off the ground with the Fly spell, and then he disappeared using Invisibility.
The mana consumption was immense, but it was the safest method. Sarch* The N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
There was no one at the end of the basement stairs, only an old wooden door.
As if the strict security that he had seen so far was a lie, there wasnt even a single guard deployed in this place.
But Frey was unable to go any further. He just stared at the ground in front of him. It was as though there was an invisible wall in front of him.
Up till here.
If he moved even one step closer, hed be discovered.
Freys eyes turned to the door.
He could hear a faint conversation coming from within.
* * *
The offices for Al-Tarhas castle were located underground, and very few people were allowed to enter and leave this place.
The owner of this office was a frail man who was sitting behind a desk and browsing through some documents.
He slowly looked up at the man whod come to report to him.
This man had a large, well-trained body that was covered in many scars. He also had yellow gauntlets, which wrapped around his large fists.
This was Porto, the Guardian Warrior of Al-Tarha.
I hung the bodies in the square as you ordered.
Were there any who protested against that?
There were.
Capture and execute them.
Understood.
The man nodded.
Go back now.
Yes, Lord Milled.
This weak man was none other than Milled, who had become the de facto leader of Al-Tarha in a month.
Moreover, if anyone were to have seen this scene, one wouldve been lost for words.
Milled couldnt even become a lieutenant because of his status as an outsider. But the Guardian Warrior was being extremely courteous to this man.
What was even more surprising was the fact that Milled was acting like this was natural.
Porto bowed once again before leaving the room.
Milled looked at his back for a moment before lowering his head once again to the documents.
Porto slowly climbed up the steps.
The sun was setting, and the sky was becoming dark. He then stretched with a frown.
Kuh. Im tired.
He was always tired, but he felt especially so at that moment.
Porto headed home without bothering to make any additional stops. He closed the door and sighed heavily.
He decided to drink a glass of beer then fall asleep while clinging to the blissful feeling that accompanied it.
There was no work to be done in the morning, so he should be able to enjoy a good nights sleep for the first time in a long while.
But Porto wouldnt drink enough to get drunk. He would have just enough to get a pleasant feeling so that he would be able to fall asleep quickly.
Crack.
ugh!
Suddenly, a hand stretched out from the darkness and grabbed his head violently.
Right then, Porto felt as though he had been struck in the head by a thunderbolt, and his body slumped over.
Then Frey showed up.
Hed waited at the top of the stairs, and when Porto came out of the office, he followed him home.
Frey pulled a chair over and sat Porto down on it. Then, he stimulated his brain so that he would become semi-conscious.
Porto would certainly have a strong mind. Much stronger than the guard hed dealt with earlier that day.
So he could only pick apart his mind after stunning him.
Who are you?
Porto responded with a blank look in his eyes.
Im Porto, the Guardian Warrior of Al-Tarha.
Porto, was it your choice for this city to surrender?
thats right.
For what reason?
there was nothing I could do to protect the people of this city.
He had the same response as Sarman.
It seemed he thought fighting against the Demigods was no different from suicide.
Hes much worse than Sarman.
In particular, it seemed this man had some part to play in the establishment of the subjugation team to keep Ivan in check and the execution of the rebels.
Frey thought about the bodies in the square.
He thought about just killing Porto right then, but he decided to ask him some more questions.
What if you had partners? Would you not change your mind, even if someone who could threaten the Demigods agreed to help you?
thats right. I would not.
Porto responded without hesitation.
It seems his thoughts were different from Sarmans.
Freys expression became strange.
Because you guys can never beat the Demigods.
It was a clear voice that responded.
Naturally, it wasnt Portos.
Frey turned around and found a weak looking man standing there.
It was Milled.
Frey immediately got up from his seat.
how are you here?
I knew you were snooping around outside. But it didnt seem like you were going to come attack me. Your senses are quite sharp. Did you realise I was a Demigod?
Right.
Hed guessed that Milled was a Demigod.
Otherwise, the divine power he sensed was inexplicable.
Frey grit his teeth.
You used Porto as bait?
And you fell hook, line, and sinker.
I cant believe youre pretending to be human I never would have expected to encounter a Demigod like you
You cant believe it? Kuku. Thats a rather old way of thinking. Well, I do admit most of my kind hates mortals. And so did I. But time can change a lot of things.
Milled let out a cold chuckle.
As time went by, even ugly creatures like you began to look a little cute.
Was the annihilation of Agnis creatures in Rnei your handiwork? You did a pretty good job, Wizard. Its quite hard to eliminate that many creatures.
I dont understand. You guys are supposed to be searching for Agnis Apostle right now. Can you still afford to manage a city like this?
Hoh. It seems youre quite aware.
Milled shrugged.
Because there are enough of us doing that. There are already three of my kind actively chasing after the Phoenix. The last trace was found in Nempatal, so we should be able to find her trail soon.
Milled then raised his hand.
Well, thats enough small talk. Wizards are the most annoying to fight. And youre a 9 star Wizard, the most annoying of all. If I kill you here, Im sure Lord would be very pleased.
kuk!
Shuk.
Freys figure disappeared.
Warp? Do you think you can escape?
Paht.
Milled also disappeared.
He sensed the reverberation of mana left behind by Frey and immediately followed it.
He hadnt run far away.
Milled couldnt directly jump to other countries like Lord or the Apocalypses, but this much was fine.
Shuk.
There was no need for him to search. Frey was standing in the middle of the desert.
Milled let out a dirty laugh.
Did you realise running away is futile? Right. Ill send you off comfortably as a reward for not being a pain.
Frey didnt respond.
Milled, who was smiling, narrowed his eyes at him.
Then a calm voice sounded out.
I didnt expect it to work so well.
what?
What was he talking about all of a sudden?
The previously revealed panic was now nowhere to be found.
Instead, Frey was staring at Milled with a cold gaze.
I knew the range of your detection ability in the basement from the start. But I stepped into it on purpose. Why do you think I did that?
Milleds expression changed.
Are you saying you purposely revealed yourself to me? Ha! Thats bullsh*t. Why would you do something like tha-
To lure you out.
It wasnt a gamble.
Frey had been convinced that there was only one Demigod around, Milled.
There was no way that multiple Demigods would be deployed to watch over such a small, unimportant city.
It wasnt just that.
This arrogant being had even given Frey the information that he wanted.
Nixs location and the fact that there were at least five Demigods currently in Silkid.
Thank you so much for moving as I intended.
A mortal actually dares to mock me.
Unbearable anger was clearly visible on Milleds face.
On the other hand, Frey appeared to be as calm as a lake.
This sight made Milled even angrier, but he forcibly and desperately calmed himself down before looking around.
You didnt set a trap. No one else is here. This means you intend to fight me alone.
Thats right.
Milleds expression became strange as he heard Freys murmur.
9 stars. The final step that a mortal can reach. Right, after making this step, you probably feel like youve reached the sky. But you shouldve been more careful.
There had never been a time when Frey didnt move carefully. He always searched for the most optimal solution.
He didnt believe every choice he made was right, but he tried his best to make the best possible decision at every moment.
This time was a far cry from his match with Apep.
At that time, Frey had help from Sheryl and even borrowed Asuras power in the end.
But this time was different.
He had no partner, and he had no intentions of using Asuras power.
Nevertheless, he felt no uncertainty or anxiety.
In fact, he was rather calm.
I have to prove it.
He would defeat this Demigod on his own.
(Note: This part felt a bit prideful to me, but I suppose from a certain perspective it was understandable. We also got a brief glimpse into the power scheme of this world. It seems that although 9 star Wizards are the pinnacle, theyre not too much of a threat to the Demigods. Or at least not to the point of instilling fear. Of course, there is also the possibility that Milled is a level above common Demigods but below Apocalypses - since he could do the transfer thing to follow Frey. But a lot of things are still unclear.)
Chapter 162 - Proof (2)
Chapter 162 - Proof (2) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Suddenly, a huge bow appeared in Milleds hand.
A longbow?
It was much larger than a regular longbow as its size easily surpassed 2 meters.
Frey narrowed his eyes. He hadnt expected the Demigod to draw a weapon at that moment.
Is he a Demigod with a power similar to Rikis?
For example, the power of the bow. Of course, he couldnt just jump to conclusions simply because a weapon had been drawn.
Although he wasnt as strong as Riki, Frey still decided to stay cautious in case this Demigod had something up his sleeve.
Moreover, the moment Milled pulled back the bowstring, Frey became suspicious.
There were no arrows to be seen touching the taut bowstring. In other words, Milled was just pulling back the string.
!
Frey instantaneously gathered his mana and cast a barrier spell.
Pit.
The sound of the bowstring being released was very faint, but the power behind the attack was beyond imagination.
Crack!
!
This barrier, which could stop even the strongest 7 star spells, was shattered in an instant. Frey bent his back to the limit, and something shot past his chin.
It didnt touch him, but he still felt chills from the attack.
Invisible arrow.
No. It was something else.
Nothing was actually launched into the air. Perhaps he was shooting his divine power like an arrow.
Boom!
The sound alone was enough to send shivers down his spine. Despite losing some of its power because of the barrier, the invisible projectile still smashed the dunes behind him to pieces.
He didnt look back, but he could already imagine how horrific a sight it was.
Paht.
Frey quickly reapplied his barrier while Milled smirked and pulled back his bowstring once again.
Are you just going to keep using your barrier? Wouldnt it be better to use your Absolute Field?
Youre so meddlesome. I know what Im doing, so dont worry about it. (Note: strange conversation)
Kukuku. Right, you wouldnt want to use it from the start. After all, even if you are a 9 star Wizard with a lot of mana, you wouldnt be able to maintain Absolute Field for a long time.
He knew about Absolute Field. That meant that hed either fought a 9 star Wizard before or hed heard about it from someone.
Most Demigods would be the former, but it was possible that Milled was the latter. After all, he was a Demigod who was unusually interested in humans.
If thats the case, then theres a chance.
There was a very large difference between something you were told about and something you experienced personally.
Pipipit.
The bowstring snapped once again.
Frey was also concentrated on the sound, so he didnt miss the three separated sounds from the bowstring.
Crack!
Once again, his barrier broke. However, Frey had perfectly avoided the three arrows.
In a way, they were much easier to avoid than the first. It was a small difference, but it was still noticeable.
Milleds expression changed a little.
Hes a Wizard, yet he was able to move so quickly
It was impossible to avoid his arrows so easily. The arrows he fired traveled at the speed of sound.
There was no need to reload, and there was less wind resistance since the object that was traveling was just a mass of divine power without a real physical body.
Even Master class Knights or First class Magic warriors who had trained their bodies to the limit would not be able to easily avoid his arrows.
At this sight, Milled couldnt help but feel a chill for a moment.
What kind of human
The threat of the invisible arrows when they first appeared was beyond imagination. Even the vast majority of skilled fighters would lose their lives to the first arrow without knowing what happened.
However, this man had been able to immediately grasp the fact that he had no arrows on his bow and deploy an omnidirectional barrier to defend against whatever attack that might have come.
His instantaneous judgment and level-headedness were so surprisingly sharp and accurate that Milled was dumbfounded for a moment.
Even at that moment.
Freys eyes were locked onto his bow.
By looking at where the bow was being aimed, he was able to predict the approximate path that the invisible arrows would take.
Then, with his barrier, he would be able to slow the arrow down enough, allowing him to avoid it.
Composure, observation, and reaction speed. If even one of these was not up to par, then such a thing would have not been possible.
With Demigods no. This guy is experienced in every way.
A Demigod, who had lived for thousands of years, was thinking this.
This fact alone increased the mans danger level by several times.
He had to kill him here.
Suddenly, Milleds expression changed.
From the tip of Freys foot, ice spikes began shooting up. They were so powerful and sharp that even steel would be torn apart.
The power of this spell, which was cast silently and without any prior warning, was extremely shocking.
But Milleds response to it was simple.
He lifted his right foot, and he stopped on the sand lightly.
Kakakang!
This simple stomp shattered all of the ice spikes.
Frey clicked his tongue.
This was certainly a Demigod. Not only his power but even his physical abilities were beyond imagination.
Although it wasnt easy to spread an impact over sand, he was still able to destroy the spell completely.
Show me more.
He could win.
Thinking this, Frey called up his mana.
The opponent was an archer. Although Frey had already shown the ability to crush the thought of archery, it shouldnt be forgotten that his opponent was a Demigod.
In any case, the important thing was that the mans main weapon was a bow. Therefore, this meant there were two ways to deal with Milled.
One was an ultra close-range battle, and the other was to not give him the chance to draw his bow.
And Frey, a Wizard, naturally chose the latter.
Paht.
He spread both his arms wide.
Motion casting.
Ice spread out from Freys feet and covered the entire area. The night sky and the darkened ground also brightened up considerably.
The sun hadnt risen. It was simply a rain of fireballs from the sky.
Milled looked back as he felt a strong gust, only to find hundreds of Hyperbolts pouring in from all sides.
And his barrier is still up.
Milled snorted as he saw this.
He was operating five different spells at the same time. The power of this attack was enough to destroy the entire area.
But this much wouldnt be able to kill him. He was sure this human knew that as well.
These spells were probably just to deceive him. Perhaps the real dagger would be hidden among them.
Milled then put his hand in the pouch at his waist before pulling something out of it.
Frey drew a breath.
An arrow?
It wasnt an ordinary arrow.
This was natural. After all, a normal arrow would not be able to handle divine power. Instead, it would gain numerous flaws and impurities, and its power would be greatly reduced.
Milled smiled as he nocked the arrow on his bow.
Then, the smile grew larger.
Tung.
The bowstring sounded, but this time, it was accompanied by powerful air pressure.
As if it had been concentrated in one place before bursting in an instant, the air exploded, causing a massive, omnidirectional shockwave.
The spells Frey cast disappeared in an instant, and even his barrier shook heavily.
That wasnt all.
Rather, that was just the beginning.
The wind pressure was simply akin to the wind that came when a Magic Warrior swung his fist.
The real threat was the arrow that came out of Milleds bow.
Kwakwakwakwa!
Calling it an arrow was not good enough.
Frey felt like a Dragon was opening its huge maw in front of him.
Milleds attack literally destroyed the surroundings as it shot towards Frey.
This wasnt an attack that could be blocked by clumsy spells. It was also not small enough to easily dodge.
Frey was forced to take out the dagger that hed hidden.
Flash.
A dark red light shot out from Freys finger. This light, which he named Absolute Line, collided with Milleds arrow.
Gong!
A huge explosion occurred.
Gusts of wind, stronger than any sandstorm, swept through the area without mercy.
A cloud of dust filled the surroundings, making it impossible to tell one direction from the others.
Milled was stunned by the fact that his arrow was blocked.
Absolute. They werent kidding when they said it had the power to tear space.
It was truly ironic.
The power that those who stood at the peak of the mortals had was very similar to the power of Lord, who stood at the peak of the Demigods.
Of course, compared to Lord, they could only be compared to chicks whod just started learning to walk.
This could be seen from the fact that the red light that hed just used didnt pierce through his arrow and, instead, destroyed it.
If it was Lord, his power would have instantly disintegrated the arrow together with Milleds body.
Of course, this fact didnt make Milled feel any better.
After all, it meant that Freys mana and his divine power were on the same level.
Ill admit it. Youre the most annoying human Ive fought in almost 1,000 years.
Milled threw his bag into the air.
Charuk.
At that moment, arrows poured out of the bag, neatly forming a line behind Milled.
They looked like a hundred majestic knights waiting for the Emperors order to charge forward.
As expected, the power of Absolute truly is amazing. But the reason why youre not constantly using that power is quite obvious.
Im certain that it must take a lot of mana to use. Which is natural. After all, its not easy for a mortal to use such power.
Milled laughed happily.
On the other hand, Ive trained my powers for thousands of years. Were on completely different levels. As long as I drag this battle out, Ill win easily.
You trained for thousands of years? Haha.
Frey laughed at those words.
Enough of your bullsh*t. If you trained your powers for such a long time, the continent would already be in your hands.
Demigods werent hardworking. They just had the divine power they received from birth.
They never tried to think about how to develop their powers further or how to use them more efficiently.
That was at least one thing Frey knew about the Demigods for certain.
Frey grit his teeth.
If you guys had the dignity to match your years, maybe this hatred I feel would not have existed.
Hmph
Milled grabbed one of his arrows before knocking it and pulling the bowstring as far back as he could.
Lets have a war of attrition, then. Every arrow behind me is equivalent to the attack I just did. But you? How many times can you use that beam of light?
Milled laughed as he said.
I hope you can enjoy it at least a dozen times.
Is that the only conclusion youve reached after our conversation? To push through with brute force? Thats a pretty lousy tactic.
Kuku. Thats a pretty cheap provocation. Should I take that to mean this method is the most troublesome for you?
Freys eyes sank.
Then, the bowstring sounded.
* * *
9 stars was a completely different level of existence.
Mana.
Only by fully understanding this energy that formed the basis of Magical Science would one be qualified to handle the power of Absolute which interfered deeply with space and matter.
The precursor appeared during the period of 8 stars. By integrating their mana rooms, Wizards would be able to interfere with a small portion of space, in which no one but the user would be able to use mana.
However, the power of Absolute wasnt limited to mana. It directly interfered with space itself, which was a higher concept.
In other words, using the power of Absolute meant to become the absolute being in a certain portion of space.
Milleds words were right. It wasnt a power that a mortal could easily make use of.
Even if the mana consumption was overlooked, the mental toll it took was quite significant.
That was why this match actually turned in Freys favor.
Haak! Haak!
Milled panted heavily. His blood shot eyes staring at Frey.
This cant this cant be
There were times in the past when Demigods were defeated. However, none of the Demigods who heard about this ever thought they would join that group.
Milled was the same. Sar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Hed heard that humans were being especially daring these days, but hed never been wary because of this news.
He simply thought that if they came to him, he would trample them; that was all.
However, that turned out to not be the case.
Freys expression remained unchanged. He was still calm after using the power of Absolute a countless number of times.
His powers were also beyond imagination.
In the second clash, Milled realised that his hidden reserves had dropped by 30%.
Then, there were the subsequent clashes.
3rd 4th 5th
By the 7th clash, Milled had collapsed to one knee.
This couldnt have been any more ironic.
Lord had imprisoned Frey in the Abyss in order to break his mind. That was the worst punishment that Lord could think of at the time.
However, Frey had escaped that hell.
He had endured it. And in the end, that torture ended up becoming the fuel for his growth.
Chapter 163 - Proof (3)
Chapter 163 - Proof (3) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Stop exaggerating.
What?
I know what youre showing isnt your true strength.
No matter how strong Frey was, he knew that he couldnt defeat a Demigod in such an overwhelming manner.
This meant that Milled was still hiding his power.
No. It wasnt that he was hiding it. It was that he didnt want to reveal his true power.
In truth, this wasnt surprising as it was the case with most Demigods. They considered it humiliating to use their full strength against a mortal.
Milled was no exception. Frey could tell from his expression.
His disbelief and suspicion had disappeared, replaced instead by fierce anger.
right. Its as Lord said. We shouldnt look down on you anymore.
What did Lord say?
He told us to admit that you were our enemies.
Milled gritted his teeth as he spat out those words.
[I acknowledge the humans and other mortal races as our adversaries, and I will confront them with all of my might from now on.]
It hadnt taken long for Lords shocking declaration to spread to all of the Demigods. But most of them felt more curious than anything.
Milled did, too.
Adversaries? The mortals?
Ever since the dragons disappeared, was there any other race who could compete with the Demigods?
No. There was none. Milled was certain of this.
Even if it was a fully enlightened human with a one in a hundred thousand or one in a million talent, they wouldnt be much of a threat.
It was impossible to feel threatened by an insect who had simply stepped out of its shell.
But now, he was convinced.
If there were dozens of people like this man in front of him, the Demigods would certainly be threatened.
Ill admit that you are certainly my opponent.
Paht.
Milleds figure disappeared.
Frey furrowed his eyebrows.
Space-time movement.
He didnt run away.
His range of movement was definitely much shorter than that of the Apocalypses, who could also use space-time movement.
Milled simply increased the distance between them.
Was he trying to improve his situation?
If so, then Ill close it.
Just as Frey was about to use Warp.
He felt a strong force from behind him.
And as soon as he looked back, whatever it was had already come very close to him.
Fast
Frey forcibly twisted his body. But he was unable to completely avoid it.
Crunch.
It was different from before. His barrier shattered like glass, and he felt a hot pain in his left arm.
Well, it wasnt right to say that he had been hit. It would be better to say that it had passed him. The problem was that in that instant, his entire arm had been broken, bent in a grotesque manner, and covered in blood.
Frey grabbed his left arm, wondering if he should be grateful his arm hadnt been blown off completely.
Both the speed and power has increased significantly. Its on a completely different level compared to before.
It was obvious that the distance between them had increased, but the speed and strength of the projectiles had increased even more.
Was it acceleration? He couldnt be sure.
No. He wouldnt be sure.
His opponent was a Demigod. There was nothing strange about them having a bizarre trick.
Frey forced his mind to think logically.
Although, it came from behind
He couldnt conclude that Milled would still be there. After all, he could use space-time movement. It wouldnt be difficult for him to go around Frey in all directions.
Frey clenched his right fist.
Perhaps this is Milleds true way of fighting.
Shooting to kill from a distance.
No wonder he hadnt used this method from the start. Such a method was far from a head to head combat.
In other words, it would be incredibly humiliating to the Demigods who enjoyed trampling rebels with overwhelming force.
Instead, it was the way of a hunter. Something was too much to use against the usually insignificant mortals.
He couldnt be sure, but he believed Milleds pride had been torn to shreds by now.
What should I do?
He needed to find Milled first. However, tracking him wouldnt be easy since Silkid was completely blanketed by divine power.
He couldnt pinpoint Milleds specific location since his scent was basically everywhere.
I wouldnt know unless I was as close to him as when I was on the basement stairs.
At that moment, Frey paused.
Now that he thought about it, how did he sense Milleds presence at that time?
When Frey was standing on the basement stairs, he was certain that a Demigod was behind the door. At that time, the conclusion hed reached was that it was because of the dense divine power that covered that place.
He hadnt thought it through at that time, but it was definitely strange.
Such a thing would have been impossible 4,000 years ago. No matter how close he got, he wouldnt be able to tell if one was present or not.
Present and past.
What had changed the most?
Divine power?
Right. Frey could use divine power now. He also had a vague understanding of how divine power was compared mana.
Divine power boasted an explosive growth. The more you used it, the more of it you could handle and the more your power would increase.
But Frey rarely used Indras lightning power after Rikis death.
He was also aware of the reason for that. He was reluctant to use it.
After all, it would mean that he, someone who walked the path of magic, needed to rely on the power of an opposing force. Moreover, it was the power of his enemy, who he hated more than anything in the world.
After reaching 9 stars, this thought had become much stronger.
I only intended to use magic in this fight.
But the pain in his left arm was telling him that the current enemy was one that couldnt be dealt with with such a simple mindset,
Buzz.
Lightning began wriggling around Freys body.
All along, the clue to kill Milled was in his body.
* * *
A wave of shame swept through Milled, almost making him lose his temper.
How humiliating!
In truth, if it hadnt been for Lords declaration, he never would have used his full power against a human, even if he was to die.
But the leader of the Demigods had recognised the humans as enemies.
So, although he felt uncomfortable, Milled was able to adopt this method of fighting.
That didnt mean his pride was undamaged, however.
The humiliation inside of him quickly became rage and murderous intent.
Milleds eyes shined with a fierce light.
Just this one just this one needs to be killed no matter what.
Then, everyone on the continent who knew of this humiliation would disappear.
Of course, he didnt intend to give him an easy death.
Since he had released his full power, he would make this man feel it properly. He would slaughter him to the point where even breathing was torture.
He would make him regret looking down on a God!
Crik.
Milled pulled on the bowstring once again. There were three main types of arrows that he used. One was the energy bolt, which was made with his divine power. Since it was shapeless, it was the most suitable when it came to dealing with all kinds of opponents.
But this arrow wasnt suitable for dealing with Frey. He was too composed, and his heart and mind were like a still pond.
In fact, his composure, which did not gain any cracks regardless of the situation, was quite abnormal.
Just like at that moment.
Although he was currently feeling the pain of having his arm almost torn off, all he did was furrow his eyebrows once.
The other type was an arrow. Of course, these werent ordinary arrows. They were arrows made from a type of wood called Dry Tree, which was especially good at accepting divine power.
When Milled used these arrows, it was not hard to completely destroy the walls of a castle.
And lastly. They were arrows that were also made from Dry Tree wood, but they were much longer than the others. There were also special patterns engraved on these arrows. Milled had drawn them himself.
Thanks to these patterns, the further the distance the arrows traveled, the more their power and speed increased.
The distance between us is about 10km.
These arrows, when shot by Milled, could even completely remodel a mountain, and the speed they traveled at completely exceeded human perception. Sear?h the N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
By the time they noticed, the arrow would already be right in front of them.
Crack crack crack!
Once again, an arrow was fired. Even the sand dunes cried out as their bodies were scratched.
Just as he was about to pull the bowstring again, Milled noticed something strange.
?
Suddenly, he could no longer sense Frey. To be precise, his mana had disappeared.
Pulling on the bowstring, Milled frowned.
Whats going on?
The lingering mana aura, which he could sense even with his eyes closed, had suddenly vanished without warning. Almost like it had evaporated.
It was an incomprehensible phenomenon, but that wasnt all.
Boom!
A lightning bolt suddenly struck the ground in the distance.
Milled looked up to the sky.
Whats going on? (Note: yes, twice)
It was a lightning bolt that had struck out of the blue. There wasnt even a single cloud in the night sky.
Only the cold moonlight displayed itself proudly.
Kaboom!
Lightning struck once again.
This time much bigger and fiercer than before.
A black cloud appeared in Milleds view, and at that moment, he was utterly speechless.
Indra?
Wasnt this Indras lightning?
That momentary hesitation revealed a flaw.
When he came back to his senses, Milled noticed a beam of dark red light shooting towards his head.
Absolute!
He tried to twist his body away, but the beam still brushed past his right arm. The pain was so severe that the hairs on his body stood on end.
Over there?
Millet raised his eyes to look in the direction whence the light had been emitted from. The mana, which had made a brief appearance at that time, had disappeared mysteriously once again.
Instead, the sound of thunder grew louder.
When Milled grit his teeth, a beam of light came from the opposite direction.
This time, he couldnt avoid it. His left thigh was pierced through cleanly.
Kuk!
He almost collapsed.
If it was made by normal means, a hole like this would have regenerated in a second. However, the power used to make the hole was the power of Absolute.
This force, which could tear apart space itself, was preventing Milleds cells from joining together.
Reduced healing power. It wasnt just this. Even before he revealed his true power, hed gained many large and small injuries.
As a result, his entire body was crying out in pain.
Pain.
This was a sensation that Milled, no, that all the Demigods hadnt really felt since the early days.
He might have been able to handle it better in the past, but as it was now, Milled was slowly losing his cool.
In addition, the method his opponent was using now was the exact same method that Milled had been using before. Making life-threatening attacks while hiding in the distance.
Was he using the same method just to mess with him?
After thinking that, he couldnt be cool-headed.
Paht.
He used space-time movement.
Milled had moved several kilometers from his previous location.
Shortly after, Milled sucked in a cold breath. A beam of dark red light had appeared in front of him.
!
He ducked.
Luckily, he could avoid it this time. But he didnt feel relieved. On the contrary, his head wasnt working properly because of his increased anger.
How is he finding me?
He didnt understand.
He suddenly disappeared, he could use Indras lightning, and now, he knew exactly where he was. All of these things were impossible unless he was able to use divine power as well.
huh?
At that moment, Milled felt as though cold water had been poured down his back.
A human who could use divine power?
Frey Blake?
Leyrins test subject, a human who could use both divine power and mana at the same time.
He even had a mask made by Hector to hide the identities of the Apostles!
Milled had heard rumors that Hector had gone missing.
The barrier that Lord had made in the general store where hed been staying had been destroyed. Such a thing was only possible for 9 star Wizards who reached the peak of magic.
It was obvious now. It was this man whod also taken Hector.
I have to tell Agni-
Milled couldnt finish his thought. His consciousness suddenly paused as though hed blacked out.
Chut.
An Absolute Line had pierced Milleds forehead. Hed felt nothing even after his head had been pierced.
Milleds body flopped onto the cold desert.
Frey appeared on the spot.
He had succeeded in finishing off a Demigod single-handedly.
Originally, an irresistible thrill would be running down his spine at this moment. A sense of accomplishment similar to when hed reached 9 stars in the past would have filled his heart. It was such an achievement.
Even in the thousands of years of history, he was probably the only man to kill a Demigod on his own.
However, Freys mind was only filled with questions and doubts at that moment.
After using the power of Absolute, Frey would immediately use his divine power. Because hed remembered Rikis advice from long ago.
Magic leaves a lingering trace, and Lord could sense it. Therefore, he needed to use divine power continuously in order to erase it. At that time, it took him two months to completely erase the traces of his mana, but he didnt have that time now.
Therefore, he simply overlapped the usage of his powers. He hadnt been sure if it would work or not, but the effect was much better than he expected.
Milled, who was shooting at Frey from a distance after confirming his location and was hunted in the same way, received a bland end.
Even until the moment he died, he didnt know where Frey was.
Perhaps, this was a merit of the mask made by Hector.
Frey looked down at his hands with disbelief.
In that last use of Absolute Line.
He was certain. In that last beam of dark red light, Indras lightning power had been mixed in.
Frey hadnt intended to use them together.
Instead, like magnets, the divine power and mana were naturally attracted to each other.
Right. Magnets.
It was an appropriate analogy. This was true especially since the powers, which were considered to be opposing poles, had attracted each other.
He tried to figure out what exactly that power was. It had far exceeded the power of Absolute.
Was it because of the added divine power?
Milled didnt even realise that the Absolute Line was approaching him even after it had already pierced through his head.
It wasnt intentional. Everything had simply happened naturally.
The power of Absolute Line and Indras lightning power had simply combined on their own. And because of this, the divine power and mana within his body seemed to have harmonised perfectly.
Frey couldnt believe what was happening in his body at that moment.
It didnt make sense.
Mana and divine power.
Two forces, which he never thought could coexist, had combined.
(Note: Hey guys!! Back from my short christmas break. The release schedule will return to normal and Ill try to boost the rate as much as Im able to. Hope you all had a good christmas ^-^)
Chapter 164 - Similar Perspectives (1)
Chapter 164 - Similar Perspectives (1) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
(Note: Its possible that Ill change the name of this chapter since the chapter name could be translated in many ways. Hopefully I dont have to, but its still a possibility.)
Nempatal.
This city, which was closest to Silkids border, was one of the few places that the Demigods creatures had yet to reach.
But that didnt mean its situation could be considered good.
On the contrary, the fact that they hadnt personally witnessed the Demigods wrath was not working in their favor.
Nempatal was currently in the depths of confusion.
Surrender or struggle.
The powers of the two factions who were shouting these conflicting arguments were very similar, and the citys Guardian Warrior, who could make a decision independently, was absent.
Several of these bad situations overlapped, and Nempatal was currently on the path to the worst result without ever making a decision.
Of course, this wasnt a bad situation for Torkunta, who was currently on the run.
She currently sat in a noisy square with a robe covering her body. (Note: if you guys are wondering why Im using female pronouns for Torkunta, I can only say Because the author did. It might lead to a few unpleasant sentences, but you guys know how I am by now)
How unpleasant.
While feeling the texture of the rough leather, she couldnt help but have this thought. It was annoying enough to have to wear clothes, and now, she even had to wear a robe around her entire body.
As a noble Drake King, she really didnt like it at all.
These low-class races dont have any confidence in their own flesh, so they have to cover it up with clothes.
Torkunta couldnt help but recall her past body.
Scales that flashed like countless jewels and eyes that burned so red they seemed to contain magma. Not to mention the elegantly stretched tail and the wings large enough to cover the sky!
It wasnt even enough to say that it was an absolute beauty of a body.
She once again became depressed after thinking about the old days. Especially because of the current situation.
Torkunta stroked her arm slightly. Sear?h the n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Her skin was so soft, her body so fragile that even if she were to just touch it with a fingernail of her past body, it would be destroyed.
I dont want to die.
Torkunta muttered softly.
She wasnt talking to herself.
She received the answer in her head.
[I know.]
It was Nix.
The woman who had become Torkuntas soulmate - literally.
Torkunta clicked her tongue softly and said.
If I help you die, youll give me this body. You mean that, right?
Despite her threatening tone, Nixs voice remained the same.
[So what if I didnt? Do you intend to refuse?]
Kuk.
Her tone made her angry. (Note: sentences like this)
This young Phoenix was just making fun of her everyday. She wanted to put her in her place, but if they were to really fight, she would never be able to win.
This couldnt be helped. Torkunta couldnt be more aware of this now.
After all, this body belonged to Nix in the first place, and she was just an uninvited guest.
In fact, if it wasnt for the current situation, Torkunta would never have gotten an opportunity to control the body.
Right. If it wasnt for this special situation of them running from the Demigods.
I dont understand. Do you really intend to give your life just to help that Wizard?
[]
Sacrificial lamb. A lot of humans I killed in the past were like you. Those who wanted to give their lives to save the rest because they couldnt kill me. Do you want to know what I thought when I saw that?
Nix didnt respond.
It wasnt a question that required an answer.
Torkunta continued with a snort.
They were still the same. What was the point of living if you would just die so foolishly? Nothing is more precious than yourself. I dont know for sure, but they must have shed bloody tears of regret before they died. Because they made a foolish decision.
[I dont know why youre so cynical. Did something happen before?]
Torkunta couldnt help but be speechless.
Did something happen before? Had there been anyone who had ever asked her such a question?
No. There hadnt.
When she reigned as the monarch of the mountain range, there had been few intelligent individuals in the first place, and even those who could express their thoughts would never dare to ask such a rude question.
Most of them were just pathetic guys who would pee themselves if they ever met gazes with Torkunta.
I will not die.
Torkunta muttered again, evading the question.
But soon, she couldnt help but sigh.
how long will I be able to hold out in this city?
She knew that the Demigods sent by Agni were currently chasing them. She didnt know how many there were or what abilities they had. But there was one thing that she could be certain of.
Theyd succeeded in their pursuit.
They knew that she was currently hiding in this city. And now, they were slowly closing their encirclement around the city.
There was no escape.
This left her with just two options.
Be captured or die.
So why did you decide to do something so conspicuous?
A red-haired woman walking around asking people to kill her?
It was natural for rumors to have spread across the entirety of Silkid. Of course, it was inevitable.
Two souls coexisting in one body. To get rid of only one of them, the person would have had to reach a legendary stage.
That was why they were disappointed when they met Ivan.
He was the strongest warrior theyd met in the desert, but he was still not enough for what they wanted.
What am I supposed to do?
Faced with this hopeless situation without a proper answer, Torkunta couldnt help but sigh.
* * *
A man walked aimlessly through a desert, his tangled memories slowly taking form.
He still hadnt gotten any indication as to who he was, but general knowledge and common sense began to emerge one after the other.
This is a desert.
A place where you couldnt last a day without drinking water. A barren wasteland. A place most unsuitable to sustain life.
But something was strange.
The man looked down at his body.
The sun had gone down before rising again three times already. However, there were no problems with his body.
He was still filled with energy even though he hadnt had even a bit of water or food.
Does this mean I have no physiological needs?
Taking in nutrients, passing out waste, sleeping. He didnt feel the need to do any of these things.
Moreover, he had been walking nonstop for three days already, but he didnt feel tired at all.
What was going on?
The man could faintly see a city in the distance. This caused a number of particularly disturbing signs to appear.
He felt a mysteriously intense anger fill him up from within, and the lack of a clear reason only added to his frustration.
At least, there was one thing he could be certain of. To solve this question, he had to go to that place.
The man began to move faster, his steps taking him to the city of Talhadun.
* * *
Isaka slowly opened his eyes.
Was he still alive? Or was this the afterlife?
It was only after he felt the throbbing headache that he realised it was the former.
Kuh
His memories took a while to become organised. He simply panted while grabbing his head with both hands.
I
What happened?
Right. After he obtained the Demigods crystal during the confusion he took it back to a hideout and put it into his body.
Then, hed lost consciousness because of the horrific pain.
After having this thought, Isaka hurriedly looked at his chest.
Babump.
His entire body seemed to be pulsing. In the center of Isakas chest, a Demigods crystal was embedded in a hideous manner.
The blood vessels on his chest rose as if they wanted to burst free from his skin and were wriggling in a mangled bunch.
Although it was a sight so disgusting it would make one want to throw up, Isakas face was filled with joy.
Success!
Probably because the probability of success was less that 10%. The only thing that Isaka could rely on was his Blake family bloodline.
His body had basically been created by Leyrin. So he believed in his body, where mana and divine power could coexist, something that was a miracle in itself.
And his gamble had succeeded.
Hwiing.
Isaka looked at the ice storm that was created by his own hands.
Uhaha-!
It was small in size, but he realised that his power had increased by several times. His divine power was stronger than ever!
It wasnt just that.
He wasnt sure why, but even his mana reserves had doubled. He might have been able to reach 8 stars as long as he gained enlightenment.
Isaka sent the ice storm towards the basement wall.
Boom!
This wall, which was created through magic engineering, was easily torn apart.
Isaka couldnt help but shudder slightly at his new power.
Even though he had only put in a little effort, it was this strong?
Maybe his full strength was now comparable to a Demigods.
When the wall collapsed, the entire basement began collapsing. Isaka didnt care about this. This place was no longer useful anyway.
Isaka used Warp to head to another location.
Shuk.
The place he arrived at was in the mountains a fair distance away from the Blake family residence. This place was a temporary residence hed created that no one else in the family knew about.
Isaka took a deep breath of the mountains fresh air.
A smile stretched across his lips.
Very good.
Hed finally obtained fangs that could pierce the neck. How sharp they were wholly depended on his own ability.
A feeling of elation filled Isakas heart.
If he just trained this power a little more
You, what the hell are you doing?
?!
At the unexpected voice, Isaka turned around hurriedly.
The first thing that caught his eye was the white hair. Even the thin clothes that wrapped the slender body were as white as snow.
It was a woman who gave the impression that she was a field covered in fresh snow without a single footprint to blemish her image.
But Isaka was paying attention to something other than her appearance.
Demigod
Isaka drooled.
The power he felt from this womans body was not something that an Apostle could exude.
The crystal are you here to retrieve it?
Then the woman spoke with an annoyed expression.
What the hell are you talking about? I asked you what youre doing.
Isaka didnt answer as he inspected their surroundings.
There were no other Demigods around; he was certain of that.
He let out a low laugh.
Hu huhu! Looks like you came alone. Then I have a chance!
Hwiing!
An ice storm blew fiercely around Isakas body.
The woman narrowed her eyes.
Right! I wanted to test my strength! I should have power comparable to a Demigods now! Even if I cant beat you, you definitely cant kill me easily!
Dont misunderstand. Its annoying to talk to someone whos unable to properly communicate. So theres nothing else I can do about it.
Paht.
The woman gently extended her hand.
Isaka focused his eyes on her, seeing what power she had.
Huh?
Then, Isakas eyes widened considerably.
The womans power was also ice.
She smiled as she said.
I was wondering which son of a bitch could use someone elses power. So no matter how annoying it was, I came all the way here from my hideout.
Uh uh
She also summoned an ice storm. Hers was much more powerful than his newly gained powers.
Isaka could tell from a glance. Fear crept into his heart.
The absolute confidence that he had just gained evaporated without a trace.
Shes dangerous.
Now that he really thought about it, this woman had just appeared here. She hadnt been waiting here for him.
Space-time movement.
A power that could only be used by the high-class individuals among the Demigods!
Isakas face quickly became pale.
I never heard of an Apocalypse like her.
If the opponent was an Apocalypse, he had absolutely no chance of winning. In addition, this womans power was the same as his.
It was like throwing a snowball at a strong blizzard. There was no way he could win.
He continued to step back, not even daring to use his divine power.
Right. That bitch Leyrin must have had a hand in this. Haha. When did she steal my sample again? how unpleasant. Its been a long time since I felt this dirty.
The woman with white hair, Elliah, smiled brightly.
So Im going to let my anger out on you.
(Note: Poor Isaka, just as he got a bit stronger.)
Chapter 165 - Similar Perspectives (2)
Chapter 165 - Similar Perspectives (2) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Regardless of race, if you were to ask anyone what the current strongest group on the continent was, you would only receive one answer.
The Kastkau Empire.
Although it had the reputation of the Magic Empire, it was also a country where outstanding Knights and Alchemists were constantly produced. It was also one of the only two countries left on the continent that had the title empire.
A middle aged man was seated on a throne which rested in the deepest part of the imperial residence. This man was Balia Diak Kastkau, the Emperor of Kastkau.
However, Balia currently had an extremely nervous expression on his face, an expression that wasnt befitting of an emperor.
What should I do?
After learning about what happened in Geotanbul and Silkid, Balia was unable to sleep even for a moment.
Demigods.
These transcendent beings who had ruled the continent from the shadows had finally revealed their true colors. The Emperors of the Kastkau Empire had known of the Demigods existence for generations.
No, it wasnt just knowing.
In truth, they had borrowed their power numerous times throughout history. It wouldnt be false to say that the Demigods were the Imperial familys benefactors.
Their invincible power had solved numerous issues that the Kastkau Empire had been unable to solve with their military.
We cant fight against them.
It was suicidal to fight against the Demigods. Even if they had hundreds of Wizards, thousands of Knights and tens of thousands of soldiers.
[It seems you have yet to make a decision.]
Balias heart almost stopped for a moment, his face quickly becoming pale.
The Imperial residence was surrounded by a barrier that the great Wizards of the empire put their minds and souls to create.
8 star Wizards had no hopes of entering without permission and even the legendary 9 star Wizards would not be able to enter easily.
But that meant nothing to the transcendent being in front of him who was emitting a bright white radiance.
He stood there as though he had been there since the beginning, without a sound or trace.
Lord.
Lord looked up at the throne.
When he saw the face without any features, Balias heart, which had almost stopped just a moment before, began to pound heavily against his chest.
[Come down.]
Wh-, what do you mean?
Lords tone remained the same as he answered Balias question.
[Come down from the throne and kneel before me. Be polite and submit yourself. Then, I will spare you.]
Balia clenched his teeth at those words.
Get down on his knees and submit. That was what Lord had just told him to do.
He understood what it meant immediately. After all, hed always felt that it would happen someday.
I cant accept that.
Emperor Balia refused.
He had no choice but to.
If he, the emperor, kneeled, then that would mean the entirety of the Kastkau Empire had fallen into the Demigods grasp.
One might ask why he chose to do this, when they couldnt defeat Lord anyway, but being forced to surrender and voluntarily bowing your head were completely different things.
In addition he had to maintain the pride of Kastkau. Even though Geotanbul had been destroyed and Silkid was currently still fighting.
In such a situation, the empire could not be the first to raise the white flag. If they surrendered, then it was highly likely that other countries would jump to follow them.
This wasnt something that would end with just the empire. Balia knew that.
That was why he shouted out in a voice filled with rage.
Why did you begin to act like this all of a sudden? If we continued our symbiotic relationship, the continent would still be at peace
Balia stopped because Lord burst out laughing.
whats so funny?
[Symbiosis means to live together and exchange mutual benefits. Its not suitable to describe our relationship.]
The empire has never violated your orders.
[And thats why your country hasnt been destroyed yet.]
Those words made Balia speechless.
He would have snorted in disdain if anyone else had said those words, but the one before him was Lord himself.
Lord waved his hand once.
Then Balia suddenly sprang up from his seat.
Uh
Yo-, Your Majesty.
Hu-, huk!
Those who suddenly appeared in the room were none other than the emperors family members.
Lord let out a laugh.
Balia roared as the anger he felt at that moment covered the fear in his chest.
What the hell are you-!
[Shhh.]
But his anger seemed to evaporate as Lord spoke once again.
As soon as he heard Lords voice, his head cooled and his entire body became covered in sweat.
[I worked pretty hard to find all of them. One thing I envy about you is the fact that your race continually increases, even if you dont try. We dont have the means to increase our numbers.]
Lord fell silent for a moment.
Then the atmosphere in the room changed.
[Thats why I cared so deeply about every one of my people.]
It was a quiet voice. But those who heard it almost collapsed to the floor instantly. Some of them couldnt even breathe under the sudden pressure.
[In the past few years, members of my race have been wiped out one after the other. Do you understand what Im talking about? It means that I cant see nearly ten of my people ever again. Its also not possible for me to reverse time.]
Th-, the empire did nothing. We had no involvement in the fight between you and the Circle
[You did. I know youve been neutral for hundreds of years. My presence today is closely related to that fact.]
Wh-, what do you mean?
[Dont you already have an idea? Im here to change your neutral standing.]
Balia grit his teeth.
A change of their neutral standing.
It was clear what Lord meant. He was demanding that Balia swear allegiance to him.
He also wasnt just speaking to Balia, but to the entire imperial family.
He was asking for the loyalty of the entire Kastkau Empire.
I wont do it even if you kill me.
Balia glared at Lord openly.
The fact that he didnt look away till the very end was deserving of applause.
But Lord laughed as if he expected such a response.
[I see.]
Lord snapped his fingers.
Pop.
And then they heard a popping sound.
Balia couldnt understand what just happened.
He saw it with his own eyes and felt the sticky substance covering his face, but his brain was still unable to process what just happened.
Or perhaps, his brain refused to accept it.
Balia blinked foolishly before a scream seemed to make everything click in his head.
Ky-, kyaaaa!
I, I dont believe Jenia!
His second daughter Jenia, the Second Imperial Princess, had exploded.
That was exactly what had happened.
Like a balloon, her body suddenly popped, splashing blood and pieces of flesh everywhere.
Some of the people gathered became sick at the sight.
A-, ahhh
Only then did Balia realise why Lord had brought his family.
Tears streamed down his face.
Lord seemed puzzled by this sight.
[Are you sad? Thats amazing. Youve only known each other for a few decades at best.]
A-, ahh why would you do such a terrible
[Terrible? How interesting. If this is terrible]
Lord, who had been muttering to himself, suddenly looked up.
There were no eyes on his face, but the emperor was certain that he was looking at him.
[Then what about what you all did?]
wh-, what are you talking about
[If that was a terrible thing, then what about your people who killed my companions of thousands and tens of thousands of years?]
Lords voice grew progressively more angry. His mouth appeared, and he was gritting his teeth harshly.
[How I feel right now, you would never be able to imagine.]
K-, kuk
He couldnt even shed tears.
When Lord unleashed his aura, Balia found that he couldnt even breathe. And just as he was about to reach his limit, Lord removed the pressure.
Then he lifted his finger and pointed to the rest of Balias relatives before saying.
[Now. Emperor of this Empire, I will give you another chance. This time you should think carefully. What do you plan to do?]
* * *
Frey needed to stop the bleeding from his left arm.
The pain was manageable, but the blood loss would be annoying.
Woowoong.
After staunching the blood flow with a brief application of mana, his broken bones began to forcibly twist back into their original position.
Crunch.
Naturally, this process was accompanied by sharp pain.
In his head, he couldnt help but think that it wasnt something that he should be doing just yet, but it couldnt be helped. If he left it alone and his bones began to heal in that shape, it would be several times more annoying to fix.
Then he took a potion from his bag. It was a potion that he always had prepared in case of emergencies, but it wouldnt be able to deal with such serious injuries.
Nevertheless, it was better than nothing, so he poured half of it over his arm, and drank the other half.
The pain seemed to decrease a little.
Frey looked down at his arm.
His forearm was in terrible condition as a large chunk of it was missing. If the wound had been a bit deeper, he definitely would have lost his left hand.
Its a very small price to pay to slay a Demigod.
To put it bluntly, it would have still been worth it even if he had lost his left arm completely.
Losing an arm wasnt too big of a loss for a Wizard like Frey.
Frey glanced at Milleds body.
It was time to retrieve his crystal. Milleds body had already transformed into a pile of ashes, similar to Riki.
Frey pulled out the crystal that was buried in the pile.
Milleds crystal shined with a color that was very similar to sand.
Frey still wasnt sure of the most efficient way to use a Demigods crystal.
Should I ask Elliah or Schweiser?
Riki had given him his crystal, so Frey intended to use it someday.
Crack.
Hm?
Frey looked down at his hand before his expression hardened.
This
The crystal was currently stuck in his palm.
Frey hadnt done anything. It was the crystal that moved on its own. Like a worm burrowing into the skin, it dug itself into Freys palm.
!
Then the divine power from the crystal began flowing into him.
It was only then that Frey understood what was happening. The divine power was attracting each other.
Milleds crystal was combining with the divine power in Freys body.
Krrr.
Frey stumbled, unable to stand properly. The overwhelming divine power pouring in from the crystal rushed forward without any hesitation, as though it was trying to erase Freys consciousness.
What the hell
Nothing like this had happened the last time he touched a Demigod crystal, so why was it happening now?
What had changed between now and then?
There was only one thing.
The fusion of my divine power and mana
He couldnt keep thinking. Gradually, he felt his consciousness begin to blur.
Hed used the power of Absolute too many times in his battle with Milled. So it was almost impossible for him to remain conscious in a situation where his mental strength was already extremely exhausted.
This is dangerous.
He could not afford to lose consciousness there.
There were very few places in Silkid that were safe, and he was definitely not in one of them.
Becoming defenseless in this place was no better than begging to be killed.
Frey desperately tried to control the rampaging divine power.
He wanted to Warp to a safer location, but his mana was not listening to him at that moment.
All he could do was try to force the divine power to calm down. It took a while before he was able to control some of the divine power, but by that time, his entire body was covered in sweat.
His mental strength was also waning.
Kuk
Frey collapsed to his knee with a soft groan.
He struggled to hold onto his remaining strand of consciousness, but it was no use.
Pak.
He eventually lost consciousness and collapsed onto the sand, unmoving.
Whoosh.
A cool breeze blew.
After an unknown amount of time, a man walked up to the place where Frey had fainted, his gaze slowly settling on Freys immobilized body.
The mans expression became complicated. He frowned, seemingly struggling with something. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
After standing there for a long time, the man approached Frey.
Then, he simply lifted him onto his shoulder and continued walking.
Chapter 166 - Similar Perspectives (3)
Chapter 166 - Similar Perspectives (3) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Ivan looked at the item in front of him.
Hmm
It was one of Kasajins legacy items, the Giants Belt. This belt could be said to be his reason for coming to Silkid, before everything started.
Its really a miracle that no one found this in 4,000 years.
Hed heard from his teacher that it was somewhere in the Amakan Desert, but he never thought hed actually be able to find it.
Disregarding the miraculous coincidence, Ivan wasnt entirely sure that this was really Kasajins belt.
This was because the belt had no distinguishing features.
Of course, hed heard of the appearance of the three items from Nora, and the appeareance of the belt was truly consistent with the one that Ivan had found, but hed thought that there would be some kind of reaction when he finally found it.
But nothing had happened at all.
This just seemed to be an old belt. No more, no less.
Hed even worn it around his waist to test it but nothing happened even then.
How annoying. Theres no one who knows about magic items nearby.
Ivan couldnt help but lament the fact that he was surrounded by nothing but muscle brained warriors.
Of course, if the belt was truly over 4,000 years old, then it was certainly amazing that it was able to retain its original shape.
But that was it.
In truth, Ivan had been expecting to find some clues about the secret or even killer moves of the Martial Kings Fist.
Come to think of it, didnt Frey said I had to collect all three items?
He wasnt quite sure how Frey knew that. After all, it didnt seem like even his teacher knew this information.
Just as Ivan began to ponder this conundrum, someone entered his tent.
It was Guaras, the Orc Warrior who had become Ivans right hand.
You have guests.
Huh. Its been a long time. Is it the creatures or the traitors?
Recently, the cities that had submitted to the Demigods began to send raid teams after Ivan, so he couldnt help but ask in an unpleasant voice when he heard what Guarus said,
Guarus shook his head.
No. This time theyre real guests. It would even be okay to consider them as reinforcements.
Thats good.
Despite his blunt tone, Ivan was being honest.
Thanks to Guarus, they had been able to find the traitors who were hiding among their ranks. He wasnt sure if they were completely ousted, but at least the creatures hadnt shown up since then.
Of course, they had also suffered some losses.
The forces he had now were only about half of what hed had at the start.
Theyre from Rnei. The Guardian Warrior and forty five other Warriors are willing to join us.
That much? I hope theyre all good.
Guarus smiled confidently.
The Warriors of Rnei are well known throughout the desert for being honorable and strong. You dont need to worry about that.
Then thats good. Sarch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Sarman would like to meet you. What should I do?
Id like to meet him too. Tell them to come in.
Guaras nodded, and after a while, he returned with Sarman.
He wasnt alone.
There were four other people.
Even Ivan, who was not that interested in women couldnt help but notice the two beautiful women beside him. One with green hair, and the other with black hair.
black hair?
While Ivans expression became a bit strange, Sarman approached him.
Nice to meet you, Great Warrior Ivan. Im Sarman, Rneis Guardian Warrior.
Mm. Im Ivan.
Your courage and pride in facing the Demigods has swept through the desert like a sandstorm. I would like to thank you on behalf of all the Warriors in Silkid, and also Id also like to thank you personally.
Did he grease his mouth first?
Since hed only heard the harsh words of the Warriors since hed arrived, he was not accustomed to getting such a compliment.
Ivan nodded and looked at the people beside Sarman.
Urha.
This guy was a bit better. Ivan couldnt help but smile to himself as he had this thought.
He couldnt believe hed grown to like blunt speech.
Urha was looking at Guarus with a bit of disbelief.
I never expected you to join this force, Guarus.
Is it surprising?
I always thought you were the type of man who would never bow your head to another person.
Guarus chuckled.
Ivan is a man who is good enough to have me bow my head and follow him. Youll find out soon enough.
Since its coming from you, Ill look forward to it.
Thats enough gold plating. Who are the women beside you?
Everyone was a bit surprised as Ivan spoke in his blunt tone once again.
These people
Sarman started introducing them, but Ivans eyes fell to the black-haired woman wearing a mask once again.
She looked familiar. In fact, he didnt think he could forget this mask wearing woman.
Im sure you are
Do you know each other?
No. But I think weve met before
This Queens appearance certainly is a bit common. In any case, my name is Snow. I look forward to working with you. (Note: I must point out that the way Snow addresses herself is also the woman some women in martial arts would. So no one would find it too strange for her to do so, even if they didnt know her true identity)
Snow.
Snow was also the name of the Elven Queen.
Hed met the queen before when he was moving in the Great Forest together with Frey.
Is she reluctant to reveal her true identity?
Snow had winked at him through her mask.
Ivan clicked his tongue.
Snows ethereal beauty had a profound effect on the mind of whoever saw her face directly. He knew that this was not intentional, but Ivan couldnt help but feel dirty because of it.
Perhaps all martial artists who reached a certain level would feel uncomfortable when they saw her instead of admiration.
Do you know her?
no.
He shook his head when Sarman asked again.
If he was to reveal that she was in fact the Elven Queen, it would certainly create nothing but trouble.
Still, when the gazes filled with suspicion didnt disappear, Ivan quickly changed the subject.
By the way, whos that guy thats covered in the robe? You dont need to be polite, but covering your face here is a bit dirty.
Ivan couldnt help but click his tongue when he didnt receive a response.
Perhaps it was because of the unpleasantness that hed just felt because of Snow, but the next words that came out of his mouth were not nice.
Im curious as to how amazing the face that youre hiding is. Hey, you brat. Pull back your hood. Lets see what you look like. You didnt bring your daughter to go to war with us , did you?
Of course he didnt. Why dont you think before you talk?
huh?
The moment he heard the voice, Ivan felt the goosebumps that he was familiar with, but could never get used to.
He never wanted to experience them again.
Fear, terror.
Ivans survival instincts began to blare loudly in his head. But it was too late.
After pulling back the hood, Noras face was revealed.
Ma-, Master-
First, shut your mouth. Theres a lot that we have to discuss.
Nora cracked her knuckles.
Her tiny, fragile-looking body exuded an incredibly monstrous pressure.
Snow and Beniang were shocked to see Nora, who usually spoke in a laid back tone to everyone, suddenly speak in such a violent manner. But the words she spoke next with a smile was even more shocking.
But before that, Im going to hit you, you son of a bitch.
* * *
Frey slowly opened his eyes.
Then he was shocked when he found that he was resting on a soft, comfortable bed instead of the rough desert sand.
where
He quietly raked his eyes across the room.
There was only a small amount of furniture in the room, including the old, shabby bed on which he lay, and he could hear the sound of bustling about coming from the floor beneath him.
He could also smell the scent of cheap beer.
Perhaps he was in an inn.
No one else was in the room with him, but he was certain that he wasnt imprisoned there, because he couldnt feel the presence of mana or divine power anywhere around him.
Nothing was done to my body.
Ah. His mask was gone.
Frey realised this as he touched his face. But there was no need to panic.
This was because the missing mask was sitting neatly on the table beside the bed.
There were many thoughts flowing through his head at the moment, but he wouldnt be able to solve anything by laying there.
Frey got up from the bed and headed downstairs.
So it is an inn.
As he approached the counter while looking left and right at his surroundings, the innkeeper nodded at him.
Mm. Youre up.
After a moment of silence, Frey asked.
Where is this?
This is an inn named Desert Scorpion.
No. I meant the city.
The innkeeper made a strange expression but answered anyway.
Naturally its in Al-Tarha.
Al-Tarha.
This was the city Frey had stayed in before his fight with Milled.
So Im back here?
After he fought Milled, hed lost consciousness. Then he unconsciously returned to Al-Tarha, got a room at an inn, took off his mask, and laid on the bed.
The probability of such a thing actually happening was almost 0.
Frey shook his head as the innkeeper spoke up once again.
Ah. Your companion has been away for a while.
Companion?
Thats right. Im not sure where they went, though, because they left without saying anything. Ah, but you dont need to worry. They already paid your bill. I think I can give you at least a meal since I was paid enough for it. Would you like to have it?
please.
As he said this, Frey said down at the counter.
Of course, Frey knew he didnt have any companions.
Was it a traveler who met me by chance?
That was the only plausible reasoning that he could come up with. Of course, it was still very surprising that there was such a good person in this lawless zone.
This was because there were many things on Freys body that appeared to be quite expensive.
Anyone with eyes would be able to see the Great Sages Staff bracelet on his wrist, the ring he got from Schweiser and the Subspace bag that hung from his waist.
If they took these
It would have been easy for him to find them, but things would have become a lot more troublesome.
Making a fuss would have been an inevitability, and for Frey, who wanted to move in secret, it would be the exact type of situation that he wanted to avoid.
He was lucky.
While thinking this, the innkeeper brought his meal.
Frey had asked for vegetable soup, wheat bread and sausages.
What did my companion look like?
thats a strange question.
When the innkeeper let out a laugh, Frey briefly explained the situation.
I was exhausted in the desert and collapsed. I believe they found me and brought me here.
Hmm. Is that so? Its really rare to see someone like that in Al-Tarha these days.
He smiled bitterly for a moment while remembering the current situation before continuing.
It was a man. Young, with black hair. He didnt seem to be a Warrior.
How are you so sure?
He obviously wasnt built like one. Im not bragging but Ive owned this inn for 20 years already. I trust my eyes.
When you met three people in Silkid, two of them would definitely be Warriors. In addition, those who dared to wander the desert alone were usually warriors.
What about other features?
Hmm his outfit was a bit strange. It was too light to be walking around the desert in. He had no robe or turban to block the sun, and the clothes he was wearing were very thin. If he went out into the desert like that, his meat would be well done within an hour. It was pretty weird.
The more he listened, the more mysterious it all appeared.
Looking at Frey, the innkeeper seemed to recall something as he said.
And he was very handsome.
huh?
Its just that. He was incredibly handsome. That guy was probably the most good looking person Ive seen in the past ten years.
When Frey put on a complicated expression, the innkeeper grinned slightly and turned around, going back to his work.
In any case, since he helped him, Frey felt the need to say thank you.
Ill wait first.
It would be great if they could meet face to face, but Frey couldnt afford to waste too much time here.
Therefore, he decided to gather all the information he could from the surroundings first.
As he thought this, Frey looked down at his bread.
But before that, he had to fill his stomach. After being unconscious for a day, he was quite hungry.
At the same time, he couldnt help but feel rather strange.
Frey couldnt help but look at his left arm that was currently holding the bread.
This left arm which had only been given basic first aid and hemostasis, was now fully healed.
Chapter 167 - An Unexpected Companion (1)
Chapter 167 - An Unexpected Companion (1) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Frey could not even remember how the food tasted. He had been lost in his thoughts the entire time.
Frey closed the door to the room behind him before rolling up his sleeve and looking at his left arm. He wasnt just looking at the outward appearance, but also the inside.
It didnt take long for him to reach a conclusion. And the conclusion was that there wasnt a single scratch on his arm.
His entire arm, inside and out was completely healed.
Thats why I took so long to notice.
That was most likely the reason why he didnt notice it until he was downstairs. If there had been even a slight bit of pain, he would have immediately noticed.
Frey stretched his arm out, turning it this way and that. There was nothing wrong with it.
He tried to ponder a reason why the severe injury had disappeared. First, he thought about what happened before he collapsed.
After taking Milled down, he picked up his crystal, which was then absorbed into his body.
Recalling this, he immediately checked his divine power.
Shock then quickly spread across Freys face.
Its increased by at least ten times.
Frey couldnt even imagine how powerful the lightning he could shoot out now would be. Now that hed directly absorbed the crystal, didnt that mean that he was now capable of exerting power comparable to a Demigod?
Frey pondered this for a moment before deciding to think about it later. In any case, it was clear that it was no longer impossible for him to use his divine power as a main attack power rather than a supporting ability.
Is the disappearance of my injuries related to the explosive increase in divine power?
Those who trained their bodies to the extreme like Knights and Magic Warriors, were able to restructure their bodies to an extent. The waste that accumulated in their bodies were completely expelled, and their skeletons were shaped into the most ideal form.
It was said that if certain phenomena were to occur, it was possible for those with disabilities, incurable diseases and even those whod gotten their limbs severed, would be able to recover completely.
Thats the reason why most Knights and Magic Warriors looked much younger than their actual ages.
Of course, when Wizards reached a certain stage, their rate of age gradually slowed down, but their skeletons didnt realign nor did they regain their young appearances like them.
In a way, divine power was also a type of energy. So it was possible that an explosive increase in divine power could affect his self-healing ability.
But Frey shook his head.
Hed found no signs to show that his body had been reconstructed.
This meant that there was only one possibility left.
The man with black hair who had brought Frey to the inn. He had done something.
But Frey knew just how serious his injuries were.
Those wounds were caused by divine power.
Unless he used the finest elixir, an elixir known as Gods Tears, it was impossible to do something like this. That or he had the healing ability of the Holy Lands Saintess.
Frey shook his head.
Both of those things seemed highly unlikely.
Ill wait one more day.
He could invest that much time to do a complete check on his physical condition as well as understand the current situation.
But he couldnt delay any longer than that.
Even if he was very curious about the mans identity, saving Nix was the priority.
Freys expression became serious.
This was because hed just remembered there was not one, but three Demigods chasing after here.
I cant fight them.
The fight against Milled had given him an idea of what to do when fighting the Demigods, but that was only in a one-on-one situation.
Judging from their extremely individualistic tendencies, he doubted that they would be able to work together, but at the very least they wouldnt let their kind die.
If Nix lends me a hand
He was unsure of what Nixs exact strength was now that her body had been reconstructed, but he was sure that she was at least among the top level on the continent.
If she used Agnis powers then he was sure that they could fight against two Demigods.
Frey clicked his tongue with regret.
Agni had simply called too many Demigods to Silkid.
He had identified four individuals, and Agni himself made five. This number was literally enough to overrun an entire country.
The battle with Milled had really taught Frey a lot.
He realised that it was impossible to defeat the Demigods with just magic. This was something he didnt learn until after the fight.
Frey was stronger than the Lukas Trowman of the past. But it was still too much for him.
Maybe it was natural.
In the past, he had a team made up of people on similar power levels to him. The Great Sage Schweiser Strow. The Black Witch Iris Phisfounder. The Sword King Lucid. And the Magic Warrior King Kasajin.
And even when fighting with these great teammates, the battles were never easy.
The idea hed had before that he was able to defeat a Demigod alone just because he was stronger was pure arrogance.
10 stars.
10 stars, the very existence of which he was still unclear about.
Cairo seemed to be fully convinced in its existence, but even if it did exist, actually achieving it would be no simple matter.
More importantly, he didnt have the leisure time to sit and have a discussion about 10 stars.
Frey looked down at his hand.
Crackle.
Indras lightning began to buzz around it.
It was an unpleasant sensation, but he was determined to get used to it.
* * *
The man didnt return the next day, and Frey had no choice but to leave Al-Tarha.
If he returns, please tell him I went to Nempatal.
Mm. Got it.
Frey knew the man wouldnt listen to him, so he continued.
Could you please pass it on for me?
When Frey handed over a few gold coins, the innkeeper started in surprise and looked around.
Youre so reckless. Taking gold coins out at this time is no better than committing suicide.
No one is around to see it.
Thats true but
In any case, please, innkeeper.
The innkeeper narrowed his eyes before saying.
Dont you think Ill also covet these gold coins?
I also have confidence in my eyes.
The innkeeper let out a laugh at those words.
You certainly have great eyes.
Even though these words were said sarcastically, Frey knew that the innkeeper was not a bad person.
After talking to the innkeeper, Frey left Al-Tarha immediately after stocking up on food and water.
Then he opened the map that hed gotten from Sarman.
Freys brows creased when he saw Nempatals location.
Its far.
Nempatal was adjacent to Silkids border. This meant that it was located at the edge of the country.
The shortest route to it was through Talhadun, the former capital of Silkid and Agnis current residence.
No matter how strong Frey felt at the moment, he knew that he wasnt able to forcefully break through that place yet.
Assuming I go around
It would take a week, even if he was to hurry.
Frey clicked his tongue.
It would take too long.
The Demigods had already located Nix. It wouldnt be strange if she were to be captured tomorrow.
Should I just use magic?
Frey was pondering deeply for a moment, then, he stopped thinking.
Instead, he raised his head and looked in front of him.
A man was standing in the desert in front of him. Despite the overbearing heat, he still had a lot of skin exposed, yet he didnt seem uncomfortable at all.
It was definitely the strange outfit hed heard about from the innkeeper.
Youve awakened.
This must be the man who took him to the inn.
It was a man with astonishingly good looks and easily noticeable black hair.
Frey frowned.
This was definitely his first time seeing this person, but he couldnt help but feel that he was very familiar.
Youre the one who took me to the inn?
Right. I found you collapsed in the desert. I felt that it would be dangerous to leave you so I brought you to the nearest city.
thank you for the help. It truly was a dangerous situation.
Frey bowed his head but he didnt lower his guard.
Thats because he could not easily tell who this person was.
He then spoke with a blank expression.
Theres no need to be grateful. I saved you only because I need your help.
My help?
Kuuuung.
At that moment, the airflow seemed to change greatly.
There were no changes on the outside, but a storm seemed to be raging within the man.
I have no memories.
This was an unexpected statement.
Frey narrowed his eyes.
He could see that this man was not lying. His expression remained the same.
Only fragmented bits of knowledge floating around like broken pieces of debris. When I woke up, I found myself alone, in the middle of this desert.
It was truly a strange situation.
Frey shook his head, feeling increasingly wary of this man.
Im sorry, but I dont know who you are.
Thats a shame. But thats not what I wanted to know.
He spoke in a very stable tone although he had no memories. Sarch* The n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Usually, those in such a situation would have strong confusion about their identities and speak with a stutter.
Now that he thought about it, the mans expression hadnt changed once since he met him.
Then what is it?
Its about the disgusting presence in your body.
Disgusting presence?
Right. The disgusting energy thats covering this desert like a mist.
Freys expression hardened.
You mean divine power?
Is that what its called? Divine power? Hmm.
The man muttered to himself a few times.
Right. I think I remember. Divine power. And those who use it are called Demigods?
He even knew about the Demigods?
No. This shouldnt be so surprising.
After all, they were no longer hiding themselves in the dark. At that point, even ordinary people who had no knowledge about the Circle knew about the Demigods.
After leaving you at the inn, I went back to the spot where I found you. Because I felt the traces that I was looking for there.
Traces?
Of Demigods.
Frey took a quiet breath.
Did they realise Milled was dead?
Cold sweat ran down Freys back.
If hed stayed there, he probably wouldve died by now.
What happened after that?
I wanted to have a conversation with him. I felt that he might have some clue to identity. But he didnt seem to have any intention of talking to me. (Note: I added he/him to improve the flow because the author didnt use any pronouns here)
The man continued in a careless tone.
I didnt plan to kill him at first.
The man spoke before the shock of what hed just said could even settle on Freys mind.
However, as our fight intensified, for some reason my anger soared. No, it wasnt just anger. Resentment, hatred, loathing. All kinds of negative emotions began to swirl inside me. So I killed him. I couldnt control myself.
The man then focused his gaze on Frey.
You arent a Demigod, but I can feel the divine power that they use inside you. But I also feel the opposing power. Mana right. I can feel mana in you thats even stronger than the divine power. Am I wrong?
no. Youre right.
For the first time, curiosity spread across the mans face.
I know it from the knowledge in my head. Those two forces are not meant to coexist. Its truly marvelous. What exactly are you?
Few people would be able to readily answer this question when asked.
Frey was not one of them, but he was inwardly surprised.
This was because he felt a faint desire within him to introduce himself to this man who he didnt even know.
someone who is fighting against the Demigods.
I know that already. Because it seemed you fought a Demigod in the desert. What I want to know is why you can use both divine power and mana at the same time.
That
After a moment, Frey sighed.
It would be a very long story. And right now I-
He didnt have time.
Frey paused before saying those words.
Instead, he inspected this man closely.
This was a person who had managed to kill a Demigod without receiving a single scratch, and he even seemed able to heal wounds caused by divine power.
He was still pretty suspicious, but if Frey managed to pull him over to his side, he would certainly be a great help.
Not only with the three Demigods in Nempatal, but even the upcoming battle with Agni.
Besides, this guy seemed to already have an unprovoked hostility towards the Demigods, so getting his help shouldnt be too hard.
Above all.
Frey was also deeply curious and suspicious of the identity of this mysterious man who didnt know who he was. It would be better for them to go around together while he figured out his identity than let him leave the desert.
Frey opened his mouth again.
Before that, Id like to ask. What is your goal? To regain your memories? Or to get rid of the Demigods?
Id like to regain my memories first.
What if I can help you with that?
The man tilted his head at those words.
This doesnt seem to stem from good will. Is there something that you want from me?
I intend to get rid of every Demigod in this desert, but it is a difficult task to do on my own. It would be much easier if I had your help.
I see.
The man nodded without thinking about it for too long.
Then lets do that. But first Id like you to answer all of the questions I have.
Sure.
Frey nodded.
It was completely unbelievable, but a temporary alliance had been created in this way.
But what should I call you?
At those words, the man frowned.
After seemingly squeezing his brain for the answer to this question, the man finally said a word.
A word that surprised Frey greatly.
Lord.
What?
The man looked relieved after saying those words.
When he spoke again, his voice was much clearer and more confident.
Call me Lord. I believe that was what I was called in the past.
(Note: My brain is jumping to conclusions so fast)
Chapter 168 - An Unexpected Companion (2)
Chapter 168 - An Unexpected Companion (2) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Lord.
As soon as he heard that word, Freys expression subconsciously hardened. But he knew that he could not be referring to the Demigods Lord.
The man in front of him couldnt be that Lord. This was something that he could be certain about.
On this continent, there were numerous people who were called Lord, this man could just be one of them.
Then Frey recalled the being hed heard about from Anastasia.
Dragon Lord.
The unknown hatred towards the Demigods, the power to easily kill one single-handedly, and the title of Lord naturally connected with the existence of the Dragon Lord.
But didnt Hector say that the Dragon Lord had been sealed in the Demon World after losing a battle to Lord 5,000 years ago?
Why would he show up in the middle of the Amakan Desert?
And without his memories on top of that.
Frey put all his questions aside.
In any case, it would be difficult for him to comfortably call him Lord for many reasons.
Do any names other than Lord come to mind?
At Freys words, the man fell silent for a while.
Dro. (Note: Should I call him Drol instead? The hangul was reversed, but it doesnt turn out the same in english)
Dro?
Right. If you dont like Lord, then you can call me that.
It was a strange name. No, was it even a name?
Frey felt like it was just a play on words, but in the end, it was still better than calling him Lord.
He nodded before saying.
Ill be heading to the city of Nempatal now.
Why?
Including the explanation, can we talk while on the move? Time is not on our side.
Sure.
Dro nodded gently.
And so the journey with the strange new companion began.
* * *
Contrary to his indifferent expression, Dro seemed to be very inquisitive.
He almost constantly bombarded Frey with questions, and Frey answered all of them to the best of his ability.
He seemed to be particularly interested in the Demigods. And if one was to talk about them, it was inevitable that Lord would be mentioned.
When he learned about Lord, Dros expression changed.
He frowned and spoke with an unpleasant tone.
That guy, is Lord?
It was just one word, but he spoke it harshly as though he wanted to chew it.
Seeing this, Frey couldnt help but ask.
What do you mean?
did I just say something?
Dro tilted his head, completely unable to recall what hed just said. It was clear that he wasnt pretending.
It seemed his consciousness was still unstable.
Frey buried his growing suspicions within and continued his explanation.
Fortunately, Dro seemed to be very smart. He didnt ask a question he asked before, and he was even able to derive the answers to his own questions by combining answers that hed heard before.
About a day after they began their journey, he was able to grasp most of the current situation on the continent.
It was after Frey brought up the topic of Dragons that Dro showed a strange attitude. To some extent, this topic was also brought up by Frey intentionally.
I think you might be the Dragon Lord.
Frey confessed honestly, hoping that this would bring back some memory in Dros head.
However, Dro simply tilted his head at him.
A Dragon?
Yes.
I dont have scales.
I know.
I also dont have wings or a tail. Yet you think Im the Dragon Lord?
Frey told him about Hector.
When he heard this, Dros expression became strange.
Can I check your body for a moment?
When he nodded to show his assent, Frey walked behind him and placed his hand against his back. Then he muttered soon afterwards.
Right. This is just a shell.
What do you mean?
Your body. Its just a shell a very well made shell.
It was concealed so well that Frey would not have been able to tell if he hadnt been touching him directly.
There was an enormous power resting within Dros chest that was constantly pulsating.
Dragon Heart.
He could feel a power that the Half Dragon, Beniang, could not compare to. But it wasnt enough to say that it was the power of the Dragon Lord.
At best, it barely reached the level of an adult Dragon, and to put it bluntly, it didnt reach the level of an Ancient.
He managed to easily kill a Demigod with just this power
Frey opened his mouth and asked the question that suddenly filled his heart.
How did you kill the Demigod?
I borrowed the power of nature.
The power of nature? Sar?h the N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Do you mean mana?
No.
Then?
He didnt receive an answer.
Dro simply fell silent with his distinctive, expressionless face.
Frey frowned.
The power of nature. It was too abstract to understand.
But Dro didnt seem to have any intention of explaining further. This meant that it was probably not something that could be easily explained.
Dro suddenly sighed before saying something else.
I might be the Dragon Lord as you said. But
Suddenly, Dro became silent as he stared into the distance.
What is it?
Something is over there.
Frey followed Dros gaze.
There was nothing. Just the endless sandy desert.
But with a confident stride, Dro headed towards the area he pointed out.
Frey was forced to follow suit.
Looking down at the sand, Dro muttered softly.
The earth here is sad.
What do you mean?
For thousands of years something has been buried here. Ill take it out.
Dro then snapped his fingers.
Grrr.
And the sandy ground immediately began to vibrate.
Frey realised that something, which had been buried tens of meters below the surface, was rising with a fierce momentum.
Puhk!
Soon, something burst out of the sand.
It was an item that Frey was very familiar with, but it was also an item that he never expected to find in this situation.
The Tiger Kings Gloves?
It was one of Kasajins three artifacts.
Dro glanced at Frey before handing him the item.
It seems you know what this is. Hmm, take it.
Frey took the gloves from Dro with a complicated expression on his face.
How the hell did you do that?
The earth told me that there was a relic buried here. So I took it out.
The earth told him?
Elves were said to be able to talk to the forest, but that was more like a communication of feelings than a conversation. More importantly, trees were still living creatures.
It was the complete opposite of this barren land where not even a blade of grass dared to grow.
He wasnt Hruhiral, who was connected to the land, but the earth told him that an item was buried there?
Ah.
It was at that moment that Frey recalled Anastasias words.
[The Dragon Lord is organically connected to the entire continent. If he dies, there will be unforeseen destruction throughout the continent.]
A being who was organically connected to the continent.
The Dragon Lord.
Did it have something to do with those words?
So the strongest Demigod in Silkid is Agni.
Those words woke Frey up from his thoughts.
Dro had already lost interest in the Tiger Kings Gloves.
Frey put the gloves into his bag before saying.
He is one of the strongest Demigods.
Then wouldnt it be better to kill him first?
Its not so simple. Hes much stronger than the other Demigods.?
Hmm. To what extent?
well.
The only Apocalypse that Frey had ever personally fought was Ananta. And although it was a long time ago, he remembered it clearly because of how desperate a fight it was.
Reminiscing about that time, he couldnt help but mutter.
At the very least, hes compared to three Demigods combined.
Hmm. So if I can face three Demigods at the same time, I can beat Agni?
Its not as easy as it sounds.
Dro fell silent again, seemingly unbothered by Freys words.
Youre a Wizard, so why are you going to Nempatal on foot? Isnt this a very inefficient way to travel?
I cant make too big of a stir. To get there, I have to pass through the Demigods territory. It would be troublesome if I were to move and get caught by Agni.
Fighting Agni would come only after hed reunited with Ivan and the others.
Dro spoke softly after hearing Freys words.
So you just have to move without causing a commotion.
Do you have a way?
Give me a map.
Frey handed the map to him and Dro looked at it for a moment before nodding.
[Deil Gaia]
After those words, the sand in front of them rose up and gathered together. Forming the shape of a muscular man. His copper colored skin shined in the sunlight.
Deil Gaia. The Earth Spirit King?
While Frey looked at Dro with a puzzled expression, Deil Gaia also looked at him and said.
[Its been a long time, old friend. If you have anything to ask, you can just go ahead and say it.]
Frey was shocked.
The Spirit Kings were among the absolute masters of the Second World, second only to the six rulers of the Demon World.
Although they werent as arrogant as the Demons born in the Demon World, they were still a very proud group.
Therefore, Deil Gaias current attitude was completely unexpected. He was looking at Dro with clear affection, as though he was looking at a long lost friend.
Dro pointed to a spot on the map, it was Nempatal.
Can you take us here? Without leaving a trace.
[Thats easy but who is the man beside you? I can feel an unpleasant power within his body.]
It was clear that he had noticed the divine power.
Deil Gaia was looking at him with a suspicious gaze, but there was no need for Frey to open his mouth as Dro spoke for him.
You dont need to worry about that.
[hmm. Since youre the one saying it, Ill trust you.]
Blind trust.
Deil Gaia nodded and shook his hand once.
Kugugu-
And in an instant, a whirlpool appeared in the middle of the desert. It wasnt very large or intimidating, but it could easily fit a wagon in its mouth.
[Dive in there. Then youll reach your destination.]
Was this the power of a Spirit King?
Their powers were certainly the closest to forces of nature, and they didnt leave a single trace.
Especially since the desert was one of the best places for Deil Gaia, the Earth Spirit King to use his powers.
Thank you. If I need your help again, Ill call for you.
[Then Ill be waiting, old friend.]
After giving a friendly smile, Deil Gaia disappeared.
Still unfamiliar with such an attitude, Frey dived into the whirlpool after Dro.
Ugh
Frey was shaken to the core. He felt like hed been trapped in a small box and shaken thousands of times.
It was such a terrible sensation that he couldnt help but miss the stability of a Warp.
His brain had been shaken so much that he felt like vomiting, and sand covered every inch of his body.
Tweh
Frey got up from the ground, spitting sand from his mouth. He also didnt like the sensation of sand falling from his hair.
The power of nature. I see. So you got the help of a Spirit King when you defeated the Demigod.
Dro didnt answer, but Frey was sure he was right.
This wasnt strange.
After all, the Dragons had always been close to the Spirits. Their connection was dozens of times stronger than that of the Elves, who had the highest sensitivity out of all the living creatures on the continent.
Furthermore, the power that a Spirit King could wield relied heavily on the capabilities of their summoner.
Frey recalled Snows brother Oidin. He had also summoned a contract with the Wind Spirit King, but it was clear that the power hed been able to handle couldnt even touch the tips of Dros toes.
In any case, thanks to Dro, hed been able to reach Nempatal in no time. More importantly, without being noticed.
The last part was especially important.
Agni knew about Milleds death, but he wouldnt know about his movements.
Well. It seems we were a step too late.
What?
Frey looked ahead, completely speechless.
Black smoke was constantly pouring out from the city of Nempatal. A place he thought the Demigods evil hands would not be able to reach.
(Note: And so ends Book 7. Just three more to go till the end of season one.)
Chapter 169 - Nornir (1)
Chapter 169 - Nornir (1) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Frey tilted his head to the side.
According to the information he got from Milled, there were three Demigods in Nempatal. But the divine power that he was currently sensing didnt match what he would expect to come from three Demigods.
Did Milled say the wrong information?
Or was there another reason?
Frey kept his guard up.
There are many Demigods in the city.
Frey nodded at Dros words.
This made it hard for him to just take Nix and run away.
However, he thought that this could also be an opportunity. If they could deal with the Demigods here, then the Demigod forces in Silkid would drop to less than half.
This would make it a lot easier when it was time to fight Agni.
Besides, Frey had found himself a strong helper.
Then Dro suddenly spoke.
Head to Nempatal alone.
The cold words of his helper caused a question to immediately pop out his mouth.
Why?
Other guests are coming.
By other guests you mean
Demigods.
Frey couldnt help but feel a little nervous when he heard that.
There are more Demigods?
Agni, Milled, and the Demigod Dro dealt with. Plus the three Demigods chasing Nix already made six. This figure was already almost double Freys initial expectations, which was three or four at most.
There are more?
How many Demigods were currently in this desert?
Are they close?
They should be here in about 30 minutes.
How many?
At least two. Maybe more than that. Hmm. I cant tell specifically.
Two Demigods.
Freys complexion changed.
However, a question soon emerged. After absorbing Milleds crystal, Frey found that he was much more sensitive to the movements of divine power than before.
Nevertheless, he couldnt find any sign of Demigods approaching Nempatal.
Dro is more sensitive to divine power than I am?
Frey was a little puzzled by this, but he suppressed it and instead asked.
Its going to be hard to deal with them alone. Are you confident?
I cant guarantee my victory over the Demigods. I understand that now.
Frey nodded at that.
The Demigods had very independent personalities and their individual abilities varied greatly. It was none other than Frey who had explained this to Dro.
Just because he had managed to defeat a Demigod without taking a single scratch didnt mean he was invincible.
He didnt know what the Demigods he would face were capable of.
However
Frey felt that with his current abilities, he would be able to tell what the Demigods were capable of. And whether hed be able to win or not.
Ill see you soon.
As he said those words, Dro turned and began walking away from Nempatal. Frey had no chance to stop him.
No. He didnt think Dro would listen to him even if he were to stop him.
Frey shook his head.
He wasnt confident in his victory, but he was still willing to give it a try. In other words, he had the confidence despite throwing himself into such a dangerous situation.
Frey turned to look at Nempatal once again.
Three Demigods.
The weight of those words made him sigh.
Suddenly, his gaze fell towards the ring on his finger.
It was the magic tool given to him by Schweiser, no, by Anastasia.
If she appeared in time, then she would be the perfect reinforcement. But no matter how he thought about it, he couldnt imagine a good situation.
Frey stopped thinking about it and instead ran towards Nempatal.
The worst case scenario was the Nix had already been taken away or had already killed herself.
I hope Im not too late.
He wandered through the city which had thick black smoke filling the air unpleasantly.
Dead bodies piled up like mountains. It wasnt just warriors. Civilians were also included.
It seemed that it had been quite a while since they died.
There was nothing but fear and panic on the faces of these corpses.
Frey grit his teeth at this terrible sight.
Though hed been traveling down this long street, he hadnt yet found a living person. This meant that at least half of the citys population had already died.
Bastards.
Frey forced himself to swallow his anger.
Nempatal was currently a perfect example of what a world ruled by Demigods would be like.
This was the future for those who surrendered to them.
The Demigods did not care about any creatures other than themselves. They had slaughtered thousands of people just to find Nix, but he was certain that they wouldnt feel anything because of it.
It would be the same afterwards as well.
Just because you bowed your head and submitted yourself wouldnt mean that theyd favor you more than others.
They would kill those who surrendered to them without any remorse or hesitation as long as they thought it was necessary.
Fwoosh!
Suddenly, a huge flame spread its wings to the sky. Giving the sky an enchanting red glow.
Frey stopped and looked at this scene.
!
In the next moment, Freys eyes widened to the size of saucers as he saw a bloodied red-haired woman fall from the sky and another person follow her down.
His body had already moved before his mind could even begin to process it.
Freys figure disappeared.
* * *
For the first time in a long time, Nix was actually controlling her own body, but she didnt have the time to feel moved by that fact.
In the first place, she had given Torkunta control in order to escape Agnis clutches. Since the situation had already reached the point where it didnt matter, it was better for her to move around herself, even if it wouldnt be for very long.
That didnt mean the situation was good, however.
Thats a pretty intense flame.
Huh? Dont you know how to talk? A phoenix is a Spirit. It should have intelligence.
Nix responded to this Demigod, Verdandy, for the first time.
The people in this city had nothing to do with this.
Huh?
Why did you kill the people here?
At those words, Verdandy looked around.
The first thing that appeared in her sight was the appearance of Nempatal which had been devastated.
Ah.
Only then did she seem to realise what Nix meant.
No. I didnt really intend to do that. These humans were just unlucky.
What?
We used our abilities and there just happened to be an unlucky human settlement here. Thats all.
Then she laughed.
If you hadnt fled here, this wouldnt have happened in the first place. So in a way, this is your fault.
It was sophistry, but she wasnt completely wrong.
If Nix had accepted the fact that shed fallen into Agnis hands earlier, this tragedy might not have happened.
Do you feel guilty, Phoenix? Huh? Theres nothing special about a couple thousand humans dying.
It doesnt matter.
Nix muttered these words with a low voice.
The one who saved her life was a human, and the one she wanted to protect was a human.
At her words, Skuld, who was standing beside Verdandy, frowned.
Youre so annoying. I dont know if youre aware, but if you werent Agnis Apostle, you wouldve died a hundred times by now.
When Nix didnt respond, Skuld grit her teeth.
I tried to take you back with as little damage as possible, but I quit. Ill just make sure youre half dead before taking your away!
After saying those words, Skulds figure disappeared.
Nix bit her lip.
Lord and the Apocalypses. She could tell with just a glance that the three Demigods chasing her were weak when compared to those Demigods.
However, they were only weak when compared to other Demigods. With the power she currently had, it was impossible for Nix to even deal with one of these Demigods.
Because Im weak.
She lost everything.
If she was strong. If she was stronger than Skuld in front of her, Agni who ruled over Silkid, and Lord who ruled all of the Demigods, then she wouldnt have to run.
Then Nempatals innocent citizens wouldnt have had to die.
then she could have enjoyed the pleasure of reuniting with him.
Paht.
She could feel the changes around her.
Fwoosh!
Flames erupted from Nixs body, shooting in every direction.
The flames burning around her carried a very fierce heat.
Hmmm.
Skuld appeared in the distance once again.
She wasnt running away, shed simply stepped down. She had to. There was no need for her to push herself too far in this situation.
He spoke while holding a sword in her hand.
The flames of a Phoenix combined with Agnis power. Its pretty hot. If I force my way in, my skin would probably get burnt.
Her eyes curved like crescent moons.
But youre burning away your life to get that firepower. If you keep going like that, will your body be able to handle it?
Her words were true, but there was no point confirming it. As Skuld said, without those flames, she wouldnt be able to do much damage.
Then Skuld shouted out urgently.
Aht! Sister!
Sister?
Verdandy was standing beside her.
Then Nix felt a cold sensation in her back and stomach.
When she looked down, she saw a spear sticking through her abdomen. It was a bit unbelievable to see the parts that were meant to be inside her, sticking out.
Then the intense pain came.
How, when
As if to answer her question, a calm tone came from behind her.
Im sick and tired of the back and forth. You didnt think you were too strong to be caught did you?
Urd.
The last of her pursuers who she hadnt revealed herself before, had taken Nix by surprise.
Nix hadnt even noticed her movements because all her focus had been on Verdandy and Skuld.
Urk.
Nix vomited blood as her body fell helplessly to the ground.
Sister! You said youd leave it to me!
Im afraid that Agni would get upset if we made him wait any longer.
Ohoho. Stop fighting. Lets just collect the Phoenix and take it back.
Uh, then what about this city?
Lets just get rid of it. Its half destroyed already anyway.
She could faintly hear the Demigods conversation above her.
Nix closed her eyes.
This is it.
She could no longer escape.
Nix only had one more option.
Use the last of her vitality to control her flames. As a result, an explosion would cover the entire area. If she was lucky, she might be able to take one of them down with her.
Sorry, Torkunta.
Nix apologized to Torkunta, who was sleeping deeply in her consciousness.
Im sorry.
Then she thought about that young man with grey hair.
She was glad that she could at least be helpful. When she died, Agni would be forced into hibernation.
She couldnt pass up this opportunity.
Hmph.
Seeing this, Urd snorted.
The idea that the Phoenix might kill herself had always been on her mind.
She raised her spear and prepared to throw it. It was a simple attack, but it would be more than enough to disrupt Nixs concentration.
Her body might break in half, but she was a Phoenix. She wouldnt die so easily anyway.
Hmm?
A change suddenly occurred.
Urd slowly lowered her spread, and Verdandy and Skuld stopped chatting.
Then Nix felt warmth.
-ah.
Her consciousness stopped failing and the pain stopped. She could also feel that someone was hugging her body.
It was warm.
Shed only ever felt this warmth once.
It was hard to even lift a finger, but Nix struggled to open her eyes.
Her vision was blurry and she couldnt see very well, but she knew who this warmth belonged to.
Didnt we promise to have a happy reunion?
Then a friendly voice sounded in her ears, causing tears to come to her eyes. No, she was already crying.
She was hearing the voice she always wanted to hear, and feeling the warmth she had longed to feel, both at the same time.
She choked a bit, barely managing to open her mouth.
why did you come.
Words filled with irony escaped her lips.
In the end, that was all Nix could say.
She wanted to say thank you. She wanted to shout how happy she was to see him again.
But she couldnt.
Her worries outweighed her joy at their reunion.
And her feelings were being conveyed to this person without any filtering.
I didnt want you to come. This place is
Did you want to say its a dead end?
So you knew
You did it that time too.
Nix took a breath.
She knew that he was referring to the fight against Torkunta.
You must have known that you might die at that time. So why didnt you stop? What were you thinking when you rushed towards Torkunta?
At that time she just had one thought.
She had to save him. She had to do it somehow. Sarch* The ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Even if I had to give my life-
I will not let you die.
Nix and Freys thoughts overlapped at that moment.
Frey laughed.
Thats fine. I think so too.
Frey turned to look at the Demigods in the sky.
He looked at their faces. The three sisters in the sky trembled under his gaze.
As had been mentioned before, the current Frey could sense the capabilities of the Demigods. Whether he could defeat them or not.
He could see even more clearly when he was looking at them with his own eyes.
He reached a conclusion.
Im stronger than them.
Frey wasnt one to talk nonsense.
Especially when it was about Demigods.
In other words, Frey wasnt just confident.
He was certain.
Chapter 170 - Nornir (2)
Chapter 170 - Nornir (2) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Urd narrowed her eyes as she looked at Frey.
Is he a human?
He probably was. But she couldnt be sure.
That was what was strange about it.
She could easily feel the divine power in him. But it wasnt the same amount as in an Apostle.
For example, the Phoenix, Nix, possessed much more divine power than normal Apostles. But this was only possible because she was the Apostle of Agni, an Apocalypse.
However, this mans divine power was several times stronger than Nixs.
If this hadnt been her first time meeting him, she would have been certain that he was a Demigod.
The three sisters exchanged glances.
This mans exact identity was still unknown. They might be able to figure out who he was if they truly tried to, but they could only postpone that for now.
After all, there was one thing they had to keep in mind at that moment.
This person in front of them was not one to be trifled with.
Paht.
The three Nornir sisters moved at the same time, disappearing from sight. They were moving so quickly that it was impossible to spot them with the naked eye.
Frey narrowed his eyes.
He couldnt see their figures clearly, but he could tell that they were rapidly closing the distance between them.
Do they prefer close combat?
Frey recalled the equipment they were wearing.
They were all dressed in armour like warriors, and each wielded a sword, spear, and axe respectively.
They might not have had any means of long-ranged combat, or if they did, it might not have been too threatening. That was why they were trying to close the distance.
He couldnt jump to any conclusions, but Frey couldnt help but think they would be easier to fight than Milled.
Can you stand?
Yes. Ill support you.
Frey nodded his head as he looked at Nix.
Dont overdo it.
Nix nodded and stepped back.
Frey looked back to the sky. Then he released the power of 9 stars.
Absolute Field.
Following Freys low murmur, dark light erupted from his body, spreading out in all directions.
In no time, the entire area fell under Freys absolute control. Nevertheless, it was difficult to exert enough binding force to restrain the three Demigods who were all moving in different directions.
Of course, Freys goal wasnt to stop them from moving.
Instead, he had unleashed his Absolute Field in order to increase the range of his senses.
I still cant see them.
But now, he could feel them. Three figures were rushing at him at extreme speeds.
They were fast. Much faster than Frey expected.
If they didnt stop moving, it would be very hard for him to hit them with Absolute Line.
At that moment, several countermeasures came to mind.
He could either use the fastest spells he was capable of, slow down the enemies movements, or focus on defense and avoid their attacks.
Thats only magic.
Realising what he was doing, Frey changed his view.
He didnt have to limit himself to magic. This was something hed learned in his fight with Milled.
The first one to reach Frey was Urd. In her hands was a spear which she thrusted towards Frey.
It was just a simple thrust, but she was a Demigod. Her body, which was filled with divine power, was much stronger than a Master class Knight or a First class Magic Warrior.
Her whole body was a weapon.
The pressure generated by this simple attack was enough to tear apart the air.
Frey knew where Urd was, but he didnt try to avoid her attack.
Sister! Be careful!
It wasnt Urd who noticed the change. It was Verdandy, who was still far away, who shouted at her.
Urd listened to her words unconditionally.
She knew she was tunnel-visioning at that moment. Perhaps Verdandy was able to get a better grasp of the situation than her.
Urd pulled back the spear that she was thrusting at a much faster speed as she retreated without hesitation.
Crackle!
A pale thunderstorm erupted from Freys body.
It was the Lightning Barrier.
But the power that was released was so strong that even Urd, who was a Demigod, felt threatened at that moment.
Indras lightning?!
Frey Blake!
Only then did the three sisters realise who Frey really was.
Freys indifferent expression didnt change.
He didnt care if they figured out his identity. It was the same for Milled. Since they knew who he was, he definitely couldnt let them leave this place alive.
Frey raised his finger.
It was aimed at Urd. After the lightning barrier appeared, her body had stiffened for a moment. It was only a momentary opening, but it was enough.
Fusing his mana and divine power together. Frey hadnt yet figured out the principles behind this phenomenon, which was a bit unpleasant for him.
Explore, analyse, and then make it your own.
This was a Wizards way of thinking.
However, although he didnt know the principles, his body still remembered the process. How to mix these two opposing forces.
Ah
Urd knew.
She hadnt wasted her thousands of years of life. She could tell with just a glance when her opponent was about to attack her.
As soon as Frey lifted his finger, she reacted.
She tried to lean back. But it was too late.
The strange thing wasnt Urd but the bolt of lightning that shot from Freys finger.
.
The white bolt appeared without a sound. To be precise, it far surpassed the speed of sound.
When the streak of lightning quickly covered the distance between them, Urd realised three things.
It was extremely powerful.
It would hit her.
And she couldnt avoid it.
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The sound of the electrical discharge was very loud. The entirety of Nempatal shook.
Frey frowned at the noise.
Although it was his attack, its power and speed far exceeded his expectations.
Is this really Indras real power?
Not the power of an Apostle, but the power of the Demigod, Indra.
He knew that lightning moved at a speed that far surpassed sound, but he didnt think it would be this much.
Even the Demigods with monstrous reflexes would not be able to avoid it. Frey was certain that even the fastest spell he could use wouldnt be as fast as this lightning bolt.
Drip.
Blood dripped from his finger.
Milleds power had caused the speed and strength of the lightning to increase significantly, but it wasnt without risk.
In this way, it was impossible for him to go wild and use it as he pleased.
If he didnt take the risk into account, he might end up burning his entire hand.
For some reason, Frey felt like his left hand would suffer a lot more in the future.
Sister!
Skuld screamed with a broken voice.
Urds body had kept its original shape.
However, she was in a miserable state. Her entire body was burnt black, and the chances that she was still breathing were very low.
It would be difficult for her to continue fighting.
Demigods dont have brothers and sisters.
Freys murmur was quiet, but Skuld still turned her head as she barely heard what Frey was saying.
You despicable human what do you know about us?
I know that youre quite shameless. You destroyed hundreds of families in this city today, so its really disgusting to see you acting like victims.
Shut up-!
Skuld lost all her reason and rushed forward.
She was filled with emotion, so she charged straight at him without any tricksfast but predictable.
These Demigods were certainly easy to deal with.
Pit.
The Absolute Line pierced through Skulds eyebrows.
Her body collapsed without any suspense. Unless it was Lord, Absolute Line would be fatal to any Demigod.
There was a hole in her head, which could be considered a vital point, so Skuld was as good as dead.
Nix stared at this sight and blinked a few times, still unable to process what she saw.
She didnt even have the time to heal!
By the time she realised what was happening, two Demigods had already died in front of her.
Of course, these two were weak when compared to other Demigods, but they were still transcendent beings.
But now, Frey had overwhelmed them! On his own!
Amazing
Nix couldnt help but stare at Frey with admiration.
But Frey didnt let down his guard.
It shouldnt have been this easy.
It was true that he had become stronger. It was true that the power of Indras lightning exceeded his imagination and that these three Demigods were much weaker than he expected.
Nevertheless, this was still too easy.
Except from the small wound on his index finger, he had no other injuries. And even that was caused by the backlash of his own attack rather than an attack from them.
Verdandy was silent. Both of her sisters had died, but she still stood there with a cold expression.
Frey didnt use his divine power or the power of Absolute. At that moment, he couldnt find any openings despite her immobile state.
Then, Verdandy started to cry.
I hate you. Because of you, human, our relationship as sisters has ended here.
What are you talking about?
Ahhh. For thousands of years, I was able to forget the loneliness because I never expected this place to become the scene of a tragedy.
Skuld and Urds bodies began to change. Their bodies became white light particles that were then absorbed into Verdandys body.
Absorption?
He couldnt figure out the details, but he knew it was dangerous. Frey immediately shot a bolt of lightning.
Pang!
But an invisible wall protected Verdandy.
Frey clicked his tongue.
Its hard.
With the power of Freys lightning bolt, even mithril would be pierced easily, yet this invisible barrier didnt receive a single scratch.
Nevertheless, he wouldnt simply watch with his hands at his sides.
This time, Ill use my full power.
Just as Frey was about to use his lightning once again.
Clang!
Verdandys entire body became frozen.
This wasnt a spell, and instead, spine-chilling cold seemed to appear from nowhere. It was divine power.
And from what Frey knew, there was only one Demigod with the power of ice.
Turning around, he found Elliah standing behind him.
She smiled at him and shrugged her shoulders.
Ah. I killed her. Does this mean my identity as a traitor is confirmed?
why are you here?
Im here for you. Ill tell you the details when we get back to my place, so follow me. Its dangerous here.
What are you talking about?
When Frey asked back a question instead of listening to her, Elliahs expression crumpled.
Theres no time to explain. Or would you like to see Lord face-to-face? Can you handle that?
Freys expression changed when he heard that.
Lord is coming to Silkid? Why?
How would I know? In any case, hurry up and make your decision. Were running out of time to erase our tracks.
Frey nodded as he swallowed the rest of his questions.
Then he turned to Nix.
Nix, come with me.
As Nix nodded and walked closer, Elliah clicked her tongue.
An Apostle?
Agnis Apostle.
Huh? Then why havent you killed her yet?
Didnt you say theres no time to explain?
Thats true.
Just as Elliah was about to activate space-time movement.
Wait. Theres one more person you have to take.
Youre really getting on my nerves. I dont think theyre in this city. Where are they?
Should be southeast from the city.
Frey recalled the direction Dro had walked in.
Eliiah clicked her tongue and they headed over there.
After heading south east for a little, Frey looked around.
He couldnt see anything.
That was what was strange.
There was no sign of Dro, let alone a Demigod. Not only that, there were also no signs of a fight.
There were only the hot winds blowing across the desert sand.
Elliah narrowed her eyes.
You said he was here, didnt you? Theres no one here.
No one?
Right.
Frey frowned and muttered.
He said that at least two Demigods were coming from this direction.
A lot of time hadnt passed. No matter how strong Dro was, it was impossible for him to destroy two Demigods in an instant.
Elliah suddenly closed her eyes.
She stayed that way for a moment before reopening them. Then she looked back and said.
There are no Demigods around here.
What?
Freys expression stiffened at Elliahs words.
To be precise, there arent even any traces of other Demigods. The only traces of divine power that I could find in a ten kilometer radius comes from you and the Nornir sisters. Are you sure you didnt hear it wrong?
Chapter 171 - Nornir (3)
Chapter 171 - Nornir (3) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Shortly after arriving at Elliahs hideout, Frey saw something that made him speechless.
It was someone he had never expected to meet again.
Isaka Blake?
He was still alive?
Isaka turned to look at Frey before looking away again. It seemed he was in a bad mood.
Frey wasnt sure what happened, but Isakas entire body was a mess. There was even a bright bruise on his face.
You dont even call me father anymore.
Well. It was also the same back then.
Isaka smiled deprecatingly.
Ignoring his words, Frey turned to Elliah.
Why is he alive? No. More than that, why is he here?
I brought him here. I think he could be useful in the future. Dont worry. By the time Ive finished training him, he wont dare mess around.
Isaka shuddered at the word training.
Recalling his power, Frey couldnt help but tilt his head.
You want to make him your Apostle?
I have no intention of making an Apostle.
Elliah snorted as she said those words.
Didnt you want to make Diablo your Apostle?
Do you think hes comparable to that Lich?
He wasnt. This was something Frey could be certain of. He didnt even have a good estimate of how powerful Diablo truly was.
Frey turned to look at Nix.
She looked exhausted. She really needed to rest.
Its safe here, so you can get some rest.
then Ill just rest for a little bit.
After giving a stiff nod, Nix went to a corner and crouched. Her posture reminded him of an animal sleeping.
Frey took off his robe and covered her body before turning around.
Isaka was still ignoring him.
Frey looked at Elliah and tried to say something, but she beat him to it.
Did you hear about the Kastkau Empires surrender?
no.
Frey was forced to swallow his words. As someone who had attained the stage of a heart and mind as calm as a lake, he wouldnt react violently no matter what happened. In fact, it would be strange if an Archmage like him could lose their composure easily.
Did the Empire fall?
It didnt fall. In fact, it didnt receive much damage at all. It wasnt like Geotanbul or the few cities in Silkid that were annihilated. We could say it was just eaten. I heard that it was officially declared at dawn yesterday. In that country, the Circle is no different from pagans and fugitives.
It had surrendered without suffering much damage.
Frey frowned.
Lord moved personally.
It means hes finally become serious. Congratulations. Youre the first person Ive seen to make Lord so angry.
Elliahs soulless compliment made Freys heart feel heavy.
There was a large number of circles staying within the Kastkau Empire. At least a third of the entire Circle.
As it was called the Magic Empire, it was natural for many people from the Circle to have come from there.
However, the empire they risked their lives to protect was now turning its back on them. The Circles members would not be able to accept this fact easily.
No.
That wasnt the only problem.
Every Circle member currently staying in the empire was in danger. After all, it was an imperial edict declared by the emperor himself.
It wouldnt be strange if punitive expeditions were carried out by Wizards and Knights of the Imperial family.
Furthermore, those who had ties with both the Circle and the Empire would be confused by their identities. There was even the chance that they would betray the Circle.
The chaos that would spread from this would soon shake the entire Circle.
In a sense, this situation was much worse than if several cities in Kastkau had been destroyed.
How did you know Lord was heading to Silkid?
I heard about it.
From who?
He didnt say it out loud.
There was only one person who could read Lords movements.
Anastasia had said it, and Frey agreed.
Iris.
Elliah didnt answer.
Frey could only let out a heavy sigh.
It was a name that always came up when he wanted to forget it.
And you believed it?
I didnt believe her at first. So I tried to read Lords movements myself. Looking at the situation, I guessed that he had a 90% chance of going there. Well, it felt like she intended for me to think that.
Elliah wrinkled her nose.
It was an unpleasant conversation. I felt like I was being led around.
That was to be expected.
It wouldnt be enough even if you called Iris eloquence excellent. Even the most eloquent speakers would not be able to read Iris intentions, and would just dance in her palm. (Note: Speech: 100)
But he didnt expect it to be so effective against Elliah, a Demigod.
As expected of Iris.
He had the urge to say those words with a wry smile.
Frey shook his head because he knew he couldnt do that.
Why did Lord go to Silkid? To help Agni completely conquer it?
If so, the situation would become much worse than he expected.
He didnt have the confidence to defeat Agni at that moment, but if Lord was to join him, then they would inevitably fail.
Even if he became twice as powerful as he was now, he wouldnt succeed.
But Elliah shook her head.
Thats impossible.
Why?
Because Silkid is Agnis territory, so he wouldnt try to touch it. Because it would be like touching Agnis pride right in front of him. He probably met Agni and asked for his understanding before he moved to Silkid.
Even though hes Lord?
Especially because hes Lord. Because he has to respect the rights and pride of the Demigods as much as possible.
Frey almost snorted at those words.
Respect their rights. That was the same as saying Silkid already belonged to Agni.
Iris said he went to look for something.
Went to look
Frey didnt know why, but the missing Dro came to mind at that moment. However, there was no conclusion to his suspicions since he didnt have enough information.
There were too few leads.
Then, Lord will leave after hes finished his business?
Probably.
I need to know exactly when he leaves.
Theres nothing to worry about. Iris said shed tell me.
Freys expression stiffened.
Tell you how?
She will come personally to tell me.
Why?
Nothing.
Didnt that mean that Iris was coming here?
He didnt like the thought of that. This was proof that he was still reluctant to accept reality.
But it couldnt be helped.
Instead, it would be better to treat this meeting as an opportunity.
I cant keep avoiding it.
He had to talk to Iris at some point.
As for the Nornir sisters I froze
Sisters.
Hearing the strangeness in Freys voice, Elliah scratched her cheek.
Uh Demigods dont really have family. Were each individual entities. Were not related by blood. Well, it can be argued that we were born from the same parent, but its true that we dont have any brothers or sisters.
The Will of the World.
If it could be considered a parent, then Elliahs words made sense.
Frey already knew the story. Riki had told him.
Elliah continued in a slightly strained tone.
That woman was a bit of a strange case. She was originally a single Demigod, but she separated into three.
thats possible?
Perhaps. She was the only one who managed to do it, so Im not sure. So she was unique.
Frey wasnt completely convinced, but he understood what she was saying.
This also explained why they were particularly weak compared to the other Demigods.
So when I go back to that place, she will be much stronger than she was? (Note: I made another mistake, mini explanation at the bottom)
Thats right. But I dont know just how strong she would be. I also dont know what power Norn has.
so its Norn.
I froze her with my power, but it wont last very long. A day at best.
Frey clicked his tongue.
A day was too short. But he couldnt complain.
Rather, he should be grateful that she was even able to buy him time even for a day. If it werent for her, he certainly wouldnt have gotten this chance.
Even if Lord returns to Kastkau. If Norn, whos returned to her original form, joins Agni, the fight in Silkid will be hopeless.
Frey nodded.
It was a cold statement, but it was the truth. In fact, it could even be called a fairly positive outlook.
The worst-case scenario would be the complete annihilation of the rebel forces before they were able to escape Silkid.
If that happened, then it would be over for the continent.
You have to kill Norn. Before she joins Agni.
Its not going to be easy, but-.
Just as Frey was about to continue, Elliah cut him off.
I cant help you. I had to run away today just to keep my life.
I dont want that. Rather, the help youve given me so far
Frey hesitated for a moment before saying what he wanted.
makes me wonder.
Hah. I thought you were going to say thank you.
Elliah gave a light snort at his words.
Can I ask you something?
What is it?
Why are you helping us?
Elliah fell silent.
Frey spoke with a quiet voice.
I heard the reason Riki betrayed the Demigods directly from his own mouth. It was a reason I could understand.
The doubts hed felt during his fight with Lucid, Lords interference, and the inner changes he experienced. Those all made sense.
But what about Elliah?
He only knew of one reason why she was helping them.
Rikis will. Is that really enough to stand by us?
ahaha.
Elliah burst into laughter. There was also a soft smile on her lips.
Frey became speechless for a moment because it was a smile shed never shown before. sea??h th N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
You are so dense.
What?
Frey fell silent at the unexpected remark.
Elliah smiled and said.
So ridiculously dense. I wonder if you could be a little sweet even to a woman youre in love with.
What are you talking about all of a sudden?
Elliah was no longer looking at Frey.
While seeming to look somewhere far away, she muttered.
That was all I needed.
She shook her head for a moment. Then, she seemed to come back to her senses as she said.
Lord might find Norn trapped in my ice. He will know Ive betrayed him, but he wont be able to melt it.
Ice that even Lord couldnt melt.
It was a statement that hinted at Elliahs powers.
The ice will melt after a day. By then, its likely that Lord will have left Silkid. So you can return tomorrow.
One day. A day in which he could do nothing.
Frey felt an itch in his throat.
Perhaps because the situation was urgent, a day felt like an eternity.
But he decided to change his thoughts.
In other words, this meant that he had a free day.
He could not let it pass in vain.
I have to take down Norn.
As soon as the ice melted tomorrow, she had to be removed before she could join forces with Agni.
It wouldnt be easy. But hed managed to find a lead.
It was his divine power.
Buzz.
Frey felt a gaze as he began combining his power of lightning and his power of Absolute.
It was Elliah.
Is that a combination of divine power and mana?
Right.
How?
I dont understand the principles behind it yet. Ill probably have to carry out concentrated research for a year before I can even begin to understand it.
And that was just his minimum estimate.
Your divine power has also increased by several times.
Because I absorbed Milleds crystal.
Elliah frowned.
You absorbed his crystal?
Right.
Hmm
Elliahs expression became serious.
Then she gestured to Frey.
Sit here. I need to take a look at your body.
Frey listened to her.
He also wanted to ask for advice on how to use divine power. After all, there were no beings more adept at using it than the Demigods themselves.
He sat on the chair and took off his coat.
Elliahs hands which rested on his bare back felt so cold that he almost mistook them for pieces of ice.
this shouldnt be possible.
Elliahs muttering could be heard.
After a while, Elliah lifted her palms with a complicated expression on her face.
Leyrin really made something amazing.
What do you mean?
Your divine power and mana are coexisting in harmony. Well. It appears to be stable at first glance but youre in an incredibly dangerous state right now.
Elliahs serious expression showed that she wasnt joking.
But Frey tilted his head.
It doesnt seem dangerous.
It was his body, so he knew its condition best.
At the moment, Freys body was in an extremely stable state. Using the combination of mana and divine power had a bit of risk, but it wasnt enough to be life threatening.
But Elliahs meaning was a little different.
The root of your power is mana.
Thats right.
Even when he was trapped in the Abyss as Lukas, his thoughts remained on mana, and when he acquired Freys body, this focus didnt change.
Therefore, calling mana his root was not wrong.
The two powers in your body. Mana and divine power. It doesnt matter if mana is more powerful. Because that is your root. But if its the other way around youve never had more divine power in your body before, have you?
Frey nodded.
Although his divine power grew rapidly, it was not enough to threaten the supremacy of his mana.
Right. Until recently.
The moment he had this thought, Freys expression changed.
Is this about the rapid growth of my divine power?
Im not sure about the details, but if you absorb another crystal, the balance will be broken. Your divine power will surpass your mana.
Elliah glanced at Isaka.
Isaka was only 7 stars, so it didnt really matter much at his level. He didnt have the power of Absolute. So he didnt have to be wary of his divine power.
But Frey was different. His mana had reached 9 stars and had manifested the power of Absolute.
His divine power was silent now. Because it knew it was too weak.
But if it found that it was powerful enough to consume the mana
If you absorb even one more crystal, the balance will be broken.
What exactly would happen if the balance broke?
As if she could read the question in Freys expression, Elliah continued.
At least, you would become a being that could no longer be called a Wizard.
Chapter 172 - Nornir (4)
Chapter 172 - Nornir (4) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
It felt like it had been a long time since theyd met.
When he had this thought, Agni couldnt help but feel a bit strange.
It hadnt even been a month since hed last spoken to Lord. And for Demigods, who had eternal lives, a month was not a long time at all.
Still, Agni couldnt help but feel that this month had been quite a long one.
Nevertheless, he hid his thoughts and asked.
What are you doing here, Lord?
[Im sorry, Agni. But you know I wouldnt just move around in your territory for no reason.]
Of course I do. Something must have happened. Im just curious. What exactly was it that brought you to Silkid?
Lord did not have the time for idle chat.
At the moment, he was dealing with the elimination of the Circle and the subjugation of the mortal countries, including Kastkau.
His territory was also several times larger than Agni, Nozdog, and Anantas. Especially after he took control of Leyrins territory.
[I came here to look for something.]
To look for something
Agni couldnt imagine what it could be.
He tilted his head.
Did you find it?
After falling silent for a moment, Lord finally said.
[No.]
That was unexpected.
Lord didnt manage to find what he wanted?
But Lord continued in a disinterested voice.
[But I dont care too much. Theres only a limited number of people who could do it.]
Well, it seems you already have it under control.
[Thats right. I just need to wait till their tail is long enough to step on.]
[By the way, the situation in Silkid doesnt seem to be going as smoothly as I expected.]
Two Demigods had already died. Lord probably knew that already, too.
Lord turned to look at Agni and said.
[If you dont mind, I can lend you a hand.]
No. I refuse.
Agni spoke firmly.
He knew Lords power. If he revealed himself, then the chaos in Silkid would not even last till nightfall.
But he would not ask for help. Doing so would only damage Agnis pride as a Demigod.
Therefore, it was completely unacceptable for him to allow Lord to do as he pleased in his territory.
Lord nodded as though he expected such a response.
[I see. Understood. Then, in that case, I hope you wrap things up nicely.]
Right. I will come to see you as soon as Im finished here.
Lord left with a nod.
Afterwards, Agni got up from his seat on the throne.
As he was talking face to face with Lord, Agni had noticed how his feelings had changed.
After hearing about what happened to Leyrin, he had been deeply troubled.
The reason why he hadnt made a move in Talhadun was because he wasnt sure about it. He didnt know what he wanted to do.
But at that moment, Agni had reached a conclusion.
Leyrins death was unfortunate, but there was no reason to betray Lord.
Following Lords will. That was the only meaning to their existence.
Im not like Riki.
As he thought this, Agni shook off the last of his hesitation.
There was no reason to be sloppy in the desert any longer. It was time to completely drive out the rats.
Lets go, my comrades.
Those around Agni stood up with him.
Even when hed been lost in his thoughts, Agni didnt stop listening to reports about the situation in Silkid. He knew the reason why the nearly destroyed country had yet to fully give in to them.
The Great Warrior Ivan.
The rebel focus had united around this man.
This meant it wouldnt be too hard.
As long as he crushed him, this country would submit to him.
* * *
You will no longer be a Wizard.
Frey couldnt stop thinking about the weight of those words.
Himselfnot a Wizard. He couldnt even imagine it.
Even though hed embraced many different things since hed become Frey Blake, Elliahs words were right.
Mana was still Freys foundation.
As for his thoughts about divine power.
Its a bit strange.
He thought of the Demigods Apostles. The crystal hed absorbed after killing one of them had allowed him to increase his mana.
Even at that time, hed felt that such a thing was vaguely contradictory.
Frey frowned.
Mana and divine power can replace each other.
Now, he had no choice but to accept this fact.
The theory that these two powers existed on completely different poles was indeed true. However, the idea that they could never be mixed and could never coexist might just have been a misconception.
Depending on how they were used, it was possible to increase or decrease their power.
Frey and Isakas bodies were proof of that.
Of course, the principle behind this had yet to be understood. It currently couldnt be explained.
This exploration dived so deeply that its outcome would be very hard to see with a mortal vessel.
Thats a matter to be considered another day, but not now.
Instead, what he had to think about now was how to make use of this fact.
Frey recalled Rikis crystal, which was still in his bag.
The divine power contained in that crystal was probably beyond description. After all, he was the uncrowned no. 2 among the Demigods.
The divine power of that being, who was at least a half step stronger than the other Apocalypses, was contained in that small bead.
If Frey were to absorb that bead, hed certainly become stronger. It was possible that his lightning power would even surpass Indras.
However, as Elliah said, he might lose his identity as a Wizard as a result.
It was possible that he would even lose his identity as a human.
Frey suddenly felt heavy.
He wanted to confront the Demigods with mana, spells, and magical science.
He wanted to beat them using the power of humans.
Is it really impossible?
In order to defeat the Demigods, he needed to steal their power. That was the only answer hed gained after agonising about it for a long time.
Frey felt frustrated at the futility of his situation.
Are you hesitating about using your divine power?
It was Isakas voice.
Frey turned to look at him.
The father and son didnt have an emotional reunion. After all, the last time they met, the two had tried to kill each other.
However, Frey felt nothing towards Isaka. And what was truly interesting was that Isaka looked at him in the same way.
Frey could feel the divine power in Isakas body.
Perhaps he was only second to the Demigods.
Its getting harder to use magic. On the other hand, my usage of divine power has become better than ever. Its not just that. Even my physical abilities have gained an overall improvement. With the way I am now, crushing rocks with my hands wouldnt be a challenge.
This meant that divine power didnt just exist as a form of energy, but it also had a deep influence on the rest of his body.
I will use this power to fight the Demigods. And I will kill them.
Arent you the Demigods subordinate?
Subordinate? If that was true, I wouldnt have betrayed them.
Isaka snorted coldly.
Then he muttered assertively.
I was just a puppet, no, even less than that.
Thats why I chose treason. I didnt think about the future. I couldnt afford to since I wasnt even sure what would happen to me. But no matter what I face in the future, I wont regret it. Because my opponents are now the Demigods.
After losing everything, the first thing Isaka felt was helplessness. Then anger at the ones who manipulated his life.
He could only move according to their wishes like a puppet attached to strings. There were times when he did things that he thought were according to his own will but turned out to have been organised by them behind the scenes.
If he had the chance to even deal the slightest blow to them, he was willing to throw away everything he had.
You are not Frey.
Isaka muttered.
Im not sure about the details, but Im certain of that. But it doesnt matter to me right now. All I care about now is that your fangs are sharp enough to tear through the Demigods throats.
He had already thrown away everything.
Isaka no longer considered himself as the Head of the Blake family or as a Wizard. It also didnt matter to him what Freys identity truly was. sea??h th n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
He didnt even care about the death of his wife, Leita(1).
If you intend to subdue the Demigods, I will help you.
After saying that, Isaka left.
Frey sighed.
(Note: The author really does a good job at humanising the side characters even the despicable ones we dislike.)
* * *
A day had passed.
After another hour, the ice surrounding Norn would melt.
It was at that moment when Iris arrived.
She looked the same as when hed last seen her, and when she saw Frey, she didnt show any reaction.
Frey couldnt help but feel that she was intentionally keeping her distance because of him.
In fact, Iris didnt turn her eyes away from Elliah.
Lord is gone.
Did he find what he was looking for?
No.
Iris shook her head.
What the hell was Lord even searching for in the first place?
Elliah was the one who asked the question, but Iris turned to look at Frey instead.
You would know.
Those words made Frey think of Dro.
The thought that he was the one Lord was looking for became more pronounced.
Is he with you?
Iris lowered her eyes for a moment. Then she turned to Elliah and said.
Id like to talk to him for a moment.
Elliah looked a bit displeased, but she soon sighed.
Go ahead.
Only Iris and Frey were left in the room.
It was Iris who opened her mouth first.
Do you trust me?
Frey would never have imagined that those would be her first words.
Iris didnt rush him.
She wasnt even looking at Frey. Instead, she kept her eyes on the floor.
Frey had a lot on his mind.
The things Iris had done and her current attitude began to blend and form an indescribable feeling in his chest.
I dont know.
Frey decided to avoid the question.
Iris fell silent for a moment.
She seemed to have forgotten everything she wanted to say. At least, until she lost her composure, Frey would be unable to know what she was thinking.
It was then.
[Summon me.]
Frey heard a heavy voice in his head.
It had been a long time since hed heard this voice. It was Asura.
He never contacted Frey first unless it was for a good reason.
Iris looked at Frey and said.
I kind of miss him. Asura. I cant believe you signed a contract with him. Huhu. In the old days, I never imagined
At that moment, Iris eyes became filled with emotion. But when that happened, Iris suddenly stopped talking before falling back to her originally cold attitude.
It seems he has something to say to me.
I think so. Hes asking me to summon him.
I dont mind.
Unlike when she spoke to Elliah, Iris was using a softer tone.
Frey summoned Asura, who appeared in a moderate size.
Its been a while, Asura.
Thats right. But I didnt come here to reminisce about the old days with you, Iris.
Asura looked down at Iris with a curious gaze.
You, what exactly did you do in the Demon World?
What are you talking about?
Dont pretend to be innocent. Do you think I wouldnt notice you running around with Lucifer?
Frey was surprised at those words.
It was really amazing that a human had managed to go to the Demon World, but if it were you, I could understand. Rather than that, Im more curious as to why you broke into the Despair Hell. It looked like you were trying to dig up something Kuku. Thanks to you, I got to enjoy seeing Barbatos mad.
Demon World, Dragon Lord, Dro.
Those three words began aligning themselves in Freys head and he looked at Iris with a firm expression.
Was she the one who took Dro to Silkid?
But I want to know what your goal was. You just dug up the ground before leaving. Werent you after the thing buried there?
Frey turned to look at Asura who continued with his seemingly curious tone.
Im talking about the giant Dragon. I cant believe I got the chance to see a Dragon in the Demon World. I cant even begin to imagine how long its been buried there. Lucifer is probably the only one who knows.
The Dragons corpse is still there?
Asura looked at Frey and shook his head.
Its wrong to call it a corpse. Its still alive.
What?
The words Asura said next were even more shocking.
We even had a short conversation. Then it fainted back into hibernation again.
Confusion blossomed on Freys face.
He even spoke to him in the Demon World?
Didnt that mean the Dragon Lord hadnt been fully released from the seal and awakened but was still there?
if so.
Then who was the black-haired man he met in the desert?
(Note:
1. Seeing this name again gives me such fond memories. Ill come clean to you guys. Freys mothers name is actually Letia. When I first put her name in a chapter, I mistyped it and ended up putting Leita. Later, I believe our editors might have seen me put Letia, but because the first occurrence was Leita and because silly Seven hadnt realised my mistake at that time, we used the name Leita for quite a few chapters. It was only after rereading a chapter one time that I realised the mistake, but at that point, I felt there was no point changing it. Hope this story gave you a couple chuckles.)
Chapter 173 - Nornir (5)
Chapter 173 - Nornir (5) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
I dont know what youre talking about.
Her tone was natural, but her face remained expressionless.
Asura snorted.
Im sure that even across the continent, no one has been exposed to divine power as much as you have. Except for the Demigods. I really want to cut your body in half, just once, to see how it looks inside.
Asura was right. Only he knew just how long Iris had been in contact with Lord.
Even if she had only accepted his divine power for a few hundred years, her body would have reached a state that was no longer human.
Is that all you wanted to say?
That was the main reason. I wanted to see your reaction. But since youre holding it in, then I have nothing more to say. Youre not the type of woman whod talk after being threatened.
Then the other reason?
Black smoke flowed out of Asuras mouth.
A warning. Dont mess around in my territory.
The smoke spread out in all directions, enveloping the entire room and causing the atmosphere to become heavy.
A ruler of the Demon World.
The power of his manifestation was limited, but his overbearing aura was the same.
I have respect for Lord Lucifer. And since you were my old contractor, I have some good feelings towards you. But that doesnt mean Ill let you do as you please in my place.
It was a warning not to do what shed done in Barbatos Despair Hell in his territory.
Asura meant those words.
He would definitely not allow people to come and go as they pleased in his territory without his permission.
I know, Asura. You dont think Id do something like that, do you?
Asura frowned.
He knew Iris well. In a way, he knew even more about her eloquence than her teammate, Frey.
Therefore, he could feel the strangeness in Iris words.
Tch.
He clicked his tongue.
If this woman decided to hide her thoughts, absolutely no one would be able to read her. Perhaps he had already been caught in her word trap unknowingly.
Im leaving.
After saying those words, Asura disappeared. It seemed hed already accomplished his goal and he didnt have any regrets.
Once again, Frey and Iris were left alone in the room.
This time, Frey opened his mouth first.
Dro had a Dragon Heart.
Dro?
After being puzzled for a moment, Iris realised what he meant and nodded.
That must be what you call him. Hmm. So what?
However, everything but the Dragon Heart was just a shell. Closer to a corpse or a Golem. Either way, Im sure that it was artificially created. So what the hell did you do to the Dragon Lords body?
The previous look in her eyes came and went in an instant. He couldnt guess what Iris was thinking.
She smiled and said.
I have no intention of answering that question. Were not that close, are we? Frey Blake.
She called him by his name and said things that put distance between them.
Frey felt that Iris attitude was different from before.
She had set up numerous thick, invisible walls with which to separate them.
Theres only one thing I want to say. Dont miss the opportunity when it comes.
Opportunity?
It means you shouldnt let yourself be swayed by personal affection or past relationships.
After saying those words in a meaningful tone, Iris stood up.
Then she disappeared without another word. With Lords ability to control space.
Frey sighed and left the room.
Elliah stood outside the door.
She hadnt been listening to their conversation, but her expression was stiff.
The situation is not good.
Whats the matter?
Agni has started moving in earnest. It seems he has made up his mind to conquer Silkid. Hes moving to get rid of the rebel forces as we speak.
Rebel forces. That meant Ivan.
Freys expression became hard as well. sea??h th NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
It would be a lie to say he didnt feel anxious at that moment.
Why now
The timing wasnt good at all.
It wasnt yet time. Snow, Nora, and Beniang were with Ivan now. There was also a large number of Warriors who came from all corners of Silkid.
But it still wasnt enough to face an Apocalypse.
Elliah, wont you help them at all?
As he asked this, Freys voice was more earnest than usual.
Elliah could also see Freys sincerity. So unlike before, she shook her head seriously and explained.
I cant. My participation alone would be justification for Lord to intervene. Lord already knows that Ive betrayed him. And if that happened, Agni would no longer turn down Lords help.
That meant he couldnt hope for Elliahs assistance. Lords participation in the war would lead to a situation that was many times more desperate than it was now.
Frey grit his teeth.
Nix, Isaka. You two should head to Ivan.
Huh?
Nix blinked quickly.
In this case, Isakas judgement was much faster than Nix, who knew nothing about the world.
You intend to deal with that Demigod, Norn, on your own?
Right.
Agnis Apostle, Nix, and Isaka, who had gained powers close to a Demigod. Their power was such that even Frey wasnt able to completely see through them.
They would be more than enough to reinforce Ivans group.
The original plan was for them to help him fight Norn, but the situation was currently too pressing.
That doesnt mean we can put off getting rid of Norn.
This meant there was only one option left.
Frey had to deal with Norn on his own.
* * *
Silkids Great Chief, Tuarik, looked at the back of the man in front of him.
A well trained body and hair reminiscent of a lions mane. More powerful than these, however, was his gaze.
Great Warrior Ivan.
The man in front of him was the man who had such a title resting on his shoulders. Thats why he entrusted the future of Silkid to him.
He thought that Ivan might have been able to change the countrys catastrophic end.
Is it an illusion?
Tuarik couldnt help but wonder.
The Warriors brought by Tuarik and the Warriors who followed Ivan. They added up to a total of 500.
Although this number was not enough to defeat the Demigods, it was still enough to show that they hadnt given up the fight. In the future, they would travel all over Silkid and gather even more fighters.
Tuarik believed in Silkids proud warriors.
Most Warriors would join the Great Warrior with bright smiles on their faces.
Unfortunately, his hopeful predictions ended as mere predictions. There was one thing that Tuarik had overlooked.
They didnt have enough time.
[Submit.]
Agni looked down at Tuarik as he said those words.
At the same time, two hundred elite Warriors were burned to death. The only good thing was that they died before they could even begin to scream.
At least they didnt feel any pain.
[And I will spare your lives.]
Agnis voice was plain.
Tuarik grit his teeth as he said.
is this why you spared my life?
When Agni didnt respond, Tuarik shouted out more violently.
Was your real intention to destroy the Warriors who I would go around Silkid to gather!
[Not really. Great Chief. At that time, I was still hesitating, but Im not any more.]
He said that as though it explained everything, but they didnt understand.
They didnt want to understand.
Just as Tuarik was about to shout again, Ivan took a step forward.
Tuarik paused.
He realised. He had been mistaken.
He didnt calm down, but the voice he spoke with next was much more stable.
Im the Great Chief of Silkid, but Im not the representative for the Warriors gathered here.
[Then?]
This man is our leader. He will decide on your proposal.
Then Agnis eyes turned to Ivan. He had not raised an eyebrow even when two hundred warriors had been burned.
Agni nodded slowly.
This showed that he respected Tuariks words.
He already knew who this man was. The man who had risen rapidly on the hopes of the Warriors.
[Great Warrior Ivan. Submit.]
Ivan, who was looking at Agni, suddenly folded his arms. His expression remained unchanged.
I hate you.
Agnis expression changed.
His entire body was made of flames, but it was clear that his eyebrows had furrowed.
[Do you think you can win?]
How could I know if I dont even try?
When Ivan said those words, a ripple went through the Warriors behind him. Snow let out a low laugh.
We at least know one thing. Youre weaker than Riki.
They knew Riki.
It wasnt strange. Because all the Demigods knew he was a traitor.
It wouldnt be surprising for him to have deep relationships with some humans.
But such a statement was offensive to Agni. His body swelled to twice its size in an instant. The heat he gave off even warmed the cool dawn in the desert.
But soon, that heat died down.
[Right.]
What?
[I am weaker than Riki.]
As soon as he admitted this, Ivans eyes narrowed.
Agni continued in a hazy voice.
[From the day the first brick was laid on this barren land, I watched on.]
This desert was Agnis territory. On it, countries were built, destroyed, and then rebuilt.
Hed seen this countless times already.
[Those who gathered in the Amakan were naturally strong. But Im not sure if it was the barren land that made them or called them. So I know. That you all wont give in easily. But it would have been better if things had gone smoothly.]
Agni let out a laugh.
[I said a lot of unnecessary things. In any case, I welcome this struggle. And you will learn.]
What will we learn?
[How strong a Demigod who is weaker than Riki is when compared to you.]
At that moment, two Demigods appeared in the distance before coming to a stop not too far from Agni.
Ivan frowned.
So there are more.
[no.]
Agni was strangely surprised.
[I didnt bring any of my subordinates.]
They had all been sent to subjugate the cities that hadnt yet submitted.
The only Demigod whod come here was Agni.
Ivan looked at the two who were close to Agni. Because of the divine power that they gave off, he thought they were Demigods, but when he looked closely, he saw that the person on the left was a familiar looking red-haired woman.
Huh, the girl who wanted to die
And the man on the right was also family.
And an old Frey?
Isakas expression became unpleasant as he heard those words, but he kept it in as he recalled why he was here.
We came here to help you, Ivan.
Who are you?
Reinforcements sent by Frey.
Huh. Then what about Frey?
It was Nix who answered this time. She spoke with confidence.
Hell be here soon.
* * *
The ice around Norns body began to melt and crack.
Frey was standing in front of her.
If he broke the ice now, then he could kill Norn. This childish thought appeared in his mind for a little, but he knew it wasnt true.
Instead, it would only let Norn out ahead of time.
Norn, the true identity of the three Nornir sisters.
Even Elliah didnt know how strong she was.
He didnt think she was, but if she happened to be on par with an Apocalypse
Frey recalled Rikis crystal that was still in his bag as well as the question Isaka had asked him.
[Are you hesitating about using your divine power?]
He was hesitating.
But the fact that he still had to add it to his options remained unchanged.
He had to win. Losing here was completely unacceptable.
Hed sent Nix and Isaka to help Ivan, but he didnt think they would be able to defeat Agni.
To kill him, he also had to be present.
I have to win on my own.
Suddenly.
As if it noticed his thoughts, Frey noticed a sign in the sky.
Thats
Freys eyes shined.
Frey noticed something that left a long trail like a meteor. To be precise, it wasnt a meteor but something that was moving as fast as a meteor.
Bang!
It slammed into the ground with a loud sound. Of course, the actual range of damage wasnt very wide.
It was small in size in the first place, and it wasnt like it was descending from orbit.
Where are you headed like that?
Frey was unable to stop himself from laughing at the sight of a girl walking towards him, covered in dust.
Id detected a trace around here, but it suddenly disappeared Thanks to you, I was lost for a really long time.
Anastasia brushed the dirt from her body.
Then she turned to Frey and asked.
Am I late?
No.
Crack crack!
At that moment, the ice that surrounded Norn was completely broken.
Youre right on time.
Chapter 174 - Nornir (6)
Chapter 174 - Nornir (6) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
(Note: Mini disclaimer before we jump into it, the author never actually stated what gender Norn was and they werent very consistent with the pronouns used, switching constantly between male and female. I simply stuck to female pronouns in order to help the flow because Norn was originally three girls. So keep this in mind in case we learn that Norn was actually genderless or male in the future.)
The first thing that Verdandy No, the first thing that the Demigod, who had become a singular entity called Norn, saw when she opened her eyes was a fist.
Paak!
Norn didnt understand what happened.
She only felt the pain after flying dozens of meters away and colliding heavily with the ground.
Ah.
And when Norn uttered her first sound, Anastasia, who had hit her, had closed in on her once again.
Anastasia clenched her fist.
Anastasias fist was as small as one would expect from a girl her age, but the power contained within it was beyond comprehension.
Papapa!
Anastasias successive attacks sounded like claps of thunder. The ground was upturned as if it was continuously hit by cannonballs rather than blows from hands and feet.
Norns body was like a small sailboat being swept around in a storm.
It was only as she was about to receive the 26th blow that she came to her senses.
Hwik.
She dodged.
Seeing this, Anastasia clicked her tongue. She felt that her fun from the surprise attack had come to an end.
She looked at Norn who stood in the distance with a blank expression on her face.
At first glance, she looked like a total mess, but that wasnt actually the case.
Anastasias attacks didnt seem to have much of an effect on Norn.
The martial art technique she used was the Warrior Kings Fist, and her skill level wasnt low. Moreover, her power output of 1 million ME was more than enough to make up for any clumsiness in her actions.
What was unusual was the Demigods abilities.
She preferred close combat before merging.
Anastasia tilted her head as she heard Freys voice.
Before merging?
She was originally split into three.
huh. This is the first time Ive heard of a Demigod being able to do that.
Its true.
Elliah, who was also a Demigod, had said it was something that had never happened before.
Frey looked at Norn, who was still standing there blankly, and said.
Those punches just now werent your full strength, were they?
Right, but I need time to use something stronger. And that doesnt mean the power of my attacks would double.
Anastasia shrugged.
That means Ill have to build it up. Its not my style, but I guess Ill take on Kasajins role.
No. Get the thought of replacing Kasajin out of your head. Lucid is the one you should imitate now.
She shouldnt use Kasajins style just because she used the Warrior Kings Fist.
That mans violent fighting style was built almost entirely on ones instincts, and it was not something that was easily imitated. Even if it might be possible to do it when fighting two against one, in a one-on-one situation, such a thing was impossible.
But Lucid was different.
He remained level-headed regardless of the situation.
As long as he had Indras lightning and the power of Absolute, they had enough firepower. All they needed was defense and pressure.
Anastasia began laughing.
Haha! How interesting. Using Lucids style together with Kasajins martial arts.
Dont complain for just two people. I have to take on the role of the Great Sage and Black Witch as well.
Kuku. That shouldnt be a problem for the Great Mage.
Frey and Anastasia met each others gaze.
Its been 4,000 years since we fought together. Whats the plan?
Dont overdo it. Go into battle with the thought that if you die, the formation will collapse.
Anastasia snorted.
You dont need to scare me. Even if one of us dies, its not the end. Things are not as bad as they were back then.
No. Its the same as back then.
She was silent this time.
Right.
If one of them collapsed, it would mean total annihilation.
She gave a bright smile.
Ill keep it in mind Then, lets do it.
Taht.
Following the sound of her feet tapping against the ground, Anastasia quickly closed the distance between herself and Norn.
She stretched out her fist.
It was quick and merciless.
This time, it was a single blow, not a series. In fact, both the strength and concentration placed in this blow were completely different from the previous ones.
It had the power to instantly shatter even the well trained, muscular body of a Magic Warrior.
Norn simply avoided this fist.
Anastasias eyes changed.
She was certain that Norn couldnt see her. Her eyes didnt even twitch.
This meant that she didnt rely on sight.
This was certainly strange, but after all, she was a Demigod. If one was to point out the strange parts, there would be no end to it.
But still.
She felt uneasy.
Anastasia inwardly swallowed.
It was not the combat Golem Anastasia but the Great Sage Schweiser who was currently feeling a sense of crisis.
Something is different.
Shek.
She launched three more attacks.
Every time she attacked, the unease grew stronger. It didnt make sense. She couldnt land a single hit.
To put it bluntly, she didnt come close to touching her even once.
In the meantime, the thing that was bothering her was the fact that Norns eyes were still blankly staring into space.
Pak.
Suddenly, she was caught by her collar.
Anastasia couldnt help but freeze for a moment in shock.
What was that move just now?
Norn didnt seem to care about Anastasias struggles and instead created a spear in her other hand.
Crackle!
Norn quickly stepped back.
A flash of lightning then appeared between the two of them.
Frey narrowed his eyes as he looked at Norn, who appeared in the distance.
She avoided my lightning?
The bolt of lightning from Freys hand moved at a speed that was much faster than the speed of sound. (Note: I noticed it before, but the author might have some wrong ideas about the speed of light and sound)
And he realised that it was almost impossible to avoid, even with the Demigods monstrous reflexes.
When Norn avoided the lightning so easily, an unpleasant premonition flashed in Freys mind. From what he could see, the difference in physical ability between Norn and Anastasia was not large.
However, Anastasia was not doing well despite being so close to her.
He was at a distance, so he was able to see what was going on more clearly. Norn moved as though she knew exactly where Anastasias fists would go.
Is it a prediction ability?
He couldnt be sure.
Frey decided to confirm whether his thoughts were correct.
Hyper Bolt.
He used the 6 star spell that was a strengthened and reinforced version of an Energy Bolt. It might have been insufficient to deal with a Demigod, but it wasnt a spell that was intended to kill Norn in the first place.
Dozens of Hyper Bolts shot towards Norn at the same time.
What he needed to do now was pay attention to what happened next.
Ching.
Norn shattered the first Hyper Bolt with the tip of her spear.
Anastasia was inwardly shocked.
While it was certainly just a 6 star spell, these Hyperbolts were still cast by Frey, the 9 star Great Mage.
Yet Norn had broken this spell as if it was just a snowball flying towards her.
But that was just the beginning of Norns performance.
Papapat.
Norns movements began accelerating.
Freys expression hardened.
It wasnt an illusion. Her movements were definitely getting faster.
She neither used any technique nor concealed her power before.
The situation was much worse than that.
Shes adapting.
Perhaps Verdandys consciousness was slowly accepting the newly formed body of Norn. Sar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
That wasnt good.
At first, she stood still and blocked all the Hyper Bolts that he sent to her, but now, she was moving a little.
Her pace was also becoming faster and faster, and before he knew it, she disappeared.
In the blink of an eye, Norn blocked all the Hyper Bolts and greatly shortened the distance between them.
Kuk!
Anastasia was forced to step up once again and engage in close combat with Norn.
Frey stayed back and kept his eyes on Norns movements.
Its not prediction.
In order to predict your opponents movements, it was necessary to keep your eyes on them. Their overall gestures, hand movements, and the movements of their muscles were all important factors.
However, in order to understand the true meaning behind your opponents actions, it was necessary to pay attention to their faces, especially their eyes.
The more skilled the martial artist was, the more they would be able to see from their enemies eyes and the better they would be able to distinguish between true and false movement.
This was a rule that not even Riki, a being who stood at the peak of Demigods, could escape.
But Norn was different.
She continued to stare at nothing, yet she was able to predict her opponents movements even better than Riki.
Dozens of Hyper Bolts, each with their own attack patterns, were unable to even touch her.
Its not prediction.
Frey had this thought once again.
But he wasnt sure exactly what ability she had.
He had to find out more.
Woowoong-
Frey took out the Great Sages Staff.
Since she could even avoid Indras lightning, then even if he used the Absolute Line, it would be hard for him to hit her.
So first, he needed to figure out just how large the range of her defense was.
The Great Sages Staff.
It was a magic tool that made his spells more powerful, but it could not affect the power of Absolute. That was why Frey didnt use the staff during his fight with Milled.
Step back a little.
There was no need to shout. With Anastasias hearing, she could easily hear this murmur.
When she heard Freys order, she nodded and moved away from Norn.
Hells Rain.
With just this soft whisper, an 8 star spell was cast.
Kugugu-
Blood red clouds formed in the sky. From these clouds, red droplets that were highly acidic and incredibly toxic would begin to fall.
It wasnt a spell that could kill Demigods outright, but it also wasnt something that they could just ignore.
Hed deliberately chosen such a large-scale spell that was difficult to avoid.
How will she deal with this?
Frey paid attention to Norns movements.
Just before the rain reached the ground, Norn bent her knees slightly.
Taht.
Then her body bounced up like a spring.
Freys expression became one of shock. It wasnt just him either as Anastasia made a similar expression.
Paht!
Divine power burst out from Norns spear. This divine power then crashed into the blood red clouds.
Fwoosh!
Her divine power completely shredded the red clouds to pieces.
These were artificial clouds that had been created with mana. But now, they had been destroyed before the liquid in them could even be released.
Frey was several times more shocked than when she had blocked his Hyper Bolts.
How?
Norn had just perfectly destroyed his Hells Rain. Ripping the clouds apart before the blood red rain was even allowed to fall.
It was the only way to block Hells Rain in advance.
This wasnt something that could be learned just from having experience fighting Wizards. Moreover, neither Urd, Skuld, nor Verdandy had shown any familiarity to magic the day before during their fight with Frey.
Nevertheless, Norn had just moved without hesitation as though she already knew the weakness of Hells Rain.
!
Frey was suddenly struck by a thought.
No way, was Norns power
She could see.
Information about the past, present, and future constantly flowed in her head.
At first, this information was mixed up, so she didnt know how to handle it, but she was gradually getting used to it.
She could see what movements her opponent would take. And in the future, she would become stronger and stronger.
If she could control this power perfectly, it was possible that she would be on par with Agni.
Ahh.
But Norn still shed tears.
The feeling completely could not cover the feeling of losing her family. What was more, she was afraid of the loneliness that she would feel in the future.
Her eyes turned to the grey-haired Wizard.
This was the only person in the world on whom she could vent her negative emotions.
Frey Blake.
She would never forgive him.
Chapter 175 - Choice and Awakening (1)
Chapter 175 - Choice and Awakening (1) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
She can see it.
This was Freys conclusion.
He wasnt sure about the details, but he was certain Norn saw Anastasias attacks and what spells he would use before they were cast.
Can she see the future?
Or was it a similar ability?
Although it might have been possible to read Anastasias movements, Hells Rain was much harder to predict.
This was a difficult opponent.
They were completely unable to even scratch Norn with normal attacks.
In terms of physical ability, she was on par with Anastasia, but the problem was that Norn was getting progressively faster.
The moment she became accustomed to her strength, the delicate balance theyd created would be broken.
And Anastasias defeat would certainly mean Freys death.
Crack!
Kuk!
Anastasia grunted as a spear stabbed into her shoulder.
She frowned and grabbed it.
Norn opened her mouth for the first time.
Youre struggling.
She lifted her spear.
Like a fish stuck to a harpoon, Anastasia went with it.
Then, she was slammed into the ground in that state.
Bang!
The ground was made of sand, but that did nothing to cushion the impact.
With an unimaginable scream, Anastasia coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Suddenly, Absolute Line shot out from Freys hand. Combined with Indras power, this attack moved faster than anything else.
Nevertheless, Norn dodged this attack without even looking at it.
She made it seem easy to avoid the rays of light that surpassed the speed of sound. (Note: *sigh*)
I have to limit Norns movements somehow.
What could he do?
The opponent was a Demigod who was probably only a little below the Apocalypses. The higher her level, the higher her general abilities were.
Their bodies durability and resistance were no lesser when compared to monsters. Sear?h the N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
No spell below 7 stars would work.
That meant he had to use 8 star spells.
Hells Rain failed once already. There was no need to use it again.
Another Sun, Tornado, Ice Age, Mantle Rage.
Most 8 star spells had monstrous ranges. Not only would Anastasia be included, but even those still in the city would be in danger.
There might still be survivors in the city, so he wouldnt willingly endanger them for no good reason.
Frey suddenly had a thought.
If the range was too wide, why not shrink it?
Ill condense it.
Whoosh-
Ice started forming on his palm.
Norn looked at him for the first time.
Then, she threw Anastasia away and rushed towards Frey.
Do you think Id let you go so easily?
Anastasia rushed after her.
The wound on her shoulder had already healed completely. The formidable amount of ME in her magic core healed the damage almost instantly.
Some energy would be lost as a result, but this was a Golem body created by the best alchemists on the continent.
Its unbelievably efficient!
Even if her body pierced 100 times, she would be able to recover instantly.
Even while using magic martial arts and imitating Lucid.
Anastasia remembered Freys advice.
She couldnt move exactly like Lucid. All she could remember was the reassurance she felt whenever Lucid stood in front of her.
Wizards were usually full of flaws when casting spells or planning strategies.
It couldnt be helped.
There were moments when they had to desperately focus on making a plan, especially in the middle of fierce battles where one couldnt even predict what would happen next.
But Lukas, Schweiser, and maybe even Iris never had to worry about their flaws.
Because Lucid was there. Because they could be completely confident that he would stand in front of them and protect them.
I have to let him feel the same.
She had to assure Frey he was safe.
Only then would he be able to make use of his abilities more perfectly.
The moments when the Great Mage, Lukas Trowman, stood out the most, was when he could display his resourcefulness and tactical capabilities on the battlefield.
Anastasia believed in Frey.
So now, she had to make Frey believe in her too. That was her sole responsibility.
Pwak!
Suddenly, an explosive chill hit Norn.
Anastasia couldnt help but look at this scene with a blank expression.
That spell
She was certain.
The range was much shorter, but this was without a doubt the 8 star spell Ice Age.
Anastasia couldnt help but give an absurd smile.
Modifying a spell that was already created?
This was none other than an 8 star spell. Hundreds of Wizards would have been needed to modify it.
Yet on this battlefield, in the blink of an eye, hed boldly carried out such a risky modification and succeeded perfectly!
Hahaha!
As expected.
We needed you, Lucas.
Norn didnt avoid the cold.
Instead, she gathered her divine power at the tip of her spear. It was the same method she used for Hells Rain.
She once again planned to destroy Freys spell head-on.
8 star spells, which looked like forces of nature at first glance, were just miracles created with mana. However, they could be destroyed with a higher concentration of divine power.
In truth, Norns judgement was correct. Unfortunately, there was something she overlooked, Anastasia.
To be exact, she overlooked the power Anastasia was hiding.
After all, even she, who could see the future, could not make decisions instantaneously.
Anastasia suddenly accelerated.
Paak!
For the first time since the surprise attack at the beginning, she managed to land a blow.
Norns brain shook violently because of the attack.
She was stunned for a moment, but her resilience as a Demigod showcased itself at that moment as she quickly came back to her senses.
However, Freys Ice Age was already upon her.
Shek!
The Ice Age that shot out from Freys fingers froze Norns body in an instant.
The rage of Norn, who had been frozen once again, erupted like a volcano.
You cant freeze me again!
It wasnt possible. Not unless he had Elliahs power.
But hed still tied her down. That much was unavoidable.
Piht.
The attack pierced her, but Frey clicked his tongue.
She had twisted her body to the limit just before it reached. Originally, he had been aiming for her heart, but he only managed to pierce her left shoulder instead.
Of course, it was still a meaningful blow.
At least it meant that she wouldnt be able to use her left arm for the rest of this battle.
Nevertheless, it was a shame.
That power isnt something you can handle!
The ice broke following Norns outraged roar.
But Anastasia prevented her from acting impulsively and charging towards Frey.
Frey also realised that Anastasias movements were much lighter and faster now.
Did she increase the output?
Probably.
The inherent power within her was 1 million ME, and the ME expended to perform simple actions was almost insignificant. But if it was such a tough fight, then it would be a completely different story.
Its at least 10,000 ME per minute.
Her fists contained enough strength to destroy a castle. So that much consumption was inevitable.
However, the problem was that Anastasia had increased her output. While her physical ability might have increased accordingly, it was a double edged sword.
Considering the ME shed consumed so far, no one knew just how much she would be able to fight in the future.
But she still decided to take the risk.
Norn was strong. She was an enemy whom Frey and Anastasia would not have been able to deal with in the past, so she had to use this opportunity.
At the moment, she was still not completely used to her body. So this was the perfect chance to take the upper hand.
Anastasias judgement was correct.
Bam bam bam!
Norn and Anastasia engaged in a brutal melee battle. One with her fists and the other with a spear, they destroyed the buildings around them like they were simply sandcastles.
Despite the dust cloud they created, Frey could see that Norn was at a disadvantage.
This was inevitable.
She had to deal with Anastasias sudden increase in power, her left shoulder injury, and Freys harassment.
This is our chance to win.
All that was left was to find a flaw.
After using his spells to disturb Norns concentration and force an error, he would be able to use Absolute Line to end the battle.
He was certain that he wouldnt miss this time.
!!
His instincts screamed.
Puk.
But a dagger stabbed him in the back before he was able to fully register what was happening.
Luckily, hed managed to twist himself in order to make it miss any vital spots, but his back was still wounded.
Frey stumbled.
That wasnt all. He felt something approaching him.
It wasnt Norn. She was still locked in combat with Anastasia.
Crackle!
Electricity was released from his body, forming a membrane around him. Something hit his Lightning Barrier immediately after.
Frey took a deep breath while looking at the man who had appeared.
The man pretended to brush dust off of his clothes as he said.
Youre pretty amazing for a human. Did you sense my divine power at that moment?
are you also a Demigod?
Thats right.
He was a strangely small, ugly-looking boy. Probably not more than 100cm tall.
His back was hunched, and his nose was long. His eyes were long slits.
His appearance was more similar to that of a Demon or an Imp rather than that of a Demigod.
The Demigod smiled and said.
Youre probably the core of the mortals. Lords judgement wasnt wrong.
Lord?
He brought me to this desert.
Frey looked confused, but the Demigod, Sunsir, didnt feel like elaborating.
He was a being who could move in the shadows, and even other Demigods were unable to find him. On the continent, Lord was the only one who could see through his cover.
Even Agni didnt know that Sunsir was in the desert.
Sunsir looked at Frey.
He was definitely extraordinary. At the final moment, he had sensed his divine power and managed to avoid the fatal blow.
This was something that even some Demigods were unable to do.
Originally, his dagger wouldve been stuck right in his heart.
Sunsir was Lords most covert weapon. His hidden dagger.
In fact, most Demigods didnt even know of his existence.
So at first, he wondered. Should he reveal his presence just to kill a human?
He felt it was a bad choice.
However, when he saw this human for himself, that thought quickly disappeared.
This guy is dangerous.
Norn had returned to her original form.
In this form, her strength was comparable to an Apocalypses. So at first, Sunsir simply observed the situation.
Because he thought she would be able to defeat these two in an instant.
After all, they were fighting against a Demigod, a powerful one at that. But in the end, he was made witness to the strange scene of these two people suppressing Norn.
Therefore, Sunsir stepped up.
If he remained in the shadows, Norn would certainly be defeated.
Goodbye.
Sunsir muttered softly.
Just as Frey was about to respond, his body shook heavily and he felt the world begin to spin.
The blade I cut you with is covered in Anantas poison. Theres nothing you can do about it, Wizard.
Even Sunsirs voice had become very faint.
Frey couldnt believe it.
He never imagined something like this could happen.
A Demigod who hid his power and specialised in sneak attacks? Did he ever calculate such a possibility?
Kuh
He didnt think so.
He didnt know where his thoughts came from, but he felt disbelief at his current situation.
He was just going to die here? In such vain?
It was a completely unthinkable end.
Frey clenched his jaw.
He desperately tried to hold on to his fading consciousness, but it wasnt working.
He felt the taste of blood on his tongue, but despite biting his lip so hard, there was no pain.
He felt his entire body become paralysed.
He felt his consciousness sink.
Frey fell forward, and Sunsir walked towards him.
This human was extremely dangerous, so he intended to assure his death.
His mission would be over when Anastasia, who was fighting against Norn, was also killed.
However, Sunsir suddenly stopped walking.
Paat.
Light seemed to gush out of Freys body.
No, it wasnt his body.
The light came from the bag hanging at his waist.
(Note: *squeals in excitement*)
Chapter 176 - Choice and Awakening (2)
Chapter 176 - Choice and Awakening (2) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Shortly after Frey woke up, he realised that the place he was in was not real.
It was his mental world.
Frey was floating there.
Youve reached your limit.
Then, he heard a voice.
Turning around, he saw a man with shining blonde hair and a beard.
Hed seen this face before.
Right.
Hed only seen the face.
This was the Demigod, Indra, whose head Riki had brought and shown him. He was currently looking at Frey with a cold smile.
You worked pretty hard for a human. However
Boom!
Frey didnt even get the chance to scream.
It was as if every cell in his body cried out at the same time.
Frey thought he had developed a strong tolerance for pain, but the pain he felt from the bolt of lightning was beyond imagination.
That doesnt change the fact that youre mortal.
You cant defeat the Demigods.
Puk.
An arrow was shot into Freys charred body, causing it to spaz and convulse.
It was Milled who had made his appearance this time.
You guys
Frey tried to use a spell.
However, his mana refused to move.
His expression hardened. He recalled what happened just before he lost consciousness.
The feeling that he couldnt even move a muscle was still vivid.
Reality and the mental world were closely connected.
This was inevitable.
After all, this was where Freys consciousness resided.
That was why he could not move as he desired. The situation in reality was affecting him even now.
Hahaha! Theyre quite interesting, those memories of yours. Right so you turned out to be the Great Mage Lukas Trowman.
The tenacity to not give up even after being trapped in the Abyss. Id say you were worth a lot just because of that.
Was it possible that their egos* existed in the mass of energy known as divine power? Or vice versa? (Note: Ego here meaning their sense of self)
Or was this all just an illusion?
He wasnt sure, and he couldnt continue that line of thought because his mind was hazy from the pain.
You didnt think youd completely absorbed the divine power, did you?
Or did you think we Demigods would easily give our strength to a mortal like you?
The Demigods approached Frey while asking these questions.
You wont be able to make a comeback this time. Itll be different from that time in the Abyss.
Because were going to tear your mind apart. Itll be in such a miserable state that you will never be able to put it back together.
Then, well use your disgusting body.
You should be grateful. Kukuku
They wanted to take his body?
Dont talk rubbish.
Frey wanted to shout those words. But he couldnt even open his mouth.
First, lets see if we can destroy your mind.
I wonder how long youll last.
With those words, torture that Frey had never experienced in his life began.
Time passed.
How much time had passed?
Frey had no idea.
He thought hed get used to the pain, but he didnt. Indras lightning wasnt just burning Freys body.
Every time the lightning struck, it cut Freys soul.
Once, twice. No, even if it happened dozens or even hundreds of times, he would be fine.
However, when that number changed to thousands and tens of thousands, it became a different story entirely.
Youre a monster.
It was Indras voice.
But he didnt hear what he said.
Boom!
The lightning struck once again. And he felt the pain once again.
Frey wished the Lightning wouldnt strike him any more.
If you were any other human, your ego would have already crumbled by now.
It doesnt matter. He seems to be at his limit.
Frey was confident that he wouldnt break.
He thought that his mental power was stronger than anything else.
However, they werent trying to break Freys soul.
Theyre trying to get rid of my ego.
His consciousness had already drifted many times by now.
Frey knew what that meant.
They were trying to remove Freys image from this mental world. (Note: T~T the author keeps using words with similar meanings and its really hard to translate it properly) Sarch* The n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
This meant that Freys ego was dying.
Their plan was to destroy Freys spirit.
No way. Absolutely not.
Frey struggled.
He had the confidence that he would never back down.
However, being broken was a different story.
The next one.
He was certain.
If he was hit again, Frey would lose consciousness.
That was it.
The two Demigods would then take control of his empty body.
Goodbye.
Indras voice sounded out again, and Frey was sure it was the last thing hed hear.
The lightning didnt come.
No. That wasnt all.
The atmosphere suddenly changed. For the first time, silence lingered in the mental world.
Then he heard the sound of footsteps. Footsteps that didnt belong to either Indra or Milled.
There was another person in this world.
how?
Who was he looking at?
Frey wasnt sure.
His eyes had been burned. But his vision was slowly returning. This was only possible because it was the mental world.
As soon as he saw the man standing in the distance, Frey forgot how to speak.
Indra roughly chewed out some words.
How can you be here?
Answer me! Riki!
Riki didnt answer.
Chuk.
As always, he only drew his sword.
* * *
Boom!
A thunderstorm raged around Indra. This wasnt a Lightning Barrier.
It wasnt a curtain, but instead, it had become a pillar of lightning.
This was the first time Frey had seen something like this,
It was probably because the Apostle, Lukes, did not have the power to use such an ability before he died.
Frey thought about the principles behind it.
Paht.
Indras figure disappeared.
Freys eyeballs had finished regenerating, but he still couldnt follow his movements.
It was truly a scary scene.
He was clearly moving at the speed of light.
A thunderstorm raged in the mental world. Lightning striking down everywhere.
Standing in the center of this storm made Rikis situation appear precarious. But there was nothing to worry about.
If this man was really the Riki Frey knew, then there would be no problem.
Riki didnt change his stance. He simply stood there with his eyes staring off into the distance, his sword hanging at his side.
Then, his eyes turned to his left.
In that instant, it was as if the thunderstorm that had been crashing down all around him had stopped.
Riki drew a diagonal line with his sword.
And after a brief sound, the dark clouds scattered and the lightning went away.
[How]
It was Indras voice.
However, his appearance was very different from before he disappeared. His entire body appeared to be made out of lightning.
Frey realised that it was the transcendent body that some of the Demigods had.
In this state, most attacks wouldnt have any effect on the Demigods. They might even be able to resist the power of Absolute to an extent.
Despite this, Indras body had been cut in half diagonally. From his left collarbone to his right waist.
The cause of this went without saying.
[How did you cut me so easily?]
Indra seemed to plead to Riki for an answer.
But Riki still refused to say a word.
[Riki]
Ssss.
Indras large figure faded before disappearing completely.
Milled pulled his bowstring with a stiff expression on his face. His reaction had come too late.
He should have collaborated with Indra when he was alive. It was a belated regret.
If he had to make an excuse, he would say that he didnt expect Indra to die so easily.
Huh?
As he looked down, his bow string snapped. It had been cut.
When the hell
Crack.
Suddenly, his bow was also sliced into two pieces.
Riki returned his sword back to its sheath.
It was only then when Milled was able to vaguely understand what happened.
He stuttered in disbelief.
I cant
Puuk!
Then, Milleds chest cracked open and blood spilled out like a waterfall.
The fallen Milled faded and disappeared like Indra had.
Frey wasnt surprised.
It was hard to imagine the egos of two Demigods disappearing in an instant, but if their opponent was Riki, it became easy to understand.
He forced himself to get up off the ground, his entire body screaming violently.
Frey clenched his fist shakily.
He wasnt fooled. This was just an over-exaggeration from his mind. This place was just a mental world, after all. And his body wasnt real.
Although he felt the pain, there was nothing wrong with his real body.
I didnt think Id see you again.
It was his own voice, but it sounded strange. Maybe it was because his tongue had also been burnt.
Frey mumbled to himself a few times.
Every time, he felt an indescribable pain, but he forced himself to put up with it and continue talking.
Are you the Riki I used to know?
Im just a residual thought.
Riki opened his mouth for the first time.
He wasnt exactly sure what being a residual thought meant, but he still somewhat understood what he was saying.
A residual thought. In other words, it meant that this Riki wasnt the real Riki. And the Indra and Milled who disappeared were the same.
I havent absorbed your crystal yet
You were poisoned by Ananta. The poison he uses is an extremely potent one known as the liquid of death. If it hadnt been for the crystal I left, you would be dead.
Frey let out a breath.
Does that mean Im still alive?
Youre barely alive, but that doesnt matter in this world.
Why?
Because the moment before death is like an eternity. You dont need to hurry.
The moment before death.
This moment, which was less than a second, was in fact extremely long.
This was also possible because Frey was in his mental world.
After understanding Rikis words again, Frey spoke up.
In any case, thanks for your he-
Make a choice.
Riki cut off his words of gratitude and raised his hand.
In it, was a bead.
Frey was stunned.
This was the crystal Riki left after his death.
(Note Rant: Ill try to explain just how bad this chapter was for me. I wont put the hangul since you wouldnt understand/care, Ill just use the words I used.
Ego, consciousness, soul, spirit, mind. The words that the author used that I chose to represent using these words could all be used interchangeably in Korean. And in fact, for some of them, I didnt even know that they could be translated differently until I was forced to find an alternative since Id already translated another word in that way. It even got to the point of the author using one word to represent two things when they had used two separate words before.
So for me, this chapter was quite difficult and gave me a severe headache, which kind of dampened just how amazing this chapter was for me.
I hope you guys enjoyed it at least. Thanks for reading.)
Chapter 177 - Choice and Awakening (3)
Chapter 177 - Choice and Awakening (3) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Choose.
It might have sounded out of the blue, but the moment he heard it, Frey knew what he meant.
Mana and divine power.
Human and Demigod.
Mortal and transcendent.
Riki looked at Frey with his distinctive, lonely gaze.
what would happen if I were to accept that?
Youd become similar to a Demigod.
Rikis response was brief. (Note: In hangul maybe)
As if he already knew the result that even Elliah didnt.
You wont feel the changes at first. However, as time goes by, you might become more and more stained by my thoughts. As well as Milled and Indra who just disappeared. They arent completely dead. They will wait for other opportunities to take over your body.
He felt reluctance deep inside of him. If what Riki said was true, then it was a much more serious problem than simply losing his mana.
His personality and thoughts would change. Then, he would no longer be able to call himself Frey.
He would become like the Demigods, whom he hated most?
That was completely unacceptable.
Frey Blake, no, Lukas Trowmans ego reacted violently to such a thought.
Frey grit his teeth.
The issue with delaying this choice came to mind immediately. (Note: fun fact: Crystal and Decision are the same word ^-^ wrap your head around that one.)
So even if I accept the divine power, it will only be the road to destruction.
Thats right.
But if I dont accept the divine power
Youll die. Anantas poison has already penetrated deep into your body. You cannot drive it out with your current divine power or your mana.
He didnt even have a choice.
Frey almost collapsed.
He knew the crystal in Rikis hand was not the real crystal. It was just symbolic.
However, if Frey was to accept the crystal, his real body would also fully accept Rikis crystal.
Freys body would be filled with an enormous amount of divine power several times more than ordinary Demigods.
And he would no longer be human.
He hated the thought of that.
With all his heart. In fact, hed rather die.
But he knew he couldnt.
Frey thought about what would happen if he died.
First, Anastasia and Schweiser would die. His friend, who had finally awoken after a long sleep, would die in vain. Ivan and the rest would also be wiped out by Agni.
Beniang, Snow, and Nora would die there.
Lord had already taken control of the Kastkau Empire and would soon begin to wipe out the Circles forces there.
Paragons situation would also not be good.
They had more potential than the Circle, but they could not face the Demigods, who had stopped hiding themselves, on their own.
That was how important the fight in this desert was.
In short, the existence of the entire continent was at stake.
Freys death would not be alone.
I have to accept it.
Frey stretched his hand forward.
As long as even a tiny bit of humanity remains in me, I will use my divine power to fight against the Demigods.
Hoping that this firm determination would never be shaken, Freys outstretched fingers touched the bead.
No.
They stopped just before he could grab it.
Freys expression changed.
After he stopped, he looked up at Riki, who was still looking at him with an expressionless face.
He felt something strange.
Was it instinct?
No. It was not something so dull.
There was a sense of logic in this strange feeling. He couldnt fully explain it.
If only he could explain it, if only he knew where this strange feeling came from
He had to think.
Did he miss something? Was there anything that stood out?
Anything was fine, so he needed a hint
Ah.
[Make a choice.]
These were the words Riki had said to him.
It was weird.
Choose?
Rikis suggestion wasnt much of a choice. If he didnt accept the divine power, hed die.
To be obstinate and die instead of accepting the divine power.
Could that even be considered an option?
No.
That wasnt an option.
Riki wasnt a fool. He would never make such a foolish suggestion.
So was there another way?
That shouldnt have been the case either. If there was, he had no reason to hide it.
Frey looked at Rikis face again.
As he looked at him, he couldnt help but feel that there was a faint hint of expectation hidden in his gaze.
No.
Right. He wouldnt.
Frey raised his head as he mumbled that word, and the anxiety disappeared from his face.
A change finally took place on Rikis expressionless face.
What did you say?
There arent two options.
Frey made a quick decision.
I will accept the divine power.
But I wont give up my mana.
Riki looked at Freys expression with a blank face.
His confidence had returned. His eyes shined like a sage whod found the answer to a question that plagued him for a long time.
You want to have the two powers together. Youre greedy.
You already knew that.
Huht. Youre right.
Riki snorted.
It was the first time hed expressed any emotion in the mental world.
I was waiting for that.
Right.
This man was Riki. Although he was only a residual thought, he was still Riki in the end.
Thats why he saved him.
Riki had many expectations for the humans. He believed that Frey would choose the third option.
And disappointing Riki would be no different from insulting Lucid.
But how? Its not possible to simply have the two powers.
The moment of death is like an eternity.
Frey looked around, repeating what Riki said.
The mental world.
This was a white space with nothing in it. But it was different from the Abyss.
There, only darkness lurked.
How long can I stay here?
That depends on your mental power. It could be decades or even hundreds of years. If it was a normal human, his mind might just collapse, but for you
Thats good enough.
Frey was probably the only human who could say that.
Riki shook his head.
Right. Only you deserve to say that.
Frey looked down at his hand.
The situation was better than before. His mana released bit by bit.
As time passed, the flow became smoother and smoother.
You said Indra and Milled are not completely dead, right?
Right.
Can you bring Indra back?
Rikis eyes lit up as he understood Freys thoughts.
You intend to use him as a training partner. Thats a good idea. At first, you can fight him alone and then fight both as you get used to it. If you can defeat both of them, then youll probably be able to handle the situation outside.
That alone isnt enough.
What?
Frey locked gazes with Riki,
I want to beat you too.
Riki was lost for words.
Then he suddenly smiled brightly and said.
It will be difficult.
Frey nodded.
Difficult?
No, it would be impossible for the current him. But he had to.
This Riki, who was only a residual thought, was probably weaker than his real body. So if he couldnt even defeat this Riki, he shouldnt even think about defeating Lord.
Riki was one of the mountains who needed to be overcome in his journey to his long-cherished goal.
Hundreds of years.
Frey decided not to think too deeply about how long it would take.
Achieving his goals came first, and he knew just how ridiculous his goals were.
Rather than defeating Indra, Milled, and Riki, it would be much more difficult to find a way to absorb the crystal without losing his mana. But he would achieve it.
He was certain of it.
Frey would never give up because he was tired.
When he left this place, it would have been after he had already accomplished everything he set out to do.
* * *
Mental World.
The only way to calculate the passage of time were the appearances of Milled and Indra.
Riki!
You guys, Ill never forgive!
The bodies of the two Demigods disappeared in a shower of blood.
They glared at Riki before they died, but there was nothing they could do.
Riki muttered.
Its a week.
What do you mean?
How long it takes them to reappear.
At Rikis words, Frey couldnt help but ask with an incredulous expression.
How did you know that?
Because I was counting.
What?
We should keep track of how much time has passed. There may be some errors, but this is the mental world anyway. Theres no need to be perfect.
Frey looked speechlessly at Riki who simply sheathed his sword without saying anything else.
Frey also turned his head.
Because this wasnt the time to be distracted by other things.
I cant defeat them in my current state.
I know. Focus on what youre doing. Ill handle them for now so that they dont get in the way.
Riki crossed his arms as he said those words.
Frey knew he wouldnt have to worry about Indra or Milled anymore. Even if he didnt pay attention to their appearances, Riki would take care of them. He would protect him.
Frey sat down in the white, empty space and closed his eyes.
He could feel the mana in his body, but it was faint. It was strange.
Even though his body in reality couldnt even move a finger, Freys spirit was extremely stable at the moment.
Even if he couldnt use it freely, he should still have been able to use his mana to a certain extent.
or.
After a sudden thought, he tried to call upon his divine power as a test.
Crackle.
Indras lightning power responded immediately. Its strength had not diminished at all.
Freys expression changed.
Divine power is also affected by mental power to an extent.
It wasnt to the same extent as his mana, but there was still a bit of influence.
Only then did Frey understand the situation in his body.
His mana couldnt be used because he was on the brink of death. It was also possible that it had something to do with Rikis crystal. Perhaps his body had already absorbed a part of it, and as a result, the balance Elliah had told him about had been broken.
This would explain why it was so difficult to use his mana.
So the problem was his mana.
He couldnt do anything with the small amount he was sensing. So the first thing he had to do was increase the amount of mana he could draw upon.
He had a clue.
And surprisingly, this clue was actually his divine power. Depending on how it was processed, it could be used as a material to create an elixir which increased his mana capacity.
In other words, divine power could be converted into mana.
In fact, a similar phenomenon was currently happening in his body.
The first thing that Frey noticed was the change that was taking place within him. His weak mana was slowly flowing towards his divine power. The divine power then violently swallowed the mana.
And after convulsing a few times, the mana would begin to change its properties, becoming part of the divine power.
This was a characteristic of the energy known as divine power. It was particularly aggressive and ferocious towards his mana.
That was why Frey always thought mana and divine power were poles apart.
But that didnt seem to be the case. It seemed that divine power would not tolerate any other type of energy other than itself. So even if it was a type of energy other than mana, the divine power would react in the same way.
What Frey paid attention to was the process of the mana turning into divine force.
Surround, devour, and taint.
The mana was completely transformed into divine power. If so, then that meant the opposite was also possible.
The divine power that flowed in his body could be converted into mana.
In a way, it was a method similar to the battle training method he used in the past.
But the risk was much higher.
This was because it wasnt a fight between two forces of mana. Instead, he wanted to weaken the divine power to then devour it with his mana.
However, his divine power was not so meek. It ran around violently as it pleased.
It wasnt as obedient as his mana and seemed to have no intention of changing its nature.
That was because that was one of the properties of mana.
Even when the mana in Freys body was stronger than his divine power, it didnt try to devour it. However, as soon as his divine power gained dominance, it immediately started to devour his mana. sea??h th NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
No, you dont.
It could be considered a difference in opinion.
Now, the mana was the weak one. And seeking harmony was never something the weak could pursue.
The weak needed to be a little hungrier. Needed to be more ferocious. More ruthless.
If it didnt do that, his divine power would never change.
He had to change his mana.
Haha
Frey realised what hed just been thinking and burst out laughing. This was because the thoughts hed just had were extremely amusing.
He was thinking about changing the very nature of mana itself.
Had there been anyone in the history of the study of Magical Science who had dared to think in such a way?
He wasnt even sure if it was possible or not.
In other words, the odds of him succeeding were incredibly low.
But if he could do it, if he could change the very nature of mana itself
Perhaps that would be the first step towards the mythical 10 stars stage.
Chapter 178 - Choice and Awakening (4)
Chapter 178 - Choice and Awakening (4) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Frey had a hint.
Absolute.
It was the power gained upon reaching 9 stars, and its source lied in mana. Unfortunately, it was basically an independent power that couldnt really be considered a derived ability.
So what Frey had to do was dig into the transformation process.
The analysis had to be repeated. And he was confident in his ability to think about the same topic over and over.
When it came to concentration, Frey was certain that he would never lose to anyone.
In addition, he was in a place where he didnt have to worry about his biological needs at all.
He didnt need food or water, he didnt need to pass waste, and he didnt need to sleep.
As long as his mental power could support it, he could concentrate on one thought for as long as he wanted.
Wasnt this basically a heavenly training space?
Riki was the only one who paid attention to the passage of time. He cut down the Demigods who appeared at regular intervals while Frey immersed himself in his thoughts with his eyes closed.
After Riki had killed the Demigods about 10 times, in other words, roughly two months and ten days later, Frey opened his eyes for the first time.
It was faint, but hed grasped a hint. And in truth, he had grasped it in a completely unexpected moment.
It wasnt Absolute. It was his divine power.
It occurred while Frey was paying attention to the moment when his divine power devoured his mana.
At that time, he watched the scene when the nature of his mana was changed. And he noticed that there was a moment, short enough to be called an instant before his mana transformed into divine power.
At that moment, something that was neither divine power nor mana appeared within him.
It wasnt something that could be explained in one or two words.
Frey wanted to examine this power more closely.
Unfortunately, such a task was by no means easy. It only happened for a short moment as his divine power did not let it survive for very long.
In the end, it took him about half a year before he was able to get a hold of the power.
As he inspected it, Frey couldnt help but wonder how he could describe this power.
It was neither divine power nor mana. But it had the properties of both powers. The ferocity of divine power, and the harmony of mana.
Divine magic power.
Frey decided to temporarily call it this name.
This is it.
It was this power.
He was certain.
This power was the key to gaining control over both divine power and mana. The only problem was that it was still scattered.
First of all, simply collecting the divine magic power was hard enough. It took him half a year just to get an amount that was only about the size of a fingernail.
In addition, it was easily swept away by either side because it was a third party.
If it went too close to divine power, it became divine power, and if it went too close to mana, it became mana.
In fact, it didnt take very long for his hard-won divine magic power to be devoured by his divine power.
When a half years worth of effort disappeared in an instant, Frey couldnt help but feel a burst of helplessness.
I have to be more careful.
Frey settled his mind and began to work on it once again.
Since hed accomplished it before, it was much easier the second time around. It took him about a month before he could once again get his hands on divine magic power.
He definitely wouldnt let this one disappear in vain
Unfortunately, even with this determination, it only took a few days for Frey to lose his divine magic power once again.
This wasnt because his concentration was lacking. He didnt make any mistakes.
It was simply because the divine magic power was extremely hard to deal with.
Frey knew there were many types of energy, including his mana and divine power, but he was certain that there was no energy as sensitive as that one.
Good.
This thought gave him a burst of fighting spirit.
But despite his thoughts, Frey decided to relax a little.
He still had a lot of time. And as he worked with it, Frey felt that he was becoming more and more familiar with it.
So this time, he would certainly be much more efficient and faster than last time.
Lets do it.
No matter how long it took, he was going to make the divine magic power his own. This ever changing power which could be used as either divine power or mana. Sarch* The N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
If he got this power under control, he wouldnt have to worry about the worst case scenario or, in other words, transforming into a Demigod.
* * *
At some point, Frey stopped counting dates.
Originally, based on the cycles of Milled and Indras appearances, he could calculate the time, but there was no room for such things in his head.
Instead, he concentrated so much that all of his hair turned white.
And before he knew it, his divine magic power, which was minuscule at first, had become quite large.
The divine magic power was like a snowball. When it was small, it broke easily and melted, but after it grew bigger, you didnt really need to worry about it anymore.
What was even more surprising was the aggression displayed by the divine magic power.
This power was much more aggressive than divine power. And after confirming this fact, Frey decided to change his actions.
Instead of extracting the divine magic power after feeding his mana to his divine power, he decided to make the divine magic power fight against the divine power directly and conquer it.
And so, a full-fledged war began.
Even this was not an easy task. It took a very long time.
Sometimes, his divine magic power lost, but it won many more times.
And eventually, Frey was able to transform all of his divine power into divine magic power.
The power in his body right now was ferocious yet harmonious; it was completely under Freys control.
He had suffered a lot to reach this stage.
Frey was only human.
Even if he had experience in the Abyss, it was natural that he would also get tired.
But what was important was to never break, to never give up.
Step one is complete.
The minimum preparations had been completed.
Frey turned to Riki.
He had started training in earnest and hadnt even bothered to talk to him at all. It must have been quite boring.
Frey didnt say anything. He simply looked at Riki.
All hed done this whole time was cut down the Demigods who appeared every week. But today, he was going to lose even this job.
This time, I will fight.
Riki nodded as if he had been expecting this.
* * *
-Defeated.
It couldnt even be called a fight.
His divine magic power to be called very obedientit wasnt wrong to say this, but it seemed that this only applied to peaceful situations.
As soon as he entered battle, the divine magic power began to rage so violently that it absolutely could not be compared to its docile state.
Hed obviously thought about summoning lightning, but hed received mana instead.
Conversely, when he tried to cast a spell, he received lightning power.
The divine magic power was shaken like a reed in a storm, unable to showcase its power even slightly.
Riki simply watched on from the side.
Even when Frey was burnt to a crisp by Indras lightning, Riki showed no intention to help. And Frey also didnt intend to ask for help.
-Defeated.
He got used to using his divine magic power to an extent.
Nevertheless, it was still incredibly hard to fight Indra.
In particular, it was almost impossible to deal with him when he entered his Thunder God form. Usually, all he would see was a flash of light, and his entire body would become a piece of charcoal.
He felt the pain every time.
If a normal person were to go through something like that dozens or even hundreds of times a day, they would certainly break down. But he didnt break.
It wasnt that he didnt feel anything. After all, it was impossible to be insensitive to pain.
However, he had developed a bit of a tolerance.
Physical pain no longer had any effect on Frey. Even if it was the pain of being burned by lightning.
-Defeated.
Has it been a decade yet?
He wasnt sure. And in all honesty, he didnt particularly care.
As had been mentioned earlier, Frey didnt pay much to the passage of time.
Perhaps if he asked Riki, hed get an answer of how long theyd been staying there, but he wasnt interested.
By the time Frey gradually began to fight back, Indra tried to persuade Riki.
Its not too late, Riki. If we work together, it wouldnt be hard at all to claim this body. Wont you correct your mistakes? Ill talk to Lord. Im sure hed forgive you.
It had no effect.
Riki only responded to them by swinging his sword.
So he drew his sword and turned to Frey.
Will you keep going?
I still have a long way to go.
Right.
And so, the first conversation in a decade ended in such a way.
Silence fell once again, and more time passed.
* * *
Victory.
Hed finally defeated Indra.
Hed used a lot of tricks, and his entire body was covered in grievous injuries, but it was undeniable that hed won.
The decisive factor was the difference in willpower.
As time passed, Indra began losing concentration. His sharp reflexes began to dull, and he occasionally made mistakes while controlling his divine power.
Frey, on the other hand, continued to improve his control of his divine magic power.
It was now possible for him to differentiate between the two powers to an extent. And from that point on, his proficiency exploded.
The vessel was enough.
Not to mention controlling mana, he was somewhat used to using divine power as well.
Now, all that Frey needed was the opportunity.
It was only difficult at first. But once he began to win, his win rate steadily increased.
Every ten fights, he won once. But even then, it was usually only by a fluke.
But as time went by, the winning percentage went up.
Two out of ten, three, four
Soon, his winning percentage exceeded half.
Indra took a step back.
[Impossible]
This was the mental world. Indra had viewed Freys memories here and found out he was Lukas Trowman, the Great Mage from 4,000 years ago.
Not only that. Hed also seen memories of the time Frey spent in the Abyss.
Whats going on?
At first, he only thought Frey was pretty good for a human. That was it.
But it was different now. Indra couldnt help but feel that he was lacking when compared to Freys mental power.
Is this humans mental power really stronger than mine?
It was unacceptable.
Even with all the evidence in front of him, Indra refused to believe this fact.
But it was also true that he was thoroughly shaken now. His divine power didnt move as he wanted it to.
This was the best proof that his composure had been broken.
What was more, Frey was even learning his abilities.
Indra knew that he used the power of lightning. But in the eyes of the true master, Freys abilities were not much.
Sure, the technique which combined the lightning with the power of Absolute was powerful, but that only utilised the speed of the lightning.
But that wasnt it.
The true power of lightning wasnt just limited to speed. Simply by having this power, Indra could rank among the top Demigods.
Hes dangerous.
Indra could no longer pay attention to stealing Freys body.
If this guy completely mastered this strange and unknown power that he had and if he learned to use the power of lightning as well as Indra himself
It wouldnt be a joke.
He would become the worst enemy the Demigods had ever faced. Indra didnt even feel this sense of crisis when they fought the Dragons in the past.
Therefore, Indra went all out in his fights against Frey. He no longer looked down on this opponent because he was human or mortal.
But it was already too late.
Frey had become completely obsessed with divine magic power.
Hed fallen in love with divine magic power as much as he loved magical science in the past.
In a way, this could be considered the first time Freys true talents had been revealed since his return.
It was different from magical science.
He wasnt walking down a path hed already pioneered long ago. Instead, he was once again traversing into unknown territory.
Divine magic power was a completely different realm.
New theories were established through analysis and research, and inefficiencies were constantly found and fixed through his fights with Indra.
And because of this, he was able to grow at an astonishing rate.
What is this?!
Indra knew that ridiculous geniuses would sometimes appear among the humans.
Every few centuries, there would be some who could even threaten the Demigods, but they only survived for a short time, a century at best.
That was why no Demigod ever feared them.
But Indra was different.
He was currently feeling deep horror because of Freys talent.
Chapter 179 - Choice and Awakening (5)
Chapter 179 - Choice and Awakening (5) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Freys loss percentage had reached 10%. And it had been a long time since it had reached this stage.
Indra realised that Frey had learned to control his new power perfectly.
He had even acquired his treasured secret lightning abilities.
I cant call you human anymore.
Frey looked at Indra.
At some point, he seemed to have lost his will to fight. Or he seemed to be feeling a deep sense of futility.
He understood how he felt.
But he was also confused by that feeling. This was because he never thought the day would come when he would be able to understand a Demigod.
But soon, he realised it wasnt that strange.
After all, this world was virtual space created by Freys spirit. Being here meant Indra and Milled could feel Freys emotions and view his memories.
But this wasnt a one-sided transaction. Frey was also able to view their memories.
Indra.
It was Milled who called out to him.
Riki no longer dismissed his residual thought ever since he noticed a change in Milleds feelings.
I peeked at Rikis memories. And Im sure you did too.
Right.
So what do you think?
Milled continued bitterly when Indra didnt answer.
Im confused. We called him Lord because we felt he was perfectly fulfilling a role that only he could. In the first place, were all independent individuals who cannot be grouped together in a single frame. But under the banner of Demigods, we were able to love each other for being of the same race
Thats because Lord was there. Treating us fairly and without discrimination, always leading us to the right path a leader.
Thats why they couldnt believe it.
The suggestion Lord made to Riki.
To put the blame on an innocent Demigod and destroy them.
The moment he saw that, the trust Milled had in Lord, which had been embedded deep within his heart, was uprooted.
Frey looked at Indra for a moment before turning to Riki.
How long has it been?
Riki glanced at Frey.
This was the first time hed mentioned time since he got there.
About 90 years.
Frey turned to Indra again.
A hundred or so years have passed.
what does that have to do with anything?
You probably feel that were assimilating, dont you? Milled saw Rikis memories. Im sure you saw them too. You probably saw not only Rikis but mine as well. I did too but I didnt really understand how Demigods think.
What about you guys? Do you still think humans are wrong? Do you still think that we should be dominated by you and that we should surrender to you?
This was a very important question for Frey.
He didnt take his eyes off of Indras lips. In truth, it wasnt difficult for Frey to completely erase their existences.
After all, this was his space. In a sense, it was his world. So just by taking the initiative, he could wipe them out completely.
That was why Indra and Milled hadnt revealed themselves till Frey was weakened.
Indra shook his head with a confused expression.
It was as Frey said.
Hed looked at Rikis memories, and hed felt Freys emotions. And his pride as a Demigod, which was as strong as an iron fortress, cracked.
He was gradually being influenced by Frey.
At first, he felt shame and humiliation by that fact, but it didnt last very long.
He felt himself changing. He began to understand how the weak felt he felt sympathy.
Regret.
When this word appeared in his mind, Indra couldnt take it anymore and said.
What is it that youre trying to say?
It was probably the softest tone hed spoken in for more than a hundred years.
Milled didnt stop him.
Frey opened his mouth.
You can say that you are residual thoughts formed by divine power.
thats right.
In that case, if I were to destroy you here, my own powers would diminish.
You dont want to lose your divine power. Now that you created that strange new power, your divine power is also a part of your energy.
Its not just that. I am hoping that I can make you change your minds.
Frey said those words with difficulty.
Indra and Milleds eyes widened.
This was a natural reaction. Because they would never have imagined he was thinking this if he hadnt said those words himself.
Perhaps this was even more startling for Frey himself, who had said those words.
Changing Demigods.
If it was Lukas 4,000 years ago, he never would have imagined something like this. But it was different now.
Hed met Riki and Elliah.
Do you expect me to beg for forgiveness?
Indras voice was filled with rage.
But Frey simply shook his head.
Youre already dead. I dont want to hear that from your residual thought.
For the Demigods, death meant complete destruction. Because their bodies were their souls.
That was why these forms were called residual thoughts. Indra and Milleds real bodies were already dead.
It was the same for Riki.
Indra was unable to make a decision.
Frey looked at him and said.
Think about it carefully and decide. Im not urging you to choose right away. Theres plenty of time.
Youre not leaving here yet?
Frey nodded casually to Indras confused question.
I hate to admit it, but youve completely overwhelmed Indra. Dont you know what this means? It means your mental power has already surpassed the Demigods and has truly entered the level of the transcendents. (Note: not sure if its Milled speaking or Indra calling himself in third person, so I didnt change it)
I know.
You also stole the proper way to use my powers. And that strange power Is there anything else you need to do here now that you can switch freely between mana and divine power?
It wasnt perfect yet.
Frey replied.
Right.
This human in front of them had already surpassed the limits of what was considered mortal a long time ago. Nevertheless, he still wanted to grow stronger.
He wasnt sure if this was arrogance or ambition.
He never felt any murky thoughts in Freys mind before.
Frey murmured.
Because its still not enough.
What?
This is still not enough to defeat Lord.
Indra was speechless.
Defeat Lord?
Was he still sane?
He really wanted to ask to confirm. And if they werent currently in the mental world, he just mightve.
But now, Indra was able to feel Freys emotions directly. He knew that this man wholeheartedly wanted to defeat Lord.
* * *
Since then, Frey began fighting against Indra and Milled at the same time.
It was incredibly difficult to defeat the two Demigods. Even though he had been overwhelming Indra before, this fact didnt change.
At first, they simply fought without any coordination. This was natural as the Demigods were known for their independent and individualistic tendencies, which made it difficult to match their movements and attacks.
But it was only after they became accustomed to each other that the nightmare truly began.
The battles that came after that were arguably the hardest and bloodiest in which Frey had fought to date.
It wasnt simply that their powers doubled.
Indra and Milled made up for each others shortcomings and pressured Frey. Demigods were truly terrifying creatures when their strengths were combined.
The first dozens of times, he was unable to even retaliate and was constantly pressured until he was torn apart. It couldnt even be called a fight.
It was as though hed returned to his first days in the mental world, constantly tortured by arrows and bolts of lightning.
He only found the first clue after his number of deaths exceeded 100.
Its meaningless to use them separately.
He needed to use his mana and divine power at the same time.
This was truly a difficult task. It wasnt the same as adding lightning to the power of Absolute.
Instead, it was making use of both powers at the same time. It was a task that was much more difficult than painting with one hand while solving a complex equation with the other. And this wasnt even an exaggeration.
But it didnt matter how difficult it was; Frey had no choice but to do it.
-Time passed.
How long had it been? He still didnt know.
However, he couldnt help but think that Frey was tired. But he quickly shook his head at that thought.
Hes really amazing.
Eventually, Indra couldnt help but mutter. Milled also agreed with him.
Their eyes were locked onto Frey. He didnt look fine, but he also didnt appear to be too injured.
It was clear that Frey had won this fight.
I admit it.
You are stronger than the two of us now.
Indra and Milled, two Demigods, bowed their heads towards Frey.
Frey felt strange.
It couldnt be helped. After all, an unbelievable sight was unfolding before him.
Even if they were just residual thoughts, they still had the self awareness that they were Demigods. Transcendent beings filled with pride and arrogance.
It was these beings who bowed their heads.
* * *
The bodies of the two Demigods broke into small pieces before flowing into Freys body. He accepted them without hesitation.
Frey realised what these particles were. It was the divine power that formed Indra and Milleds residual thoughts.
What Frey had absorbed was the foundation of their existence as Demigods.
It wasnt forcefully injected. Instead, the memories of these Demigods, who willingly split themselves, flowed into Frey.
There were no side effects. After all, they were no longer hostile towards Frey.
That fact alone didnt mean much for his ego.
If it had been a normal person, these memories would have made him go crazy and he wouldnt have been able to accept them. But it was no problem for Frey; his mind was fully capable of digesting the memories of two Demigods.
By accepting these particles, he was able to gain a better understanding of their powers. He learned how to use them as though they were his powers from the beginning, not someone elses.
His body felt an absolute sense of fulfillment, but it was too early to be satisfied.
A mountain still remained. And it was also the highest mountain. Just looking up at it made one want to give up.
Unsheathing his sword, Riki said.
You wont be able to defeat Lord with just that power. Thats just a clue.
He knew what Riki meant by that. Sarch* The N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Did you know about divine magic power?
No. But I understand what kind of power it is.
Frey nodded.
Riki had borne witness to everything that happened there. This naturally meant hed been able to observe the divine magic power for a long time as he used it.
Even if he couldnt identify the essence of it, he would still have been able to understand some of its characteristics.
He was also the person who had the most accurate understanding of Lords power. Therefore, he would be able to determine whether Freys power had reached that stage or not.
Then what should I do?
When Frey asked this question honestly, Riki gave him an answer.
Subdue me.
If you have my power, you will be strong enough to threaten Lord.
You mean the power of the sword?
Obviously, Frey knew that Rikis power was amazing, but it wouldnt be very suitable for him as he had no talent in that field.
Riki shook his head as though he could see the true meaning behind Freys hesitation.
Youre not wrong. But more precisely, its the power to cut anything. Even the space Lord creates.
Riki looked at the places where Indra and Milled once stood.
They decided to help you. In the future, their residual thoughts will no longer appear, and you will have to learn how to completely control Milleds power as well as Indras lightning.
Milleds power?
Clairvoyance. (Note: the author added hanzi (chinese characters) and the literal meaning was thousand mile eyes)
Itll be difficult to grasp it right away, but it will definitely be useful in the upcoming fight. At least you wont have anything to lose if you can use it perfectly.
Rikis words made sense.
In short, he had to make the powers of the two Demigods his own.
He didnt have to think too hard about it. He just needed to increase his familiarity with them step by step.
It was okay if he was slow. After all, he still had plenty of time.
Of course, he didnt know how long it would take to defeat the man standing calmly in front of him.
Chapter 180 - Choice and Awakening (6)
Chapter 180 - Choice and Awakening (6) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
He suffered a horrific defeat.
From the start, there was nothing he could do. He ended up with all the bones in his body broken, and his muscles torn.
Hes a monster.
After his short battle with Riki, he once again realised this fact. His opponent was a monster amongst monsters.
He was the only Demigod who could threaten Lord. The bonafide number two among the Demigods.
He was strong beyond reason.
Frey couldnt find any weaknesses.
From the moment Riki drew his sword, he literally became invincible.
He could cut anything. Absolute, Indras lightning, and even his divine magic power.
In front of him, Frey couldnt help but feel that all of his means dried up. They became like fallen leaves, drifting weakly in the wind.
I need some time to think.
This was the first time Frey had ever mentioned something like this.
It was different from when he fought Indra and Milled. At that time, he was confident that he could defeat the two of them as long as he learned how to properly use his divine magic power.
However, he had yet to think of a way to beat Riki. First, he had to think about how he would fight him.
Riki lowered his sword and nodded.
Frey sat down and began to ponder.
Is my only chance before he draws his sword?
It wasnt that he had flaws or weaknesses. Rikis strength without his sword was not something that could be disregarded.
However, compared to when Riki drew his sword, it was definitely weaker.
The problem was that the speed with which Riki drew his sword was too swift. There were no hints or foreshadowing.
There were times when the sword was drawn before Frey even knew what was happening, even though Rikis hand hadnt been on the sword before it was drawn.
At least at his current level, there was no way for him to target that gap.
As Frey was wondering if hed met a dead end, Riki spoke.
Think about how you defeated Indra.
Was that a hint?
Freys expression became serious.
That was probably the best hint Riki could give. Usually, this kind of enlightenment was useless if you didnt reach it yourself.
the reason I was able to defeat Indra.
There were many factors, but the decisive factor was the difference in will. Indra was tired of Frey who became stronger and stronger as he stepped on him.
He was shaken as Frey became more and more proficient in divine magic power. His concentration was reduced, and he even began to feel fear at the end.
Freys spirit had overwhelmed Indra.
Is it possible to do that to Riki?
Was it possible?
It was no exaggeration to say that Rikis spirit was incredibly firm. It would be impossible to subdue the will of such a person.
Indra and Milled had enough holes that he was able to get a grip to pull, but Riki didnt even have a crack.
He thought about it for a long time, but he still wasnt able to make any conclusions.
He fought. He thought. He fought. He thought. This was repeated countless times.
Many boring and painful days passed, but he was still unable to get an answer. The hint Riki gave him nestled at the edge of his consciousness, but he was unable to grasp it.
Time went by slowly but surely.
The fight with Riki continued to be a large wall for Frey.
Unlike the previous fights, he didnt feel like he was moving forward at all. At least a few decades had passed since his first fight with Riki and there had been no improvement in that time.
He still lost unconditionally.
He didnt even have a way to fight properly, let alone win.
This was not an easy fact to accept.
He wasnt being conceited, but Frey had been able to overwhelm two Demigods at the same time. In addition to that, the Riki before him was just a residual thought who was not even as strong as the real Riki.
If even a weakened Riki is this strong, then Lord
Frey shook his head.
He decided not to think negatively. There would not be any change to his determination to destroy Lord someday.
He would never despair again. And his will would never be shaken.
wouldnt be shaken?
Freys expression changed.
He was weaker than Riki in every way. Attack, defense, speed, situational awareness, and reaction speed.
However, there was one area in which he wouldnt lose.
Belief.
The ingrained will that he wouldnt lose, even to Riki.
Right, thats right.
Everything begins with ones own will. It didnt matter whether it was mana, divine power, or divine magic power.
He felt like a fool for taking so long to realise this. They would move according to his will and become stronger.
So its like that.
He now understood why Rikis power was so strong. This was because his belief was stronger than anyone elses.
His spirit, which had been honed to the limit, had taken the shape of a sharp sword.
Haha. S~ea??h the novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Frey burst into laughter. His clogged breath could finally flow freely.
Hed finally found a path up the mountain hed thought was insurmountable. It was impossible to determine the height of this mountain which was so tall that it pierced through the clouds.
But hed found a way to climb it. He knew where to go.
That was enough for now.
Now, all that was left was to do it.
* * *
He fought.
He fought desperately.
As long as he still had breath in him, he moved his body.
He didnt care if his limbs were chopped off, if his intestines spilled out, or if his throat was cut. To Frey, winning or losing wasnt the problem.
At some point, the thought of making Riki submit and getting his power disappeared. Instead, he only wanted to prove that his belief was stronger.
As a man, he didnt want to back down. He wanted Riki to recognise him as an opponent.
He constantly let out violent cries. His emotions burned like undying flames.
He even forgot the flow of time.
It wasnt immersion it was drive. (Note: korean wordplay here)
He forgot his purpose, he forgot his opponent, and he even forgot himself.
At some point, Rikis sword broke before Freys body cracked.
Riki looked down at his broken sword before he suddenly lowered his hands.
Its my defeat.
One word.
How long had he wanted to hear this word?
It was the word he wanted to hear more than anything else in the world, but surprisingly, his emotions didnt erupt.
Instead, he was rather calm.
You can still fight.
Thats what he said.
Only a sword was broken. There were no major injuries on his body.
On the other hand, Frey was severely injured.
But Riki shook his head firmly.
You dont understand. This place is different from reality. In this world, the sword is the holder of my belief. So what does it mean if its broken?
Your will has broken my belief.
Riki smiled softly.
So you finally managed to accomplish everything you wanted.
The moment he heard that, Frey realised.
The fact that his long training had finally come to an end. And the fact that the time to leave this world had come.
Dont forget the memories here.
Rikis body began to fade. Similar to Indra and Milled, he would also be absorbed by Frey.
Riki looked at Frey and shook his head lightly.
Theres no need to feel sympathetic.
did I show it?
No. But I can feel it.
Right. He could feel it. Because this was such a world.
Im not disappearing, Frey no, Lukas. I want to be of help to you, even if its just a little. Like Indra and Milled.
thank you.
Frey muttered, there was so much he wanted to say.
Without you, I never would have been able to accomplish all of this.
He meant it.
Riki shook his head.
Stop with all the awkwardness.
Right, Im not used to stuff like that either.
Then, after a brief silence, they both began laughing.
This wasnt a separation. His residual thought might have disappeared from this place, but they would still be connected.
They laughed because they knew that.
Riki was almost completely transparent, and his voice sounded distant.
After you wake up, youll have to hurry.
?
He didnt even have time to ask what he meant.
Freys consciousness began to wake.
Krrr
The mental world began to collapse, and the things hed experienced there began to flash in front of his eyes like a kaleidoscope.
It was only then that Frey found out how long hed been in this space.
It had only been a second in reality, but after spending 832 years in his mental world, Frey opened his eyes.
And then he realised what Riki meant when he said he had to hurry.
(Note: a bit of a short one this time. Ill explain why in the next chapter)
And make sure to read on woopread [- click here ^-^.
Chapter 181 - Choice and Awakening (7)
Chapter 181 - Choice and Awakening (7) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Her magic support had been severed. Anastasia realised that.
She could no longer feel the presence that had always been behind her up to that point.
What happened to Lukas?
What happened?
She stared at Norn. She couldnt afford to look away.
Doubts filled her head for a moment. She became nervous.
She wanted to look back, but she was in a situation where such an action was inadvisable.
Doing such a thing would be akin to suicide as the gap between the two sides was minuscule.
Even while she was contemplating deeply in her head, Norn was still attacking fiercely.
Dammit.s
There was no finesse to her attacks. They were simple spear thrusts and swipes.
However, sheer strength did not need skill.
Even if it was a seemingly useless attack, it became a different story when the power behind it was enough to pierce a mountain. At that point, even a simple thrust became a lethal attack.
Dangerous attacks poured in like heavy rain from a passing cloud.
Anastasia was forced to defend.
So this is close combat.
Anastasia laughed inwardly.
Lucid and Kasajin. The faces of these two men who stood on the frontlines flashed in her head.
They were also this fierce. Compared to them, her skills were mediocre.
Even with her double output, it was becoming difficult for her to hold on. Moreover, she didnt have a lot of ME remaining.
Norn, on the other hand, was becoming faster and faster.
It was too bad.
If shed gotten a little more used to her body, she would have been able to end this little game much earlier.
Almost as soon as she had that thought, she shook her head.
It was just an excuse.
Suddenly.
Norn pulled back her spear and stepped back.
Anastasia couldnt help but panic a little. Naturally, she didnt do anything.
Rather, it could be said that her situation was a bit dangerous. If that confrontation had lasted a bit longer, the momentum would have built up to her disadvantage.
She hid those thoughts deep within and glared at Norn.
Whats the matter? Getting tired?
Huht.
Norn snorted and gestured behind Anastasia with her chin.
Wasnt it a trap?
It shouldnt have been. Demigods wouldnt use such low level tactics.
She could at least trust that point.
But she was still nervous. The thought of not wanting to look back flashed in her mind, but she simply shook her head and looked back.
And she couldnt help but tremble at the scene that unfolded before her eyes.
Lukas.
Frey was down.
And an ugly-looking boy was standing in front of him.
Thats
It seems to be one of our kind. This is my first time seeing him
Sunsirs existence had been completely hidden by Lord, so it was also Norns first time seeing him.
However, she could tell at a glance that they were of the same race. She could also tell that his appearance had turned around what was slowly becoming a losing battle.
Norn smiled, completely relaxed.
Your foolish struggle has ended.
She was smiling, but her voice was still filled with anger.
But Anastasias eyes were still locked onto Sunsir. She saw him walk towards Frey.
She couldnt be certain, but his intent was obvious. He wanted to kill Frey.
They were thinking about killing Lukas Trowman once again.
Hah. Goddammit.
Anastasia unexpectedly swore.
It seems hell be dying a second time.
Ignoring Norn, she charged towards Sunsir. It was an incredibly impulsive act.
Norn seemed shocked by the sudden action, but she didnt miss the flaw that appeared.
She could feel Norn lunge towards her like a snake striking its prey. But she didnt react to it.
She ignored the attack and continued to move as fast as she could. She would endure the attack.
Kujik!
There was a terrible sound.
As she hadnt taken any defensive manoeuvres, her right arm had been torn off by the blade of Norns spear.
But Anastasia didnt even flinch. She got in front of Frey and turned to face Norn and Sunsir.
She had sacrificed her right arm for this purpose.
Its been ripped off, so you wont be able to heal easily.
Norn spoke in a cold voice.
To be precise, she couldnt afford to regenerate it. She needed to use her ME to stall for time rather than to regenerate one arm.
Theres something I dont understand.
What is it?
Though faint, the odds of your survival were obvious. For example, if you had run away after losing your right arm, I mightve lost you.
But now, its different. You can no longer escape. Youll die here.
Anastasia didnt deny it.
This seemed to affirm what Norn said. Which caused her to not understand even more.
Then do you have a way to cure that man?
No.
In any case, even if she had the ability, they wouldnt simply watch her do it.
So the only reason you sacrificed your arm was to reach that position?
Right. You pointed it out perfectly.
Anastasia smiled.
Norn looked at her with a puzzled expression.
What do you mean?
As you said, my goal was to reach this position. To stand right here.
Sunsir gave a sinister smile.
Youre just one more obstacle. Or are you saying youd like to die first?
She threw away her arm just to die first?
It was a way of thinking that they couldnt understand.
Norn was confused.
She couldnt understand why someone struggling to live just a moment ago would suddenly make such a choice.
Huhu
Anastasia chuckled because she quite liked those words.
Die first.
Right. This time, she would die first.
Are you watching, Lukas?
Everything was different from 4,000 years ago.
Anastasia went into the stance for the Magic King Fist and said.
This guys gonna get up soon.
Thats nonsense. He was poisoned with Anantas poison. Its impossible to drive out his lethal poison with his human body.
Anantas poison.
She knew full well how dangerous it was. It was a condensed poison that could make an entire forest rot with just one drop.
But Anastasia still grinned.
You can only say that because you dont know who my friend is.
There used to be a saying that it was impossible to fight against the Demigods.
But Lukas didnt accept it. He ignored it and kept moving forward. Then he made the impossible possible.
Thanks to him, she realised something. Things that were usually referred to as impossible werent really impossible.
So what if they said it was Anantas poison?
He wouldnt have returned 4,000 years later if he was meant to die.
Anastasia could feel it.
Even at that moment, Freys heart was pumping vigorously. No, it wasnt just that. Frey hadnt lost consciousness either. His eyes were closed, but he was still awake.
Nevertheless, he still hadnt moved yet. She didnt know why, but she was certain there was a reason.
He might be preparing to do something big. Or he might be thinking of using the fact that he collapsed to strike the enemy.
Anastasias role wasnt large.
She just needed to buy him some time. The rest would be handled by her most trusted friend, as usual.
You dont know this man.
Lukas is a hero.
No matter how desperate the situation was, even if they didnt know how to fight and defeat was imminent, he wouldnt give up.
When surrounded by a forest fire, he would look for a way to extinguish the fire rather than look for a way to escape.
It had always been that way, and it would continue to be.
I have about 50,000 ME remaining.
That was fortunate. She still had room to burn.
Anastasia called upon her mana.
* * *
Is it a Golem?
Sunsir smiled at Norns murmur.
They were puppets the Dragons used to make. Somehow, these old weapons are still in use.
This one is far more annoying than most Golems. In the old days, even when the Dragons were still around, there were never any like this one.
This is just proof that the humans are becoming more and more troublesome. Lords judgement was correct.
Norn nodded at Sunsirs words. Then she couldnt help but turn and glance at him.
No matter how much I think about it, I cant remember you. But Im certain youre one of my kind.
Just forget about me.
Is that Lords will?
Right.
understood.
If Lord was behind it, then there was no need to question it any further.
Norn raised her spear. Now, it was time to accomplish her goal.
Im going to kill that gray-haired Wizard. Stay out of my way.
From her words, he was able to understand her feelings, so Sunsir nodded lightly and said.
Then Ill take care of this scrap.
Anastasia opened her mouth, but her voice didnt come out. She suddenly had the thought that making the solution in the Golem body red like blood was not a good idea.
It was too glaring.
Even now, she wasnt badly injured, but the fluid from her body had already turned the sand around her red.
Paak.
She was kicked in the abdomen.
Her body flew a short distance away before landing on the sand and rolling a few times.
Anastasia couldnt get up. Because all her limbs had been cut off.
If its a Golem right, I have to break the core.
Everything was blurry. She couldnt even hear what he was saying.
Her ME had already been depleted, so it wouldnt have been strange if she lost consciousness.
Sunsir approached Anastasia.
His hand twisted strangely before changing shape. It took on the form of a sharp blade. It was the ideal shape to cut and tear through Anastasias skin, flesh, and muscles in order to dig out her core.
Hoh.
But Sunsir withdrew his hand and muttered with a surprised voice.
I never thought hed get up again.
She heard that clearly.
Anastasia turned her head.
Through her blurry vision, she could see Frey standing there.
Its really a miracle, but it seems he used all of his energy to get rid of Anantas poison. I cant feel any power from him.
Sunsirs voice was full of ridicule as he spoke.
This should be fun. Take a good look, Golem. At how Norn kills him.
However, the moment he saw the scene unfold before his eyes, the smile disappeared from Sunsirs face.
* * *
Just as Anastasia thought, Freys mind had already returned to the real world. However, he couldnt move immediately.
800 years of experience in the mental world caused a gap between his current body and the body he had then, so he needed time to adjust.
Moving his body could only happen after hed familiarised himself.
I need more time.
Frey thought.
But he felt Sunsir approaching him. It was an incredibly dangerous situation.
Sunsir wouldnt hesitate to kill him. At this rate, hed lose his life in vain.
As soon as he began to worry about whether hed have to force his body to move or not, Anastasia made her move.
He had not said a single word since hed come back. They hadnt even made eye contact.
Nevertheless, Anastasia came to stall time as though she knew what he needed most at that moment.
Schweiser.
Right.
This was only possible because it was Schweiser. Because it was his best friend.
Then, Frey felt it.
Anastasias fight with the two Demigods. No, it wasnt a fight. It was a one-sided act of brutality.
She threw up blood, her skin cracked, her bones broke, and her limbs were torn off. Nevertheless, Anastasia didnt even let out a single pained groan.
She knew Frey was awake. Although she didnt know the details, she still noticed that he was doing something.
So she swallowed her groans. Because she didnt want to break Freys concentration.
And in the end, she fulfilled her task. She did a great job.
She had become a wreck, but she had prevented them from touching Frey.
Frey got up.
Hed finished perfectly adjusting to his body.
He turned to see Norn slowly walking up to him, a cold smile on her lips.
It seems you found the power to stand. Good. It wouldve been meaningless to kill an unconscious guy.
Frey looked at Norn.
Norn, the true form of the Nornir sisters. Now, he knew exactly what her power was.
The power to see the past, present, and future. That is your power.
Norn seemed surprised by his words.
who did you hear that from?
There was no way humans would know the powers of Urd, Verdandy, and Skuld. Sear?h the N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
In fact, it was something only a few Demigods knew.
Frey continued casually.
It fits. If you can see the future, then youd be able to tell the effects of spells youve never seen before.
You must have heard it from Riki. But knowing wouldnt change anything. You will still die here.
Frey lifted a finger and pointed towards Norn.
Norn curled her lips.
This was an action shed seen many times already.
This again? Im sorry to tell you, but neither the power of Absolute nor Indras lightning would be able to touch me. As you said, I can see the future.
This time, it will be different.
Lightning sparked on Freys hand.
Because you cant avoid it even if you know its coming.
Norn tried to laugh, but in the next instant, her expression changed greatly. She hurriedly raised her spear, but something faster than that shot out of Freys hand.
She knew. Shed already seen it. That a lightning bolt would come out of his hand.
The problem was that the speed of this attack far exceeded Norns expectations.
Kuk
It was inevitable. She literally couldnt avoid it. She couldnt even try.
A spear of lightning pierced through Norns body. And the pain that came from this attack stomped through her body like an angry bull.
It felt as if the bolt of lightning had cooked her whole.
Norn habitually looked into the future. And soon after, she felt two unfamiliar feelings at the same time.
They were regret and despair.
Chapter 182 - Beniang Argento (1)
Chapter 182 - Beniang Argento (1) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Norn grit her teeth.
Regret? Despair?
No, the emotion she felt most at that moment was humiliation.
Bastard!
She tried to roar. But she couldnt. Her tongue wouldnt move.
No, it wasnt just her tongue. Her entire body was motionless, trembling like a sparrow that had been soaked in the rain.
Paralysis!
Her entire body was paralysed.
This was unbelievable.
After she returned to her complete form of Norn, her resistances had increased by several times.
Even if Indra himself had attacked her with his lightning, it should have been impossible to paralyse her so perfectly.
Frey was no longer looking at her.
Instead, he had turned his eyes to Sunsir, who was watching this scene from a distance with wide eyes.
Sunsir stepped back.
He was well aware of his own weaknesses. Direct combat should be avoided at all costs.
His true strength could only be displayed when he hid in the shadows and launched surprise attacks.
The ability to hide the aura of his divine power was a skill no other Demigod had, but this also meant that the amount of divine power he had was much less in comparison so as to perfectly conceal it.
Something has changed.
The power of the lightning that Frey had just displayed was strange.
Sunsir knew Indra. He had even seen him use his lightning power before as well.
That was why he could tell for certain. The lightning attack hed just witnessed was much stronger than Indras.
This
How was something like this fair?
The lightning power that Frey stole from Indra was now stronger than Indras?
He wouldnt have believed it if he hadnt seen it for himself. In fact, he still couldnt believe it.
Frey didnt chase after Sunsir.
His body simply disappeared before reappearing beside Anastasia.
Sunsir almost died of shock at that moment. (Note: wanted to say almost had a heart attack so bad)
He was several times more surprised than when hed witnessed the lightning attack.
Sp-, space-time movement?!
How did a human use an ability that only a select few Demigods had managed to master?
Hes too dangerous.
He had to kill him. He had to kill him right on that spot no matter what. This was all Sunsir could think of at that moment.
Frey looked down at Anastasia. Anastasia looked up at him.
Suddenly, she grumbled.
You sure took your time to wake up.
was I late again?
Frey looked down at his best friend and muttered bitterly.
She couldnt even stand because she didnt have limbs, but there was a bright smile on her face.
Its not irreversible.
Thank you. For protecting me.
You can chat with me after youve dealt with them.
I will.
As you can see, I cant be of much help.
Dont worry about that.
Frey lifted his gaze to look at the Demigods.
Because theyre no longer a problem.
The two Demigods grit their teeth with humiliated expressions, but they couldnt refute his statement.
It was at that moment that Anastasia realised that there were many changes within Freys body.
You progressed again. Did you awaken during the period before death? In such a short time You really are an amazing guy. You- Sar?h the N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
It wasnt short.
Frey shook his head.
Right. It wasnt short at all.
You look tired. Why dont you get some rest for now? Ill handle the rest.
I should. My eyelids have been heavy for a while now.
Anastasias eyes slowly closed as she mumbled those words.
Frey raised his head again.
Sunsir, who was slowly approaching him after concealing his aura, froze.
This was because Freys eyes had landed perfectly on his body. It was definitely not a coincidence.
The moment their eyes met, Sunsir got goosebumps.
How
It was a question that didnt need to be answered. In fact, he wouldnt have been convinced even if he had heard the truth.
That Frey was using Milleds clairvoyance.
Uahhh!
Norn suddenly roared.
Shed finally overcome the paralysis. However, she was well aware that the crisis had yet to end.
If Frey had wanted it, she would have already been dead.
How dare you show mercy on me!
It was completely unacceptable for her. To receive the mercy of a human was much worse than being annihilated.
She never expected that she would feel such a sense of humiliation after returning to her true form.
Calm down, Norn.
Sunsir hurriedly tried to get Norn under control.
She would definitely not be of much help if she were to get lost in her emotions.
It took some time, but he finally acknowledged Freys strength.
From now on, dont treat him like a human. Right, it would be better if we treated him as something even stronger than the Dragons.
He used the name of the only creatures who could be considered their opponents in the past.
Norn grit her teeth, but she had no choice but to accept his words.
This man might not be a Dragon; but he was far more threatening.
Do you have a way?
You just have to actively use your power.
There was one more poisoned dagger that hed brought as insurance.
Of course, he knew that this man had driven out Anantas poison once. But it had taken a lot of time to do so.
If he could create this gap once again, he would no longer drag his feet, and he would immediately end his life this time.
understood.
This was not an easy decision to make.
Because they were Demigods, no matter how powerful an enemy was, they never joined forces. But Norn looked down at her trembling hands and steadied her resolve.
As much as it would damage her pride, this man had to die.
Then she read the future.
Huh?
When Norn had three personalities, that is to say, when she was still the Nornir sisters, it was the youngest sister, Skuld, who had the power to see the future.
Throughout her long life, shed seen many futures. That was why she knew.
The future was not set in stone. It was fluid. It constantly shifted and constantly changed.
Of course, the subject was always herself. Every time she made a judgement, the future changed.
That was why Norn had never seen such a future before.
It was completely dark.
Then she saw a pure white light, that contrasted with the future vision Norn had seen, swallow her.
It didnt pierce her; it swallowed her.
It was different from the lightning spear from before.
The size, power. No, the light wasnt even lightning.
When the light disappeared, Norns upper body was gone. The lower half that was left then fell to the ground with a thud.
Even up to the moment she died, Norn didnt realise that the future she saw was an inevitable death.
Frey looked down at his fingertips.
There was no problem using his fingers like he had before. He liked the fact that there were no side effects.
He had simply expressed his will to the divine magic power he just released.
At a speed that no one can perceive, eliminate anything it touches.
Thats what he thought, and it actually happened.
If it hits something with a stronger will than me, it wont make it disappear.
As he had this thought, Frey turned to look at the remaining Demigod, Sunsir.
He was staring at Frey in disbelief, his entire body trembling.
When his eyes met Freys, a thought seemed to suddenly pierce through his fear.
Lo-, Lord?
In that instant, Freys face overlapped with Lords.
It was ridiculous. It was utter nonsense.
How could he see Lords shadow in this mortal?
Sunsir was shaken by his own insolence.
No!
Sunsir buried his fear with anger.
Then he charged towards Frey.
Sunsir didnt have the ability to see the future. But as the distance between him and Frey narrowed, he seemed to see his final moments.
* * *
Hed killed two Demigods in an instant.
Yet Frey didnt feel proud of this in the slightest. He knew he would win even before the fight started.
At that moment, Frey realised hed transcended the 9 star stage.
Is this 10 stars?
He wasnt sure.
However, the power he had now was no longer limited to the field of magic.
What was it truly like to reach 10 stars in the first place?
Frey knew that Cairo and Diablo held some clues regarding this matter. So he decided that hed go find out some more details after dealing with this situation.
He could see the crystals left behind by Norn and Sunsir.
These were already things that he no longer needed. The thing that had the greatest influence on divine magic power was the will of its wielder.
No matter how powerful he was, even if he somehow gained infinite power, he would not be able to use it if his mind was broken.
It would be better for him to devise a way to strengthen his mental power than to increase his divine magic power.
However, it was too dangerous to leave the crystals lying in a place like this, so hed collect them for now.
Then he looked down at Anastasia.
Seeing how thoroughly her body had been destroyed, Frey couldnt help but feel a little guilty.
Eventually, he let out a heavy sigh.
Because of your appearance, I really feel like it would be a crime to let you die.
It wasnt that he would have done so, but if Anastasia still had Schweisers appearance, Frey wouldnt have felt so guilty.
He couldnt help but hate Hector a little.
Fortunately, her core was still intact. This meant that as long as she had sufficient ME, she could heal herself.
Woowoong-
1 million ME.
It was an almost unbelievable amount. Even for Frey, it was quite a burden.
Anastasia didnt regain consciousness immediately, but her wounds started to heal. At the rate she was healing, it seemed shed be in perfect condition in only a few hours.
He got up from his seat.
It wasnt over yet.
Agni.
Frey said the name of the most threatening being in the entire Amakan Desert.
Then he recalled Rikis advice.
Hed told him to hurry.
At first, he thought he was talking about Anastasia, but now, it seemed that he wasnt talking about just her.
Frey suddenly got an ominous feeling.
* * *
About an hour earlier.
Its hard to breathe.
Ivan thought, gasping.
One of the most basic of basics for the Warrior Kings Fist was breathing control. Also, it wasnt easy for Ivan, who had almost reached the stage of Warrior King, to lose his breath.
But even if a Warrior King were to participate in the fight, they might not have been able to keep their breath under control. (Note: what about Nora?)
The soaring pillars of flames, melting sand, and rain of fire from the sky all contributed to create a truly hellish scene.
The others cant even stand here.
In fact, as soon as this happened, half of the warriors who survived the first attack collapsed, and their defenseless bodies were covered by the flames and turned to ashes.
Incoming!
Someone shouted.
Then he saw a giant fist of flames soaring towards him.
Booom!
He threw himself away to avoid it, rolling a few times because of the force of the impact.
His skin was burning. He was sure the attack didnt touch him, but it didnt feel like hed avoided it.
We cant endure this much longer.
His thoughts felt drier than the desert. He had sweated too much.
As a creature who relied on the moisture in its body to live, he would not be able to survive more than half an hour in this hell.
Ivan grit his teeth.
Ever since hed started being tortured by Norano, even before then, Ivans life had been a series of struggles.
Fighting, fighting, and more fighting.
There were times he won and times he lost. Few of those fights were easy. But even though they happened, they didnt remain in his memory for very long. All Ivan could remember were the bloody, difficult battles.
In all of those fights, he never once swung his fist with the thought of losing.
But now, while facing Agni, Ivan couldnt help but feel that way for the first time.
Maybe this day next year would be the day of his memorial service.
Chapter 183 - Beniang Argento (2)
Chapter 183 - Beniang Argento (2) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Nora was probably the one who was analyzing the situation with the most level-headedness. Among those present, she was the one who had the most experience fighting Demigods.
Of course, Agnis strength was still beyond her imagination.
Noras eyes quickly swept over the surroundings as she analysed their situation.
Only a few of the hundreds of Warriors were left standing. And among them, those who had the power to do anything could be counted on two hands.
The opponent wasnt good. Numerical superiority had absolutely no tactical effect on the fight with Agni.
The power of Agnis ranged attacks was particularly formidable among the Demigods. And when he utilised his power, he basically changed the landscape, transforming the battlefield into a chaotic, hellish scene.
In all honesty, there were times when even Nora was almost caught up in the chaos. The only reason she and the others were able to move around freely was because of the two reinforcements Frey had sent.
Fwoosh!
Agnis flames once again tried to cover the area. Then someone jumped into these flames.
Nora didnt try to stop her. Even a Fire Spirit might not have been able to withstand these flames, but this red-haired woman was different.
Fwoosh!
Kuk
The red-haired woman, Nix, gulped audibly.
Normal flames would not even be able to even leave a mark on her body, but Agnis flames were different.
If he truly wanted to, Agni had the power to burn her to a crisp.
in the first place.
Agni couldnt kill Nix.
That was why she was doing her best. If it hadnt been for the fact that she was his Apostle, Nix would have probably been the first Phoenix to be killed by fire.
Crack!
A spear of ice shot towards Agni from behind. Agni felt it and swung his arm.
A tidal wave of flames shot up from the ground and swallowed the spear. But the ice spear was not melted by the flames and instead stabbed into Agnis body.
[]
It had little effect. The spear of ice also melted soon after.
Nevertheless, the fact that the wave of flames couldnt melt the spear made Agni uncomfortable.
Elliahs power.
It was annoying.
Moreover, the divine power possessed by that man, Isaka, obviously surpassed that of an Apostle. S~ea??h the ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
If a Demigod other than him had encountered him, they might have been in danger.
Crack!
Agni felt pain.
His body lost its balance, and he stumbled. His left leg had been destroyed by someones attack.
The missing foot was quickly regenerated from the flames, but that attack was clearly quite fierce.
Mmm
Nora clenched her fist, which had been badly disfigured by the burn she suffered. The pain was unimaginable.
The bandage that had been meticulously wrapped around her fist had also been destroyed.
Even the bandages Cairo made for me became like this. His body is hotter than lava.
It was absurd.
She couldnt believe that the one who attacked ended up suffering more. At this rate, it would be impossible for her to launch many attacks.
Her fists would melt before Agni died.
Then Agni shot his flames towards Nora. It was too late to avoid them.
She clenched her fist again, preparing to block it, but Ivan appeared.
He shook his lion-like mane and said.
Did you get sluggish after we hadnt met for a while?
Martial King Fist. Wind Wave.
The pressure from his fists pushed the flames back.
Hes better than I expected.
Nora felt proud of her students achievements, but she spoke with an expressionless face to keep her dignity as a teacher.
I guess my discipline was sluggish. Since you dare to say such bullsh*t to me.
thats not it.
Ivan scratched his cheeks meekly when he heard her words.
Nora almost burst out laughing at his reaction.
Hes gotten a lot stronger.
Not only his body but his willpower was also much stronger. She felt that hed reached a level where she probably wouldnt be able to guarantee her victory if they were to fight.
Ivan was almost certainly aware of that fact too.
Nevertheless, when they finally reunited, he accepted Noras angry punches without any thought of avoiding or blocking them.
This was proof that Ivan still considered her his teacher.
In fact, Ivan considered Nora as more than just his martial arts teacher. She was his benefactor.
To him, Nora was a being whose grace hed never be able to repay in this lifetime. If he hadnt met her, he would have already become a cold corpse from fighting in the streets.
That was the reason why Ivan would never forget to show the proper respect to his teacher. As the years passed, he became more and more arrogant, but his attitude towards Nora would always remain the same.
Looking at Ivans strong body, Nora said.
Ivan, your defense is probably higher than mine.
Its natural for a young man to be tougher.
Young? Are you mocking me now?
Ivan grumbled.
Lets skip this part. For a bit longer.
Hmm. In any case, I think my attacks are still a bit stronger.
I agree.
As if by habit, Ivan cracked his knuckles.
Whats the plan?
Get Agnis attention. Ill try to attack his core.
Will that work? His regenerative powers are enough to make a troll cry; it wouldnt be hard for him to create a new flame body.
This is a good opportunity. Ill show you the secret of the Martial King Fist, so make sure you keep your eyes peeled and look carefully.
Ivans expression became serious.
Did you not say youd only teach me the secret techniques when you were about to die? No way, Master
Dont make such a dumb expression Im not going to die just yet.
ah, really. Even though Im worrying, youre still being such a pain in the ass.
Huhu. Dont swear.
Nora chuckled.
Ivan also smiled and said.
You must not die.
Yeah.
Because I still have a lot to learn from you, Master.
You already know what youre lacking. I think tears might really come from my eyes when I see that my poor snot-nosed student has finally grown up properly.
Hmph
Ivan turned around.
If they continued this banter, it was possible that they would lose their tension. In battle, a certain level of tension was necessary.
Draw attention.
It sounded simple, but it was not easy with an opponent like Agni.
I have to make him focus his eyes on me.
So that he would no longer pay any attention to Nora.
However, Agnis field of view was high. If one was to look down on the battlefield from that height, it was easy to tell the battle situation with just a glance.
Unless he caused a ruckus, it would be very hard for him to get all of his attention.
I have to do something loud.
Ivan murmured to himself before kicking off from the ground. Snow then appeared beside Ivan, who was rushing forward.
She drew her sword and said.
Which side?
Left?
Then Ill take the right.
They exchanged glances for a moment before splitting off to the two sides.
Ivan then called out to Isaka, who was constantly sending out shards of ice.
Uh. So old man who looks like Frey, can I ask for your support?
My name is Isaka.
Although Isaka replied in an unpleasant tone, he didnt hesitate to support Ivan.
He had already realised he couldnt defeat Agni with his own powers.
Is it because of the difference in mental strength?
He thought about it for a while before eventually shaking his head.
That wasnt it.
Regardless of whether he controlled fire or ice, the results would be the same. The amount of divine power that the two sides could handle were just too different.
Among the Demigods, the Apocalypses were on a completely different level. He once again realised this fact.
Fwoosh!
Pillars of fire shot towards Ivan. Isaka managed to use his ice to neutralise several of the pillars, but he wasnt able to block all of them.
Ivan crossed his arms towards the pillars.
Warrior King Fist. Rock Shield.
Mana wrapped around Ivans body as he activated his ultimate defense technique.
In this way, Ivan forcibly broke through the pillars of flame.
[]
Agni turned to Ivan and raised his right hand. His fist, which had been clenched, slowly opened, and flames poured down from his palm.
Kwaah.
Hah
Ivan couldnt help but gasp slightly at the scene that unfolded.
Hundreds of flames poured down from the sky, each one giving off an aura that made one feel like ones end was nigh.
At that moment, he couldnt help but wonder if this was what it felt like to face a meteor with his bare body.
Goddammit!
He didnt have time to get lost in such a frivolous sentiment.
Ivan hurriedly rushed across the burning ground to escape the flame bombardment. The flickering flames made it almost impossible to see the surroundings.
Ivan moved his body purely on his instincts.
His senses were astonishing, so he was able to avoid most of the flames. But it was impossible to avoid everything.
Boom!
Kuk!
The flames engulfed his left arm. The pain was so terrible that for a moment, he felt like cutting off his arm.
Ivan had been burned countless times by that point, but this was the first time that his body and mind had actually cried out in agony.
It was like his soul itself was being burnt.
Dammit!
But he couldnt afford to stop because of the pain.
Ivan just swore and continued running.
Not being able to breathe properly is the worst thing ever!
The inability to control their breathing was fatal for Magic Warriors who had to constantly move their bodies.
Since air wasnt being properly supplied to their bodies, there were some deficiencies in their ability to manage their mana, which, in turn, made it harder for them to properly use their martial arts.
When the distance to Agni was narrow enough, Ivan kicked off from the ground and leapt into the air.
His body flew up like a cannonball, and in an instant, he appeared in front of Agnis waist.
Considering the fact that Agnis giant body almost reached the clouds, the power behind this leap was clear to all.
Guuuuuk.
Ivan put most of his mana into his fist. This caused the defense from his Rock Shield to decrease, and his entire body began to burn.
It couldnt be helped.
After all, he wouldnt be able to do much damage to Agni in one shot unless he used a large amount of mana.
Warrior King Fist. Iron Fist. (Note: wanted to call it Tekken so bad T~T)
Boom!
Ivans fist struck Agnis abdomen.
Considering his size, such an attack should have been like a mosquito bite, but the power behind that punch was unimaginable.
The wind pressure from the punch temporarily halted the pillars of fire burning around them.
Agnis body tilted once more.
Did it work?
Just as Ivan made this hopeful observation.
[I suppose I should end this.]
Agni muttered softly.
His body, which had collapsed, returned to its original shape as if hed reversed time.
Fwoosh!
In fact, the flames around him burned even brighter.
Regeneration? Or was it the effect of his power?
Ivan wasnt sure.
He looked up at Agni with a bewildered expression.
[I thought wed had enough control over the development of intelligence over the past few thousands of years, but it seems we didnt. You all were growing endlessly in the dark. And in the end, you became much more troublesome than we expected.]
Right. He had no choice but to accept it now.
They posed a threat to the Demigods. They had already reached this level.
If the mortals in front of him had decided to target another Demigod, any Demigod other than the Apocalypses would certainly die by their hands.
Therefore, they were unlucky.
[It is your bad luck to have met me here.]
Just as Agni was about to release his hottest flames that even rivaled the suns core.
[Stop.]
[]
This voice was probably heard by everyone on the hellish battlefield.
More surprising than that was the fact that Agnis body actually obediently followed this command.
Agni was stunned.
This feeling
It was something hed felt in the past.
Even though it had been thousands of years, it was such an unpleasant sensation that he was unable to forget it. The unique power of the continents overseers that even the Demigods were unable to avoid.
[Dragontongue.]
He could feel who the caster was.
Agnis eyes turned to a woman standing far away. A green-haired woman.
Looking at her, he couldnt help but feel some doubt. She was certainly not a Dragon.
He could tell with just a glance. She was a far cry from the beings who could be called the Demigods only rivals in history.
The same was true for her use of Dragontongue.
It would last three seconds at most. After that, Agni would regain his freedom.
She was not a Dragon.
He was certain that there were no more Dragons on the continent.
Half
Right. She should be a Half Dragon.
[I see.]
Despite her flimsy appearance, she was definitely the most troublesome one there.
Agni had found the most difficult one of those gathered.
Hup.
Upon receiving Agnis burning gaze, Beniangs face turned pale and she took a step back.
Her legs shook.
She was afraid. She wanted to run away.
What had she just done?
Was it that shed done something bad?
She shouldve just stayed still
Beniang froze.
She felt a warm sensation in her head. It was the warmth shed felt at that time.
That voice. Those gentle eyes.
He said he believed in her.
Beniangs expression changed.
Then, she took a big step forward before raising her head and looking directly at Agnis face.
[]
Agnis eyebrows furrowed.
Dragontongue was a power that most Demigods would have a hard time countering.
Even though her skills were lackluster, as long as it was used at the right time, even Lord could be in danger.
So for the sake of the future, this woman had to die here.
And make sure to read on woopread [- click here ^-^.
Chapter 184 - Beniang Argento (3)
Chapter 184 - Beniang Argento (3) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Dreadful Flames. Flames that could end the world.
Agnis power was the control of these destructive flames, but Silkid was not a very good place for him.
There was nothing he could burn in the desolate desert. Most of the buildings were made of stone or sand, and trees or buildings made from wood were extremely rare.
However, this didnt mean that Agnis powers weakened. His flames would continue to burn even if there was nothing to burn.
Taht.
He heard the sound of someone kicking off from the ground.
It was Snow.
Agni noticed her posture. It reminded him of Riki.
This caused him to suddenly feel an intense wave of displeasure. This wasnt because it felt intimidating but because it reminded him of Riki.
He didnt like this flimsy imitation of Riki.
This thought took him by surprise.
Did he still consider Riki as his kind?
Boom!
Agni swung his left hand to Snow, who hurriedly raised her sword to block it, but it wasnt a good block.
Without being able to negate the force of the attack, she was sent back to the ground at a much faster speed than her leap.
Boom!
Snows body crashed into a watchtower. After that, the momentum kept carrying her as she bounced and rolled across the floor a few times.
She only managed to stop after rolling over a dozen times.
Smoke rose from her body. This was proof that each and every one of Agnis attacks was accompanied by terrifying heat.
Hes a monster.
Snow grit her teeth. As an Ice Elf, Agnis Dreadful Flames had a particularly terrible effect on her.
Using her sword like a cane, Snow finally rose up from the ground. Then she glared at Agni, forcing herself to ignore the pain from her burns.
[Youre terrible.]
What are you talking about?
[You dont deserve to use Rikis swordsmanship.]
It was a voice so cold that it was hard to imagine it came from a literal body of fire.
Snow couldnt help but shudder at those words.
[You must be Rikis real Apostle. Now that hes dead, you should have even more control of your divine power. But look at your swordsmanship now. Do you think you can be a threat to me?]
that-
[You didnt accept Rikis power into your body.]
Snow didnt refute his words.
This was because she knew it was true.
Perhaps
Of all the people participating in the fight, it was possible that she was the least useful. This gave her a sense of helplessness that Snow had never experienced before.
For Snow, it was harder to get over the feeling of uselessness than to get angry at Agni.
Agni reached out to her.
Hed changed his mind. He decided to kill Snow before Beniang.
It was at that moment that Nora made her move.
There was a red aura around her body, but it wasnt Agnis fire.
Warrior Kings Fist Secret Technique. Flame Spirit.
Nora shot forward, leaving a long red trail like a meteor falling in the middle of the night. Shed only lightly tapped her foot along the ground, but she instantly reached Agnis face.
[!]
Agni was also surprised by this fact.
He hadnt thought it was possible to jump up to such a height without the use of magic. She had jumped twice as high as Ivan.
But he was only surprised for a moment.
Agni opened his mouth wide, and blue flames erupted from his throat.
Nora loosened her bandages and spun them around like a whirlwind. (Note: Primary Lotus?!)
Agnis flames were sucked into the bandages.
These bandages are not ordinary.
Even if he felt a bit apprehensive at the sudden attack, Agni wasnt worried. Instead, he stopped breathing fire and swung his arm.
Despite his giant size, he was able to move at an unimaginable speed. This was because Agnis body was made entirely from flames.
But this time, Nora was faster.
Nora kicked her foot against the empty air. Her fist connected with Agnis chin.
Crack!
Agni stumbled backward, losing his balance again.
At first, it seemed as though half of Agnis face had been blown off, but Nora didnt let down her guard.
Shed already seen what happened after Ivans attack. This kind of wound wouldnt have been fatal to him, nor was it too big of a threat.
Above all, she didnt feel like shed hit his core.
Nora continued sending her fists forward.
Every time her fists landed, a large part of Agnis giant fire body collapsed. This caused the small number of survivors who were watching her offensive to feel a bit hopeful.
This was because this was the first time Agni was being attacked without the ability to retaliate.
However, Noras expression wasnt good.
She started feeling anxious and swung her fists even more fiercely as if to erase that feeling.
Agni didnt fight back.
As if hed lost his ability to fight back, his body simply shook as he took each of Noras attacks.
After this situation continued for a while, the faces of the hopeful survivors who thought Nora had the advantage gradually became stiffer and stiffer.
Its not like there is no effect.
Nora had this thought.
Just because Agni didnt fight back didnt mean he couldnt. However, Noras offensive did have some effect.
The problem was that as mentioned early, she was unable to attack his core.
This level of attack only served to pressure him at best. It wasnt enough to actually finish Agni off.
I cant reach Agnis core even with Flame Spirit?
Just as Nora felt true despair, the giant being of flames suddenly disappeared.
It was as if Agnis body had evaporated.
Wha-, whats going on?
Is it over?
This caused a stir to spread through the Warriors on the ground. Sear?h the n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
The heat that had been engulfing the area up to a moment ago had suddenly disappeared. It even had the illusion that cold air was blowing.
Dont let your guards down!
Just as Nora shouted a warning in a loud voice.
Boom!
There was suddenly a huge explosion. A body of a warrior who was close to the explosion was sent sailing through the air.
This warrior crashed into a nearby building so hard that his body became a meat pile, no longer recognisable as a human.
Wh-, what?!
What just happened?
While the Warriors were trying to figure out what happened, more explosions happened one after another.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
To Nora, who was still in the air, these explosions were like the footsteps of an invisible giant.
The target wasnt the survivors. Those who were killed by the explosions were the unfortunate ones who happened to be in the explosions path.
These explosions were steadily heading in a certain direction. And when she realised where these explosions were headed, Noras expression changed.
Beniang Argento!
Beniang also felt that these explosions were getting closer to her. However, at her current level, it was impossible for her to avoid or block them.
There was only one thing that Beniang could do.
Dragontongue.
Just as she was about to call upon this power again.
Kyah!
Ivan grabbed her and escaped the range of the explosions.
He then spoke in a blunt tone.
I owe you for a while ago. If it werent for you, Id be dead.
A-, ahh. Yes. Im glad youre okay.
Ivan glanced back at the explosions persistently following Beniang and moved his legs faster.
The explosions werent very fast. In addition, Nix and Isaka began to stop their advance.
And when they thought theyd finally stopped, the explosions transformed into a firestorm.
Kooo-
Agni reappeared once again in the storm.
The terrifying heat covered the area once again. And everyone felt despair when they saw his newly healed form. (Note: hes like the worst kind of rpg boss)
Did Masters secret technique have no effect?
Nora was the strongest attacker among those present. But it seemed that even her secret technique had made no difference.
so be it.
He wasnt prepared to give up like this. So it wasnt the time to have unnecessary thoughts.
She has to use that. Instead, he turned to Beniang with a stiff expression and said.
It seems he is determined to get you.
Yes. It seems so.
Beniang nodded.
Frey had always told her that her Dragontongue ability would be vital to defeating the Demigod.
She didnt doubt those words, but she did doubt whether shed be able to play the role he said or not.
However, she had used her Dragontongue and forced Agni to stop.
For three seconds.
Can you stop him again?
Huh?
I want to give that guy a punch.
Ivan clenched his fist as he said this.
Beniang nodded.
Its possible.
Good.
Ssss-
Ivan took a deep breath.
First, it was Nora, followed by Snow, Nix, and Isaka. Then, the Great Chief Tuarik, Berserker Guarus, and Twin Blade Urha stood in front of Ivan.
They also understood that Beniang was Agnis target.
Even at that moment, Agni was looking at her.
[How annoying.]
Agni muttered honestly.
He wasnt exaggerating. He had already used a considerable amount of force to get rid of this group; though, it couldnt be said that hed gone all out.
Nevertheless, it still wasnt enough. It was possible that their potential far exceeded his expectations, but
Agni turned to look at Nix.
In the end, the biggest obstacle was this woman. If it wasnt for her, his Apostle, he would have already used Heart of the Sun to turn this entire area into a sea of fire.
He looked around. The number of mortals who were struggling against him had decreased greatly.
Agni felt that any formations they could create would be much smaller, so there was no need for him to keep this appearance.
Agni originally had absolute confidence in this form, but after the fight with Riki, he couldnt help but change his mind slightly.
Riki had overpowered him, Ananta, Leyrin, and Nozdog while in a human form.
This small and fragile appearance had its own advantages. Especially when it was necessary to control his power.
Fwoosh.
Flames engulfed Agnis body, and he gradually began shrinking to a size similar to that of the humans.
However, his entire body was still burning fiercely like an incarnation of fire.
As his size grew smaller, the overwhelming aura and heat that he exuded gradually calmed. But none of the people watching relaxed.
Agni shook his hand.
Fire roared up from the ground. This time, it wasnt a pillar of fire like he had used before.
Instead, it took the appearance of a snake. This fire snake then wrapped its tongue around Nix and pulled her into its mouth before anyone could react.
Kuk!
Nix struggled fiercely, but the power of the snakes jaws were beyond imagination. She couldnt move at all.
Then she heard Agni speak in a dry tone.
[If you try to force yourself out, your body will break in two. Regardless of whether youre a Phoenix or not, you will not survive.]
If I die, wont you die too?
[I wont kill you. Ill simply absorb you. Dont you see? Youre already in my hands.]
Nix bit her lip.
Agni enjoyed the sight of her struggle.
[I dont know if it will work or not. But youre welcome to take the gamble. Im curious regardless of the outcome.]
Agnis dry tone seemed to stem from confidence.
Nix couldnt even lift a finger. If it was true and she struggled to escape despite the risk of death, then it might just speed up the death for the others.
Indeed. It feels like my powers have concentrated.
Agni nodded with a satisfied expression.
It felt like he had an easier time making minor adjustments and his control of his power was more comfortable than in his original form.
It was only at that moment that he slightly understood how Riki was able to overpower them despite being in human form.
Nora and Snow quickly narrowed the distance to Agni. But neither was in good condition, which meant they wouldnt be much of a threat to Agni.
Boom!
They werent able to do much before they were struck down.
Nora was buried into the ground, bleeding.
Did he crack her skull?
The duration of Flame Spirit had already ended, and it was difficult to hit Agni in her current state.
She knew this. Nevertheless, she couldnt back down.
Snow was the same. In fact, she was even a bit more desperate than Nora was.
if only I could use Rikis divine power.
If so, she would have been able to cut his flaming body.
In truth, Snow had a bit of a repulsion towards divine power. She also had pride in her own swordsmanship.
At least, she never thought she could ever be so useless. It was such that her power was unable to contribute at all.
Nothing would change even if she was to leave the battlefield right at that moment.
She infused her divine power into her sword once again and charged at Agni.
Agni didnt pay much attention to her.
She wasnt actually using the power; she was simply covering her weapon with divine power. Her method was completely wrong.
An explosion occurred once again.
Snow was sent flying with blood covering her entire body.
[Pathetic.]
Agni looked at Snow with contempt.
The more they fought, the more his displeasure increased. This woman needed to be burned to death immediately.
As soon as he made up his mind to attack, he felt a huge wave of power.
It was Ivan.
Agni could feel powerful, condensed mana pulsating within his body.
It felt rough and dangerous, like a volcano that could erupt at any moment. Nevertheless, Agni didnt seem worried at all.
Kooo-
Ivan drew back his fist, which was pulsating with mana.
The secret techniques of the Warrior Kings Fist were not passed down. Instead, every successor created their own technique.
This was something that occurred after they witnessed the previous successors secret technique.
Ivan had only witnessed Noras Flame Spirit today, but he had been thinking about his own secret technique for a long time.
Noras secret technique was Flame Spirit. It involved changing the property of her mana to fire and then using that fire mana to explosively amplify her own strength.
It was an extremely powerful technique, but Ivan had realised with just a glance that it didnt suit him.
I prefer one punch.
He had deliberated upon it for a while.
For him, a special move was a single lethal attack.
Noras secret technique was one that truly deserved admiration, but it did not match Ivans ideology.
All of the mana in Ivans body gathered in his fist. It was literally filled with mana.
The pure and enormous amount of mana was compressed over and over as much as he was able to. The explosive force in his face was completely incomparable to the Iron Fist hed used before.
But it wasnt enough. He also knew for a long time that it wouldnt be enough.
So there must have been a reason for him to have this idea.
The desperate situation he was in.
The shock of seeing the defeat of his master, who he considered even higher than the heavens.
The overwhelming aura of Agni himself.
And, most importantly, his lack of confidence.
This wont be able to do it.
His opponent wasnt one who could be defeated simply because hed compressed his mana to the limit.
As Nora had said, she was a bit better when it came to offense.
So what should he add?
What could he do to make up for the shortcoming?
Except for his mana, there was nothing else that a Magic Warrior could
Ah.
Ivan felt like a lightning bolt had struck his head.
My thoughts.
His thoughts, his feelings, his beliefs.
Couldnt he put those in too?
Kuhaha
Ivan burst out laughing.
Right. That was it.
He wasnt sure why it took so long for him to notice something so simple.
He blinked.
At that moment, Ivan was no longer standing in the Amakan Desert. Instead, he was standing in the empty space known as his mental world.
He was the only one standing in this place.
Fwoosh!
Then a stream of flames suddenly shot up. These flames were so powerful that it seemed as though they would burn Ivans mental world to ashes.
Ivan understood.
This was Agni. He was the one who made Ivan feel such a way.
To put out those flames, he would need a typhoon. Weak winds would only make the flames stronger.
Instead, what he needed was a powerful typhoon that would sweep away everything in his way.
Ivan was a true genius.
The scene before him was the path that Kasajin had taken in the past, and it was a sign that he was at the gateway to the Warrior King stage that Nora was still pursuing.
Kugugu-
His body pulsed, and an explosive aura erupted from within him.
[!]
Danger.
For the first time since theyd started this battle, Agni had this thought.
A typhoon seemed to have appeared from this seemingly fragile human body. That alone made him feel a sense of crisis.
He couldnt let it go.
Agnis body began to swell once again.
Hed already captured the Nix, who was the most troublesome one of the group. So now he could just wipe out the entire group with Heart of the Sun.
[Stop.]
It was at that moment that Beniangs Dragontongue froze Agnis body once again.
Sparks of rage seemed to flash in Agnis eyes.
[Dragon-!]
It was at that time that Ivan made his move.
The speed he moved at wasnt particularly fast. But it didnt matter.
Agni was in a situation where he couldnt move. Three seconds were more than enough for him.
Ivans body was so close to the ground that he was almost rubbing against it.
In that state, he looked up at Agnis chin.
My arm no, my entire body is creaking.
It was his first time doing this. His condensed mana was stirring inside of him, begging to be released.
Right. Stir to your hearts content.
Ivan laughed and punched upwards.
He didnt have a good naming sense, so he decided to keep it simple.
Warrior Kings Fist. Ivans Punch.
Crack!
A storm of mana suddenly erupted in the Amakan Desert.
Chapter 185 - Beniang Argento (4)
Chapter 185 - Beniang Argento (4) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Cant you not go?
Beniang looked at Osel as she said this.
Osel turned to his daughter. And just by seeing her bright, innocent eyes, a bright smile spread across his face.
Are you worried?
its an Apocalypse. I heard that theyre monsters, completely different from the other Demigods. How could I not when its a being like that
Of course, Im scared too.
Osel spoke in a soft tone.
In my heart, the desire to run away is very strong. Ah, this is something the other circle members should never hear.
you can do that.
Dont you know that I cant do that? Its not a problem that can be solved by running away.
It was clear what Beniang was worried about.
Osel would have been lying if he said he wasnt scared. But it was fine.
He could still laugh sincerely.
Demigods are certainly scary beings. But there are things that are more frightening than they are.
Like what?
Losing your family.
Osels gaze settled on Beniang.
Having no home to return to.
Im also afraid of losing my father.
Haha. Thats another reason why I should come back. Dont worry. Rezil has designed a splendid operation. If everything goes according to plan, there should be no problems.
If everything goes according to plan. Even at that time, Beniang knew how ridiculous that statement was.
Their target was an Apocalypse-class Demigod. A true transcendent being who could single handedly wipe out a country.
There was no way they would be able to take down such a target without anything going wrong.
I love you. And Im sorry.
He had smiled as he said those words.
She couldnt accept it at first. Rather, she was angry at Osel and Eizek for not keeping his promise.
And she cried after realising how pointless such behaviour was. She cried as if the world was ending.
After her emotions settled, she was overcome with depression, self-doubt, and loneliness.
Even then, time continued to pass. Slowly but surely.
Over time, her emotions gradually became diluted. At some point, Beniang became able to talk about Osel with a smile again.
However, from the moment she heard his will to now, there was one thing she was never able to understand.
How was he able to look in the face of his own death and smile?
* * *
Ivan stumbled.
The life seemed to have been sucked out of him. He didnt even have the strength to move his body.
Ivan had put all of his mana, mental strength, and even his vitality into that punch.
He wanted nothing more than to collapse at that moment. If he could close his eyes, even for a moment, there would be no greater happiness.
But he couldnt.
Ivan forced his eyelids, which seemed ready to close at any moment, to stay open.
I touched it.
It was clear.
According to Noras words, his fist had touched Agnis core. It wasnt just a touch either.
It was quite a formidable blow. He was certain.
It was his first time fighting a transcendent being like Agni, but he knew his punch had landed solidly.
Nevertheless, Ivans expression wasnt good.
Sh*t
Ivans fist had literally created a sandstorm. However, this artificially created sandstorm soon dissipated as the force behind it disappeared.
The dust gradually settled, revealing Agnis body.
His upper half was missing, and the flames on his body flickered dangerously, like a dying bonfire.
It wasnt a joke. This proved that Ivans thoughts had been right.
His punch was effective. In fact, it might have even been a fatal injury.
But in the end, it still failed to kill him.
[I didnt expect something like that.]
Agni spoke in a harsh tone.
There was no chance for him to say any more.
Crack!
An awl made of ice suddenly shot towards him.
Puk.
The ice awl stabbed into his body, but Isakas expression was not good. The ice soon melted.
Isaka grit his teeth.
Did this mean he couldnt do anything with his ice even when Agni was so badly injured?
Monstrous bastard.
[It would be better for you to watch your mouth. Unless you want your soul to disappear.]
Even though he spoke sharply, Agnis condition was also not very good. Ivans fist had actually touched his core.
It would have been really dangerous if the Half-Dragons Dragontongue was stronger or if the Magic Warrior had more mana.
It was possible that he would have died in this place.
When he had this thought, Agni was filled with rage, but he forcibly suppressed his emotions.
He didnt have to get excited.
He could tell from their conditions. That last attack was the last hidden card they had.
They should have killed him with that last attack. Failure to do that meant that the result wouldnt change.
sh*t.
Ivans body inevitably collapsed.
In the end, all he could do was glare at Agni. The fact that he didnt immediately pass out on the spot was admirable.
It was Nora who prevented him from falling.
It was a bit ridiculous to see such a large man being held up by a little girl, but there was only a heavy atmosphere. Sarch* The N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Stop being such a crybaby.
Master.
That aside, that last punch was really good.
Nora smiled and stroked Ivans head.
Ivan grumbled discontentedly.
Why are you doing things you never did before?
I dont know.
Nora murmured to herself before she seemed to remember something.
What is the name of your technique?
Ivan. Ivans punch.
Huhu. How tacky. But calling it that name isnt too bad. Hmm. And it seems youre only a short step away from reaching the Warrior King stage.
Noras voice was light, and her expression was bright. But this appearance caused Ivan to feel uneasy.
Ivan Dolgar.
Ivans expression hardened.
His real name, which even he had forgotten after so long, had come out of Noras mouth.
Nora smiled as she looked at her students face.
The years of her life flashed before her eyes. Shed stopped counting after the 200th year, but quite a long time had passed.
It was too long. At least, for humans, it was a very long time.
It was a boring, hard, and lonely time, but looking back, it wasnt a bad life.
She could think this way because of this student of hers, who accompanied her during her later years.
Make sure you look carefully.
Nora walked towards Agni.
After she used Flame Spirit, she had no mana left. But it wasnt impossible to use magic martial arts without mana.
This was also the decisive difference between a Wizard and a Magic Warrior. After all, Magic Warriors were those who paid more attention to their bodies.
Ivan is still a step away.
In other words, he needed more time.
No matter how much talent, instincts, and bloody hard work he put in, Ivan would never be able to overcome the obstacle of experience that was built up over time.
He needed someone who could show him that final step. That was what his teacher, Nora, believed.
A smile blossomed on Noras face.
There was even the best opponent at this moment.
What are you doing?!
Ivan screamed and squirmed, forcing himself up. However, after hed raised his body halfway off the ground, he collapsed face first in the sand once again.
He had no strength in his legs.
Nevertheless, he didnt stop struggling. He clenched his jaws so hard that his gums started bleeding.
He knew what Nora was thinking. He could feel it.
Dont do it! Dont
Ivan coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Pieces of his organs which had been damaged by his attack could be seen in the blood.
Please please dont
Noras footsteps didnt stop.
Seeing her crying disciple reminded her of the time when she first took him in.
Ivan, at the time, was very innocent. She recalled the pure and naive look in his eyes.
Her once cute disciple had grown to become a disgustingly giant man. But this also meant that she raised him well.
Huhu.
-Her stray thoughts ended there.
Noras expression changed.
Before she knew it, she was right in front of Agni. Then she recalled Ivans Punch.
It was an attack that contained the full potential of a Magic Warrior.
She slowly clenched her fist and stretched it forward. Doing martial arts without mana was the same as using a bow without any arrows.
Those looking on might think it was useless. However, that wasnt entirely true.
She could at least show him the motions. She could teach him the most ideal posture.
Ivan watched this scene with tear-filled eyes.
Despite his sorrow and helplessness, he watched his teachers final moments with wide eyes.
Agni was also looking at Nora.
What is she doing?
He couldnt feel any power in this human in front of him. This meant that she wasnt a threat to him.
Even the smallest of his embers could still burn her to death. He was certain of this.
But he still couldnt move just yet.
No, he didnt want to move.
This wasnt like the Dragontongue. He wasnt moving because his heart didnt want him to move.
Something about Noras appearance at this moment made him not want to make a move.
Reverence.
Was a Demigod like him feeling reverent towards a human?
Noras clothes were covered in blood and sand, but her upright posture seemed to carry a sense of purity and holiness.
Nora clenched her fist.
Ivan realised immediately.
That movement, that posture, that fist.
She was imitating the secret technique hed just used.
No, it wasnt an imitation. She was fixing the shortcomings, reconstructing, and developing it to perfection.
It was Noras last lesson.
She extended her small, thin fist.
Tok.
This fist hit Agnis body with a weak sound.
[]
It happened in an instant.
The Dreadful Flames spread to Noras arm. Then, the flames covered Noras entire body.
Hellfire. Noras entire body was engulfed in hellfire.
She heard Ivans grieving cry.
Nevertheless, she didnt open her eyes. She didnt even open her mouth.
She didnt want to show her student the unsightly appearance of her screaming during her last moments.
She wouldnt allow it.
It was strange.
For some reason, she didnt feel any pain.
Was she already dead?
Was she burnt to ashes before she could even feel it properly?
No. That wasnt it.
Nora opened her eyes.
Chapter 186 - Beniang Argento (5)
Chapter 186 - Beniang Argento (5) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
At first, the goal was to buy time until Frey came.
However, the fact that he sent the two reinforcements, Nix and Isaka, over meant that he would not be able to join them immediately. It was possible that he wouldnt be able to come at all.
Nevertheless, she failed to overcome her weak thoughts. She had tried to simply hold him back and leave everything to Frey, but she shouldnt have.
This opponent wasnt one who could be faced with a weak will.
She would destroy him here. She would definitely kill. Even if it meant losing her life.
If she had fought with this determination from the start, then the results might have been different.
Maybe she was the one who caused it to end up like this.
The result.
Beniang closed her eyes.
It felt like she could see the end of this battle.
Beniang.
Nora was looking at Beniang in disbelief.
Beniang instead looked at her missing arm.
This was a natural result as shed touched Agnis body with her bare hand.
Your right arm Im sorry. I was too late.
Thats fine. Thats not important Were you the one who saved me? How?
I used Dragontongue.
isnt that something you can only use twice a day? Did you manage to increase the number of times you can use it?
No.
Beniang shook her head calmly.
It was at that moment.
Urk
Her expression became one of pain as she coughed up a mouthful of blood into her hand.
Beniang?
Nora moved to help her with a shocked expression. But Beniang shook her head to signal she was fine, despite the fact that her other hand was tightly clasping her robe.
This is a warning.
Her body was warning her directly. It was strongly urging her not to use Dragontongue again.
Beniang also knew. She could feel it instinctively.
Just what would happen if she tried to use Dragontongue any more.
Hectors words were accurate.
She could only use Dragontongue twice per day.
She had only used it one more time, but it already felt like a knife was being stirred around in her intestines.
But it was fine.
She could still talk. She could move. She might have been able to use magic as well.
She was still alive.
The terrible feeling inside her body was the best proof of that fact.
Beniang?
Im fine.
Beniang spoke calmly as she looked at Nora with a pale expression.
This subjugation has failed.
Everyone knew this, but it wasnt something anyone wanted to hear. And she didnt expect to hear it from Beniang of all people.
Nora remained silent and listened to what Beniang had to say.
It appears that Agni is incapable of moving right now. He probably couldnt resist the full effects of Ivans punch.
She agreed.
It was clear that he was recuperating from his injuries at that moment. However, he was still using the last bit of power that he had left to protect his body.
It was a wise move.
After all, there was no longer anyone who could threaten Agni among those present.
Isaka was constantly using his ice to slow down Agnis recovery, but he was unable to deal a truly fatal blow.
Even if we tried to use this chance to escape.
It would be meaningless.
Agni was a Demigod who had mastered space-time movement. Even if they were to scatter and run in different directions, it would not take him very long to kill all of them.
He cant move right now!
Now is our chance!
Lets go! Warriors of Silkid!
The surviving Warriors all raised their weapons and charged at Agni. They were no better than moths flying into a flame.
Their weapons failed to reach Agni. Instead, Agnis flames spread and consumed them one after the other.
Beniang looked at this scene and opened her mouth again.
I see two paths that we can take right now.
Paths?
Perhaps this is the crossroads its probably the scene my father, Osel Argento, saw back then.
Beniang murmured confidently.
She had witnessed it in person. Just why these beings, who were a rank higher than the other Demigods, were called Apocalypses.
They were truly beings who could destroy the world. Or, at least, they were able to directly cause catastrophes with their power.
It was the same in the battle against Nozdog back then.
Nozdog, who had the power of death, was a Demigod on the same level as Agni. And it was generally impossible to escape from such existences.
If so, then how did so many people survive in the battle against Nozdog?
Father.
Osel Argento.
Her father had defended everyone. He took himself as the sacrifice and defended the rear.
Beniang wasnt there, and she didnt know the details, but she was certain about what Osel would do.
Thats why he was able to laugh.
It wasnt that he wasnt afraid of death. Anyone with intelligence would be.
However, it was different when it was a path you choose for yourself. As long as it was a choice they made by themselves, humans could laugh in the face of anything.
The consequences of these actions no longer mattered at that time.
Nora, who was looking at her from the side, couldnt help but be speechless for a moment.
Beniang was smiling.
She had a smile on her lips that greatly resembled that of her father, Osel.
Its better for one person to die than for everyone to die.
Noras expression became strange when she heard her mutter this strange phrase.
What are you talking about?
Im saying that I will hold down the fort.
Krrr.
They heard a magnificent sound. Then everyone watched on as the fire around them gradually gathered to Agnis body.
He had finished recovering. He would make his move soon.
As if to respond to Beniangs thoughts, Agnis body gradually swelled.
Boom!
With a huge explosion, Agni returned to his true form.
Three Warriors who were closest to him were incinerated instantly.
U-, uaah!
Kuk! Hes a monster!
[]
Agni spread his arms without saying anything.
He didnt want to talk to these annoying insects any longer. He wanted to end this quickly.
A-g-ni-!
Nora flinched, her body subconsciously trembling.
She wasnt the only one. The bodies of everyone in the surroundings stiffened. Even Agni was no exception.
Be-, Beniang?
Nora shuddered even more when she realised that Beniang had overpowered him with just her voice.
Beniang herself hadnt realised it. The fact that she had initiated Dragon Fear even though she was just a Half-Dragon.
It was their enemy, Agni, who had the best grasp of the situation.
[Thats too much power for a Half-Dragon.]
He murmured but was still not able to move at that moment.
He frowned.
His body had recovered, but his divine power had still been exhausted. Because of this, he could not resist the effects of this Half-Dragons Dragon Fear.
Beniang turned to Nora and said.
Please tell Frey. Thank you, and I leave it to you.
It was only then that Nora understood Beniangs intention.
She hurriedly spoke up with a stiff expression.
Stop. You dont have to sacrifice yourself. Are you listening to me, Beniang? You-
[Leave.]
The survivors of the desert battle disappeared. One by one, they were sent out of the Amakan Desert.
When they opened their eyes, they would be in the safest place.
Wait, Beni-.
The last one to disappear was Nora. She urgently called out to Beniang, but she wasnt able to finish her words.
Soon, Beniang and Agni were the only ones left in the desolate desert.
Agni was surprised as well. He hadnt expected that even Nix, who he had captured, would be taken from his hands.
However.
[Its meaningless.]
Although Agni said this, Beniang smiled and asked.
What do you mean?
[Everything you just did. You sent them somewhere with your Dragontongue. It might be more troublesome than magic, but do you think I cant track them down?]
Agni shook his head.
[It changes nothing. I will kill you. Then I will kill the rest.]
You cant.
[Hoh. Whys that?]
[Disappear.]
The faint traces left began disappearing.
Agnis flame body shook slightly.
She used Dragontongue again?
Gurk!
Beniang vomited violently.
The amount of blood she coughed up was enough to soak her robes.
She sat on the ground and looked up at Agni. A smile was still present on her lips.
Now. All the traces have disappeared. How are you going to track them?
[its not too late. No matter how powerful Dragontongue is, it wont be able to completely erase all of the traces. As long as I leave immediately]
Dont you understand by now? I stayed here to prevent that from happening.
Beniang let out a laugh that sounded like a quiet breeze.
Now that she thought about it, she didnt have a deep relationship with any of those people. There was only Nora, who shed seen a few times when she was younger.
Thats why she was curious. Why did she choose to give her life for those people?
Youve done well. And you will do even better in the future. I trust you, Beniang Argento.
Hed said he believed in her. And Beniang wanted to live up to that belief.
She wanted to prove that his trust was not misplaced. If they were to be reunited someday, she wanted to be able to open her heart and confidently ask.
I wasnt too bad, was I?
Haha.
Beniang raised her head.
She couldnt feel anything but pain, but for some reason, her heart was relieved. She could finally understand her dead father.
That person who was still able to laugh before his death.
Youve changed me. Great Mage.
Thanking her, patting her head with pride, and comforting her with all his heart.
That was why she could stand here.
[You can be proud, Half-Dragon. You are more persistent than any Dragon Ive ever faced. But you should already know, dont you? Dragontongue is something that even real Dragons cannot take lightly.]
Agni looked at Beniangs body.
[Your fragile body has already surpassed its limit. However your vitality is surprising. If you were a pureblooded Dragon, Im certain you would have died by now. Because they have a faint obsession towards life. How interesting. You can survive so long because of your inferior human blood.]
Shed crossed the limit.
Agnis words made Beniang laugh.
Do you think I dont know that?
It was her body. Naturally, she knew her condition best.
It didnt matter though.
She could still hold on. She could still laugh.
Being a Half-Dragon is only part of my identity.
[]
My name is Beniang Argento. Circle Master of the Trowman Rings and the Great Mage Lukas Trowmans
Beniang paused at the end of her words.
Could she call herself that?
Perhaps she was just being greedy.
However Right. Since these were her last moments anyway, she was allowed to be this greedy.
I am his disciple.
She laughed lightly.
Thats what Im proud of.
[]
It was impossible to talk to her. This woman would tie him down till the end.
Agni was certain of this.
He couldnt delay any further.
Agni lifted his arms. His giant arms of fire caused a hot breeze to blow across the desert.
Seeing this scene, Beniang spoke.
The last Dragontongue word shed say in her life.
[Stop.]
Agnis body stopped at the command.
For the first time, he simply looked at Beniang without impatience.
Was she trying to stall until the end?
It was a futile struggle.
One second.
Two seconds
Then three seconds.
Urk.
Blood flowed from Beniangs eyes, nose, and mouth at the same time. It didnt take long for her face to be covered in blood.
There was no need for him to use his own hands.
Agni lowered his arms.
[Your heart just exploded. Even if you drink an elixir right now, you wouldnt be able to recover. Right. You managed to earn three seconds with your death. Are you satisfied?]
His indifferent words continued.
[It was only three seconds. It changes nothing. Right. Ill admit that I cant kill them right now, but how long will they be able to survive? I swear on my name. No matter where on the continent it is, as soon as I receive any clues about them they will receive the death that you postponed.]
Agni laughed.
[Your death is just a dogs death.]
A dogs death.
That wasnt true.
Beniang wanted to say that, but her lips didnt move.
Her body slowly collapsed. Even the pain felt faint. Instead, a feeling of coldness seemed to replace it.
It was a severe cold that she had never experienced before, and her body shuddered uncontrollably.
its too bad.
She couldnt help but think this.
Shed finally gained the confidence to lead the circle better. Shed even started liking herself, who she hated more than anything. She felt shed finally managed to achieve something.
Thats why she couldnt help but feel that it was a pity.
Then she realised.
Death was always filled with regrets.
I hate it.
She didnt want to die.
Tuk.
She collapsed, but it wasnt onto the sandy ground.
It was soft.
As though someone had caught her broken body.
Ah
She felt warmth.
Beniang thought she was hallucinating.
Since it was the thing she wanted the most right before she died, her brain allowed her to experience it.
But it didnt matter.
Even if it was just a hallucination, she was happy that she could see his face right before she closed her eyes for the last time.
It was too bad.
She really didnt want to die.
* * *
Beniang closed her eyes.
Frey looked down at her.
Hed taught many people. However, hed never accepted many disciples.
There were many times when people claimed to be his disciples, but Frey had never thought of them as his disciples.
What he wanted from a disciple wasnt the best talent or an excellent brain. Instead, he wanted someone who understood his teaching and empathised with his thoughts and beliefs.
In other words, someone who had the potential to be a better person.
Beniang Argento was Freys-
No. She was Lukas Trowmans first disciple. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Frey had realised this fact too late.
Deep sadness filled his heart.
And as soon as he gently put down her body and stood up, this sadness became intense anger.
Because she only managed to obtain three seconds, you called it a dogs death. Then your death will be even less than a dogs death.
[!]
Agni stepped back.
Emotions that he didnt realise he could feel swept through him like a storm.
It was a very unfamiliar feeling. And it was a feeling that he never expected an Apocalypse to feel.
Because you wont even be able to get three seconds from me.
Agni felt fear.
Chapter 187 - Turbulence (1)
Chapter 187 - Turbulence (1) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Agnis reaction was excellent.
At the least, it was much better than Norns and Sunsirs who died before him.
Of course, the most important factor to this reaction was the fact that his perception towards mortals had already been changed by the previous fight.
He had acknowledged the fact that they were threats to Demigods.
A pillar of fire erupted from Agni and surged towards Frey, engulfing his body in an instant. But Agni knew that his fire wouldnt even leave a scorch mark.
A spear of lightning broke through the pillar of fire and reached Agni in an instant.
[Kuk!]
Agni twisted his body immediately.
No, hed reacted even before he saw it.
Nevertheless, it was impossible for him to completely avoid the attack. The bolt of lightning bit Agnis shoulder like a hungry beast.
Rather than the terrible pain, Agni was more surprised by the attack that was faster than a thought.
In his Fire God form, Agni was able to move his body almost immediately in response to his thoughts. Sarch* The N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Had it not been for Beniangs Dragontongue, Ivans attack would never have been able to touch him.
Yet, it was this same Agni who couldnt even react in time now. In fact, he had only managed to avoid the attack by luck.
Flash.
Agnis eyes, which had dimmed considerably, suddenly flashed white.
He no longer dared to hold back any of his powers. More importantly, his current situation was anything but good. He had used too much divine power in the last battle.
White flames poured out of Agnis mouth.
Heart of the Sun.
The flames that would never go out finally appeared in the Amakan Desert. The power of these flames far surpassed any he had used up to that point.
Paht.
But it was these flames that also disappeared as soon as he released them.
White light from Freys hand had pierced into the heart of the sun. And the heart of the sun, which had just swelled, popped with a ringing sound.
Agni stared at this sight with a blank gaze.
His mind had gone blank for a moment. His brain was unable to process what had just happened.
In the meantime, Frey appeared before Agni.
Agni flinched.
What the hell?
Wasnt this man a Wizard?
He had no reason to come so close
No. This could be his only chance.
Agni tried to use the Heart of the Sun again. At this distance, it would be unavoidable.
But before he could do that, Frey flicked Agnis face with his finger.
Pop!
And with that simple move, Agnis head exploded.
At the same time, the little divine power he had left flowed away like an ebbing tide.
Hed lost.
Agni had this thought as he collapsed to his knees. His head, which had been destroyed, slowly regenerated, but Frey didnt stop him. He also knew.
It was only Agnis shell that had regenerated. Agni had already lost most of his divine power, and the remnants would soon disappear.
[are you really human?]
Agni spoke in a soft voice.
His will to fight had completely disappeared.
Frey had killed quite a few Demigods, but he was the first to respond in such a way.
No. He wasnt the first.
There was Riki.
[I cant believe it even though I can see it for myself.]
A simple finger flick without any skill had managed to reach his core.
Was it because he didnt have any more divine power and he was already weakened from the previous battle?
He felt like it would have been different. However, he didnt think he wouldve been able to win even if he was in his peak condition.
As Agni accepted this fact, the last of his power dissipated.
His spark of life went out.
Agnis body fluttered as though he would disappear at any moment. He looked down at Beniang.
Truly worse than a dogs death.
Beniang sacrificed her life to save dozens of people. If it wasnt for her, they would have all been annihilated before Frey arrived.
On the other hand, his death was meaningless.
Agni closed his eyes.
At that moment, he recalled Leyrins face.
He shook his head. He wouldnt regret it.
It was the decision hed reached before he came to this place. He decided to accept everything Lord had done.
Im not like Riki.
That was why he was worried. He felt regret.
Right. It was probably what he should have done before he died. His role should have been to pass on the word.
Agni should have told Lord.
Lord, youre acting strange now.
He wasnt sure how Lord would have taken it. However, he felt that it was necessary to say it.
The current Lord was very strange. He was different from before. And he wasnt sure how that would affect the Demigods.
However, when he thought about it, he was overcome with anxiety for some reason. That was probably the reason why he had subconsciously stopped himself from thinking too deeply.
If Agni were to die, then the presence capable of restraining Lord would be gone as well. Because Ananta and Nozdog would obey Lords will without question.
And the words of the mortals would never get through to Lord.
It wouldnt matter unless a Demigod said it.
Of course, he couldnt imagine how Lord would react to it. Rikis face then appeared in his mind.
Did you realise this, Riki?
Agni shook his head at this question that suddenly appeared.
Then, the last flame burning in the desert went out.
* * *
Lord paused. Then he turned around and said.
[Agni is dead.]
[What did you say?]
Nozdog asked in a surprised voice.
Ananta frowned fiercely.
That fool! I told him to deal with his Apostle!
[It had nothing to do with his Apostle. Agni was directly defeated by the humans.]
Anantas mouth fell open.
He shook his head fiercely as if he couldnt believe it.
Thats ridiculous. Agni is like us, a being not even the Ancients could kill.
Among the Dragons, the particularly powerful beings were called Ancients.
The Demigods, classified as Apocalypses by humans, were all beings who could dominate the Ancients.
Agni was in no way inferior to Ananta or Nozdog. But Lord had no reason to lie to them.
Ananta forcibly suppressed his rising anger and said.
Is that human still in the Amakan Desert?
[Yes.]
Then I will go and kill him myself.
Lord shook his head at Ananta, who was about to use space-time movement right away.
[Stop.]
Why?
[You cannot defeat that human.]
kuh.
He felt humiliated, but he couldnt refute it. If the human was truly powerful enough to defeat Agni, then the outcome would not change even if he went.
Ananta turned to look at Nozdog.
Then I will go with Nozdog.
[You still wouldnt win.]
What do you mean?
[]
Although Ananta asked this, Lord didnt respond.
Crunch.
Ananta, who gritted his teeth roughly, shouted out as if he was possessed.
Then! Lord! You can go with me! Since hes dangerous enough to kill Agni! We should cut this bud as soon as possible!
[I agree with that. But still, no.]
Why not?
[Because we wouldnt win even if I go.]
!!
[What did you say?]
Even Nozdog, who was doing a good job of controlling his emotions at that moment, couldnt help but react in shock.
He was several times more surprised than he had been when he learned of Agnis demise.
Wh-, what do you mean? Lord, are you saying that you couldnt kill that human with your power? Theres no way that a human is-
[If I was to give an approximation of my chances of winning, then it would be 60%, but, right, I also wont deny the fact that if anything went wrong, I would lose.]
[That what the hell]
They were speechless.
They had never thought that there could be something on the continent that Lord couldnt defeat.
Lord gently gestured to his people.
[I watched that man fight. Hes no longer a Wizard No. Hes no longer a human being. He has obtained the power of the source.]
The power of the source?
[The power of origin which has endless possibilities.]
Such a power existed?
It was their first time hearing it.
Ananta narrowed his eyes.
Lord seemed to know about it. So why had he never mentioned it before?
On the other hand, Nozdog was furious at the fact that a human had obtained a power that even Demigods didnt know existed.
[A being who appears once every tens of thousands of years has appeared among the humans.]
[if thats true, then how the hell would we deal with a human like that]
[Theres no need to worry, my comrade.]
do you have a plan?
[Thats right. If I get my hands on what I want, then it wont matter even if that human has the power of origin. We dont have time to waste, so lets set off immediately. Please lend me your strength.]
[Set off? Where are we going?]
Lord swung his arm, tearing the space in front of them.
The view was a silent answer to Nozdogs question.
It was a place where screams could be heard nonstop. A place with purple earth, a sun that burned black, and where countless rivers of blood flowed.
It was a land where the aura of death could be felt more strongly than anywhere on the continent.
It was Hell. Another name for the Demon World that was usually used by the Demons.
* * *
I wonder how long its been since we last saw each other.
Beelzebub, the King of Gluttony, spoke with a voice that sounded like numerous flies buzzing.
It was truly an amazing occasion. The six Lords of the Demon World had all gathered together.
Naturally, some of them were hostile to each other. For example, Lilith and Asura.
Nevertheless, the reason why they didnt show their hostility to each other was because of the man sitting in the middle and giving off a terrifying aura.
The only person in the world who had the authority to gather all the Demon Lords in one place.
If you called me here for something useless, I wont let it go, Lucifer!
Barbatos spoke with a harsh tone while staring at Lucifer with a burning gaze.
Huhu. Theres no way the ruler of the Corrupted Hell would call us out for nonsense.
Lilith responded in a seductive tone.
Then Lucifer, who had been silently observing everyone, finally spoke.
Prepare for war, Lords of Hell.
Silence filled the room.
The first one to open their mouth was Zepar. He spoke directly without concealing his displeasure.
Youre not declaring war on us. So what do you mean?
The Demigods will come to this world.
The Demigods? Ha. Youve completely lost your mind.
Barbatos mocked him openly.
Zepar, on the other hand, spoke in a rational tone.
The Demon World holds no value for them. Im certain that Lord knows what were capable of. I dont think theyd willing accept such heavy losses.
Are you saying that conquering the continent isnt enough for them? Hmm. Very well. I always wondered what the Demigods tasted like.
The hall instantly became filled with noise. The Lords of the Demon World were all belligerent.
Even the calmest among them, Lilith, had a vicious smile on her face because she disliked the Demigods.
Lucifer looked around and nodded inwardly.
Its as I expected
His gaze then turned to the only being who had sat in his seat without saying a single word so far.
Whether he felt Lucifers gaze or if he had finally had enough, this being finally broke the silence.
You fucking retards.
The heated atmosphere subsided as though cold water had been poured onto it.
It was Asura who had frozen the group with his cold voice.
Chapter 188 - Turbulence (2)
Chapter 188 - Turbulence (2) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
One of Asuras heads turned to look at Barbatos.
Barbatos, you idiot. Use your brain. Is that thing on your shoulders empty?
What did you say? You son of a bitch!
Barbatos released a red puff of air as his demonic energy surged.
But Asura simply smiled without feeling intimidated at all.
Did you find the ones who dug up your Despair Hell?
I havent found them yet. But why are you suddenly talking about those bastards
Barbatos voice suddenly faded.
He might have had a fiery and brash temper like a volcano, but he wasnt stupid.
This was natural.
After all, he would never have been able to become a powerful Demon Lord if he was just strong. He was an old monster who had experienced countless hardships.
His expression flickered.
His fiery gaze turned to Lucifer, seemingly forgetting Asuras insulting remarks.
Was it you, Lucifer?
Hmph
Asura snorted.
Barbatos was also partially at fault in this matter. This was because he didnt care too much about what happened in his territory.
Thanks to his negligence, the Despair Hell was the land most suitable for the word hell out of all the territories in the Demon World.
That was the reason why he had been unable to notice Lucifer and Iris actions in the Despair Hell.
Instead, it was Asura, a third party, who had realised it first.
Lucifer didnt answer.
Just as Barbatos grit his teeth heavily and was about to speak.
Asura beat him to it.
Lord Lucifer, you have the greatest power, influence, and territory in the entire Demon World.
His words caused the expressions of the Demon Lords sitting in the room to become strange. Even Barbatos, who was about to explode just a moment ago, was the same.
They all knew how arrogant and proud the ruler of the Slaughter Hell was.
Of course, Lucifer was the only one in the Demon World whom Asura actually recognized, but he would never admit such a thing so openly.
After all, Asura was also one of the Archdukes of Hell. His position was equal to Lucifers, and he was aware of that.
However, it cannot be said that you are the ruler of the Demon World. You are just the Demon Lord with the most influence.
I know that.
Lucifer nodded as if it was obvious, and Asura laughed.
You know? Then why are you acting like that?
I dont know what youre talking about.
youre making even the handful of respect I had for you disappear, Lord Lucifer. I wonder if youre going to disappoint me further.
Asuras voice became colder as he said this.
As the other Demon Lords pondered over their conversation, Beelzebub couldnt help but speak out, his eyes turning.
Asura, are you saying Lucifer is involved in the Demigods invasion?
Hes not just involved. Lucifer is basically the one who gave them a reason to invade the Demon World.
What are you talking about?
Barbatos burning gaze then settled on Lucifer once again.
Is that true?
Right.
Lucifer nodded without denying it.
Instead, it was the other Demon Lords who were lost for words at his blatant admittance.
Lucifer looked around.
What?
Its true that the Demigods came to the Demon World due to my actions. But it was something that would have happened eventually. I just pushed it forward a bit.
Do you expect us to believe that?
Believe it or not, thats up to you. But I want to ask you a question. Lets assume the Demigods invaded the Demon World not now but in the future. What if they asked to negotiate and talk, saying that they had no intention of fighting? Would you accept it?
No.
Asura spoke firmly.
As long as any Demigod takes a single step into this world, they will die by my hand.
Then whats the problem?
At Lucifers words, Asuras faces twisted into expressions that truly showed his demonic bearing.
I refuse to be a pawn on someone elses chessboard.
With those words, Asuras aura changed.
Churk.
His six weapons shook as he rose from his seat.
The expressions of the other Demon Lords changed. This was because this was the first time Asura had ever spoken to Lucifer in such a way.
One thing is clear. The thing that I find the most annoying right now isnt the Demigods but you. So pick up your weapon, Lucifer.
Asura was serious.
It was possible that his chances of winning were less than half. But he didnt care.
He was a War Demon. He had survived countless battles with even worse odds.
This bloody fight would be no different.
Lucifer also stood up from his seat with a firm expression, maybe because he sensed the determination in Asuras voice.
The other Demon Lords didnt seem to have any intentions of stopping them. Rather, it seemed as though they were eagerly anticipating the fight.
If these two Demon Lords were to be weakened because of this fight, they could use the opportunity to increase their own influence.
After all, Demons were greedy beings.
Knowing that, Lucifers next actions were all the more surprising.
What the hell are you doing?
Asuras lips twitched. He was looking at Lucifer with disbelief.
The oldest Archduke, Ruler of the Corrupted Hell. He was looking at the being, who was arguably the strongest in the Demon World, now bowing to him.
If it was unpleasant, I apologise. Im sorry.
I asked what youre doing.
I have no intentions of fighting you, Asura. Lord has brought the greatest strength at his disposal to the Demon World. This means that if even a single one of the Demon Lords is lost, we wouldnt be able to beat them.
Asuras suspicions subsided. Lucifers apology was sincere.
His aura, which had begun billowing, calmed once again.
Retaking his seat, he was silent for a moment before saying.
A giant Dragon is buried in the Despair Hell. Thats what the Demigods are after.
Thats right. The Dragon Lords body. Thats their goal.
Zepar frowned.
Dragon Lord? Was there such a thing?
Its an ancient being that you dont know about. 5,000 years ago, he lost a fight against Lord and was sealed in the Demon World.
Why the Demon World? Arent Dragons from the continent?
More than that. The Dragon Lord is connected to the continent. If the Dragon Lord dies, it would cause an unstoppable catastrophe, and the continent would eventually become a land of death. Lord intentionally sealed the Dragon Lord in the Demon World in order to sever that connection.
so he wanted to use the miasma in the Demon World to confuse the connection. Using an absurd amount of time to achieve the goal. Ignorant but effective.
Lilith muttered, frowning.
But why do they want to obtain the Dragon Lords body now?
Lucifer didnt answer. It seemed that he didnt intend to say anything further.
Zepar furrowed his eyebrows, his discontent clear.
He didnt like the fact that Lucifer was obviously keeping secrets.
As if he noticed this, Lucifer opened his mouth again.
If we win this fight, I will step down from my position as Archduke.
Wh-, what did you say?
are you serious?
All the Demon Lords looked at him in disbelief. But Lucifer continued with an unwavering voice.
I swear on my name here and now. After the battle ends, I will withdraw my title as Lord of the Corrupted Hell, and my territory will be divided equally among the five Demon Lords gathered here.
Most of the Demon Lords were pleased by the unexpected declaration.
Beelzebub tilted his head to the side.
I dont need it.
And Asura refused without needing to think about it.
Instead, he trained his sharp gaze upon Lucifer.
However okay. I will put off our fight for now. Im not sure what deal you made with Iris Phisfounder, but Ill get rid of the Demigods first and worry about that after.
Thats all I ask.
Asura looked at the nodding Lucifer and couldnt help but recall his last conversation with Iris.
When he told her to not touch his area, she had agreed that she wouldnt.
You really didnt mess around in my territory.
Instead of the Slaughter Hell, Iris had shaken the entire Demon World. (Note: THE END! I wish)
* * *
Degul-
A brilliant red bead lay on the ground, burning brightly as if it contained lava.
Frey glanced down at the bead.
It was a Demigod crystal. And the fact that he could see it meant that Agni had truly been destroyed.
Frey looked away from the bead and went towards Beniang. Her body was still warm.
However it was just warm.
The fact that Beniang was already dead could not be changed.
Frey was once again filled with intense sorrow.
if I had been a little faster.
Just as he was about to reach out to Beniangs body, Frey stopped.
Instead, he pulled back his hand and turned around.
Chwak.
As soon as he looked back, a huge crack in space appeared. It was as though a gigantic creature was opening its mouth.
From the dark space, two familiar faces appeared.
Iris and Dro, who had suddenly disappeared.
Iris looked at Agnis crystal on the floor and said.
You defeated Agni.
Frey didnt respond.
He couldnt help but feel a bit cold at Iris who had only appeared now. He couldnt help but think that if Iris or Dro had participated in the battle Beniang wouldnt have died.
But he shook his head.
He was just venting his anger. These two were not Freys allies.
Suddenly, Dro, who had been looking down at Beniangs body since they arrived, finally spoke.
Is she a Dragon?
Half-Dragon.
I see.
Dro nodded before carefully walking up to Beniangs body.
Perhaps it was because he had never shown any true emotions before. But the solemn and sorrowful expression he was showing now felt extremely powerful.
If its not a problem, would you leave her funeral to me?
What do you mean?
I want to return her body to nature.
Naturalisation.
It was a word that could only signify the death of a Dragon.
But Frey shook his head without needing to think too deeply.
No. You dont have to. I will take care of Beniangs body.
Beniangs awareness towards her Dragon side was very faint. This was natural as shed never gotten the chance to see her parents.
Frey considered Beniang a human. And her family was not the Dragons but the Trowman Rings.
Frey felt that he was obligated to show them her body.
Dro stepped back without pressing any further. However, he couldnt help but look at Beniangs body in disappointment.
Woowoong-
Frey put Beniangs body in his subspace. (Note: not sure if the author is talking about his bag here or not, since they only use subspace instead of subspace bag)
He didnt want her body to be damaged any more than it already was.
Then he looked at the purple haired woman in front of him.
Iris.
Yeah. Sear?h the N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
I want to talk to you.
You already are.
Thats not what I mean. I want to hear what youve been doing and thinking for the past 4,000 years.
Iris tilted her head.
Why do you want to know that?
Maybe if I understood
Youd forgive me?
Iris had a soft smile on her lips and spoke in a gentle tone.
She looked perfectly calm. But Frey could tell.
Iris was getting angry.
I dont believe that, Frey.
Though she spoke softly, it felt like she was shouting.
But youre right. Sooner or later, you will know everything. I dont know what kind of judgement youll make after that. However the point is that now is not the right time.
Iris licked her lips slightly.
I said more than I intended. You can talk to him, then.
Iris smiled gracefully until she disappeared in space.
Frey sighed and turned around.
Are you running away?
She didnt show it, but he knew. Knew that his words had shaken Iris.
But that was all Frey could know. He had no way of knowing more than that.
What exactly it was that hed said that shook her. Or what she was thinking at that moment.
Iris had spent a long time beside Lord.
She must have witnessed the deaths of hundreds of thousands or even millions of mortals.
No, it was possible that she even helped.
Thats not true.
Frey felt that he knew why she didnt want to tell him at that moment.
Iris didnt want Freys sympathy or comfort.
Then Dro spoke.
Were the two of you lovers?
no.
Frey shook his head a little while looking at him, seemingly embarrassed. (Note: 4k gv)
Then?
Shes an old friend.
When he heard that, Dro seemed to think about something.
Frey picked up Agnis crystal from the ground and said.
What did you do while you were with Iris?
I was told. About who I am and what I am meant to do.
Arent you the Dragon Lord?
It doesnt seem like it.
Frey hesitated for a moment before saying.
Iris is Lords Apostle. Do you believe all of her words?
Hmm. Youre wrong about one thing.
What?
Drew continued in his indifferent voice.
Iris Phisfounder isnt Lords Apostle.
(Note: Well this would debunk/explain the plot hole where the Apocalypses knew about Iris. But it would still not explain why Agni(and I think Nozdog, but I cant remember for sure) thought of her as Lords Apostle.)
Chapter 189 - Turbulence (3)
Chapter 189 - Turbulence (3) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
What do you
Frey couldnt but mutter in a perplexed voice.
Dro looked at Frey with his uniquely emotionless eyes and said.
Your relationship isnt the kind of thing that other people want to interfere with.
You seem to know something about Iris.
Those words seemed to make Dro sigh heavily.
As I said, I have no intention of interfering. It would take too much effort. Forget I said anything.
This isnt something that you can just drop like that. Especially to me. Tell me, what is she planning?
Dro kept his mouth shut as though he had no intention of answering.
Frey clenched his fist.
The other wasnt someone who would respond to threats. There was no way hed be able to hear it unless he wanted to tell him.
In the end, it was Frey who was forced to compromise.
please tell me. Are you sure Iris is not his Apostle?
Right.
Most of the Demigods, including Lord, went to the Demon World.
He changed the subject. Quite blatantly in fact.
Frey had wanted to maybe coerce him into saying more, but the words that Dro said were too important to ignore.
Is it to retrieve the Dragon Lord?
Right.
What is Lords goal? I cant guess what hed do after he retrieves it.
I wasnt told about that.
All of his questions couldnt be answered.
That was what Dro said.
Is Iris manipulating the scene?
When they were teammates, he would have been reassured by this fact, but that was no longer the case.
Frey narrowed his eyes.
Dro thought about something for a moment before saying.
Iris said that this is an opportunity.
Opportunity?
Right. Regardless of the reason, the six Demon Lords are in no way inferior to the Demigods.
He recalled the fate of the Demigod hed sent to Hell to face Asura.
Its certainly a good opportunity.
From this perspective, it was a good chance to blow his nose without even touching it. This way, the Demons, a third force, would join the fight against the Demigods.
No matter which side won, he wouldnt suffer any losses. It would be better if the Demons won, but even if they lost, the Demigods would surely suffer significant damage.
Frey was aware of the fact that his power currently transcended most Demigods. Even though he had already been weakened, he still killed Agni without much trouble.
He didnt think he would lose to anyone other than Lord. This went for Nozdog and Ananta as well.
But he still couldnt guarantee his victory.
His explosive growth in strength was also part of the problem.
The Demigods had been in the position of strength for a very long time. Regardless of who their opponents were, they were usually able to press forward with overwhelming force, their formidable powers allowing them to recklessly advance.
Thats why they didnt progress. Since they didnt learn any new skills, they didnt go any further.
But now, it was different.
The crisis they were currently facing was the first one of such magnitude that they had encountered in their thousands of years of life. They would also learn about Freys strength.
As long as they werent foolish, this would certainly raise an alarm.
Living things usually made the most radical and startling evolutions when their very existence was threatened.
This was the one thing Frey was worried about.
How would the Demigods, who were finally feeling a sense of crisis, react?
Just by thinking about Riki, it was easy to see how terrifying Demigods could become if they were to recognise their flaws and move forward.
Of course, it was impossible for them to become as strong as Riki in a short time, but just the change in mindset would be enough to affect the battle significantly.
For example, if most of the remaining Demigods decided to band together and attack Frey, no matter how talented he was, he was bound to suffer at their hands.
More importantly, the Demigods still had Lord. Unless he was killed, this long and tiring war would never end.
Since they went to the Demon World, this is our chance to reduce their power.
Frey muttered as he thought about the two remaining Apocalypses, Nozdog and Ananta.
They could be considered as Lords right and left arm now.
We have to get rid of their Apostles.
Thats right. If we could kill both Nozdog and Anantas Apostles, the power Lord could make use of against the Demons would drop by at least half.
It was only then that Frey realised the opportunity might have been even greater than he expected.
If the Demigods strength dropped significantly, it would naturally increase the Demons chances of winning.
No matter how strong Lord is, he cant defeat the six Demon Lords without Ananta and Nozdog.
Perhaps the Demigods would disappear so easily that they wouldnt be able to resist.
After thinking this, Frey turned to Dro.
Do you know how many Demigods are left in Silkid?
There arent any. They all ran away.
Retreat.
It was a word that had never been used by the Demigods.
Then there is nothing more to do here.
Several cities have been destroyed. The rest have either descended into chaos and ruin or are on the verge of it. Silkid has already lost the qualifications to even be called a country.
Its up to Silkid to settle this. As long as they are Warriors, they will not want outsiders interfering too deeply in this.
Dro tilted his head. It seemed that he couldnt understand the Warriors way of thinking.
Of course, Frey had no intention of kindly explaining.
How much time do we have?
You can relax right now. No matter how strong Lord and the Demigods are, they wont be able to defeat the Demons in a day or two.
Frey understood. It was possible that the invasion would take a long time.
He couldnt be certain, but he believed he at least had a month. Of course, that didnt mean he could relax.
* * *
Most of the punitive force had been exterminated. And Beniang was included in the deceased.
But Frey knew that not everyone was dead.
Dragontongue.
Beniang had used her power to protect some of them.
Where did she teleport them?
The traces were very faint. It seemed shed used her Dragontongue again to erase them.
To do so much with only a halfs heart
Frey shook his head to remove the rising bitterness.
Then he focused on the traces left by the Dragontongue.
Dragontongue was certainly extremely powerful. It took him half a day just to find the right trail.
Shuk.
The place he arrived in was very familiar to Frey. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
It was the Trowman Rings hideout.
Before she died, Beniang sent them to the safest place she knew. It was a wise decision.
There was a magic barrier erected here. Even if Frey hadnt turned up, Agni would not have been able to track them down.
He looked around.
He could see the survivors that Beniang had sent away. There werent even 20 of them.
Frey?
Someone called his name in a broken voice.
It was Nora.
Freys expression upon turning to her was still. Because he noticed her missing arm.
Your arm
More than that. Beniang what about Beniang?
She didnt have any energy, but she still asked in an urgent voice.
Frey shook his head without saying a word.
I see.
Nora collapsed on the spot as though the little energy that was keeping her going had dissipated. Sorrow seemed to pour out of her.
she sacrificed herself because of me.
You dont need to blame yourself. I was the one who was late.
That wasnt any comfort.
Nora smiled bitterly and asked.
What about Agni?
I killed him.
Nora froze for a moment, staring at Frey.
She had been too sad to realise it before, but she noticed that there was something different about Frey.
Why cant I feel his mana?
This was something that was impossible even for a 9 star Wizard.
Besides, he said he had killed Agni. But even though he was weakened, that shouldnt have been an easy task.
Then she finally noticed Dro, who was standing beside Frey.
Who is that?
Thats a bit of a long story. I will tell you later.
Frey turned to Tuarik and the surviving Silkid Warriors. Tuarik felt his gaze and walked over.
Silkids Great Chief, Tuarik.
Frey Blake.
Im not sure if I overheard correctly did you really say you defeated Agni?
When Frey nodded, Tuarik was lost for words for a moment.
Could he be lying?
No that shouldnt be. But how?
He was very weak.
At those words, Tuarik had similar thoughts to Nora, but Frey did not give him the chance to ask.
You plan to head back to Silkid, right?
Thats right.
Talhadun is gone, so Ill take you back to Al-Tarha. Is that okay?
Thank you for that
Tuarik nodded.
Paht.
Then, in the next instant, he and the other Warriors were standing in Al-Tarha.
Wh-, what just
Was that a Warp?
Mm!
It took the Warriors a few moments before they realised that they had returned to Silkid. However, most of them stared at Frey with incredulous expressions upon realising this.
Although they were Warriors, they still knew a bit about magic.
To use Warp on his own and so easily despite carrying so many people
He didnt even chant or say anything.
Is that even possible?
Frey ignored their glances and said.
There are no more Demigods in Silkid. However, the damage they dealt cannot be repaired in a short time. Of course, more serious problems remain.
You wont be able to easily fix the emotional damage.
He was talking about those who had chosen to follow the Demigod. It was possible that there could be a civil war.
To put it bluntly, the real disaster for Silkid was only just beginning.
Tuarik also knew this, so he nodded with a firm expression.
that is also our responsibility to deal with. In any case, thank you. You are all Silkids benefactors.
Frey didnt respond.
The damage was far too great for him to accept any praise.
He returned to the Trowman Rings hideout.
Now that all the Warriors from Silkid were gone, the atmosphere felt thicker.
Nora, Isaka, and Nix could be seen in a clearing, their expressions gloomy.
The rest?
Snow is locked in a room, and Ivan went into the forest.
Nora was the one who answered with a bitter expression.
I gave them a rough rundown of the situation. Would you like to meet them?
Frey nodded before turning around.
He looked at Nix.
Im glad youre safe.
yeah.
She looked restless, like a child who had been caught doing something wrong.
Chapter 190 - Turbulence (4)
Chapter 190 - Turbulence (4) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Frey spoke in a firm tone.
It wasnt a wise idea to try and take your own life.
I-, Im sorry.
Nixs face became red, and she lowered her head.
Frey sighed. There was a lot he wanted to say to her.
Well talk about it later.
First, he had to meet Snow and Ivan.
The first one he headed to was Snow. The room that Nora was referring to before was Snows room in his house.
Standing in front of the door, he felt the presence of someone inside. He knocked, but he received no answer.
Did she want to be alone?
Normally, hed give her some space, but
Click.
Frey opened the door and walked in.
Snow was sitting on the bed.
The only thing out of place was the fact that she was wearing her mask indoors.
Maybe she had been crying by herself.
Frey sat beside her.
What were you doing?
thinking about what happened.
Stop blaming yourself.
Snow twitched slightly at Freys words, and she turned her masked face to look at him.
After staring at him for a moment, she spoke angrily.
I wish I could. Huhu. Ive never felt this way before. I feel like Im going to go crazy because Im pathetic and useless.
I heard that you defeated Agni. Tell me honestly, Frey. Would this Queen have been any help in your fight?
No.
Frey answered honestly.
Her sword skills were certainly amazing. She had reached the highest level of mastery, and on the entire continent, those who were as skilled as her when it came to swords would not exceed ten.
However, that was not enough to hurt Agni.
She must have encountered a wall.
Snow did not have any experience fighting Demigods.
This event could be called misfortunate. If she had encountered and defeated a weak Demigod, she would not have fallen into such despair. Instead, she would have experienced a period of explosive growth due to the positive stimulation.
Unfortunately, her first opponent was an Apocalypse.
the way I am now, I wont be any help in the coming fights.
Her voice was still weak.
Youre right. If you want to quit now, I wont stop you. As you said, the current you would not be of much help.
Snow smiled helplessly at Freys cold words.
Huhu. What a cruel man. Seeing you talk in such a way without caring about a womans feelings reminds me of Riki. Right. Like you said, leaving
Frey left the room without listening to her response.
Snow shuddered at his cold attitude.
Then she wrapped her arms around herself and muttered.
looking for someone elses comfort. Youve really fallen this time, Snow De Predickwood.
Then the door opened again.
It was Frey. The difference this time was that hed returned with something in his hands.
It was a sword.
Thats?
This belonged to my friend. I will now give it to you.
She didnt know what material it was made of. She didnt even know who made it.
But Snow was certain that it was an amazing sword. She could tell with a single glance.
This black sword was the best sword Snow had ever seen.
originally, that person would not have given someone else his sword. But Snow, I dont want you to give up like this. Because you are the woman whom Riki chose to be his disciple.
As I said before, as you are now, you would not be of any help. So become strong. Become a Knight worthy of wielding this sword.
Snow received the sword with a bewitched gaze. She had become completely enamored with the sword, forgetting her previous depression.
Frey then put something on the table.
It was a bead that seemed to contain lava.
When Frey swept his hand over this bead, it then split in half. Frey took half and left the other half on the table.
This is Agnis crystal. Ill give you half of it. Of course, that doesnt mean itll be easy to absorb.
This is all I can do. Whether you choose to use the sword or the crystal is all up to you.
When Frey turned around after saying those words, Snow hurriedly stopped him.
Wa-, wait. Theres still something I want to ask.
What is it?
This sword whats the name of this sword?
Frey was silent for a moment before responding.
Deukid.
!!!
Snow trembled.
Frey left the room after saying those words, but she continued staring intently at the sword without even realising it.
She knew that name. There was no way she wouldnt know that name. There wasnt any Knight, no, any swordsman on the continent who didnt know that name.
Sword King Lucid.
The name of the sword that had accompanied him throughout his lifetime was Deukid.
Snow then muttered with a strange expression.
Belonged to his friend?
* * *
A loud sound shook the forest.
It sounded like something had exploded or like the footsteps of an incomparably large being.
Crack!
This sound grew louder and louder as he moved forward. And before long, Frey was able to find the culprit behind the noise.
Ivan was slamming his bare fists against the ground. He wasnt even using mana.
It was unclear whether he wasnt feeling the pain or if he just didnt care, but his fists were already red with blood. This was basically no different from self-harm.
Ivan grit his teeth.
He was ashamed. No, he was so disgusted in himself that he felt he was going to lose his mind.
Every time he closed his eyes, he couldnt help but think about Nora, who had lost her arm. And then Beniangs image would appear.
Beniang, a woman, had given her life to save his. It was an undeniable truth.
She had saved him. He owed her his life.
Dammit! Sh*t!
He swung his fists even faster. Every time they connected to the ground, it shook.
Soon after, Ivan collapsed, exhausted. He didnt even have the energy to lift a finger.
He just lay on his back, staring at the sunset. And after a while, tears began flowing from his eyes.
It wasnt funny.
Ivan was certain that hed never had such a pathetic moment in his not-so-short life.
Ivan was finally able to pull himself together after the sky became dark.
Today will definitely be the ugliest day of my life.
In other words, he would never show such a pathetic appearance again.
Ivan sat up and wiped away his tears. Then he saw Frey, who appeared as though hed been there for a long time.
Ivan wasnt surprised and spoke in a blunt tone.
You saw something unsightly.
It was pretty unpleasant.
Never speak of this.
Right. (Note: Bro code)
why are you here?
Did you find the Giants Belt?
I did.
Frey nodded and took out the Tiger Kings Gloves that Dro had found.
thats?
One of the three items left by Kasajin. The last one.
Right. So those are the Tiger Kings Gloves.
He didnt seem particularly pleased.
You will need them if you intend to surpass Kasajin.
I see.
Ivan glanced at the gloves before laying down once again.
When Frey saw that, he couldnt help but think that this situation was better than Snows.
Ivan didnt need any advice or hints. He already had the determination and willpower to overcome the wall. Sarch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
This was because he had already walked a thorny path. It was possible that his mind was even stronger than his body.
I am weak.
Ivan muttered to himself, his eyes flashing.
Next time, I will save them.
Regardless of who the enemy was, this was the last time he would be the one being saved.
Ivan swore it.
* * *
Frey went to look for Nix.
It seemed shed taken one of the empty rooms in the house.
When he opened the door, he saw a woman sitting on a chair. (Note: Bad Frey, not knocking before entering a girls room)
Frey paused for a moment.
He recognised that expression. At that moment, she was no longer Nixshe was Torkunta.
Why isnt it Nix?
She doesnt want to talk to you.
Why?
Hmph. Its obvious. Shes probably scared of being scolde- Kuk! Dont yell at me! How else do you want me to explain it?
Torkunta frowned and shouted.
Frey spoke in a quiet voice.
Nix, I have no intention of blaming you.
Torkunta, who had been silent for a while, suddenly made a strange expression.
Then she sighed and scratched her head.
It would have been better to die than end up like this. Now, Im like a shrimp who cant even withstand a few waves. Dammit.
Then she lowered her head, and her temperament changed.
After a while, she spoke in a softer tone.
Im sorry.
It was Nix.
Frey shook his head and said.
Why did you choose to do that?
I couldnt think of anything else. I thought it was the best option.
Frey couldnt help but feel a bit strange.
Nixs appearance was clearly that of an adult woman, but her tone and expression reminded him of a child who was only a few years old.
But this was natural. After all, she had only gained her human appearance a few years ago.
Can I sit?
Yeah.
Frey sat in front of Nix.
Then, after a moment of silence, he opened his mouth.
As I said, I didnt come here to scold you or blame you. I just wanted to talk.
Talk?
Looking back, all of our reunions happened unintentionally. We never had the time to have a proper conversation.
Nix hesitated for a moment before nodding.
Freys soft tone caused her stiff body to relax considerably.
I want to hear about everything after Torkunta died. Would that be okay?
Ah
Nix suddenly let out a soft giggle.
Why are you laughing?
Because Torkunta just shouted. He said he wasnt dead.
Frey also laughed at those words.
Season: 1 Chapter 191: Turbulence (5)
Book 1 Chapter 191: Turbulence (5) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
It was dawn when Frey finished talking to Nix.
He lay on the bed looking down at the peaceful expression of Nix, who had fallen asleep, before subconsciously brushing her hair away from her face.
He was happy that she looked comfortable.
Youve had a hard day.
Since they separated, she had hardly gotten the opportunity to take a break.
Shed had a very hard time in the past. It was to the extent that she even tried to kill herself to force Agni into hibernation.
When he first heard it, he thought it was an extreme option, but after thinking about it, he realised it wasnt.
Instead, it was a judgement that was quite admirable considering the situation, level of knowledge, and experience that Nix had.
Of course, that didnt mean he wanted to compliment her for it.
Frey pondered for a while before placing the other half of Agnis crystal on the table.
Afterwards, he blew out the candle and left the room.
And so, a long and exhausting day had passed.
Nevertheless, Frey didnt feel very tired.
It wasnt just that.
My hunger has disappeared, and I dont feel thirsty either.
A feeling of fullness filled his entire body. As if he could stay in his optimal condition indefinitely.
It was as though hed returned to his mental world.
Frey realised once again that he had moved even further from being human.
Of course, he could guess the reason.
Divine magic power.
This formidable energy was constantly energising Freys body. It seemed that he would never need to replenish his food, water, or sleep unless he exhausted his mental power to the limit.
Frey shook his head.
He might have transcended humanity, but he was still human.
This was something that could never be forgotten or blurred. It was a crucial problem, and it was very important for Freys identity.
Therefore, he didnt think about it too deeply. Instead, he thought about the plan at hand.
Currently, they had clues to two Apostles.
Shadow King Jenta and the high rank Demon, Kaltud.
Sheryl was in charge of tracking the latter. If she had any clues, she would contact him personally.
As for Jenta?
The Lucid Swords were responsible for tracking him, including the Circle Master, Jekid Deosis.
Hed said that Jenta was from a small island country called Hitume Ikar. Hed also said that there was a branch of the Lucid Swords located in Hitume Ikar, which allowed them to track his whereabouts.
I hope it works out.
He decided to meet Jekid first.
Shuk.
Frey moved to the Jun family residence, the place where the last Circle meeting had been held.
Because it was dawn, the mansion appeared quite dim. But Frey didnt seem to notice this as he headed to Shepards room on the third floor of the mansion.
Light was leaking through the gap below the door.
Click.
Frey opened the door without knocking. (Note: Frey really has a problem)
Duke Shepard was sitting at his desk, moving his pen along a document.
Realising that his door was open, he paused. Then he looked up, spotting Frey.
Rounder Frey.
Frey was relieved to see that Shepard was still acting like a member of the circle.
The Kastkau Empires Imperial family had already submitted to Lord. It was possible that they were currently busy dealing with the internal remnants of the circle.
Shepards case should have been particularly confusing. After all, he was a duke who had devoted himself to the Imperial family, but he was also an executive who agreed with the will of the Circle.
Nevertheless, Shepard remained polite to Frey.
Frey couldnt be sure what he was up to, but it at least proved that he hadnt chosen to obey the Imperial family at that moment.
What is it?
It was a very polite way of speaking.
Frey felt strange for a moment as he recalled his first encounter with Shepard, but he eventually brushed it off and said.
I would like to meet Jekid.
Master Jekid? Hmm.
He seemed lost in thought.
After a while, Shepard put down his pen and got up, heading out of the room. Soon after, he returned with scrolls in his hands.
Master Jekid recently entered Hitume Ikar. I havent been able to contact him since.
Havent been able to contact him?
The Lucid Swords also has a 7 star Wizard. A man named Millio. At first, he was regularly communicating with him.
He was quite calm despite losing contact.
As if he realised Freys thought, Shepard continued.
This situation was expected. Hitume Ikar is a very isolated country. Otherwise, Jekid would not have needed to use shortcuts in order to go there.
Have the Demigods reached that country?
No. Hmm Strange as it may be, the island country is peaceful. Its like the Demigods havent touched it at all. There are few such cases across the continent.
This was truly a strange occurrence.
Did it have something to do with Jenta?
But why do you want to meet Master Jekid all of a sudden?
It seemed that this was a question hed wanted to ask from the start.
Frey described what had happened in Silkid, and after he heard the stories, Shepard could barely keep his mouth closed.
A-, Agni is dead. Haha. If that is true then its an incredible achievement.
Shepard spoke with an exhilarated voice. On the other hand, Frey looked bitter.
Rather than focus on the amount of sacrifices that had been made, he only paid attention to the fact Agni had been slain.
Of course, it wasnt that hed done something wrong.
Any member of the Circle would have reacted the same way.
That means we can now afford to support Master Jekid.
Technically, that wasnt true.
But Frey felt that it would have taken too long for him to explain the situation in the Demon World.
Therefore, he simply changed the subject without accepting or denying Shepards statement.
Do you have any idea why we havent gotten any word from them?
Its possible that its black magic. (Note: Do you guys prefer black magic or sorcery?)
black magic.
Frey muttered in a soft voice.
Black Magic.
This was a power used primarily by countries on the eastern side of the continent, and although it was different from magic in nature, the concept was the same
That was all Frey knew about it.
And it was just a piece of knowledge that anyone could obtain by opening a book in a library. He didnt know more than that.
This was because black magic didnt exist 4,000 years ago.
This wasnt surprising.
The races on the eastern side of the continent had developed their own unique and individual culture since the past. And thousands of years had passed since then.
So it was only natural that they would have developed their own techniques and technologies that matched their preferences.
How uncomfortable.
This was how it felt when one encountered the unknown.
There are a few ways to enter Hitume Ikar listed in those scrolls.
As long as I have the coordinates, I can use Warp.
Rounder Frey is certainly strong enough to do so. However, please dont. If you were spotted by someone, things would only get more troublesome.
Frey accepted Shepards quiet warning.
He certainly had the confidence to get in without being spotted. However, the real problem followed.
Frey wasnt moving alone. In addition to Jekid, he planned to take Ivan, Snow, or Nix, who were now all working hard to train themselves.
If such a large group of outsiders was to appear in such a closed off place, there would certainly be traces.
If its found that we entered illegally later
As Shepard said, things would become more troublesome.
Of course, there was also the extreme method.
This meant entering Hitume Ikar and threatening the countrys senior officials to extract all the information about Jenta. Even if they didnt want to answer, he could directly look into their minds for what he wanted.
It was an extreme but also incredibly efficient method.
Nevertheless, there was only one reason why Frey didnt make such a choice. Sar?h the n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Then Id be no different from the Demigods.
It was unethical and barbaric.
He would become the same as Lord, who infiltrated the palace of the Imperial family and forcibly obtained their obedience.
They werent the enemy.????????????????????????? c????
This made it even worse to force them to surrender and submit.
Rather, what he needed was their cooperation.
however.
There were a few things that bothered him.
Hitume Ikar was a strange place where the Demigods evil influence had not managed to reach even now. The only way such a thing would be possible was if they struck a deal with the Demigods.
If this wasnt by intimidation or forced surrender. If the countrys leaders turned out to be corrupt and rotten.
Then, Freys obligation to treat them like humans would disappear.
Season: 1 Chapter 192: Great Medium(1)
Book 1 Chapter 192: Great Medium(1) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Frey took the scroll and left the Jun family residence.
He then headed to a place called Kusman, one of the cities in the Kastkau Empire. In truth, it was a small town not quite large enough to be called a city, but Frey didnt care about that.
After he arrived in this quiet city surrounded by darkness, Frey stood in place, as though hed been nailed to the spot.
When he thought about the people staying there and what he was about to tell them, he somehow couldnt muster the determination to walk forward.
But he couldnt delay it. It was still early dawn, but there were many things that had to be done.
Therefore, he looked for traces of mana.
The ones he was looking for were evading the Imperial familys pursuit. And as he expected, it took him a moment to find a faint trace in front of the entrance to an alley.
It was a messy, narrow place.
It was an illusion.
Frey walked forward, slowly walking through the barrier placed there.
He immediately found himself in an area brightly lit by lanterns, and he was covered by a warm feeling as the faint scent of chemicals drifted past his nose.
It looked like a Wizards workshop.
Rounder Frey?
A surprised voice called out to him.
It was Honor Gisellan, who had been standing at the side. He stared at Frey with wide eyes, obviously not expecting his arrival.
Why are you here?
Eizek was also there.
Frey held back a sigh.
Then, with a heavy expression, he said.
Im sorry.
* * *
It was with a heavy heart that Frey left Kusman.
They didnt blame him. Maybe they didnt have the energy to.
They simply sat and cried.
Frey didnt comfort them.
He didnt think he deserved to do that.
Instead, he handed Beniangs body over to them and left.
I was irresponsible.
With a thought, he headed over to the Amakan Desert. There, he found a young girl on the desolate sandy ground.
She was laying on her back, looking up at the sky.
Dawn in the desert is very cold.
Frey nodded.
You must have been cold.
A little, but it was faint.
The girl rolled her eyes slightly before turning to Frey.
I thought you didnt come back because you forgot.
There were a few urgent matters I had to deal with.
Did you resolve them?
most of them.
The moment she heard that, her expression changed.
What happened?
Sarch* The ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Frey didnt answer.
Anastasia rose up from the ground with a strange expression. Her limbs that had been cut off had regenerated a while ago.
Who died?
Those words caused a bitter chuckle to come out of Frey. Hed chosen the wrong person to pretend to.
This girl in front of him was probably the person who had the best understanding of Frey in the world.
He nodded slowly and said.
Beniang died.
Beniang Argento. The Circle Master of the Trowman Rings who had carried on the Great Mage Lukas Trowmans legacy.
Anastasia didnt know much about her, except for what shed heard from Frey.
It might feel new now. But this isnt the first time weve been through this.
Frey didnt know how many comrades they had lost since the start of the war, because he knew it was foolish to keep count.
Beniang was special to you.
Frey nodded again.
Right. She could have become my disciple.
Had things worked out a little better, she would have. It was only then that Frey realised the biggest feeling was feeling at that momenta sense of loss.
It wasnt your fault. Dont blame yourself, Lukas.
As she said this, Anastasia closed her eyes.
You dont have to bear the sadness. Never forget their sacrifice. But there is something more important than that.
never getting used to it.
Right.
Never growing accustomed towards the death of your comrades. To live a human, you had to always feel angry, sad and regretful towards their deaths.
You had to continue fighting passionately and living every day.
Bury it in your chest and stand up. As always.
It was a rough form of consolation. But Frey felt a faint tightness in his chest at those seemingly insignificant words.
In truth, Anastasias words were more like advice than comfort. This had happened a lot in the past, and although he didnt want to think about it, it would probably happen in the future as well.
You wouldnt be able to prevent it every time. Dont get used to blaming yourself.
Too much self-criticism would wear away at ones resolve, and one would eventually begin fearing the struggle.
Frey knew this.
However, there were times when one needed to hear someone else say something, even if it was something one already knew. And it was even better if that person was a close friend, for example, ones lifelong friend.
After managing to turn the mood around, Anastasia opened her mouth and said in a cheerful voice.
Thats enough of the cheesy stuff. What are we going to do now?
Go to Hitume Ikar.
Hitume Ikar?
Before that
Frey told Anastasia what hed learned from Dro. When she heard everything, she nodded and said.
Hmm. So this is a good opportunity. Thats why we have to head to that island country. To get rid of Anantas Apostle.
But its a bit difficult to enter the country. It is very closed off.
They have a national isolation policy?
That wasnt exactly the case, but it was pretty similar. So Frey nodded before unfurling the scroll he received from Shepard.
Whats that?
Ways to enter the country.
There were a total of three methods listed in the scroll.
The first was to obtain an entry permit.
After reading the process for this method, Anastasia frowned and said.
We cant do this one.
Right. The screening process is too demanding, and it takes a very long time.
Even the fastest case still required a month. Naturally, Frey did not have that much time at his disposal.
So they quickly skipped past that method and checked the next one.
The second was to be invited as guests by the royalty or nobles of Hitume Ikar.
This is the method Jekid used.
Since the Lucid Swords had a branch in Hitume Ikar, they naturally had members from there as well.
Do you have any acquaintances who could help us?
I dont. Hmm no. Wait a minute.
The Orc Shaman from Paragon suddenly appeared in Freys mind. The sorcery shed displayed at that time had left an impression on him.
However, Paragon is also busy at the moment.
They wouldnt have the time to lend a hand.
It was also not a confirmation that she was from Hitume Ikar simply because she could use sorcery, so that method was also put aside.
This meant that there was only one method left.
Anastasias eyes naturally turned to the last part of the scroll.
Obtain permission from the Great Medium.
Anastasia grinned.
Wouldnt this one be easy since were all comrades?
The Great Mage couldnt help but roll his eyes at the Great Sages words.
That was a terrible joke.
Huhu. Dont be a stick in the mud! It was quite funny.
When he heard this answer, Frey felt like he suffered a bit of a loss. So he thought about something that could ruin her mood and said.
I dont think I should be saying this now, but it seems your tone is becoming more and more feminine.
The effect was exactly as he hoped.
Anastasias face became extremely pale.
* * *
Hitume Ikar was a religious country.
They worshiped a god named Dauns who was said to be the god of creation who controlled fate, mysticism and life.
Of course, this was a bit of a troubling factor for Frey, who always associated the word god with the Demigods.
More importantly, Frey was an atheist. However, the Great Medium was said to be guided by god and followed his will.
So he would have to respect her beliefs to an extent.
Ill go with you.
It was Ivan who spoke.
Frey glanced at him.
He had given his answer immediately after Frey informed the group about the trip to meet the Great Medium.
Did you receive some clues from the three treasures?
Right. Its fine since I can do it anywhere. I think it would be better to get some fresh air now.
Frey then turned to look at Snow.
What about you?
I will focus on my training for the time being.
Me too.
Nix cautiously agreed with her opinion.
Frey didnt intend to force them. Rather, he would have refused if they really did choose to go.
It would be better for those two to absorb Agnis crystal as fast as possible and focus on mastering their divine power.
The next person Frey turned to was Isaka.
I think Ill stop by the Blake family residence.
Why there?
Didnt you say Heinz was looking over the family on his own? Im worried.
Frey frowned at the unexpectedly fatherly words. But the words that followed were even more unbelievable.
Heinz is smart, but he has no experience and is too inflexible in his thinking. So I will help him. I think we need to improve our awkward relationship.
Aside from a slightly strange feeling, Isakas judgement was actually quite good.
The man in front of him had been Leyrins puppet, but hed also been the head of a great noble family for decades.
He wasnt sure how Heinz would respond to Isaka, but his guidance was certainly necessary in order for the family to progress smoothly.
Moreover, it was more reliable to make use of experience rather than intelligence or knowledge when it came to evading the Imperial familys pursuit.
Then its decided.
The people heading to Hitume Ikar were Frey, Anastasia, Ivan, and Dro.
Nora simply watched from the side without saying a word. Perhaps it was because of her mood, but her empty sleeve seemed to look even more empty.
Ivans eyes turned to her.
At your age, its best to retire. Think of this as a good opportunity, Master.
Even if I just have one arm, I can still smash your skull.
why did you have to say that
When she heard Ivans soft complaint, Nora smiled.
Thank you, Ivan. Really.
Please leave everything to me.
Anastasia opened a map.
Then, with her slender, white finger, she pointed to an island in the east.
This is Hitume Ikar By the way, how exactly are we going to meet the Great Medium? Dont we need a permit to even enter the country?
The Great Medium doesnt live on the island.
Anastasias expression became a bit strange.
She lives outside? On the continent?
No. She lives on an island called Lesha located between Hitume Ikar and the continent. It is said that thats where the Great Medium has always lived.
Snow tilted her head.
Isnt she the leader of the country? Why would she stay in such a place?
Because the title Great Medium has a more symbolic meaning. She has neither power nor influence. I heard that she had special abilities, but I dont know how she is treated by the country.
At Isakas explanation, Snow nodded.
She seemed to understand that the Great Medium was a concept similar to the Elven Queen.
Do you need to prepare anything to meet her?
Not really.
What do you mean?
I heard that anyone with hostile intentions would not even be able to find the Island. And only those that the Great Medium wants to meet will find the path.
Sounds like a legend.
Hmph. The more unbelievable the rumors, the less the truth is worth.
Ivan snorted loudly, and Frey agreed with him.
Isaka shook his head.
The Great Medium has lived for over 200 years. Nevertheless, she remains so young and beautiful that everyone who saw her could only compliment her. Its possible that shes not human.
Anastasia laughed at those words.
200 years. Compared to us, shes still a newborn. Isnt that right, Lukas?
At that moment, it was as if time had come to a stop.
Aht!
Anastasia hurriedly covered her mouth with both hands.
However, it was impossible for her to take back the words that had already been said.
Everyone there knew. Despite having the appearance of a young girl, Anastasia was one of the heroes from 4,000 years ago, the Great Sage.
That was why her words couldnt be dismissed as a slip of the tongue.
By Lukas do you mean Lukas Trowman?
Why would the name of the Great Mage suddenly pop up?
No. Wait a minute No way
As everyone turned their eyes to Frey, Anastasia said.
uh. Sorry.
Frey covered his face with his palm.
* * *
Frey sighed and looked around.
Fortunately, the only people in the room were those whom he trusted.
It was a bit uncomfortable to have Isaka there as the man had once been an enemy, but it couldnt be denied that hed risked his life in the battle against Agni. He couldnt hold a bias against him forever.
Its as that idiot said.
Anastasia scratched her cheek sheepishly at Freys harsh words. Nevertheless, she was aware of her mistake.
After a while, Nora spoke carefully.
Then
Right.
At first, there was silence again after he answered the unasked question.
Of course, this was a natural reaction. After all, this wasnt something easy to accept.
Or at least thats what Frey thought.
I knew you were hiding a secret
No way, youre really the Great Mage.
I see. Now I understand your absolutely ridiculous growth rate.
Unexpectedly, it seemed that everyone accepted it quite easily.
Frey felt that he should have briefly explained what happened so that theyd understand.
4,000 years ago, I was defeated in a fight against Lord and was trapped in the Abyss.
Season: 1 Chapter 193: Great Medium(2)
Book 1 Chapter 193: Great Medium(2) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
After a while, Frey finished talking.
Then Snow, who had been silent for a while, said.
Um. So Frey, should I call you Mr. Lukas?
You dont have to.
Um. Under stood.
Snow tried to act like usual, but it was obvious that she was a little uncomfortable.
This was natural.
After all, she was talking to the greatest of the heroes over the past 4,000 years. Called the Pioneer and Father of Magical Science, the only person in history to ever be given the title Great Mage.
Lukas reputation and prestige had even been pounded into her, who was focused on swordsmanship. That was why it wasnt easy even for her, a noble elf queen, to speak informally to him.
4,000 years. It must have been really boring. You really suffered, Frey.
Snow couldnt help but look at Ivan in shock. The others were the same.
Ivan had the same attitude as before he heard the story. And it seemed he didnt even realise what hed done as he made a strange expression when he saw their gazes.
What are you looking at?!
nothing. Im just praising your insensitivity.
Is that a compliment?
Something like that.
Hmm.
When Ivan nodded as though he found her answer satisfactory, Anastasia couldnt help but burst out laughing.
Haha! This guy is fantastic! I like him!
Frey cleared his throat and opened his mouth.
you dont need to think of me as Lukas. I dont even want such treatment. The most important thing right now is for us to find a boat and head to our destination.
Everyone nodded.
If anyone else had claimed to be Lukas Trowman, they wouldve scoffed at him. However, they had all been long curious about Freys calmness, behaviour, and speech that didnt match his age.
In addition to that, the words of Anastasia, who had Schweisers memories, added credibility to the statement.
Of course, they might not all have been completely convinced, but they decided to be quiet. They had already received enough answers for the day.
* * *
The next day, they headed to Hitume Ikar.
Ivan looked at the others while packing food for himself.
Arent you guys going to pack your own food? Im not going to share even a single bean.
Unfortunately, Golems dont need food.
My body is similar to the Golems.
Dro muttered, looking down at his hand.
Ivans eyes turned to Frey.
I already put them in my bag.
He also didnt need to eat food, but he decided to hide this fact for now.
Ivan nodded unconcernedly.
They then gathered in a clearing in the Trowman Rings hideout.
Frey took out a map and said.
The closest city to Hitume Ikar is Genix. It belongs to the Prima Kingdom and is a port city. We should be able to get a boat from there to Lesha.
Cant we fly over?
Ivans question was natural, but Frey shook his head.
If we do that, theyd be alerted. The best method would be to go by ship.
Hmm.
Lets head over first.
Shuk.
As he said that, Frey used Warp to take the group to a forest near Genix.
Anastasia looked around and said.
Luka- Frey, have you been here before? It seems you already had an idea of the coordinates.
I came here yesterday at dawn.
You prepared quite thoroughly. But how?
I flew.
After giving that brief answer, Frey turned and began walking towards Genix.
Ivan, do you have identification?
I have a Mercenary badge.
Whats your rank?
A.
If Ivan really wanted to, it would have been no problem for him to obtain an S rank or higher badge, but he didnt seem too interested in increasing his rank.
As an A rank Mercenary, he had sufficient authority to vouch for three other people, including Frey.
Although Frey had a mercenary card of his own, he did not feel the need to use illusion magic.
However, it was much easier to pass the checks than Frey initially expected. More precisely, no checks were done.
A guard was standing outside the city gates, but he simply glanced at Frey and the others for a moment before lifting the bottle in his hand to his mouth once again.
This is too lax. Are all the cities in the Prima Kingdom like this?
I dont think so.
Nevertheless, the strange feeling only intensified the deeper they got into the city of Genix. It was as though no energy could be found in the city.
It doesnt feel like a port city.
Frey agreed with Ivans murmur.
Although it wasnt as much as the Kastkau Empire, Luanoble Kingdom, or Silkid, it seemed that this place had been affected by the Demigods.
First, they headed to the docks. There werent many boats settled on the pier.
Frey called out to a nearby sailor.
Excuse me.
A middle-aged man with a sleepy expression turned to look at Frey and asked in a blunt tone.
what do you want?
Are there any boats heading to Lesha?
The Island of the Great Medium?
Thats right.
Hmm. Unfortunately, there arent any boats sailing anymore.
Frey tilted his head at those.
Did something happen?
A sea monster appeared. Its wreaking havoc on the area.
Is it the Kraken?
This was the name of the sea monster known as the Disasters of the Seas, but the middle-aged sailor shook his head.
The Kraken doesnt live in such shallow waters.
Then
Its a sea snake.
A Sea Serpent?
Mm it looks similar to that, but
The man furrowed his brows before sighing.
its probably not. Ive never seen a two headed Sea Serpent destroy a ship in all my decades on the sea. Plus, it could breathe fire, and its body was large enough to reach the clouds. Huhu. You probably think Im talking nonsense.
After saying this, the middle aged man laughed.
After all, its a monster that shouldnt exist.
Frey seemed to think of something as he removed the map from his bag.
When did the monster first appear?
About a month ago.
A month ago. Then how did the Lucid Swords avoid this place?
Was there another way to get to Hitume Ikar other than traveling by ship?
Frey looked at the middle-aged man again, deciding to not think about his previous question any longer.
Can you tell me where the sea snake appears?
No matter which route you choose, its impossible to completely avoid it. All the sea that you can see from this port is part of its territory.
Thats fine. Please tell me.
The middle aged man gave Frey a strange look before drawing a line on the map with his finger.
Here, Im not sure if this will help you.
Freys eyes shined slightly.
He humbly gave the man his gratitude before turning and showing the map to Anastasia. Then, he pointed out the sea snakes territory according to what the man told him.
Look at this.
Im looking.
Do you feel anything?
Uh. I feel that this is excellent parchment paper.
Frey sighed.
Anastasia chuckled softly before saying.
Im kidding. Right. The sea snakes territory is a bit strange.
Is it? I cant tell.
Ivan tilted his head as he looked at the map, but Anastasia was right.
Frey turned to look at the coastline.
It seems to be protecting Hitume Ikar.
Two heads and a huge body said to reach the sky. My guess is that its a Demigod.
It has their stench.
A Demigod was blatantly protecting Hitume Ikar.
This fact alone increased the probability that Hitume Ikar had some kind of deal with the Demigods.
Maybe well be able to get some clues about that Jenta guy from him.
To do that, well have to hide our identities. If he hides in the sea, it will be difficult to find him.
If they knew that Frey was the one who wiped out Agni, then it was very likely that the Demigod would hide if he appeared. In other words, the option to fly to Lesha had become even more difficult.
Then well need to take a boat.
Didnt the guy say that no boats are sailing?
Then well just have to buy one.
Do you have money?
Of course.
Frey removed a gem from his back.
Anastasias eyes narrowed.
This gem seems pretty familiar. Is it just me?
Probably. Most gems look similar.
Haha. Is that so?
The expression Anastasia, who had been laughing a moment ago, suddenly froze.
No matter how she looked at it, it was definitely one of the gems from her dungeon.
ca-, calm down put that back. You dont know what kind of treasure that gem is. Its a natural esoteric gemstone that was hand-carved with the best magical engraving techniques. Those sailors who spent their entire lives at sea would never know the true value of such an item.
Alright. Im going to get a ship.
After saying that, Frey went and bought an old medium-sized ship before returning.
Then he gave Anastasia the change.
He ignored Anastasia, who was shaking with her head bowed, and boarded the ship. But they couldnt leave right away.
Frey, Ivan, nor Anastasia had any knowledge when it came to sailing a ship, and naturally, Dro was the same.
It would only be a short voyage, but they would still need a navigator.
Frey searched for someone willing to go with them but didnt have any luck. Then, a young, brown-skinned man spoke to him.
Old man Frank is the only sailor who would willingly leave this port now.
Frank?
The old man sitting on the beach over there.
Following his finger, Frey saw the middle-aged man whod first explained the situation to him. (Note: knew it)
Every day, he sits there staring at the sea, thinking about all the troubles that have happened recently.
In any case, you can try to persuade him.
Frey nodded before walking over to Frank.
Excuse me.
do you want to ask something else?
His tone was still as blunt as before.
Frey shook his head.
We have to go to Lesha. I was told that you are an excellent sailor, so may I ask you to guide us?
well. I am the best sailor left in Genix.
Although it was said in a soft tone, there was unmistakable pride in his voice. Then he looked at Freys clothes as he thought about something.
Did you say youre going to Lesha? Hmm if you use a longer route we might be able to avoid the sea snake. If were lucky. Of course, that doesnt change the fact that its a dangerous voyage and Im risking my life. Sarch* The novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Frey didnt tell him that his purpose was to meet the sea snake. Instead, he watched as Frank hesitated before continuing.
How much money can you give me?
How much do you want?
30 gold. N-, no. 20 gold If you give me just 15 gold, Ill get on your ship.
Frey went back to Anastasia, collected 30 gold, and gave it to Frank.
When he saw this, Franks eyes shook.
O-, oh my God, thank you
?
Frank shed tears while looking at Freys puzzled expression.
M-, my daughter is sick. But because of the treatment cost, I would have needed to give up
Frank wrapped his rough hands around Freys.
Thank you so much. You are my benefactor
Frey shook his head.
I have paid you to do a job. What you need to do isnt express your gratitude but safely take the ship to the destination.
Of course I will! With my pride, I could take you to the other side of the continent without a scratch.
After saying this with a firm expression, Frank boarded the boat after a few preparations.
But how did you manage to get a boat? No smart person would lend their boat out with the sea snake around.
I bought one.
I, I see.
Frey looked at him with a perplexed expression.
Then Frank said hed need a few more sailors since the boat was larger than he expected.
This was natural. After all, it was impossible for him to control a boat of this size on his own.
How are you going to get the sailors?
I know some people. My friends all know my navigation skills, so as long as I am at the helm, they wont mind coming aboard as long as youre willing to pay, of course.
Please.
When Frank left, Dro walked over to Frey.
He looked into the sea and muttered softly.
You are right. I can sense a strong divine power here.
Are you sure its a Demigods?
Right. But I dont think thats all.
Dro placed his hand over the left side of his chest before continuing.
I can feel the presence of my people in this sea.
Season: 1 Chapter 194: Great Medium(3)
Book 1 Chapter 194: Great Medium(3) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
The Great Medium opened her eyes earlier than usual.
As she sat up, her long, ebony hair flowed down, covering her face.
The Great Medium swept her hair roughly to the side, lost in her thoughts.
It had been a long time since shed received a revelation.
This wasnt a problem. But this time, the revelation was too short and vague.
The representative. The person who would stand tall and prevent the end of the world. The last fighter.
Dauns, what role do you want this girl to play? (Note: she addresses herself in a similar manner to Snow)
The Great Medium muttered softly as she got up from her seat.
Jose.
Did you call for me, my lady?
Only a voice could be heard.
After a brief silence, the Great Medium continued.
Guests will be coming soon, so make preparations.
The eyes of Jose, who was standing outside, lit up.
This meant the visitors who were coming should not be mistreated but treated as guests.
As you command.
Joses presence disappeared, and the Great Medium let out a sigh.
It was annoying, but she had to accept the revelation.
She opened a window.
Then, as she looked at the wide horizon and smelled the scent of the sea, she couldnt but think.
He will soon appear on that horizon.
The mysterious representative from her revelation.
* * *
By your kind do you mean a Dragon?
Right.
Dro said that he wasnt the Dragon Lord. Nevertheless, he still described the presence of the Dragon that he felt there as his kind.
Of course, that wasnt important at that moment.
Frey thought about Hectors words.
At that time, Hector had said that there were basically no more Dragons left on the continent, and Frey agreed with him. They were practically extinct.
However, Dro was now saying that he could sense the presence of a Dragon there. Together with a Demigods divine power.
It was possible that there was some kind of secret hidden in the small sea.
Can you track it?
I dont know. This is my first time experiencing something like this. But if we get close enough, I think Id be able to find it.
That was enough for now.
It was possible that the Dragon was hiding because of the Demigod nearby.
If Dro can feel the Dragons presence, then its possible that the Dragon can also feel his presence.
Regardless, if they attacked the Demigod, the Dragon was bound to respond in some way.
By the time Frey finished thinking about this, Frank returned. With him were seven sailors who had agreed to accompany them.
When Frey tried to take out the money to pay them, Frank stopped him.
Ah. I will handle their payment.
You will?
You gave me too much money.
Frey shook his head firmly when Frank said those words.
It is a fair price for your work. We already calculated your wages, so you dont need to worry about that.
But
End of story.
Frey then ignored him and went to pay the other sailors.
Frank looked at him and muttered bitterly.
Hes so stubborn
* * *
It was said that the trip to Lesha would take a week.
If they had headed there directly, it would have only taken three days, but since they were taking a route to avoid the sea snake, it inevitably took longer.
However, even if they were to take the longer route, there was no guarantee that they would be able to evade the sea snake.
If it was really a Demigod, then it would attack this ship without a doubt.
Frey had been gently scattering mana since the ship had first set sail. It was like gently waving a rat tail in front of a cat.
If its really a Demigod, then it wont be able to resist this bait.
If it ignored the bait, this meant that it was nothing more than a simple monster and he would no longer have to pay any attention to it. He could just get rid of it on his way back after finishing his business.
The weather is so good. The waves are calm. Originally, such weather would have created a lot of jobs.
If it wasnt for that snake bastard
Well. Even without it, the current situation in the continent isnt too good.
Rather, it can be said that the sea is still safer than land.
This was the conversation between the sailors.
It was ordinary people like these who were the most terrified by the Demigods appearance. For them, the Demigods were like an unidentified horror.
The circulating rumors were so unbelievable that they sounded extremely exaggerated. Nevertheless, these rumors continued to spread.
Unknowingly, their anxiety was steadily being amplified, so if they did actually encounter the Demigods in the future, their will would be broken right away.
Of course, Frey didnt have any intention of blaming them. Very few people chose to continue fighting after personally witnessing the Demigods power. Sear?h the N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Frey turned to look at Ivan.
He was probably the most bored out of everyone on this sea journey. He was standing on the deck, fiddling with the Gale Necklace while wearing all three of Kasajins artifacts.
Did you get any results?
Ivan shook his head as Frey approached him, saying.
A little. I can at least see why theyre called the three treasures. All three of them must be collected before they can show their true worth.
Worth?????????????????????????????. ????o????
Would you like to see it?
When Frey nodded, Ivan furrowed his eyebrows. Frey realised he was injecting his mana into the three artifacts.
After a while, a slight hum seemed to be coming from the Giants Belt, Tiger Kings Gloves, and Gale Necklace.
Paht.
Frey forgot how to talk for a moment.
Then he murmured in a shocked voice.
Kasajin?
Hmm. Since the Great Mage himself confirmed it, I guess this guy really is Kasajin.
Ivan seemed to have still had some doubts whether the phantom of the man that appeared was Kasajin.
It was a man with short hair and fierce eyes, who seemed to exude pressure similar to a mountain.
It was Kasajin without a doubt.
Kasajin suddenly took a stance. Then he took a deep breath and slowly stretched out his fist.
It was a gentle and fluid motion. But he wasnt just giving a fist bump.
Warrior King Fist.
Kasajins phantom was personally demonstrating the Warrior King Fist that hed created.
Ivan didnt speak. Unknowingly, his eyes had become fixated upon Kasajin. In fact, it looked like he was trying to devour Kasajins image.
Frey liked the look in his eyes. And Kasajin would have probably, too.
If he was still alive, he would have definitely taken Ivan in as his disciple.
Frey left Ivan to concentrate and returned to his room.
Four days passed.
Until then, the voyage had been smooth. During this trip, Frey mostly stayed on the deck.
Like the previous days, this day was calm, and he spent it having conversations with Anastasia, Ivan, or Frank.
Krrrr.
However, just as the sun was about to set, he felt an unusual tremor. Something was approaching the ship from below.
Frey was the first to realise this.
Ivan and Anastasia rushed onto the deck while Frank hurriedly gave orders to the sailors.
Unfurl the sails!
The sailors moved perfectly to follow the order.
Frank looked nervous.
He must have seen the sea snake rushing towards the ship. It was possible that he felt that he might have taken the wrong course and was ashamed.
Seeing this made Frey feel a bit guilty, but there were more important things to deal with at that moment.
Roar
The waves shook heavily, and the ship listed(1) violently. The sails fluttered as if they had encountered a fierce typhoon.
The sailors tumbled across the deck a few times before they were able to latch onto the mast like bugs.
Suddenly, something emerged from the sea.
It was the sea snake.
Although that was what Frank called it, it looked more like a Drake or a similar subspecies than a snake. With bright blue scales, bright yellow eyes, and gleaming teeth, it wouldnt have been wrong to call it a Sea Dragon.
Now that he could see it in person, Frey could definitely tell from its divine power. As hed expected, it was a Demigod.
However that wasnt all.
Frey couldnt help but feel that something was off.
[Are you the ones traveling through my sea without permission? While sloppily and ignorantly spreading your mana at that.]
The Demigod spoke.
It wasnt strong. At best, it was as strong as or weaker than Milled.
Compared to Agni or even Norn, it was not strong at all.
With his current strength, it would be quite simple for Frey to get rid of this Demigod. Nevertheless, he didnt release his divine magic power to get rid of it.
[Kuku. Are you afraid? Right. I should have expected this much. Dont worry, you wont feel any pain. Your bodies wont even get stuck in this bodys teeth.]
It had a very strange way of speaking.
It reminded Frey more of Torkunta than of a Demigod.
Frey suppressed these doubts and said.
I heard you had two heads.
Immediately afterwards, his body moved, floating up in front of the Demigod.
Crazy
Th-, that
Frank and the other crew members watched this sight with shocked gazes.
It was only at that moment when they realised Frey was a Wizard, but they didnt have the energy to rejoice.
After all, it seemed that Frey would get swallowed in one bite.
Reveal your other head.
Frey spoke calmly.
This was where the strange feeling was coming from.
[Youre out of your mind.]
The Demigod opened its mouth as though it had heard something absurd. Then, flames poured up from its throat.
Now that he thought about it, Frank did say that the sea snake could breathe fire.
Just as Frey was about to cast a spell, a man shot up from the deck.
It was Ivan.
Ivans fist struck the Demigods chin heavily.
Crack!
[Kuk!]
The Demigods mouth closed with a heavy sound, and the flames that it was about to spew out leaked through its clenched teeth.
The flames from its own stomach were burning it.
It was a very effective attack.
Unlike Freys calm observation, the Demigods anger was intense.
It glared down at Ivan with eyes that seemed to drip with rage. (Note: or tears of pain)
[You you worm!]
Ivan cracked his knuckles.
If you want to spit flames, then you should go live on the land instead of in the sea.
[Shut up!]
The Demigod screamed.
At that moment, the sea surged and the second head emerged.
The moment he saw this head, Frey realised the reason for his strange feeling. At the same time, another question was answered.
A sea snake with two heads.
That was the impression that most of the sailors, including Frank, had.
The second head also looked like a Dragons, but it was different. It was completely different.
The second head wasnt a sea dragons or a serpents. It wasnt even a Demigods.
This difference was clear to Frey.
This Demigods second head was a Dragon. A Dragon whom Frey knew.
Even if he couldnt tell the difference between other Dragons, this was the one Dragon whom Frey would always be able to recognise.
It was the head of Green Dragon Isolla. His teacher.
[Ku uu uuhh]
The cracking voice was like a terrible sound coming from a corpse. It was clear that this head didnt have any intelligence.
Its ego had already disappeared. It was basically a zombie.
Frey realised.
Transplantation.
Did they transplant a Dragons body to a Demigod and then reshape it? Was something like that possible?
What on earth did you do?
Freys voice trembled slightly
The Demigod laughed loudly at that, believing he was trembling in fear.
[Huhaha! You think Ill tell you? Die!]
At first, Frey had no intention of killing this Demigod. However, he now had even more of a reason to keep him alive.
He had to find out why this Demigod was wearing his teachers head no matter what.
It was then.
I will help too.
It took Frey a moment to realise it was Dros voice.
This was because there was a strange emotion in his usually emotionless voice.
It was only when he turned to look at him that he realised what it was. Dros face was clouded by indescribable rage.
This caused him to wonder about Dros true identity once again, but he shook his head.
You cant kill him.
I know.
[Kuhaha!]
The Demigod laughed even harder.
He didnt realise now that most of the Demigods, including Lord, were in the Demon World, these two people standing before him were among the top five strongest beings on the continent.
(Note:
1. To list is to lean over to one side, typically because of a leak, unbalanced cargo, or heavy waves.)
Season: 1 Chapter 195: Great Medium(4)
Book 1 Chapter 195: Great Medium(4) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
It was less than 10 minutes after the fight.
Frey felt a deep sense of incongruity, and in the next moment, he stopped moving.
[sp-, spare me.]
The Demigod bowed his head and begged. Its big eyes were filled with tears.
Frey recalled his divine magic power.
The sea snake was strong. Especially underwater, it was an invincible being.
Unfortunately, it had met the wrong opponents this time.
The power Frey used the most was Indras lightning. By itself, the lightning was already incredibly strong, but the effect was amplified exponentially since the sea snake was covered in water.
The power Dro displayed was equally as amazing.
This was the first time Frey saw him fight.
He uses the power of Dragons as if it was his own.
It wasnt just Dragontongue. He was also very skillful when it came to the use of his Dragon Fear.
His spells were excellent, and he always knew the best times to make use of the spirits.
Frey couldnt help but wonder if he really wasnt the Dragon Lord.
Anastasia, who was watching the fight from the ship, couldnt help but laugh.
This guy is really strange. Is that something a Demigod would say?
I dont think it is.
What?
This isnt a Demigod.
This creatures divine power was comparable to a Demigods. Its combat strength was also astonishing.
Nevertheless, it wasnt a Demigod.
Perhaps he heard Frey because the sea snake began nodding quickly.
[R-, right. Im not a Demigod.]
Then what are you?
[I am Neptunus.]
You stupid snake bastard. Who asked for your name?
When Ivan shouted in anger, Neptunus shuddered.
[Uhh]
Explain properly.
Although Frey tried to speak calmly, the sight of his teachers head in such a miserable manner made his voice grow cold.
Neptunus spoke even faster and in a more frightened manner than when he was threatened by Ivan.
[I, I was originally a sea serpent.]
Youre too large. Are you a mutant?
He said that while thinking about Torkunta.
Neptunus nodded.
[You can say that, yes. I was much stronger than the others.]
[I was originally in the great ocean. I had a fairly large territory there.]
Get to the point.
[o-, one day, a Demigod appeared. It was a woman with grey hair. She looked like a human at first, but I soon realised she wasnt.]
A grey-haired woman. Leyrin.
Frey frowned.
Then?
[I was overcome with fear and attacked her. But I lost without her even lifting a finger. When I regained consciousness, I was in a dark place and my body was bound to a platform. And every now and then I would feel terrible pain.]
Neptunus body shook.
[The pain of my scales being pulled out or of my flesh being cut or of my guts being pulled out I was never afraid of pain, but that was an exception. There were hundreds of times when I thought it would be better to just die, but she never let that happen. Then, at some point, the pain ended and my body became like this]
He turned to the head of Isolla, Freys teacher, which was attached to his body.
[The grey haired woman gave me many orders, and I had no choice but to follow them. If I even thought of defying her for even a moment, my head would hurt like hell. The last order I received was to sink all the ships headed to Hitume Ikar.]
Only then did Frey realise what Neptunus was.
He was a lab rat created by Leyrin.
No matter how crazy Leyrin, who created the Blake family bloodline, was, it would have been impossible for her to fuse the body of a Dragon and a Demigod.
The proud Demigods would never allow impurities to be added to their bodies.
[But not long ago, that womans voice, which was always in my head, suddenly disappeared. I was so delighted, but when I realised it was only partial freedom, I was sad again.]
Neptunus would never have true freedom unless the Demigods disappeared completely.
Just as Frey was about to open his mouth.
[Uh, ah, ah]
Isollas head cried out once again.
It was like a whining baby.
what are you doing?
This naturally caused Freys voice to become cold once again.
Noticing this, Neptunus hurried to explain.
[I dont know either. Ever since that womans voice in my head disappeared, it started making these mysterious noises.]
When Freys expression became even colder, Neptunus, who seemed to remember something, added.
[So-, sometimes it sounds like it said the word Lord.]
!
Frey looked at Isollas head once again.
Was he still alive?
Or was it a clue he left just before he died?
After thinking about it for a moment, Frey turned to the others.
You guys head over to Lesha. I think I need to talk to this guy a bit longer.
Anastasias expression was also one of displeasure.
Although she didnt notice it immediately like Frey, she eventually recognised the Dragons head.
is that really Lady Isolla?
Right. I think there might be important clues on him.
Understood.
Ivan then poked Frank, who was still staring dumbly at the sky, with his finger.
What are you doing? He said go.
A-, ahh. Oh, my God. Is this a dream? w-, who the hell are you people?
Well explain on the way, so just get the boat moving. Just head straight there. Without that sea snake, you no longer have anything to be wary of.
Frank had no choice after hearing Ivans rough tone.
In the meantime, Frey landed on Neptunus head.
I am going to take a closer look at your body. Is there anything similar to an island around here?
[Theres a rock island nearby.]
Lets go there.
[U-, understood.]
Neptunus nervously nodded at Freys words, and before long, they arrived at the island he spoke about.
[How are you going to take a closer look at my body?]
Stay still.
As he said this, Frey pointed his finger.
[U-, urk?]
Neptunus entire body slowly rose up from the sea. It was a magnificent sight to behold, similar to that of an island floating up into the sky.
But Neptunus, the main subject in this scene, couldnt afford to enjoy his first flight.
Wh-, who the hell is this human?
He felt that he was even more terrifying than the woman who captured him. In fact, he wasnt even sure if this man was a human in the first place.
Filled with anxiety and fear, Neptunus wanted to struggle, but he was afraid of Freys gaze, so he felt that it would be best not to.
Meanwhile, Frey was scrutinising Neptunus body.
Seeing it with his own eyes confirmed it for Frey.
The scars on this sea snakes body were much worse than he thought. It wasnt just Isollas head.
He had a pair of shabby wings that did not match his enormous size, numerous eyes embedded in his chest, six legs, and countless patches and stitch marks carved across his entire body.
How many creatures did she splice together?
Just looking at it allowed him to see the madness of the creator.
If it wasnt for Neptunus strong vitality, he would have died many times over. Instead of a sea serpent, he should have been called a chimera.
You, can you use mana?
[N-, no. I cant even use divine power at will. I can only use it to strengthen my body.]
Frey looked at Isolla once more.
Isolla was dead. Or she was on the verge of death.
That much was certain.
But it was possible that a faint bit of his ego still remained. It was just that Neptunus power prevented him from waking up.
Take a nap.
[What?]
Boom!
Subsequently, Neptunus felt an intense shock behind his head. His mind was shaken in an instant. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Just before he lost consciousness, he looked at Frey with a hurt gaze.
[I, I wouldnt say]
Neptunus fainted without being able to complete his sentence. His head then collapsed on the rock island.
Frey looked at Isolla.
Even though Neptunus was unconscious, it was still murmuring. In other words, Neptunus and Isollas egos were not connected.
He touched the head.
He could feel divine power. It was left behind by Leyrin, but she was an Apocalypse. So the amount of divine power at her disposal was very large.
He said that Isolla started murmuring after Leyrin died.
With her death, most of the divine power in Neptunus body disappeared, and Isolla was able to regain a bit of his consciousness.
So if all of the remaining divine power was removed
Chch.
He was already able to control divine power as well as he could mana. Hed simply knocked Neptunus out so that it would be easier.
Thanks to this, in just ten minutes, all the divine power in Neptunus body disappeared.
The next thing he noticed was Neptunus heart.
When he was inspecting Neptunus body, he had noticed a large number of scars and stitches on his chest.
And just as he expected
I knew it.
Neptunus had two hearts. And the heart on the right that was shaking fiercely was, without a doubt, a Dragon Heart.
This should have been what Dro felt.
Without hesitation, Frey pumped mana into the Dragon Heart. His mana was purer and denser than even the most mana rich locations on the continent.
Babump!
The Dragon Heart began to beat heavily. Like a traveler who had wandered the desert for several days before finding an oasis, the Dragon Heart sucked in the mana like it was drinking water.
Paht.
As soon as the Dragon Heart was filled, Isollas murmuring stopped.
After a while, she opened her eyes.
It was not the same as the unfocused eyes from before. There was clearly intelligence in her eyes.
Frey hesitated before saying.
Master?
[you are]
Its Lukas.
This reunion made Frey feel joy and sorrow at the same time. However, there was no time to think about that.
Isolla blinked before saying.
[Luka-, s? But Lukas is dead]
A lot has happened.
They didnt have time.
Frey summarised everything to the best of his ability and told her about the situation.
Isolla seemed to have a hard time believing it at first, but she still listened to Frey. And when he finished, she let out a long sigh.
[right. As you said, a lot has happened.]
Isollas voice was weak. This made Frey even more sad.
He couldnt find any traces of the gentle and relaxed expression from the past.
Who did this to you, Master?
[Lord.]
As expected.
Frey grit his teeth. His anger towards Lord had reached new heights at that moment.
[Lukas, we dont have the time to enjoy our reunion.]
He knew what she was saying was true. It was already a miracle that her consciousness had persisted for so long.
It wouldnt be strange if she suddenly died.
[you said you met someone you suspect to be the Dragon Lord]
Im not sure do you know him?
[Of course. I was also an ancient.]
After falling silent for a moment, she spoke again.
[I dont know the exact identity of that man named Dro. But if he really is the Dragon Lord, Lukas, you cant trust him.]
why?
When Frey asked this in a surprised voice, Isolla gave him a shocking answer.
[Because the Demigod Lord and the Dragon Lord were like brothers.]
Season: 1 Chapter 196: Great Medium(5)
Book 1 Chapter 196: Great Medium(5) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
That island is Lesha.
It took about a day for them to arrive.
Ivan looked at the small island that was surrounded by a strange fog.
There was an indescribably mysterious feeling exuded by the island.
There are many reefs in this area. If you dont have the Great Mediums permission, it is impossible to find the safe path
The moment Frank said those words, the fog suddenly began dispersing.
Seeing this, Anastasia muttered contemplatively.
I guess this is sorcery. It certainly is unique.
I think this is the way we are meant to go.
After following the path surrounded by fog, they reached a small dock.
Frank anchored the ship and turned to Ivan.
We will wait here.
Since you came with us, why dont you see what the island is like? I feel like Im going to be sick if I stay on this boat any longer.
Our role is just to guide you. The Great Medium will not allow us to go any further. sea??h th N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
By not allow it, did they mean shed kick them out?
It was a strange statement, but Ivan nodded, not bothered to persuade them any further.
The Great Medium stays at a shrine at the top of the mountain in the middle of the island.
Climbing a mountain. How annoying.
Ivan scratched his head in annoyance before walking towards the mountain.
Anastasia and Dro followed him.
But they soon stopped.
This was because there were people standing in front of them.
There were two people. A man and a woman.
Ivan looked at the man and narrowed his eyes.
That guys pretty strong.
He was so skilled that it was a waste for him to be staying on such a small island. There werent many people as strong as him even in Silkid, the land of Warriors.
Ivan then turned to look at the woman.
The woman was dressed in blue robes and had long, ebony hair. Her face also seemed to be locked in a perpetually sleepy expression. Just looking at her made one feel tired.
Welcome, guests, to Lesha.
It was the woman who spoke.
Unlike her polite words, her voice was filled with fatigue and annoyance.
It was then Ivan realised that she was the Great Medium.
Uh, Im sorry. Can you wait a bit? Theres someone who hasnt arrived yet.
The Great Medium tilted her head before shaking it slightly.
The person whom I foretold is already here. Is that necessary?
Huh? Who are you talking about?
The candidate for representative.
The Great Medium muttered then turned to someone.
It is you. The prophesied being who will have great influence in the end of the world.
Even after receiving the Great Mediums expectant gaze, Dro didnt utter a word.
* * *
Isolla took a deep breath.
She closed her eyes for a moment as if to compose herself before opening them and continuing with difficulty.
[while we were fighting the Demigods, I always thought that we were in the right. However the more I learned the truth, the more questions arose. It is possible that the Dragons were not a benevolent race.]
Her voice was heavy.
Frey was curious, but he remained quiet.
He knew that his teacher didnt have much time. So he wanted her to choose her own last words.
He felt a renewed sense of helplessness.
The thought that hed gained absolute power after acquiring the divine magic power was only an illusion.
In the end, Im just like a Demigod.
When it came to destroying things, he had gained near omnipotent power, but it was still impossible to revive a single dying life.
Isolla spoke in a soft voice as though she noticed Freys inner turmoil.
[you said it was that child, Iris, who created Dro.]
Thats right.
[I wonder what Iris is thinking. She was deeply frustrated when you disappeared. I thought she could overcome that darkness, but before I knew it, she fell to Lord.]
[I dont know what her intentions are. But one thing I do know is that Lord will do whatever he can to get his hands on Dro.]
Yes.
He knew that, which was part of the reason he kept Dro near.
Isolla was proud to see her disciples resolute expression.
Even though an inevitable fight with Lord was rapidly approaching, he did not back down or waver in the slightest.
She didnt know when hed become so reliable.
[You are much stronger than you were in the past. Im proud to be the teacher who once guided you. But I Im worried that you will forget your humanity.]
[The important thing is to never forget yourself. You have already reached a stage where you can no longer be called mortal. So if you take even one step down the wrong path, you might become a second Lord.]
I will keep it in mind.
Frey bowed his head. (Note: I think I should add that Isolla is the only person in the entire novel that Frey spoke politely to.)
Isolla seemed to smile wistfully for a moment.
[will I be able to return to nature even though Ive become like this? Or am I being too greedy?]
No. You can be naturalised. Please leave it to me.
[Huhu. Thank you.]
This time, she laughed happily.
Frey looked at the smiling face of his teacher and couldnt help but smile.
[Im glad I got to see you again, Lukas, my disciple. And Im truly happy to have been your teacher, even up to my last moments.]
She closed her eyes slowly.
[Thank you. Thanks to this, dying a second time doesnt seem so bad]
Isollas voice gradually faded.
Frey bowed once again.
I wish you eternal rest Master.
* * *
Theres an intruder.
Jenta paused.
Again? These rat bastards how did they manage to crawl in this time?
They have not yet set foot in the country. But it has been confirmed that they went to meet the Great Medium.
They will probably get permission from the Great Medium.
That damn woman was giving him hell.
Jentas expression crumpled.
He really wished he could kill her. The Great Medium had never been of any help to their cause.
However, she was not easy to handle, even for Jenta.
Since the fog path was opened, it is believed that they will enter the country soon.
It was only a feeling, but Jenta felt that these intruders would be much more troublesome than the previous ones.
This is getting more complicated.
Jenta recalled Anantas words.
Get out of Hitume Ikar. You wont be safe there.
He hadnt believed it at that time because he didnt think there would be much trouble. So naturally, he had disobeyed.
Jenta was filled with regret, but it was already too late.
Maybe theyre all from the Circle. If they work together, things will become more troublesome.
What are you going to do?
Were going to destroy them before they can gather.
Jentas eyes became cold.
We have to deal with those who arrived first. Are you ready?
Even if you give the orders right now.
Good.
As for the first intruders, they already had an idea of who they were.
The Lucid Swords. One of the Three Great Circles.
The Circle Master, Jekid Deosis, Circle Rounder Hart Lowmind, seven Knights, one Wizard, and one Shaman from Hitume Ikar.
Jekid was a Knight who had surpassed the Master rank. But Jenta wasnt afraid of him.
Chchch.
His dagger began shaking, and sticky poison flowed from his hand to cover it.
Even a Knight who had defense and resistance like an iron fortress would die as soon as this poison touched him.
Jenta let out a cold laugh.
I will show those proud Knights just how terrifying Assassins can be.
* * *
The room Dro was assigned to had an excellent view of the outside. From it, he could see the dark sea that seemed to swallow the shore and the soft moonlight and the scenery of the island, all with a single glance.
It was truly a beautiful and magnificent sight.
It gave Dro a feeling of stability.
The sound of the crashing waves gave him peace. His eyes closed slowly.
Then, he heard a knock on the door.
Who is it?
Its the Great Medium.
Dro hesitated for a moment before speaking.
Come in.
The Great Medium walked into the room. Unlike before, she was dressed in a white outfit.
It might have been because of the soft moonlight, but she seemed a bit more pleasing to look at than when he saw her during the day.
Nevertheless, there was no change in Dros expression.
Do you like the room?
I have no feeling towards it.
Hmm. You are quite honest.
The Great Medium nodded with her drowsy expression, staring at Dro.
Can I have a seat?
It seems you have something to talk about.
It wont take long.
If you say so.
The Great Medium sat down in front of Dro. Then she looked at him with eyes that seemed to be darker than the night sky.
Do you believe in God?
No.
It was an unexpected question, but Dro answered without hesitation.
The Great Medium continued like it didnt matter.
Ah. I see. Thats fine. I also didnt believe until I became the Great Medium.
You speak as though God exists.
He exists.
It was a response filled with confidence.
A slight glint appeared in Dros eyes.
Then what is God doing now?
Hes probably doing something so complex that I couldnt even begin to understand.
Is it so important that he can ignore the chaos on the continent?
Huhu. A bad habit that humans have is to only seek God after a disaster. Besides, its not possible to measure God with human standards.
God is absolutely fair. Our painful cries will only sound like complaints to him.
The Great Medium laughed.
This will be hard to understand for someone who isnt even human in the first place.
The two stared at each others eyes for a moment, and it was Dro who opened his mouth first.
You said that I will have a great influence on the end of the world. Did God tell you that?
Yes. I also have something else to tell you.
Dro looked at the Great Medium intently.
The playful expression that had never left her face before disappeared, and she said in a serious voice.
A person will stand tall and prevent the end of the world. The last fighter. The representative.
Dros expression, which had barely changed during the entire conversation, changed at the end. He could feel his heart flutter strangely.
The Great Mediums eyes shined.
It seems you felt something because of what I said.
I have no intention of prying. I have already carried out my task. Come to think of it, you want to enter Hitume Ikar, right? I will send them a message. So you can leave as early as dawn tomorrow.
Then, the Great Medium nodded and left the room.
Dro didnt move even after she left. He sat on the bed with a stiff expression.
representative.
That word caused a ripple to go through his mind.
It felt like hed forgotten something important. A memory that should not have been forgotten.????n?????????????d.nbsp;????o????
He tried to remember it.
After a while, a few fragments seemed to emerge in his mind. But it was still not enough. He needed a decisive chunk.
Kuk.
Dros expression twisted painfully.
He was very confused by his identity. Memories slowly began to surface.
He couldnt help but wonder.
Is this me? Or the Dragon Lord? Who am I in the first place?
[Shhh.]
A small voice in his head got rid of the emotional ripples. It was the familiar voice of Iris.
Dros expression once again shifted back to one of expressionlessness.
He scratched his head, confused.
What was I just doing?
Since he couldnt think of it, it should not have been too important. That was what he thought.
Dro turned to look outside once again.
-But he no longer felt the serenity he felt when he first saw the scene.
Season: 1 Chapter 197: Hitume Ikar (1)
Book 1 Chapter 197: Hitume Ikar (1) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Early the next morning, the Great Medium watched as Ivan and the rest left the island.
She had already sent a message to Hitume Ikar so they could enter the country.
Nonetheless, the Great Medium couldnt help but wonder.
Is this the end?
Her role. She had already passed on the revelation that God had sent to her.
Nevertheless, she couldnt help but feel that there was still more for her to do.
It was then.
Jose walked up to her and spoke quietly.
Great Medium, someone is approaching the island.
This woke the Great Medium from her thoughts, and she shook her head.
I have already received those whom I should have. I will not accept any more guests in Lesha for the time being. Let the fog drive them away.
Th-, that
Joses expression changed as though something shocking happened.
the fog isnt working.
Huh?
What did this mean?
Were the barriers that had been placed around the island ineffective?
Krrr-
Then they felt a great tremor.
It was the sense of someone breaking into the island with brute force.
The Great Medium then felt a wave of dizziness and stumbled slightly.
Great Medium!
Im alright.
However, at that moment, the Great Mediums expression was more serious than he had ever seen in his decades working for her.
My barriers were broken?
The Great Medium blinked as she turned to look at the place where she felt the tremor.
A huge shadow could be seen in the fog. It was the head of an enormous creature that seemed to want to pierce the sky.
The Great Medium immediately realised whose head it was.
Wasnt this the large sea snake who had been wandering in the sea around Hitume Ikar recently?
How?
She knew that this monster was an extraordinary being. However, it was still an impossible task for it to break through the fog on its own.
Even if it was a Demigod
But it didnt take long for the Great Medium to realise that it wasnt the sea snake who broke her barriers.
There was someone standing on the sea snakes head. His grey hair fluttering violently in the sea breeze.
The man looked down calmly, his gaze soon meeting the Great Mediums.i????????r????????????. ?????m
!
At that moment, the Great Medium trembled.
This feeling
No way. No. Was this possible?
The Great Medium felt extremely confused at that moment.
She tried to speak, but she couldnt stop herself from stuttering.
You are you Dauns?
Gre-, Great Medium!
Jose stared at the Great Medium in shock.
This was natural.
After all, Dauns was the name of the god of creation that Hitume Ikar worshipped.
?
Frey tilted his head slightly at the unexpected question.
* * *
Frey sat face-to-face with the Great Medium.
She was much calmer now compared to their first encounter, but she still didnt show the drowsy attitude she had while dealing with Ivan or Dro.
They stared at the steam rising from the teacups in front of them for a moment before Frey spoke first.
I am not Dauns.
The Great Medium lowered her eyes slightly and muttered.
Yes. I was mistaken.
The Great Medium admitted to her mistake. Nevertheless, her doubts still remained.
A few hundred years had passed since she abandoned her own name and took up the title of Great Medium. And in that time, she had never seen the shadow of Dauns appear in someone.
The god of creation that she, as well as Hitume Ikar, believed in only sent revelations.
This was natural.
The Great Medium knew this. After all, he was the omnipotent and just god of creation, so he naturally would not care about just them.
That was why she felt even more guarded against Frey.
Even up until now, she could not read him. It was as he was covered in dense fog.
This wasnt something to be disregarded. After all, this could be described as the Great Mediums talent.
In the first place, this was the man who had broken into Lesha even though she didnt receive any revelations about him. He was an unauthorised guest, a being whom even the revelations from god failed to predict.
Nevertheless, the presence that he gave of was greatly similar to the power of god.
Are you human?
Frey was greatly displeased by the previous misunderstanding.
Whenever he heard questions like this, it made him feel that he had become a being who was no longer human.
But he remembered Isollas teachings.
As long as you dont forget your true nature.
I am human.
When he had this thought, the dark clouds in his heart disappeared immediately.
Frey calmly nodded his head.
Thats right.
however, your power greatly surpasses human capability.
He nodded his head once again.
This was a natural fact, and she wouldnt believe otherwise even if he tried to convince her.
Frey also felt that the Great Mediums gaze was not simple.
The Great Medium paused to think for a moment before speaking.
I mistook you for Dauns because I felt the power of God from you. (Note: youll notice variable capitalisations of the word god. I will explain them below)
Freys eyes shined slightly.
The power of god.
Simply speaking, that was divine power, the power of the Demigods. But it was clear that this was not the power of God that the Great Medium was referring to.
Then what was it?
Did she literally mean the power of God?
If so, then there was only one explanation.
Divine magic power.
The power that could be converted to either divine power or mana.
Thinking about this power that he gained in his mental world, Frey asked.
Does God really exist?
In the end, Freys question was the same as Dros.
However, this time, the Great Medium wasnt sure what to say. It was impossible for her to deal with this in the same manner with which shed handled Dros question the night before.
This was because it felt contradictory for the man who she felt was closer to God than anyone else was now asking her about the existence of god.
The Great Medium sat silently for a while before slowly opening her mouth.
God exists.
I would like to meet him.
There were many things that he wanted to ask.
Of course, Frey did not think there was an omnipotent being capable of being involved in everything in the world.
4,000 years ago, people worshipped the Demigods and Dragons as gods. This was because, from a humans perspective, these powerful beings were no different than gods.
It was possible that even the Great Medium had such an illusion.
Freys request to meet God was to see what he was like.
The Great Medium responded with a shocked expression.
I didnt receive such a prophecy.
I see.
Frey muttered in a soft voice.
So youre just a puppet.
I beg your pardon?
The Great Mediums voice became sharp.
On the other hand, Freys attitude had not changed since the beginning.
He slowly lifted the cup and took a sip of the tea.
The Great Medium bit her lip at his attitude. This was because she thought this expressionless man was making fun of her.
Dauns is the omnipotent god of creation. His prophecies have helped my country overcome numerous crises.
Anyone can anticipate the future by considering the present situation.
It isnt anticipation. It is prophecy.
After saying these words in a firm tone, the Great Medium continued.
The prophecies of Daun are absolute.
So you leave everything to prophecy? You stopped thinking for yourself, and now, you wait for your Gods voice even when making the smallest decisions?
No. Thats not it. (Note: I feel like a piece of dialogue from the GM is missing)
Frey shook his head.
He had no malice towards theists. And he had no intention of belittling them.
On the contrary, Frey acknowledged the existence of religion to a certain extent, and even had a respectful attitude towards religious people.
This was because humans were weak. They needed support even to live their short lives.
And religion was the most faithful way to fulfill this role.
However, he didnt like the Great Mediums attitude.
What was the meaning of life if even the smallest decision depended on her god?
It didnt matter if she intended to live as a puppet. However, she was a human.
You rude!
Joses expression changed greatly.
He had a sword at his waist and his hand naturally fell to its hilt. He didnt intend to shed blood, but this man had to know his place.
Even the King of Hitume Ikar wouldnt dare to act so impudently.
!
However, Jose couldnt draw his sword.
His entire body froze as though time itself had stopped.
In the time it took him to put his hand on his sword, Frey had turned to look at him.
It was just a glance, but he couldnt move.
Wh-, what is this
Was it magic? Or sorcery?
No, it was different from that.
Jose had a strange feeling. It was hard to even take a breath. He felt like his stamina was being drained rapidly.
Frey only looked at him without making any further moves, but Joses entire body became soaked in sweat. And as soon as Frey looked away, Jose collapsed.
He stared up at Frey, panting heavily.
H-, he is not human!
Jose felt a chill creep down his spine. In that moment, he even forgot his mission to protect the Great Medium.
At the same time, Frey rose from his seat.
I have to go to Hitume Ikar. Can you grant me permission?
you.
The Great Medium looked at Frey with a complicated expression. This was the first time shed ever met a man like this.
She hesitated for a moment before biting her lip.
Jose, leave us.
I, I cant. This man is too dangerous
Would I be safer if youre by my side?
Joses face was awash with humiliation. But the Great Mediums expression didnt twitch.
She didnt have any intention of insulting Jose. She was just speaking honestly.
Of course, Jose also understood the Great Mediums intentions. However, this fact wounded his pride even more.
understood.
Jose could only swallow his disgrace and leave the room.
Frey turned to look at the Great Medium. He wondered what she wanted to say.
The Great Medium also got up from her seat, then she headed to a corner of the room and said something in a strange accent.
-.
It was Freys first time hearing this language.
In terms of intonation, it was highly likely that this was an ancient language.
A refreshing energy began flowing from within the Great Mediums body.
Shes using sorcery.
Frey looked at this scene with interest. Sarch* The N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
This was certainly different from magic. The Great Medium didnt use either divine power of mana.
The energy that the Great Medium was using to practice sorcery seemed to come from within her own body.
The moment he saw it, Frey was certain that although he didnt know it, if he observed this force a bit more and broke it down he would be able to use sorcery.
Suddenly, the space in front of the Great Medium split open, revealing a dark void.
Frey frowned.
He couldnt help but think about Lords Space at that moment.
Of course, he knew that neither sorcery or this space had anything to do with the Demigods.
Lets go to the shrine.
Shrine?
The Great Medium nodded.
Yes. If you go there, you will be able to meet God.
God.
You are not someone I judge. Dauns will make his own judgement.
It was unprecedented to take outsiders to the Shrine.
The Great Medium swallowed the last of her words. This was because Frey would not care about such remarks.
Freys eyes narrowed slightly.
If what she said was true, this meant that Frey had the chance to meet that being called God.
Season: 1 Chapter 198: Hitume Ikar (2)
Book 1 Chapter 198: Hitume Ikar (2) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Hitume Ikar was only two days away from Lesha.
As he looked at the most mysterious country among the islands around the continent, Frank opened his mouth.
There is only one port in the country that can be used by outsiders. Its called Lutaha. Its the only place Ive visited in the past while trading. In other words, our role ends here.
What about when its time to go back?
If there are no incidents, Hitume Ikar will provide you with a boat. You can come back with it.
Ivan nodded.
At that time, the ship reached the Lutaha dock and was about to anchor.
Halt!
They then heard someones loud shout.
Ivan turned to look at the dock.
A little over ten men. Is the guy in the front the leader?
Ivan looked at them and said.
What is it?
Identify yourselves!
The arrogant tone caused Ivans face to twitch slightly.
My name is Ivan!
The man felt a bit of a sting when Ivan, who had never had a good temper, shouted even louder than he had. He could feel the mana in Ivans voice.
Of course, this wasnt the attitude a guest should have had.
Seeing this, Anastasia smiled and said.
Ill take over from here, my young friend.
Im afraid you would only be laughed at if you were to step out.
When she heard those words, Anastasia looked down at her body before muttering in a depressed voice.
That certainly does seem to be the case.
She looked even younger than he did.
Dro was clearly not interested in this matter, so Anastasia could only sigh before saying.
Then well do it like this. You will tell them what I say.
Alright.
Ivan nodded before repeating Anastasias words with a cold voice. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
We were granted permission to enter the country of Hitume Ikar by the Great Medium of Lesha.
There was a bit of an uproar below before the man who shouted before spoke again.
I heard that there are three entrants in total!
Anastasia beckoned over for Dro to come and stand beside them so the man could see before saying.
It is us three.
The man inspected the three of them one by one.
Ivans expression crumpled.
This doesnt feel good at all. Is this how we get treated despite receiving the Great Mediums permission?
Its possible that this is the last gateway. They still need to compare our appearances to what the Great Medium gave them.
Even though he heard Anastasias answer, Ivan still grumbled.
I want to gouge out his eyes.
I cant allow that.
Hmph. But that guy said three people were granted entry. What about Frey?
come to think of it.
Anastasia looked at Ivan with a bit of admiration.
Youre much sharper than you look. Youre quite different from Kasajin.
Dammit. Stop treating me like a child.
From my perspective, you are a child. And you dont need to worry about Frey. He can move on his own. Because hes not a child.
Anastasia smirked, not needing to add the words unlike you for everyone to hear them.
Ivan growled, making a sound similar to that of a wild beast. He felt angry, but strangely, it didnt go any further.
If someone else had dared speak to him in such a way, he would have punched them in the face immediately.
When he tried to think of a reason for this, his thoughts turned to Nora.
Looking at it closely, Anastasia had a lot in common with Nora. They both looked incredibly young, said and did things that didnt match their appearances, and had tremendously terrifying power.
I dont have to keep being embarrassed by a kid like this in the future, do I?
As a sense of horror began to descend upon Ivan, the man spoke.
You are allowed to anchor your ship!
Ha. Why, thank you.
Ivan grumbled irritatedly while Frank moored the ship to the dock.
After the three of them disembarked the ship, they turned to look up at Frank, who didnt come down.
He hesitated for a moment before saying.
You guys are all extraordinary characters. Perhaps this was a special work of fate that a country bumpkin like me might not be able to encounter even once in a lifetime. It probably is.
Its not that special.
Huhu. I pray that you will achieve whatever you came here to do. And please thank Frey for me.
Sure.
Ivan sheepishly scratched his cheek and nodded.
In this time, the guards approached them. The man at the head of the group then bowed towards them in a strange way.
It was accompanied by the strange gesture of putting the right fist in the left palm. (Note: Think of the way martial artists bow)
Welcome to Hitume Ikar. Im Vajra, a Samurai of Lutaha.
What is a Samurai?
Although he had this question, Ivan didnt ask it and instead said.
Im Ivan.
A pleasure to meet you. Hmm. I heard that your arrival was revealed in a revelation But I wont ask the details. The Great Medium herself has spoken.
Revelation.????????????????????????????. ????????????
Anastasia narrowed her eyes.
Was the Great Medium just trying to assist them?
Or did she really receive a revelation from Dauns about their arrival?
However, first, youll need to follow me. Any guest who comes to Hitume Ikar after receiving the Great Mediums approval must greet our king.
Not a lord of high-ranking noble but the king himself. This was an example of the way special guests were treated in Hitume Ikar.
Where is your king?
Ivan.
Anastasia grimaced at Ivans rudeness, but Vajra just let out a short chuckle.
Haha. Its okay. We respect the culture of others. It is clear that you are a Warrior, but are you not from Silkid? I heard that a Great Chief leads that country
uh. Right. Well.
Ivan wasnt from Silkid, but he didnt say it directly.
Vajra laughed as though he expected something like this, but then his expression suddenly changed.
I heard about what happened. Im sorry.
When he thought about Agni, Ivans expression naturally hardened.
Its okay. We will overcome it.
Thats good to hear. In any case, the kings palace is not far from here. If we leave immediately, we will be able to arrive by sunset.
Hmm
After that, we will give you an identification card. You will be captured by the guards in no time if you were to wander around the country without a card. As you can see, we do not look alike.
Vajra pointed to his black hair and eyes as he said those words.
Ivan nodded.
Right.
If you have accumulated fatigue, you can rest in this city for a day before leaving.
No. Theres no need for that. We can leave immediately.
I like that. Very well.
Vajra laughed honestly.
When Ivan looked at him, he couldnt help but have positive feelings. He realised that this man was stronger than Jose, whom hed met in Lesha.
I thought this was just an island country, but the level of the warriors here is amazing.
He really wanted to fight them if he got the chance.
* * *
The warriors in Hitume Ikar were unique.
This was something Ivan noticed from the first meeting.
Including Vajra, Lutahas Warriors no, Samurai wore light, fluffy clothes.
At first glance, these seemed unfit for battle. No different than being naked. After all, they were just pieces of cloth not suitable to block arrows, much less a sword.
They all also had swords at their waists.
Did they all practice hard body skills?
That wasnt the case.
He could tell with a glance.
The muscles of these warriors were trained to the extreme, but their direction was different from Ivans. They were flexible. Resilient.
They focus on speed.
Thats why their equipment was minimised.
Ivan subconsciously loosened his joints.
He thought about how the battle would be if they were to fight. Of course, their combat skills were no threat to Ivan, so in his virtual battles, he increased their speed a bit more.
It would be a long battle.
As they focused on speed, they had no choice but to give up some power in return. And Ivans defense was second to none.
They would only be able to gradually add wounds to Ivans body. Like chipping away at a rock.
Their only shot at victory would be to attack a vital spot after digging into the flaws and exhausting their opponent.
Ivan, on the other hand, would need to wait for the right moment to overcome such annoying attacks. He would have to end the fight with one blow.
Naturally, his mind turned to the incident in Silkid.
Ivans fist.
This was a skill that had been able to fatally injure even an Apocalypse like Agni, but it had its own drawbacks.
It required him to shorten the distance enough for him to use his fist, and it took some time to use.
The former wasnt too much of a problem. After all, Ivans fighting style had always been to have fierce fights at a jaw-droppingly close distance.
However, the latter was troublesome. While he focused his mana, Ivan would be completely defenseless.
As long as the opponent was at least a First class Warrior, they would never miss such an opportunity.
But this wouldnt be a problem as long as he had someone to momentarily block the enemys movements.
Season: 1 Chapter 199: Hitume Ikar (3)
Book 1 Chapter 199: Hitume Ikar (3) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
While Ivan was suffering from a headache because of his endless pondering, Anastasia looked around with an expression of interest.
Hmmm.
Hitume Ikar was definitely a country with unique characteristics.
Ivan only paid attention to their warriors, but Anastasia looked at the country from a much broader perspective.
They created a completely independent culture in 4,000 years.
She was curious.
She wanted to spend a month just exploring the island and properly studying their culture. She was also interested in sorcery.
However, Anastasia put aside her selfish desires.
Meanwhile, their surroundings became quieter and quieter as they headed deeper into a forest.
It was a dark and ominous forest. In fact, it was as dark as if it was night, even though the sun was still high in the sky when they entered the forest.
Vajra, who was walking at the front, said.
This is the Dark Forest. As outsiders, if you were to get lost here, you would never be able to escape, so dont stray too far from me.
This was said in a serious tone, and the group nodded.
Im bored to death.
Ivan shook his head after having this thought.
It hadnt been long since they entered this forest, so he shouldnt have had such thoughts already. But this forest was truly unpleasant.
The darkness in the forest seemed to strangely cling to the skin. And for some strange reason, he felt tired.
He had slept enough before they arrived, so he wondered why he was feeling this way now.
Stop.
It was Anastasia. The voice was clearly that of a young girl, but it carried a fierce hostility that couldnt be hidden.
Vajra stopped moving and looked back.
What is it?
Didnt you say wed arrive at the palace before sunset?
Of course. Were almost there. Just follow us a bit longer. I think well arrive sooner than I expected. The sun is still high.
Anastasia laughed at those words.
You think were fools? The sun has already set. Did you think we wouldnt realise that?
Ivans expression changed, but Vajra remained calm and said.
Its not unreasonable to have this thought. Because this forest does not allow sunlight to
Hmph.
Anastasia snorted.
She felt that there was no need to listen to his nonsense any longer.
Bang!
The ground shook as Anastasias small body shot towards Vajra like a cannonball. Her fist then struck forwards, hitting him.
Crack!
Anastasia frowned.
She didnt feel the sensation of hitting a person, and instead, a piece of wood broke under her fist.
Vajra had already moved.
What shed stuck was an old grey tree. Vajra was already far away. (Note: substitution jutsu?!)
Ssss.
The darkness from the forest wrapped around his body as if it was alive.
Vajras expression was cold.
It seemed the expressions hed displayed so far were all fake.
Youre quite quick, girl. The sorcery in this place is not something that strangers could easily notice. How did you know?
You might be able to trick my senses, but my body clock is always accurate.
Anastasia snorted again. There was no reason to reveal that she was a Golem.
hmm. Is that why you have such a strange presence?
Ssss.
As he muttered those words, Vajra faded into the darkness.
We couldnt lead them to the center of the forest, but it doesnt matter. They cant get out of here easily anyway. The only thing left is to slowly wear them down.
A mysterious smile stretched across his lips. The time for a thrilling hunt had come.
Shortly after this voice sounded, the darkness that was spreading around Vajras body stopped. His expression also became one of shock.
Taking advantage of this, Ivan and Anastasia quickly narrowed the distance and took Vajra down. They had the ability to kill him right away, but they didnt.
Capturing him was a much better option.
What happened?
His body still couldnt move. Vajra could only move his eyes. He didnt realise that hed been bound by the power of Dragons, Dragontongue.
That was amazing. Are you sure youre not a real Dragon?
Anastasia tapped Dros shoulder as she asked this.
Dro looked into the dark forest and said.
The others ran away. I can track them for now, but I feel something unsettling.
Their original intent was to bring us into this forest. They have already achieved that. But it might be dangerous to go deeper.
Anastasias gaze turned to Vajra.
Theres no need to rush. We captured the guy who knows the most. All we have to do is extract the information from him.
Youre going to torture him?
Thats too inefficient. Im going to take control of his mind. Even if itll take longer, its the most effective
It was at that moment that something suddenly shot out from the dark forest.
Ivan and Anastasia evaded at the same time.
Puk.
This thing then stabbed into Vajra.
What was that?
It was a needle.
Ivan looked at the nape of Vajras neck and clicked his tongue.
The needle was so thin that he had to look closely just to see its outline.
Amazing. He died instantly. They managed to strike his vital spot perfectly.
Tch. I regret not bringing a weapon.
If he had a blade, he would have struck the needle down. However, it was suicidal to block a hidden weapon without knowing what it was.
Couldnt I have sacrificed an arm to stop it?
Anastasia had regrets, but it was unavoidable. Her way of thinking was not yet that of a battle Golem; it was that of the Great Sage.
Pull out the needle.
why me?
Then should I do it?
Ivan nodded at Anastasias words.
Both of us are barehanded, so it doesnt matter which one pulls it out.
You have the Tiger Kings Gloves.
right.
Ivans face twitched as he nodded.
Then, after putting on the Tiger Kings Gloves, he pulled the needle out of Vajras neck.
Jurk.
Blood condensed at the back of Vajras neck for a moment before it began flowing down his back. This blood was slightly purple.
Its extremely poisonous. Other than that, I can sense traces of divine power on it. Was it Anantas poison on the needle?
Anastasia couldnt help but feel glad she didnt hold it with her bare hands. She couldnt let her guard down because she was now a Golem. She knew just how terrifying Anantas poison is.
Is this the work of that guy named Jenta?????????????r????????. Co????
Its possible.
That guy really doesnt care about shedding blood.
Ivan shook his head.
First of all, shouldnt we head out of the forest?
There is some sort of barrier here. Its probably sorcery. Itll take time for us to get out. Dro, what about your Dragontongue?
It can be destroyed, but sorcery is directly connected to the forest.
Hmm
Ivan turned to the pondering Anastasia with a frown.
Whats the problem?
If we forcefully break it, most of the forest will be destroyed. That would make us criminals in this country. Worst case scenario, we will be hunted down and forcibly expelled.
They attacked us first. What were doing is self defense. They can go ahead and try to kick us out.
When Ivan said those words, Anastasias gaze sharpened.
Are you here for war? These people dont represent the entirety of Hitume Ikar. The officials might not know the truth behind this situation. Maybe that guy named Jenta sent Vajra to intercept us.
What if thats not the case? This whole country might be in the hands of the Demigods.
If that was the case, they wouldnt have lured us to this Dark Forest before acting. They would have attacked us even before we could set foot on the dock. Its just a feeling, but I dont think Jenta wants us to meet the king.
This caused Ivan to close his mouth.
He understood what Anastasia was trying to say. Hitume Ikar could also have had two factions.
Those who wanted to accept them as guests and those who wanted their lives.
Dammit. Then are we supposed to stay here for a day?
A day or two. First, we will try to go around and find a way out. If that doesnt work, then well just have to destroy the forest.
In other words, they would have had an excuse for destroying the forest rather than doing it from the start.
Just as Ivan was about to sigh, they all turned to look into the dark forest at the same time.
Someone was approaching.
They were headed directly to them.
Its not just one.
Right. It should be three or four.
Lets do it right this time.
However, when they saw these people come out of the darkness, the group relaxed their battle postures slightly.
This was because no matter how they looked at them, these people could never have been citizens of Hitume Ikar.
There were five people in the group that appeared. They were all men and had a variety of hair colors.
What they had in common was that they all looked like they could collapse at any time.
hmm.
When Ivan frowned, Anastasia turned to look at him.
Do you know these people?
Ive seen the man on the left before. Hes probably Hart Lowmind, Circle Rounder of the Lucid Swords.
So this should be the first group of Circle members who came to Hitume Ikar.
The moment Anastasia muttered this, the man at the front of the group opened his mouth.
You guys
We are Freys companions.
Rounder Freys companions? Then what about the issue in Silkid?
The Silkid incident was one of Ivans greatest disgraces. So naturally, his expression hardened.
Its already over.
I see.
Are you the Circle Master of the Lucid Swords? Sarch* The N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Jekid nodded.
Right. I am Jekid Deosis.
Why are you here?
we are being hunted by them.
He said these words with a bitter smile.
Ivans brows furrowed.
Hunted? A man like you?
Jekids power was something that not even Ivan could take on easily. In terms of pure sword skill, the man might even have been able to rival Snow.
Even if one searched the entire continent, it would be difficult to find people who could match him in swordsmanship.
I came too hastily. I should have prepared more.
Jekid looked to the sky and muttered.
This country is very dangerous.
* * *
Frey looked around.
It was a damp, humid place with stone floors that had a layer of water on it.
This is beneath the island.
It would have been better to call it an underwater cave. In the center of the cave, there was a small building.
This was probably the shrine that the Great Medium had mentioned to him before.
This is a holy place that only successive Great Mediums have been allowed to enter.
Is it okay for outsiders to come to such a place?
The Great Medium didnt answer.
She knew that her actions this time were impulsive.
Go to the shrine. If you are qualified, you will be able to meet Dauns.
Frey calmly walked to the shrine.
The shrine was a building made entirely of wood.
It was quite strange.
If a wooden structure stayed in such a humid place, it wouldnt be long before it was completely rotten. However, this wooden shrine was clean and sturdy as if it had been only a day since it had been built.
When he entered the building, candles that were placed at the sides, lit up on their own, illuminating the entire building.
In the center of the room was a statue. Perhaps this was Dauns.
Freys expression became firm as his eyes rested upon this statue.
It had a body that appeared similar to that of a human, but the face was without features or hair. There was not even a contour of muscle on its body. And even though it was just a statue, this figure seemed to be constantly exuding light.
It was very similar to something he knew.
Lord.
At that moment, he suddenly felt as if the space he was in had disconnected from the world.
[Welcome.]
Frey looked back. A figure was now standing where the statue had been.
With a tense expression, Frey spoke.
You are not Lord.
The figure laughed, a mouth filled with bright teeth appearing on its otherwise featureless face.
[I am God.]
Season: 1 Chapter 200: Hitume Ikar (4)
Book 1 Chapter 200: Hitume Ikar (4) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
There were a lot of things that Frey wanted to ask when he finally got to meet God. Questions from 4,000 years ago.
However, Frey put aside his numerous questions. First of all, he had to confirm whether the being in front of him was truly god or not.
Are you Dauns?
[You could say that.]
Frey felt like he was standing in front of Lord. However, the entity in front of him had basically denied being Lord.
Frey thought so too. They looked similar, but his aura was not the same as Lords.
[Ive long wanted to meet you.]
You say that like youve known me for a while.
[Oh. Of course I did. Its impossible for me to not know you. You are the third candidate! You dont know how thrilled I was when I first sensed your presence.]
Dauns smiled brightly.
Frey furrowed his eyebrows.
The third candidate?
[Unusual events require swift action. Thats why I came here personally. Congratulations, you are the first human to meet God face to face.]
Frey couldnt figure out what Dauns was trying to say.
This wasnt because he couldnt understand him. Instead, it was because Dauns didnt seem to pay any attention to his words.
I am a Wizard.
[So?]
This means that unless I witness something with my own eyes, I will not be able to believe it.
[Now that you mention it, most Wizards are atheists.]
His smile didnt go away as he said these words.
[So? You want me to prove that I am God? Haha. What a blasphemous guy.]
[But it makes sense.]
Frey was speechless.
He doesnt feel like a god.
This thought couldnt help but appear in Freys mind the more he heard Dauns talk. His attitude was careless, and he spoke freely.
It was at that moment that Dauns started laughing and nodded.
[Everyone always expects us to have an outrageous attitude. Naturally, its not hard to live up to those expectations. I could show the image of an absolute being who transcends the world. But I dont. Do you know why?]????n????????????????. ????????????
Frey didnt answer this question.
Instead, his expression hardened.
Was reading the thoughts of other people without permission one of the things you wanted to show?
[It makes it easier for me if I can understand what the other person is thinking. Like this. Dont you think that its more likely for me to be God now?]
He truly did have a slight thought like that.
After all, even if he had formidable insight, it wouldve been impossible for Dauns to tell Freys inner thoughts. This was naturally since Freys mental power, which had been tempered by his numerous hardships, far surpassed that of normal humans.
He couldnt confirm whether this being before him was God or not, but that was certainly something that mortals couldnt even hope to imitate.
You said us before. That means there are multiple gods.
[Well]
Are you proclaiming yourself as God without having a firm grasp of your identity? Im starting to doubt who you are now.
Freys snide remark only made Dauns shrug.
[Not even the most eloquent speakers could ever hope to properly explain the word God, but fine. Ill answer your little question. Every God that exists in this world refers to me.]
His statement seemed vague at first glance, but Frey could see the truth behind his words.
Dont tell me this is
Dauns laughed.
[Haha. You truly have transcended mortals. I cant believe you managed to guess my identity after such a simple clue.]
I see.
Frey sighed.
So you are the law.
The Law of the World. Or its will.
The huge chunk of energy from which the Demigods fell. That was the identity of the being in front of him who called himself God.
Is this Dauns?
When Frey had asked this question, hed replied that he could say that.
He wasnt lying. But it wasnt entirely true either.
This existence was the very source of divine beings.
It was clear now that all the religions on the continent, and the various gods they believed in, were all derived from this being.
However, this didnt answer all of his questions.
Instead, the biggest question still remained.
[But he said the will of the world had no consciousness.]
These were Rikis words, and Frey didnt doubt them.
Dauns nodded.
[You probably heard that from the beings you call Demigods. Its not entirely wrong.]
What?
[Hmm. How should I explain it]
As he said these words, he held his chin as if he was thinking deeply.
This caused Frey to feel even stranger. This was because such an attitude felt too human.
Frey didnt believe in God, but he thought if He existed, He would be an absolute, perfect, and omnipotent being.
However, this being standing in front of him seemed far from that.
[To put it in a way that you would understand Right. You can say that Im usually absent.]
Just before, Frey had been able to guess his identity with only a small hint, but now, he had no idea what he was thinking.
Frey asked back in a soft voice.
Absent?
[Because Im busy. I cant afford to control everything in the world. I just set the laws so that it wouldnt fall into the depths of destruction. After that, my style has been to leave it unattended.]
Thats irresponsible.
[Hmm. Thats true. So I will not try to argue with you.]
This was said in a very uncaring tone.
Looking at him with a solemn gaze, Frey said.
What about the prophecies that you give to the Great Medium? Is that also part of the laws you set?
[Its more efficient than telling them the solution after the incident has occurred. Because, the best way to stop a disaster is to prevent it. Sometimes, such people are born. Those who can feel my presence more clearly. So its possible for me to show them what dangers the continent will face ahead of time.]
God did not directly inform the Great Medium about the dangers of the continent. If the law which always monitored the continent detected a threat beyond a certain standard, it would send a warning to someone like her.
That was the truth of Gods revelations.
What kind of expression would the Great Medium have if she heard this?
Frey had this thought for a moment, but he pushed it aside for even more important questions.
You must be aware of the current situation in the continent.
[Right.]
The Demigods have revealed their fangs. They are thinking about using a metal called Illuminium to avoid the laws punishment and subjugate the mortals.
[Thats right.]
It seemed he already knew all of this.
Frey clenched his fist.
Then do you plan to just watch them do that?
[You said it yourself. They are avoiding the laws punishment. Therefore, theres nothing I can do.]
For the first time since they started talking, Frey became truly angry.
Some religious people believe God will only give humans trials they can overcome.
Dauns had a hint of interest in his voice.
[Thats a pretty plausible statement.]
Then why are you not making a move? Is it because you think the continent needs to face such a bloodbath? Or is it that you think it will not reach the level of a disaster?
[Thats a very human opinion. Dont try to force your thoughts upon me. I have no intention of getting involved in this world I created.]
Frey became speechless for a moment.
This was because Dauns voice had become serious for the first time. The playfulness that hed displayed so far was no longer visible.
[Dauns is revered as the God of Creation in the island country Hitume Ikar. Right. I am the God of Creation. I created everything in this world. Do you understand? Everything. Not just the humans. Even the Demigods were created by me.]
so whether its the Demigods or the humans, they are things you created. And thats why you wont choose a side?
[I created this world a very long time ago, and in that time, many species have appeared and disappeared. Whats interesting is that few of them failed because they failed to adapt or failed to evolve. Most of them went extinct at the hands of other species.]
Does that mean that it is now the humans turn?
[That might not be true. Huhu. This is how it is. Im not sure how to make you understand. I dont care about what is done or how many species are destroyed. All I care about is the world itself.]
The moment he heard those words, Frey couldnt help but feel that this being might actually have been God. Sar?h the n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
After talking for so long, Frey was now able to grasp a bit of what the other was thinking and his mindset.
This, in itself, was amazing as even the Great Medium, who had been alive for hundreds of years, had been seen through by Frey immediately. However, despite their lengthy conversation, he was still unable to fully understand the other.
Instead, the more they talked, the more questions he seemed to have. It was clear that the root of their thoughts was completely different.
why did such a busy being like you decide to reveal yourself to me? Does it have something to do with the candidate thing you mentioned before?
[As I expected, youre easy to talk to.]
Playfulness returned to his voice.
[Listen closely. There are three worlds in the universe. They are closely connected because they are neighbouring worlds, and its possible for them to interfere with each other as long as certain conditions are met.]
by neighbouring world, do you mean the Demon World?
[Right. Exactly. Hmm. But have you ever heard of the Celestial World?]
The topic was sudden, but Frey shook his head without being shocked.
This is my first time hearing about it. But I assume you are referring to Heaven.
Frey knew a bit about Heaven as he had been interested in the afterlife. It was said to be a paradise to which only the souls of those with good characters could go after death.
A world where you could feel fullness and restfulness just by staying still, without ever experiencing boredom. Where you could have all kinds of fruits, foods, and alcohol.
That was the definition of Heaven that Frey knew.
[The Celestial World and Heaven are different. Then Ill change my question. Do you know Angels?]
They are the inhabitants of Heaven.
[Thats not it. Well. Itll take too long for me to explain little by little, so listen carefully. In the past, I created three worlds in this universe. The Mortal World, the Demon World, and the Celestial World.]
The Mortal World referred to the world to which Frey belonged. The Demon World, also called Hell, was the land of the Demons. But this was his first time hearing about the Celestial World.
Moreover.
Why was he suddenly telling him this?
Frey wondered this, but he didnt open his mouth. After all, this being could read his thoughts, so he probably knew what Frey was thinking about already.
Im sure my questions will be answered if I continue listening to him.
Freys prediction was correct.
[Just like the Demon World, there were six great beings who watched over the Celestial World. To be precise there were supposed to be. The Celestial World. That would have been the case if this world, which I had put the most effort into, didnt have a fatal flaw.]
Dauns spoke in a sad voice and slowly shook his head.
[this flaw eventually led to the destruction of the Celestial World, and the mighty souls that belonged there were sucked into a vortex of will. And as I said, I was busy, so I couldnt afford to pay attention to it at that time. This vortex of will then spat the souls out of the Celestial World. Unable to return to the Celestial World, these fallen souls fell to the Mortal World.]
Frey felt a chill down his spine. It was as though a bolt of lightning struck his head and traveled down to his feet.
What hed heard before and what he was hearing now combined, and he was naturally able to draw a conclusion.
no way
[They are outcasts. For whatever reason, they were kicked out of their own world. Thats why its not strange that they mistook themselves as fragments separated from the will of the world because they lost their memories when they fell to the Mortal World. So its not completely wrong.]
Frey looked at him with wide eyes.
He didnt get chills anymore. Instead, they were replaced by a suffocating feeling.
[The Demigods were originally the beings who were supposed to rule over the Celestial World. And the one you call Lord is special among them. It is possible for him to hear my voice directly through space and time. If it wasnt for the setbacks, I would have favoured him more than anyone else in the universe, and I gave him a special name as proof of this.]
Dauns voice was calm as he continued.
[The one closest to God. The Archangel Michael.]
(Note: )
Season: 1 Chapter 201: Hitume Ikar (5)
Book 1 Chapter 201: Hitume Ikar (5) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
No words were spoken for a while. Sarch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Frey needed to organise his thoughts, and the being before him knew that.
Angels.
He wasnt certain, but he felt that they were similar to the rulers of hell.
Perhaps the Apocalypses are on par with them.
There were a total of six rulers of hell.
Including Lord, there are six Apocalypses.
Frey closed his eyes.
All of this no longer felt like just a coincidence.????????????????e????????. ????o????
Especially Lord.
His appearance had always been the most bizarre among the Demigods. Even more so than Nozdog, who was a skeleton, or Agni, who was a literal being of fire.
Did he unconsciously imitate the appearance of God?
Hed heard of the Demigods origin from Riki, but now, he realised it was much deeper than he first thought. They were beings who were originally the inhabitants of the Celestial World.
Those were the Demigods true identities.
This is something even the Demigods dont know.
It was a strange feeling.
Hed always felt that the Demigods were wrapped in a kind of mysterious veil. But according to this being in front of him, even the Demigods themselves didnt know what they truly were.
Even Lord.
This was a secret that only he knew.
Frey couldnt help but feel a little joy at that fact.
[You seem to enjoy this more than I expected. Im glad to see that.]
was this your intention? Is that why youre telling me about the origins of the Demigods?
[Not exactly. This is simply background information. Were about to move on to the main point.]
His eloquence made Frey speechless once again.
What did he mean by next?
The things hed heard so far had already been extremely shocking for him. Even Frey, who could keep his composure regardless of the situation, couldnt help but react after hearing it.
If it was anyone else who had heard this, they would have definitely shouted in shock or they would have found it hard to close their mouth.
[I need someone to help me keep the balance. A being who would always look over the world and seek harmony. Someone who would devote themselves to maintaining the stability of the world. But its tricky. Such talent isnt born easily. And its impossible for me to manipulate the flow of fate and move time forward. Especially since I need three of them.]
Frey couldnt help but ask when he heard this.
Why do you need three?
[I told you. There are three worlds in this universe. If the Celestial World hadnt been destroyed, Michael would have been the balance. He would have played his part perfectly, and the Celestial World would have been a true paradise.]
So the other worlds also need such an existence.
[Exactly. Im sure you know who held the balance for the Mortal World.]
The Dragons.
[Their leader was the best among them.]
He was referring to the Dragon Lord.
Frey sat down, organising his thoughts.
However, he was still worried of the possibility that this being might disappear at any moment. He had said that he was very busy, and he was stressed about how unusual it was for him to appear directly.
So if his thoughts were correct, this conversation had a time limit.
[When Lord first landed on the continent, the Dragon Lord was simply a large beast. He did not have any intelligence. Lord wasnt very different. He had not established a sense of self and was still confused about his identity.]
Frey realised that this was a tale about tens of thousands of years ago, if not longer. The truth of the past was not recorded anywhere in the world.
It felt a bit strange to hear it from this being who claimed to be God.
[Over time, Lords ego was established, and the Demigods continued to fall to the continent after him. Around the same time that all the Demigods recognised him as Lord, the Dragons evolved to be the mediators of the continent.]
Dauns voice was quite humorous as he said this.
[When they realised the existence of the other, it was inevitable that conflicts would arise between them. Im sure that even at the time, they realised that they were not compatible with each other.]
This was natural.
In those days, the Dragons were the only ones who could fight against the Demigods.
Hed heard about it from Isolla. The Demigods had never been careless or arrogant while fighting against the Dragons.
[However, the law I created had already chosen the Dragons as the balance. Lord was a step above them when it came to aptitude, but in the eyes of the Mortal World, he was an outsider. In any case, Lord couldnt accept this fact, so he went to war against the Dragons, and he won.]
It was only then when Frey understood.
The goal of Lord, which had always been blurry to him. And the reason why he had yet to destroy the continent despite having ample opportunity to.
Lords goal is
[To become the balance.]
Frey closed his mouth for a moment before speaking.
I heard that the Dragon Lord is connected to the continent. Is this balance that you mentioned connected so deeply to the world that it shares an existence with the world?
[Thats right.]
Hed said that the Celestial World had been destroyed. Nevertheless, Lord didnt die.
His soul had already been absorbed by the vortex of will, and his connection to the world was severed.
Frey didnt know the details, but in that process, the Archangel Michael died and the Demigod Lord was born.
This was the same for the Dragon Lord who was connected to the Mortal World. He lost a battle against Lord, but he didnt die.
Although he was barely alive at the moment, he was certainly still alive.
Then what about the Demon World?
Was there also a balance in the Demon World?
Is it one of the six rulers?
When this question was raised.
[]
Eyes appeared on the beings head, and he looked at Frey with interest.
[There is someone who knows everything that I just said. Probably the only other person in the universe.]
Who is that?
[I already mentioned him. He was the fatal flaw in the Celestial World, and he is the one who rebelled against me.]
Dauns laughed.
[The most arrogant person in the world.]
* * *
Jeble and Noctis have been slain.
Beelzebub fell silent.
Jeble and Noctis were two Demons who had served him for hundreds of years.
What is the damage on the Demigods side?
Halifer, the Demon who was making the report on one knee, could not answer this question immediately.
Instead, he bit his lip quietly.
Im sorry.
Beelzebub spoke in a blank tone.
Two High-rank Demons were lost, but there were no results?
Im sorry.
You are not the one who has to apologise.
After saying this, Beelzebub lowered his head. This was a habit of his whenever he was lost in thought.
Halifer had never seen Beelzebub angry. He never lost his cool, regardless of the situation.
Although Beelzebub was called cunning and treacherous by the public, Halifer knew.
Out of the six rulers of the Demon World, Beelzebub was the wisest.
He is the only one who can become the true ruler of Hell.
After pondering for a long time, the King of Flies finally muttered.
There is a traitor.
Huh?
Someone is communicating with the Demigods.
Why do you think that?
They dont know much about the Demon World. Nevertheless, they have an excellent understanding about their surroundings.
This was definitely the case.
Halifer agreed with Beelzebub. Clearly, they had chosen a strange place to advance.
They should have passed through Asuras Slaughter Hell, which would have been the worst place for the invaders.
Asuras Slaughter Hell was not a place that the Demigods would have been able to penetrate easily.
Asuras territory was infested with battle fanatics who loved fighting. None of his loyal subordinates disliked blood and slaughter.
As such, the combat capability of his territory was excellent. If they had collided, the Demigods would have been hit hard.
But they attacked the Black Dream Hell instead.
This was Liliths territory and the homeland of all Dream Demons. Naturally, their combat power was much lower than other demons.
Nevertheless, the reason their land had not been invaded and taken from them was because the illusion arts used by the Dream Demons were quite troublesome. Unfortunately, this trump card had no effect against the Demigods.
Their mental power was not something that ordinary demons could compete with. It was possible that Lilith, the Queen of Dream Demons, could affect them if she were to act personally, but the illusions from her subordinates would have no effect.
About half of the Black Dream Hell has already been lost.
It had been taken quickly. And soon, their advance would reach Beelzebubs territory.
Their goal was Barbatos Despair Hell. And to get there, they had to go through Beelzebubs Bloody Hell.
So Beelzebub had sent two of his High-rank subordinates to the Black Dream Hell as reinforcements.
He would not have done it if it were any other Hell. Nevertheless, they had been wiped out without being able to even leave a scratch.
Are you still trying to find Lords location?
Yes.
Beelzebub became lost in thought once again.
Lords power is definitely annoying.
The power to control space. The versatility of such an ability was too great. It was fortunate that he couldnt move around with other Demigods.
Thats probably why hes moving separately.
If it werent for Lord, Beelzebub and the other Archdukes wouldnt have been acting separately even now. Instead, they would have launched an all-out war while they figured out the others abilities.
But without knowing Lords whereabouts, they were unable to move hastily.
While they were fighting the main Demigod army, Lord might have turned their unprotected Hells into wastelands. In that case, even if they won the war against the Demigods, they would still lose in the end.
Its ultimately reached this stage.
An alliance made by demons was thinner than a piece of wet paper and even easier to tear.
He wondered how Lilith, whose Black Dream Hell was under attack, would act in the next meeting.
Beelzebub awakened from his thoughts.
Their speed of attacking the Black Dream Hell is much faster than we expected. Its a speed that doesnt make sense unless they have knowledge of the terrains of the various hells as well as the demons who populate them. And there is no way that the Demigods already had this information.
Ah. I see.
And this type of knowledge is not something that could be obtained from a low-level demon.
Beelzebub said these words with a fierce voice, his bloody eyes swiveling bizarrely in his head.
The traitor is a high-level demon. He has to be at least High-rank. Halifer, investigate the demons who have suddenly disappeared in the last decade. Those above Mid-rank. Youll have to investigate not only our territory but also the other Hells as well. I will tell the other rulers in advance.
As you wish.
Halifer bowed his head, admiring the wisdom of the King of Flies. He was a demon whose loyalty towards his ruler pierced the sky, something that was rare for a demon.
Because of this, although his combat power was a bit lacking, he was able to become one of the arms of the King of Flies.
Halifer stepped out of the room, his expression still filled with reverence.
Beelzebub also rose up from his place on his throne. He had to meet someone urgently.
Just as he opened the window and was about to fly into the murky skies of Hell.
Where are you going?
Beelzebub turned his gaze to the direction from which he heard the voice.
There was an uninvited guest standing there.
Ruler of the Corrupted Hell.
Hmm.
Lucifer, the lord of the Corrupted Hell, raised his head.
What do you want with me, King of Flies?
Season: 1 Chapter 202: Hitume Ikar (6)
Book 1 Chapter 202: Hitume Ikar (6) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Beelzebub looked back at Lucifer. Black hair and eyes, unusually pale skin, and a dwarf-like figure.
He couldnt help but hold his breath as he looked at this being who didnt appear to be a demon.
This was a thought hed had since the first time hed seen him.
Of course, this was an impression that one would get from the outside. The demonic energy swirling around inside his body was much greater and purer than any other demons.
Hiding his personal thoughts, Beelzejub opened his mouth.
Is it okay for you to leave the Corrupted Hell empty and wander around? Lords movements are still unclear.
My men are on guard. I can have faith in them.
Beelzebub couldnt help but feel a deep sense of incongruity at those words.
He couldnt help but want to find the reason for this sense.
It wasnt difficult.
In fact, he could immediately think of a quick and simple way.
If I mention this feeling
He was certain that Lucifer would react. And he would be able to find a clue based on his reaction.
Nevertheless, Beelzebub couldnt easily say those words. Instead, his instincts were ringing alarm bells in his head.
In the first place, Lucifer had broken into the deepest part of his castle without anyone knowing.
Im sorry, but I overheard your conversation.
Hed thought this, but he hadnt dared to mention this himself.
Beelzebub forcibly swallowed his saliva.
He wasnt scared. But it was true that he was pressured.
Beelzebub admitted this fact to himself.
However, as the Lord of the Bloody Hell, he could not show such a pathetic appearance.
Thats rude. This isnt the Corrupted Hell, Lucifer.
Thats why I apologized.
Lucifer smiled as he said this.
When it was said so stiffly, Beelzebub could not stand it any longer.
As an Archduke, he had no choice but to defend his authority.
Just as he was about to make a quiet warning.
You have a point.
What?
The traitor. I had the same idea. The Demigods movements have been strange. I think they know a lot about Hell.
He had lost the initiative.
This made it hard for him to question him any further.
As Beelzebub rolled this problem only in his head, Lucifer continued in a quiet voice.
One of my men disappeared quite a while ago.
Who is it?
Kaltud.
the Red Devil.
Beelzebub couldnt help but mutter the demons moniker. This was a moniker that came from his red skin.
Kaltud was one of Lucifers closest aides and one of the most powerful demons.
He was definitely among the top 100 demons in the entire Demon World.
Beelzebub had the most information about these demons, so naturally, he knew more about Kaltud than the other Demon Lords.
I had thought that it had been a long time since I last heard of him, but hes missing?
This happened decades ago. The time matches too. I thought hed run over to the human world, but I never thought hed go under the Demigods.
Beelzebub felt strange again.
What was that tone?
He seemed to be convinced that it wasnt just disappearance and that Kaltud had betrayed them.
What if I put a stop to it here?
He had such a thought for a moment, but he soon shook his head.
He alone wasnt enough.
If Lucifer denied it to the end, there was no way to pressure him any further.
Also, this place is not good.
He didnt want to make a fuss in his territory. And he couldnt defeat Lucifer in a one-on-one battle.
All of the Demon Lords except Asura would have the same thought.
Beelzebub decided to follow his instincts.
Ill try to press him later. By then, I should have conclusive evidence as well as the support of the other Demon Lords.
He just needed to bear the humiliation for the time being.
At the meeting, Lucifer said that if the Demigods were driven out, he would give up all of his rights over the Corrupted Hell and step down as a Demon Lord.
Even Asura, who had been pressuring Lucifer at that moment, couldnt help but step back with his mouth open in shock.
He lowered his head and it worked.
Because Lucifer had lowered his head at that time. And thats why it was natural that everyone had only paid attention to that fact.
Demons were extremely proud beings.
Therefore, even Lilith, the most insidious and cunning demon, couldnt help but respect Lucifers position.
Beelzebub didnt.
He was able to vaguely feel how strong Lucifers pride was and just how arrogant he was.
What could he be planning that he would willingly abandon that pride?
It was a simple belief.
However, Beelzebubs belief was quite firm. He believed his senses.
Lucifers actions made him feel a strong sense of peculiarity. Like something was off or out of place. Even though he was doing the same thing as before, it felt different, and it caused his suspicion to increase.
Do you know about Satan? (Note:what is this novel turning to?)
Once again, an unexpected topic was brought up.
Beelzebub responded in a calm voice.
You mean the Demon King? I have no interest in the old days.
I see. Then you dont know about his peril.
Lucifer seemed amused as he said this.
Beelzebub couldnt help but feel a chill down his spine in that moment.
Lucifer could have been described as living history in the Demon World. Even Beelzebub didnt know just how long hed been alive.
Satan, whom he had mentioned, was also a legend.
He was the only one who had ruled over the entirety of Hell and who had been called the Demon King.
Of course, Beelzebub had never seen Satan for himself, so he wasnt completely certain about his legend.
Compared to mortals, demons had near infinite lifespans, but they were not immortal. Sarch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Satan had disappeared a long time before Beelzebub had come into existence. However it was possible that Lucifer had met him.i????????????????????d. c????????
Why did he suddenly mention the Demon King?
Beelzebub couldnt figure out the reason.
Then I will go look for traces of Kaltud. I will inform you if I make any progress.
Wait. You didnt tell me when you came here.
Ah.
Lucifer turned around and laughed heartily.
Accidents are bound to happen, Beelzebub.
What?
He didnt receive an answer.
Lucifer had disappeared after saying those words.
Beelzebub stood there for a moment before collapsing onto his throne, shivering.
Satans peril. Hed said he wasnt interested, but that didnt mean he didnt know.
Instead, it could be said that he knew it better than any other demon.
The Demon King, the ruler of Hell stronger than any other demon, suddenly went missing one day.
* * *
[Lucifer swallowed the balance of the Demon World.]
Swallowed?
[He absorbed him.]
Absorbed.
This was a very ominous statement.
Then, did Lucifer become the balance of the Demon World?
[If it was so simple, the Demon World would have already become Lucifers world. In any case there arent just one or two dangerous guys.]
Dauns spoke in a light tone before he suddenly froze.
[Tch. I guess this was too much fun. I lost track of the time.]
It felt like he sighed.
Flash.
Then, his body started shining brightly.
Frey couldnt help but squint his eyes, finding it difficult to look at him directly.
It felt as though he was being sucked or merged into that light.
Dauns turned to look at Frey.
[Anyway, this was interesting. Personally, Im rooting for you. But that doesnt mean I will intervene directly. You should be thankful that Im giving you this bit of advice. This alone can be considered special treatment.]
Wait. You still havent told me what a candidate is.
[You want me to help you chew the food I gave you? No matter how nice I am, theres no way Id do that. I gave you the pieces of the puzzle; its up to you to assemble them.]
The light shined even brighter.
Frey felt like his eyes were burning.
Just when he couldnt handle it anymore and was about to close his eyes.
!
He realised that the features on Dauns face were slowly beginning to appear.
As he tried to squint his eyes in order to see more clearly.
[See you later.]
Frey felt that hed returned to the shrine. The sense of disorientation that hed had disappeared.
He was once again facing the statue.
He couldnt help but feel a bit strange standing on solid ground again. It felt like the meeting hed just had with God, where hed been able to talk face-to-face with the strongest being in the world, was a dream.
But he knew it wasnt a dream.
See you later.
He never expected this being to mention a reunion.
Frey left the shrine with a strange expression on his face.
The Great Medium, who was standing in the distance, asked in a puzzled voice.
Whats wrong?
Nothing.
Then why did you leave immediately after entering?
Immediately after entering?
Frey frowned at those words.
He was certain that theyd talked for a few dozen minutes, if not longer.
Even the time?
Frey had no choice but to admit that the being hed just met was truly God.
He sighed heavily.
Then he turned to the Great Medium. He wondered how she would react if she learned the true nature of her God.
It would probably be one of two things.
She would either immediately shake her head without believing me or agree unhesitatingly.
In any case, he had nothing to gain from enlightening her.
Therefore, Frey chose silence.
Then the Great Medium spoke with bright eyes.
I guess Dauns didnt show any reaction. It seems he has judged that youre not qualified.
It didnt really matter to him, so Frey simply nodded and asked.
So will I not be allowed to enter Hitume Ikar?
Ill listen to your reason first.
As the Great Medium said this, she prepared to use her sorcery again.
Wait. Cant we just talk here?
Only Great Mediums are allowed to enter this place
She paused, looked at Frey, and sighed.
fine, lets do that. Then tell me why you want to get into Hitume Ikar.
There is an Apostle in that country.
Hmm.
The Great Mediums eyes shined slightly.
She knew about the Apostles. In other words, this meant that shed already known about them before the Demigods revealed their intentions.
Well. She had lived for a few hundred years, so she should have at least known that much.
His name is Jenta. He is quite famous and is known as the Assassin King.
The Great Mediums expression suddenly changed.
She frowned.
I see.
Do you believe me?
I just realised that it really could be Jenta.
It seems you know him.
Hes an exiled royal.
Freys expression became strange.
For some reason, there seemed to be similar cases before. Wasnt there Oydin from the Elf Forest?
At that time, when he found out that Oydin was Snows brother, hed clicked his tongue. He didnt expect his target this time to be an exiled royal.
Although he was exiled, for a member of the Royal family to join under the Demigods
Jenta had always been an ambitious child. He would do anything to achieve his goals, even if it meant shedding blood. He was heartless, and he killed without hesitation. Therefore, this is no surprise. And Jenta isnt the only one working with the Demigods.
Frey was unable to prevent his expression from changing. He was aware that there was a high possibility of this happening, but he didnt expect to hear it from the lips of the Great Medium, the top executive of the country, herself.
Then this country
Its not the entire country. This is only an issue of the high-ranking persons.
If one was to talk about high-ranking people in Hitume Ikar
The King?
Right. Morgid, the current king. That man huhu.
The Great Medium chuckled for a while before turning to Frey.
In any case, if its Jenta, then I have no choice but to cooperate.
Can you tell me where he is?
It will take a while.
After saying that, the Great Medium paused for a moment.
Lutaha is the only port open to outsiders, but you dont have to enter the city through the sea route. Ill show you another way.
Frey nodded.
Of course, now that he had her cooperation, Frey didnt actually need her to do anything.
The woman in front of him was probably the only person in the entire country who could faintly sense his magic. If she condoned his actions, then Frey was certain that no one would notice.
In addition, she could even tell him Jentas whereabouts.
Maybe this will end sooner than I thought.
Season: 1 Chapter 203: Hitume Ikar (7)
Book 1 Chapter 203: Hitume Ikar (7) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
I need some time to prepare, so please wait in your room for a moment.
Frey nodded gently at her words. He too, needed time to organise his thoughts.
It was Jose who then led him to his room. He still seemed to be upset with Frey, but he also seemed to fear him greatly.
Frey allowed him to guide him without further threatening or pressuring him.
The room was one that overlooked the islands scenery.
Without greeting him any further, Jose left.
Frey sat down by the window, immediately diving into his thoughts.
God said that hed given me all the pieces.
The pieces were clues. Clues needed to find the conclusion that solved the question.
Lords goal is to be the balance of the Mortal World.
For that goal, he buried the Dragon Lord in the Demon World without killing him.
Absorption.
This was another clue that hed received from God. He suggested the possibility of absorbing the balances.
This meant that it was possible that Lords goal was to absorb the Dragon Lord. Frey didnt know the details, but it was highly likely that the reason Lord imprisoned the Dragon Lord in the Demon World for over 5,000 years was in preparation to absorb him.
And Lords reason for going to Hell now is
Probably because he was ready to absorb him.
In other words, he was ready to become the Mortal Worlds balance. (Note: but didnt god say it wasnt so easy?)
Freys expression became severe when he had this thought.
If Lord becomes the balance, I cant kill him.
Now that he had divine magic power, he thought he could finally see some hope of victory. The method to attack Lord, whod hed had no chance of defeating before, seemed to have finally fallen into his hands.
But he couldnt guarantee victory by himself yet. After all, hed never witnessed Lords true power.
Nevertheless, Frey was not alone.
If he fought together with his companions, it was no longer impossible to truly defeat Lord. But even this assumption would be pointless if Lord became the balance of the Mortal World.
If I kill Lord then, the continent would be destroyed.
Then what should he do?
The first thing that came to his mind was a seal. Similar to what Lord did.
But was it possible for them to drive him to the brink of death?
It wasnt possible for them to fight equally with Lord. The only way one could overpower their opponent was if they were several times stronger.
And even if he did manage to seal him, there was still a problem.
Lord was the ruler of space. So no matter how perfect the seal is, it wouldnt be able to hold him for very long.
It would be fine as long as the Rulers of Hell win.
If he is not able to get a hold of the body of the Dragon Lord, Lord wouldnt be able to become the balance.
Originally, Frey thought about helping them. By killing Jenta, he would be able to weakened the Demigods main forces.
However, he couldnt help but hesitate because of Lucifer.
The flaw of the Celestial World. The fallen angel. The being who absorbed the balance of the Demon World.
Yet he was still not the balance. He must have done it incorrectly.
The most arrogant man.
Those words stuck in his throat. Frey wasnt sure exactly what Lucifer was thinking.
He was the one who conspired to have the Demigods go to the Demon World. It was even possible that Lucifer was manipulating the stage from behind the scenes.
This thought made Freys heart feel heavy.
Iris.
The only Contractor Lucifer had ever chosen. Asura said shed been moving around in the Demon World with Lucifer.
This caused Frey to think of a new question.
Lucifer, the Ruler of Hell whose goals were still unclear, could never be trusted.
So how did Iris manage to bring this being over to her side?
No, in the first place.
Were they even on the same side?
* * *
First, Ill kill Jenta.
This was Freys conclusion.
First, he judged that the most important thing was the presence of Lord, who wanted to become the balance of the Mortal World.
Lucifers intentions were still unknown, but he decided to put that aside for now.
Frey looked down at the summoning circle in front of him. It was Asuras summoning circle.
He no longer responded to Freys calls.
Frey couldnt help but feel a bit disappointed. He had information that could help him and there were also things that he wanted to know.
They could have been of great help to each other as long as contact had been made.
I know hes busy, but Im still disappointed.
Frey got up from his seat, shaking his head.
When he opened the door, he found the Great Medium standing there with her hand raised as though she was about to knock.
Ive finished my preparations.
How are we going to get into Hitume Ikar?
I will use the same sorcery I used to go to the shrine.
Then wait a minute before you do that.
Aht. Where are you going?
Walking outside, Frey didnt answer.
He headed over to Neptunus, who was still waiting in the fog.
Neptunus trembled when he saw Frey.
It wasnt that he didnt think about running away. Instead, he had already tried dozens of times. But there was no way for him to escape this monster-like man.
He can pull me out even if I try to hide at the bottom of the sea.
Neptunus fate was completely in this mans hands.
Frey looked at him carefully for a moment before speaking.
There are two hearts beating in your chest. One of them belongs to my teacher. At first, I was going to kill you and recover her heart.
[sp-, spare me.]
Listen to the end.
[]
Neptunus obediently became silent.
Frey sighed.
Perhaps because it involved his teacher, his tone was many times sharper than usual.
however, you are also a victim. You were kidnapped by the Demigods and forced to undergo body modifications.
[Of course I am! If it wasnt for those bastards, I Neptunus would]
Neptunus, who was about to profess his innocence, went silent again as he saw Freys eyes.
You must not kill humans in the future. And you must help those who encounter sea disasters around here. Keep that in mind.
[A-, are you saying I cant return to my homeland?]
Frey looked at the dejected Neptunus and said.
100 years.
[Huh?]
You can return in 100 years. Keep in mind, Neptunus. The heart in your chest belonged to my teacher. You are not allowed to disgrace her. Ill be watching.
Then he turned around without saying any more words.
Looking at his back with a blank expression, Neptunus then helplessly muttered.
[how long is 100 years?]
Frey returned to where the Great Medium was once again.
She seemed to have just been calmly observing what happened, but the look in her eyes wasnt very nice.
I dont think that monster will listen to you.
He will listen.
A monsters patience is not that deep. It will pretend to listen to you for a while out of fear, but it will eventually reveal its true nature when its memories of you have faded.
Thats just your preconception. He has intelligence, that means he can become a better being. Knowing the joy of doing good would make him a spirit creature, not a monster.
He sank many ships. Hundreds of people died because of him.
He will save many more people than that.
Will that bring the dead back to life?
Their eyes met for a moment.
The Great Medium thought Frey would be upset at her questioning, but he was only looking at her with a sad expression.
Do not mistake the wrong person to vent your anger.
The Great Medium closed her mouth.
The moment she heard those words, she had a strange feeling.
Preceding Great Medium.
Talking to Frey felt like talking to her teacher.
And as she pondered the reason for this feeling, the answer came to her immediately. The more she talked to this man, the more intimidated and small she felt.
Did I do something wrong?
She couldnt help but have this thought.
The Great Medium shook her head.
Maybe he had twisted the conversation so that shed think like that.
Can you take me to the royal family of this country?
its possible.
Then please do so. I think it would be better if I was able to see and talk to the king personally.
The Great Medium nodded.
Regardless of whatever disagreement they had, she couldnt snub him right after agreeing to help him.
The Great Medium used sorcery to create a rift in space once again.
Seeing this, Frey asked.
What is the name of this sorcery?
Its called Gods Steps.
Without realising Freys strange gaze when she said those words, the Great Medium continued.
Morgin is suspicious in many ways at this point, but in the end, he is still the king of the country. You will not be forgiven if you act as rudely towards him as you do to me. So youll have to be polite.
If he is someone who deserves my politeness, then I will.
The Great Medium couldnt help but feel a bit anxious since those words were neither positive nor negative. But she quickly put aside her anxiety.?????????????????????d. c?????
No matter how rude he was, he shouldnt act the same way to a king.
Lets head over first.
Frey nodded and followed the Great Medium into her space rift. He immediately felt a sensation that was very different from a Warp.
As if they were moving at high speeds, the surrounding objects blurred past them. And suddenly, Frey found himself standing in front of a castle.
Please wait here for a moment. I will return after receiving permission.
After saying that, the Great Medium walked into the castle.
Frey looked up at the castle without answering her.
ha.
He let out a laugh.
Hed seen it for himself.
The castle of Hitume Ikar. The safest and noblest place in the entire country had traces that shouldnt have been here.
Freys expression became cold and his heart even colder.
He felt that he couldnt listen to the Great Mediums words.
Hed changed his mind a bit after meeting God. He needed to move faster and with more focus. He couldnt afford to take his time any more.
Freys figure disappeared.
The place he reappeared was the deepest and safest part of the castle. The Kings chambers.
He looked up to the middle-aged man sitting on a throne. This should be Morgid, the King of Hitume Ikar.
W-, who are you?
The man looked at Frey with a frightened expression.
The Samurai around him hurriedly drew their swords.
Who are you?!
Do you know where this is?!
They were the elite Samurai of Hitume Ikar. They were all probably close to being First class Magic Warriors.
In no time, they drew their swords and charged towards Frey.
A swift and ferocious aura seemed to burst out from their bodies. It was clear that anyone they faced would feel threatened by their movements.
But their swords werent able to even touch Frey.
Swish.
Just a gentle swing of his hand was enough.
Dozens of Samurai collapsed to their knees in the middle of the room.
Kuk!
K-, kuk
Their bodies shook uncontrollably. It felt like a mountain was sitting on their shoulders.
They felt as though their entire bodies were crumbling. Some of the weaker fights even fainted on the spot with their eyes still open.
How impudent.
Morgids expression changed when he heard that.
He quickly asked.
A-, are you a Demigod?
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Frey didnt answer.
He just looked at Morgids face with a cold expression.
I came here to kill you.
H-, huh? Wh-, why
You should know it well. Do you have anything to say? Human.
Morgids expression changed in an instant.
Without even the slightest hint of hesitation, he leapt from his throne and knelt before Frey with his forehead on the ground.
I-, Im sorry Im sorry Gods race
He cried out in a tearful voice.
Freys eyes shook and a feeling of bitterness overtook him.
This was not the attitude he expected to see from the king of a country.
He had mistaken Frey for a Demigod, and it was natural that hed feel that way. Frey was currently unleashing his divine power freely, and the way he spoke was similar to the Demigods.
Hed also used divine power when subduing the guards.
Therefore, they believed that only a Demigod would be able to show such a performance.
The race of God.
That was what Morgid had just referred to the Demigods as. Perhaps the reason they gave in was because they felt the Demigods were close to their god of creation.
Of course, that wasnt important to Frey.
Please forgive me please please
Morgid believed that his actions were the most suitable to guarantee his survival.
For those who bowed their heads and gave in, the Demigods showed an appearance of merciful gods.
However, he wasnt.
This was a mistake. Because the one standing before him was not a Demigod, nor did he want Morgids subservience.
hes not just doing it for appearances sake.
He expected to see something different.
If he had risked his life to go against him, if he had shown himself worthy of the title King, if he had remained calm despite his fear but he didnt.
Anyone could tell from Morgids current appearance.
This was a man who had completely submitted in body and in mind. He was someone who would lick the soles of his feet without hesitation just to survive.
For people like this, there was only one thing Frey could do.
Stand up.
Y-, yes.
Morgid hurried to his feet.
Frey closed his eyes.
Ever since he thought about going to Hitume Ikar, hed had a thought.
If the reason that this country was able to remain peaceful was because they had shady dealings with the Demigods. And if it was completely voluntary, without any signs of force or intimidation. If the senior executives in this country proved to be rotten and were eating it from the inside.
Then he would stop treating them like human beings.
Morgid, King of Hitume Ikar.
Y-, yes.
Morgid looked at him in anticipation.
Frey looked at him like he was no longer human and said.
Die here.
Season: 1 Chapter 204: Hell (1)
Book 1 Chapter 204: Hell (1) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
A-, ahh
Morgid looked up at Frey with a fearful expression. He felt like an inevitable death was approaching.
Why was he angry?
Hed never made any mistakes in front of the Demigods.
Morgid desperately rolled this problem around in his head.
The reason he was able to become the King over all his brothers was because he had the sharpest wits.
But at that moment, his brain didnt seem to be working properly, probably because of the fear of death. His tongue, which normally moved so well, was frozen stiff.
Meanwhile, Frey slowly walked up to him.
He closed his eyes tightly, trying to show as much determination as he could.
I-, if I die, this country will be over!
These words were said recklessly, but Frey stopped moving.
Morbid felt the aura of death, which was lingering around his neck, recede slightly.
What do you mean?
It worked!
Morgid inwardly cheered loudly at this fact.
Of course, this could simply have been prolonging his death. He didnt have time to waste.
He quickly continued.
I-, it hasnt even been five years since I succeeded the throne. I havent fully established my authority. My brothers, who are still ambitious, would have a chance to
Just get to the point.
He gulped audibly.
If I die, my brother will take my place as King.
Brother?
I-, I mean Jenta. Dont you know? Lord Anantas Apostle
Morgid still mistook him for a Demigod.
Right. But I heard that Jenta was exiled. How could such a person become king?
Morgid tilted his head inwardly at those words.
The Demigods were basically indifferent to the affairs of humans. So he didnt expect this one to know about Jentas exile.
However, Jenta was Anantas Apostle. So it wasnt strange that he would know a bit more about him.
Jenta still has many supporters in Hitume Ikar! Mostly those powers in the dark! I-, its not just domestic! Jenta also has a strong relationship with many foreign countries. P-, possibly even more than me. I dont know just how much power Jenta has.
Frey frowned.
This was because he thought it was truly unruly for a king to say such things.
Someone is amassing power to the point where they might rebel and you do nothing to pressure them or create any countermeasures?
And you can even admit that you dont know just how much power the other has?
He couldnt help but feel that this man before him was not qualified to be king.
This irresponsibility would develop into a rebellion or a civil war and would cause great fear to spread throughout the country.
Just as Frey looked at Morgid from above.
Piht.
Projectiles were suddenly shot from above.
They were aimed at both Frey and Morgid at the same time. Or at least thats how it appeared at first glance.
In truth, they were mostly focused on Morgid. The ones that were sent to Frey were just to grab his attention.
Frey immediately created a barrier.
The projectiles crashed into the barrier, giving him a chance to see what they were.
Needles.
They were also coated in poison.
Then, Frey felt movement from the ceiling.
Suddenly, two men in black dropped down at the same time. Their actions were swift and stealthy, with no wasted movements.
It was clear that they were trained professionals.
Flashing daggers were held in their hands.
Theyre aiming for Morgid.
Crackle.
Pale lightning erupted from Freys body. The current traveled along the floor before touching their feet.
Kurk!
Kuk!
The would-be assassins convulsed violently and foamed from the mouth. They then collapsed to the floor, unable to move even a finger.
H-, huk
Morgid also collapsed.
It had only taken a few seconds for all of those actions to take place.
Hed seen everything that happened, but he couldnt figure out what was going on.
Frey looked down at the convulsing assassins and said.
Who are they?
A-, assassins! They are Jentas men. I cant believe it I didnt think theyd dare to infiltrate the royal castle
Frey looked away from Morgid and approached the assassins.
Hed controlled his strength, so they were still conscious.
Tell me where Jenta is.
Juk.
Purple liquid seeped from the assassins lips.
Frey furrowed his eyebrows.
Poison.
Were they hiding it in their mouths?
It seemed they still had the ability to move their chin.
Freys face crumpled with displeasure.
He hadnt thought theyd kill themselves without hesitation. It seemed they had also been trained to do that as well.
It was then.
The space beside Frey twisted before splitting vertically. The Great Medium then walked through this rift.
She looked around before sighing.
I thought this would be the case. Do you know what youve done?
Morgid blinked in confusion.
The Great Medium had suddenly appeared and started talking to the man he thought was a Demigod. As though they were acquainted.
How does the Great Medium?
It was a well-known fact that the Great Medium didnt acknowledge the existence of the Demigods.
Therefore, the relationship between the Great Medium and Morgid was naturally poor.
Frey looked down at Morgid and said.
This man, the King, was in communication with the Demigods. He sold his pride to save his life and didnt hesitate to become a dog.
So you plan to kill the king of the country?
What does his status have to do with killing this man?
The Great Medium and Morgid both felt chills when Frey said those words. In particular, Morgid felt pressure as though someone was gripping his heart.
If Frey had decided to do it earlier, he would have been dead by now.
Since hed become King, there hadnt been a day that hed been able to sleep comfortably because threats to his life surrounded him.
However, this was the first time that hed truly felt the grip of death.
Morgid cannot be called a good king, but he did what was best for his people. If the Demigods were to reveal their fangs, then the island would be engulfed in war and many people would have died. Is that what you want to happen?
I think its better than being raised as livestock.
thats just your perspective.
Frey didnt know what to say for a moment.
Then he suddenly let out a sigh.
youre right. Thats just my perspective.
At that moment, Asuras words appeared in his mind.
Hed called him a warrior. A fighter. And that was right.
Frey despised those who would discard their pride just to save their own lives. No, his feelings went beyond simple contempt and bordered against utter disgust.
But in the end, this was just a subjective view.
Morgid was a king.
As he calmed down, Frey understood what this meant.
For Morgid, the things that mattered the most were the survival of his people and his country.
I was too hasty. As you said, it wasnt without reason.
The Great Medium was genuinely shocked when Frey reflected and suddenly apologized.
Frey then pointed to the assassins and said.
They tried to kill Morgid. It seems they are under Jenta. Where is he?
The Great Medium frowned.
What will you do with the information?
I have to kill him.
Unlike Morgid, he had no intention of sparing Jenta.
Jenta is the King of Darkness. He is called the King of Death, the legendary assassin. He enjoys sneak attacks, but that doesnt mean he isnt strong in head-on battles. And a few years ago, he became the Apostle of Ananta and gained the ability to use divine power, so no one knows just how strong he is anymore.
She took a deep breath before continuing.
The place where Jenta is staying is his territory. With a simple gesture, he would be able to summon hundreds of assassins who would willingly throw their lives away for him.
Thats fine.
There was no sign of pride. Frey remained expressionless as though what shed just said was unimportant.
The Great Medium then glanced at the warriors collapsed around the room.
Certainly.
This mans power was certainly extraordinary. Not even the best Sorcerer she knew would be able to incapacitate so many top Samurai with ease.
first, Ill see how it goes.
If he was unable to deal with Jenta, she would step in. As long as Jenta was a citizen of Hitume Ikar, he would never harm the Great Medium.
When she finished her calculations, she opened her mouth.
Jenta is in a city called Perunaya in the northernmost part of the island.
Perunaya?
Morgid asked in a surprised tone.
The Great Medium nodded.
Right. As you know, its the city of Karuka, your sister.
He sighed.
They right. So she laid the groundwork for Jenta to expand his power. Huhu
Morgid burst into laughter, but he didnt look happy.
Instead, he looked incredibly sad.
The Great Medium looked at him with a sad gaze.
Frey could feel the complicated relationship in the royal family, but he had no intention of prying any further.
Ill just kill Jenta and have Ivan clean up the rest.
As hed said, he didnt have time to waste.
Do you plan to leave right away?
Right.
The civilians who are not assassins
I wont let them get involved.
Fine, give me a minute.
The Great Medium seemed to want to say more, but in the end, she simply shook her head and opened a rift to Perunaya.
It was easy to get there because it was in the northernmost part of the island.
Taht.
They arrived in Perunaya in no time.
Frey looked around and narrowed his eyes.
Divine power.
Frey was able to distinguish the divine power.
What he was feeling now was Anantas power. It was a strangely dark energy that seemed to seep into the skin.
It felt like being blown around by an uncomfortably hot wind. This was a place where sea breeze blew constantly, but it didnt feel fresh.
Crunch.
Without hesitation, he walked towards a shaded back alley.
Before long, the noise of the port faded together with the unique smell of the sea.
Then, Frey stopped walking.
He looked into the shadows and said.
I didnt think youd come to me directly.
A man appeared in the dark.
It was Jenta, the man hed seen in the past.
He wasnt wearing a mask this time, and he was instead revealing the bare face hed seen back at the Demigods meeting.
Jenta spoke in an arrogant voice.
Theres no reason to run away. This is an opportunity to finish you with my own hands.
You brought many hands to accomplish this goal.
Jenta frowned. Sear?h the N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
His subordinates who were surrounding them had been noticed.
Did you come even though you knew? Ha. Youre out of your mind.
I came
Freys voice was cold.
Because you guys are nothing to me.
Season: 1 Chapter 205: Hell (2)
Book 1 Chapter 205: Hell (2) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
[This is a shallow land.]
Lord muttered, looking down at the land of the Demon World.
He never thought about conquering this world. After all, it was clear why this place was called Hell.
[Dont you think so?]
Compared to the continent, it is.
Iris smiled.
Can I ask why you called me here?
[Theres something I want you to do.]
Please say it.
[Send Nozdog to Hitume Ikar.]
Iris expression changed at those words.
At this point, if Nozdog is absent, then the power of the main force will be greatly reduced, wouldnt it?
[Thats right. But its not something you need to worry about.]
I see, but
[But what?]
Humour could be heard in Lords voice.
[Are you currently occupied with something else?]
The moment she heard that, Iris felt an unknown chill. But she was used to hiding her feelings, so it didnt show.
Instead, she answered naturally.
Busy? What could I possibly be busy with?
[You are borrowing my power. Except for me, you are the only person who could enter the Demon World.]
I know that.
[Huhu.]
Lords low laugh was disturbing.
Iris looked at him in silence. He was still looking down at the Demon Worlds earth with his back to her, so she couldnt see his expression or tell what he was thinking.
No. She wouldnt have been able to tell even if she could see his face. After all, he didnt have any features.
But as soon as Lord turned around to face her, Iris realised that her prediction was wrong.
Hup.
Iris couldnt help but take a breath.
Lords face was now clearly revealed to her. He had eyes, a nose, and a mouth.
But they were all positioned in a bizarre manner. His mouth was vertical, extending from his forehead to his chin, four eyes, and an innumerable amount of flaring nostrils.
[Iris Phisfounder.]
Lord smiled hideously with his large vertical mouth.
[If a tail is too long, its bound to be stepped on.]
* * *
Jenta looked down at Frey with a laugh.
He never thought hed come to Perunaya on his own.
A prey caught in a spiders web.
Of course, that didnt mean he would take him lightly. After all, it was still unclear just how powerful this Wizard truly was.
However, this was the place where most of the assassins Jenta had raised were located.
Even if it was the king of the country, Jenta was confident that if he dared to set foot in this city, he would be assassinated without a trace.
It wasnt even worth mentioning that this was clearly an irrational Wizard. For generations, even collected Wizards were the easiest targets for assassinations.
Their bodies were filled with openings.
They were very different from the Magic Warriors, who always fought on the edge of the blade, the Knights, who were covered in heavy armors, or the Sorcerers, who could employ all manners of unpredictable tricks.
Their entire bodies were open when they walked, ate, slept, or even when they were on guard. And during the time it took for them to cast spells was the perfect time to assassinate them.
How should I kill him?
He came to Hitume Ikar without properly understanding his target. If he was to kill him in a straightforward manner, then it wouldnt be able to resolve the grievances he had inside.
He felt it would be good to pull out his nails first. Or melt the tips of his toes off with poison.
People usually died in shock if their lower bodies suddenly disappeared. But this man was a powerful Wizard, so he should have been able to last a bit longer.
Most people did not have a good resistance to physical pain.
As Jenta was wondering how he should kill him, Freys expression changed slightly.
They had already been staring at each other for some time.
Jenta knew that.
Nevertheless, he was unable to give the order to attack hastily.
What was the reason?
He wondered to himself.
Freys body was full of openings. That he was certain about.
With just a single gesture, he was sure that this mans body would become a ball of meat.
Yet
He didnt want to. He didnt want to give the order.
Jenta felt that his palms had become wet without him realising.
Am I nervous?
Crunch.
He grit his teeth subconsciously.
Nervousness, fear, dread. These were words that should have no connection to him.
Until he met the Demigods.
Faced with them, he had no choice but to abandon his arrogance. And he believed that he had grown to the next level, both as a human and as an assassin.
Now that he thought about it, this situation was very similar to the one of that time.
When he first met Ananta, hed also felt that his body was full of openings. The Jenta at that time had quickly narrowed the distance. In his head, he could already see the scene of his sword slicing through Anantas throat.
But the moment he was tossed to the floor was when he realised it was all an illusion.
He was shocked.
Hed actually thought that he could kill a great being that had lived for thousands of years. Hed been drunk on his own lethal power.
But that illusion was shattered when he saw Anantas power. Even the little hesitation he had in his heart disappeared after he learned of Lords existence.
Jenta decided to compromise.
He decided to consider the Demigods as beings on a completely different level than humans. That was his last bit of pride.
He would recognise the Demigods as the true superior species. And he wouldnt hesitate to bow his head or borrow their strength.
But if it was anything else, he wouldnt lose. He would kill it.
That was what he thought.
Yet
He didnt know why he was nervous.
Jenta stepped back.
Before he knew it, the ridicule had disappeared from his face.
kuk.
Jenta bit his lip, using the sharp pain to calm his mind.
Then, he regained his composure while calmly wiping the blood from his lips.
Hes just a Wizard at best. Theres no reason to be scared of him.
Several years had passed since he became an Apostle, and his mental power was many times more powerful than it had been. Hed successfully developed his own style of assassination by incorporating his divine power into his techniques.
For him, Anantas power was like adding wings to a tiger.
A small bottle of poison was enough to contaminate an entire lake. That was how deadly Anantas poison was.
With a stiff expression, he raised one hand.
First generation.
Paht.
The assassins in the dark moved simultaneously.
This was the best terrain for them to move as they pleased. It was dark, there were many places to hide, and there was limited space to move.
Of course, the fact that there was limited space to move was only from the preys perspective. For them, this space was not a constraint at all. Instead, it was close to an advantage as it made it possible for them to reach their prey more efficiently.
But in the very next moment, they realised that all of these advantages were meaningless.
Flash!
Something blue fell from the sky.
Jenta closed his eyes in an instant. If he had been a moment slower, it was possible that he wouldve been blinded.
Strong light filled the entire alley.
Boom!
Then, a noise loud enough to shake heaven and earth was heard. It was a loud explosion as though a meteorite had fallen from the sky.
Of course, he knew that a meteorite hadnt fallen.
Before he could open his eyes, the first thing that greeted Jenta was a smell. It was a strange smell, but it was one he was familiar with.????????????????e????????. ????????????
It was the smell of burnt skin.
Jenta opened his eyes.
And immediately regretted it.
Black lumps of charcoal were scattered everywhere. Without any difficulty, Jenta realised that they were the first generation assassins.
Dozens of burned bodies were scattered around Frey.
H- ow.
Total annihilation.
This elite group, which had carried out dozens of missions without receiving even a single scratch, had been completely decimated.
Jentas expression was one of shock.
He shook his head.
Th-, that wasnt magic.
That was not like magic at all.
The first generation had a lot of experience fighting against Wizards. They were well aware that when mana erupted around a Wizard; it was both a crisis and an opportunity.
There were no fools amongst them who didnt know the dangers and destructive power of magic and the flaws.
Yet it was this elite group who had been turned into charcoal before they even had a chance to properly respond.
In addition, the attack just then had been enough to immediately turn humans into charcoal, but there wasnt even a single mark on the surrounding structures.
Jenta wondered if he was dreaming.
Its not magic.
As he responded to Jentas words, Frey took a step forward. And Jenta took a step back without realising it.
It was both fortunate and unfortunate that Jenta did not notice this fact.
It was true to say that Wizards could only serve as prey for assassins. Even 7 star Wizards, crowned as Archmages, would have trouble against them. Perhaps even an 8 star Wizard would struggle.
Jentas power and the addition of his hidden assassins were truly troublesome.
High ranking assassins were able to read the movement of mana. They would keep their eyes on the Wizards every gesture and listen to even the softest murmurs. To observe their target, they would raise their concentrations to the limit.
However, their detection abilities didnt work on 9 star Wizards. Frey could move his mana without them noticing, and he could cast spells without chanting or doing any prior actions.
He could even use their keen senses to set traps for them. It was the same just then.
They thought I would use a defensive spell.
He pretended to be on the defensive on purpose. And the assassins were unable to see through Freys trick.
This wasnt because they lacked foresight. Instead, it was because Freys control over his mana was too outstanding.
It was not that they were wrong but that they had been blinded by their own eyes.
Second generation! Third generation! Dont get close to him! First, well pressure him with long distance attacks! No, we have to determine his attack range
This entire city.
It could just be a low-handed trick, but Jenta had no time to listen to it. Frey had reached close enough to touch him.
When?
No. How did he even get there?
Did he use Blink?
No. That didnt matter.
Jentas face became clouded by rage.
You bastard!
It was a very primitive rage.
He had never heard of a Wizard who dared to get close to an assassin.
It was something that would never have happened if they were treating their opponent seriously.
No.
He forcibly regained his calm. Unexpected things kept happening consecutively, but it could just be the others plan.
Youre too arrogant, Wizard!
Such a close distance. This was an opportunity like no other.
Each assassin had their secret weapons, and Jentas were particularly deadly.
There was no way he would miss at this distance. It would definitely mean certain death.
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What Jenta revealed was a simple-looking awl. Six of them.
He put them between his fingers and crossed his arms. His expression became extremely serious at that moment.
If you can block this, Ill admit you are better than-
Jenta didnt get to finish his thought.
A white light from Frey covered his head.
Then, Jentas body, which had lost its head, collapsed to the ground. He hadnt even realised how hed died.
L-, leader!
Impossible
Even when the first generation had been annihilated, the group of assassins hadnt wavered or been so distracted.
Naturally, Frey would not miss this chance.
He was aware of the location of every single one of them.
There were 129 left.
Chchch!
A stream of lightning went through the ground and engulfed them.
The assassins werent even given the chance to scream. Just like the first generation, they all quickly became lumps of charcoal.
Frey looked around.
Jenta and the assassins had been wiped out.
They were dead. It was not a trick, nor was it a mistake.
Frey was certain that hed killed Anantas Apostle, Jenta.
Nevertheless, Freys expression did not look good. Instead, he felt incredibly uncomfortable.
Is this it?
He felt like something was stuck in his throat.
Jentas ability to hide was amazing. But he should have known that he would be unable to hide from the Great Medium.
Did the Demigods not know that too?
Thats not possible.
They were the type to pay attention to their weaknesses. If they werent certain of their safety, they would not have rushed over to Hell.
Then was it possible that they disconnected from their Apostles? So that even if the Apostle was killed, the Demigods wouldnt go into hibernation?
If that was the case, then Ananta would not have needed to care about Jenta any longer.
That was a possibility. But Frey didnt think that chance was very high.
Even if such a thing were possible, it would not have been something that could be done quickly or easily.
the most plausible hypothesis is that they were confident in Neptunus protection.
The chimera that Leyrin had made was quite strong. If it wasnt Dro and Frey, but someone else, they would have suffered.
This was especially because they would be forced to face him in the sea, a terrain that was most advantageous to him.
It was possible that Ananta overestimated the power of Neptunus. As long as he could protect Hitume Ikar, Jenta would be perfectly safe.
He might have thought so.
Its too lax.
It was too sloppy.
He was certain that they knew Agni was dead. Yet they were acting like this?
Frey couldnt help but feel anxious.
I have to contact Asura.
The quickest way to check if Ananta was hibernating was to ask a ruler of Hell directly. But Asura no longer responded to Freys calls.
Should I get Sheryl to contact Lilith?
The two seemed to be close. At least closer than Frey and Asura.
But he wasnt sure if Lilith would respond.
Should I find another Contractor?
One who had signed a contract with a High rank Demon who wasnt a Demon Lord. He could use them to help him pass on a message to Asura.
However, Freys concerns soon became useless.
Hello.
Frey looked back in shock.
Without him noticing, a man had appeared behind him.
I couldnt feel his presence.
That fact alone made Freys expression harden.
Who are you?
When Frey asked this in a vigilant voice, the man smiled.
Lucifer.
!
The Lord of the Corrupted Hell!
Frey breathed in sharply.
This was his first time meeting this man in person, but he couldnt help but raise his guard.
He wasnt sure if this man was truly Lucifer, but it was clear that this was no ordinary person since he was able to evade his senses.
Even though demons cant use their full strength in the Mortal World
He felt a sense of portent that couldnt be hidden.
Gods words appeared in his mind at that moment.
The flaw of heaven, who knew the true background of Lord and the Demigods. And the man who had devoured the real balance of Hell.
How should he react?
what business do you have with me?
I came to make an offer.
An offer?
Right. An offer.
Lucifer looked at Frey without hiding his interest.
Would you like to go to Hell with me, Great Mage?
Season: 1 Chapter 206: Hell (3)
Book 1 Chapter 206: Hell (3) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Im human, I cant go to Hell.
You dont have to be so stiff around me.
When Frey didnt respond, Lucifer shrugged.
You dont really think that, do you? Are you afraid that you wouldnt be able to perform the dimensional leap?
Lucifers movements were exaggerated, and he had a strange way of speaking. Nevertheless, his gaze was sharp.
That was the reason why Frey was unable to relax.
Dimensional leap.
Hed never tried it for himself, but in his heart, Frey agreed with Lucifers words.
He knew that his soul had already transcended human standards. Even the turbulence that he would encounter during a dimensional leap would affect him.
Just like hed been able to send Apep to the Slaughter Hell in the past, it was also possible for the current Frey.
But that didnt mean that all of the problems had been solved.
Even if my soul can withstand it, my body cant. My body would be torn apart like a piece of paper.
Thats not a problem either.
What do you mean?
Lucifer burst out into laughter.
Are you sure you dont know? Great Mage, Im sure you can feel the changes occurring in your soul.
You talk as though you know me well.
Its not from observation. I dont have that much free time.
Can you tell who told me?
Freys eyes shook.
He didnt answer that question either. But the image of a purple-haired woman subconsciously appeared in his mind.
Frey sighed deeply.
Transcendent.
Huhu!
Lucifer laughed happily and nodded.
The Demigods true self. It was easy to understand if one thought about Agni, who had a body made of fire.
The boundary between body and soul was not present. Even if their organs exploded or their limbs were torn off, their bodies could be constantly and quickly regenerated as long as they still had mental power.
For transcendent bodies, normal physical attacks were pointless. Magic, and even divine power, was the same.
To deal a proper blow to a transcendent, one had to use a high level technique to reach their core.
You can also become transcendent.
Frey knew that.
He put his hand on his chest.
At some point, hed begun feeling that his body was unnecessary. It felt cumbersome, like it was holding him back.
He also knew that he could throw away this body if he wanted. He could get a freedom that hed never felt before in his life. He could feel a sense of fullness that the feeling he had now would never be able to compare to.
Frey knew that he could be like that at some point.
You have already surpassed the class of humans. So why are you still clinging to your body?
Lucifer asked this question with genuine curiosity.
Freys mouth twisted.
In all honesty, it was because he wasnt confident. He didnt know what changes he would experience after truly becoming a transcendent being.
It was possible that hed become completely different to how he was now. Even his way of thinking might change.
He was scared. He wasnt sure if hed still consider himself a human at that time, or how he would feel towards them.
Frey loved humans, but at the same time, he hated them.
He knew of their extremely contradictory nature better than anyone else. He knew that there were just as many bad people as there were good.
What if he only focused on the former after becoming a transcendent being? What if he could no longer see the bright side of man?
When he became transcendent, Frey believed that his vision would be much higher than it was now. It would be almost impossible for him to see the humans below him. Even if he bent his back as much as he could, he would never be able to see their expressions. And no matter how he stretched his ears, their desperate cries would never reach him.
He would become a new level of existence.
Would he even be himself anymore?
Hmmm.
Lucifers expression changed for the first time.
The relaxed expression that he had up to that point disappeared, replaced by a bit of surprise and frustration.
Foolish. It has already been determined. You are destined to abandon humanity in the end.
Frey took Lucifers words to mean two things.
He would abandon his humanity. Or abandon the human race.
Both were obviously things that he never wanted to happen. Nevertheless, the moment he heard it, his heart became heavy.
He felt that those words were like a prophecy that couldnt be denied.
Chrysalis. Thats the best word to describe your current state. Youre already ready to spread your wings. So why arent you flying? Why are you still focused on the days when you crawled across the ground? Do you think you can go back to being a caterpillar? No. You cant!
Lucifers voice was filled with a strange emotion.
Evolution or destruction. You have to pick between them. The cocoon will eventually rot, and your body will rot with it. Thats not the end you want, is it?
He would die as a human.
Lucifer didnt want to say such terrible words. Instead, he looked at Frey with eyes filled with anticipation. There was even a faint hint of affection in his gaze.
He couldnt help it.
He had been alive for a frightening amount of time. Except for God, there was no one else in the universe whod been alive as long as he had. He was the oldest creation.
Lucifer also knew more about the structure of the world than anyone else. In other words, he knew the laws and order.
The core of these laws was class.
All living beings were placed in a class from birth. It could be called a brand.
Frey was a human. Even though he had power that far surpassed humans, he was still classified as a human.
It was the same even when he was the Great Mage, Lukas Trowman. Even though he reached 9 stars, he was still mortal.
He was still inferior to the Rulers of Hell and the Demigods.
In a sense, that was the limit of a human.
But Frey had raised his class. He far surpassed the limit of power that humans could possess.
He broke the limit.
In truth, this result came from a series of coincidences. But Lucifer didnt care about the process. The only thing he paid attention to was the result.
This human in front of him had accomplished something that was unprecedented in thousands, no, tens of thousands of years.
Lucifer greatly admired Freys feat and praised him sincerely. It even made him uncharacteristically excited.
The possibility that Freys existence revealed was simply astonishing.
It was natural for him to have a lot of curiosity towards him.
He was curious about this human who managed to break the law. And just what thoughts he had in his mind.
But right after he finally met this person and talked for a brief moment, he was overwhelmed by disappointment.
Lingering affection.
Frey was still deeply attached to the human race.
He shouldnt have been. Such personal affection was not a virtue that a transcendent being needed to have.
Become transcendent, Lukas.
Lucifer spoke with a serious expression.
I know you have an aversion towards transcendent beings. Its only natural since youve only experienced the Demigods behaviour.
However, you should have realised. They dont have the dignity worthy of their long lives. They are just pathetic. The Demigods have wasted their near infinite time, and they are now paying the price for it. Look! The fall of those arrogant beings who claimed to be the masters of the continent is at hand!
Lucifer clenched his fist.
You wont be like that. The path youve taken so far proves that.
All of a sudden.
Frey finally opened his mouth.
Lucifer looked at him in anticipation. But his expression became hard when he heard the words Frey said next.
My friends advice comes to mind.
What is that?
They said that you should be especially careful when a demon starts wagging its tongue at you enthusiastically.
The expression of Lucifer, which had been alight as he was talking passionately, quickly cooled down. The emotion disappeared from his face.
The change was so sudden that it would cause anyone to feel chills, but Frey didnt shrink back.
Instead, he continued in a cold voice.
What do you want?.
Freys expression was as cold as his voice.
He didnt trust Lucifer at all.
This would have been the case even if he hadnt heard the truth from God.
As you said, I will transcend humanity. Sooner or later Perhaps it will be as you said. Perhaps.
Hoh.
However, in the end, that is my choice. Do you understand? It is a judgement that I will make for myself after careful consideration. Your words have no effect on my choice.
Lucifer smiled coldly.
This smile was very different from the one hed given before. However, Frey felt that this smile revealed his true intentions.
I understand perfectly. Right. Every choice deserves respect. However, you should understand the reason why I want you to become transcendent as soon as possible. We have a common enemy. I just thought that you would like to increase our odds.
You mean Lord. He certainly is a common enemy between the Continent and Hell. But in my opinion, you and Lord are the same.
He didnt know what he was up to.
Demons cannot exert their full strength here on the continent. We are of no threat to you.
I dont know that.
The Demigods had been able to avoid the laws punishment by using a metal called Illuminium.
It was one of the laws that also restricted the demons when they entered the Mortal World. So he couldnt say for sure whether they had a way to bypass it or not.
Then lets change the method of this negotiation a little.
Do you intend to threaten me?
You might see it that way.
Lucifers lips spread to form a large, sinister smile.
Freys expression became hard when he heard his words.
* * *
[Im sorry, Nozdog. You must have been busy, but I called you here.]
Nozdog shook his head at Lords words.
{Its fine at the moment. The battle has entered a lull.}
[Its only a matter of time.]
{Right.}
Nozdog nodded heavily.
Lord looked at his empty eye sockets and opened his mouth. S~ea??h the ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
[I heard Ananta went into hibernation.]
{Its probable that his Apostle in Hitume Ikar was attacked. We were worried, but we didnt expect it to happen so fast.}
[Right. Its certainly a shame.]
Nozdog couldnt help but feel a bit strange after hearing Lords voice.????????????????????????????. ?????m
Since when?
Lord was accepting the death of his own people calmly.
He wasnt like this before. He would be furious at the death of every single one of his people. As if he carried the anger of every single Demigod.
This was why the majority of Demigods felt a strong bond to Lord.
[Of the five of my people that I was closest with. You are the only one left, Nozdog.]
Nozdog felt two discrepancies in those words.
The ones he was closest to?
Lord loved every Demigod equally. He never used a tone which seemed to favor one over the other. Even if he thought it, he would never say it directly.
And there was another thing.
{Lord, Ananta is still alive. He is just hibernating.}
[ah. Right.]
Nozdog felt a strange sense of anxiety.
He couldnt help but fall silent for a moment.
[Right. Thats true.]
Nozdogs body was a skeleton. This meant he had no heart. But if he did, he was certain that it would practically jump out of his chest with how hard it would be beating at that moment.
[Head over to Hitume Ikar.]
{I dont mind doing that, but Will it be fine over here?}
If both Nozdog and Ananta were away, the power of the Demigods side would fall by at least half.
Lord was acting on his own, so he wouldnt be able to help.
With just the others, even if only two Archdukes made a move, they would have a hard time.
[Its fine. I have a plan.]
{understood.}
Nozdog forcibly suppressed his anxiety.
Even when Lord absorbed Leyrin, his belief did not waver. Regardless of the consequences, he would listen to Lords will.
{What should I do after I get there?}
[There should be a being with a Dragon Heart there. Take him down. But dont kill him.]
{understood. Then I will brief the others and come back.}
Nozdog left after saying those words.
Lords gaze was elsewhere. It was like he was looking beyond Hell.
He was looking at the one who was probably his biggest obstacle.
[It must have been fun. Everything was going according to your plans.]
A smile appeared on his face.
[But it will be different from now on.]
Season: 1 Chapter 207: Hell (4)
Book 1 Chapter 207: Hell (4) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Lucifer left, saying that he would return the next day. He also added that he hoped Frey would have made a decision by then.
Frey was once again alone in the back alley.
He sat on the dirty ground, looking up at the sky.
He couldnt help but think back to what Lucifer had said.
Iris was caught by Lord.
I lost contact. I dont know if she is alive or dead. Lord has no reason to keep her alive. Even if she is alive, there is no guarantee that shes okay.
Strangely enough, he felt that those words were true.
Lucifer no longer tried to force an alliance. He simply looked at him with a meaningful smile.
However, it was this attitude that shook Freys heart more than the persuasion tactics hed employed before.
He slowly closed his eyes.
There were a lot of thoughts on his mind. His face was stiff, and his heart was heavy.
His worries continued to pile up.
His relationship with Iris. The things shed done after he disappeared. What Anastasia said. Lucifer and Lord.
He suddenly felt that that wasnt important.
What do I want to do?
Frey asked himself.
The most important thing was his own thoughts.
And that answer came so quickly that his worries seemed unnecessary.
Regardless of the reason, I dont want to leave her like that. Sarch* The n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
He didnt want Iris to end up dying at Lords hand. It wouldnt solve anything.
There was still a lot that needed to be cleared up between Frey and Iris. A lot of things that he wanted to hear and a lot that he wanted to say.
In this sense, Lord was a hindrance and an uninvited guest. He did nothing but interfere.
Frey was finally able to see inside himself clearly.
He wasnt just going to save Iris. If he met her this time, he would be able to look at her more calmly than the last time.
He couldnt help but wonder how exactly he would treat Iris Phisfounder.
First of all, he had to meet her again.
After having this thought, Frey stood up.
He didnt intend to act as Lucifer wished. He said he would return the next day, but Frey didnt intend to wait until then.
He would go to Hell on his own.
Of course, there was something he needed to take care of before that.
* * *
You go first.
Ivans cheek twitched at Dros sudden announcement.
What?
Theres something I need to do.
Theres nothing to do in this depressing forest where you cant even find a single bug. Do you plan to dig up a tree? The quality of the wood isnt too bad.
Ivan touched a dark tree beside him while he mumbled insensibly.
But Dro shook his head firmly.
Thats not it.
Then?
Dammit. Whats the need to hide it?
Dro remained silent even as Ivan vented his anger. This attitude made Ivan even angrier.
But Anastasia, who was observing Dros expression, had a different view than Ivan.
Lets just go.
What?
I have a bad feeling.
Anastasia frowned.
Dros words sound like advice.
What the hell are you talking about?
Just come. That friend needs our help.
Anastasia pointed towards Jekid who was standing at the front of his group as she said this. But Jekid couldnt help but make a strange expression when he heard himself being called that friend by a girl who looked much younger than his daughter.
Ivan clicked his tongue.
He didnt trust Dro completely, but he was at least certain that he wouldnt try anything stupid.
Nevertheless, he turned to Anastasia and opened his mouth, showing that he didnt back down easily.
Its not that you dont understand what Im implying, is it?
Something like that wouldnt happen.
Ha.
Ivan snorted before walking over to Jekid.
Anastasia gave Dro a meaningful gaze before turning around and following him.
Their figures grew further and further away.
No signs of life could be found in the entire forest. So as they disappeared, a sense of serenity settled. Like the calm before the storm.
Dro appeared to be left alone in the clearing. But he knew he was not alone.
Youre still not very good at speaking. Well. Iris couldnt really afford to care about that.
A man was standing in the darkness of the forest.
He was not hiding his presence. In fact, he had been leaning against a tree since the beginning, but no one except Dro had felt his presence.
Neither Ivan, who was at the gateway to the Warrior King, Anastasia, who carried the title Great Sage, nor Jekid, leader of one of the Three Great Circles and a Knight who surpassed the Master rank, were able to.
Its quite amazing that you sent them away so recklessly.
The man spoke in a strange manner.
Dro felt like he knew who he was somehow. So he wasnt surprised.
Instead, he continued talking in his normal, blank tone.
What if I didnt tell them to leave first? What if they were still here?
I wanted to talk to you alone. I dont want others to hear our conversation.
His tone was light but seemed to carry a deeper meaning.
He meant that he would have killed everyone there. It wouldnt have been difficult for him.
Looking at his pale complexion, Dro slowly opened his mouth.
Lucifer.
Hoh.
Lucifer made a sound of admiration when he heard his name called.
His voice was filled with a sense of anticipation as he asked.
Can you remember?
Faintly.
Thats good to hear. Now, come here.
Lucifer beckoned to him, but Dro didnt move from his position.
Instead, he shook his head firmly.
I was told not to trust you.
I dont need to ask who told you that. Haha. I cant believe Iris said that. She is fun and annoying at the same time.
He still had a smile on his face as he spoke.
Iris created me. She is my
What? Hahaha!
This time he truly burst into laughter.
Lucifer laughed for a long time before looking at Dro again.
Kuku. Youre not wrong, but How naive. Right. I get it now. Is this also part of Iris design? That woman really cant be underestimated.
What are you talking about?
The answer came from behind him.
The one you need to believe is not her but me.
!
Snap.
Lucifer, whod moved behind Dro, grabbed his shoulder. And in that instant, Dro felt as though lightning bolts were flashing in his mind.
Remember, Dro. The meaning of your name.
His voice drifted into his ears like an irresistible hypnosis. First, it flowed in smoothly like a gentle breeze before eventually becoming a storm.
.
Dros mouth hung open, and his eyes were stretched wide.
I am not the Dragon Lord.
Right. Youre not.
Lucifer smiled brightly.
Youre not just that much, Dro.
* * *
Lilith breathed deeply as she stared at the Demigods.
She didnt have her usual composure at all. Her well groomed hair hung wildly, and her entire body was covered in wounds.
That wasnt all.
Most of the Black Dream Hell had been taken, and even her own castle had been destroyed.
This is really frustrating.
She never would have thought that shed be the first victim.
At first, she had the advantage, but she wouldnt have imagined that it could become like this.
Because the Demigods were ignorant about Hell.
Lilith was confident in her territory. She had believed that since it was the Black Dream Hell, she would be able to stop the Demigods advance and even kill a few of them.
But it was all just an illusion.
Their patterns began changing as the battles continued. The Demigods inexplicably adapted to the terrain and environment in Hell at a quick rate.
They were not shaken by the advantages of the demons. And in the end, the difference between winning and losing became the difference in power.
Each Demigod had power that surpassed even the High rank demons. And while they might have been weaker than the six Rulers of Hell, there were over a dozen of them.
And among them, there were also those who were exceptionally strong.
Nozdog and Ananta. Those who were called Apocalypses.
The two of them werent around right then, but Lilith couldnt afford to care about them at that moment.
Its like we were told. The Queen of the Dream Demons is particularly weak among the Archdukes.
Indeed.
The Demigods muttered these words with expressionless faces. They just muttered what they thought.
But Lilith felt humiliated as though they were actively mocking her.
And the thing that was the most humiliating was the fact that she couldnt refute their words.
It was true that of the six Rulers of Hell, she was the weakest.
In the end, no one came to help.
Lilith laughed to herself.
She wasnt disappointed. Because she didnt expect to get any help in the first place.
She knew the habits of demonkind well. If it was strong, theyd eat it, and if it was weak, theyd still eat it.
Hell followed the rules of the jungle. Those who couldnt protect themselves would be eaten without hesitation.
Maybe that was why the other Archdukes didnt view Lilith in a good light. She relied on cunning and treachery instead of simply advancing with force.
Of course, Lilith didnt think she was wrong. She also struggled to survive. Which was why she was able to accept this death calmly.
It would have been a lie to say she wasnt regretful, but she felt that there was nothing she could do.
She would die because she was weak.
She never would have expected to die at the hands of Demigods instead of Demons.
Hooo.
She closed her eyes.
Just as she tried to accept her end with one last sigh.
Woowoong-
The Demigods looked up to the sky at the same time.
The sinister, purple sky of Hell cracked open, and someone fell from it.
At first, the Demigods thought it was their own kind. Some of them even though it was Lord.
But that was an absurd misunderstanding.
you are
Shock was visible in Liliths eyes.
It was a face she was familiar with but not one she expected to see at that moment.
No.
Instead, it could be said that this sight made her wonder if she was dreaming.
The appearance of a human falling from the skies of Hell was not realistic in any way.
Taht.
Frey looked around.
This was his first time in Hell. He quickly noticed that there were certainly many things that were different from the continent.
The purple sky, pitch-black earth, and incredibly disgusting stench which permeated the environment were the most noticeable.
Then he saw the rivers that appeared to be made of flowing blood.
Chch-
His divine magic power fluctuated for a moment. The dimensional leap had been successful, but it wasnt without side effects.
Frey realised that he was currently in a state of excitement.
Was the raging divine magic power affecting his mind?
Who the hell are you?
I can feel divine power, but hes definitely not our kind.
I dont think hes a demon.
Only then did Frey turn around.
Seeing the beings standing there, it took him a moment to realise that they were Demigods.
Even Frey had never seen so many Demigods in one place. Of course, Frey did not think about having a conversation with them.
This number was a threat even to him.
Freys mind spun quickly.
The best strategy was to reduce their numbers before they realised who he was. If his attack went well, he would be able to get rid of two of them.
Just as lightning was about to spread out from his body.
Wait a moment. We have no intention of fighting you.
At those words, Frey suppressed his divine magic power.
Then he turned to the one who spoke and asked.
Who are you?
I am Heimdall.
It was a man with cloth tied around his eyes.
His aura was also different from the other Demigods.
We have no intention of fighting?
Heimdall, what are you talking about?
It was the Demigods around him who expressed displeasure at his words. However, his next words forced them to shut up.
Lord said it directly. If Frey Blake appears in Hell, be polite.
Freys expression became strange.
After a brief silence, Heimdall added.
Just like we treat our own kind.
Season: 1 Chapter 208: Hell (5)
Book 1 Chapter 208: Hell (5) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Did I hear that incorrectly?
No. It wasnt possible.
Frey didnt even know what kind of expression he was making at that moment. He even wanted to feel his face to check.
The words that Heimdall had just said were too unbelievable.
Be polite? Like he was one of their kind?
He couldnt believe that Lord would say such words.
Frey spoke coldly.
Nonsense.
Right. Dont be ridiculous, Heimdall.
One of the Demigods beside him agreed with Freys words. His voice was fierce, and his eyes had a hideous glow, as though he was ready to tear his opponent apart without any hesitation.
He is an enemy who has killed many of our people. I dont need to talk. Im going to kill him here.
You are no match for him, Kullis.
Crunch.
The Demigod named Kullis grit his teeth at those words, but he held back his violent behaviour.
It was a sign that the Demigods thoughts had changed a lot.
He didnt vent his anger even though he was told he was weaker than a mortal. In fact, Kullis was not confident that he could defeat Frey on his own.
Heimdall looked at Frey again and said.
Frey Blake, it doesnt matter whether you believe me or not. However Lord seemed certain of your arrival.
Frey guessed the reason.
Iris Phisfounder.
Was he using her as a hostage?
The situation wasnt good. Nevertheless, a smile spread across Freys lips.
Of course, it was a smile colder than ice.
Right. Thats more like Lord.
He would not have understood if he hadnt said that. Even if he pretended to have suddenly gotten a change of heart, he would only feel suspicion.
Frey pointed to Lilith, who was still staring without understanding what was going on.
Do not touch Lilith anymore.
Ha. Why the hell would we listen to-
We understand.
Kullis opened his mouth to retort, but Heimdall nodded gently.
It seemed that Heimdalls position was higher than the other Demigods there.
Of course, all Demigods were viewed equally by each other, but it was a difference in speaking right.
Lord and the Apocalypses were representative of this.
Follow me.
After saying that, Heimdall turned around. Most of the other Demigods seemed to be just as displeased as Kullis was, but they didnt express it openly.
Lilith urgently called out to Frey, who was about to leave.
Y-, you. Why did you save me?
Because its not time for you to die yet.
What?
Tell Asura. Tell him that he must not trust Lucifer.
W-, wait.
Frey didnt listen and followed Heimdall away.
Except for Lucifer, the five Lords of Hell must not be allowed to die. Because they were the best deterrent to hold Lord and Lucifer back.
* * *
Lord looked no different from the last time he saw him.
He was standing on the edge of a cliff, looking at Frey.
What was unusual was that the land around him was not black. Instead, it was fertile and grassy as though theyd returned to the continent.
[Welcome.]
Frey didnt know what to say.
He never could have imagined that a day would come when hed hear this word from Lord.
He felt strange.
Of course, it wasnt a good feeling. Instead, it was a feeling so unpleasant that it gave him goosebumps.
His disgust increased, and Frey didnt try to hide it.
[Youre too quick-tempered. Why dont we sit first?]
The space split open, and two chairs appeared.
[There is none of that murky energy unique to hell around here. I purified it. I made it so that it would make people from the continent like us more comfortable. Do you like it?]
Youre out of your mind. Are you trying to build rapport? Are you foolish enough to think we could ever be close?
[Not at all. I just want to talk.]
Talk. Talk?
Frey let out a cold laugh.
Its too late for that. 4,000 years too late.
Lords attitude didnt change even after hearing Freys cold words.
Of course, he didnt suggest he sit down again either.
[Im surprised. I didnt think youd come here so easily. It seems you knew this wouldnt be a trap. Hmm. Or perhaps]
Lord chuckled softly and said.
[Do you have the confidence to defeat or run away from all of us?]
I can take at least half of you down with me. Then you would not win against the demons.
[Right. You calculated it well. Youre correct. I dont want that kind of result.]
After a moment of silence, Lord spoke once again.
[Frey Blake, would you like to become one of our kind?]
Those words made the surroundings as quiet as death.
The Demigods around him looked at Lord in disbelief. A few of the more hasty ones took steps forward to tell Lord something, but it was Heimdall who silently stopped them.
Nevertheless, his expression was also one of shock.
He couldnt understand Lords intentions.
[You have the power of origin. This is a very special type of energy. It must have caused many changes within you. Im sure I dont even need to explain this. You must already feel a sense of solitude as though you are floating alone in space.]
There was great emotion in Lords voice.
[If its me, no, if its us, we can fill that solitude. Become one of us. Then, everything you desire]
Thats enough of your bullsh*t.
Freys tone was harsh.
He rarely got excited, and his time in the mental world had given him even more control over his emotions. But Lords words seemed to reach past all of his safeguards to his most sensitive parts, causing Frey to feel an unprecedented rage.
This is the last warning. Get to the point. What you wanted to say was not this proposal but to make a deal, right?
[Huhu.]
Lord chuckled before muttering.
[You dont compromise just like Riki.]
[Fine. Lets move on to the deal.]
With whose words, Lords demeanour changed.
[Lucifer is dangerous.]
Youre one to talk.
[I understand your hostility towards me, but that kind of attitude makes it difficult for us to communicate.]
At Lords words, Frey shut his mouth for a moment. He didnt want to admit it, but he knew he was being too emotional.
Although it was better to keep your calm in front of an enemy, he didnt intend to fight right away. So he decided to focus on what he was saying first.
[Lucifer is more dangerous than I am.]
Do you know what hes after?
[I know much more than you do.]
Frey recalled his conversation with God. The flaw of the Celestial World, the most arrogant being in the universe.
Did Lord know about this? Did he know about his origin?
Michael.
The balance of the Celestial World.
Frey looked at the leader of the Demigods who was imitating Gods appearance.
[Do you know that the Dragon Lord is in Hell?] sea??h th N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Yes.
[About 5,000 years ago, we fought and I won. It was a bloody battle for the fates of our respective races. After I won, the Dragons should have submitted to us. And given their authority to us. They shouldnt have rebelled against us. That was against the agreement.]
So they were supposed to watch as you reigned over the continent as gods?
As Frey laughingly said those words, Lord nodded.
[Exactly.]
Ha.
[I dont think its wrong. We just wanted to rule in a peaceful manner, and that thought remains unchanged. If not us, who could play such a role?]
It would be different if it were the Dragons.
[Haha! Really? Do you think it really would have been different if it were the Dragons?]
what do you mean?
Lords mouth appeared as he let out a hearty laugh.
[Long before 5,000 years ago. Before our battle with the Dragons. Do you know how the humans at that time lived?]
Those are ancient that couldnt be recorded in history. I dont
[They were slaves.]
What?
[They were the weakest and most insignificant beings on the entire continent. This was natural. Their bodies werent strong like the orcs. They couldnt communicate with Spirits like the elves. Nor were they as strong as the dwarves.]
Humans had magic.
[That might be the case now. However, humans at that time could not even feel mana. Because that was before the concept of Magical Science was established.]
[But there were many of them at the time. At least enough to overcome the innate weakness of the race. Nevertheless, they were slaves. Why do you think that is?]
Frey felt that there was a deeper meaning behind Lords smile.
[Because the Dragons made it that way.]
!
[There werent any special reasons or circumstances. The Dragons at that time were nothing like what you knew. They were arrogant and greedy. They needed slaves to satisfy their desires. And the humans were the best race to satisfy their lowly desires. They were moderately intelligent, knew how to bow their heads, and were well suited to the tasks. And more importantly, they were so weak that they couldnt even think about rebelling.]
Frey didnt know what to say.
He wanted to shout that Lord was speaking nonsense, but his voice refused to come out at that moment, as though it had been stuck in his throat.
He couldnt help but recall Isollas words.
while fighting the Demigods, I thought we were the good guys. But it is possible that the Dragons were not a good race.
[Then who do you think it was who freed the humans?]
Lord continued, his eyes locked onto the speechless Frey.
[It was us, Frey Blake. We changed your fate with our hands. It is the Demigods, whom you hate, who freed you from a life of slavery.]
[Ill ask you again. Do you really think your fate would have been different if the Dragon Lord was the one who defeated me 5,000 years ago? Do you believe they would have respected you and cared for you?]
Lord clenched his fist and shouted.
[No! Nothing would have changed! The only thing that would have changed is that the Dragons would be the ones in our place right now!]
Frey closed his eyes.
He was confused. He didnt believe everything Lord said, but he was certain that at least most of what he said was true.
Is that really possible?
The possibility of humans joining hands with the Demigods to fight against the Dragons.
It was hard to accept.
Naturally, he was shocked. But the chaos in his head didnt last very long.
Frey quickly regained his stability. His mind became cool once again, and he was confident that he could dismiss Lords words as simple information.
He took a short time to organise his thoughts before he opened his mouth again.
You have the Dragons.
[Right. Theyre not as noble as you think they are. At some point, they stood together with the weak and fought against us. Declaring that the Demigods were evil. Their hypocrisy was disgusting to me. Nothing more. Most importantly, the Dragon Lord]
Blood vessels sprang up on Lords face.
Frey could clearly see that he was angry.
[Deceived me.]
Deceived you?
Lord forcibly controlled his anger.
Then, after a moment, he spoke in a calm voice once again.
[I will tell you everything I know. After that, think and decide for yourself. I dont know what decision youll make.]
Frey finally understood the situation.
Lord and Lucifer.
Demigod and Demon.
Their powers had reached their peaks centuries ago. If they were to fight with everything they had, it was highly likely that they would annihilate each other.
Therefore, they turned to Frey. A being who had managed to surpass the limits of mortality. The only one who could break the balance of power.
The third power.
Freys choice would be the deciding factor that determined victory or defeat in this battle between absolute beings.
Season: 1 Chapter 209: Hell (6)
Book 1 Chapter 209: Hell (6) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Frey looked at Lord for a moment before he finally spoke.
I met God.
[Hoh.]
To be precise, it was a being who referred to himself as God. He looks just like you do. No. It would be more accurate to say that you copied his appearance.
[]
Lord went silent.
Frey couldnt help but feel it was regrettable that he couldnt see his expression. But if he had any features, he was certain his expression would be terrible.
[What did he tell you?]
I have no intention of telling you.
[Hmm. Then why did you say anything about this God in the first place?]
Cant you tell? Just as you know secrets that I dont, I am the same. He told me a lot of interesting things. For example about the.
[!]
There was a reaction for the first time.
Frey didnt miss the faint reaction.
Im not sure how much he knows.
Frey didnt believe every word God told him. Hed said that Lucifer was the only one in the world who knew the things hed told him, but hed also said that he didnt pay much attention to the world as he was always busy.
This means that even if Lucifer was the only one who knew it in the past, that might not be the case now.
Lord also knew something about the Celestial World. His slight reaction to his words had proved that.
That was part of the reason why Frey had brought up God in the first place. Because he felt that Lord would try to tell him lies.
Most of what he said so far is probably true.
The vicious attitudes of the Dragons thousands of years ago, the miserable lives of humans at that time, and what would have happened if the Dragon Lord won.
Of course, since it was coming from Lords mouth, it was definitely somewhat biased towards the Demigods, but other than that biased interpretation, most of it should have been true.
This conclusion came from Lords attitude and the information Frey already knew.
But it might be different from now on.
He could make things up.
Lord is an insidious creature.
He was different from the other Demigods. This was a being who knew how to scheme properly.
Hiding one lie amongst nine truths.
The truth that he told so far could very well be preparation for the lies he intended to tell.
That was why Frey mentioned the Celestial World. He made it so Lord thought he already knew some of the information he was about to tell him.
That way, he would feel uncomfortable telling any lies. Because Frey might already know enough information to see through his lies.
That was enough for now.
He could be satisfied with the fact that hed suppressed Lords possible lies to an extent.
Lord is trying to gain my trust.
There was one thing he could be certain of.
Lords biggest enemy at that moment was not him; it was Lucifer.
It was the same for Lucifer.
They were beings who would never be able to see eye to eye, and they were desperate for Freys help to get rid of the other.
[fine. Lets start the conversation.]
After a brief silence, Lord opened his mouth and spoke in a serious tone.
From his tone, Frey noticed that Lords thoughts had changed a little. Something had changed.
Frey only hoped that this would mean a positive result for him.
[5,000 years ago. Before the battle between the Dragon Lord and I, we made a promise.]
A promise?
[The winner would become the Continents balance.]
Frey didnt ask what the balance was.
Lord looked at him in silence as though he found this fact interesting.
I should have pretended that Id never heard of it before.
Frey lamented for a moment before shaking his head.
Hiding his inner thoughts, he continued to listen to Lord.
[It was a fierce battle. If there were maps in those days, it would have taken at least a few days to fix it. Dozens of mountains disappeared, and the sea was overturned. This fight lasted for decades.]
That would have been a terrible disaster for the Continent.
If the Dragon Lords power was comparable to Lords, dozens of civilizations would have disappeared during that fight. They would have been like shrimp in a fight between whales.
[My kind and the Dragons did not get into the fight. Because we didnt want them to. And in the end, I won. I was the one who won. But the Dragon Lord didnt keep his promise.]
You mean he didnt give you the right to become the balance?
[Thats right. And because I couldnt kill the Dragon Lord, I decided to bury him in Hell. To later absorb him when the connection between him and the Continent had faded.]
[So I want to ask. Was I wrong? Or is he the one who was in the wrong?]
Generally speaking, the person who didnt keep their promise is wrong.
Frey, who had been speechless for a while, continued before Lord could speak.
And the one who dares to tell lies is also wrong.
[you think Im lying?]
Dont you think my accumulated hatred is too deep to try to earn my trust with just a few words?
Lord shrugged his shoulders as though he agreed.
Tell me why you say Lucifer is dangerous.
[He is greedy.]
Frey frowned.
Thats a little different from what I know. God said that he was the most arrogant being in the universe.
[Both are true. And in a way, they are related.]
Lord turned his head to look out over the Demon World.
[This world wont last much longer.]
what?
[Hell will disappear. It is something that was set to happen a long time ago. Its also something that cant be changed. Right, since you know about the Celestial World, its easier to talk about this. Sooner or later, the same thing will happen here. Possibly sooner.
Why?
[Because Lucifer couldnt become the balance.]
He devoured Satan but couldnt become the balance.
[Hoh.]
Eyes appeared on Lords face, a light of interest shining within them.
However, a shadowed look appeared in his eyes not long after.
[You know quite a bit. Thats something that happened during the period of the worlds creation So it seems you truly met God.]
It seemed Lord had also been testing to see if Frey was bluffing or not. And the words hed just said seemed to prove that he wasnt bluffing.
On the bright side.
He wasnt sure why, but the negotiation felt more dangerous than the numerous life-or-death battles hed had up to that point. Perhaps because his opponent was Lord.
[Lucifer tried to become the balance without permission. But it didnt work because Satan was already dead at that time. Hed absorbed Satans corpse.]
The balance was already dead? Then why wasnt the Demon World destroyed?
[It is going to be destroyed. Its happening even right now. Its just that its happening slowly. Even at this moment, Satans body is still being digested in Lucifers stomach. It was a pretty good plan. Hell managed to last a pretty long time as a result. But when that process is over, this world will also be over.]
Frey frowned.
Then what is Lucifers goal?
[To reign over a new world.]
So he plans to head to the Continent.
Frey sighed.
In the end, it was as he expected.
Lucifer also had an insidious goal.
But how does he intend to ignore the laws of the world? Arent demons unable to move freely on the Continent?
If its a pure demon, then yes. But thats not the case for the current Lucifer. Now, he has the power to travel freely between the Continent and Hell as he pleases.
What?
[You know what my power is, dont you?]
Frey nodded.
Dominion over space.
[Soon after first coming to Hell, I went directly to the place where the Dragon Lord was buried. It wasnt hard to deceive the eyes of Barbatos, the owner of the Despair Hell. But it was too late. The core was already gone.]
The core? Are you talking about his Dragon Heart?
[Its a bit different, but I wont say youre completely wrong. The core is in the Dragon Heart. To put it simply, it is the qualification to become the balance in a material form.]
[You must have met Dro. And I assume you believe he is the Dragon Lord.]
No, hes not.
[Huht.]
Lord chuckled.
[Thats right. He isnt.]
* * *
Dro began recalling memories from the past. The distant past.
Fragments of things that he thought he would never have been able to remember once again appeared in his mind. Then they began to merge.
[You lost.]
He heard a voice.
A being that constantly radiated white light was the one talking to him. It was the Demigod Lord.
But he couldnt understand what he was saying. He didnt lose. He wasnt defeated.
It wasnt a fair fight.
While he was obligated to take care of and protect the Continent, Lord didnt have those restrictions.
They were the one that carried and the one that wanted to take. S~ea??h the ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
That was the difference between winning and losing.
I didnt lose!
Dros scream was swallowed by the darkness.
He was buried alive beneath the Demon World.
He had no strength at all. He couldnt even move a muscle.
Nevertheless, he could feel it. His connection to the Continent grew weaker as time passed. He was constantly in pain as what seemed like an eternity went by.
To him, this was far worse torture than being imprisoned in Hell.
Lord is going to swallow me.
He would try to take the right in an unjust manner.
It was unacceptable. He couldnt hand the Continent over to a guy like that.
But there was nothing he could do. The fierce energy that permeated the ground of the Demon World constantly weakened him.
His mana couldnt move. Even his voice could not be heard.
He was being forced to die slowly.
Time passed.
How long had it been?
He didnt know.
He hated this place. It was cold. Damp.
He wanted to go back.
To my world to my continent
Are you still alive?
Then he heard a voice.
Dro opened his eyes. And for the first time, he was actually grateful that he was able to do that.
Because for the first time, he was able to see something.
It was a man with incredibly pale skin.
It seems youre still conscious. Thats good. What a relief.
you Who are you?
Im Lucifer, Balance of the Continent. Its sudden, but I have one thing to inform you about. Ah. Of course, Ill tell you in advance that its not harmful to you in any way.
In form?
Lucifer smiled brightly and said.
That fightI dont think you lost it.
Fight
Dro, who was blankly looking at this man, nodded slowly but without hesitation.
Right. Didnt lose I didnt lose.
But I cant say you won either.
This time, the answer did not come immediately.
But this was a fact that even Dro knew.
Thats right. Thats right. I didnt win. Then the fight is
Its a draw.
!
It was as though a bolt of lightning struck his head.
Dro trembled in excitement.
Just now what did you say?
The fight was a draw. Wasnt it?
Right! Right
Dro repeated Lucifers words as though he was out of his mind.
Why didnt he realise it when it was so simple?
The fight was a draw. There was no conclusion!
It was a tie!
Dro spoke with confidence.
Right. Youre right.
Lucifer drew a line around his mouth as he agreed with Dro.
A draw.
Season: 1 Chapter 210: The Black Witch (1)
Book 1 Chapter 210: The Black Witch (1) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
[If Lucifer becomes the balance of the Continent, it will become a world no better than Hell. I dont even need to explain. The example is right in front of you.]
As he said this, Lord looked out over the Demon World once again. Frey was also looking at this scene.
This is Hell.
In truth, he felt that the name Demon World was more suitable.
This place was a different world. At first glance, it seemed chaotic, but there was an order in the chaos.
There were many different forces and factions, and they all combined to form a strange balance.
Except for a few fundamental values and ways of thinking, this was a place where living beings could live.
But that didnt mean he would want to see the Continent become like this. Extreme change was always followed by chaos. It was possible that even more blood would be spilled once the Demigods began acting in earnest.
Is it not picking between two evils?
[Right.]
To be honest, Frey could not really understand Lords reactions at that moment.
Something has changed.
He felt completely different from the last time.
From Lords perspective, he would certainly not feel comfortable unless Frey was torn apart and killed. He shouldve hated Frey just as much as Frey hated him.
However, during this reunion, Lord did not once show any signs of that hatred.
It felt strange. As though something important was missing.
Was this really Lord?
Frey suppressed his suspicions and asked.
What if I dont interfere?
Lords and Lucifers powers were almost equal.
Their fight would definitely be determined by subtle advantages, and neither of them would end up the winner.
Frey could certainly take the position of fisherman while watching the situation progress.
But Lord didnt overlook Freys idea either.
[The one who loses will be consumed by the other. Either Lucifer or I will be absorbed by the winner. Do you know what will happen then?]
What will happen?
[I dont know.]
Frey furrowed his eyebrows.
Was he joking?
No. Lords expression was serious.
[However, an unprecedented something will definitely be born. Something that is definitely close to the level of God. An absolute, not a transcendent. If youre confident that you can take on such a being, youre welcome to watch.]
It was a very impactful statement.
No matter how powerful Frey was, he would not be able to defeat a combination of Lord and Lucifer.
[So choose.]
Lords voice urged him to answer.
Frey closed his eyes.
This was not a decision that he could delay making. The fight between Lord and Lucifer was about to begin.
But before that, there was still something he needed to know.
It was probably the question that he should have asked as soon as he arrived there.
Before I answer, there is something I want to ask you.
[Say it.]
Where is Iris?
Lord fell silent for a moment.
Just as he was about to open his mouth, Frey spoke first.
I will warn you in advance. I will not tolerate any lies or tricks on this matter. Think about it carefully, Lord.
Freys warning was sincere.
Realising this, Lord closed his mouth before he could say what he was about to.
He didnt speak for a long time.
The Demigods around them became a bit noisy at this time.
Then, as everyone focused on Lord and waited for his answer, he opened his mouth.
[The Abyss.]
Freys pupils enlarged before becoming even smaller than before.
I see.
He closed his eyes, and a hot wind blew over at that moment.
The winds of hell were ominous and disgusting. It smelled horrible, like the burp of a monster that carried the scent of flesh and blood.
When the breeze passed, Frey opened his eyes.
I want to meet her.
[I cant do that.]
Why?
[Iris is deeply connected to Lucifer. She also had many secrets. Maybe just her existence is a trump card for Lucifer.]
So he imprisoned her in a space that was filled with nothingness?
It was only then when Frey realised just how tightly he was clenching his fist. His nails had pierced into his palms, but no blood came out.
This was natural. After all, his body wasnt there.
In that case, I will go to the Abyss. Sar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Even Lord couldnt help but make a speechless expression at those words.
[are you serious? Dont you know that if you enter that place you might not be able to come out ever again?]
There is proof right in front you that your words arent accurate.
Freys existence was the best proof that the Abyss was not a perfect prison.
But unexpectedly, Lord burst out laughing at his words.
[Huhaha]
Why are you laughing?
[Do you really think that? That you were able to successfully find and attack a flaw in the Abyss and escape?]
Is that not the case?
[You were human at that time. Even if you were 9 stars, you werent able to break out of the frame of humanity. And my powers are not so weak as to be exploited by a mere human.]
Youre too confident in your strength. I spent 4,000 years in that place.
Not 100, not 1000, but 4,000 years. Forty centuries.
That was an amount of time that even transcendent beings would not be able to scoff at.
A long time passed, and a flaw appeared. And I managed to take advantage of that flaw perfectly.
[Huhu.]????????????????????????d. c????m
Unlike Frey, whose voice was becoming sharper, Lords voice remained calm.
He simply chuckled and nodded.
[In any case, it doesnt matter what you think. Above all, it has nothing to do with me.]
[In your current state, it shouldnt be too hard for you to escape from the Abyss. So do whatever you want.]
With those words, space split open, and a world that was darker than Hell appeared.
Lord smiled brightly as he pointed to this pitch black world that seemed to be filled with solitude.
[Welcome, Frey Blake. To your dear old home.]
* * *
Iris Phisfounder was able to hear special voices from the moment she could speak.
The voices were countless, and each of them was different, and they all talked to Iris about different things.
Nevertheless, there was one thing that they all had in common. And that was the fact that they all favoured Iris.
At first, she thought they were spirits.
Shed seen them in fairytale books.
Pure and innocent beings who were close to nature, also known as fairies.
But they werent. They werent such cute beings.
As she got older, she no longer just heard their voices, but she also saw their figures. Even though they were blurry, she could tell with a glance that they were far from spirits.
They were demons.
Iris learned of her identity when she was 9 years old.
Witch.
Witches were terrible things. Regardless of race, ethnicity, or age, they were treated like a terrible curse.
Every Witch had no choice but to hide herself. If their identities were revealed, they would suffer from the constant pursuit of the Heretic Inquisition, which transcended the frame of the state, and after being captured, they would be subjected to hundreds of different types of torture.
Iris was smart. Even though she was only 9 years old, she already understood what it meant to be a Witch in such a society.
She could have concealed her secret.
The only exception was her family.
Iris told her parents her secret. Unfortunately for her, her parents had more religious passion than affection for their child.
When Iris, who had dinner as normal and went to sleep, opened her eyes again, she realised that she was in a place shed never seen before.
The strong smell of blood pierced the nose. On the floor, she could see puddles of blood and pieces of flesh. Then, she heard the screams.
Dozens of tortures that her mind would never have been able to conceive were all being carried out in front of her.
This scene, which was of the torture chamber in the basement of the Inquisitions base, was not something that a girl her age could bear to see.
She burst into tears immediately.
Of course, there were many girls her age there as well. And as she later learned, the torture was supposedly a means to purify the soul.
After the torture, the body would then be lit with a torch and the soul would rest as the body burned.
That was what those lunatics believed.
Then, when the members finally laid their hands to Iris, she instinctively summoned a demon.
The High-rank demon turned the headquarters of the Inquisition into a sea of fire in no time.
After leaving the hideout, which had become nothing but ashes behind, she walked aimlessly.
And when she came to her senses, shed returned home. She wasnt sure what her goal was, but her footsteps had led her home.
She missed her parents. She wondered what theyd say.
We didnt give birth to something like you. You, you are a monster.
Oh God Im sorry Please forgive me Im so sorry.
And she regretted her choice.
She hadnt wanted an apology.
If so, then what did she want?
Iris was unable to answer her own questions.
She left her fearful parents behind, and at the same time, her heart cooled. She was cold.
Her body was shivering. But she wasnt scared or nervous.
Her expression became cold as though she lost her emotions. And she felt this coldness would never go away.
There was no way shed ever trust humans again.
Never.
* * *
Ten years passed.
Iris was now 19 years old.
She lived alone in a deserted forest. It was a place in which she had no problems being self-sufficient.
But it was a life without a purpose.
At a young age, she was already feeling empty deep inside.
I should just die.
This was the first thought she had every morning after opening her eyes.
However, she felt it was unfair to just take her own life.
That day. The day that changed Iris fate forever was a little more special than any other day.
She had a visitor.
Are you the Black Witch?
It was a man in a brown robe and a long staff.
He didnt have an appearance that stood out, but Iris felt a strange sense of familiarity to this man.
Of course, it was just a hint of it. By that point, Iris had already become sick of the human race.
But there was a decisive difference in this man who appeared to be a Wizard.
Am I?
It was a name. And naturally, Iris was not happy to hear it.
Being distinguished from other Witches meant that she was becoming well known, and that meant that the Heresy Inquisition would fall upon her soon.
The man continued in a calm tone.
I saw a forest to the west. It was terrible. Hundreds of trees were uprooted. That was your doing, wasnt it?
Iris couldnt help but sigh.
She didnt even bother denying it.
right.
She just nodded with a tired expression on her face.
It was true that shed done it. There was naturally a reason, but she didnt bother trying to explain it.
He wouldnt accept it. And he wouldnt understand anyway.
He wouldnt even have the slightest intention of understanding Iris. As long as she was branded as a Witch, all of her actions would be seen as carrying out the work of the devil.
She decided to just moderately threaten this man and chase him away.
Then, she would have to find a new place to stay.
Just as she decided to summon a demon.
Thank you.
huh?
This was something Iris would never have expected.
The man continued, ignoring her blank expression.
It was already a dead forest. Its probably the work of a Lich who has been active around this region. If it wasnt for your quick action, the entire forest wouldve become rotten.
Iris hesitated for a moment before opening her mouth,
Did you come here just to say that?
Right.
I am a Witch.
Hearing this question, the man responded with a confused look on his face.
I know. Did you forget already? I called you the Black Witch.
And you still believe me?
To be precise, I believe my eyes.
The mans voice was filled with self-confidence.
It wasnt just his words. It was clear that he truly believed what he said.
If youre a real Witch, then you know at least a dozen ways to make the forest rot more efficiently. Nevertheless, by cutting only the rotten trees, it shows that youre actually trying to help the forest heal.
Am I wrong?
Iris heard a beating.
It was her own heart. She didnt know why, but she felt her face become hot.
Her throat felt tight, and her eyes felt like they were burning. (Note: Sounds like an allergic reaction)
She felt like she couldnt move her lips easily.
That
Iris understood why.
This was the first time shed been understood by another person since she was born.
Season: 1 Chapter 211: The Black Witch (2)
Book 1 Chapter 211: The Black Witch (2) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
The Abyss.
Frey finally faced the place that made him the most uncomfortable after a long time.
Despite the fact that this was the place hed spent more time in than the real world and the mental world combined, he didnt feel used to it.
This was because he didnt miss the Abyss at all.
It feels strange.
His body was moving around in a space where such a thing should not have been allowed. That fact alone was enough to make him feel strange.
No. Its because Im using my soul body now.
Freys body was still on the continent. The form that was currently in Hell was his soul in his image.
Even though it was out of his body, it wouldnt be wrong to say that it had formed a new body as hed left some insurance.
Of course, that didnt mean he left his real body without any protection.
Frey looked around.
He didnt need to go looking for Iris. He was probably the one with the best understanding of the Abyss with the exception of Lord.i????????r????????????.nbsp;com
He could see where she was.
Iris.
His voice rang out in the pitch black space.
He didnt receive an answer, so Frey called out to her once more.
Iris.
He was sure she could hear him.
Iris seemed to have been deeply assimilated with the power of space. There was no way she hadnt noticed Freys arrival.
Nevertheless, he still didnt receive an answer. Perhaps it was because she had no intention of talking to him.
Frey bowed his head. Then he muttered in a low voice.
The Abyss. Its a terrible place that cant be described with just the word solitude. At first, it feels like only your body was restrained, and your mind is basically trapped in a barrel. But it doesnt take long before you realise that thats actually not a good thing.
It was a horrific punishment.
The Abyss could be called the space of madness.
Even if a sage with deep mental training was trapped in this place, he would not be able to last very long before he went crazy.
And even if you were frustrated, there was nothing you could do. You couldnt break your neck, scream out of frustration, or move in any way.
It was a world where nothing could be seen, heard, or touched. Only thinking was allowed.
Lord hadnt locked Frey in the Abyss for no reason. He did it because he felt being locked in the Abyss was even crueler a fate than death.
And it truly was.
Is this the atonement you wanted?
[!]
He could feel the space fluctuate slightly. Iris had obviously had a reaction.
As expected, she was listening to his voice.
However, Frey wasnt happy even though his predictions were correct.
Rather, his heart became heavy.
There must have been a reason. Killing Schweiser, separating Lucid and Kasajin, and standing beside Lord However, youll never tell the story behind it. Especially to me.
Never.
Frey could finally see the reason.
Some of the questions he had about Iris actions had been answered.
You dont want to be forgiven.
Frey recalled what Iris had said just before she left the last time.
You want to forgive me?
At that time, Iris had gotten angry. She was still smiling faintly, but he knew she had been angry at that moment.
She didnt want Freys forgiveness.
So she kept her distance and hid her reasons.
You thought that Id forgive you after hearing everything.
That is what Iris believed.
If someone else had thought that, he wouldve been upset. Nothing felt worse than having someone come to a conclusion before he himself could make a judgement.
But Iris was different.
She had the right to guess his thoughts and make conclusions.
Ill respect your choice.
He wanted to know what happened.
He wanted to know the inside story behind her choices.
Wasnt that natural?
Iris was one of Lukas closest friends, a friendship that was supposed to be eternal.
He wanted to hear her reasons, comfort her, and forgive her for what shed done. But if Iris didnt want that, then Frey wouldnt either.
He felt that the deeper the relationship, the more thorough the respect one should give to the other.
However, there are some things that you have misunderstood. Dont run away. You cant atone for your crimes here in the Abyss. I know your value. It is counterproductive and irrational to let you rot in a place like this.
Freys voice became serious.
Iris, if you truly intend to take responsibility for what you have done, follow me.
It was a very clear voice.
He once again felt a shift in the space. This was proof that Iris mind was reacting.
That way, I will produce the best result. Im putting everything on the line. But its hard on my own. I need help. Your help. So walk beside me from now on. That will be your atonement.
[that.]
Iris spoke for the first time. But it wasnt with her mouth.
It was Telepathy, something close to a thought.
Her cracked voice rang out in his head.
[That is not an atonement for me. Thats not even a punishment.]
What?
[And Im not trapped here either. I can leave any time I want. Im just waiting for the right time.]
are you saying you can get out of the Abyss on your own?
Frey asked back because he couldnt understand her words, but he didnt receive an answer.
But somehow, he felt that she was smiling bitterly.
[I dont like writing very much.]
It was something that was completely unrelated to the current situation. But Frey continued to listen to her voice without interrupting her.
[Still, when leaving something behind, theres nothing better than text on paper. I also made a diary. I wrote a little no. I only used it from time to time but it became a lot because I kept using it. Ahaha. Isnt that natural? After all, I used it for 4,000 years.]
[Read it when the time comes.]
where is it?
[Its not time yet. I havent finished using it.]
He heard Iris laughter.
[Its okay. Everything will be fine. I dont know about anything else, but at least I am very thorough. You dont have to do anything. Youve already worked hard enough. We all know that. That Lukas did far more than we expected.]
That was Iris mistake.
Frey knew just how important his duty was. And what would happen if he stopped now.
The rest that Frey was allowed to have was over. 4,000 years was more than enough.
How could he possibly rest more?
No. This is just the beginning.
Iris laughed again.
Unlike before, this laugh was truly cheerful.
[I knew youd say that. But please dont disregard my sincerity.]
[Please make the world a better place.]
Shuk.
Frey felt his body being pushed back by an intangible power.
It wasnt a forceful feeling. Instead, it was soft. As though someone was softly gesturing to him.
However, Freys expression hardened.
This was the same thing he felt when he left the Abyss in the past.
Suddenly, Lords words appeared in his mind again.
Do you really think that? That you were able to successfully find and attack a flaw in the Abyss and escape?
No way.
Frey opened his mouth and shouted desperately.
Iris! Was I able to escape the Abyss because of your
[As long as it was you.]
Iris whisper interrupted Freys words.
[I believed that youd be able to make it through. That youd come back, that your mind wouldnt break, and that you wouldnt give up. And it turned out that I was right.]
Iris.
[I was really happy to see you again.]
* * *
Hitume Ikar.
It had been quite a long time since theyd started walking through the Dark Forest.
Ivans expression crumpled.
Hes not coming.
He was talking about Dro.
He looked back. Anastasia also turned slightly to follow his gaze.
No matter how late he is. He wouldnt get lost.
Dammit. Its really bothering me. Should I go get him?
No.
Anastasia shook her head.
I dont think it would be wise to go back there.
Why not?
I have a bad feeling about it.
Although the statement lacked any logical basis, Frey agreed with Anastasia.
This was because he had a lot of confidence in his own senses.
It has saved my life many times.
Ivan scratched the back of his neck subconsciously.
Since theyd left Dro alone, he felt an ominous feeling as though someone was licking the back of his neck.
Something troublesome would happen if he turned back.
Ivans instincts were telling him that.
Ive been wondering, why dont we just destroy the forest and leave?
At first, it might have seemed like an ignorant statement, but Anastasia could no longer deny it. She also felt that theyd spent too much time in the forest.
Now that I think about. We havent felt the traces of any assassins in a long time.
Just as she muttered this to herself, they felt someone approaching them from behind.
Ivan turned his head around, frowning.
Are you only returning now? You really took your time
He was speechless. It was an unexpected face.
It was none other than a gray-haired young man who showed up. It was Frey.
Ivan was pleased.
Frey! Ha. Youre finally here. Did you manage to get onto the island?
Now that Frey was there, he would no longer have to be trapped in this depressing forest.
A man like him would use some kind of magic that Ivan had never seen before to destroy the barrier without a trace.
However, Anastasia didnt look pleased at the reunion.
I dont think thats Frey.
What?
As expected of the Great Sage. You have good eyes.
Huh?
Ivan narrowed his eyes when Frey spoke in a tone hed never heard him use before.
It was the same for the others. Jekid, who was silently watching from the side, put his hand on his swords hilt.
Who are you?
Frey gave a nice smile.
Nice to meet you. Im Grey Trowman.
Grey Trowman?
Ivan muttered the name slowly while tilting his head.
How is that possible? Are you supposed to be Freys descendant? No. You look too much alike.
It wouldnt have been strange for him to have any descendants as he was over 4,000 years old, but everything else was strange other than that.
Descendant? Thats impossible.
Anastasia denied that with a stern expression.
How can you be so sure?
That stone head would not have gotten a woman without me knowing it. He would have preferred to memorise another magic formula instead.
Ivans expression also became serious when he heard that.
If thats the case, dont tell me that even at this age, Frey is
Right. He is the Great Mage in the truest sense.
Ivan was shocked.
Oh Oh, my God. For 4,000 years H-, hes a lot stronger than I thought. (Note: Im dying! This was exactly my reaction!!!)
Anastasia made a sad expression as she spoke.
Thats the fate of a 9 star Wizard. Its like being mentally castrated.
And you were physically castrated. No wonder you two are best friends.
You bastard.
Just as blood vessels were about to burst on Anastasias forehead. Someone appeared beside Frey, no, Grey.
What the hell are you guys talking about?
It was the Great Medium.
She looked at Ivan and Anastasia with a ridiculous expression.
Ivans expression was a bit bitter as he spoke.
Why are you here?
Im controlling this man right now.
Anastasia turned to look at Grey again.
I think its Freys body. But he has a different core. What happened? Sar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
The Great Medium nodded.
Dont misunderstand. This is what he asked me to do.
Asked?
Yeah. He had a favor to ask you, including that other one.
The Great Mediums expression became serious as she said those words.
Season: 1 Chapter 212: The Black Witch (3)
Book 1 Chapter 212: The Black Witch (3) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Morgid, King of Hitume Ikar, couldnt help but feel as though a great storm had just passed.
As the tension that filled his body slowly faded, his legs began to feel weak.
Yo-, Your Majesty!
Are you alright?
The Samurai rushed forward to support the staggering Morgid.
He turned to look at them.
Most of the Samurai had embarrassed expressions on their faces. This was natural. After all, theyd failed to properly fulfill their roles as the Kings guards.
If Frey had wanted it, Morgids head would have already fallen to the floor.
However, Morgid didnt intend to hold him at fault for that. His strength was like that of a natural disaster, and a natural disaster was given that name because there was nothing humans could do to stop it.
Im okay.
As he said that, Morgid gestured for the Samurai to let go of him. He couldnt show such a pathetic appearance before his subordinates.
No. Havent they seen it already?
Recalling his unsightly appearance in front of Frey, he felt embarrassed.
Morgid walked staggeringly to his throne before sitting down heavily. Then, he let out a deep sigh that seemed to come from his heart.
I.
Hed always thought he made the best choices. From a kings perspective, from the peoples perspective, and from the nations perspective.
It was the same this time, too.
Demigods.
There were at least dozens of these ridiculously powerful beings who could all destroy a country single-handedly.
To fight against Gods race?
How was that any different from telling them to kill themselves?
Reared? Hes mistaken. (Note: Frey mentioned being reared like animals)
Morgid bit his lip.
This was just him keeping his head low. To protect his country and to save his own life.
He wasnt wrong.
After all, this was a judgement he made for his entire nation.
But he was afraid.
He felt as though a disturbing wind was blowing around the country.
What will happen to Hitume Ikar now?
He murmured this without expecting an answer.
[It will be destroyed.]
!
Morgids face, which was just beginning to regain its complexion, became pale once again.
Juk.
It was a skeleton that appeared. Sinister green light seemed to wrap around its entire body, and ominous purple energy poured out from its mouth endlessly.
This was not a human. And it was definitely dangerous.
Realising this, the Samurai acted almost simultaneously.
Taht.
Just like before, their response was swift.
Although they were exhausted, their senses were much sharper following the incident with Frey.
The Royal Guard, made up of dozens of elite Samurai, surrounded this unknown being and launched their attacks.
S-, stop!
Morgids cry was a step too late. No, the results would have been the same even if hed managed to yell in time.
The sinister aura brushed past their skin.
Rattle
Despite seeing it with his own eyes, it was still an unbelievable sight. The green light that surrounded the skeleton flowed through the bodies of the dozens of charging Samurai, causing them to become skeletons.
It was as if they were aging at an extremely high rate.
Crack. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
A skeleton stiffly turned its head. It was clear that the Samurai didnt understand what had happened to them.
And that was his last movement.
The Samurai all collapsed to the floor like broken dolls.
A-, ahh
This being was different from Frey. Morbid was able to recognise that fact immediately.
It was only then when he truly understood. Frey didnt really have any intention of exterminating them.
Between Frey and the skeleton in front of him, Morgid wasnt sure who was stronger. But one thing was clear.
Transcendent beings were incredibly terrifying.
G-, Gods race
This being was a Demigod. He was certain of that.
Morgid hurriedly got down on his knees.
The Demigod, Nozdog, looked down at him.
[You?]
I, I am the King of Hitume Ikar, Morgid.
[Thats not what Im asking.]
H-, huh?
[Why are you still alive?]
A strange fire burned in Nozdogs eyes. He walked over to Morgid.
H-, huk
Morgid remained kneeling. He couldnt move at all as it felt like a mountain sat on his shoulders.
A boney finger swept across his neck.
[This I see. The Great Medium did a pretty good job. Is this a minimised defensive spell? Well. You are still a king. You would need to have at least this much.]
G-, Gods race
[But its just a minor annoyance.]
The sinister wind blew again.
Kuaack!
Morgid screamed.
It was an unbelievable sight even though he was seeing it with his own eyes. The flesh on the tips of his toes fell, allowing him to see his toe bones sticking out of the mess of flesh and blood.
H-, hu-. Huhaha!
It was a nightmare. It was most certainly a nightmare.
Morgid almost went crazy. The most terrible pain hed ever experienced in his life dug into his brain.
[Is the spell causing it to work from the bottom? How interesting.]
Nozdogs cold voice brought Morgids reason back. He looked up to Nozdog with a broken gaze.
There was no emotion in the flames burning in the skeletons eye sockets.
As soon as he saw this, Morgid couldnt help but remember Freys words.
Reared.
It was a word that he hadnt understood back then. But now, he understood it a little.
He understood what Frey was worried about. And why he used such an extreme term like rearing.
Thing like this could happen at any time.
For the Demigods, their deaths meant nothing.
Regardless of whether it was one, dozens, hundreds, or even thousands. To them, humans were like worms who could be killed as they pleased.
They were like livestock being reared, completely different from dying during conquest or domination.
Morgid also realised that he knew nothing about the Demigods.
Hu-, huhaha!
Morgid burst into laughter that was filled with madness.
He thought hed never made the wrong choice for himself since becoming king. The same was true with the Demigods.
He was convinced that hed made the best and most reasonable choice.
But that wasnt the case.
Morgid shed hot tears of resentment.
The most miserable thing was that although his death loomed near, he still didnt know the reason for it.
Nozdogs aura completely covered his body, and before long, the King of Hitume Ikar became a pale white skeleton.
Nozdog looked away from his corpse.
Hed just killed the king of a country, but it didnt mean anything to him. Whether it was an ant or an ant queen, in the end, it was still an ant.
The Great Medium isnt here.
Before arriving there, hed stopped at the Great Mediums residence on Lesha, but she wasnt there.
Nozdog had used space-time movement to follow her traces, which was why he ended up in the castle of Hitume Ikar.
He had no reason for killing Morgid and the Samurai. He truly didnt.
In other words, it was nothing more than swatting a fly after he saw it.
[Where is the Great Medium?]
It was said that she could feel the presence of every living being on the island of Hitume Ikar. If that was really the case, then she should have been able to help him find the man called Dro.
So first of all, he had to find her.
* * *
[You came back sooner than I expected.]
Frey blinked when he heard Lords words.
Then he realised he had already left the Abyss and returned to Hell.
He turned around.
One thing was different from before he left.
Lord was the only Demigod present.
[Did you come to a conclusion?]
Right.
Frey paused for a moment before continuing.
I will cooperate with you.
[Hmm. I see.]
Lord nodded as though he expected such an outcome or as though it wasnt too big of a deal.
Seeing his attitude, Frey couldnt help but feel a bit strange.
He would have found it strange if Lord was happy to receive his help. Nevertheless, Lords current attitude was a bit too dry.
What is he thinking?
Frey narrowed his eyes as he tried to guess Lords intentions, but it was useless. He wasnt certain if he would have been able to do so if Lord had features, much less when he didnt.
Therefore, his top priority was to not lose the initiative.
However, there are conditions.
[Tell me.]
After defeating Lucifer, you will not try to dominate the mortals on the Continent.
[Sure.]
and release Iris.
[Understood.]
Freys feeling of incongruity became stronger. No matter how he thought about it, this response felt much too innocent.
Was he lying?
[Do you not believe me?]
should I?
Lord shrugged.
[Hmm. I swear I will not rule over the mortals after returning to the continent, and Iris Phisfounder will also be released. Without a scratch.]
Frey snorted.
Do you expect me to believe a verbal oath? One that has no binding whatsoever?
[Ive never broken an oath. When Riki died, I could have killed you, but I didnt. That was because Iris and I had an oath. She asked me not to, and I agreed.]
[But if you still cant believe it, then I have nothing more to say.]
Frey forcibly swallowed his words.
Lord was right. At that time, the anger and hostility he had towards him were beyond imagination. It could even be said that Rikis death had driven him half mad.
Yet even in that state, Lord kept his oath.
This was also part of the reason why he couldnt understand Lords current attitude.
No. I dont need to understand.
He quickly put aside his judgement, deciding to not care about it as much as he was able.
Frey was also aware of just how loose their alliance was.
It was correct to say that he had formally joined forces with Lord. However, he had no intention of helping Lord kill Lucifer.
Ill step in before the battle is truly over.
It would be correct to say that Lords and Lucifers powers were a half step higher than Freys. So if he fought them one-on-one, his chances of winning wouldnt exceed 70%.
On the other hand, Lord and Lucifer were almost equal. So unless they actually fought, there was no way to determine who would win or lose.
That was why he decided to watch their battle from the closest spot. And, if possible, control the flow of the battle. Conserving his own strength while creating situations in which their strength was reduced equally.
And if it became possible for him to overwhelm them on his own, he would kill them immediately.
Lord and Lucifer were just too dangerous. If left alive, they would almost certainly harm the mortals.
Frey was sure of this.
Of course, there was only one reason why Frey decided to join Lord instead of openly claiming neutrality. That was because they might become uncomfortable with Freys existence and make a temporary alliance in order to get rid of him first.
however.
It was a flimsy idea. It was so simple and shallow that anyone would be able to think of it if one simply pondered for a moment.
This was the comment that Frey had about his plan after he thought about it. Therefore, he put forward those conditions in order to slightly reduce his suspicion.
However, would Lord really be unable to see through such a simple trick?
Would the leader of the Demigods, one of the strongest beings in the world, be any less smart than he was?
He was uneasy.
One move.
He was certain that Lord had a trump card. And he had absolute confidence in this one move.
Otherwise, the carefree attitude he showed so far wouldnt have made sense.
Lucifer hasnt shown all of his cards, either.
Frey felt that he also needed to get more cards. In order to be on par with them.
[Is there anything else you want to ask?]
no.
[Then you should go now.]
Arent we supposed to stick together? We dont know when Lucifer will make his move.
Lord let out some air from his mouth.
It took him a while to realise what it was, but it sounded similar to a laugh.
[Dont you have other business in Hell? Im sure you didnt just come here to see me. Do what you want. I wont interfere.]
[And Lucifer wont make a move right away. It looks like he has some business on the Continent.]
Frey naturally had things to do in Hell. So he would have looked for a chance to leave Lords side to do the things he wanted.
However, Frey couldnt help but get a complicated feeling when Lord read his intentions and gave him permission beforehand.
but I cant deny it.
Frey felt a bit displeased that he would be acting just as Lord expected, but he didnt show it.
Instead, he just turned to ask Lord something before he left as though he just remembered.
By the way, where did the other Demigods go?
[ah. You mean them?]
Lord let out a laugh as his mouth appeared on his face, smiling brightly.
[They went back.]
Season: 1 Chapter 213: Individual Schemes (1)
Book 1 Chapter 213: Individual Schemes (1) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Frey returned to the area in the Black Dream Hell where he arrived.
Lilith flinched when she saw someone approaching her, but she let out a sigh of relief when she saw it wasnt a Demigod.
no. Is that right?
She could feel this mans power. It was much larger and denser than that of the Demigods. sea??h th novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
But he had a hostile relationship with the Demigods. Lilith had seen this with her own eyes.
Taht.
Frey landed in front of Lilith. And as though he didnt have time to waste, he immediately brought up his reason for finding her.
Where is Asura?
are you asking me where he is?
Lilith replied in an incredulous tone.
Even the lowest-ranked demons in Hell knew that she and Asura were enemies.
But Freys expression was serious. He didnt rush her to answer, and he didnt steadily increase his aura, but he was constantly exuding a constant pressure.
Lilith couldnt help but mutter softly as she avoided his gaze.
The Black Dream Hell is as good as fallen at this point, so there will be a meeting to discuss countermeasures. All of the Archdukes, including Asura, will participate.
All would participate.
Freys expression hardened when he heard that.
Including Lucifer?
Naturally. Lord Lucifer is the deterrent factor. Do you think, if not for him, that the arrogant Rulers of the Demon World would sit down and have a discussion?
Lucifers influence in Hell was far greater than he expected.
He knew it was great, but he was still shocked when he heard her words.
This will be a pain.
Frey felt his head throb slightly.
Lucifers relationship with the other Rulers was much stronger than he anticipated. There seemed to be no room for Frey, a stone that rolled in, to interfere.
No. Do I need to be careful?
Hell would inevitably be destroyed. If this fact was to be made known to the Archdukes, there was no telling how they would react.
One thing that he could be certain about was that they wouldnt willingly accept their demises. They might end up revealing their ambition towards the Continent as the Mortal World would be the only safe place left.
Frey knew the demons greed well.
I have to persuade them to become a third force.
It was impossible to persuade the Demigods. Their trust in Lord was absolute.
But the demons were different. Even though they were all a part of the same race, they were hostile towards each other.
He felt that if he played his cards correctly, hed be able to convince them to cooperate with him. But when he heard of Lucifers influence, his mood became solemn.
It seemed that this plan would be harder than he expected.
Where will the meeting be held?
The Demigods next destination. The Bloody Hell, Beelzebubs territory. Oh, Barbatos wont go. He had to protect the Dragon Lord, who was buried in his territory.
There wasnt really any need to watch over the Dragon Lord. After all, it was probably just an empty shell.
In the same vein, Lord would probably not continue to trample upon the territories of Hell.
The Dragon Lords core had already been taken by Lucifer, so taking down Lucifer had become his sole purpose.
Lucifer will also try to get them on his side.
Just as Lord proposed an alliance with him, Lucifer would also try to expand his forces.
In fact, the Rulers of Hell were already enraged. They had already developed a grudge against Lord and the Demigods who trampled upon their territories as they pleased.
This meant that Lucifers objective was already half complete. Freys task was to change the minds of the remaining Archdukes while Lucifer was away doing his other business.
Even if it was impossible to completely convince them, he would be satisfied to just plant the seeds of doubt.
The trust they had in Lucifer needed to be cracked.
If he returned, then Frey would almost completely lose his right to speak, so it was safe to say that time was limited.
After thinking all of this, Frey finally opened his mouth.
Where is the Bloody Hell?i????n????????????????. ????????????
* * *
The entrance to the Bloody Hell was disgusting. The dark and gloomy atmosphere of the Black Dream Hell seemed cute in comparison.
At first glance, it looked like a blood red lake.
But Frey knew it wasnt a lake.
Buzz-
Instead, it was a group of hundreds of millions, maybe even billions of thumb-sized, blood-coloured flies. (Note: cringe)
It wasnt a lake but a large hole. However, the hole was filled with so many insects that they appeared to be a moving liquid.
Lilith said shed come after cleaning up the Black Dream Hell. Because of this, Frey came to the Bloody Hell on his own.
Taht.
Frey threw himself into the hole without hesitation.
The sound of flies shook his ears violently. The sound of one flys wings was not a problem, but it became an unimaginable torture when such a large number of them gathered.
If he hadnt protected his eardrums, it was possible that blood would have poured out from his ear canals.
Then the flies swarmed towards him.
Chch-
Freys covered his body in pale lightning, causing the bloody flies to immediately scatter to avoid the threat.
If he was willing, Frey could have burned all of them to ashes within moments, but he didnt. After all, he didnt come to pick a fight.
As Frey went deeper into the hole, the bloody flies no longer approached him. They just observed his movements from a distance with their compound eyes.
Paht.
Frey finally fell out of the hole. The scenery he saw was no different from the rest of Hell.
Then a huge shadow covered his body.
[What the You]
[Is it an intruder? Then why didnt the blood flies attack?]
It was giant demons. A demon with the head of a goat and one with the head of a lion.
They werent as large as Agni or Asura, but they were still as large as castles.
Frey looked up to them and said.
Im here to see Beelzebub.
[Hmph. Lunatic.]
The goat-headed demon on the left snorted before the demon swung the whip in its hand. The whip became engulfed in flames as it hurtled towards Frey.
Jik.
Frey drew a diagonal line with his finger.
Immediately after, the whip was cut in half and the flames that were spread on it extinguished instantly.
[What?!]
Ignoring the demons shock, Frey moved his left foot once.
Crackle!
A bolt of lightning that traveled from his foot shot through the ground like a snake before hitting the demons foot.
[Ku-, uk!]
The demons eyes rolled back as it felt a pain it had never felt before. Smoke then came out of its large mouth, showing its burned insides.
[Bastard!]
Then, the lion-headed demon on the right roared and charged forward. Every step it took made the ground shake like there was an earthquake.
Frey didnt back down.
He lightly kicked off the ground and jumped dozens of meters off the ground with that single step. In an instant, he appeared in front of the lion-headed demons head.
[!]
The lion-headed demon was shocked. This was because he didnt expect that this small opponent would not back down and, instead, would charge towards him.
But soon, he bared his teeth fiercely.
How dare he try to fight against him up close?
He opened his mouth wide, as though he intended to swallow Frey whole.
Paak!
And it was closed even faster than he opened it as he felt a powerful impact on his chin.
He felt that some of his teeth had been broken.
Freys fist had only hit the lion-headed demons head once, but it fell down immediately without making a sound.
Boom!
The two demons had quickly been incapacitated.
Looking down at them, Frey tilted his head.
Is this the power of a High rank demon? They are at least ten times stronger here than on the continent.
They were also ten times larger.
After having this thought, Frey shook his head.
He could see a large castle in the distance. Perhaps that was Beelzebubs residence.
Just as Frey was about to head there.
Paht.
Someone appeared in front of Frey.
It was a man who had the head of a fly.
Buzz.
Following the mans appearance was the sound of countless fly wings buzzing. While it didnt sound as loud as that from the hundreds of millions of flies from before, it was much more intimidating.
Frey realised that this being didnt use a technique like Warp or space-time movement, but he had appeared in front of him using pure speed.
You were too heavy-handed.
As he said this, Beelzebub looked down at his two subordinates.
Hed begun to move since he noticed Freys entrance into the Bloody Hell. It had only taken him about a minute to arrive. He hadnt expected that Frey would have taken down two High rank demons in such a short time.
Frey also looked down at the two demons as he replied.
I could have killed them.
Why didnt you?
Because I dont have any hostile intentions towards you.
Nonsense. From the moment you entered the Bloody Hell, you crossed an irreversible river. The only thing left now is a battle to the death. We will now determine who among us is closer to the realm of Absolute.
Dont be mistaken. Im not a Demigod.
what did you say?
Beelzebubs body, which looked like it was about to shoot forward, froze.
Crackle.
Frey let lightning cover his body as he continued.
Those thousands of eyes are just for decoration, are they? Does this look like divine power?
Beelzebub fell silent for a moment.
He had no choice but to agree with that statement.
Freys power was similar to divine power, but it was also different.
then who the hell are you?
Including that, there are other things that I would like to tell you. But this place is a bit
After a brief silence, Beelzebub turned around, saying.
Follow me.
Paht.
Then he disappeared.
It was the same high-speed movement that he displayed during his arrival.
A test.
To see if he could follow.
Frey felt that it was a bit childish, but he understood that it was the other who didnt want to back down so easily. Therefore, he chased after Beelzebub without saying a word.
Beelzebub was a bit surprised to see Frey catch up to him so easily. Throughout the entirety of Hell, there were no more than five beings who could match him in terms of speed. Of course, this included the Archdukes who ruled over the other hells.
Should I increase the speed a little?
Beelzebub had this thought, but he soon decided not to. Because they were already close to their destination.
It was a hot, dark basement.
Beelzebub stopped moving and turned to look at Frey, saying.
I cant let an outsider into my castle so easily. I hope you understand.
Of course.
So who exactly are you?
Frey was silent for a moment before finally opening his mouth.
Beelzebub, what do you think of Lucifer?
!
Beelzebubs expression changed, surprising Frey. It was just a probe before he said what he intended, but the reaction he got was far greater than he expected.
this might be
It was possible that hed already found his first potential ally.
Frey looked at Beelzebub.
Frey didnt know much about this demon.
It was not a demon that Iris had signed a contract with in the past, nor had he ever heard of any Contractor who had. However, he had heard some stories and legends about him in the past.
Beelzebub. The King of Flies. The Great Demon of Schemes.
This was probably the demon who had the best insight into Lucifers plans.
But what really mattered was what was about to happen.
Lets make a deal, Beelzebub.
Frey was going to negotiate with him.
Season: 1 Chapter 214: Individual Schemes (2)
Book 1 Chapter 214: Individual Schemes (2) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Beelzebub looked at the grey-haired man in front of him.
This man is mysterious.
This was the only conclusion he could reach.
Beelzebub was confident in his insight, and this was a statement that could even have been considered humble. After all, his thousands of eyes could view and analyze everything around him from many different perspectives.
Even if it was a creature whom hed never seen before, he could tell its habits, characteristics, and even weaknesses just by observing it for a certain period.
However, the being in front of him did not give him any clues even after his focused observation.
In other words
This man was a transcendent being.
This was the only thing Beelzebub had been able to gather. That was why he was even more confused.
Beelzebub only knew three types of transcendent beings in the universe. The Demigods, Demons, and Dragons.
He wasnt a Demon. He couldnt have been a Dragon because they were all extinct. Which was why he thought that he was a Demigod.
In fact, he even seemed to be able to control divine power.
I am human.
Beelzebub couldnt believe it.
However, he found it strange.
He could not find any traces of lies in Freys voice.
Asura and Lilith can prove my words.
The Queen of Dream Demons and a War Demon. Thats a rare combination.
It was not strange for him to say that.
After all, he was talking about none other than Lilith and Asura. Didnt those two have the worst relationship among the six Rulers of Hell?
The hostility and hatred that the two of them had towards each other had long surpassed imagination.
Beelzebub observed Frey for a moment before speaking.
You are not human.
Even if you were human, that is a thing of the past. You have already shed your mortal shell and emerged as an entity capable of stepping into a whole new dimension.
Such a being could not be called human.
He didnt know as much about the state of the soul as Lucifer did, but he understood enough to know that the being in front of him had somehow defied fate.
As if he was truly curious, Beelzebub couldnt stop himself from asking.
But why are you deceiving yourself into thinking youre human?
The most important thing is how I see myself, King of Flies.
What do you mean?
As you said, Im not human. So what am I? Can those thousands of eyes on your head define my existence?
Beelzebub remained silent, showing that he couldnt.
Frey continued in a quiet voice.
You cant. Even you, who has the keenest of insights among the Demons, cannot determine what I am. That is why I call myself human.
Since no one knew what he was, he had the freedom to call himself as he pleased.
So Frey still considered himself a human. At least, until he could figure out what he had become.
Thats sophistry. There is already a proper title in the world for mysterious beings like you.
Beelzebub burst into laughter as he continued.
Monster.
Then he nodded again and again as though he liked the word.
Beelzebub then made a decision. He looked towards the man whose very existence was in itself a contradiction, and he said.
How interesting. Ill trust you youre an unbelievable and unidentifiable being. So youre rather reliable in a situation like this.
Usually, he would never have worked together with an unknown being, but the current situation was urgent.
He didnt know his identity nor his goal, but that was exactly why he chose to trust him.
No. He had no choice but to trust him.
Because he had to deal with the two great beings, Lord and Lucifer, whose schemes ran so deeply that he could no longer tell the truth from the illusions.
What should I call you?
Frey.
Alright, Frey. Lets cut to the chase. Tell me what you know about Lucifer.
Frey nodded and opened his mouth.
* * *
He finished talking.
Beelzebub remained silent for a while, seemingly unable to speak. He also made no movements except for the occasional tilt of his head.
It was only after the unpleasant Demon World winds blew three or four times that Beelzebub finally opened his mouth.
I see. So thats Lucifers plan. It matches with my assumptions.
It explained why Lucifer was so willing to give up the Corrupted Hell. He had already turned his eyes away from the territories of Hell.
Instead, he wanted to acquire richer, fertile land and turn that place into a nightmare.
However, there was still something that he was not clear about.
There is one thing missing from your story.
What is that?
The eventual destruction of the Demon World.
!
Freys expression cracked. Then he immediately regretted it.
He landed a hit.
Hed unconsciously expressed shock at the unexpected statement. This had given a silent confirmation to Beelzebub, who was only half confident.
His agitation was so subtle that not even the quickest of individuals could realise it, but he couldnt trick Beelzebub.
However.
This was still fine.
The negotiation, deal, or however you might call it was not over it. It was possible that Beelzebub had done this on purpose, but if he truly slipped up here, he would lose control of the conversation.
So Frey quickly corrected his posture. Then he raised his chin and asked in a calm voice.
How did you know that? Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Ive long been interested in the history of Demons. Especially in the legends that have been passed down in the Demon World. So naturally, I know of Satan, who ruled Hell in the past. I also know that his existence was closely tied to this world.
Are you saying that you know about the balances?
At the very least, I know enough to not be embarrassed while talking to you.
Should he have admired him for showcasing a bearing that matched his thousands of years of life?
No. It was a bit different than that.
It was possible that aside from Lucifer, Beelzebub was the only demon in Hell who knew this truth.
As Frey expected, negotiating with Beelzebub wasnt easy. But that was exactly why it was worth it.
If he could bring him over to his side, then it wouldnt be difficult to persuade the other Demon Lords. (Note: I swear the author bounces around names so much)
Do you intend to hide it?
Its kind of strange to announce that your world is going to end.
Thats true.
Beelzebub nodded.
He seemed too calm even though the world he lived in, the Demon World, was bound to be destroyed.
Do you have a way to prevent it?
Right.
!
He didnt expect that there would really be a way.
Frey looked at Beelzebub with a shocked expression before asking.
What is it?
Simple. After killing Lucifer, take Satans core out of his body.
The core.
This was what Lord had told him earlier. The core was the qualification for the balance in a material sense.
Lucifer had swallowed Satan. He was being digested, and when that was completed, the Demon World would be destroyed.
So if they killed Lucifer, they would be able to prevent the destruction of the Demon World.
Will you then absorb the core?
Huht.
Beelzebub chuckled softly.
Its very attractive, but Im not interested in such a low probability gamble.
Beelzebub knew that he was not capable of absorbing Satans core. The moment he swallowed it, his body and mind would collapse at once.
Its too much for me. And its not just me. No demon is capable of absorbing the balances core.
Lucifer was the only one capable of that.
Freys expression became strange.
Then?
We can give the core to someone who is qualified.
At first, he didnt understand, but after a moment, Freys eyes brightened.
This was because he understood the meaning in Beelzebubs words.
The Dragon Lords body.
Right.
Beelzebub nodded as he answered.
As Lord said, its already a shell. However, it is a shell that qualifies as a balance. As long as it has the core to serve as a power source, it should be able to recover its function. Well just change its role a bit.
It certainly made sense.
Frey admired the fact that Beelzebubs wisdom was much greater than he imagined. He wasnt just smart. He was also able to think flexibly depending on the situation.
The Dragon Lord doesnt have an ego. It would be a balance without a will. It might be useful in many ways, but I have no intention of using it. Instead, its body will be buried deep in hell in a place of which nobody knows.
It was an understandable decision.
To the Demons of Hell, the balance was a troublesome figure. Instead of the struggle, insults, and slaughter that were norms for them, they would be forced to remain peaceful with each other as they fell under absolute rule.
It was much more suitable for their tastes to have a situation in which they continued to struggle because of the different sides having equivalent power.
If they planted Satans core into the Dragon Lord and then buried him deep underground, he would basically become a totem.
In that case, Hell would be much safer than the Continent.
But Frey realised that he had overlooked something important.
then what about the Continent? Even though its currently an empty shell, the Dragon Lord is still the Continents balance.
As you said, when the Dragon Lord becomes the balance of the Demon World, the position for balance of the Continent would be left open temporarily.
Without a balance, it would be the Continent, not Hell, that would be destroyed.
However, Frey did not believe that Beelzebub would try to force such a result. His conversation with him so far had allowed him to grasp a slight understanding of what he was like.
He was an extremely rational and cold-hearted Demon. And he recognised Frey as a possible partner.
Therefore, he would never try to make such a ridiculous deal.
Its simple. You become the Continents balance.
!
Freys expression hardened.
Beelzebub could feel his agitation, but he continued in a calm tone.
You have the ability to do it. I can tell this just from standing in front of you. You are much stronger than I am.
It would have been the same even if he compared him to the other Rulers. Frey had already surpassed most of the other Rulers.
Hes about half as strong as Lucifer and Lord.
But that didnt matter.
Before absorbing Satan, Lucifer was about as strong as Frey was now. So it wouldnt be a problem for him to handle the core.
I would be like Lucifer.
Freys concerns were natural. Ability wasnt enough to create a balance.
The qualification was also required.
Lord and Lucifer had not become balances because they didnt have the qualifications yet.
If I swallow it but cannot absorb it, the Continent would be doomed for destruction.
That would simply be postponing the inevitable destruction. It would not solve the fundamental issue.
But Beelzebub shook his head.
That wont happen. The Dragon Lord has been imprisoned in Hell for over 4,000 years, and the core has lost its connection. If someone who has the ability swallows it, that person will become the balance.
Frey couldnt help but agree with those words.
Right.
That was the reason the Dragon Lord had been buried in Hell in the first place. It was Lords preparation in order to take the position of balance of the Continent.
He was so thorough that he would not allow even the slightest error.
Thats the only method we have left. We have no choice but to take the cores from Lord and Lucifer after killing them.
Seeing that Frey still didnt agree to his proposition, Beelzebub decided to take it a step further.
If you can agree to this, I will promise my full cooperation.
Season: 1 Chapter 215: Individual Schemes (3)
Book 1 Chapter 215: Individual Schemes (3) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
If I became the balance, I would be more than a transcendent being.
Frey looked at himself objectively. He realised that he had less resistance to being a non-human being than before.
Another voice inside of him was dismissing his faint hesitation as stubbornness.
Stubbornness.
It wasnt wrong.
His heart was gradually leaning towards what Lord and Lucifer said.
The Continent needs a being to protect it.
And he wanted to fulfill that role. He wanted to protect not only the humans but every other being on the Continent.
He also had the confidence.
Lord and the Dragon Lord were not capable of such a task. It was impossible for them, who were born as transcendent beings, to understand the lives and needs of mortals.
But Frey was different.
He had climbed up from the bottom. It would not be hard for him to handle something potentially impossible for them.
It would also let him paint the continent in his own colors. Selecting only those who understood him, who had the will to fight, the ideal world
Frey shook his head.
He felt the arrogance of the Absolute sprouting up inside him. This certainly didnt bode well with him.
Ever since hed come to hell, he felt his inner self undergoing subtle changes.
Is it because I left my body behind?
It was possible that this was the reason, but it could also have been that this was an inevitable change.
What Frey was feeling was his being becoming closer and closer to the order and following the path of fate.
Lucifer had been right. He was already in a cocoon.
Even if he personally destroyed the chrysalis, he could no longer return to being a caterpillar. The moment he wrapped the silk around his body, he was destined to become a butterfly.
Frey realised that there were only two paths in front of him.
Evolution or destruction.
Sooner or later.
Frey was more aware of his internal changes than anyone else.
It was not a matter of willpower.
He would soon have to accept the fact that hed truly become a transcendent being.
* * *
Asura roughly sat down on a chair. Then, with a rough voice, he growled threateningly towards Beelzebub.
The meeting was supposed to be held tomorrow.
This is an urgent matter.
Then speak quickly. I left my territory unattended.
This wasnt strange, considering the fact that the Demigods had invaded.
Asura wanted nothing more than to tear the Demigods apart with his own hands as soon as possible. But Beelzebub shook his head.
You dont need to worry about your territory anymore.
What do you mean by that?
I will explain when everyone arrives.
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Asura snorted before falling silent in his seat.
Soon after, Zefar, Barbatos, and Lilith arrived. Then the doors shut on their own.
Asuras eyebrows furrowed.
Whats the meaning of this, Beelzebub?
What do you mean?
There is still one empty seat.
No. Everyone is here. The Archdukes that I invited.
Beelzebub spoke in a firm tone.
Just as Asura was about to open his mouth again.
Click.
Someone walked through a door on the other side of the room.
Asuras expression became stranger. It wasnt Lucifer that walked into the room. Instead, it was someone much more surprising.
You
Frey Blake first bowed his head slightly to Beelzebub. This was to show his appreciation for the effort to bring the other Demon Lords together on such short notice.
Seeing this, Zefar spoke in a disbelieving voice.
Are you working with the Demigods now, Beelzebub?
Demonic energy began surging from Zefars body. It seemed he thought Frey was a Demigod and believed that this meeting was a trap.
But Asura shook his head.
No. Hes not a Demigod.
Then what is he?
a human.
What did you say?
Barbatos, who had risen from his seat, turned to look at Asura and said.
What the hell are you talking about? How could a human come to Hell? And and why can I feel divine power in him? No. Its something more than that Sh*t. Who the hell is this monkey?
He really is a human.
This time, it was Lilith who spoke.
Barbatos turned to look at Zefar with a strange expression.
Are these lunatics going crazy together? Theyve been living long enough that its obviously possible, but its too sudden.
There must be a reason. Lets listen to them first.
Frey turned to the empty seat and spoke.
I told him not to call Lucifer.
With what right?
Asuras voice was full of hostility as he asked this question. He originally didnt have any bad feelings towards Frey, but things were different now.
As the Ruler of the Slaughter Hell, he didnt tolerate others invading his world.
This fact wouldnt change just because he was a human whom he liked a little.
I will tell you Lucifers plan. You can make your own decision after that.
After saying that, Frey recounted what hed told Beelzebub before. He didnt hide the information about balances.
-When he was finished speaking, the five Rulers reacted differently.
Hell is going to be destroyed? Are you bluffing to gain our trust?
When he heard Zefars cynical words, Beelzebub turned to look at him.
All of Freys words are true. I can vouch for him.
Then Barbatos spoke up.
Who the hell are you?
At least Im a Demon with a much better brain than yours.
You fly bastard.
Unlike Barbatos, who seemed reluctant to even think about it, Zefar seemed genuinely surprised by Beelzebubs unexpected confirmation.
He obviously knew how wise and knowledgeable the King of Flies was. He was not someone who would be deceived by someone else or cooperate with someone without a good enough reason.
Lilith also lifted her hand.
I believe him.
Why?
Lilith couldnt answer Zefars question. This was because her pride wouldnt allow her to admit that Frey saved her life.
Then Barbatos snorted.
You trashy bitch who couldnt even protect her own territory. You seem to have mistakenly thought you have the right to speak here. You should be thankful you havent been kicked out of your spot yet.
Your breath stinks, Barbatos. Do you want to give me your territory, then?
Oh. You can try.
It was only then when Frey truly understood Lucifers influence.
Although he had never witnessed a meeting when he was present, he was certain that such a messy scene had never occurred.
To call the relationship between the various Rulers bad would be an understatement.
But Frey didnt intervene in their fight. Instead, his gaze was locked onto Asura, who was also looking at him.
Asura then closed his eyes while muttering.
Right. I knew that there had to be a reason why Lucifer was willing to give up the Corrupted Hell. He even bowed his head, which made it even more unbelievable. Kuku. Right. Now, Im in a bad mood.
He opened his eyes and turned to Beelzebub.
Beelzebub, do you agree with him?
Thats right.
Right. I should have expected as much from you.
The hostility in his voice was evident.
At that moment, Frey knew what choice Asura would make.
Asura then turned to look at Lilith and Zefar respectively.
It seems the Black Dream slut has decided to shake her ass to the humans now, and of course, the greatest coward in the Demon World will wait until the last moment before making his decision, as always.
What?
Asura, are you crazy?
Anger was evident on the faces of the two Rulers who had been insulted.
But Asura ignored them and laughed, saying.
You guys are the crazy ones. You want to entrust the fate of Hell to a human? Are you serious? Kuhaha! You bunch of fools cant tell the difference between cooperation and dependence!
The fact that you guys claim to be Rulers is so disgusting. I cant be a part of that. So Im going to step out of this frame.
Frey responded in a calm voice.
Asura, this isnt a matter to be handled with emotions. Isnt it you who doesnt understand what it means to be a Ruler?
Pay attention to where youre standing. Outsider, you have no right to interfere in this war. Ill let this go for the sake of our past relationship, but if you dare stand before me again, I will kill you.
Barbatos nodded.
You said it perfectly. I agree with the War Demon King. This is our fight. The fact that an outsider was even in this meeting makes me feel dirty.
After making their positions known, the two Demon Lords prepared to leave.
Frey, who was looking at them, muttered just as Asura was about to leave the room.
Stop barking, Asura.
Of course, Asura did not miss this murmur.
He turned around as a fierce aura began rising up from his body.
What did you just say? Human.
Crack.
The stone wall cracked from just his aura.
Lilith gulped subconsciously.
He grew stronger.
Asuras aura made her feel as though she was a mortal who could die at any time, not a transcendent being who could live for an eternity.
Whenever wars broke out, he was also standing on the frontlines, and he never neglected training his body to become stronger.
As a result, the gap between them had widened over time, and it was now impossible for her to close it.
At that moment, all of the demons in the room had a similar realisation.
Asura was the strongest demon present.
But Beelzebub was the only one who didnt shrink back.
Asura is probably the strongest demon in the world.
This demon wasnt currently targeting him.
Im saying to act like a predator if you are a predator.
Are you trying to provoke me?
Is that what you think?
Frey got up from his seat.
Then he looked up at Asura and said.
Im weaker than Lucifer.
Hmph. Thats natu
However, Im still stronger than you.
Asuras eyes narrowed.
So Ill give you a test. To see if you will just be killed by Lucifer or if youll manage to scratch him first.
It seems your tongue has gotten longer, Lukas Trowman. But dont be mistaken. You dont think this is the Continent, do you?
Krrr.
Beelzebubs castle began shaking.
It shook as though it was terrified of Asuras aura.
Frey smiled and said.
Right. My words were long. But the meaning is simple. As you say, Im an outsider, so I will obtain your cooperation by invoking the only law in this world.
Hoh.
The only law in Hell.
Asura, who knew what this meant, finally restrained his anger. Instead, he smiled widely and said.
Then?
Right.
And that was the end of their conversation.
Asuras figure disappeared. The floor above which he was standing was crushed, sending pieces of rock flying in every direction.
Then, in an instant, he appeared in front of Frey.
Crack!
Asuras large hand grabbed Freys head and squeezed as though he was crumpling a piece of paper.
But that wasnt the end.
He then smashed Freys head into the floor before dragging it across the Demon Worlds ground.
Crack, crack, crack!
He also added demonic energy to his grip.
Even if it was a head made of steel, it would have been crushed in his hands.
But Asura frowned as he felt a sudden pain in his wrist.
!
Freys hand was holding his wrist.
Crunch.
His bones, which wouldnt melt even when dipped in lava, had been broken by a human?
Asura burst into maniacal laughter.
Hahaha! Kuhahaha!
Then, he slammed Frey into the ground and drew his six weapons.
* * *
Asura cant win.
Lucifer muttered as he watched from a distance.
Seeing the two transcendent beings wrestling through the land of Hell, Dro asked.
Why didnt you intervene while Frey was convincing them? If you had appeared on time, the Rulers might have followed you instead.
I dont need the help of such small fry. And this situation is actually rather good for us.
Lucifer could already see the outcome of the fight.
In the end, Frey would win and obtain the assistance of the five Rulers of Hell. He now had that much power.
But the truly important thing was what would come after.
Lucifer looked across Hell.
He looked towards the being who could not be seen nor felt but was definitely paying attention to this situation.
Lord, I know youre watching.
Lucifer smiled contentedly.
Your pure love has been horribly betrayed. So what are you going to do now?
(Note: love?
This is the end of Book 9 guys. Quite a chapter I must say I dont know how I feel about this one if Ill be honest. Lots of schemes and plot twists. And somehow the author is still revealing new things. The sadistic side of me wants to pause here before continuing, but I wont. See you tomorrow for the beginning of Book 10. The last book in volume 1. ^-^)
Season: 1 Chapter 216: Individual Schemes (4)
Book 1 Chapter 216: Individual Schemes (4) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Barbatos was speechless.
He was looking at the scene below him with a stiff expression.
It wasnt just him.
The other four Rulers also had similar expressions on their faces. Including Beelzebub, who had some idea about Freys power.
are we going to just watch Asura
Barbatos, are you trying to insult him?
No. I said something stupid.
Barbatos rarely admitted his faults, but it couldnt be helped in this situation. He looked at Frey with a complicated expression on his face.
At first, he thought that the game had already ended when Asura slammed Freys face into the ground. But it wasnt.
He hadnt even received a scratch, and he was later able to easily break free of Asuras grip.
Then, they went out to fight an even battle.
This was an unbelievable and unrealistic sight.
A human fighting evenly against a Ruler of Hell?
If someone had told him this, he would have laughed loudly in their face. However, as he was seeing this sight with his own eyes, he had no choice but to believe it.
Asura is stronger than me.
Barbatos admitted this fact.
Of course, this didnt mean those words would ever come out of his lips. But he said it to himself.
If he were to fight Asura right at that moment, he would have been defeated.
The other Rulers should be having the same thought.
But his thoughts were completely wrong.
Beelzebub was instead paying attention to the sky, not the ground.
In the skies of Hell, so high up that it was a place he would never be able to reach, someone was watching the fight on the ground.
And it seemed that Beelzebub was the only one who noticed his presence.
Lucifer.
It wasnt just one. There was also a black-haired man whose appearance was similar to Lucifers.
?
Beelzebub tilted his head to the side, feeling that something was wrong.
The man had black wings on his back that were similar to Lucifers.
No.
They werent similar. They were exactly the same.
Only then did Beelzebub realise where this strange feeling was coming from.
The man only had three wings on his back. They were all on his left side, and his right side had nothing.
Lucifer originally had 6 pairs of wings.
The other three wings were on the back of the other man.
Who the hell is he?
The moment this question popped into Beelzebubs head.
Juk.
Lucifer turned to look at him.
* * *
Boom! Boom!
Huge explosions occurred one after the other.
No one would have believed it if they were told that these were actually caused by the collision of weapons and a body. Moreover, it was not the body of a Magic Warrior but one of a Wizard.
A black mountain collapsed, causing a massive landslide.
Frey gestured towards the rocks, soil, and trees falling towards him, and the collapsed mountain immediately regained its original shape.
It was a transcendent feat that was similar to reversing time, but no one was surprised by this ability at this point.
The surrounding area had already been destroyed to the extent that the original shape could not be found at all.
Hmm.
Asura laughed loudly despite the pain he felt in his wrist, revealing his sharp teeth.
He didnt have the tendency to enjoy pain, but it was an entirely different story when he was locked in a close-combat battle like this one, where he was unable to guess the outcome.
The tension and joy of fighting turned his pain into pleasure.
Asura lifted his arms. He had six arms, and in each hand was a different weapon.
Saber, axe, spear, hammer, club, and staff.
They were all treasures of the Demon World that had existed for thousands of years, and at the same time, they were the trophies that Asura had risked his life to obtain. sea??h th n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Asura was able to perfectly control each one of these six weapons. It had been hundreds of years since hed acquired the staff, which was the last of the group. And since then, hed practiced with them constantly.
These weapons could already have been considered a part of his body.
as I thought.
Something wasnt right.
Asura bent his knees slightly. Then, his body shot forwards like a cannonball.
Frey did not back down, and he instead took a stance.
Asura laughed inwardly.
He is mimicking a warrior. Every move he makes is clumsy. This shows that his body cant keep up with the movements he learned just by watching However
There was that strange power that was neither divine power nor mana. And it covered all of the flaws in his natural fighting sense.
In Asuras eyes, this made Frey more suited to be a Knight or a Magic Warrior than a Wizard.
Boom!
Asuras blade was drawn diagonally. Frey paused while trying to block the attack. Then he felt the presence of that axe coming from his right.
But that wasnt all.
The hammer and club were aimed at his skull. And if he stepped back, his heart would be pierced by the spear and staff.
Therere no gaps between the attacks.
This was an attack that was close to perfection.
It wasnt just stabbing or cutting. Depending on Freys subsequent movements, the directions of the attacks would also be changed to follow him accordingly.
It was one attack that contained a hundred different changes.
And it wasnt just one. There were six such attacks.
A hint of the practice that was put in could be felt in the diversity of the attacks. He even saw the years of experience that had accumulated over countless battles.
Its like a Golem.
Frey felt like there was a calculation apparatus in his mind that calculated thousands and tens of thousands of possible outcomes and selected the most favourable conclusion.
But what Asura had was something closer to instinct than logical thinking.
Freys eyes shook slightly.
Paht.
Asura clicked his tongue.
He missed again.
He thought hed finally managed to trap him in a net, but when he came to his senses, hed already escaped.
Its not teleportation.
This was a battle that required their focus to be honed to the limit. Even if he were to use a skill like teleportation, he would only be able to move a short distance away, and he would still be within Asuras range.
But Asura could clearly see Freys graceful movements. He tried to predict his movement and change the direction of his attack, but he still missed.
This means Ive lost this fight.
Asura didnt understand.
He had an overwhelming advantage. Wasnt it normal for the side on the defensive to be in the most disadvantageous position?
Ninety-nine paths were blocked. If he took even one incorrect step, his entire body would be destroyed in an instant. Yet Frey still managed to find a way to escape.
One time could be called a coincidence. And two times could be called luck. But if it happened three times, four times, or five times, then it was intentional.
This meant that Frey could easily see and take advantage of Asuras flaws.
The hands holding his weapons up drooped.
This was the first time in thousands of years that hed felt that his weapons were a hindrance.
That doesnt mean anything.
As he thought this, Asura did something that was completely unexpected.
Boom!
Freys expression changed.
This was because he saw Asura throw away his weapons. They were so heavy that even though he had only thrown them lightly, they cracked the ground as they landed.
At the same time, Asuras aura, which was like a mountain before, suddenly dropped to half of its former strength.
But Frey didnt let his guard down. Instead, he felt an unfamiliar tension that was different from before.
Asura spread his legs. His knees were bent, and his waist was also tilted slightly. His six clenched fists were pointed at Frey, and his eyes burned as though they contained the fires of hell.
He changed his stance.
He hadnt weakened. Hed adapted.
Frey immediately realised this fact.
In general, abandoning your weapons meant a reduction in your overall strength, but this didnt seem to be the case for Asura.
His intuition was proven by Asuras next movements.
Asuras figure disappeared, leaving behind only an afterimage.
He moved so fast that Frey was temporarily unable to see him. Even Milleds clairvoyance was unable to keep up with the movement.
Crack.
!
Then he felt a sharp pain in his side.
This was the first time that hed actually been hit since becoming a transcendent being. The unfamiliar sensation of pain in his body caused his thoughts to pause momentarily.
Without properly dispersing the shock, Freys figure was sent flying. His body skipped off the ground like a rock on a lake.
While the sky and ground were spinning around fiercely in front of him, Frey desperately tried to focus on recovering from the unexpected attack.
This isnt the end.
He was right.
Asura appeared and struck Frey again.
Bang, bang, bang!
Six arms battered Freys body like a storm. Although he protected himself with divine magic power, the shock of each attack sent him reeling.
It wasnt just the punches.
Currently, Frey was a soul body. This meant that normal physical attacks wouldnt be able to even leave a scratch on him. But each explosive punch that Asura hit him with, which happened over a dozen times in the blink of an eye, contained demonic energy, which was able to reach his core.
He is equal to or stronger than Agni.
One might have thought that Asura was stronger, but Frey thought differently. Unlike Asura, who grew up with continuous struggles, Agnis life had been mostly peaceful.
After all, the Demigods rarely had to engage in life-or-death battles. They didnt know how hard it could be to take down just one opponent. They couldnt understand the misery of the weak.
Nevertheless, the similarity of their powers was a clear indication of just how overwhelming the Demigods inherent strength was.
However.
It didnt matter if Asura was stronger than Agni.
Push.
Paht!
A dazzling glow erupted from Freys body. And Asura, who was constantly attacking him, was flung away, crashing heavily into Beelzebubs castle.
Asura slowly stood up within the cloud of dust, his eyes narrowed as he looked at Frey.
Divine magic power was wrapped around Freys body like invisible armor. It even made him look like a saviour bathed in holy light.
The fact that he was currently standing in Hell made the scene even more dramatic.
Of course, Asura didnt pay any attention to things like this.
A body made for battle. No. It should be more than that. Its a power that has a ridiculous practical ability.
You seem surprised. Have you never seen something like this before?
Thats right.
Asura nodded.
Frey glanced at the weapons he threw aside and said.
Your speed has increased by several times. I dont think youd become so fast just by throwing your weapons aside
Its true.
What?
Asura smiled and pointed at his weapons.
Even my lightest weapon weighs hundreds of tons. Ive made them smaller, but their weights remain the same.
Frey became speechless.
When he threw the weapons aside and they cracked the ground, Frey didnt think they were that heavy
That was no different from fighting while carrying a castle on your shoulders. It was no wonder his movement speed increased so explosively.
Then lets get started again.
Asura laughed.
Freys heart became heavy when he saw this.
This may not go as I expected.
Asura was much stronger than he expected. He was not an opponent whom he could handle as he pleased.
It was possible that Frey would end up killing him.
There was only one reason why he thought so. He could feel his own patience reaching its limits.
And seeing that Asura continued to be disobedient, his irritation was beginning to increase.
This lowly demon dares to defy me/you.
Voices sounded in his head.
It sounded like Lukas and Freys voices had been mixed together. Even though they were his own voices, hearing them still made him uncomfortable.
They laughed and mocked Frey.
Youre pathetic. Youre really pathetic. Do you really need the help of these weaklings?
Why are you underestimating yourself?
You can do it on your own. Lord and Lucifer are afraid of you!
Just kill him! Swallow the power of this insolent demon!
Frey forcibly suppressed his irritation.
He also tried to ignore the voices in his head. He cleared his mind.
Perhaps Freys greatest enemy at this moment was neither the Rulers of Hell, Lord, nor Lucifer.
Hold on.
He had to control it.
It wasnt time.
Not yet.
Season: 1 Chapter 217: Individual Schemes (5)
Book 1 Chapter 217: Individual Schemes (5) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Asura blinked his eyes slowly.
As he lay on the ground, he realised two things. One was that the sky in Hell, which he had been looking at for thousands of years, was still very ugly, and the other was that hed accepted his defeat much more calmly than he expected.
When was the last time I lost?
Asura tilted his head for a moment, but he soon decided to stop thinking about it. This wasnt the time to be locked in memories of the past.
His gaze turned to Frey.
Unlike Asura, who became a wreck, he didnt have any injuries to speak of, and he was able to remain smiling. Nevertheless, he was able to get the sense that he was very exhausted.
Its not because of me.
Asura knew this, so he couldnt help but ask.
What were you fighting? You werent even focusing on me during our fight.
well. Im not really asking. You dont have to answer. Sarch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
In any case, Asura was the loser.
Frey had been right. His strength was more than one level above Asuras. Even though his attention had been focused elsewhere, it hadnt been hard for him to subdue him.
In fact, Asura was curious about why he was even alive at that moment. In Hell, defeat usually meant death. The more powerful the individuals involved were, the more true that was.
The winners would not want to leave any regrets behind, so they would take preventative measures.
That was why Asura thought he would die if he were to ever lose.
So are you willing to accept my will now?
What else can the loser do?
Good.
That was enough.
Frey pressed against his throbbing temples and turned to look at Beelzebubs castle.
Paht.
In the next instant, his body appeared in front of the other Archdukes.
Ive persuaded Asura. So all thats left is Barbatos.
The Ruler of the Despair Hell became nervous when Frey called his name. However, the words he heard next were unexpected.
Wont you change your mind?
H-, huh?
I understand your position. For a ruler, borrowing the power of a foreign party would certainly make you feel uncomfortable. But there are exceptions to everything, and I believe this situation is an exception.
Barbatos thought that he would be singled out as the next opponent. Now that Asura had been defeated without much effort, the other was more than able to overpower him. It wouldnt even be a difficult task.
Nevertheless, Frey spoke in a calm voice, and it seemed that he truly intended to genuinely persuade him, without argument or sarcasm.
I dont want Hell to be destroyed. Not for the demons or for you. What would happen to the majority of the High rank demons after this world is destroyed? Would they simply lie down and accept their end? No. Never. Im certain that they would look for ways to survive. Regardless of what it takes. And this will naturally result in them stretching their claws towards the continent. That is what Im worried about.
Although the demons were unable to use their full power when they left this world, naturally, there were exceptions. The fact that a High rank demon named Kaltud was able to become Nozdogs Apostle was proof enough.
Even if its weakened, if its a High rank or stronger demon, it would certainly cause chaos if it descended onto the continent.
This was something that Frey believed with all his heart.
If the other side was human or another mortal race, he might have been more casual. But they were talking about demons.
Mm
I see. So its not for us but for the continent.
Barbatos nodded at Zefars words.
Such frankness was very effective against the demons. They preferred this kind of calculative remark rather than meaningless courtesy or compassion.
In a way, this statement even made Barbatos feel relieved.
Hed realised something when he saw the fight with Asura. He couldnt beat Frey.
Nevertheless, if Frey decided to fight him, he would have no choice but to accept it. The title Ruler resting on his shoulders would not allow him to refuse.
It was possible that Barbatos might even become the one to propose the fight first.
However, Frey understood Barbatos position and gave consideration for his position as Ruler.
It was a novelty. To be exact, it was something Barbatos had never experienced before.
After all, this was Hell, where only the strong survived and the weak were eaten.
Thats why he never expected that Frey, who had the position of supreme predator in this bloody world, preferred to lower his head.
fine. I will cooperate.
So it didnt take long for him to make a decision.
Frey sighed in relief at Barbatos words. This wasnt because Barbatos had said the words he wanted to hear. Rather, it was for himself.
He could have fought Barbatos. In fact, he still had the urge to do that. However, Frey believed that if he fought again, he might have really killed his opponent.
That was why he was restraining himself.
Because he wanted to unleash this feeling upon Lucifer or Lord.
by the way, where did Beelzebub go?
Frey looked around as he said these words.
Lilith had an ambiguous expression on her face as she said.
Im not sure. He suddenly flew up into the sky.
The sky?
Frey followed her gaze.
Then he used his clairvoyance to look for Beelzebub.
But there was no one in the sky.
* * *
Hmm. So Nozdog came to Hitume Ikar, and hes after the Great Medium
After hearing all of this, Anastasia became lost in thought.
As wrinkles appeared on her youthful face, Ivan smiled belligerently.
Good. Nozdog is one of the Apocalypses, isnt he?
He was on the same level as Agni, who hed fought in Silkid. If he defeated him, he might be able to restore some of his wounded pride.
But Anastasia shook her head firmly.
We dont have to fight him.
What are you talking about?
Ill explain later, so be quiet. Im more curious about where Freys consciousness went.
When he said those words while looking at the self-proclaimed Grey Trowman, the Great Medium answered his question.
He went to Hell.
What?!
Ignoring Ivans shocked scream, Anastasia spoke calmly.
naturally, that doesnt mean that something went wrong and he fell into the underworld, does it?
Right. The place he went to was the land of the Demons.
Hmm. I see. So thats why he left his body behind.
When she nodded with a look of understanding, Ivan tilted his head to the side.
What are you talking about? What does going there have to do with throwing away his body?
The pressure applied when crossing between dimensions breaks up and dissipates all forms of matter. In this sense, the body is nothing but a burden. The soul of an ordinary being would never be able to accomplish something like that but it might be possible for the current Frey.
Anastasia couldnt help but feel that Frey was growing further and further away.
As she tried to soothe her aching heart, Ivan spoke again.
So youre saying his soul left his body. Doesnt that mean hes dead?
In a sense, yes. That would have probably been the case if I didnt enter this body.
This time, it was Grey who answered.
His appearance and voice were identical to Freys. But his tone and expression were very different.
That was why they felt strange.
Unlike Frey, who rarely showed his emotions, there was always a small smile on Greys face.
Then who are you?
I am a Wizard who was active about 2,700 years ago.
Then, after falling silent for a moment, he added something else as though he felt his explanation was too short.
I was the strongest 9 star Wizard of my time.
Hoh
At that time, there were also people fighting against the Demigods, and I was one of them. I dare to say that. After the Era of Light, which was ruled by the Great Mage, Lukas Trowman, we were probably the ones who fought back the most against the Demigods.
Pride was obvious on Greys face.
The Great Medium sighed and interrupted.
Grey, youre getting off-track.
ah. Right. Pardon me. Its been a long time since Ive been able to use my tongue.
He gave a short laugh before continuing.
In any case, I died. And when I came to my senses, I had become a spirit body.
Spirit body?
I guess you could call it a ghost. Then I met a man and when I heard what he had to tell me, my jaw literally hit the ground.
Frey.
Exactly, it was the Great Mage himself who called out to me.
Actually, it was me, not him, who called your soul.
Grey shrugged at the Great Mediums lazy words.
Ah. Youre right. Heh. Sorry Anyway, he told me everything. After going to Hell, if his body was left alone, it would eventually collapse, so he asked me to stop that from happening. Of course, I was honored to help. I immediately accepted his request and thats all that happened before we arrived here.
So it was the Great Mediums ability that drew his soul into Freys body.
but is that it?
Anastasia knew Frey well.
She didnt believe hed do something as troublesome as to find a new soul just to maintain his body. Considering Freys efficiency, there should have been several reasons why he allowed Grey to possess his own body.
Of course, there was still one thing she was curious about.
Then how are you a Trowman? Frey didnt have any children.
I used to be a slave. Naturally, this meant that I didnt have a last name. So I borrowed the name of the man I respected the most. I thought I had the qualification to do so.
Anastasia nodded.
If it was a 9 star Wizard, he was certainly qualified to call himself a Trowman. Because of Freys personality, he wouldnt have had a problem with that either.
However, Ivan seemed to be a little disappointed. He was expecting something more dramatic and interesting.
Suddenly.
Wa-, wait! Wait a minute! What are you guys talking about?
It was Jekid who hurriedly asked this in a distraught voice, his pupils shaking violently. (Note: I was wondering where he was in all of this)
If anyone who knew his usual temperament were to see this scene, they would be shocked.
Jekid Deosis, Circle Master of the Lucid Swords. (Note: I think the author forgot his last name here xD called him Deocide)
He was always serious, and he rarely panicked. So no one would expect him to act in such a way.
Unfortunately, the only subordinates who could have borne witness to this sight were those beside him, and they were just as shocked.
Only then did Ivan realise that theyd completely forgotten about Jekids existence and nodded.
oh, yeah. This guy was here too.
Yeah.
Though he was openly ignored, Jekid shook without even realising it.
Gre-, Great Mage Lukas? Why are you mentioning the names of ancient heroes? P-, plus a Wizard from 2,700 years ago? Are you all crazy?
Mm.
Anastasia frowned slightly.
His tone was strong as he said that, but it was understandable.
And he hadnt even realised anything.
No, that expression was wrong.
Frey and Anastasia did not feel the need to hide their identities any longer.
Besides, the other was the Circle Master of one of the three Great Circles. To an extent, he had the right to understand the situation.
Therefore, Anastasia spoke with a solemn voice.
Listen, Lucids successor. Frey Blake is Lukas Trowman. After being imprisoned for 4,000 years in a place called the Abyss, he escaped relatively recently, and now, hes headed to Hell to stop the Demigods plot.
Then, she pointed to herself with her thumb as she continued.
As for me, Im the Great Sage, Schweiser Strow, praised as the Great Mages best friend and the Representative of Truth. Im sorry for my delay in greeting you, but I sincerely hope we can continue our friendship.
Jekids jaw dropped again.
Then the man beside him couldnt help but speak.
Lu-, lunatic!
Season: 1 Chapter 218: Individual Schemes (6)
Book 1 Chapter 218: Individual Schemes (6) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
It took them a while to persuade Jekid and the others. And Anastasia couldnt stop glaring at the Knight who called her a Lunatic.
She wanted to hit his head at least once, but she knew that with her current body, doing such a thing would only have made her look more ridiculous.
So instead, she thought about Hector. If he wasnt a Dragon, she would have long separated his flesh from his bones.
He could have at least made me look a little older.
Since she didnt appear very old, it could be said that Anastasias suffering was only beginning.
The Knights flinched when they saw her gritting her teeth. On the other hand, Jekid, whose face had regained some semblance of calmness, opened his mouth with a sigh.
Hoo! If all of this is made up
Then I would have been called Great Literati, not Great Sage.
Anastasia didnt really care too much about persuading them or proving herself. Probably because she didnt think it was necessary.
In fact, her judgment was correct.
I dont think its a lie.
Anastasias story had managed to fill in many of the doubts Jekid had. The things that had happened so far had too much of a cause-and-effect relationship for him to deny her words.
In particular, there was Frey Blakes ridiculous growth speed.
He was an unprecedented genius who had managed to reach 9 stars at an age of less than 30 years. At the same time, he had discretion and judgement that were not proportional to his age, and he knew to act boldly at times.
There were times when he showed consideration even with small actions, and there were times when he was so cold-hearted that it was hard to tell if he was truly a human being.
Talent alone was not enough to explain all of these things.
Time was a necessary factor in order for such omnipotence to appear in a human.
If Freys real identity was the Great Mage who disappeared 4,000 years ago, then all the questions he had would be answered.
I see.
The day of the purge. He remembered the words Frey said to Rezil at that time.
You dont deserve to be the master of the Strow Necklaces.
At that time, hed thought it was just arrogance.
In fact, it was possible that everyone thought so.
Rezil had been leading his circle before Frey was even born. Although his choices were wrong, the agony he went through and the burdens he had to shoulder were enough to destroy a persons character.
No one felt that a child too young to understand these things had the right to question his qualifications.
But that wasnt the case.
Frey was truly qualified to judge others qualifications
Jekid felt like hed finally understood a hidden truth after the fact. He looked up, his eyes calmly sinking again.
So what are you going to do now?
We have to kill Nozdog.
Ivan replied in a tone that seemed to say the answer to the question he was asking was obvious.
In any case, since the Great Medium and Grey were there, it wouldnt have been hard for them to escape the forest.
But Anastasia was paying attention to something else.
What is his purpose for coming here in the first place? Was it to bring the country to its knees? Or was it to destroy it?
I dont think its either of the two.
Why do you say that?
The Great Medium shook her head.
If his purpose was to make the country submit, he wouldnt have killed the countrys royal family.
he killed the royal family? Nozdog?
Yeah.
If that was the case, then the situation might have been worse than they expected.
And afterwards?
Hes currently staying in the palace.
The people in the palace were most likely dead.
Ivan was almost certain of it.
Hes probably looking for me. Thats why I came to this forest.
The Dark Forest could be called a closed space as it was completely isolated from the outside world. Unless Nozdog used a special method, he would be unable to find any trace of her.
Meanwhile, Anastasia still pondered with a serious expression.
Does he still have Illuminium?
Or had he found another method to escape the punishment of the law?
She wasnt sure.
But there was one thing unclear. What was Nozdogs purpose for coming to the country if it wasnt for submission or destruction?
perhaps, killing the Great Medium is his goal.
Yeah. But we dont know why.
Then Ivan asked bluntly.
How are you so sure that youre his target?
Because hes blatantly following my tracks.
The Great Medium could see the entire continent.
It couldnt have been a coincidence that Nozdog appeared in the places shed been in one after the other.
So she was certain that he was tracking her.
In a way, the fall of the palace was her fault.
Ivan, who had been thinking for a while, suddenly opened his eyes.
Lets defeat Nozdog.
Anastasia sighed.
Ivan. As I said earlier, defeating Nozdog is not so simple.
I know. I didnt say that without thinking about it first.
Anastasia paused.
This was because Ivans voice was serious as he said those words. He continued in a clear voice.
Because I fought Agni before, I have an idea of how strong Nozdog will be. So looking at the current power of our group, I can say that its not impossible.
Lucid Swords Circle Master. A Magic Warrior who was at the threshold of Warrior King. A Golem with a transcendent body. A 9 star Wizard. And the Great Medium who had mastered sorcery.
The Great Medium froze at that.
Wait. Why am I in the head coun-
Were definitely not inferior in terms of power. I think we would be able to defeat him. But the risk is definitely high. I think
That we should wait for Frey to come back?
Anastasia could not respond. Because Ivans words were exactly what she was about to suggest.
If that guy was here, then catching Nozdog would definitely not be a problem. He managed to defeat a monster like Agni without a scratch. But we dont know when Frey will come back, do we?
Thats right.
Grey nodded.
Ivan turned to Anastasia with a slightly cold gaze.
I felt it before, but you are too dependent on Frey. Thats not necessarily a bad thing, but I dont really like things like that.
!
Those words gave Anastasia a shock.
She stared at Ivan blankly for a while before nodding as if she was broken.
you might be right.
She couldnt deny it.
Looking back, that had always been the case since the time Frey was Lukas.
Was it because of his natural charisma?
Or was it because shed seen countless heroic aspects as he somehow overcame situations that were thought to be impossible?
Anastasia couldnt tell.
She knew how heavy the burden on her best friends shoulders was. But now, she realised that she was part of that weight.
In fact, it was possible that she was the greatest burden.
Anastasia looked at Ivan with a fresh gaze. It was only now that she realised he looked at Frey as a person, not as a hero or the Great Mage. He knew of Lukas numerous achievements, but he didnt dwell on it.
His attitude didnt change.
Other people might have called Ivan rude, but it was possible that only this kind of person could truly be on par with Lukas.
if this guy was around 4,000 years ago.
Anastasia had that thought for a moment before shaking her head.
The past didnt matter anymore. What mattered was the present.
fine. Lets hear your plan.
Ivan had managed to convince Anastasia.
This guy was not ignorant nor savage. It was clear that he could make rational judgments when necessary.
Its simple.
However, when she heard the words Ivan said next with a smile, she regretted that thought.
Well just attack the palace and crush the skull of that guy, Nozdog.
* * *
Beelzebub never returned. The other Rulers, including Frey, scoured the area, but they were unable to find any traces of him.
Where the hell did he disappear to?
I dont think he ran away.
Asura and Barbatos grumbled, but Freys expression was even more serious than theirs.
There was no way hed run away. After all, where would he escape to if the plan failed and Hell was destroyed?
surely
An ominous thought popped up for a moment, but Frey shook his head.
This was not something that he could judge rashly.
After all, Beelzebub was no pushover. He was one of the Rulers of Hell, a being who had managed to live for thousands of years.
It was impossible for him to be dealt with covertly.
We have to hurry.
Time continued to flow even at that moment, so he didnt have any time to waste.
Even though the owner was absent, they eventually held the final meeting in the castle.
Surrounded by a sullen mood, Frey opened his mouth.
Lord and I are in a superficial alliance. Of course, I have no intention of maintaining that alliance.
Afterwards, he briefly explained his plan.
When Lord and Lucifer began fighting, he would not actively interfere with the fight and would instead control the situation, eventually stepping in and taking care of both of them at the same time when their strengths had reached a suitable level.
According to his plan, the rest of the Rulers would standby at a distance, and they would rush into the battle when Frey gave the signal.
Tilting his head, Asura asked.
Is that it?
Is there a problem?
Its just much simpler than I expected it to be.
The other Rulers seemed to have similar thoughts. But Frey had no intention of making an overly complicated plan.
It might not necessarily be a simple plan. In any case, against those two, complex tactics are almost completely useless.
It was also true that even a simple plan might not be realised.
That was why he purposely made it simple. Complex plans became useless if even a small variable was changed.
Your task is to look for traces of Beelzebub. Expand your range a little further.
Understood. What about you? Sarch* The n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
I need to head back to where Lord is.
He needed to ask exactly when the fight with Lucifer would begin. In addition, his fight with Asura had caused more of a ruckus than he expected.
Considering Lords capabilities, it was possible that hed noticed the fight. Therefore, he needed to confirm this fact and check whether their alliance was still in effect.
If he felt anything strange, he would have to change his entire plan.
Frey quickly headed back to the place where Lord had been staying, and his anxiety became a reality.
The location where Lord had been staying was empty.
* * *
You can head back to the continent.
What should I do there?
You just need to wait in Hitume Ikar. When I give you the signal, you just have to be the bait. Its simple.
Understood.
Dro nodded gently.
Hed realised his identity. There was no reason for him to not listen to Lucifer.
He could no longer hear Iris voice. Now, Lucifer was the person he trusted the most.
Shuk.
Dros figure disappeared.
For him, jumping between dimensions was nothing. It would only take him a few minutes to arrive in Hitume Ikar.
Lucifer looked down, seeing the figure of a person. Blood from this persons body soaked the ground of Hell.
Your blood smells really bad. Is it because youre a fly?
Didnt I tell you before, King of Flies? Accidents happen.
Beelzebub didnt answer.
No. He couldnt answer.
This was natural. After all, the Ruler of the Bloody Hell had already been decapitated.
I hope Lord likes my gift.
Lucifer grinned.
Season: 1 Chapter 219: Decisive Battle (1)
Book 1 Chapter 219: Decisive Battle (1) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Frey returned to the castle, knowing that there would be someone there.
Lilith was the Ruler left to guard the castle. The others were out looking for Beelzebub.
Why are you back so soon?
Lord is gone.
What?
Frey walked past her. There was no time for him to explain the situation.
He walked to the balcony of the castle, which overlooked the vast Bloody Hell. Then he used Clairvoyance.
He saw all of the Rulers looking for Beelzebub nearby. But in the next instant, Freys expression crumpled.
Sh*t.
Whats wrong?
The other Rulers are under attack. Theyre taking care of them one by one before we can join forces.
Is it Lord Lucifers doing?
Right.
Frey grit his teeth before adding.
Lord is there too.
* * *
Gurk!
Barbatos coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Looking at the being in front of him, he couldnt help but mutter.
H-, how are you guys so
He was unable to finish his sentence and ended up dying with his eyes wide open.
Its a waste of thousands of years of life. No demon would expect a Ruler of Hell to die in such a way.
[]
Lord turned to look at Lucifer who was standing beside him. He was holding a bloody head in his hands.
It was Zefars head.
Noticing Lords gaze, Lucifer shrugged.
It doesnt really make sense. Ive personally taken care of two of them.
Lucifer threw Zefars head onto the ground and stepped on it.
Paak.
Zefars head exploded.
Then, Lucifer rubbed the sticky flesh and blood on the ground with his foot as he said.
Dont you think this game was easier than you expected?
[]
Rulers of Hell or whatever You might think they are nothing when compared to beings like us. However, its not that theyre weak. We are simply too strong. Nevertheless, if these guys really did decide to work together, they might have given us a bit of trouble.
Originally, he didnt have any intention of doing something like this.
Lucifer knew better than anyone just how proud and arrogant the Rulers were. But something that was able to bring them together had appeared.
Frey Blake.
He wasnt even a demon, but he had the charisma and power to subdue the Rulers.
If these Rulers were to truly join forces under his command, it was possible for him to threaten Lord and Lucifer.
That was why they joined forces.
Of course, it was all a part of Lucifers plan.
Everything changed greatly after you came to hell.
Lucifer couldnt help but chuckle at the thought.
His whole plan had gone awry.
At first, he intended to use the Rulers of Hell to pressure Lord, but he failed because Beelzebub managed to notice the incongruity.
Then he tried to draw Frey over to his side, but he was rejected.
And finally, hed joined forces with Lord, who he considered to be his final enemy.
Anyone else would have been unable to keep up or might even get confused by this ever-changing situation, but Lucifer quite enjoyed these interesting developments.
But that Frey is a real bastard too. You and I both offered him an alliance, but he still chose a third path. Even an idiot could tell that its a thorny path.
Lucifer grinned.
Dont you agree with the proverb that says you have to go through hardships to achieve your goals?
[It would be wiser to deal with Asura first.]
Lord finally opened his mouth.
Of course, he didnt intend to respond to Lucifers nonsense.
[It is said that he is the strongest of the Rulers after you.]
Maybe if he was in his peak condition. But he was greatly weakened by his battle with Frey. Now, hes even weaker than Barbatos or Zefar, who we just killed.
As for the remaining one, Lilith of the Black Dream Hell, she was not even worth mentioning. It was a well known fact in the Demon World that Liliths powers could not even begin to compare to the other Rulers.
Lucifer then burst into laughter as he looked up at the sky.
It seems our last guests of the day are about to arrive.
Taht.
The first to arrive was Asura. He looked down at Barbatos body with a stiff expression on his face.
did you do this?
[Not both. Just one. This Demon. I was]
Barbatos!
Asura said his name roughly.
On the other hand, Lord nodded lazily and corrected himself.
[Right. Barbatos. I killed him.]
And Beelzebub?
I got rid of him.
Lucifer answered happily. Then he pointed towards the puddle of blood that had been created when Zefars head exploded.
I killed this guy too.
Zefar
A fierce aura erupted from Asuras body. He glared at Lucifer with bloodshot eyes.
Haha. Are you angry at the death of your fellow Rulers? I never expected you to be so loyal.
It was a fight, and they died because they were weak. Thats all. What Im angry about is your disgusting behaviour, Lucifer. Even the slight bit of respect I had for you has been uprooted.
I never really cared about that.
Right. Frey was right.
-should I thank you for acknowledging my words so late?
Frey appeared beside Asura while responding to his words. He then looked at Lord and Lucifer, who were standing side by side, and sneered.
Right. I didnt believe it at first, and its nothing new, but it still feels really dirty to get hit in the back of the head not even a day after we talked.
Did this mean that everything was a part of this guys plan from the start?
Frey recalled Lords words. He told him that it looked like he had things to do so he could leave first.
But it seemed he expected Frey to rally the remaining Rulers under his banner.
Then he kidnapped Beelzebub and waited for the other Rulers to search for him.
Considering the personalities of the Rulers, there was no way they would have stuck together while searching for Beelzebub. It was almost certain they would have separated and acted individually.
So they aimed exactly for that moment and killed Zefar and Barbatos. It was highly likely that the missing Beelzebub was already dead.
In the end, all he was left with were Asura and Lilith. But Asura was exhausted and was unable to fight, and he couldnt expect much from Lilith in combat.
The opponents were beings who had taken the first step into the realm of Absolute. Beings to whom even he had a high chance of losing if he were to fight them one-on-one. sea??h th N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Then Lord stretched out his hand.
Paht.
Frey pushed Asura and Lilith away at the same time.
Jijik!
Then he witnessed an unbelievable sight even though he was seeing it with his own eyes.
When Lord drew his finger across, the surrounding space trembled before shattering like a pane of glass.
Crack!
It was as though space itself had been cracked. And the crack was steadily approaching Frey.
Frey protected his body with divine magic power.
Thud!
A heavy shock hit him. If he relaxed for even a moment, his entire body would have been torn apart in an instant.
He grit his teeth.
The power to control space. If attacked directly, even a transcendent being wouldnt be able to survive.
How was he to reverse this situation where he was already being touched directly by this power?
The strength of his body and durability of his armor already had no meaning in front of Lord. After all, he had the power to tear space apart.
In front of such an ability, even the toughest of metals would become like wet paper.
There were only two ways.
To avoid it. And
Boom!
[!]
Freys divine magic power collided with Lords power, causing him to pause for a moment.
He hadnt expected that he would compete with his power head-on.
This wasnt a reckless action either.
In fact, his power, which had been steadily tearing the space apart, staggered slightly as though a boxer had been struck in the chin.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, Lord felt intense heat on his back. When he turned around, he saw a ball of flames speeding towards him.
It was like a sun that was twice the size of Beelzebubs castle.
Boom!
This sun, which was hotter than lava, engulfed Lords body, the explosive firepower burning everything around him.
However, this was only the beginning of Freys offensive.
Crackle!
Lightning surged along the scorched ground to find Lord. If it was able to reach him, it would be able to temporarily paralyze him.
It was followed by a beam of light from Freys finger.
Pit, pit, pit!
Dozens of the beams of light that hed used to slay Norn were fired in an instant. This was an attack that was much more focused than the fireball explosion and the lightning.
No matter how powerful Lord was, he would not be able to escape unscathed if he were to be hit by these beams.
But Freys expression wasnt good.
I dont feel like any attack hit him since Another Sun.
This meant that his attacks had hit nothing but the air.
Frey looked to the side, intending to see how Asura and Lilith were doing.
Shuk.
Kuk!
Lord took advantage of that opening. Without any warnings, a blade of wind from behind Frey cut off his left arm.
Frey wasnt certain, but he believed that this was the power of Leyrin, one of the Apocalypses.
Holding his severed arm, he retreated.
Blood didnt flow from the wound. After all, Freys body was already a soul body.
Specks of light were the only things that flowed from the cross section of his severed arm.
At the same time, the flames on the ground disappeared. No, to be precise, it appeared as though they were sucked away.
It was quite an unbelievable sight. As though an invisible monster had devoured the flames.
Lord, who had reappeared, did not have any burns. He simply looked at Frey and said.
[You are mistaken.]
What the hell are you talking about?
Lord didnt answer. Then Lucifer returned.
Youve been fighting for too long, Lord.
[Are you finished?]
No. Liliths abilities are too annoying. Its a power thats really suited to running away. So it will take a little time.
[I see.]
Frey watched their conversation as he pressed his left arm back to the stump. Light blossomed from the cut, and his arm was healed in an instant.
Lucifer seemed amazed by the sight.
Youre really good at using your willpower. We definitely have to kill you. Otherwise, well end up with three Absolute beings.
[Right. Theres no need for three.]
As he nodded, Lord stretched out his hand.
Puk.
And the thing he did next made the other two speechless.
huh?
After a brief silence, it was Lucifer who finally opened his mouth. He was looking down at his body with a blank expression on his face.
There was something protruding from his chest.
It was Lords right hand.
Gurk!
Lucifer coughed up blood as he stared at Lord in disbelief.
What the hell is this
[Dont be surprised, Lucifer. You should have expected this.]
Lord was right.
He hadnt let his guard down. No. He might have let it down a little. Still, he had maintained an appropriate level of vigilance.
He knew that he would fight Lord, but he hadnt thought that it would be now. No matter how much he wanted to defeat Lord, he knew that neither side could guarantee ones victory.
Even if he was to be betrayed, he thought it would only be after they reduced the obstacles.
do you intend to deal with those guys alone?
[Im sorry, Fallen Angel, but this was my plan from the beginning.]
Crazy bastard! You are more arrogant than me!
[Its not arrogance. Its a firm belief. From the beginning, I never had any intention of working with someone other than my own kind.]
Lord chuckled before turning to Frey.
[I hope this has cleared your misunderstanding, Frey Blake. I did not break my promise.]
[Now, lets join forces and kill Lucifer.]
Season: 1 Chapter 220: Decisive Battle (2)
Book 1 Chapter 220: Decisive Battle (2) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Frey didnt get a chance to answer as Lucifer acted before him.
Puhuk!
His back cracked, and there was an explosion.
No. It wasnt an explosion.
It was the sound of black wings being forced out of his back.
The size of the black wings was unusual. They were large enough to cover the sky, and they were as black as the darkest ink.
He could hardly believe it despite seeing those wings come out of Lucifers body with his own eyes.
A single flap of his wings caused a large gust of wind to sweep through the area. It was so powerful that even the boulders around them were blown away.
Lord smiled slightly and said. (Note: Do you think the author forgot that Lord is usually featureless?)
[Your twelve wings of the past have now become only three wings. How unsightly.]
How do you know about my wings?
[Well]
Lucifer glared at Lord with a cold gaze.
Lord had called him the Fallen Angel. This was very close to his true identity, and it was something no one in the world should have known.
No, Frey might know.
After all, he had managed to have a conversation with God. But he didnt think that Frey was the one who told him.
His hatred for Lord went beyond imagination.
The same was true for his wings. Only God knew that he originally had twelve wings. (Note: author put 12 pairs each time, but Im pretty sure the Seraphim - the highest ranked angels - had 12 wings total)
hoo.
Lucifer sighed.
Then he looked at Lord and suddenly let out a laugh. He roughly wiped the blood from his lips before covering the hole in his chest with his hand.
How interesting, Lord. Do you believe you gained the upper hand just because you pierced my chest? You should know that this kind of wound means nothing to us.
Paht.
His wound healed in an instant, disappearing without a trace. But Lord nodded without hesitation.
[Of course. My goal wasnt to do something so simple as to pierce your chest. Instead, Lucifer, it seems that you have no core in your body.]
!
Was that his goal?
there was clearly no murderous intent in Lords attack.
He could have dealt a bigger blow to Lucifer if hed really wanted to.
But he didnt. Instead, his attack had only been a means to carry out his search.
In fact, Lords judgement was accurate. For Lucifer, he would have preferred to lose some of his fighting power than face the current situation.
How terrifying.
It wasnt a good situation. To put it simply, it was a crisis.
Nevertheless, the corners of Lucifers mouth still rose.
Despite living for a frighteningly long time, this was the first time hed ever felt pressured to such an extent.
He recalled his battle with Satan. In that bloody battle, if Satan hadnt been weakened slightly, the loser would definitely have been Lucifer. He still felt a chill down his spine whenever he recalled that battle.
That was how terrifying Satan had been. And the current Lord was in no way inferior.
No, it would be more correct to say that he was actually better than the other. After all, he was much stronger than Lucifer, who was also stronger than when hed fought Satan.
However.
It was Lucifer whod stood victorious at the end of that bloody fight.
Paht!
Feathers began falling from Lucifers wings. Because the wings on his back were large enough to cover the sky, each feather was the size of a person.
The feathers that fell from the wings froze in the air before they could reach the ground. Then, hundreds of feathers shot towards Lord at the same time.
Clang, clang, clang!
The terrain began to change following the terrifying explosions. Even a single feather had the power to completely destroy a castle. Therefore, when a hundred such feathers struck down at the same time, large boulders were sent flying just from the wind.
It was at that time when Frey noticed a lone feather.
Paht!
As though it had a will of its own, this feather turned and fled in the opposite direction from Lord. Then, it suddenly disappeared.
Frey narrowed his eyes.
It crossed dimensions.
He was worried about his intentions.
Suddenly.
Hey, Great Mage.
Lucifer called out to him out of nowhere.
Frey didnt answer, but he turned to look at him.
I know it might be hard to believe in a situation like this, but how about forming an alliance?
It seems you still have the energy to talk nonsense.
Is that how it looks? To be honest, Im quite pressed.
Lucifer was still smiling, but there was a bit of cold sweat on his face.
You better think carefully about how you will deal with Lord after he devours me.
In the first place, wasnt your goal to control our fight and make sure each side took a relatively even amount of damage? If Im beaten by the two of you, will you be able to handle him on your own?
This was an undeniable fact.
Nevertheless, he couldnt nod his head easily.
Even though it had reached this point, he didnt believe Lucifer would suffer one-sidedly.
He was certain that this man still had some things hidden in his sleeves. The feather that had just disappeared was definitely one of them.
Im not alone. I have Lilith and Asura.
Hahaha! You dont mean that, do you? Do you really think they would help you?
Lucifers expression became cold.
Look carefully, Frey Blake. Judge for yourself whether they would be of any help to you in your fight against Lord.
Frey turned to see the appearance of Lord within the cloud of dust. He stood still in his spot without moving a finger. Nevertheless, the feathers, each boasting incredible power, were falling apart before they could even reach him.
In the end, Lucifers loud attack couldnt even scratch Lord.
I still have a method. Though its a bit complicated, its a card that could turn everything around. It could work as long as you cooperate with me.
Frey didnt pay attention to Lucifers words. This was because Lord had flown out of the dust cloud and into the sky.
It was an unexpected act, but the meaning behind it was clear. He was going to launch an attack.
Its not me or Lucifer.
And it was clear that he was aiming at someone else.
Divine power condensed in Lords hand.
!
Frey realised Lords intention and responded immediately. Lord tore the space apart almost at the same time that he used space-time movement.
Crack, crack!
K-, uhh
This was the second time hed faced Lords attack. However, he felt that the pressure this time was completely incomparable to the first.
It almost brought him to his knees. It felt like his entire body was cracking.
Get back.
!
Then he felt someone flinch from behind him before the presence vanished once again. It was probably Lilith. He didnt believe it was Asura.
He wanted to check the situation, but he couldnt afford to. Instead, Frey could only stare at Lord with bloodshot eyes.
What is this
Was the power hed displayed before not his true power?
Frey grit his teeth.
Lords power far surpassed his expectations. He had never underestimated his power. Nor did he overestimate himself.
It could even be said that Frey had made the most logical assumption.
The strange one was Lord.
The power he was displaying far exceeded Freys predictions.
Huk.
The pressure suddenly disappeared. This wasnt because hed successfully defended against the attack but because Lord had recalled his power.
Then, he asked in a seemingly confused voice.
[Why are you protecting her?]
Why are you trying to kill her? Lucifer is your goal.
Frey gripped his trembling forearm as he asked back.
Then Lord answered as though it was natural.
[She is also a demon.]
Is that the reason?
[Of course. The Demons showed their hostility toward my people. Asura even killed Apep. Theres no reason for me to let them live.]
It was my plan to kill Apep.
Lord tilted his head.
Then he suddenly nodded as though he understood.
[ahh. Right. You did. But thats okay. I forgive you, Frey. I hope you can forgive me too.]
Those words scared Frey greatly.
He hoped that he could forgive him? Lord himself?
He felt like a bolt of lightning had struck his head.
Frey felt a chill down his spine.
He finally understood.
The strange feeling he got from Lord while talking in Hell. His attitude while dealing with him. All of these things pointed to one fact.
Lord was now
you see me as a Demigod.
[Hmm.]
Lord made a sound similar to a sigh. Eyes appeared on his featureless face like floating on a still lake.
These eyes, which were spinning in a bizarre manner, looked at Frey intently.
[Is it wrong? You are already capable of using divine power, and you have the qualifications.]
Absolutely. Youre crazy. Lord, what the hell happened to you?
He had continued his tough relationship with Lord for thousands of years. He hated him from the bottom of his heart, but he also knew him better than most.
If it was the Lord he knew, he wouldnt accept a human as his kin simply because they could use divine power. Rather, he would have wanted to kill them even sooner as their very existence brought him deep displeasure.
The current Lord had become twisted. But he was unsure of the reason.
That was why Frey felt even more afraid of Lord.
[I think thats a good word to use I mean the expression crazy. When you dont understand something or when you refuse to understand it, you can use that word as an escape. Look at me. Do I really look crazy?]
If you know youre crazy, then youre not really crazy.
When Lucifer said those words, Lord turned to look at him.
[Your presence is starting to get on my nerves, Lucifer. I have no interest in you since you do not have a core.]
If my mouth is getting on your nerves, then shouldnt you just shut me up? Of course, if youre able to.
[Hahaha]
Lord suddenly burst out laughing.
Whats so funny? sea??h th N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
[Do you think you can defeat me in that state? You wouldnt be able to even if you were in your optimal state, so what can you do when youre so drained?]
What the hell are you talking about?
[If you want to fight properly, then call your precious other half. I am willing to wait until then. Isnt that why you sent your feather to the Continent?]
Lucifer fell silent at that moment. The ever-present smile disappeared from his lips.
you no way.
[You really didnt think Id notice. Youre far too arrogant. If you really wanted to hide it, you should have at least hidden the fact that you only have half of your wings.]
Wings?
Hearing Freys questioning tone, Lord chuckled.
[Its a simple story. Its not even surprising. Its quite the obvious twist. The one who was defeated by me long ago and the one who isnt confident in defeating me now have combined.]
The one whod been defeated by Lord. To be defeated meant they had to have fought.
And there was only one being who came to mind when the words fight with Lord came up.
Freys expression became stiff.
the Dragon Lord. Are you saying that Lucifer and the Dragon Lord joined forces?
[Joined forces? Its much more intimate than that. Lucifer absorbed the Dragon Lords soul and heart.]
He absorbed them. Like that time with Satan?
[Thats a method thats already failed. Lucifer isnt a fool. Instead, he made up his mind. He decided to merge with the Dragon Lords very existence. Theres the risk that his ego would collapse or that hed lose his mind, but he wanted to digest an existence like the Dragon Lord, so he was willing to take the risk.]
Lord spoke with a humorous voice as he continued.
[However, the actions he took after were even more surprising. Lucifer wanted to combine the two sides before splitting them again.]
Split?
Frey didnt understand what he was saying.
[Frey Blake, have you ever heard of a Black Dragon?]
I havent.
[And you still didnt notice? No, you dont know much about Dragons, so it should be expected. In that case, let me give you a brief lesson. In the first place, there is no such thing as a Dragon with black scales.]
There is no Dragon with black scales.
!
It was only then that Frey understood what Lord was saying.
It was Dros image that appeared in his head at that moment. His appearance. A man with black hair and black eyes with a similar appearance to Lucifers.
A man who also had a Dragon Heart.
Dro felt the presence of his Dragon Heart. But the heartbeat was not very strong.
It was much stronger compared to Beniangs, who was only a Half-Dragon, but it was not enough to be called the Dragon Lords.
Frey could tell even when he first met him. If the reason for this was because he had been split in half.
[The Dragon Lord became half of Lucifer, and Lucifer became half of the Dragon Lord. With a perfect understanding of each other, they could be one or two.]
Lord then smiled and looked at Lucifer.
[Then what should I call you now?]
Season: 1 Chapter 221: Decisive Battle (2)
Book 1 Chapter 221: Decisive Battle (2) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Frey understood Lords words.
Lucifer didnt absorb the Dragon Lord. He accepted him. This meant that every part of these two independent beings had been combined.
Their egos, consciousness, and even their memories.
They were each others other half. It couldnt be expressed in any other way.
Even if black and white were separated after being mixed, they would never return to their original colors.
And thats exactly what Lucifer did. It was no longer possible to distinguish Lucifer or the Dragon Lord as independent beings.
They had literally been reborn as an entirely new being.
Just Lucifer is fine. Thats how we decided to do it I am a bit closer to Lucifer in nature.
Lucifer said these words with a terrible expression. He didnt try to refute Lords words.
He admitted that he was neither Lucifer nor the Dragon Lord but an entirely new being.
There was a faint hint of madness in his eyes as he continued.
Lord of the Demigods, you cant imagine how long I no, how long we have been waiting for this moment. I naturally dont think it would be easy, but we will definitely be the ones to win in the end.
[]
Ill show you everything I have. You dont need to restrain yourself anymore. Then, firstly.
Flash.
A golden glow shined within Lucifers eyes. His pupils were torn vertically, and the golden glow made his eyes seem like those of a predator.
Thud!
Dragontongue!
The most powerful ability of the Dragons was now being displayed in Hell. In addition, it was the Dragontongue of a being who had once been the Dragon Lord. No matter what Lord tried to do, his movements would most certainly be stopped.
Puk!
Then Lucifers body swelled up, and his skin was torn apart. Of course, no flesh was shown, and no blood poured out of the gaps.
Instead, scales could be seen under his skin.
There was never a Dragon with black scales.
Frey couldnt help but recall Lords words. But now, he was witnessing a scene that made him doubt those words.
The scales that covered Lucifers body were so black that they didnt reflect any light.
Nevertheless, although he could freely use Dragontongue and his body was covered in scales, it was still not enough to call Lucifer a Dragon. He was much too small to be a member of the ancient race.
He was much larger than a human, but he was still far from the giant body that exceeded tens of meters in height.
At best, he was three times Freys size, but the pressure that was constantly flowing off his body was far stronger than that of his teacher, Isolla.
Juk.
Lucifers mouth opened. Behind his sharp teeth, flames could be seen fluttering in his throat. Sear?h the Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Frey slightly anticipated what was about to happen.
Fwoosh!
Black flames poured out of Lucifers mouth, moving so quickly that they engulfed Lords body in an instant.
But even up to that point, Lord didnt move in the slightest.
Crackle
Those flames are definitely not ordinary.
As though he heard Freys thoughts, Lucifer muttered quietly.
Its not Dragon Breath.
Even though he was talking to Frey, his gaze didnt move from Lords position.
But I cant say its completely different. Its the Dragon Lords Dragon Breath combined with Lucifers destructive powers.
Ive defeated many powerful beings with this power. Because of the nature of Hell, powerful monsters would appear in places beyond imagination. Those guys all had power that was at least comparable to those of the current Rulers.
Fwoosh!
The flames died down, and Lords figure was revealed once again. There were still no burn marks on his body.
Lucifer simply shrugged at the sight.
But this power is still not enough to deal with the real monster.
what are you trying to say?
That guy has dominion over space itself. You could say that he has a thin veil covering his skin. Every attack disappears upon touching that veil. Well, to be precise, they are sent to another place.
This meant that no attack would work against Lord while he was able to use his powers to the fullest.
Like a Dragon, unless it was an attack that exerted pressure on his very existence, it would be impossible for any attack to reach Lord unless he ran out of energy.
It should be obvious by now, but soul attacks would never work on this opponent of ours. However, it appears that you have the power to pierce Lords space.????????n????e????????. ????????
When Frey moved to protect Lilith, he saw his power collide with Lords. At the same time, he saw Lords power falter.
If Lucifers predictions were correct, Freys attacks would be able to reach Lord.
So you intend to block Lords movements, and you want me to end it.
Right. Think about it carefully. Right now, he-
You dont have to keep talking. I dont plan on helping you.
hmm?
Lucifer tilted his head to the side as though he was genuinely confused.
Why? Isnt that what you want?
It is, but your sudden change of attitude is pretty suspicious. I was hit in the back of the head just recently.
He looked at Lord as he said those words.
Then Frey continued without even smiling at his own lame joke.
As you said, you only just decided to join forces with me.
That was his answer, but Frey felt a strange desire surging in his heart.
Lucifer believed that his divine magic power could threaten Lords life.
This wasnt wrong. But it also wasnt completely true. It could hurt him, but it wasnt enough to kill him.
Will alone is not enough.
Frey had realised this fact in his brief skirmish with Lord. His willpower was enough to kill the other Demigods, even the Apocalypses, but he could only use it to inflict damage to Lord.
I have to take it a step further.
He would have to move to the next level.
-In truth, it was not that difficult.
Frey looked down at himself.
His body was currently on the continent. It was his soul that was in Hell.
However, the string that connected his body and soul was still present. He knew that the string was the compass that would help him return.
Freys current appearance was the best proof of that. He still looked like Frey Blake.
It wasnt just his body. Even his soul had taken this appearance.
If I cut that string.
Many things would change.
It wasnt just his appearance. His thoughts and personality would be reset.
Just like Lucifer and the Dragon Lord had combined to create a third persona, an entirely new being with Freys power and memory would appear.
Shuk.
But Frey still cut the string. There was no hesitation.
And a bitter smile still appeared on his face.
I didnt hesitate at all.
Instead, it could even be said that he was happy with this situation. Frey felt that he might have been waiting for a situation like this.
An unavoidable situation where he was forced to make this choice.
This was probably because he wanted an excuse in order to relieve his own guilt even a little.
How pathetic.
And this was what made Frey feel bitter.
* * *
Freys thoughts seemed to have taken a long time to process, but for Lucifer, who was in front of him, the change happened in the blink of an eye.
This meant that the changes he was worried about didnt take that long.
Juk, juk.
He finally decided to become transcendent.
As Lucifer was so close to him, he was able to grasp what was happening much faster than anyone else.
As if it was an eggshell, Freys skin began cracking. And underneath this cracked skin, he could see a shimmering blue glow.
Crack!
His skin felt like cracked pottery.
Then Lucifer laughed when he saw his new appearance.
Is this your transcendent appearance?
All of Freys external features had disappeared. However, in Lucifers eyes, there was no significant difference.
He still looked like a human. Instead of gray hair, his hair had become blonde, and even though his facial features and physique were different from before, he was clearly still human.
But as soon as Frey opened his eyes, Lucifers thoughts changed.
This
Only blue energy could be seen fluttering in his eyes. His pupils had disappeared.
That was the only thing that made him different from a normal human. Nevertheless, Lucifer could easily tell that this man in front of him was anything but human.
However, if Anastasia had been present, she would have been surprised. Freys appearance had become that of Lukas Trowman, the Great Mage who had been renowned around the continent 4,000 years ago.
Lucifer smiled gently.
How interesting. Show me your strength.
Freys gaze turned to Lucifer.
Lucifer.
Even his voice had changed. While thinking this, Lucifer responded.
What is it?
Youre blocking Lords movement with Dragontongue.
You could tell just from looking.
Then if I attacked you right now, youd die.
what?
Lucifer glared at Frey.
He had a smile on his face that he had never seen before. It was not a smile that contained any cynicism or ridicule. Instead, it was a real smile filled with genuine joy.
Why are you so shocked? It was just a small joke. Laugh. (Note: was tempted to put why so serious?)
I thought you didnt like jokes.
Is that so? I didnt know.
Huhuhu.
Frey chuckled softly. The sound was soft, but somehow, it still filled the area.
Lucifer subconsciously swallowed a mouthful of saliva.
What is going on?
Something had changed. Of course, Lucifer didnt know enough about Frey to point out exactly what that was.
However, he at least knew that he was not the type of man who would crack jokes at such an important moment.
Has his personality changed completely?
That was bad.
If that was really the case, then the situation might have been worse than he expected.
Lucifer couldnt help but question whether urging him to become transcendent was really a good idea.
Frey didnt seem to care about Lucifers inner turmoil. There was even a soft smile hanging on his lips.
To Lucifer, this was a smile that dripped with arrogance.
Then Frey lifted his hand and said.
Shall I give it a try?
Paht.
A blue beam of light shot out from his hand. This beam did not make a sound. At the same time, it was so clear that the sight of it was engraved on ones retina.
This beam of light reached Lord in the same instant it appeared. To be precise, that was how fast it was.
Crunch!
[mm!]
Lord was hit for the first time. His body couldnt handle the force of the light, and he was pushed backwards.
His power to control space had not been able to prevent it.
Did it work?
Lucifer asked in a bright tone.
It was still too shallow. Hmm even though Ive become transcendent, it seems Im still not able to reach Lords core.
As he said this, Frey dropped his hand.
Then he shot an admiring gaze at Lord as he continued.
You really are an incredible being, Lord.
Great Mage, youre making me wonder if something went wrong in your head. What the hell are you saying?
Do you have a problem with me?
A problem? I do. You dont seem to be sane at this moment. Think about it. Youre standing there, voicing admiration for the being you hate the most in this world.
Mm.
After thinking for a while, Frey finally responded.
Should I really get rid of Lord?
what are you talking about?
I suddenly remembered a deal I discussed with him. He said that if I helped him kill you, he would not dominate the mortals on the continent and he would even release Iris.
Lucifers expression hardened.
He looked at Frey and spoke in a harsh tone.
You dont really believe that bullsh*t, do you?
Lord swore to me. I think its worth trusting him at least once.
Freys gaze turned to Lucifer once more.
The moment he saw the blue energy swirling in those eyes, Lucifer felt a chill down his spine.
So what do you think I should do, Lucifer?
(Note: I think I think Freys broken)
Season: 1 Chapter 222: Decisive Battle (3)
Book 1 Chapter 222: Decisive Battle (3) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
That was also a joke. Why dont you relax, Lucifer? We obviously need to work together to defeat Lord.
Frey laughed as he said those words.
Looking at his smile, Lucifer couldnt help but think.
this guy.
He was dangerous.
No. Hed become dangerous.
By abandoning the humans and becoming transcendent, he had set foot on an entirely new level.
But that wasnt a big deal to Lucifer.
The most important thing was the way his thinking had changed.
This is outside of my predictions.
Before this, he was able to read Freys way of thinking. From the information hed gotten from Iris, the stories about the Great Mage, and the information hed obtained first-hand. All of those had allowed him to have a certain understanding of the human named Frey Blake.
But it was different now.
I thought that becoming a transcendent being would cause a dramatic change in his personality, but
He hadnt expected that he would change so severely. He didnt know why, but the hostility that the current Frey had towards the Demigods or Lord had faded.
In addition, it seemed that some of the responsibility towards the humans hed carried had been relieved to an extent.
Frey had said that they should work together to defeat Lord, but Lucifer didnt trust him anymore.
He stopped making predictions. From now on, he thought to deal with the situation using the things hed prepared beforehand and improvisation.
He could have an alliance with Frey, but it would only be temporary. If Frey determined that hed reduced Lords power to a certain extent, he would immediately turn his sword on him without hesitation.
Its so ironic. The weakest of the three of us is the one holding the sword.
And they didnt have a choice but to let him. Frey was the weakest one there, so he already occupied the safest position.
He was a wolf in a fight between a lion and a tiger.
But that safety wouldnt last long either. Sooner or later, if Lord and Lucifers powers were reduced to a level similar to Freys, they would also pressure him more and more.
So in the end, the conclusion was simple.
He needed to figure a way to hide how much power he had left.
[That was a magnificent attack.]
Then they heard Lords voice. There was a crack on his chest. It was the first time that hed actually been hit.
He looked at Frey and said.
[Is that what your transcendent body looks like? Its pretty good.]
Are you still in the position to be so relaxed?
[Huhu. My goal was already achieved the moment you, Frey Blake, became a transcendent being. I sincerely welcome you. Become one of my kin.]
Frey gently raised his eyebrows as he said.
Why are you so adamant to pull me to your side? Lord, I dont think that youd ever consider a human as your kind.
[You are the biggest piece.]
What?
[and as you said, I dont think I can afford to remain relaxed. So lets move on to the next step.]
Lord turned to look at Lucifer.
[So Lucifer, its time for the clown to leave.]
!
Woowoong.
Lucifer reacted.
He saw something white shoot out from Lords hand. This was the only warning that appeared before space was torn.
Jijik!
Kuk!
Nevertheless, he was unable to avoid it. When Lucifer came to his senses, one of his wings had been torn off.
Black blood poured from Lucifers back. He then used the feathers of the torn wing to engulf Lord.
Lord simply waved his hand slightly.
[Didnt you already say it? Your attacks will not reach me.]
My attack was!
Piht.
Frey unleashed his divine magic power once again.
In an instant, the divine magic power soared into the sky and split apart like lightning before charging towards Lord.
Only then did Lucifer realise just how strong Frey had become.
He hasnt reached the next stage.
Before this, Frey could have been said to have surpassed the mortal class. Therefore, his complete separation from the human race did not lead to a radical increase in power.
If he were to express it, then it was only his output that had increased. The divine magic power he released now was about twice as powerful as before.
But that was still not enough to kill Lord.
Woowoong.
The warning came once again. And just like before, he was unable to dodge it.
Another one of Lucifers wings was torn off.
Dammit.
He couldnt help but swear.
Lord was persistently aiming for him. It was a hellish situation.
It was Frey who was actively damaging him, but Lords focus never shifted from Lucifer.
[I wonder how weak you would become if all of your wings were torn off.]
When he heard Lords voice, Lucifer had a slight mental breakdown.
Every time the number of wings he had decreased, Lucifer would become weaker. But this was something that no one should have known.
I wonder who told you that.
[No one told me about the characteristics of an Angel. I found them out on my own.]
Then did you realise your true identity?
[]
Lord paused for a moment. It seemed he didnt know that yet.
Lucifer sneered.
Then should I tell you?
This time, a pair of Lucifers wings was torn off simultaneously. He couldnt hold it in and let out a cry. (Note: It seems he really did have 12 pairs of wings originally and 6 pairs in Hell. 3 pairs went to both sides. So far Lucifer has lost 2 pairs of wings. Hopefully the author sticks to this count)
Kuack!
[No. You dont need to.]
Lord finally responded.
At that moment, Frey was still attacking Lord, but it didnt seem to have any effect.
Frey was probably trying his best. But Lucifer didnt believe that. He felt that he was only pretending to help while conserving his power.
So this is how it is.
The only one he could rely on was himself.
Then he heard Dros voice.
Haha!
A smile blossomed on Lucifers lips.
Stop, Lord.
[]
Lord, who was about to rip off another pair of wings, stopped moving.
This was because he was curious about Lucifers confident tone.
Lucifer opened his mouth, not trying to suppress his leaking laughter at all.
My preparations are complete.
[What preparations are you talking about?]
Huhu.
Tak.
Lucifer flicked his finger, and a moment later, someone appeared in the sky above them.
Frey and Lord narrowed their eyes at the same time.
It was a face they all knew.
Kaltud
Kaltud, the High ranking demon who was also Nozdogs Apostle. The red-skinned demon had suddenly appeared there.
You seem a little surprised, Lord. Ill show you something even more amazing.
Lucifer smiled as he said this.
Kaltud, kill yourself.
[!]
Everything afterwards happened in an instant.
Yes.
With a happy expression on his face, Kaltud reached into his chest and pulled out his own heart.
The heart in his hand was still beating while giving off a dark, evil aura. Every time it pulsed, black liquid poured from the broken veins.
[What are you doing?]
Unlike Lord, who had become a bit more serious, Lucifers voice was completely relaxed as he spoke.
Kaltud was one of my most loyal servants. And he inherited some of Lucifers power. Therefore, he was able to enter and exit the Continent as he pleased. Decades ago, I told him to become the Apostle of any Demigod.
At first, the plan was to have an insider in order to learn the Demigods movements. An Apostle, who was closely connected to their Demigod, was the most suitable for such a role.
He didnt have high expectations. After all, the Demigods would definitely be wary of the demons. However, Kaltud carried out Lucifers orders brilliantly, completely surpassing his expectations.
He managed to become the Apostle of an Apocalypse called Nozdog!
When I received that report, I felt that the day would arrive when I would be able to use this card. Lord, you should have a good understanding of the relationship between Demigods and Apostles, right? Now that Kaltud is dead, Nozdog will definitely fall into hibernation. Even if he forces himself to stay awake, he would definitely be much weaker.
Lord froze.
It was so faint that it was almost unnoticeable, but he was clearly affected.
Lucifer laughed as he targeted that sore spot.
And Dro is on the continent right now. You should have an understanding of his strength. It wouldnt be a problem for him to kill a weakened Nozdog.
[]
Silence.
Lucifer quite liked this silence. He continued in a cheerful voice.
It seems like its my turn to take the lead, Lord.
[This was this your hidden card?]
Lords voice shook slightly.
This was proof that he was surprised. Lucifer sneered as he replied.
Right. You must have been surprised. Now, listen to my demands. Firstly-
[How disappointing.]
what?
[Lucifer, Im even more certain now that your fusion was a failure.]
Crack!
Kuack!
Lucifer let out a scream. His last two wings were torn off, and his body fell to the ground in an instant.
Whats going on?
He didnt understand.
Did Lord just use his power to rip off the rest of his wings?
How?
He raised his head.
Lord was looking down at him.
[The Dragon Lords clumsy schemes and Lucifers arrogance. It seems you have received only the worst parts of the two. As a result, youre weak. It would have been much harder if you worked as separate individuals.]
you, do you think that Nozdog will be safe after doing this?
[It doesnt matter if hes safe or not.]
What did you say?
[I said its fine if Nozdog falls into hibernation or even dies.]
Lucifer became speechless.
This wasnt a lie. He could hear the sincerity in Lords voice.
How you are you really Lord? The Demigods, you
[You have the habit of guessing what the other person is thinking and making your own conclusions. Didnt you realise how dangerous something like that is? Change is bound to happen, Lucifer. The same goes for my values.]
Thats hilarious.
Lucifer suddenly roared.
You talking about change? Garbage that wasted almost an eternity! Demigods, especially you, do not have the right to talk about that!
Suddenly, Lucifers head cooled down.
the Demigods that came to hell. Right. I thought youd sent them back to the continent. To protect Nozdog or to carry out some other plan. Because I could no longer feel their divine power in Hell.
However, that wasnt the case.
Lucifer muttered in disbelief.
You ate all the other Demigods. Ha-, haha!
[]
Lord didnt deny it.
Right. It was only then when all the pieces fit into place.
Lord had gotten stronger. In a short amount of time, hed become ridiculously strong. According to what hed known, this half should have been enough to deal with Lord. Yet his powers couldnt even reach Lord.
And now, he knew the reason.
Youre crazy. Did you really swallow the people who supported you for thousands and tens of thousands of years?
[Do not insult us with such vulgar words. I didnt swallow them. They simply returned. Theyre back where they belong.]
Lords voice was calm and confident as he said these words. Sear?h the N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
He put his hand on his chest and said.
[I can still hear the voices of my people. They are thanking me for allowing them to feel this fullness once again. Of course, you wouldnt understand.]
He didnt know much, but he knew one thing.
A clumsy trick.
Right. At some point, hed become accustomed to moving things behind the scenes rather than doing them directly.
He became hesitant to act personally. And when things happened as he predicted, he felt pleasure similar to that of a drug. This all started after he accepted the Dragon Lord.
He looked at Lord and muttered in a strange voice.
I didnt think there would be someone even more broken than I.
No one here would have expected it. Not even himself.
That those would be Lucifers last words.
Chak!
In the next instant, Lucifers head was ripped off.
Feathers, blood, and brain matter mixed together and fell like rain.
In this gruesome downpour, Lord and Freys eyes met.
Season: 1 Chapter 223: Decisive Battle (4)
Book 1 Chapter 223: Decisive Battle (4) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
[Now, you can stop acting.]
When Frey didnt answer, Lord turned to look at the head of Lucifer that rolled forward. (Note: Im pretty sure this should have been destroyed since blood and brain matter rained down)
Crack!
Then, he stepped on the head with a simple motion and crushed it. Lucifer, who was already dead, might not have realised, but Lord had shown a similar nonchalance as Lucifer did when he destroyed Zefars head.
Lord then continued as though nothing happened.
[I know that you were acting to deceive this trash. As far as I can tell, personality changes are never so radical. It is very slow and subtle, such that it happens sometimes without the individual even noticing. Just like a drizzle that you might not pay attention to might end up soaking your body.]
Are you certain that I was acting?
Frey finally opened his mouth again. His face and voice became cold once again.
Lord chuckled.
[You were curious about Lucifers final card. In order to make him reveal it, you intentionally made him feel like he was in danger, causing him to increase his vigilance. Your awakening was a great opportunity that made it impossible to doubt your performance.]
[In the end, Lucifer judged you as unpredictable, a potential enemy. Therefore, he summoned Kaltud to threaten me with a hostage. That was Lucifers last card. The plan was actually pretty good. The only thing he overlooked was our unity.]
Dont try to twist it, Lord. Your actions were just to satisfy yourself.
[Dont say it like you were any different.]
Lords voice contained some emotion, but it was faint.
Frey looked at him with a solemn gaze.
His guess was right. Frey had only acted as though his personality had suddenly changed. He had done this to force Lucifer into a corner and make him take out the cards he was hiding.
Freys plan had succeeded much more easily than he expected. Perhaps because, as Lord said, using his awakening as a pretext was very effective.
Lucifer believed that Frey had been reborn as a transcendent being, so he didnt find his change of attitude strange.
Therefore, he could only take out his card to threaten Lord.
However, what came after did not go according to Freys intentions.
I thought I could push Lord a bit further.
Lucifers plan had been ineffective to the extent that it could be called futile. Nevertheless, he couldnt dismiss it as his fault.
If he had used it on Lord ten years ago, it might have gone just as he expected, if not better. Lord treated all the Demigods equally and loved them more than anything. Every single Demigod could have been considered a weakness to take advantage of.
But the current Lord was different. At some point, his way of thinking had changed.
Now, I understand. The reason for your change of attitude.
Lord wanted to consume Frey as well. Thats why he treated him as his kind.
The biggest piece.
Recalling how hed referred to him, Frey continued.
thats probably referring to Riki.
[Hmm.]
Lord hummed as though he was surprised.
Freys words were correct. Riki, the second Demigod to appear on the continent, was the biggest piece that Lord wanted. And Rikis crystal had now merged with Frey.
[Its not just Riki. I can also feel the power of Indra and Milled. And you also have the crystals of Norn and Sunsir. Every crystal left in the world by my people is a piece of the puzzle that I cannot miss.]
I dont understand. Why did you suddenly think of your own kind as pieces?
[I swallowed Leyrin. I absorbed her after she fell into hibernation, and with her energy, I was able to heal the others. Do you know what happened to me in the process?]
Lord spoke in a heated voice.
It was memory. Memories came back to me. And what came back to me werent things that Id forgotten but things that had been wiped from my memory!]
Frey furrowed his eyebrows.
Not memories that had been forgotten but memories that had been replaced. Was that referring to the memories he had when he was Michael?
[I dont know what the principle behind it is. However, I found out as soon as I became one with Leyrin. We, Demigods, are all pieces when were separate, its impossible to determine the whole picture, but the more pieces I combine, the clearer the image becomes.]
Is that why you started swallowing your own people?
[Thats right.]
He no longer denied the word swallowed. Perhaps Lord knew exactly what hed done.
[The more pieces I gathered, the more I learned the truths of the world that no one else knows. Thanks to that, I was able to learn about Lucifer And then, I realised. I knew what my mission was. What I had to do. We had to become one.]
In Lords voice, conviction and madness could be heard in equal parts.
Now that he was actually saying it out loud, he was becoming even more certain. He was convinced that he was doing the right thing, that he wasnt wrong.
[I persuaded the rest of my people. I wanted them to understand my mission. Some of them agreed, but the majority of them could not understand. It was a pity, but I understood. Its not a concept that could be understood simply by explaining in the first place. So I used a bit of coercion And in the end, I was proven right.]
Brruk.
Suddenly, bubbles began appearing on Lords skin. Then, faces began to appear all over his body. It was a very frightening and gruesome sight. S~ea??h the N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Ahaha!
Aha, ha!
Hi, hihi.
It was the faces of the Demigods. Probably those who had been absorbed by Lord. Not only did he see Heimdall, whom hed met only a few days ago, but even Leyrins face was there.
All of these faces burst into laughter. The laughter of dozens of completely different voices at the same time created an incredibly creepy feeling.
But that wasnt the only sound coming from the body.
[Listen, Frey. This is the laughter of my people. Im certain now. Everyone who became one with me is satisfied. In every instant, we are all feeling a sense of fulfillment that we never would have felt as individuals. We have finally understood and achieved the concept of perfection and true unity!]
Frey was now certain.
At some point, Lord had gone completely insane. Frey couldnt help but snort in disgust.
Lord tilted his head to the side as he heard the sound.
[Do you not understand?]
in my mental world, I accepted Milled and Indra. Not just their power but their memories and personalities, too. The method was different, but in a way, it is similar to the absorption you are talking about.
[Hoh]
Lord gasped in admiration.
Two Demigods. As well as Riki.
Perhaps it was just residual thoughts, but they were still not things that a human could absorb.
If it was an ordinary human being, that is.
He let out a laugh.
As expected, it was an incredible waste for Frey Blake to live as a human.
Thats why I can understand. Just what every Demigod thought of you, Lord. I learned of the respect and awe they had for you.
That was why hed come to acknowledge Lord to an extent.
He didnt have a choice. Of course, this didnt mean he would ever forgive him for what hed done. He didnt even want to justify it.
He was still Freys greatest and most hated enemy. But from the perspective of the Demigods, Lord was a hero.
They were transcendent beings who didnt know why theyd suddenly fallen to the Continent. Each of them had the power to destroy a country with ease.
Nevertheless, their minds were delicate and fragile. They were afraid. They were like newborn babies who had yet to understand themselves.
The transcendent power that was given to them was a curse, not a blessing.
They didnt know what to do, where they were, or even who they were.
It was Lord who reached his hand out to these Demigods, who were trembling in fear, and united them.
He was the first Demigod, their leader. He was also like a parent to the other Demigods.
Perhaps even more terrifying things would have been done to the continent if it werent for Lord. Predators who didnt know restraint were much more terrifying than purposeful tyrants.
If the Demigods, who had overwhelming power, simply saw other living beings as food If they didnt dominate them but instead chose to eat them
Frey looked at Lord and said.
The Demigods didnt become beasts because of you. Because of your teachings.
[]
But now, I understand. You are no longer my enemy. The Demigods no longer have the right to rule over the Continent. And you, Lord, no longer deserve to be called Lord.
Frey spoke with confidence.
Now, you are nothing but a monster.
[]
Shuk.
All the Demigods faces that were protruding out of Lords skin disappeared.
He sighed and muttered.
[Right. You dont understand me after all. Even if you have Rikis piece.]
Dont distort the facts. Riki never understood in the first place. Not even once. If you felt that way, then it was only your one-sided delusion.
[Thats a lie. I can tell.]
Frey stopped talking.
Just because they were talking didnt mean they were having a conversation. It was foolish to try to have a conversation with someone who was covering his ears and only listening to the things he wanted to hear. Even if he was a powerful being like Lord.
This meant there was only one thing left to do.
Koo.
Divine magic power surged in Freys body.
[Do you intend to fight? Its not like you dont know its pointless. Havent you realised what kind of being I have become?]
Lord spread his hands. It was a holy gesture as though he had become a supreme being.
His body slowly rose into the air.
Crack!
The sky split open. Then a crack appeared on the ground.
A black space could be seen behind these cracks.
[I brought the Abyss to this place the world I created has overlapped with Hell.]
[I suddenly remembered something you told me, 4,000 years ago. You said we dont have the right to claim to be gods. What about now? My existence isnt far away from that state.]
This wasnt pretense. Lord was now the being closest to the level of God. Even though Lucifer was only half of a being, his power was comparable to that of Frey, who was a transcendent being.
Yet Lucifer had died after one attack from Lord.
Even his power of space had evolved. It was also possible that he could use the powers of the other Demigods as well.
It was impossible that Lord would be able to immediately digest all the power he received from the Demigods. This meant that he was becoming stronger even at this moment.
When he was finished digesting all of the divine power, Lord might truly become God-like.
He knew that, but Frey still stepped towards Lord.
Instead of avoiding eye contact, he looked up directly at Lords face.
[so this is your answer.]
It was a pity.
Following Lords mutter, there was no more conversation.
And so began the most arduous battle of Freys life.
Season: 1 Chapter 224: Decisive Battle (5)
Book 1 Chapter 224: Decisive Battle (5) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
There was a chance for him to win. If he didnt believe that he had a chance, he wouldnt have let Lucifer die so easily.
After all, the more variables present in a battle where the outcome was not guaranteed, the better.
Nevertheless, the fact that his odds of winning remained abysmal was unchanged.
Clang!
Following a heavy sound, Freys body was pushed backward. It felt as though a hammer as heavy as a mountain had struck his body.
The shock from this blow was so powerful that it shook his very transcendent bones.
Lord was still standing in the air, and a pale glow shone around his body. As Lucifer had noticed before, this was a sign that he was about to attack.
Frey seemed to understand the true nature of this glow.
Its a visible representation of his divine power.
The reason why it was barely visible was because the space couldnt properly digest his divine power. This was nothing to scoff at as it meant that Lords power had reached a stage that surpassed the limits of their dimension.
Clang! Clang!
The heavy sounds continued one after the other. Lords attack had no shape, and it had already become unnecessary for him to move.
It was possible for him to deal with his opponents using only his thoughts.
This also meant that his attacks couldnt be anticipated. Invisible attacks repeatedly struck Freys body from every direction.
Of course, he wasnt unprotected. His divine magic power wrapped around his entire body like solid armor.
Nevertheless, this didnt mean that he was completely unscathed. His divine magic power was being whittled away, bit by bit, with each subsequent attack.
He couldnt continue like this. He had no hope of winning this battle unless he turned his defensive into an offensive.
But there was one thing that hed become convinced of after a series of blows.
Lord doesnt want to kill me.
He was trying to capture Frey alive. And the reason was quite obvious.
It was in order to completely absorb the divine power that Frey had. After Frey died, there was no guarantee that he would leave behind a crystal like the Demigods did.
The only way to win would be to make use of that point.
He didnt think it was cowardly. Rather, he thought that it was an opportunity.
Those who wanted the kill and those who wanted to capture. The difference in mindset was by no means trivial.
Moreover, in a fight like this one, the fight between Frey and Lord, could be seen as a clash of wills.
It was the same as when hed defeated Milled, Indra, and Riki in the mental world. In the end, it would become a question of whose will was stronger.
And Lords capture mindset would surely work against him at a crucial moment.
In addition.
Clang!
Lords attacks were steadily becoming faster. He was as expressionless as usual, but Frey could feel the faint impatience in his attacks.
This was inevitable.
Kaltud was dead. This meant that Nozdog was either hibernating or severely weakened. Moreover, Nozdog was currently in Hitume Ikar. Freys teammates and Dro were there as well.
All of them were hostile towards Nozdog, and it wouldnt be hard for either party to find and kill a defenseless Demigod.
Lord said that he didnt care about Nozdogs death, but he would definitely want to obtain the crystal he left behind.
Did he realise that he wouldnt be able to subdue me with this kind of attack?
Lord had become too strong. It was possible that he didnt know his own strength, which was why he wasnt putting all of his strength into his attacks.
Therefore, he was gradually increasing the strength with each subsequent attack. But Freys defenses were also gradually becoming stronger.
The strength and weakness of their respective powers didnt matter. What mattered was that Frey was becoming used to his attacks.
He would not be able to overpower Frey if he continued to attack in this way.
Did he feel that?
Lords attacks, which seemed unrelenting, stopped for a moment. It seemed that he intended to change his attack method.
Freys eyes shined.
This was the moment he was waiting for.????????????????????????????. ?????m
Spear of light, pierce through the enemy.
Frey muttered softly.
Magic Missile.
[?]
Lord paused.
It was unintentional, but his pause created a small opening. Then, the magic missile that Frey created shot towards him.
It wasnt fast. The size was also ordinary.
Lord had some degree of understanding towards magic. No, it could be said that he had more knowledge and understanding than most Wizards.
That was why he could tell. The Magic Missile that was flying towards him was a basic spell with no special properties.
[!]
Lord, who was quietly observing the magic missile, twisted his body slightly, and with a sharp sound, the magic missile flew past his cheek.
After flying for a bit longer, the magic missile disappeared.
That was it. It was a basic spell that would disappear after flying a few dozen meters.
Nevertheless, he could not allow this attack to touch him. This was because the energy that the Magic Missile constructed was not from mana but from divine magic power.
However, this was only the beginning of Freys attack.
Balls of flame soaring through the air. Fireball.
Fwoosh!
A ball of fire as large as a fist suddenly appeared in the air. But this time, Lord did not sit still.
He immediately used his power of space to extinguish the flames.
Frey continued to chant without hesitation.
Bind their voices. Chain Lightning.
The Ruler of Earth devours you. Earthquake.
My enemies will forever dance in fields of flames. Flame Ball.
Frey cast one spell after another. And Lord responded to each spell immediately.
Destroying them, blocking them, or avoiding them. He did not allow any of the spells to hit him directly.
Lord thought.
They were threatening. They were definitely a threat to him. However they were sloppy.
As he extinguished a Flame Ball, he spoke.
[Spells. This is probably the weapon you are most familiar with. But the idea of going back to basics is quaint. Its sloppy. Did you think that fighting in the way you are most comfortable with would help?]
[Your attacks are nothing now that youve lost the element of surprise. By the time your first attack missed, my guard was raised. So now, any of the tricks you might have hidden in these spells has lost their meaning.]
Lords voice was filled with disgust. He even felt that Frey was just giving up.
It was impossible for him to defeat him with such clumsy spells.
Frey muttered in a soft voice.
The screams of ice tear the eardrums. Frost Scream.
Whoosh-
Then he looked at the storm of ice while thinking.
The weapon he was most familiar with. Calling them that was not wrong, but that wasnt really the case.
Freys recent focus had not been on his magic but on his divine magic power. During his 800 years in the mental world, hed devoted all of his attention to learning to control divine magic power.
Jijijik!
The ice storm was ripped apart. This was also caused by Lords power.
The condensed lava roars. Lava Blast.
Boom boom boom!
This spell was quite intimidating. And it was very fast.
It was much more powerful than a normal Lava Blast.
But Lord didnt panic, easily avoiding the attack. The power of the spells was gradually increasing, but that wasnt very surprising.
In all honesty, it was natural. After all, the spells that Frey was using were gradually increasing in level.
[]
It was at that moment when Lord felt uncomfortable.
The levels were increasing?
Right. They were.
The spells that Frey used were increasing in levels, one after the other.
From the 1 star spell Magic Missile to the 2 star spell Fireball, 3 star, 4 star, 5 star, 6 star and now the 7 star Lava Blast.
Lord turned to look at Frey.
That meant that this time
At a gesture of my hand, the frozen era breathes a deep sigh. Ice Age.
Crack crack!
Frost spread from the tips of Freys toes to cover the surrounding area. It was as though the cold hand of an ice god had touched the ground.
Lord flew into the air without responding to the spell. (Note: when did he land?)
Why is he wasting so much of his willpower?
Once one became a transcendent being, the energy that had to be treasured was not mana, nor stamina, but willpower. That was the power that formed the basis of every other power.
So if it was wasted unnecessarily, it was the same as setting oneself up for an inevitable defeat. Of course, he didnt find it strange that Frey, who was weaker than him, was doing all he could right from the beginning.
If he hadnt been playing around with spells up to this point, Lord would have thought so. But in his eyes, Freys spells werent very efficient.
Instead of wasting his willpower to create these spells, it would have been much stronger and more efficient to directly make use of his divine magic power.
Did you know, Lord? 9 star spells dont exist.
Freys quiet but cold voice suddenly resounded.
Lord looked down at him without responding.
When a Wizard reached 9 stars, he gained the ability to use Absolute Field. This couldnt be called a spell. It was a simple power.
The Absolute Beam that Frey used was derived from this power.
in general, the complexity of the formula is what determines the rank of a spell.
2 star spells were more complicated than 1 star spells, and 3 star spells were more complicated and difficult to cast than 2 star spells.
If a 7 star spell were to be written down, the magic formula would easily be able to fill ten sheets of paper.
That was why everyone who met Frey was amazed. Freys ability to swiftly break down and create magic formulas exceeded common sense.
Of course, no matter how powerful Frey was, this would have been impossible if he hadnt spent over 4,000 years in the Abyss.
I created a 9 star spell, Lord.
[You cant defeat me with a spell.]
I agree. However, this one will be a bit different.
[show it to me. Let me take a look at it.]
Frey laughed at Lords words.
It seems you still havent noticed. I already used it.
[what are you talking about?]
Frey tapped his chin.
I showed you every spell from 1 star to 8 stars. I even added the chants to make them appear perfect. Thanks to that, half of my divine magic power disappeared.
[]
Did you think my attack was over? No. Its only just beginning.
Paht!
Lord felt heat on his back and dodged without turning around.
Whoosh!
A fireball flew past him in an instant.
Lords expression stiffened.
Did he secretly cast a spell?
No. It wasnt so simple.
Crack crack!
This time, it was an Ice Spear. Then a Magic Missile flew over at that same time.
These spells also didnt come from Freys direction.
He avoided and blocked, but the onslaught continued.
Instead, the number of spells flying towards him steadily increased as though it was just beginning.
[this.]
These spells have already been cast. So they wont go away even if you block them or avoid them. In time, they will simply appear again. And they will keep getting faster and faster. As long as my willpower supports it, this magic bombardment will never end.
Frey fell silent for a moment before adding.
Since all of these processes were calculated at the same time, it created a formula that was incomparable to that of an 8 star spell. Its a complicated and esoteric formula that would truly turn anyones brain to dust. So I decided to call it the 9 star spell Infinite Field.
The surrounding area had already been filled with Freys divine magic power. Even with Lords power of space, he could not easily disperse it.
Especially since he would be focused on defense from now on.
Frey did not say anything else.
This was because he didnt have the time to. From now on, he had to focus most of his attention on calculating formulas.
Boom, boom, boom!
Lords body was covered with dozens of spells. It didnt matter whether it was a 1 star or 8 star spell. What mattered was that they were all made of divine magic power.
So he had to avoid them. Or he had to block them.
Frey no longer had to control the spells hed cast. He just had to keep adding spells one after the other and wait for Lord to reveal a fatal opening.
but I cant kill Lord with just this.
Freys eyes sank.
At first glance, it seemed like he had the upper hand, but that didnt mean he could let down his guard.
He also didnt think that this was enough to actually defeat Lord.
So Frey was preparing a spell of the next level. The step above 9 stars, which was known as the peak of Magical Science, and the legend the very existence of which was still unclear. Sar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
A 10 star spell.
Season: 1 Chapter 225: Decisive Battle (6)
Book 1 Chapter 225: Decisive Battle (6) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Its an honor to meet you.
Grey wanted to pretend to be calm, but he couldnt. His heart pounded like he was a young boy again.
With trembling eyes, he looked up at Frey, the Great Mage who had made unprecedented achievements in the study of Magical Science.
Anyone who understood mana would be excited.
His heart trembled violently just by making eye contact.
Frey looked at the man who currently possessed his own body before saying.
I need your help. Can you lend me your strength?
I will do whatever you say.
He said these words without even needing to think.
Greys firm belief in Frey could be clearly seen in his eyes.
Ive long dreamed of something like this happening. That the Great Mage, who suddenly disappeared, was still alive and had returned to defeat the Demigods Haha. It was like a fairy tale that even little children would not believe possible
The truly unbelievable things only happen in real life. You have wisdom that befits your age, so Im sure you already know this.
Of course I do.
Frey looked at Grey for a moment before speaking.
By the way, why did you give yourself the surname Trowman?
Ah pardon my discourtesy.
Im not against it. Im just curious.
This was the truth.
Frey was not a noble. So naturally, he didnt have any pride in his bloodline. He had no objections to someone using his last name unless it was a despicable person.
If I think about it simply, I believe you took my last name out of respect
That is naturally one of the reasons.
So there are other reasons.
Huhu. Thats right. It is also because I, Grey Trowman, am the successor to the Great Mages path in the truest sense.
This was a statement that he couldnt understand.
Naturally, there were many Wizards whom Frey had taught, but he didnt have a direct disciple among them who had received everything.
As if he knew that, Grey nodded.
Of course, I know that the Great Mage didnt have any direct disciples. But a book containing the essence of your path was passed down.
a book?
Freys eyes narrowed.
A book containing his essence. He had never written anything of the sort.
Grey laughed bitterly.
Of course, you might not know about it. It is a book written by those who were taught by you at least once and were greatly impressed by your teachings You thought that you were just guiding the lost, but for them, you were their lifelong teacher.
My masters master No, even long before my masters master, we were able to decipher the teachings in the book. And many were able to reach 9 stars because of that book.
When he heard that, Frey recalled something.
There is an organisation called Paragon in the modern era. They mentioned 10 stars to me. And they seemed convinced that it was real. They said that they read it in the Great Mages my book.
When Grey heard that, he pondered for a moment.
He had never thought deeply about the 10 stars level, nor did he recall leaving it in a book.
But if the authors of the book were truly Greys ancestors and descendants, then the missing pieces could be interlocked.
May I ask the name of the person who owns the book?
Cairo Wilsemann.
Wilsemann! Then he must be a descendant of the Great Sage. In that case, Im certain. They have always had a close relationship with us in the past.???????????????????????????? ????o????
by that you mean
Exactly.
Grey nodded, saying.
After your death, we never once neglected our research. The path of the Great Mage was continuously inherited, and for a long time, we were able to progress steadily by taking one step at a time. And that was why we were certain. That the 10 stars level is real.
* * *
Crack, crack!
Lord admired the spells as they bombarded his entire body.
The number of spells has surpassed 50.
Frey had implied that all of these processes were within the formula of the Infinite Field spell, but it was not so simple. To put it simply, a vast and complex process that even ten 9 star Wizards working together would have had trouble breaking down was being carried out every moment.
At the same time, not even the smallest miscalculation was tolerated.
Dozens of spells of different attributes and types had created what could be described as a magical storm in a certain portion of space. It was an amazing feat to be able to control them so that they did not conflict with each other.
Its as though dozens of Wizards who have been working together for a very long time are attacking me in unison.
Crack, crack!
At that moment, a Howling Tempest spell was gnawing at his skin. It was only a 6 star spell, but because it was created by divine magic power, it was able to reach his core.
Freys attacks were definitely causing damage to Lord.
-a scratch on a tree branch can still be called a wound.
As he had this thought, Lord lifted his hand.
Crack!
!
Frey, who was watching from the sidelines, narrowed his eyes.
A spell had just disappeared. Of course, this didnt mean hed completely gotten rid of it.
Crack! Crack!
But it wasnt an illusion. Even at that moment, his spells were being nullified one after the other.
There was no need to ponder who was behind this.
Is he erasing them with his power?
But that couldnt be it.
Freys spells, which were cast using divine magic power, could not be so easily erased by Lords power.
Frey looked inside the field. And when he realised what Lord was doing, he became speechless.
How many times could he witness such a sight?
Hes disrupting the spells.
Frey had no choice but to watch on in disbelief.
What he was seeing was certainly theoretically possible. It could also be called the most efficient method.
It involved basically conserving your own power and making your opponents attacks collide with each other, thereby negating themselves.
But there were many theoretically possible things in the world. And the reason they were given such a grand modifier was simple.
That was because the vast majority of beings were unable to even try to attempt these things. It was like catching an incoming arrow before throwing it again and hitting another incoming arrow.
No. It was much more difficult than that. What Lord was doing was many times harder than that.
Another spell disappeared.
Lord was gradually increasing the speed with which he destroyed the spells.
I cant afford to waste even a single minute.
Freys judgement was quick.
If it no longer had an effect, then he had no reason to continue using Infinite Field, which required a large amount of willpower. (Note: Author keeps jumping between infinite and infinity, Ill just stick to infinite.)
Huk.
In an instant, silence fell upon the area. Then, the dust settled, and Lords figure was revealed. There were a few scratches on his body, but after a moment, those were healed.
Frey looked at him silently for a moment before opening his mouth.
I didnt expect the Infinite Field to have much of an effect.
[The heavy expression on your face says otherwise.]
Thats because I didnt expect that youd use such an unbelievable method. You used a technique that requires a great understanding of Magical Science. Is this also knowledge you gained by consuming your own kind?
[Right. To be precise, I gained an understanding of the concept of mana. Magical Science is a study of mana created by you humans, but mana itself is derived from the power of origin.]
Lords affirmation made Freys heart feel heavy.
It was hard not to. After all, one of Lords weaknesses had been erased.
Just as Frey used his understanding of divine power to his advantage in fights against Demigods, Lord had also learned the concept of mana and could now use it to deal with magic.
You really are powerful.
He meant it.
Frey was incomparably stronger than he had been 4,000 years ago. But Lord was still stronger than him.
Hed thought hed narrowed the distance between them, but inexplicably, it had only grown larger.
It would have been a lie to say he didnt feel any hopelessness. But Frey struggled to suppress those negative thoughts.
If his conviction was broken, a monster called defeat would surely raise its ugly head.
Even if one was forced or bluffing, one should never admit that ones opponent was superior. In a sense, sometimes, it was better to keep a good frame of mind than to conserve willpower.
However, even if you understand mana, you wont be able to decipher a 10 star spell.
[You seem to be mistaken. The 10 star level doesnt exist.]
I, too, thought so.
[]
Lord paused. He could feel in Freys tone that he wasnt lying.
[are you saying that you have achieved that level?]
It seems that I have at least stepped one foot in.
[I see. So thats why you havent become desperate yet.]
He nodded.
[Ill give you time. Enough time to prepare. So do your best, and show me the 10 stars level.]
At first glance, this statement might have seemed to carry the composure of a powerful being. But the meaning being it was completely different.
Lords goal was to defeat, capture, and ultimately consume Frey. And the most efficient way to do that was to make him realise the difference between them.
Lord knew.
Just as Kaltud was Lucifers last card, the power of 10 stars was Freys. If he could withstand this attack, then Freys will would certainly be broken. Because he would realise that he couldnt win.
Sss
Breathe.
Close your eyes.
Empty your thoughts.
Then remember the power of 10 stars that Grey Trowman had found.
-language.
Whether it was spoken or written. Words contained power.
Frey knew that too.
The power that Greys ancestors, that is to say, Freys disciples, paid attention to was the Dragons Dragontongue. Sarch* The n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
This was a power unique to Dragons that was neither magic nor divine power.
Then how was this transcendent power expressed? How could a combination of words released through speech have such an effect on the fabric of reality?
They explored.
They explored for thousands of years.
Even someone with an extremely long lifespan would not have been able to achieve such a feat.
Frey dared to affirm this.
He believed that this achievement was only possible because it was done by humans.
Our lives are short.
Even if they reached the highest level, they would rarely be able to surpass 200 years. But they were able to fiercely live each moment to the fullest because they knew that death could arrive at any moment.
They could burn their souls as though the present was their last. They could run constantly, and even if they couldnt achieve their goal in the end, they could die laughing. Because their will, desire, and achievements would all be inherited.
And they believed that their future generations would be able to complete the mission that they couldnt.
If not the next one, then the next after that.
It kept stacking and stacking. And eventually, the pile of leaves would become trees.
The power of beginning. Ether.
[!]
Lord showed a rare look of surprise.
This was because he didnt expect Frey to suddenly mention this power.
The Dragons used Dragontongue to communicate with the ether. The power that forms the foundation of the world. This law, which only operated of its own will, responded to the Dragons voices Probably because they were given the role as the balance of the Continent from the beginning.
However, it was pointless to imitate them. Dragontongue was certainly powerful, but in the end, it was defeated by the Demigods divine power.
We couldnt handle that power. So I found a new law. I decided to communicate with the law I was most familiar with instead of ether.
Mana.
Season: 1 Chapter 226: Decisive Battle (7)
Book 1 Chapter 226: Decisive Battle (7) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Frey muttered softly.
Krrr.
Space changed.
Lord could feel it more clearly than anyone else.
He looked at Frey with a deep gaze and saw that the blue energy that was overflowing in his eyes had started to glow brilliantly.
After looking at him for a while, Lord sighed.
[I cant help but feel a little disappointed, Great Mage.]
Lord felt the same way he had with Lucifer before. Just like that time, this was far below his expectations.
He felt that all the preparations and schemes that they had prepared were of no threat to him. Everything theyd done had only been able to injure him at most.
He never thought it would be so easy.
[I know what youre trying to do. After understanding and deciphering the Dragons Dragontongue, you then applied the same principle to the law of mana.]
If Dragontongue could control the ether, then the power Frey was currently using could control mana.
That was why he was disappointed.
Because this power only controlled the mana within a certain space.
[How dare you say the word world when all you are controlling is the mana in your surroundings?]
Lords voice shook with rage.
[Do you truly understand the law? This power that controls an entire area? Wizards World? Does it only have a grand name? Do you still not understand who is standing in front of you?]
Lord growled.
[Youre more arrogant than Lucifer. How dare you claim to have taken control of space in front of me?!]
Frey looked at him before speaking in a calm voice.
You are a Demigod. Demigods use divine power.
[Thats right.]
The Dragons used ether, and the Demons used demonic energy.
[are you trying to say you need to do that now?]
I need to. Definitely.
Frey muttered softly.
Then, looking back at the steps hed taken, he questioned himself. After he separated from his body and became a transcendent being, his emotions had gradually begun to fade.
He could feel even more clearly that hed stepped out of the realm of mortality. In the end, he had become completely separate from the humans he was so obsessed with.
Nevertheless, there was something that didnt change.
I am a Wizard.
No. That alone wasnt enough.
Frey shook his head then spoke with greater confidence in himself.
I am the Great Mage.
The explorer of mana.
That was who Frey was in essence.
My mission is to explore mana, the greatest energy, and decipher the truths hidden within it. It is my duty to understand and adjust the complex laws of this world. That is the responsibility I hold as the Great Mage. Thats why, Lord, I will face you with mana.
Ttuk.
Lords aura changed in an instant.
It was as though the calm before the storm had descended upon the area.
[That disgusting stubbornness. Ive changed my mind again, Frey Blake. You dont deserve to be our kin.]
Lord looked at Frey like he was delivering a sentence.
[First, I will suck out all of my kinds power from your body. Then, I will kill you. You will die in the most miserable and humiliating way you can imagine.]
Frey smiled at that.
If you take away my powers, I can die as a human.
[]
Lord closed his mouth.
He realised that any further conversation was meaningless.
Frey thought so too.
And so.
A silent clash of wills began.
* * *
It was Lord who announced the start of the battle.
He suddenly lifted his right hand and pointed it towards Frey. His entire body became covered with a pale glow, and his outstretched hand appeared even whiter than usual.
The distance between them was great. At least a few hundred steps. Nevertheless, instantly, it felt that Lords hand was right in front of him and large enough to cover his entire body.
This was a visual representation of the fact that Lord could close the distance between them in an instant.
Lords plan was also predictable.
He intended to touch Freys transcendent body and directly destroy his consciousness. If necessary, he would also torture him and much more.
He no longer considered Frey his own kind. Nevertheless, he still had no intention of killing him directly.
His goal was to absorb all of the divine power in his body.
Frey spoke softly.
Crunch.
In an instant, Lords hand, which was about to reach Frey, suddenly twisted in a bizarre direction. Then, his entire body flew backwards like he was a cannonball shot from a cannon, quickly flying so far away that he could no longer be seen.
The distance between them had been widened again. But this wasnt enough to make him relax.
The blue light shining in Freys eyes became stronger. He narrowed his eyes, and as though he could see the staggering Lord who was slowly getting to his feet, he said.
Thud!
Lords knee, which was almost straight, was forced into a right angle.
Unable to withstand the invisible pressure, his face soon made contact with the ground.
In this broken state, Lord lifted his head to look at Frey. The faint glow began to cover his body once again.
Huk.
This word caused the glow to tremble dangerously. Then it was extinguished like a candle in front of a strong breeze.
Three words. With just three words, Frey had completely neutralised Lords actions.
These words werent temporary like Dragontongue either. They had the ability to last for a very long time.
Lord could no longer reach Frey, could no longer stand, and could no longer use his power as he pleased.
This would remain the case as long as Frey had the mental power to support it.
Yet, it was Frey who decided to call this power Endtongue. (Note: strange name, it was created in the same way Dragontongue was, Ill try to think of something better)
At first glance, it seemed as though he was overpowering Lord, but Freys expression wasnt very good.
Its hard.
He had restrained him, but he hadnt caused any actual damage.
No. Could it even be called restraint? It wasnt considered a restraint when a rope was tied around a rock.
It wasnt enough. He couldnt kill Lord with just this.
Frey calmed himself.
Now that hed brought all of his power to bear, he had no intention of wasting any time. In fact, he was already feeling a bit dizzy.
This was the effect caused by his use of Infinite Field as well as a power with which he was not familiar. In particular, the aftereffects of his Endtongue were quite severe.
It was inevitable.
It is the power to change my perception into reality.
It was an ability that could be called reality manipulation.
It might even have been possible for him to create matter as long as he had the time to increase his proficiency. It was a power that was no different from the power of God; however, it wasnt universal.
If anything he said really could happen, he would have already told Lord to die. In fact, he still wanted to try it. But it was up to Frey to handle the impact his Endtongue had on reality.
Stopping Lords movements and extinguishing his very existence were completely different. And naturally, their aftereffects would also be different.
Frey was unsure of just how much of a price hed have to pay for Lord to be destroyed. More importantly, he wasnt sure if Lord would be destroyed immediately.
It was the same even now.
Crik, crik
Lord was already resisting his Endtongue.
This wasnt because Freys powers had weakened. Instead, it was because his body was gradually developing a resistance.
Monster.
It was a scene that he found hard to believe even though he was seeing it with his own eyes. This was because most Demigods would be completely defenseless in front of his Endtongue.
Crack!
He felt something break.
Lord had broken one of Freys three words.
It was the word. He no longer felt a great pressure pressing him down.
[]
Lord had temporarily regained his freedom, but he didnt try to close the distance.
Instead, he just looked down at his hand and clenched his fist.
He didnt have a choice.
There were still two words binding him. Unless he broke those two, he would not be able to approach him
Whoosh.
-Probably. Sarch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
In what could only be called a stroke of luck, Frey suddenly realised that the winds he suddenly felt were not the disgusting winds of Hell, and his eyes widened.
He used Endtongue once again, and he felt that the winds around him had stopped.
Frey subconsciously swallowed his saliva.
If he had used Endtongue even a moment later, wind blades would have torn his body apart.
This was also Lords power.
He can use the power of every Demigod he absorbed.
What Frey had restrained with before was Lords own power of space. But there were dozens of powers that Lord could still use.
I was mistaken.
Frey muttered.
Hed intended to restrain him with the Endtongue before finishing him off with his divine magic power. However, he did not even have the time for that.
He had realised that now. His chances of defeating Lord had a very short window.
Now that only a small amount of his mental power remained, he would have to go all in.
Krrr-
Blue light covered Freys body.
Lord also felt the restraints on his body disappear.
[]
He knew that this blow would contain Freys all.
His largest and last attack would be coming. In other words, if Lord could survive this attack, it would be his victory.
Crack.
Death had no substance. Lord was aware of that. However, Freys voice had clearly caused an embodiment of death to appear in reality.
Lord looked at this ominous, amorphous black fog. This fog, which seemed to drift aimlessly, gradually began to take shape.
[]
Lord was speechless.
Then his eyes appeared. And nothing but rage could be seen within them.
It was a blade.
The black fog had slowly transformed into a sword that shined with a dazzling silver glow. (Note: RIKI?!)
Lord burst out in an angry voice.
[Insolent! Are you saying this is how I will die?!]
Then his body seemed to move impulsively.
Lord charged towards the sword without any protection from his power.
This was something that even Frey couldnt predict. In an instant, the sword collided with Lords chest.
Jujuk-
Lords chest cracked. Then light exploded from within him.
Frey looked at this light. He didnt blink even when his eyes started to burn.
The brilliant flash of light swallowed Lord, then the sword, and then, eventually, it swallowed Frey.
Season: 1 Chapter 227: Decisive Battle (8)
Book 1 Chapter 227: Decisive Battle (8) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
He could see many faces. Faces hed seen before.
They were looking up at him in fear.
S-, stop.
We dont want that.
Frey looked at them and reached out his hand. No. He wasnt the one who was moving.
It seemed that Frey was only conscious, but it was someone else who was controlling his body.
[Dont be afraid, my people. You will understand soon.]
It was Lords voice.
Only then did Frey realise that this was Lords body. And the beings who were shivering in front of him were the Demigods.
These transcendent beings, who had trampled upon humans like bugs, were now even more miserable than those they killed.
They never even thought about fighting back. They had no choice but to watch on in horror as death approached them.
The feast began.
Crunch, crunch
Although Lord expressed it as accepting them and becoming one, that was not the case. No, he literally devoured them.
A huge mouth appeared on Lords face, and with it, he bit the Demigods, chewed their bodies, and swallowed them.
Lord didnt seem to hesitate when moving his mouth. He could feel it now that he was a part of him.
He did not feel even the slightest repulsion in his actions. In fact, there was even a sense of satisfaction in his mind like he was truly doing the right thing.
Frey felt speechless.
These are Lords memories.
Only then did he understand his situation.
Frey and Lords wills had been stirred violently, and fragments of their memories had been scattered everywhere.
What Frey was currently witnessing was one of those fragments. It was possible that Lord was viewing his memories as well.
He was drawn into another memory.
This time, he saw a silver-haired man.
[Killing our people is unforgivable, Riki.]
I know.
[I want to ask. Why did you betray us? You werent like this before. You understood me better than anyone else and agreed with my goal.]
Thats obvious, Lord.
Riki looked at Lord with a firm gaze.
Its because I realised at the time that we were in the wrong.
Right after hearing Rikis words, it was like a large, irreparable crack appeared in Lords mind. It caused his emotions, which didnt so much as shake when he devoured dozens of his people, to waver.
Their conversation continued.
Lord pretended to be calm, but he was burning on the inside. He felt impatient. He felt confused.
Hed never expected the betrayal of the person he trusted the most.
He felt that he had to change Rikis mind somehow. His impatience made him say something that never should have been said.
[Then lets pretend this never happened.]
what?
[We have to put on a good act. I will pick one of the Demigods who comes here. There will be no suspicion, and everything will go smoothly. You will have nothing to worry about]
youre going to falsely accuse and then kill an innocent Demigod?
[It is unfortunate, but it cant be helped. Because you are more important than anyone else.]
It must have been exactly at this point. The first distortion in Lords mindset and all the subsequent changes began with this very proposal.
Naturally, Riki did not accept his offer, which further increased the speed of the cracks spreading throughout Lords psyche.
I was willing to give up so much for you! Yet you!you!
Lord screamed desperately on the inside. For more than tens of thousands of years, he had treated and loved every Demigod equally.
It was because of this that he was able to gain the title Lord and was able to win every Demigods blind loyalty.
Yet hed committed the first act that went against his beliefs for Riki.
It was an act that violated his own identity.
But he didnt even realise that his thoughts were already crooked. He was just angry because his dedication wasnt rewarded.
He didnt care about the confusion that the other Demigods would feel if this were revealed.
The biggest problem had already sprung up in Lords mind. And for the first time, he felt hate towards the race known as Demigods.
This is.
This was Lords weakness.
It was the only thing that could pierce through the iron fortress that was his conviction.
I can win.
The moment Frey had this thought.
Crack.
Kuk
He woke up from the assimilation in intense pain.
* * *
Huk huk
Frey panted heavily.
After waking up from the memories, he noticed his condition. He had poured out everything he had.
The power used in the Endtongue word was beyond imagination. Sar?h the N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Freys body had even become faint like an illusion. He forcibly raised his head and looked around.
Lord was standing there. His current state could only be described as a mess.
The glow around his body flashed like a candle ready to go out. There were cracks all over his body that revealed the flesh beneath. And his presence could barely be felt.
This was enough to show just how much damage hed taken.
The most important thing was that despite this damage, his condition was still better than Freys.
Defeat.
This word suddenly popped into his mind.
Frey bit his lip as he tried to erase this negative thought, but it didnt work. Even considering all the means he had, no way to reverse the current situation.
At that moment, having such a clever brain felt like a hindrance.
[I won.]
Frey saw Lords face for the first time. This face, which was usually blank, had clear features.
Lord also had a smug smile on his lips, but his expression was still somber.
He didnt have a choice.
He had no choice but to change his decision at the last minute.
He didnt intend to kill Frey. But he might have disappeared if he so much as touched him.
Therefore, he did his best. And he won.
[We became assimilated after that clash. And most of your power came to me. Just as the river flows into the sea. This is proof that I have greater power.]
It was a really really long and hard fight.
Lord had no choice but to admit this fact.
It wasnt even a Dragon, a Demon, or even God.
Instead, it was this man before him, a human, who was Lords greatest enemy.
But that was it.
In the end, it was Lord who won.
[You will die here.]
Frey opened his mouth for a moment before closing it again.
He had nothing to say.
He had challenged him, fought, and lost. His will dampened.
Now, he didnt even have the strength to lift a finger.
In the end, all this scene showed was Lords conviction which was still stronger than his own.
In truth, he couldnt believe it. There was no way he could believe it considering everything hed gone through throughout the years.
Lords conviction was clouded. It was twisted and contradictory. If it were to be expressed as a color, it would be dark while giving off a dull aura.
That was why he couldnt believe that hed lost to such a perverse conviction.
Nevertheless, it was undeniable that hed lost.
The results didnt lie.
Frey closed his eyes.
I didnt think it would end like this.
Hed thought he could win. Hed even learned Lords decisive weakness.
But in the end, he still lost. Just like 4,000 years ago.
Of course, it was different from back then.
Lord could no longer look down on Frey. Therefore, he would not do something like locking him in the Abyss again.
He had clearly recognised just how threatening Frey was, so he wouldnt leave even a piece of him behind.
There would be no miracles this time.
I lost. But
Freys voice was clear as he spoke.
Humanity didnt lose.????????????r????????d.nbsp;c????m
[Frey Blake, do you not yet understand? For me, your existence was more troublesome than every other human on the continent combined.]
Lord looked down at him for a moment before muttering softly.
[Goodbye.]
Puk.
Lords hand stabbed into his chest.
Then, his consciousness disappeared. It was as though he had been sucked into a dark space. Like he had fallen into an abyss from which he would never escape.
It was useless to even struggle. Instead, the darkness would only pull him deeper and deeper like quicksand.
And so.
Frey Blake died.
Season: 1 Chapter 228: The Great Mage Returns after 4000 Years (1)
Book 1 Chapter 228: The Great Mage Returns after 4000 Years (1) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Strange.
Lord thought this while looking down at Freys body.
It wasnt Freys body that was there. He had already separated from his flesh.
This was his soul body. Or it could be called his transcendent body.
Nevertheless, whether it was called his soul body or his transcendent body, if the body of a transcendent being received a fatal attack to its core, it would inevitably disappear. This was true even for his own kind.
But Freys body didnt disappear. It was still translucent as though it would disappear at any moment, but it didnt disappear even after he stopped breathing.
It was strange.
Im sure hes dead.
To put it in the context of other living beings, his heart had exploded and his brain had been smashed. There was no living being who could remain alive when its vital organs had been destroyed.
That was why he still felt uneasy.
After all, this was the man whod managed to escape from the Abyss. Even if he didnt do it on his own, it was still an achievement that ordinary humans would never have been able to accomplish.
In short, this man had a record of making the impossible possible.
So he couldnt let his guard down. He couldnt even relax.
Therefore, in order to get rid of his anxiety, he had to erase even the slightest possibility.
Just as Lord was about to raise his hands and carry out his thoughts.
You look exhausted.
Lord didnt turn around. But he knew the owner of the voice was Asura.
[So? Did you reveal yourself because you think you can defeat me now?]
Lords voice was filled with disdain.
Of course, it wouldnt have been enough to call his current state a mess. But that didnt matter.
The only one who could kill him was already dead. If there was truly something called fate, then it was already settled.
Now, there were no longer any threats to Lords fate.
In other words, he no longer had to worry about dying. Everything he wanted to happen would surely happen.
He was the winner.
no.
Asura knew that too.
He shook his head bitterly.
I saw your fight with Frey.
It was such a fierce battle that he couldnt even have tried to interfere. Their levels were so different that they could be said to have been in different dimensions.
Asura had no choice but to run away and watch from a distance. Hed even used the power of Lilith, who he always disdained, to save his life.
It was the most humiliating thing hed ever done in his life. It was to the point that he wanted to bite off his tongue and kill himself in shame.
For Asura, who had lived for thousands of years, this day was surely an incurable scar on his heart.
Or not.
There was another way.
Clang.
Asura threw his six weapons aside.
Then, while taking the stance hed shown Frey not so long ago, he said.
Lets exchange pointers, Lord.
[Dont be ridiculous, Asura. Its very unsightly to see you, a demon, trying to imitate a Magic Warrior.]
I know. I think so too.
[Why are you trying to throw away your life? I have no intention of destroying Hell.]
Lord sounded genuinely confused.
[I think it is necessary for Hell to exist. I will not destroy this place and cause chaos. Look. This is the end of the clown who mistook Hell for his own property.]
Lucifers headless body suddenly appeared.
Lord then put his hand into the body.
Crack!
[and this is the core of Satan, Hells former balance. It wasnt completely digested.]????n?????????????d.nbsp;????o????
Lord opened his bloodied hand to reveal a small gem.
Even though it was a gem, it seemed to have a mysterious aura filled with unlimited vitality and potential. This was the only thing that could have been considered the qualification of a balance in a material way.
It was just as Lord expected. Lucifer had the cores of both Satan and the Dragon Lord. And after separating them, he realised that it would be inefficient for one being to possess all the cores, so he decided to share.
Lord held out Satans core to Asura.
[I will give this to you.]
[You and Lilith are the only surviving Rulers. Just you two. The Dream Demon is not qualified to be the balance. But if its you, it might be possible. It can be said that youre a half-step ahead of the other Rulers You could become the only Ruler just like Satan in the past. I will help you do that.]
It was an extremely attractive offer. He felt that every Ruler would have had this dream at least once.
To be the one and only Ruler of Hell.
Asuras desire to do this was particularly strong. It would have been a lie if he said he wasnt shaken.
But.
Asura still shook his head.
[why?]
There is no point sitting on a seat that someone else prepared for you. I get what I want with my own two hands. This is the way I have lived from the start.
Crunch.
Asura clenched his fists.
Lord sighed.
[How foolish. Do you feel like youve accomplished something by telling yourself that? Your image, which has been deeply influenced by the mortals way of thinking, just looks unsightly. Dont forget your place, Demon.]
Asura didnt answer and rushed towards Lord.
Lord didnt even bother to move.
!
Then Asuras body suddenly stopped.
His body gradually became bright red. He was using all he had, but he still could not move even a single muscle.
Chak!
Blood splattered from Asuras body.
He wasnt even sure what happened. Lord had only looked at him with the same disdainful gaze.
But in truth, such a result was natural.
With no way to resist Lords power, this was inevitable. Frey was the only exception.
So even Asura, who was the strongest demon after Lucifer, could not even touch Lords body despite the state he was in.
Hik.
But Asura just laughed.
Curious, Lord asked.
[Why are you laughing?]
Because it took longer than I thought. We talked for so long.
[!]
At those words, Lord turned to look behind him. Freys body was no longer there.
[You dare!]
Burning with rage, Lords eyes appeared on his face.
Asura grinned.
Dumbass! Exchange pointers. Bullsh*t! Is there any way the War Demon King would say that kind of nonsense? Hu-, hahaha.
Asura looked Lord in the eyes.
I really hate you Demigods.
[]
Lords hand shook. Then Asuras body exploded, his flesh and blood scattering everywhere.
Hed killed Asura with a gesture, but Lords thoughts had already turned away from him.
Freys body couldnt have just disappeared on its own. Someone had to have taken him.
And that persons identity was quite obvious.
[Lilith.]
The last Ruler, Queen of the Dream Demons. He never thought that she was worth his time, just a bug, but now, she was annoying him.
Where did she go?
[fine. Ill play tag with you.]
Lords eyes disappeared again.
His mind had calmed down again.
He would literally pursue her to the ends of Hell and kill her.
* * *
Huk! Huk!
Lilith flapped her wings desperately as she ran away.
Why am I doing this? S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Freys body was on her shoulder.
Right. His dead body. A body colder than ice with not even a hint of vitality in it.
Asura, you stupid bastard!
She cursed nervously.
She didnt see Asuras end, but she knew that he wouldnt have survived.
Paht!
Liliths body faded for an instant before reappearing in an entirely different place.
This was Liliths power. She was able to step into the virtual world of dreams. She was sure that Lord would invade and conquer the Dream Realm. That was why she was only using it sparingly.
This was to blur Lords perception of the Dream Realm and reality. If she hadnt used this method, then she wouldve been caught already.
However Im only stalling.
Lilith bit her lip.
If Lord had been in his normal condition, even this method would not have worked. Shed have been caught in seconds and suffered a miserable end just like Asura.
How am I supposed to run away from a guy who controls space?
Hell had already become a strange world that could no longer be called Hell. This was because Lord had mixed the Abyss with the space here.
It was like black ink had been spread across the sky and earth, and ominous dimensional cracks were everywhere.
Crack!
Kuk
Lilith didnt scream despite the pain of the sudden attack. Then she felt that something was missing.
Her left wing had been torn off.
After losing a wing, she inevitably crashed to the ground as she was no longer able to fly.
Then, as she lay face-down on the ground, she heard a voice.
[You really thought you were clever.]
Lord.
Lilith grit her teeth.
She couldnt believe that the time Asura had desperately fought for had been so meaningless.
[Asura died to protect his petty pride. He didnt want to sit on a throne created for him and died for his stupidity. So what about you? Why are you trying to save him?]
I owe him my life.
Lilith glanced at Frey and muttered.
I am a demon, but I have something called shame. Do you? You are lying. You never thought about making Asura the balance of Hell.
[Nonsense]
Ha. Stop pretending. I am a woman who survived for thousands of years with the lies from my mouth. Do you think I cant smell a liar?
Lilith laughed.
You have no intention of keeping Hell around.
Lord was speechless.
He never thought that he would be seen through so easily by this woman.
Lilith didnt miss this opening. She pushed Frey into the black space beside her.
Freys body was quickly swallowed by this black space.
Seeing this scene, Lord shook his head and said.
[Do you know what youve done?]
Im going to die anyway, so what does it matter?
[Right. You know it well.]
Crack!
In the next instant, Liliths body was crushed as though she had been stepped on by a giant being.
It was an end so pointless and miserable that it was not befitting of the last Ruler of Hell.
Lilith didnt even know how she died.
Lord looked down at the puddle of flesh and blood that had once been the Ruler known as Lilith. Unlike Asura, he didnt think she was worth talking to.
[That space, the Abyss, is my world. Lilith, all you did was push Frey directly into my lair. Your foolish struggle was for nothing.]
That was what Lord thought.
He tried to step into his space.
But,
Tak.
He felt that hed been blocked by a wall.
[What is going on?]
Lords voice was filled with shock.
This wasnt possible.
He couldnt step into the space that hed created?
[]
But Lord soon realised something.
His expression became distorted.
[Iris, do you intend to block me till the end?]
Huhuhu
A loud laugh reverberated around him.
Lord spoke in a cold voice.
[Your struggle is futile. Right. I forgot your existence because you were so insignificant. Iris Phisfounder. Get out of my Abyss immediately.]
It wasnt possible.
Lords expression became stiff.
Despite his direct declaration, Iris was still staying in the Abyss.
No, that wasnt all.
He couldnt interfere with the Abyss.
[How]
The Abyss is no longer your world. Ive been studying this space for over 4,000 years, Lord. I know secrets of this place even you dont know.
That was impossible.
Lord was silent for a moment before opening his mouth.
[Nonsense. The place youre in isnt the Abyss. Where is that place? Where the hell did you take Frey?]
Huhu.
Iris chuckled.
Lord stared at the black space in front of him and opened his mouth.
[I dont know what the hell youre thinking. Hes already dead. What you have is nothing more than a corpse Frey Blake reached the transcendent level. That means the boundary between his soul and body disappeared.]
For ordinary beings, death meant a new beginning. Even if their body died, their souls would wander around the Continent, and soon, they would get a new beginning.
But after reaching the transcendent level, one stepped outside of the path of reincarnation. One would be able to view the world from a higher level.
However, this wasnt necessarily a blessing. There was a price to pay for breaking free of the yoke of life.
For transcendent beings, death was not a chance to restart but a complete end nothingness.
It was not possible for them to leave behind a crystal like the Demigods, so they wouldnt even leave residual thoughts behind.
There was no way Iris Phisfounder didnt know that.
I know. So please dont worry about us.
[us?]
Yes. Lukas and I will live here forever. I dont want anyone to interfere. Lord, you have a lot of work to do, dont you? You have a world to reset.
[]
When Lord didnt answer, Iris continued in a cold voice.
Lukas is already dead. If you try to take even his body from me, then I will interfere with everything you do. I will bother you till the day I die.
This wasnt a bluff.
Lord weighed the pros and cons for a moment.
Iris Phisfounder. This woman could definitely be incredibly annoying. Now that Frey was dead, it was clear that she was the person who could bother him the most.
After all, Iris had his power and would be able to resist his power of space to an extent.
I could spend the time to find and kill Iris, but
He was thinking about the Continent.
Dros core on the continent was Lords top priority.
Besides, Frey was already dead. There was no way hed be revived.
Therefore, it was more urgent to deal with the situation on the continent than chase after a corpse.
I will kill her after.
After thinking this, Lord nodded.
[In the end, you got what you wanted. Black Witch, I admire your perseverance and willpower.]
Lord did not say anything else and simply disappeared.
He was headed to the Continent.
It was only then when Hell finally became silent.
Season: 1 Chapter 229: The Great Mage Returns after 4000 Years (2)
Book 1 Chapter 229: The Great Mage Returns after 4000 Years (2) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
It was a beautiful sunset.
As he woke up, Lukas Trowman looked up with a blank gaze. He didnt know why, but he felt like hed been unconscious for a long time.
Then he shook his head and turned to the side. There he saw a black-haired woman looking at him with a smile.
Why?
Just because.
Iris laughed as she said this. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
When Lukas only tilted his head, Schweiser sighed.
Youre so slow that Im going crazy.
What do you mean?
You dont need to know, you stonehead. Anyway, what are you going to do now? Weve already explored every ruin in this country.
well.
Lukas felt strange. His thoughts were hazy.
It was strange because this was a feeling that he hadnt felt since reaching 7 stars.
we what were we doing?
Where did you leave your mind?
Schweiser asked this in a disbelieving voice.
Then Kasajin, who was also beside them, answered.
We decided to head east. You were interested in the culture there.
Was that it?
Lukas was confused. He felt like he had been doing something incredibly important.
But no matter how hard he tried to think about it, nothing came to mind.
Trying to shake off the strange feeling, Lukas nodded.
right. Then lets go there.
I heard the eastern swords are unique. Im already looking forward to it.
Lucid said these words in a pleased stone.
* * *
It was a pleasant journey.
They werent in a hurry. After all, there was no urgency.
Therefore, they purposely rented a carriage despite the fact that they had the power to go to the other side of the continent in an instant. Yet, they traveled slowly on the road.
When they found a place with a particularly good view, they would set up a camp there even if the sun was still high.
If there was a village or city nearby, they would definitely visit it even if they had to make a slight detour.
The East was an exotic land. Not only the countries, the characteristics of each city were different, so it was interesting no matter where they went.
He should have been enjoying it.
This is a really good blade.
Lucid looked at the sword in his hand with ecstasy.
It had a deformed and bent blade, so Lukas, who had no knowledge of weapons, was unable to determine if it was really good or bad.
Whats wrong, Lukas?
Schweiser walked up to him and hit him on the shoulder.
You look like you just ate a bug. Why? Are these artifacts below your expectations?
no.
The ruins in the land were all amazing. Lukas couldnt help but once again admire their ancestors and praise their achievements.
But apart from that, the strange feeling he had only got stronger. The thing that frustrated him the most was the fact that he didnt even know what was causing the strange feeling.
But traveling around the eastern nations did nothing to make him feel better. Instead, his heart only grew heavier.
Eventually, it got to the point where Lukas no longer smiled.
Schweiser kept glancing at him like he was acting strange, but he did not say anything.
That night, Lukas couldnt sleep, so he went out.
They were currently on an island in the far east. He walked along the shore for a while before sitting on a large rock.
Shhh-
He looked at the dark sea, feeling like he was being sucked in.
He just sat there without thinking about anything. The rock was a pretty good location. He was able to see the horizon drawn between the beautiful dark sea and the night sky at a glance.
The scenery was quite superb, but it did nothing to alleviate his heavy heart.
You dont look so good.
It was Iris.
She spoke in a soft voice. Her ebony hair blended perfectly with the dark sandy beach.
She hesitated for a moment before taking a seat not too far from Lukas.
You must have been worried. Sorry.
no.
Lukas looked at her before saying.
So do you.
Huh?
You dont look so good either.
There was a subtle change in Iris face when she heard those words.
Lukas turned away from her. Then, while looking at the dark sea, he spoke again.
I think Im forgetting something important.
Cant stop thinking about it?
Right.
if it doesnt come to mind, maybe it wasnt that important.
That might be true, but this is different.
Lukas grabbed his chest, his auburn robes crumpling.
Im happy now. Touring the continent with my best friends, exploring and examining the ruins and artifacts left behind by our ancestors This is something I have wanted to do for a long time. Its what I call my dream come true.
Thats good. So whats the problem?
I feel like its not the right time.
Lukas voice became heavy.
I feel like everything has been derailed. I felt like this for a while too. Its like we stepped off the beaten path and began walking in the wrong direction. I know I have to go back but it seems that part of me is reluctant to do that.
He felt that the path he used to walk on had become difficult. On the other hand, this smooth path and beautiful scenery were amazing.
Every time he walked, he felt cheered up, like he was having a lazy afternoon outing.
Sometimes, I hear people screaming, and I feel like Im running away with my eyes covered and my ears blocked.
Thats not so bad.
Iris was indignant. Her voice was filled with stubbornness.
Lukas deserves to rest. Why dont you ignore them? Is it so wrong to run away? You dont have to deal with all of their problems. Sometimes, you need to take a break. You you are human too.
Her voice became sad.
Lukas lowered his head, silent.
He looked at the sandy beach that was stained by the darkness.
sometimes. I want to live like that. Like you said Do you think I hate taking breaks? Sometimes, I want to be lazy. Thats natural. But I cant.
Lukas seemed to space out for a moment before continuing.
I know that Im special. I know just how many people I could save. And Im not confident that I can face the disaster that would come from ignoring their screams.
You are bound by responsibility. That cant be called a life.
Its nothing so grand. Im just a bit more tired than everyone else.
Lukas let out a soft laugh.
Thank you, Iris. I feel comforted by your words.
what do you mean?
The word human. You called me human. Haha. I dont know why but that made me happy.
Why are you making that face?
Iris was shaking her head with teary eyes. She flinched for a moment before speaking half impulsively.
I like you, Lukas.
Lukas expression stiffened.
This was a confession. A confession between a man and a woman, not showing favor to a friend.
He would have never imagined.
But he felt like hed known this. Like someone had told him about her feelings before.
That couldnt be.
Iris wiped the tears from her eyes as she hurriedly said.
That I shouldnt have told you that. I just
Iris hesitated for a moment before burying her face in her knees and muttering.
I love you. Lukas, I love you more than anyone else in the world.
Iris.
So I was a bit greedy, but I cant do it. I cant change the nature of my beloved Lukas Trowman with my own hands. It would feel like Im killing you with my own hands.
I just
Iris voice faded.
Then his surroundings were enveloped by a bright light.
This
Lukas mind sank into this light.
* * *
[3917 years, 11 Months, 7 days]
He heard a voice. A familiar voice.
Lukas regained his consciousness while hearing this voice. He felt like he was waking up from a long dream.
That was just
Was it an illusion?
Hed never seen something like it before. It was so vivid and long that it could not be compared to reliving a memory.
He clearly remembered traveling with his friends for a few months.
No. But
The conversation hed had with Iris
Lukas could not remember ever seeing Iris tears. Even if it was only once, he would not have forgotten it even if 4,000 years passed.
It wasnt just that.
There was a lot of incompatibility in the memories he just witnessed.
I was about 30.
He wasnt too sure, but he felt that it was probably around that age.
At that age, Lukas was already engaged in an all-out war against the Demigods. He would not have been able to afford such a leisure trip with his friends.
But the thing that puzzled him the most was the fact that he was still able to think. He had gained a transcendent body and died after being defeated by Lord.
He should have already disappeared without even a soul left. Naturally, it was impossible for him to consciously think like this.
[3111 years, 9 months, 4 days]
Whos there?
Lukas wanted to ask this, but he didnt have a mouth. He didnt even have a tongue.
So there was no way for him to talk. He could only cry out in his mind.
Naturally, he didnt receive an answer.
Where am I?
It was a place that was filled with just darkness.
It felt very similar to Lords prison, the Abyss. But he felt that there was a fundamental difference.
Shuk
Suddenly, something changed.
His senses began to return. This was the first time Lukas had ever felt this sensation.
It was as though ice covered him and was slowly melting, allowing him to feel his body.
Then he felt warmth. Warmth that was milder than a spring breeze.
Lukas tried to suppress the fatigue that suddenly hit him in waves.
[2937 years, 4 months, 20 days]
The voice continued.
It calmed Lukas heart like warm sunlight.
He then realised that he had a tongue. But he still couldnt speak.
His senses hadnt fully returned yet.
Something is still missing.
A piece was still missing. But that piece was vital.
It was like a Golem who didnt have a core. Just like a Golem wouldnt be able to move even a finger without its power source even when complete, Frey couldnt move.
[2300 years, 1 month, 9 days]
[1721 years, 8 months, 18 days]
[1001 years, 7 months, 17 days]
[661 years, 3 months, 1 day]
He continued hearing the voice.
It was gradually going back in time.
Frey finally realised whose voice it was. (Note: This time it wasnt me putting the wrong name)
Iris.
She continued reciting the date in a calm voice. One by one, detailing such a long time that humans would not begin to imagine.
[121 years, 11 months, 11 days]
Dak-
Then something pierced Lukas chest.
It was at that moment.
Babump!
It seemed he had regained his heart. Blood raced through his body, and his weak heartbeat gradually gained strength.
His senses came back. He also became able to move again.
Lukas opened his eyes.
Paht.
The first thing he saw was a bright light. It was so bright that he was blinded for a moment.
After blinking several times, he realised that it was light from a small candle.
Scribble-
Someone was bent over, relying on the light to write something.
The elegant curves that could be seen despite looking at them from the back told him immediately that this person was a woman. He could also see her ebony hair.
Iris Phisfounder.
He was looking back at her.
Season: 1 Chapter 230: The Great Mage Returns after 4000 Years (3)
Book 1 Chapter 230: The Great Mage Returns after 4000 Years (3) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Do you trust me?
When she asked this, he replied with a complicated expression.
I dont know.
When she heard that, Iris composure broke.
She was such a fool.
She killed Schweiser, and she drove a wedge between Kasajin and Lucid. She even accepted Lords power and assisted the Demigods.
She had committed sins that could never be forgiven regardless of the circumstances.
That fact was abundantly clear.
But she was hopeful.
Maybe hed forgive her. Maybe they would be able to go back to the way things were.
This was her hope.
Iris shook her head.
But that wasnt possible. Even if he forgave her, she would never be able to forgive herself. She would hate herself, curse herself, and resent herself even more.
And in the end, she wanted him to be her judge.
Iris wanted to die by Lukas hand.
* * *
-Lukas Trowman had disappeared.
It wasnt just one Wizard who had disappeared. He was the center, the core behind which people of all races, cultures, and beliefs had rallied.
He was the hero of all mortals who had disappeared.
They felt defeated. They no longer had the will to fight.
It wasnt strange that those who were fighting against the Demigods had this thought. A lot of time had passed since theyd been on the defensive because of a lack of leadership.
Over time, more and more people fled, and many even surrendered because of their broken wills.
And the man who represented the hope of all humanity was still missing.
It was natural that theyd feel despair.
They felt cold, as though their struggle up to this point had been for naught.
Of course, not everyone collapsed.
Schweiser continued to struggle.
Lucid united a kingdom.
And even in this time, Kasajin remained focused on his training.
Nevertheless, Iris could feel their hidden despair.
They were just helplessly fighting against the evil. There was no basis behind their actions.
Struggling did nothing to improve the situation.
Building a kingdom had no meaning.
And no matter how hard one trained, it still wouldnt be possible to take on a Demigod on ones own.
This was the truth.
So Iris went missing too.
She refused to accept Lukas death more than anyone else. Perhaps even at that moment, he was in a difficult situation, waiting for his friends to help him.
With this thought, she desperately searched the continent like she was going crazy, eager to find even the smallest trace of Lukas.
Meanwhile, the Demigods power continued to increase.
Most of the kingdoms had already cut off their support, and many countries had even sided with the Demigods.
Slick bastards.
When they judged that there was no chance to win, they betrayed them without hesitation, even going so far as to reveal their weaknesses.
Yet even as the situation seemed to get progressively worse, Iris did not find any clues.
No. The clue was that there were no clues.
Iris bit her lip.
Lord.
He was the only being who could make the Great Mage disappear without a trace.
So Iris arranged a meeting with Lord.
As she requested, he appeared alone. This was because he had full confidence in his power.
This was natural.
After all, there was no trap from which he couldnt escape. Not even if they used a million soldiers or some other mysterious power.
Lord was a being who felt that he was only slightly inferior when compared to God.
Where is Lukas?
[He is being punished.]
Lord didnt seem to have any intention of hiding it, but he didnt tell her more than that.
Iris became nervous.
As expected, he was directly involved in Lukas disappearance.
[Black Witch, Iris Phisfounder, you have no chances of winning. Quietly submit to us. Then I will spare his life.]
Sure.
Iris revealed her intention as though she had been waiting for such an offer.
She had already thought about it before going there. So she didnt hesitate for even a moment.
[Hoh.]
Lord seemed interested, but he didnt show any other emotions. He probably didnt believe Iris words.
Nevertheless, the reason he didnt kill her was because he was certain that he could prevent whatever she had planned.
it will be difficult to gain Lords trust.
She needed results. Achievements were the easiest way to obtain trust.
Her heart became heavy at this thought, but she simply shook her head.
Shed already steeled her determination.
It would have just been like going back to the old days. The time when she stayed alone in the swamp and was called the Black Witch while receiving the accusations, insults, and disgust from the rest of the world.
Just for Lukas to come back. She would have done anything just to see his face again.
What could she do to make Lord trust her?
It couldnt be something small.
Iris had been one of Lords most troublesome enemies. So she needed to do something unconventional.
The alternative she thought of made Iris expression stiffen for a moment.
This was an irreversible path.
It was more than a sinful and morally outrageous choice. It was something that Lukas would never be able to tolerate.
But there was no other way.
Its impossible for us to defeat the Demigods right now. So please start a fight with Kasajin.
Lucid didnt panic.
He didnt even appear surprised to see Iris, who had suddenly appeared in front of him.
He simply asked back in a quiet voice.
What does that have to do with getting rid of the Demigods?
Did you know? All of our former teammates are cursing you. Theyre calling you the Traitorous Witch.
I know.
Lucids gaze was deep.
You betrayed us, and you became Lords right hand. Now, you appear before me and ask me to clash with Kasajin? Im not sure I understand you correctly.
You understand it perfectly.
Lucid lifted Deukid off his lap, the cold blade shining in the moonlight.
What are you planning?
We need time. We cant win right now. Its not possible at this time. Most of the different races and kingdoms have already submitted to the Demigods. Their pride and fighting spirits have disappeared.
That was a fact that even Lucid could not deny.
There were very few people who had not lost their wills, and it was impossible to stand against the Demigods with them.
So you want us to give up?
Yeah.
Thats funny Were giving up our responsibility.
No. I have faith in the future generations. Of course, a long time has to pass. A lot longer than we might expect.
However.
Iris continued in a clear voice.
The Demigods cannot grow any stronger. Because theyve already reached their peak. Its possible that laziness might even weaken them over time. But we are different. We have not finished growing, and we can still become much stronger. And that time will come.
That time?
When the Demigods become weak and the humans become strong.
A strange emotion entered Iris voice.
At that time, under Lukas banner, the Demigods will cease to exist.
Lucid was silent for a long time.
Suddenly he put Deukid back into its sheath.
Lukas is alive?
His voice was shaking slightly.
Iris nodded.
Yeah. Hes alive. And I will save him.
Lucid sat up in his seat.
Then he looked out the window and murmured.
does anyone else know what you just told me?
No.
Why did you only tell me?
Because I thought that you could understand me.
Schweiser had too much affection, and such a complex plan would just go right over Kasajins head.
Naturally, Lucid was the only one left.
Im going to kill Schweiser now.
!
Lucid shot up at those words. His deep, dark eyes bore into Iris.
Iris accepted this look calmly.
I will use his life and my support to gain Lords trust, and in return, I will demand his power.
Youre crazy.
I wish I were, but unfortunately, Im still perfectly sane.
Lucid grit his teeth.
He stared at Iris with a fierce gaze. Sar?h the ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
even if its for Lukas, killing one of our friends is unforgivable. Dont you know this? If you cross over that river you will never be able to return.
Of course I know that.
You will be hated by the man you love.
I know that too.
She was willing to do it despite knowing that.
At that moment, Lucid seemed to see a giant mountain on Iris shoulders. It was so large that it seemed impossible for her thin shoulders to handle its weight.
Nevertheless, her eyes were still clear.
Seeing this, Lucid suddenly calmed down. He couldnt bring himself to curse her anymore.
Because hed managed to get a glimpse of the pain Iris would have to endure.
you are going to fight a long and painful battle that is incomparable to our own. All by yourself.
Lucid sighed.
Iris judgement was correct. Lucid was the only one who could understand her. Thats because he put his reasoning over his emotions.
It was probably not his role to hold her accountable.
No matter when, no matter how long it took, no matter what they thought of each other.
He hoped that Lukas and Iris would reunite.
So Lucid nodded his head.
Season: 1 Chapter 231: The Great Mage Returns after 4000 Years (4)
Book 1 Chapter 231: The Great Mage Returns after 4000 Years (4) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
She didnt hate Schweiser.
Though she sometimes felt jealous because Lukas would often give Schweiser more attention than he gave her, she knew that he was Lukas most precious friend, and his talent made up for his shortcomings.
Yet Iris still killed this man. She even laughed at him right before his death, demeaning his achievements and insulting his death.
She did this because Lord might have been watching.
Nevertheless, the moment Schweiser died, Iris felt something in her heart die along with him.
Lord immediately responded to her achievement.
[Good work. But that was too simple. I wanted to imprison this man in the Abyss as well.]
Lord murmured to himself before turning away.
this man as well.
Lord had definitely said those words.
Shed finally gotten a clue about Lukas.
Iris felt hope again.
The Abyss. Lukas was trapped in a place called the Abyss.
Now that she knew where he was, she thought that she would be able to rescue him. But when she found out what the Abyss truly was, that thought disappeared.
It was a world personally created by Lord. A space completely disconnected from the outside world.
In other words, an inescapable prison.
Moreover, Lukas body was already dead. The only thing that had been trapped in the Abyss was Lukas Trowmans soul.
Ha-, hahaha.
Iris felt like her mind broke a bit at that moment. She felt like it would have been better to just go crazy.
But she couldnt.
Craziness at that moment would simply have been an escape. It would have been no different from locking the door and ignoring all of her sins and the responsibility for everything shed done so far and the things shed do in the future.
Even if she really let herself go crazy, it could only be after shed saved Lukas.
Not long after that, Lucid and Kasajin had a confrontation. Iris had predicted that this would happen, and as a result, Lord had no choice but to acknowledge her to an extent.
[Excellent. I will grant you a favor that you can use at any time. Unless it adversely affects my people.]
This was an achievement that had been built on the blood of her teammates.
Iris was so disgusted with herself that she ended up vomiting.
It wasnt just that.
Shed also been granted the ability to borrow Lords power as she wished.
The power of space. It could have been said to be the power that stood at the peak of all the transcendent powers the demigods had.
This was the power she gained, but she didnt feel proud of it.
Iris heart had already died by that point.
Its fine.
Everything was okay. She recited these words like a mantra.
As long as Lukas could come back.
As long as she felt he could come back, she could keep hanging on.
She knew that he wouldnt forgive her. After all, she knew what kind of man he was. She knew better than anyone else that he was wise, upright, yet surprisingly inflexible.
But she could still bear it. Rather than never meeting again, she felt that it was much better to meet him and be hated.
So, using Lords power, Iris began to probe the Abyss, the pitch black space where Lukas was imprisoned.
It was literally like an iron fortress.
This wasnt to say that there wasnt any progress. Shed definitely gotten some results.
Nevertheless, Iris couldnt help but feel deep frustration.
She fully understood just how insignificant the power she controlled was when compared to Lords.
It felt like trying to cut through a castle wall with her fingernails. Something that others would laugh at and call crazy.
But she didnt give up. Instead, Iris calculated just how long it would take her if she kept making these fingernail-sized scratches.
And when she finished calculating, she realised that the result was much worse than she expected.
She knew that it would take a long time to save Lukas. Thats why she talked about the future with Lucid.
However She thought that it would be 100 years at most. She felt that it would not exceed 100 years at worst.
She was too optimistic.
4,000 years.
It was said that a mountain would change greatly in 10 years. And also, in 100 years, it wouldnt be strange for a country to disappear and for a new one to take its place.
And 1,000 years was a length of time that humans were unable to fathom.
4,000 years meant that shed have to experience such a length four times.
ah.
Her mind seemed to shatter at that moment.
This wasnt an exaggeration.
At that moment, Iris felt even more despair than when Lukas had disappeared.
For 4,000 years, she would have to carry a task every day without missing a single one. And if she made a mistake or allowed Lord to notice, then it would all have been for naught.
Schweisers death would become a dogs death, and Lucid and Kasajins confrontation would become meaningless.
She felt so overwhelmed by the pressure that she felt like she was being crushed.
If by chance.
If she somehow managed to endure it for so many years. If, in the end, she managed to maintain her sanity, deceive Lord, and successfully create a gap in the Abyss after toiling for 4,000 years.
Would Lukas really be able to grasp that opening?
No.
Would Lukas even be able to stay sane until then?
His situation was much worse than Iris. He was imprisoned in a place where there was nothing but darkness.????????????r????????????. ????o????
Could he really endure for 4,000 years in such a place without a body to move, only being able to think?
This was a task that was absolutely impossible for an ordinary human.
-its possible.
This voice which sounded out with absolute certainty was her own.
If its Lukas, then its possible.
She suddenly let out a laugh.
She didnt know long had it been since shed laughed so heartily.
Iris laughed to herself while nodding continuously.
Of course its possible.
The only man shed ever loved.
The unprecedented Great Mage.
The Great Teacher of all.
If it was Lukas Trowman, he would definitely be able to endure it. He wouldnt give up.
So she wouldnt give up either.
To save Lukas, be hated by him, and then killed by his hand.
Her shattered mind seemed to regain shape.
Lukas had once told Iris that she was pretty. It was a time when shed been smiling mysteriously.
Since then, she practiced a lot by looking in the mirror every day. And the mysterious smile from that time remained on Iris face.
Its been 20 years since Ive known Lukas.
It felt romantic.
To keep their relationship of 20 years, she was willing to endure 4,000 years.
Some might have even found it touching.
Iris chuckled.
its going to be a very long plan.
So she felt like she should give it a name.
What should it be?
After pondering for a moment, a good name popped into her mind.
The name of the plan was intuitive, the simpler, the better.
-The Great Mage Returns After 4,000 Years.
Right.
She liked it.
Iris smiled.
1 Day.
* * *
Iris memories ended.
Lukas once again stood alone in a dark space.
He realised that his body had been fully restored, but he still couldnt say anything.
Because his mouth didnt seem to work.
When he had been trapped in the Abyss, hed thought that he was having a harder time than anyone else in the world. But hed stopped thinking like that because he felt it was a petty and self-important thought.
It was obvious that Lukas had a long and painful experience that no one would have been able to imagine.
But Iris experience was no lesser than his.
No. In a way, she had a much more painful time than Lukas.
Unlike the Abyss, which was a world of silence, the world Iris had to live in could only have been described as hell.
Lukas could see that.
From the beginning of her plan, there was not a single painless day.
She had long abandoned her body. After all, no matter how much the longevity of a Witch contracted to a demon was, she couldnt survive for 4,000 years.
So Iris transferred her soul to a doll in order to continue living.
Naturally, this method came with side effects. Her soul gradually began wearing away.
It was the soul price that Lucifer had mentioned before. The human soul was not resilient enough to withstand the process of transferring from one body to the other.
So Iris soul could be said to have been in tatters. Like a candle in front of a breeze, it wouldnt be strange if it went out at any moment.
And when that candle went out her soul would disappear.
An end no different from that of a transcendent being awaited her.
There was no bright future ahead of Iris. And there was no way that she didnt already know this.
Nevertheless, she refused to give up. She continued her long and lonely fight.
And in the end she finally achieved her goal.
She pulled Lukas out of the Abyss.
Theres no way I could have escaped on my own.
He felt ashamed for thinking that hed escaped from the Abyss on his own.
Now that he thought about it, it was natural.
The Abyss was the world that Lord had created using the full extent of his power. It could even be called the essence of his power.
So even if 4,000 years passed, there was no way for a 9 star Wizard like Lukas Trowman to escape.
It was only possible because of Iris help. Because she scratched at the walls of the iron fortress for 4,000 years without missing a single day.
Lukas couldnt help but feel choked up because of his rising emotions.
After becoming a transcendent being, it became incredibly hard for him to be affected by normal things. It could be said that hed lost his emotions together with his mortality. And hed thought hed never be able to experience his emotions the same way again.
But at that moment, Lukas could clearly feel a whirlwind of grief.
Suddenly.
This is the shattered Celestial World.
He heard Iris voice.
Lukas called out in shock.
Iris? Where are-
You fought Lord, you lost, and you died.
Iris voice cut him off. sea??h th N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Lukas felt anxiety fill his heart at that moment.
Im probably already dead.
And I hope youll at least feel a little sad.
Im sad.
A thick, cracked voice sounded out, and it took him a while to realise it was his.
A tear rolled down his cheek.
if Lukas felt sad, I would be really happy.
Iris was pretending to speak in a bright voice.
Lukas could tell immediately.
I originally didnt want to show you my memories. But I couldnt. Just one person. I wanted at least one person to know everything that transpired. I wanted them to remember everything. Both the good and the bad. And if that person was Lukas, it would make me extremely happy
Iris.
After a brief pause, her voice continued.
The Angels, masters of this world, had the task of guiding souls to the afterlife. And those souls who were dyed bright by their good deeds were even given the right to live here in Heaven. Originally, this place was supposed to the afterlife the souls would gather at before returning to the world. Because it was this kind of place I was able to slow down the collapse of Lukas soul.
Iris, whats going on?
You did enough already.
She wasnt responding to his questions.
Lukas bit his lips.
A vague sense of anxiety began building in his heart.
He closed his eyes tightly.
Maybe.
Iris had already
However, its not the same for me. Because I need to be punished After meeting Lukas again, I realised that you werent going to kill me.
But it mustnt be that way. If you commit a crime, then you deserve to be punished. Ahaha Im ashamed to call it punishment. In truth, I just want to rest.
Iris voice was gradually fading.
I just want to rest. Im so tired. Isnt that okay? But I dont know if I can sleep A wicked woman like me A traitorous witch like me It feels so hard to just just just put my eyelids together
Season: 1 Chapter 232: The Great Mage Returns after 4000 Years (5)
Book 1 Chapter 232: The Great Mage Returns after 4000 Years (5) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Iris voice faded completely, and Lukas realised.
Iris soul had just crumbled completely.
Ah.
He called out blankly.
Lukas looked at the darkness in front of him and recalled his conversation with Iris.
He recalled her face, her tears, and her confession.
[So I was a bit greedy, but I cant do it. I cant change the nature of my beloved Lukas Trowman with my own hands. It would feel like Im killing you with my own hands.]
The short, few-month journey in the illusionary world.
Those false memories were the greed that Iris was talking about.
4,000 years of devotion for only a few months.
Thats not greed.
Lukas grit his teeth.
He couldnt accept it.
He would never be able to accept such an ending.
Not yet.
Their reunion hadnt happened yet.
Paht! Sarch* The ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
A bright light rose up from Lukas chest.
The last piece, which had been filled by Iris, caused unimaginable changes to his body.
Iris, its not time for you to rest just yet.
He could no longer hear Iris voice. The diary that shed mentioned had already come to an end.
It was her broken soul.
The soul of Iris Phisfounder whod faced an end even crueler than death.
So. Just wait a little bit.
It was slim, but there was still a chance.
Of course, it was impossible with Lukas current power. But even that crumbling soul could be revived.
To meet him.
I have to take down Lord.
It would not be easy. After all, Lukas had been weakened.
Lord had taken all of his divine power. Thanks to this, his divine magic powers capacity had fallen below half of its former capacity.
With this much power, hed only be able to use his Endtongue a few times.????????????????????a????. ????????????
However, Lord had also been weakened. So he had to go.
As he thought this, Lukas left the broken Celestial World.
He had to do this.
No matter what.
* * *
[]
Nozdog felt his mind become overcome with a heavy sense of drowsiness.
Sleep.
This was a word that had no association to him, who had the body of a skeleton. In the first place, most Demigods did not need sleep.
Therefore, Nozdog couldnt help but feel strange when the urge to sleep overtook him.
One thing was clear at that moment.
If he relaxed for even a moment, he would immediately fall into a deep sleep. Then, he would die immediately after.
At the hands of none other than the man who was currently standing in front of him.
[so Kaltud really was Lucifers pawn all along.]
Of course, he had never fully trusted the red-skinned demon. What Nozdog trusted was the fact that he was a demon.
Aside from his natural strength, he didnt think that the members of the Circle would be able to do anything to a being who was mostly active in Hell.
But he never thought theyd end up in an all-out war against Hell. If hed known this would happen, he never would have taken a demon for his Apostle.
Dro murmured.
Lucifer is dead.
[what?]
Just before he died, Lucifer sent his memories to me. Did you know, Nozdog? The Lord you support so much seems to have consumed the rest of your kind.
[What the hell are you talking about?]
Nozdog could not conceal his shock at those words.
He couldnt afford to.
He immediately jumped up from the throne of Hitume Ikar and glared at Dro.
[Lord would never do that.]
Whether you believe it or not, the only Demigods left in this world are you, Lord, and Elliah, who never leaves the Frozen Lands.
[Kuk]
Shocked, Nozdog stumbled back slightly. His body flopped back onto the throne.
[Lord why would Lord consume our people?]
His voice was weak.
Normally, he would have exuded a dark and gloomy aura like a god of death, but now, his aura was scattered and exhausted.
Isnt it obvious? To become stronger. Lord started treating your kind like simple chunks of energy. Like nutrient supplements that could make him healthy and strong after he consumed them.
[thats impossible.]
Stop the pointless denial. I can already tell from your attitude, Nozdog. You dont seem to be surprised. You must have expected something like this to happen.
Nozdog shook.
It was true. From the time Lord had swallowed Leyrin, hed thought that something like this might happen.
But he pretended not to know.
And in front of Agni, he spoke large words. He boasted that hed trust Lord no matter what he did.
No. Until now, hed firmly deluded himself that Lord was only taking shortcuts in order to revitalize the Demigods.
However he had no choice but to look at the results now.
Lord had devoured all of their people.
Lord will be here soon. Then youll know for certain that he swallowed all of the other Demigods. I wonder. Nozdog, is that the end you want?
[what are you trying to say?]
Lets work together. If you dont want to die, then help me take Lord down.
[Stop talking nonsense.]
Nozdog spoke in a harsh voice.
Dro glanced at the door before speaking.
We have a chance of winning. Our reinforcements have arrived.
Crash!
The doors to the throne room were smashed open, and people could be seen walking in.
Ivan, who was standing at the front of the group, shook a piece of iron off of his hand as he said.
We came to the right place. All the guys who were hard to find are just gathered here.
Hey, Dro. Did your business go well?
After Ivan said this, Dro sighed.
theres no time to listen to your reproach. You guys, get ready.
Get ready for what?
Jak-
Suddenly, space split open, and Lord walked out.
His sudden appearance caused the hearts of everyone in the room to freeze for a moment.
It was as though time itself had stopped.
Only Lords head moved in this room which seemed to be frozen in time.
It wasnt long before his eyes settled on Dro.
[Here you are, Dragon Lord.]
[Because you seem to have forgotten your promise, I came to retrieve my prize.]
Im sorry, but I dont know what youre talking about.
When Dro responded with an expressionless face, Lord didnt say anything else.
They all knew that a conversation was useless in the first place.
Then, Anastasia spoke with a stiff expression on her face.
Where is Frey?
She was told that Frey went to Hell to stop Lord.
But now, Lord was standing in front of them. And he appeared to be heavily injured as though hed just been in a fight with someone.
While Anastasia looked at him with anxiety, Lord replied indifferently.
[The Great Mage is dead.]
Enough of your bullsh*t!
Unlike the shocked Anastasia, Ivan growled in a low voice.
Lords gaze finally turned to them before he nodded.
[That being Right. This must be the shell the Great Mage used before he became transcendent.]
He was talking about Freys physical body. Grey Trowman.
Lord spoke in an annoyed voice.
[Your presence annoys me. Die.]
Pop!
huh?
Greys body exploded without any warning, his blood covering the Great Medium who stood beside him. (Note: bruh)
No one realised what had just happened.
Dro then shouted in an urgent voice.
Mana or Qi! Either of them works! Draw upon your energy and protect your body! Hes weak right now!
[Even if Im weakened, killing you is no problem.]
Just as Lord was about to reach out to them.
[Lord.]
Nozdog called out to him.
Lord lowered his hand and turned to him.
[Nozdog, your mental power is amazing. Youre still awake.]
[Why did you consume our people?]
[ah. Now that I think about it, I havent explained it to you yet, have I? Hmmm.]
After thinking for a moment, Lord shook his head and said.
[Theres no time. Just let me absorb you too. Then youll find out.]
Juk-
A mouth appeared on Lords face. It was the same large, hideous mouth that hed used to devour the other Demigods.
With his mouth opened wide, he approached Nozdog.
Taht!
A wall of bones appeared from the ground, blocking this mouth.
Lord paused for a moment.
[What is this supposed to be, Nozdog?]
[convince me. And Ill let you.]
Nozdog squeezed out those words.
[if you convince me, I will become a part of you. Lord, you didnt consume your own kind for no reason, did you? There must be a reason. A reason that we all can understand. Tell me that. Then]
Lord looked at Nozdog for a moment before speaking.
[Nozdog.]
[what?]
[You talk a lot, Nozdog.]
His voice was irritated.
[Just shut up and become my food.]
Season: 1 Chapter 233: The Great Mage Returns after 4000 Years (6)
Book 1 Chapter 233: The Great Mage Returns after 4000 Years (6) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Nozdog was speechless.
He was one of the Demigods who fell to the Continent the earliest. This meant that the time hed spent with Lord was naturally longer than most other Demigods.
Theyd known each other for almost an eternity, and he had trusted and followed Lord from the start. Nothing had ever been able to change his mind.
This wasnt because Nozdogs loyalty was impressive. Instead, it was because Lord had always been an amazing leader.
It was possible that all of the Demigods thought the same.
Even if Lord gave up on dominating the continent and instead decided to live in seclusion, their loyalty was enough that theyd follow him without hesitation,
Yet it was the very same Lord whod just told him. To shut up and become his food.
This was only something that one would say to prey, not to ones own kind.
[]
Only Nozdog knew the emotions that filled him at that moment.
Just as Lord was prepared to consume him again.
Crack!
[!]
Lords waist bent at a right angle, and he was unable to offset the force, causing him to fly backwards and into a wall.
Ivan shook his clenched fist.
I hit him?
He didnt attack in a lackluster manner. But it couldnt be said that hed put his all into that punch.
Nevertheless, he had felt it.
That punch had connected.
While it was clear that his attack hadnt reached Lords core, it still counted.
Dros words werent wrong. The current Lord was in a weakened state. Someone had dealt great damage to him.
When he thought about this, his excited heart stilled.
Is Frey really dead?
Lord stood to his feet again while casually brushing pieces of stone off of his body.
[how foolish.]
Anger was evident in his voice.
Anastasia, who was observing the situation, wasnt used to this.
Did Lord ever display his emotions like this?
The answer was no. The only time Lord expressed his emotions was when his people suffered great harm.
But he was different now. Lords emotions felt primitive.
Like a childish and low-level annoyance that had been caused by a bug bite.
Hes a mess.
He felt nothing like the flawless Lord who couldnt be reached no matter how much they stretched their hands.
Anastasia saw a chance.
If they took advantage of this, they might be able to reverse the situation.
But that didnt mean that Lords power had disappeared. Sar?h the ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Crack!
Kuk!
Jekids arm was crushed in an instant. If he had reacted any slower, it wouldnt have been his arm; it would have been his head.
His attacks are hard to detect.
No. He should have been glad that he was even alive at that moment.
If Lord hadnt been distracted, such a sure-kill attack would have appeared without warning.
Shuk.
Jekid swung his sword and cut off his squashed arm without hesitation.
Ivan, who saw this, couldnt help but murmur with a blank expression.
Did you really need to cut it off?
Id rather not keep anything that could distract me. Didnt you know? The more immovable your mindset is, the sharper your attacks.
Thats true, but its tough.
Jekid swung his sword a few times with his left arm,
Its not a problem since I trained myself to use my sword with my left hand as well.
Thats not the problem Well As long as you dont mind.
Ivan shrugged before pointing towards Lord.
I dont know why, but hes weak right now. So we just have to push him somehow.
push him somehow. Is that a plan?
What plan? We have never worked together, so we shouldnt overdo it. It would be best if we didnt get in each others way.
He wasnt wrong, so Jekid nodded before turning to Lord.
You have to be careful. His defenses are definitely weak, but his offense is still extremely powerful. Grey was protecting his entire body with mana, yet he still died before being able to do anything. My arm was also crushed like a dried fish.
So all we have to do is hit him without getting hit by him.
It was easy to say.
Ivan grumbled.
It was at that moment when the Great Medium, who had been watching the situation, finished her chant.
Seven Flower Binding Technique. (Note: nana ka sokubaku no jutsu *flips through hand signs*)
Fwoosh!
Suddenly, seven kinds of flowers appeared around Lord before blooming at the same time.
These flowers didnt just bloom. Their roots stretched out like vines and wrapped around Lords body tightly.
It took Lord a moment to realise that these werent illusions but rather sorcery that altered the substance of reality.
Nevertheless, it was only a human technique. Such a crude power would not be able to restrain him completely.
But Lord found that he was unable to break these vines, that he couldnt move. His entire body was frozen as though hed been paralysed.
Lords fierce gaze turned to the man who was calmly watching the situation from the corner.
Dragon Lord.
His Dragontongue prevented him from moving his body.
It was stronger than the Dragontongue Lucifer had used. This meant that in his current condition, he would not be able to break out of it easily.
This is our chance.
Theyd never worked together before, but it was clear to everyone that Lords movements had been restricted.
Jekid, Anastasia, and Ivan rushed to Lord at the same time. They stood in different directions and bombarded Lords body with their attacks. Each one being strong enough to destroy a castle.
Such powerful attacks hit Lord dozens of times in an instant.
Pa pa pa pa!
Lords body shook violently. Their attacks were violent, but they werent enough to reach his core.
Nevertheless, Lord was unable to easily escape their barrage.
How is this happening?
He had consumed dozens of Demigods.
How could he be struggling against only a few humans and half of the Dragon Lord after all hed done?
Considering the power hed consumed during the fight with Lukas, this shouldnt have been happening.
This question soon caused him to be filled with irritation and rage.
Lords face distorted in an ugly manner.
[Dont touch me-!]
Boom!
A huge explosion of energy burst out from Lords body.
The three, who were close to him, were unable to react in time and were sent flying simultaneously. They were all prepared for a sudden attack like this, but it didnt help.
The explosion that erupted from Lords body wasnt just a strong impact. An unknown force seemed to push their bodies roughly as well.
Kuk.
Ivan was only able to stop himself after rolling several times across the ground.
He wiped the blood that was flowing from his forehead before saying.
What did he just do?
He condensed the space around him before causing it to burst. It is a repulsive power that is in a higher dimension than a physical force using higher density space, he created empty space.
What the hell are you talking about?
in simpler terms, the different spaces pushed each other away. It wouldnt have helped even if you held on to something. As long as its an object, it will be pushed away.
Ivan shook his head at Anastasias explanation.
I still have no idea what youre talking about.
you dont need to understand. I dont think it is something he can use often. You just need to be careful.
Then she continued in a solemn voice.
Im sure that Lord is very weak right now. If its now we have a chance to defeat Lord.
Anastasia avoided commenting on why Lord was so injured. Because she didnt want to believe Lords words.
Lord, on the other hand, grit his teeth.
Anastasias murmur was quiet, but he could still hear it perfectly.
Was she talking about the battle with Lukas? Was she saying that the damage he inflicted had weakened him so much?
No. It wasnt because of that.
It was true that the battle with Lukas had a tremendous impact on his condition, but the reason why he was in this situation was different.
Lord felt a foreign power bubbling inside his body.
This energy was the reason.
The divine power hed stolen from Lukas.
This is not divine power.
To be precise, it was a mixture of divine power and mana.
While absorbing it, Lord knew that Freys divine power was mixed with impurities. Nevertheless, he hadnt cared.
Because in the end, the ratio was 9:1. Naturally, his divine power was the 9.
Therefore, he thought that he would easily be able to filter out the mana, which was nothing more than scraps in comparison.
It was the perfect mistake.
This man was extremely persistent and toxic, causing Lords body to rot just with its presence.
Due to this, Lords body was currently unstable. To make matters worse, even the divine power that he had yet to digest showed signs of running rampant.
All of this chaos inside of him could have been easily quelled if he were in his peak condition, but Lord had spent a lot of energy in his battle against Lukas.
Even so
It was extremely humiliating for him to be pushed to this extent by this insect-like group of mortals that Lukas Trowman wasnt even part of.
Warrior Kings Fist. Blade Fist.
Jijik!
A sword-like gust of wind shot out from Ivans fist and violently scratched Lords body.
Jekid and Anastasia also began using their long range attacks.
The wounds on Lords body increased.
If this continues
He would actually be defeated by these pieces of trash.
Suddenly, an idea appeared in Lords mind. He turned his eyes to Nozdog, who was standing far away before calling out desperately.
[Nozdog, help me.]
[Lord.]
[Im sorry about earlier. But cant you understand? My mind is really unstable right now. I still havent completely controlled the others who became one with me. If this continues I will definitely forget my essence and become a monster. That means every Demigod in me will also have a terrible ending!]
Nozdog flinched at those words.
Then Dro shouted in a rare, harsh tone.
Nozdog! Dont be fooled! Hes just saying nonsense to make you go to him! Did you already forget how he just treated you?
[That wasnt me. Nozdog, please believe me Right. You asked me to convince you, didnt you? I will explain it to you now. Come here and help me stop their attacks for a while]
[]
The flames burning in Nozdogs eyes shook unstably. Then he lifted a bone finger.
Crack!
Suddenly, layers of bones rose up from the ground, blocking the attacks headed towards Lord.
Ivan clicked his tongue when he felt the hardness of the bones.
Theyre much harder than steel!
What is he trying to do?
Meanwhile, Nozdog began walking towards Lord.
[Lord, the things you said arent easy to understand. However, I know you-]
Nozdog didnt get a chance to finish his sentence.
This was because Lord rushed towards him like a wild beast. His arms and legs wrapped around Nozdogs body like rope while his face, which had become featureless again, was once again covered by an enormous mouth.
Crunch
The feast had begun.
Lord chewed on Nozdogs skull, neck, ribs, spine, hip, thighs, knees, and shins before finally putting his toes in his mouth and chewing them as well. (Note:what a sentence)
Nozdog.
It took only three seconds for this skeleton-shaped Demigod to disappear from the world.
In other words, by the time Ivan smashed through the bone barrier.
[]
Lord had already finished his meal.
Dro looked at him with contempt.
Do you know what youve done? With your own hands, you killed all the people who trusted you till the very end. You took advantage of Nozdogs loyalty and betrayed him!
[That might be the case. But their wills will not disappear. Right, in human terms, I have inherited their will. Whats the difference between you and me?]
Disgusting. So youre crazy to the point of asking such a question. Dont talk about concepts you dont understand.
It was Anastasia who responded in a disdainful voice.
Then Lord shook his head.
[Hmm. I naturally dont need your understanding.]
There was once again a sense of stability in Lords voice.
This was thanks to the divine power hed absorbed from Nozdog. His divine power was helping get rid of the bits of mana that were corrupting his body.
After all, Nozdog was powerful enough to be called an Apocalypse.
[Right. I understand now. So I was Michael. Ku-, Kuhuhu. How interesting. I was the balance of the Celestial World]
Paht!
White wings tore out of Lords back. He looked back at these wings before muttering.
[I dont think I can lose anymore So first, lets take care of the bugs.]
Season: 1 Chapter 234: The Great Mage Returns after 4000 Years (7)
Book 1 Chapter 234: The Great Mage Returns after 4000 Years (7) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
[Urk]
Lord suddenly felt nauseous. He collapsed to the ground while holding his chest.
[Urk! Wek ]
Tok, tok
Then he vomited something.
It was a thick, viscous substance with a disgusting smell like it was something that had almost been digested.
Moreover, this liquid was black and wriggled as though it was alive.
Im not sure whats happening.
Lord was currently defenseless.
Seeing this, Ivan charged towards him. He wanted to take advantage of this opening.
He couldnt help but think about the battle with Agni. Nora had lost her arm, and Beniang risked her life to give him an opening, which he then used to land a punch.
He remembered the feeling hed had at that time.
I can do it.
After that battle with Agni, Ivan had done his best to perfect Ivans Fist, which had become his trump card.
That fist was the limit of the path that Ivan pursued. But it was still incomplete. This was proven by the fact that it hadnt even been able to finish off the weakened Agni.
That was why he was confident now. This time would be different from back then.
If everything went well, he would be able to reach Lords core.
Kooo-
Ivan began condensing mana into his fist.
Not enough.
He wouldnt be able to do it with this much.
It had to be cleared. Denser. More compressed.
He would bear the burden for it on his own.
Fwoosh.
His hair seemed to have been turning white.
In a pure white world, Ivan recalled the path hed walked on so far. At the end of his teenage years, which could only be described as trash, he met a benefactor by the name of Nora and was taught the Warrior King Fist.
He was talented, and for the first time in his life, he felt a sense of accomplishment.
It was on one faithful day when he found out about the Demigods.
-The secret of the Warrior King Fist.
It was to kill Demigods. That was what the martial art had been created for.
And the existence in front of him was now an amalgamation of almost every member of this transcendent race to the extent that it wouldnt be strange to call him The Demigod.
As long as he killed him, everything would be over.
So I will steel my resolve.
He wouldnt swing his fist again.
For Ivan, who had devoted himself to the Warrior King Fist, he had more than enough determination to give up his life.
This determination then created a miracle.
Jurk.
Blood flowed from Ivans lips. It wasnt just his lips. Red blood flowed from his eyes, nose, and even his ears.
Crunch.
He felt his molars crack, the veins in his eyeballs burst, and his eardrums tear.
If it wasnt for this pain, he might have lost his mind by then.
Kooo-
And finally.
Ivan had gathered his everything into his fist.
This is it.
This fist was the limit of Ivans ability.
He looked at Lord with calm eyes. He could reach him with this. An unknown conviction filled his heart at that moment.
Ivan swung his fist, his hand penetrating Lords body.
Clang.
Or, at least, that was what should have happened.
Ivan stared at the scene in front of him with disbelieving eyes.
There was nothing in front of him. But Ivans Fist had been blocked.
He hadnt even gotten the chance to reach Lord. In fact, Lord wasnt even looking at him. He was still wheezing on the ground with his back bent.
Nevertheless, Ivans fist had been blocked by an invisible wall.
Kurk
The backlash came before he could even figure out what had just happened.
Ivan couldnt swallow the bubble of blood that shot up from his throat. Blood and pieces of his internal organs shot out from his mouth.
Impossible.
He stared at his fist in disbelief. It felt like he had struck something that was unimaginably hard.
It didnt make sense.
In front of Ivans Fist, even the hardest metal in the world, Adamantium, which was praised for its durability, would be torn apart like paper.
Then Lord, who had finished vomiting, wiped his mouth before saying.
[I already told you. I dont think I can lose anymore.]
What the hell did you do?
[I used my power. But its only natural that insects like you wouldnt understand.]
Ivan couldnt hold it anymore and collapsed to the ground. His stamina and strength were already depleted.
He had literally put everything he had into that punch.
What the hell kind of monster did he become?
Ivan felt fear for the first time.
He cast a fearful gaze towards Lord, but Lord was still not paying any attention to him. Instead, he was looking down at his vomit.
Hup!
The Great Medium gasped and stumbled backwards. She realised what Lords vomit was.
Th-, the Demigods
What did you say?
Anastasia was shocked by the Great Mediums murmur. She hurriedly observed the black liquid.
Kuaaah-
This disgusting, viscous liquid, which shed thought was vomit, was covered in numerous face-like bubbles.
It was like grieving ghosts had become tangled together, forming a liquid and becoming prisoners in a hell-like place where the punishment never ended.
Even Anastasia, who had witnessed numerous horrifying scenes before, could not help but feel cold at the sight.
What the hell did you do?
[They no longer have divine power. So I filtered them out As you saw, having multiple egos coexisting in one body is very dangerous.]
Lords voice was emotionless.
This caused Anastasia to feel that the being in front of them was not Lord but an entirely new being.
But they were once your kind. Are you really saying this is okay? Are you really going to throw away the people who trusted you and followed you for so long in such a way? Thats a fate more miserable than dying.
[Youre wrong.]
Crack!
Lord stomped on the vomit without any changes to his expression. (Note: So disrespectful to still call them vomit, oof)
Power from the soles of his feet spread deep into the vomit.
Kuaah-
The Demigods screamed even more painfully.
Lord spoke without any fluctuations in his voice.
[How can you call beings without divine power Demigods?]
You you are even more disgusting that the vomit you just spat out.
It was Dro who spoke with a disgusted voice.
Lord tilted his head as though he couldnt understand those words.
[Thats strange. Why are you baring your teeth at me? You were in the same situation as me. Lucifer and Dragon Lord. I dont think you separated the cores because you wanted to be separate beings. You did it because your two powerful egos were unable to coexist in one body. I also got this idea from your actions.]
Dont equate our decision to your disgusting actions.
[You dont understand that its just a difference of perspective.]
Lord shrugged nonchalantly before looking at Dro and saying.
[And from now on, it would be best if you watched your mouth.]
Quit your bullsh*t, you son of a bitch.
Ivan growled, spitting out a mouthful of blood. This was his step of courage to not be devoured by fear.
Ivans courage was certainly something to be admired. It was possible that his body and mind were in a situation much worse than any human had ever encountered. To swear at Lord in this state was something no one would dare do.
However, Ivans courage didnt work in his favor.
Lord looked down at this man who was barely conscious and nodded.
[Then you can disappear.]
Lords words immediately became a reality.
Paht.
Ivan disappeared.
By the time the people in the room noticed, he was no longer in the throne room.
Huh?
Anastasia exclaimed softly.
Ivans entire existence had disappeared, as if hed evaporated, as if an invisible force had agreed with Lords words.
It wasnt just Ivan. Even the blood hed shed had disappeared.
Flap!
Lord spread his wings.
This sight caused the Great Medium to be momentarily speechless. This was because for a moment, this being, who seemed to shine with a holy light, looked like an Angel, an Apostle of God, or even God itself.
Its not possible!
The Great Medium only froze for a moment before she immediately discarded those thoughts.
Gods Apostle?
This disgusting creature?
She would never accept it. As the Great Medium who had devoutly served God for hundreds of years, she wholeheartedly denied Lords existence.
What the hell is your goal? Do you intend to rule this world alone, with no one by your side? Do you really think such a life is worth living?
[I do not intend to rule.]
Lord had naturally given up such a foolish goal. He closed his eyes and muttered.
[I will meet God.]
What?
[However, he is very busy. He never shows up unless he absolutely has to.]
After saying this, Lord paused for a moment.
He recalled the extremely unusual case of Gods appearance to meet an individual named Lukas Trowman.
He wondered just what their conversation was about for a moment before shaking his head and continuing.
[so I will create a special situation. A special situation that will force him to make an appearance.]
A special situation
[I will destroy every world. And return the world to the state of nothingness just like in the beginning.]
!!!
Everyone there was shocked by his words.
Destroy the world?
Return it to nothingness?
These were normally ridiculous statements. But it was Lord who said them.
He definitely had the power to do what he said.
More importantly, he meant it. Lord was serious about destroying the world.
This is Lords real goal.
Cold sweat dripped down their backs.
She understood what he said, but Anastasia couldnt stop herself from arguing.
Yo-, youre insane Then youll die too! Regardless of how strong you are now, you wouldnt be able to maintain your body if the world didnt exist!
[Did you forget? I have a world of my own.]
no way.
[The Abyss.]
Lord laughed.
[There are currently guests who are using it without permission, but it wont be hard for me to break through the walls they set up. I will wait there. For thousands or even tens of thousands of years until God comes. Then, after meeting him, I will make a suggestion. To rebuild the world.]
Lords eyes shined. It was as though he was already looking at the newly created world instead of the beings in front of him. (Note: sometimes I really think the author forgets Lord is featureless)
[Im certain that the newly created world will be a paradise. Ill make sure it is. Right it would be nice if I could recreate my kind as well.]
do you really intend to become Gods Apostle?
[Id prefer that.]
God might not appear in the end.
[Then Ill make it myself. Of course, it might take tens of thousands of years, but it would be fun. I told your dead friend before: creation is not impossible for me any longer.]
He was serious when he said this as well.
It was only then when those remaining in the room realised just what kind of being they were fighting against.
Maybe Lord was a god.
It was hard for them to call a being whom they had never seen or heard before and who didnt even seem to care about what was happening, God.
Lord, on the other hand, was a god of destruction who could kill hundreds of thousands of people in an instant.
[Of course, you would be long dead by then, Dro.]
In the next instant, Dros body floated into the air.
This was Lords power.
Dro didnt struggle uselessly. Instead, he bit his lip and quickly used Dragontongue.
[Reject.]
!!
The Dragontongue was deflected.
Instead, it was the body of the one who used it that had been bound.
Dros jaw dropped in shock.
How the hell did you cancel out my Dragontongue?
[I dont know what power it is. Im just imitating.]
So this was the power that Lukas was using.
As he had this thought, Lord looked at Dros shocked expression.
What do you????????????r????????????.nbsp;????????????
[You dont deserve to know. Shut up and give me your heart.]
Shik!
With those words, a heart was pulled out of Dros chest, covered in blood and still beating.
Ku-, uk
Dro shook with his eyes wide open before he stopped moving completely.
He was dead.
Dros artificial body had strong vitality. But the power source at the core of its vitality was the heart. S~ea??h the N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
If he had lost another vital part, he would not have died so easily.
Lord gestured lightly.
[Come, my last piece.]
The heart slowly floated towards Lord.
If we just leave it.
Its over.
Jekid and Anastasia exchanged glances. Then they threw themselves toward Lord at the same time.
[Get lost.]
Their bodies were sent flying in an instant.
As theyd expected this, they bounced up immediately and charged again.
[Fall.]
Terrible pressure landed on their bodies. Unable to overcome this pressure, they collapsed face-first into the ground.
In an instant, it felt like gravity had increased by hundreds of times.
The pressure was so strong that the ground around them shattered.
[This power is pretty good.]
Although, it was a bit annoying to admit it himself.
Lord turned to look at the Great Medium who was standing in a corner and asked.
[What will you do?]
[Right. Just stay still. In a way, you might be the smartest bug here.]
The end was finally there.
A smile appeared on Lords face. He stretched out to the heart that was finally within reach.
The Dragon Lords heart. This alone could have been called a supreme treasure, but for Lord, it was a simple shell.
The shell which hid the core that Lord was searching for.
The last piece that he wanted so badly was kept in this very heart.
[]
Or, at least, it should have been.
Lords expression stiffened.
[whats going on?]
It wasnt there. There was no core.
Just when hed thought it was impossible, another accident occurred.
[]
Naturally, the image of a woman appeared in the mind of Lord who stood there as though hed been frozen.
Iris Phisfounder.
The person whod created Dros artificial body.
[where did you hide it]
His voice seemed to rumble with anger, like an active volcano that was about to erupt.
Lord clenched his fist tightly.
Bang!
The Dragon Heart exploded, sending blood flying in every direction.
[Where did you hide the balances core, Iris?!]
I have it.
[]
Lord turned around slowly, his expression still one of extreme rage.
No, it was so distorted that even rage was not enough to describe it.
Lukas Trowman was standing there calmly as if hed been there from the beginning.
He looked at Lords distorted expression before pointing to his chest. He pointed to the last arrangement of Iris, who had brought him back from the dead and whose soul was inches away from disappearing.
I have the balances core.
(Note: bruh LETS GOOOO!!!)
Season: 1 Chapter 235: The Great Mage Returns after 4000 Years (8)
Book 1 Chapter 235: The Great Mage Returns after 4000 Years (8) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Kuk
It felt like her consciousness was slowly fading. Anastasia wanted to get up, but because of the pressure on her back, such a task was impossible.
The force of this pressure was beyond imagination.
If it werent for the fact that she was a Golem, her body would definitely have been crushed by now.
Sh*t!
She couldnt help but shed some tears because of her helplessness.
Anastasia forcibly raised her head.
She knew that it was pointless. Nonetheless, she couldnt help but take a look.
Then she saw an illusion. In her blurry vision that seemed as though it would fade at any time, she thought she saw Lukas.
Ha-, hahaha.
Right. It was definitely an illusion.
Anastasia was certain that somewhere in her heart, she was desperately hoping for Lukas help. She was hoping that hed suddenly appear and overcome this helpless situation.
But she was simply escaping her responsibility. No. She was doing nothing more than denying the reality.
Anastasia felt so disgusted in herself that she wanted to vomit.
Lukas wasnt a god. In other words, he wasnt someone whom she could just conveniently cry out to whenever she was in trouble.
Besides, looking at this illusion.
It wasnt Frey Blake; it was Lukas Trowman. What was the probability that he, who Lord said was already dead, would suddenly appear with his appearance from 4,000 years ago?
At this critical moment.
Its so childish that it wouldnt even be written in the story of a great hero.
Thats why she was certain that this was an illusion.
Anastasias vision faded.
And even if it wasnt.
If what she had just seen was not an illusion.
If that person was really Lukas.
And if hed come to save them
Its a little late.
With that thought, Anastasia lost consciousness.
* * *
[]
Lord felt his Endtongue slowly dissipate.
This wasnt because he stopped it. Instead, it was because Lukas had negated his pressure.
This wasnt surprising. Especially if this man was truly Lukas.
Before long, the pressure that had been pressing Anastasia and Jekid to the floor completely disappeared. Nevertheless, neither of them got to their feet. The two of them had already lost consciousness.
Of course, Lord had completely lost interest in them.
[Right. So thats what happened.]
His attention was only focused on Lukas.
This man, who should have died after he took most of his divine power, was now standing in front of him once again.
This wasnt a condition that couldve been cured. Sar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
It was different from an injury to his body. The scars that had been dealt to his soul itself should have taken a very long time to heal. Furthermore, the wounds that hed dealt to Lukas soul should have been fatal.
Time should have done nothing more than accelerate his death.
But he was still alive. More importantly, he reappeared in front of him in perfect condition.
With the balances core. The power that hed given everything to obtain.
Lords distorted expression slowly softened. He regained his composure.
This situation was actually much better than he expected. If that Witch, Iris, had been determined to hide the core, then even Lord would have spent a very long time looking for it.
However, the core had now appeared in front of him without requiring any effort.
The reason for his rage and impatience had completely disappeared.
But now that he had more time to think, his suspicion increased.
Lord tilted his head to the side and said.
[But why did you appear before me again?]
He was genuinely curious.
He continued as he looked at Lukas who was silently looking back at him.
[I figured where Iris took you It was the broken Celestial World. It is a world that had already been destroyed and was filled with space debris. Had you not left, you might have been able to enjoy some false happiness for a moment.]
[Isnt that what Iris wanted?]
Im sure it was.
[Then why? Why did you come here just to die a dogs death?]
Whats the point of living in a fake illusion?
Lukas paused for a moment before shaking his head.
no. I might make sense to you. But I dont want that. Reality is much more important to me, and I cant ignore the suffering of those who are close to me.
[Hoh]
Thats why I cant just sit at the side and watch you do as you please.
After saying this, Lukas seemed to remember something.
And it will be you, not me, who will die.
[Ku-, kuhuhu]
Lord burst into laughter.
Right. He thought this would be the case.
For some reason, he felt that this situation was very familiar. Similar to when the humans here had driven him into a corner.
Lord had been unable to completely hide his irritation at the time. But hed never thought he was going to die.
This was because something important had been missing. He wasnt sure what it was.
However, Lord believed that there was only one being in the entire world who had the chance to kill him. In the end, he believed that there was only one person who could block the path to his goal.
He thought hed killed him, but maybe he was still hoping he was alive.
He finally understood why.
The others werent good enough. They were still missing something.
And he wasnt just talking about strength.
[In the end, you are my final enemy. Lukas Trowman.]
There was a hint of joy in Lords voice as he said those words.
On the other hand, Lukas was looking down at the ground. He was looking at the vomit that Lord spat out.
did you spit them out yourself?
[And if I did?]
To throw away your own duty. Youve done something pathetic and foolish. More importantly, you havent even realised what youve done.
[What are you talking about?]
Right I see.
Lukas muttered indifferently before looking up.
Lets go somewhere else.
Paht.
With just those words, their surroundings changed. It was as though all of the colors in the world had been reversed. Or like the world had been flipped upside down.
Lord felt dizzy for a moment, and by the time the feeling faded, he realised that he was in an entirely new place.
[]
His expression stiffened.
This was because he couldnt understand what Lukas had just done.
Was this the power of 10 stars?
Did he just use the power of Endtongue?
Its similar.
Right. It was similar. But it was not the same power.
Lord looked at Lukas.
His figure, which was still standing there indifferently, suddenly appeared extremely large. And it felt like he was releasing an unknown pressure.
It was as if darkness was covering Lukas body. And this darkness was looking at him hungrily with its drooling mouth wide open.
Whats going on? This feeling
He wanted to turn his head. He didnt want to face this gaze. If possible, he even wanted to leave this place.
Lord immediately understood his feelings.
Am I afraid?
He immediately denied it.
That was impossible.
There was no reason for him to feel an emotion that hed never felt once since birth. Especially after hed reached his most perfect form.
[Where is this place?]
An unnamed island in the western part of the continent.
[Why did you bring me here?]
There is no life in this area.
[I see. But this place is a bit too lackluster to be the stage for our final fight.]
His lips curled up as he continued. (Note: At this point, just assume that Lords face is clearly visible)
[This will be my final trial. Lukas Trowman, I will kill you here.]
you still havent realised.
Lukas sighed.
Lord furrowed his eyebrows at his attitude.
[What is with your attitude? Are you looking down on me?]
What would you do if that was the case?
[the scars on your soul are definitely still there. Dont tell me that you already forgot who was the one that drove your existence to the brink of extinction.]
Lukas looked at Lord and said,
At least its not you.
[Bullsh*t!]
It was only then when Lord finally realised what the strange sense that hed been getting since Lukas had reappeared had come from.
Lukas attitude towards him had changed. It had changed as though he was dealing with an opponent who was clearly beneath him instead of one that hed have to give his all to defeat.
Lukas cold, indifferent expression proved that.
Without even caring about Lords harsh tone, he continued to murmur calmly.
I thought a lot before I came here. I thought that this would be my final battle with you, that whoever won would be gravely wounded. However thats not the case. The greatest struggle is already over.
Right.
He thought that it would be just like his fight with Lord in Hell.
I came here prepared to lose.
[Thats natural. At the very least, all of the islands in this area will sink.]
The two fiercest fights that Lord had ever fought were against the Dragon Lord and Lukas. This battle would be no less bloody than those two.
Or at least, that is what he thought, and he believed that Lukas thought so as well.
But I realised the moment I saw you. As soon as I saw your vomit. The current you cannot defeat me.
[What?]
But this doesnt make me feel good. Rather, I feel empty.
[]
Lord couldnt bear to listen to any more of his nonsense.
He called out in a harsh voice.
[Thats enough of your bullsh*t. I already know how to use your power Get lost.] (Note: I like this so much more than go away idk why I didnt think of this sooner T~T )
The power of Endtongue was clearly activated.
And Lord was convinced that this power would be able to break Lukas composure.
But nothing happened.
[Get lost!]
He said it again.
Nevertheless, Lukas didnt even budge. Rather, he even began walking towards Lord.
[What is]
As long as you have those wings on your back, you will never be able to defeat me. Your essence has already changed.
[What?]
Lord looked back at his wings with a blank expression.
Lukas sighed again.
You are no longer a Demigod. You still havent realised that.
[Of course I know that! But what does that have to do with anything?]
Lord shouted with bloodshot eyes.
[The fact that Im no longer a Demigod has nothing to do with killing you! They just became a burden anyway! Why should I carry around that trash that made me go crazy when combined with my broken psyche?]
Clear disappointment appeared on Lukas face. This expression enraged Lord even more.
is that something that the leader of a species would say? Furthermore, you dont even seem to realise that youve become a different being.
[Of course I have! I have evolved!]
You havent. Instead, it can be said that you degenerated. At least here in the Mortal World Think about the demons.
[The demons?]
He couldnt understand.
However, when he heard what Lukas said next, Lords expression hardened considerably.
Are they able to use their full power here on the Continent? Even Lucifer only managed to circumvent this law after fusing with the Dragon Lord. After he obtained the core of the balance. What about you? Youre the balance of the celestial world, who killed Lucifer and absorbed Satans core. Do you really think you could exert your full strength here in the Mortal World?
[]
It had been possible a while ago. You could have used all the power you wanted. And theres only one reason why it was possible the Demigods. The presence of those you treated like burdens was what supported you.
[!!!]
The Demigods.
Even if they thought that they were fragments of the will of the world, no one could deny that they were beings born in the Mortal World.
Because he had consumed dozens of these transcendent beings, he had been able to use unlimited power in the Mortal World. Until then, the laws of this world still considered Lord as a Demigod.
But that was no more.
[U-, uhh]
Lord stumbled backwards.
He recalled the vomit hed just spat out.
The race hed abandoned had been calling his name.
Lo rd
Spare us
Ku-, kuuk juk
Lukas got closer to Lord, who had collapsed on the ground, and delivered the final truth.
And now, you are no longer Lord.
[What do you]
Lord is there.
While saying this, Lukas pointed to the puddle of black liquid. It was only then when Lord realised that Lukas had also brought his vomit to the island, but he couldnt concentrate on that fact.
Among the faces that appeared like bubbles in the black liquid, he suddenly saw that face. The face of Lord. The round, egg-like face without any features. (Note: well that explains the sudden facial features)
[A-, ahhh-?!]
you should have kept carrying your people. Even if the path was painful, you never should have given up on carrying them.
Lukas and Lord had something in common.
They were different in many ways, but both of them had successfully brought their souls to a new level.
But there was also a difference.
Lukas abandoned his humanity, but he didnt forget that he was human. But Lord abandoned the Demigods and forgot that he was Demigod.
Hed forgotten his essence. Hed given up the responsibility that he should have held till death.
Just to be comfortable, Lord had chosen to run away.
And this was the price.
You gained the powers of an Angel. You must have wanted to showcase your absolute power to the humans. It wouldnt be impossible for them to wallow in hopelessness and despair after witnessing the power of my Endtongue.
However.
Lukas looked down at Lord as he continued.
But such power means nothing to a being who is your equal.
[Sh-, shut up!]
Lord screamed and rushed wildly towards Lukas.
Looking at him, Lukas simply muttered.
we wont have a fight. You have already thrown away that possibility.
[Th-, then. What am I?]
Was he saying that wasnt the trash?
If that was the real Lord
Then who was he?
Was he, the one who was currently controlling the body, the trash?
[A-, ahhh! Aaaak! Lu-, Lukas-!]
Lord screamed madly as he rushed towards Lukas.
And on this small, unnamed island, what happened next, as Lukas said, was not a fight.
Season: 1 Chapter 236: The Great Mage Returns after 4000 Years (9)
Book 1 Chapter 236: The Great Mage Returns after 4000 Years (9) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
[U-, uaack-!]
The first instinct of this transcendent being who had been alive for tens of thousands of years was to charge forward. A mad dash with no skill or finesse.
Even so, his figure was not easy to keep up with.
While Lords mind was extremely unstable, his physical strength was still astonishing. His power was enough to shake the small island violently as he moved.
Boom!
But he still wasnt able to reach Lukas. In fact, Lord realised that he was the one who had been the most affected by his charge.
[Uwaa-!]
Lord roared as he swung his fists recklessly. But it seemed impossible for him to break the invisible walls surrounding Lukas.
It was incredibly humiliating for him as Lukas just kept looking at him with an indifferent gaze.
And at the same time, Lord realised.
He was now experiencing the same thing hed put Ivan through moments earlier.
[This cant be happening!]
Lord shouted with bloodshot eyes.
Even though he knew he couldnt reach him, he didnt stop swinging his fists. He couldnt even think properly anymore.
Lukas felt bad just looking at him.
[I-, I cant be trash! Do you know how long Ive been waiting for this moment? How much I sacrificed?]
You werent the one to make the sacrifices; it was the Demigods.
[I am a Demigod!]
Lords mind was already on the verge of collapse.
He knew that everything Lukas had said was true. He knew it, but he couldnt accept it.
His pride couldnt tolerate it.
He couldnt tolerate the fact that the real Lord was currently in the vomit he spat out while he was just the trash that remained in the body.
As I said before, you are no longer
[Shut up!]
Lord interrupted Lukas.
Lukas looked at him with a solemn gaze.
Up until that point, Lord had believed everything was in the palm of his hand. He hadnt realised that that was not the case, that he had lost everything instead.
His identity as a Demigod.
The people who trusted him and followed him blindly.
And the name Lord.
It was strange that he hadnt gone crazy considering the obsession he had with the Demigod race in the past. In fact, he would have preferred to go crazy. But the strong mental power that came as a result of his transcendent body was hindering him.
[Kuaah!-!]
Lords fists shoot violently. Blood was coming out of his fists, but he didnt seem to realise.
To Lukas, it looked like he was struggling with his own body.
I wont be sympathetic. You brought this upon yourself. You are no longer the being called Lord.
[I said shut up-!]
His punches were no different from the tantrum of a child.
So Lukas waited.
It was easy to kill him, but he decided to wait first. Lukas could already see Lords end.
A terrible and miserable end, unbefitting of the power he had, awaited him.
[Uwa-, ahh]
Lords movements gradually began to slow down.
It didnt feel like a lot of time had passed, but it did.
His burning emotions had cooled over time. Especially his anger.
Even when he swung his fists, Lord did not stop thinking. No. It would be more accurate to say that he couldnt stop.
He constantly agonised over why this was happening to him. And eventually, he had no choice but to accept the conclusion he had been avoiding.
Thump.
Lord collapsed.
He stared into the sky with a blank gaze, as though hed lost his soul.
[I didnt want this to happen.]
His cracked voice showed none of the power hed just displayed.
[what the hell have I done? Tell me, Great Mage.]
You betrayed those who believed in you.
[And?]
You threw them aside when they were struggling in pain.
[And?]
you cursed the people who died for you.
[Hu-, huhuhu]
Lord let out a crazy laugh.
For a while, the sound of his deflated laugh resonated across the island.
Then, Lord turned around in a hurry. It was like he was looking for something.
Then, he finally spotted the vomit that he himself had spat out.
[A-, ahh]
Lord crawled towards the vomit. He grabbed the black liquid with both hands and pulled it closer to himself.
He looked at his own people who hed abandoned.
[Im sorry Im so sorry H-, huk]
[I didnt mean to do this I I just]
Where did it go wrong?
Lords head was filled with questions.
Not so long ago, the Demigods were Lords everything. He would have done anything for them to the point of even sacrificing himself.
However, at some point, his beliefs had changed. He no longer looked at the Demigods equally. He began to distinguish between the superior and inferior Demigods.
It all started from that small crack.
Useful and useless Demigods. Strong and weak Demigods.
He shouldnt have evaluated and separated his people into groups like that. Differentiation resulted in discrimination, and discrimination became contempt.
And at some point, contempt became hatred.
-Because
Lord himself was the best. He was stronger than all of the other Demigods combined.
As he kept separating the Demigods in such a way, he eventually reached the extreme conclusion that every Demigod apart from him was useless. He felt that it was more efficient to just absorb them.
He should have loved every Demigod equally. And should have regarded them as his precious kin.
That was the way Lord had been for tens of thousands of years. Hed carried out his responsibilities with great success.
But at the most important moment, hed failed to do so.
[the Demigods faced an unprecedented crisis.]
This era was a crisis for the Demigods.
A Demigod would die every thousand years or so, and the forces who rebelled against them were unexpectedly powerful.
And at the center of this crisis was a single man.
[We couldnt overcome it in the end, and so we eventually fell. Lukas, what do you think was the reason?]
The Demigods followed the wrong leader.
Lord pursed his lips slightly.
[So you think its my fault.]
Your fault is the biggest. But I cant say that the Demigods who died were completely innocent.
[Why? They are only guilty of following an incompetent leader.]
Thats their fault. There can never be a perfect leader. Everyone makes mistakes, and at times, we make the wrong decisions. Can you really call it loyalty if they nod their heads even at those times? Sometimes, its necessary to point out your leaders faults.
Lukas looked down at Lord and said.
But someone did do that.
[!]
Lord shook for a moment before lowering his head.
[huhu. And I killed him with my own hands.]
Lords face, which was smiling despondently, suddenly distorted.
[Urk urk!]
Then, he started retching once again.
Lukas eyebrows furrowed as he realised what he was going to do.
[Uwek!]
Lord vomited again. But this time, it wasnt black liquid.
Tuktuk.
Instead, it was fresh blood that soaked the ground in front of him.
[Uwek uwek!]
There was nothing wrong with his body because Lukas didnt do anything to him. Instead, Lord was willingly vomiting blood at that moment.
What was it that he was trying to spit out?
The answer to this question was revealed in the next moment.
[Uwek!]
Clink
Two shiny gems, covered in blood, rolled across the ground to Lukas feet.
They were Satans core.
And Michaels core.
Do you know what youve done?
[I spit out all the cores.]
Thats no different from ripping out your own heart. Why are you giving up your own life?
[]
Lord turned to look at the black liquid once again.
Then he picked it up and started stuffing it in his own mouth. He was trying to put the vomit back into his stomach. (Note: I know this was supposed to be a touching moment but I literally gagged)
Seeing this, Lukas spoke in a soft tone.????n????????????????????.nbsp;????????????
Stop. You should know how foolish that is. The moment you spat them out, they already died. The bubbles are nothing more than a simple phenomenon Nothing will change even if you swallow them again after spitting out the cores. Its no use crying over spilled milk.
[I know that. But I still want to.]
Are you saying that you want to die as a Demigod?
Lord paused.
Because this could be considered a classic phrase. He recalled what Lukas Trowman had said at that time.
If you take away my divine power, I can die as a human.
He hadnt understood what he meant at that time. He was going to die anyway, so what was the point of dying as a human?
Lords question was understandable.
After all, he was a transcendent, an absolute. Hed never thought deeply about death.
It was only now while Lord was dying when he understood Lukas feelings at that time.
Is this what he meant? It should be.
How would he die?
This question was so important that it was comparable to his near eternity of a life.
Lord slowly put down the liquid in his hands.
[I dont deserve to. As you said, I am trash who betrayed the trust of my people.]
[Would it have been different if we were like the humans? You all have always been the one facing the crises, and youve shown great unity for a long time. At the same time, individuals with extraordinary talent would often appear among you as if they had been guided by fate Would we have had a different end if we were the same?]
Lukas never expected to hear Lord praise the humans at the end. There was even a hint of genuine envy in his voice.
Thats why Lukas gave him an honest answer.
Not every human is like that.
[]
But maybe you would have had a less miserable end.
[Its not about the species. Its about character. What a great answer.]
Lord could tell that Lukas had discarded his bias. He had also indirectly answered that the Demigods could have been a better race.
[Haha.]
Suddenly, a laugh came from his throat, like wind leaking out of a balloon.
It was hard not to laugh.
The two beings here. The strongest Human and the strongest Demigod could only understand each other after their essences had changed. sea??h th N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
[Where did it go wrong]
Lord lowered his head.
He had already vomited all of the Demigods and the balance cores.
Now, death was the only thing that remained for this being without organs or blood.
Lukas looked down at Lord, realising he was already dead.
Psss-
The glow, which had been ever-present, gradually faded, and before long, Lords entire body was bleached gray.
It was similar to Rikis death. Like ashes, his body broke apart before scattering into the wind.
Suddenly.
Everything stopped.
Thud.
Lukas realised that it wasnt just the items he could see that had frozen, but even time and space had.
Originally, not even Lukas would have realised that time had stopped. Regardless of his new state as a transcendent being.
Because the only being who could stop time and space was the only true absolute existence in this world.
[I knew wed meet again.]
God laughed as he said those words.
Season: 1 Chapter 237: The Great Mage Returns after 4000 Years (10)
Book 1 Chapter 237: The Great Mage Returns after 4000 Years (10) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Were you sure that wed meet again because youre God?
[No way. Sure, its not hard to see the future, but I dont have the time to observe it. Lets just say I had a feeling.]
I wanted to meet you.
[I know. You want to ask for an absurd favor.]
Lukas eyes shook.
[Iris Phisfounder. You want to revive a soul thats almost completely broken. Do you know how ridiculous that is?]
Is it impossible even for you?
[Thats not a question you should ask God. There are very few things that are impossible for me.]
[But I cant just do that for you.]
Tell me what you want. Ill do anything I can.
Luke glanced down at the two gems Lord had spat out. These gems then rose up to float in front of Lukas face.
[Swallow these two cores.]
then what will happen?
[Nothing big will happen. Youll become much stronger, but its not really that remarkable in my opinion. However, you will gain the qualification.]
What qualification?
[The qualification to travel between universes.]
God continued in a sincere voice.
[Lukas Trowman, Ill make you an Absolute. So leave this universe with me.]
* * *
God mentioned absolutes and the universe.
But Lukas had a feeling that the concepts God was talking about were different from what he knew.
Not minding Lukas silence, God opened his mouth again.
[Im busy. I told you this the other day. Have you ever wondered, just what the hell is God doing that he doesnt care about the world?]
I have.
He couldnt help but nod.
It always felt like a contradiction for this being to say he had no time to take care of the world because he was busy.
It was already clear that this being in front of him was the creator.
So was there anything more important to such a god than caring for and managing the world he created?
A smile appeared on Gods face as he said.
[Think of the largest number you can possibly imagine.]
[Then multiply that number by 100 million.]
what are you trying to say.
[It must have been an astronomical number. Right?]
That was obvious.
Lukas kept his mouth closed because he couldnt understand his intentions.
[What if there were even more worlds than that number you thought of? What if this world you live and breathe in can only be counted as a grain of sand on a beach?]
!!
Lukas felt like hed been struck in the head by a bolt of lightning. He finally understood what God was trying to say.
Thats impossib-
[Its not. Dont you remember? I called the Demon World and the Celestial World neighbouring worlds This is because as long as you meet certain conditions, you can travel freely between them. The three worlds, including the Mortal World, are closely related to each other. Its no different from being born together, so they could even be called siblings. But this is just a small group. From a broader perspective, there are countless worlds like them in the universe.]
[Seeing it once is better than a hundred explanations. Experience it yourself.] Sar?h the novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Then.
A new world unfolded before Lukas eyes.
Fwoosh-
!!!
Lukas stared at the scene in front of him with wide eyes.
Before him was a world that far surpassed anything he could have imagined in his long life.
Large buildings that rose high into the sky, wagons made of metal, and pieces of metal that flew around in the sky. There was also a variety of humans walking around the streets wearing clothes hed never seen before.
While Lukas was speechlessly observing this incredible world, the scene in front of him changed again.
He was in a completely black world. Large rocks floated here and there, and countless stars shined like jewels.
This was space.
Then he saw ships. Ships as large as cities were fighting, shooting beams of light at each other.
Ahh
Lukas couldnt help but gasp in admiration.
He didnt know what the principles were or how they were made. But he could tell.
These ships were the creation of truly developed scientific civilizations that far surpassed his imagination.
They had discovered the universe. An extremely cold space where air didnt exist. It was so cold that even the Snowfields in the north were only a slight chill when compared to the coldness of the universe.
They had set foot in this unknown world. They had made such a great advancement using nothing but science.
How was there such an amazing civilization?
Suddenly, his vision changed again.
This time, he could see two humans dressed in white and black clothes respectively. Both were old people covered in wrinkles with oriental features.
They were confronting each other in a forest with falling leaves swirling around them. Both with swords in their hands.
When their eyes finally met
Clang!
!
Lukas was shocked once again.
It was only the first collision, but he realised that their power was beyond imagination.
Transcendents? No.
They were humans. Human beings with flesh and blood.
But he still couldnt believe it.
Could something like that really be achieved with the human body?
They were even stronger than Kasajin and Ivan, two of the best Magic Warriors whom Lukas knew.
Their blades seemed to contain the secrets of nature. Perhaps it was even comparable to the 10 stars level hed stepped into.
He saw dozens of worlds after that.
It wasnt just humans. He even saw worlds where beings who had bizarre features that could hardly be described with words were civilized and intelligent. They all had built their own lives and cultures that could not have been made up.
Soon, the images God showed him ended.
Huk, huk
Lukas couldnt control his breathing for a while.
That was how shocked he was.
This was no longer at the level of broadening his knowledge. He had literally seen alternate worlds. Not one, or dozens, but hundreds of them.
If it was an ordinary human being, their brain might have melted because they could not grasp such a vast amount of information.
[Now, do you believe me?]
[Huhu.]
God couldnt help but smile when he saw Lukas speechless face.
[Then Ill continue with my explanation. Most of the worlds you just saw are independent universes. In fact, there arent many worlds that can be traversed as you please like your world.]
that sounds like a very big secret. Can you really tell me that?
[You have reached the basic qualifications to be an Absolute, so you deserve to know. Of course, you are a special case. This is something that even Lucifer didnt know.]
Lukas forcibly swallowed his saliva before asking.
What exactly is an Absolute?
[The balance of the cosmic scale, the being seeking harmony, the saviour of the weak, and the apostle of God. They are usually mortals who become strong in a world that has lost its balance, and so, they cant help but undertake the role of eradicating evil.]
Why do you need such a being?
[To save suffering universes.]
God looked around the island, but he wasnt looking at the island; he was looking at something larger. He was looking at the entire continent.
[You may not believe it, but such stability is rare. In terms of percentage, they make up only 0.001% of the total.]
This world? Stable?
[Thats right. Most of the universes are like hell for the weak. Demigods? Huht. They are nothing compared to real monsters.]
God flicked his finger.
Then, a new image appeared before Lukas eyes.
this.
It was a terrible sight.
He was looking at a dark, small room. In this room was a small, filthy cage.
And there were humans inside the cage.
No. Could they even be called human?????????n????????????d. ????????m
They were so fat that it was impossible for them to even stand. It was fine to just call them balls of flesh.
More importantly, they had lifeless eyes.
Then, another being appeared. It was a small, insect-like being who observed the humans in the cage before slitting the throat of one of them with its hand.
!
It didnt seem to care about the blood that spurted out. It simply grabbed the human whom it had slaughtered and dragged it away.
Even up to that point, the other humans did not move. They just ate the food in the bowls in front of them like pigs.
[They are born on a farm and die on the farm. In a confined space where it is difficult to even twist their bodies, they eat the food that comes out at a fixed time. And when theyve fattened up enough, they are slaughtered and eaten.]
[They also had egos at first. But they lost the war of fate, and this was the result. They have been living like livestock for years, and their intelligence has degenerated. As you can see, they are no different from animals.]
Lukas bit his lip.
Intense rage towards this insect-like race soared in his heart as he saw them treating humans like livestock.
If he could have interfered, he would have torn this being apart in an instant.
Only then did he vaguely understand that the Demigods were truly nothing. The Demigods goal had always been domination.
Of course, he would never have forgiven them for treating humans like bugs, but they were still better than these bastards.
Their goal was breeding and slaughtering. Something absolutely blasphemous to an intellectual race.
God laughed when he saw the look in Lukas eyes.
[Your views are still biased.]
Are they?
[Right. Your obsession with humans is still beyond imagination. This is not a virtue an Absolute should have.]
you are certain that Ill become an Absolute.
[Thats right. Its not just about Iris Phisfounder. Im certain you know. That leaving is a positive thing for you and for this universe.]
Gods words penetrated Lukas heart like a cold blade.
They were correct.
Change was about to begin. Perhaps it had already started.
That inner voice that hed heard that day. The thought that manifested when he first became a transcendent being.
It was a problem that Lukas had been agonising over ever since, but he still had not thought of a countermeasure.
For now, it was still fine.
As God said, he still had a biased view towards the humans. This was proof that Lukas did not forget that he was also human.
But that wouldnt last long.
The second Lord. Perhaps I would be even worse.
That was why Lukas wanted to revive Iris as soon as possible. If too much time passed, perhaps the sympathy and sadness he had for her would also disappear. (Note: no love?)
Lukas, who had been silent, finally spoke heavily.
after becoming an Absolute, will I be able to return to this world someday?
[No.]
Gods answer came immediately.
Then he looked at Lukas face and elaborated.
[This isnt to say that its absolutely impossible. Something dangerous might happen here that might require the intervention of an Absolute. However, everything has a flow. There were three beings in this world who were close to being Absolute. From the universes perspective, something like that might not happen again in the next hundreds of thousands of years.]
[Even if they appear, the chances of you being assigned as the saviour would be even lower.]
This was natural.
After all, Lukas wouldnt be the only one.
Even if there really was a crisis of some sort in this world, it was more likely that another Absolute would be tasked with saving it.
Lukas heart became heavy.
His chances of returning were slim. And even if he did return, it would probably be hundreds of thousands of years later.
By that time, everything Lukas remembered would be changed, and the world would be completely different.
[You can refuse.]
[But what else can you do to save Iris Phisfounder?]
It was a shocking remark, but Lukas shook his head.
God was right.
For him and his world, it would be best if he left.
the balances core has already become one with me. The Mortal World wont collapse if I leave, will it?
[Of course. Unless you become immortal. This world can survive until its appointed destruction.]
Then there was no other reason to hesitate.
Lukas made up his mind.
Then can I ask for a favor before I leave?
[Say it.]
Lukas spoke in a soft voice.
just give me one day.
Season: 1 Chapter 238: Epilogue (1)
Book 1 Chapter 238: Epilogue (1) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Elliah looked out as the cold winds buffeted her. She liked snow. Unlike rain, snow piled up and covered everything.
That was why shed chosen the Frozen Lands as her territory. By adding her power to the weather of this cold territory, she had managed to create a never-ending snowstorm regardless of the season.
Just by looking outside, shed be able to see her beloved snow flying around.
But today was different. She couldnt help but feel uneasy while looking at the snow.
You are the last Demigod.
Elliah turned around to find Lukas standing there.
She lowered her head slightly before murmuring in a soft voice.
I see. And you are no longer human.
Did you come to kill me?
No.
Lukas was silent for a moment.
Do you want to die?
No way. I still have a lot of unfulfilled wishes in life.
Thats a lie. I cant feel any motivation from you. Nothing is more futile than a life without purpose. Its as if theres a huge hole in your chest.
Elliahs heart felt heavy.
Lukas was right. Nothing hed said had been incorrect.
She turned to look at the snowstorm once again.
Originally, I wanted to live with Riki, here in the Frozen Lands.
Maybe its because I tried too hard to convince him. But he didnt like it. As you know, our race can be very stubborn. Ha. Sh*t. Now, I feel like I shouldve kept trying till the end.
Elliah let out a laugh which sounded like air leaking from a balloon.
Son of a bitch. I knew this would happen. In the end, everyone else died and I was left alone.
What do you think is the reason?
What?
The reason you alone survived.
What difference does it make? Im no different from a deserter. A coward who ran away without hesitation just because she didnt want to get involved in a terrible and fierce war.
Her voice was strained as she continued.
And its always the coward who survives in the end.
I disagree. I think there are still things for you to do.
Her cynical attitude didnt change even after hearing Lukas serious words.
Dont be ridiculous. What am I supposed to do in a world without Demigods?
Those who followed the Demigods.
!
Elliah froze for a moment at those words.
There are still many people like that on the Continent. They have already closed their eyes and ears. Even the words of their families wouldnt reach them. Elliah, you, a Demigod, are the only one who can save them. You can lead them to the right path.
The right path? Me? Haha. Thats easy to say.
You want to find a way to atone. If you just stay still, you will only wallow in your guilt.
Those words made her heart shake.
It was true.
Lord and Riki.
When the situation became such that she could only follow one of them, Elliah chose to run away. She cut off all her relationships, froze the door to her heart, and ran to the Frozen Lands in the North.
No. It was even worse than that.
In truth, she couldnt stop paying attention to everything that was happening. She was a coward who could only look at the situation from the outside.
Im not saying that my words are the perfect answer. But youll definitely feel even more lonely if you stay here in the Frozen Lands on your own.
I cant do anything if you refuse, but I will leave this with you.
After saying that, Lukas took a bottle from his pocket. Black liquid could be seen moving on its own within the bottle.
Thats?
Its your people. I believe you are the one who should bury them.
Seeing Elliahs devastated expression, Lukas placed the bottle on the table.
Im leaving now. I dont have much time left I hope that you can make the decision you find the most satisfying, last Demigod.
With those words, Lukas disappeared like an illusion.
Elliah kept staring for a while before getting up.
Then she picked up the bottle with a hard expression.
* * *
Nix woke up in the middle of the night.
She didnt even know why. But when she sat up on her bed, she realised that there was someone else standing in the room.
Ah
Shed never seen this man before. But Nix was able to realise who he was at once.
Pure joy appeared on Nixs face.
Lukas looked at her before speaking in a soft voice.
You did a great job with Agnis crystal.
Yeah.
Well done.
It was definitely a compliment filled with warmth. Nevertheless, hearing it made Nix feel so cold that she shivered.
She sat on the bed and looked at Lukas. Her mind was clear, but she was uneasy.
Are you leaving?
Nix asked.
Lukas laughed for a moment before nodding.
please take me with you.
The best place for you is not next to me.
But.
Nix.
Lukas called her name.
Is there anything that you want to do?
Something she wanted to do
Nix hesitated for a moment before speaking in a soft voice.
I want to find my people.
The Phoenixes are a race that isnt easy to find, but it shouldnt be too difficult in your current state.
Will they accept me?
Thats not something I can answer. But you shouldnt be afraid of them rejecting you. Since you are a powerful being now, you dont have to be in their shadows. Keep that in mind.
Is Torkunta still there?
yeah.
Sharing a body with someone is not something that many can experience. Moreover, hes a monster who lived for almost 1,000 years. His character is poor, but your relationship isnt that bad.
Right.
Nix smiled softly and nodded.
As he said, Torkunta had become like Nixs other half.
Treat him well.
when are you coming back?
Lukas paused for a moment when Nix asked this question in a sad voice.
He hesitated before sighing deeply.
Im sorry.
Nix lowered her head.
Lukas whispered in a faint voice.
Torkunta, please take care of Nix.
At that moment, the tears, which Nix had been holding back, burst out. She couldnt raise her head.
Lukas had probably left already.
Not wanting to accept this fact, Nix didnt lift her head for a long time.
* * *
I didnt think it would turn out like this.
Ivan grumbled inwardly.
He never thought much about death, but at least he never thought it would visit him so soon. He also thought that hed have a dramatic death.
For example, after saving someone, he would cough up blood and leave a note
No. He didnt even care that much about a heroic death.
But this was still too much.
Lord killed him instantly with nothing but a hand gesture.
So is this death?
If so, then it couldnt have been more boring. His consciousness just floated in a place filled with nothing but darkness.
He wouldnt have to live like this forever, would he?
This is bad.
Just as Ivan realised the gravity of his situation, something changed.
He felt like hed been at the bottom of a pond and was now slowly rising to the surface.
Ivan blinked.
He could see light.
After blinking a few more times, his blurred vision returned to normal.
Huh?
He was confused.
He could feel the ground, he could smell, and he could see.
This is
Isnt this the castle in Hitume Ikar where hed died?
H-, hes really alive.
The Great Medium was staring at him in shock.
What happened?
that
The Great Mediums eyes turn to look somewhere else.
A man was standing there. The man had blonde hair and wore an auburn robe. (Note: I thought Frey had brown hair)
Hed never seen this person before. Nor had he met him before
But he felt that he was extremely familiar.
Especially his expression.
Before he could even think too deeply about it, a name popped out of Ivans lips.
Frey?
Right.
Huh is that what you really look like?
You could say that.
What about Lord?
Hes dead.
I see.
Ivan sighed while making a frustrated expression.
So its all over. Damn. I was a bridesmaid again.
In any case, thanks for saving my life.
I didnt save your life. I just took you out of a gap in space in which you were trapped.
Same thing.
Ivan tried to scratch his head while saying that, but he spazzed as he felt intense pain from his right hand.
Lukas looked at his hand.
Your right hand has been completely crippled. Its a wound so severe that theres no hope of curing it.
I know.
Even if you successfully learn to use it again, you will never be able to put any force behind your punches.
I know that too.
He said this with a calm voice.
Lukas looked at Ivan with a strange expression before speaking once again.
Would you like me to fix it?
What?
Ivan looked at Lukas for a moment before shaking his head with a smile.
Thanks, but Ill have to decline.
Why?
When I swung it, I already had the determination to never use this fist again. While it wasnt able to do anything in the end, I already made the decision.
Ivan frowned.
It seemed he could not think of the words to express his feelings.
so this injury Ill call it my medal, my battle scar. I dont think Id feel good to have it healed for nothing.
Such words could be called a luxury from Ivan.
Lukas smiled.
Right. You dont want to erase your determination from that time.
Well. Its nothing so fancy. Im just saying I dont feel like it.
Ivan. You truly are an amazing person.
Lukas was showcasing genuine respect for this man.
Ivan frowned at his words. He felt like he was being teased. sea??h th N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
In the end, he didnt solve anything nor did he help in any way.
It was the same the last time with Agni.
No. He was even more pathetic than back then.
In the end, Lukas was the one who solved everything.
Lukas understood Ivans feelings, but he decided not to say anything about it.
Season: 1 Chapter 239: Epilogue (2)
Book 1 Chapter 239: Epilogue (2) Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
From now on, you will be the center of the Circle.
What are you talking about? Why me?
Lukas glanced at Anastasia, who was still unconscious.
Im asking for Anastasia. Technically She isnt Schweiser. The situation might seem fine now, but as time passes, more things will come to change.
It was only now Lukas was able to understand Anastasias true nature.
He could still call her Schweiser. But as time went on, she was gradually becoming her own individual.
After all, she wasnt actually Schweiser Strow but a War Golem who had inherited his memories and personality.
While she hadnt truly formed an individual identity yet, it was impossible to say that it would never happen.
The more she saw and experienced for herself, the more Anastasia would change.
This would cause her to think deeply about her true identity.
When that time comes, your naivety will help her.
is that supposed to be a compliment?
Right.
Although he still spoke bluntly, Ivans attitude had changed because he saw the way Lukas looked at Anastasia and heard the seriousness in his voice.
He also agreed because hed long noticed that her behaviour was becoming increasingly close to a girl of similar age to her appearance.
What do you mean by center of the Circle?
The entire continent is suffering because of the damage caused by the Demigods. There were huge scars everywhere. The founding goal of the Circle has already been fulfilled. There are no longer any Demigods to threaten humanity. Now, all that has to be done is to repair the damage dealt. Leading the world to a peaceful era. That should be the Circles new goal.
thats not my cup of tea.
With your fist the way it is, you will be unable to train for a while anyway. And Im sure. If its you, the Circle Masters will follow without a single word.
Youre overestimating me.
Ivan grumbled.
I dont like where this is going. It feels like Ill be forced to do that job for the rest of my life.
That would be fine.
You bastard you should pick someone else.
Lukas chuckled.
The Circle needs someone who is unbiased. In front of you, whether they are royalty or slaves, they are all the same human beings.
you are the same. In fact, I think youre better than me.
I have to leave.
Where?
To a far place. It will be very hard to come back.
Ivan narrowed his eyes at those words.
No.
What do you mean?
It doesnt matter if you have to leave, but promise to come back.
its not that easy to say.
He couldnt explain in detail. There had to be a reason why God hid the information about other universes.
Lukas understood that.
Even if an unqualified person found out about it, they would only be confused.
Frey. No, it should be Lukas now.
Ivans tone became serious.
You said earlier that I am amazing. But arent you the same? To me, you are a much better man.
He hadnt spent a very long time with Lukas. Nevertheless, Lukas had a very large impact on Ivans inner self.
Hed long been accustomed to being alone. Apart from his teacher, Nora, he found it annoying to fight together with anyone.
But Lukas was different. His existence allowed Ivan to reflect on himself and think about his shortcomings.
He was able to develop because of him. Even when he fought together with other people, he was still able to move freely. He felt like an additional force was added to his outstretched fist.
He still didnt mind being alone, but he also didnt mind leaving his back to a reliable person.
Lukas had taught him the importance of teammates.
Ill wait for you, so come back. When you were locked in the Abyss and everyone thought you were dead, you still broke their expectations and came back.
It would have been impossible on my own. I only came back because my friend helped me.
Then I will help you too.
Ivan, this time, its completely different.
Despite Lukas serious tone, Ivan still shook his head.
I dont know the difference. To me, its no different from 4,000 years ago. Even then, you made the impossible possible. Whos to say that you wont do the same again?
!
At first glance, it sounded like it was forced. However, Lukas couldnt help but widen his eyes at Ivans simple words.
He felt like hed been hit in the head with a hammer.
Lukas stared at Ivan for a while, completely speechless.
What?
no. Youre right. Haha. Right I can make the impossible possible.
Right.
Why hadnt he thought of that?
Lukas felt like the dark clouds, which had settled on his head, had suddenly been lifted. It was only then when he realised he was taking Gods words like they were absolute.
After knowing how omnipotent God was, hed subconsciously believed that his words were always right.
But he didnt have to do that at all.
Ivan was right.
It had been the same 4,000 years ago. What was important was Lukas own will.
Ivan.
What?
Live to a ripe old age.
Hmph Of course I will.
Ivan replied with a snort.
Lukas smiled at him.
His heart felt much lighter.
He felt he could say goodbye with a smile.
* * *
Iris suddenly realised that she could think.
Ah? How? I shouldve been dead already.
I hope my memory was accurate.
Then she heard a voice she really wanted to hear.
Iris turned around.
He said that your body was reconstructed based on my memory.
Lukas.
Can you scold me for saving your life later? Its been a long and tiring day.
Iris almost burst into tears as she heard Lukas laugh.
How did you save me? Can I ask that?
I negotiated with God, and it went well. Im a pretty good talker.
God? Haha
When Iris burst out laughing, Lukas pouted slightly and spoke grumpily.
Im not joking.
I know. I just couldnt help laughing. Did it make you feel bad?
No.
There was no need for them to talk much. Both already knew what the other was thinking.
While they were in the Celestial World, in Iris illusion, they had already heard each others inner thoughts.
Thanks to that, they knew exactly what the other person was thinking.
Iris opened her mouth cautiously.
is it all over?
Right.
It was long.
it was long. For both of us.
Lukas expression was serious.
Im leaving. It will be a long journey, but I will definitely return Iris, can you wait for me?
Iris didnt respond to Lukas words immediately.
Lukas looked her in the eyes and continued.
I promise. Ill be back sooner than last time.
Sooner than 4,000 years? Thats comforting.
Iris spoke in a playful voice.
Youre a really bad guy. Lukas, you are the only man on the entire Continent who dares to make a woman wait so long.
Iris fell silent for a moment before adding.
and Im probably the only woman who would willingly wait for such a long time twice.
She looked up at Lukas with a firm expression.
Go and hurry back, Lukas. I will be paying for my crimes. With this life that you saved, I will make this world a better place than it is now. I swear. Even if you hate humans, even if you lose all faith in humanity, I will make a world so beautiful that youll have no choice but to love them again. So Sarch* The N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Iris smiled brightly.
It was the most beautiful smile that Lukas had ever seen.
Go ahead without any fear.
Thank you.
Lukas nodded.
That was it. They didnt have anything else to say to each other.
They knew that the shorter the farewell was, the better and that they would meet again in the future.
The moment he turned around, Lukas could no longer feel Iris presence. His body had appeared in space, and God was standing in front of him.
[Are you finished with your farewells?]
Yeah.
[You promised them that youd return. Do you understand how difficult that is?]
Of course I do. However you never said that it was impossible. You said that it was near impossible. Those were your words.
Right.
It was just that he thought it would be impossible for Lukas.
But there was a chance, no matter how small. So Lukas still had hope.
God chuckled and spoke.
[Well, I suppose thats your answer. Good. Ill give you a piece of information as a gift.]
What is it?
[-There is a class above Absolute.]
Lukas expression changed at those words.
[Youll be starting at the very bottom, but depending on your achievements, you might be able to increase your level. The Lords at the very top are even more powerful than I am.] (Note: Lord or Ruler guys? Instead of using Konglish like with Lord and Dragon Lord, the author nominalised the word mean to rule or to lord over)
He couldnt help but feel strange at those words. Beings created by God were even more powerful than God?
It felt like a contradiction.
God chuckled as though he could sense Lukas thoughts.
[Its not that strange if you think about it. Isnt it natural for a blacksmiths sword to be sharper than his fingernails?]
[However, out of the countless Absolutes in existence, there are only four Lords. They are cosmic beings who were destined to become Absolutes from birth. Even right after they were born, they had the power to treat the Demigods like bugs.]
God looked at Lukas.
[Lukas Trowman. Can you become a Lord? Will you be able to overcome all kinds of hardships that youve never experienced before and travel the near infinite worlds without losing your mind?]
Theyre not hardships.
Right. It wasnt a hardship.
Lukas looked at God and spoke in a serious voice.
For me, its a journey.
[Hoh. What for?]
To not forget my humanity.
And even when he came back, he would still be on the journey of loving humans.
Lukas had shown his intentions to God.
[Hahaha!]
God burst into laughter.
He stared at Lukas with genuinely delighted eyes.
[I see! Lukas Trowman! So you intend to become the God of all the humans that exist in the universe!]
That was Lukas answer.
Lukas had revealed to Gods face that even if he became an Absolute, he would not stop favouring the humans. This was the only way he could continue to love humans without forgetting his humanity after becoming an Absolute.
[It will be interesting to have at least one being like you! Hahaha! Ill give my blessing to this new Absolute who loves humans!]
Paht!
Gods blessing came in the form of a bright light that seemed to shine in every direction. Then each particle of this light became the entrance to another world.
Hundreds and thousands of worlds spread out like lanterns.
There, he could see countless humans suffering. Some were slaves, livestock, or even worse.
And all of them were waiting for Lukas help.
He finally understood his role. He was the saviour of all the humans in each of these three thousand worlds.
When they were in despair, when they were frustrated by walls that they couldnt seem to overcome, when they wanted to give up everything. Lukas would appear beside them to give them the hope they needed.
Lets get going.
A smile blossomed on Lukas lips.
The Great Mage took his first step on the long journey he promised to return from.
Season: 2 Chapter 1: (Season 2) – Chapter 1
Book 2 Chapter 1: (Season 2) - Chapter 1 An incredibly pale man bowed his head politely to the group in front of him.
First of all, I would like to give my heartfelt thanks to all you customers who chose to participate in this event despite your busy schedules. I am Rutan, and I will be the host for these proceedings.
The man, Rutan, bowed once again as polite applause filled the room.
Rutan had long ears, sharp teeth, and above all, his pupils were slitted like a cat. He was wearing a very professional looking tuxedo which went well with his pale skin.
In addition, I would like to also express my gratitude to the customers who could not be here with us today, but who have always shown interest in our company. Our company will accompany our customers to the day were disbanded and we promise to continuously introduce you to even better products.
A relaxed smile blossomed on Rutans lips.
Lets cut the greeting short and move on to the explanation of this event. Those who are here are all verified customers, so I will skip the unnecessary introduction. The basic process will be the same as always. If you happen to see a product you like, please tell us your price through the attendants assigned to each row.
Rutan briefly explained the rules with a calm voice.
Those in the hall all nodded with serious expressions.
The event will be held over the course of three days, and todays proceedings will begin in about an hour. Before that, weve prepared a small feast with a few special delicacies. So please enjoy it.
I heard that there would be humans in this event.
It was a heavy voice.
It was a purple-skinned man with a very large stomach. He had four eyes, and no nose. There was also green mist which flowed gently around his body.
Rutan chuckled.
It is as you said. Count Gomes.
How many did you prepare?
Rutan didnt answer immediately. Instead, he smiled mysteriously.
Everyone in the hall was paying attention to his mouth at that moment. Nevertheless, he didnt speak.
Instead, he waited until their concentration had reached the peak and they could barely hold themselves back before letting out a small cough.
-eleven.
When Rutan said this, the hall stirred.
Then Rutan shrugged slightly and continued with an amused voice.
To be precise, there are seven men and four women.
Im curious about the variety.
We have yellow, white and black. They are also of various nationalities. American, British, Italian, Chinese, Korean, etc Of course, they are all under 30 years of age. After all, our company only deals in premium products.
Hmm.
Gomes snorted, this deep, nasal sound showing just how pleased he was.
Im confident that there wont be any flaws with the products since they carry the Chester Companys brand. We also have a few amazing luxury items on hand, so please anticipate them.
Huhu! No one here is foolish enough to doubt your abilities. This event will be among the best the company has ever hosted.
The one who spoke this time wasnt Count Gomes, but one of the Companys VIPs, Duke Sandro.
Rutan chuckled softly at those words.
His words were correct. This event was being held on the largest scale, and was, in a way, a turning point for the Chester Company.
They had dug up the greatest treasures in their warehouse, acquired slaves worth hundreds of millions of dollars, and sent invitations to their VIP customers together with a product list.
And more than 70% of the customers had announced their participation.
If things go well, I might even become a noble.
Rutan smiled brightly from the bottom of his heart.
* * *
It was very cool in the cage. The temperature was always moderate.
This was natural. After all, the products werent allowed to get sick.
Nevertheless, Min Ha-rin hugged her shoulders as she felt a bone piercing chill fill her body. Her body shook heavily.
She looked out past the bars of the cage.
There she saw another human with a lowered head and lifeless eyes. Perhaps in their eyes, she was no different.
She knew very well what kind of end those who became slaves had. Because she was one of those whod chosen to become a hunter and fight against the Demons.
Unfortunately, shed made two mistakes.
One was that shed become overconfident in her own strength and left the designated area, and the other was that she hadnt taken her own life after being captured.
This was the result.
Min Ha-rin stroked the collar around her neck.
It was a shackle. It prevented from harming herself or killing herself.
She didnt know how such a thing was possible, but in the first place, Demons were already unfathomable beings.
Demons.
Although every single one of them had individual characteristics, there were still commonalities between them.
From the humans perspective, they were horrifically strong and incredibly greedy.
It was said that the world had been peaceful just a few decades ago. Min Ha-rins father had once told her that if the times were the same, she would have been attending college and enjoying her youth at her age. She would have had to deal with the stress of studying or finding a job. But regardless of that, it would still be better than the present.
Peace had shattered, and the era had come to an end.
Humans faced the unprecedented threat of extinction.
The Hunter Association, which was the only group to remain functional in this chaotic world, had estimated that the population of humans in the world had plummeted to below 1 billion.
Even if the accuracy of the report was uncertain, that estimation should not be far from the truth.
Half of them are livestock anyway.
Demons.
The moment she thought of the root cause for everything, people came into the room.
There were two of them.
One was the tuxedo wearing Rutan, and the other appeared to be a Demon Noble.
Is this it? The special product you mentioned?
Yes, sir. A Demon Hunter. Her name is Min Ha-rin, shes Korean, age twenty two.
The one called the White Flower.
The nobleman laughed as though satisfied.
Rutans expression was a bit strange.
In the first place, previewing the product before the event is
I know. I apologize for overdoing it. And thank you for complying with my request.
Only because Duke Sandro is our companys VIP. Such treatment is natural. So do you like it?
Why are you still asking when you know the answer?
Haha. It really was a foolish question.
They exchanged smiles.
Then something in the corner caught Sandros eyes.
Hmm but whats wrong with that one?
There was one more cage in the room and there was a person in it.
It was a young man with blonde hair and blue eyes who sat in the corner of his cage with a blank expression.
Rutans expression was a bit embarrassed as he answered.
Ah. That guy You dont have to care about him.
Mm?
Hes one that I picked up. He was in a daze near this city. He didnt fight back even when I put the collar on him. He is completely unresponsive. I even tried to torture him or affect his mind, but there is still no response.
Are you saying hes already gone mad?
If he was already crazy then there would be nothing to enjoy. In addition, the mans ordinary face and blank expression did nothing to attract Sandros attention.
On the other hand, there was Min Ha-rin. Her expression was still lively like a fish that had just been caught. She tried to hide it, but the hostility in her eyes was still clear to him.
Such a slave would be quite delicious to train.
but he found a human around here?
Sandro paused for a moment.
This area used to be the territory of the European powers, but it had long fallen into their hands.
No sane human would dare to infiltrate it, and even if they did break in with some kind of goal in mind, they wouldnt be able to get so close to the city.
He had this thought for a while, but there were many cases of slaves who had been abandoned or fled from their masters, so finding a rogue human was not strange.
Sandro shook his head for a moment before turning to look at Min Ha-rin once again.
A smile blossomed on his lip.s
This one will definitely become mine.
After saying that, Sandro left the room.
Then someone approached Rutan, who had been left alone. It was another Demon.
Thats an area I really cant understand. Sleeping with a human girl.
The Demon looked at Min Ha-rin with a disgusted expression.
Even if they have intelligence, they are a race who are no better than livestock
Watch your mouth. It is because of nobles like him that our company is able to survive.
yes.
The Demon bowed his head with a slightly fearful expression at those words.
Well. I do admit that it is a unique hobby. But there are many more kinds in this world than we expected.
Rutan looked at Min Ha-rin before shaking his head.
Anyway, finish the final inspection before the auction begins. You understand Duke Sandros temper, dont you? It should be submitted in perfect condition without any scars.
Understood. But it seems this guy didnt touch her food today either
So thats why shes so thin. Her skin is rough too. Well, it doesnt matter. That can be covered by proper lighting and directing.
He muttered under his breath before lifting Min Ha-rins chin and inspecting her up and down.
instead, Duke Sandro might enjoy this kind of weakness. Hell find it interesting to improve your condition.
Rutan left, then the Demon who had been standing beside him entered the iron cage. He stripped Min Ha-rin naked and began inspecting her entire body like a food inspector.
At first, she rebelled against such a humiliating act, but now she knew it was better to just let it happen.
Thump.
After the humiliating inspection was concluded, the cage door was shut tightly once again.
And once again, silence fell.
Min Ha-rin looked at the diluted porridge and water in front of her. The food was provided in a bowl similar to a feed container used for pets.
Gulp. Now that she thought about it, she couldnt remember when last shed eaten.
If she kept starving herself like this, she might die.
That was what she thought.
They say people cant last a week without water.
With that thought, she buried her face in her knees.
Arent you going to eat?
Min Ha-rin raised her head at that.
It was obvious who the voice had come from.
It was the blonde man.
Min Ha-rin was shocked.
This was the first time this man opened his mouth since being trapped there. Min Ha-rin had tried to talk to him several times, but he ignored her every time.
That was why she had thought the same thing as Rutan. Believing he had gone mad.
But he clearly wasnt.
While his expression was still the same, his voice was very clear in comparison.
In any case, she felt like she had to answer.
This isnt food. Its feed.
So thats why you dont eat.
The man muttered to himself before looking down at the feed container.
Its definitely more like feed than food. It will taste like boiled mud.
But it still has enough nutrients. If you ate it consistently, you would be in much better condition than you are now.
Even though I was captured, I still have my pride.
Min Ha-rin spoke in a soft voice.
The man responded calmly.
Pride and dignity are certainly important. But if you are not alive to keep them, then they are worthless. If you intend to starve to death, then you are more foolish than I thought.
Its my life. Ill decide what to do with it.
Youre not wrong. But what is the point of such a death?
The mans tone didnt change.
Dying in this cold cage and leaving nothing behind. Do you think they will consider your fasting as a rebellion? In the end, they will only curse the fact that the product was not managed properly.
What are you trying to say?
Eat. Replenish your strength, conserve it, and wait for the right time.
Ha.
Min Ha-rin sneered.
Save up my strength and then what?
She didnt even know where this place was.
All she knew was that this place was similar to a Demon lair. As long as the collar was around her neck, she had absolutely no chance of escaping.
And even if she did manage to escape, she would inevitably be caught again.
There was nowhere to run.
However, the mans next words completely surpassed Min Ha-rins expectations.
How about praying for a miracle? Sar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
What?
Opportunity only presents itself to those who are ready to receive it. I wonder what choice you will make.
After saying that, the man closed his eyes and leaned his head back.
Min Ha-rin looked at the mans face with an incomprehensible gaze.
Then she forcibly looked away and closed her eyes as though imitating him.
I wont eat it. I wont eat it. I wont be livestock.
Min Ha-rin constantly thought these words, but the mans words refused to disappear, as though it had become lodged in her mind.
Season: 2 Chapter 2: (Season 2) – Chapter 2
Book 2 Chapter 2: (Season 2) - Chapter 2 In the past, humans could be called the owners of this planet. All of the resources on Earth belonged to them, and the only valuable currency was the humans.
They even added prices to the land, sea, and sky.
There were about 100 countries.
They were all connected under the same banner of humanity, but they all had their own languages, cultures, and values.
They also had numerous conflicts amongst themselves. Racial conflicts, conflicts between countries, between cities, and even between groups and organisations.
But all of these conflicts were resolved by the appearance of a different being. No. It would be better to say that they were left unattended.
In any case, they no longer continued the various civil wars among their species.
Because they showed up.
At first, the names used to refer to them were not the same.
Scientists and scholars called them otherworlders, aliens, and space people while religious groups called them evil spirits. Depending on the region, they were referred to as monsters, creatures, or nightmares. (Note: This was so hard. Many of these things meant the same thing in english T~T)
These names varied because each of them had their own individual appearance and characteristics, which made it hard to find a commonality between them.
As time went by, their actions became more and more terrible. It developed to the point where the word damage was no longer sufficient. Instead, it could only be described as a disaster.
And it was only then when humanity finally found the most appropriate word.
Demon.
* * *
Min Ha-rin was 22 years old this year, and by the time she was born, the lives of the humans had already changed miserably.
The land was no longer theirs.
Most humans were either dead, living miserable lives, or rebelling.
Min Ha-rin was also a rebel.
She was no less afraid than the others, but she didnt refuse to fight. Instead, she felt it was scarier to be deprived of even the right to fight.
Because of that nature, she was given the chance to become a Demon Hunter.
Click-
The door to the room was opened, and several cages were brought in.
Min Ha-rin realised that it was more human slaves like her.
It seemed that the auction would begin soon, so they were all being rounded up. The room was large, so even though they had all been put together, it was still spacious.
The Demons scanned the room after carrying out their task before leaving once again.
Min Ha-rin turned to the cage that had been placed on her right. Inside it was a black man. She couldnt tell his age.
Shed long learned that foreigners often looked much older than they were.
When their eyes met, he gave her a bright smile. Min Ha-rin felt a bit of discomfort at this, but the man opened his mouth before she could react.
Are you Min Ha-rin?
Min Ha-rin opened and closed her mouth a few times before she finally spoke.
You know me?
I am also a hunter. Ha, its an honor. I never expected to meet one of the big names from the EastAsia branch
The man touched his collar regretfully and sighed.
I would have asked for an autograph if our circumstances were better.
You are?
Im Drisa. A hunter from the Africa branch.
Black Panther (Note: facepalm)
When Min Ha-rin muttered with a shocked expression, Drisa smiled again.
Just call me Drisa. You dont want me to call you White Flower, do you?
fine. Drisa.
Min Ha-rin looked at him closely.
You seem pretty relaxed.
Huh? Yeah, thats true.
Have you given up?
What can I do about this?
Drisa tapped the collar.
Its over once they manage to put this collar on. Im sure you know that too, dont you?
Of course she knew.
Human power and technology were still very far from being able to dismantle the Demons collars.
There was still a chance if the Demon who was bound to the collar died, but from what Min Ha-rin knew, it required five Demon Hunters using state-of-the-art equipment.
No matter how they looked at it, it was an impossible task for them, who didnt even have a small knife.
Is this how livestock feel before they get slaughtered? Kuku. No, were still better off than them. They say if you meet a nice Demon, you can live a comfortable life
Min Ha-rins expression hardened at those words.
Do you intend to live as a slave?
We dont have a choice in the first place.
Being killed while resisting is also an option.
Even if they couldnt take their own lives because of the collars control, they could still get weak, sick, or die at the hands of the Demon who became their master.
Drisa laughed like hed heard a funny joke.
Haha. Youre joking, right? You should know how much they enjoy breaking human minds. The only reason they havent touched us is because we are products to be sold. In other words Once the auction is over and ownership transferred, their goodwill will disappear.
Goodwill?
When Min Ha-rin snorted coldly, Drisa only shook his head before gesturing to the clothes he was wearing and the feed in the container.
Maybe its because you are still young. You dont understand how enslaved humans are treated. You should be thankful that they gave you clothes to wear and food to eat.
Drisa gritted his teeth for a moment before continuing.
Ive seen a hunter who miraculously survived and was rescued after being enslaved. He could do nothing more than called out the name of his owner, a Demon, while crying. Not even medication and intensive counseling could help. And when we told him that we had already killed it, he immediately bit off his tongue and killed himself without hesitation.
!
She had never heard of something like that before. She knew that Humans who were enslaved would certainly have mental scars, but she had never thought that it would be so severe.
I dont want to be like that. No matter which Demon becomes my master, I will smile, grovel, and even lick the soles of his feet. Just to stay alive.
Drisas voice contained a firm determination. It was a desire to survive while somehow keeping his body and mind intact.
When he saw Min Ha-rin looking at him with a complicated expression, he smiled faintly.
Do you think Im disgusting?
No.
It wasnt Min Ha-rin who answered.
Instead, it came from a man whose cage was not far from Drisas. An Asian man.
Min Ha-rins gaze turned to him.
She didnt think he was Korean. Min Ha-rin, who was also Asian, could at least tell that much.
I will also obey them to stay alive. At first.
At first?
Right.
A fierce gleam seemed to shine in the mans eyes.
Then I will look for a good opportunity to kill the Demon who bought me.
Drisas expression became a bit strange.
You know that killing your owner is suicide, dont you?
Of course I do. But I still think its worth it. To have a Demon Noble accompany me to Hell.
The mans voice was unwavering. Just like Drisa.
This man also had a clear purpose.
Their cages also had feed containers. But these containers, which were similar to the one in Min Ha-rins cage, were empty.
Theyd eaten.
This man, who was filled with determination, had eaten the Demons feed without hesitation.
As soon as she realised this fact, Min Ha-rins face burned slightly.
Shed thought that it was right to openly rebel against the Demons and bare her fangs. Shed thought that constantly showing that shed never give in was the best way to express her resistance.
But it wasnt. In fact, it was stupid.
Who would be afraid of an exposed blade? Instead, the true threats to the Demons were people like this man. Those who hid sharp daggers in their pockets.
Compared to him, she realised how foolish she was. How young and inexperienced she was.
Min Ha-rins eyes turned to the corner of the room. There, the blonde man was still sitting with his eyes closed and a blank expression on his face.
that man was right.
There was no point to dying from starvation. It was no better than a dogs death.
Min Ha-rin turned her eyes to the feed container once again. The feed inside had a disgusting appearance, like vomit that had already cooled and hardened.
Nevertheless, she stuck her face into this container without hesitation.
She chewed and swallowed without even tasting what she was eating.
Her attitude caused the Asian mans eyes to shine. And when Min Ha-rin finally raised her head, he opened his mouth.
Min Ha-rin, this is my first time meeting you in person.
This wasnt a surprise. After all, Min Ha-rin was quite famous among the hunters.
She had also guessed the identity of this man. Nevertheless, the reason she didnt ask was because this identity was much greater than shed initially expected.
are you Lee Jong-hak?
The man nodded.
Right, Im Lee Jong-hak.
!
Not only Drisa but even the people who hadnt said a word reacted when they heard this.
The Human Dragon Lee Jong-hak.
Its one of the three Dragons.
Th-, this kind of person was caught too
Drisa couldnt help but mutter. S~ea??h the Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Vice President of the Asia branch. Youre much bigger than I thought.
Min Ha-rin, on the other hand, looked at him in confusion.
I cant believe it. I cant believe a man of your calibre was captured
We were hunting a noble in Shanghai. The enemy was a Demon Duke, and our forces had over 1,000 hunters.
There was a large scale noble hunt in Shanghai. Min Ha-rin had heard about it.
You failed?
Right.
Lee Jong-haks voice was calm as he continued.
They wanted to capture me alive. So I proposed a trade. My condition was that they release the rest of the hunters.
And they accepted it?
Right. They probably thought the 300 or so hunters that they released were less of a threat.
In other words, he had sacrificed himself to save 300 people.
Just like in the rumours, Lee Jong-hak was closer to a hero than a hunter. More than half of the people in the Asia branch followed him. In a sense, he had even more influence than the Branch President.
If Lee Jong-hak was captured
Then the atmosphere in the Asia branch was currently desperate and hopeless.
Suddenly.
Are you really Lee Jong-hak?
It was a woman who was sitting across from them. She had bright red hair and extremely determined eyes.
This isnt a situation I would lie in.
I see
The woman hesitated for a moment before sighing and saying.
Im Allida. A hunter from the European branch.
Allida Grabino. You are a famous Italian hunter.
Drisa seemed to be extremely knowledgeable about the famous hunters from other regions.
If you are really Lee Jong-hak then we might have a chance to get out of here.
What?
When Lee Jong-hak asked this with a surprised expression, she nodded and continued.
It wont be easy, but its possible.
How can we do it?
Allida touched her collar.
I have a way to paralyse the function of this collar.
What did you say?
It was Drisa who retorted with an absurd expression.
This was natural. After all, hed just affirmed that it was impossible to remove the collar just minutes ago.
But he immediately realised something, and his expression changed.
No. Wait did you say paralyse and not remove?
Right. It would temporarily stop functioning. Both the explosive that is attached to our carotid artery and the curse that weakens our physical ability would disappear.
How?
Allida pointed at herself.
Im a Wizard, and this collar uses a kind of spell.
Wizard!
Drisa couldnt help but cry out in a surprised voice. Wizards were very rare, and there were only a few of them among the hunters.
Min Ha-rin was also surprised by this remark, and something managed to catch her eye.
The blonde man, who was silently sitting in the corner, opened one of his eyes and looked at Allida.
Season: 2 Chapter 3: (Season 2) – Chapter 3
Book 2 Chapter 3: (Season 2) - Chapter 3 But it only happened for an instant. The moment she came to her senses, the man had already closed his eye again.
It happened so quickly that she couldnt help but wonder if she was mistaken.
I thought it was impossible to use magic while wearing the collar.
If it was ordinary magic, then that would be the case, but mine is a bit different.
Allida smiled mysteriously and lifted her sleeve.
Black ink wrapped around her entire forearm. If one looked closely, one would notice that it looked like ancient text.
Lee Jong-haks eyes shined.
Tattoo Magic.
Oh. I didnt expect an East Asian to know about it.
I once had an acquaintance who used it. I heard that it was an esoteric magic only passed down secretly within a certain clan
Thats right. Most of the Demons dont even know that such a secret technique exists. These guys are the same. Huhu. Instead, they kicked me because they said I had dirty graffiti on my body. It really hurt.
Allida rubbed her stomach for a bit before continuing.
This one is called Ice Witchs Resentment. And with it, I can freeze a portion of space.
Are you saying you can use that to paralyse the collars function?
Thats right. However, it will be difficult to accurately adjust the range.
What do you mean?
Allida made a slightly troubled expression.
I might freeze the persons body as well. It might have been fine if you were in good condition, but it would be dangerous now that your resistances have been lowered by the collar.
Thats why you need me.
Thats right.
Allida nodded and looked at Lee Jong-hak with anticipation.
If its someone as powerful as you, then it should be fine even if your physical ability was weakened.
Would it be possible for all of us to escape?
It might not have been if we were running the entire way. But we dont have to. There is an abandoned base west of this city. All we have to do is get there.
Drisa tilted his head slightly at that.
A base? West of this city? This is the Demons territory.
It was abandoned 15 years ago. It used to be a hideout of the European branch.
The European branch
Seeing Lee Jong-haks surprise, Allida smiled slightly.
Didnt you know? This is Italy.
They had been dragged pretty far.
Min Ha-rin couldnt help but have this thought. She had been captured by the Demons in Dandong City in China, near the Yalu River.
There wont be any people there, but it can still serve its purpose as a hideout. And if the Warp Portal there works, it wont be impossible for everyone to escape.
I see!
Drisa spoke in a bright tone.
Before they knew it, everyone was paying attention to Allidas voice.
On the other hand, Lee Jong-hak was lost in thought. At first glance, it might have seemed like everything would be solved in a flash, but that was just wishful thinking.
If one really wanted, numerous loopholes could be found.
Allida didnt mention the worst case scenario. And it wasnt that she didnt know this. Instead, she was deliberately avoiding mentioning it.
Lee Jong-hak understood why.
She didnt want to destroy the hopeful atmosphere that had been created by her words.
The most important thing is the hope that has appeared on everyones faces.
The heaviness that had been filling the room had disappeared.
Lee Jong-hak decided to take comfort in this fact first.
Fortunately, everyone here is a hunter. Since your bodies are more powerful than normal, the chances of success shouldnt be as slim as I thought.
The Demons prefer former hunters as their slaves. This was because not only were their bodies stronger, their minds were as well. So they werent as easily damaged.
The Chester Company had especially prepared strong hunters for their special event, and ironically, this was what gave them a chance.
Wait. Is that man a hunter?
Drisa pointed to the blonde man in the corner.
Lee Jong-hak narrowed his eyes as he looked at this man before saying.
There are no signs of training on his body.
Then is he a Wizard?
I cant feel any magic power.
He could be a priest or something.
Im a priest. I dont feel any holy aura on him.
elementalist, shaman, monk
Drisa recited all the jobs he knew one by one but this man didnt seem to fit the description of any.
Then Min Ha-rin spoke.
Hes not a hunter.
Maybe.
As she added this word in her head, she told them the words shed heard from Rutan before.
Lee Jong-haks expression became a bit surprised after hearing the explanation.
I see. So hes probably an escaped slave.
Is he? Thats good. Then it wouldnt be a problem if we left him behind.
Lee Jong-hak frowned at Drisas words.
I dont agree with that. Hes a civilian. Thats something we should protect.
A civilian to protect? Haha. Did we just hear the same explanation?
Drisa let out a laugh, but Lee Jong-haks expression didnt change. When he saw this, Drisas expression gradually stiffened as he realised that it wasnt a joke.
Human Dragon. Theres no need to keep making such a scary joke. We already got it.
Drisa patted his head.
Hes already gone mad. Hes probably been tortured over and over again. And ordinary people cannot withstand such torture. So hed only be a burden. We cant afford to take him with us.
I agree. It might be dangerous to take someone who cant speak properly, even if he hasnt lost his mind.
Allida nodded, agreeing with Drisas opinion. Some of the others also voiced their agreement.
But Lee Jong-hak spoke in a harsh tone.
So youre saying we should leave him here?
Then should we take such a useless guy with us? No, I dont even want to help him. Im afraid that hed fight against us for no reason or scream when were trying to move stealthily. Will you take responsibility?
I will take responsibility.
What?
I will take full responsibility.
Drisa veins protruded from his forehead.
I knew you were a good person, but I didnt think it would be to this extent. You are a hunter, not a hero.
For me, the name hunter has a very comprehensive meaning. If I were to leave a civilian who needed my help just to save my own life, Id never be able to proudly lift my head again. I would have to live with the fact that Im a sinner for the rest of my life.
I also agree with Lee Jong-haks words.
Same here.
Several people sympathised with Lee Jong-hak.
Drisa frowned.
It was never a good thing when opinions were divided in such an extreme situation. If something went wrong, the disagreement could become discord and their plan to escape would then go up in flames.
Dont you know that trying to save this man can lead to all of our deaths?
Of course I do.
And you still want to walk down such a thorny path? Sh*t. You really are a saint. Well, I guess it cant be helped.
Adilla scratched her head in frustration.
Our plan cant be implemented without you.
Lee Jong-hak was the only one who could break open the iron cages with his bare hands. That was the reason why Allida required his cooperation.
Drisa was also aware of this fact.
Moreover, it wasnt just Lee Jong-haks opinion. Some of the other hunters also agreed with him.
It was better to take the risk than confront them.
If I think he will do something crazy, I will use my hands.
Use your hands?
To knock him out, or
Drisa deliberately let his words trail off, but Lee Jong-hak was able to understand what he meant.
that wont happen.
While Lee Jong-hak said those words quietly, in his head, he also prepared for the worst.
* * *
Min Ha-rins lips twitched slightly.
She didnt think the blonde man was crazy. Although he appeared to be in a daze, his voice had been extremely clear when he spoke.
She didnt think that was the voice of a deranged person.
Nevertheless, she didnt reveal this fact because her conversation with him felt like a dream.
Even though he heard people talking about him, the blonde-haired man continued to lean back with his eyes closed.
At first glance, it might have seemed like he was in a daze, but now, she felt like he looked relaxed.
That cant be.
Even Lee Jong-hak, Vice President of the Asia branch, could not afford to relax. Even if he had nerves of steel, there was no way that an ordinary person would be more relaxed than a hunter.
So a total of 11 people?
Twelve. If you count the burden.
Stop calling him that.
Then ask him for his name.
Ill do that then.
Lee Jong-hak turned to the blonde man and said.
What is your name?
Of course, no one in the room expected to hear an answer.
Lukas.
Huh?
Drisas eyes widened.
Then he turned to Allida and said.
Did that guy really just answer?
I think so.
Well. Didnt they say he was crazy? He looks perfectly fine to me.
Just because he answered doesnt mean hes fine. That might not have even been an answer in the first place.
Hmmm.
In fact, after saying those words, the man, Lukas, closed his eyes once again.
Im Drisa. Where are you from? America?
England? Germany Spain
Lukas didnt open his eyes again. Sar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Drisas expression changed slightly before he asked again.
Hey, are you ignoring me?
Dont force him, Drisa. He might be in a very unstable condition.
it doesnt look that way.
Min Ha-rin agreed with Allidas murmur, but Lee Jong-hak shook his head and said.
First of all, we should be glad that he can even communicate in the first place. And did you say it was Lukas? You dont have to give an opinion, but it would be best if you listened to our plan. For your own sake.
Lukas didnt react in any way, but Lee Jong-hak nodded as though hed given his assent.
This auction will go on for four days. And we humans will probably be presented on the last day.
Why do you say that?
Because to the Demons, humans are the most valuable commodity.
It was an unpleasant thing to hear. Some of them frowned at those words, but no one stopped Lee Jong-hak.
Thats why we should escape in the morning.
It was a simple plan.
Drisa nodded as well.
In this type of situation, it was best to escape as quickly as possible.
Today, we need to at least get some idea of the basic structure of this area and the Demons who are guarding.
Mm it wont be easy.
It felt like an impossible task to figure out the surrounding structure because they were all trapped inside.
But after looking around, Lee Jong-hak spoke in a quiet voice.
That might not necessarily be the case.
What do you mean?????????????????????????????. ????????????
Before we were brought to this room, each of us was held in different places. Except for Min Ha-rin and Lukas, who were here from the start.
Thats right.
In preparation for the auction, they had all been put in the same room after they were inspected, but before that, they were held in separate rooms.
Everyone, tell us everything you can about the path you took to get to this room.
Drisa, who didnt understand his intentions at first, finally exclaimed.
I see! Since we all came from different places, the paths we saw were all different! And if we combine these paths, we would get a basic outline of our surroundings.
It was easy to understand if you thought about it a bit. But just being able to think about such an idea under the circumstances was amazing.
Allida spoke up in a subdued voice.
Its not hard to say it, but we dont have any paper or writing utensils. How will we organise them?
There were 11 people there. Even if they had several overlapping paths, there still should have been at least 5.
It would be quite hard to combine so many routes in their heads.
Ill do it.
Huh?
It was Min Ha-rin. She looked around before continuing in a slightly cautious tone.
I have a good memory.
At least, Min Ha-rin never forgot things that she wanted to remember.
Lee Jong-hak nodded and the people in the room began opening their mouths one by one.
Min Ha-rin memorised everything they said.
Soon, a small but detailed map was drawn in her head.
give me a minute.
She needed some time to organise her thoughts.
Min Ha-rin opened her palm and drew an image only she could see.
This room is in a basement. There are two passages to the surface. One of them seems to lead to the stage.
The stage was the place where the products up for auction would be presented. There would be at least a few dozen Demon Nobles waiting there, so escaping there was akin to suicide.
Where does the other passage lead?
I dont know.
Min Ha-rin muttered regretfully.
Even with all the information shed gathered, she couldnt tell if the other passage led to an exit or not.
Nevertheless, Lee Jong-hak made a quick decision.
We have to escape using the other passage.
There isnt a better way.
Drisa nodded, and Allida closed her eyes.
I need time to use my Tattoo Magic. If I start concentrating from now, I should be ready by dawn. If the Demons come, try to draw their attention away from me.
Understood.
The hunters expressions lit up slightly.
Their complexions were still haggard, and their path was unclear, but they at least had a small chance to escape.
The possibility might have been faint, but the hunters still felt hope.
Min Ha-rin should have been the same, but for some reason, her heart felt heavy like lead. She didnt think that things would be solved so easily.
She had an ominous feeling.
And unfortunately, her thoughts soon became a reality.
Season: 2 Chapter 4: (Season 2) – Chapter 4
Book 2 Chapter 4: (Season 2) - Chapter 4 When the door opened and a group of Demons walked into the room, the hunters tensed up in different ways.
Hmm.
One of the Demons who arrived was Rutan. He looked around the room in a relaxed manner.
11 people. All hunters and none of them were too old.
It was natural that only products under the age of 30 had been gathered for this event.
Among the group were four who were commonly referred to by them as titled humans, and the other seven had no problems with their appearances or health.
Except for the woman with graffiti on her body.
In any case.
When Rutan looked at these humans, he felt like he was looking at his bright future.
Unlike ordinary human slaves, hunters were especially hard to capture. It was not a rare occurrence for them to kill themselves after being cornered.
Because they all knew what kind of miserable lives awaited them if they were to survive.
This was a choice that the Demons were unable to understand. Not all Demons had sadistic tendencies towards the slaves. Some of them could even be considered affectionate towards their human slaves.
They had the same feeling one would have to ones pet.
Its still better than dying.
The thought of giving up your life for your honour, pride, or rights was simply laughable. And since the humans didnt know that, it meant that the humans were a low-class race.
Its time to start the selection.
What
Some of the hunters subconsciously swallowed their saliva. A white man couldnt help but let out a sound of surprise.
Rutans gaze turned to him.
Why are you surprised? This is something you should have already expected after being captured.
After saying that, Rutan looked around.
Today is the start of the event, so well let them have a taste of two no. Lets show them three.
!
Lee Jong-hak, Drisa, and Allida quickly exchanged glances.
This situation was not good. They had just made a plan thinking they wouldnt be forced into action till the last day, but now, it seemed like things would be messed up right from the beginning.
Lee Jong-hak clenched his fist.
The predictions hed tried to deny had become a reality.
This is bad.
Min Ha-rins urgent gaze was locked onto Lee Jong-hak and Allida. These two were pivotal in their plan to escape. Without either of them, their plan would not even start.
Hey. Sihard, who do you think we should pick?
I think two males and one female would be good.
Thats true. Then
Many of the hunters shrank back when Rutans gaze swept across the room.
This was natural. After all, they had only just seen the possibility of escape, but if they caught Rutans eye now, they would be sold.
There were only two people who raised their heads and looked at Rutan with fiery eyes.
It was Lee Jong-hak and Min Ha-rin.
Do you two want to be sold? Hmm. Id love to respect the will of the slaves, but its a shame.
Rutans lips curled into a sinister smile.
You two are special products. I intend to make you the highlights of this event, so you should relax your gazes.
He chuckled for a moment before closing his eyes. Then he took a deep breath.
I can smell fear. Im talking about you two over there.
The bodies of the two men who were pointed out by him shook heavily. They were the two who had been trying the hardest to avoid his gaze.
Lets go with them. Understood, Sihard?
Yes, sir.
The faces of these men turned blue.
Rutan enjoyed the looks on their faces before looking around again.
Now, for the last one.
Lets go with that woman.
Sh*t.
Min Ha-rin almost cursed out loud.
Rutan was pointing at Allida.
Allidas lashes trembled. She was concentrating in order to use her tattoo magic, but she could probably still hear what Rutan was saying.
Rutans subordinate, Sihard, couldnt help but ask.
Isnt that woman a Wizard? Shes a rare commodity, so I think it would be a waste to use her on the first day.
That is certainly the case for a Wizard in good condition. However, this bitch has graffiti on her body. Regardless of the strength or rarity of the individual, such a defect makes her an inferior product. If we were to send her out later, the customers might be disappointed. So today is the best time.
Indeed
Min Ha-rin bit her lip while Sihard nodded in admiration.
What should I do?
Her palms began to sweat because of her nervousness.
They couldnt let Allida be taken. But Rutan had already said he wouldnt take her. The other woman, a white woman, was shivering in the corner with her head down. (Note: Wasnt it four women?)
She didnt think about cursing her. She must have known as well. If they let Allida get taken, then the plan would go down the drain.
She just didnt have the courage to accept it.
How could they change the Demons minds?
Min Ha-rin tried her hardest to think of a way.
We cant.
But even if she rolled it around in her head till steam began rising from her hair, she couldnt think of a way to do it.
It didnt matter if she died.
The moment she was captured, she had already let go of all of her lifes regrets. Meeting Lukas and Lee Jong-hak had changed that mindset a bit, but she would still kill herself the moment she was able to if necessary.
But Lee Jong-hak was different. He was a hero who had to return to the East Asia branch.
Losing him would be a loss for all of mankind.
Take me.
Min Ha-rin spoke in a cracked voice.
Of course, this was too soft for Rutan to hear. Or maybe he had heard it, but Rutan would definitely not go back on his word.
Min Ha-rin was also aware of that fact.
Thats why she couldnt believe what happened next.
Wait.
Rutan paused before pulling back his outstretched hand. Then he crossed his arms and pondered deeply about something.
For a moment, he stood there, unmoving.
Then.
I dont think it would be a bad idea to have a strong first day.
Huh?
Huhu.
Rutan chuckled before pointing at Min Ha-rin.
Forget the tattooed girl. Lets put her in.
Sihard was shocked.
Are you serious?
Of course. Ah, and
He gave a sly smile as he seemed to think about something else.
Lets put that guy with her. We can count him as a bonus.
The one Rutan was pointing at was none other than Lukas.
* * *
They moved the two cages immediately after making a decision.
But that didnt mean that they would present them right away.
As precious human slaves, they would be the highlight of the event, which meant that they had to be presented at the hottest moment.
Rutan placed Lukas and Min Ha-rin in a space behind the stage so that they could be sent to the stage immediately after he gave the signal.
It seems they decided not to bring the two men.
The two men who had been selected first. Min Ha-rin didnt know their names, but they had not been brought with them.
Maybe they had decided to leave them for another day. Or maybe they were just being kept in a different area.
She lowered her head, feeling like it would be good if it was the former.
Is this the end?
Min Ha-rin leaned against the bars of her cage while having this thought. Sarch* The N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Surprisingly, when her life as a slave was all but confirmed, she didnt feel any different. Perhaps it was because shed heard Lee Jong-haks words.
If she was lucky, maybe shed be able to take down a Demon Noble.
She knew that such a thing was almost impossible, but just the thought of it made her feel lighter.
Do you know what happens to hunter slaves?
Lukas spoke.
Min Ha-rin glanced around.
Some Demons were guarding the area, but they didnt seem to care what the two of them were doing.
Instead. their nervous and anticipated gazes were directed outside the curtain.
To some extent.
That Duke Sandro who has his eyes on you seems to be a sadistic pervert. Most of his slaves are physically disabled women. It was none other than Duke Sandro who made them that way. He prefers slaves with strong willpower, but after he breaks them, he kills or abandons them without hesitation.
Was he trying to scare her?
If so, then it had worked a little. Min Ha-rin could not deny the fact that she was a bit scared.
But the thing that she was the most curious about was why this man, who had always been silent, had suddenly become talkative.
Moreover, it was strange that he knew so much about a Demon Dukes hobby that was usually veiled in mystery.
Are you trying to test my determination?
No. Im just curious why you chose to sacrifice yourself for Allida.
Huh? N-, no I was just
Sacrificed?
Min Ha-rin was surprised by this unexpected word.
It wasnt something so noble.
She just felt that if Allida was the one who was taken then the escape plan would become hopeless from the start. Which would lead to the worst case scenario of everyone in the room becoming slaves.
Therefore, Min Ha-rin chose the best option.
Its just This choice made the most sense.
Lukas looked at Min Ha-rin, who had a blank expression on her face, and said.
You have a Wizards aptitude.
His face was expressionless, and his voice lacked any inflection, but Min Ha-rin felt that he was a bit happy.
It was really strange.
Lukas situation was no different from hers. However, she had never been able to feel even a hint of despair since their first meeting.
Why?
The thought that he was crazy disappeared as if it had been washed away. He was an incredibly rational and cold-hearted man. And he seemed to know more about what was going on than Min Ha-rin.
Nevertheless, his calm appearance had never changed.
Maybe
It might have been thanks to this that Min Ha-rin was able to stay calm in this situation.
She had been influenced by this attitude, which was indifferent to the point of being easy-going.
A Wizards aptitude.
She recalled his murmur.
That shouldnt have been the case.
Min Ha-rin had gotten a full examination at the association. Her aptitude was that of a hunter, a close-combat specialist.
In fact, after developing a style that matched her aptitude, she was able to gain a good reputation throughout Asia.
But she had always been interested in magic. In fact, she had wanted to be a Wizard since she was young.
As soon as she was about to say something to Lukas, he closed his eyes again. When he was like this, he would not respond, no matter how she tried to start a conversation. He always ignored most of her questions.
Nevertheless, Min Ha-rin was able to learn a few things about Lukas following her observation and their brief conversations.
They will be able to escape.
They.
Was he referring to Lee Jong-haks group?
Just as Min Ha-rin was about to ask a question, Lukas spoke again.
But all of them will not survive.
Huh? What do you
Suddenly.
A Demon near to them swung his arm.
Woowoong-
Her iron cage rose into the air.
This floating caused her to feel sick. Just as Min Ha-rin heaved slightly, the curtain that was blocking the stage was lifted and the stage was revealed.
It seemed that it was finally time for their appearance in the auction.
You have been waiting for this moment for a long time. The moment I dare introduce is the highlight of todays event. The product Im about to present is something in which every customer here will be interested.
There was a stir in the room.
Sandros lips stretched into a smile.
They have the right amount of intelligence, so you dont have to teach them multiple times like stupid beasts. They also have just enough strength to do chores but not enough to be a threat to our customers safety. Even though they are just at the end of their youth, doesnt everyone know? Flowers are most beautiful just before they wither. The short prime makes their value shine even more So let me formally introduce you.
The stir in the room grew stronger as Rutans soft voice sounded out.
Suitable as ornaments, pets, or experiments! The finest slaves! Property that will undoubtedly enhance the dignity of any noble!
He bowed in a polite manner as Min Ha-rin appeared on the stage.
I present to you a Human!
Season: 2 Chapter 5: (Season 2) – Chapter 5
Book 2 Chapter 5: (Season 2) - Chapter 5 The more Min Ha-rin heard Rutans introduction, the more disgusted she felt. She felt terrible, as though she was a piece of premium meat about to be sold.
Apart from that, she felt her chest become tighter and her body become covered in cold sweat.
Was she nervous?
This is natural.
At that moment, the curtain was lifted and the cage floated up to the stage.
She was presented in a way the Demons would appreciate.
Ohhh
Such a good product.
Its S class for sure.
When Min Ha-rin was revealed, the Demons did not hide their admiration. On the other hand, Min Ha-rin just felt more sick.
Urk
Demon Nobles filled the hall. Many of them were Counts, who could be considered as high ranking nobility, with some being even higher ranked.
There were not one, two, or even a dozen. There were close to a hundred of these monsters who could each dye a small region with blood.
Just the demonic energy that they constantly omitted created a poisonous atmosphere for humans. An ordinary human might vomit blood just from inhaling the air in this room.
Min Ha-rins resistance had been reduced by the collar. Nevertheless, the poisonous air only made her face look a bit more haggard.
She was about to sit down because of the sudden dizziness that she felt when her body suddenly froze.
Click.
Uk
She felt a sting in her neck. Then, her entire body became stiff. Her senses blurred as though shed been put under anesthesia. Sarch* The ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
This was one of the functions of the collar.
She didnt know the principle behind it, but shed lost control of her body.
Then, her body began posing against her will.
Min Ha-rins face burned red with shame.
It was as though she was anxious to get herself sold.
Min Ha-rin had never experienced something so humiliating and terrible in her life.
The White Flower.
Rutan laughed as he said those words.
Customers who are interested in enslaving humans should have heard about her at least once. This hunter has killed three Viscounts, one Baron, and hundreds more of our kind. Surprisingly, this product is only in its early twenties. So depending on how you raise it, you can cultivate its youth and beauty. You can even keep it for a long time if you maintain it properly.
This is crazy.
Min Ha-rin wanted to bite her lip, but even that was impossible.
It was completely insane.
As Rutan had said, Min Ha-rin had hunted three Viscounts, one Baron, and hundreds of other demons.
From the perspective of humans, these were certainly achievements deserving of praise. But it shouldnt have been for them.
Werent they the same kind?
Min Ha-rin should have been treated as a mass murderer to be executed with extreme prejudice.
But she wasnt.
Instead, the eyes of these Demons were flashing with disgusting greed.
The fact that Min Ha-rin had killed hundreds of their kind was just one of the achievements that raised her product value. It was just another reason for them to desire adding her to their collection.
How could intelligent creatures be so disgusting?
Demons.
She finally understood why they were given that name.
They were smart, wore clothing, were capable of trade, and spoke in an old fashioned manner.
But could they really be called an intelligent race?
In Min Ha-rins eyes, they were just ugly monsters made of instinct and pleasure who only feigned intelligence.
Then let us begin the bidding.
Some of the Demon Nobles lifted their hands, and Demons who had been waiting at the sides approached them.
These nobles then told their offers in soft voices to the Demons who then passed them onto Rutan, who was standing on the stage.
The corners of Rutans lips curled upwards.
It seems there is a hot reaction in the first wave. Haha. Everyone has good eyes.
There seemed to be a gentle heat of emotion in his calm voice.
At that moment, Min Ha-rin looked like a large gold nugget in his eyes.
No, precious metals had no value in the eyes of the Demons. To Rutan, Min Ha-rin was a treasure in itself.
The highest bid is 100,000, and the bidder is Duke Sandro.
These words caused another ripple to spread throughout the room.
Min Ha-rins value was already obvious to everyone there, but they didnt expect to see a price like 100,000 from the first wave.
The higher the products value, the more waves it would have.
For a product like Min Ha-rin, there would certainly be a second and third wave after the first. And every time they proceeded to the next wave, the price would be 1.5 times higher than the previous highest bid.
In other words, this meant that at least 150,000 had to be bid in the next wave.
Mmm.
Ill let this one pass.
Some of the nobles who knew Duke Sandros financial capabilities directly gave up the bid after seeing his interest in Min Ha-rin.
He was one of the Chester Companys biggest customers, and he was well-known for his collection and obsession in that he could only be satisfied by products he liked.
However, some nobles who still thought it was worth it did not back down so easily.
It was then.
Is that the next product beside you?
A noble pointed towards Lukas.
Rutan glanced at this blonde man before smiling.
No. Hes a bonus.
A bonus?
This is a product whose mind has already been broken. But other than that, he is in good condition. As you can see, his face is good and he has a surprisingly durable body. If nothing else, he would still be useful for experiments. Of course, if you dont want him, you dont have to take him.
Hmm
Sandro looked at Lukas after hearing that.
This was the second time he was seeing him. The first time, he had been focused on Min Ha-rin, so he hadnt paid much attention to him, but as Rutan said, his appearance wasnt bad.
Although he looked a bit sullen, his face wasnt bad-looking for a male, and if he was washed and taken care of properly, it might be possible to raise his looks to another level.
Duke Sandros wrinkled face stretched with a child-like smile.
Then lets start the second wave.
Sandro lifted his hand and beckoned towards a Demon before whispering in their ear.
After hearing the bid, the Demons body shook slightly. He looked at Sandro as if to confirm that hed heard correctly, to which Sandro simply nodded with a relaxed expression.
The Demon immediately headed over to inform Rutan of the bid. Rutan also trembled slightly when he heard it.
As expected of Duke Sandro.
Was he saying that he didnt want to waste any more time?
In any case, this wasnt a bad thing for the company.
Never.
Rutan had to forcibly stop himself from laughing out loud.
The highest bid is 1 million, and the bidder is Duke Sandro.
The nobles froze in shock when they heard this announcement.
1 million?
This is too much, even for a titled hunter.
Duke Sandro must really like this one.
The bid rose by ten times in an instant, causing the other nobles to lose their fighting spirit.
Rutan laughed once again.
There was still one wave left, but it would be a waste of time to proceed with it at this point.
The reason that Sandro had increased the bid to such a ridiculous amount was to bypass the annoying process.
It seems the owner for this product has been decided.
Min Ha-rin lowered her head.
Shed thought shed already given up, but she was scared when the reality truly hit her.
Looking at Duke Sandros wrinkled face, she couldnt help but feel like shed done something stupid and regretted it.
Then, in the next moment, she bit her lip in disgust at herself.
She pretended to be fine and calm, that everything was okay, but she was regretting it not long after?
She felt like crying because she was laughable and pathetic.
Holding back her resentment, she lifted her head.
Its okay.
If someone asked her just what was okay, she wouldnt have been able to answer.
Nevertheless, Min Ha-rin desperately tried to steel her resolve. After all, there was no one there to comfort her but herself.
That will be all for todays event. I would like to say thank you to all the customers for joining us.
Rutan smiled before adding.
If you managed to successfully obtain a product, please give your payment to the guides present in each row.
Payment.
When she heard this word, Min Ha-rin couldnt help but wonder.
The Demons also had the concept of currency, but few of them actually used it. They also had no interest in gold or other material treasures.
So what were the demons using to conduct the auction?
Ah
Min Ha-rin couldnt help but become speechless when she saw what the payment was.
A black crystal, as black as ink, was taken out of a nobles pocket before being handed to a Demon at the side.
As a hunter, Min Ha-rin naturally knew what this black crystal was.
Soul Crystal.
A gem that could contain a human soul.
No, it was more accurate to call it a prison. Once trapped, the soul would never be able to escape on its own. It would have to struggle in pain for an eternity unless the crystal was broken or the crystals owner released it.
Min Ha-rin stumbled as she was overcome by a sudden wave of dizziness.
She felt that she could hear screams.
1 million.
That was the number Sandro had called while bidding for her.
The number had been too big for her to connect to anything. But in truth, if she had thought about it, the answer would not have been hard to think of.
After all, the Demons had no interest in gold or other treasures. For these beings, the thing they obsessed over and coveted to most was none other than the human soul.
The more souls they absorbed, the higher the Demons level became. Shed heard that the only way for them to obtain a title was to absorb a certain amount of souls.
The Soul Crystals were items that made the absorption process easier.????????n????e????????. ????????
All of the nobles here were participating in the auction. In other words, each and every one of them had Soul Crystals in their possession.
If that was the case
How many
There were about one hundred Demon Nobles in this hall.
She wondered just how many human souls, which were suffering without even being able to die properly, were in their possession.
* * *
The highlight of the event. That was what Rutan had called her. In other words, that was the end of the auction.
Min Ha-rin was the last item.
Come out.
She had been released from the iron cage, but what awaited her was a life far from freedom.
It might have been better to remain locked in the cage.
Lukas also stepped out of his cage. His face was still the same, without even a sliver of tension.
Follow me.
That was all he said. He didnt forcibly drag them along.
Their feet and hands were in restraints, but if they were really determined, these chains would not be able to stop them from escaping.
Nevertheless, the Demon acted like there was no possibility that they would escape.
Theres nowhere to run anyway.
This place was in the center of the Demons territory. Moreover, unless they did something about the collar, then it would not make a difference even if they ran to the other side of the world.
They had no choice but to follow the Demon to Duke Sandro, who bought them.
I will wait for the opportunity to kill the Demon who bought me.
Lee Jong-haks words suddenly appeared in her mind.
Could she do it?
Min Ha-rin asked herself this question before shaking her head. She didnt have the confidence.
The opponent was a Duke who ranked at the top amongst the Demon nobility.
Even if she was in her peak condition, he was a monster whom she would have difficulty scratching. So now that shed been weakened by the collar, it was safe to say that she had almost no chance of winning.
Nevertheless She didnt want to give up.
You could call it stubbornness. But she knew that the moment she gave up, her chances of winning would no longer be slim; they would disappear altogether.
I think I can do it.
While she had this thought, the Demon leading them stopped at a door.
Then, he knocked politely and waited.
Who is it?
Im from the Chester Company. I brought the products you won, Duke Sandro.
Come in.
The moment the door opened, Min Ha-rins face became pale.
Season: 2 Chapter 6: (Season 2) – Chapter 6
Book 2 Chapter 6: (Season 2) - Chapter 6 The bright lights stunned her for a moment.
Maybe it was because she was stuck in the dark for almost a month. The lighting on the stage had been soft, so she didnt realise it, but this place was different.
The bright lights shining within the room penetrated Min Ha-rins retinas.
It was only after blinking a few times that she was able to see the overall appearance of the room.
It was a large room filled to the brim with luxurious furniture and decor.
And in the center of the room, there was a silver table at which he sat.
This was probably the first time she was getting a good look at him.
The first thought she had upon seeing him was that he was like a vampire. To be precise, he reminded her of Count Dracula, who appeared in old time movies.
His face was pale, and his hair was grey. And the black tuxedo he wore contrasted sharply with his body.
If he werent a Demon, she might have even thought that he was a very good-looking old man.
But Min Ha-rin was feeling intense chills at that moment.
An instinctive fear, similar to the way one felt when facing a predator, licked at the back of her neck.
A Duke, a being who stood at the pinnacle of Demon nobility. Some people mentioned the possibility that there were Grand Dukes, but even they could not deny the fact that Dukes were representative of the pinnacle of Demon Nobility.
They were incredibly dangerous creatures.
Walking natural disasters.
Nuclear warheads with egos.
Demons of the end.
There were dozens of names for them, and the association paid attention to the movements of every Duke using any means they could.
This was because they understood that if they were to let even a single Duke out of their sights, an entire branch might disappear like dust before heavy winds.
Officially, there are only two recorded cases of defeating Dukes.
And the damage that accompanied this defeat was immeasurable.
Many thousands of promising hunters had become cold corpses, and many more suffered irrecoverable damage.
And now, such a being, who could create a disaster as easy as breathing, was sitting in front of her.
He was standing within arms reach.
What hid behind this facade of a genial old man was a monster who could destroy her heart with the flick of a finger.
It felt like there was a sword being pressed against her throat.
Min Ha-rin forcibly tried to ignore her shivering. She tried to not shrink back, but she still lowered her gaze.
This wasnt because shed given in. Shed just realised how foolish it was to openly display her hostility.
Hmm
Sandro hummed in interest when he noticed her change in attitude.
He looked at Min Ha-rin for a moment before waving his hand.
You may leave.
Yes, sir.
The Demon who brought them bowed his head politely before leaving the room, closing the door behind him.
At that moment, Min Ha-rin felt like the atmosphere in the room was becoming heavy again.
Sandros attention was only locked onto Min Ha-rin. He didnt seem interested in Lukas, who stood beside her.
I dont know if youve eaten. Are you hungry?
Sandros voice was unexpectedly soft.
If she didnt know who he was, she might have mistaken him for a kindhearted old man.
Knowing he wasnt, Min Ha-rin didnt answer.
Sandro chuckled.
Why dont you relax a little?
She didnt answer this time either. She wasnt openly being rebellious, it was just that she couldnt even think about lowering her head like Drisa had mentioned.
So instead, she bit her lip and suppressed her feelings.
Did you have a change of heart? Your attitude is different from earlier. Well, it doesnt matter.
Sandro got up from his seat and began to skillfully cut tea leaves.
A subtle scent filled the room, but Min Ha-rin had to resist the urge to cover her nose as though she smelled a terrible odor.
I know human nature doesnt change so easily. But its not fun to have a conversation like this
While listening to the sound of the tea leaves boiling, Sandro chuckled.
Lets do this. I will break one of that mans fingers every time you dont answer me.
Min Ha-rins body shook.
She looked back.
There was still no change to Lukas expression despite Sandros vicious words.
That person has already gone mad. It would be pointless.
She tried to speak calmly, but she couldnt help the slight tremors in her voice.
And Sandro was very aware of this.
What does that matter? What I want to see is your reaction. I want to see what my new slave is like. Show me just how high your view of morals and ethics is.
kuk.
Ill ask again. Are you thirsty?
Min Ha-rin bit her lip.
Im not.
I see.
Sandro grinned.
Your original expression has returned. Thats good. I hope you can maintain that rebellious spirit for a long time.
Those words filled her with anger.
I wont obey a Demon. Instead of obeying you, Id rather.
Kill me? Is that what you want to say?
Sandro let out a laugh. It was a laugh filled with genuine joy.
I dont care if you have such thoughts, but I should probably start your training early so you can learn things you shouldnt do.
How? Are you going to intimidate me or threaten that person again? Ha. It seems a Duke is no big deal after all. I cant believe youd resort to such petty tricks because you couldnt make a single human submit.
Petty tricks? Thats an interesting expression.
Sandro knew that Min Ha-rin was trying to provoke him. The reason she mentioned Lukas was because she didnt want him to touch him anymore.
Sandro, who had lived for hundreds of years, could easily see through the ploys of this young girl.
Of course, I know many ways to make a human submit,
Im not afraid of torture. Nor am I afraid of my mind breaking or death.
Haha. You can only say that because youre ignorant. Child, you cant even begin to imagine what real pain is like. There are many things in this world that are more terrible than death.
Sandros smile widened.
However, I wont touch you just yet.
What?
I wont do it for at least a month. You can trust me. I always keep my word. Nevertheless, you will swear your loyalty to me and do whatever I say.
That will never happen.
Dak-
Sandro flicked his finger.
Suddenly, the restraints on Min Ha-rins hands and feet were released.
The collar was still around her neck, but to an extent, she had regained her freedom.
What
Min Ha-rin looked at Sandro in confusion.
I heard that you successfully hunted a noble during your first mission. At that time, you were only 15 years old. Im curious as to how promising you wouldve been if you were allowed to grow.
you did a lot of research. Do you enjoy looking into the backgrounds of slaves?
Min Ha-rin forced herself to speak coldly, but a part of her felt cold when she heard those words.
How could he know about my first mission?
It wasnt strange that he knew her name, age, and other minor personal information. She was certain that the Chester Company, who sold her, had all of that information.
However, information about the missions a hunter went on were confidential and known only to the association. So it was certainly strange for a Demon Duke to have access to it.
no way.
She shook her head as an ominous thought appeared in her mind.
It couldnt be. If that was the case, humanity would have already been destroyed.
She must have been overthinking. She had to have been.
There was an unusually large number of people at the event today. So my shoes got a bit dirty.
It was a sudden change of topic.
When Min Ha-rin glared at him, Sandro smiled before pointing down to his shoes.
Lick it with your tongue and clean it. I dont want to see even a single speck of dust.
It was a ridiculous request.
Min Ha-rin had a strange expression on her face as she said.
You should be glad I dont know many curse words.
Haha. I knew youd say something like that. Right Its so heartbreaking to have a disobedient slave.
After muttering quietly, Sandro went silent for a moment before continuing.
Do you want to know what I plan to do next?
I dont care.
No. You will care. A lot.
Sandro smiled warmly as he looked and Min Ha-rin.
Because I have a disobedient slave who wont listen to my orders, I think I will go for a stroll. Just to get some fresh air. Maybe Ill even go for a long walk. Maybe I might even make a trip down to the peninsula.
It was a soft voice as though he was reading a storybook.
However, Min Ha-rins expression became harder and harder as he continued.
By peninsula, he meant
I want to see the sea, so I think it would be better to go to Busan, which is called a port city. I want to relax and enjoy the night sea, but I dont think Ill be able to. I dont know why, but I feel like a lot of hunters will suddenly come and attack me.
!!
How
Min Ha-rin could no longer hide her shock. Her pupils shook violently.
Busan was the location of the headquarters of the Hunter Associations East Asia branch.
And this Demon knew that.
They will try to kill me, and I will defend myself. Its been a long time since I used these old hands, so Im not confident in holding back my strength. This means that most of those hunters will die. The blood of hundreds of people might cause the ocean water to become a bit red. Of course, I wouldnt get a single scratch.
S-, stop
However, my little plan to enjoy the view of the sea would have been ruined by then. Im not very patient, so this fact will make me extremely angry. Its natural that I will go to the den of the bugs who disturbed me and wipe them out. The hunters wont know that I already know the location of their underground bunker. They will think theyre safe. But they will soon realise that it was just an illusion. I will reach the center of the bunker in a heartbeat while laughing at their defenses. I will annihilate all of the high-ranking officers there in a short amount of time. Then, I will find the Branch Manager who is barely holding on to his life and tell him with a smile.
Sandro laughed.
An ugly smile blossomed on his old face.
If he gives me the two children, Min Ha-ru and Min Yoo-seong, I will let him live.
A-, ahh
Min Ha-rin collapsed when she heard the names of her two younger siblings.
Her body shook.
To Min Ha-rin, their deaths were tens of times more terrifying than her own. It was the worst situation she couldnt even imagine.
They are you brother and sister. Only twelve and fourteen years old. Why arent you more pleased? You will soon be reunited. I assure you, they will call for you desperately. Until their blood spills from their throats.
Sandro finished his cup of tea.
Then, he got up from his seat and put on the coat that had been hung over the chair.
I sincerely hope your siblings are as strong-willed as you are.
Just as he was about to walk out the door.
Im sorry.
Sandro stopped.
Then he turned around with a smile.
What was that?
S-, sorry Im sorry Im sorry
Min Ha-rin said these words with tears rolling down her face. She repeated the same thing like a broken radio.
She bent her knees, which shed vowed to never do, and banged her forehead against the ground over and over again.
I, I I dont care what you do to me. But please Please dont do anything to my siblings. I was wrong.
Sandro looked down at her. He let out a pleased laugh before walking back to his seat. Then, he sat on the chair and crossed his legs while looking down at Min Ha-rin.
Well, it seems my shoes are still dirty.
Min Ha-rin froze, but it was only for a moment. She stood up from the ground with a resigned expression.
To go to Sandro. To clean his shoes with her tongue.
Not like that.
huh?
Sandro smiled and pointed to the floor.
You have to come to me. Like a slave.
She didnt have a choice.
Min Ha-rin didnt bite her lip this time. Her pride had already been torn to shreds, and her eyes were lifeless.
She crawled towards Sandro.
More than humiliation and shame, fear for Sandro grew within her. Fear that ate at her mind.
She could see the shoes. As Sandro had said, they were a bit dirty.
Instinctively, she knew that if she were to really lick Sandros shoes, she would not disobey until the day she died.
But even so.
She didnt have a choice.
Crack!
Then she heard a strange sound. And Min Ha-rin realised that the atmosphere in the room had changed drastically.
She raised her head.
Duke Sandro was no longer looking at her. He was no longer smiling as well. But this was different from before.
His expression was a bit stiff as though hed witnessed something unexpected. S~ea??h the novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Min Ha-rin followed his gaze.
Lukas was standing there. He still stood in a daze with a blank expression on his face, but something was different.
He didnt have a collar.
No.
Duke Sandro narrowed his eyes.
To be more specific.
Clatter
Lukas had ripped it off on his own.
Season: 2 Chapter 7: (Season 2) – Chapter 7
Book 2 Chapter 7: (Season 2) - Chapter 7 How surprising.
Sandros smile returned to his face.
He leaned deeper into his chair as if to show off his composure.
Was the collar loose? Or was it defective from the start? In any case, Im disappointed in the Chester Company. This is a bit upsetting.
Hed have to call Rutan and set things straight.
They would probably bow till their foreheads touched the floor. After all, they should have been fully aware of what kind of world they were stepping into.
Its useless even if you do it right 100 times. Naturally, all that matters is whether you make one mistake or not.
Lukas still didnt say anything.
Sandro smiled.
But youre foolish. If you had hidden the fact that the collar was defective and waited for the right chance, you mightve gotten the chance to run away.
Sandro had little interest in Lukas from the beginning. His attention had always been on Min Ha-rin.
This blonde-haired man who came with her was nothing more than an extra, a bonus. Even if he was somehow able to miraculously escape, Sandro would not feel any loss.
However, it was a different story altogether for him to remove the collar before his eyes.
His authority would be challenged if he were to let go of this after seeing such behaviour with his own eyes.
No matter how I look at it, you dont seem crazy Am I mistaken?
No.
Lukas opened his mouth for the first time, and Sandro admired his clear voice.
You have a pretty good voice, better than I expected. You also look fine.
Sandros eyes swept over Lukas.
He seemed to appraise him for a moment before he smiled and said.
How about this? If you kneel and kowtow right now, I will pretend like I didnt see you take the collar off. I have a few spare collars, so Ill let you pick whichever one you like most. If you do that, I will forgive your rudeness and give you the right to be my slave again.
This was an unconventional offer for Duke Sandro.
In the first place, he still didnt have much interest in Lukas. However, he felt that it was a bit of a waste to just kill him like that.
He felt that he was a compassionate person who showed unending mercy to those who pleased him.
It was the same this time as well.
But Lukas didnt answer.
At first, he thought that he was thinking about it, but that didnt seem to be the case either.
Surprisingly, he couldnt tell what he was thinking.
This guy is an unknown.
That was the end of Sandros analysis.
He shook his head.
In any case, he was only a bonus.
Thats too bad.
Paht.
Sandros cloak turned dark and began moving as though it had a life of its own.
Min Ha-rin looked back with an anxious expression.
Even she, who had participated in numerous battles against Demon Nobles, didnt know just how strong a Duke was.
To be more precise, all she knew was that they were incredibly strong.
With one gesture, they could cause heavy winds, lakes to rise, and forests to burn to ashes.
If such beings really existed, then it could only have been seen as a sign of the coming of God.
It was unbelievable.
She couldnt believe it, and she didnt want to believe it.
If even some of the rumors she heard were true, then mankinds struggle was for naught.
Min Ha-rin had once participated in a battle to subjugate a Count.
It was a Demon named Cerberus whose powers were so transcendent that he killed 90% of the hunters who participated in the battle.
And yet, Counts could only be considered as beings at the threshold of high ranking nobility. They were called high-ranking nobility because their level of strength was several times that of the normal Demon Nobles.
The strength the Demon Count had shown that day had become a nightmare deeply engraved in her mind.
And now, the being in front of her was a Duke.
He was definitely much stronger than any Count or Marquis.
Min Ha-rin couldnt even begin to imagine just how horrifying such an existence was.
The cloak shot forward.
The cloak, which was made of cloth, suddenly clumped together to form a spear.
Despite the fact that it didnt make a sound, the speed it moved at wasnt particularly fast.
In all honesty, it wasnt that impressive.
Was this all the power a Duke had?
If it was only that much, then even she would be able to avoid that attack.
But the moment she thought that
Min Ha-rins face became pale.
She didnt blink. And she didnt lose track of it, either.
But before she realised what had happened, the spear split open.
Instead of a spear, the cloak became a monster filled with hundreds of teeth, which devoured Lukas body.
Crunch, crunch
The only thing that could be heard was the sound of flesh and bones being crushed and torn apart.
Min Ha-rins face turned white at the sudden tragedy.
Everything had happened before she even had a chance to react.
It wasnt hard to realise that the strained voice was coming from Sandro.
Min Ha-rin realised that Sandros voice was shaking slightly and that his face would occasionally twitch.
But Sandros face wasnt the only thing twitching. The cloak wrapped around Lukas body shook.
Paht!
Then, following the sound of a light explosion, the cloak was torn apart.
And through the strips of cloth that fell like snowflakes, Lukas body could be seen.
Just by looking at Sandros expression, one could tell how he took this scene.
What did you do?
Sandros aura had changed dramatically.
Black smoke poured out of his mouth and swirled around him.
The spear hed just sent forward was strong enough to pierce through any metal the humans had in their possession. It wouldnt even be a problem for it to pierce through a missile bunker.
At least, Sandro could never have imagined that someone he wanted to kill with it didnt immediately become a puddle of blood.
Whats more, the one who had done so was nothing but a lowly slave.
Who are you?
Sandros voice contained confusion that he could not hide even if he wanted to.
Human was he a human?
No. It wasnt possible.
Hed met strong humans before, some who were even praised as heroes, but none of them had been a match for him.
Not to mention a Duke.
Even a Marquis. No, they could barely even match a Count.
Weaklings to be trampled on, raised with affection, or thrown away like garbage, depending on their mood.
That was what humans were.
Then what was this being?
He paused his attack.
No. There was something that confused him even more.
How did he stop it?
He couldnt guess. And it frustrated him that his opponent had a mysterious trump card.
But Sandro hid his agitation.
He had only blocked one attack; nothing had changed. It was hard to tell whether it was intentional or accidental, but the fact that Lukas didnt die remained unchanged.
So he intended to fight seriously from then on.
Sandros gaze deepened.
Are you working for another Duke? Did they send you to assassinate me? Pride. Is he your master?
Lukas murmured at those words.
Thats an unpleasant delusion.
What are you talking about?
Im not a Demon. And naturally, Im not a servant of Pride.
If that was the case, then was he really human?
A human blocked my attack?
Ha.
Sandro couldnt help but let out a laugh.
Youre trying to pretend. How interesting. I hope your wits are strong enough to overcome torture.
Do you think you deserve to test me?
Sandros playful expression disappeared when Lukas asked these words.
Your way of speaking annoys me. Only the Demon King dares to talk to me like that.
Sandros expression became hazy. The lights in the room fluttered like a candle in front of a breeze before suddenly going out.
The room descended into darkness.
You will beg me to kill you.
Sandros voice gradually faded into the darkness. His black cloak was swallowed by the ground, followed by his body.
Like ink seeping into a piece of paper, his body was absorbed into the ground.
Get on the table.
Min Ha-rin belatedly realised that those words were directed at her.
She hurriedly climbed onto the silver table. Anyone could tell that it was not wise to be moving around blindly in the dark.
Sandro is serious.
She knew how Demons behaved when they became serious. Now, Sandro would not hesitate to reveal his full power.
A full-strength attack from a Duke.
How was he supposed to survive an attack like that?
Shuk.
Lukas knelt on one knee and put his palm on the ground.
And that was it.
ku-, urk?
Like a fish who had been hit by an electric current, Sandros body popped out of the darkness.
U-, urk! Uk! Kuk! Kuuk!
He looked at Lukas with shaking eyes.
How the hell? I was between the boundaries of the shadows
He hadnt simply been pulled out.
His body had been immobilised. Even his joints were frozen as though he had been tied up with an invisible chain.
Now, even his tongue had been paralysed. All he could do was move his eyes around.
!!
For Sandro, it was supposed to be a pleasant day. After a few years, hed finally found a slave whom hed liked, and he was certain that he wouldnt be bored of it for a long time.
He finally got it in his hands, and all he had to do was enjoy it.
Slowly corrupting and breaking humans who mistakenly believed they were strong was something he relished in.
One thing was for certain, though. He never thought that he would die today.
Crack.
As soon as Lukas clenched his fist, Sandros body exploded.
It wasnt blood and flesh that scattered everywhere. Instead, it was an ink like substance.
This thick, black liquid landed on Lukas face, but he didnt need to wipe it off.
This was because after the darkness in the room faded, the ink disappeared as though it had evaporated.
Clink~
And in the place where Duke Sandros body had been, a crystal fell to the ground.
Lukas looked at this crystal for a moment before saying.
You can come down.
Min Ha-rin blinked a few times.
huh?
He didnt answer as he kept looking at the crystal on the floor.
Min Ha-rin gulped slightly before stepping onto the floor. But she still looked around hesitantly.
Hey What the hell just happened? Wh-, where is Duke Sandro?
I think you should have this.
As he said this, Lukas handed the Soul Crystal over to Min Ha-rin.
Min Ha-rin took it reflexively before flinching.
There was no reason to ask whose Soul Crystal this was.
A Duke. A Dukes Soul Crystal.
How many souls were trapped in here?
Theres no way a Demon would have abandoned its Soul Crystal and ran.
To them, this item was just as important as their lives.
That meant
This man had really killed Duke Sandro.
A-, ah Th-, thank you for saving me
She was still confused, but just as she was about to bow her head
A small vortex appeared in the air in front of them, from which a person then appeared. It was a being wearing a black robe whose face couldnt be seen because it was covered by strips of cloth. It was almost as if they didnt have a face.
[It seems my patience over the past few decades has put me to shame.]
The beings voice was bizarre.
And its sudden appearance seemed to have something to do with Lukas.
[Are you saying its none of my business? Fine. But keep in mind. You gave them a justification.]
Huk.
They disappeared just as quickly as they appeared, but Lukas didnt seem particularly concerned about it.
He turned to Min Ha-rin and said.
How old are you?
Huh?
When Min Ha-rin asked back in surprise at the sudden question, he murmured in a slightly embarrassed voice.
Did I say something strange? I mean How many years have passed since you were born?
It was rude to ask someones age out of nowhere. If it was another situation or if another person had asked her the same question, she might not have answered.
But this was different.
Min Ha-rin answered in a low but clear voice.
Twenty-two.
Really?. (Note: oof)
Huh?
Was he trying to say she looked older?
Min Ha-rins expression hardened, but Lukas continued as if he didnt care. Sarch* The N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
What do you think about magic?
What did she think?
Shed never thought deeply about it. This had been the case ever since she was told that she had no talent for magic.
However, the magic Min Ha-rin had seen today reminded her of a midsummer fireworks display or a christmas tree.
What did she think while watching this scene?
Min Ha-rin felt like her memories had been awoken like shed taken an old book from a bookshelf.
I think its pretty.
When Lukas eyes widened slightly at her response, Min Ha-rin flinched.
Th-, that
Did she make a mistake?
While she was unable to hide her nervousness, she heard a voice.
That is the first time Ive heard a response like that.
What is your name?
The order of these questions seemed a bit strange.
Besides, didnt he hear it when Sandro was calling her name?
Though she had these questions in her head, Lukas was the benefactor whod saved her life. She couldnt complain about something like this.
I am Min Ha-rin. Th-, thank you for saving me.
Though she had sincerely thanked him once again, Lukas seemed to be paying attention to something else.
Min Ha-rin.
He closed his eyes slightly and seemed to ponder about something.
After a long silence, Lukas finally opened his eyes and looked at her.
I will teach you magic.
Note:
I thought it would be best to put a list of the nobility ranks for those of you who are unaware of the ranks. This doesnt mean the author will follow this exact ranking though, since there are some variations.
From the top it should be:
King
Grand Duke (The possibility was hinted at, but its still unclear)
Duke
Marquis
Count
Viscount
Baron
Lord(If it goes so low. Its possible that they might skip this one)
Season: 2 Chapter 8: (Season 2) – Chapter 8
Book 2 Chapter 8: (Season 2) - Chapter 8 Min Ha-rin didnt know just how many times she had asked this, but she had no choice other than to do it again.
Huh?
Im afraid I wont be able to do it right now, so Ill teach you later, after I manage to find a suitable place.
That
Min Ha-rin was speechless.
She couldnt keep up with the flow of the conversation at all.
He was going to teach her magic?
So suddenly?
No, in the first place, who the hell was this guy?
These questions poured into her head one after the other, but the atmosphere didnt allow her to ask them easily.
Nevertheless, she had to confirm one thing.
Is Duke Sandro really dead?
Didnt you see it for yourself?
This answer made her speechless again.
She forced herself to open her mouth.
How the hell I heard that Demon Dukes have power similar to God.
At those words, Lukas stared at Min Ha-rin for a moment before walking towards her.
Juk.
He was getting closer and closer.
Sandros death flashed in Min Ha-rins mind. She didnt realise it, but she was stepping back.
But Lukas was faster.
Crack.
She heard the sound of something breaking. Then, Min Ha-rin realised it had come from the collar which restricted her freedom.
A-, ah?
Incomprehensible things were happening over and over.
She felt like she was dreaming. She hurriedly put her hands to her neck.
It was an unfamiliar feeling because she could feel her skin for the first time in a long while.
This wasnt like the paralysing function that Allida had mentioned. He had destroyed it. It was that simple.
Sandros power isnt even close to a Demigods. Hes not worth comparing to God.
Min Ha-rin had mentioned God because she couldnt think of a more appropriate metaphor, but Lukas words felt a bit strange.
Before she could think about it too deeply, Lukas spoke again.
Lets go.
Where?
To Lee Jong-hak.
Lukas voice was calm.
Their plan went awry. We shouldnt be too late.
* * *
It was a long day.
Rutan stretched as he had this thought.
He was tired. He felt like he would doze off even if he closed his eyes at that moment.
But he couldnt yet.
He got up from his seat. Then he looked at the list of products that had been sold that day.
Min Ha-rins name was on that list.
Why did I do that?
It would have been more dramatic to reveal Min Ha-rin on the last day.
Of course, selling her on the first day didnt cause a big loss. She was sold for a high price, so his boss would be satisfied with his performance.
Nevertheless, Rutan didnt understand his price.
It was an item that could have been sold even more expensively, and yet, hed rushed it like an amateur.
It was even stranger that when he recalled that time, it was faint like he was in a dream.
I havent been sleeping much lately.
That was probably why he felt so tired.
He should have had some free time after he was done bookkeeping. He felt like he should sleep in order to ensure that tomorrow went smoothly.
Just as Rutan tried to close his tired eyes.
An uninvited guest came from nowhere.
Clack.
Ru-, Rutan.
Sihard entered his room without knocking.
In an instant, Rutans anger soared and he was about to kill him, but he quickly reined in his temper.
Sihard knew his personality well. He would never have committed such a rude act if it wasnt an urgent situation.
What is it?
Th-, the hunter slaves escaped.
What did you say?
The sleepiness immediately went away.
Rutan immediately got up and grabbed his coat that was hanging on the back of a chair before putting it on.
Tell me everything.
A-, as you know, I check on the slaves every hour. I just went to the room about 5 minutes ago
Sihard closed his eyes as he continued.
A-, and all the slaves are gone.
Rutan didnt get angry right away.
Instead, he felt his head get cold.
The voice that came out of his mouth wasnt excited either. It was very low and gloomy.
I dont think you came here just to report to me.
Im sorry.
Right. Of course youre sorry. Come here.
Huh?
Did you not understand what I said? Come here. Come closer to me.
Sihard gulped before closing the distance. Then, Rutan grabbed him by the throat.
Ku-, uk
If you know you did something wrong, then you know that you will be punished. Right Sihard?
S-, sorry
What about the pursuit?
Already sent them
How many?
Three groups under my command
tch.
Rutan clicked his tongue before throwing Sihard to the floor.
Sihard fell heavily to the ground and coughed a few times.
If it was another time, then Rutan would have definitely killed him, but he was short of hands at the moment. And venting his anger wouldnt change the fact that the slaves escaped.
Capture them all.
Huh?
Sihard tilted his head to the side.
Dont you get it? It doesnt matter if they escaped. They have nowhere to go anyway, and this land is our territory. They are literally flies in a jar. It wont be difficult to capture them again. The important thing is to hide this fact from the customers.
!
It was only then Sihard realised.
That was definitely true.
It wasnt a big deal that the slaves had escaped. In a sense, the fact that the customers might have noticed the movements of the three groups was more important.
I will lend you command of the. Use them to comb the surroundings.
I, I will follow your orders. But what about you, Rutan?
I will look for them, too. But I will move on my own.
Although Rutan was not titled, his fighting power definitely surpassed that of most low-ranking nobility. Even if he encountered them alone, it would not be hard for him to deal with 10 or so weakened hunters.
If they escaped from the basement, they could have only taken one of two paths. There must be traces left. Search thoroughly then move as stealthily as you can.
Yes.
Sihards figure disappeared.
Rutan went straight to the basement. This was to check the situation.
He headed to the room in which the slaves were being held.
Then he saw it.
The cage bars had been bent by force.
Someone didnt release them. They escaped from the inside. Only pure brute strength could bend these cage bars.
In the first place, if there was anyone there who could help them, it would only be a Demon. And that was impossible.
The only way a noble would steal slaves from under Sihards eyes was if they were poor and had no pride.
But it was clear that wasnt the case. If a Demon had really helped them escape, then there would not be any traces left.
Im sure they would have done things smarter.
Rutan closed his eyes.
That means they escaped on their own.
But how?
It would have been impossible for them to pull the iron cage open with the collar around their necks. No, it would have been impossible even without the collar.
It might be possible for Lee Jong-hak.
It was impossible for the other slaves, but that might not have been the case for Lee Jong-hak. However, he also had the collar on.
The possibility that the collars were defective?
Slim.
After all, it was Rutan himself who put the collars on. There was no way he wouldnt have been able to tell whether the collars were defective or not.
The collars were still on. If they were taken off or broken, then the pieces would still be here. They wouldnt have had the time to care about the mess.
He could tell that they were in a hurry just by looking around the room.
Of course, the collars also had a tracking system. So as long as the slaves didnt take them off, Rutan would be able to find them.
If thats not possible
Rutans thoughts churned.
It wasnt long before he came to the most realistic conclusion.
they must have paralysed the collars functions.
Magic. They must have used magic.
He knew some of the humans tricks. He was not only knowledgeable about magic but also about witchcraft, sorcery, divination, and curses.
However, none of the slaves were Witches, Sorcerers, Seers, or Shamans.
But there was a Wizard. She was also one of the titled humans.
Allida Grabino.
Its strange, though. She shouldnt have been able to use magic with the collar on.
He could no longer figure anything out no matter how he turned it around in his head. He would only be able to find out when he saw them for himself.
There were a lot of people there, so there werent many places they could hide. Nevertheless, the fact that they escaped meant that they believed they could.
Rutan chuckled.
He had a feeling that he knew where they went.
Theres nothing more miserable than a half-brained idea.
* * *.
I cant tell if its day or night.
Drisa grumbled as he looked up at the black sky.
This was what happened to land that had been occupied by the Demons.
The ground became purple, and the sky became black. (Note: Sounds familiar.)
He sighed.
anyway, did we really manage to escape?
This is only the beginning.
When Lee Jong-hak spoke in a low voice, Allida nodded.
But we did cross the hardest bridge. Now, all we have to do is get to the hideout.
How far is it?
We have to go to the cathedral first.
Cathedral?
There.
Allida pointed towards a cathedral at the side.
The cathedral was a huge building that could have been seen from any part of the city. It was built in a gothic style with stained glass windows glimmering even under the dark sky.
Is that cathedral the hideout you were talking about?
Its not, but beneath the building is a passage that leads outside the city. If we use that path, then we will find ourselves only a short distance away from the hideout.
Sure enough.
The hunters faces brightened.
There werent many Demons on the streets. It wouldnt be impossible for them to reach the cathedral if they were careful.
How long will this ice spell last?
About two days. But it could be shorter.
So we have to activate the portal and get to an association branch equipped with advanced equipment before that.
It wouldnt be easy.
Lee Jong-hak took a deep breath before saying.
Lets move immediately. Ill take point.
After saying those words, he strode` forward without hesitation.
Drisa, who followed nervously, couldnt help but say.
Can we really walk so confidently?
Thats right. It should be morning now.
Huh?
The Demons are usually asleep at this time.
Oh. I see, but
It was common knowledge among the hunters that Demons usually slept during the day and were active at night.
how do you know its daytime?
My body clock is relatively accurate.
Was he joking?
No, he didnt believe that this serious guy would make a joke in this type of situation.
Body clock.
Drisa chuckled slightly.
If someone else had said that, he would have dismissed it as bullsh*t, but because it was Lee Jong-hak, those words had a strange weight.
Drisa and the other hunters silently followed Lee Jong-haks steps.
Allida looked around at their surroundings.
She knew how beautiful this city used to be. Of course, shed never seen it in person, but shed seen many pictures. Her heart felt heavy.
One of the most beautiful cities in Italy had lost its former appearance.
If it wasnt for the cathedral, she wouldnt have even known what city it was
There arent many Demons on the street.
Looking at the empty streets of the city that seemed to lack vitality, she couldnt help but feel a bit scared.
Even walking through a zombie-filled city would not have made her feel so nervous.
Fortunately, Lee Jong-haks senses were excellent. He didnt even get close to places where the Demons were likely to be, but he didnt divert much either.
Because of this, they were able to arrive at the cathedral in less than an hour.
Im gonna lose my tension. This is too easy.
Drisa laughed, revealing his teeth. She didnt say anything, but Allida agreed with him.
Nevertheless, she held her breath and said.
Its still too early to relax. There might be Demons inside the cathedral. Now, this way.
Allida stepped into the cathedral before heading to the chapel(1).
Can you help me? We need to remove these chairs.
The hunters moved the chairs aside as directed by Allida. And finally, a door handle was revealed on the exposed floor.
When Drisa pulled on the handle, a stairway leading underground was revealed.
Its too dark. Do you have a light or something?
I tried to turn it on, but it seems there is no power. Or the Demons cut the wires.
Allida flicked the light switch at the entrance as she said this.
Damn, if we run into a Demon in the darkness, well probably die.
We can go another way if youre dissatisfied.
Mm. I politely decline. At least if I die underground, I wont have to worry about being a slave.
Drisa forced himself to speak positively, then he immediately went down into the underground passage.
It was dark and damp. A rotten smell also filled the air, and sewer rats ran past their feet. Sar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
This gloomy atmosphere, together with the darkness that their eyes could have only barely pierce through, caused the hunters to be extremely nervous.
Fortunately, Drisas worry did not become a reality.
There were no Demons in the underground passage, and they were all able to get out without a scratch.
W-, we survived.
Did we do it?
Im relieved now that we were able to come this far!
But Drisas expression was not good.
When she saw this, Allida asked.
Why do you look like youve eaten poop?
Do you remember what I said just now?
You can now be relieved? What about it?
I feel like I said something that shouldnt have been said. You know. Like a jinx.
What the hell are you talking about?
Have you never seen the cartoons?
When she heard those words, Allidas expression became grim.
Alright, lets hurry to the portal. Im sure its a mess, and staying here means we are wasting the time we could have been using to fix it.
Even if Allida took Drisas premonition seriously, there was nothing they couldve done about it.
The hideout was located at the foot of a small mountain, and the entrance was covered by a large boulder. This boulder was larger than most houses, so it was easy to recognise.
Thats the boulder.
Lets hurry.
Stop.
Lee Jong-hak called out in a firm voice.
The other hunters didnt question him. Instead, their faces quickly became pale.
I thought youd come here.
It was the host of the Chester Companys auction and the Demon who put the collars on them.
Rutan looked at them with a smile.
Drisas expression crumpled.
See Fuck
(Note: 1. A chapel is the space in the church/cathedral that is dedicated for prayer or worship. It could be a room in the building or a separate building of its own. Chapels are usually the places where Mass and other such services are held.)
Season: 2 Chapter 9: (Season 2) – Chapter 9
Book 2 Chapter 9: (Season 2) - Chapter 9 That fact that you managed to avoid detection from Sihard and the means that you didnt cut across the city in the open.
Rutan got up from his seat.
He looked in the direction the hunters came from before muttering in a soft voice.
You couldnt have left through the sky either. Because you dont have the means.
Then what other reason could it be?
Rutan enjoyed guessing like this.
He closed his mouth for a while and organised his thoughts, and his silence put great pressure on the hunters.
right. It should be underground. There is probably a long passage below Amado City that stretches to this mountain range. Am I wrong?
He didnt receive an answer, but Rutan knew his guess was correct. He burst into laughter once again.
How do you know the location of this hideout?
Rutan had been waiting at the rock entrance. This would have been impossible if he didnt have an idea of the hideouts location.
I also lent a hand when we were taking over this city in the past. I was lucky. At the time, there were some humans who managed to escape, and I tracked them to this hideout. But when I reached this place, I lost them.
The sky seemed to turn yellow because of this unlucky situation.
So you guys have already occupied this hideout.
Occupied? Why the hell would we do something so annoying? Do you think this shabby little bunker is of any value to us?
Then did that mean they hadnt touched the facilities inside?
Is he lying? Or is he telling the truth?
She couldnt tell.
It was impossible to read any intentions from Rutans smiling face.
She couldnt hide her anxiety.
If the Warp Portal was already broken, then everything would have been in vain.
This isnt the time to worry about the future.
Rutan spoke as if hed read Allidas mind. At the same time, demonic energy surged from within his body.
The hunters expression hardened. The same was true for Lee Jong-hak.
This Demon is strong.
The restrictions on the collar had been temporarily paralysed, but they hadnt properly trained for more than a month. The feed that the Demons gave them also slowly wore away at their physical strength.
Although these changes werent permanent, it would take at least two to three months before they could regain their strength.
The physical strength that Lee Jong-hak could unleash at that moment was not even half of when he was in his best condition.
And we dont even have any equipment.
The Demons were a race who were naturally more powerful than the humans. This meant that humans needed weapons and armor just to stand on even ground.
But they didnt have any.
Lee Jong-hak and the other hunters were practically naked.
I dont even need armor.
If hed had even a single sword.
Lee Jong-hak bit his lip at this thought.
It wouldnt be enough to say that he was desperate.
On the other hand, Rutan was completely relaxed.
Hed already accomplished his goal the moment he found the hunters. Now, he was only observing them to appease his own curiosity.
He saw the frozen collars.
You used Ice Magic to freeze the functions of the collar? You there, red-haired human bitch, this was your doing. I dont know what kind of magic you used on the collar, but Well. Ill figure it out soon.
Rutan smiled for a moment before continuing.
Ill make this short. Turn around, go back the way you came, and get back into your cages. With your own feet. Then, no one will get hurt and no one will die.
No one would die.
Some of them flinched at those words.
Rutans voice was soft, but it carried an intimidation that made them shudder.
Allida forced the corners of her lips to curl upwards.
Stop bluffing. We know that we are your best products. You are a mere paper-pusher in the company at best. Would you dare to hurt us recklessly?
This is why humans are annoying. You always try to roll your heads around and negotiate when it wont work. Hey, Wizard. How many human slaves do you think Ive handled so far?
As he said this, Rutan cracked his neck and loosened his joints, causing several hunters, including Lee Jong-hak, to take up battle positions.
Do you intend to fight me with your bare bodies? Then go ahead. I can subdue all of you without leaving a scratch. But if you annoy me, then I will make you experience hell. I will give you a taste of pain that you have never experienced before I auction you off.
Rutans voice was full of vigor.
Allida and several other hunters flinched.
I-, if you do that and our minds break
You value yourselves too highly.
Rutan chuckled.
We can capture any number of slaves we want. It would just take time. In truth, it wouldnt matter if I killed every slave here apart from Lee Jong-hak.
Every hunter gulped at those words.
In all honesty, Rutans words did contain a bit of a bluff. After all, these were all slaves who had been specially selected for the event and each of them could be considered high-class goods.
It just couldnt be denied that Lee Jong-hak and Min Ha-rin were the most special.
There arent any other Demons here.
Mm?
You are the only Demon who came to retrieve us.
When Lee Jong-hak spoke in a soft but firm tone, Rutan tilted his head and asked back.
So?
So if we kill you, we can leave this place.
Ah! I seemed to have missed that point.
Rutan smiled and took off his coat.
Ill even give you some information. I didnt get a title. Can you guess why?
You must be too weak!
Rutan shrugged at Drisas rough shout.
That is one of the reasons. However, its not the main one. Its because I dont have any Demon powers. (Note: Think Demigod powers)
Lee Jong-haks expression became strange.
Every Demon Noble had their own individual power. This power varied greatly depending on the individual. From the simple ability to control ice, fire, or wind, the ability to transform into bloodsucking bats or wolves, or the ability to spew out poison to truly demonic abilities.
But Rutan had just admitted that he himself didnt have any powers.
As expected of a Demon. Hes arrogant.
Crunch
The sound of joints being twisted could be heard from Drisas body.
In truth, Drisas body was so well-trained that even Lee Jong-hak couldnt help but admire him. Although he might not have received systematic training, his muscles were still clearly outlined.
Just like a piece of art that had been carefully crafted, his body had a brilliant physical beauty.
His body changed. His back became hunched, and his hands and feet twisted and became deformed. His teeth and nails sharpened and grew longer, and his brown eyes turned yellow.
Transformation. Right. You are a Shaman.
Rutan chuckled.
Unlike other hunters, whose powers would drop by at least half when they didnt have weapons or armor, Shamans were used to fighting without any equipment. This was because their bodies often went through violent physical changes.
Perhaps the strongest hunter in the group at that moment wasnt Lee Jong-hak but Drisa.
Drisa kicked off from the ground and shot towards Rutan like a cannonball.
Demons werent immortal; they just had strong vitality. There were cases in which some had stronger vitality or had different vital points, but generally, if you cut off their head or destroyed their heart, they would be killable.
Cover him!
With a short shout, Lee Jong-hak charged after Drisa. He picked up a branch that had randomly fallen onto the road, intending to use it as his weapon.
The length of the branch wasnt much, and its weight distribution was terrible, but it was still better than using his bare hands.
Crunch!
Meanwhile, Drisa bit into Rutans shoulder. And Allida, who was watching this scene from a distance, clenched her fist.
Thats right!
Haha.
Then they heard Rutan let out a laugh.
Drisa couldnt help but panic. His jaw felt numb like he was biting a piece of steel, not flesh.
Was he wearing a suit of inner armor or something?
If not
Paak!
Kuk!
Before he could even finish that thought, he felt a strong shock to the back of his head.
His jaw joint gave out with a snap.
Afterwards, Drisa was sent flying after feeling a sharp pain in his abdomen.
Then Lee Jong-hak stormed in as though he had been tagged. White light shined on the branch in his hand.
Rutan spoke in a cheerful voice.
You are pouring your aura into a tree branch. Amazing. Should I say as expected of the Human Dragon?
Lee Jong-hak didnt answer, instead squeezing the branch tighter.
This Demon was strange.
His manner of speaking, his attitude, and even his way of fighting
He knows too much about humans.
The Shamans transformation power,
The swordsmanship developed by humans,
And magic.
Instead, it was surprising that he didnt know about Allidas Tattoo Magic considering how much he knew about humans.
Usually, Demons tended to disregard humans. Because of their arrogance and pride, they didnt want to know more about humans because they considered them a lower race.
Naturally, this usually meant that they didnt even know their way of fighting.
This wasnt that strange.
After all, even if they didnt know anything, it wasnt hard for them to easily step on or kill humans.
If they did know anything, it could only be likened to memorising the breeds, tendencies, and habits of their pets.
Sh*t!
With a curse, Drisa got back to his feet. He grumbled for a moment before spitting, and his smashed fangs flew out with his bloody phlegm.
Be careful. His body is as hard as steel. I cant hurt him with my teeth and claws.
Is it the power to increase your physical strength?
Rutan spoke while calmly dodging Lee Jong-haks attacks.
You are so stupid. I told you that I didnt have a power. Well. I was born a bit stronger than normal Demons in return. However, I was only able to reach this level through hard work and training.
Crack!
The branch could not handle Lee Jong-haks aura and cracked.
He was forced to step back.
He was in worse shape than he thought. He had only been fighting for a few minutes, but he was already out of breath.
training? A Demon?
It is rare. Weve been chatting for longer than I expected. Then
Rutan looked around.
The hunters had surrounded him before he realised.
Dont tell me you were trying to surround me from the start.
Rutan mumbled softly before taking a deep breath.
Suddenly, demonic energy began surging in his eyes.
Hooo
He took a deep breath.
Then, Rutans right foot shot up like it was going to touch the sky.
Lee Jong-haks expression became stiff when he saw this. He was the quickest to notice the danger.
Be caref-!
Lee Jong-haks words were cut off before he could finish them. Because Rutans right foot hit the ground.
Boom!
Earthquake.
It was an earthquake.
Drisa couldnt help but have this thought.
The instant Rutans foot hit the ground, spider web-like cracks spread out in every direction. The ground shattered like glass.
The shattered earth undulated on its own, creating a huge vortex.
Kuuack!
Sa-, save me!
Some of the hunters reacted too slowly. Their bodies were sucked into the rock vortex, and their entire bodies were crushed.
The only ones who managed to escape were Drisa, Allida, and Lee Jong-hak, who happened to be further away than the rest. (Note: huhu how convenient)
Do you really intend to kill us?
No. He adjusted the power. They might look severely wounded at first, but theyll only suffer broken limbs and torn flesh at most.
Lee Jong-hak spoke with a firm voice.
I guess theres only one thing we can do now.
Did you think of a way to kill this bastard?
Run away. I will buy you time.
Drisa froze.
are you serious?
Lee Jong-haks mouth twisted.
It took Drisa a moment to realise that it was a forced smile.
I havent made a joke for a very long time.
but.
You seem to have a reason to live. Am I wrong?
Rutan simply looked at them with his arms crossed.
As Lee Jong-hak had said, hed adjusted the strength of his attack, but it wasnt by much. Humans were fragile, so maybe some of the hunters were already dead. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Hmm.
He checked again and found that they were all still alive. His control was perfect.
Rutan smirked as he admired his own skill.
With these kinds of injuries, they would be able to heal them up before it was time to present them.
So now, there were only two left.
Or, at least, that was what he expected, but he found one more.
Thats strange.
It was certainly strange. According to Rutans judgement, only Lee Jong-hak and Drisa would have been able to respond to his attack in time.
Did he get lucky? Or did he keep his distance like Allida had?
That was what he thought until he looked at this mans face.
Rutans expression became strange. He even momentarily forgot about Drisa and Lee Jong-hak.
Was he dreaming?
Or was he just seeing things?
Rutan shook his head.
It wasnt possible.
But the mans appearance was so random that he couldnt help but think so.
Is it an escape play?
The blonde man, Lukas, didnt answer. Instead, it was Rutan who frowned.
Escape play?
It was unlikely. After all, the one whod bought Lukas was none other than Duke Sandro and not some ordinary noble. He was a VIP of the Chester Company and a Demon who was personally given the title Duke by the Demon King.
Even Rutan didnt have the confidence to trick his eyes and run away.
So did he let him go because he was already tired of him?
Right. That made more sense.
But why is he here?
Did this man know about the hideout as well?
Just as Rutan was about to ask a question.
Sandro is dead.
what?
Lukas didnt repeat himself.
He didnt have time to waste. He had just dealt with a Duke.
He didnt want to waste his time and energy on a small fry like Rutan.
He wanted to finish it quickly, and he did.
His eyes sank slightly.
And you will soon follow suit.
Season: 2 Chapter 10: (Season 2) – Chapter 10
Book 2 Chapter 10: (Season 2) - Chapter 10
Rutans expression hardened.
He was quick-witted. Hed been like that for a very long time.
After all, it was quite obvious how a Demon who didnt have a power would be treated by his own people.
It was much better than the unintelligent Demons or slaves. That much was certain. But that was all.
They were awkward beings whose treatment was far lesser than even the lowest Demon Noble.
The Demons referred to them as Demonic Humans.
If one looked at how the Demons treated the human race, one would realise just how humiliating such a title was.
But Rutan was different from the other Demonic Humans. There was something about him that was inherently different.
It was desire.
The greed in his heart was equal to the high ranking Demon Nobles.
He wanted to get everything he wanted.
He wanted to be stronger than everyone else.
He wanted to go to the highest position and look down on all of the weaklings.
That was why he joined the company. Because there was no other place where the transaction of Soul Crystals was more active.
The number of souls contained in a Soul Crystal was directly linked to a Demons level.
If he had just 100,000 souls, he would be able to grow strong enough to not be pushed around by most Demon Nobles, even if he didnt have a power.
And to do that, the most important thing was to somehow survive.
And Rutan survived brilliantly. He proved his worth, even earning the recognition of the capricious high ranking nobles.
Rutan was quick-witted.
Nevertheless.
This man
Rutan looked at Lukas.
He looked at this man who said that hed killed Duke Sandro and would soon kill him as well.
If another human had told him that, he would have laughed heartily in their face. In fact, he might have even sarcastically told them that they were bluffing too hard.
But this man
He couldnt understand. He didnt know what he was.
He felt so weak that he could defeat him with just a finger. But he also felt like a monster that Rutan would not be able to scratch even if he tried his best.
It couldnt possibly be the latter.
Rutan tried to make himself think this, but Lukas words reverberated as though they were stuck in his head.
If this man had really killed Duke Sandro
I have to try.
Fwoosh-
A black haze of demonic energy surged around him.
It was completely different from before. Just the momentum from his aura became an intangible pressure enveloping the entire surrounding area.
Kuk
Huk.
The faces of the hunters became pale because of this momentum. In the first place, most of the hunters had been swallowed by the ground. Their resistances and strengths were already as low as they could get.
Lukas shook his hand slightly.
Woosh.
huh?
The momentum disappeared.
It had been hard for the hunters to breathe before, but now, they felt very comfortable. Their wounds were still there, but the pressure was gone and they felt much better.
Rutans expression stiffened even more. He bit his lip.
Right. Such a simple check was pointless. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Although he wasnt a noble yet, his power was still comparable to most Counts. Hed only been able to snatch the position as host of the Chester Company because of his strength.
Rutan looked down.
Pieces of stone were scattered on the ground. It was the aftermath of his previous attack.
Rutan stomped the ground once again. However, it wasnt to overturn the ground like he did before.
Boom!
The ground shook heavily, and dozens of stone pieces shot into the air.
Crack!
Rutan punched forward.
Following the sound of the air tearing, his fist collided with many of the pieces of stone floating in front of him.
Papapat!
These pieces of stone became lethal bullets, which shot towards Lukas. Because he put demonic energy in them, they wouldnt be easy to block.
What would happen next was most important. After all, Rutans judgement would change depending on how Lukas reacted.
Rutan widened his eyes and paid attention to Lukas every move.
You
Lukas murmured in a soft voice.
are very timid.
!
Despite the fierce roar of the pieces of stone piercing through the air, those words could still be heard clearly.
It was an insult.
This fact was clear to everyone who heard.
If anyone had told him this, even if it was a Demon who was stronger than himself, it would have been incredibly humiliating.????n????????e????????. Co????
But this was different.
The moment he heard that voice, Rutans entire body became cold.
It was like his entire body had been soaked in freezing cold water, and the chill even crept into his bones.
Bang!
Suddenly, a piece of stone was sent flying back to him at an even faster speed.
This piece of stone brushed past Rutans face, but he didnt even think about wiping the dripping blood.
His judgement was complete. Or, perhaps, it was his instinct.
Run!
He had to run away immediately.
He couldnt win.
With that thought, Rutan immediately turned around and attempted escape.
Shuk-
But it was too late.
* * *
Lee Jong-hak blinked.
What just happened?
He knew that his power could be considered at the peak of the hunters. This wasnt a bluff or pride. Rather, it was an objective statement.
Lee Jong-hak was one of the strongest humans, whose numbers were now lower than one billion. Hed never felt like he was far behind anyone else while watching a battle.
Nevertheless, he had no idea what had just happened.
Hed only blinked once, but Rutan had died.
!
Lee Jong-haks body had weakened. The fact of the matter was that he didnt even have half as much power as when he was at his peak.
However, his eyesight remained the same. He was confident that he would have been able to track their movements even if his opponent was a Count.
But he couldnt tell what Lukas did.
Did he miss his movement?
No.
Did he even move in the first place?
His back grew damp with cold sweat.
If this man, who had just killed Rutan, wanted it, Lee Jong-hak would have been dead as well.
He half-instinctively rubbed his throat.
Then Lukas moved.
Some of the hunters flinched when he moved. Some of them looked like they really wanted to run away, but because their bodies were still stuck in the ground, they couldnt move.
Lukas didnt seem to care about them as he walked to Rutans body.
Rutan had been decapitated. The surface of the cut was exceptionally clean. It was as if he had been cut by an incredibly sharp blade without any resistance.
However, let alone a weapon, Lukas didnt even have a tree branch in his hand.
What did he cut him with?
As Lee Jong-hak looked at him in confusion, Lukas took Rutans Soul Crystal and threw it to him.
After receiving it, he couldnt help but ask.
Why did you give this to me?
He himself hadnt even realised that had started speaking politely.
Lukas didnt respond to it as though he too hadnt noticed the change in attitude.
You should get them out.
Ah
Thats right.
Lee Jong-hak, Drisa and Allida exchanged glances before moving to free the other hunters. Then Min Ha-rin approached them with a bashful expression.
You!
Allida looked at her with a joyful expression. Thats because she knew that Min Ha-rin had sacrificed herself for her sake.
Im glad youre okay!
Yeah.
Thats a relief. Im so happy.
how did you get away?
Unlike Allida, who was genuinely happy, Drisa looked at Min Ha-rin with a face filled with suspicion.
Min Ha-rin glanced at Lukas.
He saved me.
How?
That
Lee Jong-hak shook his head when he saw Min Ha-rin hesitate with an embarrassed expression on her face.
Lets save the other hunters first. We can talk about this after.
right.
Lukas went back to the large boulder.
With a sweep of his hand, the camouflaged wall broke apart and a sturdy-looking steel door was revealed.
Although it had been left unattended for a long time, there were no signs of damage except for rust.
Ah. Y-, you can only enter with the correct password.
When Allida said this with a slightly anxious voice, Lukas stepped back without a word.
She glanced at him hesitantly before approaching the door.
At the side of the door was a small LCD number pad.
With her finger outstretched, she entered the password. But it was so dirty and stiff that she had to press so hard her finger tips became white.
[Password matches.]
[Welcome to the European Branchs 11th Headquarters.]
Pshh-
Season: 2 Chapter 11: (Season 2) – Chapter 11
Book 2 Chapter 11: (Season 2) - Chapter 11 When the steel door opened with a hiss, Drisa couldnt help but murmur to the other hunters.
Thats it? There wasnt any iris or fingerprint recognition?
You watched too many movies.
Although Allida said these words sarcastically, there were actually many hideouts that employed such systems.
This place wasnt important enough to invest so much money in. Cant you tell from the fact that it was actually captured?
Thats true, but it was still too weak.
The door opened, revealing the interior of the hideout.
It was in a much better condition than they expected. It seemed that Rutans words that no one had bothered to occupy the hideout were true.
Allida sighed in relief.
Fortunately, the power still seems to be working, but Im not sure whether the Warp Portal will work or not. Ill have to take a look around first. Those who were injured need first aid. There should be first-aid kits in the lobby.
As she said this, Allida headed to the hideouts system management office.
After she left, silence befell the lobby.
The hunters naturally turned their eyes to look at Lukas. Then Lukas turned to look at the entrance before getting up from his seat.
Where are you going?
Drisa only received a short answer to his question.
To greet the uninvited guests.
What?
It would be better if none of you came outside.
Then he left the hideout without waiting for a response.
* * *
Lukas walked out of the hideout.
It seemed that quite a long time had passed as the sky was lit by the final glow of twilight. By the time this dim light finally disappeared, the humans would have finished their daily tasks and they would wake up.
Demons.
Shuk-
His body floated up, and he shot up above the clouds in an instant. He reached a place where the air was incredibly thin, but the lack of oxygen didnt matter to him.
He looked down at the ground. From his vantage point, he could see everything happening in the nearby surroundings.
The severely-polluted earth, which had long died, a river, which was as black as ash, and the Demons, who had forcefully occupied a human city.
Were they looking for Duke Sandro?
He saw a group of Demons moving hurriedly around the city.
That city.
There had to have been thousands of Demons there.
[They are like a disease for this planet.]
Before he realised it, a mysterious, black-robed being had appeared behind Lukas. It was the same whod shown up right after he killed Duke Sandro.
Lukas kept his head lowered as if he didnt care about this black-robed being. (Note: For now Ill refer to this being as man to make it easier)
Then he responded.
Humans are the same.
[]
What was it?
The mysterious man couldnt help but feel that Lukas voice was slightly cold as he said those words.
But he soon shook his head. This was an Absolute who loved humans. The tip of his blade would never be directed at them.
[However, humans still have a slight sense of self-control.]
Im sure you didnt come here to tell me that.
[there is something Id like to ask you, Sir Absolute.]
Speak.
[Have you already made your judgement?]
When Lukas remained silent, the mysterious man continued, unperturbed.
[Over the past few decades that youve been in this world, youve only saved a handful of humans. At first, I didnt understand what you were doing, but now, I do. You were testing the humans in this universe.]
[Did you hear me? You wandered around this world to see if the humans in this universe deserved to be saved, didnt you? And now, I think youve reached a decision. Because you even went as far as to kill a Demon Duke.]
The mysterious mans voice was filled with confidence, but Lukas slowly shook his head.
Im not so arrogant.
[Then]????????????re???????? ????????????
You dont know anything. I have already lost my authority and fallen.
[what?]
The mysterious man couldnt help but ask with a perplexed voice.
This was natural.
After all, he thought that the reason Lukas wandered around this world for decades was because he wanted to determine whether the humans in this universe were a good race.
After all, considering Lukas track record, such a thing was obvious.
But now, Lukas himself was denying it.
He said that it wasnt his goal.
[Then what is your real goal?]
The mysterious mans voice sharpened.
[You have heard these humans screams. You saw the outstretched hands of those begging for help. Dont you know just how many humans you could save as long as you were willing to do it?]
In the beginning, I did want to save the humans. If only I could.
[If only you could? Who would dare to defy your will? The Demon King isnt even a problem. He certainly has power that surpasses mortals, but hes nothing more than the king of a small world.]
When Lukas didnt answer, the mysterious man became even more agitated.
His voice grew louder.
[You are a Lord! The second highest rank among Absolutes! Even if you were pressured by the other Lords]
They are not the ones Im worried about.
It wasnt them?
That was strange.
Who else could Lukas, who seemed to disregard the other Lords, be worried about?
[!!]
Then the mysterious man had a sudden thought.
There was.
There were only four beings in the multiverse who were stronger than Lukas.
[R-, Rulers!!]
He didnt hear any denial.
This made the mysterious man even more terrified. He barely managed to speak with a trembling voice.
[O-, oh, my god! Y-, you earned the ire of a Ruler!]
When Lukas nodded at those words, the mysterious man stumbled as he was unable to contain his shock.
Just mentioning them seemed to shake his very existence.
How many hundreds of years had it been since hed last received such a great shock?
He knew.
Just how strange Lukas Trowman was among the absolutes.
In fact, a majority of the Absolutes found him displeasing and regarded his deeds as disrespectful.
Because of him, many of them felt like it was impossible to save humans. Because Lukas was a rare, biased Absolute who wielded his power not to carry out Gods task but to complete his own personal objective, it gave the other Absolutes a chance to intervene.
But it wasnt them whom Lukas was worried about.
What the hell did he do?
The Rulers rarely displayed interest in matters that werent of utmost importance to the entire multiverse. Because they didnt care about the smaller things.
Naturally, this also meant that they didnt care about what the Absolutes, other than their companions, did.
He had angered such a Ruler?
The mysterious man couldnt help but ask in a trembling voice. Sarch* The N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
[Wh-, who was it?]
[Which Ruler did you anger? The Thunderous Lightning God? The Black Horned Demon King? The Sun Giant? Or]
All four.
This time, the mysterious mans face became pale.
[I I beg your pardon?]
Lukas looked at the setting sun and spoke with a calm voice.
All of the Rulers have become my enemies.
Season: 2 Chapter 12: (Season 2) – Chapter 12
Book 2 Chapter 12: (Season 2) - Chapter 12 When Lukas left, the atmosphere in the hall instantly became lighter.
Everyone there owed him their lives. And it was true that they were all grateful. But Lukas hadnt said a single word to them.
They couldnt even tell what he was thinking.
This man had power surpassing imagination. He had the power to kill Rutan like a bug.
Thats why it was natural for them to feel terrified in his presence instead of relieved.
An uninvited guest.
Who could it be?
Drisa was bothered by it, but he didnt get the chance to ask.
Everyone there had their attention focused on Lukas.
Hoo.
Then, Lee Jong-hak, who was helping bandage the other hunters, sighed,
Drisa, it would be better if you were more careful of the way you spoke to him.
What do you mean?
I dont know who Lukas is or what his goal is. But there is one thing that is clear.
Drisa spoke without having to think long about it.
Hes strong.
Lee Jong-hak nodded and continued.
Could you tell how Rutan died?
There was no way he couldve. Evan Lee Jong-hak, who had the best eyesight out of the group, couldnt tell.
Drisa remained silent, and the other hunters were no different.
Ive been rolling around on this Earth for decades. Even when I was weak, I was still able to broaden my horizons. Now, even with the most secretive techniques, I would be able to see through their tricks just by looking at them. However I have no idea what Lukas did. In all honesty, for a moment, I thought that he might have been a Demon.
It was a simple guess, but no one in the room refuted it. If this guess was true, then it would have been no different from saying they directly fell into the hands of the reaper.
But as far as I know, the only reason Demons kill each other is to take away the others Soul Crystal.
Lee Jong-hak then took out Rutans Soul Crystal.
That man gave this to me. A Demon wouldnt do that.
Maybe he did it cause he thinks he can take it back at any time.
Thats a stretch. A Demon wouldnt do something so annoying.
You are making a decision too quickly. Hey, this matter involves all of our lives. This isnt something we can afford to be half-assed about.
well, its not like its a problem that wed be able to answer just by discussing it.
Thats true
Meanwhile, they had basically finished giving first aid to the injured. No one had been more severely injured than they expected.
Of course, this wasnt because they were lucky. Instead, this was due to the fact that Rutan had controlled the force of his attack so that they wouldnt get fatally injured in the first place.
By the way, Min Ha-rin. How was your collar released?
Uh. That
Min Ha-rin hesitated for a moment before saying.
Mr. Lukas released it.
He released it? How?
If she told them that it crumbled like sand after he touched it they would definitely treat her like a crazy woman. Fortunately, Min Ha-rin had a basic level of discernment and didnt just blurt it out.
Then how should she put it?
Her eyes became dazed as she tried to think of something to tell them.
What are you waiting for?
Not only Drisas but the faces of the other hunters were also filled with suspicion.
Min Ha-rin made a bold choice.
She decided to just pretend.
I dont know. I dont know how he did it.
you too? Tch, it feels like were going deeper and deeper into the unknown/abyss.
As he said this, Drisa got up from his seat. sea??h th Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
There was a refrigerator in the lobby, and when he opened it, he found many combat rations inside.
This is nice. Its been a while since I had human food.
His expression became one of joy, but then a hunter spoke to him.
What is the expiration date??
Uh. What month is it?
Should be May.
Then its about a month off. I wont die if I eat it.
Shouldnt you look at the year? This hideout has been abandoned for decades.
At Lee Jong-haks question, Drisa looked at the year and his expression became stiff.
its about 13 years
Put it back.
Drisa looked down at the combat rations again, his face going through various shades of color as he seemed to be contemplating something.
I mean If I ate this
It wouldnt end with just a stomachache and diarrhea.
Youre right. Sh*t.
He couldnt afford to get diarrhea in such an urgent situation.
Drisa cursed before throwing the combat ration back into the refrigerator. Then, he slammed the refrigerator door.
Juk.
And at the same time, Lukas came back into the room. Nothing seemed to have changed since he went out, but he didnt say anything and instead leaned against the lobby wall with his eyes closed and his arms crossed.
His expression, appearance, and posture were like a perfect representation of the phrase dont talk to me.
Kuh.
Drisa was conflicted.
Shouldnt he ask him what happened outside?
Just as the conflict intensified and he was about to make a move, Allida returned to the lobby.
Unlike when she disappeared, her expression was much brighter.
Still, they couldnt be completely relieved.
As the hunters looked anxiously at her, Allida smiled and spoke.
The portal seems to be working.
Many of the hunters released sighs of relief.
We survived
C-, can we finally go back?
Most of them had given up all hope of survival after they were captured. They didnt get their hopes up even when planning to escape. It was only when they heard that the portal was working that they could finally relax.
Unlike the hunters whose hearts were pounding, Lee Jong-hak remained calm.
He asked with a sharp gaze.
Where does the portal lead to?
The European branch. The mana capacity is almost empty. It will probably be spent after just one Warp.
The European Branch
Lee Jong-hak was conflicted.
The places in the world with the highest Demon activities were Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.
Naturally, this meant that most of the land in these places had fallen to the Demons.
Where in the European Branch? Is it the headquarters?
That
Allida glanced at Lukas without answering.
Drisa nodded with an enlightened expression.
They had not figured out Lukas identity yet, so they had to avoid mentioning the specific location of the headquarters.
However, this was not a problem that they could keep avoiding. They had to go back to the association as soon as possible and get rid of the collars.
As if shed made up her mind, Allida walked up to Lukas and said.
Can you tell us who you are now?
This time, Lukas didnt ignore the question.
If you take me to Nina, Ill talk to her.
!
Those words caused the expressions of some of the hunters to harden considerably. The same was true for Allida.
No, it could be said that she was the most surprised in the group.i????????re????????. ????????m
Are you talking about President Nina Rednikova?
Nina Rednikova, head of the Hunter Associations European Branch. I dont think there is another president with the same name, so I think were talking about the same person.
Allidas expression became even more shocked.
An acquaintance of the president? The freaking president?
Allida knew Ninas personality better than anyone else there. Thats why she didnt understand.
Was he lying to get out of the situation?
can you prove that?
Its impossible to do that here.
Then its hard for us to trust you.
Allida.
When Lee Jong-hak called her name, Allida scratched her head.
I know. I look like an ungrateful bitch who is turning on the person who saved us. However what if it was all a ploy? To find the location of our headquarters and kill our president? We cant afford the risk. Its like taking an unknown monster right into the heart of our association branch.
Allidas words caused Lee Jong-hak to fall silent. That was because there was nothing wrong with what she said.
They couldnt trust Lukas just because he saved their lives.
Thats not it.
It was Min Ha-rin who spoke up in a firm voice.
How can you be so sure?
He killed Duke Sandro.
Silence fell upon the lobby once again. Every hunter had an expression of disbelief.
But Lee Jong-hak and Drisas expressions became strange instead.
They had already heard those words before.
It was none other than Lukas who had said them.
Sandro is dead. And soon, you will be, too.
And then hed killed Rutan.
They had seen it with their own eyes but they still felt like it was unbelievable.
that man killed a Duke? On his own?
Yes. It wasnt a Count or a Marquis but a Demon Duke. He killed a Demon Duke, whom humanity had only been able to slay twice, with his bare hands. I dont think hed take the risk of killing a Duke just to sneak into the headquarters.
That should have been the case if what you said was true. But what you saw could have been an illusion. How can you prove that Duke Sandro is really dead?
Fortunately, she did have a way to prove it.
That was because Min Ha-rin still had the Soul Crystal that Lukas had given to her.
The Soul Crystal she took out had an unpleasant, blood-red color.
Allida gulped.
Shed heard before in rumors that the higher the rank of a Soul Crystal, the redder and darker it was.
The dark red light is somehow illuminating the entire room.
Due to her profession as a Wizard, Allida had seen, created, and transformed numerous Soul Crystals. But shed never seen one that was so ominous.
and its possible that the Demons already know the locations of the Hunter Association Branch Headquarters located around the world.
Why do you say that?
Because Duke Sandro knew that Busan was the location of the Asia Branch Headquarters.
That means
It would be impossible for them to know if they didnt have people on the inside.
In the end, Allida couldnt help but sigh.
Right. She already knew.
The chances that Lukas was a Demon were incredibly slim.
In the first place, the Demons would never do something so troublesome and annoying. They much preferred the aesthetic of crushing their opponents from the front.
Nevertheless, as a hunter of the European branch, she couldnt just trust Lukas. After all, for her, who had lost her homeland, the association was her new home.
However, the time had come for her to stop casting her doubt.
Allida immediately walked up to Lukas and bowed her head.
Im very sorry for doubting you. Please forgive my rudeness.
It was a sincere apology, but Allida was still prepared to be criticised to an extent.
After all, it would be natural for Lukas to feel disgruntled. He had saved their lives without asking for anything in return, but he was still met with their doubt and suspicion.
But Lukas shook his head calmly.
Your suspicion was valid.
Huh?
It was a blunt but soft voice.
Allida raised her head, her eyes wide open.
She looked into Lukas eyes, which were like a glassy lake without a single ripple.
Sometimes, we have to assume the worst. Theres no harm in being careful. I understand your judgement.
ah. Yes. Thank you.
She had a strange feeling while bowing her head. This was because she never thought that he would not criticise her, and, instead, agree with her.
What is this feeling?
It was a strange, tickling sensation in her heart that she hadnt felt for a long time.
But one thing was clear. It wasnt a bad feeling.
Season: 2 Chapter 13: (Season 2) – Chapter 13
Book 2 Chapter 13: (Season 2) - Chapter 13 President.
Nina opened her eyes when she heard the deep voice.
She was tired. She was so tired that she felt like she was losing her mind.
Shed only slept for a few hours in the past week.
Damn insomnia.
When she grit her teeth, the man in the black suit standing in front of her flinched.
Nina Rednikova was the president of the European branch of the Hunter Association. This woman, who had silver hair and looked like she was in her mid 20s despite her true age, had such a ferocious personality that every hunter in the European branch was afraid of her.
Not to mention Ludwig, the Vice President of the European branch who was practically Ninas secretary.
Its urgent.
In a subdued voice, he recounted his reason for being there.
We received a signal from Warp Portal 15.
Number 15 thats Milan. Its been a very long time since that city was occupied. What could the signal be?
As you said, it has been more than a decade since it was conquered by the Demons, but
Its probably just a dummy signal. Ignore it as usual.
After saying her piece, she put her head back on her desk.
And before Ludwig could say anything else, he heard a murmur.
tch. Just thinking about it makes me annoyed. Do you really think you need to report every little thing to me? Cant you see the dark circles under my eyes? Do you want them to reach down to my chin?
Ninas voice was cracked with fatigue and sleepiness, and its pitch was low.
Anyone who knew her could tell that she was about to explode.
W-, we received the signal multiple times. And they knew the code that is only known to Hunters in the association.
Nina looked up at those words. Her expression became serious.
could it be the Demons?
I think the probability is 50/50.
Hmmm
It was certainly possible that the Demons were contacting the headquarters after prying the information from a hunter.
Nina tapped a pale finger on her desk as she said.
Wait. Milan Thats where the Chester Companys event is being held.
The gathering of such a large number of nobles in one city might have only been an event for them, but it was something that the hunters and even the entirety of mankind had to pay attention to.
The fact that the Chester Company was hosting an event in Milan was something that most European Hunters were aware of. This was mostly because the Demons didnt try to conceal this event.
Does that have anything to do with it?
You heard about it, didnt you? The Duke hunt in Shanghai, about a month ago, failed.
You mean the large-scale operation led personally by the Human Dragon, Lee Jong-hak.
Ludwig nodded.
This was also something that most hunters had heard about.
He spoke in a somber tone.
At best, 300 of those hunters survived. Lee Jong-hak is still missing. It was considered a huge loss. Not just for the association but the entire human race.
Nina seemed to think of something before suddenly smiling.
Ludwig, open the portal.
Why? No, you mean me? You want me to go and open it myself?
Ninas smiling face seemed to become a shade darker, and Ludwigs head became covered in cold sweat.
A-, as you wish.
Nina was left alone in the room. Her thoughts, which were a mess, finally settled.
Her cheeks became pink, and her eyes began to shine like stars.
Finally
* * *
Dont let down your guards.
As he said this, Ludwig looked at the portal.
Around the portal were the fully armed hunters whom hed gathered.
They all had stiff faces, and the atmosphere in the room was tense.
Except for one person.
I dont know why you chose to do this in the middle of the night, Ludwig.
A middle-aged man in military attire lit a cigarette as he said those words.
His voice was harsh, but Ludwig could only smile bitterly.
Sir Nicholas, please understand. It was the Presidents orders.
Nicholas.
Although he was ranked below Ludwig as the Knight Commander, he was also a legend among European hunters and he had been a hunter for much longer.
Even if Ludwig was the second-in-command of the European branch, he could not treat him recklessly nor did he want to.
Nina? What can we do if its that damn womans order.
Despite his fierce words, the harshness in his eyes faded a little. This was because he and Nina had been working together for decades.
He puffed his cigarette with a sigh.
There shouldnt be any possibility of Dukes showing up.
Isnt that better? I think that would be better than a bunch of weaklings showing up.
Why?
At least, that way, we can all hold hands and die together. Neatly and painlessly.
Im sorry, but my daughter baked apple pie and is waiting for me to try it. If you want to die, then you can die alone. Sar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Haha.
Woowoong-
It was at that moment that the ripples in the portal increased.
Nicholas raised a hand.???????????????????????????? ????o????
Churk.
Every hunter raised their weapon.
They had intentionally not brought a firearms squad. To break through the Demons defenses, one needed to use a mounted machine gun or anti-tank weapons. And with the size of the base where the portal was held, it would be impossible for them to use such weapons.
The president said that there was no reason to worry
But how could he not be worried?
Ludwig looked at the portal with a stiff expression.
In the meantime, the whirring sound grew louder and the Warp Portal doubled in size.
It felt like a large force was pulling them.
Paht!
The portal flashed.
Then, the shadow of a person appeared. It was soon followed by others.
There were many of them. Appearing to be twelve. And they all looked like humans, but that didnt mean they could let down their guards.
There were many more Demons who concealed their appearances and hid amongst the humans than they thought.
But when he saw the face of the red-haired woman who was leading the group, Ludwig couldnt help but relax his guard a little.
Allida.
Ludwig, haha
When he heard Allidas soft laugh, Ludwigs eyes trembled.
Are you really Allida?
Do I look like a fake? Ah, sh*t. My nose hurts so much I feel like Im gonna die.
You dumbass! I told you not to go to Italy!
Would it hurt for you to just come hug me? Tactless fool.
While the two of them were enjoying their reunion, the other hunters were looking at another man with disbelief in their eyes.
Lee Jong-hak?
The Human Dragon.
Theres the Black Panther too.
I think Ive seen that Asian woman before
As the chatter grew louder, the tension in the room dropped considerably.
It was Nicholas who changed the mood. He drew the sword at his waist.
Sssng-
Strangely, the faint sound reached everyones ears. The bustling atmosphere disappeared in an instant, and heavy silence fell in the hall.
Outsiders, stop there. I will not tolerate any reckless movements. Vice President Ludwig, you can have your reunion later.
But Allida is
Nicholas sighed.
Although he was a young man with outstanding talent, he sometimes had the disadvantage of being too affectionate to the point where he failed to recognise the proper course of action.
This wasnt a virtue that one wanted a superior to have.
I see why Nina called me.
He shook his head before commanding in a cold voice.
Knights, maintain the order and let the guards check their identities. There could be Demons mixed in amongst them.
When Nicholas said those words coldly, Allida looked at him with a smile.
Uncle, its me. Allida. Have you already forgotten me? These people arent suspicious. Theyre my party. We were all slaves, and after numerous twists and turns, we finally managed to escape. There arent any spies. Listen. What happened was
Be quiet and let them do their work. I will listen to your explanation later.
Allidas expression hardened. She was unable to keep her disappointment from showing on her face.
Nevertheless, there was no change to Nicholas expression.
Im sorry, but I cant trust you right away. Please understand my position and duties.
Of course she knew. She knew, but she still couldnt help the slight sting that she felt.
Allida nodded, and the guards soon approached them.
They thoroughly investigated the identities of the former slaves, including Allida.
Nicholas watched this scene with a sharp gaze.
The investigation is complete, Sir.
The result?
There are no problems. All of them are hunters who either went missing or were confirmed to have been captured by the Demons.
Is there any possibility that a Demon is hiding amongst them?
I think the possibility is extremely low. Theyre all wearing collars.
Then he added with a slightly uncomfortable expression.
except for two.
Two?
One of them is pretty well-known. The Asian Rookie, White Flower. Have you heard of her?
Nicholas nodded. He knew most of the names of the top rising hunters in every region.
Min Ha-rin was one of the young Korean Hunters. Hed heard that there were great expectations of her not only in the Asian Branch but in the entire Hunter Association because she had an amazing track record despite her young age.
We also confirmed her identity. Her fingerprint matched the one that was in our database. Shes not a Demon. The problem is the other one.
Who?
That guy.
It was the blonde-haired Lukas that the guard pointed to.
There is no matching information for him. Its possible that his identity was never registered. I think we need to do a more detailed investigation, but that will take time
Stop, you did a great job. Ill handle that guy, so you guys just stand back.
Yes, sir.
Season: 2 Chapter 14: (Season 2) – Chapter 14
Book 2 Chapter 14: (Season 2) - Chapter 14 Nicholas walked up to the man who had been pointed out to him.
Excuse me. Whats your name?
Lukas.
Lukas I dont think you are a hunter.
Right.
His casual nod felt incredibly suspicious. This was because he didnt show any apprehension despite being looked at straight in the eyes.
He also couldnt guess his thoughts because his attitude was calm and his face was expressionless. Nevertheless, he felt a faint pressure just by standing in front of this man.
Any person who could subconsciously release this sort of pressure could not have been an ordinary person.
As he raised his guard, Nicholas said.
I think we will need to do a separate background check for you. So please cooperate. sea??h th novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Call Nina.
What?
Nicholas eyebrows furrowed.
You say it like you two are close. You do know that the name you just called is our President, dont you?
Of course I do. So Ill say it again. Ill talk to Nina. So let me see her.
Since he said those words confidently, Nicholas couldnt tell if this man was serious or just bluffing.????????????????????????d. ?????????
He suddenly had the strong urge to smoke a cigarette, but he held himself back and turned to Lee Jong-hak.
Human Dragon, who is this guy?
He is
Lee Jong-hak pursed his lips slightly.
Lukas.
Nicholas crumpled expression told him that his answer wasnt the one he was looking for.
Are you joking?
Of course not, Sir Nicholas. Lukas is our benefactor. He saved all of our lives.
A civilian saved the lives of a group of hunters?
How?
By stealing a key?
Did he use his wits?
No. The instantaneous judgement of a civilian could never compare to that of a hunter.
Nicholas looked at Lee Jong-hak with suspicion, but his serious expression didnt change.
Call President Rednikova. Please.
This was a request made by Lee Jong-hak, one of the Three Dragons of the Asia branch, while bowing his head. The weight of his words was different from those of the man named Lukas or whatever.
Nicholas, who was struggling within, eventually clicked his tongue.
your bodies stink. We cant let you meet the President like that. And we should remove the collars as soon as possible.
Thank you for your consideration. We will not forget this kindness.
Thats enough of the awkward show. First, well remove the collars. Then, well let you wash up in the bathroom. When youre done, wait for me in the reception room, Ill take you to Nina.
After saying this, Nicholas turned and muttered to a hunter standing behind him.
Watch that guy named Lukas. If you think hes up to anything funny, take him down immediately.
Yes, sir.
* * *
The bathroom was equipped with a bath.
While washing in it, it felt like the past few months of humiliation and fatigue were being swept away together with the dirt.
The muscles around Min Ha-rins mouth began to relax without her noticing. This was probably the most human shed felt in the past few months.
This didnt mean they werent allowed to wash up when they had been treated like slaves. However, it was completely different from a bath like this.
They didnt wash themselves; they were washed.
When they got out of the bathroom, food had been prepared for them. It wasnt anything amazing. Just cereal and high-calorie foods that were used by soldiers.
But even that much was touching for Min Ha-rin and the other hunters.
After their simple meal, they were escorted to the reception room.
It was only when her body sank into the soft sofa that Min Ha-rin realised that shed truly escaped slavery. She was hit by a sudden wave of fatigue and couldnt help but feel a bit sleepy.
She shook her head and pinched her thigh.
On the other hand, Drisa yawned without a care as he said.
But why were we the only ones who were called here?
Only Lee Jong-hak, Min Ha-rin, Allida, Drisa, and Lukas were in the room.
Allida shrugged.
All four of us are titled. And Mr. Lukas is the presidents acquaintance.
Self-proclaimed.
Drisa muttered under his breath before scratching his head.
Im thirsty.
Still? We already had so much.
Ill just get something to drink.
Drisa glanced at the table in the corner of the room. There were quite a few teabags there. He didnt like green or black tea, so he checked again. Finally, he found a coffee mix that hed tried before.
There was also a kettle on the table, and when he opened the lid, he found that it was filled with water.
What luck!
Drisa boiled the water with a delighted expression.
He put the coffee mix into a paper cup, and when he added the boiled water, the sweet and deep scent of coffee filled the room.
This brought the interest of someone whom Drisa would have never expected to show interest in anything.
What is that?
Cant you tell? Its coffee.
Lee Jong-hak shot a stern look at Drisa, who was talking informally again. But fortunately, Lukas didnt seem to care. He tilted his head.
Thats different from the coffee I know. This is my first time seeing it. Its scent is unique.
Ahh this is a coffee mix. Its sweeter than regular coffee and more refreshing.
He said this with a mixed tone, but it didnt seem to work on Lukas. He was just staring at the cup of coffee.
Its not that interesting.
Where the hell did he come from that he didnt even know about coffee mix?
Just as Drisa was about to take a sip of coffee while feeling suspicious
Paak!
He felt a strong blow to the back of his head, causing him to almost pour the steaming cup of coffee onto his face.
Blood vessels popped out on Drisas forehead.
Which motherfu-
The moment he turned around and saw who hit him, the words he was about to say got stuck in his throat.
A young-looking woman with silver hair smiled at him and said.
Why dont you speak more politely when youre in someone elses house, n*****? You dont want to get any darker, do you. (Note: wtf what the actual f)
It was a racial insult that would have made him go wild if it had been said by anyone else, but Drisa could only avert his eyes slightly in shock and slightly in fear.
This was because he recognised this woman immediately.
She was Nina Rednikova, President of the European Branch.
She had a filthy mouth, and her personality was at least three times worse than that.
Drisa wasnt the type of person who would back down from others, but if the rumors were true, touching this woman was tantamount to suicide.
Fortunately, Nina didnt seem to be interested in Drisa any longer.
She walked towards Lukas. Then her lips parted and she spoke with a slightly cautious tone.
The people here
They are qualified.
Ninas expression brightened at Lukas words.
I dont have to hide it, then Ahem.
Nina cleared her throat and adjusted her expression before bowing in a polite manner.
Nina Rednikova greets Master. Have you been strong since we last met?
Season: 2 Chapter 15: (Season 2) – Chapter 15
Book 2 Chapter 15: (Season 2) - Chapter 15 Master?
Drisa muttered with a blank voice while Lee Jong-hak and Min Ha-rin had strange expressions on their faces.
The one who was the most surprised was Allida.
She couldnt help but wonder if she was seeing an illusion or if Nina had been hit in the head or something.
You mentioned it when we separated the last time. That we would only meet again if there was an emergency. Master, is it that time?
No. The situation has gotten worse.
Nina let out a bitter laugh at those words.
I cant imagine a situation worse than the current one. In any case, I understand.
She understood what Lukas wanted from her. In other words, she understood her role.
Min Ha-rin and the rest were still staring at Nina with disbelieving expressions.
Nina Rednikova, President of the European Branch of the Hunter Association.
It wasnt just Allida, the European hunter, who knew about her violent personality. Min Ha-rin and the others also knew about it.
It was Nina, who was considered second among all the Presidents, whom one had to be the most careful around.
Lee Jong-hak had met Nina numerous times during meetings. At least as far as he knew, Nina Rednikova wasnt even this polite to the Head of the Association.
Drisa scratched his head.
President Nina. Who the hell is this man no, this gentleman? Is he the Deputy Head? One who has never been revealed to the public?
Any hunter knew of the position of Deputy Head of the Association.
It was the position directly beneath the Head of the Association, but the position had always been vacant. To be precise, most people believed that the position only existed in name.
Rumour had it that the Head of the Association was the only one who knew who the Deputy Head was and what kind of role they played in the association.
If Lukas was the mysterious Deputy Head, then Ninas attitude could have been explained. After all, there were very few people to whom the President of the European Branch had to be polite.
But Nina shook her head.
No.
Then?
Before I answer that, I want to ask you one thing. Why do you think humans havent gone extinct?
It was a sudden and extremely sensitive question. At least, thats how any human should have felt when asked this question.
Min Ha-rins expression hardened and Drisa clicked his tongue.
You want us to answer that now?
Right.
When Nina responded in a firm tone, Drisa flinched slightly.
The fastest to grasp the situation was Allida. She sighed so softly that most of them didnt even hear it before she answered the question.
Its thanks to the treasures discovered all over the world following the Demons appearance.
Treasures.
They suddenly began to appear in the world one day, providing humanity with a foothold to keep them from tumbling over the edge of the cliff.
They called them treasures, but there were so many kinds that they couldnt have really been described as such.
From books on magic, swordsmanship, and martial arts to weapons, armor, and accessories had special properties and were made of materials that couldnt have been found on earth.
The humans thoroughly analysed the treasures that they found and made them their own, which allowed them to obtain just enough power to resist the Demons.
Nina nodded before saying.
What else?
Its thanks to the potential of the humans that erupted when we became united.
It was Lee Jong-hak who answered this time.
Of course, they didnt join hands in the beginning. It took more than a decade after the Demons first appeared for humanity to unite. After they had suffered great damage.
But the resistance and potential that humanity had shown since then could only have been described as amazing.
Knowing that, Lee Jong-haks voice was filled with subtle pride.
The final answer came from Drisa, which came after he thought for a long time.
Isnt it because of humanitys quick and accurate response?
When the Demons appeared, Europe and Africa quickly became lands of death, and most of the great powers there could not have maintained their functions as sovereign states after the devastating blows.
North America, which was now called the safest continent on Earth, was no exception to the devastation, but they were able to earn that title because of their relatively fast defeat of the Demons.
Many countries lost their power, and the state of Anarchy lasted for nearly a decade.
Just before civilisation collapsed, the Hunter Association was founded, and it rallied humans together to restore stability to mankind.
In fact, for the first time in human history, a world government was established.
You all are not wrong. But there are other large and small reasons besides those.
Why did you ask something like that?
To tell you the truth.
Ninas voice became serious.
One of the decisive reasons why humanity didnt collapse was because my Master was helping us behind the scenes.
It was natural that those words caused a cold silence to descend upon the room.
What did you just
By Master are you talking about Mr. Lukas?
Nina nodded and continued.
Of course, it wont be easy to accept. I understand that. But everything Ive said is true.
Nina looked at the people in the room.
It was possible that if someone else had said those words to them, they might have already left.
With that in mind, she understood why Lukas wanted her to be the one to explain.
how exactly did he help us?
He was the one who scattered the treasures across the world, taught us how to interpret them, and advised us on how to utilise them. He was a great help in the founding and maintenance of the Hunter Association. He taught us how to hunt Demons, and those whom he taught personally are all key figures who are now supporting humanity. Thats the best I can summarise the essential points.
Maybe it was just her, but it felt like the mood in the room had grown even more somber.
The four of them looked at Nina as if she was crazy.
Holding back her words of denial, Min Ha-rin asked a question instead.
Are you saying he did all of that on his own?
Right.
How Who the hell is this person?
The Saviour.
Drisa snorted loudly.
How interesting. Are you saying hes the second coming of Jesus?
Huht.
Nina chuckled, but Drisa didnt mean that as a joke.
What would be so strange about Jesus resurrecting when Demons had already descended upon the Earth?
Nevertheless, there would be no problem other than the exponential growth in the influence of Christianity, which already had a strong stake in the association.
Of course not. Master is
God.
Lukas looked at the one who said that.
It was Lee Jong-hak. He was expressionless, but it was apparent to those in the room that he was angry.
Or something similar.
Nina paused.
Strangely, it wasnt easy for her to deny those words.
Lee Jong-hak continued in a low voice.
I have a question.
What is it?
Not you, President. Id like to ask him directly.
Lukas looked Lee Jong-hak in the eyes. His expression was very serious.
Lukas nodded.
Go ahead.
Where were you, and what were you doing right after the Demons appeared?
In another place, saving others.
then when did you come to this place?
About 30 years ago.
Lee Jong-hak fell silent for a moment. sea??h th N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
According to Min Ha-rin, you have the power to kill a Demon Duke easily. So why have you been silent for the past 30 years? If you had been more active, you would have been able to kill dozens if not hundreds of Demon Nobles.
How many lives could have been saved if he had done that?
It was Nina who answered.
Its not that simple. My teacher can only save a limited number of humans.
Limited? So you mean he saves humans selectively?
That
Nina was speechless for a moment.
Earlier, you said we were qualified. Is that why you saved us? Because we were qualified?
Right.
Lee Jong-haks expression became harder.
My mother died when I was 7 years old.
Many people consider Europe and Africa to be the lands of death; China was also in a bad situation. At least, it was the worst among the East Asian countries. The tragedy that took place in my hometown, Guizhou Province, was especially terrible A huge horde of Demons who covered the sky in black appeared suddenly. In the face of this disaster, my mothers judgement was quick and wise. She found a place for me to hide behind a bookshelf.
Lee Jong-hak closed his eyes, and it seemed that he was recalling that day.
Stay right there. Be quiet. No matter what happens, dont say anything.
His mother had said this with a trembling voice while tears rolled down her cheeks.
How could he not have been scared at the time?
She probably knew that after I was put in there, she wouldnt be able to fit.
When Lee Jong-hak opened his eyes again, there was a fire of hatred flickering in them.
After a while, a Demon smashed the door and stormed in. My mother ambushed it with a kitchen knife, but it wasnt enough. She was overwhelmed in an instant, and what happened next was hell to watch.
At that point, Min Ha-rin didnt want to hear anymore. This was an instinctive rejection.
Even before hearing it, she already knew how the story would end.
Nevertheless, she couldnt cover her ears and her eyes remained locked to Lee Jong-haks lips.
What was even more terrible was the fact that it didnt kill her before it started eating her. It tore off my mothers arm with its sharp teeth, ripped the flesh from her thighs, and ate it ravenously. Her screams were the most horrible screams Id ever heard in my life. I wanted to rip my ears off. But the most frightening moment was when I couldnt hear the screams anymore.
Lee Jong-hak would never forget the last sound he heard. The sound of the demon chewing on his mothers skull.
I couldnt move. And my tongue had been frozen by fear. I even forgot how to blink, which meant I saw every single thing that happened.
Lee Jong-hak looked up.
He looked directly at Lukas.
If you are the saviour, then why didnt you save my mother? Because she didnt meet the qualifications you just mentioned?
The mother whom Lee Jong-hak was talking about wasnt just his own.
Lukas knew that too. His words werent just whining. Instead, he was blaming him for his arrogance.
Instead, he was asking about the countless people who died because they werent chosen by him.
I know, yeah. Everyone knows. Its impossible for you to save everyone. Even God couldnt have done that. Thats a given. What Im saying might only be because of my perspective. However
Lee Jong-haks voice became filled with anger.
Can you imagine how the fact that you wandered the world for decades saving only those you selected looks to me?
This is what Im really curious about. What if you saw a suffering human who didnt meet your requirements? Would you just walk past them and pretend you didnt see anything? Are you standing on the sidelines while countless humans, whom you can save, die? Just because they arent qualified enough?
Stop.
Nina spoke in a low voice, but Lee Jong-hak didnt shrink back at all.
He continued in a cynical tone.
I really wonder how I can feel grateful after learning that you only saved me because I suited your taste I cant accept that. I believe that you are a great being and that everything Nina said is probably true. You supported humanity from behind the scenes, gave us the tools we needed to defend ourselves, and taught us. However
Lee Jong-haks breath came out sharply.
We havent been able to survive this long because of your help. We lost our families, our countries. Our population is not less than half of what it used. But even though there are countless monsters stronger than us out there, we havent given up Thats purely our own power. Its not because we had the help of some unknown saviour.
Nina couldnt have been angrier. But the only reason she hadnt done something was because Lukas had blocked her voice.
So all she could have done was grit her teeth and glared at Lee Jong-hak.
Lee Jong-hak rose from his seat. Then he walked past Lukas and said.
I will find a time to repay your favour of saving my life.
After saying that, he left the room without hesitation.
Then Drisa and Allida slowly rose up from their seats.
Um well. I think I need some time to think about all of this. Its not something that I can easily accept at this moment.
Im sorry, President. Please give me some time.
Season: 2 Chapter 16: (Season 2) – Chapter 16
Book 2 Chapter 16: (Season 2) - Chapter 16 When the three of them left, the only ones left in the room were Nina, Min Ha-rin, and Lukas.
Min Ha-rin looked at Lukas face.
Shed thought that his expression would have changed this time. Because he had been criticised by someone whose life hed saved. Even if he was an emotionless person, he still would have had some kind of reaction.
But it didnt happen.
Lukas face was still as expressionless as before. As if he noticed her gaze, Lukas turned to look at her.
Do you have something to say?
and if I do?
Ill listen to whatever you have to say.
He paused for a moment before adding.
Because theres nothing wrong with what Lee Jong-hak said.
Lukas voice was calm.
His voice didnt shake even a bit, and his eyes remained clear like a tranquil lake.
you agree with him?
I do.
How was that possible?
Of course, Lee Jong-haks words werent wrong
His doubts were natural, and from a certain perspective, his criticisms were valid.
Nevertheless, Min Ha-rin still had a few questions.
However
Despite her doubts and suspicions, it could not have been denied that Lukas had saved them.
Hed also been helping humanity for decades. sea??h th N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
So she still wasnt sure. She couldnt understand Lukas intentions either.
However, she felt that there was a reason why this man refused to defend himself. And she realised why she was the only one who had this thought.
Only Min Ha-rin had heard what the mysterious black being, who had appeared after Duke Sandro died, had said.
It seems your patience over the past few decades has run out.
Patience. What had he been patient with?
She didnt know. And she could not read anything from Lukas expression.
He looked like someone without emotions.
Or.
Someone who knew that this would happen.
Min Ha-rin suddenly felt that his expressionless face seemed lonely.
At this moment, tens of millions of people are struggling in pain. But I cant save them all.
Even if you cant save all of them, cant you save as many as possible?
Min Ha-rin knew how strong Lukas was. Because shed seen how he killed Duke Sandro.
It wasnt even a fight.
Sandro didnt understand or accept his death even at the moment he died.
She couldnt help but feel the Demons power would have been greatly reduced if he was willing to use his power more actively.
I can only save a handful of people.
even if you have that much power?
Even if I have this much power.
This was said in a much firmer voice than she expected.
Min Ha-rin fell silent because she couldnt understand.
Lee Jong-hak had already shown that they wouldnt be able to understand the answer even if they asked the question.
Likewise, they wouldnt be able to understand his true identity.
Lukas looked at her face and continued.
I agree with Lee Jong-haks words. Its an exaggeration to say that humanity only made it this far because of my help.
Ninas lips parted slightly when she heard those words. Although she did not agree with Lukas disparaging his own achievements, denying his words would be the same as denying her Master.
Its also arrogant of me to decide whom to save based on my own personal standards. There are people who are better and people who are not, but all life is precious.
This was something that everyone knew.
These words, which were so familiar and easy to overlook, were the closest to the truth of the universe.
But Lukas still thought that he was ridiculous. Despite knowing the truth of these words better than most people, he had personally ended countless lives, and he would continue to do so.
Was it because he knew the law of the cycle of reincarnation?
Because he knew that death wasnt the end?
Because he was aware of the existence of an afterlife?
How ridiculous.
Did knowing that lessen the weight of life?
No. Because every being still had one life. It was disgusting to comfort himself and justify his slaughter with such an excuse.
But Lukas thought.
Knowing it and practicing it were two different things.
He knew that all life was precious. Nevertheless, because of his personality, there were clear limitations. His judgements were bound to always be subjective.
Even Lukas could not look at everything objectively.
Min Ha-rin was proof of this.
To an extent, Lukas had saved her on a whim.
You said that we were qualified. Can I ask what that means?
The power of transformation.
The answer came from Nina. It seemed that she had managed to suppress her agitation.
Min Ha-rin tilted her head to the side.
the power of transformation?
Some people have other childish names for it, but I like this one the most.
She then shrugged and explained.
To put it simply, it means those who will have a profound influence on the course of history. There are many cases in which a single individual managed to change history more than anyone could have expected. Those who possess hundreds or even thousands of times more of that potential are called transformers (Note:I had to its literally transformation people)
Then Mr. Lukas
Right. He looks for those transformers.
To be precise, he only looked for transformers. But Nina closed her mouth without mentioning that fact.
She didnt know why, but Lee Jong-haks angry voice came to her mind at that moment.
Master probably wanted to save Lee Jong-hak.
Lee Jong-hak.
He certainly appeared to be the main character in a heroic tale. Min Ha-rin couldnt fully understand the concept of the power of transformation and transformers, but she could at least see that he was an indispensable hero of mankind.
He ended up saving everyone else, but
In truth, even Nina wasnt entirely sure about this situation. This was the first time Lukas had saved so many people at once.
At least as far as she knew.
She shot a questioning gaze to Lukas, but he didnt answer her unspoken question.
Then Min Ha-rin spoke again.
Then he must have saved a lot of people who were transformers. Since hes been around for 30 years.
Not that many. Probably fewer than ten.
Huh? Thats all?
Maybe.
Nina shook her head.
I dont know just how many people Master has saved. And just because he saved them doesnt mean they think hes their benefactor.
Min Ha-rin could easily understand Ninas words.
After all, shed just witnessed such a case for herself.
One thing is certain: Regardless of what they think about Master, everyone he saves is a key to sustaining humanity.
This was something that could have been understood just by looking at Nina and Lee Jong-hak. After all, how many hunters were stronger or had more influence than them?
Nina held the position as the President of the European Branch of the Hunter Association. In other words, every hunter in Europe was her subordinate.
Although Europe was considered one of the weaker branches of the Hunter Association, it still had a large number of top hunters.
It was the same for Lee Jong-hak. He was a hero who was known throughout Asia. He was one of the Three Dragons who protected Asia, and it wouldve been hard to find a hunter who didnt know his name.
If there were even just a few more people in similar positions to President Nina
And if they were to give their absolute trust and loyalty to Lukas, the influence that this blonde-haired man could exert on the association would have been much greater than anyone could expect.
Master, there is one thing Id like to ask you.
Lukas turned to Nina and said.
You want to know why Im letting you explain all of this to Min Ha-rin?
thats right.
Her thoughts had been seen through before she could even bring them up, but Nina wasnt surprised. This was because this was something that anyone who talked to Lukas would encounter.
But Ninas composure was broken by Lukas next words.
I plan to take her as my disciple.
Come to think of it, he had said that he would teach her magic. Min Ha-rin blankly recalled that conversation.
She was so distracted by everything happening that shed forgotten about it.
But did I say I would learn it?
Of course, that depends on if shes willing.
Crack.
Min Ha-rin felt like she heard something crack.
She didnt hear incorrectly.
Ninas fists were clenched tightly, and her face was cold. It suddenly felt like the room was filled with cold air.
Min Ha-rin subconsciously swallowed her saliva.
She didnt know why, but she suddenly felt anxious. It felt like she had taken something she shouldnt have touched.
Disciple?
Nina spoke with a disjointed voice. Then she turned to look at Min Ha-rin.
The moment she saw the emotions brewing in her eyes, Min Ha-rin flinched.
But
Envy, jealousy, and hatred seemed to form a dense web in her eyes.
Nina bit her lip before speaking in a strained voice.
I would be
Nina, who had started trembling slightly, closed her eyes.
Then, after taking several slow, deep breaths, she opened her eyes and returned to her usual self.
I see.
Nevertheless, she was unable to completely hide the slight tremors in her voice.
Nina spoke in a soft voice.
I envy this child.
Nina, those who arent wandering.
dont need directions. I remember Masters teachings clearly.
Nina sighed deeply.
Im sorry for pursuing this. And I understand, but
Min Ha-rin belatedly realised that Nina was upset.
She was complaining to Lukas.
Min Ha-rins not exactly young.
Min Ha-rins expression hardened slightly as she heard the familiar words,
I heard that she uses a sword. It would take a lot of painful effort for her to learn magic.
Ah. Was that what they meant?
Then Lukas words last time werent because she looked older than her actual age.
Min Ha-rin briefly forgot her situation and nodded to herself.
The important thing is her attitude. As you said, it would have been painful, but it wouldnt matter if she believed that she could overcome it Though, it might be too late to ask.
Lukas turned to look at Min Ha-rin.
Do you have any plans of becoming my disciple and learning magic from me?
Magic.
In the past, shed yearned to learn it. To be precise, shed always had a faint admiration for Wizards.
But after learning that she didnt have the talent for it, that yearning disappeared.
What about now?
You have great talent for swordsmanship.
Huh?
If you continue walking on the path youre on, you will be able to surpass Lee Jong-hak in 5 years.
What did he mean by surpass Lee Jong-hak?
She didnt understand.
While she was only a rookie at best, Lee Jong-hak was viewed as the Dragon of Hope throughout East Asia and had defeated dozens of Demon Nobles.
Min Ha-rin had heard countless rumors about him. And she had been greatly impressed by his upright personality in the short time that shed spent with him.
How could she surpass a man like that in 5 years?
Min Ha-rin looked at Lukas in confusion as he continued.
But if you accept my teaching, you can surpass him in 1 year. With magic.
This time, it felt like cold water had been poured on her head.
That was because those were too unrealistic.
In 1 year?
It was impossible. She was absolutely certain that such a thing was impossible.
Min Ha-rin knew absolutely nothing about magic, and she could barely feel the mana that filled the atmosphere.
In other words
I have no talent for magic.
Why do you think that?
Because I cant feel mana.
Lukas looked at her.
Its not that you dont have any talent. Its just that your mana sensitivity is low. I can help you with that. The most important thing is your attitude.
Min Ha-rins expression changed when she heard the word attitude.
When it came to willpower and perseverance, she didnt think she would lose to anyone.
Season: 2 Chapter 17: (Season 2) – Chapter 17
Book 2 Chapter 17: (Season 2) - Chapter 17 Min Ha-rin wanted to become strong.
The weak have no choice.
She muttered in a soft voice.
I realised this when I was caught by the Demons. I didnt even have the right to kill myself. I resented that I had been born in this age. And I wished I had lived decades ago.
Shed seen it in a drama that shed watched on a half broken electronic device.
It was probably just a B-grade drama that didnt become a big hit when it was aired. It was a simple story about a protagonist, who was an ordinary college student, having troubles with studying, finding a job, dealing with friends, and worrying about men and women.
It was such a warm and carefree life that it always made her laugh.
There was no threat of war.
There was no need to worry about killing or dying.
When Min Ha-rin hated the fact that she was one step too late to save a teammate, they resented the fact that theyd missed the bus by a hairs breadth.
When Min Ha-rin had to stand guard against the Demons and Demon Beasts, they stayed up all night worrying about the person they liked.
When Min Ha-rin jumped up and drew her sword just from the sound of a rat rustling nearby, they covered their heads with their blankets to block out the sound of the alarm ringing in their ears.
She envied them like crazy.
But what could she do about her envy? Could she travel back in time?
It was impossible.
At least as long as the Demons were still on Earth.
That was why Min Ha-rin wanted to become strong. She wanted to get rid of all of the Demons and return to a life like shed seen in the drama.
Even if it was impossible for her, she wanted her siblings to have such a life.
You want to be strong?
Yes.
How strong?
I dont want anyone to be able to force me to do anything.
Lukas expression became a bit strange.
That would only be possible if you were stronger than everyone else. You know that, dont you?
Yes.
You will have to walk a very thorny path.
I can overcome it. At least I wont give up. Ever.
Min Ha-rins voice was firm.
Her courageous expression filled Lukas heart with happiness.
From today, you are my disciple, Min Ha-rin.
Ah Th-, thank you.
She couldnt think of anything else to say, so she just bowed her head.
Then she became slightly embarrassed as she thought of something and said.
do I have to kneel before you?
No.
I see.
Silence fell for a moment.
Min Ha-rin hesitated for a moment.
I Master. Can you call me Ha-rin?
Why?
I think saying my full name is too formal.
Sure.
thank you.
Min Ha-rins cheeks became slightly flushed, probably because of her embarrassment.
Nina couldnt help but feel a bit uncomfortable at the sight.
Ahem.
Therefore, she loudly cleared her throat and changed the subject on purpose.
Then you are his first disciple.
Lukas couldnt help but feel a bit strange at those words.
She wouldnt be his first disciple.
Arent you also Masters disciple?
Nina shook her head when Min Ha-rin asked this question in confusion.
Im not.
Huh? But you keep calling him Master
Thats because Master taught me a lot of things. Anyways, he is my Master, but Im not his disciple.
It was a strange statement. When Min Ha-rin closed her mouth because she wasnt able to easily understand what she said, Nina chuckled.
My Master has a strange stubbornness. So you should understand how much of an honour this is and not do anything to embarrass him.
Yeah.
then. Does that mean there are four left? You said youd accept a total of five disciples.
When Lukas nodded, Min Ha-rin couldnt help but ask another question.
Why do you need five?
In my experience, that is the most appropriate number to transform a world.
It was Lukas who answered this time.
Of course, there were still many things for him to do besides looking for disciples. sea??h th n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
He might not have been able to move openly, but he could at least be more active than he was now.
Nina, Im thinking about creating an organisation. One that doesnt obey the orders of the Association, one that will sometimes act on its own judgement. It will probably be the busiest organisation in the world.
An organisation would be good. Have you thought of a name?
Lukas nodded.
Hed decided upon a name a very long time ago. Or maybe it had appeared in his head just recently.
His eyes fell on Min Ha-rin as he spoke.
Argento Spell.
* * *
What do you plan to do from now on?
I plan to stay here for the time being.
Stay here
Ninas expression brightened up considerably.
Min Ha-rin didnt say it, but she felt that the way she was acting would give anyone chills.
Where did the scumbag Nina Rednikova disappear to?
Min Ha-rin shook her head inwardly, but it wasnt strange that Nina was so happy. That was because it could be considered rare for Lukas to stay in one place for a month.
Regardless of the reason, being able to see her beloved teacher as much as she wanted for the foreseeable future greatly boosted Ninas motivation.
Then, I will serve you with all my heart.
Dont mind me. Just focus on your own work.
But
Duke Sandro died. The loss of a Duke, not some other noble, will surely cause the Demons movements to change. And these changes will take place in Europe, where the Chester Company is located. Its very important that you pay attention to the air currents.
understood.
Nina had no choice but to nod her head with a sad expression.
Ill inform Ludwig. That way, you wont have any restrictions when entering or leaving the headquarters nor when accessing the various facilities.
Thanks.
Do you have something else to say?
its a bit different.
Nina was slightly tense as she continued.
Theres a child I want you to see.
A child you want me to see?
Yes. Please forgive my rudeness, but Could you take a look at that child and accept them as your disciple if you like them? (Note: wasnt clear on the childs gender)
Lukas fell silent for a moment before speaking.
Is that child in the European Headquarters right now?
No, they went on a mission. If everything goes according to plan, they should be back in about two weeks.
Her worries didnt last very long.
Against her expectations, Lukas nodded.
Tell me when they return.
Th-, thank you.
Lukas patted Nina, who had a bright expression on her face, on the shoulder.
* * *
The 11th Training Room was a dedicated training space for Wizards. There was no training equipment there, and the space was smaller when compared to the other training rooms.
But the strange thing about this room was the atmosphere. All of the walls in the room were brown, and the lighting was dim. There was also the subtle smell of charcoal, and when one smelled it, ones mind was soothed.
Lukas was already there by the time Min Ha-rin arrived.
She hurriedly bowed her head.
I apologise for being late.
You came ten minutes early; youre not late.
When Lukas responded nonchalantly, Min Ha-rin glanced at his expression.
but wasnt I still later than Master?
I stayed here yesterday.
Ah
Min Ha-rin believed him. But she didnt understand what he meant by stayed.
Did he sleep there?
She couldnt see any furniture in the room. It was an empty space that didnt even have a sofa or a chair, let alone bedding.
The only thing that stood out was the basin beside Lukas, which had a dry towel and a bottle of water.
No, he said he stayed.
He didnt sleep. He just stayed.
Maybe he didnt need sleep.
Breakfast?
I havent eaten.
Good. Come here and sit with your back to me.
Min Ha-rin did as Lukas instructed.
Close your eyes and try to relax.
Soon, she felt something touch her back.
It was probably Lukas palm.
Its cold.
That didnt mean it was uncomfortable. Instead, it was a pleasant coolness that reminded her of a trees shade in the middle of summer.
Since you said you cant feel mana, the first thing we will do is awaken your senses. This is mana.
Kung!
!
Her hair seemed to stand on end.
The moderate coolness that she had been thinking about before suddenly became cold water that penetrated into Min Ha-rins body.
She almost jumped up from the ground. But Lukas was gently pressing on her shoulder with his other hand.
Be still. This wont hurt you It is possible to change the attribute of mana according to your will. What you are feeling now is water attribute mana. It is the easiest to feel, the easiest to mold, and the least dangerous. Unless you reject it excessively.
Min Ha-rin didnt answer. She couldnt afford to.
At some point, the mana, which had been scrambling wilding around her body, began to move through her blood vessels. It felt like she could track the movements of her blood.
In all honesty, it wasnt a good feeling. She felt some degree of coolness and refreshment, but it was hard to endure the feeling of something foreign wandering around her body.
Think of the Mana Room as an organ that can accumulate mana. It exists in every human being, and naturally, you are no exception. From now on, you must recognise the existence of this organ.
At that moment, the mana, which had been flowing around her body nonstop, gathered together in a spot just below her belly button.
Ah this
That was where the Danjeon(1) was located.
Min Ha-rins expression became stiff.
As a swordsman, her Danjeon was where she stored her ki.
And at this rate, her mana and ki would
Kung!
Kuk!
As expected.
The two energies collided violently. The collision was so powerful that Min Ha-rin drooled without realising it.
Lukas spoke in a firm tone.
I will now convert your Danjeon to a Mana Room.
!
Convert it?
Then would all of the ki shed worked hard to accumulate in her Danjeon disappear?
I did swear to focus all of my attention on Magical science, but
It was too sudden!
She wouldnt have been so surprised if he had only told her about it in advance.
Min Ha-rin wanted to say something, but she still couldnt afford to. She could only clench her teeth and endure it.
The pain was not as great as she thought it would be, but the pressure was severe. She felt like if she were to relax for even a moment, her entire body would collapse under an unknown pressure.
Crack Crack
She felt something crack.
It was none other than her Danjeon. Her Danjeon was cracking.
It was being covered by one crack after another.
Crack!
Then, with one final cracking sound, her Danjeon shattered. No, it wasnt broken. She couldnt understand the details, but it felt like the components of her Danjeon were gradually being changed.
It was like dead skin was being peeled off and new skin was growing.
Ah
Her ki began to disappear.
The culmination of over 10 years of sweat and blood, which she had accumulated step by step from the day she was examined in the association, washed away like the ebbing tide.
(Note: 1. Danjeon is an imaginary space in the middle of the body around the area of the belly button and usually refers to an inner space in the middle of the back and stomach. In other words, you can think of it as the most central part of your body. It is mentioned frequently in martial arts and is usually the place where ki/qi is stored.)
Season: 2 Chapter 18: (Season 2) – Chapter 18
Book 2 Chapter 18: (Season 2) - Chapter 18 Just as Min Ha-rin was filled with an extreme sense of loss, a new energy seemed to fill the void within her.
Mana.
Woowoong-
Her Danjeon was changed to a Mana Room, and mana began filling it.
How is this possible?
Min Ha-rins expression became complicated. She felt like something crazy had just happened within her body.
It was at that time that Lukas spoke.
The first step is complete, so you can relax.
Puha
It was only then when Min Ha-rin let out the breath that she had been holding.
Lukas held out a towel to her.
That was when she realised that her entire body was covered in sweat.
Because all of your ki has been released, you will feel temporary exhaustion. You feel like you have no strength in your body, dont you?
Yes.
There will be no problems, so you dont need to be afraid.
Thank you.
As he looked at her wiping herself with the dry towel, Lukas said.
I checked your body. Your blood vessels are very clean. I can see just how seriously you were with your swordsmanship.
His words made Min Ha-rin so embarrassed that she ended up rubbing a spot that shed already cleaned.
you could tell?
Right. There is still some residue left, but that wont be a problem. Well take a ten-minute break before moving on to step two.
Step 2?
I will be removing the impurities in your blood vessels, organs, muscles, and skeleton. It will increase the speed with which you can use your mana.
She had an ominous feeling when she heard the word impurities, but she didnt have the time to think too deeply about it.
After about ten minutes, she sat with her back to Lukas once again.
Lukas placed the basin in front of her before saying.
This will hurt a bit.
Huh? Hup!
In that instant, an intense pain seemed to pierce through her spine.
!!
Min Ha-rin clenched her jaws tightly. Nevertheless, she was unable to keep her groans of pain from leaking out.
An electric current seemed to run through her body, starting with her head. It was like she was being pricked by thousands of needles.
Tears flowed from her eyes.
But what happened next was the most shocking.
U-, urk!
It felt like something was stuck in her throat. Like a lump was moving up her oesophagus.
Blech!
She couldnt hold it in, and she ended up vomiting it out.
Then, a foul-smelling black lump fell into the basin in front of her.
Lukas looked down at it and said.
It smells very bad so it seems you spat out most of the impurities. Its also just a small amount, which means your body was clean just like I expected. This might end sooner than I thought.
Min Ha-rin looked at the black mass in the basin with a mixture of horror and disgust. It was so disgusting that it made her nauseous.
Th-, this came from inside of me?
Why are you asking that when you spat it out yourself?
Lukas then looked over at Min Ha-rin before continuing.
Your front teeth are black. It doesnt look very good, so you should rinse your mouth.
!
Min Ha-rin was startled for a moment before roughly grabbing the plastic water bottle that Lukas was holding out for her.
Then she quickly rinsed her mouth with the water before looking at Lukas with resentful eyes.
Master, have you ever heard that you are very inconsiderate?
Ive heard it countless times before, but I dont understand it. Do you think so as well?
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How could he say that in such a surprised tone? Did he have no self-awareness at all?
Min Ha-rin was speechless.
Lukas continued with an expression showing that he didnt understand.
In the first place, the impurities would have come out of every orifice in your body. Not just your mouth but your eyes, nose, ears, and pores. I adjusted it so that you would only need to spit them from your mouth. I even prepared a basin and water for you in advance. I think that is very considerate.
That wasnt the problem.
Min Ha-rin held back the words that she wanted to say.
I think so too. Thank you for your consideration, Master.
While thinking that it would take some time to decipher her new Masters personality, she once again put the water bottle to her lips.
* * *
Red Mafia.
It was the name of a Russian criminal organisation. Civilisation declined, the population dropped sharply to less than one billion, and the territory through which humans could move freely fell to less than half, but criminal organisations like this one didnt disappear.
Instead, it could be said that this era was one of surging prosperity for them.
For the Red Mafia, the 2000s could be called a nightmare. Due to the aggressive policies put in place by the party, criminal organisations in Russia were virtually on the verge of annihilation and the remaining forces who barely managed to save themselves were forced to flee abroad.
It wouldnt be enough to say that it was their most miserable moment, but somehow, they were able to keep their name.
Then, the world had been turned upside down, and it basically reached a state close to anarchy.
It was then when Russias underworld had a splendid resurrection.
The Red Mafia quickly gained power and became a group that was several times larger and scarier than in its heyday.
Even if they were to openly act as black market traders in a residential area in a major city in Russia, they wouldnt have to worry about any inspections.
This couldnt be helped.
The Hunter Association was practically acting in the capacity of the world government. Their main enemies were the Demons, not the mafia. And they were extremely understaffed.
They didnt have the means to restrain the various activities of the organisation.
That was why the young boss of the organisation, Vaches Bondarenko, was quite pleased that he could live in this era.
Are you serious?
Vaches couldnt help but ask again.
He was staring at the man in front of him with suspicious eyes.
Have I ever messed around when making a deal?
The man in the suit shrugged as he said this.
Vaches laughed.
of course not. Ah, by the way, I had a nightmare that I was burnt to death last night.
They say that dreams usually mean the opposite.
Kikiki. Thats right.
Vaches chuckled.
Ill accept it. Kidnapping a single man is not a problem.
Thanks. The reward will be twice as high as last time.
Vaches eyes widened at those words.
Twice as last time? Thats 10 million dollars
What? Is it not enough?
No way.
Vaches shook his head.
It was enough; in fact, it was too much. Asking for more would just be greedy.
You said it yourself, so I wont give you a single cent more. Dont come crying to me later.
Of course.
The dollar was the only currency in the world that had maintained its original value.
The North American continent across the sea was called Paradise. A place where one could live a life that was only dreamt about. It was the only place on the planet that the word peace could still be used to describe.
That was why the dollar had become the common currency of the world or, to be precise, the only currency.
Of course, because of the situation, the value of money was not the same as it used to be, but 10 million was still a sizable sum.
When the suited man left, Vaches right hand man approached him.
This is a big deal. Kidnapping one person for 10 million.
Dont let your guard down. There is little information on him, so he might be more important than we think.
After saying that, Vaches laughed.
Of course. If he really was a big shot, there is no way we wouldnt know about him.
Kuku. Where is he now?
In the European Branch of the Hunters Association. In other words, right below this city.
The fact that the European Branch of the association was beneath the city was an open secret of which almost all of the citys residents were aware.
The man frowned at Vaches words.
Is he a hunter?
Hes not.
Hmm. Im glad to hear that, but How did that man know that the target is in the European branch headquarters?
Vaches responded nonchalantly to his subordinates words.
Thats nothing. That guy is a European hunter who works in the headquarters.
Ah!
In any case, the information is clear, so memorise the targets face.
The other members of the organisation who came into the room looked down at the blurry image on the table. It looked like they had cut a clip from CCTV footage or taken the image with a hidden camera.
Nevertheless, it wasnt hard for them to grasp the general characteristic and approximate features of the man in the image.
His name is Lukas. Were going to grab him whenever he comes into the city, so stay alert.
One of the subordinates looked at the picture and grinned.
It would be lucky for us if he came as late as possible.
You have to be polite. Thats a $10 million body. If hes obedient, we can end this without hurting him.
Vaches lit a cigarette and grinned.
As long as hes obedient.????n????????e????????. ????o????
Season: 2 Chapter 19: (Season 2) – Chapter 19
Book 2 Chapter 19: (Season 2) - Chapter 19 Lukas focused on cleansing Min Ha-rins body until the next day.
Min Ha-rin had to suffer through tremendous mental torture. What was worse than throwing up the impurities was the bad smell that remained in her mouth. Unfortunately, the headquarters didnt have anything that helped bad breath, so she could only brush her teeth every time she got a break.
If I keep brushing my teeth like this, wont they wear away?
While she was contemplating this dilemma, Lukas called out to her.
Look at me.
Min Ha-rin turned to look at Lukas.
Then she was amazed. She could see a blue haze rising up from his body.
Can you see it?
Yes so thats mana
Right.
When Lukas nodded, the blue haze disappeared.
I just intentionally made my mana visible. You wont be able to see the mana in the air just yet, but it shouldnt be a problem for you to sense it with your body. So focus on gathering mana from today.
That means
Lukas nodded.
The preparations are complete.
Ah!
In other words, she wouldnt have to vomit out any more disgusting impurities!!
Min Ha-rin almost cheered from the joy rising up within her heart.
Before that, you must first learn how to move it on your own. Can you feel the presence of your Mana Room?
Yes.
Repeat the thought of opening and closing your Mana Room. You can imagine a faucet as a substitute. Uncontrolled mana will be released through your skin after running wildly around your body. You dont need to force yourself to control it at first. Its no different from moving ki, so youll be able to learn it quickly.
Understood.
When your mana runs out, sit down and absorb the mana flowing in the atmosphere. Breathing while feeling like your body is accepting all of the energy in the air will help. When you have collected a certain amount of mana, release it again. By repeating this process, the cycle of absorption and release of mana will gain momentum.
Lukas looked around the training room.
The structure of this room allows you to gather mana easily. It would be helpful to stay here even when you eat and sleep.
I will keep that in mind.
Min Ha-rin nodded with a determined expression.
I will return in a week.
After saying this, Lukas left the room.
Now that shed taken her first steps in Magical Science, he wondered just how far shed go.
This world is filled with mana.
It was so full that he couldnt help but find it strange.
Even Lukas was unable to guess the reason.
In general, scientific advancement and conservation of nature are factors that are incompatible. And the science in this world was very advanced.
Naturally, this meant that nature suffered from a lot of damage, so it would have been normal if the mana in this worlds atmosphere was sparse.
Not this place.
This world had at least twice the mana density of the world he was born in.
As proof of that, it had only been a few decades since hed spread the knowledge of Magical Science to this world and there were already many outstanding Wizards. Even if Lukas secretly helped them, such a rate of growth was abnormal.
There must have been a reason for this freak phenomenon.
Lukas had tried to find the cause during his time here, but his investigations had not been successful.
And in a way, the lack of results was the most conclusive evidence.
That was because it meant that there was something in this world that even an Absolute like Lukas could not have decipher.
* * *
Lukas went up to the city above.
This wasnt because he had taken Ninas advice to look around. Instead, he had another goal.
However, it would have taken some time to accomplish this goal. Until then, it wouldve been fine to observe the culture of this worlds humans with his own eyes.
Lukas had traveled the world for decades, but he had never stayed in a human city for a long time. So naturally, he didnt know much about their culture or lifestyle.
Nevertheless, he knew that this was a relatively advanced world.
In this world, there was no outward manifestation of power and mystery. But that didnt mean they didnt exist at all. Although the systems were different, there was still magic, witchcraft, and sorcery. There were also Magic Warriors and Knights who trained their bodies.
Nevertheless, their activities were never recorded in history. Instead, they were passed down as legends, myths, or fairy tales.
Instead, the world developed along the path of science, and this hideout was a byproduct of that.
The European Branch headquarters was located beneath the city. In fact, most of the hideouts were. Because this was the best way for them to avoid the Demons prying eyes.
There were only two ways to enter or leave the headquarters.
By using the portal or by taking an elevator to the surface.
The method Lukas chose was the latter. He approached the security guard who was standing in front of the elevator.
Are you going to the surface?
Instead of answering, he simply showed the guard the card hed received from Nina. It was a free pass card stamped with the Presidents seal. It was the highest level pass, which allowed unlimited access to any facility without restrictions.
Thats why it wasnt strange that the guard flinched and bowed his head.
Is this the man whom Vice President Ludwig mentioned?
He didnt seem that special, so he didnt understand how this man was able to capture President Ninas heart.
Of course, this wasnt something that a simple security guard like him could afford to care about.
Pardon me.
Wiing-
Lukas took the elevator to the surface.
The city was right above the base. In other words, they needed something to camouflage the entrance to the headquarters.
The elevator led to a shabby clothing store. Even when Lukas opened the back door and stepped out, the owner of the store, who was sitting at the counter, didnt react. He simply yawned with a bored expression as if he couldnt see him. It would probably be the same when he returned.
When he left the clothing store, he smelled salt. This meant that a sea was nearby.
This city was called Sochi. It was located in the Krasnodar Region in the southwestern part of Russia, and it was once a famous resort that was well-known for its beautiful natural scenery and beaches.
When one thought of Russia, one would have usually thought of extreme cold, but Sochi was one of the warmest places in Russia.
In other words, it was a tourist attraction. Of course, the streets now were so quiet that one would never have that thought.
This was inevitable. The world had fallen to ruin, so who wouldve still cared about tourist attractions? Especially when considering the fact that it was in Europe and close to the region where the Demons were most active.
Lukas looked around the city for a bit before entering an alley.
It was an incredibly beautiful city, but the back alleys, which did not get much sunlight, had a rather nasty vibe. This was further pronounced by the fact that they didnt bother to clean these streets.
The atmosphere became even gloomier when he exited the shopping district and entered the residential area. The air in this place even felt a bit cold.
Nevertheless, Lukas continued to walk through these alleys as if he was possessed.
By the time the road started to narrow, a group of people appeared in front of him.
These men all wore thin clothes as though they were trying to show off their muscles. They were also chuckling sinisterly to themselves, and one of them was spinning a military knife like a pen.
They smelled like cigarettes and drugs.
It was impossible for him to continue walking because they were blocking him. To be precise, it felt like they wouldnt let him pass easily.
When Lukas turned around, seemingly intent to go back the way he came, he found that more men were standing there.
A man in front of him smiled so brightly like his eyes squeezed shut. His yellow teeth were revealed in the dark alley.
Lets talk for a moment.
Talk?
Ah. Of course If you dont want the talk to become screams, well need you to cooperate.
A man with a bald head grinned and pulled out a gun. In this narrow alley, there was not much distance between them.
Even a powerful hunter would not have been able to dodge a bullet.
Click-
Lukas felt movement behind him. The men who were blocking his way back had moved closer.
He raised his hands and said.
Okay.
This attitude unnerved the man a bit. He had heard that Lukas was not a hunter, but since this man could enter the European Headquarters, hed thought that he had at least trained to an extent.
However, when he saw him in person, his skinny, weak-looking body didnt seem to have even the slightest signs of training. There was the possibility that he was a Wizard, but now that they had closed the distance so much, that wouldnt matter. He could rush forward and cut off his tongue before he could even chant a spell.
But he didnt relax.
This person was an acquaintance of the scumbag Nina. It was natural that he would have some hidden secrets.
But when he just obeyed without any signs of resisting, he felt empty.
No.
The man erased that thought.
Things were going well. He shouldnt complain.
Follow me.
Lukas followed behind the man.
The men surrounding him tried to make an intimidating atmosphere by spouting vulgar curses or grabbing and poking him in the back with the handles of their knives. Nevertheless, they soon stopped when he didnt react to their actions as if they were bored.
The man walked through the maze-like residential alleys, making one turn after another, before finally coming to a shabby-looking house.
In front of the house was a large iron gate that didnt match with the house. When the man opened the door and they entered the house, it felt like the air had become heavier.
You came sooner than I expected.
Then they heard a deep voice. The man in front bowed his head and called out.
Boss.
Lukas gaze turned to the man who was called boss.
It was a large, threatening man with many tattoos on his arms. His entire body was covered in injuries.
While sucking on a large cigar, the man said.
You must have made the smart decision since you were brought here in such a nice manner. Did you get a rough explanation from my men?
The subordinate was the one who answered.
Ah. He he was more obedient than we expected. We havent told him anything yet.
That so? Hmmm. Ah. Dont be scared, my blonde friend. Just answer my questions. Then, Ill let you go cleanly without a scratch.
The men around him burst into laughter at his words.
Lukas glanced at them.
They all seemed to have well-trained bodies and experience handling weapons. In particular, the man referred to as Boss seemed to be exceptionally strong.
Nevertheless, their races were diverse, and their clothing and weapons were, too.
You guys are not hunters.
A look of interest appeared on the boss face.
Why do you say that?
Because youre too weak-minded. Thats not something you can hide.
Kukuku.
This guy was funny.
Boss Vaches chuckled as he thought that. His men also responded with soft guffaws as if they were watching a comedy skit.
Youre a pretty good detective. But youve gone too far.
When Vaches grinned, a man behind Lukas stepped forward and put his hand on Lukas shoulder.
No, he tried to.
Crunch-
u-, urk?
The pain took a while to register.
Kuack! (Note: is it strange that Ive only just realised that this is practically quack?)
The man screamed, grabbing his arm, which had been bent in the wrong direction. Then something heavy struck his face.
It was Lukas fist that he swung backwards without even looking.
Urk!
Holding his nose, the man collapsed.
It was the perfect position, and Lukas didnt miss the opportunity. With a well-aimed strike to the back of the mans neck, he passed out cold on the ground.
You son of a bitch!
It was almost at the same time that the man wielding a knife beside him rushed forward. At first glance, it seemed that he had lost his reason in anger, but the mans eyes were cold. This showed that he had never lowered his guard.
Hwuk.
Lukas narrowed the distance. The man shrank back subconsciously when his opponent came so close.
The gap that this action caused was fatal.
Paak!
Lukas elbow hit the mans face. The shock from the attack was multiplied due to the fact that they were running towards each other.
With a crunch, the man could feel his nose shatter. But that wasnt enough. While it hurt a lot, it wasnt enough to make him faint. Sar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Lukas grabbed the man by the collar before punching him in the chest and stomach with his left hand.
The man couldnt even let out a scream before he collapsed to the ground.
Book: 2: Chapter 20
Book 2: Chapter 20 Silence fell upon the hall. No more laughter could be heard.
Whats going on?
Vaches had a shocked expression.
His body definitely didnt show any signs of training. That much was clear.
Nevertheless, the movements that hed just displayed were in no way lacking when compared to top-class hunters.
It was strange.
The power of the body could never be hidden. When one reached Vaches level, one could infer the level of ones opponent just by looking at an exposed forearm.
And according to Vaches eyes, Lukas was a weak man who could have been overwhelmed with just a pocket knife.
This place looks shabby, but its completely soundproof. Its made of concrete, the wallpaper is made of soundproof material, and the window and door frames all have a silicone finish. So no screams will be heard.
Lukas pointed behind him.
Theres only one entrance. Once someone enters this house, escape is nigh impossible. Or that would have been the case if the two idiots who were blocking the entrance didnt collapse.
You bastard.
I will rip your tongue out.
The surrounding men threatened him with angry expressions on their faces. But they wouldnt have been able to shoot their guns here.
It was clear between a majority and a minority that the majority would be at a disadvantage if they were to open fire in such a small space.
Lukas judged that they werent stupid enough to be ignorant of the dangers of ricochets.
Vaches spoke in a confident tone.
Are you going to escape? You better give up. My men are all over this area. Youll be caught before you can even take ten steps. Then well be the ones with the last laugh. Youll scream and shout everything that you know by the time were done with you.
Lukas, who was thinking about something else, paid no heed to Vaches words.
These men were all humans.
No Demon, Demonic Humans, or possessed humans.
This fact was very important to Lukas.
He walked towards the iron door.
Where the hell do you think youre going?
Catch him!
Click-
The bodies of the gang members, who were about to rush forward, froze when they heard the unexpected sound of the door being locked.
Vaches expression also hardened.????????????????????????????. ????????????
This was because Lukas had deliberately made the room a half-enclosed space.
Whats going on?
Vaches knew that if he and his men were to surround them, even Titled Hunters would falter.
Even if it was a bit unusual, Lukas action wasnt a big problem. Numbers were the most overwhelming form of violence, and Vaches knew how to use them well.
But at that moment.
For some reason, he felt that it wasnt Lukas had trapped himself. It was they who were trapped there with Lukas.
* * *
Bang!
Kuk!
Vaches slid in his blood for a few seconds as his face collided with the floor.
His head was spinning. And it wasnt only because of the pain.
Whats going on?
Even with the pain that seemed to come from every part of his body, he couldnt understand.
What just happened?
Was it one minute? Was it longer? Was it shorter?
He didnt know.
Vaches had 25 men waiting in the house, and all of them were veterans who wouldnt lose even if they were to go head-to-head with hunters.
Yet they were all annihilated. They didnt even have a chance to reach for their handguns.
Despite seeing it with his own eyes, he still couldnt believe what happened.
But he definitely remembered what happened next.
Lukas had overpowered him in three seconds.
Hes a monster.
He didnt use any special powers like magic, sorcery, or witchcraft. He simply read their movements.
Surprisingly, this feeble-looking blonde man had taken out the Red Mafias most elite group with nothing but his physical ability.
Whats your name?
The soft voice sounded threatening, and Vaches shook as he replied.
Va-, Vaches Bondarenko.
Who gave you the order?
I-, I cant say
As he said this, Vaches clenched his teeth. He thought that pain would follow. Perhaps there was a high chance that the man would break a finger or an arm.
Ill try.
He wasnt afraid of such pain. The same went for dying. He always knew that a day like this would come from the moment he joined the organisation.
Above all, Vaches knew that betrayal now would come with consequences that were far worse than death.
But Lukas got up from his seat without doing anything.
Then, he simply walked out of the house.
What the hell?
Where was he going?
He looked at the door with anxiety.
If he had been in a good condition, he would have tried to escape, but currently, his head was the only part of his body that could move.
Vaches could only look at the iron door in fear.
Click.
Then, the door opened again and a group of people walked in.
When he saw the faces of these people, Vaches expression crumpled.
They were hunters from the European Branch.
* * *
Those Red Mafia bastards just because I looked the other way a few times, they got really ballsy.
Nina swore angrily.
Vaches Bondarenko is one of the Young Bosses in charge of Sochi.
By Young Boss, it meant that he was in charge of a single division of the organisation instead of the entire Red Mafia.
How is the interrogation coming?
Not very good. As you know, theyre not afraid of pain
Then you dont need to keep being nice to them.
When Nina said these words in a cold voice, Ludwigs eyes shook.
You mean
Regardless of what method you use. Get the information out of them without breaking their minds.
Basically, it was an instruction to no longer mind the administration of drugs or use of magic.
Regardless of how inhumane the Presidents orders were, Ludwig simply bowed.
Ill do as you command.
Just before leaving the room, he glanced at Lukas, who was drinking coffee while sitting on a sofa in the corner.
who exactly is this man?
He went in and out of Ninas office as if it was his own place, and he had even been given a free pass that only the President could issue.
In all honesty, it didnt look good. After all, from Ludwigs perspective, Lukas was still an unknown.
However, he could have clearly seen that Nina had extreme trust in this man.
In fact, it made him feel a bit jealous. Even Ludwig, the Vice President, had rarely seen Nina smile so comfortably.
Then he suddenly went outside and suppressed every single organisation in the city under the Red Mafia. He defeated every one of their best fighters, including the Young Boss, Vaches. This was something that would have been extremely difficult even for Titled Hunters.
I dont think shed tell me even if I asked.
Ludwig tried to suppress his curiosity and left the room.
You seem to like it a lot.
Nina spoke up while watching Lukas drink the coffee mix.
I havent tasted anything like this since a long time ago.
Huhu.
Nina chuckled for a moment before her expression changed.
Master, did you know about the Red Mafia?
I did.
If you had told me about it in advance, I could have assisted you.
If they were Demons, I would have.
Lukas took a sip of coffee.
It seems there are spies in the headquarters.
Nina wasnt surprised by that, so instead, she nodded.
Im sure there are a lot of them. Theres probably no other headquarters as mixed as this one.
Nina sighed heavily.
Can I do anything about it? Europe is now in such a desperate situation that were literally grasping at straws. We cant check and monitor the reinforcements sent from each region. We cant afford to.
Lukas nodded.
He understood what Nina meant by mixed.
The European Branch probably had some of the worlds most diverse hunters.
Not everyone is who they appear to be. As you know, this place is on the front line, so they have no choice but to send their informants here.
One of them targeted me.
Yeah. If I had to guess, it was probably Neils doing
Lukas expression became gloomy.
This was because the name Nina had just mentioned was the person who was his first disciple before Min Ha-rin.
Have you met him recently?
No. I havent had a reason to go to America.
Nina was being honest.
The United States was the region with the fewest amount of Demons. In the first place, the Demons hadnt stretched their hands too far in North America when compared to the other regions, but it couldnt be denied that America had handled the problem better than any other country.
In fact, there were many people nowadays who called America the Land of Paradise. Even if it was a utopia built on ruins, it was clearly the safest and most peaceful place on the planet.
Although, the Association took the place of the government.
And now, that man was sitting in the seat as Head of the Association. He was the strongest, greatest, and most powerful person Nina knew.
Neil seems to be looking for you, Master. Its been like that for over 10 years. Do you have any plans to meet him?
I will see him soon. In about 3 months.
Ninas eyes shined.
Are you going to show your face at the world conference?
Right. I intend to talk about the establishment of Argento Spell there.
It was the right call.
Argento Spell would act as an independent organisation, but support from the Hunter Association would be indispensable. If the relationship between the two grew sour, it could lead to bad results.
The existence of the organisation should have at least been revealed, even if it didnt obtain the support he wanted.
Im sure there will be a lot of people wholl oppose it, but
An armed organisation that was outside of the control of the Association and that could, at times, act upon arbitrary judgements was certainly something that many high-ranking members of the association would definitely not be pleased with.
Thats right. But it would be possible if we got the consent of one Director and three Branch Presidents. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Three Branch Presidents.
Naturally, Nina would follow Lukas judgement regardless of what happened. But they would still need two more.
Do you have anyone else in mind?
Maybe there was another person with a powerful influence among the transformers whom Lukas had saved.
Nina asked that question with this expectation, but Lukas shook his head.
No.
Then how?
Ill have to negotiate.
Huh?
Lukas spoke with a calm voice.
Im thinking of meeting the President of the Asia Branch.
Book: 2: Chapter 21
Book 2: Chapter 21 A few days passed.
In that time, Lukas life could only be described as monotonous. All he had to do was occasionally give Min Ha-rin books about Magical Science.
He didnt talk to her. To be precise, he deliberately avoided her.
He felt that it was necessary to create an environment allowing her to train on her own for a week.
That was why he spent most of his time alone in his room.
One day, Lukas was meditating in his room when he heard a voice.
[hes here.]
It was a weak, terrified voice. It sounded like it would disappear at any moment.
Lukas opened his eyes.
In front of him was the mysterious man in black, who was shaking like a leaf in the wind.
[I wont get involved anymore. Im sorry]
The mans voice grew faint after saying those words, and he soon disappeared like a puff of smoke.
Lukas got up from his seat.
Then he headed to the elevator.
We received a thunderstorm warning
The security guard at the elevator warned him with an embarrassed expression, but he didnt try to stop him, and Lukas was able to use it.
Rumble-
The elevator shook violently.
Fortunately, it still seemed to work properly, but as the ground drew closer, the sound of heavy rain, which seemed to be pounding the ground, could be heard.
Boom!
Then there was the sound of thunder. The elevators lights blinked dangerously, but Lukas didnt even flinch. He was simply lost in thought while listening to the pounding rain.
The humans called Demons a disaster, and they werent wrong. But he didnt think they couldve even imagined just what a true disaster was.
It was the extinction of the planet, not the species.
Furthermore, the entire universe could be returned to a state of nothingness.
Lukas saved only those who had the potential to save the world. He hoped that they could create the winds of change. This was because he hoped the humans would overcome their trials on their own.
By the time hed come to this world, the human population had already been halved, but he didnt make a move until that number fell far below half.
He didnt do anything to the Demons.
If Lukas were to use his power wantonly, then they would have a reason to intervene.
Hed saved many worlds.
To be precise, hed saved many worlds humans. sea??h th Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
It was an act that had become the reason for Lukas existence. He wandered through countless universes performing the role he set for himself.
He heard cries of gratitude, received intense faith and belief, and earned a lot of trust and affection from the humans he saved.
And.
He received hatred, resentment, and fear from many more races.
It was as I expected.
From a cosmic perspective, favouring one species was not the right thing to do.
There were many beings who were born ugly. These beings were designed to torment and make others feel despair.
They werent good beings, but Lukas sympathised with them. They were poor creatures who were born evil from the start.
Unlike humans, they didnt get the chance to choose whether they wanted to be good or evil.
Nevertheless, there might have been another way. It might have been possible for him to lead them on the right path.
It might have been possible to make them good.
But he didnt.
Instead, Lukas exterminated every enemy of the humans.
At some point, the other Absolutes began calling Lukas [Madman] or [Human] and criticised him heavily. But the fact was that they werent wrong. He didnt even think about denying it.
However, he didnt stop his actions.
He silently carried on with his work.
Time passed. A really long time.
The winds of time couldnt touch him because he had already transcended time.
Karma gradually accumulated, and his level increased.
Ironically, the more the races who persecuted humans hated Lukas, the stronger he became.
For an Absolute, reverence was the most efficient form of energy. And the more negative and ugly the emotion was, the thicker the concentration.
Lukas became stronger at an unusual rate. This caused him to stand out amongst the Absolutes, and before long, they became interested in him.
But that interest soon became displeasure and then hostility.
Lukas was an unforeseen obstacle.
Despite their warnings, he didnt hesitate to pick worlds that could have been regarded as their territory. Then, he ruined many small and large plans of their design. Even going so far as to destroy them completely.
Ding-
He walked out of the elevator.
It seemed that the clothing store was closed because the lights were off and the owner wasnt behind the counter. It was probably due to the heavy rain and the thunderstorm.
Fortunately, the back door was open, so he could still leave the building.
Shaaa-
None of the stores in the city were open. This was because the rains were too severe. While walking through the street, only the sound of the rain could be heard.
Lukas walked up to a bench and sat on it without paying any attention to the raindrops pounding against his skin.
Boom!
Suddenly, an enormous bolt of lightning tore through the sky.
And the world froze.
The raindrops froze in the air, and the lightning bolt remained in the sky as though it had been painted.
Lukas had only experienced this phenomenon once before. This had happened in the past when he had finally defeated his greatest enemy and accomplished his goal before becoming an Absolute.
However, it wasnt God who appeared this time.
He saw the shadow of an enormous being behind the dark clouds in the sky.
This was the existence whom God had mentioned that day.
A being who had been born as a cosmic entity.
A being who stood at the pinnacle of countless Absolutes.
Perhaps the most dangerous being in the entire multiverse.
[Nice to meet you, Madman.]
Lukas was looking at a Ruler.
* * *
His voice sounded like a clap of thunder.
Lukas knew.
It would be impossible for anyone who wasnt at least a transcendent being to even understand that sound. The moment a normal person heard that voice, their body would collapse and their soul would die.
Only those at the rank of Absolute would be able to understand the language in his voice and converse with him.
The freezing of time and space was for that purpose.
Even though he had only sent a thought projection to this place, if he hadnt frozen time and space, the entire planet would have probably collapsed.
This was Lukas first time seeing a Ruler in person. But even though it was just a thought projection, facing it was still a considerable burden for him.
His entire body shook as though an electric current was running through him.
Nevertheless, his voice was unexpectedly calm.
I wanted to meet you, too.
[Do you know who I am?]
He spoke in a somewhat cheerful voice, and Lukas responded while looking up at the lightning which lit up the night sky.
Lightning God. (Note: I changed his name to Thunderous Lightning God which is a bit closer to what Im assuming the author meant Author is using a strange blend of Korean-Chinese that is besting me.)
[Uhaha!]
The Thunderous Lightning God burst into laughter.
His laugh sounded more powerful than the thunderstorm that had just been battering the city.
Lukas recalled the Demigod from the past who had the power of lightning.
Indra.
His lightning, which Lukas had felt countless times in his mental world, had been so powerful that it was able to completely burn Lukas body despite the fact that he was already much stronger than any mortal at the time.
But in the end, he won.
And with Rikis help, he managed to make Indra give in, allowing Lukas to make his power his own.
The Lightning Gods power was the same as Indras.
The same?
Could this be called the same?
Lukas denied it.
The Lightning God was stronger than millions of Indras combined. His tremendous power could be felt even with just his thought projection.
Just like a drop of water and an ocean were the same, they had the same essence.
But everything else was different. No. Even the word different wasnt enough.
Lukas thought for a moment before he could think of a suitable word.
They were on different levels.
[Youve been running around the multiverse as you please. It wouldnt be unreasonable to say that almost everyone hates you. Ive lived for a very long time, but I dont think Ive seen anyone as crazy as you.]
There were some. Who were the same as me.
[Put your expectation aside. Youll never be able to meet them. They are all dead.]
The Lightning God continued to talk in a cheerful manner.
Lukas wasnt surprised because he had expected something similar. However, he was surprised that this Ruler was such a chatterbox. Just like God.
He couldnt help but wonder if all the beings above the Absolutes were like this.
Hiding his thoughts about the Lightning God, Lukas asked.
So are you going to kill me too?
[If it was the Demon King, he probably wouldve done just that. Hes the most angry of us. If you meet him, your soul will disappear without even a speck of dust remaining.]
[But Im different. I can tell after seeing you in person. Your head is more twisted than I thought. But thats precisely why I like you.]
what are you trying to say?
[Serve me, Madman.]
Lukas expression became strange. He didnt answer immediately, but he didnt panic.
He just looked at the giant being beyond the clouds as though he was urging him to explain.
[You must know that every Lord follows a Ruler.]
Right.
[Do you know why?]
To shift responsibility.
[Hoh]
The Lightning God looked down at him with interest.
[Thats an interesting way to put it. Youre not wrong. No matter how much they grow, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, and even millions of Absolutes will encounter the same problem. To put it simply, they become distracted.]
There wasnt a need to explain whether this was a dangerous phenomenon or not. The most important thing for Absolutes was a healthy and focused mind.
You could call it willpower.
Believing in themselves and not doubting themselves was the foundation of Absolutes, and it was the source of their power.
[You can still hold on. But thats because you are rather young when compared to most Lords. However, it wont be long before your beliefs begin to crack. Then, every moment will feel like a waking hell. And then youll do what everyone else does.]
The Lightning God chuckled.
[In other words, you will look for God. Isnt it funny? Beings who are like gods in the eyes of mortals end up seeking out God.]
I wont do that.
[That might be the case now. But the point is that we are beings who have transcended the concept of time. And we have eternal, interminable work. No matter how you look at it, if you do the same thing for hundreds of millions of years, your beliefs are bound to change. Just like water droplets that have fallen for hundreds of years can pierce through rocks.]
[But we all know what God is like. I cant speak for those who have completely lost their minds, but at least, I wouldnt want to rely on our neglectful creator.]
God was surprisingly unpopular among the Absolutes.
Lukas knew that too.
So you mean I should rely on you?
[I will carry your karma for you. I will let you continue saving humans in my territory. I dont care about conflicts with the other Rulers. Instead, Ill stop them from pressuring you.]
Lukas suddenly let out a laugh.
[Why are you laughing?]
What are you hiding?
Lukas voice sounded.
Youre not just helping me out of pity. As you said, Ive only been a Lord for a short amount of time, but I know well what you Rulers are like. You guys dont pay attention to anything unless it affects the multiverse as a whole or unless someone touches your territory. And amongst the Rulers, you are the one with the least attachment to your territory.]
[Kuku]
The Lightning God chuckled.
Book: 2: Chapter 22
Book 2: Chapter 22 [You just answered your own question. Right. I wouldnt pay attention to something unless it was serious. You became the eye of a storm. Every Absolute in the multiverse is paying attention to you. You were born with a destiny of chaos. Thanks to that, the balance and tranquility which had been maintained for a long time has begun to crack]
The Lightning Gods voice became serious.
[There is a possibility that you might become another Ruler.]
!
Lukas couldnt help but feel shocked.
A Ruler
Right. Hed forgotten.
Becoming a Ruler had been one of Lukas secret goals. It was for the sake of saving all of the humans in the Three Thousand Worlds and returning to his homeworld at any time.
His universe, his home.
And those who waited for his return.
However at some point, the thought of becoming a Ruler had become faint.
He had realised it after becoming a Lord. Just how absurd they were.
He felt that if he thought too deeply about it, he would realise just how impossible his goal was. That was why Lukas deliberately stopped thinking about it.
But now, Lightning God, one of the Rulers, had said it.
He had the potential to become a Ruler.
How is that right given? Do the four Rulers have a meeting? To decide which Absolute is qualified?
[Everything has an order. However, it is true that your case is quite unique Prepare for The Great Game, Madman.]
the Great Game?
It was the first time hed heard of it.
But it didnt seem like the Lightning God intended to tell him more about it.
[I will suggest it again. Come under me. You have nothing to lose. You cannot stand on your own. If you dont choose a Ruler to serve, you will die. Dont think that youll be able to escape like in the past.]
[The other Rulers want to kill you. I am the only one willing to help you.]
Thinking that Lukas was still worried, the Lightning God added.
[Have you ever felt calm since becoming an Absolute? After saving one world, a next one awaits, and even if you save that one, there will be another. The screams ringing in your ears would never stop, and your initial determination would eventually fade away. Your emotions would dry up, and that part of you that can be called a personality would disappear. Then what would happen in the end?]
[You would simply become a puppet. With no emotions, no personality, no beliefs. You would become a machine who gets summoned to universes that have lost their balances, and you would leave after perfectly performing your task. Im sure you know that a majority of Absolutes have become like that.]
But that wont happen if I obey you?
[Exactly. Personality is incredibly important. A strong personality that is second to none is one of the requirements to become a Ruler. That is why you have the potential. An Absolute like you who has a strong personality is very rare.]
He was right.
Lukas understood.
God or the Rulers.
He understood why these beings, who had lived for countless years, talked and acted in ways that appeared similar to mortals at first glance.
Perhaps they acted in a certain manner on purpose. Or it was possible that they changed their personalities periodically.
Otherwise, they wouldnt be able to maintain their egos.
I refuse.
Despite Lukas cold refusal, the Lightning God smiled widely.
[Why?]
I have no intention of passing my karma onto someone else. This is the path that I chose to walk on. It has nothing to do with you.
This wasnt an emotional decision.
Lukas didnt believe everything the Lightning God had told him, and he knew what kind of mindset the Absolutes who submitted to the Rulers would have.
Serving the Rulers was a choice that was completely incompatible with his beliefs.
The Lightning God simply laughed for a while as if he didnt know what to say.
[You really are a madman.]
Lukas was unable to tell whether he was angry, amused, or something else entirely.
[You killed a Demon.]
Lukas remained silent.
[By this universes standards, he was a pretty powerful Demon too. Why did you kill him? I was able to pinpoint your location because of that.]
You can stop talking nonsense. You would have found me regardless of if I had killed a Demon or not. This is proven by the fact that you arrived here before the Demon King.
[Hehe.]
The Lightning God chuckled.
His insight was pretty good.
The Demons here could also be considered as the Demon Kings creations.
Killing them was the same as touching the Demon Kings bottom line.
Nevertheless, Lukas had killed a Demon. Not only did he kill a Demon, but he killed a Demon Duke, one of the highest-ranking Demons.
Nevertheless, it was the Lightning God, not the Demon King, who had found Lukas first.
In other words, this Ruler had been actively looking for him.
[You should know that each universe has a certain level of tolerance.]
The huge shadow standing behind the clouds moved. It was as if he was looking around.
[There are creatures born into the world who are weaker than insects. On the other hand, there could be countless beings in a universe who are comparable to Absolutes. I was born in a universe like that.]
The Lightning God unexpectedly mentioned his own creation.
[On average, the higher the level of the beings in the universe, the higher that universes tolerance. This fact is very important for Absolutes. If a force exceeds the limits of the universe, the balance is broken, and eventually, it will lead to the collapse of that dimension.]
That was the reason why Absolutes, who entered specific universes as saviours, usually didnt use their full power.
It was the same for Lukas.
[This universes tolerance is below average. The science is a bit advanced, but thats it. Just a few hundred thousand Demons is enough to push it to the brink of extinction.]
The Lightning God clicked his tongue as if to say it was pathetic.
[Thats probably why you wanted the humans to grow stronger. The stronger they become, the higher the universes tolerance would become and, naturally, the more power an Absolute would be able to exert. Kuku Honestly, Im surprised you were able to raise the humans power by this much in only a few decades.]
The Lightning God knew that Lukas had made the best choice.
He could have dealt with the Demons as soon as he entered this universe. Even with limited power, as an Absolute, he would be able to get rid of the Demons with nothing but 9 star spells.
The problem was what came after.
If he killed all of the Demons, perhaps within a day, another Absolute would intervene, and they would inevitably have a battle with Lukas.
If his opponent was another Absolute, then Lukas would be unable to hold back his power. Power that far surpassed this universes tolerance would inevitably be released, and eventually, the dimension would collapse.
If that were to happen, then humans would no longer be the problem. The entire universe would disappear in vain.
That didnt mean that he could tolerate watching the humans being slaughtered.
That was why Lukas spread his knowledge around the world and facilitated their growth. He also saved those who could promote human development as much as possible, those who could lead them, and those who could create a great wind of change.
In addition to that, he used every other means available to him to make the humans stronger.
It wasnt easy. Because he had to support them behind the scenes.
Nevertheless, Lukas didnt give up, and in time, he received the results that he wanted.
As a result, in only a few decades, it became possible for humans to fight the Demons with their own power. The universes tolerance also increased greatly.
[However, your plan to raise the humans has come to an end.] S~ea??h the N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
you mean
[Right.]
Lukas expression hardened when he heard the Lightning Gods next words.
[Lets just say that your times up. Soon, an Absolute will enter this universe. And I dont think I have to tell you what their goal is.]
Lukas remained silent.
[Theyre not coming to this universe as saviours. Whether the balance is broken or the universe is collapsing doesnt matter to them. Nevertheless, they still have their consciences as Absolutes, so they will be mindful to an extent, but they wont hesitate to use their full power if necessary.]
They would exert the full power of their body if they felt that it was worth doing.
Absolutes were divided into Assistants, Managers, Lords, and Rulers.
Lukas was an Absolute with the second-highest rank. And even amongst the Lords, he had the power to stand at the very top.
But he didnt want the universe to collapse. This meant that he would be unable to unleash his full strength as a Lord.
Lukas wouldnt be able to use External Force, which was a power unique to Absolutes, or Endtongue, which was his main power.
This meant that he would be fighting with a major handicap.
Lukas heart became heavy.
It was still too early. If he had a little more time
[I will block their entry as long as possible.]
Instead of gratitude, it was natural that he felt suspicion after hearing the sudden declaration.
[Dont you believe me? Im serious. Ill buy you a year or so. And Ill prevent the intervention of the other Rulers as much as possible.]
Lukas narrowed his eyes.
He couldnt understand what the Lightning God was thinking.
However He couldnt refuse his unconventional offer.
It didnt matter if he was up to something.
The worst-case scenario for Lukas would be the Absolute arriving before he was ready.
1 year.
Even a single year was precious time for him.
[But I was a little late. So I apologize for that.]
what do you mean?
Lukas looked up at the clouds.
It felt like the Lightning God, whose features he couldnt see, was smiling.
[I mean that I cant kick out any Absolutes who have already entered this universe.]
Lukas expression hardened.
[I wonder if you can handle it. Please dont die before the Great Game begins, Lukas. Dont let me down]
The Lightning Gods voice gradually faded.
He could feel the giant presence, behind the clouds, leaving
And space and time started moving once again.
Book: 2: Chapter 23
Book 2: Chapter 23 Shaa-
It was raining heavily. The bolt of lightning in the sky spread like a spider web before disappearing.
Lukas realised that the Lightning Gods thought projection had completely left the universe.
the Great Game.
These words remained stuck in his head. At the same time, he had a premonition that it would be a trial unlike anything hed ever encountered.
Hoo.
He took a deep breath and organised his thoughts.
Instead of the Great Game which he knew nothing about, it would have been better to think about the Absolutes who would soon be entering this universe.
Absolutes.
Thats what the Lightning God said.
In other words, it wouldnt be only one Absolute who would be entering this universe.
It hadnt been a big problem that he couldnt use Divine Magic Power or Endtongue. At least so far.
The knowledge and experience he had, together with 9 star spells, were enough to allow him to have no threats in this universe.
Although he hadnt met the Demon King, the Dukes, who were considered the strongest Demons after the Demon King, couldnt pose any threat to him.
However, it was completely impossible to face an Absolute with nothing but the power of 9 stars.
If an Absolute has already entered
Then it was important for him to find out where they were.
In order to do that, he needed information.
This meant that he had to obtain the assistance of organisations that could identify major events happening around the world with ease.
Currently, the most favourable force for Lukas was the European Branch. That was because he had the absolute trust of Nina, the Branch President.
However, Europe could not afford to fight against the Demons who were constantly encroaching on their territory.
Although some modicum of intel collection was carried out, it was different from the information Lukas wanted.
He needed first-class operatives who gathered information not only in the human territories but also in the land of the Demons.
He needed eyes and ears.
I need the power of the Chinese Intelligence Agency.
China could be called the most controversial country in the world, but such feelings had grown thin following the Demons invasion.
Now, most of the people were moving under the ideology of One of China, and they faithfully played the role of the biggest defense wall for the human front.
Unlike Japan and Korea, where one would have relatively few opportunities to see Demons, the power of the Chinese Branch could be considered among the top three in the entire world because it had always been fighting life-threatening battles on the frontline.
That was why their intelligence went without saying. At this point, most advanced science had been neutralised.
The Chinese Intelligence Agencys ability to obtain information directly from the Demons territory despite the fact that it was filled with Demons was beyond even the United States.
But things wouldnt work so easily.
Even if he borrowed Ninas power. No. Instead, there was a high possibility that he would be criticised for such tricks.
China didnt have a very positive opinion of the United States, who lived in the peaceful space they created across the sea. And it was the same for Europe, who had built a close relationship with the United States.
It was then Lukas thought of a man.
He was the second-in-command of the Hunter Associations Chinese Branch, and he was a revered figure throughout Asia. (Note: How did it become Chinese Branch after East Asia Branch?)
The Human Dragon, Lee Jong-hak.
To gain the power of the intelligence agency, his assistance would be indispensable.
* * *
A few days before Lukas had an encounter with the Lightning God.
Europe and Africa were said to be the two regions that had suffered the most devastating damage on earth. It was no exaggeration to say that most of the land on these two continents was occupied by the Demons.
Great Britain, which could have been called one of the three major powers in Europe, was no exception. Among the island nations across the world, Great Britain suffered an unprecedented amount of damage.
This might have been because the Demon King descended upon France, which was the country closest to Great Britain.
The situation of Northern Ireland, which didnt belong to Great Britain, fared relatively better.
Or at least, that was the case not so long ago.
H-, hoo
Katherine panted with a terrified expression.
She wanted to cover her ears from the beastly grunts, screams, and sounds of things being eaten coming from outside the house.
Big sis?
Tom, who was now six years old, still didnt seem to fully understand what was happening. His voice was filled with curiosity about his sisters unusual expression.
Seeing this little boy, who was much weaker than she was, Katherine gained some courage.
Its fine. Everything will be fine. Do you trust big sis?
Mhm.
Good. As long as we stay
Crack!
Kyah!
The door was smashed, and a bizarre looking creature entered the house.
Its snout was as long as an anteaters, and its upper body was unusually large. Compared to that, its lower body was so thin that one couldnt help but wonder how it couldve supported its own weight.
Grrr
The monsters red eyes shined brightly, and its nose flared. His sense of smell was abnormally strong, so it was no problem for him to find the boy and girl who were hiding in the house thinking that they were safe.
O-, oh, my God
Katherine closed her eyes with a look of despair.
On the other hand, Tom didnt close his eyes.
Instead, he was staring at the sky with a blank expression on his face.
The ceiling of the house had collapsed during the Demon Beasts rampage, so the night sky was clearly visible.
And in it, a meteor could be seen.
Pretty.
Tom muttered this softly. But he noticed that the meteors movement was strange. It was as if it was coming right for them.
No, was that really a meteor?
Boom!
Krk?
The Demon Beast turned its head. An unidentified object had fallen from the sky and smashed into the ground.
Turning away from the two humans who it didnt think could escape, the Demon Beast looked at the crater.
Then, someone walked out of the dust cloud.
It was a breathtakingly beautiful woman. Her hair was so dark that it seemed to absorb the moonlight, and her clothes were pitch black.
Her eyes seemed to shine with a bloody light, and her expression was grim.
What truly stood out, however, was the weapon in her hand.
It was a ridiculously large scythe, which didnt seem to suit her at all.
Krrr
The Demon Beast stared at the woman with a cautious expression.
The hair on its entire body stood up, and its pupils shook. It found it hard to breathe because of the vicious aura surrounding the woman.
Kyaah!
Nevertheless, a beast was a beast.
The Demon Beast did not like the feeling of fear it got from the woman, so it charged towards her. Its claws, which could easily tear through stone, flashed in the moonlight.
Chuk-
But the Demon Beasts body suddenly became thousands of pieces of meat, splattered across the ground.
Nevertheless, there wasnt a single drop of blood on the scythe.
H-, hik
Katherine stared at the woman in horror, but the woman left the house while pretending to not notice them.
Krk!
Kaak! Kaak!
The Demon Beasts who smelled the heavy scent of blood started swarming. There were even some incredibly large ones who made the Demon Beast who had just died look small in comparison.
Ignorant things.
The woman muttered darkly.
Then the entire city became bathed with blood.
Sarch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Book: 2: Chapter 24
Book 2: Chapter 24 Beijing, China.
This used to be a large metropolitan city that housed more than 20 million people, but now, only about 1 million people remained. And about 5 percent of them were hunters.
This meant that there were more than 50,000 hunters in this city alone.
Cha Gung-hwan, President of the East Asia Branch, was already over 70 years old. Although training in martial arts had slowed down the aging process to an extent, his white hair and wrinkles could not be hidden.
There was usually an ever-present smile on his lips, but today, his expression was hard as if hed bitten a rock.
Youre here.
Hows the situation?
Its been quiet since the first fall.
Good work.
Cha Gung-hwan briefly commended his subordinates before turning around.
Hmm
An invisible aura seemed to swirl around his body.
There was a crater in the ground as though a small meteor had landed here. The surrounding area also had a horrific appearance as if there had been a disaster.
Most of the skyscrapers in the area had collapsed, and the lower buildings were all buried in the torrents of rock.
This had been an area where civilians stayed.
Thousands must have died.
Cha Gung-hwans heart became heavy, but no signs of this were visible on his face. After all, the President and leader of such a large group could not display such weakness.
The Demon Slayers, known as Chinas strongest hunter group, were watching him.
Lets go.
At Cha Gung-hwans words, the Demon Slayers followed him. They descended to the center of the crater.
There was still dust lingering in the air, and the burnt smell had yet to fade.
After a short walk, they found the main culprit of the disaster.
It was a handsome man with blue hair. He was wearing a fur coat, and as they approached him, they felt a strange pressure.
Kuk
Ten steps.
That was his limit. When he reached ten steps away, Cha Gung-hwan found that he couldnt get any closer.
If he tried to get closer, his airways might get blocked or his heart might explode. It was the same for the Demon Slayers.
The man opened his eyes. His golden eyes gleamed with a light that made them feel like their souls would be sucked out.
Cha Gung-hwan forcibly swallowed his saliva and opened his mouth.
Who are you?
In fact, there was no need to ask.
The only reasonable explanation was that he was a Demon.
This man had reportedly fallen from the sky. Hed smashed the protective barrier which surrounded Beijing in an instant, and even then, his momentum had not reduced in the slightest.
It was not something a human could do.
Beijings protective barrier is among the top three in the entire world. If he smashed it in an instant
This meant that he was at least a Demon Duke. However, Cha Gung-hwan found that he couldnt identify whether the man in front of him was a Demon or not.
He couldnt feel any demonic energy from this man. In fact, his calm eyes seemed to have a serenity that even a sincere monk would find hard to match.
The stronger the Demon, the harder it is for them to hide their demon energy.
If that was the case, then who was this person?
The man looked at him and spoke.
You are the leader of these people.
you! Dont you know who this is?!
One of the Demon Slayers growled out. His strength and willpower seemed great as the other members beside him were having a hard time even opening their mouths.
But it wasnt a smart move.
U-, urk?!
The Demon Slayer member grabbed his neck, his face becoming pale.
H-, hey!
Why all of a sudden?
K-, kuk
Suddenly, water began flowing from the mans eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. A ghastly amount of water was flowing out of his body. As it flowed, the water became redder and redder until it became as red as blood.
Kuh Uk Kuk!
The member of the Demon Slayers held his neck tightly, as though he was being choked, before collapsing.
And after twitching a few times, he stopped moving.
A cold silence fell.
The man opened his mouth again.
I will give you two options.
options?
The first is that youll all die.
!
Cha Gung-hwans heart sank.
The man continued in an emotionless voice, seemingly ignorant of their feelings.
The second is to obey me. If you do that, then your enemy, the Demons I will destroy them.
* * *
In the sky without a single dark cloud in sight, the largest lightning bolt in history suddenly struck down.
Boom!
If someone were to see this occurrence, they would only have seen an incredibly bright light that completely filled the horizon. It was several times larger than the largest lightning bolt ever recorded.
If this lightning bolt had struck down in a populated region instead of in the middle of the ocean, it might have multiplied the number of deaths ever caused by lightning bolts by a few times.
A tidal wave as tall as skyscrapers rose up into the air, and dozens of large and small vortices formed.
For a long time, the ocean raged and the waves roared as if they were afraid.
This phenomenon happened for a while before the ocean finally settled down once again like it had never happened.
No one noticed this disturbance, which had suddenly occurred in the South Pacific.
* * *
Lukas didnt get the chance to meet Lee Jong-hak.
He was told that hed left on a mission just the day before.
It seemed that he had completed his rehabilitation to some extent.
The mission he had chosen was a long-term mission, so it could take up to a few weeks or even a month in some cases.
He wouldnt come if I called him.
Despite the fact that he was currently staying in the European Branch, Lee Jong-hak was an Asian hunter. Together with the fact that he held the high position of Vice President, this meant that Nina could not force him to obey her orders.
The only option would be to go to him directly. But Lukas decided against that for now.
There was a disciple whom he had to pay attention to at the moment.
Magic Missile.
Woowoong-
A bluish energy projectile formed with a soft hum.
Min Ha-rin looked down at the projectile that shed created.
Lukas nodded.
You were successful. Thats your first spell.
My first spell
A sense of accomplishment filled her heart with those words.
Min Ha-rin clenched her fist as her body shook.
Lukas patted her on the shoulder.
Congratulations on taking your first step on the path of Magical Science.
These words brought her back to her senses.
Right. Min Ha-rin was no longer a Swordsman. At that moment, she had been reborn as a newbie Wizard, not a first-rate Swordsman.
It would be a lie to say she didnt feel a bit strange at that revelation. After all, her dedication over the past 10 years had basically been for nothing.
But her heart still beat uncontrollably in her chest.
It was a very thrilling and special experience to manipulate this mysterious power.
Did you read all the books?
Yeah. But I didnt memorise everything. Sarch* The N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
You dont need to force yourself to memorise everything. Its good enough to just read it. Dont try to cram it all into your head. Instead, read them like novels. That way, even if you dont remember the exact wording, youll still be able to remember the concept.
Lukas chuckled as he said that.
Min Ha-rin lowered her head a little, and she couldnt help but think that that smile was very attractive.
Her Master was a strange person. Especially when it came to teaching magic.
She could never tell what he was thinking, and his words were always short. He was beyond blunt. He was like a person without emotions or a monk who had truly separated himself from the world.
But when teaching magic, he was like a young boy who was doing the thing he liked the most.
When the usually blunt image and this not-so-bad image overlapped, Min Ha-rin seemed to feel a fluttering in her heart.
Did you have any difficulty?
Moreover, her tone when she spoke to him seemed to be getting softer and softer. Maybe that was why Nina sometimes shot a resentful gaze at her.
She finally understood.
Its not that.
Min Ha-rin let out a breath as if to get rid of her clustered thoughts before replying.
No. Its just fun.
Which part?
Everything.
She enjoyed increasing her mana while meditating, reading books and learning about Magical Science, and using magic directly.
Thats why she was slightly nervous.
Should I be enjoying it like this?
There was a saying that it was easier to learn something you enjoyed.
Min Ha-rin knew this.
But she was still nervous.
As a human who was living in this apocalyptic era, she instinctively rejected the thought of training with such a light heart.
Lukas also understood what Min Ha-rin was thinking.
Thats why he spoke in a slightly mischievous tone.
When the time comes, youll desperately wish for that feeling.
Huh?
Your talent is obviously excellent, but someday, you will inevitably hit a wall. At that time, you will naturally have a different mindset.
Theres no need to worry about that now. First of all, you should try to reach 3 stars. Then, youll be able to do your part.
When will I know that Ive reached 3 stars?
Hmm Right.
Lukas raised his index finger and a ball of flames appeared on it.
You should at least be able to create a Fireball this size.
Fwoosh-
As he said that, more balls appeared above his finger.
At least three of them.
Book: 2: Chapter 25
Book 2: Chapter 25 Min Ha-rin frowned slightly.
Ill have to increase my mana capacity first.
Right. Also Do you still have the Soul Crystal?
Min Ha-rin nodded. She knew that he was talking about Sandros Soul Crystal.
Yeah. Do you need it?
No. Make sure you dont lose it. When you reach 5 stars, youll be able to use the crystal to train.
Min Ha-rins expression became a bit stiff before she asked carefully.
are you talking about absorbing the energy in the Soul Crystal?
This was a very controversial topic among hunters.
The souls in the Soul Crystals were constantly eroded by demonic energy, which caused them to become large sources of pure energy.
This meant that they were a great resource for not only the Demons but also the hunters as well.
Swordsmen or Warriors could use it to increase their ki while Wizards and other mana users could use it to increase their mana. Or if their ki or mana ran out, they could use Soul Crystals to replenish.
Soul Crystals were high-quality elixirs that were created by using the suffering and despair of numerous victims.
Because of this, there were many voices saying that increasing ones power at the cost of others souls was inhumane. Religious forces, in particular, were strongly opposed to the practice.
It was one of the rare times when Catholicism and Buddhism were in agreement about something.
Min Ha-rin did not criticise others for the practice because of her own morals, but she was still reluctant to sacrifice souls for her own gain.
Lukas shook his head.
Of course not. I guess you havent heard of it. There is a way to save the souls in a Soul Crystal.
Theres a way to do that?
Right.
Then why
Why didnt he teach it to other humans?
Min Ha-rin wanted to ask this question, but she closed her mouth instead. The image of Lee Jong-hak flashed in her mind.
There might have been a reason why he chose not to tell them.
But Lukas shook his head with a bitter expression.
I already taught them how to do it.
Huh?
Min Ha-rin stared at him with wide eyes.
However, my teaching didnt spread. Most of the humans I taught chose to remain silent about the method.
Why?
Because it is clear to everyone that the energy stored in Soul Crystals is incredibly efficient. They lied to the world and said that there was no way to save the souls in a Soul Crystal in order to prevent the humanitarian backlash.
That
Min Ha-rin bit her lip.
She never would have imagined that such a dreadful thing had been happening.
But Lukas simply looked at her and said.
Do you think theyre wrong?
Of course I do! The souls in the crystals can be saved, but they are using them like fuel
There was a time when two Demon Counts suddenly appeared in Shaanxi Province, China.
Huh?
It was a sudden attack, and the humans were not prepared for it. At the time, a Wizard from Shaanxi used hundreds of Soul Crystals to form a large, powerful barrier, which allowed the humans to successfully survive the attack without any casualties.
!
Min Ha-rin froze, but Lukas continued.
If the Demons hadnt been stopped, then at least tens of thousands of people would have been killed or imprisoned by them, but thanks to the Wizards quick response, the damage was minimal. Would you go tell that Wizard that he had thrown away the souls of countless humans and deserved to be hated instead of praised?
Min Ha-rin didnt know what to say.
Lukas looked into her eyes.
In conclusion, thanks to the Soul Crystals, many lives were saved and the Wizard became the hero of Shaanxi.
Min Ha-rin was certain. If she had been one of those who had been saved by that man, she would have thanked him.
However
She couldnt help but feel conflicted.
Then what the hell is the answer? I want to know what you think.
My perspective would not help you. The same goes for my conclusion.
Lukas spoke bitterly.
Ha-rin, I dont know why, but Im actually curious about your thoughts.
You wouldnt hesitate to cut your own heart out, but you couldnt stand to see someone else receive even a single scratch. Thats your most humane part.
Min Ha-rin realised that Lukas was talking about her siblings. She spoke in a weak voice.
Thats because they are my family. Theyre all I have.
Not all blood relatives have such a relationship. Dont you know that there are mothers who sell their own newborn babies? Moreover, you sacrificed yourself for Allida.
Excessive humility isnt good. You made a noble choice. That is something deserving of praise.
Min Ha-rin was honestly not confident.
Even Lukas wasnt sure if his conclusion was the right one, so she doubted if she would be able to find the right answer.
However, when she met Lukas gaze, she naturally opened her mouth.
When I come to a conclusion, you will be the first person I tell.
Lukas smiled.
Ill take your word for it.
As he said that, Lukas put his hand on Min Ha-rins head.
* * *
Master, Gerard has returned.
Lukas raised his head at Ninas words.
Gerard?
Yes. The one I told you about last time
Ah.
Lukas nodded.
She was talking about the child shed asked him to consider taking as a disciple.
He should be heading to my office now to make his report If its fine with you, can you take a look at him now?
Did you tell him about me?
No. I didnt say anything.
Nina was considerate.
Lukas nodded, and a short moment after they entered the office, they heard a knock on the door.
Come in.
With Ninas permission, the door opened and a group of people walked into the office.
There were a total of five people, three men, and two women. They were not clean, so it seemed they had come to make their report before washing up.
A young man standing in the middle of the group smiled and bowed.
President, Gerard and the four others are here to report our return.
Gerard.
Lukas was able to recognise the fact that he was a Swordsman at a glance because of his outfit, physique, and aura. In fact, he was a fairly strong Swordsman.
While he couldnt be compared to Lee Jong-hak, he was comparable to Min Ha-rin when she had still been a Swordsman.
In other words, this meant that he was comparable to a Titled Hunter.
Nina nodded.
Good job. Was the mission difficult?
No. It was very rewarding.
Have a cup of tea.
Im honoured.
Despite just returning home from a long mission, he sat on the sofa in front of Lukas without showing any tiredness.
When his eyes met with Lukas, who was sitting there, he smiled slightly and lowered his head.
He was a polite young man. Thinking this, Lukas also bowed his head to him.
Soon, Nina also came to the sofa and took a seat.
How was your mission?
It was difficult more because of the Demon Beasts than the nobles. There were twice as many as reported. Fortunately, the local hunters helped us, so we were able to get through it without taking much damage.
Thats good.
It was then.
One of them is injured.
Lukas spoke.
Gerard and the rest turned to look at Lukas when he said those words.
Huh?
The one he was pointing to was the man on the far left.
In all honesty, it would have been more appropriate to call him a boy than a man.
The boy was slim, and at first glance, one might even mistake him for a pretty girl. He had soft blonde hair, light blue eyes, white skin, gentle features, and an emotionless expression that didnt seem to suit his bright appearance.
Its just a few scratches. Im fine.
He answered in a calm tone, one unbefitting of his age.
Lukas looked at him for a moment before speaking.
Your right arm has been corroded by demonic energy. It seems you only did simple first aid, but if its not treated properly, youll probably have to amputate your arm. In the worst case scenario, you could even lose your life.
Gerard was shocked by those words.
Oh, my God. Leo, is he telling the truth?
yeah.
This is my failure as the team leader. Im sorry I didnt notice it before.
Its fine.
If it hurts, you shouldve said it hurts.
Im sorry. I didnt think it was that bad.
When the boy named Leo said that, Nina nodded.
Leo, go wait in your room. I will send a priest to heal you immediately.
Understood.
The rest of you should go back as well. You can finish your report later. Take a good rest today.
Thank you for your kindness.
After bowing one last time, the group got up and left the room.
Silence fell upon the room for a moment, then Nina asked carefully.
What do you think?
Lukas replied after a moment of silence.
He has a good aptitude.
Ah. You must have liked him. Gerard is an upright and sincere child. Im also satisfied with his strength S~ea??h the ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
I wasnt talking about the child named Gerard.
Huh?
Lukas sipped his coffee instead of responding.
It didnt take long for Nina to realise who Lukas was talking about. This was because he asked to view his file.
Leo Freeman.
This boy who always had a calm expression on his face was the one that Lukas noticed.
He was British, 18 years old, and had no family.
Hed been a hunter for 3 years, and his current job was
Supporter?
Yes.
What is that?
Basically, his job is to provide assistance. He fills in the blanks in case of an emergency, or he helps to ease the burden of a particular role. But thats only for emergency situations. Usually, he would be in charge of reconnaissance or carrying the equipment.
In other words, he was in charge of the chores.
Lukas grasped the essence of the Supporter role in an instant.
His eyes quickly skimmed over Leos file.
He has some background in martial arts. It seems he was quite outstanding as well, but he quit not long after starting. Then he learned swordsmanship, magic, and sorcery, but he didnt do those for long either
Thats right. His aptitude as a hunter is below average, but his win rate in battles is terrifying. I believe its about 90 percent.
It is said that he is particularly driven when it comes to fighting Demons. It also seems that he chose to be a supporter because he was not acknowledged by someone
Nina looked at Lukas who seemed to be lost in thought.
To be honest, she didnt understand his interest in Leo.
Naturally, she also knew about Leo.
Once a month, she would stay up for an entire night going through the file of every hunter.
In a way, Leo could be called outstanding. He had a monstrous win percentage. In simulated battles against other humans, his win percentage was over 90 percent.
This meant that over the course of 10 battles, he would win 9 times.
And this win rate wasnt because he fought opponents weaker than him. According to the data, most of Leos opponents were stronger than him.
Nevertheless, it was stated clearly in the file that his aptitude as a hunter was abysmal.
Lukas should have read that too. That was why she was curious as to why Lukas was interested in Leo.
What does Master see in Leo?
Nina held in her doubts as she continued to look at Lukas from the side.
After a while, Lukas placed the file onto the table and said.
I need to see him in person.
Huh?
Nina couldnt help but tilt her head to the side.
Book: 2: Chapter 26
Book 2: Chapter 26 Lukas went to Leos room where he was waiting.
Knock knock.
Yeah.
The door opened following the gentle call, revealing Leo.
His face was a bit dark, showing how tired he was after returning home from the mission.
His expression changed to one of suspicion when he saw Lukas.
You were the one in the office
You can call me Lukas. Ill be in charge of your treatment this time.
ah. So youre a priest.
Leo nodded as if that made sense.
After all, it was natural for a priest to be able to tell that he was injured with nothing but a glance.
Lukas dressed in a very free manner, and he didnt have the religious zeal that one usually felt from priests, but Leo didnt pay much attention to that.
well. Something like that.
Pretending to be a priest could be troublesome, so Lukas decided to gloss over it roughly.
Come in. I just got back, so its a bit messy.
The room wasnt very spacious. In fact, it was quite narrow. It had a structure similar to a Gositel(1).
It was furnished with a bed, a desk, and a chair.
Contrary to what Leo said, the room wasnt messy at all. In fact, it was quite clean except for a little dust. This showed that the organisation kept it in order while he was away.
Its like an ascetics room.
The books on the shelves and the simple training props in the corner seemed to emphasise that feeling even more.
Sit on the bed.
Okay.
Lukas grabbed the only chair in the room and sat across from Leo.
Stretch out your arm.
Leo held out his arm as he was told.
When he saw his arm, Lukas frowned. His injury was much worse than he expected.
A large, grotesque black spot stretched from Leos elbow to his wrist. It was a bizarre sight.
You must be in a lot of pain
Im confident in my tolerance.
Thats not something to brag about.
Leo flinched slightly when he heard Lukas harsh tone. He bowed his head and murmured.
Im sorry.
Lukas sighed as if he didnt want to hear it, and he started treating him.
Basically, the most reliable and efficient way to deal with an injury like this was to cleanse the demonic energy that was embedded in the flesh.
There would have been almost no aftereffects if one were to use holy energy to burn the demonic energy away.
But Lukas couldnt use holy energy. Therefore, he simply sucked the demonic energy into his body.
Juk- Juk-
If a real priest were to see this healing process, his jaw might have dropped in shock. This was no different from curing poison by putting it in your own body.
Leo looked down at his arm curiously.
Although he wasnt completely sure how purification worked, he had a vague feeling that this was different from the usual process.
As he took the demonic energy out, Lukas spoke.
How did you get this injury?
It was an attack from a Demons whip. The range was too wide, and the attack was too fast for me to respond. It was Baron Doldor, the target of our mission.
Barons werent very high-ranked Demons, but they were threats nonetheless.
It was a target that most hunters would be unable to defeat on their own.
Couldnt you have avoided it?
Huh?
You train your body extensively. You probably dont miss a single day.
Leos eyes widened.
How did you know that?
I can tell just by looking at your physique. There is hardly any fat on your body. At least you dont have a body that suits the term couldnt respond.
Thank you.
Lukas looked down at Leos slightly bowed head and said.
Is it a mental problem?
Leo remained silent for a while before he finally opened his mouth.
are you British?
It was a random question. However, it is something the Lukas had encountered quite often since coming to this world.
As he slowly shook his head, he heard a soft voice.
My family was exterminated by the Demons. I was the only survivor, and since then, Ive despised the Demons.
While it was hard to bear, situations like that were quite common in this era. In this day and age, there were very few people who hadnt lost their families to the Demons.
Nevertheless, Leo seemed to summarise his ordeal as though he was only a third party who watched on from the side.
I wanted to be a hunter. Fortunately, my talent wasnt poor. I was even told that I had an exceptional talent for martial arts. I felt that I was lucky. After all, the faster I grew strong, the sooner Id be able to kill the Demons.
He trained for 3 years.
And on the day he turned 15, Leo participated in a subjugation mission.
It was only then when I realised I had a major flaw.
Lukas knew what that flaw was. After all, hed already seen it in his file.
Whenever I practice, my body is firm. But when I face Demons, I become so tense that I cant even move a finger. Thats why I havent been able to become a proper hunter yet.
I dont know if you believe me or not, but thats why I was unable to avoid the whip.
He had no reason to hide it.
Most of the hunters in the European Branch knew about Leos flaw.
That was because he had been in most hunter groups before.
I heard that youre a Supporter.
Yeah.
Normally, Supporters would be standing at the back during a battle against a noble.
Lukas question had a deep meaning.
Why was a Supporter within the range of a noble?
I told you, didnt I? The whips range was long.
Even Lukas couldnt help but sigh when he received that answer. Sar?h the N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
I dont know why youre lying to me.
Why do you think Im lying?
There are a lot of bruises on your body.
Leo was silent.
I saw the mission record. The nobles weapon was a whip while the rest of the enemies were all Demon Beasts. If you had been injured by them, you would have scratches or bite marks.
Those are injuries that could only be inflicted by other humans.
They were bruises that occurred when someone was kicked or punched.
Lukas realised that besides the wound on his arm, which had been caused by the whip, the rest of his injuries were like that.
Of course, it was possible that he had been punched or kicked by Demon Beasts, but if that had been the case, he would not have suffered such minor injuries.
More importantly, he could feel deep malice in Leos wounds.
They were deliberately caused by a malicious person who wanted to cause as much pain as possible without killing him.
They made you the shield.
Thats why he got the wound on his arm.
There was no need to say who they were.
Leo looked down at his arm for a while.
Please keep it a secret.
Why?
They are the only group who will accept a guy like me. I really want to help defeat the Demons. I beg you.
As he said this, Leo bowed deeply.
This meant that he was willing to continue living his current life.
It doesnt matter if they beat me up. I can take it.
By then, the treatment was completed.
Lukas stood to his feet and said.
Youre pathetic.
Leo blinked in surprise.
His voice was filled with contempt, which was completely different from the slightly caring attitude he had been showing so far.
The pain isnt a problem? You can take it? Does saying that make you feel like youre making a great sacrifice?
The sarcastic voice caused Leos expression to stiffen.
A mocking smile hung from Lukas lips.
Youre really good at wrapping the fact that you dont have the courage to fight into a nice little box. But dont get it twisted. Youre nothing but a loser who is unable to overcome his own flaws.
what do you want me to do?
Leos voice was filled with helplessness.
Ive done everything I could to cure the trauma. Ive tried psychotherapy and taken medicine. I thought that experiencing a shock while facing a Demon would help, so I didnt hesitate to bite my own tongue. And yet
And yet his body still wouldnt move.
He could not even move a single finger.
When he faced a Demon, his entire body would become covered in cold sweat, his vision would blur, and his entire body would go numb.
So youre saying that what youre doing now is the answer? Are you pretending to gain comfort in the fact that you can hunt Demons while satisfying the lowly desires of that group?
what do you know?
I know of a better way.
Lukas muttered in a low voice.
Of course, it wont be easy. In fact, it will be dozens of times harder than everything youve done up to this point. Perhaps living like you are now would be a better choice in comparison. But if you dont like the way things are now, if you have even the slightest bit of dissatisfaction Come to the 12th Training Room. I will wait there until tomorrow morning.
After saying those words, he left the room without turning around.
Leo looked at his back with gleaming eyes.
He could dismiss everything hed just heard as bullsh*t from a person hed only just met who knew nothing about him. After all, hed already been insulted countless times.
Hed put up with it every time. In fact, at this point, it wasnt even hard to do.
He knew how to ignore the criticism and contempt of others.
But he didnt know why Lukas words shook his heart so much.
sh*t.
No. Leo knew why.
He bit his lip hard.
* * *
Magic Missile.
Woowoong-
Three bluish projectiles appeared at the same time.
Great.
Min Ha-rin clenched her fist.
It was now possible for her to cast three Magic Missiles at the same time.
Hoo.
But the moment she lost her focus, the Magic Missiles disappeared.
Min Ha-rin took a few sips of cold water and wiped her mouth before looking at the door.
he hasnt been around lately.
Her Master, in other words, Lukas, had been showing his face less and less over the past few days.
Originally, he would come to give her advice two or three times a day, and sometimes he even stayed the entire day, but lately, he would not show up for two or three days.
Im not stuck on anything right now, but
In all honesty, Lukas presence wasnt absolutely necessary.
The increase of her mana capacity, which was what Min Ha-rin was currently working on, was nothing but simple repetition, and there was nothing she didnt understand when she occasionally read the books.
In the first place, Min Ha-rin was very smart. She couldnt speak for herself, but it was rare for her to find someone smarter than she was.
Despite not having any learning difficulties, she still felt empty inside.
Was it because he wasnt there?
Mm
Min Ha-rin frowned.
No. She couldnt do this.
This kind of dependence was not good, and it didnt suit her.
Min Ha-rin mustered up her determination, but soon after that, her mind went blank again.
She was currently in the European Branch Headquarters, so she had very few acquaintances. Most of the hunters who had escaped with her had either returned to their own branch or gone on missions.
And although Allida was still in the headquarters, she seemed to be very busy due to the fact that she was a Wizard.
Nevertheless, she didnt feel lonely.
This was because learning magic was fun, and she still had Lukas.
Lukas was the first real teacher shed ever had. She still cared about his identity, but after a few weeks, shed grown to trust him.
He was reasonable and wise. And upright.
The last one was just her opinion, but she felt that it was the reason that Nina was so respectful to him.
Of course, there were still problems. She didnt know the proper distance to keep.
He was her first Master. And sometimes, she felt like he didnt like her, so she was unsure.
What kind of relationship was a master and student supposed to have? How polite should she be? Would he mind if she played pranks on him?
If they got closer, maybe he might spoil her a bit
After thinking this, Min Ha-rin couldnt help but fan her face with her hand.
ah. Hot.
Her eyes once again turned to the door.
However, the door didnt budge, as though it had no intention of moving in the first place.
(Note:
1. Gosiwon/Gositel is a form of housing that has been in South Korea for more than 40 years. It started as cheap, temporary accommodations for students who spend years studying for difficult state and bar exams. The rooms are incredibly small, sometimes to the extent of feeling suffocating.)
Book: 2: Chapter 27
Book 2: Chapter 27 The fact that the Demons had killed his entire family wasnt special. Leo also thought so.
But for someone whod witnessed the tragedy in person, it was a nightmare. The hardest thing to overcome was their sorrow.
Leo lay on the bed and looked up at the ceiling.
Everything Lukas said was true.
Hed become like this because he was too weak to overcome himself. It was something that he would have avoided thinking about for a long time, so he was unable to control his emotions when he heard someone else say it.
I thought Id buried my emotions long ago.
Ironically, Leo had been living a dead life.
Lukas was right.
He ran away because he didnt have the courage to fight back. He was a loser, who couldnt break past his own flaws, and a fool, who thought that he was sacrificing himself for his goals.
However, the thing that touched his heart the most were the words that he was just comforting himself.
Knock knock.
Then there was a knock on the door.
Leo had already figured out who it was, but he still got up and opened the door.
Hi.
It was Gerard.
He smiled and pointed at the room.
Can I come in?
Leo stepped away instead of answering.
Gerard didnt hesitate to walk into the room. Then, he closed the door.
Did you talk?
At the same time, a cold voice sounded out.
Gerard stood in the room with a cold expression on his face. If there was anyone there except Leo, they might have doubted their eyes and ears at that moment.
But Leo wasnt surprised. Hed long known that this was Gerards true nature and the nature of his team.
No.
He denied it.
It was a short question, but he could tell what he was talking about.
Leo had been treated by a completely different priest, or, to be precise, by someone who wasnt one of Gerards subordinates.
This was because Nina had noticed his injuries.
In other words, there was the risk that the bruises on his body would have been noticed during the process of removing the demonic energy.
Gerard might have seen Lukas enter the room. No. He must have seen it.
And as soon as he noticed him leaving, he came to check on Leo.
Right.
Gerard responded in a dry tone. It seemed that he didnt think Leo would lie to him.
Gerard flopped onto the bed as though he was the owner of the room.
I like the relationship we have right now, Leo.
Lee didnt respond to his words again, but Gerard continued to talk like he didnt care.
In a world like this, I feel stressed just by breathing. And it builds up so much that I can no longer hold it in. So at first, I vented my frustrations on small animals and stuff like that. Like cats and dogs. Their screams were really satisfying at first, but I grew bored of it after a while. They were too weak. Thats why I was so happy when you said you wanted to join our group.
A wide smile appeared on Gerards face.
You are strong. Although youre weaker than me, youre stronger than most hunters.
He was telling the truth.
Gerard had the talent and strength to rank around the top among hunters his age, and most Titled Hunters had great interest in him.
Nina, the Branch President, was no exception.
Above all, Gerard was older than Leo.
They had fought numerous times, but Leo had never been able to defeat him.
When you, like a doll, dont do anything and let me beat you up Do you know how excited I feel? Its like you were a toy that God created just for me.
He didnt know. He wasnt even curious.
Leo remained silent.
Our interests match perfectly. You get the sense of accomplishment of killing Demons while I get pleasure and stress relief. I hope this relationship can last for a long time.
Gerard laughed at the silent Leo.
Thats all. Make sure you heal your bruises quickly. As your group leader, I worry about you.
With that, Gerard left the room.
Leo remained in the same spot.
Comforting myself
Leo didnt kill Demons.
He was just a member of a group who killed Demons. He had tricked himself into seeing it differently.
He thought that he had a stake because he helped the group slay Demons. But how could he not know that it was just a delusion?
Did his support really help them kill the Demons?
Were there any missions that would not have been successful without him?
What exactly did Leo Freeman really want?
A loser who couldnt break past his own flaws.
As soon as he remembered Lukas words, the bruises on his body began throbbing fiercely.
It was like the senses in his body had only returned at that moment, and the pain was unbearable.
Kuh
Nevertheless, Leo endured the pain.
With a staggering gait, he left his room.
Of course, he didnt go looking for a priest like Gerard said.
* * *
Lukas felt that there was a high chance Leo would come to him.
But he never expected him to show up after just one hour.
Leo didnt say anything. It seemed that he was waiting for Lukas to speak first.
He was still covered in bruises. Lukas felt that it would have been better if hed come after being treated.
No.
He looked into Leos eyes and thought. It didnt really matter.
Have you had a change of heart?
Well. Thats good. Get ready.
ready?
For what?
Leo didnt continue to ask.
This was because Lukas removed his coat and took a stance.
It was the first time hed seen such a stance in his life, but Leo immediately realised what it was.
Lukas had taken a martial arts stance.
Do you want to fight me? With martial arts?
Leos voice had a tinge of absurdity in it.
Lukas didnt look like a Warrior. Just as he had looked at his physique and figured out his strength, Leo had done the same to Lukas.
He didnt have a trained body.
More importantly, didnt he say that he was a priest?
As soon as he thought that, Lukas murmur appeared in his mind.????n????????????????????.nbsp;????????????
well. Something like that.
Now that he thought about it, Lukas had never affirmed that he was a priest. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Still.
Leo was well aware of his own capabilities when it came to fighting humans. If it was a 1-on-1 battle under equal conditions, he was confident that he wouldnt be pushed around even by the most talented fighters.
At least he didnt think he could lose to a skinny man like this.
Taht.
Suddenly, Lukas kicked off from the ground.
There was no need for him to panic because it was a telegraphed attack. But Leos gaze changed when he saw the speed of the charge.
It was much faster than he expected.
Leo hurriedly drew upon his ki.
The right.
He leaned back and avoided Lukas fist.
Swoosh-
The tip of his chin was stung by the wind generated by the punch.
!
After a brief moment of surprise, Leos expression became serious.
It wasnt just speed. Lukas fist also contained a lot of destructive power.
He didnt know where he was hiding such strength in his skinny body, but Leo knew that if he didnt take this seriously, he might suffer an unexpected blow.
A Monk?
Among all the classes, their close-combat capabilities were said to be the best. Only those who had undergone strict internal screening and difficult trials could become Monks, so it could be considered an elite class.
It wouldnt be strange for a Monk to be good in both healing and fighting.
However
Bluish energy rose up like a haze around Lukas body.
It wasnt ki. Nor was it holy power.
As far as Leo knew, there was only one bluish energy.
Mana.
Martial arts using mana?
Hed never heard of it before.
This was natural. While Lukas had spread numerous abilities around this world, he had not spread Magical Martial Arts.
There were several reasons for this, but the main reason was that this world already had its own martial arts system.
In particular, Lukas was impressed by the ancient Chinese martial arts.
They had learned to use martial arts based on their ki, and their system was so established that they didnt need the martial arts from another world.
Unlike the lack of knowledge of magic, the various martial arts styles and techniques were firmly embedded in this world. There was no need to spread martial arts.
But for Leo, who obviously didnt know that, Lukas movements were a mystery.
Ill think about it later.
Leos gaze sharpened.
His waist, which had been nearly bent in half, became straight in an instant. He used nothing more than his flexibility to correct his stance.
His entire body throbbed because of his bruises and tiredness, but he endured it.
And naturally, he launched a counterattack.
Leos fists shot forward quickly.
Papapa.
He unleashed a series of quick, powerful attacks in an instant.
Lukas dodged all of the attacks before he grabbed Leos fist after the last punch.
Taht!
But at that moment, Leo leapt off the floor and kicked towards Lukas stomach as though hed expected this.
Unable to withstand the shock, Lukas body slid backwards.
His eyes shined.
His reactions are good.
He made no unnecessary movements, and his balance was solid.
Above all, he was extremely calm. That calmness would become this childs greatest weapon.
But only if he could maintain it under any circumstances.
Unlike Lukas, who had a soft smile on his lips, Leos expression was stiff.
Its like kicking a lump of iron.
If it wasnt for his ki, he might have broken his toe. Nevertheless, that didnt stop him from taking advantage of the situation.
Taht!
Leo quickly closed the distance and continued his attacks.
He mainly used his fists, and every attack was aimed at a vital spot. Because the connection and flow between his attacks was smooth and clear, it would be hard to retake the initiative after it was lost.
I have the flow.
Although he thought this, Leo couldnt hide his nervousness.
Hed launched over a dozen attacks, but let alone a decisive blow, he could not even inflict a scratch.
Lukas avoided most of his attacks, and for the ones that he blocked, it made Leo feel like he was hitting a wall instead of a person.
By then, Lukas had finished judging Leo.
He should be a Second Class Warrior.
This was extremely impressive considering his age. Even with the flaw in his mind, he was looking forward to how far Leo could go when he was given an environment in which he could focus.
Huk
Lukas sucked in a breath.
Just as Leo started to feel uncomfortable.
Kwak!
!
Leos vision flipped, and he found himself lying on the floor.
It was a good thing that the training room had padded flooring, or he might have gotten a concussion.
Leo stared blankly at the ceiling for a moment before realising that the fight had been decided in an instant.
Was he testing me?
This fact was hard for him to accept.
As he stared blankly at the ceiling, he heard Lukas voice.
First of all, well start with breaking your delusion.
delusion? You mean me?
Right. You have the delusion that Demons are the most fearsome beings in the world.
Lukas looked down at Leo as he spoke.
My old friend once tried to make someone, who was similar to you, his disciple. He wasnt able to finalise the relationship, but, at least, he managed to fix their mental trauma.
Leo didnt think that that could apply to him, but he was curious.
How did they overcome it?
They didnt overcome it.
Huh?
They simply learned that there were things even more frightening than what they were afraid of. Thats all.
Lukas chuckled.
Stand up, Leo Freeman, catch your breath, and take your stance. Your last break for today has ended.
At that moment, Leo felt that something was wrong.
From today on, you will learn that Demons arent the thing you need to fear.
Book: 2: Chapter 28
Book 2: Chapter 28 Thatll be all for today.
When Lukas said those words, Leo collapsed like a puppet whose strings had been cut.
Huk! Huk!
His entire body shook heavily like tree leaves in a strong breeze. His lungs felt like they would have climbed up his throat just so that they could fill themselves with the air they desperately desired.
How much did he sweat? His throat was parched.
He was so exhausted that his body felt like a dried carcass in a desert. If his sweat were to dry at this moment, he was half sure that salt flakes would fall like when sea water evaporated.
Leo had never neglected even a day of training in his life. He always tried his best when training, and if he felt that there was something lacking, he wouldnt hesitate to push his body even further.
But todays training with Lukas was different.
It wasnt just his body. Lukas persistently and brutally attacked his mind as well.
Move! Use your head! Dont stop thinking!
Fool! Is that the only thing you couldve thought of after squeezing your brain? Do you really think thats the best choice?
Why didnt you reach your arm out? You shrank away from something as simple as a shake of a hand.
Lukas didnt miss even the smallest mistakes. And Leo couldnt refute him because nothing he said was wrong.
Leo grit his teeth and constantly look for better moves, but he was always met with harsh criticism.
He had felt that he didnt have a weak will in front of anything but the Demons, but after listening to that constant abuse for an entire night, his brain felt like a wet rag.
But it was still worth it.
The most terrible part was what came at the end.
Focus from now on. If you cant endure it and pass out Ill kill you.
With those words, Lukas aura changed.
Kung
!!
The invisible pressure that Lukas exuded seemed to penetrate his entire body. Not just his skin and muscles, even his internal organs could feel it.
Even breathing became painful.
His entire body shook.
Fear similar to when he faced a Demon filled his body. No. It might have even been greater.
Die. Im going to die. He will tear me to pieces and kill me
The only thought resounding in his head was his inevitable death.
Lukas didnt move.
He just stood in place and released his aura.
But that alone was enough to make Leo panic.
Clatter.
The shaking got worse. He felt like his brain was slowly melting. It was like lava was flowing around his skull.
His thoughts had already gone blank. He didnt even know if he was still standing.
How long had it been? How much longer did he have to endure this torture?
Hu-, huk
He couldnt breathe.
Hed reached the limit.
Leos face gradually began to turn white.
He would really die
Just as Leos eyes were about to roll back into his skull.
Shuk.
The pressure disappeared.
Leos body collapsed to the ground and became what it was now.
Huk, huk
His breathing still hadnt calmed, but Lukas spoke briefly.
Today is just a taste.
I will increase the intensity tomorrow. And the next day. And the next.
Fear blossomed on Leos face.
When he saw this boy looking up at him with an expression of fear, Lukas felt a thread of sympathy in his heart, but his voice was still cold.
If you dont return by midnight, Ill take it that youve given up.
Then, he left the room.
He didnt give any comfort or encouragement. What Leo Freeman needed was not warmth.
He was a wildflower. The harsher the winds blew, the more barren the ground was, the more violent his environment, the more beautifully he would bloom.
And.
Lukas gaze sank.
He had to go to a very important place now.
* * *
There was an unprecedented scene in the Chinese Branch of the Hunter Associations Headquarters in Beijing, China.
Most of the associations heroes who represented East Asia had gathered in the conference room, which could seat hundreds of people.
In terms of influence, the people in this room were completely mind-blowing.
The Great Shaolin Master, Warrior Nun(1), and Sword Saint of Mount Hua.
Hwarang(2) Leader, Heaven and Earth Fighter, and Bow God.
Ying Yang Warrior, Beastman, The Black Armor General, etc
(Note: I decided to translate the names since you wouldnt really understand if I just romanised them, thats why some of them sound strange.)
They were all representatives of the different regions, and they were heroes who received explosive support from the hunters and the public.
And there were two exceptionally young and extremely powerful beings among these heroes.
Heavenly Dragon, Kim Go-hyuk, and the Earthly Dragon, Kano Aya.
Two of the Three Dragons who protected East Asia were attending the meeting.
The Heavenly Dragon, Kim Go-hyuk, looked around and grinned.
Hey. This is quite the sight. Whats going on? Are we picking the East Asia team for an All-Star Game?
If we really were called here for such a stupid thing, Ill punch someone. I pushed aside my busy schedule to come here. I had to cross a sea.
While Aya grumbled, Kim Go-hyuk looked around before tilting his head to the side.
I dont see Lee Jong-hak. I heard hes still alive, so why didnt he come? Theres no way he wasnt called as well.
Without him, it felt like something was missing.
In fact, that was simply the impact that Lee Jong-hak had on those around him.
Its said that hes currently on a mission in Europe. Hes always wanted to be on the frontlines, and now, he can do it under the guise of repaying his debts. So hes like a fish in water.
Oho, that guys a real hero. No wonder he easily took first place in the East Asia Popularity vote.
What the hell is that?
Havent you seen the questionnaire? For your information, youre 4th place. Im 12th, so I think I need to improve my look.
I dont think thats why your ranking is so low.
Kim Go-hyuk simply chuckled when Aya spoke in a sarcastic voice.
Then the door opened and an old man appeared. The chatter in the room disappeared in an instant.
At first, they couldnt recognize him because his appearance was very different from the last time they saw him.
The Great Shaolin Master couldnt help but mutter in a soft voice.
President Cha Gung-hwan?
Only then did these people realise that this old man was Cha Gung-hwan, President of the Chinese Branch.
Whats going on?
Aya frowned.
It had only been a few months since she last saw him, but hed aged so much it was like a few years had passed instead.
Gone was the impression of a strong middle-aged man. Instead, he only looked like an old man who was about to cross over to the other side at any moment.
It wouldnt be a lie to say that everyones attention was focused on Cha Gung-hwan, whose expression was abnormally tense.
Thank you for putting aside your busy schedules to come here today. Not everyone could make it, but I think we have roughly everyone we need.
This is the second time the President has called for an emergency meeting. What the hell happened?
When the Nun asked this question in a blunt tone, Cha Gung-hwan responded with a slightly shadowed face.
He will tell you the details.
!!
At that moment, most of the heroes seated in the room leapt from their seats.
What the hell?!
Since when?
Cha Gung-hwan pointed to a place that shouldve been empty, but when they looked, a man was sitting there.
It was a man with blue hair and an emotionless expression.
He looked at those whod gotten up before saying.
Sit.
Thud
Huk!
Kuk
Those who had jumped to their feet were forced to sit down, as though pressed by an invisible force.
All those who were gathered there were those who wouldnt be frightened by high-ranking Demon nobles but who would instead draw their swords with great spirit. But now, they had been forced to sit with one word from a man whose identity was still unknown.
There were some who grit their teeth and tried to withstand the pressure, but they didnt last very long. This was because it felt like their bodies would crumble if they resisted any further.
The man then spoke in a cold voice.
From today on, youll obey me.
Who are you?
When the Sword Saint asked this in a forced voice, the man spoke nonchalantly.
Nodiesop. I dont want much from you. Obey me, and I will lead your people-
You son of a bitch!
Nodiesop turned to the man who cut him off.
It was the Black Armor General. He was a man who wore large black armor that didnt reveal even a bit of skin. He was one of Japans greatest heroes, and he was known for his exceptional sword skills.
Cha Gung-hwan hurriedly tried to restrain him with a pale face.
Black Armor General! Stop!
Its you who should stop! President Cha Gung-hwan. Who is this man? Did you just call us here to have him insult us?!
The Black Armor General spoke in a fiery tone.
Answer me! Who are you?!
I am Nodiesop.
I was asking about your identity, not your name!
Nodiesop stared at the Black Armor General.
After a while, a soft smile appeared on his lips.
My identity? Fine. Since you want to know, I will show you.
Y-, you cant! Stop! Nodiesop!
Cha Gung-hwan desperately tried to stop him, but it was too late.
U-, uk urk
Wh-, whats going on?
What are you doing?
Pujik, pujik, pujik
An eerie sound could be heard from within the armor.
They didnt know what was happening inside it.
Pop!
Suddenly, following a popping sound, the Black Armor General fell to his knees.
Blood trickled from the gaps in the armor.
H-, hes dead!
Sh*t!
Despite the threat of death, the heroes glared at Nodiesop.
But that was all. As if they had been bound by an invisible force, they still couldnt move their bodies.
What the hell did you do?
Didnt he ask who I was? I just told him.
Thud
It was at that moment when the armor, which had still been maintaining a human shape, fell into pieces.
Mm!
Such a thing
The Black Armor General within the armor had become a ball of blood. His entire body had exploded like a balloon.
He became like this just for asking his identity?
Ayas expression became hard.
She tried to calm her pounding heart.
In her opinion, Nodiesop was way more powerful than any Demon she had ever encountered. His power completely surpassed human perception.
But it was Cha Gung-hwans expression that truly caught her attention. He bowed his head beside Nodiesop with a sorrowful look on his face.
Is this the reason Cha Gung-hwan called us here?
To make them submit to that man?
What do you want?
It was the Great Shaolin Master who spoke in a heavy tone.
Nodiesop responded as though he was waiting for this question.
I want you to find a man. It would be good if you could bring him to me, but if thats impossible, just telling me his location would suffice.
A man? Who are you talking about?
Nodiesop spoke with a cold expression on his face.
Lukas Trowman.
(Note:
1. Nun in this case is referring to a female monastic in buddhism, or a Bhikkhuni. As Bhikkhuni or Buddhist Nun are quite the mouthful, I settled for nun.
2. Hwarang was basically a group of youth(usually handsome) from ancient Silla(one of the past Korean kingdoms) who were trained under the guise of strengthening their body and mind. But in truth, the main purpose of the group was to train highly capable soldiers.) sea??h th N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Book: 2: Chapter 29
Book 2: Chapter 29 Katherine gulped.
Shed already done it several times, but every time she did it, she felt nervous.
I brought food.
Ill leave it here.
The woman with pitch-black hair was leaning against a wall with one arm wrapped around the huge scythe.
Looking at Katherine who put down the plate of food and stepped back, she spoke softly.
I told you that I dont need it.
Katherine flinched and trembled. She bowed and shook her head.
I-, Im sorry.
Go away.
Yes
But there was a reason why Katherine was so polite to this woman.
Most of Northern Ireland had fallen into the hands of the Demons. Thats what Uncle Freddy, a survivor, had told her. He had a radio, which allowed him to have a basic understanding of the situation around them.
This city might have been the only safe place in Northern Ireland, no, in the entirety of Great Britain.
Katherine knew why.
It was all thanks to this woman. Shed killed all of the Demons and Demon Beasts in the city.
She didnt know who she was or why she didnt kill any humans, but Katherine was certain of one thing.
It was only because of her that she and her brother Tom were still alive.
She preferred to be alone.
Katherine knew that.
She didnt like talking to her more than twice a day.
Katherine headed outside. She intended to go to Uncle Freddy to exchange for food and to get some more information.
But Katherines little plan was broken before it couldve even started.
There was someone standing in front of her house.
Ah
It was a man with light blonde hair.
Katherine knew most of the people in the city. But shed never seen this man before.
However, this man felt strangely familiar.
After a while, Katherine was able to recognise why.
The black-haired woman in the house. He reminded her of her.
When their eyes met, the man smiled faintly as if to reassure Katherine.
Did I startle you?
N-, no
Right. Thats good I would like to ask you a question.
Okay.
Can I ask who is in this house?
The man was pointing to Katherines house.
My younger brother and our benefactor.
The benefactor who saved the entire city.
Thats what the survivors called the black-haired woman. The fact that she was staying in Katherines house wasnt really something to hide, so she revealed it gently.
benefactor.
At those words, the man mumbled like hed heard something unexpected before saying.
Can you call her?
O-, our benefactor doesnt like to move.
Tell her Lukas is here. Shell come out right away.
Theres no need.
Katherine trembled.
When she turned around, she found that the woman, who had not taken a single step out of the room after entering it, was standing there.
With a bright smile that didnt match her dark appearance.
You came sooner than I expected.
You scattered your aura around so much that I couldnt help but come.
There was no need to look closely. External Force surrounded her body, the only power that allowed one to move freely in the multiverse and a power that a transcendent being would have never been able to imitate.
Decades after coming to this world. Lukas was finally meeting a being on the same level as him.
* * *
Katherine glanced nervously at the room.
It had been quite a while since Lukas and the black-haired woman had gone in there.
Did they know each other? It didnt seem that way.
However, when the two met, a strange tension seemed to emerge.
What are they talking about?
Although she was curious, she didnt dare to eavesdrop.
Katherine could only sit in a corner, waiting quietly while her anxiety slowly built up.
* * *
The two Absolutes sat with an old wooden table between them.
Technically speaking, Lukas hadnt found the Absolute sitting in front of him. She had deliberately released her aura and led him to her.
As soon as shed entered this world, she spread her presence across the entire continent. Then she waited.
Because she knew Lukas would come.
It was a smart decision.
After all, Lukas wanted to protect this world at all costs.
This was her summons.
If he hadnt responded, there was no telling what disasters would have followed.
Sedi.
When Lukas looked at her with a puzzled gaze, she continued.
My name, but I think you mightve known it already.
I knew it.
While it was his first time meeting her in person, Lukas had heard about her before.
You did? Hmm.
Woowoong-
The scythe resonated softly with Sedis hum.
Lukas eyes narrowed.
Naturally, this scythe wasnt an ordinary weapon.
Maybe it was a Soul Weapon.
A transcendent weapon that embodied the power of an Absolute.
I came to make an offer.
Kiki.
While Lukas glanced at the scythe, Sedi shook her head.
Youre predictable. Just like Nodiesop said.
So, is that all you wanted to say?
Sedi was indirectly saying that she had no intention of talking.
You are called [Battle Fanatic].
Thats right, Madman.
Her tone became cold.
So what? Im barely holding myself back at the moment, so please dont say anything stupid, okay? Ah, of course, I really do want to see how strong you truly are, Madman, but
Sedis voice became lower and lower. Apart from that, a fierce aura seemed to be trying to burst out of her body.
The entire house began to shake.
The person I serve wants you dead. And that has a lot more priority than my little desires. Plus I really dont want to stay in this measly universe for very long. The longer I stay here, the more irritated I feel.
Her reaction was much more hostile than Lukas expected.
Nevertheless, Lukas expression remained unchanged. If he had thought that it would have been impossible to negotiate with her, he wouldnt have done something as crazy as coming directly to her.
The most important thing was what would happen next.
The Great Game.
When she heard those words, Sedis aura faded a little. Her expression also changed.
As early as a year and at latest a few years. A Great Game will begin in this universe.
bullsh*t. Even if you are a Lord, there is no way youd be able to know the exact timing. Only the four Rulers and God could know.
Sedis expression was strange as she refuted his words.
What if I told you that I heard it directly from the Lightning God?
Those words couldnt be dismissed as bullsh*t.
Sedi knew that this universe was currently being protected by the Lightning God. As a result, the other Rulers could not easily interfere and other Absolutes were unable to enter.
She too would not have been able to enter if she had been even a step too slow.
Huk.
Her aura disappeared. In other words, Sedi had agreed to sit at the negotiation table.
so? What does the Great Game have to do with your offer?
Nothing special. When that time comes, we will work together.
It seems you know what the Great Game is.
Of course, he didnt know. It could be said that he didnt know anything but the name.
But Sedi was the same.
Just as shed said. Only the four Rulers and God knew about the Great Game.
In a sense, the four Rulers were enemies. So they would never help each other.
The balance in the multiverse could have only been attained when the four Rulers maintained their existence as independent concepts.
If these cosmic beings were to work together, the order of the multiverse would be disrupted just by that mere fact.
And if such a thing were to happen, then the aftermath would affect every single universe.
So Lukas bluffed.
Well.
Sedis eyes were filled with suspicion.
But that alone was a sign of half success.
This universe is currently being guarded by the Lightning God.
Interference from the other Rulers was impossible. In other words, Sedi couldnt ask or consult with the Ruler she served about this matter.
She couldnt think about Lukas proposal and make a judgement on her own.
This fact alone was Lukas greatest advantage.
He only needed to persuade Sedi, who was in front of him, not the Ruler behind her.
I just need to buy myself at least half a year.
He grasped this thread.
If he was able to buy that time, he would have a way to fight against the Absolutes without needing to limit his own power.
Of course, this method came with risks, but it was much better than the alternatives.
It would be impossible for you to work together with another Absolute. Unless you both serve the same Ruler.
The Rulers usually had such an influence on those who followed them. At least, Lukas had never seen Absolutes who served different Rulers working together.
But Lukas was an exception.
As long as he didnt follow anyone, he could cooperate with any Absolute depending on the circumstances.
It was a rare advantage granted to him by his isolation.
To get rid of me or to get a Ruler under them. Which outcome do you think your Ruler would prefer? S~ea??h the ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Forming an alliance didnt mean that one would definitely become a Ruler. But it was clear that the odds would increase.
Sedi furrowed her eyebrows as she agonised over Lukas words. She even let out an audible groan.
Unlike the cold impression, it seemed that she had a simple side.
Then she suddenly raised her head and asked.
By the way, you
What is it?
Do you have the confidence to handle the other two guys who came here?
Lukas chuckled.
Thanks.
What are you talking about?
So three Absolutes entered this universe.
ah.
Sedi made a face. Then she glared at Lukas with an unfair look in her eyes, but Lukas expertly avoided her gaze.
Among the Absolutes, there was a surprisingly large amount of such simple people.
Their minds were worn away by an eternity of repetitive work.
So while this side of Sedi was unexpected, it wasnt surprising.
you mean bastard.
Mm.
Lukas was surprised by her accusation for a moment, but he soon collected himself and answered her question.
It would be difficult for me alone. However
When he glanced at her, Sedi let out a laugh.
I dont intend to help you with that.
Well. Maybe he was hoping for too much. For Lukas, the fact that she wouldnt do anything was already good enough.
Sedi agonised for a moment longer. Then, as if shed thought of something, her expression brightened.
I can give you some information.
Information?
Yeah. But there are conditions.
What is it?
You cant kill any more Demons in the future.
Lukas looked carefully at Sedi when he heard those words.
Her appearance, the essence of her aura, and her Soul Weapon.
And now, the remark to not kill the Demons.
It was like the image of a Ruler appeared behind Sedi at that moment.
The Black Horned Demon God. Thats the Ruler you serve. (Note: As mentioned in the comments, the fact that there is another Demon King in the world currently might cause some confusion. So the Ruler is now Demon God.)
Sedi nodded. It seemed she had no intention of hiding it.
But Lukas asked in confusion.
The humans here call you benefactor. Didnt you kill every Demon and Demon Beast in this city?
If they cant recognise the level of their opponent and jump into battle like fools, then theyre worthless.
It seemed she valued smart subjects. Lukas had identified one of Sedis traits.
Perhaps it was for this same reason that she didnt kill the humans in this city. The humans in this city had unknowingly gained a safe haven that was even better than the United States across the ocean.
In any case. I dont care about the humans you raised, but you cant move personally.
Her request wasnt particularly difficult.
Lukas had no intention of revealing his strength for the time being. He wanted to hide his existence as much as possible.
Even this face-to-face meeting with Sedi was a big gamble for Lukas. However, the more they talked, the higher the possibility of negotiation. And hed just become even more convinced.
When he realised that she was serving the Demon God.
This universe has the potential to become one of the Demon Gods realms.
Of course, Lukas would never tolerate such a situation, but the other side might have different thoughts. The Demons, these creatures who had been created by the Demon God, had already swallowed about half of the land in this world.
He couldnt tell about the Demon Gods thoughts, but his subordinate, Sedi, would surely consider this world as a universe to protect.
But the other Absolutes were different.
Lukas wasnt sure what they would do. He could only hope that they were conscious of their identities as Absolutes.
So he wouldnt touch them for the time being. He would try to avoid them as much as possible until they realised what was going on.
Understood.
Lukas accepted Sedis offer.
But they both knew that this alliance was as strong as wet paper. But for now, at least, it was beneficial to work together.
Then our alliance is formed.
Crack!
A large scythe came to a stop in the air right in front of Lukas. Hed released a barrier to stop Sedis attack.
Even though hed put quite a bit of mana into the barrier, it still creaked as the scythe pressed against it while unleashing dark energy.
What are you doing?
This is my last condition.
A large smile blossomed on Sedis face.
Lets loosen our bodies a little. Ill control my power. I wont use any force beyond what this universe can handle.
Both sides would fight while restraining themselves.
He couldnt refuse it.
He could tell just by looking at Sedis face.
Lukas sighed.
Book: 2: Chapter 30
Book 2: Chapter 30 Lukas returned to the 12th Training Room. As soon as he opened the door and stepped inside, he heard a familiar voice.
Youre back.
It was Leo.
There was still time to spare, but it seemed that he had been waiting there for a while already.
Lukas looked at Leo and said.
What about your injuries?
I went to get them treated.
What about a break?
I rested enough.
The answers came back smoothly in a clear voice.
Lukas then asked the most important question.
Are you ready?
I am.
The answer came once again without any wasted words. Leos firm resolve could be heard in his voice.
Lukas smiled faintly.
Leos willpower was exceptional when one looked at it objectively. The fear he felt when facing Demons was enough to drive normal people crazy. If he really was a coward, then he wouldnt have dared to confront the Demons at all.
But Leo faced his fear. He faced it and looked for ways to overcome it.
Nevertheless, he became desperate and lost because he couldnt find a clear solution.
Then, just as he was about to give everything up, he saw hope.
It was impossible to describe the joy Leo had felt at that time. Lukass harsh training might have made his body and mind feel like they were about to break, but on the other hand, his mind felt more comfortable than ever.
Leos face said so.
From today on, call me Master.
Leo froze for a moment before bowing his head. His shoulders shook slightly.
Yes, Master.
Then he raised his head again and spoke, his expression changing.
umm.
What is it?
This might be rude to ask, but
He looked at Lukas body and continued.
Are you okay, Master?
Lukas sighed.
To be honest, he wasnt okay.
* * *
A week passed.
During that period, Lukas focused only on Leos training.
They touched upon numerous fields, but the main focus was martial arts. If the foundation wasnt right, then it would have been meaningless no matter how beautiful the building that was built on it was.
Huk, huk
Todays training had just ended.
Leo panted like he was about to die.
Only a week had passed, but his cheeks had become thin and bruises covered his entire body. His body had become like this even though he received treatment every day.
Although he looked haggard, Lukas was more fond of him now than he was a week ago. Thats because his eyes were alive.
Well stop here.
Puha!
As if he had been waiting for those words, Leos body collapsed.
Nevertheless, he didnt relax his respectful attitude as he kept his breathing as quiet as possible so he wouldnt disturb his Master.
Lukas had told him that he could just lie down without caring about such courtesy, but Leo seemed strict in this regard.
After a while, Leo, who had calmed his breathing to an extent, opened his mouth. Sar?h the N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
The Warrior King Fist that I use seems to feel different from Masters.
Lukas was teaching Leo the Warrior King Fist.
Of course, he didnt ask Leo to forget or disregard the martial arts hed learned before. It wasnt something that hed be able to easily forget anyway, and it was better to use martial arts with which he was familiar.
But Lukas hoped that Leo would have been able to combine the two martial arts and eventually mix them completely to create his own martial art.
Of course, such a task would not be easy.
I modified it to suit your body. Your physique is smaller than the average mans. Was there anything that made you uncomfortable?
Lukas voice was slightly worried as he asked this. After becoming an Absolute, hed gained extensive knowledge in various fields. Martial arts was one of them.
But apart from gaining deep knowledge, Lukas didnt have much confidence in himself.
Thats because he had no affection for martial arts. It could be said that hed just absorbed the knowledge.
This was due to the fact that hed already devoted his life to Magical Science.
Martial arts wasnt something that one could have dig into and see the end of with a flimsy mindset. It was impossible even for Lukas.
Fortunately, Leo shook his head.
No. But I heard that it was impossible to modify an established martial art unless you were at least a Master.
Leos eyes were filled with respect and reverence.
His face was still expressionless, but his eyes shined like stars.
as expected, Master is a great person.
In all honesty, Lukas hadnt expected Leo to react like this.
He was fully prepared to be somewhat resented by this boy. Unlike Min Ha-rin, he was pushing himself forward without hesitation.
For Leo, this training was closer to torture.
At the same time, he rarely said words of praise, and usually, all he did was give advice that was closer to criticism.
Nevertheless, at some point, Leo began to show him respect. Maybe Lukas shock therapy was working. Or maybe it was because Leo thought it was.
He must be curious about me.
By now, Leo must have realised that Lukas was no ordinary Priest or Monk. Nevertheless, he never mentioned anything about his identity. And he never showed any signs of curiosity.
Since Leo acted in such a way, Lukas didnt bring it up, either. In any case, he would naturally find out on his own someday.
Instead, there was something more important for Leo right now.
What are you going to do about Gerard? He wont let you go.
Leos expression became serious at those words.
I will have to deal with it sooner or later.
Have you thought of any countermeasures?
Yes. Im going to defeat him in an official duel. And Ill have a qualified person be the judge. If he loses the duel in front of an audience, he will understand.
Lukas nodded before speaking in a firm voice.
I wont interfere.
Thank you.
It wont be easy for you to win. Even if you follow my training perfectly, it would still take you a month before youre ready.
Leo seemed to think about something for a moment before speaking in a firm voice.
Then Ill defeat Gerard within two weeks.
He wasnt bluffing.
Lukas had learned Leos way of thinking a bit. This boy would never say anything that he couldnt take responsibility for.
His talent is definitely enormous, but
Leo was also a transformer. (Note: Okay my childishness aside, would you guys prefer transformers or revolutionaries? The first is closer to the true meaning while the latter sounds better from an english perspective.)
This meant that if he was raised properly, he could become someone on the same level as Lee Jong-hak.
Even so, it wouldnt be easy for him to defeat Gerard in a month.
Regardless of his personality, Gerards ability was comparable to Min Ha-rins when she was still a Swordsman. After all, Nina wouldnt recommend him so confidently without reason.
But Lukas decided to trust his student.
come to think of it.
Recently, he hadnt been paying any attention to Min Ha-rin.
No, he hadnt seen her for the week that he was training Leo.
Of course, at this point, there was nothing for him to guide her on. There was no need for any great enlightenment until she reached at least 3 stars.
What she had to focus on now was increasing her mana and honing her senses. And it was important to increase the number of branches of magic that she could use.
Min Ha-rin was very intelligent. Even if she was confused about something, she had the ability to read through a book and understand the problem on her own.
Nevertheless, since he had a new student, it was about time that they got to know each other.
Is your body okay?
Yes.
Theres someone Id like to introduce you to.
Leos eyes shined when he heard those words.
Do you have another Disciple, Master?
Right.
So its my Senior Martial Brother. (Note: Fun fact, the word the author used for senior brother is the same as death penalty)
Lukas tilted his head before revealing the fact that Min Ha-rin was a woman.
Senior Martial Brother isnt that of eastern origin?
The origin of the martial art I learned is said to be closely related to Shaolin from China. The format they followed is also the same. Of course, I learned the martial art informally as a child, so I didnt have a real Master or Senior Martial Brothers
Leo began to ramble a bit at the end. Perhaps he had been longing for such a relationship in the past.
So he was learning Shaolin martial arts.
This wasnt particularly surprising. Europe was an area where swordsmanship, magic, and sorcery were developed instead of martial arts.
Therefore, it was common for European Martial Artists to learn martial arts from the east. Leo was the same.
Mm
Lukas felt troubled.
If Min Ha-rin and Leo were learning the same things, he would have been able to develop a bond between his students, but they were learning different things.????????n????????????d. ????????m
Min Ha-rin was learning magic.
Leo was learning martial arts.
They had the same Master, so they could be said to be from the same school, but there was not much of a difference in their initiation dates, so something like seniority would be hard to establish.
It was unintentional.
This was the first time hed taken on two students at the same time.
Lukas shook his head.
Ill think about that later. First of all, Ha-rin is older than you, so dont be rude.
Understood.
He didnt think Leo would be rude in the first place, but he still said it anyway.
Min Ha-rin was in the 11th Training Room, right beside them.
The 11th and 12th Training Rooms had been lent to Lukas due to Ninas consideration.
In any case, most of the hunters were busy carrying out missions, so the training rooms were currently unused.
Click.
He opened the door and saw Min Ha-rin.
She was squatting in a corner, reading a book, and when he looked closely, he noticed that she was wearing glasses.
She looked up when she heard the door open, and her expression changed.
Ah!
Book: 2: Chapter 31
Book 2: Chapter 31 Lukas seemed to see an illusion of flowers blooming around Min Ha-rin when she saw him.
Master!
He felt that she was exuding joy that was far greater than the last time theyd met. Min Ha-rin ran up to Lukas and smiled like a lost puppy.
Is everything okay?
Huh? Oh. I can summon two Fireballs at the same time now.
Thats a pretty encouraging achievement.
Yeah. But besides that, Id like to ask you something Ah.
Min Ha-rin, whose attention had been focused on Lukas the entire time, finally noticed Leo.
whos that behind you?
This is Leo Freeman. My new disciple.
Duk.
Min Ha-rin froze.
Disciple?
Right.
Lukas nodded and wondered.
It was strange. He was having a strong sense of deja vu at that moment.
Ah
It was Nina.
Shed had a similar reaction when hed said he was taking Min Ha-rin as his disciple. Even their stiff facial expressions were the same.
Masters new disciple
Min Ha-rin spoke each word slowly.
This is the first time Im hearing about this
Because this is the first time I mentioned it.
There was silence again.
It was at this time that Leo stepped forward and bowed to Min Ha-rin.
Im Masters newest disciple, Leo Freeman. Please take care of me.
Min Ha-rin stared at Leo for a moment with a blank expression on her face.
What was going on? This boy had an unbelievable appearance.
Leo appeared haggard because of Lukas training, but that did nothing to hide the sheer brilliance of his appearance. At least Min Ha-rin had never seen a boy with a face as pretty as Leos.
Shed never had an inferiority complex when it came to her appearance, but she couldnt help but feel this way now because of a man.
With a complicated expression on her face, Min Ha-rin replied.
Im Min Ha-rin. Please take care of me too.
Please speak comfortably, Senior Sister. (Note: Actually had a bit of trouble with this as I never had to translate it to English. But in essence, hes putting himself beneath her and saying that she doesnt need to be polite to him.)
Senior Sister?
Yes.
This caused her expression to become even more complicated.
Min Ha-rin turned to look at Lukas as if asking for help, but Lukas simply avoided her gaze as if he was telling her to deal with it on her own.
Then Leo.
Yes.
Ill take care of you.
Yep.
Leo smiled faintly, and the atmosphere in the room seemed to soften.
It was like an invisible bond had been formed between them. And the fence that made them a community was Lukas.
indeed.
This was probably how Schweiser felt.
It was a different relationship from family and friends, but it was not lighter than them.
Lukas felt that he could finally understand why Schweiser had accepted so many disciples.
Come to think of it
Lukas couldnt remember when last hed had such a comfortable feeling.
Can I ask you one thing?
Anything.
Was Master training you for the past week?
Yeah. Hes been at my side guiding me the entire way.
at your side the entire way
Because he could feel a gaze on him, Lukas looked up and found Min Ha-rin staring at him with a complex gaze.
But he didnt think much of it.
Im curious about what you achieved so far. Can you show me?
Yeah.
Min Ha-rin nodded.
Fireball.
Crackle-
A ball of flame bloomed on the tip of Min Ha-rins finger.
Her casting speed was admirable. She was already comparable to a 2 star Wizard.
Then, another ball of flame bloomed on another finger.
Lukas looked at this fireball.
It appeared unstable and flickered as though the flames would go out at any time. Then, the flames did go out with a huk sound.
You failed to maintain it. Thats a phenomenon that occurs when your mind is distracted during casting. Focus a bit more. You wont be able to play your part if youre like this.
Im sorry. I didnt know because I trained on my own for a week. I didnt have anyone to explain it to me.
Lukas expression became strange when Min Ha-rin bowed her head.
I see.
A sudden, tense silence filled the room.
After a while, Lukas opened his mouth.
Are you perhaps
Huh?
no. Its nothing.
Lukas was about to ask if she was upset.
But his sharp and accurate intuition, which had been honed after living for such a long time that humans couldnt even imagine, was telling him.
To just stay still for now.
* * *
President. We received a call from the Chinese Branch.
Nina frowned.
She could already predict what they wanted, but she still asked him anyway.
What did they say?
It seems they are asking for Lee Jong-haks return.
Ha.
Nina burst out into a laugh that was a mix of cynicism and helplessness.
Naturally, Lee Jong-hak didnt listen to Ninas orders. This wasnt a situation where she was pressuring him and forcibly keeping him in the European Branch.
Lee Jong-hak was performing missions in Europe of his own volition.
And Beijing, China, in other words, the East Asia Branch, should also have known this fact.
Nevertheless, there was one reason why they were sending their requests to Nina.
Because they didnt have the power to force Lee Jong-hak to return, either.
Its easier to use me.
Crunch.
Nina grit her teeth.
Europe and Asia didnt have a balanced relationship.
This wasnt just about the headquarters in Russia. The entire European Branch, which was now in a precarious position, was receiving great support from them.
From manpower to food, information, and other important material resources. If any of these were cut off, the effects would be devastating.
They wouldnt publicly cut off their support.
But it was still possible for them to delay the shipment of goods or subtly reduce the amount they sent by using all kinds of excuses.
The pressure from that alone would give Europe a hard blow.
Did you tell them that Lee Jong-hak refused?
Ive said it numerous times but they dont believe me.
Theyre only pretending to not believe. After all, theyre not stupid. Hmm. They know, but theyre still pushing us.
That means
Theyre trying to get something from us.
Nina frowned.
Then what does the Asia Branch want?
There was nothing for them to gain by squeezing Europe. Or at least thats what Nina thought.
The number and quality of their hunters were all superior to the ones on this side. And they didnt lack resources or have a special crisis.
can you excuse me for a moment?
Ludwig pointed to his ear. Hed probably received another report.
When Nina nodded, he turned slightly to the side and lowered his head.
Its me. Right. I just reported it What?
Ludwig looked shocked.
He glanced at Nina for a moment before speaking.
wait a bit. Ill report it now and contact you after. Right.
Ludwig fell silent after saying that. It seemed that he was trying to organise his thoughts.
What is it?
They made a request to connect a portal.
A portal?
Yes, they want to meet Lee Jong-hak directly and persuade him.
Nina pressed her fingers to her temples for a moment.
In truth, she didnt have to agonise over it for very long. Their request wasnt troublesome at all.
The two sides would meet and directly have a discussion.
For Nina, this was something she should welcome.
She wouldnt have to suffer like a shrimp in a battle between whales anymore.
Where is Lee Jong-hak now?
In Germany.
Hoo.
Nina nodded.
Contact the German Branch and connect the portal.
(Note: I wonder if you know who is coming to Europe Could he and Lukas have a meeting and subsequent clash soon? Or are the Chinese hunters just trying to warn Lee Jong-hak) S~ea??h the N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Book: 2: Chapter 32
Book 2: Chapter 32 The Palace of Versailles is a world-class feat of architecture that can be found in the city of Versailles, France.
This palace, which was a symbol of absolute monarchy and a representative work of baroque architecture, remained in relatively good condition when compared to the other ruined buildings in the city. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
There was only one reason for that.
Because that was where the Demon King lived. And from the moment he occupied it, it had become the Demon Kings Palace.
It was a place where only high-ranking noble Demons were even allowed to enter.
It was a place where there were rarely any gatherings, but today was different. A much thicker aura of demonic energy was swirling around the palace than normal.
The beings who were gathered in this place were those who stood at the peak of countless Demons.
The Five Dukes.
Its been a long time since a Duke died.
That makes three. The humans are pretty impressive. But who died?
Sandro.
Ah.
A deep voice was heard after.
The Vampire Duke, Gullard, sighed.
Rose and Ugkas didnt seem to understand the severity of the situation yet.
On the other hand, Azazel, the most powerful of the Five Dukes and practically the representative of the Demon King, was different. He opened his mouth and spoke with a serious tone.
This case is different from Ludmill or Goubals deaths. He wasnt slain by the humans numerical superiority.
Then?
I would say that it was closer to an assassination.
Laughter sounded out.
It was Rose. Her raid hair fluttered around her despite the lack of wind, giving off the impression of a sea of blood.
Youre saying a Duke was assassinated? Not only that, but it was Sandro who could control shadows? Haha. That would be impossible for even the Three Great Demon Hunters. In fact, I dont even think Sandro is dead. I think he just doesnt want to see us right now.
Watch your mouth, Rose. This is the Kings summons. There is no way that Sandro would ignore such an order.
Rose closed her mouth.
This was because she silently accepted that her previous statement was wrong. Nevertheless, she still wasnt convinced.
Sandro had a lot of slaves. Some of them shared their lives with him.
So?
All of those slaves are dead.
Rose had no choice but to become serious at that.
And the slaves who were supposed to be put on display by the Chester Company escaped. Among them was Lee Jong-hak.
Even the Five Dukes knew who Lee Jong-hak was.
Where is Lee Jong-hak now?
Recently, it has been reported that hes been active around Europe.
Suddenly, Ugkas, who had been silent up until that point, finally spoke.
Then lets conquer Europe.
This Demon, who had the bizarre appearance of a steel statue, spoke in a strange voice that sounded like clanging metal.
There isnt a lot of land left there anyway. If we really made up our mind, it would take less than a month to completely capture Europe.
Only the Demon King can determine a conquest for territory, Ugkas.
The rest of the Dukes froze slightly at Azazels words.
Where is the King now?
He has gone into training.
Mm.
Again?
All of the Dukes had this thought, but none of them expressed it.
The Demon King.
He was the only being in the entire world for whom all Demons would lay down their lives without hesitation, and he had their utmost loyalty. But even the five in this room, who could be said to be the closest to him, couldnt tell what he was thinking sometimes.
It was the same at that moment.
The Demon King rarely appeared in public. This was because he thought it was better to increase his demonic energy than waste time sitting on the throne.
Even Azazel couldnt understand the Demon Kings obsession with training.
To put it gently, even if all the Dukes in this room worked together, they still wouldnt be able to defeat the Demon King. To some extent, he had already transcended the realm of mortals, and he himself had to be aware of that.
Nevertheless, that didnt stop his desire to grow stronger. No. Instead, it seemed he pushed himself even harder as a result.
however, even if the King is absent, we cant stay silent after the death of a Duke.
Black light fluttered within Azazels eyes.
It was time for a counterattack.
* * *
Lukas was contemplating how he would move forward. But before that, he remembered his fight with Sedi.
Nodiesop is a disgusting guy.
Sedi spoke after spitting out a mouthful of blood.
It had only been a short fight.
Neither of them fought with their full strength. And for them, their bodies were nothing but a shell. Even if it was damaged, repairing it wasnt a problem.
This was true even if their heads were cut off or their hearts exploded.
Any attack was meaningless unless it was powerful enough to reach their core, their essence.
So this fight was a simple warm-up.
Hes nasty, cruel, and smart.
So hes the most annoying type of enemy to have.
Lukas replied while brushing dust from his body.
Sedi nodded.
The fortunate thing about this misfortune is that hes also incredibly rational. So he wont break the balance of this universe by unleashing his powers as an Absolute. Maybe
That would be Lukas biggest advantage. But he couldnt help but worry slightly at her last word.
But the words that Sedi said next were even more significant.
He said he wants to see your downfall.
downfall?
I dont know what he means. Its not like were close.
Sedi shook her head.
Its been a few weeks since we entered this world. Depending on how you think about it, thats either short or long. But unlike me, whos been idle, Nodiesop has probably prepared something already. Soon, he will approach you in some form.
This meant that Lukas would have to make his own preparations.
He nodded.
Who is the last Absolute?
Sedi had said that three Absolutes had entered this world. Aside from her and Nodiesop, there was still one more.
I dont know who it is. I only sensed their presence as I was entering the world
Sedi frowned.
I dont know who it is, what their goal is, or where they are right now. But do you need to care about them right now?
Unlike her, who had called Lukas by scattering her presence across the continent, and Nodiesop, who was definitely manipulating the scene from the shadows by now, the third Absolute didnt seem to be doing anything.
In any case, the one you need to worry about the most right now is Nodiesop.
-After recalling Sedis words, Lukas came back to his senses.
Hoo
Nodiesop.
Sedi said that she didnt know where he was.
However, unlike Sedi, whom he had successfully persuaded, and the third Absolute, who didnt seem to be doing anything, Nodiesop was currently acting in the dark.
He wants to see me fall.
The first move.
What was the first move that Nodiesop would show Lukas?
Of course, he couldnt know. And he wouldnt be able to find any clues by agonising over it.
Lukas didnt know anything about Nodiesop. And there was a limit to the amount he could infer from Sedis piecemeal information.
He couldnt help but feel that it was unfortunate.
If he had met him even once, then he might have been able to guess what method he would use.
It cant be helped.
Since that was the case, Lukas did not know what he could do to prevent Nodiesops actions.
It seemed that he would inevitably have to suffer the first blow.
And perhaps in the near future.
it would be nice if he took his time.
It would be good if Min Ha-rin and Leo were good enough to help him at that time.
However, he had a feeling that things werent going to be so easy.
* * *
Thank you. Thank you so much
A very old man bowed deeply while tears poured down his cheeks.
Take refuge in the shelter. Leave this place to us.
M-, my grandson is still here. Hes only 7 years old
Lee Jong-haks expression hardened slightly.
Then he smiled reassuringly at the old man.
I will save him even if it costs me my life.
P-, please, please
Dont worry, sir.
Lee Jong-hak sighed after the old man disappeared into the distance with a worried expression on his face.
It wouldnt be as easy as he made it sound.
This land, Germany, had already lost most of its territory to the Demons.
Lee Jong-hak looked at the fluttering flames. The entire city had been swallowed by fire.
Dont tell me youre going to jump in there.
It was Drisa who spoke.
Since they had escaped, the two found that they got along with each other, so they started taking missions together. To be precise, Drisa had chosen to follow Lee Jong-hak.
At first, he just wanted the benefits that came from being beside Lee Jong-hak, who was a proven hero, but now, he was different. Drisa truly had a feeling of respect for Lee Jong-hak.
If there really is a person who could save this world, it would be this man.
That was how convinced he was that Lee Jong-hak was an upright and straightforward man. He had only seen him lose his composure once.
mm.
The blonde man named Lukas. When he remembered him, Drisa couldnt stop the complex feelings that filled him.
The saviour who supported mankind from the shadows. To be honest, he still thought that half of it was a lie. If it wasnt for Ninas guarantee, he would have taken Lukas for a fraud.
Lee Jong-hak kept looking at the fire as he responded.
There are people who havent been rescued yet.
There are also more Demons.
You dont have to come. Ill go alone.
how could I do something like that?
Drisa sighed.
He wouldnt let him go alone. After all, two was always better than one.
Lee Jong-hak smiled.
Just as they were about to enter the city.
Reinforcements have arrived!
One of the hunters who was on the rescue mission with them shouted.
Drisa tilted his head to the side.
Reinforcements? I dont think the German Branch has anyone left.
Theyre not from Germany. They are hunters from the East Asia Branch.
Lee Jong-hak furrowed his eyebrows at those words. He couldnt hide the shock on his face.
Those who came were all big names who couldnt be treated as mere reinforcements.
Wow. As expected, the European night scene is very hot.
The young man in the middle spoke in a frivolous tone.
It was someone whom Lee Jong-hak didnt have a good relationship with.
Kim Go-hyuk.
Its been a while, Human Dragon. You look pretty good for a guy who almost died.
When the Heavenly Dragon, Kim Go-hyuk, said those words with a smile, Lee Jong-hak could only smile bitterly.
I guess it wasnt my time to die.
Youre still so old-fashioned.
I didnt expect you to come here as reinforcements. Did the East Asia headquarters allow it?
ah. Thats because we have an emergency situation. The situation required us to move personally.
What are you doing here, then?
Were looking for a person.
Kim Go-hyuks eyes shined slightly.
And I thought you might know him.
Book: 2: Chapter 33
Book 2: Chapter 33 Well talk about it later. For now, there is work to do.
What work?
I also have to look for people.
Lee Jong-hak spoke in a cold voice as he turned to look at the city.
Kim Go-hyuk tilted his head to the side.
Who?
The civilians who are still in this city.
So you dont want to look for them. You want to rescue them. Are you serious? You actually wanna go in there?
As Kim Go-hyuk spoke, a five-story building was eaten by fire and collapsed.
Even if it was Lee Jong-hak, entering a city that was completely consumed by fire was incredibly dangerous. And assuming that Demons were lurking there, it was no different from suicide.
Lee Jong-hak didnt respond. But Kim Go-hyuk realised that nothing he said would change his mind.
Youre still the same.
He burst into laughter, which seemed to be filled with admiration and something else.
Then, Kim Go-hyuks expression suddenly changed.
Lee Jong-hak, do you believe in God?
We can talk later. I dont have time now. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
This isnt the same. This is important.
This was said in a serious voice.
Lee Jong-hak had no choice but to stop because he knew of the way Kim Go-hyuk usually acted.
God.
Did he believe in God?
I dont.
There was no way he would believe that. Anger and hatred were mixed in Lee Jong-haks voice.
Kim Go-hyuk nodded as if he expected it.
Right. But you will believe from today.
What?
I no. We saw God. Lee Jong-hak, follow him from now on too.
What are you
It was then.
Kim Go-hyuk suddenly stretched his hands to the sky. That wasnt all. The Hunters from East Asia, who hadnt said a single word before then, also followed his movements.
Nodiesop! Please save the people in this city!
Give your lambs the hand of salvation!
Please!
Lee Jong-haks eyes dimmed slightly.
What the hell were they doing?
Uh Heavenly Dragon, Kim Go-hyuk did you go crazy? Or is this some kind of play?
Drisa asked this while spinning his finger around his ear.
Kim Go-hyuk didnt answer him. The other people also didnt seem to care about his words.
They all should have heard Drisas voice, but their attitudes remained the same.
At that moment, they were all staring at the sky solemnly.
Drisas eyes narrowed.
This is weird.
There was a creepy chill in the air. The hunters cries grew louder and louder.
Gradually, it felt like a strange feeling was tickling his heart.
Ill go ahead.
Lee Jong-hak spoke in a contemptuous voice before turning around.
Suddenly, someone stopped him.
Wa-, wait.
It was Drisa, not Kim Go-hyuk.
He spoke with a stutter.
Lo-, look at the sky.
Hearing his shocked voice, Lee Jong-hak looked up to the sky. And his mouth fell open.
Giant droplets of water floated in the sky above them.
Huh?
It was a scene that went beyond strange.
Lee Jong-hak took a step back, suddenly feeling like the borders between real and unreal had blurred.
This was a phenomenon that far surpassed human understanding. And the fear of the unknown made him tremble slightly.
How was this possible?
Ohh!
Great God! Thank you!
Look! Gods power!
Bang!
Suddenly, the balls of water in the sky exploded and heavy rain began to fall down.
Shaaa-
No, it couldnt be called heavy rain. The rainwater was so violent that it could even pierce windows.
Rather than just dousing the flames, the raindrops pierced through the concrete. Not only was the fire extinguished, but the buildings in the city also collapsed.
What have you done?!
Lee Jong-hak grit hit teeth.
With that degree of power, not to mention the humans who were extremely weak, even the Demons in the city would not be able to withstand it.
Ahhh-
!
When he heard the screams, Lee Jong-hak could no longer hold himself back. Just as he drew his sword and prepared to charge into the city.
Kim Go-hyuk blocked him from the front.
Get out of my way.
The people are safe. Dont worry.
Do you think I would believe that?
Calm down. Listen carefully. Do those sound like human screams?
Kiiieeek-
Lee Jong-hak froze when he realised he was hearing the screams of Demons.
Relax, do I have to explain this to you?
what kind of spell did you use?
Spell? Hahaha!
Kim Go-hyuk burst into laughter.
Its not something stupid like that. Hey, Lee Jong-hak! Havent you realised it yet? What you see before you is not something that can be explained by common sense.
Kim Go-hyuk turned to the city.
All the Demons in the city were dead. He was sure of that.
The rain was the work of a noble god. At the same time, its benevolent touch would also heal the humans.
Kim Go-hyuk spoke in a fanatic voice.
To put it simply, a miracle is happening here.
miracle?
What hed wished and hoped for the most in the past.
Lee Jong-hak stared at the city with a blank gaze.
The flames that had engulfed the city had died down. And people could be seen gathering together among the rubble.
None of them were wounded.
All of the civilians had survived.
Lee Jong-hak clenched his fist.
Gods miracle.
The moment he thought of those words, his heart began to beat violently in his chest.
* * *
Leo.
Leo turned around when he heard someone call his name.
It was Gerard, who was walking up to him with a bright smile on his face.
Its been hard to see your face these days. Have you been busy?
A little.
I see.
Gerard came beside Leo. When they stood side by side, he naturally had to look down at him.
For a strong, healthy man like Gerard and a boy who was not fully grown like Leo, the difference in physique between them was obvious.
Youve been frequently in and out of the 12th Training Room these days.
Right.
The person there is supposed to be Lukas, right? I heard he was an important acquaintance of Nina.
Lukas was now somewhat of a celebrity in the European headquarters.
Leo remained silent.
This wasnt because he was afraid to reveal his relationship with Lukas. Instead, it was because he just didnt want to tell Gerard anything.
Gerard laughed.
In any case, we have a mission tomorrow, so prepare to leave at dawn. We have a new hunter in our group, so youll have to prepare six sets of supplies.
Im not going.
huh?
Gerard couldnt help but wonder if hed heard incorrectly.
What did you say?
I wont be going on any more missions with you.
Gerards expression changed. He looked down at Leo with a slightly stiff face. Then, he took a deep breath.
It was clear that he was trying to keep his true thoughts from showing.
What are you talking about so suddenly? Tomorrow is the day of the mission. This is too sudden.
Im not breaking any rules.
This was true.
Supporters werent officially included in hunter groups. For this reason, the rewards they received for completing missions were extremely low. But they had the advantage of being able to withdraw from their group without needing the permission of the leader.
Leo was the same.
He could quit being the supporter of the group just by telling Gerard.
Of course, this would offend Gerard. But that was exactly what Leo wanted.
Its not like youd lose any power in battle.
No way. It would be hard to find a supporter like you.
Leo laughed.
That was the crucial part.
why are you laughing?
His strained voice contained obvious displeasure. Gerards mask was beginning to crack.
I intend to stop being a supporter from now on.
does that mean youre going to stop pretending to be a hunter?
Mhm. I will stop pretending and become a real hunter instead.
Gerard wanted to laugh, but he couldnt.
Leos quiet voice was filled with confidence.
His mouth twisted subconsciously.
You? Thats impossible.
Would you like to test it yourself?
What?
Leo didnt respond. He simply stared at Gerard.
Only then did Gerard realise his true intentions and burst out laughing.
Ha, haha do you intend to duel me?
Yeah.
cant we come to some kind of understanding? We can have a personal match, and Ill let you beat me. How about that?
Its fine if you dont want to do it.
When Leo said that and turned around as if he didnt care, Gerard called out impulsively.
Fine. Lets duel. When will it be?
Leo turned around at those words.
As soon as your mission is over.
That will be about a week from now. Fine.
Gerard then smiled.
However, I have a condition. It has to be an official duel in which the fight clauses apply.
The fight clauses.
In a duel recognised by the association, if one side was crippled or worse, the other side would not be held accountable.
In other words, it could be a fight to the death during which they were allowed to kill each other.
Gerard thought that Leo would back down after hearing this.
Good.
However, his reaction was unexpected.
I look forward to it.
Leo was smiling softly.
Book: 2: Chapter 34
Book 2: Chapter 34 Min Ha-rin had become a 3 star Wizard. She learned to properly utilise most of the 3 star spells, and her mana control and understanding of Magical Science had risen a level.
Now, regardless of what would happen in the future, she would be able to be of some assistance.
Leos growth was in no way lacking when compared to hers. He had mastered all of the basic forms of the Warrior King Fist, and he had already begun to mix it somewhat with his own martial arts.
Lukas expected them to be quite talented. Given that they had the power of transformation.
Nevertheless, they both still managed to exceed his expectations.
From the perspective of a master, he should have been pleased, but the first thing that Lukas felt was confusion.
Even if they were supposed to be fast, this was too fast.
To become a 3 star Wizard in a month?
This was something that was impossible even for the greatest geniuses whom Lukas had met in the past.
It was the same for Leo.
Mixing different martial arts was something that even Masters would struggle with. And yet, Leo was now blending the two he knew with ease.
Its not just Leo and Min Ha-rin.
The growth capability of the humans in this universe was abnormal.
In Lukas home world, the study of Magical Science was something that was developed over thousands of years.
During those long years, countless humans worked together to develop it.
It had a history that allowed one to describe it as a culture instead of a field, and over time, the bodies of the humans also adapted to be able to use mana.
But this universe was different.
Although he had secretly transmitted techniques and tricks to them, it had only been a few decades since the existence of mana was discovered.
And yet, there were already several beings who could be called Archmages.
This was not something that could be described with effort, talent, teaching, and luck, nor could it be attributed to the fact that he was assisting them from the shadows.
It was like
The universe itself seems to be boosting their growth
This thought appeared in his mind, but Lukas shook his head. It was too early to come to a conclusion.
In any case, it was a good thing for him that there was a fast growth rate.
The only concern would be that they might become intoxicated with pride, but that wasnt something that could be associated with Min Ha-rin or Leo.
And today.
The duel between Gerard and Leo would take place.
Hed heard that it would be held in the 2nd Duel Room at 10am. Naturally, Lukas would go watch, and Min Ha-rin would too.
Leo is still weaker than Gerard.
It was true that Gerard was still a bit better than Leo. But Lukas didnt think that Leo would lose.
Lukas got up from his seat.
He decided to leave the room now in order to not be late. The 2nd Duel Room was located three floors below him. In other words, it was on the 8th floor.
Lukas walked to the elevator.
Ding-
The elevator door opened.
There were many people inside. This fact alone wasnt surprising.
What surprised Lukas was their appearance. These werent hunters from the European headquarters.
The group consisted of only Asians. Something that was rare to see in Europe.
One of these people appeared surprised when he saw Lukas. He seemed to hesitate for a second before his expression changed, becoming harsh.
And everything that happened next happened in a flash.
You this guy!
The man swiftly closed the distance and grabbed Lukas collar.
* * *
The Duel Rooms, together with the Training Rooms, were some of the most elaborately built rooms in the headquarters.
As the levels of the hunters increased, it became harder for them to find improvement through simple training.
The best way for them to find their flaws and improve were to fight against similar or stronger opponents.
Min Ha-rin nodded while looking at the outer wall of the Duel Room.
Its just as good as our branch.
If the durability was poor, it would not be able to withstand the destructive power of high-level hunters.
The Duel Room was also large and well-maintained.
The number of Duel Rooms in the headquarters was small, but this wasnt much of a problem since most of the hunters were usually on missions.
Min Ha-rin chose a corner in the stands and took a seat, feeling it was fortunate that shed come early.
Her gaze swept across the room. There were more people there than she expected.
Leo and Gerard are having a duel?
Leos win rate against humans is monstrous, but
But his opponent is Gerard, isnt it? Hes the man whos most likely to become Sir Nicholas successor.
More than that, why are they fighting all of a sudden?
I heard that Leo caused the dispute.
Ha. That ungrateful guy. It seems he forgot that Gerard was the only one willing to accept him after he failed as a hunter.
Min Ha-rin almost shouted at those words.
She knew how Leo had been treated by Gerard.
That bastard! Filled with anger, Min Ha-rin looked down at the duel ground.
Leo and Gerard were faced off against each other. And a strange tension filled the room.
You must win, Junior Brother.
Min Ha-rin had learned a lot about this Junior Brother, named Leo, over the past few weeks. And shed come to accept him.
When she heard about Leos traumatic past, his current situation, and his goal, she couldnt help but feel some similarity to herself.
Min Ha-rin grew accustomed to Leo because she had two younger siblings of her own. And Leo, who had long yearned for such a relationship, always expressed his feelings without losing his courtesy.
Naturally, this allowed the two disciples to form a close relationship much sooner than Lukas expected.
How could Min Ha-rin have any good feelings for Gerard?
In her eyes, he was a perverted bastard who deserved to be killed hundreds of times for what hed done to her cute Junior Brother. If she hadnt given up swordsmanship, she might have stood up and fought in his stead.i????????????????????.nbsp;c????????
Of course, Id never do that.
This was Leos fight.
Min Ha-rin took a deep breath to conceal the anxiety she felt.
Then, she looked at the clock on the wall.
10 oclock.
The duel was about to begin.
Min Ha-rin turned her eyes to the door.
Lukas, whod said that hed definitely be there, was nowhere to be seen.
* * *
Lukas looked at the man who was grabbing his collar.
The man seemed to be in his mid-30s, with a small physique and a cold expression on his face.
It wasnt a face he recognised.
Whats going on?
There was a small uproar.
The Asian hunters seemed shocked at the sudden turn of events.
A man in the middle of the group opened his mouth.
Otsuru, do you know this person?
Yeah. You guys go greet President Nina first. I have something to discuss with this guy.
The man looked at Lukas with a slightly suspicious gaze before nodding. S~ea??h the ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
fine, but dont stir up too much of a fuss. This isnt East Asia.
I know.
As if they didnt care about it anymore, the hunters all walked past Lukas.
And when the sound of their footsteps grew further and further away before disappearing completely, the expression of the man named Otsuru changed again.
Please forgive my rudeness.
He whispered in a soft voice before kneeling on one knee.
Lukas fixed his rumpled clothes.
You are?
This one is called Otsuru.
It was a name hed heard before
Banyo Otsuru.
He was one of the best Japanese hunters.
Of course, this was Lukas first time meeting him in person, but Otsuru seemed to know him.
I heard about you from the old man.
Na Jong-cheol?
Yes.
When the Bow God, Na Jong-cheol, was mentioned, Lukas had no choice but to change his attitude.
He was one of the transformers whom Lukas had saved while wandering around the world.
That was already decades ago.
Na Jong-cheol was a man who could remain calm in any situation and who had a very upright and straightforward attitude. Due to his excellent bow handling skills and unique charisma, he became the head of the Demon Trappers, one of the top three guilds in Korea.
It had already been decades since Lukas had saved him. He was old enough to have witnessed when the Demons first appeared.
He should already have been past seventy by now.
Otsuru raised his head and spoke in a serious voice.
You are in a very dangerous situation right now.
Dangerous?
Yes. Im sure there are people watching us right now
His voice faded at the end of his words.
Lukas thought about Leos fight with Gerard, but he felt that listening to what Otsuru had to say was more important.
Lets go to my room.
He headed to the room with Otsuru, who closed the door carefully before sighing.
I apologize for my rudeness earlier. I didnt want your existence to be revealed to Kim Go-hyuk and the others
Im guessing that something has happened in East Asia.
Yes. Most of the hunters there are looking for your whereabouts.
Why?
Otsurus voice became solemn as he spoke.
Because our new President ordered it.
New president.
Lukas soon realised what this meant.
is it Nodiesop?
Otsuru shivered when he heard the name.
You know him? Yes. He took control of East Asia. He gathered the hunters with powerful influence together and subdued them in one fell swoop. He showed power against which no one dares to stand.
We dont know who he is, but one thing is clear. His abilities are completely unheard of.
Lukas fell silent for a moment before asking.
What about the hunters who were with you?
They are part of a group who came here to look for Master.
How did you know my location?
We heard it from Lee Jong-hak in Germany.
Lukas froze at those words.
Then he looked Otsuru in the eyes. Otsuru held his gaze for a moment before lowering his head and continuing.
They will soon start scouring the entire European headquarters, so we must move quickly. This is our only chance while they talk to Nina.
Where are we going to go?
I have secured a temporary safehouse.
let me ask you one more thing before that.
Yes.
What did Na Jong-cheol say about me?
He said that you were the Master who supported mankind from the shadows. He also said that a lot of heroes were saved by you.
Lukas looked at Osturu again.
His head was still bowed.
Book: 2: Chapter 35
Book 2: Chapter 35 Wow, I never thought Id see coffee mix here.
Kim Go-hyuk looked at the coffee mix with a hint of emotion in his expression.
Ludwig looked at him with a slightly displeased gleam in his eyes.
The Heavenly Dragon, Kim Go-hyuk, the hero who represented Korea and a hunter who had significant influence across the entirety of East Asia as well as the rest of the world.
This was Ludwigs first time meeting him in person, but he already knew about his appearance as well as his achievements.
In all honesty, he looked forward to it. He thought he would be like Lee Jong-hak.
Although it could be called prejudice, he thought that all Asians were generally polite people.
But this man was disgusting.
And he didnt mean cleanliness.
His vulgar attitude, which reminded him of the gangsters in the city, couldnt help but make him frown.
He didnt suit the noble name Heavenly Dragon at all.
Although Kim Go-hyuk noticed Ludwigs displeased gaze, he opened his coffee mix without a single care in the world.
This is made in Korea. Did you know?
His gaze was on Nina.
When Ludwig couldnt resist and was about to say something, Nicholas, who was beside him, spoke up.
how about being more polite in front of the President, Kim Go-hyuk.
Ah, sorry. Its been a long time since I took a business trip abroad. Ill do as you say, Sir Nicholas.
Kim Go-hyuk responded in the same tone, with seemingly no sign of reflection in his voice. It was followed by a slurp sound as he sipped some coffee from his cup.
Nina spoke with a cold voice.
Why are you here? I already told you Lee Jong-haks whereabouts.
Hmm. Well, you did. Thanks to you, we were able to meet him.
Nina looked at those standing beside Kim Go-hyuk.
Goddess, Sword Saint, Hwarang Leader
They were all big names.
Ninas hand shook slightly. There was a bit of sweat on her palms.
Why do I feel nervous? S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Even if they were from another region, they were all bound by the large net known as the Hunter Association.
They should have considered themselves comrades to an extent, but the moment she looked into Kim Go-hyuks eyes, that feeling disappeared and she opened her mouth.
What about Lee Jong-hak?
He went back to China.
he just left so easily?
Of course.
Nina was not convinced.
Lee Jong-hak had long wanted to work in Europe and had shown this passion to Nina. At least, the Lee Jong-hak whom Nina knew would not have returned to China simply because of a request from the President.
Did Lee Jong-hak have urgent business?
Right. Well, its not that big of a deal. Just that the President of the East Asia Branch has changed.
Nina blinked.
you mean President Cha Gung-hwan retired?
Although he was in the same position as Nina, Cha Gung-wan was a man who Nina would willingly give way for, considering his status and experience.
Nina was speechless.
Its naturally around the time for him to retire, considering his age, but
But even considering that, it was too sudden.
Furthermore, it wasnt such a simple thing for the President of an Association Branch to retire. It was usually common for them to make an announcement through the Association headquarters.
Then, the current President
Ah. Theres no need for you to worry about that. An amazing guy took over.
In any case, he recently took office and he came up with ironclad rules.
ironclad rules?
Yes. But before that, there is something Id like to ask.
Kim Go-hyuk continued in a relaxed voice.
Do you know a man named Lukas?
I dont. Who is he?
Ninas expression became cold, and then she stared at Kim Go-hyuk.
Kim Go-hyuk looked at Nina with an unknown smile on his lips.
Kikiki. Your control of your facial expression is pretty good. If I didnt know in advance, I might have been fooled by you.
Those words caused a cold atmosphere to descend upon the room.
Ludwig and Nicholas stepped forward at the same time.
This is the second time, Kim Go-hyuk.
Didnt I warn you about being polite?
Can you two little punks shut up?
What did you say?
Ludwig couldnt hide his shock at the sudden remark. He never expected that hed be insulted straight to his face.
Kim Go-hyuk grinned.
Why do you keep interrupting when adults are talking? Cant you go sit in the corner? Do you want to die?
You you crazy bastard!
Crack!
Ludwig hurriedly ducked instead of continuing his swearing.
Something sharp brushed past his hair.
Youre pretty good at dodging.
Sss
This crazy guy had actually attacked him!
Rustle!
All of the European hunters, including Nina, rose up from their seats at the same time. They stared at Kim Go-hyuk with cold gazes.
Youve crossed the line, Heavenly Dragon Kim Go-hyuk.
Crossed the line? You havent seen anything yet.
Kim Go-hyuk took out a dagger like hed thrown at Ludwig. He threw the dagger casually into the air, as though he didnt care about the tense situation.
Our new President told us that the Demons appeared in this world because of that man named Lukas.
What the f**k are you talking about?
And that those who side with him are no better than the Demons. So, President Nina, I will give you another chance.
Kim Go-hyuk sneered.
Give us the man named Lukas. Otherwise, well just assume everyone in this European Headquarters is collaborating with the Demons.
* * *
This wasnt a joke.
Ludwig swallowed heavily. Even though he knew it was wrong, he couldnt help but look at Nina.
President
Lukas naturally knew whom this name belonged to. The blonde-haired man who came to the base together with Lee Jong-hak was named Lukas.
It wasnt a unique name.
In fact, the name was quite common in Europe.
Nevertheless, Ludwig was certain that the man, whom they were looking for, was that blonde-haired man.
He didnt know who this man was, but he did know that he was very important to their president, Nina Rednikova.
That was all Ludwig knew.
Lukas had been staying in the base for about a month, but he hadnt had any contact with any of the other hunters. Hed heard that hed only interacted with two or three people, including Nina.
And since theyd first met, Ludwig didnt think hed exchanged more than five words with the man.
Is it really the right decision to hide this man?
Of course, he found Kim Go-hyuks disrespectful attitude infuriating. In fact, he wanted to kill him. After all, hed almost killed him. He wanted to ignore his ridiculous demands and just attack.
But he couldnt act upon his emotions.
After all, the opponent was one of the Three Dragons, one of the most influential people in the entirety of Asia.
Dammit.
This didnt feel real. In the blink of an eye, a ridiculous situation had erupted.
He never would have expected that he might have to fight other human beings. This was something that he could never imagine.
Is that man named Lukas worth it?
Was he worth them becoming enemies with the East Asia branch?
Ludwig wanted to ask Nina this question, but he knew that he could not speak lightly at that moment.
Hmmm.
Kim Go-hyuk hummed as he stared at Nina. He was no longer showing the same aggressiveness as in his initial attack.
It seemed he was waiting for an answer.
It was only then when Ludwig felt like hed seen the true essence of this man named Kim Go-hyuk. Perhaps his frivolous attitude was only a mask to make everyone lower their guards around him.
Then he realised that he was the only one who had been perfectly fooled by his cheap provocation.
Nina had remained cool-headed to the end, and Nicholas also hadnt made any real moves yet.
Kim Go-hyuk, do you simply believe everything your new President tells you?
Of course.
What evidence did he give you? Tell me. If you can convince me I will help you find the man named Lukas.
Haha.
Kim Go-hyuk burst into laughter.
It was a very stiff, strange laugh, but he himself didnt seem to notice.
With a shrug, he opened his mouth.
Imagine. That there is a throne in front of you and sitting on it is a tyrant.
what?
Ninas expression became slightly suspicious at the unexpected words.
But Kim Go-hyuk continued without any hesitation.
Standing around this tyrant are hundreds of knights in brilliant armor. If he only lifts his hand once, your head will be chopped off.
What was this man talking about all of a sudden?
All of the hunters, including Nina, looked at him with gazes filled with confusion.
Suddenly, that tyrant pulls out an orange and says, [Doesnt this apple look really good?]
Kim Go-hyuk seemed to imitate the tyrants stern voice. But his expression and vocalisation were terrible.
No matter how you looked at it, it seemed like the actions of a third-rate clown, something that you would usually laugh at just because of how ridiculous it was. But the room was deathly quiet.
So you answer, [My Lord, that isnt an apple but an orange.] Then the tyrant says, [No. This is an apple.]
Pfft. Hahaha! Hahaha!
Kim Go-hyuk suddenly burst into a loud, maniacal laugh. He laughed so hard that he was forced to hold his stomach.
Nina kept looking at him with a stiff expression on her face.
Then I nodded, [Ah. Yes. It is an apple that looks very delicious.]
You understand, dont you, President Nina? Even if Lukas was a senile old man or a gorgeous young woman, it wouldnt matter. What is important is that Nodiesop told us Lukas was a disaster. So he is a disaster.
Kim Go-hyuk then continued with a slightly strained voice.
So how about you quit the bullsh*t and tell me where Lukas is?
hoo.????????????????????????d. ?????????
Nina closed her eyes and sighed. Then, she began to deeply consider Kim Go-hyuks request.
This wasnt just her problem.
Nina owed Lukas her life and more. The grace hed bestowed upon her was so great that she wouldnt be able to repay him even if she devoted her entire life to him.
But Nina Rednikova was the President of the European Branch.
On her shoulders, she carried the fate of hundreds of thousands of European hunters.
If she were to reveal Lukas location here and claim that she had nothing to do with him.
Lukas would probably, no, definitely, agree with her choice.
He wouldnt even hold a grudge against her for it.
Kim Go-hyuk folded his arms and looked at Nina with interest.
Finally, Nina opened her eyes. From the look in her eyes, he could tell that shed made a decision.
Have you finished weighing your options?
Right.
So whats your choice?
Just as the corners of Kim Go-hyuks lips began curling upwards, Nina spoke.
I dont know.
Kim Go-hyuk froze for a moment before he began to clap with a ridiculous expression on his face.
What a selfish woman. With that choice, youve basically signed the ticket to send all European hunters to the underworld.
Cut the crap. You came here to devour this Russian branch in the first place.
Hoh. Why do you say that?
Because we have not been able to contact the control room since a while ago.
Kim Go-hyuk chuckled when Nina pointed at her ear.
I guess being so old isnt such a bad thing after all. Old people tend to have such good insight.
Nina didnt show it at that moment, but she decided that she would turn Kim Go-hyuk into minced meat the moment she got the opportunity.
Thats right. We received orders to annihilate this branch. But I never thought youd figure that out.
What a disgusting bastard.
He intended to kill them from the beginning, but he still pretended to give them a chance to live.
Nina didnt have a particular reason for hiding Lukas existence. She just didnt believe Kim Go-hyuks words.
And it seemed her judgment was correct.
By the way, I met that man named Lukas before I came to this room.
Kim Go-hyuk pointed to the door.
We ran into him just after getting off the elevator. He doesnt seem that impressive. But I pretended not to notice him.
Why?
Why did I just pass by him?
Kim Go-hyuk predicted Ninas question and interrupted her.
Naturally, its because I have something else planned.
Book: 2: Chapter 36
Book 2: Chapter 36 Lukas looked down at Otsuru for a while before speaking slowly.
Na Jong-cheol had always been an inflexible child.
huh? Ah. Yes. I see.
Otsuru raised his head.
Lukas fell silent for a moment before continuing.
And Lee Jong-hak hates me.
Otsuru felt like he couldnt keep up with the conversation. He really wanted to say that there wasnt much time, but he showed superhuman patience as he nodded.
However, hes not someone who would ignore someone simply because of a momentary emotion. Hes a foolishly upright guy, after all.
Otsurus face became filled with frustration.
Lukas looked him in the eyes as he spoke.
What Im trying to say is that Lee Jong-hak would never have told you where I was.
What are you trying to say?
Enough with the terrible acting, Otsuru. There is something I want to ask you. Is Na Jong-cheol still alive?
At that moment, Otsurus face became expressionless. The change was so sudden that someone who saw him might have felt they were looking at a different person altogether.
Hoo.
Then he took a deep breath and let the air slowly out his mouth.
I see. It seems there was still some information we should have extracted.
Now that he no longer had to pretend, Otsuru finally felt like he was wearing his own clothes. He looked at Lukas with an interested look in his eyes.
Haha. More than that I cant believe you said my acting was awkward. This was the first time in my life that Ive heard those words.
He was speaking frankly.
Otsuru was well aware that his acting skills were in no way clumsy. His profession often required him to perform espionage or information gathering, and when he performed those tasks, he inevitably had to hide his identity and blend into crowds.
Hed even entered and studied in a womens university without anyone realising.
He was surprised, but Otsuru was still relaxed.
I know that youre strong. Nodiesop already told us to be careful. So you must be strong enough that even a hunter would be in danger.
Your attitude is quite proud despite knowing that.
Kuku.
There was a confident smile on Otsurus lips.
The control room is already under our control. By now, the control of the portal should also be in our hands.
Lukas paused at that.
What about the people there?
Their resistance was too much. We couldnt restrain them. We didnt have the time.
Some of them should have been civilians.
So what? Should we not touch them? I guess you wouldnt know, but everyone in this base is already prepared to die.
Right. They were all prepared.
Prepared to die at the hands of Demons. Not by their own kind.
This man knew Lukas power. He didnt know how strong he was, but he knew that he was at least stronger than him.
Nevertheless, his attitude remained relaxed. He was confident as though he was protected by some kind of absolute field.
But no matter how hard Lukas pondered, he couldnt think of a reason for that.
So he decided to check for himself.
Crack!
?! Sar?h the n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Otsurus neck was sucked to Lukas hand. It all happened in a flash.
This what?!
In the instant it happened, Otsuru reacted. When he felt the unknown power, he used five different evasion techniques that could be used in an instant.
Two of them were absolute survival methods that had saved Otsuru numerous times in the past.
But none of them worked.
By the time he came to his senses, his throat was already being held tightly in Lukas hand.
As I expected.
Ku-, kuh. No matter what, you wouldnt kill a human right?
Did Nodiesop tell you that?
Of course.
Lukas loosened his grip.
Otsuru, who fell to the ground, looked up at Lukas as he coughed. He looked distressed, but in his eyes was a hint of elation as if he had expected such an outcome.
You talk like you know me well.
Of course! Because he said it himself!
Nodiesop.
It had only been less than a month since Nodiesop had arrived, and yet, he was already being worshipped fanatically.
Of course, it wasnt like Lukas couldnt understand. The charisma of an Absolute could be likened to a curse or brainwashing.
Otsuru was a famous Titled Hunter and one of the most powerful humans. But that was all.
What one needed to resist the temptation of an Absolute wasnt a strong body but a strong mind.
If someone was able to distinguish right from wrong despite being overwhelmed by fear, then Nodiesops influence as an Absolute would be limited.
This meant people like Na Jong-cheol. And all of them probably had bad endings.
Most of the East Asian hunters, including Otsuru, would regard everything Nodiesop said as the absolute truth.
Even if they were told that family members were Demons, they would smile as they choked their children to death.
The reason was simple.
You were rotten from the start.
What?
A man like you didnt need to be instigated by Nodiesop. I guess this is close to your true self. Dont you feel happy now? You can finally show the self youve been hiding all this while.
Therefore, he would be able to kill even those who should be protected.
There were people like this.
Those who caused Lukas to feel deep skepticism.
He knew that humans were a chaotic race. He also knew that good and evil coexisted within every human. Some more than others.
But apart from that fact, it wasnt a good thing for Lukas to dwell on this ugliness.
Gurgle
If he was exposed to too much malice, then the darkness hidden deep in his heart would begin to surface. It would make him look back on the path that hed walked so far. It would make him wonder if it was the right path.
Of course, he wouldnt be shaken. His belief wasnt so easily shaken.
However, the situation itself would cause Lukas mood to drop. His mood would be the exact opposite of when he taught Min Ha-rin and Leo.
Huhaha! You know me well, too!
Otsuru laughed without understanding the situation.
Lukas looked at him while thinking.
What a disgusting creature.
Squelch.
huh?
Otsuru blinked dumbly as his brain took a while to register the terrible pain that came from his shoulder. It felt like it was on fire.
Kuk!
There was a hole in his shoulder.
When and how?
Otsuru stumbled without understanding anything.
Lukas approached him as he groaned in pain.
I cant kill humans? Did Nodiesop say that? Does he think he has the right to determine my actions?
Curiosity became displeasure, and displeasure became anger.
My head felt like it was on fire.
Dozens of voices rang out in Lukas head.
The ego which was the Absolute, the part of him, which had been the most wary since he left the coils of mortality, was constantly whispering to him.
This voice was subtly making suggestions.
Talking about how he should follow the rules, which would mean he would stop suffering from such situations.
He knew how intense that temptation was.
U-, urk
Otsuru, who took a step back, could not maintain his balance and fell on his butt.
Paak!
Lukas kicked him in the chin.
Otsuru fell backwards with a short cry. Then Lukas gently stepped on his injured shoulder.
Kuaak!
Even his scream was disgusting.
If Nodiesops goal this time was to piss Lukas off, then hed succeeded. Regardless of whether this fact was good for him or not.
You guys seem to have misunderstood something. And among them, you misunderstood the most important thing by far.
Kuh! Motherf**ker! Im going to kill you!
Lukas didnt respond. Instead, he simply stepped a little harder on Otsurus shoulder.
Naturally, there was another loud scream. Otsuru grabbed Lukas leg with his other arm, but Lukas didnt seem to care as he continuously applied pressure.
Your biggest mistake was that you still thought of yourself as a human.
(Note: Omg. officially my favorite chapter so far Lukas is actually kicking ass FINALLY! Even if it was only a weak human, its better than nothing.)
Book: 2: Chapter 37
Book 2: Chapter 37 Bandages were important. Especially for warriors who used martial arts.
This was because they used them to secure their wrists, something incredibly important to do.
Of course, they werent as good as wrist guards made of state-of-the-art materials, but they were still better than other wrappings.
Kuk.
Leo carefully bandaged both of his arms, ensuring that they were tight and secure.
Seeing this, Gerard smiled.
Are you going to fight me with your bare hands? I thought you might have gotten hold of some good equipment, but it seems that wasnt the case.
I dont intend to rely on equipment. For a warrior, the body is the greatest weapon.
Haha. Is that some kind of eastern philosophy? Im not sure I can agree with that.
Gerard drew his sword.
As he held it in front of him, white energy began billowing around the blade of the sword.
Sword Ki. This was a type of power that could only be utilised by First class Swordsmen who were close to reaching the stage of Master.
Leos expression hardened slightly. S~ea??h the ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
He could see it for himself. Just how good of a hunter Gerard was.
Youre right-handed. So in remembrance of the old days, Ill only cut off your left arm.
This cruel murmur was said so quietly that only Leo was able to hear him.
From his tone, Leo knew that Gerard was serious.
But it didnt intimidate or frighten him.
Instead, he was grateful. After all, those words had just given him a hint for how to fight.
Gerard was extremely prideful. After declaring that he would cut off his left arm, it was clear that he would keep his word.
This meant that at a critical moment, he was more likely to aim for Leos left arm.
Now that he knew this, he would be able to avoid the crisis to an extent.
I have to avoid head-on confrontations.
While thinking this, Leo took a stance.
He knew that he had no chance of winning if he used the martial arts or subsidiary techniques he learned.
Warrior King Fist.
But there was a chance to win if he used the technique his master had taught him.
Leo took a deep breath.
[This duel will be officiated by Matthew Costa, and it will be stopped if I feel it has ended. Keep in mind that the two duelists must agree to the fight clauses.]
They heard the voice of the referee, Matthew Costa. He was in a room beside the duel ground, which was separated by a glass wall.
Leo and Gerard just nodded because there was no way he would hear their voices unless they shouted loudly.
[Then the duel can begin.]
* * *
The portal management room.
This was a room created for the management and maintenance of the portal and could be found in every branch.
People might think that simply opening and closing the portal was not an important job, but that was not true. If they allowed entry to those who werent their allies, it could cause their enemies to attack from within the base.
Therefore, the ones who were allowed to work in the portal management room were those who the administration had complete trust in.
They would never have expected even until the moment they died.
Du Dangpae couldnt help but have this thought as he looked down at the corpses with a stiff expression.
They were human corpses, not Demons. And they had been killed by none other than him.
I killed my own kind.
As soon as he thought this, he couldnt help but feel strange, like animal blood had been spilled all over his spotless white shirt.
Although they were of different nationalities and races, they were still comrades who once fought against the enemy known as Demons. It could not be denied that they were allies.
More importantly, most of the humans here were civilians.
Nevertheless, he had not shown them any mercy.
What did they think as they died?
Du Dangpae had deliberately revealed himself to them just before they died. And he watched as their eyes widened in shock.
These poor people would never have expected to die at the hands of a fellow human.
When he recalled the fear and disbelief in their eyes, a thrill of pleasure once again surged through his body.
Nevertheless, while he enjoyed their reactions, he didnt allow them to raise the alarm. This mass assassination had occurred silently.
After all, with even the control room under their control, the situation in the Russian Headquarters remained as calm as usual.
They would never know that the dozens of people in the control and portal management rooms had all been exterminated.
Du Dangpae manipulated the portals control panel.
Jing-
When he was done, the portals of the East Asia Branch headquarters and the European Branch headquarters were connected.
Now, when the order was given, the portal would be triggered and hundreds of selected hunters from East Asia would appear in this base.
Woowoong-
Just as he had that thought, he felt a vibration in his ring.
He was wearing one of a pair of couple rings, and if ki was injected into one, the other would vibrate.
The range was short, and it was impossible to communicate outside of the vibrations, but it was good enough for situations like this one.
Before opening the portal, Du Dangpae took a deep breath.
hoo.
If he opened this portal, this base would become a mess. It was impossible to tell just how many people would die.
And it would not be a fight against the Demons but against fellow humans. The defeated side and the victorious side would end up with numerous scars without gaining anything.
There would be countless people who died for nothing.
He could already smell the heavy scent of blood.
He could also feel his heart pounding. But it wasnt anxiety or fear.
With a smile, Du Dangpae opened the portal.
* * *
Lukas now knew the role of those who came to this base.
Keeeek!
Otsurus face looked hideous.
Blood vessels stuck out from his face, and he grit his teeth so hard that his gums bled. The voice that came from his throat didnt sound human.
Half Demon(1) Otsuru.
He didnt get this title because one of his parents was a Yokai.
Yokai energy.
Yokai energy was something that appeared only in Japan. And without sufficient willpower, one wouldnt be able to control this power.
Otsuru had probably accepted the yokai energy on his own. Perhaps he obtained the cells of a great yokai and transplanted them into himself, or maybe he ate its heart. (Note: Author didnt explain what yokai is in this sense. Or whether they are related to the demons or not.)
However, as a result of this, Otsuru had failed to truly make the yokai energy his own.
Crack.
kuk!
Lukas stepped on Otsurus chest, destroying his heart.
Red blood spurted from Otsurus mouth, quickly forming a puddle on the floor.
His irritation didnt subside.
He felt that if he was pushed further, he wouldnt just end at killing Otsuru or the intruders but every human in this world.
Hoo
He couldnt do that.
Lukas forced himself to calm down.
The images of Min Ha-rin and Leo Freeman came to his mind at that moment.
His raging emotions calmed down a little.
It was then.
Kiki-ki-
Otsuru got up from the ground.
This was impossible. His life had already ended.
His heart had been destroyed, and there was no living being who could have survived without a heart.
However, his movements were unstable.
There was a strange, creepy feeling as if he was a broken doll that was forcibly being made to rise.
Otsurus mouth then opened.
It seems you didnt like my greeting, madman.
His voice came out stiffly. But it wasnt the voice that Lukas paid attention to.
Madman.
There were very few beings in this universe who knew that title. And it was obvious who among them was capable of controlling Otsuru.
Nodiesop.
Thats right.
He nodded before looking down at himself.
He could tell just by looking at the traces. Otsuru had been killed cleanly. There wasnt even the slightest trace of hesitation in Lukas actions.
Im surprised. I heard that you were an Absolute who loved humans. But youre far less merciful than I expected.
This universe has the law of reincarnation. Since I didnt kill his soul, this cant be considered harsh.
I see. So thats what you were thinking.
Whether he would kill humans or not. And, if he did, whether he would hesitate.
Those were probably some of the things Nodiesop wanted to find out.
Nevertheless, I thought youd be more tolerant considering the fact that you consider yourself the saviour of humanity.
Enough of your bullsh*t, Nodiesop. Im not in a good mood right now. So tell me why you dared to show your face.
Nodiesop didnt seem affected by Lukas harsh tone.
Originally, I wasnt going to show myself this soon either.
It was true.
He never intended to reveal himself to Lukas until the right time came. He didnt even want to give him the slightest hint of his existence.
But the situation has changed.
A meeting is being held.
what?
A four no, three-party discussion.
Lukas brows furrowed at Nodiesops unexpected words.
Who are these three parties?
Youll naturally find out when you come.
Shuk.
At that moment, a small rippled appeared in the air, which then split open to reveal a portal.
No. It was a much more sophisticated power than a portal. It was much closer to the space time movement that the Demigods used in the past.
An ability that only transcendent beings would be able to use.
You want me to go in there?
Right.
Ha. It was so kind of him to open a passage for him.
It was ridiculously beyond suspicious. Lukas almost let out a laugh.
Naturally, he thought it was a trap, but he couldnt help but think that Nodiesops attitude was a bit strange.
As if hed read Lukas thoughts, Nodiesop spoke.
It doesnt matter if you dont come. No, in all honesty, Id be happy if you didnt come. But if you miss this opportunity, you will probably regret it.
says who?
[Me.]
The answer came from behind him.
Lukas could not hide his shock.
The surge in his emotions was so sudden that he could not hide it.
This was natural.
This voice
No. In a sense, it couldnt be said that hed heard the voice. Instead, it was as though the speaker had imprinted the words directly into his head.
Lukas turned around.
Then, he became speechless.
Standing there was a being with a body that seemed to be made of light. Overall, the shape was that of a human, but they had no features or hair on their body.
Moreover, the body was so perfect that it appeared to have been sculpted by a master who poured his soul into his creation for numerous years.
Lukas looked at this being with a complicated expression on his face. He couldnt remember how long it had been since his emotions had fluctuated so much.
[Long time no see. How long has it been since we last met?]
its already been too long to count.
[Huhu.]
God chuckled.
The being who was the one and only creator of the multiverse.
Lukas was surprised.
This was his third time meeting God. Or, to be more precise, after he had become an Absolute and began saving humans in countless worlds, God never appeared before him.
Of course, this wasnt strange, but Lukas couldnt help but feel a bit puzzled. He thought they would at least meet again after hed completed his first mission.
[I told you. Im always busy.]
God spoke, reading Lukas thoughts.
It had been a long time since Lukas had this feeling. With his current strength, even the Rulers were unable to read his mind.
Gods small performance proved that it was really him.
He was still a crafty guy.
God laughed for a moment as he read that thought as well.
[But I have been paying attention to your actions. Its been very interesting. Few Absolutes have risen as fast as you.]
I dont think you came here just to compliment me.
[Of course not. Four Absolutes have entered this universe at this point. Im here to explain a small advantage that is applicable to you.
advantage?
[More importantly, Lukas Trowman, I have special advice for you.]
It wasnt a trap.
He could be certain that God wouldnt join hands with Nodiesop just to deal with him.
And Lukas knew that if he missed this opportunity, he would never be able to know about the small advantage he had or hear the advice.
How long will it take?
[Well]
Could he not tell?
Lukas felt conflicted.
His biggest issue was the current situation in the base. And what was about to happen.
If he went with them, all of the European hunters, including Nina, might be wiped out by the time he returned.
After thinking for a moment, Lukas opened his mouth.
(Note:
1. This is referring to Yokai instead of the Demons, but Half Yokai sounded strange, so I put half demon instead. I mistranslated this before because the author simply put half-yo so I took it as a name Banyo, ban naturally being half. But this time they added hanzi so I realised it was a title instead.)
Book: 2: Chapter 38
Book 2: Chapter 38 A small white table floated in a completely black space.
Except for this small table, the only thing that could be seen in this space were the two beings who sat at it, facing each other.
Sedi had her chin in her hands and looked bored.
Then the blue haired man who sat in front of her opened his mouth.
You dont look so good.
Is something wrong?
Shut up.
Sedi responded in an annoyed voice, her bright red eyes standing out in the darkness.
By the way
by the way?
The bored expression disappeared from Sedis face. That alone caused the atmosphere to become cold.
I dislike your arrogant attitude. Do you want me to kill you before I kill Lukas?
I dont mind.
It was a strangely confident response.
Sedi was surprised for a moment before she glared at Nodiesop with narrowed eyes.
You dont-
Just as she was about to say something, the space fluttered briefly before a new being emerged.
It was a pale, blonde-haired man.
This man expressionlessly looked around the table.
Then he made eye contact with Sedi.
The twos eyes passed each other naturally, as if they were just observing a stranger.
Lukas then looked at Nodiesop.
He must have sensed his gaze, but there was no change to his expression, and he didnt look over.
Is this everyone? There should be one more.
There were four Absolutes in this world at the moment.
There were three people at the table. One was still missing.
[Ah. Letip refused. But considering that guys personality, its not strange.]
God, who was also sitting at the table, suddenly spoke.
The three Absolutes were startled at the same time. They hadnt realised that God was sitting there until he spoke.
He chuckled.
[Wont you have a seat?]????????????????e????d. ????????????
Lukas sat at the table while thinking.
Letip.
That should have been the name of the other Absolute who entered.
Hed never heard the name before, but it would be foolish to conclude that he was weak because of that. Because no one dared to count the number of Absolutes in existence.
Lukas decided to remember the name Letip.
This space.
This was not the universe in which they had been originally. He could tell that much.
However, it couldnt be viewed as a completely new universe altogether.
This was probably a Personal Space.
It was a small universe that only special beings among the Absolutes could possess. It wasnt something that could be determined by power or position.
Among the Absolutes, only those who had a special aptitude for creation, or who were given such rights by God, were allowed to own a Personal Space.
Of course, every Ruler had the power of creation.
The flow of time is the same.
He had to check the flow of time because he was no longer in the same universe. If the flow of time was different, then decades might have passed by the time he returned. Personal Spaces were no exception to this rule.
Of course, God wouldnt make such a mistake.
Then tell me about the advantage.
When Lukas raised his head and said this, Sedi looked at him like he was crazy.
She couldnt believe that hed talk to God like that.
Naturally, this wasnt to say that no Absolute did, but this was her first time seeing it.
Could he really talk to God like that when he wasnt even a Ruler?
But what amazed her even more was Gods attitude.
[Arent you guys frustrated?]
He didnt seem to care about Lukas attitude.
What do you mean?
It was Nodiesop who asked back in a calm voice.
[Exactly that. You must be anxious to fight each other, but all you can do is stare.]
Ah. Then Im not frustrated.
He spoke in a relaxed manner.
Its a good thing to progress my plan slowly. Plus, my first move seems to have worked quite well.
After saying that, he turned to look at Lukas.
It was a blatant provocation. Something that was unexpected. After all, he didnt seem the type for such halfhearted tactics.
Lukas remained silent. There was no reason to respond.
[Nevertheless, you should still pay attention. A lot of things will change after this discussion.]
because of the advantage that you mentioned earlier?
[Including that. Hmm. Ill only explain it once, so listen carefully.]
God nodded.
[As you know, the allowance of the universe you were staying in is extremely low. Now that so many Absolutes have entered and ki has disappeared, it is in an even worse situation. Its saturated.]
They knew.
It was like being locked in a room with thin glass walls. These walls would shatter instantly with only the slightest use of force.
Knowing that, the Absolutes had to pay attention to not make any large movements or, in other words, use their power.
What would happen if they broke the glass by mistake?
Then, all the life inside would disappear without knowing how they died.
Every being in the world except the Absolutes would disappear.
What are you trying to say?
[What if there was a way to exercise your power without worrying about the universes capacity?]
Huh?
What did you say?
Their voices overlapped. That was how surprised they were.
At that moment, Lukas felt as though Gods eyes were on him.
[You should know. A way to the laws of the universe or the world.]
No. He was definitely talking to him.
Lukas muttered softly.
illuminium.
[Hmm. It was a long time ago, but I guess you still remember.]
A special metal that the Demigods had used in the past to bypass the restrictions of the laws of the world.
By consuming it, the Demigods were able to temporarily avoid the restrictions for their indiscriminate slaughter.
Illuminium?
Trick the laws?
Sedi and Nodiesop seemed to have never heard of such a material.
They must have traveled through countless universes, so why did they not know about it?
[Your home universe was unique. Maybe thats why you became a singularity. Even when you were just a mortal, you encountered situations that most Absolutes could never imagine.]
God answered Lukas thoughts.
And now that he thought about it, he had never encountered any material that had similar properties in his time as an Absolute.
Are you saying that something like that exists in this world?
[Its a bit different from illuminium. Its not tricking the laws of the world; its simply transferring the burden for using your power to a world that was already destroyed.]
a world that was already destroyed?
[Right.]
God nodded.
[Im talking about a false world.]
False world.
Or a world that was worse than trash.
That was how the vast majority of Absolutes viewed such worlds.
They were empty worlds that had nothing on them. The existence of such a space was a contradiction in itself, but it was true that false worlds existed.
It was said that even the Rulers did not understand the existence of these worlds and that only God knew the truth about them.
Of course, that wasnt very important at that moment.
Using our power wouldnt affect the universe.
This would mean that he could not only use his external force as an absolute but also his own power, Endtongue.
If that was the case
I could kill Nodiesop.
Nodiesops expression hardened.
Even if they used their powers to the fullest, the universe wouldnt collapse and the damage would instead be sent to a false world. Frankly speaking, that wasnt an attractive proposition for Nodiesop.
He was also an Absolute, so naturally, he disliked the thought of causing a universe to collapse. But he would still be able to bear it reluctantly.
Especially if he could get rid of the madman in the process.
But Lukas would never make such a choice.
His purpose was to save the humans. He wouldnt do anything that broke his belief.
Lukas wouldnt abandon the humans.
No, he couldnt abandon them.
The madman is in a dangerous situation.
He grew stronger at an unusually fast pace, but this caused his foundations to be unstable in many ways. Because he gained power too quickly, he didnt have the time to properly digest it and make it his own.
A tower which was built in a hurry was prone to collapse. And that was exactly what Lukas was like.
He only had to break his center.
In Lukas case, his belief was protecting humans, and if he caused that belief to crack, he would self-destruct, which was exactly what Nodiesop wanted.
But if he was able to use his full strength, things would be different.
I dont think Id lose a head-to-head battle.
If he fought, he would win.
Every Absolute thought like that. Power and rank were only secondary.
If they werent so confident in themselves, they would never have become Absolutes in the first place.
Thats why the Rulers were so amazing. They were able to cause these noble Absolutes to feel reverence and desire towards them.
Things would get annoying if Lukas could use his power without restriction.
This wouldnt affect his victory, but he didnt want to take any risks.
In other words, Nodiesop was desperate to find the thing God was talking about.
It was fine. This advantage would change nothing.
If it didnt go as planned, he didnt mind flipping the table.
Nodiesops eyes shined darkly.
[]
Nodiesop didnt notice that God was looking at him.
God smiled cheekily before saying.
[Now, then. Ill give you a hint about it.]
Suddenly, a word appeared in Lukas mind.
Hybrid.
Is that the hint?
Lukas pondered upon the meaning behind this word as God continued.
[Each of you received a different hint. It could mean the thing directly, refer to it indirectly, or be a related clue. I hope you will rack your brains hard to figure it out.]
Is that the only hint?
Lukas couldnt help but ask back in a strange voice,
Hybrid.
That alone was too little to be a clue.
[Right.]
Its not enough.
[Haha. You have the biggest advantage here, Lukas.]
What?
God smiled and turned his head. It was clear that he didnt intend to tell him any more.
Lukas also couldnt afford to reveal his advantage, whatever it might have been. He decided to think about Gods words later. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
[Thats the end of our discussion. You may leave.]
Book: 2: Chapter 39
Book 2: Chapter 39 Hearing that the meeting was over, Nodiesop was the first one to rise to his feet. He bowed to God and left without saying anything more.
Sedi was the same. However, just before she left, she made eye contact with Lukas once again.
When Lukas was about to follow them, God spoke.
[Wait.]
When Lukas narrowed his eyes, God simply shrugged.
[Relax, Im trying to give you some advice. Why are you making that face?]
Then tell me quickly. I dont have time.
God laughed at that.
[Hey, Lukas, dont you ever think of your home universe? Its been a while since you left. It wouldnt be strange if you felt homesick or something like that. There are always some sentimental guys like that. Well, most of them get used to it after a few thousand years.]
Lukas knew the way God talked. He would always speak in a roundabout manner without getting to the point easily.
He knew that, but Lukas wasnt in a very relaxed situation at the moment.
Get to the point.
[Answer my question first. Its related to what I want to tell you.]
His tone was soft, but Lukas could tell that he definitely wouldnt speak if he didnt give him an answer.
In the end, Lukas would be at a disadvantage as more time passed. Therefore, holding back a sigh, he answered the question.
My homeworld is always in my heart. There are people waiting there for me, and I promised them that Id return.
If it was possible, he would have loved to return to his homeworld at that very moment.
But he knew that it was impossible. At least for now.
Therefore, while he engraved it in his heart, he tried not to think about it. He forcefully dulled the feelings he had and buried them deep within his heart.
But God had rudely dug them up.
Is that answer enough?
[Its enough.]
Then whats your advice?
[There might be someone you know in this universe.]
What?
Lukas frowned.
This universe that God mentioned wasnt the personal space. Instead, he was referring to the universe he had just come from, where Min Ha-rin and Leo were. The universe where the Great Game would soon take place.
He knew that. He knew, but he didnt understand.
God smiled.
[My hint was a bit vague. So Ill make up for it with this]
The words he said next were definitely the most shocking things that Lukas had heard in nearly tens of thousands of years.
[In this universe is a being from your homeworld.]
* * *
The fight was supposed to end quickly. Or, at least, thats what Gerard thought.
He didnt look down on Leo Freeman. He fully acknowledged his combat capabilities when facing other humans. In the first place, he wouldnt have even looked at him twice if he thought he was trash.
Leo was Gerards stress outlet. And this outlet naturally needed to have a certain standard. Thats why, to some extent, he acknowledged Leos strength.
Nevertheless, he had never been worried about this confrontation. Because he believed that his strength was beyond Leos.
However
Gerard grit his teeth and swung his sword again.
Woosh.
Just like with his previous attacks, Leo avoided this one as well. The tip of the sword only barely touched the lobe of his ear. Some blood spilled out, but it was a minor injury.
What the hell is this martial art?
The attack just then had been light. Nevertheless, considering the average range of a sword, it wouldnt have been strange if his entire right ear was sliced off.
But it wasnt. It wasnt even really cut by the sword. A small wound only appeared on the spot where the sword grazed his ear.
How many times had this happened by now?
Meanwhile, Leo once again widened the distance between them.
He had many large and small injuries on his body, but anyone could tell that none of them were serious.
Huff, huff
Gerard panted. His eyes became cold.
At some point, his initial goal of cutting off his left arm had disappeared. Now, his sword was just filled with bloodthirst.
I was wrong.
He didnt think that Leo would avoid head-on confrontations so thoroughly. It had to be a strategy that hed prepared from the start.
But now that he thought about it, Leo knew his combat style. Hed seen him hunt Demons dozens of times, so this was natural.
On the other hand, Gerard didnt know much about Leo. They had fought several times, but he had easily won all of those fights.
He never had the time to observe Leos fighting style.
Gerard knew that he wouldnt be so tired if he hadnt fought with the thought of easily cutting off one of Leos arms.
No, that wasnt all.
Leo had also provoked Gerard from the start. He didnt use facial expressions or words. Instead, he ticked him with his actions and tactics.
But there were other problems as well.
Crunch!
Gerard grit his teeth as he quickly narrowed the distance between them once again. This time, he stabbed forward. It was fast. The force behind his charge made it impossible to ignore this lightning fast attack.
Woosh!
Leo ducked, avoiding the attack. There wasnt even a moment of hesitation.
This admirable feat caused Gerards expression to crumple even further. Sarch* The Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
It wasnt an illusion, after all. Leo was getting faster.
Puh!
He spat out a mouthful of blood.
The fact that hed shown such a frivolous attitude despite the presence of the people in the audience showed that Gerards self-control had disappeared.
At first, he thought that hed simply slowed down. Since he was already tired, this was a natural judgement. In fact, the constant attacks had truly worn him out.
But that wasnt it.
Leo was growing faster quicker than he became slower.
How?
Leo certainly had more stamina than he did, but the difference shouldnt have been that large. All of his injuries might only have been minor, but the constant dodging should have sucked away his concentration and stamina like a swarm of leeches.
In addition, Leo had been on the defensive since the start of the fight.
Those defending would naturally consume less stamina than the attackers. As long as they didnt get severely hurt, the attacking side would definitely consume more power.
However, those who focused on defense would naturally lose focus faster. It was much harder to withstand the pressure of continuous attacks than most expected.
Especially if it was a life and death battle against a superior opponent.
Anxiety and a sense of crisis would inevitably rise. They would increase their breathing and heart rate, exhaust their concentration, and sap their stamina.
But at that moment, it was Gerard, not Leo, who was growing tired.
If it continues like this.
He might lose.
The moment he realised that, Gerard closed his eyes.
hooo.
He calmed his mind and organised his thoughts.
And finally, after stabilising his breathing, he opened his mouth.
I know what youre thinking.
After my attack just now, I revealed an opening. It wasnt fatal, but it would have been enough for you to deliver a fair amount of damage.
The opening hadnt been intentional, nor was it a trap. It was just an inevitable opening that appeared after his attack.
And Gerard would have been injured if he chose to make use of it.
However, you didnt attack.
Hed thought about the reason.
And he could only think of one conclusion.
You intend to finish the fight with one blow.
A single blow.
Leo was intentionally holding himself back in order to land a blow that would decide the outcome of the fight.
At that moment, his mind should have been as dry as a desert. It might have even been worse than he imagined. And for Leo, that opening must have been like a sip of water.
That opening must have been extremely tempting to him as it was the first true opening Gerard had displayed.
Nevertheless, he endured it. He starved himself to the limit.
He was waiting for that one opening that he could use to win.
In a way, it was pretty terrifying.
A hungry wolf was more dangerous than a full tiger.
Leo had compressed his desperation into extreme concentration.
Gerard gulped slightly.
Realising this fact didnt mean that he could reverse the situation. Instead, it only made the pressure greater.
from what I can see
The fight was already over.
Gerard turned to look at the stands.
At the start of the duel, there had been numerous people cheering for him and jeering at Leo, but as the fight progressed, they gradually became quieter. And now, they were completely silent.
He didnt know it, but Min Ha-rin was the only one whose eyes were sparkling.
When such an atmosphere formed, Gerard knew that he had as good as lost.
So he took a stance. His aura rose as he held his sword with both hands.
At first, he didnt intend to kill Leo. At most, he would cut off an arm or even just a tendon.
But hed changed his mind.
Im prepared to kill you.
Not Im going to kill you but Im prepared to kill you. The words were similar, but the meanings were different.
The latter meant that Gerard was prepared to risk his life for his goal.
If Leo died, then disciplinary actions would definitely follow, even if theyd both agreed to the fight clauses. The image that hed worked so hard to construct would also be severely damaged.
But that didnt matter.
This resolution is a tribute to you, Leo Freeman.
Cut off an arm? Cut a tendon?
He was no longer an enemy who could be confronted with such a halfhearted resolve.
He was a man who he had to use all of his might and determination to kill.
At that moment, the image of the Supporter Leo Freeman disappeared from Gerards mind.
Book: 2: Chapter 40
Book 2: Chapter 40 ????????????????????????? c????Leo immediately noticed when Gerards aura changed.
Hoo.
He let out a small breath.
Contrary to his appearance, he was exhausted at that moment.
He had conserved his stamina, but he had used up a lot of his mental strength.
Rock Shield.
It was one of the four forms hed learned from Lukas. It was a technique that raised his defense to the extreme by surrounding the entire body with ki.
It was a self-defense technique that only first class experts could use.
The self-defense technique would only be complete when the entire body was covered without any gaps. And naturally, this meant that the ki consumption of this technique was severe.
However, if the technique was only used to cover parts of the body, the defensive capabilities would still be amazing while the energy consumption would be reduced significantly.
By utilising this technique, Leo was able to avoid any major injuries while making Gerard greatly consume his stamina.
Gerard intends to finish it with a single blow.
In other words, if Leo could dodge or block this attack, it would be his victory. Sarch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Ssss-
Ki raged around Gerards entire body.
Then, he charged forward.
Like the last time, he intended to stab.
His charge was neither fast nor slow. In fact, it could have been said that he was moving at an easily avoidable speed.
However, as he faced this blade, Leos expression became stiffer and stiffer.
Kung!
He felt pressured.
It was as though a thousand pounds of iron was resting upon his shoulders.
Leo grit his teeth.
The ki coming from Gerards body was binding him.
Force Bind?
This was a technique that could only be used by Swordsmen who were on the verge of reaching the Master rank.
Leo knew Gerard was a genius, but he never would have imagined that he was able to use Force Bind.
This was probably Gerards last hidden card, and it was likely that not even the members of Gerards team knew he was capable of this.
Kuk!
Malice erupted in Leos eyes.
The option to avoid it had disappeared. So he would have no choice but to block it.
However, Gerards attack contained a terrifying murderous intent.
Gerard really intended to kill him. If he faltered, he would die.
Hes aiming for my heart.
The reason for not aiming at his skull was simple. He could avoid by simply forcefully twisting his head to the side.
Perhaps Gerard thought so as well. His force bind wasnt perfect. This was proven by the fact that Leo could still move his head and arms.
It was just his torso and feet that were frozen.
If I use all of my ki and use Rock Shield
No.
That wouldnt work.
To block this attack, he would have to use all of his ki. And if he were to try to launch his attack in such a condition, he wouldnt be able to do much damage.
This meant that he only had one option.
!
Gerard was surprised.
Leo was definitely preparing to block his attack. Then, at the last moment, he suddenly stretched out his fist.
This sudden offensive was not a planned move. It was a reckless and foolish decision.
No matter how tired Gerard was, he had put all of his remaining ki into this sword attack. The Sword Ki around his sword was clearer than ever.
It would be a confrontation between a sword and a fist.
You fool!
Clang!
The area around them was suddenly filled with bright light. When the sword and fist clashed, it created a flash that blinded the spectators for a moment.
Bang!
The clash didnt last very long. And in the end, Leo was the one who was pushed back.
His face was pale.
The two made eye contact for a moment.
Crack-
Then, a cracking sound was heard from the sword. At the same time, Gerard dropped his sword to the ground.
Clang!
When the sword landed on the ground, it shattered and the pieces scattered.
Gerard could no longer hold his sword because of the pain in his wrist. It was either broken or sprained.
Holding back the pain, he glared at Leo.
Leo was swaying as though he would collapse at any moment. It was clear that hed put all his energy into that last attack.
If he went to punch Leo at that moment, he would definitely have fallen. After all, his right wrist was damaged, but his left hand was still fine.
Leo was clearly past his limit.
But Gerard didnt move.
I lost.
A Swordsmans sword had broken. Nothing more needed to be said.
If the opponent was a Demon, then it would have been a different story, but Leo was a human. And although the fight clauses had been applied, this also counted as a conclusion.
Gerard opened his mouth.
Im stronger than you.
Right.
My strength, speed, experience, and ki are all superior to yours.
Thats right.
Leo agreed with him in a cool voice before spitting out a mouthful of blood.
This was natural.
Unlike Gerard, who had absorbed most of the shock with his sword, he had withstood it with his body.
Gerard continued looking at Leos whole face, which had become pale.
But you have more patience than I do. And that martial art Its not the martial art you used before. Is it a new martial art?
Right.
Whats the name?
Warrior King Fist.
Leo answered his question before continuing after feeling that his explanation was a bit lacking.
I was told that the stronger the opponent is, the more the true value of the martial art is displayed.
that is truly a unique martial art.
After saying these honest feelings, Gerard lifted his hand.
Then he turned his head to the referee.
I lost.
[Leo Freeman wins.]
The referee declared the result of the duel with a surprised voice.
ah.
A brief small flashed across Leos otherwise emotionless face. After hearing those words, his body relaxed and his vision darkened.
Slowly, Leos body fell to the ground.
* * *
The atmosphere in the stands was frozen.
What the hell?
Gerard lost?
Unbelievable.
Most of them didnt doubt that Gerard would win with ease. But as the fight progressed, this thought slowly changed.
Nevertheless, they still didnt think he would lose
But Gerard is the one standing at the end.
Right, Leo passed out.
but Gerard admitted defeat.
Most of the hunters were agitated. They all looked down at the duel ground with confusion.
Well done, Junior Brother!
Only Min Ha-rin clenched her fists and cheered for Leos victory.
What was so good about remaining standing?
As a former Swordsman, she understood perfectly. The moment Gerards sword broke, it meant that he had lost this duel and Leo had won.
Nevertheless, Gerards attitude at the end was a bit surprising.
I cant let this continue.
It seemed that she was the only one who cared about Leo.
Just as Min Ha-rin got up from her seat to go get him, the door opened and a ground of people entered the room.
Huh?
Confusion filled Min Ha-rins eyes.
These were people that she was familiar with, which made it even stranger.
They werent supposed to be here.
Whats going on? Theres a lot of people here too.
I see.
These people all seemed to be hunters, and they were all fully equipped. What was stranger was the fact that they had never seen any of their faces before.
At least not in this branch.
Realising this, one of the hunters spoke.
Who are you guys?
Huh? I guess they havent realized yet.
The man at the front of the group looked around before nodding.
Aha, this is the duel room. Maybe they didnt hear the noise outside because of the sound barrier.
Then they wouldnt have known whats going on.
After thinking this, the man laughed.
We asked you who you were.
The attitude of the hunters in the room grew cold. One of them stepped forward as he spoke.
The man at the front then smiled playfully.
The President of the European Branch.
What?
Quit your bullsh*t.
Saying such words couldnt even be considered a joke.
Instead, those words ignited the atmosphere in the room. Some of the hunters even rose to their feet.
Taking their angry gazes calmly, the man, Kim Go-hyuk, added.
The man who killed-
Book: 2: Chapter 41
Book 2: Chapter 41 That was something past a joke.
With a stiff expression on his face, one of the hunters approached Kim Go-hyuk. His entire body was exuding a tremendous amount of murderous intent.
Paht-
The figure of this hunter, who was walking, slowly disappeared.
He reappeared behind Kim Go-hyuk, and in his hand, a kukri(1) covered in ki appeared.
The man swung his kukri at Kim Go-hyuks waist.
Paak!
But soon after, the hunter felt a great shock to the back of his head. He didnt even notice the attack. He simply fell to the ground like a broken doll without even getting the chance to scream.
What the hell?
Just now
Most of the hunters there didnt even see Kim Go-hyuk move.
Noticing this, Kim Go-hyuk couldnt help but feel a bit disappointed.
I heard that the quality of European hunters was really poor, but I didnt expect it to be this bad.
At that moment, one of the hunters in the stands looked at Kim Go-hyuk and stuttered.
Hea-, Heavenly Dragon Kim Go-hyuk?
Ah. It seems one of you punks managed to recognise me.
Kim Go-hyuk said those words with a proud voice. Then he looked around with a satisfied expression on his face before it suddenly changed.
Huh. Theres a familiar face.
He was looking at Min Ha-rin.
Her expression hardened as she met his gaze.
I heard that the White Flower had been freed from slavery, but she didnt go back to her country and instead stayed to wallow in this pit. Lee Jong-hak was the same. Are there lumps of gold buried in this place or something?
Min Ha-rin tried to hide the tension she felt.
This wasnt her first time meeting this man. They were from the same country, and they were both most active in the East Asia region. She was a Titled Hunter whod made a name for herself, and Kim Go-hyuk was one of Asias greatest heroes. So it was natural for them to be acquainted with each other.
However
The same branch, the same country.
None of that mattered to this man in front of her. Although there were only a few people who cared about their nationalities nowadays, Kim Go-hyuk had always made Min Ha-rin feel uncomfortable.
Shed felt that way from the first time shed met him, and she felt the same now.
On the other hand, she liked the Human Dragon, Lee Jong-hak, and the Earthly Dragon, Kano Aya, much more.
Is what you just said true?
Min Ha-rin asked in a slightly strange tone.
She was asking whether Nina was dead or alive.
If Nina was really dead, then this matter would no longer be so simple. There might be a war between humans for the first time in decades.
Kiki.
Just as Kim Go-hyuk smiled, a middle-aged man beside him stepped forward.
let me continue from here. You step back.
Min Ha-rin also knew who this man was.
Sword Saint of Mount Hua.
He was one of the top hunters in Asia and was a Swordsman who was said to be approaching the peak of the Master rank.
When Kim Go-hyuk shrugged his shoulders and stepped back, the Sword Saint continued in a calm voice.
Im sorry to come to my European comrades for such an unpleasant matter. Im Jong Ho, a Swordsman from Mount Hua.
B-, by Mount Hua, he means
Its the Sword Saint.
Those who heard this prestigious title couldnt help but falter a little.
I will tell you straightforwardly. Nina Rednikova, the President you were following, is a traitor who colluded with the Demons. Were here to purge that witch and any who followed her to do evil.
The atmosphere in the room became even colder.
Everyone had disbelieving expressions on their faces, but someone stepped forward.
Dont be ridiculous.
This man with a cold expression was Matthew Costa, who had officiated the duel today.
He was one of the few European Titled Hunters and had the highest status among the hunters in the room.
When he made his appearance, everyone naturally stepped back and let him take the lead.
Our President is a witch? She colluded with Demons? Stop using such a clumsy incitement tactic.
Its not incitement. Its a fact.
Kim Go-hyuk spoke in a cold voice.
Do you have any evidence?
There should be a man named Lukas here.
Min Ha-rins eyes shook when she heard that name, and Kim Go-hyuks eyes curved slightly when he noticed it.
By Lukas
Are you referring to the man who often goes in and out of the Presidents office?
Why are you talking about that man?
Jong Ho sighed.
He is a Demon.
Who told you that?
Our new President I dont have any more time to explain. Please trust me. We have seen enough blood today.
What did you say?
No way.
Matthews expression distorted when he belatedly realised what Jong Hos words meant.
You guys no way
Stop, Sword Saint. You already told them enough. Step back.
Kim Go-hyuk waved his hand.
Jong Ho seemed hesitant, but he slowly stepped back.
Now. The best conclusion I can come to is that you didnt believe us. And now, you should accept the consequences for that, shouldnt you?
Kim Go-hyuk, please show mercy.
Kim Go-hyuk ignored Jong Hos words.
I honestly dont care what happens to you weaklings. So lets sort this out quickly.
Then he looked around before nodding.
There are some good ones here. That one, that one, and that one.
Kim Go-hyuk pointed his finger three times and nodded in satisfaction.
Hed pointed to Min Ha-rin, Matthew Costa, and Gerard, who was still in the duel ground.
Crack!
!
Matthews eyes widened.
This was because Kim Go-hyuk had just crushed the head of the hunter, who lay stunned at his feet, like a watermelon. It was the hunter who had attacked him with a kukri.
His blood splattered.
Kim Go-hyuk licked some of the blood that splattered on his lips before saying.
Kill everyone except those three.
* * *
Gerard was watching the situation from the duel grounds. When the Asian hunters appeared, he recognised the man standing at the front of the group.
It was the Heavenly Dragon, Kim Go-hyuk. But why was he at the European Headquarters?
He couldnt hear their conversation very well. It mightve been different if he was in his peak condition, but at the moment, he was exhausted.
However, a cold shiver soon ran down his spine.
Crack!
Blood splashed.
He wasnt sure who it was, but he knew that someone had just died.
Just as Gerards expression hardened.
Paht.
An Asian person leapt into the duel ground in an instant. It was a woman who had a cold expression on her face, and there were throwing knives between her fingers.
Pupuk.
kuk.
Gerard was puzzled inwardly. He didnt understand what he was doing.
He felt warm blood roll down his skin. He felt pain. Even without looking, he could tell that there were throwing knives stuck in his body.
Three knives had been stuck in his shoulder, left arm, and thigh.
Why did I?
Hed protected Leo.
Was it guilt? Was he trying to atone?
No, such human emotions didnt exist in Gerard. From his perspective, he would even throw a newborn baby off a cliff if he had a good enough excuse.
But before he could think about it, his body had moved. He didnt know why.????????????????e????d. ????????????
He just didnt want this woman to kill Leo. So first, he decided to focus on that fact.
Gerard looked at the woman while checking his condition.
His left arm couldnt move. It seemed that the knife had struck a tendon. His right wrist was also sore because of the previous clash.
This meant that he couldnt use either of his hands. Well, he didnt have any weapons anyway. Leo had smashed his sword to pieces.
Most of his ki had been used up, and his stamina was almost completely exhausted.
And to make matters worse, Gerard was sure that hed been pointed at just a moment ago.
I dont think Ive been in such a bad situation even when fighting against Demons.
The woman pulled out more knives.
Gerard looked at her and smiled.
He felt that he might die today.
* * *
God disappeared after saying what he wanted.
And Lukas knew he had no way to pursue him. He didnt have the time.
A being from the same universe?
They were in this world? Who the hell could he be talking about?
No, more importantly, how could such a thing even happen?
In order to leave ones universe of birth, one had to break free from the yoke of mortality.
One had to become an Absolute.
Lukas past struggles showed just how close to impossible accomplishing such a feat was.
It wasnt something that was possible merely with talent and hard work.
You had to be born at the right time, carry destiny on your back, and survive dozens of life-or-death situations before you had even the faintest possibility of becoming an Absolute.
Lord or Lucifer
Lukas couldnt help but think about the two beings whod had a high chance of becoming Absolutes.
But they were already dead.
The possibility that theyd come back to life?
None.
Their cores had become one with Lukas.
Apart from them he didnt think there were any other possibilities.
His head was a mess. It would take time to unravel the tangled threads. Time he didnt have.
Lukas had something to deal with first.
Just as Lukas left the Personal Space, the dark space suddenly brightened. If it was said that the space he stepped out from had no light, then this space was entirely made up of light. Sar?h the N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
It was a space that was so bright that it blinded him for a moment.
This was a Dimensional Gap.
And standing there was Sedi.
When Lukas appeared, she opened her eyes slightly and said.
Three.
Thats the hint I got from God.
A light flashed in Lukas eyes at the unexpected word.
It was true that he wanted to hear it, but he never thought that shed be naive enough to tell him.
Sedi looked at Lukas with a slightly strange expression. In her mind, she was still remembering the way he talked to God.
He was indeed a madman. That name was perfect for him.
Dont be mistaken. I just thought that telling you this would be a good balance.
Balance?
Sedi snorted.
Although she had entered a temporary alliance with Lukas, she wasnt willing to let him know more. She had already given him this much, so he would have to rely on himself for the rest.
As soon as she turned around, Sedis figure disappeared.
Lukas looked at the spot where Sedi had been standing for a moment before looking away, thinking that it was time to return.
Three and Hybrid.
There was only one more clue remaining, but the mystery seemed to deepen instead. Right now, those two words didnt seem to have much of a connection.
[Haha. Of you three, you have the greatest advantage, Lukas.]
Gods words once again reappeared in his mind. He didnt know what he meant when he first heard it, but now, he thought he might have an idea.
Lukas couldnt help but think about the mysterious black-robed man.
He was a soul who lived on this plan and could even be called a Balance. However, after the appearance of the Demons, he lost his authority and became a simple spectre.
This being, who existed before the birth of this world, and who could even be called the God of Heaven and Earth of this world, might know something.
Woosh.
Lukas returned to the European headquarters.
Otsurus body was still on the floor, his mouth agape.
He was dead. And Nodiesops influence had already left his body.
But it still seemed like he had something to say.
With that thought, Lukas left the room.
Pchk-
He stepped on something unfamiliar.
When he looked down, he realised that it was a piece of flesh. He could feel an unpleasant warmth coming from his shoes, so he knew it hadnt been long since theyd died.
The corridor, which had been clean before he and Otsuru entered the room, was now covered in red.
The disgusting smell of blood filled his nose, and there were so many corpses that it seemed like a terrible battlefield.
Huh?
Hey.
Suddenly a group of hunters appeared.
The group consisted only of Asians, and when they saw Lukas, they tilted their heads to the side.
Whats going on? Theres still one left.
Where was he? I checked this area before.
It doesnt matter. Weve found him now.
The man in front of the group smiled.
You must be stiff because you havent realised whats going on. When youre done coming to terms with the situation, raise your hands and kneel down. Then well se-, sen
The mans tongue suddenly felt stiff.
Se-, sen-, send
What was going on?
He suddenly felt cold sweat over his entire body.
His pupils and body shook like a thin three in heavy winds.
He couldnt calm down.
Instead, the shaking became worse.
Uh uh
This was wrong.
This thought suddenly came to him.
If you asked him what was wrong, he wouldnt be able to answer.
But it was wrong.
Something about this situation was wrong.
(Note:
1. The kukri or khukuri is a type of machete originating from the Indian subcontinent, and is traditionally associated with the Nepali-speaking Gurkhas of Nepal and India.)
Book: 2: Chapter 42
Book 2: Chapter 42 Bang!
There was a sound similar to a balloon bursting.
When the man turned around to see what it was, he froze in horror.
The heads of all the hunters who were standing behind him were missing. It was as though theyd been rubbed out by an eraser. The fact that their bodies still stood there without any blood spilling made the scene even more terrifying.
Hi-, hiiik!
The man collapsed. His head subconsciously turned to look at Lukas.
Lukas looked down at the man whose eyes were filled with fear and horror.
He wasnt sure how this action appeared to the man, but it caused him to immediately kowtow on the ground.
P-, please s-, spare me
He didnt have any pride in the face of death.
He was a human who wouldnt even live 100 years. Was it unreasonable to expect such a weak creature to hold onto their pride?
No.
It wasnt. Despite being human, there were those who would carry their pride to their graves.
Did they not fear death? Did they have no fear?
That wasnt the case.
Lukas was certain.
There was no human who wasnt afraid of death. There may have been large or small differences between them, but in the end, everyone was afraid of death.
There were only people who revealed this fear and people who concealed it.
This man was the former.
Lukas felt disgust well up inside him.
This man had killed people here. He had ended their lives. It didnt matter how many he had killed personally.
In the end, he had committed murder.
But now, when he realised his death was imminent, he bowed his head without hesitation and begged to be spared.
How disgusting could one human be?
Bang!
He wouldnt accept such sickening begging.
The mans head burst open.
Even before his blood and brain matter gushed out, Lukas had already turned away from him. Just as he was about to walk away.
Kijik, kik.
Making a strange sound, a corpse rose to its feet. The body had only one eye remaining. With this one eye, it looked at Lukas.
Lets make a deal Lukas.
Even the corpses vocal cords seemed to have been damaged.????????????????????????d. c????????
Lukas had seen this phenomenon once. The same thing had happened to Otsuru earlier.
This meant that Nodiesops consciousness had entered the corpse.
Lukas didnt answer as he swung his finger slightly.
* * *
Kim Go-hyuk wasnt fighting. After all, the only ones here were a bunch of weaklings.
The few strong hunters who guarded the base had either been subdued or killed.
Nicholas, that man wasnt bad.
10 years No. If he had been 15 years younger, it would have been a much better fight.
As he thought this, Kim Go-hyuk yawned.
Fwoosh!
A Fireball flew towards Kim Go-hyuk. He swung his dagger lazily as if it wasnt worth paying attention to.
Again, Kim Go-hyuk wasnt fighting.
He was simply accepting his juniors whining.
You, what the hell are you doing?
He asked in a genuinely puzzled voice.
He looked at Min Ha-rin. He could see her calm temperament while objectively noticing her pretty face and well balanced body.
That doesnt matter.
White Flower.
A First class Swordsman whose sword unleashed streaks of white light reminiscent of flower petals which matched her title.
That was the Min Ha-rin he remembered.
He could still remember watching her fight. Her talent for swordsmanship was remarkable. So hed kept an eye on her.
In three or so years, another Dragon might have appeared in Asia.
Or so hed thought.
But now.
Why did you learn magic?
His voice became filled with irritation.
Min Ha-rin didnt respond as she began casting another spell.
For the first time in a while, Kim Go-hyuk became angry.
Crack!
He closed the distance between them quickly before lifting Min Ha-rin by her neck. Sar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Kuk
Min Ha-rin struggled, but Kim Go-hyuks hand was like a clamp around her neck that did not let go.
Shed seen Kim Go-hyuk move. After all, her eyes were well trained.
Nevertheless, she couldnt respond. She had barely trained her body during the last month. No, even if she had, it would be the same.
Suddenly, Kim Go-hyuk lifted Min Ha-rins shirt.
!
A white stomach with no blemishes was revealed.
Min Ha-rins face flushed with shame, but Kim Go-hyuk didnt pay any attention to her as he kept looking at her stomach. There wasnt a speck of lust in his eyes.
Instead, there was curiosity then anger.
Ha.
This anger then morphed into contempt.
With a sneer, he threw Min Ha-rin at a wall. Unable to do anything, Min Ha-rins body struck the wall heavily.
Urk
Her back felt like it had broken. She didnt think it had, but the pain was immense.
She looked up at Kim Go-hyuk, who seemed to be simmering with rage as he gripped his dagger tightly.
You dont have a danjeon? (Note: That one comment that mentioned using dantian instead. I thought about it when I first encountered it, but since its a korean novel, Id prefer to use Korean terms)
Cough, cough
Min Ha-rin struggled to catch her breath.
Kim Go-hyuk continued in a disbelieving voice.
And you have a mana room now. I dont know how thats possible, but Haha. Im not sure what to say about this.
He laughed loudly, but anyone could see that it wasnt out of happiness. Kim Go-hyuk was visibly annoyed.
It felt like seeing someone uproot a steadily growing tree and fill the hole with dog dung instead.
No, it was even dirtier than that.
Ah sh*t that was really f**king stupid.
Kim Go-hyuk walked up to Min Ha-rin before looking down at her.
Despite the pain, Min Ha-rin still glared fiercely at him.
If this were any other time, seeing such a gaze would have filled him with joy. He might have even derived some pleasure from it.
But not anymore. Kim Go-hyuk wasnt interested in broken toys.
Paak!
Min Ha-rins face suddenly turned to the side. Hed kicked her in the face.
He hadnt put his full strength into it. Considering Kim Go-hyuks power, this could have been considered a light slap.
If he had wanted to, Min Ha-rins head would have been torn off and sent flying like a football.
This was simply to vent his anger.
However, the pain was so sharp that she lost consciousness for a moment. Min Ha-rins lip was torn and bleeding.
Kim Go-hyuk clicked his tongue before grabbing her by the hair and slamming her head to the ground.
Paak!
Seriously. You just did what you wanted without even trying to hide it. Who the hell do you think you are? What made you abandon the way of the sword? Huh?
Min Ha-rins face looked terrible, but her voice was still firm when she spoke.
It was my choice.
She spat out some blood before continuing.
You have no right to intervene.
This wasnt what Kim Go-hyuk wanted to hear. But it seemed that no matter what she said in this situation, he wouldnt get what he wanted.
He smiled.
You talk really well despite your appearance. If I had a mirror, Id love to show you.
He picked her up again.
Then he kicked her in the stomach.
Kuk.
Wheres the White Flower I remember? It would have been better if you drank nonstop for an entire month than do this. Look at this. You dont even have abs anymore
Paak!
He kicked her again. This time, he added more strength.
Gah!
Min Ha-rins eyes rolled upwards.
This was a natural reaction when getting kicked in the stomach with military boots. Especially when considering the fact that Kim Go-hyuk was a superhuman being with great experience when it came to violence.
For a moment, she couldnt breathe. It felt like her guts were trying to climb through her throat.
This is danger- ous
Shed almost lost consciousness.
Min Ha-rin coughed up another mouthful of blood.
That shock went directly to your intestines.
Kim Go-hyuk was genuinely sad.
He couldnt believe that his junior, who was growing up so well, had fallen so far.
His heart hurt so much that he could barely even look at her.
Magic is garbage.
Kim Go-hyuk spoke in a tone as though it was obvious.
Despite the pain, Min Ha-rin raised her head and glared at him.
Statistically speaking, its the truth. Are there any Wizards in the Top Three Demon Hunters? No. Has a Wizard ever succeeded in defeating a high-ranking Demon Noble alone? No. The role of Wizards is just to stay at the back, as support. Thats all.
That was all Wizards were.
Of course, you could only choose that path if you had the right aptitude.
But Min Ha-rin was talented. She had the potential to reach or even surpass him in the future.
And yet, this stupid girl had torn that potential apart with her own hands.
How could he not be upset?
In the end, I guess there are only two people in this room worth sparing.
After saying that, Kim Go-hyuk turned his head to the duel grounds before clicking his tongue.
No. Hes dead too.
A man was standing there. He was covered in blood, as if all the blood in his body had been drained.
Gerard appeared to have died standing because of the sheer willpower in his body.
Haa.
He sighed deeply.
Sssng.
Kim Go-hyuk drew his dagger. Now that he was done venting his anger, he had no reason to keep her alive.
Just as he was about to approach Min Ha-rin and end her life.
!!
Kim Go-hyuk hastily retreated.
Fwoosh!!
An enormous Fireball passed through the spot hed just been standing.
With a glance, he realised that it was a spell.
What the hell is this output?
If he had remained in that spot, he would have been burnt to ashes. He turned to where the fireball had come from.
But there was no one there.
Bang!
In the next moment, Kim Go-hyuk avoided some kind of attack with a transfer technique.
The reason he called it some kind of attack was because he knew he was being attacked, but he couldnt tell exactly what the attack was.
But he knew one thing for certain.
If hed remained in that spot, he would have been dead.
aigoo. When did you arrive?
Book: 2: Chapter 43
Book 2: Chapter 43 Kim Go-hyuks lips curled upwards.
A blonde-haired man was standing in front of Min Ha-rin.
It was the man hed passed in the hallway before. It was Lukas.
That man
Hmm.
The Asian hunters who had been fighting, no, slaughtering the European hunters until now all gathered around Kim Go-hyuk when Lukas appeared.
They had all seen the spell just now. And they realised that Lukas was a formidable being.
This guy.
Sssk.
Kim Go-hyuk licked his lips as he looked at Lukas.
This was the first time he was getting a proper look at him.
He had light blonde hair and a skinny build. More importantly, he didnt have any special aura at all.
If he saw him on the street, he would walk right past him without giving him a second glance.
That was why he felt slightly apprehensive.
The fire spell and the unknown attack, which he had just narrowly escaped from, had come from this seemingly ordinary man.
What about Otsuru?
Dead.
Hoh.
Kim Go-hyuk let out a soft exclamation. It seemed that their prediction that he wouldnt kill humans was wrong.
However, this didnt mean they didnt stand a chance.
Nodiesop had told them that Lukas was strong, but he couldnt use his full power. And that he was a Wizard.
Only magic at 6 stars or above could truly threaten Kim Go-hyuk. However, 6 star spells and above usually had a large range.
There were still a few living European Hunters, so he wouldnt use such spells easily.
This was proven by the fact that Kim Go-hyuk had been able to avoid Lukas two attacks.
Mas-ter
Gasping for breath, Min Ha-rin called out to Lukas, relief clear in her eyes.
Kim Go-hyuk sneered.
Master? Aha. So you were the one who cut off the White Flowers path. What the hell were you thinking? Even if she didnt receive any guidance, she wouldnt have any troubles reaching Lee Jong-haks level, but she was trampled on before she could even bloom.
Well. As the President said, you are an amazing guy, but you make the wrong choi-
Shuk.
Kim Go-hyuk twisted his body, but he was still unable to avoid it.
Crack.
He clenched his teeth tightly. He felt intense pain. But more than the pain, he felt surprise.
Tuk.
His right arm fell to the ground, and blood spurted from the cross section of his severed arm.
What the-?!
Whats going on?!
The hunters behind him exclaimed in shock. None of them had been able to see Lukas attack.
Kim Go-hyuk. Youre an amazing human.
Haha. Why do you say that? Were you trying to kill me with that attack?
Kim Go-hyuk forced himself to sneer and bluff. But contrary to his expression, his back was covered in cold sweat.
If I wanted to kill you, youd already be dead.
What?
When I look at you, it makes me want to forget my original obligations and let myself get carried away by childish emotions.
Kim Go-hyuks expression hardened. He finally realised the meaning behind Lukas words.
You bastard. Do you see me as some kind of rat?
Lukas didnt pay any attention to him as he looked down at Min Ha-rin. She had injuries all over her body as well as signs of one-sided assault while she was defenseless.
I dont think its time for you to care about your disciples. Dont think youve won just because you cut off an ar-.
Shuk.
Kuak
This time, the pain was too severe for him to suppress.
His right leg had been cut off neatly at the base of his thigh. Losing his balance, Kim Go-hyuk was forced to fall onto the floor.
He glared up at Lukas with bloodshot eyes.
You f**king bastard! Who the hell do you think you are?
Lukas looked down at him and spoke softly.
Im angry.
* * *
Kim Go-hyuk was unable to fight. After losing an arm and a leg, even standing was difficult.
Even humans with superhuman capabilities like them were no exception. Now, his strength was less than a tenth of what it was.
Jong Hos judgement was quick. He gave a brief command to one of the hunters. sea??h th N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Stop Kim Go-hyuks bleeding.
Yes.
He drew his sword.
The Plum Blossom Sword Method was the representative sword technique of Mount Hua. So naturally, Jong Ho had also learned the Plum Blossom Sword Method.
Twenty four, fourteen, seven. He had mastered three techniques in the method.
This was natural. After all, hed devoted his entire life to learning the Plum Blossom Sword Method. He didnt think he would lose to anyone else.
Sss-
Jong Hos sword shook.
The first question was which method would be the most effective. But the answer to this question came easily.
The Phantom Sword, one of the best techniques of the Plum Blossom Sword Method.
His sword flashed dangerously like a flickering candle flame.
The distance between Lukas and him was five steps.
In other words, he was within the range of the Phantom Sword.
Sss.
The flickering gradually became faster. It fluctuated as though it had been struck by a fierce wind.
Following these movements, the sword began to appear as though it had multiplied.
It was meant to confuse Lukas eyes as though the blade was a flower in full bloom.
No.
He had to make it confusing.
Juk.
Cold sweat dripped down Jong Hos wrinkled face.
The sword shadow multiplied continuously. Dozens of afterimages were created by the Phantom Sword, and each one appeared real and unreal at the same time.
And within these illusions, the real sword lay in wait.
But the sword didnt move. No, it couldnt move.
The reason for this was simple.
He couldnt see any openings.
There was an easy way to tell if the Phantom Sword worked or not.
And that was by looking into your opponents eyes. If their eyes were a little hazy, Jong Ho would know that they had been entrapped. And in the best case scenario, they would even stumble as if they were hypnotised.
But Lukas was different.
It has no effect at all.
He bit his lip.
Even though he was experiencing this scene for himself, he couldnt help but feel disbelief.
This was something that not even President Cha Gung-hwan or the Human Dragon Lee Jong-hak were capable of.
Lukas gaze was locked onto the tip of his sword. This showed that this man didnt know how to deal with the Phantom Sword.
In truth, this was not surprising. It was natural for a Wizard to not know about sword techniques.
And if they knew nothing about the Plum Blossom Sword Method, they would naturally pay attention to the tip of his sword. It was usually the wisest choice when going against a sword technique for the first time.
Therefore, those who experienced this technique for the first time would naturally fall into the swamp of phantom swords.
And even if they belatedly realised that something was wrong, they would already have trouble seeing through the illusion.
But Lukas was different.
He didnt use any tricks, and it was clear that he was looking at the tip of the sword.
Nevertheless, his eyes remained cold enough to send chills down his spine. Anyone could tell.
Lukas mind was still firm and stable.
Its like
It felt like his technique had been used on a rock or a lake instead of a human.
He was afraid of that.
Jong Ho retracted his sword. Since it was clear it didnt work, there was no reason to continue exhausting his ki to use the Phantom Sword.
He kicked off the ground as a flash of light flowed from his sword.
It was the 4th step of the Plum Blossom Sword Methods Seventh technique.
Shadow of the Plum Blossom in a Chaotic Era. (Note:)
Clang!
Kuk!
He wasnt given a chance to execute it.
Jong Ho felt a burning pain in his side as he was sent flying. He seemed to see yellow because of the impact that felt like being hit by a truck.
The power of Hyper Bolt was considered weak among 6 star spells, but it was a different story if it hit a vital spot. Above all, Jong Ho had not taken any defensive measures because he didnt even notice the spells approach.
Huk!
Pro-, protect the Sword Saint!
The hunters moved in unison to protect Jong Ho.
Some of them rushed towards Lukas. Jong Hos eyes darkened when he saw this.
Y-, you cant
You cant defeat him.
Jong Ho wanted to shout these words, but he was still not able to control his body due to the shock he felt.
Woosh!
A terribly cold air that brought a chill to ones bones suddenly swept across the room, and the five hunters whod rushed towards Lukas froze in place.
Crack!
Then blades of wind shattered their bodies.
Huh?
Wh-, what just happened?????????????????????????????. C????
They were all hunters who had at least 10 years of experience.
They were veterans who had experienced everything, and there were even a few among them who had slain high-ranking nobles.
None of them would have thought that at that moment, they would die so vainly. Without being able to do anything, they became powder without even knowing how they died.
This doesnt make sense
One of the hunters muttered in a terrified voice.
That was probably the reaction of everyone who saw that scene.
But there was one person who was different.
You used some kind of strange sorcery.
The Hwarang Leader, who had been silent before, spoke to Lukas while removing the sword from his back.
Did it look like sorcery?
Thats the only way you would have been able to defeat Kim Go-hyuk and Elder Sword Saint so quickly. As expected. At first, I was still unconvinced, but now, youve finally revealed the truth of your nature. You really are a Demon.
The Hwarang Leader sneered.
But that wont work against me. Because sorcery wont work in front of my Hwandudaedo(1).
(Note:
1. Hwandudaedo is the modern Korean term for one of earliest original types of Korean sword, appearing in the Proto-Three Kingdoms of Korea. These swords were at first symbols of a rulers power, but their availability increased in the 5th century, and it became a more widespread symbol of military or political rank.)
Book: 2: Chapter 44
Book 2: Chapter 44 Bang!
The Hwarang Leader shot towards Lukas like a cannonball, the force of his charge so strong that it caused the floor of the Duel Room to shake heavily. Ki oozed from his body.
He was the most domineering hunter.
People often referred to the Hwarang Leader as a human tank. This was because he wielded a hwandudaedo the size of his body and left nothing but blood and meat paste in the places he passed through.
His Hwandudaedo was engraved with special symbols that nullified magic, demonic energy, and other supernatural forces and converted them into his own ki.
If a large amount of energy was converted, it was impossible to estimate just how powerful he could become.
Clang!
!
The Hwarang Leaders expression hardened.
His hwandudaedo stopped a short distance away from Lukas, unable to move further. It was as though an invisible wall was blocking his hwandudaedo. His wrist also throbbed as though hed struck a large piece of iron.
What strength
With his power, even a lump of steel would be split in half. In other words, the invisible wall in front of Lukas was harder than steel.
His eyes met Lukas indifferent gaze.
Kuk.
The Hwarang Leader had never felt so humiliated in his life.
His muscles swelled explosively.
Hup!
Then he swung his hwandudaedo again.
This time, he unleashed consecutive attacks.
Even if he couldnt see it, he was sure that it would crack if he focused on the same spot.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
How many?
How many times had he hit it?
The Hwarang leader couldnt help but ask himself this question. Hed probably hit the wall more than a dozen times, but it was still blocking him.
There didnt seem to be any change at all. So he couldnt tell if it was working or not.
This Dammit!
Stand back, Hwarang Leader.
Army Nun, Geum Ryeo-hwa*, murmured as she stepped forward. White light shone from her eyes. (Note: Ive never encountered a name like this before, so apologies if it sounds strange. Also if you have any suggestions on what it might be, please do tell me in the comments.)
Gods Eye. It was for this reason that she was called a Nun. She observed Lukas with this innate, magical power.
a Demon?
Was this man really a Demon?
She wasnt just judging by his appearance. She could also not find any traces of demonic energy in his body.
What she did find was an immense amount of mana and
Hes the same as Nodiesop
Her instincts caused Geum Ryeo-hwa to stop that line of thought.
Then, she bit her lip and said.
Hes not using sorcery.
Then what is it?
A spell.
What?
Geum Ryeo-hwa continued.
Its just a magic barrier.
Bullsh*t!
The Hwarang Leader shouted in disbelief. Barrier was a 4 star spell at best.
He refused to believe that he and his hwandudaedo could not break through a simple 4 star spell.
No, Geum Ryeo-hwa is right.
Jong Ho muttered as he forced himself to sit up.
He didnt know how, but he was certain that this man was a Wizard.
Kim Go-hyuk had a very cynical view towards Wizards, and while Jong Ho wasnt that extreme, he also didnt think much of Wizards.
The stronger a warrior was, the more likely they would have his thought.
Wizards were rare talents whose power was indispensable for humanity. This was a fact that couldnt be denied.
However, they were extremely vulnerable to direct combat and could not play a decisive role in battle against high-ranking nobles.
In the first place, the powers the Demons used were very similar to magic. But they were able to use power much stronger than magic without much of a cost.
Statistics, history, and Jong Hos own experience told him that.
But Lukas appearance had shattered every concept hed formed in his mind.
They werent fit for close combat? There was a limit to the things they could do? Their power was worse than the power used by the Demons?
Was there anyone who dared to say those words while looking at Lukas?
Jong Ho couldnt even begin to guess how powerful Lukas was. But he knew that the threat of death he was sensing was heavy.
Even if a Duke was standing in front of him, he wouldnt feel so helpless.
Kuk!
Jong Ho bit down on his tongue. He forcefully restrained his will, which was about to be broken.
Suddenly.
D-, dont move!
One of the Sword Saints disciples shouted in a frightened voice. He was also a member of Mount Hua and had displayed tremendous talent from a young age.
However, Jong Hos expression became harder than stone when he turned to look at his disciple.
The frightened disciple was holding an unconscious European hunter in his hand.
If you move, Ill kill him!
Jong Ho clenched his fist so hard that blood seeped past his fingers.
Hed been restraining himself ever since they came to the European hunters.
When fighting Nina, when killing their own kind, and even when Kim Go-hyuk wantonly slaughtered everyone he saw for pleasure.
But he could not hold himself back anymore.
This was simply the act of throwing away the last morals he had and truly becoming trash.
What the hell are you doing-?!
Jong Hos voice cracked as he roared.
Ma-, Master?
He stumbled towards his disciple, who stared at him in surprise, and hit him on the back of his head with the hilt of his sword, knocking him out. The disciple fainted to the ground immediately, never expecting that his Master would strike him.
Huk huk!
He felt Lukas gaze turn to him.
Catching his breath, Jong Ho spoke desperately.
we cant defeat you. But we also had our own circumstances. I hope you can understand we didnt have a choice. Sar?h the ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
As he said this, Jong Ho smiled defeatedly.
If you go youll die
Jong Ho remembered the words of one of his old friends, Bow God Na Jong-cheol. Even when his mind and body had been severely weakened by continuous torture, he said those words with sincerity.
At first, he hadnt believed a word hed said. He thought that Na Jong-cheol had simply been tricked by the Demon.
So he decided to come and see for himself.
And now that he could see him face to face, he realised. Lukas wasnt a Demon.
But he wasnt a human either.
Senior, its too early to give up. If we all work together, we still have a chance of winning.
Hearing the despair in Jong Hos voice, the Hwarang Leader hefted his sword and spoke with determination. His attitude wasnt wrong, but it simply made Jong Hos mind feel heavier.
There were some opponents who could have been overcome by youthful vigor, and there were some who couldnt be overcome at all.
Lukas was the latter. And the reason for that was simple. The difference in power was too severe.
Thats why he was confused.
Why is he still keeping us alive?
If he wanted to, he could kill all of them within a heartbeat.
I have no intention of killing you.
Jong Ho flinched.
Although he knew it was unlikely, he couldnt help but feel that Lukas had read his thoughts.
what did you say?
Lay down swords and go back to where you came from.
Why are you letting us go?
Because I made a deal.
By deal
Jong Hos expression suddenly distorted.
you mean with our President?
Lukas nodded.
Jong Hos head felt light at that moment. Only then did he realise what their role was.
They were simply bugs in a battle between unbelievably powerful existences. Simply chess pieces on a board whose life and death depended on the movement of their fingers.
That was all that they were.
He felt miserable.
Lukas looked at Jong Ho, who had lowered his head slowly in realisation.
The reason Im not killing you isnt because of the deal.
what are you talking about?
Then, Jong Ho heard a voice in his head.
[Im sparing you because you spared Nina. That is all.]
Book: 2: Chapter 45
Book 2: Chapter 45 Jong Ho remained silent, but countless thoughts flowed through his head.
He was sparing me? In return for sparing Nina?
President Nina Rednikova.
It was correct that Jong Ho had spared her. However, he hadnt done so with good intentions in mind.
He just thought that Nina would be worth more as a hostage. So he persuaded Kim Go-hyuk to not kill her.
If they used Ninas life to threaten and subdue them, it would be easier to take over the European Branch with fewer casualties.
Did this man not know that? Or was he saying that despite knowing that?
Jong Ho didnt continue thinking about it. Instead, he suddenly looked around for some reason.
Just a few moments ago, Lukas killed five hunters. He didnt even leave them proper corpses. Instead, their bodies shattered into pieces of ice, which were scattered across the floor.
The sight had been so terrifying that he had subconsciously believed he would die in a similar manner.
What about Kim Go-hyuk? The Heavenly Dragon had fallen from the sky and now had to crawl on the ground.
He stared at Lukas with a crazed smile, but Jong Ho could tell that it was false bravado.
Hed stopped bleeding, but hed lost too much blood. His injuries were so serious that it wouldnt be strange if he fainted or died at any moment.
Jong Ho suddenly had a thought.
what about the rest of them?
You are the only human in your group.
What does that mean?
Lukas spoke with a cold voice.
It means you are the only one I will spare.
What did you say?!
Kuk!
The remaining hunters burst into an uproar at those words. Jong Ho, on the other hand, bit his lip hard.
It appeared that they still hadnt realised the difference between them. That man just had to move a finger, and they would all die.
In a way, he envied their ignorance.
Jong Ho closed his eyes for a moment. It wasnt something one should do when there was an enemy standing in front of one, but it wouldnt make a difference.
He already understood that he couldnt avoid any attacks whether his eyes were open or closed.
He didnt have to think for long.
When he reopened his eyes, Jong Hos heart and mind had calmed down once again.
I refuse.
I see.
Lukas glanced at this man, who willingly threw away his only chance at survival. Sar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
In truth, he wasnt surprised. To put it bluntly, hed expected Jong Ho to make such a choice. And in all honesty, it didnt feel good to give him the choice despite knowing that.
After all, it made Lukas appear no different from Nodiesop. From Jong Hos perspective, he might even be considered a hypocrite.
Nevertheless, Lukas respected his choice.
Farewell.
With that word, everything ended.
All the chaos, fighting, and conflict that engulfed the underground base disappeared in an instant.
Instead, pure white light covered the Duel Room, the floor they were on, and the entire European Headquarters.
Min Ha-rin blinked, not understanding what was happening.
The light only lasted for a brief moment, and when it disappeared, the Asian Hunters were gone.
Ah
What the hell is
The surviving European hunters naturally turned to look at each other with blank expressions on their faces before gathering together.
Then, they looked at Lukas, their eyes filled with a mixture of awe and fear.
Ignoring their gazes, Lukas walked over to Min Ha-rin and examined her injuries.
Can you stand?
Min Ha-rin forced herself to stand up. Her body still throbbed from the pain, but she had the energy to at least stand up.
Yeah.
Good.
Lukas nodded slightly before his gaze turned to Leo, who, in his unconsciousness, didnt know anything that was going on.
It seemed that the time had come for him to leave the European Branch Headquarters.
But before that, there were still some things for him to do.
* * *
The damage to the European Headquarters was severe, but the worst of the damage was to the humans.
The total number of casualties reached 2,000, and among them, more than 500 people were killed, with a similar number being seriously injured or completely unable to recover. The rest of the population also suffered large or small injuries.
The key figures in the European Headquarters were the ones who suffered the most severe damage.
They were all Titled Hunters. And their influence wasnt limited to external force. This was especially so after considering that there werent many Titled Hunters in Europe in the first place.
The more famous a hunter was, the more followers they had. Because in this hopeless world, people wanted something they could depend on. And strength was the most effective method to attract them.
When Lee Jong-hak went missing in the past, thousands of people who followed him wondered whether they should move to a different region or not.
Now, the famous hunters of the European Headquarters had been reduced to three.
Nina, the President, Ludwig, the Vice President, and Nicholas, the head of the Knights.
Ludwig and Nicholas had received permanent injuries. Their danjeons had been destroyed, meaning they could no longer hold ki, and their tendons in both arms were severed.
Even if they recovered, they would never be able to fight as they once did.
But the one who suffered the most was the President, Nina Rednikova.
To put it simply, she was barely alive.
A Catholic Archbishop and multiple doctors came out of the hospital room with solemn expressions on their faces.
The hunters who were waiting outside immediately surrounded them.
Ho-, how is the Presidents condition?
The Archbishop sighed.
Death was averted. She will have no problems surviving, but Im afraid the aftereffects will remain.
Aftereffects?
Her eyeballs were directly cut out. And it seems that they used a cursed weapon because my divine power cant heal it.
Ah
Oh, my God
The hunters collectively collapsed at those words. Some even began sobbing.
The Archbishop looked at them sorrowfully. To be honest, Ninas injuries were much more severe than he made them seem, but now wasnt a good time to talk about that.
Nina Rednikova.
The influence that her charisma had across Europe was unimaginable. Because of her, the Head of the Iron Blood Division, countless hunters decided to come to Europe.
And yet, such a European treasure had been irreparably damaged. For a hunter, losing their sight was the worst possible injury.
Nina would not be able to fight bravely or lead hunters on the frontline ever again.
And only they could understand the helplessness and despair this fact would cause European hunters to feel.
Lukas went into the room with Nina.
Seeing this, the Archbishop hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should stop him. But in the end, he shook his head.
He knew that this man had saved their headquarters using great magic.
When Lukas opened the door and stepped into the room, he saw Nina sitting on the bed with bandages around her eyes.
Nina.
Master?
Ninas voice shook.
Lukas sat on a chair in front of her.
Yeah. Its me.
As he responded, he inspected her body.
Most of her injuries had been healed thanks to the Archbishops divine power, but there were some injuries that couldnt be healed.
One of them was her eyesight.
However
There were countless other wounds on her body.
Nina was silent for a moment before suddenly speaking in a bright voice.
Kim Go-hyuk was definitely strong. I thought he was just strong for his age, but that wasnt the case. Aside from him were the Sword Saint, Army Nun, and Hwarang Leader none of them were easy to deal with.
She chuckled.
But Im glad you saved us. Nicholas and Ludwig also seem to have survived, and the damage to the European Branch is serious. But when I get out of bed, Ill be right-
Do you really think that?
Lukas asked, interrupting her.
Nina fell silent. Then her head slowly lowered.
why do we fight each other?
When she finally spoke again, complex emotions could be heard in her voice.
This isnt the time. Were in such a desperate situation that its hard to see the end even when we put all our energy into it. So why are we still fighting ourselves?
Since the advent of the Demons, humanity had united as one.
At least, thats what most hunters thought.
However, those who held high positions, like Nina, could see the truth.
Even in such a situation, humanity failed to unite.
Humans still pressured or opposed each other. The fact that catastrophic beings like the Demons had appeared hadnt changed that fact.
Europe resented Asia for treating them like shields. Asia tried to think of a way to escape North Americas influence. Oceania* was not interested in anything but their own survival. Africa had become a land of death that suffered the most damage. And North America watched the situation of the world from their safe haven. (Note: Oceania is a geographic region that includes Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia)
Most of the large and small disputes had disappeared, but in their stead, other disputes had become much larger than before.
Master told me. Humans are the most beautiful beings in the universe. The only ones capable of accepting or overcoming the poison of evil. That the more desperate the situation became, the more strongly we would bond together and unite
Ninas voice shook, and it felt like she was about to cry.
I thought so too I believed you But But
Finally, it seemed that she was unable to contain herself as she began sobbing.
I cant now. I used to only see the good side, and I felt great pride to be human. But Ive finally seen the bad side that I was trying to ignore.
A human like Kim Go-hyuk had appeared, as if testing Ninas will.
His mindset and actions caused Nina to wonder if he was even a human like she was.
Of course, the underlying cause of all of this was Nodiesop. It was this man, who had forcefully taken over the position as head of the East Asia Branch, who incited the Asian hunters.????????????????e????????. ????????????
But Kim Go-hyuk didnt need incitement.
Nodiesop gave them an option and an opportunity.
Die as humans. Or abandon the humans.
And Kim Go-hyuk laughed happily while choosing the latter. He showed his true nature without hesitation, as though he was waiting for such a chance to come.
It was impossible for her to know just how much blood hed shed.
No one had told Nina about how much damage the European Headquarters had suffered. But she knew instinctively.
She knew that the damage was so severe that it was probably impossible to recover from.
Hundreds of people had died and thousands were injured.
Not at the hand of Demons but their own kind
Master, I know I shouldnt, but I Right now
The bandages around Ninas eyes had become wet. She shed tears of blood as she poured out her true feelings to her Master.
I hate humans more than the Demons.
Book: 2: Chapter 46
Book 2: Chapter 46 Nina cried for a long time before falling asleep.
The Archbishop, who returned to see this, blamed Lukas. Because he had stimulated the patient in a time when her mental stability was the top priority.
After apologising to the Archbishop, Lukas returned to his room.
He hadnt comforted Nina.
He was the reason those hunters invaded the European Hunters. And as a result, he was responsible for the tragedy that happened here.
God had suddenly appeared at that time.
If he hadnt followed him, he might have been able to minimise the damage. At least he would have been able to prevent many of the casualties.
No.
Nodiesops operation was also hampered by Gods appearance. He didnt care about the devastation caused or the deaths of thousands of humans.
All he cared about was Lukas.
Dont be burdened by those you couldnt save.
Such an argument burdened his mind and ate away at his belief. He knew that, but he couldnt stop his heart from feeling heavier.
Lukas forced himself to think about something else.
In any case, the European Headquarters was currently in a very precarious situation. In its condition, it would not survive a second attack by the Asian Branch.
It might have been greatly damaged in their assault, but the Asian Branch was at least ten times larger than Europe.
That wasnt all.
Because of this attack, the European Headquarters had lost the deterrent factor to control the Demons in the surrounding area.
The supplies from Asia will be cut off.
That would be another fatal blow.
Europe was used to receiving a lot of support from Asia. If that support was suddenly cut off, most of the resources in the branches across Europe would soon be exhausted.
Most of the land in Europe was already dead.
And there was a limit to how much one could sustain oneself on dead land. In less than a year, most of the hunters in Europe would move to other regions.
Then the protection in Europe would naturally become lax, and soon afterwards, the Demons would be able to easily take over the territory.
Humanity would once again lose a vast territory.
But now, there was only one region in the world that Europe could trust and ask for support.
North America.
And in order to receive that support, he would have to persuade one man.
Neil Prand.
He was the President of the North American branch, which was the strongest force in the world as well as the current President of the Hunters Association.
His influence spread beyond the Hunters Association and reached the entirety of the human race.
He was also a man who was associated with Lukas. In fact, he was the first human Lukas saved after coming to this world.
Neils transformation power was far greater than that of the Human Dragon Lee Jong-hak, Bow God Na Jong-cheol, or Min Ha-rin.
It could be said that his power was one that appeared every hundred No, every thousand years.
He was a person who was destined to change the fate of mankind.
Lukas had tried to make him his first disciple, before Min Ha-rin, but hed failed.
Because Neil had one big problem that he could never fix.
* * *
The blood hadnt been completely cleaned from the hallways. But this was to be expected as it had only been a day since the attack.
Lukas headed to the communication room. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
The communication room, control room, and portal management room could be said to be the three most important rooms in the entire base. So naturally, when the Asian hunters launched their attack, they took control of these rooms first.
You
Matthew Costa, who was organising the communication room, couldnt help but pause slightly when he saw Lukas enter.
He had been the referee in Leo and Gerards duel, and he had fought fiercely against the Asian hunters who showed up afterward.
So naturally, hed seen Lukas, who appeared just before he thought he would die, easily take care of the situation.
Therefore, Matthews feelings towards Lukas were very complicated.
Hed heard many rumors about who this man might be. Some said he was a secret executive of the Hunters Association, some said he was the Presidents relative, and some even said that he was the mysterious Vice President. There were many rumors.
Of course, even now that Lukas had showcased his strength, his true identity remained a mystery.
They didnt know how to treat him.
Many of the hunters in the European Headquarters blamed Lukas. The Asian hunters had attacked their branch looking for a man named Lukas. And thats how they came to know that he was the reason for the attack.
Matthew was rational. He thought that Lukas might be the reason, but the real instigator of this event was the Asia Branchs new President.
But he didnt reveal these thoughts to anyone.
The European hunters needed an outlet to vent their anger and frustration. So in a sense, Lukas was a good scapegoat.
They hadnt overstepped any boundaries yet, but it was clear that it would gradually get worse even if they were only talking behind his back for now.
However, it was not possible to stop the flow of this tide. Because he couldnt tell just what the hunters would do.
In fact, some of the hunters in the communication room were looking at Lukas with fierce gazes.
Matthew coughed.
Among those present, he held the highest position.????????n????e????????. ????????
What are you doing here?
I would like to communicate with North America.
mm.
Matthew couldnt help but frown at those words.
This wasnt to say that it was impossible. After all, the branches around the world had naturally established communication lines between themselves.
The problem was that North America had never had a good relationship with Europe. This was because during the conflict between Asia and North America in the past, Europe chose Asia.
This was a choice that Europe couldnt help but make. Because there was more certainty of being protected by the neighbouring Asia than by North America, which was across the ocean.
But there is a high chance that the request will be ignored
Lukas had a close relationship with President Nina, so it was possible that he also had connections in the North America branch. And if he did, it would be of tremendous help in the current situation.
They wont refuse. As long as you send them the password I tell you.
By password
Frey Blake.
Frey Blake?
Matthew tilted his head to the side in confusion, but Lukas expression remained unchanged.
Seeing that he gave it out without hesitation, it might be a one-time use password.
After thinking about it for a while, Matthew finally decided to do as he wished.
Chichichi-
A noise sounded from the hologram desk which sat in the center of the communication room. And for a while, it was the only sound that could be heard.
Ha.
Pretending to be a bigshot
Some hunters laughed outright.
Matthew turned to look at Lukas with an embarrassed expression.
This was because their voices were clearly audible to everyone in the room. But Lukas expression remained unchanged.
If they havent responded after so long, there is a high chance that they chose to ignore it
Just as Matthew was about to turn off the hologram desk.
Paht-
!
The screen brightened.
And the face that appeared stunned Matthew as well as every other hunter in the communication room.
Hu-. huk.
Th-, that person
It was a man with an amazing physique. He was wearing a black suit that looked like it would rip if he flexed his muscles even a little. He was a man who seemed to contain unlimited power within his body.
His short blonde hair and cold blue eyes gave everyone who saw him a glimpse at his personality.
It was Neil Prand, President of the Hunters Association.
The man who stood at the pinnacle of millions of hunters looked at Lukas for a moment before speaking.
[Should I say its been a long time?]
He knew him?
Looking at President Neils expression made Matthews already complicated feelings even more complex.
He thought that at best, it would be a Branch Head or even just the Head of Communications at a random branch. He never would have expected it to be a direct line to President Neil.
Matthew shuddered.
What kind of person was this man in the hologram?
He was the most powerful man in the world. The former President of the United States wouldnt have as much power as Neil currently possessed.
Even Cha Gung-hwan, the Asian President, and Nina, the European President, were mere fireflies before the sun when compared to Neils power and influence.
Their position in the association might have only differed by two or three levels, but the difference in their individual powers was unsurmountable.
Just as Matthew wondered if he should leave the room for a while, Lukas spoke.
There is something I want to talk to you about.
[How surprising. I would have thought you never wanted to see my face ever again.]
He muttered with an expression that looked anything but surprised before nodding.
[Fine. I will leave the portal open for two days.]
Tuk-
With those words, the communication ended.
Is he asking me to come over directly?
Lukas frowned slightly.
The current situation was so critical that even a single day couldnt be wasted. It would have been better to talk and negotiate through the communications room, but if he wanted to talk face to face, then he had no choice but to comply.
After all, this was urgent.
Yo-, you
Meanwhile, Matthew couldnt help but stutter as he looked at the man standing beside him.
who the hell are you?
(Note: My entire worldview was shifted because of this chapter. T~T. The author finally put their english version of Frey Blake and its Pray Blake. T~T Im shook. Ive been wrong for almost 300 chapters now. Of course, I wont change it, its much too late for that, but still interesting.)
Book: 2: Chapter 47
Book 2: Chapter 47 Leo lay on a hospital bed while staring blankly at the ceiling.
The last thing he remembered was his fight against Gerard. It had probably been the most painful and desperate fight hed ever had.
But in the end, he won. It was Leo who won in the end. The moment Gerard admitted defeat, that fact became set in stone.
With the great joy and satisfaction that came with victory, Leo lost consciousness.
And when he opened his eyes again, Gerard was dead.
When he first heard it, his entire face had become pale.
Did he kill him? No, that was impossible.
Unlike Leo, who fainted, only Gerards sword had been broken. His body was in a much better condition.
In addition, Gerard looked different from how he had when he fell unconscious. His entire body was covered in blood, and there were numerous knives embedded in his body.
He had died from excessive blood loss, and hed died standing. But what truly confused Leo was where Gerard was standing.
He had his back towards him as though he was protecting him and died facing an enemy who had probably stood in front of him.
Afterward, Min Ha-rin filled him in on what happened.
She told him that Asian hunters attacked the base. As a result, the key figures in the European Headquarters were either killed or severely wounded, and the damage done to the base was irreparable.
Too many things had happened. And in all honesty, he still wasnt sure how to feel.
Just as Leo sighed for the umpteenth time, he heard a knock on the door.
Yeah.
After giving a brief response, the door opened and the first thing he saw was glossy black hair.
It was Min Ha-rin.
When she entered the room and saw Leo, she smiled softly.
Hey, Junior Brother.
Hey, Senior Sister.
How are you feeling?
Fine.
Im glad.
Min Ha-rin sat on a chair beside the bed and silence fell in the room for a while.
How is the situation in the headquarters right now?
Should I be honest?
Yeah.
not very good.
She sighed.
The President, Vice President, and even the Head of the Knights Division. The three people who could be called the core of this base all suffered irrecoverable damage.
I see.
Min Ha-rin turned to look at Leo.
Unlike her, who had only been in Europe for a short period of time, Leo had grown up here. So it was natural for him to feel great sorrow and confusion.
Master is going to North America today.
North America?
Yeah. I think hes going to meet the President of the Association and discuss a way to deal with Asia.
Leo nodded.
The attack by the Asian Branch was a treacherous action. And if North America was informed of their actions and promised their support, it might be possible to reverse this desperate situation.
I will be going with him. I might not be in the best condition, but I think it would be a good learning experience. Thats why I came to ask what Junior Brother would like to do.
If you allow me to, Id like to join you.
Leo expressed his opinion with a calm voice.
Then Min Ha-rins expression became serious.
you know why the Asian hunters attacked the European Headquarters, dont you?
Yeah.
They came looking for a man named Lukas.
According to them, Lukas was a high-ranking Demon Noble, Nina was a witch who was colluding with him in the dark, and everyone who sheltered him was evil.
From Ninas perspective, this argument was so far-fetched that it wasnt even funny. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
A few hunters seem to believe that claim.
When Min Ha-rin said those words with a solemn voice, Leo spoke out with disbelief.
Thats impossible. That rumour is just ridiculous. Master doesnt even have the slightest hint of demonic energy in him. If they thought a bit more rationally, theyd realise-
The situation can no longer be considered rational.
Leo had no choice but to fall silent at those words.
The European hunters always risked their lives when they went out on missions. And because of its position on the frontline, the hunters in Europe tended to have a closer relationship than those in other regions.
Their colleagues and teammates were annihilated overnight, so it was natural for them to look for someone to blame.
However, the Asian hunters who attacked them were already dead.
So, naturally, their resentment fell to Lukas, who was thought to have attracted them in the first place.
I wont hide the fact that Im Masters disciple.
!
Its going to get harder. Its going to get dangerous. And I might even die.
Min Ha-rin rubbed her stomach. She had already been healed, but the pain of Kim Go-hyuks attack was seared in her mind.
And there will probably be more misunderstandings like this one in the future. But if we want to help Master, then well have to deal with similar no, we might have to deal with even worse situations than this one. Leo, can you handle it?
Are you okay, Senior Sister?
Min Ha-rin was surprised by Leos sudden question.
Huh?
You might end up fighting the Asian hunters.
Haha.
Min Ha-rin couldnt help but laugh.
This is because Leos care for her really comforted her. She stroked Leos hair gently, just like she did with her siblings.
Im fine.
Min Ha-rin was probably the only person whod seen Lukas power up close.
Shed seen him kill a Demon Duke. So she knew that Lukas wasnt a Demon.
No.
She didnt believe in Lukas just because of such a logical reason.
Lukas had taught her for a month.
Being taught by someone meant getting to know them. Because the way a person taught had a certain degree of subjectivity. And through his teaching, Min Ha-rin was able to get a glimpse of the type of person Lukas was.
Lukas wanted to save the humans. He wanted to save the humans more than anyone else.
And he was planning something huge in order to do that.
She didnt know what the exact plan was. However, she was convinced that it would benefit her, the hunters, and the entirety of the human race.
And Min Ha-rin wanted to help Lukas with his plan, even if it was just a little.
It was different from simply hunting the Demons or Demon Beasts. At that time, she simply swung her sword like a machine.
She didnt want to die. And in order to just see the sun rise on the next day, she killed the Demons. But she knew that her actions didnt have much of an effect on the bigger picture.
Could she change anything by simply killing a Demon Noble, a few dozen Demons, or Demon Beasts?
She couldnt.
Another noble, another Demon, or another Demon Beast would simply take their place.
Nevertheless, Min Ha-rin continued to do it.
Because she couldnt see the way or find the answer, she simply did the only thing she could think of.
But Lukas had shown her the way.
He was moving towards the ultimate goal not of driving out the Demons but of freeing the entirety of humankind from their misery.
She was truly happy and honoured to be able to join such a great cause.
Unlike before, when she simply killed Demons and Demon Beasts, she felt different. Her spirit was uplifted.
For Min Ha-rin, it was like shed been reborn the moment she decided to step off the path of swordsmanship and become a Wizard.
Since then, her body and mind were constantly under tremendous pressure, but the heaviness in her heart had disappeared.
She felt free.
I will continue following Master.
Me too.
Leo looked up at Min Ha-rin as he spoke.
I feel the same way as Senior Sister.
I know you can handle it.
Min Ha-rin smiled as she stroked Leos hair once again. She was confident that Leo would walk a similar path to her.
Then, after a moment, she asked a question that had been bouncing around in her mind for a long while.
By the way What shampoo do you use?
I use soap.
Huk
Book: 2: Chapter 48
Book 2: Chapter 48 Beijing, China.
There was a commotion in the city where the Asian Headquarters were located. And standing at the center of this commotion was a handsome man with a stern expression.
A man who had finally reappeared in this base after a few months.
Le-, Lee Jong-hak!
The Human Dragon has returned!
The hunters grew excited as soon as they saw Lee Jong-hak. But Lee Jong-hak simply walked past them coldly.
Before, he might have even stopped and said hello to them for a moment, but now, he did not.
His expression was as hard as stone. He seemed so angry that he might explode at the smallest provocation.
Maybe its because they noticed this, but those who went up to greet Lee Jong-hak stepped back and cleared the way for him.
Like this, Lee Jong-hak entered the base.
His firm, determined steps were leading him to a specific place.
At that moment, he remembered Kim Go-hyuks words.
Hed asked him about Lukas, and Lee Jong-hak hadnt answered. Nevertheless, Kim Go-hyuk learned that Lukas was at the European Headquarters. And later, the Asian Hunters attacked the European Headquarters.
They had only given one reason.
Lukas is a Demon?
Lee Jong-hak clenched his fist.
He wasnt. Nina had told him what hed done, and Lee Jong-hak also had his own ideas of what he might be.
He was neither human nor Demon.
His thoughts and hypocrisy were completely unacceptable to Lee Jong-hak, but it was undeniable that hed helped mankind tremendously over the years.
Thats why he couldnt believe it.
The dozens of hunters whod gone to attack the European Headquarters were all dead.
Among them were the Sword Saint, Army Nun, Hwarang Leader, and. above all, the Heavenly Dragon, Kim Go-hyuk. The European hunters would not have been able to stop such a lineup.
It was obvious who killed them.
Lee Jong-hak stood in front of the Presidents office.
Hed already heard about what the man behind this door was like. So after taking a deep breath, he opened the door and stepped in.
Nice to meet you.
He didnt even knock. In a way, he was showing his displeasure.
Nevertheless, the man responded to Lee Jong-haks appearance as though it was natural and expected.
He had bright blue hair, which was a color that didnt quite suit his western features, but his appearance seemed to have a strange balance.
This was the man whod overthrown Cha Gung-hwan to become the President of the Asia Branch, Nodiesop.
And it was his first time seeing him in person.
Are you the new President?
Thats right.
Nodiesop nodded without pointing out the blatant lack of respect in Lee Jong-haks tone. Instead, he looked at him with a gaze filled with interest.
The Human Dragon, Lee Jong-hak. You truly are a human worthy of being called the greatest hero.
His words made Lee Jong-hak feel like a giant snakes tongue was licking his body. The mans eyes also seemed to shine with a mysterious, magical light.
Just looking at him caused Lee jong-haks palms to become covered in sweat.
Hes different but similar to
However, Lukas was more
I know what you want.
Nodiesops voice interrupted Lee Jong-haks thoughts.
Exterminating the Demons is not difficult for me. I have the power to completely erase them from existence.
This wasnt a lie.
Lee Jong-hak recalled the miraculous scene hed witnessed in Germany. A stream of water that hed sent from thousands of miles away had annihilated every Demon without injuring a single human with incredible precision.
It was literally the power of God.
Nodiesop smiled as he continued.
Unlike Lukas, Im no hypocrite. I will not hesitate to save all of you. I will even swear on my name. After I get rid of that man, I will destroy all of the Demons on this continent.
what do you want from me?
Nodiesops answer was simple.
Obey me.
* * *
It was around 5pm when Min Ha-rin and Leo headed to the Portal Management Room. By then, all of their preparations had been completed.
They were scheduled to leave at 6pm, but their Master always arrived ahead of the scheduled time and waited.
This was not a very comfortable situation for disciples, so they hurried over this time around.
Fortunately, Lukas wasnt standing in front of the portal when they arrived. Instead, they saw a man theyd never seen before.
It was a man with gray hair and a cold expression on his face. This was their first time seeing him, but for some reason, he felt familiar.
Ah
The man opened his mouth when Min Ha-rins mouth widened in realisation.
Its me.
Master?
Lukas nodded.
Only then did Min Ha-rin step closer to him before saying.
Your appearance did you change it with magic?
Its the Illusion spell. When you reach 5 stars, you will be able to learn it.
Min Ha-rin was amazed.
She knew that Illusion was a 5 star spell. But even if she reached that level, the complexity of the magic formula and the extremely high mana consumption meant that she would have to be at least 6 stars in order to use it so naturally.
Of course, she knew the being in front of her wasnt a 6 star Wizard but someone who could be called the creator and teacher of Magical Science in this world.
Then she realised that she couldnt feel any mana from him.
When I have this appearance, I use the pseudonym Frey, so you can call me that.
He was using an identity hed created before so that there wouldnt be any problems when he went to North America.
Yes. Understood.
Min Ha-rin nodded.
She could guess why he changed his appearance. The hunters in Asia would be looking for him everywhere, so it would be best to hide his appearance whenever he had to do any activities outside.
Lukas looked at his two disciples carefully before turning to look at Min Ha-rin. Sar?h the N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
What did you tell Leo?
I told him everything.
Good.
Then there was no need for him to say anything more.
Lukas simply tapped Leo on the shoulder.
It will be a tough journey from now on.
I can handle it.
I believe you can.
Leo smiled brightly at those words. And Min Ha-rin laughed slightly because shed been told the same thing.
* * *
The North American Headquarters was located in Manhattan, New York.
Standing in front of the portal, Min Ha-rin felt a little anxious like a child who was about to go to an amusement park for the first time.
Shed heard a lot about North America, but this would be the first time she was going there.
It was probably the same for most hunters.
Heaven, Utopia, Another World.
North America was called countless names, and none of them were negative.
And as soon as she stepped through the portal, a huge light covered her body.
She felt the strange, floating feeling that came with portal transportation, as if heaven and earth had been overturned and all the directions had been jumbled.
Urk!
Maybe it was because the distance was quite far, but she felt more nauseous than she usually did when travelling by portal.
Min Ha-rin forced herself to fight the urge to vomit.
Paht.
!
Finally, the sense of weightlessness disappeared.
She felt herself land on solid ground, but her vision was still blurred.
Whispers- (Note: This was the best onomatopoeia I could find for the effect T~T)
The surroundings were quite noisy.
Whats going on?
When her vision cleared, Min Ha-rin looked around. And It was the first time shed seen such a sight in her life.
Dozens of people in suits were aiming cameras at them.
Then, above them, she saw the view of the city.
Ah!
Min Ha-rin subconsciously let out a cry of admiration. Her eyes widened, and she couldnt help but wonder if she was dreaming.
The sun was high in the sky, unlike Russia, where it was already dark.
And the city that stood under the brilliant sun did not have smoke billowing out of it nor the abandoned or dilapidated buildings that she was used to seeing her entire life.
Instead, she saw a forest of skyscrapers that reached the sky and a sunlit river that flowed beside the city. On this river floated a pure white yacht.
Sochi, in Russia, was a relatively well preserved and redeveloped city. But Manhattan was so beautiful that it couldnt even compare.
The portal was in the middle of a large square, which allowed her to take in all of these sights at once.
This fact shocked her greatly. After all, hunter bases were usually constructed in hidden locations, for example, underground.
Click - Click -
Then bursts of light began flashing from every direction. Leo shrank slightly.
It wasnt magic. It was simply the flash of cameras.
The European hunters are finally here!
Ah! Theres also the White Flower, a Titled Hunter from Asia! What is her relationship with them?
Huh? There is such a handsome boy. Who is he?
What the hell was going on?
Tense, Min Ha-rin turned to look at her teacher.
Lukas stood with the same expression he always had on his face. Even though the appearance was different, it was easy for her to tell that it was the same person.
Her confused mind calmed down a little.
Suddenly.
Please wait a moment. Let me through.
A woman with a stern voice appeared.
She was an extremely beautiful woman dressed in fancy clothes. She wore a red dress and high heels, with a luxurious-looking overcoat hung lightly on her shoulders.
She reminded Min Ha-rin of the Hollywood stars who existed in the past.
The woman put her hand on her hip as she spoke to the reporters.
You will get the chance to interview them in a moment, so please calm down for now. Let me talk to them first.
The reporters murmured under their breaths for a few moments, but they still reluctantly stepped back in the end.
It was only then when the woman turned around and addressed Lukas.
Are you Frey?
Thats right.
When Lukas nodded, Min Ha-rin couldnt help but look at him. It was the first time shed ever heard him speak so politely.
It seemed he truly intended to hide his identity.
Hmm. Doesnt seem like much, so why would the President want to see such a man
The woman murmured this in a soft voice, but it was still clearly audible to all of them.
Min Ha-rin and Leo glared fiercely at this woman for her rude remarks.
As if she noticed, the womans blue eyes turned to Min Ha-rin.
Then she smiled.
Whats with that look in your eyes? Is this man your lover?
When Min Ha-rin remained silent in shock, the woman laughed.
Smile. It was a joke. Hmm. This is your first time in America. Am I right?
When Lukas nodded, the woman spoke with a pitying expression.
It must have been quite the surprise. Look at how tense you are. Relax your shoulders. This is a place for humans. Well, considering that you came from Europe, I suppose its natural.
As she said that, the woman looked at Frey, Min Ha-rin, and Leos attire, one after the other.
Min Ha-rin immediately realised what the feeling she felt at that moment was. It was something shed been feeling ever since this woman spoke to Lukas.
Min Ha-rin hated this woman.
Ah, silly me. I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Joanna. Im an American hunter who came to pick up our European guests on orders from our President.
Joanna?
When she subconsciously asked back the name she heard, Joanna giggled in a satisfied manner.
Oh, my. It seems Im well known even in Europe.
She wanted to deny it, but she couldnt. Joanna was a hunter who was not only famous in North America but in the entire world.
However Min Ha-rin saw Lukas frown slightly.
In any case, please adjust to the pace. Its been a long time since we had hunters from Europe here, so I called the reporters. You dont have to do much. Just smile and answer a few of their questions. Ah. You dont have to answer anything you dont want to.
Lukas couldnt help but wonder if this was Neils scheme.
After saying what she had to, Joanna turned around again and headed to the reporters with sparkling eyes.
Lukas finally looked around, taking in the scene that Min Ha-rin had been amazed by.
It was a beautiful city, but they didnt overdo it.
They had enough economic power to pursue glamour while also remaining confident in their safety.
I didnt expect it would be this much.
Although their presence was weaker than in other regions, North America wasnt completely free of the Demons. After all, at one point, North America was also facing dark times.
However, the hunters in the region, under the command of Neil Prand, managed to drive the Demons out of most of their territory.
It had been decades since then.
And the utopia built upon the ruins had become a true paradise.
Perhaps Min Ha-rin and Leo felt like they were in a completely different world.
Then Joanna returned. She glanced at the three of them for a moment before speaking.
By the way, I forgot to ask for your names. Could you give a brief introduction?
Lukas opened his mouth first.
Im Frey.
Are you a hunter?
Right.
What job do you have?
Im a Wizard.
Pfft.
Joanna snorted at that.
When Lukas turned to look at her, she apologized without seeming the least bit sorry.
Ah. Sorry. Its just that there are many self-proclaimed Wizards running around these days. Ive seen far too many people who dont even have a hint of skill.
When Lukas remained silent, she added.
Mm. Of course, Im not referring to you. After all, you came from the frontlines in Europe, so you couldnt be completely useless
Joanna narrowed her eyes.
Its just that I cant feel any mana fluctuations in your body. You wouldnt happen to be calling yourself a Wizard after reaching only 1 star or 2 stars, right?
Her voice was soft, but the mocking tone in her voice was unmistakable.
Then a man in a suit standing beside Joanna bowed to her as he said.
Wouldnt any Wizard look like nothing in front of you, Miss Joanna? You are one of the few Archmages in North America.
Hmph, you dont need to flatter me.
While Joanna waved her hand and said those words, it was clear from her expression that she enjoyed the compliment.
Lukas simply looked at her without responding.
And Min Ha-rin and Leo simply stared at her with strange expressions.
Book: 2: Chapter 49
Book 2: Chapter 49 Press conference.
This was something that Min Ha-rin had never experienced in her relatively short life.
Haa
She sighed.
She didnt even realise when it had ended. The constant flashing of cameras and the rapid spitfire of questions caused her mind to grow numb.
After a while, she couldnt even remember the answers she gave. If it werent for Lukas, she might have said something wrong.
Im so tired.
It was different from the fatigue that came with hunting Demons. It felt like her energy had been sapped.
When she looked over at Leo, she noticed that he was also tired although he didnt show it.
I just want to rest for 5 minutes.
And water. She wanted to drink water so cold that it would make her bones ache.
What are you doing? Theres no time to relax.
But the witch didnt seem to have any intention of letting them rest.
Joanna gave her a look as if to ask if she was tired from just this much.
Well be traveling by car, so you can take a rest on the move.
Car?
Was she talking about a vehicle?
At that moment, a black limousine entered the square and gracefully pulled up in front of them.
Min Ha-rins jaw dropped subconsciously.
Smiling, Joanna boarded the limousine with elegance and grace before saying.
Get in.
Ah yeah.
Lukas, Min Ha-rin and Leo boarded the limousine.
The moment her butt touched the soft seat, she felt like she would sink into it completely. It would only be a small exaggeration to say it felt like her body had become one with the seat.
There were also vehicles in Asia, where she had been most active. However, those had mostly been military vehicles or trucks used to transport personnel or supplies.
Shed seen damaged cars a few times in ruined cities during explorations, but she had never seen such a clean-looking car like this limousine in her life.
It feels like Im floating.
There was almost no noise, and the ride was smooth. There was even a small refrigerator in the car.
Joanna took some canned drinks from the refrigerator before handing them to them.
Take it.
Ah Thank you.
Thank you.
She didnt like this nasty woman, but her conscience didnt allow her to refuse.
So she simply bowed her head slightly and accepted the can. It was a brand of cola shed never seen before.
When she took a small sip, the sweet taste and slight fizz of carbonation made her taste buds tingle.
It was delicious.
Leos attention seemed to be locked onto the scenery outside. For Leo, who was born in Britain and never left Europe, the forest of skyscrapers that he could see outside the window was literally a new world.
Where are we going?
It was Min Ha-rin who asked.
To the Headquarters.
I thought the headquarters would be nearby since the portal was located in the square. But I guess its not.
North America is different from the other regions.
right.
Min Ha-rin muttered softly before taking another sip from the can.
Joanna looked at her with a slightly solemn expression.
Hunters from Europe. Europe was supposed to be the frontlines where hunters fought against Demons constantly. So because of that, she thought the European hunters would be a skilled and powerful group.
Of course, she didnt think they would be a match for American hunters who continued to grow explosively due to having the best resources and support from the association. But she at least hoped to meet a hero.
This expectation was even greater ever since she heard that this hunter was a guest of Association President Neil Prand.
So why was it only this much?
A woman, a boy, and a self-proclaimed Wizard.
Min Ha-rin was a rookie hunter whod made a name for herself in Asia. But there was one thing she found strange.
I heard that the White Flower is a swordsman, so why can I feel mana fluctuations?
Min Ha-rin had the scent of a Wizard. At first, she thought it was just an illusion, but now, she didnt think so.
This woman was at least a 3 star Wizard. She had done something to cover it up, but it was impossible to trick the eyes of an Archmage like Joanna.
In the first place, she had put aside her busy schedule to come greet them. After all, there was no way for her to refuse an order that came directly from the President. Because of this, her expectations had been quite high before she came here.
She never would have expected these three to be the guests she sacrificed her valuable time for.
Even though the President said to be polite to them
She thought it was stupid.
There was no need to be polite to low-rank hunters.
Joannas eyes turned to the grey-haired man.
She could only think of one thing as she looked at this man.
Unlike the other two, who were excitedly taking in all the sights, this man had remained calm from the start. However
Hes obviously bluffing.
Without a doubt, this man was the most pathetic of the three.
His identity was a mystery, but unlike Min Ha-rin, who had made a name for herself, or Leo, who clearly had a good foundation, she couldnt feel anything from this man.
It was unpleasant.
He didnt seem to have any mana, yet he dared to call himself a Wizard.
It was as though he thought it was easy to be a Wizard. For people like this, she felt it was best to destroy their mana rooms so that they wouldnt be able to use spells for the rest of their lives.
It was at that moment that an interesting idea popped into her mind.
Hey. Frey, was it? What rank are you at?
You can take a guess.
It was the same answer hed given before.
Joanna sneered.
Ah, is that so? Then I think you should be at least 5 stars.
Although she usually felt that 3 stars was the limit of most average Wizards, Joanna deliberately raised her guess.
In fact, it didnt matter whether she said 3 stars or 5. In the first place, she couldnt feel any mana from this man.
So either this man didnt have the talent at all or he was a measly 1 star and his mana was so pitiful that she couldnt sense it.
You can think so.
Joannas eyebrows raised at that.
This man had just admitted to being a 5 star Wizard.
She had to forcibly stop herself from laughing.
There was still some time till they arrived at the headquarters, so she decided to kill time. She wondered just how far this man could bluff.
Then Lukas turned and looked Joanna in the eyes for the first time.
In that instant, Joanna felt like her entire body had become frozen for some reason, and without realising it, she grabbed the hem of her dress.
Dont act recklessly.
It was a murmur that was close to a whisper. It was so soft that it seemed one would not be able to hear if one wasnt paying attention. Nevertheless, Joanna heard Lukas voice as clearly as if he was shouting.
Lukas continued.
There wont be a second time.(Note: *fangirling*)
Hup.
She felt and indescribable pressure, like an invisible hand was gripping her heart.
For a moment, Joanna couldnt breathe. Her pupils shook.
She stared at Lukas with wide eyes, but he had already looked away and was now staring out the window once again.
And.
Not another word was spoken until they arrived at the North American Headquarters.
* * *
The North American Headquarters was housed in an extremely tall skyscraper. Even if they titled their heads 90 degrees, it was hard for them to see the top.
Joanna coughed slightly before opening her mouth.
This is the headquarters of the North American branch. Its also called the Pilsky Tower. (Note: Pilsky, Pil Sky, or Pill sky? Maybe even Philsky)
After saying that, she glanced at Lukas. Joannas attitude was different from before.
When they entered the building, Min Ha-rin looked around the first floor before muttering.
Its so peaceful.
It reminded her of a shopping mall. There were restaurants, coffee shops, clothing stores, and even arcades.
People sat at tables that were scattered throughout the floor. Their expressions showed no tension at all.
I dont think they are hunters.
You have good eyes. These people are not hunters.
Hearing Joannas words, Min Ha-rin tilted her head to the side.
Ah. Then are they civilians who work with the association?
No. Theyre just ordinary people.
The public can enter the North American Headquarters?
Pilsky Tower is the North American Headquarters as well as one of the top tourist attractions in Manhattan. Public access is permitted up to the 50th floor.
Min Ha-rins jaw dropped at those words.
The Hunter Headquarters was a tourist attraction?
It felt like her common sense was being challenged. However, this was not uncommon in North America, where attacks from Demons were rare.
Joanna led them to an elevator on the left, which had an ID scanner. It seemed that this was an elevator that could only be used by hunters.
Then, a man who appeared to be a security guard approached them and gave Joanna a wireless earpiece.
Joanna, youre here.
Joanna didnt respond, instead simply collecting the earpiece, and stepped into the elevator.
Click.
A long finger pressed the button of the 125th floor. It was very high up.
Joanna suddenly became silent, and it seemed that she was listening to something from the earpiece in her ear.
When they reached the 60th floor, she spoke again.
Come to think of it, have you eaten?
No.
Good. Im a bit hungry, so lets eat first. We still have some time to spare.
They didnt have time to spare.
Min Ha-rin complained inwardly, but she didnt say anything.
After a while, the elevator came to a stop, and Joanna stepped off first as she spoke.
The 125th floor is the resting area for hunters. It has a restaurant, a lounge, a library, a karaoke room, a game room Oh. Theyre a bit small, but there is also a golf course and a movie theater.
Huh. It seemed that there was no end to the surprises.
She didnt expect the resting area to have so many facilities. Probably only North America was like this in the entire world.
Looking at Min Ha-rin and Leo who were glancing around the floor, Joanna continued.
Each region hides information about American hunters as much as possible. Do you know why?
I dont.
Its because most people wouldnt want to leave if they came here. Of course, we would not stop hunters from coming. After all, this is a world where the land mass is large but the people are scarce.
People were also a resource. This was basically what Joanna was saying.
Then they saw the restaurants.
There were many different varieties.
Western, Chinese, Japanese. There were even Korean restaurants.
Just the slight smell that drifted from them caused their mouths to water. The chefs in these restaurants were definitely top-class.
When they finally sat at a table, Min Ha-rin and Leo tried to decide what to eat. Then, Joanna tapped Lukas on the shoulder.
Can I talk to you for a minute?
Wondering what she was up to, Lukas turned to look at Joanna, but she avoided making eye contact with him. It seemed what happened in the limousine was still fresh in her mind.
Did she want to talk about that?
No. She didnt have the guts to do that at the moment.
Did she set a trap for him?
That was even more unlikely.
Maybe she really just wanted to talk.
Lukas got up from his seat.
You guys eat first.
Yeah.
Min Ha-rin and Leo looked curious, but they chose to listen to their Master.
Lukas and Joanna headed to a lounge a short distance away from the restaurant. The glass walls in the lounge gave the customers a clear view of the city.
There were many chairs there, but Joanna didnt take a seat. It seemed the conversation would end soon.
The President contacted me. He said to have you meet him alone.
Joanna pointed to her ear as she said this.
Alone?
Yeah.
He knew Neils personality. So he wasnt surprised that he wanted to meet him alone without Min Ha-rin and Leo.
It seemed he wanted to have a private conversation.
You can go to the 177th floor. Well, then. Thats all.
Then, as if her task was complete, she turned around and tried to leave.
Youre not going to accompany me?
The 177th floor is the Presidents private room. Unauthorised personnel are not permitted to enter. Myself included.
Ill take care of your companions. So you can come back here when youre done.
Lukas followed her with his eyes for a moment, then he headed to the elevator and pressed the button for the 177th floor. Sarch* The ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Neil Prands private room.
As the elevator went up, it stopped on another floor.
A man entered from the 159th floor.
It was a middle-aged man wearing a biker jacket and jeans. He had long hair that reached his shoulders, and his beard grew from his sideburns to his chin.
But as soon as Lukas saw this man, he became speechless.
He was surprised.????????????r????????????. ????????????
You could even say that he was shocked.
Ahn.
The man yawned tiredly as he raised his hand to press the floor button before lowering it again.
Seeing this, Lukas quickly regained his composure. His eyes narrowed slightly.
Only the button for the 177th floor was currently pressed.
In other words, this man was also going to the 177th floor.
To the private room of the Association President that unauthorised personnel couldnt enter.
No. That wasnt the problem.
Looking at this mans back, Lukas spoke.
Hey.
What?
The man answered bluntly without looking back.
Whats your name?
Only then did the man turn to look at Lukas. His eyes appeared calm and disinterested.
Letip.
Ding-
With the sound of arrival, the elevator came to a stop.
(Note: For those who dont remember, Letip is the third absolute that came to the world)
Book: 2: Chapter 50
Book 2: Chapter 50 When the elevator doors opened, the first thing he saw was a long, straight hallway. Red carpet was laid along the hallway, and there were even luxurious artworks displayed on both sides. It felt like an art museum.
Letip was the first to start walking down the hallway. He didnt seem to have any power in his body, but that in itself seemed a bit contradictory as he stepped forward without hesitation.
Lukas looked at his back.
Letip.
Lukas couldnt help but mutter his name inwardly.
This man was the last of the three Absolutes who entered this world.
The moment he met him, he realised but on the other hand, he wouldnt have realised if he hadnt met him.
Letip gave him a strange feeling.
Unlike Sedi, who openly released her aura to attract Lukas, or Nodiesop, who had shown his ambition by acquiring his own faction, this man didnt show any such behaviour.
Of course, this didnt mean he would jump to any conclusions. After all, he could just be acting more covertly than Nodiesop.
But Lukas couldnt help but feel that he was completely different.
When their eyes met, this man should have naturally realised who Lukas was. Nevertheless, he didnt seem interested at all.
What was the reason?
Wasnt the goal of the Absolutes who came to this world to kill Lukas?
Concealing his doubts, Lukas followed Letip.
First, he would meet Neil Prand. It was clear that he had some kind of connection to Letip.
Of course, he didnt think Neil would be willing to tell him, but he might be able to get a clue from their conversation.
When they opened the door at the end of the hallway and stepped inside, they found themselves in what appeared to be an office.
The reason it appeared to be was because this room seemed far too large to be called an office.
It was as large as the lounge hed briefly entered on the 125th floor.
And at the end of this large space sat Neil Prand.
He seemed to be filling out some documents, but he put his pen aside when he noticed their arrival.
Letip walked forward before plopping down on a sofa on the left. Then, he picked up a remote from the coffee table in front of him and turned on the TV.
The TV was so large that 100 people would be able to watch it comfortably.
Pukuku.
Letip chuckled as he found a show he liked. Without taking his eyes away from the large display, he said.
Im hungry. Do you have anything to munch on?
Ill call someone.
Beer, too.
Neil picked up a phone to his right and ordered the food while Letip continued laughing as he watched his show.
Click-
Only after hanging up the phone did Neil look at Lukas.
He nodded at a door to his right before walking towards it. Lukas followed him.
It appeared to be a reception room attached to the office. It was much smaller than the office, but it was more suitable for a one-on-one conversation.
I was rude last time.
There were a lot of eyes looking at us. And Im in a position now where I have to be careful about the things I do.
Lukas ignored Neils apology. It didnt matter when he spoke formally or informally. He knew that this man in front of him had no respect for him.
This city is pretty well developed.
Neils eyes shined slightly.
I can barely remember how it looked a few decades ago. You achieved your goal.
He believed that Neil could do it. But he never thought that he would be able to achieve his goal so perfectly in such a short amount of time.
Neil Prand was truly an amazing human.
He was a man who could change not just a city, country, or continent but the entire world.
This country is my everything. I will protect my homeland with my life.
I see your thoughts havent changed.
Im only human. Unlike you.
Whenever he heard those words, Lukas felt a stabbing pain in his chest.
This man in front of him couldnt know, but Lukas had once been human.
Neil Prand continued in a calm voice.
And humans have limits. So I only look after the humans I can save.
By that, you mean the Americans?
There was a faint glimmer in Neils eyes.
Ive made numerous suggestions. Even at this moment. We dont stop people from coming. The economy of North America has grown large enough to support all the hunters from Eurasia, Africa, and Oceania.
Nevertheless, they didnt accept his proposal. They might have had their reasons, but Neil didnt pay attention to that.
Its their own choice. Everyone must bear the burden of their own choices.
The Demons arent active in America.
Neil paused for a moment at Lukas sudden remark before saying.
they dont like to cross the ocean.
There are Demons who have the power to move through space. The higher the nobility rank, the more common this power is. With their power, carrying a legion of Demon Beasts across the ocean is not difficult.
Thats why we have barriers. Our barriers are stronger and have fewer flaws than those of other regions. This is due to the collaboration between the many Wizards and Sorcerers in this country.
Lukas expression changed slightly.
Dont try to fool me with Magical Science, Neil Prand. Do you think I cant tell its just a 7 star barrier at best?
You greatly increased the strength of your defenses using soul crystals that you bought from the other branches, but they would only work on Demon Marquises and below.
This also varied depending on the individual. Among the Marquises, there were a few who could easily break through North Americas barriers.
Theres no reason for them to come all the way over to America. There are many humans closer to them already.
His words sounded like the most plausible excuse, but it wasnt something one would expect to hear from a human.
Many humans closer to them?
That sounded as though he was talking about livestock instead of his own kind.
The higher ranked the Demon, the more greedy they are. There are many Demon Nobles who would love to get their hands on the hunters in North America.
What are you trying to say?
Did you make a deal with the Demons?
Neil fell silent for a moment. Maybe three seconds.
Hoo.
Then he let out a breath.
the topic of our conversation seems to have shifted. Arent you here as Frey Blake, a Hunter from the European Branch who came to seek aid from North America? Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
I would like for us to move on to our negotiation now.
He forcibly changed the topic.
This time, it was Lukas who sighed.
Neil Prand had not changed at all from the last time he saw him.
No. Instead, it seemed that he had become more extreme.
However, Lukas couldnt recklessly call him evil.
He knew how strong his convictions were and how devoted he was to humans. It was just that he needed to widen his view.
That should have been the role of his teacher. This was why Lukas felt responsible for Neils deviation.
How much do you know about the situation in Asia?
I know that a man named Nodiesop has become the new President of the Asia Branch. He didnt just stop there, however. He also took control of most of the forces and facilities of the Hunters Association in that region
Neil looked at Lukas for a moment before adding.
He even got in touch with North America, claiming that he wanted to have a good relationship with us.
What did you say?
Thats confidential.
Do you know what kind of being Nodiesop is?
He should be something similar to you. A transcendent being with power comparable to that wielded by God.
Nevertheless, he didnt appear to be wary of Nodiesop.
It was the same as when hed first met him.
Neil did not shrink back even when he had an idea of how powerful Lukas was.
This was something that Lukas appreciated.
He believed he could become the symbol who led mankind.
Its not difficult for us to protect Europe in itself. After all, our association dislikes Asia much more than Europe. But I cant make that decision on my own.
What do you mean?
Id have to bring it forward to the council of the American Association. Most of the executives with great influence are part of the council, and most of them dont have a very favorable opinion of Europe.
Lukas knew that the most category also included Neil Prand.
Neil now divided the world into two parts.
Whether it was helpful to North America or not.
His logic could not have been more black and white.
Even now, Neil must have been making calculations in his head.
He was calculating how North America could benefit from the confrontation between Europe and Asia.
He didnt think about the hunters who would die. Because they werent American hunters.
He was a man who already had such a twisted belief. And Lukas couldnt do anything to change it.
Im not asking you to openly put pressure on Asia. You dont even have to be hostile with them. After all, the true enemies of the hunters are the Demons, not their own kind. All I want you to do is exercise your influence so that the conflict between humans doesnt escalate.
You make it sound so easy. Once we step in, we will no longer be able to hold a neutral position. Wed be forced to take a side in the mud fight.
Then you want Europe and Asia to continue fighting like this? Dont you understand what the outcome would be?
At least one side would collapse. And it would most likely be Europe. If the knowledge of this conflict reaches the ears of the Demons, perhaps all the association branches in Eurasia would disappear. Well, thats only the worst case scenario.
So he did know.
Lukas looked at Neil with cold eyes. He felt his heart sinking.
Then the remaining survivors would flock to America. We wouldnt reject them.
Neil Prand, are you serious?
Neil didnt respond right away.
Instead he observed Lukas for a moment.
And if I am?
Suddenly, Neil spoke up.
Id like to make a proposal.
A proposal?
Yes. If you agree to it, then I will help Europe. No, Id give them my full support. If you like Id even dispatch a number of troops to Asia.
This was Neils usual manner of speaking.
He would draw attention by suddenly speaking in a completely different manner to how he had been before. He would then list a number of things that he could offer before bringing up his own conditions at the end.
Neil only spoke like this when he was sure.
Sure that the other person would be unable to turn down his offer.
Lukas, please come to America.
The emotion in his voice seemed to fill the entire room.
If you become Americas protector, I will accept any condition.
Book: 2: Chapter 51
Book 2: Chapter 51 The moment he heard that, Lukas heart became cold. It was as though someone had poured water on a raging bonfire.
At that moment, he felt like the thin thread that connected him to Neil Prand snapped.
He looked at Neil.
Hed thought that Neil wasnt evil. It was just that his beliefs were a bit twisted and his devotion to humanity had deviated.
Hed thought that it wasnt hopeless. That the twisted beliefs could be corrected, that one day, he would treat every human in the world like he did the Americans.
But now, he wasnt so sure.
Hed thought that Neil hadnt changed much, but he was wrong. Neil had changed. Hed become much more extreme and biased than Lukas could have expected.
He wouldnt just protect North America. He would only protect North America. The difference between the two was beyond description.
It was only after letting go of his guilt when he was able to look at Neil Prand objectively.
He had already grown rotten.
There were no longer any traces of the young, intelligent American boy whom Lukas had saved.
Do you even need me?
What are you talking about?
It seems that youve already found someone to replace me.
As if on cue, the faint sound of laughter could be heard from the office. The reception room seemed to be soundproofed, but the laughter was still able to pierce through.
This was proof of just how loudly he was laughing.
Where did you find that man?
I dont know.
What is your connection to him?
I cant say.
Neil evaded all of his questions.
Lukas moved his head slightly and looked Neil in the eyes.
Neil didnt avert his gaze, and they remained in that position for a few seconds.
You cant control Letip.
Neils expression didnt change at those words. He remained as unflappable as ever.
But he clenched his fists beneath the desk.
As expected.
He created the Hunter Association. He took the seat as President of the Association. And now, he had become a person who would never have to look up to anyone else.
Neil knew that his position was hundreds of times stronger now than it was when he was younger.
He wasnt the only one who thought so, either. The hundreds of thousands of hunters in North America could bear witness.
And it wasnt without results. North America had managed to create a haven with perfect peace and security over the past few decades, and Neil Prand had contributed the most to this.
Nevertheless.
Even though he stood at the pinnacle of humanity, the distance between him and the being in front of him was still unfathomable.
It was as if to say no matter how high he climbed, he would never be higher than the heavens.
He cant be called North Americas power. You met him by chance and somehow managed to convince him to stay with you.
Im curious as to why you would be so presumptuous.
That statement was basically an acknowledgement of Lukas words.
Lukas had already known this, but it was better to get confirmation instead of continuing under an assumption. And Neils attitude had already given him the confidence to continue.
If you could make Letip work with you, you wouldnt have avoided my question. In fact, you would have brought it up even before I asked. To make your deal sound more convincing.
Or to show off.
In all honesty, Lukas was certain that if Neil had been able to acquire the assistance of a transcendent being as strong as he was, he never would have made an offer in the first place.
So he was saying that his refusal to answer was admittance?
It was then when Neil realised how tense he was. After all, he would never make such a mistake normally.
Neil nodded.
We didnt find him. Letip came to us. He showed up about a week ago in California. And as soon as he arrived, he destroyed the entire area.
The damage?
No one was hurt or injured because there was no one nearby. Only a few surveillance towers and other buildings were burnt to ashes. After receiving the report, I checked the videos and realised that he was like you.
Those words made Lukas a bit uncomfortable.
So you persuaded him?
I dont know. Maybe my persuasion worked. As you said, I cant control him. However, Letip likes American culture. In all honesty, its a bit strange. He seems to fundamentally be the same as you, but unlike you, whos emotionless, he seems to be true to his desires.
Letip wandered around as he pleased, ate food he liked, and even slept with women he liked.
This wasnt a bad thing for Neil since he wanted Letip to have as many connections with this land as possible.
Lukas had a different thought after hearing Neils explanation.
Id like to hear your answer now.
Lukas looked at Neil once again.
Now that he thought about it, he had made a similar offer to him before they separated in the past.
Master, become North Americas protector. If you and I work together, we could create the most perfect Anti Demon Barrier. We could make the strongest fortress in the world that would never collapse.
He had said this with an earnest voice and desperate expression.
And Lukas gave the same answer hed given to a young Neil Prand.
I refuse.
There was a heavy silence.
Neils breath became hitched for a moment. He closed his eyes as if to calm his fluctuating emotions.
Then, with his fists clenched once again, he spoke in a strained voice.
I see.
When Neil opened his eyes again, hed returned to the same unflappable persona from before.
In that case, our negotiations have come to an end. I will prepare the portal for you, so please leave.
Are you really going to do nothing?
Yes. I dont care what happens to Eurasia.
This was spoken with blunt honesty.
All Neil wanted to do was protect North America and the people who lived here.
No.
But Lukas didnt accept his words.
You will do everything you said.
Neil paused and looked at Lukas when he heard that.
And one more thing: I brought two disciples with me. They are unpolished gemstones, so Id like for them to experience the curriculum here in America. Im sure it will be a great help to them.
Lukas said those words in a casual manner as though he expected them to happen.
Neils expression turned cynical.
I have no obligation to do that.
Neil Prand.
Neil became speechless for a moment as Lukas called him by his full name.
You should be the human who knows me best in this world.
thats an unexpected statement.
He forced himself to respond.
Its already been several decades since I traveled across North America with you, and if you were intelligent, you wouldnt have forgotten.
What are you talking about?
Do you think I said those words thoughtlessly?
The table creaked unpleasantly, and Neil shuddered slightly as a strange pressure resonated from Lukas.
Im going to get angry.
The topic changed once again.
Neil felt like he should say something, but his lips felt like they were glued together. Sar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Maybe its because a lot of things happened recently.
Lukas thought about the European hunters.
Those who fought on the fiercest front and had to risk their lives every day. They knew how difficult their task was, and they knew that it wouldnt be strange if they were to die the next day.
And yet, they did not shirk away in fear. Instead, they accepted their obligations without giving it.
Each and every one of them was a hero. The hunters in the other regions could be safe because of the European hunters.
North America might be safe now, but that might not necessarily be the case if Europe disappears. You might be able to prevent the Demons invasion now. However, what about 20 or 30 years ago? If Europe had given up fighting or got destroyed earlier, wouldnt the Demons have crossed the ocean to reach you?
This wasnt even an assumption. It was a guarantee.
Lukas knew the Demons tendencies.
If they had captured Europe, they would have immediately turned to the humans in Asia and North America.
The other regions were able to recover from the initial attack and build defense lines at the expense of Europe.
In other words, every human in the other regions owed Europe.
And yet, the European Headquarters has become a mess. Not at the hands of the Demons or Demon Beasts but their fellow humans.
Many people were injured or killed.
Nina Rednikova.
Lukas had saved her when she was only a little girl.
Hed found the little girl in the ruins of a city, and shed always looked up to him like he was her saviour.
Lukas taught and told her many things. And many of the things he taught her were legends of humanity.
Hed wanted her to be proud. Hed wanted her to know just how amazing humans were. And to do that, he told her stories of the many human heroes he encountered in his journeys around the multiverse.
When Nina heard these stories about heroes, she always became excited as one would expect a child to be.
Then she would confidently say that she would be the same one day.
Every time she said this, little Ninas eyes lit up like the stars in the sky. Shed wanted to change the world, drive the Demons away, and restore peace.
And now, Nina, whod gotten her eyes gouged out by her own kind, sobbed bitterly and said, I hate humans more than the Demons.
Does it look like I have no emotions?
Anger finally appeared in Lukas voice.
This was Neils biggest mistake.
Lukas emotions had been worn away over time, but they were still there.
You made a deal with the Demons. You committed an act that was no different from selling your own people, and thats not all. Im certain that you were the one who sent Vaches Bondarenko, one of the bosses of the Red Mafia, after me. And I can guess why. You probably heard that I killed the Demon Duke. And you wondered whether I could kill not just the Demons but also humans.
As Lukas continued to speak, Neils expression slowly grew paler.
He was a hunter who stood at the pinnacle of humanity, but he knew he couldnt afford to anger the being in front of him.
Moreover, Lukas was right.
Neil knew that Lukas couldnt use his power recklessly.
Thats why hed been confused. Hed heard of the great hunter escape in Europe. And that the escape involved the death of a Demon Duke.
It wasnt hard for him to learn of the death of the Demon Duke.
Because the Demon who died was none other than Duke Sandro the one who had been doing business with North America in the shadows.
But it was impossible for those hunters to kill Duke Sandro, even for Lee Jong-hak, who was the strongest among them.
So Neil dug into the information of all of the hunters who escaped and soon learned that Lukas had been a part of it.
If it was the Lukas Neil knew, then he could definitely kill a Duke.
That fact made his heart shake.
As far as Neil knew, Lukas strength was restricted. And he knew it was true because he had personally seen Lukas sit on the sidelines while countless humans died.
And yet, Lukas had killed a Demon Duke.
Anxiety surged in Neils heart.
Were his restrictions gone?
Was it possible that he could now use his incredible power as he pleased?
After having this thought, Neil immediately used his connections in Europe to hire Vaches Bondarenko.
He thought that the rough and powerful mafia would be able to provoke Lukas. And by looking at how he dealt with Vaches, he would be able to get a clue.
Everything Lukas said was right.
Neil had wanted to know if this being in front of him could not only kill Demons but humans as well.
You have a biased perspective, but I still thought that you were a necessary talent for humanity. In fact, you showed even more potential than I initially anticipated. But if you were to turn your back on your own kind, then those facts would no longer matter. Because I would not see you as a human anymore.
The anger in Lukas voice was clear.
And I dont hesitate to kill such people.
Book: 2: Chapter 52
Book 2: Chapter 52 I
The moment Neil was about to respond, someone knocked on the door before opening it. It was a handsome young man.
He bowed his head politely to Neil.????????????????e????. ????????????
Pardon my intrusion, President.
What is it? Im sure I said that I had important business this evening.
Neils cold voice made the young mans expression stiffen a bit.
Im deeply sorry. Its an urgent matter
An urgent matter?
Yes, sir.
The young man nodded before glancing at Lukas. It seemed it was something that couldnt be discussed in front of outsiders.
Neil pondered silently for a moment before standing up and saying.
Can I put this on hold for a moment?
Lukas nodded.
He might have been delaying giving him an answer, but it didnt matter. In fact, it might even be better to take a break for a while.
Neil left the room immediately, and the young man turned to observe Lukas for a moment.
His expression wasnt very good. Perhaps he thought Lukas attitude to the President was too impolite. Or maybe he was suspicious of his identity.
It could have been both. But Lukas didnt care since it didnt matter to him anyway.
Ignoring his gaze, Lukas fiddled with the kettle on the table in front of him. There was coffee mix there, too.
The young man kept staring at him with an incredulous expression for a moment before following Neil.
Lukas plugged in the cord for the kettle and turned it on. When the water began to boil, Lukas poured the coffee mix into a cup on the table before pouring the water into it.
The sweet scent soon filled the entire room.
At almost the same time that Lukas lifted the cup to his lips, the door opened once again. There was no knock this time.
It shouldnt have been Neil. After all, he didnt think the important matter could have been dealt with so quickly.
And as expected, the person who opened the door was a middle-aged man wearing a biker jacket and jeans. It was Letip.
He opened the door, but he didnt enter the room. Instead, he just leaned against the doorframe and looked down at Lukas.
Unlike the time in the elevator, there was faint interest in his eyes.
It seemed he had heard his conversation with Neil.
What is your goal?
Salvation.
It was an unexpected question, but Lukas responded naturally after taking a sip of his coffee.
Letips expression became a bit strange.
And after that?
After? There is no such thing. My goal has no end. S~ea??h the N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
There were many more universes than he even dared to count. Even at that very moment, countless universes were created or destroyed. And there were even more humans.
Lukas journey would never end.
Even if he won the Great Game and became a Ruler, he would continue to save humans. And even if he returned to his home world, he would eventually leave.
Hmm. That wont last very long.
What?
Letip shook his head.
The small spark of interest in his eyes disappeared. Before he turned around and left, he left a seemingly meaningful message.
Too bad. Too bad.
* * *
As they stepped onto the elevator, the young man spoke to Neil.
We received a message from our agent monitoring the Top Three.
Top Three.
Neils expression hardened slightly because of the weight of that title.
What did it say?
It is top secret So youll have to read it personally in the Intelligence Agencys Office.
While it was unlikely, there was still a chance that someone could have been eavesdropping on the two of them in the elevator.
Neil nodded once before looking at the elevator indicator as his thoughts drifted off.
He couldnt help but think about Lukas proposal.
Maybe Ill accept his offer.
He wasnt giving in to Lukas threats because he was afraid. While it was true that hed been overwhelmed by Lukas aura before, he would not have been able to sit firmly in the position of President for so long if he could be moved just because of threats.
He has no intention of killing me.
Lukas was facing Neil as the European Hunter Frey Blake.
This was something that almost everyone in the headquarters, including Joanna, was aware of.
If Neil died or went missing, the Frey would be the most likely suspect. This would cause not just Asia but also America to become hostile with Europe.
Thats why he didnt think that Lukas, who came here to save Europe, would do something so reckless.
Of course, there was the possibility that he would retreat now and make his move later. As far as Neil knew, the security of Pilsky Tower meant nothing to Lukas.
However, if he had room to maneuver, Neil was certain that he could come up with some kind of countermeasure.
When the opponent was someone like Lukas, you couldnt face them with force. Luckily, Neil already knew what his principles and goals were.
Nevertheless, he felt it would be best to accept his offer because he didnt want to completely fall out with Lukas.
As for the other reason.
There are people in North America who support Lukas.
He was talking about people like the President of the European Branch, Nina Rednikova. As far as he knew, the President of the Venezuela Branch and the Canada Branch were the same.
If more than two Branch President-level figures chose to rebel
There might be a civil war in America.
While it was unlikely, Neil would not ignore the possibility.
Ding-
The elevator stopped. When the doors opened, Neil was immediately hit by a stale smell.
Dozens of gigantic screens filled a dimly lit room. And dozens of people were busy processing information from all over the world.
This was the Intelligence Agencys Office.
I apologise for disturbing you during your meeting, Mr. President.
A man in a white suit bowed to him as he entered. This was the Intelligence Chief, Martin.
How much were you told?
Neil shook his head.
Just that there is a report about the Top Three. Which of the three is the report about?
The Strongest.
Beep-
As he said this, Martin gestured to a monitor.
On the screen, someones blurry appearance could be seen.
It was a man with grey hair and a gloomy aura.
The place in which he was standing looked as if a storm had swept through the area. It was probably a city that had been captured by the Demons. But now, the man was the only one in the image who was still moving.
Around him were at least a few hundred corpses that appeared to be Demons and Demon Beasts.
That many demons Dont tell me
Martin nodded and confirmed Neils thoughts.
He hunted them alone.
At this point, I truly wonder if we really are the same kind.
If we werent, then hed have no reason to hunt the Demons so fervently. But thats not all.
The image on the screen moved as it zoomed in to show a specific spot.
It was the corpse of a Demon, or, at least, what was left of it. The only remaining part of the Demon was its head, which was still larger than an adult male.
The Demons six, blood-red eyes bulged like they were about to pop out of its head.
This Demon
This is Duke Krodis.
Duke!
Shock spread across Neils face.
Humanity had only managed to defeat Dukes twice in history. So it was natural that Neil was surprised.
Exactly, Mr. President. I dont think I need to explain whom he killed. Now, I can say without any shadow of doubt. That this man is the strongest human being in existence.
Martin said these words with great emotion as he stared at the man on the screen. Awe and fear were clear in his gaze.
Because he hunted a Demon Duke on his own.
Book: 2: Chapter 53
Book 2: Chapter 53 After saying those words, Letip left the room. No, he left the Pilsky Tower entirely.
Lukas didnt try to stop Letip, but he couldnt help but feel bothered by his words for some reason.
Just as he lowered his cup and sank into deep thought, something mysterious happened.
The shadows in the room began clumping together before rising to form the shape of a person. Sar?h the novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
It was the mysterious black-robed man.
It was the old spirit who roamed this planet, the God of Heaven and Earth who had lost his authority. He looked at Lukas for a moment before opening his mouth.
[Its been a while.]
Right.
Lukas agreed with him. It truly had been a while since they last met.
The figures black robe fluttered despite there being no breeze.
[I heard a rough explanation of the general situation.]
From whom?
[God.]
It seemed God had approached him as well.
What did he tell you?
[Sorry. But I cant tell you that.]
[I probably wont appear in front of you for personal business in the future.]
Is that what God wants?
[Yes. I have become a witness for the upcoming Great Game.]
Lukas brows furrowed at those words.
[And before that, I came to give you a last hint. That is all I was allowed to do.]
A hint?
[you should be aware that it is possible for mortals to become transcendent beings. There are people in this universe who have that potential. Potential to become an Absolute like you.]
It was an unexpected statement, but Lukas nodded after thinking about it.
In fact, it was natural.
The more chaotic the world, the more likely it was for heroes to be born in it. And this world had already reached a stage where calling it chaotic was not enough.
However, having the potential and actually doing it were completely different things.
Lukas, who was a mortal who transcended and became an Absolute, was well aware of this.
However
Since coming to this world, he had not met any being with this potential. Even Neil, the greatest transformer he knew, was not good enough to pass the threshold to become an Absolute.
As if noticing Lukas thoughts, the mysterious man opened his mouth.
[I interfered.]
you interfered?
[I deliberately made some adjustments in order to prevent you from meeting them. I didnt want you to interfere with their growth. No hero is born without suffering. And they didnt fail to meet my expectations.]
The mysterious man paused for a moment before continuing in a clear tone.
[Keep an eye on the Top Three. They are a clue. If you are vigilant, you might be able to trick the laws of the world and use the Absolutes External Force without restriction.]
[This is all I can tell you. I sincerely wish for your victory, Saviour of Humanity]
After saying those words, the figure of the mysterious man dispersed into shadows once again.
At the same time, the door to the room was opened without a knock. This time, it wasnt Letip.
Sorry for being late.
Neil, who was unable to completely suppress his emotions, said those words as he sat at the table.
Lukas could easily tell that he was feeling troubled. He couldnt help but wonder what happened.
Ive decided to accept your proposal, Lukas. (Note: It should be noted that Neil is speaking formally now, but I felt it would be strange for him to say Mr. Lukas so just keep it in mind)
Lukas wasnt surprised because hed expected Neil to make this choice from the start. But from the way things were looking, that wasnt the main point Neil wanted to talk about.
He took a moment to calm his ragged breath before speaking in a slightly urgent tone.
I will listen to everything you said. All I ask is for you to accept one request.
Request?
Lukas couldnt help but make a strange expression when he heard Neils next words.
Please investigate the Top Three.
Top Three.
This name was now mentioned by Neil mere moments after he heard it from the mysterious black-robed man.
In fact, Lukas knew a bit about them. He knew that they were better than anyone else when it came to hunting Demons and that they all had legendary achievements that most hunters could never even dream of.
However, Lukas had never met them before, nor did he know what they looked like or what abilities they had. He didnt even know which, or how many Demons, they killed or what their legendary achievements were.
This was because Lukas didnt attach much importance to public information. He only made judgements based on what he saw with his own eyes.
It was possible that Neil realised this fact as well because he continued in a much calmer tone than before.
The Top Three is a shadowy group whom we rarely talk about. The low-ranked hunters know basically nothing about them, and there are even a few higher-ups in the association who believe they are fake heroes created by the association.
Fake Heroes.
Lukas understood what he meant.
Some of the heroes who made names for themselves during war actually had the ability, but there were countless other so-called heroes who were created simply through false rumours and support from the government.
There were numerous reasons for creating such figures, but the biggest reason was to stop the population from losing morale. Soldiers felt greatly comforted knowing that such a hero was on their side.
The list of achievements made by the Top Three was incredibly absurd. And because of this, realists regarded them as heroes created by the association.
But the Top Three is real.
what do you mean by asking me to investigate them? Since theyre hunters, they should be under your influence.
They are not hunters from the association. All three of them either have their own independent forces or prefer to move alone. So naturally, I have no control over them.
As he said this, Neil frowned. It seemed that he didnt like the fact that the cards known as the Top Three werent in his hands.
After a moment, he took out a bunch of documents that hed brought with him and handed them to Lukas.
This is all the information we have about them. Would you like to read it?
Lukas received the stack of papers and browsed through them slowly.
The names, ages, nationalities, abilities, main areas of activity, and supporting forces of the Top Three were described in detail.
But it was their titles that drew Lukas attention.
The Strongest Hunter.
The Saint of Salvation.
And the last one.
[The Black Witch.]
Lukas froze for a moment.
* * *
Purple hair that stood out especially at night and an ever-present mysterious smile.
Shed always looked at him with that mysterious smile.
There were other characteristics that he could list, but his other memories were blurred.
Her eyes were as beautiful as her hair, her soft voice, and her gentle movements.
Only these words remained in his mind, not the memories that accompanied them.
That fact made Lukas feel depressed.
In this world, there is a being from your homeworld.
Then he remembered Gods words.
There was only one being from his home world.
Lukas looked back at the documents again.
He couldnt help but think of the woman who had given up everything for him and who was still waiting for him even now.
But he soon shook his head.
It couldnt be her.
Shed said that she would make amends for her crimes.
Shed said that she would create a world so beautiful that Lukas would come to love humans again, even if he lost his humanity or came to hate humans.
That promise was her conviction. And he didnt think she would break it.
Of course, there were other possibilities.
For a moment, Lukas couldnt help but think that it wasnt her whod broken the promise but himself.
Lukas slowly read the information about the Black Witch.
[Shroud of Night.]
That was the name of the group led by the Black Witch.
In fact, this organisation, which was nothing short of a clandestine society, seemed to be the most secretive and mysterious of all the humanmade groups.
Its size, the location of its main base, and the key figures in the organisation were all a mystery.
Among the hunters, there are many talented individuals who are supposedly part of Shroud of Night. But they are all incredibly good at hiding their tracks, and we have never been able to catch their trail.
Does the association recognise the existence of Shroud of Night?
As I said, there are many of them. And we fundamentally shared the same goal.
Although Neil said these words carefully, displeasure still spread across Lukas face.
Now that he thought about it, Lukas felt like there was something he had to make clear.
Do you intend to continue dealing with the Demons?
Dont tell me you think you can coexist. They are called Demons for a reason.
At the end of the day, nature preceded reason.
The race of Demons was fundamentally incompatible with humans.
Neil must have known that, for he nodded.
Yes. I know.
Then, he seemed to think about something for a moment before he finally lifted his head and spoke.
We will stop dealing with the Demons. After all, Duke Sandro is already dead, so there is no longer a reason to. On the other hand
Neils tone became serious.
What do you think about my request?
Book: 2: Chapter 54
Book 2: Chapter 54 Psh.
Lukas splashed tap water on his face, the coldness of the water sending tingles through his skin.
But his mind was still unfocused as if he was sleepwalking.
Hed accepted Neils offer. After all, Lukas also needed to gather information about the Top Three.
If he had the support of North America, including Neil himself, then it would make that task much easier.
In other words, it could be said their interests coincided for this matter.
Three.
This was one of the hints God had given.
It was clear now that it was referring to the Top Three. The mysterious man had basically said so.
If he kept his eyes on the Top Three, hed get a clue as to how to trick the laws of the world.
Were the Top Three humans?
And what did they have to do with Hybrid?
It seemed hed only be able to answer these questions after meeting them in person.
Creak-
He turned off the faucet before looking at the mirror.
He saw a young man with grey hair and cold, sunken eyes. Frey Blake, a man created from a vague memory.
Unlike other appearances, it was one he was attached to.
It was also his favorite appearance when he had to be someone other than Lukas.
Suddenly, a strange thought appeared in his head.
Was this what this face looked like originally? He couldnt tell.
His memories were hazy. As if they were covered in dust.
It was at that moment when Letips words resounded in his head.
That wont last long.
Was that referring to Lukas mental state? And if it was, what did he know about him?
And for what purpose did he enter this universe?
He didnt know. Lukas couldnt help but feel that there were many things he didnt know.
But there was one thing that Lukas knew.
He didnt want to turn Letip into an enemy, much less Sedi or Nodiesop.
Lukas left the bathroom and returned to the 125th floor.
It wasnt hard to find Leo and Min Ha-rin. They were both sitting in a spacious lounge not far from the elevator, perhaps in an effort to help Lukas locate them more easily.
Joanna, on the other hand, was nowhere in sight.
Lukas looked on as his disciples whispered amongst themselves, completely oblivious to his presence.
They were stuck together, squirming and giggling like a real brother and sister.
It was strange.
Looking at them made him feel like the dark clouds in his mind were dissipating.
Disciple.
Children who would continue to carry on his legacy. They were Lukas future.
This fact somehow filled him with relief.
Right.
Even if Lukas were to disappear, his cause would continue.
It was decided that Min Ha-rin and Leo would stay in North America. At least until Lukas finished investigating the Top Three.
They seemed to have a bit of interest in North Americas curriculum, but they expressed faint dissatisfaction at Lukas orders.
They whined that they would rather go with their Master.
At your current level, you would only be a hindrance.
So Lukas bluntly pointed out the problem.
Min Ha-rin had barely reached 3 stars, and Leo was still incorporating the Warrior King Fist into his own martial art.
It was hard to say if either one of them would be useful at this point.
As for their training, Neil had promised to give them his full support, so there was no need to worry. There were many outstanding hunters in North America. Perhaps their rate of growth would be even faster than Lukas expected.
After thinking this, Lukas couldnt help but look forward to their next meeting.
Currently, he was heading towards the portal in a limousine. He leaned against the soft red seats, lost in thought.
He would probably have to meet all three of the Top Three.
The first person he would meet had already been decided.
It was the man referred to as the Strongest Hunter. His name was Kran.
It was probably an alias as his real name, last name, and nationality were all unknown.
There was no special reason for choosing him. It was simply that it wasnt difficult to meet him, unlike the Black Witch, whose true location was always a mystery, and the Saint of Salvation, who even Neil, the President of the Hunter Association, would have difficulty meeting.
Except for the fact that he was in a rather dangerous area.
Kran was, at the same time, the most exposed and the most mysterious of the Top Three.
The association said that of the three, they knew the most about his power, abilities, hunting techniques, and location. But on the flip side, they knew nothing about his past.
The document stated that he was obsessed with hunting Demons and that his mindset was so extreme that he wouldnt hesitate to kill whoever stood in the way of his goal, even if they were a fellow human.
Hes currently active in Africa.
It was a place that was often called hell, or the Land of Death.????????????????????????????. ????o????
Naturally, the Demons there were stronger than in other places.
And it was there where Kran had single-handedly hunted a Demon Duke.
He had made an achievement that was unprecedented in human history.
Africa. Hah.
In front of Lukas, a woman let out a sorrowful sigh as though the sky was falling. It was said in a soft whisper that might not have been heard usually, but they were currently in the relatively small interior of the limousine, so her voice easily reached Lukas ears.
This woman was none other than Joanna.
Lukas had also been surprised to see her. He wouldnt have expected her to be the one to accompany him. This woman was the guide Neil prepared for him.
Of course, she was one of the few 7 star Wizards in North America. So she wasnt lacking either as a guide or as a combatant.
What was important was that she felt extremely uncomfortable around Lukas. Even now, her brows were furrowed and her lips were slightly pursed.
this is so awkward Im gonna die.
Joanna grumbled inwardly while stealing glances at Lukas. Shed realised that he was an extraordinary person, but she never thought hed personally go to meet the Top Three.
Moreover, he was going to Africa of all places.
If it werent Neils orders, she would never, ever have accepted it!
Unfortunately, Neil was not swayed by her beauty, whining, or discontent. No, above all, she didnt want to make Neil feel she was incompetent.
Joanna forcibly pulled herself together. Since she had already been given this task, she would perform it perfectly and win Neils trust.
After clearing her throat, she opened her mouth.
When we go to Africa, there are some humans you should be as wary of as the Demons and Demon Beasts. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Who?
Gray Sun.
When Lukas stared at her blankly, Joanna couldnt help but cry out in shock.
You dont know them?!
This is my first time hearing about them.
Oh, my God.
She didnt expect him to be clueless about something like this. She couldnt help but feel a wave of anxiety flood her entire body.
This might have been a bigger crisis than she initially expected.
its a criminal organisation active in Africa. Originally, it was just a relatively large organisation, but after the advent of the Demons, it grew explosively just like the other mafia organisations.
Youre a European Hunter, so hmm. You know the Red Mafia, right?
Yes.
Joanna breathed a sigh of relief. It was like she had finally seen light in a dark world.
The size of Gray Sun is estimated to be about five times that of the Red Mafia. It is an incredibly large organisation. It wouldnt be much of an exaggeration to say one in every ten people you meet in Africa are a part of Grey Sun.
There were countless criminal organisations in Africa, but most of them were affiliated under the influence of the Gray Sun.
Ironically, in order to survive in Africa, where the influence of the association is limited, one has to go under a criminal organisation, whether they like it or not.
When Lukas nodded, Joanna continued.
Most of the members are just cannon fodder, but you should be careful of those who have sun tattoos on their forearms. They are the Gray Suns officers, who have combat capabilities comparable to that of Titled Hunters.
Depending on how many suns overlapped on their arms, the rankings of the officers differed.
Those who had three overlapping suns had strength comparable to top-ranked Titled Hunters. Joanna could not guarantee whether shed be able to win against two or three of them.
After hearing her words, Lukas nodded.
Understood.
Did he really?
Looking at Lukas, who didnt seem bothered at all, Joanna couldnt help but feel doubt.
But he is stronger than me.
Book: 2: Chapter 55
Book 2: Chapter 55 (Note: I noticed that the last part of the last chapter was accidentally lost at some point before the chapter was posted, and I apologise for not noticing sooner. I decided to just put it in this chapter instead of editing the last one.)
* * *
Looking at his unconcerned attitude, she couldnt help but think back to the experience she had with him last time. It felt like it was all a dream.
The Lukas now, who was currently staring blankly out the window, didnt exude any of the pressure shed felt at that time.
But that thought in itself was a bit terrifying.
In any case, I look forward to working with you.
Yes. I also look forward to our cooperation.
At that moment, the limousine smoothly came to a stop. They had arrived at the portal.
As she stepped out of the car, Joanna made a silent prayer.
She hoped their mission would end soon.
* * *
On the African continent, which had become a lawless zone, the only place where some manner of security was maintained was West Africa.
This wasnt because the hunters were successfully defending it or that they had managed to suppress the Demons.
It was simply because the Demons werent interested in that area.
The place that Lukas and Joanna headed to was the country which had formerly been the Republic of Congo.
The Congo Branch of the Hunter Association left a very dirty impression. The building, which could barely be called a hideout, was on the brink of collapsing, and it was so dirty that it was clear that it was not being properly managed.
The surrounding area that could be seen from the dusty windows was even worse. It felt like it was a city where zombies lived.
Only depression and resignation could be seen on the faces of the people walking down the streets.
Maybe it was because they had just come from North America, but the atmosphere was so gloomy that they could feel it on their skin. It felt like they had gone to an entirely different dimension.
Joanna stared out the window with a blank expression on her face. She looked as if her soul had left her body.
While Lukas wondered about her reaction, someone approached them.
Are you the hunters from America?
It was a black man with a red tattoo on his face, and from his physique, it was easy to guess that he was either a Martial Artist or a Swordsman.
Joanna, who came back to her senses, let out a soft cough.
Im Joanna Goldberg, a hunter from America.
And who is the man beside you?
Frey Blake.
Hmmm?
Judging from his attitude, it was clear that he had never heard of Lukas before.
The man turned to look at Joanna again, and after observing her face for a moment, he nodded.
Welcome to the Congo Branch. Im Destin, the Branch President. Ive already heard the details. Although it might not be much, I will give you my full support.
Thanks.
Seeming to have escaped her previous daze, Joanna replied with her distinctive, haughty expression.
Lets not stand and talk. Follow me.
After saying that, Destin turned around and started walking with large strides. From his actions, it was clear that his personality was just as blunt as his appearance.
While following him, Joanna glanced around.
I didnt expect it to be this bad.
This wasnt the first time shed been assigned a mission in another region. However, shed only ever been to relatively safe, clean cities. Shed never been to Europe or Africa, where the Demons were most active.
So this was her first time seeing a city that was on the frontlines.
And although shed heard the rumors and read the reports, it was different from seeing it with her own two eyes.
As they followed behind Destin, they encountered several Congolese hunters.
When they passed Destin, they all nodded their heads a few times. But for Lukas and Joanna, the outsiders, they didnt seem to be the least bit interested.
During their short walk, they encountered two types of hunters. Those who had sharp auras like unsheathed blades that could cut at any moment, and those who looked incredibly depressed and hopeless or were struggling with conflicting emotions.
When they finally arrived at the Presidents office, she was surprised once again.
It was dirtier than any bathroom in the North American Branch, and smaller than any room in Joannas house.
Sit wherever you like. Im sorry, but I dont have any refreshments to give you.
Th-, thats fine.
Thats good then.
Destin sat down on a couch that had bits of cotton sticking out. The dim light in the room highlighted his tired face.
I heard you guys are planning to go to Egypt.
The place where Kran was staying was near Egypt. And it seemed that he would be staying there for a while.
This was because he had to recover from the damage hed taken during his fight with the Demon Duke.
In other words, after that period, he would leave for another region without hesitation. From the patterns that hed displayed so far, he would go looking for new prey.
So they had no time to lose.
I was given a rough explanation of the situation. And I think it will be a fight against time. Have you thought about a means of transportation?
No.
Egypt was about 3,000km from the Republic of Congo, their current location.
To go on foot would be absurd.
I could greatly reduce the time taken if I used magic, but
It would inevitably attract attention.
There were countless Demons and Demon Beasts in Africa, and Lukas could not kill them because of his deal with Sedi.
If he used high ranked magic and drew in powerful Demon Nobles, things would become annoying.
That was why he planned to go to Egypt without the assistance of magic.
Sometimes, using mundane methods was the best solution. Of course, it would still take some time. After all, there wasnt much public transportation in Africa currently.
Destin pulled a cigarette from his pocket and lit it before saying.
If you went on foot, it would probably take a year. Personally, I would recommend using an army truck, since its good at traversing unpaved roads as well as flat lands. And it has enough space to store gas as well as food. You would even have enough space to sleep in.
That sounds like a good idea.
Mi- army truck
When Lukas nodded as though that was reasonable, Joannas expression became a bit bleak. For her, who was only used to using limousines or other luxury cars, the thought of traveling in an army truck was an unknown world.
Of course, that wont solve all of your problems.
Destin let out a mouthful of smoke.
You would rarely encounter high ranking Demon Nobles unless you enter North Africa, but there are still countless Demons Beasts. Well, their combat power isnt much of a threat. It wouldnt be much of a problem unless they came in a swarm. The problem is the other guys.
The Gray Sun.
Lukas said the name hed heard from Joanna.
Destin nodded.
Exactly. This area is still fine, but as soon as you leave, youll be entering their territory.
And they would just watch an army truck pass through their territory.
Destins gaze turned to Joanna.
Besides, with how good looking you are, they might jump out with shining eyes when they see you.
Mmm
Joanna narrowed her eyes.
She normally liked being praised for her good looks. But if the other side was the Gray Sun, then it became a different story.
It was obvious that if she was ever captured, she would experience something indescribable.
I can help you find the safest route, but it would be impossible to avoid them completely all the way to Egypt. So you should think of a contingency beforehand.
The army truck will be ready in the morning. Well also provide you with as much food, water and gas as we can. As well as sleeping bags, cooking utensils and daily necessities. If you need anything else, please feel free to tell me.
* * *
The territory of the Republic of Congo was once covered in red soil, but now, the soil had mostly turned black, or in other words, the land had died.
Even though it was midnight, the weather remained grim. Dark clouds filled the sky and a nasty scent drifted in the air.
Arent you gonna get some sleep?
He heard a voice from behind him.
Without looking back, he knew that it was Joanna.
She pursed her lips slightly when Lukas didnt respond, but continued anyway.
What are you doing here? I dont think getting hit by dusty winds is a hobby of yours.
Im just standing.
Hmm. You didnt even eat, did you?
Yeah.
well. Thats smart. The rice here is the worst.
It seemed she had eaten. And judging from her expression and tone, it was worse than not eating at all.
Joanna glanced at him and seemed to shrink into herself a little.
Lukas knew that she didnt have a very good opinion of him. So she must have a reason for coming to him and talking about such trivial things.
And just as he expected, Joanna finally broached the main topic with a cautious voice. However, her words took Lukas by surprise.
Hey. Is President Nina okay?
Lukas turned to look at Joanna. She was looking into the distance with a faint glimmer in her eyes,
Do you know her?
A bit.
shes not dead.
Cant you give me more details?
Joanna spoke in an exasperated tone. Nevertheless, when Lukas didnt respond, she let out a sigh.
Im not asking with any bad intentions. I was just asking because I was worried.
Why are you worried about her?
Cant I be worried about a fellow hunter?
dammit. Seriously.
Joanna straightened up before turning to look at him.
Its because I adore President Nina She is my hero.
You know her?
I dont really know her. Well, we met a few times, but I doubt she remembers me. Its just that I have a lot of respect for her. Sear?h the ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Shes one of the most famous female hunters. Shes amazing. Nina Rednikova, Leader of the Iron Blood Division. There are even fan clubs and those who go to the frontlines just to be her shield.
Im a member of the largest fan club.
Joanna added in her head.
Fan clubs.
Lukas made an expression as though he wasnt sure whether to laugh at that remark, but when he looked at Joanna, he realised she was serious.
She was telling the truth.
Her condition is serious.
Ah
But I believe that she can overcome it. Thats what everyone who knows her, including me, thinks.
Nina was probably in the worst situation shed ever been in in her life. It wasnt just her physical injuries.
It was no exaggeration to say that her will had shattered. And the vast majority of humans became useless or even ended their own lives when their will was broken.
But Nina wouldnt do that.
She would take advantage of the pain and become even stronger than before. Lukas believed in her.
However, it will be hard on her own.
Lukas had been seriously contemplating Ninas rehabilitation, and he was willing to do whatever it took to help her get better.
Right now, finding the clue from the Top Three was his main priority, but he intended to return as soon as he was finished.
Joanna nodded once before turning to look into the distance again.
Have you ever been to Africa before?
Yes.
Are the other places like this too?
Was that all she wanted?
Lukas frowned slightly.
Joannas attitude was different from when they first met. Perhaps she felt more familiar with him since they came to such a dangerous place together.
Lukas looked around. He could understand what she meant just by looking at their surroundings.
Despair, darkness, poverty, hunger.
This city seemed to embody every facet of the dark side of humanity.
No.
Then
It will be worse than here.
Ah
Not just Africa, but in Europe as well. Especially in France, where the Demon King resided. The environment had become so toxic that no other creature could withstand it.
And North Africa, where Kran was, was filled with high ranking Demons.
Unlike here, where the association and hunters were active, it wasnt strange for survivors to suddenly die the next day.
Perhaps Joanna had never been on a mission to the frontlines.
They could go to America.
Lukas turned to look at her at those words.
America does not reject those who come to us. I dont understand why people continue to live in such dangerous places.
You dont know anything.
Lukas didnt answer.
Instead, it was Destin, who was standing behind her.
What did you say?
They are not fools. If they couldve moved to America, they would have done so already.
They can.
America only accepts hunters.
Huh?
North America does not accept citizens without power or skill.
Joannas pupils shook violently at those words.
Th-, thats not true. We accept at least a few thousands civilians every year
That is limited to hunters families and close friends.
Destin sneered as he continued.
The people you see are the ones who dont have any connections. So we cant even get out of this cursed place and set foot on American soil.
If they left, then all the civilians in this place would die. Either at the hands of the Demons, or their own kind.
Book: 2: Chapter 56
Book 2: Chapter 56 Early in the morning on the next day, Lukas walked down the main street in the city.
Beneath the slowly brightening sky, there was barely anyone walking around the dirt-covered city, causing it to feel like it was an abandoned city.
It was a stark contrast from Manhattan, America, where hed been just a day before.
That city and this city. There shouldnt have been such a large distance between them. They were both places humans lived in.
Youre up early.
It was Destin.
Lukas didnt sleep a wink, but he nodded instead of telling the truth.
I woke up earlier than expected.
Hmm. You werent in your room, so I came to look for you. And I couldnt knock on the door of a lady sleeping.
Destin didnt seem like such a polite person, so Lukas was a bit surprised.
Upon closer inspection, he realised that Destins eyes were red. His hair was a mess, and his body was covered with the scent of cigarette smoke. Hed probably stayed up all night.
He spoke in a tired voice.
All the preparations are complete, so you can leave when the sun is up. I also got a map for you. Its old, so it might not be completely accurate, but its better than nothing.
When Lukas opened the map that Destin gave him, he found that there was a detailed route to Egypt, and it included the danger zones and places they could rest. It looked like he had filled out the additional information on the map himself.
Lukas was surprised.
Unlike what hed initially thought, Destin was a man who did not neglect his duties.
It would be better to move only when the sun is up. Im sure its the same all over the world, but its particularly dangerous to travel in Africa at night.
This advice was given with the Demons and Demon Beasts in mind, so Lukas nodded in thanks.
Then, Destin looked at him with a slightly suspicious gaze.
Are you the attendant of that woman named Joanna?
Huh?
Or maybe youre her manager
When Lukas only stared at him blankly, Destin shook his head.
It seems I was wrong. My apologies. Ive heard that American hunters have them because of their busy schedules.
When he heard that, Lukas couldnt help but think about the suit-wearing man who hed seen beside Joanna the first time they met. Of course, he wouldnt be there now.
But you dont seem to be an American hunter.
Im a European Hunter.
Hmm. I see. No wonder youre so calm while looking at this city.
Destins tone softened slightly. Relations between Africa and Europe had always been strong.
This was because a feeling of camaraderie had developed between the two regions who had suffered the most damage due to the Demons invasion.
In fact, the two regions would not hesitate to assist each other in emergency situations.
Then I dont need to worry as much, and I dont need to warn you about the Demons. I hope you get good results.
Lukas nodded.
Thank you.
* * *
By the time it had truly reached dawn, Joanna appeared.
She had a blank face, dark circles around her eyes, and her hair was a mess. She also trudged around like a zombie. It seemed that she had been tossing and turning all night.
Lukas felt that she had probably been thinking a lot about what Destin had said the night before. And in the end, she probably couldnt reach a conclusion. After all, it wasnt something that could have been thought over in one night.
Even her voice was cracked as she spoke.
All the preparations are complete?
Yeah. Are you ready?
I am. Hum.
Joanna suppressed a yawn as she responded.
The distance to Egypt was about 3,000km, but that was only when measured in a straight line.
It didnt take into account the mountainous or dangerous regions, rivers, or the weather.
Assuming that there were no unforeseen circumstances, it would probably take them a few weeks of consistent travel.
The military truck that they were going to use was larger and seemed to be more performant than they expected.
The tires were durable enough to pass through the rough wilderness terrain and the bed of the truck, which appeared to have been modified, and had plenty of space even after storing food, gas, and daily necessities. A small sleeping area, which took up most of the extra area, had been added.
These modifications made the vehicle feel like a camper instead of a military truck.
Its mainly used by hunters going on long-term missions. Its much heavier and more durable than normal trucks, and it wont roll over easily.
Thank you.
Joanna nodded. It seemed that she was very satisfied with the trucks specifications.
With a slightly haughty expression on her face, she climbed into the passenger seat.
Ill have to ask you to drive.
I dont know how to drive.
Joanna, who was buckling her seatbelt, froze.
what did you just say?
I have never driven a vehicle before.
youre lying.
Im serious.
That that doesnt make sense
Do you not know how to drive?
I do, but
Joanna looked at the vehicle and suddenly felt like crying. It wasnt a ridiculously large vehicle, but it was still bigger than a 1-ton truck. Nevertheless, it was by no means something for a common 2nd-class license holder like her.
Can you really not drive? Or is it just that you dont want to drive?
Vehicles are rarely used in Europe. In the first place, there are only a few vehicles still in working condition. Its the same here.
It was Destin who answered for Lukas. Then he looked at Joanna with a slightly sympathetic gaze.
This truck is one of only three vehicles in our branch. Perhaps you were dispatched to fill the role of driver from the start?
Joanna suddenly closed her mouth at Destins words.
It was possible.
It was almost impossible for them to travel from Congo to Egypt using magic, which meant that they would have to travel using other means.
Considering Neils personality, he certainly would have taken that into account. And if he knew that this guy couldnt drive
Did the President really send me here to be a driver?
When this thought appeared in her mind, she couldnt help but make a pitiful expression.
But that only lasted for a while. In the end, she resigned herself and trudged over to the drivers side with drooping shoulders.
This was the fate of a subordinate.
Just as Lukas was about to step into the passenger seat, Destin spoke.
I think youre stronger than that woman.
Lukas turned to look at Destin. At that moment, he wasnt displaying any of his power. And very few people who saw him in this state would say those words.
Perhaps Destin had come to this conclusion because he was unable to feel any power from him. This showed that either his perception had reached the level of a master or that his sixth sense was dozens of times better than wild animals.
Watch out for Gray Sun. I dont know how strong you are, but in a sense, they are more dangerous than a Demon Duke.
This advice contained decades of experience that had been engraved into the bones of a hunter. Naturally, it shouldnt be taken lightly.
Lukas nodded.
I will keep that in mind.
Please be careful. And I wish you all the best.
* * *
The truck sped through desolate lands.
To put it bluntly, the ride was terrible. This was especially true for Joanna, who was used to traveling in luxury vehicles.
It was fortunate that the roads that had been built decades ago were still maintained, but even that would disappear once they left Congo. Then they would encounter truly rugged terrain.
I have to adapt to this as much as possible before then.
As she thought this, Joanna sighed.
The vehicles interior was stiflingly quiet. She didnt know what to say, but Lukas didnt seem to have any intention of breaking the silence.
Complex emotions created by dissatisfaction at being made to drive, the pressure of driving such a large truck, and her own insecurities made it impossible for her to open her mouth first.
Perhaps, over time, Lukas would eventually say something first.
Or, at least, thats what she thought, but that man didnt say anything even as sunset approached.
even a statue would have been better company.
Joanna shot an irritated look at Lukas, who was beside her.
She was very famous amongst the American hunters. Her natural appearance, the way she spoke, her excellent magical skills And above all, Joanna knew how to make all of those virtues stand out. That last part was the key point.
In order for American hunters to gain recognition, they had to have some skill in the entertainment industry. In America, hunters werent just Demon hunters; they were also celebrities and stars. They were obligated to meet the expectations of the people.
And among the hunters, Joannas popularity was particularly high.
Even the most snobbish hunters would become docile in front of her. But Lukas didnt change his attitude for her at all.
Say something!
She shot Lukas a fierce glare. This time, she didnt do it from the corner of her eye. Instead, she glared at him openly.
Joanna made a solemn vow to not say a single word until Lukas opened his mouth.
Perhaps her earnest desire(?) reached the heavens, for the sun finally went down and Lukas spoke.
Lets stop here for today.
Of course, it wasnt what she wanted to hear. Sar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Book: 2: Chapter 57
Book 2: Chapter 57 Lukas was looking at the map hed received from Destin.
Seeing that he didnt pay any mind to her at all, Joanna sighed and looked around.
The place they stopped at appeared to be an abandoned city. And from the looks of it, this place had been abandoned for at least 10 years.
Nevertheless, she felt it was better than just the open wilderness.
Creak-
When she stopped the car and turned off the engine, a heavy silence seemed to fill their surroundings.
The air was cold, and the atmosphere was so eerie that it wouldnt surprise her if a ghost were to suddenly pop out. sea??h th N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Did you choose this place for any particular reason?
This city is like a stopping point for the hunters. There are very few Demons or Demon Beasts in the area. And there are bunkers at each stopping point equipped with food and daily necessities. There are even some weapons.
So its a resting point.
Hmm. But it didnt look that way.
She couldnt see any signs that this city was used for such a purpose.
By that time, the sun had set completely and the city was engulfed in complete darkness.
Joanna, who had thought that she had already adapted to some extent, felt stifled once again. The atmosphere in the city was much scarier than Demons or Demon Beasts.
Then lets eat first.
all right.
She simply nodded and spoke briefly because she didnt want to give in to Lukas casual words.
Most of the food that they had received was combat rations that were easy to store and cook. In addition to those, there were high-calorie chocolate bars and beef jerky.
Crack-
She opened a can and ate the chicken that was inside. It was surprisingly good.
Even Joanna, who was a picky eater, managed to finish her share.
A while after, only the sound of utensils being washed could be heard.
After their meal, Lukas got up. Then he began walking and looking around, and he used his hands to measure the distance between broken street lights, broken benches, and collapsed buildings.
What are you doing?
Im looking for places to plant the alarm spell.
Alarm spell?
Joanna couldnt help but ask in a curious voice.
Whats that?
Its a spell that warns you when someone is nearby.
Was it something like a sensor that was implemented using magical science?
Was there such a spell? This is my first time hearing about it.
Lukas didnt answer. Instead, his hair fluttered slightly as though it had been hit by wind,
It seemed that he really was a Wizard, considering that she could faintly feel his mana resonate.
That can you teach it to me?
It was an unexpected request.
When Lukas turned to look at her, Joanna looked away and muttered.
if the two of us set it up together, it would be much easier.
Sure.
Really?
Lukas nodded when he saw the brief sparkle in her eyes. This sight made him smile subconsciously.
Indeed, contrary to his expectations, Joanna might actually have been the kind of person he liked.
After having this thought, he was about to tell her the formula. However, Lukas fell silent again.
Whats wrong?
Its an old map, so I shouldnt have trusted it blindly.
Huh?
It wasnt written on the map.
Krrk, krrk
From the darkness, numerous figures began appearing. It was impossible to tell where they had all been hiding.
Dozens of Demon Beasts, who seemed to have been birthed from the darkness, were looking at them with shining red eyes.
Only then did Joannas expression change.
It hasnt even been that long since we left the city.i????????????????????????. ????????????
She sighed.
There are a lot of them, but they all seem to be fairly weak. You take the left side. Ill take care of the right.
Im sorry, but I cant kill Demons or Demon Beasts.
This isnt the time for jokes.
Im serious.
What the hell are you
Lukas turned around and looked into the darkness.
He could feel the traces there. His expression became strange.
Please stay here and protect the truck.
H-, huh? Hey! Where are you going?!
Lukas rushed forward without answering, avoiding the Demon Beasts as he went.
His subtle movements were something that a Wizard shouldnt have been capable of, but Joanna was so agitated that she didnt notice.
Dont tell me you want to leave me alone and run away! Hey! Answer Ah, seriously.
Dozens of Demon Beasts charged towards her at the same time. They werent strong, but there were a lot of them.
Demon Beasts were known for being tenacious, persistent, and extremely troublesome when in large groups.
And now, he wanted her to protect the truck against so many of them? All on her own?!
Channeling her mana, Joanna shouted with a red face.
You, you, you bastard!
* * *
He chased after his target while avoiding the Demon Beasts.
Lukas body flickered like a ghost, drifting past the Demon Beast as if they werent moving. It was easy for him to trick them as they didnt have any intelligence. They never even noticed him passing.
Boom!
He heard an explosion behind him. It seemed Joanna had begun to use her magic in earnest.
There were only about 100 Demon Beasts charging towards her. A 7 star Wizard could have easily defeated them.
She doesnt have much real-life experience.
Lukas had never seen her fight. Nevertheless, it wasnt hard for him to realise that with just a glance.
She lacked the necessary experience. Perhaps she wasnt aware of it, or maybe she didnt think she needed it, but that didnt matter.
It wasnt good. In general, one of the things Wizards lacked the most was adaptability.
The majority of Wizards preferred to plan everything in advance. However, if something unexpected happened, their thoughts would be shaken and their reactions would be delayed.
This was especially the case for Wizards like Joanna, who were basically raised in a greenhouse. She was a Wizard who was created by the elite education and full support of North America.
That was why Lukas couldnt help but wonder.
If she was in my homeworld, Joanna would never have reached 7 stars.
A 7 star Wizard. An Archmage. In other words, a state at which one could be called Great Mage.
When one reached this level, 9ones mana capacity increased explosively and the power, casting speed, and execution of ones spells would be completely incomparable from a 6 star Wizards.
It was also natural that their mental power would also increase significantly.
No. If their mental power didnt increase in the first place, then it was impossible for them to reach the rank of Great Mage. (Note: Author is really throwing around Lukas old title now)
Magical science was closely related to the human mind.
But Joanna was different. Her mind had been given the chance to grow. It would have been impossible for her to reach 6 stars, let alone 7 stars.
And yet, she could still use spells that did not shame the title of Archmage.
this world.
It felt like the conditions or qualifications to gain power were very lax.
That wasnt all. The rate of growth was also ridiculous.
No. Could it even be called growth rate?
Perhaps every human in this world gained too much strength for their efforts. And if that was true, then what was the reason?
This question remained in his head.
Nina always said that the reason humanity hadnt gone extinct was because of Lukas teaching and support. But these days, Lukas couldnt help but think that they would have been able to survive even without his help.
As he was lost in thought, his surroundings became quiet. The sounds of explosions and the roaring of Demon Beasts had faded until they were almost inaudible.
The man Lukas was following was dressed like a hunter.
In other words, he was supposed to look like one, but he wasnt.
He was an incredibly cautious individual. He made a number of unnecessary detours and checked his surroundings a number of times. And finally, after using every evasive method he knew, he moved through several alleys.
An inexperienced pursuer might have already lost him countless times over.
He didnt notice my pursuit.
Naturally, Lukas didnt have to worry about it. He simply needed to maintain a certain distance while ensuring he didnt make any noise.
And sure enough, after about ten minutes of constant movement, the man finally headed to an abandoned building.
Lukas continued to follow him calmly.
The man headed to the basement of the building, and just as Lukas was about to follow suit, he paused.
A camera sat in a shadowy corner of the hallway. It appeared to be broken, but he knew that it was working perfectly.
This meant that there was power circulating in this building.
Click-
In the meantime, the man opened a metal door in the basement and headed in.
It was trickier to fool machines than living beings. At least for Lukas, the small camera was much more annoying than a Master with great perception who was wary of his surroundings.
It was possible to completely remove any traces from his body. Those who didnt have strong mental power wouldnt notice Lukas even if he was standing in front of them.
But that was only tricking their senses; he didnt actually conceal himself.
Of course, he still had solutions for problems like this.
Ghost.
At Lukas soft chant, his body became a spirit body. It was a soul-like state that allowed the user to ignore the laws of physics and most physical attacks.
In the past, using Ghost would have made his body defenseless, but now, it was different.
Lukas body had transformed into a spirit body. This was something that should have been physically impossible, but such restrictions didnt apply to Absolutes.
The problem was something else.
[]
Lukas clenched his fists a few times.
He couldnt remain in this state for too long. For Absolutes like him, their bodies were vessels as well as seals. It could be called the dam that stopped their power from overflowing.
And this ghostly state temporarily lifted that seal.
In the first place, an Absolutes essence was contained in their soul instead of their flesh. To put it bluntly, this whitish state was closer to Lukas true essence. If he remained in this state for a long time, his external force would begin to leak and Nodiesop, Letip, and Sedi would all be able to sense it.
Shuk
Lukas body floated through a wall before going down into the basement. The man had disappeared, and the only exit seemed to be the same door the man had entered through.
At least, that was how it appeared on the surface. Lukas turned to look at a shabby locker in the corner of the room.
Then he walked into it.
No one tailed you, did they?
Are you looking down on me?
He heard a whispered conversation.
Contrary to what one might expect, the locker led to a large room. This hidden room was probably the core of this building.
It was dark, but it was well organised and larger than he expected. And inside this room were two men.
One was the man Lukas had followed. He took off his shirt, grabbed a can of beer, and sat down on the couch with a groan.
Did you deal with the intruders?
I released the Demon Beasts. But Im not sure if that will be enough.
Hmm. They must be stronger than you expected.
Im not sure about the man, but the woman is pretty powerful.
Lukas looked at them.
They looked like humans. They had human physiques and normal faces. But they couldnt hide their demonic energy. These two were Demons.
Lukas expression crumpled a bit. It would have been better if they were humans.
Lets just watch the situation for now cause we can see that the Demon Beasts are dying pretty quickly.
Yeah, lets do that.
Lukas decided to leave the room and search the entire building. Only after confirming that there was no one else there did he return.
And it wouldnt be difficult to subdue these two.
He released the Ghost spell.
huk?!
The Demons only realised Lukas was there after they felt the ripples of mana. They turned around with the same gasping sound, but that was the last thing he allowed them to do.
Kiing-
U-, urk!
Book: 2: Chapter 58
Book 2: Chapter 58 What the
The Demons entire bodies had been bound. It was still possible for them to speak, but they couldnt even lift a finger.
Lukas turned his head, allowing them to see his face. Sarch* The n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Th-, this guy
The eyes of the Demon hed followed widened in shock. Hed probably seen Lukas from a distance before.
He would never have imagined that this man would ignore the hundred or so Demon Beasts and chase after him instead.
Ill ask you a few questions, but I dont really care if you answer.
Who are you?
What are you doing here?
ha
They didnt answer. But this was to be expected.
Lukas reached out to the topless Demon who was sitting on the couch.
What the hell are you urk!
His fingers gripped the Demons head like a vice and slowly began to crush his skull.
The Demon cried out in pain as he felt his skull slowly break. And soon, he began making a bizarre sound as if he was struggling to breathe.
Uk, uk, kuk, kuk!
H-, Hyles! Dammit! What the hell are you doing?!
Lukas was touching the Demons brain, refining the information stored there to make it easier to say.
It was so painful that he would feel like he was dying, and it was possible that he would even lose his mind, but he didnt care about that.
It wouldnt kill him.
He doubted Sedi would have been able to notice him killing these two mutts, but since he was currently in an agreement with the Demon Gods subordinate, he decided it was better to be safe.
Because he didnt know much about Sedi, just like Sedi didnt know much about him.
At some point, the eyes of the Demon, which had been shut tightly, slowly opened. And drool dripped out of his mouth.
Lukas asked again.
What are you doing here?
We we received a mission.
Hyles!
When he saw his teammate suddenly answer the question in a languid manner, shock appeared in the other Demons eyes. He didnt understand how he had changed so quickly.
What mission?
Capture or kill the humans who pass through this city.
Where would the captured humans be sent?
To our superiors territories in Somalia or Algeria
What would happen to the humans who were sent there?
S-, s-, s-, s
Hyles struggled to say the word.
Slaves
After saying those words, Hyles expression became twisted.
Hi-, hik. Uh, uh, uk, kuk. Th-, this is weird. Hee, hahahaha!
Uh, uhh
H-, help me. My, my brain. Hi, hihihi!
Gurk!
Hyles coughed up a mouthful of sticky blood before falling unconscious. It seemed the mental pressure from the mind control had been too much for him. His eyes remained open, and he shook like a convulsing frog.
Lukas gaze then turned to the other Demon. If he could have moved his body, he would have flinched back harshly.
His mind has broken. It will be difficult for him to return to the way he once was. Do you want to be the same?
I, I, I
Tell me everything you know.
I-, if I tell you everything will you spare my life?
His attitude and tone had become polite.
Hed realised what was happening and accepted it. That he could do nothing about Lukas.
When they were made aware of this fact, any Demon would lower their head willingly. A Demon who was deprived of the right to choose their own life or death was more harmless than an earthworm who crawled through the dirt and more miserable than apex predators who had fallen down to the bottom of the food chain.
All of the Demons whom Lukas had met were the same. After all, the only thing that mattered to them was their own self-preservation.
Emotions like friendship, kinship, or love were not things Demons had.
I will spare you.
Those words caused the Demons face to brighten up considerably. He could tell that Lukas wasnt lying.
Unfortunately, he would not get the end he expected.
* * *
Sedi opened her eyes.
She hadnt actually been sleeping. After all, an Absolute like her did not possess such physiological needs.
If she really wanted to, she could go into a sleep-like state, but that wasnt what shed been doing. If it had to be put into words, it would be better to say that shed been meditating.
Thats why she was a bit annoyed. Anyone would feel the same if their concentration was interrupted.
When she finally decided to head outside, Katherine bowed her head and greeted her with a smile.
Hello!
This was such a strange creature.
She didnt know why she was greeting her with such a bright smile.
Sedi had never shown a good attitude to Katherine. Instead, she used her as she pleased or simply ignored her.
Nevertheless, Katherine didnt show any displeasure, and she instead did everything she could for Sedi. At first, she seemed a bit scared of her, but now, that fear was nowhere to be seen.
Ignoring her, Sedi walked outside with an annoyed expression on her face.
A man was standing there.
Sedi knew who this middle-aged man in a biker jacket was. Although it was their first time meeting in person, shed definitely felt his presence when she entered this world
It was Letip.
Why are you here?
You have an alliance with Lukas.
So what if I do? Youre not here to bitch about it, are you?
Letip simply smiled at Sedis rude response.
No way. But where is he?
Those words made her frown.
How would she know where he was?
Her expression remained the same but she waved her hands impatiently.
I dont have time for your bullsh*t. What do you want?
Do you want to die?
Huh?
The sudden remark caused her to freeze slightly, speechless. Then, her expression became cold. The shadows at her feet began to bubble before a black scythe slowly rose up.
You didnt have to say all of that nonsense. If you wanted to fight, you shouldve said so from the start.
She would never back down from a fight. A sadistic smile slowly spread across Sedis face.
But Letip shook his head and raised his hands.
You might have misunderstood. Im not saying I want to kill you.
Was this bastard messing with her?
Sedi looked at Letips face.
he doesnt look like hes joking.
Then was he telling the truth?
Sedi put away her scythe before speaking with an amused expression.
Then who? Nodiesop? Or Lukas?
No.
Letips next word made Sedis expression become strange.
Youre going to die from someone other than myself, Nodiesop, or Lukas.
If it wasnt a fellow Absolute telling her those words, she would have already cut his head off.
But it was strange.
Letip was smiling, but Sedi could hear the sincerity in his tone.
This Absolute was certain.
Certain that something Sedi didnt expect would kill her.
Im sure you dont want to be destroyed just yet, Sedi Glaston. If you want to live, call Lukas and borrow his strength. Thats all I can tell you.
Letip disappeared immediately after saying those words.
Looking at the spot hed been standing in, Sedi couldnt help but swear.
Asshole.
* * *
I was originally told that this was a stopping point for hunters, a resting point. To find Demons and Demon Beasts in this place not to mention such a sophisticated hideout.
When Lukas looked at him, the Demon seemed to want to shrink in on himself.
Its not possible in a short period of time. When did you first occupy this place?
Its been a few years. I dont know the exact details.
Did you know we were going to be here?
That
The hesitation on the Demons face said it all.
Lukas didnt shout or act intimidating. Instead, he simply glanced at the other Demon.
The Demon was more scared by this than anything else.
we bought the information.
From whom? There is no one who couldve known wed be passing through this a.
No one
Lukas suddenly stopped talking.
It had been less than a day since they left the Congo Branch. They passed through the wilderness, where it was hard for Demons to live, let alone humans.
And they only reached this city after the sun went down.
In other words, Lukas and Joannas route had not been exposed and there was no one who could know where they would be going.
Except for one person.
Lukas recalled the map in his pocket. It pointed out the fastest and safest route to Egypt as well as the location of the rest stops along the way. On the original map, there was no route to Egypt and no locations of rest stops.
Those were all added by one man.
It was clear now. They hadnt been exposed during their travel. They had been exposed from the very beginning.
These Demons knew that they would come to this city before they even set out.
Whom did you buy the information from?
The Demon closed his eyes. If he revealed this information, then his safety wouldnt be guaranteed. Punishment that he could not bear would certainly befall him.
Nevertheless, it was better than having his mind broken right now.
And from that Demons mouth, came the name Lukas expected.
It was Destin, the President of the Congo Branch.
Book: 2: Chapter 59
Book 2: Chapter 59 Joanna was absorbed in a feeling of freeness that she had never experienced in her life.
Her face was pale, and she felt like she would collapse at any moment. Her mind felt fuzzy, and everything she saw appeared blurred.
And yet, in this state, she was able to sense even the slightest change that happened around her. From the slightest change in wind direction to a grain of sand brushing against her hand.
Was this what it felt like when you took drugs?
Shed never tried them before, so she wasnt sure.
How long have I been like this?
Joanna could clearly remember everything from the beginning.
The Demon Beasts swarmed towards her. At first, she thought that man was still around.
She didnt think that hed really left her. She was certain that hed help when things got truly dangerous. And she even thought about how mad she would be at him afterwards.
But that thought disappeared when the first Demon Beasts claws scratched her thigh.
The pain wasnt severe, but it was there. Her skin was torn more than she expected, and her blood flowed freely.
It was this injury that woke her up like a splash of cold water.
From that moment, she fought off the Demon Beasts fiercely, but they were persistent. They didnt care if even their legs or arms were blown off. Even if they lost half of their bodies, they still charged towards Joanna without hesitation.
Nevertheless, her spells were powerful enough to destroy them completely.
Hyper Bolt!
Joanna shouted a spell.
A powerful sphere of energy shot into the crowd of Demon Beasts. Following a small explosion of air, body parts were sent flying.
But Joanna had already turned her attention elsewhere. Half of the Demon Beasts were still alive.
She drew upon her mana once again.
I still have enough mana, but
Her head felt like it was on fire.
Was her mental strength reaching the limit?
It was possible. After all, this was the first time shed even been in such a desperate situation. Shed never fought so many enemies before. More importantly, she was on her own.
A Wizard without a Warrior to block from the front couldnt display even a third of their true power.
Two No, if she had even one person to block the front, all of these weaklings wouldve died in an instant.
No. It might still be difficult.
Her eyes turned to the truck. And it was just in time as she saw a group of Demon Beasts crawling over to it.
Fire Wall!
Fwoosh!
Flames soared up from the ground and burned the bodies of the Demon Beasts. At the same time, shed adjusted the power of her spell so that she didnt damage the truck.
That was a problem as well. Shed never fought in a situation like this before. All of these problems stacked in a subtle way that lowered Joannas combat ability to its worst.
If there was even one other person there or if there were fewer enemies, she couldve used ranged spells to her hearts content.
She was out of breath, and her entire body was covered in cold sweat.
She couldnt even afford to think.
There were only two thoughts looping infinitely in her head.
Get rid of the Demon Beasts and protect the truck.
What could she do?
There were dozens of opponents against her.
The most important thing in large battles was to have a firm grasp of everything on the battlefield. Having two objectives or, if you could afford it, three.
Move constantly. And always seek the most efficient path.
All of these were things shed been taught, but it was only after being put in such an extreme situation that she was able to put them into practice.
Her resentment to that man had disappeared without a trace, and the despair she felt when she realised the situation did, too. Now, her mind was completely blank.
She cast spells as if entranced.
Larger.
Faster.
More efficient.
Something in her heart began to stir.
Just as an inexplicable pleasure began to fill her.
Crack!
Aak!
A Demon Beasts claws ripped into her shoulder, causing her flesh to be torn to pieces.
Unlike the wound on her thigh, this wound was almost fatal. In an instant, shed almost lost her right arm.
It hurts.
It hurt so much.
Her tears threatened to fall as she felt pain that she had never experienced in her life.
In an instant, her mind began to waver.
The Demon Beasts claws and teeth could have poison. If she didnt act quickly, she might have to amputate her arm.
A sudden fear arose at that thought.
Her concentration was cracking, and her mana was about to scatter.
What was she doing right now?
She couldnt remember. The pain had caused her thoughts to fall into disarray.
A little more. She felt like she could have grasped something if shed gotten just a little more time.
Joanna collapsed helplessly to the ground. And in an instant, the Demon Beasts charged towards her defenseless form.
She could only look at them approach her with despair-filled eyes.
She didnt want to die in such a way
[Finish the incantation.]
A voice rang out in her head.
Her mind, which had become blurred, suddenly cleared up.
The Demon Beasts also stopped moving. No, it wasnt just the Demon Beasts. It seemed that space itself had stopped.
In this strange world, Joanna could finally think clearly again.
Who
[Why did you let down your guard? Why did you stop focusing your mana? And you still dare to call yourself an Archmage?]
Joanna shuddered slightly at the reprimand.
But It hurts so much
[Pull yourself together. If you are an Archmage, then you should never stop a spell you started casting. Finish the spell. Even if your limbs are torn off, your ribs stab into your lungs, or your tongue is cut off.]
I I
Archmage.
It was a word she both loved and hated.
She knew.
She knew that she wasnt worthy of that title.
Joanna was just a finished product of North Americas Wizard Institution.
She was proof that an Archmage could be created simply by using a set training regimen and mechanical mana enhancement. Without needing practical experience or independent research.
The implications were great.
Although it varied depending on the individual, it implied the possibility that Archmages could be mass produced in America. It was something that would shock the entire world.
Joanna was also proud of that fact.
Of the hundreds of applicants, she was the only one who successfully became an Archmage. The best ones after her could only reach 5 stars at best.
She was the only special one. One of the few 7 star Archmages in North America.
That was what she thought she was.
But on her first day in Asia, she realised she was just a frog in a well.
She met a real Archmage.
A Great Wizard who was on a completely different level from a manufactured Wizard.????????????????????????d. c????m
Werent they the same 7 stars?
Nevertheless, Joanna didnt believe she could defeat him even if there were five of her.
The Asian Hunters laughed at Joanna. And the other Archmages in America also ignored her.
They never said it openly, but it was clear that they never treated her like a peer. Their thoughts were obvious.
What a disgrace to North America.
Stupid girl.
But the thing that hurt the most was that she couldnt refute their criticism.
Those memories had become a trauma, and it stayed with her in the form of nightmares.
Since then, Joanna had never gone on a mission. And if she did go, it was only extremely safe missions with absolutely no risk at all.
Instead, she gained recognition by visiting events or meeting with celebrities.
This allowed Joanna to become one of Americas most famous hunters. Without actually fulfilling the duties of a hunter.
When she met Wizards below her level, she would bare her fangs because she wasnt proud of herself.
Seeing someone calling themselves a Wizard reminded her of herself in the past.
A defective product.
A lucky loser who didnt even qualify as 6 stars, not to mention 7 stars.
That was her identity.
[An Archmage isnt something thats created by luck.]
What do you know
[I can guarantee that you deserve it.]
!
Those words caused Joannas heart to shake violently.
Those were the words she wanted to hear most from someone.
[And I will give you a mission. Its not your destiny to be torn to death by these Demon Beasts. Overcome this ordeal.] Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Wh-, who are you?
[]
She didnt receive an answer. The presence in her mind was slowly fading.
The being had left.
Joanna felt that the owner of the voice was somewhere far away, and it had only spoken to her in passing.
The owner of that voice No way
Shed heard of it.
It was a legendary tale that was often played off as baseless rumors.
That there was a voice that could only be heard by the chosen ones.
If it was
If that was really his voice
If that being was truly talking to her
Then it was a revelation!
Joanna wasnt defective.
She raised her head, her expression changing completely.
I deserve it.
She was someone who had the qualifications to be an Archmage, a being worthy of the title of Great Wizard.
So she couldnt die there. There was no way she was going to die.
This was only a trial at best.
An unknown courage erupted inside of Joanna. Clenching her teeth, she slowly rose back up to her feet.
The pain in her shoulder and thigh seemed to have eased slightly. She knew that it was just an illusion, but she didnt care.
Kiieek!
Kyak! Kyak!
Dozens of Demon Beasts lunged simultaneously. The time, which had stopped, had resumed once again.
Fwoosh!
Flames erupted around Joannas body.
Book: 2: Chapter 60
Book 2: Chapter 60 (Note: Brief note before we start. The rank Great Mage that was mentioned in the last chapter in conjunction with the Archmage rank has been changed to Great Wizard. At first I didnt realise what the author meant by putting great mage two different ways but it finally clicked this chapter when they were placed side by side. Sorry for once again misinterpreting something, but these are basically words the author created, so its hard to figure out an english equivalent sometimes.)
Huff, huff
Joanna flopped down to the ground.
She won. No. Instead, it would be better to say she survived.
In any case, shed managed to defeat all of the Demon Beasts.
Her stamina was at its limit. She felt like if she relaxed her guard even a little bit, she would fall unconscious in an instant.
Forcing herself to sit up, she looked at her shoulder.
The longer she took to take care of it, the more dangerous it could get. If she didnt get first aid immediately.
It was at that moment when she saw someone walking towards her from the ruined city.
It was a man with gray hair and a black coat.
The very same man whod abandoned her.
You!
His carefree attitude made her rage rise up in an instant.
Where the hell were you-?!
She suddenly stopped talking.
The man was just looking at her with a blank expression on his face. And somehow, seeing his stupid face made her calm down.i????????????????????d. ????o????
Hah. Seriously
She sighed.
In all honesty, she didnt even have the energy to be angry. It could be said that her resentment had been sapped.
The man looked around without saying anything. His expression didnt change even when he saw the devastated surroundings and piles of corpses.
Instead, he simply walked over to Joanna and inspected her injuries before taking a potion out of his bag.
Judging from the color, she could tell that it was a potion that had been made with high purity soul crystals.
Then, he poured it onto Joannas injuries.
Tsss.
Ugh
Joanna couldnt help but groan in pain for a moment. Nevertheless, the fact that she could feel the pain was a good thing. At least it meant that the nerves in her arm hadnt been badly damaged. And it also meant that she wouldnt need to worry about amputation anymore.
Only then did the man open his mouth.
Youre pretty skilled.
How ridiculous.
She couldnt help but shake her head and wonder if that was all he had to say.
hmph. I am an Archmage.
As she said these words, Joannas expression was humbler than usual. This was because she now felt assured of this fact.
When she recalled how she used to introduce herself like this in the past, she felt a stinging sensation in her chest.
Besides
But those feelings disappeared when she recalled what she just experienced.
Joannas face became bright with excitement as she continued.
I also heard the Great Mages voice.
Huh?
She felt slightly smug when she saw the surprised expression on his face. She had never seen him make such an expression before.
Mmm. It was definitely worth it.
Havent you heard about it? The Founder of Magical Science, the Master of Spells, the God of Magic!
this is the first time Im hearing about it.
Joanna couldnt help but look at him.
Why are you so surprised? Dont you go around saying youre a Wizard?
Unlike sorcery and witchcraft, magic was not a supernatural power that had existed in the world before.
Instead, this mysterious power with a solid system had suddenly appeared in the world one day.
Therefore, unlike swordsmanship or martial arts that had thousands of years worth of legacy, there were only few records about magic.
Naturally, this meant that it was only possible to get hints from the grimoires that were randomly scattered across the various regions.
Eventually, after reaching a certain point, Wizards had no choice but to start carving their own path.
Walking towards the next level, which no one had ever reached before. Something that they werent even sure existed in the first place.
It went without saying just how thorny that path was.
As time passed, more and more wizards became blocked by this proverbial wall, causing them to become frustrated. Time and time again, they gathered together to discuss a solution, but no conclusion was ever reached.
They wondered if that was the limit.
Wondered whether theyd ever be able to take the next step.
Then, just as all the Wizards became filled with despair, something strange happened.
All of the Wizards who had been stuck successfully jumped over the wall simultaneously. It happened at the same time as if it had been planned.
And all of the Wizards who stepped into the new stage said the same thing one after the other.
They heard a voice who gave them the hint of how to move forward.
From that moment, this voice was called the Great Mage, or the God of Magic. Sar?h the ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
And suddenly, a rumour emerged that only a Wizard who had heard this voice could reach the legendary 9 stars level.
It was one of the few legends in the Wizard community.
Joanna had also heard the tale. When she was younger, she often fantasised about hearing the Great Mages voice. But as she grew older, that thought gradually faded away.
Because she thought it was just a fairytale.
But today, shed heard that voice. Clearly and indisputably.
Without a doubt. Shed heard the voice of the Great Mage.
Her heart beat violently in her chest.
Wasnt she the first person in the world to have such a lengthy conversation with the Great Mage?
Joanna smiled smugly when she saw the mans blank expression.
Ah, well. Its not unreasonable for you not to know. After all, the God of Magic only reveals himself to those who have the talent to reach 9 stars.
is it so amazing? You just heard a voice.
Just a voice?! Ugh!
Joanna shouted before feeling hot pain ripple through her shoulder.
Wiping tears from her eyes, she spoke bitingly.
Youre so annoying. Dont you understand how great this is? Its said that only the chosen Wizards can hear the voice! And Im one of them!
Joannas voice became louder as she continued.
I was chosen by the Great Mage!
* * *
Destin.
He thought he was a reliable person.
At first glance, he hadnt been able to see any dishonesty, and there was even a glint of determination in his eyes. So he hadnt inspected him too deeply.
As a result, he realised that it was a hasty judgment. He wasnt an upright man but a man who thought what he was doing was upright.
There was no hesitation or unease in the eyes of such a person. Because they wouldnt feel guilty even if they did something morally wrong.
It was either one of two things.
Either he was doing shady things in the shadows to survive or he believed he was doing the right thing.
Lukas looked down at the map in his hand.
The map given by Destin was supposed to display the shortest route to Egypt. And it seemed that Destin had drawn the route himself.
If they were to continue along this path, it was clear that they would run into countless Demons and Demon Beasts.
Nevertheless, Lukas decided not to switch routes immediately.
He turned to look at Joanna.
She was humming happily while driving.
It was completely different from the day before when she grumbled constantly.
God of Magic.
He hadnt known that such a legend had circulated among the Wizards.
About 20 years ago, some time after hed first introduced magical science to this world, some Wizards were frustrated by the huge wall that theyd encountered for the first time.
The wall of 7 stars, called Archmage.
The Wizards who were at the forefront had no Masters. This meant that they had no one to consult when they were lost or unsure about something. The best conclusion they could reach was to come together with those on their level and discuss their different opinions.
In a way, this wasnt a bad thing. In fact, it was actually better than being taught by a Master.
However, such methods usually took a long time before revealing their effectiveness.
If they were left alone, it might take them decades before they were able to find even the slightest clue.
So Lukas stepped in.
He gave hints only to those who were blocked by the wall, especially those extremely talented individuals.
And those Wizards were able to get a great realisation due to Lukas advice and take the step to the next level.
Lukas checked the effectiveness of his action before leaving them to their own devices once again.
But he hadnt realised that his actions had developed into such a legendary story over time.
The Great Mages Chosen Ones.
Great Mage.
The strange feeling that this title gave him caused his heart to flutter slightly.
Lukas had never mentioned the title Great Mage to anyone.
The terms Great Wizard, Archmage, or Mage referred to the state, but Great Mage was different.
In his homeworld, everyone thought of only one person when they heard the name Great Mage. That was a title that had only been held by Lukas Trowman.
But in this world with no magical history whatsoever, he was once again called the Great Mage. As if it was a logical conclusion from his spreading and teaching magical science.
Perhaps.
Is this related to my essence?
Hey!
Lukas was shaken from his thoughts.
Joanna, who had been humming to herself all this while, was looking at him.
What are you daydreaming about? You didnt answer even after I called you ten times.
Did you really call me that many times?
Well, no. It was only two or three times.
Anyways, I think we should take a break. Arent there any safe spots nearby?
Joanna tapped her thigh.
She wasnt whining. It was just that it had already been three hours since she started driving.
The gas was running low, and she was a bit hungry, so she thought it was a good idea to rest now.
Lukas opened the map. Then Joanna stretched her neck to look at it.
Focus on driving.
Isnt it fine to just step on the accelerator in this wilderness without even the shadow of a person? I dont even have to hold the steering wheel.
Her words might have been a bit exaggerated, but she wasnt exactly wrong.
Lukas hadnt told Joanna about what hed learned about Destin. This was because there was nothing she could do about it and because, with her personality, she might try to turn back and try to raze the Congo Branch to the ground.
Or report it to Neil in North America.
Neil Prand. What would that man do if he learned about this?
He might not even care.
Even if Africa became hell, or worse, Neil wouldnt care as long as it didnt affect North America.
What about Joanna? How would she react?
lets go here.
Hiding his thoughts, Lukas pointed to a location on the map.
It wasnt the location of a city. In fact, it was an uninhabited rocky area that was completely out of the way of Destins recommended route.
Dont you think itll be hard to move through such a rocky area with the truck?
Were not going across it. Well just rest at the entrance before taking another route.
Huh? I think it would be better to stick with our current route there are many cities and well-paved roads.
In all honesty, Lukas didnt particularly care what route they took. The reason he decided to go to the rocky area was purely out of consideration for Joanna.
If they continued along the original route, it was highly likely that they would encounter more Demons and Demon Beasts. And Lukas had no intention of fighting Demons or Demon Beasts on this mission.
In other words, the burden of fighting would entirely be on Joanna. Of course, the injury to her thigh and shoulder that shed received the previous night had already been healed, but there were still some aftereffects. More importantly, constantly pushing her limits in a fierce battle like the one she just fought should have given her a lot of mental fatigue.
But Joanna didnt show it.
Was it because she didnt want to show any weakness?
Perhaps it was because of her pride.
We cant blindly trust the information on the map. Destin said that the map was old. It seems that there are large mountains in the rocky area, so it would be better if we went there and got a good look at the surroundings before making a decision.
Hmmm All right.
Seemingly convinced by Lukas words, Joanna turned her head once again to look out the windshield.
Book: 2: Chapter 61
Book 2: Chapter 61 After a while, they finally arrived at the rocky area.
Joanna got out of the car and started preparing the meal while Lukas refilled the gas tank and took a look around.
Hurry back. If you take too long, Ill eat everything first.
Joanna patted her stomach as she said this, indicating that she was pretty hungry already. Lukas nodded before heading towards the largest nearby mountain.
When he left Joannas field of view, he quickly flew up to the top of the mountain using magic.
A cold wind blew over.
This wasnt the winter season, and it certainly was strange, considering this was Africa. After all, during winter, the temperatures during midday could still reach 20 degrees celsius.
But it was different now. It was the middle of the year, and Lukas was wearing a thick coat. Nevertheless, he didnt feel hot at all.
This was probably because of the demonic energy.
He opened the map and looked around.
In Lukass mind, two new routes to Egypt were formed.
One on the left and one on the right.
Focusing his eyes, he looked around for the first city to pass through.
A white glow emanated from Lukas eyes.
Whoosh!
He instantly caught sight of a city, hundreds of kilometers away. As if he had expanded his eyes hundreds of times, Lukas was able to see every corner of the city.
Clairvoyance!
This was the power hed gained from the Demigod, Milled, whom hed fought in the past. A power that he rarely used.
Vast amounts of information surged into his head in an instant. If he were an ordinary person, he might have suffered a cerebral hemorrhage from being unable to process all of the information.
With Lukas strength, he could easily perceive the entirety of the African continent, but he didnt have time for that.
Lukas ignored the information about the characteristics and size of the city, and he instead focused on the living creatures in them.
Although he couldnt grasp complete details, he was at least able to determine the type and number of entities.
In the city to the left, there are only Demons. And
On the right.
There were both humans and Demons.
It was a strange sight. It felt like they were very close. Almost as though they were living together.
That wasnt all.
He was also able to sense a large amount of demonic energy.
The Demon was suppressing his power, so Lukas was unable to get a clear view, but he was certain that it was at least a high-rank Demon Noble.
Lukas narrowed his eyes.
If he could have used the full power of his Clairvoyance, he would have easily been able to see just how powerful the Demon was. Unfortunately, that power was beyond this universes tolerance. It was a shame, but for now, he had no choice but to be satisfied with using this level of power.
When he first came to this world, he couldnt use his Demigod powers at all.
If a little more time passes, it wont just be a thousand miles (Note: About 1600km)
Lukas had this thought for a moment before shaking his head.
Then, he stopped using Clairvoyance and headed down the mountain.
When he got back to where Joanna was, he saw her reading a small book with a serious expression on her face.
The wear on the book showed just how many times shed read it, and now that he thought about it, he realised that she would take out and read this book whenever she had time. He couldnt tell what was written in the book, though, as there was nothing on the cover.
Despite reading with great concentration, Joanna still lifted her head and looked at Lukas, as though she felt his gaze.
Why did you take so long?
He thought she said shed eat first.
Lukas thought about asking her this for a moment before deciding to give a rough answer instead.
The mountain was taller than I expected.
Hmph here.
Joanna snorted before handing him a cold can of food. Even the lid was still on it.
When Lukas accepted the can, she began eating her chicken with a disposable fork. Lukas ate as well.
It was Lukas who placed down his utensils first.
Hed eaten half of the can of food and stopped there.
Why do you eat so little?
It has become a habit.
To be precise, Lukas no longer needed to eat. However, if he didnt eat anything at all, people would grow suspicious. Therefore, he just pretended.
Of course, he was still able to taste, and eating delicious food was an excellent pastime.
However, these combat rations would never be called delicious food.
Why dont you eat some more? Men who are too skinny arent popular with women. Your face isnt bad, so youd look good if you gained more weight.
Is that so?
Despite his rough reply, Joanna still responded enthusiastically.
Of course. I have a good eye for unpolished gems.
Then her eyes suddenly lit up.
Come to think of it, that boy you brought with you is exceptional.
Boy? Ah.
It was obvious that she was talking about his disciple, Leo Freeman.
Lukas nodded.
Even someone like him who had no interest in personal appearance couldnt help but admire Leos good looks.
His appearance has a strong ambiguity now, but that will only last a few more years. Girls would probably lose their minds if he simply wore a v-necked t-shirt. Seriously.
Joanna spoke while eating chicken from her can. Lukas glanced at her.
You eat well.
Is it surprising?
I didnt think youd be able to stomach anything other than gourmet food.
Hmph. Thats right. I have really picky tastes.
Joanna snorted, but she didnt seem upset. Sarch* The N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
But I could still eat almost anything.
Anything?
Even steamed frogs or fried cockroaches.
When Lukas froze, Joanna burst into laughter.
Im joking!
* * *
For Lukas, the main priority was to meet Kran, one of the Top Three.
The most reasonable choice to achieve this goal would have been to cut across the wilderness without going to either city.
But Lukas decided to head to the city on the right.
This was because he thought it would be better to figure out the situation now while he still had time than allow it to become a hindrance later on.
He didnt feel comfortable leaving what was almost certainly a high-ranking Demon Noble unchecked.
By the time the sun began setting, they arrived at the city.
Huh?
At the same time, they saw a convoy of vehicles leaving the city.
They were light, off-road vehicles that were perfect for traveling across the wilderness. Buggies.
As they came closer, the buggies honked their horns aggressively.
Ah. So noisy.
While Joanna frowned at the racket, Lukas looked over at them before speaking.
It seems like theyre asking us to stop.
Are they humans?
Maybe.
Well. Ive never heard about Demons driving buggies before.
Joanna pulled over obediently.
One of the buggies swerved around and stopped in front of the truck, creating a large cloud of dust.
Joanna coughed, covering her mouth as she glared at the car.
A man stepped out from the left side of the buggy.
It was a black young man with a gun in his hand.
He looked like a mercenary.
Excuse me. You dont seem to be from around here. Where are you from?
Who are you?
Cant you tell? Im a hunter.
Click.
The man answered while cocking his gun.
It was a blatant threat, but Joanna responded without shrinking back at all.
Were hunters too. We came to this land on a special mission from North America. I cant tell you the details of our mission, but we already received permission from the Congolese Branch President.
Do you have anything to prove that?
Joanna pulled a document out of her pocket and held it out for the man to see. The man looked at it for a moment before nodding and smiling.
If you already got permission, then I have no right to interfere. Well, do you need anything? Food, water, a place to rest?
Its late, so wed appreciate it if you could give us a place to stay for the night.
Hmmm, no problem. Follow me. Ill take you to our leader first.
The man turned around after saying those words.
Who is your leader?
You might have heard of him, so I dont mind telling you.
The man laughed. Then he turned to look at them and spoke in a slightly prideful voice.
Our leader is a man called Dragul Phisfounder.
Book: 2: Chapter 62
Book 2: Chapter 62 Are you okay?
Lukas raised his head at the unexpected question.
What do you mean?
If I had a mirror, Id show you. Its the first time Ive ever seen you make a face like that.
I always thought that you were emotionless because your expression never changed. But I guess thats not true.
Was there something wrong with his expression?
Lukas couldnt help but reach up a hand to touch his face.
It felt a bit stiffer than usual.
Do you know him?
Huh?
The man he referred to as his leader. You lost control of your expression after you heard his name.
No, I dont know him.
Joanna looked at him strangely when she heard this.
But it was the truth.
This was the first time Lukas had heard of this man called Dragul. The reason his expression had become stiff was different.
I want to ask you something.
What is it?
Is the last name Phisfounder common?
Phisfounder?
Joanna tilted her head to the side and tapped her finger against the steering wheel as she thought.
For a while, the soft tapping sound was the only thing that could be heard in the truck.
But after some thought, she shook her head.
This is the first time I heard it. But it doesnt really sound like a last name. It sounds more like a car brand.
It was as he expected.
Lukas had never encountered a familiar last name in this world. And if he did, it would only be an extremely rare one.
Thats why he couldnt help but wonder if the last name, Phisfounder, of this man, Dragul, was a mere coincidence or not.
Lukas looked at the buggy that was driving ahead of them.
Then, at the three buggies that were located on either side and behind the truck respectively.
I feel like were being escorted.
While Joanna spoke in a smug voice, Lukas could tell that the escort was more to prevent them from fleeing.
Nevertheless, it wouldnt be too hard to flee and erase their traces now. It would be much trickier once they got into the city.
And yet, Lukas was headed directly for the city. sea??h th ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Is Iris in this world?
And if that really was the case, how did she accomplish it?
Did she become transcendent? Had she been following him? Did she know that he was in this world?
After these thoughts filled his head, Lukas couldnt help but smile bitterly.
I dont want to meet with Iris just yet.
Those thoughts made him feel more sad than happy. In fact, they filled him with guilt.
Because if she came to him first, it meant that shed probably come to blame him for not keeping his word.
* * *
They got off the truck.
Up close, the city looked much better than they expected. Nevertheless, it didnt look much better than clean ruins. It would be more appropriate to call it a temporary base than a home.
Considering the size of the city, the area in which people could stay was incredibly limited. And as a result, the area had high population density.
Joanna looked around in surprise.
How many people live here?
There are probably more than 10,000 people in this city.
The black man, who introduced himself as Keegan, yawned as he replied.
Come to think of it, there are a lot of customers today. How annoying
?
He will show you to your rooms, so please wait there. Our leader is very busy at the moment.
After saying this, Keegan turned around and walked off somewhere.
Follow me. Ill guide you to where youll be staying.
Another hunter spoke in a stiff manner.
They followed him into a building.
It was a three-story building, and they could see artificial light coming from the various windows. This showed that power was being supplied to it.
Also, despite the rugged appearance of the city, there were also working street lights.
When they entered the first floor of the building, the first thing they noticed was the unique smell of food. Perhaps it was because it was dinner time, but most of the people in the building seemed to be on that floor.
The first floor is the restaurant. You can order food any time you like unless its too late, but if possible, please try to have your meals on time. There is also a bathroom at the end of the floor. And hot water is available around this time.
Hot water!
Joannas eyes sparkled.
It seemed that she was excited at the thought of showering after so long.
In all honesty, it hadnt been that long. It hadnt even been a week since they left North America.
They were each given individual rooms on the second and third floors respectively.
Keegan will probably be back in an hour. So you can rest here first.
After saying those words, the man turned around and went back down to the first floor, leaving Lukas to inspect his assigned room.
The scent of old wood that filled the room calmed the mind and body.
Clack.
Lukas opened up the only window in the room and looked down at the street below, which was softly lit by the streetlights.
He could not see any hunger on the faces of the people working there. In fact, these people looked much better than those in the Congo Branch.
This should have been a comforting sight to see, but instead, it made Lukas uncomfortable.
There had to be a reason for this.
This city was not in a good geographical location.
It was clear that Demons or Demon Beasts could appear at any moment. So how were they able to perfectly defend against the Demon and Demon Beasts invasion? And where did they get enough food and water to feed such a large population? Not to mention the stable supply of electricity.
The questions that flowed through his head werent just these few.
Lukas closed the window before heading down to the first floor.
Many people, who appeared to be hunters, clinked their glasses together as they drank beer like water, their cheers and laughter filling the hall.
After looking around the room for a moment, Lukas was able to find an empty table, and he sat down.
A middle-aged woman walked up to him with a smile on her face and placed a glass of water in front of him. But Lukas shook his head when she asked if hed like to order anything to eat.
Joanna wasnt there.
Judging by her reaction earlier, she was probably washing herself in the bathroom.
Then, he saw a man come down the stairs.
When Lukas saw this man, he couldnt help but narrow his eyes slightly. This was because of two reasons.
The first was because he was Asian, the first hed seen since coming to this country.
And the second was because this man happened to be someone he knew.
It was the Human Dragon, Lee Jong-hak.
Book: 2: Chapter 63
Book 2: Chapter 63 Lukas would never have expected that their next meeting would be in this place. That was why he couldnt help but look at Lee Jong-hak with surprise.
Fortunately, he was currently using Freys face. So unless he released the spell himself, Lee Jong-hak would never recognise him.
When Lee Jong-hak came down, the noisy hall immediately became deathly quiet as though a bucket of cold water had been poured onto it.
And even those who had been in the middle of laughing or cheering stifled their voices when they noticed him.
Seemingly not noticing his effect on the people, Lee Jong-hak looked around with his distinctively calm expression.
Perhaps he was looking for an empty table. But Lukas had picked the last one.
After a brief moment, Lee Jong-hak finally turned to look at Lukas. It seemed that he thought the table for four might be too big for just Lukas alone.
After walking up to Lukas, Lee Jong-hak bowed his head and asked politely.
Can I sit with you?
Go ahead.
When Lukas nodded and gave a brief response, Lee Jong-hak pulled the chair across from him and sat down.
The middle-aged woman he saw earlier approached the table once again.
Tak-
But this time, she placed the glass of water on the table in a cold manner before walking away.
Her actions convinced Lukas of the thought he had. It seemed that the residents here didnt like Lee Jong-hak.
Lukas turned to look at Lee Jong-hak once again.
It had been months since theyd last met, but he didnt seem to have changed much in that time. The only difference was that he had a more determined aura than before.
This was a sign that hed made great progress in swordsmanship.
It was not easy to achieve so much progress in such a short amount of time. This was also proof of frightening talent.
Did this man return to the Asia Headquarters?
The last time hed heard news of him, he was working in Germany.
Lukas became curious.
Had Lee Jong-hak heard about what happened in Russia? And if he had, what were his thoughts about it?
I dont think youre from around here.
Lee Jong-haks soft voice came once again. It was so quiet that Lukas would not have heard it if he hadnt been sitting at the same table.
Realising that he was talking to him, Lukas took a sip of cold water.
Yes. Im from Europe.
Lee Jong-haks hand froze as he was about to pick up his own cup.
He looked up at Lukas, a complex emotion hidden within his eyes.
Lukas wondered how he would react.
Following the incident, Europe and Asia had become irreconcilable enemies. So it wouldnt be surprising if he were to suddenly attack after meeting a European hunter in a foreign country.
That
Just as he was about to say something, Lukas looked up, sensing Joannas presence.
It was not an exaggeration to call her appearance striking. As soon as she appeared, some of the hunters couldnt help but stare at her with their mouths wide open.
Joanna, who had changed into light clothes, seemed to be in a good mood. She looked around the room for a moment before cheerfully walking over to Lukas after spotting him.
Then she sat on a chair beside him and waved her hand.
Ah, how refreshing. Huh? Didnt you freshen up?
No.
Ugh, youre filthy. Stay back.
When she pulled her chair away from him, she bumped into Lee Jong-hak. Naturally, she turned to look at the person shed hit.
Im so- rry? This gentleman, I feel like Ive seen you before
Joanna pressed her hand against her forehead as she struggled to think. Then, after a moment, she asked with a slightly hesitant voice.
Are you the Human Dragon?
Yes, Im Lee Jong-hak.
Joanna smiled brightly.
Ive seen many pictures, but this is my first time seeing you in person. Nice to meet you. Im Joanna Goldberg.
Lee Jong-hak had a look of realisation at those words.
Now, I recognise you. Youre that Archmage from North America. Your reputation precedes you.
Oh, my.
His polite attitude made Joanna unsure of how to react for a moment.
Right. This was it. She had forgotten after spending so much time with that block-headed guy, but this was the attitude people usually had when talking to her.
She was at a level where even heroes from Asia had to be polite to her, and more importantly, she was a woman who had been chosen by the Great Mage.
Joanna shot a triumphant look at Lukas. As if to say look at the type of woman I am.
But even when she looked at him smugly, Lukas gaze remained locked on Lee Jong-hak, and he seemed to be thinking about something else.
A bit embarrassed, Joanna let out a small cough.
Hmhm. So, Mr. Lee, what brings you here?
I came here for a mission. But I cant tell you the details.
I see.
It was a rule that unless you were talking to a member of the same branch, you should never reveal the mission you were doing. Knowing that he was on a mission, Joanna didnt try to question him any further.
Lee Jong-haks gaze then turned to Lukas.
Who is this?
Im Frey Blake, from Europe. Im on a mission with Joanna.
I see.
Lee Jong-hak seemed to be lost in thought for a moment, and Lukas observed him. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
A joint mission between Europe and North America hinted at the possibility that the relationship between the two regions was becoming closer.
Depending on how he reacted to this knowledge, he might be able to learn Lee Jong-haks thoughts, but
They were interrupted once again as Keegan appeared.
He looked at the three of them sitting at the table before tilting his head slightly.
Well, would you look at that. The three of you are all sitting together.Do you know each other?
We just met.
This is great.
Well. It was nice because it meant he wouldnt have to go looking for them.
Keegan smiled.
Our leader is ready to see you. Follow me.
* * *
The hierarchy among Demons was determined by power. At the very bottom were the normal Demons, and above them were the Demon Nobles. And only those Demons who stood at the very peak among Demon Nobles could be granted the title Duke.
However, this didnt mean that every Duke had the same amount of power or authority.
Of the Demon Dukes, there were only five who could be called the Demon Kings closest aides. It was for this reason that they were referred to as the Five Dukes.
And among the Five Dukes, there was one who could be considered the Demon Kings right hand.
Azazel.
He was a Demon who had an appearance that was strikingly close to that of a human, except for his gray hair, pale skin, and two large horns growing from his temples.
Some of the Dukes often half-honestly and half-jokingly called him the Grand Duke. Because the title suited him in a way.
This was because he was the one who often took over whenever the Demon King was absent.
Azazel was currently walking through a forest in France.
This was no ordinary forest as the demonic energy in this place was many times thicker than even at the Versailles Palace. This demonic energy caused the entire forest to look like it was covered in a thick smog.
This was natural.
After all, this forest was basically the place that could be called the Demon Kings true residence.
Azazel looked around.
The entire area was a mess, as though a typhoon had swept through it. The ground was filled with large holes and trenches like a giant worm had crawled through it, and the demonic energy in the air was so thick it condensed into fog.
And in the middle of this devastated area was a single, large being.
Azazel immediately knelt down on one knee and politely bowed his head.
My King.
At those words, the huge being opened his eyes. Black eyes, which seemed to suck in all the surrounding light, turned to look at Azazel.
[Azazel Trowman.]
I humbly await your order.
[The preparations are complete.]
That means
Azazel shuddered for a moment. Unspeakable joy overflowed from his gaze.
The Demon Kings lips twisted into a smile.
[I am now the strongest.]
(Note: The author is really teasing us with these names. Who do you guys think is the one from Lukas world?)
Book: 2: Chapter 64
Book 2: Chapter 64 Im sorry, but cant we postpone the meeting with Dragul until tomorrow?
When Lee Jong-hak suddenly said this, Keegan, who was prepared to leave the building, turned around with a strange expression.
Didnt you come here demanding to see our leader in the first place?
I think its too late to have the meeting now and there is something Id like to discuss with them.
As he said this, Lee Jong-hak turned to look at Joanna, his eyes hinting at her to play along.
She knew that, but
Joanna withheld her judgment with a surprised look on her face.
Im sorry, but I dont think that would be okay.
This was said in a strangely heavy voice.
Keegan looked down at Lee Jong-hak and folded his arms in a cold manner.
We have something called face here too. Ive already reported to our leader about you guys, and he expects to see you soon. Do you think if I go to our leader and tell him that the guests are tired and that theyll meet him tomorrow, hell accept it with a nod and a smile? My position would be in jeopardy. (Note: Long story short, face is basically respect.)
Though this was said in a harsh tone, his words werent wrong.
I cant believe youre staying in our city but wont meet our leader. I heard that Asians valued courtesy, but now, Im wondering if I heard correctly.
It wont take long. Youll be back before you know it.
Lee Jong-hak looked down at his cup and seemed to be lost in thought for a moment.
He didnt know why, but he felt that the hunters, employees, and even civilians in the restaurant were all focused on what was happening at their table.
After a while, Lee Jong-hak finally opened his mouth.
Understood.
Now, were on the same page.
Keegan smiled brightly before turning around and leaving first, Lee Jong-hak close behind.
Joanna stared at their backs for a moment before shaking her head.
Whats going on? Am I the only one who feels this strange tension?
No.
After giving this brief answer, Lukas got up and walked out as well.
With a strange expression on her face, Joanna could only follow him.
A jeep was already waiting for them outside the building. And there were three others surrounding it. Inside these jeeps were men who appeared to be hunters. Sar?h the N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Joannas expression became even stranger.
Even an inexperienced hunter like her was able to realise that this was way too much for a simple escort.
Hop in. Well take you there quickly.
Where is Mr. Dragul?
Keegan pointed towards the end of the road.
See that mansion? It looks close, but it would be annoying to walk to it.
Lets walk.
Keegans expression became one of irritation.
I dont know why you keep trying to annoy me.
I just want to move my body after my meal to help with digestion Is that a problem?
As he said this, Lee Jong-hak turned to look Keegan in the eyes. Keegans lips twitched for a few moments before he averted his gaze and clicked his tongue.
tch. Sure. Guys.
When he beckoned, the hunters who had been sitting in the other vehicles piled out. There were at least ten of them. They spread out around the four of them with practiced ease.
The atmosphere became tense.
Lee Jong-hak carefully looked at all of them before turning around and walking down the street.
The hunters surrounded him as though they were escorting him.
And like this, this large group of people slowly began walking towards the mansion where Dragul lived.
After they walked for a while, the bustling streets gradually calmed down. For some strange reason, the further they moved, the darker their surroundings became. And by the time only their own footsteps could be heard, they could no longer see buildings with lights in them on the sides of the street.
The only things offering light were the few streetlights that lined the street, causing the walk to suddenly feel lonely and ominous.
It was at this time when Lukas heard a voice.
[Just listen.]
Sound Transmission.
It was a technique at a much higher level than the Telepathy spell.
It was Lee Jong-hak who had sent sound transmission to Lukas. No, from the slight change in her expression, it seemed hed sent it to Joanna as well.
Just being able to use sound transmission was a feat that showed incredible skill, but at the same time, hed done it so perfectly that the hunters around them didnt notice anything.
[I dont know what your mission is or why you are here. However, it was a mistake to enter this city.]
A mistake?
[Do not move. Stay completely still. I swear that I wont hurt you.]
Then, after sending that, Lee Jong-hak drew his sword in a quick, smooth motion. His sword-drawing was so fast that even the word fast was a bit lacking when used to describe it, and barely any sound was released.
The drawn blade lightly reflected the light from the streetlights around them.
It was a beautiful sight. However, contrary to the beauty of the sword, the swordsmanship that was unleashed with it was incredibly fierce.
Shuk-
Kuk!
Gurk!
The two hunters who were working in front of them let out soft cries before collapsing to the ground. Blood spurted from the backs of their necks.
Only then did the others react, drawing their weapons.
What the hell are you doing?!
This crazy bastard!
Lee Jong-hak slid into a stance without responding, a fog of ki slowly billowing from his body.
Wh-, whats going on?
Joanna turned to look at Lukas with a shocked expression.
But Lukas was looking elsewhere. Keegan, who had been walking in front of them, clicked his tongue once before turning around immediately and running away.
It seemed that Lee Jong-hak had expected such a response as he threw his sword lightly.
The motion was light, but the force behind the throw was enormous.
The sword, which whistled through the air, cut Keegan in half. And although hed tried to dodge it just before it hit him, the speed and force of the attack made him completely unable to block or dodge.
Kuk!
Keegans body was sent flying in two different directions with fatal injuries that probably caused instant death.
You arrogant bastard!
He threw away his weapon!
The remaining hunters all attacked Lee Jong-hak, who was now unarmed. However, without any changes to his expression, Lee Jong-hak simply kicked off from the ground. His body was propelled backwards, allowing him to avoid the attacks directed at him.
Then, a hunter pulled out a submachine gun.
Die!????????????????????d. ????????????
But Lee Jong-haks finger moved before he could pull the trigger.
With a single gesture, the sword that had cut Keegan in half suddenly flew towards him as though it had a will of its own.
The hunters were all shocked by this sight.
Th-, that!
Controlling the sword with ki!!!
The sword flew through the air like a swallow. Then, it dyed the street with blood.
The level of these hunters wasnt low. Every one of them was a veteran, and if they were sufficiently equipped, it wouldnt be difficult for them to hunt low-rank Demon Nobles.
Nevertheless, they had met the wrong opponent.
Lee Jong-hak was already only a half-step away from the peak of swordsmanship.
Shuk.
Ku-, urk
The last hunters chest was split open, and his blood spurted out.
The sword stopped in the air, covered in dark red blood. Then, with a brrr sound, it shook itself clean like a wet cat before flying towards Lee Jong-hak.
Click.
And with a soft sound, Lee Jong-hak returned it to its sheath.
Joanna, who had been stiff for a while glanced at Lukas before taking a step forward. She was pretending to be calm, but she couldnt stop her chin from quivering slightly.
Human Dragon, Lee Jong-hak. I never took you for a murderer.
Are you going to kill us too?
Leave this city immediately. There is an exit on the west. Dont go anywhere else.
Lee Jong-hak looked at the building at the end of the street coldly before continuing.
I dont know what mission youre here for, but now isnt a good time. Ask the people in the forest to the west for help. If you use my name, they will even help you use Warp.
you havent even explained the situation, yet you want us to do as you say?
Lukas looked around.
The Lee Jong-hak he knew wasnt someone who would carry out murder for no reason. Despite the hatred he had for him, Lukas still admired this human called Lee Jong-hak.
What is wrong with this city?
Lee Jong-hak turned to look at Lukas when he heard this question before giving a brief answer.
it is a breeding ground.
Huh?
Just as Joanna blinked in surprise, a powerful wave of energy rippled through the city. This energy caused the streetlights to buzz and flicker. And a disturbing pressure seemed to cover their bodies.
Lee Jong-hak sighed.
That guy has already sealed the entire city. Its no longer possible to escape.
That guy?
The Demon, Gullard, the owner of the mansion we were being guided to.
Huhhh?!!
Horrified, Joanna cried out in a trembling voice.
B-, by Gullard
Yes.
Lee Jong-hak nodded.
The true identity of Dragul Phisfounder, the leader of this city, is the Vampire Duke, Gullard.
(Note: So it seems only the demons so far have the names from Lukas old world. Is the person from his homeworld working with the demons?)
Book: 2: Chapter 65
Book 2: Chapter 65 Lee Jong-hak walked towards the west. He didnt say anything, but Joanna and Lukas had no choice but to follow him.
Can we trust this person?
Joanna whispered in a soft voice. Lukas looked at Lee Jong-haks back for a moment before responding to her.
The Human Dragon, Lee Jong-hak, is a man of great character.
Have you met him before?
no.
Then thats just a rumor.
Yeah.
Joanna seemed a bit apprehensive.
Not long afterwards, Lee Jong-hak stopped walking. He was standing in front of an angel statue.
Maybe it was because of the angle or the ominous aura that surrounded the entire city, but the angel, who was supposed to be a holy being, seemed to make the atmosphere feel even more bizarre.
Do you know The Crying Angel?
Whats that?
its fine if you dont know.
Joanna rubbed her forearm and shook her head.
Lee Jong-hak pressed on a corner of the statue with his foot. Then, something strange happened.
Grrrk-
The angel statue moved slightly, revealing a hidden space beneath it.
Joanna flinched violently when the statue moved.
Without any hesitation, Lee Jong-hak entered the space below. Lukas and Joanna followed suit.
In the underground space below the statue, there was a dimly lit passage. After walking for a while, hearing only the sound of water droplets softly hitting the ground, they saw a man standing in the middle of the passage.
This man appeared to be in his mid 20s, and he didnt seem to have any characteristics that stood out. Except for the fact that he wore dark sunglasses in this dark space.
The man looked at Lee Jong-hak and spoke.
You came earlier than we expected.
Kaisa, so it was your turn today.????????????????????????????. ?????????
Lee Jong-hak sighed before he said, Theres work to do.
Hmmm
The man named Kaisa then turned to look at Lukas and Joanna with surprise.
Who are the people behind you?
Theyre hunters from North America and Europe. They almost got involved in all of this. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Looks like something happened Lets go to the hideout and talk. Its still dangerous here.
After saying that, Kaisa turned around first. And it was at that moment when Joanna was surprised to see a tattoo on his right arm.
Gray Sun?!
When Joanna started drawing upon her mana with a suspicious expression, Kaisa waved his hand.
I know what youre thinking, but its a misunderstanding.
What misunderstanding?! How could you say that
Please trust us.
It was Lee Jong-hak.
He looked into Joannas eyes and spoke with a calm voice.
I know this isnt really a good time to say something like this, but I swear. I have no intention of hurting you.
Mm
When Joanna still didnt let down her guard, Lukas had no choice but to speak up.
Lets listen to them for now. If he wanted to kill us, he would have made a move earlier when he was dealing with those hunters.
Thats true.
Joanna reluctantly released her mana. This sight caused Lee Jong-haks eyes to shine slightly as he turned to look at Lukas.
Perhaps it was because of the fact that he had not lost his calm even once despite the ever-changing situation.
Perhaps it was his ability to calm down Joanna, who seemed to be quite stubborn.
Or perhaps it was both, but the latter had more traction.
Lukas was well aware that he was viewed either as Joannas manager or subordinate.
Nevertheless, it wasnt a good thing to attract Lee Jong-haks attention. Though unlikely, it was still possible that he would realise who he was.
Lukas decided to be more careful from now on.
Lee Jong-hak soon retracted his gaze and followed Kaisa.
This underground passage was probably a part of a sewer system. But since it didnt smell bad, it probably hadnt been used yet.
It was hard to tell how long theyd been walking in the tunnel, but after a while, they reached a large iron door.
Kaisa, who was at the front, knocked on the door.
Krrrr
The door slowly opened with a loud noise, revealing a large space within.
There were also quite a number of people within the room. About 20 or so.
They were either sitting on boxes and talking to each other or exercising and training.
Then a man approached them.
Lee Jong-hak, youre early.
It was a middle-aged man whose short white hair contrasted with his dark skin.
Joanna looked up at him, and her mouth fell open subconsciously.
This man was three times larger than the average adult male. In particular, the muscles on his upper body were so large they appeared as though they would tear through his shirt at any moment.
He gave off a ferocious aura, like a mafia boss with thousands of subordinates.
no. This man is really
Joannas eyes drifted down to look at the mans right forearm. There, she saw five suns overlapping on each other. As far as she knew, there was only one person in the entire organisation who was allowed to have five suns.
The big boss of the organisation, Elijah Kipatosh.
Lee Jong-hak bowed his head to him.
Im sorry, Mr. Elijah. Our plan failed.
No. I prefer to do it this way. I didnt feel very comfortable sending you in alone from the start.
Elijah spoke with a strangely soothing voice. For a moment, Joanna forgot that this man was the notorious boss of the Gray Sun.
And the young people behind you?
They are hunters from North America and Europe. They said they came to this land for a special mission.
Hmmm. Their timing is rather poor.
Elijah chuckled before he turned to look at them.
You must have come here using a Warp Portal. Which facility did you use?
The Congo Branch.
When Lukas responded, Joanna turned to look at him. It seemed she was unsure whether it was wise to reveal that information or not.
Thats Destins territory.
Elijah took a large cigar from his pocket before lighting it.
I know what you might think about the Gray Sun. But Ill tell you now that most of that information is false.
false?
Right. Were not a mafia or criminal organisation.
Then what are you?
Elijah stroked his dark beard.
The resistance.
* * *
I apologize for the lack of hospitality.
Its fine.
Joanna sat on a box and responded in a casual manner.
This group claimed that they bore no hostility, but she couldnt trust them so easily. It wouldnt be strange if their attitudes suddenly changed and they threatened them.
Nevertheless, Joanna appeared indifferent despite this.
This attitude was very important in situations like this. There was no rule that said because they were comrades now and they couldnt be enemies later. And in such an ambiguous relationship, it was best to stand your ground.
The pressure exuded by Elijah Kipatoshs entire body was incredible. Lukas could tell he was no weaker than Lee Jong-hak.
As for the men and women who sat around them? Each of them had a tattoo of three overlapping suns on their forearm. According to Joanna, these were Gray Sun executives, and each of them was equivalent to a Titled Hunter.
And there was also Lee Jong-hak, who led them there. No matter how they looked at it, there werent many who could take on such a group.
This groups attention was mostly on Joanna. Not just because she was from North America but because she was also a world famous hunter.
This was a good thing for Lukas. Thanks to that, he was able to look around and observe this group with ease.
Did you come to Africa for a confidential mission?
Yes. So I cant tell you.
Hmm no matter what?
Elijah had a solemn expression on his face.
Joanna clenched her fist, which was hidden beneath the table, as she felt pressure in her stomach.
Hes such a tough old man.
She wasnt sure how strong he was, but she was sure that he was very formidable. Those huge muscles were definitely not for decoration.
That wasnt all. He also had a piercing pair of eyes in conjunction with his hideous size. As soon as she met his eyes, she felt that he could see all of her secrets.
Nevertheless, Joanna didnt look away. In fact, she steeled her resolve under the pressure.
She could not back down.
Because she was the next Great Wizard who had been chosen by the Great Mage.
Hoh.
Elijah looked at Joanna with interest before bursting into laughter.
Joanna Goldberg. I heard you were a disgrace to North America, but it seems the truth can only be revealed when seeing something for yourself.
Ill take that as a compliment.
Elijah seemed even more pleased when Joanna responded in a calm voice.
Then, when Kaisa, who was standing beside him, coughed lightly, he finally stopped laughing.
Fine. You must have some guts to step foot in this land. Apart from that, I dont think you are reinforcements since you dont seem to know anything about the situation.
North America ignored our request for assistance for 10 years. Theres no way that psycho would send reinforcements now.
This was said by a young woman sitting on the right. She spoke in a cold voice that didnt match her soft features. On top of that, her hostility towards Joanna was obvious.
Joanna was never the type to take such things lightly.
Psycho? Youre not talking about President Neil, are you?
What if I am?
Id make you pay the price for running your mouth.
Ha.
Just as the woman sneered and was about to say something, Elijah lifted his hand.
Thats enough, Camilla.
sorry.
The woman named Camilla bowed her head, her dissatisfaction clear on her face.
Elijah chuckled.
Will you forgive my subordinates rudeness?
There wont be a second time.
Camilla frowned at her attitude, but she didnt open her mouth again.
Thank you. Still, it might be better if you hid the fact that youre from North America. Camilla isnt the only one who would react in such a way.
Joanna didnt respond.
Elijah smiled and took a drag from his cigar.
Sssp-
In one breath, half of the cigar was burnt away, dense smoke then flowing from his nostrils.
Kaisa, those things you captured during your last mission, are they still alive?
One should still be alive.
Good. Bring it here. They would understand it easier if we let them see for themselves.
Kaisa nodded and left the room.
Noticing the unusual atmosphere, Joanna spoke.
What are you going to show us?
The situation in Africa cant be summed up with one word. So it would be easier to understand if you were to see it with your own eyes. Is there a Chinese proverb thats suitable for this situation, Lee Jong-hak?
Seeing something once is better than hearing about it a hundred times. Doing something once is better than seeing it a hundred times. (Note: T~T)
Right, thats it.
Kaisa returned almost at the same time.
He was pulling a cart, on top of which sat a steel cage. It was a large and secure cage that would usually be used to transport fierce animals.
However, Lukas expression became strange when he saw what was inside.
What was trapped in the cage wasnt some ferocious beast. Instead, it was a small boy who looked like he would have a hard time harming a single bug.
The boy was so motionless that he appeared to be a doll at first, and he looked at the humans outside the cage with an expressionless face.
Joannas expression became one of disgust and loathing.
Is this what you wanted to show me?
Right. How is it?
its disgusting. Im not sure what your goal is. All I can see is you treating a fellow human like an animal.
The boys limbs were covered in large chains, and there was a collar around his neck. He was also covered in dirt. It was clear that he hadnt been washed in a long time. This meant that they didnt even give this boy basic human rights.
That wasnt all.
Joanna could see the humans who had been enslaved by the Demons in this little boy. Shed heard that the Demons who enslaved humans would also put collars on their necks.
A man on the left spoke up at that moment.
This boy killed dozens of humans with his own hands.
Are you sure hes the murderer?
Yes. However, if that was all, we would not have placed him in such a special cage Kaisa.
Kaisa nodded once before muttering in a soft voice.
Punish.
Crackle!
Aaaak!
The boy let out a scream of pain. The culprit was the collar. Blue sparks of electricity could be seen bouncing from it.
It was electrical torture.
The current was so strong that it brightened the surroundings for a moment.
What the hell are you Ah!
Joannas expression became hard.
She realised that the current flowing from the collar was strong enough to instantly burn any normal person to a crisp. Nevertheless, the boy only seemed to be in pain.
Then, the boys face twisted in a hideous manner.
His skin also became red, and his eyes became yellow. Not only did they become yellow, but his eyes also became elongated, similar to the eyes of a reptile.
Joanna couldnt help but open her mouth in shock at the sight.
Is this boy a Demon?
Half of one.
Huh? What do you mean?
When Joanna asked this question in a confused voice, Elijah finished his cigar.
Did I not say it properly? Im trying to say that this boy is a mixed race.
Mi-, mixed?
Right.
Elijah nodded while looking at the boy who was squirming in pain.
They have the traits of both humans and Demons. So we call them Hybrids.
Book: 2: Chapter 66
Book 2: Chapter 66 Kaisa disappeared with the boy again.
Joanna didnt seem to be able to overcome her shock. Lukas, on the other hand, was thinking about the last word Elijah said.
Hybrid.
This word, which he heard in the place where the member of the Top Three, Kran, was, perfectly matched the hint hed been given by God.
Lukas was confident that hed grasped a faint clue. Of course, he couldnt do anything with that information yet.
The African Branch of the Hunter Organisation is already rotten to the core. They chose to live on their stomachs rather than stand and die, and the proof of this is the Hybrid you just saw.
All of the humor had disappeared from Elijahs face.
After managing to finally calm herself down, Joanna spoke.
What the hell is going on in this place?
You could say its a living matter experiment or a hybridisation experiment. Countless experiments were carried out on countless second-generation humans and demons. The corpses could pile up to form a mountain, and the blood could create a river.
Th-, that
Joanna shook her head with a pale complexion. The determined attitude that shed displayed earlier had completely disappeared.
But is that really possible? In the decades that the Demons have been on Earth, this is my first time hearing about hybrids.
She knew that some demons had the disgusting hobby of sleeping with their human slaves. But there had never been cases of women becoming pregnant with the demons child or of a demon becoming pregnant with a humans child.
The genes of humans and demons were so different that it was fair to call it impossible. Common sense deemed it impossible for them to conceive, so naturally, no second-generation would be born.
As expected of an American hunter.
It was Camilla who spoke up with a sarcastic tone. But this time, Elijah didnt restrain her.
Its not that bad. They were working on this project very discreetly. In all honesty, it hasnt been 10 years since we found out. And by that time, the experiments were already almost complete. So even we dont know when this madness truly began.
It gives me goosebumps. Its a hunters duty to protect the civilians and stand up against the Demons, and yet they were kidnapping people and delivering them to the Demons. Whats even worse is that most people didnt even know about it. Its the same for the Congo Branch that you passed through. The people there have complete faith in the association. Even though hundreds of people go missing every day.
Joanna gulped slightly.
You could tell them the truth
We tried, but it didnt do much. For most people, the Gray Sun is the most dangerous thing after the Demons.
Joanna had no choice but to remain silent at those words.
Until that day, she had also thought the same thing.
After learning this, we sent requests to the leaders of each region. Just holding their line was the only help that Europe, who is in a similarly urgent situation, could give. Asia and Oceania helped by sending key talents to us. And North America
Didnt help at all.
It was Lee Jong-hak who interrupted Elijahs words. He continued in his distinctively calm tone.
In the past decade or so, Mr. Elijah must have sent at least a hundred requests for assistance.
With the support of North America, the misunderstanding and distrust that the general population had towards the Gray Sun could have been washed away. It might have even been possible to inform everyone that it was the African Branch of the Hunter Association that went astray instead of the Gray Sun.
Only North America, revered as the greatest government in the world, couldve fulfilled this role.
Knowing that, Elijah explained the situation dozens or even hundreds of times, asking Neil for help.
The African Branch was working with the Demons and experimenting with hybridisation, and those who refused to give in had created an organisation called the Gray Sun. He explained that the Gray Sun was being slandered as a criminal organisation in order to discredit them. And he asked for help.
However, Neil Prand, President of the Hunter Association, never responded to our requests.
It wasnt just that he didnt respond. Im not sure if it was because he was afraid American Hunters would leave on their own, but he completely hid the situation in Africa. I can tell, just by looking at you, how well Neil kept the secret.
Camilla looked at Joanna with a mocking expression.
An Archmage was someone with considerable authority and qualification in North America. Naturally, this meant that they were also aware of confidential information that ordinary hunters werent privy to.
And yet even an Archmage wasnt aware of the situation.
Camillas words were biting, but she wasnt wrong.
Joanna remained silent because she couldnt refute her despite her harsh attitude.
This is the situation in Africa right now. And this city, Zinga, is one of the largest breeding grounds in Africa. Where Lee Jong-hak was supposed to carry out an important mission, but
Elijahs expression dropped a little. His face appeared solemn.
he failed.
This failure was a result of the appearance of Joanna and Lukas. Knowing this, Joanna couldnt help but lower her head.
Elijah paused for a moment before continuing.
So, what Im trying to say is Joanna Goldberg, will you help us?
Huh?
Africa is absolutely devoid of Wizards. In the first place, magical science wasnt widespread, and we rarely had the chance to interact and exchange with other regions.
I
Joanna shook her head in confusion.
Lukas couldnt help but sigh inwardly when he saw this.
In truth, he couldnt blame Joanna for this. Because her response was already not so bad. It was Elijahs ability to speak that was too great. He pressed Joanna slowly as the conversation progressed, controlling the flow completely. Then, he induced guilt in her heart.
It was possible that hed planned to do this from the moment he learned who she was.
Elijahs offensive had been delivered perfectly. Now, Joannas sharp aura couldnt be felt at all. Sear?h the ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
This wasnt a good situation.
Of course, helping them in itself wasnt bad. It seemed that Gray Suns influence stretched across the entirety of Africa, so building a close relationship with them would help him find Kran.
But the thing Lukas was scared about was the first step. If their relationship was developed from this situation, then they might get dragged around by Elijah and made to do more missions here. Being his hands and feet and moving around busily until they eventually forgot their original objective.
So they had to pursue an equal relationship. It wasnt just about helping them but also receiving help. But it was hard to expect such a result from Joanna.
Reluctantly, Lukas opened his mouth.
Im sorry, but I dont think that is something we can agree to do so easily.
For the first time, the eyes of those in the room turned to Lukas.
Some of them had even forgotten his existence.
Camilla made an unpleasant expression, like someone was interfering with their work.
Elijah, on the other hand, seemed interested.
You said you were Frey, a European hunter, right?
Yes.
But its Joanna Goldberg whom were asking for help, not you.
We are on a joint mission. If she accepts your request, I will have to follow her. I think that gives me enough right to refuse.
Elijahs gaze grew deeper when he heard Lukas words.
He stared at him for a while before narrowing his eyes slightly.
You
After a while, Elijah sighed and muttered.
It seems I made a mistake. I didnt choose the right target.
Book: 2: Chapter 67
Book 2: Chapter 67 Lukas said that they needed time to discuss.
Elijah accepted this without thinking too much about it, but he gave Lukas a deep look of interest before leaving the room.
Lukas deliberately pretended not to notice his gaze.
Thud-
After the door closed, silence befell the room for a moment. Lukas sat on a nearby wooden box, lost in thought.
Currently, there were two paths they could take.
The first was to go to Kran as they had originally intended.
To do that, they would have to say goodbye to the Gray Sun. In other words, they would have to refuse their request for help. This might cause the Gray Sun to feel discontented, and there was a chance that they would do something drastic.
Of course, he wasnt really worried about that.
The Gray Sun already had its hands full carrying out resistance activities. It couldnt afford to pay attention to Lukas and Joanna, and if it did, it would only be a weak observation.
It was almost certain that they wouldnt want their relationship to devolve beyond that point.
So the first path wasnt so bad. In fact, it might even be the best choice.
After all, meeting the Top Three was the reason he came to this land in the first place.
However
Lukas recalled the halfblood boy hed just seen.
Hybrid.
A being who had the traits of both the demons and the humans.
God had talked about being able to fool the laws of this universe.
So what if the hint wasnt about Kran but about the half-bloods?
In fact, wasnt it Lukas assumption that the hint, three, that God had mentioned to Sedi referred to the Top Three?
Helping the Gray Sun might give him more clues on hybrid, which he was still uncertain about.
That wasnt the only advantage.
Lee Jong-hak had said that the true identity of Dragul Phisfounder, the ruler of Zinga, was Gullard, the Vampire Duke.
One of the Five Dukes, who was the most powerful and influential among the Demon Dukes.
Lukas had never met one of the five dukes before. That wasnt all. Unlike the other Dukes, whose information was easily attainable, little was known about the Five Dukes.
And yet, such a mysterious being had Iris last name. At first, he thought it might have been a mere coincidence, but now, he wasnt sure if that was the case.
The most obvious way to resolve his doubts was to capture Gullard alive and ask him about the last name Phisfounder.
But that was hard for Lukas at the moment.
I cant overpower one of the Five Dukes with just 9 star magic.
It might be possible to kill him, but that would be going against his agreement with Sedi. And it wasnt the time to do so. He at least had to maintain his alliance with her until they got rid of Nodiesop and figured out Letips goal.
Then what could he do? Sar?h the N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
The only other power that Lukas could use at that moment was Joanna, but even if she was an Archmage, she would only end up dead if she ever had to fight against a Duke.
Furthermore, capturing a target was many times more difficult than killing one.
Lukas turned to look at Joanna.
She still had her head bowed in a depressed manner.
Joanna.
Yeah.
Joanna looked up at Lukas. Her gaze seemed to be asking him what he wanted.
Are you feeling guilty? Or perhaps youre disappointed by North Americas policy.
I.
She bit her lip for a moment before finally opening her mouth.
I never thought it would be like this.
I grew up thinking that America was the best. And I thought that while being revered as the leader of the world, we were fulfilling the duties and responsibilities that came with such a position. But we werent.
Joanna wasnt really to blame for this. After all, the trust and approval that Neil gained from the Americans were overwhelming.
Gaining such trust wasnt particularly difficult for him. As Lukas always said, he was a transformer who only appears once every thousand years. For him, securing public sentiment and manipulating public opinion was as easy as flipping your hand over.
In a way, Neil had deceived the entirety of North America.
And Joanna was one of the many people who had been fooled by this deception.
Do you think America is wrong?
that
Joanna opened her mouth, but the words wouldnt come out. After a while, she could only lower her head again.
Only then did Lukas notice Joannas biggest flaw. The reason why she couldnt become a true 7 star Archmage.
Joanna had become too reliant and entangled. And in this state, she didnt know how to move on her own.
North America had always supported her. It would be accurate to say that she depended on them. She was afraid to stand on her own. She was worried that the shield which protected her, would disappear.
This wasnt something to despise her over. After all, no one hated the warmth of a shelter. The feeling of gently closing your eyes without having to worry about anything.
However, to grow up, to be a better being, you had to have the courage to step out of that warm room on your own.
Lukas had been lost once, too. There was a time when he hadnt been confident that he would be able to handle the storms of the world alone. He lacked confidence in himself. He stayed up all day and all night, drowning in his thoughts, but he still couldnt find an answer.
After all, the answer laid outside the warm shelter. In the harsh, freezing winds which tore at his flesh and nibbled at his bones.
Only those who had managed to step into those cold winds deserved to be called Great Wizards.
Are you America?
Huh?
If not, then theres no need for you to feel guilty for the wrongs they have committed. Because youre not the one who committed them.
Lukas looked at Joanna and saw a lost being who was in desperate need of advice.
Being a part of an organisation isnt a bad thing. Especially if its with people you like or care about. However, that doesnt mean you have to leave your thoughts and choices to the group.
!
Maybe its the Association President or other executives who give you orders. But its up to you to decide whether you want to accept those orders or not. Because in the end, you will have to take responsibility for your actions. So think carefully before making a decision. So that in ten years, you wouldnt look back and regret something you did now.
Maybe he was more determined to help Joanna after teaching Leo and Min Ha-rin.
The people Lukas felt the most sorriest for, were those who were born with outstanding talent and good personalities but fell onto the wrong path.
Many of them walked along this path to the point where they could no longer turn back.
But Joanna hadnt. It was not too late for her.
This place is outside of President Neils reach. So you have plenty of time to think for yourself, no one will interrupt you. Take this time to make your conclusions. And when youve found the answer, tell me.
After those words, silence fell once again.
Outside, people seemed to be moving around hurriedly, as their bustling footsteps could be heard.
Then, the sound of breathing could be heard.
It was Joanna.
She took a few deep breaths before slowly raising her head again.
Why should I tell you that?
Her voice was still soft, but it seemed that she had regained some of her energy.
Lukas smiled.
Of course, its up to you whether you tell me or not.
youre a good talker. Youd be amazing if you were in sales or something like that.
After saying that, Joanna suddenly let out a soft cough before glancing at Lukas and blushing slightly.
A-, and. Thank you for comforting
It was at that moment that the door was suddenly opened and someone walked in.
Joanna frowned as she turned to look at the door.
A man was standing there.
It was the man who had been sitting on Elijahs left earlier. He had a tattoo of three suns on his forearm.
Now that she thought about it, she realised she hadnt heard his name yet.
The man spoke in a blunt tone.
Have you made a decision yet?
Havent you heard about knocking?
The man folded his arms instead of answering. It seemed that he didnt like Joanna either.
If it had been before, she might have flinched at this action, but now, she didnt react in any way.
Joanna turned to glance at Lukas, who nodded to say that she could decide on her own.
She felt greatly encouraged by his attitude.
This man was a strange person.
He was weak, his looks were only so-so, and he didnt seem to have any special abilities, but strangely, she couldnt treat him lightly.
Joanna had a wide range of knowledge since, instead of hunting, she frequently met with the famous hunters and leaders of various regions.
Thanks to that, she was able to build a facade that allowed her to not shrink back when faced with the various big names.
Nevertheless, she had been completely overwhelmed by Elijah Kipatosh. The pressure that this man, the Big Boss of the Gray Suns, gave her was beyond imagination.
At first, Joanna was able to pretend to be determined, but it didnt take long for him to peel her mask off, causing her to flounder.
But Lukas didnt.
He had clearly expressed his opinion in his distinctively calm demeanor. It was as though he couldnt feel the heavy pressure rolling off Elijahs body.
It was only then that Joanna saw the true face of this man named Frey.
This man is weak, but hes not weak-willed.
At the very least, Lukas had always displayed confidence in himself.
When hed run away during the beast tide, shed wanted to pull his head off, but when he returned she couldnt even be mad at him. Because he acted like hed done nothing wrong.
It was to the point that Joanna couldnt help but wonder if maybe something was wrong with him. Nevertheless, she couldnt help but envy him a little.
I want to live like that too.
Though faint, it couldnt be denied that shed had that thought.
She had a thought that shed never had even with Association President Neil, whom she admired the most, for a man that she hadnt even known for a week.
Joanna Goldberg.
The man at the door called her name as if urging her to answer.
Joanna turned to learn him.
Lukas had already displayed the attitude of leaving the decision to her. So Joanna had to make a choice that wouldnt disappoint his expectations.
But at the same time, she had to make a choice she wouldnt regret.
Her lips slowly parted.
(Note: Changed mixed race to halfblood. I just felt it sounded nicer.)
Book: 2: Chapter 68
Book 2: Chapter 68 Hmmm.
Elijah smoked a cigar as he looked at the man standing in front of him. It was the man who had gone to receive an answer from Joanna. His name was Joffrey.
Right. So she said she would collaborate with us.
Yes. However, she asked for more information that would give her a better picture of the situation and the right to withdraw at any time. Also
Theres more? She sure is demanding.
It was Camilla who said these words with a displeased expression.
After pausing for a moment, Joffrey continued.
She wants information about the member of the Top Three, Kran.
Elijahs eyebrows furrowed.
The Gray Sun was active all over Africa, so it was natural that theyd have detailed information about Kran, including his ridiculous achievements in Egypt.
Naturally, this included the feat of killing a Demon Duke on his own, which hed accomplished not so long ago.
Ha. Those dirty bastards. Now, we can see their goal. They came here to poach Kran.
Camilla spoke with a mocking sneer.
It had already been three years since Kran first became active in Africa. In that time, the number of Demon Beasts, Demons, and high-ranking Demon Nobles who had died by his hands had reached an astonishing number.
In total, the number of Demons Kran had killed on his own was comparable to the number killed by the entire Gray Sun organisation. And even the quality and rank of the Demons hed killed was greater.
Thanks to this, the Demons had mostly focused their attention on Kran, which in turn meant that their attention on the Gray Sun was relatively small. Over these past three years, their territory and forces had been greatly expanded.
Of course, this didnt mean that Kran and the Gray Sun had a good relationship.
Kran was a talent who was coveted by every organisation in the world. If a price could be added to his value, it would easily surpass billions of dollars.
And now that he had slain a Demon Duke on his own, he had proved he was the strongest hunter in the world. A being who could not be replaced.
Nevertheless, Kran wasnt a team player. There was already a large number of people who had to flee desperately after being struck by his sword while trying to recruit him.
The Gray Sun was among the groups who had already been rejected by him.
Because of this, they had no choice but to focus on his every move. The moment he left Africa, the pressure from the Demons would return to them in full.
Now is the best time.
Elijah bit his cigar.
The position of the Vampire Duke, Gullard, had been secured, and theyd been able to gain the reinforcement of the powerful Lee Jong-hak to deal with their enemy. Just a moment ago, they had even confirmed the assistance of a 7 star Wizard.
Gullard was the true ruler of the African Continent. If they killed him, the Demons power in this land would drop by at least half.
Of course, the difficulty to slay a member of the Five Dukes went without saying.
But it cant be helped.
The Gray Sun also had to bet its life on this subjugation battle. Even if there was a high chance that they would end up irreparably damaged after the confrontation, he didnt intend to back down.
Suddenly.
The door was flung open, and a man ran in with an anxious expression.
He was one of the Gray Suns intelligence officers. When he saw Elijah, he hurriedly lowered his head.
P-, pardon my intrusion, Big Boss.
What is it?
Its an emergency report.
Elijahs eyebrows raised.
Emergency report?
Yes. A-, about the Top Three, Kran
Elijahs jaw quivered slightly when the man said this name in a soft voice.
The man gulped slightly before continuing.
Kran has started to move.
started to move? Already? Shouldnt he still be recuperating from his injuries after the last battle?
Elijah couldnt help but be surprised.
Kran had managed to successfully hunt down a Demon Duke, but hed also suffered grievous injuries as a result. Many experts concluded that his rehabilitation would take at most one month and at least three weeks.
But hed started moving before even a single week had passed.
This sort of recovery speed was truly inhuman.
W-, were certain. We already know where hes headed. sea??h th N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Where?
To Zinga.
what did you say?
When Elijah asked this question, the man responded with a slightly feverish expression.
The Top Three, Kran, is heading to this city, Zinga! Big Boss! His next target is the Vampire Duke, Gullard!
* * *
Elijah decided to inform the two strangers of Krans imminent arrival. This wasnt an act done out of goodwill but was instead a calculated one.
He wasnt completely sure why Joanna and Lukas were there. However, he did know that they wanted information on Kran and seemed to want to meet him.
So by telling these people this information, he was able to gain some advantages without needing to do anything extra.
The first was that although it seemed trivial, the fact that hed given the information to them without asking for anything in return gave him the initiative.
And the second was that this information would keep them there.
Depending on how he said it, he would be able to persuade them to stay there for much longer than they intended. It was a bit of a lowly move, but it was worth it if it meant obtaining the assistance of an Archmage.
It was Kaisa who went to deliver the news.
He looked at Joanna before speaking slowly.
Kran is moving at a speed that defies common sense, but it will still take some time for him to reach Zinga. You can stay here till then.
Thanks.
Joanna expressed her gratitude with a small nod.
After delivering the message, Kaisa bowed his head and left the room.
Then, Joannas expression brightened up.
This is great news! We dont have to go to Egypt anymore.
I see.
Ahh. Im so glad~
Joanna sank into the couch as she hummed contentedly.
It definitely was good news.
The Top Three, Kran, their reason for coming to this land in the first place, was on his way to this very city. What mattered now was the chain reactions that would follow.
It could be seen just by looking at Kaisa, who had just left. His attitude was much more polite than it was the first time theyd met. So it was either that hed gotten a change of heart or that Elijah had told him to do so.
And it was most likely the latter.
Elijah Kipatosh.
In simple terms, he was a cunning human.
Lukas hadnt shown much, but Elijah had been able to grasp his nature just from the little hed shown. This meant that his insight far exceeded that of a normal person.
Cooperation with the Gray Sun.
He still needed to observe the situation a bit more, but at least it wasnt something that had to be blindly rejected.
After having this thought, Lukas rose from his seat. He could feel Joannas gaze following him, but he ignored her and headed to the door.
As expected, a man was standing outside.
The man spoke in a business-like manner.
Where is Lee Jong-hak? I would like to ask him something.
He should be resting at this time. Should I call him?
Please do.
When Lukas returned to his seat, Joanna tilted her head to the side.
What do you want to ask him?
A lot of things.
Wouldnt it be better to ask that guy named Kaisa instead? Hes a member of the Gray Sun, so he would have a much better grasp of the situation. Lee Jong-hak is an outsider like us.
It was a valid opinion, but her thoughts were still too shallow.
Without revealing his inner thoughts, Lukas answered.
Lee Jong-hak probably has the most objective view of anyone in this base. And thats what we need most at this moment.
Joannas expression became strange when she heard this, but she didnt question him any further.
After a while, Lee Jong-hak came into the room. He had his usual, calm expression on his face as he turned to Joanna.
What would you like to ask?
Its me, not her.
At those words, Lee Jong-hak turned his head slightly and looked at Lukas.
What do you want to know?
Id like to know what mission you were carrying out in the city.
Lee Jong-hak answered without thinking much about it.
I was trying to determine the exact location of the Vampire Duke.
isnt that too risky? No matter how strong you are, you cant fight a Duke alone.
Lee Jong-hak had definitely become stronger, but he hadnt reached the stage of being able to fight a Duke on his own. In fact, there were no humans capable of fighting a Demon Duke except for the man named Kran.
And yet he was willing to enter the Vampire Dukes lair to find his exact location?
This sounded like an recklessly dangerous mission. It was no different from walking into a predators territory naked.
Besides, you should have already known the Vampire Dukes location.
A large mansion sat at the end of the main road. And in this mansion, which overflowed with demonic energy, was the Vampire Duke who had created the persona, Dragul Phisfounder.
Youre right. I have no intention of fighting the Vampire Duke on my own. But even if I had gone into that mansion, I wouldnt have died or been in any danger.
Why do you say that?
Because the being in the mansion isnt real; its a double.
Lukas expression became strange.
A double?
Its one of the secrets that the Gray Sun managed to uncover over time. Dragul sometimes appears in the city, but hes not real. The real Vampire Duke has never revealed himself.
Then isnt it possible that the Vampire Duke isnt in this city at all??
Lukas was asking so much because he knew that the Vampire Duke was hiding in this city. He just wanted to know Lee Jong-haks thoughts.
Its unlikely but still possible that the Dragul double knows where the Vampire Duke is. Besides, it would be much easier to take control of this city if the Vampire Duke isnt here, so thats not bad either.
It was only then when Lukas realised Lee Jong-haks true mission.
You intended to capture the double in the mansion to get information.
That was my goal.
Lukas thought for a moment before opening his mouth again.
Why did the residents dislike you so much?
Ive killed countless Demons after arriving in this place. Zingas hunters seemed to have formed some kind of relationship with the Demons, so they didnt like me from the start.
Those words were a bit strange.
No matter how close they might have been, in the end, the hunters had to hide the fact that they were collaborating with the Demons. So even if they disliked him for that reason, they wouldnt show it so openly
Ive killed a few. I never counted, but if you included the low-level Demon Beasts, then it should be in the thousands.
Joanna, who was beside him, couldnt help but look at him like he was a monster.
It was needless to say how impossible it was to imagine killing thousands of enemies single-handedly. And he wasnt even a Wizard who could use large scale attacks. He was a Warrior.
However, the main reason why they hate me is because Ive also killed a few of the halfbloods.
halfbloods?
Among the residents in the city, there are many who are the parents of hybrids.
A cold smile blossomed on Lee Jong-haks lips.
They seem to regard the halfbloods they create with the Demons as their children. Disgusting.
Joanna couldnt help but feel a chill at those words.
However, the cold expression on Lee Jong-haks face disappeared as quickly as it appeared.
Book: 2: Chapter 69
Book 2: Chapter 69 After Lee Jong-hak left, Joanna turned to Lukas, who was organising his thoughts.
What are you going to do now?
what would you like to do?
Joanna made a sour expression before replying.
You always do that.
Huh?
You like to answer questions with questions. Its not very polite to do that.
Was that true?
Hed never realised it, but he didnt think she was wrong.
While Lukas pondered about this, Joannas voice sounded again.
First of all, I think we need to gather more information. Hmm. Well be staying in the Gray Suns base for a while, so if these people ask for help, well have to assist them. Sar?h the ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
After saying that, Joanna paused for a moment before suddenly jumping up.
But what about our truck?
Ah.
It was only then when Lukas remembered the military truck that theyd used to get there.
It was probably in the hands of the residents of Zinga now. They wouldnt have destroyed it, but it probably wouldnt be easy for them to get it back.
Ugh. I cant believe we forgot about it.
Joanna held her head in despair.
She couldnt believe that shed completely forgotten their most important means of transportation, regardless of how the situation had changed. She was upset at her own absentmindedness.
Of course, she didnt like the thought of continuing to use it because it had been borrowed from Destin, but it couldnt be helped.
It was truly a stroke of luck that their target, Kran, who was originally in Egypt, was coming to them on his own. That eliminated the need to traverse the African continent.
In other words, even if they didnt have a vehicle, it wouldnt be a major hindrance to their mission.
lets get some sleep. Im so tired I feel like Im gonna die.
Joanna, who had been agonising for a while, let out a sigh. She couldnt be certain because they were underground, but it was probably close to dawn already.
It was no wonder she felt so tired. A lot had happened today, and she hadnt been able to disperse the fatigue that had accumulated from the day before.
Lukas nodded, and they rested for the rest of the day.
And so, three days passed.
Nothing special happened during this time. Joanna focused on recovering to her peak condition, and she seemed to look better compared to three days ago.
The sewer base was a boring place, but it was perfect for relaxation.
From time to time, Kaisa or Lee Jong-hak would come to deliver some information before leaving again. Kaisa mainly updated them on Krans location while Lee Jong-hak focused on the situation in Zinga.
Lukas spent most of this time meditating.
At first, it was simply to stabilise his mind and body, but now, he was doing it for a specific purpose. Of course, he couldnt tell anyone about it at this stage, but in a way, it was something that had higher priority than any other situation.
It was only on the fourth morning when something changed.
On this day, Lee Jong-hak and Joffrey visited them at the same time.
He will be on the road today.
He?
The Vampire Dukes double.
Lukas eyes brightened slightly.
Are you sure?
Its highly likely. A chaotic aura has enveloped the entire city, so we think he will be going on an inspection.
Thats a great opportunity.
If an inspection was his goal, it was inevitable that he would go to some secluded places. If they were able to find a good location to launch a surprise attack, they might be able to capture the double more easily than they expected.
Demons and Hybrids are currently roaming the city, looking for the Gray Sun. So there is a high chance that wed be discovered if we move in large numbers. So we will move in a small group.
Lee Jong-hak turned to look at Joanna.
Archmage Joanna, we really need your help.
Of course Ill help.
Thank you. So the group will consist of me, Archmage Joanna, Gray Sun executive Joffrey, and the last person
Lee Jong-hak spoke slowly.
Shes not here, but its Ms. Camilla. Shes also an executive.
Joannas heart jumped slightly at his words.
Huh?
Is there something you dont like about my selection?
Of course there is. Why didnt you mention Frey?
Lee Jong-hak turned to look at Lukas.
Pardon my rudeness, but how strong are you?
Enough to play my part.
Joanna almost burst into laughter at the words that were so similar to what shed heard in the past.
But in direct contrast to her, Lee Jong-hak spoke in an increasingly serious tone.
this is a very important mission. Can you kill Demons if necessary?
Lukas answered this question without hesitation.
No.
A subtle hint of disappointment flashed in Lee Jong-haks eyes, and Joanna turned to look at Lukas with a blank expression.
The same was true for Joffrey who was standing beside them.
He recalled the conversation hed had with Elijah before he came.
Dont provoke that man named Frey.
Huh?
He is dangerous.
Joffrey had been unable to hide his astonishment at those words.
Elijah Kipatosh was the Big Boss of the Gray Sun.
Until now, there had only been one other person whom Elijah had directly called dangerous.
And that was the Strongest Hunter, Kran, one of the Top Three.
Did this mean that Elijah thought that this guy was on the same level as Kran?
Im thinking too much.
Joffrey shook his head.
It was advice from Elijah, whom he admired more than anyone else, but he could only assume that he was trying to think too deeply.
He was confident in his own eyes, and according to what he could see, this man was not dangerous at all.
Although he claimed to be a Wizard, compared to Joanna, who constantly exuded mana, his body was like a desert.
While Joffrey was lost in his thoughts, Joanna awoke from her daze.
We have to take Frey!
Why?
Th- thatuh Frey is very quick-witted and calm, and he knows a lot of strange, useful spells like the Alarm spell. A-, and
While Joanna floundered for words with an embarrassed expression, Lukas nodded and said.
I understand. I will defend this place.
Joffrey burst into laughter at those words. What did he mean by defend?
H-, hey? Why would you agree to that?
Joanna said that, but Lukas didnt think this was a bad situation.
He just needed the time to move alone
Lukas expression suddenly hardened.
With a startled expression, he looked up at the ceiling. Of course, all that could be seen on the ceiling of the sewer base were a few water spots. The outside wasnt visible at all.
Whats wrong?
Nothing.
Lukas shook his head at Joannas expression, but his expression didnt relax.
A special aura that could never be mistaken had suddenly entered the range of his senses.
Lukas thought of someone with a complex expression on his face.
Sedi.
She should have been in Northern Ireland, so why was she here?
Book: 2: Chapter 70
Book 2: Chapter 70 Joffrey couldnt help but stare at the man in front of him.
What did you just say?
I said I want to move on my own.
Was this man crazy? No, maybe he meant something else.
Joffrey couldnt help but massage his temples as he asked.
Do you mean you want to move around Zinga on your own?
Yes.
You cant.
He didnt even have to think too deeply about it.
Joffreys expression became cold as he said this. Then, he continued before Lukas could argue.
You know the location of this hideout. What if the enemy captures you and the information is leaked? Can you bear the burden and responsibility for that?
This is just a temporary hideout that can be discarded at any moment. Is it necessary to take it so far?
Joffreys pupils shook slightly.
what are you talking about?
You dont have to pretend.
There wasnt even the slightest quiver in the voice that rang in his ear. This wasnt just the sound of confidence. It was one of absolute certainty.
Joffrey sighed.
how did you know?
It was Lee Jong-hak, not a member of the Gray Sun, who brought us here. In the end, an outsider is still an outsider. There is no way that Lee Jong-hak would be introduced to the groups main hideout, one that probably contains many secrets.
Kaisa had not shown any disapproval at Lee Jong-haks act of bringing strangers into their hideout unannounced. This proved that this hideout wasnt very important.
There was also another reason.
Since the very first day, they had not seen Elijah again. And Lukas had sensed him leave the hideout before the first day had even ended.
Zinga was a relatively large city. So it was almost guaranteed that the Gray Sun had numerous hideouts hidden throughout the city. And Elijah was likely wandering from hideout to hideout while relaying his commands.
youre right. This hideout is temporary at best, so it wouldnt be much of a loss if it was discovered or destroyed. However, it still isnt a good idea for a Wizard to go out alone. I cant allow you to. Even if you were an Archmage, it would be dangerous to move around this city on your own.
Lukas looked at Joffrey for a moment before opening his mouth.
Did Elijah Kipatosh say anything about me?
!
Joffrey couldnt hide his shock.
Things about him.
He did.
Elijah had said that whatever Lukas said, he should respect his opinion and listen to him as much as possible.
hoo.
Joffrey sighed heavily.
His boss had given him orders that he hadnt been able to understand at the time. Of course, regardless of whether he could understand or not, there had never been a time when Joffrey had disobeyed his orders.
And this time was no exception.
* * *
Lukas had earned the right to move on his own.
But he couldnt leave immediately. This was because there was the condition that he should match the time when Lee Jong-hak and the others left to carry out their operation.
They had already finished searching for the best spot to carry out their attack, and they were likely to move at sunset.
Fighting when the sun was up was incredibly advantageous when fighting against Demons, but the Vampire Dukes double only moved after the sun had set.
This was obviously to avoid the sun. In fact, it was possible that the double was also a fairly high-ranked Demon.
At first, Lukas hadnt intended to go out on his own. Hed thought it would be better to travel through the city using Ghost as he had in the previous city.
But Sedi had come to this city all of a sudden. And there was a high chance that it was because she wanted to meet him.
Why did she come here?
He hadnt killed any Demons. Lukas had thoroughly kept his word to Sedi.
Or had she noticed that hed destroyed the minds of the two Demons in the previous city?
The chances were low, but he decided to be prepared if it was true.
Ugh
Then Lukas heard a soft groan.
He turned to the side and saw Joanna. She was looking at a notebook while pulling at her hair. Her fair forehead was also wrinkled.
It was the same notebook that she took out whenever she had the time.
Of course, Lukas still wasnt sure exactly what was written in it.
Then their eyes met.
Joanna instantly got rid of her agitated expression and instead replaced it with her usual, nonchalant look. It was as though she was managing her image.
What is it?
Id like to see it.
He didnt know why, but the answer didnt come for a while.
Joanna was silent for a long time before she finally answered in a slightly snappy manner.
Its just some spells and magical formulas.
Formulas?
Wanna see it?
After saying that, she threw the book without warning.
Lukas easily plucked it out of the air and skimmed through it. The entire book was tattered and stained from how many times it had been read.
Compared to the shabby exterior, however, the contents were still legible.
It was obvious that Joanna had read this book countless times. But it didnt appear to be something she cherished.
This could be seen from her act of throwing it just a moment ago or the fact that the cover of the book was in such poor condition.
Lukas looked at the first page.
Then the interest on his face became more and more prominent the more pages he turned.
It gets progressively harder.
Yes.
Lukas looked through the notebook, unable to hide his admiration. The spells and magic formulas in it were quite sophisticated.
Many of them were things that were difficult to calculate when considering the current level of magical science in this universe.
Where did you get this book?
I got it from somebody I know.
These words were said in a very hesitant voice. So Lukas didnt press her any further as he could tell that she didnt want to talk about it.
Lukas looked through the entire book to the end before nodding once with a pleased expression on his face.
Then he turned to a page that hed noticed before handing the book back to Joanna.
This spell, if you use it, Im sure it would be of great help during your mission.
Joanna smiled bitterly.
Well, I guess so.
Cant you use it?
Of course I can.
At Joannas level, she would be able to use any of the spells in the book. This particular spell didnt require much mana either.
Lukas looked down at the book for a moment before realising the problem.
You cant read the magic formula.
Yeah.
Joanna nodded without being embarrassed. She spoke as if it was natural and instead looked at Lukas strangely.
Lukas kept looking at the book, seemingly lost in thought.
Do you have a pen?
I do. Why?
I was thinking of giving you some advice.
Ahahaha.
Joanna let out a rare laugh, but she still handed her pen to him without hesitation.
There are empty pages in the book, so feel free to use those.
Lukas nodded before he began to move the pen with ease.
His eyes and hands were focused on the book while his thoughts bounced around.
Lukas then asked.
What type of magic do you mainly use?
Fire magic.
Then what? Tell me your proficiencies in order.
Healing, Wind, and Water.
This was clear proof of some form of development.
He was sure that Joanna would not have answered this question when they first met. In fact, he couldnt help but feel that she was a little obedient now.
Lukas occasionally asked Joanna more questions, but throughout this time, the pen never stopped moving.
He asked things like the number of spells she could cast at once and how many she could have active at the same time.
They were key questions that could allow someone to accurately pinpoint just what level a Wizard was at, so Joanna was a little surprised.
Hes pretty meticulous.
While she had this thought, Lukas handed the book back to her.
Ive written down some interpretations and comments. Read it first and tell me if theres anything you dont understand. Theres still some time before the mission.
hey. This book is about
?
When she saw Lukas puzzled expression, she didnt have the heart to mock him. So she simply shook her head with a sigh.
Hoo. No, its nothing.
After saying that, she looked down at the notebook.
Then she read through it slowly.
At first, there was nothing but indifference and annoyance on her face, but after a while, curiosity and interest blossomed in her eyes.
huh?
Then came the surprise.
Joannas eyes shook slightly and appeared shocked. sea??h th N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
But soon, she fell completely silent.
ah.
Joanna muttered dumbly.
She looked up at Lukas for a moment before burying her nose in the notebook once again. Her expression was strange.
Joanna started reading the notebook with a much more serious attitude than before. Her expression also changed constantly.
At first, she had an expression of doubt and suspicion, which then switched to one of denial before finally settling on disbelief.
This, this, this
this?
This isnt possible!!
Joanna let out a scream. She leaped up from out of her seat and pointed a trembling finger at Lukas.
Wh-, wha-, what the hell are you?! Who the hell are you?!
Why are you asking that so suddenly?
Hed never seen Joanna so shocked.
She usually tried to maintain a dignified image with everything she did. But now, it seemed like shed forgotten all about that.
What the hell do you mean so suddenly?! You, do you know what the magical formulas written in this book are?!
No. What are they?
Joanna swayed slightly and stumbled, looking as if her soul had been sucked out. It took her a few moments before she could regain her balance.
Then she walked over to Lukas and tapped him on the chest with the notebook.
The biggest conundrums in Magical Science!
Huh?
Joanna shouted with a voice filled with frustration.
All of the spells and formulas in this book are the biggest conundrums of modern magical science that no Wizard has been able to decipher!!
ah.
No wonder she was so shocked
Book: 2: Chapter 71
Book 2: Chapter 71 The sun finally set.
Lukas couldnt help but recall how fiercely Joanna had protested in the room.
We have to take Frey with us! If you dont take him, youll regret it! Seriously!
Despite her strong claims, Joanna was still practically dragged away by Lee Jong-hak without getting her way.
They seemed to have left through another exit, but Lukas used the same angel statue that theyd used the last time.
Click
After the statue opened, Lukas poked his head out of the hole. As expected, there wasnt a single person nearby.
Hoo.
He took a deep breath.
The air wasnt fresh because the area had been corrupted, but it was still better than the air in the sewer.
Lukas climbed out of the entrance. He could feel Sedis aura not so far away. And it seemed that she still had no intention of hiding her presence.
He headed towards her.
After a brief walk, he entered a dark back alley. In it, he saw Sedi standing between a dumpster and a pile of corpses.
Her pitch black hair cascaded down her back like an ebony curtain, and she was uniquely beautiful in a distinctly inhuman way.
Lukas couldnt help but think about his old companion as he looked at Sedi, but he soon shook his head slightly.
His gaze turned from Sedi to the corpses lying on the ground.
Before he could even identify to whom they belonged, he heard a cold voice.
Theyre Demons. I killed them.
Why?
As I said before, fools who dont know their place deserve to die.
you came here to meet me, didnt you?
Thats right.
Sedi looked at Lukas face for a moment.
It was only after a few minutes passed when Lukas realised she was hesitating.
Letip said that in this universe
Suddenly.
Hundreds of bats flew down from the sky. These bats all had ominous, blood-colored fur, wings that were several times larger than their bodies, and, above all, frighteningly long fangs.
These bats circled around while letting out terrifying cries for a moment before they clumped together between Lukas and Sedi.
Their bodies melted and merged together before eventually taking on a form similar to a human.
After the transformation, the figure that now stood between them was a middle-aged man with extremely pale skin. He wore a posh suit, a fedora, and a monocle. But the red horns that pierced through his fedora gave away this mans identity.
Lukas could easily tell who this man was.
The Vampire Duke.
I felt a strange presence but it suddenly disappeared. Hmmm.
After muttering to himself, Gullard looked down at the Demon corpses around him.
Who did this?
Neither Lukas nor Sedi answered him.
So you wont answer me. How fun. Youll do everything I tell you after I suck all the blood out of your bod-
Hey.
Gullard turned to look at Sedi with a confused expression.
Are you calling me like that, Girl?
Cant you see the grown-ups are talking right now?
Annoyance was clear in Sedis voice.
Im not in a very good mood right now, so get out of here if you dont want to die.
Gullards expression hardened instantly, and his gaze became cold. At the same time, it felt like the surrounding air had become colder.
A simple change in his mood had created such a profound change in his surroundings. This went to show just how powerful the Vampire Duke was.
Even Lee Jong-hak, who was currently carrying out an operation in another part of the city, would have had difficulty displaying his true ability under this pressure.
It could be said that the Vampire Duke had reached a realm of half-transcendence in which his soul was able to interact with the physical world. From the perspective of a Mortal, he was a being that was comparable to an absolute being.
To put it in a way that only Lukas would understand, Gullard was a being that was on par with a Demigod.
Unfortunately for him, his opponent was several levels higher than a Demigod.
A being who stood among the ranks of Absolutes.
Sedi.
Lukas quietly contemplated while he looked at the two from a short distance away.
The situation continued to devolve rapidly, and there were many things he hadnt figured out yet, but the sight before him seemed to be a good thing for him.
The Vampire Duke used the pseudonym Dragul Phisfounder. There were many things that Lukas wanted to ask him, but it would be extremely difficult to capture him alive with the power he currently had at his disposal.
The moment he met him in person, this speculation became a certainty.
But what if Sedi incapacitated Dragul?
No, he didnt even need that. His goal would be easily achievable as long as she just reduced Draguls power to a certain extent.
A hot wind blew across the dirty alley.
There was a brief standoff.
But it was Gullard who made the first move.
Flutter-
His body broke apart like fog before once again becoming bats that scattered in every direction.
Lukas narrowed his eyes.
Every single one of these bats was as strong as a low-ranked Demon Noble. As soon as their sharp fangs pierced its flesh, even a creature the size of an elephant would be sucked dry in an instant.
Hundreds, no, thousands of bats rushed forward like a wave that had gone past terrifying and now felt more like a disaster.
But Sedi calmly looked at this impending disaster as she summoned her soul weapon.
Paht.
A scythe that was longer than she was tall gently landed in her small white hand. At the same time, black smoke exploded from beneath her feet.
Boom!
The smoke shot out in all directions, swirling to create a large vortex. Sedi hadnt even swung her scythe yet, but a fierce gale had appeared out of nowhere.
Seeing this, the wave of bats, which had been rushing forward with fierce momentum, trembled subconsciously.
Crack crack!
Splatter!
In an instant, thousands of bats were torn apart like paper planes. Like insects that had been sprayed with insecticide, the bats collapse to the ground one after the other.
And in the downpour of flesh and blood, Sedi muttered in a grim tone.
Did you think such a paltry trick would work on me?
Flutter-
As if to answer her question, the bats, who had collapsed in pools of blood on the ground, merged once again.
Gullard stared at Sedi with wide eyes.
Thisi????n????????????????. ????????????
What the hell just happened?
Gullard was unable to process the series of events that had just transpired. Or perhaps his brain refused to process it.
One attack, one response, one stalemate. S~ea??h the Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
That alone clearly showed the difference in power between the two sides. This was a conclusion that came from their previous engagement. Their only engagement.
And it seemed that Gullard was the weaker of the two.
Who the hell are you?
See for yourself.
Sedi hugged her scythe in an alluring manner as a sadistic smile slowly spread across her face.
Feel what kind of being I am with your body. Mortal.
!!
Please dont die.
(Note: Sedi is such a badass. Love her.)
Book: 2: Chapter 72
Book 2: Chapter 72 The fight, if it could be called that, didnt last long.
Lukas looked at the terrible sight before him.
Gullard was lying on the ground, covered in blood, and Sedi was stepping on his face with her muddy feet.
Lick~
Sedi licked the blood that covered her fingers.
Her entire body was covered in blood, her own blood. But the injuries on her body were nothing but a scratch when compared to Gullard.
Nevertheless, she felt dirty.
After all, this was only a mortal.
Crunch.
Kuk!
Gullard groaned as she applied more pressure to his face.
Hed been completely overpowered. Nevertheless, there werent any signs of surrender on his face.
This caused a slight stir in Lukas heart.
A relationship built upon power. That was the best way to describe the relationships between Demons. There were no other beings who were more loyal to a forced relationship than the Demons.
One of the reasons that these beings were the most disgusting in this universe was because they submitted to the strong and oppressed the weak. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
But now, even after being defeated by Sedi, who was clearly stronger than him, Draguls fighting spirit had not been suppressed. He hadnt given up at all, and it was clear that he was looking for an opportunity to counterattack.
Just like just like a human.
Hey, Lukas.
!!
The moment Sedi called Lukas name, Dragul raised his head. Then, he looked at Lukas in shock.
Lu kas?
Ignoring his reaction, Sedi continued.
This guy is probably one of the strongest beings in this universe, right?
Right.
Her question bothered him a bit, but Lukas still nodded.
In the end, it was probably right.
There was probably no human capable of dealing with Gullard on their own. The fact that there was even a title like the Five Dukes meant that these Demons were much more powerful than their peers.
Of all the beings in this world, Dragul was definitely one of the strongest.
Hah.
Sedis expression became cold at his answer. She stared down at Dragul, whose face shed been trampling beneath her foot for a while before lifting her foot away. Then, she kicked him in the stomach.
Dragul rolled across the ground a few times before getting up and staring at Sedi, who simply smiled at his fierce glare.
I really want to kill you, but Ive decided to let you off the hook this once. But if you keep giving me attitude, you will die.
who the hell are you people?
How strange.
Sedi tilted her head to the side and muttered in a soft voice.
You, cant you feel what kind of level of existence I am?
With Gullards strength, he should have felt it from the first engagement.
The gap between his opponent and himself.
He could never win.
And yet, this Demon continued to display hostility toward Sedi. Even though he could die if she decided to change her mind.
right. Thats right.
Gullard spoke in a harsh voice, as if he was chewing the words before saying them.
I can feel some kind of irresistible aura coming from you. And its likely that any Demon weaker than me would have no choice but to obey you.
Unless they were too weak to recognise the difference in levels like those whom she had killed before.
Sedi couldnt help but make a puzzled expression.
Then why?
The only being I will ever obey is the Demon King.
So you would follow only the Demon King, even if it meant that you would die here?
Thats right.
Lukas was speechless.
There wasnt even the slightest waver in Draguls voice,
This wasnt fear or brainwashing. It was true obedience that came from the heart. No, it was devotion(1).
He never expected to see this in a Demon.
Sedis expression became strange.
In the entire multiverse, the race known as Demons only had one truly ruler. The Black Horned Demon God.
This was natural. After all, the Black Horned Demon God was the first Demon. An embodiment of the purest hatred. And regardless of where they were born, all demonic beings were bound to him in a similar manner to the way one would be bound to their parents or ancestors. It was an inherent relationship that could not be ignored or rejected.
For example, if Sedi were to encounter a demonic being who was a higher level of existence than she was while exploring the multiverse, she would have no choice but to obey them.
There was only one reason for this.
Because that was what the Black Horned Demon God wanted.
And so was this.
It was the will of the Black Horned Demon God that caused these Demons to invade this universe.
She wasnt certain if he had predicted that the Great Game would begin soon and planned this invasion, but it was clear that these Demons were the Demon Gods creation, his children.
And yet, this being did not obey Sedi. There was only hatred and hostility in his gaze.
What was the reason?
Was it the presence of the Demon King who made them submit to him?
Was it an unexpected change caused by a random probability?
Or perhaps it had a connection to the upcoming Great Game.
Sedi wasnt sure. And she also had the feeling that she wouldnt be able to think of the answer regardless of how hard she tried.
Ha.
She snorted.
Deep thinking had never been her specialty. And she wasnt interested in it.
In any case, she understood one thing.
Capable of killing me?
It was nonsense.
Look at Gullard. He was one of the strongest beings in this universe, and yet, he was barely able to scratch her.
If Sedi had fought with her full strength instead of being so careful, the stupid fight would have been even more ridiculous.
It wouldnt have even been a fight.
Letip was wrong.
There was no threat to her life in this world. It simply didnt exist.
She turned her head to look at Lukas. He seemed to be using some kind of magic to hide his rough appearance, but it wasnt difficult for her to see his true self beneath it.
My business is over.
what?
I said my business with you is over.
Her pride had been bruised.
Sedi clicked her tongue.
She should never have taken that bastard Letips words seriously. She couldnt believe that shed become apprehensive and worriedly sought out this man.
It was the first time that shed thought about relying on someone other than the Demon God she followed.
That fact made her feel even more humiliated.
She didnt want to stay there any longer. Just looking at Lukas face made her feel extremely uncomfortable.
Im leaving. Dont forget our promise. You cant kill this guy.
After saying those words, Sedi turned around and left without hesitation. It seemed that she was planning to directly return to Northern Ireland.
After she left, silence fell upon the alley.
Lukas looked at the still panting Gullard, and Gullard looked right back at him.
are you the same as that woman?
When he didnt receive an answer, a strange light shone in Gullards eyes.
Id felt a strange presence. It was strange, but at the same time, it felt familiar Thats why I came here. I thought that I wouldnt know what it was unless I checked for myself.
He was probably talking about Sedi.
She and Gullard were both beings created by the Demon God, so it was not strange that hed find her aura familiar.
But Gullards next words proved that Lukas speculation might not have been correct.
At first, I thought it was that woman. And even after fighting her, I didnt think I was wrong.
The fact that he spoke in past tense made Lukas feel strange.
It was as though he was saying that the familiar feeling didnt just come from Sedi alone.
Gullard stared deeply at Lukas.
Then, he said something that even Lukas had trouble responding to.
But after she left, I finally realised. The familiar presence that I felt wasnt from that woman. It was from you.
(Note:
1. Just a slight explanation, because this sentence was a bit hard to properly rewrite in english. The words the author used that I translated as obedience and devotion, in a sense, actually mean the same thing. They can both be translated as obedience. The difference is their usage. The first, translated as obedience, means obedience to a master(like from a slave) or like a soldier to their superior. The second, translated as devotion, is more like obedience to God. So basically, what its saying, is that Gullard, and possibly the other Five Dukes, basically view the Demon King as their God.
I felt that it was a really impactful sentence that lost some of its true meaning in translation, so I decided to just explain a bit.)
Book: 2: Chapter 73
Book 2: Chapter 73 This is the doubles patrol route.
Lee Jong-hak pulled out a map of Zinga and pointed at a red line that was drawn on it. Then, he pointed at a spot on the map.
And this is where we are right now. As you can see, there are a lot of abandoned buildings in this area, and there arent any people here.
Its really eerie.
Joanna looked around while saying this.
When shed first entered Zinga, she saw many people walking along the various streets. But this place was desolate. It looked like it had been left unattended for decades.
As I said earlier, there is a high chance that this is a trap.
Despite his chilling words, Lee Jong-haks voice was calm.
This was quite strange.
His words should have brought some amount of tension, but his tone was calm, so those listening to him were also able to remain calm.
Moreover, everyone knew that he was right.
This was a trap.
It had already been about four days since Lee Jong-hak had killed Keegan and the other hunters.
It was likely that the Demons in the city had thoroughly searched the entire city in search of Lee Jong-hak but had been unable to find a single trace.
Nevertheless, they must have realised one thing.
That Lee Jong-hak was in the city for the Vampire Duke.
Therefore, they decided to have the Vampire Duke double patrol the city, making sure to visit abandoned and deserted locations. These locations were definitely the best for anyone who intended to launch an attack.
Since the Vampire Duke had locked down the city, they knew that Lee Jong-hak and the Gray Sun were still here.
Nevertheless, they still allowed the double to patrol the city and head to such places where there was a high likelihood of being attacked. This meant that it was a trap.
Despite realising this, Lee Jong-hak and Elijah didnt back down.
One of the reasons for this was Joannas cooperation. After all, she was a 7 star Wizard, someone the Gray Sun had never been able to work with. With her there, they would be able to cope with the situation even if something unexpected happened.
Theyre here.
Before long, a middle-aged man wearing an impressive suit and fedora appeared. On both sides of him were men with very large physiques who appeared to be bodyguards.
A fire lit within Lee Jong-haks eyes.
They had already run simulations of this operation countless times before making their move. It would be Lee Jong-hak who made the first move.
He estimated the distance to the double. He was still tens of meters away. It was not yet in Lee Jong-haks range.
So first of all, he had to wait. Wait for them to come a bit closer.
The first sense of strangeness came from his palms. Lee Jong-hak suddenly realised that his hand, which was gripping his sword, was covered in sweat.
Then, he felt a bead of cold sweat drip from his chin.
It was pressure.
A ridiculous pressure was pressing down on his entire body.
And this terrifying pressure came from none other than the double.
Whats going on?
Just looking at him made it hard for him to breathe. And with every step closer that he took, his heart thumped heavily in his chest like it was about to explode.
Lee Jong-hak had faced Duke-level Demons before. After all, hed been defeated at the hands of a Duke in Shanghai not so long ago.
The fear and pressure that he felt now was comparable to then.
No. In fact.
its stronger than back then.
It wasnt just Lee Jong-hak who was shocked. The other hunters around him were also shaking and panting.
HuffHuff
Whats going on? What the hell
Lee Jong-hak couldnt help but gulp slightly as he looked at the double in front of him.
Double A double?
This man walking towards them.
Is he really a double?
* * *
Huff Huff
The 67th floor of the North America Headquarters, Pilsky Tower.
Min Ha-rin, who was drenched in sweat, panted heavily. She didnt even have the energy to brush the hair that was sticking to her face away.
While swaying as though she would collapse at any moment, she stared at the man standing in front of her.
American Hunter Vincent J. Heider.
The personal tutor whom Neil Prand had assigned to Min Ha-rin and one of the few Magic Swordsmen in the region.
Of course, being a Magic Swordsman didnt mean that he could use both magic and swordsmanship at the same time. After all, the danjeon and mana room were incompatible. One could only have one or the other.
Instead, Vincent could be classified as a Wizard who trained his body.????????n????e????????. ????o
In truth, when they first met, Min Ha-rin had been very skeptical about his skills. There was only one reason for this. When he was introducing him, Neils attitude had been quite lackluster.
Shortly after Lukas left, Neil came to visit her. And after asking her a few trivial questions, he brought Vincent to her without any real consideration.
And all he said was a short sentence.
Take care of this woman.
Vincent had simply glanced at Min Ha-rin and nodded without any complaints.
Understood.
I already have a Master.
Displeased, Min Ha-rin had said these words in a cold voice. What she wanted was just the renowned North American curriculum. She didnt need someone to teach or guide her.
Vincent had responded in a blunt voice.
I dont consider you my disciple either. I dont want to teach you. You simply have to fight me.
Huh?
What and how much you get from our spars will depend entirely on your own capabilities.
The sparring had begun that very afternoon, and it widened Min Ha-rins knowledge exponentially.
A being who used both magic and their own body.
A versatile profession with the perfect balance.
It was a very exhausting fighting style, but Vincent was able to perfectly bring out his full capabilities.
Showing 100% of your power was something that was easier said than done. Especially if you were focused on two areas at the same time instead of one.
With that in mind, the concentration that Vincent displayed in battle was amazing.
Maybe I should walk on a similar path.
It was just a vague thought at the moment, but it still appeared in her mind.
Thatll be all for today.
Vincent looked down at his watch before speaking.
Their spars usually lasted from 30 minutes to an hour. This might have been short, but for Min Ha-rin, it felt even longer than the remaining 23 hours. It was a hellish time in which she felt intense pain that made her want to constantly give up.
But she wouldnt just quit because of the pain she felt every time they fought.
Just as Min Ha-rin was going over the days spar in her head, the door to the hall opened and a man walked in. sea??h th n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
It was a man with short, blonde hair, a large, muscular body, and a cold aura.
This was none other than Neil Prand, President of the Hunter Association.
When she first met this powerful man, Min Ha-rin couldnt help but feel a bit intimidated, but after meeting him numerous times in a row, most of the initial surprise and intimidation faded.
Its still pretty uncomfortable, though.
Neil looked at Vincent and Min Ha-rin with his distinctive cold stare.
It seems your spar has ended. Both of you, follow me.
now?
Min Ha-rin couldnt help but look down at her body, which was covered in sweat, but Neil nodded coldly.
Right. Its especially important for you.
Since he said it like that, it meant that she probably didnt have a choice.
Discarding her plan to take a shower before eating and resting, Min Ha-rin rose from her seat.
After they all climbed onto the elevator, Neil pressed the button for the 180th floor. When this happened, Vincents expression briefly became strange. His eyes turned to glance at Min Ha-rin for a moment, but that was all. In the end, he kept his mouth closed.
Ding-
The elevator opened, and Min Ha-rin was immediately made speechless.
What was revealed was a large, dark room that was filled with countless monitors. Each of the monitors was different, and so were the things displayed on them.
!
Min Ha-rin couldnt hide her surprise.
The screens vividly displayed images of numerous cities. Not just those in North America but even those that were thousands of kilometers away.
Among them was Min Ha-rins hometown, Busan.
I thought most of humanitys science and technology was lost
She couldnt believe such high-tech equipment still existed.
Min Ha-rin gulped subconsciously.
She could hardly imagine how much power, technology, and information North America probably had.
The floors from the 180th floor and up are called the Royal Floors. They are normally places to which only executives in North America are given access.
That was probably why Vincent showed signs of discomfort. From his perspective, Min Ha-rin was an outsider.
It wasnt just Vincent either.
While they moved around busily, many people looked at Min Ha-rin with curious or suspicious gazes. But they didnt say anything because Neil was standing beside her.
After a short while, Neil led her to a monitor.
Click-
Only ominous sounds were being output from the monitor. Neil looked at this noisy monitor for a moment before speaking.
When was the last time you saw Leo Freeman?
Huh?
Min Ha-rin tilted her head to the side at the sudden question. Moreover, the question was a bit strange.
But Neils gaze remained locked onto the screen. Vincent twitched slightly behind them as if to indicate that she should answer.
maybe about a week or so ago? He left around that time.
Leo Freeman wasnt in Manhattan at the moment.
At Neils judgement, her junior brother had left the city.
She didnt know where exactly he went, but he had most likely gone to Canada.
There was only one reason for that.
Unlike Min Ha-rin, he hadnt been able to get a good tutor who was staying in the North America Headquarters.
But why was Neil bringing up Leos name now?
Have you ever heard of the Five Dukes?
I have.
Dukes were called inescapable catastrophes and natural disasters by humans.
And among them, there was a group who was particularly strong.
It had been less than five years since the Hunter Association had learned of its existence.
Of course, this information was still confidential for ordinary hunters and civilians, but Min Ha-rin, who had once been a Titled Hunter, knew about them.
I see. Then Ill just say it bluntly. Leo Freeman is missing. And its likely that he is either captured or dead.
huh?
To be precise, most of the hunters from the Canada branch are in the same situation.
What are you talking about?
you will better understand after seeing it for yourself.
At that moment, an image finally appeared on the monitor that had only been giving off strange sounds.
And when she saw what it displayed, Min Ha-rins eyes widened.
Book: 2: Chapter 74
Book 2: Chapter 74 Their eyes met.
In that instant, Lee Jong-hak got goosebumps all over his body.
The distance between them was 20 meters. At this distance, Lee Jong-hak was confident in avoiding any attacks even if he was shot at with a machine gun.
However, the doubles attack was completely unexpected.
A tongue.
A bright red tongue shot out of the doubles mouth.
It was a bizarre attack that might have seemed ridiculous at first, but it was too fast.
Even Lee Jong-hak was unable to respond to the attack before it reached them, and the results were catastrophic.
Puk!
K-, uk
Camilla looked down at her chest with wide eyes. The blood red tongue had pierced through her heart.
Gurk!
After vomiting a mouthful of blood, she reached out a trembling hand to Joffrey.
Jo-, frey
Camilla!
Joffrey let out a thunderous shout, drew his machete, and cleaved down upon the tongue.
Clang!
But the sound he heard was similar to when two metal objects struck each other.
Joffrey looked down at the tongue in astonishment.
There wasnt even the slightest scratch on this thin, red tongue.
Th-, this doesnt make sense
His wrist throbbed painfully. It felt like hed struck a hard metal rod, not a tongue.
Joffrey couldnt help but shudder inwardly.
He felt like this tongue had the strength to cut an entire house in half
Spit.
The tongue then slithered back to where it came from.
Slurp.
The double then licked his lips with the tongue that should have been too long to fit in his mouth.
Wh-, what the hell
Joanna couldnt help but step back with a pale face.
A tongue? Killing people with nothing but a tongue? Was it only because Camilla wasnt skilled enough to avoid it?
I, I couldnt even react.
A moment ago, if the tongue had aimed for her instead of Camilla
It would be Joannas body that was cooling down at that moment.
Its different.
This was a being who was fundamentally different.
Her body felt like it was suppressed by an irrational fear that shed never experienced with any Demon before.
At that moment, she could only think of one word, death.
Ca-, Camilla!
Joffrey still hadnt come back to his senses. He held Camillas bloody body with despair etched on his face.
Lee Jong-hak shouted.
You have to get your act together!
W-, we need to treat Camilla first! Jo-, Joanna! Is there anything you can do?
I, Im a Wizard
Dammit! Lets stop the blood first! If its like this, shell!
Shes already dead!
Joffrey shivered uncontrollably at Lee Jong-haks words.
Dont turn a blind eye to the truth and try to deceive yourself! She died instantly! Her heart has been destroyed!
A-, ahh
Joffrey slowly lowered his head and muttered.
It was It was too simple She died for nothing
it is something that we were all prepared for.
There is something that every hunter had to do before stepping onto the battlefield.
And that was to prepare themselves to accept the deaths of their comrades.
They didnt have to be prepared for their own deaths since they usually wouldnt realise it anyway. But the death of a comrade was impossible to ignore.
The death of someone with whom you had laughed and talked to about life and the future, and to whom you had gradually grown closer, was something that would engrave itself in your mind.
It was something that could shatter even the firmest of wills, and it broke minds.
Lee Jong-hak bit his lip.
Nevertheless, how many people could get used to the deaths of their comrades?
No, you should never get used to it.
The moment they got used to it was the moment their minds broke completely.
Then, they would be no different from puppets dancing on the battlefield.
He could see the double looking at them calmly. His hands were resting relaxedly at his sides, and there was even a soft smile on his lips.
double?
No.
This guy was no double.
Are you the real Vampire Duke?
Hahaha
The Vampire Duke, Gullard, laughed happily. He didnt answer the question. Instead, he looked at Lee Jong-hak with unbridled interest.
Lee Jong-hak. Do you know how happy I was when I learned that youd come to this city? It felt as though a large fish had finally swam into my carefully woven net.
Well, just when I thought Id gotten my hands on you, you slipped away.
Gullard added this part inwardly as he continued to observe Lee Jong-hak.
Did you want to meet me?
Of course.
Why?
There are some things Id like to ask you. Thats the only reason youre still alive.
Lee Jong-hak kept his eyes trained on Gullard as he sent a sound transmission to both Joanna and Joffrey, who were standing beside him.
[Ill make an opening somehow. So when you get the chance, dont hesitate to run away.]
An opening? Against that monster?
It wasnt possible.
Joanna didnt even dare to look at Gullard. Just being near him made her tremble with fear and feel like she would collapse to the ground.
Joffrey was the same. Hed only been able to act in such a way because of the anger that came with Camillas death. But under the overwhelming pressure that Gullard released, anger soon became terror.
For them, even Lee Jong-hak, who was still able to speak to such a being, was also a monster.
The Chester Company had organised an event in Italy not so long ago. It was quite large. and many nobles participated in it. From what I heard, some pretty good products were supposed to be put on display.
You were one of those products, Human Dragon, Lee Jong-hak. However, you escaped together with a group of slaves. And somehow, in that mess, Duke Sandro went missing.
Gullards mouth twisted into a sneer.
No. Sandro didnt go missing. Sandro didnt respond to the Kings summons, so its better to assume that he died. Do you understand what that means? A Duke died. And he disappeared without a trace, as though hed simply evaporated.
Lee Jong-hak couldnt help but clench his fist at those words. The image of a blonde man flashed in his mind.
Gullard chuckled happily when he saw this.
The expression on your face shows that you must have an idea of what happened. Thats good. I wont kill you just yet, so
It was then.
Gullards expression became hard, and he stopped talking for a moment. With a fierce expression on his face, he jerked his head in another direction, and he seemed to be looking into the distance.
What is this
An opportunity!
An opening that might have been the first and the last.
Lee Jong-hak shot towards Gullard.
* * *
Lukas disappeared from the sight of Gullard, who was looking his way.
Just a moment ago, hed been looking down at the dirty alley where Gullard was.
Gullard was fighting against Lee Jong-hak and the others in the distance.
And the Gullard who had been defeated by Sedi fled after saying those questionable words to Lukas.
I see.
He now understood why the double existed.
And it should have been the same reason why the Gullard on this side had been defeated by Sedi so easily.
The Demon titled the Vampire Duke. He had managed to see his essence to an extent. sea??h th N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
He couldnt deal with the Vampire Duke at that moment. At best, he would only be able to stall him. And in that time, it was likely that not just Camilla but Lee Jong-hak, Joffrey and Joanna would also die.
He needed more power.
Nevertheless, he now knew how to deal with Gullard.
Fwoosh.
For a moment, Lukas eyes became white and his vision stretched to the middle of the desert, about a thousand kilometers away from Zinga.
After all, it was best to leave the Demon hunting to the professionals.
Book: 2: Chapter 75
Book 2: Chapter 75 Joanna stared at Lee Jong-haks back.
Hed shot down towards Gullard with explosive speed. The force of his charge was so powerful that it felt like he could use his sword to cut through even steel like it was tofu.
She couldnt help but feel that having this man on their side was more reliable than having a thousand hunters.
Or at least that would have been the case if they were in a different situation.
Now, Joanna couldnt help but think that Lee Jong-hak was in a very precarious situation.
Hed just spoken confidently, saying that he would give them a chance to run away.
And not long afterwards, Gullard revealed an opening.
Joanna had noticed it too. Nevertheless, she failed to respond to it as quickly as Lee Jong-hak did.
This was because she was unsure. There was a chance that Gullard had revealed this opening on purpose.
However what if it really was the first and last chance?
I dont know.
Her brain wasnt working properly. If Joanna had been in Lee Jong-haks position, she definitely wouldve missed the opportunity.
But Lee Jong-hak didnt hesitate. As soon as he saw the opening, he immediately drew his sword and swiftly closed the distance to his opponent.
In a way, it was no different from a moth leaping into flames.
Kuk!
She felt Joffreys presence fade. Hed turned and began running away without any hesitation. Hed obediently listened to Lee Jong-haks words.
Joanna was about to join him before she paused.
Really?
Was this really the best option?
Leave everything to Lee Jong-hak and run away?
No. Technically speaking, it wasnt running away. This could be considered a strategic retreat.
She could guess what Joffrey was thinking. It was possible that he intended to reach all of the Gray Sun members in the city and ask for reinforcements. Maybe Elijah Kipatosh would also come to help.
But would their presence change the situation?
Would the Vampire Duke be put at a disadvantage if the dozens of Gray Sun members, including Elijah, joined the battle?
Joanna shook her head inwardly. She was certain that it was absolutely impossible.
Sh*t.
Joanna bit her lip as she finally realised.
There was no best answer for the current situation. The moment during which it was possible to find the best answer had already elapsed. To put it simply, the best answer would have been to not partake in this operation in the first place.
Kuaack!
At that moment, she heard a scream from behind. It was Joffreys voice.
Joanna turned around in a hurry.
Joffrey lay on the ground, his body crushed by two large men.
Those are
The men who had been standing on either side of Gullard. No, they were Demons.
Shed obviously seen them walking beside Gullard before the confrontation began, so why were they so far away now?
It has to be!
It was because of Gullards presence. Despite being the size of a normal human, it felt like he was so large that he filled the entire street. And because of this, she hadnt noticed when they had disappeared. Sarch* The ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Joannas back was instantly covered with cold sweat.
It was clear that these two Demons had been monitoring the area. They must have been tasked with finding any other hunters that might be hiding or killing anyone who tried to run away.
She got goosebumps.
If shed tried to flee with Joffrey, she would have died similarly.
Clang!
In the meantime, it seemed Lee Jong-hak had begun to fight. He was squeezing all the energy out of his body to the point where it seemed he even wanted to use his soul as fuel.
Even Joanna, who didnt know anything about swordsmanship, could tell how desperately he was fighting.
Nevertheless, Gullard simply smiled as he avoided all of the attacks with ghost-like movements. It didnt seem like he had any intention of attacking.
Maybe he intended to capture him.
The stronger the Demon, the more obsessed they were with enslaving strong humans.
Joanna looked back once again.
The Demons just stood where they were with their arms crossed, showing no signs of approaching her.
Right. So they really were only ordered to kill any escapees.
Crunch.
Joanna grit her teeth.
Theyre looking down on me
If she were her old self, she might be trembling in fear at that moment. But now, the emotion that Joanna felt most was humiliation.
Because.
She had been chosen by the God of Magic.
Ignoring her was no different from ignoring him.
Ill do it even if I die.
Even if she lost her life, she would wipe away that disgusting smile.
It was possible that she would die. And it scared her greatly.
But after reaching this point, she couldnt help but throw away the thought of surviving.
Since she was going to die anyway, she might as well do it on her own terms.
I wonder what hes doing right now
When she thought about that aloof, gray-haired man, she couldnt stop herself from smiling slightly.
They were just beginning to grow closer, but it was a pity. It seemed that their journey together was about to come to an end.
Nevertheless, she couldnt help but feel relieved.
That man didnt come here, so it meant that at least one of them would survive.
Ill use a spell he deciphered for me.
It was a spell that was written in her notebook. The magic formula had been discovered a long time ago, but no one had been able to decipher it.
It was a spell that had never appeared in this world.
Naturally, this also meant that shed never practiced it. It could be considered fortunate that shed even managed to force herself to remember the formula.
Still.
She had no choice but to attempt it.
Recalling the formula, Joanna began to cast the spell.
The vine coiled in the darkness.
Her loud voice rang out.
Casting spells was a type of self-hypnosis, so there was no fixed chant. Instead, it depended on the mind of the caster.
The important thing was to have the ability to properly decipher the formula and how to direct your mana.
Wriggling like the tongue of a serpent.
That was why bluffing was a major part of Joannas chant. For her, chanting spells was also a type of performance.
Trap my enemies in thorns sharper than poisonous fangs.
Her mana was raging.
This spell wasnt for offensive purposes. It wasnt for defense either.
It was a spell that limited the opponents movements. It was a trapping or binding spell.
Joanna finally revealed the name of the spell she was casting.
Restrain, Medusa!
* * *
About a decade ago, there was a topic that was the most frequently mentioned in conversations between hunters.
No, it was a topic that interested everyone involved in Demon hunting.
Who is the strongest hunter?
It was a discussion that usually began as a light conversation, but it often ended with a conversation of fists.
Numerous names were listed, and new ones were added every day.
Cha Gung-hwan, who was retired but led the Asian hunters with outstanding skills.
The Three Dragons of East Asia who had just started making a name for themselves.
Neil Prand, the President of the Hunter Association and the Wizards Association.
Oceanias Champion, Captain.
Nina Rednikova, who raged as the Head of the Iron Blood Division in Europe
There were dozens of people who were well-known outside of their own countries. But if those who were relatively less well-known or who werent famous at all were included, then the list would be so long that it would take days to read.
Nevertheless, they werent able to reach an answer. In the first place, it was a topic that was difficult to determine in the first place.
Due to the nature of hunters, they rarely fought against their fellow humans or compared their strengths. Sometimes, duels of life-and-death battles were held, but they were extremely rare, and there were cases where people died.
In addition, because of the different characteristics of each profession, fighting in a limited space would not allow for fair competition.
It was at that time when a columnist from Brooklyn, Jack Brewbaker, approached the issue in a one directional manner.
He discussed the role of a hunter.
Their essence was hunting, and their enemies were the Demons, not their fellow human beings.
So why not compare their performances instead?
Ignoring status, honour, rumors, and even their true strength. Only looking at their hunting performances.
The results from this approach came much sooner than anyone would have expected.
It turned out that there wasnt much of a difference in the hunting performances of the various top-class hunters.
And for a long time, the seat of Strongest Hunter remained empty.
Unless all of the top class hunters came together and fought to the death, the strongest hunter would never be revealed.
That was the conclusion that was reached.
Then, a few years later, the Top Three appeared.
Three hunters whose unbelievable achievements and unparalleled feats that no other hunter could compare to.
Among them was Kran, who was given the title Strongest.
But the sources from each group never considered him to be the Strongest Hunter.
After all, his performance was still comparable to the Black Witchs and the Saint of Salvations.
Some people said that Krans achievements were exaggerated because he only worked alone.
But those voices had disappeared not long ago.
Because Kran had accomplished a feat that should have been impossible for humans.
Book: 2: Chapter 76
Book 2: Chapter 76 Shortly after Lukas, who had flown to the desert, landed, the first thing that greeted him was a dagger.
Clang!
It was an attack that had probably been aimed at his eye. Luckily, the dagger bounced off the barrier that constantly surrounded him.
The man who threw the dagger jumped lightly and caught the dagger that had been sent flying through the air. Then, he drew a sword that hung at his waist and swung in a lightning-fast motion.
!
Lukas couldnt help but raise an eyebrow.
This attack was also blocked by the barrier, but the weight of this attack was very different from that of the dagger he threw.
This
It couldnt handle it.
The moment he had this thought, his barrier shattered like a piece of glass. The man twirled the dagger in his hand before swinging it.
Woosh.
Lukas avoided the attack by a hairs breadth. Hed aimed for his carotid artery without hesitation. He didnt show any restraint in his attacks.
Immediately after missing his attack, the man kicked upwards. This time, he was aiming for his chin.
Lukas blocked the attack with his palms.
Paak!
Even though he blocked the attack perfectly, heavy shock still flowed through his hands. Unable to overcome it, Lukas body was sent flying into the air.
If he had been hit in the chin where the man was aiming, Lukas head would have been ripped from his body and sent flying like a soccer ball.
While Lukas was sent flying, the man drew another weapon. Upon seeing this weapon, Lukas was surprised for the first time.
It was a gun. But it wasnt a small-sized gun like a pistol. Lukas didnt know a lot about guns, but he realised that the gun this man was holding was a shotgun that had incredibly lethal power.
Boom!
Has it been modified? The sound that came from the gun was closer to an explosion than the sound of a shotgun.
Lukas dodged the bullets in the air. If he hadnt been good at using the flight spell, his body would have already become a sieve.
Even the best Wizards, like Joanna, would have died at least five times in that short exchange. This showed how lethal, varied, and strange this mans attacks were.
More importantly, Lukas didnt believe he was even using his full strength yet.
The man narrowed his eyes slightly. This was because Lukas, who had avoided all of the bullets with strange movements in the air, suddenly disappeared.
Snap-
At the same time, an invisible force broke his shotgun in half.
Clicking his tongue, the man threw the gun to the side. Then, he slowly turned around. Lukas was standing behind him.
Ive never seen a Demon who could use magic.
This man, one of the Top Three, Kran, finally opened his mouth and spoke with a blunt tone.
He only spoke after his barrage of attacks.
Besides
Lukas expression became strange as he looked at Kran.
Now that he could see him up close, he realised that this was a much more bizarre and chaotic being than he expected.
Do I look like a Demon?
Kran didnt answer immediately. Instead, he looked down at his sword. The blades edge had been completely destroyed. This was the consequence of smashing Lukas barrier.
This sword was a magic sword that was once used by a Baron, and it was at least five times stronger than steel. And yet, it had become like this just from hitting a barrier.
As I said, Ive never seen a Demon who could use magic.
Then
However, that doesnt mean that its not possible. After all, you feel different from any Wizard Ive ever encountered before.
Lukas shook his head.
Im not a Demon.
Then you must be something thats even more suspicious than a Demon.
His cold voice contained clear hostility.
Lukas couldnt help but sigh. He didnt have the time to convince Kran or explain the situation right now.
Youre heading to Zinga right now. To kill the Vampire Duke, right?
And if I am?
I will help you get there right away.
Who are you?
I am
Lukas closed his half-opened mouth. He didnt know what he could say to assuage his suspicions.
It was possible that Kran wouldnt trust him, regardless of what he said. In the first place, if he was a man who was easy to communicate within the first place, he would have had a better relationship with the other forces.
He tried to think of an answer, but he kept drawing blanks.
There was nothing he could do.
Lukas decided to make an uncharacteristic decision.
Just go first.
What?
Paht.
Shortly after those words, a bright light erupted under Kran.
There was no hostility in the eruption of mana. It was too fast, and it appeared without warning. Thats why it was too late by the time Kran noticed.
Just before being swallowed by the light, Kran glared fiercely at Lukas and opened his mouth.
You crazy bas-
Paht.
Kran disappeared before he could finish his curse.
Using the Long Distance Warp spell, Lukas had sent him directly to Zinga. Without any warning or explanation.
It was a bit of a low move, but to put it simply, hed decided to act first and think about it later.
* * *
It was a simple punch without any tricks.
Lee Jong-hak blocked it with his sword. Even if an elephant were to charge at him, his body was strong enough to stop it without moving back a single step.
But the force behind the fist was like a natural disaster.
Clang!
Unable to disperse the force properly, Lee Jong-hak was sent sliding backward. He could have been proud of the fact that he hadnt fallen to the ground or that his stance hadnt been broken.
Ignoring the pain in his knees, Lee Jong-hak kicked off from the ground once again. Like a cannonball, his body shot towards Gullard.
Hed learned them.
One by one, hed learned the various sword methods that he had access to.
The Plum Blossom Sword Method, Demon Slaying Sword Method, Nine Palaces Sword Method, Tempest Sword Method, Taiqing Sword Method, Seventy Two Waves Sword Method, Thirty Six Worlds Sword Method. (Note: My brain it hurts T~T)
He learned not only the famous sword methods but also any sword method that he thought would be useful. And he didnt stop there. Instead, he practiced every single one of them constantly until the memory of their moves was embedded into his body. He swung his sword until his palms were torn and bloody.
He slept for no more than three hours a day and even skipped meals, putting his very life on the line to swing his sword.
And after familiarising himself with each one, he made them his own.
Of course, they were all different, just like different herbivores ate different plants. Each sword method was something that had been refined over hundreds of years by masters who controlled the continent in the past.
Those sword methods are already complete.
Taking them apart and putting them back together was something that would be impossible even for a genius.
So Lee Jong-hak simply reinterpreted them instead of trying to put them all together. He found that there were rules common in each sword method despite them having different paths. And by linking these common rules, he would be able to create something even greater.
Of course, Lee Jong-hak wasnt the first one to discover this.
In fact, it was something that the warriors of the past must have known as well.
Nevertheless, there had never been anyone who attempted to do it.
This was because warriors of the past took great pride in their roots.
They could never incorporate martial arts that were fundamentally different from the martial arts that they were taught. It would be an insult to the martial arts their ancestors had used their lives to refine.
Now? That was no longer the case.
Times had changed.
There was now something more important than ones pride in their roots and the martial art that theyd honed.
Survival.
Lee Jong-hak agonised over how to refine the various sword methods until his hair became white.
He thought of the origin of martial arts. Basically, martial arts were created to be used against people.
For example, if the opponent was a four-legged animal, it might not be possible to deal with them even if one had an excellent sword technique.
Muscle density, organ position, skeletal structure, size, and habits were all completely different depending on the creature.
And Lee Jong-haks enemies were such horrible creatures that even the most ferocious animals looked cute in comparison.
Demons.
Beings that were naturally stronger than humans. Beings so ferocious that the word voracious was still not enough to describe them.
They were his targets. And in order to hunt them, he needed to find the ultimate shortcut.
There was no way to defeat them in a head-on confrontation, so he would need to use tools and sly, cowardly methods to restrict his opponents strength while maximising his own. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
He refined the sword methods to form a hunting method.
That was how his sword method was born.
Lee Jong-hak called this sword method the Evil Vanquishing Sword Method. (Note: author-nim no more technique names please theyre so hard T~T)
After the creation of the Evil Vanquishing Sword Method, he gained the title Human Dragon and became a hero in East Asia.
His success story continued. His Evil Vanquishing Sword Method continued to display overwhelming power even when used against Demon Nobles. And he couldnt help but feel that his efforts had been rewarded.
That was until his first battle against a Duke in Shanghai.
Clang!
The Evil Vanquishing Sword Method, the creation of which he was so proud, was blocked.
Using nothing more than a combination of the Imperial Sword Method and Thirty Six Worlds Sword Method.
The Evil Vanquishing Sword Method
Had it reached the limit of a manmade sword method? Had all the efforts hed made so far been meaningless? Had he only been chasing an unattainable illusion?
There is a limit to a humans power.
Nodiesops voice rang out in his head.
The divine authority that hed shown and his offers were extremely alluring. So it was understandable why most Asian hunters chose to follow him.
however.
Lee Jong-hak bit his lip.
He couldnt help but wonder if there really was no price for such a sweet fruit.
There was no logical explanation for why he felt this way. However, the life that Lee Jong-hak had experienced up to that point spoke strongly.
There was nothing in this world that could be obtained for free.
Although Lee Jong-hak was visibly struggling, Gullard was also displeased with the current situation.
This was because hed had enough of their fight.
He was tired of playing with the humans.
This was usually a form of entertainment for the Demons. Especially when the opponent was someone who was considered special among the humans. These people were usually tougher than other toys, so it was more fun to play with them.
But it didnt take long for this little game to become boring.
From that point, hed been trying to end it.
But it was hard for him to do so. Because of the woman at the back.
A Wizard.
This had to be the case. After all, he could feel the mana fluctuations.
Gullard had some knowledge of magic. This was unlike the other Demons, who looked down on human techniques as crude practices that didnt need to be cared about.
This was why he could tell that the spell this girl used to freeze his body was extraordinary.
In short, if it wasnt for her interference, he would have already captured Lee Jong-hak alive.
It cant be helped.
Gullard turned to look at the Demons who were standing behind Joanna.
The two Demons who had slaughtered Joffrey.
Most humans thought that they were his subordinates. That was intentional because this way, no one would be able to realise their true nature.
He didnt order them. He didnt need to make any hand gestures. With just a thought, they would be able to do what he wanted.
The two Demons quickly narrowed the distance to Joanna.
She was probably on high alert, but that didnt matter. After all, she was just a Wizard.
Ah!
Just as Joanna turned around, someone fell from the sky.
Crack!
It was a young man who wore a thick cloak that was meant to protect him from the desert winds.
Book: 2: Chapter 77
Book 2: Chapter 77 Gullard saw everything clearly.
When the man suddenly appeared in the sky, shock was clear on his face. In an instant, he seemed to observe his surroundings, and upon realising he was in the air, he looked to see where he would land.
The mans next actions were astonishing. While still in the air, he spun his body around and drew two swords, which he then used to pierce the throats of the two Demons at the same time as he landed.
Gurk!
Kek!
Pulling his swords out of the throats of the choking Demons, the man then kicked the Demon on the left in the head.
Paak!
The Demons head was immediately ripped off and rolled across the street. Blood spurted up from the severed neck. The force of the eruption was so strong that some of the blood even managed to land on Joannas face despite her being a short distance away from them.
Even though she was being covered in red blood, Joanna couldnt help but feel that she was dreaming at that moment.
What the hell was going on?
Roar!
The other Demon lunged forward with explosive ferocity, but the man didnt seem shocked or surprised by this. Instead, he also rushed forward, narrowing the distance between them.
Then, in an incredible display of martial arts, he unleashed a brutal uppercut, aimed at the Demons already injured throat.
This caused the Demon to scream and flinch.
When he saw this, the man narrowed his eyes slightly. He glanced down at his fist for a moment before reaching down to his waist and drawing a pistol that was holstered there.
Bang!
Just one shot.
The bullet hit the Demons forehead. Normally, it was impossible to pierce a Demons flesh and bones with a bullet shot from a pistol. It was like stabbing a rock with a toothpick.
Crack!
Nevertheless, this bullet pierced through the Demons forehead and destroyed its brain before escaping through the back of its head.
The man spun the gun on his finger for a moment before returning it to its holster at his waist. It was a move that would have made even the gunslingers of the west jealous.
Silence filled the area.
Everyone was surprised by the mans sudden appearance followed by his actions.
The man looked around once more before turning to Joanna who wasnt too far away from him.
Hey.
Ye-, yes?
Is this Zinga City?
Th-, thats right.
A look of disbelief flashed in the mans eyes.
I should have been at least 1000 kilometers away
As he murmured, his tone and expression reminded her of a beast whose pride had been wounded.
Joanna couldnt help but gulp slightly.
At first, she had been too surprised to notice, but she knew this man.
She had to have. Shed seen his pictures countless times before going there. In fact, she even had a picture of him in her bag.
After all, this man was the reason shed come to Africa in the first place.
The Strongest, Kran
Kran turned around without responding to her.
He was looking at the spot where Gullard and Lee Jong-hak were standing.
It seems a troublesome guy has appeared.
Gullard turned to look at Lee Jong-hak as he muttered.
It would be really annoying if you two were to work together.
?!
Bang!
At that moment, a huge shadow struck Lee Jong-hak in the side. The attack was so fast and unexpected that Lee Jong-hak was unable to react in time and was sent flying with a shower of blood.
His body only stopped after hed completely destroyed two buildings.
Guruk!
Lee Jong-hak coughed up a mouthful of blood as he finally saw what the large shadow that hit him was.
It was a giant bat-like wing that had sprouted from Gullards shoulder.
You guys are fighting a Duke?
When Kran said those words in a slightly mocking tone, Joanna couldnt help but become a bit flustered.
Th-, that
You werent really fighting him with just the two of you, were you?
There were more of us, but they died.
But that would still only be four, wouldnt it? Youre pretty brave.
We got caught. We didnt plan on fighting him.
Didnt you guys know that there was one of the Five Dukes in this city?
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Kran snorted.
No one in that little association of yours can defeat the Five Dukes. Otherwise, that bastard Neil would have already broadcasted the news.
you know the Association President?
Kran didnt answer her question. Instead, he looked at Gullard for a moment before opening his mouth again.
You guys are pretty lucky.
Huh?
He doesnt even have half of his strength right now. Im not sure if its because he wanted to play with you or if he had some other goal.
!
Joanna almost collapsed at those words.
He didnt even have half of his strength? This being who had been playing with the Human Dragon Lee Jong-hak and whom she could only restrain for a few seconds with her spell?
Joanna took a deep breath and pulled herself together. Ever since Kran had appeared, shed shown nothing but a pathetic appearance.
She couldnt let herself show any more of it.
How do you know that?
In response to her question, which was asked in a much calmer tone, Kran pointed to the corpses of the Demons hed just killed.
Those guys are Gullard.
Huh?
He has the ability to divide himself. He can use this power as many times as he likes, but the power in his body decreases every time he splits.
Ah!
If that was the case, then it was highly likely that the Gullard double that they were after was actually an alter ego of Gullard himself.
Hahaha.
Gullard burst into laughter, but his eyes remained cold. He stared at Kran with a fierce glare.
You seem to know a lot about my power. Whom did you hear it from?
That coward in Egypt.
Gullard could no longer smile when he heard those words. Like his eyes, his expression became as cold as ice.
Hed also heard the reports that the Duke hed stationed in Egypt was dead.
And now, it seems you have come to kill me without any fear. If you hadnt come to me, I would have had to scour the entire continent to find you. So thanks for saving me the trouble.
I am a hunter.
Although he said these words in a soft tone, Krans voice sounded like the roars of a beast.
I wouldnt have come all the way here if I wasnt confident in my hunt. You will die here today.
Kuku. Right. Should I say, As expected of the Top Three
Fwoosh!
Gullards bat-like wings spread out. When they were fully extended, they were larger than many of the buildings on the street.
Return.
Ohhhh-
At that moment, all of Gullards alter egos from across the city flew to him. Gullards alter egos all took the shape of large bats, and almost all of them had something dangling from their feet.
Corpses.
They were still far away, but it was immediately clear whom those corpses belonged to.
They were members of the Gray Sun.
Flutter
Gullard accepted the alter egos one after the other. Like clay, the alter egos stuck to his body before being absorbed. And with everyone that he absorbed, the pressure that he released steadily grew stronger.
Before long, Joannas face became pale.
Urk
Shed just gotten her act together, but it seemed that her composure was about to break again.
Biting her lip, Joanna forced herself to remain calm.
Gullard must have known the location of the Gray Sun members from the start. Nevertheless, he hadnt made his move before he was certain that he would catch every single one of them.
Kuk
She bit her lip even harder.
Lee Jong-hak forced himself to stand up.
Multiple ribs had been broken, and the pain was so intense that he found it hard to breathe, but he couldnt remain on the ground at that moment.
Paht.
Finally, the last alter ego was absorbed into Gullards body. Demonic energy erupted from his body like an explosion. The enormous pressure that this energy unleashed made it hard for them to breathe.
However, Gullards expression was a bit strange. He looked as though something outside of his expectations had occurred.
What is it?
When Kran asked this in a curious voice, Gullard looked up at him.
Is this not your true power?
Of course, it wasnt.
One of his alter egos hadnt returned. It was an alter ego that had 30% of his power.
Elijah Kipatosh.
The Big Boss of the Gray Sun.
The alter ego who had 30% had naturally gone to kill him. He never thought that it wouldnt be enough. Rather, it could even be called overkill. After all, 30% of Gullards power was comparable to most ordinary Dukes.
Suddenly.
Someone appeared in the sky.
Huh?
When Joanna saw him, she couldnt help but stare blankly for a few moments.
Frey?!
Book: 2: Chapter 78
Book 2: Chapter 78 Now, he had the power.
Lukas had this thought as he looked down from the air at the people who were standing below him.
The Strongest, Kran, The Human Dragon, Lee Jong-hak, and The Archmage, Joanna.
And
Paht!
A large number of people poured out of a building on the side of the street. There were dozens of them.
All of them looked like they had barely managed to walk off of a battlefield alive, and the large man at the front of the group was someone whom Joanna was familiar with.
Elijah Kipatosh?
Mm.
Elijah looked around with a solemn expression. His eyes then settled on the corpses of Camilla and Joffrey.
We lost some of our precious people.
at least you are safe.
Right. We might not look so good, but at least were alive.
Elijah let out a deep sigh as he said those words. Originally, his troops numbered more than two hundred, but now, only a few dozen, including Elijah himself, were still alive.
Looking at the survivors who stood around him, he spoke in a bitter tone.
He knew the locations of most of our hideouts. The Vampire Dukes alter egos appeared at around the same time and launched a series of attacks. The damage we suffered was devastating.
Ah
Joanna sighed for a moment before nodding slightly.
Nevertheless since you managed to come here, you must have been able to defeat the alter ego.
We received help just in the nick of time.
Help? From whom?
Taht.
It was at that moment when Lukas landed on the ground.
While keeping his eyes on Gullard, he spoke in his normal, calm tone.
Ill be taking charge of this battle.
Joanna couldnt help but make a face when she heard this unexpected declaration.
What the hell are you talking about? Now isnt the time to be messing
We should listen to him.
Elijah?
Joanna turned around in surprise, but Elijahs expression was as serious as usual. From the firm look on his face, she could tell that he wasnt joking. He was genuinely willing to devote his full power to Lukas.
Elijah looked at the silent Lukas for a moment before speaking.
Joanna Goldberg, youre on a mission with this man, but you dont know anything about him?
What do you mean?
He is the one who helped us.
Huh?
Seeing Joannas blank stare, Elijah shook his head slightly before speaking.
He is the one who saved us from Gullards attack. Without his help, we wouldnt be here right now.
!!
Joanna stared at Lukas in shock, but his gaze was focused on someone else. Someone who was staring at him with a heated gaze as well.
Kran.
Hmph.
Kran snorted with a displeased expression, but he didnt draw his sword and attack like he had during their first meeting.
At that moment, Gullard was Krans greatest enemy.
Gullard couldnt help but stare at Lukas.
Hed just received the memory of this man after merging with his alter ego.
Hed suddenly felt a strange aura in Zinga, so hed sent an alter ego over to investigate it. There, hed seen two people standing in a dirty alleyway.
Among them was a woman
As he recalled the fight, Gullard couldnt help but shudder inwardly.
What if he hadnt sent an alter ego there and had gone there himself?
Would he have been able to defeat her?
No.
That much was easy to see. He would have lost even if hed gone there in person.
It might have been much more of a fight, but the outcome wouldnt have been very different.
And this man was someone who could talk to that unknown woman as an equal.
Lukas.
That was the name that woman had called this man by.
Lukas Lukas [Trowman].
No. It couldnt be. sea??h th N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Gullard shook his head.
This man was not a Demon. So he couldnt have set foot in the Demon World. That much was clear.
Then why?
Why did it feel like he had mana from a foreign world, like Azazel.
he probably wouldnt tell me the answer.
That much was obvious.
Gullard couldnt help but think that this man had something he wanted to know as well.
How fun.
Gullard smiled widely, revealing his sharp fangs.
This was simple. The winning side would hear what they wanted.
And Gullard didnt think that hed lose. Even if he himself was weaker than Lukas, Africa was his territory, and this city was his home.
Woosh-
Gullard spread his wings before flying up into the sky. His large black wings seemed to cover the night sky.
Ill make you regret ever setting foot in this place.
Lukas looked up at the sky before slowly opening his mouth.
He intends to one-sidedly attack from the air. Hes chosen a pretty annoying tactic.
He would be out of reach of most long range attacks.
Elijah frowned slightly at Lukas words.
Then what should we do?
First-
Suddenly.
Taaht!
Kran stomped on the ground before taking a big leap into the sky. He kicked the ground so hard that the earth shook for a moment.
Krans body, which shot into the air like a bullet, quickly hit Gullard.
Everyone in the area couldnt help but stare at this scene with their mouths agape. It was a display of physical ability that far surpassed human limits.
H-, he jumped all the way there?
Is he really human?
Lukas clicked his tongue inwardly. As expected, Kran wasnt willing to work with him.
Ill have to assist Kran. While I do that, you guys will have to take care of them.
Them?
It was at that moment when they noticed strange shadows appearing on the street.
Elijah frowned.
Demons.
Right.
Gullard wasnt the only Demon in this city.
* * *
Bang!
He twisted his shoulder to avoid the bullet. It wasnt a normal bullet that he would usually ignore.
Gullard couldnt help but glare at them while a thought ran through his head.
The Top Three were undoubtedly the most threatening and annoying beings to deal with among the humans.
Apart from that, he couldnt help but rethink the thought that those high-ranking Demon Nobles who died at their hands were fools. After all, hed always thought that no matter how strong they were, they would never exceed human limits.
This guy is different.
He was a man who seemed to be created for the purpose of hunting demons.
He used almost ten different weapons, and the number of hidden weapons that he used was innumerable.
Hes not someone who learned martial arts systematically.
It didnt seem like hed learned to use mana or divine power either.
And yet, Kran was probably the most difficult opponent Gullard had ever had to face. He always found ways to attack in the most unexpected and annoying places while they were locked in a tense brawl, creating a situation in which Gullard always suffered whenever he tried to launch an attack.
At the same time, his occasional surprise attacks caused Gullards back to become covered in cold sweat.
His primitive fighting style seemed to be based on instincts and his firsthand experience.
Nevertheless, it was a fighting style that seemed to work perfectly in battles against Demons, battles that required fast reflexes and fast judgements.
However.
Kwaak!
Gullard managed to catch his fist for the first time. Then, he increased the strength of his grip, threatening to crush the hand he was holding.
Kran didnt seem to be shocked by the pain of his fist being crushed and instead tried to pierce Gullards throat with a dagger he held in his left hand. This attack was stopped by Gullards bright red tongue.
Taht!
Nevertheless, Kran didnt stop attacking. He leaped into the air, twisted his waist to the limit and kicked.
It was like a scene from an action movie. Because hed managed to jump despite floating in the air.
The secret to this feat was his shoes. His shoes were a type of magic item which helped him move relatively freely in the air.
Nevertheless, Krans actions would have been impossible without tremendous flexibility and abdominal strength.
Crack!
However, it still wasnt enough.
Gullards wing hit Kran in the side, and his body was sent flying to the ground like a meteor.
Hahaha.
Gullard let out a deep laugh before slowly descending. Kran got up from the crater his body had created, using his sword as a cane.
If you were an ordinary human, that attack would have shattered all the bones in your body.
Then what about Kran?
He had only been slightly injured by the attack.
Gullards smile grew larger.
I see why you were able to defeat a Duke. I know what you are now.
But I have to ask. Why are you attacking me? Rather than me-
Boom!
A lightning bolt from the sky penetrated Gullards body. It was literally an attack that came without warning.
Even Kran, the strongest hunter in the world, couldnt help but be shocked by this attack.
Then, Lukas appeared behind him.
This is your chance.
Kran glared at him with clear displeasure, but he still lifted his sword and charged towards Gullard.
Such lightning!
Gullard exclaimed, white smoke escaping from his mouth.
Fwoosh!
His body once again became thousands of bats that covered the entire street.
This was a smart idea. After all, in their brief skirmish just before, hed noticed that Kran lacked a way to launch wide-range attacks.
The vampire bats tried to bite Kran with their sharp fangs. But Kran used his weapons to defeat them. He even took out grenades from his pockets and threw them into the group.
But in the end, it still wasnt enough. Modern weapons couldnt do much damage to Gullard. In the end, he would have to shoot him with special anti-demon bullets or cut each one of them with his sword. But there were too many of them.
It was at that moment when Lukas entered the battle once again.
Eye of the Typhoon.
Woosh!
A powerful gust of wind swept through the area.
Kran tensed his muscles, but the devastating winds did not affect him at all.
Kieeek-
As if they were pulled by an invisible force, the bats began gathering in one place. The intense gale forced the bats to one location as though they had a mind of their own.
Kran couldnt help but turn to Lukas in surprise.
This guy
What kind of sophisticated control was he displaying?
Such a Wizard was definitely more powerful than the head of the WIzard Association who had come to meet him last time.
Who the hell is this guy?
While forcibly suppressing his doubts about Lukas, Kran ran towards Gullard.
It was at that moment when Lukas expression changed for the first time.
Wait-
Kieek!
The bats, who had all been pushed together, let out a loud screech before exploding.
Boom!
The sound of the explosion was so powerful that it deafened everyone who heard it for a moment, and the force that followed was even more fearsome. An explosion dozens of times stronger than the grenades Kran had thrown before engulfed one of Zingas main streets. (Note:wasnt it an abandoned area?)
Blood from the bats bodies was sent flying in every direction, carried even further by the wave of explosive force.
Even Lukas, who had been standing a distance away, could not withstand the force and was sent flying into a building.
Kurk-
It seemed his head had been injured in the collision as blood trickled down his forehead.
I should avoid taking damage with this body.
Lukas wiped the blood away with an expressionless face.
If Lukas, who had been far away from the explosion, had ended up in such a state
Fwoosh!
The dust cleared, revealing Kran.
dammit.
It was a strained voice.
Calling Krans current condition horrendous was an understatement. The left side of his face had been completely destroyed, to the extent that his skull was visible. His right arm had been completely ripped off by the explosion, and both of his legs were twisted in bizarre ways.
There wasnt a single part of his body that was uninjured.
Kran stared at Lukas with his remaining eyeball.
Dont look over here.
Lukas ignored him, his eyes turning to the slowly dissipating dust cloud.
Gullard walked out of the dust without hesitation.
As expected of one of the Five Dukes. He was only slightly injured at that moment.
Why are you fighting the Demons?
why the hell are you asking something like that.
Because Im curious. And because you
Crunch
Crunch
At that moment, Krans face began to slowly return to its original form.
Flesh surged out of the bloodied stump of his torn arm and began twisting and melting together to form a new arm.
As if they had minds of their own, his twisted legs began to unravel and straighten themselves. His muscles and bones knitted back together.
In less than a minute, Kran was completely healed.
Lukas continued to look at this shocking sight.
Are not human.
Book: 2: Chapter 79
Book 2: Chapter 79 Looks like theres about a dozen or so nobles. The rest are either Demonic Humans or Demon Beast.
Elijah spoke with a heavy voice.
Ten Demon Nobles. It was fewer than he expected, but that didnt make it much better. There were only a few dozen fighters on their side.
Everyone gulped subconsciously.
The ground began to shake as monsters larger than houses with teeth larger than fists, forearms, and even larger than an adults body began to advance in unison.
With the sole purpose of completely eradicating the group of humans in front of them.
Everyone there was a veteran. Great warriors who had risked their lives countless times before.
Nevertheless, they had never felt the threat of death more than at that very moment.
Anxiety. And fear.
They could not picture a future that didnt involve them dying there.
Seeing this, Elijah prepared to speak once again, but someone beat him to it.
Thats a good number.
Elijah turned around.
There, he saw Lee Jong-hak walking forward with an unsteady gait.
Its surprising that hes even standing.
Elijah could tell that Lee Jong-hak was in a serious condition that he needed to receive medical treatment as soon as possible, but Lee Jong-hak did not show any indication of this.
Do you have any strength left?
As you can see.
Lee Jong-hak spoke briefly before taking a deep breath. He forced himself to swallow the blood that had climbed up his throat.
Maybe his condition was worse than Elijah thought. But he couldnt possibly tell him to rest and not overdo it.
Because as soon as Lee Jong-hak made his appearance, the tense expressions of everyone around them eased a little.
That was the power of fame.
A man like the Human Dragon, Lee Jong-hak, could boost the morale of those around him with simply his presence.
Knowing that Lee Jong-hak must have suppressed his desire to collapse and still came forward.
What an amazing man.
While he had this thought, Elijah turned to look over at the fight against the Vampire Duke.
The Strongest, Kran and the man Frey were there.
How strange.
The Five Dukes.
He knew how monstrous their power was.
A Duke was a being who could sink an entire island without taking a single scratch, and the Five Dukes were a step higher than other Dukes.
And yet, it was only two humans that were holding back this walking disaster.
Besides.
He didnt know why, but he didnt think that the two of them would lose easily.
After having this thought, Elijah couldnt help but let out a bitter laugh as he wondered if he was just trying to make himself feel better.
Kuaak!
Kieek! Kieek!
By this time, the Demon Beasts had already come close to them. The Demon Nobles were just watching the situation from a short distance away. They probably wanted to test their sides strength at the expense of the Demonic Humans and Demon Beasts before choosing the safest and surest moment to launch their attacks.
Disgusting bastards.
Elijah slowly took off his shirt. It was one of the things he did when he got serious in a fight.
Clothes? He didnt need them.
He was a Warrior who had finely tuned his muscles until they were stronger than armor.
The teeth of the Demon Beasts would only scratch him at most.
Kuuk-
Today.
Strange steam began to erupt from Elijahs body.
Were going to have the fiercest fight of our lives.
Even though he spoke in a soft tone, his voice still reached the ears of everyone nearby.
You should all be prepared to die, but that doesnt mean you should throw your lives away. All of you are the strongest shields on this continent, and I hope you will continue to shine till the very end.
Roar!
The steam exploded.
It was strange to say, but this was an explicable phenomenon.
The steam that had instantaneously surged to the sky had actually been formed by his tense, wriggling muscles.
This cloud which had instantly appeared swirled around in the night sky.
It was a state known as Extreme.
A level that most Warriors might not reach in their entire lives but that every one of them wished for.
Elijah Kipatosh, the Big Boss of the Gray Sun, seemed to be overlooking the entire world at that moment.
He took his stance, clenched his fist, and punched out in front of him.
Krrr
The sound came slowly.
Then, a miraculous sight followed that simple punch.
Roar!
A wave of air that was released from Elijahs fist rushed towards the horde of Demon Beasts like a tsunami that covered the entire street.
Kiieeek!
Despite their shrieks, the Demon Beasts only watched this wave approach them with casual curiosity. After all, they were beings that were known for their impressive defenses.
They knew better than anyone just how strong their armor was. Most attacks couldnt even leave a scratch on their bodies, so they expected this attack to be the same.
Crack!
These expectations were brutally smashed.
And smashed was the best word to describe it.
As soon as the wave hit them, the Demon Beasts bodies were crushed like the walls of a sandcastle. The wave didnt stop at just breaking their armor. Instead, it pierced their skin and tore their muscles before finally crushing their bones.
The Demon Beasts all became piles of flesh whose original appearances were not visible at all.
The wave of air released from Elijahs fist destroyed everything in its path and continued forwards without losing momentum as if it contained an unknown destructive energy.
Kiieek!!
Kuk! Kok! Kok!
The Demon Beasts, who had confidently stood in place at first to take the attack, cried out as they scattered in every direction. The Demonic Humans, who were much smarter than the Demon Beasts, had cleverly hidden behind them like the Demon Nobles.
If anyone saw this scene, it was clear that their jaw would drop open at that moment.
Just one human.
With a single punch, hed managed to slow the advance of hundreds of Demon Beasts.
The expressions of the Demons at the back hardened considerably.
This was natural. After all, what was this place?
This was the home of the Vampire Duke, Gullard. Naturally, the Demon Beasts who protected this place were the most elite soldiers who had been created through special biological experiments and breeding. Even an experienced hunter would have trouble defeating even a single Demon Beast in this place.
And yet, one-third of the entire group had been killed in that attack. The remaining Demon Beasts had all suffered from large and small injuries, so they were the only ones who had escaped from the attack unscathed.
this will be tough.
Elijah suppressed the throbbing pain in his right arm. It felt like thousands of small razors were tearing apart his muscles.
He wasnt yet at the age to retire, but it was clear that his body was much weaker than it was when he was in his prime. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Stop shaking.
He could not show it.
Suppress it. He had to suppress it for now.
He could cry about it later. It wouldnt matter if he screamed and rolled around on the ground because of the pain.
However, he couldnt do it right now. In this situation where everyones eyes were trained on him, he couldnt show any weakness, even if he would die.
God, please let me endure this for a bit longer.
It was possible that they would achieve the greatest victory in history today.
He wasnt afraid to give up his life for that.
Wa Waaaah!!
Big Boss! Big Boss!
The voices chanting his name rang out in his ears like drums.
There were only a few dozen of them, but their voices rang out with unprecedented momentum.
It was a strange feeling. But it felt amazing.
When he heard the roars, the pain in his right arm faded as if hed taken drugs. His brain felt like it was gushing endorphins.
Lets go, Warriors.
Clenching his fist, Elijah let out a laugh.
Justice is with us.
(Note: If you guys can remember, Demonic Humans are those who are above Demon Beasts but below Demon Nobles. Like Rutan, the auctioneer that Lukas killed.)
Book: 2: Chapter 80
Book 2: Chapter 80 Killing intent flashed in Krans eyes for a moment, but it disappeared faster than it appeared. Then, he turned to look at the Vampire Duke, who was standing in front of the cloud of dust again.
But Lukas realised that this guy had just thought about killing him although it was only for a moment.
Perhaps hed thought about killing the witness.
It seemed that hed revealed something he didnt want people to know.
Nevertheless, the Vampire Duke takes priority.
His hatred for the Demons. Hed thought that there might be some special reason for it. But it might have had something to do with his peculiar constitution.
What about you?
What are you talking about?
From what you say and what he said, you can tell that Im not human. But youre the same.
Lukas shook his head.
I only used a few spells.
Ha. Do you think I dont know anything about magical science? Your control over the spells that you just used surpasses human ability.
As he retorted with a sneer, Kran checked his equipment. Because of the explosion that had just occurred, most of his equipment was either completely unusable or partly destroyed.
He then pulled new equipment from a fist-sized pouch on his waist and re-equipped himself.
Lukas eyes shined for a moment.
A Subspace Bag.
One of the rare magical items in the world.
Actually, now that he thought about it, this man seemed to be covered in magical items. The cloak that was wrapped around his body had considerable defense, and the shoes on his feet allowed him to move about freely in the air.
Not to mention the weapons in his arsenal. Even Lukas was not completely certain about the components of the bullets he used.
Ive killed hundreds of Demons.
It felt more like he was muttering to himself than to Lukas.
And those are just the ones I remember. Of course, I dont remember most of their faces, let alone their names. I only remember the fact that I killed them.
He didnt even bother counting the lesser Demons like Demonic Humans and Demon Beasts or the other wild beasts because the number was too large.
Lukas listened to him in silence.
Do you understand what Im trying to say? I dont need your help. Youre better off helping those idiots over there.
He gestured to where the members of the Gray Sun were fighting against the Demons and Demon Beasts.
At the front of the group stood Elijah and Lee Jong-hak. They roared loudly like wounded beasts as they took on wave after wave of Demon Beasts.
Neither of them was in good shape. In particular, Lee Jong-hak looked like he would collapse at any moment.
Just as Lukas was about to answer, Gullard leaped through the dust cloud and into the sky.
Now that his body was revealed, it could be seen that he wasnt completely unharmed. His entire body was covered in blood.
Looking up at the sky, Kran spoke slowly.
The Vampire Duke, Gullard Phisfounder. Aside from his transcendent physical ability and other abilities that are common among high-ranking Demon Nobles His best features are his division ability and his wings.
Wings?
The reason why the Five Dukes are called the Five Dukes is because they each have a special body part that other Dukes dont have. In Gullards case, its his wings.
Lukas was almost certain that even Neil Prand, President of the Hunter Association, didnt know this information. According to him, almost everything about the Five Dukes was a mystery except for their names.
Most people didnt know what powers they had or how much power they had, but they knew their characteristics.
You, are you saying that you can take him on on your own?
Right.
It would be difficult.
Ive never had an easy fight.
Following Krans gaze, Lukas looked up at the sky before muttering.
Did you say division and wings? Perhaps he has other abilities as well.
What?
Gullard looked down at the city from the sky.
He was incredibly frustrated at that moment.
The Strongest, Kran, and Lukas. These two who dared to face him like they were equals and the other humans, who continued to fight fiercely despite only being a few dozen.
Hed never imagined that something like this would happen on the continent of which he was in charge, not to mention his home, Zinga.
What was going on?
Was it because he hadnt destroyed the Gray Sun?
Was it because hed let Kran do as he pleased in his territory?
Or was this Wizard with considerable power the real problem?
Crunch.
Gullard gritted his teeth.
He couldnt think of a reason why all of this was happening.
There was only one thing that mattered at that moment. The unpleasant garbage was still alive.
How dare they come to his land and do this?!
Gullard took a deep breath to calm himself before speaking.
Our King always told us, the Five Dukes, to be modest and to keep our guards up. He told us to constantly improve our strength, no matter how strong we might be. To not be proud of our current power because anything could happen at any moment.
Krans expression became strange at those words.
Not to be conceited and constantly increase their strength?
That didnt sound like the Demons he knew at all.
Lukas, on the other hand, paid close attention to Gullards words.
Something is about to happen
Was he simply reacting because of the upcoming Great Game?
Paht!
Gullard spread his wings apart.
Kran tensed up immediately, but the stretching of his wings didnt seem to be an attack.
Instead, strange sounds could be heard from the giant wings.
Kiii Kiii
It was a very ominous sound. Something one would never expect to hear from wings.
A sound similar to a cat scratching an old tree with its claws filled the entire street.
Kran, who stared blankly at Gullard at first, slowly began looking around the street, his guard fully raised.
Lukas also felt the sudden movement of hundreds of presences.
And it wasnt long before these presences revealed themselves with clumsy footsteps.
they are
Krans expression hardened.
This was the same for the Gray Sun members who were fighting the horde of Demon Beasts.
Now, when the number of enemies had finally been reduced by a considerable amount, they were being reinforced by a large number of humanoid figures.
When he saw them, Elijah couldnt help but speak in a solemn tone.
hybrids
Hahaha!
Gullard laughed in a faux, cheerful voice.
I must commend you! I didnt plan to make use of them at the start! So you guys should be proud of pushing the Vampire Duke so far!
Kut
Joanna, who was chanting a spell, choked.
Hybrid.
These beings whose appearances were a mixture of the features of Demons and humans were staring at their group with blank expressions as though they werent conscious at that moment.
Nevertheless, the demonic energy erupting from their bodies was as fearsome as those released by normal Demon Nobles.
Elijah slowly closed his eyes.
He knew the most about the combat power of hybrids than anyone else there.
hundreds of hybrids.
It wasnt a problem that he had to think too deeply about.
Regardless of how the situation changed, he didnt have any intention of giving up. No matter what happened, and no matter how much despair he felt.
Because of this, this extremely large man was able to remain calm without being shocked and scared like the others.
And in his calm state, he concluded that it was all over.
Hahaha!
Gullards laughter pierced the night sky.
He could see it. He could feel it. The despair was slowly consuming them. And soon, they might show the ugly expressions that he wanted to see the most.
What would they do then?
Would they abandon the others and try to save themselves? Would they surrender to him and beg for their lives? Would they blame each other and start infighting?
Gullard loved to predict human behaviour in situations like this.
As the King had taught him, he wanted to see their ugliest side.
Huh?
At that moment, a man had flown up to Gullard, who was happily waiting to see how the situation would unfold.
You
He hadnt stopped at the same height as Gullard. Instead, hed stopped slightly higher than him.
How dare this man look down on him?
Gullards pride was hurt, but he still smiled without showing any of it.
Such childish provocations were proof that this man had lost his composure.
Gullard looked at Lukas and spoke with a calm voice.
I saw my alter egos memories. I know you are hiding a considerable amount of power. However youre not as strong as that mysterious woman.
If you were, you wouldnt have brought Kran to help you.
Kran had been about a thousand kilometers away from Zinga. He knew that it was Lukas who brought him over. He also knew that the spells hed used in their previous skirmish were very powerful.
Nevertheless, he didnt think that this man could reverse this situation.
Lukas then looked down and said.
Those are hybrids.
Thats right. Arent they amazing?
Gullards voice had a hint of pride.
They are the perfect hybrid. Created by combining the best characteristics of humans and Demons as well as my own DNA.
Then.
Lukas only paid attention to the most important part of that statement. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Youre saying theyre not Demons.
Book: 2: Chapter 81
Book 2: Chapter 81 Fr-, Frey!! What the hell are you doing?!
Joanna looked up at the sky with shock. Despite being rescued by him earlier, Elijahs expression was the same as hers this time.
Of course, he knew how strong this man who was facing the Vampire Duke at that moment was.
He was very strong. No, calling him strong was still an understatement.
Elijah pondered for a moment, but he couldnt think of a better expression than on a completely different level.
Nevertheless, he had seen the fighting style of Wizards numerous times before.
The Gray Sun was hated by humans as well as the Demons, so they had clashed with the hunters from the Hunter Association numerous times.
Naturally, this meant that he had the experience of fighting a Wizard.
They were tricky, annoying, and dangerous beings.
Usually, the first one that they aimed for when a fight started was the Wizard.
In Elijahs opinion, they were much more annoying than Priests, who were in charge of healing.
Nevertheless, they had one fatal weakness.
And that was that they had an inherent disadvantage when it came to close-quarters combat.
Their skills could only be truly displayed when they had a front line to stand in front of them.
But the fight that hed seen between this man and the Vampire Dukes alter ego had caused this thought to shift slightly.
It was a fight that had unfolded in very close proximity.
This scene had caused his common sense to take a hit.
Wizards were weak in close combat?
No.
Elijah shook his head.
Its just very, very difficult for them to fight close-ranged battles.
An ordinary Wizard had to perform calculations at every moment, to the point that their brain felt like it was on fire.
When performing simple actions like retreating first, a Warrior or a Swordsman would simply have to kick off from the ground to propel themselves backward.
But that wasnt the case for Wizards. They had to decide whether they would shoot an Energy Bullet to the ground and use the force generated, use a movement spell like Fly or Blink, or create some kind of opening with a feint or a restraining spell.
As a result, the amount of concentration they expended was much more than simply moving ones body.
The conclusion that was reached was concentration.
The ability to maintain ones composure regardless of the circumstances.
He wasnt sure exactly how strong this man was, but he at least had the ability to maintain his composure under any circumstances. Even when the Vampire Duke was right in front of him, he didnt seem to be affected at all.
He had trained the skills required to be a good Wizard to the peak.
However
In the end, his opponent was a Duke. He didnt think that he could win just with his composure.
After all, Gullard wasnt the only enemy.
Jurk-
Lee Jong-hak wiped away the cold sweat on his forehead while looking at the army of hybrids in front of him.
Hed fought many hybrids since coming to Africa.
The average strength of any one of them was comparable to a low-ranked Demon Noble, but there were cases where they had power comparable to Counts. Their powers were also extremely varied.
In any case, there was one reason why they were much more dangerous than normal Demons.
Tenacity.
The hybrids had a fierce tenacity that could not be found in the Demons.
It didnt need to be said just how terrible this one fact was.
As most hunters knew, the only reason humanity still existed was because of the Demons arrogance.
They never kept their guards up. And they rarely cared about the humans.
And when they met an opponent who was stronger than them, they were willing to submit. Even Dukes were not an exception to this rule.
However, hybrids didnt have that arrogance. And even if they were barely alive, they would still try their very best to take down their opponent.
The danger that these beings posed was not small.
Lukas was confident that he could defeat a Demon Baron on his own. Without any major injuries, too.
But he would have to risk his life against a hybrid who had the power of a Baron. The difference in mindset was extremely important.
There are hundreds of hybrids.
Dealing with hundreds of enemies was not something that they could do.
Lee Jong-hak could only think of one solution.
Nodiesop.
Could they overcome this desperate situation by praying to him as Kim Go-hyuk had?
Half.
Elijah stepped forward as he said that word. He turned to look at Lee Jong-hak and smiled.
Lets get rid of at least half of them. But I dont think well be able to kill them all.
Lee Jong-hak wasnt sure what he was thinking. On the surface, however, it seemed that he hadnt given up despite this desperate situation.
He couldnt tell what Elijah was thinking, but this alone was enough to let him know that he was a great man.
Well, something like that. Its like weight training. If you set a ridiculous goal, then youll be exhausted before you even start. So Im just setting a realistic goal.
Pfft
Lee Jong-hak let out a light snort.
Killing half of the hybrids. They both knew that such a task was impossible. Nevertheless, Elijah was still able to joke in the situation.
Just to relieve the tension of the situation a little.
Hes a great man. Really.
To boost the morale of the troops in response to the rapidly changing situation.
This wasnt something that could be taught or learned through training. It was innate charisma and leadership ability. The fighting ability that Elijah had displayed was incredible, but he might have been even more talented when it came to commanding troops.
Lets pray to God. So that we can take down a few more.
pray.
Lee Jong-hak rolled this word over in his mouth a bit before slowly speaking.
Do you believe in God?
I do.
Then are you praying because you want God to solve this crisis?
Elijah looked at Lee Jong-haks eyes for a moment before he burst into laughter.
Hahaha. Is the Human Dragon, Lee Jong-hak, asking me about theology?
Its not like that.
Lee Jong-hak shook his head as he said that. Right, that wasnt the case.
He couldnt help but recall the past. The miserable death of his mother and the fact that his young self was forced to witness it had caused hatred to be etched directly into his brain.
And Lukas and Nodiesop.
They were beings whose power surpassed Lee Jong-haks imagination. They were probably the same kind of being. But their values were completely different.
Lee Jong-hak had met both of them, and that had allowed him to indirectly learn their thoughts.
And in all honesty, he didnt like either of them. However, the one whom he was most uncomfortable with was Nodiesop.
Unlike Lukas, who had chosen to save humanity and hid in the shadows despite his overwhelming power. sea??h th N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Nodiesop revealed his power without hesitation, and a lot of humans had been saved by him.
Or, at least, that was what hed thought at first. But it didnt take very long for that image to become cracked.
Nodiesop pitted humans against each other.
As a result, there was now a gaping void between Europe and Asia that could never be filled. This was something that he had never thought could happen.
In addition, the fact that Nodiesop used his power without restraint filled him with a strange sense of unease.
It was a feeling that didnt have a logical explanation, which, in turn, made it even more pronounced.
Im not praying for our troubles to disappear.
Huh?
Because life cant always go smoothly. It is natural for there to be curves and bumps and for us to encounter large and small hardships as we go. Sometimes, we will even be left with indelible scars. But those are what make us who we are.
Do you have such scars?
I lost my son seven years ago.
!!
Elijahs voice remained calm as he spoke.
At first, I couldnt accept it, and for a while, I was like a cripple. But that changed nothing. So I decided to look for a reason. A reason why my child died while I survived.
Those words created a strong stir in Lee Jong-haks heart.
Was there a reason why his mother died that day while he survived?
Hed never thought of it that way. Hed only taken out his negative emotions on the Demons.
Hatred and anger was a good driving force, but in the end, all he was left with was a pile of black ashes.
I give a brief prayer before every crisis. I ask God to lend me the strength to overcome whatever hardships I encounter.
Joanna wasnt paying attention to the conversation Lee Jong-hak and Elijah were having.
Instead, her eyes were locked onto the figures of Frey and Gullard high in the sky. It was faint, but she could feel something from the palm that Frey was pointing downward.
He was gathering his mana.
What the hell was he going to do?
As Joanna looked up with a worried expression, she slowly became filled with a different emotion.
Her eyes grew wider, and her mouth opened bigger.
Tha- Tha-
It was a storm of mana.
This wasnt a spell of some kind. Rather, the mana that was simply being released from his hand had created a storm.
How dense and powerful was this magic power?
And what kind of spell did he intend to cast with that much mana?
Bang!
The spell that appeared was something that Joanna was familiar with. Nevertheless, it still took her a moment before she realised what it was.
This was because the spell that appeared was on a completely different level from what she knew.
Hyper bolt.
A 6 star spell.
Although it was a spell that only required the condensing and firing of a mass of energy formed from mana and had a relatively simple formula, it required a large amount of power to cast.
But this Hyper Bolt was different from the ones Joanna knew.
If she had the authority to give this spell a new name, she would have given it as many strong-sounding modifiers as she could, such as King, God, Emperor, General, Majesty, and so on.
Even a top-tier classification, like Hyper, felt like it wasnt enough to describe its strength.
Book: 2: Chapter 82
Book 2: Chapter 82 Huh
Only a soft sound managed to escape his open mouth.
Gullard looked down at the scene below him, his eyes wide open. It was truly an unbelievable sight.
Dozens of hybrids had been swept away by a single spell.
The fruit of decades of hard work and research had amounted to nothing, dying like weak worms.
Bang!
Lukas fired another Hyper Bolt, once again killing dozens of hybrids. Then, he glanced over to Gullard.
As if he was mocking him
With that nonchalant expression.
Crunch-
Gullards calm demeanour was broken for the first time.
How Dare You!!!
The hybrids.
The invincible army hed created with great care and effort. It was Gullards long-treasured dream and -desire to show their strength to the Demon King one day.
But that dream had now been completely destroyed.
His great army had been injured or killed before he had even gotten the chance to show them to the Demon King.
Gullards rage at that moment reached a level that it had never reached before.
His huge wings swung towards Lukas, but he wasnt able to hit him.
Clang!
Just in the nick of time, Kran, who had jumped into the air, managed to block Gullards attack.
He couldnt withstand the full force of the attack, but he was still able to block it.
So annoying.
Ignoring the screams of his muscles and joints, he pushed the wings to the side. Then, he borrowed some of the remaining momentum to kick Gullard in the face.
Paak!
Roar!
Gullard let out a loud roar as he was sent crashing to the ground. The damage of the attack might have been minimal, but it was wise to create distance from an opponent who had lost their rationality.
Kran looked down at where Gullard landed for a moment before he turned to Lukas with an expression of disbelief.
Who the hell are you?
What are you talking about?
Why did you bring me to Zinga if youre that powerful? Cant you just kill Gullard on your own?
Hed just killed hundreds of hybrids.
Kran probably had the most knowledge about their true identities.
7th generation No, they were probably at least 8th generation.
8th generation hybrids.
The most perfect specimens were created after countless experiments.
Of course, this wasnt to say that they were more powerful than the previous generations. In fact, the Demon blood would have been much thinner at this point, so in terms of combat power, they would be weaker.
However, this allowed for a balance between the human and Demon parts, which made up for the loss of combat power.
Those were the hybrids whom Gullard was making use of now.
Roar!
Roar!
It was at that time when several of the hybrids who were capable of flight started flying towards them, their enraged expressions reminiscent of Gullards.
Lukas turned to look at Kran.
Can you handle Gullard for a while?
Kran looked a bit offended, but in the end, he had to admit that he needed this mans help.
10 minutes. I dont think I can give you more than that.
Thats enough.????n????????e????????. Co????
After saying those words, Lukas dropped down to where the Gray Sun group was standing.
He would have to deal with the rushing hybrids with magic. There were no signs of reason in their eyes, and it seemed the only things left were their instincts.
They were artificial beings who had been created by experiments. And at birth, they were deprived of their right to think and reason.
This was done to create puppets who would only follow orders faithfully.
Taht.
Lukas landed in front of the Gray Sun members, and immediately, everyones eyes locked onto him. It was like they were looking at their saviour.
He turned to the woman closest to him, Joanna Goldberg. She was staring at him with disbelieving eyes.
Have you used Medusa?
uhhh Huh? Sarch* The novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
The spell I deciphered. In your notebook.
Ah, yeah. Uh. I I did. I used it.
Joanna nodded and mumbled blankly for a moment, but Lukas felt it wasnt the time to mention it.
You probably used it against the Vampire Duke. But it didnt work since you are not on the same level as Gullard.
He was right.
When she used the spell, she was only able to stop Gullard for a short time. Of course, even that was still enough to twist the battle in their favor.
Increase your mana. Dont neglect your training just because youre an Archmage. You need to have a mindset of meditation. To the point where youll do it even in your sleep. Then, you will be able to display a sight like this.
What are you
This is what would happen if you had 10 times the mana you do now.
Lukas took a step forward.
The Hyper Bolts had reduced their numbers by a lot, but there were still many of them left. And there werent many spells that he could use to deal with all of them.
They were much too fast and durable.
So the most effective method was to suppress them with overwhelming power.
Medusa.
Juk-
It was as if time stopped.
No, it was right to say it stopped. Or, at least, the hundreds of hybrids had been stopped in time and would never move again.
Their entire bodies had been petrified, and they were unable to lift even a single finger. The only thing they were allowed to do was look around.
Their eyes rolled around in their sockets, their gazes containing only fear and confusion at the unreal situation. (Note: So they regained rationality?)
Pshk-
Then, the hundreds of frozen hybrids began to crumble like old stone statues.
The 7 star spell, Medusa.
Lukas continued to explain in a quiet voice.
As long as you have enough mana, the spell can become a large-scale attack spell instead of a simple restraint.
Although he said all of this
No one really heard his voice at that moment.
Book: 2: Chapter 83
Book 2: Chapter 83 Kran continued to fight Gullard.
Throughout the fight, Gullard gained a lot of injuries and bled constantly. In fact, just from looking at his appearance, it wouldnt be strange if he collapsed at that very moment.
But Kran knew that that wasnt the case.
As one of the Five Dukes, his regenerative ability must have been beyond imagination.
As long as his brain wasnt destroyed, he would survive even if he lost the rest of his body and he would be able to regenerate.
Its impossible to defeat him unless his energy is exhausted.
Paht. sea??h th n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Suddenly, Gullard split into four beings who then moved to surround Kran from four directions. Four was the best number when one needed to encircle a single person.
If he left them alone, the situation would become annoying.
Kran noticed this fact quickly and tried to break through the point closest to him.
But Gullard was one step ahead of him.
Puruk-
The four Gullards spread their wings at the same time and wrapped them around Kran. Then, as though thick curtains had completely blocked all the light, a pitch-black space was created in an instant.
His night vision wasnt bad. In fact, it was quite good. For example, even if it was the middle of the night without a hint of moonlight, he would still be able to distinguish the features of someone standing a few kilometers away.
But this artificially created darkness was different.
It wasnt that it was dark but that it was as if black walls had been erected around him.
Shik!
Something flew forward. Gullard had finally started his attack.
Kran sensed it purely by using his hearing and feeling the flow of air. He swung his sword.
He wasnt sure what it was, so he couldnt afford to hold back.
Shuk-
His sword easily cut through the thing that had been flying towards him.
It was much softer than he expected it to be, and it fell to the ground with a scream.
A vampire bat.
It was just as Kran had guessed.
Dozens of bats shot towards him ferociously. Kran could feel all of them, but his vision was limited, and he wasnt able to defend himself completely.
Soon afterward, a vampire bat clung to his thigh. Then, he felt its sharp fangs pierce his flesh, followed by the unpleasant feeling of his blood being sucked out.
This is dangerous.
Kran grabbed the head of the bat with his left hand. Then, he popped its head with a simple squeeze.
Crack!
Nevertheless, the blood that had been sucked out couldnt return.
I cant let this continue.
In this space, just standing there and defending consumed a lot of his stamina.
Kran hesitated for a moment.
There were a lot of humans around at the moment.
Would it be okay for him to go all out in this situation?
!
It was at that moment when his instincts screamed at him. Such warnings could not be ignored.
Kran forcibly twisted his body and spread his cloak out in front of him as the bats rushed forward madly.
The fluttering cloak hardened in the air, becoming a solid shield in front of him.
Boom!
Immediately afterward, a powerful force shook the cloak. If it had been a normal cloak, it wouldve been torn to shreds in an instant. However, this cloak was a special magic item that had defense and shock absorption stronger than steel walls and even some magical engineering techniques.
Nevertheless, this cloak, which could even withstand anti-tank weapons, could not completely block the explosion. And Kran, who was standing behind it, was forced back a few steps by the shockwave.
Is this the explosion ability he used earlier?
So it could be used at a distance.
The destructive power was only half as much as the previous time, but even that was still tremendous.
It seemed that he did it by grouping the vampire bats together before forcing them to explode by overstimulating the veins in their bodies, turning them into biological bombs.
Boom! Boom!
And seeing that the attacks continued without any signs of stopping, the technique was less troublesome than he expected.
Krans cloak, on the other hand, was slowly being torn to shreds.
It wont be able to last much longer.
So he had to think of something before the cloak was completely destroyed.
Kran took a deep breath before changing to the place where the bombardment was the strongest.
Boom! Boom!
As he expected, the attacks from this area were the fiercest.
Running to the place with the strongest attack was something that no rational person would dare to do. Nevertheless, there was a reason for this seemingly suicidal behaviour.
The cloak could only truly defend attacks that came from the front. So heading towards the area with the strongest attack allowed him to pay less attention to it while increasing the attention he paid to his sides and back.
In fact, as he forged ahead at full speed, he found that it was much easier to withstand Gullards attacks than before.
Before long, he realised hed reached the end of the space, Gullards wing. As soon as he saw this black wall, Kran thrust his sword forward without any hesitation.
Crack!
Naturally, that alone wouldnt be enough. He couldnt escape through a hole this small.
Kran forcibly twisted the sword that was stuck in the wing.
The blade became twisted in an instant.
This was a barbaric move that Swordsmen, who treasured swords, would never do. However, for Kran, the most important thing was efficiency.
The blade was damaged? It lost its edge?
That was fine. It was better to rip through the wings this way.
Crack crack-!
The hole in the wing became larger, and he could finally see the outside. Kran forced his body through the hole.
Blood gushing from the hole in the wing turned his entire body red.
Roar!
With a roar, Kran finally managed to escape.
Kran, who had finally emerged outside, looked like a demon from the pits of hell.
Paht.
Gullard recalled his alter egos.
I didnt think he could escape from the Black Wing Annihilation World.
Gullard had a record of annihilating thousands of humans with this one technique.
Of course, this one was smaller than that time, but he never would have thought that it wasnt enough to deal with a single being.
Even if that being wasnt a human.
Gullard, who was looking at Kran, finally opened his mouth.
I dont understand.
I dont need your understanding.
Looking at Kran, who answered coldly, Gullard asked with genuine curiosity.
Why are you baring your fangs at me? Why is your hatred directed at me? If you think about it, in a way, I am your parent.
As he said that, Gullard looked over Krans shoulder.
The hybrids had almost all been wiped out. There were only a few of them remaining, but they were close to death.
In less than ten minutes, the invincible army that hed dedicated decades to create had been wiped out.
At that moment, the rage that filled Gullards head cooled down as if cold water had been poured on him.
He looked at Kran with a cold expression.
Those dead creatures are the perfect result of my hybrid experiment. There could be no better soldiers. Because they would never doubt an order that was given to them. However Im very disappointed in their combat power.
It was true.
His idea was similar to what Kran had thought when he first saw the hybrids.
The king always reminded us of the disadvantages we Demons have. Our innate strength. He said that it was the innate strength we received at birth that hindered our evolution. And hes right. There is hardly any precedent of Demonic Humans becoming Demon Nobles, and even if they did, they never became more than a Count.
In Gullards eyes, it didnt matter if a high-ranking Demon Noble was arrogant.
But the Demons below that level shouldnt.
For example, he didnt believe a Baron had the right to show off in front of the Demonic Humans, or even the humans.
Thats why Gullard created beings like the hybrids.
Or to be precise, it was the King who had given him the order to do so.
Hed said that they needed the fighting spirit that humans were known for and the tenacity to fight against opponents who were stronger than them without backing down.
When hed heard it at that time, Gullard hadnt paid much attention to it.
If it hadnt been for the Demon Kings orders, he wouldnt have even bothered to do it.
But it was his king who gave him the order. Even if he had been told to murder his own kind, Gullard would have done it without hesitation.
The experiments he did were difficult and time-consuming, but Gullard didnt give up. And eventually, he was finally able to achieve weak results.
It was only then when the 1st-generation hybrids were born. Unfortunately, they were out of control and almost indistinguishable from Demon Beasts. In other words, they were more like beasts and monsters than trainable soldiers.
So he continued to experiment.
As more and more generations were created, they gradually became more stable. With just a little more effort, he was certain that the result he wanted could be reached.
But it was at that time the Demon King said to him.
Theres no need to experiment anymore.
He must have been disappointed in me.
He must have made a mistake.
Because of this thought, which plagued him day and night, Gullard disobeyed the Demon Kings orders for the first time.
He continued to experiment in secret.
Those guys were the 9th generation. Their stability was the highest, and their Demon blood was the thinnest. But when it came to pure combat power, the 3rd generation was stronger than any other generation.
Gullards gaze turned to Kran.
Unfortunately, the 3rd generation hybrids couldnt suppress their innate ferocity, and they escaped after destroying the lab. At that time, I didnt bother tracking them down. I felt that it wouldnt be worth the effort because I could always make stronger ones. But it seems I was wrong.
The 3rd generation were more unstable and dangerous than walking time bombs. At that time, their intelligence was on par with beasts at best.
But what about Kran now?
He could speak fluently. He had a good understanding of civilisation, and he was skilled at using all manners of tools.
This meant that they had evolved.
Kran just snorted coldly.
Dont you feel anything from the death of your brothers?
Brothers? Enough of your sh*t.
Anger was clear on Krans face. He pointed his sword at Gullard with a fiery gaze.
Where I came from doesnt matter. There is only one thing that you need to pay attention to right now. And thats that you will die here today.
Gullard chuckled.
By your hand? Or will you borrow that mans power?
It was obvious which man Gullard was talking about.
He is strong, unreasonably strong. Thats why you also have your doubts. Could a human really have such power?
do you know who he is?
Huhu, are you curious?
Right. However, I dont need to ask you.
After saying that, Kran drew his gun and fired.
Bang!
Gullard avoided the magic bullet fired from the gun. There was a fierce killing intent in his eyes.
Because I can ask him directly after I kill you.
You speak really well. You must be trying to buy time.
Did he notice?
Kran didnt express his worry on his face.
There was no need for him to take risks and fight arbitrarily. After witnessing Lukas power, he realised that the most efficient method would be to fight with his support.
That was the only reason why he continued this meaningless conversation.
Well, its fine. Because I was able to make plans as well.
Plans?
Gullard turned to look at Lukas.
I cant defeat that man. If I fight you, Ill probably die.
While it might not have been the case for other Demons, that wasnt something that one of the Five Dukes would say.
Realising this, Kran couldnt help but feel a bit suspicious.
It was true that Lukas was strong. However he still wouldnt be enough to completely overpower Gullard.
The scene of him annihilating the hundreds of hybrids in an instant was truly frightening, but in truth, it was something that the Vampire Duke, who was standing in front of him, was also capable of.
In his head, Kran also added.
If no one was around to see it, I could also do something similar, even if it would take longer.
Most importantly, Lukas hadnt dealt with Gullard on his own. Instead, hed brought him from over a thousand kilometers away.
Of course, it might have just been because he wanted to defeat Gullard perfectly, but Kran couldnt help but have a strange feeling at some of Lukas behaviour, which didnt have a logical explanation.
He looked at Gullard and said.
So? Since you think you will die, do you plan to run away?
Right.
What?
At the same time as Kran said that, Gullards figure suddenly appeared in front of him.
Even Kran was a bit too slow to react to the sudden move.
He swung his sword hurriedly, but he hadnt had time to fix his posture, and the swords edge had already been damaged.
Crack!
The blade stopped without being able to cut through even half of Gullards arm.
Not caring about the blood that dripped from his forearm, Gullard grinned.
Im running away, but Im gonna take you with me. Lets go together.
You son of a bit-
Shuk-
Before Kran could finish his curse, he and Gullard disappeared from the spot as if they had evaporated.
(Note: Kran probably hates teleporting at this point. Poor guy.)
Book: 2: Chapter 84
Book 2: Chapter 84 Although he had been dealing with the hybrids, Lukas attention remained on Kran and Gullard.
At first glance, it seemed that they were both fighting a fierce battle, but Lukas could tell that they were both still hiding trump cards.
Kran was definitely strong.
Lukas had the vague impression that he might be a hybrid, but something about him was different when compared to the other hybrids hed just exterminated.
Perhaps Kran was truly an important clue to how he could trick the worlds laws.
As he had that thought, Kran disappeared.
His wings.
At the last moment, Gullards wings had flapped with a strange sound. Then, he moved at a speed that even Lukas had not been able to react to before disappearing with Kran.
Lukas didnt panic when this happened. Instead, he just looked for any traces that Gullard left behind.
They were faint, but traces of his demonic energy were still there.
And Lukas concluded that it was enough to track him down.
* * *
Kuk
Kran staggered to his feet. His entire body felt sore at that moment.
It was strange. His condition hadnt been that bad just a moment ago.
We traveled to a really distant place.
He had been brought there by Gullards mysterious [teleportation].
It was a dark, humid room, which made it feel like a giant cave.
Suddenly, Kran felt someone behind him. Drawing his sword, he quickly spun around.
huh?
There were huge statues. If it wasnt for his excellent night vision, the low lighting would have caused him to mistake them for giants simply because of the pressure that each of them exerted.
There were a total of five statues. However, despite their enormous size, each of them was delicately and elaborately sculpted.
Every detail made him feel like the best artists of the century collaborated to make these masterpieces.
Their clothing was unique. They looked like they came from the middle ages or like they were heroes from a fantasy novel.
It was only then when Kran, who had been transfixed by the statues, realised something strange.
Worship them.
Gullard emerged from the dark.
* * *
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, North America.
Canadas largest city and economical hub was now in ruins. The buildings had collapsed, acrid smoke polluting the air.
The streets were filled with overturned vehicles and corpses.
For the Canadians, who had been living peacefully for a long time, this was a horrifying sight, but for the Rose Duke, this scene was as familiar as the air she breathed. (Note: I wished to not call her the Rose Duke, but I have no other alternatives)
She sipped on scarlet whiskey while calmly looking down at the ruined city.
With her glass in hand, she enjoyed the feast of slaughter that was progressing beneath her. The more clearly she remembered the original appearance of this place, the more stimulating this destruction was.
Just thinking about it made a shiver of pleasure roll down her spine.
You really are like cockroaches, arent you??????????????????????????. ?????
She wasnt talking to herself.
As she glanced back, her eyes fell upon a young boy who was completely bound and shivering slightly.
Leo Freeman remained completely silent, showing no reaction to Roses alluring voice.
Pursing her lips slightly, Rose walked over to Leo, her high heels clicking softly on the ground.
Is my analogy too outdated? I heard that humans described persistent opponents as cockroaches.
That wasnt the case. The expression was very much still in use.
However, the cockroaches whom this Demon was talking about were the humans in the city who had been desperately trying to survive.
Leo would never agree to those words. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Why Why wont you kill me?
Leo bit his lip as he said those words.
He cursed inwardly as he tried to stop his shivering. This was because the massacre that she had unleashed was clearly inscribed in his mind.
This woman, this Demon Duke who suddenly appeared in Toronto, had wiped out almost everyone in the area as soon as she appeared. Blood red vines erupted from the ground and quickly drained the blood from anyone who had been unlucky enough to be near them.
The victims also included the person who was meant to be Leos teacher. He was an outstanding Master who would not have been at a disadvantage when compared to those famed Warriors from the East. Unfortunately, his opponent was a Duke.
With her transcendent powers, she simply wrapped a vine around the mans body before bursting him like a water balloon.
In less than a second, the strongest hunter in the entire city had become a puddle of blood.
This woman was probably one of the Five Dukes.
Leo instinctively realised this fact. Hed only ever heard of them from rumours. Beings who could be called Grand Dukes. Beings who were a level higher than Dukes.
He hadnt thought they truly existed, but every cell in his body screamed the moment he saw this woman.
This woman was one of the Five Dukes.
In a short period, she annihilated every hunter in the Canadian Branch before subsequently wiping out every other person in the city.
Except for one person.
Leo was the only one left.
Pathetic.
He thought hed changed.
After meeting his Master, meeting Min Ha-rin, and defeating Gerard.
But Leo knew what hed done when Rose began her slaughter.
Hed frozen, just like every other time in the past, and had only managed to move his body at the end.
Even now, Rose had not released any kind of intimidating aura or pressure.
And yet, Leo knew that he would faint if he relaxed for even a moment.
However, in a way, this was natural.
After all, this was Leo Freeman, someone who froze even if his opponent was a Demon Beast. And the one who stood before him now was someone who stood at the peak of the Demons in this world.
He hadnt fainted instantly. That was a great improvement.
Of course, this knowledge did nothing to comfort Leo.
why the hell are you doing this? Do you know just how many people you killed?
Leos voice shook slightly as he spoke.
Rose tilted her head to the side at his question, as though she was unsure what he meant.
What are you talking about? I didnt kill that many. At best, I only killed a few hunters here.
Those words made Leo speechless for a moment.
What did she mean by not many?
Leo had personally witnessed hundreds of people dying to the vines. And if he counted those he hadnt seen, he knew there would be at least a few thousand.
Toronto was a densely populated city whose residents were unfamiliar with evacuation measures to take in case of emergencies.
This was a sad sight for Leo, who had spent most of his life in Europe.
They had enjoyed peace for far too long.
When Rose appeared, fear was not the greatest emotion that appeared in the eyes of the people in the city. Instead, the disbelief in their eyes was greater.
Their expressions said the same thing, concurrently.
Why was a Demon here?
Then why havent you killed me yet?
Because there is something I want to ask you.
what is it?
You.
Roses eyes shined with a bloody light.
Where did you learn the Warrior King Fist?
Book: 2: Chapter 85
Book 2: Chapter 85 Cut the crap.
Kran glared at Gullard.
Why are we here? Is this the place you chose to be your grave?
Hahaha. As expected. Even when youre in a situation like this one, you wont shut that mouth of yours. I wonder if youll go quiet if I pull out your tongue.
Gullard spoke in a cheerful voice. He even put his wings away.
Is it a hobby of yours to stand here and admire these crappy statues? You really are a pitiful man.
It was a rough response, but this time, he got a response.
Take that back.
Gullards expression had become solemn.
There was no way that Kran would stop after seeing this. Instead, his lips twisted into the most irritating smile he was able to form.
The statues. It seemed that he had some kind of connection to them.
And maybe they are the key to his anger
Kran drew a pistol and twirled it around his finger for a moment.
Bang!
A Demon Slaying Bullet pierced one of the statues. The statue that stood in the middle.
This was intentional. After all, it was this statue in the middle that gave him the strangest feeling.
Uh-, ah-, ah
It was truly possible to get so angry that your mind went blank and you forgot how to speak.
Gullards twisted face was proof of that.
Y-, you! Dare! You trash who doesnt know anything! You dare to damage the Kings statue!
His twisted expression slowly morphed into something that was distinctly inhuman.
The impression of a proper, middle-aged gentleman slowly disappeared, turning into a terrible visage that was a mixture between a human and a bat.
No, in the first place, he had never been human. This was his true appearance.
I will tear you to shreds! I will kill you in the worst ways imaginable! I will rip you apart and feed you to my bats!
Are you saying you want to eat me, Batman?(Note: I legitimately snorted)
Krans sarcastic and completely unapologetic voice raised Gullards anger to even greater heights.
Gullard no longer tried to converse with him. Instead, he rushed towards Kran with a roar.
And shortly after, his entire body collapsed to the ground.
Crack!
?!
In an instant, Gullard was half buried into the ground with a bewildered expression on his face. Then, he realised that he couldnt move.
Dont move a muscle.
!
Kran turned his head to this sudden voice.
On the shoulder of one of the statues, a man stood calmly.
Lukas.
At that moment, he had a strange feeling.
What the hell
The gray-haired man and the statue had completely different features and characteristics.
But somehow, they felt similar. No, they werent similar.
It was like they were the same person.
Roar!
Gullard screamed and struggled. But he couldnt shake the pressure that held his entire body down.
Then Lukas came down.
Suspicion appeared in Krans eyes.
Whats going on?
What the hell was the power that man was using now?
It was not magic.
You What the hell did you do to
Kran closed his mouth mid-sentence. This was because he felt power from Lukas that he hadnt felt before.
Ignoring Kran, Lukas walked up to Gullard and stepped on his back.
Kuk!
I want to ask. That statue in the middle, is that your King?
Lukas spoke in a cold voice.
Kran looked on from the side with a tense expression. Hed thought that this man was someone who didnt show his emotions easily. He believed it. After all, in all the time that hed known him, hed never seen his expression change even once.
And yet, it was the same man who was practically oozing with emotion now.
He looked calm, but Kran could tell. This man was already on the brink of exploding.
Then he pointed at a statue.
Was it because it was the statue that Kran had just put a bullet into?
There is only one [Demon Statue].
It was true.
Of the five statues that stood there, only the one in the center was a Demon while the other four were humans.
Ku-, Kuh!
Tell me.
Lukas applied more strength to his foot.
Gullard screamed.
Ahhh!
Tell me.
Kran grabbed Lukas shoulder.
Arent you trying to extract information from him?
Hes dying.
Those words seemed to get through to him.
Lukas stopped applying pressure, and Gullard, who was in pain, couldnt help but look at him with a blank expression.
This, this power As expected I couldnt defeat you. Right. That woman called you Lukas. Youre not really Lukas Trowman Are you?
Trowman.
Lukas had never revealed his last name in this world.
In order to know that
Lukas nodded silently.
I am the Great Mage.
!
Gullards eyes widened, and Kran also stared deeply at Lukas back.
This guy is the Great Mage?
Hed heard it from Ringo.
About the divine being, the God of Magic, or the Great Mage, or whatever. Hed thought that it was just a rumour among the Wizards, but not only was he apparently real; he was standing right in front of him.
How is that pos-
Tell me who that is.
This time, Gullard doesnt hesitate to answer. Instead, he does so in a low voice.
He is our King.
Nonsense. That guy cant be your king.
Ku, kuku Are you trying to insult me before I die?
Gullard chuckles, his vision beginning to fade.
King. He is our King The one and only ruler of the Demon World who will never stop training even when he runs out of rivals
Those words reverberated in Lukas head, but they were followed by someones name. Sear?h the ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
No. It couldnt. It couldnt be true.
He was dead.
However
Lukas stumbled backward, unable to withstand the shock.
All the questions and suspicions hed had in this universe seemed to converge together in his head before the answer revealed himself.
Someone who never gave up on their training even when they no longer had any rivals.
A man who liked the word King more than anyone else.
Thats why he called himself the Warrior King and claimed that his martial art was the best amongst all martial arts.
There is someone from your homeworld in this universe.
Just as Lukas remembered Gods words, Gullard spat out a mouthful of blood.
Long live the Demon King Kasajin
* * *
At the same time.
Back in Northern Ireland, Sedi felt ill at ease.
Come out.
As soon as she spoke with a frown, a pale person appeared in front of her.
Sedi immediately felt the obnoxiously strong demonic energy circling his body.
Who the hell are you?
You killed the Demons and Demon Beasts in this place.
So?
This is the end for you.
You want to kill me? Hmm. It would be impossible for you alone.
The man laughed at those words.
Of course, Im no match for you. I can tell the difference between us.
Suddenly, the man bowed politely.
Then, another being appeared.
!
No.
He had been standing there from the start. It was just that hed only revealed his presence now.
In other words, Sedi hadnt realised he was there until he revealed himself.
Despite her overwhelming fighting spirit, and unyielding personality, Sedi was left speechless for a moment.
You
[Sedi Glaston.]
How do you know my name?
[You will die today.]
Paak!
Kuh, huk?!
Her heart was destroyed.
It was funny. This was the first thing that Sedi realised instead of the fact that she was sent flying, her blood splattering in every direction.
She released her full power. This universe would not be able to handle the strength contained within her body, but she didnt care.
Her deal with Lukas? That wasnt as important as her life.
Sedi gasped and raised her head.
You will die, Sedi Glaston.
Dammit.
That annoying voice sounded in her head once again.
Did Letip predict this?
Sedi got to her feet, stumbling slightly. Then, she took out her soul weapon and pointed it at the giant being, who was almost as tall as a building.
Demon King.
Right. This being was probably the Demon King.
This was what her instincts were telling her.
Demon King.
It had pretentiously taken on such a name.
She couldnt understand.
Wiping the blood from her lips, Sedi murmured.
I understand now that Ive seen you for myself. Youre one of his men.
[]
Him, The Black Horned Demon God.
Sedi was referring to the Ruler she followed.
Moreover, he was a higher rank than she was.
A Lord?
No he felt different from any Lord shed ever met. But he was certainly not a Ruler.
Right. She could see now why Gullard hadnt submitted to her before. In the first place, he served someone who was a higher rank than she was.
But is he really a Demon?
She had many questions to which she could not find the answers.
But there was one that stood above all of the others.
You are also his subordinate So why do you dare to claim the title, Demon King? You are too arrogant.
[Are those your last words?]
Hahaha! Do you really think that you can kill Sedi Glaston this easily?
[Of course I do.]
Demon King Kasajin clenched his fist.
[Because I am currently the strongest being in this universe.]
* * *
Hahaha!
Letip let out a cheerful laugh.
He could feel the aura of transcendent beings releasing their power all over the world at the same time. Nodiesop could probably feel it too.
Right. It was impossible from the start.
Putting a large number of transcendent beings into a universe and expecting them to not unleash their power?
That was impossible.
It was like putting several predators in a small cage.
Lukas and Sedis agreement was pointless from the start.
Well, poor, vulnerable Sedi would die tonight anyway.
Im looking forward to it.
How would Lukas react when he learned the truth?
How would Nodiesop respond?
What would the Demon King do next?
Letip shivered in excitement.
Finally It finally begins!
The Great Game, the prelude to the final battle.
Book: 2: Chapter 86
Book 2: Chapter 86 Jurk.
Blood spilled from every orifice on Gullards hideous face. The bright red liquid poured from his eyes, nose, ears, and mouth.
Covering his nose and mouth with his sleeve, Kran took several steps backward.
There were many Demons whose blood was extremely toxic. But Gullards seemed to be even stronger than the ones hed encountered before.
long live the Demon King.
Bang!
After muttering those words again, Gullards entire body exploded.
Kran retreated instinctively as he remembered the destructive force Gullard had displayed earlier, but the strength of this explosion wasnt that large.
Moreover, Lukas erected a barrier around Gullards body, which contained the explosion.
Realising that he wasnt in danger, Kran emerged from his hasty cover. Then, he looked over to where Gullarrd had been.
Now, all that was left of him was a pile of burnt, bloody flesh that oozed a very disgusting smell.
is he dead?
Almost.
What?
Kran turned to look at Lukas, not quite understanding what he meant.
Lukas didnt elaborate any further. Instead, he simply sat on the ground with a complicated expression before covering his face with both hands.
I used Endtongue.
And against a scapegoat.
This was, without a doubt, Lukas fault. Hed allowed his emotions to take control. In all honesty, he still hadnt calmed down. His head still felt dizzy.
There were few events that could shock Lukas, who had become an Absolute, to this extent.
As he tried to clear his thoughts, Kran, who had been observing him for a while, asked again.
What do you mean by almost?
Did you forget his ability?
Krans eyebrows furrowed.
division. I see. Was that just a decoy?
A decoy that was stronger than his true body. He left 90% of his power in an alter ego before escaping with the other 10%.
He assigned most of his power to an alter ego? I didnt think he would do something like that.
Generally, it is probably not something that he would do.
Lukas had a rough idea of what Gullard was up to.
Hed avoided fighting him head-on.
When he saw Lukas annihilating the hybrids in quick succession, hed probably realised that he couldnt defeat him on his own.
no. Perhaps
He might have heard about him from Kasajin.
Gullard knew about him. He didnt know about Lukas, the God of Magic of this world. Instead, he knew about Lukas Trowman, the Great Mage, who fought against the Demigods a long time ago.
Looking up at the statue of him, Lukas couldnt help but wonder.
Now that he looked at it closely, he realised that the statues appearance had a few minor differences from his true appearance. This was probably because it was created based on Kasajins memories. Or maybe there was another reason.
Once again, he looked down at what was left of Gullards body, or, to be precise, the body of the alter ego.
In terms of efficiency, putting 90% of his power into a single alter ego was the worst choice he could make. The alter ego, which received more power than the main body, would be unable to fully utilise it, which meant that it would be easier to defeat than if he were to use the power himself.
The main body, which only had 10% of its power left, would also be in danger. After all, losing most of his power meant that Gullard was slowly dying.
He never would have expected a being like Gullard to try to escape at the expense of his life. It was even clearer now that he had a mentality that differed greatly from other demons.
Why was he so bent on self-preservation?
The answer was obvious.
He probably wanted to announce Lukas existence.
He still couldnt believe it.
No, he wouldnt believe it until he saw it with his own eyes.
Lukas looked up at the statues once again.
Five statues, each one with a familiar appearance. They were faces that filled Lukas with nostalgia but also sorrow.
Standing between the Black Witch, the Great Sage, the Sword King, and the Great Mage was a person who no longer had the appearance of a human being.
The Magic Warrior King.
No, the Demon King.
A huge physique, gray skin, sharp, protruding fangs, and large red horns on both temples.
Indeed, this was a being who suited the title Demon King, but there was no denying that he looked like Kasajin.
Kasajin.
Why did he create these statues? Sarch* The N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Why did he give their last names to Demons?
Was he really the Demon King? And if he was, did that mean he was willing to kill the humans in this universe? To treat them like bugs?
what the hell are you doing?
What could he possibly have been thinking?
Just as this question seemed to fill his entire mind, Lukas suddenly raised his head. He felt something.
Something that only an Absolute could feel.
The universe was creaking.
He knew what this phenomenon meant. It was something that only occurred when someone exerted more force than the universe was able to withstand. In other words, when an Absolute decided to release their true power.
At first, Lukas thought that it was because of him. After all, his Endtongue was a power that far surpassed the limits of this world.
But it wasnt him.
The start of the wave hadnt come from Africa.
Instead, it was from Northern Ireland.
The place that Sedi had claimed as her territory.
Lukas realised that a fight between Absolutes was happening there.
She broke the agreement.
In the first place, it was only a weak agreement that had no penalties even if it was broken immediately.
Nevertheless, it had to be noted that they had met each other only a few hours ago. And yet, within such a short time, she broke the agreement
This meant that it was a truly dire situation. And in this case, it could only mean that her life had been threatened.
Nodiesop or Letip.
He could only think of two beings that could possibly threaten Sedis life. The other Absolutes who had entered this universe.
However, Lukas eyes were unconsciously drawn to Kasajins Demon statue.
Sss
The universe, which had started to creak, suddenly calmed down once again.
The meaning behind this was tremendous.
It meant that the match between the fighting Absolutes had already been decided.
* * *
I am Lukas.
This is what he said to Kran, who asked about his identity.
But Kran frowned at those words.
I wasnt asking for your name.
It seemed he hadnt let down his guard around Lukas yet.
You said you were the Great Mage. Is that true?
It is.
Lukas didnt have any reason to hide it, so he simply nodded.
After a moment of silence, Kran spoke in a conflicted voice.
A being who advised Wizards stuck at a certain level and unable to progress I always thought it was a legend that the Wizards spread to make themselves sound more impressive.
The Top Three.
It was a bit strange for Kran, who was something of a legend for most hunters, to say.
Why have I never heard of you before?
Kran was genuinely curious when he asked this question.
If this man had decided to act, the Top Three wouldnt have been called the Top Three. This guy was just as strong as himself, the Black Witch, and the Saint of Salvation.
No, he was many times stronger than them.
At least for Kran, this man standing in front of him was stronger than any Wizard hed ever seen before.
What was that power that you just used? Was it magic?
He was talking about the power Lukas had used to force Gullard into the ground. Even if it had only been an alter ego, it was clear to Kran that it was a power strong enough to overpower most Dukes.
And yet, such a being had been forced to the ground without a way to resist.
He didnt think that it was a powerful spell because the casting time was much too short for something so powerful. More importantly, he hadnt felt any mana fluctuations, something that foreshadowed every spell.
Gullard didnt even have a chance to realise what was happening before his body had been crushed to the ground.
Lukas turned to look at Kran.
3rd-generation hybrid.
There was a high probability that this was the mans true identity.
He supposedly had the clue to deceiving the laws of this world.
But Lukas could not see anything despite meeting him in person.
Kran was a being who had been artificially created through biological experiments. Nevertheless, he couldnt be considered to have been created from nothing like the Golems Lukas knew about.
This man had a soul.
He was a being who was created by mixing two different species, Demons and humans, together.
In a way he was similar to Frey Blake, whose body Lukas had occupied in the past. Just like his body had been able to hold both mana and divine power at the same time, Krans body was able to contain ki and demonic energy.
However, he couldnt see more than that. This was the same even if he used Clairvoyance.
Of course, Kran was strong. Hed managed to reach a level of strength that was rare for mortals to achieve. If he had to compare, Lukas would say that he was as strong if not stronger than he was before he was imprisoned in the Abyss.
However, what did that have to do with the clue?
Lukas couldnt tell, and he felt that he couldnt figure it out even if he continued to mull over the problem in his head.
Lukas decided to put that aside for now.
At least, there was one thing that he could be certain of
The Strongest, Kran.
What is it?
Would you like to defeat the Demons with me?
For the time being, he would have to work with this man.
Book: 2: Chapter 87
Book 2: Chapter 87 Gullard traveled so fast that his wings tore.
This was also a power of his wings, but it was something that only the Demon King and the Five Dukes knew about.
Nevertheless, he couldnt use this power freely with only 10% of his power.
Already, his entire body looked like a torn rag, his flesh and blood falling like rain as he was unable to overcome the strong wind pressure.
Nevertheless, Gullard didnt stop nor did he slow down. At that point, he could no longer feel anything but pain, and he knew that his death was inevitable. But his sense of duty overpowered the fear of death.
Taht!
Then, finally, he arrived at his destination.
As soon as his feet touched the ground, Gullard felt an intense demonic energy piercing into his skin. This demonic energy was so powerful that even Demons would be overwhelmed with fear, but that wasnt the case for Gullard. Instead, he felt comfortable as if he had returned home after a long time.
Gullard?
He heard Azazels voice. By that point, Gullard could no longer see, but luckily, his tongue could still move.
Aza zel.
What the hell is going on? Who did this to yo-?
The King is he in front of me?
Gullard cut Azazel off. He couldnt afford to waste any time. He could feel his tongue gradually stiffening. This meant that his time was running out.
Azazel seemed to realise this. His head lowered sorrowfully as he said.
Yes, hes looking at you.
Gullard knelt. No, it was more like he collapsed to his knees.
My King.
[Gullard Phisfounder.]
The Kings voice sounded.
When he heard it, Gullard felt the pain wracking his body gradually begin to subside.
Please forgive me for greeting you in such a shameful manner.
[It seems you have something to tell me. Say it.]
The King spoke in a blunt tone.
A faint smile blossomed on Gullards lips. Right, this was the King. The King was stronger and more straightforward than anyone else. Even the death of one of his most favoured subjects wouldnt faze him much.
Gullard smiled brightly for a moment before speaking.
a man suddenly appeared. He called himself the Great Mage.
!
It was Azazel, not the Demon King Kasajin, who appeared stunned at those words.
[]
Kasajin just remained silent. He looked at Gullard with an unfathomable emotion hidden in his eyes.
Hes strong. He seemed to be holding back but he was still too much for me.
[I see.]
Yes. However
Gullard continued confidently.
Hes weaker than the King.
[]
Kurk.
Gullard coughed slightly, followed by the sound of him swallowing his blood back down.
Unfortunately, that was the deciding factor. After doing that, he knew that he wouldnt last much longer.
P- please forgive this weak servant. Im sorry I will not be able to achieve the great cause together with you, my King
After saying that last word, Gullard fell silent. He died on his knees, bowing before his king.
Azazel looked at his corpse with a solemn expression.
You did a great job. Rest well, comrade.
Then he turned to Kasajin.
I remember what you said about Lukas Trowman
[Stop.]
The King interrupted him.
[That is a thing of the past. A very, very long time ago. Now, those memories are nothing but a blur.]
There was a brief flash on Azazel Trowmans face when he heard those words, but that was it. Azazel didnt react more than that.
He didnt dare show rudeness by refuting the Kings words to his face. Even if he thought he was lying.
Then, if I meet Lukas Trowman
[Tell me. You wouldnt be able to take him on.]
Kasajin continued in a low voice.
[I will kill him myself.]
* * *
The spell that man had just displayed was amazing.
Because that single spell had completely wiped out the hybrid army, which had caused everyone to feel the threat of death.
Joanna couldnt help but recall the Medusa hed just shown. Was that the real Medusa? Compared to the spell shed used, the range and power were on completely different levels.
Why hadnt he shown his power before if he was so strong?
Joanna couldnt help but think about this.
There were still Demons and Demon Beasts in Zinga, and a few hybrids had managed to survive.
Of course, they werent in good condition, and they wouldnt be able to display much of their strength in the fights to come. Nevertheless, they were still a formidable force for Joanna and the rest of the Gray Sun to face.
Ba-ba-bang!
Fire spells constantly exploded on the ground. However, the Demon Beasts whom they were facing now were different from the Demon Beasts theyd faced before. Even when hit by 5 star spells, their skin was only slightly singed.
Joannas face became pale once again.
She was in a hyper-focused state.
At the same time, she felt free.
This is a real battle.
She could feel it.
The amount of experience she would gain in just a few seconds on this battlefield was something she wouldnt be able to learn in her previous, sheltered environment even if she spent ten years.
She didnt have the time to think. But that was exactly why she couldnt stop thinking and planning. She couldnt give up thinking just because she didnt have the time to.
What she had to look at wasnt one of them but the entire horde.
Instead of the single Demon Beast in front of her, she had to see the movements of the enemies as a whole. Instead of just herself, she had to pay attention to all of her allies.
In order words, she had to see the entire battlefield. She had to constantly collect information and use the right spells in the right place at the right time without making any mistakes.
Of course, if she was an ordinary Wizard, she wouldnt have to go that far.
However.
She wasnt an ordinary Wizard.
She was Joanna the Archmage.
No.
She was the Great Mages Chosen.
This meant that she had to endure such hardships.
A pair of red eyes stared at her.
It was a Demon, the second-in-command of Zinga.
Count Perado.
None of the humans there had noticed his presence yet, but it couldnt be helped.
Even now, Perado hadnt released any demonic energy and, instead, was calmly observing the situation from a distance.
He hadnt revealed himself.
Perado was a Demon to the core. This meant that he valued his own survival more than anything else.
There were only two moments when he would make his move.
Either when his safety was guaranteed or when he found the key to victory. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Perado looked around the battlefield thoughtfully.
The humans were clearly at a disadvantage. Be it in terms of individual strength, numbers, or geographical location, nothing was in their favor.
And yet, it was the Demons who were dying one-sidedly.
Of course, this wasnt too surprising. It was common knowledge that humans on the verge of death were the most annoying.
But even when that was taken into account, this situation didnt make much sense.
After thinking about it for a while, Perado finally realised what the problem was.
It was the presence of characters who played a key role in maintaining the line of defense.
Three.
Lee Jong-hak slaughtered Demon Beasts at the front.
Elijah commanded and encouraged their troops from the middle.
And, lastly, Joanna, who paid attention to the entire battlefield from the rear and bombarded the enemy with spells.
All three of them were annoying, but it was clear who the most annoying one among them was.
That woman.
The Wizard.
Even Perado couldnt help but admire her wide field of view. If that woman didnt constantly use the right spells at the right times to help her allies while also providing them with vital information, the humans would have already been wiped out by now.
In other words, if that woman dies, well win.
After coming to this conclusion, Perados gaze suddenly grew cold.
Suppressing his presence, he quickly closed the distance to Joanna. Two guards stood on either side of Joanna, but they werent a problem.
Shurk.
With a purple glow surrounding them, Perados nails became abnormally long and sharp. As soon as he appeared, he tore the two guards apart in an instant, his claws ripping them to pieces at the slightest touch. The guards became scattered pieces of meat before they were even able to scream.
It was only then when Joanna sensed Perados presence and gasped in shock. She was already exhausted from her constant stream of spells. She had very little mana left, and her mental strength was as thin as a thread.
And just when she reached her limit, a high-ranking Demon Noble made his appearance.
Clang!
The bright purple claws that were heading directly for her were inexplicably blocked. Then, Joanna felt the presence of someone standing behind her.
Frey?
Good job.
Ah
With just two words, all the tension in her body was relieved. Joanna stumbled slightly, but Lukas caught her by the shoulders.
Its over. You can rest now.
This was a lot to ask, but Joanna nodded and closed her eyes without hesitation.
Great.
Lukas had acknowledged her.
She could tell even without looking at him.
Up until she fell unconscious, Joanna was the one who had been in control of the battlefield. She had faithfully performed her role far beyond Lukas expectations.
The battle wasnt over yet, but she had earned the right to rest.
You!
Perados eyes widened.
He knew that this man in front of him was a powerful Wizard who had driven even Duke Gullard away.
Should he run, or should he fight? More importantly, where was Duke Gullard?
He was indecisive, and this indecision created a small opening.
Crack!
And Kran would never miss such an opening.
The tip of his sword pierced through Perados chin before slicing up through his brain.
Perado died before he could even make a sound.
This was a futile death unbefitting of a Count, but it was a natural result when his opponent was one of the Top Three.
Hmph.
Kran wiped the blood off of his sword with a snort. Then, he turned to the battlefield and clicked his tongue.
You all havent managed to get rid of this trash yet? How pathetic.
Killing intent surged within his eyes.
Then, he jumped into the battle without hesitation.
Kiieek!
Kuk!
It was as though a huge gust of wind had appeared on the battlefield. With nothing but his sword, Kran slaughtered Demon and Demon Beast alike as he easily moved forward. Most of the Demon Beasts could not handle even a single strike from his sword, and even the stronger Demons did not last much longer in front of him.
When they noticed his presence, the members of the Gray Sun froze almost subconsciously.
Kran looked over to them and shook his head.
Youre all in the way. Fall back. Ill take care of this on my own.
After those short words, Kran resumed his slaughter.
Lee Jong-hak watched this scene unfold with a blank gaze.
Book: 2: Chapter 88
Book 2: Chapter 88 Krans appearance quickly brought the confrontation to a close. He once again proved why he was one of the Top Three.
It was hard to believe that a single human was able to reverse the tide of the battle. But Elijah was thankful that such a human existed.
Thanks for the help.
Elijah approached Lukas, his tone much more polite than when they first met. This was natural. After all, hed just seen Lukas single-handedly annihilate hundreds of hybrids.
He continued in a cautious voice.
What about Gullard?
Dead.
Lukas covered Joanna, who had fainted, with his coat as he answered. The answer was short, but the effect that it had was by no means small.
De-, dead?
The Vampire Duke?!
The survivors of the Gray Sun were shocked speechless. Even Elijah could not hide his surprise. The same went for Lee Jong-hak, who was resting a short distance away.
You killed him?
To be precise, I helped Kran kill him.
It was around that time when Kran returned, covered in blood. He shot Lukas a dissatisfied glare for a moment before turning away, not bothering to correct him.
No way. To defeat one of the Five Dukes
T-, Top Three!
Slowly, the heat of enthusiasm began spreading through all the people gathered there. It was so strong that they could practically feel it in the air.
Elijah couldnt help but look at Lukas differently.
Who the hell are you?
Lukas looked at him for a moment before giving the answer that hed thought of a while ago.
Im a member of Argento Spell.
The value or fame of a name.
He knew just how important it was to humans.
So Lukas decided to increase his fame as well. It was a necessary process in order to eliminate the differences between the humans and unite the world into one.
The defeat of the Vampire Duke, Gullard Phisfounder, one of the Five Dukes, was an achievement that would become a cornerstone for this process.
Sooner or later, this achievement would spread throughout the world.
Not just to humans but to Demons as well.
And
To the Demon King.
* * *
The Vampire Duke, one of the Five Dukes, the worst calamities for mankind, and the de facto ruler of Africa, had died.
Nevertheless, no large or significant changes happened right away.
There are still many problems to deal with. For one, there are still countless Demons left on this continent.
What are you going to do now?
Well continue doing what weve been doing from the start. Only, itll be a lot better than it was before. First, we will get rid of the Demons and Demon Beasts still in Zinga and use this place as our base of operations to confront those bastards from the association.
What about the humans here?
Elijah couldnt help but fall silent for a moment at Lukas words.
The humans living in Zinga were practically traitors who had colluded and submitted to the Demons. And now, their masters had been defeated by the Gray Sun.
well try to persuade them. But if they wont listen to us, then well have no choice.
Well have no choice.
Lukas didnt say anything for a moment because he understood the weight behind those words.
I will let the North American and European Branches know that the Gray Sun isnt a criminal organisation and that it is the African Branch that has become rotten.
is that possible?
I will make it possible.
It wouldnt be easy.
It was highly likely that Neil Prand already knew the situation in Africa. And yet, he had done nothing about it.
Nevertheless, Lukas spoke in a clear voice.
Elijah couldnt help but smile slightly at those words.
Thank you. I owe Argento Spell, as you said, a great deal. If you ever need our assistance, just tell me. Even if we cant afford to, we will definitely come to your assistance.
This created an allied force for the newly launched Argento Spell. Of course, they would be busy dealing with their own situation, but it wasnt a bad thing to have this relationship.
Lukas nodded to Elijah before going to look for Kran.
He found him in the middle of the deserted street, scavenging through the bodies of the Demons. Lukas could guess what he was doing. He was looking for their soul crystals.
While carrying out his task with robotic efficiency, Kran raised his eyes to meet Lukas.
Then, he spoke in a blunt tone.
Is Frey an alias?
It is.
Looks like youve got a lot to hide. Its my opinion that guys with a lot of secrets are the ones you should never trust.
Kran looked down at the soul crystal that hed just taken from a body. The crystal glowed resplendently in the dark.
Im sorry, but I cant share these with you. I used too much against that guy, Gullard. Even if I harvest all of these, Ill still be in the red.
I dont need it.
Ah, right.
You never answered the question I asked earlier.
The one about joining your Argento Spell or whatever and working together to defeat the Demons?
Kran said it as though it was not worth thinking about.
I refuse.
Why?
Because I prefer to fight alone.
Youre lying.
Lukas said these words in a low voice. Then, he continued before Kran could say anything to refute him.
Did you think so during the fight with Gullard?
Kran froze for a moment.
He hadnt.
You are strong. Theres probably no human stronger than you. Only Demons.
Kran let out a soft chuckle.
Did I say something funny?
You did. You just compared me to humans. Sarch* The N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Why was that funny?
When he saw this question in Lukas eyes, Kran shook his head.
You saw me regenerate my limbs and destroyed skull in an instant. Do you think humans could do something like that?
Theres nothing wrong with that. There are all kinds of unusual abilities in the world.
Bullsh*t
Kran couldnt help the swear word that escaped from his mouth. This was because Lukas said those words with a straight face.
Lukas words came from experience. He had seen at least a few thousand humans who had even stranger abilities than Kran.
Kran could also faintly sense that he was serious. Of course, he couldnt actually tell what Lukas was thinking. He just realised that this being in front of him was not saying those words just to comfort him.
He opened his mouth and spoke in a soft voice.
Could you still say that if you saw my real appearance?
At first, I also thought of myself as a human. There wasnt any real reason for it. It was just that I had an innate disgust for Demons, so I thought my essence was closer to that of humans. But it isnt.
Tuduk
Krans face began to change.
Lukas silently looked on.
The small changes on Krans face slowly began spreading to the rest of his body.
His skin turned black, and his eyes turned golden. Fangs protruded from his lips, and large horns sprouted from his forehead.
After his transformation was complete, his appearance seemed similar to a humans, but it wasnt human.
Now, do you still think Im a human?
A soft wind blew through the street.
Lukas looked at those strangely colored eyes. Unlike his devilish appearance, his golden eyes shined brilliantly in the darkness.
You are.
After a short moment, Lukas finally spoke in a calm voice.
Youre human.
When he heard that declaration, Kran became speechless for some reason.
Book: 2: Chapter 109
Book 2: Chapter 109 [Arid, you can see souls?]
Of course, it wasnt the fact that he could see souls in itself that was terrifying.
When one achieved a certain level of holy power, they could accumulate soul energy in their eyes. The resulting soul eyes allowed them to look beyond the material world, and get a glimpse of the mystical world.
What Lukas paid attention to was the fact that Arid had accurately pinpointed his location although he was using Ghost.
There were probably no more than 10 humans in this world who could notice him when he was in this state. And even if they did notice him, it would still be almost impossible for them to look at him.
Now that Lukas had separated his body and soul, his soul was now in an unfiltered and unsuppressed state. This meant that if an ordinary mortal were to look at him, their brain would probably become fried.
But this human named Arid was different.
He didnt seem to be burdened at all despite looking directly at Lukas face. Nor did he seem to perceive him as anything other than a soul.
This was proof that he had formidable talent. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
But Ive never seen a soul as large as you.
Arid smiled innocently.
An indescribable admiration flashed in their eyes.
Really Youre so big that its hard to see all of you with a glance. This is my first time seeing a soul like you. Im not sure Id succeed.
[Succeed?]
Yeah! I send souls to the [Happy Country].
[]
The Happy Country. There was no country with such a name in this world, and it seemed that the name was referring to something else.
Ahem.
Arid suddenly cleared his throat and spoke with a reverent expression.
Now then, Mr. Soul. Tell me what troubles you have that prevent you from finding peace and make you wander around the world. I will help you.
[I have no troubles.]
Huh?
[?]
Arid seemed to have not expected such a response and lost their persona for a moment. But with a soft cough, they quickly schooled their expression.
ahem. Excuse me. Um, are you saying that nothing is troubling you?
That wasnt possible.
Arid tilted their head to the side.
It was very difficult to become a soul without troubles, regrets, or anguish.
[Well, I do. But I dont think you would be able to solve them.]
Ahh. Im sure that a soul as large as you are would have quite a few troubles.
Arid said this in a solemn tone as they patted their chest.
Nevertheless, you have troubles. I can assure you that you will feel much lighter after confiding in me. I will gladly listen.
[]
Troubles.
Of course, Lukas had countless troubles.
If he were to talk about the thing that was troubling him the most lately, it would definitely be Kasajin.
But Lukas shook his head and asked instead.
[What about you?]
Huh?
[You seem to have a lot of troubles as well.]
A look of surprise crossed Arids face.
Ahaha youre quite sharp. Youre different from other souls! This is the first time I was asked something like that.
[]
Its alright though. My troubles are insignificant.
[There is no such thing as insignificant trouble. Thats a contradiction.]
If it was insignificant then it wouldnt be a problem.
Lukas looked carefully at Arid. After looking at them for a moment, he opened his mouth.
[You were born with a very rare gift.]
It must be Gods will.
[a long time ago, I met someone like you.]
Huh?
Arids eyes widened at those words.
It was as though theyd never heard those words before.
But Lukas wasnt lying.
While he hadnt been able to completely see through their souls eyes with his Clairvoyance, he was still able to see its essence. And the image of a woman immediately appeared in his mind.
A woman who came from an island country.
The name of the country was [Hitume Ikar] and that woman held the title Great Medium in that country.
And the being Dawns that was worshipped in that country turned out to be God.
The one and only creator, who created all of the three thousand worlds.*
The Great Medium had probably been the only one in that universe who could hear the voice of God.
Arid was probably the same.
[Can you hear the Gods voice as well?]
!
Lukas looked at Arids surprised expression.
He was certain at that moment.
This person with a neutral appearance was the Saint of Salvation, one of the Top Three.
* * *????????????????????a????. ?????????
Wow!
Arids voice was filled with genuine admiration.
How did you know?
[Your eyes told me so.]
Ah. These?
Arid touched their eyes. Then, they suddenly turned to the table beside them and picked up the white strip of cloth that laid there.
I usually cover my eyes with this.
There was no need for them to explain.
There were only two reactions an ordinary person would have upon seeing Arids eyes.
Awe, or fear.
It wasnt necessary to mention the latter, but the former was also not very good for Arid. After all, there was no feeling more one-sided than awe.
But Mr. Soul wasnt very surprised when you saw my eyes. Is it perhaps because you met people like me before?
[]
The person whos like me. Is it possible for me to meet them too?
[Its impossible.]
Ah I see.
Arid scratched their cheek as they muttered this.
[Can you heal the injured?]
Wow, you even know about that.
Arid shrugged and muttered in a slightly smug voice.
Not to brag or anything, but it is one of my best talents.
[What about the dead?]
Huh?
[Can you bring the dead back to life?]
This was to verify the authenticity of the rumors hed heard about the Saint before coming here.
That
Arid paused for a moment at those words. They seemed to seriously ponder about something before finally opening their mouths.
Ah. Is this question related to Mr. Souls troubles?
[You could say that.]
In truth, his immediate goal was to heal Neil Prand.
The second question about resurrecting the dead was only his personal curiosity.
After thinking for a while, Arid finally shook their head slowly.
I cant resurrect them.
[]
That was natural.
Resurrecting someone who had already died was something that was difficult for Lukas even if he were to use all of his power.
Of course, it was possible to forcefully pull a soul from the afterlife and place it in an artificial body, but that couldnt be called resurrection in the true sense of the word.
But Arid then said something strange.
However, I can let you meet them.
[Let me meet them?]
Yeah. I can. If there is anyone that you want to meet, then I can help you meet them. Even if they are already dead or if their soul has crossed over to the other side.
[]
Arid smiled naively and said.
Thats my ability.
Was that the truth or a lie?
Lukas looked Arid in the eyes.
This was a habitual action when he was trying to see through the other, but it didnt have much of an effect against Arid. Their soul eyes perfectly countered his Clairvoyance.
[Then]
Just as Lukas was about to respond.
Chichik-
Ugh
Sparks began flying off his body, and Arid stumbled backward, covering their eyes.
Wh, whats going on?
Lukas couldnt maintain the Ghost state for much longer. If he continued to roam around without a vessel like his body, his soul would gradually return to its original form. In other words, his full power as an Absolute would be unleashed.
That was the reason for the sparks. Lukas aura was gradually beginning to swell.
I cant keep this up for much longer.
No matter how amazing Arids soul eyes were, it was still a difficult task for them to look at his true essence. So he had to return to his body to regulate and suppress his soul once again.
[I have to leave now.]
Ah
A strange look of regret appeared on Arids face.
They twiddled their fingers for a little bit before finally opening their mouth.
Hey, Mr. Soul.
[What is it?]
Mr. Soul said that you dont need me to bother with your troubles, but it would be better for a soul to go where it belongs instead of wandering the world. So
Seeing them stutter like that, Lukas realised what they were trying to say.
He nodded.
[Ill be back.]
Ah
Arid smiled brightly.
Yeah.
(*: The author really goes back and forth with the three thousand worlds concept. One time they say that there are countless universes, and the next time they say its three thousand worlds. So in truth, Im not entirely sure which is correct. For now, Ill just keep translating as the author has it and hopefully, well have some confirmation in the future.)
Book: 2: Chapter 89
Book 2: Chapter 89 Why do you hunt Demons? Where does your hatred for them come from?
Why?
Kran shook his head.
I never thought about stuff like that. I just dont like the thought of Demons.
It wasnt for moral reasons or justice.
Kran never thought of himself as a good person. He was an extremely selfish and self-centered man. The reason why hed started hunting the Demons was simple.
He didnt like them.
To him, their thoughts and behaviour were disgusting.
So he killed them. He killed them because he didnt like them. Even a little child would probably be able to think of a better reason, but it was the truth.
As he kept killing them, stronger and stronger opponents kept appearing. And as a result, Krans life became more and more hazardous. But every time he managed to overcome the struggle, he grew stronger.
He faced bloody battles day after day after day, and before long, his vision felt like it was constantly enshrouded by a red veil.
Then, when he finally awoke from his blood-fueled haze, Kran realised that he was suddenly being called one of the Top Three by everyone. Humans and Demons alike.
I suppose thats why you always hid your true identity. So that you would be able to use it as a trump card when faced off against strong enemies.
Why did you bother saying it if you knew already?
Kran spat those words in an irritated tone. The way this man spoke as if he knew everything was really annoying.
Lukas looked at him for a moment before opening his mouth.
Let me express my respect.
What?
I would like to express my respect and admiration to you for becoming the master of your life, your actions, and your beliefs.
You Did you not understand what I just told you? I just did as I pleased without caring about anyone else. Ive never done anything to deserve anyones respect.
You said you didnt like the Demons.
Right. So?
You were able to instinctually tell that their thoughts and actions were wrong. This shows that you are a good person in nature.
Kran had probably been ostracised by humans in the past.
No. Lukas was certain that was the case.
When he was more innocent than he was now when he thought that he was more human than Demon.
He wasnt sure how that memory affected Kran.
But the important thing was that despite having those memories, he still chose to walk the path that he thought was right.
But the strong would always stand out from a crowd. Especially if they didnt have any discretion about standing above others like Neil Prand.
Kran didnt have the talent nor the charisma to be a leader.
Nevertheless, it couldnt be denied that he could be living a much better life than he was right now. Gullards attitude was the best evidence of this. He could have become the Demons subordinate, spending his days slaughtering humans without fear.
In fact, it wasnt even just the Demons.
For example, North America would gladly welcome Kran with both arms wide open if he chose to join them.
There was no organisation in the world that would refuse The Strongest, Kran.
But Kran didnt join any of them.
He still stayed on the frontlines, the most dangerous place in the world, on his own.
He still continued to fight for his life every day.
He did something so troublesome and dangerous simply because he didnt like them.
Or, in other words, because he couldnt tolerate what they were doing.
It was clear that Kran had lost a lot over the years, but one thing he didnt lose was his pride.
For a while, Kran didnt say anything. Instead, he just quietly stared at Lukas. Then, he looked away from him and turned around.
Seeing this, Lukas was also about to turn around. After all, there were still a lot of things for him to do. But something suddenly flew towards him.
Tak.
Lukas caught it and looked at it.
Thats your cut. For helping me with Gullard.
It was a soul crystal. Moreover, the energy within it was pretty dense. This meant that it was at least a Counts soul crystal.
Lukas turned around again. But Kran had already disappeared.
* * *
The process of occupying the city of Zinga took exactly half a day.
After all, Gullard had made use of all of his means in the previous battle. The Demon Beasts, Demons, and Hybrids, or, in other words, the troops who usually guarded the city, were already dead.
The Gray Sun was also not in the best condition, but they still had the presence of strong individuals like Kran, Lee Jong-hak, and Elijah.
Thanks to that, they were able to recapture the city rather quickly.
The residents of Zinga, who lived with the Demons, and the Africa Branchs hunters were unwilling at first and ran wild. But this uprising quickly subsided when they were overpowered with brute force and their leaders were made an example.
In the first place, that was the type of people they were. Leech-like individuals who latched onto whichever side was stronger. This trait of theirs was remarkably similar to the Demons.
This made Elijah even more disgusted with them, and he had the urge to just kill all of them, but if he did that, he would be no better than the Demons.
So instead, he suppressed his dark desires, pulled himself together, and focused on organising the newly acquired Zinga.
The next day.
Lukas was told that Joanna had woken up. Now, they had to get ready to return to North America. Of course, there was no reason to rush since their mission hadnt taken as long as they anticipated.
With an unhurried gait, Lukas headed towards the room that Joanna had been placed in.
And in front of the door that he soon arrived at was a man with a familiar face.
Lee Jong-hak.
This is the second time were facing each other like this.
His eyes were serious, and it seemed he had something important to talk about.
Although Lukas had an idea of what he wanted, it was still hard to ignore him.
He stopped and looked at him.
After hesitating for a while, Lee Jong-hak finally spoke with a determined expression.
Are you Lukas?
Please answer me. I dont think the ability to use magic like that is common.
This was only an assumption based on a logical analysis at best. However, as he said those words, Lee Jong-haks voice was filled with conviction.
After thinking about it for a moment, Lukas nodded.
Lee Jong-hak let out a small breath.
as I thought.
You look like you have something to say to me.
Something to say.
Of course, he did.
Lee Jong-hak was still stunned by that incredible scene.????n????????????d. ????om
He knew just how tricky and troublesome the hybrids were in battle. And yet, hundreds of those beings were wiped out in the blink of an eye. Without much effort.
The transcendent power of that scene reminded him of the man hed met not so long ago.
do you have any idea about whats happening in the Asia Headquarters right now?
No.
It has become a kingdom, in which one man decides everything.
There was no need to ask who that man was.
Nodiesop revealed his power and took control of the Asia Headquarters. And he also took the loyalty of the hunters in the process.
Lee Jong-hak couldnt find a better word to use than take. From the start, he showed off his overwhelming power without giving anyone a chance to think. And anyone who disobeyed him was killed.
It was a reign that was built purely on fear.
What kind of power did he reveal?
his power can extend anywhere in the world. For example, in a desperate situation like the one we were in yesterday, if I had said his name and prayed for his help, he would have helped us. With his miracle-like power. Sar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Lukass expression became serious with those words.
He wasnt sure what power Nodiesop had, but Africa and China were thousands of kilometers apart. If he wanted to use his power across such a large distance, then he would have to use his powers as an Absolute.
In other words, Nodiesop
Doesnt care what happens in this universe.
It was irresponsible. Nodiesop alone had probably shortened the lifespan of the universe, pushing it closer to destruction.
However, this concept wasnt something that mortals could understand.
Lee Jong-hak continued.
When I saw that, I couldnt help but feel that something was wrong.
Lukas eyes shined slightly when he heard this, but Lee Jong-hak didnt notice.
Im not saying that its wrong to kill the Demon Beasts, Demonic Humans, or Demons. I just wonder whether he could use such great power so freely.
He might have been just overthinking.
However, Lee Jong-hak couldnt help but feel as though Nodiesops actions were breaking some fundamental rule of nature.
After all, hed displayed the ability to kill thousands of Demons with a single finger.
Lee Jong-hak looked at such power with awe. But at the same time, he felt fear.
Nodiesop wants you to search for me.
I could go back to the Asia Headquarters and report your location. Will you kill me here?
No.
When Lukas answered with a firm tone, Lee Jong-hak couldnt help but ask.
Why? Do you want a confrontation?
Its not that either.
He didnt seek a confrontation.
It had been so in his days as a human, and it continued to be so after he became an Absolute.
Lee Jong-hak bit his lip slightly before speaking.
then why did you kill all of the Asian hunters in Europe?
This was probably the question he wanted to ask the most.
They attacked me first. Many more lives were lost on the European side.
But that caused the relationship between Europe and Asia to reach a boiling point. (Note: isnt this victim blaming?)
Among the Asian hunters, the hardliners who were adamant that they raze the European Headquarters to the ground were gaining support.
Asias distrust and hatred towards Europe was growing by the day. But this was funny. After all, they were the ones who attacked first.
And yet, no one thought about that. Instead of reflecting on their actions, they continued to declare their hatred as if they had all been possessed.
All of this was a mark of Nodiesops demonic charisma.
Now, even Lee Jong-hak wasnt able to stop their momentum.
That might be the case if everyone died.
what are you trying to say?
What if I told you theyre still alive?
!
Lee Jong-haks eyes widened.
I knew that they had been incited to do what they did and that if I killed them, the regional feud would only deepen.
are they still alive?
Not all of them.
Those like Kim Go-hyuk had to die.
However, those who questioned their actions and stopped themselves from killing others despite their orders to do so were spared.
This referred to people like the Sword Saint.
Where are they now?
I sent them to the Korean Peninsula in Asia. They should be wandering around there somewhere.
I asked them about you.
Lee Jong-haks eyebrows furrowed.
What role do you want me to play?
I dont want anything. Think for yourself, and act in whatever way you think is right. Just like you have done all your life.
That was all Lukas had to say. After that, he walked past Lee Jong-hak.
thank you.
It was a soft whisper.
When Lukas turned around, he saw that Lee Jong-hak was bowing deeply to him. Then, he raised his head and met his eyes before straightening up, turning around, and walking away.
As he left, Lee Jong-haks footsteps appeared more determined and powerful.
Lukas turned around again and grabbed the doorknob to Joannas room.
Book: 2: Chapter 90
Book 2: Chapter 90 !!
When Lukas started turning the doorknob, he suddenly heard tumbling inside the room. He paused for a moment, the doorknob in his hand, before opening the door slightly.
A-, ah. Y-, yo-, youre here.
Joanna called out to him with an awkward expression. She was sitting on the bed and seemed a bit nervous.
Lukas pretended not to notice.
How are you feeling?
I, Im fine. Uh. But, my mana room seems to have become a bit larger.
Yesterdays experience must have caused your mana room to expand. Thats a good sign.
It would probably pay off sooner or later. When he said that, Joanna responded with a bright expression.
Yeah!
Ah
Then, her expression became nervous once again.
She kept glancing at Lukas out of the corner of her eye before taking a deep breath and turning to him with a determined expression.
Hey, is there a chance-
Frey, are you there?
The door opened, and Elijah walked in.
If looks could kill, Elijah would be dead thousands of times over as Joanna glared at him with a hand on her pounding heart. His timing couldnt have been worse.
But Elijah didnt notice her reaction as he approached Frey with a serious expression.
There you are.
Whats the matter?
We finally restored the communications equipment here in Zinga. Using the channels that you told us, we established communication lines with Europe and North America.
I see.
Elijah hadnt come here just to report that. Lukas gaze told him to continue.
And we immediately received an emergency call from North America.
from North America?
From the Association President, Neil Prand.
Elijah spoke with a serious expression.
Hes urgently looking for you.
* * *
After giving his explanation, Elijah didnt say anything for a while. Instead, he looked at Lukas before speaking in a cautious voice.
There is warp equipment in Zinga as well. Its an old and outdated model, but it should still be functional. If you want to leave now, we will start maintenance right away What do you intend to do?
The North America Headquarters had already given their approval. They hadnt truly acknowledged the existence of the Gray Sun yet, but under the orders of the Association President, they did not express any resistance to opening a portal between the two sides.
In Elijahs opinion, this could already be considered quite beneficial. Even if it was only temporary, they had managed to form a connection with North America.
He still didnt like their attitude and behaviour, but he didnt deny the strength of the North America Headquarters.
He couldnt. He had to put his reason in front of his emotions.
Use whatever is available.
In order to bring peace to the African Continent, he was willing to throw away his pride a thousand times.
Lukas bowed to him and spoke.
I will have to ask for your help.
I will forever be indebted to you. This is nothing.
Elijah chuckled softly before leaving the room.
After he left, a heavy silence befell the room. Lukas seemed to be lost in serious thought.
Joanna looked at him for a moment before speaking cautiously.
Leo is the boy who came with you, isnt he?
Yeah.
Lukas replied with a nod.
Joanna fell silent after that because she didnt know what else to say.
No. In truth, she was also quite shocked.
The Canadian Branch has fallen.
Of course, it was just Toronto, Canada, and not the entirety of the Canadian territory that had been occupied.
Nevertheless, that news was no less shocking. After all, Joanna knew who the Branch Manager of the Toronto Branch was.
Marcel Morgan.
A Master rank Warrior and the President of the Canadian Branch. He was also one of the most influential members of the council who actually controlled North America.
Shed only ever met him once during a meeting at the North America Headquarters. At that time, he refuted Neil Prands words directly and shared his thoughts without backing down. It also seemed that Neil was reluctant to openly go against him. But it was clear that the relationship between the two of them wasnt good.
The fact that he could directly oppose the Association President showed that he was not a weak man. He was not a man who would die easily.
Or, at least, that would have been the case if his opponent hadnt been one of the Five Dukes.
Joanna shuddered.
It had only been for a moment, but she had felt the power Gullard released when he became serious.
The only expression she could think of to describe it was natural disaster. To be honest, Joanna still couldnt believe that monster was dead.
After fainting, she had a terrible nightmare. She dreamt that shed become a shriveled corpse after all her blood had been sucked out by Gullard.
Thats why I wanted to return to America as soon as possible.
After having that thought, Joanna couldnt help but feel a bit depressed at how cowardly she was.
the Five Dukes.
The highest ranking Demons, who had been moving in the shadows before their existence was finally revealed not so long ago.
Was it a good sign? Or was it bad?
She turned to look at Lukas once again.
Unlike Joanna, who was terrified, there were no changes in Lukas expression. Even though hed heard everything that Elijah said.
His expression made her feel strange.
She couldnt tell if he was shocked, upset, or if he didnt care at all.
Lukas then turned his eyes to look at Joanna. But as soon as their gazes met, Joanna looked away, her heart pounding. As she was now, she didnt dare to meet Lukas gaze.
After coughing slightly to regain her composure, she opened her mouth.
first, we should head back to America.
Lukas nodded.
* * *
What?
Rose, the Rose Duke, asked as she looked at the shadowy figure of a man before her.
Her pupils had dilated because of the shocking news shed just heard.
Azazel, the blurry figure in front of her, repeated his words.
[Gullard is dead.]
Thati????????????????????????. ????????????
Was he serious?
Rose restrained herself before she could ask this question. Because she knew the man in front of her would never lie or joke around. Especially about something as serious as the death of one of the Five Dukes.
Rose bit her lip before asking.
Who the hell did it?
[Lukas Trowman.]
Rose froze slightly when she heard that name. She stared at Azazel with an incredulous expression.
What did you say?
[Lukas Trowman killed Gullard. Rose, if you find out that mans location, dont try to face him alone. We are no match for him.]
[This is a direct order from the King himself. Killing that man is the Kings job.]
Nevertheless, Roses expression didnt change much. She bit her nail and appeared lost in thought.
Lukas Trowman. That was a familiar name.
She knew who he was. Of course she would.
That man was someone who held a position that Rose greatly desired.
But why does the King want to kill him?
She couldnt help but have a strange feeling at that, but it was swiftly followed by a deep sense of pleasure.
What if
What if she killed that man?
Not only would she be able to satisfy her own desire but even the Kings favor
She cut that thought off before it could go any further.
[youve been with us for a long time.]
Rose shuddered slightly when she heard Azazels deep voice.
[And there have been many times when you didnt follow the Kings orders.]
When she lifted her head, his cold eyes made her freeze.
[In this case, such an attitude cannot be dismissed as individuality or deviation. It will be considered as outright disobedience. Understood? This matter is very sensitive for the King, so dont do anything stupid. This is my first and last warning to you.]
Rose gulped before forcing a small smile.
You didnt have to say all of that. I know.
[I hope so.]
After saying those words, Azazels blurry figure began fading.
Azazel, wait. Are you with His Majesty right now?
[The King isnt here right now.]
Again?
Did he enter seclusion again?
Thats not it. I dont know the details. Just that he went to Asia. What is it? Is there something you need to report to the King?
that
Rose suddenly closed her mouth before shaking her head.
No. Its nothing.
[]
She grimaced slightly when Azazel gave her a silent look.
I will tell him in person later. Is that a problem, Lord Grand Duke?
[Of course not. You are also a Duke. You naturally have the right to an audience.]
Azazel had probably realised that Rose was hiding something, but he didnt try to pressure her for it. Hed already told her. This was her first and last warning. The consequences of whatever Rose did would be hers to bear. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Sss
It wasnt until Azazel had completely left when Rose turned around.
There, she saw Leo, who was covered by vines.
This situation.
She might be able to make use of it.
A pleasant smile stretched across Roses lips.
* * *
In the underground facilities beneath the Pilsky Tower.
This was no ordinary underground space. It was a space that extended several kilometers below the surface.
Very few people knew about this place. Several of the builders who constructed this place had been deliberately selected, and they even had their memories altered afterwards.
Of course, Neil Prand, the President of the Association, knew about this space as well as its purpose.
This underground facility even had a special elevator that connected directly to the Presidents quarters on the 177th floor.
And that elevator was currently in use.
Ding-
The elevator stopped, and the door opened.
A rough hallway with dim lighting was revealed. Neils destination was the communication room, which was at the end of this hallway.
But he stopped walking before he got very far. This was because he found someone standing in the middle of the hallway.
Unperturbed, Neil simply looked at him before finally opening his mouth as the elevator doors closed.
What do you want?
Im just curious. Why are you here?
After saying that, Letip stepped forward.
You have a question? I thought you were all-knowing.
Omniscience is not a concept that mortals should talk about carelessly.
Letip smiled for a moment before pointing towards the communication room.
You havent been to this [Communications Room] where you contact Demons for a while. What brings you here now?
Do you expect me to answer?
No. But from what I know, you told Lukas you wouldnt contact the Demons anymore.
This wasnt something that hed spoken about in Letips presence.
But Neil wasnt surprised. Instead, he spoke with a sour expression.
You eavesdropped.
I didnt mean to hear it. Your voices just leaked out and I happened to be nearby.
In this world, thats called eavesdropping.
I see.
And this isnt something you have to worry about.
Neils voice was cold.
If you have nothing else to say, can you leave? Im in a hurry.
Sure.
Not caring about his attitude, Letip smiled before mockingly stepping to the side and disappearing.
Neil couldnt be sure if he had truly left or if he was still hanging around.
If Letip wanted to conceal himself, then Neil Prand would have no way of finding him.
So he decided to stop worrying about it.
Letip, as always, was someone who was driven only by his personal interest. Trying to understand his intentions would only give him a headache. It was better to just let him do what he wanted without caring about it.
Fortunately, he never seemed to be too interested in what Neil was doing.
After a fingerprint scan, iris scan, and password, the door opened.
Inside this room was a small computer. The monitor was a type of CRT(1) monitor that had been phased out as science advanced.
Click.
When he clicked a button, the monitor lit up. As if they had been waiting, the figure of a person appeared on the screen.
[Its been a while since I last contacted you. Youre late.]
The quality of the video was very bad and the image was blurry. Nevertheless, the figures features allowed him to immediately recognise who they were. It was none other than Rose, the Rose Duke, who appeared on the screen.
Did you forget the situation?
[I did kill a few but not that many.]
Neils gaze sank slightly. Then, he spoke curtly, getting to the point.
Tell me what you want.
[Do you see this boy?]
The image turned slightly and he saw Leo hanging from vines.
[I want you to find the person who taught him the Warrior King Fist and send them here.]
Neil didnt know what the Warrior King Fist was.
But he knew who Leos Master was.
Hes not someone you can handle.
[Did I ask you that?]
Roses voice became unpleasant.
[You just need to answer. Just like before. Will you do it or not?]
Neil thought for a moment.
Hes not in America right now. Itll be a bit hard, but Ill send him as soon as possible.
[Good boy, Neil Prand.]
Rose smiled brightly at Neil.
[Our deal will continue for the time being.]
Neil didnt answer, and the monitor went blank once again. He sat there in the darkness for a while.
Everything for America.
After solidifying his resolve, Neil got up from his seat.
(Note: What do you guys think Joanna was about to say?) ( ? ?? ?)
(Note:
1. CRT stands for Cathode Ray Tube. Its a technology that was used in traditional computer monitors and television.)
Book: 2: Chapter 91
Book 2: Chapter 91 After a while, they received a call from Elijah, and Lukas and Joanna headed over to the Warp equipment with their gear.
Coincidentally, the Warp equipment was located in the mansion where Gullard had been staying in the past.
Ugh
Joanna made a disgusted expression.
Gullard was no longer around, but the fact that this place had once been his lair made her very uncomfortable. It was almost like stepping into a haunted house.
But the moment she entered the mansion, her expression changed immediately.
Archmage Joanna.
We owe you a lot this time.
Thank you so much.
This was because she found the members of the Gray Sun bowing their heads towards her.
She could tell from their expressions that their words werent just to be polite. Instead, their faces were covered by genuine expressions of gratitude and respect.
Ah
It was different.
Joanna couldnt help but think about the praise she received daily back when she was in America.
The youngest Archmage.
The most brilliant female Wizard.
The young woman who would lead America to greater heights.
However, those words of praise were nothing but polite comments.
This didnt mean that the words were false. However they didnt even come close to touching her heart the way these simple words of thanks had.
I was such a fool.
How had she not realised?
Why had she been so pleased by those perfunctory remarks in the past?
Thinking back to herself at that time, Joanna felt ashamed.
I I just did what I had to.
Joanna avoided their emotional gazes as she muttered those words. Shed tried to answer calmly but failed spectacularly.
She didnt know why she felt so shy all of a sudden. She hadnt been this embarrassed even when participating in shows that had hundreds of thousands of viewers.
Haha.
Shes completely different from what Id thought at first.
Its nice to see.
The members couldnt help but smile when they saw Joannas human side.
Their attitude caused Joannas face to flush red.
Y-, youre looking down on me.
Theyre not. They will never forget what you did for them.
Joannas face went blank for a moment as she heard Lukas words.
never forget
Those words caused a strange feeling to fill her heart. It was different from any other emotion shed ever felt in her life.
It was a warm and extremely overwhelming feeling that reminded her of the pride or feeling of accomplishment that she got whenever she progressed in magic or was commended by a superior.
its the same in America as well.
What do you mean?
People who leave for battlefields such as Europe, Africa, and Asia to carry out missions. People who risk their lives day and night to save others.
Of course, the America Association Branch didnt like them very much. I also thought that they were stupid.
Despite their strength, those people were always neglected.
In fact, their positions in the America Association Branch could only be described as poor.
And yet
they always seemed devoted and proud.
Lukas silently listened to Joannas voice.
After a short pause, she opened her mouth again.
Now, I understand how they felt.
Thats good.
Huh?
That smile that you just showed was very beautiful.
Lukas spoke his honest opinion. After all, he felt truly happy at that moment.
Joanna had found the sense of satisfaction that only came with doing good deeds. Her outlook on the world would certainly be different from now on.
She would definitely shine brighter. So even Lukas couldnt help but admire the beauty of this moment.
huh?
But, unbeknownst to him, his statement had sent Joannas brain flying hundreds of millions of light years away.
Joanna stood there with an absent-minded stare on her face for a moment before instantly turning beet red.
W-, w-. wh-, wha-, what did you just-
Hey.
A man appeared behind Joanna, whose lips were flapping up and down like a fish.
It was Kran. He was still dressed as sloppily as usual. With his ragged covering his lips, he spoke in his normal, blunt tone.
I heard youre going back to America.
Right. Will you come with me?
Ha. I already turned you down, didnt I?
Then why was he here? No matter how he looked at it, it seemed that Kran had been waiting for them for a while.
Kran frowned when he saw Lukas questioning gaze.
I got a place I have to go for now. I need to fix my broken tools, replenish my equipment, and deal with the soul crystals.
Right.
Kran crossed his arms and tapped his feet on the ground in a strange rhythm for a moment. Then, he spoke in a voice that felt like a mixture between nervousness and irritation.
Its called Argento Spell, right?
Right.
Ill remember that.
After saying those words, Kran turned around and disappeared.
It was only then when Joanna came back to her senses and looked at Lukas with a confused expression.
What did he stop us for?
For the day we meet again.
Huh?
That was the best he could do. We have to respect that.
I see.
Joanna said this, but her expression said otherwise.
She couldnt help but feel like Krans interaction with Lukas was different from anyone elses. But she wasnt exactly sure where the difference was yet.
It wasnt long before they arrived at the Warp equipment.
There, they found Elijah waiting for them.
Come quickly. All the preparations are complete.
Joanna, who had been looking around for a while, finally tilted her head to the side.
By the way, where did Mr. Lee go?
Naturally, she was talking about Lee Jong-hak.
Elijah shrugged.
He already went back to Asia. He seemed to have urgent business.
Ah.
Well.
When one considered the position of the Human Dragon, Lee Jong-hak, it was understandable why he wouldnt be able to stay for a long time. His mission in Africa had already been completed, so it was natural that hed head home immediately afterward.
However, Joanna couldnt help but feel a bit disappointed in the fact that hed left without saying goodbye despite having fought for their lives together.
After doing one final check of the equipment, Elijah turned to them.
Youre heading to the North America Headquarters in Manhattan, New York, right?
Yeah.
Confirmed.
Woowoong-
The Warp Portal let out a hum as it came into existence. Elijah gazed deeply at the portal before speaking in a solemn tone.
I will say it again. Thank you so much. Frey Blake, this is a favour that I will do my very best to repay. On my honour.
His eyes then turned to Joanna.
And you, Joanna Goldberg.
Ah me?
Of course. You are also our benefactor.
In fact, in the final battle against the Demons, the Gray Sun would have been annihilated if it hadnt been for Joanna. Elijah added with a serious expression.
When I first heard the nonsense about you being chosen by the Great Mage, I honestly thought youd hit your head
Hey!
No, how did this man know that?
After thinking that, Joanna realised that everything shed said had been heard by the Gray Sun.
Crazy. That was crazy.
However, Elijahs next words caused her expression to change.
but now, I feel like it might be true.
For a moment, Joanna felt grateful. The events that had happened before then had allowed her to build up some resistance, so she was able to better hide her embarrassment.
Elijah looked at her and let out a soft chuckle before schooling his expression.
Then, I wish you best of luck in America.
Paht-
A bright light enveloped them.
It was time to return to America.
* * *
The Warp Portal in Manhattan Square.
They were immediately greeted by bright flashes of light and loud noise.
Ah
They were back.
Joanna felt her body relax when she saw the familiar scenery, smelled the familiar scents, and heard the familiar sounds. It hadnt been that long since shed left, but she felt like a soldier returning home after a few years.
Lukas looked around before opening his mouth.
There are fewer people than last time.
Oh, my God. Whats with the depressing comment? Cant you see Im trying to enjoy the feeling of returning home?
Home.
Lukas expression softened slightly.
Its because today is a weekday. Besides, at that time, there were more people because of the press confere-
Joannas voice cut off before she finished her sentence.
This was because she remembered how rudely shed treated Lukas when they first met.
It was a strange feeling. It hadnt been that long ago, but she felt embarrassed like she was remembering the mistakes she made during childhood.
in any case, we should probably hurry over to the headquarters.
After saying that, Joanna pulled out the smartphone that shed kept deep in her bag. Of course, it was a communication device that could only be used in North America.
Theres a scratch on the screen.
In the past, she wouldve immediately gotten a replacement, but now, she only wondered where the scratch had come from.
After fiddling with the smartphone for a moment, she called one of her contacts.
Its me. Yeah. Im back. Right, Im in the square right now.
Then she hung up.
Soon after, a black limousine pulled into the square.
It was the man who had been stuck to Joannas side the first time they met who opened the door and stepped out.
Youre back. Im glad youre safe.
Have you been well, Frank?
Yes. Sar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
His eyes then turned to Lukas, who was standing beside her. Irritation flashed in his eyes for a brief moment.
Lukas and Joanna. Hed been very upset when he learned that the two of them would be going on a mission alone. Of course, he knew that it wouldnt matter if Joannas personal assistant or manager was to express dissatisfaction since the order came directly from the Association President.
Venting his anger, he spoke in a harsh tone.
You didnt cause any trouble for Miss Joanna, did you?
Frank!
The sudden shout surprised Frank.
It was none other than Joanna whod shouted. She even looked at him with a reproachful glare.
Be polite.
B-, but
Do I have to repeat myself?
N-, no, Im sorry.
Am I the one you need to apologise to?
ah That
Frank bit his lip before bowing his head towards Lukas.
Im sorry.
Its fine. We should hurry up.
Joanna nodded before stepping onto the car, followed by Lukas.
Frank looked at their backs with a complicated gaze.
As expected, America is still the best. I cant wait to go home and take a bath. With steaming hot water and rose petals. Huhu.
Is your house nearby?
I have a few, but the one here is the one I use most. Ah, it just so happens that I can see it from here. Its that high-rise building over there. Although its a bit small, the night view is unbelievable, so its worth the inconvenience.
I see.
When it comes to the night view, the food at the Cruise Ship Restaurant is absolutely wonderful. Ill invite you some time, so come with me.
What was this atmosphere?
Frank couldnt help but wonder inwardly as he drove.
He didnt know what Joannas mission was, but now, he was curious.
What the hell happened to cause them to become so friendly in such a short time?
Frank knew just how noble Joanna was. His feelings towards her were closer to those of worship, and even though he was only in charge of chores, he took great pride in the fact that he could assist her in any way.
And as far as Frank knew, the only person that Joanna showed such a friendly attitude to was the Association President, Neil Prand.
No, it felt like her attitude now was even better than that.
Frank stopped thinking about it and slowly pulled over. This was because theyd arrived at the North America Headquarters.
Wait here, Frank.
Yes.
They got out of the car and walked into Pilsky Tower.
Like last time, a man who looked like a security guard handed her an earpiece. Joanna took it and hesitated for a moment. Then, she opened her mouth.
Thank you.
huh? Ah, no problem.
The security guard appeared bewildered for a moment before bowing and walking away.
Its a security in-ear. It allows us to connect to the network inside the tower. You can change channels according to your clearance level Wait a moment.
Joanna tapped the in-ear as she said that, and Lukas nodded.
Then, Joanna heard something from the in-ear and her expression changed slightly.
They want us to go to the 58th floor.
Is something wrong?
Mm.
Joanna spoke with a slightly cautious expression.
thats the emergency room.
It was the emergency room that only housed critically ill or fatally injured patients.
Book: 2: Chapter 92
Book 2: Chapter 92 The emergency room on the 58th floor was spacious and open. The ceiling wasnt just higher than other floors; it was several times higher.
It was so large that it seemed to have been created from multiple floors. At least five floors had to be combined to create such a large space. This naturally meant that it looked incredibly spacious.
Nevertheless, there were so many people on this floor that the large space still didnt seem like enough. Doctors, nurses and those who appeared to be Priests ran around busily to the extent that one couldnt help but pity them.
Lukas eyes turned to the far right side of the floor. There, a hazy light that didnt quite suit the modern atmosphere shined brightly.
This light was coming from what appeared to be small Warp Portals. There seemed to be a dozen of them lined up along the wall.
This place has the most state-of-the-art facilities and equipment as well as the very best medical staff. Its services arent just limited to North America. Depending on the circumstances, every Branch all across the world can send their critically ill patients here.
I see.
Lukas nodded.
In other words, it meant that each of these portals was linked to a different Branch.
It was at that moment.
A portal hummed loudly before a large group of people stepped out of it. There were perhaps ten of them. They all wore distinctive costumes, which seemed to be a mix between robes and lab coats, and each of them had a staff in hand. The reverberation of mana could be felt from every part of their bodies.
Lukas immediately recognised them as Wizards.
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And they were all quite talented.
Among them, it was the woman at the front of the group who truly caught his attention. She had dark hair with a slight hint of blue, and her eyes were deep and calm.
This woman
Was a powerful Wizard.
At the very least, she was a Wizard who was much stronger than Joanna. This was quite surprising considering Joannas improvement during their trip to Africa.
In short, this woman was the strongest Wizard Lukas had met since entering this world.
Shes approaching 9 stars.
The woman then turned her head in their direction.
She hadnt felt Lukas gaze. Instead, she was looking at Joanna. Then, the womans lips slowly opened.
Joanna.
Vice President.
Joanna greeted her in a pleasant voice.
Vice President.
Lukas realised that this woman was the second-in-command of the [Wizards Association], an organisation comprised of only the most outstanding Wizards in North America.
It seemed Joanna knew her well.
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I heard that you were sent on a top secret mission, but it seems youve returned.
Yes. Fortunately, we were able to complete the mission quickly.
I see.
The Vice Presidents voice was clear and bright. Her voice alone was enough for one to get a hint of just how much shed accomplished.
Soon, her clear gaze turned to Lukas, who was standing beside Joanna.
by the way, who is this beside you?
Ah. This person is
Joanna seemed to hesitate for some reason as she turned to look at Lukas.
Lukas stepped forward and opened his mouth.
Nice to meet you. Im Frey Blake, from the Europe Branch.
Frey Blake.
The woman narrowed her eyes for a moment as if trying to recall the name before she made an embarrassed expression.
Im sorry. It seems my knowledge is still limited as I havent heard your name before.
Dont worry about it. Im not well known.
The womans expression became a bit strange when she heard that.
Lukas realised that she had noticed his status to an extent, or at least she considered him a formidable opponent.
It was the same case as with Destin and Elijah in Africa.
Humans who had reached a certain level could not disregard Lukas as a nonentity, and instead, they felt that there was something about him that they couldnt ignore. Kran was probably the same. That must have been why hed attacked so fiercely the first time they met.
Pardon my rudeness. My introduction is late. My name is Gloria Piniya. Its nothing special, but I am the Vice President of the Wizards Association. (Note: Should I change her last name to Pinilla?)
Ive heard many things about you.
Joanna watched the meeting between Gloria and Lukas with anticipation, but their conversation didnt go any further.
So she turned to Gloria with a brief look of disappointment.
By the way, Vice President, what brings you to the headquarters?
The Wizards Associations headquarters was located in Texas, and it was extremely rare for one of the Wizards from the Association to leave the area. The Wizards Association was a very sequestered organisation. This was why Joanna had left in the past.
And yet, these reclusive people had come to the headquarters in a group. Including Vice President Gloria, all of the Wizards behind here were high-level executives in the Association. sea??h th ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
It was not easy to see all of these Wizards in the same place like this.
Instead of answering, Gloria tilted her head to the side.
Of course, its No. Wait. Joanna, didnt you hear what happened?
Huh?
Just as Joanna blinked in confusion, another portal activated. This time, it was a group of men who appeared. The man standing at the front had a rock-like body and a fierce gaze that seemed to be filled with fighting intent.
Brazilian Fighter Squad?
More importantly, the man at the front of the was the legendary Fighter Squad leader, Anderson Hamus.
He took a crude but firm step forward and chuckled cynically when he saw Gloria.
What a rare sight, I didnt expect the dear Vice President to lift her heavy ass off her seat and come all the way here to the headquarters.
Anderson. It seems your childish provocations havent improved at all over the years.
Gloria smiled similarly as she replied. Anderson let out a cheerful laugh.
Haha. A fighter doesnt need to provoke. But it is fun to play with you.
Hmph
Well, take your time. Ill be going ahead.
After saying that, he walked past Gloria. Unlike the two leaders who seemed to be exchanging playful banter, the groups behind them exchanged fierce gazes as though they would jump on each other at any moment.
Joanna subconsciously swallowed a mouthful of saliva as the two groups passed each other.
From the Vice President to the Fighter Squad leader. What the hell happened?
Joanna was shocked, but that seemed to just be the beginning.
As she stood there, the portals activated time and time again, with powerful individuals or groups appearing each time. From influential executives to famous hunters who represented each region to even a group of Catholic Cardinals.
Shed been active in the North America Headquarters for a long time, but this was the first time that shed ever seen so many big names gathered together.
What the hell happened?
That
Master!
Then, someone called out to Lukas.
When he turned, he saw Min Ha-rin and a man hed never seen before.
Youre here too, Master!
Min Ha-rin ran over to Lukas with a face that could not hide her joy. Lukas smiled faintly.
Its been a while.
Yes. Im glad you returned safely.
Thanks.
Min Ha-rin smiled brightly for a moment before she heard a soft cough from the man standing behind her.
This is Vincent J. Heider. He is the one who taught me while you were away.
Vincent.
As he said this, the man held out his hand to Lukas. Lukas took his hand and he responded.
Frey Blake.
I heard about your mission.
Vincents expression became a bit strange as he said this, not letting go of his hand.
Id like to formally commend you for your achievement.
Youre flattering me.
No. Argento Spell Soon, everyone in the world will have heard this name.
?
Min Ha-rin tilted her head to the side, an expression that showed she hadnt heard the news yet.????????????re????d. ????????????
Lukas wasnt too surprised, though. Theyd probably heard about it from Elijah.
About him slaying one of the Five Dukes.
It was an achievement that would surely shake the world, but Lukas didnt intend to talk much about it. It was so absurd that the more he talked about it, the more distrust and resistance he would get.
Instead, it was better to let it spread at its own pace. Of course, most of those who heard it would only dismiss it as a bluff or hearsay.
They would ignore it and carry on their duties.
This would continue until the thought maybe appeared in the minds of the doubters.
This wasnt a difficult task.
In the past, when Lukas and his team first defeated a Demigod, the various tribes and kingdoms didnt believe it. Some even criticised Lukas, claiming that hed shaken a beehive for no reason.
Back then, every day was hard, but he missed it.
A young man who was only able to survive because he had a like-minded group of friends.
I was ignorant back then. Im sure they knew that.
Lukas suddenly remembered the voice of a man.
Hed spoken in an arrogant tone with his arms crossed.
You just have to think hard. And show me the way to go. In exchange
The man, Kasajin, smiled so brightly that even a man might have fallen in love with him at that moment.
Ill protect your back.
Lukas awoke from his brief reminisce. This wasnt the time to get sentimental.
Joanna turned to Vincent.
Vincent, what the hell happened? Are they holding an emergency meeting because of what happened in Africa?
No, its more serious than that Itd probably be better if you saw for yourself. Follow me.
They followed Vincent without a word.
The place where they stopped was a special ward. But Joanna was surprised by the huge crowd standing outside of the room.
Vincent approached the doctor who was standing at the door.
Anthony, how is he doing?
not good. Hes still on the fence.
The doctor replied with a heavy expression. Then, his eyes turned to Lukas, who was standing behind Vincent.
He spoke in a quiet tone.
Thats them? Frey Blake and Joanna Goldberg?
Right.
Ill allow you to enter. However, please do not stimulate the patient too much.
Vincent nodded before slowly opening the door and entering the room. Joanna followed him, filled with confusion.
When she first heard that they should go to the emergency room, she thought that it was Leo Freeman who was in critical condition. After all, as far as she knew, there were only two people in North America who were related to Lukas, and one of them was Min Ha-rin, who was beside them.
But it wasnt.
The large group outside consisted mostly of hunters from various regions, group leaders and high ranking officials.
There was no way these figures would gather just for Leo Freeman. Most of them probably didnt even know the boy existed.
More importantly, this room was a special hospital room. One that could only be used by senior officials and higher ups of the Association.
Dak.
The door opened and the inside of the room was revealed.
And Joanna finally received an answer to her questions.
Ah
At first, she thought it was a corpse.
That was how miserable the man lying on the bed looked. Being moved to this place meant that hed already received the very best treatment available. And yet, it didnt seem that way at all. To be precise, it felt like he hadnt received any treatment whatsoever.
Joanna couldnt help but call out with a stunned expression.
A-, Association President?
Because lying on the bed in a state between life and death was none other than the President of the Hunter Association, Neil Prand.
Book: 2: Chapter 93
Book 2: Chapter 93 Hes afflicted with [Rose Poison].
Huh?
Joannas eyes widened slightly when she heard Vincents words.
Its the poison that the Rose Duke uses. Its so toxic and corrosive that even a Warrior with a well trained body would become a puddle of blood after a short while If the Presidents body hadnt been so powerful, he would not have lasted this long.
Wh-, why did this happen?
Vincent let out a bitter chuckle at Joannas question.
Theres only one case that would cause the Association President to take such risks.
He looked down at the bedridden Neil Prand before continuing.
For America.
Joanna remained silent, a complicated expression on her face. In fact, Vincents expression was the same. He looked down at his watch.
He remains unconscious for most of the day, but there are times when he regains his consciousness. That time is approaching Frey Blake, there is something he has to tell you.
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Lukas nodded at those words.
Vincent then turned towards the rest of the group and continued.
The Association President would like to meet him in private. Im sorry, but the rest of us will need to step outside.
At those words, the rest of the group went outside, leaving Lukas alone in the room. Before she left, Joanna looked at Neil with an incomprehensible expression.
Lukas stopped Min Ha-rin as she was about to step through the door.
Ha-rin.
Yeah?
Where is Leo now?
in another room.
Lukas fell silent at Min Ha-rins words.
So he wasnt in Canada. Lukas had been told that Leo had been captured by the Rose Duke, who had occupied that region.
In other words, Leo had escaped that monsters clutches some way or the other.
If so
How is he?
Hes fine physically, but hes not very stable mentally. It seems that hes still in shock. Nevertheless, hes much better than he was when he first got here. At least he can walk and talk to some extent now.
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After saying that, Min Ha-rin paused for a moment.
Leo
Then her eyes turned to Neil, who lay prone on the bed.
The Association President rescued him.
He went to Canada on his own. No one knows what happened there. However, when he returned to the headquarters with Leo, the Association President was already on the brink of death.
After saying that, Min Ha-rin nodded.
Thats all I know, Master. Ill be in Leos room.
Ill be there soon.
Yes.
Leos condition might improve if he met with their Master face to face. With that expectation, Min Ha-rin left the room.
Huff, huff
Lukas looked down at Neil.
He was breathing heavily and slowly as though he would stop at any moment.
A white glow emanated from Lukas eyes.
Clairvoyance.
This power wasnt limited only to clearly seeing distant objects. Depending on the usage, it was possible to analyse an opponents weaknesses as well.
And being able to analyze weaknesses meant being able to tell their physical condition with a single glance.
The results didnt surprise him.
Neil was slowly dying.
His entire body was covered in white bandages, but the skin beneath the bandages was discolored, appearing to be the same shade of red as a rose.
More than 80% of his intestines had been corroded by the poison, for which the expression deadly poison still wouldnt be enough. In fact, it was a miracle that he was still alive. Somehow, he was still managing to stay alive despite the fact that poison strong enough to melt steel was eroding his insides.
Taht.
Lukas put his hand on Neils head.
The Demigod power which had previously belonged to Norn appeared.
Woowoong-
Urd.
It was that Demigods ability to see the past.*
Originally, it would have been quite troublesome to view the past of someone with strong mental power like Neil. But at that moment, he was so weakened and fragile that it wouldnt be surprising if he suddenly died.
The strong barriers that once protected his mind were now nothing more than feeble, crumbling fence posts.
This allowed Lukas to enter his mental world without difficulty.
Fwoosh-
Then, he gradually assimilated with Neils memories and his past.
* * *
Neil Prand slowly walked through the streets of a ruined city, his eyes slowly taking in everything around him.
Toronto.
He couldnt help but remember the splendour of the city that used to be the economic capital of Canada.
He remembered the people who lived here. People who had no sense of danger, who had now become corpses that filled the streets of this city.
The shattered peace weighed on Neils heart.
What are you doing here?
Taht.
A figure fell from the sky.
It was a beautiful woman with a voluptuous body and blood red hair. A woman who seemed to be in a pleasant mood despite their gloomy surroundings.
Rose, the Rose Duke, tilted her head slightly.
Why are you here? It doesnt seem like youve brought that man with you either.
Rose Duke.
Neil spoke in a calm voice.
Why did you break the agreement?
What agreement?
Did you agree not to touch America?
Ahhh.
Rose shrugged nonchalantly.
But I didnt touch it. Isnt this Canada?
Quit your wordplay. Our non-aggression agreement applied to the entirety of North America and every territory under its jurisdiction. You couldnt have forgotten that.
I did forget. Honestly. Ill pay more attention next time.
Rose said this with a smile, making Neil speechless for a moment.
I see.
She forgot because she never cared about it in the first place.
The deal, promise, and decision that hed made after careful deliberation. That was how much it meant to this being.
It wasnt a bad deal.
He meant it.
Neil didnt regret making the deal with Rose. Because of their agreement, he was able to save hundreds of thousands of lives. So even if he was given the chance to return to the past, he would make the same choice.
Whats with your tone? Do you intend to end our pact?
Thats right.
Im not sure I understand.
You dont understand?
For the first time, anger mixed into Neils voice.
Look around. Look at what youve done. Rose Duke, do you know just how many people you killed here?
A few hundred. It wasnt that many. After all, this is only one out of hundreds of cities. I killed most of the humans in this city, but that shouldnt be that much of a deal breaker.
Rose looked at Neil with an incomprehensible expression.
Youre going to break ties with me because of a few hundred people? That doesnt seem like a logical decision at all.
She meant that he couldnt control his anger at the moment and was using his emotions to decide.
If they were to end their relationship now, America would no longer be a safe haven from the Demons invasion. If that were to happen, an even larger number of people would end up dying.
Even Rose could not estimate just how high it would be. But one thing was certain. The bloodshed of the people in this city would be but a drop in the ocean by comparison.
Rose narrowed her eyes as she observed the human standing in front of her.
Neil Prand was a useful human with whom they could communicate. Because of her deal with him, many things had become many times more convenient.
Information on the locations of hunter hideouts, the distribution of human slaves, and even advanced warnings on planned attacks on Demon Nobles. All things that were difficult for the Demons to learn.
It was for this reason that she didnt want to break ties with him just yet. For the Demon Kings sake, her relationship with this man had to continue.
After making her decision, Rose nodded her head.
Fine. Ill admit it. It was my mistake.
She steeled her resolve and admitted to her mistake.
In retrospect, her attack on the Canada Branch was an impulsive decision that had been made in the heat of the moment.
Think about it carefully, Neil Prand. I heard that the humans called America The Utopia. If you break ties with me, that would come to an end. You shouldnt take such a risk because of one small mistake.
You dont understand. The weight of that mistake.
For her, it was just one mistake. But the cracks it had created could not be reversed. Even if they left them alone, the cracks would eventually become bigger.
It would be foolish to try to touch them. Just as it would be to continue this relationship.
Neil looked around.
Corpses of all genders, ages, and sizes littered the street.
Beings who thought they were absolutely safe.
Was it their fault that their city was in ruins? Was it their fault that they had become so intoxicated by peace that their complacency and inattentiveness had reached such a level?
No. Neil denied it.
They were innocent.
He was the one who was guilty. It was Neil who had given them an excessive sense of security.
Neil had wanted to protect the lives of everyone living in America. Hed wanted to recreate the peaceful nation from the 21st century where the public was never exposed to such dangers.
Hed wanted to make it so that everyone living on this land could take peace and security for granted. Hed hoped that they would be indifferent even when hearing about war in a distant country, watching the Demons and Demon Beasts causing havoc on the TV from the safety of their homes.
Hed wanted to protect their lives, their homes, and their jobs.
But above everything else, Neil had wanted to protect their smiles.
Now, that duty has been shattered.
By the being in front of him.
And it was all because Neil had foolishly believed her. Sar?h the novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
You.
A spark of emotion briefly flashed in his eyes.
Insulted my duty.
Then, a bloody battle ensued.
Neils fighting prowess was amazing. He showed combat power that did not shame his position as President of the Hunter Association. From the strength he displayed, it was clear that he hadnt neglected his training for a single day. (Note: I thought Neil was a Wizard)
His effort was proven by the fact that he was able to fight against one of the Five Dukes on his own.
The bitter struggle continued.
However, it was Neil who became more and more disadvantaged as time passed. They were ill matched.
Neils entire body was gradually stained red with poison. He felt terrible pain from every part of his body, and his vision was gradually becoming blurry. He knew that it wouldnt be long before he fell unconscious.
On the other hand, Rose, who had only suffered a few minor injuries, appeared fine.
Foolish.
Just as Rose snorted and prepared to swing a vine forward.
Boom!
A bolt of lightning fell from the sky.
* * *
Lukas silently looked down at Neil for a while.
Only to protect America.
It was only then when he got a glimpse into why Neil received such support in North America.
I see.
Lukas was able to realise something.
The reason why there was no sense of crisis in the faces of the people living in North America. The reason why they didnt seem to have any awareness of the Demon threat.
It was all thanks to this man named Neil Prand. This man had managed to successfully create peace, at least in the limited area of North America.
Humans are weak beings. You cant protect all of them.
He heard Neils voice from when he was just a boy.
So Ill just protect what I can grasp. Master, Ill only protect America.
In the end, he took responsibility for the choices he made.
Lukas still didnt think that it was the right thing to do. But now, he no longer felt ashamed of Neil.
Neil was looking up at Lukas with hazy eyes. With a shaky hand, he took off his oxygen mask.
Then, he opened his mouth.
Rose is still alive.
He only said a few words, but he panted as though he would collapse at any moment.
However, his next words were clear.
Dont kill her.
Neils hazy eyes focused as he grabbed Lukas wrist.
It is a challenge that we must face.
Many people will die.
it is a necessary wound. There will be more bloodshed in the future.
It was then when Lukas realised that Neil had made some sort of decision.
His resolution hadnt changed, and he would still put America first, but it seemed that he had finally realised it was impossible to coexist with the Demons.
The man with the greatest transformation power out of anyone Lukas had met in this world had finally recognised the Demons as enemies.
From now on, he would no longer take the safe road and would instead fight the Demons with his full power.
Of course, all of this was dependent on whether he could survive this ordeal or not.
Neil fell unconscious again.
Lukas looked down at him for a moment before placing the oxygen mask over his mouth once again.
(Note: * - For those who might have forgotten, Norn was the Demigod who split into three different Demigods. They had the power to see the past, present, and future, respectively.)
Book: 2: Chapter 94
Book 2: Chapter 94 A long, rectangular table filled a large room, at which a dozen or so people sat.
As she took her seat, Joanna looked around the room. Those who sat at this table were all great figures whom most hunters would know by name.
Just from looking at the faces of these people, she found it hard to breathe. Even though she was pretty well-known herself, she hadnt yet reached the stage where she would be known regardless of where she went.
dont be intimidated.
Joanna took a deep breath before straightening her shoulders.
Sitting at the head of this table was none other than Vincent. This fact caused a few of the people there to feel a bit strange. After all, while Vincent was a fairly well-known hunter, he still lagged behind quite a few of them when it came to skill or fame.
But it couldnt be helped.
Since he was attending the meeting as a proxy.
First, I would like to express my gratitude to everyone for taking time from their busy schedules to come here today.
Aware of his position, Vincents tone was very polite as he spoke.
Although not much, I am Vincent J. Heider, and I will be the host for this meeting.
There was no applause. There were more than a dozen people gathered in the room, but no one could even hear the sound of breathing.
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This was unspoken pressure for him to quickly get to the main point. Vincent tried to ignore the feeling that he was being crushed by the weight of the atmosphere.
Then, an old man spoke.
Cardinal Thomas, Id like to hear from you about the Association Presidents condition.
He was one of the board members. Although he lacked personal power, his influence could be ranked within the top five among the board members.
Its not good.
Cardinal Thomas sighed as he answered.
Have you heard of Rose Poison? It is very heinous. I managed to use my holy power to slow down its diffusion rate. But that is only a temporary measure instead of a true solution as I could only slow down and not stop the spread.
In that case, will the President die at this rate?
Thomas hesitated for a moment at the board members blunt question before nodding.
thats right.
The atmosphere in the room became heavier as though a lump of lead had been placed on it. This was natural.
President of the Hunter Association, Neil Prand.
The symbolism, influence, and authority that he had were beyond compare. It would not be as simple as one person dying.
His death would impact the hunters in every Association Branch in North America and even humanity as a whole. They couldnt even begin to imagine how large the ripple effect would be.
I dont understand. Where and what the hell were the Manhattan hunters doing?
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It was Anderson, Leader of the Fighter Squad, who opened his mouth with a harsh tone. His hostile gaze turned to Vincent.
This is none other than the President of the Association. The leader of millions of hunters. A man like that goes to fight one of the Five Dukes on his own and no one stops him. Are all the hunters here stupid?
Vincent just bowed his head. He couldnt refute Andersons words. After all, he was right.
It was true that Neil had gone on his own to confront one of the Five Dukes, but the hunters in Manhattan were also at fault for not stopping him.
It has already happened. Is this really the time to point fingers?
It was the Wizard Associations Vice President who spoke with a cold voice. Anderson stared at her in displeasure for a moment before folding his arms and leaning back in his chair with a snort.
What we need to do now is discuss a way to save Neil. The Association President cannot die.
When most of those sitting at the table nodded to show their agreement, her eyes turned to Vincent.
Vincent, you called us here because you thought of a solution. Isnt that so?
Vincent was silent.
Gloria was right. Regardless of if he was temporarily taking Neils place or not, there was no way he could bring these people together without a clear solution.
Nevertheless, he couldnt open his mouth easily.
This was because he expected to receive a lot of resistance to the words he was preparing to say.
However, he couldnt stay silent forever. So, with reluctant determination, Vincent opened his mouth.
We intend to ask the Saint of Salvation for help.
the Saint?
Mm!
The sounds of astonishment came from every part of the table. There were a few who immediately made unpleasant expressions. Most of them were the religious individuals.
This was natural.
The Saint of Salvation, one of the Top Three.
Despite his title as Saint, he had absolutely nothing to do with Christianity. So for them, a normal man calling himself Saint was sacrilege.
It was Cardinal Thomas who spoke on their behalf.
Vincent.
Thomas was an extremely benevolent man who didnt get upset at most things, but now, he had a glimmer of displeasure on his face.
This couldnt be helped.
Thomas, who was a very famous religious figure with great faith in Catholicism, had been unable to drive the poison out of Neils body with his holy power.
Under these circumstances, asking the Saint for help was no different from propagating the Catholic Churchs incompetence.
And if the Saint managed to succeed in curing Neil of his ailment
That would be a major blow to the faith of Christianity as a whole, not just Catholicism.
Vincent knew that as well. He knew just how rude his actions were at that moment. However, time was running out.
If it had been another Cardinal and not Thomas who was sitting at that table, then they might have burst out in anger or even left directly.
Is that really the only way?
Yes. sea??h th n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Nevertheless, Vincent could only bite the bullet, not back down. He wanted to show his determination to everyone at the table.
Even if there would be strong backlash from the Catholic Church, saving Neil was the top priority.
Thomas sighed softly.
He could see the desperation of Vincent, no, of the entirety of America.
Do you know where the Saint is right now?
Vincent nodded and answered.
Its said that hes currently in Korea.
Hmmm.
Its said that hes currently spreading his eternal life religion.
Thomas bit his lip at those words.
hes selling faith. Its unacceptable.
From a business perspective, its a pretty good market. The religious business works well in Korea.
It was Anderson who said these words with a chuckle.
However, the fact that hes in Asia That will be a pain in the ass.
Nodiesop.
The fact that an unidentified man had suddenly taken over the Asia Branch of the Hunter Association was something that was known to everyone capable of sitting at that table. It was highly likely that Korea was also not free of his influence. After all, the Korean Peninsula was not very far from the Asia Headquarters in Beijing.
Have you come up with a solution to this, Vincent?
Vincent was silent for a moment before he answered.
there is a Korean person with whom I recently became personally acquainted. Im thinking of asking for her help.
Can you tell us who it is?
Min Ha-rin.i????????????????????.nbsp;c????????
Where have I heard that name?
Are you talking about the White Flower?
The hall became noisy for a moment.
Min Ha-rin was a well-known rookie from Asia. Her fame hadnt yet crossed the ocean to North America, but there were a few people at the table whod heard of her before.
She certainly should have some independent line of communication to the Korean Branch.
Then lets leave the case of the Association President there for now.
In truth, nothing had been resolved yet.
There was no way to know if the Korea Branch would accept Min Ha-rins communication request or if they would help them find the Saint in Korea.
More importantly, it was possible that after theyd found the Saint after tremendous effort, he would refuse to assist.
Or even if he did agree to assist them, he might not be able to fix the problem.
And above all else.
It was possible that Neil wouldnt survive until then.
There were a lot of things that they were unsure about, and anxieties were mounting.
But Vincent decided to stop thinking negatively. Worrying like this would only cause him to become sick.
Besides, there were still issues in North America that needed to be addressed.
After the attack by one of the Five Dukes, the civilians were filled with tension and fear at the thought that North America was no longer a safe zone.
They had to come up with solutions for all of these problems within the day.
This meeting, which would surely go on for a very long time, had only just begun.
Book: 2: Chapter 95
Book 2: Chapter 95 Youre really kind.
Lukas turned around at the sudden voice.
Letip was standing there. He sat at a small table in the corner of the room, reading a book with his legs crossed as if hed been there from the beginning. There was also a packet of sweets opened in front of him.
After looking at him for a moment before finally opening his mouth.
Why did you save Neil?
The lightning bolt at the end had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. It was easy to guess who had intervened.
At that moment, when Neil was on the verge of death, it was Letip who had interfered and saved him. And it was probably him whod saved Leo as well.
Letip replied with a smirk.
First of all, I was simply protecting a friend. I couldnt just watch him die.
It was only then when Lukas finally realised why Neil had gone to face a Duke on his own. He seemed to have been driven by emotion, but he still would have been able to make rational decisions.
It turned out that Letip was Neils insurance. He had to have known that Letip would save him if worse came to worst.
Then why didnt you kill Rose?
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If I did that, Id have to fight the Demon King.
So you want to stay neutral?
Tak.
Letip closed the book.
Then, he took a sip of cold water from a glass in front of him before getting up from his seat. Contrary to what hed shown before, there was now a serious look in his eyes.
Sedi is dead.
Lukas knew. Or to be precise, hed gotten a vague feeling.
The influence, the death of an Absolute had on a universe, was by no means small. Especially for a small and fragile universe like this one.
And yet, the reason he hadnt been entirely sure was because of how sudden it was.
But now, Letip was telling him directly that Sedi was dead.
This meant that Sedi had truly died.
Perhaps within hours of their last meeting.
She disregarded my advice, and now, she has disappeared from this [Weak World]. Im sure I dont have to tell you who killed her.
The Demon King.
He didnt say that it was Kasajin. Lukas wasnt sure if it was his own stubbornness or for some other reason.
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The Demon King, Nodiesop, and me as well. We dont care what happens to this universe. It doesnt matter to us if it collapses if we use power that exceeds its capacity. You felt it, didnt you? There are already a few cracks in the universe after the fight between Sedi and the Demon King.
Youre not usually this long-winded. What is it that you want to say?
The corners of Letips mouth rose once again.
Ruler.
?
Lord, Manager, Assistant.
From top to bottom, Letip listed the different levels of Absolutes.
Lukas remained silent because he didnt know what he was trying to say.
Only an Absolute who rules more than one concept deserves to be called a Lord. The same goes for you, Lukas Trowman.
In other words, among Lords, there are some who rule over more concepts than others. This is why there can be large power gaps between Lords despite them being on the same level.
Lukas had a feeling that Letip was about to say something very important, and his hunch wasnt wrong.
The Demon King, for example, is the Black Horned Demon Gods right-hand man.
right hand?
The right hand of a Ruler.
This was Lukas first time hearing such a concept.
Whether he read Lukas expression or not, Letip continued to explain.
Its not surprising that you dont know about it. Most dont even know they exist. Personally, I call them Conquerors, but Well, their title isnt important. Just know that each of them is within the top five of all Lords.
The Demon King appeared like a gust of wind. One day, he suddenly appeared and killed the Absolute who used to serve as the Demon Gods right hand before taking his place. Hes an Absolute with mysterious origins, but his power is clear to all.
This was the first time hed heard any information about Kasajin since he disappeared.
With a strange feeling in his chest, Lukas continued listening to Letip.
I am also a Conqueror.
the Lightning God.
Hes my one and only Master.
Letip nodded his head slowly.
I received a call from God not too long ago. He probably wanted to give me a hint on how to deceive the laws of this universe. Do you know why I didnt go?
He answered his own question before Lukas could open his mouth.
Because theres no need to care about that at all. Lukas, stop paying attention to trivial things. The Demon King has begun to move.
You seem pretty wary. Are you afraid of him?
Lukas asked, a hint of provocation in his voice.
However, Letip nodded with a scarily calm expression.
Right. Im afraid of him.
What?
Then he said something that was even more shocking.
Because at this moment, the Demon King is stronger than me.
* * *
Now, the Demon King has gone to Nodiesop. If my predictions are correct, then the twos goals coincide and there is a high chance that they will work together. I dont have to tell you whom they want to kill, do I?
As if opposed to Letips assertion, Lukas refuted him.
The Demon King might not be hostile towards me.
Why? Because you know him and the two of you came from the same world?
Letips hoarse voice made Lukas head become cold.
Just a moment ago, hed said that Kasajins origins were mysterious. It couldnt be said that he lied He said Kasajins origins were mysterious, but he didnt say that he didnt know them.
Letip had once again twisted his words to suit himself.
Hahaha
Letip let out a hollow laugh. Then, he furrowed his eyebrows.
That little friendship game you played back when you were both humans. I dont know for sure, but Im certain that it didnt last more than a century. Human lifespans are the same regardless of the universe It has been a long time since he became an Absolute. Do you think the memories of when he was a human, a period of only a few decades, would still be important to him now?
Are you trying to say that you know more about Kasajin than I do?
I dont know anything about the human Kasajin. But I know the Absolute Kasajin better than you do. To become an Absolute is to say goodbye. Goodbye to the world in which you were born and lived. Goodbye to your fate as a mortal. Goodbye to anything you might have created. In order to rise to new heights, its necessary to empty your vessel.
Im sure youve seen it before. Absolutes who have become completely different from their mortal days. Memories of the past are nothing more than bits of data for Absolutes. They are driven only by their mission, their responsibility, and their sense of duty.????????????????????????????. C????
Letips eyes grew cold.
You are the only exception.
He spoke with certainty.
Dont try to generalise your case. You are the only special one. There was never and will never be another Absolute like you who is bound to their past, origin, and race. Cant you see why all Absolutes are so hostile towards you yet?
Letips voice was like cold daggers.
There wasnt a single wrong word. Even before Lukas began acting as he pleased, there hadnt been any Absolutes friendly towards him.
Among the Absolutes, who were extraordinary beings from all over the multiverse, he was the only exception. The only one who was different.
youre unusually talkative today, Letip. What exactly is it that you want?
Help me kill the Demon King Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
That was a ridiculous request at this point.
Letip nodded expectantly when Lukas remained silent.
even if I say all of that, you will continue to trust him unless you see it with your own eyes. Thats fine, too. Sooner or later, youll get to meet the Demon King. Then youll be able to see for yourself and make your own decision. About what kind of being Kasajin is now.
Book: 2: Chapter 96
Book 2: Chapter 96 Shaa-
An unusual downpour was raining down on Beijing, China.
The inside of the Presidents office was completely dark without a single shred of light.
In this darkness, which had a strange, fear-inducing depth, Nodiesop sat comfortably in a large chair. He looked out the large glass wall which served as a window and into the distance with a seemingly lonely stare.
He found this universe to be extremely disgusting and annoying, but he quite liked views like this one. It felt like the heavy rain would wipe this world clean.
He closed his eyes gently.
He liked times like these. When he could listen to the sound of the rain against the window or even just watching it fall.
He couldnt believe that these large skyscrapers, the products of science, and the rain, a product of nature, could create such perfect harmony. This was probably one of those miracles called coincidences.
It was a time he wished he could enjoy forever, but today, he had an uninvited guest.
Flash!
A lightning bolt struck down, and before he knew it, a huge shadow was standing above the headquarters.
The owner of the shadow appeared to be a Demon. He had a body that was several times larger than a normal human. And within his large, destructively powerful body, an immense amount of demonic energy could be felt.
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Nodiesop looked up at the shadow before muttering calmly. sea??h th Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Have you chosen me next after Sedi, Demon King?
Kasajin stood in the pouring rain with his back against the glass. The occasional bolt of lightning revealed his terrifying frightening visage.
Even the bravest of men would scream in fear the moment they saw those fearsome eyes in the darkness.
[And if I have?]
It was only a short phrase, but the pressure behind it was enough to distort the space in the room.
It wont be easy.
[Dont be so sure.]
After saying that, Kasajin turned to face Nodiesop. In an instant, he appeared in the office. It was fortunate that the Presidents office was quite large; otherwise, it might not have been able to contain his large body.
He walked right up to Nodiesop, who remained seated in his chair, before looking down.
[I came here because theres something I want to talk about.]
Talk
It was something that he never would have expected.
From the moment he sensed Kasajins presence, Nodiesop had prepared to use his external force at any time. This was because he thought hed come here to fight him.
However, he couldnt see any signs of treachery from Kasajin. Was this a trick?
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There was a chance that was the case, but he didnt think that this guy would go through all of the trouble of tricking him. After all, he was someone who stood at the pinnacle of Lords.
[You must have heard of the way to deceive the laws from God. What hint did he give you?]
I didnt expect you to be interested in it.
Nodiesop murmured in a blunt voice.
Do you expect me to tell you that?
[It doesnt matter if you want to tell me or not. After all, no one in this world understands him better than I do.]
It was a strange thought. Unable to contain his curiosity, Nodiesop asked.
What do you mean?
[Nodiesop, Ill teach you. God told me about the laws and deceiving the universe. Ill tell you the results of the various experiments Ive done]
Then, Kasajin began explaining in a low voice.
As a result, Nodiesops expression gradually began to change. This change increased as Kasajin continued.
By the time Kasajin finished talking, Nodiesops expression was a mixture of shock and disbelief.
He rose from his seat and walked towards the wall of glass that overlooked the city.
For a while, the only sound in the room was the sound of the rain pattering against the glass.
Then, Nodiesop sighed and opened his mouth.
why did you tell me all of that? Why didnt you kill me like Sedi?
[Sedi joined hands with Lukas. Although, it was only temporary.]
So youre saying that youre targeting Lukas?
[Right.]
At that confirmation, Nodiesop burst into laughter. He turned around sharply. Brilliant gold eyes shined ominously in the dark. They were the eyes of a predator.
This was different from the pressure Kasajin was releasing.
Anyone who looked into his eyes at that moment would be frozen in fear.
You made a foolish decision, Demon King. I wouldnt have any problems killing him without your help. At best, hes just a foolish kid who doesnt know the true power of a Lord He cant begin to compare to the years of experience I, Nodiesop, have.
[Did the eons wear away your judgment? Is the amount of time you lived the only thing youre relying on? Do you think you can defeat Lukas Trowman with just that? He is very accustomed to fighting beings stronger than him You, Nodiesop, who was promised the fate of an Absolute from birth, would never understand. What it means to constantly struggle just to survive.]
Rage flashed in Nodiesops eyes. His external force began to flow from his body.
Shaaa!
Suddenly, the rain began to fall even harder. It was so heavy that it felt like a hole had been ripped in the sky. It pounded against the window to the point where the wall began to creak ominously.
What are you trying to say?
[Risk your life. Try to have the idea that you will lose. Learn that fear. Otherwise]
Kasajin closed his eyes for a moment, and he seemed to think about something, but he then let out a long sigh and said.
[You will be defeated by Lukas tenacity.]
* * *
In an ominous forest.????????????r????????????. ????????????
The air felt sticky and clung to ones skin as though it was alive, and an unpleasant breeze tickled the ears.
With the faint stench and hazy fog that surrounded this forest, any normal person would never dare to think about entering this forest.
Nevertheless, Kran walked in this swamp like he was used to it. With every step he took, his feet sunk into the mud. The water that entered his shoes made him uncomfortable, but he ignored it. (Note: The author randomly transitioned from forest to swamp, so swamp it is)
Eventually, he arrived at a cabin that was hidden deep in this swamp.
Creak-
Without hesitation, Kran opened the door and stepped inside. Inside, he saw a dusty room in which sat nothing but a small table and a crystal ball.
Kran put his hand on the ball, and a faint light began to leak out of it.
The light lit up the room for a moment before gradually taking the shape of a woman.
[Your call was pretty late this time, Kran.]
The hazy figure of the woman spoke softly.
It was a tough hunt.
Hmm. Well, I suppose one of the Five Dukes would certainly be tough prey.
whered you hear that from? Ringo.
[Huhu. Well]
The woman, Ringo, chuckled softly at Kran.
Kran frowned at her for a moment before shaking his head.
I met a guy called the Great Mage.
Ringos image shook for a moment before finally stabilising. Because it was a figure made of light, no appearance or expression could be seen. Kran could only see the curves that were unique to women.
It was a bit depressing.
[I see, so you were able to defeat one of the Five Dukes with his help.]
Kran looked offended when he heard that, but he couldnt deny it. After all, she wasnt wrong.
He was strong, but the Five Dukes were monsters.
If it wasnt for Lukas help, he probably would have died.
[More importantly, all the equipment I prepared for you has been ruined. It was really expensive, you know?]
Ill pay for it. I obtained a lot of soul crystals this time. Though, I missed the Dukes.
Chuk-
As he said this, Kran upturned his bag and dumped all of the soul crystals on the table.
Seeing this, Ringo grinned slightly.
[Thats unfortunate. Well, this should be enough to cover it. Take off your coat and turn your back to me, Kran. Ill help you recover.]
She then whispered in a voice that could barely be heard.
[The Black Witch and the [Shroud of Night] will always give you our full support.]
* * *
Letip disappeared after saying what he had to, but Lukas couldnt help but remain frozen in his spot.
Kill Kasajin. With his own hands.
That was something that he never could have imagined.
I should be happy instead.
He should be happy that Kasajin was still alive, that hed become an Absolute like him, and that hed finally found someone he shared a past with.
It was lonely.
The Absolutes who wandered around the multiverse were essentially strangers wherever they went. This was why most of them chose to serve Rulers. Just by putting themselves in a large group, they were able to suppress the inherent loneliness that came with their task.
Lukas didnt do that. So his life as an Absolute was even more lonely than the others. He hadnt felt this lonely even during the 4,000 years hed spent locked in the Abyss.
Then, he learned of Kasajins existence.
One of his oldest friends was in this universe and shared the same goal as him.
A being who knew the Great Mage, Lukas Trowman, and not the Absolute, Lukas.
Suddenly, a laugh escaped his lips.
He could feel something creak. It wasnt just in his head.
Deep within, he felt something that helped form the foundation of his existence shake.
Are you tired already, Lukas?
It shouldnt be.
The path he was currently walking on did not allow him to stop or rest.
Hed decided that he wanted to become the God of Humanity.
Did he think itd be easy? Had his resolution only amounted to this much?
If he had to think of a problem, then it would just be one thing.
And that was that this path was much longer and harder than hed initially expected.
Hed thought that he could endure it. But what if that wasnt true? What if he was just turning a blind eye to the fact that hed already reached his limit?
The Thunder God, a Ruler, had told him. Lukas was an Absolute with emotions and a very strong personality.
But Lukas couldnt help but doubt those words now.
Was he really different from the other Absolutes?
Wasnt he also only focused on his mission to save humanity?
At this point, he knew that a clash with Kasajin was inevitable. As long as he called himself the Demon King and worked against humans.
There were also things that he could not tolerate. Things that Kasajin had done.
Lukas still didnt like Letip. Nevertheless, he had been helpful in the end.
Because he had allowed Lukas to prepare himself to kill Kasajin in the hospital room with only the electronic sound of the equipment to accompany him.
Book: 2: Chapter 97
Book 2: Chapter 97 Junior brother, do you feel better now?
Yeah. Im fine.
Leo smiled softly as he answered. But it was clear that it was a weak smile and that he was just doing it for her sake. This was natural, for hed gone several days without having anything to eat.
Nevertheless, Min Ha-rin simply nodded her head without revealing any of her inner thoughts.
She couldnt help but think about her two younger siblings in Korea. Although their personalities were different, they were very similar in stubbornly pretending to be strong even when they didnt have to be.
In a situation like this one, arguing would just be counterproductive.
Its understandable.
Hed been held captive by one of the Five Dukes for several days.
He hadnt even managed to fully overcome his trauma towards the Demons before he was forced to face a being who stood at their peak. His entire body must have frozen in front of her like a frog before a snake.
In addition, almost every hunter in the Canada Branch had died.
Leo was the only survivor.
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For Leo, who had lost his entire family in a similar event, this was a disaster.
Min Ha-rin looked down at her one and only junior brother before saying bitterly.
Make sure you eat properly. How will people look at us if were all skinny?
We?
Master is already very thin. Others might say that the skinny people are uniting.
Haha.
Leo let out a light laugh.
Youre right.
The most important thing for a Warrior was the maintenance of their body. Although the significance of their mental state couldnt be ignored, martial arts were originally meant to hone and polish the body.
Nevertheless, Leo was incredibly grateful for Min Ha-rins consideration by giving joking advice instead of a harsh admonition. If he had an older sister, he felt she would be just like this.
You saw Master, right?
Yeah.
How is he? Did his mission go well?
I think so, but
When Min Ha-rins voice faded at the end of her words, Leo turned to her with a serious expression.
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Did you notice something strange?
Min Ha-rin didnt answer immediately and was silent for a moment.
She was thinking about Joanna Goldberg, the woman who had been unforgettably disrespectful to them when they first met.
When she first heard that Lukas was going on a mission to Africa alone with that woman, Min Ha-rin was shocked.
Of course, she hadnt been worried about Lukas safety. Min Ha-rin could not imagine her Master encountering any danger.
However, the thought that Joanna might be rude to him when she wasnt around made her shudder with displeasure.
But today, Min Ha-rin seemed to feel a different atmosphere from the two of them. She wasnt entirely sure what it was, but she was certain that the dynamic between them was very different from before they left as if they had some kind of connection.
Of course, these were all just simple guesses without any confirmation.
In fact, it was possible that nothing had happened between the two of them and that Min Ha-rins thoughts were only a misunderstanding. If that were the case, then Min Ha-rins thoughts would have been nothing but a delusion.
Nevertheless, she wouldnt tell Leo this delusion.
No. Its nothing.
Just as Min Ha-rin shook her head, they heard a knock on the door.
Come in.
Min Ha-rin and Leo thought that it was Lukas whod arrived, and they turned with large smiles on their faces.
But it wasnt him who opened the door and revealed himself.
Mr. Vincent?
Do you have a second?
When Vincent said this with a heavier expression than usual, Min Ha-rin nodded with little hesitation.
Vincent then turned to Leo who was sitting on the bed and said.
You look much better now.
Yeah But, didnt you have a meeting, Mr. Vincent? Is it over already?
No. The meeting is still underway. I simply excused myself for a moment.
After saying that, Vincent didnt say anything more and remained silent for a while.
This was the attitude he was displaying despite coming here to them. Was it a topic that he couldnt broach easily?
With that thought, Min Ha-rin decided to open her mouth first.
Um. How is President Neil doing?
To be honest, its not looking very good at the moment. It wouldnt be strange if he died right now.
Leos expression darkened at those words. This was because he knew it was Neil whod saved him.
This fact caused Leo to feel a deep sense of gratitude and guilt.
Vincents eyes turned to Mn Ha-rin.
Min Ha-rin, I heard you were active in the Korea Branch for a while.
Ah, yeah.
To be precise, she had been active in the entire Asian region, apart from Japan. Of course, shed been more active in Korea. It was her greatest wish to achieve peace in her homeland more than anywhere else.
In truth, such patriotism was rare in this day and age. After all, it was hard to feel patriotic when the distinction between countries was not as clear as it had been in the past.????????n????????????. ????????m
Now, the act of asking a hunter about their country was more to identify which branch they belonged to rather than where they were from.
There is something urgent that needs to be done in Korea. Can you help us?
In Korea? Why there?
Vincent roughly explained the situation to an astonished Min Ha-rin. But as his explanation progressed, her expression became more and more serious.
After hearing everything he had to say, she muttered with a serious expression.
Saint of Salvation
One of the Top Three.
Shed heard that he used holy power even more powerful than that of the Cardinals and the Popes of the Catholic church.
There were several reasons why he was famous, but one of his greatest achievements was his feat in Australia.
There were rumours that he single-handedly killed five Marquises and raised the dead (Note: Marquis is between Duke and Count)
Id like to dismiss those as false rumors, but the testimonies of the eyewitnesses prevent that.
In truth, the part that was the most shocking wasnt the slaying of the Marquises but bringing the dead back to life.
Resurrection.
That was why he was called the Saint.
Of course, Min Ha-rin and Vincent were very skeptical about the rumors. It was different from other rumors.
For example, it sounded far less credible than Kran, another of the Top Three, slaying a Duke alone.
since you want to find him, does that mean that America knows the Saints true ability?
Thats not the case. Very little is known about the Top Three.
Vincent muttered in a bitter tone. It was an honest statement.
Unlike Kran, who never hid himself, moved alone, and usually didnt care if people were monitoring him, the other paid close attention to remaining hidden.
The Black Witch who had never exposed her real appearance to the world or the Saint whose true appearance was still unknown because of the inconsistencies given by various eyewitnesses. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
The two of them also had their own supporting forces.
The Black Witchs [Shroud of Night].
The Saints [Eternal Life Church].
Both forces had fanatical loyalty to the two members of the Top Three, who were their founders and leaders.
Min Ha-rin could feel the slight desperation and resignation in Vincents voice.
It was only then when she realised. Just how desperate this man in front of her was. Glancing down at Leo who was lying on his bed, Min Ha-rin slowly opened her mouth.
I know the communication line that connects to Korea.
Really?
Avoiding Vincents gaze, she continued in a heavy voice.
Yeah. However they wouldnt let anyone other than me use the Warp Portal. Even if I talk to them and ask to bring companions, they wouldnt let me bring more than two. No, three.
I see
Vincent, whod appeared hopeful at first, deflated with a disappointed expression.
He remained silent for a moment with his head lowered before finally looking up at Min Ha-rin. The look in his eyes changed as though hed finally made up his mind about something.
Then, without saying anything else, Vincent kneeled on the floor.
M-, Mr. Vincent?
I know this is a very shameless act. But this is the only option left. Please. Please save the Association President.
Thud.
Vincents forehead hit the floor with a dull sound.
Please. I beg you to help us.
Min Ha-rin looked down at Vincent, unable to say anything for a long time.
(Note: Just a refresher of the Demon Noble rankings that have been mentioned so far.
King
Five Dukes
Duke
Marquis
Count
Viscount
Baron)
Book: 2: Chapter 98
Book 2: Chapter 98 When Lukas finally arrived at Leos hospital room, he immediately noticed the heavy atmosphere.
Ah, Master.
Youre here.
Nevertheless, the expressions of the two in the room immediately changed when they saw him, and they greeted him with bright smiles.
Lukas nodded and turned to Leo.
Leo, how are you feeling?
Im a lot better now. Sorry for making you worry.
Leo responded in a calm voice.
Lukas looked him in the eyes for a moment before speaking.
Are you okay?
yeah.
All right.
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Lukas didnt ask him any more questions and instead turned to look at Min Ha-rin.
Your mana flow seems much more stable than before. It was that guy I saw earlier, Vincent, who taught you, wasnt it?
Ah, yeah. Hes a great teacher.
As expected of her Master, he could tell that with a single glance.
Min Ha-rin couldnt help but smile as she had that thought, but her expression was a bit awkward.
Whats wrong?
Min Ha-rin blinked in surprise at the unexpected question before smiling bitterly.
how did you know?
Its written all over your face.
When Min Ha-rin gently lifted a hand to her face, Lukas smiled softly.
Im joking.
It was a little strange for Lukas to say something like that. It was only then when Min Ha-rin noticed that there was something strange about Lukas attitude.
did something happen to you, Master?
This was a question that she wanted to ask, but Min Ha-rin couldnt open her mouth.
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There were many reasons for this, but the most important reason was that she wasnt brave enough.
Lukas stood on a level way above her. So she could only imagine how great whatever was bothering her Master had to be. Because of this, a thought pervaded Min Ha-rins mind.
What could she do even if she heard it?
Tell me what happened.
This was said in a much softer tone than usual, discomforting her even more.
Suppressing the strange feeling, Min Ha-rin slowly summarised everything shed heard from Vincent.
After hearing what she had to say, Lukas remained silent for a while.
So what did you say?
I told him that I needed time to think. I wanted to talk to Master first
What do you want to do?
I want to help.
After saying that, Min ha-rin turned to look at Leo.
Because he saved Junior Brother and because I have this feeling that its not the Association Presidents time to die Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
That was an opinion Lukas could agree with.
It was not yet time for Neil to die. Of course, it could just be because of his biased views, but he felt that humanity still needed a being like Neil Prand.
Then lets do it. I happen to have business with the Saint, too.
Master too?
Right, Im going to ask him to heal Nina.
Ah
Min Ha-rin felt a tiny shred of hope.
Nina Rednikova.
Shed been severely injured during the attack by the Asian hunters, especially her eyes, which had been cursed. The diagnosis determined that treatment would be impossible with the normal methods, but if the rumours of the Saint were true, then it might be possible.
I can take up to four people to Korea with me! Theres me and Master, and Mr. Vincent will probably want to go too. As for the last person
Min Ha-rins eyes turned to Leo, and Lukas followed.
Leo must have felt their gazes. Nevertheless, his expression didnt change. Instead, he slowly lowered his head.
Im sorry.
Huh?
I
There was a deep sense of shame that squeezed out of Leos calm face.
dont think I will go with you this time
* * *
Min Ha-rin headed over to meet Vincent after her short conversation with Lukas and Leo.
It seemed hed returned to continue the meeting, but as soon as she alerted the guard waiting outside the room, he came out.
When he showed up, Vincents face appeared to be much more haggard than when hed left Leos hospital room. It was as if the meeting was sapping all of his energy.
You came.
There was a hint of tension that couldnt be hidden by his tired voice.
Seeing that Min Ha-rin had come to him, it meant that she had made a decision. However, her expression was so calm that he could not predict what choice she had made in the end.
Fortunately, Min Ha-rin didnt intend to procrastinate with this matter. She immediately got to the point.
Ill accept Mr. Vincents request. From now on, I will do my best to save the Association President.
Re-, really?
Yes. In return, I have a few conditions. I hope Mr. Vincent can accept them.
Vincent hurriedly schooled his expression.
Ill do whatever I can.
Min Ha-rin nodded before mentioning the condition that she and Lukas had discussed.
First of all, Id like North America to officially acknowledge the establishment of Argento Spell.
mm.
Vincent couldnt easily respond to this condition, and instead, he made a soft sound. There was a mixture of confusion and embarrassment on his face.
Is it hard to agree to?
Personally, I would love to agree to it immediately. I would agree even if you mentioned a more difficult condition than that. However this is not something that Im able to decide on my own.
I see.
Min Ha-rin nodded as though shed expected it.
Authorising the establishment of an organisation was by no means simple. After all, it would mean that the North America Headquarters, which was the most powerful force in the world at the moment, recognised the establishment of Argento Spell. In short, they would be able to carry some of the prestige of North America.
This was a necessary process for Lukas to create a global organisation that went beyond the reach of each region and branch.
Of course, Min Ha-rin didnt understand the entire process and framework. After all, what she trusted wasnt the feasibility or validity of the plan but Lukas existence. Even if he had decided upon a plan that seemed even less plausible, she would still give him her unconditional trust.
In any case, this was a matter of utmost importance. Vincent didnt have a low position in the North America headquarters, but he was not powerful enough to make such decisions on his own.
Vincent clenched and unclenched his fists nervously. He seemed concerned that Min Ha-rin would take back what she said if they couldnt agree.
There are a few council members in the meeting hall right now, arent there?
Right.
Then wouldnt you be able to accept my offer if you persuaded them?
thats right.
It was easy to say.
Vincent spoke with a heavy expression.
Its not that easy. Fortunately, most of the people in the meeting hall had a good relationship with the Association President. It might take some time, but Im confident I could convince them to accept your conditions. However
Vincents voice faded at the end, but Min Ha-rin understood what he was trying to say.
There are some people who are pleased with the fact that the Association President is injured.
Hoo.
Vincent let out a heavy sigh.
Min Ha-rin couldnt help but feel surprised. It seemed that even in North America, which she thought was perfectly united, some were antagonistic towards each other.
The reason was unexpected, but the outcome was something that Lukas had already anticipated.
of course, Argento Spell already has the extraordinary achievement of taking down one of the Five Dukes. Its not widely known yet, but if they found out about this achievement, they would certainly not oppose you blindly. Even if they have high positions.
In other words, it will take time.
Im sorry.
Min Ha-rin nodded at Vincents apology.
That means my condition will be put on hold for now.
Is that alright with you?
Yeah.
Thank you for your consideration. Is there anything else you need?
Including myself, only four people will be able to go to Korea. So far, the list is myself, Mr. Vincent, and Master. As for the other person
Vincent shook his head before Min Ha-rin could finish talking.
Im sorry, but I wont be able to go with you.
Huh?
I cant leave the Association Presidents side for now. He cannot be left alone. Someone has to watch over him.
Vincents expression showed that he meant his words and that there would be no changing his mind.
Was he preparing for a possible assassination attempt?
This would make sense, especially if there were people who wanted Neil dead.
Min Ha-rins expression became a bit troubled.
then that means well have to find two more Mr. Vincent, would it be possible for you to gather some of the strongest and most reliable hunters in North America right now?
Book: 2: Chapter 99
Book 2: Chapter 99 Min Ha-rins request was quickly accepted.
Vincent vowed to use all of the connections available to him to gather the very best hunters they had.
This was the selection of elite personnel who would be sent on a mission to save Neil. This matter was much more important for Vincent than it was for Min Ha-rin, so he would definitely find the most skilled and trustworthy hunters that he could.
They would most likely be hunters who werent just renowned in North America but in the entire world.
Ill probably be the weakest
That thought made her feel depressed.
Min Ha-rin had managed to increase her combat power by a level through her fights with Vincent, but she knew that she was still lacking a lot.
She wanted to at least return to the level of the White Flower of the past, but for now, she was at best a 4-star Wizard.
I have to reach 5 stars as soon as possible.
Of course, she knew that reaching 5 stars wouldnt help her Master much.
Slaying one of the Five Dukes.
Her Masters achievement in Africa was amazing.
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Of course, shed personally seen him easily get rid of Duke Sandro with her own eyes, but she still found it hard to believe that he killed one of the Five Dukes.
Why did Master take me as a disciple?
All of sudden, this question appeared in her mind.
In her opinion, Lukas was close to perfect. Whether it was his skill, personality, or spirit, she could not find any flaws.
No matter how she looked at it, she could not find how she could be useful to such a master.
As she silently contemplated this question, the door to the meeting hall opened and a group of people came out. The meeting wasnt over, but it seemed they were taking a short break.
Min Ha-rin looked at their faces with a hint of admiration in their eyes.
Powerful.
She could tell from a glance. Each of these people had an aura that was as strong as if not stronger than Nina Rednikovas, the head of the Iron Blood Division, or Lee Jong-haks.
These were some of the most powerful people in the entire world. Min Ha-rin couldnt help but feel even smaller.
It was then that she saw a familiar face among the group of unfamiliar faces.
She didnt have her usual arrogant expression, but she still appeared confident. Of course, she wasnt someone that Min Ha-rin was particularly close to or even fond of.
The woman also saw Min Ha-rin, which caused her expression to become a bit strange. Then, with a slight cough, she began walking towards her.
Hello.
Min Ha-rin didnt expect her to greet her first.
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She wanted to ignore her, but in order to not appear rude in front of the group of important individuals, she could only respond in a dull tone.
hello.
Joanna coughed again.
What are you doing here?
Im waiting for Mr. Vincent.
I see.
Silence.
It was extremely awkward. Min Ha-rin felt frustrated because of the uncomfortable atmosphere that had descended around them. The fact that Joanna had come to talk to her meant that she wanted something, but from the look on her face, it seemed that she wouldnt bring it up easily.
After being silent for a long time, Joanna finally opened her mouth.
how is that person?
That person?
Frey.
Frey Blake.
That was the alias Lukas was currently using.
He left a short while ago.
Where did he go?
I dont know either Is there something you need to say to Master?
Subconsciously, her voice became sharp at the end.
Had she been offended by the fact that she called her Masters name so recklessly?
Or was it because of the hint of familiarity in her voice when she mentioned Lukas? Sarch* The novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Are you Freys disciple?
She answered a question with a question. Min Ha-rin decided to nod her head without mentioning it.
Yeah.
Then you must also be a member of that group called Argento Spell.
Thats right.
Joannas expression became one of deep contemplation for a moment.
Joanna Goldberg.
While staying in America, shed learned a bit about her. She hadnt even needed to go looking for information.
For example, it was easy to see broadcasts shed appeared in while watching TV. And since Joanna was also a fashion model, she would see her image whenever she opened a magazine that she got from a store down the street.
She was the youngest Archmage as well as a celebrity.
She was a big star who received enthusiastic support from the American people to the extent that she even had her own fan club.
At the very least, it was safe to say that there was not a single young person living in America who didnt know who she was.
It was understandable.
After all, from an objective perspective, she could admit that Joanna was extremely beautiful, and she was also quite skilled at talking. In addition to that, she was also a talented hunter.
However, among all of her traits, the thing to which Min Ha-rin paid the most attention was her skill in magic.
there is not much of an age difference between us, but shes already an Archmage.
Lukas had once told her the difference between a 6 star and a 7-star Wizard.
Simply put, the difference between them was like heaven and earth. It was a gap that could not be closed despite being only one level apart.
On your mission in Africa.
Huh? Oh, yeah.
Joanna, who seemed to have been lost in thought, regained her senses with a shake of her head.
Did something happen between you and Master?
something?
I feel like your attitude has changed a lot.
Min Ha-rin spoke in a direct tone.
Joannas expression became a bit sullen. For her, her first meeting with Lukas had already become dark history.
Now that I think of it, I never apologised for my attitude at that time. Im sorry. I was immature.
Its fine.
Ill be sure to apologise to Frey later.
After saying that, Joanna pointed to the seat beside Min Ha-rin.
Can I sit there?
Yeah.
Thank you.
Even after she sat down, Joanna remained silent for a long time. Then, after their surroundings had become almost completely silent, she opened her mouth again.
Do you know Freys true identity? Er, Im not trying to pick a fight or anything. Im just curious.
Lukas identity
In truth, Min Ha-rin didnt know much about him. When she slowly shook her head, Joanna spoke in a cautious voice.
I might.
?
I might know Freys true identity.
Min Ha-rin couldnt help but blink slowly at those words.
huh?
* * *
Taht.
He arrived at his destination.
As he landed, Lukas looked around.
A city in Northern Ireland.
To be precise, it was the city that Sedi had once used as her hideout.
Currently, the city had taken the appearance one would expect to see from a city that wasnt protected by the association. In other words, it was in ruins.
Lukas slowly walked down the street where he could barely sense any human presence before stopping at a certain place.
Even in the ruined city, this place could only be called the scene of a disaster.
He could hardly imagine what had happened to give it such an appearance. Even if the greatest natural disaster imaginable to man had swept through this place, it wouldnt have been this devastating.
However, for the site of a battle between Absolutes, it was still lacking.
Lukas knelt down as he slowly inspected the deep hole that seemed to stretch to the very core of the world.
It was as though a giant worm had drilled its way into the ground.
Warrior King Fist.
Lukas could easily feel Kasajins traces.
Suddenly, he felt a faint presence. Lukas eyebrows furrowed slightly, and a hint of disbelief appeared in his eyes.
No. It wasnt possible.
Despite his denial, Lukas still spread his senses toward the presence. He got up from his seat and gradually began walking towards it. The closer he got, the clearer the presence became. At that point, it became difficult for him to deny it.
After a while, Lukas stopped in front of a collapsed building. As soon as he waved his hand, the rubble of the building split apart, and the limp figure of a little girl was revealed.
She wasnt dead. She was simply unconscious.
This was the first time Lukas was seeing this girl, but it wasnt the first time hed met her. As strange as that sounded, it was true.
Lukas could easily tell the true identity of this being who had taken the form of a young girl.
Sedi.????????????????????????????. ?????????
The Absolute, Sedi.
She was still alive.
Only, she was different from before.
Book: 2: Chapter 100
Book 2: Chapter 100 Kasajin was carving a statue.
He was holding a large piece of wood, but when it sat in Kasajins huge hand, it looked like a wooden chopstick.
Shuk shuk-
He didnt use any special tools. The nail of his index finger was sharper than most famed swords, so they performed the task better than any carving knife.
Over time, the piece of wood held in the large hand gradually began to take shape, and before long, it turned into the figure of a man.
After he was done, Kasajin looked down at the finished sculpture.
Lukas Trowman.
[]
He didnt feel emotional. In fact, he didnt feel anything.
What he sought now was practicality, efficiency, and balance.
My King.
Then, Azazels voice sounded. For a moment, his eyes locked onto the wooden statue Kasajin had sculpted.
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There was a brief flash of emotion in Azazels black eyes, but it disappeared as suddenly as it appeared.
He spoke politely.
Duke Rose has once again gone against your will.
Deep anger was clear in Azazels voice. After all, Rose had ignored his advice and instead continued doing as she pleased.
On the other hand, Kasajins voice was as calm as ever.
[I see.]
It is time for her to be punished for her insolence. You dont need to act personally, my King. Just give me the order. I will ensure to properly imprint the authority of the Demon King into her foolish brain.
[You dont need to do that.]
Kasajin shook his head.
[There is something more important Id like you to do.]
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[Summon Ugkas and Sipakna.]
Azazels eyes flashed with surprise.
He could understand why he might have wanted Ugkas, but Sipakna as well?
Did this mean that whatever he needed required the strength of two of the Five Dukes?
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What orders should I give them?
Kasajin stopped fiddling with the statue and placed it down.
[Capture Kran of the Top Three.]
* * *
From the moment she was born, she felt like there was a large hole in her heart.
It just flowed.
All of the components that made up the concept of I became thin liquids that blended and mixed before becoming part of a calm river. They began following a current that had a beginning but seemed to have no end.
In some cases, some parts became more prominent while others were lost entirely.
But Sedi Glastons thoughts were the same from the start.
I feel dirty.
Her body had already disappeared, but she was still able to look around. Up until now, her body had been floating in the river like pieces of a broken star.
Each piece contained hundreds of years of memories. But most of them were just trivial things.
A cynical smile stretched across Sedis lips.
Is this what they meant by your life flashing before your eyes?
It was a funny thought.
Sedi never would have thought that shed die like this.
Then, a broken star piece touched her.
Paht!
And Sedi saw her past unfold before her eyes.
* * *
Sedi found herself standing on a wasteland, where the sun blazed down on the barren, cracked ground with never-ending sandstorms.
Sedi realised that this was a memory from when she was a mortal.
She calmly looked around at this nostalgic scene as though shed simply found an old diary.
It was a planet of fighters who never stopped fighting. In this world, where everything was fought for, Sedi was treated like a traitor. This was because of her unique appearance.
On this planet, where night didnt exist, no one else had pale skin and black hair like she did. This was probably the reason why the large hole had formed in her heart.
Sedis parents had abandoned her at birth. Nevertheless, she was lucky enough to survive.
And when that luck ran out, that is, when she was able to stand on her own two feet, Sedi took her life into her own hands and worked to gain her own food and weapons.
Her story wasnt grand or extravagant. In fact, it was quite simple.
On the planet of fighters, Sedi fought more than anyone else and lost less than anyone else. And one day, the fighters began calling her the Reaper.
At that time, I felt the most alive.
As she had this thought, the memory that Sedi was witnessing quickly progressed.
When she turned 30, she had the final battle with the Lord of the planet. He was a half step from becoming a transcendent, and Sedi had nearly died no fewer than five times in their fight. But in the end, she was the winner.
Sedi tore out his heart with her bare hands and ate it. The Lord had laughed loudly one last time as he accepted his defeat.
And with that, Sedi was able to step past the shell of mortality.
What came after was a tale that anyone whod become an Absolute had experienced.
God came to her and offered her a chance to leave. And without even the slightest shred of hesitation, she took his hand.
She thought that there was nothing more for her in that universe and that by becoming an Absolute, shed be able to fill the hole in her heart.
But the work of an Absolute was more tedious than shed initially expected.
The pursuit of universal harmony. The words sounded grandiose, but in truth, she was little more than Gods errand boy. In fact, she couldnt help but feel that it had been more rewarding to constantly risk her life back on the planet of fighters.
After carrying out the same task over and over again for a long time, her sense of self gradually began to fade.
Her individuality gradually disappeared and she became a rigid, inflexible existence just like the other Absolutes.
Then, she found the Ruler.
The Black Horned Demon God.
When she met him, for the first time in her life, Sedi gave up the thought of fighting.
Shed finally found someone whom she was afraid of. And, naturally, she submitted to him.
From that day forth, Sedi was bestowed the name Glaston by the Demon God and was taken under his wing.
Sedi worshipped the Demon God with all her heart. She truly believed that despite being a Ruler, he was a being greater than God. She believed that if she served him, the hole in her heart would be filled.
In fact, whenever she followed his orders, she never had to think about the pain in her chest.
Feeling satisfied with that fact, she followed the Demon God unconditionally. Sedi thought that the Demon God would also care about her, in particular, to some extent.
After all, there were few Absolutes who carried out orders as faithfully as she did.
And yet
its the Demon King, not me.
The Demon King.
Sedi had realised it the moment she met him. Whom, between her and the Demon King, the Demon God cared about more.
She couldnt understand it. And she fought desperately and resentfully. But she was defeated horribly.
A devastating defeat was worse than anything shed experienced in her long life.
The Demon King took everything from Sedi.
Not just the external force that made her an Absolute but even the demonic energy that the Demon God had personally bestowed to her.
Sedi didnt have any complaints about it. Because the law of the jungle, in which the strong preyed upon the weak and the defeated lost everything, was already deeply entrenched in her mind.
Nevertheless, her misery didnt disappear.
Did I live just for this moment?
To give up everything shed built to that Demon King?
As she had that thought, Sedi couldnt help but let out a self-deprecating laugh.
Why did she think that?
Was she trying to make her death seem more noble? Did she still think of herself as an Absolute?
No. That wasnt it.
Sedi was just upset that everything shed achieved until now had been in vain.
Of course, she had made several achievements as an Absolute. After all, shed saved at least a few hundred universes from destruction.
But she didnt feel any sense of accomplishment in that.
Sedi wasnt satisfied.
I guess Ill disappear into the post extinction world now
The post extinction world.
It was the underworld to which Absolutes, whose bodies and souls had separated, were sent. It was a place no Absolute had ever returned from.
ha.
It was only then when Sedi finally understood her true feelings.
-I dont want to die yet.
Suddenly.
Ah
The calm flow of the river suddenly sped up as it began to be sucked in a specific direction. Sedi, who was blankly drifting along the river, was caught up in the flow and sucked in as well.
Then, a pure white light enveloped her body.
Ah.
And a voice sounded.
Sensing the sudden change, Sedi opened her eyes. And after blinking a few times, her blurry vision cleared up.
This is
It was an abandoned building.
No. It was a half-destroyed building that could barely be called abandoned. She could see the night sky from the completely broken ceiling.
It was a familiar sight.
It took Sedi a few moments to realise that this was the half-destroyed house shed been staying in since she arrived.
She sat up.
Ugh
Then, she collapsed again as a throbbing pain wracked her entire body.
It was at that moment when she heard a voice.
It would be best not to move.
A familiar voice.
When Sedi turned her head, she saw Lukas leaning against a wall, looking at her.
you
Im amazed youre still alive.
Im alive? I Gurk!
Sedi spat out a mouthful of blood.
Then she looked at the blood shed just spat out with a startled expression.
This feeling.
A feeling that she hadnt felt in a very long time.
That of a body of flesh and blood instead of the body of a transcendent.
She spoke up with a confused voice.
M-, my my body. What the hell happened to my body?
Do you really not know, Sedi Glaston? Or do you not want to know?
Sedi looked at Lukas with a blank expression. The voice that she heard after carried a slight hint of bitterness.
You have been demoted from your position as an Absolute.
Wh-, what are you talking about?
You are now
Lukas paused for a moment before finishing his statement.
mortal.
Book: 2: Chapter 101
Book 2: Chapter 101 Sedi looked at the strange girl that was reflected by the broken mirror in front of her.
On the outside, she appeared to be no more than 15 years old, and her hair was so long that it stretched down to the floor.
That wasnt all.
There was a hint of redness on her normally pale skin, and her characteristic gloomy aura seemed to have disappeared.
The reason for these changes was obvious.
It was because Sedi had lost her external force and the demonic energy that she had as an Absolute.
This is me? Hahaha
Sedi burst into hysterical laughter as though shed lost her mind.
The ear-splitting laughter resounded horrifically in the air for a while. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Lukas understood her feelings to some extent.
After all, shed demoted from an Absolute to a mortal.
It was worse than if a bird, who flew high in the sky, had been turned into a worm, who crawled on the ground.
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Nevertheless, Sedi was the only person who could truly understand the shock and loss that she was currently experiencing.
After laughing for a while, she finally spoke in a bitter tone.
I am now a native of this universe.
It was true.
After being downgraded to a mortal, Sedis soul was automatically bound to this universe.
It was now impossible for her to travel to other universes as she had in the past, and after her death, she would either go to this universes afterlife and be judged or she would be reincarnated as an entirely different being.
This process would probably be repeated dozens of times. This meant that the Absolute, Sedi Glaston, would disappear completely.
No matter how one looked at it, it was a terrible end for a being who had once been one of the strongest in existence.
Lukas looked at Sedi.
She looked miserable, and it wasnt just because her physique was smaller.
Nevertheless, Lukas didnt have any intention of sympathising with her.
In the first place, Sedi and Lukas had nothing to do with each other. They werent enemies, but they werent companions either; they just knew each other.
In his opinion, she had simply paid the price for the choices she made.
So what he had to say next was not because he felt pity for her.
Sedi.
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Sedi looked up at Lukas with dead eyes.
Staring into those eyes, Lukas spoke.
I have an offer for you.
* * *
Sedi Glaston, what do you want to do now?
I want to
Even if he asked, she couldnt give him an answer.
Sedi spoke in a weak voice.
fight the Demon King again.
So that I can take back what he stole from me and take everything he has as well.
Do you think you can do it?
Are you serious?
Sedi spoke in an angry tone.
I lost everything. My external force is gone, and my demonic energy has been robbed. I cant even summon my soul weapon anymore. What the hell can I do now?
Lost everything? Are you sure about that?
You What the hell do you know?
As she said this, Sedi shot a glare at Lukas.
And she immediately regretted it. The moment she saw the look in Lukas eyes, her pride was wounded even more.
you think Im pitiful.
Why do you say that?
Because youre looking at me like that.
I dont pity you.
Lukas voice became cold.
Its just the fact that youre acting so ridiculous, pitiful, miserable, and weak that it makes me speechless.
What the hell did you just say?
Just as Sedi was about to explode in anger.
-have arms.
When she heard those words, she shuddered subconsciously.
She could clearly hear the anger hidden beneath the quiet voice.
You still have feet. You have eyes. You have your ears, nose, and mouth. Your entire body is still intact. Its not like you were crippled or imprisoned. And yet, you say that you dont have anything? That you lost everything? Its so ridiculous that I cant even laugh at you. Do you really think that?
Then are you telling me to face an Absolute with this fragile body?
Cant you do it?
Its suicide.
Dont be so hasty. Its an act that might be infinitely close to it, but its not suicide.
you.
Sedi looked at Lukas with a complicated expression.
It couldnt be helped.
This wasnt just advice. For some reason, she felt like she could see Lukas path. His bitter memories floated in his words like a mirage.
What the hell kind of life had this man lived?
You dont need to give up. Even if its thinner than a thread, the fact remains that it is still possible. Nevertheless, if you are afraid to fight alone, I will help you.
help me? How?
I will make you my incarnation.
Incarnation?!
Sedi uttered this word in a startled voice.
A being who could borrow the external force of an Absolute.
You From what I can tell, you have been in this universe for quite some time. But you havent found an incarnation yet?
I never found anyone who would be able to completely withstand my external force.
Kran, whom hed met recently, was able to barely meet the threshold, but even he was still lacking.
However, a vessel like Sedi would be completely different. She would be able to perfectly digest his external force.
If you become my incarnation, I will fully support you so that you can become an Absolute again.
itll be a path wrought with extreme difficulties.
Right. It would be several times harder than in the past. Think carefully. Becoming my incarnation means to completely sever your ties with the Black Horned Demon God.
Those words made Sedi hesitate for a moment.
The Black Horned Demon God.
The Ruler shed followed wholeheartedly.
In all honesty, she hadnt thought about betraying him. Even if the Demon God chose Kasajin over her, she still wanted to follow him like a fool.
That was what a Ruler was.
From the moment they were born, they were destined to rule over all things. Truly cosmic beings.
However Sedi still had her pride. That lofty pride did not easily allow her to continue following someone that had thrown her away once.
She looked at Lukas.
The man in front of her was the only Absolute who dared to stand opposed to all of the Rulers.
Madman.
She was now certain that there was no better word to describe this man. Lukas was probably the only person who continued to have a conflict with the Rulers for so long.
It was at that moment when a thought appeared in her head.
What if there were five Rulers, not four, and Lukas was one of them?
Hahaha.
Sedi let out a loud laugh.
She realised that at some point, shed become attracted to this being named Lukas.
Fine. Lukas Trowman, Ill be your incarnation. However theres one condition Id like you to agree to first.
What is it?
Sedis expression became serious.
As a result, Lukas expression also became serious.
Once she became an Absolute, she would become the subordinate of Lukas, who wasnt even a Ruler. Whether she was just an incarnation or something else, no matter how nicely it was wrapped, that was the truth. This would be an extremely difficult decision for a being as prideful as Sedi was, so it was understandable that she would have reservations.
However, the words that came out of Sedis mouth next took him by surprise.
Father.
What?
I want to call you Father.
For the first time, Lukas expressionless facade cracked.
Not caring about that, Sedi continued.
I want to be your daughter.
In all honesty, in terms of how shocking it was, what Sedi had just said was greater than anything they said before.
what do you
Lukas stuttered helplessly.
Sedi, on the other hand, remained expressionless to the point of innocence. When he saw that, Lukas realised that she hadnt said it out of malice or mischief.
Thats why it felt even weirder.
If she wasnt playing a joke on him, did this mean that she was serious?
If I become your incarnation, then, in a way, I will become your blood relative. Which means Id become your daughter.
No. Thats not
Lukas paused.
This was because he had some idea of the reason behind her startling request.
Some Absolutes tended to call their Rulers Father or Mother.
Of course, Sedi was no longer an Absolute, and Lukas was not yet capable of accepting another Absolute.
When she saw Lukas troubled expression, Sedis expression changed as well.
To his surprise, she muttered in a soft tone.
you dont have to if you dont like it.
Seeing her slightly pale face, Lukas understood Sedis feelings to an extent.
She had only just been abandoned by the Black Horned Demon God.
And just by following a Ruler, an Absolute was able to feel fullness and a sense of belonging.
As strangers in every universe they entered, it was the sweetest fruit for the Absolutes who spent their lives in solitude. Sedi must have also enjoyed this sweetness while following the Demon God.
But now, Sedi had been deprived of her external force and demonic energy and had become a mere mortal. So naturally, she could no longer feel the fullness and sense of belonging from a Ruler.
In this state, she could only be able to embrace her loneliness like she was alone in this universe.
She might have looked fine, but mentally, she was in a very precarious situation.
Perhaps the thing she needed the most now was a home to rely on and a barrier to protect her.
Thats why she accepted my offer so easily.
It seemed to show the role she expected him to fill.
After a moment of silence, Lukas nodded slowly.
no. I dont mind it.
Huh? Then youll allow me to?
If thats what you really want.
Sedis eyes lit up.
Perhaps it was because of the loss of her external force and demonic energy and had lost her gloomy aura. Or perhaps it was because she was no longer an Absolute.
But Lukas was getting a completely different impression from Sedi.
So I can call you father?
Lukas couldnt muster the courage to open his mouth, so he simply nodded.
Sedis face became noticeably brighter at the confirmation.
Great. Then, please take care of me. Father!
Lukas didnt have any children, but he felt that this wasnt the way one would usually talk to their father.
With that thought, he looked down at Sedi, who tilted her head at him.
Why do you look like you just ate a bug?
Im just not used to hearing that term.
Liar Father should have lived for at least tens of thousands of years by now. Im sure you met a lot of women in that time and mercilessly sowed your seed.
No. I never did.
You should still have a few chi-
I dont.
When Lukas said these words firmly, Sedi stopped talking and looked at him with an incredulous expression.
Really?
Why would I lie about something like that?
But, even if Father doesnt want children, that doesnt mean you wouldnt have any, right? Things can happen even if you dont intend for them to, so you might have at least one child.
Its not possible. Because I never did that.
The silence that fell this time could not be compared to before.
After staying silent for a long time, Sedi finally spoke slowly.
Im sorry.
You dont have to apologise.
No. I-, Im really sorry. I didnt know.
Lukas wasnt sure how to feel at that moment.
Book: 2: Chapter 102
Book 2: Chapter 102 Lucian is a former mercenary. So I can speak confidently about his skills. Few hunters in North America are more versatile than him. Lucians extensive experience and composure would be a great help in the event of an emergency.
Lena is a Spirit Lord. She can control spirits of ice and fire. The spirit that she is especially Min Ha-rin, are you listening to me?
Huh? Yeah. Sorry.
Min Ha-rin, who came to her senses, bowed apologetically.
You dont have to overdo it. Comparing the personal information of dozens of people at once can be exhausting. Especially if you have no experience doing it. If youre having a hard time, I can shorten the list for you.
No. Its fine.
Vincent was not a man with much free time. In fact, he was probably the busiest person currently in the North America Headquarters. There were still a lot of things that needed to be done, so he couldnt spend too much time with her.
Realising this, Min Ha-rin looked at the list and asked.
How much time do I have?
Considering the fact that well have to contact the hunters and explain the situation to them I think the earliest you could leave is by dawn tomorrow.
It was currently past 11pm. Considering the time it would take them to prepare, it was much sooner than she thought.
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Min Ha-rin nodded.
Ill tell you in an hour. You can go back to your work.
are you sure?
Yeah.
Thank you for your help. Excuse me.
After saying that, Vincent left in a hurry. As she expected, although he didnt show it, there were still many things that he had to do.
Min Ha-rin sipped on her cold coffee as she was left alone in the room. Even though her eyes were currently focused on the list, her thoughts were elsewhere.
Im probably the only person who knows who Frey really is.
She recalled her conversation with Joanna.
For all the anticipation that her words had built up, what she said next had honestly been a bit disappointing.
Lukas, or Frey Blake, as she called him, seemed to be an extremely talented Wizard. Maybe even stronger than the President of the Wizard Association. The strongest Wizard shed ever met
But that was natural.
After all, Min Ha-rins Master could be called magical science in itself. There was no one in this world who knew more about magic than Lukas did.
Joanna had then gone on to say that she believed Lukas might have been chosen by the Great Mage.
When she heard that, Min Ha-rin had to do her best to not let out a laugh.
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The Great Mage. A legendary being who was also called the God of Magic. Min Ha-rin knew that this being was, in fact, her Master.
Not a chosen, instead, her Master was the main character of the legend.
Nevertheless, it was Joannas next words that threw her for a loop.
Like me.
like you?
When shed asked this, Joannas expression had become filled with pride.
Yeah. I was also chosen by the Great Mage.
She then went on to briefly explain to Min Ha-rin what had transpired in Africa. About the fact that shed heard a voice while surrounded by Demon Beasts.
The voice of the Great Mage.
It was only after hearing those words when Min Ha-rin realised what happened. Lukas had helped Joanna.
Thanks to his voice, Joanna was able to develop her skills and progress further from the 7 star rank.
And it was only then that Min Ha-rin understood her change of attitude.
It was what Lukas had taught her. Not just magic but also character.
Why me?
This question had never left her mind.
The world was large, and there were many talented people. Of course, this didnt mean that she didnt think she was talented. It was just that she was certain some people were far more talented than her.
Just look at Joanna, for instance.
Click-
Suddenly, the door to the room opened and Lukas walked in. Seeing him, Min Ha-rin suppressed a sigh and stood.
Master, are you finished with your business?
For some reason, she couldnt help but feel that Lukas appeared tired.
Right What are those documents?
Its the personal information of the hunters Vincent selected. Im looking for someone who can go to Korea with us.
You dont need to look anymore.
Huh?
I found someone who can help us.
It was only then when Min Ha-rin noticed the slim figure who stood behind Lukas like a shadow. It was a young girl, who looked at her with a slightly sour expression.
The young girl was quite pretty, with black hair that seemed darker than ink, and bright red eyes, which contrasted nicely with it.
Who is this child?
Child? Ha.
The girl snorted.
Lukas glanced down at her and muttered.
This girl is my
He paused, wondering how to explain it.
As Lukas hesitated, thinking about how to properly structure his sentence, the girl, Sedi, spoke.
* * *
Daughter.
?
Isnt that right, Father?
!
Lukas let out a sigh as Min Ha-rins eyes grew wide with astonishment.
Hed told her to not make a fuss when they got here. How was this not making a fuss?
It felt like she had misunderstood his intentions.
M-, Master. Is that true?
Min Ha-rin stuttered like a broken record, and after thinking for a while, Lukas nodded.
Gulping slightly, Min Ha-rin opened her mouth,
I-, it might be rude to ask, but
What is it?
Then, who is your wife?
At that moment, Min Ha-rin thought about Joanna for some reason.
Two hunters who went alone to a dangerous foreign country and encountered various hardships and difficulties before finally making a mistake one night due to their frustration
Of course, considering Sedis age, the probability of there being any connection was zero, but Min Ha-rin didnt seem to realise that.
my adopted daughter.
Ah.
When she heard Lukas answer, she nodded in understanding.
In truth, she couldnt imagine what kind of woman her Master would like. (Note: The kind that betrays the world for him)
S-, still, why did you suddenly adopt a daughter?
Because you guys are too weak.
It was Sedi, not Lukas, who answered with a smug grin.
Her venomous remark made Min Ha-rins expression harden. She was putting up with it because it was her Masters daughter, but she realised that this girl in front of her was very rude. Nevertheless, she simply glared at her without saying anything.
Hmph.
Even after receiving Min Ha-rins glare, Sedi simply snorted.
Then, she walked up to the table and snatched the documents that Min Ha-rin had been perusing.
What are you do-
Lets see here Hmm. None of these guys are useful. I think they would only be a burden if we took them with us.
Sedi flipped through the documents in an instant before giving her review. Then, her bright red eyes turned towards Min Ha-rin.
Including you.
For some reason, Min Ha-rin felt like those words pierced into her heart like a dagger.
She flinched like someone who had been backed into a corner before speaking in a heavy tone.
What did you say?
Father, why are you teaching someone like this?
Sedi turned to look at Lukas with clear confusion on her face. She still had the insight of an Absolute, so she was naturally able to see through Min Ha-rin with a single glance.
From what she could tell, Min Ha-rins talent was only above average. Of course, if she was taught in earnest, she would certainly become strong enough to stand above most mortals. She didnt seem enough to be taught by someone like Lukas.
l-, listen here. Even if youre Masters daughter, you still have to be polite.
Min Ha-rin could no longer endure it when she heard those harsh words coming from the mouth of a girl who seemed to be the same age as her little sister. Sedi, on the other hand, simply smiled coldly.
Do you really want to talk to me about politeness? Brat?
I think you should look in the mirror. Then youll see who the brat really is. Youre the size of a water flea.
A water flea? Ha.
Sedi snorted before pointing at the papers.
I was just telling the truth. None of those guys would be useful. Theyre all weak. Even if they all worked together, they wouldnt be able to touch my fingertips.
I cant listen to you say that.
It was at that moment when a displeased voice came from the side.
It belonged to a woman who was standing in front of the open door.
It was Joanna.
She entered the room before casting a disapproving glare at Sedi. Sar?h the N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
The people in those documents are all top-class hunters in North America.
Top class? Those guys? I guess your country is only on that level.
who are you to be so rude?
Thats my father.
Joannas expression hardened when Sedi pointed at Lukas.
huh?
Are you deaf? Im his daughter.
F-, Frey. You I I cant believe you had a daughter this big h-, how old were you when you got her? (Note: fun fact, she basically called sedi an accident but it was hard to structure properly in english)
shes my adopted daughter.
Lukas couldnt help but wonder for a moment why he had to say this every time he was asked that question as if it was an excuse.
Sedi, on the other hand, glanced at Joanna with a curious gaze.
Youre pretty good. You barely meet the requirements. But the rest wont do. They would only hold us back if they went with us.
even if youre Freys daughter, I cant stand here and let you say that. Can you take responsibility for your words?
Of course.
Fine.
Joanna glanced down at her watch before continuing.
Ill get those hunters to come here. Please prove your words in front of our eyes.
Book: 2: Chapter 103
Book 2: Chapter 103 After a while, Joanna brought a group of hunters.
There were 11 people in the group, all of whom were included in the documents.
They were all filled with enthusiasm to take part in this mission. In fact, if the number of persons was limited, they all would have participated.
After all, it was a mission with Neil Prands life at stake. Most of them had the thought that they wanted to help even if they could only do a little.
Whats going on? Whos this kid?
Is this our opponent?
Dont let your guards down.
Joanna, who stood at the front of the group, reminded them.
She couldnt feel any traces from Sedi. However, she was well aware of Lukas power.
It wouldnt be strange if Freys adopted daughter has special powers as well.
Therefore, even though shed gathered 11 hunters this time, shed told them to remain vigilant and do their best.
Hmm. Then Ill go first.
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When Lucian, the former mercenary, stepped forward, most of the others made sour expressions. Most of them knew how skilled he was, so they felt that if he went first, they wouldnt have a chance after. They were certain.
But Sedi frowned when she saw Lucian step forward alone.
What are you doing?
Is something wrong? Kid.
Why are you coming forward on your own? Its best if you all came at the same time.
Lucian had a daughter who was around the same age as Sedi. Therefore, he could see that her rudeness went beyond simply acting cute.
Nevertheless, using such a tone before a battle could only be described as trampling on their pride as hunters.
It seems Ill have to knock you down a peg fir- Kuk!
Lucian didnt get to finish his sentence.
Before he could, Sedi had appeared in front of him and hit his jaw with her palm. Lucian felt a terrible pain and belatedly realised that several of his teeth had been crushed.
With blood dripping from his mouth, he was unable to bear the pain and fell backward with his eyes rolling up into his head.
While silence filled the room, Sedi swung her right arm with a discontented expression on her face.
She still hadnt fully adapted to having a mortal body. Luckily, she would be able to use this chance to properly get used to her new body.
What are you waiting for? Come on.
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The hunters expression finally grew serious.
* * *
Joanna stared at the training ground, speechless.
After Lucians defeat, the hunters had all raised their guards.
None of them had even seen exactly what Sedi had done, they only knew that shed defeated him with a single blow.
Nevertheless, two other hunters still stepped out for a one-on-one fight. It was only after three consecutive defeats that the hunters decided to work together.
8 elite hunters.
The results of this battle to regain their pride were disastrous.
It couldnt even be called a proper fight.
Mm.
Sedi was standing alone in the center of the training ground, and the prone figures of the hunters could be seen around her.
It was a complete victory. And yet, Sedi didnt appear pleased. Instead, she frowned in clear displeasure.
The reason for this was the small cut on her palm. Even if she hadnt fully adapted to her new body, she never thought that shed be injured by a human.
Then, a voice sounded.
This should prove her power.
It was Lukas.
It was a bit harsh, but he had no choice.
After all, this was the best way to prove Sedis power.
As Vincent said, they didnt have any time to waste.
Who the hell is this girl
Joanna stared at Sedi in disbelief. A girl who looked no older than 15 had single-handedly defeated a group of North Americas best hunters? Without even showing her true strength?
But Joanna didnt try to pry any further.
There was only one thing that was important now. Sedi had proved that her words werent simple arrogance.
The futility of the groups attacks against her made that clear.
This girl was the strongest among all of the individuals they could mobilise at the moment.
Ill tell Vincent. All of the people going on the mission have been selected. But is it going to be just the three of you?
When Joanna asked this question, Lukas spoke.
Joanna, can you really not come with us?
Ah. Yeah. Im busy too. Unfortunately.
Joanna felt a little pleasure at the fact that Lukas wanted her to go with him.
Unfortunately, she was probably the one person who had a busier schedule than Vincent.
The Rose Dukes attack on Canada has terrified the civilians all over America. So I will be traveling all across the region. I plan to help ease their anxiety as much as I can.
Joanna was one of the most well known and well liked hunters for the people living in North America.
So she would be touring the entire region to cheer up the anxious citizens. There was probably no one more suited for this role than Joanna.
Lukas felt that it was unfortunate.
In his opinion, Joanna was a talented individual. Although he didnt intend to accept her as a disciple, he honestly felt that it would be good if he could recruit her into [Argento Spell].
He had been thinking of raising the idea to her if she joined them on this mission.
It cant be helped.
Joannas mission was important as well. It would be rude of him to insist.
Ill call the medical team first. Did you say her name was Sedi? Ill inform Vincent about this girl. Ah, and since the portal should be ready soon Miss Ha-rin.
Yeah?
Min Ha-rin had not yet escaped the shock that Sedis power had induced, but she raised her head as her name was called.
Shouldnt you send a message to Korea soon?
Oh.
Ill take you to the communication equipment, so follow me.
All right.
Min Ha-rin dejectedly followed Joanna out of the training room as medical staff rushed in and took all the hunters away.
Sedi walked over to Lukas, who looked down at her.
Wasnt that a bit too heavy-handed?
I didnt kill them Rather than that, Father.
What is it?
Lukass eyebrows furrowed slightly as he answered, still not used to the form of address.
Sedi tilted her head to the side.
What does Father intend to do from now on?
I plan to save Neil Prand, the President of the Hunter Association. Were going to meet the Saint who might be able to heal him.
Not that.
Sedi shook her head. Her soft hair flowing like a curtain in the wind.
What are you going to do next? Now that you dont have a pact with me, you dont need to spare Demons anymore.
Thats true. And thanks to you, the power limit has also increased,????????????????????????? c????????
Huh? What do you mean?
Chch.
Lukas lifted his hand, and divine power began swirling in his palm.
By being demoted to a mortal and becoming part of this universe, the level of the entire universe has risen a little.
Ah.
Sedi nodded after realising what he meant.
She also knew that the level of this universe was terribly low. If it had been allowed to progress normally, it would probably take hundreds of millions of years before someone could reach the level of Absolute.
With the appearance of the Demons and Lukas support, the level had been raised, but it was still below average.
And then, a being like Sedi had become part of the universe.
Although she had been demoted to a mortal, she had once been an Absolute.
As a result of a being who would be unparalleled among mortals becoming part of the universe, the level of the universe increased. This meant that the amount of power it could tolerate also increased.
With the power he could use now, Lukas could probably wipe out all of the Demons without putting any strain on the universe. And with Sedis help, it would be much easier.
And yet, he was still not making his move
Is it because of Nodiesop and the Demon King?
Right. I cant move recklessly until I drive them out completely.
True. And theres still no telling what Letip is really thinking.
sea??h th N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Then what will you do?
Do you remember the hints we got from God?
About the way to deceive the laws of the universe?
Right.
Lukas nodded.
One of the Top Three, a man named Kran. I think he might be a clue.
What kind of clue?
Im not entirely sure about the details yet. I didnt notice anything even when I met him in person. For the time being, I intend to wait and see.
Then wouldnt it be better to keep an eye on him? Wheres that Kran guy right now?
Well
Sedi frowned at Lukas soft murmur.
Isnt that too risky? What if the Demon King or Nodiesop get their hands on him first?
Kran is no pushover. Theyd have to use more power than they thought to capture him. That way, regardless of where it is, Id know the location immediately.
even when taking that into account, I feel like you are relying on something else.
Sedi narrowed her eyes as she observed Lukas.
Father, youre planning something, arent you? I dont know what it is, but it is definitely something that will turn the tables, right?
Right.
Lukas calmly admitted it.
Sedi was immature in many ways, but she still had the sharp intellect that came with being an Absolute.
What is it?
Its not the right time to reveal it yet. It is literally the last resort Its a gamble. And I dont want to use it if I dont have to.
Hmm.
So the best option would be to learn how to trick the laws of the universe.
Of course, if that method failed then it couldnt be helped.
He would have no choice but to gamble.
* * *
Kran opened his eyes.
Babump-
At the same time, he felt a strong pulse from his heart. He could feel a stronger power swirling inside of him. This newly acquired power rushed wildly through his blood vessels, as though it was desperate to show off its strength.
Kran got up from his seat, put on his clothes, and glanced at the crystal ball.
I think this was a lot stronger than the soul crystals I used before.
[Thats good news. That means its getting more efficient.]
Doesnt that mean Im becoming more of a monster?
[]
Ringo paused for a moment before speaking in a cautious tone.
[should we stop now? I will always respect your wishes, Kran.]
Kran put on his cloak and chuckled.
Its too late to turn back now. Ill see this through to the end.
[]
Tell me about the next target. Where is it?
[Arent you going to take a break?]
I dont need it. My body has already recovered.
There was a brief silence before the voice came from the crystal ball again.
[The Korean Peninsula. Thats where the next target is.]
the Korean Peninsula.
Kran slowly closed his eyes.
Help me prepare, Ringo. I want to leave right away.
Book: 2: Chapter 104
Book 2: Chapter 104 The Communications room.
Min Ha-rin operated the communications equipment while sitting across from Joanna.
It was nothing special. All she had to do was enter the password for the confidential communications line that she knew and wait for a response.
When was the last time you were in Korea?
About three years ago? I think its been about that long.
Thats longer than I thought.
Yeah. The damage to Korea wasnt that great. As my performance improved, I was dispatched to China more often. Later, I moved to stay there.
Hmmm.
Joanna nodded slowly before asking in a slightly cautious tone.
What about your family?
I have two younger siblings in Korea.
I guess theyre not hunters.
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Yeah.
Joanna smiled softly.
Thats good. Having a family, I mean.
what about you, Miss Joanna?
You can just call me Joanna.
Perhaps it was because she was American, but Joanna was much more open than she expected.
While having that thought, Min Ha-rin repeated herself.
What about your family
I dont have one. Im an orphan.
Ah.
That was a bit surprising.
From her attitude, Min Ha-rin had thought that she was born and raised in a wealthy, or at least a well-off family, but that wasnt the case. In other words, she felt and behaved like a scioness of some major family or force.
Joanna seemed familiar with this reaction.
Thats why I call the Association President my father. Because he brought me up as a child and showed me my path.
A tender light shined in Joannas eyes as she said that.
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Min Ha-rin could understand her feelings to an extent. Perhaps the same respect and admiration that she now had for Lukas, Joanna had for Neil Prand.
Joannas expression became earnest as she met Min Ha-rins gaze.
So please. Please save the Association President.
yes.
Just as Min Ha-rins determination was renewed, she finally got a response from the screen in front of her.
I think the line has been connected.
Yeah. Wait a moment.
Pit-
Suddenly, the screen lit up.
Min Ha-rin blinked. S~ea??h the N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
The person on the screen was obviously someone she knew, but it took her a moment to realise that.
No. She still wasnt sure even though she was looking at them with her own eyes. She licked her lips a few times before hesitantly opening her mouth.
Uncle Min-chul?
[As expected, its Ha-rin.]
The man behind the screen smiled brightly. Min Ha-rin couldnt help but feel a hint of disbelief as she saw this.
Why is it you, uncle? What about big brother Sung-hyun?
[Hes dead.]
Huh?
Min Ha-rins eyes widened.
[A lot has happened. There is so much that I want to talk to you about. Since you contacted this communication line, it should mean that youre coming back to Korea, right? When will you return?]
Those words made Min Ha-rin speechless for a few moments.
She did intend to go back to Korea, and she was confident that they would let her in, but she thought it would take some time to persuade them.
But Kim Min-chuls attitude made her hesitate.
It felt like he wanted her to return to Korea as soon as possible.
* * *
He took a deep breath and clenched his fists.
The doctors words floated in his mind in a loop. There was nothing wrong with his body.
In truth, he knew it better than anyone.
Hup.
He took another deep breath and prepared his mind. Then, he closed his eyes and relaxed his body as much as he could.
It wasnt hard for him to remember that time.
In only a few moments, the image of a woman appeared in his mind. A woman with hair as red as blood.
A being who was so fearsome that her harmless appearance made her all the more frightening.
Duke Rose.
Rattle.
Just imagining her face caused his entire body to quiver violently. If he hadnt been lying on his bed, his feet would have given out and he would have collapsed.
Hed no longer feared the Demons as he had in the past.
He was certain that he had overcome that to an extent.
If the first Demon he encountered hadnt been one of the Five Dukes
He shook his head.
All of those thoughts were just excuses.
In the end, all of this came down to the fact that he was too weak.
He wanted to overcome it. He wanted to move on. He wanted to say goodbye to his weak, pathetic self and fight the Demons confidently. This was the future that hed shed tears of blood to achieve.
Hed thought that he would reach it if he pushed a little further, but now, that goal that he thought was in his grasp was even further than before.
No. He was the one who had run away from it.
In the end, he was not a man who was able to overcome his trauma. He was still a weak, young, English boy, who could not get over his fear of Demons.
Dammit!
Crack!
Unable to contain his anger towards himself, Leo Freeman smashed his fist into the table beside his bed. This was the first time hed ever acted in such an emotional manner. And yet, the sense of shame didnt disappear. On the contrary, his negative emotions grew stranger as he felt that his patheticness was even clearer now.
Dammit dammit
Blood gushed from his lip as he bit down on it.
Stop hurting yourself.
!
Leo turned his head quickly. Without him realising, Lukas had entered his room and was standing beside his bed.
Master
Without a word, Lukas walked over to him and handed him a tissue. Leo accepted it and pressed it to his lips. The white tissue became stained red.
Lukas looked down at Leo for a moment before taking a seat in the chair beside the bed.
For some reason, the ticking sound of the clocks second hand became exceptionally clear at that moment.
Im sorry.
Even after he said that, Lukas didnt say anything.
I know this is an opportunity that Ill probably never receive again, and I really wanted to do well this time But it didnt work out
Leos voice was strained and hoarse. He felt that if he continued talking, he would begin to cry. He knew that he already looked pathetic, but he didnt want to embarrass himself any more than he already had.
Nevertheless, since hed started, he would have to finish.
Because the subdued silence was urging him to continue.
I saw a video of what happened in the training ground.
A group of some of the best hunters in North America had faced a girl no older than he was. And yet, this girl, whose hair flowed down to her feet, had defeated them with ease.
It was such a beautiful fight that he didnt even feel jealous. It was clear to Leo that he would have to work hard his entire life. But he wasnt sure he could reach that level with just his talent and hard work.
There was only one thing that Leo was certain of. He wouldnt be able to reach even half of that level even after ten years had passed.
It took a lot of determination for him to open his mouth again.
I-
Why are you apologising?
Lukas interrupted him.
I feel like I disappointed Master.
Did I ever tell you that or show such an attitude?
No. But
Then why are you making your own assumptions and judgements?
The words were filled with blame, but the tone they were said in was soft.
Leo fell silent for a moment, speechless.
That
Youre doing great.
huh?
Youre doing great. You havent done anything wrong.
Lukas eyes were shining so brightly that it hurt to look at them. The brilliance in his eyes was so dazzling that it felt like he wanted to drive away the dark clouds in his mind.
Its as I said. You are always trying to face your fears head-on. That is not an easy task.
Anyone can just think about it!
Leos voice grew louder at the end. His face became contorted.
Ill try harder next time. Tomorrow will be different from today. Those easy thoughts are things that everyone repeats to themselves in bed before they sleep Right. It just keeps repeating. I feel like my resolution has faded and Ive become self-indulgent.
What really mattered was to not lose the drive.
But Leo felt like he couldnt do that.
Everyone has their time.
Time?
Right. People usually call it fate, but I personally call it the time of blooming.
the time of blooming
Its just a difference of timing. Just because a flower blooms later doesnt mean its any less beautiful. And I
Lukas smiled.
When Leo saw this smile, he felt his heart swell and his throat close.
He could feel it just from looking at this smile.
Just how much this person in front of him believed in him. And just how high his expectations for him were.
I believe that you will bloom into a flower that is more brilliant than any other flower.
Gulp.
Leo was unable to stop his hot tears from pouring out. There had never been someone who had so much faith in him in his entire life.
He was someone who couldnt even lift a finger in front of a Demon. How ridiculous was this for someone who wanted to become a hunter? Someone who would risk their life on every mission.
why do you have so much faith in me?
Because I am your master.
Lukas smile widened.
Do you trust me?
yeah.
Then trust in my eyes too. The Leo Freeman I have seen and judged is by no means a man who would bow down to this level of frustration.
Master.
I look forward to the flower you will bloom into.
* * *
When Lukas stepped out of the hospital room, he encountered a black-haired girl with a sour expression.
Sedi Glaston.
No. It should be Sedi Trowman now. She had become strangely attached to Lukas since becoming a mortal.
Sedi pointed at the hospital room, her expression still sullen.
Is he your disciple as well, Father?
Right.
Hes really weak.
Lukas looked down at Sedi for a moment.
What?
Sedi, what do you think a father should be?
Someone bigger and stronger enough than me?
then you call me Father because I am stronger than you?
Right. There are only four people in this universe right now that are stronger than me.
She was referring to the four Absolutes.
Nodiesop, Letip, Lukas. And Kasajin.
Naturally, Lukas was the only one among them who was kind to Sedi.
There was no need to mention Nodiesop, who she seemed to have a bad relationship with, and Kasajin, who made her the way she was. Letip, who appeared to be neutral, was a wild card, and no one knew what he was thinking.
Ive never had a daughter.
I know. You never did it.
right. Thats not really the point right now, but anyway, I know that you and I dont have a normal father-daughter relationship.
A normal father-daughter relationship?
Sedi tilted her head to the side.
It had probably not been intentional, but her action was filled with innocence that matched her apparent age.
What does that mean?
I dont know.
what are you talking about? Are you trying to crack a joke?
No. As I said, Ive never had a daughter.
He knew about the bonds between friends, masters, and parents.
Just recently, hed learned how to treat a disciple.
This was Lukas first time having a child. Though the origin of the relationship was a bit strange, he did not want to treat this bond carelessly now that it had been formed.
Even if she wasnt his child by blood, he still wanted to treat their bond seriously and form the most desirable relationship for the both of them.
As he had this thought, Lukas looked down at Sedi.
So Ill think about it from now on.
Think about what?
How a father should treat his daughter. What I can do for you. And what an ideal father-daughter relationship should be like.
Sedi looked at Lukas with a blank expression for a moment.
She felt strange.
She didnt know why, but Lukas words touched her heart deeply. For the first time, Sedi felt like that missing part of her was being temporarily filled.
So you should also think about it seriously about what you want from a father.
For some reason, she could no longer look at Lukas.
Sedi turned her head away and said.
I, I see.
She didnt know why, but her face was burning. Unable to contain her nervousness, Sedi tapped her foot on the ground.
Book: 2: Chapter 105
Book 2: Chapter 105 The Korea Branch connected the Warp Portal much more easily than they expected.
Min Ha-rin couldnt help but wonder how Kim Min-chul, who had been an ordinary civilian just a few years ago, had obtained that much authority. She was a bit skeptical about the fact that he accepted her words without asking about the particular circumstances, but she couldnt ask that at the moment.
One of the reasons was that they were using an emergency communication line, which meant that they couldnt talk for a long time.
The portal will be open for one day, so please come over before it closes.
Kim Min-chul had said these words with a smile.
That meant that they could go to Korea as soon as they were ready.
Now, they just needed to step into the portal, and with the push of a button, they would immediately be sent over to the Korea Branch.
Vincent looked at the three people who would be embarking on the mission.
Lukas, Min Ha-rin, and Sedi. They all stood in front of the Warp Portal, looking at him.????????????????????????????. C????
Are you going to be okay?
Yes, it seems Nodiesops influence hasnt reached there yet.
This wasnt necessarily good news.
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Regardless of whether it was Nodiesop or not, the atmosphere of the Korea Branch that they had seen through the monitor was different from before. Unfortunately, they would only be able to learn the details by going through the portal.
Are you sure you dont need more pe
Its fine, Vincent. You saw the video from the training ground, right?
right.
Vincents gaze subconsciously shifted to the side, to Sedi, who was yawning with a bored expression on her face.
He wouldnt have believed it if he hadnt seen the video of the fight with his own eyes. That this thin, young girl was able to single-handedly overwhelm a group of the North America Headquarters best hunters.
Shes stronger than a Branch President.
It was possible she might have been much older than she looked.
The higher the level of a being, the slower their body aged. And if they went a step further and reached a certain level, their entire body could be reconstructed.
Of course, these were only conjectures that had been written in martial arts manuals for centuries, but hed heard that some Warriors had experienced this phenomenon.
This girl should be a member of [Argento Spell] as well.
Vincent felt a brief hint of admiration.
Following the defeat of one of the Five Dukes, if this mission was a success and they went on to save the President of the Hunter Association, there would be no hunters who didnt know their name.
Theres no time to waste. Please activate the Portal.
Vincent nodded at Lukas words.
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I wish you good luck.
Paht-
Then, a bright light enveloped the area around the portal.
* * *
The feeling of weightlessness gradually disappeared and she became aware of the fact that she was now standing on the ground.
The Warp had been successful.
cough, cough.
Before the bright light that surrounded her body had even fully dissipated, Min Ha-rin began to cough.
The quality of the air was horrible. It was like she had just breathed a bunch of dust into her lungs. Was it because she had just come from a place with incredibly clean air?
No. The air in Busan shouldnt have been this bad.
After a short while, the light completely disappeared and the surroundings became visible.
Mm
Like North America, the Warp Portals were installed outside in an open area, not in a building or underground.
But the landscape they saw was a perfect contrast to the beautiful North America.
Busan.
It was once one of the port cities that represented East Asia.
Of course, the appearance of the Demons caused some damage, but it hadnt been as bad as in other regions. Thats why the Korea Branch was established in this city.
However, the view of the city that she could see now made Min Ha-rin speechless.
Collapsed buildings, hazy smoke, and utter silence created an image similar to that of a world on the brink of destruction.
Lukas also took a breath of the air. The air wasnt bad because it had been contaminated by demonic energy. Instead, the air itself had been contaminated by several harmful gases.
Welcome to the Korea Branch.
A man standing beside the portal smiled and spoke to them.
Min Ha-rin immediately recognised him as Kim Min-chul, whom she had known since childhood, but at the same time, she didnt recognise him.
This was probably because of the clothes he was wearing.
His clothes were similar to those worn by clerics of the church. But instead of black, they were bright, pristine white.
It was a strange sight. Almost as though the dust that circulated in the air avoided him.
Uncle?
You look even prettier in person. You grew up so beautifully. Im glad youre okay, Ha-rin.
Kim Min-chul smiled gently.
It was the same warm smile that she often saw in the past, but there was a strange feeling hidden behind it that made Min Ha-rin speechless.
Kim Min-chuls eyes turned to Lukas and Sedi at the back.
And who might you be?
Im Frey Blake. A European Hunter. Min Ha-rin and I are in the same sect.
Ah. I see.
For a moment, Kim Min-chul was puzzled by what he meant by being in the same sect, but he quickly hid his expression and bowed politely with her unique, gentle smile.
Im Kim Min-chul. Im just an old man who watched Ha-rin grow up. I knew her since she was just a kid with dreams of becoming a hunter, and now, shes all grown up Time is a scary thing. Hahaha.
I see.
It seemed that he was trying to lighten the mood, but Lukas only nodded his head in a businesslike manner.
This attitude made Kim Min-chul a bit embarrassed, and he scratched his head with an awkward expression.
By the way Why are you here in Korea?
We heard that the Saint is here.
Lukas spoke in a blunt tone.
Min Ha-rin looked at her Master with a slightly startled expression. They hadnt talked about this before coming.
Kim Min-chul looked at Lukas with a strange, indecipherable gaze before nodding. sea??h th N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Thats right.
Excuse me. Mr. Kim Min-chul, do you know the Saint?
Huhu.
Kim Min-chul chuckled and shook his head.
I dont think there is anyone in this city who doesnt know him.
He smiled, turning around.
For now, follow me.
The group nodded and followed Kim Min-chul.
It seemed that it had rained a short while ago as there were small puddles scattered across the street.
As they walked down the muddy street, only the patter of their feet could be heard. This street had probably been something of a shopping center in the past, but now, the only proof of this was the slanted, flickering neon lights attached to bent poles.
Uncle.
Hmm?
Did you hear anything from China?
Ah. Do you mean the man named Nodiesop who became the new President?
Yeah.
He contacted the Branch President a few times.
What did the Branch President say?
He said no.
How did he respond to that? Im sure he must have pressured you.
Kim Min-chul smiled at that.
We do not have to be wary of the Asia Headquarters anymore. Not to mention Asia, even the Demons wont come to this place anymore.
Huh?
Youll find out soon enough.
After saying that, Kim Min-chul increased his pace, leading them further into the city. Lukas and Sedi, who were walking at the back of the group, exchanged glances.
[Father, this guy is suspicious.]
Sedis voice rang in Lukas head. He nodded slightly.
[I could get this guy to tell us everything he knows. It would only take me a minute.]
This time, he shook his head.
If they were to use Sedis method, Kim Min-chuls mind would be destroyed and his body wouldnt be left in much better shape. However, as he was Min Ha-rins acquaintance, they couldnt do that without any confirmation.
Sedi turned her head away and pouted in dissatisfaction at Lukas refusal.
Is big brother Sung-hyun
Min Ha-rin deliberately trailed off at the end of her sentence.
It was about 2 years ago. He fought bravely, but in the end, he could not escape death.
Kim Sung-hyun was Kim Min-chuls only son and a hunter. Unfortunately, his talent was only ordinary. So, unlike Min Ha-rin, who traveled throughout Asia, Kim Sung-hyun served as a security guard for the Korea Branch.
Korea had not been directly exposed to the threat of the Demons yet. Thats why she hadnt thought that Kim Sung-hyun would lose his life.
Min Ha-rin looked at Kim Min-chuls back.
She could imagine how terrible it must have felt when he lost his son.
His wife had died shortly after giving birth, so Kim Min-chul gave Kim Sung-hyun all of the affection that was meant for his wife. If it was the Kim Min-chul she knew, it wouldnt be strange if he collapsed after the death of his son and become a wastrel.
That was why Min Ha-rins doubts deepened.
Suddenly, Kim Min-chul stopped.
Were here.
here.
It was a place that Min Ha-rin knew well.
It was the entrance to the Korea Branch of the Hunter Association, which was a renovated underground shopping mall in the center of Busan.
But it felt completely different from back then.
First of all, the people guarding the hideout werent Korean. Also, instead of clothes that normal hunters wore, their clothing was similar to Kim Min-chuls.
The skyscraper that sat above the shopping mall had originally been used only as a decoy, but now, the entire building was lit.
Above all, flags and banners covered the building. Each of these flags, which fluttered in the wind, had the symbol of two eyes on a pure white background.
When the guards spotted them, they bowed politely.
Father, youve returned. (Note: Like the way one would address a priest of the church)
The people behind you?
They are the guests I mentioned before.
Ah I see.
One of the guards looked over to the group and bowed slightly.
Welcome to the Church of Eternal Life.
Book: 2: Chapter 106
Book 2: Chapter 106 Church of Eternal Life? Isnt this the Korea Branch Headquarters?
When he heard this, the expression on the guards face became a bit strange.
Ill explain in a little bit. Lets go inside first.
Kim Min-chul stepped forward, cutting off the conversation. The guards bowed once more before opening the doors.
After going inside the building, they went into an elevator and went up.
When they stopped at the 5th floor, Kim Min-chul guided them to a room.
Please wait here for a moment.
Ah, uncle. Wait a minute.
What is it?
Where are my younger siblings now?
Min Ha-rins face was a bit flushed when she said this.
Although she didnt want to admit it in front of Lukas, the main reason why she agreed to come to Korea this time was because she was worried about her younger siblings.
Of course, she knew that they were older now and she didnt need to baby them, but it had been a few years since shed last seen them, and she was a bit worried.
It would also be a lie to say that she didnt miss them.
Kim Min-chuls expression darkened slightly. He stood there for a moment before muttering briefly.
Ill bring them to you. Wait here.
After saying that, Kim Min-chul left the room. As soon as he was gone, Sedi sat on the well-made bed and shook her hips a little before frowning.
This place is unpleasant.
Her gaze then turned to where Kim Min-chul had been standing before.
Especially that guy. I have a bad feeling about him.
Uncle Min-chul is not a bad person.
Who said he was a bad person? I just have a bad feeling. More importantly Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Sedi turned to Min Ha-rin.
You Why do you keep talking informally to me?
I should be the one asking you that.
Strangely, Min Ha-rin felt that she didnt want to lose to Sedi. Shed felt this way the moment she learned that she was Lukas daughter. In other words, from the very beginning.
Although this little girl was probably strong enough to survive being hit by a truck, she didnt intend to lower her head.
Im older than you.
You bare-faced liar. You look younger than my younger siblings.
You cheeky mortal
Lukas ignored the two bickering women and opened the window.
He blocked the dirty air from entering the room with a barrier and looked at the landscape outside.
The streets below were so hazy that it was hard to believe it was only midday.
In all honesty, Lukas felt quite frustrated at that moment.
The streets were narrow and seemed to have not been built with any consideration for the locations of the buildings. The sizes were also different, so there was no uniformity even if one squinted ones eyes. It was completely different from the sophisticated streets and skyscrapers that he saw in North America. It also felt even worse because of how close together they were. (Note: If Lukas thinks Korea is bad, he should never come to my country.)
To make matters worse. Most of the streets were built on a mountainside, and there were many side streets, which seemed much more complicated than even the worst slums.
Its a country with a small territory compared to its population.
When he recalled the characteristics of Korea, Lukas understood to an extent.
Click.
Then the door opened again. Kim Min-chul had returned.
Its too late for today, so Ill arrange for a meeting with the Saint tomorrow morning. Is that all right?
When Lukas nodded, Kim Min-chul smiled.
And Ha-rin, I brought your younger siblings.
He then turned around and beckoned.
Ha-min, Ha-yun, come here.
Min Ha-rin turned to look behind Kim Min-chul.
But when she saw her younger siblings for the first time in quite a few years, her heart sank.
* * *
In confirmation of Min Ha-rins earlier words, although they were clearly teenagers, they both looked older than Sedi.
But it wasnt their age that Min Ha-rin noticed.
She hadnt seen them in years.
But there was one reason why her heart sank instead of becoming filled with pleasure at their reunion.
Both of them were covered in injuries. Of course, they couldnt be called serious injuries, but they both had scars all over their bodies. Some of them appeared new, some looked like they were almost finished healing, and some were completely healed.
Min Ha-rin had never seen these scars before.
you guys
For the first time in a long while, she called out to her younger siblings.
Her call caused them to flinch back before slowly raising their heads to see who was calling them.
Their eyes, which were half-filled with doubt, grew wider before becoming filled with tears.
Big sis.
B-, big sis!
Then they rushed over to Min Ha-rin and hugged her.
Big sis!
H-, huk.
As she wrapped her arms around her crying brother and sister, Min Ha-rin felt like crying as well. Forcibly suppressing the tightness of her throat, Min Ha-rin spoke slowly.
Im sorry I wasnt able to contact you. Why are you guys so injured? What happened to you?
Now that she could see them up close, Min Ha-rin was in a rush to find out what happened.
The pain she felt at that moment was much greater than when she suffered from serious injuries.
When she mentioned their wounds, the two flinched and exchanged glances.
Th-, these wounds
They are
They are medals.
This answer came from Kim Min-chul.
He was watching the reunion of the three siblings with a pleased expression.
medals?
Your younger siblings are currently undergoing trials to enter the Church of Eternal Life. Originally, they wouldnt have been able to contact outsiders while undergoing their trials, but we made a special exception for you, Ha-rin. After all, you havent seen your younger siblings in years.
Min Ha-rins gaze became sharp.
She slowly turned to Kim Min-chul and asked in a pointed tone.
These trials are they taking them voluntarily?
Of course.
thats impossible.
Unlike herself, her two younger siblings had never dared to undergo any hardships. They were naturally gentle and timid, and they had never even fought against others when they were younger, let alone Demons.
She knew that better than anyone.
She had raised them by herself since they were babies.
She would never believe that her younger siblings would willingly undergo any kind of painful trial.
Min Ha-rin looked down at Ha-min and Ha-yun. Their lips twitched slightly as though they wanted to say something, but in the end, they both lowered their heads, remaining silent.
This sight made her stomach churn.
Min Ha-rins eyes turned to Kim Min-chul once again.
I will never forgive anyone who dares to touch my family.
I know. Youve always loved your younger siblings dearly.
What the hell is the Church of Eternal Life?
It is the light, the only hope that we can get through these desperate times.
After saying this, Kim Min-chuls calm expression became serious.
Ha-rin, you should join our church as well. Im sure the Saint and the Bishop would accept you with open arms. At your level, you wouldnt even have to undergo the trials.
Im sorry, but I dont intend to follow some kind of mysterious religion like that.
Kim Min-chuls expression became one of displeasure.
are you insulting our Church of Eternal Life?
With the things you did to my-
We have no intention of doing that. Ha-rin is just overreacting a little.
It was Lukas who interrupted Min Ha-rin before her tirade could begin. Then, Min Ha-rins aura, which had begun to rise, slowly settled back down.
Kim Min-chul watched this with a slightly surprised expression.
Ha-rin listened to him so easily.
The Min Ha-rin he knew, while not rude, was very independent and stubborn at the same time as being extremely hot-headed.
She was the type who would never back down if she thought something was wrong, so she was often called the child who grew up too quickly to be cute by the adults.
That was why Kim Min-chul found it strange that Min Ha-rin listened to Lukas words so easily.
Lukas walked over to Min Ha-rins siblings, kneeled, and looked them in the eyes.
Min Ha-min, and Min Ha-yun.
Both of them looked very similar to Min Ha-rin. The boy appeared to be a few years older.
Hello.
Ah, hello.
Hi who are you, oppa?
Im Ha-rins Master.
Her Master?
Right.
Lukas smiled gently after saying that, and one of the eyebrows of Sedi, who was standing behind him, twitched slightly.
Suddenly, Kim Min-chul coughed in his hand.
Its getting late, and you must be tired after a long-distance teleportation, so well get going. Now, children. It was nice to see her again after a long time, wasnt it? Its time to go back now.
The warm atmosphere, which had just formed, was destroyed by his voice.
Min Ha-min and Min Ha-yun lowered their heads, not daring to refute him.
W-, well see you later, big sis.
Min Ha-min turned around first. But Min Ha-yun hesitated a bit before looking up at Min Ha-rin and opening her mouth.
H-, hey, big sis. By chance
Min Ha-rin realised what her little sister wanted to say, and spoke in a firm tone.
Im not going anywhere.
Ah.
Dont worry, just trust me. Everything is going to be all right.
M-, mhm.
It was only then when Min Ha-min and Min Ha-yuns expressions brightened for the first time.
Kim Min-chul sent them away first, but he didnt leave immediately.
Ha-rin.
Yeah.
There was a big change.
There was no longer any affection in their voices.
The Leader and the Branch President want to meet you. Can you meet them right now?
the Branch President.
The person he referred to as Leader should have been the head of the Church of Eternal Life. In all honesty, she wasnt fond of the offer.
However
She had to meet the President of the Korea Branch.
If she met him, she would be able to find out what the hell happened here.
Understood.
Good. Lets go right away why dont the two of you wait here for a while?
Kim Min-chul looked over to Lukas and Sedi as he said the last part.
In an unexpected display of cooperation, Lukas nodded.
No problem.
Thank you for your understanding. Lets go Ha-rin.
Yeah.
Min Ha-rin made eye contact with Lukas before following Kim Min-chul. Lukas simply nodded without saying anything, but that alone was enough to fill Min Ha-rin with confidence.
She didnt know what the Church of Eternal Life was or what was going on there. However, she didnt think they would be a threat to her with her Master here.
Min Ha-rin clenched her fist and walked confidently behind Kim Min-chul.
Tak.
The door closed.
Sedi looked at it for a while before muttering softly.
That was unexpected.
What was?
That girl. Min Ha-rin or whatever. I feel like shes different when shes with you. I think I just saw an expression I never saw her make before.
She saw an unexpected side.
Lukas nodded.
Thats because youve only seen her rely on me. But there are things that Min Ha-rin has to protect as well.
When he protected those weaker than himself, he grew stronger.
Min Ha-rin appeared to be the same. Without even giving herself enough time to grieve after losing their parents, she steeled herself to raise her two younger siblings who were more frightened and anxious than she was.
Perhaps what youre seeing now is Min Ha-rins true form.
Thats enough of your human anthem. In any case, this place is suspicious. The [Church of Eternal Life].
A condescending smirk spread across Sedis lips.
Thats not a concept mortals should talk about.
So what are you going to do? Are you going to stay here?
No. I need to go for now.
Lukas was silent for a moment before looking up.
Theres something that concerns me.
Book: 2: Chapter 107
Book 2: Chapter 107 (Note: Minor edit, leader was changed to bishop. Id made the change, but it seems it wasnt saved.)
Tap-
They walked down a dark hallway.
The only sound that could be heard was their soft footsteps, and the lights above them flashed as though they hadnt been maintained for a long time.
The people they encountered as they walked all bowed deeply to Kim Min-chul. To Min Ha-rin, they were more like puppets than people.
Unable to bear the silence, Min Ha-rin opened her mouth.
Are we going to see the Branch President?
Huh? Ah.
Kim Min-chul answered without looking back.
Were going to the Bishop first.
They went down to the basement. Sarch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Not by elevator but by stairs.
They descended down a spiral staircase that had clearly not been there before. The deeper they went, the darker it became and the more unsettled Min Ha-rin became.
It felt that not just her body but also her mind was being buried beneath the ground.
After an unknown amount of time passed, they reached the end of the spiral staircase, which felt like it led down into a bottomless abyss.
Several candles placed in a straight line along the hallway subtly illuminated their path. Kim Min-chul walked down this hallway without hesitation, as though he was very familiar with it.
was there such a place in the Korea Branch?
Suppressing her doubts, Min Ha-rin continued to follow Kim Min-chul.
Eventually, they arrived at a door at the end of the hallway, and when it opened, they saw a person in the room.
At first, Min Ha-rin thought that the figure sitting in the middle of the room was a corpse.
He was so old that she couldnt help but think that.
The skin on his entire body was severely wrinkled to the point where he appeared shriveled. His thin cheeks and wrist were reminiscent of an old tree.
The old man wore a priestly robe similar to what Kim Min-chul was wearing, but his robes were embroidered and were much more colorful.
Of course, with his thin body, he looked more like a scarecrow wearing a sack than a religious leader.
Looking at this old man, Min Ha-rin couldnt help but feel that it wouldnt be strange if he died at any moment. Shed met people who were around 80 or 90 years old. But this old man in front of her looked much older than them. It was as though he was the embodiment of the concept of aging.
Nevertheless, there was one thing that stood out.
His eyes were sharp. Like a nocturnal animals or a predators, they stood out in the dimly lit room.
You must be Min Ha-rin.
His voice was as rough as his appearance. A terrible sound similar to when one scratched their nails on an old tree.
However, Kim Min-chul bowed his head reverently when he heard this voice as if hed heard the voice of God.
I heard a lot about you from your younger siblings. Im Slei Paprostin. The Bishop of the Church of Eternal Life.
Min Ha-rin.
Right Hmm.
Slei smiled slightly as he looked Min Ha-rin over with his bright eyes.
I heard you were a swordsman, but that doesnt seem to be the case. Are you a Wizard?
Thats right.
A Swordsman became a Wizard? Thats not a simple process
Slei did not hide his interest in Min Ha-rin as he pointed upwards.
Was it your Master upstairs who did that for you?
Yes.
Right. As we expected, he is a great being.
Min Ha-rin narrowed her eyes at those words.
do you know my Master?
Right.
Slei chuckled.
Weve been waiting for him.
Come and have a seat, Min Ha-rin. We have so much to talk about. Ill use this chance to explain to you. The doctrine of our Church of Eternal Life.
* * *
Lukas used Ghost to look around the base.
After becoming an Absolute, he no longer needed to distinguish between his body and soul, but this time, he made an effort to leave his body in the room.
This was because he thought someone might stop by to check on the room while he was roaming around the base. If that were to happen, it would be very suspicious if Lukas wasnt present.
Of course, the most important reason for this decision was the fact that he had a reliable bodyguard now.
Lukas thought about Sedi for a moment before resuming his search.
Few of the people there appeared to be hunters. Instead, most of them wore priestly robes like Kim Min-chul. Of course, there were some differences from the robes worn by Catholic priests.
What concerned him was the heavy atmosphere that seemed to cover the entire branch. Instead of going underground, Lukas headed up. To the very top of this large skyscraper.
That was where the thing that concerned him was.
Shuk-
At the very top of the building was a large room from which one could overlook the entirety of Busan. In this room, which was so bright that one could forget the darkness of the city, stood a single figure.
This figure suddenly turned around.
This figure had a strangely neutral appearance. There were no traits or indicators of gender among this figures neat facial features.
Above all, it was their white eyes that truly drew Lukas attention. These eyes, with no pupil or iris, shined brightly, even in the brightly lit room. In fact, it felt like the brightness in the room was actually light that was pouring from their eyes.
They looked towards Lukas.
At first, Lukas thought it was a coincidence. After all, it was impossible for even a Great Wizard who had reached 9 stars to see Lukas when he was in his Ghost state. But after this persons gaze turned to Lukas, it didnt turn away.
Instead, as more time passed, the certainty that they were looking at him increased.
Ah! Hello!
Finally, they smiled softly, their expression a mixture of purity and naivety.
How can I help you, soul?inn????e????????. co????
Book: 2: Chapter 108
Book 2: Chapter 108 What did you think when you first heard the name Church of Eternal Life?
That its a cult.
Min Ha-rin spoke in a blunt tone, and Kim Min-chuls eyes widened.
Min Ha-rin!
Ahaha!
Slei, on the other hand, burst into laughter. Min Ha-rin wondered briefly where that thin body found the energy to let out such a loud laugh.
This old man in front of her was the Bishop, the highest authority in the Church of Eternal Life. So she wanted to see how he would react if she insulted his religion in front of him.
It was very rude, but she couldnt think of any other way. For Min Ha-rin, it was more important than anything else to figure out exactly what this mysterious religion was and how to get her younger siblings out of it.
Actually, there was a cult that carried this name in the past. However, we are very different from them, and so is our path. Immortality is not something mortals can hope to achieve.
Then why do you call yourselves the Church of Eternal Life?
Eternal life, everlasting life What do you think it means to have such a life? Does it end when your body dies? It doesnt. As long as the soul doesnt disappear, the being will not disappear. The same goes for the path we walk on. Everything will be reincarnated.
Reincarnation was a religious term that was mainly used in Buddhism.
So when this old man in priestly robes said this word, it felt a bit strange.
It seems to me that the Church of Eternal Life took concepts that belong to other religions and interpreted them as they please.
Its natural for us to take from them. After all, we are latecomers. Religions that were created before we were knowledge worthy of their age. If the things that they say are the truth, its not unreasonable for us to say it as well.
The old mans stiff lips twisted slightly.
But do you know the crucial difference between us and them?
I dont.
Out of all religions, the Church of Eternal Life is the only one able to prove the existence of souls and the afterlife.
huh?
Unable to understand, Min Ha-rin blinked for a while. Then, she shook her head and responded.
Isnt it just if you believe in the God we believe in, youll go to heaven or something like that? I dont see how that makes you different from other religions.
There are a lot of differences. Because we dont have the gods that most religions believe in.
Slei chuckled.
There are many religions in this world, but the holy power that they use doesnt come from the God they believe in. Instead, it comes from their own faith and belief In other words, their own willpower.
and you are different?
Thats right. Because we borrow the power of the God we believe in.
Slei once more before gesturing to Kim Min-chul behind him.
Would you mind giving us a minute? I would like to speak to Min Ha-rin alone.
But Bishop
Pfft, dont worry. No matter how old I am, I can still deal with this child.
understood.
Kim Min-chul was reluctant, but he dared not disobey a direct order from the Bishop. With heavy steps, he left the room.
Tak-
The door closed, and silence fell once again.
Slei let out a soft chuckle.
What do you think of when you hear the word God?
God, the Creator, the being who made all things.
She didnt believe in God.
Min Ha-rin swallowed her words before she could say them, but Slei was able to pick up on what she was thinking.
Hmm. Youre an atheist. There used to be a lot of atheists in Korea.
Is that so?
Nowadays, there were often crosses and other religious symbols wherever one looked, so she wasnt aware of it.
However, before the advent of the Demons, the percentage of atheists in Korea was among the highest in the world.
Omniscience and omnipotence. These are traits that only God is qualified to possess. In that sense, there can only be one being who can be called God in all universes. Most beings dont know that fact, but we were able to recognise it.
All universes.
These words sounded strange to her, but Min Ha-rin chose not to point it out.
The absolute being. The one true God. Youre not trying to say thats you, are you?
Most cult leaders tended to refer to themselves as God or claimed to be the sons of God who had inherited their blood.
The world was already broken. Crowds of wounded and desperate people wailed in the streets, their hearts and wills shattering at the slightest touch.
Ironically, this was the best time for religions to flourish.
Those who were injured, sick, or had lost their loved ones instinctively sought something to rely on.
Min Ha-rin never thought that religion was a bad thing. After all, she was happy that the wounded and ill could find shelter.
What she really hated were those who used the weak for their own means.
People who treated faith like a business, who were no better than trash.
Huhu.
Despite Min Ha-rins harsh tone and rude attitude, Slei remained calm.
Of course not. Im nothing more than a mortal who was lucky enough to sit on this seat through the hand of fate.
His attitude took Min Ha-rin by surprise.
She could tell from his expression. This man wasnt trying to be humble, nor was he pretentious. He genuinely thought so.
Lets get back to the main topic. The soul is our source, a repository of our memories, of our path so far. Generally, no being has the right to extinguish the soul, so it can be said to have some degree of immortality. So as long as our souls dont disappear, our lives wont disappear. Couldnt that, then, be called eternal life?
Slei stood up, his face slightly flushed and his breathing noticeably quicker.
It seemed that he was so excited that he could no longer contain it.
But eternal life is also a poisoned holy grail. How long would it take for the blessing of eternal life to instead feel like a curse of eternal torture? A hundred years? A thousand? I dont know because I havent lived that long But Im certain that it would be much shorter than I thought. So I thought, pondered, agonised about it before finally finding the answer. In order to live an eternal life, one must be accompanied by those one truly loves. Sarch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
huh?
Min Ha-rins eyes widened at the unexpected remark.
Slei let out a low laugh.
Whether its your family, siblings, friends, or lovers, anyone will do. As long as there is someone to accompany you through the eons, the blessing will never become a curse.
Sleis expression changed as he muttered in a low voice.
[Everlasting Life together with the ones you love]. That is the doctrine of our Church of Eternal Life.
are you trying to say that if I entered the Church of Eternal Life, my siblings and I could be together forever?
Its not just that. Didnt I say earlier? We have proven the existence of souls and the afterlife.
!
Min Ha-rins eyes suddenly went wide at those words.
Theres no way
We can also revive the dead.
Min Ha-rin took a deep, heavy breath.
At that moment, the faces of Kim Min-chul, who had seemed strangely calm all this time, and Kim Sung-hyun, whom shed loved dearly, appeared in Min Ha-rins mind.
I didnt force any of your younger siblings to join us. I simply told them one thing. In return for joining the Church of Eternal Life, you will be able to see your parents again.
those kids have no memory of our parents.
That doesnt mean they wouldnt want to meet them.????????????????????a????. ????????????
Min Ha-rin belatedly realised that the defiance in her voice had become dull.
Perhaps Slei noticed it too.
He fixed his expression before speaking in a low, heavy tone.
Ha-rin, dont you want to see your dead parents again?
* * *
Lukas realised that the person in front of him had the most powerful soul eyes that hed ever seen before.
No.
It wasnt just soul eyes. The power that he could feel from those eyes could not be described with just one term.
A white glow appeared in Lukas eyes. He started to examine the persons eyes with Clairvoyance.
And soon, he received a startling result.
To Lukas surprise, even his Clairvoyance was unable to see through their eyes. Lukas looked at them properly once again.
Pure white eyes without even the slightest blemish stared back at him unblinkingly.
Soul they called me a soul.
It seemed that this person had mistaken him for a soul.
Lukas decided to use this misunderstanding to his benefit.
[I want to know your name.]
The person smiled and answered this absurd question without any hesitation.
My name is Arid.
Book: 2: Chapter 110
Book 2: Chapter 110 When Lukas returned to the room, he found Sedi fiddling with his body. The expression on her face was so serious that one would think she was conducting some extremely important research.
[What are you doing?]
Mm!
Sedi didnt seem to be surprised by Lukas voice and instead raised her hand to her chin contemplatively.
Im just checking exactly what you are.
[]
As I expected, youre an Absolute who was once a human. Nevertheless, Fathers body is pretty high quality. From what I can see, you were probably the best among humans.
Shaking his head at Sedis strange praise, Lukas returned to his body.
But even after entering his body, she didnt let go of him. In fact, she actually began to act more aggressively.
With her two small hands, she stretched Lukas cheeks to their maximum.
This was the first time he had ever experienced something like this, so Lukas was speechless for a while.
Wow. Amazing.
what is?
Fathers face got warmer when your soul returned. By the way, how can you separate your body and soul? Is that one of your Lord abilities?
Forcefully moving Sedis hands away, Lukas rose from his seat.
Sedi pouted slightly but obediently backed away.
Did you have any harvest?
Right. I met the Saint.
Oh? How was it?
They are certainly a strange person. I couldnt fully see through them. (Note: Still using they since there hasnt been any gender confirmation)
You coul-?
Just as Sedi asked back in surprise, the door opened and Min Ha-rin appeared. Kim Min-chul was nowhere to be found.
However, Min Ha-rins attitude was a bit strange. She staggered around as though she was broken.
Whats wrong with you? You look like youve seen a ghost.
!
Those words caused Min Ha-rin to subconsciously shiver.
Lukas walked up to the small refrigerator in a corner of the room, took out a small plastic bottle, and handed it over to Min Ha-rin.
Min Ha-rin lowered her head as she received the bottle of water.
thank you.
What happened?
Min Ha-rins face was extremely pale. Not only that, but her lips were also as white as snow.
She hesitated for a moment before finally lifting her head and speaking for a moment.
Master, there is something Id like to ask you.
What is it?
Is it possible to bring the dead back to life?
Lukas was silent for a moment.
No, its not.
As far as Lukas knew, only God and the Rulers, as well as very few Absolutes, who had powers relating to life or creation, were able to resurrect the dead.
And there was no Absolute with that power currently in this universe.
I just met the Bishop of the Church of Eternal Life. He said he would let me meet my parents.
He already knew that Min Ha-rins parents were dead.
Min Ha-rin continued with a heavy expression.
then I met my parents.
At that moment, Sedi opened her mouth to say something, but Lukas discreetly shook his head at her.
Min Ha-rin shook her head for a moment before taking a deep breath. It seemed as though she was steeling her resolve and determination.
Master, I would like to make a request.
What is it?
For the time being
Min Ha-rin hesitated one last time. Lukas could feel that this was because she was preparing herself to make an incredibly difficult choice.
Nevertheless, it seemed that shed already made up her mind. She wouldnt back down now. Sear?h the N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Since she had already come this far, she might as well go all the way.
Forcibly suppressing her hesitation, Min Ha-rin spoke in a clear voice.
For the time being, I would like to move around on my own.
* * *
After Lukas agreed to her request, Min Ha-rin went to stay in a completely different room. Fortunately, her room wasnt very far. It was only a few doors down from this room.
But that wasnt the point.
The point was that for whatever reason, Min Ha-rin had voluntarily chosen to walk out from Lukas shadow.
I didnt expect you to accept her request.
Whys that?
It could be that she fell for the Bishops schemes. After all, it usually isnt hard for cult leaders to rope others in.
Thats a narrow-minded way of thinking. I have faith in Ha-rin.
Ah. I see.
Sedi looked at Lukas with a blatantly unbelieving expression.
Nevertheless, why do you look so happy?
Of course Im happy. My disciple is already preparing to stand on her own.
Although it was earlier than he expected, it was natural for a teacher to feel happy when their student became more self-reliant.
That was why a smile was currently stretched across Lukas lips.
That child will certainly become stronger. The experience she gains from this place will be fertilizer for her growth.
Sedi, who looked at him with a slightly displeased expression, muttered under her breath.
you know. Youre supposed to be closer to your daughter than your disciple, arent you?
That should normally be the case, yes. But why are you asking that all of a sudden?
no reason. Does Father have anything else to say? Im sleepy, so I dont want to talk anymore.
Now that he thought about it since she now had a human body, Sedi probably needed to sleep. This was probably incredibly inconvenient and annoying for Sedi, who had still been an Absolute just a few days ago.
Thinking about that, Lukas ended the conversation, allowing her to go to sleep. Instead, he sat down and closed his eyes.
Then, he became immersed in his thoughts about their mission.
There was a time limit to saving Neil. To put it bluntly, it was probably a week, or it might even be shorter than that.
This meant that he had to persuade the Saint, who resided at the top of the building, within that time.
It would probably not be an easy task, but it would certainly be impossible if he were to act hastily.
Lukas decided it was best not to rush.
* * *
The next morning, Kim Min-chul came to them.
Mr. Frey, the Saint has accepted your request. They said they would be available in the evening four days from now.
Four days from now.
Considering the length of time, it was a bit tight, but Frey wasnt in a rush since he had already found a way to contact the Saint separately.
Then I will meet them then.
Ah By the way.
Then, he spoke as though hed suddenly remembered something.
Would Mr. Frey also be willing to become a member of our Church of Eternal Life?
Sorry, but I am an atheist.
Ah. Come to think of it, you did mention that you were a Wizard.
Kim Min-chul nodded with a disappointed expression.
At that moment, Sedi, who was lazily sprawled on the bed, suddenly spoke up.
Can we get a tour or something like that?
Kim Min-chul didnt seem to mind the attitude of this girl who was young enough to be his daughter and instead smiled.
Of course you can.
Then Id like to take a look around to pass the time. Is that alright, Father?
Lukas nodded his head without much thought.
Since it was Sedi, there naturally wasnt any reason for him to worry.
Just come back before evening.
This was because he had decided to meet with Arid that evening. Sedi simply nodded before leaving the room with Kim Min-chul.
Lukas sat on the bed and meditated.
By the time Lukas awoke from his meditation, the sky was already dark, and Sedi had already returned.
How was your tour?
It was boring and annoying.
Sedi grumbled for a moment before looking at Lukas.
Are you going to visit the Saint tonight?
Right?
The expression of Sedi, which had been depressed until now, immediately brightened.
She smiled slyly and waved her hand.
Go have fun, Father. Daughter will protect your body.
dont do anything weird.
I wont. I wont.
Lukas tried his best to erase the strange feeling of anxiety that welled up in him at that moment before he once again headed to the top floor of the building with Ghost.
Just like the day before, Arid was calmly overlooking the city below. However, as though they felt Lukas presence, they suddenly lifted their heads and turned around.
Ah! Mr. Soul! Youre back.
[As I promised.]
Hehehe.
Arid chuckled.
Ive been thinking about it since yesterday! Is there anyone that Mr. Soul would like to meet?
[someone Id like to meet?
Yeah! Thats what Im best at! Helping others meet those that they want to meet.
Now that he mentioned it, Lukas did recall hearing something like that the day before.
Someone he wanted to meet.
Of course, there was. But it was impossible for the human in front of him to fulfill his wish. After all, it was qualitatively different from contacting souls that had already passed to the afterlife or who were still wandering around the world.
Nevertheless, Lukas wouldnt easily reveal that. After all, his priority was to build a good relationship with Arid.
[There is.]
Book: 2: Chapter 111
Book 2: Chapter 111 Arids expression brightened when they heard Lukas words.
Ah! As I expected! Then Ill immediately check for them.
[Check for them? How?]
Thats simple. As long as I touch you and concentrate
Just as Arids finger touched Lukas hand.
Sizzle.
U-, ugh Wh-, what was that? This
Arids face became white as Lukas shook his head.
[Dont do that. Im not a being you can afford to touch.]
Ugh. E-, eek.
Although they heard this, Arid didnt give up. Instead, they bit their lip and concentrated even more.
Due to their concentration, their eyes gradually began to glow white. In fact, light began to pour out of their entire body like a fountain.
After a brief moment of surprise, Lukas realised that Arid was beginning to resonate with him.
Even if briefly, they had managed to touch and connect with the soul of an Absolute.
This was an amazing feat. After all, this was something that even a first-class Medium, Necromancer, or Sorcerer talented enough to be called a super genius would be unable to do.
however.
It was not something that they could keep up for much longer. If it continued, Arids body would slowly begin to crumble like a castle made of sand.
Just as Lukas was about to forcefully break the resonance between them, Arid spoke.
The ones that Mr. Soul wants to see are very far away.
Arids voice was hoarse and came out in a stutter.
They live in a faraway place that is outside of this world.
[]
Lukas couldnt help but shake slightly at those words.
As if possessed, Arid continued to speak in an airy manner.
There are many people there waiting for Mr. Souls return So many Im sorry, but it would be impossible for me to help you see them all
[All?]
Yeah
Arid continued to speak without bothering to wipe the sweat that dripped from their face.
I can help you see at least one person.
Paht!
Suddenly, Lukas gaze was filled with a bright white light.
-The light was so bright that even he was dazed for a moment.
As the light slowly dimmed, a scene began to unveil before his eyes.
Lukas saw a large room, in the center of which sat a large throne. At first glance, one might think that it was only roughly hewn, but upon closer inspection, one would realise that it had been elaborately crafted. Nevertheless, it wasnt the throne that Lukas was paying attention to; it was the figure sitting on it.
A man with hair like a lions mane.
Lukas immediately recognised who this man was.
It seemed like only a few years had passed since hed last seen him. His muscles seemed to be a bit smaller, and his stomach a bit larger than he remembered, but other than that, his appearance was almost the same.
He didnt have any wrinkles yet. However, it seemed he had grown a beard. His beard was just as unruly as his hair and perfectly matched his wild aura.
I see.
It seemed that much time hadnt passed in that world.
Suddenly, the mans eyes turned in his direction.
Then, he slowly opened his mouth with a lazy attitude.
[I can feel you looking at me.]
The man, Ivan, spoke in his characteristic, arrogant tone.
[Which bastard is it?]
* * *
He hadnt neglected his training.
Lukas wasnt sure just how much time had passed, but he could at least see that much. Compared to the last time hed seen him, Ivan appeared to have grown stronger.
This was great. After all, he had lost his right hand during the fight with Lord. He knew just how much the loss of one arm meant for a Warrior.
Nevertheless, Ivan seemed to have successfully regained and improved his strength, Probably through an immense amount of hard work. Lukas couldnt be sure if hed managed to perfect a new fighting style to match his condition, but at least he seemed better.
[Ivan.]
Lukas called out to him.
But Ivan continued to look around, his expression becoming a bit strange.
It was as he expected. Ivan couldnt see him, nor could he hear him.
Lukas could only watch on from the side.
This couldnt be called a reunion. Nevertheless, Lukas shook this bitter thought from his head, grateful to at least have this chance.
Ivan looked around for a bit longer before finally shaking his head.
Whats going on? Was it all in my head?
With a slight shrug, he leaned back on his throne.
Im tired.
Ivan had never been the type to say such words easily. He truly appeared tired at that moment.
Lukas couldnt help but wonder what was troubling him for him to be in such a state.
That wasnt all.
He wanted to have a conversation with him. There was a heap of things that he wanted to ask, that he wanted to talk about.
[How is everything now? How are the others?]
Like before, his voice didnt reach Ivan.
Lukas let out a bitter chuckle. It wasnt very Wizard-like of him to try something when its failure had already been proven.
He had to be patient. Just being able to watch was enough for now.
His anxious heart slowly calmed, and an affectionate light shone in his eyes.
It was unexpectedly easy to calm his emotions.
Suddenly, the door to the throne room opened and someone strode in.
It took some time before Lukas was able to remember the name of this person.
Cairo Wilsemann.
The man known as the 11th Tower Master and the leader of Paragon. Sear?h the N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
He looked at Ivan with his wrinkled face for a moment before bowing his head.
Grand Master.
Mm.
Ivan nodded charismatically.
Grand Master.
Youre the leader of the Circle now.
This was something that Lukas had asked him to do, and although hed grumbled and complained at the time, it appeared that hed kept his word.
Cairo then spoke with a heavy expression.
The [Dijellik Gauntlets(1)] have been annihilated.
even Gomez?
Thats right.
Ivan pressed his fingers firmly to his temples.
The army will gain momentum once again.
What will we do?
I will deal with it myself.
Crunch-
Ivan clenched his left fist tightly before adding with an expression of dissatisfaction on his face.
is what Id like to say, but I know youd never agree to it.
Isnt it time you realised the weight of your position as Grand Master?
I envy that woman.
Cairo let out a faint chuckle at those words.
Miss Iris is not playing around.
I know. Shes the busiest of us all.
Hoo.
Ivan let out a sigh.
I guess we can only observe the situation for now.
Please be mindful of your position. Its not like you dont know how important you are to us now.
I know.
Ivan sighed again, appearing even more tired.
Thats why Im so frustrated. Because I cant make a move even in a situation like this.
Were they fighting against someone?
Who could stand up to the current Circle?
Was it Elliah, the only surviving Demigod?
No. Lukas knew her personality. She would not repeat the mistakes the Demigod race had before.
Other than her it might have been the Demons, but the most powerful Demons had all been killed during the battle against Lord.
is it internal?
That was the worst possible conclusion.
Just as Lukas tried to focus a little more on their conversation
Paht!
His vision was once again filled with an intense white light, and the scene of the throne room faded. Not only that, but the voices of Ivan and Cairo faded into the distance.
Then, the white light faded, once more revealing the room at the top of the former Korea Headquarters building.
As the bright light completely disappeared, the first thing Lukas noticed was Arids hunched figure.
Cough, cough
It took a few moments for Arid to calm down, after which he smiled wryly at Lukas.
thats the first time Ive ever had such a difficult [Communication].
It seemed that Arid had reached the limits of their mental power.
This was to be expected. After all, Arid had just accomplished a task that was impossible even for Absolutes.
In all honesty, Lukas was still in disbelief.
[Thank you.]
He said these words with utmost sincerity.
This caused a faint smile to blossom on Arids lips.
Did that help you to resolve your troubles a bit?
[Right. It was very important to me.]
Heh. Thats good.
[Are you okay?]
What do you mean?
[That Communication seemed to have put your mind under a lot of pressure.]
After saying that, Lukas looked closely at Arid.
To put it bluntly, their white skin, which normally looked pure and sacred, now resembled that of a corpse. And although the light shining from their eyes was somewhat deceiving, Lukas could tell that they were incredibly fatigued.
Yeah. Ill be fine after I get some rest.
With just those words, Lukas was able to understand just what kind of person Arid was. They were the type of person who found satisfaction in doing good deeds. People like this were usually well respected and carried great authority.
Nevertheless, Lukas didnt completely believe Arids words.
After all, they looked like they could collapse at any moment.
Book: 2: Chapter 112
Book 2: Chapter 112 Arid accepted Lukas words and quickly fell into a deep sleep as if they had fainted. This showed that their fatigue had reached the limit.
From the looks of it, it was possible that theyd even sleep for a day or more.
Lukas carefully tucked them into bed before returning to his room.
Then, after glaring exasperatedly at Sedi, who had once again been playing with his body, Lukas sat in front of her.
Sedi, what do you think the power rankings in this world currently are?
This was something that had to be discussed in preparation for the future.
When she heard this question, Sedi immediately answered straightforwardly, showing no signs of thinking about it deeply.
Father, then the Demon King, then Nodiesop, then Letip, and finally me?
Her answer was just as he guessed.
Lukas shook his head, deciding to wake her from her delusion.
Not quite.
Huh?
Your current strength is comparable to that of the Five Dukes or lower.
Those words caused Sedis expression to change.
She pouted her lips in displeasure, appearing unconvinced. But after a bit of thought, her expression became a bit strange.
She then asked in a solemn tone.
really?
Do you remember the Duke you saw in Africa?
Mhm.
Youre currently weaker than he was.
Mm
Sedis expression became contemplative for a moment. She never thought that he would consider her to be so weak.????????????????e????????. ????????
Of course, from an objective perspective, Sedi was by no means weak. At the very least, there were few among the humans who could rival her. The only one Lukas could think of at the moment was Kran.
Unfortunately, there were many beings in this world who seemed to push the boundaries of mortals.
And the Five Dukes were among them.
Not to mention the Absolutes, if you were to face off against one of the Five Dukes, the battle would certainly last quite a while. And if you were to ever die and your soul flowed into the afterlife of this universe, I would be unable to do anything about it.
Then whats the point? Its not like more time will increase my chances of winning.
You will win in the end. I will help you.
Those words seemed to have caused Sedi to become speechless. She stared at Lukas with her mouth slightly ajar.
Lukas met her gaze and spoke in a solemn tone.
Sedi, the one who survives to the end is the winner.
This wasnt a concept that Sedi was unfamiliar with. In fact, it was one of the many truths that shed come to realise back on her home planet.
There, the one who survived till the end was the final victor, the strongest being.
However, at that time, Sedi did not live her life by relying on the protection or help of others.
Thats why it wasnt strange when her expression faltered a bit.
that would be shameful.
That might be the case. But isnt it better than dying?
Of course, if you are truly unable to accept it because of your pride. I will respect your decision.
Lukas understood this fact well. After all, there were many things that he would never be able to accept.
There were times when you would be forced to make a choice and it would be better to die. That was why Lukas would never look down on those who chose to die in these types of situations.
Giving up your life in order to maintain your pride.
This might have appeared foolish to many people, but there were sometimes moments when such choices had to be made. Otherwise, while their bodies might survive, their spirits would die.
After thinking about it seriously for a moment, Sedi lifted her head.
I will try.
Lukas nodded.
That answer would be enough for now.
* * *
Every Wednesday would be the most exciting day for the members of the Church of Eternal Life.
This was because it was none other than the regular meeting day of the church.
Only chosen members of the church are allowed to participate in this meeting.
Min Ha-rin looked around as Kim Min-chul said those words.
The place had changed a lot.
Once upon a time, this place had been a training ground. It was impossible for her to forget. After all, before she became a hunter, Min Ha-rin spent more time in this place than in her own room.
But now, she could see nothing of its old appearance.
The training ground had been transformed into a large underground auditorium, and the people who now filled it were not hunters but members of the Church of Eternal Life. All of them had dazed and slightly overwhelmed expressions on their faces, almost as if they had been drugged.
You should be thankful to the Bishop for his generosity. If it wasnt for his consideration, you wouldnt have been able to attend.
Yeah.
Right.
Kim Min-chuls expression, which had been serious ever since they got there, finally softened a bit.
And you made a wise decision. Joining our church was the best choice you will ever make in your life.
There was no reason for her to respond to that, so Min Ha-rin simply nodded slightly. Fortunately, Kim Min-chul did not point out her attitude.
Just in time, the side door to the hall opened and Slei, the Bishop of the Church of Eternal Life, walked in.
Ohhh
Bishop.
His appearance alone caused the faces of the believers to become filled with reverence and excitement.
Hmm.
Accepting their gazes, Slei walked up to the podium that sat in the center of the auditorium.
Then, all noise in the room disappeared in an instant as dozens of pairs of eyes focused on Slei.
My dear brothers and sisters, I bring you good news.
Good news?
N-, no way
Slei smiled warmly at the hope and expectation that became apparent in the gazes of the audience.
Today, you will lay witness to a miracle firsthand.
As he said this, the door behind the podium slowly opened and someone walked out.
In an instant, it felt like the underground auditorium had become brighter. No, it wasnt a feeling. It had truly become brighter.
The reason for this was an amazingly beautiful woman.
She had white skin, white eyes, and white hair. Her cold appearance that revealed no emotion perfectly matched her startling appearance.
Ohhh
As soon as this woman appeared, the people in the room chanted in adoration. Some of them even started to sob.
One by one, they all began lowering their heads with reverent expressions.
Kim Min-chul was no exception.
Ha-rin, be polite.
At that moment, Min Ha-rin felt that she knew who this woman was.
That is the Saint of our Church of Eternal Life.
Sarch* The N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Book: 2: Chapter 113
Book 2: Chapter 113 Ahh
Se-, Seung-woo!
Mother. Father.
Huk, huk
Nothing but sobs of joy filled the underground auditorium.
They had been reunited, seeing their most precious people again even though they were deceased. They were face to face with the ones they thought theyd never see again.
[Why have you become so skinny?]
[Have you been eating well?]
[Dont cry. Im all right. Its very comfortable here.]
Souls.
These whitish beings, who seemed to glow mysteriously, smiled softly as they embraced the members of the Church of Eternal Life. Naturally, there was no physical contact. It was just that they had done the action.
Nevertheless, that was enough. There were happy smiles on the faces of the members of the audience. It was so strong that it seemed to color the entire underground auditorium.
For those who dearly missed their loved ones, the sight unfolding before their eyes would naturally bring a sense of longing. A bright white glow illuminated the stained glass, causing this place to appear like a paradise.
And yet, Min Ha-rin could not truly share in their feelings of bliss.
She couldnt explain it, but as she looked at this sight in front of her, a feeling of anxiety welled up in her heart.
For some reason, it felt morally wrong.
Sung-hyun.
Kim Min-chul also joined the group.
In front of him stood the soul of a young man.
It was a face with which Min Ha-rin was all too familiar.
Kim Sung-hyun, Kim Min-chuls only son.
[Father.]
Kim Sung-hyun wrapped his arms around Kim Min-chul with a warm smile.
Min Ha-rin looked away from the touching embrace between father and son. Someone else had caught her eye.
As soon as she turned around, she realised what it was.
Two souls.
As soon as she saw their hazy faces, a strange emotion swelled in her heart.
Dad. Mom.
The ones standing before her were her two parents who had died miserably. She thought she would never see them again, and a reunion was so impossible that shed never even thought about it.
[Ha-rin.]
[Come here.]
They smiled brightly and spread their arms.
But Min Ha-rin didnt approach them easily.
Why arent you going to them?
Suddenly, a beautiful voice sounded in her ear.
The voice sounded clear like a calm lake, but at the same time, it was cold.
It was the voice of the Saint.
Her cold eyes contained a faint questioning look.
Your parents are calling for you.
can I ask you something?
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Are those really my parents?
The answer didnt come immediately.
Min Ha-rin turned to look at the Saint. This was so she would be able to see if there were any changes to her expression.
But it was Min Ha-rin who was shocked when their eyes met.
There was not a hint of doubt or strangeness in the Saints cold eyes. She asked in a questioning tone.
Why are you asking me that?
Huh?
Those are your parents. If there is anyone who would be able to find something strange about them, it would be you, not a stranger like me. Do you think there is anyone in the world who would know a father better than his own children?
that
No. She didnt.
Min Ha-rin had a headache. She was so confused.
She couldnt find any strangeness in her parents souls.????????n????e????????. ????????
In fact, this was her second time meeting them.
The first time was during her private meeting with Slei. At that time, a white light had radiated from Sleis body, which then transformed into what appeared to be a stairway to heaven.
Then, her parents appeared, slowly descending the staircase.
She didnt believe it at first. She was doubtful.
It could have been an illusion, hypnosis, or deception.
The senses of a human were not very strong, and there were countless ways to deceive them.
Because of her doubts, Min Ha-rin thought, Im talking to people who look like my parents.
But within 10 minutes, she realised that they really were her parents.
They knew countless secrets and trivial things that only they, parents, and their children could know. These people were definitely her mother and father.
Their faces, their voices, their personalities, and even their way of speaking.
Everything was just as she remembered.
Everyone doubts us at first.
As if recalling the distant past, the Saint spoke slowly.
Bringing back the dead Right. It certainly is a dubious declaration. But there is one thing that you can trust.
Then, she smiled like a true saint.
There is not a single lie in my declaration to save you.
* * *
Tap tap tap-
Footsteps rang out in a dark hallway.
Slei, the Bishop of the Church of Eternal Life, walked forward with a pleased expression on his face. Todays meeting had been extremely successful. This was always the case, but Min Ha-rins presence this time made him feel better than usual.
If she maintained her current attitude, then she would become a true member of the Church of Eternal Life within a week if not sooner.
This is a great place.
He really liked this land and the people who lived here.
There was no need to care about the Demons or Demon Beasts, and there were a lot of people who had suffered from some form of psychological trauma. At the same time, there were quite a few outstanding talents who could be made into true believers.
There was no better place for a religion to flourish.
At this rate, in just one year
Perhaps the banner of the Church of Eternal life would be planted throughout this land.
When this thought appeared in his mind, Slei felt his body burn up with excitement. When he arrived at his destination, he paused, forcibly suppressing his emotions.
He was standing in front of a large door.
Right. The person in this room was the most important cog in his great plan.
He didnt have to, but Slei decided to knock on the door politely.
Knock knock.
Silence.
That was strange. Normally, he would have received an answer immediately.
Slei knocked on the door again but still didnt receive an answer.
Surely
His heart sank as a thought appeared in his head. Without any hesitation, Slei opened the door and went into the room. Fortunately, it was never locked.
When he entered the room, he looked around with a sharp gaze. Fortunately, the thing he feared hadnt happened.
Because the being he was looking for was currently sleeping on the bed.
Arid.
He called their name but didnt receive a response.
Slei approached the bed, immediately noticing that Arids white face was much paler than usual.
His expression gradually lost all emotion, his face becoming an eerie mask.
Arid, wake up.
It was only then that Arid slowly opened their eyes.
Grandfather?
You must have been very tired. I knocked many times on the door and you didnt notice.
Th-, that
Slei looked at the stuttering Arid before speaking coldly.
You used your power again.
Ah!
At those words, Arid hurriedly sat up.
I-, Im so-
Paak!
Before they could finish speaking, Arids head snapped to the side as a reddish-brown bruise formed on their cheek.
Slei spoke in an emotionless voice.
Turn your head.
yes.
Enduring the throbbing pain in their cheek, Arid turned their head. Slei then slapped their other cheek in a mechanical motion.
Turn the head, slap the cheek. This process is repeated over and over again.
The pale white skin had become red and started to swell. The inside of their mouth appeared to have been torn as red blood slowly dribbled from their lips.
It was only then when Slei stopped swinging his hand.
Arid.
Yes.
You are special.
yes.
And special people have special fates.
As he said this, Slei stroked Arids cheek.
Does it hurt?
No.
Right. It shouldnt hurt much. And even if it does, it would only be the pain of stinging cheeks and a torn mouth. There are many people in the world who suffer from even greater pain.
Never forget, Arid. Your power is not for yourself. It is for the weak and suffering.
Yes.
And Grandfather told you the most effective way to help them, didnt he?
helping the Church of Eternal Life is Gods will and the shortest way to help all of humanity.
As if reciting something theyd been forced to memorise countless times, Arid said those words in a mechanical tone.
It was only then that a smile of satisfaction appeared on Sleis face.
You know it well Right. Did God say anything after the prophecy?
He is still silent.
I see.
Slei thought for a moment.
Of course, there was no reason to hurry.
Arid, this is the last time you use your power to help strange souls. You will save it from now on. There will soon come a time when I will need your power.
With those words, Slei left the room without waiting for an answer.
Arid looked at his back with empty eyes and muttered in a weak voice.
Yes, Grandfather.
Book: 2: Chapter 114
Book 2: Chapter 114 I never thought Id be sent out to the outskirts.
The Iron Duke, Ugkas, one of the Five Dukes, muttered softly to himself as he looked around.
A few days ago, hed received orders directly from Demon King Kasajin to come to this place.
The orders were to capture Kran, one of the Top Three, and bring him back.
That guy is probably a hybrid.
It was an experiment that Gullard had been secretly conducting some time ago to see if it was possible to create the perfect hybrids between Demons and humans.
In truth, Ugkas was surprised that Gullard had been able to create a being like Kran, but he was even more surprised to learn that it was Kran himself whod kill him.
Of course, this didnt mean that Kran had killed him on his own.
Lukas Trowman.
A man with the same surname as Azazel.
Ugkas expression became a bit strange.
He had also been given the name Ugkas Strow, but he didnt know much about his surname. Azazel was the only one who knew the story behind their names.
Nevertheless, there was one thing that Ugkas did know.
And that was that Lukas Trowman was one of the Demon Kings old friends.
He couldnt help but recall the Demon Kings other order.
Do not fight Lukas.
This order heavily bruised Ugkas pride, but he had no choice but to accept it. If Lukas was even half as strong as the Demon King, then he had no chance of winning.
Glug glug.
At that moment, Ugkas companion made their presence known with a strange, grotesque sound. His eyes turned to his right.
What he saw there was a monster with an appearance similar to that of a slug.
It was about 5 meters long, and the only opening on its body was an incredibly large mouth, which was filled with large, irregularly shaped teeth.
Hundreds of tentacle-like legs protruded from all over its body, and a strange slime seemed to ooze from its skin.
This being was Sipakna, also known as the Monster Duke.
Ugkas looked at this creature with a hint of appreciation mixed with disgust.
After all, despite its looks, Sipakna was highly intelligent and possessed the ability to speak. Moreover, its strength was only a bit below that of the Five Dukes.
Nevertheless, this guy never revealed his intelligence in front of anyone other than the Demon King. In truth, Ugkas had no idea why the Demon King had ordered it to accompany him.
Ugkas was confident that he could eliminate every living being on this peninsula on his own. Of course, this included the Top Three, Kran, who was somewhere in this land.
Although they had the appearances of an iron statue and a monstrous slug, they were, in the end, Dukes. Naturally, this meant that they had territories of their own, and things that they had to do.
To make matters worse, Gullard had died and Rose was running around on her own, disobeying the Demon Kings orders and doing as she pleased. This naturally meant that the amount of work the other Dukes had to do was proportionally larger.
That was why Ugkas felt that it was a waste of manpower to send two Dukes together on a mission like this.
However,
It is the Kings orders. There must certainly be reasons that I cannot understand.
After thinking this, Ugkas lifted his head.
There was no need to search all over this large landmass for Kran. The most efficient way would be to get him to come to them instead. And to do this, Ugkas could think of a very effective method.
He could feel the presence of multiple beings nearby. It was probably a human city.
Thats Busan, isnt it? The place where the Hunter Association Branch is located.
He knew from experience that there were always large numbers of humans living near the branches of the Hunter Association.
About a hundred kilometers from Busan, Ugkas had the idea to slowly walk to the city, killing any humans he happened to meet along the way.
As he walked forward in a leisurely manner, his mouth slowly warped, creating a hideous impression of a smile.
He was curious.
How many humans would he have to kill before Kran made his appearance?
* * *
Mr. Soul is amazing.
[What do you mean?]
My power [Communication] grants me the ability to listen to the voice of God
After saying that, Arid realised that they were about to explain their abilities to the soul in front of them.
Oops.
Now that they thought about it, that wasnt the only strange thing.
At some point, the subject of their conversations had changed.
In general, it was Arid who was the listener whenever they encountered a soul. After all, it was their job to listen to the worries and troubles of the various souls in order to help them shake off their lingering regrets.
But this time was different.
Somehow, before they realised, Arid became the one talking about themself and the soul in front of them became the listener.
Why did it become like this?
The answer to that question came easily.
Because its so comfortable.
It was strange.
They never thought that they could be so comfortable talking to a soul that they had only met a few days ago.
In fact, until yesterday, they hadnt been entirely sure about this feeling, but now that they were face to face again, it was clearer.
in the past, I used to get tired every time I used my power. As I got used to it, that stopped happening. But after I used my power to help you, I felt really tired. I was so sleepy that I almost fainted.
[]
The people Mr. Soul wants to see are far away.
Lukas simply nodded, and Arid didnt pry any further.
For some reason, they didnt want to have any serious conversations with him. They just wanted to enjoy the comfortable feeling for as long as possible.
Suddenly, Arids expression became solemn. Sleis words resounded in their mind.
[You seem to have a lot on your mind.]
Arid trembled slightly at those words.
ah. You could tell?
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Arid raised their hand to touch their face.
Of course, that alone wasnt enough to tell them what their expression was at that moment.
[Whats wrong?]
It was a blunt but friendly voice. It had been a while since they had heard a voice like that.
Arid couldnt find the words to speak and fell silent for a while.
Come to think of it, Mr. Soul had noticed their troubles from the very first day.????????????????????????????.nbsp;?o????
I want to tell him.
They wanted to say it.
It felt like if they did, then the pressure that weighed on their chest would be relieved a bit.
But Arid simply raised their head and smiled brightly.
No. Its nothing.
[]
Ah. Its nothing bad. Its just that I owe Mr. Soul an apology. So, sorry in advance.
[Apology?]
Yeah. I dont think Ill be able to send Mr. Soul to paradise right now.
Arid tried to make their voice as bright and carefree as possible.
Because I think Ill be busy from now on.
The soul, Lukas, looked silently at Arid.
Book: 2: Chapter 115
Book 2: Chapter 115 That was the end of their conversation that day.
Because Arids expression became a bit tired and they expressed the desire to rest a bit more. Accepting this clumsy signal, Lukas quietly returned to his room.
And the next day, when he went back to the room on the top floor of the building, Arid was not there.
Of course, Lukas knew this even before he entered the room.
Nevertheless, the reason he went there was to track Arids signature with this room as the starting point.
Arids aura was very unique, and he had memorised it throughout their few encounters. At that point, Lukas was confident that hed be able to find Arid regardless of where they were in the base.
He followed Arids signature through the building and stopped as he came upon a thick wall.
Crackle.
When he touched it with his finger, a weak spark appeared.
It seemed that a barrier that prevented the intrusion of souls had been erected in this space behind this wall. This was a type of barrier that could only be created through the use of excellent potions, special tools, and symbols of great power.
They werent forced to enter.
If that was the case, then he wouldve noticed it.
Nevertheless, he wasnt in a rush. After all, Kim Min-chul had said that they would be meeting the Saint the next day.
After looking at the wall for a while longer, Lukas gradually faded like smoke before he disappeared entirely.
* * *
From birth, they had been a child of light.
This wasnt figurative. It was literal. When Arid was born, his body flashed with a bright light that drove away the darkness in the room.
Are you ready?
Arid nodded in response to Sleis question.
Yes.
Then lets get started.
Understood.
Hup!
Arid drew a deep breath and concentrated all the power in their body. Suddenly, their entire body began to shine with bright white light.
It was a pure and holy light that flitted around like a willful butterfly. Slei looked at this beautiful sight with a face filled with excitement.
Ahh! Come here!
As he shouted, he lifted his hands and beckoned. The light, which was floating around, quickly flew into his body.
Ah! Ahh!
He could feel it.
The omniscient light, holier than any other power in the world, coursed through his body. A feeling of intense satisfaction that filled Sleis body at that moment was like a drug-induced euphoria.
The feeling of ecstasy was like no other. The pleasure was so strong, it felt like his brain was melting.
Saliva dripped from Sleis open mouth. Unable to contain it, he released a pleasure-filled cry.
Ahhh! Ahh!
He wasnt the only one who couldnt contain his moans.
A white-haired woman, the Saint who had appeared in the auditorium not so long ago, also received the blessing of light.
After a while, the light that filled the room slowly faded.
Huff, huff
The difference between the one whod released the light and those who accepted it was stark.
Arid was hunched over, panting heavily as cold sweat covered their entire body. Their face was deathly pale, and it looked like they would collapse at any moment.
On the other hand, Slei and the Saint appeared to be filled with energy. There were even dazed smiles on their lips as they basked in the afterglow of the experience.
Hahaha!
Slei let out a burst of contented laughter.
It was done. Now, he could once again clearly hear the voice of God, which had begun to fade.
His eyes turned to Arid.
Well done, Arid. I have prepared a place for you to rest. Go and take a break there.
yes.
Arid mumbled softly before staggering out of the room.
The Saint, who watched him leave with cold eyes, opened her mouth.
That child looks more tired than usual.
It seems that they used their power to help evil spirits again.
In that regard, theyre just like their mother.
A strange emotion seemed to flash in the Saints eyes for a moment.
Ive already warned them. It wont happen again.
Then Im relieved.
now that our power has been recharged, we will be able to hear the voice of God once again.
Will you ask about that Absolute existence again?
Slei nodded.
I didnt have enough power last time, so I was unable to hear the answer clearly if my predictions are correct, then the Absolute will be a hindrance to our plan.
The Saint raised an eyebrow slightly as she looked at him.
You look quite relaxed even while saying that. Do you have a plan?
Even if they are an Absolute or whatever, in the end, they are still Gods subordinate.
With the power of Communication that Slei borrowed from Arid, he was able to receive knowledge that would usually not be available to mortals.
And that was how he knew.
What kind of beings Absolutes were, what their goals were, and what kind of ideals they had.
They are just the servants of God, like us. With the exception of the four great beings.
Slei was not too familiar with the four great beings, but he at least knew that they were so powerful that they could not take even a single step into a small universe like this one for fear of destroying it. In other words, they were nothing like the Absolute who would be coming to Korea soon.
While Im at it, I think it would be good to find out what is happening in this land. I will need you to assist me.
Understood.
At those words, the Saint, no, Sleis wife, Reika, nodded and held his hand, lending her power to Slei, who had begun to use Communication.
Chtcht.
Waves of light began to swirl around Slei, looking like a huge storm.
Before he knew it, Slei felt his consciousness rise up out of his body. He felt himself going higher into the air, higher than the buildings, higher than the mountains, higher than the clouds, higher than the sky.
Before long, his consciousness had arrived in space.
Ah
And there, he saw God.
The being who held all of the knowledge in the universe.
Well, he couldnt see him, for after all, it wasnt a concept that could be seen in the first place. Slei understood that. Even if he could break free of his mortal constraints, he would not be able to change that.
Without hesitating any further, Slei threw himself into the sea of knowledge.
Brr.
He felt his consciousness shake as a great deal of knowledge rushed directly into his brain. He knew that if he lost focus here, his ego would be swept away and he would become one with the sea of knowledge.
Fortunately, he had Arids power and a little trick of his own to help him.
Teach me, God.
He whispered inwardly.
Paht.
Sleis consciousness returned to his body. He stumbled heavily but was able to remain on his feet with Reikas support.
How was it?
there is trouble.
Are the Absolutes as troublesome as we expected?
Its not that. Members of the Five Dukes are on their way here.
The Five Dukes?
It was only two words, but it caused Reikas eyes to light up.
Thats good. It would be a great opportunity for us to spread the name of our Church of Eternal Life. With our current power, we should be able to defeat one of the Five Dukes without much issue.
The Five Dukes are not simple opponents. More importantly, its not just one of them.
Huh?
Two of the Five Dukes are on their way here.
When she heard that, Reikas expression became serious.
Two of them? Why are they coming here?
I think theyre looking for someone Im not too sure about the details. In any cause, thats not the point.
Slei stroked his chin for a moment.
In a short while, the entirety of Busan, no, the entirety of the Korean Peninsula would fall under the control of their Church of Eternal Life.
It would be a shame for them to back down like this.
It seems that we will have to change our plans a bit.
After pondering for a moment, Slei came to a decision.
Gather all of the believers who were once hunters.
* * *
Around dawn, before the sun had even risen, Kim Min-chul came to them.
Im sorry for coming to you so early in the morning, Mr. Frey.
He spoke in a whispering tone.
This must have been in consideration of Sedi, who was currently sleeping on the bed without a care in the world. Lukas looked down at her face for a moment before muttering in a similarly low voice,
Its fine.
there is an emergency meeting being held by the church today. If you dont mind, why dont we go see the Saint now?
There was no reason for him to refuse. The sooner they met, the better. sea??h th Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
When Lukas nodded, Kim Min-chul turned around without any further ado.
Follow me.
As he followed Kim Min-chul, Lukas looked around the base. It was before dawn, a time that couldnt even be called the start of the day, but the inside of the base was already bustling with activity.
The members of the Church of Eternal Life moved around busily while whispering amongst themselves.
Is something wrong?
I suppose it would be best to inform you. After all, it would be best if Mr. Frey left immediately after meeting the Saint.
Kim Min-chul paused for a moment before continuing.
Because members of the Five Dukes are on their way here.
the Five Dukes?
When Lukas mumbled these words in a surprised voice, Kim Min-chul nodded as if hed expected such a reaction.
Its understandable that you dont immediately believe me. But this was said to us by the Bishop himself, so I am certain that it is not false. He said that they would enter Busan as early as tomorrow morning or as late as tomorrow night.
Lukas stopped walking.
Realising this, Kim Min-chul, who was walking ahead of him, also stopped and turned back to look at him.
Many people will die.
Perhaps.
But Mr. Kim Min-chul still looks calm.
Thats because this is a moment we have been waiting for for a very long time.
what do you mean?
When Lukas asked that, all he received was a short laugh before Kim Min-chul turned around and resumed walking.
We should hurry. Time is of the essence, after all.
Then, saying no more, his steps sped up as he led Lukas to their destination. Finally, after a short while, they stopped in front of a large door.
Were here.
The Saint is in this room?
Yes.
Lukas turned to look at the door again.
It was strange. He couldnt feel Arids unique aura anywhere nearby.
That fact alone caused Lukas expression to become cold. Kim Min-chul, who was bowing his head at the time, didnt realise this.
Click.
Lukas entered the room.
Inside the room was a table that was neither too large nor too small and a few chairs. A figure sat in the chair that faced the door.
When she saw him enter, the white-haired woman who sat at the table opened her mouth and spoke with a calm voice.
Is it you? The hunter who said they wanted to see me?
See you?
At those words, Reika nodded her head.
Thats right. Its a pleasure to meet you. I am the Saint of the Church of Eternal Life.
Lukas mouth twisted slightly at her self-introduction.
(Note: I wonder how Lukas will react)
Book: 2: Chapter 116
Book 2: Chapter 116 Two of the Five Dukes are coming to Busan.
Early in the morning, before the sun had even risen, the Bishop of the Church of Eternal Life delivered the news.
I was unable to sleep for most of the night, so its like Im half awake.
Had she simply heard incorrectly.?
Min Ha-rin, who had a slightly dazed expression, realised that she was simply trying to escape reality, so she went to the sink to splash water on her face, hoping it would help her wake up.
Splash.
When the cold water hit her face, she felt her mind clear up a bit.
The Five Dukes.
She was well aware of the weight of those words.
After all, she was one of the few hunters who had personally witnessed the power of a Demon Duke. A Duke was a walking disaster. They were comparable to disasters like typhoons, earthquakes, or tsunamis.
The Five Dukes was said to be a level above normal Dukes, and yet, not one but two of them were on their way?
When faced with such a crisis, it would be normal to feel fearful and contemplate running away, but she didnt think about that.
After all, it was none other than Lukas who had accompanied her there. Min Ha-rin had learned that her Master had already slain one of the Five Dukes. Surprisingly, Lukas had been able to accomplish a task that no one could even imagine without a single scratch.
Besides Sedi is also really strong.
Although she would never show it in front of her, Min Ha-rin acknowledged Sedis transcendent strength.
This was only natural. Shed personally seen her play around with the veteran hunters back in America.
It also occurred to that she might have been an old monster who was many times older than her appearance. Even though she looked like a child and also acted like one sometimes, her strength made her suspicious.
There was also the Saint, the Bishop of the Church of Eternal Life, and all of the believers who used to be hunters on standby. The two Dukes would certainly be fearsome, but she felt that it would be possible to eliminate them.
However, there was something else that made Min Ha-rin feel uneasy. Sar?h the N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
I dont know what the hell I want to do.
Creak-
She turned off the faucet.
Min Ha-rin looked at herself in the mirror. She could see the water dripping down her face, the dark bags under her eyes, her dry lips, and her flaky skin.
It was just a haggard face in general. But she couldnt help it. She had been having trouble sleeping.
The Church of Eternal Life.
The organisation that had completely devoured the Korea Branch of the Hunter Association down to the bones.
The ones who had let her meet her parents souls.
The ones who were training her younger siblings without her knowledge.
She didnt know how she felt about them. Her mind was a tangled mess.
And yet, before she could even begin to organise her thoughts, the Five Dukes had made an appearance.
Huu.
Min Ha-rin shook her head with a sigh.
This wasnt the time to dwell on her troubles. A believer had just delivered some news to her.
There would be an emergency meeting in the morning and she was to be a participant.
She had been puzzled at first but soon nodded her head in understanding when she learned that it was the believers who used to be hunters that were called.
Perhaps they were thinking of exchanging opinions on how they should deal with the imminent arrival of the two Dukes as hunters were professionals when it came to facing Demons.
The meeting place was the underground auditorium that shed gone to before. It seemed that space was used for multiple purposes.
When Min Ha-rin stepped into the auditorium, there were already many people there.
She also saw a few familiar faces.
No. It wasnt a few.
They said that they would only be gathering the hunters.
It took a while for her to realise because their clothing was different from what she remembered, but most of the believers there were Korean hunters.
It was the first time in many years that she was seeing some of the people here.
In a normal situation, she would have happily approached them, held their hands, and reminisced.?????????????????????????. ?????
But it was hard now.
This was because the entire underground auditorium was filled with a strangely heated atmosphere.
It felt like they were all excited, and they couldnt contain their excitement.
No. It wasnt just a feeling. They were genuinely excited.
But why?
The approach of two of the Five Dukes was not something shed expected to feel excited about. Min Ha-rin hesitated for a moment before approaching someone she knew.
Hello.
Huh?
Oh, its Ha-rin. Long time no see.
They smiled and greeted her.
Min Ha-rin was slightly surprised. After all, the reunion was less heartfelt than she expected.
This wasnt what she expected from a reunion after several years. It felt like they were meeting after only separating just yesterday.
It wasnt just them.
Min Ha-rin also treated them much more coldly than usual. Probably because of her experience with Kim Min-chul.
Did you also join the church?
Haha. Thats right. Ha-rin, you should too. Im sure that youd be very helpful to the Bishop, the Saint, and the entire Church of Eternal Life.
The person she was talking to was someone Min Ha-rin had known to be a strict atheist.
did you hear that members of the Five Dukes are on their way?
What a strange thing to say.
Dont you know that thats why were all gathered here?
They all spoke as if it was an insignificant issue.
Looking at their nonchalance, Min Ha-rin could only think of one conclusion.
Have you guys heard of countermeasures against them?
The others didnt answer this question. Instead, they simply exchanged glances with strange smiles on their lips.
At that moment, the door to the hall opened and Bishop Slei walked out.
Min Ha-rin couldnt help but feel that the brilliance which surrounded his body had become a bit brighter. He also had a strange smile on his lips, similar to the other believers. What was strange was that he now carried a staff in his hand.
Slei walked up to a table that had been placed in the center of the room. Despite the emergency situation, he was exceptionally calm. Then, he took a relaxed gaze at the audience.
When his eyes met Min Ha-rins, they curved up slightly.
Min Ha-rin didnt have any ill will towards this old man. She also didnt think that the doctrine he preached was bad either.
To be with your loved ones forever. Wasnt that something every human longed for?
But at that moment, when their eyes met, Min Ha-rin had an extreme feeling of discomfort and unconsciously shuddered. It felt as though a bug had just crawled down her spine.
It looks like everyone is here. Hmm. First of all, Id like to say a brief word of thanks to all of you for gathering here so early in the morning. Now then, lets get down to business.
Tak.
Slei tapped his staff against the floor. The sound wasnt very loud, but it immediately caused the atmosphere of the room to shift.
Two of the Five Dukes are coming here.
He slowly looked around before continuing.
I dont know what their goal is. But they are destroying every city in their path. Many people have already died by their hands. And its unlikely that their destructive attitude will change when they arrive at Busan.
Min Ha-rin focused on Sleis voice. She felt that she would be able to hear it now.
Just why Slei and the other believers of the Church of Eternal Life were so relaxed.
I need you all to stop them.
She thought that Slei would mention some kind of plan afterward, but he didnt say anything more, and instead smiled warmly.
This couldnt be it. Min Ha-rin tried to suppress the creeping anxiety that welled up in her heart at that moment.
If.
If they were to face the two Dukes like this without any countermeasures in place, it would be no different from suicide.
It was at that moment.
Yes, sir!
Eternal Life with the ones you love!
Long live the Church of Eternal Life!
Shouts erupted one after the other. The temperature in the room seemed to rise several degrees in an instant. This was because of the heat that was erupting from the believers bodies.
This sight made Min Ha-rin speechless.
She looked around. At the strange expressions of the believers as they expressed their excitement
It gave her goosebumps.
It was only then when she realised where the heat came from.
Distorted faith. Fanatic and misguided beliefs burned in their eyes like flames.
This isnt
Just as Min Ha-rin bit her lip and decided to say something
Isnt that just ordering them to die?
The door suddenly opened, and someone walked in.
It was the person Min Ha-rin had been looking for since shed arrived at the branch headquarters.
Slei smirked slightly.
Branch President Jung Ho-min.
Bishop Slei, you called for all hunters, so why didnt you call for me too?
Book: 2: Chapter 117
Book 2: Chapter 117 A middle-aged man stood in the doorway of the auditorium with a harsh expression on his face.
It was Jung Ho-min, the current President of the Korea Branch of the Hunter Association.
Nevertheless, it took Min Ha-rin a few moments to recognise him. This was because his appearance was very different from the last time she saw him.
Before, he always had a neat, sharp appearance and a relaxed expression. Even though they were of different genders, shed always felt that shed like to be like him when she grew up.
But he had changed greatly.
His eyes were bloodshot, and a beard spread messily over his face. Compared to his powerful and confident appearance of the past, he now looked like a small, powerless old man.
I dont remember inviting you in.
This is the Korea Branch Headquarters, and I am the Branch President. There is no place here that I cannot enter.
It seems youre still trapped in your delusions of the past. Please try to accept it. This place is no longer the Korea Branch of the Hunter Association. It is the Church of Eternal Life.
Bullsh*t.
Crunch.
Jung Ho-min grit his teeth as he looked around fiercely.
Everyone, snap out of it! How long will you allow yourselves to be deluded by this madmans words?
His voice cracked with desperation.
However, the reactions he received from those around him were cold. It was only then Min Ha-rin understood that the people around her were no longer hunters of the Korea Branch. Instead, they were believers of the Church of Eternal Life.
Unfortunately, Jung Ho-min, who used to be in charge of this, could not see that. Or maybe he just couldnt accept it.
Do you all think its right to call upon the dead over and over and make them come back to this world?! Dont any of you find it strange?
Take him away.
Slei said these words in a blunt tone.
At those words, some of the believers in the hall immediately stepped forward and grabbed his arms.
Let go of me!
Jung Ho-min resisted as much as he could, but it was to no avail. The strong Branch President that Min Ha-rin remembered was nowhere to be seen. Nevertheless, he refused to give up easily and flailed wildly.
The expression of one of the believers holding him became filled with annoyance. They clenched their fist before punching him in the stomach.
Huk
Jung Ho-min seemed to have not expected the sudden attack. His eyes rolled up in his head as he slumped in his captors arms.
The moment she saw that Min Ha-rin stopped hesitating.
Taht.
With a step, she appeared in front of them. Then, Min Ha-rin easily subdued the two believers who were holding Jung Ho-min up by his arms.
She hit one in the back of the head and the other in the stomach.
!
Both of them collapsed without being able to retaliate.
Her attacks had been clean without any openings. Min Ha-rin couldnt help but feel that it was fortunate she hadnt neglected her physical training after becoming a Wizard. She also felt grateful for the practical experience her spars with Vincent had given her.
Ha-, Ha-rin?
Jung Ho-min called out in a slightly dazed voice.
Min Ha-rin didnt respond. Her skin tingled because of the sharp gazes from the crowd of believers. A heavy silence filled the room.
What are you doing?
It was Slei who spoke for them.
Nevertheless, Min Ha-rin ignored him, her gaze focused on the believers staring at her.
The Demon Dukes are powerful. Even if all of you were to fight, you would die without being able to touch even a single hair. Are you going to obey those orders?
Of course we will. Sar?h the ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Why?
Didnt you hear the doctrine of our Church of Eternal Life, too?
Min Ha-rin frowned at those words.
Eternal Life with the ones you love.
The body is a cage, and the soul is the source. It is only by dying that we can be freed and be qualified to go to paradise.
Who told you that?
The Bishop. And our dead loved ones.
thats not possible. If they were really your family, they wouldnt wish for your death.
Min Ha-rin chuckled derisively.
Bishop Slei, are you also going to fight with them?
She no longer used honorifics. Because she didnt feel the need to anymore. Slei didnt seem to care about Min Ha-rins change of tone.
I still have work to do in this land. So I will need to delay my trip to paradise a little while longer.
The words were said decisively.
Min Ha-rin understood then.
Right, it seemed that her hunch at the beginning was correct.
At first, she thought that Slei knew just how powerful Lukas and Sedi were, and he hoped to rely on them to deal with the approaching Five Dukes
After all, he seemed to know about Lukas during their first meeting.
But that wasnt the case.
This old man in front of her was ordering these people to commit suicide.
As I expected, you really are a cult leader.
How dare you say that about the Bishop?!
How can you say that after personally witnessing the miracles?
Those who had greeted Min Ha-rin with smiles at the beginning were now staring at her with gazes filled with killing intent. Those gazes seemed to bring her back to her senses.
It was truly strange.
Shed acted purely out of anger.
Anger at the fact that Jung Ho-min, the reliable and powerful Branch President whom shed looked up to in the past, was being assaulted while he was in a weakened state. At that time, shed acted without thinking about the future consequences.
Right. Without thinking about the future. Without thinking about anything at all.
Her mind had been strangely clear at that moment.
The fog that had filled her head ever since shed returned seemed to have cleared up in an instant.
Haha.
Min Ha-rin let out a clear, refreshed laugh.
She was still tired, she still felt unwell, and this situation was the worst, but her mind was extremely clear.
She could tell why. It was simple.
She was finally doing what she thought was right. Therefore, all of her reluctance and hesitation disappeared.
At that moment, Min Ha-rin couldnt help but feel that she shouldve done this sooner.
how unfortunate. I thought you could become a good believer. But I suppose that is impossible now. So what will you do now? Do you intend to fight all of us on your own? Or do you believe that your Master, who isnt here, will be able to save you?
When Min Ha-rin didnt respond, Slei smiled.
Absolute. Although the title is grand, they arent anything special. Your Master wont be able to come here.
By now, he should have been face to face with the Saint, Reika.
Even if he noticed what was happening and tried to come here, Reika would stop him. Slei didnt think that he would be able to force his way past her. Unlike himself, who focused on Communication, Reikas power was purely focused on combat.
That was why Slei could speak with such confidence.
Unfortunately, those words offended a certain former Absolute.
Youre really good at spouting bullsh*t, old man.
At that moment, a clear voice rang out in the auditorium.
Those rude words caused all of the believers in the auditorium to turn around with displeased expressions. But their expressions all became slightly strange when they saw the owner of the voice.
It was a young, black-haired girl who seemed exceptionally small at that moment.
Whats going on? Who is this brat?
Right, shes not a believer. How did you get in here, kid?
Shut up.
Crunch.
Kuk!
Urk!
The jaws of the two people who spoke were broken in an instant. They screamed in pain and collapsed on the spot.
Huh?
Wh-, whats going on?
An uproar filled the room as the believers all stared in disbelief.
Sleis expression hardened.
This was because even he had also been unable to see what just happened.
Ah!
Among those in the room, Min Ha-rin was the only one who seemed happy at the girls appearance.
With a sadistic smile on her face, Sedis gaze caught Sleis.
Who isnt anything special?
Book: 2: Chapter 118
Book 2: Chapter 118 Would you like some tea?
No thanks.
Reika nodded before pouring some tea for herself.
When the cup was about half full, Lukas opened his mouth.
You created a very interesting religion.
At those words, the tea stopped flowing into the cup.
Thats quite rude, isnt it? We didnt create this religious organisation for fun. How could you call it interesting?
After saying those words with a smile, she resumed pouring her tea. This would normally give someone a gracious and polite impression of her, but it only filled Lukas, who could see her true nature, with disgust.
His lips twisted subconsciously.
Well. I think funny would be a more appropriate expression.
It was only then when the smile disappeared from Reikas lips. With a cold glint in her eyes, she opened her mouth.
Youre intentionally being rude. What do you know about our Church of Eternal Life?
Im not interested in finding out.
Lukas said those words in a cold voice, but Reika didnt panic.
If the man in front of her was who she thought he was, then this attitude was to be expected.
However, by imitating souls, you are disrespecting the dead. In my opinion, it is an act that is a lot worse than spitting on a grave or punching a corpse.
I dont know what youre talking about.
At your level, it is impossible for you to interact with the afterlife. The power of Communication is great, but its essence is in the name Communication. Even at its best, it would be impossible for you to call souls from the afterlife and have them descend upon the mortal world once again. However, you make it a practice to show your believers their dead loved ones And there is only one way that is possible.
You copied the memories and personalities of the dead.
Reika was completely expressionless at that moment. Coupled with her unrealistic appearance, this caused her to look like a doll.
She slowly picked up the teacup in front of her, intending to take a sip.
ButLukas took this opportunity to speak in a low voice.
Put your hand down. Im talking.
Reikas movements froze at those words. This wasnt because she had listened to his words. Instead, it was as though Lukas words were a command that she had no choice but to follow. As though the language itself had power.
Chtcht-
A white glow flickered in his eyes like an electric current.
This light reminded her of Arids eyes, but it seemed to contain more mysterious and dangerous energy.
What did he do to me?
Looking at Reika, who was gritting her teeth as she tried to move, Lukas continued.
Copying personalities and memories, things necessary to imitate a soul, wouldnt be hard with the power of [Communication]. That is already an absurd action in the first place, but you werent satisfied with that. Instead, you looked for mediums to contain the imitation souls
Crack-
The teacup in her hand cracked and shattered, spilling hot tea all over Reikas hand, as well as the table.
She wanted to scream at the sudden heat, but Lukas wouldnt even let her do that.
So you turned your sights on the wandering souls who had yet to find peace. S~ea??h the Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
They overwrote the personalities of those wandering souls and imprinted their imitations instead.
That was the true reason why Lukas was so angry.
You captured them and forcefully overlaid your copies onto them. As they were weak, they had no way to resist you. Those confused wandering souls could only helplessly lose their consciousness. It cant even be called death.
It was something far more terrible than that.
It was then.
Bang!
A bright flash of light exploded around Reikas body. The table was sent flying, and the entire room began to vibrate loudly.
With a cold expression on her face, she had managed to break free from Lukas restraints.
Do you know why the wandering souls are called wandering souls? Its because they are unable to let go of their lingering feelings, which causes them to be unable to ascend to paradise.
That was why Reika didnt feel guilty.
Because she did the right thing.
No. Rather
They should be grateful that we give them new identities. Thanks to the overlaying personality, they can feel happiness and satisfaction that they would never be able to experience while wandering the world.
Feel happiness and satisfaction.
Those words werent wrong.
Because of the overlaying personalities, they were able to feel the happiness of reuniting with their families. But it was only false happiness.
They were just being deceived. In truth, they didnt have any relationship with the people they met. Nevertheless, the wandering souls felt happiness as though they had been reunited with their real family. And they gratefully bowed their heads to the Church of Eternal Life, who gave them the opportunity.
They didnt know that those were not their true feelings. That their existence in itself was a lie.
They didnt know that they had been cut off from an important cycle.
From life to death. Afterward, they would pass through the afterlife before finally being reincarnated.
This was something that every human was entitled to.
And that was why Lukas hated them.
Regardless of whether they had been good or bad, one should never forget the path that one walked.
The righteous had the right to feel pleased with their right actions.
The wrongdoers had the right to repent and atone for their wrongdoings.
And yet, those rights were being stripped away by the humans in front of him. In order to pursue their own goals, they had done something that should never be done.
They had erased human lives.
Boom!
A large explosion sounded beneath them. It sounded like it came from underground. The entire building shook as if there was an earthquake.
A smile appeared on Reikas lips.
It seems there is a bit of a commotion downstairs.
I know what you are. Absolute.
You know who I am?
Huhu, did you think I wouldnt know?
Reika chuckled. After all, she was proud that there were things this cosmic being in front of her didnt know.
Right. It was as Slei said.
Unlike their seemingly grand name, they were nothing more than servants of God who were tasked with maintaining balance and harmony.
Absolutes. The only beings who can travel between the universes that are more numerous than the stars in the sky Huhu! That is a great truth that most mortals are unable to know, but we can. For we can communicate with God. No secrets can escape our eyes.
Lukas raised an eyebrow.
Its not your power. It is something you stole from that child.
He knew even that?
But even when that secret was revealed, Reika retained her proud attitude.
Arid. That is too much power for a child. Instead, meeting us was that childs great fortune. Because we know the most effective way to make use of that gift!
Youre mistaken. That child doesnt use his power recklessly because he knows just how dangerous his abilities are. But maybe youre right. Maybe you do know how to use it more effectively.
At that moment, the pleased expression on Reikas face disappeared.
After all, with your wisdom, you used most of your power to keep your young appearance instead of the way it was intended.
what the hell are you
Now, I get it. You seem to know quite a bit about Absolutes, but your knowledge is still lacking. Youre not actually communicating with God. Youre just one-sidedly asking for information from a void space somewhere in the universe.
In other words, they were communicating with something known as the Akashic Records.
It was a Great Library of semi-transcendent information that recorded all information in the universe.
Of course, Lukas knew about it.
Unfortunately, despite its reputation, not everything was recorded in that library of information.
Rather than grand names like the Akashic Records or Great Library, Absolutes prefered to call it Gods Diary.
So what they thought was the voice of God was simply, actually just Gods diary.
Of course, that child, Arid, would eventually be able to communicate directly with God. But at his current level, that was still impossible.
Naturally, there was no way Slei and Reika would be able to do something that even the true owner of the power of Communication couldnt.
That was why Lukas couldnt help but wonder why they were so proud.
Perhaps they had managed to learn about Absolutes from the answer to one of their questions.
Perhaps.
They had heard about Lukas.
That he was the only Absolute who was friendly to humans.
After all, that was the only thing that could explain their strange confidence.
Lukas felt pure anger at that moment.
Everything hed learned made him feel disgusted and nauseous.
And yet, there was one thing that made him feel the worst.
That was the fact that this human in front of him didnt seem to understand what shed done wrong.
Do you think its impressive that you managed to obtain fragmented information about my identity, origins, or goals? Its not. All you need to know is that right now, I am truly disgusted by you.
Suddenly, Reika found it hard to breathe.
And indescribable tightness seemed to fill her chest at that moment.
Even the dumbest of wild beasts know fear. At least they know to be wary of predators. How about you?
Lukas voice was filled with rage.
Are your senses as good as a beasts?
Book: 2: Chapter 119
Book 2: Chapter 119 Bang!
With a loud sound, the body of one of the believers collided heavily with the wall. They collapsed to the ground, covered in blood.
Min Ha-rin cried out in surprise.
Did you kill him?
I dont know. I dont care.
Dont do that. These people were led astray.
Ha. Ignorance is a sin in itself. Do you think these people are innocent?
Min Ha-rin had no comeback for that harsh comment.
Sedi turned to her and rolled her eyes.
Youre annoying. Get out.
I want to stay here.
As she said that, Min Ha-rin looked around the room.
Ive known everyone here since I was a child.
So what? You want to see if I kill them or not?
I want to convince you not to.
I dont have time for that.
No, you do. You just have to deal with Bishop Slei first.
Sedi frowned at that.
Are you saying that youre going to take on all of these people on your own while I deal with the old man?
When Min Ha-rin nodded, she let out a cold snort.
Your self-awareness sucks. Youre nowhere near strong enough to do something like that.
Although Sedi said this in a blunt tone, it was the truth.
Min Ha-rin could certainly be considered strong. It wouldnt be a problem even if she had to face dozens of opponents at the same time. But the dozens of believers in this room were all former hunters.
More importantly, Min Ha-rin didnt seem to want to kill them or even injure them too badly. It was clear that she wanted to simply subdue them at most.
And to fight with such a mindset was no different from suicide.
Nevertheless
I would like to try anyway.
Sedi turned to look at Min Ha-rin, a sneer spreading across her lips.
Do you think that Ill save you?
No. I know that you dont care if I die or not.
Min Ha-rin knew this to be true. Sedi wouldnt make a move even if she was on the verge of death.
Of course, this wasnt because of some petty reason like the childish squabbles between them.
Instead, it was simply because Sedi didnt agree with Lukas approach.
Lukas opponents, Nodiesop, Letip, and the Demon King, were all extremely strong. None of them were easy to handle.
And frankly speaking, when the time came to finally deal with them, Min Ha-rin would not be able to help in any way. Weaklings like her were not even worth mentioning.
That was why she couldnt understand Lukas reason for taking these weak humans as his disciples. Even if they had potential, it would take much too long for them to be useful.
In her opinion, the picture that Lukas was painting was far too large.
If this brat dies while doing what she wants, maybe Father will change his mind.
After having this thought, Sedi smiled brightly at Min Ha-rin.
Try your best!
Then, she walked towards Slei without waiting for a response. Without knowing her objective, the believers reached out to stop her again.
Annoyed, Sedi swung her little fists at them, immediately putting them in a near-death state. But even after seeing this, the believers didnt stop rushing towards her until Slei stopped them.
Stop.
Immediately after she said those words, the believers stopped moving and simply stared at Sedi. Thanks to that, she was able to leisurely walk up and stand in front of Slei.
Sedi looked up at him, confusion clear in her eyes.
I dont understand how a being as weak as you knows about Absolutes. It shouldnt be accessible to you.
Arent you the same? Youre not an Absolute, but you know about them. Was it that man who told you?
Dont put me on the same level as you.
Sedi growled those words in a fierce tone, the aura that began to radiate from her body causing Sleis palms to be covered in sweat.
she certainly is strong.
She looked like a cute little girl, but she was more powerful than any human hed ever seen.
Min Ha-rin was also standing behind her.
Against this many believers, even a veteran hunter would have to struggle, and yet, she made it look easy. Sear?h the Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Slei didnt know exactly where this powerful person came from, but he decided to try and avert the crisis first.
I would like to propose something.
If you dont spout any bullsh*t about your church or anything like that, Ill listen to what you have to say.
Theres no reason for you to be so hostile to me. As long as you cooperate with me, I can help you reunite with those you lost.
old fart.
For a moment, Slei didnt realise those insulting words were directed at him.
Of course, he knew that there was no other person in this room to whom it could be used to refer. After all, objectively speaking, he was also aware of the fact that he was quite ugly and old.
Nevertheless, he took some time to react because no one had ever dared to say such rude words to his face.
Huhu.
Slei chuckled.
He was naturally displeased. After all, he had never felt so disrespected in all his life.
Nevertheless, the reason he laughed was because he couldnt show that displeasure in the presence of the believers. Especially to a being with a child-like appearance.
I must say. I hate trash like you. If this was in the past, I would have killed you the moment you opened your mouth.
Thats a rather radical statement
But my Father is different. Im not sure why, but he always hesitates when it comes to killing trash like you. Maybe I will be the same eventually
Shortly after her voice trailed off, Sedis figure disappeared.
Just as Slei blinked in surprise.
Paak!
He felt an intense pain in his stomach. It was almost as if his abdomen had been pierced through. Unable to withstand the force of the blow, his body flew through the air before crashing into a wall.
Hup!
Sedi caught the staff that Slei dropped before inspecting it.
Wow.
She didnt know what material it was made from, but it was surprisingly durable. More importantly, the length was just right. Of course, it could never compare to her soul weapon, but it would do nicely. For now, at least.
Not bad.
Whoosh. Whoosh.
Sedi swung the staff a few times before taking a stance.
The tip of the staff was pointed towards Slei, who was slowly rising from a cloud of dust. He spat out a mouthful of blood as he stared at her with bloodshot eyes.
Boom!
Then, the sound of a huge explosion came from above them.
Sedi glanced upwards.
Ah Forget what I just said.
Then, a bright smile stretched across her face.
It seems that you guys have managed to piss my Father off somehow. So Id advise you to start praying. Pray that his anger will have subsided a little by the time he gets here.
Book: 2: Chapter 120
Book 2: Chapter 120 The Church of Eternal Life was an emerging religion that was gradually gaining prominence throughout the world.
In fact, it was the most prominent religion in Australia, where it devoted most of its efforts and where it remained the longest. The same could be said for Europe, where it was slowly expanding its influence.
After conquering these two regions, the Church of Eternal Life set its sights on Asia.
In fact, it didnt have much of a choice. No matter how ambitious Slei was, he knew that it would only be crazy to set his sights on North America at that point.
Asia.
In particular, Slei focused on the Korean Peninsula.
He felt that it would be easy to attract believers there because it had suffered great damage from the Demons in the past and it was neglected by the Hunter Association. This meant that it would serve as the perfect foothold to support their expansion into China, which was considered the center of Asia.
And his expectations were on point.
Most of the citizens of Korea were unable to let go of their feelings of loss, which allowed Slei to capture their hearts by showing them miracles.
Everything had been going according to plan.
Paak!
Slei rolled across the ground once again. He rolled a few times before finally springing to his feet. S~ea??h the N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
He didnt even see Sedi.
Puk.
U-. urk????n????r?????????. ????o????
All he felt was the pain in his side before he was sent flying through the air once again. His body crashed into a wall like a meteor.
The walls of the auditorium, which had once been a training ground for hunters and could withstand the strikes of multiple missiles, were now covered in cracks because of the continuous impacts.
Huk
Slei coughed up a mouthful of blood, his mind racing.
She was strong.
She was too strong.
Shes not an Absolute or a Demon So how?
This question lingered in his mind.
At the same time, he was filled with regrets.
If the three Vice Bishops who led each region No, if even two of them had been there, they would have been able to deal with the monstrous little bitch.
Taht.
Sedi didnt give Slei the chance to think. Once again, she kicked off from the ground and quickly closed the distance between them.
However, this time, Slei was able to react in time. He barely raised his right hand, blocking the blow from his staff, which was now in Sedis hands.
Crack!
But just because hed managed to successfully block the attack didnt mean he had been able to negate the damage.
The bones of his right hand were smashed to bits as soon as they came into contact with the staff.
Nevertheless, Slei used his building rage to suppress his pain as he grabbed the staff. His eyes were filled with venom.
This is mine!
Fuck you.
As she muttered in a cynical tone, Sedi stretched out her left hand. Her dainty white hand formed the shape of a blade as it slid across Sleis forearm.
Shuk-
The sound that emerged was not something a hand shouldve been able to make. Slei looked down at his arm with a blank expression.
There, he saw a thin red line, from which blood slowly began to drip. Then, Sleis forearm slid smoothly like a perfectly sliced cake.
Kuaak!
Slei let out a scream of pain before a flash of bright light exploded from his body.
Sedi frowned slightly. She still hadnt figured out what exactly this power was yet. Of course, she didnt think that it was particularly threatening, but one could never be certain.
Shed seen people who were on the brink of death ignore everything and drag their murderers down with them many times.
Hes caught like a rat anyway.
There was no reason for her to gamble with her life. With a sly smirk on her face, Sedi widened the distance between them.
Cough, cough
Slei coughed heavily, and his body shook.
Before this, he had always done his best to maintain a neat appearance. His bleached white hair was always combed neatly without even a single errant strand, his expression had always been calm and gentle, and his voice was always warm and soothing.
But now, that appearance was nowhere to be seen.
His hair was disheveled, his face was distorted like a devil, and his eyes were filled with sheer hatred.
Sedi smiled brightly at him for a moment before her eyes were drawn to the staff in her hands. There, she saw Sleis detached right hand, still holding on firmly.
Hmph.
She made an expression of disgust before shaking her hand slightly, causing the disgusting hand to fall to the ground with a thud.
Slei cried out with a broken voice.
Do you know what youre doing?!
Getting rid of an old fart who should have died long ago.
Our Church of Eternal Life has over a million followers!
Why would I care about that?
Sedi raised an eyebrow.
She hoped that this old man wouldnt suddenly say bullsh*t like if you kill me, then they will all become your enemies.
Killing me means destroying all of their hopes! Are you prepared for that? Are you prepared to be the one who steals away their opportunities to reunite with their loved ones and feel happiness once again?!
Fortunately for Slei, he didnt say what Sedi expected, but that didnt change anything.
She became even more annoyed.
As if to vent her anger, Sedi stomped on the severed right hand in front of her.
Strangely, there was a weak snap as though she had stomped on an old tree branch instead of a hand.
Slei quivered as if he could feel his hand being trampled.
Prepared? Always. Im always prepared to kill trash who cry out like theyre the most pitiful beings in the world.
What did you
You heard me. I dont care about garbage that deserves to be culled.
This was a truth that Sedi learned in her home world.
Laws and Justice? Those were simply delusions of the weak.
Its the rule of nature for the weak to lose everything and be devoured. If they dont like it, then they simply have to become strong.
After saying that, Sedi smiled.
It was only at that moment when Slei finally realised.
Despite her doll-like appearance, this being in front of him was no little girl. Instead, she was a monster in human form who wore the mask of a little girl.
Anyone who willingly listens to your nonsense is an idiot. They are weak and pathetic for willingly following and relying on a fool like you. A fool who has delusions of grandeur but no real power to back it up.
Slei shouted in a hoarse voice.
I, I cant believe youd say that about people who lost their families and were filled with despair Y-, youre a demonic beast.
in the past, I might have taken that as a compliment.
Sedi muttered those words and closed her eyes.
Right. In the old days, she used to like having her eyes closed like this. Since all she could see was darkness, she always felt that closing her eyes allowed her to connect with him a little more.
But not anymore.
Sedi Glaston was no longer the child of the Black Horned Demon King.
now, I feel kinda bad.
After saying that, Sedi pointed her staff towards Slei.
It seemed that she no longer had any intentions of keeping this old man alive.
If nothing had happened at that moment, the tip of her staff would have probably pierced the old mans throat.
Huh?
However, Sedi suddenly raised her eyes to look at the ceiling.
She could feel two sources of demonic energy approaching at high speeds. Lukas could probably sense them as well.
the Five Dukes?
It could only be them.
Their demonic energy was similar to the Dukes, whom shed encountered back in Africa.
However, it was strange.
Sedi also knew that the Demon Dukes would only arrive in Busan the next morning if they were to continue at their original pace.
No.
It wasnt that strange.
In the first place, since they had only been a day away, it was possible that they had grown tired of destroying the cities or killing the humans and decided to increase their speed.
no. Wait.
In addition to the Demon Dukes, she also sensed another energy signature.
For the first time in a very long while, Sedis expression hardened.
Book: 2: Chapter 121
Book 2: Chapter 121 Slei and Reika called Arids mysterious power [Brilliance]. It was a power that suited the child born from the light, who had innately powerful spiritual energy.
[Communication] was only one part of the power of [Brilliance].
Slei focused more on Communication.
In fact, when it came to Communication, he was as skilled at utilising and understanding it as Arid was.
Reika, on the other hand, used most of her power to change her body.
As a result, her ugly, aging skin regained its supple elasticity and her aging bones became stronger than ever before.
That wasnt all.
Just by covering her body in Brilliance, she became so strong that she could be called superhuman.
Reika knew that in such a state, there were very few people who could match her.
This wasnt a bluff or delusion either. It was a conclusion that was based on actual experience.
-The Saint of Salvation, one of the Top Three.
The achievement that was commonly considered to have granted the Saint their spot in the Top Three was the single-handed defeat of five Marquises.
However, that achievement, as well as all of the achievements gained in Australia, had actually been accomplished by Reika, not Arid.
What kind of human could easily defeat five Demon Marquises on their own?
It was only natural that Reika gained confidence as a result of her victory.
Paht!
Light erupted from Reikas body.
In truth, Lukas found that it was nothing special. It seemed that this power could be used in many different ways depending on the desires of the user. But Reikas strengthening of her body could only be considered one-dimensional at best.
Clang!
And naturally, something like that had no hope of breaching Lukas barrier.
Crunch.
Reika grit her teeth before widening the distance once more, her fist throbbing.
She was well aware of the tricks that Wizards and Sorcerers used. After all, shed clashed with Wizards from the Wizards Association many times.
They were all snobbish and unpleasant, their real-life experience was always lacking, and they were usually only ever good at theory. Even if she were to fight dozens of them at one time, she would be able to deal with them easily.
Annoyed, Reika sneered.
It seems you dont intend to use your Absolute powers. Are you still concerned about keeping the balance of the universe?
Im always concerned.
Lukas waved his hand slightly in response.
At the same time, dozens of spears of ice shot up from the floor. Reika tried to avoid them all in the little time she had to react, but a single spear pierced her ankle.
Kuk!
Reika winced slightly from the pain as she landed on one foot, glaring at the man in front of her. She understood what her opponent was trying to say.
He wasnt using his Absolute power because he was afraid of influencing the balance of this universe. Instead, he simply didnt feel the need to.
Shuk.
The hole in her ankle closed up in an instant. This was also a function of Brilliance. It had a transcendental regenerative ability, able to heal almost any injury in only a matter of moments.
Nevertheless, Reikas expression wasnt good. After all, the Brilliance power that she had was not infinite.
Lukas looked at her for a moment before muttering.
It seems youre beginning to return to your true form.
!
Reika quickly raised a hand to her face, immediately feeling the wrinkles that had begun to form on her previously smooth skin.
Ahhh!
Are you unable to give up your obsession with your appearance even in this situation?
sh-,shut up!
Screaming, Reika charged forward. Shed managed to keep her cool until then, but the moment Lukas mentioned her appearance, she immediately lost her temper.
In the end, you used the desperation of others to satisfy your own selfish desires.
Ha. Dont try to act like youre a noble person.
Reikas voice was filled with hate.
It was simply a deal. They wanted something, and I had the means to make it possible! Whats so wrong about that?
Thats why youre going to die.
Lukas spoke in a low voice.
Because I cant understand it.
Just as Lukas lifted his hand
Paht!
A bright flash of light appeared in the middle of him and Reika.
Before the light began to fade, Lukas was able to tell who it was.
He slowly opened his mouth.
Arid.
Arid hesitated before nodding and responding.
Mr. Soul.
He had a complicated expression on his face.*
Lukas couldnt help but wonder what he was thinking at that moment. Unfortunately, his spiritual eyes blocked even Lukas insight.
Nevertheless, he was certain about one thing.
Arid wasnt surprised to see Lukas in a physical form.
Is this woman your family?
shes my grandmother.
I see.
Lukas lowered his hand. At that moment, Reika looked at Arid with a happy expression.
Ohhh Arid, you saved me.
Her supple facial muscles had become loose, and her skin became covered in wrinkles and age spots.
Nevertheless, Reika smiled brightly.
Hurry up and get rid of that Demon You should be able to do that much, right?
Grandmother, you tricked me.
Right. Im sorry But I did it for everyones happiness.
Its not just me. You also tricked everyone from the Church of Eternal Life.
Arid Are you blaming Grandma now?
Reika lowered her voice as she said this, and Arid bit his lip. Hard enough to draw blood.
Then, he strode towards Reika.
Grandmother, what the hell
Lukas wondered just how Arid would react, but he couldnt pay attention to their reunion any longer.
Lukas looked up at the ceiling. To be precise, he was looking beyond it.
Even though the sun was about to rise, the sky had turned black. This was a darkness that wouldnt be seen even in the middle of a starless night.
Then, a black spark streaked across the sky.
!
Boom!
It was as though lightning had struck.
But it wasnt lightning. It was far larger and more powerful than lightning. Moreover, he could feel the malicious energy from there.
The power contained in this single black streak was enough to destroy the entire Korean Branch.
Lukas didnt take too long to react.
He immediately erected a barrier.
A barrier as strong and as large as he could make it. In other words, it covered the entirety of the Korean Branch and the facility underground.
Crack!
Nevertheless, the barrier still cracked, nearly shattering. It had only barely managed to withstand the attack. Sarch* The N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Lukas stumbled backward, his insides churning.
M-, Mr. Soul?
Arids eyes widened at the sudden movement.
Lukas didnt respond.
thats not the Five Dukes.
Even if the two Dukes were to work together, they would not have been able to achieve such destructive power.
Lukas heart raced.
He already knew who it was.
He once again looked up at the ceiling, this time using Clairvoyance. His power allowed him to spot the being standing in the sky, hidden behind the clouds.
Hed never met him before, but he knew.
The being clenched their fist and muttered.
[Supremacy Fist.]
If they didnt witness it for themselves, perhaps no one would believe what happened next.
With that soft murmur, half of the Korean Branch disappeared.
* * *
About ten minutes before half of the Korean Branch of the Hunter Association disappeared.
Ugkas froze in place, honestly wondering if he was imagining things or not.
Guguk guk.
Unbelievably, it was Sipaknas grotesque sounds that brought him back to his senses.
This Demon Duke, who looked like a monster, recovered before Ugkas, who still stood idly.
It bent its body in a strange sign of subservience.
After seeing that, Ugkas quickly fell to one knee.
I, I greet the King!
He paid his respect to none other than the Demon King.
Demon King Kasajins reaction was no different from usual. He simply nodded his head calmly.
[Raise your head.]
Ugkas slowly raised his head. It was fortunate that his metal body didnt have sweat glands. Otherwise, he would have been covered in cold sweat.
He gulped slightly before speaking in a hesitant tone.
Wh-, why did you come here?
His heart was pounding so loudly that it was disturbing.
He couldnt help but wonder if the King had come to punish them for failing to capture Kran after so long. Or if he was there because he no longer wanted to wait
I have no excuse
Of course, Kasajin hadnt mentioned a time span for the mission, but that was still not an excuse.
It was an order that had been given by the King himself.
It should have been completed as quickly as possible, and it could have been.
However, Ugkas had decided to enjoy a bit of slaughter in this land. In other words, hed taken his time.
If I had put aside that mindset and focused on the mission
Ugkas was confident that he could raze the Korean Peninsula to the ground in three days or less. If he had done that, then it would have been easy to find Kran.
[I didnt come here to blame you, Ugkas.]
Huh?
[There is a being here whom you have no hope of resisting.]
Someones name flashed through Ugkas mind at that moment.
The one who had killed Gullard Phisfounder, one of the Five Dukes like him.
Looking into the distance, Kasajin spoke slowly.
[You finish what you came here to do. I will deal with him.]
Book: 2: Chapter 122
Book 2: Chapter 122 Beeee-
A terrible ringing sounded in her ears.
K-, uh
Sedi forced herself to her feet. She felt dizzy and nauseous. In fact, it felt like her bones were vibrating.
Urk
Unable to handle it, she vomited a mouthful of blood. Ironically, she felt a bit better after spitting out the blood.
Indeed
Having such a body was uncomfortable. Forcibly suppressing the nausea, Sedi looked around.
Hah.
She had just witnessed an unbelievable scene with her own eyes.
It was as if a spear of light shot out from some kind of orbital weapon had pierced the entire base. Not only had the skyscraper that was built above ground been almost completely destroyed, but even the underground facilities which were hundreds of meters below the ground had been completely pulverised.
Of course, the main culprit of this devastating attack was not an orbital weapon, nor were they even in space to begin with.
Demon King.
The bastard who had killed her once and caused her to be in such a state was the cause of tragedy.
Pat pat.
Sedi brushed off some dirt that had landed on her head. Then, her eyes turned to where Lukas was.
There were two attacks. Father blocked the first one.
His response had been amazing, but Lukas hadnt been able to completely block the Demon Kings second attack. Nevertheless, the barrier had greatly reduced the level of destruction the attack caused.
If it hadnt been for him
Sedis heart shook violently.
If Lukas hadnt blocked the attacks, all of the living beings currently in the base would have crossed over the yellow river without knowing how they died.
U-, uhh
Kuh
The believers around her groaned in pain.
Many of them had died, and those who didnt suffered from severe injuries. Most of them had lost one or several limbs.
Even Sedi felt pain throughout her entire body. That level of shock wasnt something fragile humans could handle.
Im in pretty bad condition.
Perhaps if it had been someone other than Sedi, they would have disappeared without a single trace remaining.
Sedi looked around for Min Ha-rin. She wasnt in good shape either, but at the very least, she didnt seem to be seriously injured.
Hey.
what?
It seems like your time to play with these idiots has passed.
Puh.
Min Ha-rin spat out a mouthful of dust before speaking.
What the hell are you talking about?
The Five Dukes are here.
!
Min Ha-rins eyes widened at those words.
It wasnt just her. The believers, who were groaning on the ground, were also roused by those words.
Th-, the Five Dukes are here!
Its time to fight!
Cough Ahhh!!
Sedi looked at them in disbelief.
Those who were severely injured and seemed to be on the brink of death were now brimming with energy. Their eyes were filled with joy as though they could no longer feel their pain.
Sedi smacked the staff against the ground.
Bang!
The impact caused the ground beneath her to crack, and pieces of stone were sent flying in every direction. Her action didnt just draw attention to herself, but it also caused the believers, who were slowly rising to their feet, to fall to the ground again.
With an expression of annoyance, Sedi opened her mouth.
You want to fight? Cut the crap. Do you think it would even be a fight between you and those guys up there?
Who the hell do you think-!
Thud!
An orb of demonic energy shot from the tip of the staff into the stomach of the believer who had just begun to shout. After coughing up a mouthful of blood, that believer collapsed, unconscious. (Note: why does she still have demonic energy?)
Dont be mistaken. This isnt a request or suggestion. It is a threat. If you try to disobey, I will kill you with my own hands.
Do you think we are afraid of death?
When one of the believers asked this with a venomous expression, Sedi shot a bright, yet sadistic, smile at them.
No. But I happen to know the perfect way to deal with fanatics like you.
She then pointed her staff at Slei.
Slei was probably the worst off out of everyone who had suffered through this ordeal. Almost half of his left torso had disappeared.
Because he had lost his right arm to Sedi, he had basically lost both arms.
Even if someone were to watch on objectively, the appearance of this old man who was breathing shallowly and looked like he would die at any moment would have been enough to fill them with a sense of sympathy.
Unfortunately, that wasnt the case for Sedi.
Since he doesnt have any arms, should I cut off his feet instead? Lets start with the left one first.
S-, stop!
Y-, you demonic bitch!
Ive heard that many times today.
Sedi picked her ears as she slowly walked up to Slei, who had already lost consciousness.
In truth, with the extent of his injuries, it was a miracle that he was even alive. And now that she looked closely, she realised that his wounds had already stopped bleeding.
He had stopped without receiving any medical attention. In fact, that wasnt the only thing that disturbed her.
In the cross-sections of his injuries, she could see the flesh and blood vessels wriggling. It was faint, but it seemed that he was beginning to regenerate. Maybe after a few hours, his severed limbs would grow back like a lizards tail.
This must have been one of the abilities of the power the old man had used before.
It really is a disgustingly annoying power
Sedi snorted before kicking Sleis body over to Min Ha-rin.
Min Ha-rin, who caught him out of reflex, looked down at his body in confusion.
If you make use of that old fart, youll be able to keep those idiots under control.
do you want me to threaten them as you did?
Thats the fastest and most effective way, but its up to you.
After saying that, Sedi looked up.
Now, get out of here.
What about you?
Im going to fight them.
Maybe because he believed something like this would happen, Lukas had already told her what to do beforehand. Sedis role was simply to restrict and delay them.
Min Ha-rin hesitated for a moment before asking.
you wont die, will you?
Me? Hmph.
Sedi snorted before waving her hands.
The newborn puppy is worried about the tiger? Stop wasting time and go.
Min Ha-rin paused for a moment before finally opening her mouth.
Dont die.
Oh, dont worry about me. Just take care of yourself.
Right.
MIn Ha-rin nodded once before leaving. Sedi only glanced at her for a moment before turning away as if shed lost interest.
The underground facilities were already a mess, and if they were to make a mistake, they might be buried in debris, but they were all still hunters. It should be possible for them to get to a safe zone.
Sedis gaze returned to the sky.
Come to think of it, she was looking up at the sky from several meters beneath the ground. This was due to the Demon Kings attack, which disintegrated a large portion of the building and the ground around it.
This was certainly not something one could see often.
Three enemies
No. Lukas was now approaching the Demon King. It seemed the Absolutes were going to compete amongst themselves.
Sedi let out a bitter laugh.
Then I guess Ill take care of the other two.
Suddenly, Lukas words appeared in her mind.
Currently, she was similar to or even slightly weaker than the Five Dukes. Of course, she didnt intend to blindly take his word for it, but at least she didnt foolishly believe that she could easily win the fight.
Sedi was also a transcendent being. She had countless experiences of fighting against enemies with no guarantee of victory even if she were to put her life on the line.
So even if the Five Dukes really were stronger than her, she didnt intend to easily back down.
Father said to hold on until he can come to help.
But she knew just what Lukas would have to deal with.
This was natural. After all, shed already fought and lost to him before.
It was a complete and utter defeat that Sedi had never experienced before in her life.
Could Lukas defeat him?
He was still unable to use his power as he pleased.
But the Demon King was different. He had demonstrated transcendental power during his fight with Sedi.
Maybe I can go help.
Taht.
As she muttered this slightly pretentious phrase, two Demon Dukes landed in front of her. Sedi carefully looked at them.
The one on the left appeared to be a statue made of iron. Its entire body was made of shiny black metal. Other than that, there was nothing unique about it. Its body was similar to that of an adult human male.
On the other hand, the other Demon Duke had many features that stood out. When one saw it, the only word one would be able to think about to describe it would be monster. sea??h th ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Its body had a shape that was similar to a slug except that it was over five meters long and had no features apart from a large mouth. Every time it inhaled and exhaled, the rows of teeth in its mouth would rotate slightly.
From its appearance, it seemed that it would be able to expand its mouth many times its size if it wanted to.
The Iron Duke, Ugkas, opened his mouth while looking at Sedi in surprise.
Its even more ridiculous when seeing it in person. Is this brat really the one with such a powerful aura?
Originally, Ugkas had intended to pursue and exterminate all of the humans in this city before destroying it. This was because he thought it would be more noticeable and draw Kran out.
However, just as he was about to take action, he sensed a surprising aura.
This aura was almost comparable to his own, and because of this, he grew curious.
At first, hed thought that it was Kran. After all, he didnt believe that any human could have an aura so powerful. However, to his surprise, it was instead a little human girl who seemed to have not yet reached adulthood.
Guguk guk.
Unlike Ugkas, who was puzzled, Sipakna calmly prepared for battle.
Hes getting serious? Could this little girl really be a threat to us?
Sipaknas instincts were very sharp. If he recognised this little girl as an enemy, then she must certainly have been a great threat.
Ugkas nodded.
Right. He could just test it for himself.
Boom!
Ugkas body shot towards Sedi like a cannonball.
As expected, hes someone who fights with his body.
Swinging the staff slightly, Sedi took a stance. A lot of thoughts flashed through her mind in an instant.
The power of Ugkas charge was not something she would be able to block easily. The staff was pretty sturdy, but it would not be able to withstand the force of the attack.
More importantly, Im still not in good condition.
Her organs had been badly damaged by the Demon Kings previous attack to the point where she spat out blood. So it would be a big gamble to take on such an attack in her current state.
She had no choice but to dodge.
Clack!
!
But at that moment, something sticky wrapped around her ankle.
Sedi, who had been caught off guard, hurriedly looked down.
Gluk
A slimy tentacle was wrapped around each of her ankles. This was Sipaknas doing.
At some point, it had sneakily pierced two of its hundreds of tentacles into the ground before using them to catch her by surprise.
Such a rudimentary mistake!
Sedi hurriedly swung the staff, severing the tentacles.
But that was all she was able to do.
Because by that time, Ugkas was already in front of her.
She couldnt redirect it, she couldnt block it, and she couldnt dodge.
Fuck
Boom!
A heavy force struck her body.
And Sedis vision became white.
Book: 2: Chapter 123
Book 2: Chapter 123 Her entire body was filled with pain as if she had been torn to pieces. But naturally, she knew that wasnt true.
Sedi forcibly held on to her remaining consciousness. She knew that if she were to faint now, it would all be over.
Using the momentum of the attack, she rolled a few times across the ground before getting back to her feet.i????????????????. ????????????
Her sense of balance was in shambles. The sky felt like the ground, and the ground felt like the sky. She wasnt even sure if she was still facing in the right direction.
In this state, there was only one thing she could trust.
Sedi launched herself backward, relying purely on the sixth sense that she had developed through countless battles.
Crash!
Tentacles once again sprang up from the spot where she had just been standing. She had been prepared this time, but the situation was still not good. The tentacles began to surge towards her from every direction, not just from the ground. It was as though hundreds of snakes were rushing at her at the same time.
Sedi spun the staff like a windmill, hitting the tentacles away.
I cant see the big iron guy
His large physique would normally have been impossible to miss, but now, he was hiding behind the hundreds of tentacles.
For a moment, Sedi couldnt help but feel that even another head would not be enough in this situation. It was already quite painful to focus on Sipaknas numerous tentacles, but she also had to be mindful of Ugkas potential sneak attack.
Spurt!
Then, one of the tentacles shot out purple bodily fluid at her. (Note:these tentacles are starting to get out of hand)
Instinctively realising that it would be dangerous to let this fluid touch her, Sedi stomped the ground with her left foot.
Boom!
A large piece of rubble, which rose from the impact of her stomp, managed to serve as a temporary shield. Unfortunately, it didnt last very long.
Tssss!
The fluid seemed to be extremely corrosive as it let off a hissing sound upon contact with the stone. This piece of stone, about 20cm thick, was completely corroded in only a few seconds.
Itll be over if I let that touch me.
She also couldnt hit it with her staff. After all, despite its durability, there was no guarantee that the staff would be able to survive contact with the tentacle fluid.
In this situation, losing her weapon would only put her at more of a disadvantage, so she had to be cautious.
theres nothing I can do about it. Now isnt the time to think about that.
After thinking this, Sedi released her demonic energy.
Boom!
Despite her small stature, the demonic energy that exploded from her body spread out like a mist of death, immediately killing anything it came into contact with. Naturally, the tentacles were no exception.
Demonic energy?
Ugkas face twitched slightly.
Contrary to Sedis worries, he hadnt been hiding behind Sipaknas tentacles nor was he looking for any openings.
The first charge attack that hed displayed had been strong enough to destroy multiple buildings in one hit.
And yet, this little girl had managed to survive. Even if a group of Warriors who had trained their bodies for their entire lives were to form a line and defend together, they would not be able to compare to this small, lithe body.
Therefore, it was only natural that Ugkas had raised his vigilance against Sedi by a few levels as a result.
But now, Sedi was releasing demonic energy. The very same demonic energy that they used.
Thud!
Ugkas landed on the ground. The ground where he fell was immediately destroyed, and it felt like the entirety of the half-destroyed underground facility shook heavily.
Girl, youre using demonic energy, but you dont appear to be a Demon. Are you a Demon or are you one of those hybrids too?
Pfft.
When she heard that, Sedi seemed to forget the situation for a moment as she let out a snicker.
Whats so funny?
Your ignorance is amusing. Am I a Demon? I dont want to listen to the bullsh*t of fools who dont know their own origins.
What are you talking about?
You dont deserve to know the answer. You can ask me again when youre stronger.
After saying that, Sedi provocatively waved her hands, but Ugkas maintained his cautious attitude and didnt move.
This guy is no joke.
It seemed that he also had a lot of combat experience.
Sedi forcibly stopped her fingers from trembling.
Although her organs were still throbbing, so far, she had no problems moving her arms, legs, or head.
In other words, as long as she ignored the pain, she would have no problem moving her limbs.
It was the only thing that could be described as fortunate in this entire situation.
This reminds me of the old days.
Her odds of winning were probably less than 10 percent.
And as she thought of that fact, the smile on her lips grew wider.
* * *
He didnt know what happened.
Arid looked around in a daze.
Dust filled the air, and screams of pain could be heard from every direction.
The church building, which had seemed to be filled with a holy aura just a moment ago, was now reminiscent of the place his grandfather described as hell.
Ah Uhhh. Ahh
Reika stood there, desperately trying to hold up her drooping skin.
Arid simply stared at her, unwilling to get any closer.
A-, Arid g- give Grandma [Brilliance] give me Brilliance.
give you Brilliance? What does Grandmother intend to do with it?
What?
Reika blinked her eyes, unable to contain the surprise she was feeling at that moment.
This was the first time that Arid, who had always been obedient to her and Slei, had asked a question like this. Even his voice seemed to carry a strange emotion. Sar?h the n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
D-, dont you feel sorry for Grandma? Are you still asking me that after seeing how I look now?
I dont feel sorry for you. Thats the way Grandmother is supposed to look.
Arid!
Reikas expression became distorted like a Demons. A spiteful look flashed in her eyes, and coupled with her wrinkled face, it gave her the appearance of a spiteful witch. If this had been the past, Arid would have certainly cowered by now.
But now, it didnt matter.
How? How could you think of yourself in a situation like this?!
Paht!
Following Arids shout, Brilliance erupted from his body.
Reika winced at the sudden burst of intense light.
A lot of people were injured and even killed in that attack! Can you not hear their cries? If we, no, if I dont help them, they might all die!
Th-. they are believers of the Church of Eternal Life Even if they die, they will not truly die, and we will take care of their souls
Thats just a hoax! Its just as Mr. Soul said!
It was then that Reika understood.
Arid had eavesdropped on the conversation between her and Lukas.
And he had realised.
Just how terrible what they were doing was.
Of course, Arid had always been deceived. Because of his innocence, he had naively listened to Slei and Reikas lies.
Of he forcibly covered his eyes to prevent himself from realising.
Because it was his Grandfather. Because it was his Grandmother.
He had always believed in them because they were the ones who raised him.
And this was the result.
In the end, it was Arids soft-hearted attitude that had caused his grandparents to become like this.
Ignoring Reika, who was staring at him in shock, Arid turned around.
A-, Arid. Stop. Where are you going?
Im going to save people.
You cant! We have to run away! T-, there are two of the Five Dukes! Your Brilliance is already exhausted, isnt it? Its suicide!
No.
Someone was still fighting.
Arid walked to the hole that pierced through the entire building and looked down.
Like a sandwich that had been cut in half, he could see the cross-sections of the floors beneath him.
And at the very bottom, he saw a young girl fighting against the two Dukes.
It wasnt just this girl.
This time, he looked up at the sky.
He was looking in the direction that Lukas had flown off in.
The place where the monster who had destroyed the Korean Branch headquarters in just two attacks was.
Lukas expression flashed in Arids mind at that moment.
It seemed that he was prepared to risk his life.
Crunch.
He clenched his fist tightly. Then, he took a deep breath.
Arid finally made up his mind.
Book: 2: Chapter 124
Book 2: Chapter 124 It was really strange.
He should have already killed her by now.
How long has it been?
Bang!
Ugkas fist sank into Sedis stomach, and it should have been a devastating blow.
But it wasnt. Instead, he felt the force of his attack dissipate just before it reached her.
Did she absorb the force of my attack?
Tuk.
His outstretched arm was caught, but Ugkas didnt care. After all, his entire body was made out of metal that was many times harder than steel. So techniques like joint locking would not work against him.
But Sedi didnt intend to lock his joints. She grabbed Ugkas right arm with both hands. Then, something inconceivable happened.
Ugkas large body was lifted into the air.
This
He was acutely aware of just how heavy his body was. So how the hell was this little girl able to lift him?
Boom!
Then, as if to mock Ugkas doubts even further, Sedi slammed him into the ground.
The impact of the fall shattered the ground beneath them, and Ugkas fell down to a new floor.
Crash! Crash! Crash!
One floor, two floors, three floors.
The underground facility had been constructed in preparation for an attack by the Demons, and it was theorised that it would be able to withstand dozens of attacks from air-to-surface missiles before it suffered even a single crack.
Nevertheless, it was only after breaking through the fourth floor that Ugkas finally stopped falling.
Ugkas slowly rose to his feet.
The pain that rippled through his body for the first time in a very long while was strange and surprising at the same time.
He looked up through the hole hed made during his descent.
The mysterious little girl was locked in heated combat with Sipakna. With every clash, the wounds on Sedis body steadily increased. However, instead of faltering, her movements were becoming sharper and sharper.
Its like the more she fights, the stronger she becomes.
No. It wasnt something that simple.
Ugkas had met several individuals who became significantly stronger when their lives were on the line.
However, the prowess Sedi was showing wasnt something that could be attributed to desperate growth.
This is like
A powerful being who hadnt fought in a long time slowly loosening her rusty body.
Shes dangerous.
Ugkas instincts began to sound an alarm in his head. This was no longer something that could be handled while conserving his strength. He realised that if he didnt kill this girl now, this fight would become many times more troublesome.
Ugkas leapt upward.
Boom!
His body shot upwards like a rocket.
Sedi immediately put her guard up. Even though she continued to fight Sipakna, her focus was now mostly on Ugkas.
This was because unlike Sipakna, who used various tricks to injure her bit by bit, every one of Ugkas attacks was lethal.
Blade Fist.
An incredibly powerful force was built up in Ugkas fist before he punched forward.
Sedi couldnt have known that he knew the Warrior King Fist, which also contained various long-ranged attacks.
Nor could she know how unbelievably powerful these attacks were.
The first thing she noticed was the breeze blowing past her ears.
Coooo-
Then, she felt the unusual energy. It was as though it was a sign, a harbinger of destruction.
Unfortunately, the phenomenon it announced came shortly after.
By the time Sedi turned her head to look at Ugkas, the breeze from his fist had already become a strong gale.
Even so, the force didnt stop building.
It became bigger, stronger, more vicious.
And at long last.
Roar!
The gentle breeze had become a typhoon that swept away everything in its path.
Crazy bastard
He was using a skill with such a range? Didnt he know that Sipakna would also get caught in it?
Remembering her other opponent, Sedi suddenly turned to look at the slug-like being. Its response to this was simple. It simply wrapped its hundreds of tentacles around itself like a cocoon.
Kuk!
Right. He could just regenerate any damage he took anyway.
Sedi gnashed her teeth.
The range of the attack was too large for her to dodge it, and it couldnt be blocked because it was a shapeless windstorm.
I need to save my demonic energy.
She already didnt have much demonic energy left. Even though she had gradually been using it little by little to deal with this desperate situation, shed still kept some in reserve in case of any sudden changes. However, in order to defend against this attack, she would have to use most of her Demonic energy.
Dammit.
However, she didnt have much of a choice at that moment.
Ill worry about the consequences later!
Sedi immediately unleashed her demonic energy.
In an instant, her vision went black. Such power was already at the limits of her mortal body.
Boom!
Nevertheless, the effect was outstanding.
Sedis demonic energy brought death to all things.
Because the Absolute domain with which she was most familiar was death.
If she was able to rise to the rank of Ruler in the future, she would surely gain dominion over death.
Her home world, the Planet of Fighters, was also called the Planet of Death.
A barren, bloody land.
Kill or be killed.
There was no other way to live.
On that planet, Sedi fought continuously.
Thousands of people, tens of thousands of people.
She had killed at least that many people, and she felt their death every time.
Then, as she slowly began to feel the grim reaper breath down her neck, she began to understand the concept of death to an extent.
Thats why she knew just how dangerous it was to deal with this power in her current state.
Death was not a concept that any mortal could handle.
that is a tremendous power.
Ugkas muttered these words in a strained voice.
The demonic energy that Sedi released hadnt just offset his Blade Fist but had also struck Ugkas hard body. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
However, this incredible power, which would turn even stone to dust in only a few moments, had little effect on Ugkas.
You have a metal body so you are the worst opponent for me.
Sedi said these words with a wry smile.
But this was a lie.
Shed put her life on the line with her previous attack. Pouring most of her demonic energy from her body had put it in a worse condition than before.
But in the end, even this all-or-nothing shot had failed.
I was planning on taking out one of the Five Dukes with that attack.
Why hadnt she aimed for Sipakna instead? She felt regret, but there was no guarantee that the results would have been different.
After all, this insidious slug had hidden its true colors even better than Ugkas.
Looks like youve given up.
Not yet.????????????????????????????. ????om
Theres no need to pretend. I can see your condition.
Ugkas shook his head as he continued.
I heard that there is a Saint here, one of the Top Three If you had worked together with him, you might have been more troublesome to deal with.
Well. I dont think there is any human who would have been much help in this situation.
Ugkas didnt agree with that.
After all, it wasnt just the Saint.
Somewhere in this land was the man who was the reason theyd gone there in the first place.
Ugkas heart felt a bit cold at that moment.
If that man and Sedi had worked together
It was at that moment.
Boom!
Something shot downwards like a cannonball. Even Sedi was surprised by the speed and destructive power.
This projectile, which shot downwards like lightning, was aimed at Sipakna.
Realising this, Sipakna lifted its tentacles to form a gigantic meat shield.
Crack!
But it didnt work.
The projectile easily penetrated the wall of tentacles like they were made of old wood and sank deeply into Sipaknas body, pinning it to the ground. And it was only then they were able to see what the projectile was.
It was a single sword.
Roooaar~!
Sipakna roared and struggled fiercely while Sedi was surprised by the sudden situation.
So this is where you were hiding.
Ugkas expression hardened.
A man with short gray hair smoothly landed on the ground, his cloak billowing around him.
Ive been looking for you bastards for a long time.
The Strongest, Kran, let out a laugh.
Book: 2: Chapter 125
Book 2: Chapter 125 The place that Kran had been sent to was Seoul, the city that had been the capital of South Korea in the past.
But when he landed, at first, he thought that he might have been sent to the wrong place. This was because the place he found himself in could only be described as a barren ruin. Sarch* The N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
It was widely known that Korea had been relatively unaffected by the Demon invasion, and while this city had suffered from a certain amount of damage, there was still a large number living here.
The most important facilities in the city had managed to survive the attack. This meant that as long as they were able to secure food and water, humans could continue living here.
But this place was different. Contrary to what hed heard, Kran couldnt find the slightest trace of a person.
Of course, he was easily able to find the reason why. The earth in this place had died.
A lethal amount of demonic energy filled the air, and the ground seemed to have been burned. In this place, an ordinary human with a weak body would definitely die before they could even take five breaths.
Of course, this wasnt an issue for Kran, who was a hybrid.
He looked around.
At first, he thought that his target was nearby like Ringo said. But after searching for a day, he came to the conclusion that that wasnt the case.
He had only managed to find a few Demon Beasts and low-grade Demons in the vicinity of Seoul.
For Kran, weak beings like those couldnt even serve as a warm-up.
As he easily disposed of them as though they were garbage, he couldnt help but frown.
Did Ringo trick me?
That couldnt be true.
Theyd been acquainted for quite a while now.
Although she was still extremely mysterious and he had no way of knowing what she was thinking, she had never done anything to betray his trust.
In fact, even if she might have tricked him to some extent, he still decided to overlook it.
Because Ringos support was extremely useful to him. In fact, after obtaining her assistance, the efficiency with which he hunted Demons had increased by at least three times.
With that thought in mind, Kran wandered around the area, trying to figure out why Ringo had chosen to send him to Seoul.
A few days passed like that.
Then, finally, after he rescued a group of people from a desperate situation, a hunter spoke to him.
It would be best if you stayed away from Busan.
Why?
There are rumours that two extremely powerful Demons are on their way there.
Rumors were often exaggerated, but this one was the truth. Kran was certain of it.
According to the hunter, two Demons suddenly appeared, sweeping away everything in their path like a natural disaster, and it seemed that they were headed towards Busan.
Thats my prey.
Nevertheless, a question still appeared in his mind.
Two?
Ringo always knew exactly how strong Kran was. So the targets she chose were always based on Krans level. This was the case every single time without exception.
Kran didnt believe that this time was any different.
He had recently defeated one of the Five Dukes. Ringo was also aware of this.
In other words, in the worst case scenario, both of these Demons might have been members of the Five Dukes.
Krans expression became a bit harsh at that realisation.
No matter how much stronger he had become, it would certainly be hard to deal with two of the Five Dukes at the same time.
If there was even one other reliable person
As he had that thought, his mind couldnt help but shift to the person hed met in Africa, but he quickly shook his head.
This wasnt the time for such frivolous thoughts.
He knew just how powerful the Demon Dukes were. But he also knew that they never worked together. There had never before been a report of two Dukes attacking the same place together.
At most, it was usually a Duke and a Marquis.
Or even a group of Marquises.
Even that was enough to be described as a disaster by most humans.
With that observation in mind, Kran made his way towards Busan.
When he got there, traces of his targets could be found everywhere.
Hed heard that Busan was where the largest branch of the Hunter Association in the Korean Peninsula was located. So naturally, there would be a large number of civilians under their protection.
But most of these people had already died.
There were no corpses in sight, but Kran was able to smell the thick stench of blood.
It was a bit annoying, but at least it made it easy for him to track them down. After a while, he was finally able to find them.
The sky.
It would soon be time for the sun to rise, but the sky above Busan was completely black. The wind blowing against his cheeks was slow and viscous as if it was filled with demonic energy.
Kran looked at the being who had caused all of this to happen. This being was looking down at a large skyscraper with the black sky behind him.
Demon.
If the Devil from the Bible truly existed, he felt that it would look like this.
Kran, who had killed hundreds of Demons, had this thought for the first time.
He had never felt like this before.
Just looking at this being made his instincts alarm like crazy, and his entire body tingled. A mysterious pressure seemed to cling to his skin, causing him to slow down significantly.
They werent even meeting face to face. He was simply looking at the other from afar, and yet, he could already foresee his defeat and eventually death.
He hadnt felt this way even when facing Gullard, one of the Five Dukes.
And that was why he was able to realise who this brutal being in the sky was.
Demon King.
He saw him standing there with his fists clenched at his sides.
This gave him a very strange feeling. After all, this stance seemed to be very similar to the opening movements of many martial arts that humans studied.
However, the devastation that he witnessed next was completely out of the realm of what could be accomplished by humans.
Boom!
The Demon King punched forward, and vicious demonic energy poured out of his fist before taking on a distinct shape that was reminiscent of the face of a screaming devil.
The devils face opened its mouth and seemed to want to devour the entire building.
Boom!
But a bluish barrier quickly appeared and blocked the attack.
This scene caused Kran to be even more surprised than when he saw the Demon King.
An attack like that could be blocked?
Unfortunately, that miracle only happened once.
The Demon King punched forward once more, and the barrier shattered like a pane of glass.
The devil face pierced into the building, and two beings, who appeared to be the Dukes he was after, followed after it.
[]
The Demon King looked down at the scene below for a moment before disappearing into the dark clouds.
Kran clicked his tongue.
He wasnt entirely sure about the current situation, but his body was already moving.
Before long, he found himself standing above the large hole the Demon King had created.
He looked down and was immediately greeted by an incredible sight.
The sight of a young girl going toe-to-toe with two of the Five Dukes.
* * *
Kran glanced at Sedi.
She looked terrible. From the outside, one might think that this little girl was being toyed with by the two Dukes.
But her eyes told an entirely different story. The battle lust blazing in her fiery eyes was so potent that even Kran was surprised.
Who are you?
A hunter.
This was the word that best described Krans identity.
Nevertheless, Sedi frowned slightly when she heard it.
A hunter?
Right. Why? Do you find that hard to believe?
No. Its not that.
After all, there was no way that he would just barge into their fight and throw his sword at Sipaknas body if he wasnt a hunter.
It was just that she hadnt known that there was such a strong human hunter.
Human
Was he human?
Sedi narrowed her eyes slightly.
At that moment, she recalled the power Kran had just displayed as his sword pierced through Sipaknas body in an instant.
This was a level of power and control that humans couldnt even wish to have.
On top of that, Sedi had felt faint traces of demonic energy in his attack.
And who are you?
It was natural that Kran would have his suspicions.
After all, this frail little girl had been able to fight against two of the Five Dukes on her own.
Was she a hybrid like him? This thought had circled in his mind, but he didnt think that was the case.
After all, she was covered in wounds. If she were a hybrid, it would have been easy to regenerate injuries like those.
Sedi.
Sedi?
This was the first time hed heard that name.
It was the same for Lukas. Where had these strangely powerful people been hiding all this time?
At that moment, Ugkas interrupted their conversation.
The target came to us on his own.
He cracked his neck as he pondered the current situation.
One of the Top Three, Kran, had now joined the battle. This was something that Ugkas had been worried about, and naturally, it wasnt a good sign.
But he didnt think the situation was too bad.
That black-haired girl is already close to dying.
She had already exhausted most of her power, so she wouldnt be much of a threat now. If they had both been in peak condition, then he might have had to risk his life for the first time in a few centuries, but he didnt think that he would lose now.
Book: 2: Chapter 126
Book 2: Chapter 126 Part of Ugkas confidence also came from the fact that Sipakna was already beginning to recover.
Glug glug
Dozens of his tentacles had already regenerated, and the rest were rapidly recovering.
This was natural.
After all, Sipaknas regenerative abilities were by far the best among all the Dukes. Even Ugkas wasnt sure how severe an injury would have to be to kill it.
Kran stared at Ugkas for a moment before speaking in an angry voice.
If I was your target, then you should have come to me directly instead of your childish rampage.
In the end, I was still able to kill two birds with one stone. I killed a lot of humans and found you.
It seems like that disgusting mindset will never change.
After saying that, Kran drew his sword and Sedi tightened her grip on her staff.
Seeing this, Kran turned to her and spoke.
In your current state, youll only get in the way. So you should run.
Naturally, Sedi would never let such words slide.
With a vehement glare, she snapped back at him.
Dont be ridiculous. With your skills, it would be impossible to take the two of them on on your own.
Youre really good at talking despite being near death.
This was their first meeting, and yet, even though theyd only met each other a few minutes before, their relationship was already strained.
If her condition had been better, Sedi would have definitely dealt with this arrogant human first.
But after she had this though, Sedi sighed.
That hunk of metal is tough. If you dont use a lot of strength, your sword wont even be able to scratch him. He has a lot of fighting experience, and he knows how to remain calm. I dont know what kind of losers youve dealt with so far, but youd better not treat that guy like a normal Demon.
This time, Kran listened to her without retorting. Although her words were still rough, he could tell that she was giving him advice about the upcoming fight.
The slug is an insidious bastard. Keep your eyes peeled because it will constantly target your openings with its tentacles. You should also be mindful of the fluid that they spit out. Its extremely corrosive. On top of that, the tentacles regenerate extremely quickly.
Kran seemed to think about something for a moment before finally opening his mouth.
You still havent mentioned the most important thing.
Whats that?
Your current condition.
Sedi frowned. That left a bad taste in her mouth.
Its bad, but Im not yet at a stage where youd have to worry.
Ill pretend to believe your bluff.
Just focus on yourself.
At that moment, the temporary ceasefire, which hadnt lasted that long, finally came to an end.
Sipakna had finished regenerating. As soon as Ugkas realised this, he immediately charged forward and Kran and Sedi took up their stances.
Kran at the front and Sedi at the back.
Clang!
!
Ugkas was shocked for a moment.
His charge, which wouldnt stop even after hed destroyed dozens of giant buildings, had been blocked.
This was the second time hed felt this way. It felt like hed been blocked by a wall so strong that the word firm was an understatement.
you werent lying. If I had tried to conserve my strength, Id have been ripped apart.
Gold light glimmered within Krans eyes. His skin became black, and fangs protruded from his lips. Horns also began growing from his forehead.
This was Krans true appearance. That of a hybrid.
The moment he realised Ugkas was about to charge, he completed his transformation.
Concentrating his strength to the tips of his toes, Kran tried to push Ugkas back, but it was by no means easy.
Instead, it was his body that was slowly being pushed backward.
He can still push me back when Im in this form?
Just as Kran clenched his jaws and tensed his muscles
Squelch-
Dozens of tentacles shot towards him.
But before these tentacles could hit Krans defenseless body, Sedi stepped in.
Crack crack crack!
The staff in her hand seemed to bend and wave, but it was simply moving so fast that it had created such an illusion. Sedi destroyed the dozens of tentacles launched by the duke as though they were merely stalks of seaweed.
This sight startled Kran for a moment, but he was able to quickly regain his focus and concentrate the strength of his body once more.
hup!
Then, Ugkas massive body was pushed away. No, to be precise, it was Ugkas himself who had widened the distance.
It was possible that the last charge was simply to gauge Krans strength.
The first stalemate of the battle had been reached. Looking away from their enemies for a moment, Sedi and Kran exchanged glances.
It was Sedi who laughed first.
How are you feeling, brat? That little exchange didnt scare you, did it?
Are you speaking from experience?
Kran retorted coldly before looking away.
At first glance, it seemed that they were just as obnoxious as before, but inwardly.
if its this guy
I guess I can rely on her.
They were both thinking the same thing at the same time.
* * *
Within the black sky and clouds, where there wasnt even the slightest hint of light, it felt as though he was wandering in a dark abyss.
Nevertheless, it wasnt difficult for him to find his target.
Not because of the intense demonic energy that billowed from his body.
But because of the devilish energy that he could sense.
Lukas was looking at his back. But he was looking down.
He wasnt sure what he was looking at.
Nevertheless, he suppressed his curiosity and struggled for a bit before finally opening his mouth.
The Warrior King Fist has changed a lot from what I remember.
After saying those words, Lukas suddenly had the urge to burst into laughter.
In the past, while he was floating in the Abyss with only the darkness to keep him company, he had dreamed of reuniting with his closest friends.
He knew that his chances of meeting them were extremely slim. After all, hed spent a ridiculously long time there. But there was no one there who could judge him for his delusions.
The possibility was next to impossible. Nevertheless, he continued to fantasise about what he would do if he was able to meet them again.
Truthfully, he could no longer remember the conclusion of those thoughts. It had been far too long ago.
Nevertheless, there was one thing of which he could be certain.
At the very least, the things he was about to say next would never have been in that conclusion.
Im not talking about the power. Instead, it has become a martial art that can no longer be called the Warrior King Fist. Because the basis has been twisted.
Lukas held back his sigh.
He had already made up his mind, so he wasnt about to back down now.
The being currently standing in front of him was an enemy.
In the past, you created the Warrior King Fist to kill Demigods. It was the martial art of the weak, the martial art created to allow humans to fight against absurdly powerful beings But what about that attack?
Lukas voice slowly became filled with anger.
An attack that reaches its target even from a vast distance and shows no regard for the hundreds or thousands of innocents that might be caught in its path. Such an attack could only have been created for mass destruction. When did the Warrior King Fist become the art of killing, Kasajin?
[A long time ago.]
For the first time, the Demon King, Kasajin, responded.
hundreds of people died in your attack just now.
[Right.]
You must have killed even more humans than that.
[Thats right.]
He simply nodded his head.
Lukas couldnt help but sigh.
So the reason we risked our lives in the past was only worth that much.
Fwoosh-
Mana began to billow around Lukas body, and blue light flashed in his eyes.
There is one last thing I want to ask you.
[Say it.]
if I asked you what happened, would you tell me?
[]
At those words, Kasajin closed his eyes for a moment.
His expression remained the same, so Lukas had no idea what he was thinking.
Then, he slowly opened his mouth.
[No.]
Those were the last words.
The Magic Warrior King, Kasajin.
The Great Mage, Lukas.
Two heroes from another world who had stood shoulder to shoulder in the past and fought countless battles together.
So began the fight that only one of them would survive. Sar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Book: 2: Chapter 127
Book 2: Chapter 127 It was a terrible defeat.
In fact, it was a miracle that they had even managed to keep their lives.
This fact caused Lukas to bite his lip.
dammit.
What had gone wrong?
The moment he thought this, the reasons began to pour into his head like a stream.
First, he hadnt understood his opponents powers well enough.
Second, he had been too prideful.
And third, hed refused to recognise the difference in power between his side and their opponent.
They shouldnt have kept fighting. After the first deadlock, they should have run away without looking back.
But they hadnt.
And there was only one reason for this. Because Lukas didnt make the decision.
The brains of the group should always maintain his cool at all times, but he hadnt.
And because of that, they had suffered a defeat that he would never forget.
If you think about it, its natural.
Humans. No, even bugs and insects have different strengths and weaknesses depending on the individual.
Naturally, this rule also applied to Demigods.
But somehow, Lukas had missed this simple fact.
Their defeat was all his fault. Sarch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Lukas.
After hearing the soft voice from behind him, he turned around.
There, he saw a woman illuminated by the moonlight.
Iris.
Kasajin is awake.
Really?!
Lukas hurriedly got to his feet. But Iris shook her head with a solemn expression.
But the situation isnt good. To be honest, its a miracle that hes still alive.
can nothing be done even with your and Schweisers knowledge?
The poison that Demigod used is made up of ingredients that dont exist in this world.
That was true. If the poison had been made up of normal ingredients, they wouldnt have struggled to cure him.
It felt like the Demigod had used liquid death instead of simple poison. No matter how skilled they were, in the face of this poison, it was meaningless. Even a Barrier spell from Lukas, who had reached 9 stars long ago, had only been able to last a few seconds.
And Kasajin had been drenched in the poison.
He rushed in front of Lukas and took the attack for him without any hesitation.
Lukas took a deep breath before slowly walking towards the cave.
There, he saw Kasajin lying on a temporary bed made of grass. He was sweating profusely, and panting as though he had trouble breathing.
Iris was right. It was a miracle that he was still alive.
Lukas looked at the bed made of grass. These special detoxification plants that Schweiser had taken from his own storage had already lost their fresh appearance, and looked withered and purple instead.
Im not gonna die.
A tired voice sounded.
It was Kasajin. He had turned his head to look at Lukas.
His voice shook slightly, and his eyes were unfocused.
Kasajin.
This isnt a bluff. Im serious. I will choose where I die. This grass sick bed or whatever isnt worthy enough to become my grave.
Thats rude to Schweiser.
Kukuku
He knew that Kasajin was only pretending to be all right, but he didnt mention it.
As if to prove my thoughts, Kasajin laughed for only a moment longer before he began to cough heavily.
Wiping the blood on his lips with a handkerchief, Lukas opened his mouth.
I believe you, so you better not die.
Thats natural. Whose body do you think this is? Im the Punch King, the man whos gonna beat up all the Demigods.
He smiled brightly, his white teeth stained with blood.
Lukas looked down at him for a moment before letting out a sigh. Then, a slight smile spread across his lips.
No matter how I look at it, that title of yours is just too tacky.
then what about Fist King?
Kasajin shook his head after saying those words.
That cant work. I dont only fight with my fists.
Werent you just calling yourself the Punch King?
Thats why I want to change it.
After thinking about it for a while, Lukas suddenly opened his mouth.
How about Warrior King? No, Magic Warrior King would be better.
What do you mean?
Among all the Warriors who can also use mana, you are by far the best.
Kasajin frowned slightly.
Hmm. That does sound like a good title.
I think its way better than Punch King at least.
Ah, I guess thats true. Magic Warrior King Magic Warrior King Kasajin. It definitely has a nice ring to it.
Kasajin muttered to himself for a few more moments before closing his eyes. Soon, his breathing slowed down a bit.
It seems hed fallen asleep again.
Lukas looked down at him before whispering solemnly.
this failure was caused by my incompetence. And yet, you still wont blame me.
Right.
Kasajin responded. However, his eyes were still closed, and his voice was soft, making it seem like he might have just been sleep talking.
Nevertheless, Lukas couldnt help but ask.
Why?
Because Im worried.
What?
Looking at you makes me worry. No one understands how you feel inside. Everyone just relies on you. Stupid guys like me and the others. Royalty, Nobles, Commoners everyone is the same.
Even that woman outside, who pretends to not care about anything, is the same all she can think about is relying on you.
He was talking about Iris.
Lukas was speechless for a moment. Kasajins words were true.
Schweiser, Iris, and even the stoic Lucid were all deeply dependent on Lukas. They always believed that his choices were best.
But thats not really our fault either. After all, youre the one who started this group, who brought us all together. So you have to take responsibility for it. You have to endure. Nevertheless
Kasajins voice began to fade.
If you think you cant handle it anymore, just tell me. Ill help you.
Kasajin seemed to truly fall asleep after saying those words.
Looking at his pale face and rapidly rising chest, Lukas felt his throat become tight with emotion.
You can do it. This is what you were born to do.
Lukas, youre an amazing person.
If it were for you, I could risk my life.
The voice of his closest friends rang out in his head at that moment. Filled with infinite amounts of trust, faith, and dependence in the human named Lukas Trowman.
Of course, this didnt mean that he didnt like it.
However, at the same time, those beliefs felt like unbearable pressure. It felt like something he was unable to carry on his own, like his knees and back would break at any moment.(1)
But he would never show that.
Because he didnt want to betray their faith.
Right.
He was just one of many.
Instead of relying on him unilaterally, maybe it would be better for them to support each other.
(Notes
1. Me every time I have to carry my friends in a game)
Book: 2: Chapter 128
Book 2: Chapter 128 Kasajins punch.
He was able to see it coming, but his body was unable to react in time.
Bang!
Lukas body crashed into the ground, immediately creating a crater similar to one formed when a meteor landed.
Crunch.
Covered in dust, he got back to his feet. For a moment, he couldnt help but feel that it was fortunate no one was there to see him in such a sorry state.
Lukas slowly raised his head and looked towards the sky with a heavy expression.
This reminds me of the old days.
It had been so long ago that he could only barely recall those memories. His memories were like an old, worn diary, a wilting rose beside a flowing stream.
He recalled the time when he was still human.
Before he had reincarnated and became Frey Blake.
A time when the weight of the title Great Mage was still heavy and their struggle was at its hardest.
[Nine times out of ten.]
As he said those words in a deep voice, Kasajin slowly descended to the ground.
The sight of the pitch black devilish energy swirling around his body made it impossible to even think that he was human, even if only symbolically.
[If memory serves, that is my win rate in our fights in the past.]
[As you can see, Im much stronger than I was back then, Lukas. The Magic Warrior King Kasajin has evolved even further and become the Demon King Kasajin.]
What are you trying to say?
[The Great Mage Lukas cannot put even a single scratch on my body.]
His cold voice rang out, like a judge declaring a sentence. Sarch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
[The Lukas that you need to show me now is the Absolute. If you truly intend to fight and even defeat me, then you will have to give your all.]
Lukas hadnt used any of his Absolute power. Of course, Kasajin already knew the reason for this.
He knew that he was trying to protect this universe. But he didnt think that was the wisest decision at this moment.
Lord is dead.
Lukas finally opened his mouth, speaking slowly.
I killed him with my own hands. Now, there is only one Demigod left in our world. Hey Kasajin, do you remember what you said that time? About how great it would be if there was even a single good Demigod. We talked about it in the past.
[]
There really was one 4,000 years later, one appeared. A Demigod who sided with humans and thought the Demigods were wrong.
[I didnt ask.]
Kasajin spread out his arms.
In the Warrior King Fist, there were dozens of stances that one could take to unleash a host of attacks.
Lukas was confident that he knew most if not all of them, but this was his first time seeing this stance.
His legs were spread apart, and his arms were outstretched, as if he was taunting Lukas to attack him.
The stance appeared so defenseless that it didnt seem like something one would take during a fight.
Kasajin then added in a nonchalant manner.
[Im not even a little curious.]
Crackle.
Dark energy began to converge on his palms in an ominous manner before slowly taking shape.
It was devilish energy.
This was a type of external force that could only be used by Absolutes who were greatly favored by the Black Horned Demon God.
It was a symbol that proved an Absolutes authority in any universe, time, and space.
Rumble!
Lukas could feel the universe begin to cry out, and naturally, the source of its torment was Kasajin. The space around him began to twist and bend.
Crack crack!
Then, cracks began to form.
The dimension was beginning to collapse as power far beyond what the universe was capable of withstanding was forcefully exerted.
Kasajin!
Just as Lukas roared angrily.
Boom!
Kasajin punched forward, causing an enormous explosion of sound to rip through the area, as though hundreds of lightning bolts had struck the same place at the same time.
The roar rippled out in every direction, so powerful that even the word explosion did not do it any justice.
The devilish energy from Kasajins hands began to take shape, and soon, it transformed into the face of a screaming ghost.
This was the same technique that had been used to destroy the Korea Branch Headquarters.
Looking at this ghost face that was slowly approaching him, Lukas grit his teeth.
The external force of an Absolute was like a blade.
A blade that could render any armor useless.
The only thing that could be used against this blade was a blade of similar power.
Paht!
An explosion of blue light erupted from Lukas body.
The bright light soon covered the sky, and it seemed that it was about to destroy the black clouds. But that wasnt the case. After being pushed back for a moment, the black clouds began to violently clash with the bright blue light.
[Your Absolute Field cannot withstand my devilish energy.]
Crash!
He was right.
The absolute space that Lukas had just created cracked before shattering like a pane of glass.
Boom!
Subsequently, the face of the screaming ghost crashed into Lukas chest. The force of the blow sent him flying hundreds of meters, and it seemed that if he didnt do anything, he would fly out of the city.
Crack!
In an instant, dozens of walls of ice appeared behind him in a row. Of course, they werent an attack. Instead, every time his body crashed through an ice wall, he lost a bit of momentum.
Two walls.
He barely managed to stop himself, leaving only two of the dozens of ice walls remaining.
Gurk
Nevertheless, his condition wasnt good. His stomach burned as though he had swallowed molten lava. And above all, his entire body was filled with an intense stabbing pain. It felt like he was being gnawed on by tens of thousands of insects.
[Is this your answer, Lukas?]
The Demon King looked down at Lukas as he muttered these words.
The devilish energy that hed just unleashed was many times stronger than what hed used to attack the Korea Headquarters.
It was not something that could be blocked with just the power of the Great Mage.
A moment ago, Lukas had used his external force. And yet, the space around him was still stable.
Kasajin sighed, showing emotion for the first time.
[To bear the burden of this space on your own. Im sure this method would prevent this dimension from imploding. But I doubt any Absolute would have ever thought of such a thing, regardless of how simple it is.]
Kasajin could tell.
Just what the results of Lukas method would be.
[After all, its only a temporary measure. Its like wielding a hiltless sword with your bare hands. And as a result]
Lukas skin shook slightly before it began to crack like porcelain.
[Your life force will slowly be depleted.]
Book: 2: Chapter 129
Book 2: Chapter 129 Clang!
He blocked the fist of Ugkas, who was charging forward like a wild beast, with his sword.
There were no weak points on his metal body.
His body was like an absolute barrier with durability similar to that of a reinforced iron wall, but at the same time, it could play the role of a spear that could pierce through any obstacle.
Of course, this was natural.
If his body could be broken or damaged by normal weapons or attacks, he would have been defeated long ago.
At least his joints are relatively weak.
It was difficult to pinpoint those spots during their chaotic melee, but at least this meant that he wasnt invincible.
Nevertheless, the current situation was not good.
In fact, it would be safe to call it the worst.
Clang!
Ugkas fist and Krans sword clashed heavily once again. The blade creaked, and sparks flew in every direction.
Crack.
This sword, too, had been unable to survive more than 10 clashes before it broke.
Nevertheless, Kran didnt feel any remorse for the weapons he lost. He simply threw away the broken sword in his hand before taking out another.
I brought a lot, but Im starting to run low.
When he was preparing, hed thought hed brought too many, but now, he regretted not packing a few more weapons.
Clang!
Clang
The fight continued.
Kran and Ugkas appeared to be locked in a toe-to-toe battle.
Or, at least, that would have been the case if they were the only ones there.
Guluk guk.
Sipakna.
With an appearance that perfectly suited the title Monstrous Duke(1) constantly launching attacks at Kran with his tentacles and Sedi desperately blocking them.
Kran was so focused that he couldnt afford to look away for even a second.
Nevertheless, he could tell that Sedi was nearing the limits of her stamina. After all, her breathing was so loud and harsh that he could hear it even without consciously trying to.
Suddenly.
Ah!
Juk!i????????????????????d. c????????
Following Sedis cry, a tentacle grabbed Krans wrist,
This caused him to freeze for a moment, and naturally, Ugkas would not miss such an opportunity.
His thick fingers were instantly imbued with demonic energy, causing them to become even sharper than famed swords.
Warrior King Fist. Finger Sword.
Shuk.
Blood splattered, and Krans left arm was cut off in an instant.
The movement was so fast that it was almost impossible to see, but if his wrist hadnt been restrained, he would have been able to avoid it by a narrow margin.
Sedi realised this fact too as her expression hardened considerably.
Suppressing the excruciating pain, Kran turned back to look at her.
Retreat for now!
What? Where?
Anywhere!
After saying that, Kran flew off first, seemingly not caring if she followed him or not. Sedi grit her teeth before destroying the tentacles nearest to her and going after him.
Fortunately, Kran helped to an extent.
Do you think you can leave?!
Ugkas roared before charging after them.
But Kran and Sedi were already aware of his limited mobility. As long as they were mindful of his explosive charges, it wouldnt be difficult for them to outrun Ugkas.
As expected, not long after they devoted themselves to running away, they completely disappeared from Ugkas sight. Sear?h the ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Of course, this was only a temporary retreat.
After all, Kran had absolutely no intention of letting those two Dukes go.
Hoo
After entering a dilapidated building, Kran collapsed against the wall.
He then touched the stump of his severed arm while Sedi looked at him with a complicated expression.
you that arm
Itll grow back. Itll only take some time.
You shouldnt be able to fight them in your current state. So well take a break while my arm regenerates.
Krrr
The sound of buildings collapsing could be heard in the distance. It was clear that Ugkas was wantonly destroying the buildings in the area.
Sorry.
Sedi clenched her small fists before speaking in a small voice.
Why are you apologising?
You got hurt because of me.
I expected something like this to happen.
Kran simply dismissed her apology before concentrating on regenerating his injury. If it was an ordinary injury, it would have only taken a few minutes to heal, but the surface of the wound was stained with Ugkas demonic energy. In this state, there was no way for him to forcibly regenerate his arm. Even if it would take much longer, he had to disperse the demonic energy first.
Ah. Fine.
Sedi pouted slightly before taking a seat of her own.
Kran glanced at her for a moment, but he didnt say anything. He never thought of blaming her. Because he knew just how tired she was.
This is a difficult situation.
Nevertheless, it was going according to his expectations.
Kran had used a large number of soul crystals that hed obtained in Africa to become even stronger than he was before. The true capacity of his demonic energy had increased by at least thirty percent.
Nevertheless, despite his increase in power, he was still only able to fight toe-to-toe with Ugkas.
The Five Dukes turned out to be much stronger than hed originally thought.
This thought caused him to remember the things that happened in Africa.
if it hadnt been for that guys help, I would have died in my fight with Gullard.
After thinking this, a question appeared in his mind.
Then why did Ringo send him to fight Gullard on his own?
Up until that point, she had never designated a target who was too much for Kran to handle.
Africa and Korea.
If he hadnt met Lukas and Sedi respectively, then Kran would probably have died without a proper fight.
Did she know that there would be people to help me?
Unfortunately, he would never be able to think of an answer on his own.
Kran decided to put his questions aside for now and instead focused on the current situation.
A battle against two of the Five Dukes.
It was possible that this fight would become more disadvantageous the more time passed.
That was why hed put all of his energy into the first battle, hoping to end things quickly.
And yet, Ugkas was able to perfectly block all of my attacks.
He hadnt expected his body to be so goddamn hard.
Krrr
Once again, they heard the sound of a building collapsing.
They couldnt stay there for long. So far, the Dukes were still focused on them, but Kran didnt know if they would soon change their minds and slaughter the innocent civilians.
After all, there were still many people in Busan.
If we go back and fight now, we will have to settle it as soon as possible.
Youre right. But the problem is that we cant do that. We dont have the firepower to break through the tin cans defenses.
Sedi bit her lip after saying those words, the feeling of helplessness making her shudder.
She never would have imagined that there would be a time when she became a burden for a human.
Kran didnt notice Sedis inner turmoil as he suddenly spoke.
I have a way.
Sedi narrowed her eyes.
Why hadnt he used it before?
This thought popped into her mind. Nevertheless, she didnt say what she was thinking.
Kran was a seasoned fighter. His instantaneous judgment and combat sense were all at a high level.
If he hadnt used it yet, then there was certainly a good reason for that.
It takes about five to ten seconds of concentration before I can use it. It also doesnt have a long range, so Ill have to be close to him.
Ten seconds
Sedi frowned slightly at those words.
Naturally, this meant that she would need to buy him ten seconds against two of the Five Dukes. Unfortunately, such a task sounded no better than suicide in her current condition.
Regardless of whether Kran was aware of that fact or not, he nodded his head slightly before continuing,
It would be hard. So I was thinking about using a different strategy.
What is it?
That
Kran then detailed the plan he had just envisioned.
As he continued speaking, Sedis expression gradually began to change before finally settling on a strange combination of confusion and disbelief.
are you serious?
This isnt the time for jokes.
Boom!
As if to hasten Sedis answer, the sound of a building being destroyed came from a short distance away.
In the first place, she didnt really have much of a choice. Ruffling her already disheveled hair, Sedi finally replied.
Dammit. I guess I dont have a choice. But dont blame me if you die.
I definitely wont die.
At that moment, Kran looked down at his left hand. The regeneration was complete. Kran smiled for a moment before slightly shaking his arm, which was covered in a sticky liquid.
Until Ive killed every single Demon.
Sedi frowned slightly before turning her head away.
(Note:
1. I like this title more compared to Monster Duke)
Book: 2: Chapter 130
Book 2: Chapter 130 Ugkas rage didnt last very long.
This was because he realised Kran hadnt run away completely but was instead hiding and waiting for another opportunity to strike.
How interesting.
Did he intend to hunt two of the Five Dukes?
Suddenly, Ugkas lips twisted into a sneer.
This was because Kran had stepped out of the ruins of a building and was slowly walking towards him at a calm pace.
What are you up to now?
He asked this question while tilting his head to the side.
It would have been better for you to hide and wait for an opportunity. Havent you already realised that you cant face me head-on?
Or did you come to buy time for that little girl to run away? That would be an incredibly foolish decision. After all, you are the one we were after from the start
The Five Dukes do talk a lot. Gullard was the same.
Ugkas eyes narrowed slightly at those words.
Kran turned to look at Sipakna, who was slithering behind Ugkas, before saying.
Whats wrong, Iron Duke? Are you not confident that you can defeat me on your own?
Thats such a disappointing attempt at provocation.
Ugkas shook his head slowly.
It was only then when he had a vague sense of what Kran was thinking.
Youll fight on your own, so only one of us should fight you Is that what youre trying to say?
And if it is?
Kukuku.
Ugkas chuckled.
Naturally, I dont think I could lose to you even if I were to fight you on my own. And it would even be a fun battle. However
Demonic energy erupted from his metal body as a sharp glint appeared in his eyes.
My personal feelings will never take precedence over the Demon Kings orders. Sipakna.
Paht!
As Sipakna slithered forward with its tentacles waving slightly, Ugkas once again took the opening stance of the Warrior King Fist.
Kran looked at these two Dukes in front of him, feeling an intense pressure that was incomparable to what hed felt before. It felt like his entire body was being weighed down.
That brat is stronger than I thought.
Sedi.
After releasing most of her demonic energy, she had become so weak that even standing was an issue, and yet, she had still been able to assist him.
But Kran realised that if he had been fighting these two Dukes from the start, he would have been overpowered in an instant, even if he used all of his power.
subdue.
In truth, Ugkas had a similar thought at that moment. However, there was a reason why Kran was not easy to deal with.
Kasajin had ordered that Kran was not to be killed. And the Kings orders were not something that could be ignored.
This meant that Ugkas had to subdue this hybrid as unscathed as possible.
Juk!
A large number of tentacles shot towards Kran. The momentum of this attack was much stronger than before. Perhaps Sipakna was also annoyed.
Click-
Kran took an item out of his pocket.
This was something that would never be used by Demons, but Ugkas was still able to identify what it was.
A grenade.
Kran pulled the pin of the grenade with his teeth before throwing it at the approaching tentacles.
Be careful.
Ugkas reminded Sipakna. After all, there was no way that he would throw a normal grenade at a Duke.
Sipakna must have had a similar thought as it withdrew its tentacles in an instant.
Boom!
But it was only after this when they realised their predictions had been wrong.
The item that Kran had thrown was just an ordinary grenade. It was a modern weapon with considerable lethality and firepower, but it was by no means strong enough to harm a high-ranking Demon.
Naturally, this meant that they didnt even leave so much as a scratch on Sipaknas tentacles.
But that didnt matter as Kran was able to achieve his intentions.
Taht!
He kicked off from the ground and quickly closed the distance between them. Seeing this, Ugkas raised his defenses and prepared to take Krans attack, but Kran went right past him.
Is he aiming for Sipakna?
Was it because he couldnt get through his metal skin?
Ugkas suppressed a condescending chuckle that threatened to escape at this thought.
Because Krans wishes would still not come through.
Shung.
Kran drew a new weapon. This time, he brought out a Kukri, a short sword with a curved blade.
Slash!
The Kukri seemed to become a blur, and in an instant, dozens of tentacles fell to the ground almost at the same time.
Nevertheless, Krans momentum didnt decrease in the slightest.
He continued to narrow the distance to Sipakna with explosive speed.
Spurt!
Suddenly, several of the tentacles that were surrounding him spat out their corrosive acid at the same time.
However, Kran still refused to stop. Instead, he simply lifted an arm to block the incoming liquid.
What?
Ugkas was shocked by this.
Was he not going to avoid it?
Tsss!
Immediately after coming into contact with the liquid, Krans left arm began to melt.
* * *
His demonized skin, which was many times stronger than even the best armor, was meaningless in the face of Sipaknas acid.
Dont tell me hes trying to get himself killed
Just as this absurd thought appeared in Ugkas head
Swish.
Kran swung the Kukri in his right hand.
And in the next instant, the Kukri cut through its target without any resistance. It was his own left arm.
Shuk.
His left arm was cut off once again. This was a first for Kran, who had been through all kinds of hardships throughout his life. He had never lost arms in such a short period before.
and it was my left arm both times.
Nevertheless, it was just a pointless thought. Especially in such a tense situation.
Shaking off his useless thoughts, Kran suddenly kicked his swiftly melting arm into the air.
The severed left arm soared up into the sky.
Taht.
And it was only then that Sedi, who had been waiting on the rooftop of a nearby building, made her appearance. She shot towards Krans left arm, which was quickly rising up to meet her, before lifting her staff and swinging it with all her might.
In volleyball terms, it was the perfect set that led to a powerful spike.
Paak!
The target of this severed left arm was none other than the face of a surprised Ugkas.
K-, kuh!!!
Ugkas stumbled backwards with a scream, covering his face. It was clear that his face was rapidly melting.
It worked!
Sedi couldnt help but cry out in delight.
She couldnt believe that Krans ridiculous plan had actually worked!
I told you it was possible. S~ea??h the N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Kran muttered with a calm voice, but in truth, he had also been unsure of whether his plan would work or not.
He had only remembered hearing before that metals were particularly weak to acid, so he assumed that they could use their opponents powers against them.
Sedi looked at Kran with an appraising expression.
This guy is tougher than I thought.
She truly admired this blunt human.
Regardless of if they could regenerate or not, no one in their right mind would think about putting acid on their hand and cutting it off before throwing it at their enemy.
This isnt the time to be thinking about this.
Sedi charged towards Sipakna, shouting.
Ill hold this slug back, so go finish that guy off!
Before she had even begun to shout, Kran had already made his preparations. From his bag, he retrieved a gun.
It was a rusty revolver, and from its design, it appeared to be an old model.
What the hell is that?
My trump card.
As he answered, Kran loaded the gun with bullets.
Not too quickly or too slowly, just one bullet at a time.
This scene caused Sedi to furrow her brows slightly.
You If you mess up this opportunity, were both gonna die, you know?
I know that already, so just shut up. Youre distracting me.
No matter how I look at it, I cant imagine you piercing that guys skin with a gun.
You wouldnt say that if you knew how much effort it took just to make a single bullet.
Kran would never use this weapon if his opponent wasnt one of the Five Dukes. It was simply not worth it.
Click.
After filling the chamber with bullets, he muttered.
Burnout.
Kooo-
Suddenly, white fog began to flow out of the revolver before taking the blurry shape. After a short moment, dozens of red eyes appeared.
[The payment?]
Kran answered in a low voice.
Blood.
[Under stood]
Crack.
The fog then engulfed Krans arm.
Kuh
By the end of the day, he would probably have no arms left.
Kran couldnt help but have this thought as he glared at Ugkas.
Book: 2: Chapter 131
Book 2: Chapter 131 Kuh, ah, ack
Ugkas was still holding his face while groaning in pain.
Nevertheless, Kran didnt think he would remain in that condition for very long.
This meant that he would have to finish this as soon as possible. Even at the moment, Ugkas demonic energy was slowly regaining strength.
Kran slowly lifted his gun. As he did, his arm muscles began to tremble violently. It was as if this gun, which was only about as large as a dumbbell, weighed as much as a mountain.
Fortunately, he didnt have to worry about aiming. After all, Ugkas was very close to him, so it would be impossible for him to miss his shot.
Nevertheless, for courtesys sake, he did his best to aim for the heart.
And pulled the trigger.
Boom!
The sound wasnt something an old-fashioned revolver should have been able to make.
Unable to withstand the force of the explosion, the revolver broke apart as a large black bullet shot out, cutting through the scattered pieces.
Puk
And when it reached Ugkas, it made a dull sound.
It was a sound that one would have easily ignored.
Ugkas was no longer groaning in agony. Instead, he slowly looked down at his chest in disbelief.
A big hole.
In the place where his heart should have been, there was a big hole, large enough that an adult mans fist could easily fit.
Gurk.
Ugkas spat out a mouthful of blood before falling to the ground.
Is it finally over?
Just as a panting Sedi asked this question.
Sss
Sipakna suddenly stopped attacking.
Instead, it withdrew its hundreds of tentacles and opened its enormous mouth.
Screech!
!
When Sedi froze for a moment in surprise, it quickly sent its tentacles out and picked up Ugkas before immediately running away.
You bastard! Ugh!
Kran tried to chase after him, but he was suddenly hit by a wave of dizziness and stumbled. The side effects were much worse than he expected. He felt incredibly dizzy, and his stomach churned heavily. Unable to resist the urge to vomit, he collapsed to one knee.
Sedi shook her head and smiled bitterly as she approached him.
Do you want to chase after him? That would be really hard.
I know that. However
You dont think its over. Is that it?
Relax. That tin can is on the verge of death. His death is nothing short of a fact.
Sedi, who had been relatively proficient in the domain of death in the past, was almost certain.
That the Iron Duke, Ugkas, would die.
Kran was someone who couldnt believe something unless he saw it with his own eyes. Nevertheless, even though he was skeptical about Sedis words, he still had to regain his strength before he could move.
Hoo
Is that weapon you just used disposable?
Right.
As he nodded, Kran looked down at the pieces of the completely destroyed revolver.
This gun was actually a high-grade magical item and had been reinforced by all kinds of spells and runes, but it still could not withstand a single bullet before being smashed to bits.
If it really did manage to kill one of the five Dukes, then it would be worth it, but
It bothered him that Sipakna had escaped with the body.
They had to chase after them.
Just as Kran had managed to stabilise his condition enough to stand on his feet
Kaboom!
At that moment, a deafening explosion ripped through the air.
For a moment, Kran couldnt help but wonder if the sky had fallen. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
What was that?
He looked up at the sky with a blank expression on his face. This was the first time that hed been so shocked by a simple sound. However, the explosion had been so loud that his shock was not strange at all.
After all, just that single explosion had been loud enough to tear the eardrums of anyone who heard it.
Kaboom!
However, this sound came once again.
It was like tens of thousands of fireworks had all exploded at the same time.
Of course, the scene that unfolded in the dark sky after this sound was not as beautiful as fireworks. With every explosion, it looked like the sky was trembling.
As she watched the sight, Sedi muttered in a low voice.
It seems that theyve finally started fighting in earnest.
Started fighting? Who are you talking about?
Human and Demon.
The Absolutes that represented them.
Sedi swallowed her last words. She knew it wasnt a concept that a mortal like Kran would be able to understand.
Kaboom! Boom!
Sounds similar to thunder rippled through the sky again and again.
Kran focused as much as he could as he looked up at the pitch black sky.
And beyond the faintly flickering clouds, what appeared to be the shadows of two beings were occasionally revealed.
He could easily guess the identity of one of them.
And that was a monster who had destroyed half of the Korea Branch Headquarters with just two punches. A being Kran would never want to face.
The Demon King.
The one facing him seemed to have a small physique that was similar to a humans. He couldnt be sure since he was only looking at their shadows, but against the Demon Kings incredible stature, it seemed that this figure was in a precarious situation.
Bang!
Suddenly, a spark from the sky struck the ground like a bolt of lightning. Just the force being exerted from this spark caused a ten story building that appeared to be in relatively good condition to immediately collapse to the ground.
That wasnt all.
When the spark hit the ground, it caused the ground to shake and crack as if there was an earthquake.
Cold sweat immediately began to run down Krans face.
This was nothing more than the aftermath of the fight between the two beings in the clouds. A stray fragment of an attack.
And yet, this stray attack had been able to completely destroy an entire area.
wouldnt it be better for us to find cover?
Cover? Where? Now that theyve started fighting, there is no safe place on this planet.
Sedi grinned slightly as she clasped her hands together in front of her chest.
Maybe you should pray. Pray that none of the stray sparks from their fight hit us.
* * *
Each of the Five Dukes had a special ability that no other Demon Duke had.
For Gullard, it was his wings.
For Ugkas, it was his skin.
His skin could be described as the most powerful mortal defense, and it bordered on the realm of transcendent. It was capable of blocking any martial art, spell, or curse.
An invincible shield that he had been certain would never break.
And yet, this shield had now suffered irreparable damage.
Gurk!
He spat out a mouthful of blood.
The feeling of his body slowly cooling down was very strange for him. Ugkas realised that he was gradually becoming more and more sleepy, and he knew that if he were to close his eyes, he would never open them again.
In other words, he was going to die here today.
In such a vain way
He couldnt help but feel that it was too harsh a price to pay for just a moments carelessness.
Ugkas lamented this fact, but he didnt know.
He didnt know that most things lost their lives due to a moments carelessness. For beings like the Five Dukes, who were born innately strong, their deaths usually only came from such circumstances.
Suddenly
Guruk guk.
Sipakna, who hadnt said a single word since their arrival, opened its mouth.
[Mission continuation difficult]
It slowly spat out those words.
Ugkas eyes widened in surprise.
Although he knew that Sipakna was intelligent, this was his first time actually hearing it speak.
But the words that it spoke were even more shocking.
[You are now no longer useful. And soon you will die. So]
Sipaknas mouth widened considerably.
[I will eat you.]
At those words, Ugkas shock slowly wore off. And his eyes, which had been widened in surprise, grew calm.
Guguk guk.
Sipaknas mouth continued to expand until it was many times its size. No matter how hard its teeth were, it wouldnt be able to break through Ugkas skin.
However, it would be possible to swallow him whole and slowly melt him with its acid.
With its large mouth, swallowing Ugkas whole would be no trouble at all.
I see. So I wasnt your insurance. You were my insurance.
He calmly looked at the hundreds of spinning teeth.
If it is the Kings will
Ugkas slowly closed his eyes while muttering.
Eat well, Sipakna. Ill leave the rest to you.
Sipakna didnt respond.
Crack! Crack!
And the intraspecies predation began.
Book: 2: Chapter 132
Book 2: Chapter 132 Min Ha-rin looked up at the sky. It was already approaching noon, but the sun was nowhere in sight. However, by now, she no longer found this strange.
Krrr!
A flash of light seemed to streak across the pitch-black sky, but it disappeared even faster than it appeared.
At that moment, the sky and the ground were both shaking violently, as though it was the dimension itself that was shaking.
Master
The dense mana reverberation that she could feel beyond the dark clouds definitely belonged to Lukas.
As for the identity of the being whom he was fiercely fighting, that was easy enough to guess.
The Demon who destroyed the Korea Headquarters.
It was at least one of the five dukes or maybe even something stronger than that.
Suddenly.????????????r????????d.nbsp;c????m
Let go of me!
Slei, who was in her arms, began to struggle.
His arms, which had been severed, and his body, which had not even been half of his torso, had already regenerated.
Min Ha-rin couldnt help but recall the scene.
A human like Slei possessed super fast regeneration, an ability that was usually only found in high ranking Demon Nobles.
This fact caused her to feel slightly disgusted. It felt like this old man was not a human but instead some other being who was wearing human skin.
I knew he was going to wake up sooner or later.
Nevertheless, he had regained consciousness much faster than Min Ha-rin expected.
Bishop!
Youve awoken!
The believers all shouted enthusiastically.
This fact seemed to disgust Min Ha-rin even more. Her eyes became cold.
Dont move.
After his regeneration, Slei might have appeared fine, but the deep sense of fatigue that filled his entire body was not alleviated. He was still in pretty bad condition.
Slei coughed up blood a few times before shouting angrily.
Do you know what youre doing?! Im the leader of the Church of Eternal Life!
More like a con artist.
How dare you?!
Even if I let you go, what could you do? Do you have the power to change this situation?
Of course I do!
Min Ha-rins lips twisted into a sneer.
Open your eyes properly and look up at the sky.
Do you see them? Those beings fighting beyond the clouds. Could you stop their fight? Could you step in?
Slei was speechless for a moment. He lowered his head in thought and began to mutter in a low voice.
Arid I need Arid. As long as I have that childs power, I will have nothing to fear My, my wounds and my pain will all disappear.
This man had lost his mind. No. He was completely insane.
Min Ha-rin couldnt help but stand to her feet, throwing Slei to the ground.
Huk.
The image of an old man rolling helplessly on the ground would certainly have invoked some sense of sympathy in those who saw it, but Min Ha-rin didnt feel even the slightest hint of it.
If you dare move, your Bishop will lose his life right here in front of you. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
She wasnt joking.
Feeling the sincerity in her voice, the believers couldnt muster up the courage to approach Slei.
Contrary to her cold and unshakeable expression, Min Ha-rins insides were churning.
Ha-min, Ha-yun
She was worried about the current status of her younger siblings.
She couldnt help but wonder if they were seriously injured or, even worse, dead.
Min Ha-rin would never forgive Slei.
Tell your believers to stop trying to confront the Demons. Let them take the wounded and run away.
I cant do that.
Do you really intend to sacrifice everyone here?
They will not suffer! This is the death they all want!
Thats because they were all instigated and fooled by you. They dont understand what theyre doing.
Shut up! What do you know
Suddenly.
Sleis body began to shake.
This What the hell is this ominous power?
What are you playing at?
No. Its not like that. Something is coming.
What?
Slei didnt respond to the question, and instead, his eyes widened in dismay.
He was looking up at the sky.
The sky?
Following his gaze, Min Ha-rin also looked up at the sky.
!
Just in time to see something huge falling down.
Boom!
The ground immediately shattered, sending bits of stone flying in every direction. A dust cloud was immediately formed.
The force of the impact was so strong that it caused Min Ha-rin and the believers to lose their balance and stumble.
Squelch.
Something shot out from the dust cloud.
Without even taking the time to think about it, Min Ha-rin threw herself backwards, rolling a few times across the ground.
She had chosen to dodge instead of block whatever it was. In hindsight, this instinctive judgement had probably saved her life.
Crack!
K-, uhh
Kuk kuruk
Those who hadnt tried to dodge or those who hadnt realised what was happening were slowly lifted into the sky with their hearts pierced. In fact, even the believers who had tried to block the attack had died.
What the hell happened?
Min Ha-rin gulped slightly in fear of the unknown.
Finally, as the dust cloud slowly subsided, the appearance of the attacker was revealed.
It was a monster.
A huge, terrifying creature that was difficult to describe in words.
To put it bluntly, the giant monster appeared to be some kind of mixture between a slug and a centipede, with a mouth that seemed to take up almost half of its torso, and hundreds of wriggling tentacles that seemed to take the place for feet.
However, the thing that stood out the most was the monsters skin. No, it would be more accurate to call it a carapace.
The carapace glistened like metal, but it looked even stronger than that.
[So hungry]
Sipakna, the Monstrous Duke, said these words slowly as it pulled one of the dozen or so believers that had been pierced by its tentacles into its mouth. Its mouth, which was already grotesquely large, seemed to expand even further.
Crunch, crunch
A disgusting sound came from its mouth as spurts of blood shot past its teeth.
Believers! This is one of the Five Dukes!
Slei shouted out in a wicked voice.
The path to paradise has opened! Show me your bravery!
Ohhh!!
The Bishop has shown us the way!
The believers started rushing towards Sipakna as though they had been waiting for those words. They looked exactly like moths rushing towards a flame.
Slei then immediately turned and ran away without even the slightest hesitation.
This sight filled Min Ha-rin with rage.
This was so ridiculous that she couldnt even laugh. The one who was urging their believers to kill themselves probably feared death more than anyone else in the world.
She didnt even think about chasing after him. Min Ha-rin would never be able to turn her back on this tragedy.
What should I do?
Slei ran away, and the believers were all dying.
If she were to run away now, then she would be no better than Slei.
However, fighting this monster would be no different from suicide.
Because Im too weak
If she was strong enough, then she would have been able to defeat this monster.
Just as Min Ha-rin clenched her fist helplessly.
Paht!
A bright flash of light came from above.
* * *
He knew Lukas Trowman.
Clang!
Kasajins fist swung towards Lukas again.
Once again, there was contact. In truth, when fighting against him, it wouldnt be strange if his opponents were to explode into bits of flesh and blood after his attacks, but that wasnt the case now.
Lukas turned to look at him.
Even from the moment the fight had begun, Kasajin had yet to receive any damage. No spell he used seemed to be able to pierce through his devilish energy. Because of this, the fight began to take a one-sided appearance, and it seemed that it would end at any moment.
His long-time friend would soon die by his hand.
Or, at least, that was how it seemed.
how long had it been since I had that thought?
One step.
It would only take one more step to kill Lukas, but he couldnt do it.
That thought appeared in his head again.
He knew Lukas Trowman.
Lukas wasnt the type to fight a battle that he had no chance of winning, and he was the type to find a way to reverse the positions even if he was so disadvantaged that he couldnt even lift a finger.
At the very least, this guy was not someone he could defeat without using every ounce of his strength.
After all, it was only because he was such a man that Kasajin had been willing to risk his life for him in the past.
He is up to something.
He was using his external force, but he was bearing the burden with his soul.
But it couldnt be just that. Kasajin could tell just by looking at his eyes.
Lukas was hiding something. It was just that he couldnt tell what exactly he was hiding.
However, the reason he was so concerned about it was because he knew Lukass personality well, and he knew
It might be able to threaten me.
It wasnt easy for a mortal to become an Absolute. In fact, it was easier to say that it was almost impossible. Especially for humans who were nothing more than worms in the eyes of most cosmic species.
It was a different matter for beings like him, who had completely abandoned their humanity by accepting other powers and twisting their beliefs.
You havent changed.
Lukas, on the other hand, had become an Absolute without changing himself. And as an Absolute, Kasajin knew just how hard that was.
Of course, there were still some things that changed.
The Lukas of the past was not so taciturn. He had his fears, and he made mistakes.
In other words, he was human, imperfect.
The only Absolute who favours humans, Madman.
Truly, that title fits him well.
Babump.
Kasajin felt his heart thump loudly for the first time in tens of thousands of years. In fact, the feeling was so strange that it even took him by surprise. After all, hed thought that hed lost his emotions a very long time ago, but it seemed that there were still some left over.
In his heart, an emotion that shouldnt have existed within Demon King Kasajin began to rear its head.
It was an eruption of fighting spirit.
I want to fight him.
He didnt want to one-sidedly hit a guy who was worrying about the universe as Lukas was now.
He wanted to fight against Lukas Trowman as he gave it his all.
[]
Kasajin stopped attacking and stepped back. Instead of launching an attack of his own, Lukas, who had been focused on defense, also took a step back.
The first one to open his mouth was Kasajin.
[I want to make a proposal.]
A proposal?
Lukas raised an eyebrow.
Thats unexpected. Isnt it much simpler to try to kill me now?
[No. It would be a much harder and uncertain path. After all, I dont know how many poisonous daggers you are hiding away.]
Even in the past, he had been well known for his animal-like instincts.
That was why he had always been slightly wary of whatever trump cards Lukas was hiding.
He was certain of their presence.
After staying silent for a while, Lukas opened his mouth.
Tell me about this proposal.
[My reason for coming to this land was to retrieve one of the Top Three, Kran. He is a Hybrid, and he is the only one of the three who can be considered perfect.]
Do you intend to use Kran to deceive the laws of this universe?
[The laws of this universe are of no importance to me. I dont care about this worlds balance or whether this dimension collapses or not.]
That was true.
Unlike Lukas, Kasajin had never tried to restrain his powers.
Then why do you want to take Kran?
[That man will be an important element in commencing the Great Game. He is also an indispensable component in order for me to achieve the orders I was given.]
what are you trying to say?
[It wont be a bad thing for you either. Give him to me. Then the amount of Absolute energy this universe can handle will increase to an absurd extent. In other words]
For the first time, Kasajins lips twisted into a terrifying facsimile of a smile.
[You and I will be able to fight to our hearts content.]
Book: 2: Chapter 133
Book 2: Chapter 133 Kasajin had said earlier that his win rate against Lukas was ninety percent.
In other words, out of ten fights, he won nine times.
However, this win rate would be completely different if their fights werent always governed by sparring rules. After all, it couldnt be said Kasajin was much stronger than Lukas, if at all.
This wasnt a simple comparison between a normal Wizard and Magic Warrior. Lukas true strength could only be displayed on a battlefield where his life was on the line.
Fearsome concentration, composure, situational awareness, quick thinking, and, most importantly, fanatical desire for victory.
These were traits that truly made Lukas who he was, traits that were impossible to properly showcase in a light-hearted spar.
Because there is no risk to his life.
Naturally, there was no reason for them to risk their lives to fight each other back then.
However, it was different now.
Demon King Kasajin and Absolute Lukas had completely different beliefs. Conflicting beliefs.
What do you intend to do to Kran?
[Kill him.]
Kasajin answered truthfully.
[It was destined from the moment he was born. You could even call it his fate.]
Fate.
You used to hate that word.
[That, too, is a thing of the past.]
Lukas shook his head.
I refuse.
[Why?]
Because I dont believe you.
[I dont have any reason to lie. If there was something I wanted to hide, then I wouldnt have mentioned it in the first place.]
[Isnt my proposal beneficial to you as well? Look at yourself. In your current state, you probably wouldnt even be a match for Nodiesop.]
His words were true.
If the tolerance of the universe was to increase, the person who would have the most to gain would be Lukas.
However, he couldnt just believe the words of Demon King Kasajin, the right hand of the Black Horned Demon God.
At least that was the truth.
The fact that he hadnt overtly told any lies.
And that he would never mention it if he had something to hide.
Tell me everything youre hiding. If you cant do that, then I cant accept your offer.
Of course, Kasajin would never do what Lukas requested.
Instead, he spoke in a blunt tone.
[Is there really no room for negotiation?]
[However, it doesnt matter, Lukas. Because I dont care about your opinion.]
So you want to fight again?
[No. Ive already made up my mind. I wont fight you until this universe becomes a proper field.]
As if to prove his words, the aura radiating from Kasajins body disappeared. It seemed that he really didnt have any intention of fighting Lukas at that moment.
[Kran will fall into my hands even if I just wait here.]
Because of the Five Dukes? It wont be easy.
[You have that much faith in Sedi Glaston? Well, it certainly was a good idea to use her now that shes a mortal. But she alone wont be enough.]
Kasajin looked down while muttering.
[Do you think that was all I had up my sleeve?]
* * *
The flash of light flew to the ground before wrapping itself around Sipaknas body like a chain, binding his movements.
Min Ha-rins mouth unconsciously fell open at the sudden development.
Now!
Following the urgent cry, a sharp streak of light appeared.
It was a man wielding a sword.
The man fell from the sky at an astonishing speed, his sword pointed towards Sipakna, and his cloak billowing heroically behind him.
It was almost as if his sword and body had combined to form a divine spear.
Crack!
Nevertheless, his fierce attack was for naught. Instead of piercing through and slaying the large monster, the mans sword broke apart.
But the man didnt seem surprised by this. He simply clicked his tongue and threw a grenade into Sipaknas mouth as he retreated.
Boom!
In an instant, Sipaknas body swelled up like an inflated balloon. After the loud explosion, black smoke began to billow from its enormous mouth.
But that was all. Seemingly unaffected by the explosion, Sipakna twisted its body violently, causing the chains of light around its body to shatter.
Then, a few of its tentacles shot towards the man.
Papapapa!
As he retreated, the man cut down the approaching tentacles with a kukri that had seemingly appeared in his hand.
Min Ha-rin looked at this scene in shock.
The mans movements had been smooth, fast, and powerful, without even the slightest hesitation or excess.
Something that she wouldnt be able to do even if her life depended on it.
In other words, they were on completely different levels.
The monster merged with the other monster to become an even bigger monster.
Suddenly, a familiar cynical voice sounded. Sarch* The N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Hoh, Im surprised youre still alive.
Sedi.
She looked at Min Ha-rin with a slightly cold gaze, but it was only for a moment. Immediately after making her presence known, she began to assist the man with the staff in her hands.
The sight of hundreds of tentacles being fended off by only two people was so amazing that it would make any onlooker speechless. This was especially true for Min Ha-rin, who was only a short distance away from them.
Are you alright?
When she heard the concerned voice and turned around, she saw a person standing there with an unbelievable appearance. Their pure white hair and white eyes made them seem distinctly inhuman. In fact, it felt more like they were an angel of some sort.
Their gentle voice matched their appearance perfectly.
You
Im Arid.
Arid
Yes.
Arid smiled softly before continuing.
We will take care of the Demon. So can you Ah. Im sorry, may I ask your name?
Min Ha-rin.
then Miss Ha-rin, can you please help us evacuate the believers?
Id love to, but the believers wont listen to me.
Min Ha-rin muttered in a sad voice.
They wont move without Bishop Sleis orders.
They will listen to me.
You?
Just as Arid nodded with a slightly stiff expression, a dazzling white light appeared behind his back. This wasnt an illusion. It was real.
A beautiful light covered his entire body, and for a moment, it truly seemed that an angel had descended.
At that moment, Min Ha-rin realised who this person was.
By chance are you the real Saint?
Arid didnt answer immediately.
A lot of thoughts were swirling around in his head at that moment. To put it bluntly, he was looking back on his life so far.
Then, after seemingly coming to a decision, he nodded his head in a determined manner.
Yeah. Im the Saint of Salvation.
Min Ha-rin, who had asked the question, would never be able to know.
Just how hard it was for Arid to say those words.
He turned away, his eyes drawn to the believers who were rushing towards the Demon Duke, on their way to a meaningless death.
This was Sleis sin, but at the same time, it was something that he had to atone for as well.
[Believers.]
That single word was enough to cause the believers to stop.
[Please, heed my words.]
It was a voice similar to the one Slei used to incite the believers, but it felt much holier than his.
[I humbly apologise, for our Church of Eternal Life has cheated and deceived you.]
Book: 2: Chapter 134
Book 2: Chapter 134 As Arid made the believers listen to him by mixing his voice with Brilliance, Sedi watched on with a sneer.
I cant believe hes taking the time to persuade that trash. What a waste of energy.
Kran inwardly agreed with that statement, but he didnt show it.
Arid, the Saint of Salvation, was one of the Top Three.
He was born with an incredible power called Brilliance.
With his power, he had been able to heal Kran and Sedi, who had been severely injured from their fight with Ugkas and Sipakna, in an instant.
It wasnt just their injuries that were healed.
Even the fatigue that had built up in their bodies had disappeared.
Although, my demonic energy was not replenished.
But asking for that as well would just be greedy.
Instead, they were grateful that Arids holy energy did not conflict with the demonic energy in their bodies.
Even if we regained our stamina, at this rate, we wont win.
Youre right.
Kran nodded at Sedis words.
At best, they could only cut off a few tentacles or slightly damage Sipaknas new metal shell. If nothing changed, they would be the ones to eventually be at a disadvantage.
Im slowly using up all my equipment.
Out of all his weapons, which could pile up to form a mountain, Kran only had three useful swords left.
What about the gun that you used to take out the tin can? Can you use it again?
You make it sound easy.
Those bullets werent items that he had tons of like normal bullets.
Of course, even if he had more, he couldnt use it at the moment. This was because despite his condition being better, he didnt have the demonic energy to activate Burnout.
No matter how good the cars condition was, it wouldnt be able to move without gas.
This was also the reason why he was fighting in his human form rather than his true, demonic form.
however, my regeneration is still available.
Kran frowned slightly.
His opponent was one of the Five Dukes, and somehow, it had managed to obtain the power of Ugkas as well.
In such a situation, he would have no choice but to gamble and risk his life.
Hed just thrown a demon grenade into its body, but it seemed to have only a slight effect. This was proof that it had incredible defense or regenerative ability on the outside and the inside.
When I put the demon grenade in its mouth just now, it seemed to have an effect.
Do you intend to attack it from the inside? How?
By going inside of it.
When Kran said those words, Sedis expression became strange.
youre not thinking about actually going into its mouth, are you?
It seems you are a bit smart after all.
It didnt seem like he was joking.
At that moment, Sedi wanted to press her hands against her temples, but she couldnt afford to.
Sipakna had consumed Ugkas. In other words, it had swallowed his extremely durable body and digested it, either with its gastrointestinal fluids or some other means.
And yet, Kran wanted to step into that monsters mouth of his own volition.
Youre really crazy.
My regeneration is still active. So it will be a gamble. Whether I can kill him first or whether he can digest me first.
His voice was cold, but when she looked at him, she realised that he wasnt worried at all.
Im not the one who made him do it.
So she had no reason to stop him.
What do you want me to do?
Hold the tentacles back.
Taht.
After saying that, Kran charged forward without waiting for a response.
Sedi clicked her tongue in annoyance before following him.
She lamented the fact that she had to deal with tentacles all day long.
However, their plan was thwarted before it could even commence.
Thump-
!
As he ran forward, Kran suddenly collapsed.
It happened so quickly and without warning that even Sedi was shocked.
Hey!
Sedi rushed towards Kran, but before she could reach him, his body rose into the air and flew somewhere.
It wasnt to Sipakna. This large monster had also stopped moving. Its tentacles remained frozen in place.
Pong-
Instead, it was a drop of water.
The drop of water slowly grew larger before finally taking on the appearance of a man.
It was a face that Sedi was familiar with.
This is a surprise. What brings you here? Did you come to look at the ocean?
Watch your mouth, mortal. Do you think you and I are still in the same position?
Thud.
A huge amount of pressure weighed down Sedis shoulders. Her knees began to creak, and her thighs felt like they would be torn apart.
Nevertheless, she refused to kneel. That was out of her pride as a former Absolute.
Instead, she spat out in a harsh voice.
Nodiesop, did you decide to wag your tail for the Demon King in the end?
Nodiesop sneered.
Its just an alliance. And even if I did, its still better than you, Sedi Glaston.
Kuk.
You fell from grace. No, you were stripped. I cant even bear to look at you. If I were you, I would have already killed myself by now.
He shook his head slowly before spreading his arms.
How about this? Instead of just killing you, I will completely destroy you. That way, you wont have to be stuck in the cycle of reincarnation. I think it is the best end for a being who used to be an Absolute.
Enough of your bullsh*t.
Even though she appeared calm as she said those words, Sedis hands, which were wrapped around the staff, were white.
To say that this situation was the worst would be an understatement,
It would probably be better to fight ten Sipaknas at the same time.
Nodiesop didnt need to rest or sleep.
Sedi, who was now a mortal, had no chance of defeating him.
I dont know what to do, Father.
A drop of sweat rolled down the back of Sedis neck.
I think I really might die this time.
* * *
In a ruined city sat beneath an ominous black sky, unknown screams ripped through the air and mysterious vibrations shook the ground.
In this place, which seemed like a world on the brink of destruction, a melancholic voice resounded.
[The souls you saw were not your family members.]
The believers of the Church of Eternal Life stared at Arid with blank expressions.
This was their first time seeing Arid. Because Slei and Reika always made sure to hide him away thoroughly.
Nevertheless, the believers instinctively felt that Arid was an extraordinary being.
The Brilliance which encapsulated his body was the best proof of that.
[Im sorry.]
Arid apologised.
His voice was filled with sincerity and regret.
In the end, it was his indecisiveness that had caused the situation to become what it was.
This wasnt a hypocritical self-sacrifice. They were his genuine thoughts.
Swallowing the wave of remorse and regret, Arid continued.
[The souls you met were nothing more than copies of your loved ones personalities that had been imprinted on wandering souls. They were no different from the relatives you had and lost, but they were also not truly them. Our Church of Eternal Life cheated and deceived you.]
what are you talking about?
Copies of their personalities? You deceived us?
For the first time, the believers looked confused.
They looked at Arid with disbelieving expressions.
Their eyes widened, and their bodies shook. It was almost as if they were about to be consumed by fear.
[I know that it might be hard to accept. I know the depth of your wounds.]
After saying that, Arid shook his head.
[No. I dont know.]
It wasnt something that he could understand.
[However, I know that it is unforgivable. Thats why I wont ask for your forgiveness I will bear all the blame.]
It was then.
A middle-aged woman at the front of the group approached Arid.
A-, are you the Saint?
Yes. Thats right.
liar.
Huh?
Stop lying!
The womans face contorted to become like a demons as she charged towards Arid and began to strangle him.
Ku-, urk! Sear?h the ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Y-, y-, yo-, you are just impersonating the Saint, arent you? D-, d-, do you think we would fall for your tricks?! B-, Bishop would never lie to us!
He couldnt breathe.
As he was being choked, Arid could see the fanatical belief that flashed in the womans eyes.
It was only then when he realised just how deep the darkness in their hearts truly was. Perhaps, in their hearts, they already knew the truth.
Theres no way that they couldnt tell Arids identity by his hair, eyes, and the brilliance that enveloped his body.
Nevertheless
They did not want to accept it.
H-, h-, heathen! This is blasphemy!
As she shouted this, the middle-aged woman threw Arid to the ground.
Crack!
Huk!
Then she began to stomp on him. On his head, on his face. His cheeks quickly became numb.
Most of his Brilliance had already been used, so he had no way to heal himself. His white skin soon became covered in red blood.
But that was only the beginning.
It was as if a wind of madness had overtook the believers. The mobs fear transformed into a need for violence. Maybe it was because of the many things they had been through that day, but it seemed that none of them were able to make rational decisions.
Hes the Devils servant!
Everyone, dont be shaken!
O-, ohh. Bishop, Saint. Where the hell are you?
Teach us! Show us the way!
As they screamed madly, they stomped and beat his body.
Soon, he felt nothing but pain.
Nevertheless, it was the pain in his heart that hurt him more than the physical pain.
Tears began to flow from his white eyes.
Ahh Grandfather.
Youve done such a terrible thing.
Book: 2: Chapter 135
Book 2: Chapter 135 After leaving the believers to Arid, Min Ha-rin had gone after Slei.
Fortunately, she was able to see his figure not too far in the distance.
He was crushed beneath the rubble of a collapsed building.
Ah Uhh Ahhh
What happened to him?
Had the building collapsed without giving him time to escape? She wasnt sure. And in all honesty, she didnt really care.
Nevertheless, Min Ha-rin couldnt help but feel a bit nauseous when she went closer.
The rubble from the building had crushed the lower half of Sleis body. With the state he was in, it seemed that he was completely unable to move. From the blood that pooled on the ground, it was clear that any normal person would have long since died of these injuries.
Nevertheless, she didnt think that Slei was going to die. After all, this old man had monstrous vitality and regeneration capabilities. He had managed to fully recover from a worse state than this one.
Of course, it wasnt the sight of his crushed body that made her stomach turn.
Instead, the thing that truly disgusted her was the fact that he had sent everyone to their deaths but he was now here, desperately trying to survive.
Seemingly noticing her presence, Slei turned to look at Min Ha-rin, a gleam appearing within his eyes.
P-, please help me.
It was unbelievable.
Min Ha-rin was so shocked that she didnt even feel angry.
Help yourself.
I-, its impossible for me right now. Y-, you are a hunter, so you should be able to lift this rubble, shouldnt you?
When Min Ha-rin didnt respond, Sleis voice became more desperate.
P-, please. H-, h-, hu-, huk. I know you dont like me. But I couldnt help it. Im sorry. Im really sorry
Crunch.
As she looked at the sniveling old man, Min Ha-rin didnt feel even the slightest shred of sympathy.
Instead, she became filled with rage.
This was because she knew. Slei was only pretending to be remorseful in order to get her help.
how?
How could such a person exist?
She couldnt believe that they were of the same race.
Min Ha-rin wished the old man in front of her had been a Demon. If he was, she would have been able to slit his throat without even the slightest hesitation.
No. If that were the case
What is the difference between a Demon and a human?
Suddenly.
A muffled sound came from the distance. Sar?h the N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
It came from the place Min Ha-rin had left not so long ago. She turned and looked towards the source of the noise, her expression becoming stiff.
Then, without a single word, she turned to look at Slei again.
As he looked at the cold expression on Min Ha-rins face, Slei felt fear.
am I really scared of this little brat?
Was it because he was injured? Because he no longer had any Brilliance?
No. It was neither of those.
It was because Min Ha-rin, who was looking down at him with an expressionless face, seemed to be exuding an indescribable pressure.
As if to shake off his fear, Slei spoke in a cracked, desperate voice.
M-, my grandson has special powers!
You must have seen it earlier, right? That child named Arid. H-, he was born from a miracle. If there is anything you want, you can ask that child. For his grandfather, that child, that child would give you anything
So that man is your grandson.
Krrr
After saying that, Min Ha-rin lifted the debris that was crushing Sleis body.
H-, huh?????n????????????????????. ????????????
Sleis eyes widened in surprise.
After all, he didnt think shed actually listen to him.
Unfortunately, he was right. Min Ha-rin hadnt cleared away the rubble to save Sleis life.
Crack!
She grabbed Slei by the neck and began dragging him in a certain direction. The direction of the previous explosion.
L-, let go of me!
Slei began to struggle once again.
He realised that she was taking him towards a higher point.
Was this crazy bitch going to throw him off of a building?
When he had this thought, Sleis heart sank. In his current condition, if he were to be dropped from such a height, he really would die.
But Min Ha-rin didnt throw Slei to the ground.
Instead, she stood at the top of the building and gestured towards a spot with her chin.
Look over there.
Where?
There.
Slei wasnt sure where she was talking about at first. After all, his physical condition was a mess and his vision was very blurry. However, after blinking and concentrating for a few moments, he was able to properly look in the direction Min Ha-rin was pointing at.
There, he saw a dozen or so people gathered in a cloud of dust.
He wasnt entirely sure, but it seemed that they were excitedly stomping on someone.
There was no mercy in their kicks and stomps, almost as if they were exacting vengeance upon an enemy.
It was violence that could only stem from pure malice.
This was a sight that Slei had already seen many times before. He knew just how ugly humans truly were, especially in extreme situations like this one. It wasnt uncommon for them to kill someone after just a few words or gestures.
Nevertheless, Sleis expression soon hardened.
Because he realised who the victim of this violence was.
His grandson, Arid.
W-, why?
Sleis voice shook slightly as he spoke.
Why are they beating him up like that? W-, with that childs powers, he shouldnt have a hard time dealing with a group of believers
Your grandson was trying to persuade them. He wanted to clear up the misunderstanding, atone for the wrongdoings, and, above all, save them. Unlike you, who ran away because you wanted to save yourself, he faced the victims and apologised.
!
Apologised? Arid?
But that child
He didnt do anything wrong.
I dont know much about your Church of Eternal Life. But its pretty obvious that you used him.
She had only met Arid for a brief moment, but she was able to see how innocent he was from that single meeting.
If there was anyone who could be considered blameless in this situation, it would be Arid.
There is no way such a person could cheat and deceive people. If that were the case, then he would have run away with Slei without even thinking about persuading the believers.
Even if that person was guilty of something, it would be minuscule compared to what you have done.
Sleis mind was blank at that moment.
She was right.
After all, Slei actually knew the truth, not just conjectures like Min Ha-rin.
Arid was the type who would always smile brightly and think about others before himself, even in this cold, dark world He was the Saint whom everyone longed for.
That was the type of person he was.
What are you feeling right now?
Min Ha-rin was genuinely curious.
She wondered how he felt as he watched his grandson be brutally beaten for something he had done.
She wanted to know. She needed to know.
And when she heard his answer, then she would be able to decide.
Just how she would treat Slei.
* * *
Even kicks could kill a person.
As he lay huddled on the ground, Arid couldnt help but have this thought.
At some point, it seemed the surroundings had calmed down. Of course, that wasnt truly the case.
The believers were still stomping on him with crazed expressions.
However, their gazes seemed to be far away.
if my death can alleviate their anger
Then he could give up his life without much regret.
But a thought suddenly occurred to him.
Was that really the fundamental reason for his actions?
Or was this some kind of hypocritical self-sacrifice in order to make himself feel better?
But I dont know what else to do.
He had never learned.
In all of his twenty or so years of life, he had never been taught how to think for himself and draw his own conclusions.
Nevertheless, Arid knew one thing.
Choosing death in this situation was simply an escape.
He would just be running away from the tragic and horrific things that had happened around him without even trying to think of a solution.
Suddenly.
He saw the feet of someone walking towards the group.
Do you want me to tell you the answer?
This being seemed to be responding to Arids internal question. Arid couldnt see who the owner of this voice was.
When he focused his blurred vision, he saw a middle-aged man in a leather biker jacket.
Boom!
Then, lightning struck.
If the things that lit up the sky before were only sparks that imitated lightning, then this was real lightning.
The white lightning was so bright that it seemed to burn his retinas. The believers of the Church of Eternal Life were also sent flying in every direction.
Arid looked around with a shocked expression.
Crackle crackle
Sparks of electricity danced around the middle aged mans body.
Its really interesting. All the transcendent beings are crammed together in this tiny land.
Letip looked down at Arid, his eyes shining with amusement.
Nice to meet you, Communicator.
Book: 2: Chapter 136
Book 2: Chapter 136 Ugh guh kuh huff, huff.
Cough, cough
The believers coughed up black smoke as they lay twitching on the ground.
They had been hit directly by the Absolute who was the right hand of the Lightning God.
Letip.
Nevertheless, the only reason they were still alive was because Letip had perfect control of his power.
However, he hadnt held back out of mercy or sympathy.
Who the hell are you?!
What the hell did you do to us?
Some of the believers, who hadnt been hit directly by the lightning, stared at him with wary gazes.
Letip grinned and snapped his finger.
Crackle!
This action caused lightning to shoot out of his fingers. In other words, the lightning simply appeared out of thin air.
The bolt of lightning swept forward in a straight line, easily cutting those believers in half.
In an instant, the believers died without even knowing what happened.
Huh?
One of the survivors muttered dumbly.????????????????e????????. ????????
This couldnt be helped. After all, this was the first time hed seen humans being killed as easily as bugs.
More importantly, their deaths had been completely silent. It had happened so quickly that they didnt even get the chance to kick up a fuss or scream.
I-, its a Demon!
Run away! (Note: At least theyre running now)
As if they had seen the God of Death himself, the believers all screamed and fled, their actions creating a lot of noise.
And, unfortunately for them, the thing Letip disliked the most was noise.
Crackle!
A bolt of blue lightning shot out from Letips forehead before spreading out in every direction. With a soft buzzing sound, it pierced the bodies of all the escaping believers.
In an instant, a heavy silence seemed to fall upon the area.
Now, its a bit quieter.
Letip smiled contentedly before turning to Arid once again.
Hi, there.
Arid stared at Letip with a blank expression on his face.
Ironically, the only person who had survived the catastrophe was Arid, who had been the target of malicious violence not so long before.
What did you do?
Its much easier to have a conversation when the place is quiet, so I cleaned up the area a little. Or would you rather move somewhere else entirely, Communicator?
Communicator
It was the first time hed ever heard of such a title.
Letip didnt seem particularly interested in Arids reaction. He simply stroked his chin before nodding.
Hmmm, your condition isnt the best but at least youre still alive. That should be good enough. Its not like Ill need you for long.
Huh?
Arid wasnt sure what was going on, but his body suddenly floated into the air.
Wary of this strange person, he struggled helplessly in the air.
W-, what do you intend to do?
Nothing much. I just need to take you with me.
Need to? Sh-, shouldnt you explain yourself first?
Thats fine. Its not like telling you will change anything.
For the first time in his life, Arid felt genuine fear.
This was truly a strange phenomenon.
Letips attitude has always been calm, gentle. His voice was soft, and a friendly smile always hung from his lips.
Nevertheless, Arid was deathly afraid of this man in front of him.
He struggled more desperately, but his actions were meaningless. It was as if he was bound by some kind of invisible rope.
S-, someone Anyone
Help me.
Just as that thought appeared in his mind
Stop.
Letip turned his head and looked behind him.
There, he saw a man and a woman staring at him.
It was a heavily injured old man and a woman with a cold expression.
Ah
Arids gaze turned to the old man.
Then, his eyes widened in surprise.
G-, Grandfather.
Bishop Slei.
Letip, on the other hand, displayed an expression of interest. He turned his body completely to face him.
I really enjoy watching your religious play. Its very fun and interesting. Only someone who has a good grasp of the dark side of humans could create such an elaborate play
he knows me.
This fact weighed heavily on Sleis heart.
He had used all of the remaining Brilliance in his body to heal his legs. In truth, even standing was an extremely difficult task for him at that moment.
Nevertheless, Slei remained standing.
His eyes turned to Arid, his only grandson.
The miracle child who had been born with the power of Brilliance.
At that moment, he couldnt even make eye contact with this child.
Sleis gaze returned to Letip.
May I ask what you intend to do with that child?
Thats not something you need to know.
Then Ill change my question. After your task, what will you do to Arid?
This was a question formed by Sleis age and experience.
He knew that Letip would probably not lie to him. After all, there was no need for him to do that. For him, the majority of humans, including Slei, was no different from the dust floating in the air.
Absolute.
This man was also an Absolute.
Just facing him right now was enough to cause his entire body to be drenched in cold sweat. He wanted nothing more than to run away from this place as fast as he could.
But Slei suppressed that desire with superhuman patience.
For now, at least.
He didnt want to show such a disgraceful and ugly appearance. At least not right now.
There are many ways to dispose of a tool after it has served its purpose.
Letip smiled before pointing towards Arid.
Is that why youre standing in front of me right now? Because youre anxious Ill damage or break your precious tool?
Arids eyes clouded over at that remark. Then he slowly lowered his head.
Slei bit his lip at the sight.
He had never seen his grandson make that kind of expression before.
No.
He had
He must have seen it dozens, no, hundreds of times before.
And yet, Slei had turned a blind eye to it every single time, ignoring the hurt and torment he begot to his own flesh and blood.
Thats not it.
Arid wasnt a tool.
He might have thought so not so long ago, but no more.
He is my grandson.
There wasnt a need for another reason.
The realisation of that simple fact was more than enough.
Even after suffering more than he ever had in his life today, it was only after seeing Arid getting unfairly attacked as a result of his actions that he was able to realise this.
Slei stared fiercely at Letip and took a firm step forward.
Im standing in front of you to save my grandson.
Arid lifted his head and looked at Slei in disbelief.
Slei wished he could know what he was thinking at that moment. He wanted to ask.
There were a lot of things he wanted to say, a lot he wanted to apologise for.
But maybe
How touching. Your love towards your flesh and blood seems to have awoken. Sar?h the ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
The touching reunion that Slei hoped for might never happen.
However, it seems that you misunderstood what I meant when I asked you why you were standing in front of me, so Ill rephrase.
Crackle.
Sparks bounced off of Letips body.
He slowly raised a finger.
Why are you, a mortal whom I can crush and kill without even trying, standing in front of me?
Book: 2: Chapter 137
Book 2: Chapter 137 For the vast majority of Absolutes, raw emotions like happiness or sadness were blunted.
It wasnt that they didnt feel it. It was just that it felt muted like sound underwater. To be more precise, it was like their emotions had been worn out.
This was because they had experienced many things over the years.
For them, life was but a never-ending journey, and the memories they had were like scenes outside a window. Regardless of who it was, after seeing the same thing hundreds of millions of times, you would become numb and tired of them.
The same was true for Nodiesop. Few things could make his heart move anymore.
That was why he was slowly enjoying himself this time.
For Absolutes like him, finding things like this, which could be considered fun or interesting, was quite rare.
Crack!
With a flick of his wrist, he destroyed Sedis arm. Nodiesop felt a bit bad for that. It was similar to the feeling one would have if one were to damage their favorite toy.
He couldnt help but lament for a moment.
He should have been more careful.
Nevertheless, the pleasure that swept across his spine at that moment was clear.
Contrary to Nodiesops leisure thoughts, Sedi was a mess.
Of her limbs, only her left side was still in relatively good condition. Her right leg dragged on the ground, and her right arm was now hanging limply at her side.
Now that she was a mortal, she couldnt fix her limbs in the same way she used to in the past.
In other words, for now, Sedi was crippled.
A former Absolute.
A being who had once stood at the peak of the multiverse had fallen from her position and become a mortal.
Nevertheless, she continued struggling to survive, unwilling to accept death.
This is so disgraceful, disgusting.
And stepping on a former Absolute like Sedi, slowly driving her to death, was a new and enjoyable experience for Nodiesop.
Why dont you scream, or even beg a little? You never know. Maybe it will create a bit of mercy or sympathy in my heart.
fuck you.
Sedi forced those words through her gritted teeth as she panted heavily. Instead of taking offense, Nodiesop simply laughed at her response.
After all, he didnt want her to scream. In fact, had that truly been the case, his excitement would have long since died down.
What Nodiesop really wanted was for Sedi to maintain her unyielding attitude until she took her very last breath.
Churung-
A droplet of water began to form in the air. This water droplet was so small that it was hard to see it unless one looked carefully.
Nevertheless, Sedis expression became a bit tense as she saw it.
Huff, huff
At that moment, the only thing she could hear was her own labored breathing.
She was so focused at that moment that even the hair on her body had stood up. This couldnt be helped.
After all, she knew that this small droplet of water was more dangerous than thousands of blades.
Piht-
Suddenly, the drop of water disappeared from her sight.
Sedi forcibly twisted her heavily injured body.
Despite her fast reaction, she felt the drop of water, which had just disappeared, fly past her neck. She hadnt been able to avoid it completely. sea??h th N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
She felt her neck become warm as a throbbing pain appeared. Even without looking, she knew that blood was flowing from her neck at that moment.
The neck was one of the vital points of a mortal body. If she hadnt avoided that attack, she might have died.
no. Thats not true.
Nodiesop had intentionally allowed her to survive.
Hed made sure to attack at a speed that she would barely be able to react to.
Son of a bitch.
Sedi was furious.
He was toying with her.
If Nodiesop really wanted to kill her, Sedi would have already become a cold corpse by now.
I have to catch him off guard.
This factor usually created the most important variable to help the weak defeat the strong.
But if the difference in power between the two sides was too large, then it would be meaningless.
After all, nothing would change if a tiger decided to sleep in front of a baby.
Then why do I still not want to give up?
Did she still expect help?
In reality, Lukas was the only one who could help her out of her current situation.
But she knew that he was also in a situation where he couldnt easily care about others.
More importantly.
Its not that.
Sedi shook her head.
She wasnt waiting for anyones help.
The reason she was still struggling so desperately despite being toyed with and humiliated by Nodiesop, was actually quite simple.
She just didnt want to die.
She wanted to live.
Crack!
Her left foot, which had been the only thing supporting her body, was finally crushed as well. No matter how powerful she might be, even Sedi couldnt stand without her legs. Helpless, she could only fall onto her face.
Hoo.
Nodiesop finally shook his head.
It had been fun, but it was time to put an end to it. After all, even as he had his fun, he hadnt forgotten his task. He glanced to the side.
Sipakna, one of the Five Dukes.
This monster in the shape of a slug had been watching on from the side with an unconscious Kran bound by its tentacles.
It was waiting for Nodiesop to finish playing with Sedi.
Thanks for letting me have some fun, Sedi Glaston. Now, Ill send you on your way.
Woowoong.
External force appeared around Nodiesops hand.
He had a sincere expression on his face.
He honestly believed that it was better for a former absolute to be completely destroyed than for them to become a mortal and get caught in the cycle of reincarnation.
And that was something that Nodiesop could do. With the external force that all Absolutes could use, it would be quite easy to completely erase a soul from existence.
It was then that Sedi muttered.
wrong.
What was that?
You said my name wrong.
Sedi spoke in a strained voice.
My name is Sedi Trowman.
Nodiesop frowned at those words.
He knew who the surname Trowman came from.
Pathetic.
He sneered slightly.
Pop-
Then, droplets of water began to appear in the air.
These were much bigger than the ones before, and they were a deep red as if they were made of blood instead of water.
All he had to do was shoot them forward.
And it would all be over
But he couldnt.
Nodiesop froze.
The drops of water that had condensed in the air all disappeared.
Sedi hadnt taken her eyes off of him for a moment. So she noticed immediately.
Nodiesops expression had been relaxed before, but now his face was stiff.
Then, he slowly raised his head and looked at the sky.
As if controlled by an unknown force, Sedi imitated him.
In the instant that she saw the being standing above them.
Ah
She subconsciously let out a soft cry.
Haha.
Which was immediately followed by a bout of weak laughter.
Why was he here?
Wasnt he fighting the Demon King?
Did he accomplish his goal?
Even as all of these questions flashed in her mind, a warm sense of security filled her body at that moment.
In that moment, she felt like she could no longer feel the intense pain that came from every part of her body.
Right. This was what it felt like to be protected by someone.
I thought it would be disgusting or unsightly.
It wasnt.
Her mouth twitched slightly. Her heart felt strange, and for some reason, she felt embarrassed.
Nevertheless, at that moment, she was really happy.
you were really, really late.
Sedi looked up at the sky and smiled.
No.
I almost died, Father.
She looked up at Lukas and smiled.
Book: 2: Chapter 138
Book 2: Chapter 138 Lukas slowly descended from the sky, landing just in front of Sedi. Then, he looked down at the panting Sedi and spoke slowly.
Thanks. For staying alive.
ha. Id appreciate it if you came faster next time.
Sedi meant those words. Maybe it was because of Lukas appearance, but the tension in her body had evaporated. The little strength she had left faded away, and her eyelids drooped.
Noticing her fatigue, Lukas nodded.
You can rest now.
right. Ill get some rest, then.
Sedi lost consciousness immediately after saying those words.
She was very hurt, but at least she wasnt at risk of dying at that moment.
As expected, you act just like a human.
This mocking voice came from none other than Nodiesop. His gaze swept over Lukas entire body.
Although he didnt appear to be heavily injured, it couldnt be said that he was in good condition. This was natural. After all, he had just exchanged blows with the Demon King.
But the fact that he came to this place
Did that mean that hed defeated Kasajin?
No.
At the very least, Nodiesop knew that such a thing was impossible.
He knew just how powerful Kasajin was, and he also knew that Lukas would never use his full power in this universe.
Therefore, Lukas couldnt defeat the Demon King.
Thud-
As if to confirm Nodiesops conjecture, Kasajin landed not too far away from him. His body was overflowing with thick devilish energy.
Incidentally, the position Kasajin took was, unfortunately, behind Nodiesop.
Nodiesop wasnt sure if it was a coincidence or not, but the positions of Lukas and Kasajin gave the impression that they were surrounding him.
You stopped your fight to come here. Did you decide to join hands?
Although Nodiesop mentioned this possibility in a calm tone, his expression oozed negativity.
If his assumption was indeed true, then the person who would be at the most risk in this situation was none other than him.
However, the answer to his question didnt come for either Lukas or Kasajin. Instead, it came from a third party.
They didnt.
Boom!
A white bolt of lightning struck the ground, and someone emerged from the resulting dust cloud.
Nodiesops expression hardened, even more, when he saw this person.
It was Letip, the last Absolute to come to this universe.
Why are you here?
Everyone else is here, so I came to see what you guys were up to. Id feel lonely if I got left out.
It was a joke. Dont make that face.
Letip snickered slightly.
Nodiesop frowned at his attitude.
Youre on Lukas side, arent you?
You could say that. If two Absolutes decide to join forces to kill Lukas, then as a neutral party, I have no choice but to help the weaker side.
Ha.
Nodiesop sneered derisively.
His gaze turned to Kasajin.
Demon King, didnt you say that your goal was to kill Lukas? Why did it suddenly change?
[My goal hasnt changed. Its just been delayed slightly. Im still going to use all I have to kill Lukas.]
That absurd remark left Nodiesop speechless for a while.
[As for why I havent killed Letip Thats because the Demon God didnt want me to.]
What?
Demon God.
He was talking about the Black Horned Demon God.
Letip looked at Nodiesop with a smile.
Its the same for you, Nodiesop. The one you follow also wants you to follow my orders while were here.
him too
He knew it wasnt a lie.
No matter how laid back Letip was, he wouldnt dare to do that.
To tell a lie about a Ruler? No Absolute could even imagine doing something so crazy.
Except for a psycho like Lukas.
What the hell for?
[Letip will explain everything later.]
Letip shrugged his shoulders as if to say that it couldnt be helped, but Nodiesop wasnt so easily appeased.
I dont understand.
You, me, and the Demon King all three of us follow different Rulers, and all of them want the Madman to die.
It was incredibly rare for the Rulers to agree on something. Of course, that didnt necessarily mean that they would work together. After all, just because they had the same goal didnt mean they had to join hands.
if my Master has ordered that I listen to you, then I naturally will. However, does he need to hear what you intend to say?
Nodiesops eyes were filled with killing intent.
Wouldnt it be better to just kill this guy before having a conversation among ourselves?
No.
Letip shook his head calmly.
Unfortunately, Lukas is the key to what were about to hear. Without him, the conversation cant proceed.
Nodiesop appeared unconvinced, but everyone else had already agreed. Nevertheless, the most decisive reason for his acceptance was Kasajins reaction. The Demon King, who was his only ally in this place, remained silent, so Nodiesop decided to not argue any further.
Letip calmly looked around at the group.
It seemed that these three Absolutes with completely different personalities finally understood.
Then let me get the tool first.
Letip seemed to push his hand through space before pulling it out again.
When he pulled his hand out, in it was a human.
An unconscious, white-haired human.
A human that Lukas knew.
Arid?
That used to be its name.
Letip spoke in a cheerful voice.
Anger appeared in Lukas eyes.
What do you intend to do to him?
I have to use it.
What?
Those who didnt know Lukas wouldnt have noticed that his expression became colder the more Letip spoke.
Absolute Letip.
Despite the volatile situation, he had suddenly appeared between Lukas and Kasajin in a bright flash of light.
In truth, Lukas was a bit happy when Letip first appeared. This was because he was hostile towards Kasajin. If he were to participate in the fight, he would be a useful card in turning this desperate situation around.
In fact, it was thanks to his appearance that he was able to come here so quickly, which allowed him to prevent Sedis death.
Nevertheless, Lukas wasnt entirely sure about his intentions yet
I cant trust him completely.
Letip wasnt an enemy, but he couldnt be called an ally either.
Ttak-
Letip snapped his finger.
In an instant, a bolt of lightning shot out from his finger and into Arids body.
Ahhhhh!
Arids body began to shake as he let out a terrible scream.
This lightning bolt was no ordinary lightning bolt. Letip had injected a portion of his external force into the lightning bolt. Had it been an ordinary mortal, they would have immediately exploded.
In that regard, Arids power was great. He was able to resist Letips external force to an extent.
However
He cant last much longer.
If this continued, Arid would die.
Lukas looked at Letip.
Stop.
Letip responded without even turning to him.
Why?
He might die if you continue.
Thats not for certain. I heard you had great faith in humans. Dont you think he can withstand this little pain? Is your title of Human Saviour just for show?
Do not abuse the word faith.
Kukuku.
Letip chuckled, but he still didnt stop the flow of the lightning.
Then you should try stopping me yourself. Though, Im not sure if our two friends here would let you.
Sure.
The actions that followed was something that even Letip hadnt been able to predict.
Lukas really cast a spell at him after saying that.
You really are a madman.
As he dodged the spell, Letip recalled the name Lukas was given by the other Absolutes.
He didnt expect that he would risk breaking ties with him and giving the enemy a chance just to protect a single human.
No.
In a way, this response was natural.
After all, the reason he became an Absolute was to protect humans, so watching such a scene directly conflicted with his identity as an Absolute.
His independence really is strong enough to make one envious.
Letip shook his head.
Hey, hey. Stop. I was just joking. The Communicator wont die from something like this. Besides, it wont take that long See? Its already over.
At those words, Lukas stopped attacking.
Ah u-, uhhh
Arids eyes rolled into the back of his head, and his mouth opened, allowing white mist to pour out. This white mist then gathered together before taking the form of a door that led to another space.
Letip looked at the door in admiration. Sar?h the N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Haha. Its as amazing as I expected. Ive seen quite a few Communicators by now, but this one is by far the strongest!
what did you do?
Connected this universe to another universe Well, its not another universe, per se, but more like a temporary dimension.
A temporary dimension?
Right. We should hurry. We wouldnt want to keep them waiting for too long.
Nodiesops expression hardened when he heard that.
He slowly turned his head and looked at the dimensional door.
do you mean that in there
Right.
At that moment, Lukas realised what he was about to say before Letip could even open his mouth.
The Rulers.
Book: 2: Chapter 139
Book 2: Chapter 139 Huge thrones.
No, calling them huge was not enough. This was because they were so large that they far exceeded what a mortal being could conceive.
To put it in simple terms, every single one of these thrones was as large as a planet.
There were four of these thrones floating in this space.
It was a sight so magnificent that it would leave anyone who saw it speechless.
At first glance, it seemed that no one was sitting on these thrones, but Lukas and the other Absolutes knew that wasnt the case.
On each of these huge thrones sat a Ruler.
Of course, their physical bodies werent here.
There was an infinite number of universes in the multiverse, but there was no universe that could hold all four of the Rulers at the same time.
Instead, they all sent their wills to this place.
Nevertheless, that was enough to place immense pressure on all of the Absolutes who entered this space.
The Thunderous Lightning God.
The Black Horned Demon God.
The Sun God. (1)
And
It was only then when Lukas realised something.
Although there were four thrones in this space, one of them was empty.
[Kneel.]????n????????????d. ????om
It was a heavy voice that said this word.
Letip knelt on one knee with a soft smile on his lips. Nodiesop also knelt with a strange emotion on his face.
Only Lukas didnt kneel. No. It wasnt just Lukas.
Kasajin wasnt kneeling, either.
The Black Horned Demon King was also sitting on one of the thrones. According to Letip, Kasajin was his right hand, his Conqueror.
Nevertheless, Kasajin didnt seem to have the slightest hint of subservience for the Demon God.
Lukas felt that there might be some significance behind this fact, but he refrained from making any hasty conclusions.
[All of the main characters have arrived.]
This voice was strangely heavy but also light at the same time, creating a contradictory feeling.
This was a voice that Lukas had heard before.
[There are people Ive met and people Ive never seen before But since we dont have any time to waste, lets just skip the introductions and get straight to the point.]
The Thunderous Lightning God.
He seemed to be sitting on a throne made of pure gold.
[What Im about to tell you is the will of us Rulers.]
Us Rulers.
Those words caught Lukas ear.
He knew very well how good the relationship between the four Rulers was.
They had been at odds for a very long time, and not once had they ever tried to compromise or negotiate among themselves.
This was the fate of a Ruler.
For them, compromise was similar to lowering their head to another person. And for Rulers, such a thing was tantamount to denying the foundation of their existence, which was to rule over all things.
In the first place, the reason they were praised as Rulers and were able to stand above all Absolutes was because of their strong sense of independence that couldnt be influenced by any other being.
But now, all of the Rulers had agreed and were now going to tell them their unified opinion.
Lukas expression subconsciously became more serious at that moment.
* * *
[The Great Game will begin soon.]
This remark was basically a statement.
The Lightning Gods voice seemed to have a strange compulsion in it, as though anything he said would come to pass.
No matter how absurd it might have been.
[In fact, to be completely honest, it would have started already.]
It was another Ruler who said those words in a deep, gloomy voice.
It was probably the Ruler sitting on the black throne, the Black Horned Demon God. He wasnt visible, but Lukas could clearly feel the overwhelming killing intent that he emitted.
[If it werent for your existence, Lukas Trowman.]
He was completely different from the Lightning God.
In fact, of all the Rulers, the killing intent that the Demon God had towards Lukas was by far the strongest. If the other Rulers werent there, he probably would have crushed him to dust already.
He was the Ruler who had the hardest time putting his murderous thoughts to rest.
[That isnt something you were supposed to say.]
If lava had a voice, this was probably what it would sound like.
It was a calm voice, but it seemed to be filled with boundless heat.
The being sitting on the crimson throne was probably the Sun God.
This was Lukas first time meeting him personally, but he had heard many rumors about this Ruler.
Sun Giants were special beings in the multiverse who were birthed directly from solar bodies. They were one of the races that God had mentioned in the past who were transcendent beings from birth.
Nevertheless, the being who sat on the crimson throne could be considered a mutant among his race.
The Sun Giants in the multiverse were usually born with varying characteristics depending on which body they were birthed from.
The Sun God had been birthed from a supergiant star, something that was incredibly rare even in the multiverse.
In fact, the vast majority of Sun Giants hadnt believed that he would be born.
This was because the temperature of the supergiant was so high that they believed his entire body would melt before he, a fetus, could even begin to take shape.
In fact, the Sun God had taken an extremely long time to be born. He had been silent for billions of years. (2)
And when most of the Sun Giants had all but forgot his existence, the supergiant star suddenly stopped burning. This was quite strange. After all, the supergiant still had much of its lifespan left.
Curious, the Sun Giants went to investigate the dying star and soon found a flickering sign of life within its core.
Soon after they discovered him, immense flames erupted from the core and the Sun God was born.
And in the aftermath of his birth, all living beings in that universe died. Although there was a bit of a delay, no one had been able to escape the disaster.
This vast, expansive universe, the end of which was completely unknown, soon became completely red simply because of the heat emitted from the Sun Gods body.
In an instant, there was only one living being in the entire universe.
The heat he radiates gets progressively stronger.
There was no way to know how much time had passed since the Sun God had been born. Likewise, no one knew just how hot he was now.
In any case, it was rumoured that his personality was considerably moderate among the Rulers.
Of course, it could just be a meaningless rumour considering the extremely arrogant Lightning God or the crazy, bloodthirsty Demon God.
[Respect the Lightning God. We already decided that he would be the one to represent us. Demon God, do you intend to go back on your word?]
The Demon God fell silent at those words, and the Lightning God continued to speak in a voice that carried a hint of laughter.
[As fun as it is to watch you two bicker, we should continue. This universe is quite stifling, but that wont matter anymore. As soon as the Great Game is over, I wont have to see you anymore.]
there is one thing Id like to ask.
It was Nodiesop who started to speak.
The Lightning God asked as if he already knew what he wanted. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
[Why are there only three of us here?]
(Note: I guess the author still intends to keep the last Ruler a secret. And it seems that its the Ruler Nodiesop follows.)
(Note:
1. I changed Sun Giant to Sun God for two reasons, one to match the other Rulers, and two because the author made sun giants a race, but the title and the race name can only really be translated as the same thing in English.
2. This isnt too accurate, supergiants usually only survive for millions of years at most.)
Book: 2: Chapter 140
Book 2: Chapter 140 Nodiesop wasnt surprised when the Lightning God asked his question for him.
After all, for beings as powerful as the Rulers, mind reading was as easy as breathing.
Yes. I believe that the Seven Fanged Dragon God is not sitting on a throne But if I am mistaken, then please forgive me for my ignorance.
Nodiesop.
In front of the Rulers, this normally arrogant Absolute had no choice but to lower his head like a soldier before a king.
This was unavoidable, even if the one he was addressing was the Lightning God and not the Ruler he followed, the Sun God. (Note: Guess I was wrong)
[She doesnt agree with us. Which is disappointing since I even made a nice throne for her.]
[Nevertheless, since a majority of Rulers has agreed, we will proceed as planned. Of course, it is possible that she will try to interfere But we are doing our best to prevent such a thing from happening.]
The Seven Fanged Dragon God.
She was the most mysterious of the four Rulers. Lukas had fought against Absolutes many times before, but he had only ever faced Absolutes who followed her a handful of times.
And even then, it had only been during the early days of him being an Absolute. Ever since hed become a Lord, he had never had any interactions with the Seven Fanged Dragon God.
Because of that, for a while, he truly wondered whether she was hostile towards him or not.
It shouldnt be very far from that.
Even if she wasnt hostile towards him, the best and most realistic possibility would be that she had an indifferent attitude. After all, there was no reason for a Ruler to look favorably at Lukas, who was wantonly messing up the balance of the multiverse.
[Ill say it again. The Great Game is about to begin. However, the opening of the Game is being delayed by you, Lukas.]
At that moment, everyone turned to look at Lukas.
Kung-
Pressure.
An immense pressure fell on his shoulders. It felt like he was carrying the weight of a planet.
It was an incredibly difficult task to remain standing under the gazes of three Rulers. This was especially so now that Lukas had drawn the backlash for using his external force to his own body.
Nevertheless, there was no change to his expression. He continued to look at them with a determined face, completely ignoring the small voice within him that was trying to convince him to give in.
Not lowering his head to the strong was something Lukas was very familiar with.
Its weird.
He felt his heart begin to pound for the first time in a long while.
Lukas knew that it was his morale being boosted.
The heart of this Absolute, who had a reputation for not being shaken by anything, was now beginning to stir as he was faced with the threat of these transcendent beings known as Rulers.
For a moment, his vivid emotions caused him to feel like he had returned to his days as a human.????n????????????d. ????om
[Kasajin was tasked by the Demon God to create a battlefield suitable for the Great Game. When this world becomes a battlefield, its tolerance will increase at an explosive rate which would be a good thing for you as well since you would be able to use your power as you please. So why are you stopping him?]
Before I answer your question, there is something Id like to ask.
Nodiesop couldnt help but frown when he heard Lukas words.
He didnt like the way Lukas continued to stand up straight in front of the Rulers and even speak in an informal manner.
He didnt know who started it, but the title Madman really suited him well.
[What is it?]
What would happen to this universe if it were to become a battlefield for the Great Game?
This question was particularly important for Lukas.
He had no idea what the Great Game was. He had been bluffing to Sedi as if he knew, but in truth, everything he knew about the Great Game had come from the Lightning God.
The most important thing for Lukas now was to protect the humans living in this universe. But if he were to fight against Absolutes like Kasajin and Nodiesop, it would definitely disrupt the balance of the universe.
In other words, by fighting to protect the humans, he would only be hastening their demise.
That was why he needed to know exactly what the Great Game was.
[Theres no need to go around in circles. What youre really curious about isnt the fate of this universe but the fate of the humans. Isnt it?]
[Well, thats fine. Ill answer it anyway. Most of them will get an opportunity that might not even come once in a lifetime.]
what do you mean?
[There is a saying that heroes are born from turmoil. You can understand this in the same way. When the Great Game begins, all beings within it will have a chance to become an Absolute. No matter how weak or insignificant they might be.]
!
Nodiesop was greatly shocked by those words.
This was because he knew how unlikely it was for even a single Absolute to be born in a universe.
On the other hand, Kasajin and Letip didnt appear surprised. Perhaps they already knew about the Great Game.
Nevertheless, Lukas was paying attention to something else.
Opportunities like that are practically nonexistent for most humans. And considering the ratio, it would be considered high if even ten people were to become Absolutes.
Then what would happen to the rest of the humans, the weak?
[Theyll die. Or worse.]
It was the Black Horned Demon God who answered his unasked question.
[The moment this little world becomes the battlefield for the Great Game, at least half of the humans you are trying to protect will certainly die.]
As if taking turns, it was the Sun God who spoke next.
[And you, Lukas, will try to stop that.]
Is that why you called me here? To get rid of me?
[Kuku, what a cocky brat. We only sent our wills here. You should know that they alone wont be enough to kill you.]
Naturally, he was right.
If that wasnt the case, Lukas would never have stepped into this space with three Rulers.
[Incidentally, there are now four Absolutes in this universe, each following a different Ruler.]
The Lightning God added with a chuckle.
[Or following none at all.]
[In addition, all four Absolutes have different goals. Isnt that so?]
That was true.
Kasajin and Nodiesops temporary alliance was already beginning to fray because of their differing plans for Lukas. It was also the same for Letip, who had yet to reveal his true intentions.
[However, we dont want you to fight each other anymore. This universe will definitely get destroyed if you continue, and it would be too annoying to create another battlefield. So Kasajin, do what you must. Start doing your best to turn this universe into a battlefield.]
Kasajin responded in a flat tone.
[of course, I will. I intend to fulfill my promise to the Demon God.]
As expected.
Like Lukas, Kasajin also spoke to the Rulers in an informal manner. But surprisingly, the Demon God didnt seem bothered by it.
Was it because he was a Conqueror? No. That didnt have anything to do with it. Letip, who was also a Conqueror, was very polite to the Lightning God.
There seemed to be some kind of inside story between Kasajin and the Demon God. Of course, knowing it wouldnt change anything.
Kasajin would still be Lukas enemy, and his attitude probably wouldnt change.
Nevertheless, Lukas couldnt help but think about Kasajin. If this guy, who had never cared about hierarchical relationships before, were to lower his head and act like an obedient dog for the Demon God, he would have been incredibly disappointed, regardless of whether they were enemies or not.
[Thats why we came up with a good idea. A way to allow everyone to get what they want without disturbing the balance of this universe.]
Whats that?
[Qualifiers for the Great Game.]
Lukas narrowed his eyes slightly at the strange name.
[Lukas, if you win the Qualifiers, then we wont touch this universe anymore. The Demon God will even remove all of his creations.]
They would leave so easily?
When Lukas turned to look at the Demon God with a hint of disbelief, he heard his deep voice.
[I swear on my authority.]
An agreement sworn on the authority of an Absolute was something that took effect the moment it was said. Breaking this promise wouldnt be lethal or cause them to disappear, but they would still suffer from a corresponding penalty.
In other words, the Black Horned Demon God was speaking truthfully. Sar?h the n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
What do you mean by qualifiers?
[Its nothing special. You will simply select a few persons from each faction who will then fight against each other, and if your faction wins, thats it.]
By faction
[Im referring to you, the Demon King, Nodiesop, and Letip.]
It was only then when Lukas realised what the Qualifiers were really about.
Nevertheless, he couldnt help but ask again for confirmation.
Are you saying that the four factions will have a four-way battle?
Although he was invisible, Lukas could feel the Lightning God nod.
[Exactly.]
Book: 2: Chapter 141
Book 2: Chapter 141 Lukas decided to voice all the questions he had without holding anything back.
It sounds like youre saying the Absolutes will all pick a person or a group and will only watch on without participating.
[Thats not so. The Absolutes are also allowed to participate. Of course, your power will have to be limited to an extent.]
Then the faction that wins the competition
[Will at least be able to determine the fate of this universe.]
No one would object to this declaration.
Like Letip and Nodiesop, most Absolutes valued the words of the Rulers more than their own lives. Even if a Ruler ordered them to die, they would accept it without even a frown.
Where will the qualifiers be held?
[Its already been created. Its a personal space, an independent space that is completely separate from this universe.]
Personal Space.
It was a special space that could only be created by those who had the power of creation, which was rare among the Absolutes. However, for Rulers who stood at the pinnacle of Absolutes, creating a personal space was a simple task.
The Lightning God chuckled slightly.
[Im sure it will be a very interesting space.]
No ominous aura could be felt from the Lightning Gods laughter.
In fact, it felt like he was filled with innocent excitement as if anticipating a surprise.
Nevertheless, the words innocent and Ruler went together as well as oil and water.
Lukas couldnt help but feel a bit uncomfortable.
The entire situation had suddenly shifted in his favor for seemingly no reason. And this fact bothered him. Until just recently, he was still in a pretty bad situation.
The temporary alliance of the Demon King and Nodiesop was a great threat to him, so much so that he had been prepared to use his trump card.
Then Letip appeared as if he had been waiting for the perfect timing. He quickly mediated the extreme situation and took them to meet the Rulers.
And now, the Rulers seemed to be helping him overcome his desperate situation.
The Great Game is about to begin
He didnt know what it would be like.
Among the Absolutes in this universe, it was clear that Lukas was at the greatest disadvantage. However, it was possible that the qualifiers for the Great Game could become the tool that would help him overcome his disadvantages.
This was why he felt uncomfortable.
[Suspicious?]
It was the Sun God. The feeling of having his inner thoughts read was certainly not pleasant. Nevertheless, regardless of how powerful the Rulers were, it was impossible for them to truly read his mind with just their wills.
Lukas turned to the crimson throne.
Right.
[You should know that we wouldnt go back on our word.]
Thats no reason to not be suspicious.
[you truly are interesting.]
The Sun Gods deep voice carried a tinge of curiosity.
On the other hand, Nodiesop wasnt too pleased to see such a reaction.
Hed thought that all the Rulers were hostile towards Lukas, but the only one who actually expressed any hatred was the Black Horned Demon God.
The Lightning God had practically concealed this entire universe, concealing Lukas exact location from the other Rulers in the process. And now, the Sun God, who was also a Ruler, was showing curiosity in him.
Of course, there was nothing Nodiesop could do about it.
He had no intention of expressing his dissatisfaction or questioning the actions of his master, the Sun God.
[Five. Not counting yourselves, select five persons who will represent you in the qualifiers. The entrance Right, lets set it in the place you all are now. I will leave the door open for a week.]
Crackle.
Sparks of electricity began to bounce across the gold throne, filling the space with a strange sound.
[This should be enough time for you to think hard and prepare properly]
Lukas couldnt help but think that this sound was similar to snickering.
* * *
All the Rulers left.
Or at least, thats what they thought. After all, the heavy presences that filled the temporary dimension had all disappeared.
The four Absolutes remained in that space for a while without saying anything.
They would have a four way fight during the qualifiers for the Great Game.
No one knew what the qualifiers would entail, but at the very least, the four of them were now enemies.????????????????????????d. c????????
They saved you.
Nodiesop turned to Lukas as he said that.
He wasnt necessarily wrong.
If they were to continue fighting, Lukas would have had to risk his life.
Nevertheless, the thing that came to Lukas mind at that moment was the image of a black haired girl, his daughter, who had been groaning in pain on the ground with most of her limbs missing.
As he recalled that scene, his head became strangely cold.
I will never forget that you tried to kill Sedi.
Perhaps his feelings were reflected in his voice. Or perhaps it was shown in his expression.
Nevertheless, Nodiesop noticed it, and a small smirk spread on his lips.
I was only trying to show some mercy. Rather than that, Id like to ask. Dont you think you are insulting her too much?
Your justification is flimsy. Did it seem like Sedi wanted to die?
She didnt. But her fall to mortality must have interfered with her way of thinking. So its not strange that she would be afraid of death now.
Lukas expression twisted to one of disgust.
This kind of verbal back and forth was just pointless and annoying. Tiring arguments like this shouldnt be carried on for too long.
With a sigh, Lukas decided to simply state his thoughts in a clear manner.
Nodiesop.
What?
I will kill you in the qualifiers.
The smile on Nodiesops lips became brighter.
Thats something we can agree on. I pray that we will see each other soon.
Shuk-
After saying his piece, Nodiesop left.
Even if they were to meet in the outside world, he probably wouldnt attack Lukas anymore.
The next to come to him was Letip.
Arent you glad you followed me?
What are you planning?
What do you mean?
Among the Absolutes, you are the only one whose goal is unclear.
Before responding, Letip smiled slightly.
What I want is what my master wants. So, for now, there are no conflicts between us.
It must be hard for you to think of me as an ally.
I dont.
You will.
Letip chuckled slightly as he said those words.
Lukas couldnt help but feel that he was very similar to the Lightning God. He couldnt speak for his appearance, but at the very least, Letips personality and speech patterns seemed to be heavily influenced by the Lightning God.
Letip then disappeared in a bolt of lightning.
He too had left.
Now, Kasajin was the only one left.
He spoke without looking at Lukas.
[The qualifiers will be a much longer and tougher battle than you think.]
Are you giving me advice?
[You can take it like that. After all, I dont want you to die at the hands of another Absolute.]
After saying those words, Kasajin fell silent for a while. As he stood there, clenching and unclenching his fists.
This was a habit that Kasajin displayed when he was struggling with something.
[dont just base your selection on strength alone. Otherwise, you will miss this opportunity.]
What?
[Its too much to explain.]
Kasajin shook his head.
[Im taking Kran with me. If you want him back, then youll have to win the qualifiers. Then, Ill give him back to you.]
Shuk-
With that, Kasajin also disappeared.
Lukas was now the only one left in this vast space. Sarch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
For a while, he just stood there, his eyes on the huge thrones that floated there. His gaze finally turned to a turquoise throne at a far corner.
The Seven Fanged Dragon God.
It was the throne that had been prepared for the last Ruler, who hadnt shown up.
After staring for a while, Lukas finally left that space.
Book: 2: Chapter 142
Book 2: Chapter 142
A light smell and a gentle touch enveloped her body.
Min realised that she was lying on a bed.
Uhh
She couldnt even groan in pain. It was as if her tongue had become hard like concrete. Her mouth was drier than a desert.
Wa-, water
As soon as she painfully muttered that word, something cool touched her hand. Someone had given her a bottle.
Deciding to momentarily put aside the thoughts of who it might be, Min Ha-rin raised the bottle to her lips and greedily gulped down its contents.
Cough
After drinking the cold water, it felt like her brain had awakened, and her confused mind calmed down. Min Ha-rin slowly tried to sit up on the bed.
Ugh.
Although shed only raised her upper half a little bit, she felt an intense stabbing pain course through her entire body. It was similar to the pain one felt the day after overworking themself during training.
Her torn muscle fibers fiercely insisted that Min Ha-rin continue resting.
As she took a moment to wipe the tears that formed at the corners of her eyes, she heard a gentle voice beside her.
You can rest for a bit longer.
She wasnt very familiar with it but it was a voice shed heard before. When she turned to her right, she saw Arid sitting on a chair beside the bed.
Despite just sitting on a simple chair, he created a beautiful and holy sight. Every time she saw him, Min Ha-rin couldnt help but feel a bit depressed.
Leo and Sedi too. She couldnt help but wonder why so many good-looking people were suddenly appearing around her.
this is
A room in the Church of Eternal no, in the Korea Branch Headquarters.
A room Ah.
Suddenly, her memories began to replay in her mind like a slideshow. Min Ha-rin raised her head to look at Arid.
W-, what about Bishop Slei?
Arids eyes darkened a bit when he heard her question.
he passed away.
Ah.
It was only then that Min Ha-rin recalled the last of her memories.
A middle-aged man who seemed to control lightning suddenly appeared and tried to kidnap Arid. Slei, who seemed to have recovered his conscience to an extent, tried to stop him.
No, he didnt even get the chance to try. As soon as Letip made an expression of displeasure, Slei was struck by a bolt of lightning.
The deafening sound struck their eardrums and the blinding flash of light illuminated their surroundings.
When the light finally subsided, there was nothing left of Bishop Slei. Only a deep crater and a pile of ashes to show where he once stood.
At that sight, Arid screamed as if hed gone mad before fainting.
Then, as he watched Min Ha-rin tremble at everything that happened so suddenly, the man grinned.
Dont worry. I know you are one of Lukas cards, so I wont kill you.
That was the last thing Min ha-rin remembered.
That man knew Master.
That wasnt all.
She hated to admit it, but for some reason, he gave her a similar feeling to Lukas.
It felt like he was a being who could calmly look down on everything in the world. Like he had the freedom and dignity that came with being an absolute existence.
What about the Demons?
Theres no need to worry. Everyone has already left. At the very least, there is no longer anything in the area that can threaten us.
All left
Just as Min Ha-rin muttered these words with a confused expression, the door to the room swung open, and someone rudely walked in.
Would you look at that. You really are awake. I thought you were gonna die.
It was Sedis voice, and she was speaking in the same insufferable tone as always.
As soon as she raised her head to shoot something back, Min Ha-rin forgot what she wanted to say.
yo-, your injuries.
What about them? Ill tell you upfront, I dont want your sympathy.
Sedis entire body was covered in bandages, and she was walking with the help of crutches. Even for Min Ha-rin, who knew nothing about the medical field, Sedis right arm and leg, both of which were in casts, looked very serious.
Miss Sedi! I told you you should stay in bed!
So noisy. Who do you think youre ordering around? Do you want to die?
Sedi responded in an annoyed voice before turning away from Arid and looking at Min Ha-rin.
Both of you, follow me. Father wants to see you.
Ah, and Ill tell you in advance. You should prepare your minds while on the way.
Sedi yawned slightly before continuing.
The things youre about to hear are hard for mortals to handle.
* * *
Ah! M-, my younger siblings!
Min Ha-rin suddenly screamed as she finally thought about her two younger siblings.
Her heart pounded heavily in her chest.
She was so foolish! No matter how confused or injured she was, how could she forget about her two siblings who were more important to her than her own life?
She was disappointed and angry at herself.
She hurriedly turned to look at Arid.
Hey! B-, by chance, have you seen my younger siblings? Uh, they kinda look like me. As for their ages
Min Ha-min and Min Ha-yun, right?
Ah. Yeah.
Arid smiled gently.
Both of them are fine. They were a bit hurt, but theyve already received treatment and their lives are not in danger. They are just resting now.
Those words relieved Min Ha-rin so much that she almost collapsed on the bed again.
Th-, thank you. Thank you so much.
It was nothing.
Arid scratched his cheek slightly, his face red.
Sedi, who was being treated to this sight, couldnt stop her cheek from twitching. Rolling her eyes, she spat out.
Ill be outside. Hurry up and get dressed.
Then, she left the room without looking back.
Arid watched as she disappeared behind the door before opening his mouth.
Has Miss Sedi always been like that?
I havent known her for that long, but her personality has always been unique.
A more vulgar expression had tickled the tip of her tongue, but what she said in the end was much milder. It was incredibly hard to say vulgar things in front of such an innocent expression.
Arid smiled with a naive expression that seemed to say it certainly is unique. Then, he turned to look at her again.
Are you feeling tired, or sore?
A bit. How long has it been since I passed out?
About two days.
two days.
It was a time that couldnt be called too long or too short.
Ah.
Suddenly, the image of Neil Prand, the President of the Hunter Association, appeared in her mind.
Min Ha-rin didnt have any feeling of reverence or awe towards him, but she had a strange sense of responsibility after the conversation she had with Joanna before they left.
Arid smiled slightly as he saw her expression.
Are you worried about the Association President?
Yeah. How did you
I heard about it from Mr. Lukas.
Lukas.
That was her Masters real name. He knew his real name instead of the pseudonym Frey
It seemed that many things had happened while Min Ha-rin was unconscious.
Then the Association President
Is no longer at risk of dying. He is an incredibly tough man, so he should be out of his bed within the week.
I see.
In other words, their initial goal for coming to the Korea Branch had been achieved.
Then what did Lukas want to talk to them about?
prepare our minds.
The tone that Sedi had said those words in made her feel a bit anxious, but she decided to put it aside for now and get out of bed.
Arid also stood to his feet.
I will wait outside as well.
Ah. Yeah.
Min Ha-rin, who was now alone in the room, washed her face and undressed before changing into a new set of clothes and leaving the room.
Surprisingly, she found Sedi waiting outside the room with a calm expression.
From the impression she had of Sedis personality, Min Ha-rin thought she would have been banging on the door as if she was going to break it and screaming for her to hurry.
This brat seems to be a bit upset.
This was pure intuition.
As she looked at Sedis face, it felt like she was looking at her younger siblings trying their best to not pout. Of course, she didnt say this out loud.
If she did, then this ferocious little girl might try to kill her.
You took so long.
Sorry.
Whatever, just dont fall behind.
After saying that, Sedi limped forward. It was clear that her injuries had yet to heal.
Nevertheless, it was a bit strange. She was clearly limping, but she was moving so quickly it was as if invisible wings were attached to her feet. Her black hair, which was as dark as ink, fluttered in the wind.
On the other hand, Min Ha-rin, whose legs were both fine, was struggling to keep up with her. Only after adjusting her pace slightly, to something closer to a jog than a brisk walk, was she able to catch up. Sarch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Book: 2: Chapter 143
Book 2: Chapter 143 Now that she was more relaxed, Min Ha-rin began to look around as they moved.
A cold wind blew inside the building.
This couldnt be helped.
After all, a large section of the building had been destroyed by the Demon Kings attack.
It seemed that they were preparing to repair the damage, but it was so extensive that it would take at least a few years to fix it completely.
This left a bitter taste in Min Ha-rins mouth. Even if it had changed a lot, this was still the place she was born and raised.
Branch President Jung Ho-min is in charge of the headquarters now.
Min Ha-rin nodded slightly at Arids words.
She was glad that Jung Ho-min had survived. She was well aware of his leadership skills and charisma. As long as he was present, she was certain that the Korea Branch would be able to return to its former state, even if it would take some time.
Among those who were helping with the repairs were a few familiar faces. They were the believers of the Church of Eternal Life.
Min Ha-rin even saw Kim Min-chul.
How did you manage to persuade the believers?
It was a sensitive question, so Min Ha-rin lowered her voice and spoke carefully. Arid had previously tried to persuade them, but he was only subjected to unfair violence as a result.
But Arid didnt seem affected by the experience as he responded indifferently.
My Grandmother helped.
By grandmother, do you mean
The person who was known as the Saint instead of me.
It seemed that Arid was talking about the woman who had white hair like him.
She didnt look like someones grandmother, but after meeting so many unique people lately, Min Ha-rin didnt find it strange to meet someone whose appearance didnt match their age.
Suddenly, Sedi stopped walking.
Were here.
Min Ha-rin fell silent as she looked at the door in front of them.
Without knocking, Sedi opened the door and stepped in.
Lukas was standing inside the room. He had been standing by the window, looking down at the ruined city below, but when the door opened, he turned his head.
Youre here.
Master.
Min Ha-rin didnt know why, but she suddenly felt like she hadnt seen him in a long time.
She was happy to see him, but her face burned with embarrassment. The last time she saw Lukas, shed been determined to unravel the conspiracy surrounding the Korea Branch on her own, and she had even told him that directly.
At that time, although she had been nervous, she was still filled with confidence.
But now that she thought about it, she only felt like she had been too proud and overconfident. To the extent that she overestimated herself.
After all, in the end, Min Ha-rin hadnt been able to do anything here in Korea.
Nevertheless, her Master, Lukas, didnt say anything about that.
Are you feeling better now?
Yeah.
Im glad.
Lukas gestured to a chair in front of him.
Have a seat. Arid, you too.
Listening to him, Min Ha-rin and Arid took their seats. Sedi leaned against the wall and seemed to want to cross her hands in what would have been a cool pose, but her casts made it look awkward instead.
Sedi, how much did you tell them?
I didnt tell them anything.
then I guess Ill have to start from the beginning. For starters, I think Ill have to tell you who I am.
This caused Min Ha-rin to lift her head. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Uh Is it okay for you to tell us?
Shed always wanted to know Lukas true identity, but he never seemed to want to talk about it.
Of course, she had never asked him directly, but she remembered the conversation theyd had with Nina and Lee Jong-hak not so long ago.
The balance of this universe has already been severely disrupted. So I can reveal some things to a certain degree. However, Arids presence is the most decisive reason Arid.
Yes.
Arid nodded before turning to Min Ha-rin.
Can you lend me your hand for a moment?
Ah, yeah.
Lukas watched on silently from the side.
Arids Brilliance was a very versatile power.
Its power of communication was able to reach any being in the entire multiverse, its power of salvation could save even those on the brink of death, and its power of reinforcement could help even those without the power to do anything, stand up for themselves.
Among these powers, the one that surprised Lukas the most was the power of communication.
Through that power, Slei and Reika, who were mere mortals, were able to learn of the existence of Absolutes. This was a truth that couldnt be accessed even by souls who had reincarnated for hundreds and thousands of years.
No, even if they could learn of it, their souls would simply be incapable of handling such a vast amount of information, and they would instantly lose their minds.
However, it seemed that Brilliance was able to suppress those negative side effects.
Arid might even be able to directly communicate with God one day.
Mmm
Min Ha-rin gently touched the back of her hand, which was being held in Arids. Her hand felt warm as if it had been dipped in warm water, and that warmth soon spread to her entire body!
Flash!
When the light faded, Min Ha-rin looked down at her body curiously, but she couldnt find any noticeable changes.
Nevertheless, as if he was waiting for this moment, Lukas slowly opened his mouth.
I was a human in another universe.
In another universe?
Right. Now, Im a being that cant be called human anymore.
Lukas did his best to explain his situation and the crisis this universe was currently facing in as concise a manner as possible.
For the parts he didnt think were necessary, he directly left them out.
For example, he didnt think it was necessary to include how he became an Absolute, his life as Frey Blake, or his struggle against the Demigods.
It was enough for them to know that he was once a human, was now a human and traveled around the multiverse to save humans.
As he spoke, Lukas couldnt help but feel a bit strange.
-Then, he realised that this was the first time.
The first time that hed explained his situation to mortals and humans.
When he finished speaking, neither Arid nor Min Ha-rin spoke for a while.
This couldnt be helped.
Lukas had summarised his story as much as he could. If he had explained everything in detail, it would have probably taken three days and three nights to finish.
Nevertheless, his audience felt like theyd learned a lot.
It was only a small fraction, but they felt like they could understand Lukas.
His mission which was like a shackle, his lifelong sacrifice, his tenacity which bordered on obsession.
And most importantly, his immense love for humans.
Lee Jong-hak.
Min Ha-rin couldnt help but recall the way he had been rudely talking to Lukas not so long ago. To be honest, at that time, she had thought that he was being a bit excessive, but she still felt like she could understand the contempt he showed to Lukas to an extent.
Not anymore.
Now, she felt like she wanted to hit over the head.
he didnt know anything.
Rage bubbled inside her. She wanted Lee Jong-hak to apologise to Lukas.
Watching humans die must have hurt Lukas more than anyone else.
Lukas spoke in a calm voice.
Im sure this all must be difficult to accept.
Min Ha-rin came back to her senses. This was not the time for her to vent her anger at Lee Jong-hak. Licking her lip slightly, she turned to look at Sedi who was leaning against the wall.
Then Sedi
Is a former Absolute. Who was demoted to a mortal.
I really dont like the word demote.
Sedi spoke with a blunt tone, but Lukas ignored her and continued.
The reason I told you all of this is because I would like to take you to the Great Games qualifiers.
Where will this qualifier be held?
It is being held somewhere that even I am not aware of. It may be extremely dangerous, and I cannot guarantee that I will be able to keep you safe. Not to mention you, even me and the other participants will all be at risk of losing more than just our lives.
At risk of losing more than just our lives?
She didnt understand what that meant.
It was Sedi who gave her the answer.
Its more than just the destruction of your soul when it comes to battles with Absolutes.
Min Ha-rin blanched slightly at those words.
Sedi smiled mischievously as though she enjoyed her reaction.
Instead, your very being will be erased from existence. There wont be any traces left, as though you never existed in the first place.
Min Ha-rin took a deep breath. Then she spoke after a short while.
what about you?
Huh?
Are you going to participate in the qualifiers?
Sedi shrugged.
If I dont go, who will?
She couldnt refute that. Of all the people that Lukas could choose, Sedi was by far the strongest.
Lukas walked up to Min Ha-rin and patted her on the shoulder.
I wont force you. There are still three or four days to spare, so think about it seriously before giving me your answer.
Min Ha-rin hesitated for a moment before nodding.
She was ashamed of herself for not being able to immediately give a definite answer, but she was grateful that Lukas was considerate enough to give her name.
It was at that moment that Arid opened his mouth.
I dont need to think anymore.
His expression was more serious than shed ever seen it before.
Lukas had given a similar offer to Arid two days ago while Min Ha-rin was still unconscious.
At that time, he had also asked for some time to think about it.
Lukas nodded as he turned to him.
What have you chosen?
Please take me with me?
Arid lowered his head slightly before muttering the last word.
Master.
Min Ha-rin looked back and forth from Arid to Lukas with a bewildered expression on her face.
It must not have been an easy decision to make, thank you.
Lukas thanked Arid with a calm voice, but he still blushed in embarrassment.
Sedi, at the back, muttered as she folded her fingers one after the other.
So that leaves three more people No, two more. Since you said that Leo or whatever brat will also be coming.
Ju-, junior brother too!?
Min cried out in surprise. That was a name she hadnt expected to hear.
Right. That brat didnt hesitate at all. It was almost as if he was waiting for something like this.
Ignoring Min Ha-rin, whose face had gone pale from shock, Sedi asked Lukas.
Who will you choose for the other two spots?
Lukas tried to think of the few remaining candidates.
Book: 2: Chapter 144
Book 2: Chapter 144 told you before, Rose.
A soft whisper echoed in a dark cave.
There wouldnt be a second time.
K-. uk
Followed by a groan from another person.
These unpleasant sounds served as the alarm clock that slowly brought Kran back to consciousness.
You should be grateful for the Kings mercy. If he hadnt forgiven you, you would have already disappeared from this world without even a corpse left.
Im eternally grateful for your mercy. Your Majesty.
Hearing the voice of a woman who seemed to be struggling to endure great pain, Kran slowly opened his eyes.
He didnt feel good at all. It felt like his intestines had been twisted together before being battered repeatedly. He almost wanted to throw up.
Kuh
Instinctively, he tried to move his arms, but he soon realised that he couldnt. In fact, he couldnt move at all.
It was as though his arms, legs, and neck were bound by invisible restraints. Whatever it was had an incredible binding force.
Even if he was in a weakened state, with his strength, Kran could easily break free from steel chains, but whatever it was that bound him didnt even budge despite him using all his available energy.
Why am I bound here?
Firstly, he decided to calm down, cool his mind, and adjust his breathing.
Then, he slowly recalled his last memories.
He had been fighting Sipakna with Sedi.
Then he had come up with a foolish but workable plan and had run towards Sipakna to carry it out. Then
He didnt remember anything after that.
Did Sipakna get me?
No. That wasnt it.
He was not dumb enough to not notice an attack coming from the front.
Realising that a third party had probably interfered in the fight, Kran decided to check on his condition.
I have no demonic energy at all.
His condition wasnt just bad, it was the worst it could possibly be.
It would be impossible for him to demonise himself in his current state.
Deciding to give up on getting out of his restraints, for now, Kran looked up.
And his expression immediately hardened. This was because he found himself inside what appeared to be the hall of a large building which seemed to give off an antique feel.
Unfortunately, he knew exactly where this was. Images of this hall had been among the materials Ringo had given him in the past. This was the Palace of Versailles, a world-renowned landmark that was located in the city of Versailles, France.
Of course, in the current era, it was much more well known for its new title, The Demon Kings Castle.
In this hall, Kran saw four beings, each exuding a startling amount of demonic energy. There was even one he knew. Sipakna.
Just like him, the two beings beside him were probably also members of the Five Dukes, an extremely pale man, and a woman bleeding as she kneeled towards the end of the room.
In that spot, a huge being sat on an enormous throne.
Despite not moving a finger, this beings presence easily engulfed the entire room and suppressed everyone within. It was the Demon King.
[It seems youve awoken.]
After Kasajin opened his mouth, the Five Dukes all turned their attention towards Kran.
Nevertheless, Kran wasnt startled as he found himself the focus of these immensely powerful beings, instead, he let out a laugh.
Your underlings were shouting so loudly right next to my ear. It would be a miracle if I didnt wake up. Id appreciate it if you could pay a bit more attention to your pets.
The expression of the pale man, Azazel, became cold.
Instead of bluffing, you should pay more attention to your situation. Maybe then youll be able to keep your insignificant life for a bit longer.
Hmph. Youre the one thats bluffing.
What are you talking about?
Kran coughed a couple times. It felt like something was built up in his lungs. Soon afterward, he felt something warm rush up his throat.
Blerk-
After vomiting up a mouthful of blood, his stomach felt a bit better.
Kran then spoke in a much more relaxed tone.
If you couldve killed me, you wouldve done it by now.
Azazel narrowed his eyes.
Right. As you said, I cant kill you. But I can do anything else to you.
As he said those words in a dangerous tone, he slowly stalked towards Kran.
Since youre a hybrid, you probably wont die if I ripped your tongue out, right?
[Enough.]
Kasajin only muttered a single word.
But Azazel immediately stopped moving and knelt towards the king.
[I have no intention of harming you. Im sure you feel much better now. But you could use a bit more rest.]
Ha. What the hell
Kran, who was about to retort, suddenly felt a burst of fatigue fill his body.
An unknown power was forcing him back into unconsciousness.
Just before he finally passed out, Kran managed to squeeze out a few words.
You bastard
After his head had fallen to rest on the floor once again, Kasajin slowly rose from his throne.
As he looked down at Kran, he couldnt help but mutter.
[He has matured a bit, but it is still far from enough. Kran needs to grow even stronger.]
May I ask what you mean, My Lord?
Kasajin answered without thinking about it.
[Well go together.]
* * *
Ah
Nina Rednikova blinked.
The darkroom was only lit, dimly, by a single candle that sat in the far corner.
This was the sight that shed missed so much, but shed never thought she would be able to see again.
It would be best for you to keep your eyes closed as much as possible. You should also avoid any place with bright lights, and make sure to wear sunglasses when you truly have no choice.
Am I really really healed?
When Nina asked this question with a stutter, Arid smiled gently.
As long as you take good care of yourself, your sight will return to the way it used to be.
Nina fell silent after receiving his reply, speechless.
Min Ha-rin, who stood at the side, also watched on in amazement.
amazing.
She knew just how strong the curse that had been used to blind Nina was.
It was a powerful curse that even an Archbishop of the Catholic Church had been unsure of how to heal. But Arid had completely cured it in less than half an hour.
thank you. Thank you so much.
Nina sobbed in gratitude, but eventually, she fell unconscious.
At that moment, her appearance didnt match her title Leader of the Iron Blood Army. She appeared fragile.
Arid quietly got to his feet and said.
She must have used a lot of energy to heal herself. Her body is currently in an extremely weak state. She will probably regain consciousness in a few days.
Arid, you are really amazing.
When Min Ha-rin decided to put her admiration into words, Arid could only scratch his cheek bashfully.
It was nothing.
This was probably one of the habits he displayed when he felt shy.
However, he coughed to regain his composure before speaking in a serious voice.
By the way, Senior Sister, please speak comfortably?
Huh?
Im also one of Masters disciples now, Senior Sister Min became a disciple much earlier than I did, so you are my senior.
hey, Arid, how old are you?
Arid then responded with a somewhat stern expression.
If you keep asking me politely, then I wont answer you.
This was said in a stubborn voice.
Shed always thought he was a bit weak-willed, so she didnt expect him to have such a stubborn side.
Min Ha-rin had no choice but to change her words.
Arid, how old are you? (Note: Its kind of hard to differentiate polite and casual in english just know that the sentences are slightly different T~T)
Her tongue felt strange after saying those words. It felt like shed done something wrong.
And that guilt only grew when she heard Arids answer.
Im twenty-nine.
This was a ridiculous moment.
Min Ha-rin felt awkward about speaking informally, but Arid had a smile on his face as he got what he wanted.
How old are you, Senior Sister?
twenty-two.
Wow.
His innocence and curiosity didnt match his age.
At first, it was awkward and uncomfortable, but as they continued talking, Min Ha-rin finally came to terms with the situation and began to act more naturally.
Then, she asked her new Junior Brother the question she wanted to ask the most.
Arid, why did you become Masters disciple?
Because I wanted to.
Arid responded immediately, seemingly not having to think about it. But probably feeling that his answer was a bit lacking, he decided to add an explanation.
There were probably many reasons. But the most important one was definitely the fact that Ill never meet someone like Master again.
I felt that, if it was Master, I would be able to understand and learn how to use this power I was born with.
Innate power.
Arids innate power was extraordinary. There were probably no more than five people throughout history who had been born with such a rare talent. And it was these special talents that stimulated peoples desires.
Although Arid could smile brightly and appear carefree, he had already been deeply scarred.
Nevertheless, he didnt show it, instead choosing to move forward.
To be honest, it was a bit blinding.
What about me?
Min Ha-rin asked herself.
What do I want to do?
Originally, her goal was to completely eradicate all the Demons in the world. She thought that if she could get rid of them, the peace from the past would be restored.
But after hearing Lukas story, she realised. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
The road to peace was long and rough. In all honesty, she felt like it was something that was much too great for her to handle, which caused her to shrink in on herself.
She recalled the reason why Lukas had made her his first disciple.
Her Master was expecting to hear the answer to a question that even he couldnt solve.
She felt burdened.
But at the same time, she didnt want to disappoint him.
Perhaps that was the reason. The reason that shed tried to deal with everything at the Korean Branch on her own.
And as a result, she had achieved absolutely nothing
And it might be a bit late, but Id like to say thank you.
Huh?
For my Grandfather.
By grandfather Did he mean Bishop Slei?
In the end, he tried to protect me. You must have convinced him, didnt you?
N-, no. I didnt do anything. Your grandfather tried to protect you of his own free will.
She meant it.
Min Ha-rin had even thought about killing Slei. If he had been indifferent after witnessing Arid be subject to unfair violence, she might have done it.
Arid shook his head slowly.
Thats not possible I know my Grandfather. Hes not the type of person who would change his mind just because he suffered a few setbacks.
Im sure that Senior Sister did something to influence my Grandfather in some way. So for that Thank you.
After saying those words, Arid bowed to her.
To be honest, I had almost begun to hate my Grandfather But after seeing him at the end, I felt a lot better.
Min Ha-rin listened to Arids thanks and suddenly thought about Leo. She now had two junior brothers who called her senior sister and listened to her.
But when she thought about them, and the way they had chosen to risk their lives without hesitation, she couldnt help but feel that she wasnt doing her job as a senior sister.
Maybe it was some other reason. Or maybe it was her pride as a senior sister.
It doesnt matter.
But regardless of what it was, what mattered was that her hesitation was now gone.
At the very least, Min Ha-rin had chosen to take full responsibility for her choices.
And one thing was clear.
If she didnt participate this time, she would regret it for the rest of her life.
Of course, she was afraid of losing her life, of losing her soul.
This fear was made worse because she knew Lukas personality. Her Master would never lie to her. This battle would certainly be an incredibly difficult fight, and the risk of death would be high.
Nevertheless.
Ill go too.
Huh?
When Arid tilted his head at the sudden statement, Min Ha-rin repeated herself in a clear, determined voice.
The qualifiers, I will participate as well.
Book: 2: Chapter 145
Book 2: Chapter 145 Im serious.
Joannas eyes were bloodshot. Her hair was a mess and her skin looked dry and lifeless. It looked like she had been awake for more than two nights straight.
Shaking her head, she continued in a low voice.
The Association President isnt in Pilsky Tower right now. I thought you would know where he was, but
Lukas remained silent.
Neil Prand.
Lukas had intended to choose this man, the President of the Hunter Association and arguably the strongest human, as his final team member.
Of course, he knew that Neils twisted mindset was not something he could easily fix. However, he thought that he would be able to change it slightly with a bit of teaching, and hed believed the qualifiers would have been the perfect opportunity to do so.
It was that thought that brought him to North America, but he found that Neil Prand had already disappeared from the Association Headquarters.
Did he say anything before he disappeared?
If he did, we wouldnt be so panicked right now. We checked the surveillance cameras in the room Look at this. Up until the moment he disappeared, he had been laying on the bed.
Joanna pointed at a monitor, upon which was the footage from Neils sickroom.
After being treated by Arid, there was no longer any risk of him losing his life, but he had still been unconscious. And he shouldve remained in that state. According to Arid, he would need about a week before his condition was completely stable.
But suddenly,
Neils upper body raised like a puppet being controlled by strings, and his head turned to look in a certain direction for no apparent reason.
Or at least thats how it appeared to anyone other than Lukas.
He continued to stare blankly in that direction for a while before he got up, walked out of the view of the camera, and disappeared.
of course, this isnt the first time he has disappeared on his own. But Im worried because hes not in the best condition right now.
I see.
Lukas clicked his tongue as he looked at the footage replaying on the screen.
He had been a step too late. This was the thought he had as he stared at the sparks of electricity bouncing in the direction Neil was staring.
Letip.
Hed come for Neil a step ahead of Lukas. In all likelihood, he probably intended to take him into the qualifiers with him.
Hed lost a potential member. Lukas felt discouraged for a moment, but he soon thought of another of his potential candidates. His gaze turned to Joanna, who continued to express her concern for Neil despite her tired expression.
She was one of the other candidates hed thought about. Joanna was a talented Wizard and she even had the potential to become one of his disciples.
But it was only then that Lukas realised. If he did choose Joanna, then he would have too many backline fighters.
Lukas, Arid, Min Ha-rin, who he was confident would participate, and Joanna
That would mean four backline fighters.
Of course, Min Ha-rin was technically a Magical Swordsman, but it was still not a good match to put her on the frontline together with Sedi and Leo.
The talent I needed the most was Kran.
He had a similar power level to Sedi, a lot of combat experience, and his secret ability to demonise himself. If he had been able to take it, it was obvious that he would have been the perfect helper for Lukas along with Sedi.
However, he had been kidnapped by Kasajin. So Lukas had no choice but to come for Neil. But even he had been taken away by Letip.
Nina is still suffering from the after-effects of her injuries.
With a sigh, Lukas thought of his last candidate.
That man was unlikely to obey his orders, but at this point, he didnt have much of a choice.
* * *
South Hwanghae Province, Korean Peninsula.
Not so long ago, this was a land that had been filled with Demons and Demon Beasts, but recently, the demonic energy in the area had become much less apparent.
This was because a group of Demon Hunters had recently begun cleaning up the area.
Busan was attacked.????????????????????????????. ?????m
While battling a Demon, he heard a voice.
Usually, they wouldnt have conversations during battle, but the fight was already coming to an end.
Roar!
Crack!
He stabbed his sword into the neck of the Demon, who continued to struggle despite losing all of its limbs, causing its blood to splash on his face.
Wiping the blood roughly with the back of his hand, Lee Jong-hak replied.
Are you talking about the rumors that the Five Dukes appeared?
Thats right.
The Sword Saint, Jong Ho, nodded as he returned his sword to its sheath.
I thought those rumors were probably false, but
But?
Not long ago, I felt a great disturbance in the sky.
Jong Ho let out a laugh.
Can you read the heavenly ki too?
Of course I cant. What I felt was closer to intuition. Sarch* The N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Ah youre talking about back then.
Two terrifying presences had flown across the sky in the blink of an eye. They flew beyond the clouds so they couldnt even catch a glimpse of what these beings looked like, but one of them reminded Lee Jong-hak of something.
The Duke he met in Africa.
And the other was a being that was even more powerful. So much so that they were on a completely different level.
At that time, even Lee Jong-hak had trouble breathing as he felt the terrifying presence fly past. A few of the weaker hunters even directly fainted, foam dripping from their mouths.
They came from the direction of Busan.
Hmm
Jong Ho stroked his chin slightly.
Suddenly.
They felt an enormous presence appear in the sky above them.
Jong Ho looked up at the sky and sighed slightly.
thats a frightening amount of pressure. However
Yeah. Thats not a Demon.
Nevertheless, neither of them relaxed or removed their hands from their swords.
However, when the owner of the immense pressure in the sky revealed themself, their expressions had no choice but to change.
Book: 2: Chapter 146
Book 2: Chapter 146 It was the second day since Min Ha-rin had announced her participation and the final day of preparation for the qualifiers.
Lukas, who had disappeared not so long ago, returned to the Korea Branch Headquarters with the final team member.
Min Ha-rin was probably the most surprised out of all members in Lukas team. This was because she would never have expected to see this man with a calm expression standing there.
The Human Dragon, Lee Jong-hak
It was Leo who muttered these words in a voice that carried a hint of admiration.
Lee Jong-haks fame had spread not only throughout Asia but also Europe and North America.
He was the idol of almost every person who threaded the path of martial arts and was one of the heroes that people wanted to imitate the most. From his attitude, it was clear that even Leo, who usually didnt pay much attention to such things, was no exception.
Huh, it seems a famous person has arrived.
It was Arid, whose fame was in no way lesser than Lee Jong-hak, who said those words. In his eyes, there was also a spark of admiration. Sar?h the n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Min Ha-rin didnt find this strange. As had been stated many times before, Lee Jong-hak was one of the most famous and well-liked heroes of this world.
However, the reaction that surprised her the most, was Sedis.
After staring at Lee Jong-hak for a while, Sedi actually nodded her head slightly, as if to indicate that she was satisfied with what she saw.
This one should be a bit useful.
Although it seemed as if she was just inspecting a piece of art, Min Ha-rin, who knew Sedis strength and origin, knew just how generous those words were.
Of course, Lee Jong-hak wasnt sure how to react.
This was natural. After all, a little girl, whose head barely came up to his chest, stared at him as if she was measuring his worth.
Just as he opened his mouth to say something, Min Ha-rin spoke.
Its been a while.
Lee Jong-hak hesitated a bit before nodding slowly.
right. It seems youve been well.
Yeah. You too.
It was a very awkward feeling.
They had once risked their lives together to escape from that place, but now, there was a cold distance between them.
Min Ha-rin couldnt help but wonder if there was an edge to her voice. After learning of Lukas true identity and goal, a feeling of dislike for this had developed in her heart.
Nevertheless, Lee Jong-hak was a helper that Lukas himself had brought.
So she couldnt just openly display that kind of attitude.
More importantly.
No matter how upset she was, she would never deny that Lee Jong-hak was powerful. At the very least, he was much stronger than she was, so he would be a great help.
I never would have expected you to accept Masters offer.
She wasnt being sarcastic, she genuinely meant that. She thought that Lee Jong-hak hated Lukas.
I owe that man. I owe him more than just my life.
Recalling Jong Ho and the other hunters that had been sent to the Korean Peninsula, Lee Jong-hak continued.
And my thoughts from that time changed long ago.
That certainly seemed true.
In fact, Lee Jong-haks attitude seemed to suggest that he held great respect for Lukas.
How much did Master tell you?
Only that a battle which would affect the fate of this world is about to begin.
So he hadnt been told everything.
Now that she thought about it, Arid hadnt been with him. Without his Brilliance, Lee Jong-hak would not be able to learn the truth of the universe.
Min Ha-rin couldnt help but feel a bit strange.
She couldnt tell if she was happy that he didnt get to learn the truth about Lukas, or disappointed that he didnt know just how wrong he was.
I dont mean to interfere. But I would really like to help. Will you accept me?
Thats not for me to decide.
Min Ha-rin shook her head as she said those words.
It was at that moment that Leo, who seemed unable to wait any longer, stepped forward.
My name is Leo Freeman. Ive long heard the name of the great Human Dragon.
Lee Jong-hak. Ill be in your care for a while.
yeah.
Then, Arid smiled and introduced himself too.
Im Arid.
Ill tell you my name later. Father, shouldnt we leave now?
father?
Lee Jong-hak couldnt stop the surprised expression from spreading across his face as he heard the unexpected title. Ignoring his question, Lukas nodded before looking over at the people hed gathered one last time.
Min Ha-rin, Leo, Arid, Lee Jong-hak, and Sedi.
He couldnt help but feel that at the present time, there was no team better than this one.
Lets go.
Time was running out. The Lightning God had said he would leave the entrance to the qualifiers near Korea, and it didnt take Lukas very long to find it.
In the middle of the sea, not so far from Busan, was a huge whirlpool.
However, unlike normal whirlpools, the center of this whirlpool was black, similar to a black hole, or the gaping maw of an enormous monster.
The five candidates, floating in the air with the help of Lukas magic, all looked at this scene with differing expressions on their faces.
After a while, Min Ha-rin couldnt help but ask with a hint of trepidation.
are we really supposed to go in there?
W-, we wont die will we?
In theory, I dont think we will die.
U-, uhh.
idiots.
Sedi shook her head as she looked at their pathetic expressions.
Lukas on the other hand remained as expressionless as ever. He knew that even though their expressions were like that, each of them had already strengthened their resolve. For a moment, he considered whether he should say something to comfort them, but he didnt think he had to.
Instead, Lukas looked down at the dark vortex for a while before speaking.
Lets go.
And with those words, he released the spell that was holding them aloft.
This caused the six bodies to slowly fall into the dark whirlpool at the same time.
* * *
Ssss-
The surroundings buzzed incessantly as though it was alive. Light and color slowly began to blend and take shape, and before he knew it, Lukas found himself standing on solid ground.
Whoosh-
A heavy wind blew over.
Lukas looked around.
The world he found himself standing in was barren and colorless. Large rocks floated in the sky, and there was nothing on the dry, cracked ground.
It felt like a world that was only at the beginning stages of creation.
Is this the battlefield created for the qualifiers?
No matter how eccentric the rulers were, he didnt think theyd be this laid back for something so important.
Just as he had this thought, a voice sounded in his head.
[Welcome, Participant, to the Qualifiers for the Great Game.]
It was a cold, inorganic voice.
What did it mean welcome?
Lukas couldnt help but lower his head as he felt numerous doubts appear at the same time.
He wondered whose voice this was. At the very least, it didnt seem like it belonged to any of the Rulers.
[Before proceeding to the Qualifiers, you will first participate in a tutorial.]
Tutorial?
Just as Lukas narrowed his eyes in confusion, the voice continued.
[The tutorial is a necessary process for us to objectively measure the power level of each participant. So we will ask you to please do your best.]
[Additionally, any injuries you might suffer in the tutorial will be reset before you enter the main game.]
[This reset applies even if the participant receives an injury that would otherwise lead to certain death.]
Reviving the death was not a task that was particularly difficult for Rulers. Nevertheless, Lukas couldnt help but wonder why this process was necessary.
[We will now begin the tutorial.]
[Stage 1]
Paht.
With a weak flash of light, a group suddenly appeared in this empty world.
It was a monster, one that filled Lukas with a sense of nostalgia.
Short, green-skinned, bipedal beings, with thin arms, protruding stomachs, and sharp, hooked noses. Each of them wielding a shabby weapon in their hands.
Goblins.
Keruk, keruk.
Kerker.
They looked at Lukas with eager gazes.
* * *
[You have cleared Stage 1.]
Huff! Huff!
Leo panted heavily.
This was the first time hed ever encountered these monsters, but they werent that strong. At best, they were only comparable to the lowest-ranked Demon Beasts. Nevertheless, the reason why Leo was panting so hard was because this was only his second real battle.
Its fine. I can handle this much pressure.
Leo clenched his fist.
Maybe it was because these monsters looked very different from Demons or Demon Beasts. Or maybe it was because he couldnt sense any demonic energy from them.
But when it came to these monsters, he didnt feel like he would have much trouble dealing with this amount of pressure.
He had never slacked off in his training. And he could even be called a bit talented.
So there was no reason for Leo to lose to a dozen or so goblins.
However, these guys were only the first stage.
He wasnt sure how this tutorial was structured, but he was almost certain that it would get more difficult with each passing stage.
He couldnt help but wonder if the others would be okay.
this isnt the time to worry about the others.
As soon as that thought appeared in his mind, Leo shook it out of his head.
No matter how he looked at it, he was probably the weakest of all the participants on his team.
[Stage 2]
A bright light flashed as he heard the mechanical voice once again.
Leos eyes burned with fighting spirit.
Out of habit, he recalled Lukas advice.
Just because a flower blooms later than others, doesnt mean it will be any less beautiful.
His flower hadnt bloomed yet.
Book: 2: Chapter 147
Book 2: Chapter 147 [You have cleared Stage 4.]
Mm
Lee Jong-hak slowly rolled his shoulders, which were gradually becoming tense.
The two-headed monsters that hed just fought had been quite strong.
Their skin was quite tough, and their physical strength had reached a level that even he had to admire. When three of these monsters appeared, it hadnt been easy to deal with them, even for Lee Jong-hak.
That was stage 4
Power flowed through the hand which was holding his sword.
At first, hed been relaxed because this was only the tutorial, but now, he felt like he should pay a bit more attention.
* * *
[You have cleared Stage 9.]
She was bored. So bored that she felt like dying.
While this thought floated in her mind, Sedi calmly shook the blood off of her hand. She didnt like the feeling of these low-level beings blood covering her body. This was why her scythe was so useful. Whenever she took an enemys life with her scythe, she never had to worry about being splashed with their blood.
When the qualifiers truly began, she would have to do her best to find a weapon.
How much longer do I have to do this for?
When she grumbled these words in an annoyed voice, she received an unexpected answer.
[The tutorial consists of ten stages, and for Participant, the next stage will be your last.]
Ah. Right.
So there was only one left. That was good to hear.
A bright smile spread across Sedis face as she waited for the final stage to begin.
* * *
[You have cleared Stage 10.]
[Congratulations, Participant, for clearing all of the prepared stages.]
[Based on the information gathered from the tutorial, we are now able to objectify the participants body information.]
[Please wait for a moment.]
[]
[]
Lukas hand shook slightly as he looked at the monster corpse in front of him.
It belonged to a gigantic monster that was shaped like a wolf and was quite strong.
None of them would have been able to clear Stage 10 except Sedi.
Lukas had a good grasp of the different strengths of the people who entered the qualifiers with him.
Lee Jong-haks limit should be the eighth stage, while Min Ha-rin and Leo should have stopped around the fourth or fifth stage.
As for Arid he wasnt too sure. The power of his Brilliance was certainly great, but he had little to no combat experience.
With his strength, he could pass the tenth stage, but it was also possible for him to lose even the first stage.
Arid might benefit from this experience even more than Min Ha-rin or Leo.
[The objectification process has been completed.]
[To view it, say Status Window.]
?
Lukas tilted his head to the side before muttering.
Status Window.
* * *
What is this?
Min Ha-rin, who had cleared the fifth stage, stared at the translucent screen that had appeared in front of her.
[Min Ha-rin]
[Level: 27]
[Title: Snow Flower, Great Mages Disciple]
[Occupation: Magic Swordsman]
[Race: Human]
[Skills: Magic(Lv.5), Swordsmanship(Lv.6), Magical Swordsmanship(Lv.1)
the Great Game.
It really was like a real game.
Then she heard the voice again.
[The tutorial has ended.]
[Proceeding to the Great World.]
Flash!
A bright flash of light enveloped Min Ha-rin. Then, she felt a sense of weightlessness similar to when theyd first entered this space.
Her surroundings, which were gradually revealed, were filled with a variety of vibrant colors, completely different from the colorless world shed just stayed in.
Ah
But when she saw her surroundings clearly for the first time, Min Ha-rins mouth fell open, and for a moment, she forgot how to speak.
* * *
Lukas looked around.
He found himself standing alone in a dark cave.
He could hardly feel any movements around him. Cold wind whistled continuously through the cave, creating a deep, ominous sound.
Im alone.
Lukas couldnt help but wonder if he was the only one separated from the group.
Or was it that everyone had been separated randomly?
He hoped it was the former, but it was more than likely the latter.
He didnt like it, but he wasnt worried.
Even if there was a gap in strength, all five of the people who had joined him this time were equally resolved. All of them were willing to risk their lives to accomplish their task.
Nevertheless, they would survive, he knew it.
And
Lukas currently wasnt so relaxed as to worry about others.
His gaze was drawn to the end of the cave. There, he saw a faint light coming in. That was probably the exit. Just as he was about to slowly move towards it
[Welcome to the Great World.]
He heard the mechanical voice again.
[The condition to win this challenge is to acquire all four of the most special statues.]
[Numerous quests exist in this world. All of which provide clues, large and small, to help the participants find the statues.]
Lukas didnt stop walking as he analysed the information hed just received from the voice.
The four most special statues.
Quest.
The information given by the voice left much to be desired, but he couldnt really complain in his current situation.
Perhaps, the information given at the beginning was the same for all of the participants.
[The Participants current level is well above the average in the Great World.]
[Your level and skills will be greatly restricted.]
[These restrictions can be lifted using special items obtained in the Great World.]
[In addition, there are many special items in the Great World that might be of use to the participant.]
[These items will not disappear even after the participant returns to the original world.]
The restrictions on his power were expected. sea??h th Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
At first glance, it might seem like he was at a disadvantage, but that was not the case.
The other Absolutes here too.
Nodiesop, Letip, Kasajin.
Their powers would also be heavily restricted. After all, the Rulers were the ones who created this Great Game. No matter how powerful they were when compared to other Absolutes, they could do nothing in the face of the Rulers power.
In the original world, Lukas was the only one whose power was restricted, so a situation where everyone else was also restricted was not bad at all.
I should carefully decide the order.
The special statues, or the items that would help him break free from his restrictions.
He needed to decide which of the two he would go after first.
Even if he managed to grab the statues, he might not be able to keep them if he didnt have the strength to do so.
And there was the last message as well.
The items they collected would not disappear even when they returned to the original world.
Perhaps this was why they called it the qualifiers.
The numerous items that existed in this world were likely to have a huge impact after the Great Game truly began in earnest.
Of course, Lukas was in a position to stop a full-fledged game from starting.
[Participant is currently in a field that belongs to the Heavenly Realm.]
[We wish the Participant the best of luck.]
After saying those words, the voice was not heard anymore.
It was just in time, as Lukas felt a light breeze softly tickle his hair. It was coming from outside the cave.
Nevertheless, Lukas gaze was locked onto a single location. It was a nearby cliff.
It seemed a bit precarious, but if he stood there, he would be able to see all of the surrounding areas in one glance.
Without any further delay, Lukas headed over to the cliff.
And he instantly became speechless.
It was refreshing.
Clean and fresh air created by a land without the slightest bit of pollution blew strongly against his face.
Most of the land on Earth had been deeply impacted by the corrosive demonic energy, and the air there was nothing when compared to this. Nevertheless, that wasnt the reason why Lukas was so speechless.
It was because beneath the cliff lay a huge ocean. However, that didnt mean he was standing on an island or even near a beach.
He was at least a few kilometers away from the ocean. The clouds beneath him were the best proof of this.
In other words, the ground upon which he was standing, rested high above the sky.
The Heavenly Realm.
As he recalled the name the voice had announced to him, Lukas had a vague idea of where he was at that moment.
This place was literally floating in the sky, a Floating Island.
Book: 2: Chapter 148
Book 2: Chapter 148 Lukas found that the cave was in the middle of the mountain. That was why he was able to see the other side from the cliff.
The view before his eyes was unlike anything hed ever seen before.
A forest made of large, majestic trees, a crystal clear river which shined like a jewel in the sunlight
Lukas suddenly wondered where the river on this floating island in the sky came from. With that thought in his mind, he decided to climb down and walk along the river.
Villages and cities were usually built in places where freshwater was easily accessible. So following the river had the highest probability of allowing him to encounter people.
Of course, this was just an optimistic thought.
After all.
There was no guarantee that thered be intelligent lifeforms in the Heavenly Realm.
This might get annoying.
The lack of people to communicate with meant that it would be relatively difficult to gather any information.
However, judging from the keyword statue, Lukas assumed that there was at least one race in this world intelligent enough to practice carving or sculpting.
Lukas decided to stop thinking about it. This was because, at the present, any speculation beyond this would just be a waste of time.
Instead, it would be much wiser for him to check his physical condition first. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
I cant use any spell beyond 7 stars.
His power had been restricted. Nevertheless, this situation was very similar to what he experienced back in the outside world.
However, there were a few positives.
The tolerance of this created world was beyond imagination. So as long as he was able to regain his power as an Absolute, Lukas would be able to exert his full strength without having to worry about any consequences.
Of course, it probably wont be the same as usual.
He wouldnt be able to increase the mana he could utilise simply by training. Lukas magical power hadnt disappeared, it had only been restrained by invisible chains.
Perhaps, as the voice said, the only things that would be to break through these chains were the items scattered around the world.
He couldnt use his divine magic power, endtongue, or even his external force.
The same went for his Demigod abilities and other high-level spells.
Lukas Trowman had truly become a 7 star Wizard.
This reminded him of the old days.
At that time when hed suddenly opened his eyes and realised that hed exited the abyss, and now possessed the body of Frey Blake.
At that time, Lukas had been able to reach 5 stars in an instant by relying on the residual energy trapped within that body.
Is this better than back then?
After all, he was two levels higher than he was at that time.
Nevertheless, Lukas decided to shake these unnecessary thoughts out of his head.
There was a lot of work to be done.
His ultimate goal was to obtain the four statues and win this game.
But before that, he had to go find his other team members who had scattered to different places, and if he could afford to, get an item or two that would help them.
Lukas stopped walking.
Similar to his expectations, there was a city sitting at the edge of the river.
Tall, clean white walls wrapped around this city and the buildings that could be seen above it had a certain architectural beauty that showed they werent built by clumsy hands.
As he slowly approached, he spotted a figure sitting beside the river.
It was a skinny, middle-aged man. His reddish skin and mismatched clothing caused Lukas to almost mistake him for a scarecrow.
Nevertheless, a heavy-looking club hung from his waist, and he held a fishing rod in his hands, its hook floating in the river.
The man didnt seem to care about Lukas presence, but when he narrowed the distance to three feet, the man finally looked up at him.
His eyes were bright yellow, and his pupils were slit like a cat.
He isnt human.
Just as Lukas had this thought, the man rose up from his seat.
What are you doing here?
His voice was cold and sharp.
In his expression, there seemed to be a mixture of vigilance and hostility.
You arent from the Heavenly Realm. Are you from the Thunder Archipelago?
The mans voice was indifferent, but Lukas could feel the undertones of disdain contained within it.
Lukas simply responded without hesitation.
Where is the Thunder Archipelago that you mentioned?
Quit pretending. Right. I dont know how you got into the Heavenly Realm, but I cant let a guy like you roam around as he pleases.
As the man said that, he removed the club from his waist. It was literally a club. It was a thick stick with a blunt end that exuded an aura of primitive violence.
The hostility in the mans expression was clear. There was no way for him to avoid this fight.
Woowoong-
So Lukas also called upon his mana.
He had been weakened to a ridiculous level, there was no way for him to know just how strong his opponent was, and death here would probably lead to complete soul annihilation.
But there wasnt even the slightest hint of tension on Lukas face.
* * *
I lost.
The man lowered his head in despair.
His voice and attitude both showed that he had completely lost his will to fight.
Lukas was certain that the man wasnt playing any tricks. Hed realised it as he fought. This man in front of him wasnt the wicked or treacherous type. Rather, he seemed to be the type to prefer fair duels.
Lukas slowly calmed his man before looking at the man whose head was still bowed.
This is a good world to use magic.
That was because mana could be found everywhere in this world. Even if he were to use the same spell, the one he cast here would be twice as strong as the one cast on Earth, and the channeling time would also be much faster.????n????????e????????. ????o????
Itll be fine to use a staff before reaching 9 stars.
Staffs and wands increased the efficiency of spell casting and mana concentration. They were weapons that Lukas didnt usually need, but it would be a great help for the 7 star Lukas Trowman.
Lukas turned to the man once again.
This man, who continued to look at the ground with a defeated expression, was by no means weak.
His use of the club and mysterious martial art together with his combat experiences gave him the ability to win even if he met opponents stronger than himself.
It was just that his opponent this time was too strong.
His martial arts hadnt been enough to shock Lukas, and no matter how deep his combat experience was, it would always be shallow when compared to an Absolute like Lukas.
you are very talented at sorcery. So you really were a Lightningman from the Thunder Archipelago.
Im not.
It doesnt matter, in the end, I still lost.
The man shook his head as if he didnt believe him, then his voice became firm.
Kill me.
What?
Do you intend to do it with your hands instead of sorcery? Id rather not die by strangulation, but I suppose the loser doesnt have a choice. Ill have to accept it.
It was only then that Lukas realised what the man was talking about.
I have no intention of killing you.
What are you talking about?
The mans eyes went wide.
Dont all outsiders kill us Dragonmen? Theres no way You are really not from the Thunder Archipelago, are you?
Havent I already told you that many times?
Lukas voice carried a hint of aggravation.
Mmm
The man lowered his head in thought for a while before finally speaking.
I see. Since you dont want to kill me then theres no helping it.
What?
The man suddenly fell down to one knee and bowed his head.
I hereby swear allegiance to you. My Lord.
Book: 2: Chapter 149
Book 2: Chapter 149 Lukas was shocked. Was this guy joking? That didnt seem to be the case.
Then what was he up to?
Lukas looked down at him for a while before speaking.
Stand up first.
Yes.
whats your name?
Bargan.
It was at that moment.
[Youve earned the loyalty of wandering Dragon Man Fighter, Bargan.]
[Current Loyalty: 51]
Once again, the mechanical voice sounded in his ears. What did it mean for him to hear the voice at that moment?
More importantly, could he trust it?
Lukas thought for a moment before finally opening his mouth.
Why are you swearing your allegiance to me?
I am a wandering Fighter.
What does that matter?
Bargain tilted his head to the side at those words.
do you not know about Dragonman fighters?
I dont know anything.
I see. Mm
After contemplating for a while, Bargain turned to him and said.
Before I speak, may I ask for your name?
Lukas thought for a moment.
He wondered if he should use his real name or a pseudonym.
Each had its own pros and cons.
A pro of using his real name was that all the members of his team would be able to find him if this news spread.
A con would be the fact that those rumors might attract his enemies as well.
Lukas.
In the end, Lukas decided to stick to his real name. His team needed someone to serve as the central point, and he was the only one who could fill this role. He had to do it even if there was a bit of risk.
May I ask where you are from, My Lord?
Do I have to tell you that as well?
You dont. However, if you tell me where you are from, I will be able to summarise everything better.
Theres no need to summarise. Explain everything in detail.
Understood.
Bargan nodded and started talking.
This place is Combat Island, one of the Seven Floating Islands.
Combat Island?
Yes. All Dragonmen here are natural-born Fighters, and we all enjoy fighting.
Fighters.
Lukas knew a bit about those who called themselves Fighters. Those who only took defeat to mean death. Bargan seemed to be a particularly extreme case, but they were all somewhat similar.
Lukas nodded before deciding to state his purpose.
Im looking for a statue.
A statue? What kind of statue?
They were called the four most special statues. Do you know of them?
Mm
Bargain closed his eyes and seemed to scour his memories for a while, but he eventually shook his head.
Im sorry. I fear this is also my first time hearing about them.
Lukas wasnt disappointed. After all, he never expected the statues to be easy to find.
Bargan then continued.
However, someone in Herui might know something.
Are you talking about that city?
Yes. Its a Fighter City. There are many skilled blacksmiths there, so you might be able to get some clues if you ask them.
That made sense.
Of course, the only thing blacksmiths and sculptors had in common was the fact that they made things. However, they were more likely to know more than the random Fighter.
unfortunately, the blacksmiths in this area are rather snobbish. Unless one is a powerful Fighter, they wont even bother to talk to you, let alone make a weapon. Of course, if they knew Lords true strength, their attitudes would certainly be better.
It would be better to deal with such problems in person, so Lukas decided to not waste time.
First things first, lets head to Herui. But wont I be barred from entering? You were able to immediately tell that I was an outsider.
Thats because your skin is too pale and your complexion is unique. Nevertheless, there are quite a few outsiders here on Combat Island Mm. Once we get into the city, the first thing well do is get you some new clothes. No matter how you look, there should be a bit less suspicion if your clothes dont stand out as much.
Of course, before then, there wasnt really anything they could do. Sarch* The N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Bargan then added something.
* * *
At first, the city guards all looked at Lukas with suspicion, but their expressions soon changed to surprise and awe.????????????????e????????. ????????
Did this outsider really defeat Headsmasher Bargan?
I really cant believe it. Hes so skinny that it doesnt look like he could harm a fly.
Bargan didnt show any displeasure at their words, he simply shook his head and said.
It was a complete defeat. So, can we enter?
Of course you can. Herui always welcomes new Fighters.
Suddenly, the guard standing to the left spoke with a suspicious expression on his face.
Are you really sure hes not from the Thunder Archipelago?
Of course, if that were the case, I never would have sworn allegiance to him.
Thats true.
The guards all nodded before looking at Lukas with much friendlier expressions. Thanks to that, Lukas was able to successfully enter the Fighter City of the Heavenly Realm, Herui.
After passing through the gates, he was immediately greeted by the sight of an enormous city.
The first thing he saw was a large road. This road was so large that ten carriages would easily be able to pass side by side. The buildings stood on either side of the road in an orderly manner, creating a clean image. These many stores were all of different kinds. From restaurants to clothing stores, to weapon stores.
The people walking on the street all looked different. Especially their skins.
There were people with black, brown, yellow, and even some with reddish skin like Bargan.
But after observing them for a while, Lukas realised that Bargan was right.
There were hardly any people with white skin in the crowd.
Finally, his eyes landed on a large building at the end of the road. In fact, it was this building that drew most of his attention after he entered the city.
This way.
Nevertheless, following Bargan was his current priority.
Headsmasher Bargan. It seems youre pretty famous.
Among the wandering Fighters in the city, I am a bit famous.
Bargan replied calmly.
The easiest way to prove yourself on Combat Island is to be strong. Lord has managed to make me submit, that in itself is some proof.
Where is the Thunder Archipelago?
For some reason, everyone seemed to think that Lukas came from that place. A bit of emotion appeared on Bargans otherwise expressionless face.
It was the same disdain hed displayed when they first met.
There is an in the heart of the Great Ocean when thunder and lightning continuously strike without ceasing.
It seems that you all dont get along with people from that place.
Theyre just a bunch of garbage with no respect or honour. One day, we will wipe those bastards out.
Lukas nodded for a moment before pointing towards the large building in the distance.
Whats that?
Thats the arena. Its value and importance are almost unparalleled in the entirety of Combat Island. We should probably go there soon.
As he said, the first place Bargan took him to was a clothing store.
There, Lukas was able to buy clothes similar to Bargans. The clothes were large and loose. In particular, the way the sleeves flapped with every movement bothered him greatly.
Do I really have to wear this?
If it bothers you, we could always get you a belt and some straps.
I would appreciate that.
Understood.
After a while, a clerk from the clothing store returned with a black belt and some wrappings for the wrist and ankles. The forearms and thighs still flapped, but at the very least, it wasnt as bad as before.
The clothes that Lukas had been wearing when he entered this world were all sold to the clothing store. Nevertheless, since it wasnt the type of clothes that Dragonmen preferred, they werent able to get much from the sale.
100 eru. It should be 125 eru, but Ill give you a small discount for the weird clothes.
Thank you.
This price was naturally paid by Bargan.
Lukas turned to him and said.
I owe you.
Everything I have belongs to you. Would you prefer to hold the money instead?
As he said that, Bargan shook the money bag hed just taken out.
Of course, Im just a wandering Fighter who lives day by day. So I dont really have a lot of money
are all Fighters like this?
Huh?
All I did was defeat you once, but you truly intend to give everything you have to me.
You didnt just win, you also showed me mercy. From the moment you spared my life, it became yours.
After hearing this response that Bargan said as if it was natural, Lukas became speechless for a while. Even if he expected their way of thinking to be different, this was too different.
Dragonman Come to think of it, Bargan said he was a Dragonman.
Did that mean that all Dragonmen were like this?
There are so many things that I dont know.
This was a new world, so this was natural. And Lukas also had the bad habit of being curious about everything whenever he entered a new world.
I think it would be better for you to keep the money. After all, I have no idea of how money works in the Heavenly Realm.
Understood. If you need anything, please dont hesitate to inform me.
After that conversation, they left the clothing store.
Lukas was immediately able to notice that the suspicious gazes he received were reduced by a considerable amount.
I know a blacksmith near here. We should look for him first and find out about the statue.
Just as Lukas nodded and moved to follow him, the street suddenly became noisy.
Its a Champion.
A Champion is here.
Lukas was easily able to see the excitement in their eyes. Even Bargan was the same.
The Champion is making her journey. Now that I think about it, she did have a match scheduled for tonight.
Book: 2: Chapter 150
Book 2: Chapter 150 Lukas turned to Bargan.
The Champion?
It means Ruler of the Herui Arena. With her overwhelming power and win rate, she has completely dominated the arena.
Lukas turned to look at the figure in the middle of the parting crowd.
It was a woman.
She had long hair and deep eyes. Only one sword hung at her waist, but the aura and killing intent spewing from her body couldnt be ignored.
Nevertheless, the first thing Lukas noticed wasnt this aura that was erupting from this womans body.
Instead, it was her familiar face. No, to put it more bluntly, it was a face that he was well acquainted with.
Nevertheless, there were subtle differences when compared to the face that Lukas knew, so he couldnt help but wonder if it was just a similar looking person.
However, it didnt take long for him to realise that wasnt the case.
Because at that moment, the womans gaze shifted to the side before locking onto him.
With a snap, she immediately stopped walking. Then, she looked over at Lukas as if shed seen a ghost before muttering in a disbelieving voice.
Master?
Seeing this, Lukas also became confident in her identity and called out to her.
Ha-rin.
The Champion who was revered by the city was none other than his first disciple, Min Ha-rin. (Note: Ha, bet you didnt see that coming)
* * *
Lukas followed Min Ha-rin. He found that she was staying in a magnificent mansion near the center of the city.
This was the building that was gifted to the Champion.
Before entering, Lukas ordered Bargan to wait outside. While he appeared surprised that the two of them knew each other, he simply followed his orders without making a single sound.
Sitting face to face in the room, the master and disciple didnt speak for a while.
The reason Lukas was speechless was because of the intense emotion that covered Min Ha-rins face.
Tears had welled up in her eyes, threatening to fall at any moment.
After a while, Min Ha-rin wiped her eyes before speaking in a very shaky voice.
Master, Im really glad youre okay. Did something happen?
Right You seem to have gone through a lot.
Yeah.
Min Ha-rins mouth opened and closed for a while before she was finally able to calm herself.
Where have you been all this while? I couldnt find a clue even after searching the entire Heavenly Realm for you, Master
Lukas had a sense of incongruity from Min Ha-rins words.
It was the same feeling of incongruity that hed felt when he first saw her in the street.
Ha-rin.
Yes?
How long have you been here?
A dim light shined in Min Ha-rins eyes at the strange question.
I havent been counting, but it has probably been around five years.
The sense of incongruity that Lukas felt finally began to take shape.
He then spoke in a heavy voice.
I just arrived.
Huh?
In a way, this conclusion that hed reached meant that things might be even worse than he initially expected.
Nevertheless, it was an issue that had to be clarified.
Lukas looked at Min Ha-rin for a moment before speaking.
I dont think we all entered the Great World at the same time.
* * *
Min Ha-rin had been a bit startled by Lukas statement for a while, but she eventually regained her calm.
Her appearance caused Lukas to feel a bit more maturity in her than before.
It was strange, on one hand, he was proud, but on the other, he felt a bit sad.
Five years.
That was a relatively short time for an Absolute like him, but during this time, Min Ha-rin had grown a considerable amount.
As her Master, Lukas couldnt help but feel a bit of regret that he hadnt been able to witness the process for himself.
No. That thought was a luxury in itself.
He should be grateful that he was able to reunite with even one member of his team.
Did you hear any word about the others?
Ive stayed in Herui for about two years now. Before that, I traveled around the Heavenly Realm looking for you and the others.
The memories seemed to have caused Min Ha-rin to become depressed as she wasnt able to continue. From her expression, Lukas was able to understand a bit even if she didnt say it.
It was then that he also understood why she had been so shocked when she saw him for the first time. sea??h th Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
For Lukas, he was just reuniting with his disciple after a brief separation, but for Min Ha-rin, she had been searching for Lukas for more than five years.
And she hadnt been able to find a single clue.
No matter how positively she tried to think or how much faith she had in her master. After such a long time, it was only natural that she would begin to think the worst.????????n????????????d. ????????m
Just before seeing Lukas, Min Ha-rins eyes had been lifeless. Killing intent poured from every pore on her body, and she seemed to exude a sense of tiredness that was akin to a living corpse.
The five years that Min Ha-rin had experienced was probably something that Lukas wouldnt be able to understand or repay her for.
You did well.
So, instead, he just told her his thoughts.
Min Ha-rin slowly lowered her head at those words.
Shed spent the last five years on her own, fending for herself in an unknown world.
A lot of things had happened in that time, and there were a lot of things within her that had changed as well.
This might have been one of them.
The current Min Ha-rin didnt want to let her master see her cry.
* * *
Min Ha-rin briefly explained to Lukas everything she had experienced in the past five years.
First of all, she told him that her starting point hadnt been Combat Island, but Untamed Island located in the northwest.
Untamed Island?
Yeah. There are a few Dragonmen there, and there are even Dragonling who have long since lost their intelligence.
In the first month after her arrival, every day had been a constant struggle for survival. There were many kinds of Dragonlings on the island, and many of them could take her life in various ways.
There wasnt a single place where she could rest with confidence. To survive, she had to become stronger, and Min Ha-rin struggled desperately because she didnt want to die.
Then, after a long month of fighting.
Min Ha-rin was able to become slightly accustomed to life on the Untamed Island.
Soon after entering this world, I found that my magical power was constantly growing stronger. If it werent for that, I wouldnt have survived the Untamed Island.
The mana density in this world is extremely high. This is the best place to increase and train your mana.
Lukas nodded as he said that.
He didnt know how strong the Dragonlings who inhabited the Untamed Island were, but a month of constantly fighting for her own survival definitely had an explosive impact on her growth.
The Seven Islands of the Heavenly Realm all have different sizes. The Untamed Island is among the largest. Im not sure of its exact size, but the map I saw showed it was at least a few million square kilometers.
Millions of square kilometers.
That was truly an overwhelming size. In fact, such a size was comparable to a small continent. (1)
I stayed on the Untamed Island for about a year.
After she got used to the environment, Min Ha-rin was able to catch her breath.
At the very least, she gained the ability to secure a safe place for herself, and she also learned which Dragonlings she couldnt face.
It was true that humans were extremely adaptable creatures.
This was proven by the fact that Min Ha-rin was able to gradually get used to living on such a dangerous island.
Later, I also found what I think are mutated Dragonlings. I also ate many precious herbs and fruits. Thanks to that, I was able to become stronger much faster.
Werent you afraid that you were putting yourself at risk by eating those unknown things?
The information window said that it was okay to eat them.
Lukas couldnt help but tilt his head at the unfamiliar title.
information window?
Ah, I forgot that you only just arrived.
After saying that, Min Ha-rin drew her sword and held it in front of Lukas.
If you pay close attention to this sword, something will appear.
The sword that Min Ha-rin drew was much sharper than Lukas expected and seemed to have an extraordinary aura of its own. Lukas admitted that it wasnt a famed sword, but it wasnt too far from one.
Then he decided to do what Min Ha-rin said.
[Scarlet Killament]
[A one-handed sword forged from the fang of a mutated Dragonling. It seems to embody the ferocity and violence of the Red Dragonlings.
Once a day grants the ability to use Dragons Roar.]
Lukas raised an eyebrow.
(Note:
1. For references sake, Australia is roughly 7.7m sq km)
Book: 2: Chapter 151
Book 2: Chapter 151 Visualised information.
Indeed, if it was possible to access information in this way, then it was certainly possible to identify unknown herbs and fruits.
Of course, that didnt mean to trust it blindly.
As if she read Lukas mind, Min Ha-rin calmly continued.
To be honest, I didnt really trust it at first. However, during a fight with a Dragonling, I suffered from grievous injuries and would have died if not for a medicinal herb that I found nearby.
The information window had said the herb was effective at staunching bleeding and restoring energy, so Min Ha-rin had taken the risk to crush some in her hands to spread over her wounds before chewing on the rest.
After that, she passed out for several days before she finally woke up, her condition much better than before.
Thats when I began to trust it.
Min Ha-rin had stayed on the Untamed Island for about a year, and in that time, she explored a large portion. This was because shed hoped shed meet one of the others.
Of course, it couldnt be said that she had searched the entire island. After all, considering the size of the island and the amount of danger it contained, one year was far too short.
In particular, some areas were under the control of certain, powerful monsters.
Usually, as long as one didnt step into their territory, they didnt show much aggression or hostility. Unfortunately, Min Ha-rin, who didnt know anything about that, had entered those areas. As a result, shed almost died two times.
From then on, she ensured that she always knew who was in control of what territory, and she always paid special attention whenever she was passing by.
As time went on, Min Ha-rin began to feel tired and lonely.
At that moment, she no longer wanted to just meet one of the others. Instead, she simply wished to find some other intelligent being she could communicate with.
It was only around a year and two months after her arrival that she was able to meet a Dragonmen she could communicate with.
Fortunately, they didnt display any hostility towards me. In fact, they looked at me with a bit of awe.
They were researchers who had gone to study the island.
These researchers were greatly surprised to learn that Min Ha-rin had survived on that island for more than a year, and they were very curious and interested.
Even if she felt a bit strange, Min Ha-rin gladly welcomed this. She immediately joined their group, and after a while, she was able to go to the largest and safest of the Seven Islands, Peace Island.
While on Peace Island, I made my money by doing several miscellaneous jobs while seeking news about the members of our team.
Of course, as Lukas knew, her search hadnt yielded any results.
The researchers who had taken Min Ha-rin to Peace Island told her that there wasnt much contact between islands.
From what Lukas was told, the culture, lifestyle, and values of every island were all different.
In fact, apart from speaking the same language, they were basically a bunch of separate countries.
In other words, despite being on Peace Island, the information she could receive was very limited.
That was why Min Ha-rin decided to explore the other islands after acquiring the minimum required funds.
The Heavenly Realm was made up of seven islands.
Combat Island, Untamed Island, Peace Island, Death Island, Adventure Island, Desire Island.
And Dragon God Island.
Min Ha-rin had been able to enter all of the islands except two.
Death Island is a forbidden area, and Dragon God Island is a sanctuary. Access to both of them is strictly off-limits. Nevertheless, I heard that its possible to go to Dragon God Island if you become the Grand Champion.
Grand Champion?
Yeah. Its the title given to the strongest Champion on Combat Island. A competition is held every ten years.
In other words, Min Ha-rin had to become the Champion of the city in order to enter Dragon God Island. Sar?h the N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
I knew it was possible for there to be others here, but this world is much larger than I expected.
Yeah.
Min Ha-rin nodded.
If even the Heavenly Realm which sat in the sky was large enough to be called a world in its own right.
Then they couldnt help but wonder just how large the world beneath the clouds was.
In that case, Min Ha-rin and Lukas might actually be luckier than they thought.
After all, although it took five years, they had been able to start in the Heavenly Realm, and they had even managed to reunite.
But what about the others.
When will we meet them?
No, could they even meet them?
They had no idea where they were, and more importantly, they didnt even know if they were in the same time period.
What if someone had already appeared in this world decades ago? Or what if they only appeared over a hundred years in the future?
If that was the case, then even searching for them would be a waste of time
Ha-rin.
Min Ha-rin was awoken from her thoughts by Lukas voice.
She turned to look at him. The face of the Master from her memories. A face that shed thought about hundreds and thousands of times in the past. The face she likes the most, although she never told anyone.
Youve learned a bad habit.
Huh?
I mean, you dont have to worry about things on your own anymore.
Those words caused Min Ha-rins mouth to fall open slightly.
It was only then she realised that at some point, shed stopped opening her heart to others.
In fact, shed even begun to forget what she was like originally.
Maybe well meet the others sometime in the future. This was a game designed by the Rulers, and they were the ones who made us pick five teammates. If there was no way for us to meet each other, they wouldnt have designated the number of people we could bring.
yeah.
Theres no need to rush. Now, we can think it over together.
Min Ha-rins expression softened subconsciously.
Together.
For some reason, that word was really nice to hear.
Book: 2: Chapter 152
Book 2: Chapter 152 After talking for a while, Lukas also told Min Ha-rin of his experience.
By comparing what they encountered, they were able to find a few discrepancies.
I didnt hear a voice telling me about four statues.
Really?
Yeah. But I think I might have heard some information about one of them.
As she said that, Min Ha-rin got up from her seat, then, she took a piece of dried parchment from a drawer in the corner and spread it on the table without bothering to close the drawer.
Drawn on this piece of parchment was a map. It appeared to be a map of the Heavenly Realm.
This is Combat Island, where we are now.
To the extreme west.
Yeah. And this is Dragon God Island.
Min Ha-rins finger was now pointing at the very center of the map.
There, an island that was many times smaller than those around it, sat directly in the middle.
Unlike the other islands which were all large enough to be called continents in their own right, Dragon God Island was extremely small, comparable to an actual island.
Ive heard that there is a statue of the Dragon God here.
The Dragon God?
Im not sure about the details. Theres also the possibility that its only a rumor. As far as I know, very few Dragonmen were actually able to enter Dragon God Island.
After hearing those words, Lukas lowered his head and appeared lost in thought for a while.
Min Ha-rin glanced at his side profile for a bit before opening her mouth.
Hey, Master, your power is limited right now, isnt it? I remember you said you can only use up to 7-star magic.????????????????????????????. ????om
Thats right.
then, Ill protect you from now on, Master.
Lukas raised his head and looked at Min Ha-rin.
For some reason, she was puffing out her chest, and there was a confident expression on her face.
Ive grown much stronger in the past five years. Trust me.
Lukas nodded inwardly.
She had the right to be confident.
Min Ha-rin had always been extremely talented. In the past five years, she had fought in countless life and death battles like during her time on Untamed Island or in the arena. And yet, she survived.
Those endless battles were the perfect opportunities which allowed her to grow explosively.
In fact, even Lukas wasnt exactly sure just how strong she was at that moment.
Then, shall we fight?
Huh?
Whats wrong? I can only use 7-stars spell right now.
She knew that. Hed already told her earlier.
Min Ha-rins expression was a bit strange.
No. I mean I think Ive reached 7 stars.
This was thanks to the special fruits and herbs that shed eaten on Untamed Island. Of course, she didnt know any relevant spells, but it was clear that she had at least stepped her foot into the realm of an Archmage.
Thats something to celebrate.
She wasnt sure how to react.
Magic wasnt Min Ha-rins only weapon. Her magical swordsmanship had almost reached a state of perfection through the countless battles she had experienced. At present, she was confident that she would be able to win even if she were to face several Fighters at her level in the arena.
It was only at that moment that Lukas realised what his student was thinking.
I see. So you were worried about me.
U-, umm.
Min Ha-rin coughed slightly as Lukas accurately hit the nail on the head. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
In his current state, Lukas could only use 7-star spells at best.
In addition to 7-star spells and magical swordsmanship, Min Ha-rin had also learned several tricks over the years.
It wasnt exactly unreasonable for her to be confident in her victory.
Its not a bad thing for you to worry about me, but I dont think youve reached that stage yet.
Huh?
Once you face me, youll understand.
A gentle smile spread across Lukas lips at that moment.
Why your Master is called the Great Mage.
* * *
By the way, Master, what exactly is your relationship with Bargan?
He calls me Lord.
Huh?
We fought and I won.
Ahh.
Min Ha-rin nodded in understanding.
Headsmasher Bargan is one of the most famous Fighters in the region. Ive heard that several Fighter teams in the arena invited him, but he ignored every one of them.
Lukas frowned slightly, thinking about Bargan.
At first, he had been doubtful of Bargan allegiance. He found it very hard to believe and accept. But this was natural. After all, Lukas didnt know how honest and honourable Dragonmen were.
In fact, the only real reason that he kept him at his side was to obtain information about the Heavenly Realm.
It was much more efficient to listen to an explanation given by someone else than to investigate on his own in a place hed never been to before.
But Bargans loyalty was no joke, nor was it a trick. At first, Lukas felt that it was fortunate, but now, the situation had become a bit more ambiguous.
Because hed met Min Ha-rin. After traveling around this region for five years, she would certainly have experienced many things by now. So even if he didnt rely on Bargan, he could simply ask Min Ha-rin if he was curious about something.
I wanted to let Bargan go, but I cant seem to convince him.
Lukas could feel the stubbornness within the Dragonman Fighter.
It was highly unlikely that Bargan would nod and say yes if Lukas told him to leave.
Master, did you fight a life and death battle with Bargan?
Right.
Mm Then its possible that if you try to force him to leave, he will just kill himself.
Naturally, Min Ha-rin knew that Lukas didnt want him to die.
But they couldnt exactly keep him with them either.
Lukas and Min Ha-rin hadnt come to this world to play. They were participants of the Qualifiers for the Great Game. They were fundamentally different from the Dragonmen and other races that were native to this world.
There were times when they would have to talk about the original world, or Rulers, of the Great Game. And it wouldnt be feasible for them to avoid Bargan at those times.
In all honesty, Bargan isnt worth that much.
Min Ha-rin knew.
Even if the Heavenly Realm was only a part of the Great World, there were countless powerful beings with unfathomable strength.
Even if she had become stronger, Min Ha-rin wasnt confident that she could win against them just yet.
If he was strong enough, it might be worth it to think of an alternative, but
After thinking for a while, Min Ha-rin finally spoke in a slightly subdued tone.
I might have a few ways.
A few ways?
Yeah. One would be to simply order Bargan to stay put. A loyal Dragonman Fighter will obey their orders unconditionally, so he probably wouldnt refuse.
Lukas expression showed that he didnt like this option.
That meant that even if Bargan wouldnt be following them any longer, he would still be under Lukas command.
That wouldnt be good for Bargan or Lukas.
Of course, Min Ha-rin expected such a response from her master.
Another would be to make him return the favor he owes you, Master.
What do you mean?
Bargan has given his to you. Master didnt take his life even though you won the fight. So in his eyes, he literally owes you his life. Bargan is a Dragonman, more specifically, he is a Red Skin. That means that his loyalty towards you will never waver until he thinks he has repaid his debt.
Until he has repaid his debt.
Lukas understood what Min Ha-rin meant.
So its just a matter of making Bargan think he has repaid his debt.
Right. In other words, if he believes he saved your life or did something comparable to that, we can make Bargan go back to his own life.
Mmm
Lukas lowered his head in thought.
Make Bargan think he saved his life.
Such a situation wouldnt just happen suddenly.
This meant they would have to create a crisis, but that was a tiring and annoying endeavor.
Suddenly, a thought came to mind.
What if we entrusted Bargan with the task of finding the other?
Those words took Min Ha-rin by surprise.
That could work!
Such an order would mean that they wouldnt have to keep Bargan with them, and at the same time, they would be able to receive clues or even directly find the rest of their companions. It would be a great help.
In addition, Bargans strength was around the top of the wandering Dragonmen. Although it wouldnt be worth it to set their expectations too high, it was still possible for him to surprise them.
Then well let Bargan do that
Min Ha-rins voice trailed off after saying that.
She had her sword in one hand, and the other was held out with her palm facing upwards.
This was a stance that had been created from her five years of combat experience. Her ready stance.
Do you really want to fight?
Right?
Lukas nodded.
Ill let you make the first move.
They were currently standing in the arena.
Book: 2: Chapter 153
Book 2: Chapter 153 Min Ha-rin was a Champion, and the treatment she received befitted that title.
At least on Combat Island, individual strength was placed above law and order. This meant that gaining the title City Champion in this land was a very big deal.
In addition to the mansion they were in earlier, she was also given her own private training grounds. And there were probably many more unseen benefits besides those.
The arena in the center of the city was extremely large. To put it into modern terms, it was several times the size of an indoor gym.
Naturally, this large space wasnt just one large battleground.
Instead, not counting the space allocated for spectators, it was separated into eight small arenas.
As the Champion, Min Ha-rin had the right to use two of these arenas as she pleased. Of course, this was only applicable when there were no scheduled fights, but it was an amazing privilege nonetheless.
It was in one of these very arenas that Min Ha-rin and Lukas stood, facing each other. There were no spectators.
If there were any, they were already sent away.
Min Ha-rin looked at Lukas with a slightly worried expression.
Ill let you make the first move.
Lukas words rang out in her head once more. Nevertheless, Min Ha-rin found that she couldnt easily draw her sword.
Was she intimidated? That would normally be the case, but now, she was hesitating for an entirely different reason.
Min Ha-rin knew just how powerful her master was.
However, she didnt think her master understood how much stronger shed become.
In fact, that was true. Lukas wasnt sure exactly how strong Min Ha-rin was at that moment. He also didnt know exactly what shed gone through over the past five years.
Though their conversation had stretched over an hour, it still wasnt enough to fully convey the hardships and desperation shed experienced.
At that moment, Min Ha-rin even thought about showing him her status window.
[Min Ha-rin]
[Level: 67]
[Title: Snow Flower, Great Mages Disciple, Untamed Survivor, Champion of the Arena, One who has witnessed Five Islands]
[Occupation: Magic Swordsman]
[Race: Human]
[Skills: Magic(Lv.7), Swordsmanship(Lv.8), Magical Swordsmanship(Lv.5), Superior Toughness(Lv.5), Adaptability(Lv.4), Untamed Killing Intent(Lv.6), Fire Resistance(Lv.3), Poison Resistance(Lv.5), Survival Skills(Lv.6), Cooking(Lv.5)]
In this world, level signifies ones overall strength.
When she first arrived, Min Ha-rin had only been level 27, but now, it had been raised by 40.
That wasnt all.
Her magic level was now 7-stars, she had regained part of her former swordsmanship ability, and her magical swordsmanship was near perfection.
In addition, she had many skills that would all play a role, large or small, in the fight.
On the other hand, what did Lukas have?
His 7 star magic was all.
That was why Min Ha-rin was concerned.
if I were to win
Would it be a form of disrespect to her master?
Would it affect their relationship and cause things to become awkward?
Nevertheless, these worries all vanished a few moments later.
Piht-
Because Lukas disappeared.
Min Ha-rins eyes narrowed in an instant, her gaze sharpening.
Blink.
It was a spell that could be used to cross a short distance.
For a 7 star Wizard, covering the distance between them was something that could be done in an instant. But Lukas didnt come directly to her location. As if to test the waters, he was slowly covering the distance by a series of Blinks.
No. Rather than that.
He is closing the distance to a Magic Swordsman?
She couldnt understand.
For Wizards, it was common to fight from a distance, and in a limited area like the arena, it would be even more difficult to maintain that distance. But now, Lukas was doing the exact opposite of that.
Was he trying to catch her off guard?
If that was the case, then Min Ha-rin felt that Lukas was looking down on her too much.
The calmness that had been developed over thousands of life and death battles wasnt something that could be shaken by a simple unexpected situation.
Paht!
Deciding to stop hesitating, she drew her sword and rushed towards him.?????????????????????????. ?????
She had a vague understanding of the intervals and distance traveled with each Blink, so she felt she could predict it. Sarch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Every 0.7 to 1 second, he would move a distance of about seven steps.
He must be up to something.
But there was no way that she, a Magic Swordsman, would avoid a close combat opportunity with a Wizard.
Min Ha-rin swung her sword after predicting when Lukas would appear with his next Blink. The Scarlet Killament, a sword made from the fang of a mutant Dragonling, released an intense burst of heat as it rushed forward.
Piht!
And just as she predicted, Lukas appeared. While performing his blink, Min Ha-rin had suddenly appeared in front of him, but there was no change to his expression.
Shik.
Then Lukas disappeared again.
Only this time, it wasnt Blink. Instead, Lukas moved so quickly that it seemed like his entire body had disappeared. He crouched down as low as he could, before shooting up like a spring.
Paak!
!?
Subsequently, Lukas fist struck Min Ha-rins face.
Min Ha-rin stumbled backward, a drop of blood rolling from her nose.
There is a saying that making the first move leads to victory.
Then she heard Lukas soft voice.
But making the first move is not always enough. Only when the first move is successful can your victory be assured. In battle, the most important aspect is the initiative, and your ability to control the fight.
Ugh
Min Ha-rin finally regained her balance. Lukas physical abilities were unexpected, but that was only because it was a surprise attack. It wasnt at a level where she couldnt even react to it.
Min Ha-rin silently cast a Magic Missile.
In an instant, five Magic Missiles charged towards Lukas, each one aiming for a different vital point. Even though her mind had been shaken and she was in pain, her aim was still accurate.
Nevertheless, it still wasnt enough.
Bang bang bang!
The Magic Missiles all exploded without even being able to touch Lukas. This was because they were blocked by Energy Bolts that suddenly appeared from behind Lukas.
No.
Not suddenly.
It was clear that this spell had been cast beforehand, it was just that he hadnt used them.
He had probably cast it while using Blink.
Right. The reason he hadnt immediately closed the distance between them with Blink was that he was casting Energy Bolt as well.
I didnt think enough.
Shed never stopped to wonder why he was using Blink so many times.
Min Ha-rin swung her sword and struck an Energy Bolt that was rushing towards her. But that spell wasnt the only one.
Clang clang clang!
Each and every one of them was only a weak spell.
Just like Magic Missile, Energy Bolt could only be considered a 1-3 star spell.
Nevertheless, if the number reached tens or hundreds, with each one targeting a vital spot, then it was a different story altogether.
Kuk!
Min Ha-rin grunted as she constantly swung her sword at the incoming spells. But Lukas didnt let up. He continued to pressure Min Ha-rin with his fists, feet, and sometimes even his head, making sure to always keep a close distance.
I cant think.
Min Ha-rin bit her lip.
She had completely lost the initiative.
One second.
If he had just one second, she was sure that she could regain her composure and change this situation, but she couldnt find any gaps. Weak spells continued to bombard her as though a dozen Wizards were supporting Lukas.
Nevertheless, she couldnt ignore them. No matter how weak these spells were, they were still powerful enough to break skin and damage blood vessels. The only areas Lukas kept aiming for were her vital points.
It was only then that she finally realised.
The period where she had the highest chance of winning had already passed.
Its different.
Different from fighting the Dragonlings or the Fighters.
Lukas fighting style completely shattered her prejudice against Wizards.
There were some similarities with her own occupation, Magic Swordsman, in that it made use of both magic and martial arts, but that was it.
In the end, Magic Swordsmen were nothing more than humans who used two different skills. In other words, if they focused on magic, then swordsmanship was simply a support, and if they focused on swordsmanship, then magic was the support.
But that wasnt the case for Lukas.
He was using magic and martial arts simultaneously, almost as if he had two brains.
While this might sound simple, such a task was incredibly complicated. Even the most intelligent humans might not be able to replicate such a scene. To put it into more understandable terms, it was more difficult than drawing ten different pictures with each of your ten fingers.
Book: 2: Chapter 154
Book 2: Chapter 154 Min Ha-rin realised that this sort of close-up battle was extremely disadvantageous for Magic Swordsmen.
She at least needed enough distance to swing her sword, but Lukas was so close to her that she didnt have the chance to catch her breath as he continued to swing his fists. And as time went by, she found herself more and more on the defensive.
Tuk-
Suddenly, Lukas grabbed Min Ha-rin by the collar.
Ah.
This was bad.
Just as she had this thought, Min Ha-rin felt her body float up into the air.
Similar to a shoulder throw, this was one of the techniques of the Warrior King Fist, Overturning the Bull.
Bang!
Min Ha-rins body hit the ground so hard that cracks were formed beneath her.
As her back crashed against the ground, she felt all the air leave her lungs. If the slam had been a bit stronger, she would have fallen unconscious.
Lukas didnt follow up his attack. He only looked down at Min Ha-rin while shaking his hand slightly.
Min Ha-rin couldnt bear to meet his gaze.
Shed lost.
It was a complete and utter defeat.
She could still move, but when shed hit the floor, her entire body had been full of openings. If this were a real battlefield, she would be dead without a doubt.
As for making some kind of excuse, she didnt even think about it.
Min Ha-rin had been defeated before she could display even half of her true strength. In fact, if it wasnt for the experience she had gained over the years, she might have asked for a rematch.
Thats what Master wants.
He had intentionally ended the fight without allowing her to properly display her strength.
If they were to fight again, while she might not lose as easily, it would be nothing more than a losers consolation.
Then, Lukas spoke.
Get up. You shouldnt be tired already, right?
huh?
Were going to have another round.
Min Ha-rin looked at him with a blank expression.
Right now?
Right. I want to see all that youve developed over the past five years. At the very least, I can see that youve developed some level of calmness and quick thinking.
And I might have been a bit emotional just now. Sear?h the n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Lukas smiled wryly as he said this.
After seeing my disciple worry about beating me after only playing around for five years, I unintentionally forgot to hold back.
Min Ha-rins mouth hung open, unsure of how to respond to that.
Hiding her blushing face, Min Ha-rin got to her feet.
M-, Master is an Absolute, so thats why you can fight like that, isnt it? If you were a human, I think fighting like that would be very
Do you mean the combination of magic and martial arts?
Min Ha-rin nodded, but Lukas shook his head.
Thats not true.
Huh?
At this moment, I am just an ordinary 7-star Wizard, as weak as any other human. Of course, my experience is much deeper than any other human, but thats all. My pure combat power, mental capabilities, and mana reserves arent much different from back in the day.
Y-, youre saying that
Right.
Lukas nodded.
When I was a human, even as a 7-star Wizard, I was able to use magic and martial arts simultaneously. Just like now.
Min Ha-rins mouth fell open.
Shed always known that Lukas was amazing. But now that they were standing on the same level, she was finally able to understand a bit.
Just how special this being in front of her was since the days when he was a human.
* * *
After that, they fought five more times.
However, she was defeated every single time. Almost as if it was a natural outcome.
The more they fought, the longer she was able to last, but that was it.
From beginning to end, she hadnt been able to land a single attack on Lukas.
Min Ha-rins face was pale.
She was still proud of everything she had achieved over the past five years and how much she had grown, but in front of her master, it felt like the achievements shed gained at the risk of her life were only so-so.
Compared to her masters current state, all of her attributes were superior.
Nevertheless, it was the one area that she was inferior in that decided the outcome of their fights.
User capability.
Click.
It was at that moment that the door opened and Lukas walked into the room.
Did you have a good talk with Bargan?
Right. He didnt have any complaints.
Thats good.
Lukas looked at Min Ha-rin for a moment before opening his mouth again.
You look depressed.
well, its just I wonder if Ill ever be able to defeat you, Master.
You might be able to after about 4,000 years. (Note: Pfft)
C-, can a person even live that long?
You can.
Min Ha-rin didnt know that Lukas had spent 4,000 years in the Abyss when he was a human. Because he never mentioned those days when he talked about his past.
Thats why Min Ha-rin took Lukas words as a joke.
Youve grown stronger.
Lukas continued.
At first, Min Ha-rin thought he might be joking again, but her master would never be sarcastic with her.
Really?
As he heard this tentative voice, Lukas nodded.
Right. Do you remember what I said before? That youd need five years to surpass Lee Jong-hak.
Ah, yeah.
Min Ha-rin nodded.
After saying that, hed said that if she listened to his teachings, she would be able to surpass Lee Jong-hak using magic within a year.
Ha-rin, youve definitely gotten stronger. Currently, you are on par or even above him already.
Min Ha-rins expression remained bewildered. Even if she trusted what Lukas was saying, she still found it very hard to believe.
Of course, this is only true if Lee Jong-hak is still on the same level compared to five years ago.
Ah.
She immediately understood what he meant.
If Lee Jong-hak had also entered this world a few years ago and continued his training during that time, then he definitely would have become much stronger.
After all, Lee Jong-hak was no less talented than she was.
Magical Swordsmanship that is the path you chose in the end.
Lukas continued in a low voice.
Magic and swordsmanship were not particularly easy fields even when one chose to focus on them.
Nevertheless, she was already showing great success in both fields. Such an achievement was difficult even for geniuses who had excellent comprehension abilities.
But Lukas didnt bother to say those things out loud. He didnt think Min Ha-rin didnt know that already.
Everyone had their own innate gifts. You could even call it a talent.
Min Ha-rin must have constantly been contemplating and confirming her innate gift while toiling for those five years in the Heavenly Realm.
And after all that time, the conclusion she reached was to continue the path of Magical Swordsmanship.
And since Lukas respected Min Ha-rin, he would naturally respect her choices as well.
He wouldnt be a true master if he were to recommend she give up her path just because it was difficult.
Sometimes, it was necessary to support and understand a choice without saying anything.
What do you think your biggest problem is right now?
Umm Im not able to show 100 percent of my abilities.
Exactly. Now all you need to work on is refinement.
Refinement? What does that mean?
I realised something during our fights. You picked up on a lot of tricks.
Yeah. Well
Min Ha-rin had learned about a dozen or so skills during those five years on her own. There were many different kinds of skills. Some of them werent very useful, while some of them had even saved her life.
However, in our fights just now, you couldnt use many of those tricks.
Yeah.
She nodded.
Had they had this conversation before the fights, she would have been a bit skeptical, but now, she understood.
What it was like to make use of all the weapons in your arsenal.
She could tell just from watching Lukas.
Because of his understanding of his weapons, he was able to bring out 120 percent of their power by using them in the right place at the right time.
In truth, its not very easy to use all of your power in a fight. This is because the situation can change in many ways depending on who your opponent is, the terrain, and whether or not youre in peak condition.
Yeah.
Since youve mastered a large number of tricks and skills, you have a relatively large number of options by which to respond to a variety of situations. The only problem is that you cant fully utilise them yet.
then what should I do?
Until you can make every skill completely yours, limit the skills you use.
Huh?
Book: 2: Chapter 155
Book 2: Chapter 155 Min Ha-rin looked at Lukas, her head tilted to the side in confusion.
Lukas got up from his seat and walked to the window. From there, he was able to see the arena in all of its glory.
For now, when using sword techniques, you should minimise your use of magic. Dont just cast blindly. Sometimes, its necessary to do without something in order to realise what you need.
Ah, okay
Min Ha-rin didnt understand her Masters intentions, but she decided to just listen to him. In truth, as she was now, if Lukas were to look at something white and call it black, it wouldnt be too surprising for Min Ha-rin to tilt her head to the side and ask Really?.
I also think it would be better for you to not increase your level or learn any new skills for the time being.
Okay.
You dont know any 6 or 7 star spells yet, do you? Ill teach you a few of them in a little while, so make sure to pay attention.
Understood.
Lukas nodded. This much advice was enough. After all, Min Ha-rin was a smart kid.
Now, it was time to discuss the next topic.
Our final goal is to find the four special statues. But in our current state, it would be troublesome if we clashed with the other groups.
Their group only had two people, and Lukas was currently limited to 7 stars.
On the other hand, although Min Ha-rin had become stronger to an extent, she still hadnt reached the point that Lukas considered the peak of mortality.
Min Ha-rins eyes lit up.
So we should find the rest of our teammates first.
Or, find an item that will help me break free from these restrictions.
They had two options.
Min Ha-rin also knew that there were many incredible items in this world. After all, she had personally experienced explosive growth in her mana after eating special fruits on Untamed Island.
If we were to look for our teammates, who would we look for first?
Arid.
Lukas answered without even needing to think about it.
The reason for this answer was obvious, so Min Ha-rin nodded.
His Brilliance power would be very useful.
Right. If we have Arids Brillance, it would be much easier to find the others.
Arids Communication power was something that would be extremely helpful in a situation like this where they were all separated.
If they managed to find Arid, then finding the others would be a breeze.
However, that leads me to believe that Arid hasnt entered this world yet.
if Arid was already in this world, he would have used Communication to send us a message by now.
Lukas smiled slightly.
Thats right. Youre definitely thinking more flexibly than before.
Ah, ahaha
That was because she had gone through many days where she would lose her life if she made even a single mistake. Thanks to that, her stiff and conventional thinking had loosened up quite a bit.
More than that
Min Ha-rin looked at Lukas.
Maybe he was in a good mood or something, but she felt that he was smiling much more than he did before. It was the same for his attitude.
Of course, this didnt mean she didnt like it or anything. On the contrary, it felt much warmer than before, so she felt it was much better this way.
She wasnt exactly sure how to describe it.
But she couldnt help but feel that Lukas seemed more human.
its really been a while, hasnt it?
Min Ha-rin shook her head slightly to get rid of her thoughts before speaking.
Whos next?
Sedi.
Um may I ask why?
Thats simple. She is probably the strongest person in the group now.
In all honesty, Sedi was probably stronger than Lukas at this point.
Unlike Absolutes like Lukas, who had been restricted back to a mortal state, she had probably not been restricted, and even if she were, she has the ability and experience to achieve explosive growth.
In the five years that she was here, Min Ha-rin hadnt encountered the other factions, but it wouldnt be strange if that changed tomorrow.
Therefore, it was imperative that they secured their strongest fighting power, Sedi.
Min Ha-rin lowered her head in thought for a moment before opening her mouth.
So, statues, teammates, and an item that can help Master unlock your power. There might be a chance to get all three at once.
What is it?
Championship.
That word made him think about the conversation theyd just had.
Do you mean the competition to determine the Grand Champion that is held every 10 years?
Yeah. If you become the Grand Champion, you will be able to go to Dragon God Island and receive the Dragon Gods Blessing from the Goddess.
Dragon Gods Blessing?
I heard it was the Goddess special ability which would allow the receiver to bring out their full potential.
I see.
Such a setting seemed to have been pre-arranged by the Rulers.
In other words, it was highly likely that it was the key to unlock the Absolutes powers.
If you become the Grand Champion, your name will definitely spread throughout the Heavenly Realm. This is because that is the highest and most honorable position in the eyes of the Fighters. If that happened, then Im sure our other teammates would be able to learn about us.
Min Ha-rin then added in a slightly solemn tone.
Of course, there are some risks involved.
It was the same risk that Lukas was prepared for when he decided to use his real name.
Increasing his fame meant not only publicizing his name, but also his appearance to an unknown number of people. Sarch* The N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
In other words, the other factions would also come to him.
Nevertheless, Lukas felt that Min Ha-rins idea was currently the best option they had.
In addition, it is said that there is a statue of the Dragon God on Dragon God Island. Only those who are given permission have the honor of seeing it. It is an important relic for all Dragonmen and is said to be quite special. So I think that it might be what youre looking for.
This was also a fairly reasonable guess. If they were lucky, they would be able to kill three birds with one stone.
Alright. Then well participate in this Championship.
Yeah. However, you can only participate in the Championship if youre a Champion. I can participate since Im the Champion of Herui, but you wouldnt be able to.
Then what should I do?
Thats simple. You can claim the title of Champion by conquering the arena in another city. For someone as strong as Master, that wouldnt be difficult at all.
Mmm.
Lukas nodded before turning to look at Min Ha-rin.
Naturally, he knew that he wouldnt be able to move with her. Min Ha-rin was the Champion of this city, and she would soon begin to train herself based on the advice Lukas had just given her.
Then it seems we will have to part for a while again.i????n?????????????. Co
Min Ha-rin, who had fallen silent, finally nodded in a slow, exaggerated manner.
So it seems.
Will you be alright?
Of course.
She smiled brightly.
Just meeting Master again has already given me a lot of strength.
* * *
Youre going to Lirua?
When Lukas nodded, Bargans expression became a bit strange.
He was just getting ready to leave the city. Since he was going to have to travel all around the Heavenly Realm anyway, he decided to head to the largest major city nearby, which was Lirua.
It was Min Ha-rin who had suggested Lukas should head to Lirua.
She told him that when he could become the Champion, the various rewards and benefits he would receive were proportional to the size of the city. If he was lucky, he might even option special items and equipment.
What is your goal for going to that place?
To become the Champion.
Mmm
Bargans expression became solemn.
He seemed lost in thought for a while before finally speaking in a heavy voice.
My Lord is strong. You defeated me without even trying, so you are more than qualified to become a Champion. If you were to go to a small town, you would be able to secure the position with ease So, I would really not recommend you go to Lirua.
Why?
that is a place that has lost its fight.
A place that lost its fight?
[It is recommended that participants head to Lirua.]
[Listen to the details from Headsmasher Bargan.]
After a long while, he heard the voice once again.
Lukas turned back to look at Bargan.
[Wandering Dragonman Fighter Bargan]
[Loyalty: 51]
The translucent window he saw before appeared above his head once again.
However,
[Difficulty: C]
There was a new line added beneath it.
(Note: Quest?)
Book: 2: Chapter 156
Book 2: Chapter 156 There is always a reason why a wanderer becomes a wanderer.
These were the words Min Ha-rin had told Lukas before he left.
This is especially the case for Dragonmen living here on Combat Island. Im not sure if its a racial trait or not, but Dragonmen tend to have a very strong attachment to their hometowns.
This was a part of the reason why the Championship, which was held every ten years, received so much attention from the Dragonmen.
If Min Ha-rin managed to do well in the Championship, then the entire city of Herui would hold a large festival that would last for at least a week.
The Championship wasnt just a competition to determine who was the strongest among the Champions. It was a great regional event that not only Combat Island, but the entirety of the Heavenly Realm paid attention to.
It is incredibly rare for a Fighter as powerful as Bargan to become a wanderer. Even if he didnt have any attachment to his hometown like other Dragonmen, he would still be treated well in any arena he decided to go to. By choosing to become a wanderer, it meant that he had a complicated past that he wasnt willing to reveal to others.
After a short pause, Min Ha-rin added.
It might be a bit presumptuous for me to say this, but I think it would be best to not pry into it.
* * *
What do you mean it has lost its fight?
When Lukas asked this question, Bargan responded without hesitation.
I mean that Fighters cannot survive there.
Thats strange. Rin was the one who told me about Lirua.
Rin was the pseudonym Min Ha-rin used in this world. The full name was Rin Summers.
When she told him this, with a slightly embarrassed expression, she added that she hadnt really thought much about it when she chose the name.
She told me that Lirua is one of the eight major cities here on Combat Island. In terms of the size of its arena alone, it is among the top five, and the level of fighters there is quite high. Was she wrong?
No. Everything she told you was right.
Then why?
Bargans face became bright red.
This wasnt because he was embarrassed or shy. Instead, it was because he couldnt control his agitation. In fact, he even began to breathe heavily.
For a while, he did his best to suppress his emotions, so he didnt speak. It was almost as though it was taking all of his concentration to calm his rising passion.
Lukas waited calmly to the side without hurrying him.
Then, after finally calming himself enough to speak, Bargan opened his mouth.????????????????????d. ????????????
There is darkness in Lirua.
Darkness?
Yeah. They have broken one of the greatest taboos.
Which taboo?
An expression of extreme disgust and contempt flashed across Bargans face. He closed his eyes as if he felt it was disgraceful to even say it, and spoke as if he had swallowed a bug.
Fight fixing.
What?
The arena in Lirua has a lot of fixed fights.
Fight fixing In other words, it meant that they were manipulating victory and defeat in the arena.
Why?
There are many reasons, both large and small, but the biggest reason will always be money. With an arena as large as the one in Lirua, the amount of money that is moved whenever there is a big fight is astronomical.
I see. Others can bet on the fights.
Right.
Bargain nodded, but Lukas frowned slightly and opened his mouth.
Arent there people who can crackdown on corruption like that? There is no way they would allow something like that to happen on a large scale.
There certainly are auditors, but they arent well known. In truth, they are nothing more than puppets for those with money and power. They are scum who wouldnt even dare to stand against the City Lord of Lirua.
It was possible that the people Bargan hated the most were those auditors. His eyes were filled with fierce rage as if he was thinking about some irreconcilable enemy.
How do you know so much about them?
Bargain closed his eyes once again.
Then, he muttered in a low, defeated voice.
I used to be a Fighter for Lirua.
* * *
He heard everything.
Nevertheless, Lukas didnt change his destination from Lirua.
There were several reasons for this decision.
The words the voice had spoken before, the darkness lurking in Lirua, and his curiosity, among other things.
Bargan didnt seem very pleased by Lukas decision, but he didnt try to persuade him any further.
Lukas also didnt try to pry any further into Bargans past. It would still be fine to ask in the future if his loyalty went up a bit more.
Lirua was a fair distance away from Herui. At the very least, with his current strength, it would take him about two months to get there by foot.
The Championship will commence in two months.
In this situation, he didnt have the time to walk. He would have to find some other mode of transportation.
When he mentioned this to Bargan, he nodded his head.
I think it would be best for you to ride the Sky Horse Carriage(1).
Sky Horse Carriage?
Yes.
Sky Carriages were a mode of transportation using Dragonlings. According to Bargan, they were drawn by monsters known as Flying Dragons. Although it was a bit strange for them to be called horse carriages, it would be a bit strange and improper to call them Dragon carriages.
Of course, there is a bit of a problem with that. They are incredibly expensive.
How much is it? sea??h th Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
If its from Herui, a one-way trip would probably cost about 5,000 eru.
Even after he heard that Lukas didnt find it too expensive. This was because he was still ignorant of the monetary values of the Heavenly Realm.
Of course, it might also have something to do with the fact that he had the money to pay for it. This was because Min Ha-rin had given him 10,000 eru for travel expenses.
To be honest, it was a bit strange for the Master to receive money from the disciple, but when he saw Min Ha-rins proud expression, he found it hard to refuse.
After all, he felt that it wasnt a good thing for Min Ha-rin to spend the money she earned with her blood and sweat for him.
Then Bargan continued.
Of course, if that amount is too much for you, there are other methods. However, these methods come with disadvantages.
Thats fine. Tell me what they are.
Well, you could join a subjugation teams mission.
(Note:
1. Going forward, Ill just refer to this as Sky Carriage. I only added the horse for the comparison with Dragon carriage.)
Book: 2: Chapter 157
Book 2: Chapter 157 Lukas tilted his head to the side as he heard the unfamiliar term.
Subjugation teams mission?
Bargan naturally realised that he didnt understand, so he explained in a calm tone.
In addition to Dragonmen, there are many Dragonlings here on Combat Island.
Dragonling.
This was a generic term used for the monsters found in the Heavenly Realm.
Most of the monsters on these floating islands all had some characteristics that were reminiscent of Dragons, so they were given that name.
It might be hard to see them near the cities, but they are quite common in the wilderness untouched by civilization.
That sounds like a large threat.
Right. Thats why there are subjugation teams. These groups receive money from the royal family to travel around the island at regular intervals. And based on eyewitness accounts and other reports, they subdue the Dragonlings living in the wilderness.
Now that he had some understanding of it, Lukas realised what Bargan was suggesting.
So youre saying I should move with the subjugation team?
Yes. This is usually the method used by people who dont have enough money. It might take a bit longer than using the Sky Carriage, but there is little risk involved.
Then he added that it would take about two weeks to get there if he went with the subjugation team.
That was about twice as long as the carriage.
How much does it cost?
500 eru, but the meals cost extra.
One-tenth of the price was a noticeable difference.
Lukas pondered for a moment.
In any case, there were still about two months to go before the Championship began. And even if there was a delay, he didnt think it would take more than a month for him to obtain a spot.
The first thing I should do is unlock more of my strength.
In a large city like Lirua, it was likely that he would find strong individuals that he couldnt defeat with just 7-star magic. If he wanted to defeat them, and subsequently win the Championship, he would need to become stronger than he was now.
special items.
These things were more likely to be hidden in the wilderness than in busy cities. Min Ha-rin had been able to experience tremendous growth in the past five years due to the numerous items she found during the time she spent on Untamed Island.
With that in mind, he thought about the explanation hed just received from Bargan.
In truth, although they were called a subjugation team, what they did seemed to be more similar to that of a reconnaissance team. He said that there was a very small chance to encounter Dragonlings, and even if they did, the passengers usually didnt have to do anything.????????????????e????. ????????m
This system was designed because the cost of running this subjugation team was incredibly high.
Although this mode of travel wasnt as safe as the Sky Carriage, the Dragonmen were a race who welcomed adversity, dangers, and unknown adventures. So no one really had a problem with it.
Of course, the biggest reason why people chose this method was because they were short on cash.
After thinking about it for a while, Lukas nodded.
Ill go with that then.
Understood. Then Ill inform the subjugation team in advance. My Lord, please head to the Flame of Herui on the northwest side of the city tomorrow morning.
The subjugation team had a base in every city, and Herui was no exception to this.
The Flame of Herui.
While thinking of this strange name, Lukas nodded to himself. It would be a short two-week trip, but there were still a few things he had to prepare first.
The first place he headed to was an old bookstore. It was pretty easy to find since he had received directions from Min Ha-rin before he left.
When he arrived, he opened a book and briefly glanced over it.
Its English.
Perhaps it was because most of the participants this time were from Earth.
Nevertheless, it was a good thing for Lukas. After all, even if he was quick, if it was a new language, it would take him at least two days to learn it.
After confirming that he could read them, he picked several books in the store. His plan was to study the culture and history of the Heavenly Realm. He could always ask Bargan about the things he didnt know, but it would be much less of a hassle if he built up his foundation of knowledge before doing so. S~ea??h the N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Next, he headed to a weapon store. He wondered if there were any staff-like weapons for sale.
In the end, his search was fruitless.
Not to mention staff, there wasnt even a single magic related piece of equipment in the store. All of the shiny weapons displayed in the store seemed to be perfect for stabbing, slashing or, smashing, but none of them had any special qualities.
Bargan called my magic sorcery.
The Dragonmen might tend to despise those who fought with other abilities instead of using their bodies.
Nevertheless, he didnt seem shocked by Lukas display of magical abilities. In the first place, Min Ha-rin used both magic and swordsmanship in order to secure the title of Champion.
For a moment, he couldnt help but wonder if this concept was only limited to those on Combat Island, or if it was a sentiment shared by the entirety of the Heavenly Realm.
Lukas found an inn to spend the night.
He had originally been planning to leave on that very day, but now, he would end up staying in Herui one day longer than intended. If he went to Min Ha-rins mansion he would certainly be able to stay for free. But it would be a bit strange to meet again after they already said their goodbyes to each other.
Just as he took out a book to read, Lukas felt his eyelids become heavy.
Im tired?
This unfamiliar sensation shocked him for a moment.
Then he realised that he was even a bit hungry.
I see.
Now that his body had basically returned to a human state, it seemed he would have to eat and sleep regularly again.
hoo.
It was a bit frustrating because he would not have as much time as he was used to, but it felt somewhat nostalgic to have physiological needs once again.
Lukas went down to the first floor and received a few pieces of smoked meat as well as some cold soup from the inns owner before returning to his room. While eating, he decided to take out his book once again and read it.
As he gnawed on the slightly chewy and salty smoked meat, Lukas eyes rolled back and forth as he read quickly.
The Lightning God said that this world would be interesting.
Lukas thought that there was some kind of hidden meaning in those words.
He thought of everything that made up this world, its very old culture and long history, races with self-awareness and high intelligence, and size much greater than most planets.
Right. This was literally a huge world, but it was highly likely that this world didnt exist before.
No. It wasnt just highly likely. Lukas was certain.
This incredibly vast world was, in the end, an improvised stage created by the Rulers in preparation for the Great Game.
Flap-
He flipped through the pages.
What Lukas was looking for were hints that might have been left behind by the Rulers.
And as he expected, he did manage to find some clues in the book.
Especially since it was a book about mythology.
All of the Dragon tribes in the Heavenly Realm came from one source.
The Heavenly Realm was not a mass that had been separated from the lower world, and the Seven Islands had been divided since the beginning of time. This was proven by the fact that the characteristics of each region were distinctly different.
What intrigued Lukas the most was the information about the other regions.
This world consisted of the Heavenly Realm, Thunder Gorge, Black Earth, and Giant Field, with a large supercontinent in the middle.
However, it was a bit awkward to call these places regions. This was because each one of them was so large, it wouldnt be strange if one referred to them as individual worlds.
Nevertheless, they werent separated like the different worlds in Lukas universe. Each world basically coexisted on one planet.
Though it is difficult to go to other regions.
One couldnt just enter the Heavenly Realm by flying into the sky.
In the Thunder Gorge, a seemingly never-ending thunderstorm constantly sent down lightning bolts, irrespective of day and night.
The Black Earth was a place where thick miasma corroded the ground and air. A land of death where most beings couldnt survive for a second.
And regardless of their race, no being with even the slightest shred of intelligence dared to get close to the Giant Field.
From their descriptions, Lukas was able to realise one thing.
It was basically an affirmation of the conjecture hed formulated when he first learned about the Dragon God.
Each region is associated with a Ruler.
The Lightning Gorge was associated with the Lightning God, the Black Earth with the Black Horned Demon King, the Giant Field with the Sun God, and finally, the Heavenly Realm with the Seven Fanged Dragon God.
Each region seemed to have a distinct connection to the respective Rulers.
Then did each of the four Rulers create a region?
That shouldnt be the case.
It was said that the Seven Fanged Dragon God, the final Ruler, didnt agree with the others idea for the Great Game.
Except for the supercontinent, Gaia, there are four worlds.
In simple terms, there was a high possibility that one statue was located in every world. After all, it wouldnt be balanced if all of the statues were located in one world.
Taking out a small notebook, Lukas began to take notes.
Scribble scribble-
For a while, the sound of a pen scratch paper was the only sound in the room.
Time went by, and the sky gradually became dark. Not much time had passed. After all, it had already been halfway through the afternoon when he found the inn.
Lukas lit a candle, illuminated the table in front of him. There sat a notebook filled with his handwritten notes.
Suddenly, he turned to look out the window.
There, he was greeted by the sight of the beautiful night sky. Perhaps it was because this world sat in the clouds, but he had a slight feeling that the stars were so close, all he needed to do was reach out and grab them.
This reminded him of when he used to study magic in the past.
It was a sentimental memory that filled him with longing. Perhaps with a glass of alcohol, he would be able to have a comfortable nights sleep as he reminisced about those times.
But he didnt.
It was not yet time to dwell on the past.
Book: 2: Chapter 158
Book 2: Chapter 158 Lukas got up from his bed around dawn. From his estimation, he had slept for about two hours.
After tidying the bed and washing his face, he put on the clothes that he wasnt yet used to.
Then, he headed to the first floor of the inn to have breakfast. The item on the menu for breakfast was crispy bacon.
In Lukas opinion, this was a bit too much, and something like a salad or bread would have been better. However, the Dragonmen seemed to prefer to eat meat to an almost extreme degree.
When he headed out onto the street after eating, he saw some Dragonmen also beginning their days.
As he looked at them, Lukas couldnt help but marvel at their different appearances.
Some were practically the same as humans except for the skin and eyes.
Some had protruding horns or tusks.
And there were even some who basically looked like bipedal reptiles.
Nevertheless, they recognised each other as their kin. Of course, this wasnt to say there wasnt any prejudice at all, but in a modern sense, it was the same way that humans recognised each other as humans.
This knowledge was also something that hed obtained from the books.
Without further ado, Lukas passed them, heading towards the Flame of Herui that Bargan had mentioned the day before.
The Flame of Herui was one of the tallest buildings in the northwestern side of the city. To speak in modern terms, it was the Heavenly Realms equivalent of a skyscraper.
Of course, this didnt mean that it was incredibly tall. At best, it was only a 10 story building, but when compared to the 1 and 2 story buildings around it, it looked like a mountain jutting out from the ground.
Lukas looked up at this large building. He could already tell from where he was standing.
The top of the building had been designed to be a kind of landing pad for flying dragons.
Flying Dragons.
Dragonlings who had the ability to fly across the sky.
Lukas couldnt help but wonder just how big they were. Considering the size of the building, it was fairly likely that they were much larger than he initially believed.
He headed into the building.
The first floor of the building was a large lounge. It had an atmosphere similar to a bar, if not a bit harsher.
The smell of alcohol seemed to permeate every inch of the space, and above all else, it was incredibly noisy.
It was still very early in the morning, but there was already a large number of people sitting in the bar. It was likely that it remained open all day.
When Lukas entered, the volume in the bar lowered a bit.
The Dragonmen, who had been relaxing in the bar, glanced at Lukas and began to whisper among themselves.
Is he an outsider?
Im not sure
I dont think so. Not even the outsiders look so weak.
Ignoring them, Lukas headed to the middle of the bar.
Standing there was a man who looked incredibly close to a lizard and had almost no human features.
To put it bluntly, he was more like the Lizardmen from Lukas homeworld.
The mans yellow eyes flashed dangerously as he spoke.
Outsider, what brings you to the Flame of Herui?
Im here to join the subjugation teams travel service.
Since the other wasnt polite, Lukas didnt try to be respectful either.
After looking at the Dragonman for a short while, he added.
Bargan should have come to speak with you beforehand.
you are Bargans Lord?
That should be the case.
I dont believe it. sea??h th N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
The Dragonmans voice was tinted with disbelief.
Bargan was defeated by such a skinny outsider?
His tone was strangely rough, but it didnt seem like he was trying to refute him. This was because there was a clear expression of admiration on his face.
It was the same for the other Dragonmen who heard their conversation.
This reminded Lukas of the attitudes of the guards who protected the gates to Herui.
It was at that time that Bargan came down from the second floor. As soon as he spotted Lukas, he walked over at a brisk pace.
You came early.
Should I have come later?
No The preparations are already complete. All we need to do now is wait for approval
Bargain turned to the Dragonman Lukas was talking to and opened his mouth.
How about it, Taotan?
Your request has been approved. Did you say its just the two of you? Then you can join Igarus squad.
Bargains expression brightened at those words.
Thanks. Ill remember this favor.
What are you saying?
The Dragonman Lukas had been talking to was Taotan, and Bargan seemed to know him. Although their words were cold and stiff, there was a hint of familiarity mixed into them.
After checking the schedules a few more times, Bargan turned to Lukas.
Lets go up.
Sure.
After saying that, he followed Bargan up the stairs. Even though it was still early in the morning, Dragonmen filled every floor of the building. Many of them didnt seem to be members of the subjugation force. Perhaps they were passengers like Lukas and Bargan.
If we were a bit later, they might have left without us. There are many more people than I anticipated. If it wasnt for Taotans help it would have been impossible.
It seems that the process is very complicated.
Not necessarily, its just a lot of reading. There are a lot of documents that you need to go through.
Documents?
Right. It includes things like precautions you should be aware of when moving with others, the risks involved, actions to be taken during an emergency, etc. And you also need to write a waiver stating that, in the event you die, the subjugation team would not be held responsible.
Book: 2: Chapter 159
Book 2: Chapter 159 The explanation Bargan gave was concise, but Lukas had a feeling that it was much more complicated than that.
Nevertheless, Bargan did all of those frivolous tasks on his own.
Lukas was inwardly surprised by this fact. It seemed that he wasnt just a wandering Fighter who could only earn his living by fighting.
That wasnt all.
Bargan seemed to have a good understanding of the behaviour one should have for their superior and knew exactly how rude or polite he should be at any moment.
But this kind of behaviour couldnt be innate.
Lukas suddenly asked.
Did you serve someone before me?
When he heard this question, Bargans expression changed slightly.
No. This is my first time serving a Lord.
There were other types of superiors that one could serve.
Lukas was curious, but he didnt ask any further. He knew that, were he to ask, he would certainly receive an answer. However, such an action would affect Bargans loyalty.
Though I dont really plan to increase his loyalty.
He was a bit curious about this man named Bargans past, but that was all.
While Lukas was lost in his thoughts, they arrived at the roof of the building.
Upon opening the door and stepping outside, they were immediately greeted by strong winds which ruffled their hair.
As Lukas had expected, the roof of the building had been fashioned into a landing strip of sorts.
The Flame of Herui was the tallest building in the area, and from it, they were able to see the beautiful scenery of the waking city. However, there was something else that drew their attention.
Sitting beneath the slowly brightening morning sky were a group of large carriages. And in front of each carriage, was an even larger flying dragon.
Its big.
The monster seemed to be at least five meters long, and if it spread its wings, it would certainly be much larger.
Although it sat on the rooftop in a seemingly calm manner, the feeling it gave wasnt like that of a docile pet. Instead, it seemed to give a faint sense of danger like that of a sleeping lion.
It was strange.
This monster was a flying dragon, something that should be as ferocious as the drakes and wyverns in Lukas homeworld. That was why he found it strange that they were able to tame them enough to pull their carriages.
Youre here, Bargan.
It was at that moment that a Dragonman approached them. It seemed that he also knew Bargan.
Squad Leader, Igaru, well be in your care for a while.
Haha. I should say the same. After all, it is Headsmasher Bargan thats joining us. You are much more reliable than even a hundred of my foolish squad members.
When Bargan simply nodded, Igarus gaze turned to Lukas.
You can call me Igaru. Are you Bargans rumored Lord?
Yes. Im Lukas.
Hmm
Igaru briefly glanced at Lukas body before nodding.
Nice to meet you. As you may have already heard, the cost of the trip will be 500 erus. Since there are two of you, it would normally cost 1000 erus, but Bargan has joined us as a mercenary, so you only need to pay us half.
a mercenary?
It was Bargan who answered Lukas question.
To put it simply, Ill be helping the subjugation team.
That explained why Igaru was so happy to see Bargan.
Im sorry for not telling you earlier. I thought it would be better to save, even if it was only 500 eru.
No, thank you for your consideration.
After saying that, Lukas turned back to look at the carriages once again.
Each carriage had one flying dragon attached to it. Before boarding, he decided to see how the flight worked.
There is no way it can fly properly just by putting reins on a flying dragon.
Considering the weight of the carriages and their occupants, no matter how powerful the flying dragons might be, there was no way theyd be able to fly for extended periods.
Lukas decided to take a closer look at the carriage. As he expected, runes were engraved all over it.
There were runes for reducing weight, runes to block the wind and prevent shaking to some extent, and also runes that helped with levitation.
The Dragonlings on Desire Island are said to be good at using runes.
Runes was a field that could be considered quite common in different types of magic.
The difference between spells and runes was the fact that even those who might not have the necessary magical talent would be able to use runes as long as they had the required knowledge, materials, and tools.
It probably has something to do with the abundant mana in the air.
Since there seemed to be a never-ending supply of potent mana in the air, it was natural for the Dragonlings to not see the need of storing it in their bodies.
This also caused the direction of their development to move from using spells, to using runes.
The principle behind runes was to take the energy flowing in the air and transform it to suit your specific needs. For that reason, it was possible that the runes the Dragonlings created could have only been used in the Heavenly Realm.
As he watched Lukas carefully observing the carriage, Igaru tilted his head to the side.
Are you a Sorcerer?
Lukas thought for a moment before nodding.
There was no reason for him to tell him about spells, which would probably be a new concept for him.
Suddenly, the squad members who had come over with Igaru burst into laughter.
A Sorcerer
I didnt think there would be sissys who played with runes here on Combat Island.
Unlike Igaru, the other squad members didnt seem to have a very good impression of Lukas. And when he turned to look at them, they gave him provocative glares as if to say what can you do about it?.
Naturally, Lukas wouldnt care about this kind of childish provocation, so he simply got onto the carriage without giving them a second glance.
The interior of the carriage was much larger than he expected. It was large enough for five or six people to sit comfortably.
Then, he heard Igarus voice.
Everyone, get on the carriages! Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
* * *
Three flying dragons flew across the blue sky.
The group this time consisted of nine squad members, including Igaru, Lukas, Bargain, who was also controlling a flying dragon, and three other passengers.
On an island above the clouds, it was certainly a novel experience to be flying once again, but Lukas didnt find it interesting.
He had long since lost any interest in the scenery flashing past the window.
Rattle, rattle
In all honesty, the ride was not good. Instead, it would be better to say that it was terrible.
No matter how many runes were inscribed on it, the carriages were drawn by living creatures. Whenever the flying dragons flapped their wings to propel themselves forward, the entire carriage shook as if it had been buffeted by heavy winds.
Nevertheless, although this shakey trip was uncomfortable and puke-inducing, Lukas simply sat with a nonchalant expression, reading the book hed prepared in advance.
Are you really Bargans Lord?
When he lowered his book and looked past it, Lukas saw a man looking at him with an expression of interest on his face.
The horns sticking out of the sides of his head were a clear indicator that he was a Dragonman as well.
Thats right.
Amazing. You really dont look like much from the outside. In that case, how about we spar later?
If we have the chance.
If we have the chance Thats fine.
The man then spoke with a smirk.
Im Guaba, by the way.
Lukas.
Thats a pretty weird name.
Contrary to his serious appearance, Guaba was quite the chatterbox.
While the other squad members didnt seem to pay any attention to Lukas, he continued to talk nonstop.
Ive been doing this for 10 years.
Do I like this job? To an extent. As long as we fill our quota, we can take the rest of the time off.
You dont need to be scared. In the past 10 years, only two passengers who came with our squad died, and they were both accidents.
Of course, Lukas just read his book without responding to his chattering, but that didnt seem to bother him.
He had reached an interesting part in the book so he began to concentrate even more.
[The lifespan of Dragonlings is much higher than that of Dragonmen. They also continue to grow until they die.]
[Individuals that managed to survive for several hundred years are called Ancient Dragons, and they gain strength that is on a completely different level from other Dragonlings.]
[The Untamed Island is the place where the most Ancient Dragons can be found, but that doesnt mean they cant be found on other islands too.]
[Because of their extreme adaptability and tenacious vitality, it is possible for Ancient Dragons to even survive on Death Island, which is known as the forbidden land.]
Ancient Dragons.
That name reminded Lukas of the Dragons from his homeworld, but they seemed to be a bit different. (Note: For reference, Lukas Master, Isolla, was an Ancient Dragon.)
No. I cant say they are completely different.
In the history of his world, according to Lord, Dragons were simply massive, incredibly strong unintelligent beings who gradually developed as time passed.
So it was also possible that the Ancient Dragons had developed intelligence after thousands and tens of thousands of years.
Lukas kept reading the book intently.
The next phrase piqued his interest even more.
[The corpse of an Ancient Dragon can only be described as a treasure trove. It is a valuable treasure in itself, but many parts of it can also be used as unparalleled elixirs, or supreme ingredients.]
[Bones, teeth, claws, scales. All of these are things blacksmiths pray to get their hands on, but only a few are so lucky.]
[For most Dragonmen, fighting an Ancient Dragon would be no different from throwing themself off a floating island.]
[There is no confirmation of this fact, but it is stated that the heart of an Ancient Dragon has miraculous properties. Only a handful of those who try to refine it would be able to handle the immense power contained within]
An Ancient Dragons Heart.
Recalling his past, Lukas nodded inwardly.
It could certainly be said that the heart was the essence of life. Especially for monsters who have lived as long as the Ancient Dragons. Their hearts alone would contain a tremendous amount of energy.
That might be a special item.
Lukas raised his head slightly and looked at Guaba.
Even now, he was still chattering happily.
Thats why, after this mission is over, I intend to confess to her
Lukas stopped Guaba before he could continue.
Have you ever encountered an Ancient Dragon?
Guaba rolled his eyes at that question.
If I met one, do you think Id still be here to talk about it?
Lukas expression became a bit unsightly when he heard those words, and maybe he picked up on it, as Guaba laughed heartily.
Now I understand. Youre scared. Haha. Theres no need to be scared.
Guaba laughed until his stomach hurt.
In all of my ten years on the subjugation team, I have never seen even a trace of an Ancient Dragon. Hahaha!
Book: 2: Chapter 160
Book 2: Chapter 160 After about three days, the group was able to reach their first destination.
[Samis Great Forest.]
It was a place filled with trees over dozens of meters tall. By the time they were able to see the forest clearly, the sun had already begun to set.
Igarus eyes shone as he looked for a place to land near the dark forest. As he searched, he spotted a plume of smoke rising from a clearing near the forests entrance. That wasnt all. If one looked closely enough, they would see an orange flame flickering beneath the smoke.
Igaru pointed in that direction.
Land over there.
Soon, the three carriages landed near the forest. Then, Igaru led the three flying dragons pulling their respective carriages and walked towards the clearing hed spotted from the sky.
Sure enough, when they arrived, they saw ten people sitting around a large bonfire. This group also had a flying dragon and carriage.
That wasnt all.
All of the members of this group were equipped with weapons and armor. Their equipment wasnt extravagant, but just from looking at them, one could see that they were well used and well maintained.
Upon spotting them, a member of the group got up and headed over to them.
Igaru was able to see their silhouette from the light of the fire, and it was easy to tell from the shape of their body that it was a woman.
Who are you?
It was a cold voice.
The womans expression was as icy as her voice.
She had a scar across one of her eyes and she was taller than most men. If it wasnt for her harsh expression, she could even be described as good-looking, but the dangerous aura surrounding this woman made it impossible for anyone to have any wayward thoughts.
Nevertheless, the thing that attracted the most attention was the giant saber she held in her right hand. This vicious weapon, which appeared too large and heavy for most men, was being held in one hand by this woman.
Igaru took a step forward and opened his mouth.
The Herui Subjugation Team Branch 2nd Class Igaru Squad.
Herui?
The woman shook her head after a moment of thought.
What brings you to the Samis Great Forest? I dont think this area falls under your jurisdiction.
The Herui Branch received a request for help.
When she heard those words, the womans eyebrows furrowed and she spoke in a harsh voice.
Dammit. Those fools from the branch did something that embarrassing.
The woman then looked at Igaru again and clicked her tongue before reluctantly introducing their group.
Hirup Branch 7th Class Ashstar Squad.
Even though it was revealed that this group wasnt her enemies, the womans voice remained cold. It seemed that she didnt welcome Igarus squad at all.
Nevertheless, Igarus squad members didnt get offended by the womans rude behaviour.
Instead, looks of surprise blossomed on their faces.
A-, Ashstar?
The Butcher Ashstar
It seemed that she was quite the celebrity as even Bargans eyes lit up slightly. On the other hand, Igaru seemed like he was lamenting inwardly.
Id like to set up camp, can I use the empty here?
Do what you want.
After saying that, Ashstar immediately turned around and walked back to her group. The members of her squad also retracted their gazes.
Thats a rather unwelcome reaction to members of the same group.
When Lukas said this, Guaba laughed bitterly.
Its natural for them to feel disgruntled. As she said, Samis Great Forest is not our jurisdiction. We wouldnt have been here if not for the direct request from the Hirup Branch.
I see.
Sending a request for backup meant that they didnt think this group would be able to handle their mission alone
In fact, in normal circumstances, there was nothing wrong with this kind of situation. The problem here was that someone in the Hirup Branch had acted on their own judgement.
Ashstar seemed offended by the fact that her superiors didnt trust her team and instead requested reinforcements.
Dragonmen, especially those living on Combat Island, seemed to have a very strong sense of pride.
It might seem a bit childish, but this is a pretty sensitive issue for the subjugation team. If it had been the other way around, I would have been pissed too.
Guaba let out a sigh.
I dont think this will be a very comfortable rest.
* * *
As Guaba expected, the presence of the Hirup Subjugation Squad made the atmosphere very uncomfortable. It was almost as though an invisible war was being waged between the two groups.
Lukas realised that the Ashstar squad was higher ranked than the Igaru squad. In addition, the Samis Great Forest was their territory, so they naturally held the initiative.
Its a good thing we have Bargan.
When Lukas tilted his head and Guabas words, he explained with a smile.
They must have heard the stories about Headsmasher Bargan. Thats why theyre not openly picking a fight.
It was certainly obvious that several of the Ashstar squad members were eyeing Bargan.
It was at that moment that Lukas realised Bargans reputation might be greater than he initially expected. He also realised just why Igaru was so happy when Bargan joined them.
He was actively taking advantage of Bargans presence. This fact was clear even now. After all, as he was talking to Ashstar, he had Bargan at his side.
How far have you gone?
We have only searched the area around the entrance.
Have you gotten any results?
Not yet.
Several people had recently been reported missing near the Samis Great Forest. Including the most recent disappearance, a total of seven people had already gone missing, and it had only been about two months since the first reported disappearance.
Seven people had gone missing in just two months.
Rather.
Ashstar looked around before muttering in a low voice.
Several of our group have also gone missing.
Mmm
Igaru frowned.
He could now understand Ashstars attitude to an extent. She must have been frustrated not only by the actions of her superiors but also at the fact that they had already suffered losses without making any progress.
Tell us more about the situation.
Ashstar glanced at Bargan before continuing.
Our group has already lost three members. Its been about a week since the first one disappeared. The second was three days ago, and the last one was this afternoon. He went missing just a few hours ago.
This meant that in addition to the original missing people, ten Dragonmen had gone missing in this forest. sea??h th N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Igarus expression became serious.
These series of events pointed to only one fact.
An unknown being was currently lurking in this forest.
this isnt the best time to eat leisurely. Have you stopped searching?
No. We are just taking a break. We will begin searching again immediately after eating.
Then well help you. Lets split up and search two areas. My group will head west.
Ashstar nodded.
Then well head east.
Book: 2: Chapter 161
Book 2: Chapter 161 After a short while, the search operation began.
Half of Igarus group were chosen to join the search party, while the other half was left behind to guard the camp.
Lukas was one of the members left to guard the camp.
Ill be away for a while.
Be careful.
Yes.
Bargan had been selected as one of the members of the search party. Before leaving the camp, he bowed his head to Lukas, which caused the members of the Ashstar squad to look at him strangely.
Headsmasher Bargan was bowing towards an outsider?
Did the outsider grasp his weakness or something?
All of a sudden, their attention had been drawn to Lukas. Even Ashstar turned to look at him.
Their expressions seemed to be asking, Whats going on?, but Lukas didnt pay any attention to them. Instead, he was staring at the great forest.
without a doubt.
Something was in there.
Lukas wasnt sure what it was, but he could feel faint traces of its presence.
Meanwhile, Guaba, who had also been chosen to guard the camp, began to chatter once again with a relaxed expression.
In truth, over the past three days, Guaba was the person who spoke to Lukas the most.
Bargan was in charge of another carriage, so he couldnt find time to talk to him. Igaru, who he had the best impression of among the squad members, was the most important person in the group, so he couldnt find the chance to talk to him privately.
Of course, this didnt mean that Guaba was a bad person.
Except for being a bit talkative, he could be considered quite good, especially since he didnt have any prejudice towards outsiders. And above all else, he had a wealth of experience.
From his stories, it was clear that he had not just explored Combat Island, but other islands as well.
Places to look for treasure?
After asking that, Guaba glanced down at the mouse corpse in his hand before swallowing it in one bite. His action was so nonchalant it was as though he had just eaten a piece of beef jerky.
Lukas, of course, didnt have any intention of meddling with another races diet, so he remained silent.
If thats what you want then Adventure Island is the best place to go.
Lukas nodded.
From what hed heard and read, Adventure Island could best be described as unexplored, and it was also the place where countless treasures could be found.
The reason there were so many treasures there was simple.
There had been dozens of countries on Adventure Island in the past.
The people who used to live there were known for their viciousness and extreme sense of belonging to their countries. After separating into different forces, they were at war for hundreds of years
Guaba lowered his voice slightly.
It is said that they eventually drew the ire of the Goddess.
Lukas had already read this in a book, but he continued to listen instead of stopping Guaba.
Nevertheless, he couldnt help but ask.
What happened after they drew her ire?
She made it rain.
rain?
Right. For decades, it rained so hard the droplets could pierce through the scales of any Dragonman.
Heavy rain in a land above the clouds.
Had that also been created by the runes the Sorcerers used?
The heavy rain from that time caused most of Adventure Island to be submerged. Now, Adventure Island looks like an archipelago. Only about ten percent of the area is land.
And it was said that somewhere in the submerged regions, the legacies of dozens of countries lay untouched.
And, well, this might just be a rumor, but it is said that there are quite a few treasures on Death Island.
I hear that its a forbidden land.
Right. Only a few people know why were banned from going there. But since it is an order that came directly from Dragon God Island, no one dares to defy it.
Dragon God Island.
Perhaps it played the role of a monarchy that ruled over the Heavenly Realm.
The awe the Dragonmen felt for the Goddess was similar to how subjects looked up to their monarch.
Lukas wondered if the first thing he should do was meet this Goddess.
The stronger you are, the more hidden truths you are made aware of.
This was one of the truths that transcended any specific world.
By the way, why are you going to Lirua?
Lukas decided to respond honestly to see his reaction.
Im going there to become the Champion in order to take part in the Championship. S~ea??h the ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
huh?
Guabas expression became a bit strange.
You do know that Lirua is one of the major cities that represent Combat Island, dont you?
Right.
And that its arena can be ranked within the top five of all cities.
Of course.
right. I suppose only someone as ballsy as you could become the Lord of Headsmasher Bargan.
He nodded as if he had some kind of understanding.
And he continued in a voice as though he didnt find anything wrong.
Well, good luck. Ill come take a look when I get the chance.
That was it?
Guaba didnt show any disgust or contempt as Bargan had.
What this meant was simple.
Guaba doesnt know about the fight fixing in Lirua.
Just as he drifted along this train of thought.
Thud
A strange vibration came from the forest.
Flap flap!
And dozens of birds flew up from the forest at the same time.
Lukas was surprised that birds were living on the floating island, but now wasnt the time to think about that.
The ground shook again, almost as if an earthquake was occurring. It was so heavy that the firewood scattered and the large bonfire immediately went out with a puff.
In an instant, their surroundings became pitch-black, which caused the members of the subjugation team to become a bit panicked.
Wh-, whats going on?
Dammit. What the hell happened?
Ugh! Which bastard just hit me!?
It was Igaru who organised the chaos.
Everyone, take out your weapons!
Unlike Ashstar, who had directly joined the search, he stayed back to guard their base.
Igarus loud voice pierced the panicked haze that had settled on everyones minds. They all drew their weapons and stared at the forest in anticipation.
As the commotion subsided, the area immediately became drowned in silence. So much so that the sounds of gulping were clearly audible.
Huff huff
It also allowed them to hear the sound of panting. It wasnt from someone in the camp.
Instead, this sound came from the forest when the strong vibrations had just been felt.
Only then did the subjugation team members realise that someone was crawling towards them from the forest.
Ku-, hu-, urk!
!
Igarus expression hardened.
The person who was slowly crawling out of the forest with unsteady movements was his subordinate, Naul.
His face was white with fear, but he didnt seem to want to get up. No, upon closer inspection, they realised he couldnt get up.
The lower half of Nauls body was no longer there. Therefore, he had no choice but to use his arms to slowly drag himself forward like a slug.
He called out in a shaky voice.????????????????????????????. ?????m
S-, squad leader ru-, run away da-, danger is co-, co-
Naul collapsed before he could finish his sentence.
The adrenaline that had been pushing his body forward had finally run out.
Lukas turned to look at the forest again.
Then, he heard a familiar voice once again.
[A great power has been sensed in the Samis Great Forest.]
[Warning!]
[It is recommended that the participant doesnt approach the Great Forest at this time.]
Why?
The answer to this question came promptly.
[That being will be difficult for the participant to confront at your current level.]
* * *
relight the fire.
At Igarus order, one of the squad members lit the bonfire once again.
Fwoosh.
Soft light once again filled their surroundings. Igaru also created a torch by wrapping a cloth around a piece of firewood. Then he carefully inspected Nauls corpse.
There were numerous injuries on Nauls body. However, as he looked at these injuries, Igaru couldnt help but feel that none of them were enough to kill or even incapacitate him.
Every single injury missed his vital points.
Was it because Naul had done a good job of dodging?
No.
From Nauls pale complexion and his missing lower half, it was obvious that the difference between him and his opponent wasnt small.
He was toyed with.
Instead of intentionally killing him, the beast simply devoured his lower half and enjoyed it as he crawled away in fear.
Right, devoured.
From the injury, it was obvious that Nauls waist had been torn off by the teeth of a huge monster. Naul must have tried desperately to crawl away from it after that, filled with immense pain and even more fear.
Kori, the most knowledgeable member of Igarus squad frowned as he looked down at Nauls corpse.
It has a powerful bite. It was able to tear through his skin like paper and his bones snapped like twigs.
Was it a Dragonling?
Yeah. Its possible that its a Mutated Dragonling, or
After a moment of hesitation, Kori added.
Its possible that it was an Ancient Dragon. (Note: Here it is)
Even though it was a shocking statement, it didnt cause a big commotion. Instead, all the Dragonmen present felt as though a cold wind was blowing against the napes of their necks, and they didnt dare to open their mouths.
That was the weight of the words Ancient Dragon.
Guaba, whose expression had been stiff this entire time, finally turned to Igaru.
Squad Leader. What are your orders?
It was a difficult situation, but that was exactly why the squad leaders orders were important.
Igaru took another look at Nauls corpse then back to the pitch black forest from which nothing could be seen before letting out a long sigh.
we will wait here until dawn.
With the situation, the way it was, entering the forest now would be no different from committing suicide.
Especially if their opponent was truly an Ancient Dragon.
All they could do was wait there for those who might come back alive.
however.
Night had only just arrived. They would need to wait for half a day for dawn to come. Could those in the forest survive that long?
Hoo.
Igaru sighed and shook his head.
This wasnt the time to worry about the search party. Right now, Igaru had to focus on protecting those still in the camp.
There was no guarantee that the unidentified Dragonling in the forest wouldnt come here for them.
Guaba, who was wiping cold sweat off his forehead, spoke to his side.
What a mess. Hey, Lukas, youre a Sorcerer right. Is there any rune you can use to send messages to those ins-
But he didnt finish his sentence.
Lukas?
This was because Lukas, who had been standing beside him the entire time, had disappeared.
Book: 2: Chapter 162
Book 2: Chapter 162 An eerie wind blew through the pitch-black forest, causing those who felt it to be filled with a primal fear.
This feeling was magnified by the fact that they still didnt know exactly what the being trying to take their lives was.
If only it wasnt so dark.
Then they wouldnt be as panicked as they were now.
As she had that thought, Ashstar looked up. The night sky was barely visible through the thick leaves of the trees around them.
How many are left?
Four of us, including you, Squad Leader.
Ashstar almost clicked her tongue when she heard that answer.
When they first entered the forest to begin their search, their party had been made up of nine members. But now, five of them had disappeared without a trace. In other words, only less than half of her group remained. Sar?h the novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
There were already more than five screams from the darkness.
In this situation, even the brightest optimist wouldnt be able to feel hope for the survival of those missing members.
Trying to get rid of her cynical thoughts, Ashstar opened her mouth.
Did anyone manage to see it?
I only saw a shadowy blur, but It wasnt as big as I expected. At the very least, it was smaller than a flying dragon.
Thats strange.
Normally, Dragonlings strength was proportional to their size. If it was smaller than a flying dragon, then even if it was larger than Dragonmen, it could only be a normal Dragonling.
It wasnt a group either. They were at least certain that it was only a single being that was tormenting their group.
For just one being to deal such devastating damage
Ashstar frowned.
no, it makes sense that its small. Otherwise it wouldnt be able to maneuver among the trees and toy with us the way it is.
After pondering for a moment, she spoke in a heavy voice.
We need a fire.
Wouldnt that just give away our position?
From what I can tell, that monster doesnt have any problem with the darkness. Since it can find us without any light, making a fire wont change anything. Do any of you have cloth?
Yes.
Firewood by itself wasnt enough to make a torch. Instead, they needed cloth soaked in flammable liquid to wrap around the end.
Luckily, one of the squad members happened to have one such piece of cloth.
Fwoosh.
When the torch was finally lit, their surroundings instantly became brighter. Their situation hadnt gotten any better, but at the very least, they felt less panicked now that they werent surrounded by darkness.
Of course, this didnt mean that they let their guards down.
Ashstar decided to look around first for any clues that might help her figure out exactly where they were. But there werent any. There was no way for her to tell which part of the forest this was. In the first place, this forest was so large that it was given the name Great Forest so such a result was kind of expected.
Just as she thought that.
Crunch-
A sound came from the bushes in front of them.
It wasnt just Ashstar. Her entire squad heard it. They all immediately fell into battle stances as they focused intently on the bush where the sound came from.
And after a short while, something appeared from the bushes.
you.
It was a familiar face.
A Dragonman who had entered the forest with them. The Dragonman panted heavily, and the various injuries that covered his body looked extremely gruesome as he opened his mouth.
Oh, Hirups subjugation team.
Bargan.
As she called out the mans name, Ashstar made a gesture. Although he looked like their ally, she couldnt be sure he wasnt an enemy. At her signal, her squad members slowly lowered their weapons, but they didnt relax their vigilance.
You were in charge of the west, werent you? Where are the others?
Theyre all dead.
Someone sucked in a cold breath at his response.
Meanwhile, bargain, who had caught his breath a little, said in a steadier voice.
We have to get out of the forest. Its that things territory.
Have you seen it?
Bargain didnt answer immediately. Instead, he looked down at the club in his hand. The club was filled with cracks.
This was a weapon that had been carved from the branch of a top-notch dragonwood tree, and he had used it for over ten years without it suffering a single scratch. With its quality, it would have been able to last a few more decades before he needed to replace it, but now, it had been ruined in a single blow.
He could probably only swing it two or three more times at most.
Its almost safe to say that guy is a completely different species from normal Dragonlings. Hes not that big. Only about three meters tall at most, with a large pair of wings and tail. But he walks on two legs.
Its bipedal? That
Just as Ashstar blurted out those words, a low murmur arose from the Dragonmen around her. Some of them had become incredibly pale, and if one looked carefully enough, one could see that their bodies were shaking slightly.
For a Dragonling to walk on two legs, it could only mean one of two things.
It was a mutant Dragonling, or it was an Ancient Dragon.
Right. But thats not something you need to pay attention to for now. Keep in mind that hes faster than most Dragonmen, a lot more vicious than normal Dragonlings, just as clever as we are, and he knows how to make use of his advantages.
Bargain spoke in a soft but firm voice.
If we dont leave this forest soon, we will all die.
* * *
Afterwards, they began to rush to escape the forest.
Bargain had climbed the tallest tree to get a scope of their location. However, he hadnt been able to see the entrance. After being chased around by that guy, they had unknowingly entered the depths of the forest.
Therefore, he had no choice but to use the stars in the sky to figure out which direction to go.
South.
However, within just a few minutes of finding their bearings, the first casualty occurred.
U-, uahh!
It was the Dragonman at the back of their group. Something reached out from the darkness and grabbed him by the ankle.
The Dragonman screamed and struggled with all his might, but was simply too strong for him to resist.
Frix!
Dammit!
By the time the other Dragonmen tried to reach out to him, it was already too late.
Sa-, save me!
Frix dug his fingernails into the ground, but he only left deep gouges as he disappeared into the bushes.
The other Dragonmen tried to run after him, but Ashstars voice sounded like a crack of thunder.
Dont move.
Her words caused the Dragonmen to freeze in place.
Ashstar clicked her tongue.
In the current situation, everything would only get worse if she allowed them to break formation. So she had to avoid that as much as possible.
Of course, it wasnt easy for her to keep her cool either.
Ashstar bit her lip hard as she looked at the bushes where Frix disappeared.
Crunch, crunch
From it, the sound of flesh and bones being slowly chewed was clearly audible.
When she heard it, she clenched her fists so hard they began to bleed.
Fucking bastard.
It was eating him so close to them on purpose so that they could hear it. It wanted them to be scared. It was clearly staged, but it still managed to get the reaction it wanted.
U-, uh
Frix is
Fear quickly began to spread through the group.
The squad members Ashstar had selected were all talented individuals who could be called elite in their own right, but they were not so cold-blooded as to keep their calm in a situation like this.
Hes the only one thats able to remain calm.
Ashstar glanced at the man standing beside her.
He continued to look in front of them with sunken eyes, not showing the slightest hint of fear or restlessness at the terrifying sounds that drifted from the bushes.
Headsmasher Bargan.
Shed heard a few rumors about him.
He was an outstanding fighter who stood out even in a place like the Lirua Arena. But she heard that one day, he suddenly stopped being a fighter in the arena and instead became a wanderer.
When she first heard the rumor, she thought hed just run away because he got rusty or was afraid of fighting, but now that she saw him for herself, she didnt think that was the case.
Suddenly, Bargan muttered.
It was its tail.
What?
The thing that just dragged Frix away. It had a long prehensile tail.
Of course, knowing that didnt make much of a difference.
The monster had finished its meal and it would soon hunt again.
They had no way to deal with it either. It was clear from the start that their enemy was many times stronger than them.
Book: 2: Chapter 163
Book 2: Chapter 163 Bargan frowned slightly as he looked into the darkness.
The monster wasnt hiding and attacking from the shadows because it didnt have the confidence to face them head-on.
Instead, it was doing it just so it could enjoy the hunt.
For example, even if it was day instead of night, and they were in a plain instead of a forest, their chances of winning would still be very slim.
That was why Ashstar was so angry.
For the extremely proud Dragonmen, this kind of death was the most shameful. From the start, they were the type who wouldnt even want a peaceful death where they could lay on a bed, close their eyes, and smile.
However, they had now been reduced to nothing more than prey and could do nothing more than wait for their deaths.
For Ashstar, that was a kind of death that she could never accept.
By the time she had made this silent resolution, Ashstar realised that all her squad members had disappeared.
To be precise, they were all dead.
And, as if to mock them, they arrived at a clearing.
Of course, they hadnt escaped the forest. Instead, this clearing represented the center of the Great Forest.
Standing in the middle of this clearing was their assailant.
As Bargan described, it was relatively small for a Dragonling.
In fact, its appearance was closer to that of a Dragonman than a Dragonling. Its slim body and the fact that it stood on two feet emphasised this feeling.
The monster had jet-black scales, six sharp horns, and a tail. This tail, which seemed to be much longer than its body, was pointed straight up toward the sky.
At first glance, it appeared more like a black spear than a tail.
Nevertheless, its most noticeable feature was the fact that it was covered in blood. It was needless to say who this blood belonged to.
Bargan spoke in a frustrated voice.
Looks like its grown tired of hunting. It probably intends to take us both head-on.
Ha. Should I be happy that Ill die a different way?
Ashstar sneered.
Bargan looked down at his club for a moment before speaking in a soft tone.
I should be able to hold it back for about five seconds.
How surprising. You plan on acting as bait.
While one side caught its attention, the other would deal the final blow. It was the simplest and most efficient plan that could be used in the current situation. But there was a high possibility that the one who took the role as bait would die.
It wasnt possible for Bargan to not know this.
My club cant get through its scales. But your weapon might be able to.
I see.
Ashstar snorted.
Well. Well both die anyway if I fail.
[Ka, ka, ka.]
The Dragonling let out a sinister laugh as though it had heard the conversation between them.
And upon hearing this laugh, Bargain and Ashstar kicked off from the ground at the same time.
* * *
Ashstar had a distinctive weapon and fighting style which granted her the title Butcher. Once she designated someone as her enemy, she never showed any hesitation or mercy when slaughtering them, and this trait was showcased in her fights.
A weak-willed person would never be able to watch her fight. The process of her slowly turning her opponent into minced meat with her huge saber was shocking enough to cause many to vomit.
But now
Ashstars renowned fighting style could not be displayed at all.
Clang!
Her saber bounced off once again. Her wrist ached as if shed hit polished steel armor made by a master craftsman.????????????re????d. ????????????
It was bloody hard.
How could scales that hadnt gone through any smelting process be so hard?
Bargain seemed to have expected her saber to be able to cut through its scales, but at this rate, it seemed that would never happen.
Whoosh!
The long, flexible tail bent like a whip, hitting both Ashstar and Bargan at the same time. Its tail wasnt very thick. Rather, it was pretty thin and smooth.
But the shock she felt as it smashed into them was closer to being hit by a huge boulder.
She could only barely get back to her feet after rolling several times across the ground. Her heart pounded in her chest.
That attack had broken at least three ribs.
[Ka, ka, ka.]
The bastard didnt take advantage of the opening. Instead, it simply clapped its hands together and laughed at them. Sarch* The novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
It felt as if it could kill them at any time, and it was true.
At that point, she couldnt even feel angry. Should she be grateful that it had spared her life until now?
Ashstar let out a laugh.
She couldnt believe she was having such thoughts. At this rate, she couldnt tell when she would finally kick the bucket.
If this continues, well both die.
Itll probably happen when it gets tired of us.
Bargan muttered softly before spitting something to the side. It was a broken tooth.
Ashstar narrowed her eyes as she looked at the monster in front of them.
Is it an Ancient Dragon?
Probably.
Hoo
Ancient Dragon.
Ashstar had seen an Ancient Dragon before. It hadnt been this small, but at that time, shed felt a similar sense of helplessness.
She knew that Ancient Dragons werent invincible. They also had weaknesses. It was just that they couldnt find them in their current circumstances.
It was simply too dark. Its scales were even darker than the night around them, and if they concentrated, no, even if they focused with everything they had, it was so fast that it could disappear in an instant.
Suddenly, Bargan spoke.
Its tail.
What?
Target its tail.
The scales on its tail are hard too.
It would still be better than its body. Its tail is very flexible, which means it will have a lot of joints, and the gaps on its tail at those spots are the best targets when compared to anywhere else.
It was true.
Whether or not his accumulated experience was useful or not, this was the best he could think of in this situation.
Ashstar also thought that Bargans plan was pretty good, but she still pointed out the major loophole.
It wont die even if we cut its tail off.
But we would gain a weapon.
you want to attack it with its own tail?
It was a really crazy idea.
Bargain responded in a flat tone.
Do you have any better ideas?
Of course, she didnt.
Ashstar rolled her eyes slightly as she said.
Fine. Fine. The only other choice is death anyway. But wont that be our only chance to catch him off guard?
Thats why we have to catch the tail before it falls to the group and stab a vital spot with it.
There was only one reason why the Ancient Dragon was so relaxed at that moment.
Because it didnt see them as threats.
That is to say, it had let its guard down. This also meant that the moment it became vigilant, they would lose all hopes of winning.
The level of difficulty was absurdly high considering that they only had one chance, but that was the reality. Especially for the weak who were on the brink of death.
Nevertheless, Ashstar felt grateful at that moment.
At the very least, the possibility that she would die a meaningless death was gone.
Even if she were to die now, she wouldnt feel any regrets because she aimed for a chance at victory, a chance to take its life.
Suddenly, the Ancient Dragon began to walk towards them. It could move faster, but it was walking slowly on purpose.
In all honesty, the sight of an Ancient Dragon walking towards them was terrifying.
If its hard to understand, think of a lion or tiger suddenly standing on two feet and walking towards you. (Note: Here kitty kitty)
It was strange.
But Bargan was focused on another fact that he noticed.
Its back was hunched.
In other words, while it could walk on two feet, it was probably most used to walking on all fours.
Suddenly, the Ancient Dragon disappeared from their sight.
And at the same time, Bargan and Ashstar focused their hearing. After all, it was almost impossible to follow him with their eyes in the darkness.
Sshhk.
The sound of something moving through the bushes was faintly audible.
It was on the left.
As he had this thought, Bargan increased the strength with which he gripped his club.
This will probably be the last attack.
Hang in there for one time.
With this earnest desire in his heart, Bargan swung his club to the left.
Crack!
And it immediately broke into several pieces. It had hit the tail.
The Ancient Dragons tail could almost be considered as an independent entity. This was because it seemed to move as if it had a mind of its own.
Rumble-
Bargans muscles swelled greatly.
When his club broke apart, the Ancient Dragon must have been happy. But Bargan had intended to give up his weapon from the start.
Paak!
[!]
Book: 2: Chapter 164
Book 2: Chapter 164 For the first time since their fight began, the Ancient Dragon had an expression of surprise. This was because Bargan had caught its tail with his bare hands.
[Kaaak!]
With a loud cry, it pulled its tail back.
The tail of the Ancient Dragon was like a whip with shards of metal embedded into it. When someone tried to hold it with their bare hands, their hands would naturally be shredded.
Bargans hands were filled with hard calluses that had formed over decades of hard work, but when compared to the Ancient Dragons scales, they were no better than paper.
Kuh!
Nevertheless, Bargan refused to let go. Instead, he increased the strength of his grip even though his hands felt like they were on fire.
Blood freely flowed from his palms, covering the tail and dripping to the ground.
Good job, Bargan!
It was at that moment that Ashstar appeared, her cleaver held high.
With all the strength she could muster focused on her arms, she swung down on the tail that was held defenselessly.
Crack!
And felt it immediately.
The Ancient Dragons tail had been cut off. By then, Bargans palms were ragged and bloody, but his next actions were still as quick as lightning.
Grabbing the tail, he twisted it around before stabbing it into the monsters chest like a spear.
Crack!
The sharp tail easily penetrated the Ancient Dragons scales.
Ashstar cheered.
Thats it!
However, instead of excitement, an expression of shock slowly spread across Bargans face.
He had a lot of real world experience, and he had killed many people in his life.
So he knew.
He knew exactly what it felt like to pierce someones heart.
This guy its heart isnt-!
Crack!
Bargan was unable to finish his sentence before he was sent flying. The same was true for Ashstar, who had released a cry in anticipation of their victory.
[Kaaaaah!]
The Ancient Dragon roared and spread its wings. It was then revealed that its wings were twice as large as its body.
Flap!
Then, it flew into the sky. Ashstar, who was laying on the ground, coughed up a mouthful of blood and said.
What the hell happened?
its heart wasnt there.
What?
He stabbed the tail through its chest and didnt feel anything.
Was its heart on the right side? Or was it a species whose heart wasnt in their chest? Did it even have a heart in the first place? Could there be a living being who didnt have a heart?
All these questions disappeared in an instant as the Ancient Dragon looked down from the sky and opened its mouth.
its over.
This time, Bargan was certain of his death.
Deep in his bones, he understood that Dragonmen would never be able to deal with Ancient Dragons on their own.
In general, Dragonmen didnt have the means to reach the same level as Ancient Dragons.
For one, Dragonmen didnt have wings. Of course, they couldnt use flying dragons, either. After all, in the end, flying dragons were Dragonlings, and for Dragonlings, Ancient Dragons were at the very top of the food chain and couldnt be contested.
No matter how fearless a flying dragon might be, the moment it heard the roar of an Ancient Dragon, its entire body would freeze instinctively.
It didnt matter how amazing its trainer was. It was impossible to train a flying dragon to confront an Ancient Dragon. This has been proven by tests and experiments carried out over the past few hundreds of years.
Of course, if they were to use the power of sorcery, it was possible for them to remain in the sky, but, at best, that could only be called floating in place.
Flying freely in the sky and floating in place were so different that they didnt even need to be explained.
It was like a person who had lost both of their legs going against a professional runner.
[Ka, ka, ka.]
The Ancient Dragon let out another laugh. It had already realised its absolute superiority.
It always enjoyed slaughters like this one.
It could never get this kind of pleasure while killing Dragonlings. There was no point in killing weak things that only ran or froze without doing anything.
It wasnt fun at all.
Devouring a trembling Dragonling was no different from eating food that had been set out on a table.
But Dragonmen, on the other hand, was different.
They were also terrified whenever they encountered it, but they never gave up and always did their best to survive. Some of them even tried to fight it.
It liked that.
What the Ancient Dragon wanted to do was hunt, not butcher, and Dragonmen were the perfect actors for its play.
Fwoosh.
The Ancient Dragon opened its mouth wide and black flames appeared in it. S~ea??h the N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Whoosh.
But what shot out was more like a bullet than a breath attack.
Bang!
The instant the ball of black flames hit the ground, half of the clearing was destroyed.
The force of the attack sent Bargan and Ashstar rolling across the ground like ragdolls.
Kuh
It had missed them on purpose.
It knew they couldnt avoid it. The black ball of flames was far too fast for them to even hope to dodge.
Fwoosh.
The Ancient Dragon opened its mouth again.
It was about to spit out another bullet.
Originally, it had intended to play with them until dawn, but it had changed its mind. These Dragonmen had dared to attack it and had even cut off its tail.
The intelligence was still there, but the patience had run out.
This was probably the most decisive difference between Dragonmen and Dragonlings.
Ha.
Ashstar snorted as she finally let go of her saber.
She never thought she would die in such a ridiculous way.
It wasnt so bad to die to this kind of opponent.
Unlike Ashstar, who had already resigned herself to her fate, Bargan continued to glare at the Ancient Dragon.
There wasnt any big reason for this.
It was simply because he had sworn to never turn his head away if the day of his death finally arrived.
However, this allowed him to witness a very strange sight.
From somewhere in the forest, a whitish blur suddenly shot towards the Ancient Dragon.
It was almost like a group of pure white bats were flying.
[]
It took the Ancient Dragon a while to notice their presence, but when it did, it immediately shot its ball of black flame towards them.
But these objects which suddenly appeared flew through the black flames as though it wasnt there before tearing the Ancient Dragons body to shreds.
[ka, guh, uk?]
The Ancient Dragons body shook as it looked down at itself in disbelief.
This was because it realised that the things that had pierced the scales it was so proud of and made its body a ragged mess were only pieces of ice.
Ice?
It was Ashstar who called out in disbelief.
It was a bit chilly as there was still some time before dawn, but it wasnt cold enough for ice to form. And even if it was, there was no way the ice would be strong enough to withstand those powerful black flames, or sharp enough to pierce the scales that even her prized saber could do nothing about.
Bargan, on the other hand, immediately knew the source of this incredible phenomenon.
Bang!
At that moment, the Ancient Dragons body fell to the ground.
Its mouth was wide open, and doubt, shock, fear, and resentment were clear in its dark eyes.
Instant death.
A death that was still unbelievable even after they witnessed it with their own eyes.
How could this monster, who even Bargan and Ashstar had to risk their lives to just cut off its tail, die so easily?
Juk-
It was at that time that a man appeared from the forest. There was a cold, hazy mist drifting off of his body.
You
Ashstars eyes narrowed slightly.
It was the outsider that Bargan had been strangely polite to.
Lukas looked over to them and spoke.
It seems I wasnt too late. Are you okay, Bargan?
Yes.
Bargan responded while suppressing the pain from his ribs and palms. Instead, he smiled slightly.
to defeat an Ancient Dragon on your own. I knew you were an amazing person, My Lord.
But Lukas expression became strange when he heard those words. He shook his head as he looked down at the monsters corpse.
Youre wrong about something.
What do you mean?
This isnt an Ancient Dragon.
What did you say?
It was Ashstar who asked this question.
Lukas looked into the forest and said.
Dont you remember the huge vibration that shook the forest earlier? It caused most of the birds in the Great Forest to fly away simultaneously. This guy isnt strong enough to cause that kind of vibration. In other words
Lukas looked down at the Ancient Dragon again.
No.
This is nothing more than a mutated Dragonling.
!!
As he ended his words, he pushed the mutated Dragonling slightly with his foot.
Bargans expression stiffened.
Although he didnt really want to accept it, it certainly did clear up some of the doubts hed been feeling from the start.
For example, the monster was even smaller than normal Dragonlings, and its physical structure was so deformed that it could hardly be called a Dragonling. Finally, its pride, fighting style, and burgeoning intelligence were different from normal Dragonlings.
Ashstar spoke in a trembling voice.
So the thing that beat us so badly wasnt an Ancient Dragon It was just a mutated Dragonling bastard
Krrrr
Suddenly, another vibration shook the entire forest. Something was moving on the other side of the forest.
Whatever it was, it was big. So big in fact that they couldnt even see all of it at once. Its size was so overwhelming that they didnt even have any thought of fighting back.
Even though it was night, a feeling of immense darkness seemed to cover the entire forest. It was almost as if a mountain had suddenly appeared and its majesty pressed upon the shoulders of everyone in its shadow.
Flap!
The real Ancient Dragon Spread its wings.
This movement alone sent a tremendous gale rippling through the forest. It was so powerful that the ancient trees that were deeply rooted in the ground were sent flying like small weeds.
Bargan and Ashstar, who had only just returned to their feet, suddenly lost all sensation in their knees, causing them to collapse to the ground once again.
Lukas, on the other hand, remained standing, gazing at the Ancient Dragon.
Indeed, if it was a being on this level, it wasnt a surprise that the voice would think he was unable to deal with it.
You did well, Bargan. Now go join back up with the main group.
As he said that, Lukas turned around.
For a moment, Bargan didnt understand what Lukas was doing. Then, when it clicked in his mind, he hurriedly tried to get back to his feet, his feet trembling all the way.
M-, my lord. What are you planning to do?
Hunt the Ancient Dragon.
It was crazy. Absolutely Insane.
Even Bargan was unable to keep his cool when he heard this response. He cried out to Lukas in an anxious voice.
Its suicide!
Ive heard that many times before.
Once again, Bargan was made speechless by Lukas remark, but Lukas simply smiled at him and added.
That just means that no one has ever done it before.
Book: 2: Chapter 165
Book 2: Chapter 165 The Ancient Dragon, which was the size of a small mountain and covered in jet black scales that seemed to devour the moonlight, finally opened its golden eyes.
Overwhelming.
That was the only way to describe this monster.
Only Dragons that had survived for at least a few hundred years were qualified to be called
Ancient Dragons.
Lukas had realised that the wilderness of the Heavenly Realm was a place ruled by the primal rules of the jungle. In fact, it was very similar to the Demon World from his home universe, a place where the desire to become strong was embedded into the very roots of every being.
After all, only the strong had the right to survive in such places.
Ancient Dragons had survived not for decades, but for centuries in such an environment. That fact alone was proof of just how strong they were.
[Warning!]
[Immediate escape is strongly recommended.]
[At the participants current level, it would be extremely difficult to face such an opponent.]
The voices warning sounded in his ear once again.
Even so, it was already too late.
The burning gaze of the Ancient Dragon had already pinpointed Lukas as something that had to be exterminated. It was clear as day that even if he were to turn around and run with all his might, the Ancient Dragon would chase him to the ends of the world.
At that moment, however, Lukas was only wondering if there was any way to turn off the annoying voice.
[There is no way to disable the advisory function.]
He shook his head with a sigh.
Then at least you can be quiet for now.
After he snapped inwardly, he no longer heard any response from the voice. Maybe it was just him, but it almost felt like the voice was sulking.
Nevertheless, Lukas decided to ignore the voice as he analysed his current strength.
He could only use 7-star and lower spells. That meant that his options were incredibly limited. And to make matters worse, the Ancient Dragon was certain to have annoyingly strong defenses.
Suddenly.
[Rooaar!]
The Ancient Dragon let out a loud roar before charging towards Lukas.
As if to vent its rage, it simply charged towards him without any technique, but when one put the Ancient Dragons size into consideration, such a sight was terrifying.
It was as though a natural disaster was rushing towards him. Trees were sent flying in every direction, heavy winds buffeted the entire area, and the ground shook heavily.
Lukas avoided the attack by rising into the air with the Fly spell.
However, the speed of the Ancient Dragons rush belied its enormous size, so he was only able to barely avoid it after using Blink as well.
Boom!
The ground where Lukas had been standing sank.
Based on the extent of the damage, it would probably take a few decades before the forest would be able to recover to its former state. While the thought buzzed in the back of his mind, Lukas analysed the Ancient Dragons state.
Its angry.
Incredibly so, in fact.
The reason for this wasnt too difficult to guess.
The mutated Dragonling that Lukas had killed was probably its child.
Lukas cast a spell at the Ancient Dragons defenseless back.
Bang!
It was just a spell to test the strength of its defenses.
A sphere of energy formed in his palm before shooting down towards the Ancient Dragon at so fast a speed that the air split apart.
The Ancient Dragon sensed the attack, but it didnt try to avoid it. Clearly, it had great faith in its defenses.
But apart from that, it was a bit confused.
In the hundreds of years that it had been dominating this islands wilderness as the top predator, it had never encountered such a fighting style. It was very strange. To avoid its attack, this tiny being had flown into the sky with strange movements.
For the Ancient Dragon, Lukas magic was unknown.
Lukas, on the other hand, was very familiar with beings like the Ancient Dragon.
He had fought many monsters of similar size and he already had an idea of their habits and attack style.
Clang!
The energy sphere directly hit the back of the Ancient Dragon.
However, if others were to view this scene, they would not have believed the spell he had just cast was Hyperbolt.
The destructive power of this spell was immense.
That was a fact. The spell Lukas had just cast, in theory, contained the maximum output one could compress into a Hyperbolt.
In theory, it should be impossible for any Wizard to truly achieve a 100% magic power output, but Lukas had just done this.
There were two reasons for this.
One was the abundant mana which seemed to fill the Heavenly Realm to the point of saturation.
[]
The other was the fact that Lukas was no ordinary Wizard, he was the Great Mage.
After a short while, the smoke cleared up and he was able to inspect the Ancient Dragons back once again. Sar?h the n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
There, he saw faint scorch marks on its scales. The Ancient Dragon was jet black, so one really needed to concentrate in order to see the faint marks.
Lukas nodded inwardly. It seemed that even an enhanced Hyperbolt was only able to leave a few scorch marks at best.
[Rooaa-!]
The Ancient Dragon began to let out another roar, but it was forced to stop in surprise.
Papapa!
For a moment, it couldnt help but wonder if it was already dawn. But instinctively, it knew that there was still a short while before dawn arrived.
If that was the case then
Where had this bright light that instantly washed away the darkness of the forest come from?
Lukas wasnt chanting any spells at that moment. He didnt need to.
At his current level, it was possible to cast spells just by thinking about it. With just a little hand gesture, he could cast dozens of spells at the same time.
This wasnt possible for normal 7-star Archmages, but it was possible for Lukas because he had only been suppressed to this stage by a special force.
The restrictions limited his state, but it didnt limit his mind.
Earth Fang, Flame Ball, Frost Scream, Hyperbolt, Howling Tempest.
Most spells from 4 to 6 stars were sent towards the Ancient Dragon at the same time.
The Ancient Dragon felt as though it had been placed into a magical storm. The sight of dozens of spells created a beautiful image that lingered in ones mind.
It was like an illusion.
Nevertheless, it wasnt lethal.
Boom!
Dozens of spells rained down upon the Ancient Dragon like an aerial bombardment. It was as if its scales were being struck by extremely powerful hail.
The image of a supreme Wizard pouring countless spells onto a large black Dragon had such a classic feel that it would almost make one laugh.
This was a story that could only be found in those old hero tales that no one read anymore.
Of course, Lukas expression didnt show any of the determination or ferocity one would expect when fighting against a deadly foe.
Instead, he watched on in silent contemplation as the spells crashed into the Ancient Dragons body.
Burns, cuts, and other injuries were slowly accumulating.
This proved that the Ancient Dragons scales were not invincible.
In fact, its defense didnt seem to be much higher than the mutated Dragonling from before. Or maybe it just didnt have a way to cope with magic.
Or is it both?
Lukas had this thought, and he came to a conclusion as he looked at the damage.
It wouldnt be possible to kill the Ancient Dragon with just this much. At best, it would only make it feel pain akin to being continuously slashed with a knife.
Im glad I can use up to 7-star spells.
Otherwise, it would have taken him much longer to deal with this monster.
Lukas eyes narrowed slightly as he observed the Ancient Dragons body.
He hadnt just cast dozens of spells without thinking.
Every living creature had its own unique trait.????????n????????????. ????????m
This was especially true for beings that had lived for a long time.
Living for a long time meant that it had polished the talents, traits, and characteristics gained at birth over time. For non-human beings, these traits tended to have greater influence on their outside rather than their inside.
For the Ancient Dragon, its black scales were one such trait.
Lukas judged that the Ancient Dragons scales had been transformed to have strong physical defense.
And from what he could tell, its mutated Dragonling baby had inherited this trait.
That was why he had poured spells from multiple different elements onto it.
From the basic elements like water, fire, earth and wind, to lightning, light, and darkness.
In terms of pure power, each spell was about the same, but some only lightly scratched the Ancient Dragons scales while others successfully sliced through the scales to reach the flesh beneath.
As expected, it seems that ice magic is the most effective.
This was something he believed to be highly likely.
After all, it was the ice spell, Frost Scream, that had killed its young.
By the time Lukas finished his analysis, the Ancient Dragon spread its wings once again.
Book: 2: Chapter 166
Book 2: Chapter 166 [Rooaar!]
Chht-
The fierce roar of an apex predator caused the muscles of every creature that heard it to tense up in fear, their legs unable to move because of how intensely they were shaking. This was true even for Bargan and Ashstar, who heard the Ancient Dragons roar despite being several kilometers away.
Lukas, on the other hand, was only a few hundred meters away from the Ancient Dragon. This meant that the effects of the roar should have been multiplied several times.
However, the stimulating effects only worked for those whose mental power was weaker than the Ancient Dragon.
It was no exaggeration to say that Lukas was immune to such mental attacks.
[]
And the Ancient Dragon also noticed this fact.
This bug in front of it was different from the other bugs. It used tricks that it had never seen before, and it wasnt intimidated by its immense power.
It had never experienced such a situation in the entirety of its long life.
It wasnt afraid, but it felt like this enemy could not be easily defeated.
The Ancient Dragon wasnt sure what to do.
But Lukas was already thinking about how to end their confrontation.
Flap!
When the Ancient Dragon had spread its wings once again, it wasnt to intimidate its opponent with its large size but to prepare for any emergencies.
The forest shook heavily.
This was natural, as an immensely large being was preparing to take off.
But Lukas was already prepared.
No, prepared wasnt really the right word.
Instead, it could be said that Lukas now knew his greatest strength.
Spell casting speed.
He didnt need to use any chants or runes to cast spells.
There were only two things that could indicate what Lukas was doing.
One was gestures. Of course, these gestures were unnoticeable, as they ranged from the shake of a hand to a simple wink.
But the other was even harder to notice.
Hoo
A sigh.
As he built up a huge amount of mana in his body, he had no choice but to relieve some of the pressure, and that was the reason for the sigh.
As he sighed, a puff of white smoke escaped from Lukas mouth.
There was no way for the Ancient Dragon to notice this.
Of course, even if it had noticed, there was nothing it could have done.
Crackle!
A cold breeze swirled around Lukas before spreading in every direction. Like a raging wildfire, this breeze swept through the forest, freezing everything it touched. And as if it had a will of its own, the cold breeze surrounded the Ancient Dragon.
The Ancient Dragon roared and struggled, but the ice had already begun to spread. Like a predator hunting prey, the cold breeze rushed into the Ancient Dragons body.
It only took a few seconds before this majestic creature became nothing more than a giant ice sculpture.
Blizzard.
Among all 7-star spells, this was the only one with enough range and lethality to freeze the giant body of the Ancient Dragon, who was the hegemon of the Samis Great Forest.
Lukas looked at the ice statue for a moment before casting another spell.
This time, he pointed his finger to the sky before making a forward slashing motion with his hand.
Boom!
A huge bolt of lightning shot down from the sky.
Giga Lightning.
It was a 7-star spell like Blizzarrd, but its single target destructive power was on par with Lava Blast. Naturally, this meant that it had the power to destroy the ice statue.
Krrr
The Ancient Dragons enormous body fell to the forest floor in dozens of large ice chunks. Its body had been split into dozens of pieces, and there was no longer any chance of it surviving.
Hed won.
In all honesty, hed won much easier than he expected.
In the end, the Ancient Dragon couldnt even be considered a formidable foe for Lukas.
At best, it was like fighting any other monster.
Even if it had gained intelligence comparable to humans, the Ancient Dragon prioritised its emotions over logic. In fact, in terms of cunning, the mutated Dragonling that had hunted Bargan and Ashstar was much more superior.
Lukas couldnt help but wonder why the great Ancient Dragons were overestimated to such an extent, but it didnt take him very long to find the reason.
For Dragonmen, an Ancient Dragon was certainly invincible.
This was natural.
After all, Dragonmen were a race who prefered bladed weapons and close combat.
The Ancient Dragons scales might have appeared weak under Lukas elemental bombardment, but it boasted an almost impregnable defense against swords and spears.
And even if they did manage to break through its scales, for a being of its size, such injuries would be similar to being pricked by a needle. In addition, all of these arguments were only based on the assumption that they were fighting on the ground. Ancient Dragons usually had the ability to fly.
A being able to soar in the sky and release incredibly powerful breath attacks was nothing short of a disaster for the Dragonmen.
On the other hand, Wizards had the means to offset these advantages of the Ancient Dragons.
Even if they had scales that couldnt be penetrated by blades.
Even if they flew into the sky out of reach.
Even if they were to spew their breath from the air.
Even if their roar would stimulate the primal fear of every creature who heard it.
None of that could hinder Lukas.
No one in this world could understand.
What Wizards were, what powers they wielded, and what they were capable of.
Wizards.
Compared to humans, they shined even more when dealing with monsters.
It might be a bit hasty, but Lukas had a thought at that moment.
In the Heavenly Realm, when it came to Ancient Dragon hunting, he might be a specialist.
[You have successfully defeated the ruler of the Samis Great Forest, Bultasie.]
[Great Achievement!] Sarch* The Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
[You have earned the title Legendary Dragon Hunter.]
[The prestige of Dragon Hunter Lukas spreads throughout Combat Island.]
Prestige spreads.
So it seemed that this was a way to spread his name in addition to winning the Championship.
With that thought in mind, Lukas turned around.
Most of the giant trees in the area had been uprooted. Thanks to this, it was easy for him to spot the survivors of the Dragonmen subjugation team that were looking at him from a distance.
Bargan and Ashstar were also with them. It seemed that theyd been able to find Igaru without any problems.
Bargan was the first one he noticed. He was currently staring at Lukas as if he was a mythical hero.
[Due to your amazing achievement, the loyalty of the wandering Dragonman Fight, Bargan, has increased.]
Lukas nodded inwardly.
This was a by-product he expected.
It would probably allow him to learn even more about the situation in Lirua.
He wasnt sure exactly how strong the individuals in a major city would be. But he wasnt afraid. In all honesty, the reason he felt discomfort was because he had been suppressed to 7-stars.
In his current state, even a single Swordmaster would be more of a threat to him than the Ancient Dragon who once ruled over the Samis Great Forest.
Just as he had this thought.
[The loyalty of subjugation squad leader, Ashstar, has increased significantly.]
This was unexpected, so he was a bit speechless.
However, it seemed that the voice had only just begun.
[The loyalty of subjugation squad leader, Igaru, has increased significantly.]
[The loyalty of subjugation squad member, Kori, has increased significantly.]
[The loyalty of subjugation squad member, Numaha, has increased significantly.]
[]
[]
The continuous ringing of the voice in his ear was deafening.
Lukas attention was then drawn to the Dragonmen behind Bargan.
That was why he realised that the gazes of these dozen or so Dragonmen were similar to Bargans.
No.
Their gazes might have been even more intense.
Book: 2: Chapter 167
Book 2: Chapter 167 Lukas recalled the passage hed read in the book.
[The corpse of an Ancient Dragon can only be described as a treasure trove. It is a valuable treasure in itself, but many parts of it can also be used as unparalleled elixirs, or supreme ingredients.]
[There is no confirmation of this fact, but it is stated that the heart of an Ancient Dragon has miraculous properties. Only a handful of those who try to refine it would be able to handle the immense power contained within]
Then he looked at the corpse of the Ancient Dragon that was currently before him.
Bones, teeth, claws, scales.
It was a huge mountain of treasure that blacksmiths would sell their souls to get even a single portion of.
However, in all honesty, Lukas didnt feel like this Ancient Dragons corpse was a treasure trove.
After all, the Ancient Dragons body had been broken into pieces. This was natural because it had been turned into a giant ice statue before being shattered with lightning. Not to mention the fact that the magical bombardment it suffered had greatly damaged its prized scales.
Animal hide was always worth more the less it was damaged.
That was why it was usually difficult to obtain good quality hide from powerful beasts. It was very difficult to kill a beast that was struggling to survive without doing any damage to its hide.
Therefore, Lukas felt that the value of the corpse of the Ancient Dragon hed slain would be rather low.
Of course, that didnt matter to him. What he was after was its core, not its shell.
Lukas looked at the Ancient Dragons heart. It was as black as its scales, and one rubbed it gently with their hand, they would find themself with a handful of ash.
The heart was also much larger than Lukas. It was about as large as a small cabin.
I need to control the ice so it doesnt melt.
Lukas also had fairly deep knowledge about alchemy. He knew that if he were to let the ice around the heart melt, it would gradually begin to lose its vitality, which would, in turn, mean that it would lose value.
Can I really refine this?
This thought appeared in his mind for a moment, but he shook his head after thinking about it.
He didnt think he would completely fail the refinement at all, but on the other hand, he wasnt 100 percent confident in his success either.
After all, he knew nothing about the biological structure of Ancient Dragons, nor did he know how their parts should be handled.
Such things were better left to the professionals.
Refiners.
His current priority would be to find someone who could purify and refine the heart of the Ancient Dragon for him.
Of course, if he couldnt find one, then he would have no choice but to research on his own and figure it out himself
But that was only a last resort.
* * *
None of it should be thrown away.
Bargan spoke in his normal cold tone.
But despite his voice, his eyes shined with respect and admiration.
Not really paying attention to it, Lukas said.
What do you mean?
The Ancient Dragon my Lord defeated.
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The rights to deal with the Ancient Dragons corpse goes to the one who defeated it. I will keep an eye on it so that no Dragonman tries to touch your property.
After saying that, he turned to stare at the Dragonmen who were wandering around the Ancient Dragons corpse. When they felt his gaze, they flinched as though they had been pricked by something.
Do you not trust Igaru and Ashstar?
As for the wandering Dragonmen, they were naturally the surviving members of Igaru and Ashstars squads.
Bargan shook his head at those words.
Those two are proud. They will only pay respect to my Lords achievement and will never try to take your spoils unjustly.
Then?
Dont you intend to move the parts? As I said before, no part should be thrown away.
His gaze then turned to the carriages pulled by the flying dragons.
However, even if we were to remove all the cargo from the carriages and use all the available space, we still wouldnt be able to load the entire Ancient Dragon.
That was natural.
The Ancient Dragon was the size of a small mountain.
The carriages they came with were relatively large and the luggage compartments were spacious, but as the name suggested, they were made to store luggage. As Bargan said, even if they used up all the available space, they wouldnt be able to fit even a single one of the Ancient Dragons arms.
Both squad leaders have called for reinforcements from their respective cities.
Ah.
Lukas finally understood.
Flying a carriage in the middle of the night wasnt particularly dangerous, but the chance of encountering a wild flying dragon was definitely higher than during the day.
Nevertheless, the squad leaders could not wait for daytime.
They might have just called for backup and to report the situation, but there will definitely be vehicles capable of transporting the Ancient Dragons corpse in the group. Its even possible that the respective City Lords will also make an appearance. And they will definitely fight to decide whose city the Ancient Dragons corpse is moved to.
Is moving a corpse that important?
Its very important.
Bargan nodded several times before he explained.
After moving the corpse to the city, wont you try to sell the parts? After all, you cant keep such a huge corpse by yourself.
Thats true.
A black dragon the size of the one you slew is enough to equip hundreds of Fighters.
I see.
It was that he understood what Bargan was trying to say.
Would that increase the average level of the Fighters in the city?
It wouldnt just increase, it would increase explosively.
Lukas knew a bit about the subtle relationships between the cities on Combat Island. While they werent exactly hostile towards each other, there was still a certain level of competition between them.
The level of the Fighters in the city represents the strength of the city.
This relationship would be even more strained than usual since the Championship, a competition that would determine the strongest in the realm, was soon approaching.
My Lord, in this kind of situation, you slew an Ancient Dragon. Im not too sure about the details, but I can guess that the value of this black dragon will be beyond imagination.
Im not sure if I agree. Its quite damaged.
Lukas looked back at the corpse as he said this, but Bargans expression became a bit strange.
Is it even possible to kill an Ancient Dragon without damaging its hide? In addition, the damage to its body is limited to its scales at best. The claws are still intact, and the bones are still in good condition except for the cute ones. I think this can be considered a top-quality material.
Bargain knew.
Just how much manpower, effort, patience, and luck were required to defeat an Ancient Dragon.
The subjugation rate of Ancient Dragons was generally considered to be less than 10 percent, and even if they succeeded, the Ancient Dragons corpse was usually no better than a damaged wet rag. Nevertheless, such corpses were still viewed as incredible treasures, not to mention the one Lukas had killed, which suffered practically no damage except for its scales.
Lukas nodded slightly.
The dozens of spells he casted had thoroughly damaged the Ancient Dragons scales, but most of them had failed to penetrate its flesh and cut its bones. And naturally, its claws were fine because it hadnt even gotten a chance to use them in the fight.
And above all, the skull I heard that the skull of an Ancient Dragon was comparable in strength to that of mythical metals. And that part has been perfectly preserved. The value of that alone would be enough to make anyone cry out.
Bargans voice was filled with confidence as he spoke.
Even so, Lukas simply listened at the side without much change in his expression.
He naturally did have a need for a certain amount of money, but on the other hand, if he received an exceedingly large amount, then he wouldnt have anywhere to spend it.
Of course, there was a saying that as far as money went, the more you had the better, but that was just one of the tricks spread by those obsessed with coins.
I dont know if Ill even require such a large amount of money.
Lukas looked up at the sky as he had this thought.
A dim orange glow was beginning to spread from the horizon.
The long night had finally come to an end, and dawn had come.
To be honest, at that moment, Lukas was still underestimating the achievement of slaying an Ancient Dragon.
He didnt expect that it would create a storm that would affect the cities near where he had single-handedly defeated an Ancient Dragon, no that would affect the entirety of Combat Island.
Book: 2: Chapter 168
Book 2: Chapter 168 Even in the cities of Dragonmen, City Lords existed.
However, it was a bit incorrect to view them as absolute or supreme powers. This was because the meaning of the position was stronger than the City Lords authority.
Of course, this didnt mean that it was just a nominal position or that they didnt have any real power.
It was simply the fact that it was not easy to get the position in the first place.
In order to become a City Lord on Combat Island, there was a condition that first had to be satisfied.
Maintain the position of Champion for at least one year in five different cities.
It was a condition so difficult that most would just give up upon learning it.
Becoming the Champion of a city was, in itself, a difficult task, but it was even harder to maintain that position for a year.
And yet, one would only be eligible for the City Lord position after repeating this process five times.
It was for this reason that all City Lord were relatively well-known, including the City Lord of Hirup, Sshiris.
However, Sshiris was different from other City Lords.
Even after taking the seat as City Lord, most Champions do not neglect their training, but it had been more than 10 years since he last held a weapon.
His pretentious appearance, which was completely unlike any other Fighter, proved that fact.
The reason for this was simple. Sshiris had become infatuated with the charm of wealth. Something extremely rare for Dragonmen, and even rarer for those living on Combat Island.
This was the reason why he didnt easily believe the report he received just after dawn.
what did you just say?
He stared at the Dragonman in front of him in disbelief.
He was certain that this was a member of the Ashstar Squad. He just couldnt remember his name.
At first glance, this Dragonman appeared nervous, but he was even more excited than that.
An Ancient Dragon appeared in the Samis, Great Forest!! A, a huge one! And a Sorcerer named Lukas managed to slay it on his own! S-, Squad Leader Ashstar said that we should quickly go retrieve the body before other cities have the chance to intervene!
Sshiris frowned slightly.
For someone like him, who was picky 24 hours a day, he usually wouldnt tolerate this kind of rude gibberish.
More importantly, the squad members report was filled with unbelievable nonsense.
The fact that an Ancient Dragon had appeared in the Samis Great Forest. The fact that the monster was huge enough to be described as a small mountain.
And above all, the fact that the monster had been slain not by a group of well-known heroes or great Champions, but by a single Sorcerer.
Just as he was wondering just how to deal with this foolish squad member who had come to tell him such nonsense first thing in the morning, the squad member hurriedly pulled something from his pocket.
Perhaps he had sensed his bad intentions.
T-, this is Squad Leader Ashstars letter.
Give it here.
Sshiris quickly looked over the piece of paper with the letter.
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It didnt take long for his eyes, which had been a bit dull and blank to become sharp. This sharpness gradually became surprised, and the surprise soon morphed into shock.
Tang!
Sshiris roughly smacked the letter onto his desk. His beard trembled.
This was a rare(?) sight that could only be seen when he was extremely excited.
How many Sky Carriages are available right now?
The attendant at his side quickly answered.
17, sir.
Not enough.
That wasnt enough.
Sshiris stroked his chin for a moment before saying.
Contact every carriage that is out on missions of lesser importance and tell them to return immediately.
The attendant made an expression of surprise.
That means not only those on subjugation missions but also those transporting passengers There will definitely be some backlash.
Tell them that we will refund them double the fee and they will be able to use a direct carriage after the city has completed its task.
Understood. What do you intend to do, my Lord?
Head to the Samis Great Forest with the least amount of people necessary.
Intense greed flashed in Sshiris eyes.
An opportunity of a lifetime had appeared before him.
Fortunately, hed received the news before anyone else and would be able to move one step ahead of the other City Lords.
Dragon Hunter Lukas.
It was said that he was an outsider, so it was highly likely that he was ignorant of the true value of the Ancient Dragons corpse. In other words, if he played his cards right, he could get his hands on a mountain of treasure for practically nothing in return.
As he had this thought, sweat began to appear on his palms and his heart raced.
Is this finally my chance to get out of this god-forsaken city?
Sshiris heart pounded heavily in his chest.
He had great ambitions, and in order to realise them, he needed to get out of this small, cramped city as quickly as possible.
It was possible that this opportunity would become the great cornerstone to him achieving his ambition.
Sshiris left his seat and practically floated out of his office.
At that time, his excessive excitement caused him to overlook a certain fact.
The more one tried to hide something, the faster it would spread.
* * *
Igaru was a squad leader from the city of Herui. So naturally, the news of what Lukas had done reached the City Lord there.
And once the news reached the City Lord, it wasnt hard for it to spread to the ears of the Citys Champion.
In other words, Min Ha-rin.
Ahahaha! Ahahaha!
Upon hearing the news, she burst into laughter like a little girl. In fact, if she could, she would have even wanted to roll around on the ground.
That was how happy she was.
She felt much more refreshed than if she was standing on a coast, being hit by the ocean breeze.
As expected, he was on a completely different level.
In less than a month, Lukas had easily overtaken even her greatest achievements.
Nevertheless, she didnt feel jealous or inferior.
She felt proud.
She remembered when shed first entered the Heavenly Realm.
For Min Ha-rin, it was a world that was big, scary, and altogether unfamiliar.
Wild Dragonlings threatened her life daily, and extremely strong beings constantly stimulated her inferiority complex.
And yet, in this place infested by monsters, her Master stood tall, as usual.i????????????????????????. ????????????
Right.
In her eyes, even this huge world wasnt enough to be much of a problem for Lukas.
To put it bluntly, what she was feeling was, in essence, surrogate satisfaction, but Min Ha-rin almost felt like saying, Whats wrong with that?.
After all, she was that persons disciple.
Im not really surprised.
Dragon Hunter Lukas.
It wasnt quite as nice sounding as Great Teacher or Great Mage, but she thought the name suited him quite well.
I have to work hard too.
This wasnt really the time to feel admiration.
She was the Great Mages first disciple.
Lukas was preparing to run. This was simply the first step. And yet, it had already created such a stir.
Min Ha-rin couldnt help but wonder just how powerful the storm would be when he finally began sprinting.
Gripping her sword tightly, she muttered.
As expected of the Great Mage Class.
Book: 2: Chapter 169
Book 2: Chapter 169 They were told that it would take around three to four days for reinforcements to arrive at the Great Forest. This meant that he would be delayed much longer than expected.
In truth, Lukas wanted to stop worrying about the Great Dragons corpse and go to the major city, Lirua, as soon as possible.
Since it was a major city, there was a very high chance that it would have expert refiners, and he also wanted to analyse the Fighters there.
Bargan was incredibly shocked when Lukas expressed this to him.
You dont really intend to abandon the Ancient Dragons Corpse, do you, my Lord?
would you like to have it? I really dont care as long as I get a bit of the money and the heart.
Haha. Thats a cruel joke.
Bargan shook his head at Lukas and let out a laugh. This showed just how absurd Lukas words were, as it was his first time seeing Bargan laugh.
Reluctantly, Lukas decided to stay in the forest until the Ancient Dragons corpse was properly taken care of.
The question that remained was how to efficiently make use of the time he now had on his hands, but luckily, Lukas found something he wanted to try.
He looked down at the Dragonlings corpse.
It was the one who had killed dozens of Dragonmen with its extremely long prehensile tail.
This guys scales and tail were high-quality materials, but what Lukas paid the most attention to was its core.
[Heart of the Mutated Dragonling]
[The heart of a mutated Dragonling. Although it was only a young Dragonling, it had a huge amount of vitality inherited from its parents. If processed with a special refining method, there may be many uses for it.]
[Because it was left unattended for a long time, most of the inherent vitality has dissipated.]
Visualised information.
It was the thing that Min Ha-rin called Information Window.
Lukas decided to call it that as well. He liked the name because it was simple and intuitive.
As expected, it lost its vitality because it wasnt preserved properly.
This was natural since it was left unattended for a long time after it died.
Though it was only a day or two, the heart was the organ that could be described as the source of life, so it wasnt strange that its vitality would dissipate if it had nowhere to pump it to.
If it wasnt for the fact that Blizzard reduced the temperature of the surroundings, it would have lost all of its vitality by now, and the Dragonlings body would have begun to decompose.
Lukas decided to refine the heart of the mutated Dragonling with the knowledge he had. This was because he thought it was fine to experiment with it since its value was significantly less than the Ancient Dragons.
But in order to do that, he would need other materials as well.
Luckily, the place they were in could be called one of natures treasure troves. Thanks to this, he would be able to obtain the items he was looking for just by walking through the forest.
We will help you.
Do you know anything about herbs?
no.
Then its fine.
Bargans expression at that moment was priceless.
Although it could be said that Lukas was just as ignorant when it came to the herbs in this world, he had the information window.
Thanks to that, he could easily distinguish different medicinal and poisonous herbs, and he was also able to learn their uses.
He didnt have a mortar and pestle to crush the herbs, or test tubes and beakers in order to separate and combine them into different ratios. Moreover, he didnt have any equipment with which to have accurate measurements.
But that didnt matter.
Because Lukas collection of herbs could only be described as researching to pass the time.
And so time passed.
Four days later, someone looked on intently as Lukas gathered dozens of medicinal and poisonous herbs that had many useful effects depending on how they were used.
The person half hid behind a tree, staring at his back.
It was Ashstar.
In fact, this wasnt that surprising.
It had already been a few days since shed begun staring timidly at him from a distance. It seemed that she wanted to tell him something, but she simply couldnt muster up the courage to do so.
Nevertheless, Lukas didnt approach her first and simply allowed her to continue looking at him.
But it seemed that today was bound to be a bit different from usual.
Ashstar clenched her fists at her sides and was walking up to him with a determined expression on her face.
Then, she opened her mouth and spoke in a cautious voice.
Are you from Dragon God Island, Mr. Lukas?
She was the first Dragonman, other than Bargan, who had gathered the courage to speak to him after he slew the Ancient Dragon.
Not to mention Igaru, who was a squad leader, even Guaba, who hed thought had a relatively good relationship with him, was hesitant to approach him.
It wasnt that they disliked him or anything like that. The voice had already proven that wasnt the case.
Nevertheless, the problem was simple.
[Hirup Subjugation Team Squad Leader Ashstar]
[Level: 58] Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
[Occupation: Fighter]
[Race: Dragonman]
[Skills: Swordsmanship(Lv.7), Brawling(Lv.8), Charisma(Lv.4), Bloodthirst(Lv.4)]
[Loyalty: 76]
[Difficulty: E]
They had an absurdly high amount of loyalty.
Ashstar was staring at Lukas with a gaze similar to the way one would look at a legendary hero or historical figure.
That was also the reason why Lukas was able to see so much of Ashstars information compared to when they first met.
More information is revealed as loyalty increases.
For example, with Bargan, only his name, loyalty, and so on were visible at first, but as his loyalty increased, details such as his level, titles, occupation, race, and even his skills, were visible.
The same was true for Ashstar.
Her loyalty was 76, which was even higher than Bargan, who was Lukas actual subordinate.
Judging from Bargans attitude, it wouldnt be hard for him to make her come under him with only a few words.
However, Lukas had no intentions of increasing his follower count at that moment. Bargan alone was more than enough.
in any case.
When he thought about Ashstars attitude when they first met, he couldnt help but feel like she was an entirely different person.
Standing up, Lukas turned to look at her.
Why do you say that?
Ive heard that the Black Sorcerer and White Sorcerer who protect the Goddess can create mountains and cut the sky in two.
Create mountains and cut the sky in two.
In other words, they were so powerful that they could affect nature, something only 8-star Wizards were capable of doing.
Suddenly, Guabas words rang out in his head once more.
The Goddess from Dragon God Island made it rain for decades, even to submerge an entire island.
To make it rain for such a long time over such a vast region
It was very strange. Who or what exactly was this Goddess?
Lukas shook his head, deciding to put aside his doubts about Dragon God Island for now.
Im not.
I see.
He decided to shut that thought down before any unnecessary misunderstandings arose.
Luckily, Ashstar didnt seem to have any strange thoughts. He thought he would be suspected because he was an outsider, but that didnt seem to be the case.
Lukas once again looked at Ashstar, or to be more precise, he looked at her status window.
[Difficulty: E]
This was the part that he was the most curious about.
What exactly did the difficulty mean?
In the case of Bargan, his difficulty was C, but the difference between him and Ashstar was not that big.
In fact, if the two of them were to fight, the odds of winning and losing would be almost even to the extent that a single paper-thin factor could influence the outcome.
This meant that the fact that one was C and the other was E didnt necessarily have to do with their combat power.
Hed looked at others as well, but he had yet to find someone higher than Bargan. This was because the others tended to be F or E, like Ashstar.
Squad Leader!
It was at that moment that someone called out to Ashstar.
Ashstar, who was about to begin what she believed was a pleasant conversation with the hero she admired the most, immediately turned to face her squad member. Her expression at that moment would freeze the heart of even the bravest Dragonman.
Nevertheless, she had no choice but to quell her anger when she heard her squad members following words.
Reinforcements from Hirup have arrived!
When he heard that, Lukas looked up at the sky.
There, he saw a large squadron of sky carriages flying towards them with the sun at their backs.
Book: 2: Chapter 170
Book 2: Chapter 170 Nice to meet you, Hero.
Sshiris, Lord of Hirup City, was the first Dragonman of his kind that Lukas had encountered.
Most of the Dragonmen that Lukas saw were Fighters, those who didnt neglect their self training and care. Such single-minded people usually had similar expressions, gestures and vocal tones.
Sshiris, on the other hand, had a face that was almost hidden behind plump flesh. It was as though his features had been submerged beneath waves of skin and fat.
And yet, the smile on his face as he came to greet Lukas was filled with such confidence that it was almost amusing.
Are all City Lords like this?
Nevertheless, Lukas bowed his head slightly to the man in front of him.
Since the other side had been polite first, it was only right for him to return the favor.
Nice to meet you. Im Lukas.
Of course, there was no need to be more polite than that.
In Dragonman society, apart from the Goddess, there wasnt much of a difference of status.
Sshiris didnt show any signs of displeasure.
In fact, from the start, his gaze hadnt been focused on Lukas, but on the corpse of the Ancient Dragon beside him.
Indeed.
He had to force himself to hide his smirk.
The report wasnt wrong. In fact, it might have even been an underestimation. This Ancient Dragon corpse was the size of a mountain. It was more than enough to equip all of the Fighters in Hirup. sea??h th n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
In addition, since it was frozen with sorcery, the degree of preservation could only be described as top-notch.
Ive heard all about you great achievements from Squad Leader Ashstar. In fact, Im sure that the entirety of Combat Island will soon learn the name of the great Dragon Hunter Lukas.
You praise me too much, City Lord.
Haha. Its not too much praise. Instead, it could even be considered a bit inadequate.
He continued his unnecessary flattery.
This was the type of conversation that Lukas disliked the most. Therefore, before Sshiris could open his mouth again, Lukas spoke up.
So what exactly brought Lord Sshiris of Hirup City all the way here?
Naturally, Im here to pay homage to the mythical achievement of a great hero, and to help you.
By helping me
I mean help you move the black dragons corpse.
Lukas turned to the carriages behind him.
Just from a glance, he could determine that thirty or more carriages were waiting there. Most of them were even larger than the one hed arrived in. With this much, it would probably be possible to move the entire corpse of the Ancient Dragon in one go.
However, the expression of Igaru, who was standing beside him, looked at Sshiris and the carriages behind him with a trace of suspicion.
Come here to help him? He must have worded it intentionally in order to take advantage of Lukas. Nevertheless, Igaru never thought that he would do it so confidently and openly. Was it possible for even a scumbag like this to become a City Lord?
But Lukas nodded cooperatively at Sshiris words.
Thank you for the help.
Igarus expression at that moment was priceless. Was Lukas really going to fall for such a simple trick? That couldnt be possible.
Igaru looked up at the sky with anxiety clear on his face.
When would the reinforcements from Herui arrive?
If this continued like this, he would only be able to stare as the entire Ancient Dragons corpse was taken away in one go.
But its a bit too much.
At those words, Sshiris eyes widened slightly.
its too much? What do you mean?
Squad Leader Ashstar only asked for reinforcements and aid, didnt she? But City Lord brought an entire squadron. It seems that the injured will each be able to sit on a carriage.
In just a few words, the dozens of carriages at the back, which had come to carry away the corpse of the black dragon, had become reinforcements and aid.
* * *
Sshiris was silent for a moment before finally bursting into laughter.
Since I was a child, I always heard that I did things excessively. Nevertheless, dont you think you are lucky in this case? I came just in time to help you carry the large amount of cargo you obtained.
Ill help. Originally, it would have cost a lot of money to move so much cargo, but since Im already here, I wont charge you a single
This is all my Lords property, City Lord Sshiris. Thank you for the favor, but there is no need to force yourself.
It was Bargan who cut him off with a sharp voice.
Sshiris expression became a bit unpleasant. While it was true that Bargan was a well-known Fighter with a good reputation, Sshiris was a City Lord. Whether he was well-known or not, there was no reason for him to care about a single wandering Dragonman.
From his perspective, it was as though someone, who was nothing more than an attendant, had interrupted him.
However, the displeased expression disappeared even faster than it appeared.
Sshiris was a man who was very good at hiding his true feelings.
Did it seem like I was pressuring you? I beg your pardon. However, think of my words as advice. After all, its just a matter of time.
A matter of time?
I mean the ice. It looks like it will soon begin to melt. If the Ancient Dragons corpse starts to decompose, dont you think its value will decrease significantly?
Those words were true, so Bargan had no choice but to close his mouth.
Sshiris was gradually gaining the initiative.
This couldnt go on. After having this urgent thought, Igaru decided to step in.
Excuse me, may I say something?
You are?
I am Igaru, a Squad Leader from the Herui Branch.
Hmm. Herui Branch
Sshiris lowered his head slightly as he muttered.
His narrowed eyes swept across Igarus entire body like a snake looking at its prey.
Then, he smiled and spoke.
Say it.
I have also sent a report and request for reinforcements to Herui. Hirup is one of the cities closest to the Samis Great Forest, but Herui is the same.
So?
Igaru gulped slightly before continuing.
so I think Herui can also help Mr. Lukas with his cargo.
Although the other was a City Lord, Igaru didnt back down. Instead, he stared at Sshiris with blazing eyes.
The value of an Ancient Dragons corpse was much too high for him to be frightened or intimidated by the others status. Even if he was overwhelmed by Sshiris power and authority, he could not miss out on such a once in a lifetime opportunity.
Suddenly, Sshiris let out a laugh.
So thats what it was. Herui is definitely not far from here. In fact, the distance between our two cities is fairly even, but I wonder why theyre not here yet.
Huh?
Strictly speaking, the Samis Great Forest can be considered the midpoint between Hirup and Herui. Thats why we perform joint missions here from time to time. But that brings to question, why havent the reinforcements from Herui arrived if we are already here?
Th-, that
Igaru stuttered with a slightly anxious expression.
Sshiris words had accurately pinpointed the problem that had been making him nervous this entire time.
It was at that moment that the corners of Sshiris lips curled up slightly.
They must have encountered some kind of unforeseen circumstances.
Unforeseen circumstances?
Its rather common, isnt it? They could encounter a swarm of flying dragons, or get into conflict with another group, or any kind of unforeseen situation like that And I suppose they would have no choice but to slow down or stop.
It would be rather unfortunate.
The moment Sshiris added those words quietly, Igarus eyes went wide.
C-, City Lord Sshiris! You No way!
Watch yourself.
Sshiris narrowed eyes became cold. There was also a chill in his low voice.
Igaru flinched at the sudden attitude change.
Even if he had become weaker due to his lack of training, Sshiris had once been a true Champion. Even if fat grew on his body and his mind dulled, the achievements and memories of the past would never disappear.
If you try to insult me with that kind of uncertain guess, Im not sure my men will be able to endure it.
Shling-
At those words, the Dragonment that Sshiris had brought with him, who had been silently watching on from the back, all drew their weapons.
Igaru couldnt help but take a few steps back, his complexion pale.
There were at least a few dozen Fighters standing behind him.
Lord Sshiris of Hirup City.
He had heard many rumors about his vulgar personality, but he never thought that he would be such a scumbag.
Igaru cursed inwardly.
Sh*t.
Book: 2: Chapter 171
Book 2: Chapter 171 Just as Igaru suspected, no reinforcements would arrive from the other cities near the Samis Great Forest. It was highly probable that Sshiris had deployed troops all around the forest in order to prevent anyone else from interfering.
There were two reasons why such tyrannical actions were possible.
One was that the Great Forest technically fell under Hirups jurisdiction and could be considered its territory. This meant that even if he didnt try to think up some grand excuse, Sshiris had the right to prevent the intervention of other cities.
The other was the difference in strength between the cities.
To put it bluntly, Herui was only a small city on the edge of Combat Island while Hirup could be considered a mid-sized city.
So if he was determined to restrict access to the Samis Great Forest, then there was nothing Herui could do.
Hes being so shameless.
Like Igaru, Ashstars expression was also bitingly cold. Sar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
She was glaring at Sshiris with her fists clenched.
She couldnt believe that the City Lord was displaying such a low-class, shameful appearance in front of the hero she greatly admired.
Sshiris smiled and looked at Lukas.
Since he was not a fool, he should have already understood his point by now.
There would be no reinforcements from other cities.
In other words, Sshiris had reduced his options to one.
Nevertheless, although he had lost his right to choose, it couldnt be considered a bad deal for either of them.
After all, he really couldnt do anything else in this situation. If he didnt choose to cooperate, then the value of the Ancient Dragons corpse would plunge.
Sshiris didnt openly say this because he wanted to see if this man could understand his situation. The same was true for the Dragonman, who had an appearance similar to a monk, standing beside him.
Lukas might have been desperately thinking at that moment, but that didnt mean that other options would suddenly appear.
Now, then.
Since hed shown him the stick, it was time to show him the carrot.
Sshiris smiled at Lukas and said.
It seems that you froze it with some kind of sorcery trick, but something on such a large scale cant be used often, right?
Then he added in a soft voice.
Hirup is the city closest to the Samis Great Forest. In other words, these parts could be transported to it much faster than to any other city, so you wouldnt have to worry about the ice melting.
hoo.
Lukas let out a soft sigh.
Sshiris took that as a sign of resignation, but that wasnt the case.
When he looked up, he found that Lukas eyes were brimming with irritation.
In all honesty, this short meeting was beginning to get on his nerves.
He had a lot that he wanted to do, and from the start, he didnt really care about how he disposed of the Ancient Dragons body.
He didnt even care about selling it at a price higher than its original value. In fact, he didnt care even if it was sold at a lower price.
As long as it wasnt too cheap.
Hed heard that even if he got the lowest price possible, it would still be something that most people couldnt afford.
Thats why Lukas wasnt very pleased with Bargans plan.
Nevertheless, he decided not to say anything. After all, only a Dragonman would know Dragonmen best.
But when he saw them arrive, Lukas had intended to trade with Sshiris since he came first, but it seemed that the feeling wasnt reciprocated.
Instead, Sshiris was clearly trying to take advantage of him.
Lukas became very displeased.
Firstly.
So he decided to clear up the illusion that this man in front of him seemed to be under.
This ice will never melt.
After everything hed seen, hed come to realise that Sshiris wasnt a polite person at all, so there was no need to continue being polite.
Haha. Can you still make jokes like that?
Sshiris burst out laughing. He didnt even care that Lukas was no longer being polite to him. In his opinion, Lukas had already lost his cool, which proved that everything was going just like he planned.
He pointed to the black dragons corpse with his fat fingers.
The half-melted ice had already caused the ground in the area to become damp and muddy.
However, Lukas spread his fingers and pointed his hand towards the pieces of ice. Showing it one time would be much more effective than explaining it one hundred times.
Crack crack crack!
From his open palm came a burst of icy wind that was so cold it felt like it was biting into their skin. This icy wind was so terrifyingly cold even though it had been blown away from them.
In an instant, the melting ice-covered parts of the Ancient Dragons corpse froze once again.
O-, oh my God!
I-, impossible!
The mouths of not only Sshiris but also the Fighters from Hirup who accompanied him fell open.
In the blink of an eye, the Ancient Dragons corpse had become frozen once again.
Secondly.
Lukas looked up at the sky.
Youre not the only one I can trade with.
Mm? What are you talking?
Suddenly, a huge shadow covered the area.
It was as though an enormous object had blocked the sun.
It couldnt be a cloud. The Heavenly Realm was a world that existed above the clouds, so there were only two things in this world that could block the sun.
Flying dragons soaring across the sky,
And Sky Carriages.
But with this size This was not a normal Sky Carriage.
Sshiris expression became stiff as he stared up at the sky.
Th-, that!
Just as he let out a cry of shock, it appeared.
It was huge.
Extremely huge.
This was natural. After all, it had been able to cast a shadow so large it covered up the entire area for a moment.
Nevertheless, from its shape, it was obviously a Sky Carriage.
However, it was much larger than the ones Sshiris had brought with him. In fact, it was so large that it was still not certain whether all thirty or so of Sshiris carriages would be larger than it even if they were all combined.
And pulling this carriage was an enormous flying dragon. From a single glance, one could tell that this flying dragon was an Ancient Dragon.
T-, the Sun Carriage
Its the Sun Carriage.
Did the Lord of a major city come in person?
Sun Carriage.
An extremely large means of transportation that only existed in eight major cities. And yet, five of these Sun Carriages appeared in the sky at the same time.
That wasnt all. Each of the carriages carried a flag with different patterns engraved on them.
Wh-, what the hell is this? How did they?
This time, Bargan was the one who looked at Sshiris with the corners of his mouth raised.
It was very similar to the smile he had just shown at him.
Of the Eight Major City Lords, five of them had come to the Samis Great Forest at the same time.
This result far exceeded his expectations.
then, my Lord.
Bargan bowed towards Lukas before continuing.
Shall we prepare the negotiation table?
Book: 2: Chapter 172
Book 2: Chapter 172 My Lord, its possible that you will be pressured by the City Lords that arrive.
Pressured?
Yes. Especially from Sshiris, the City Lord of Hirup. There are many bad rumors about him Its possible that he will try to take your property through unfair methods.
Lukas slowly closed his eyes at those words.
He wasnt really worried about getting pressured or forced by anyone, but he also couldnt just let Bargans advice go to waste.
After all, Bargan wasnt the type to needlessly worry or interfere.
Since he came to Lukas with such a serious expression, there was probably a certain amount of danger to take note of. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Please leave it to me.
Bargan suddenly spoke out in a clear voice.
I will turn this situation around.
Is there anything I can do to help?
No, but I have a slightly rude request.
His tone was cautious, but Lukas nodded without drawing any attention to it.
Bargan then turned to look at the corpse of the young Dragonling.
Please give me a few of its scales.
When he heard that, Lukas waved his hand, causing the Dragonlings scales to fly off and float towards them. Then, he handed the scales over to Bargan and said.
You can have all of them if you need them. Is that enough?
Bargan nodded.
Its enough.
* * *
Bargan didnt do anything special.
He simply gave a few letters to one of the subjugation squad members heading to Herui and asked them to deliver it to the major cities.
In fact, finding someone to deliver the letters was the hardest part. After all, the Squad Leaders had ordered their members to keep the details about the Ancient Dragon a secret.
Fortunately, Bargan was well acquainted with one of the members set to return to the city.
No, they werent just well acquainted. Bargan had saved his life about three years ago.
For Dragonmen, not to mention three years, they wouldnt forget the favor of someone saving their life even after three hundred years.
Therefore, by making use of the communication channels in Herui, the squad member was able to send the details about the Ancient Dragon to the Eight Major Cities.
Of course, even if they were to suddenly receive such a report, he would only be treated like a crazy person, which is why he also attached the scales to the letters. This was the so-called concept of proof.
Transmission techniques had many restrictions that the senders had to abide by.
For one, the item being transferred couldnt be much larger than a fist, and it could not be too heavy. Additionally, no living creature could be transferred, not even a small bug the size of a fingernail.
Fortunately, the young Dragonlings scales were small enough to meet the demanding requirements of the transmission technique.
Therefore, the subjugation squad member was able to send 8 scales with a single message attached to each of them.
This isnt from a real Ancient Dragon. This is simply the scale of one its offspring.
Any discerning eye would be able to recognise the value of those scales. And Bargan was certain that there would be at least one person talented enough to see it in each major city.
Nevertheless, it was half a gamble.
Bargan was the one who made this plan, and he thought that it could be considered a success if even two Major City Lords were to come.
What he wasnt aware of, was the overflowing competitive atmosphere that had overtaken the entirety of Combat Island.
The Championship.
The most honorable competition on Combat Island to determine the one and only Grand Champion.
Like uncut gemstones, Fighters who had been training in secret would begin to appear one after the other.
And in order to protect the honor of their arenas, each city needed to get their hands upon these Fighters before the other cities.
If the overall quality of their Fighters improved, so would the chances that an outstanding Champion would appear in their cities, and naturally, the chances of them producing the Grand Champion would also increase.
Then, what was the most important thing to attract these independent Fighters to their arenas?
Honor? This would naturally be obtained the more they won. Dragonmen Fighters risked their lives for their pride, so they would not covet honor that someone had artificially created for them.
Wealth? While it was nice to have, few Fighters attached great value to money.
No.
The thing that Fighters raved about the most was a good weapon.
Whenever a weapon that could be called a treasured weapon appeared as a prize, hundreds of Dragonman Fighters would risk their lives in fierce, bloody battles to obtain it.
And if it was the corpse of an Ancient Dragon, then hundreds of such weapons could be made.
That was the reason that five of the Eight Major City Lords went to the Samis Great Forest.
It was to the point that they even brought out the Sun Carriages that they were most proud of.
* * *
The Sun Carriages didnt land on the ground. If the five carriages were to all land in the forest, the ground of the great forest would be completely ruined and the damage would be irreparable.
Clank-
Instead, doors at the side of the huge carriages opened, and five smaller carriages flew out.
These carriages were all normal-sized, but they were all more luxurious than even the best carriages that Sshiris had brought, and the flying dragons that pulled them wore shining iron armor.
However, instead of the luxurious carriages or the majestic flying dragons that pulled them, what Bargan paid attention to were the flags on each carriage. Then, he approached Lukas and spoke in a soft voice that only he could hear.
They are the Major City Lords of Uruk, Akad, Bakdad(*), Tikrit, and Babylon.(* - Would you guys prefer I used Baghdad)
Those were the names of the major cities. Perhaps it was because each city had different cultures, but the styles and decorations of the various carriages were quite distinctive.
But before they could properly appreciate these differences, the carriages landed on the ground.
Hup.
Sshiris took a few steps back.
Until just a moment ago, his face had been filled with confidence, but now, he was so anxious that he looked like a different person.
He couldnt help it.
Just because they were all City Lords didnt mean they were on the same level.
Just like he could ignore Herui, which was a small city, because he was the lord of a mid-sized city, the lords of the major cities could ignore him.
No. In fact, the difference between them was even wider.
Of the hundreds of cities on Combat Island, there were only eight major cities.
Therefore, even if there wasnt any sort of thing as a Small City Lord or Medium City Lord, there were Major City Lords.
Finally, the doors to the carriages opened, and the Major City Lords made their appearance.
these are the Major City Lords.
Bargan looked at them with a slightly nervous expression.
This was his first time seeing so many Major City Lords in one place. When these five people who all had overwhelming presences made their appearance, Sshiris, the fat, greedy Dragonman, was nowhere to be seen.
This couldnt be helped.
The requirement to become a City Lord was to hold the Champion position for a year in five different cities. But in the case of Major City Lords, there was an added requirement.
That was to reach at least the semi-finals in a Championship.
This meant that at one point in time, the Major City Lords had to have been within the top five among all the Dragonmen on Combat Island.
The Major City Lords werent the only ones who got off the carriages. Next to them were around four Fighters who had come to accompany them.????????????????????????. ?????????
Bargan felt that every one of these Fighters was stronger than most of the Champions from other cities.
Suddenly, Lukas eyebrow twitched slightly.
This wasnt because he admired their strength like Bargan.
The Major City Lord of Babylon.
The face of a Fighter standing beside her, who was the only female among the Major City Lords present, looked very familiar.
Even though it had changed a bit, it wasnt so different that he couldnt recognise them.
The change wasnt as dramatic as Min Ha-rins, but it was clear that he hadnt come to the Heavenly Realm recently, like Lukas. This was because the similarities between him and the surrounding Dragonmen werent things that could appear in a short time.
!
Then their eyes met.
His eyes widened slightly as he spotted Lukas, but he soon calmed down and regained his composure.
Lukas looked at him for a moment and had a thought.
Was it possible for him to view his status window?
As it turned out, he could.
Book: 2: Chapter 173
Book 2: Chapter 173 [Lee Jong-hak]
[Level: 97]
[Titles: Whirlwind of the Arena, Swordsman of Destruction]
[Occupation: Warrior]
[Race: Human]
[Skills: Plum Blossom Sword Method(Lv.9), Demon Slaying Sword Method(Lv.7), Nine Palaces Sword Method(Lv.7), Tempest Sword Method(Lv.7), Taiqing Sword Method(Lv.7), Seventy-Two Waves Sword Method(Lv.7), Thirty-Six Worlds Sword Method(Lv.6), Sword of Destruction(Lv.9), Endurance(Lv.9), Patience(Lv.7)]
Hed gotten stronger.
Lukas wasnt quite sure exactly how strong Lee Jong-hak had been originally, but he had definitely gotten much stronger. He could easily tell from the fact that he was 20 levels higher than Min Ha-rin.
Lee Jong-hak looked at Lukas for a moment before shaking his head slightly. Did that mean that he should pretend he didnt know him for the time being?
To show his understanding, he nodded his head slightly.
Nevertheless, Lukas couldnt help but feel a bit curious.
Lee Jong-haks status window had neither loyalty nor difficulty. Was it because he wasnt a native of this world?
He wasnt sure.
In any case, there were many things he wanted to ask him. His relationship with him wasnt as close as with Min Ha-rin, but he was still glad to see him.
Nevertheless, this wasnt the time for the reunion.
Are you the Dragon Hunter?
One of the Major City Lords spoke up.
It was a Dragonman with an extremely large body. His scales were covered in various scars of different sizes, his neck was long and thick, and his nose and mouth protruded to form a snout filled with sharp teeth.
According to Bargan, this large man, whose appearance was very reminiscent of a Dragon, was the City Lord of the major city, Uruk.
You are?
Gargad.
As he responded briefly, he turned to look at the corpse of the Ancient Dragon before turning to Lukas once again. Then, he spoke in the same blunt tone.
10 million erus.
what?
If you agree to sell it to Uruk, I will give you 10 million erus, on top of the cost for the Ancient Dragon itself.
Lukas preferred conversations that got straight to the point, but that wasnt exactly the case with Gargad. To say that it was sudden would be an understatement.
Not to mention that the amount of money he offered was completely unbelievable.
10 million erus. Now that hed gained some knowledge after reading the various books in his possession, he understood, to an extent, just how formidable this sum was.
To put it simply, with such a sum, even if he were to buy several houses in the heart of a medium-sized city, the amount he had left wouldnt change much from the original.
And yet, Gargad was saying that not only would he give him this amount, he would also pay him for the corpse.
This wasnt a joke, nor was it a lie. From his serious expression, it was clear that he meant it.
Suddenly.
Ill give you 12 million erus and 20 high-class Slave Fighters.
The Major City Lord of Tikrit spoke up.
He had the appearance of an old man who might die at any moment, but the aura radiating from his body and the glow in his eyes was no weaker than Gargad.
We will give you 13 million erus and ten flying dragons.
The expression of the Major City Lord of Bakdad didnt change, but he gave off a faint feeling that he would never give up the Ancient Dragons corpse.
Apparently, because of Lukas lack of expression, they all seemed to think that he found all of their offers unsatisfactory.
Youre all being so generous. But I wont back down either Lets see.
The Major City Lord of Akad had the appearance of a young boy. Of course, that was only his appearance. There was no way to confirm just how old he actually was.
He looked at Lukas with sparkling eyes that suited his apparent age. Then, he lifted a finger and said.
I heard that you are a powerful Sorcerer. So I will give you 15 million erus and three extremely rare magical tomes that I obtained from Dragon God Island. Mm, Im sure youre already aware, but those are not something that you can just find at the market. Unlike Slave Fighters and flying dragons, they are not things that can be obtained with money alone.
The Major City Lord of Akad smiled confidently.
And, in fact, his confidence was not misplaced. Although he remained expressionless, Lukas had been paying close attention to their offers, and he was most interested in the proposal of this young-looking Dragonman.
This was because he was interested in the sorcery techniques of the Heavenly Realm.
Suddenly.
The Major City Lord of Babylon, who had simply been watching from the side with a smile on her face, finally let out a burst of laughter.
Ahahaha. You guys dont know anything.
It was a very pleasant laugh.
In all honesty, this woman had the appearance of some kind of noblewoman instead of a Dragonman Fighter, and a former Champion at that. She even fanned her face gently with a folding fan in her hand.
However, the feature that stood out the most was her piercing purple eyes.
When one looked into them, it was as though strange magic power tried to suck out their very soul.
Ishuta, dont try anything stupid.
Gargad spoke in a displeased voice, but Ishuta didnt stop whatever it was she was doing. Instead, she simply lifted her fan to cover her smile.
This man doesnt want riches or wealth. You can tell just by looking at him.
Then, she secretly shot a gaze at Lukas.
When he realised this, the expression of Lee Jong-hak, who was standing beside her, shifted slightly. He sighed inaudibly.
Hey, Mr. Dragon Hunter. What do you really want? I can give you anything you desire, even if you want me.
Her voice appeared in his ear like a whisper.
Lukas felt a tickling sensation as if something soft was gently nibbling on his ear.
In fact, when she spoke, most of the people in the area stumbled drunkenly.
[The Magical Eye of Enticement is seducing you.]
It was some kind of mental attack.
And in fact, its effect was true to its name.
Lukas looked around subtly. It wasnt just the subjugation squad members or Sshiris troops, even some of the Major City Lords reacted openly.
They werent as affected as the other Dragonmen, but it was clear that they were all doing their best to deal with Ishutas mental attack.
It must be a relatively high-level power that could even affect Major City Lords on the same level.
Was Lee Jong-hak also affected by this?
Lukas couldnt help but wonder.
[Skill Thousands of years of Innocence has been activated.]
[You have perfectly defended against the gaze of the Magical Eye of Enticement.]
He locked eyes with Ishuta.
A-, ara?
Ishuta blinked slowly, her expression filled with bewilderment.
Whether her skill worked or not, and if it did work, how effective it was.
She could easily tell that by looking into the other persons eyes. Sear?h the ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Thats why she was so surprised.
This was the first time.
This had never happened before.
There had never been a time where her Magical Eye of Enticement had failed to affect someone.
Book: 2: Chapter 174
Book 2: Chapter 174 While Ishuta was experiencing full-blown panic at this unexpected situation, Lukas had finished his inspection of Lee Jong-hak.
And he concluded that he wasnt being influenced or manipulated.
Right, just like I thought.
It was none other than a firm will that couldnt be shaken by anyone else that formed the basis of Lee Jong-haks personality. His imperturbable mind was not something that could be influenced easily. Even if it was by a power on the level of Ishutas Magical Eye.
Of course, this didnt mean that Lee Jong-hak would be able to completely negate the power of her Magical Eye. He would still be affected to some extent, but at the very least, he would be able to remain in control of his actions. If worse came to worst, he would still be able to take his own life before doing something he didnt want to.
There were a few people who would choose death over subservience, and Lee Jong-hak was one of them.
Ahahaha! How interesting. It seems Ishutas Magical Eye has no effect at all.
The Akad Major City Lord burst into laughter.
The more one looked at him, the more one would feel that his real age actually matched his appearance. His gestures and way of speaking seemed to reflect that.
Ishuta stared at him in displeasure for a moment before lifting her folding fan to cover her face again. Then she spoke in a posh manner similar to a noblewoman.
In addition to 20 million erus, I will introduce you to Babylons Fire Hammer.
Mmm.
Hoh
At those words, the eyes of the other Major City Lords lit up. This was the same even for the Akad Major City Lord, who had been ridiculing her just a moment ago.
Of course, Lukas had no idea who Babylons Fire Hammer was.
After all, it was natural that he wouldnt learn about famous figures by simply reading a few books.
It was times like this that made the usefulness of Bargans presence stand out.
He is one of the greatest blacksmiths in Babylon no, in the entirety of Combat Island. He is known for making famous items like the Fire Dragon Armor, Wind Listener, Supreme Spear, and countless others.
However, he is known for being extremely proud. So much so that he wouldnt lift his hammer even if the heavens forced him to. From what Ive heard, there are only a few people who can control him, including the Babylon Major City Lord.
An excellent blacksmith.
That wasnt necessarily a bad offer, but Lukas couldnt help but silently lament the fact that he wasnt a refiner.
Of course, he still felt that it would be good to obtain a good quality staff, but what he needed most right now was neither weapons nor armor.
Lukas lack of expression caused those looking at him to feel that he was still unwilling. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Once more, Ishutas confident expression crumbled. At this moment, in her eyes, Lukas was a completely unreadable outsider whose desires she was unable to grasp.
We can also match the price of 20 million erus.
It was Gargad who spoke.
The other Major City Lords also nodded to show their agreement. If they were to compete without any regard for each other, the price would definitely have soared beyond their control. But now, it seemed that the price would not go past 20 million. This was probably the maximum amount that they had agreed to beforehand.
Suddenly, the Bakdad Major City Lord spoke up.
This is the greatest sign of sincerity that we can give. Outsider, if you continue to be greedy, then
He intentionally lowered his voice at the end of his sentence.
He thought that would be enough of a warning, but Lukas turned to look at him and said.
If I continue to be greedy then?
The Major City Lord looked at Lukas with surprise for a moment before responding in a cold voice laced with killing intent.
It would make us very angry.
The atmosphere became frozen.
Nevertheless, Lukas expression remained the same.
The Bakdad Major City Lord hated being looked down upon and ignored the most. And the current situation made him feel like that was exactly what was happening.
Crunch.
Just as he clenched his fist tightly.
Relax, relax. Were not here to threaten you.
The Akad Major City Lord chuckled.
Lukas was it? We are people who dont have much free time on our hands. So I hope you can make your decision soon.
Bargan gulped slightly, inwardly agreeing with that statement.
Those were exactly his thoughts.
After all, these were Major City Lords. They were inherently different from pigs blinded by greed, like Sshiris.
Even Ishuta, who still had an expression of surprise, was known in the arena as a Demonic Woman who never revealed the full extent of her abilities.
In that case
Bargan began to calculate the profits and losses of this situation.
The offers made by the five Major City Lords.
First of all, the money offered by all sides was set to 20 million erus.
Then, he thought about the other things that had been promised. Slaves, flying dragons, magical tomes. But in truth
that isnt all.
Not at all.
Accepting the proposal of one of them meant refusing the other four.
Of course, they wouldnt openly express their displeasure or try to attack them, but having a bad relationship with a Major City Lord on Combat Island was very bad for many reasons.
More importantly, it wouldnt just be one Major City Lord, but four.
In other words, they couldnt just look at the products that were promised.
The answer should only be given after thoroughly comparing the actual influences of each Major City Lord, the sizes of their cities, the popularity of their arenas, and whether their cities would be suitable to stay in the future.
This is all my fault.
Bargans heart suddenly felt heavy.
If he had known this would happen, he wouldnt have sent letters to each of the major cities. In the first place, he thought they could be considered lucky if even a single Major City Lord was to make an appearance.
But in the end, it could only be said that Bargans hasty judgement had been incorrect.
Bargan turned to look at Lukas.
He saw that his head was lowered and he seemed to be agonising over something.
Its natural for him to feel troubled.
No matter how bold Lukas was, there was no way that he could easily give an answer in this type of situation.
Time.
Right. The thing he needed the most at that moment was time.
But in this situation, asking the five of the Major City Lords for time might bring ridicule and scorn.
Such a role should be taken by the subordinate, not by the Lord.
Can you please give us some time to think about it?
At those words, five pairs of eyes all turned to focus on Bargan. Within their cold gazes were traces of surprise and contempt as though they never expected someone else to interfere.
Those gazes alone were enough to make him feel immense pressure.
In an instant, Bargan found that it was hard to breathe, and his legs began to shake subconsciously.
This caused a question to appear in his mind for a moment. How did Lukas manage to remain calm under these gazes?
Bargan tried to not show how much he was suffering from the pressure, but there was no way for him to stop the cold sweat from slowly rolling down his cheek.
He forcibly spoke through his constricted throat.
Ma-, Major City Lords, please understand that this is not an easy decision to make.
At those words, the Akad Major City Lord nodded slightly with a soft smile on his face.
Your courage is commendable. You are a pretty good slave.
Lets see Well give you 15 minutes. How about that?
Spera.
Even when the Bakdad Major Lord called out his name, the Akad Major City Lords expression didnt change.
What is it? I didnt say anything wrong.
Gargad, who had been silent for a while, finally spoke in a heavy voice.
We will give you ten minutes to think about it.
Th-, thank you.
Bargan bowed his head to them slightly before turning toward his Lord.
But Lukas spoke without looking at Bargan.
Are you trying to buy time for me?
Yes.
There is no need. Ive already made a decision long ago.
i-, is that so?
He shouldnt have said anything.
Bargans face flushed slightly as he had this thought, and he bowed his head.
Then I suppose I did something unnecessary Im sorry.
No. You did well.
Huh?
Lukas eyes remained on Ishuta.
To be precise, they remained on Lee Jong-hak, who was standing beside her.
Lee Jong-hak seemed to be saying something to Ishuta. And as she listened to what he said, Ishutas eyebrows rose up in surprise. Then, she glanced over at Lukas before nodding with an expression of interest on her face.
Lee Jong-hak bowed slightly towards her in a business-like manner before walking over to Lukas.
Seeing this, Lukas spoke.
Bargan.
Yes?
Step back for a moment.
Book: 2: Chapter 175
Book 2: Chapter 175 Lee Jong-hak looked pretty good in the clothing style of the Dragonmen.
He had tied his slightly longer hair into a single ponytail behind his head, and his gaze seemed to be deeper than before. He also appeared calmer than before.
Nevertheless, there was one thing about him that didnt change. And that was the sword that rested at his waist.
Dragon Hunter Lukas, it certainly was worth it to apply for this escort mission after hearing your name.
Im sure that my name is quite rare in the Heavenly Realm.
Lee Jong-hak nodded before bowing slightly.
Its been a while.
Right.
After that, neither of them spoke for a while.
Compared to the warm reunion with Min Ha-rin, the atmosphere between them could only be described as stiff.
This was natural.
After all, Lukas current relationship with Lee Jong-hak was very awkward.
Even until now, he was unsure of just what Lee Jong-hak thought of him. His attitude seemed to be much softer and more polite than in the past, but the difference was barely noticeable.
Where have you been all this time? I looked around for the others but I wasnt able to find anyone.
Not even Ha-rin?
do you know where she is?
In a small city called Herui thats not too far from here. Shes the Champion there.
Heruis Champion you mean Rin Summers?
Lee Jong-hak raised an eyebrow in surprise before nodding slightly.
It makes sense that she is Min Ha-rin. I did think that name was a bit unusual, but
Are you also using a pseudonym?
Yes. Im going by the name Li Hao right now.
If both of them were using pseudonyms then it made sense that they werent able to find each other.
I havent been in the Heavenly Realm very long. It has only been about a week.
Huh? What do you
Lukas then explained that each participant entered the Heavenly Realm at different times. Then, in order to figure out the reason behind it, he decided to finally ask the questions he was most curious about.
How many stages did you clear in the tutorial?
8 stages.
And when did you enter the Heavenly Realm?
about two years ago.
I see. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Lukas nodded his head.
It seems that each stage of the tutorial counts as a year.
Ah.
Lee Jong-hak also nodded,
Now that he thought about it, that indeed seemed to be the case.
Min Ha-rin, who had cleared five stages, entered the Heavenly Realm five years ago.
Lee Jong-hak, who cleared eight stages, entered two years ago.
And finally, Lukas, who had cleared all ten stages, was only able to enter the Heavenly Realm around a week ago.
This conclusion gave rise to several possibilities.
Leo Freeman had entered the Heavenly Realm at the same time, or maybe even sooner than Min Ha-rin.
Arid was still an uncertainty.
And finally, Sedi. With her abilities, it was highly probable that she had also cleared all ten stages like Lukas.
In other words.
Sedi had probably entered the Heavenly Realm very recently as well.
* * *
Sedi Trowman lay on the ground, looking up at the sky.
It was currently as dark as her hair.
A hot yet familiar breeze brushed against her skin. Any other living being might have shuddered at the sensation, but Sedi didnt seem to notice it as she muttered.
Where am I?
She couldnt help but wonder as she laid there.
She had just cleared the tutorial and was told to check her status window, but when she did, a bright light covered her, and when she opened her eyes again, she found herself in this place.
In other words, all she knew was that she was finally in the Great World or whatever it was called.
Whoosh.
A burst of hot air ruffled her hair.
She didnt know where it was coming from.
Nevertheless, this place wasnt unpleasant for Sedi who was used to being surrounded by demonic energy.
In fact
It felt like her entire body was filled with fighting spirit.
Perhaps this place would allow her to regain some of her past strength.
With that thought in mind, she continued to enjoy the breeze with her eyes closed.
Thud-
Then she felt a vibration.
Wondering what it was, she opened her eyes and was immediately greeted by a gigantic yellow eye.
[]
The owner of this eye was looking down at Sedi from a very high place. This wasnt to say that this being was standing on a mountain or a large building.
No, this being seemed to be able to touch the sky with just the height of its body. It was a monster that looked somewhat like a Dragon, but it was so large that she found it a bit strange.
As she stared at it, Sedi tilted her head to the side.
When did this guy appear? No. In this case, did this mean that shed appeared in its territory?
Youre really big.
It was so ridiculously big that she couldnt help but say those words out loud. If she werent lying down, she would have had to tilt her head almost 90 degrees to look at its eye.
More importantly, there wasnt just one of these big guys.
Thud, thud
Maybe it was because they smelled Sedi, but huge dragon-like monsters began to appear one after the other.
Thick saliva dripped from their mouths.
It was only at that moment that she understood just why these guys were looking at her like that. Was this place so desolate that they had nothing else to eat?
But they were all so big. Sedi was pretty sure she wouldnt be able to fill one of their stomachs even if it swallowed her whole.
Stretching her fingers, Sedi counted the dragons.
One, two, three, four, five.
[Krrr]
Sedi didnt know.
That these Dragon-like monsters were all Ancient Dragons, beings that could be described as disasters in the Heavenly Realm. More importantly, every single one of these Ancient Dragons was larger, stronger, and more ferocious than the black dragon Lukas had hunted.
Well, in truth, nothing would have changed even if she knew.
At that moment, there was only one primitive thought in her mind.
Fortunately, I wont have to worry about going hungry.
As she muttered this, Sedi got up from her spot on the ground.
These five lizards will be more than enough.
Book: 2: Chapter 176
Book 2: Chapter 176 Lukas decided to ask Lee Jong-hak about his relationship with Ishuta.
Is she controlling you?
No.
His response was firm and clear.
Although he didnt explain, he spoke in his usual calm tone.
I owe Ms. Ishuta a great deal. She was the one who taught me, who was still ignorant about this world, how to live and grow. In return, I will work in Babylon as a Fighter for a year. There is about half a year left until the deadline.
After hearing what Lee Jong-hak said, Lukas couldnt help but bring up something else that he was concerned about.
Do you intend to take part in the Championship?
Yes.
Then you are the Champion of Babylon?
Thats not it. Now that I think about it, you havent been in the Heavenly Realm for a long time so its natural for you to not know.
After mumbling those words, Lee Jong-hak explained.
The Arenas in Major Cities are incredibly large, so they are allowed to enter three people into the Championship.
I see.
In other words, in Babylon City, even if Lee Jong-hak wasnt the Champion, he could at least be considered within the top three of the entire arena.
Of course, that didnt mean that it was lower or easier than being the Champion in another city.
In Babylon alone, the number of Fighters belonging to the city easily surpassed 500. If the independent Fighters were to be included then this number would certainly surpass 1,000. And even if their numbers were large, the average level of these Fighters was not low.
So, to put it simply, to become one of the top three Fighters in such a large arena was actually even more difficult than becoming the Champion in a small or medium-sized city.
Then the Champion of Babylon is stronger than you?
Yes. Much stronger.
Lukas couldnt help but feel a little surprised when Lee Jong-hak answered his question without any hesitation.
Lee Jong-haks current level was 92, and he was much stronger than any Dragonman Lukas had encountered in the Heavenly Realm before that day. Compared to Min Ha-rin, who was the Champion of the Herui Arena, Lee Jong-hak was still several steps ahead.
Nevertheless, Lee Jong-hak was now claiming that the Champion of Babylon was much stronger than him.
No.
Lukas turned to look at the Major City Lords that were standing at the side. The difference between them and Lee Jong-hak hadnt reached a ridiculous level, so the strength of the Babylon Champion should still be within an acceptable range.
Two years
Lee Jong deliberately trailed off after saying those words.
It seemed that he wanted to ensure that Lukas was paying attention to him at that moment.
I have seen and experienced many things in this place.
There seemed to be some kind of hidden emotion within Lee Jong-haks voice.
Lukas knew that two years was by no means a short amount of time.
The majority of Absolutes would never be able to sympathise with this, and they would instead find it amusing or ridiculous, but Lukas was different.
Because he was an Absolute who was once human.
Looking back at it, when I agreed to follow you, I was still unsure about many things.
There was a reason why he was unsure.
This was because Lee Jong-hak himself could not tell right from wrong.
Before that, his life had been different, much simpler. His enemy was clear and they were beings that had to be destroyed.
Demons. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
They could be called absolute evil. Therefore, Lee Jong-hak never had any hesitation or guilt when he killed them.
Even thinking about whether it was right or wrong had never been something he needed to do. Because there was no real reason for his actions.
But Lukas forced Lee Jong-hak to look back and think about his actions for the first time.
At first, he couldnt accept the things Lukas had done.
This being, who was more powerful than anything hed ever seen, chose to support the humans from the shadows without helping them directly.
That fact alone caused his anger to soar. He didnt understand it. And he thought that it wasnt something he could accept, irregardless of the reason.
But that wasnt it.
When Nodiesop, the man who devoured the Asian Branch, demonstrated his power without restraint, Lee Jong-hak felt that it was wrong for some reason.
This power, can he use it without any restrictions?
It didnt make sense.
However, he could only describe it as a feeling.
It could be called an instinctive reaction.
To put it into simpler terms, it felt like he was using a nuclear bomb to get rid of an ant nest. Such power wouldnt simply stop at destroying the ant nest. Instead, it would leave enormous scars and aftereffects on the surrounding area.
So what if Lukas had a similar reason?
What if the reason that he didnt use his power wasnt because of some preconceived idea, arrogance, or a lack of care, but because he was worried about the worlds existence?
If that was the case, then Lee Jong-hak had made an unforgivable mistake towards him.????nn????????????????. ????????????
While he was filled with these worries, Lukas came to him. And he asked for his help.
He didnt have a choice.
At least, when he decided to go with Lukas, that was how Lee Jong-hak felt.
It was only after entering the Heavenly Realm that Lee Jong-hak regretted his hasty decision.
Are you still unsure?
When Lukas asked this question, Lee Jong-hak only smiled bitterly.
Somehow, it feels like when I solve one problem, another one appears to take its place. Im not complaining. Its just that it feels like thats always been the case.
In all honesty, Lee Jong-haks current attitude filled Lukas with a strange feeling.
To a certain extent, this was all unbelievable. But this was natural.
After all, from Lukas perspective, he had met Lee Jong-hak only a little over a week ago, and at that time the man had appeared lost.
But for Lee Jong-hak, it had been two years.
Again, two years was by no means a short time. It was enough to figure out at least one thing that troubled you.
This was why the inner change he had experienced was somewhat understandable.
Mr. Lukas.
It felt like this was the first time Lee Jong-hak had called his name.
Lee Jong-hak looked at him with a gloomy expression and spoke in a low tone.
I saw a demon in Nodiesop.
Lee Jong-hak wasnt talking about the Demon Race that had ruined his life.
Instead, he was talking about demons in a symbolic sense. The evil which stood on the other side of God.
Monsters that brought disasters and calamity to people for no reason.
I realised afterward that, in his eyes, humans were nothing. We were no different from weeds growing at the side of the street. It was such an existence that held the Asia Branch in his hand and waved it as he pleased. I want to stop that. So
Lee Jong-hak decided to stop hesitating.
He decided to finally put the solution hed thought of after careful consideration into action.
Please forgive me for my rudeness in the past. And please help me.
I would like to fight by your side.
Lukas didnt answer.
Instead, he simply nodded slowly.
But that small action was enough to make Lee Jong-hak feel like a large lump, which had appeared in his chest at some indiscernible time, was melting away.
Book: 2: Chapter 177
Book 2: Chapter 177 Lee Jong-hak said that he would remain with Ishuta for the time being. He was a man who took favours and grudges very seriously. So he probably didnt intend to leave her side before he felt that he had repaid his debt in full.
This wasnt much of a problem for Lukas. In fact, it could even be described as a good thing. Lukas intended to travel alone for the time being, and it wasnt a bad thing to have a reliable contact in a major city like Babylon.
Of course, Lee Jong-hak wasnt staying with Ishuta just to pay her back.
Ms. Ishuta has a pass to Death Island.
Death Island?
Yes. I was looking for a way to go there. That is the only place in the Heavenly Realm I have yet to go.
Lukas couldnt help but look at him in surprise at those words.
Do you mean that youve already been to the other six islands? Including Dragon God Island?
Yes.
Lee Jong-hak nodded before deciding to explain a bit.
Its not as amazing as it sounds. I only went there and I wasnt able to thoroughly search. As you should know by now, except for Dragon God Island, the seven islands which represent the Heavenly Realm are all similar in size to a small continent.
It was impossible to thoroughly search such a large place.
Lee Jong-hak had visited the busiest regions and asked if any strangers had appeared in the region but to no avail.
Min Ha-rin was proof of just how difficult searching for each other was.
Even though they were on the same island, they hadnt been able to find each other because they were both using aliases.
This is why fame is important.
Championship.
If they were to participate in this event and fight to the top, rumors about them would certainly spread across the entirety of the Heavenly Realm.
After thinking this, Lukas turned to look at Lee Jong-hak again.
Did you get to meet the Goddess?
No. I wasnt allowed to. I simply followed Ms. Ishuta as an escort.
I see.
Lukas also asked Lee Jong-hak about the four special statues.
That got a reaction out of him.
The most important statue in the entire Heavenly Realm is definitely the Dragon Gods Statue.
I heard that it is kept on Dragon God Island. Did you get the chance to see it?
I didnt see it. From what Ive heard, it only reveals itself to those worthy of seeing it.
The statue reveals itself?
Thats what the rumors No. Thats what the legends say.
Lukas fell silent for a while.
Of course, it didnt surprise him that much that a statue seemed to have its own consciousness.
There were dozens of reasons for such a phenomenon.
Nevertheless, there was still something that weighed heavily on his mind.
If the Dragon God Statue was truly one of the four special statues mentioned by the voice, then it might be troublesome if it really had its own consciousness.
After exchanging a few more words with Lukas, Lee Jong-hak returned to Ishutas side.
The 10 minutes period that hed been granted was slowly running out.
When Lee Jong-hak left, Bargan approached Lukas once again. His expression was a bit tense.
What did you talk about with the Whirlwind of the Arena?
Whirlwind of the Arena.
Recalling that it was one of Lee Jong-haks titles, Lukas responded.
Hes an old acquaintance, so we just had a short reunion.
I see.
Bargan nodded as if hed understood something.
Then do you plan to sell the Ancient Dragons corpse to Babylon?
There was no time for Lukas to answer him.
This was because the five Major City Lords had approached him as if they were counting the time. The atmosphere in the clearing instantly became heavy.
Looking at their expressions, it was clear that they could no longer stall for time or refuse to answer.
Now then. Lets hear your answer.
After saying that, Gargad pointed towards himself.
Lukas, are you willing to sell the Ancient Dragons corpse to Uruk?
No.
Gargads expression became hard at this answer which came without any hesitation.
Then, the Major City Lord of Bakdad, who was behind him, spoke.
Then do you intend to sell it to Bakdad?
No.
Tikrit?
I wont sell it to you.
The atmosphere became even heavier and a faint scent of blood began to fill the clearing.
The faces of the Major City Lords who had been rejected by Lukas were all as cold as ice, and their gazes were as sharp as blades. The killing intent that began radiating from their bodies was enough to make the other Dragonmen in the clearing numb.
Spera, the Major City Lord of Akad, seemed to have roughly understood the situation. He smiled in embarrassment before speaking up anyway.
Looking at this situation, I dont suppose you will sell it to Akad either, right?
Lukas simply nodded without answering.
Then the Major City Lord of Akad scratched his cheek with a complicated expression.
Hmm. This is awkward.
At that moment, a roar of laughter could be heard.
It was Ishuta. She spread her folding fan wide and gently waved it at her face.
Ahaha. It seems that you have a good relationship with my Li Hao.
Youre definitely his close friend, so its not strange that you also have amazing abilities.
Although Li Hao was an outsider, he was strong enough to easily overpower all but the most powerful Dragonmen Fighters in her arena.
Amazing people usually grouped themselves with other extraordinary people, so she could barely accept the fact that her Magical Eye, which she was most proud of, didnt work on him
but I cant really
Of course, even if she tried to brainwash herself, it wasnt something that she could overlook that easily.
But for now, the Ancient Dragons corpse was more important.
She wondered if this victory could be attributed to luck. It was all thanks to Li Hao, a Fighter that shed worked hard to acquire, that she was able to win the competition for the Ancient Dragons corpse today. Sarch* The N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Ishuta smiled brightly and said.
Mr. Dragon Hunter, Babylon guarantees that you will be treated as our greatest guest
Theres no need for you to do that. I dont intend to sell it to Babylon either.
When Lukas finished talking, Ishutas expression cracked for the third time since they had met.
The Major City Lord of Bakdad spoke up with an angry expression.
Did you call us Major City Lords out to such a distant place just to tell us that you wont sell it? Dont tell me you just wanted to use us to get rid of that trashy City Lord over there.
The once confident Sshiris, who was now being called out despite trying to make himself as small as possible, flinched.
Even Spera, who had maintained a playful attitude all this time, couldnt help but speak out with a vicious smile on his face.
We all rushed through the sky for four days and four nights without even taking a break to rest. And itll take just as long for us to return. So that would mean that you made five Major City Lords waste an entire week.
It wasnt just about wasting time.
Each of them had brought multiple Sky Carriages and troops with them to assist with the transportation of the Ancient Dragons corpse. If they hadnt been brought for this task, they could have been sent to complete at least a few dozen tasks even if they were to only do the most important ones. Naturally, this meant that the losses for this trip would be enormous.
The Major City Lords anger was more than justified.
Answer me, Dragon Hunter. Do you intend to make fools out of us Major City Lords?
Youre being too hasty. Why are you already concluding that you will return with no gains?
It was Ishuta who shot back an answer with an annoyed expression on her face.
Youre the one who said you wont sell it to anyone.
I did say that I wouldnt sell it, but is that synonymous with saying that you wont be able to obtain the Ancient Dragons parts?
What are you talking about?
When Lukas didnt respond for a while, Gargad decided to speak up.
If youre trying to play some trick
Im not. I just have one thing to say.
Lukas pointed towards the Ancient Dragon as he continued.
I wont accept your money. Instead, I intend to split this Ancient Dragon up and share it among the Major City Lords.
wh-, what?!
It was Bargan, who was beside him who cried with disbelief.
Although there was a certain gap of strength between them, the Major City Lords reacted similarly.
On the other hand, Lee Jong-hak looked at Lukas with narrowed eyes.
He knew a bit about Lukas, so he wasnt as panicked as the others.
Lukas wasnt the type of person who would simply do good deeds for no real reason. He was extremely logical, had more experience than probably everyone there put together, and had the broadest and furthest vision.
That was why, more than anything, Lee Jong-hak was curious at that moment.
Just how far ahead was Lukas looking to make such a decision?
Book: 2: Chapter 178
Book 2: Chapter 178 A refreshing breeze tickled his hair.
Gently sweeping away the hair that had been blown into his face, Lukas muttered.
This city is huge.
Although he knew Lukas was just talking to himself, Bargan still nodded his head and responded.
[Lirua] has a large arena and is considered one of the Eight Major Cities, but just a few decades ago, it was still classified as a small city.
Small city.
That didnt seem to be the case at all.
Anyone who saw the sight in front of them would have the same thought.
Of course, Herui was the only city in the Heavenly Realm that Lukas had visited, but it was classified as a small city.
This was why Lukas was feeling a sense of disparity at that moment.
He couldnt quite believe that this enormous city in front of him was developed from a small city like Herui in only a few decades.
Lirua had an appearance similar to that of a castle city, and it had a staircase-like structure in which the ground gradually rose as one passed through the different inner walls of the city.
Because of this, the building located in the very center of the city also occupied the highest point in the area, and its tall and large size made it appear even more daunting.
Lirua was large, so large that it wouldnt be strange to describe it as a city-state. And yet, there were still seven other cities of similar size on Combat Island alone.
As expected, the Heavenly Realm really was a place that could be described as its own world.
Is that the arena?
It was obvious that it was, but there was a reason that he asked that question. That was because, be it appearance or size, that building didnt appear at all like an arena.
Even the royal castles of some countries would not be so large and luxurious.
The building was very thick, almost like a tower, but the difference from a normal tower was the fact that the building was flat on one side, almost as if it had been cut by a huge knife. Nevertheless, it was extremely tall and wide.
Maybe the architects had deliberately designed the building in this way to give the feeling that it was still unfinished.
On the days of major fights, the ceiling is removed so that people can enjoy watching the matches from above.
Watching from above? Do you mean by using Sky Carriages?
There is a grandstand installed on a floating platform. Of course, such a thing is incredibly expensive to maintain, so those who dont have a lot of money would never be able to enjoy it.
Upon hearing that, Lukas narrowed his eyes and looked carefully at the arena, and sure enough, he found a small floating platform above the building. Sarch* The n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
From this distance, it appeared as nothing more than a pebble, but he was able to infer just how large it actually was.
Dragonmen were born on floating islands, so they probably didnt have a fear of heights, right?
Just as Lukas had this thought, Bargan spoke.
are you really okay?
What are you talking about?
The Ancient Dragons corpse. Even if you gave it to the Major City Lords
It had already been a week since Lukas gave the Ancient Dragons corpse over to the five Major City Lords.
But there were still a few things that Bargan couldnt understand even when he thought back to that time.
This included Lukas attitude, as well as the attitude of the Major City Lords.
They were offered the Ancient Dragons corpse for free, but none of them appeared happy about it.
In fact, they all had subtle changes to their expressions and their faces became stiff as if they were seriously contemplating something.
In Bargans opinion, the best way to handle the Ancient Dragons corpse would have been to sell the parts equally to the five Major City Lords. As for areas with higher value like the skull they could have let them compete among themselves and sell it to the ones who offered the highest price.
By adopting this method, they wouldnt need to give in to any specific Major City Lord.
However, to his surprise, Lukas didnt do that. Instead, he decided to give the Ancient Dragons corpse to them for free.
Was he trying to win the Major City Lords favor? No. They werent that simple.
To expect them to owe or return a favor just because of this could only be considered naive.
In any case, although they were reluctant, the Major City Lords didnt reject Lukas proposal. They must have thought that Lukas was up to something, but the temptation of the bait was much too strong for them to reject.
I didnt give it to them. They paid me for it.
compared to the price of the corpse, it was barely enough.
The Major City Lords all decided to give Lukas 20 million erus, the amount they had previously agreed upon. And since he was receiving it from all of them, it meant that hed gained 100 million erus. He didnt refuse this.
But the other incentives like the flying dragons and slave Fighters were all refused. This was because he didnt really need those things at that moment.
And the tomes.
Lukas thought about the three magical tomes in his bag.
They were the items offered by Spera, the Major City Lord of Akad, which he accepted because of his interest in sorcery.
Hed originally intended to read them on the way to Lirua, but he didnt have the chance to because he was still working on the heart of the young Dragonling.
In any case, the Major City Lords left with the corpse of the Ancient Dragon. With the cliched words of treating him well if he ever went to their cities.
Lukas roughly responded appropriately while making eye contact with Lee Jong-hak, who nodded slightly.
That was enough.
Lee Jong-hak was currently in a position and had the ability to become a strong backer for Lukas. Therefore, for the time being, it would be beneficial to let him solidify his position building his skills and reputation on his own.
In the end, the only parts that Lukas kept for himself were the Ancient Dragons skull and heart, and the body of its offspring.
Bargan asked Ashstar to help them transport the goods.
He didnt ask Igaru because he felt guilty to ask him when he didnt receive anything.
Of course, it was the same for Ashstar, but she was already feeling guilty for the Sshiris incident. So when Lukas asked her for a favor, she readily accepted it.
Ashstar transported all of their luggage for free, and when they arrived, she bowed her head to Lukas.
I am sorry.
Lukas didnt think she had anything to apologise for, but after thinking about it for a moment, he decided to nod his head and accept it.
There are many skilled blacksmiths in Lirua. They might not be on the same level as Babylons Fire Hammer, but they should be able to handle the skull of an Ancient Dragon.
I dont have any intention of using the Ancient Dragons skull or its offsprings corpse for now. I would just like to store them for the time being.
Thats possible. But it will cost a lot to store them.
The cost to store the skull of an Ancient Dragon was not something to be overlooked, but with the amount he had at hand, money was the least of Lukas worries at that moment.
After storing the items away, they finally walked along the streets of Lirua.
Its been an intense week.
From encountering an Ancient Dragon and witnessing it being slain to meeting five of the eight Major City Lords and even negotiating with them.
Bargan realised that this short period had been the most intense experience hed had in his entire life.
On the other hand, Lukas, who was the center of all this turmoil, appeared calm and unreadable as usual.
Sometimes, Bargan couldnt help but wonder if he even had feelings in the first place.
I would like to visit the arena, but before that, lets find a place to stay. Bargan, lead the way.
of course. Please follow me.
As he followed Bargan, Lukas looked around at the streets of Lirua.
He could get a rough idea of the atmosphere in the city just by observing a few blocks on the street.
Lirua was a city filled with vitality. It was early in the morning, but those walking through the streets seemed to be overflowing with vitality.
That wasnt all. The overall condition and quality of the various buildings in the city were very high. Hed had this feeling when he looked at the arena in the center of the city, but it seemed almost too sophisticated to have been made by the rough hands of the Dragonman race.
The buildings in Lirua were built according to designs made by architects from Peace Island.
I see.
According to what hed read, Dragonmen living on Peace Island were so different it was almost as if they were an entirely different race.
It was said that those living on Peace Island were usually calm, intelligent, and had incredible artistic talents.
The building Bargan guided him to was also a very stylish building.
Creak-
As with most inns, it also had a bar on the first floor. The difference was that the ceiling was very high as it seemed they had removed the floor between the first and second floors.
Because of this, even though it wasnt a very large space, it didnt feel cramped at all.
The bar was relatively quiet. It wasnt that there werent any people there, it was just that most of the seats were empty. This was natural since bars were usually the busiest around sunset.
Bargan approached the man standing behind the counter and exchanged a few words before returning to Lukas.
Would you like to eat at the counter or at a table?
Lets eat at a table.
Understood.????????????????????????????. ????????????
Bargan nodded before ordering the meal.
In the meantime, Lukas found a quiet spot before taking his seat. After finishing the order, Bargan came back and sat in front of Lukas with a slightly awkward expression on his face.
In fact, it felt extremely wrong for him to sit beside his Lord, but it couldnt be helped.
Lukas was a rational person, and he didnt think that one group should sit at separate tables to eat.
Perhaps because the inn wasnt busy at that moment, they received their meal quickly. It was piping hot bacon soup, smoked meat, with optional beef jerky. The side dishes were also filled with meat, but by this point, Lukas had already become accustomed to Dragonmen culture to an extent. (Note: Sounds like my kind of meal)
He scooped a few mouthfuls of soup and ate it without complaints.
For a while, only the clattering of tableware could be heard. And before long, their meal was over.
The two of them lowered their tableware at almost the exact same time. This was possible mostly because Bargan had intentionally matched Lukas eating speed.
Lukas took a sip of water before finally opening his mouth.
Bargan.
Yes.
You said that Lirua was a city that had already lost its fight, right?
thats right.
I would like you to explain that for me.
Bargans face became a bit dark when he heard that.
Lukas looked at him silently.
[Wandering Dragonman Fighter Bargan]
[Level: 54]
[Titles: Headsmasher Bargan, The One Who Does Not Compromise]
[Occupation: Fighter]
[Race: Dragonman]
[Skills: Swordsmanship(Lv.7), Malice(Lv.6), Survival Skills(Lv.7), Untamed Sword(Lv.5)]
[Loyalty: 81]
[Difficulty: C]
[Feelings towards Participant: Trust, Admiration, Loyalty]
Book: 2: Chapter 179
Book 2: Chapter 179 Lukas realised that when the loyalty stat passed 80, new information would be revealed in the status window.
And this information actually included the feelings that person had towards him.
It seemed that Bargan fully trusted him now. He could tell as much just by taking a single glance at the status window. This meant that he would probably tell him everything about what was happening in Lirua.
The darkness in this city is much deeper and more dangerous than you think, my Lord. Of course, I dont mean to underestimate you. But if you were to really listen to what I have to say it might put you in danger.
Its fine, you can tell me.
understood.
Just as Bargan opened his mouth with a heavy expression on his face.
Creak-
The door opened and a group walked into the bar.
Lukas eyes turned to look at them. He wasnt the only one, and the reason for this was obvious.
It was because this group was being so obnoxiously loud, that they filled the entire first floor of the inn with their noise, and they acted like the entire world revolved around them.
By the look of them, it could be assumed that they were Fighters.
Nevertheless, Lukas soon took his eyes off of them before turning back to Bargan. Since the first floor had become so noisy, it would be better to go up to their room before continuing the conversation.
However, he saw that Bargan was staring at this group with a hard expression.
Bargan.
Ah Yes. Yes. Im sorry.
Bargan shook his head, quickly returning to his senses.
Deciding not to mention it, Lukas continued in a calm voice.
Its noisy here, lets go up.
I think that would be a good idea.
With that said, the two of them got up from their seats and went up to the second floor. Or, to be precise, they tried to do so.
Bargan?
Someone called Bargans name.
Bargan stopped walking, his expression becoming even more severe.
Right, its Bargan.
Did he know Bargan?
However, maybe because of his exuberant mood, the mans voice seemed to have a hint of ridicule mixed into it.
Lukas turned around to look at the person who called out to Bargan, and upon seeing the mans face, he knew that it wasnt because of his mood.
The cowardly bastard who ran away like a dog with his tail between his legs has returned to Lirua?
The one who spoke was an extremely large man who had nothing but sarcasm and contempt on his face.
However, the problem was that it wasnt just the man. All of the Fighters around also had similar expressions on their faces.
Bargan? The guy who got kicked out of the arena and became a wanderer?
Rumor had it that hed been drifting around the area near Herui.
Ha! How pathetic. I cant believe he decided to settle in a small city like that Its a disgrace to the Lirua arena.
One by one, they all shouted their own insulting remarks.
Some of them even spat on the floor, saying that their alcohol had lost its taste.
Bargan took a deep breath before turning around to look at them. By then, his expression had become much colder.
long time no see, Himba.
Right. Its been about 10 years, hasnt it?
It should have been longer.
Kukuku.
Himba chuckled.
Come drink with us. Its been so long, lets have a good talk.
No. Im busy right now, so Im just going to leave.
After shooting those words back with a cold tone, Bargan turned around again. But Himba spoke in an exaggerated tone.
Uhuh. You dont have to be ashamed. Its been a long time since we last saw each other. Or is it that you cant afford it? Dont worry, itll be my treat. As you know, Liruas Fighters never lack money.
Bargans expression became filled with contempt. He clenched and unclenched his fist a few times. He knew that if he were to stay, he would no longer be able to control his emotions.
My Lord is waiting for me.
Lord?
Himba asked with genuine surprise before turning to look at Lukas for the first time.
Then, he asked with an even more bewildered expression.
That wimpy looking man over there is your Lord?
* * *
Wimpy man.
Lukas looked down at his forearms.
Now that he thought about it, hed always heard people mention how thin he was. Even though hed done his best to train his body when he was fighting against the Demigods or when he had become Frey Blake his body had always been like this.
Now that I have a different body
He could practice martial arts and develop his body.
When he thought about that, the first thing that came to mind was the Warrior King Fist. It was the perfect martial art for developing and building muscles.
But for now, Lukas didnt really have any desire to practice the Warrior King Fist.
Ah. Dont be scared, little man. Even though I look like this, Im not that type of person.
Himba grinned slightly as he said that.
Lukas, who had been lost in thought for a while, finally raised his head and looked at him.
What do you mean?
I would never attack someone who isnt even a Fighter.
When Lukas failed to respond, Himba seemed to have come to the conclusion that he was scared stiff. It was a big mistake, but Lukas didnt bother to correct it.
Instead, it was Bargan who could no longer contain his anger. He gritted his teeth roughly as glared at Himba.
He had long become used to others mocking him. In fact, at this point, it didnt even bother him.
However, when he saw them looking down on and mocking Lukas right in front of him, Bargan found that he could barely hold himself back.
Several times, his lord had been insulted by someone.
Now, he could no longer contain his anger.
You guys
Enough.
It was none other than Lukas who had stopped Bargan, whose aura had erupted as though he was about to attack.
Bargan turned to Lukas with a puzzled expression.????n????????e????????. ????o????
My Lord.
We just came to Lirua. It would be better to not cause a commotion.
understood.
Himba looked at him with an expression of disgust and pity.
In the past, he was the Headsmasher Bargan, a Fighter admired by all of Lirua. But now, he was nothing more than the subordinate of someone who appeared to be an outsider.
Moreover, Lukas shabby appearance made Bargan seem even more pathetic.
Lukas also sensed the meaning in Himbas gaze, but he still turned and headed upstairs without any other reaction.
This was blatant disregard, but to Himba, it only looked like he was running away.
Kikiki.
Be careful on your way, cowards.
His companions also waved their hands and jeered as they left, but Lukas never looked back in the end.
Click-
The bedroom door closed.
The interior of the room was neither too spacious nor too narrow, but it had everything that it should.
Beds, chairs, a table, a window, and a sink to wash their faces.
Lukas gave a cursory glance around the room before pulling one of the chairs, sitting down, and looking at Bargan.
Bargan stared out of the window for a while, and it seemed that he had something on his mind. Finally, he slowly raised his head as he felt Lukas gaze.
the Major City Lord of Lirua.
Bargans voice was soft. This was proof that hed regained his composure.
Is a man named Kangki
Thats a funny name.
A smile threatened to spread across Bargans face at Lukas honest statement.
Yes. However, no one on Combat Island would ever laugh when they heard that name. Instead, they would be filled with awe and admiration.
Because he is a Major City Lord?
That is one of the reasons, but the most important reason is that he is a former Grand Champion. Sarch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Lukas couldnt help but be a bit surprised by this statement.
Grand Champion.
In other words, Kangki had once completed his goal of becoming a Champion and winning the Championship.
He also won the title of Champion in as many as 16 cities. Kangki is one of the strongest Fighters in the world.
Is that still true?
Probably. He was never the type to neglect his training just because he earned the title of Major City Lord. Sometimes he even participates in exhibition matches, where he would overpower the current active Fighters as if it was nothing.
Lukas, who was even more confused at that moment, couldnt help but ask.
And youre saying that such a man condones match-fixing? Someone who was once the Grand Champion?
Its not just condoning. Kangki is the one who started it all.
Book: 2: Chapter 180
Book 2: Chapter 180 After a moment of silence, Lukas opened his mouth again.
Something could be going o-
The circumstances dont matter!
Bargan seemed to be startled by his own outburst.
He immediately realised just how rude his actions were. Not only had he cut off his Lords words, but hed also raised his voice at him.
Nevertheless, Lukas continued looking at him with the same calm expression as before. There was no anger or condemnation in his eyes.
As his eyes met this gaze, Bargan felt his anger cool down.
Then, after taking a deep breath, he continued in a much calmer tone.
the outcome of a Fighters match should never be decided before the match has even begun. It is an insult to the Fighters who constantly risk their lives on the battlefield, and to the spectators who cheer them on with pure hearts.
Kangki is the one who brought corruption to Lirua. He poisoned the noble souls of Fighters with just a small amount of money. I couldnt understand or accept that.
So you left Lirua.
Yes.
In fact, it would be better to say that he had run away.
Knowing this, Bargan couldnt help but chew on his lip slightly.
How many people are aware of the match-fixing?
all of the renowned Fighters in the arena, and the wealthy and powerful people in the city support it from the shadows.
So the Dragonmen who enjoy the fights dont know.
Yes.
Then why didnt he spread the rumors about it to the Dragonman populace?
There was no need for him to ask such a question. The answer was obvious.
Kangki was a former Grand Champion.
Lukas had already experienced the kind of effect such powerful achievements have on most Dragonmen.
This meant that Kangki had an enormous amount of wealth, overwhelming power, and a reputation that everyone on the island raved about.
At the very least, it could be said that within his territory, his reputation was absolute.
On the other hand, Bargan was only a Fighter who had a bit of reputation for his performance in the arena.
Even if he were to cry out about the match-fixing until he spat blood, very few people in the city would believe him.
Nevertheless.
Lukas couldnt really understand Kangkis carelessness.
If he had been more thorough Bargan would never have been allowed to leave the city alive.
It also couldnt be that hed forgotten Bargans existence or didnt know his whereabouts. Himba and the other Fighters in Lirua knew exactly where he had been wandering around.
No matter how insignificant they might be, as long as there was even one other person who knew the hidden truth, they could become an unknown variable.
There was no way a man in Kangkis position wouldnt know something like that.
no.
He recalled the characteristics of the Dragonmen living on Combat Island.
The good was that they were tough, but the bad was that they were simple.
If Kangkis personality was the same, then his choice to let the secret leak out would be a bit more acceptable. Nevertheless, he still couldnt understand.
You said that just a few decades ago, Lirua was a small town.
Thats right.
Then it can be said that Kangki is the one who developed the small city into a major city.
Bargan didnt want to accept this fact, but the truth was the truth.
He nodded reluctantly.
Yes.
Lukas became lost in thought for a while.
The match-fixing involved most of the Fighters in the arena, not just the Major City Lord.
The wealthy and influential people in the city also supported it from the shadows.
As expected, Ill have to see him for myself.
Huh?
Im talking about Kangki.
Bargans explanation alone wasnt enough. It seemed that he would have to see it for himself before he could make a decision.
Lukas raised his head and looked at Bargan.
Where can I see him?
* * *
Leaving the inn, Lukas headed towards Paigwam Square, one of the largest shopping districts in Lirua.
There was a large fountain in the center of the square, which made it easy to spot from a distance.
Since it was midday, the square was filled with people. Street vendors selling food and miscellaneous items could be seen everywhere, and many would-be customers stood, wondering what to buy.
Passing them, Lukas headed to the fountain.
Being sold next to the fountain were newspapers that showed the various news and rumors circulating the city and surrounding area.
That was Lukas goal.
The price of each newspaper was 5 erus.
This could be considered fairly expensive for a newspaper, but for Lukas, funds were the least of his problems.
After purchasing it without hesitation, he opened the newspaper and began to scan the information contained within.
[Hillas Twin Blades dethroned after keeping his seat for six years?! Who is the new Champion?]
[Relics of an ancient kingdom have been found on Adventure Island!]
[Big Match of the Century! Totoran VS Archisus! An expert claims, This fight has already transcended the level of a friendly]
It was normal news about Champions and rookies who were quickly rising to fame from every city.
The analysis of the upcoming Championship was also hot news.
Among the articles was a ranking list of the Championship candidates. It was said that this list was created after dozens of arena experts debated for a very long time.
Lee Jong-haks name was also included in the list.
He was ranked 24th.
This evaluation was much higher than Lukas expected.
Were there really only twenty-three people stronger than Lee Jong-hak?
maybe they overestimated
Lukas only had this thought in passing. He knew that there was little chance of such a thing happening.
Flip-
When he turned the page, a large phrase at the top immediately caught his eye.
[The first Dragon Hunter in 10 years has appeared! His name is Lukas]
Lukas eyes narrowed slightly.
[An outsider made an incredible contribution to the subjugation of a black dragon. Could he be a Great Sorcerer?]
[What is the relationship between the new Dragon Hunter and Dragon God Island?]
[The value of the Ancient Dragons corpse is estimated to be at least a few billion eru]
[Babylons Fire Hammer picks up his hammer for the first time in six months after seeing the Ancient Dragons corpse!]
After that, there were several speculative articles written about Lukas true identity.
Rumors are certainly faster than feet.
The entirety of Combat Island had already heard Lukas name before he had even reached Lirua.
The story has changed slightly. Instead of being slain by me, they claim that it was a collaboration between several major cities with me as the main contributor.
Lukas had become a sorcerer whod stood out in a major battle against an Ancient Dragon.
The Major City Lords were probably not the ones who had spread the false rumors. Instead, it was probably the people who found the truth too hard to believe. That was why it wasnt too surprising that the rumors werent completely accurate.
There was a lot of interesting news in the newspaper, but Lukas hadnt bought it to see these things.
He found what he was looking for on the very last page.
[Lirua Arena Match Schedule]
The schedule was packed.
Small letters filled the entire page with no gaps.
There were at least 20 matches per day, and there were even days where 30 or more matches were scheduled.
The notable matches were written in larger fonts and different colors. Lukas memorised dates and times for a few matches before putting the newspaper away.
Then, he headed towards the arena.
* * *
The Lirua arena was truly an amazing place. It was completely different from the one in Herui, which had a bit of a rustic feel. In particular, the lobby area, which had receptionists in charge of various tasks like organising the spectating areas, receiving applications, or posting projections, was so dazzling that it might even cause you to go blind if you were to come here in the middle of the night.
Lukas headed to a free reception desk.
Welcome. May I ask what brings you to the Lirua arena?
A young Dragonman woman greeted him with a polite smile.
Not beating around the bush, Lukas immediately got down to business.
I would like to register as a Fighter.
I see. Do you have any experience working in other arenas?
I dont.
Which arena are you affiliated with?
None.
So you are inexperienced and independent.
The receptionist continued with a slightly more strained smile.
Im sorry, but since Lirua is classified as a major city, you cannot register to be a Fighter here without experience.
Lukas expression shifted slightly. This was not a problem hed expected to experience. Why hadnt Bargan on Min Ha-rin told him about this?
Just as he was wondering about this, the receptionist continued.
Or, if youve done anything worth mentioning.
Anything worth mentioning?
Yes. Even if youre not a registered Fighter, you can have unique achievements. Or a reputation for doing something other than fighting in the arena
Lukas thought for a moment before speaking.
I killed an Ancient Dragon.
Huh?
The receptionist blinked.
What did you just say?
I said I killed an Ancient Dragon.
The receptionist froze, her pupils shaking slightly.
Umm, may I ask your name?
Its Lukas.
Dr-, Dragon Hunter Lukas! Sarch* The N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
The receptionists exclamation was much louder than expected, and because of the structure of the lobby, it easily resonated throughout the building.
In an instant, it became so quiet that one would be able to hear a pin drop.
Book: 2: Chapter 181
Book 2: Chapter 181 Dragonmen on Combat Island didnt carry around anything like an identification card.
This didnt mean that the concept of identification cards didnt exist. However, since the process of obtaining one was tedious and required money, most people chose to live without it. For most, it was not something they needed to have.
Of course, there were still cases when it was necessary.
The most typical case was when traveling between islands. At that time, strict screening was carried out on both sides, so those who didnt have any form of identification were not allowed to cross over to another island.
In addition, identification cards were required for self-employed people, signing important contracts with each other, or having special jobs. Of course, these people were the minority, and most Dragonmen went their entire lives without getting one.
Perhaps the characteristics of the people living on Combat Island were part of the reason.
The Dragonmen living here were very against the act of lying, and they would never think about using someone elses name to impersonate them.
Because of this, when Lukas revealed his name, no one doubted him.
Instead, the Fighters beside him all shot sideways glances at him and whispered to each other.
Even without listening carefully, it was easy to get a rough idea of what they were saying.
The Dragon Hunter? That man?
He certainly didnt look like a Dragonman.
He looks weaker than I expected.
Lukas spoke to the receptionist without paying any attention to their whispers.
Is that enough for me to register as a Fighter?
Ah! Yes. Of course!
The receptionist quickly erased her shocked expression and responded with a professional smile.
This is the contract. Please read it carefully and write your name in the blank space at the end.
Lukas collected the document and read it through.
Deciding to only focus on the important things, he directly ignored the small clauses.
The minimum contractual period for a Fighter was three months.
They had to fight at least five times a month no matter what.
And they had to accept the fact that they could die in a match without complaint.
After reading it, Lukas wrote his name in the space provided before handing it back to the receptionist.
She received the document and coughed slightly before speaking in a serious voice.
Mr. Lukas, you said that you dont belong to any arena, right?
Thats right.
Then how about signing an official contract with the Lirua arena?
Are there any disadvantages for not signing the contract?
The receptionist shook her head.
There arent. However, if you do sign the contract, there would be many advantages.
Like?
For one, you would be able to rent equipment exclusive to our arena at half the price. As your value as a Fighter increases, the price will become cheaper and cheaper, and later, you may even be able to borrow the items for free.
Naturally, since it was a major city, the weapons, and equipment in the Lirua arena were all high-quality items. In fact, many Fighters came to the Lirua arena specifically for the weapons here.
Nevertheless, Lukas, who had no interest in the Fighters weapons or equipment wasnt the least bit interested.
Realising this, the receptionist dropped for a moment before she began speaking in a slightly more frantic manner.
A-, and you would have access to the various amenities of the Lirua arena at half price! Not just meals, but also blacksmiths, clothing stores, accommodations
You will also receive three times your salary as a down payment! O-, of course, your salary will also increase based on your number of wins!
Money.
He had already received more than 100 million erus, so that offer was not appealing either.
Lukas decided to voice his thoughts.
I will remain independent.
yes.
The receptionists face became a bit pale, but she did not pursue the issue any further.
How do I register for a match?
You just have to tell me.
Then I would like to apply for one immediately.
Yes. Do you have any specific date in mind?
Lukas thought back to the match schedule that hed seen before coming.
The earliest date possible.
* * *
Lukas first match was scheduled two days later.
The receptionist didnt really want to do that, but it was what Lukas wanted.
If you postpone a match because of personal reasons, you will receive a fine. Please note that if you accumulate a certain number of absences in a short time then you will no longer be allowed to fight in the Lirua arena.
Lukas nodded at the receptionists reminder.
Afterward, he didnt leave the arena right away. Instead, he headed inside.
According to the newspaper, there was a big match scheduled for around that time. But Lukas goal wasnt to appreciate the match.
Of course, it is worth it to see the level of my competition in the Lirua arena.
But what he truly wanted to see was something else.
Lukas found his seat and sat down.
Naturally, the prices varied greatly depending on the location of the seats.
The price of one on the Sky Stand that Bargan had mentioned was 3,000 erus, while the A Stand that Lukas was currently sitting in only cost 30 erus. The prices were one hundred times apart.
Nevertheless, this didnt mean that the A Stand wasnt good. The seats in this stand were clean, and there was little trash strewn about. The only downside was that there wasnt a very clear view of the arena below.
This didnt really matter for him since he would be able to see everything perfectly just by focusing slightly.
Murmur-
Maybe it was because the seats in this stand were the cheapest, but his surroundings were filled.
The spectators were all looking at the arena with eyes filled with anticipation. The Fighters hadnt even appeared yet, but the heat in the arena was already beginning to rise.
They didnt know.
That the match they were so enthusiastic about was being thoroughly manipulated.
Thinking about it, Bargans anger was understandable.
Suddenly.
Big Match!
A loud voice erupted, spreading across the entire arena.
It came from the sky. The eyes of everyone in the crowd turned to look in that direction, and some of them had even begun to cheer.
There, they saw someone standing on a platform floating above the arena. But before anyone could get a better glance at him, he did something completely unexpected.
He leapt from the floating platform.
Bang!
And when he landed, the ground caved and cracked. The dust cloud that rose up was much thicker than Lukas expected.
Are you guys ready for the fight?
The voice was heard again.
It was a simple murmur, but it strangely sounded like it was coming from right beside their ears.
Woooooaaah!
Kang! Ki! Kang! Ki!
At the same time, the crowd began to go crazy. It felt like the temperature in the arena rose by a few degrees in an instant.
As the crowd chanted his name like fanatics, Lukas found out who the owner of the voice was.
Whoosh!
A huge burst of air erupted, clearing away the dust cloud.
And a huge Dragonman could be seen in the center of the arena.
He was really huge.
This wasnt just a simple difference in appearance. For a moment, Lukas wondered if he was a different race. At first glance, he appeared more like a Dragonling than a Dragonman.
Generally, male Dragonmen tended to be about two meters tall, but this man appeared to be at least five meters tall.
He was sitting cross-legged on a stone throne, which wasnt there when he jumped.
The Major City Lord of Lirua, Kangki. Sarch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Lukas eyes narrowed slightly.
Ah! You guys are really hot today!
Kangki smiled before taking a large wine bottle from his pocket.
Then, without even bothering to open it properly, he tore the bottleneck off with his hand and poured the wine into his mouth.
Gulp gulp
Because of his large size, the bottle he took out was as tall as most adult men. Drinking this bottle was no different from a man drinking an entire barrel of wine.
Crack!
After he was done, Kangki threw the bottle on the ground before shattering it beneath his foot.
Then he got up from his throne and roared.
Maintain his undefeated streak without any signs of stopping!
Clank!
An iron gate to the left of the arena slowly rose up. Then, a Dragonman walked out from it.
The current fourth place ranker in the Lirua arena! In order to compete in the Championship, he cannot afford a single loss!
Papapang!
Fireworks shot into the sky. At the same time, the crowds voices became so loud it even shook the ground.
Kangki also exclaimed in excitement.
Kaytai!
Waaah!
Kaytai! Kaytai! Kaytai!
The crowd screamed his name.
The Dragonman called Kaytai swung his large axe a few times before releasing a savage roar. The audience became even more excited by this unrestrained display.
The emergence of a super rookie! Who said that green skins only have peaceful personalities? In the 15 matches he has fought so far, this Fighter has never spared a single opponent! The one with the overwhelming performance, Toirask!
On the right side, a green-skinned Dragonman walked out from behind the gate. He looked a bit nervous, but he was certainly a formidable Fighter.
Lukas turned away from the Fighters and looked at Kangki, who was looking appreciatively at the two contestants, once again.
indeed.
Lukas admitted honestly.
At his current level, he wasnt Kangkis match.
Book: 2: Chapter 182
Book 2: Chapter 182 Lukas left the arena without bothering to watch the match.
That match would probably be won by the man named Kaytai. Although the Dragonman called Toirask was relatively strong, he hadnt fully matured yet.
The place he headed to next was a blacksmith. Of course, there were dozens of blacksmiths in Lirua, but the one he went to was the place that Ashstar had left the Ancient Dragons skull earlier that day.
Clang! Clang!
The clanging sound unique to smithies resonated through the entire area. The blacksmiths were all busy with their work.
These blacksmiths had appearances closer to humans than to Dragonmen, and many of them were old.
Lukas approached one of them. This blacksmith was sitting on a chair and wiping sweat from his forehead as though hed just finished his work.
Customer?
He asked in a blunt tone.
Lukas nodded and said.
Yeah. I would like to commission an item.
Hmm. Wait a minute
The Dragonman looked at Lukas with slightly hazy eyes for a moment.
arent you the Dragon Hunter who left the Ancient Dragons skull here earlier today?
Thats right.
The blacksmiths face immediately brightened.
Hoho. I see. Are you thinking of entrusting us with the skull now?
His voice was even more excited than his expression.
Now that he thought about it, Lukas realised that these blacksmiths had probably been eager to process the skull from the moment he asked them to store it for him.
Of course, since he hadnt decided on what he would do with the Ancient Dragons skull yet, he refused.
No.
The scene was a replay of what happened earlier.
The Dragonmans excited expression rapidly devolved to one of disappointment.
Then what kind of commission would you like to order? We have most of the materials that you might need here in our forge, but the quality isnt very good compared to that. And on that subject, the cost would be a bit high too.
Didnt I entrust another set of materials with you as well?
The Dragonman tilted his head in confusion for a while before nodding with an ah. The impact of the Ancient Dragons skull had been so big that he had completely forgotten it.
You mean the corpse of the Ancient Dragons offspring.
Yes.
Well, it is a mutant, and the strength of its bones and scales are pretty good, so it wouldnt be a problem to use it as materials.
The blacksmith nodded.
In particular, the long, flexible tail could be used to make a unique piece of equipment, whether it was a weapon or armor.
Fine. Ill get started on it right away.
Please do. How much will it cost?
Itll probably cost around 3,000 erus. You can pay when Im done.
Understood. How long will it take?
Hmm. Well. Ill have to figure out where to start, but I think itll take at least a week
At least a week.
Lukas rolled this thought around in his head for a while before nodding. It was a bit longer than he would have hoped, but it couldnt be helped.
All right.
Then you can come back to me in a week.
After saying that, the Blacksmith turned around without hesitation. It seemed that he was preparing to work again, so Lukas decided to leave the smithy.
Clang!
That was until a clear sound rang out.
It was definitely the sound of metal striking against metal.
But in this environment where the sounds of hammers striking metal came from every direction, it was only this sound that caught Lukas attention.
He turned towards the direction the sound was coming from.
Clang!
The person behind this sound was so eye-catching that Lukas couldnt help but wonder how he hadnt noticed them before. But after thinking about it for a moment, he realised the reason.
It was because compared to the large Dragonmen, her physique was rather small. Right, it was a female Dragonman.
Even though she wore baggy clothes, was covered in soot, and her face was scrunched in concentration, she could still be considered beautiful.
Clang!
The sound of the hammering was extremely clear.
Lukas grabbed the blacksmith who had turned his back to him and pointed to her.
Who is that woman? Is she also a blacksmith? Sar?h the Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Her dont mind her.
The blacksmith replied with a strange expression on his face. Lukas had a feeling that he shouldnt ask any more questions.
He turned to look at the woman again.
By then, the blue-haired woman had put down her hammer with a slight frown on her face. Was she done with her work?
That was probably the case. Her gaze turned to the table beside the anvil she had been working with.
Then, her eyebrows twitched slightly and her lips parted.
Rytol! You son of a bitch!
Although it wasnt very loud, her voice strangely resonated through the entire smithy. It reminded Lukas of Kangkis voice back in the arena.
The blacksmith in front of Lukas flinched when he heard her shout.
It seemed that he was the very same Rytol. With his back hunched, he carefully approached the woman.
what do you need?
Why was he being so polite?
Contrary to Lukas curiosity, Nekdu frowned with an unforgiving expression.
What do I need? You little pig-nosed bastard, what did I tell you yesterday?
If its the hirometal that you mentioned, I put 10kg below your anvil.
Besides that! The towels and water in case I get thirsty while working! I told you to leave them beside me, didnt I?!
Ah.
Ah? You little bastard.
The woman seemed to be less than half Rytols size.
In truth, it wasnt that bad, but when compared to the Dragonmen who were usually 2m tall and extremely muscular, she appeared thin and fragile.
Nevertheless, Rytol simply lowered his head, seemingly unable to respond to the womans cursing.
Lukas continued looking at the woman.
Maybe.
She was a really good blacksmith. He didnt know much about blacksmithing, but he did know a lot about sound.
And the sounds she made with her hammer were not normal.
But that wasnt the only thing that caught Lukas attention.
[Blacksmith of Lava Nekdu]
Unlike Bargan and Ashstar, she didnt have any loyalty stat.
Perhaps it was because she and Lukas were complete strangers. Nevertheless, besides a name and a title, there was one other thing that Lukas could see.????????nr????????????. ????????????
[Difficulty: B]
It was the B difficulty that he was seeing for the first time.
At that moment, their eyes met. Nekdu opened her mouth.
Whats with this wimp?
It seemed that this was the impression that all Dragonmen had upon seeing Lukas for the first time.
Rytol hurriedly whispered.
Thats him.
Am I supposed to know this person? I hope hes not some trash sent by Kangki aga-
Hes the one who entrusted us with the Ancient Dragons skull.
Nekdus expression dropped immediately, then she hurriedly changed her words.
N-, now that I take a closer look
She looked at Lukas with an expression that seemed to say she was doing her very best to think of something nice to say.
He is a really muscular and handsome guy. Ha, haha. I must be tired from working all night, which is why I couldnt recognise such a handsome man.
Lukas was at a loss for words
Book: 2: Chapter 183
Book 2: Chapter 183 Lukas pondered for a moment.
Originally, he had just wanted the blacksmiths here to make some equipment for him. Thats why hed said it so bluntly without adding any specifics to his order.
He didnt think the blacksmiths here would be able to create the weapons he wanted even if he wanted them to.
This wasnt because he was looking down on their skills.
Instead, it was because the things he wanted were concepts that the blacksmiths would be unfamiliar with. Even if they had exceptional skills, it would be incredibly difficult for them to make custom equipment that they had never encountered before. In addition, the more skilled a blacksmith was, the more proud, and the more likely that they wouldnt have any curiosity towards new concepts.
But Nekdu gave him a different feeling compared to the other blacksmiths.
He didnt just mean her skills.
If it was her, then maybe
With this thought, Lukas opened his mouth.
Are you the best blacksmith in this smithy?
Thats right.
Nekdu responded casually with a nod.
Rytol, who was still beside her, didnt refute it. In fact, his expression didnt even change.
This meant that at the very least, the best blacksmiths in the smithy recognised her as their better. Rytols reaction, or lack thereof, was the best proof of this.
There is equipment that I would like to have made.
With the Ancient Dragons skull?
Its not that, but
Ah. Then thats fine.
Nekdu had a hopeful expression at first but waved her hand carelessly before Lukas could even finish speaking. Nevertheless, Lukas calmly finished what he had to say.
Its a weapon that no other blacksmith can make.
Ah. Really? What is it?
Her expression became one of curiosity and anticipation.
A staff.
a staff?
A suspicious yet disappointed glint appeared in Nekdus eyes.
You dont seem to have any problems with your legs, or are you talking about something like a wooden club that you can use as a weapon?
its a similar concept.
After saying that, Lukas pointed to a piece of paper on the table.
May I use that?
Sure. Go ahead.
Then, he picked up the pen beside it and started sketching.
At first, Nekdu was only watching on indifferently, but the more the image gradually took shape, the more the look in her eyes changed.
After seeing the finished product, she couldnt help but ask.
this is?
A quarterstaff. Its the weapon I would like you to make.
Hmm
She tilted her head to the side for a moment before finally opening her mouth.
By any chance, have you ever worked in a smithy before?
No.
Ah. Right.
by the way, why do you always speak informally?
Lukas asked.
Not because he was offended by the way she spoke, but because he was genuinely curious about the answer. Even Rytol, who seemed to be extremely proud, was still polite to customers, but Nekdu didnt seem to care at all.
Its because Im old enough to.
how old are you?
I stopped counting after reaching 500.
While Lukas became speechless for a while, Rytol, who had been standing quietly at the side, opened his mouth.
Youre an outsider, so I guess it isnt that surprising that you dont know. Blue skins are renowned among Dragonmen for their longevity. Well, her case is a bit unique even for them, but
Of course, that wasnt the reason why Lukas was speechless.
Nekdu hadnt raised her head to look at him at all, instead, her eyes remained glued to the sketch Lukas had drawn.
Then, she pointed towards the top of the staff.
There is a groove here. Do you intend to put something in it?
Yes.
Lukas nodded before taking the heart of the young Dragonling from his pocket. Of course, it didnt actually have the shape of a heart. To put it into other terms, it was like a jewel that didnt shine. This was because most of its vitality had been exhausted.
In all honesty, in its current state, it was already impossible to use it to make some kind of elixir. Or at least, that was the judgement Lukas reached.
Nevertheless, this heart was once a storage box that contained an enormous amount of energy. It could still play a similar role.
In other words, it was the perfect mana storage device.
What main material do you think the body should be made of?
I think it would be best to use the tail of the Ancient Dragons young as the main material.
It would be very difficult.
It was Rytol who said this.
He was also looking at the sketch with a baffled expression.
Naturally, Lukas was aware of this as well. It was common for staves to be made of wood. Metal could also be used at times. However, it was extremely unconventional for the tail of a living organism to be used as the main ingredient.
As Rytol had said, it would be an incredibly difficult task. That was why he hadnt intended to mention it at first.
If he hadnt met Nekdu, Lukas would not have brought it up at all.
His eyes remained on the blue-haired woman. Her forehead was wrinkled and it seemed that she was deeply contemplating something.
Give me that.
She took the pen out of Lukas hand as if she was stealing it.
Then she began to draw over his sketch.
The tail would be too weak to support it on its own It would need metal to hold it firmly, and Im sure youd prefer a softer material for the grip. Something like rubber maybe. And with this overall shape and appearance, the audience probably wouldnt look at it even if you were standing in the center of the arena.
Rytol turned to Lukas with a sigh.
You can go now.
S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
It seems that she has already started working on it.
How long do you think itll take?
If its short, then within the week. If its long it could be two or even three months.
Huh?
Rytol couldnt help but shake his head when he saw Lukas expression.
Its your fault for getting her so interested. Whether that was a mistake or a good deed will only be known once the finished product makes its appearance.
Now is your last chance to stop it. It seems that she hasnt become completely immersed in her own world yet, so you might be able to bring her back to her senses.
Lukas turned to look at Nekdu for a moment.
Unlike her low mutterings, her eyes were shining brightly as though they were filled with starlight.
He knew people like this.
People who were deeply immersed in their own worlds, and who didnt really care about anything unless it was something that interested them, like Nekdu, were usually those who became extremely successful in their chosen fields and were often called geniuses.
Its fine. Ill be waiting for the results.
This time, Rytol was the one to look surprised.
Nekdus skills could only be described as amazing, but even among the blacksmiths who were known for their quirks, she was fickle and had a bad temper, so she rarely had customers.
She was a woman who had kicked away a customer after a month of hard work and acquiring materials while saying that shed lost interest. No matter how amazing her skills were, it wasnt very surprising that she wasnt very popular.
Nevertheless, it was clear that Lukas had become interested in Nekdu.
It seems that youre a weirdo too.
I will find out how long itll take. Come back in a week.
Thank you Is it fine if I ask one more question?
What is it?
Where can I find a refiner with excellent skills?
a refiner?
Rytol tilted his head to the side.
Youre looking for a strange person. Why do you want to find a refiner?
I was wondering how to make use of the Ancient Dragons heart.
Aha.
Rytol chuckled.
I knew you brought that frozen heart to be stored for a reason. So its because you believe those bullsh*t rumors too.
bullsh*t rumors?
The rumors that say that highly skilled refiners can transform the hearts of Ancient Dragons into elixirs
Is that not true? Its something I read about in a book.
If everything in books were true, wouldnt this world be a fairy tale?
This caused Lukas to fall silent for a while. Rytol continued.
Those rumors are just myths. The Ancient Dragons heart is useless.
Its not a myth.
The one who spoke was Nekdu, who seemed to have temporarily awoken from her concentrated state. Her eyes were still locked onto the sketch, but she had an annoyed expression on her face.
Its not bullsh*t. There are refiners who can do that.
Do you know any refiners?
Yes. But I dont know where they are now.
Then, before Lukas could ask any more questions, she continued.
Thats all I know. Im only telling you that because you showed me something interesting, so I decided to tell you something interesting.
Lukas wanted to get more clues, but it seemed that Nekdu wouldnt answer any more of his questions. This time, her attention was completely focused on the sketch to the point that she had even begun to lean over the table.
From her back, he could see her clear desire to not continue the conversation.
Therefore, Lukas had no choice but to leave the smithy.
At least I can obtain a weapon.
The staff which didnt exist in the Heavenly Realm, would be a valuable tool that would drastically improve his fighting strength.
So for now, he should be satisfied with this result.
Book: 2: Chapter 184
Book 2: Chapter 184 Shortly after returning to the inn, Lukas called Bargan to his room.
Their rooms were right beside each other.
In fact, considering the size of the rooms, it wasnt necessary for them to get two, but the stubborn wandering Fighter didnt dare to sleep in the same room as his Lord. Sar?h the novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
He even forced Lukas to let him pay for his own stay.
You called for me?
Right. Have a seat.
Yes.
Lukas had an unusually serious expression at that moment.
It wasnt just that, it seemed that he was unconsciously releasing his aura. Bargan had encountered many strong people in his life, but whenever he faced Lukas, he couldnt help but feel that his strength was fundamentally different from theirs.
With a slightly nervous expression, he went down to one knee and lowered his head.
Bargan.
Yes.
I do not gather people casually.
Bargans expression darkened. He hesitated for a while before lowering his head even further, unwilling to open his mouth.
If there is anything I lack, I will do my best to fix it.
Thats not it.
Im sorry. My knowledge is limited, so I dont dare to assume my Lords intentions.
I accepted your allegiance because I needed your knowledge. As you know, I am an outsider who knew nothing about the Heavenly Realm or its culture.
Although it might not have seemed that way, Lukas had asked Bargan many questions during their time together.
And now, I have enough of an understanding about the culture of the Heavenly Realm. Even if I have more questions in the future, I have at least adapted enough to be able to find the answers on my own.
are you saying you dont need me anymore?
Right.
Bargans heart grew heavy in his chest, but he couldnt refute it. As far as he knew, there were only two people that Lukas was really close to.
Rin Summers, the Champion of the Herui Arena, and Li Hao, the Whirlwind of the Babylon Arena.
Compared to Bargan, there was a large gap between them both in terms of strength and standing.
It was only natural for Lukas to find him useless.
I will become the Champion of Lirua.
yes.
Although he nodded, Bargan was still skeptical about that remark. If Lukas had aimed to become the Champion in any other major city, his attitude would certainly have been different.
However, this was Lirua.
In this city, there were limits to how far one could reach just by fighting.
However, that alone isnt enough.
what do you mean by not enough?
The match-fixing.
Bargans body shook.
I went around the entire city today. And I could tell with a single glance. Everyone in this city loves fights and loves the arena.
You must have too, Bargan. Thats why, when you found out about the darkness in Lirua, you were unable to accept it and ran away.
When he heard those words, Bargan almost burst into tears.
Ran away?
He did.
Thats what hed done when he found out about Lirua.
!
Belatedly, he lowered his head again in order to hide his surging emotions. Under his bowed head, his eyes, which were always steady, rolled around excitedly.
You have to do what you should do.
What should I do?
You once ran away from Lirua. You refused to accept your responsibility and threw it away instead. No matter how much time passes, that fact will never disappear. Therefore, you must find that which you once threw away, and pick it up again. In some form or other.
that.
Was he telling him to face the darkness in Lirua head-on? If so then that was no different from telling Bargan to rush to his death.
Bargan looked at Lukas with a stiff expression on his face.
But Lukas looked back at him with a freezing cold gaze.
Then what do you intend to do, my Lord?
I will also do what I should do, Bargan.
Lukas spoke in a calm voice.
Dont look for me any longer.
Forget about me, and think only about what you have to do.
* * *
There was a lot to think about, and a lot to do.
Therefore, two days flew by in a flash.
And now,
Lukas was standing at one end of the Lirua arena.
Wooaaahh!
Dragon Hunter! Dragon Hunter!
The crowd roared Lukas title with overwhelming enthusiasm.
It was inevitable.
For the two days after his match was decided, numerous newspapers and articles talked about the upcoming match. This fuss naturally became a form of advertisement, and before long, there were few Dragonmen in Lirua who didnt know about Lukas.
As a result, todays match became so big that it could no longer be seen as the debut of a new Fighter.
The opponent was also formidable.
Lukas looked at the Dragonman standing in front of him.
Jaihum.
From what he heard, it was quite unusual for a rookie Fighter to compete with a veteran Fighter as well known as him in his first appearance.
Jaihum was a Fighter ranked 78th in the Lirua Arena, and his recent record was 8 wins and 2 losses. He was someone who was considered to be rising to the top with unstoppable momentum.
Good enough.
His goal wasnt just to take part in the Championship, but also to deal with the match-fixing in Lirua.
And this opponent was a suitable first step to allow him to break into the darkness of the arena.
Crunch.
He could feel the roughness of the sand beneath his feet. A hot wind suddenly blew over.
Lukas looked at Jaihum with a solemn gaze.
Begin!
The match began following the referees cry.
And so, Dragon Hunter Lukas, the huge rookie Fighter that many people had great expectations for, stepped into the Lirua Arena for his first match
And suffered a devastating defeat.
Book: 2: Chapter 185
Book 2: Chapter 185 [The Dragon Hunters shocking record, 12 consecutive losses!]
[Is his hunt of the Ancient Dragon nothing more than an exaggerated rumor?]
[Hirup Subjugation Squad Leader, Butcher Ashstar, says the hunt of the Ancient Dragon is not a lie and that Lukas is the strongest Sorcerer she has ever seen]
Bargan read the article again with a strange expression on his face.
Hed already read it five times before, and the words in the article hadnt changed, but he still couldnt believe it. Eventually, he put down the newspaper with a sigh.
Ah. He has a match today.
He?
Im talking about Lukas.
Ah, the Dragon Hunter?
The square was the center of the city and it was also the place where one could easily hear discussions about the hottest news in the city.
And at that moment, the topic the people were talking about was none other than Dragon Hunter Lukas.
The Dragon Hunter is a fraud. Youve never seen one of his matches have you?
Mhm. Thats why I intended to take a look today.
Dont bother. Ive seen three of his fights and I dont want to see him fight ever again.
When the man said those words through gritted teeth, the woman in front of him tilted her head to the side.
Is it that bad?
That guy lost 12 matches straight in only two weeks! Usually, if a Fighter loses 5 times in a row, they would begin to consider retirement, but that bastard continues to fight as though he has no shame.
Losing 12 times in a row Wow. That must be a record.
Thats right. Sh*t. Im an idiot for going to watch him three times.
The Dragonman crushed the newspaper in his hand as he clicked his tongue. From start to finish, he had continued grinding his teeth so much that it wouldnt be surprising if powder came out of his mouth.
Pretending not to see that, Bargan let out a soft sigh.
This Dragonman wasnt the only one who had such thoughts.
Combat Island.
True to its name, the biggest entertainment for those living here was to watch fights in the arena.
No, for them, the fights in the arena were more than just simple entertainment. Instead, it was an inseparable part of their culture and life.
And Lirua was a city that had one of the largest arenas on Combat Island.
The citizens of this city always eagerly anticipated the appearance of new Fighters, dark horses, and underdogs. Naturally, because of Lukas unique identity as a Dragon Hunter, the interest in him was unprecedented.
In fact, on the day of his first match, all the tickets in the arena had been sold out.
If Lukas had won that fight.
No, if he had even been able to display a performance equal to his opponent, they would have only let out shouts of disappointment at most.
Kuk.
Bargan clenched his fists.
He knew.
Hes seen it with his own eyes and felt it with his own body.
Just how strong Lukas actually was.
Of course, he understood that fighting against an Ancient Dragon in the wild and a Fighter in the arena was different. It was also common for Sorcerers to be at a disadvantage in head on combat.
Nevertheless.
The strength of Lukas, who had been able to deal with an Ancient Dragon single-handedly, was not that simple.
Right.
If Lukas had lost to the Champion of Lirua or even one of the top five Fighters in the rankings, he wouldnt find it too strange.
In the end, Bargan only had one question.
Why is he losing on purpose?
He wanted to ask him directly. But at that moment, he couldnt.
You have to do what you should do.
Dont look for me any longer.
The words Lukas had left behind had become shackles that wrapped around his chest.
do what I should do.
What the hell did that mean?
Did that mean that he had to pick up and face the responsibilities that had been given to him? The ones that hed thrown away when he ran.
He didnt know, and it was giving him a headache.
He was a Fighter.
Rolling around questions in his head until he found the answer had never been a trait he possessed.
So instead, he decided to make internal guesses about what Lukas was planning.
Does he intend to continue losing for a while before turning it around and getting a winning streak in order to turn the crowds curses and criticism into cheers and admiration?
It was something that would surely make him into a star. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
However that couldnt be it.
If Lukas planned to do something like that, then he would never succeed.
The audience wasnt made up of fools. Many of them were people who had fought in or watched countless arena battles during their lives. Their eyesight was so developed that they could almost be compared to experts.
He didnt think that a childish plan like hiding his power before suddenly revealing it would be able to fool them. Instead, it would probably spark outrage because he would be insulting the spectators and Fighters.
It cant be that.
Bargan clenched his fist.
Whatever it was that Lukas was planning, he couldnt just stand around and do nothing.
So what should he do?
His shaky gaze slowly turned to the arena.
In the end, he was a Fighter.
And from the past to now.
There was only one way for Fighters to prove themselves.
* * *
Twelve straight losses, huh?
Yes.
Kangki remained silent, his chin resting against his knuckles.
The person who was currently bowing in front of Kangki waiting for him to speak was someone that anyone in Lirua would be able to recognise with a single glance.
It was the 3rd place Fighter in the arena rankings, Padudu.
Of course, it wasnt strange for Fighters from the arena to be polite to the City Lords. The problem was that Padudus current posture was something that went far past simple courtesy.
He was currently on his hands and knees on the floor with his head almost touching the ground. This type of posture was something that not even slave Fighters would take when expressing their complete surrender.
Just because they were called slave Fighters didnt mean they were actually slaves. At the very least, in Dragonman society, you still had to at least show a certain level of respect to the slaves that followed you.
Their pride was the bottom line for all Dragonmen, and their loyalty stemmed from this pride. Therefore, regardless of how the slave owner might feel, they would never touch the pride of their slave.
Otherwise, if they were to provoke them carelessly, the slave might stop caring about their own life and death or even kill themself directly.
In other words, one thing was clear.
The fact that Padudu was able to take such a position in front of Kangki meant that he didnt have the slightest shred of pride.
Hunting the Ancient Dragon didnt he do that on his own?
Kangki frowned.
It was said that the Ancient Dragon had been as large as a small mountain.
For such a large Ancient Dragon, he didnt even dare to guess how valuable its corpse would be.
Kangki had received the news too late, so he hadnt been able to take part in the race for body parts with the other Major City Lords.
But he became even more upset when he learned that the Ancient Dragons corpse had been shared among the Major City Lords for free.
The fact that he couldnt take part in such an opportunity was more painful than anything hed encountered for a long time.
However, the Dragon Hunter, the main character in the subjugation of the Ancient Dragon, had actually come to Lirua. Since hed received this news, Kangki had been paying close attention to Lukas.
Lukas had entered the arena.
This was something he expected. After all, there were only so many reasons why such a talented person would come to a major city like Lirua.
Because of this, he had some expectations.
Of course, he didnt have any expectations of Lukas strength.
Instead, what he focused on was how much the title of Dragon Hunter would increase the profits from the arena.
With that in mind, he decided to choose a fairly good fighter as his opponent.
To put it simply, he was laying the groundwork.
If Lukas won, the attention he gained would multiply in an instant.
Nevertheless,
Complete defeat.
He never would have expected it.
The man who had defeated an Ancient Dragon was suppressed by a Fighter on the level of Jaihum?
Was he hiding his power?
Kangki thought that was likely to be the case.
Although he had lost, Lukas hadnt received a single injury. Anyone with eyes could see that he hadnt been trying at all.
Similarly, he wasnt hurt in the next battle either. If he had been hurt in the first place, then there was no way he could do something crazy like fighting 14 matches in two weeks.
Disgusting tricks.
Kangkis lips twisted into a cold expression.
He felt dirty.
Like his authority was being violated.
He was the only one who could decide who won or lost in the arena. This was something that only he, Kangki, Major City Lord of Lirua, could do.
And now, an outsider who he didnt know had come to trample all over him with his dirty feet.
It would be strange if he wasnt upset.
He is Bargans master?
Yes.
Bargan.
He remembered him.????????????????????????d. c????????
Book: 2: Chapter 186
Book 2: Chapter 186 Bargan appeared in Kangkis thoughts.
He was one of the Fighters who had persistently stood in his way when he was trying to expand his business. That had been decades ago, but there was a reason why he could still remember him even now.
This was because he felt that Bargans skill and talent would be fairly eye-catching. Therefore, hed tried to win him over.
But in the end, he failed.
Bargan was unable to look at the bigger picture. It was said that Fighters were usually ignorant, but Bargan was an extreme case.
If he had continued to grow steadily, with proper support, it wouldnt have been hard for him to have a win rate ranking among the top 10 in the Lirua arena.
Tch.
In any case.
The fact that Lukas was Bargans master meant that there was a very high chance that he knew about the match-fixing in the Lirua arena.
Even though he came to this realisation, Kangkis expression didnt change in the slightest.
This is pretty interesting.
Even if Lukas had made a great contribution during the subjugation of the Ancient Dragon, he was just a Sorcerer anyway.
In front of Fighters who could be said to be experts at fighting other people, Sorcerers were at a major disadvantage.
In addition, this was Lirua.
This was the territory that hed shed blood and sweat for decades in order to develop to its current state.
Even if the opponent was another Major City Lord, they would not act carelessly in his territory.
Its said that he left the skull of the Ancient Dragon at a smithy.
He wondered if he should continue to spend money to advertise him, or if he should do something else instead.
After thinking for a while, Kangki looked at Padudu.
Call Hubi.
* * *
The target is hiding his real strength, so be careful.
The assassin, Hubi, thought about the advice Kangki had given him before he left, but he didnt really take it to heart.
It wasnt that Kangkis advice had entered one ear and left through the other. It was just that he felt that even if his enemy was strong, it would not impact the completion of his mission.
Sss.
The window opened with a soft sound. Nevertheless, Hubi didnt immediately enter the room. Instead, he remained in his position and waited for a while.
No movements could be felt from the room. This proved that the inhabitant hadnt noticed his intrusion. Even after coming to this conclusion, he still waited a while longer before finally entering the room.
His movements were as silent as a shadow.
The target, Lukas, was laying on the bed, sound asleep.
The dim moonlight from the window dimly revealed an outline of his face.
Indeed, this wasnt the face of a Dragonman, but an outsider from some distant place.
Shing.
Hubi slowly drew his dagger. The dagger seemed to gleam slightly in anticipation of what was to come.
Quietly, he took slow, measured steps until he reached Lukas side. Then, he covered his mouth with his left hand. Sear?h the ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
It was only at that moment that Lukas opened his eyes.
!
Confusion, urgency, and fear were easily discernible in the mans wide eyes.
But Hubi didnt pay any attention to it as he carried out an action that hed done many times before.
Without the slightest hesitation, his dagger skillfully slid between the ribs and penetrated his targets heart in one clean motion.
Groan.
The convulsions of the man beneath him were enough to cause the bed to creak slightly. This was the final struggle that could only have been seen at the moment before death.
It was a bit noisy, but this was an inn that also took the role of a bar. Even now, the shouts of Dragonmen could be heard from the floor beneath them as well as the clinking of their glasses being hit against each other.
No one would be able to realise what this creaking was.
Pushing his dagger deeper, Hubi counted in his head.
One, two, three.
It was over.
After confirming that Lukas eyes had rolled back, he finally took his hand away from his mouth.
Thick saliva coated his hand, but he roughly wiped it away on his clothes as he looked down at Lukas body.
If he were to leave like this, it would certainly cause a commotion when the body was found. This was something his master didnt want.
Fortunately, he knew of a few ways to quietly dispose of a body.
Of course, the sudden disappearance of a person would surely attract some attention. But Lukas was an outsider who currently had the lowest reputation in the entirety of Lirua. It was safe to say that there wasnt a single Dragonman who looked at him favorably after his streak of consecutive losses.
Even if someone were to notice and point out his disappearance, others would simply curse at him. They wouldnt try to look for him. They would loudly declare that he had quietly run away at night out of shame.
With that thought, Hubi wrapped Lukas body in his blanket before sliding out of the room again with his cargo in tow.
Creak-
Unlike when he entered, there was a subtle noise from the window as he left.
But that was all.
After his figure completely disappeared into the dark night, silence fell in the room once again.
* * *
You already completed your mission?
Yes.
Kangki looked down at Hubi.
The assassin in front of him was the sharpest and truest of all the daggers he had created.
Up to that point, the number of people that Hubi had killed for him probably exceeded 20,000. And despite the number being so large, this man had always completed his missions with perfection.
Naturally, several of the missions he had been tasked with could be considered difficult.
And in Kangkis opinion, this mission should have been similar.
He looked at Hubi again.
There wasnt a single wound on his body. Except for the fact that his clothes were a bit wrinkled, there was basically no difference from when hed left.
Were there any problems?
No.
He answered shortly, then, thinking that an explanation might be necessary, he continued.
The target only became aware of my existence after it was too late. He might be a powerful Sorcerer, but he is ignorant of the silent dangers of the night.
This meant that Lukas had died without even realising that Hubi had broken into his room.
If that was the case, then it could even be said that Lukas was the easiest task Hubi had ever had to complete.
The corpse?
It has been dealt with.
Where is your proof?
Yes.
Hubi stepped forward and took something from his bag. It was a severed finger. Perhaps an index finger.
Kangki glanced down at the finger. It was definitely not a Dragonmans finger. It also matched the skin color of the target. He touched it, he smelled it, then at the end, he put it in his mouth and chewed it.
This was the surest way. The tongue was the most sensitive part of the body. With it, one could easily find a single grain of sand on a piece of meat.
The strange thing is
There wasnt anything strange.
Frowning, Kangki spat the finger onto his palm. It looked like a chicken bone that had its flesh removed.
Seeing this series of actions, Hubi couldnt help but ask in a cautious tone.
Is something wrong?
It ended too easily.
Even if it might just be a small doubt, Kangki wouldnt let it go. Even if it was only a feeling that stemmed from his instinct without the slightest bit of proof.
No.
He believed it even more because it came from his instincts.
This kind of warning had saved him many times when he faced dangerous situations.
It shouldnt have been completed so easily.
After having this thought, Kangki gave Hubi new orders.
Think that the thing you killed was just a doppelganger and search the entire inn. Investigate every trace of the Dragon Hunter. And if you find something strange, no matter how trivial it might seem, make sure to report it right away.
As you command.
Hubi bowed his head without any complaints. Even if he had absolute confidence in himself and his skills, orders were orders.
After taking a step back, he bowed politely once again before his body gradually merged with the darkness of the room and he disappeared completely.
Alone now, Kangki slowly lowered his head.
He was looking at the bottle of wine he had been drinking just before.
I hope its just a delusion.
He muttered those words with sincerity.i????????????????????d. ????o????
Kangki was never the type to leave a bottle of wine unfinished but he was no longer in the mood to drink.
After thinking for a while, he decided to call someone.
Book: 2: Chapter 187
Book 2: Chapter 187 Bargan sat in the stands of the arena and looked down at the field.
It was really large.
It hadnt been this big when he left. By the looks of it, the arena was at least 10 times larger than when he last saw it. It had probably taken hundreds of architects from Peace Island to build it.
Now, the arena had become a symbol that represented Lirua and had become its pride at the same time.
30 years.
Bargan suddenly realised that it had been 30 years since hed left the city.
It had clearly been a long time, but even when he thought back to that time, no memory really stood out. All he had were desolate feelings and a body that was steadily growing older.
Such was the life of a wanderer.
Thats why the week or so that hed spent with Lukas had become a powerful memory for him.
Dammit. He still hasnt shown up yet?
He really just does whatever he wants.
Can we get ticket refunds?
There were spectators sitting here and there in the mostly empty stands. And the ones sitting behind Bargan constantly muttered in a dissatisfied tone.
He understood them.
It was already past the time for the fight to start, but only one Fighter stood in the arena.
Even the Fighters expression showed displeasure and irritation. Anyone in his position would probably have had the same expression if their opponent still hadnt appeared ten minutes after their fight was supposed to start.
Bargans expression was also not good, but for a different reason. His face didnt show any irritation or impatience with the current time-wasting situation.
To put it simply, he didnt look upset, he looked extremely serious.
Dammit. If it wasnt for the fact that Padudu is fighting in the next match, I wouldnt have come to see this one.
What are you talking about? Kingtans matches are all worth watching.
Thats only when the opponent is also competent! If the opponent is a loser who lost 12 consecutive matches then he wont even break a sweat!
Most of the spectators usually didnt care which side won as long as they could watch them fight. Unless they were a big fan of that Fighter.
What the spectators were enthusiastic about was a thrilling battle that made their hands sweat.
A battle where, after hundreds of clashes, the winner was decided by a paper-thin advantage.
Those were the famous matches.
And Dragon Hunter Lukas, who was currently the most criticised Fighter in the entirety of Lirua, had never shown such a match.
Bargan bit his lip as a feeling of anxiety welled up within him.
The reason he was sitting in the stands was, of course, to watch Lukas match. Hed told him to not come to him, but he hadnt said he couldnt watch him fight.
But even though hed used such a cowardly excuse to buy a ticket, Lukas hadnt appeared even after 10 minutes had passed.
This had never happened in any of his 12 fights.
Did something happen?
Just as he had this thought
One of the officials entered the arena and walked to the referee before whispering something in his ears. The referees expression hardened, and he let out a soft sigh, though he tried his best to hide his reaction.
Then, he raised his hand and shouted.
Kingtan wins by default due to the absence of Dragon Hunter Lukas!
Winning by default was one of the most humiliating ways for a Fighter to win a match.
In a way, it was much worse than directly losing. Because of this, Kingtans expression twisted fiercely and he simply turned around and left the arena without saying a word.
Booo!
The crowd booed, but they werent booing Kingtan.
Instead, they were booing Lukas, who had failed to appear.
Is it because he didnt want to take part and directly lose in 13 consecutive matches?
He really is creating history in the arena in a different way.
Mm. Maybe something happened?
Ha! If something did happen, it was probably that he couldnt walk to the arena because his legs were shaking too much! Hes just a disgusting, cowardly bastard!
Tweh.
One of the audience members spat on the ground.
That remark caused Bargan to turn around. When his eyes met with that audience member, they flinched back. This was because the fierce look in his eyes was truly frightening.
D-, do you have something to say?
no.
Bargan realised that he was just childishly venting his anger, so he turned away and got to his feet.
What the hell was that?
Is he crazy?
Bargan heard the voices coming from behind him, but he just ignored them and continued walking to the lobby.
Then, he headed towards a free receptionist.
Looking at her, Bargan spoke in a blunt tone. Sar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Please set the match as soon as possible.
Huh?
The receptionist blinked.
Yesterday, I registered as a Fighter for this arena. I didnt pick a time for a match then, but Ive changed my mind.
ah, I see.
It was only then that the receptionist smiled and nodded.
Then, after Bargan told her his personal information, she checked the schedule and nodded after a while.
A match can be scheduled for tomorrow morning. Would you like to do it then?
Cant it be sooner?
Its not possible to reserve a match for the same day.
The receptionist spoke in an embarrassed tone, but Bargan continued without hesitation.
Didnt Kingtans match end up as invalid? Looking at the schedule, it doesnt seem like he has another match for a while.
If its Sir Kingtan Yes. He doesnt have any matches scheduled for next week.
Hes probably pretty heated right now. There is still a while till the next match. What do you think?
Bargan pointed to himself.
Ill fight him on behalf of the Dragon Hunter.
* * *????????????????e????. ????????m
In the end, Bargans coercion worked.
A middle manager who seemed to have some authority had taken the place of the disgruntled receptionist.
His attitude was pretty lukewarm at first, but it quickly changed after he learned of Bargans identity.
Headsmasher Bargan. You were originally from Lirua.
thats right.
This was why Dragonmen risked their lives for fame.
Even if it was in a major city like Lirua, one was still able to receive a certain degree of recognition with a reputation like Bargans. If one managed to become the Champion of a city, they would be well received no matter what city they went to.
Of course, Fighters who didnt fight didnt receive the same treatment.
Most Dragonmen didnt have identification cards. This didnt just apply to wanderers like Bargan.
So if people were killed or eaten by Dragonlings while traveling between cities, no one would remember them.
And that was something that the Dragonmen living on Combat Island feared the most. To be completely forgotten after their death.
For no one to remember theyd existed in the first place.
Because they didnt want that, the Fighters fought.
They all wanted to become legends that would be remembered for decades and centuries, not forgotten after a year or two.
In other words, even after death, they wanted to be talked about by many Dragonmen.
That was the ultimate goal of the Fighters who risked their lives in every battle.
This is interesting. The return of Bargan, a former Lirua Fighter.
The manager said this with a bright smile.
Ill give you 30 minutes to prepare.
No need. If hes ready to fight, we can start immediately.
Huhu, you really are a role model for other Fighters.
He smiled in satisfaction and beckoned to his subordinate.
* * *
Bargan stood in the arena for the first time in decades.
There werent many spectators in the arena. Since the match had just ended anticlimactically, most of them had left or gone to watch another match.
I think youve long passed the age to be running around in the arena.
There was a sneer on Kingtans lips as he said this. He looked like he was in a much better mood. Perhaps he was happy that he now had someone to vent his anger on.
Ive heard the rumors about you. 30 years ago, you were pretty famous in the arena.
But this place is completely different from back then, so you better be careful. Well, you dont have to worry too much. Since youre my senior, I wont-
You talk a lot. Is that tongue of yours your weapon?
Kingtans expression immediately became hard.
of course not.
Creak.
He squeezed the handle of his mace. His mace, which was covered in ferocious spices, seemed like it would shred Bargans skinny body to bits in an instant.
He spun his mace in his hand.
Bargan looked at him for a moment before he slowly raised his club.
Book: 2: Chapter 188
Book 2: Chapter 188 Huu.
Nekdu put down her hammer as she wiped sweat from her forehead.
After finally finishing her work for the day, she looked around for a while. There were no signs of activity in the smithy.
This was natural since everyone had already gone home.
Mmm.
With a loud yawn, she got up from her seat. She grabbed her coat in preparation to head home before something in the corner caught her eye.
It was a cane.
No, did he call it a staff?
It had been four days since she completed it, but the person who had requested its production hadnt shown his face. She didnt mind that though. In fact, she actually hoped that he wouldnt turn up.
That way, she could take the skull of the Ancient Dragon for herself.
That thought caused a laugh to burst from her mouth.
Thank you.
Suddenly, she heard a voice from behind her.
what the hell?
Nekdu turned around.
There, a man whose entire body was covered by a black robe stood. His body was so covered that she couldnt see anything but his eyes.
She was shocked for a while but it didnt take her very long to recognise the voice and scratch her head.
Look who it is. Ive heard a lot of rumors about you. Worst Fighter in Liruas arena, coward, fraud, embarrassment What was the other one?
Runaway.
Right, that.
Nekdu snapped her fingers with a nod.
Contrary to her exaggerated actions, her voice remained indifferent.
I dont care about my public reputation. Im just dressed like this because this isnt the time for me to make an appearance.
Really?
Even though she asked this, Nekdus voice remained flat as if she wasnt the least bit interested. Then, as if she had just remembered something, she asked.
But what are you thankful for?
The staff Nekdu had made was already in his hands.
Was it for making that?
It couldnt be. She hadnt done him a favor.
He paid, and Nekdu had done the required job. There was nothing for him to be thankful for.
You told me that you knew refiners capable of dealing with an Ancient Dragons heart.
Ah, thats right.
Nekdu nodded carelessly for a while before suddenly narrowing her eyes as she thought of something.
You dont mean
Yes. I listened to your words and decided to search for them. And not so long ago
Nekdu realised that the eyes beneath the hood of the robe were shining.
I found them. The refiner.
* * *
His head was hot and his heart was pounding.
The blood in his veins was so hot that it felt like it was boiling. No. It felt as though molten iron was flowing through his body
Crunch.
Bargan clenched the handle of his club tightly.
The loud pulses that seemed to resonate from his heart seemed to flow down to the club in his hand.
That was exactly how he felt at that moment.
It was probably because of the intense excitement filling him at that moment.
Surprisingly, a certain amount of excitement was actually beneficial during fights.
This was because it not only enhanced ones instantaneous judgement, but it also pushed ones physical ability to a higher level.
That was exactly what was happening at that moment.
On the other hand, the expression of the Fighter in front of Bargan was extremely sour.
Tweh!
Himba spat on the ground.
He was forcibly suppressing his anger as he stared at Bargan.
This fucker
When did he become so strong?
Maybe it was because he was nervous, but sweat was starting to build upon his palms. Without letting his guard down, he roughly wiped his hands on his leather coat.
Just like in an encounter with a Dragonling, even a moments carelessness was not acceptable.
He didnt know even when he ran into him at the inn. He didnt know that there would be a time when he was put in such an embarrassing situation by this son of a bitch.
In the center of the arena before a full audience of spectators no less.
Do you think that Im strong?
Bargan suddenly spoke.
Himba felt as if he had been caught, but instead of showing it, he suppressed his emotions and sharpened his gaze.
Its a really pathetic thought. Himba, why dont you put down your flimsy denial and accept the reality?
what are you talking about?
Bargan sneered coldly.
Its not that Ive become stronger, its that youve gotten weaker.
What did you just say?
You havent grown at all in these years.
you bastard!
His pride had been thoroughly bruised this time.
Spitting a curse, Himba swung his fist.
He was a man who could be called a giant among Dragonmen. His fists were so large and powerful that he could easily crush boulders with a single punch.
However, that was it.
Himbas attacks lacked finesse and skill.
It was a simple punch that was filled with emotion.
Excitement and anger were similar emotions, but they were fundamentally different.
Fwoosh.
Bargan easily avoided the clumsy attack that seemed like it wouldnt hit him even if he stood still, and raised his club.
A look of shock appeared on Himbas face, but it was already too late.
Himba was extremely tall and had long arms.
In other words, it would take longer for him to pull his fist back after he had outstretched it.
Paak!
Bargans club hit the back of Himbas head.
Himbas eyes instantly rolled back into his head. He staggered a few times like a drunk man before finally collapsing to the ground.
He had a hard skull so he probably wouldnt die, but he would probably be confined to a bed for a few months.
Ba-, Bargan wins!
The referee who was overseeing the match declared the outcome.
At the same time, cheers erupted from the stands.
Woooaaahh!
Bargan! Bargan! Bargan!
Compared to the lukewarm reaction when he defeated Kingtan, the crowd was so hot that it didnt seem like he was a returning warrior.
I love you! Wanderer-!!
Ohhh! I trusted you. Sh*t!
The audience members who bet on Bargan were particularly pleased. So in the stands, some were dancing while others were in tears.
This was all familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.
Bargan stood quietly in the middle of the arena for a while.
The moment when they won and received the crowds cheers of enthusiasm.
Pleasure that was more addictive than any drug rolled down his spine.
Unable to suppress it anymore, Bargan began to tremble. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Most Fighters could never forget this scene and feeling, so they continued to run to the arena until they died.
I thought that I would never feel this again.
30 years after leaving Lirua.
Bargan, who thought he would reach the end of his life as a wanderer, was once again receiving the enthusiastic cheers of the crowd in his hometown arena.
In all honesty, he hadnt expected the crowd to show such a reaction.
This was because Bargan thought he wouldnt receive any recognition in this city.
But that wasnt the case.
At least on this island, there was nothing that couldnt be solved by fighting. As long as one was capable enough, they could even erase their past mistakes.
I might be able to make a change.
His heart raced.
This feeling was different from the excitement of fighting.
A faint glimmer of hope began to rise in his heart.
On Combat Island, honor was the factor that had the most influence. For example, though it might be limited to Combat Island, former Grand Champions had greater influence than even Major City Lords. And naturally, the ripple effect that could come from a single statement of a Grand Champion was beyond imagination.
As a wandering Fighter, no one would care about what Bargan said even if he talked about the match-fixing till he vomited blood.
But what if Bargan became the Champion of Lirua?
Were Champion Bargan and Wanderer Bargan the same?
No.
Not in the slightest.
It had taken him this long to realise something so simple. On Combat Island, one could achieve anything they wanted simply through fighting.
It was at that moment that Bargan came to a decision.
To climb up from the bottom and deal with the darkness in Lirua with his own hands.
Book: 2: Chapter 189
Book 2: Chapter 189 Bargan headed back to the lobby to receive his match earnings from the receptionist.
Great job, Sir Bargan, that was an amazing match,
With a big smile on her face, the receptionists attitude was completely different from before.
On the other hand, Bargans blunt attitude hadnt changed at all since the beginning.
Im here to collect my earnings.
Yes! Here it is.
Clink.
She took out a bag that seemed pretty heavy.
Its 1,500 erus. Also, congratulations, Sir Bargan, for winning four consecutive matches.
Clap clap.
She even gave him a soft clap afterward.
Bargan ignored her and looked at the bag.
1,500 erus was by no means a small amount. To be specific, it was twice as much as hed earned in his previous match.
This was natural since the higher the value of the Fighter, the higher their earnings. Bargan was gradually increasing his value day by day.
If he were to win his next match, his earnings would probably be doubled again.
Of course, the higher the ranking, the harder it is to get a match.
At least, he wouldnt be able to fight multiple times in a few days like he was doing now.
Nevertheless, it was fine for now.
In all honesty, his four consecutive victories were a surprise to him as well.
Bargan was well aware of his skill level. He could only be considered among the best of the lower-ranked Fighters in the Lirua Arena.
And yet, he had won four times in a row.
In all honesty, there wasnt that big of a difference between Bargan and Himba, who hed fought today.
Nevertheless, the battle had been one-sided. At first glance, it might have seemed like a rather fierce battle, but Himbas attacks hadnt even caused him any trouble.
Of course, it could be said that the result had been influenced by luck and other complex factors that were difficult to calculate, but the most decisive factor was Bargans momentum.
As long as I maintain this form, it would be worth trying even if I meet someone stronger than I am.
More importantly, Bargan felt that he was getting stronger the more he fought.
Leaving the arena, Bargan began to head to the inn, but he stopped not long after he started.
It was just starting to get dark.
And a man was standing in front of him.
A Dragonman with blue scales.
Youve got a lot of skill, senior.
Senior.
It was an awkward title and not something he expected to hear from someone hed met for the first time.
Bargan shot back in a cold voice.
I dont remember having a junior like you.
Thats natural. This is our first meeting.
Bargan narrowed his eyes slightly at the sly answer. Just as he started to reach for his club, the man changed his attitude and hurriedly waved his hands.
Ah. Relax, relax. I didnt come here to fight.
Do you expect me to believe that?
Really. I have something to tell you.
Say it then. Im listening.
I cant say it here.
Was he messing with him?
Just as Bargans irritation was about to reach another level, the man spoke urgently.
I swear. I have no hostile intentions towards senior. Rather, it could be said that we are on the same side.
On the same side? Are you saying that you know what I want?
Bargan had a cold sneer on his lips but the man in front of him just nodded calmly as if he had been waiting for such a question.
Of course I do. Arent you dissatisfied with the darkness in this city?
What?
The match-fixing.
!
Bargans expression changed slightly at those words.
When he saw that, the man let out a soft sigh of relief.
Are you interested now?
who are you?
You can call me Aram. A Fighter who is dissatisfied with the darkness in Lirua just like senior.
Aram looked around for a moment before continuing.
We should change locations first. There are too many eyes and ears around here.
* * *
In the end, Bargan decided to take Aram to the inn where he was staying. Aram followed him with great caution. Sometimes it seemed like he was checking to see if anyone was tailing them.
Click.
Even after they entered the room and closed the door, he didnt let his guard down. Instead, he thoroughly checked the room for a few minutes and even opened the window to look around outside.
It was only after this that he finally opened his mouth.
hmmm. Fortunately, it doesnt seem like we picked up a tail.
Aram wiped some cold sweat from his forehead before casually sitting on the bed.
First off should I say that its nice to meet another comrade?
Forget about the greeting and get to the point.
Aram let out a bitter laugh.
But it seemed like hed gotten used to Bargans cold tone to an extent.
Fine then. Ill just say it outright, senior. Please join us.
us?
Aram nodded.
Thats right. Like senior, Im one of the Fighters who are dissatisfied with Liruas current state. I think that Kangki and the other leaders in the city are all crazy.
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However, I only ever had vague thoughts about it. After all, I didnt have the courage to do anything about it. The opponent is a super-strong man who managed to make it to the semi-finals of the Championship, and the forces supporting him are unfathomable.
Those words were things that Bargan could relate to.
He had also struggled against the darkness in Lirua and had felt despair when he realised its depth.
but then I met him.
Him?
Ountar.
This was his first time hearing the name.
Under his leadership, comrades who all had the same thought were able to come together. I cannot tell you the exact number, but I can at least say that we have grown enough to be considered an organisation.
Arams expression became a bit sad.
It took a very long time and a lot of patience.
Bargan was speechless for a moment.
He never would have expected something like this.
He couldnt believe that a man like Kangki didnt know about the existence of an opposing organisation in the city he controlled.
I didnt know either.
Even after leaving Lirua, Bargan had never even heard rumors about them. This was his first time hearing about Ountar and the organisation Aram was a part of.
Theres a reason why I came to you, senior.
Isnt it because you want me to join your organisation?
That too, but its mostly because we would like to borrow seniors strength for an operation.
Operation?
Aram lowered his voice.
This might be our best chance to kill Kangki.
What? How?
Once a month, the Lirua Arena will be closed for a day. The excuse is that its for cleaning, but thats not the truth. Thats the day that Kangki uses the arena for himself.
Using the arena for himself?
Thats right. Even now, he never neglects his training. On the day that the arena is closed, he calls some Fighters there and makes them his fighting partners. The Fighter usually depends on Kangkis mood, but this time, we can confirm that the Fighter will be Kaytai, who is ranked 4th in the arena.
How can you be so sure?
Because Kaytai is one of our comrades.
This meant that the 4th ranked Fighter was a part of their organisation.
Bargan couldnt hide his surprise.
It seemed that this organisation led by this man named Ountal was larger than he initially thought.
Aram continued to speak in a solemn tone.
So we came up with a plan. Its not too complicated. We will all attack Kangki, who will go to the arena with minimal security that day. This month is our best chance. If we miss this opportunity, we might not get another like it for several years.
Why do you say that? Doesnt he use the arena once a month?
Because this time, two of his three henchmen have gone missing.
Three henchmen?
They are the most dangerous and terrifying beings that support Kangki.
Even as he said this, Aram trembled slightly. This showed just how terrifying these henchmen were.
They are Samash, the current Champion of the Lirua Arena, and Hubi, also known as the Midnight Reaper. According to Kaytai, they are both currently carrying out special missions for Kangki.
Special missions?
Thats right.
After closing his mouth for a while, Aram spoke in a serious voice.
Im not too sure about the details, but it seems that they are looking for someone.
Book: 2: Chapter 190
Book 2: Chapter 190 * * *
Time flew by in the blink of an eye. Perhaps it was because he couldnt afford to waste even a single second.
After all, at the moment, he was shackled by his body which could only move properly after it had received a certain amount of rest and nutrition.
Lukas shook his head for a moment, denying this thought.
Even the other Absolutes wouldnt consider this body of flesh and blood their bodies.
Then, he raised his head.
In front of him was a huge castle that reached up to the sky.
Most of the preparation had been completed, and it was time for the endgame.
Of course, if anyone were to see him now, they would see his actions as a way to commit suicide. But his plans were by no means hopeless.
You there, halt!
It was at that moment that a guard in front of the castle called out to Lukas in a cautious voice.
He was dressed in a robe to the extent that not even his hair was visible. So it was natural for them to feel suspicious.
Who are you? And why have you come to the city lords castle?
Take off your hood so we can see your face.
my name is Lukas.
Lukas lowered his hood, revealing his face.
And Im here to see the Major City Lord.
(Note: It was such a good cliffhanger too *sigh*)
* * *
Who is the last henchman?
No one knows.
Bargan narrowed his eyes slightly as Aram shook his head with a confused expression on his face.
His attitude seemed to say that he didnt know anything.
Its the truth. But I heard that theyre even more secretive than Hubi, who lives in the shadows. No one has ever seen them.
Your words dont make sense. If that is true then you would call them the two henchmen, not three.
It could certainly be called caution to sometimes add enemies whose existences you werent fully certain of, but in this case, it seemed more appropriate to call it a delusion.
Nevertheless, Aram didnt back down, and instead spoke in a confident voice.
No. There are several circumstances that prove that they do, indeed, exist. You dont have to believe me, but at the very least, our organisation believes they exist.
The fact that they have never been exposed means a few things. One is that they might not be very good at direct battles.
Otherwise, there would be no better time to reveal their existence than when two of the three henchmen were not around.
As Aram said, this was an opportunity that might not come again for several years, if not several decades.
He continued in a serious voice.
Senior, we are staking our lives on the success of this plan. We will do our best to kill Kangki by any means necessary.
will killing him make the darkness in Lirua disappear?
It wont happen immediately. However, wouldnt it be easier for us to declare war?
His words were true.
It couldnt be said that Kangki himself was the darkness in Lirua, but he was the leader who held absolute control. Killing him was enough to be considered half of a victory.
Aram then spoke in a cautious tone.
By chance, are there any Fighters in Lirua that you are acquainted with?
No Fighters. Just ordinary citizens.
Of course, there were some whose strength they could make use of, but Bargan shook his head decisively.
He didnt intend to ask them for help.
Unlike him, who could easily give up his life if the plan failed, they were all people with families.
Aram scratched his cheek for a moment.
Well is there anyone that you can ask to assist us? It doesnt necessarily have to be a Fighter. Anyone with the capacity to help would be most welcome.
there is.
Lukas.
Bargan said this while thinking about his lord.
Are they strong?
Yeah. Very.
He didnt say who it was.
He knew the kind of evaluation Dragon Hunter Lukas had in the city. He was certain that Aram had at least heard the negative rumors about him.
Fortunately, Aram didnt ask him any more questions about his helpers identity.
If its someone that senior suggested then Im sure they can be trusted. Where are they now?
I lost contact with him for a while. But I believe that we will meet again very soon.
Lukas had told him that he would become the Champion of Lirua and that he would clear up the darkness in the city.
Bargan had firm belief in Lukas.
Ill look for him when I have time. When is the operation scheduled for?
Two weeks from now.
There was plenty of time.
He was sure that Lukas would show up before then.
In any case Thank you so much for your help.
Dont mention it.
Huhu, you dont know how nice it is to have someone as strong as senior join us at such an important time.
Aram smiled before rising to his feet.
I will take my leave now. I will contact you again when its time.
Understood.
After saying those words, Aram left the room.
Bargan didnt see him off and instead fell into deep thought as the door of the room closed.
He couldnt trust Arams words right away.
If his story was true, then it certainly would be one of the best chances to kill Kangki, but the question was whether they would even be able to kill Kangki or not.
More importantly, Bargan didnt actually know how strong the organisation behind Aram or this Ountal was.
Thats why he needed Lukas help.
Of course, he wouldnt just sit still and ask for help.
I will also do everything I can.
Even if it meant risking his life.
* * *
It was about four days after investigating in earnest that Hubi, who was thoroughly searching the surroundings, finally felt that something was strange.
The scope of his investigation, which stemmed from the inn Lukas stayed at, continued to expand day by day until it had reached tens of blocks away.
Nevertheless, Hubis attitude towards the investigation had remained unchanged since the beginning.
He was calm, cautious, and above all, he maintained his focus.
In a way, he was the perfect example of a good assassin.
It was about time for the sun to start peaking from below the horizon. Although he was underground, Hubi instantly realised this fact.
This was because this was usually around the time when he would be preparing to go to work, but he couldnt do that today.
Hubi was currently looking around a general store.
Hed heard that Lukas had been poking around this place a few weeks ago.
However, this general store was currently not in operation. And Hubi even knew where the owner of the general store was at that very moment.
That was the reason why Hubi felt strange.
This store had not received any customers for a long time. But now, someone had been seen coming and going even when the owner wasnt around. That was more than enough to make him suspicious.
Because of that, Hubi had come to carry out a thorough search of this general store.
After searching almost every corner of the three-story building, the only place left was the underground warehouse. In fact, he had chosen this place for last on purpose.
In this dark, dank space filled with cobwebs, there were countless piles of dust-covered junk strewn everywhere.
Searching a place like this would require fairly high levels of concentration and patience. If he were to relax his focus even a little bit, it was possible for him to miss something without realising it.
It was thanks to this work ethic that Hubi was able to discover something.
It was a place where several boxes had been piled to form large towers.
But on the floor, there were traces of someone moving those box towers. There was a thinner layer of dust in the path of the box which allowed Hubi to notice it.
Creak creak
Hubi carefully moved the box tower aside.
What was revealed was the same floor that looked no different from the rest. If ten people were to look at it, at least 9 would have this thought.
Hubis gaze turned.
Its said that he is a Sorcerer.
This meant that it was possible for him to use strange or incomprehensible methods.
His dagger struck the ground like lightning.
Puk!
It didnt feel like stabbing the ground. Instead, it felt softer, like piercing flesh.
At the same time, the soft thing that was disguised as the ground, collapsed. In other words, the hidden space beneath it was revealed.
Thud
It took a while for the sound of it landing to reach his ears, followed by what sounded like flowing water.
This gave him an idea of the depth of the hidden passage. Sarch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Even so, Hubi wasnt scared.
Instead, feeling joyful that hed finally found some clues about Lukas, he threw himself into the hole without hesitation.
His body was quickly swallowed by the darkness.
Splash.
A perfect landing. He immediately raised his five senses and scanned his surroundings. He was ankle-deep in what should be water.
It was a culvert. The secret passage below the general store led to a culvert.
The air in the tunnel was stale and humid, sticking to his skin in an uncomfortable way.
Nevertheless, Hubi didnt pay any attention to the discomfort.
Shuk.
His pupils dilated and he was able to clearly see despite his dark surroundings. There were no signs of people nearby. It wasnt until he was certain of this that Hubi began to slowly move forward.
For a while, only the sound of the flowing water could be heard.
But soon after, Hubi stopped walking.
This was because he found something piled in front of him.
It was a pile of corpses.
Finding a pile of corpses in a gloomy underground waterway was bizarre enough to shake even someone with nerves of steel, but Hubi only looked at it with curiosity and a bit of confusion.
Were these really corpses?
It doesnt smell.
He knew how horrible the stench of rotting corpses could be. And in such a warm and wet environment, it would be strange if they didnt rot.
Nevertheless, the pile of corpses in front of him didnt stink at all.
That wasnt the only strange thing. Noticing that something wasnt right, Hubi slowly approached in order to identify the corpses, but his face gradually grew pale.
Th-, this.
There was a hint of fear in his stuttering voice.
This was because all of the corpses piled there had the same face.
More importantly, it was the face of the person Hubi had been looking for so intently.
In front of him were more than ten corpses with Lukas face.
Did I also kill a corpse like this?
However, it had really struggled like someone who was alive.
With a gulp, Hubi took a step backward.
But he suddenly stopped moving.
His pupils shook violently. He felt as though his entire body had frozen into a block of ice.
It was an underground tunnel, so he was able to feel it immediately.
A moment ago, the airflow had suddenly changed.
Cold sweat slowly rolled down his cheek.
Someone was standing behind him.
Without moving the rest of his body, Hubi slowly turned his neck and looked behind him.
A man was standing there.
A man with the same face as the corpses in front of him.
Book: 2: Chapter 191
Book 2: Chapter 191 Non-stop victories.
As Bargan had predicted, he continued to ride his momentum.
He fought three more consecutive matches and won all three of them.
Of course, the fights steadily became more difficult as he progressed.
He hadnt received any major injuries today, but Bargan had only won by a paper-thin margin.
Nevertheless, he was happy.
Im growing stronger at an explosive rate.
The more he fought, the more certain he became of this fact.
7 straight victories!
Aram let out a hearty laugh.
It seems that you are in your best condition. But can you maintain this form until that day?
I cant say for sure.
Sure.
There was about a week left.
As he had this thought, Bargan looked out at the street.
He was currently sitting with Aram at a table in an open-air restaurant. Aram held a large piece of roasted meat in one hand and was biting into it with his sharp teeth.
In front of him was a large pile of bones without a hint of flesh remaining.
Seeing his casual appearance, Bargan muttered softly.
You dont seem that worried. There isnt much time left.
Haha. Well
Aram, who ate the rest of the meat in one go, wiped his oily mouth with his hand.
Nothing will change even if Im worried about it, will it? Its much more productive to fill my stomach.
His words were right.
Nevertheless, Bargan still couldnt bring himself to eat.
Instead, he took sips from a glass of beer as he spoke.
By the way, Aram.
What is it?
Have you really never met the man named Ountal?
Arams expression became embarrassed when he heard this question.
Its because hes always busy dealing with our situation The rest of our comrades are also extremely busy.
how many are in your group exactly?
Including me there are 15 of us.
This was less than Bargan had expected.
Hed already heard about the plan.
But it wasnt detailed or elaborate enough to be called a proper operation.
Early on that day, they would enter the arena and hide in a safe spot until their target arrived. They had chosen the stands. Although the arena was large, most of it was empty space, so there werent many places to hide.
Then, they would stay hidden until Kangki came to fight Kaytai, and attack him all at once.
That was a rough breakdown of their operation.
fifteen.
It was a number that had no chance of winning an all-out battle.
There wasnt just Kangki, there was also his group of bodyguards.
In other words, the first surprise attack was extremely important.
Even if they couldnt kill him in the first attack, they had to at least land one or two lethal attacks that would help their chances of achieving victory.
By the way, what about your helper?
Aram suddenly asked this question as if hed just remembered it, but Bargan shook his head.
I couldnt find him.
Mm. Thats too bad.
Aram drank the rest of his beer in one gulp before standing to his feet.
Its become pretty cold, so Ill see you later, senior. Since I called you to hang out with me, Ill pick up the tab.
I owe you one.
No need for that.
Aram smiled broadly, and after paying the bill, left with his hands swinging at his sides.
Bargan calmly watched him leave for a while before finally getting to his feet as well.
Thuk.
Then he started following Aram.
* * *
He knew how skilled Aram was.
Hed seen him fight a few times in the arena. Aram was a Fighter whose level was considered around the mid-levels of the Lirua arena, and his ranking was similar to Bargan, who had won several consecutive matches.
Nevertheless, this didnt mean that his true skills matched his ranking.
In fact, Bargans experience and intuition told him that Aram was actually hiding his true skills. Of course, this meant that there was no logical basis or proof for this guess.
So to sum it all up,
Bargan simply didnt trust Aram completely.
In fact, his current evaluation of him was currently bordering between complete distrust and suspicion.
Of course, it felt nice when he met him at first. sea??h th Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
When heard that there was an organisation rebelling against Kangki from the shadows, he had great expectations, and he even felt admiration for Ountal who had managed to find these like-minded people and unite them.
But after thinking about it a bit more deeply, he noticed a few discrepancies.
Even so
Bargan awoke from his thoughts for a moment and checked his surroundings.
The number of people walking around had been steadily decreasing. This meant that from now on, he had to be a bit more careful as he followed him.
Aram walked along the empty street with his unique swagger. Then, he turned into an alley on the side of the street.
Bargan stopped.
An alley.
From here on
His chances of getting caught would be much higher.
In such a cramped and deserted alleyway, he would have no excuse for his tailing if he were to be discovered.
If things didnt go like he wanted them to, the relationship of trust that hed built up with Aram would be destroyed.
After having this thought, Bargan snorted slightly.
What relationship of trust?
They had only known each other for a week.
The organisation had no choice but to stay hidden from Kangkis eyes. In other words, it was perfectly understandable for them to set up a hideout in a deserted area like this one.
The same could be said for why Aram was hiding his strength. If he showed his true skill, he would attract attention. There was nothing strange about that.
Nevertheless, the feeling of discomfort in his chest didnt disappear.
Bargan quietly ducked into the alley.
The towering buildings became rough curtains that blocked the moonlight. Thanks to this, the narrow and complicated alleyways became a dark maze.
Bargan felt that he could not get any closer without being found.
Then.
He would have to use something that he couldnt when there were more people around.
Rely on his hearing.
Tuk, tuk
The sound of footsteps came from not so far away.
Aram was the only person who entered the alley, so naturally, these footsteps belonged to him.
Taking a deep breath, Bargan slowly followed the footsteps.
Tuk, tuk
Focusing on his hearing was more frustrating and tiring than he expected.
Perhaps because the distance between them was too far, the sound of the footsteps was faint, and it would even cut off at times.
He was nervous.
He was also tense.
Nevertheless, Bargan didnt stop following.
Then.
Tuk.
The footsteps stopped.
Bargan also stopped moving, his expression stiff with tension.
The footsteps could have only stopped for two reasons. One was that he had arrived at his destination, and the second was that he had noticed him.
What should I do?
To confirm that, he would have to get closer.
If it was the former, then his shadowing was a success, but if it was the latter
Bargan decided to stop thinking about it and move. He couldnt back down after already coming this far.
After approaching the corner that Aram had turned down, he carefully poked his head around.
There, Aram was standing.
With his back straight, he stood at a dead-end where not even a mouse hole could be seen.
Come on out, senior.
It seems he had heard him too.
With a barely audible sigh, Bargan slowly walked around the corner.
Book: 2: Chapter 192
Book 2: Chapter 192 Aram turned around to look at Bargan. Then he spoke with a hint of confusion in his voice.
Why did you follow me?
Because I still have doubts.
About me? Why?
Your organisation.
While looking at Arams confused expression, Bargan couldnt help but think.
If that expression was all an act, then this man had the darkest heart of anyone hed ever encountered.
You never introduced any of the other members to me.
Didnt I already tell you that everyone was busy?
Arams expression seemed to say that he didnt understand the problem, but Bargan wasnt satisfied with that.
Are they so busy that they cant even show their faces after an entire week?
Thats right. Its the truth. Hoo.
Aram pressed his hand to his forehead.
No. This is all my mistake. Were about to risk our lives together for this operation, but I didnt even tell you their names.
Aram seemed to ponder about something for a while before finally nodding.
I guess it cant be helped. Come in first, senior. Ill explain everything about the group in detail.
Come in? Where?
Here.
After saying that, Bargan pushed his hand into the wall. When he saw Bargans startled expression, he spoke in a slightly smug tone.
Its just a simple technique. Its not that big of a deal. Its also very efficient. Unless you reveal it yourself, its very hard to get caught.
Come quickly. The window for you to enter is limited.
Aram stepped into the wall first. Bargan hesitated for a while, but when he saw Arams defenseless appearance as he stepped into the wall, he couldnt help but follow him.
It was a very unsettling experience to walk through what should have been a solid wall. As soon as he walked in, his vision became black. It was so dark that he couldnt see his surroundings at all, but he could feel the change in the air current.
It seemed that they had entered a completely different space.
He had no choice but to rely on Arams footsteps to move in the darkness, but there were things that he couldnt help but notice.
This didnt seem to be a place where people lived.
It smelled stale and disgusting. There was a constant cloud of dust as if it had been left unattended for over a decade.
It doesnt seem like theres anyone here.
He must have heard Bargans murmur, but Aram didnt answer. He just continued looking around as he walked as if he was looking for something.
Then his eyes caught a flag that was hanging from a wall.
Ah. I remember now.
Remember what?
The name of this group.
What was he talking about?
Aram sat on an old chair nearby.
As he slowly curled the corner of his lips in this situation, it gave an entirely different impression from before.
The [Fangs of Kamesh], that was the name.
what are you talking about?
Senior is really smart. I like that about you.
By this time, Bargans hand was already on the handle of his club.
Aram smiled and shrugged, seemingly not caring at all.
Come on, senior. I didnt lie. There really was a group who wanted to kill Kangki, and there really was a man named Ountal. About 10 years ago.
10 years ago?
Right. I annihilated them 10 years ago.
Aram looked down at the ground. There were bloodstains there, very old bloodstains.
Those guys really were a huge rebel force that was the most annoying to deal with, so it took some time for me to hunt them down. Nevertheless, 10 years is a long time. I couldnt remember their name until I saw that flag.
In the end, you really work for Kangki.
Arams smile widened. He showed his bright white teeth.
I told you that Kangki has three henchmen. Remember?
So youre the last henchman.
As expected, senior is really quick-witted and easy to talk to. Maybe its because youre a wanderer, so your thinking is much more flexible than those other stone-like Fighters.
Bargan immediately looked around.
Could he escape?
No. It was difficult to escape this place when he didnt know where he was. And even if he did manage to escape, there was a high chance that he would be caught soon anyway.
As for the passage that theyd used to enter this place it was better to think that it was blocked already.
He could tell from Arams attitude.
It was as though he was dealing with a fish trapped in a net.
Why does senior think I approached you while acting like this?
Probably to find the Dragon Hunter.
Kukuku.
Aram seemed genuinely happy.
It was as though he was sincerely praising Bargans brain. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
He didnt have to repeat anything he said before and they could even progress the conversation without him having to go into any lengthy explanations.
Thats my goal In other words, if I catch him, I wont need to kill senior.
Do you understand what Im saying? It might sound strange, but Ive grown fond of you, senior. If we combine seniors potential and star quality, it would create an amazing synergy in Lirua. Thats the only reason why Im suggesting this.
He reached out to Bargan.
How about starting over?
what?
Restart your life as a Fighter here in Lirua that you abandoned before, senior. You were born to be a Fighter and you cant escape that fate. You tried to change your essence after decades of wandering, but it was impossible and Im sure senior realised that too. While standing in the arena, you remembered where you really belong.
Creak.
The old chair squeaked loudly as Aram got to his feet.
The arena is the place where senior truly belongs.
Are you trying to entice me?
Im sure Lord Kangki can do it even better than I can. He has always had a favorable opinion of seniors talent. Its not too late. Start a new life here with us. Senior is someone who deserves to stand at the top of the Lirua Arena. I promise I will give you my full support to make that happen.
If you refuse, then I will have no choice but to kill you. Like the [Fangs of Kamesh] and all the other cockroaches that infest Lirua.
It wasnt a bad offer.
Bargan had seen the Lirua arena and had even participated in a few matches.
Through his repeated victories, he knew just what he had to gain.
I refuse.
Arams heated expression immediately became stiff when he heard Bargans answer.
can I ask why?
You said that its the Lirua Arena. But thats wrong. That huge building in this city is not an arena. It is a tower of deception that was built out of disgust. Thats all it is.
Bargan then smiled coldly.
But regardless of that, I never had any intention of betraying my Lord.
Thats unfortunate, senior. And I take back what I said before. Senior isnt flexible at all.
All Fighters are the same.
As he responded coldly, Bargan measured the distance between them.
About five steps. This was something he could cross in a single bound.
this is my chance.
One of Kangkis henchmen was standing in front of him. By himself without any other subordinates nearby.
If he wanted to kill him, this was his best chance.
Aram couldnt have known that he would choose to follow him today, so he wouldnt have had the time to call for reinforcements.
You ignored my offer, but you dont need to worry. I have no intention of killing you.
That changes nothing. Im going to kill you.
Huhu. then Ill say it again more clearly.
At that moment, Bargans body shook heavily.
K-, uh
To be precise, I dont intend to kill you here.
His mind became fuzzy. He felt so sleepy that he couldnt even stand properly.
The fingers holding his club lost their strength.
Im sorry, senior. But please serve as bait for a little while longer. I have my orders, so I have no choice but to think of a way to force Lukas out.
Book: 2: Chapter 193
Book 2: Chapter 193 Splash!
He was awakened by a bucket of freezing cold water.
Cough! Cough!
Bargan coughed.
His mind was awake, but his body still felt weak.
Where am I?
Before he even had the chance to look around, he heard a voice.
It seems youre still not fully awake yet. I guess the water wasnt cold enough.
The voice spoke in a mocking tone. It was a voice he knew.
It was Aram.
He was looking down at him with an empty bucket in his hand.
You
Did you sleep well?
Kekeke.
Aram wasnt alone.
There were about ten Fighters around him.
Swaying slightly, Bargan got to his feet.
What do you intend to do? Why havent you killed me?
I told you already. I intend to use you to lure Lukas out. Lord Kangki is very angry. We have to catch him and kill him no matter what.
So you plan to use me as bait?
Thats right.
Thats a childish plan.
Didnt you know? Sometimes, the most simple and childish plan is the most effective.
It was sophistry.
Rage practically flowed from Bargans eyes. Now that he had regained some of his strength, he should be able to bite through his tongue.
It was at that moment that Aram smiled and opened his mouth.
Well, even if I say that I dont think Lukas will reveal himself that easily. Thats why Id like to make an offer. Please listen to what I have to say. It wont be bad for you either.
Do I look like a man who would negotiate with trash?
I know that senior is one of the wisest Fighters on Combat Island. Thats why I decided to bring you here.
Bargan finally looked around at his surroundings.
They were in the arena, but there was no one in the audience.
Bargan and the Fighters were the only ones in the large, desolate arena.
Then Aram threw something over.
Clatter.
It was Bargans weapon, a club.
The rules are simple As long as senior wins, then Ill listen to whatever senior has to say.
you mean you want me to fight all of you?
Bargan sneered coldly, but Aram frowned in displeasure.
I still have a conscience. The matches will be completely 1:1. This is our last bit of pride.
Please show us that you can get what you want through fighting.
Ill go first.
One of the Fighters stepped forward with a determined expression.
Bargan recognised him immediately.
Jaihum.
He was the Fighter who had defeated Lukas in the first match.
To be honest, I still dont understand what Lord Kangki is thinking. I cant see why he would consider that scammer as a formidable enemy. I fought him before so I could tell, hes nothing but a coward and trash.
I hope that you, his slave Fighter, are strong enough to satisfy me.
Bargan looked down.
To put it simply, his physical condition was the worst.
He didnt even know how hed fainted in the first place, and the cold water made it feel like he was freezing. He couldnt put much force in his fingers.
In fact, it wasnt just his fingers. His entire body seemed to be filled with a sense of exhaustion and weakness.
It didnt matter if it was the muddy ground beneath his feet, he just wanted to lay down and sleep.
But he couldnt do that.
Crunch!
Gripping the handle of the club, Bargan glared at Jaihum.
Even if he was in perfect condition, this was an opponent he wasnt sure he could defeat.
Nevertheless, this wasnt a situation that would allow him to make excuses.
He should be thankful that it would only be 1 on 1 like Aram said.
Take it easy, Jaihum.
It wont be fun if you finish it too quickly.
The Fighter laughed and jeered, but Bargan didnt let himself be swept away by the atmosphere.
He gathered himself before charging forward.
!
Jaihum, who had been standing relaxedly in front of him, hurriedly raised his axe to block his attack.
Fast.
It was strong too.
His axe creaked slightly.
Everyone was surprised. Where did this power come from?
Sh*t!
Clang! Clang!
Bargan continued his quick attacks. He smacked the axe endlessly.
The biggest strength of the weapon called a club was its durability.
Because it was blunt and thick, it would not be badly damaged even if he struck it against rocks or metal.
An axe, on the other hand, was different.
It lacked the sharpness of a sword, but it had the advantage of having instantaneous destructive power. Nevertheless, it was, surprisingly, not that durable.
Clang! Clang!
The melee battle in which the weapons constantly clashed against each other continued.
Jaihum was desperate to stop his attack.
Its too late to stop it!
From the moment the fight began, he had been on the defensive. And as time passed, he knew he wouldnt be able to build his momentum easily.
If he had handled this seriously from the start, it wouldnt have become like this.
It was true that he had looked down on him, but it wasnt entirely Jaihums fault.
Who would have thought that this man, who had been showing such a weak appearance before, could have such an explosive performance?
K-, kuh
Unable to endure Bargans rising momentum any longer, Jaihum took a step back.
In fact, at first glance, it might seem that Bargan had an overwhelming advantage, but that wasnt necessarily the case. It was just that, because of his poor condition, he was trying to end the fight as soon as possible.
If I dont take advantage of this opportunity, I might lose!
Perhaps Bargans desperate desire had an effect.
Crack
!
Eventually, cracks began to form on the axe.
Jaihums expression became solemn. Just as Bargan was prepared to deal the final blow.
Puk!
He was forced to halt his swing and step back.
Bargan turned and glared at the Fighters standing at the side.
What are you doing?
His gaze was locked onto Aram.
It was this man who had just thrown his sword and interfered with the fight.
You Didnt you say that it would be 1 on 1?
He was breathing so heavily that it was hard for him to speak fluently. Nevertheless, the cold gleam in his eyes didnt waver.
It might have intimidated others who saw it, but Aram simply smiled.
I did say that. But I didnt intervene, senior.
What the hell are you talking about?
Its player substitution.
What?
Aram pointed to another Fighter.
We intend to swap our Fighter.
Ah. Did I not explain the substitution rule? I apologize for that. But please dont be angry. This rule can be used fairly by both sides. If youre having a hard time, why dont you take a break and swap?
He said those shameless words with a straight face.
Bargan couldnt take it anymore and grit his teeth fiercely.
you son of a bitch.
Now, then.
Aram ignored him and continued with a smirk.
Lets start round two.
* * *
How many had it been?
Huff huff
He panted heavily.
Even breathing hurt as it felt as though his lungs and airways had been torn.
He had already exceeded his limits a long time ago. It felt like he could faint at any moment.
Nevertheless, Bargan didnt give up.
How could he even move at that moment?
Amazing.
Aram was genuinely amazed.
He had already replaced six Fighters, and yet they were still unable to take down Bargan. It looked like he could collapse at any moment, but he never did. Instead, it seemed that his concentration had become focused solely on taking his opponents life.
It was clear that Bargan was a Fighter worthy of fighting to the death in the arena.
However.
This was the end.
When Aram turned to look at a man, he nodded and stepped forward.
Ill be your opponent this time.
Bargan wiped the sweat from his eyes as he looked at his next opponent. S~ea??h the N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
And thought that he would not be able to win this time.
It wasnt that he was giving up before the fight even began.
He knew that anything could happen in battle and the outcome could sometimes only be seen at the last moment.
However, this opponent was different from the others.
It was the 4th ranked Fighter of the Lirua Arena, Kaytai.
Right. It seemed that this guy had also submitted to Kangki.
from the start, there probably wasnt anyone.
Anyone who dared to rebel against Kangki.
Kaytai didnt attack immediately. Instead, he stuck his sword into the ground and opened his mouth.
Why do you choose to walk down this thorny path? I cant tell what youre after.
instead of that, Id like to ask you. Do you think that Liruas current appearance is right?
Bargan.
Kaytai spoke with an expression of pity.
Are we killing anyone? Are we persecuting them or harassing them? Were not Lord Kangki simply has a natural sense for commerce. He knows what moments the audience are most excited about. With that perspective, he balanced the entire system and created countless outstanding matches. In fact, Lirua was able to become a major city in only a few decades because of his guidance.
Did anyone lose anything in the process? The spectators gained a lot, and so did the Fighters. The fear of losing their lives disappeared and their profits soared tremendously. I think its a happy sight for everyone.
Its false happiness.
It is falsehood in good faith.
In this world, there was truth that shined brighter only when it was hidden, and this was an example of that.
The simple and barbaric fighting in the arena has become a smooth and wonderful system. All of the Fighters in Lirua have accepted it. You are the only one who still refuses to. Everyone is saying that you are wrong, so why cant you accept it?
Because my heart cant understand it.
If there was a reason, then that was the reason.
Kaytai. A lie is a lie. No matter how much you try to cover up your actions, it doesnt change the fact that you are deceiving the spectators No.
There was something far more important than the audience.
And there was something Bargan really wanted to ask.
He wanted to ask not only Kaytai in front of him, but the other Fighters as well.
You Are you really fine with it?
What are you talking about?
Are you really happy participating in matches when the result is already set?
After going silent for a moment, Kaytai smiled.
Do you know how much I can earn just by fighting one match now?
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At least a few million erus. Kuhuhu Its an amount that a wanderer like you might never see in their entire life. You cant even imagine the things you can do with that much money.
What can you do?
That question left Kaytai speechless for a moment.
He never expected him to ask in such a direct manner.
You can do anything you want. Whether its buying a grand mansion, drinking the best wine, or buying pieces of art that you can admire just by looking at them-
Kukuku.
Bargans chuckle interrupted him. It was clear that he was mocking him.
Kaytais expression became cold.
Why are you laughing?
Im laughing because of how disgusting you are. You really are a slimy bastard.
What did you just say?
its not like that.
Right. It wasnt like that.
Many people living on other islands scorned fighting as vulgar scuffles.
They exalted the studies that they buried themselves into as noble, and downgraded fighting to lowly fist fights.
But Bargan didnt agree.
Why did they risk their lives while fighting?
fighting is a desire to be recognised. A desire to leave a name behind. Those with such a desire gather together and fight against each other in tacit agreement with the opponent they respect.
It is a desire to show the world that they are the stronger Fighter and to prove that the resolve they have held for their entire lives isnt wrong.
True pride could only be achieved after fighting for your life and your belief.
Book: 2: Chapter 194
Book 2: Chapter 194 Was it a bad thing to risk your life for a sense of accomplishment?
Or was it wrong to have such a desire in the first place?
Bullsh*t! Do you feel like youre doing something great? No! Isnt the only thing a Fighter does, at best, is take another Fighters life? Fighting for your lives? Wanting to prove that youre stronger? Those are just vulgar and barbaric ideas no different from the thoughts of beasts! If you die then its all over!
Thats why we fight.
To be remembered.
Kaytai, you must have been a Fighter once too. Do you want to close your eyes quietly on a hospital bed with a fat stomach? Do you think people will remember such a Fighter?
Why do you want to die as a Fighter? Do you know how other Dragonmen view us here on Combat Island? They see us as simple savages! They curse at us and call us ignorant and uneducated fools!
Their curses dont matter.
What?
It doesnt matter what those bastards who know nothing say. They look down on us. But I dont care about them either. I dont care about their pointing fingers, insults, or contempt. At the very least we I am proud of myself.
Is that the case for you? Brothers.
Bargans voice cracked a little as he said this.
He wasnt just speaking to Kaytai, but to all the Fighters around him.
Are you proud of yourselves right now?
I
Bargan looked back at himself.
One eyeball had burst,
His left arm was numb,
His right leg was sprained,
His ribs pressed uncomfortably against his lungs.
He was no different from someone who had one foot in the grave.
However, even more, because of that.
I am proud.
He continued to fight.
Even if he lost the fight and died, he did not regret even a single drop of blood spilled.
He had been prepared from the moment he picked up his weapon.
Because he knew.
Even if they were to kill him here today and no one else knew about it, they would never forget him.
It was ironic.
The enemies whom he was risking his life to defeat would end up becoming the only ones to remember him in the end.
Great Fighters would feel much comfort from that fact.
Bargan was no different.
He remembered all of those who had fallen and left their bloodstains on his club.
There was a sublime sensation that came with fighting to the death.
What did it matter if other people pointed their fingers?
His body, his heart, his soul.
He could say with perfect honesty that he was proud of himself.
those words dont make any sense.
Kaytai raised his sword with a stiff expression on his face.
Seeing that, Bargan quietly made his decision.
Ssss
-A deep breath.
He swallowed what might very well be his last breath before slowly exhaling.
He was ready to accept his death.
Then he realised.
It was only now that he was able to truly see.
All of a sudden.
It felt like all of his senses had been enhanced.
His body felt light.
It was light as if something had been removed.
It was a strange, contradictory feeling.
Something had obviously disappeared, but now, instead of feeling a sense of loss, he had a sense of fulfillment.
Ah.
At that moment, the pain that came from every part of his body seemed distant.
The world seemed to have lost its color and faded to nothing but black and white.
And in the midst of this, Bargans concentration seemed to soar to the limit.
This
Sometimes in a single battle, one might gain experience that they couldnt obtain after decades of training.
No. It wasnt just an experience.
This phenomenon wasnt something that could have been obtained simply by training.
It was a miracle that only occurred when fate and fortune intersected with each other.
Bargan was currently experiencing only the very tip.
Ta, ta, ta.
Kaytai started running.
He was neither fast nor slow, but he seemed to be rushing forward with overwhelming momentum.
And it was coming.
An attack that could never be avoided with a limp leg.
-Drip.
!
Kaytais eyes widened.
On the other hand, Bargans expression was extremely calm.
He slowly lifted his club.
Every time before this, he would always swing at his opponent.
But this time he didnt do that. Instead, he thrust it forward.
Puk!
Kuk!
Bargans outstretched club pierced Kaytais solar plexus. The stab was so deep that almost half of the club was buried.
Kaytai groaned painfully. He felt a great deal of pain in his abdomen. It felt like all of his organs had done a flip.
You son of a bitch!
A spark appeared in Kaytais eyes and he made a diagonal slash with his sword.
This attack was so fast and strong that it was difficult to see.
Nevertheless, he could avoid it.
It might be too much for him to block it, but he could avoid it.
Bargans figure blurred slightly as he avoided the attack like a wraith. After that, he appeared behind Kaytai as if it was natural.
Kaytai, ranked 4th in the Lirua Arena.
In preparation to defeat him, Bargan took a step forward.
But suddenly.
Paak!
k-, uk.
It felt like thunder in his head.
Bargan fell to his knees. He felt warmth flowing from the back of his head. This proved that his skull was cracked and blood was leaking out.
It wasnt Kaytai.
Someone else had attacked him.
It really is such a waste, senior.
Then he heard Arams voice.
It seems that your fatigue has accumulated, which caused you to collapse so suddenly.
Bargan didnt respond.
It would be more accurate to say that he didnt have the strength to even open his mouth.
He could feel exhaustion fill his entire body.
All he could do was stare at Aram with a subdued gaze.
Why are you staring at me like that? Its almost as if someone attacked you from behind.
I swear nothing like that ever happened. Look we are all witnesses here. No one interfered with seniors match. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Naturally.
Theres no trash here that would interfere with a Fighters fight. (Note: At least they know theyre trash)
Kikiki!
Looking at them, Bargan felt more like laughing than swearing at them.
But now, his tongue couldnt move at all as if it had hardened.
You impudent bastard!
Kaytai strode towards him with an angry expression.
Im going to kill you! Im going to tear you into little pieces and feed you to a sky dragon.
He had lost all his reason due to anger.
He lifted his sword high.
With Bargans current weakened state, his body would be split in two by this attack.
Bargan forcibly lifted his head to look at the oncoming sword.
At the very least, he wanted to face his death without shying away from it.
How unfortunate.
He had just realised this fight.
That he could go higher.
That his growth hadnt ended yet.
There
It felt like I was almost grabbing ahold of something.
In the end, it couldnt be helped.
He closed his eyes.
Maybe they wouldnt remember him in the end.
He could tell by looking at Aram. He had completely forgotten about the Fangs of Kanesh, a group that he had annihilated with his own hands.
But that didnt matter.
Bargan felt that it was fortunate that he was able to at least have a satisfactory experience at the end of his life.
He decided to calmly accept his death.
But his death was delayed a bit further.
Clatter
Because something rolled over.
It was a miraculous moment.
Not only the other Fighters, but even Kaytai, who was about to swing his sword, froze.
At first, they thought it was a ball.
It wasnt.
Huk!
Aram subconsciously drew in a breath.
What had flown over was a Dragonmans head.
And the face on the head was someone Aram knew, someone whod gone missing a few days before.
At the same time, their disappearance was the decisive cause for Kangkis discomfort.
It was the head of a man. One of Kangkis three henchmen was given the moniker Midnight Reaper.
It was Hubis head.
A cold voice slowly floated into their ears.
If you kill that man.
It came from the same direction Hubis head had flown in from.
The voice was low and quiet as a whisper, but for some strange reason, it was clearly heard by all of those in the arena. It penetrated their ears almost as if it had been spoken right beside them.
Bargan, who had just been ready to accept his death, opened his eyes wide.
You will all die too.
From the entrance of the arena.
A single man slowly walked in.
It was Lukas.
Book: 2: Chapter 195
Book 2: Chapter 195 In the frozen atmosphere, it was Aram who regained his composure first.
I didnt expect
He slowly fixed his hardened expression and spoke in a calm tone.
you to come here with your own two feet. And whats this?
He looked down at Hubis head which was still rocking slightly on the ground.
A hint of fear was visible in his wide eyes. He couldnt help but be shocked. After all, this was the head of Hubi, a man who was given the moniker Midnight Reaper.
Hubi.
He had a relatively good relationship with Aram.
In fact, this was the case for all of Kangkis henchmen.
This was because they were clearly aware of each others strengths and weaknesses. They acknowledged each other, and they would willingly lend a hand whenever difficult situations arose.
There was never any conflict between them because their areas of activity differed from each other.
Nevertheless, Aram wasnt that affected by Hubis death.
And if their positions had been reversed, he was sure Hubi would be the same.
He put his foot on Hubis head.
Crunch!
The stench was more disgusting than the sliminess he felt beneath his feet.
Aram pretended to pinch his nose in disgust.
How disgusting. From the smell, you must have killed him and left his corpse unattended for a while. Were you carrying his head around this entire time? Haha. I didnt know you had a fetish like that.
Is there more to your performance? Or did you think wed be scared after seeing Hubis head?
It was just a warning. But Ill admit that it was different from my original plan
Hoh. What was your original plan?
I was going to hang it on top of Kangkis castle.
Those words were effective.
Not only Arams but also the other Fighters expressions became cold.
These were people who had already lost their pride as Fighters. For them, there was nothing more appropriate to hurt them than to insult the master they happily wagged their tails for.
At the very least, youre a champion of running your mouth.
It wasnt Aram.
It was Jaihum who opened his mouth with an angry expression on his face.
Im so annoyed I cant take it anymore. Hey, coward, how dare you show up in front of us with a brave expression like that?
I really cant understand why Lord Kangki cares so much about a piece of trash like you No.
A sneer spread across Jaihums lips.
Actually, this might be a good thing. If I were to rip you apart here, Id be able to prove my worth to Lord Kangki and help him relieve his worries a bit.
Dont go, Jaihum. Youre not his match.
Ha. Its the other way around. I have experience fighting him.
Despite Arams warning, Jaihums expression didnt change.
When Lukas first appeared in the arena, it was Jaihum who faced him first.
Jaihum recalled the match at that time.
No. There was nothing to recall because it couldnt even be called a match.
Pop. Pop.
After cracking his neck and rolling his shoulders, Jaihum started walking towards Lukas, and Aram stopped trying to hold him back.
There were two reasons for this.i????????????????????????. co????
The first was that it would be good to observe Lukas overall skill level.
And the second was to buy some time.
Hes a Sorcerer.
And Aram was well aware of the weakness of Sorcerers.
In fact, it was nothing special since even a snot-nosed brat knew that Sorcerers were exceptionally vulnerable in close combat situations.
A Sorcerers true value could only be revealed after they were given enough time to prepare.
The same goes for Lukas. He must have appeared here because he thinks he can take care of himself.
He probably thought that he was sufficiently prepared.
Nevertheless, Aram wasnt worried.
It was true that, with adequate preparation time and materials, a Sorcerer would be capable of dealing with dozens of Dragonmen Fighters at the same time with large, devastating attacks. But that wouldnt be the case for Lukas.
There were a few reasons for this.
One of them was the presence of Bargan.
And the other was a fatal flaw of Sorcerers.
It was difficult for them to adjust the range of their attacks.
If they were to mess up even a single calculation, the Sorcerer could not only destroy themself, but they could also destroy much more than the expected range. Top-class Sorcerers were no exception to this rule.
It went without saying that the sharper the blade, the more difficult it was to wield.
And the sorcery that Sorcerers wielded were at least dozens of times as risky.
In other words, unlike when hunting an Ancient Dragon, large-scale techniques would not be possible, and they didnt fear small and medium-sized techniques.
Its obvious that Lukas was hiding his power.
So the most important thing now was to figure out just how much power Lukas was actually hiding.
Aram stopped thinking about it and gestured to the Fighters around him.
Crunch.
The Fighters nodded and started spreading out. They moved so quietly and secretly that it was hard to imagine there were ten people moving at the same time.
In that same moment, Lukas also began making his move.
Ha.
Jaihum smirked widely.
This was because Lukas was walking towards him. His steps fell at the time as Jaihums as if they were in sync.
Jaihum never would have expected a Sorcerer to voluntarily narrow the distance between them.
I really dont know whats wrong with your hea-
He wasnt able to finish his sentence.
k-, kuk! Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Instead, he felt an unimaginable pain in his stomach. It felt like his bones, muscles, and internal organs had all been destroyed.
His bulging eyes slowly looked down.
And he found Lukas arm buried into his stomach.
When?
How did he move so fast? What was this power? Didnt they say that he was a Sorcerer?
These questions appeared in his head one after the other before they eventually disappeared. To be more precise, they had no choice but to disappear.
Puk!
This was because Lukas raised his palm and struck Jaihums chin.
He was fortunate that his tongue wasnt bitten off as his upper and lower jaws clashed violently together.
In his head, it felt like lightning flashed and thunder rolled.
Then, as he felt the pain of dozens of teeth being smashed at the same time, Jaihums eyes rolled into the back of his head and he passed out.
Silence fell in the arena.
The scattered Fighters were all shocked by Lukas sudden approach and his even faster dispatch of Jaihum.
Pok!
Lukas kicked Jaihums body as it collapsed to the ground. His unconscious body flew in the sky on a parabolic path.
And Aram stood at the end of that path.
Kaytai appeared in front of him.
Paak!
Kaytai also kicked him to the side as if he were a piece of garbage.
Jaihums unconscious body rolled across the ground of the arena.
Youre pretty strong.
Aram muttered these words in a low voice.
He had kicked Jaihums body away like a used soda can.
(Note: Poor Jaihum)
Book: 2: Chapter 196
Book 2: Chapter 196 Aram looked at Lukas with a wary gaze. Although he had made kicking him away look easy, Jaihum weighed at least 150kg. More importantly, he was wearing heavy armor.
Lukas ability to kick him so far caused a question to arise in his heart.
Was this guy really a Sorcerer? sea??h th Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
I couldnt figure out his abilities from the rumors.
It wasnt unreasonable for Aram to be wary at that moment.
He had investigated Lukas as much as he was able to.
He knew that it had been about a month since hed first appeared, that he first appeared in the vicinity of Herui City, and that Bargan was his slave Fighter.
However, he could not obtain any detailed information about his Ancient Dragon hunt.
All he knew was that the Major City Lords had appeared with their armies after everything was already over. Therefore, only a few people had actually witnessed Lukas fight with the Ancient Dragon.
Perhaps.
Lukas wasnt a Sorcerer.
With that thought in mind, he nodded towards Kaytai.
Kaytai was the 4th strongest Fighter in the arena while Aram was only in the middle of the rankings at best. Normally, this would mean that he wouldnt dare to give orders to someone like Kaytai, but in truth, Aram was the one in charge.
And the subordinate he could trust the most at that moment was Kaytai.
Suddenly, Lukas spoke up.
There are only ten of you. Do you think you can surround me with only this many?
There were currently ten Fighters, including Kaytai, surrounding him.
Because Jaihum wasnt able to buy as much time as they expected, they werent able to get closer. There were still a dozen or so steps between them and Lukas.
Did you show up here because you were confident that you could deal with ten Fighters?
A smirk crept across Arams lips.
If so, then that was a big miscalculation on your part To be honest, I didnt think we could lure you out with just Bargan. So I was worried that Id prepared too much.
Shuk.
As he spoke, Fighters began appearing all over the arena.
Seems I was worried for nothing.
Bargans expression became stiff.
It wasnt just one or two Fighters. There were so many of them that one couldnt help but wonder where they had all hidden. This matter was by no means a joke.
He hadnt noticed them until they had finally made an appearance. This meant that every one of these Fighters was talented enough to deceive Bargans senses.
I really admire Lord Kangkis insight. He advised us to use our full strength to catch a rat bastard.
Subjugating an Ancient Dragon is certainly a great and awe-worthy achievement but for a skilled Sorcerer, its nothing more than taking down a slightly strong Dragonling.
You seem to know quite a bit about Sorcerers.
Thats natural. Im also a Sorcerer.
!
Bargan, who was laying on the ground, couldnt help but stare at Aram in surprise.
However, now that he thought about it, it wasnt that strange. He had easily passed through the wall when he lead Bargan into the old hideout of the Fangs of Kamesh, and he had caused him to fall asleep with some strange trick.
Instead, now that he learned that he was a Sorcerer, many things began to make sense.
Thats why I can do things like this.
Aram began to make strange movements with his hands. It seemed like he was doing some kind of hand ritual.
Omnidirectional Annihilation of Ki.
Woowoong-
With a soft hum, a whitish film that seemed to cover the entire arena appeared.
Hooo.
Aram panted as if hed consumed a large amount of vital energy, but a smile of satisfaction spread across his lips.
Ive destroyed all the natural ki in the arena. That should be enough of an explanation.
Bargans eyes grew wide when he heard this.
The near-infinite amount of natural ki was the driving force that enabled the use of sorcery. The absence of it would mean that Lukas could no longer use any sorcery.
This is one of the most talked-about techniques among Sorcerers. If even a single mistake is made, then the seed of life in the area would dry up completely. But everything should be fine since I already obtained Lord Kangkis permission.
Of course, by using annihilation it means that I cant use sorcery either. But that doesnt matter. There are 100 Fighters here.
Arams voice was filled with confidence.
100 men, Dragon Hunter. Even a Grand Champion couldnt guarantee victory against 100 Fighters.
Im not a Grand Champion.
After a long while, Lukas finally opened his mouth.
Thats right. Youre nothing but a Sorcerer.
No.
He shook his head.
Aram.
No, none of them knew anything about him.
Outsider, Sorcerer, Dragon Hunter.
There was nothing wrong with calling Lukas these things.
But, that wasnt all.
Someone who cant use sorcery when all of the ki in an area is destroyed. Is that what you call a Sorcerer?
Thats right. Many restrictions come with borrowing the power of nature. And a limit to what Sorcerers can do.
Borrowing the power of nature
Lukas closed his eyes as he muttered those words.
Then he slowly opened them again.
Even that is different.
What are you
Paht!
Bright blue light erupted from Lukas body.
Wh-, what?!
Arams expression became incredibly stiff.
Energy was being released from Lukas body.
But he didnt know what it was.
It felt different, but also similar to the power of nature.
How? The natural ki Didnt all the natural ki in the arena disappear?
Its true that you destroyed the natural ki in the arena. However, your actions dont affect me.
Wh-, what? It doesnt?
Aram stuttered, not fully comprehending what Lukas was saying.
Is this concept difficult for even a Sorcerer to understand? Collecting natural ki, purifying it, and storing it in the body so that it can easily be used at any time?
Wh-, what the hell are you talking about?
Mana.
Lukas spoke in a deep voice.
Its the name for natural ki that is stored in the body. If Sorcerers borrow the power of nature, we calculate the laws of nature.
!
We dig into the mysteries of nature, create a connection, adjust the laws, and in the end, we control them. Were different from you all, who only know how to fear nature.
Aram took a step back in disbelief and fear as if he was hearing the description of a fearsome monster that hed never heard of before.
I, I have never heard of such a thing in my life! Wh-, who the hell are you?
If he had to introduce himself in one word.
Then Lukas couldnt help but repeat the answer hed always given in the past.
I am a Wizard.
Crackle!
Storms of fire and ice appeared from his hands.
The spells manifested violently as if to display Lukas inner feelings at that moment.
Wizards and mana.
These were probably a strange name and concept for them.
But Lukas was certain.
None of the people here would ever forget the existence of a Wizard.
Of course.
That was if any of them managed to survive in the first place.
Book: 2: Chapter 197
Book 2: Chapter 197 The first one to get the strange feeling was Aram.
He was shocked by the sight in front of him, but at the same time, he was at least able to come to one conclusion.
No.
He looked around.
Instead of looking at the two storms that were spreading from Lukas hands, he looked at the faces of those who were facing these storms.
He looked at the Fighters who were struggling fiercely without knowing what to do.
Why?
All the Fighters gathered here were elites who had undergone countless hardships.
The Lirua Arena was one of the largest and most popular among the major cities.
Even if they had lost their true sense of battle because of the match fixing, the strength that they had honed was not false.
More than half of the Fighters hed gathered had experience fighting against Sorcerers, and the other half knew how to handle their sorcery.
D-, dodge!
Ahhhh!
Sp-, spare me! P-, please spare me!
And yet, without even the chance to fight back, they were now being swept away like insects in a hurricane.
This isnt sorcery,????n????????????????. ????????????
With his eyes wide open, Aram came to that conclusion.
This guy.
He only watched on as if all of this was natural. What had he said earlier? Wizard?
Mana.
Storing the natural ki in the body? Calculating the laws of nature?
What exactly did that mean?
He didnt know. He couldnt understand any of it.
Nevertheless, one thing was clear.
Everything that was happening now far surpassed Arams scope of understanding.
Kuh!
Shik.
Aram bit his lip harshly. The pain and taste of blood from his torn lip seemed to help him clear his mind a bit.
Spread out as far as you can! Dont stick together! Then
Then, then
What should they do next?
He instinctively tried to use a technique before realising it was pointless.
The omnidirectional annihilation of ki was still active.
Unexpectedly, the technique hed prepared to suppress the opponent was suppressing Aram instead.
Kaytai! Capture Bargan!
In this situation, they had no choice but to use Bargan.
After all, Lukas goal must be to rescue Bargan.
Since that was the case, they would attempt to negotiate using that guys life. Otherwise, they would have no other way out.
Kaytai nodded and began to approach Bargan.
Bargan, who was staring at Lukas spells in a daze, finally came back to his senses.
He hadnt fully comprehended the situation at first.
But now, as he saw more than a hundred Fighters being easily tossed around by Lukas, he realised.
I cannot become a burden.
Hed already been saved by his Lord twice.
Once when hed lost in his fight against him.
And the other time when the Ancient Dragon appeared. (Note: Technically, it was the Dragonling that kicked their asses.)
And now, it seemed that Bargan owed Lukas his life once again.
Even if I die, reincarnate and die again, I wont be able to pay off this debt.
So at the very least, he couldnt become Lukas burden. Or at least, that was his desire.
Groan.
However, despite his wishes, his body, devoid of even the slightest ounce of energy, remained motionless. The more he tried to force himself to move, the more it felt like his entire body was being torn apart piece by piece. He couldnt even move a single finger.
Please move one last time.
If he could move his body at that moment.
He wouldnt care if it meant being crippled for the rest of his life.
Ha!
Was he still unwilling to give up in this situation?
Kaytai let out a cold snort as he rushed towards Bargan.
It was at that moment.
Crack crack!
The ground around Bargan rose up to cover him.
The raised ground joined together to create a solid barrier as if it was protecting him.
Your wall is useless!
Kaytai swung his greatsword towards the barrier.
Kak!
Hed swung with the intention of destroying it with one blow, but his sword ended up stuck in the barrier like a fork in a cake.
This swing had contained enough force to destroy the wall of a fortress, but it was stopped by this small barrier.
Is this not an ordinary wall?
If he kept swinging, he would probably be able to break it eventually, but he didnt know how long that would take.
Kaytai turned to glare at Lukas with a blazing gaze.
He looked into the glowing blue eyes of the Wizard, who was controlling the two storms as easily as taking a stroll.
I shouldve warned you, you cant touch Bargan.
Right. I guess you want to die first.
Kaytai grit his teeth before pulling his sword out.
I dont care if youre a Wizard or whatever, but do you really think these ice and fire storms can stop me? Do you think a Fighter is that easy to deal with?
He took a step forward.
A reddish glow began to rise up from Kaytais body.
His muscles began to swell.
The leather armor that covered his body began to stretch as if it was going to burst apart.
The skin that was visible under the armor became red, and his veins protruded.
This is nothing!
Kaytai raised his greatsword into the air.
Boom!
And as he brought it down, a storm appeared.
Kaytais sword cut the arena ground in half. The crack in the ground quickly spread to Lukas like a snake moving beneath the earth, but Lukas simply rose into the air.
Aram was shocked when he saw this.
This wasnt floating, instead, it seemed to be an ability close to true flight.
But Kaytai was determined to not be surprised by anything he saw anymore.
Taht!
Without paying attention to it, he tightened his grip on his sword, and kicked off from the ground, quickly narrowing the distance towards Lukas. sea??h th ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
His large figure leapt 10 meters into the air in an instant.
His muscles ached like they had been torn by his actions.
Because he was making many forceful movements one after the other, he was putting great strain on his body.
But Kaytai chose to ignore the pain. The grip on his sword was firm.
And after stretching his back to the limit, he swung it forward.
Clang!
His wrist throbbed.
This was unbelievable. With the power that hed put behind his sword just now, Lukas body should have already turned into a pile of meat. And even if it didnt he should have at last been cut into two pieces.
But he hadnt been
Something blocked it
A round, invisible membrane was surrounding Lukas.
Barrier.
Lukas murmured in a soft tone.
You have all kinds of tricks up your sleeves. However
You.
Lukas interrupted him.
At that moment, Kaytai felt that Lukas was looking at him for the first time.
Why are you mad?
What the hell are you?
Do you think you have the right to be mad right now?
What the fuck are you talking about you bastard?!
I dont understand. The one who has the biggest right to be angry here is Bargan, not you.
Lukas voice reached the ears of Bargan, who was groaning on the ground below.
Urk.
At that moment, Bargans chest felt stuffy and his throat became tight.
In the thirty or so years after hed left Lirua, he had never felt this way before.
It was a feeling of pleasure as if there was finally someone who understood him.
Moreover, the person who understood him was the man he admired the most.
And after him, Im the one who is most angry.
Anger flickered deep within Lukas eyes.
He looked at Kaytai.
Then he turned to look at Aram.
He looked at the hundred Fighters, and looked into the distance to where he knew Kangki was.
What was it that separated humans that should be saved from humans that shouldnt?
This was one of the first concerns Lukas had when he became an Absolute.
Thats why he saved many races.
There were humans.
And there were also non-humans.
Years went by.
He wandered through countless universes, repeatedly saving and destroying. And after a long time, Lukas came to a conclusion.
Humans were beings who were shaped according to the journey they walked, the teachings they accepted, and the bonds they created.
Some said that they were beings of choice and possibility.
Throughout the entirety of the multiverse, it was rare to find a race in which good and evil could collide so violently.
There was no human who didnt have any evil in their hearts.
No matter how good a human might appear on the surface, there was at least one time in their life when they had a bad heart. There was no human who didnt get a little dirty after walking near the dust.
Therefore, the thing that Lukas considered the most important was their attitude towards their inner evil.
They couldnt turn a blind eye to it.
Nor could they give in to the darkness wriggling in their heart.
Accepting inner evil meant the loss of the soul, and the death of the possibility to become a better being.
And thats exactly what these Fighters reminded him of.
They had been devoured by their inner darkness.
They had given up the path of fighting beautifully and had tarnished their pride. Not only that, but they also insulted those who continued to fight.
Disgusting.
Book 2, Chapter 198
Book 2, Chapter 198 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Sei
Lukas looked around at Aram and the others.
Their behaviour reminded him of those he hated the most.
Those who had chosen to be sheep.
Those who had lowered their heads.
Those who had given up their pride.
Those who had chosen to be livestock instead of humans.
They might have wrapped their actions in a different type of packaging, but in the end, they were no different.
They had been enticed by the overwhelming sweetness of the idleness and wealth that Kangki had given them.
Therefore, Bargan, who didnt back down till the very end, was a human that should be saved. (Note: In other words, for Lukas, humans arent just homosapiens)
You call yourself Fighters? Thats strange. In my eyes, there is only one person in this arena who can be called a Fighter.
An outsider like you doesnt know anything!
I dont need to know.
Clang!
Icicles that appeared in the air without warning, stabbed into Kaytai. The force behind these icicles were so great that it caused Kaytai, who hadnt been able to contain his anger and shouted, to fall heavily to the ground with his eyes rolled back. It all happened so fast that he didnt even get the chance to scream.
Dammit!
When he saw this, Aram couldnt help but swear.
Who the hell was this guy?
While he had been paying attention to Kaytai and venting his anger, he hadnt shown even a single opening.
It was unbelievable.
While half of the Fighters had been swept away by the storm, Aram had been paying close attention to Lukas. All of his focus had been on finding Lukas weaknesses.
But in the end, he couldnt find a single one, and at the same time, goosebumps appeared all over his skin as if someone was staring at him.
It was only then that he realised something was wrong.
Is this guys field of view really that large?!
It was almost as if Lukas was looking down at the arena as though it was in the palm of his hand.
Was that even possible? What the hell was wrong with this guys brain?
For Aram, Lukas was no longer just an outsider. Instead, he was an incomprehensible monster.
It was at that moment.
Boom!
Something came crashing down from the sky.
The falling object instantly dispersed the storms of ice and fire.
A huge being slowly straightened up within the billowing clouds of dust.
The Lirua Arena.
Bang!
Following the voice, a huge boulder flew out of the dust cloud. It was accompanied by a loud sound as if a cannon had been fired.
Lukas tried to dodge, but the large projectile was much faster than he anticipated.
Boom!
In an instant, the barrier in front of him, which hadnt so much as cracked when Kaytai attacked with his full strength, shattered. Lukas wasnt able to dodge completely.
Paak!
The boulder struck his left arm, tearing his cloak. His arm, which was now exposed, was swollen and bleeding.
Is my territory.
Fwoosh!
The dust cloud, which covered a large area, was cleared in an instant.
Lo-, Lord Kangki!
The surviving Fighters cried out with joy at the sight of Kangki.
Kangkis eyes, which were finally revealed, were red with rage.
He slowly looked around the arena.
More than half of the 100 Fighters are dead. Did you know, outsider? The Championship will be held soon.
Naturally, in this period, the attention and interest the arena receives will be at their peak. Do you understand what this means?
His voice was soft, but the anger overflowing within it was like a volcano that was about to erupt.
It means that I, Kangki, who has only received profits until now, will instead suffer from immense losses in this great event which only occurs once every ten years.
The momentum in his blazing eyes as he looked at Lukas would have turned him into ashes if it could.
All! Because! Of you! I dont even want to calculate just how much damage Lirua has suffered!
Kangkis roar rang throughout the arena.
It was so powerful that some of the exhausted Fighters directly fainted with pale faces.
I dont care.
Kangki closed his mouth at Lukas calm dismissal.
His killing intent which had seemed to rise into the sky disappeared like a bonfire that had been doused with cold water.
This drastic change was many times more terrifying.
I wont kill you now. Instead, there is a place beneath this city that is perfect for you. Its a place filled with screams and pain. You will wish Id killed you.
Ignoring his words, Lukas looked down at his throbbing left arm.
It had only been grazed slightly, but his entire arm had swelled up as though it had been broken.
This wound showed that Kangkis strength had long surpassed the scope of common sense.
And now that he thought about it, Lukas realised that this was the first injury hed suffered since coming to the Heavenly Realm.
Whether it was in the fight against Bargan, or when he hunted the Ancient Dragon, Lukas hadnt received a single scratch.
As for the wounds that had been received during his twelve losses in the arena, those werent him, but doppelgangers.
Hed always known that Kangki wouldnt be an easy opponent. Therefore, hed made sure to prepare sufficiently before facing him.
I wanted to annihilate all 100 Fighters.
As expected, things in the world didnt always go the way we expected them to.
In addition, his opponents werent just Kangki and the surviving Fighters.
Paht. S~ea??h the N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Three more Dragonmen appeared.
With blazing momentum, they surrounded Lukas.
Only three more Fighters had been added.
But they put more pressure on Lukas than when he had been surrounded by 100 Fighters.
This was because they were the three Fighters who represented the Lirua Arena.
The 3rd ranked Fighter, Padudu.
The 2nd ranked Fighter, Usa.
And the number one fighter and current Champion of the Lirua arena, Samash.
On top of that was Kangki, who had once reached the semi-finals of the Championship and was the current Lord of Lirua. (1)
Major City Lord Kangki, you must have been a Fighter who once aimed to be the Grand Champion. So Id like to make a proposal.(1+)
A proposal?
If you have even a handful of pride as a Fighter left, then tell your men to stand down.
At those words, Kangkis expression became one of confusion.
Are you saying you want to fight me one on one?
Right.
Ha, hahaha Kuhahahaha!
Kangki couldnt help but burst into laughter.
Youre actually saying something like lets have a fair one-on-one contest when youre already in this situation.
Im sorry, but I have none of the pride you speak of. I reached this position only by being thorough. Of course, this doesnt mean Id lose to you if I were to fight you on my own, but I dont want to put in that much effort.
I thought youd say something like that.
A smile crept across Lukas face.
So I called for reinforcements of my own.
* * *
A commotion erupted from the entrance of the arena.
Boom!
Following the sound of an explosion, five Fighters were sent flying at the same time. Looking at their rolled eyes, it was clear that they were all unconscious.
Five Fighters had been incapacitated by one attack?
Wh-, what the hell?
Aram turned to look at Lukas in disbelief.
He was an outsider, and it had only been about a month since hed come to the Heavenly Realm.
And yet, in such a short amount of time, he was able to establish a relationship with someone so powerful?
This guy is insane!
He didnt know who it was that had chosen to help Lukas, but attacking the Fighters here meant going against the major city, Lirua, and its lord, Kangki.
Any sane person would probably understand what it meant to make an enemy of a major city, right?
Kuk.
Aram pushed through the Fighters until he saw what Lukas called his reinforcements.
And he became speechless for a while.
That guy
It was someone he recognised.
Not because they knew each other, but because the other party was fairly famous.
His untrimmed black hair billowed in the wind.
Black hair.
It was a very rare color among Dragonmen. In addition, this mans facial features were different from those of most Dragonmen.???????????????????????????? ????o????
There was only one reason for this.
As Aram knew, this man was an outsider.
The Whirlwind of the Arena.
He knew him.
How could he not know him?
He was a Fighter from Babylon who was almost certain to be a strong contender in the upcoming Championship.
Kangkis gaze also swept across the arena and headed to Lee Jong-hak, who was sweeping Fighters away with his sword.
One of Ishutas people? Her possessiveness is insane How did you manage to get her to agree?
Well
(Note:
1. The author keeps mentioning the fact that Kangki reached the semi-finals of the Championship, which is required to be a Major City Lord, but doesnt mention that Kangki is a former Grand Champion. Ref. chapter 179 - the conversation with Bargan.
+ At this point, Im pretty sure the author forgot they made Kangki a former Grand Champion.)
Book 2, Chapter 199
Book 2, Chapter 199 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Sei
Kangki looked at Lukas with a raised eyebrow.
right. Now I get it. Was this the reason you made the doppelgangers? To avoid my watch and head to Babylon to persuade Li Hao to come help you?
That must mean that Li Hao is the trump card you prepared.
Trump card.
The term assurance would be a better answer, but Lukas didnt bother correcting Kangki.
Nevertheless, Kangki continued to speculate.
Now that I think about it, Li Hao is an outsider. And youre also an outsider So I can assume that you knew each other before you came to the Heavenly Realm which is why you reached out to him for help. If thats the case, then
After finishing his calculation, Kangki looked at Lukas with a cold sneer on his lips.
I suppose I should thank you, Lukas. This situation is not bad for me at all Now that Li Hao, a Fighter from Babylon, is messing around in my arena, Ill be able to gain a few benefits from Ishuta.
It was widely known that the Whirlwind of the Arena was one of Ishutas favorite Fighters.
If he were to capture him without killing him and offer to return him to her in one piece, Ishuta would have no choice but to accept it.
What if I asked for the body parts of the Ancient Dragon that you sold to her? I think that would be enough to make up for the damages I suffered today to an extent.
Youre quite delusional. Do you think your men are enough to subdue him?
Haha! On one side is a man who ranks third in the Babylon Arena, while on the other side are 50 of my best Fighters together with my Champion, Samash.
Kangkis voice became cold.
Which one of us is the delusional one?
You dont know.
What?
What kind of man Lee Jong-hak was.
Lukas swallowed the rest of his words.
The man who was wielding his sword in the arena was a genius.
A genius who had fought against beings like the Demons who were inherently stronger, and had even created a technique to help him hunt them more efficiently.
The Evil Vanquishing Sword Technique.
This was the sword technique Lee Jong-hak had created at a young age. Even if one were to only look at that fact, it meant that he had long entered the realm of martial arts grandmaster.
In addition, the Evil Vanquishing Sword Technique was created by combining dozens of existing sword techniques.
In a sense, creating a sword technique by combining several sword techniques which had different forms, styles, and foundations, was much harder than creating a sword technique from scratch.
And if Lukas predictions were right, then Lee Jong-hak had probably already created a sword technique with which to use against Dragonmen Fighters.
That was why he wasnt worried about him.
Lets put aside the small talk and get started, shall we? Since Im aiming to be the Grand Champion, it shouldnt be difficult to defeat someone like you who only made it to the semi-finals. (Note: poor Kangki)
Grand Champion thats not a title that outsiders who dont know anything should mention lightly.
Kangki narrowed his eyes.
Fine then. Since you want it, I will show you. The power I have gained.
* * *
Dragon Hunter Lukas.
He was already aware of the fact that he wasnt a Sorcerer, but something else.
There was no need for him to hear any reports from Aram.
The omnidirectional annihilation of ki that hed used was still active even at that moment. Nevertheless, Lukas was clearly displaying the powers of nature, which looked similar to sorcery.
In other words, Lukas wasnt actually using sorcery, but something else.
it doesnt matter what it is.
He didnt care, he didnt care a single bit.
Kangki slowly increased his fighting spirit.
This was similar to the process where warriors would calm their minds in order to bring out their best condition before battle.
However, in the case of Fighters, instead of calming down, they increased their fighting spirit.
Thirst and hunger.
And extreme hostility towards their opponent.
All of these combined to create a state of intentional agitation.
Ku, gu, gu-!
In a way, the immense fighting spirit that erupted was, in its own way, a form of pressure for the opponent.
Kangkis surroundings began to distort. This was because of the immense heat that was beginning to rise off of his body because of his scorching hot fighting spirit.
Bang! S~ea??h the ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Following that loud sound, Kangkis giant figure seemed to disappear from the arena.
And the place that he eventually appeared, was behind Lukas.
Crackle.
He stretched forward a fist filled with explosive power so potent it seemed to warp the space around it.
To Kangki, it didnt matter if Lukas tried to block this attack with the invisible barrier hed used earlier. No matter how many shields he tried to erect around himself, his fist would definitely crush all of them.
Swoosh!
Perhaps Lukas also realised that, because he narrowly avoided the attack by a small margin. Moreover, the way he avoided the attack was strange.
Even with Kangkis dynamic vision, he failed to follow Lukas movement.
He didnt move to avoid it, but disappeared instead?
This must be another one of his tricks.
He was certainly better than any Sorcerer hed faced before.
But he didnt panic.
Kangkis burning figure didnt budge from that spot. Instead, his red eyes swept across the entire arena in an instant.
And he was able to find Lukas not that far away.
Woowoong-
However, his attention was immediately drawn to the strange rod in Lukas hand.
A stick No, was it a cane?
It had a shape that he had never seen before.
A dark red jewel sat at the top of it, and it seemed to glow softly as though it was filled with molten lava.
Paht!
At the same time, dozens of spells suddenly appeared behind Lukas.
Kangki didnt move, instead, he narrowed his eyes.
Fire, ice, electricity, rock, wind
He couldnt recognise most of the other attacks.
Was this just a massive attack? Or was he planning something else?
How interesting!
Kangki let out a loud roar.
Ill let you attack this once!
Without bothering to respond, Lukas pointed his finger towards Kangki.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
And dozens of spells shot towards Kangki at the same time.
Kangki didnt try to dodge.
Instead, he looked at the incoming attack and opened his mouth.
Woong-
Something began to light up within Kangkis throat.
This was similar to something Lukas had witnessed before.
no way.
Rooaaar!
With a loud roar, a breath attack shot out of Kangkis throat.
When he saw this, Lukas couldnt help but be surprised. After all, he never would have expected a Dragonman, not a Dragonling or an Ancient Dragon, to use a breath attack.
Crash!
Moreover, the power of this attack was overwhelming.
Although most of them were weak, the power that the dozens of spells had when combined was nothing to scoff at. Nevertheless, they disappeared in an instant in the face of the breath attack.
And even after that, the power of the breath attack didnt diminish at all. Without the slightest decrease in speed, the breath attack shot towards Lukas.
Book 2, Chapter 200
Book 2, Chapter 200 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Sei
Lukas looked at the attack shooting towards him.
The range of the attack was so wide that he wouldnt be able to avoid it even if he used Blink. It was also too powerful to block with a barrier.
I have no choice but to cancel it out.
As he quickly came to this decision, Lukas roused his mana.
Woowoong-
And as a result, the black staff in his hand began to vibrate.
[Staff of the Distant Night Sky]
[A staff created by an eccentric but extremely skilled blacksmith. The tail of a mutated Dragonling was used as the main material while an artificial gem created by processing the heart of the same Dragonling was embedded into the top.
It can efficiently absorb and convert the ki of mother nature, but the required method is not something that ordinary people can learn.
Although it is in the shape of a staff, it is incomparably sturdy, and it wont break even if the user were to swing it around recklessly.]
As he expected, Nekdus skills were reliable.
Although he knew that it was because hed embedded the heart of the Dragonling into it, the part that caught Lukas attention the most was the fact that it could efficiently convert the ki of mother nature, or in other words, mana.
Thanks to that, even something as simple as the storm of ice and fire was able to sweep through the arena with much more power than it had originally.
I have about a third of my mana left.
Since hed been continuously using his mana even before he arrived here, he couldnt afford to use the rest recklessly.
Nevertheless, he decided to use all of his remaining mana in this spell. This is because he knew that he wouldnt be able to hurt Kangki with just any spell.
Lava Blast.
Rumble!
Lava that erupted from nowhere shot towards the breath attack like a tsunami.
In an instant, the temperature in the arena soared exponentially.
Starting from 7 star spells, all spells reached a level where they would affect the surrounding environment to some extent. In Lukas case, he was able to use his superb control to reduce the damage to an extent, but that didnt mean that the power of his spell was reduced.
!
Kangki couldnt help but flinch in surprise when he saw this spell.
Lukas thought that Kangki would try to dodge the Lava Blast.
After all, the torrent of lava had already devoured most of the breath attack. Nevertheless, it didnt seem satisfied, and continued to rush forward as though it was searching for its next victim.
But contrary to his expectations, Kangki instead took a big step forward.
!
And the Lava Blast swallowed Kangki without hesitation.
Did he really take that attack head on?
A 7 star spell that contained all of Lukas remaining mana?
Why?
He didnt think Kangki had underestimated the strength of his Lava Blast.
And it also didnt look like his scales were stronger than an Ancient Dragons.
In other words, this meant that he had something else to rely on.
Shuk!
!
A huge fist popped out of the river of soaring flames.
He didnt have time to react properly.
The fist hit Lukas body with a violent crash.
Crunch!
The arm and leg that he raised to block the attack were smashed in an instant.
The pain of so many bones breaking at the same time was so terrible that even the strongest willed men would scream in pain, but Lukas didnt even frown.
If he hadnt reduced some of the momentum by stacking several barriers, that attack might have actually killed him in one hit.
This was the way a Wizards fight always was.
A single mistake or moment of carelessness could lead to an irreversible situation.
Thud!
The force of the attack buried Lukas body into the ground of the arena.
After lying motionlessly for a while, he staggered to his feet. His forehead felt hot. Had his head been injured?
Wiping the blood out of his eyes with his good hand, he glared into the flames.
This is the power of wealth.
A deep murmur broke the silence.
Kangki slowly stepped out of the Lava Blast.
Scratches and burn marks were certainly present on his red hot scales, but considering the power of the Lava Blast and the fact that he took it on directly, this damage was far from enough.
Nevertheless, he seemed a bit surprised.
I never expected you to hurt me in this state I see. Was that technique just now your secret weapon?
Lukas ignored his question and asked.
what are you wearing?
Kangki chuckled softly. sea??h th Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
[The Creed of Kamesh].
Tsss-
The red hot scales cooled rapidly.
Clank, clank.
And a strange sound came from inside his body.
As long as I am wearing this armor, no attacks can reach me.
Armor.
But Lukas realised that it wasnt the conventional use of the word.
I always thought that you were overwhelmingly large among Dragonmen. As if you were a different species altogether. Now I understand why.
Hoh? Whats the reason?
That huge body isnt your real body, its a puppet. Your real body is hidden within it.
To put it simply, it was a concept similar to the Golems from Lukas home universe.
But this puppet was more like a mechanical device that the user could attach or detach, rather than an artificial being that could move independently. (Note: So the Dragonmen invented gundams? Nice)
With that understanding, everything began to make more sense.
Why he was several times larger than other Dragonmen.
And why he could even let out breath attacks.
Kuhahaha-!
Kangki roared with laughter.
He then turned to look at Lukas staff with a sneer.
Thats right [The Creed of Kamesh] is a machine armor. You have a good eye. Or did she tell you?
She?
It seems that you also used her power to make that cane of yours, but your opponent was just a bad match for you. Even if it was made by the same Hammer of Babylon, my equipment works better against you.
Hammer of Babylon?
Lukas shook his head slowly.
Youre mistaken. I asked Nekdu to make this staff for me.
Hmm.
Kangki just tilted his head to the side when he heard Lukas rebuttal.
Youre joking, right? Did you really ask her to make something for you without knowing her real identity?
What are you talking about?
Haha. I really didnt expect this.
Kangki shook his head as if hed encountered something strange.
But it doesnt matter anyway. Quit yapping and accept your fate. We both know that attack was your last. You cant launch anymore attacks.
After a moment of silence, Lukas finally nodded.
Right. Youre right.
Hoh.
Kangki watched on with slight interest at Lukas sudden acceptance.
Ive already used up all of my mana, and its hard to stand with my arm and leg smashed. Even if I had more mana, I think it would be hard to break through your armor.
So
By the way, Kangki. About the place beneath the city that you mentioned earlier, Ive already been there.
Kangkis eyes narrowed slightly.
There were a lot of skilled persons who were being enslaved by you and your men there. And among them were the refiners that Id been looking for.
you know about them? Youre really making it hard for me to let you live.
Lukas ignored his words.
Everyone there hates you. Initially, I wanted to strike a deal with them in exchange for rescuing them, but I didnt have to. They fully cooperated with me And helped me refine the heart of the Ancient Dragon.
The Heart of the Ancient Dragon?
Did you know? Taking the elixir doesnt mean that it will go into effect immediately. Because of how much energy there is, it takes a long while to dissolve. Its called the digestion process.
What are you trying to say?
Lukas sneered slightly.
The digestion process is accelerated the more you use your body and mana.
You
By the time Kangki had finally realised what he was trying to say, Lukas gaze lowered slightly.
He was looking at the status window that hadnt disappeared since hed taken the Ancient Dragon Heart elixir.
[Heart of the Ancient Dragon, current digestion rate 99.8%.]
[When the digestion is complete, some of the users skills will be unlocked.]
Then
Beep!
[Digestion has reached 100%!]
[Some of the users skills have been unlocked.]
Boom!
An explosion of bright blue light erupted from Lukas body.
This was different from before.
This time, when the blue light appeared, the ground around him sank. This showed that Lukas mana was now interfering with the physical world.
Kangki couldnt know.
Just what this eruption of blue light which shot into the sky like a beam really meant.
[Skill, Magic(Lv.7) Magic(Lv.8)]
Only the mana of an 8 star Wizard could have such an effect.
Lukas slowly opened his eyes.
Lets continue, Kangki.
The continuation of their battle.
Here in the arena.
Lets start the second round.
Book 2, Chapter 201
Book 2, Chapter 201 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Sei
Arams eyes widened.
This was because he was able to sense the subtle change in the arenas atmosphere.
my technique is about to break?
Crack crack crack!
With a loud noise, the invisible barrier that was covering the entire arena shattered.
Aram couldnt tell what happened.
According to his calculations, the barrier should have persisted for a while longer.
Nevertheless, a glint appeared in Arams eyes.
Since the omnidirectional annihilation of ki had been broken, it meant that he could use sorcery again.
This was proven by the huge amount of natural ki that came rushing into the arena like a raging river. The arena, which had been like a desert just a moment ago, was slowly being filled once again.
Although the amount of natural ki in the environment was still a bit lacking, Aram knew several techniques that he could make use of.
Paht!
He quickly began to do the required hand seals for the technique.
He had to do something to hinder that monster, Li Hao, even a little.
huh?
But, to his surprise, his technique didnt trigger.
Was it because he was too agitated?
Thinking that this was the case, Aram calmed himself down before doing the hand seals once again.
This time, he made sure to be more precise and certain with his movements.
Nevertheless, his technique still failed to appear.
A slight look of disbelief spread across Arams face.
Th-, this
What the hell was going on?
There was definitely natural ki present in the surroundings.
It was present. But it wasnt obeying his commands.
This was the first time hed ever experienced such a phenomenon since hed started learning sorcery.
You seem pretty relaxed.
Suddenly, the voice of the Death God sounded from right beside him.
It was Lee Jong-hak.
He was standing beside Aram, his face covered in blood that didnt appear to be his own.
Only their gazes met, but Aram became so afraid that he accidentally hiccuped.
A Fighter cannot afford to lose focus within the arena.
U-, uhh
The sword in Lee Jong-haks hand flashed.
And another scream echoed in the arena.
* * *
He could only feel an overwhelming sense of fulfillment at that moment.
His mana, which had been emptied to the last drop, became full in an instant, and even overflowed to the extent that it had to be released through his skin.
Crackle!
The released mana shot into the sky like a beam of light, easily shattering the ki annihilation barrier that had covered the entire arena.
It cracked and fell to the ground like a broken window.
Lukas stood in the middle of the arena, slowly calming his raging mana.
Ssss-
Kangki, who had been quietly watching this scene, finally opened his mouth.
refining the heart of an Ancient Dragon. Thats a rumor that most Dragonmen dont believe. It was only recently that I learned the truth about refiners, but you seem to have believed in it for a while. The fact that you can use an Ancient Dragons heart to make an unprecedented elixir.
Tell me. Who did you hear it from?
If I were you, I wouldnt be asking such trivial questions, Kangki.
What did you say?
Lukas indifferent gaze scanned across Kangkis large body.
His eyes seemed to contain an entirely different glow from before.
Now I understand, Kangki. That armor of yours.
Hmph.
Kangki snorted derisively.
Dont be ridiculous [The Creed of Kamesh] is one of the greatest feats of engineering in the entire Heavenly Realm. It wasnt just made by the hand of the Hammer of Babylon. It was also made with the help of most of the talents you found in the underground space below. Those are all geniuses that you would be hard-pressed to find equals to even if you were to search the entirety of Combat Island.
Do you understand what Im saying? It was only after countless talented people put their heads together and revised the blueprints hundreds and thousands of times that the Hammer of Babylon finally gave it shape. And even after that, it was modified hundreds and thousands of times before it was finally completed.
A cold glint flickered in his eyes.
And youre saying that you can see through this armor with just a glance?
There was nothing wrong with what Kangki said.
It was true that [The Creed of Kamesh] was created after many top-tier talents who all dominated in their respective fields toiled away for several years. And it was true that no matter how much Lukas had changed, he wouldnt be able to see through it with just a single glance.
But that wasnt what Lukas was talking about.
The Heavenly Realm really is a blessed land.
What?
Ive never seen a place this rich with natural ki and mana, as this place.
What the hell are you talking about?
The reason that armor can move so freely is because of the natural ki.
Kangkis expression showed that he didnt understand what Lukas was talking about.
But there was no need for him to understand.
This Creed of Kamesh
If they had been in Lukas homeworld, a suit of mechanical armor that large would have needed at least 100,000 ME just to move.
And when considering its other abilities like the breath attack he had launched before or the sudden increase in defense, that number would need to be multiplied several times.
However, The Creed of Kamesh had no power source. In other words, it was like a horseless carriage that was moving on its own.
To put it simply, it would be impossible.
If this werent the Heavenly Realm.
Some of the geniuses you trapped must have been Sorcerers. The runes engraved on the scales are techniques carved by them, and they are probably responsible for attracting the natural ki in the surroundings.
Kangki forced himself to not look down at his body. No runes were visible on his scales.
This was natural.
After all, they had been coated with a special paint so that they couldnt be found easily. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
And yet, Lukas was able to recognise them with a single glance.
Did he see them when my scales got affected by that lava attack?
Even so, that had been fixed in an instant.
Unlike Kangki, who was growing increasingly anxious, Lukas continued with a flat tone and blank expression.
Youre probably storing the mana you attract within the body. Thats why you could still move within the field of the omnidirectional annihilation of ki.
In other words, there was something within that armor that played a role similar to the mana room in a Wizards body.
Kangki furrowed his eyebrows.
Fine. Ill admit that you are skilled at analyzing. But so what? Do you think thats the weakness of this armor?
Weakness.
He would continue trying to find it and he never would.
Because there was no such thing as a weakness in the Creed of Kamesh.
Didnt you say that this was the second round? Why are you just running your mouth? Or are you trying to waste my time?
Im not trying to waste your time, Kangki. Instead, the result of this match has already been decided. You lost.
Hahaha.
Kangki couldnt help but burst into laughter when he heard that ridiculous statement.
I think Ive heard enough of your bullsh*t. Since it seems you dont want to come to me, Ill come to you.
He increased the output of the armor even more than before. Lukas seemed to have grown stronger after consuming the Ancient Dragon Heart elixir, so he couldnt afford to hide his strength any longer.
But Kangki didnt move at a speed nearly invisible to the eye as he did before.
Bang!
!?????????n????e????????. ????????
Far from it. Instead, he couldnt even take a single step before falling heavily to the ground.
What?!
Creak! Creak!
He tried his best to move the armor, but it refused to move no matter what he did.
A look of shock pasted itself on Kangkis face.
Has he ever experienced a situation like this before?
Lukas just quietly watched him struggle.
The greatest proof to distinguish the difference between a 7-star and an 8-star Wizard was the fact that 8-star Wizards could materialise an embodiment of their mana rooms, which were located inside of them, on the outside.
This ability gave them absolute dominion over all the mana in a specific area around their bodies. For this reason, a single 8-star Wizard could theoretically nullify the powers of dozens of 7-star Wizards.
The interesting part was the fact that the Creed of Kamesh actually had an internal structure similar to that of a Wizard. This was something Lukas realised immediately after returning to 8-stars.
And upon finding that, his next decision was easy to make.
He would simply neutralise Kangkis mana, just like he would neutralise a Wizard.
Whoosh-
Suddenly, green energy shot towards Lukas, forming a ball above his palm.
This wasnt the natural ki, nor was it the mana from inside him.
This is all the mana that was stored in your armor. Its less than I thought.
Th-, thats impossible
Its possible for a Wizard.
Lukas shook his hand as he spoke in an indifferent tone.
Clatter-
Then, Kangkis body began to tremble on the ground with a terrible rattling noise.
S-, stop. L-, let go of me. Wh-, what are you, t-, trying to d-, do?
Kangkis voice came out in parts, almost like a broken radio, but Lukas didnt pay any attention to it.
Crunch!
And soon after, Kangkis body was ripped open.
Book 2, Chapter 202
Book 2, Chapter 202 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Sei
Kangki, the powerful Major City Lord of Lirua.
Lukas slowly opened his mouth.
A Fighter who never neglected his training.
U-, uh uhh
That was what I heard. Sarch* The N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
He looked down with a cold gaze.
Before him was a skinny old man.
With shifty eyes and a frail body that seemed like it could break apart at any moment.
He had few scales left on his body, instead, he was covered in various scars and wrinkles like an old toy that had been eaten by insects.
This disgusting, decrepit old body, was the true appearance of the man named Kangki.
My, my armor my armor How dare you
If I had a mirror, Id really like to show you your current appearance.
Kangki, who was struggling and shouting on the ground, suddenly flinched.
D-, dont look at me!
He didnt have many teeth left, so when he shouted, his voice carried a lisp.
Kangki continued to struggle on the ground.
For Lukas, Kangkis appearance was so disgusting that it made him want to vomit.
You laughed at those Fighters who risked their lives in the arena, but look at you now. Is this the true appearance of the Major City Lord Kangki who is admired by many?
Uh, ahhhh.
Whats the point of living such a life?
What do you know-?! You know nothing!
Kangki shook.
Th-, there are limits to physical training. Th-, those monsters on Dragon God Island
No Fighter can defeat those monsters living on Dragon God Island! Not even a Grand Champion! Thats why I decided to choose a different path With my mechanical armor, [The Creed of Kamesh], I was certain that I would be able to reach a level that would allow me to face those monsters!
That is the power of the armor and those who made it. That is not something that you created yourself. It is not your power.
If this man was a blacksmith, engineer, alchemist, or even a Sorcerer, then Lukas wouldnt have felt such a deep disgust towards him.
But Kangki was once a Fighter. He was once a Fighter who had fought continuously with the goal of becoming the Grand Champion.
So he knew all about the struggle.
He knew what Fighters valued the most.
And he knew what made them the most pitiful.
He knew it, but he still chose to insult them.
He strayed away from the path he once walked, he trampled upon his own achievements, and he laughed at those who continued to walk on the straight, yet thorny, path.
That was more than enough reason for him to die.
Crunch.
Lukas walked towards Kangki.
Most of the fights in the arena took the form of matches. While it was true that they could easily become life or death battles, it was also true that these matches didnt have to end in death.
But the fight that was currently taking place in the arena was not a simple match.
It would only be decided when one of the two sides died.
Huff, huff!????n????r?????????. ????o????
Kangki knew that too.
He struggled to breathe.
This was because he was no longer connected to the life support device in the armor. Just inhaling was incredibly painful, it felt like shards of glass were sticking into his lungs.
Nevertheless, he had to say something.
If he didnt, he would really die.
I-, if you kill me here! Do you know what the aftermath will be?!
Lukas didnt stop walking.
Seeing this, Kangki continued in a more urgent tone.
All the major cities have noticed and ignored my manipulation! Do you know what that means? It means that they have tacitly acknowledged my actions-! I-, if you were to kill me-!
Cough, cough!
Following a painful coughing, Kangki spat out a mouthful of blood.
It would mean going against all the major cities!
Lukas finally came to a stop and responded.
Ishuta lent Li Hao to me. It took a bit of persuasion, but she didnt seem particularly reluctant to help me kill you. Do you still think the major cities will get revenge for you?
Despite Lukas words, a faint glimmer appeared in Kangkis eyes.
He had stopped and responded.
At the very least, this meant that the conditions to have a conversation had been met. This didnt mean his situation had turned around, but at the least, it was several times better than before.
Ishuta is different! That girl has always been greedy! Im sure she tried to rip you off in some way while using the pretext of helping you! For the other Major City Lords, the thing that they care about the most is the value of the title Major City Lord.
The value of the title?
Thats right! What do you think the response would be if it was found that a Major City Lord was killed by an outsider who appeared out of nowhere? Their prestige would fall to the ground! Not just mine, but the reputation of all seven of the Major City Lords would be dragged through the mud!
It sounded like sophistry, but
It made sense to some extent.
In fact, when Lukas had considered the fact that Kangki would become his enemy, that was one of his biggest concerns.
Kangki quickly continued talking.
Do you understand now? Killing me would do you more harm than good-
Kangki.
Lukas interrupted him in a quiet tone.
There is something that the Major City Lords care about more than their prestige.
Although those words made him feel anxious, Kangki couldnt help but ask.
What is that?
Benefits.
What?
In the first place, the Major City Lords never got along with each other, and you have the worst reputation among them. Unlike the other major cities which grew steadily over time, Lirua grew explosively in only a few decades.
A nail that stuck out would surely catch many eyes regardless of where it was.
In Kangkis case, it was even worse.
As hed said, all the Major City Lords knew that hed made his city flourish using despicable means.
I managed to convince five of the Major City Lords. The other two Major City Lords didnt agree, but they didnt seem to have any intention of protesting for your sake.
Wh-, what are you talking about? No. H-, how
Suddenly, a thought flashed in Kangkis mind like a bolt of lightning.
Lukas had disappeared from the city for a long time.
At best, finding the underground space, refining the Ancient Dragon Heart elixir, and going to Babylon to get Li Hao, were all things that could be done within a single week.
However, Lukas hadnt appeared for several weeks.
I went to visit five of the Major City Lords. And I collected the debt for giving them the Ancient Dragons corpse for free.
That!
Kangkis eyes became so wide that it seemed they would tear at the sides.
D-, did you just say that you gave them the Ancient Dragons corpse for free?
Well, not exactly. I just decided that in order to completely clear away the darkness in Lirua, I would need to form connections with other powerful people.
And what connection could be thicker and stronger than the connection called debt.
Lukas had intentionally made them indebted to him. Hundreds of their subordinates were present, so they couldnt do anything about it even if they knew what he was doing.
Nevertheless, Lukas thought that the Major City Lords would oppose his plan.
At the very least, he thought that there would be one or two who opposed.
However, it seemed that the relationship between Kangki and the other Major City Lords was even worse than he thought.
Th-, thats impossible
Kangki stared at Lukas in disbelief for a while before scurrying backward.
Ah, ahh
Did you prepare any more rat holes? I hope not. And if you have no means left, then
Fwoosh.
Fire appeared on Lukas outstretched palm.
You and the Lirua Arena will become ashes tonight.
Book 2, Chapter 203
Book 2, Chapter 203 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Sei
Ive heard many rumors that the Fighters in Lirua are much weaker than they are thought to be.
As he said this Lee Jong-hak ran his fingers through his blood-soaked hair.
But this makes me feel something beyond disappointment.
He had killed many people here even though they werent Demons.
It made him feel dirty.
Not because he committed murder. This was Combat Island, and taking the life of another was considered relatively common here.
It was hard to understand with the common sense of an earthling, but the Fighters here wouldnt be upset even if their opponent was to kill them.
Of course, this death was usually a condition that came at the end of a life or death battle.
If it was an enemy they acknowledged, then they would gracefully accept the sword in their heart, and pray that their opponents path would be paved with blessings.
They didnt want the person who defeated and killed them to remain on an insignificant level.
That way, if that Fighter managed to one day become a powerful person after overcoming countless tribulations, they could be proud of the fact that they were in that Fighters memories.
The thing Fighters feared the most was being forgotten. And the thing they longed for the most was for their names to remain as legends even thousands of years later.
In a way, it could be said that they were a race who risked their lives for honor, but Lee Jong-hak actually liked their mindset. This was because it was impossible to foster such a mindset without pride.
Over the past two years, Lee Jong-hak had adapted to living on Combat Island to an extent.
Thats why he didnt hesitate to take anothers life, and thats why he didnt feel bitter after basically committing murder.
But this was different.
The more he swung his sword, the dirtier he felt, and the more a foreign feeling grew in his heart.
This was probably because the people he was fighting and killing now were those who had already lost their pride as Fighters.
You
Samash, the Champion of Lirua, glared at Lee Jong-hak with wide eyes.
Have you been hiding your strength?
What?
Otherwise, how can a man like you not be a Champion!
Samash shouted in disbelief.
He knew Lee Jong-hak.
He had appeared in the Babylon Arena like a comet and quickly shot up the rankings to take third place.
He was a strong contender who was almost guaranteed to take part in the Championship.
Samash had heard that he was an outsider, but it wasnt that strange for outsiders to participate in the Championship on Combat Island.
You are weak. Samash.
Cut the crap! Do you not see this weapon? This armor?
Samash pointed to his equipment and shouted.
Its not just our equipment! We also receive systematic training that maximises our physical ability! The efficiency of our training program is different from those losers who only exhaust themselves in useless fights!
The important part of training isnt just the quantifiable data. Your physical ability might have improved, but I cannot sense any tension from you.
Tension?
Lee Jong-hak didnt feel like saying anything more.
Even if he were to explain it, in his current state, Samash would never be able to understand.
He couldnt stop himself from letting out a soft sigh.
The loss of tension due to the match-fixing and years of indulgence had caused these Fighters, who were once skilled, to become rusty.
Taht.
Tightening his grip on his sword, Lee Jong-hak rushed in.
Samash reacted hastily, but it was too late.????nn????????????????. ????????????
Crack!
Kuk!
They only had two exchanges, but Samash felt his sword slip out of his hand following the pain of his wrist breaking.
The lost sword flew high into the sky.
Lee Jong-hak glared at the now defenseless Samash. S~ea??h the novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
W-, wait!
Shuk!
His sword rose from beneath Samashs left armpit until it swept past his ear.
Samash screamed as his blood gushed out.
Kuack!
He staggered back a few times, unable to withstand the pain.
However, Lee Jong-hak had no intention of being satisfied after taking one arm.
He fiercely pursued Samash, whose body was full of openings.
Puk.
And pierced his heart with his sword.
Gurgle!
Samash coughed up a mouthful of blood and grabbed Lee Jong-haks arm with a wronged expression on his face.
I, I didnt do anything wr-
But his head lowered before he could finish his sentence.
Lee Jong-hak withdrew his sword.
Then he shook the blood off of his sword as he let out an uncomfortable sigh.
As expected.
It didnt feel good at all.
* * *
[You have killed the Tyrant of Lirua, Kangki.]
[The darkness enshrouding the major city, Lirua, has dissipated greatly.]
[Special Achievement!]
[Obtained the title Major City Lord Slayer]
[Revealing the title Major City Lord Slayer can lead to the hostility and fear of most Dragonmen. It is advised that the participant doesnt reveal this title until the evil deeds of Kangki have been completely unveiled.]
Lukas ignored the voice as he walked over to Lee Jong-hak.
Looks like its all over.
Lee Jong-haks head was lowered as he polished his sword with smooth, disciplined movements.
Did you kill all of them?
Some of them are still alive.
I see.
After looking around the arena for a moment, Lukas turned to Lee Jong-hak again. To be precise, he looked at Lee Jong-haks arm.
It seems your right arm was injured badly.
Ah.
At Lukas words, Lee Jong-hak looked down at his arm.
The flesh was torn. The wound was much deeper than he thought. So deep in fact, that his bones were visible. Of course, there were many small wounds all over his body, but this one was the most severe.
He must be in terrible pain from having his flesh cut out, but Lee Jong-hak simply nodded with a slight frown on his face.
Im fine. Rather than that, Kangki
His gaze went behind Lukas. There, a raging fire blazed, and the shape of whatever was being burned was no longer visible.
Hes been dealt with.
I see.
After being silent for a while, Lee Jong-hak finally opened his mouth again.
What are you going to do now?
As he said this, he looked around the Lirua Arena.
Even if the other Major City Lords successfully suppress any rebellion, the citizens of this land wont easily accept Kangkis death.
That wasnt all.
It wasnt just Kangki, but also most of the powerful Fighters who supported the Lirua Arena who had died.
Among them was the Champion, Samash, as well as Usa and Padudu, who ranked second and third.
On Combat Island, where the strength of a city was determined by the number and skills of its Fighters, Lirua had suffered a blow that could not be healed in a short time.
I will announce the match-fixing and Kangkis death.
Then?
Then it will be up to the citizens of Lirua.
When he heard Lukas words, Lee Jong-hak smiled wryly.
Youre being irresponsible.
Because its not my responsibility.
This might have sounded cold at first, but Lukas continued.
Most of the citizens in this city were not aware of the match-fixing.
Huh?
I did an investigation before deciding what to do. Although most of them were unaware, at least one in five citizens realised what was happening. And even if they didnt know exactly what was happening, they should have had some suspicions.
Nevertheless, they didnt think about investigating it or digging into it. Instead, they pretended that they didnt notice anything.
He shook his head.
Im not saying that they are wrong for doing that.
Of course, those who chose to fight back were deserving of praise, but that didnt mean that they should curse those who chose to bow down in the face of power. Especially because this matter was not directly linked to their survival.
However,
Nevertheless, they still have to take responsibility. The benefits of being citizens of a major city that theyve enjoyed so far were all byproducts of lies and deceit.
Many would probably leave Lirua because they were unable to accept this.
Nevertheless, that was also the fate of this city.
Suddenly, someone staggered to their feet. The momentum of Lee Jong-hak, who had never let down his guard, quickly rose once again, but he soon calmed down.
This was because the person who was slowly stumbling towards them was not an enemy.
please wait a moment.
Lukas turned towards this person.
Bargan.
Yes.
Your body has already reached its limit. You need to rest and receive treatment as soon as possible. Otherwise, there will be aftereffects.
In fact, it was amazing that he was still conscious at that moment. He was probably moving his body through sheer willpower rather than physical strength.
However, Bargan slowly shook his head when he heard Lukas words.
Thank you for your concern. However There is something I would like to tell you before I allow myself to faint.
Book 2, Chapter 204
Book 2, Chapter 204 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Sei
Lukas looked at Bargan for a moment.
What is it?
Bargan knelt on both knees and pounded his forehead against the ground.
Thank you!
In that instant, the voice sounded in Lukas ears again.
[The loyalty of Wandering Dragonman Warrior, Bargan, has greatly increased because of your overwhelming achievements.]
[Bargans loyalty has reached the maximum. His very soul now regards you as his true master.]
[This Dragonman is willing to carry out any order you give him, even if it means risking life and limb.]
[You have perfectly completed the quest related to Bargan.]
[From now on, you can partially view a targets status window regardless of the targets favorability, loyalty, or hostility.]
[Versus Points(VP) have been unlocked!]
[VP can be obtained by accomplishing great achievements, making special discoveries, or completing high-level quests.]
[You have earned 5 VP.]
VP?
Lukas turned back to Bargan.
[Wandering Dragonman Fighter Bargan]
[Level: 60]
[Titles: Headsmasher Bargan, The One Who Does Not Compromise]
[Occupation: Fighter]
[Race: Dragonman]
[Skills: Swordsmanship(Lv.8), Malice(Lv.7), Survival Skills(Lv.7), Untamed Sword(Lv.5)]
[Loyalty: 100(MAX)]
[Difficulty: Clear]
[Feelings towards Participant: Trust more than that of family, Admiration as if seeing a hero of legend, Loyalty to the point of giving up his soul]
The difficulty level had disappeared, and instead, it was replaced by the word Clear.
In addition, his level and skill levels had increased from the last time hed viewed the window, and his feelings had become more detailed.
Lukas looked down at him and said.
You can thank me later. For now, I think there is something else that you want to tell me.
yes.
Bargans voice was hoarse as he spoke.
I think it is too early to announce Kangkis death.
Why?
Even though he was visibly shaking from fatigue, Bargans voice remained calm.
He was skilled at capturing the hearts of the people. That is part of the reason why he frequently appeared in the arena to host exhibition matches or to be the referee.
Lukas nodded at that.
Kangki didnt focus on just governing the city or dealing with internal matters like the other Major City Lords.
Instead, he often appeared in the arena during the most crowded events, imprinting his face into the minds of his citizens and giving them the showmanship that they were extremely enthusiastic about.
Thanks to that, the level of anticipation and admiration the citizens had towards Kangki far surpassed that of the Champion, Samash.
You can make use of the influence Kangki had while he was alive.
How?
fortunately, very few people know who Kangki really is.
As he said this, Bargan turned to look at Kangki.
No, he turned to look at the [Creed of Kamesh].
* * *
An arena located in the major city [Kisura], located in the northern part of Combat Island.
At that moment, this super-sized arena, which was much larger than the one in Lirua which had grown explosively in a short time, was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.
This wasnt because it was empty.
Far from it in fact. Every seat in the arena was filled, and there were even some spectators who were standing.
And yet, no one made a single sound.
Even Hankur, the Major City Lord, was the same.
No one could believe the scene that had just unfolded before their eyes.
Shivar, the proud Champion of Kisura, who was ranked second on the Championship ranking list that had been created after dozens of arena experts debated for weeks,
Had lost Had died.
It wasnt even a close match.
From the start, he didnt even have a chance.
As soon as the fight began, his head was blown off. Shivar hadnt even realised how hed died.
Whats more, his opponent wasnt even a famous Fighter with a reputation similar to his own. Instead, he was just a raw rookie who had entered the arena only a few weeks before.
Of course, even if he had achieved a monstrous win rate and showed off skills that allowed him to have a match with Shivar
I cant believe it even though I saw it with my own eyes.
Hankur muttered softly before letting out a sigh that was a mixture of dejection and excitement.
It was certainly painful that Shikar had died.
But more than that, he was glad that the man whod defeated him so easily was also a part of the Kisura Arena.
They were on completely different levels.
Just where had such a monster come from?
an outsider.
On Combat Island, there was a strong tendency to look down on outsiders, and Hankur was no different. Sar?h the novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
But at that moment, Hankurs prejudice against outsiders had completely disappeared.
Kran, huh?
Hankur let out a laugh.
Grand Champion Kran
Hankur was sure that this title would soon spread across the entire island.
* * *
The next day.
There was an incident that completely overturned the major city, Lirua.
Newspapers sold all over the city, including the large Paigwam Square, all had a special article that covered both sides of the first page.
[Upheaval in the Lirua Arena!]
[A massive rearrangement of the ranked Fighters, including the Champion!]
Naturally, when they saw this, the Dragonmens first reaction was confusion.
Whats going on?
Is this some kind of joke?
Although they said this, their eyes continued to scan the article. However, the more they read, the more confused they became.
To briefly summarise what it said, according to the article, hidden tests had been held over the past month or so, and in the process, the ranking in the arena, including that of the Champion, Samash, had been rearranged.
In addition, it was written that the matches were all fair and were carried out with the consent of both sides.
What is this bullsh*t!?
Samash, Usa, and Padudu were all changed?
Naturally, it was hard for people to understand.
They knew how strong the Fighters at the top of the rankings in the arena were. They had the firm belief that even if they were to compete in other arenas, they wouldnt be lacking, but would instead be at an advantage.
This belief in their Fighters was something the citizens in most cities had. Nevertheless, that wasnt the reason for their dissatisfaction.
Their dissatisfaction came from the fact that they were not able to see the tests with their own eyes. Even if there were hundreds of test matches, there was no reason for them to be completely hidden.
But most of all, they would not be convinced by a new Champion without seeing him defeat the current Champion.
That was when they saw the name of the new Champion.
[The New Champion of the Lirua Arena!]
[Dragon Hunter Lukas crushes Samash with overwhelming momentum!]
Lukas? What Lukas?
Are they talking about that coward from before?
How could that bastard become the Champion!?
A Fighter who had never won a match and had even disappeared after setting an unprecedented record of 12 straight losses.
No, it was too embarrassing to call Lukas, that outsider, a Fighter.
Naturally, the peoples complaints reached the sky. Most of them spat out curses and some even went so far as to say that they wouldnt go close to the arena until they got their rankers back.
About a month before the Championship.
The City of Lirua was heating up, and not in a good way.
(Note: I really want to see how Lukas will play this.)
Book 2, Chapter 205
Book 2, Chapter 205 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Sei
Kangkis office.
Well, although it was called an office, there werent any tables or chairs, or even documents or writing utensils. Instead, the only thing that filled this large space was a huge stone throne.
The Sorcerer Aram, one of Kangkis three henchmen, looked towards this large throne with a distraught expression.
P- please let me take a break, senior.
In just a few days, Arams face had become thin and pale, looking like someone who had one foot in the grave. There were large bags under his once exuberant eyes, and his glossy blue scales were now dry and cracked.
This sight would draw some pity from anyone who saw it, but Kangki
No, Bargan, who was wearing Kangkis disguise, responded coldly.
Dont make a fuss out of nothing. I think Ive given you more than enough time to rest.
C-, can you call it enough rest when Im able to sleep about three hours a day?
Thats because you enjoyed enough rest in the past. Think of this as payment for your crimes.
Uh uhh
Arams head dropped slightly, a dissatisfied expression on his face.
Bargans eyebrows furrowed for a while, but soon, his face relaxed and he spoke in a calm voice.
Youre right. You do need to rest more.
Thats right.
Then Ill personally tell the Lord for you.
Shocked, Aram quickly began to shake his head.
N-, no! Its fine!
No. Now that I think about it, we have been overworking you quite a bit. Dont worry. You should know what kind of personality the Lord has.
Bargan smiled coldly and added.
Because its proven by the fact that your head is still attached.
Arams body shook like a tree in a hurricane. Then, he quickly stood to his feet and said.
N-, now that I think about it, I havent finished organising the proceeds from the arena for this week. And I also have to pay close attention to the match schedule We need to organise matches that are as interesting as possible. But that will be hard since most of the top-ranked Fighters are gone.
Please pretend I didnt say anything. Ill be taking my leave!
After saying that, Aram practically ran out of the office without waiting for a response.
Click.
It was only after the door closed and he could no longer hear Arams footsteps in the hallway that Bargan leaned comfortably against the stone throne.
Hooo
Sitting on this throne and receiving hundreds of reports a day without being able to move
Was much more mentally exhausting than he thought.
No.
To be precise, it was more that it didnt suit Bargans personality and ability.
He thought that it would be better for him to run around in the arena all day than to sit in this office.
Nevertheless, he couldnt entrust this role to anyone else.
This was because there was no one else he could trust in the current Lirua.
there is only one.
Lukas.
Bargan was certain that his lord would be able to handle things much more easily and flexibly than he could. But he didnt even think about asking him to do so. Sear?h the Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Lukas had said that the citizens of Lirua should take responsibility for their actions.
Bargan couldnt help but agree with that statement. In fact, when he first heard that the citizens of Lirua knew about the match-fixing in the arena but still chose to turn a blind eye to it, he felt betrayed.
Nevertheless, Bargan decided that it would be better to conceal Kangkis misdeeds and death for now.
Kangkis influence and prestige were in no way lesser than that of the other Major City Lords. And for the time being, it was necessary to make use of that prestige to block the threat of other cities.
The major cities were fine.
Lukas had been able to personally negotiate with most of the Major City Lords. They already knew about Kangkis death, and if they had a conscience, then they wouldnt try to swallow Lirua. For now at least.
The real danger came from those cities that were too small to be called major cities but were also too large to really be called medium cities. The lords of these cities were constantly looking for opportunities to expand their territory.
If Liruas weakness was exposed, then they would immediately set their greedy eyes upon it. In the end, the entirety of Lirua would be devoured like a weakened wildebeest set upon by a pack of hyenas.
Thats why he chose to use Kangkis armor in order to keep his death hidden.
This was an idea Bargan came up with, so naturally, Bargan had to take responsibility for it.
This was also why he asked Lukas to spare Aram.
In this situation, what was needed the most wasnt the strength of the Fighter, but business acumen and insight.
Of course, it was pure luck that hed managed to survive before that since Lee Jong-hak hadnt been merciful with his sword.
To tell the truth, Bargan had yet to forgive Aram for what hed done.
Hed personally destroyed several groups and individuals who might have had rebellious thoughts against the arena like the Fangs of Kamesh. This meant that his hands were stained with blood and sin.
Nevertheless, his talents were useful in this situation, and Bargan had no choice but to admit it.
It was only a small exaggeration to say that without Aram, Liruas system as a city would have collapsed by now.
Its still a bit shaky though.
Most of the stars who had supported the Lirua Arena were no longer around, and because of this, the profits of the arena fell sharply to less than half of before the incident.
This was a fatal blow that caused one emergency after another.
In order to recover their losses, it was necessary to have someone competent at the helm, and Aram was a perfect fit for this role.
Tuk tuk.
Then he heard a knock on the door.
Bargan could feel a headache slowly brewing. Although he had studied management, negotiation, and politics in his own time, those were not things that could be learned in a short time.
Nevertheless, it couldnt be helped.
Bargan imitated Kangkis voice and spoke in a low tone.
Come in.
Click.
The door opened and one of Kangkis men entered. He was a low-level minion who hadnt even realised Bargan had become Kangki.
This was proven by the fact that he entered the room with a terrified expression on his face and quickly knelt to the floor.
I greet the City Lord.
Thats enough. Why are you here?
Bargan spoke in a cold voice, but this wasnt targeted at the minion. This was simply the tone he found that was most similar to Kangkis regular voice. But because he didnt want to risk exposing himself, he only said a few words at a time.
The minion trembled and said.
Y-, you have a visitor, my Lord.
did you forget that I said that I wouldnt be seeing any guests for the time being?
This was also one of the special measures taken by Bargan until he had completely become Kangki. He still needed time to understand Kangkis connections more thoroughly.
The minions expression was wrought with fear.
O-, of course not. But this is a guest that cannot be refused
A guest that cannot be refused?
Yes, sir.
The minion gulped a mouthful of saliva.
It is a messenger from Dragon God Island.
Book 2, Chapter 206
Book 2, Chapter 206 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Sei
After the series of commotions in Lirua subsided a bit, Lukas found himself standing before a familiar blacksmith.
To be precise, it was a Dragonman with bright blue hair who was said to be one of if not the best blacksmith in the entirety of the Heavenly Realm.
When Lukas first arrived, this female Dragonman, Nekdu, didnt seem to be very busy. In fact, she wasnt even wearing work clothes. Instead, she was dressed neatly as though she had been waiting for Lukas to arrive.
Nekdu looked at Lukas with her aqua blue eyes and said.
You took longer than I expected.
The clean-up was a bit long.
Right.
Nekdu stood up from her seat and continued.
Lets go someplace quieter.
Nodding, Lukas followed her.
They headed to the second floor of the smithy. That was where the rooms the blacksmiths lived in were. Nekdus goal was a door at the end of the hallway. (Note: Going to her room already? OwO)
Click.
When she opened the door, a cloud of dust flew out. It seemed that this room had not been used for a long time. The entire room was covered in dust, but Nekdu didnt seem to care as she stuck her butt on a chair the original color of which was indiscernible due to the layer of dust without any signs of discomfort.
It seems that you really went wild.
I know everything. I heard about it from the craftsmen that you saved from Kangkis little dungeon.
It seemed she had her sources of information.
Lukas simply nodded.
What about Kangki?
Dead.
I see.
There was no change to Nekdus expression.
However,
[Unlocked hidden title Major City Lord Slayer.]
[The Lava Blacksmith, Nekdu, is surprised by the participants great achievement.] S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
[Nekdus favourability has increased.]
[Lave Blacksmith Nekdu]
[Level: 64]
[Title: Fire Hammer of Babylon, Blessed by the God of Blacksmiths, Descendant of Iron and Fire]
[Occupation: Blacksmith]
[Race: Dragonman]
[Favourability: 45]
[Difficulty: B]
He saw more information than he had previously.
This allowed him to notice two things.
First was her level. Lukas realised that Nekdus level was much higher than hed initially expected. At level 64, she was even higher than Bargan.
Next was favourability.
He figured that this was probably similar to the loyalty stat that Bargan and Ashstar had.
This means that someone else is using the [Creed of Kamesh] now.
Right.
After thinking for a while, Nekdu looked at Lukas before bowing her head.
First off, I think I should thank you.
Were you also trapped here by Kangki?
Its not that. To put it bluntly, he used collateral.
Collateral?
Right.
Nekdu nodded.
Did you learn of my identity from Kangki?
He called you the Hammer of Babylon.
Right.
Then the person in Babylon now is
My disciple.
Lukas tilted his head slightly at those words.
I know the Major City Lord of Babylon. She seems to me like a thorough person. At the very least, I dont believe she wouldnt be able to tell that a famous craftsman in her city was a fake.
The nickname Fire Hammer is something that is given to the best blacksmith in Babylon. In my case, I left the city around 100 years ago, so in truth, I can no longer go by the title Fire Hammer of Babylon.
Lukas nodded.
So thats how it was.
Besides, this generation of Fire Hammer isnt bad at all. They arent much worse than I am.
Nekdus words still implied that she was better. This was probably a remark that came from her pride as a craftsman.
After saying that, however, Nekdu let out a long sigh.
Anyway, I wandered around for a while in order to polish my skills. My biggest mistake was coming to Lirua about 25 years ago, because I managed to catch the eye of that bastard, Kangki. At that time, Kangki was kidnapping various craftsmen around the world, and among them were several of my acquaintances and disciples. He forced me to help him make a few things by threatening to kill them.
Is the Creed of Kamesh one of those things?
Right. Compared to the others, that one took a bit of effort.
From her tone, it didnt seem that Nekdu considered the Creed of Kamesh to be one of her masterpieces.
Judging from the techniques used in the [Staff of the Distant Night Sky], it seemed that Nekdu was more comfortable making weapons.
Nevertheless, she was so talented that there werent any problems when she made the armor.
In any case, I owe you one, so tell me if you ever want me to make something for you in the future. Ill do my best and make three things for you.
Three items were made by the Hammer of Babylon, Nedku.
It seemed that his gains this time would be much greater than hed imagined.
Thank you.
Dont worry about it. What else did you come to me for?
Lukas expression changed slightly and he immediately brought up the main point for his visit.
Have you ever been to Dragon God Island?
why that?
I have a question about the Sculpture of the Dragon God that is placed there.
Nekdu couldnt help but tilt her head to the side.????????????????????d. ????????????
Sculpting is not my field.
I thought so. Nevertheless, I couldnt help but feel that a blacksmith like you would know more about it than others.
This was evidenced by the fact that Nekdu knew refiners capable of refining an Ancient Dragons heart. But most of all, it was proven by her reaction when he first mentioned Dragon God Island.
That
Just as Nekdu stopped hesitating and opened her mouth,
Click!
The door opened and someone entered the room.
It was one of the blacksmiths that Lukas had met before, Rytol.
Nekdu frowned.
What is it? Cant you see Im talking right now?
Im sorry. But this matter is urgent, so theres nothing I could do about it.
As he said that, Rytol turned away from Nekdu, and instead looked at Lukas. Seeing this, Nekdu looked back and forth between Rytol and Lukas for a moment before opening her mouth.
It seems like you have something to do. Why dont you go deal with that first? In any case, I need some time to think.
Sure.
Lukas nodded and got to his feet. Then, he followed Rytol to the first floor where he saw an unexpected face.
Bargan?
Lukas knew that he had been fairly busy these past few days. He hadnt even had the chance to meet him properly. Instead, he could only send his subordinates over to give reports on his behalf.
At that moment, Bargans expression was much more serious than usual.
Im sorry to disturb you, my Lord.
Its no problem. Whats the matter?
an envoy from Dragon God Island came.
From Dragon God Island?
Yes. They said they would like to meet you, my Lord.
Me?
Lukas narrowed his eyes slightly.
It wasnt very surprising that an envoy had come from Dragon God Island. After all, it was the entity that practically ruled over the Heavenly Realm.
If they had found out about the recent purge of the arena, it wouldnt be strange for them to send someone to find the reason.
However, Lukas had kept a tight leash on all the Fighters who had been involved that night. They feared him greatly, so at least for the time being, he was certain that they would never reveal anything even if their lives were put on the line.
Even though he expected leaks to happen eventually, this was way too fast.
More importantly,
Lukas wasnt convinced that the delegate from Dragon God Island wanted to meet him specifically.
Are you sure that I am the one they asked to meet?
He thought that they might have used a simple title.
For example, it was possible that theyd seen through Bargans impersonation of Kangki, and had asked him to bring his superior.
But, contrary to his beliefs, Bargan shook his head.
Thats not it. The envoy clearly stated that they would like to meet Lukas Trowman.
Lukas couldnt help but pause when he heard those words.
Trowman? Did they really say that?
Yes. Ah. Now that I think about it.
Bargan tilted his head slightly.
This is my first time hearing your last name, my Lord.
That was to be expected.
After all, ever since hed come to the Heavenly Realm, Lukas had only introduced himself as Lukas.
Even if you counted the widely used title that was associated with his name, Dragon Hunter, or the titles commonly used by the spectators of the Lirua Arena like coward and runaway, there was never any mention of a surname.
This fact naturally brought a question to mind.
Who was this envoy from Dragon God Island, and how did they know that his surname was Trowman?
Book 2, Chapter 207
Book 2, Chapter 207 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Sei
Bargan glanced behind him. Lukas was following him with a hood tightly wrapped around his face. This was to avoid causing a commotion.
Currently, Lukas reputation in the city was at its worst.
It had already reached its lowest after he had lost 12 fights consecutively, but now it had somehow dropped even lower.
It was for this reason that Bargan had initially not wanted Lukas to take the position as Champion. Of course, this wasnt because he doubted Lukas strength or because he didnt think he was fit to be the Champion.
Instead, it was because he felt that the timing was not good.
The citizens of Lirua had never seen Lukas true power. Far from it in fact. They all thought that Lukas was a fraud, a runaway, and a coward.
The citizens of the city were not bighearted or foolish enough to cheer him on just because he was currently sitting in the Champion seat.
Instead, they regarded him as a target to point their growing dissatisfaction at.
Dammit. I dont even feel like going to the arena anymore.
Why is that cowardly son of a bitch still holding on to the Champion title? We want to see his skills.
Since he got the position through cowardly means, he naturally wants to avoid fighting.
we should just move to another city. I heard the Babylon Arena is pretty good.
I doubt there are any houses left.
The square was the center of the city.
Even if you didnt try to actively listen for it, you could easily hear gossip about Lukas while walking by.
For Dragonmen on Combat Island, moving from one city to another wasnt that big of a deal.
They were the type who thirsted after high quality matches in the arena, and people would always flock to cities with large arenas.
Of course, as a result of this, the population of the major cities was always saturated. So even if they wanted to go, they couldnt just pack their things and leave.
Because of that, very few Dragonmen actually chose to leave Lirua, however
This is only temporary.
If the issues in the arena werent solved urgently, then within a short period of time, Lirua would become an empty city.
And in Bargans opinion, the easiest way to solve these issues was for Lukas to go forward and show his abilities. (Note: Im wondering why he hasnt done it yet perhaps waiting for a big reveal.)
If he were to show the overwhelming power hed displayed while overpowering Kangki, the citizens would definitely be left speechless.
Nevertheless, he had no intention of forcing the issue.
Bargan knew his position well.
Its not just about relying on the Lord.
He had to take responsibility for his own choices.
With that thought in mind, he continued to walk quietly. After a short while, Lukas spoke to him.
Hows the city operation going?
Not bad. Aram is a big help.
Aram
Lukas mumbled his name for a moment before continuing in a soft tone.
Its natural that hed be like that.
Huh?
Aram is a fox. It might seem like hes lowering his head to you now, but he will betray you without hesitation if the chance ever presents itself. Youd better be careful not to get hit in the back of the head.
Ah. Yes. I will keep that in mind.
In truth, when it came to Aram, Bargans thoughts were the same. But in the current situation, he had no choice but to use him even with the risk.
Seeing that he understood what he was saying, Lukas didnt say anything else and instead changed the subject.
How is your body?
Im a lot better now. Im not sure if you were aware, but there is a life support apparatus in the armor. It has helped me a lot.
I see. Thats good.
Thank you for your concern.
Lukas nodded and continued. Sarch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
The [Creed of Kamesh] will become a major weapon for you. As long as you use it well, it will be of great assistance. And
Lukas was about to say something more, but he closed his mouth. Realising something, Bargan also turned his head to look to the front once again.
Before they knew it, they had already arrived at their destination.
They were now in front of Kangkis castle, which was so tall it seemed to pierce the sky.
* * *
This is the room.
Kangki stood in front of the room that the envoys were staying in before asking again.
Are you really fine with doing this alone?
His expression was filled with worry and the reason was simple.
He couldnt figure out the purpose behind the visit of the envoys from Dragon God Island.
Although it was unlikely and he didnt dare to think about it, there was still a possibility that Lukas was in danger.
Nevertheless, Lukas expression didnt change at all because of this.
Its fine. Just wait outside. They said they didnt want a third party joining in.
thats true, but
After hesitating for a while, Bargan sighed and he had no choice but to say,
If anything happens, give me a signal. I will join you immediately.
Right.
Lukas knocked on the door and opened it after hearing an answer from within.
Click.
The interior of the room was quiet, so it didnt feel like anyone was there.
Nevertheless, in the dim light, the figures of the envoys were barely visible.
Both of them were wearing hoods, so he couldnt see their faces.
Without any hesitation, Lukas took a few steps towards them. Then, after he was about two steps away, he opened his mouth first.
I am Lukas.
Why dont you take your hood off first?
He complied.
As the hood lifted and revealed Lukas face, he felt one of the envoys take a deep breath.
What kind of business does Dragon God Island have with me?
hoh.
One of the envoys let out a soft exclamation of admiration. It was the envoy on the left. His voice sounded older than Lukas expected. From his small stature and the curve of his back, it was clear that this was probably a fairly old man.
You certainly do have some skill since you managed to kill Kangki.
He knew about him killing Kangki.
It didnt seem like someone had leaked the secret, so Lukas didnt show any external reaction as he replied.
I showed my face, it would be polite of you to do the same.
Huhu! This kid who cant tell the difference between heaven and earth is really talking to us about courtesy?
if you wish
When he heard the tone in the mans voice, Lukas voice became cold.
I can say something even worse. Would you like to hear it? (Note:is this really Lukas?)
Impudent!
This time it was the one on the right who spoke.
He also seemed to be an old man, but the vigor behind his voice was formidable. His short shout was like a clap of thunder.
Do you know who we are to talk to us like that?
I dont know. Did you introduce yourselves to me?
What did you say?
If this is all you called me for, then Ill be taking my leave. Im a very busy person, and I have a lot of work to do.
A rough breath was heard.
It seemed that the old man on the right was at the end of his patience.
Just as the momentum in his body was beginning to seep out
Priests of East and West, please contain yourselves.
He was interrupted by a sudden voice which was as refreshing as a stream flowing in a forest.
The moment he heard this voice, Lukas eyebrows twitched slightly.
He turned to look at the envoy in the middle.
Book 2, Chapter 208
Book 2, Chapter 208 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Sei
When the two heard the words of the man in the middle, they quickly restrained their auras and lowered their heads.
Im sorry.
Please forgive me. Sarch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
The one you should be apologizing to isnt me, its him.
These two, who were called priests, mumbled softly at that, clearly not intending to comply. From their attitudes, Lukas could tell that they werent completely submissive to the person in the middle.
As they continued to hesitate and procrastinate, the man in the middle spoke coldly.
Would you like me to tell the Goddess about this?
T-, that!
Of course not.
Startled, the two old priests immediately turned and lowered their heads to Lukas. They even went as far as to take off their hoods, allowing him to see their old, wrinkled faces.
It was only then that Lukas realised they were a man and a woman. The one with the particularly heavy voice was the man, and the other was the old woman.
Apologize for your rude behaviour.
East Priest.
sorry.
The old man shut his eyes tightly and said what was likely the best apology he could give.
Surprisingly, the old woman bowed her head calmly and spoke clearly.
Please excuse my rudeness.
Lukas nodded slightly.
Seeing this, they quickly regained their posture after completing what they were told to do.
The priests have shown you something embarrassing. Please dont take it to heart.
Its fine.
then, first off.
The man turned to the two at his sides.
Priest of East and West, please excuse us for a moment.
Huh?
That could be dangerous, Young Dragon.
This is an order.
His firm tone showed that there was no room for discussion.
The two old priests looked uncomfortable, but they didnt try to argue. Instead, they turned their eyes to Lukas.
Though they remained silent, their eyes told a thousand words.
If he was to do anything to this person, they would grind his bones to dust.
Lukas ignored them.
kuk.
They grit their teeth for a moment before reluctantly standing bowing to the Young Dragon.
Please be careful.
If he tries to do anything, give us a signal immediately.
Lukas found this amusing since hed heard something similar before entering the room.
While he was thinking this, the priests had left the room.
Click.
Now, Lukas and the Young Dragon were the only ones left in the room.
Nevertheless, the atmosphere wasnt awkward or tense.
Lukas spoke in a calm voice.
I almost didnt recognise you.
you know who I am?
A soft smile appeared on Lukas lips.
Right.
The Young Dragon fell silent for a moment.
A-, ahaha
Then they burst into joyful laughter.
The sound of his laughter was pleasant and familiar.
The Young Dragon slowly lowered his hood, revealing features so beautiful it was easy to mistake him for a woman.
The Saint of Salvation.
Arid, who had been called by that title in the past, looked at Lukas with a teary gaze.
Master.
Should I say its been a while?
Yeah It has.
Arid nodded, wiping the moisture that had settled in the corners of his eyes.
His tender and pure demeanor seemed the same, but he also appeared bolder and more mature than before.
Most importantly, the charisma that hed displayed when dealing with the old priests not so long ago was nothing to scoff at.
Finally, I finally managed to meet you
However, it seemed that charisma had disappeared now that he was alone in front of Lukas.
I Master
Say it.
Can I hug you?
That
Unsurprisingly, when Lukas, who was not fond of direct contact, trailed off without finishing his sentence, Arids expression became one of disappointment.
It was an expression that would make anyone who saw it feel guilty, causing them to reluctantly go along with whatever request was made.
Although Lukas could resist this, in the end, he chose not to.
just a light hug.
Yay!
Arid ran to Lukas with quick steps and stuck to him like a cicada. Lukas patted him on the back a few times with an awkward expression.
Ah, its been so long. Masters voice
Right.
Masters body temperature, Masters heartbeat
Masters scent
I think thats enough.
Lukas had a feeling that if he let this continue, Arid might say something stranger, so he gently but forcibly removed him.
Arid, I think thats enough for the reunion. There are many things I want to ask you.
Yes.
First off How long have you been in this world?
Its been about 10 years.
10 years.
In other words.
You didnt even clear the first stage of the tutorial.
Thats right.
Arid nodded without any signs of embarrassment.
Instead, Lukas was the one who stared at him with a puzzled expression and asked.
Did you know that your time of entry would be delayed for every tutorial stage you cleared?
Yeah.
How?
Because I was able to figure out when the other participants would enter.
Lukas narrowed his eyes slightly.
That means your Power of Communication can also be used in the Heavenly Realm.
Yep.
Before meeting you, Ive already met Min Ha-rin and Lee Jong-hak. It should have been quite a while since they entered the Heavenly Realm, but I havent been able to find the others yet. Since you can use your Power of Communication, we should be able to find where the others are.
Thats right. I know where they are.
When he heard Arids confirmation, Lukas expression became quite bizarre.
You know where they are but you didnt search for them?
Arids expression changed slightly when he heard that.
Its not something I could decide on my own.
What do you mean?
Master, I cant leave Dragon God Island without permission from the Goddess.
Goddess.
Once again, this name had appeared in front of him.
Lukas looked at Arid.
The envoys from Dragon God Island had mentioned his surname Trowman.
When he first heard that, his first thought was that it could be Leo, Arid, or Sedi. This was natural, because no one in the Heavenly Realm, apart from those who came from Earth, knew his full name.
And as he expected, the envoy from Dragon God Island turned out to be Arid. But now, the situation seemed to be more complicated than hed originally thought.
I came to Lirua today for many reasons, but the most important one was to convey the Goddess will.
The Goddess will?
Yes. Ahem.
Arid cleared his throat for a moment, and when he opened his mouth again, his attitude was completely different from before.
* * *
Come to Dragon God Island as soon as possible.
Lukas waited for the rest of the message, but Arid just continued staring at him with a solemn gaze.
In the end, he couldnt help but ask.
is that it?
Yes.
Seeing him nod innocently, Lukas couldnt help but feel a bit strange.
What did she mean by come to Dragon God Island? Even if she hadnt told him, that was his goal. Or was there some kind of hidden meaning behind it?
With that thought in mind, Lukas turned to Arid.
Arid, do you know what my current goal is?
Yes. I heard that you were looking for special statues.
Heard.
From who?
Lukas had this question in mind, but he refrained from asking it for now.
There were already quite a few things that he wanted to ask Arid, and they were likely to increase as their conversation progressed. If he were to cut the flow every time he wanted to sate his curiosity, their conversation would never progress.
Right. Theres something I want to ask. Is the Dragon God Statue on Dragon God Island one of the special statues Im looking for?
It was a straightforward question, but Arids reaction was unexpected.
His expression was strange, and it neither confirmed nor denied his question.
He licked his lips for a moment before looking Lukas in the eyes and taking a deep breath as if hed come to a decision about something.
That Actually
Crackle!
Ugh!
A white spark suddenly ran across Arids chest.
Immediately afterward, his face became pale and he stumbled backward.
Lukas quickly rushed forward and caught Arid, who was about to fall over.
Then he looked at his chest with a slightly strained expression.
This
There was a rune on his chest.
It seemed to have the function of preventing Arid from saying certain things.
It looked like sorcery but there also seemed to be a different kind of power added to it. Something that Lukas hadnt encountered before.
His face became cold.
Did the Goddess do this to you?
Yes. Ah! B-, but!
Seeing his expression, Arid hurriedly added.
This isnt because she doesnt trust me, or she doesnt like me, or she wants to abuse me!
Then what is it?
Arid didnt seem to hold any resentment towards the Goddess who had put this rune on him.
His reaction was something that Lukas couldnt readily understand.
Im sorry, Master. I dont think I can tell you anything about Dragon God Island without permission.
Thats fine.
It was a pity that he wouldnt be able to obtain the information he wanted right away, but that didnt mean that it was a major obstacle.
Lukas had already made all of his preparations to enter Dragon God Island. Now, all he needed to do was compete in the Championship and win.
This meant that it was only a matter of time before he met the Goddess for himself.
Rather than that, there is something else that I want to ask you. Are you sure the Goddess is not an enemy?
Yes. Its impossible.
Arid denied it in a firm voice.
Lukas looked at his expression for a while.
This was because it was also possible that he had been manipulated and brainwashed in order to make such a denial.
If he was being manipulated or forced to say those words then there would be a subtle sense of awkwardness when he said it. And at Lukas level, it wouldnt be difficult to find that sense of awkwardness.
But he didnt find any such signs.
It seemed that Arid hadnt been brainwashed.
From his tone and expression, Arids remarks were his own thoughts and feelings. But when he saw this, Lukas realised this situation might be more complicated than he initially thought.????????????????e????????. ?????????
shes not an enemy, but she put restrictions on Arids actions?
At first glance, this behaviour seemed contradictory, but it wasnt.
It wasnt Arid that the Goddess didnt trust, it was Lukas. She probably knew how Arid thought of Lukas. If it wasnt for her rune, it was clear that Arid would have already told Lukas everything hed seen and heard on Dragon God Island.
This was probably the situation that the Goddess wanted to avoid.
After thinking about this, two questions appeared in Lukas mind.
First, what exactly was the Goddess goal?
And second, was the Goddess an enemy, or an ally?
He looked at Arid.
Arid was currently looking at Lukas with a slightly anxious expression.
When he saw that, Lukas realised that there was something else that he should prioritize instead of urging him to answer his question.
Before that, tell me about you.
Huh?
You said you arrived in the Heavenly Realm 10 years ago, didnt you? Many things must have happened in that time, and you must have experienced all kinds of hardships on your own. Tell me about them.
Id like to hear everything thats happened till now.
When he heard those words, Arid began to tremble.
As he stared at Lukas, tears began forming in his eyes once again.
He sniffled and nodded.
Yes. I
Book 2, Chapter 211
Book 2, Chapter 211 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Sei
I should probably get going now.
Arid said these words with a sad expression on his face. Seeing this, Lukas decided to ease his disciples worries a bit.
I will come see you as soon as possible.
Like a light being turned on in a dark room, Arids expression became bright in an instant.
Is that a promise?
Yes.
He slightly restrained Arid, who was coming in for another hug, patted him on the shoulder, and hurriedly left the room.
Lukas then witnessed the situation he had expected.
The East and West Priests and Bargan were glaring at each other.
When the door opened, they all turned their heads at the same time.
My Lord.
Young Dragon!
As Lukas and Arid approached them, they greeted them with similar expressions.
Young Dragon, did this guy do anything rude to you?
I told you that it would be fine.
Unlike before, Arid answered in a sharp voice.
But the East Priests words touched Bargans reverse scale.
this guy?
He glared at the East Priest with a fierce expression.
East Priest, please watch your words. That is not a person you can treat lightly.
The East Priest chuckled.
Then what kind of person is he?
He is my Lord.
But that doesnt make him my Lord. At best, he is just a Fighter, and even if he does well in the arena, he would just be a Champion.
For a moment, Bargan couldnt think of anything to refute the East Priests words.
You are the same, Fighter Bargan. You are receiving the treatment of a Major City Lord now because you are impersonating Kangki, but do not think that such treatment will last forever.
East Priest.
This time, it was a cold voice that called out to him.
It was Arid.
His face was twisted in an expression of anger that Lukas had never seen before.
I have advised you over and over to not be rude. sea??h th N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Young Dragon, I-
Ah, it seems that the East Priest doesnt acknowledge me as the Young Dragon.
How could that be possible? The Young Dragon knows how loyal I am, dont you?
Even though I said something many times, you refused to heed my words. Is that how the East Priest shows me his loyalty?
Th-, thats not
The East Priest was so nervous that his wrinkled face became pale.
Bargan looked at Arid in surprise.
He didnt know what kind of conversation theyd had inside, but the Young Dragon seemed to be more polite than the two old priests.
Fighter Bargan, will you please excuse the rudeness of the priests?
N-, no. Its fine.
Bargan quickly bowed his head as he stuttered a response. Seeing this, Arid smiled gently before turning back to Lukas.
Then I look forward to seeing you again.
I hope you have a safe and smooth trip back.
Lukas used a different tone when seeing Arid off.
It was fine when it was just the two of them, but it wouldnt be good to speak informally to Arid in front of members of Dragon God Island.
Because they had spoken a lot beforehand, Arid bowed his head and left Lirua with light steps.
Bargan glanced at Lukas and said.
By chance, did the Young Dragon express any concerns about the current situation in Lirua?
The thing Bargan mentioned now was probably the thing he was most worried about.
Major City Lord was a position that was originally meant to be obtained through bloody efforts and after fulfilling several tricky conditions.
One needed to obtain the position of Champion and maintain it for a year in at least five cities, and, most importantly, they had to have reached the semifinals in the Championship.
But what about Bargan?
He had failed to become the Champion in even a single arena.
It was for that reason that Bargan had tried to hide his identity with the [Creed of Kamesh], but the Young Dragon had been able to see through him from the very start.
Lukas shook his head at Bargans worries.
No.
If not, maybe he proposed some kind of condition to you in order to keep it a secret
Theres no need to worry, Bargan. The Young Dragon is on our side.
Although his anxiety didnt disappear completely, Bargan nodded because his trust and confidence in Lukas far exceeded his fear.
After thinking for a while, Lukas opened his mouth again.
There is only a bit over a month left before the Championship begins.
Thats right. Its just around the corner.
theres some place I need to go first.
Huh? Where?
Death Island.
!
Bargan was shocked.
Th-, that
Its a very dangerous place. I know, but Ill be fine. I plan to head there in order to prepare thoroughly.
Lukas continued in a low voice.
Bargan, before I leave, theres something I need to tell you.
* * *
The next day.
As the day dawned and he prepared to visit Nekdu, Lukas welcomed an unexpected visitor.
Long time no see, Master. (Note: Imagine if this was a cliffhanger)
It was none other than Min Ha-rin. The young woman tried hard to not display her joy on her face.
It has been a long time.
Yes. You Are you feeling better now?
Lukas tilted his head at Min Ha-rins concern.
Mm? Who told you I was hurt?
N-, no. Its not that. I just kept hearing a lot about Master in Lirua, and I thought that you went through a lot of hardships here.
Before coming here, Min Ha-rin had wandered the streets of Lirua for a while.????????????????e????. ????????m
She heard the citizens of Lirua swearing at Lukas.
Calling him a coward, a fraud, and a runaway.
Just thinking about it made her puff up in rage.
Min Ha-rin really wanted to throw a couple wide range spells in their faces, but she forcibly endured it with superhuman will.
Im fine. Everything is alright.
I, Im glad. And
Min Ha-rin bowed her head and apologised.
Im sorry.
What for?
I was the one who recommended Lirua. I think that made things more complicated
She wasnt wrong.
Had he headed to another city, Lukas could have won the title of Champion easily.
But Lukas shook his head.
You only made the suggestion, but the choice was mine. Moreover, it is thanks to Lirua that I was able to reach 8 stars faster than expected. So in the end, everything worked out.
You reached 8 stars?
Right. Its a bit of a long story, so I think Ill put it off until next time By the way, youre the Champion. Is it okay for you to wander around like this?
Min Ha-rin smiled awkwardly.
Ive been having a lot of matches lately so Ill have to go back tonight. The Championship is just around the corner, so the arena is at its fiercest.
Considering the time it took to travel there and back, it was clear that Min Ha-rin had only just managed to squeeze a bit of time to come.
Lukas nodded.
Thats why you came so early in the morning.
Yes.
I dont think you came here just to see me. Did something happen?
Actually that was my first reason. Fortunately, it seems that youre okay, so Ill tell you the rest right away.
Min Ha-rin paused for a moment, her expression changing.
Do you read the news, Master?
I paid attention to it in the past, but I havent in the past few days.
It was necessary to collect information in order to bring down Kangki. So hed taken the time to read the various newspapers in the city every day.
Thanks to this, he was able to obtain knowledge that he couldnt get just by reading books.
Then you probably didnt see these articles.
After saying that, she reached into her pocket and pulled out two pieces of paper. She held the first one out to Lukas.
There was no need to unfold it.
The article was so large that it filled the entire page.
The words written in those large letters were as follows:
[The Kisura Arena completely dominated!]
[The Greatest Upset! Super strong Champion Shivar killed!]
[What is the true identity of this super rookie who shot up like a comet, Kran?]
Lukas was silent for a moment before finally speaking.
Kran.
Yeah.
Min Ha-rin nodded.
Over the past few days, his name has spread across the entirety of Combat Island. I heard that he displayed an amazing performance. So its natural that theyd be enthusiastic. The Fighter he faced was no joke. In fact, he was one of the strongest contenders for this Championship.
Champion Shivar.
Hed seen that name before.
It had been on the ranking list of Champions that had been made by dozens of experts.
If its Kran, that wouldnt be too difficult.
A man who stood at the very edge of mortality.
It was for that reason that Lukas had wanted him to be his ally in the Great Game.
The fact that Kran had appeared in the Heavenly Realm
Kasajin
Was he also somewhere in the Heavenly Realm?
Was the identity of the Absolute on Death Island none other than Kasajin?
Deciding to not express his doubts and worries for now, Lukas opened his mouth.
There is another article. Is that one also about Kran?
No, but
Min Ha-rins expression became very serious at that moment.
It might be something even more serious than that.
Then she showed him the second article.
And Lukas eyes went wide when he saw it.
Book 2, Chapter 212
Book 2, Chapter 212 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Sei
The article was much longer than Lukas expected.
He wasnt able to immediately understand why Min Ha-rin wanted him to see this article, unlike the other article about Kran from which he grasped her intentions just from the headline.
It seemed that she wanted him to read the entire article.
Considering Min Ha-rins meticulous personality, she must have gone over the contents several times and cut off the unimportant part, but it was still quite long.
Fortunately, Lukas could read through it quickly.
As he read the article, he categorised the important components and keywords that he found and separated them in his head.
After reading for a while, he realised something.
This wasnt a single article. Instead, it was a compilation of at least a dozen or more articles that had been cut and pasted onto a new piece of paper. They were probably articles Min Ha-rin had collected. (Note: It took him that long to realise that?)
All the articles spoke about a murderer.
The murderer seemed to have first appeared on Desire Island about three to four years ago.
So far, about 131 people have been killed by them. Or at least, that was how many had been found.
Nevertheless, their notoriety had spread even to Combat Island, which was almost on the other side of the Heavenly Realm.
This was because most of the people he killed were bigshots who dominated the island.
Lukas knew about Desire Island.
It could be said that the entire island was like a giant red-light district.
It was a place where rights claims, confrontations, and territorial disputes were more severe than anywhere else, and where murder, drug abuse, and human trafficking were common occurrences.
It was a thorn in the eyes of Dragon God Island, but they couldnt do anything about it openly.
The rulers of Desire Island were crafty. They learned their lesson from the Island of Adventure of the past and made sure not to go past the Goddess bottom line.
They carried out their debauchery in the shadows without directly violating the rules set by the Goddess.
The ones the murderer had killed one after the other were all leaders of the underworld.
Perhaps because he had been active for quite some time, there was a lot more information about the murderer than would be expected.
[Meticulous and ruthless skills.]
[Presumed to be an outsider.]
[According to eyewitness testimony, he is a young man with features so beautiful he could be mistaken for a woman.]
[It is assumed that he doesnt use weapons.]
Min Ha-rin slowly opened her mouth.
I was focusing on any news about outsiders in the Heavenly Realm. Before we came, outsiders were pretty rare in the Heavenly Realm.
Thats an efficient approach.
Since all the participants were outsiders, the scope of Min Ha-rins information collection method could be narrowed significantly.
In addition, it was worthwhile since she would be able to passively gain information about Lukas and the other members of their team as well as the other Absolutes and their teams.
Its said that the murderer is so famous that there is no one in and around Desire Island who doesnt know of him. The communication media in this world isnt very developed, so I was only able to gain this information recently.
Lukas was silent for a moment before speaking.
Is it Leo?
I think the odds of that are very high.
The time of his first appearance and the fact that he was an outsider, coupled with the fact that he didnt use any weapons and had a dazzling appearance all hinted to this fact.
As Lukas expected, Leo had entered this world about four to five years ago.
In that amount of time, it was enough for a young boy to become a young man.
Nevertheless, he couldnt understand why he was committing murder.
I heard that all the leaders of the underworld in Desire Island are trash.
In truth, trash was a vulgar word that she wouldnt normally say in front of her Master, but Min Ha-rin couldnt find a more suitable word.
But the Leo I know wouldnt kill hundreds of people. Sar?h the N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Right. Because Leos hatred was always directed at the Demons.
should I go search for junior brother as soon as possible?
Min Ha-rin asked this question in a serious voice.
If Lukas was to nod his head at that moment, it seemed that she would give up her Champion position and immediately leave for Desire Island.
But Lukas shook his head.
No. You dont have to.
May I ask why?
I met Arid yesterday.
huh?
Min Ha-rin blinked.
Arid?
Right.
Lukas then briefly told her about his meeting with Arid the day before, before adding.
Its a pity. If you had come a day sooner, you would have been able to meet him.
Ah its fine. At least I know hes okay.
Min Ha-rin let out a sigh of relief. Although it was a bit disappointing that she hadnt been able to meet Arid, she was more pleased to know that he was safe.
Lukas continued.
And I also met Lee Jong-hak.
ah.
This time, her expression had none of the enthusiasm of before.
Realising this, Min Ha-rin quickly changed her expression and looked up at Lukas.
I see.
Lukas couldnt help but smile slightly.
It seemed that although she had matured a bit, she was still immature on the inside.
Is something wrong?
Knowing that lying wouldnt work in front of her wise teacher, Min Ha-rin reluctantly spoke the truth.
To be honest, I dont like him.
Why?
Because he insulted Master. And he doesnt know anything.
Thats exactly why he said that. He said it because he didnt know anything. Of course, that doesnt mean one should say whatever they feel like without thinking, but you shouldnt feel too prejudiced towards Lee Jong-hak. He will take responsibility for his own actions. And more than that, he is a man with impeccable character. He is a necessary talent for us.
Yes.
Although she didnt completely agree with him, Min Ha-rin hid her dissatisfaction and nodded at her Masters words.
Back to what we were talking about before, Arid told me that Leo has changed a lot, but he also said that he would be able to go back to his former self.
if its Arid.
Min Ha-rin also knew about Arids abilities, so she nodded.
Its the other side thats more serious.
Lukas then told her about the situation on Sedis side.
This time, Min Ha-rins eyes widened when she heard his words.
Sedi is on Death Island?
Right. There is also an Absolute there.
Shes in a very dangerous situation.
Min Ha-rin narrowed her eyes.
She knew Sedis strength, but her opponent wouldnt be a slouch either.
Well have to go save her first.
I plan to head to Death Island after my preparations are complete.
Alone?
Right.
Min Ha-rins eyes lit up.
I can
No.
Lukas interrupted Min Ha-rin, something that rarely happened.
I will go alone.
His expression was serious, and it was clear that he would not allow any counter arguments.
This was her first time seeing her teacher so determined, so Min Ha-rin couldnt help but flinch subconsciously.
are you afraid that Ill be a burden?
Its not that. First of all, I only have one Dragon Plaque which was given to me by Arid.
Lukas took out the plaque and showed it to her before putting it back in his pocket and continuing.
And it would be better for you to participate in the Championship than follow me to Death Island.
He shook his head.
Lets talk about that later. For now, follow me. Theres a place Id like to show you.
Book 2, Chapter 213
Book 2, Chapter 213 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Sei
The place Lukas headed was the smithy that Nekdu used. And as hed said before, he took Min Ha-rin with him.
In truth, he would have had to meet her before he left for Death Island anyway, so he decided to save her some trouble.
Nekdu wasnt in the workshop, so Lukas went directly to the room shed taken him to the day before yesterday. (Note: The day before the day before.)
Knock knock.
come in.
A slightly strained voice was heard from inside the room.
When Lukas opened the door, he found Nekdu half-buried in the dusty sofa.
Min Ha-rin asked in a small voice.
Who is this woman?
The best blacksmith I know.
At the same time that Lukas was giving her this answer, Nekdu slowly rose up while rubbing her eyes.
Is it dawn already?
Its already midday. Have you had enough time to think?
yeah.
Nekdu rubbed the back of her neck and sat in a better position on the couch. Then, after washing her face with a bottle of water that was laying on the desk beside her, she looked at Lukas with bloodshot eyes.
I think I know about the statue youre looking for.
But I dont think I can tell you about it.
Is it because youre also from Dragon God Island?
Nekdu couldnt help but let out a short laugh.
Im surprised. Who told you that?
Yesterday I met with envoys from Dragon God Island.
Thats not something that simple errand boys would know.
The Young Dragon was among them.
Is it the Young Dragon of this generation? We dont know each other, but I guess they must be interested in stories of the past.
Or someone with way too much free time. Sar?h the N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Instead of adding that last piece, Nekdu spoke with an attitude as if she had nothing to hide.
Thats right. I was born and raised on Dragon God Island. There was a time when I even made some sculptures there too.
I see.
Lukas nodded.
Then I wont ask you anything more about the statue.
Mm?
Seeing him back down so easily, Nekdu narrowed her eyes slightly.
Is there something else youd like to ask then?
You said before that you would make three items for me.
I did. Have you already thought of one?
As long as it was making equipment, then she had nothing to be afraid of.
With a much more relaxed attitude, Nekdu said.
What do you want me to make?
Ill be heading to Death Island soon.
That place? Thats crazy. Haha, but I got it. You want me to make you some equipment that would block the death energy, right?
Lukas nodded.
Thats easy. Anything else.
Make armor and weapons out of the Ancient Dragons skull.
This time, Nekdu tilted her head to the side.
I made a weapon for you not so long ago. As for armor, you are a Sorcerer, I cant make light armor with those bones.
Its not for me.
Lukas put his hand on the shoulder of Min Ha-rin, who was standing behind him and gently pushed her forward.
Its for this child.
huh?
Shocked, Min Ha-rin couldnt help but ask dumbly.
In the meantime, Nekdu looked at Min Ha-rin with a sharp gaze. Under her skilled eyes, the fact that Min Ha-rin was a fighter couldnt be concealed.
It wouldnt be difficult, but it would take some time. The bones of an Ancient Dragon arent things that can be manipulated after tapping them for a day or two.
As long as its finished before the Championship begins. Can you do it?
that means I have little more than a month left. If its that long, I think I can make it work somehow.
While the two of them chatted as though she wasnt in the room, Min Ha-rin was unable to stand it anymore. She turned to Lukas and opened her mouth.
Wa-, wait a minute, Master. I dont really need armor or
Before I killed Kangki, I went to all the other major cities.
Huh?
And when I was there, I saw the Champions who dominated their arenas.
Lukas looked down at Min Ha-rin and continued.
They are all difficult enemies for you to defeat at your current level. There is still a month left and you seem to be making steady progress with your training, but that alone isnt enough.
so you want me to make up for it with good equipment?
Min Ha-rin tried not to show it, but Lukas was easily able to spot her dissatisfaction.
What is it? Do you not want to depend on equipment?
That
I know what youre thinking. In the long run, its not good to depend on equipment. But youre thinking too rigidly. You need to be able to bend flexibly depending on the situation. (Note:says Lukas)
Im sorry. But I dont think I can understand Masters meaning. Can I ask why?
Min Ha-rins attitude was humble and respectful.????????????????????????d. ????o????
It was good that she knew where she was lacking and sought guidance.
Lukas smiled softly.
Youll be fighting in more than one match. And in the Championship, there will be many Fighters who are either on your level or stronger than you. Battles like those which will force you to risk your life are both great perils and rare opportunities. If you are lucky, you will be able to gain experience comparable to several years of training.
Ah!
Min Ha-rin finally understood what Lukas was trying to say.
He was saying that the Championship could become a great opportunity for her to experience explosive growth.
Thats why Im telling you to use whatever means you can to hold out for as long as possible and gain as much experience as possible.
Min Ha-rin realised that Lukas was about to reveal the second reason hed mentioned before.
Nodding, Lukas continued.
Because after this qualifier is over, I believe there is a high chance that we will have to return to your homeworld.
When she heard that, Min Ha-rin couldnt help but turn to look at Nekdu.
After all, she wasnt sure if they could say such things in front of this unrelated woman.
Of course, Lukas wasnt the type of person to act without thinking.
He spoke so easily and openly because he had long understood Nekdus nature.
Even now, her expression remained one of indifference as if she didnt care what they were talking about.
In fact, she was probably thinking about what kind of equipment she should make with the Ancient Dragons bones.
And it wont just be like this small qualifier, instead, the Great Game will begin in earnest. At that time, you will need to be much stronger than you are now.
Min Ha-rin initially nodded at Lukas words, but then he said something that was much more shocking.
To put it simply, you will have to at least be strong enough to deal with the Five Dukes.
th-, the Five Dukes?
The Five Dukes. Not a Count, not a Marquis, or even a normal Duke.
Min Ha-rin began to sweat slightly but Lukas didnt stop his bold words.
If we were to use the unit called level that is used in the status window, it would probably be around 200. Of course, level is just an objective indicator, you should not trust it blindly. Even if your opponent is lower level than you, that doesnt mean you are guaranteed to win.
However, Min Ha-rin was still focused on the first part of Lukas statement.
Tw-, two hundred?
This was an incredibly distant number for Min Ha-rin, who hadnt even reached level 100 yet.
Now that she thought about it.
From the very first time she saw her level, there was something shed always been curious about.
Master, theres something Id been meaning to ask you for a long time. Ah, but you dont have to answer.
What is it?
What is your level, Master?
She asked this in a cautious tone, but Lukas responded indifferently.
I believe its currently at 143. Somewhere around that.
currently?
Right. Because my powers were restricted.
then what is your original level?
Lukas didnt remember seeing this even when hed briefly checked his status window after the tutorial. He directly opened his status window to check before reading it out.
4,362.
F-, four ! Cough! Cough, cough!
Min Ha-rin coughed heavily as she choked on her own saliva.
(Note: Ahhh I miss chapter endings like these. I laughed so hard.)
Book 2, Chapter 214
Book 2, Chapter 214 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Sei
After a while, Nekdu, who seemed to have finally awoken from her thoughts, turned to Lukas and asked.
Do you intend to go to Dragon God Island?
When he nodded his head without denying, she then turned to look at Min Ha-rin who was quietly standing to the side before speaking in a soft tone.
Theres something I want to tell you. Is that alright?
She wanted to talk to him alone.
Lukas glanced at Min Ha-rin, who was standing beside him. Realising what he meant, Min Ha-rin nodded without any complaints.
Ill wait outside.
Even after Min Ha-rin left the room, Nekdu hesitated.
She appeared a bit conflicted. It was only after twirling her hair around her finger for a while that she finally opened her mouth.
What exactly are you going there for?
Now that he thought about it, Lukas realised hed never told Nekdu just what his goal was.
The same was true even when hed asked her about the Dragon God Statue. Hed only said that it might be something he was looking for.
The four most special statues in this world.
Although he said it, Lukas didnt have any expectations.
Of all the people that hed met so far, none of them had any reaction when he mentioned the term.
Thats the first time Ive heard that term
Nekdu responded as he expected.
But the words that she spoke next were surprising.
Its the number four that bothers me the most.
What do you mean by that?
Nekdu seemed to think seriously about something, but in the end, she could only shake her head.
Im sorry, but I dont think I can tell you more than that.
Because its related to Dragon God Island?
No. Its much larger and more complicated than that.
I know its a bit sudden and inappropriate to say it now, but can I ask you a favor?
The timing was definitely not appropriate.
After all, Nekdu had just avoided answering Lukas question.
Of course, its up to you whether you agree to it or not.
Although she added that, there was a hint of desperation in Nekdus voice.
Lukas simply nodded without changing his expression.
When she saw this, Nekdu spoke with a much brighter expression.
The most peculiar statue on Dragon God Island. Perhaps it is the statue that youre looking for, but even if it isnt, Id like you to check if its safe.
the most peculiar statue?
Lukas couldnt help but frown at her puzzling words.
What is the name of the statue?
I cant tell you that.
Then what does it look like?
I cant tell you that either.
When Lukas turned to look at her, Nekdu grimaced and said.
I know Im saying a lot of nonsense. Thats why Ill leave it up to you whether you do me the favor or not
* * *
After that part of their conversation, Nekdu finally promised to make the best weapons and armor she could. She seemed guilty for not being able to answer so many of Lukas questions.
Seeing that she even swore on her pride as a craftsman, he couldnt help but wonder how amazing those items would be.
Nevertheless, Lukas wouldnt be able to see the finished products for a while. Because he intended to head to Death Island as soon as possible.
Lukas walked up to Min Ha-rin, who had been waiting outside, and spoke.
The armor will be sent to Herui as soon as its completed, so I dont think theres a need for you to come back here.
Ah. Yeah. Thank you for your concern.
The sky was still bright, but it was already past 4 in the afternoon. Min Ha-rin was scheduled to head directly to Herui by Sky Carriage that very evening. In other words, it meant that she had to prepare to leave in about 2 to 3 hours.
Lukas had wanted to use the Warp spell, but he couldnt. The Heavenly Realm was an ultra-large continent that floated about the ocean, but it wasnt just floating. Instead, it was constantly moving at a slow speed.
And in order to properly use the Warp spell, he would have to know the exact coordinates of the destination. This made it difficult because the coordinates of the floating islands were changing constantly.
Of course, given enough time, it was possible to derive the answer by calculating the exact value of the change between coordinates, but in order to do that, it would be necessary to first calculate the rotation of the planet.
Even for Lukas, it was a task that would take too much time.
This wouldnt be a problem if he were to use Space-Time Movement, but unfortunately, that wasnt a power that could be used by a mortal.
And even if he could use it, Min Ha-rins fragile body would never be able to withstand it.
Its fine. Im just sorry I couldnt be of more help to you, Master.
Dont think like that.
Lukas looked around before pointing towards a nearby restaurant and saying.
Since we have a little more time left, would you like to have a meal together?
Yeah.
Min Ha-rin smiled and nodded.
Now that she thought about it, she didnt think there had ever been a time when shed been able to leisurely sit and enjoy a meal alone with Lukas.
It wasnt evening yet, so there werent many customers in the restaurant.
Thankfully, this also meant that the food was served quickly.
Their meal consisted of crispy bacon, grilled sausages, and salad with dressing along with mugs of stout(1).
Min Ha-rins palate seemed to have changed after living in the Heavenly Realm for a long time, so without hesitation, she comfortably ate the meat and drank the cold stout without caring about the calories.
She pretended to take polite bites and sips since she was in front of her Master, but Lukas couldnt help but feel that she might have become a heavy drinker.
Lukas almost only sipped the beer and touched the salad from time to time.
After their meal, they ordered a plate of beef jerky and two more mugs of beer before having a nice conversation about relatively trivial things.
Soon enough, Min Ha-rins expression became exuberant.
She was probably drunk, as there was a subtle flush on her face, and she spoke in an excited voice.
Then, in this Championship, I might be able to fight Master.
Its possible. Perhaps well meet each other in the finals.
I wont lose so easily this time.
Dont get your hopes up too much. Its possible that both of us will get knocked out in the first round.
Although he said this in a mischievous voice, Lukas didnt actually rule out the possibility of that happening.
At the present time, Kran was probably stronger than him, and the Champions of the other arenas were no slouches either.
It was always good to prepare for any unexpected situation.
Nevertheless, Min Ha-rin tilted her head to the side as if she couldnt imagine Lukas losing to anyone.
Ha-rin.
Yes.
Lukas voice became a bit serious.
I always think of the worst outcome.
yes.
Min Ha-rins expression also became a bit serious and she slowly nodded her head to show that she understood.
There is an Absolute on Death Island. Since Arid said it himself, then the odds are at least 9 out of 10. It wont be easy to protect Sedi from that Absolute.
Now that Min Ha-rin also had an idea of how ridiculous an existence Absolutes were, she listened to Lukas with a solemn expression.
There is little more than a month before the Championship begins. In all honesty, time is a bit tight. That means that we have to consider the possibility that I wouldnt be able to make it back in time for the Championship.
Sar?h the N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
If that happens, then Ill leave it to you to become the Grand Champion.
Rather than me, doesnt Lee Jong-hak have a better chance?
She didnt doubt her Masters words, but she couldnt help but ask.
Min Ha-rin had also heard a lot about Lee Jong-hak, no.
Li Hao.
Unlike her, who reigned as the Champion in a small town, Li Hao was a major sensation in the Babylon Arena, and many people had high expectations of him.
Thats only the case for right now.
This was something hed told her before, but he didnt want her to think that he was simply affirming that. After all, he wasnt trying to comfort her.
Lukas added.
If you look at pure potential, you are far superior. Of course, luck will also be a factor. After all, if you happen to meet Kran as your first opponent, you would be eliminated before youre even given the chance to grow.
A, ahaha.
In simpler terms, she would be crushed.
No.
Was it possible for her to defeat Kran even if she had the time to grow? She couldnt even imagine defeating Lee Jong-hak, who was much weaker than him.
After thinking that, Min Ha-rin couldnt help but speak in a low voice.
that might be difficult for the current me.
Hmm, I think you were better when we first met. You were filled with so much confidence back then.
????n????????ea????. ????????????
Of course, it was none other than Lukas who had trampled that rising confidence until it became impossible to find.
Lukas laughed and poured some of the stouts into his mouth.
As I said, thats only the worst-case scenario. I will do my best to return to Lirua no matter what.
Yes. Ill wait for you.
Right The sun is beginning to set.
He turned to look at the sky. Min Ha-rin also turned her head to follow his gaze.
The sky was slowly being painted with the colors of sunset.
It was time to part ways
(Note:
1. Also known as black beer or dark beer, depending on your region. Personally, Guinness is the only stout I can stomach. Milk stouts are a special blend of evil for those with special taste buds.)
Book 2, Chapter 215
Book 2, Chapter 215 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Sei
Min Ha-rin left Lirua that evening.
When she left, she had a conflicted expression. This was because she had faith that Lukas would return safely, but she was still worried about him.
Lukas noticed her inner turmoil, but he still quietly sent her away without mentioning it. This was because he believed she would solve her inner issues more easily if she were alone.
Now, the only thing he was waiting for were the clothes that hed requested from Nekdu.
According to her, clothing that could block the demonic energy on Death Island took about three days to make. (Note: Author really bounces around between death energy and demonic energy)
It had only been a day, so Lukas still had to wait two more days.
During that time, there were still things for him to do. First, he had to find the quickest route to the [Temple Island] that Arid had mentioned.
According to the map that Arid had given him, the fastest way to get there was to go through the largest port in the north of Combat Island called [Port Akad].
It was said that at least one ship passed from there to Temple Island every day.
However, there was a large distance between Lirua and Akad.
Even if he were to use a Sky Carriage, it would take about two weeks.
If the round trip in itself was four weeks, then even if Lukas moved like lightning, he wouldnt be able to save Sedi and return in time for the Championship.
Thats why Lukas decided to abuse one of the privileges that only Major City Lords had.
The Sun Carriage.
He decided to use the super large mode of transport that only major cities built for private use.
With the Sun Carriage, it was possible to reach Akad in three or four days. In fact, when hed slain the Ancient Dragon, Spera, the Major City Lord of Akad, was able to arrive at almost the same time as the other Major City Lords.
After deciding on his mode of transport, Lukas then spent the rest of his time making preparations and detailed plans for the long journey.
The size is about right.
Nekdu nodded and commented.
Lukas stood in front of her, dressed in robes that were made exclusively for Death Island.
I thought you preferred to wear robes, so I made something similar. Although its a bit plain since it doesnt have any patterns or designs, there wont be any problems in terms of practicality.
Lukas nodded.
There isnt even a need for you to raise the hood since I had it engraved with sorcery runes. Its basically waterproof and the durability isnt bad, but it wont stand up to a Dragonlings claws or teeth, so be careful.
Thank you.
Dont worry about it. Its the least I could do.
Nekdu waved her hand as she said that.
I heard that youre planning to use the Sun Carriage, is that true?
Yeah.
A slight smile spread across her lips.
If you use it properly, thats a round trip that will cost you a few million erus.
Its because its urgent.
I see Well. I wish you all the best. Good luck.
Lukas also said words of farewell to Nekdu. Afterward, the two of them went their separate ways without saying anything else.
Nekdu didnt show the lost expression that she had the last time they met. Maybe she was intentionally hiding her feelings, or maybe she had already cleared her mind, he couldnt tell.
After all, Nekdu had always been good at hiding her inner thoughts.
If he tried, he could probably figure it out, but that wouldnt be polite.
With the Sun Carriage parked out front, Bargan walked out of the castle to see him off.
Ill wait for your safe return.
Lukas smiled faintly at his characteristic heavy tone of voice.
Bargan.
Yes.
Im sure you remember the request I made to you last time.
When he heard this, Bargans expression became solemn.
Yes. But Im sure that wont happen. My Lord will return safely and in time.
Of course, that would be best. But there is nothing wrong with assuming the worst in a situation. If that truly comes to pass, please
Bargan hesitated for a moment before bowing his head.????????????????e????????. ?????????
yes.
After hearing his confirmation, Lukas heart also became a bit lighter. Then, with equally light steps, he got onto the Sun Carriage.
Roar!
With a roar of the giant flying dragon, the Sun Carriage floated into the air.
That alone caused the trees in the vicinity to bend dangerously. Dust flew in every direction, and heavy winds pulled at Bargans clothes.
Nevertheless, he didnt take his eyes off of the rising carriage.
Before long, the carriage rose high in the sky and shot towards the north at a high speed.
It only took a few short minutes for it to completely disappear from his sight. Nevertheless, Bargan continued to look at the sky.
If I fail to come back in time
And remembered the request Lukas had made before he left.
Please enter the Championship as the Champion of Lirua.
He refused to accept Lukas words.
That wont happen.
Lukas would definitely come back safe.
He mumbled to himself as he recalled the conversation they had just had.
Please return home safely, my Lord.
Bargan prayed sincerely.
And a month later.
The opening ceremony of the Championship that everyone had been waiting for, finally began.
And at this place where dozens of Champions from Combat Island had gathered,
Lukas, the Champion of Lirua, was nowhere to be found.
* * *
Min Ha-rin gulped slightly while looking at the armor in front of her.
Her first armor.
Its appearance showed that it had been molded into the shape of armor while maintaining the original shape of the bones as much as possible. It looked like it had been created by the entire skeleton of a Dragonling, but it had actually been created from one bone(1).
The bone that Lukas had given Nekdu was none other than the skull of the Ancient Dragon.
Even if they wanted to maintain the shape of the skull, such gracefully curved armor couldnt be made. (Note: Skull-shaped armor. Practicality 10000%)
After all, the finished product didnt just consist of chest and leg armor, but also shoes and a helmet.
Min Ha-rin had a bit of knowledge with armors, but for this set, that wasnt necessary.
Even a complete novice would easily be able to tell with a glance that this armor was not simple.
But only Min Ha-rin knew the true worth of this armor.
[Explosive Dragon Armor]
[A masterpiece created by an eccentric but extremely talented blacksmith. Crafted from the skull of Bultasie, ruler of the Samas Great Forest.
Its durability is so high that it wont be scratched by most weapons, and it has a strong resistance to attacks of most attributes because of the runes that were engraved on it. However, it is vulnerable to attacks of the ice element, so special attention should be paid.
Allows the user to cast [Dragon Fury] once per day, but it is not advised as the skill puts great strain on the body.]
It wasnt just armor.
A red club, thinner than most swords, lay beside it.
[The Dragonstick of Overflowing Fighting Spirit] (Note: These names)
[A masterpiece created by an eccentric but extremely talented blacksmith. Crafted from the skull of Bultasie, ruler of the Samas Great Forest.
Allows the wielder to gather natural energy, and if you swing it with this energy, it will release an attack comparable to that of the most famous swords.]
In other words, this dragonstick was a weapon that could play the roles of both a staff and a sword.
There was nothing more suitable for Min Ha-rin who was aspiring to be a Magical Swordsman.
A note beside them contained explanations about the armor and staff, presumably written by Nekdu. Although she was able to receive a description from the status window, she wouldnt dare to neglect any advice given by the creator of the items.
Min Ha-rin read the note carefully a few times before placing it in her pocket.
but
Her gaze then turned to the man who had delivered the items to her.
Where is Master?
Bargan responded with a heavy expression.
He hasnt returned yet.
Yet.
There were only two days left before the Championship began.
Did he not tell you anything at all?
He did, but
Bargans face was stiff as he responded in a more hesitant manner than before.
He said that if there was no news from him four days before the Championship began, I must participate in his place.
I see.
This time, the Championship was being hosted by Uruk, one of the major cities, and draws and matches would happen here, but the entire Championship wouldnt be held in Uruk.
After a certain number of matches were fought, they would move to another major city and host matches there instead.
If you dont attend the opening ceremony, you will be automatically eliminated from the Championship.
There were two days left.
As far as Min Ha-rin knew, the majority of Champions had already gathered in Uruk.
But it still wasnt too late. Sarch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Although the position of Champion of Lirua was currently being held by Bargan, hed still reserved a spot on the top three, which was a privilege only afforded to major cities, in preparation for Lukas late return.
But this arrangement would be useless if Lukas didnt arrive in time.
Min Ha-rin felt the excitement shed felt at receiving her armor and weapon slowly cool down as if water had been poured on it.
he wont be late.
Tomorrow.
No, Min Ha-rin prayed that she would see Lukas face by the morning of the last day at the latest.
(Note: Does Lukas return in time, or will he be late as always? Find out next time on TGM4k!)
(Note:
1. The skull isnt actually one bone, instead, it is made up of multiple interconnected bones. Also isnt the Ancient Dragon huge? How is its skull only large enough for Min Ha-rin? It was supposedly the size of a small mountain.)
Book 2, Chapter 216
Book 2, Chapter 216 Translator: Seven Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Editors: Ana_Banana, Sei
Then I hereby declare the opening of the Championship!
Wooooh!
The Uruk Arena.
Min Ha-rin stood in the center of this arena, receiving the enthusiastic cheers and applause of the audience.
She wasnt alone.
All of the Champions and Fighters from all over the world who had come to participate in the Championship were gathered in the arena.
But Lukas wasnt among them. In the end, the Championship had started before he could arrive.
Min Ha-rin was worried about her Masters safety. But she eventually shook her head and forced herself to calm down.
This was a situation that Lukas had already imagined from the start. He had already mentioned the possibility that he wouldnt return in time for the opening ceremony.
What he went to do wasnt something easy.
Nevertheless, she was sure that he would be fine.
It was still many years too soon for a disciple like her to worry about Lukas.
Rather, she should be more worried about herself at that moment.
She looked around,
Lukas was right.
The Champions, no. None of the Fighters in the arena were easy opponents.
It wasnt just those from the major cities. Even Fighters from small and medium cities were overflowing with fighting spirit and the desire to win.
Among them, there were a few Fighters who were particularly fierce.
Lee Jong-hak of the Babylon Arena was one of them.
so thats the guy.
Probably.
He looks pretty weak on the outside.
Shambar is the same.
Well.
And so was Kran.
In fact, he was the center of attention not only for the spectators but for the other Fighters as well.
This couldnt be helped.
After all, he was the one who killed the previous Champion of Kisura and one of the top three contenders for the title of Grand Champion, Shivar, with a single blow.
Min Ha-rin also looked at him.
Kran stood there with a blank expression on his face. He didnt release his fighting spirit or aura like the other Fighters.
It was like standing naked on a battlefield as bullets rained down.
No.
He probably didnt consider the hostility and killing intent of the others to be a threat at all.
Then we will commence the draw!
While the Fighters observed their competition, the host completed the ceremonial greetings.
In the middle of the stands was a place where large, colourful chairs were placed. This area had a lot more space compared to the other parts of the stands.
This was the place where the city lords and aides of the major cities who had sponsored the Championship as well as the powerful people from the other islands sat.
Without exception, all of the other seats in the arena were filled.
Whether they were expensive or cheap, all of the tickets had been sold out in an instant.
This clearly showed the publics interest and enthusiasm in the Championship.
Then, Champions! As I call your names, please come up to the stage!
In addition to creating a match-list, the drawing ceremony also served the purpose of briefly introducing the various Fighters.
Nonto Arenas Pog!
The crowd cheered as the various Fighters were called to the stage.
The degree of their cheering showed the level of interest they had in that specific Fighter.
Naturally, the host also made the effort of introducing the strong Fighters in a more dramatic manner.
Babylons Whirlwind! Liiiii Hao!
Waaaaaah!
When his name was called, the crowd erupted. Min Ha-rin also turned to look at Lee Jong-hak.
He climbed the steps of the stage with his characteristic calm expression and proceeded with his draw.
[C-15]
The Championship had been divided into four groups.
They were groups A, B, C, and D, and each group had a total of 16 people.
It only took a simple calculation to determine that one would need to win 4 matches in order to advance.
Even if one were to fail after advancing from the group stage, they would have still made it to the semi-finals.
However, none of the Fighters there would be satisfied with such an ending.
Since they joined the Championship, they naturally wanted to win.
The eyes of the Fighters burned with fighting spirit.
Suddenly.
The host began speaking in a more heated voice than usual.
Attention everyone! I will now introduce the top contender for the position of Grand Champion!
His voice, which was amplified by sorcery, was loud enough to shake the arena.
As they looked at him with anticipation, everyone in the crowd could even feel the tips of their fingers tingling with excitement.
The Fighter King of Spera! The Undefeated Champion! Shambarrrrr!
Waaaaaaaaah!
An incomparable cheer swept through the arena. It was as though dozens of explosives had been detonated at the same time.
More than half of the audience members left out of their seats and shouted at the top of their lungs.
Shambar! Shambar! Shambar!
Shambar! Shambar! Shambar!
Then they began to chant his name like crazy.
The entire arena shook.
Nevertheless, this reaction was to be expected.
The man who walked towards the stage had a subtle smile on his lips.
He was called the undisputed favorite to win the Championship.
The Fighter King, Shambar.
His official record was 491 wins and 3 losses.
He was the holder of the insane win rate of nearly 99%.
Even the three losses he suffered were only a small blemish that hed acquired when he was still a rookie. Ever since hed reached the top of the arena, he has continuously held on to his winning streak.
this is a man who is at the [peak of mortality].
This was a stage that Lukas often talked about.
A stage that he hoped Min Ha-rin would reach someday.
The Fighters looked at Shambar with tense expressions. Their eyes were affixed to his fingers that were slowly going into the lottery box to draw his number
Soon, the host shouted.
A-2!!
Some of the Fighters expressions became sullen, while others let out sighs of relief.
None of the Fighters gathered had any intentions of avoiding a fight, but they still didnt want to fight the strongest candidate in the Championship from the very start.
perhaps
Min Ha-rin couldnt help but wonder who was stronger between Kran and Shambar.
Herui Arenas Rin Summers-!
Suddenly, Min Ha-rin heard her name.
There was restrained applause from the stands.
Although this kind of reaction was common for Champions from small cities, her pride was still bruised a bit. This proved that she had the blood of a Fighter.
As she walked up to the stage, she felt several eyes focus on her. Some of the Fighters whispered to each other about her Dragon Armor. They were able to realise with a glance that it was not simple.
As its name suggested, the draw involved each Fighter placing their hand in a box filled with rocks of the same size and made from the same materials.
Each stone was engraved with letters and numbers, so the results would be known as soon as they pulled them out.
Min Ha-rin put her hand in the box and immediately pulled out the first stone she touched.
B-8!
She wondered if she should be happy that she wasnt in the same group as Shambar or even Lee Jong-hak.
Min Ha-rin let out a small sigh of relief before walking off the stage.
Ah! I think a lot of people will pay attention to this one too!
The host smiled mysteriously for a moment before continuing.
The greatest dark horse in this Championship! No, I should call him another contender who is being compared to Shambar! Im talking about none other than the Conqueror of Kisura, The One Shot Killer, Kran!
Once again, the heat of anticipation could be felt by the audience.
But unlike before, the arena remained as quiet as a cemetery.
Crunch-
And within this strange state of silent excitement, the sound of Krans footsteps was exceptionally loud.
All of the Fighters, including Shambar, were looking at Kran.
After walking up to the stage without a single change in expression, Kran reached into the box in an uncaring manner.
And he picked up a stone without any signs of hesitation.
C-7!
!
When she heard that, Min Ha-rin turned to look at Lee Jong-hak.
Group C was the group that Lee Jong-hak had been assigned to. In other words, Kran and Lee Jong-hak were in the same group.
Lee Jong-haks expression remained calm, but his heart was pounding so loudly in his chest that it was almost impossible to hear his thoughts.
His clenched fists were covered in cold sweat as his eyes remained locked on Kran.
Kran also turned to look at Lee Jong-hak at that moment.
If you dont want to die
Then, for the first time, he opened his mouth.
His voice sounded weak and came out in a broken manner, but it was still able to reach Lee Jong-haks ears.
then give up.
Book 2, Chapter 217
Book 2, Chapter 217 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Sei
Dont be ridiculous. How can you say that before youve even fought?
It wasnt Lee Jong-hak, but a Dragonman standing beside him who spoke in a cold voice.
This was Shinz, the Champion of Babylon, and a Fighter who ranked higher than Lee Jong-hak.
He was a man who had a small physique for a Dragonman, but his gaze was fierce.
If you were a Fighter, then theres no way that you wouldnt know how insulting it is to tell someone to give up.
Nevertheless, Kran didnt even spare Shinz a glance as though he wasnt the least bit interested in him. This naturally caused Shinz to bristle even more because of his rude behaviour.
Its fine, Shinz.
Lee Jong-hak calmly called out to him.
Its fine? That man is completely tarnishing your pride.
Thats true, but its not something that can be solved by discussing it here. A Fighter does not prove themself with their tongue, but with their fists in the arena. He and I will cross swords there.
After saying that, Lee Jong-haks eyes met Krans.
Itll be fine to repay the insult then.
hmm. I guess youre right.
Shinz didnt seem to have let go of his displeasure, but he nodded his head in acceptance.
With his eyes still on Kran, Lee Jong-hak continued.
I will not give up.
Kran seemed to pause for a moment after hearing those words, but it was only for an instant. Without saying another word, he immediately turned his head and walked away as if hed lost interest.
* * *
All the groups had been decided.
To summarise the persons that Min Ha-rin had been paying attention to,
It was Bargan and Shambar in Group A.(1)
Herself and Shinz in Group B.
And Kran and Lee Jong-hak in Group C.
The matches would begin the next day, but that didnt mean that that days events were over. This was because there were a few novelty events left.
One of them was announcing the results of the popularity vote.
This vote was held a few months before the Championship, and there were no restrictions on participation. Anyone staying on Combat Island had the right to vote.
Because of this, it usually took around a month to count the votes.
Thus, one by one, the ten Champions with the most votes, the current most popular heroes, all walked onto the stage. (Note: Ill just call everyone participating in the championship a champion since apart from the few from the major cities they all are, and thats what the author does.)
And it was none other than Lee Jong-hak who stood at the end of the line in 10th place.
He was a Fighter who was known for his calm attitude, and he often displayed unique fighting skills. Many people felt that these traits brought a sense of freshness to the arena, and his fanbase was so large that it was strange for an outsider.
In 7th place was Kran. It could be said that his ranking was a bit lackluster compared to his skills, but it could also be considered an amazing rise since it had only been a few months since hed first made an appearance.
In third place was Shinz, a Champion of the Babylon Arena like Lee Jong-hak.
Contrary to his small size, he was often compared to a rabid dog in the arena since hardly anyone could stop him after he got going. It was no wonder that the mere sight of him was enough to make the crowd go wild.
And finally, the long-awaited first place was Shambar.
This was a natural result that everyone expected.
Shambar had an absolute influence not only when it came to his skill, but also his popularity.
Standing at the highest point on the stage, he looked at the crowd.
I, Shambar, Fighter from Akad, hereby swear on behalf of the 64 warriors gathered here.
Those who sat in the stands, and the Fighters standing in the arena all looked at him.
With all of their attention on himself, he continued.
That no shame shall be brought to the souls and prides of every Fighter, and that not one single drop of shed blood shall be forgotten.
The Champions below repeated Shambars words under their breaths, and quiet applause filled the arena.
At that moment, Min Ha-rin realised that the Championship had officially begun.
* * *
By the time the schedule for the day had ended, the sun had already begun to set.
Mr. Bargan.
Min Ha-rin called out to Bargan, who was mixed among the Champions.
Youre looking for me?
Turning around, Bargan replied.
He had changed. No. It wasnt just that hed changed, hed become an entirely different person.
Of course, this wasnt to say that he had undergone drastic changes over the course of a month.
It was because Bargan was wearing armor.
It was Kangkis [Creed of Kamesh]. However, it wasnt so large that he could look down on the surrounding Dragonmen. Bargan didnt intend to stop using the Creed of Kamesh for the time being. (2)
This was especially because it was necessary to maintain Kangkis persona for certain activities.
Youre in Group B, right?
Thats right. And youre in Group A?
Yes. Luckily we wont encounter each other for a while.
After saying that they both let out a soft chuckle, but it was forced.
Shinz was in Group B, and Shambar was in Group A.
Both of them had excellent equipment, but they still werent sure whether they could defeat them or not.
The only fortunate thing was that the matches wouldnt occur until the next day.
Ah.
At that moment, Min Ha-rins eyes turned to a man that was walking past them.
Lee Jong- Mr. Li Hao.
Id like to talk to you for a moment.
Lee Jong-hak, who was about to leave the arena with the other Babylon Fighters, stopped.
He looked at Min Ha-rin for a moment before turning back to his party.
Something has come up. So you guys go ahead.
Someone you know?
Yes.
Hmm got it.
Shinz nodded and left the arena first.
Then Lee Jong-hak spoke.
I dont think our conversation will end soon.
Yeah. Lets go to a quiet place first.
Sure.
With that, Min Ha-rin took Lee Jong-hak to her room.
The Champions were all given large, extravagant rooms for free. They would be able to talk comfortably there.
Click-
The door closed.
It was Min Ha-rin who had brought up talking to Lee Jong-hak, but it was Lee Jong-hak who opened his mouth first.
I heard about you. You came to this world 5 years ago.
Yes.
You have experienced amazing growth. I can tell with just a glance.
Mr. Lee Jong-hak is the same.
They traded polite words.
Their conversation seemed to contain a sense of closeness, but she couldnt erase the feeling that she was just pretending.
Min Ha-rins heart was a bit unsettled.
In all honesty, she felt a certain amount of joy from meeting someone else from her world other than her Master.
But more than that
[Is something wrong?]
When she thought back to her conversation with Lukas, she sighed inwardly.
Although he had forgiven him, Min Ha-rin still felt a bit uncomfortable when she thought about Lee Jong-hak.
She desperately tried to hide this feeling.
by the way, where is Sir Lukas? He didnt seem to be the armored man in the arena. (Note: Using sir to show that Lee Jong-hak is speaking formally when mentioning Lukas)
He was talking about Bargan.
He was covered completely by his armor to the point that not even a single bit of skin was exposed, but Lee Jong-hak was able to infer that it wasnt Lukas by his movements and aura.????????????r????????????. ????????????
Hes a Fighter by the name of Bargan. Master hasnt arrived yet.
Did something happen?
Yes.
Min Ha-rin nodded and briefly explained the situation.
About Lukas meeting, Arid, learning where Sedi was, and the fact that an Absolute was there as well Sear?h the N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
After hearing all of this, Lee Jong-hak nodded.
The fact that he hasnt returned yet means that things arent going too smoothly.
Its possible.
Lee Jong-hak seemed to be deep in thought for a moment.
Min Ha-rin waited for a while to let him organise his thoughts before she continued. Then, after about five minutes had passed, she asked.
Are you really going to fight Kran?
Looking at Lee Jong-hak who remained silent, she softly continued.
I know that he had been kidnapped by the Demon King. So its highly likely that he entered the qualifiers as a member of his team.
At this point, it was clear that Kran was probably their enemy. She had also heard Kran telling Lee Jong-hak to give up.
Min Ha-rin didnt think it was an insult. Instead, she felt that he was sending a warning.
Lee Jong-hak was strong, but not as much as Kran.
If he really fought without any intention of giving up She felt that Lee Jong-hak might really die.
This is unexpected.
Huh?
You dont hate me.
Min Ha-rins eyes widened in surprise. Has it been that obvious?
Or was it that Lee Jong-haks eyes were similar to Lukas in how discerning they were.
Hiding her suspicions, Min Ha-rin sofly made an excuse.
I dont hate you
No. It wasnt an excuse. It was the truth. After listening to Lukas advice, the bad feelings she had towards him had dissipated on their own.
All she felt now was a bit of discomfort and awkwardness.
As she thought this, Min Ha-rin lowered her head, but Lee Jong-hak smiled.
I see. Im glad.
Thanks for your concern, but Ill be careful in my match against him. Ill tell you now, I have no intention of dying. Fortunately, theres a rule that allows you to give up in the arena at any time, isnt there?
By saying that, it meant that he intended to give up.
However, as Min Ha-rin looked at Lee Jong-haks softly smiling face, she had a very ominous feeling.
(Note:
1. Going through this chapter made me feel that the author forgot a lot of things. Many details were incorrect or swapped
2.Sothe Creed of Kamesh can shrink? Also did the author forget that Bargan was the one who gave Min Ha-rin her armor?)
Book 2, Chapter 218
Book 2, Chapter 218 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Sei
The door closed with a click.
Kran looked around for a while before walking towards the window and drawing the curtains. The room, which didnt even have a single candle in it, was immediately engulfed in darkness.
Without any change of expression, he then walked towards the bed where he immediately collapsed as though hed fainted. His breath was barely audible, and not even a single one of his fingers twitched. He looked like a puppet whose strings had been cut. If someone saw this scene from a distance, they might even think hed suddenly died.
Shuk-
Fog suddenly began to appear in the dark room.
Like clay, it clumped together piece by piece until it created the shapes of two figures.
One had the shape of a gracefully curved woman.
The other was shaped like a Demon.
[It seems the adjustments havent been completed.]
The figure of the woman fluttered like a candle in the wind.
[He still managed to keep some of his consciousness. At this stage, it should be simple to completely erase his ego. Is there a reason why you havent made him into a complete puppet yet?]
The demonic figure replied.????n????????e????????. ????o????
[He needs to have at least his basic thoughts in order to showcase his full power in battle. It would be much too wasteful to delete the experience Kran has accumulated thus far.]
[Hmph. Is that really all there is to it?]
[]
[Are you sure youre not planning something else?]
As if seducing him, the female figure spoke in a soft tone.
[Dont push it.]
[]
[You should be able to distinguish those you cant run your mouth recklessly around. And you should know exactly who is standing in front of you.]
[Of course, I know you better than anyone else in this world, Great King.]
The Demon remained silent for a moment before speaking.
[Finding the statue in the Black Lands is taking more time than I expected. Letip is probably also having a hard time And in the case of Nodiesop, he seems to be doing something interesting.]
[What about the other one?]
[You mean Lukas?]
The cold voice rang out in the room.
[At least for the rest of the qualifiers, he will no longer be a threat.]
* * *
Fwoosh.
It was a place filled with smoke and flames.
Lee Jong-hak was the only one who was recogniseable in this place where everything was on fire.
He didnt display any discomfort.
There were three reasons for this.
First, the flames surrounding his body werent hot at all. It burned everything around him, but it wasnt hot enough to actually harm Lee Jong-haks body.
Second, the flames burning around him were not illuminating the surroundings at all. Even the sky glowed a dull orange as though it was also being burned.
And finally, and this was the most crucial point, Lee Jong-hak already knew this was a dream.
It was a dream that hed seen so many times, he had already lost count.
Kyaaah!
He heard a horrific scream.
The figure of a woman could be seen struggling in the fire.
She cried and squirmed desperately as though she was experiencing the greatest pain in the world.
She was Lee Jong-haks mother.
Ah uh ah ah
With a bitter look in her eyes, she glared at Lee Jong-hak, her half-melted eyeballs filled with hostility and resentment.
He knew.
He knew that this place was a dream.
He knew that his mother would never direct such a gaze towards him.
Nevertheless, he still felt stifled. He felt cold sweat cover his entire body. And he felt his hands and feet go numb.
Still, he got to his feet.
In this dream that he had entered hundreds of thousands of times, Lee Jong-haks actions were always the same.
He threw himself into the flames and swung his hands until those oozing orbs burst. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Kyaaah!
And once again, just like every time before, the screams scratched Lee Jong-haks heart.
* * *
It was a great match.
ah.
Min Ha-rin raised her head at the sudden voice. It was Lee Jong-hak. Smiling slightly, she touched the bandages that had already become stiff because of the blood.
So Mr. Lee Jong-hak also knows how to say empty words.
Empty words?
Lee Jong-haks expression darkened.
Why do you say that?
Because I already know that the word great is not something that should be associated with my match.
Min Ha-rins first match had been held the day after the opening ceremony.
She hadnt been nervous.
It was her first match of the Championship, but her heart had been tranquil like a lake. Her condition was the best.
Nevertheless, even though she gave it her all, it hadnt been easy for her to win the fight.
She and her opponent fought neck and neck for more than three hours before she finally managed to win by taking advantage of a paper-thin opening.
She felt like shed poured out every single ounce of energy she had stored in her body.
After that match, she collapsed almost as if she had fainted, and subsequently slept for two whole days afterward.
Fortunately, despite the fierceness of the fight, she hadnt suffered any significant injuries. This was because the match was more of a stamina contest than a bloody life and death battle.
Even at that moment, Min Ha-rin couldnt help but think.
If she had been even a bit weaker, or if she had made even a single questionable judgment during the match, the positions of winner and loser would definitely have been changed.
While it wasnt the cleanest, you shouldnt look down on your own victory, because that would be an insult to your opponent who used their all against you.
Min Ha-rins eyes widened slightly.
Seeing this, Lee Jong-haks expression changed.
no. Im being too presumptuous. Forget what I said.
No.
Min Ha-rin shook her head.
Youre right. It was my mistake.
Lee Jong-hak was right.
It was an insult not only to herself but to the opponent who had given their all and probably felt even worse than she did.
In addition, Min Ha-rin had gained a lot in the fight.
Lukas was right.
It was the type of battle that would be impossible to replicate, and because of it, Min Ha-rin was able to gain an enormous amount of experience, and even a bit of enlightenment.
I saw your match today. It seems that Mr. Lee Jong-hak has grown a bit stronger too.
Its only a slight improvement,
Min Ha-rin felt silent.
For a while, the only sound that could be heard was that of her fiddling with her bandages.
Finally, after retying the knot on her right arms bandage for the third or fourth time, Min Ha-rin spoke in a hesitant voice.
Kran had a match today.
Right.
Did you see it?
This time, he took a bit longer to answer.
I saw it.
Then you know what happened to his opponent
Right.
Kran had perfectly displayed the reason for his title to the crowd.
One hit One kill .
When the match began, there was a flash, then his opponents head flew into the air.
Within seconds, the match had already come to an end.
When shed seen this scene, Min Ha-rin had been so stunned that shed even forgotten the pain of her injuries for a second.
This was because shed put herself in the shoes of Krans opponent.
If she was the one standing in front of Kran in the arena, would the result have changed?
It didnt take very long for her to come up with an answer.
Nothing would have changed.
Just like the fighter in the arena, Min Ha-rin would have died with her head flying into the air before she even realised what was happening.
That was why Min Ha-rin really wanted to recommend that Lee Jong-hak give up.
not yet.
But it wasnt yet the right time.
Kran and Lee Jong-hak still had to fight two more matches before they would meet each other. From the schedule, there were still about two weeks left.
It was impossible to know what would happen at that time.
Lee Jong-hak could become stronger, or they could figure out a way to deal with Kran, or perhaps Lukas might even return.
Therefore, Min Ha-rin decided to suppress her innermost thoughts for the time being. Lee Jong-hak was Lee Jong-hak. For now, she had to worry about herself.
How are your injuries?
They throb a bit here and there, but theyve gotten much better. I think Ill be fine before my next match.
As she said this, Min Ha-rin looked at her bandaged arm.
The wound there was the worst one shed suffered as shed received a cut that managed to reach her bones. Although she had received some treatment, it was naturally not something that could be healed in a short time.
In truth, it would be better for her to refrain from moving in order to better help the healing process, but she couldnt.
Even if she was hurt more severely than this, she would not give up as long as she could still hold a weapon.
This was the same for all the Fighters who were going through consecutive fights.
Because of that, the Championship would become more desperate as time passed.
In fact, in a Championship finals held a few hundred years ago, it was said that the finalists only had two limbs remaining when they fought.
Would you like to fight me later when your condition improves?
Huh? Mr. Lee Jong-hak and me?
Right.
Lee Jong-hak nodded in a cautious manner.
It doesnt have to be anything special, just something like a small spar.
Sure.
Min Ha-rin answered without needing to think about it.
but I have one condition.
What is it?
Instead of waiting till later, lets do it now.
Book 2, Chapter 219
Book 2, Chapter 219 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Sei
The Championship had begun, but Min Ha-rin only really paid attention to two days at a time.
The day of preparation before her match, and the day of her match.
Because of this, time flew by in a flash.
A blade flowed smoothly as though it was dancing, the uniquely gentle movements drawing the eyes of any who saw it.
This was the Plum Blossom Sword Technique. And it was usually hard to predict the next movements of those who used this technique.
Or at least, that is what Min Ha-rin would have thought only a short while ago.
Swoosh! Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
The blade, which had seemed to be flowing, suddenly changed direction and accelerated.
But she wasnt flustered.
She maintained her composure, but her eyes grew more focused.
She could see the swords path.
And she responded with a familiar movement.
Clang!
It was impossible for her to win direct clashes of strength.
Therefore, Min Ha-rin half focused on swinging her sword and half focused on casting a fire spell.
Fwoosh!
They had been battling for more than an hour, and she was certain that her opponents concentration was reaching its limit. Seeing an opening, she decisively swung at it, expecting to hit it.
But she didnt.
Instead, he stepped back, escaping her unexpected fire attack.
Tch.
Min Ha-rin clicked her tongue upon seeing this, and just as she was about to follow up, she heard a voice.
I think thats enough for today.
After saying this, he lowered his sword so that Min Ha-rin couldnt attack further.
alright.
She felt a bit regretful since her body was just starting to warm up, but she knew it couldnt be helped.
Unlike her, Lee Jong-hak had a match scheduled for the next day, so it would be best for him to not push himself too far.
After all, it was an important match.
To be honest.
After a moment of silence, Lee Jong-hak spoke with a slightly emotional expression.
I dont think I can guarantee my victory against you anymore.
It took her a while to realise that was a compliment.
Min Ha-rin also felt a bit emotional.
She never thought the day would come when she heard those words from Lee Jong-hak, a hero that all hunters looked up to.
Unable to respond immediately, she pursed her lips for a moment to suppress her building emotions and said.
It was all thanks to Jong-hak oppa. (Note: By now, everyone should know that oppa is how a girl says big brother Im not translating it)
It had been about two weeks since the Championship had started, and her relationship with Lee Jong-hak had gotten closer.
This was because she felt that he took care of her in many ways.
Just like the spar they just had.
After their spars, Lee Jong-hak never spared any advice and gave Min Ha-rin many tips on how to improve. This allowed her to win her next three Championship matches.
Of course, this wasnt to say that any of them were easy matches. In all of those matches, she had to fight tooth and nail without any guarantee of victory or defeat. Nevertheless, Min Ha-rin didnt lose.
the biggest reason.
In truth, it was luck.
It was almost as if someone had manipulated Min Ha-rins match draw.
None of her opponents were easy, but on the flip side, none of them were so hard that she didnt have any hope of winning.
In addition, it was also a great advantage that all of her opponents somehow managed to be placed in a position so that the next one was always stronger.
If the order of her matches had been somehow twisted, for example, if her third opponent had been swapped with her first or even her second, the results would have changed drastically. It was possible that Min Ha-rin would have already been eliminated by now.
Nevertheless, there was no use speculating about things that werent possible.
In the end, she won, and she survived.
And as a result, she grew explosively.
Now, there was one left.
If she won just one more time, she would be able to advance to the semi-finals of the Championship.
It was the same for Lee Jong-hak.
Tomorrows match
Mm?
How about giving up?
It was very difficult for Min Ha-rin to say this.
For the past two weeks, shed watched Kran and Lee Jong-hak closely. And she devised countless strategies until it felt like her head would explode. But in the end
I told you that I would give up if my life was in danger.
I think its better to not compete at all.
It was only then that Lee Jong-hak understood what Min Ha-rin was trying to say.
Are you saying that you think Ill die without being able to withstand a single blow?
Hed read her inner feelings perfectly.
Min Ha-rin sighed and said.
Are you confident that you can survive?
She had watched and carefully analyzed all of the matches in the arena, but when she watched Krans matches, she made sure to push her concentration to the max.
She did this in order to find a possible weakness. But in the end, there was none.
Every time she watched Krans match, all she could feel was shock, admiration, and astonishment.
And among them, the most shocking match
In yesterdays match, Krans opponent was the Champion of the Major City, [Tikrit].
Junibal was an excellent Fighter.
Yeah. But his entire body was still crushed by Krans attack.
At the end, Junibals body looked like hed been stepped on by a giant. His blood, flesh, and organs were so entangled that it was impossible to see their original shape.
Junibal was by no means a weak Fighter.
He was a strong Fighter who was not inferior to Min Ha-rin or Lee Jong-hak, and he certainly had skill since he was able to become the Champion of a major citys arena.
In fact, the spectators all expected Junibal to be able to block Krans first attack.
But in the end, he became a pile of flesh before he could even realise how he died, just like the others.
Ill be honest. I have no intention of surrendering.
Why?
He told me to give up too.
A strange glimmer appeared in Min Ha-rins eyes.
He did
Thats why.
because Kran looked down on you? Are you saying that you will risk your life because he hurt your pride?
Her tone showed that she clearly found the thought to be ridiculous.
Lee Jong-hak knew that she was acting this way because she cared about him. So he explained in a calm voice.
Its not because of a foolish reason like that. Kran is being manipulated, but he still told me to surrender. Dont you understand what that means?
Min Ha-rin tilted her head at the strange revelation.
hes being manipulated?
Lee Jong-hak nodded and continued.????????????????????????????. ?????m
Thats not the only strange thing. Ive seen Kran fight before. He was strong in the past, but not this strong. And there is something strange about his current power.
He could have grown stronger like us.
He should have cleared all 10 stages of the tutorial. In other words, he only appeared in this world a few months ago. Counting the time he first appeared in the arena, it is impossible for him to have grown this much. So that leads me to an assumption.
An assumption
What if the first attack he displays at the beginning is actually an all-out attack?
Min Ha-rin blinked a couple times before opening her mouth dumbly.
Huh?
It literally means that he pours every ounce of his energy into the first blow. His first priority is to finish the opponent off as quickly as possible because his body will become strained if he overdoes it. If that assumption is correct, then it would mean that as long as he doesnt kill me with his first attack, defeating him is not an impossibility.
but it also cant be said that its a possibility. Why do you think he would resist killing you in the first attack?
This is also an assumption, but I dont think the control over him is perfect. If the fight goes on for long enough, he might even be able to break free of the control. Assuming thats true, everything will be fine.
To an extent, that was a reasonable assumption.
No, in fact, the probability of it being true was fairly high.
However, in the end, it was still only an assumption.
If the assumption was wrong If Krans first attack wasnt an all-out attack, but a normal one If the Demon King had somehow made him much stronger after kidnapping him
You asked me earlier if Im confident I can survive the first attack. Of course, I am.
Lee Jong-hak smiled faintly.
You dont have to worry. I dont want to die. So if I think that anything isnt going as I expected, Ill give up immediately.
(Note: Do you guys think Lee Jong-hak survives? If there are 5 correct answers in the comments, Ill add an extra chapter to next weeks release)
Book 2, Chapter 220
Book 2, Chapter 220 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Sei
Waaaah!
Screams of excitement filled the air.
Today, the arena was much more heated than usual. This was natural, after all, this was the day that the Group Cs semi-final candidate would be decided.
Kran stood in the center of the arena.
Dammit.
Kran cursed inwardly.
At that moment, he was so annoyed that he couldnt help but swear.
His current state could only be described as comical frustration.
He could still feel the feedback from his senses. Just like at that moment. He could hear the loud roars of the crowd and feel the hot wind brushing against his skin. He could feel the dryness of his mouth and smell the acrid sand.
And he could see the face of the man that he was about to fight
No. Of the man, he was about to kill.
Lee Jong-hak.
He didnt listen to his advice.
Kran wanted to grit his teeth, but he couldnt.
My freedom is only limited to two things.
One was the fact that he was able to even have thoughts like this in the first place, and the other was the few times he had been able to gain some control of his body.
Nevertheless, that control had its limits. In the beginning, he could only blink his eyes or wiggle his toes a bit, but just recently, hed been able to open his mouth and move his tongue.
Hed used the precious time he had to advise Lee Jong-hak to give up, but he had ignored it, and now, he was standing before him.
No.
He hadnt ignored it.
He could tell just from looking at his eyes.
Lee Jong-hak seemed to have a reason for standing in front of him at that moment, something he believed in.
Did he have the confidence to defeat or even kill him? That wouldnt be bad either. At the very least, it was better to die than to continue living like this.
But Kran knew Lee Jong-hak.
Even if he put his life on the line, there was no way hed be able to kill him.
* * *
My sword techniques arent enough to defeat him.
At that moment, while standing across from him, Lee Jong-hak had the same thought.
He looked at Kran.
An old sword hung loosely at his waist. Other than that, he didnt have any weapons.
This wasnt like Kran.
This man, who was called the strongest Demon Hunter in the past, always had at least a dozen or so weapons on his person. It would be better to consider him a walking weapon of mass destruction than a human.
Nevertheless, the fact that he only had one weapon didnt mean that he could let his guard down.
Kran had already killed three Champions with that old blade.
Hoo
His palms were moist with cold sweat. sea??h th n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
How long had it been since he was this nervous?
He was feeling more pressure now than in the battle to slay the Duke.
Lee Jong-hak suddenly turned to his right and looked at the stands.
This was a place that was isolated from the rest of the stands and the seats there were much larger and more comfortable than the regular seats. Naturally, this was the place where the other Champions sat.
Min Ha-rin was also sitting there.
Their eyes met.
Dont overdo it.
She mouthed those words to him.
Somehow, seeing that made him relax a bit.
The pressure on his shoulders also seemed to become a bit weaker.
Turning, his eyes locked onto Kran once again.
Ssng.
He drew his sword.
Most of the swords in this world were thick and heavy. Depending on the user, usually, when they were swung, they would smash the opponent more than cut them.
Lee Jong-haks sword, on the other hand, was thin and sharp.
Compared to the large, heavy swords, this sword required more finesse. If it was swung poorly, it was possible for it to get stuck without even being able to reach bone, and then, the user would die an embarrassing death without being able to retrieve it.
It was a sword that wasnt suited for the Fighters regular fighting style.
Despite knowing that, Lee Jong-hak didnt change his weapon.
He stood there, looking at Kran.
By this time, the cheers in the arena had gradually begun to calm down.
And the referee finally made his appearance.
Thuk, thuk.
Tens of thousands of people concentrated on the sound of the referees footsteps, which were neither fast nor slow.
Soon, the referee stopped walking. He was now standing on a platform that allowed him to see the entire arena with a single glance.
Now that everyone was paying attention to him, the referee didnt make any unnecessary introductions. After all, everyone in the crowd already knew who the men standing in the arena were.
There, there was only one word that he needed to say.
Be-!
Clang!
Gi-, in?
There were less than five people out of the entire audience of tens of thousands who could tell what had just happened.
Before the referees voice could even fade, Lee Jong-haks body had been sent flying in a straight line and struck the wall like a cannonball.
Boom!
The audience in that section of the stands felt like they were experiencing an earthquake.????????????????????a????. ????????????
H-, huh?
wh-, what was that?
The crowd was in a daze for a while.
Finally, some people let out soft chuckles.
What do you mean? Its over.
Is this your first time watching him fight?
Dammit. I thought this time would be different.
Even though they knew of Krans prowess, they still thought that Lee Jong-hak would be able to withstand Krans first attack.
There were many people who cheered for Krans overwhelming performance, but there were even more of them who expressed dissatisfaction.
Even if he was strong, they felt that he was too strong since he could easily defeat all of his opponents, which wasnt fun to watch.
Originally, it was the desperation that appeared in the matches held in the arena that drew their excitement. The way the Fighters still rushed towards each other just to add another injury to their opponent despite the blood gushing from their bodies. Those savage exchanges were the true attraction of the arena.
It was probably for that reason that more than half of the audience in the stands were cheering for Lee Jong-hak.
And that was probably why they felt even more bitter at that moment.
The crowd looked down at the arena while filled with a deep sense of disappointment. Some of them were even wondering when the next match would begin.
Bang!
Suddenly, Lee Jong-hak shot out of the dust cloud that had been created when he hit the wall.
He kicked off the wall of the arena and rapidly closed the distance to Kran.
It took less than a second for him to charge, reach him, and attack.
Clang!!
Nevertheless, his sword was blocked.
Creak, creak. Their swords cried out as they were pressed together.
This level of defense was expected. Lee Jong-hak let go of the sword with one hand. Holding Kran back with one hand was easier than he expected. Then he slammed his elbow towards Krans forehead.
Crack!
Kran didnt dodge.
Lee Jong-hak frowned. If he had been wearing a helmet, that attack would have been enough to crush it, but it only left a small red mark on Krans forehead. Nevertheless, this much should be expected from an opponent like Kran.
however.
By landing this attack, he realised that Kran couldnt use his full strength.
Lee Jong-hak knew the difference between the two of them.
If Kran were using his true skills, then it would have been impossible for him to gain the advantage, even if it was a surprise attack.
Whoosh!
Lee Jong-hak twisted his body in the air. This was a high-level movement that required flexible joints and abdominal muscles, but Lee Jong-hak performed this move easily.
Paak!
A roundhouse kick whipped around to the back of Krans head. This was a natural follow-up to the elbow attack, but it didnt have much of an effect either.
It seemed the back of his head was even harder.
Sword.
Only his sword would be able to hurt him.
Since he had the momentum, he didnt plan to give it up easily.
Lee Jong-hak realised instinctively. To win this match, he would have to take advantage of this opportunity.
He once again grabbed his sword with both hands.
Suddenly.
Krans eyes shone with a bright red light.
Black energy exploded from within his body.
Lee Jong-hak felt a chill down his spine.
It was a dark, disgusting power. something he was familiar with.
This power
Whoosh!
Black fog enveloped Krans body. It was like steam, but it had no heat. Instead, it was like a physical force that pushed Lee Jong-hak away.
Unable to withstand the force, his body flew through the air.
After tumbling in the air for a while, Lee Jong-hak finally managed to land in a fairly clumsy manner.
Huff, huff
Their engagement had lasted for no more than ten seconds, but he had poured all of his energy into it. It felt like he had been sprinting for hours.
Naturally, he was exhausted, but Lee Jong-hak managed to calm his breathing.
how can a human use demonic energy?
Kran didnt answer.
Lee Jong-hak didnt know that he was a hybrid.
Because of this, he could only make his own guesses.
Did the Demon King do something to his body after he kidnapped him?
If he had been forcefully injected with demonic energy, then his recent explosive growth would make sense.
Waaaaaah!
At that moment, explosive screams shook the arena.
The audience, who were just feeling disappointed at the match, was going crazy.
This reaction was natural.
After all, Lee Jong-hak had managed to withstand Krans attack and was now fighting a real match with him.
Li Hao! Li Hao! Li Hao!
Whirlwind! Whirlwind! Whirlwind!
Like fanatics, the crowd screamed his pseudonym and title.
Lee Jong-hak took a deep breath.
Book 2, Chapter 221
Book 2, Chapter 221 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Sei
Kran stood in the center of the arena with demonic energy billowing around him.
I cant win.
Lee Jong-hak honestly admitted this fact in his head.
He couldnt win.
His assumptions had been right to an extent, but there were still some things that hed guessed incorrectly.
First of all, it seemed impossible to break the mind control just by having a long fight. The power that was hidden in Krans body was much stronger than Lee Jong-hak expected.
Lee Jong-hak turned to the referee and lifted his left hand. It was a move that meant a timeout in the arena.
The referee turned to look at him.
It was a pity since the audiences excitement was reaching its peak, but it couldnt be helped.
I give u-
At that moment, Lee Jong-hak felt a strange sensation.
The referee also looked at him in confusion.
! !
No. He seemed to be saying something.
But Lee Jong-hak couldnt hear him at all.
That wasnt all. Even the sounds of the audience in the stands felt more distant.
As if he was submerged in water, their voices gradually grew fainter until they were cut off completely.
It was a terrifying feeling.
He was obviously in the center of the arena with tens of thousands of people looking at him, but he felt a sense of loneliness and isolation that he had never experienced before.
It was as though he had been separated from the world.
Hi. Nice to meet you.
A whisper-like voice sounded at that moment.
It was Krans voice, but he was certain that Kran wasnt the one speaking.
Their manner of speech were completely different.
He spoke with a soft, gentle voice that wasnt really suitable for a man. It was strange to say it, but it felt like there was a bit of coquettishness mixed into his voice.
That wasnt all.
Juk.
Beads of cold sweat rolled down his face. It was hard to breathe, and it felt like a hand was tightly gripping his heart.
It was pressure and fear that he had never felt before. It made him want to turn around and run away without looking back.
He suddenly had a thought.
He would definitely
Die there.
Kuh.
Lee Jong-hak clenched his fist so hard that blood dripped from between his fingers.
Pushing through his fear, he forced his mouth to open.
Who are you?
Is that all you want to know?
Kran spoke in a sultry manner.
Who I am isnt important, and I cant maintain this state for a long time. It is really annoying in its own way, but I wanted to meet you no matter what.
me?
I would like to make you an offer. Just know that regardless of your decision, I will gladly accept it.
He couldnt respond to such a one-sided statement, so he licked his chapped lips instead.
Kran continued without caring about Lee Jong-haks reaction.
The first is for you to give up like you originally wanted to. If you do that, I will kill everyone in this arena in the most painful way I can think of and leave them all without complete corpses.
What the hell
Ah. Did it sound like I was joking? Maybe I should prove myself.
Joke? It wasnt like that at all.
It was because her words sounded like an unstoppable disaster.
Lee Jong-hak remained silent with an extremely pale face.
The second option is the opposite. Continue fighting without giving up. The difference is that the final outcome wont be decided until one party dies.
Lee Jong-hak couldnt beat Kran. This was a fact that this being had to know.
Nevertheless, they still chose to propose this death match.
why are you even giving me a choice?
Mm?
If you wanted to, you could just kill me along with everyone else in this arena.
He didnt know who this being was. Or even how powerful they were.
However, he was certain that this being was one of the strongest that hed ever encountered.
This was something Lee Jong-hak realised the moment he felt this beings aura.
Ahaha.
Kran let out a laugh.
At that moment, Lee Jong-hak couldnt help but feel that the being controlling him was a woman.
Of course I can. Kran is a very powerful and versatile puppet. By the way, do you have any hobbies?
I guess not. How surprising. No, actually, I knew you would be a boring guy.
She giggled and continued.
This is just my personal opinion, but I dont think its necessary to care about others while enjoying your hobby. No matter who looks at you, its better to just have your fun.
Lee Jong-hak just stared at his opponent without answering.
The more they talked, the more he felt that this being was insane.
Right. My hobby is a bit strange. I like looking at the expressions a person has while thinking. Its even better when they have a limited amount of time or options. Do you understand? At that time, a persons expression would shift from various emotions like joy, sorrow, and anger. The more deeply they think, the clearer those emotions are.
Ahaha. I really do like looking at those kinds of eyes. Its like appreciating jewels that change color depending on the intensity of light and the direction in which it shines. Thats what Im saying. So
She looked at Lee Jong-hak with an expression of anticipation.
Please think about it.
Ssrng.
Lee Jong-hak didnt need to think about it. He drew his sword without the slightest hesitation or pause.
Although he hadnt intended to,
He could see the disappointment in Krans expression.
Of course, she knew he would choose the latter in the end, she thought that he would at least agonise over it for a while.
Human Dragon Lee Jong-hak.
He certainly wasnt a hypocrite.
He was a good man, a true hero that only appeared in fairytales Something like that. But that didnt matter.
The small interest she had in him faded. If she knew this would happen, she wouldnt have wasted the energy to fully take over Krans body.
She classified this man as the least interesting human in the world.
Then, see ya.
He knew he shouldnt.
But Lee Jong-hak couldnt help but turn his head to look at the stands once again.
Min Ha-rins face easily caught his gaze.
You were right after all.
* * *
Blood splattered and flesh fell.
It was a scene that she had witnessed many times, but Min Ha-rin knew that she would never forget this sight.
It was something she wished she never had to see, but also something that she didnt want to forget.
The sight of a close friend, not a stranger, dying in front of her very eyes.
Thuk-
One Fighter fell.
And one corpse was made.
No. It wasnt just a Fighter.
Lee Jong-hak was dead.
ah.
Her hair stood up straight.
It felt like electricity was coursing through her body.
Babump-
The sound of a heart beating pounding in her ears. It was her own. But it was strange.
Has her heartbeat always been that loud? She was certain that it used to be quieter
No. What was she even thinking about? Sear?h the n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
She didnt know.
She didnt want to know.
Min Ha-rin stared at Kran.
With an expressionless face, he sheathed his sword and walked away.
But she kept staring at him.
Rumble-????????????????e????????. ????????????
And deep within her.
Something moved.
Book 2, Chapter 222
Book 2, Chapter 222 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Sei
About a month before the Championship.
Akad Port City. sea??h th n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
You want to go to Temple Island?
Thats correct.
Hmm
An old man looked at him with a dull expression before saying.
You an outsider?
Yes.
What does an outsider want with Temple Island?
Do I have to answer that first?
Normally, you wouldnt have to, but the situation here has changed a bit recently. I cant discuss information about our sea route to someone suspicious.
The man standing in front of the old man thought for a while before slowly opening his mouth.
I can tell you about my personal circumstances, which would be long and boring.
Then he flicked a silver coin into the air with his finger.????????????????????????d. ????????
With agility that belied his age, the old man snatched the coin out of the air.
It was a silver 10 eru coin.
Or I can cover seniors drinks for the night. Which one would you like to choose?
hmmm.
The old man scratched his chin with one hand while pocketing the silver coin with the next.
Then, he gave a bright smile, showing off his yellow teeth.
The price of alcohol has risen a lot these past few days.
The man didnt answer, and instead directly flipped another two coins over.
Like their predecessor, they were similarly snatched from the air before they could reach the peak of their flight.
The old man licked his lips.
Follow me.
Before following him, the man, Lukas, turned back.
He was looking in the direction of Lirua.
It would be a lie to say that he wasnt worried at all.
But Lukas shook his head.
I just need to rescue Sedi and return home as soon as possible.
Then he heard a voice.
Whats going on? Are you coming or not?
Lukas stared for a few more moments before turning and following the old man.
* * *
Vessels that seemed to focus more on beauty than practicality were moored at the pier. In a way, this hinted at the level of the Dragonmen shipbuilding industry.
The man slowly walked along the spacious pier. Following him, Lukas felt his surroundings become quieter and quieter.
Not just ships, even the people in the area were few.
Its best to not do something like that next time.
The old man continued to speak in his slow drawl, and he continued without even waiting for a response.
Trying to shut someone up with money. There are a lot of idiots like you who think this city is a safe place.
Isnt it? This was chosen as the best city to live in the entirety of Combat Island.
When Lukas said that, a loud, wheezing laugh erupted.
Did you read that in a newspaper? Those publishing houses really wont go bankrupt as long as there are idiots like you around.
You wanna know whats the most disgusting thing about those publishing houses? They can write articles about their own opinions as though its the truth.
The man spoke in a cynical tone.
But it didnt seem like he was criticising Lukas. Instead, his tone was closer to self-deprecation.
Of course, since youre an outsider, you wouldnt know the truth about anything. However, the Major City Lord of this city
After speaking up there, the old man shook his head.
Forget I said anything. When we open our eyes and see the world, old men like me sometimes talk to ourselves about foolish things.
Lukas knew the Major City Lord of Akad.
Not long ago, before killing Kangki, hed even met him face to face.
Spera.
A Dragonman with the appearance of a young boy.
Of course, he didnt actually think he was young. And after a few conversations, he learned that he was actually a few hundred years old.
Understood. Ill be careful.
By the time Lukas said those words, the old man stopped walking.
They were now standing in front of a small boat that was moored to the pier in a rather lonely spot.
It was an old boat.
The man looked up at the sky. Since there were no clouds, it was easy to see the position of the sun.
Hes probably still asleep
The captain of this ship has probably passed out in it right now. Tell him that Grandpa Marco sent you.
Thank you.
You really came to the right person this time.
Although his tone didnt change, it was obvious that he was showing off.
The old man continued.
I dont know who told you about this old man, but I definitely found the right guy for you. Dont worry if he appears a bit unreliable. As far as I know, hes the best sailor in this city. (Note: The best sailor always lives secluded in a shabby house/boat.)
After saying that, he turned around to leave as though hed already completed his task. His attitude was truly heartless, but Lukas wasnt too upset about it.
His eyes turned away from the old mans back, and once again returned to the old boat. Then, he stepped onto it.
Creak!
The deck screamed shrilly the moment he stepped onto it. Lukas wasnt being careless. Instead, he remembered the old man saying that the captain was probably asleep.
Although this ship looked old on the outside, he thought that it might be better on the inside.
Since it was a small ship, there werent many places that the captain would sleep. He decided to head to the cabin first.
Knock knock.
Knock knock.
He knocked several times on the door, but there was no answer.
Lukas pondered for a while, and instead of just knocking louder, he decided to just directly go inside.
Creak.
Tuk.
But immediately after opening the door, his foot hit something.
Ugh
He looked down and saw a middle-aged man.
The first thing Lukas noticed was his unique appearance.
To be precise, his appearance was quite familiar to him, but rare in the Heavenly Realm.
He didnt have sharp claws, and the teeth that he could see through his open mouth werent sharp. He didnt even have scales.
This man was an outsider.
Mmm
It seemed that the tip of his shoe had hit the mans thigh. Although he didnt hit him hard, it was still enough for the man to wake up and look around with a blurry gaze.
After looking around for a while, seemingly to figure out where he was, the mans eyes found Lukas.
whore you?
Grandpa Marco sent me here.
so youre a customer.
The man said this with a hoarse voice and a wrinkled face. If a timid person had been there instead, they might feel guilty for waking him.
Staggering, the man stood up before beckoning to Lukas.
Get out of the way.
When Lukas complied, he went outside, spat out some phlegm, and returned.
Then First things first, do you have money?
How much?
Depends on where youre going.
Im headed to Temple Island.
Thats a rare destination.
Can you do it or not?
I can, but itll cost you.
They once again returned to the original question.
The middle-aged man, who was probably the captain, continued.
3,000 eru for a round trip.
That was pretty expensive.
Before searching for a ship, Lukas had scouted the market prices to an extent.
Even if he wanted a round trip to one of the Seven Islands, it wouldnt be as expensive. Moreover, Temple Island wasnt that far away.
Im telling you in advance, Im not gonna give you a discount. If you dont like my price you can just go find someone el-
He froze as Lukas pulled out 30 gold coins.
Each gold coin was worth 100 eru.
The captain frowned.
Apparently, he hadnt expected Lukas to be so rich.
this is the perfect time for a nap.
After saying that, he sighed.
Only people with special qualifications can enter Temple Island.
I know.
He didnt need to worry about that.
The Dragon Plaque that hed received from Arid should be enough to prove his qualifications. What he was more concerned about was finding a ship.
Lukas looked around the cabin.
It seemed that the cabin also served as the wheelhouse(1), and there were no other rooms on the ship. There was a small space under the deck that seemed to be for cargo, but there werent many signs of use.
Are there any other sailors?
Its just me. Its not that big of a ship.
Lukas wasnt very knowledgeable about the sea and sailing, but he knew that it wouldnt be easy to sail alone, even if the boat was as small as this one.
For a moment, he couldnt help but wonder if this man was just bluffing. Or if he was a scammer who had good control over his expressions.
(Note:
1.a part of a boat or ship serving as a shelter for the person at the wheel.)
Book 2, Chapter 223
Book 2, Chapter 223 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Sei
Lukas looked at the man in front of him, wondering if he was working together with the old man from earlier to scam him.
But after thinking that, he felt that his attitude was a bit strange. Instead of enticing him, it felt like the man wanted Lukas to go find someone else to take him to his destination.
Temple Island.
The captain muttered in a soft voice and went out to the deck once more.
Then, he stared out at the endless ocean for a while.
After a few minutes,
The captain returned to the cabin and spoke in a blunt tone.
Well leave in three days.
It really seemed like an arbitrary decision.
This was especially so for Lukas, who was currently in an urgent situation.
The captain continued.
If you dont like it, you can find someone else.
Ill be back in three days.
The captain frowned before walking to the end of the cabin. Then, as if he was telling him to leave, he said.
Ill collect your money then.
Enjoy your rest.
With those words, Lukas got off the boat.
Click.
The sound of the door closing followed him.
* * *
That evening.
Lukas was having dinner at an inn in Akad. Perhaps it was because it was a port city, most of the dishes available were seafood. This meant that there was marine life in this strange ocean that existed above the clouds.
Tuduk, tuduk
Suddenly, he heard the sound of rain from the outside.
This gave Lukas an incongruous feeling.
The sound of rain?
With a strange expression on his face, he turned to look out of the window. And sure enough, a stream of water was hitting the window hard. Of course, it wasnt strange that it was raining, what was strange was that it was raining in this place.
This was the Heavenly Realm. A world that floated above the clouds. How could there be rain in this place?
Bang!
At that moment, the door to the inn swung open roughly, and a group of people rushed in. They were all soaked as though they had just come out of the shower.
Dammit! My luck is so bad!
The man in the lead shook his body while cursing loudly.
The innkeeper, who was covered by the water flying off his body, scowled.
Do you want me to kick you back outside?
Im sorry, boss, I was only thinking about going back to my room and getting a change of clothes. Ill wipe up all the water I scattered, so please forgive me.
The innkeepers expression softened a bit.
Ill let it go this time. Rather than that, would you like to have some hot stew?
Im a bit hungry, so please add plenty of meat.
The innkeeper then asked the chef to make 10 portions of stew.
By the way, whats going on? Is it a Skystorm?
The worst one this year.
Whats the damage like?
Our departure has been delayed. We managed to notice it earlier and turn back, but it wasnt enough. Those ships that departed earlier in the morning are basically done for. Two ships sank, and most of the cargo on them had been swept away. If I was to estimate the damage to property and personnel as well as the compensation, were almost bankrupt.
Your luck really is bad.
The innkeeper let out a soft sigh.
this isnt the first or second time that sailors have been lost while traversing the vast ocean, but this time is different.
It cant be helped. There are no more than five Flying Captains in Akad who can foresee the coming of the Skystorm.
The man spoke with a troubled expression.
No one can even dream about leaving the island for at least three days. There were a lot of customers who were intending to come to the island for the Championship. Ill be scolded.
* * *
Three days later.
Lukas headed to the place where the small boat was moored.
As if the ship had been separate from everything that happened the past few days, there seemed to be nothing different about the boat or its surroundings.
No. There was one thing different.
Unlike the last time, the captain was standing on the deck. He was smoking a pipe while looking out at the horizon.
Lukas stepped onto the deck.
Creak!
Like a bell, the deck of the ship announced his arrival.
Hoo, the captain, who spat out a puff of smoke, looked back and said.
Itll take about four days for us to get to Temple Island.
Thats longer than I expected.
The captain seemed to be thinking about something. Lukas felt like he had an idea of what the captain was thinking about.
He was probably thinking about whether he should recommend him to another boat or not.
Of course, now that he had confidence in the captains skills, he didnt intend to take any other boat.
the waters in that area are particularly dangerous.
Seeing that Lukas didnt intend to change his mind, the captain explained in a weak voice.
As far as I know, there is only one risk-free route to the island.
Understood.
Ships cannot remain anchored outside of Temple Island for more than two days. If you think youll take longer than that, then please tell me in advance. As long as there isnt any unusual weather, Ill find a way to wait for you until then.
Nevertheless, Lukas business was not on Temple Island.
Instead, his goal was to access Death Island from it.
Death Island was one of the largest of the Seven Islands that made up the Heavenly Realm. However, because most of the land was polluted with death energy, it was difficult for Dragonmen to live there.
Naturally, there was no one he could ask for Sedis whereabouts, so it was impossible for him to know how long it would take for him to find her.
Ill find my own way back.
So Lukas had no choice but to answer in that way.
I wont lower the price even if its one way.
That had never been a problem in the first place.
He didnt intend to brag, but money was the least of Lukas worries.
Without saying anything, he simply held out the money bag hed prepared.
Contrary to his seemingly unyielding attitude, the captain didnt check the money before putting it away.
Meals will be served twice a day, but dont expect them to taste good.
I brought my own food.
Youre well prepared.
As he said that, the captain sucked on his pipe.
Then lets set sail.????n????????ea????. ????????????
It was at that moment,
[Warning!!]
[Death Island is an incredibly dangerous place! Entry is not recommended!]
Hed heard this message hundreds or even thousands of times since he had decided to go to Death Island. The contents of the warnings were slightly different every time, but the general meaning was always the same.
And like before, Lukas ignored the voice ringing in his ears. S~ea??h the ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
He already knew it was dangerous.
And he already knew that he might die.
Book 2, Chapter 224
Book 2, Chapter 224 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Sei
The captain was a blunt person, and Lukas was not the type to initiate a conversation. So naturally, this meant that there was little to no conversation between them.
Lukas found a place for himself in a corner of the cabin.
This spot was filled with dust and miscellaneous items, but after the captain rearranged it a little, he was able to make enough space for one person to lay down.
Of course, such a place wouldnt be very pleasant. If someone were to sleep there for even a few hours, they would probably wake up with their noses clogged.
Nevertheless, Lukas managed to find something there that interested him.
Do you mind if I read these books?
He asked this while looking at a pile of old books that were strewn haphazardly across the dusty space.
He could tell the condition of the books without even opening them. Some of them had crushed corners, and some of them were discoloured as if they had been soaked in a suspicious liquid before being left to dry.
you can help yourself, but where are you from?
When he heard this question, Lukas realised that they hadnt actually had a real conversation yet.
You wouldnt know even if I told you.
This wasnt a lie, since there was only one person in the world who knew exactly where he was from.
Lukas also realised that he didnt know the captains name.
This was partly because of the captains attitude, since, from the start, he hadnt gotten the chance to introduce himself.
It seemed that the captain didnt care about Lukas identity at all.
He just closed his eyes for a while, then spoke in passing.
As you can tell from my appearance, Im an outsider. I hail from one of the countless kingdoms on Gaia(1).
I didnt mean to bring up my boring past. Its just that those books are all written in the official language of Gaia.
This was natural since hed brought them from there. With a bit of emotion, the captain added this last sentence inwardly.
When Lukas picked up the book and looked at the cover, he saw that it wasnt written in the language of the Heavenly Realm.
Nevertheless.
Fortunately, it seems I can read it.
seriously?
[17 Reckless Ways to Enter the Sky Continent].
When Lukas even read out the title of the book, the captain no longer had any doubts.
This Gaia official language was actually hanja(1). He might not be able to fully interpret them since most of them were ancient texts, but he would at least be able to get a general gist of their contents.
Are you also from Gaia?
Im not.
Hmm.
Perhaps he felt like Lukas was not speaking the truth, but the captain didnt ask any more questions.
Do as you please.
After saying that, the captain turned his attention away.
Lukas decided to read the first book hed picked up.
[17 Reckless Ways to Enter the Sky Continent]
The book was about the views the civilised persons living on the Gaia continent had towards the Heavenly Realm.
For the most part, its a mystery.
Few people have traveled back and forth between the Heavenly Realm and Gaia. This was because there was a huge risk involved.
What Lukas was curious about was how other people came to the Heavenly Realm. This was because, as far as he could see, there was no easy way to enter this continent that floated above the clouds.
Nevertheless, while relatively rare, outsiders were not something Dragonmen were unfamiliar with.
And, as its title indicated, there truly were a few methods written in the book. However, the success rates of these methods were low, and the risk of death for each of them was high. To be frank, most of them were only possible in theory.
It feels like they were forcibly added to get the number 17.
It was only after about halfway through the book that truly feasible methods began to appear.
Among them, the method that seemed to have the highest rate of success was called [The Giants Crown].
This referred to the tallest mountain in the world, which stood proudly in the Giant Field, the territory of the giants. The peak of this mountain was only 1,000 meters or so away from Heavenly Realm.
The Heavenly Realm didnt reject the entry of outsiders. In fact, they even welcomed them, since they were interested in the cultures of the other continents.
This was because it was impossible for a group of people large enough to be considered an army to actually enter the Heavenly Realm, no matter what method they used. This meant that outsiders could never be a threat to the Heavenly Realm.
On average, the Heavenly Realm passed [The Giants Crown] once every 10 years. In other words, this was an opportunity that only appeared once every ten years, and usually, only about a hundred people were able to make it.
Even if they used every method available, the number of outsiders who gained entry would not exceed a few hundred, and that many people could never start an invasion into the Heavenly Realm.
Tak.
Lukas closed the book.
It had probably taken about an hour for him to read from cover to cover.
Whoosh
The sounds of the ocean filled the air.
The hull bobbed gently with the waves, and the boards creaked from time to time.
He could feel the ship steadily moving to its destination. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
* * *
Lukas found quite a few interesting books in his little corner. In addition to books from Gaia, there were also a few books from the Heavenly Realm.
Most of them were about the ocean of the Heavenly Realm, and things that every sailor ought to know. Thanks to this, Lukas was able to learn a lot about this strange ocean floating in the sky.
First of all, he learned that storms were uncommon, which was a good thing for sailors, but that didnt mean the ocean waters were without danger.
Instead, there were quite a few threats that those traversing between islands could encounter.
One of them was the Skystorm, which had recently swept past Akad.
That was an ocean disaster that sucked up everything around it.
There was a mega whirlpool that started off as a tiny vortex but would quickly grow to hundreds of times its size in only a few hours. Unless one was an excellent sailor, the moment they encountered the whirlpool, they had no choice but to accept death.
That wasnt all.
There was a phenomenon called dead point.
It was literally a hole of death, and it was a natural phenomenon that was worthy of its grand name.
It was an unpredictable disaster that occurred frequently in random parts of the ocean.
This phenomenon was simple. Certain parts of the ocean would become black as if they had been sprayed with ink. Then, a few minutes later, all the black water would disappear.
It was as though a hole had formed.
The sea of the Heavenly Realm wasnt very deep, but it didnt have a bottom.
Most of the ships that sank usually werent able to handle the force exerted on them and would be ground into dust, but even if they managed to somehow survive that, all that was left for them was a 10,000 foot drop.
Some scholars speculated that this phenomenon occurred when there was an excess amount of water.
So a hole was created, which was slowly filled by the surrounding water.
The oceans and seas on the continent were different. To put it simply, they were very large, stagnant puddles. (Note: I uh I dont think thats how that works)
On the other hand, the Heavenly Realms ocean was different.
Water seems to be coming from somewhere.
But where? He couldnt seem to find any information about it in the book.
Im glad I didnt use magic.
While staying in Akad for those three days, Lukas had contemplated simply using the Fly spell to go directly to Temple Island.
Now that he was 8 stars, even if he were to fly for ten days and ten nights, he wouldnt run out.
But in the end, he held himself back.
Lukas did this because he had little to no knowledge about the Heavenly Realms ocean. If he were to act arbitrarily without consulting an expert, it was possible for him to cause an accident.
Skystorm It should be possible to freeze it with Blizzard.
But if he were to do that, he would also freeze all the nearby water.
On top of that, Lukas knew that doing so would affect the natural order. Even if he forcefully suppressed it, it was still possible for the ice to affect the livelihood of the sailors of Akad.
As a result, Lukas decided to stick with his current method. Although it would take a bit more time, at least he didnt have any regrets about it now.
Tak.
He closed the book.
Hed read everything in it.
They were now on the fourth day of their voyage, and according to the captain, they would soon see Temple Island.
Lifting his stiff body, Lukas headed out to the deck.
It was a very pleasant journey.
It even felt like the word cruise would be a good descriptor for this voyage.
There was no crisis, no danger, and no accidents. (Note: RED FLAGS)
Lukas felt that the 3,000 erus the captain had demanded was a reasonable amount for his work.
There were many dead points around Temple Island, so the more experienced sailors usually wouldnt go near that area. After all, no matter how good the pay was, you needed to be alive to enjoy it.
They understood that no amount of money could take priority over their lives.
Do you only accept outsiders as customers?
The captain took an ashtray from his pocket and tapped the ashes from his pipe onto it.
If that was the case, I wouldve died from starvation a long time ago.
It wasnt like he was in a position to be picky about such things. He suddenly asked in a curious tone.
Are you curious about my situation?
No.
Lukas shook his head.
The captain chuckled for the first time.
Hmm. I wish I had more customers like you.
Lukas knew that there were people who wanted to live without forming bonds and relationships with others, and clearly, the captain was one of them. Perhaps, if he had the ability to be self-sufficient, he might have secluded himself deep in the mountains until he died.i????????????ea????.nbsp;????????????
The captain also didnt seem to have the ability to be polite to his customers.
Thats why Lukas didnt bother to ask anything. The captain pressed some more of what appeared to be tobacco leaves into his pipe before suddenly raising his head and looking in front of him. In the distance, a small island started to crest the horizon.
Its slowly coming into view. Prepare to disembark.
(Note:
1.For those who might have forgotten, the Great World is made up of one supercontinent Gaia, and four small worlds. You can check chapter 157 for a refresher.
2.Hanja is the Korean name for a traditional writing system consisting mainly of Chinese characters(Hanzi) that were incorporated and used since the Gojoseon period.)
Book 2, Chapter 225
Book 2, Chapter 225 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Sei
I dont know anything about the situation on Temple Island.
The captain spoke these words to Lukas as he disembarked.
So I wish you the best of luck.
Thank you.
After saying that the captain headed in a different direction from Lukas. He was probably going to restock food and other supplies for the journey back.
Lukas turned his attention away and looked at Temple Island.
Before stepping off of the ship, hed already gotten a full view of the island. It was just his speculation, but he didnt think the population of this small island was more than a few dozen.
Because of this, it felt like a small island village that could be found anywhere else. However, it was the scenery beyond the island that proved it was anything but.
Death Island was visible in the distance.
The sea around it was badly polluted, and the sky above was black. Like poisonous gas, clouds of purple energy rose up from the ground.
As Lukas stood on the pier looking at Death Island, several men approached Lukas.
The man in the lead spoke up first.
Are you Mr. Lukas?
Yes. You are?
mm. You probably received something from Lord Young Dragon. Please show it to us.
Lukas took out the Dragon Plaque. After receiving it, the man took out a stone slab from his pocket. There was a groove in it, and Lukas realised with a glance that it matched the size and shape of the plaque.
Click.
As he expected, the Dragon Plaque fit perfectly into the stone slab. After which, the stone slab began to glow.
After performing this check, the man took the plaque out of the stone slab and handed it back to Lukas.
I apologize for the delay. Lord Young Dragon has given us a rough explanation already. Welcome to Temple Island. Im Mars, the island guide.
Lukas.
Lukas nodded.
Yes. First, please follow me.
After saying that, Mars turned around and nodded. Taking this signal, the people who had come with him, scattered. It seemed that they had come because they were wary of the newcomer.
I know that your situation is urgent. And I wish I could take you to Death Island immediately, but Before that, you will need to prove your qualifications to the Temple Master.
Temple Master?
He is the person in charge of managing Temple Island.
isnt the Dragon Plaque enough to prove my qualifications?
Mars expression became a bit shameful at those words.
Well, originally, that would be enough but
His expression seemed to say that he couldnt say more than that.
Lukas glanced at him.
Where is the Temple Master?
* * *
There was only one temple on Temple Island. Sarch* The N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
And that was where the Temple Master was.
He was an elderly man with a rather stern temperament.
Lukas could tell with just a glance that he was no ordinary person. At the very least, he was on the same level as the East and West Priests that had accompanied Arid last time.
And yet, such a talent had been assigned to this small island. This showed just how much importance Dragon God Island placed on Death Island.
Are you the Dragon Hunter?
Lukas could immediately tell from his attitude and tone. For some reason or the other, this man was not pleased to meet him.
You must be the Temple Master.
When he heard his tone, Mars, who was standing beside him, couldnt help but turn to look at Lukas with a confused expression.
A subtle light shined in the Temple Masters eyes.
Quite the temper you have. Or do you think you can do what you want just because you received the Dragon Plaque from the Young Dragon?
Is it wrong to return what I receive? If you want me to be polite, then you should do the same.
This time, there was a hint of anger in the Temple Masters voice.
Watch your mouth, boy. Regardless of whether you are the Young Dragons guest or not, I am the one who decides things on this island. Do you think it would be hard for me to bury you here and deliver a false report?
Knowing that it wasnt a bluff, Mars couldnt help but gulp slightly.
He knew what the outcome of foolishly offending the Temple Master would be.
Am I supposed to prove my qualifications by fighting you? Fortunately, that wont take too long.????????????????????????d. ?????????
while I praise your confidence, it isnt necessary for me to personally check your skills.
The Temple Master gestured with his chin.
Then, a man who was standing behind him, walked forward.
He was a young, muscular man, and he also looked at Lukas with a nasty expression.
This is one of the Chief Warriors of our temple. He is qualified to enter Death Island, and in some missions, he has even had to endure the harsh environment for more than two months. If you can knock him down-
Before he could even finish, Lukas tapped his staff to the ground.
Thud.
And in that same instant, a highly condensed Hyper Bolt appeared. (Note: Lukas is trying to commit murder.)
However, it was much smaller than a normal Hyper Bolt.
In fact, it was so small that it was almost invisible.
Soon after appearing, the Hyperbolt shot towards the Chief Warrior with incredible speed.
!
The warrior instinctively realised that Lukas had done something, so he pulled out his sword and held it in front of him.
Nevertheless, although he had responded in time, he made the wrong choice.
He should have dodged.
Crack!
The sword shattered like a pane of glass. The warrior only had enough time to widen his eyes in surprise before he felt a sharp pain in his stomach. It felt like he was being ripped in two.
Bang!
Nevertheless, he wasnt even given the time to scream. As if hed been hit by a huge invisible being, the man shot backwards like a cannonball and crashed into the wall so hard that he became embedded in it.
Mars forgot how to close his mouth for a moment, and the Temple Master was similarly speechless.
Lukas spoke a phrase that carried many mixed meanings.
Ive wasted enough time.
It had taken four days to get to Akad with the Sun Carriage, the Skystorm had forced him to wait three days, and it had taken four days after that to finally reach Temple Island by boat.
He knew that he had already used the fastest method available. But knowing that didnt rid him of his impatience.
It had already been more than ten days, and Lukas still had yet to set foot on Death Island.
The time spent traveling couldnt be helped.
Being in a hurry didnt mean he could make the Sun Carriage or the boat go faster, nor did it solve the weather problems.
But this was different.
Convincing them or subduing them.
Depending on how Lukas acted, he could shorten the time he spent on Temple Island as much as he wanted.
Book 2, Chapter 226
Book 2, Chapter 226 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Sei
After that, Lukas fought three more times.
Every warrior he fought was stronger than the ones before them, but from Lukas perspective, it was all the same. This could be seen from the fact that he used the same method to deal with all of them.
He simply cast Hyper Bolt three more times.
After experiencing a series of emotions ranging from astonishment and anger to worry and disappointment, the Temple Master now sat silently in his seat.
Lukas simply stared at him.
He couldnt help but wonder if the Temple Master was contemplating whether to step forward or not.
In all honesty, he knew that it wouldnt be possible to win so easily if the Temple Master came forward to test him personally.
However, after a brief silence, the words that the Temple Master said next were surprising.
those clothes.
They were made by the hands of a master. With them, you could probably survive on Death Island for an entire month.
they can only last a month?
Of course, Lukas intended to return with Sedi much sooner than that, but it was still a bit unpleasant to know that he had a time limit.
The Temple Master snorted when he heard that.
The clothes made by the craftsmen on Dragon God Island tend to last no more than two weeks. I dont know who made those clothes for you, but you should appreciate their work a little more.
As for your qualifications You have proven yourself capable enough.
The Temple Master spoke in a voice as if he wanted to get rid of him quickly.
I will have a boat prepared immediately. Mars, take him to the dock in 30 minutes.
Ah. Ye-, yes sir. Sarch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Mars quickly came to his senses and bowed, but the Temple Master had already gotten up from his seat and left the room with a blank expression.
S-, somehow, I think you gained his recognition.
Lukas didnt respond.
Gulping slightly, Mars observed the man beside him. He knew that this person couldnt be ordinary since he was acquainted with the Young Dragon, but he didnt think hed be able to gain the Temple Masters approval by force. Not to mention the fact that hed defeated four Chief Warriors in an instant.
Then for the next half hour Ah!
Recalling something, Mars reached into his pocket and pulled out a few items.
Lord Young Dragon asked me to give this to you. Please accept it.
In Mars hands were a black ring and a folded piece of paper which appeared to be a note.
After receiving them, Lukas decided to put the ring aside for now, and read the note first.
[Master, hello. Its Arid.
Receiving this letter means you were able to reach Temple Island without any problems. Thank you for your hard work. And Im sorry I wasnt able to be of more help to you.]
Lukas could almost hear Arid talking to him as he read the letter.
[I left Master this letter because there are a few things I need to tell you.
Firstly, Ill tell you about the Goddess. I dont think the Goddess wants Master to go to Death Island. She seemed very angry that I told you to go to Temple Island and gave you the Dragon Plaque without asking her first. I got scolded a lot. But I dont regret it.]
The Goddess?
Lukas didnt understand her intentions, but he chose not to think about it for now and continued to read the note.
[I think the Temple Master who manages Temple Island received secret orders from the Goddess. He may try to use some tricks to prevent you from going to Death Island. The Temple Master is not someone to take lightly, so Im warning you in advance.]
Lukas was finally able to understand the reason for the Temple Masters unexpectedly sharp attitude.
Nevertheless, from the contents of the note, it seemed that he was supposed to read it before meeting the Temple Master.
[The ring is my gift to Master. As I said before, my control over my power has improved a lot. With the ring, it would be a little easier for you to find Sedi. Besides that, I also added a few other functions for Master. I dont mean to brag, but it took me five years to make, so Id be happy if you wore it all the time!
I pray that Master will be able to find Miss Sedi quickly and return safely.
I miss you, Master.]
Lukas could feel Arids emotions in the note. Not wanting to throw it away, he folded it once more and placed it in his pocket.
Then, he put the black ring on his index finger.
A cool sensation filled him as soon as he put it on.
Now that he thought about it, this was the first time hed received a gift from one of his disciples.
* * *
The boat the Temple Master prepared for him was by no means an ordinary boat.
The wood that the keel and hull were made of had a deep, earthy color.
Theyre made of black beech wood. That wood is the only one capable of sailing across the polluted water.
This comment was from Mars.
The Temple Master was already on board the boat. He didnt seem to have any intentions of making trouble for Lukas anymore.
Maybe it was because he wasnt as loyal to the Goddess as he thought. Or maybe he had his own opinions on the matter.
Lukas felt that it was probably the latter.
The Temple Master seemed to be a prideful person, but he seemed to be more straightforward than that.
Take this.
Mars handed him a small canteen.
Whats this?
It contains purification liquid. It can purify any polluted water into drinkable water. One drop per liter.
On Death Island, finding drinking water and food was as difficult as picking stars out of the sky. So the top priority was always securing enough of the two.
Mars said that when Temple Island sent scouts into the island, they all carried purification liquid without fail.
If you use it sparingly, it should be enough to last you a month.
Isnt this a precious item?
it usually takes about a year to make that much. Of course, various precious materials are also essential ingredients.
Thank you.
Mars smiled humbly.
You dont have to thank me. This was also part of Lord Young Dragons arrangements.
Lukas realised that he owed Arid a huge favor. Without his help, his journey on Death Island would have been many times more difficult.
It didnt take very long for them to get to Death Island. This was natural since the island was close enough to see from Temple Island with the naked eye.
After about half a day of sailing, he was able to set foot on Death Island.
Swoosh!
Lukas stood on the dead but unpolluted ground beneath him and listened to the sounds of the ocean.
The Temple Master, who was looking at him with his arms folded, said.
Remember this location well. It is one of the few safe zones we manage here on Death Island.
As if encircling the shoreline, stone statues were placed in a line not far away from them. The ground around the statues was many times darker than where they were. It was as if the stone statues were guarding this area.
Lukas realised that there were semi-permanent runes on every stone statue. These runes allowed the statues to absorb the demonic energy, pollution, and death energy in the area.
If the protective function of your clothes is ever impaired because of unavoidable circumstances, evacuate to this place immediately. At the very least, you would be able to prevent your body from being contaminated with demonic energy.
What unavoidable circumstances?
For example, being exposed to too much demonic energy You will have to use your discernment in order to avoid entering places with high concentrations of it, but unexpected and unavoidable situations can occur at any time.
After saying that, the Temple Master shook his head.
Thats enough of that. When do you plan to finish your task?
It seemed that the Temple Master was performing his duties as the manager of Temple Island. Lukas answered briefly.
I plan to complete it within a week.
If he took longer than that, then he wouldnt return in time for the Championship.
I see. Come back to this place when youre done. You see that flying dragon statue over there with one wing? When ki is injected into it, a signal flare will be fired into the sky. Personnel of Temple Island are always monitoring Death Island, so unless there are any unforeseen circumstances, a boat will be sent within half a day.
In other words, to get off of Death Island, he would have to return here after completing his task.
Lukas nodded, and with that, the Temple Master left Death Island.
Then Ill be going.
Take care.
Mars gave Lukas a slight bow before he left.
Lukas nodded.
He wanted to see the boat off until it faded into the distance, but he couldnt afford to.
So with those words of farewell, he turned around and took the map out of his bag.
Book 2, Chapter 227
Book 2, Chapter 227 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Sei
Hed read it in several books before, but at that moment it really struck home.
It wasnt just large, it was the largest.
Death Island was the largest of the Seven Islands of the Heavenly Realm, surpassing even Untamed Island.
It was millions of square kilometers wide, and its population was so low that it would be difficult to find anyone to ask about Sedis whereabouts. (Note: For reference, Asia is 44,614,000 sq km)
In fact, it could even be said that more people were living in one of the major cities on Combat Island than in this vast land. Moreover, it was still unclear whether hed be able to communicate or not if he did manage to encounter someone.
Hed been told that the Dragonmen who lived here were all barbaric and violent.
Even if they could communicate, the probability that they wouldnt be hostile towards him was extremely low.
it might be possible to track Sedis demonic energy.
The environment on this island had already been heavily corroded by death energy and demonic energy.
These things wouldnt affect Sedi, but for Lukas, who was looking for her, it made the situation many times more difficult. It was like searching for a beehive in a dark room filled with the scent of honey.
Of course, there were differences in the energy signatures of Sedi and the demonic energy in the environment, but she would need to be relatively close for him to tell them apart.
Moreover
Lukas looked down at his hands.
There was practically no mana on Death Island.
This was something that hed expected to an extent.
It would be almost impossible to find the energy of nature in such a dead land. The coast, which bordered the ocean, was a bit better, but as he went deeper into the island, the mana in the air would gradually disappear.
In the end, his decision to not use flight magic to fly over from Akad was a wise one. From now on, he would have to save every single drop of mana. Because he had no way to replenish it.
It was truly fortunate that hed managed to reach 8 stars before coming here. Sar?h the N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
It would be nice if I could quantify my remaining mana
Just as he had this thought,
[The participants request will be applied immediately.]
[MP(Mana Points) has been activated.]
[From now on, the participant will be able to check their remaining mana.]
[Current mana 10,000/10,000]
As he heard this voice, Lukas couldnt help but wonder if the voice was truly automated, or if it had an ego of its own.
Shaking the thought from his head, Lukas injected mana into the ring Arid had gifted him.
Fwoosh!
Immediately, a faint ray of light flew out of the ring. The flying streak of light shot out in a certain direction.
This meant that Sedi was in that direction.
At best, it would only show him the specific direction, but in his current situation, even that alone was a great help.
Lukas unfolded his map as he looked at the direction the beam of light had pointed out.
The faintness of the beam meant that Sedi was far away. It was even possible that she was in the heart of the island.
The ray of light will get brighter the closer I get to Sedi.
It was a bit basic, but he could still use it as a detector of sorts.
Humm-
This land was too large for him to just walk blindly, so he decided to use the Fly spell. This would inevitably consume his mana, but it had the advantage of being able to quickly cope with any unexpected or dangerous situations.
I should hurry.
With that thought, Lukas threw himself into the black sky.
* * *
Three days passed.
Or at least, he believed it had been that long. The reason he was unsure was that there was no distinction between night and day in this land.
The demonic energy that rose from the ground and the poisonous energy that formed clouds in the air combined and dyed the sky black. Naturally, there was no sunshine either.
This made it difficult for him to estimate how much time had passed with just his body. (Note: Hard to imagine that a being with a transcendent mind cant monitor the passage of time. This was something Schweiser could do in the first novel)
The further inland he went, the thicker the demonic energy in the environment became. Now, it has reached a point where ordinary animals would struggle to even breathe. Perhaps as proof of this, the land around him was so desolate that it was hard to find even a single blade of grass.
Except for the rocky mountain range that he was currently flying over, the scenery had not changed at all during his entire journey.
And it was in this place that Lukas encountered the first creature.
!
Not far from him, a flying dragon flapped its wings.
No. This creatures size was too abnormal for it to be a regular flying dragon.
Although it was incredibly thin, it was so large that it easily dwarfed normal flying dragons. Moreover, all kinds of dark and negative energies swirled in its dead eyes.
Ancient Dragon!
Suddenly, the ancient Dragon turned to look at Lukas.
Their eyes met.
Did it think he was prey?
Whoosh!i????????????????????.nbsp;c????????
With a heavy flap of its wings, the Ancient Dragon flew towards him at an incredible speed. Since he was flying in the open, there was no place for Lukas to hide.
No. Hiding would be pointless. Lukas could tell just from looking at its eyes. The Ancient Dragon was staring at him with a demented gaze that one would only see in those who had already lost their minds to hunger.
Even if he tried to run away, it was clear that this beast would follow him even to the depths of hell.
And since a battle was inevitable, he had no choice but to handle it quickly.
Lukas gripped his staff tighter.
* * *
K- uhhh uh
The Ancient Dragon let out a low moan. But that soon faded as its body stopped moving entirely.
Lukas looked down at it.
The battle itself hadnt been difficult. The difficult part was trying to end the battle as quickly as possible while also conserving as much mana as possible.
moreover
In the rich lands of the Heavenly Realm, his spells would be enhanced even if he used less mana, but it was different in this place. In this dead, desolate land, the same spells required twice as much mana. It went without saying that the power of the spells was also reduced.
This place is the worst for Wizards in many ways.
On the other hand, the Ancient Dragon, which had adapted, survived, and evolved in this environment, was countless times stronger than the black dragon hed fought before.
Nothing was more dangerous than a beast that was driven by hunger. Moreover, an Ancient Dragon was a being that could not be compared to a wild beast.
Lukas checked his remaining mana.
[Current mana 8,741/10,000]
I used about 1,300.
Of course, it wasnt like his mana didnt refill at all.
However, in this dead land, the amount of mana he could obtain was about 100 points per day.
Ah.
Suddenly, a thought crossed his mind.
The Ancient Dragons heart.
It might not be possible to refine it here, but it should at least be possible for him to extract mana from it. With such hopes, Lukas used a spell to cut open the Ancient Dragons chest.
Mm
But he couldnt help but frown when he saw the mess that was revealed.
The Ancient Dragons heart was black. This wasnt because it had decomposed after it died. After all, not that much time had passed.
Instead, Lukas was certain that it had been like that from the start.
This cursed land had even caused its heart to become twisted.
He couldnt absorb it.
Instead of replenishing his mana, he would be lucky if he didnt do any harm to his body.
Huu.
With a soft, dejected sigh, Lukas turned away and injected his mana into the black ring once again.
Fwoosh-
The beam of light shot in the direction he had to go, but the light was still dim.
(Note: Ill be taking a break from the 20th to the 2nd. But if I ever feel bored during that time I might post a chapter or two. Just giving advance notice so you guys can prepare your hearts.)
Book 2, Chapter 228
Book 2, Chapter 228 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Sei
Another three days passed.
Lukas filled a canteen with contaminated water before putting a drop of purifying liquid in as well.
Fwoosh-
As soon as the droplet touched the water in the canteen, it began to flash, and before long the contaminated water was purified into drinking water. Lukas only observed it for a moment before drinking it.
He once again felt a hint of frustration with having a body. He was forced to take care of his physiological needs now and then.
In his six days of travel, hed covered a large distance. This was natural since hed been using flight magic day and night.
Surprisingly, the fact that this land was so desolate had become an advantage. There were no obstacles to block him, allowing him to fly uninterrupted.
He hadnt even seen another Ancient Dragon since his previous encounter. Or, to be precise, he had avoided them.
If he found a location that he thought had a high chance of having an Ancient Dragon, then he took detours to avoid them. He calculated the time and mana it would take to fight an Ancient Dragon and compared them to avoid it, which led to this decision.
And on the sixth day of his journey.
There was finally a different reaction from the ring.
Whoosh-
This time, the light was brighter than before.
This was proof that he was close to Sedi. He Couldnt tell exactly how far away she was, but he was certainly closer. (Note:no sh*t)
It would be nice if she stayed in one place.
Although he had this thought, Lukas knew that with Sedis personality, such a thing was next to impossible.
The worst possible scenario would be if she were to head in the same direction as Lukas. If that was the case, it would take twice as long for them to meet.
Lukas looked back in the direction from which he came. It had taken him six days to get there. And it would take about four days to return, assuming that he used his maximum speed.
In other words, he had to find Sedi today or tomorrow at the latest. Nevertheless, although it would be a bit close, he would still be able to make it in time for the Championship.
Lukas got up from the rock hed been resting on and continued to move.
But just a few hours later, he stopped again.
Sedis demonic energy?
It wasnt an illusion.
Although it was faint, he was certain hed felt Sedis signature. Without hesitation, he followed the trail, and soon, he arrived before a large mountain range. The terrain in the region was a bit more treacherous when compared to the other places hed seen, but that wasnt the thing that stood out the most.
Kiieeek-
Kek, kek, kek.
Creatures with twisted appearances were crawling all over the mountain range. They all looked horrendous, as though they were beings who had crawled out of the pits of hell. There werent just one or two of these beings there.
It had been six days since Lukas had entered Death Island, but this was his first time seeing so many creatures at once.
And he soon found the reason why.
Strewn across the mountains were the corpses of Ancient Dragons.
Five of them.
Their bodies were all terribly decomposed as though it had been a while since they had died. Nevertheless, these bizarre creatures didnt seem to care about that. Like maggots, they covered the corpses of the Ancient Dragons, consuming their rotten blood and flesh.
Lukas looked carefully at the Ancient Dragons corpses.
Each of them was extremely large and looked very powerful.
With just a glance, it was easy to tell that they were all stronger than the Ancient Dragon hed encountered when he first entered the island. Sarch* The ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Nevertheless, all five of them were dead.
And from the gaping wounds on their bodies, it was clear they had all been killed by the same person.
Sedi.
Her distinct demonic energy signature still lingered on the wounds.
He couldnt tell when, but Sedi had definitely been here and killed these five Ancient Dragons. This gave Lukas a hint about Sedis strength. And one thing was immediately clear. At least at the current stage, Sedi was much stronger than him.
Lukas opened his map.
He had entered the southern part of Death Island and was heading north. From his current location, it wouldnt take him very long to reach the center of the large island.
This map had been prepared for him by Arid.
On the map, the central area had been painted black, and there was even a large skull drawn beside it.
[Extreme Danger Zone, Probability of Survival 0%]
The central part of Death Island was a place that even the aerial scout unit of Dragon God Island did not dare to enter. This was because everyone who stepped into even its outer edge died without exception.
Even the reason for their deaths could not be found.
However, there was one thing they were able to find out. The demonic energy and death energy in the central region was at least ten times stronger than the surroundings.
In such a place, the clothes hed received from Nekdu would probably not last very long.
Is Sedi in the center?
The demonic energy was an extreme threat even for Lukas, but for Sedi, it would be more comfortable than returning to her homeworld.
It was possible that it could help her regain her lost power, so the odds were that shed instinctively head to the place with the densest and most terrifying demonic energy.
As he looked at the map while having this thought, he noticed a symbol.
It was the drawing of a hut.
This signified that there was a settlement of Dragonmen in that area.
It wasnt very far from him.
Lukas injected some mana into the ring.
Whoosh-
The light was pointing in the same direction as the Dragonmen settlement.
Until now, he had never encountered the Dragonmen living on Death Island.
This was partly because there had not been any settlements along his route, and partly because hed intentionally avoided them.
Should I contact them and ask for help?
He might be able to get accurate information about Sedis whereabouts.
And maybe some information about the central region as well.
However, there was also some risk.
If they were to attack him out of nowhere, he would have to use his mana to defend himself. And at this point, mana was an extremely scarce and valuable resource.
[Current mana 6,014/10,000]
He only had about 6,000 mana remaining.
Although it was a bit over half, it was still far from enough.
As Lukas pondered his next actions, he felt a commotion nearby.
Roar roar
Then he heard the roar of an Ancient Dragon.
The creatures of Death Island never used their energy for no reason. They usually stored their energy to the limit before explosively releasing it when they found prey. In other words, there was no way that it would roar for no reason.
There was only one reason for them to act so violently.
When they were fighting someone.
Thinking it could be Sedi, Lukas decided to head to the scene of the battle.
* * *
He was right that it was an Ancient Dragon.
It wasnt that large, but an unusual amount of demonic energy flowed from its body. Nevertheless, it wasnt a threat.
It was dying.
By the time Lukas had arrived, the battle had already reached its final stage.
Roooaaar-
The Ancient Dragon let out one final roar. The ground shook heavily, but the intimidation factor had already been lost. There were more than a hundred deep wounds all over its body. Blood the color of ink flowed down from these wounds, forming a large puddle beneath its feet.
Thud!
With the last bit of its energy poured into that roar, the Ancient Dragon soon collapsed to the ground, and Lukas finally turned to look at the ones who had slain it.
Unfortunately, it wasnt Sedi.
Dragonmen from Death Island.
None of them had human-like features like Bargan or Nekdu. Instead, all of these Dragonmen had the appearance of bipedal lizards.
They werent wearing clothes. However, sharp and tough-looking scales covered their bodies, so they didnt give a primitive feeling. Instead, it almost looked like they were wearing sophisticated armor.
Their scales were either black or dark red, and all of them were around 1.5 to 2 times larger than the average Dragonman.
Nevertheless, the biggest difference was the huge wings on their backs.
Those arent for decoration.
Unlike chickens and other flightless birds, those wings werent useless. Lukas realised that these Dragonmen could actually fly.
Was that the reason they were able to hunt an Ancient Dragon so flawlessly?
Seeing that they were talking to each other, it was clear that these Dragonmen had intelligence.
Lukas realised that this was a turning point.
Was he going to talk to them?
Or would he continue his search on his own?
Suddenly,
The smallest Dragonman in the group turned its head and looked towards Lukas.
!
How did he sense him?
Lukas tried to hide behind a rock, but it was already too late.
Whos there?
Book 2, Chapter 229
Book 2, Chapter 229 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Sei
Whos there?
These words were spoken in a clear voice. Even the pronunciation was perfect.
It seemed that the language here was the same as on the other islands.
Come out. If you dont reveal yourself
Lukas clicked his tongue inwardly before revealing himself.
The eyes of the rest of the Dragonmen group widened in surprise, but their auras changed in an instant. They all glared at Lukas with killing intent in their eyes.
Krrr
It was at that moment that the smaller Dragonman who had called Lukas out growled at them. It looked like a leader exerting his dominance over his subordinates. The Dragonmen all flinched and lowered their heads.
The Dragonman then turned back to Lukas before chuckling.
I was wondering if it was a spy from another group. But it turns out its just another small fry from Dragon God Island.
Although, Ive never seen one in so deep before.
Crack-
As he said that, the Dragonmans claws began to grow at an alarming rate. Black blood visibly dripped from those elongated claws.
This meant that those claws were strong and sharp enough to pierce the Ancient Dragons tough scales. Something which even the swords crafted by some of the greatest blacksmiths were unable to do. Sar?h the novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Realising that the Dragonman was preparing for battle, Lukas decided to clear up the misunderstanding.
Im not from Dragon God Island.
If youre going to say nonsense like that, why dont you take that stupid robe off first.????nn????????????????. ????????????
Lukas didnt take off the robe. Instead, he simply lowered the hood.
A human face was not something common in the Heavenly Realm.
The Dragonman went silent when he saw the unfamiliar face before finally opening his mouth.
What a weird-looking guy.
So what? Why have you come here?
Im looking for someone.
Someone?
Right. A young girl that looks like me.
young girl? Do you mean a female thats not fully grown?
That was an extreme way to put it, but Lukas nodded since he couldnt find a better way to describe it.
Right.
The Dragonman went silent again for a while as if he was thinking about something. Those around him were also silent as they waited for his response. It seemed that his earlier thought was correct, this smaller Dragonman was the leader of this group.
After a short while, the Dragonman muttered in a low voice.
I think I might have heard some reports that a group had picked up an unfamiliar creature not long ago. It seems that it is under their protection for now.
under their protection?
From what I recall, it was badly hurt.
Badly hurt? Sedi?
Lukas was a bit skeptical at first, but considering the direction, the light beam from the ring had pointed to, and the fact that there was an Absolute somewhere on this land, it wasnt absolutely impossible.
Of course, it might not be the young female you are looking for, but Why do you look so surprised.
You are different from what Dragon God Island described to me.
They were willing to rescue and protect an unfamiliar being that had been seriously injured.
Such behaviour was impossible without morality.
The Dragonman chuckled cynically when he heard those words.
Since you managed to come here, Im assuming you entered this place from Temple Island. Did those fools call us savage barbarians?
There is life and civilisation here. Can you really trust the words of cowards who only observe from afar? The words of those who know nothing about this island?
It certainly wasnt good to wholeheartedly trust the words of one side.
At that moment, Lukas spotted a few Dragonmen carrying corpses not far away from him. They appeared to be those who had died during the fight against the Ancient Dragon.
Did they respect their dead? If that was the case, then it would truly be as the man said, they werent as barbaric as they were said to be.
But shortly after thinking this, Lukas was made witness to a shocking sight.
Crunch, crunch.
!
One of the Dragonmen began eating one of the corpses. If it were the corpse of the Ancient Dragon, he wouldnt have been surprised. It wasnt strange for those who lived in a land where even firewood to make a fire was a rare commodity to eat raw meat.
However, what they were eating were the corpses of other Dragonmen. Those who had fought valiantly beside them not so long ago.
They were devouring their own species.
Are you okay with that?
Lukas pointed towards the incident in question while he turned to look at the leader of the group.
The Dragonman tilted his head to the side as he looked over.
Is there something wrong?
Theyre eating your own kind.
The Dragonmans expression became strange as though he couldnt understand what Lukas was saying.
Our own kind? Isnt that just a corpse?
That doesnt change the fact that they were fighting the Ancient Dragon with you just a moment ago
That was when they were alive. Now that they are dead, they have become nothing but piles of meat.
I dont understand the problem. Are you saying that we should just throw away such precious meat?
As he said that, the Dragonman approached a nearby corpse and poked at it with his claw.
Look here. Dragonman meat is softer and easier to digest than that of an Ancient Dragon. Its especially good for feeding younglings who have relatively weak stomachs. All of the Dragonmen that are being eaten now are those without family. It is a rule that all the corpses collected should be given to their families, especially their young.
Once they get them, what would they do with them?
The Dragonman looked at Lukas like he had asked a very foolish question, but he answered nonetheless.
Eat them.
It was at that moment that Lukas finally realised why those on Dragon God Island considered these people to be savages.
(Note: What do you guys think? Are they savages for eating their dead? Or are they just making use of limited resources?
Im curious about your opinions on this one.)
Book 2, Chapter 230
Book 2, Chapter 230 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Sei
(Note: Going forward, the Goddess from Dragon God Island will be Priestess. Explanation at the end of the chapter.)
The name of the small Dragonman was Pannata. For now, Lukas decided to follow them.
He didnt believe anything Pannata had told him so far. In fact, his words only made his doubts worse.
Nevertheless, the ring was pointed in the same direction as their settlement, and Lukas had a feeling that he could learn something by going with them.
They have no intention of letting me go anyway.
He wasnt sure whether it was because they wanted to eat him or if they had another goal.
However, Lukas also had his own plans. He glanced down at the ring.
Were here.
The Dragonman settlement, where they arrived after a short while, was a desolate place.
There were no buildings. It would be too difficult to gather enough materials for that in the first place. Instead, the Dragonmen dug several large pits, which they used as houses.
The settlement was roughly the size of a small village, and the population appeared to be less than 100.
Lukas looked at these pits for a moment before opening his mouth.
Pannata, I would like to ask you a question.
What is it?
My companion that youre protecting. Did she tell you her name?
She didnt. She was unconscious.
Then what does she look like?
Pannata frowned and replied.
Didnt you say she was a young female? Thats what she looks like.
Right. Then Ill ask in more detail. What colour were her eyes?
I dont know. She never opened her eyes.
I see. Then Ill ask one last question.
By this time, all the Dragonmen that had come with him as well as the others from the village had completely surrounded Lukas. Even the young Dragonmen were among them.
Lukas realised that he was surrounded, but he continued speaking without a change of expression.
What color was her hair?
It seems you cant answer this. Why is that? Could it be that all her hair was gone?
Pannata finally turned to look at Lukas. Then he looked at Lukas hair and said,
gold.
Pftt.
A small scoff escaped Lukas lips.
Pannata chuckled softly as well.
He didnt show any embarrassment even when his lies were finally exposed.
As expected, its really difficult to trick others. Well, I guess it could be considered a success since I managed to bring you to the village.
Was everything you said a lie?
Right. If we found a wounded outsider, we would just eat them on the spot.
Thats what he thought.
They were savages who considered even their own dead as meat, so he didnt think they would go out of their way to rescue and protect an injured outsider.
Nevertheless, there was a reason that Lukas followed Pannata so easily.
I would like to ask you something.
Do you think Ill give you an answer?
I will soon be eaten by you guys anyway, so you can at least show a bit of generosity.
Pannatas eyes narrowed slightly. This guy really was different from those shrimps from Dragon God Island.
He wasnt sure if he should call it bravery or disregard.
Nevertheless, he was curious about what this guy would say next, so he decided to play along.
Ask your question.
Why didnt you guys kill and eat me on the spot?
Youre probably fairly strong. Sar?h the N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Pannata muttered softly before shaking his head.
If we tried to capture you on the spot, wed probably receive heavy losses. After all, we were all exhausted from hunting the Ancient Dragon.
capture?
Right.
You werent intending to eat me on the spot?
Youre an offering. We have no intention of eating you.
Offering.
It was a rather strange word for a savage to use.
Whose?
Thats not something you need to know. What do you intend to do now? It doesnt matter if you fight back, but you can give up the thought of dying comfortably if you do. The first thing wed do is make it so you cant even lift a single finger.
To be precise, they would cut off his hands and legs before cutting his neck and draining most of his blood. They would only stop the bleeding when he was close to death.
Of course, if they did do that, he would no longer be considered a fresh offering, but he would still be just enough.
Lukas thought for a while before saying.
If I give in, will you tell me the things Im curious about?
What did you say?
I have a few questions about this island.
As expected, this fellow was really strange.
Pannata couldnt contain his shock when he saw this man using his own life to make bargains.
Do you understand what it means to be an offering?
Doesnt it mean youre going to sacrifice me?
Right. You will die.
Of course, Lukas didnt intend to die, but he still nodded.
When is the offering ceremony?
A few hours from now.
Then that means youll have to keep me alive till then. In other words, you cannot hurt me arbitrarily since it would be bad to damage the offering. Am I wrong?
youre not wrong, but
So before I die, I would like you to answer my questions.
I cant-
If you refuse, I will fight back with everything I have. You just said it yourself that I seem to be fairly strong. You werent wrong. I am confident that I can take down at least half of your village before you manage to defeat me.
Of course, the truth was that it wouldnt be too difficult for him to wipe them all out, but he needed to emphasise his threat level without pushing them too far.
In any case, he estimated that it would take about 2,000 mana to deal with all of them, which was too wasteful.
Wondering what he was up to, Pannata stared at him for a while before sighing and pointing at one of the pits.
Get in there first.
Lukas did just that.
The pit he jumped into was much deeper than the others, and its structure made it so that it was easy to get in, but difficult to get out of.
Pannata followed him in, while another five Dragonmen immediately surrounded the pit. It seemed that they would not tolerate any nonsense.
Lukas decided to not waste any time.
The demonic energy in the central region is much stronger than anywhere else on the island. I would like to know why.
even the bravest Ancient Dragon wouldnt dare to set foot in the central region. Because thats the ruler of the islands territory.
The ruler of the island? There was such a thing?
Right. He knows everything that happens on the island.
Was it someone like the Priestess?
Lukas knew that the Heavenly Realm didnt have a ruling class.
At best, the Priestess from Dragon God Island could only be seen as the authoritative figure for that island. When it came to other islands, she could only intervene if the conflicts or chaos were things that couldnt be left alone.
Of course, some beings wielded great power in the shadows, like Kangki and the leaders of the underworld on Desire Island, but there were no rulers in the true sense of the name.
Whats his name?
Dragon King Kazu. (Note: Kazu?)
Dragon King. Lukas narrowed his eyes slightly before muttering.
Is that who you intend to offer me to?
No. You will be sacrificed to the Goddess(1).
(Note:
1. This is actually the word goddess. Id basically been taking liberties by calling the priestess goddess because I just thought it sounded cooler. Unfortunately for me, the author decided to introduce an actual goddess, so in order to prevent any confusion, Ill just stick to the original. Thus, the Goddess of Dragon God Island will now be the Priestess of Dragon God Island, while the woman on Death Island will be the Goddess.)
Book 2, Chapter 231
Book 2, Chapter 231 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Sei
Goddess?
Lukas looked at Pannata in surprise.
Pannata continued to speak with a slightly fanatical expression.
Right. Shes the greatest, strongest, and most beautiful being on the entire island.
Dragon King and Goddess.
He was thinking that this was something to pay attention to, but he couldnt help but pause when he heard Pannatas next words.
She suddenly appeared on the island one day and wiped out all the Ancient Dragons around her.
????????n????e????d. co????
After hearing that, he couldnt help but wonder.
Half confident in his conjecture, Lukas decided to throw out some bait.
I found the corpses of five Ancient Dragons when I was passing through a nearby mountain range.
So you saw it. S~ea??h the N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Pannata smirked.
Those five monsters were the rulers of that mountain range. But even those fearsome beings who had ruled over their territory for hundreds of years could only become cold corpses after meeting the Goddess.
Lukas recalled the wounds hed seen on those Ancient Dragon corpses. He also recalled the faint energy signature hed felt from them.
It was only at that moment that he was certain of the Goddess identity. The name goddess didnt suit her at all, but he decided to put that aside for now.
I think the Goddess might be my companion.
What? Hahaha.
It wasnt just Pannata.
Even the Dragonmen guarding the hole above let out loud laughs.
Thats enough of your bullsh*t. If the Goddess is your companion, then Im the Dragon Kings older brother.
No. Im serious. Does your goddess have black hair and red eyes-
Shut up. If you insult the Goddess one more time, I will kill you on the spot.
He looked really angry, so Lukas decided to not continue. Pannata glared at Lukas with an expression of annoyance.
I think I cleared up enough of your doubts, so stay put.
With those words, Pannata headed up on his own.
Lukas did as he was told. This was because there was no reason for him to run in the first place. Without another word, he walked to a corner of the pit and sat down. Then, he closed his eyes and began to meditate.
so she became a Goddess.
What had Sedi been doing on Death Island?
* * *
A few hours passed.
Now that he thought about it, Lukas realised that this was the first time since coming to Death Island that hed stayed in one place for so long.
During this time, he managed to increase his mana regeneration a bit by increasing his concentration.
It was a harder task than collecting moisture in a desert, but it was still better than nothing.
From the movements above him, he could tell that it was around the time for Sedi to arrive, but there were still no signs of her yet.
Lukas looked at the black ring and injected his mana into it.
Fwoosh-
?
However, instead, the beam of light acted strangely this time.
Instead of shooting out to one of the sides, it shot straight up. In other words, it was pointing at the sky.
Just as Lukas lifted his head to look up, a strange sound came from the sky.
Gugugugugu-
It sounded as though the air was vibrating. Even the ground began to shake a bit.
Hey! Come up!
When one of the Dragonmen who was guarding the pit called out to him in a slightly urgent voice, Lukas easily leaped out of the pit before looking up at the sky once again.
All the Dragonmen in the village also began rushing out of their pits.
Shes here!
Ohhh!
Pannata walked out from the group of cheering Dragonmen and looked at Lukas.
Now you can get rid of any thought of escaping. It wont be possible anyway, but if you quietly accept your faith, you might be granted a quick and painless death. Now get on your knees.
All the Dragonmen, including Pannata, got on their knees and bowed.
Their attitudes were reverent as though they were actually meeting god. They looked completely different from the savages who would even eat their own kin.
Bang!
Suddenly, something fell from the sky like a meteor, throwing dirt and pieces of stone into the air and creating a cloud of dust. A figure stood up from within the dust cloud.
This blurry silhouette was rather small, even smaller than Lukas, who was dwarfed by most beings on the island.
Soon after, the dirt cloud dissipated, and the Goddess was finally revealed.
Hair darker than the night sky and bright red eyes that created a stark contrast. Her bored expression and heavy aura didnt quite suit her small stature.
Unlike Lukas, who was unable to remain at his peak in this environment, she appeared to be thriving. Her hair was glossy, and her face was bright.
Sedi patted dust from her shoulders before speaking in her uniquely disinterested tone.
Food.
We greet the Goddess.
Yeah, whatever. Food.
Yes. We prepared an excellent delicacy for you today.
Pannata spoke with an extremely subservient attitude.
Sedi looked around and even met Lukas gaze, but she didnt seem to recognise him.
After all, he was still wearing the hood.
Is this the delicacy you were talking about?
Her frown was the expression that Lukas was most familiar with. Her expression made it look like she was whining to him, but it caused Pannata to tremble fiercely at the thought of angering his god.
I-, its meat from outside. We captured him without a single casualty!
D-, do you not like it?
Of course I dont. Do you think Im like you? I told you before that I only eat Ancient Dragon Hearts. Those that have been completely saturated in demonic energy.
When she said that, the Dragonmen prostrated around her began to tremble, shrinking into themselves and doing their best to become unnoticeable.
Sedi snorted at them before turning to look at Lukas once more.
But this is the first time Ive seen anyone wearing clothes on this island. Take off the hood.
Ye-, yes.
Pannata hurriedly removed the hood that was covering Lukas face.
Their eyes met.
Those bright red eyes that were similar to a rabbits widened. At the same time, Sedis expression became indescribable.
It was a mixture of shock, disbelief, doubt, and finally, joy.
Then.
ha. Hahaha. Ahahaha!
Sedi burst into laughter. She laughed so hard that she doubled over and held her stomach.
The Dragonmen, who were still nervous, also began to laugh as Sedi laughed. They didnt know what was going on, but the Goddess seemed to be happy. This convinced them that their sacrifice was actually the right choice.
kukuku! You there.
Ye-, yes!
After laughing for a while, Sedi wiped tears from the corners of her eyes.
Who captured this person?
I did!
Pannata replied with a proud expression on his face.
Unfortunately, he didnt realise that Sedi, who he revered as his Goddess, had addressed Lukas as this person, instead of this guy or that guy like she usually did.
Hes actually really slow and stupid for an outsider. So we were able to capture him easily.
Hoh.
Sedi mumbled under her breath before smiling.
Right. I suppose I should commend you. Then
With a beautiful smile on her face that made her look like a real Goddess, Sedi beckoned to Pannata with her finger.
Come here.
With a bright smile on his face, Pannata walked to Sedi.
Book 2, Chapter 232
Book 2, Chapter 232 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Sei
Why do you look so thin?
The journey to get here wasnt easy.
Ahh. I forgot that your strength was restricted.
Right, Sedi. You shouldve entered this world at the same time I did, but youve already grown much stronger than you were before.
Why are you saying it so weirdly? Didnt the others come into this world with us too?
They did, but at different times. You completed all ten stages of the tutorial, didnt you?
Of course I did.
The timing of your entry coincided with the number of stages you completed. You and I are among the last. The others entered this world many years before we did.
Ah. I see Well then.
After nodding with a slightly uncaring expression, Sedi then turned to look at the trembling Pannata who was kneeling beside her.
A mischievous smile stretched across her lips.
Hey, you.
Ye-, yes
When he heard her call out to him, Pannata lifted his head and answered, only for his face to immediately twist to the right.
Sedi didnt hit him too hard. All she did was lightly tap his face with her fist. The amount of strength she used in her blow could be seen from the fact that Pannatas head was still attached to his shoulder, and his face was only slightly distorted.
What was your name again?
Pa-, Pannata, Goddess.
I see.
Sedi, who was still smiling, turned to Lukas before pointing at Pannata.
Father, didnt this fool make a big mistake?
Mistake?
Right. For example, he was very rude to Father. He said a lot of stupid things about you.
Stupid, or dumb.
Crack.
As she said this, Sedi intentionally cracked her knuckles and Pannatas face became as white as a sheet when he saw this.
He hurriedly turned to look at Lukas. All this while, he had been acting authoritatively and looking down on Lukas, but now he was looking at him with pitiful, begging eyes that were similar to a rabbit stuck in a trap.
Lukas didnt feel sorry for him because of this act, but he still shook his head since there was no benefit to dealing with Pannata.
No, its fine. Stop scaring him.
You heard that? Hey, youre a pretty lucky guy, arent you?
Sedi smiled brightly and patted Pannata on the shoulder.
She seemed to be in a very good mood. Maybe it was because she had finally been reunited with Lukas. Or maybe it was because she felt comfortable in the demonic energy saturated environment of Death Island.
After laughing for a while, Sedi finally looked at Lukas and said,
Anyways, lets go to a quiet place first. My house should be fine.
House?
Mhm.
After saying that, Sedi held out a small hand to him. Lukas looked down at it for a moment. Did she want him to hold it? At the same moment, Lukas held her hand.
Boom!
!
Sedi kicked off the ground and shot up into the sky. In an instant, they reached a height of several hundred meters in the air.
While holding Lukas hand, Sedi looked around for a bit before pointing to a large mountain not so far away.
My house is at the top.
Lukas couldnt respond.
Sedi tilted her head to the side once they had landed on the top of the mountain.
Whats wrong? This place is pretty good for a desolate land like this one Why do you look like that?
its because Im human now. Next time, it would be nice of you to tell me before you jump.
That jump had made him so dizzy it felt like he had gotten a concussion and was about to throw up. In addition, it had caused him to waste mana.
This couldnt be helped. Since he had been unable to prepare, he had to use his mana to offset the force of the sudden leap and the landing, otherwise, he would have suffered heavy damage to his internal organs which would have caused him to vomit blood.
Sedi looked at Lukas for a while before bursting into a fit of giggles.
Youre much weaker than I expected.
Lukas ignored her, calmed his agitated body, and looked around at their surroundings.
The top of the mountain looked no different from that of any mountain except for the fact that it was a bit flatter and had signs that someone lived there.
The most noticeable part was a strange bowl which was filled with what appeared to be small pouches.
What is that?
My bed.
What is it made of?
Ancient Dragon hearts. They shrink down to that size after I absorb the demonic energy within them. Nevertheless, they are the softest material I could find on this island.
After saying that, Sedi set her butt down on her bed of Ancient Dragon hearts and wiggled around a bit. If an outsider were to see this scene, they would definitely think that she was as old as she looked.
It seems that youve stayed on top of this mountain for a long while.
From here, I can see everything in the surrounding area with ease.
Why didnt you move?
Huh?
I figured that with your personality, you would constantly move from one place to another.
When she heard that, Sedi tilted her head to the side.
If I did that, it would be hard for Father to find me.i????????????????. ????????????
It was a unique statement that Lukas couldnt imagine Sedi saying when they first met.
He smiled at her.
So you were waiting for me.
It was only at that moment that Sedi realised what shed said. sea??h th N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
She was just like a lost child who didnt wander around but instead waited in one spot for their parents to find them.
It wasnt that this analogy was wrong exactly, but her pride as an Absolute didnt allow her to easily accept that.
that well I was just thinking that it would be annoying for you if I just did whatever I wanted. There were no special thoughts behind it.
You made the right decision. Good job.
As he said that, Lukas wondered if he should stroke her hair, but he felt that he might be treating her too much like a child.
On the surface, she had the appearance of a 15-year-old girl, but on the inside, she was an Absolute who was on the same level as Lukas. Although she claimed to be his daughter now, that history didnt disappear.
In addition, hair stroking and saying they did well were actions that he had been showing to his disciples recently.
Could he do the same for his daughter?
How should he differentiate between his daughter and his disciples?
Lukas tried to use his eons of experience to come up with an answer, but he found that there was no right way to respond to this former Absolute that had become his daughter.
In the first place, most Absolutes are prideful and stubborn, and even Assistants who ranked at the very bottom didnt bow their heads to other Absolutes.
Unless the other was a Ruler of course.
You look well.
This place is saturated with demonic energy. Even an act as simple as breathing makes me stronger.
As she said that, Sedi looked at Lukas before clapping her hands.
As I said before, you really dont look too good Father.
Thats because there are a lot of restrictions placed upon me. Even before coming to Death Island, I encountered all kinds of troublesome situations.
Death Island?
Thats the name of this island.
Sedi stuck her tongue out as though shed just heard something ridiculous.
What did you just say? This is an island? How can a place this outrageously large be called something like that?
The entire planet seems to be incredibly large. This place is an island in the sea of a floating continent called the Heavenly Realm
Lukas began to give her a brief explanation of the world. He explained that there wasnt just the Heavenly Realm, but also the Giant Field, Black Earth, Lightning Gorge, and even the supercontinent Gaia.
He then gave her a rough explanation of everything that had happened so far as well as an explanation of the current situation.
The goal is to find the most special statues and his desire for her to participate in the Championship.
Championship?
Kran is also here.
Hmph. That person
Other than you, there is no one in our group who can defeat him. Including me.
So you need my help.
After absorbing the demonic energy on Death Island, Sedi had become much stronger than before. In her current state, it would be difficult for her to lose to Kran.
Then Sedi frowned.
But I dont like it.
What do you mean?
Dragon God Island or whatever you called it. What are they trying to do by restricting access to this amazing island? Its not like were at war or anything Thats why
Sedi gave her signature sadistic smile.
Father, why dont we-
Recklessly break into Dragon God Island and check if the statue there is the one we want?
Sedi nodded.
Wouldnt that be better? That way you wouldnt have to waste time on the Championship or whatever it is.
It would certainly be more efficient, but Lukas still shook his head.
It wouldnt be morally right for them to break into a place that was considered a sanctuary and had restricted access. Of course, Sedi wouldnt understand it even if he put it like that, so he gave a different answer.
We still dont know how strong the Priestess is.
Book 2, Chapter 233
Book 2, Chapter 233 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Sei
Sedi looked at Lukas with an incredulous expression.
Ha. At best, that Priestess or whatever would be a bit stronger than those weaklings. She cant possibly be stronger than I am now.
You cant be so certain.
do you not have faith in me?
Sedi narrowed her eyes slightly as she said this.
Lukas remained silent. It wasnt that he doubted Sedis strength, but instead that the Priestess power was still unknown.
Nevertheless, from what hed heard from Arid as well as the various tales hed read, he didnt think that she was weaker than the current Sedi. At present, the Priestess influence could be felt all across the Heavenly Realm.
But Sedi took Lukas silence to mean something else and snorted heavily.
Hmph. I understand that youre a bit more cautious due to being much weaker than youre accustomed to. But you dont have anything to worry about now that youve found me. There are times when it is necessary to rush in without thinking too much about it, and if anything happens, Ill protect you.
She said the last sentence in what was supposed to be a mean voice.
Maybe it was because he was also happy at their reunion, but Lukas reaction was different from what she expected.
Instead of being agitated or annoyed, he simply smiled at her.
Fine. Then Ill rely on you to protect me from now on.
its not fun when you say things like that.
She retorted in a voice that seemed to have been sapped of all interest and flopped onto her bed. Her silky black hair spread out gentle like a halo around her head. It was difficult to find fresh water in this place, which meant that she couldnt wash it regularly, but her hair still managed to remain glossy. sea??h th n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
This wasnt very surprising.
After all, the stronger a being became, the less waste was excreted from their body.
I talked to the Dragonmen in the area. They all worshipped you and called you their Goddess. Are you having fun? Kuku. Although, Im not sure it suits you.
Sedi was previously an Absolute with dominion over Death. It didnt go very well with a holy title like Goddess.
I hunted a couple Ancient Dragons. It was mostly to recover my demonic energy. As you can see, I dont really need anything other than the hearts. They asked me if they could take those rotten carcasses and I said yes. For them, that was like the blessing of God.
It was then that Lukas understood the situation.
In other words, instead of Sedi dominating the area and putting the Dragonmen under her rule as hed initially thought, they were the ones who chose to submit to her and worship her.
Lukas looked at her for a moment before muttering.
Now that Ive found you, the only one left is Leo.
Mm?
Sedi lifted her head slightly at those words.
Then you should have searched for him first before coming to look for me. Its not like Im in a dangerous situation or anything. Why did you force yourself to come?
You are in the most dangerous situation.
Huh?
She blinked as if she wasnt sure shed heard him correctly.
Arid said that there is an Absolute on this island.
!
Sedis eyes went wide in an instant.
She immediately sat up and looked at Lukas with a very serious expression on her little face.
Who?
I havent figured that out yet.
Mm but werent those guys restricted as well? Just like Father is weaker than me, they should be weaker than me too.
That would be the best possible scenario. But there are many items in this world capable of lifting the restrictions. With enough effort and luck, its possible to recover their strength in a short period of time. (Note: I suppose Lukas had neither? Seeing as he only went up one level)
He was right.
Sedi contemplated inwardly.
She had certainly become much stronger after absorbing the energy in this place, but she was still within the bounds of mortality.
She had also been an Absolute before, so even if she didnt want to admit it, she knew that she was still far from that level. She couldnt guarantee that she would win even if she became an Absolute.
Letip, Kasajin, and Nodiesop were all Absolutes that Sedi wasnt sure she could defeat even when she was at her peak.
In fact, she had already been defeated by Kasajin.
Tch.
She forcefully pushed those unpleasant memories away.
In any case, it seems that you havent met them yet.
Right. I havent seen any of them. Although there are still annoying people here.
Annoying people?
That Dragon King guy.
Dragon King.
This was a being hed heard of from Pannata earlier. (Note: Kekeke Pannatas little brother)
It was the being hed said was the ruler of this island.
What kind of person is he?
A crazy one.
What do you mean?
Hes chasing me.
what?
Lukas stared blankly at the unexpected statement.
Sedi sighed in disgust.
That son of a bitch is trying to court me.
He wasnt sure why, but this was a bigger blow to Lukas than he expected. (Note: Just became a daddy and someone is already trying to take his little girl)
* * *
what Did you tell him?
Ha. As if Id become the mate of a reptile bastard. Id rather die.
Sedi said these words through gritted teeth.
While Lukas was immersed in a feeling that he wasnt sure how to describe, Sedi continued.
But that guy hes strong.
Strong?
Un.
Naturally, with Sedis personality, if someone were to tell her nonsense like that, it would be difficult to imagine them surviving the aftermath.
The fact that he was able to meant
How strong is he?
Im not sure.
Sedi frowned.
I think he was holding back quite a bit of power. The power he revealed was already enough to crush those little lizards. Plus
After a moment of hesitation, she added.
His scales are annoyingly tough.
Sedi didnt seem to want to talk about the Dragon King anymore, so Lukas nodded and changed the subject.
Is there anything else you have to do on the island?
Why? Do you want to leave right away?
Right. Were already cutting it a bit close.
It was fortunate that he had managed to find Sedi today, but considering how long it would take to go back, he didnt think they could relax. Even if they were to move as fast as possible, they would arrive very close to the deadline.
Lukas didnt want to stay on this island any longer than necessary. Encountering the Absolute here would not be a good thing in the current situation, so he wanted to avoid that as much as possible.
No, it had to be avoided.
Kasajin.
He couldnt help but think that Kasajin was the Absolute who was probably staying on this island. After all, Kran, who he had kidnapped, had appeared around the same time that Arid mentioned that an Absolute was on this island.
It might have been a coincidence, but the timing was just a bit too coincidental.
In addition, the demonic energy on this island would have a fairly positive effect on the being known as the Demon King.
Well, I wanted to hunt a few more Ancient Dragons. But it doesnt matter if we leave right now.
If we see any on the way back, well hunt them. Ill help.
Thats great then.
With those words, Sedi stood up and patted her butt.
Then shall we leave now?
Are you not going to say goodbye?
When Lukas asked this, she tilted her head to the side.
Goodbye? To whom?
To Pannata and the other Dragonmen. They seem to hold you in very high regard.
Hmph. Why do I have to say goodbye to them just because of that? Im sure theyll live well and eat well.
Sedi seemed to have no feelings towards them.
But it was highly likely that the Dragonmen in the area would fall into chaos if she were to suddenly disappear. Even when hed been hit in the face by Sedi, Pannata still maintained his attitude of respect and admiration.
Just before they descended the mountain, Lukas turned to look at the central part of Death Island.
Have you ever been there?
A few times.
I heard that it is a very dangerous area. Whats in there?
That guy.
She said these words like she didnt even want to think about it.
With her attitude, it was easy for Lukas to guess who she was talking about.
the Dragon King?
Right. The central region is his territory. Even if I step a single foot in it, he will immediately be able to sense my location. Father should know how disgusting that feels. So I stopped going there.
It felt like she wasnt telling him something.
Its strange.
For Sedi, the dense demonic and death energy in the central region should be irresistible. If she had stayed there, she would definitely have absorbed more demonic energy than she had now.
But Lukas didnt pursue it.
Anyways, lets go. Before that guy notices us.
Lukas nodded.
Book 2, Chapter 209
Book 2, Chapter 209 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Sei
Arid entered the Heavenly Realm 10 years ago. This was because he didnt kill any of the monsters that appeared in the tutorial.
This wasnt because he was weak. The most probable reason was that he was reluctant to actually kill anything with his own hands.
In any case, he said that the place he had appeared in was the very center of Dragon God Island.
When I opened my eyes, the Goddess was already in front of me. She later told me that she knew I was coming and had waited for me.
What type of person is the Goddess?
Hmm
After thinking for a while, Arid spoke slowly.
Im not exactly sure. Its been 10 years since I met her, but she seems to show me a new side every time I see her. Sometimes she seems to be a young girl in the prime of her life, other times shes like an old hermit who has seen through the vicissitudes of life, and sometimes she even seems to be a cold empress who wouldnt shed a single tear even if blood was shed. In fact, sometimes
Arid smiled slightly as he thought of something.
She slightly resembles you, Master.
Me?
Yes. Maybe the reason why I found it so easy to follow the Goddess at the beginning has something to do with that.
Someone who resembled him.
Lukas expression became strange when he thought about that.
That statement impacted him more than the fact that she sometimes appeared to be a young girl, an elderly hermit, and an empress. He found it hard to believe that there was a person that resembled him.
She also knew about my power. And she taught me how to use it.
This wasnt that surprising.
Although it was rare, there were still many people in the multiverse who had the same power of communication that Arid had or similar powers.
The Great Medium that Lukas had met in his homeworld was one such person.
If the Goddess from Dragon God Island had a power similar to that of Arid and the Great Medium and if she had lived as long as it was reported, and had steadily learned how to use her power
Then it wasnt strange for her to have known Arid would arrive in advance, get a glimpse of Lukas true identity, or know that he was looking for the special statues.
I dont know how potent her power is, but I doubt it would be stronger than Arids.
The strength of Arids power of communication was unprecedented.
After that, I stayed on Dragon God Island, and worked hard to get stronger.
For ten years?
Yes.
Arid had been the first to enter the Heavenly Realm, but he seemed to be less experienced than Min Ha-rin and Lee Jong-hak, who had spent time searching the various islands.
Come to think of it
He hadnt taken a look at Arids status window yet.
Lukas looked at Arid.
[Arid]
[Level: 49]
[Title: Saint of Salvation, Young Dragon]
[Occupation: Saint]
[Race: Human]
[Skills: Communication(Lv.?), Void Records(Lv.?), Healing(Lv.8), Beginner Sorcery(Lv.MAX), Intermediate Sorcery(Lv.MAX), Advanced Sorcery(Lv.7), Dance of the Young Dragon(Lv.5)]
Arids level wasnt very high.
That wasnt very surprising. His abilities were special, and they were not things that could be bound by a concept like level.
Naturally, the thing that Lukas paid most attention to was his skills.
The levels of communication and void records were unknown. This was represented by the question mark which sat in the place that the level number was supposed to. Lukas had seen several status windows by this point, but this was his first time seeing this. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Other than that
You learned sorcery.
Yes. How did you know that?
I can see your skills.
Wow. As expected of Master.
Arid gently applauded in admiration.
Then, with a shrug, he explained.
The Goddess said that I have a natural talent for sorcery. Thats why she decided to try teaching me.
This was obvious. After all, without talent, it would be impossible to master both beginner and intermediate sorcery, and even have a high level in advanced sorcery.
Lukas was fairly interested in sorcery, so he was well aware of how demanding the study was on ones mind and talent.
His eyes turned to the door.
To be precise, he was focused on the two priests who were waiting outside with Bargan.
Who are the two people that came with you?
They are two of the four priests in charge of protecting Dragon God Island.
Priests?
Yes. They are the ones who protect the North, South, East, and West respectively, and they check the qualifications of anyone who wants to enter the island.
It seems they arent the Black and White Sorcerers.
In all honesty, both of the elderly priests were formidable Sorcerers.
Therefore, Lukas had suspected that they might be the powerful and renowned Black and White Sorcerers of Dragon God Island.
Arid smiled at that.
The Black and White Sorcerers always stay by the Goddess side. As far as I know, its been a few decades since they last left the island.
It seemed that there were no restrictions on him when it came to things like this.
So it was probably things about the Dragon God Statue, the Goddess true identity, and other similar topics that were blocked.
They called you Young Dragon.
Ah.
Arids expression became a bit strange again.
The title Young Dragon had also been included in his status window.
This meant that Arid wasnt just called Young Dragon by those priests, but that he was acknowledged as the Young Dragon by the entirety of Dragon God Island.
Its like the Goddess student.
Student?
Sometimes people call me her successor, but thats technically wrong. The Goddess has been holding her position for more than 1,000 years already.
The status is a bit excessive for me, but thanks to that, I have no problems while living on Dragon God Island. Its a pity that I wasnt able to meet my seniors though.
Now that he thought about it, Arid had said that hed known the locations of Lee Jong-hak and Min Ha-rin.
If that was the case, then maybe
Do you know Leo and Sedis locations?
These were the two members of his team that Lukas hadnt met yet.
Lukas didnt even know where they were.
So he couldnt help but feel a hint of expectation when he saw Arid nod his head.
Yes.
It was at that moment Lukas became a bit cautious.
If you cant tell me about their locations then
No no. Rather, I came to Master to tell you their locations.
Arids expression became serious.
I dont have to tell you senior brother Leos location. Youll probably get to meet him soon Senior brother has been in the Heavenly Realm for five years and has changed a lot, but if he meets Master, hell definitely change back to his past self.
Lukas wanted to ask for more details about Leo, but when he saw that Arids expression had become more severe, he stopped himself.
Was whatever he was going to say next that serious?
The problem is the other side.
The other side
Sedi?
Yes. Miss Sedi is in a very dangerous situation right now.
Where is she?
Death Island.
Death Island.????n????????e????d.nbsp;????????????
Among the seven islands that formed the Heavenly Realm, it was the one that was regarded as a forbidden land.
It could be called the direct opposite of Dragon God Island which was considered a sanctuary.
Lukas had also learned some information about Death Island.
There were almost no living beings on Death Island.
Nevertheless, there were some with great tenacity who managed to survive in and even adapt to the harsh environment of Death Island. However, because of this, their appearances became somewhat distorted. It was almost to the point of saying that every being on Death Island was a mutant.
Of course, it went without saying that they were several times stronger than those living on other islands.
Lukas expression became serious.
Is Death Island a dangerous place for Sedi?
He knew that even a few Ancient Dragons wouldnt be much trouble for Sedi. Even if a being stronger than an Ancient Dragon was to appear, she would at least be able to hold her own.
That was why, among all the companions hed brought, the one Lukas was the least worried about was Sedi.
However, Lukas had never visited Death Island.
It was possible that this land, which was shrouded in mystery, was much more dangerous than the rumors or books claimed it was.
Death Island is a very dangerous place, but it is not enough to be a threat to Miss Sedi.
Then what is?
An Absolute.
!
When he heard Arids following words, Lukas finally realised what kind of danger Sedi was in.
There is someone like Master on Death Island.
Book 2, Chapter 210
Book 2, Chapter 210 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Sei
Lukas was lost in thought for a while.
He understood that Sedi was in danger, but there was one thing that he didnt quite understand.
There were a total of four Absolutes currently in this world.
Kasajin, Nodiesop, Letip, and of course, Lukas.
Naturally, all of them were beings that ordinary mortals could never hope to compare to.
However
Like Lukas, all of the Absolutes would have been subjected to several powerful restrictions.
The game pursued fairness, and fights were no exception.
If it wasnt for the restrictions that enforced this fairness, then let alone the Heavenly Realm, this entire planet would have been completely destroyed by now.
A single planet was entirely too small of a battlefield when the combatants were four Absolutes.
On the other hand, Sedi was a fallen Absolute.
It was highly likely that she hadnt been subjected to any restrictions, and if she had, they would certainly be weaker than the ones placed on Lukas.
Could an Absolute with limited power really be a threat to Sedis life?
The other Absolutes should have cleared the tutorial as well.
In other words, their entry times should have been similar to Lukas. With only a few months difference at best.
Was it possible for them to regain even a tenth of their strength in such a short time?
Lukas looked at Arid.
Do you know which Absolute is there?
Im sorry. I cant figure out who it is. sea??h th Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Even Arids power of communication couldnt reveal who it was.
This confirmed that it really was an Absolute.
Joining Sedi is the top priority.
I think so too.
Hed heard that Death Island was incredibly large, but if there were two beings with incredible power on it, they would inevitably clash one day. In addition, with Sedis personality, it was unlikely that she would sit in one spot and wait for Lukas to come to her.
I came all the way here because I felt that I should tell you this.
Thank you.
No, Im sorry I couldnt be more helpful.
Lukas thought for a moment and said.
Ha-rin is too far away. Otherwise, she would have been happy to see you.
I would have liked to see her as well, but
Arid let out a bitter laugh.
My goal was to meet Master. I wasnt allowed any more time.
If Arid wanted, Lukas could give him his freedom by subduing the Priests of East and West.
But it seemed that Arid didnt regard Dragon God Island as an enemy.
Ten years was not a short time.
By now, Arid had probably overcome the mental hurdles that hed had when he last saw him.
The Goddess acted as a guide for Arid.
Although it felt like hed been deprived of his role as Master, more than that, he felt that it was fortunate.
If Arid had been left to wander alone for 10 years without any guidance, then it was possible that he might have gone down the wrong path.
Arid was pure and blemishless, but the purer something was, the easier it was for it to be dyed by the various colors it encountered.
Nevertheless, please say hello to senior sister Min for me. She seems to get easily worried about others.
Lukas nodded at Arid, who was talking to him with a bashful smile on his face.
After that, he continued to have a somewhat frivolous conversation with Arid.
Arid had become quite talkative. Perhaps it was because of the pleasure of meeting Lukas after so long. His mouth constantly moved as he talked about everything that happened to him over the past 10 years, including the trivial things that occurred on Dragon God Island. Sometimes there were some things he couldnt say, but from his words, Lukas was able to learn a lot about Dragon God Island, which had always been a mystery.
Dragon God Island.
Lukas had a feeling that if he met the Goddess, he would be able to solve many of his remaining questions.
Around the time when the conversation was reaching its end, Arid pulled something out of his pocket.
Youll need this.
It was a square plaque.
It looked like it was made of wood, and on it was an elaborate carving of a Dragon that almost seemed alive.
Whats this?
This is the Dragon Plaque which is required to enter Death Island. And this is a map of the parts of Death Island that have been explored so far.
This time he took out a piece of rolled parchment.
When he opened it slightly, Lukas saw a fairly detailed map of Death Island.
Not only did it display the general shape and topography of Death Island, but it also showed how to get there.
What are these green markings on the map?
Those are the places where Dragonmen live.
Dragonmen? Wasnt it said that no Dragonmen live on Death Island?
There are a few. But compared to the actual size of the Island, its basically nothing. The Dragonmen who live there are ferocious and barbaric, and most importantly, they are incredibly powerful. Most Dragonmen dont consider them to be civilised. To survive in the harsh environment they live in, they had to change both mentally and physically.
It would be best to avoid meeting them unless there is absolutely no choice. Like running out of food or water, or because of a life-threatening injury.
This meant that every meeting with them was half a gamble.
Lukas nodded.
There are several ways to enter Death Island, but the fastest and safest way is through a small island called Temple Island. Going through the sea instead of that island would be much more dangerous.
Ill keep that in mind.
Yeah. And finally, you will need special equipment to block the demonic energy on Death Island.
As expected, there was a reason why it was called Death Island.
There were a lot more things that he needed to prepare than he thought.
Originally, I was going to introduce you to a blacksmith from Death Island, but there is no need for that now.
When Lukas tilted his head to the side, Arid explained.
I heard that Miss Nekdu is in Lirua right now.
Ah.
With her skills, it wont be difficult to make you a good set of equipment.
Do you know Nekdu?
Arid nodded.
Yes. Miss Nekdu is from Dragon God Island.
Book 2: Chapter 234
Book 2: Chapter 234 Sedi ran to the ground while Lukas flew through the sky.
In all honesty, the most efficient method for him would have been to be carried by Sedi. After all, it would allow him to preserve his mana, and her running speed was faster than his flight spell unless he pushed his speed to the maximum.
No. Its fine.
When Lukas bluntly refused like this, Sedi smiled slyly and stretched out her thin white arms.
Or would you prefer I hug you? Like this.
She then offered to hold him in her arms. An idea that he hated even more.
When Lukas shook his head firmly, Sedi burst into laughter. She probably knew that Lukas would never accept such an offer in the first place.
In any case, I wont need to use my mana much anyway.
It didnt take very long for this expectation that Lukas had in his heart to be brutally crushed.
They encountered Ancient Dragons.
Not one of them, but three.
Each of them was extremely large and ferocious.
Rooaaar!
They all roared at the same time. The volume was so loud that it felt like his eardrums were about to be ripped apart. If Lukas had to fight them on his own, he would have probably needed to use all of his remaining mana.
This evaluation was enough to show how difficult these enemies were.
Shut up!
But now he had Sedi.
She immediately appeared above one of the Ancient Dragons and stomped its head into the ground.
Bang!
With a heavy sound, the Ancient Dragons head was buried into the ground to the point that it was barely visible. The force of the stomp was so great that even the ground around the hole was heavily cracked.
Sedis single attack had instantly crushed the Ancient Dragons skull and liquified the brain matter within. In short, it was an instakill.
A haze of demonic energy flowed from Sedis body. In her current state, it wouldnt be wrong to say that Sedis entire body had become a weapon. No, not just a weapon, a weapon of mass destruction.
She didnt even need Lukas help.
In less than an hour, she cleanly dealt with the three Ancient Dragons. S~ea??h the ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
They actually came to us on their own. That saves us the trouble.
While humming happily, Sedi pulled their hearts from their chests and absorbed the dense demonic energy within them.
Squelch.
In a short amount of time, those incredibly large hearts shrunk.
Sedi looked content. She had a satisfied expression on her face as though shed just had the best delicacy in the world.
Each ones demonic energy has a distinct flavor.
Those three Ancient Dragons that Sedi has just slain.
What would have happened if they were to appear somewhere, for example, a city on Combat Island.
If it wasnt one of the major cities, then without a doubt, it would become ruins within a single day. In terms of size and strength, those Ancient Dragons were beings that couldnt even be classified as monsters, but natural disasters.
And yet, these disasters had become nothing more than different flavored snacks for Sedi.
Its unfortunate.
If it wasnt for the existence of the Absolute lurking somewhere on the island, Lukas would have prefered to leave Sedi on the island so that she could continue to increase her strength.
I hope we can meet a few more.
Sedi had said this half as a joke, but she knew that such an event was unlikely to happen. Although their population was by no means small, the probability of meeting an Ancient Dragon on Death Island was actually surprisingly low.
But that evening.
Roaaar-!
Ancient Dragons appeared before them once again.
This time, there were five of them, more than before.
Lukas concentrated his mana and said.
This time, Ill help you.
You dont have to. I just absorbed a lot of demonic energy, so I feel better than ever.
You might be full of energy, but the strain on your body wont go away so easily.
Sedi snorted like a daughter whose weakness had been immediately seen through by her father.
Then the battle began.
In the end, she had no choice but to admit it.
Thanks to Lukas help, the fatigue she felt at the end was significantly reduced compared to before.
The five Ancient Dragons this time were larger and more powerful than the previous group, but the fight had actually been easier than when she fought the three Ancient Dragons on her own.
Now that she thought about it, Sedi realised that shed rarely ever fought together with other people. In fact, the only case that she could remember was the brief collaboration with Kran back on earth.
Their collaboration at that time hadnt been bad, but it certainly couldnt compare to the balance of having someone at the front with the other supporting them from behind.
However, this fight had taken longer than the one before.
This was because Lukas believed in a complete and easy victory even if it meant taking a bit longer to finish. Lukas didnt say anything to Sedi, but she understood his intentions and slowed down to match his pace.
We actually managed to get the hearts of a few more Ancient Dragons.
While she happily sang these words, she noticed Lukas serious expression.
Why do you look like that? Is something wrong?
it feels a bit weird.
What do you mean?
We encountered eight Ancient Dragons today. Have you ever encountered a situation like this before?
Um I think five is the most I have met in a single day.
Now that she thought about it, shed killed five Ancient Dragons the day she entered the Heavenly Realm.
In a way, while this situation wasnt impossible, it was highly unusual. Lukas felt that something was going on, but he still shook his head and decided to wait and see instead of making a conclusion now.
But the next day.
somethings going on.
It was Sedi, not Lukas, who muttered these words while panting heavily.
She wiped some blood from her face while looking at the Ancient Dragon corpses that were scattered around them.
There were ten of them.
They had actually encountered ten Ancient Dragons at once.
No, they didnt encounter them
They came to us.
Sedi nodded at Lukas words.
I have never met so many Ancient Dragons at the same time. In the first place, its almost impossible to encounter so many at once since Ancient Dragons rarely share their territory.
The five Ancient Dragons that she encountered when she first entered were a special case.
They all knew that they were equal in strength, and they were intelligent enough to know that if they fought each other, they would all be mutually destroyed.
But the group that they had just encountered was not like that at all.
Whether it was size, appearance, or strength, they were all different.
They were probably from different places as well.
And yet, as if they shared thoughts, they had all come from wherever they stayed to attack Lukas and Sedi.
Like they had received the orders from someone.
And Sedi knew the only being who could make Ancient Dragons do their bidding.
its the Dragon King.
Sedis voice shook slightly as she said these words.
It can only be that guy. All of the Ancient Dragons on Death Island are under his rule, so sending them to attack us is as easy as flicking a finger.
Lukas was also certain that the movements of the Ancient Dragons were not natural.
What was the Dragon Kings plan? What was his goal?
Did he want to kill them? Or just hold them back?
He couldnt tell which it was yet.
Lukas frowned heavily.
Their schedule was being delayed a lot because of the Ancient Dragons. It had already been three days. According to the plan, they should have already arrived at the coast and laid their eyes on Temple Island, but now, they had only reached about halfway.
However, it wouldnt be easy to avoid the Ancient Dragons. Since they were all capable of flight and were, in fact, quite fast, it was hard to outrun them.
I have a bad feeling. So I think we should hurry up a bit more.
This was the conclusion that Lukas reached.
Sedi, who had finished absorbing all of the demonic energy, turned to look at him.
How?
I have no choice but to fly at my maximum speed, even if it consumes my mana.
After saying that, Lukas walked up to Sedi and held her hand. Then their figures flickered before shooting into the sky.
As they flew through the sky, Sedi couldnt help but look back. With her enhanced vision, it was possible for her to clearly see dozens of kilometers away.
Theres still more still chasing us?
And what she saw was several more Ancient Dragons flying towards them.
They were fast, but they still couldnt compare to Lukas Fly spell. With their current speed, they were able to gradually pull away from their pursuers.
At that moment, Lukas was thinking about the safe zone guarded by the stone statues. The level of sorcery used in the area was quite high, so it might be possible for them to shake off the Ancient Dragons after they got close.
Without stopping to rest, Lukas flew through the air at full speed for two days and two nights. Even though he hadnt slept, he didnt feel much of a burden.(1)
Finally, Lukas and Sedi reached the shore.
Hmm. The demonic energy in this place is really thin. Is it because of those statues?
Sedi tapped on one of the statues as she asked this.
Instead of replying, Lukas checked his remaining mana.
[Current Mana 3614/10000]
about 3500.
He had less than half of his reserves left, but it didnt matter since they had already arrived at their destination.
There should be no more threats, and as long as they returned to Temple Island, he would be able to quickly recover his mana.
They were finally able to take a breather.
Or so he thought.
Bang!
An enormous beam of energy shot towards them from the direction they had come from.
It wasnt too late for him to react. However, Lukas simply stared at the energy beam without making any move to block it. This is because he could tell the energy beam wasnt aimed at them.
Lukas immediately realised what this enormous beam of energy was.
It was a destructive beam or dragon breath attack that Ancient Dragons could shoot from their mouths.
Voosh-!
The dragon breath passed Lukas and shot across the ocean, splitting it apart as it flew. The force of the attack was so powerful, that despite flying overhead, it was still able to split the polluted waters beneath it like a miracle.
And it was only then that Lukas realised the target of the breath attack.
Temple Island.
Crackle-!
The dragon breath was incredibly bright, to the extent of almost burning the retinas of whoever saw it. For a moment, the black sky seemed to have become white.
Lukas had a bad feeling. Then the sound of a huge explosion ripped through the area.
Booom!
The explosion was so loud that it sounded like the very world was roaring.
The residual force of the explosion was enough to send storms of wind in every direction, and create enormous waves that were taller than many mountains.
Before the wind and waves settled, Lukas and Sedi realised something at the same time.
!
Temple Island had disappeared.
(Note:
1.Im not sure how accurate that math is Their original plan was to arrive at the safe zone in three days while moving at a moderate pace, but because of the Ancient Dragons, they were only halfway If Lukas was now moving at his full speed, why did it still take two days for them to arrive?)
Book 2: Chapter 235
Book 2: Chapter 235 What
Sedi muttered under her breath in slight disbelief. Then, she suddenly turned around and looked behind them.
I didnt think youd try to run away without giving me an answer.
Lukas also turned around when he heard a gentle voice from behind.
Standing there was a handsome man with vibrant green hair. The young and gentle appearance of this man didnt quite match the cold and desolate background that was Death Island.
He was so beautiful in fact, that he reminded Lukas of the Elves, a noble and beautiful race. But he wasnt fooled by his appearance.
After all, it was none other than this gentleman in front of them who had destroyed Temple Island.
I still have to give you an answer? Then its fuck off.
Sedi grit her teeth and spoke to the man with a harsh voice. But he simply chuckled softly as if he didnt mind her words.
That wasnt the answer I hoped to hear.
So you wont let me go until you hear the answer you want? You disgusting son of a bitch.
As I expected, youre really quick to understand. You are definitely the perfect fit to be my bride By the way
The man then turned to Lukas, and unlike when he looked at Sedi, his gaze was cold.
Who is that man standing beside you? He doesnt seem to be someone from the island.
None of your business.
How could you say that? That man is standing beside my partner.????????????????????????????. ?????????
It was at that moment that Lukas finally opened his mouth.
Dragon King Kaz.
Hmm. You know who I am?
Ive heard your name a few times.
The Ruler of Death Island.
Was he simply mimicking a human form? He certainly couldnt be classified as an ordinary Dragonling or Ancient Dragon. Then could he be considered a Dragonman? That wasnt it either.
Despite his humanoid appearance, Lukas could still feel the ferocity that hid beneath the surface.
Dragonmen could only be considered human in a broad sense of the word. Like humans, they were social animals.
But this man was a being that did not belong anywhere near society.
Theres something Id like to ask you. Why did you destroy Temple Island?
The answer to that question is a bit complex. Firstly.
Kaz turned his gaze to look at the place where Temple Island once stood.
Ive always disliked them. The only reason I left them for so long was that its annoying for me to leave this place. Well, Ill admit that the Priestess also has some influence when it comes to that.
There really isnt any special reason for it. I just decided to get rid of them since I was already here. Since I dont usually go out, I tend to finish everything I need to all at once.
He spoke in a very casual manner as if it was an insignificant action.
Lukas knew that Temple Island was by no means a small island. And since it was used as a monitoring point for Death Island, it was surrounded by a strong barrier, one that was probably made by the Priestess herself.
But in the end, it was useless.
In the blink of an eye, the dragon breath released by Kaz shot across the ocean, shattered the barrier, and disintegrated the entire island.
Most of the people on Temple Island probably didnt even know how they died.
Secondly, if I had left it alone, you guys would have fled to it. And then things would be much more annoying. As I said before, its not easy for me to leave this island. But its a simple task to get rid of an island thats within my line of sight. And finally.
Kaz smiled brightly.
I thought I could get you to submit by showing off this level of power
But this is completely outside of my expectations. You havent lost even the slightest bit of courage.
Its not that big of a deal to destroy a little island.
Sedi snapped coldly, but Kaz wasnt offended. Instead, he seemed to be amused by her reaction.
That was only a fraction of my power. My partner.
Who the hell is your partner?
It doesnt matter if youre a bit rebellious. The island truly does lack means of entertainment. Does acting like this make you happy?
After saying that, he spread out his hands.
Sedi clicked her tongue.
Father, sorry, but I dont think we can just ignore him and leave. Sarch* The ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
I dont think so either.
Lukas sighed heavily as he said this.
Kazs true power was still unknown.
Hed said that the power hed used to destroy Temple Island was just a fraction. It might have been just an arrogant bluff, but Lukas didnt think that was the case.
Father? So you have a father-daughter relationship? You dont look anything like him.
Kaz chuckled as he said this.
On the other hand, Sedi didnt have any intention of talking to him any further.
This bastard his defense is insane. Even when I used my full strength to hit him, I was unable to leave a scratch. But he didnt look like this when I fought him
Sedi lowered her voice and continued.
Its possible that he let his guard down after fighting me once. If theres a chance, we might be able to use that to our advantage. (Note: Arent there voice transmission techniques? Im pretty sure the Dragon King could still hear them even if they whispered)
Use your full power and go on the offense. Ill support you from the back while looking for weaknesses.
Understood.
Immediately after saying that, Sedi disappeared.
Bang!
Lukas was relieved to find that his eyesight hadnt been suppressed as well. At the very least, his eyes could still keep up with Sedis movements.
Currently, she was frozen in the same posture she had while launching a midair roundhouse kick, her instep pressed against Kaz neck.
Sedi held nothing back. Although she had failed to leverage the force from her speed to its fullest, she still managed to unleash her full strength with that attack.
Normally, such an attack would smash the neck bones of her target.
Crack-
Kuh
But this time, she was only left with a sore foot.
It was hard. Like kicking steel. No.
Even steel, one of the strongest metals, wouldnt have been able to withstand such a blow.
In any case, it was incredibly hard.
Kazs defense was clearly stronger than her offense.
This is such a harsh tantrum.
As he said this, Kaz smiled and reached up to grab Sedis ankle.
But before he could, Sedi had already pulled her foot back, retreating a few steps before immediately kicking off from the ground and closing the distance again. Her movements were as fast as a bullet.
Nevertheless, Kaz made no effort to defend himself. His entire body was filled with openings, and it seemed that she would be able to deal lethal damage wherever she aimed.
Face, throat, heart, abdomen, groin.
Sedi extended her index and middle fingers and poked each of these vulnerable spots.
Saying it makes it seem like she did them in order, but these attacks were done so quickly that it was impossible to tell which one came first or last.
The reason she used two fingers was so she could control her demonic energy more precisely.
With this control, she created a needle-thin thread of energy sharp enough to pierce through any obstacle at the tips of her fingers.
There was a tried and true method to break through an iron wall.
Concentrating the force on one point.
Just like a highly compressed jet of water could cut through even diamonds, Sedi condensed her demonic energy to create a similar tool.
Naturally, the resulting force and cutting power were dozens of times more powerful than water.
Crack!
!
Book 2: Chapter 236
Book 2: Chapter 236 Sedi frowned.
Her attack didnt work at all. In fact, it felt like trying to stab a needle into a brick.
In the end, the only things that broke were Sedis fingernails.
Kuk.
There was a look of disappointment on her face. It was a bit childish for her to display such an expression when her attack didnt work, but at that moment, she couldnt help it.
Why the hell was this guys defense so high?
Stand back.
Then she heard Lukas voice in her ear.
His voice was soft, but it was filled with confidence.
It was strange. She was certain that Lukas was much weaker than her now, so it should be impossible for any of his attacks to work on Kaz.
But if it was Lukas
If it was the man she recognised as her father, maybe he might really be able to do something.
Rumble
The air around them began to vibrate slightly.
Realising that this phenomenon was not natural, Kaz lifted his face and sniffed the air.
He looked up at the sky. Was something being created there?
What is that? It doesnt look like sorcery Sarch* The n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Suddenly, a white bolt of lightning shot down from the sky. Like a spear thrown down from heaven by God, the bolt of lightning penetrated Kazs body.
7-star spell. Gigantic Thunder.
Once again, he was forced to use a large chunk of his depleting mana reserves. But it couldnt be helped. After all, Lukas didnt think 6-star and lower spells would have any effect against the Dragon King.
No, in truth, he didnt believe a 7-star would have much of an effect either.
That sorcery is very interesting.
As expected, Kazs voice sounded from within the dust cloud that had been created by the lightning attack.
When the dust cleared, his body was revealed. Sparks were flying off of his body, but other than that, he was completely fine. There wasnt a single visible wound.
This
Sedi was speechless. Even the spell that Lukas had faith in didnt work.
This was the effect that Kaz was aiming for, but Lukas was not discouraged. Instead, he felt like he had solved the mystery of Kazs defense to an extent.
Hes probably strengthening the area right before receiving an attack.
A faint smile stretched across Kazs face when he heard this.
Why do you say that?
I saw your entire body become green in the instant before you were hit by the Gigantic Thunder. It looked like a thin film appeared and covered your skin.
Youve got some good eyes. But I didnt intend to hide it in the first place.
Because it wouldnt change anything even if they did find out.
Have you ever heard of Absolute Defense? In this world, my scales are probably the closest things to this concept. Personally, I call them Dragon Scales.
Dragon.
Lukas muttered softly.
Defense like that is not something one can just be born with.
Good guess. I have tempered my scales countless times over the past thousands of years. Just like a blacksmith hammering metal tens of thousands of times I must admit, at first, I just used it as a way to escape my boredom. After all, as I said before, there arent many means of entertainment on this island.
At first, my scales couldnt handle it. They constantly cracked and broke. But as time passed, the cracks gradually decreased. Did you know? There is a huge volcano at the center of this island. The temperature at its core reaches tens of thousands of degrees, which is enough to cause most things to burn and melt the instant they enter.
Kaz chuckled softly.
Thats where my house is. For me, its warm and comfortable. I get the best sleep when Im there.
You talk big, is it that big of a deal to withstand temperatures of around a few thousand degrees?
????????????????????????. ????o????
Those words wiped the smile from Kazs face.
In an instant, the surroundings became a few degrees colder.
Since you have so much confidence in your scales, we should test it out.
What do you mean?
My attack.
Lukas looked down at his arm.
I dont have much energy left now. Im going to pour all of it into a single spell, and I think that no matter how tough your scales are, you wont be able to withstand it.
Hmm. Is this the so-called last resort? Nevertheless, it sounds like fun. If I endure this attack of yours, Im sure my companion will willingly run into my arms.
Of course, Sedi had no intention of ever doing something like that. She scoffed at Kaz and raised her middle finger towards him.
So, what kind of attack are you going to use?
Ive already used it. You just need to stay still.
What?
At that moment, Kaz suddenly felt his back begin to burn. Since it had been a very long time since hed experienced this sensation, he couldnt help but turn around to see the culprit.
What he found was the sun floating behind him.
No. It wasnt the sun. It was much too close for that to be the case. Nevertheless, it became hard to breathe as even the air around them began to burn.
8-star spell, Another Sun.
You said that you can withstand tens of thousands of degrees. Another Sun is not that hot, but its definitely hotter than magma.
It was already too late for him to dodge. The Another Sun wasnt just floating in position like the real sun. Instead, it was shooting towards Kaz like a meteor.
Boom!
The instant it collided with the ground, an enormous wave of heat soared in every direction.
Without even trying to defend himself, Lukas took a deep breath before collapsing onto his butt.
Father!
Sedi hurriedly rushed to his side and blocked the incoming red flames from Another Sun.
Are you alright?
Ive used almost all of my mana.
I see. Your attack was very powerful.
it wasnt enough.
What?
Sedi, I was wrong. We shouldnt have fought Kaz.
What are you talking about?
[This certainly was hot.]
Just as Sedi was wondering if Lukas had become delirious because of mana loss, they heard footsteps approaching them from behind.
Lukas could see the figure of someone walking out of the ball of flames that was Another Sun.
[However, I think this proves that your little magic tricks dont work on me.]
It was Kaz.
He looked completely different now. He no longer looked like a human but like a Dragonman. No, his appearance was still a bit too exaggerated to be called a Dragonman. Even when compared to the ones who lived on Death Island.
The scales that covered his body were a disturbing shade of green, and a pair of enormous wings were folded on his back.
However, the thing that made Lukas heart heavy was the fact that there wasnt a single injury on his body.
There wasnt even a scorch mark.
It had to be mentioned that this was the same spell that had, at one point, killed a Demigod, although they were in a weakened state. A spell with that much destructive power had hit him directly, but it had no effect at all.
What this meant was simple.
Dragon King Kaz, is no longer mortal.
Lukas realised that hed made a big mistake.
The Absolute on Death Island that Arid had told him about. Hed always assumed that it was one of the Absolutes who had entered at the same time as he did.
He hadnt thought of any other possibilities
It was a hasty judgement on his part.
After all, even though it was only a world created for the Great Game, there was still a possibility.
Dragon King Kaz
Was an Absolute who had been born in this world.
Book 2: Chapter 237
Book 2: Chapter 237 What most people didnt know was that Death Island hadnt always been in such a desolate state.
In the past, it was just like the other islands, with lush forests, towering mountains, and beautiful lakes that combined to create a beautiful landscape.
The natural environment on Death Island had been comparable to Untamed Island.
Resources were abundant. Food and drink overflowed everywhere. And one didnt have to specially adapt or wear protective clothing to survive.
Of course, this didnt mean that Death Island was any less dangerous than it was now. The population density of living beings on fertile land was naturally much higher than in a desolate area. And no matter how abundant resources were, disputes over rights and territory were bound to happen.
Beasts were no exception to this rule. In fact, territorial disputes between beasts were usually much more cruel and brutal than between sapient beings.
However, none of the Dragonmen living in the current era could remember that beautiful sight.
Except for one person.????????????????????????????. c????????
In the current era, Dragonlings have deep maternal affection for their offspring, but that wasnt the case in the old era. Perhaps because they were among the islands top predators, most Dragonlings didnt have many children. And if they did, they often left them unattended.
They didnt break the eggs they laid, but they also didnt keep them safe until they hatched. Therefore, most Dragonlings died before they were even born.
For those predators who sat around the middle of the food chain, Dragonling eggs were an easy and nutritious meal.
Among these creatures were some who looked similar to saber-toothed tigers. Their fangs were longer and much sharper than their counterpart, and they were many times larger, but their appearances were still vaguely similar.
For these creatures, Ancient Dragon eggs were their favorite meal. And with their sharp fangs, the shells of the eggs were of no concern.
But one day,
An unexpected change occurred that would affect the ecosystem of the island for tens of thousands of years.
A saber-toothed tiger found a Dragonling egg. But this Dragonling egg was different from the others. It was green.
Since ancient times, green has always been a color that was considered unappetising. The same was true for the saber-toothed tiger, which ate meat. The color of the egg reminded it of grass, something that it couldnt even think of eating.
Or at least that would have been the case if it wasnt a Dragonling egg.
The saber-toothed tiger didnt care that the color was different. Without any more hesitation, the saber-toothed tiger opened its mouth and bit down.
Crack-
There was a satisfying cracking sound. Followed by the taste of savory liquid flowing down its throat, but the saber-toothed tiger realised that something was wrong. This egg tasted different from usual. It was salty and had a bit of a fishy flavor.
This was something the saber-toothed tiger had tasted before, and could even be called something it liked, but it was not a flavor it expected to taste in an egg.
It was at that moment, while it was wondering what was going on, that it felt a great deal of pain.
Rooaar!
It let out a loud roar.
It was only then that it realised that one of its fangs had broken.
What the saber-toothed tiger had been drinking werent the contents of the egg, but the blood from its broken tooth. There wasnt even a scratch on the egg.
Furious, the saber-toothed tiger rushed forwards and fiercely attacked the egg. However, neither its fangs nor its claws were able to damage the egg.
It even used its head to push the egg off of a cliff, but the egg was still fine.
Eventually, the saber-toothed tiger gave up on eating the egg.
But it wasnt the only challenger. Many ferocious, large, and powerful beasts approached the egg. After all, Dragonling eggs were a popular delicacy for all the predators on the island.
However, without fail, they all had the same result as the first saber-toothed tiger. They were all forced to return to their dens with broken claws and fangs, without leaving a single scratch on the egg.
The egg didnt hatch for a strangely long time. Usually, at the latest, Dragonling eggs would show signs of hatching around three months. But even after 6 months, the egg didnt so much as budge.
Then, two years after all the predators had lost interest in it and shoved it into a quiet corner, the egg hatched.
It was the birth of Dragon King Kaz.
When he was younger, Kaz was innately ferocious, almost to an extreme. He trampled upon any creature that entered his sight. Even when he wasnt hungry, he killed the animals around him for fun. Less than half a year after his birth, Kaz had already learned the joys of the hunt and slaughter.
After a year, the area that hed hatched in had already become Kazs territory. By that time, Kaz was confident that he was a special being who was the only one of his kind in this world.
For example, when compared to Dragonlings, he was so small that he could be considered deformed, but even the lord of the area wasnt Kaz opponent.
Secondly, his scales were invincible.
The teeth or claws of most beings couldnt hurt his scales. In his life, it was only possible for him to win.
Kaz didnt know the meaning of defeat.
Nevertheless, there had been many times when his life had been in danger. After all, Death Island is incredibly large and the lords of each area were by no pushovers.
However, even when he was on the brink of death and was forced to escape, Kaz always believed that he would win if he ever met his opponent again.
This was because the more he fought, the more injuries he suffered. And after a few days, when his scales healed, they would be much stronger than before. (Note: So hes a Saiyanling)
In the end, Kaz survived.
No, he thrived.
As his experience increased, he gradually became a horrifying being that brought terror to the hearts of all that encountered him.
The river of time slowly flowed.
The seasons constantly changed.
And over time, as the rivers and mountains constantly changed, the mutated Dragonling with the naturally hard scales became known as the Dragon King.
The first ones to follow him were the intelligent beings who lived on Death Island, the Dragonmen.
Then came the beasts such as the saber-toothed tigers and the Dragonlings who were driven by their instincts.
Hundreds of years passed after that.
It had also been many years since hed completely conquered the island.
At that time, Kaz felt nothing but boredom.
He didnt have a rival. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Hed already grown tired of killing Dragonmen or finding some new innovative way to kill Dragonlings.
So Kaz prepared to leave the island.
He spread his wings, hoping that hed find an opponent that could give him a challenge somewhere else.
But before he could even head out to sea, Kaz encountered the worst person he could ever meet.
Book 2: Chapter 238
Book 2: Chapter 238 For the first time, their fighting spirit began to flicker and dim.
The ones in this situation were none other than Lukas and Sedi, the two strongest participants in Lukas team. But even their combined strength still wouldnt be enough.
This was something that they were certain of. After all, the gap between mortals and absolutes wasnt something that could be filled with numbers.
An Absolute wasnt an opponent that one could defeat by relying on strategy, schemes, or luck.
And to make matters worse. Lukas was in the worst possible condition at that moment. He had less than 500 mana remaining.
With only that much, he couldnt use 7-star or higher spells.
[It seems that you reached the end of your ropes before I even needed to act.]
Kaz softly muttered those words, his eyes flashing with a strange light.
[Although it was only for a moment, feeling heat again was an extremely unpleasant experience. So disappear.]
The moment he opened his mouth, a Dragon Breath shot out with almost no warning. Sear?h the ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
This Dragon Breath was at least twice as strong as the one Kaz had used to destroy Temple Island.
Dozens of countermeasures flashed in Lukas mind. But none of them could guarantee his survival.
Nevertheless, there was one thing that was abundantly clear.
This was an attack that he couldnt block. The destructive power of Kazs Dragon Breath was much higher than Lukas could handle in his current state.
Then what should he do? Could he dodge it? The range of his Blink spell was extremely limited. And with a Dragon Breath of this size, even if he were able to avoid being hit by the direct blast, the aftermath would still be enough to tear his entire body to shreds.
Taht!
But as Lukas was trying to figure out what to do, Sedi appeared in front of him. With Lukas behind her as if she was protecting him, Sedi stretched her arms in front of her and received the breath attack with her front.
Grrrng!
Her mind went blank. For a moment, she lost consciousness.
The blood vessels in her eyes burst and tears of blood rolled down her cheeks.
Sedi!
Lukas called out her name almost on reflex. Sedi couldnt answer because she was fully focused on defending. It felt like her palms were on fire, but she knew that if she let her guard down for even an instant, she would be blown away.
Dammit.
She had grown much stronger after absorbing so much demonic energy, but it was still hard for her to face an Absolute.
Lukas didnt just quietly watch Sedi defend from behind. Instead, he squeezed out the last of his mana and tried to attack.
Papapa!
Dozens of spells appeared at the same time. It was a colorful display, but it wasnt very practical. After all, they were all 3-star spells. It would be hard for him to use more than that since he didnt have enough mana.
This was the same technique he used not so long ago in his fight against the Ancient Dragon.
He attacked simultaneously with various attributed spells to find out which one they were more susceptible to.
Bang bang bang!
The spells crashed fiercely against Kazs body, but there was no way those attacks would work.
Lukas didnt believe it was possible to hurt him with a 3-star spell, even if he was weak towards its attribute.
So he analyzed. It didnt matter if the flaw was miniscule. If even a single weakness could be found, then there would be some possibility of turning this situation around.
[you should know by now. Your little magic tricks wont work.]
But there wasnt a single flaw on Kazs entire body. Did that mean that it didnt work at all?
Lukas bit his lip.
There is no such thing as a perfect defense.
He knew that for a fact.
Even if the durability of his scales is close to absolute defense, he could just aim for places that werent protected by them.
Eyeballs, anus, testicles, mouth If he were to hit any of these places with the right spell. (Note: Lukas)
If he could damage his organs directly
However, it would take a high level of technique to accurately hit such a vital point.
I can calculate it.
Even at the moment, Lukas brain had come up with about three different alternative methods he could use.
However
I dont have enough mana.
In the end, no matter how he twisted and turned, the conclusion was always the same.
Even so, he had no choice but to try.
If there was anything that he could dig into in his current state, it would be Kazs pride. He had absolute faith in his defense.
Sedi.
un.
Sedi grunted as she wiped blood away from her eyes. Her condition was also not the best. She could tell that her body was reaching its limit, but there was nothing she could do about it.
Attack his mouth.
Mouth?
Right.
sure.
Sedi immediately understood what Lukas was saying. It was impossible to attack him from the outside, so he intended to attack his insidesi????n????????????. C????????
But she still had her doubts.
that guy hes arrogant, but hes not stupid. He probably knows that he has only a few weaknesses. Besides, it would be impossible to attack it if he keeps his mouth shut.
There are no scales around his lips, and even if there were, the defense of that area would be much lower than in other places. His teeth shouldnt be as hard as his scales. If you managed to put your hand in his mouth and then pump a large amount of demonic energy into him
His body will inflate like a balloon.
Would things really work out so easily?
Although she had this thought, Sedi still sighed.
well, thats the only thing we can aim for right now.
Her demonic energy was still at full capacity. However, her body was the problem.
Her stamina was almost depleted.
If she were to push herself much more, its possible that her frail body would collapse in on itself. No matter how powerful an engine was, it was useless if the body that supported it was not strong enough.
The amount of demonic energy she had digested was already reaching the limits of what a mortal body could contain.
This body is really annoying.
This fight would end here.
Sedi increased her concentration to the maximum.
Now.
Lukas mutter was the signal.
Sedi immediately got close to Kaz once again.
[Are you still not giving up?]
He seemed to be slowly losing interest.
Kaz saw Sedi lift her fist. Was she aiming for his mouth? It was a stupid and one dimensional idea. It would be fine if she just wanted to hit him, but looking at her eyes, it seemed that she was betting her life and death on this single attack.
In that case, it would be better to block it. One arm should be enough
Crack!
[!]
At that moment, both of his arms became trapped by something. Kaz glanced down and found that the ground had risen up without him noticing and trapped his hands.
It was easy to shake off, but that moments delay was all that was needed.
Paak!
Sedis fist accurately struck Kazs mouth.
And he could tell immediately.
Sedi had used her full strength in that punch.
Eat this! You disgusting motherfu-!
Fwoosh!
Before she even finished speaking, an enormous amount of demonic energy flowed out from Sedis fist, down his oesophagus, and into his intestines.
Kaz staggered backward.
[Uk urk kuh]
A strange sound came from his mouth.
By this time, Lukas had already fallen to one knee, feeling dizzy.
This was the first time in thousands of years that hed experienced mana depletion.
This had to work.
Even if it didnt, it had to have some effect.
If this attack didnt work, then they had no chance of winning.
Suddenly, Kaz stopped moving.
[huhuhu]
Then he began to chuckle.
The moment he looked up at them with an innocent smile on his face, Lukas realised their situation had reached its worst.
how? I pumped demonic energy directly into your internal organs.
[That was your mistake.]
What are you talking about?
[Do you know why this place is called Death Island?]
They didnt know. Nor were they curious.
However, Kaz continued to talk without caring about his listeners feelings.
[There was a big fight here in the past. Against the only being in the Heavenly Realm who can be compared to me. The only time Ive ever been truly defeated in my life. That woman is the first being that Ive never seen a chance of defeating if we fought again.]
That doesnt sound like it has anything to do with the island.
It does. You see, most of the creatures on the island died in the aftermath of that battle.
What?
No, wait a minute.
Sedis face turned pale as a random thought popped into her head.
She had been so focused on his scales that she hadnt even thought of this possibility.
The central region of Death Island,
The region where the demonic energy was the thickest,
That place That was where the Dragon King lived.
[My partner. The demonic energy that you use.]
Kaz spoke in a calm voice.
Then, an explosion of demonic energy flowed out of his body.
[It is a power that I am very familiar with.]
Book 2: Chapter 239
Book 2: Chapter 239 The fight lasted for an extremely long time.
Kaz had suffered through long fights before. He had even grown used to fighting on an almost daily basis.
With his experience, he knew that in a long fight, the most important things were concentration and composure.
In all honesty, whenever Kaz fought, he still had room to plan and think. This was the case even in fights when both sides were being pushed to the extreme.
But for him, those situations couldnt be called crises.
Not like this. Sarch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
For the first time in his life, Kaz fought with every ounce of his concentration without even the slightest leeway.
Fwoosh!
A Dragon Breath shot out of Kazs mouth. This attack was so powerful that even small islands would be instantly obliterated.
Taht.
But his opponent simply swatted it away like it was nothing. One of his most powerful attacks was treated like an annoying fly.
[What the hell are you, you crazy bitch!]
Something that surpasses your understanding.
She replied in a flat tone. Beneath the hood of her robe, her hair, which seemed to be a different color whenever he managed to see it, flowed like a halo around her head. He wondered if the color of her hair changed depending on the direction in which the light was refracted.
But that wasnt the only weird thing.
Even during their fight, her intonation and manner of speech changed from time to time, and every time they did, her attack style also changed.
It was like fighting a large number of beings at the same time instead of just one, and it was driving him insane.
[You crazy bitch!]
Kaz let out a loud roar. It was so powerful that it forced all of the living beings on the island to tremble in fear, but the woman continued to rush to him without any signs of flinching.
He hurried to defend himself, and the fight continued.
Kaz never had any chance of winning.
And as expected, he lost.
It was a complete and utter defeat.
By the time the fight had ended, the entire island had become a wasteland. He didnt even know how long they had been fighting.
Kaz coughed out a mouthful of blood onto the ground of the now devastated lands which had once been lush and beautiful.
[Cough!]
Why?
Doubts had begun to appear around halfway through the fight. He was certain that it had been going on for far too long. Compared to Kaz, who was covered in dust and injuries, the woman didnt even have a single smudge on her clothing.
The difference between them was obvious.
[If you wanted to kill me, it wouldnt take this long. Why did you Why are you sparing me?]
Because you have potential.
The womans temperament seemed to change once again.
Crazy bitch. Kaz suppressed the swear words that appeared in his heart and struggled back to his feet.
[What the hell are you talking about?]
The veil over the womans face fluttered in the wind. This time, the hair that was revealed appeared green.
What the hell did she look like?
Kaz couldnt help but feel curious about the face behind that veil. At the same time, he was skeptical.
Even after fighting so desperately, he still hadnt been able to remove at least that thin piece of fabric in front of her face.
Your innate ferocity. It would be a waste to kill you when you have something like that.
[]
To become a superior being, you need dignity. Until that happens, I will not let you leave this island.
After hearing those last few words, Kazs consciousness faded. And when he opened his eyes again, he realised immediately.
His very existence had been bound to the land beneath him, the island that would later be known as Death Island.
He had become a being incapable of leaving the island on his own.
* * *
As you accumulate combat experience, you gain the ability to sense certain things.
For example, whether your opponent had the will and means to continue fighting.
This was something that could easily be inferred from facial expressions, bodily movements, and attitude.
Kaz grinned fiercely.
That attack just now was definitely their trump card.
Seeing that it had also failed, they should be feeling desperate now.
no.
That guy was different.
Unlike Sedi, who was frowning at the front, the man behind her showed no signs of giving up.
This caused a glint to appear in Kazs eyes.
This guy was really interesting.
He was much weaker than Sedi, and he was completely exhausted with no more energy at his disposal. He had a lot of interesting tricks, but none of them worked on him.
This was something that all of them were aware of. And yet, this man still burned with fighting spirit without backing down in the slightest.
Perhaps he was used to being in such desperate situations.
Otherwise
[Do you still have other means left?]
[For me, fighting has become rather boring. Except for one, everyone that I have faced lost without much suspense. I had high hopes for you guys but I guess this was to be expected. Should I say the problem is me? I suppose my unreasonable strength is the one thing I always fail to factor in.]
Kaz could use demonic energy.
Lukas felt that he had finally peeked slightly into the secret that was Kazs absolute defense.
No matter how strong his scales were, it was strange that he could so casually accept the punches of Sedi, someone who was at the very peak of mortality. But now, it was revealed that Kaz could also use demonic energy.
So in truth, it was just that he was a bad matchup for Sedi.
It was like throwing a fireball at a monster made of fire.
Other means?
He didnt have any. Well, in all honesty, he did have a few left.
Lukas gaze drifted to the staff in his left hand.
[Staff of the Distant Night Sky]
The only staff in this world, created for him personally by Nekdu.
The possibility of a bumpy path lay with this staff.
however.
To do that, he would have to get closer to Kaz. Close enough that he would be able to reach out and touch him.
But how?
Should he just walk up to him?
Kaz was conceited and made no effort to defend himself. It was clear that he didnt think Lukas was much of an enemy, so he probably wouldnt consider Lukas a threat and allow him to approach him.
But that was only a possibility. There was no guarantee, and the risk was high.
Compared to the power Kaz currently had, Lukas was no better than an insect.
With just a slight swing of his hand, Lukas entire body would become a mist of blood. It was a tragic thought for an Absolute, but it was the truth. So rather than rage at the ridiculousness of the situation, it was better to accept it.
It doesnt matter if he attacks me.
However, the attack couldnt be so strong as to kill him in a single hit.
Since that was the case, there was only one thing he could do.
Dragon King Kaz.
Provocation.
Lukas lips twisted into a sneer.
You are not a true Absolute.
[]
Kaz tilted his head to the side.
[Absolute? I dont think I understand the exact meaning behind your use of that word.]
So you dont even know that. I guess Ill have to explain it to you. Absolutes are miraculous beings that are so rare its hard for even a single one to appear in a universe.
[Sounds interesting. Hard to find even a single one in an entire universe If that is the case then Dragon King Kaz is the only one suitable for it.]
No. Youre not even close to that level.
Kazs eyebrow twitched slightly when he heard this, then he spoke in a flat tone.
Dont be ridiculous. You inferior being. Youre not even as good as my toenail. Are you trying to say you are superior to me?
Do you think I am inferior to you? Sedi and I are true Absolutes who have stepped into that level that you have yet to reach. We have only been weakened because of the circumstances now, but at our peak, it wouldnt take more than a thought to completely erase you.
Kazs sneer disappeared, his face becoming completely expressionless. This was proof that Lukas provocation was working.
This was a tense moment. It was a gamble. It was possible that Kaz would lose all reasoning and kill him with one blow.
So Lukas intended to keep him as rational as possible.
This weak man in front of you, and Sedi, who you are trying to claim as your own, are real Absolutes. Thats why we find you so ridiculous. I cant believe that you would proclaim yourself to be strong when you havent even fully escaped the bonds of the flesh. Its still too soon for you.
[Stop talking.]
His voice changed.
Sedis eyes twitched slightly.
She couldnt understand why Lukas was provoking Kaz to such an extent.
Of course, the fact that her last attack didnt work wasnt enough to make Sedi give up. Instead, she simply felt that they had to find another avenue.
However, provoking Kaz at this moment was like suicide. It was like asking for directions to the nether road.
F-, father.
Ignoring Sedis call, Lukas continued.
You are bound to this island. You were probably chained up after being brutally beaten by someone.
[]
Kazs expression became solemn.
Book 2: Chapter 240
Book 2: Chapter 240 Lukas looked at Kazs expression, realising that this was his greatest anguish.
[Krrrr]
Like a beast, Kaz lowered his head slightly as a deep growl echoed from his throat.????????????????e????????. ????????
But this didnt scare Lukas at all. Instead, it caused the corners of his lips to raise up slightly.
The solitude of an Absolute is something one can only experience after standing at the very top of at least one universe. Foolish creature.
What happened next almost seemed to happen instantaneously.
Kazs figure disappeared from where he was standing.
kuk.
And appeared in front of Lukas with his hand around his throat.
You son of a bitch!
Enraged, Sedi tried to kick Kazs hand away, but Kaz stretched his other hand towards her and fired a Dragon Breath.
!!
He could fire breath attacks with his hands as well as his mouth?
Sedi crossed her arms and tried to block the Dragon Breath, but in her weakened state, it was impossible to perfectly defend against it.
Boom!
Unable to withstand the force behind the attack, her small figure was sent flying into the distance.
Lukas looked closely at Kaz.
He had completely lost his composure. Unlike before, he hadnt restrained himself in that attack. This meant that in his anger, he no longer cared even about the wellbeing of Sedi, whom he called his partner.
Kaz probably didnt think about Sedi for more than an instant, as his burning gaze once again turned to Lukas.
[you have gone too far.]
His voice was cold.
Lukas couldnt breathe. Kazs grip was so tight that his fingernails dug into his flesh. If he were to squeeze even a little harder, then the bones in his neck would be crushed instantly and he would die.
However, the fact that he hadnt done so immediately proved that his plan had worked.
Although killing him was as easy as twisting a babys arm, he was still keeping Lukas alive.
In addition, the pressure on his neck was just enough that he could only get the smallest amount of air needed to keep him conscious.
This meant that he wanted to see his reaction before he killed him. Kaz was an extremely arrogant being, and Lukas had looked down on him. So he wouldnt let him die easily. Even if he was going to kill him, he still wanted to hear his last words.
eat.
[What?]
Lukas spoke more clearly this time.
Eat this.
Lukas pushed the jewel on the tip of his staff into Kazs mouth.
With the jewel in his mouth, Kaz stared at Lukas mockingly. His eyes seemed to be asking What are you going to do with this stick?
It was hard, but that was it.
It didnt even have spikes on it. No, even if it was a sword, he wouldnt be able to harm him.
Lukas also expected this reaction.
Kaz had the constant desire to show off. After receiving his opponents attack with just his body, he would show off his confident figure and enjoy the sight of his opponent drowning in despair.
Its distasteful, but more than that, its dangerous.
It was this very desire to show off that was working in Lukas favor.
It had paved the path for a comeback.
He felt bad for Nekdu, who worked hard to make it, but it was time to say goodbye to the [Staff of the Distant Night Sky]. sea??h th n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Crack!
The staff broke.
Or to be precise, the jewel at the tip broke.
A large amount of mana was concentrated in that jewel which was refined from an Ancient Dragons heart. The mana within the jewel could be considered the dregs of mana that were left whenever the staff was used to cast spells, and usually increased at a gradual pace. However, Lukas had been using his mana constantly ever since hed come to Death Island, which had caused the accumulation to be much faster.
There was enough mana in it to cast a single 7-star spell. Unfortunately, there was only one way to access that mana.
By destroying the jewel.
Crack!
[!]
Kazs eyes widened.
Seeing this, Lukas smiled.
This will be a little different from demonic energy.
With those words, Lukas casted his final spell.
Explosion.
With his soft whisper, an explosion occurred in Kazs mouth.
* * *
[!!]
He couldnt even scream. For a moment, it felt like hed lost consciousness.
What he was feeling far surpassed the level of intense pain.
A large explosion had occured in his mouth.
Right. A very large explosion.
Lukas observation had been correct. Kaz also had a few weaknesses, and his mouth was one of them.
There were no scales in his mouth. In other words, he couldnt train or increase his mouths defense. There were very few creatures with armored tongues.
The explosion had ripped through Kazs mouth, crushing his tongue, breaking his teeth, and shattering the roof of his mouth.
His skull shook and his internal organs quaked.
Kazs entire body spasmed like a frog that had touched an exposed wire.
Ku-, guk-, urk-
Blood poured from his mouth. Within this stream of blood that poured onto his chest were broken teeth and pieces of flesh from his tongue.
Huff, huff
Lukas was gasping on the floor in front of him. He had used the last of his mana to stimulate the explosion. The mana needed to do so wasnt much, but even wasnt much was too much for Lukas in his current state.
This had forced him to use up some of his vitality and life energy to replace the mana. They were incredibly inefficient, and the side effects were horrific, but he didnt have a choice.
This was the reason why he could barely pick himself up, and his consciousness was blurred. He was exhausted. To the point of not even knowing where he was at that moment.
Nevertheless, he knew one thing.
Kaz was still alive. He was in shock, but still not in a state that would allow Lukas to kill him.
But it wasnt up to Lukas to finish him off.
Se-, di.
Just before collapsing into unconsciousness, Lukas muttered her name one more time.
Kazs scales were hard. Nevertheless, he still had weaknesses. If he couldnt concentrate, he wouldnt be able to put up a solid defense. Just as one clenched their muscles when expecting a blow, he focused his mind on his scales.
Since that was the case, Kazs defensive ability would naturally plunge now that he was in a situation where he could barely think or move his body because of the intense pain he was experiencing. But even in this state, his natural defense would still be enough to block the attacks of most beings.
However, Sedi didnt fall under the same category as most beings.
Paht!
Sedi, who had been sent flying by the Dragon Breath, shot towards Kaz. She was bleeding all over, but there was venom in her gaze.
Paak!
[Kuk!]
Kaz tried to defend himself, but the scales that he was so proud of shattered and fell like broken marble.
Her attack had dealt damage.
Sedi immediately realised that her attacks were actually working, unlike before.
Nevertheless, it was too early for her to be happy about it. She cleared her mind. This wasnt the time to let her guard down.
If I miss this opportunity!
They wouldnt win.
Papapapak!
She punched Kaz all over his body like he was a sandbag. In only a few seconds, she had already hit him dozens of times.
Sedis fists glowed with a dark red hue. Perhaps all of her skin covered by her clothes was also the same color. The demonic energy she was using, which had already surpassed the level that a mortal could handle, was slowly corroding her body.
But she didnt stop.
She couldnt stop.
She forced her screaming joints and muscles to move.
One more punch.
Hit a little harder.
[Kuk guk kuh]
Kaz felt like his vision was spinning around.
His brain felt like it was bouncing from one side of his skull to the other, his mouth hurt like hell, his internal organs were gradually becoming mush. All of this, along with Sedis consecutive attacks, made it hard for him to regain his senses.
Nevertheless, Kaz reached an instinctive conclusion.
His current situation was extremely dangerous.
Have to stop her somehow
Just as he had this thought, Sedi shoved even more demonic energy into her small fist.
Tutuk.
This time, it took her a few seconds to concentrate the energy into her fist. This was proof that she was preparing a big attack.
As the seconds passed, Sedis fist gradually became black, and her veins stood out starkly.
Danger.
Although he couldnt see it very clearly, Kazs senses screamed at him. A chill went up his spine.
Book 2: Chapter 241
Book 2: Chapter 241 I cant let this happen.
That was the only thought Kaz had at that moment. It was a thought that anyone in his situation would have, but unfortunately for him, his body couldnt move as he wanted it to.
While he struggled to dodge or at least put up some form of defense, Sedi finished charging her attack.
And like her first attack, she aimed for his face once more.
Boom!
[Kuk!]
There was a sound similar to a cannon being fired, and Kazs body was sent flying into the air like a cannonball.
Hed been sent several hundreds of feet away. It would have been nice if she could have sent him so far that he was no longer visible, but unfortunately, that was the strongest attack Sedi could muster up in her current state.
Huff! Huff!
Panting, Sedi collapsed onto her butt.
Lukas?
She turned to look beside her.
so he passed out.
So it seemed.
She couldnt help but feel like he deserved the rest. From beginning to end, he had used the resources at his disposal to turn this unfortunate situation in their favor.
Hed intentionally provoked Kaz in order to make him get close before shoving his staff into his mouth.
However, it was a very dangerous plan. If anything had gone wrong, he would have died.
He gambled with his life. He chose to risk his life in order to give them a chance to win.
But
For some reason, she couldnt help but feel that Lukas was used to doing things like this.
She knew that most Absolutes who were once mortals were beings who had very dramatic pasts. Lukas had probably gone through countless life and death situations and experienced many things.
Sedi suddenly felt a strong curiosity about the life Lukas had lived, but now was not the time to think about that.
Panting, Sedi looked into the distance again. Her vision was blurry and she couldnt see the spot where Kaz landed, but she kept looking nonetheless.
If he were to come back one more time she was now certain.
They couldnt win.
Of course, with the damage she dealt to him, it wouldnt be strange if Kaz remained unconscious for a long time. She had hit his defenseless body more than a hundred times, and the bones in his face had definitely been smashed with that punch.
He shouldnt be able to get up again. Or at least thats what would happen in a normal situation.
Nevertheless, her anxiety didnt go away.
please
For the first time in her life, Sedi prayed earnestly.
She prayed for that disgusting bastard to never appear again.
She sat for a while, waiting.
Perhaps her prayers had been answered. Because there were no signs of Kaz even after a long time had passed. Even the dust storm that had risen in the area had begun to calm down.
She knew that he wasnt dead, but if he was unconscious, then they might have a chance to escape.
He said he was bound to the island, so they could just run to another island for now.
With that in mind, Sedi turned to look at the sea.
And instantly became speechless. She was so shocked that she wouldnt be surprised if her hair had turned white.
When did he move? She hadnt seen him. She didnt even feel him approach.
Behind them, in the direction of the sea, a being was standing there.
[It hurts.]
Kaz smiled, showing off his bloodied mouth and broken teeth.
Even though his tongue should have been torn apart, he could still speak with perfect pronunciation.
[What is it? Do you think I look ugly now?]
What the hell? Was this guy some kind of zombie or something?
Kaz rubbed a finger against his lip for a while before muttering.
[Almost all my teeth are broken. My tongue has been torn to pieces, and my oesophagus has been burned. Even the roof of my mouth has been smashed. I think Ill probably have trouble eating for a while. This is the second time Ive ever been this injured. But]
His cold gaze turned to Lukas.
[This is the first time in my life Ive ever felt so dirty.]
It was different from when he fought that woman.
Obviously, being completely destroyed by a stronger being hurt his pride greatly, but it was still understandable.
But what about Lukas? He was so weak and fragile that he would burst into pieces if he just squeezed him too hard. He claimed to be some kind of Absolute or whatever, but Kaz didnt believe a word of his bullsh*t.
No. Even if what he was saying was true, at least for now, he was still weaker than him. Absolutely weak.
That was the truth.
And yet, he had been pushed to such a state by this garbage.
It was the greatest humiliation and an incurable scar on his pride. His pride and desire to show off had disappeared. Now, all that was left was rage and hatred.
Anyone could predict what Kaz was going to do now.
Thud.
With heavy steps, he walked towards Lukas. He was already unconscious. He was certain of this fact. So now it would be easier than
[]
He stopped.
Kaz looked down at the black-haired girl that had moved to stand in front of him.
[Get out of the way.]
what are you going to do?
[I will kill that man.]
No further explanation was needed.
But Kaz decided to add one anyway.
[Originally, I had planned to torture him. I was going to make him regret ever being born. After all, this is my first time feeling so humiliated in my life. Fortunately, Im quite skilled in that area. No matter how proud or stubborn a person pretends to be, I can make them look worse than a pig in less than a week.]
He knew countless ways to break a proud spirit. When Death Island was more prosperous in the past, there had been many like that. Beings that he couldnt suppress with his strength.
Even if their bodies were destroyed, they refused to give in.
Destroying such beings and forcing them into desperation used to be one of his favorite pastimes.
[But Im tired of it now. No]
Kaz thought for a moment before nodding his head.
[I was afraid. Right. Ill admit it. I just received such a blow and I still cant wrap my head around the fact that this guy could be a threat to me.]
This was probably the greatest tribute and expression of respect that Kaz could give to an enemy.
This man, who was weak and unconscious.
He was still seen as a threat by Kaz.
[Thats why, I have to kill this man somehow, no matter what.]
Sedi felt a chill. It was a frightening feeling like a blade was being pressed to her spine.
Kazs attitude was clear. He had no intention of backing down.
So if this situation was allowed to progress, Lukas would die.
Lukas?
Would die?
Hah.
Her throat felt dry as though she had swallowed sand. She prepared to say something that she never wanted to say.
Since when?
When she first called Lukas father, that had just been an act of desperation.
Shed just been defeated by the Demon King. Shed lost everything. The favor she got from the Black Horned Demon God, her devilish energy, and her external force as an Absolute.
All that she had left were her mortal body and her name, Sedi.
Crunch.
She hated those words so much her teeth ached. Because there was no more accurate description of her miserable condition.
And thats when Lukas came to her and made a suggestion.
To become his incarnation and once again step onto the path of an Absolute.
In truth, at that time, she wasnt that interested in that proposal.
Sedi was exhausted and wounded. She had been betrayed by the master she had devoted her everything to. The despair she felt was indescribable.
The feelings of belonging and fullness that had empowered her entire body had disappeared.
She felt like she was all alone in the world. Sear?h the n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
She hated that feeling so much that she would rather die, so she recklessly stuck to Lukas instead.
She demanded that he take the role of her father. She knew it was a ridiculous request.
Knowing the type of people Absolutes were, it could be called a half-crazy idea. In fact, if she were placed in such a situation again, she couldnt say whether she would act like that again.
Nevertheless, Lukas had accepted her.
He mentioned that Sedi would be his first child.
She was shy. To hide it, she changed her words and teased him.
In fact, it was the same for Sedi.
Lukas was her first parent. Because those who gave birth to her couldnt be considered her parents.
She felt like shed been saved from death.
After that, it was pretty fun.
She began to understand Lukas. It was very different from her time with the Black Horned Demon God.
It wasnt a one-sided interaction. Instead, it was more like a two-way connection.
Lukas was clumsy, but he clearly tried his best to treat her like a real daughter.
Then, one day, Lukas said to her.
The way a father should treat his daughter. What I can do for you. And what the ideal relationship between a father and daughter should be.
Think carefully About what youd want a father to do.
After that, shed thought long and hard before eventually realising.
Lukas had given her a new life. He was no different than her saviour.
No.
It didnt need to be packaged in such a grandiose manner. They were parent and child.
It was filial piety between a parent and his child.
She liked that more.
Kaz.
[What is it?]
Im the one you want.
[]
If I listen to you
At that moment, Sedi did something shed never done before in her entire life.
can you let my father go?
Sacrifice.
She never would have thought there would be a day when she did something like this. After thinking this, Sedi smiled forcefully.
In order to save Lukas, she was willing to be with this guy who was so disgusting that just looking at him made her want to throw up.
Those were her honest feelings.
[]
Kaz was silent for a while. He looked down at Sedi without any expression on his face before finally opening his mouth.
[it cant be helped.]
Just as Sedi was about to let out a sigh of relief at his words, Kaz continued.
[If you had said this when I first arrived, I probably would have agreed to that request. But that is impossible now. Its too late.
What?
[Move aside, my partner.]
Kazs voice remained indifferent.
[Or Ill kill you too.]
Book 2: Chapter 242
Book 2: Chapter 242 Although Lukas had fainted, his consciousness hadnt faded. His mind was still aware.
This might sound contradictory for most, but for Lukas, this was something he was familiar with.
Temporary faint.
He would probably be able to open his eyes soon.
He naturally began to imagine the scene he would see when he finally came to his senses.
The last thing hed seen was Kazs mouth becoming bloody because of his attack, and Sedi rushing towards him with a vicious momentum.
It would be best if Sedis last attack was enough to finish Kaz off.
But Lukas always had the habit of assuming the worst. Of course, this habit couldnt really be called a good thing. Nine out of ten times, it was just useless worrying.
But in other words, it meant that there was at least one time when it was the right choice to make.
It was the same for this situation.
If Sedi was unable to finish Kaz off, then Lukas would probably lose his life at his hands as soon as he recovered.
How can I respond to him?
There was very little he could do.
He couldnt use magic. He didnt have any mana left. He would also have to deal with the consequences of completely exhausting his mana pool.
No matter how much mental power he might have, it was impossible to use magic without mana. This was especially so considering that he had to also deal with the backlash.
Hand-to-hand combat?
Even if his mana was depleted, he could still move his body, but Lukas fragile body wouldnt even be able to scratch Kazs scales. Instead, he would be the one whose bones were broken from his attack.
It was a question that he couldnt find an answer to.
All of his options were blocked. In the first place, the level difference between them was too high. The most appropriate response to such enemies was to avoid them until one was strong enough to deal with them.
Dragon King Kaz. Half step out of mortality.
In a way, he was similar to Lord, who had been Lukas greatest enemy in the past. Of course, Lord was much stronger than Kaz in every way.
In fact, if he had to pick someone that Dragon King Kaz reminded him of
At that moment, a maybe appeared in Lukas mind like a bolt of lightning.
It was an absurdly dangerous idea, but it would be enough to help them overcome this seemingly hopeless situation.
Personally, he didnt want to use a method like this.
However, his instincts or intuition, which had helped him all his life, were screaming at him.
maybe I
Immediately after regaining consciousness, he would use this extremely dangerous idea.
* * *
Sedi shivered. Not because she was afraid of Kazs threat, but because she couldnt think of a way to prevent Lukas death. Her trembling was a result of her overwhelming frustration.
She couldnt see any emotion in Kazs eyes. If she tried to stop him, he really would take her life.
What should I do?
She clenched her fists and bit her lip.
In all honesty, she really wanted to shout that if this dirty bastard wanted to kill her father, he would just have to kill her first. However, in this situation, such an emotional response would probably cause the worst possible outcome.
Lukas and Sedi, both of them would die.
Since she couldnt crush him by force, she had to think of a way to persuade him with her words. This was a conclusion that any intelligent being could reach, but it was very unfamiliar to Sedi, who had relied on violence all her life.
What exactly could she say to persuade this crazy bastard in front of her?
why Do you want me to be your partner?
She tried to buy some time.
Kaz didnt answer. Instead, he continued to stare at her. The pressure on her body increased.
Sedi grit her teeth. She wouldnt let herself be intimidated by his attitude.
What would being your partner mean?
[There is no meaning.]
She gained a bit of leverage.
For the first time, Kaz chose to respond to her. Sedi inwardly sighed in relief, but in the end, she was only buying time. Nothing had been solved.
[On this floating continent, there is only one being who can claim to be stronger than me.]
you mean the woman who imprisoned you on this island?
[In all honesty, I have no confidence to defeat her even with my current strength.]
So? Did you want me to be your partner so that Id help you fight her?
[That thought is too simple. She is not an opponent that can be defeated with numbers. Even if you were as strong as I am, Im not sure if it would be possible.]
Everything he said made Sedi regret her decision to make him talk. It felt so disgusting to be discussing the strengths of half Absolutes.
If only she could exert her original power, then this smug bastard
This was what she thought, but it was nothing but a wishful thought.
Even before entering this world, Sedi had already been defeated, lost everything, and been forced back to the realms of mortality. This meant that she was the reason she was so weak at that moment.
[You should give birth to my offspring.]
What the hell was this madman talking about now?
[I need an excellent offspring A child who has received my seed will definitely be strong. They might even have the potential to surpass me. In truth, Ive been attempting to birth one for the past few hundreds of years.]
Wait a minute
[But most of the carriers died before giving birth.]
Ignoring Sedis reaction, Kaz continued.
[They couldnt withstand my power. I even tried mating with Ancient Dragons that had adapted to the islands harsh environment, but the results were the same. But you will be able to endure it. No. Even if you cant withstand it, you should still be able to give birth to at least one offspring. A side effect of this might be that your body gets destroyed, but what happens to you after you give birth is none of my business.]
This guy was really a crazy, disgusting piece of garbage.
Sedi finally came to accept this fact. Of course, she didnt have any childish thoughts that hed fallen in love with her at first sight or anything of the sort. But she never thought that he would have such an obscene reasoning behind his actions.
[so have you stopped buying time? I dont think anything changed.]
Moreover, he had completely seen through her intentions.
[Thanks to you, I was able to calm down a bit. My partner. I wont kill you just because you block me. That would just be a waste. Fortunately, youre strong enough Even if I cut off all your limbs and your tongue, you should still be able to survive. And youll still be able to bear my offspring.]
You disgusting bastard!
[You can say whatever you like.]
Because it wouldnt change anything.
Kaz was about to continue speaking but he suddenly stopped with his mouth open.
There was a deep ripple in his eyes, and his gaze shifted to behind her.
Realising this, Sedi also turned to look at whatever it was he was looking at.
Father?
Lukas was standing there.
His body still swayed slightly, but his gaze was calm.
[I hoped youd remain unconscious.]
Kaz was surprised for a moment, but that was it. There was no need for him to be too shocked. He knew the reason this man had passed out before.
This is because he pushed his body beyond the limit that it could withstand.
He didnt fully understand the power Lukas was using, but he noticed that he was so exhausted that he definitely wouldnt be able to use it again.
There was definitely no way for him to fight back now.
He knew that. He knew that, but
Gurk-
At that moment, the pain in his mouth seemed to intensify for a moment. It was like a wake-up call.
He had already experienced it once before. At that moment, when he thought that he had completely overpowered Lukas and could easily kill him, he was hit harder than at any other time during their fight. Sear?h the ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
If that explosion had been a little bigger, or if Sedi had been a little stronger Kaz wouldve died.
Suddenly, Kaz shot backward, increasing the distance between them.
huh?
It was an action that Sedi didnt quite understand.
Then she heard Lukas whisper.
Hes probably wary of me. He came close without thinking once and got burned.
Are you okay?
Right.
do you have a plan?
Lukas remained silent for a while before putting his hand on Sedis shoulder.????n????????????d. ????om
F-, father?
Sedis face became red at his sudden action, but Lukas expression was solemn.
How much demonic energy do you have left?
H-, huh? Ah. Demonic energy. I still have a bit left. But I dont think Ill be able to use it in my current condition.
As she said this, Sedi looked down at her reddened skin.
That demonic energy give it to me.
what?
There is no time to explain, quickly inject your demonic energy into my body.
Are you crazy? If you do that-
Sedi, I already said there is no time to explain. Soon, Kazs wariness will disappear. Then everything will be over.
Sedi flinched when she heard Lukas cold tone. This was the first time Lukas had ever talked to her like that. Shed only spoken up because she was worried, but now she felt like shed done something wrong.
To Lukas, demonic energy was like a potent poison. There was no way that he didnt know this.
And yet, he was now saying that he would swallow this poison.
No matter what Lukas said, she didnt want to watch him commit suicide.
However
Sedi bit her lip.
I dont know what will happen, but if thats what you want
Right. Thanks.
Book 2: Chapter 243
Book 2: Chapter 243 Sedi grabbed Lukas hand, which was on her shoulder, and directly pushed her demonic energy into it.
Krrr-
kuk! sea??h th N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
The influx of demonic energy caused Lukas to grunt and stumble back a few steps. His face became dark in an instant.
When she saw that, Sedi thought shed made a mistake by listening to him, but she didnt say anything in the end.
Because even at that moment, Lukas eyes were calm and firm.
Rumble-
Lukas blood vessels became swollen and red. His eyes became black as if ink had been injected into them. And a mist of demonic energy slowly began to flow from his mouth. Even his saliva had become discoloured.
[Dont even think about it!]
A moment later, Kaz lifted both of his hands. Hed widened the distance between them because he was wary, but he finally realised that it might have been the wrong choice. He didnt know exactly what they were doing, but he knew that if he let them do as they pleased, things would become troublesome.
Boom!
Huge beams of light shot out from both of his hands.
Maybe it was because of the mood and setting, but it felt like the Dragon Breath attacks were flying towards them in slow motion.
Sedi.
Lukas voice drifted into her ears. She turned to look at him with a blank expression on her face.
His lips were spread into a smile, but for some reason, it gave her a strange feeling.
Since were on a continent floating in the sky, some of my calculations might be incorrect. So Im not entirely sure where youll go.
What?
However, Im pretty sure that anywhere is safer than here.
Wait, what are you talking
Its one of my bad habits. Ive always been like this. Id rather carry the burden on my own than watch someone else carry it.
Sedis eyes widened as she looked up at his face. It was only at that moment that she got a vague idea of what Lukas intended to do.
She hurriedly opened her mouth.
Fath-
Forgive me.
Piht-
Sedi disappeared.
[!]
Kaz saw this scene clearly.
She didnt move at a high speed or hide away with some kind of stealth technique.
Instead, almost as if shed evaporated, Sedis very being disappeared from this fraction of space.
Boom boom boom!
And in the next instant, the Dragon Breaths hit Lukas.
The safe area immediately disappeared, the force of the explosion so strong that it sent the nearby ocean water into the air like a geyser.
Whoosh
And in the artificial rain he created, Kaz muttered.
[What did you do?]
He didnt receive an answer.
He gritted his teeth and roared in a loud voice.
[Where did you send my partn-!]
Crunch-
Lukas slowly stepped out of the crater that had been created by the explosion.
Kazs lips twitched slightly.
Hes still alive?
No. He was probably just overreacting.????n????????ea????. ????????????
That guy had been beside Sedi this entire time. Knowing that Kaz had intentionally weakened his attack. That was probably the thing that saved his life. In fact, the state of Lukas body was enough to say that hed barely survived.
After wiping blood from the corner of his lips, Lukas finally gave him an answer.
A place far beyond your reach.
[you sent her out of Death Island.]
Kaz spoke in a voice that contained barely suppressed rage.
[I will give you one chance Bring Sedi back. Then, Ill give you a painless death.]
A mere Half-Absolute dares to give me orders?
[Half?]
Kazs gaze became cold.
[It seems you still have the energy to wag your tongue around. However, your struggles are pointless. You should have realised this countless times by now. Your little tricks wont work on me.]
Theyre not tricks. Id prefer it if you called them magic.
[I dont care what theyre called. You still dont seem to understand the being that is standing before you.]
Dragon King.
[Thats me.]
After a brief pause, Lukas continued to speak slowly.
if that name means the lord of Dragons, then I could call you Dragon Lord.
It was a very forced interpretation, but more than that, it was completely out of the blue.
Kaz remained silent because he was still unsure about Lukas intentions.
Did you know, Kaz. In a universe that you never even heard of, there is also a race called Dragons. But they are much higher and more powerful than the Dragonmen, Dragonlings, and Ancient Dragons here.
[What are you trying to say?]
Lukas lifted his hands with his palms facing the sky.
Rumble
Kazs expression changed when he felt the clouds above begin to stir with lightning once again.
How?
Although he didnt know what sorcery or magic Lukas was using, he knew that it required the consumption of some form of energy to be used. He also knew that in order to perform attacks as powerful as the ones Lukas had used so far, it would require a lot of said energy.
And as far as Kaz could tell, Lukas no longer had enough of that energy to use.
No, that wasnt right.
If he didnt have the energy, then he couldnt have made Sedi disappear.
Is he using his life energy as fuel?
Such an act would be as foolish as strangling yourself to death.
It wasnt worth it.
Lukas magic couldnt do anything to him unless it hit a vital point.
Besides, hed already seen the type of magic that Lukas could use. They were all like the lightning bolt that had struck him at the very start.
At best, they were artificially created elements. And that kind of thing could never scratch his scale-
[!]
Kazs expression suddenly changed.
This lightning was different from the lightning that hed used earlier.
He wasnt sure what it was, but he knew that something had changed.
This
Boom!
Suddenly, the lightning bolt struck, piercing through Kazs body in an instant.
His eyes went wide.
[Ku-, aaaack-!]
Then he let out a scream that he wouldnt have been able to hold in even if he tried. An extreme pain, greater than anything hed ever felt, seemed to fill his entire body in an instant. It felt like every inch of his skin was burning.
His scales, which he was so proud of, hadnt stopped it.
What just happened?
[You What did you?]
Puffs of smoke came out of Kazs mouth as he stuttered.
On the other hand, Lukas simply looked at him with a calm expression and continued his explanation.
There was a race that drove those Dragons to extinction.
Kaz would never know.
The existence of beings who carried the name, Demigod.
Indras Lightning.
Crackle.
Lightning crackled all across Lukas body.
His gamble had been a success.
Demonic energy.
This tainted power could not be used in place of his mana, which could be called the energy of nature itself. But it was possible to convert it to another type of power.
A power that greedily devoured and converted any energy that was mixed with it, making it its own.
Fortunately, this power seems to work on you. Since magic doesnt work on you, Ill have to change my methods.
Not magic power, but the power of the Demigods.
Divine power.
Book 2: Chapter 244
Book 2: Chapter 244 There were times when Absolutes collided, but it wasnt a common occurrence.
In the first place, usually, only one Absolute would be assigned to a world, so there were rarely any chances for them to meet each other.
And even if multiple Absolutes were assigned to the same world, their top priority was usually to carry out their mission to return balance to that universe.????n????r????????????. c????????
They saw confrontations with each other as a waste of both time and mental strength. Therefore, even if there were cases where they might have differing opinions or modus operandi, they would usually try to solve those differences through conversation.
Nevertheless, considering the prideful and stubborn natures of Absolutes, confrontations were inevitable. And when they did happen, Absolutes chose to settle them in the simplest way possible.
Fighting.
The victory or defeat of Absolutes wasnt determined by their years of life. Instead, there were other factors that had to be considered.
First was their grade.
Absolutes were divided into four grades, and the difference between each grade was quite pronounced. Lords, who were second only to Rulers, were generally stronger than Assistants who ranked at the bottom.
Generally.
In other words, there were times when that wasnt necessarily the case.
Lukas was one of those special cases. He had defeated a Lord when he was just an Assistant.
The second factor was whether one side had a more advantageous position in the matchup.
Attribute compatibility was also a thing among Absolutes. In fact, it could be said that it influenced them more than other beings.
Naturally, all Absolutes had their own pasts and histories. Some of them were terrifying beings who had been born Transcendent or Semi-Transcendent.
And the rest were like Lukas. Beings who had been born from a mediocre race, but after a long and difficult journey, were able to become Absolutes.
The lives they lived before becoming Absolutes allowed them to create their own attributes. In other words, everything theyd accumulated up to that point became the foundation that made them an Absolute.
For example, lets say there was an Absolute who had killed millions of insects in their life, and an Absolute who had the appearance and abilities of an insect since birth.
In that case, even if the former was a few ranks lower than the latter, it was still possible for them to have an advantage in an actual fight.
This power was called their Root Power.
For example, Lukas was born a mortal. Nevertheless, he constantly fought against beings that were almost on the same level as Absolutes. He never gave up.
Even when he was defeated time and time again, he still got back to his feet. And eventually, he was able to defeat all of the beings known as Demigods, who were Semi-Transcendent from birth.
He won the battle for the fate of his race.
And this life gave attributes to Lukas magic.
Lukas spells would become stronger whenever the following conditions were met.
Whenever he encountered beings stronger than himself.
Or whenever he encountered beings with the attributes of Absolute, Transcendent, or Immortal.
Conversely, his power would be slightly limited when facing Absolutes with mortal origins. (Note: Great Mage became pokemon)
Some might say that the existence of attribute compatibility between beings who belong to different universes was contradictory. However, there is a place in the multiverse where everything that happens in every universe is stored, including the lives of Absolutes.
It was called the Akashic Records, the largest library in existence.
A place that most Absolutes referred to as The Diary of God. The amount of information stored in that library was so vast that God was the only being capable of digesting and understanding all of it.
It was this fact that highlighted the majesty of God, the creator of the multiverse.
Even if his power was weaker than that of the Rulers, it could be said that the results of a confrontation between Absolutes were determined by his whims.
Of course, God never recorded false facts in the Akashic Records.
Lukas recalled the origin of one of his powers, divine power.
In the past, the Demigods fought a war of fate against the Dragon Race.
It was a desperate war between two races that were equivalent to Absolutes, and naturally, it would have been recorded in The Diary of God in bold letters.
The Demigods won in the end, an event that had a great influence on the concept of divine power.
As a result, the effects of divine power became much stronger when used against members of the Dragon Race.
* * *
This cant be
Kaz narrowed his eyes.
That bolt of lightning, an artificially created technique and something that he should have been all but invincible against, had managed to easily pierce through Kazs defenses.
This was the case for the magic that Lukas had used before. Kaz had never experienced that power before, but he had still managed to block it easily.
Boom!
The lightning struck once again.
Kaz hesitated. What if that time was just a coincidence? Should he take the risk and let it hit him again?
My scales havent gotten weaker.
Despite his thoughts, Kazs body moved almost on its own. For the first time in thousands of years, he dodged an attack.
Boom!
The ground where the lightning bolt hit immediately became black.
Kaz looked at the ground in confusion. Since it had the power to pierce through his scales, he wouldnt be surprised if it were to crack the ground open, but it stopped after barely making a small crater.
Nevertheless, he didnt have the time to contemplate this phenomenon. Before he was given the chance, another attack came from Lukas.
Attack?
When he saw what it was, Kaz was speechless for a moment. That guy had gotten a boulder from somewhere and thrown it at him.
Nevertheless, Kaz evaded this attack as well.
A boulder of that size wouldnt hurt him even if it were to fall from the sky and land directly at his head.
He was certain that S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Lightning.
When this thought appeared in his head, he remembered the pain of the lightning bolt piercing through his body, and his body reacted before he could even think about it. He felt that he couldnt ignore even something that seemed to be just a minor attack from Lukas.
If this was all a trick, then Kaz had already been tightly wrapped up in its web.
You dont have a lot of experience dodging. Youre full of openings.
Following this whisper, he felt a powerful shock from the back of his head.
Crack!
[Kuaak!]
Once again, he let out a scream. Kaz hurriedly swung his arm behind him.
It was an impulsive action, neither offensive nor defensive.
In all honesty, it was an immature action. No matter how fast or powerful the movement might be, if there was no clear goal while doing it, it was nothing more than a flounder.
Lukas tilted his head to the side to avoid Kazs attack.Then, he grabbed the outstretched arm and hit it with his fist.
Crack!
His scales broke. Not only that but even the bones in his wrist were broken.
This time, Kaz didnt scream, not because he was suppressing the pain, but because he was so shocked he couldnt even make a sound.
Lukas wanted to continue his attack, but he suddenly stopped.
Gulp.
Dark blood flowed up his esophagus. His body was telling him to expel it. He wanted to vomit it out, but instead, he forced himself to swallow it back down. He couldnt let Kaz know about his physical condition.
Lukas looked calm at that moment, but if anyone were to look at him carefully, they would find that his entire body was covered in cold sweat. If anyone else were to feel the pain he was currently experiencing, instead of crying out, they might just faint directly. Just wiggling a finger made him feel like his entire body was being torn to pieces.
This result was natural.
After all, he had forcefully absorbed demonic energy in order to convert it to divine power, and now, he was forcing himself to use this power of the Demigods.
There was only one way to describe such an act when he had only reached 8 stars. Suicide.
To make matters worse, his already damaged clothes had been completely destroyed by the previous Dragon Breath.
This meant that Lukas was now being directly exposed to the demonic energy on Death Island. This was proven by the fact that his skin was slowly becoming discoloured.
He had to end this fight as quickly as possible.
A decisive blow.
He needed a decisive blow in order to kill Kaz.
Lukas recalled all of the Demigods powers.
Death, wind, fire.
In his current state, there was only one power he could use from the group who had once been called Apocalypses.
Cut.
The power to cut through anything in the world.
Since he didnt have a sword, he held onto the smashed remains of his staff with both hands.
Then he took a stance.
Kaz felt a strange omen. He wasnt sure what was going on, but he knew he was in danger. So the first thing he had to do was widen the distance.
[!]
But he was too slow.
Book 2: Chapter 245
Book 2: Chapter 245 Shuk.
Kaz looked down, his eyes wide. Although he had done his best to dodge, hed failed to do so.
His arm had been cut off cleanly from shoulder to armpit. Not only his scales but even his bones had been sliced with ease.
Pfft.
A moment after, blood spurted from the cut. An intense pain struck him like a bolt of lightning, but he didnt even have the chance to scream.
This was because Lukas started attacking once again.
He didnt have any room to attack. All he could do was dodge.
The previous cut had made him realise something. And he couldnt help but wonder why he hadnt noticed it sooner.
Kaz observed Lukas closely.
Only then did he notice the pain hidden within his eyes, the cold sweat that covered his body, his skin that was gradually becoming dark red, and the blood that dripped from the corner of his mouth.
His condition is not good!
He didnt know the reason, but Lukas body was dying.
Why had it taken him so long to notice?
There was only one reason for this.
Lukas expression was too calm. He did not look like someone on the brink of death.
Nevertheless, even if it was a bit late, he still noticed.
And from then on, there was only one decision that Kaz had to make.
Buy time.
It was obvious that if he just left him alone, he would die on his own accord.
Therefore, he decided to avoid direct confrontations. Lukas was already pushing himself to the extent of abandoning his body. It would be foolish for him to continue fighting him. If he continued running and dodging, Lukas would self-destruct without him having to do anything.
Unlike Kaz, whose expression eased after realising he had a chance of winning, Lukas expression wasnt good.
He immediately noticed when Kaz movements changed. Kaz was no longer moving in fear.
Although he had lost an arm, he had noticed Lukas condition. And he realised that he could win as long as he bought enough time.
He should have ended it with that first attack, but he hadnt been able to do so. Kaz had managed to barely dodge the attack and he only cut off one arm as a result.
Now, it was Kaz, not Lukas, who was in an advantageous position.
Its too early to give up.
But his chances of victory hadnt completely disappeared.
Lukas openly spat out the mouthful of blood that flowed up his throat. Since his opponent already knew his condition was a mess, there was no need for him to hide it anymore.
The fight had reached its final stages, and now, it became a contest of endurance.
Would Lukas body be destroyed first?
Or would Kaz suffer a lethal blow before that?
The end of the battle would probably be decided by a narrow margin.
* * *
Dodge an attack. Dodge, dodge, and dodge some more.
how long had it been?
Why?
Kaz looked at the being in front of him. In his eyes, his agitation and fear could not be hidden.
Quite a while had passed. He never faced him directly.
He was going to faint soon. He was going to die soon.
Hed had these thoughts countless times already.
But How long has it been since the first one?
Paht!
He dodged Lukas attack once again. Was he slower than before? He couldnt tell. His mind was a mess. He had used too much energy.
Kaz clenched his teeth.
Lukas condition could no longer be called bad, it was horrendous. His discoloured skin dripped off of his body like wax, and his gait was unsteady. He was probably even more messed up on the inside. His internal organs had probably become completely liquefied long ago.
He shouldnt be able to move in his condition. No, he shouldnt even be alive.
And yet, he was still moving.
Kaz had had enough. He was tired of looking at Lukas calm eyes and expressionless face.
He realised that this zombie-like bastard would not fall unless he finished him himself.
Kaz looked at Lukas. By now, his fear was not as pronounced. Avoiding his attacks had allowed him to regain his composure.
He used his calm mind to analyse the current situation.
Although he had lost an arm, he was definitely the one with the upper hand. sea??h th N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Just one attack would be enough. Then he would be able to sever the thin, tough life thread of this terrifying bastard.
He could no longer use his Dragon Breath. If he wanted to finish it, he would have to do it with his own hands.
He should have lowered his guard by now.
Kaz hadnt attacked for a really long time, so his opponent probably wouldnt expect him to counterattack now. That was a gap he could aim for.
Lukas came towards him once again, fist outstretched. Maybe it was just him, but he felt that his movements were even slower than before. Naturally, this meant that the opening was even bigger.
He dodged again. But this time, instead of immediately widening the distance between them, he got closer.
His chest was completely open. Kaz raised his claws. He didnt have much strength left, but it was enough to pierce his fragile skin and rip his heart and lungs to shreds.
Its time to die!
As he had this thought Kaz looked up at Lukas face.
And instantly became terrified.
[You!]
He saw Lukas looking down at him calmly. He didnt appear even slightly shocked. Almost as if he had been waiting for this moment for a long time
He was waiting for me to attack?
Kaz realised that something was wrong, but it was already too late to retreat. Now that he had come this far, attack was his best defence. Gritting his teeth, Kaz thrust his claws into Lukas chest.
Squelch!
His skin split.
But that was it. Kazs claws didnt go any further. This was because Lukas leaned back at the last moment before his attack arrived.
And at the same time, he stuck two fingers into the wound on his shoulder.
Puk!
[Kuk!]
Kaz immediately let out a grunt of pain.
a place that has already been wounded is like a vital point for you. Just like your mouth, this means that if energy is forced into it, you have no way to stop it.
[Wh-, what?]
You were a very persistent and troublesome opponent.
[You son of a bitch!]
Kaz was terrified by the tone that made it seem like the fight had already come to an end.
What was he going to do?
Kaz tried to struggle, but it was already too late.
Fwoosh!
Like the outlet of a dam, divine power rushed out of Lukas fingers and into Kazs body. Kazs struggles stopped immediately.
Starting from his severed arm, the fierce power was able to reach Kazs heart in an instant.
Puk-
And then his heart exploded in his chest.
[]
Kaz, who was standing there like a statue, coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Gurgle, gurgle.
Then, blood began to flow from every one of his orifices.
[U- ur-k]
Kaz stared at Lukas in disbelief one last time before falling backward.
The wind blew gently, but this wind was enough to almost push Lukas over, but he forcefully straightened his staggering figure.
He defeated Kaz.
By using every single means available to him, he managed to kill a being who was close to an Absolute.
However, Lukas body had also been torn apart in the process.
In fact, his outward appearance was worse than that of Kaz, who had already become a corpse.
He had absolutely no energy left.
But he couldnt let himself faint. He knew that if he were to lose consciousness like this, he would die.
He couldnt help but wonder what would happen if he were to die in the Great World.
He didnt know, but he was certain that the concept of death wouldnt be taken lightly just because this world had been created specifically for the Great Game. In fact, it was possible that it would have been even more severe.
Because it might give the Rulers control of his very existence.
He knew that.
He knew that, but his consciousness was still fading, and he had trouble remaining on his feet.
His knees buckled, and his body tilted forward.
However, Lukas couldnt help but feel that the texture of the ground was much softer than he expected.
No. Did he even fall down?
It was warm and soft.
-You really cant help yourself.
He seemed to hear a voice laugh bitterly.
It sounded familiar.
Curious about what was happening, Lukas tried to open his eyes, but he couldnt.
Instead, his consciousness slowly descended into darkness.????????????????e????????. ????????????
(Note: A familiar voice? Who do you guys think it is?)
Book 2: Chapter 246
Book 2: Chapter 246 A young man was standing on the deck of a transport vessel headed towards Combat Island.
Standing with the sea as his backdrop, the young man seemed to become the focal point of a painting that had been created by the hand of God himself. The women on the vessel kept looking at him from the corners of their eyes and giggling amongst themselves.
His eyes were bluer than the clear sky above them, and his blonde hair gleamed in the sun like a halo around his head. His face was thin, its lines gentle, but his body was well-balanced. Anyone who looked at him would know that this mans body was precisely trained.
Hey, hey. Go say something.
Huh? Me?
Youre the most social and outgoing one in our group.
U-, um. If that face is right in front of me, I dont think my mouth would even open.
The women in the corner whispered to each other in quiet voices.
They were all aspiring artists from Peace Island. These were people who went out of their way to find and make beautiful things, and now they were on their way to see the lives of the artisans living on Combat Island.
The blacksmiths living on Combat Island were so talented that the rumors had spread to the other islands.
It was said that not only were their armors practical, but they also had artistic appearances that anyone who saw them would admire.
However, before they could even appreciate the works of those masters, they encountered a young man whose appearance was even more of a work of art.
As they hesitated on whether to approach him or not, the young man retired to the cabin. The women, who realised that they had missed such a good opportunity, could only exclaim in regret.
Tak-
huuu.
The young man, who had returned to the cabin, let out a long sigh.
He felt that he couldnt get used to this peaceful atmosphere. It was awkward and uncomfortable, like wearing clothes that didnt fit.
He recalled the island he had stayed on before.
Desire Island. Sarch* The N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
A trash den full of people who were more disgusting than Demons, a land infested with betrayal, conspiracies, and hatred.
Hed spent as many as five years living in such a place.
Had he changed a lot?
Leo Freeman wondered as he looked at himself in the mirror. It was clear from his appearance. First of all, hed grown a lot. His androgynous face, which hed never liked before, now looked a bit more masculine.
But what about on the inside?
He didnt know. A lot of time had passed.
Leo couldnt remember what he was like five years ago, even if he wanted to.
Naturally, this meant that he really had changed, whether it was big or small.
His eyes turned to the mask that sat on the table beside him.
This mask, which covered half of his face when he wore it, was the mask he used when cleaning up the trash on Desire Island. The rulers of the island had great influence and wealth, so it wouldnt be difficult for them to put a bounty on his head for the crimes he had committed.
Thats why Leo needed methods to hide his identity, and this mask was one of them.
However, he hadnt worn the mask since boarding the transport vessel.
This was because he was only wanted on Desire Island, and there werent any portraits of him in circulation.
All that was known about him was that he was a young outsider who didnt use any weapons.
Moreover, wearing a mask on the ship would cause him to appear even more suspicious. And as he expected, throughout his journey, no one had suspected him. If he left for a while, he was certain that the dust would settle by the time he returned.
Leo looked away from the mask to the newspaper article beside it.
Championship.
A major event that was held every ten years on Combat Island.
This article contained a list with the personal information of all the Champions participating in the event.
When he saw it, the first thing Leo noticed was a contestant named Kran, who had appeared like a comet and was now considered a strong contender for the title of Grand Champion.
This name might be unfamiliar to the Dragonmen, but it wasnt to Leo.
Kran, one of the Top Three, The Strongest Hunter. This was someone that he could never forget.
After finding someone he knew, Leo immediately examined the rest of the list and was able to find the ones he had been looking for all along.
Rin Summers of Herui, and Li Hao of Babylon.
He was certain that they were Min Ha-rin and Lee Jong-hak. He could recognise them by their aliases with a single glance.(1)
Senior Sister.
Leos heart shook when he thought of Min Ha-rins face. He wondered how much she had changed, what she was doing, and what she would say when she saw him.
Then Lukas face appeared in his mind.
Did she know where their Master was?
All of his questions would soon be answered.
After all, the transport vessel would soon arrive at Combat Island.
It was about two weeks after the Championship had commenced.
* * *
Adventure Island.
The place where heavy rain had fallen unceasingly for several decades. It wasnt uncommon to find sunken cities in this place.
In fact, such a sight was familiar and sought after by the countless wanderers and explorers on this island.
A sunken city was like a giant treasure trove.
This was the reason that the exploration team [Crystal Skull] was currently exploring such a city. A huge ship had been anchored above the sunken city, and they were in the midst of looking for treasures through diving.
Most exploration teams owned ships. Some even said that a group could only be considered an exploration team if they had a ship. As such, in order to explore Adventure Island, a ship was a necessity.
In addition to travel, ships also served as accommodations and places where they could cook and eat. Not to mention the fact that they could be used to transport any treasure that they obtained.
Standing on the deck of the ship, the leader of the Crystal Skull Exploration Team looked down at the sunken city beneath them.
Suddenly, one of his subordinates poked his head out of the water.
Puha! Ah, dammit. Its freaking deep.
Did you find anything?
No. I dont think theres anything here either, Boss.
The subordinate shook his head as he replied.
They had already been searching for four days without any harvest, but the leader of the exploration team just nodded calmly. In the first place, treasure hunting was a task that required patience and perseverance.
If he got impatient after searching for just three or four days then he wouldnt have set up an exploration team in the first place.
But there is something weird.
What is it?????????????????e????????. ????o????
There arent any sea dragons in the area.
This strange phenomenon was something that the team leader had also noticed a few days ago.
Sea dragons were one of the biggest threats during an expedition.
For the exploration teams, who retrieved treasures by diving into the depths, ferocious sea dragons, who moved freely in the water, and ate everything in sight, could be considered their worst enemies.
The place they were in was also a Class A Danger Area, which was especially known to have many sea dragons. This was the reason he had paid special attention to the number of people and equipment that he had brought for this expedition. But now, they hadnt encountered a single sea dragon.
Of course, if one looked at it simply, this could be considered a good thing, but the team leader only felt a strange sense of unease.
Suddenly. The expression of the team leader, who had been looking around while thinking, hardened.
hey.
Yes?
Do you see that?
The place the captain pointed to was above the surface of the water. His subordinates all turned to look, and the expressions on all of their faces changed as well.
After a moment of silence, someone muttered in disbelief.
a person?
The figure of a person was standing on the surface of the water not too far from them. It was an unbelievable and bizarre sight.
How is he standing on the water?
Maybe hes standing on a building and we just cant see it from here?
Where did he come from? There arent any ships nearby.
Is it a sea illusion?
There isnt any fog so it cant be an illusion.
The explorers repeated their reasonings and counterarguments quietly.
Captain, what should we do?
But in the end, the most important thing was their leaders decision.
Just as the exploration team leader hesitated to make a judgement, something terrifying happened.
The man began to slowly walk towards them.
!
Wh-, what the hell?!
It was like he was walking on flat ground. There was no way that a building would be sitting so perfectly beneath the surface of the water, so that could only mean that the man was truly walking on the waters surface. Such a bizarre act was something that not even a Sorcerer could do.
Moreover, the man seemed to be taking small steps, but the distance he covered with each step was hard to comprehend.
The explorers were horrified.
(Note:
1.So Min Ha-rin and Lee Jong-hak werent able to figure out each others identities despite being on the same island for years but Leo figured it out after reading one article?)
Book 2: Chapter 247
Book 2: Chapter 247 To the horror and dismay of the sailors, the man appeared in front of their boat in an instant.
Taht-
Fwoosh!
Then, with a soft tap of his foot, he soared tens of meters into the air before settling on the boat as gently as a cloud.
Sssng.
The members of the Crystal Skull Exploration Team drew their weapons as they warily observed this man.
Who are you?
The man had golden hair and striking blue eyes. There was also a soft, almost mocking, smile on his thin lips.
This is a beautiful city, I really like it. It really was worth forcing myself to come here.
I said, who are you?
The mans smile became brighter.
Suddenly, the members of Crystal Skull felt something rushing up their throats.
U-, rk. Kuk. wek
Then, almost at the same time, they began vomiting. It was bright red blood.
Somehow, seemingly for no reason and without warning, their blood had begun to flow up to their throats.
Kurk, kuk, gurk, uwek, wek, uwek
The blood continued to flow. It flowed without any signs of stopping.
They didnt want to spit it out, but they didnt have a choice. None of them were able to swallow the blood that was flowing up.
To make matters worse, they were having trouble breathing because they were constantly vomiting blood.
They struggled and grabbed their necks, but it was all in vain.
Moments later, only one person was standing on the deck that had been repainted with blood.
Dozens of explorers had died without being able to do anything but swing their arms or choke themselves in vain. In the end, they all had the same horrifying appearance of dried corpses that seemed to have lost all of their moisture.????????????r????????????. ????o????
My name is Nodiesop.
It was only then that the man, Nodiesop, introduced himself.
He looked down at the sunken city once again.
It really was a beautiful city. Those werent empty words. Nodiesop could confidently say that he had never seen such a dazzling sight in any of the universes hed traveled to before.
In a way, it could be called an inspiration for him.
A very nice plan emerged in his mind.
If a huge continent like this one was to fall into the ocean, it would definitely create an unprecedented tsunami. Did you know? The ocean is a favored tool of destruction for most Absolutes. Its a perfect way to wipe out all of the living beings on a planet without actually harming the planet itself. (Note: Is that his idea of balance?)
No one responded.
Nodiesop, of course, knew that this would be the case, but he still continued in a voice that could barely hide the joy within.
I want to make this entire world like this city, but there is something Ill have to do first.
He lifted his head, his gaze cutting across the horizon.
There was someone that had to be killed no matter what.
Nodiesop let out a shrill laugh.
* * *
Lirua was selected to be the venue for the Championship Finals.
This was because Liruas arena was incredibly large. The Lirua arena could be ranked within the top three of all eight major cities when it came to the size of their arenas.
That wasnt all. Compared to the others, the Lirua arena was fairly new, and it was considered a humongous artwork because it had been built by some of the best architects in the entirety of the Heavenly Realm. There were no shortages of expressions of shock and admiration from those Fighters and visitors from other cities.
In fact, watching a fight from the floating stands in the air was highly praised by many, which caused even those expensive seats to be completely sold out.
[This Championship was an event that shook the Heavenly Realm for a month! Now, the long journey is approaching its end!]
An amplified voice rang out in the arena.
This was the voice of the host, who was currently standing in the center of the arena.
[Welcome! Everyone who came to watch the finals in person! Thank you! Thank you for your continued interest in the Championship!]
Leo looked around.
So this is Combat Island.
Lirua was one of the largest cities in the Heavenly Realm.
It was shockingly large. He knew that it was a festival period, which meant that the population would be much more than it usually was, but even then, the city didnt feel cramped or clustered.
After thinking for a while, Leo looked down at the newspaper in his hands. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
On it was a brief explanation of everything that had happened in the Championship so far.
Including the death of Li Hao, no Lee Jong-hak.
According to the article, he had lost and died at the hands of none other than Kran.
It was hard to believe, but if it was true, then their situation might be a bit dangerous.
[Let me introduce you to our first contender! The title dark horse doesnt seem to suit him anymore. He is a Fighter! He reached this stage with a perfect performance and strength that seemed to have no gaps! The Champion of Kisura! Kraaaaaan!]
Waaaaah!
The roar from the stands was so loud that it shook the arena. At the same time, the eastern door of the arena opened and Kran strode out.
However, Leo was much more concerned about the person he was about to face.
[No one expected this Fighter to be the one to face him! From beginning to end, this Fighter never had an easy battle! Every single match was an amazing battle! Shinz of Babylon, Shambar of Akad! They defeated some of the strongest contenders in the Championship and finally managed to reach this honored position!]
The momentum in the crowd was even hotter than when Kran was introduced.
[The Fighter who had the biggest growth spurt in the Championship, using the worst matchups as the best nutrients! Will they be able to give us a surprise once again?! Introducing the Champion of Herui, Riiiiiin Summersssss-!]
The west door opened following the hosts introduction.
But the space behind it was empty. This was visible even to those watching from the stands.
Whats going on?
Wheres Rin?
The audience began to murmur.
The host looked at the west door in shock.
[U-, uhh? Ahem! My apologies! Please wait a moment!]
One of the moderators ran out towards the host. Everyone could see him report something with a serious expression. With every word he said, the hosts face became more and more pale.
After staring blankly for a while, he fixed his expression and spoke in the most professional way he could.
[T-, the Champion of Herui, Rin Summers, has chosen to withdraw!]
What did he say?
Withdraw? From the Championship finals?
What the hell is he talking about?
The commotion in the crowd steadily grew louder.
Perhaps the host also realised this fact, because he suddenly shouted out.
[Rin Summers withdrawal gives Kran a bye! A-, another Grand Champion has been born! Everyone, let us put our hands together for the birth of a new hero! Kran of the Kisura Arena!]
Book 2: Chapter 248
Book 2: Chapter 248 Aak!
With a scream, Min Ha-rin shot up in her bed. There wasnt a single drop of blood on her pale face.
When she looked out the window, she saw that it was still dark outside. This meant that she hadnt slept well today either.
Huff huff
Her body shook. Her heart pounded in her chest as if shed just been running at full speed, and her skin was covered in sweat. Her hair was plastered to her face, but she couldnt even pull it away.
This was because the tips of her trembling fingers were numb and cold as though no blood was being circulated to them. Even her eyes behind her closed eyelids shook uncontrollably.
She had lost something again. She couldnt keep hold of it.
Shed just found another person that she had begun to grow closer to, but then she had been forced to helplessly watch him die right in front of her eyes.
For Min Ha-rin, helplessness was one of the worst feelings imaginable.
Ever since shed become a Hunter, she had never encountered a situation where she had no choice but to let someone she knew or cared about die.
It reminded her of when her parents died.
That was why she always did her best to take care of everyone she knew, no matter who they were.
If she saw that someone was going to die, she would do everything she could to save them, even if it meant giving up her own life in the process.
Lukas. Sarch* The ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Her Master saw this as an act of sacred sacrifice. He said that he saw hope in Min Ha-rin, and had great expectations because of that hope.
Shed been proud when she received that compliment. Shed even thought that she was on the right path.
But she wasnt.
In truth, there was a slightly more twisted reason for Min Ha-rins lack of hesitation when it came to throwing away her life.
It was self-satisfaction.????????????????????????????. ?????????
Was it because she wanted to save people? Or because it was the right thing to do?
No. Min Ha-rin didnt act that way for such a good reason.
Instead, it was because she felt it would be better for her to die than anyone else. Shed been aware of the fact that shed been thinking this way all along. But she didnt think she was wrong, even if it was a slightly twisted thought.
But the death of Lee Jong-hak had led her to a realisation.
In truth, Min Ha-rins actions were a result of her own selfishness. It wasnt something that could be gift wrapped in a pretty title like sacrifice.
urp!
She felt like vomiting. Because of the stress of the Championship, shed decided to drink a lot of alcohol, something she wasnt used to.
Uwek!
She vomited on the bed.
Alcohol. Shed vomited because of alcohol.
Min Ha-rin had never felt so disgusted in herself.
She felt like she was going to lose her mind. Gasping for breath, she couldnt help but think about someone.
It was a face that she thought about dozens or even hundreds of times every day.
Master.
As she thought of this face, her mind gradually cooled down, and her body slowly relaxed. It was almost as if she had ingested a sedative.
Knock knock-
Suddenly, she heard a knock on the door.
Min Ha-rin turned to look at the door with her dead eyes.
* * *
There was no response.
Was it because he hadnt knocked hard enough?
No, that couldnt be it.
Taking a deep breath, Leo decided to knock on the door once again.
Knock knock-
Nevertheless, there was still no response from within the room.
He hadnt come to the wrong place. He was certain that Min Ha-rin, his Senior Sister, was in this room. It seemed that she had hidden her identity when she came here, but Leos tracking skills had already reached the level of a master.
With just their personal information, it was possible for him to find someone within a few days unless they meticulously tried to hide themselves.
Did she leave the room?
That wasnt it either.
He could definitely feel the faint presence within the room.
Knock knock.
Thinking that it was not enough after knocking again and receiving no response, Leo finally opened his mouth.
Senior Sister.
When he muttered these words in a soft voice, there was finally a response within the room.
He heard a muffled shuffling from inside. Then a few small footsteps. Afterward, the room fell silent again. He couldnt be sure, but he believed that she was standing at the door now.
Did she think that she had misheard his voice?
No. Now that he thought about it, his voice must have changed a lot after five years. After all, hed already reached puberty and his voice now carried a clear bass undertone.
Its me. Leo Freeman.
Junior Brother?
A weak, trembling voice asked back in confirmation.
Although she couldnt see him, Leo nodded, happy to hear the voice of his Senior Sister.
Yeah.
Click-
The door opened, and a foul odor immediately flowed from the room. Leo almost frowned, but before he could, he became speechless instead.
Min Ha-rin.
Unlike himself, her appearance hadnt changed much.
However, her aura was completely different. It was almost as though she was half broken. Her eyes, shrouded in darkness, drifted for a while before finally rising to look at Leos face.
Its really you, Junior Brother.
There was a hint of joy in her weak voice.
Leo should have felt the same. However, after seeing Min Ha-rins appearance, he felt more worried than glad.
Yeah. Its me.
Youre safe. Im glad.
Senior Sister too.
And you got so big. Is everything okay? I found some clues about you. I heard that you were on Desire Island, I intended to go find you later, but-
Im not the issue right now.
Leo interrupted her with a slightly firm tone.
What happened?
Min Ha-rin gave a faint and slightly helpless smile.
would you like to come inside? N-, no. Actually, its a bit messy right now. Give me a minute. Let me get dressed and Ill come out.
Leo nodded, and while she was changing, he went down to the first floor and bought two bottles of water.
Min Ha-rin got dressed and left the room. Leo looked down at her for a moment before raising her hood over her head.
This would be better for now.
Youve become more manly.
Originally, those words would have made him smile, but now, he didnt say anything because he was worried about Min Ha-rins condition.
It was quite chilly outside. This was natural since the sun had long since set. Nevertheless, the lights in the city hadnt gone out, and there was still a crowd of people on the streets.
This was because the afterglow of the Championship hadnt dispersed yet.
Dammit! It took me more than a month to get to Lirua! When I got here I was completely exhausted!
Did you hear? This is the first time in 150 years that someone withdrew from the Championship. Its also the first time that anyone has ever withdrawn from the Championship Finals.
At least we were able to witness such a historic moment. Ha!
I heard that the Fighters on Combat Island valued honor more than their own lives, but that must have just been a bunch of rumors.
Leo turned to look at Min Ha-rin.
But her blank expression made it hard for him to figure out what she was thinking.
In any case, he felt that it wouldnt be good to stay in the downtown area for long. After all, it wasnt a suitable place to have a conversation.
With that thought in mind, he quickened his pace.
Min Ha-rin matched his pace.
Book 2: Chapter 249
Book 2: Chapter 249 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Sei
After walking for a while, they arrived at one of the rest areas in Lirua. This area looked like a park, but there were more statues than trees.
Would you like to have some water?
Wouldnt it be lukewarm by now?
No. I just bought it.
Ah, when?
While Senior Sister was changing.
Youre really thoughtful.
Min Ha-rin smiled as she accepted the water he handed over and took a sip of it. But she only took a few sips before she burst into a fit of coughs.
Are you alright?
Yeah. Im alright.
She didnt look alright at all.
In fact, Leo felt like she looked even worse than before.
Maybe I shouldve told her Id come back in the morning.
He had this thought for a moment, but he eventually shook his head. He didnt think her condition would improve even if he did that. Min Ha-rin wasnt like this because of lack of sleep or poor physical condition.
There had to be a more fundamental reason.
What happened?
He repeated the question hed asked before.
Min Ha-rin didnt answer immediately, instead, she took a few more sips of water before finally opening her mouth.
Jong-hak oppa is dead.
Jong-hak oppa?
Leo had his doubts about the unfamiliar title, but he decided to not bring it up for now since it might interrupt the flow of the conversation.
I saw it in a newspaper. It said that he died at the hands of Kran.
It was my fault.
How is it Senior Sisters fault?
It was something I couldve prevented, but I didnt.
The weakness in her voice made him really uncomfortable.
Leo was able to infer a few things on his own, but over the past five years, hed learned to be more patient.
Without rushing, he decided to ask questions one by one.
Why did Kran kill Lee Jong-hak?
Hes being controlled. No. I think it would be more accurate to say hes been brainwashed.
the Demon King?
Yeah. It seems that he has a bit of control, but I dont know the details.
Leo thought for a moment before saying.
Then let me investigate Kran fir-
No!
It was a sudden shout in a cold voice.
Leo unknowingly flinched and turned to look at Min Ha-rin.
Senior Sister?
Absolutely not. Dont even go near him. I cant take it a second time. I-
Her trembling voice poured out like bullets from a machine gun. It was dark, so he couldnt really see her complexion, but she seemed to have grown a few shades paler.
Did he touch her reverse scale?
Leo hurriedly did his best to calm her down.
Alright. Ill do as Senior Sister says. So please calm down.
Min Ha-rin took a deep breath and slowly let it out in order to calm her rapidly beating heart.
As he looked at her, Leo couldnt help but wonder if Min Ha-rins condition was even worse than he thought. She didnt appear agitated, but shed just completely lost her cool in an instant.
Hed seen people like this countless times on Desire Island.
People who suffered from severe emotional anxiety. No, he didnt even need to consider those that hed met before. After all, the current Min Ha-rin was just like Leo had been in the past. Shed experienced a major trauma, and now she was constantly suffering from it.
It wouldnt be possible to fill the hole in her chest simply because he wanted to. And counseling her in a public setting like this one wouldnt have much of an effect either. Instead, what she needed was reliable advice and encouragement from someone she trusted, like a mentor or teacher.
In Leos case, he was able to overcome the trauma of his past with Lukas help.
What about Master? Have you met?
ah. Right. Now that I think about it, I havent mentioned that yet. Master went to Death Island to look for Sedi.
To Death Island?
It wasnt strange for Leo to be so shocked. Sarch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
This was because, in general, Death Island had a specific meaning for those living in the Heavenly Realm.
With a hint of urgency in his voice, Leo asked.
When did he go there?
around two months or so ago.
Two months in that place?
Unlike Leo, who was filled with worry, Min Ha-rins expression was calm. It was an attitude that he couldnt understand.
Does Senior Sister not know about Death Island?
Of course I do. Its one of the most dangerous restricted areas in the Heavenly Realm.
She knew about Death Island, and she still wasnt worried
Did Master tell you in advance that he would spend a long time there?
No. Originally, he was supposed to return before the Championship started.
The Championship had ended two days ago.
so he didnt return at the time that he mentioned to you?
Mhm.
Min Ha-rin nodded calmly.
Unable to hold back any further, Leo decided to ask directly.
Isnt Senior Sister worried at all?
Have you forgotten who Master is? No matter the situation, Master will have the power to overcome it.(1)
Something must have happened. Hell probably contact us soon.
This wasnt the kind of trust or belief that a disciple had in their Master. Instead, this felt more like blind faith.
Leo almost asked a question without realising it.
Then what if something happened to Lukas and he couldnt come back?
I cant.
He barely managed to hold himself back.
That was because he felt that if he did ask that question, Min Ha-rins condition might become even worse than it was now.
Two things were abundantly clear to him at that moment. One was that Min Ha-rin was in an extremely dangerous situation, and two was that he himself had no way to solve the problem.
Suddenly.
So this is where you were.
A familiar voice came from behind them.
Min Ha-rin and Leo turned their heads at the same time.
Arid?
Yeah.
Arid was standing there.
A look of joy flashed across Min Ha-rins face. Shed heard about him from Lukas, but this was her first time seeing him for herself.
And Leo was here as well.
For her, this was a very commemorative day, as it was her first time meeting two people from her home at the same time. (Note: I guess Lee Jong-hak and Kran dont count)
Senior Brother Leo is here as well. You worked hard.
Thanks. Have you been well?
Yeah. Compared to you guys, I could be considered to have had a smooth life.
Leo couldnt help but feel that Arids expression became a bit heavy after saying those words.
Whats wrong?
both of you must return to Dragon God Island with me right now.
Dragon God Island? Even if you say that theres no way for us to obtain
Ive already received permission from the Priestess. No. She is the one that requested you in the first place.
Arid spoke in a firm voice.
The situation has changed drastically.
(Note:
1.This brings a question to my mind. Did Leo ever find out that Lukas was an Absolute?)
Book 2: Chapter 250
Book 2: Chapter 250 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Sei
Swish,
He felt a hand brush his hair to the side. The fingers seemed to be long and thin. The reason why he wasnt sure was because his eyes were closed.
But even if he wanted to, he couldnt open his eyes. His eyelids were heavy and his head was dizzy. It felt like he was trapped within his own body, and the state of his flesh and blood had a great impact on his mind.
For an Absolute, such a situation was incredibly unpleasant.
Lukas tried to clear the fog in his mind. He was trying to forcefully awaken. Of course, that wasnt the best thing to do. Forcefully awakening his body which hadnt fully recovered would cause numerous side effects, both large and small.
Id advise you to rest a bit longer.
A calm voice came from beside him.
It was a dignified, female voice.
Lukas moved his lips. He wanted to respond, but he was unable to make a sound.
Open your mouth.
Strangely, Lukas didnt think about refusing.
When Lukas obediently opened his mouth, lukewarm liquid flowed into it.
It was water. It was only then that he felt his burning thirst. His adams apple bobbed up and down as he drank the water without hesitation.
Throb-
He felt pain in his throat and stomach. It felt like hed swallowed a bunch of thorns instead of water. He didnt show it, but the voice seemed to respond to his pain.
Your internal organs have been restored to some extent. Youll have to thank Arid for that. If it wasnt for that childs ability, you probably wouldve died by now.
In fact, it can still be considered a miracle that youre still alive.
This was something that he knew.
Lukas checked the mana in his body. Some of his mana had been restored which hinted to how long hed been unconscious.
Nevertheless, that didnt mean that he could use magic. His body was too messed up for that.
It was a shame. For example, if he could have used the Ghost spell, he couldve let his mind out while leaving his body to rest.
I have so many questions.
How long had he been unconscious, what happened to Sedi, where was he currently.
And above all, who was the owner of the voice
Ill tell you all you want to know when you wake up.
As if she had read his thoughts, the voice whispered softly.
For now, just get some rest.
Lukas sighed inwardly.
Then he let go of the consciousness that he had been forcibly maintaining.
* * *
Who was
we need to first
When he woke up again, he found that his surroundings had become noisy.
He wondered what was going on, but decided to check his physical condition first.
Wiggle.
He moved his fingers. His eyelids also didnt feel as heavy as before. This proved that at the very least, his condition was better than it was last time.
excuse. We need to wait for him to regain consciousness.
The voices also became louder and clearer.
Lukas slowly opened his eyes.
Ah!
The first thing he saw were tearful eyes. Afterward, he noticed the familiar features. It was Arid.
Master!
Are you alright?
Father!
A series of voices called out to him. His ears rang and his stomach twisted as a result. When he frowned slightly, his surroundings instantly became quiet.
Lukas took a moment to calm himself before nodding. When he struggled to lift himself to a seated position, Arid came to help him. He stacked several pillows behind him so that he could lean back in a more comfortable position.
Id like to drink some water.
A hoarse voice sounded.
Then, a tall young man who was standing beside him brought a glass forward. Lukas took a sip of it before saying.
Thanks, Leo.
The young man blinked in surprise.
you recognise me?
Of course I do. Youre all grown up now. Im proud to see it.
Leo couldnt help but smile when he heard those words. Lukas slowly let out a breath before turning to look at the rest of the room.
Arid and Leo were not the only ones there. Sedi and Min Ha-rin were also in the room. But unlike Min Ha-rin who looked at him with a tearful yet happy expression, Sedi was looking at him with her arms folded, her dissatisfaction evident. She was even pouting slightly.
He could guess the reason for that, but there was something he wanted to say before bringing that up.
Its been a while since Ive seen you all. Im glad that everyone is okay
Lukas paused.
Maybe it was because his head wasnt completely clear yet. He had made a mistake.
The people in the room were the participants from earth who had entered into this world with Lukas and were a part of his team. But not all of them were there.
One of them was missing.
Wheres Lee Jong-hak? Sar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
The atmosphere became solemn. It seemed that none of them wanted to open their mouths.
But Lukas gaze was locked onto someone. It was none other than Min Ha-rin.
She spoke in a calm voice.
He died.
Hesdead?
Yeah. While fighting Kran.
Lukas was speechless for a moment.
Dead? Lee Jong-hak?
Well, Id like to explain the situation to Master. But since youre not in the best condition now, I think well have to put our conversation off until later.
ah. Thats right. Its not good to have a lot of people in a patients room.
Min Ha-rin nodded at Arids words.
Then, Arid, you take care of Master. You can explain it well.
Min Ha-rin and Leo got up from their seats, and after bowing slightly, left the room. Sedi didnt leave right away. Instead, she kept looking at Lukas with a pout as she walked up to him.
Then she looked Lukas directly in the eye and spat out word for word.
If you do that again, I really wont forgive you.
Im sorry.
Lukas had no choice but to apologize because he knew that he was in the wrong. After hearing his apology, Sedi snorted heavily before also leaving the room.
Click.
The door closed, leaving Lukas and Arid as the only occupants of the room.
Arid was about to let out a sigh, but then he looked at Lukas and smiled instead.
How are you feeling?
I dont think Ill ever faint again.
Ahaha. Thats good.
where are we?
Lukas looked around.
It was a simple room with only a few essential items and furniture. Such a room would usually feel empty or dreary, but this room felt warm instead. Perhaps it was because of the reddish brown wallpaper.
This is my mansion here on Dragon God Island.
Mansion?
Yes. Its called Young Dragon Nest. This is one of the guest rooms.
I see.
Lukas recalled his last memory.
He also thought of the familiar voice hed heard when he was rescued. Was it Arid? He wasnt sure. At that time, his consciousness was so blurred that it could have been a hallucination.
Arid, were you the one who saved me?
No.
Arid shook his head.
It was the Priestess that saved Master.
the Priestess?
Yeah. But its really weird. As far as I know, she never leaves Dragon God Island.
The Priestess is here as well. She told me to send you to her as soon as you regained consciousness.
A situation where he would finally be able to talk to the Priestess.
This was something he had been waiting for. Ever since hed learned of her existence, Lukas had wanted to meet her.
Lukas got up from the bed. When he saw this, Arid stuttered.
M-, Master? Its fine even if you dont go right now
Im fine, so tell me. Where is the Priestess?
* * *
The garden behind the Young Dragon Nest. This was where the Priestess spent most of her time.
Thump-
It was hard for him to walk on his own, but he couldnt stay in bed. Although it would put great strain on his tired body, it was better to move directly to get his questions answered.
The clear air was refreshing. Perhaps it was because his last few memories were all from Death Island, but it felt even more special.
The beautiful natural scenery on Dragon God Island had been preserved almost perfectly. Even the Young Dragon Nest appeared to have been built in a way that didnt harm the trees and grass nearby.
The garden was so beautiful that it caused even an unartful person like Lukas to admire it, but it was also incredibly large. This caused Lukas to wonder if he would even be able to find the Priestess.
Suddenly.
You bastard.
!
Lukas couldnt help but be surprised. This was because he heard the voice, but he couldnt feel any signs of a presence.
Turning around, he saw a fairly large lake filled with crystal clear water. In the middle of the lake was a pavilion, and sitting in that pavilion, was a woman. This scene was so eye-catching that one couldnt help but wonder how he hadnt seen it before.
The woman wore a soft gown that showed off the curves of her body. Nevertheless, it was the piece of cloth covering her face that stood out the most.
Her face was completely covered by a pure white cloth.
Dont go away like that, dont go, even if you must, you look so good~ come on.
The woman hummed to herself, her words audible but incomprehensible.
What was she saying?
Lukas narrowed his eyes slightly. The woman who was sitting in the pavilion and swinging her feet smiled.
Dont stare at me. Or Ill pluck your eyes out.
Who are you?
The person who saved your life.
Priestess.
Good answer.
Although her words were strange, Lukas recognised her voice.
Lukas looked at her. Considering her age, she appeared to be very young. In fact, she reminded him of Sedi.
Why are you still looking at me like that? Didnt Arid tell you?
If you met the person who saved your life, the least you can do is say something.
Although it was a bit obtuse, she wasnt wrong, so Lukas bowed his head slightly.
Thank you for saving me.
That bow wont be enough. You have to take responsibility.
Responsibility?
Something is going to happen because of you. Child. Do you think this is a joke?
As he listened to her talk, Lukas wondered if he simply couldnt understand the language anymore.
He asked back.
what happened?
That guy, Kaz, he wasnt someone you were supposed to meet.
The Priestess frowned. With a sigh, she got up from the pavilion and started walking around the lake.
Lukas followed her to continue the conversation, but he didnt get too close, maintaining a distance of a few steps.
Even though that guy was weak, he still had some uses. But what about now? Kaz is gone to the afterlife, and all the work Ive done has been flipped upside down. You really made a mess of things. If someone warns you not to do something, you should at least pretend to listen to them. Youre too stubborn.
From the Priestess words, it seemed that she had tried to stop Lukas from going to Death Island.
I only heard that you didnt want me to go.
No. I kept telling you. Child, youve been listening to my voice ever since you came to this world.
Huh?
Ahh. Ahem. Cough cough. Ahem.
The Priestess cleared her throat for a moment.
[Death Island is extremely dangerous! Entry is not recommended.]
!
A voice that hed heard numerous times before.
It was only then that Lukas realised why the Priestess voice was so familiar.
It was the voice that gave him directions and sometimes warnings.
The Priestess smiled.
In any case, its nice to finally meet you in person, Lukas Trowman.
Who are you?
Look, you cant even go for five minutes without talking informally.
When Lukas simply stared at her without responding, the Priestess burst into laughter.
Did you know, theres only one place in this world where you can get privacy. Wherever you go, those other kids will try to eavesdrop on you.
other kids?
The Rulers.
!
Lukas looked at the Priestess in surprise yet again.
This is the first time weve met face to face, isnt it? Madman. It seems like youve met all the others at least once.
It was only then that Lukas realised who the Priestess was.
The last Ruler that hed never met before.
Seven Fanged Dragon God.
This is making me emotional. You dont know
With a grumbling tone, he shook her head.
The wind shook the fabric around her head slightly, revealing purple hair for a moment.
How hard I worked to meet you.
Book 2: Chapter 251
Book 2: Chapter 251 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Sei
I got about 20 VP. But considering the stuff you messed up, thats not worth anything Are you playing with me?
You speak in a way thats difficult to understand. Cant you speak more normally?
Huh? Im friendly and nice, arent I, kid?
The Priestess tilted her head to the side as she said this. Now that he knew her true identity, he should probably refer to her as the Seven Fanged Dragon God.
Either way
When Lukas didnt immediately respond, the Priestess put her hands on her hips and said.
When someone asks you if theyre friendly and kind, the considerate thing to do would be to nod your head and agree. Plus your attitude isnt right either, so why should I change?
I understand. Would you like for me to use polite speech instead? Ill change the way I talk.
Alright.
When Lukas once again began using polite speech, the Priestess nodded her head in satisfaction.
Then
Paht.
The Priestess clothes flapped and flowed gently, as though it had been blown by a nonexistent wind. Her swaying hair also changed colors as if it had been dyed. After a short while, her hair became blue.
An icy shade of blue.
This should be enough to satisfy you, Lukas Trowman.
It was a cold but dignified voice. One that he remembered.
Were you the one who gave water to me when I was unconscious?
You Youre addressing me separately.
There was a hint of curiosity in her voice.
It seemed like she was wondering why he had come up with that idea. He owed her for saving his life, so it would be fine for him to answer this small question.
Its just my guess, but it seems that every time your hair changes color, your personality changes as well.
Like split personalities. Is that what you mean?
Lukas nodded his head.
Its not such a simple concept, but it doesnt matter if you choose to understand it like that.????????????????????d. ?om
Those words suggested that Lukas guess was wrong. Somehow, he felt that even if he were to question her more about it, he wouldnt receive an answer.
Then another question. I heard that you wanted to see me. Was that something you decided after I came to this world? Or was it something you wanted from long ago?
This might have sounded like a trivial question, but there was definitely a reason why hed chosen to ask it.
It was before. To be precise, it was around the time when youd first begun to stand out among the Absolutes.
are you my enemy?
The Priestess raised an eyebrow at this blunt question but she smirked slightly as she responded.
Enemy or ally. Its not a good habit to categorise people with that kind of dichotomy.
There is a possibility that you are neither an ally nor an enemy.
I saved your life.
I know that. And I intend to repay that debt to you at some point.
You dont need to do that. The karma between us has completed its cycle.
?
Lukas tilted his head to the side for a moment because he couldnt quite understand what she meant by those words, but he soon continued.
Youre my ally because you saved my life. I think that its much more dangerous to jump to conclusions like that.
Hmm. I see. Thats unfortunate.
Although she said this, the Priestess tone didnt change, making it seem like she didnt really feel that way.
The Priestess then changed the subject as if it didnt matter.
Trowman, what thoughts do you have about this world?
This didnt seem to be a meaningless question.
Before giving his answer, Lukas slowly reflected on everything he had experienced so far. It had already been quite a while since hed entered this world.
He saw, heard, and experienced a lot. There had even been several times when hed been in danger.
Its much too large for just the qualifiers and it makes me feel like its complete.
Those words were correct.
This wasnt just the field for the Great Game to be played in earnest.
Nevertheless, it was impossible to think that this world, which was several times larger than most planets, was created just for 20 participants.
It wasnt just the size.
It was large and developed. There were several billions of people living in this world, each with unique characteristics and capabilities.
Of course, a Ruler could easily create all of these things, but it felt like a waste.
A four-way battle.
Thats what theyd been told before entering this world,
However, when the actual preliminaries began, there was no conflict between the Rulers, not to mention those taking part in the four-way battle.
From what Lukas knew about the Absolutes he was competing against, they would have preferred a more direct and easy to understand fight.
In fact, when Lukas had first heard that a qualifier would be held, hed thought that it would be a series of tag matches or something.
It should be easier to talk now that youve understood so much.
This meant that there was no perfect answer to her question.
Thunder Gorge, Black Earth, Giant Field, Heavenly Realm and the supercontinent Gaia. Five very different worlds. Did you notice? Except for Gaia, all of the worlds are closely related to a Ruler.
Lukas nodded.
Thunder Gorge for the Lightning God.
Black Earth for the Demon God.
Giant Field for the Sun Giant.
Heavenly Realm for the Dragon God.
It wasnt completely clear, but at the very least, it could be confirmed that each of these regions had some connection to a Ruler.
The Great Game. The Absolutes taking part in this qualifier dont truly understand what this concept means. Including you, Trowman.
That was true. sea??h th ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Lukas didnt know anything. How the Great Game was played, what would happen to the winner, what would happen to the loser, or even how to win or lose in the first place.
In the distant past, there was a time when the four Rulers could not come to an agreement about a major event. This might be hard to believe, but before then, such a thing had never happened.
is that so?
As she said, it was quite hard to believe. This was because Lukas knew how prideful and stubborn the Rulers were. This led him to believe that disagreements and confrontations between them were common.
Right. Usually, everything could be determined by a majority vote. It worked out as long as two could agree on the same thing. Then the other two would have no choice but to follow that opinion.
However, that situation was different. Since it was something that couldnt be taken lightly, the confrontation only got worse as more time passed without a decision being made. If we were at the same level as other Absolutes then we couldve just settled it with a fight. But we couldnt do that. For the sake of peace in the multiverse.
This was an undeniable truth.
The power of the four Rulers was about the same. There was no confirmation of this since, with the exception of God, no one, not even they themselves, knew just how much strength and potential they had.
If these beings, considered the most powerful in existence, were to start fighting countless universes would be destroyed by the aftermath alone.
Since the Rulers were beings who sought harmony before anything else, they would certainly not want such a thing to happen.
Nevertheless, no one intended to back down. So God came up with a solution.
A solution?
Since we couldnt solve it on our own, we would instead send representatives to decide the outcome for us.
you mean
The Priestess nodded.
That is what the Great Game is. It is a war that takes place between the representatives whenever a confrontation between Rulers reaches the limit.
Lukas expression darkened.
If that was the case, then Why did the Lightning God tell him to prepare for the Great Game?
Did he want me to be his representative?
That certainly appeared to be the case. However, Lukas would never accept such a thing. He had no intention of entrusting himself to a Ruler.
If what the Priestess said is true, then my participation in the Great Game is a contradiction in itself.
This was because he didnt represent any Ruler.
What would happen if Lukas won the Great Game?
Did that mean the Rulers would have to accept his opinion?
Deciding to hide his doubts, for now, Lukas asked.
The fact that the Great Game is being held now means that a major incident has occurred again. An event that the Rulers cannot easily ignore. What is it?
Thats not something you deserve to know. And even if I did decide to tell you, nothing would change.
It was an arrogant statement, but Lukas knew that it was true. If it was something that the Rulers had to discuss with each other, then nothing would change even if Lukas knew about it.
However, it was the Priestess next words that shocked him the most.
Nodiesop has entered the Heavenly Realm. He should have already found the location of Dragon God Island by now, and soon, he will destroy all the barriers I placed and enter.
!
Book 2: Chapter 252
Book 2: Chapter 252 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Sei
When she saw Lukas expression, the Priestess chuckled softly before explaining.
My power is very limited in this world. It wouldnt be hard to beat a half Absolute like Kaz, but against a real Absolute, theres nothing I can do.
Nodiesops power should be limited like mine. In that state, its impossible for him to defeat you at your current level.
Just like Lukas couldnt defeat the current Priestess, Nodiesop, whose power should also be restricted, would not be a threat to the Priestess.
But the Priestess shook her head, refuting Lukas claim.
No. Among the Absolutes, Nodiesops power wasnt as restricted at the beginning. He has probably obtained the statue in the Giant Field by now, and regained most of his power as an Absolute.
What how?
For a moment, the Sun Giants image appeared in his mind. Did Nodiesop receive assistance from the Ruler he followed?
Its not what you think. Nodiesop can be considered a special case. He chose to participate in the qualifier on his own, without the help of a team.
He chose to participate on his own?
Thats right. And naturally, that means he took a huge risk in the upcoming main game. As a minor reward for this, he was allowed to enter this world before any of the other Absolutes, and he was also given more clues about the specific location of the statue.
In other words, he was risking his life in this qualifier. This might be a foolish decision in the long run, but at least for now, it puts him in the most dominant position.
what is Nodiesops purpose for coming here?
Thats obvious. To kill you and take the statue.
Lukas bit his lip.
Nodiesop, Nodiesop was coming there.
A man who wasnt a half like Kaz, but a true Absolute, was aiming for his life.
This situation was much more dangerous than he expected.
Nevertheless, there was something that Lukas still couldnt understand, so he decided to ask.
If he has regained his power as an Absolute, why is he coming here to kill me personally? It should be easy to just destroy the Heavenly Realm as a whole.
Because of me.
Huh?
Up until now, Im the one whos been blocking Nodiesops invasion. Not only did I prevent him from attacking this land, but I also prevented him from entering it. My powers are less restricted when I am on Dragon God Island, so I was able to at least do that much.
as long as youre on Dragon God Island.
Lukas repeated the words of the Priestess for a moment before letting out a sigh.
So its my fault. You left Dragon God Island for a while to rescue me, and during that time, Nodiesop was able to enter the Heavenly Realm.
As an Absolute, his ability to concentrate goes without saying. I was only away for a brief moment, but he was able to pinpoint that flaw perfectly.
The Priestess shook her head like she had never expected this situation to happen.
The Statue of the Dragon God that is here. Is it one of the special statues?
Thats not a question I will answer. But I can tell you that the statue is somewhere on this island.
What is your role in all of this? Why are you participating in this qualifier instead of simply observing like the other Rulers? No, before that
Lukas voice grew a bit sharp as he raised his head to meet the Priestess gaze. S~ea??h the Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Are you really the Seven Fanged Dragon God?
The Priestess smiled softly. Then, she changed directions and walked towards the lake instead of around it. It was only at that moment that Lukas realised she had been barefooted the entire time.
Splash.
She walked on the water. Such a feat wasnt that surprising, but Lukas couldnt help but frown when he realised that he couldnt tell what kind of power she was using to do so.
No. That wasnt the only thing that he found strange.
The Priestess had introduced herself as the Seven Fanged Dragon God. There were only four Rulers.
However
Do I not feel like a Ruler?
The Priestess turned her head to the side. Her face was still covered by the veil, so he had no way of seeing her expression.
You certainly do appear to be mysterious. But thats it. Ive met all the other Rulers before. Youre the last one. Its easy to tell who they were by the power they had, the amount of external force that they accumulated, and the pressure they unconsciously exerted on everything around them.
Lukas was used to fighting against beings that were stronger than he was.
But even he had almost succumbed to despair the first time he faced a Ruler.
He wanted to give in. He wanted to entrust his life to them.
He couldnt even describe how long it had taken for him to get rid of that pathetic thought.
And that was exactly the reason why he was currently doubting the Priestess words.
It was strange for her to say her power was limited.
The Seven Fanged Dragon God was a Ruler. There was no being in the entirety of the multiverse that would dare to place restrictions on them. The only one who could or would restrict a Ruler was themself.
I am the Seven Fanged Dragon God.
The Priestess chuckled.
I think so, and so I will continue to refer to myself as such in the future. However, when Absolutes see me, they will have the same doubts as you do. None of them will regard me as a Ruler. In fact, unless its a neutral Absolute like you, they will definitely try to do so.
She was the Seven Fanged Dragon God but she was also not the Seven Fanged Dragon God.
The corners of Lukas eyes shined slightly at those mysterious words.
so if you encounter Nodiesop, theres a high chance that hell kill you. But that makes me even more confused. Was saving my life worth it? Why would you take such a large risk just to save me?
The priestess nodded slowly.
If I keep hiding it, our conversation will never progress. So Ill just tell you the truth.
Then, without changing her soft tone, she said some shocking words.
The Ruler, The Seven Fanged Dragon, is dead.
Book 2: Chapter 253
Book 2: Chapter 253 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Sei
A heavy silence fell.
Lukas stared at the Priestess with an indiscernible expression. He found it hard to open his mouth. What she had just said was enough to make him speechless for a while.
Nevertheless, it was the Priestess that changed the mood yet again.
You dont believe~?
Her tone was lively.
There was no flicker this time, so he hadnt noticed when she changed. Lukas gaze shifted to the surface of the water where he could see her reflection. Her hair glistened.
Gold No. Was it blonde?
Instead, those words have made me trust you even less.
Hnng. Whys that?
Theres no way we Absolutes wouldnt know if a Ruler died.
There were four Rulers, whose influence was as tall as mountains, that maintained the balance and harmony of the multiverse. It would be impossible for no one to notice if one of them were to disappear. This was true even for the Absolutes who hadnt entrusted themselves to the Seven Fanged Dragon God.
It doesnt matter if you believe me or not. I didnt bring it up to persuade you.
The Priestess let out a laugh.
But havent you ever thought it was strange?
What was?
The Black Horned Demon God. He hated you so much. But suddenly, his attitude changed as easily as flipping a palm. He wanted you to participate in the qualifier. And he even tried to entice you to do so by telling you that he would immediately leave earth alone in the event that you won.
is there another reason for this qualifier?
Youre pretty quick on the uptake.
The Priestess praised Lukas wit, but he couldnt figure out more than that. Because there were no more clues to go on.
Fortunately, it didnt seem like the Priestess expected him to ask anything more.
The purpose of this qualifier is to find someone to fill my vacant spot.
You mean theyre looking for another Ruler?
Umm. Its not that amazing.
Lukas furrowed his eyebrows.
They were trying to fill the vacancy, but they werent looking for another Ruler. It sounded contradictory at first glance, but
The Sun Giant bet on Nodiesop, the Lightning God bet on Letip, and the Demon God bet on Kasajin. And they all support them in their own ways.
support?
Its not material help. Its more like giving them helpful advice at the right moment. In fact, they might have heard voices too. Similar to the voice you heard.
Lukas eyebrow twitched slightly.
The voice he heard. Hed just heard from her own mouth that that voice belonged to none other than the Priestess, the Seven Fanged Dragon God.
But that wasnt the part that Lukas paid attention to.
Does that mean you bet on me?
Nodiesop, Letip, and Kasajin all had their own Rulers. This allowed him to guess that every Ruler could only support a single Absolute.
In other words, the Priestess had no choice.
Among the Absolutes that had entered the qualifier, Lukas was the only one who didnt have an affiliation.
Not really.
But the Priestess blunt words shut that thought down as quickly as it appeared.
Lukas felt like he couldnt keep up with her. In fact, it was quite annoying. By the time he started to figure out the nuances of a personality, she would switch to another. No. Didnt she say that it wasnt such a simple concept? In any case
Didnt those guys tell you? The Seven Fanged Dragon God is against this qualifier.
They told us that you didnt agree to it.
Theres no way that anyone with even a hint of common sense would easily agree to have their seat taken away.
Are you aiming for a comeback?
Right. By the way, arent your words becoming more and more informal? Should I let Borang come out again?
Borang?
Lukas thought for a moment before remembering the personality with purple hair who spoke in an incomprehensible manner.
I apologize. (Note: Finally someone to keep Lukas rudeness in check kekeke.) Sar?h the N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Lukas hurriedly apologized.
The Priestess folded her arms with a soft hmph before continuing.
Im betting on myself.
then why are you helping me?
There are two reasons.
The first one is that I dont think you would be very hostile towards me. Besides, if you become stronger, youll be able to keep the other Absolutes in check. Huu. It would have been better if Kaz hadnt died.
It seemed that the Priestess lamented his death more than he expected.
Whats the other reason?
I cant say it.
For a moment, Lukas contemplated whether he hated this personality more than Borang.
That isnt so important right now. I just told you that Nodiesop is on his way to Dragon God Island. His powers are a bit restricted now that he is in the Heavenly Realm, but it would still be fairly easy for him to sink Dragon God Island. That includes burying you.
Its impossible to know before we try-
Are you serious? Have you forgotten your physical condition? Even now, Arids power is not enough to fully heal you. How serious do you think your injuries were while you were unconscious?
Nodiesop will arrive at Dragon God Island in four days at the latest. No matter what you do, it would be impossible for you to fully recover in that time. No, even if you were to somehow heal your injuries, it wouldnt change anything. Your chances of winning wouldnt increase in the slightest.
I see.
Her tone was cold, but he had no choice but to agree.
Even if Nodiesop was restricted to an extent while in the Heavenly Realm, Lukas was not his match. Everything the Priestess had said so far was true.
Even if he were to fight him after fully recovering, his chances of winning were probably less than 0.01%. However, Lukas current condition could only be described as the worst.
This caused a question to arise once more.
Then why did you bring me to this island? If you had continued to maintain the barrier, then even if I died or not, you would have been able to block Nodiesop from even entering this place.
Right. Or I had the option of throwing you out to Nodiesop while you were in a near-death state. Although the probability is low, its still possible that I couldve developed good relations with him as a result.
But you didnt do that.
The important thing was now. There was no meaning in thinking about what could have happened in the past.
Its not just me, either. All of the participants that I selected are currently on this island. Dragon God Island is a sanctuary that cant be accessed without your express permission.
Thats why he had worked so hard to try and win the Championship.
Lukas shook his head and continued.
Were you the one who gathered them on Dragon God Island?
Right. I told Arid to bring them all here. Was it Sedi? I found the fallen Absolute all on my own. You sent her away through time and space. She landed all the way on the end of Peace Island.
That thank you.
Well, its fine. The important thing is what we will do from now on.
The Priestess expression changed.
If we allow this to continue as is, we will all die.
Her manner of speaking became rough, and he could hear the rage bubbling within her voice like magma before an eruption.
Lukas eyes naturally turned to the reflection in the water.
Her hair was now red.
And there is nothing you can do about it in your current state.
Dont be so quick to judge.
Its not a judgement, Im just stating the facts.
However.
For an instant, a violent smile spread across the Priestess lips.
There is a way for you to fight Nodiesop.
a way to fight him?
Its the only sure method. And it wouldnt be bad for you either, Lukas.
Lukas no longer questioned her. If what she was saying was true, then he had no reason to refuse. He didnt have the option to.
However, from his experience so far, proposals like this were never to his liking.
You just have to kill all of the participants.
all of the participants?
Im talking about those you brought into this world with you. If you kill them all, you will be able to stand on the same line as Nodiesop.
I dont understand. Im not like Nodiesop, he didnt even bring a single participant from the start
It will work because you have someone in front of you who will make the comparison possible. After you kill all of your participants, I will also give you the special statue. Only then will Nodiesop not be a threat.
Lukas gaze turned cold.
Do you really think I would accept such an offer?
Offer? Do you think you have a choice? Unless you consider suicide to be an option then thats the only thing you can pick. Either everyone dies or one survives. Theres no need to even talk about which one is the smarter option.
It was a cutting remark.
It was absolutely impossible for Lukas, who was so badly injured, to recover in four days.
He couldnt even use magic. If he were to rouse his mana, instead of unleashing the spell he desired, he would only make his injuries worse.
The same was true for divine power. In fact, the consequences would be even more severe than if he tried to use mana. His entire body would melt into a pool of blood.
So for now, Lukas was nothing more than an injured person without a hint of power.
Then what about the forces standing behind him?
Min Ha-rin, Leo, Arid, Sedi.
Theyd grown stronger. It could even be said that they were completely incomparable to how they were before the qualifiers began.
However, were they strong enough to face Nodiesop who had already regained his power as an Absolute?
They werent. It was impossible even for them to subdue a half Absolute like Kaz.
Lukas, if you are aiming to become a Ruler, I will give you one piece of advice.
The Priestess spoke with a cold voice.
Open your eyes wider. Make a clear distinction between small and large. If you die here, what do you think will happen to the other humans in the endless multiverse? Didnt you say that you wanted to save all humans? Or do you think there will actually be another Absolute like you?
The Black Horned Demon God has developed an inherent hatred for the Human Race because of you. When this qualifier ends, all of the humans in the outside world will wish they were dead. It could also be said that this is karma created by you.
The Priestess voice dug into Lukas ears and made his heart sink.
It wasnt that this was something he was unaware of, but hearing someone else say it gave him a completely different feeling.
Please answer one question for me.
Say it.
What happens to those who die in the qualifier?
When she was asked this question by Lukas, the Priestess responded in a noncommittal manner.
Death is death. It doesnt matter where it occurs.
Book 2: Chapter 254
Book 2: Chapter 254 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Sei
The Priestess looked down at the surface of the water below her feet. To be precise, she was looking at her own reflection.
I didnt expect him to say no without even bothering to think about it.
The Priestess reflection responded to her soft murmur.
Right.
In that instant, the Priestess reflection began to multiply.
Hmph. He probably doesnt properly understand the current situation. I dont like that bastard.
Didnt we always hear that he was like that? I quite like him.
But Chorong, why didnt you say anything? You always whined about wanting to meet him.
Haigo~ Why are you so inconsiderate? You know its better for Jokang to deal with situations like this.
Then what do we do now? Nodiesop will definitely try to annihilate us.
Can we just run away? Maybe Nodiesop will give up on chasing us if we escape to Gaia.
Suddenly.
She felt a presence behind her.
Splash-
The Priestess tapped the surface of the water with her foot, causing ripples to spread across the entire lake. Her reflections on the water also disappeared as though they were never there.
Priestess.
A familiar voice sounded. The Priestess turned around.
Arid.
Yes.
Arid was standing there. He lowered his head and spoke with a slightly strange expression.
did you tell Master everything.
Right.
What did he say?
The Priestess looked into Arids eyes.
Whenever she looked at this child, the Young Dragon, Arid, she always felt a strange sense of longing.
While Lukas was unconscious, she told him almost everything.
So he also knew.????????n????e????????. ????????
That Nodiesop was coming, that he intended to kill Lukas, that Lukas would have no choice but to break the restrictions placed upon him in order to defeat him.
And that the process would inevitably lead to his own death.
Nevertheless, he didnt seem fearful.
He decided to leave everything for Lukas to decide.
If he wanted him to die, Arid would gladly accept it.
He was a strong child.
He refused.
ah.
Arid let out a soft exclamation, but it was unclear whether it was out of regret or joy.
I dont know what he was thinking by refusing. Do you have any idea?
no. However, I think that I no, we all have an idea of what role we have to play.
Huh?
Master has always protected us. So this time, we, Argento Spell, will protect Master. Even if we have to give up our lives to do so.
Argento Spell? Sarch* The ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Yes.
What is that?
Its the name of the organisation Master created. It is the central point that brings all of us, who have nothing in common, together. I have never experienced the power of an Absolute. However, I do know that they are strong enough to treat us like bugs. Nevertheless, I dont think we will lose.
Lukas had turned down the Priestess offer, but that didnt mean that he would just accept death. Arid had a clear idea of what his Master had in mind.
He was betting on them.
He was asking them to stop Nodiesop.
The Master whom he admired greatly was pushing them from behind. Even if there was only the slightest probability of success, it was enough to risk their lives.
The Priestess was silent for a long time.
For a moment, Arid was nervous because he thought that he might have angered her. Had he been too arrogant?
Priestess?
I want to be alone for a while.
Ah, yes. Understood.
Arid nodded and slowly left the garden.
Alone once again, the Priestess slowly lowered her head to look at the water.
I see.
A faint murmur flowed from her lips.
So you have forgotten even now.
And something is missing here scattered into the wind.
* * *
Nodiesop will arrive in four days.
Lukas muttered as he half lay on his bed.
As he expected, he was still having trouble moving his body. Arid blamed himself for not being able to do more.
His face was haggard. Originally, Lukas couldnt be said to have much of a physique, but now, because he had been unable to receive the proper nutrients while unconscious, he looked like someone with one foot in the grave.
No. He really was someone with one foot in the grave.
I did everything I could.
Arid bit his lip, his heart filled with a sense of helplessness. Then he saw the ring on Lukas finger.
The ring had another feature that he would have loved to tell Lukas about but now wasnt the time.
I know. Master.
Did the Goddess tell you?
Yes.
I see. And the others?
Yes. Everyone is already aware of it. Master, will you really not just take our lives?
Arid spoke slowly.
We all understand that it is the surest method. Weve already steeled our resolve.
What resolve? The resolve to die?
We all owe Master more than our lives. We have no regrets or doubts.
So you want me to sacrifice your lives in order to survive?
It is our wish.
so you dont have faith in me.
Lukas muttered in a low voice.
For a moment, Arid forgot how to speak. From his angle, that muttering face suddenly looked a bit weak, a thought he wouldnt have dared to have before.
However, that trace disappeared faster than it had appeared.
There is a small chance of winning in the battle against Nodiesop, but its not completely impossible. His power is limited in the Heavenly Realm.
And Arid, Leo, Min Ha-rin and, Sedi, who would fight him, were all much stronger than before. Unlike Sedi, the other three had yet to reach the peak of mortality, but they show tremendous growth potential.
On top of that, they would also receive the help of the other beings living on the island, such as the Black and White Sorcerers, who were considered to be the strongest Sorcerers in the Heavenly Realm. They might even receive the Priestess help. Though it seemed she had no intention of taking out the statue.
But that alone wasnt enough.
If that was all they had, Lukas wouldnt even be able to say that they had a small chance of winning.
He would have had to say that they had absolutely no chance of winning.
You are the one holding the keys to victory, Arid.
!
Arids eyes went wide.
Me?
I cant even begin to estimate your true potential. If you were to use your powers for combat instead of support, healing and information gathering, Im sure youd be able to defeat Nodiesop on your own.
He received no response.
Arid really wanted to open his mouth and tell him that he could trust him to defeat Nodiesop, but his mouth refused to open.
Because he knew.
Just how difficult it was to control his power.
Arid, have you killed anyone since you entered this world?
Arid flinched.
He quickly tried to cover up his reaction, but that was already enough of an answer.
I know your personality. Youre a kind, sweet child. Rather than kill someone, youd hesitate to even hurt them. I dont want to call it a weakness. However, there will come times when you have no choice but to fight.
Dont think about it too deeply. What Im saying might not necessarily be the right answer.
Im sorry for being a disappointing disciple.
Lukas chuckled bitterly. Arid seemed to think that he wasnt good enough because he couldnt understand or accept his Masters teachings because of his lack of confidence.
I should be the one saying that. Im sorry. Im a bad Master.
Absolutely not!
Arid denied in a loud voice.
I am very fortunate to have you as my Master!
Arid, Im not as good of a Master as you think. I dont always walk the right path. Instead, I can sometimes be so narrow-minded it would probably make you nauseous. (Note: At least he has self awareness.)
But Master is the saviour of all humankind
I have killed countless humans as well.
This was said in a voice that was so cold that it caused Arids heart to shudder for a moment.
It is impossible to be a god or saviour for all of humankind. Its literally a contradiction. In the entire multiverse, the greatest enemy of humankind is none other than humankind.
That was something he knew.
Just by looking at Earth before the Demons invaded, it was the wars between humans that took the most lives.
I am but one person, and there are countless suffering universes. Im unable to waste even a single moment. Thats why, even when the ones oppressing and torturing humans are other humans, I have no choice but to solve the problem in the fastest and most efficient way.
Lukas paused for a moment before speaking in a solemn voice.
Massacre.
!
I wasnt following anyones orders. Instead, I interpreted the orders and judgements given by God and the Rulers in my own way. Even when entering universes that had lost their balance, I solved the issue in whatever way I thought was best. I was always the one distinguishing the two sides, and I was also the one who judged them. And there is no such thing as a completely fair judgement. Judgments made by a person would naturally have some level of subjectivity.
I just wanted to tell you this. Dont think of me as someone who always does whats right. This is something that I want not only you, but the other disciples to know as well.
Nevertheless, Arid remained silent as he was unable to easily accept those words.
Lukas looked at him with a solemn gaze. It was still too early for him to understand.
Just what he wanted. And the roles he wanted them to fill.
Im sorry. I suddenly started talking about something heavy.
Its not.
youve grown. In fact, Im proud of who youve become. So forget what I just said. You dont have to force yourself to change.
Lukas spoke in a voice that seemed soaked in emotion,
Everything will work out somehow.
Those words felt a little strange to Arid. This was because it was the first time that Lukas had ever tried to reassure him with such an uncertain tone.
Master is also worried.
This thought appeared in his head for a moment, but he quickly shook it away.
He was thinking too much.
Book 2: Chapter 255
Book 2: Chapter 255 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Sei
After Arid left the room, Leo walked in. It appeared to Lukas like his disciples all wanted to have a one on one conversation with him. But they didnt seem to be following any particular order.
Before, I wasnt able to properly greet you because it wasnt the best time. Master. Im really glad youre alright.
As Leo Freeman said this, he bowed deeply towards his Master. Lukas looked at him as if he was seeing him for the first time.
Gone was the boy who had a hint of shyness hidden in his eyes. In his place, was a young man who gave an impression of reliability to anyone who saw him.
The changes to his body were obvious, but the things that Lukas paid most attention to were the changes to his gaze and his attitude.
Prudence and depth were reflected in every movement and tone of speech. This wasnt something that could be copied or faked after a few days of practice.
He couldnt help but wonder what the boy had experienced in order for him to become such a young man.
Youve grown.
Thank you.
We didnt have the chance to talk before. I heard you were on Desire Island, but I wasnt able to go look for you right away. Im sorry.
I already heard everything. Its natural that Miss Sedi took priority. I believe that Master made a rational decision.
Rational.
Hearing that reminded him of the Priestess suggestion. Lukas shook his head. He had no intention of accepting it.
I wonder what youve been through.
There are many things I want to tell you.
Tell me them.
A slight hint of hesitation appeared on Leos face at that moment. Sarch* The n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Are you sure its okay? It wont be a short story. You should probably get some more rest
Ive rested enough already. Ive rested so much that I probably dont need to close my eyes for a week. Its fine. So tell me.
yes.
Leo smiled faintly for a moment. Then he began to describe everything hed experienced so far.
Desire Island.
The cities on this island were all dens filled with trash where the words safety and security didnt exist.
Rotten smells seemed to be soaked into the very streets, and fogs of cigarette smoke filled the air.
Leo first appeared in the center of one such city. Naturally, he had been unable to adapt to such an environment and acted naively and foolishly. Such a clumsy little boy was the perfect prey.
Firstly, he was an outsider, something that was very rarely seen in the Heavenly Realm, and usually never so young. And secondly, despite being of a different race, his appearance was very appealing.
For the Dragonmen living on Desire Island, it was akin to a lump of gold falling from the sky.
I had nowhere to go and no money, so I didnt eat anything for four days. Whenever I lifted my head, it felt like the sky was spinning. At that point, I even began to seriously contemplate whether I could chew rocks or not.
That was the first time Leo had realised being hungry could be so painful.
On the fifth day, a Dragonman approached me and gave me a loaf of bread. But after taking a couple of bites, I fell asleep. Hed soaked the entire loaf in sleeping medicine. When I finally woke up, it was like I was in prison. My hands and legs were all bound in chains.
Leos voice as he told his story was calm, without the slightest waver.
They tried to sell me as a male prostitute or a toy boy. In fact, they were just about to cut the tendons in my hands and feet before I opened my eyes. If I had woken up even a moment later, I would have been in a very miserable situation.
I was somehow able to escape from that place, but I was still betrayed countless times after that. It got to the point where I began to doubt every favor I received, and I began checking behind me to see if someone was approaching even while smiling at the ones in front of me. The way I looked at the world completely changed.
Leo let out a bitter laugh.
I grew tired of the race called Dragonmen. It was the first time that I ever thought there was a race as disgusting as the Demons. The malice they had within them was terrifying.
He slowly lifted his hand and rubbed his fingers against his face.
This face I dont know how many times I thought about destroying it with fire.
Why didnt you?
Considering what Leo had to experience because of his face, no one would have been surprised if he truly had done something like that.
I felt like that would be admitting defeat. I felt that if I was stronger, I wouldnt have to worry even if my face was even better looking. It made me want to bloom.
Then he smiled faintly.
I also didnt want to mistreat the body my parents gave to me.
Leo had grown stronger.
Not just in swordsmanship or physical ability. Instead, it was his inner growth that stood out the most.
Hed matured greatly.
Gone was the boy who trembled because of his trauma. He was no longer someone who needed his comfort.
Instead, Leo had become someone who could support others.
Nevertheless, Lukas noticed the bitterness hidden in his tone.
As a child, Leo had experienced things that most adults would not be able to handle. At his age, he could still be considered more of a boy than a man, but even the slightest bit of innocence had been stripped away from him.
Spending five years on Desire Island, which was infested with the ugliest malice, had covered him in all kinds of filth. After experiencing the sweetness and bitterness of the world, even the word seasoned might not be enough to describe him.
Arid told us everything.
Leos voice became serious.
Master, please rest. This time, we will be the ones to protect you. There will be no need for you to risk your life.
I took longer than I intended to. Senior sister Min is still waiting outside
Leo suddenly went silent.
Then he let out a deep breath and looked at Lukas.
Master, this might just be a useless concern on my part, but I think senior sister Min seems to be very worried.
Ha-rin?
It would be good if it was just my imagination.
I understand. Ill talk to her.
Thank you.
Leo nodded and left the room.
Then Min Ha-rin entered the room as though they were taking turns.
Master, are you feeling better now?
Im feeling much better. At least I wont be fainting anymore.
Im really glad.
Min Ha-rin rubbed her chest slightly.
Lukas stared at her as he recalled Leos words.
Seemed anxious? He couldnt tell yet. He couldnt find anything out of the usual.
But at that moment, Lukas recalled the moment when hed gotten a strange feeling from her.
When Lee Jong-haks death had been mentioned.
I heard about Lee Jong-hak.
Im sorry, if I had come back in time, that wouldnt have happened.
Its fine. Its already in the past.
He received a calm reply. He still couldnt find anything wrong.
Maybe hed been wrong.
I know that Nodiesop will attack Dragon God Island in four days.
Right. Dont worry about it too much. Ill think of something.
Its fine. Well protect you, so please rest.
That would be best. But its not like I cant do anything. I can still fight.
Youre still not in your best condition. So please, just rest.
Even if Im in this state, there are things I can-
Master, please rest.
It was a soft voice.
Like the soft whisper of a Goddess, gentle and pure.
Nevertheless, Lukas felt a strong sense of incompatibility when he heard this voice that was completely different from before.
Dont move. I heard that its dangerous to move in your condition. Both Arid and the Priestess said so. They said that if you move too much, you will die. So Master cannot move. You have to rest until youre fully recovered.
Ha-rin?
Master, you cant.
Her voice rose an octave as she continued.
You cant die before me. Of course, I dont think you will. Because Master is strong. Master is stronger than anyone else. Ill definitely kill that trash, Nodiesop. I wont even let him touch a hair on Masters body. So please tell me. No, please promise me.
For a moment, Lukas forgot how to speak. When he lifted his head, his gaze found black eyes that seemed to have lost all their light.
Min Ha-rin came forward and held his hands in her own.
I dont know about anyone else, but Master would definitely not abandon me. Master wont suddenly die or disappear.
Crack.
The strength of her grip increased.
Promise me.
Book 2: Chapter 256
Book 2: Chapter 256 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Sei
Theres something strange about that look in her eyes.
Sedi continued to speak through clenched jaws.
Lukas looked down at the back of his hand without responding. Red marks were still visible there.
I thought Father would know something.
Ha-rin, lost her parents to the Demons when she was very young.
I heard that the kid called Leo was the same. I guess thats pretty common in that world.
The population of that world was around 7 billion, but it dropped down to less than half. And most of those people died directly at the hands of the Demons. So on the contrary, it would be rare to find a living person without any scars.
Lukas sighed.
Its as Leo said. I think that Min Ha-rins condition might be much worse than I initially thought.
Then what are you going to do? Do you want me to knock some sense into her for you? It would be easier to change her mind if she was half dead, wouldnt it?
The side effects would only get worse. Stop it.
Yeah, yeah.
Sedi responded with an expression of annoyance.
Lukas sighed. As of now, he couldnt think of a clear solution.
The most effective and certain method would be to deal with such trauma at an early stage. But when Min Ha-rin was suffering the most from her mental collapse, there was no one by her side.
In that time, the wounds had festered to a high degree and had become so rotten and tender that it would be impossible to heal them in a short period of time.
In the past, Leo was also at a very serious level.
But Min Ha-rins current state was much worse than that.
It would be better if she was afraid of certain beings, like the Demons.
But the fear Min Ha-rin felt stemmed from the anxiety that she might lose someone close to her. As a result, she had become abnormally clingy and obsessed with everyone she has given her affection to.
If only my body was in a normal condition.
If that had been the case then he could have at least proved that Min Ha-rins worries were unfounded. He could have even said that she was too weak to worry about him. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
But such a thing was impossible in his current weakened state.
At that moment, Lukas was so weak that he truly needed the protection of others. That was the truth. If he were to stubbornly deny this fact, it might worsen Min Ha-rins condition instead. She might end up thinking that even her Master didnt trust her to protect him.
I cant believe everything became so twisted.
After looking closely at Lukas tired face, Sedi opened her mouth.
She had been clinging to Arid, asking to see Lee Jong-haks soul, but it doesnt seem to have worked.
Arids control over his power was much higher than when he was on Earth.
Nevertheless, he found himself unable to communicate with Lee Jong-haks soul. Perhaps it was because he had died in Great World.
I need to talk to Min Ha-rin a bit more. Can you call her for me?
Its really late, so you should take a break for today.
The time is
Ah. Really. This isnt the time to be overdoing it. Father is really sick right now. Should I bring a mirror for you to look at?
Lukas touched his face. His cheeks were extremely gaunt. In fact, he didnt even need to check. It was hard to say exactly when it started, but his eyelids were heavy, and he felt dizzy. He knew that if he were to relax for even a moment, he would immediately lose consciousness.
His body was crying out for rest.
Huu.
Lukas sighed again.
then Ill get some sleep first.
RIght. Sleep a bit. In any case, in a few days, we will all be sleeping together in the ocean forever, wont we?
Lukas slowly closed his eyes as he listened to Sedis mischievous joke.
He fell asleep almost immediately, the rhythmic sounds of his breathing filling the room.
Sedi sighed.
dont show your weak side, really.
* * *
The next day, it was around lunchtime when he finally opened his eyes.
He slept much longer than he expected. His body was stiff. Was it because he had moved a lot the day before? Hed thought that moving around a bit more would assist in his recovery, but it seemed his assumptions had been wrong.
In this state, he slowly stretched his body and sat up on the bed. His body still felt heavy, but he didnt seem to have any problems moving.
There wasnt anyone in his room this time. It seemed that everyone was busy.
Intending to go meet Min Ha-rin right away, Lukas got to his feet, but the door opened at that exact moment.
The one who opened it was a young girl with an expressionless face. From her attire, she appeared to be a servant.
Sir Lukas, the Priestess is calling for you.
Should I go to the garden?
Yes.
He felt that he should meet the Priestess first. With that in mind, he roughly got dressed and went to the same garden hed been to the day before. As expected, he found the Priestess sitting in the pavilion on the lake.
However, this time, she wasnt alone.
Did you know? There is more than one barrier here on Dragon God Island.
That was how the Priestess started talking to him. It was the first time hed heard her speak in such a tone. Perhaps it had something to do with the hair the color of cotton yarn, which he was seeing for the first time. (Note: Im not sure what color cotton yarn is originally pale blonde maybe?)????????????r????????????. ????????????
After filing that thought away for later, he turned to observe the people standing on her two sides.
They had smooth, young, wrinkle-free faces that made it hard to distinguish their genders, but they both had auras that made them hard to ignore.
Lukas couldnt help but quietly admire. He could tell with a glance that they were Sorcerers, but they were completely incomparable to any Sorcerer hed encountered thus far.
Their strength far surpassed the East and West Priests that hed encountered last time.
There are large and small barriers that protect every area individually. In this way, there are hundreds of barriers clustered together.
That sounds complicated. Why would you do such a troublesome thing?
It makes it easy to deal with any unexpected situations. The applicability is good and besides, its much more energy efficient than having a single, enormous barrier. While it is a bit troublesome to take care of in detail, the benefits far outweigh the effort.
Here in the Young Dragons Nest, the barrier is stronger than in most places. But I intend to weaken this barrier. Not only will your defenses become significantly weaker, but your ability to hide will also fade away, so Nodiesop will easily be able to pinpoint your location.
It was easy to guess what she had in mind.
Lukas nodded slightly.
You plan to use me as bait.
Do you have a problem with that?
I dont have any issues. At this point, thats the only way for me to make myself useful. Even if its only this much, Id gladly help in any way I can.
The Priestess looked at Lukas with a strange gaze.
They had decided to make him their bait without discussing it with him and then notified him after the fact. She had actually been expecting him to show some annoyance or reluctance before finally going along with it, but she didnt think he would accept it so easily or happily.
What do you plan to do after you lure Nodiesop over?
In fact, Lukas appeared to be more interested in the outline of the operation than his own treatment.
The Priestess smiled wryly before continuing.
Nodiesops entry method can be narrowed down to two ways. Breaking in from the sky, or by using space-time movement. The former would be easier to deal with, but hell probably use the latter.
Then, she finally introduced the people standing beside her.
When he appears, the Black and White Sorcerers here, as well as the priests of East, West, North, and South located at each corner of the island will use their sorcery to suppress his power to the fullest.
Lukas nodded.
She wasnt confident in preventing Nodiesops entry or outside attacks, so she intended to deliberately show him an opening and draw him into the center of the island.
The operation in itself didnt sound too bad.
However
Its too simple.
Its simple, but it will work against Nodiesop.
After thinking for a moment, Lukas agreed with her. This is because he had an idea of Nodiesops personality. With his arrogance, he would walk into a trap without fear.
Even if it might be a bit troublesome, he would choose to crush all opposition from the front.
Book 2: Chapter 257
Book 2: Chapter 257 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Sei sea??h th N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Lukas lowered his head in thought.
there is still one thing thats bothering me.
At that point, the only thing that was still unclear was just how much of Nodiesops power they would be able to suppress.
Its not just the Black and White Sorcerers and the Priests of East, West, North, and South. Instead, every Sorcerer on Dragon God Island will assist in restricting Nodiesops power. I will also increase the effect of the barrier after he enters. I estimate that we would be able to suppress up to 90% of his power.
In other words, if everything went according to plan, Nodiesop would only be able to use 10% of his power.
Do you intend to have my disciples deal with the weakened Nodiesop?
Exactly. I might also be able to help them a bit.
Thats a surprise.
How so?
I didnt think youd be able to help me.
Priestess.
No, the Seven Fanged Dragon God was aiming to regain their position as a Ruler. There was a high probability that she had been hiding and planning for much longer than Lukas could imagine.
The fight against Nodiesop would bring great risk to the Priestess. The safest choice she could make would be to take the statue and escape on her own.
It was possible that if she decided to hide, Nodiesop and the other Absolutes would never be able to find her.
Nevertheless, the Priestess chose to protect Lukas and fight with them.
Was it because of the thing she didnt want to talk about last time?
I was originally going to do that, but Chorong strongly opposed it.?????????????????????d. ????????????
Chorong?
Lukas recalled the Priestess hair.
Green was the only color he had not seen so far.
Lukas Trowman, what do you think are our odds of winning?
Lukas stopped thinking about the Priestess hair for a moment and instead immersed himself in his calculations.
The result he got was more promising than he initially expected.
About 1%.
Thats pretty generous.
Because I have faith in my disciples.
The Black and White Sorcerers who were standing at the sides couldnt help but look at each other with strange expressions on their faces.
The probability of winning the fight was 1 percent out of 100. And that was considered pretty generous?
The barrier will be weakened by this time tomorrow. Is there anything else you would like to ask me?
where is Nodiesop now?
Im not too sure. The last time I sensed him, he was on Adventure-
The Priestess didnt finish her sentence.
Instead, her expression became terribly stiff.
Impossible. How could he already
At that moment, Lukas expression also changed to resemble the Priestess.
They turned to look west at the same time.
Priestess?
Whats going on?
The Black and White Sorcerers asked, but the Priestess grit her teeth instead of responding.
dammit, that crazy bastard. Does he plan to just give up on the statue?
Her hair became red in an instant.
Then she spoke in a harsh tone.
Black Sorcerer! White Sorcerer! Help me! We have to combine all the barriers on Dragon God Island and raise the durability to the maximum! Theres no time so we have to hurry and make the seal!
Yes!
U-, understood!
They hurriedly used their staffs to draw a seal on the ground of the pavilion.
Bang!
The Priestess clasped her hands together as though she was praying. A clear wave rose up from her body.
Crackle
All of the barriers on Dragon God Island gradually began to merge to form a single, enormous barrier.
Increasing the durability of such a large barrier was by no means an easy task. In fact, it was so difficult, it wouldnt be strange if the Priestess brain became overloaded while trying to accomplish it.
Hurry up, we need to help
The White Sorcerer, who was making the seal, suddenly froze for a moment.
This was because they suddenly realised that a shadow was gradually covering the ground.
a shadow?
They were immediately filled with a strange feeling.
There was no reason for such a shadow to appear in the Heavenly Realm since no clouds were floating above. In addition, the pavilion was in the center of a large lake, and there were no tall trees nearby.
Then, where the hell did this shadow come from
The White Sorcerer turned to look West.
Uh
Her mouth fell open.
It was an unbelievable sight.
A tsunami.
When people usually thought of the word tsunami, the first thing that came to mind was the natural disaster that took the form of a wall of water that soared up to a certain height.
But this tsunami was different. It wasnt a size that anyone would even begin to imagine.
This tsunami was so tall that she could not see the sky from where she was standing.
This is the center of the island
They were quite far from the coastline.
Dragon God Island was small, but that was only in comparison to the other Seven Islands. It was still an island that could easily hold thousands of people.
The center of the island to the coast, the distance had to be at least tens of kilometers away.
And yet, the tsunami was visible.
She could clearly see the tsunami despite being at the center of the island and not the coast.
Just how big is it
Just as the White Sorcerers mind began to drift away.
White Sorcerer! What are you doing?! Hurry up and complete the seal! If its like this!
The voice of the Priestess, who was shouting urgently, was cut off.
The tsunami had arrived.
* * *
Boom-!
The tsunami swallowed Dragon God Island.
In front of the enormous tsunami created by Nodiesop, the most mysterious island in the Heavenly Realm could only be likened to a ship that was about to sink.
Hah
Nodiesop, who was standing in the sky above the island, let out a long, pleasure-filled sigh.
After hed become an Absolute, most of his emotions had been suppressed. So he began to cling to every fleeting emotion he was able to. This was also a part of the reason why he acted so violently.
For Nodiesop, the mental ripples that he felt during those times became a drug, something he was addicted to.
However, at that moment, the pleasure he was feeling was by no means small.
Just as the island had been swallowed by a tsunami, so too was Nodiesop swallowed by a huge wave of pleasure.
It wasnt just because hed sunk the island.
The Absolute that he despised the most, Lukas, was also there, and he had been destroyed together with the island.
But I wont feel relieved unless I see his body.
He would search the entire ocean to find it. He didnt care how long it would take. He had to find the lost statue anyway.
But Nodiesops eyes soon lit up.
Hoh.
This was because a huge tsunami appeared in the place that had just been swallowed by the tsunami. And at a glance, he was able to see the shape of the island.
It managed to retain its shape
With a smirk on his face, Nodiesop descended.
He could feel Lukas presence.
He thought that it wouldnt be a bad idea to end it with his own two hands.
Book 2: Chapter 258
Book 2: Chapter 258 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Sei
No one expected this.
No one thought that Nodiesop would be able to arrive at the island so quickly after so much of his power was suppressed.
And above all, no one thought that he would destroy the island without caring about the statue.
Did we think too simply?
It was possible.
However, there was no time for self blame.
The Priestess let out a slow breath as she looked around.
Pools of water could be seen in every direction. Water flowed in every direction and her surroundings appeared to be completely under water. In fact, the entirety of Dragon God Island was probably half-submerged in the ocean by now.
This place that Im standing is
It was the roof of the Young Dragon Nest. She, too, had been unable to completely escape the aftermath of the tsunami. While she had been focused on strengthening the barrier, she had been swept away by the torrent and somehow ended up there. It was the tallest building in the area, but now, it had been completely swallowed by water to the point where only its roof was visible.
In the first place, she should be glad she even had a place to stand. It was simple to stand on the surface of the water, but when it was moving so rapidly, it would take a lot of concentration to maintain her balance.
The Priestess looked towards the sky. The sight that was unfolding there was truly mythical and magnificent.
The surging ocean had created an enormous vortex with Dragon God Island at its center. Even at that moment, strong waves grinded against the barrier protecting the island.
If she were to relax for even a moment, the barrier would collapse and that huge wave would swallow the entire island.
In fact, she wasnt able to block it completely. Water was still managing to slip through small cracks in the barrier.
The Priestess coughed once, spitting out a mouthful of water before opening her mouth.
Black Sorcerer, White Sorcerer.
Yes.
You called.
The Black and White Sorcerers were standing on either side of the Priestess. Like her, they were also soaked in water, but they didnt lose their calm despite experiencing the sudden and calamitous disaster.
That alone was proof of their capabilities.
Find Lukas. He was swept away by the current. He wont be able to get out of it in his condition. Hurry.
If they couldnt find him in time, he might drown. Or while being swept around by the rapids, he might hit his head against a rock and die.
At that moment, Lukas was so weak that even such a threat was enough to endanger his life.
But without us, the Priestess will be in danger.
Nodiesop will come down soon. You wont be able to suppress that persons strength on your own.
Put aside your worries about me for now, this is an order.
Her voice was rough.
In this state, the Priestess would not forgive her subordinates for their willfulness.
The Black and White Sorcerers bit their lips and reluctantly bowed their heads.
we will obey your orders.
Then, after exchanging glances, they dived into the water in different directions.
Almost at the same time, a figure leapt out from the water and landed on the roof of the Young Dragon Nest.
These conditions are the worst.
While grumbling in an annoyed voice, Sedi shook herself like a cat. The Priestess looked at her and said.
What about the others?
Im not sure. But I dont think theyre here. I think they were all swept away by the water.
thats not good.
At a time when they might not be enough even if they were gathered together, they had ended up being scattered.
Of course, the current wasnt enough to kill them, but they would not be able to regroup in a short time.
It was then.
They could see the figure of a being slowly descending from the sky.
Sedis eyes narrowed. She was not at all happy to see this figure after not seeing them for a long time.
Tak.
Nodiesop, who landed softly on the roof, looked around before nodding.
Indeed
The damage was less than he expected. He didnt expect that they would be able to block a tsunami of that size.
It should have been impossible for Lukas. After all, it hadnt been very long since hed entered this world, and he was already in a weakened state. This was something Nodiesop had realised after arriving in the Heavenly Realm.
That woman.
A being whose face was covered by a veil.
It was clear that she was the one who had been persistently preventing Nodiesop from stepping foot onto this Heavenly Continent. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
You really like to make these kinds of loud entrances. It doesnt suit you.
When he heard this harsh voice, Nodiesop turned to find a black haired girl glaring at him.
Sedi Glaston? Youre still alive? Youre really a tougher life form than a cockroach.
its Trowman.
Although she wouldnt admit it, repeating the conversation theyd had that day hurt Sedis pride greatly. This was because she was certain that Nodiesop hadnt even noticed her before. He hadnt intentionally ignored her.
Instead, this bastard didnt have Sedi in his eyes at all.
Sedi clenched and unclenched her fists while checking her physical condition. The weather conditions were bad, but there were no problems with her physical condition. The injuries shed suffered during the fight with Kaz had already healed completely, and she had also perfectly digested all of the demonic energy shed obtained on Death Island.
But
Beads of sweat rolled down her chin.
But the opponent this time was a real Absolute.
It was clear that he was weakened. Otherwise, her body would have become a puddle of blood the instant their gazes met.
Nevertheless, she didnt think she could win.
First of all, I just want to say thank you. Last time, I was able to enjoy something after a long time. The experience of playing with a fallen Absolute is not easy to come by.
I dont even want to know the types of things you enjoy, you perverted bastard.
Nodiesop chuckled.
Im not in the mood to play with you today.
Piht-
Sedi tilted her head to the side. Dozens of strands of hair were severed as if something had shot past her face.
Hoh. You managed to dodge that.
Nodiesop smiled brightly and lifted his index finger. There, collected on his raised finger was a drop of water.
No one would believe it.
That the thing that almost pierced Sedis head was a drop of water. (Note: Im getting major deja vu)
this bastard.
Sedi spat out a curse, but her heart still fluttered in her chest.
If she had moved her head even a second later, her head would have been pierced cleanly. That drop of water would have pierced through the armor of demonic energy around her body, smashed a small hole into her skull, and turned her brain to mush.
That much was possible. Because that drop of water contained the power of an Absolute, external force.
Hes serious.
At that moment, Nodiesop intended to kill Sedi without wasting any time.i????????r????????????. ?????m
Suddenly.
Nodiesops gaze shifted from Sedi to the Priestess beside her. A strange light fluttered in his eyes.
It was you. The one who blocked my tsunami.
His tone didnt match his speech. (Note: In other words, he was saying rude things in a polite manner.)
As far as Sedi knew, there were only four beings that would cause an arrogant Absolute to speak in such a polite manner.
Then, Nodiesop slowly bowed his head.
Did I guess correctly? Seven Fanged Dragon God.
The Priestess was silent for a moment before slowly letting out a breath.
Id heard that the Sun Giant had obtained the loyalty of the Water Spirit King, Nodiesop.
Youve heard of my name and origin? Im honored.
It was a rude reaction.
But the Priestess didnt seem to care as she continued.
Spirits are the self consciousness of nature itself. You are a Spirit King, so why do you have such a violent personality?
Its only a slight inclination Huhu, from the way I see it, you dont really know me that well.
Nodiesop grinned.
The conflict on my origin planet was unceasing. Discord caused by greed turned into an uncontrollable fire that consumed the entire planet. In the end, all the Spirit Kings, except for me, disappeared. As you said, Spirits are the self consciousness of nature itself. When nature is damaged, we naturally lose our strength. After polluting the air and the land, they then tried to pollute the sea.
A chill developed in Nodiesops voice.
So I started cleaning up. I shook the sea violently and made it devour the land. In that way, most of the tumors that were poisoning the planet disappeared, and peace was restored.
It was actually quite funny. When the population was overflowing, they were busy arguing with each other, but as soon as their numbers started dwindling, they couldnt help but rely on each other. They finally learned what harmony was. It was a beautiful sight.
When he saw that scene, he realised.
The goal that he needed to aim for.
Book 2: Chapter 259
Book 2: Chapter 259 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Sei
When the population overflows, its usually hard to know what is lacking. Did you know? There are usually very few beings in a universe that would question their own death. And its only intellectual life forms who learn to fear death that chase after and desire eternity. Those beings harm providence and upset the balance. Our role as Absolutes is to teach those poor and ignorant beings the true order.
Sedi thought that his spiel could be wrapped up in the simple word genocide, but she knew better than to say that out loud.
Shed never seen Nodiesop talk so much. He wasnt just talking either, instead, he was preaching about his goals and beliefs. Even though it was a sensitive topic among Absolutes.
Of course, most of it was just bullsh*t, but it wasnt bad to pretend to listen.
The longer he took, the more people who were washed away by the rapids would be able to come back.
So, is there anything else youd like to ask? sea??h th ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Nodiesop spoke in a kind voice. But at this point, the Priestess couldnt help but look at him with a strange expression.
He let out a soft laugh.
Werent you trying to buy yourself some time? Although I dont know the reason.
are you saying you went along with it even when you knew that?
The moment I set foot on this island, I made a decision. No one in this place is a threat to me.
The Priestess was silent for a moment before her aura suddenly changed.
-is that so.
Her voice became cold. At the same time, Nodiesops eyebrows furrowed.
Paht!
A rainbow colored figure burst from the Priestess body and shot towards Nodiesop in the blink of an eye.
Nodiesop tried to avoid it, but at that moment, he felt something hold his limbs in place.
what is this?
At some point without him noticing, chains of light had wrapped around his wrists and ankles.
when did you do this?
When you broke through the barrier and entered the island.
Along with the Priestess words, the rainbow light struck Nodiesops body.
But that wasnt the end.
Paht!
Four more lights flew over from the corners of the island.
Light from the east, west, north, and south respectively combined with the Priestess rainbow light and increased the force of its aura several times.
Rumble!
The roof collapsed.
Sedi balanced herself on a broken roof tile.
As quickly as it appeared, the soaring light faded away.
Nodiesop looked down at his body with an unreadable expression. Smoke rose strangely from his body.
I see, the restrictions placed upon me have become much stronger. Was this what you were aiming for?
Its as you said. Weve restricted most of your power, Nodiesop.
The Priestess took a deep breath before continuing.
From the looks of it, you can only use about 20% of your power.
She didnt appear to be lying. Nevertheless, Sedi couldnt help but click her tongue inwardly.
20%.
Their operation had already failed. Originally, they intended to include the power of the Black and White Sorcerers and suppress 90% of Nodiesops power. But now, they had only managed to suppress 80%. In other words, Nodiesop could still use 20% of his power.
And she wasnt sure if they could defeat an Absolute with 20% of their power.
Originally, I was going to kill Lukas first, but it seems like Ill have to delay that for a while. Instead, Ill collect you first.
The Priestess breath fluttered for a moment at those words. Sedi suddenly realised that she was nervous.
collect me first? Didnt you mean to say kill?
You can quit your clumsy acting. Did you really think I wouldnt notice?
At that moment, Nodiesops figure appeared in front of the Priestess. Even though her concentration had been raised to the max, Sedi couldnt even see him move.
Crack!
Nodiesop grabbed the Priestess by her neck and lifted her into the air. The Priestess groaned and struggled, but Nodiesop didnt decrease the strength of his grip, instead, he roughly tore the veil that always covered the Priestess face.
Crackle!
As he looked at the Priestess bare face, his golden eyes began to shine brightly.
Found you. Most special statue.
* * *
Hed fainted again.
However, this time was different.
This time, Lukas found himself alone in the dark.
His consciousness was drifting in this small world, but he could neither leave nor move as he pleased.
The fact that he could enter such a place could only mean that he had met a very special condition.
He was about to die.
It was a simple condition, but it was usually difficult to accomplish. Since becoming an Absolute, Lukas had met this condition less than five times.
In fact, even when hed been pushed to the brink of death after defeating Kaz, his consciousness hadnt met the requirement to enter this place.
-This isnt like you.
He heard a voice directly in his mind.
It was a voice that he was familiar with. Although he couldnt see its owner, Lukas knew their identity.
-Are you going to let yourself stay unconscious like this? Without even trying to do anything?
This isnt my fight.
-Is it your disciples fight? Do you really believe that those immature beings would be able to defeat an Absolute?
Those are the disciples that I personally gathered. As their Master, its natural for me to put my faith in them.
-You still havent learned from your past. Think about your first disciple. In the end, how did she end up?
Those words made him speechless.
As if mocking Lukas, the cold voice continued.
-Is it because her opponent is too strong? Or is it because she was too weak? Well, both are true. But the most fundamental reason that woman died was because you were one step too late.
A corner of his chest went cold as if he had been stabbed in the heart.
-Its the same now. What was her name again? Min Ha-rin? You left her alone for a moment and her mind was shattered. You know it, too. You always talk about believing in humans, but after saving them for so many years your thoughts have completely changed.
[Humans, cant do anything without my help.]
The voice muttered softly.
-You trust your disciples? Thats a nice delusion. But they will just fail again. Then everyone you trusted will get hurt or even die, and you will finish everything one step too late. Has there ever been a time when that didnt happen? Im asking if there has ever been a single problem that was solved without your help.
-You already have the means to do it too. All itll cost is your life. But that isnt too bad either, after all
The voice whispered.
-Youve always wanted to die.
Book 2: Chapter 260
Book 2: Chapter 260 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Sedi finally made her move.
Taht.
With a light leap, her body shot up about two meters. Then, she spun in the air before bringing her heel down.
She could feel the momentum behind her attack. But she was doubtful about whether it would have any effect.
In a sense, Sedis attack could be called half-desperate.
If the Priestess died, the restrictions on Nodiesop would disappear. And their already small chance of winning would disappear with them.
But Nodiesop let go of the Priestess and easily avoided the attack.
Cough, cough!
Coughing, the Priestess fell to the ground.
Sedi clicked her tongue when she saw this. Shed heard Nodiesops words. Was this woman really the special statue?
More importantly, didnt he call her the Seven Fanged Dragon God? What kind of Ruler would be put in such a state in the first place?
For now, she decided to suppress the questions that arose within her.
Nodiesop was looking at her.
He still looked relaxed, his expression similar to someone who had an overwhelming advantage and knew it.
But
he dodged my attack.
That fact gave her a bit of hope. He had chosen to avoid her attack instead of blocking it.
While it might seem minor, this fact was actually important.
If he had enough external force at his disposal, there would be no need for him to do such a thing. If he were to simply cover his body with external force, it would cause his defenses to surpass Kaz.
This might be a better matchup for me than Kaz.
At least demonic energy, which was Sedis main attack force, would not be completely neutralised.
However, where were the others? How far away had they been swept for there to still not be any news from them?
Splash!
As if in response to her thoughts, two figures shot out of the water at the same time.
Taht.
Min Ha-rin and Leo.
Without even bothering to shake the water from their bodies, they stared at Nodiesop with fierce expressions.
Sedi glanced at them.
Do you need me to explain the situation?
No.
Leo answered indifferently, but Min Ha-rin remained silent while looking at Nodiesop with a murderous gaze.
This is the man.
The Absolute who dared to kill Lukas.
Just thinking about it caused her mind to go blank. Her heart began to pound so heavily in her chest that it became hard to breathe.
Tch.
Sedi couldnt help but click her tongue when she saw this.????n????????ea????. ????????????
As she expected, this girl would be dangerous. Emotions like anger could sometimes change the outcome of a fight, but that was only the case when the opponent was as strong as you were or only a bit stronger.
In a situation where the chances of winning were as low as they were now, losing your cool was akin to suicide.
It was annoying, but she would have to give her some advice.
You, dont act on your own. If we dont work together, then our low chances of winning will disappear.
Hey, are you listening to me?
Im listening.
She wasnt listening.
Sedis expression became one of extreme annoyance. This was the biggest problem. Sedis voice would never reach Min Ha-rin. No. At that point, she doubted Min Ha-rin would listen to anyone.
And in the first place, words like consolation and encouragement would only be found on the exact opposite side of the universe from Sedi.
It couldnt be helped. She couldnt afford to pay attention to Min Ha-rin now. She couldnt help her, so she could only hope that she didnt do anything stupid.
The most important thing is how strong these guys were.
She had a rough idea from looking at them. But their exact power level could only be learned after watching them fight.
Sedi decided to ask a quick question.
Hey you, attack or defense. Which one are you more suited for?
Attack.
Me too.
Son of a bitch. She wanted to hit someone.
Nevertheless, all three of them couldnt focus on attacking. One of them needed to stay back in order to protect the Priestess.
Sedi sighed. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Then you guys take the front. Ill protect the Priestess and aim for any gaps I find. Understand? Dont face him head on. Imagine that youre fighting someone with full-body armor and a glass sword.
Nodiesops external power was not something these brats could afford to take on.
Leo nodded, but Min Ha-rin didnt answer.
Sedi seriously considered smacking her across the head, but she knew that now wasnt the time to do so.
Nodiesop watched all of this with a slight smile on his face.
he said that he didnt want to waste time.
But that didnt seem to be the case.
That was a fatal weakness that most Absolutes tended to have. When fighting against mortals, they rarely went all out. As long as they werent forced into a corner, they wouldnt abandon their relaxed attitudes.
Its no different from when I fought Kaz.
As this thought passed through her mind, Sedi knew that she was just being optimistic. Nevertheless, she was unable to hide the bead of sweat that rolled down her jawline.
Nodiesop doesnt know how strong I am.
She had raised her level even further after digesting the large amounts of demonic energy that shed absorbed on Death Island. If she were to attack an opening with all her might, she might be able to defeat him.
But she would only get one chance.
If that failed, Nodiesop would lose his relaxed attitude and become alert.
At that point, he would stop treating the mortals in front of him as toys or bugs, and would instead start treating them as enemies.
That would be the end.
So she would need to slowly build up her power.
It would have to be slow enough that Nodiesop wouldnt notice, slow enough to make even snails cry.
Fortunately, she had a good excuse. Even if Sedi were to stay back on her own, Nodiesop wouldnt find it strange. He would simply think that she was protecting the Priestess.
Therefore, the success of this operation would depend on Min Ha-rin and Leo.
Can those brats really hold on long enough for me to build up enough power to blow Nodiesop away?
She didnt know. She didnt even want to think too deeply about it.
Sedi bit her lower lip.
But she couldnt think of a better plan.
They have to hold on somehow.
Otherwise, they would all die.
* * *
Hed once dreamed of something like this.
Fighting against a powerful enemy side by side with those closest to him.
It was one of the delusions of his younger, immature self, but Leo was only able to realise his dream at that moment.
Nevertheless, he wasnt as happy as he thought he would be. Maybe it was because hed already become more mature. Or maybe it was because this situation was a bit different from his dream.
There were two differences between the current situation and the one in his dreams.
Firstly, the condition of his teammate was not normal. It was in a mental sense, not a physical one. Seeing Min Ha-rin draw her sword with a dead look in her eyes made his heart ache. This was because he was more familiar with her warm, kind side.
The second difference was that their opponent wasnt simply at the level of powerful enemy.
Taht.
As he rushed towards Nodiesop, he observed his posture. He stood in an unprotected manner, filled with openings and flaws, but Leo knew that he shouldnt let that fool him.
After all, this man was a monster who had created a tsunami large enough to overturn the entirety of Dragon God Island.
Imagine that youre fighting someone with full-body armor and a glass sword.
Less than a minute after the battle began, he realised how apt Sedis analogy was.
His punches were always blocked by something. He wasnt sure what it was, but it prevented his fists from going any further.
An invisible membrane?
It felt a bit different from that.
Leos expression was terrible. Since he didnt know how his attacks were being blocked, he was forced to be more cautious, which also meant that the power and momentum of his attacks were bound to drop.
Clang!
Min Ha-rins sword was also blocked, but she didnt panic. Instead, she raised her left hand in front of Nodiesops face with her fingers spread out.
Hyper Bolt.
Boom!
The bolt of energy shot out and struck Nodiesop directly in the face.
His ears tingled from the explosion, and vision being obscured by the smoke from the explosion didnt stop Leo from jumping forward without hesitation.
He already knew where Nodiesop was, and he could still sense his presence in the smoke. His presence could be sensed from hundreds of meters away.
Since he couldnt hit him with his fist, he tried to use his foot this time.
Paak!
But just like before, his attacks were stopped. It felt like he had kicked a wall, and his foot began to throb.
Whoosh!
A powerful tornado suddenly appeared around Nodiesop. The tornado was so strong that it blew away not only the smoke around him but Min Ha-rin and Leo as well.
Looking like a wet mouse, Leo looked up at Nodiesop. Even though hed taken the Hyper Bolt directly to the face, he hadnt even suffered a single scratch.
Looking at them, Nodiesop gave a kind smile.
Are you curious about my power?
Showing you might be better than telling you. This is the identity of my power.
As he said that, Nodiesop extended a single index finger.
Book 2: Chapter 261
Book 2: Chapter 261 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
A droplet of water slowly formed on Nodiesops finger.
what are you doing?
I dont want to waste my external force on mere mortals. One drop is enough to deal with you.
Are you saying you blocked all of our attacks with just that one drop of water?
Its not just to block. This drop is enough to take your lives as well.
The drop of water wriggled as if it were alive before taking on other forms. It took the shape of a spear before flattening to become an extremely thin membrane.
Were there attacks really blocked by this thin membrane that was barely visible to the naked eye?
I have a rough idea of your level now. I was wary of your explosive growth since this world was created by the Rulers themselves, but in the end, youre still mortals. Why dont we call your Master? He should be aware of the difference in our power by now.
It was only then that Leo got a vague understanding of the situation.
Despite his bravado, this man was still wary of Lukas, who hadnt made an appearance yet. The reason he was saving his external force was also in preparation for his fight against Lukas.
He doesnt know that Master cant even lift a finger right now.
If it wasnt for his own thoughts holding him back, Sedi, Min Ha-rin, and Leo might already be dead.
After thinking that far, he found it hard to suppress the urge to laugh. Their Master was currently weaker than a newborn baby. But even in that state, Lukas was still protecting them.
However, we wont get any help from Master in this fight.
They had already decided to do it on their own. Even if they would lose their lives, theyd decided to do it together.
Still, anything that could be used, should be used.
Currently, Nodiesop was wary of Lukas, who had yet to make an appearance.
We have to think of a way to make use of that delusion.
He wasnt confident that he could think of a plan, but they still had to do something.
Even if that something was only a bit better than what they were doing currently.
* * *
cough!
He spat out a mouthful of water.
Cough, cough! Ugh!
Tears pooled at the corners of his eyes as he continued to cough up water. Even after spitting out a surprising amount of water, there was still an uncomfortable feeling in his stomach. This showed that he had drunk a ridiculous amount of seawater.
Hah, hah
Panting for breath, Arid began to take stock of the situation.
I was resting in the Young Dragon Nest
Then hed suddenly heard a strange noise. When he went to the window to investigate, a huge torrent of water had appeared and swept him away.
And his memories ended there.
kuk.
Arids face burned red at his blunder. His lack of practical experience and poor ability to cope with sudden situations had been put on full display. Nodiesop had attacked Dragon God Island much sooner than they had expected, but the situation in itself was not unexpected.
In fact, Arid had been on his guard from the moment hed heard the news. And yet, hed ended up like this.
Throb-
Sar?h the N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
The back of his head ached. When he touched it, he found that a large bump had appeared. It seemed that when he was swept away by the rapids, hed struck his head against something hard.
Deciding to figure out where he was first, Arid got up from the ground.
Is this the hill behind the Young Dragon Nest?
He wasnt sure why, but it seemed he had been deposited there by the rapids. Nevertheless, he could only count himself lucky. If the rapids had continued to drag him away, he probably would have already died an unfair death by now.
This isnt the time.
Nodiesops attack had already begun. It wouldnt be strange if he had already broken into the island and started his search for Lukas by now.
Arid tried to use his communication power to find his Masters whereabouts.
But he couldnt sense Lukas presence at all. Was it because of Nodiesops interference? Or was his condition that bad?
Paht!
At that moment, an explosion sounded from behind him. Arid narrowed his eyes.
That was in the direction of the Young Dragon Nest.
When he focused his eyes a bit more, he was able to see his companions grouped together.
And the blue haired man standing in front of them.
Nodiesop!
Sparks appeared in Arids eyes. Before he could even begin to think about it too deeply, his body was already rushing over.
* * *
Those kids dont seem like they can hold on for much longer.
Sedi turned to look at the Priestess. She wasnt sure when her hair had changed to the color of cotton yarn, but it was her eyes that caught her attention at that moment.
They were sparkling brilliantly, as though they contained every star in the night sky.
You should go lend your strength to the others too.
If I join them, Nodiesop will kill you.
She now felt that she had a bit of understanding about Nodiesops thoughts at that moment.
There were two reasons why he wasnt giving it his all at that moment.
The first was that he was wary of Lukas, who was hiding somewhere. And the second was to ensure that he could immediately respond to any sudden actions the Priestess made.
Sedi took a deep breath before shouting in a loud voice.
Dont be scared!
Leo and Min Ha-rin flinched at the same time when the loud voice pierced their ears.
Why do you think hes showing off that drop of water to you? Its because he cant think of a good plan so hes probing our bottom line.
Those words werent wrong.
Leo took a deep breath before staring at Nodiesop again. Hed started thinking too much because their opponent was an Absolute, a being who had reached the same level as their Master, Lukas.
Dont fall for his deception. 80% of his power has been restricted, so he cant afford to use too much of it. If you hold on for just a bit longer, Father will come to deal with him.
Those last words were added on purpose.
It was an obvious trick, but she still had to do it. It could be considered a success if that guy was even the slightest bit conscious of it.
Book 2: Chapter 262
Book 2: Chapter 262 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Leo and Min Ha-rin were fighting in earnest. In all honesty, the two of them didnt seem to have very good chemistry. Despite attacking the same target, they both gave off the feeling that they were fighting on their own. They were students under the same master, but that was the impression they were giving.
Seeing this made Sedi feel that she might cry in frustration, but thankfully, they seemed to be getting better.
The Priestess looked at Sedis frustrated expression for a moment before muttering.
ahhh. Youre gathering your power.
Speak quietly.
Dont worry. No one else can hear me.
But why are you suddenly talking like that?
Hoh. You two really are like father and daughter. You both choose to ask questions when you notice something instead of just letting it pass.
Her tone suggested that she was being sarcastic, but Sedi wasnt very offended by her words.
Nevertheless, now wasnt the time to feel proud about what she said.
Instead of talking so much, Id rather you helped. You seem to be even more relaxed than I am.
Well, youre not wrong.
Paht.
The Priestess swung her arms, casting several spells at the same time. Nodiesop reacted immediately. In the first place, hed always had his guard raised against Sedi and the Priestess, who were just watching as the two children in front of him uselessly swung their sword and fists.
But the one he was most cautious of, Lukas, still hadnt made his appearance yet.
I think Ill need 10 more minutes.
Crackle-
Demonic energy wriggled within Sedis hand. She was intentionally gathering it as slowly as she could, but she still couldnt help but feel that it was painfully slow.
Would she really be able to deceive Nodiesop for 10 minutes in this state?
Paht!
!
Nodiesop stumbled slightly. A purple snake from the Priestess had managed to wrap around his ankles.
Naturally, Min Ha-rin and Leo didnt miss this chance. As if they had agreed beforehand, the two of them rushed towards Nodiesop at their fastest speed.
Whoosh!
But at that moment, water erupted from Nodiesops body. The force of the eruption was so strong that it was difficult for them to get any closer.
Hmph.
With a cold snort, Nodiesop pierced the snake that was wrapped around his ankles with a droplet of water. Although the attack had ultimately failed, it had forced him to actively defend himself for the first time. This was proven by the fact that hed used a technique that he hadnt used before.
Sedi turned to look at the Priestess again. She couldnt help but wonder about this strange person.
What did he mean when he called you the special statue?
Aigo, is this really the time to be asking questions?
You dont have to answer if you dont want to.
The Priestess remained silent for a moment before smiling.
At the same time, her hair became a completely different color.
It has no meaning. Its the truth.
so youre the statue? So was he wrong when he called you the Seven Fanged Dragon God?
I am the Seven Fanged Dragon God too.
I dont think this is the time to be speaking in riddles.
Sedi murmured softly as she watched the fierce battle unfolding in front of her.
Youre right, its not How much do you know about the Seven Fanged Dragon God?
I know almost nothing. All I know is that theyre a Ruler and that the number of Absolutes under them is much smaller when compared to the other Rulers.
Im pretty sure that everyone knows at least that much.
The Priestess nodded for a moment before opening her mouth.
in the past an unprecedentedly terrifying being appeared in the universe.
What?
It was a being capable of destroying all the galaxies in the universe and was even capable of destroying an entire universe. Whats more, it could also travel across the multiverse. It could tear apart a dimension with nothing but its physical strength. If left alone, it would have destroyed countless universes.
theres no way the Rulers would allow such a being to exist.
At that time, there were no Rulers.
For a moment, Sedi forgot how to speak.
It was only at that moment that she realised the Priestess was talking about a past so distant that she couldnt even begin to imagine it.
There werent any existences in a single universe strong enough to stop that being. So God made a decision. He looked for beings across multiple universes that could withstand dimensional travel and gathered them together.
you dont mean
Thats right. That was the first group created by God. You could say that they were the prototypes for the current Absolute system. It was an outline that was later used to establish what you know now.
A total of seven Absolutes joined forces to defeat the being. The fight lasted for hundreds of years, and many universes were devastated in the process, but in the end, the seven Absolutes were able to suppress the being.
Suppress?
Thats right. The body of that being was so powerful that nothing could cut through its scales or injure its heart. Perhaps with the exception of God, there is no force or material in the multiverse capable of cutting it.
Sedis eyebrows raised slightly when she heard the word scales.
She was beginning to have an idea about why the Priestess had started telling her this seemingly random story.
So the seven Absolutes came up with an alternative. To take control of the body of the being, the Great Dragon of the End.
The Priestess continued in a flat tone.
And that was the moment the Seven Fanged Dragon God came into existence.
For a moment, Sedi forgot how to breathe. She never thought that she would learn the origin of the Seven Fanged Dragon God, which had always been shrouded in mystery, in such an urgent situation.
should you really be telling me something like that?
Of course, youve earned the right to know.
The right?
The Priestess didnt respond to her question and simply looked at her silently. Noticing that she probably wouldnt receive an answer, Sedi opened her mouth again.
thats an interesting story, but I dont think it answers my question. I asked you why Nodiesop called you the special statue.
The Great Dragon of the End had seven fangs. The force capable of tearing the universe was contained in those seven fangs. The seven Absolutes, each with their own individuality, occupied the teeth, and as a result, the teeth not only had the power to tear the dimensional fabric, but each fang also had the power of an Absolute.
You still havent told me what that has to do with being a statue.
Of course, it has something to do with it. The seven fangs were made into statues. Well, to be precise, its impossible to mold them, so I guess I should say the seven fangs were hidden in the form of statues.
but thats
Sedi couldnt help but frown. While she didnt think she was smart, she wasnt stupid either, but she still found it hard to keep up with the conversation.
There are only four special statues. So where are the other three-
Sedi froze for a moment after saying that.
It was none other than the Rulers who had created this world.
The Rulers were also the ones who decided to place the statues in each area.
If that was the case, then
the Rulers?
Exactly.
The Priestess spoke in a bitter tone.
Each of them has one.
sh*t. This is giving me a headache.
Even while listening to this ridiculous story, Sedi hadnt forgotten to gather her demonic energy. If she had to choose, shed much rather focus on that instead.
Why are you in this state? Did the other three Rulers work together to attack you? After all, I cant imagine anyone else capable of putting a Ruler in such a state.
Thats an interesting guess, but its wrong.
Thats all Im going to say. You havent earned the right to know the truth yet.
Then why did you tell me about the special statue and the Great Dragon of the End?
because Sedi Trowman. Seeing you for myself has allowed me to understand something.
As her tone changed once again, the Priestess smiled gently.
Out of Nodiesop, Lukas, Letip, Kasajin and maybe even myself as well.
Those twinkling eyes which seemed to contain all the stars in the sky were clearly focused on Sedi.
I think you might be the one who is closest to becoming a Ruler.
Sarch* The ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Book 2: Chapter 263
Book 2: Chapter 263 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Somethings not right.
Nodiesop looked around.
He was certain that Lukas was somewhere on this island. After all, in the first place, hed come here after sensing his presence.
Nevertheless, ever since hed entered the island, hed completely lost all traces of the mans aura. It was completely gone as if he had disappeared into thin air.
At first, he thought that he was just hiding from him and waiting for a chance to strike when he let his guard down. Nodiesop knew that Lukas current level of power couldnt compare to his, but in the end, he was still an Absolute. He was certain to have at least one trump card hidden in his sleeves, so Nodiesop made sure to pay close attention to his surroundings.
Water was flowing all around them. In other words, the entirety of Dragon God Island had become his territory.
I should test it first.
With that thought in mind, Nodiesop used even more of his external power than before.
!
Leo and Min Ha-rin sensed the change in their opponents momentum at the same time and stepped back. They had caught on quickly, but his attack wasnt something that they could avoid in the first place.
Die.
Piht-
A jet of water shot towards Leo with unstoppable force. There was quite a bit of his external force in that stream of water. At the very least, it was at a level that Leo wouldnt be able to dodge or block.
What will you do, Lukas?
If he didnt do anything, his disciple would die.
Kuuaap!
Leo called upon all the mana in his body.
This attack was different from before. There was no room for him to conserve his strength.
Warrior King Fist. Rock Shield.
It was a defense technique that boosted the defensive ability of the entire body to the maximum, but this time, he didnt use it to cover his entire body. Instead, Leo concentrated on protecting his vital points before focusing the rest of his mana on the palms of his hands.
Clang!
The stream collided with his palms, and for a moment, Leos mind went blank.
Blood gushed from his lips that hed bitten subconsciously, but he couldnt even afford to wipe it away. If he stopped focusing for even a moment, his palms would be pierced through by the stream of water.
Kuk!
Min Ha-rin tried to use the opportunity to attack Nodiesop, but she was sent flying by a wave of water with just a gesture of his hand.
Is he still not coming out?
This had been a gamble for Nodiesop. At that moment, hed revealed an opening. Even if it was intentional, such an opening was an opportunity that Lukas would never pass up.
If he ignored even this opportunity, then
Lukas isnt around here. Or if he is, he cant afford to attack.
!
Although he muttered those words, they easily reached Leos ears.
Nodiesops expression immediately became one of disinterest. Either way, the result was very bland and boring for him.
Without Lukas, theres no need for me to hold back against a couple small fries.
Pipipiht-
Countless droplets of water appeared in the air.
When he saw this, Leos expression became solemn. Just blocking one stream of water made it feel like his entire body was going to break apart. If he were to be hit by that many droplets of water, the result would be obvious.
It was at that moment.
Taht!
Min Ha-rin, who had been sent flying by the waves just a moment ago, came rushing back.
Nodiesop made an expression of annoyance.
Theres no need to push. Even if you didnt, youd still be next.
He shook his hand.
The droplets of water shot towards Min Ha-rin.
Min Ha-rin swung her sword towards the droplets. Leo couldnt bear to watch. Hed already been put in such a state by one drop of water if it were three drops
Papapat!
!
However, an unbelievable scene occurred.
With a flash of light, the three droplets of water were sliced apart in an instant. This sight caused Nodiesops eyes to widen, creating a brief opening.
Naturally, Min Ha-rin didnt hesitate to get close to him and take advantage of that opening.
Shuk!
She stabbed her sword upwards. Her intention was to pierce through his jaw and into his brain, but Nodiesop managed to tilt his head backward at the last moment.
Swoosh!
Nodiesop took a few steps backward. This was the first time hed been forced to make such a defensive action.
Huu.
Min Ha-rin slowly exhaled and lowered her gaze to her sword.
On the tip of her sword was a drop of blood.
Piht-
At the same time, Nodiesops chin split slightly and another drop of blood dripped down.
He was injured.
Shed hurt him.
Nodiesops expression became frighteningly cold. His golden eyes turned to look behind Min Ha-rin.
His gaze was focused on the white-haired human that had appeared there.
I see. So its the Communicator from Earth. With the help of his power, your physical abilities and even your attack power were greatly enhanced.
Arid clenched his fists.
That was close. If he had been a little later, Leo would have died.
We injured him.
Although it was just a small scratch, it was true that theyd managed to make Nodiesop bleed.
Victory was in sight.
This proved that it wasnt a fight that they had no chance of winning.
Senior sister, senior brother. Im here to help you.
Arid spoke with a solemn tone.
Our counterattack begins now.
* * *
The Black Sorcerer looked down at the pale faced man laying on the ground in front of him.
White Sorcerer, how much longer do you intend to stay here?
We have already been delayed for a long time. We should return quickly. The Priestess is in danger.
I know that, but the Priestess ordered us to rescue this man.
Right. But staying here wont undo what has already happened.
The White Sorcerer knew that too.
Nevertheless, she didnt want to leave so easily.
This wasnt because she hadnt been able to complete their orders. Sear?h the novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Instead, it was because she had the feeling that something was wrong.
There is no blood in his face, and his fingertips are cold. More importantly, his heart has stopped beating. We were too late.
The Black Sorcerer looked down at Lukas before continuing in a solemn voice.
This man is already dead.
(Note: The End!)
Book 2: Chapter 264
Book 2: Chapter 264 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Lukas had once said to Arid.
I have wandered through countless universes, but Ive never encountered a power with more potential than your communication.
It could be used to access the void to obtain information, heal most injuries, be lent to others, and be used to increase the targets strength.
Arid used this power to boost Leo and Min Ha-rins physical abilities.
I told them about it beforehand.
Hed already told them that if the time came when they would have to fight against Nodiesop, he would use his power on them without asking for permission first.
Nevertheless, Arid felt a bit worried in his heart.
We cant let this drag on for too long.
Some facets of his power, especially those that were used to increase another persons physical abilities, came with a significant burden. And in most cases, it was the person who borrowed his power that had to bear the burden, not Arid, who lent it to them.
Min Ha-rin and Leo had become stronger. Sarch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
It was obvious that their physical abilities had risen to an extent that was completely incomparable to before.
Nevertheless, the time that they would be able to remain in such a state was very short. From his calculations, they would only be able to endure it for around 10 minutes or so. If they tried to hold on longer than that, they would probably cease to exist. Their bodies would slowly but surely collapse from the inside.
However, there was no way for Nodiesop to know that, so they would just have to hide the burden somehow and end the battle as quickly as possible.
A technique that uses up lifespan, huh?
Arids expression immediately became stiff.
Nodiesop stroked his chin slightly. The cut had already disappeared. Although it wasnt a big achievement, it was still an injury that theyd managed to inflict after much difficulty. They expected such an outcome, nevertheless, seeing it disappear without any issues still filled them with a sense of emptiness.
You forcibly increased your physical abilities to a level that your bodies would never be able to handle. I see, is that what you used to cut me?
As if he found it amusing, Nodiesops mouth twisted in a mocking sneer.
Your counterattack begins now? Dont make me laugh, mortals. Look at me. Take a good look at just what youre fighting against.
In an instant, their surroundings became quiet.
This wasnt an illusion.
In the first place, the sounds in their surroundings had mostly been generated by the water flowing around them. As the entire island was flooded, the sound of water was loud enough to be obnoxious. Therefore, the absence of that sound was deafening.
The water had stopped moving. It wasnt just the waters around them. Even the whirlpool surrounding the island had frozen in place in the air. It was as if time itself had stopped.
What?????n????????e????????. Co????
But time didnt actually stop.
They could definitely move and hear each others voices.
Nevertheless, the strange sense of incongruity created an eerie atmosphere that gave them goosebumps.
Restrictions, restrictions, restrictions, in the end, if it werent for those, you wouldnt even have the slightest hope for victory against me. Nevertheless, your predictions are wrong. You cant defeat me just because you weakened me a little.
Nodiesop stretched his arms out wide, his lips drawn into an ominous line.
Now, Im going to change the field.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, the water around them began to flow in the opposite direction.
No. That wasnt it.
As if it had a mind of its own, the seawater began flowing freely in every direction. It was the first time theyd ever witnessed water flow in such a chaotic manner. Large and small waves swirled around and crashed into each other.
The quiet surroundings became a cacophony in an instant.
This is bad! The water is rising!
Before he could even finish the thought, seawater swallowed the entire area.
Leo couldnt help but gasp slightly as he looked around. No matter how much their physical abilities had increased, they were bound to be restricted if they had to fight underwater. In addition, the current was too strong.
Kuk!
Nevertheless, Leo remained calm. Firstly, he took a deep breath and imprinted the locations of everyone around him before he was completely submerged in the water and his sight was blocked.
With my lung capacity, I should be able to last for 10 minutes without needing to breathe
However, because of the pressure Arids power was putting on his body, he wasnt sure if hed be able to last that long.
In addition, the time that he could hold his breath would definitely decrease as he moved his body around.
On the other hand, Nodiesop.
!
His gaze shifted to their enemy.
Even as the currents pulled and tugged in every direction, Nodiesops body remained standing in the same position hed been in before.
Right. He was an Absolute who controlled water. It would be strange if his movements were restricted or he was incapable of breathing in the liquid.
Perhaps This situation was even worse than hed initially thought.
If it turned out that he was even more powerful in water
Whoosh.
Nodiesop suddenly turned to look at Leo and reached out his hand. At that moment, Leos body, which had been entangled by the currents, suddenly froze.
Kuh!
It was like pressure had been applied to his entire body. At that moment, Leo felt like his muscles were being torn apart, and his bones were being crushed.
This pressure came from the water. The water was exerting pressure strong enough to crush his entire body.
Surprisingly, water pressure is something you cant ignore, right?
Even though they were underwater, Nodiesops voice sounded even clearer than when they were on land.
Nodiesop began to walk towards Leo. As if they were still on land, his footsteps were firm and steady. Naturally, the sound of his footsteps couldnt be heard. (Note: It would be kind of cool if they could be heard)
You havent exhaled yet. I must admit, your coolheadedness is commendable. But I wonder how long youll be able to last. It would probably be more fun if I slowly increased the pressure like this
Creak.
Nodiesop slowly clenched his fist.
At the same time, the tremendous pressure on Leos body gradually increased.
Leos eyes rolled backward in his skull.
This couldnt continue.
He had already been having difficulty holding his breath before, but now, he was struggling to even remain conscious. Unable to hold it any longer, Leos mouth opened up and bubbles of air rushed out. More than half of the air stored in his lungs had escaped at that moment. This means that the time he could remain underwater was significantly reduced.
I dont have any more time to waste on you mortals. So just di-.
Unable to finish his sentence, Nodiesop moved his head backward.
In the same instant, a sword swept through the space that his head had just been occupying.
The magic swordsman girl.
A hint of displeasure appeared in his eyes. Shed also interrupted him when he was trying to finish things off earlier.
But that attack just now.
The speed that it was launched at was considerable, the same was true for the force behind it. How was she able to move so freely underwater?
He soon realised the reason.
Shes using some kind of spell.
Min Ha-rin wasnt swimming. Instead, her body swayed and moved like a puppet being controlled by strings. She was probably using something similar to a flying spell in order to manipulate her body.
She seemed to still be under some form of restrictions because she was underwater, but it was still several times faster than swimming.
However.
Did you expect that to work?
Paht.
He stretched out his other hand.
Shortly after Min Ha-rin appeared, her body also became frozen in place.
Do you not understand where this is? Do you think that youre just underwater? Who was it that created the tsunami that practically submerged this entire island? How have you not understood by now? You are already in my jaws.
Crunch.
He clenched his fist.
Book 2: Chapter 265
Book 2: Chapter 265 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Min Ha-rin struggled to hold her breath under the pressure that was crushing her entire body.
If I wanted to keep playing around, I wouldnt have submerged this area.
After capturing the two who had been annoying him the most, Nodiesop looked around one more time before he finished them off once and for all.
Lukas presence He still couldnt feel it. This caused him to be increasingly more certain about his suspicions.
Was he no longer on this island? Maybe hed thrown these pieces of trash out to distract him so that he could quietly leave the island. Right. That was a judgment that was worthy of an Absolute. After all, it was extremely foolish for a being like an Absolute to risk their life just to save a few mortals when they could save dozens of universes in the future.
Arid was a bit further away.
He was also underwater, and he was currently glaring at Nodiesop with wide eyes.
That was all he could do. Unfortunately for Arid, there was nothing someone like him, who specialised in support, could do to reverse the current situation.
The Priestess is over there.
He couldnt see her, but he could sense her.
But in the next moment, Nodiesops expression became stiff.
Wheres Sedi?
Clang!
Just as he had this thought, he felt a tremendous impact and pain at the same time.
In an instant, Nodiesops body shot through the water before soaring into the sky.
Cough!
He spat out a mouthful of blood.
With wide eyes, he looked beneath him. There, he found the missing Sedi.
He couldnt understand. His vigilance towards her while it couldnt be compared to Lukas and the Priestess, he had still been paying close attention to her.
Enough that he should have been able to immediately notice if she tried to do anything funny.
This much power
She would have needed to build up for at least a few minutes in order to unleash such an attack. Right. It was possible that hed missed that.
However, was it possible for him to miss Sedis approach with the intent to attack? In water no less?
was it the Priestess? Or Arid?
He wasnt sure. But he knew that it was one or even both of them.
Whoosh!
Min Ha-rin and Leo shot after Nodiesop.
Their sword and fist were aimed at his vital points at the same time. Strange flames also covered the sword. It seemed a spell had been added to it. The momentum behind the fist was enough to destroy several buildings one after the other. It was also not something that could be ignored.
Nodiesop knew that he had to block these attacks, but he couldnt move a finger.????????????????????????????. ?????????
Demonic energy was interfering with the circulation of his external force. He would only need about three seconds to flush it out of his system, but in other words, it had created an opening for the same amount of time.
Dont mess with me!
Nodiesop roared in rage. He coughed out another mouthful of blood that had pooled in his throat. As if it had a mind of its own, the blood floated in the air for a moment before quickly taking shape.
Paak!
The blood, which coagulated into a ball, shot down and hit both Min Ha-rin and Leo sending them both flying without even having the time to scream. Min Ha-rin was able to forcibly stop her fall with a flight spell, but her gaze turned to Leo, who was still falling. Sear?h the ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Crack!
She grabbed his arm, but the force of his fall was considerable. It felt like her arm was about to be dislocated. However, she knew that if they let themselves fall into the water again, it would all be over.
Uah!
With a loud cry of exertion, she borrowed the force of Leos fall to throw him in a different direction. His body flew in the air for a while before he was finally able to catch himself on an exposed tree branch.
Huff, huff
Min Ha-rin panted heavily. Although shed prevented Leo from falling into the water again, she still had a heavy expression on her face.
She knew that the opportunity they had just missed was not something that was easy to come by.
In the end, I wasnt able to gather all of my strength.
Sedi, who appeared beside her, clicked her tongue.
If she had managed to gather for two or three more minutes, they might have been able to critically injure him. Min Ha-rin was silent for a while before finally opening her mouth.
Sorry.
Dont worry about it. Although things didnt go according to plan, I still managed to learn something interesting.
Something interesting?
That bastards body.
Min Ha-rin blinked, unable to understand the meaning of Sedis words. Sedi frowned for a moment before deciding to explain.
When one becomes an Absolute, they break free from their flesh and blood body and instead take a near perfect form that is known as a Transcendent Body. Generally speaking, the only things that can affect a Transcendent Body are the attacks of another Transcendent Body or external force.
my sword cut the tip of his chin.
Although it was just a small scratch, shed clearly cut his skin and caused him to bleed a little. Shed felt the feedback through her sword, so she didnt think it was an illusion.
And thats our key to victory. Its true that Nodiesop regained most of his power as an Absolute. Although hes under many restrictions right now, its obvious that he can use his external force. Nevertheless, it doesnt seem like he was able to break free from that flesh and blood body. It was the same for Father, too. The same might be true for Letip and the Demon King, although I havent seen them yet.
Im not sure I understand what youre talking about.
Nodiesops existence is bound to that body.
Their bodies were something that was arranged by the Rulers. Regardless of how much of their power they regained, it was impossible for them to escape that fact.
In other words, Nodiesops existence was closely connected to his body. And if their opponent was an Absolute with a flesh and blood body, then they would have a higher chance than they expected.
At the very least, as long as they were able to kill his body, they would be able to defeat him, regardless of whether they managed to kill him or not. (Note: Just in case anyone is confused, killing Nodiesop and killing his body are separate)
My demonic energy is currently interfering with his body. So he will have to use his external force to deal with it first. This should decrease the amount of external force he can use from now on, even if its only a little.
Rumble-
Suddenly the water around them began to surge again and the water level gradually began to rise. Then, in the blink of an eye, a huge wall of water that seemed to cover their field of vision appeared.
It became dark.
The wall of water, which was at least a few tens of meters tall, was created in an instant.
what did you just say?
at least it didnt reach the sky like last time
Sedi muttered in a sheepish tone and Min Ha-rin had to suppress the urge to roll her eyes. Right. In a sense, it was clear that his power was much weaker.
But as Nodiesop said, although his power had been restricted several times, he was still not an opponent they could easily deal with.
Min Ha-rin once again realised just how ridiculous the beings known as Absolutes were.
The good news was that despite coming to this realisation, her will to fight didnt disappear.
But how will we attack him while hes in the sky?
There was still a limit to what she could do with magic. Min Ha-rin didnt think Nodiesop would stay in place and wait for her to come to him.
Leo was also incapable of flying or even attacking from a distance, which made the situation even more frustrating.
However, Sedi responded in a nonchalant manner.
Ah- Thats fine. Hell be coming down soon.
What?
Paht-
Suddenly, a red beam of light shot from somewhere on the ground and instantly pierced Nodiesops stomach.
The beam had moved so quickly and with such force that it seemed to tear apart space itself.
!
Min Ha-rins eyes went wide. Shed heard about something like this from Lukas not long ago.
Was it a similar technique? No. That wasnt it. Min Ha-rin was currently 7 stars and it seemed that she wasnt very far from reaching 8-stars.
The point was that her perception was completely different from before.
That beam of light that pierced through Nodiesop was a skill that every Wizard wanted to obtain.
A power that could only be used by those who had reached the very end of the path of magic.
Absolute Power. (1)
Master?
(Note:
1.If you guys can remember, Absolute Power was what separated 9-star Wizards from 8-star Wizards. In Korean, the Absolute for Absolute Power is Konglish (????), while the Absolute for Absolutes(like Lukas) is ??? which is closer in meaning to Absolute Person/Being. I just shortened it to Absolute cause I felt saying Absolute Person/Being was too clunky.)
Book 2: Chapter 266
Book 2: Chapter 266 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
He didnt cry out. Because physical pain was nothing to him.
However, it was impossible for him to stop his bodys reaction to it. As a result of the attack, he froze for a moment before falling from the air.
He was surprised.
What exactly was the source of that power that had just penetrated his body so easily?
magic?
He knew a bit about the power that Lukas used. Hed heard that the main force he used was called magic.
This is probably a technique that can only be used after reaching the very peak of magicology. (Note: Been a long time since I used this word. For those who forgot, its basically the study of magic)
Nevertheless, he still couldnt understand. From what he knew, magicology is a technique that was created by mortals.
But the large hole in Nodiesops abdomen seemed to tell a different story. He wasnt even able to heal the damage. The space itself had been damaged. Even if he tried to force his cells to merge and reproduce, all he was met with was the sound of static.
This will probably take some time to recover.
That technique was something he had to take note of. It was fortunate that the attack had struck him in the abdomen. If that attack managed to hit any of his vital points
This situation in itself was annoying for Nodiesop.
From now on, he would have to fight while paying attention to protecting his vital points. Like a mortal.
Having a flesh and blood body really pissed him off. But it couldnt be helped. If this body died, even if he didnt die as well, he would be eliminated from the qualifiers and the Sun Giant would never forgive him.
That was the thing he was afraid of the most.
Nodiesops body didnt fall below the surface of the water. Instead, a huge hand of water came up and caught him gently in its palm.
He glared at the being that had pierced his abdomen with that attack.
It wasnt Lukas. (Note: Ha! Goteem!)
You really have a lot of tricks up your sleeve.
As he looked at the Priestess who was standing on the surface of the water with a calm expression on her face, he couldnt help but speak in a cold voice.
I already know your situation. Youre just a statue. How long will you continue pretending to be the Seven Fanged Dragon?
dont you know that your pathetic grumbling only highlights the fact that you dont know anything?
As they stared at each other, Min Ha-rin couldnt help but look over with a confused expression.
The Priestess.
The leader of Dragon God Island and another teacher for Arid.
How did she know how to use magic?
That wasnt sorcery.
The magic that shed just used was without a doubt Absolute Power which could only be used by 9-star Wizards. There was no magic on Dragon God Island. And she couldnt have learned it from Arid since he also didnt know anything about magic.
Then from Lukas? No. Hed only recently gained consciousness. He didnt have any time to teach her magic.
The Priestess also turned to look at Min Ha-rin at that moment.
The Priestess looked at Min Ha-rin with a strange expression that was difficult to describe. She opened and closed her mouth a few times without saying anything before finally letting out a soft sigh.
I will support you all from now on.
It was just a feeling, but Min Ha-rin didnt think that was what she wanted to say.
can you afford to? I thought restricting him was placing a great burden on you. S~ea??h the N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Its fine now.The Black and White Sorcerers are back. They will take over my role.
As she spoke in a calm tone, she pointed to the man and woman behind her. Their expressions werent very good at that moment.
Their faces caused Min Ha-rin to have an ominous feeling. Just as she was about to ask about it.
Whoosh!
The waters surged, showing signs of creating another huge tsunami.
Min Ha-rin and Leos expressions became stiff. It would be the same situation as before, he would force them into the water. If a tsunami of that size were to hit them, they would inevitably be tossed around by the currents.
The bigger a fuss he makes, the more of a bluff it is.
The Priestess continued to speak in a calm tone. Sedi nodded in agreement.
The two Sorcerers behind you. The restrictions weakening Nodiesop have been completed since they have returned, havent they?
Yes. Now, 90% or more of Nodiesops power has been sealed.
Paht.
Stretching her arms out, the Priestess added.
without external force, he is simply using a technique to raise the water level. It is not difficult to stop this tsunami. Blizzard.
Crackle!
A storm of cold air poured out of the Priestess palms. The freezing air didnt just stop at freezing the surface of the water beneath their feet, instead, it even froze the tsunami that was looming above their heads.
Magic!
That was the 7-star spell, Blizzard.
Min Ha-rin couldnt help but be shocked. It was impossible even for her, who had reached 7 stars, to completely freeze a tsunami so large in an instant.
This meant that there was a significant difference in magic power between Min Ha-rin and the Priestess.
That wasnt all. For some reason, when she casted the spell just now, it felt like the figure of Lukas had overlapped with her own.
You how the hell do you know magic?
Min Ha-rin, I heard that you are Lukas Trowmans first disciple on Earth.
For some reason, it felt like this topic made her uncomfortable.
If you want to be a true Trowman disciple, then you need to get stronger. Dont just rely on him. So that one day, you can take care of some of his responsibilities.
Suddenly, Nodiesop, who had still been standing on the hand of water, stepped onto the ice.
Crack!
The frozen surface of the water immediately cracked, and water could be seen surging beneath it.
Nodiesop then raised his hand.
Rumble
And the frozen surface began to shake ominously.
The Priestess made a quick analysis.
He is creating currents beneath the ice. He will probably cause it to erupt at certain locations. But I cant pinpoint exactly where.
Hes taking advantage of the fact that the surface is frozen so well be unable to see where the water will erupt beforehand. This guy is so slippery.
Sedi clicked her tongue as she said this.
However, it was impossible for them to melt the ice again. They had already witnessed his prowess underwater. If they fell in again, their odds of winning would disappear.
She looked at Nodiesop. She could still feel the vibrations beneath the ice, but the water had yet to erupt. Instead, he was just looking at them instead of making the first move. In a way, it could be understood that he was taking the defensive.
I think hes trying to buy time in order to expel the demonic energy I injected into him.
If we let him do that, our chances of victory will plummet.
You support us from the back. Hey, lets go. Make sure to keep a bit of distance between us when we attack him.
right.
Min Ha-rin replied briefly before turning to look at Leo, who was still a ways away from them. He gave a slight nod to show that he understood Sedis intentions.
Be mindful, senior sister. You only have a few minutes left.
When she heard Arids reminder, Min Ha-rin realised that it had been quite a while since hed lent them his power. She wasnt sure how much longer shed be able to hold on.
it doesnt matter.
If they lost this battle then everyone would die anyway. Nodiesop wasnt an opponent that one could fight while wondering if they could survive. They had to risk their lives and fight him as long as their bodies could support them.
Crack, crack!
The ice suddenly cracked and a jet of water shot out. Min Ha-rin ducked slightly to dodge the stream. Some of her hair remained in the path of the jet of water and it was cut as though it had been sliced by a sharp blade.
Min Ha-rins expression immediately stiffened.
Although it didnt have much momentum, the cutting force of that stream of water was terrifying.
still.
Shed managed to figure out a sign before the eruption. That was the inevitable sound of the ice cracking as the water was forced upwards. With her current reaction speed, Min Ha-rin was sure that she could avoid the jets of water as long as she remained vigilant. Nevertheless, there were several close calls that caused her heart to race.
Every time she avoided the water, it felt like she lost a few years of her life.
Perhaps it was because he noticed this unease, but Nodiesop changed tactics.
Crack, crack!
The ice shattered as hundreds of jets of water erupted at the same time instead of the one or two that had appeared before. Visually, it had a much greater impact, but in truth, this was a reckless response. After all, the risk was significantly reduced now.
Nodiesop didnt seem like an Absolute at all. Was it because there were so many people attacking him at once?
Min Ha-rin strengthened the grip of the hand that held her sword.
The almost non-existent chance of victory was gradually taking shape.
Ill protect him.
With that very hand, she would protect Lukas.
It was different from when her parents and Lee Jong-hak died.
She was stronger than she was then. Shed become strong enough to protect her Master.
And this was her chance to prove it.
Swoosh-
Min Ha-rin, Leo, and Sedi appeared in front of Nodiesop at almost the exact same time.
Book 2: Chapter 267
Book 2: Chapter 267 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
The three fighters didnt even need to look at each other as they rushed towards their target, Nodiesop.
Swoosh!
As they grew closer, an explosion of water erupted from Nodiesops body. But they didnt panic or flinch. They couldnt help but feel that this response was similar to before.
It was possible that this was Nodiesops last line of defense.
-Scarlet Killament.
The sword had been with her for several years already.
Participating in the Championship had allowed her to develop a new technique to use with this sword.
Enchant.
Fwoosh!
Flames soared to life in an instant. At the same time, more than half of her remaining mana evaporated.
Dragons Roar.
Roar!
Scarlet Killament creaked, and the faint cries of a dragon could be heard from inside it. At that moment, her sword contained the greatest offensive power she could currently muster.
After taking a deep breath, she swung her sword towards the waves that were rushing towards her.
Tsssss-!
The rushing waves were easily evaporated by the attack, creating a huge cloud of steam. The steam was hot no, it was more than just hot, it felt like the steam had been released directly from a steam engine.
Her face and eyes felt like they were burning. Nevertheless, Min Ha-rin refused to close her eyes. Even if she became blind, she could not miss this opportunity.
Eventually, most of the waves evaporated away, revealing the figure of Nodiesop, who still had yet to move. Instead, he was staring at Min Ha-rin with an unreadable expression on his face.
Its amazing that you managed to come this far.
I dont need your compliments, just die.
It wasnt a compliment. Its a mixture of surprise and amazement and discomfort. Youd feel the same too if a bug you slapped away with your palm was still moving around.
He really treated mortals like insects or perhaps even less than that.
How could they be so different even though they were both Absolutes?
Min Ha-rin couldnt contain the hatred and disgust she felt for Nodiesop at that moment.
Crack!
Suddenly, Nodiesops knee bent at a strange angle with a loud sound, causing him to lose his balance. Leo who had approached silently from the back had attacked without him realising it. Sedis attack naturally followed. She clasped her two small hands together and swung them like a hammer towards the back of Nodiesops head.
The force of the attack was considerable, and it caused Nodiesop to stumble. (Note: With a broken knee?)
Was this actually working? Or was he just pretending? She wasnt sure. But the one thing she knew was that Nodiesops body was filled with openings at that moment. sea??h th N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Regardless of if it was a trap or not, she couldnt let this opportunity pass.
Hold on.
Ignoring her screaming joints, Min Ha-rin put all of her strength into the hand holding her sword. Even more of her mana disappeared. It was so much so that she was certain she would be unable to move afterward.
She put all of her power into the tip of her sword before stabbing forward.
Puk!
Her attack landed. She clearly felt the feedback as her sword pierced through Nodiesops ribcage and entered his heart.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, a red explosion erupted from Nodiesops body. It was blood. This explosion was much larger and stronger than the explosion of water. On the other hand, Min Ha-rin had already long exceeded her limits, so she didnt even get a chance to block it.
Her body, which was in the very center of the explosion, was sent flying into the air.
The surface of the water, which had been frozen solid before, was completely destroyed, becoming several large chunks of ice that floated in the water. The scene was similar to what one would expect to see at the arctic ocean.
Min Ha-rin bounced on the water a few times, fortunate enough to not land on any chunks of ice before her body was barely able to stop. Well, to be precise, she hadnt stopped on her own, someone had caught her.
Are you okay, senior sister?
It was Leo.
After taking a few moments to catch her breath, Min Ha-rin nodded.
Good job!
Sedi, who also came to join them, gave Min Ha-rin a rare word of praise.
I saw you destroy his heart. Im not sure what will happen to his existence, but his body definitely should have died in that atta-
Sedi didnt finish her sentence. Min Ha-rin and Leo also had expressions as if they had seen a ghost.
Their gazes were locked onto the same location.
ha.
There stood Nodiesop. There was a hole in his chest from which blood poured, but after a while, it stopped. And after swiping his finger over his chest, the blood flowed back into his body.
It was as if time was being reversed.
Indeed
They never expected to hear the voice of someone whose heart had been destroyed. But he continued to speak in a calm tone.
Even though Im tied to this body, its not to the extent that I will die if the heart is destroyed. Well, in the first place oxygen is a type of energy that I need. Nevertheless, I was able to learn some interesting information. Perhaps the only true vital point would be the brain, which is directly connected to my consciousness. (Note: Give your enemies more information why dontcha.)
Min Ha-rin bit her lip, and her vision went dark for a moment. It was difficult for her to even stand on her own two feet. The side effects of Arids power boost were beginning to take their toll on her body. Leo was the same.
Sedi on the other hand was fine, but it was clear that she was also quite tired.
By the way, do you remember the jets of water I made erupt not so long ago?
why are you mentioning that now?
I cant believe you didnt notice anything strange. I thought it was obvious that such a clumsy attack would never work against you.
The entire group had puzzled expressions on their faces. Anything strange? They had only been focusing on avoiding them at all costs.
Haha. I suppose your vision was narrowed because you were so focused on me Look up at the sky, Sedi Glaston.
From the start, those jets of water were never aimed at you.
Sedi slowly looked up at the sky, then her expression became stiff.
The Barrier.
The streams of water were violently crashing against the barrier that covered the entirety of Dragon God Island.
My goal was to break that barrier. Its like a castle wall. Although it appears fairly sturdy from the outside, its surprisingly easy to break through from the inside.
Crack!
Following those words, spider web cracks began to spread across the surface of the barrier.
The Priestess expression also became frighteningly stiff at that moment. On the other hand, Nodiesops smile just became wider and brighter.
Crash!
Then, with a sound similar to dozens of windows shattering at the same time, the barrier broke.
The following events could be imagined.
In the first place, Dragon God Island had been in the center of an enormous vortex of water that was only being held at bay by the barrier. In fact, the current of the vortex was so strong that the small islands surrounding Dragon God Island that werent protected by the barrier had all been swallowed.
It was like a plastic bottle blocking a small drainage hole. Although it couldnt stop the water from flowing completely, it still hampered its flow by a large extent.
But if that plastic bottle was removed, the water would rush into the hole with ferocious momentum.
In this case, the barrier was the bottle. As soon as it shattered, the waves greedily crashed towards the island, like a hungry beast lunging at its prey.
Ah.
Leo couldnt help but let out a soft exclamation.
For the first time since the fight began, he lost the will to fight. A huge wave of water was rushing towards them from the sky, and there was nothing they could do to stop it.
On the other hand, Nodiesops gaze remained on the group.
He wondered just how a person who was forced to slowly watch their inevitable end would feel.
He let out a laugh.
Now then, how will you all respond this time?
Book 2: Chapter 268
Book 2: Chapter 268 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
At that moment the five of them all had different reactions.
Sedis first thought was to get rid of Nodiesop before the tsunami arrived. But that plan wasnt very feasible. The distance between them was quite far, and she was exhausted at that moment. More importantly, there was no way that Nodiesop would just sit still and allow that to happen.
Min Ha-rin and Leo had similar ideas, but they came to their senses a moment later when they realised that with their strength, they were far less likely to succeed compared to Sedi. Sar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
In such an urgent situation, the difference of even one second could determine their life or death.
Arid bit his lip According to Lukas, he had the power with the greatest potential, the so-called Communication. If that was true, then maybe he could prevent this, even if hed never tried to do something like this before. There was only one problem. He wasnt even sure where to start.
No one had a way to deal with the current situation.
Except for the Priestess.
Ice Age.
With a low murmur, cold air exploded from her body.
8-star spells.
Things that could theoretically be regarded as the very end of magicology in terms of range and power. After all, 9-star spells didnt exist.
The thing that distinguished 8-stars and 9-stars was the ability to manipulate Absolute Power, not the type or power of the spells they could use.
In other words, depending on how much magic power was injected into it, the Ice Age spell that the Priestess had just used was capable of not only changing the terrain but also the climate.
Crackle!
The wave of cold air explosively spread in every direction, causing the crushed and broken pieces of ice to fuse together once again.
Once again, the surface of the water became a landmass made entirely out of white ice. The water falling from the sky was no exception. The cold air perfectly froze the wave in its curved state.
!
Min Ha-rin couldnt help but look at this scene with wide eyes.
Although she was seeing it with her own eyes, it was still hard to believe.
so this is magic.
Was this the level she was aiming to reach?
At that moment, it felt extremely distant.
Huff
The Priestess exhaled roughly before collapsing down onto one knee.
Priestess!
Are you okay?
The Black and White Sorcerers called out in worried voices, but they couldnt even help her up. This was because they were currently pouring all of their energy into suppressing Nodiesops power.
The Priestess gave them a slow nod.
Nodiesop, who was quietly watching the entire process, finally let out a mocking laugh.
You managed to deal with the most pressing concern. But now, youre not capable of using the attack you used to pierce my stomach.
It was true.
At that moment, the Priestess was in no condition to use Absolute Power.
Shed spent most of her mana on Ice Age.
if the island was still okay, we might have been able to get help from the various formations I made.
The island had been completely devastated by the first tsunami.
Now, it was completely submerged and even frozen. This meant that the formations on the island would not work.
But that wasnt her greatest concern.
The Priestess turned to look at the Black and White Sorcerers for a moment. Theyd failed to complete her orders to save Lukas.
When they returned, they told her that he was already dead when they found him.
Was it possible that they were mistaken?
It could be that he wasnt really dead. But what if they were right and Lukas was actually dead?
She tried her best to kill those thoughts. At that moment, the only thing she should be thinking about was the fight.
In any case, from the beginning, she hadnt intended to receive Lukas support during the fight against Nodiesop. So, in a sense, there was no loss of power.
its true that I drained most of my mana.
In a tone colder than the ice around her, the Priestess began to speak.
But most of the water in the area has been completely frozen. I didnt just freeze the surface like when I used the Blizzard spell. Instead, even the currents below have been frozen solid.
Doesnt that mean that Nodiesop can no longer use the water to increase his advantage?
Sedi was quick to understand her meaning.
After all, she was the one who regained her composure the fastest after the Priestess.
Then we still have a chance to win this fight.
With those words, she clenched and unclenched her fists a few times. Her body could still move. But what about the others?
Min Ha-rins condition was not very good. She was panting uncontrollably and looked like she would pass out at any moment.
Her muscles, bones, and willpower. All of them had been pushed beyond their limits. If she kept moving her body, she would suffer numerous aftereffects, so Sedi forcibly knocked her unconscious. Even then, her eyebrows remained furrowed. This showed that even in unconsciousness, she was probably experiencing tremendous pain all over her body.
Leos condition was a bit better, but he could only last another two to three minutes at best.
She turned to look at Arid, who was standing behind them. As soon as he received her attention, Arid flinched, and when their eyes met, she could see the guilt and shame that he felt deep in his heart.
Without saying anything, Sedis gaze soon left him and returned to Leo once again. Then, while loosening her neck and shoulder muscles, she said.
Hey, brat.
Yeah.
It seems like you and I are the only ones that can still move, but honestly, when its reached this point, strategy doesnt really mean much anymore.
yeah.
In my experience, while in a situation where the possibility of death is overwhelming, its best to not fight while thinking about winning.
Leos expression became a bit strange. He realised that Sedi was giving him advice. Until now, Lukas was the only person who had truly acknowledged him.
no.
She wasnt really acknowledging him, instead, it could be said that the desperate situation was forcing her to rely on someone that she normally wouldnt.
Just focus on surviving. Always keep the word survival in your head. Dont think about how much energy your enemy has left, how much longer your body will last, or even what the current situation is. Put aside all of those useless thoughts.
Yes, thank you.
hah.
Sedi shook her head slowly as if she couldnt believe what was happening.
Then, she exchanged one more glance with Leo.
Before they both charged towards Nodiesop at the same time.
Book 2: Chapter 269
Book 2: Chapter 269 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Nodiesop.
Up until now, most of the powers he used were like magic or were similar to magic. This, combined with his slender physique gave Leo hope that he might be weak in face to face or hand to hand combat.
But that wasnt the case at all.
Sedis kick and Leos fist were blocked at the same time. Their subsequent attacks also didnt have any effect. It was as if Nodiesops palms were covered with a layer of oil. Surprisingly, this man stood there and dealt with their attacks while using nothing but his palms.
His occasional attacks were also so sharp that they gave him chills down his spine.
In terms of ratio, for every ten or so attacks that they launched, Nodiesop only counterattacked once. Therefore, at first glance, it would seem that Leo and Sedi were launching a fierce offensive. But the reality was completely different from how it appeared.
Cold sweat covered Leos entire body.
There was a saying that said attack is the best defense. This was similar to his current situation. If he stopped moving for even a moment, he would die. As for breaking away from his opponent and making space, he couldnt.
Because of that, he had no choice but to attack with all his might.
Nevertheless, there were no results.
It was like punching water.
Dont think about it.
Leo tried his best to get rid of his thoughts that were gradually becoming bleak. It was like Sedi told him. All he had to do was focus on surviving somehow.
But unlike Leo, Sedis thoughts at that moment were completely different.
is this fight really worth it?
In all honesty, she never expected such a fight. She never thought that she would have the time to think of such useless things.
This bastard is still conserving his strength.
Why? S~ea??h the N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
The biggest threats to him were Lukas and the Priestess.
The Priestess was unable to fight, and he should have realised by now that Lukas would not join this fight.
Nevertheless, he was still conserving his strength.
What kind of situation was he preparing for exactly?
Taht!
With a burst of force, Nodiesop interrupted Sedi and Leos momentum at the same time. In an instant, dozens of openings appeared on their bodies.
If he had used his external force at that moment, he could have taken their lives as easy as cutting the stem of a flower.
But he didnt.
Did he not have enough external force? No, he had barely used any external force to break the barrier around the island. In the first place, if he had added external force to the tsunami before, it would never have been frozen by the Priestess.
Kasajin.
It was strange.
She could vaguely sense the presence of that man somewhere in the Heavenly Realm.
It was so faint that it would be easily ignored if one didnt pay attention to it. But it was because it was faint that she noticed it even more.
Is he watching from a safe place and waiting to take advantage of the situation?
From the moment they entered the field, all of the Absolutes became hostile towards each other. The former alliances that they had made had become meaningless.
From the start, the concept of the qualifiers was a four way battle.
If he uses his external force wantonly now, he might get picked off by Kasajin.
It was possible that hed used more external force than she thought.
Of course, at this point, Kasajins power was very limited, but the same was true for Nodiesop. Now that most of his power had been restricted by the Priestess and the Sorcerers on Dragon God Island, even a weakened Kasajin posed a sufficient threat.
This was probably the judgement Nodiesop had made and the reason for him saving his external force.
However, all of that was a grand illusion that Nodiesop had created on his own.
Kasajin was not in the Heavenly Realm at that moment.
Nevertheless, his presence could still be felt due to the existence of Kran. That was why it was faint.
As a result, Sedi and Leos lives were prolonged by this illusion, and they were forced into this protracted fight.
She grit her teeth helplessly.
Although Sedi and Leo were fighting well, it seemed that they already thought they had lost. In other words, they were slowly losing the will to continue. At this rate, it would only be a matter of time before they died.
Arid looked around.
Dragon God Island had become a frozen wasteland. This place was his second home. There was no part of it that he hadnt seen, and who knew everyone who lived in each area. And yet, even the islands original shape could no longer be seen.
Then he turned to look at Min Ha-rin, who had already fallen unconscious, and the Priestess, who was completely drained.
And then he looked within.
Could he say that he fought?
Could he say that he risked his life?
He hadnt done anything.
He was a bystander, a sightseer.
I hate it.
He hated this feeling. He wanted to fight too.
Of course, he knew that supporting the others from the rear was an important role.
However, this was a matter of mindset.
Everyone was injured or on the verge of death.
But among them, only Arid hadnt suffered a single scratch.
Could he really accept this situation?
Could he feel proud of himself?
[Have you killed anyone since entering this world?]
Lukas words suddenly resounded in his mind once again.
It was only at that moment that Arid understood Lukas intention when hed asked this question.
If you didnt fight, youd lose everything. There were times when killing your opponent was the only answer. That was the inevitable fight that Lukas was talking about.
And in an inevitable fight, an unavoidable fight, weakness became a sin.
This wasnt necessarily talking about power. It was also talking about ones innate nature. In the end, there was only a paper thin difference between the words kind and weak.
In general, hurting and killing others was an unforgivable and immoral act.
But if millions were to die because they couldnt stop Nodiesop at that moment, could not killing him really be called the right thing to do? Could they be praised for not giving in to the desires of their flesh?
No.
By any means possible.
They had to kill him.
They had to ensure that Nodiesop died here.
For the first time in his life, killing intent arose in Arids heart. It resonated with his unique power and caused a tremendous change to occur in an instant.
Falling.
His body and mind seemed to gradually sink into darkness.
I might never be able to go back to the way I was.
It was sad, but at the same time, it couldnt be helped.
Arid had made up his mind.
Tuk-
But at that moment, he felt someone tap him on the shoulder.
* * *
Leo was the first to break the balance. His body had long surpassed the limits. He tried to leap forward, but at that moment, he found that he could put no strength in his knees. Losing his balance, Leo fell onto his face on the ice.
It was 2 on 1, so they were managing to hold out somehow. But after one collapsed, naturally, the other would soon follow.
Paak!
Sedi was overpowered in an instant. Nodiesops fingers pierced deeply into her stomach. It felt like her intestines had been torn apart.
She doubled over Nodiesops hand as all the air in her lungs escaped. For a moment, she was frozen in that position as if her entire body had been paralysed.
Thud.
Nodiesop pulled his hand back, causing her to fall to the ground. Sedi tried to get up immediately, but he stepped on her face, preventing her from doing so. (Note: He really likes to step on her head)
Did you think youd grown stronger?
As his cold voice sounded, the force of his trampling began to increase.
Well, I wouldnt say that you were wrong. However, is it possible for cotton wool to become a blade? No matter how hard they train, an insect will always be an insect. That is a natural limitation.
The pressure continued to increase.
Her skull began to creak. The pain was terrible, as if someone was driving a nail into her head, but Sedi only groaned slightly.
If this continued, her head would probably explode and she would die. What an ugly death.
You talk too much. Kill me.
as you wish.
Just as Nodiesop was about to crush Sedis head.
Paht!
At that moment, a dark red light shot towards him.
He was too slow to react. No, that wasnt it. Instead, this red light was faster and stronger than the previous one.
Paak!
The red beam of light pierced Nodiesops throat.
Kuk!
Nodiesop stumbled backwards with a soft groan.
After she was released from the pressure, Sedi immediately jumped up, grabbed Leo, who had collapsed, and quickly widened the distance between them. Then, while panting, she turned to look at the Priestess.
What was that? If you could have used more of those, you shouldve done it sooner. Whats the point of waiting till were all down?
But the Priestess attitude was strange. Her expression was also stained with disbelief.
I didnt do that.
What?
Sedi turned to look at Nodiesop once again.
He was no longer looking at them. Instead, he was looking in another direction with wide eyes while covering the gaping hole in his neck.
He was no longer paying any attention to them. As if they werent worth it.
She followed his gaze.
On the frozen surface of the water was a man that shouldnt have been standing there.
Nodiesop, I will warn you with the utmost certainty.
Lukas Trowman, whose complexion was unusually pale at that moment, continued.
Get out of the Heavenly Realm right now. Then, Ill spare your life.
Book 2: Chapter 270
Book 2: Chapter 270 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
He could no longer hear the voice.
This was natural. After all, the voice would only reveal its presence when his inner conflict escalated.
Now that hed received the answer after his long contemplation, there was no reason for him to hear the voice again.
Nevertheless, the doubts in Lukas heart didnt disappear completely.
Wasnt I making the wrong choice?
This was a thought that an Absolute was never supposed to have.
Regardless of whether they had walked the correct path or not, denying or doubting the things they had done was no different from crushing the beliefs that made them Absolutes with their own hands.
weak thoughts.
The reason he felt that was simple They were predictable.
After they entered the Great World, he was given a human body.
Eating, sleeping, resting, and bleeding when he was injured. A true, human body.
After being bound by this body, he felt as if his lost emotions had been revived once again. He felt his mind swirl, like catching a whiff of a nostalgic perfume after having lost his sense of smell for a long time.
Not that long ago, hed thought he didnt like it, but that wasnt true.
The body and mind were closely related.
It was for that reason that the transcendent body, which was the union of the two, was considered a product of perfection and a symbol of Absolutes.
was this an arrangement of the Rulers?
To make Lukas reminisce about his days as a human, fill him with doubt and make him weak.
No. It was impossible.
While it was true that the Rulers were paying attention to Lukas, that was all. After all, they never considered Lukas to be a threat. The number of Absolutes at the Lord level like Lukas was uncountable. There was no reason for the Rulers to go out of their way to keep one of them in check.
But one thing is certain.
From now on, Lukas would make different choices from before.
Wiggle.
He tried to move his finger. The heart in his chest had already stopped beating. In a sense, his body was already dead.
But that didnt matter.
He would be able to continue moving his body unless his brain was destroyed or his entire body was torn apart. He probably wouldnt die even if most of his internal organs were destroyed.
He tried to get up, but couldnt. Half of his body was frozen in ice. The last thing he remembered before falling unconscious was being swept away by the water, and it seemed that he had still been partially submerged when the priestess froze the waters surface.
If he tried to forcefully extract himself, he would tear his skin apart.
Fwoosh-
A weak flame rose up from Lukas body. Although it was faint, the fire quickly melted the ice that encased Lukas and even evaporated the water in his clothes.
Then, he finally got to his feet.
His body wasnt moving as well as he expected. To be precise, instead of moving his body, it felt more like his was manipulating a puppet.
This sensation, where his mind seemed to transcend his body, was quite familiar.(1)
Lukas turned his gaze to look across the ice cap.
There, he saw Nodiesop.
He slowly raised his finger.
Crackle.
Dark red light blossomed at the tip of his finger as Absolute Power swelled within him. He felt his transcendent body, not his physical body, creak slightly.
Ignoring the creaking, Lukas fired the shot.
And the Absolute Beam pierced Nodiesops neck.
* * *
Although it was faint, she felt like shed heard Lukas voice.
Throb-
Kuh
Her head ached. It felt like someone was constantly hammering inside her skull. Her body cried out for rest. It was begging her to rest just a while longer.
Ignoring the cries, she forcibly opened her eyes.
A familiar face appeared in her blurry vision.
The face of someone who shouldnt be there. sea??h th n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Master.
Why, why was he here?
Kakakak.
Then she heard a sound similar to someone coughing up mouthfuls of water.
Kakakakak.????????????????????????????. ????????????
It was Nodiesops laughter. Hed burst into laughter despite the gaping hole in his neck.
I didnt expect to hear bullsh*t like that. Interesting.
After speaking in a broken voice, he rubbed his throat slightly.
The wound couldnt be healed, but he could at least stop the bleeding. He also absorbed some of the blood back into his throat. Aside from the pain, it was difficult to speak because his vocal cords had been badly damaged.
I dont know how you managed to use that technique just now, but that isnt something you can do often in your current state.
Youre like a half corpse now. I thought it might be a trap since you dare to appear before me in such a state, but that doesnt seem to be the case. How absurd. It would have been much better for you if you didnt show yourself now, so why did you make such a foolish decision?
If Lukas had attacked while remaining hidden, Nodiesop wouldnt have been able to do as he pleased since he would have to constantly be vigilant. For Nodiesop, such a situation would be countless times more difficult. A threat could only approach him if he wasnt aware of the danger.
But Lukas didnt do that. Instead, he attacked openly. Was it to protect those hed brought into this world?
Or.
Were you planning on showing off in front of me?
Youve been talking a lot today, Nodiesop. Did something good happen?
Kakak Thats right. I can finally kill you, who have been a thorn in my eyes for a long time.
Thats enough of your excitement.
Lukas shook his head slowly. Deep fatigue was clear on his extremely pale face.
More importantly, it seems you didnt take my warning to heart.
Warning?
Nodiesops expression darkened.
Surely he couldnt be talking about when he told him to leave the Heavenly realm, could he? Then hed spare his life?
Ha. I dont even know how to respond to that bullsh*t.
Lukas simply looked at him without saying anything. And Nodiesop couldnt help but let out a laugh.
Just what exactly was this guy thinking?
Why did he decide to appear in front of me now?
Desperation?
That wasnt it.0
His face was pale, and his movements had no strength behind them. However, his eyes had remained cool and calm from the beginning.
He seemed relaxed. There were no signs of worry at all. He knew that Absolutes were skilled at hiding their inner thoughts, but it was a completely different story when they were no signs at all.
In other words, this meant that Lukas still had something to rely on.
Interesting.
(Note:
1.I believe it is a similar situation to the body he has on Earth. When he used the Ghost spell, he returned to his true form, which I guess we can now call his transcendent body, during the trip to Africa with Johanna.)
Book 2: Chapter 271
Book 2: Chapter 271 ????????????????e????????. ?????????Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
The Seven Fanged Dragon God, a Ruler who had lost their authority, had become such an easy opponent that Nodiesop couldnt help but be disappointed. For him, it felt like defeating such a being and getting the special statue was as easy as twisting a babys arm.
Of course, this didnt mean he didnt like it. Nevertheless, it took away the sense of achievement.
Nodiesop chuckled at his sudden thought. Perhaps he was also being affected by his emotions.
But it wasnt really a bad feeling.
He knew that emotions were nothing more than unhelpful impurities. But they felt good. Just like an addict didnt stop taking drugs even though they knew they werent good for them, he didnt stop his emotions from controlling his mind and body.
I see. So you have no intention of retreating.
Lukas murmured to himself as if hed finally realised that fact.
Then he stretched his finger again and pointed it towards Nodiesop.
Then, as I promised, I will kill you.
Nodiesop was certain Lukas couldnt repeatedly use the technique hed used to injure him.
Nevertheless, he didnt appear to be bluffing.
Nodiesop prepared for Lukas attack.
Nodiesop.
What is it?
It wont take that long to crush you.
what?
Puht.
A spell appeared in front of Lukas.
Nodiesop tilted his head to the side, easily avoiding the spear of white light.
What is this?
The level of this spell didnt seem to be very high. No, it was definitely low. The most basic spell. But it somehow felt different from normal magic.
Fwoosh-
Suddenly, a ball of flame the size of a fist appeared. It also shot towards Nodiesop.
He dodged it.
However, there seemed to be no end to the spells flying towards him. The types were also gradually becoming more diverse, and their power was increasing as well.
Lightning, earth, ice, darkness, light, and fire again.
Dozens of spells attacked Nodiesop at the same time.
was this what you were relying on?
As he looked at this scene, Nodiesop couldnt help but mutter despondently.
They were different from normal spells. There were many of them. And they were powerful.
Ha.
Nevertheless, he couldnt help but let out a laugh.
This, this was nothing.
Rumble.
Nodiesops hair began to flutter as if he was floating in water. His overflowing killing intent seemed to spill from his gaze as if he couldnt hold it back any longer.
You really really know how to piss me off.
What the hell is the point of this trick? At best, all it would be able to do is buy you some time.
There was a meaning.
But he didnt think Nodiesop would understand.
When Lukas remained silent, rage spread across Nodiesops face.
He was disappointed and even more angry.
Did he really think that hed be able to block him with such a paltry trick? Was this really the thing that gave him hope?
If that was true then it was disgustingly conceited, and the greatest insult that one could ever make to an Absolute.
I will do my best to get my hands on your soul, no matter what. If I win this qualifier, Im sure the Sun Giant would be kind enough to show me that much generosity.
I will collect the souls of not only you but everyone who has ever followed you or believed in you. Then, I will plant your souls into the bodies of livestock before taking you to a destroyed universe. There I will make you suffer for eternity without any hope of freedom or death.
As he said this, Nodiesop unleashed his external force, which caused the spells flying towards him to collapse midair.
This was as Lukas expected. After all, no matter how powerful 9-star magic was, it was far from enough to kill an Absolute. This shortcoming was something that hed known for a very long time. Nevertheless, he knew that Nodiesop still wouldnt be able to break freak from this spell, [Infinite Field], in a short time. S~ea??h the N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Nodiesop had actually said the answer already.
There were two reasons why Lukas had decided to use that spell, and one of them was to buy time.
As for the other reason.
Mas-, ter.
A faint voice sounded, as though it would fade away at any moment.
It was Min Ha-rin, who was staring at him from the side with a disbelieving gaze.
Why did you come here?
You cant stay here. You cant use your power anymore. I-, if Master is hurt here, then I, I would never be able to
As she spoke, Lukas slowly walked towards Min Ha-rin. He stopped just within reach and looked down at his disciple, which caused her to stop talking.
For some reason, his gaze felt strange. Min Ha-rin belatedly realised that she was actually shivering slightly.
Then immediately after, something that couldnt simply be expressed as strange happened.
Paak-!
Her head was forcibly turned away.
Huh?
What just happened?
Throb.
Although her cheek tingled with pain, she wasnt able to easily understand the situation. She could also feel a stinging sensation in her mouth as well as the familiar and unpleasant taste of blood.
Blood trickled from her torn lip.
Min Ha-rin turned to look at Lukas once again with an empty gaze.
Mas-
She was once again unable to finish her sentence.
This was because Min Ha-rin was deeply shocked the moment she raised her head to once again look at her Master.
His face was the same, but it felt like this was her first time looking at him. It felt like someone else was standing in front of her at that moment.
Lukas was looking down at her with a cold gaze. He was looking right at her, so the emotions displayed in his eyes were also directed at her.
Disgust and contempt.
And more than that, disappointment.
did you just ask why I came here? You are asking me that? You?0
M-, Master.
Stop calling me that.
Min Ha-rin felt like shed been punched in the gut.
Her eyes fluttered violently and her chest heaved.
That what do you!
Didnt you hear me? MIn Ha-rin, I told you to stop calling me your Master.
Lukas spoke in a cold tone.
Because I no longer consider you and the others as my disciples.
Book 2: Chapter 272
Book 2: Chapter 272 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
A voice that shed always relied on.
A face that always gave her strength when she thought about it during her hard times.
A hand that could make her mind and body relax just by resting on her head.
All of them were clear in her eyes at that moment.
And because of that, Min Ha-rins heart sank even further.
The gentle, kind expression her Master usually had was gone.
In its place was an expression shed never seen before No, it wasnt that she hadnt seen this expression. Min Ha-rin realised why she felt strange when Lukas had looked at her in this way.
It was the same way he looked at an enemy.
Lukas was now treating Min Ha-rin like an enemy.
Ah, uh
The tip of her tongue became stiff and she found it hard to speak.
She was scared, terrified.
Shed never been so afraid in her entire life.
Did this fear come from the aura that the Absolute, Lukas, subconsciously exerted? Or was it from the sense of betrayal that she felt after hearing the words of her beloved Master?
She didnt know. She didnt want to know. She didnt even want to think about it.
What the hell is that supposed to mean?!
This shout came from Leo, who was not too far away.
He had seen everything. Hed seen it, but he couldnt believe his eyes.
Lukas attitude, tone, and facial expression.
He thought that hed seen wrong. That it was all an illusion.
But those idle thoughts disappeared as soon as Lukas turned to him and their gazes met.
What does it mean?
Hup. Leo couldnt help but subconsciously suck in a breath of cold air. Only then did he understand the feelings of the trembling Min Ha-rin.
Do you still not know? Why I am disappointed in you all?
Crunch.
Lukas gritted his teeth. He looked around in a slow, almost mechanical, manner.
Look around. Look at this mess. Dragon God Island has sunk, and most of its inhabitants are dead. But what about Nodiesop? Before I made that hole in his neck, did you guys manage to give him any meaningful injuries? I also know that even the wound on his stomach was caused by the Priestess.
Sedi, who was silent all this time, finally spoke up after biting her lip.
Hes an Absolute, Father. Dont you think youre being too harsh? We-
Did your best, right? Thats what they always say. The enemy was too strong. The situation didnt turn out as planned. They were unlucky Those are just excuses, disgusting excuses. In the end, it became like this because you were too weak, had poor willpower, or lacked preparation.
Sedi bit her lip again, unable to respond. This was because nothing hed said was wrong. Or maybe it was because she thought it would be useless to say anything to Lukas now. Sarch* The ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Lukas slowly lowered his head. Then, after a moment of silence, he spoke in a slightly hoarse voice.
until now, I believed in you all, even if only a little bit. I thought that maybe you would be different, not like the other humans. I thought that you might be able to shape your own destiny even without my help, but in the end, I was wrong. You guys betrayed my expectations If I knew this would have happened, I wouldnt have bothered to bring you here.
Lukas gaze slowly turned to those standing around him.
Min Ha-rin, Leo, Sedi, and even Arid.
Without fail, those that met his gaze trembled involuntarily. They never imagined that they would ever be looked at in such a way by Lukas.
It was a cold and contemptuous gaze that theyd never received before.
Im truly disappointed that all of you are just like the other humans.
But the most pathetic among this group is you, Min Ha-rin.
Lukas gaze once again turned to the girl in front of him.
He walked up to Min Ha-rin with slow, staggering steps before roughly picking her up by her collar. The power of his grip wasnt much, and if Min Ha-rin wanted to, she could easily break free of his grasp. But at that moment, her body was frozen as if she had been paralysed.
Their eyes met.
When she looked into Lukas cold blue eyes, she desperately wanted to close her eyes, but he didnt let her.
Why did you become so pathetic? Did Lee Jong-haks death remind you of the past? Did you remember the faces of the parents you couldnt protect? Did that stimulate your trauma and as a result, you were overwhelmed with guilt and shame?
Ah, uh
If that really is the case, then you are the biggest idiot in the world.
Lukas let go of her collar that hed been holding tightly before. It was almost as if he was throwing her away.
Min Ha-rin helplessly collapsed to the ice.
Look around you. Was Lee Jong-hak your only companion? Why dont you pay more attention to the others? You have a lot more than you lost, but it seems that you can only think about those that are already gone And this is the result. It was your narrow perspective that caused this situation.
Ah, ah
if you hold all your marbles tightly in your hand, there will come a day when one of them slips out of your fingers. If you flounder to catch the one you dropped, you might end up losing everything you were holding. Why the hell were you unable to realise such a simple fact?
Lukas took a deep breath as he looked down at Min Ha-rin. Min Ha-rin pursed her lips slightly.
Then, with half dead eyes, she looked up at her Master.
No.
She looked up at the being she called Master.
Youre not Master
Lukas was silent. He was silent for a long time. He couldnt see her expression well because of how much her head was lowered.
But even if her head wasnt lowered, he would not have cared about Min Ha-rins expression.
M-, Master wouldnt say things like that. Hes always kind and gentle
are you really still expecting that? How disgusting. Right, thats enough.
It felt like cold daggers had been stabbed into her lungs. Min Ha-rin looked up at Lukas with a trembling expression, but hed already turned away.
He was looking at Nodiesop, who was still in his [Wizards World].
But it wasnt enough.
As mentioned before, the 9 star spell [Wizards World] lacked decisive power. At best, it would only be able to buy time.
Crack!
Is it me? Or are you really desperate?
Youre thinking too much.
Dont try to deceive me. Your body is crumbling like dried porcelain.
!
Leo, who was still reeling from Lukas previous words, turned to look at him in surprise.
Most of his body was covered in clothes, but there were still some parts that were visible.
His face and fingertips.
Why didnt I notice before?
Lukas fingertips were split open. Just like Nodiesops analogy, it looked like cracked pottery.
What appeared to be powdered flesh slowly fell from his cracked fingers.
this is the price to pay for using a power that doesnt fit the level of your body. All of the techniques youve used so far are things that go way beyond your current capabilities.
What are you trying to say?
Im saying that I dont understand.
Nodiesop spoke in a doubtful tone.
I hate you. In addition, I have nothing but disgust for your way of thinking. Nevertheless, I still acknowledge the path you took to become an Absolute Thats why I will ask you now, Lukas Trowman. Why are you shaving away at your transcendent body?
What?
Sedis expression changed drastically when she heard those words.
She turned to look at Lukas with wide eyes, but Lukas gaze remained on Nodiesop as he responded in low tone.
Enough of pointless conversation. Nodiesop, wasnt it always your goal to get my head?
Do you want to die?
If you dont come to me, I will go to you.
I really cant understand.
Nodiesop sighed heavily.
Then, in the next moment.
Piht-
The figures of the two Absolutes disappeared.
Clang!
Two huge forces clashed in the sky. The resulting force alone was enough to create a large crater in the ice cap.
Bang! Clang!
The sky and sea seemed to tremble whenever the two clashed.
Lukas shot another beam of Absolute Power from his finger.
How many times do you think that trick will work-!
With a loud cry, Nodiesop raised both hands in front of him, creating a screen of water.
The Absolute Beam, which touched this screen of water, changed direction as if it had been refracted by a mirror. To Min Ha-rin, who was still motionless on the ice.
She sat there with a bewildered expression on her face as if she was in a trance. It seemed that she didnt even notice the approach of an attack which would erase her entire body in an instant.
No. Nothing would have changed even if she did realise it.
Lukas bit his lip slightly.
Puht.
Then he used a blink spell, his figure disappeared in an instant. He reappeared in front of Min Ha-rin.
This was an Absolute Beam that he himself had fired, but once it was reflected by Nodiesops mirror, his external force had been injected into it. Because of this, it was impossible for Lukas to simply reabsorb the energy or force it to dissipate.
Left with no choice, he stretched his left hand out in front of him to block it.
Clang!
Intense shock.
The force of the collision caused blood to pour out of Lukas eyes, nose and mouth at the same time.
His body had already reached a stage where even calling it a mess was not enough, but he sincerely hoped that it would be able to endure a bit longer.
Crack-
The palm of his hand began to crack, revealing his flesh, muscles, and eventually his bones.
Lukas grabbed his left wrist with his right hand before sending the attack back to Nodiesop again. Unlike Lukas, who struggled to overcome the attack, Nodiesop simply slapped the Absolute Beam that returned to him.
wh-, y?
Min Ha-rin, who was behind him, called out in a broken voice. Lukas left hand had become nothing but white bone.
Lukas didnt wipe off the sweat pouring down his face, nor did he respond to Min Ha-rin. Instead, he immediately started battling Nodiesop once again.
After spacing out for a bit longer, Min Ha-rin turned to look at Sedi.
Sedi, what does shaving away his transcendent body mean?
You know something, dont you? What whats Masters current situation?
She once again called Lukas Master.
Sedi bit her lip so hard that blood trickled down her chin.
his very existence is disappearing.
What?
He is using all of the achievements that allowed him to become an Absolute as fuel.
Then what will happen?
Instead of dying, he will face an even more terrible end.
In other words, Lukas very existence would disappear completely and he would become nothing.
The Priestess stared at Lukas with a sunken gaze.
Book 2: Chapter 273
Book 2: Chapter 273 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
He couldnt understand.
Why is he fighting as if he is fully prepared to stop existing?
The techniques that Lukas used were threatening, but that was it.
They couldnt kill him. This was a fact that Nodiesop was certain of.
In the end, the fight that he was sacrificing his very existence to prolong would only make his inevitable extinction a slower and more painful process.0
If he had just given in and let me kill him here, its possible that he could have been given a bit of leniency.
The hatred that the Demon God had for Lukas was extreme, to say the least, but the Sun Giants hostility was not at that level. There were even rumors that Lukas was on good terms with the Lightning God.
Therefore even if his soul fell into their hands, he might not be treated too badly. Nodiesop had said that he wanted to take his soul and put it into a livestock animal, but he knew that the chances of that actually happening were exceedingly low.
What is the meaning of this struggle?
It was at that moment.
!
Nodiesop couldnt help but widen his eyes in shock.
Not because of Lukas. But because he felt something incomprehensible happen inside of him.
My power?
It had all been returned?
Nodiesop clenched his fist.
At that moment, it was possible for him to use the full extent of his Absolute powers.
All of the restraints and restrictions that had been placed upon his body had disappeared at that moment.
Did the Priestess use up all of her power?
No, that shouldnt be the case.
The first thing that Nodiesop felt at that moment was suspicion.
This was a natural reaction.
After all, if the chains binding someone were to suddenly disappear without a clear reason, the first thing that person would feel wasnt happiness, but doubt.
Because of this, Nodiesop froze in the air for a moment.
And that was the exact reaction the Priestess was hoping for.
Rumble-
!
In an instant, the Priestess appeared behind Nodiesop. Something that he didnt notice until it was too late.
Her hair shined brightly in seven different colors, her eyes glowed white, and both of her palms were stretched towards Nodiesop.
Breath of the Rainbow.
Flash-!
A powerful explosion of light erupted in the sky. It was so bright for a moment, the sky behind it appeared dark.
The light spread out like a curtain. It had reached the point where one would be able to see the light no matter where they were in the Heavenly Realm.
Crackle!
Kuhh!
The tremendous pressure exuded by the seven colored light crushed Nodiesops body.
So this is why she lifted the restrictions!
For this attack, the Priestess hadnt just removed the restrictions around Dragon God Island, instead, she had also temporarily removed the restrictions that covered the entirety of the Heavenly Realm.
All in order to create an attack that even Nodiesop couldnt defend against.
The Breath of the Rainbow forced Nodiesop down to the bottom of the ocean in the sky and even continued to directly push him out of the Heavenly Realm without losing momentum.
A fall from 10,000 meters above the sky.
After this tremendous fall, Nodiesop once again fell into an ocean. Only this time, it was the ocean on the continent instead of the one in the Heavenly Realm.
He was probably the first being in existence to sink to the bottom of two oceans in quick succession.
Lukas took a deep breath and turned to look at the Priestess. Then, after calming his shaking body, he opened his mouth.
I didnt need the help.
Right. It looked pretty dangerous to me.
Youve lifted the barriers surrounding the entirety of the Heavenly Realm, not just the ones around Dragon God Island. Is this your true power?
Right.
Lukas sighed softly.
Nodiesop wouldnt die from something like that. Your power is considerable, but he probably didnt suffer much damage from your attack. Hes hurt, and he will want to vent his anger. This time, he might actually try to bring down this entire continent.
Im sure youll think of a solution for this, Lukas Trowman.
Lukas expression became cold at those words.
You speak as if you know me well.
Of course, I know you well. Ive probably heard about you thousands, no, tens of thousands of times.
Did you talk to Arid?
No. To your first disciple.
Ha-rin Min Ha-rin was definitely not relaxed enough to have such a long conversation with you.
In addition, they had only been in close contact with each other for around a week. They might not have even gotten the chance to talk a few times, let alone a few thousand.
The Priestess burst into laughter at that moment.
Hey. Shell get sad if you say something like that. Or did I say it wrong?
What?
Have you already forgotten? The first disciple you ever had.
The eyes of Lukas, who had been looking at the Priestess carefully, gradually began to widen.
No way
I am the source of every Dragon in the entire multiverse. All Dragon races are just branches that stem from me. And when any member of the Dragon Race dies, even if it might take a bit of time, their souls will cross time, dimensions, and universes before eventually returning to me.
But that child was only a half. Sarch* The N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
The Priestess simply smiled at him.
Then her hair slowly became green.
Their gazes were locked together.
The Priestess, who had now had green hair, looked at Lukas with an indescribable expression in her eyes.
A-, ahaha.
The slightly shy laugh was very familiar to him.
I didnt want our reunion to be like this, but
Still, its nice to see you again.
She was.
That child whod become the leader of a secret organisation even when she was clearly not ready for such a role.
However, she was a child with one of the most wonderful, noble, and beautiful personalities that Lukas had ever encountered.
At the same time, she was the child that had remained as lingering resentment in his heart.
Because, in the end, she was the one he didnt manage to save.
They didnt have the time.
He also knew that this wasnt the right time for this.
Nevertheless, Lukas was so moved that, for a moment, he forgot how to speak.
Hed never thought about a reunion.
Lukas had never thought too deeply about reuniting with anyone from his homeworld.
Because he knew how long and hard the road was. In a sense, it could be said that hed intentionally avoided thinking about it.
This was especially so after he met Kasajin again and witnessed his changes.
That fact made him even more speechless.????????????????????????? c????????
At that moment, the being standing in front of him was not someone who knew the Absolute Lukas, but the Great Mage Lukas.
Lukas called her name softly.
Beniang.
Book 2: Chapter 274
Book 2: Chapter 274 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
How have you been?
What exactly was the situation you were in right now?
Why had you become a part of the Seven Fanged Dragon God?
There were so many questions that he wanted to ask that even the word mountain wouldnt be enough to describe it.
Nevertheless, Lukas didnt ask any of them. He knew that they didnt have the time for such a conversation.
Beniang seemed unable to easily control her surging emotions, but she managed to guess Lukas intentions.
It was really really unfortunate.
This wasnt a situation that would allow them to enjoy their reunion.
That one attack depleted most of my power.
Beniang spoke in a calm tone. Inwardly, she was glad that her voice didnt waver.
It should have done some damage to Nodiesop, but it wasnt enough to kill him. At best, it would only be able to buy us some time.
Nodiesop had fallen from the Heavenly Realm to the continent below, and even at that moment, he was being pushed into the depths of the ocean.
Of course, it was impossible to drown a Water Spirit King that had become an Absolute, but the power contained in the Breath of the Rainbow wasnt just light.
It was clear that it would take some time for him to disperse the force of the attack and return to the Heavenly Realm.
Why did you do that?
I wanted to talk to you As for another method
Beniang spoke with a serious expression on her face.
Her words were vague, but Lukas understood what she was asking.
She seemed to know exactly what he had planned.
I dont have one.
Lukas replied with a faint smile. Sarch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
And I think you know that too.
He didnt know how Beniang had become the Seven Fanged Dragon God, but he was certain that it hadnt been for a short time.
It was even possible that the eons Lukas had experienced were nothing in comparison.
After such a passage of time, there was no way that this woman would lack inner maturity.
The current Beniang would understand. There was no choice but to make a sacrifice.
It can only be one of two things. Either I die alone, or everyone dies together. There are no other options.
there are other options.
You mean me being the only survivor?
He recalled the proposal the Priestess had made to him the first time they had officially met in the garden.
I became an Absolute for the sake of humans. I have no intentions of using their sacrifice to maintain or prolong my existence. Because that would be defeating the purpose No.
Lukas slowly shook his head.
That might just be trying to rationalise my thoughts.
He looked at Beniang.
At the face of the first disciple the Great Mage Lukas Trowman had ever accepted. (Note: Isnt her face the Priestess face?)
It was strange.
With her in front of him, it felt like he was able to see his twisted inner self more clearly.
Rationalise?
I promised the people of our homeworld that I would return. I told them that I would definitely return someday.
That was a statement made out of ignorance. After becoming an Absolute, I realised just how close to impossible it was.
Lukas slowly shook his head.
in the end, I started to feel defeated. I lost interest in the topic that I was most proud of. And Im not exactly sure when it happened, but my heart was broken.
After entering the Great World, he had been given a human body. The body had become intimately connected to his soul, and he regained the ability to feel emotions like a mortal.
That was when he was able to look at his situation more objectively.
Lukas realised that he had already been incredibly exhausted for a long time. But hed continued to suppress it. He deceived himself and acted like nothing happened.
This action had caused his exhaustion to gradually corrode his will from the inside. Very slowly, but surely, his mind was breaking down.
It was around the time that Nodiesop attacked. My thoughts at that time filled me with disgust.
Lukas hesitated for a moment, he didnt want to reveal such a disgraceful thing to his disciple. This was a common mindset of teachers.
Nevertheless, he opened his mouth a moment later.
I thought that I could finally rest
A Master who sacrifices himself for his disciples. Thats a good excuse, right? But what I was trying to do wasnt a noble sacrifice. It was nothing but a simple escape.
It was utterly irresponsible.
Lukas couldnt even face Beniang. This showed just how much his willpower had deteriorated.
If one of the Rulers goals was to completely destroy Lukas, then it was about to be accomplished brilliantly.
Thats not true.
A clear voice sounded out.
Lukas slowly raised his head. Then he saw the bright eyes staring back at him.
Anyone who knew even a fraction of what Master had been through all these years would never think of the word escape.
I heard about Argento Spell.
A gentle smile spread across Beniangs lips.
It really made me happy. Because it showed that Master still hadnt forgotten about me even after all this time. You still remembered me. That was what I thought
She meant it.
She knew just how much time had passed.
Memories of their homeworld were something that Absolutes rarely paid attention to. Everything that they had experienced at that time was no longer bitter memories that made their hearts flutter, instead, they were simply processed as information before being stored in some random corner of their mind.
But Lukas.
He didnt do that.
If that were the case then there was no way hed name an organisation Argento Spell.
She knew how hard it was.
Master valued a past relationship that much. Even a disappointing disciple like me wasnt forgotten Even after countless eons, you still hadnt abandoned humanity. I know that living such a life was worse than any form of punishment or torture.
She knew the fundamental reason why Absolutes emotions became diluted over time.
It was because they couldnt stand to have a soft hearted attitude and deal with every trivial thing.
If they did, then their minds would collapse or they would simply go insane after saving only a few universes.
But Lukas confronted that belief head on.
He never abandoned his identity as a human even after saving countless universes. Countless humans.
He endured mental fatigue and suffering while holding all of his guilt inside.
as a being who knows a bit about your life, as a being with half human blood, and above all, as a disciple who received your grace and care in the past, there is something that Ive always wanted to say to you.
Beniang bowed to him.
Thank you.
!
Lukas eyes widened when he heard those words. His entire body shook as if hed been struck by lightning.
-Somehow.
He was reminded of the time hed comforted her in a dark desert night.
It is something Ive wanted to say for a long time. Thank you so much.
This time, the roles were reversed.
This time, it was Lukas, not Beniang, who was breaking down from exhaustion. And it was Beniang, not Lukas, who was caring for the others weak mind and body.
you.
Lukas voice seemed to have a bit of airiness mixed into it.0
Youre telling me the thing I wanted to hear most right now.
Beniang smiled faintly.
I respect your choice, Master. I wont try to stop you. No, there is no human in the entire multiverse who has the right to stop you.
The Absolute, who had fought for humans for an eternity, was now about to die for humans.
He intended to close his eyes and call the eternity that he would experience after his extinction a break.
There was no human being in existence that had the right to block his sacred rest. (Note: Iris would disagree)
Beniang also conveyed her inner thoughts to Lukas.
He was thankful.
His first disciple, who used to cry about trivial things in the past, had grown up so beautifully. Shed grown to such an extent that she was even able to overlook her Masters pathetic greed.
Can I ask you to watch over those children? They are not going to know what to do for a while. And it will certainly be a painful time. But I want you to be the one to guide them.
if that is what Master wants.
Thank you.
Lukas closed his eyes.
Tears mixed with blood flowed down from his closed eyes.
Im happy to be reunited with you. I feel like I managed to receive the best gift at the end of my life.
Beniang kept smiling brightly.
She didnt want her face, which would be the last thing Lukas would remember, to be tearful, but she couldnt stop the two streams that started rolling down her cheeks.
Book 2: Chapter 275
Book 2: Chapter 275 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Why did you protect me?
Min Ha-rin stared at the sky with a blank look in her eyes.
She could barely see Lukas silhouette. And at some point, the roaring which sounded like heaven and earth were being torn asunder, also stopped.
Was the battle over?
Who won?
Did the teaching help?
Suddenly, she heard a voice from behind her.
When Min Ha-rin turned to look, she saw the Priestess standing there.
tea-, ching?
The teaching you received from Master.
I was taught by Master?
Do you not know what you received?
The Priestess voice gradually became sharper.
Although the method might have been a bit radical, what Master told you was the thing you needed to hear the most.
Min Ha-rins mind had been on the verge of shattering. Talking softly to someone in this state was no different from forcibly fixing a broken item after it had reached the end of its lifespan.
Thats why Lukas chose to directly shatter her mind. It was because he thought it would be better to start over from scratch.
Why do you think he used 9 star magic? He already had the means to deal with Nodiesop. Nevertheless, he continued to fight against him while only using magic. Havent you wondered why that was the case?
No. She hadnt. In fact, she hadnt really been thinking about anything, she couldnt.
Min Ha-rin looked at Beniang with a slightly dull gaze.
It was to show you. The fighting style of a Wizard who has reached the peak of magicology.
!
There was a difference between seeing and not seeing the true power of 9 stars at least once.
And this difference was incredibly large.
In the future, when you have reached 8 stars and are preparing to enter 9 stars, you will encounter the largest and most frustrating wall that you will ever experience in your entire life, and you will feel despair because of your lack of talent The memories you have gained today will guide you to the next step.
Her body couldnt stop shaking.
Min Ha-rin grabbed her hair roughly.
Ah uh ah????????????????????????? c????
Her thoughts were a mess.
Far too many things had happened too suddenly.
Still, there was a lingering question in her mind that she was able to voice.
Does he intend to die?
Beniang didnt answer this question. Instead, she just took a deep breath.
Do you know why I said those things to you?
Why
Because if I didnt, you would probably regret it for the rest of your life. If I didnt tell you that, you probably would have been able to grow stronger at an explosive rate. After all, malice has always been one of the greatest driving forces of growth since ancient times. However you definitely would have suffered tremendously during the process.
Beniang let out a bitter chuckle.
You can take it as the kindness of a senior. Min Ha-rin, is there anything you want to say to Master?
!
Kuk.
She bit her lip hard, her gaze returning to the sky.
She did have things she wanted to say. In fact, there was so much that she felt like she would burst.
But Lukas was too far away to hear her.
Paaht!
The Priestess waved her hand and Min Ha-rins body suddenly appeared in the sky.
There was no need for her to look around since she could see Lukas in front of her.
Master. Master.
He was still some distance away.
She didnt want to be late.
No, she couldnt be late.
She had already exceeded her limit, but she still roused the little mana still remaining in her body. Using the Fly spell, she approached Lukas.
The Priestess was right.
If she were to let Lukas just go now, she would definitely regret it for the rest of her life.
Master-!
She shouted as loudly as she could.
She saw Lukas look up at her in surprise.
The gaze he sent to her wasnt the same as before. Right. It had all been an act.
As soon as she realised that, tears poured down her face as if a dam had been opened.
Im sorry Im sorry Im so sorry! (Note: Somehow, I regret tling this while listening to Everything I do by Bryan Adams. T~T)
There were other things she wanted to say, but at that moment, her mind was a mess.
Min Ha-rin cried desperately and repeatedly apologized as if shed become a broken record.
Lukas eyes gradually closed, and a bitter smile spread across his lips.
Im probably the only one who didnt know. I was only thinking about my pain. I never thought about Masters pain. I Even till the end, I was
I was no different.
Lukas shook his head as he spoke.
I only thought from my own perspective I never thought that making you reliant on me might suppress your potential. If it wasnt for me, Im sure that you all would have become much more amazing beings. It feels like I forcefully replanted seedlings that would have grown into even taller trees if they were left alone.
No! Without Master, I, no, we would have been Sar?h the N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
I also thought that separating like this would boost your growth. But I didnt take into account the pain I would leave you with No. Maybe I just pretended to not know.
Lukas smiled faintly.
I was only aiming for efficiency. This is a bad habit that most Wizards have, so I hope you dont become like this as well.
Again Even in this situation, he was still giving her advice.
Right. Lukas hadnt changed.
It was Min Ha-rin who had changed.
She was the one who had become pathetic.
I dont want to separate now.
Like a child, Min Ha-rin cried even harder.
I want to stay with you a while longer.
Our parting was determined from the moment we met. Whether it happened sooner or later, we were bound to be separated at some point. That is a providence that not even God can change.
I know that! But our parting could still be postponed for a while longer! If I, if only I were stronger
That might have been possible if you were strong enough to defeat Nodiesop. But do you really think thats possible? Do you think you could defeat an Absolute who has lived tens of thousands of years more than you have?
Then, then do you just want me to accept fate?
Min Ha-rin covered her face as she shouted.
I, I dont want to get used to parting!
Lukas remained silent for a while. Then, he slowly approached Min Ha-rin and wrapped his arms around her.
She sank into his soft embrace. A feeling that she wished could last forever.
Im not telling you to get used to it. Im telling you to be strong. Youre still young. So you will experience many partings in your life. Are you going to collapse and cry every time?
h-, huk.
Stop being a baby. Its time to be mature. Someday, you will also have to leave someone. Someday you will also want to rest. I have lived far longer than a human can handle.
The desire to stop him from leaving welled up inside her.
However, Min Ha-rin knew just how selfish that thought was.
Can I be greedy one last time?
Yes.
Can you see me off with a smile?
It was a difficult request, but Min Ha-rin gave in to his request. With a tearful smile, she looked up at him.
Im really glad I got to meet Master.
Right.
Im sure everyone else thinks so too.
Thanks.
Youve been through a lot and you deserve to rest.
I will never forget you. Please-
Min Ha-rin stopped talking.
At some point, she stopped receiving responses, and after a while, she felt the warm presence disappear.
The cold air hit her chest hard.
She didnt want to raise her head. Still, she forced herself to straighten up and look straight ahead.0
Lukas was no longer there.
Please rest in peace
As she said that, Min Ha-rin collapsed.
Instead of the end of her sentence, the only thing that could be heard was loud crying.
Book 2: Chapter 276
Book 2: Chapter 276 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Thousands of meters below the surface of the ocean.
In a place where the water pressure was so strong that it wouldnt be strange for a human to be crushed in an instant.
Nodiesops descent finally began to slow down.
After feeling the force that pressed down on him taper off, Nodiesop straightened up before looking around.
All he could see was complete darkness.
In fact, it was a bit silly to say all he could see, since there was no place in the world that would be darker than this.
This was a world of complete and utter darkness, where not even a single ray of sunlight could reach.0
Darkness was one of the greatest stimuli of human fear. But Nodiesop wasnt afraid.
This wasnt because he wasnt human in the first place, or because he was an Absolute.
It was because this was an ocean.
For him, a place like this was no different from home.
In the first place, the reason he was able to stop so soon was because hed borrowed the power of the ocean. Otherwise, he would have ended up embedded in the very crust of the planet. Sar?h the N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
so that is the power of the Seven Fanged Dragon God.
He finally had an understanding of just how weak she had become. Compared to her, the restrictions that had been placed on Nodiesop couldnt even be called restrictions.
About 1/82,000th of her prime.
That was the most power the Priestess was capable of exerting in her current situation.
The seven fangs could be considered the symbols of the Seven Fanged Dragon God.
They were the vessels that contained the souls of the Absolutes who stood at the peak of the multiverse in the past.
According to the Sun Giant, the Dragon God had said that every tooth it lost meant that its strength decreased by 1/7th.
And it could be said that the Priestess had lost six of her teeth.
How terrifying.
If shed managed to recover even two of her fangs, then Nodiesop would not have been her opponent.
By his calculations, if she had managed to recover three, then she would have been 40 times stronger than she was now. And if she got four, she would be 7 times stronger than that
Her condition isnt stable.
Whether she liked it or not, in order to exist as the Seven Fanged Dragon God, she would need to have seven personalities. This was a part of the Seven Fanged Dragon Gods identity.
So after becoming the Priestess, she would have gathered the required souls as quickly as possible. Shed probably chosen the best souls that were available to her at that point.
Nevertheless, the souls within the Priestess were beings that could only vaguely be considered Absolutes.
After all, there was no way the Priestess could contain the souls of seven Absolutes in her current state.
This didnt mean that her abilities were lacking. It was just the reality.
The weakened Priestess was no match for Nodiesop.
This was proven by the fact that she was unable to kill him with her sudden attack. She didnt even give him a proper injury.
the injuries on my neck and stomach have also healed.
This was possible because the Priestess had lifted the restrictions around the Heavenly Realm.
Now, Nodiesop had regained most of his power.
Swoosh!
He shot upwards, going from thousands of meters below the ocean to the surface in an instant. It was a magical sight, like a Dragon soaring to the heavens. But in truth, he was a murderer who was going to kill a Dragon.
Nodiesop shot out of the ocean and reached the sky above the continent in the blink of an eye. And above him, he could see the hole in the Heavenly Realm that hed come from. He entered the hole once again, this time going in the opposite direction.
He was once again submerged in the heavenly ocean of the continent floating in the sky, but it didnt take him long to pierce the surface of that as well.
Less than a minute after breaking free from the force sending him downwards, hed once again pierced through two oceans before returning from whence he came. And waiting for him there was Lukas.
The Priestess was nowhere to be seen.
Lukas was the only one there.
It was strange.
Nodiesop stared at Lukas. The difference in power between them was obvious. In fact, it was so large that it couldnt even be described in words.
No matter what he did, it was impossible for Lukas to defeat Nodiesop.
No.
This wasnt the first time. From the time Lukas appeared, no, even further back. From the first time theyd met each other on Earth, this man had never been a match for Nodiesop.
Hed had many chances to beat him and even more chances to kill him.
And yet.
Nodiesop had yet to do so.
Of course, there was always a different reason for this.
Rapidly changing situations, unexpected situations, interference from a third party, and his own choice
But in the end, those were all just excuses, petty excuses.
As an Absolute, he should have completed his objective while ignoring the obstacles.
But now, he couldnt help but acknowledge this man to an extent.
Thats why he couldnt help but think again.
It was strange.
At that moment, Lukas seemed to be completely detached. His face was calm and indifferent as if he had already put everything down, as if his fighting spirit had already disappeared.
Do you intend to just accept death?????n????r????????????. c????????
Although he asked this, Nodiesop inwardly denied the possibility of this being true. He didnt think this stubborn man would accept such a futile end.
However, considering his attitude and the current situation, he couldnt think of any other possibilities.
What would you do if that was the case? Do you have any thoughts of leaving after killing me?
Of course not. The first thing Ill do after killing you is erase everyone connected to you.
Then?
Sink this entire continent.
That would cause an unprecedented catastrophe on a planetary scale.
It certainly would be unprecedented in this world. But its nothing strange for me. Its not just out of spite. By sinking this place, it will be much easier to find Letip and the Demon King, who are looking for the other statues down there.
I see.
By not bringing anyone from Earth, Nodiesop was able to receive the advantage of being able to use his power sooner than the others.
On the other hand, Lukas, Kasajin, and Letip were still under many restrictions.
For him, it was a race against time.
He wanted to finish everything before the other Absolutes managed to regain their strength, while they were still as weak as possible.
If the floating continent fell to the ground, it would almost certainly cause an enormous tsunami to occur.
The scale would be so large that even Lukas couldnt predict the outcome.
Most of the land would be submerged, and water was the substance that could be called Nodiesops origin. While it was true that it wouldnt help him find Kasajin and Letips specific locations, he would still be able to narrow it down to some extent.
From Nodiesops perspective, it was the smoothest and most natural first step towards his goals.
Lukas shook his head slowly.
Surprisingly, even though he was about to die, there wasnt the slightest bit of agitation in his heart.
His mind and body were as calm as the mirror-like surface of a tranquil lake.
Nodiesop.
What is it?
Lets go together.
what?
Just as Nodiesop frowned.
Darkness suddenly engulfed the entire area.
(Note: The explanation of the Priestess situation makes me wonder if shes a seed of the Seven Fanged Dragon God. Especially since she had to find her own souls. And if that is the case, then are the other fangs also seeds? Though I doubt it since Nodiesop already obtained a statue and there was no mention of it. Would be an interesting concept though.)
Book 2: Chapter 277
Book 2: Chapter 277 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Where was this?
Nodiesop couldnt help but wonder as he looked around.
It seemed that he had been transported to a completely black space.
It was even darker than the place thousands of meters below the surface of the ocean where hed been pushed to previously.
It was like a space where nothing seemed to exist, not even light.
Lukas Trowman
What the hell did he do to him?
He grit his teeth.
Darkness had suddenly surrounded his body without any warning.
When the darkness had first appeared, his first reaction was to cover his body in external force, but the darkness didnt have any offensive power.
In this way, Nodiesop was consumed by the great wave of darkness.
And when he opened his eyes, he found himself in this place.
0
Was there a place like this in this [field].
Tap, tap-
After an unknown amount of time, the sound of footsteps resounded in the dark space.
Lukas had finally made an appearance.
In this dark space, his face looked exceptionally pale.
No. It wasnt just pale.
It was as though a subtle glow suffused his entire body.
That didnt seem to be mana.
Where did you take me?
A place without water.
Nodiesop couldnt help but look around a bit when he heard those words.
There truly was no water in this place.
No, there wasnt even any air there.
There was literally nothing.
It was an empty world where only two things existed,
Nodiesop and Lukas.
Ha.
Nodiesop couldnt even laugh.
A last resort. Nothing but a last resort
Did he intend to toss around until the very end? Was that why he brought him to a place without water?
If this is your last resort, then I cant help but be disappointed.
Did you think youd be at an advantage just because there was no water here? Is this the method that you came up with?
As he said this, Nodiesop waved his arm.
Swoosh-
And in an instant, his arm transformed into water.
I am water. It seems that you have already forgotten. There are no longer any restrictions on me.
Open your eyes and take a good look. In front of you is the full strength and dignity of an Absolute. You should understand by now. The moment the Priestess attack didnt kill me was the moment the ending in this fight was set in stone.
Your defeat is the only thing that has been set in stone, Nodiesop, the Spirit King who abandoned humanity.
Nodiesop furrowed his eyebrows.
Even after reaching this point, his tongue was still wagging like before.
Now, he looked comical, ridiculous, and disgraceful.
Youre not even worth arguing with.
Droplets of water slid down his liquefied arm before floating in front of him.????????n????????????d. ????????m
He shook his hand.
Swoosh-
The thousands of water droplets of water changed their shape, becoming sharp spears that were all aimed at Lukas.
Each of those spears contained enough power to destroy an entire planet.
Nodiesop raised his eyes to look at Lukas.
In his current state, it would be impossible for him to block or dodge this attack.
Goodbye.
With one last gesture, the spears shot towards Lukas body.
In an instant, they would turn him into a sieve before the ferocious spears of water completely destroyed his body without leaving even a single piece of skin or flesh remaining.
Or at least, that should have been the case.
[Disappear].
With that one word, the spears of water vanished in thin air.
Huh?
[Kneel].
Thud!
!
He immediately felt a sharp pain in his knees. Nodiesops eyes went wide.
He wasnt sure what had just happened.
It was as though the things that had just occurred surpassed his cognitive ability.
A-, uh?
It took him a while before he understood the situation.
The water that hed created had disappeared as if it had evaporated, and he was now looking up at Lukas while on his knees.
His body couldnt move. He couldnt even blink his eyes.
It was as if hed completely lost control of his own body.
Wh-, what the hell
Endtongue.
Lukas indifferently looked down at him.
Whats wrong? Your face looked like that was what you wanted to ask, so I gave you an answer. Thats the name of the authority I used. (Note: Authority is the power the Demigods had. But another word for power is being used as well, Ill just separate them Even though its a bit late.)
Did y-, you say au-, thority?
Right.
Thats im-, possible! Th-, there is no way! With that body thats close to being destroyed! With your power restricted! Even if you use your transcendent body as fuel, its not possible!
I dont need to worry about that. It seems you havent realised it yet. This is no longer the [field] that was created by the Rulers. This is a completely different world
What did you say?
Another world?
Did he just say another world?
Nodiesops eyes went wide.
Quit your bullsh*t! Are you trying to say that you, a bastard like you, has the power to create a personal space-!
Water began to drip from his body.
The falling droplets came together once again to take the form of a water giant.
Giant of Annihilation.
It was needless to say that this technique, which was obviously inspired by the Sun Giant, was Nodiesop trump card.
The giant that he created had the power to destroy an entire universe with a single attack.
Nevertheless, Lukas expression remained calm.
In this world, I can change the concepts as I wish. I can make fire freeze, earth soft, wind hard, and water
Fwoosh.
Burn.
What? Guaah!
Nodiesop screamed.
The Giant of Annihilation that he had created began to burn. Raging flames swept across its entire body before it soon began to consume Nodiesops body.
This What the hell was this?
The water was burning his entire body.
How was something like this possible?
Change the concepts?
That was impossible! There was no way that such a thing was possible!
Y-, you did you really create this world? Does that mean you really have the authority of creation that only very few Absolutes have?!
Nodiesop shouted in a broken voice.
Space creation. Personal Space.
Absolutes with this authority were incredibly rare.
No, even calling it rare was a severe under-exaggeration.
At the very least, Nodiesop had never met an Absolute who had that authority except for the Rulers.
Of course, there had been rumors that Lukas had this authority, but Nodiesop had never believed it.
Its not my authority.
Lukas muttered in a low voice.
This power belonged to my greatest and worst enemy. The being who God loved the most. The being who was the closest to God. If he had headed in the right direction, and if he had enough time He was a being that probably would have become another Ruler.
Another name he had was The One closest to God, Michael.
Lukas had only realised after becoming an Absolute himself. No other Absolute had such a name. Even the four Rulers who stood at the very peak of existence were no exception to this fact.
There was only one being in the entire multiverse that had been given that name.
There was only one Lord.
S-, s-, st-, stop talking nonsense-!
As he shouted, Nodiesop tried to raise his external force. But it was strange.
His external force was escaping as if there were holes all over his body.
A-, a-, ahhh
It It was strange. It was the first time in his entire life that hed experienced a situation that managed to disturb his mind.
This strange, unidentified space was slowly causing Nodiesop to fear the unknown.
Fear?
I, an Absolute, am feeling fear?
It felt like he had been punched in the gut.
Weakness, helplessness, fear.
He couldnt stop his external force from leaking.
His body and mind No.
It felt like his very existence was beginning to disappear.
His consciousness gradually began to fade.
I didnt tell you the name of this place yet, did I? This place and I had a pretty bad relationship for 4000 years, nevertheless Welcome.
Lukas whisper was the only thing he could hear.
To the neverending hell. Welcome to the Abyss.
* * *
Ahhhhh!
Nodiesop called upon his external force once again.
His body also began to gradually grow darker.
His condition became similar to the way Lukas was before. He was using his transcendent body to fuel his external force.
But it was pointless.
Crack.
The external force that flowed out was suddenly devoured by a set of jaws that appeared in the air.
Nodiesop couldnt help but watch this scene with wide eyes. No, to be exact, he could only watch.
Lukas Trowman didnt move. He only stood there like a statue, silently looking at Nodiesop. However, that only served to increase the fear Nodiesop was feeling at that moment.
He couldnt find a way to break free from this predicament.
He couldnt think of a way to win.
All of the dark space around him was his opponents territory. sea??h th N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Blegh!
He vomited up something like seawater.
This was the so-called essence that formed the very source of Nodiesops existence. And immediately afterwards, his body became soft like jelly.
He no longer had enough power to maintain the shape of his body.
what the hell is wrong with you
A low murmur came from him.
His annihilation had already become a fact, and not even God would be able to stop it now.
If you had a power like this, then why
Nodiesop didnt get the chance to finish his question.
Gurgle-
His entire body melted like a candle in front of a raging flame.
And after a brief moment, only a soft and sticky liquid that used to be Nodiesop floated in the black space. But it didnt take very long before that too disappeared, vanishing in the air as if it had evaporated.
Nodiesop was dead.
The Absolute who had once driven him into a corner, threatened him and tormented him was dead.
Nevertheless, Lukas didnt feel any sense of accomplishment.
You want to know why I didnt use this power all this time?
Lukas continued the question Nodiesop hadnt been able to finish.
The one that wanted the answer was dead, but he still felt the need to answer it.
Its because Im not confident that I can completely control this power For example, its impossible for me to leave this place on my own.
In order to leave this world, he would need the coordinates for the outside world, a complete understanding of Lords power, a certain amount of external force, and a mind and body capable of withstanding the inter-universal movement.
Among that group of conditions, there was not a single one that Lukas was capable of satisfying.
That was the very reason why he chose this world to be his tomb.
Lukas quietly laid down in the darkness.
Psss
His body slowly began to crumble. Although the form was different, it was the same premonition of annihilation that Nodiesop had experienced.
This is my end.
He calmly accepted this fact.
Hed already made up his mind about it.
The only thing he regretted was that he couldnt keep his promise.
I hope you can understand.
He closed his eyes while muttering those pathetic, selfish words.
The urge to sleep descended on his mind, and Lukas didnt fight it.
Gradually, his consciousness began to fade.
The Abyss.
This empty world of darkness had become the perfect tomb for Lukas.
The first sweet rest he was allowing himself to have.
His mind and body gradually relaxed. And the Abyss would never tolerate such indolence.
The darkness began encroaching on his fingers and toes. And after a short while, his entire body became covered by it.
This wasnt unpleasant. In fact, it was warm as if he was being covered by a warm blanket.
Dang
Then he heard a strange sound.
It was a clear sound, like a coin falling on the ground.
What was the sound? Where did it come from?
He didnt know. But he was no longer curious.
Lukas Trowman ignored the questions in his mind and fell into a deep sleep.
Book 2: Chapter 278
Book 2: Chapter 278 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Four huge thrones sat in the center of a certain universe.
A voice echoed from the golden throne.
[I never would have expected this result.]
The Thunderous Lightning God was the one to break the silence. His voice spread across the entirety of the dark universe, and it seemed to carry a hint of irritation within it.
The Lightning God might have spoken lightly, but the reality of his words was anything but.
Rulers usually took most of the possibilities they could imagine into account when they encountered something. But their concept of most was generally different from that of others.
After all, it was possible for a mere mortal to imagine hundreds of thousands of possibilities into account and select the most probable ones from the group.
For a Ruler, this was something they could do without even thinking too deeply about it.
And the thing that had just happened was one of the possibilities that even the Lightning God thought had an extremely low chance of happening.
[Is Nodiesop completely dead?]
The Sun Giant answered the Lightning Gods question.
[I can no longer sense his presence in the multiverse. Its as if he disappeared into the imaginary world.]
[]
The imaginary world.
A place filled with mysteries that even Rulers were unable to rule over.
Naturally, the Rulers found the existence of such a place extremely unpleasant. It was to the extent that the Lightning God became displeased just by the simple fact that the Sun Giant mentioned the imaginary world in the first place.
[First of all, it seems like Ive lost these qualifiers. So Ill accept the results. Notify me later if the situation changes.]
After saying this in his unique blunt tone, the Sun Giant directly left.
Now, the only beings that existed in that universe were the Lightning God and the Demon God. It was at that moment that the Demon God finally opened his mouth for the first time.
[the Dragon God is still in that world.]
[Are you going to order Kasajin to put an end to her?]
[Thats not necessary. It wouldnt necessarily be a bad thing for us if she becomes a Ruler again.]
[Its an absurdly slim chance. Even if she became a Ruler again, I wonder if shell regain her old prestige.]
In the first place, it was an unprecedented situation for a Ruler to lose their position in the first place. Even if she was to regain her strength, it was impossible to say whether she would regain her former power.
After all, even if a broken jar is repaired, the traces of the cracks would not disappear.????????????????????????. ?????????
[Even so, wouldnt she be better than most Absolutes?]
[We dont need a stronger Absolute.]
The Lightning God responded in a slightly irritable tone.
The Demon God was silent for a while before finally opening his mouth.
[It seems you had higher expectations of Lukas Trowman than I initially thought.]
[Is that how it looks?]
[Dont pretend to be innocent. I would have thought that you would place your highest expectations on Letip.]
[]
[I do admit that he is quite strange for an Absolute. However, we all know how contradictory of an Absolute he is.]
An absolute with emotions was a very precarious being.
It was like a mind that could collapse at any moment. Of course, Lukas mental power was so high that there was no precedent among the Absolutes. If it wasnt for his mental power, he would have been ruined long ago.
[Thats exactly what I was hoping for. I was wondering what type of person he would become if he managed to overcome that contradiction.]
[That sounds like a step backwards instead of a step forward. That man was going to disappear eventually. Unfortunately, it was only the annihilation of Nodiesop that allowed it to happen.]
In the end, this end was decided from the moment Lukas decided to not put aside his feelings.
If he had become a Ruler, it was possible that he could have postponed this, but the Demon God still couldnt accept the Lightning Gods suggestion.
[Now what? Will you change your plan?]
[It seems that some form of correction is necessary.]
The Lightning God looked across the universe.
Some mortals considered the universe itself to be a divine being. Compared to the vastness of the universe, they thought that their existence was no different from a speck of dust.
For them, this was a natural idea.
However, to Absolutes, especially the Rulers, such a thought was incredibly strange. This was because there was nothing in the universe that they couldnt know.
So in a sense.
The unknown could be considered something that even Rulers feared.
* * *
Is something wrong?
A woman spoke as she spun around like a dancer.
Your face is stuck in disbelief. Is it that you dont believe what the Demon God said?
Kasajin cast an indifferent gaze towards the woman before speaking in a cold voice.
[I only believe what I see with my own two eyes. Even the Black Horned Demon God cannot change that fact.]
Thats not someone who only lives because of his grace should say.
The woman chuckled.
I think youre just denying reality. Whats with the attitude? Whats wrong? Are you upset that your rival died- Sarch* The N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
[Shut up.]
Kasajin reached out a hand and picked the woman up by her slender neck.
Kuk.
It was clear that with even the slightest bit of force, the womans pale neck would be crushed without resistance.
Kasajins eyes burned red, but the woman simply smiled at him.
Even though she was struggling to breathe, she still opened her mouth to speak.
Hu huhu I didnt think you still had any emotion left in you.
[]
As expected. How interesting. You
Kasajin let the woman go before she could finish her sentence.
The woman fell to the ground, gasping for breath.
Did you see it for yourself?
0
What?
[Lukas transcendent body being shaved away, and his soul trembling in anxiety just before it was destroyed. Im asking if you saw it with your own eyes.]
I dont need to. The Rulers are all convinced that hes dead.
[I see.]
Kasajin clicked his tongue.
[Stop trying me, Ringo. You have work to do.
Ah. But its scattered all over the place. First, Ill need to kill our cute little Krans mental strength a bit more. Now is the best time since the Priestess barrier has weakened.
With a slight bounce in her step, the woman, Ringo, left the room.
Soon after, Kasajin, who was left alone in the hall, slowly closed his eyes while cupping his chin in his hand.
[You definitely wouldnt let me down. As always So answer me. Where are you now?]
With his eyes closed, Kasajin shook his head.
[Go ahead and prove to me that you really are Lukas Trowman.]
Book 2: Chapter 279
Book 2: Chapter 279 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Crack
Hah
Min Ha-rin let out a long sigh.
The ice around Dragon God Island suddenly began to melt, and the tsunami that hung above their heads slowly receded. Of course, this was not a natural phenomenon.
It was the priestess.
She was creating the barriers again.
Nodiesop?
Dead.
The way the Priestess responded had changed once again. She now spoke in a cold voice. The hair that had gotten wet and stuck to her cheeks had also become blue.
Min Ha-rin opened her mouth for a while before closing it again.
She forcefully swallowed the words that threatened to climb up her throat and out her mouth.
It was short, but the conversation they had was something she would never forget for her entire life.
Her masters decision had been sad and painful, but she couldnt help but understand it in her heart.
She didnt want to mention him just yet. It felt like just saying his name would rip her heart to shreds.
She looked around.
Dragon God Island had changed into a very miserable form, but it was the people who lived on Dragon God Island that were the most miserable.
How hadnt she seen this before?
She had her eyes open, but she had been no different from a blind person.
Lukas was right.
Shed been so focused on the things shed lost that shed completely lost sight of the things that really mattered. Sarch* The N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
She would make sure that never happened again.
Why
Staggering, Sedi got up from her seat.
are you the only ones here? Where is Father?
It wasnt just Sedi.
Arid and Leo were also looking at them.
Min Ha-rin tried to speak in the calmest voice she could muster.
He passed away.
What?
It is something he wanted for a long time, and it was his own will. Even if I am his disciple, I have no right to stop him from doing what he wants.
You What the hell are you talking about?
Sedi growled in a low tone. She appeared in front of Min Ha-rin in an instant and pulled her down by her collar so that they were face to face.
Close enough to feel each others breath.
Their eyes staring directly into the others.
dont try to beat around the bush, tell me straight. What happened to Father?
Her anger was obvious in her voice.
She knew what Sedi was like.
The answer she wanted was the firm truth. But Min Ha-rin could guess what her reaction would be when she heard the truth.
Nevertheless, she still had to say it.
Because Min Ha-rin.
As the only one who saw Lukas last moment, it was her duty to tell the others what shed seen.
Hes dead.
Sedis eyes went wide. Her lips twitched back and forth as if she was holding something back.
dead?
Yeah.
And you just left him alone?
Answer me. If you were watching from the side, you should have been able to stop him somehow.
there was no other way. If Master didnt stop Nodiesop, everyone would have died.
Demonic energy erupted from Sedis body at those words.
She knew.
Sedi wasnt Lukas disciple. Although the father-daughter relationship had only been decided verbally, she didnt intend to downplay their relationship as superficial.
Therefore, unlike a disciple, his daughter would not be able to accept his death, regardless of the reason.
You promised me when Father fell unconscious. You said that we would protect him this time. You said that you would definitely even if it meant risking your lives, didnt you?
Answer me!
Sedis voice was infused with demonic energy.
She used to be an Absolute.
So she understood Lukas determination and sacrifice better than any of them.
Min Ha-rin also knew this, so she found it hard to open her mouth.
Ha.
Sedi let out a short laugh. Her lips were twisted in a way that showed that she might cry at any moment.
Her head dropped and her small fists trembled.
She knew how strong she was. But at that moment, Sedi looked as delicate as a cat that had been soaked by the rain.
right. You guys survived. Its fine since he saved your lives.
I dont think so.
Shut. Your. Mouth.
Sedi raised her head again, and the rage and hatred within her eyes surprised Min Ha-rin for a second.
I cant accept this.
After saying that, Sedi turned around without hesitation.
Where are you going?
To bring my Father back to life.
thats impossible.
If you say one more word, I will kill you.
Her voice was so laced with killing intent that it caused chills to go down Min Ha-rins spine.
Sedi grit her teeth as she continued.
If Father is really dead, then theres no reason for me to stick around with you. From this moment on, you and I have no relationship, so dont act like were close.
After saying those words, Sedi disappeared.
No one there could stop her from leaving.
Min Ha-rin was heartbroken.
From the start, no.
It hadnt even started yet and there was already discord in their group.
Is Master really
Ahah
Leo and Arid still had yet to regain their bearings.
So it would be up to Min Ha-rin to care for them and lead them.
I wont give up.
She would continue Lukas wish.
Win the qualifiers, return to Earth, expel all the Demons, and make sure the name Argento Spell was known by the entire world.
And she also wanted to hold a funeral for Lukas. It might not seem possible now, but she hoped that Sedi would be with them by then.
It would not be easy, and it would probably take a long time, but at least she had a clear goal.
She wont wander aimlessly any longer.
I will never forget.
She would never forget the kindness she received from him. She would prove herself to him.
So please rest well, Master.
You really worked hard.
Master.
* * *
Time passed.
A lot of time passed.
So why was he still existing.
ah.
Lukas spoke after a long time. It was amazing that he even had a voice in the first place. No, maybe he was only thinking that hed made a sound.
Lukas.
Hed chosen to make the Abyss his tomb.
Hed prepared to be annihilated there and that is exactly what should have happened.
But like his body, which was still floating uncorrupted in space, his mind still remained conscious.
Why why havent I disappeared yet?
After aimlessly floating in this world, he should have already been assimilated by the darkness.
That was the end that Lukas hoped for and the end he should have met.
Even at that moment, half of his body and mind had been immersed in the darkness.
Nevertheless, Lukas still existed.
He was still able to think.
Raising a hand, Lukas patted his body. And he realised a surprising fact.
The cracks were sealed. As if his wounds were being repaired.
Did I do this?
Lukas was the only thing that existed in the Abyss at that moment.
Other than Lukas, there was no one capable of healing his injuries, which led him to think about himself.
But he couldnt remember doing it.
Did I subconsciously heal my wounds?
Anger surged within him for a moment.
It was a clumsy response that couldnt even be called a temporary measure. At best, it would simply slow down his rate of annihilation.
Therefore, his anger was directed at none other than himself.
Wasnt he the one who said that he wanted to die? But now that hed finally reached the point of death, hed suddenly developed a desire for life? Did this mean that there were still some lingering regrets in his heart that even he had been unaware of?
Thats not possible.
Lukas was certain that his desire for death was sincere.
Even if it was subconscious, it was impossible for him to do such a thing like extending his life.
[Dont give up]
!
Suddenly, he heard a faint voice.
Lukas immediately knew who this voice belonged to.
[Never give up]
The voice grew louder and louder until it became a cry that rang in his ears.
[No matter what! I will never give up!]
It was a voice that was unfamiliar and familiar at the same time.
Lukas turned around.
Standing there was a man.
A blonde haired and blue eyed man was venting his feelings into the empty void.
Lukas couldnt help but call out the mans name.
Lukas
Lukas Trowman was standing there in front of him.
This wasnt a reflection of his current self, as if he was looking into a mirror.
Instead, this was the Lukas from the past.
To be precise, it was the Lukas who had been defeated by Lord and gotten his soul trapped in the Abyss.
What was this? Was it a mirage? Or was it a remnant memory of the past that remained in this world? Or perhaps it was some kind of phenomenon created by the external force that had been released into the world
Lukas stopped thinking about it.
Even when faced with an unknown phenomenon like this, there was no need to analyse it too deeply.
[Im afraid that I might give up!]
Throb.
That cry resonated in Lukas chest.
The voice of this man who hadnt given up became a sharp dagger that pierced into his chest.
He knew the reason but he pretended not to.
Instead, he just looked at Lukas again.
It was faint, but he remembered a bit about this time.
0
It was not long after hed first entered the Abyss.
In other words, a few millenia had to pass before this man would be able to escape from this place.
More importantly, this was something that the Lukas at that time would never know. He didnt know when or even if he would be able to escape, but he never gave up.
While looking at him, Lukas couldnt help but mutter.
How the hell did you endure that?
[-.]
It was at that moment that Lukas opened his mouth and muttered something.
It probably wasnt an answer to his question. Although it might seem like the present and past Lukas were existing in the same space, it was impossible for them to interact with each other.
Nevertheless, he didnt want to hear those words. Because he knew that as soon as he heard that voice, an uncontrollable change would begin to occur within him.
He was afraid of that.
Lukas covered his ears with both hands.
(Note: He didnt even get to rest for a chapter. But I like Lukas reaction at the end. It feels so human.)
Book 2: Chapter 280
Book 2: Chapter 280 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Despite his wishes, the other Lukas didnt disappear.
[I will definitely get out of here and kill all of you!]
In the past, Lukas wandered all over the Abyss, shouting at the top of his lungs.
Looking at him caused Lukas to remember his past.
It was in this place that hed learned to not give up. In order to not be broken, he kept thinking about the future.
Although his escape still seemed to be a ways off and there was nothing he could do now, he kept thinking about later instead of now.
On the other hand.
What about the current Lukas?
Although his existence was slowly disappearing, wasnt he still in a better situation than when he was trapped in the Abyss?
Why do you want to give up?
It felt like the Lukas of the past was asking him that question.
With his ears covered, Lukas closed his eyes next.
* * *
The Absolute Lukas and the Great Mage Lukas.
There was no need to analyse which one of them was stronger.
0
However, which one of them had stronger willpower?
In general, it would be the Absolute who had more willpower.
But at that moment
Lukas, who was looking at his past self, didnt feel like that was true.
[I will not die! You should have ended me directly, Lord!]
It was as unsightly as it was beautiful, even though there was no hope, he refused to give up. A man struggling against fate.
Seeing this man forced a thought into his head.
Was he better than his current self?
Past Lukas muttered.
[I still have work to do.]
He knew that.
He knew it, but it was too hard.
He was so tired.
[I wont pass my responsibility on to someone else. Never.]
Thats what hed said.
But he hadnt thought it would be this hard.
It felt like his mind was being ripped apart every second.
Thats why he thought it would be easier to just die, rather than suffer thousands of times a day.
[Thoughts of the weak.]
What do you know?
Do you even know the life Ive lived until now?
Have you ever felt the weight that Ive had to carry?
[I know. Ive felt it.]
Right. Thats right
Because you are me.
Therefore you could be more considerate of me.
You are the only person that can truly understand me.
Ive been running for such a long time without ever taking a break.
So even if its just a little, it will be fine.
I just want to rest.
[But I wont give up. Darkness in my heart, dont try to sway me any longer.]
Lukas was speechless.
It was only at that moment that he realised.
That was the way he looked to the Past Lukas.
You why wont you just give up?
For the first time, Lukas spoke directly to Lukas.
And the answer came back immediately.
[Because I still have work to do.]
Arent you really tired?
[Even so, it is not yet the time for me to rest.]
You have already saved many people. Even if you were to give up now and rest, no one would blame you.
Lukas knew that those last words were not directed towards Past Lukas, but were an excuse for his current self.
At that moment, Lukas let out a laugh and said.
[I dont care what other people think.]
what?
Lukas turned to look at him.
He was looking directly into his eyes.
It gave him goosebumps.
Was this Lukas really a mirage or a remnant memory?
[If I give up here, I will disappoint myself. I hate that. Because Ive always cared about my own thoughts the most.]
!
[So I dont want to give up. I wont give up. Because I dont want to disappoint myself.]
Lukas closed his eyes.
It might sound strange, but he could not look directly at Past Lukas.
how can you shine so brightly?
[Does it look like Im shining?]
Lukas let out a laugh.
[You should know better than anyone else what it was really like when I was trapped here.]
.
Lukas took a deep breath.
ah.
Suddenly, Lukas Trowman realised.
The outer appearance of Lukas was all a bluff. At that time, he had been incredibly anxious. He was so terrified that it took all of his willpower to not curl into a ball and tremble with fear.
Contrary to his proud appearance, his insides were burning black.
What if I can never leave this place?
Would I have to spend the rest of my existence here? Neither living nor dying?
What I successfully escaped but the outside world has already been destroyed?
Thoughts like this appeared in his mind thousands and tens of thousands of times a day.
Nevertheless, he never showed any of it on the outside. He was patient.
No.
Instead, it should be said that he was desperately trying to conquer his fear.
Without fear, there couldnt be courage.
By knowing your fear, you would be able to take a large step to not being conquered by it.
Ah
Memories of his past continuously flowed in his mind, and it felt like something hed forgotten was slowly refilling his heart.
Even if he was bent, even if he was broken, even if he collapsed, he would rise again.
As long as he didnt give up, hope would never disappear.
The greatest strength of the human race, Indomitability.
Its beautiful because we are so weak.
Was it beautiful if a being who was strong from birth rose up again after falling?
Was it cool if a being like a Ruler got into a fight and won?
No. It wasnt beautiful or cool because it was expected. It was natural.
But for beings who knew how weak and trivial they were to show courage, hope and indomitability was extremely dazzling.
Sniffle-(Note: Not exactly but I cant think of a good onomatopoeia for crying. For reference, author used ?? - Jurk.)
Tears began to flow down his cheeks.
Looking at his past self allowed him to gain enlightenment. Hed regained the weakness that hed lost.
And the fighting spirit that hed thought he lost long ago soared once again. He didnt want to give up. He wanted to stand up once again. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Because Lukas still had work to do.
But How?
How would he get out of this place?
It was at that moment that Lukas spoke once again.
[Do you think your situation now is darker than it was then? Seriously?]
[If you think so then its because you havent looked around properly.]
what do you mean?
[Remember. Even in the past, you didnt escape the Abyss with your own strength. Look around a bit more carefully and listen. Lukas, are your mind and body really the only things that exist in this place?]
Suddenly, Lukas noticed something in this space that was filled with nothing but darkness.
The only item other than his own body that existed in this place seemed to give off a strange lustre even in the absence of light.
A black ring.
The ring that Arid had given him back then was also in this place.
Ah
The ring floated towards him and placed itself onto Lukas index finger once again.
Fwoosh-
And a moment later, pure white light rose up from the ring.
Coordinates?
The coordinates of that universe were engraved on the black ring.
And a strange power was trying to pull Lukas out of the Abyss.
No. That wasnt all. Even with this, it wouldnt have been enough for him to leave the Abyss.
Lukas turned to look at Lukas once again.
Who are you really?
[I want to see you have a different end.]
What?
Suddenly, Lukas eyes went wide.
In the past, he had absorbed most of the Demigod crystals. And although faint, their consciousness still remained in his mind.
Lukas met those Demigods residing in his inner thoughts, and they taught him how to use their authorities.
Thanks to this, he was able to perfectly use the authorities of all the Demigods.
Except for one.
Lord had never appeared in his mind. It was as if Lords consciousness had completely disappeared.
That was probably the reason why Lukas hadnt mastered the ability to use the authority of space.
He knew of Lords end.
And initially, hed thought that since his end was different from the other Demigods, he was completely dead.
But if that wasnt the case
No way, youre
[No matter what, never forsake your people, Lukas Trowman.]
Lukas didnt get the chance to say anything after that.
Because at that moment, the faint white light grew more intense until it covered his entire body.
As his vision became completely white, Lukas felt like he was floating.
And when the light faded, he was nowhere to be seen.
Book 2: Chapter 281
Book 2: Chapter 281 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
He opened his eyes.
There was a severe ringing in his ears. It was as if thousands of hummingbirds were flapping their wings in his ears. His physical condition was also the worst. It felt like he would vomit at any moment.
my body.
His body, which had been on the brink of collapse because of his forced usage of external force, was now only barely maintaining its shape.
It was clear to say that the current Lukas was no better than a half-corpse.
He could see some strands of his hair that flowed in front of his face. His hair had become white, completely losing all of its colour. His left arm was moving stiffly and he could barely feel anything from his right leg. His internal organs were even more of a mess.
This was the result of forcibly trying to restore a collapsing body.
It was like a patchwork of flesh and bone.
But that didnt matter.
Swaying, Lukas tried to get to his feet, but he fell to the ground again.
This was the best proof of just how bad his physical condition was.
Ive returned.
Was it the field of the qualifier?
Or was it Earth?
Rather than that, he needed to figure out how much time had passed. Sarch* The N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Lukas tried to look around, but his vision was so blurred that he couldnt even see the shape of the things around him.
A gentle breeze blew across his skin.
The feeling of the blades of grass brushing against his calves as well as the breeze blowing on his body made him think that he was standing in the middle of an open field.
The sky was also the color of sunset. Although his vision was still not clear, he was still able to see that much.
Whoosh-
The wind blew once again.
He didnt know why, but his heart froze for a moment.
the nature here is preserved.
As far as he knew, most of the Earths nature had been severely polluted by the Demons. At the very least, there was no place on the planet where the nature had been preserved to such an extent.
In other words, he was probably somewhere in the Great World.
Clatter-
After some time, he heard the sound of horseshoes hitting the ground as well as what felt like a large carriage.
Whoa! Whoa! Stop, stop!
Because they stopped in such a hurried manner, a lot of dust was kicked into the air.
Lukas let out a cough.
Hey! Why are you just laying there? Are you out of your mind?
He couldnt answer. This language wasnt something that could be heard on Earth. But Lukas didnt have any problems understanding it.
After all, he knew this language.
Goddammit. We have a long way to go Cant you just get out of the way? Do I have to let the horses kick some senses into you?
Stop, I told you not to say things like that.
Ah yes.
It was at that moment that a soft voice sounded out.i????????re????????. ????????m
Are you okay?
The speaker slowly approached him. He could tell that this person was quite tall because they blocked the sun from his face despite maintaining some distance.
Lukas raised his head. His vision still hadnt cleared up yet. In addition, the person standing before him had their back to the sunset.
He spoke in a stuttering voice.
I hurt my head
Your head? Oh my god.
The man couldnt help but let out a soft gasp when he saw Lukas.
Although he still couldnt see clearly, Lukas was sure that he didnt look very good.
looking at the mana around you, Im sure that you arent an ordinary person. Where are you from?
Mana?
That was a word that was used in the Great World.
They seemed to prefer calling mana the energy of nature.
The strange feelings hed been having began to pile up one on top of the other and for some reason, his heart began to beat faster in his chest.
Nevertheless, he couldnt confirm anything just yet. It was possible that he was just in a different part of the Great World and not the Heavenly Realm.
When Lukas didnt answer his question after a long while, the man seemed to take his silence to mean something else and continued.
We are headed towards Westroad Academy, but if you are unable to move, we can take you to the nearest city first.
At that moment, the strange feelings that had accumulated in his chest seemed to explode.
Lukas took a deep breath without realising it.
He had just heard something that he couldnt easily let pass.
what did you just say?
Huh?
Where did you say you were going?
Westroad Academy.
It was a name that remained faint in his memories even after so many years had passed.
Westroad Academy.
One of the best Wizard training institutions in the Kastkau Empire, and the school he had attended for a while as Frey Blake so long ago. (Note: He didnt even stay a full semester)
Lukas suddenly looked down at the black ring on his finger.
[Aside from that, I also added a lot of functions of Master. Not to brag, but it took me more than 5 years to make it, so Id be happy if you wore it all the time.]
Those were the words that had been written in Arids note.
Functions for me
Right. When he thought about it, it was strange.
There was no reason for Arid to engrave the coordinates of the Great World or Earth on the ring. At that point, it was impossible that Arid could have known that he would want to leave the Abyss.
Lukas looked down at the ring that had been given to him as a gift.
A gift for Lukas. Functions for him.
It was possible for Arids communication power to pinpoint the exact coordinates of a universe. In fact, hed even used his power to show Lukas a scene from his homeworld.
What if
What if the reason Arid had taken five years to make the ring was because he was looking for the coordinates of a specific universe?
0
And what if those coordinates were for the universe that Lukas wanted to return to?
Lukas stared up at the man in front of him blankly.
It was only at that moment that his blurry vision gradually began to clear up.
The face he saw was also in his memories.
What is your name?
Huh?
Your name
The man seemed a bit suspicious of Lukas strange attitude, but he still replied with a friendly smile.
My name is Peran Jun. By the way, have we met before?
Continue to the second half of Season 2
Book 2: Chapter 282
Book 2: Chapter 282 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Arent you being too kind?
Peran turned his gaze away from the scenery that flashed outside of the rattling carriage.
What he saw was the face of a woman who was unable to hide her displeasure.
No, it would be more accurate to say that this woman was deliberately showing him her displeased expression.
After all, this woman, who looked confident and capable, was Rina, a merchant belonging to the Red Hub, which was one of the top three merchant companies in the empire.
The standards of the Red Hub were so strict that everyone who wanted to become a member had to take several tests and interviews. And while she might seem unassuming now, Rina was a merchant with a remarkable track record even within the Red Hub. This meant that contrary to her proud, naive appearance, she had a lot of experience when it came to business.
As a merchant, one of the first skills that they mastered was being able to thoroughly hide their inner thoughts, and there was no way that Rina, who was famous in the merchant world, would not be able to hide something as simple as displeasure.
In other words, this woman, Rina, was actually complaining to Peran in a subtle way.
What do you mean?
Pretending not to notice, Peran tilted his head slightly and asked.
Rina continued with the displeased expression still on her face.
He just happened to appear in our path at a time like this. I think that is too much of a coincidence.
Also, dont you think that saying that he lost his memory is the best lie to use to cover up the situation? No matter what you ask, he will just say he doesnt remember.
Merchant Rina.
A soft voice sounded in her ears.
Innocent young ladies might swoon just from hearing this voice. Of course, the thing that would have the biggest effect was Perans appearance.
Because of her job, Rina had traveled all over the continent. This wasnt just limited to the human countries. She had also visited the countries of the other races, and she had even seen elves with her own eyes.
In her opinion, Perans appearance was no lesser than theirs.
This world is so unfair.
Status, personality, appearance, and talent.
The young man in front of her was given everything from birth.
If Rina had been a bit more innocent, she might have been swayed into giving up her liver, kidney and everything else for this man.?????????????????????d. ????????????
Of course, that wouldnt happen because Rina loved money more than anything else.
Please speak.
While I respect your professional consciousness, I think it is a bit of an occupational disease to be suspicious of every unexpected thing. Excessive suspicion will only cause fatigue, so its best to put it aside. Sarch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Rina closed her mouth and her eyes narrowed slightly.
She realised that Peran had conveyed his intentions by packaging the phrase stop prattling in as old fashioned a manner as possible.
Im sure that he was simply involved in something that he has to keep to himself.
She couldnt help but question those mumbled words.
Was that really what he thought?
Or did he purposefully say something ridiculous in order to see her reaction?
Rina rolled this thought over in her mind for a long time, but she soon realised that although he might seem like an ordinary noble, Peran was a Wizard.
As they were the type to risk their lives for rationality, their minds were not things that could be understood by normal people. Perhaps he was analysing the young man in his own way.
Ive heard of bandits who used similar methods in the past.
I think Ive heard of it too. They would have some members infiltrate a merchant convoy while pretending to be civilians. That way, they could get an idea of the items being transported as well as lead the group to their hideout.
For a moment, she was greatly amazed by the accurate answer.
While it might be a common story among merchants, the other was the son of a Duke family.
Of course, now that hed transferred his real power to his younger siblings and was now journeying across the continent for some unknown reason he had learned some things, but that didnt mean that the status he was born with would just disappear.
In other words, the reason why Rina was so impressed was because she knew that the child of a high class aristocratic family would usually not be interested in such things.
right now, we are in a situation where no matter how careful we are, it wont be careful enough. Lord Peran, you have a much better idea of their influence than I do.
I know that. But he hasnt said anything.
That cant count as proof of innocence.
Trust me, Merchant Rina. There will be no obstacles on our journey as long as Im here.
Perans voice was still calm but Rina didnt say anything more.
This was because it was the truth. Peran Jun. As long as she was accompanied by this Archmage, then it wouldnt be an exaggeration to say that this carriage was one of the safest places in the world.
Besides, it wouldnt be good for her to continue to press him like this.
Even if Rina was not a member of the Kastkau Empire, the hierarchical relationship between her and Peran was clear.
Of course, seeing as how amiable he was, this man would not be offended if she were to be rude to an extent. But Rina knew. The more like this someone was, the more special attention one had to pay to their behaviour.
Once they begin to dislike you, its all over.
Although she was still suspicious of the man they had picked up by accident, it was none other than Peran who was tolerating his presence. Not only would nothing change if she kept complaining, but if she continued to press, it was highly likely that she would leave a bad impression.
After quickly calculating the profit and loss, Rina politely bowed her head and took a step back.
how strange.
As she backed down, Peran muttered softly to himself.
Even during their conversation, his attention had been directed at the white haired young man they had picked up. But he kept doing the same thing hed done since hed entered the carriage. Blankly staring at the sky.
Strange.
He couldnt help but mutter again.
When theyd first met, he felt strange mana swirling throughout this mans body. This mana was so strange that even Peran couldnt help but feel wary.
0
I cant feel it at all now.
Perans eyes were discerning enough to see if there was mana flowing in the bodies of others, and if there was, how much there was and how concentrated it was.
But now, he couldnt even feel the slightest hint of mana from this young man.
I lost my memories.
When hed asked the young man a few questions, this was the answer he received. Of course, Peran didnt accept these words at face value
His expression wasnt a lie.
But he clearly remembered the indescribable emotions on this mans face when they first met.
Among them, the most prominent emotion was confusion. He wasnt certain about anything else, but he was at least sure that the man didnt understand his situation at that time.
He was certainly full of mysteries.
If it were an ordinary person, they would definitely feel hesitant when they encountered a man like this.
But Wizards were different.
For them, something unknown was a research subject to be carefully analysed and observed.
That was the best way to describe Perans current state. Of course, this didnt mean he put aside his vigilance.
first things first.
He would have to talk to him.
With this thought, Peran began walking to the young man.
Book 2: Chapter 283
Book 2: Chapter 283 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Lukas sat at the edge of the carriages luggage compartment staring blankly at the sky. The sky was still tinted by the colors of sunset.
The sight of the westward heading orange sun, the smell of the fresh grass, and the faint sound of crows in the distance all resounded in his heart.
Ive returned.
The universe he had been longing for.
His homeworld.
Hed returned to the place hed been born, raised and eventually left.
A place he had hoped to see hundreds of millions of times. No, it was probably even more than that. His wish had come true.
Nevertheless, Lukas wasnt happy. He couldnt be.
This was not the return hed hoped for.
Hed wanted to return after becoming a being that stood at the very peak of Absolutes. Hed wanted to return as the god of humanity in the truest sense.
And if that was impossible, hed wanted to find an alternative answer.
A convincing answer that could explain the existence of Lukas Trowman.
But he hadnt found one.
In other words, Lukas had ended up washing up here like trash floating in a river without accomplishing anything. In fact, he was in a much more miserable state than when hed left on his journey.
He was a defeated soldier.
There were many people here that he missed.
Whenever he closed his eyes, their faces always shined in his mind.
It had been a very long time. It was possible that the faces Lukas remembered were different from the real ones.
Nevertheless, he wanted to meet them.
Even at that very moment.
He shook his head.
But he wouldnt do that. Lukas didnt deserve to reunite with them.
Why did I return to this universe?
Lukas thought that there had to be some reason for it. Of course, he knew the fundamental reason. It was because he wanted it, and because Arid had engraved the coordinates on the ring.
But the why that Lukas was asking was from a different perspective. There must be a different, fate related, reason that had caused it to happen.
Twitch-
He tried to move his fingers.
The sensations from his two arms were different. The feeling in his left arm was much fainter than his right. This was proof that most of the cells in that arm were dead. This meant that it couldnt be restored even with the greatest healing techniques. At the very least, it would be impossible without a power on par with Arids.
The condition of his right leg was even more severe. It might not look obvious on the outside, but it seemed that his bones had fused together, so it would be incredibly difficult for him to walk properly.
It was possible for him to stand on his feet, but he would not be able to avoid walking with a limp.
But the thing that drew the most of Lukas attention was the condition of his internal organs, more specifically his mana room.
His mana room had completely collapsed.
Far from just being unable to use magic, it was impossible for his body to even contain mana in the first place. In addition, the situation of his mana room was even more desperate than his arms and legs. This was because, while slim, there was still a chance that he would be able to fix them.
But that wasnt the case for his mana room. Even Lukas had never encountered a mana room that had collapsed in such a way. He didnt even have the slightest idea of how to fix it. And if he didnt know, it meant that no one in this universe would know about it either.
When he first arrived, mana had erupted from his entire body.
This wasnt Lukas releasing it on purpose. Instead, it was his bodys inherent mana evaporating at an alarming rate without him being able to stop it.
This situation is terrible.
Despite having this thought, Lukas expression didnt become more serious.
In fact, he looked quite calm.
Because hed prepared for death and annihilation.
Just the fact that he was alive and breathing at that moment could be considered a miracle. It would be too much to ask for more than that.
there must be a reason.
A reason that Lukas returned to this universe.
It wasnt to be reunited with those that hed been separated from.
Instead, Lukas thoughts were being drawn to the image of a man in his head.
Kasajin.
He couldnt help but think that the decisive reason, or a clue, for why hed abandoned humanity and became the Demon King must be somewhere in this universe.
It was at that moment that he felt something behind him.
Hows your body?
A soft voice.
Lukas turned his head and looked at the handsome young man that had approached him.
Peran Jun.
Memories of him faintly appeared in his mind.
A talented young man that hed met at Westroad Academy and later became friends with.
A young man who had been unsure of his path at that time.
The moment hed made a promise with him appeared in his mind.
It felt strange. He felt weird looking at this man that hed smiled and bumped fists with at that time.
This was because he was now unimaginably old.
It was no exaggeration to say that the Lukas from that time was completely different from the current Lukas.
Then what about Peran?
Did he change as well?
Im much better now Thank you. I owe you one.
Swallowing his questions, Lukas expressed his gratitude.
By the way, have we met before?
He couldnt help but think about the question hed asked during their first reunion.????????nr????a????. ?????m
Why did he ask something like that?
Peran only knew Frey Blake. Even until the end, he had never learned that his true identity was Lukas Trowman, the Great Mage from 4,000 years in the past.
And the current Lukas was completely different from both Frey and the past Lukas.
Nevertheless, Peran had looked at him and asked him if theyd ever met before.
Perhaps he had acquaintances that gave him a similar impression to the current Lukas.
Or perhaps it was just an instinct which was impossible to explain in a logical manner.
It didnt matter either.
Its fine. Did you manage to remember anything else?
Yes. I managed to remember my name.
Oh.
Peran looked relieved.
While looking up at his face, Lukas wondered.
Frey Blake.
Lukas Trowman.
Those were the two names Lukas called himself in this world.
But Peran knew both of them, so he couldnt say either name.
Nevertheless, Lukas
My name is Lukas.
Still chose to say his true name.
* * *
I see.
As expected, when Peran heard the name, he simply nodded without seeming particularly surprised.
The name Lukas was by no means rare.
In fact, it could even be considered a relatively common name. This was the case 4,000 years ago, and even more so in the present era. It was a name that Peran, as a citizen of the Kastkau Empire, must be quite familiar with.
As long as he didnt add in the last name Trowman, no one would find it strange.
No.
In his current state, even if Lukas revealed himself to be the Great Mage, he would only be treated as a madman.
Unlike his days as Frey Blake, he now had the body of Lukas Trowman, but his haggard appearance and white hair gave a completely different impression.
Perhaps the only people now that could see Lukas and identify his true identity were those whod seen his true appearance 4,000 year ago.
Anastasia, who had Schweisers memories and ego.
Or Iris
Did you remember anything else?
no.
After saying that, Lukas added.
Im sorry.
Why are you apologising? Youre probably the one whos the most confused right now.
Peran smiled softly as he spoke.
0
Of course, Lukas noticed the suspicions hidden in that smile, but it didnt upset him. Rather, in this situation, it would be strange if there wasnt even the slightest suspicion directed towards him.
It is fate that we managed to meet like this, so I want to help you as much as I possibly can, but
He purposefully trailed off at the end of his sentence and Lukas easily guessed his intentions.
Im thankful that you are willing to take me to the nearest city.
Peran gave a slightly apologetic smile.
Circle.
A group that most of the people Lukas wanted to reunite with were a part of.
Peran probably had some form of contact with them. After all, his father, Shepard Jun was a member of a Circle, and Peran himself had wanted to join in the past
The Circle is a hidden organisation
Although their identity had been revealed to an extent during the war with the Demigods, the Circle was, in essence, a hidden organisation. Therefore, Lukas didnt think it would be easy for him to reach them.
Lukas had no intention of reuniting with most of his past relationships, but there was one person he felt he had to meet.
Ivan.
The successor of the Warrior King Fist.
Perhaps Ivan might know something about Kasajins fall.
But Ivan had now become someone that wasnt easy to meet.
Grand Master.
According to his memory, that was the way Cairo Wilsemann had addressed Ivan.
So it was highly likely that Ivan had become the most powerful person in the current Circle and had effectively become the leader of the hidden organisation.
It would be impossible for me to talk to him on my own in my current state. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
In the first place, it wouldnt be easy to meet the leader of the Circle.
In fact, it was nigh impossible. This was especially so considering how weak he was now.
It was at that moment that an ugly desire appeared in his heart.
Even when Ivan learned his true identity, he didnt revere him as a hero, but treated him as an equal, a friend.
So wouldnt it be alright for him to reveal his identity to him?
Couldnt he confess that hed come back for a while because things had gotten messed up?
He shook his head.
That was such a disgusting thought that he couldnt believe it came from within him.
This was a matter of face. Lukas pride would never accept such behaviour.
first
The thing he needed the most was information.
Book 2: Chapter 284
Book 2: Chapter 284 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Lukas couldnt help but look at the sky again.
Exactly how much time had passed?
What was the situation on the continent like now that the Demigods had disappeared.
Had the Circle revealed themselves or were they still hiding in the shadows?
Those questions and dozens more flitted around his head like flies.
By tomorrow morning at the latest, we will arrive at the border of the Kastkau Empire. Ah, Kastkau is the closest country to where we are now.
The Kastkau Empire.
A powerful country that was famed for being a Magic Empire.
When the Demigods had revealed their true colours, the destruction they caused swept across the entire continent.
Some countries were completely destroyed, and even for the ones that werent, most of their cities had been obliterated. The Empire was one of the few places that only suffered minor damage.
The reason for this was simple.
The Kastkau Empire were the ones who bowed their heads to the Demigods faster than any other country.
While it might have been considered a wise choice at that time, it obviously became an unwashable stain after the Demigods disappeared.
Their influence as a superpower that led the continental situation disappeared, and they received all forms of ridicule from the neighbouring countries.
As Lukas expected, the national turmoil that bloomed as a result of this would not dissipate easily.
He looked at Peran Jun.
While it was possible to see the dignity of a noble in his expression and actions, he was, surprisingly, wearing ordinary clothes. While he didnt look shabby, it still made it difficult to tell that he was a noble by just looking at him.
The Jun Duke Family was one of the pillars that supported the Imperial Family, and the power and influence they possessed in the Empire could be said to be in the top three of all the families.
Since Peran, the heir of the family, was dressed in such a frugal manner, Lukas couldnt help but wonder about what had happened. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
About two days after crossing the border is a city called Bailak. Although its just a small city, the security is very good so you wont have to worry about anything happening. If you choose to go to Bailak, I will help to approve of your temporary status.
After waking up from his thoughts, Lukas turned to Peran and nodded.
Thank you.
But Perans expression was a bit strange.
you are strangely calm.
Unlike before, when he kept it hidden, there was a faint hint of suspicion in his voice.
This was a natural and expected response.
After all, just because you couldnt recall your memories didnt mean you forgot the basic logic you had built up through experience. It was just like an ordinary person wouldnt be able to overcome the loneliness and fear they felt if they woke up alone on the vast ocean without memories.
Lukas was also aware of this fact. If he wanted to, he could truly play the part of someone who had lost all of their memories. It wouldnt be hard for him to imitate the confusion and fear that loss of memory would cause.
But he didnt do that.
There was a hint of depth in Perans eyes that didnt suit his age. (Note:the estimated time that passed keeps getting less and less)
It would be almost impossible to fool this man with clumsy acting. Instead, it was better to just reveal his true personality as it was, and only use small lies that were difficult to distinguish from the truth.
Being anxious wont help me regain my lost memories.
Hmmm. That is true
Peran didnt say anything after that.
For a moment, their gazes met, and Lukas couldnt help but feel bitter inside.
-Speaking politely.
-Constantly wary.
-The hint of suspicion in his voice.
These three things made Lukas realise the thickness of the wall that Peran had placed between them.
I see.
At this point, this moment.
Peran was no longer his close friend.
Ill have to get used to that.
He couldnt let himself feel so depressed. Otherwise, if he was sad every time he encountered one of his past relationships, his mind would collapse before he could achieve his goal.
Lukas couldnt help but think that his psyche had become as weak as his physique.
This was because the human emotions and characteristics that had been muted for a long time had been reawakened.
Since I regained the [weakness] that Id lost.
Nevertheless, that didnt mean that he would show that weakness.
After all, the one who wished for a chance to start over was none other than himself.
* * *
Clatter.
Lukas sat in an empty corner of the luggage compartment. The sun had long since set, and the surroundings were pitch black. Perhaps because it was autumn, it became much colder after the sun went down.
It was dangerous to drive a carriage in the dark, so they would soon stop and prepare camp, perhaps after they left the flat plain they were currently traversing.
-Lukas body and mind were currently in a stable state.
He was leaning against the boxes in the compartment, contemplating what he would do in the future.
what I have to do.
Now that he had returned to his homeworld, Lukas currently had three main goals.
The first was to regain his power as an Absolute. He still had work to finish, and to do so he had to return to Earth. In order to travel across universes, it would be necessary for him to regain his position as an Absolute once again. Because the mind and body of a mortal could not withstand interuniversal travel.
His second goal was connected to the first. Finding a way to get back to Earth. There were still a few points that needed to be figured out for this goal, so he would leave it for later.
The third goal was to somehow find the reason for Kasajins fall, something that could only be done in this universe.
None of those three goals were easy. If he rushed to solve any one of them, it was possible that he would end up failing all of them. So Lukas was aiming to solve all of them in the long term.
He would progress one step at a time.
At the beginning, it would be easy to get frustrated at the slow-paced progress, but in the long run, it would be the surest and quickest path.
First of all, he intended to leave the caravan at the city of Bailak, where he would stay for a while until he increased his ability to live on his own. He would also have to contemplate how to restore his collapsed mana room and also find some ways to protect himself while he couldnt use magic.
Finding those ways would also not be an easy task.
After all, Lukas current body was just like a normal human body. No, it was even less than that.
It would be difficult to train his body in a normal way because his arm and leg were practically disabled.
It was also not possible for him to use divine power.
Then what could he do?
Without mana or divine power,
What could Lukas do to protect himself or defeat someone?
This was a miserable situation. It would even be accurate to say that it was hopeless.
It was a situation where a being who was once an Absolute had collapsed, and they now had to find a way to defend themself against mortals.
But, surprisingly, Lukas didnt feel particularly gloomy.
Four more days.
After that, they would arrive in Bailak and Lukas would be left on his own, so he needed to get as much information from Peran as possible before then.
About the Circle.
When he was on Earth, hed gotten a glimpse of Ivan with the help of Arids power. And he remembered his expression of sadness and irritation.
Ivan looked deeply tired.
It seemed that he was struggling with another kind of situation other than the Demigods.
Would Peran also know about Ivans problem?
Now that I think about it.
In the past, Peran had been a member of the Trowman Rings, one of the student groups in Westroad Academy. And he hoped to one day join the real Trowman Rings, instead of just a student group.????n?????????????d.nbsp;????o????
Perhaps it was due to this longing that Peran had never taken the orange ring off of his finger in the past.
When I saw him earlier, he didnt have a ring.
Perans fingers were naked.
Either he had changed his mind. Or he had another reason for taking it off.
Lukas had a strange feeling, but he knew that he would never know the answer by wondering on his own.
Ill have to talk to Peran more tomorrow.
When the situation reached this point, the memory loss sets became a hindrance instead. Because he couldnt even get a hint about the Circle.
For the rest of the night, Lukas carefully planned the things he would talk about with Peran in the morning.
But the next day.
He realised that his night-long contemplation had been for nothing.
The reason was simple.
-Peran Jun disappeared as if he had evaporated.
Book 2: Chapter 285
Book 2: Chapter 285 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Merchants were one of the professions that tried to avoid laziness the most. Of course, it was the same for Rina. Generally, her days began before even the sun started to rise.
Mmm
With a soft moan, she stretched her body beneath the blanket as she woke up. After tying her hair up in a messy bun, Rina then began fixing her bedding. The dawns of late autumn were quite chilly, and the bed looked very inviting, but she ruthlessly suppressed the urge to climb back into its warm embrace. Nevertheless, she couldnt stop the yawn that burst out.
Did I sleep for about 4 hours?
She hadnt slept for more than six hours in the two weeks since theyd started this journey, and the fatigue she felt was beginning to accumulate. But she knew that she just needed to hang in there a bit longer. Because once they got into the empire, her work could be considered half finished.
But I cant relax just yet.
It would only take one more day before they arrived at the border. If nothing special occurred, they would be able to see the Rulan river by the next morning.
There wasnt much time left until they reached their destination, but it was all the more reason why she couldnt release her tension yet.
Usually, if something were to happen, this would be the time.
Of course, with Peran Jun accompanying them on this journey, most risks would not turn into crises.
Tap tap
As she walked out of her tent, she saw a few mercenaries sitting around the dying bonfire. They were the night watch.
They all bowed their heads slightly when they saw Rina step out.
You woke up early today too.
Was your bedding comfortable enough?
While it might seem like they were being rude by talking like this to their employer, their behaviour could actually be considered very polite for mercenaries. Rina, who had the experience of hiring mercenaries dozens of times, understood this fact well.
Of course, it was much more comfortable than sleeping on the ground. And I wasnt cold since I was using blankets imported from the northern snowfields.
Kuh, Im so jealous.
I really want a blanket like that. How much did you say it was again?
Since weve become friends after working together, if you buy one now, Ill sell it to you for 3 gold and 47 silver coins.
When Rina spoke with a professional smile on her face, the mercenaries all shrank back slightly. If they worked hard for a month, they could probably earn around 10 gold coins a month. While this might be a lot for mercenaries, no matter how much they made, it would be impossible for them to waste a third of their salary on a single blanket.
ah. You could probably drink as much black beer as you want with that much.
Rina let out a laugh when the mercenaries tried to change the subject.
Just bear with it a bit longer. You will all get a day off when we arrive in Bairak.
Oh!
Hearing that really does cheer us up.
They chatted for a while longer in a jovial tone, but the atmosphere soon changed.
By the way who the hell is that guy?
One of the mercenaries pointed towards one of the carriages with an expression of dissatisfaction on his face.
Without even looking, she knew who he was referring to. It was the carriage carrying the white haired man theyd found unconscious on the road.
Apparently, his name was Lukas.
Were taking him to the city for free, cant he do a few chores to show his gratitude?
Thats right. Thats common morality, but that guy doesnt seem to have that. Just look at how shameless he is, resting in the luggage compartment as if its only natural.
Such complaints were natural.
After all, sleeping in the luggage compartment was much warmer and more comfortable than sleeping outdoors.
Of course, it was difficult to secure much space in the luggage compartment that was filled with all kinds of packages.
So the only ones who usually slept in the luggage compartment were the employers Rina and Peran, or the leader of the mercenary group Idail and the vice leader Garp.
Apart from them, there was only enough space for one other person. The mercenaries usually decided who got this spot through bets, but now, Lukas, who had recently been picked up, had taken it from them.
Of course, this was only allowed because of Peran.
Rina spoke in an ambiguous tone.
Please bear with it a little longer. We are only taking him to Bairak.
yeah yeah.
Well If thats what the employer says.
The mercenaries nodded their heads as though they understood, but their attitudes showed that it was insincere.
This was natural. After all, there was no coercion or deterrence in Rinas words. So unless their leader Idail or vice leader Garp directly ordered them, they would continue to complain in the future.
Of course, Rina didnt actually intend to stop them. After all, she was also somewhat dissatisfied with Lukas presence.
After greeting the mercenaries again, Rina headed to the carriages to inspect the luggage.
This was to confirm the amount of luggage they were carrying, as well as to make sure the mercenaries were doing their work properly.
After all, if she managed to catch any of them slacking off, she would be allowed to legally cut their wages.
Just as Rina stepped between two carriages to get to the other side.
Can we talk for a moment?????????????r????????d.nbsp;c????m
!
In an instant, her heart leaped into her throat.
Forcefully suppressing the chill that swept up her spine, Rina turned to look behind her.
There, she saw Peran giving her an awkward smile.
Im sorry. Did I startle you?
I-, Its fine.
Dont just appear like that. Those were the words that she wanted to shoot back at him, but she only gave an awkward smile instead. If it wasnt for the influence of the others family, no matter how handsome he was, her harsh words would have come out without hesitation.
Nevertheless, they were fortunate.
If she had let out a loud scream at the crack of dawn, it would have created an embarrassing situation for them, and especially for her. Even if she was just an employer, she still needed her own prestige in the group.
Ahem. sea??h th Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
After letting out a soft cough, Rina spoke.
Whats the matter? You woke up much earlier today than usual.
Something came up.
huh?
I think I need to leave immediately.
Rinas expression became even more confused.
He wasnt joking. In the first place, Peran was not the type to joke around, and a topic like this was not something to mention lightly.
seriously?
Ive embarrassed myself.
For the first time since theyd met, Rina saw a crack in his persona.
Unlike before, he wasnt able to completely control his facial expressions.
Rina knew that at a time like this, the best response would be to put on a bright smile and tell him its okay. In fact, it would be best to hide some awkwardness in the smile in order to make Peran feel guilty and owe her a debt in his heart
But she couldnt do that.
At a moment like this
She had just been thinking that this was the most dangerous period of their journey.
Did Rina have the authority to stop Peran? Of course not.
In the first place, the fact that Peran had even decided to join her on this journey was outside of her expectations.
So, in all honesty, this situation wasnt Perans fault, it was Rinas mistake. Because she believed in Perans presence over the mercenaries, shed directly cut the number of mercenaries she hired in half in order to cut costs.
Is it very urgent?
I heard that an undead was found in Lake Comos in the south.
Undead
She gulped subconsciously.
The Legion of the dead was now shaking the entire continent. So she knew how important it would be to properly investigate and deal with such a situation. Perhaps this was part of the reason why Peran had agreed to go with Rina.
Will you come back after youre done?
If it doesnt take too long. Still, you should continue ahead at the planned speed without waiting for me. When you get to the Academy, you can hand the goods over to Dio. (Note: Im assuming this is Professor Dio)
There were many things she wanted to say, but in the end, only one of them came out.
Understood. Please take care of yourself.
Right. I apologise again.
After saying that, Peran turned to look at the carriages once again. To be precise, he was looking at the carriage Lukas was staying in.
The sun hadnt risen yet, so he was probably still asleep.
Please take good care of him.
Ah. Yeah.
Peran nodded. Then he directly used the warp spell and, without any regrets, left.
Rin looked at the spot he had been standing for a long time.
dammit.
Unable to suppress it any longer, a curse slipped from her lips.
Book 2: Chapter 286
Book 2: Chapter 286 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Did he use Warp to leave?
This was the guess Lukas made as he felt the flow of the surrounding mana.
It also seemed that his sense had been severely blunted. After all, Warp was a 7-star spell. Originally, it would have been impossible for him to not immediately notice when a spell of such a level was being used. Regardless of whether he was asleep or not.
first things first.
He wanted to find out whether Peran had completely left the journey, or whether he was only going to be absent for a short while.
Lukas walked around the camp for a while before finding Rina handling documents near the main carriage.
As she was the highest authority in the group besides Peran, he thought that she would have some idea about Perans whereabouts.
Excuse me.
what is it?
Rina shot him a glance from the corner of her eye.
There was also a hint of annoyance in her voice. Had he done something to this woman?
That couldnt be it. After all, this was Lukas first time actually talking to her.
Do you know where the man named Peran went?
Why are you asking about that?
He is my saviour.
Suddenly, a loud laugh was heard.
Puhahaha. What saviour?
It wasnt Rina who was speaking so rudely. It was a mercenary who had suddenly appeared beside her. His bald head, which didnt have a single strand of hair on it, glittered in the sun.
Youre just worried because your strong supporter has disappeared. Isnt that it?
Lukas had a subtle feeling at that moment. Perhaps you could call it longing.
How long had it been since hed had such a childish argument?
Not knowing how to react, he remained silent, but Rina opened her mouth at that moment.
Hey, cant you see that were talking?
Ah, sorry bout that.
With a chuckle, the mercenary shrugged before swaggering off. Rina looked at him with a sullen expression for a moment before turning back to Lukas.
Sir Peran had to leave because of an urgent matter. He probably wont be able to come back any time soon.
I see. Understood.
and.
Rina pressed her fingers to her temples for a moment before adding.
While it was certainly uncalled for, what you just heard wasnt entirely wrong. As you can see, I dont have enough deterrent power to protect you.
Then she left without waiting to hear his response.
Lukas, who was left alone, finally understood his situation to an extent.
Right.
It seemed that he was being looked down upon now. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
* * *
Lunch that day.
During the meal.
Hey, cripple leg.
Lukas turned to look over. It was the bald mercenary that had argued with him before when he was talking to Rina.
Are you talking to me?
Is there someone else I could be talking to besides you?
He looked around as he said that and his fellow mercenaries snickered.
In fact, calling him a cripple wasnt exactly wrong. After all, Lukas legs werent working properly at the moment.
Instead of responding, Lukas scooped a spoonful of stew into his mouth.
Ha.
This bastard doesnt even have respect.
The mercenaries all frowned and swore at him, but none of them made any openly threatening movements. He didnt think it was because they were being patient or sensible. Instead, it just meant that Perans influence still had some effect even though he was no longer with the group.
Nevertheless, they were going too far.
That day alone, Lukas was caught up in no less than ten large and small disputes. From tripping him when he was walking to spraying him with water. There was even a time when he was almost stabbed by a dagger.
Nevertheless, Lukas wasnt upset by this, instead, he found it a bit refreshing.
That night.
Lukas had basically been kicked out of the luggage compartment and was forced to sleep outdoors.
In addition to that, he was made to suffer because the bald mercenary, who slept right beside him, snored louder than a chainsaw.
After a while, he got up from his spot and looked down at the man laying defenceless beneath him.
Paak!
Then he kicked him.
Urk!
The mercenary quickly got to his feet, his wide eyes looked around in every direction.
Surprisingly, his reaction had been quite fast. It seemed that despite his looks, this mercenary could at least be considered second class.
Wh-, what the hell?!
After looking around for a while, the mercenarys gaze finally landed on Lukas.
Were you the bastard that did that?
That seems to be the case.
Ha, haha. Huhaha!
The mercenary let out a laugh as if hed gone mad before stopping. With a murderous glint in his eyes, he bent down and picked up his axe.
youre finished, you bastard. Ill turn you into minced meat right here.
You want to fight me?
Are you really saying that like you dont know?
Well, I dont mind, but dont you think you should do your duty before that?
What kind of bullsh*t are you sprouting now?!
Instead of answering, Lukas pointed behind the mercenary.
As if there was someone there.
You crazy bastard. Who do you think would fall for such an obvious-
Twang-
The mercenary stopped talking. His cheek tingled slightly as something flew past his head before hitting the carriage.
Pak!
As something else flew past, he finally caught a glimpse of what it was.
An arrow.
Huh?
You dont even know how to welcome guests.
In an instant, the sounds of bows being released and arrows flying through the air came from all directions.
Twang, twang-
The surroundings also became brighter.
The mercenaries, who were keeping watch, immediately realised the situation and shouted.
F-, fire arrows!
Were under attack! Everyone, wake up-!
The bald mercenary looked around blankly for a moment before quickly coming to his senses. Without giving another glance to Lukas, he immediately rang off to assist his comrades.
Although he might not be the best at his job, he still knew what he needed to do in times like this.
Lukas, who was left alone, looked around.
After the wave of arrows, people who appeared to be bandits appeared. Their numbers were quite large, and their movements were surprisingly coordinated.
He had a feeling that they would not be able to easily overcome this attack. Soon, there would be a river of blood.
In such a situation, he couldnt just stand around defenceless.
Although it was earlier than he anticipated, he needed to quickly find a way to defend himself.
With that thought in mind, Lukas headed to the luggage compartment of a nearby carriage. The inside was a mess. This was because a few arrows had managed to get into the compartment and damage the parcels. Thankfully, this allowed him to easily see their contents.
This
It turned out that most of the items being shipped were weapons and armour.
The quantity was also much more than he expected.
In fact, he couldnt help but wonder how a single carriage could hold this much. Considering the fact that there were still three carriages left, it wouldnt be surprising if their intended goal was to supply a small-scale battle.
In any case, this was good news for Lukas. He looked at the various weapons that were piled on the floor, but in truth, there wasnt even a choice from the very beginning.
Without hesitation, he leaned over.
Sssng-
And picked up a sword.
(Note: Is Lukas going to use Lucids sword techniques now?)
Book 2: Chapter 287
Book 2: Chapter 287 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
The sword was by no means special.
There were at least a dozen more swords scattered on the ground with the same sheath and hilt as the one hed chosen.
This was probably a shipment of mass-produced weapons that were being delivered after being completed by a blacksmith.
Sssng
He drew the sword from its sheath.
The condition was excellent. This proved that it was properly maintained before being placed in the crate.
a sword.
It didnt feel like it fit snugly in his hand. Rather, it gave him a strange feeling instead. Lukas couldnt help but turn his gaze back to the other weapons scattered on the floor.
There werent just swords. But also spears, axes, and maces.
Nevertheless, he had judged that the sword was the only weapon he could properly use in his current condition.
Weapons like spears, axes or maces, while they might have advantages in reach and destructive power, had individual characteristics that were too strong. More importantly, they might hurt him more than they would help him in his current unbalanced state. He would need to be in perfect physical condition in order to properly wield such weapons.
For example, a person with only one arm would have to be extremely skilled to wield a spear properly.
In such a situation, the balance of a weapon like a sword was near perfect. This was part of the reason why it was given the title of king of weapons.
Swoosh-
Lukas roughly swung the sword in front of him. His left arm wasnt working well, so it would be better for him to just use his right hand unless he was forced to do otherwise.
He couldnt help but feel a bit strange wielding a sword. It felt like he was forcibly wearing clothes that didnt fit.
But it couldnt be helped. He had no choice but to get used to it as quickly as possible.
first.
It was important for him to get used to the unfamiliar sensation.
With that in mind, Lukas ignored the noises coming from the outside as he immersed himself in a brief training session.
* * *
Since they were attacked in the middle of the night, it took a while for the mercenaries to gather themselves together and fight back in an organised manner. Although it wasnt fast, it was still the most accurate response to the situation.
As she glanced at them, Rina couldnt help but recall her role.
Leave the command of the battle to Idail and Garp
Cough!
She couldnt help but let out a cough. This was because the surroundings were filled with smoke.????????????????????d. ?om
Two of the four carriages in the convoy had been set on fire. Rina couldnt help but call out in a strained voice.
Someone put out the fires! Where are the Wizards?
Here!
Several hired Wizards used water spells to extinguish the fire. Rina calmly analysed the current situation.
I cant believe something like this really happened.
Of course, she had considered the possibility several times on their journey.
However, assuming that it would happen and it actually happening was as different as the heaven and the earth.
In addition, these guys were no joke.
Who are these guys?
She was certain that they were no ordinary bandits.
The time was probably around 2 or 3 am. This was usually the time when the night watch would begin to lower their guard because everyone would soon wake up. In other words, it was the best time to launch a sneak attack.
Mindless bandits would never use such tactics. Even if they knew that it was the best time to launch an attack, they were bound to make mistakes because of their shallow and vulgar impatience.
These guys, on the other hand, were different.
At the time when their group was the least vigilant, they perfectly launched their attack without warning as if it had been properly planned beforehand. No matter how experienced a mercenary was, or how many life and death battles hed experienced, he would still die like anyone else if he were attacked by a fire arrow while sleeping.
And while the camp was panicking from the sudden attack, the group stealthily invaded the camp and sent no less than ten mercenaries to the afterlife without suffering any casualties of their own.
They clearly have a high level of planning and organisation.
And no one would think that such a group like this would be simple bandits.
No. Others might think so, but Rina certainly wouldnt.
Were there any bandit groups of this size in this area?
Although shed hired fewer mercenaries because of Perans presence, shed picked these mercenaries more carefully to make up for it. Among mercenaries, the ones protecting their convoy could be considered elites. None of the mercenaries there were lower than C rank, so they were definitely not a group to be looked down upon.
But the bandits were also nothing to scoff at. Now that she looked at them closely, it didnt seem that they had a numerical advantage.
In other words, this meant that even when fighting with similar numbers, the bandits were at an advantage.
This doesnt look good, but its not over yet.
As time passed, it was possible for their side to gain more of an advantage. Soon, the Wizards who had been sent to put out the fires would return and the mercenaries, whose minds and bodies were still slow because they had just woken up, would gradually regain their condition.
Nevertheless, Rinas expression didnt improve. This was because, while she wasnt very good at reading the flow of battle, she was one of the best when it came to reading the expressions of others.
And she could guarantee that the bandits were hiding some kind of trump card.
are they just trying to buy time?
What were they waiting for?
Reinforcements? Or the next stage of their operation?
In truth, nothing would change even if she found out what it was. At that point, all Rina could do was pray that the mercenaries would win.
It wasnt like they could abandon their cargo and leave just because the enemies might suddenly increase or were planning a lethal strategy.
Or, perhaps they are
A sudden thought caused chills to go down her spine. Although she thought that, she knew that the probability was incredibly low. After all, this transaction was so secretive that she was the only merchant in the group together with the mercenaries. This wasnt done to monopolise the profits.
Nevertheless, as the fight progressed, Rinas expression became progressively worse.
These arent bandits.
Even she, an amateur, could see that now.
It didnt mean that they were particularly strong for bandits.
It meant that there was absolutely no way they could be bandits in the first place.
While they were disguised by their shabby clothes, each of them was strong enough to fight toe to toe with the best mercenaries shed hired.
Just as Rina had become certain of their true identity.
I think you should run.
Idail, the leader of the mercenary group, approached her with a solemn expression.
Leader Idail.
Ill give you two of my men, so run to the north as fast as you can. As long as you dont get lost, you should see the Rulan River in a few hours.
Do you mean I should cross the Rulan Bridge?
Idail nodded.
The Rulan Bridge was the largest bridge built on the Rulan River. It was also a must-go if one wanted to officially enter the empire from this direction.
Naturally, guards from the empire were always stationed there in order to check the identities of those passing through.
In other words, if she went there, the bandits wouldnt be able to touch her.
Do you think that we cant win?
As Idail nodded again, this time much more heavily, a dark cloud crossed Rinas face. In truth, when shed asked that question, shed already expected this answer. If he was certain of their victory, he wouldnt have bothered evacuating Rina.
There are still two carriages in good condition. The equipment in them are the key items for this journey. Can we not take one or both with us?
Have you not understood the situation yet? They are deliberately not attacking the carriages.
Huh?
Idail sighed.
At first I wasnt sure why they hadnt at least tried to stop them from leaving, but now I understand. It was to make you hesitate because of lingering feelings.
Me? Why?
Isnt it because their real goal is actually your life?
!
Those words caused Rinas heart to sink.
Idail was about to add something else, but in the end, he just clicked his tongue.
I guess its too late. We wasted too much time.
In the next moment, they heard the sound of footsteps.
Rina subconsciously held her breath.
Ive warned you countless times before Rina Traine. If you only chase immediate profits, your life will end up shortened.
With his cold, deep voice resonating in the air, a man stepped out of the shadows. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
It was a middle-aged man who was dressed quite neatly. His gentle expression despite standing in the middle of a mess created an extremely strange aura.
However, when Rina saw this man, she trembled as if she was looking at the reaper himself.
Budilem.
Book 2: Chapter 288
Book 2: Chapter 288 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
The man named Budilem smiled brightly, his white teeth contrasting starkly with the dark surroundings.
Long time no see. Has it already been a week?
Y-, youre mistaken I
Im mistaken?
Swoosh!
A faint flicker of light came from Budilems pocket, and Idail had no time to respond.
Crack!
?
Idail couldnt help but stare at Budilem in confusion. He saw something move, but that was it. Suddenly, his vision began turning red. He didnt feel any pain. Instead, she just felt his eyelids become heavy as weakness overtook his body. He also felt something warm flowing from his eyes, nose, and mouth.
Ah.
That was Idails last word.
Before he even realised what happened, a dagger had been embedded into his forehead. The small dagger had easily pierced through his skull before piercing the brain matter behind it.
Idail, the leader of the mercenary company who had successfully completed a total of 123 missions, collapsed on the spot and died without even making a sound.
Leader Idail?
Rina couldnt help but call out in a dazed tone. Seeing her panic, Budilem clicked his tongue in derision.
A corpse cannot speak. Even a merchant should know that much.
While speaking in a nonchalant tone, Budilem threw another dagger. But he wasnt aiming for Rina.
The dagger passed close by her ear before flying towards the luggage compartment behind her. To be precise, it was aimed at the hood(1) that covered the luggage compartment.
Rip!
The fabric was torn apart, revealing the crates and boxes contained in the compartment.
Rinas expression hardened. But Budilem simply smiled as he threw one dagger after another.
Crack!
As if they had wills of their own, the daggers moved in complex ways as they broke apart the crates. Naturally, the items contained within them fell out.
There were all kinds of equipment.
From weapons like swords, axes, and spears, to armour like breastplates, helmets, gauntlets, and boots
There were also quite a few magic items that were quite expensive.
You said I was mistaken, Rina Traine. So can you tell me where you intended to transport this equipment?
That
Its Westroad Academy, is it not? Kukuku One of the base camps of those disgusting reactionary forces.
!
Did he know everything from the beginning? Sar?h the N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Unlike the thoroughly shocked and frightened Rina, Budilems smile continued to grow wider.
Did you think I wouldnt know? It seems you underestimated our intelligence division.
S-, since when?
Since the moment you signed that contract with Peran Jun.
In other words, theyd known from the very beginning.
Rina collapsed on the spot.
Actually, I had several chances to kill you. But I held myself back. I wanted to aim for a more certain moment. Ah, of course, it was never the mercenaries that I was afraid of.
No matter how confident I am, I dont want to go up against an Archmage like Peran Jun.
Rina looked at Budilem with an anxious expression.
It had been less than a day since Peran had left. When he left, he did so in as quiet a manner as possible due to the chances that such an attack might occur.
Nevertheless, Budilem had accurately grasped the time of Perans departure.
Did he plant a spy? No, that was impossible. Rina thoroughly investigated the personal information of all the mercenaries she hired this time. She didnt hire anyone who had even the slightest hint of suspicion or uncertainty.
!
At that moment, Rinas eyes suddenly became wider.
The image of a person appeared in her eyes.
ha. So in the end, he was your person after all.
Mm?
They had suffered because of an obvious ploy.
This could probably be considered Rinas mistake as well. Because she hadnt strongly appealed her opinion since she didnt want to draw Perans ire.
She should have stopped him from accepting a mysterious person no matter what.
What are you talking about?
Are you still planning to keep it a secret when youve already won?
Hmm
Budilem looked down at Rina in confusion for a while before smiling.
It didnt matter. She was going to die soon anyway, so he didnt have to pay attention to her nonsense.
You just chose to stand on the wrong side.
His voice became low and cold.
Rina looked around again. There was no mercenary close enough to protect her. All of them were still fighting fiercely.
Although it still seemed like they were slowly gaining the advantage, that was only because Budilem hadnt made a move yet.
Rina knew just how unreasonably strong this middle-aged man in front of her was.
Hed turned Idail, who was easily one of the strongest in the mercenary group, into a cold corpse in an instant.
If he killed Rina and joined the battle, the battlefield would be completely cleaned up in a few minutes.
Tap tap.
Budilem continued as he slowly walked towards her.
And thats enough of a reason for you to die tonight.
Clatter-
Budilem suddenly stopped moving. He could feel a presence inside a carriage.
It was not the carriage he had torn up, but the one behind it.
Someone is in there.
A hint of wariness appeared on his face.
Peran Jun might have already left, but it was still possible for unknown variables to appear.
Of course, he felt that it was highly unlikely given the expression of despair on Rinas face, but in his profession, it was better to be safe than sorry.
Should he attack first? Or should he wait?
Before he could even finish wondering what to do, a white-haired young man directly stepped out of the carriage.
Budilem quickly scanned the young mans entire body.
The first thing he noticed was the sword he was holding, but his attention was drawn to his clothes. At best, what he was wearing could only be called dirty scraps that had once been a robe, and in no way could it be considered armour.
Hes not a Swordsman or a Knight.
He could tell that much with a simple glance. There were no signs of training on the young mans body at all. Not only was his body quite skinny, but the way he held the sword was also clumsy and awkward as if it was the first time.
Who is this skinny brat?
Budilem asked in a disbelieving voice.
But the most surprised one there was Rina.
Firstly, she was surprised that the mystery man, Lukas, and Budilem didnt know each other, and secondly that hed picked up a sword from the luggage compartment.
Is this guy supposed to be some kind of last resort?
Swoosh.
A dagger silently shot out of Budilems hand before he even finished his sentence. The small dagger was barely visible in the dark as it quietly flew towards Lukas throat.
He hid the sound of the dagger and his killing intent with his voice and gestures.
He could be a Wizard or a Spiritualist.
Or he could be something else with powers he was unaware of.
In other words, this attack was a test. Nevertheless, that didnt mean that the power of this attack was low. It was at least three times faster and more stealthy than the dagger hed used to kill Idail. The expression might sound a bit strange, but it was best to test with as much power as he could spare.
This might seem a bit excessive, but this young man was the only one there that he had not yet identified.
So even if he were to easily die without being able to react, it wouldnt be considered a waste of a bit of attack.
Clang!
Lukas shook his wrist slightly and frowned.
On the other hand, Budilems expression became exceptionally hard.
Then, something fell to the ground, inches away from Rinas hand.
It was Budilems dagger which glowed slightly in the moonlight.
Uh
Rina, who finally understood what had just happened, couldnt help but gulp slightly.
Shed heard the sound of the sword and knife clashing, and there were no visible wounds on Lukas body.
Which meant one thing.
Although it was hard to believe.
Lukas had completely blocked Budilems dagger.
(Note:
1.The cover for the body of a carriage is called the head or hood )
Book 2: Chapter 289
Book 2: Chapter 289 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
I think it would be better if you didnt use a sword.
Although it was said in a soft voice, the firm undertone could not be missed.
Lukas panted for a while, unable to answer. After a long time of trying to catch his breath, he finally opened his mouth.
really?
Of course, if youre just doing this for physical training then theres no need to stop
Instead, he would recommend that he did even more. After all, one of the shortcomings of being a Wizard like Lukas was lack of physical fitness.
If thats all I was doing it for
Didnt you already go to Kasajin before coming to me? I heard that you even learned the Warrior King Fist.
Lukas had nothing to hide, so he nodded.
To be honest, when it comes to training your body, the Warrior King Fist is much more effective than my Dridment.
I dont want to be a musclebound pig like Kasajin.
Ah. So your goal is to get little muscles?
They both looked at each other for a moment before laughing.
It was Lucid who dropped his smile first.
but before that, I heard that you also went to Iris and Schweiser to learn magic engineering, black magic, and Demon contracts.
Thats right.
Is it that youre tired of magic?
Lukas couldnt help but let out a soft snort at that.
No way.
Then
I just need a change.
He hesitated for a moment before continuing.
Recently it feels like Ive reached a wall. And since its my first time encountering such a feeling, Im not sure what to do.
Lucid narrowed his eyes.
When it came to magic, the talent of the blonde haired young man standing in front of him was historically unprecedented.
Of course, Lucid and the others also had the talent and tenacity to keep up with him in their own fields, but that wasnt important right now.
And the other reason?
To find any clues. After all, you already have the end of Swordsmanship in your sights, so I thought if I looked at your sword technique it might be able to help me somehow.
There is no end in Swordsmanship. Im just fully aware of the path I intend to walk.
That in itself is already amazing.
Lukas spoke in a serious tone before smiling bitterly.
Still, the Warrior King Fist would definitely have some impact on my body, but if I picked up the sword instead, there wouldnt be much change from the way I am now.
Swordsmanship and Martial Arts are completely different. Id be sorely disappointed if you thought the only difference was the addition of a sword.
Lukas couldnt help but smile sheepishly when he saw Lucids offended expression.
Sorry. I didnt mean to belittle you.
Of course, I know that.
Lucid chuckled.
Dont be in such a rush. I dont think you need any hints from the sword. If its you, Im sure youll reach 9 stars someday.
At first glance, it might seem like he was just comforting him, but Lukas knew this man named Lucid well.
Therefore it was easy for him to understand the exact meaning contained in that soft voice.
Do you mean that?
Lucid didnt answer, instead, he just turned to look at a distant mountain.
Lukas smiled bitterly once again before looking down at the sword in his hand.
In any case, he felt that he wouldnt use a sword again in the future.
* * *
Swoosh-
He could feel the daggers ripping through the night air.
Gripping the sword tightly in his palm, Lukas swung it forward.
Clang!
And once again, he hit a dagger.
His wrist tingled.
I see.
Instead of focusing his strength on his grip, it was also necessary to add enough strength to his wrists, hips, and back.
As it was, if the force of the dagger had been a bit stronger, his wrist bone would have already been sticking out.
I can see the movements.
Although Lukas had lost all of his powers, he was still alive and he could still rely on his trained eyesight and experience.
Budilem had great confidence in his own attack method. In particular, if it was someone hed never fought before, he could still utilise his experience to figure out the things they could not respond to.
This was indeed the case now as well.
It takes at least 10 years.
He hid daggers in the darkness, in the wind, and in the terrain. He also used intentional gestures and a loud voice to mask their movement.
It would take a talented person about 10 years focusing on one field in order to reach the same level.
Nevertheless, Lukas didnt think too much about it.
He realised that there were at least 40 knives hidden in Budlems pockets and at least ten different types. The bag tied to his waist also seemed to be filled with some kind of poison
Clang! Clang!
He hit the daggers away once again. This time, three daggers were thrown, two were hit away, and the other was dodged by a narrow margin.
Lukas tried to calculate whether his opponent would run out of daggers first, or if his wrist would break first.
Im in more danger.
His body was weak and his joints were weaker. He would have to retrain his body from scratch.
Budilem no longer had a relaxed expression on his face.
Hed already accepted that this man in front of him was not an easy opponent. At first, he thought everything would be fine as long as they avoided Peran Jun, but he didnt expect such a difficult enemy to be hiding still.
His eyes are amazing.
This man didnt seem to have any special powers and also no ability. He could confirm at least that much.
Nevertheless, he effortlessly responded to his attacks as if he could read all of his intentions. sea??h th Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
No, it wasnt just his eyes.
Generally speaking, it should have been impossible for him to hit the daggers away with his weak body. In other words, this man was an expert at using his body and balancing his usage of power.
A retired Knight or a mercenary?
He looked too young for that. It usually took several decades to build up that kind of discipline.
But now wasnt the time to have such messy thoughts.
If I keep delaying here, this job might become annoying.
He knew that Peran was already gone, but it wouldnt be strange for him to come back now that the commotion was becoming so big. He may have just temporarily left to do something. And Budilem knew just how annoying fighting a versatile and troublesome Wizard was.
Thats why Budilem set the maximum time for this attack at 30 minutes. About 20 minutes had passed since their attack began, so 10 minutes would be quite tight considering that they had to steal all of the cargo and clean up their traces.
The opponents weakness was obvious.
His mobility was particularly low. He also noticed that he seemed to have a crippled leg.
Unfortunately for him, his main specialty was hunting down prey like this whose movements were impaired.
If he had an extra 10 minutes, or even 5 minutes, he could have shown this annoying guy what hell was like.
But it was Budilem who was currently pressed for time.
Its time to stop messing around.
Suppressing his anxiousness, Budilem pulled out more daggers with his fingers this time before throwing them. Unlike before, he threw eight at the same time.
This was no longer an attempted sneak attack, but an all out kill strike.
The force and speed of each dagger was noticeably less than the ones before, but that shortcoming was offset by the number of them.
Or at least that would have been the case if his opponent wasnt Lukas. Instead, Lukas, who had been waiting for an opportunity to counterattack, saw this as an opportunity.
He took a big step forward.
Thud!
Then, with a slight twist of his wrist, he struck three of the daggers with the flat side of his sword at the same time.
Crack!
He blocked the attack. But because he swung his sword too harshly, the blade couldnt withstand the force of the impact and broke. The pain he felt in his wrist was also much greater.
Nevertheless, Lukas didnt throw away the broken sword.
Puk puk.
One dagger stabbed him in the left shoulder and the other in the abdomen.
Of the eight daggers, hed avoided three, blocked three, and was hit by two.
Lukas ignored the burning pain.
Instead, he gripped the broken sword in his hand, flipped it over, and stabbed it behind him.
Kuk.
The sound of someone coughing up blood came from behind him.
Book 2: Chapter 294
Book 2: Chapter 294 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Terrible scars were left in the places where undead appeared.
Firstly, they smelled worse than rotting corpses. It was a smell so pungent that it was difficult to describe. It was so powerful that those who smelt it wanted to cut off their noses and faint at the same time.
It wasnt just the smell. The temperature in these places also dropped sharply. It was more chilly than cold, but this chill was still too much for many people.
Peran looked down at the pitch black lake in front of him.
This was Lake Comos. Although it had very little in common with the beautiful lake he remembered, it was clear that he hadnt come to the wrong place.
Rotten chunks of flesh floated in the once pristine waters.
In the past, the water of Lake Comos was so clear and clean that one could drink it directly, but if anyone dared to drink it now, they would either be inflicted by countless unknown diseases or die instantly as if they had drunk lethal poison.
The appearance of this lake, which was filled with sticky black filth, was disgusting enough to make one want to vomit. But there was no disgust on Perans face, no hatred.
He couldnt feel the presence of any undead.
Were they hiding?
No. If a high level undead had truly appeared there, then it wouldnt just be the lake, but the forest around it that suffered.
Peran turned his head and looked towards the forest. The entrance to this dark forest was like the gaping maw of a beast.
Tap-
He put himself into the mouth of this beast without any hesitation. Although it felt like the darkness was trying to restrict him, Perans steps couldnt be stopped.
But he didnt walk for that long.
This was because of the sight he saw as he arrived in a large clearing.
It was strange to say the corpse of an undead, but pieces of undead corpses were scattered across the clearing.
Peran had rushed to the lake as soon as he received the report of the appearance of undead. Although he hadnt been keeping track of the time, he was certain that it hadnt taken him more than half a day.
This was a group of at least a few hundred undead.
Even considering that most of the number would be made up of low level undead, it was not an amount that could be easily cleaned up within half a day.
No. It had taken less than half a day. Looking at the traces around the clearing, it had been at least a few hours since the corpses had been left there.
In other words, this meant that hundreds of undead had been annihilated in only two or so hours.
The number of people capable of such a feat was extremely limited.
By combining the scattered zombie corpses, the scars all over the forest clearing, and the faint traces left in the air, Peran was able to guess who was responsible for this scene.
In the first place, he knew she was nearby.
After thinking that, Perans expression became a bit hard.
surely not
He investigated the direction the traces were leading to.
It seemed she didnt have any intention of hiding her presence. Thanks to this, Peran knew where shed gone.
Northeast.
In the direction of Bairak.
* * *
The Rulan bridge was so large that even ten carriages were able to cross over side by side. But now, it didnt feel large enough.
This was the only entry point in the southern section of the empire. And the crowd that formed was large enough to cover the entire bridge without gaps
But it doesnt feel disorderly, does it? There are even a lot of mercenaries here.
Do you see those guards over there? Would you believe me if I told you that they are all stronger than most A rank mercenaries?
Ay. Is that supposed to be a joke?
If you dont believe me, try to do something. On Rulan Bridge, even crazy bastards try to act like normal people. Have you never heard of the rumors about them? Its said that the Ghost Catching Guards of Rulan Bridge are stronger than most Knights.
Certainly, their size, gaze, and aura were unusual for simple guards.
If you make a fuss here, you will not only be banned from entering the empire for life but your bones and flesh will also be separated and thrown into the Rulan River. So just stay quiet. (Note: So they ban you then kill you? Extreme.)
Lukas looked around while listening to the mercenaries idle chatter. The thing that caught his attention more than the guards was the abundance of other races. While the empire couldnt be said to exclude other races, it couldnt be considered an open country either.
As he looked around the flowing river, it was finally their turn to enter.
Please present your identification card.
The guard spoke in a blunt tone. Sarch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Rina presented her identification without saying a word. It was a certified identification card that was only issued to certain persons.
The identification card was a small bronze plaque engraved with symbols and writing denoting her origins, all signs that showed it was not something that could be mass produced.
With this card, she was able to enter more than 20 countries, including the Kastkau Empire, and stay in cities of other races that had good relationships with humans for as long as she liked.
Among the many merchants of the Red Hub, only those who were recognised as elites could obtain it.
The guard carefully scrutinised the card before glancing at the carriages behind her.
Were you attacked?
Yes.
it must have been a disaster. You have my sympathy.
Thanks.
The guards beckoned some of his comrades over to check the luggage inside.
The ones behind you are the mercenaries you hired, The Crazy Gargoyles, correct?
Thats right.
Understood.
By then, the luggage check had been completed. The guards made eye contact with each other and nodded at almost the same time.
The guard in front of them returned the bronze plaque.
You are formally permitted to enter. Welcome to Kastkau.
It was much faster than the others.
Lukas was curious about the reason, but Garp muttered under his breath a moment later.
As expected, merchants are the best when it comes to this. The Kastkau immigration process, which is known for being absurdly complicated, is over in just an instant.
Rina, who happened to hear his murmur, smiled.
Do you want to be a merchant too?
thats not a funny joke.
Of course, Rina didnt mean it, so she just let out a laugh.
Their journey continued beyond Rulan Bridge.
The mercenaries subconsciously let out a breath.
It was natural to feel relieved.
After all, while there was still a bit of distance to the city, they had finally managed to successfully cross the border into the empire.
* * *
Lukas sat in the bumpy luggage compartment and thought back to his fight with Budilem.
Budilems level. Considering the fact that he was a Magic Warrior, it should have been close to the top. He was by no means weak, but he hadnt been strong enough to be counted among the truly strong.
Nevertheless, Lukas had no choice but to admit that he was a difficult opponent.
I can probably only defeat those around Budilems level.
No matter how experienced, skilled and in control of his body he was, it was impossible for him to defeat someone stronger than Budilem in his current state.
In fact, if the fight against Budilem had been more normal, he would have had to suffer a bit more damage.
In the end, there were three factors that led to his victory.
Budilem had been more wary of Lukas than he needed to be, his fighting style wasnt much of a threat to him, and finally, he was pressed for time.
If they had fought fairly in an open space without a time limit, it would have been much harder for Lukas to win.
Throb-
He felt pain in his shoulder and stomach.
Although neither attack had hit a vital spot, they were not shallow wounds. He would need to rest for at least a week in order to let them heal.
0
Lukas then began to think about the enemies he would encounter from now on.
Multiple enemies.
Quick enemies.
Enemies whose main means of attack were long or wide ranged attacks.
At this point, the enemies that would be the most difficult for Lukas to face were Wizards.
Generally, as the level of spells increased, the range also increased. In addition, attacks without a distinct shape such as fire, water, wind, darkness, and light were difficult for Lukas to counter.
This meant that he had to find other countermeasures than the sword, but he couldnt think of any at that moment.
I need a more systematic swordsmanship.
Of course, the first thing Lukas thought about was Lucids Dreadment.
But unfortunately, Lukas didnt know enough about Dreadment.
Dreadment hadnt suited his body, so hed only trained it to an elementary level.
Rikis memories
Were of no use to him right now.
Rikis methods were simple and crude, but it could be called something similar to swordsmanship.
But it couldnt be copied. He was a Demigod, a being who was one step out of the mortal realm from birth. A being that could cleave a mountain in one swing if he wanted to. If he tried to imitate that guys swordsmanship, his body would collapse.
In other words, what Lukas needed was swordsmanship that matched his current self.
Master.
He thought of the being who had taught him about swords.
Book 2: Chapter 295
Book 2: Chapter 295 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Bairak was a prosperous city.
As mentioned before, Rulan Bridge was the only point of entry in the southern region of the Kastkau Empire, and Bairak was one of the closest cities to the Rulan Bridge.
It wasnt the closest city. Lukas saw several small towns and cities on their way there.
Nevertheless, the reason Bairak flourished the most among the nearby cities was purely because of the existence of the Warp Stone.
Warp Stones were only placed in cities authorised by the state.
There were less than 100 Warp Stones officially deployed throughout Kastkau. While this couldnt be called a small number, considering the size of the empire, it wasnt quite enough to be called generous.
This wasnt because Warp Stones were difficult to make. While it required the power of experts like Alchemists and Wizards skilled in magical engineering, if the Empire wanted, they could make several hundred of them.
Nevertheless, the limited number of Warp Stones was purely because the Imperial Family was controlling the quantity.
Prosperity was guaranteed for the cities that had Warp Stones. Conversely, no matter how prosperous a city was, removing the Warp Stone would inflict serious damage.
Naturally, the City Lords had no choice but to pay great attention to the presence or absence of Warp Stones.
In other words, the Imperial Family kept the Lords who ruled each city in check simply by controlling the number of Warp Stones they issued as well as maintaining control over them.
Ha. My eyes are spinning. Why is this city so big?
Hey. Youre embarrassing me. Stop acting like a country bumpkin.
What did you say, you bastard?
Enough, find a place to stay first before you start arguing. While you do that, Ill take care of the wounded.
The most important thing was to treat their wounded. Garp led the injured members to look for a clinic. The rest went straight to an inn.
Since all the costs were being borne by Rina, the mercenaries rented out the entire inn.
Then, without any regard for the fact that it was still the middle of the day, the mercenaries banged their beer mugs together. Of course, they were also eating.
Lukas got up from his seat after eating his meal. Dumbo, who was about to ask him to drink together, looked up in surprise.
Brother, where are you going?
Blacksmith.
Firstly, he had to get a sword, and if they had decent armour, he would purchase it as well. As soon as they arrived in Bairak, he received the rest of his payment from Rina, so he now had quite a bit of money on his hands.
He couldnt speak for anything else, but at the very least, he didnt intend to save when it came to equipment that would keep him alive.
After buying a weapon.
He would look around for any old bookstores.
Not only to look for books on the history of the past 10 years that Lukas didnt know, but also for books on swordsmanship and physical training.
Excuse me.
Rina called out to Lukas, who was about to leave.
When Lukas silently turned to look at her, she let out a soft cough.
Do you have time to spare?
How much?
Until lunch ends.
That wasnt too long. Lukas nodded, then Rina gestured for him to follow her.
She walked through the streets without any hesitation which displayed just how many times shed visited Bairak. After a while, they arrived at a large building made entirely of marble. It seemed to have about 7 or 8 floors and was easily the largest building in the area.
Lukas followed Rina into the building. And immediately knew what it was.
It was the City Administration Office.
Welcome. -Oh, Rina.
An intelligent looking woman greeted them with a bright smile.
Rina smiled and sat beside her.
Tia, you girl, your face has become so oily.
Huhuhu. Your face has also become thicker, girl.
Its my job, I cant help it. I guess this job suits you.
Its not just comfortable, it also makes me happy.
Right. I knew you were enjoying sucking honey, thats why I came to give you another job.
A job? What is it?
Rina turned and gestured to Lukas.
The woman named Tia bowed her head to him slightly before turning back to Rina. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Please give this man a temporary identification card. By tomorrow.
Tomorrow? Thats hard. At best it would take at least a week.
Thats why I said a temporary one.
Do you think itd be different just because its temporary. It takes three to four days just to reach the higher ups. Itll only take a week now because this isnt a busy period, otherwise, it would probably take two to three weeks.
You dont have to report to the higher ups. Just give me an identification card I can use to register him as an apprentice merchant for the Red Hub.
This caused Tias attitude to soften a bit.
Apprentice? Ahh. Is this person your junior?
well
Mm. If thats the case, then its fine. Did you say tomorrow? You can come back this afternoon.
Then Ill come back later. Thanks.
Its fine. How about dinner tonight? Rose told me to tell her when you came.
Sure.
Rina nodded, then after sharing some private words, returned to the inn with Lukas.????????????r????????????. ????om
Its difficult to stay and buy things in the empire without some form of identification.
It was then that Lukas realised that Rina was doing all of that for him.
I see. Thank you for your help.
No problem. I owe you my life. -Ah. And you dont have to worry about being an apprentice merchant either. Youre not really a part of the organisation, Im just using it because it is the fastest way. You could say its a trick.
I see.
Did you memorise the way here?
Yes. I think I can come back on my own.
If you forget, you can just ask me.
Thank you.
Its nothing.
Lukas expressed his gratitude once again.
Ah. And you said you were going to the blacksmith, right? Heres a map.
Rina handed him a folded piece of paper. Without opening it, he knew it was the map of Bairak.
Its a bit old, but there shouldnt be any major differences, so it shouldnt be too hard for you to find your way. As for this, you dont have to thank me again. Im just paying back what I owe.
Lukas let out a bitter laugh.
She really was a merchant.
Then Ill use it well.
Book 2: Chapter 296
Book 2: Chapter 296 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Lukas walked out to the street on his own and opened the map.
First things first, a blacksmith.
there arent any nearby.
It seemed that there was a street where all the blacksmiths were located, but it was quite far from where he currently was. To be precise, it was on the other side of the city.
On the other hand, antique bookstores were closer. In fact, there were two or three of them nearby.
Ill go to a bookstore first.
With that thought, Lukas headed to the nearest one.
Ring-
Welcome.
The nasally voice of an old man who appeared to be the shopkeeper greeted him as he entered.
There didnt seem to be any guests in the store, which smelled of old books and dust, other than Lukas. While it couldnt be said to be good for ones health, he couldnt help but enjoy this stale smell.
Lukas began to browse through the collection of books on the shelves. Although it looked like the books had been placed randomly, he was surprised to find that they were actually organised by field.
[Fifteen Unexplored Secrets of the Kastku Empire that Most are Unaware Of]
[Determining Magical Aptitude with a Simple Test]
[An Atheist Speaks About Demigods]
[The Four Heroes who led the Era of Light]
[48 Instant Recipes developed by Adventurer Carlton Gowland]
Most of the books he saw there were books about magic, but there were also books about history and philosophy, novels, and even cooking books.
This was the advantage of coming to an antique bookstore.
He was able to find various books from several different fields all in the same place.
After browsing the shelves for a while, Lukas was able to find what he was looking for.
[A Systematic and Effective Guide to Physical Training by Nia Hamilton]
[Basic Swordsmanship by Don Giaski]
[Regarding the Knights of Luanoble]
The first two books were because he wanted help, but the third was purely out of curiosity. A quick glance told him that all the books were written in an easy to understand manner and were suitable even for those who had no foundation.
He could use this.????n????????e????d.nbsp;????????????
After looking at them for a while, Lukas decided to purchase them.
Tuk-
But when he turned around, he immediately bumped into someone.
ah, sorry.
He heard a dignified voice. It was a woman.
She was taller than he expected. About half a head shorter than Lukas.
Its fine
Lukas stopped.
The woman in front of him was wearing a strange mask made of wood.
The shape of this mask was strangely familiar.
No. It wasnt just the mask.
Her voice, her aura.
Do you plan to learn swordsmanship?
The woman asked in a curious tone. The eyes behind the mask were looking at the books in Lukas hands.
right.
Hmm. I think it would be a bit difficult with the condition of your legs.
I didnt ask for your opinion.
As he responded in a cold voice, Lukas tried to walk past her.
Firstly, it was to give himself time to think.
But the woman didnt move away, and instead put her hands on her hips, blocking him.
Pardon my manners. This Queen no, I am Swordna.
Lukas expression changed.
He knew that pseudonym.
He also knew that old-fashioned way of speaking that didnt match her thin, high-pitched voice.
I would like to talk to you for a moment. That should be fine, right?
There was a hint of mirth in her voice, but the eyes behind the mask remained cold. Nevertheless, Lukas couldnt smile or answer easily.
This woman.
Was obviously one of those that Lukas longed to meet.
But he couldnt feel happy or relieved after reuniting with her.
-Those who managed to escape should have kept your appearance in mind. Maybe next time, theyll send a stronger person after you.
-Do you really think theyd go that far?
-As far as I know. Thats the kind of group the Circle is.
Rinas voice sounded in his mind again.
Lukas looked at Swordna no.
He looked at the Elf Queen Snow de Predickwood and thought. (Note: So long since I tld that name)
She
Was she there to kill him? sea??h th N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
* * *
If that was the case, then in all honesty, there was no way the current Lukas could run from her. With her skills, his entire body would be torn apart by her in seconds before he could even think of resisting.
the word sword reminded him of something.
Lukas eyes fell to Snows waist. It was stuck in a simple sheath, but he could tell just by looking at its hilt.
It was Deukid, the beloved sword of Lucid, who could be called the greatest swordsman.
He couldnt help but once again feel bitter about his situation. Since he wasnt sure about the current situation within the Circle, he had decided that he wouldnt reveal himself even if he were to be reunited with his companions.
But seeing Snow in person made him realise how difficult that really was.
The desire to reveal himself soared in his heart.
Im busy.
But he was used to suppressing his desires.
So, holding himself back like he always did, Lukas opened his mouth again.
I would like to leave, will you move out of the way?
Snow looked at Lukas strangely for a moment before unexpectedly stepping back with a shrug.
After paying for the books, with a limp, Lukas left the antique bookstore.
He walked for a while before looking behind him. But he couldnt find any signs that anyone was following him.
After confirming this, Lukas let out a sigh.
Snow de Predickwood.
Had their meeting only been a coincidence?
Lukas shook his head.
Of course, he couldnt rule out that possibility entirely. After all, he knew better than most how common such situations were in the world.
But the timing was too coincidental.
Then was Snow someone that had been sent by the Circle? Sent to take Lukas life?
If that was the case, then why did she let him go? Was it because she could kill him at any time, anywhere?
Suddenly, Lukas stopped walking.
Without realising it, he had walked all the way to the blacksmith street.
Heat radiated from the smithys that lined both sides of the street. It seemed that his body had subconsciously walked to this place while he was lost in his thoughts.
He decided to go ahead and buy the gear he wanted. It wasnt hard to purchase a few things while thinking things over.
With that in mind, he entered the first smithy he saw.
What a coincidence. We meet again.
Snow stood there as if it was natural.
Of course, there was no one in the world foolish enough to believe such a blatantly shameless statement. Unless they were incredibly naive or scatterbrained.
Lukas narrowed his eyes.
Theres no way I can detect Snows presence in this state.
Despite Lukas rotten expression, Snow stood smugly in front of him.
Now that I think about it, you never told me your name. I already introduced myself. I think thats a bit unfair.
That was just a pseudonym.
Forcibly holding back the words he wanted to say, Lukas decided to reveal his name.
Lukas.
It didnt fall off his lips as easily as it did with Peran. Unlike him, Snow knew his true identity and they had even fought together.
Even if it was faint, he expected her to have a different reaction than Peran.
Hmm. I see.
However, Snow nodded without any sign of suspicion and changed the subject.
are you here to buy weapons or armour?
Both.
I see. How much money do you have? How about I pick out a few for you?
No thanks.
Ignoring her, Lukas walked into the smithy. At this point, he didnt want to talk or interact with her any longer.
Why not? Its a rare opportunity for this Queen to choose a weapon for someone.
Or is it that you think beautiful women dont know anything about weapons?! Youre not that narrow minded? Right?
If you want to claim to be beautiful, at least take off your mask first.
Lukas continued to ignore her. He had no idea what Snow was thinking.
No. Now that he thought about it, did she always have this kind of unpredictable personality?
she wasnt this energetic last time we met.
Snow at that time had been made aware of her powerlessness and was frustrated by that fact. Lukas didnt want her to collapse. Thats why hed given her Deukid.
Its been 10 years.
It was enough time for anyone to overcome their setbacks and stand up on their feet again.
How much for this sword and armour?
35 gold coins.
Here.
You have to show me some identification first.
Lukas body froze at those words.
Rina had told him that it was difficult to buy things in the empire without an identification card. The bookstore hadnt asked him for it so hed forgotten
As Lukas expression became troubled, he felt a cool presence behind him.
Will mine suffice, sir?
The shopkeeper shot an indifferent glance at Snow before speaking.
Take off your mask.
Im sorry, but I cant show my face without this mask. It is a very sensitive subject for me, I hope youd understand.
Im sorry, but its the law. I cant-
Please.
Snows voice became a whisper. The shopkeeper, who was shaking his head, froze. Then, his eyes glazed over and he nodded slowly.
Snow took the gold coins from Lukas and gave them to the shopkeeper before they left the smithy with the equipment.
Such an inflexible shopkeeper.
was that magic?
Although he asked that, Lukas knew it wasnt magic.
If it were magic, it wouldnt have been able to escape his eyes.
Well
In any case, Lukas, you owe me now, dont you?
how much do you want?
Money doesnt solve everything Right.
The eyes behind the mask seemed to curl slightly.
Buy me food.
Book 2: Chapter 297
Book 2: Chapter 297 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
This is a pretty good book, but its not suitable for you.
Snow giggled below her mask as she flipped through the book.
Lukas let out a sigh and opened his mouth.
Thats my book.
I know.
I didnt give you permission to read it.
Whats the problem? Its not like itll get damaged just because I read it.
I havent read it yet.
So stingy. Dont you know the term ladies first? Youll have to wait a bit. Since I plan to read the entire thing.i????????????????????????. ????????????
After a while, Snow giggled again.
Isnt that a book on swordsmanship?
Of course, Lukas knew this because he was the one who had bought it.
The book she was reading was [Basic Swordsmanship by Don Giaski].
Huh? Thats right.
Then whats so funny?
Its all funny.
After giggling again, she turned the book to show Lukas what she was looking at.
The guy who wrote this book is a complete idiot, a scam. His knowledge base is shallow and poor. His thoughts about the functions of a sword are all limited and plain. At best he sees it as a blade used for cutting Well, thats not completely wrong.
Besides, look how old fashioned his training method is. What era is this that he thinks cutting trees is a good form of training? Thats just harming nature for no reason.
Coming from the Elf Queen herself, these words naturally had a lot of weight.
Lukas drank half of his cup of cold water. Then he spoke in a slightly calmer voice.
Why do you keep following me?
Mm? Uh
Snow seemed to think about it for a moment as she tapped the book in her hand.
Maybe its because I feel like weve met before.
!
Ahaha! It was a joke!
What a joke. (Note: Poor Lukas almost got a heart attack.)
Lukas had always been confident in his patience, but now, he realised it might not be as good as he thought. In that moment, he had almost spat out some of the few swear words he knew at her.
Would you mind ordering some more food?
Why me?
I ate nothing but grass for an entire week. I deserve to eat meat.
Coming from the Elf Queen herself, these words naturally had a lot of weight. In a different sense from before
Right. Eat to your hearts content then leave.
With this thought, Lukas directly ordered five more servings before looking at Snow.
Had she always been like this? He wasnt sure. Maybe shed always thought like this, but now, she was acting more arbitrarily than before.
Throughout the meal, Snow skillfully ate without ever taking off her mask. She was also quite fast too. Five servings of food disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Finally, Snow finished her glass of water before closing the book once more.
A book like this will do you no good.
What?
For a Swordsman, a leg disorder is more critical than anything else. Whether its cutting, stabbing, or blocking, the most important thing is the strength of your feet.
Even for First Class Swordsmen, if they were to lose even one big toe, their power would drop by more than half in that instant. Your situation is worse than losing a single toe, isnt it?
Although she said this in a light tone, Lukas realised she was giving him serious advice now.
Then what should I do?
I dont know. As you can see, all my limbs are fully functional.
Her tone was still light as she got up from her seat. Then she smiled at Lukas.
Thanks for the meal, Lukas. Well meet again.
With those words, Snow disappeared in a flash.
Lukas continued looking in the direction she left in. Maybe she would come back like before.
Thats what he thought.
ha.
But after a while, he realised that shed really left this time.
* * *
Lukas tiring day was not yet over.
When he returned to the inn, he thought he would once again find the noisy atmosphere the mercenaries had created, but that wasnt the case. In fact, the first floor of the inn, which served as the restaurant, was quiet.
There were a few mercenaries there, but even they only lightly tapped their glasses together.
The reason for that was easily understandable.
It was the familiar face sitting at a table in a corner of the room.
It was Peran.
He quietly moved his tableware as he focused on his meal. Even though the food served at the inn could only be considered mediocre at best, his etiquette could still be seen in his movements.
He was slicing through a cheap steak in a luxurious manner when he noticed Lukas presence and put down his knife.
Oh, youre here.
Lukas nodded slightly.
Not showing whether he was offended by Lukas blunt attitude or not, Peran simply gestured to the chair in front of him with a nonchalant expression.
Have you eaten yet?
Yes. I ate before I came.
I see Then would you like a cup of tea?
Arent you eating?
I was about to stop anyway since I dont have much of an appetite.
Peran spoke with a slightly tired expression before calling out to a nearby waiter.
Im sorry, but please clear away these dishes.
Yes.
Also if you have any good tea, Ill have two cups.
The waiters expression became a bit tense when he heard this. Perhaps his intuition told him that Peran was no simple character.
Sir what do you mean by good tea?
If you have something like Aman Frere, or Colonial
Peran slowly trailed off after saying this. The waiter in front of him looked as if he wanted to cry.
forget it. Two glasses of cold water will do.
Thank you.
As if hed been pardoned, the waiter quickly disappeared and returned with the cold water. Peran coughed slightly in embarrassment before taking a sip of water.
After changing his posture a bit, he opened his mouth.
I heard that I am in your debt.
It was just in the course of protecting myself.
Regardless, you saved a lot of people. As their client, I would like to express my gratitude.
Knowing that it would only prolong the topic if he continued to act modest, Lukas nodded.
In any case, he had to thank him for bringing up the topic of the raid first.
Those that attacked. I heard that they are from an organisation called the Circle.
Yes.
Are they your enemies?
Thats right.
the man I killed, Budilem, was the leader of the operation. His men at the scene witnessed that, and most of them escaped alive.
There was a subtle change to Perans expression for a moment.
It was strange, it didnt give him a positive or a negative feeling.
Lukas also became silent.
This was as he expected.
While Peran was fundamentally good, his atmosphere changed completely when the Circle was mentioned. Peran still had the soft expression on his face, but the pressure being released from his body was so intimidating that anyone would find it difficult to speak their mind to him.
Hes grown up.
In the past, Peran had also been a formidable figure. He was an exceptionally talented person whose future was limitless, but as expected, after accumulating years of experience, hed also become skilled in the political side of things.
I need protection. S~ea??h the novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Lukas decided to first bring up the main point to him in a straightforward manner.
Rina told me that people stronger than Budilem would come for me, is that true?
The probability is high.
defeating Budilem was half a coincidence. If such an attack happens again, Im not certain Ill be able to protect myself.
So youre asking us for protection.
Lukas nodded.
The small smile that had been on Perans lips the entire time finally disappeared and he carefully looked at Lukas.
It was impossible for him to read someones intentions or inner thoughts just by looking at them. Nevertheless, it was possible to find some strangeness if they were hiding something from him. This was one of Perans specialties.
How strange.
He couldnt feel anything from Lukas.
Was it because he truly was telling the truth? Peran was hesitant to jump to such a conclusion.
I know a place beyond the reach of the Circle.
I promise on my honor. It is a small and quiet village, but no one would be able to hurt you if you went there. I can also give you enough money to comfortably live for the rest of your life.
youre telling me to go there?
At least until your memories return.
Perans proposal was extremely attractive.
But Lukas knew he shouldnt accept it. He couldnt.
He had seen the corruption of the Circle with his own eyes.
There is no guarantee that my memories will ever return.
What are you trying to say?
after I fought the attackers and heard the word Circle, it was like a bolt of lightning had struck my head. I believe that my loss of memory might be related to them somehow.
Perans face became slightly startled when he heard those words. It seemed Rina hadnt told him that part.
Then what do you want me to do?
Take me with you.
for what reason?
You are the leader of the Anti Circle Alliance.
Did Rina tell you that?
It was my own guess.
On what basis?
There were several. Your status as a member of a high ranking family, your individual strength which reaches the realm of heroes, and more than anything else, your innate talent.
Peran remained silent.
It seemed like he was telling him to continue.
Charisma. The talent to attract and lead people, regardless of whether they want to follow or not.
hmm.
He hummed softly for a moment. He also began fiddling with his cup. It didnt seem like he was thirsty though, since he was only looking at his reflection in the water.
Finally, after staying silent for a while, Peran spoke.
I cannot accept your request.
Lukas expression changed slightly.
In all honesty, hed never considered the fact that Peran might refuse. No. That even if he did refuse, he would be so firm.
Why?
Because I dont have the authority to do that.
That surprised him.
You dont have enough authority? Then are you
Dont get me wrong. Your guess was pretty close. My position in the Anti Circle Alliance is by no means low. If this was a different time, I would easily accept your proposal.
But he was saying he couldnt now.
I have to accompany someone for a few months or even longer from today.
It was only then that Lukas understood.
The person that you have to accompany is your superior.
Peran nodded easily.
0
I came here to meet her halfway.
Her?
We were supposed to meet at this very inn, so shell probably come soon-
Just at that moment, the door of the inn flew open, and Perans expression changed.
Shes here.
Lukas looked back.
And when he saw the woman standing at the door, his eyebrows couldnt help but twitch slightly.
It was a woman wearing a strange wooden mask.
you.
Over here.
Peran looked at the woman, Snow, and beckoned her over to them in a calm voice. Lukas couldnt help but look back at him in surprise.
They knew each other? No, wait a minute. It couldnt be that she was the superior Peran had mentioned.
Suddenly, Snow strode over to the table and sat down beside Lukas.
Let me introduce you. This is Snow, the current leader of the Anti Circle Alliance.
Leader of the Anti Circle Alliance.
The weight of those words could not be brushed aside lightly.
Snow smiled at Lukas.
I told you wed meet again, Lukas.
Book 2: Chapter 298
Book 2: Chapter 298 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Snow.
Full name, Snow de Predickwood.
Every person could be said to have many different identities, but in Snows case, it was particularly severe.
The Elf Queen, sole survivor of the extinct Ice Elf race, the Apostle of the Demigod Riki who betrayed his own kind, and also a Master Swordsman with talent comparable to Lucid.
That wasnt all.
In addition to all of that, she also had another identity, Swordna, who served as the Circle Master for the Hiral Garden circle.
In other words.
Snow had definitely been a member of the Circle just 10 years ago.
You know each other?
It wasnt strange for Peran to be a bit surprised.
After all, Lukas was going with the story that hed lost his memories, and Snow was currently not in a position that allowed her to randomly interact with strangers.
Snow took the cup that was in front of him and took a sip while shrugging.
I met him not so long ago. I am in his debt.
On what condition?
The price of a meal.
For reference, the meal had cost about 10 silver, which was enough to spend over 3-4 days considering Lukas low meal average.
you are the leader of the Anti Circle Alliance?
Right.
How did you know about me?
Peran, and the people you missed. So you dont have to worry anymore.
what?
Snows eyes curved into half moons.
Werent you worried that the Circle would learn your appearance?
It seemed she had been listening to their conversation.
They all died before they could report to their superiors. This Queen can guarantee it.
There was no need to ask how they died.
Lukas looked at Snow with a complex expression.
Leader of the Anti Circle Alliance.
This meant that shed left the Circle and created her own force. That also meant that currently, Snow was enemies with Ivan, the Master of the Circle.
Why?
Since all the witnesses are dead, the threat of death has disappeared. Do you still want to travel with us?
Snow didnt give him time to think and urged him to answer.
Lukas nodded.
Right.
The thought of sticking together with them had only grown stronger.
Snow put her chin in her hands as she stared at Lukas curiously.
I see. Alright. Then you can go up for now.
?
I have some important things to discuss with Peran.
It seemed she didnt want any outsider listening which is why she asked him to leave.
Her voice was soft, but strangely coercive. Lukas knew there was no point to staying anyway, so he calmly headed upstairs.
Dumbo had already told him in advance which room was his.
He was certain it was E-2.
With a click, he opened the door and entered the room.
The soundproofing between the first and second floors was not very good. In other words, if conversations on the first floor were a bit loud, then those on the second floor would be able to hear it. This meant that there was a chance for him to hear what they were talking about downstairs.
Although the noisy mercenaries made it difficult to hear things clearly, as long as he focused on his hearing, he might be able to hear the conversation
But he could hear no sound from below.
They set up a sound barrier.
It was a barrier that only stopped sound from passing through. While it was an application of barrier technology, the formulas required to cast it were much more complex. To be precise, the quantity increased by up to three times.
Nevertheless, such a thing would not be difficult for the current Peran.i????????????????????????. ????????????
He wondered what they were talking about.
How to treat Lukas. The Alliances next step. Or the movements of the Circle.
He didnt know.
But Lukas felt that he would be able to gain valuable clues from their conversation.
should I eavesdrop?
It was morally wrong, but it couldnt be helped.
At that point, Lukas needed to hear their conversation. It was no longer a matter of choice.
Then, the how was the problem.
How could he eavesdrop?
He looked at the sound barrier Peran had created. His mana was powerful and vast enough that it could easily cover the entire building.
In addition the formula he used was exquisite. Just by looking at the formula, Lukas was able to see just how much effort a Wizard put in.
Of course, it was by no means an accurate measurement. It was similar to interfering with a character someone else had created.
formula.
Lukas understood the source of mana. Otherwise, he never would have been able to use endtongue.
So to the current Lukas, it was like he was looking at several dozens or hundreds of formulas floating in the air.
Suddenly, a thought appeared in his head.
Touch it with a finger, even if only for a moment.
What would happen if I interfere with the formula?
It was a wild idea, but it wasnt impossible.
No matter what he did, the current Lukas was absolutely unable to use magic.
But interfering with spells that had already been cast or changing their properties might be possible.
Sshng.
Lukas unsheathed his sword. There wasnt any particular reason for this.
Since the blade was sharper than his finger, he felt that it would more easily scatter the surrounding mana and change it.
Great.
Thinly, slowly, carefully, as if he was slowly cutting a bit of meat.
The flow of the mana changed.
A cast spell was like an artist finishing a painting.
But Lukas stormed in without even asking for permission and changed it as he pleased.
The mana moved. The formula was rearranged.
Naturally, Lukas had the most comprehensive understanding of magic, mana, and formulas out of everyone in the world. This allowed him to spot the weaknesses and blindspots that most wouldnt notice. Even if Peran was an Archmage, when it came to pure understanding, he was no match for Lukas.
Ssss-
Perans elaborate painting was soon dyed with Lukas color. It was so secretive that even the caster didnt notice.
It was impossible for ordinary people to use mana. In other words, Lukas was the only being in the world that could use this method.
Juk.
The tip of his blade slid forward once again.
Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead. It was his body, not his mind, that was crying out and complaining about the strain.
He was only holding his sword in his right hand.
His left hand was thin, weak. If he were to try to use both hands for no reason, it would probably affect the ultra precision required for his task.
Nevertheless, Lukas right arm was not trained to handle such strain.
urk.
His arm almost slipped. A groan escaped past his lips without him realising. It felt like his arm was about to fall off.
0
By that point, the only thing he could feel at that moment was pain.
Lukas focused his gaze, his eyes bloodshot.
Just.
Just a little more.
Tuk.
Just as a bead of sweat began rolling down his nose Sear?h the Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
[is it?]
He heard a faint voice.
[Interesting.]
The voices quickly became clear, and he could clearly hear both Peran and Snow.
Brrr.
His entire body began to shake heavily. At first, he thought the reason for his convulsions was because hed overworked his muscles, but that wasnt the case.
Instead, what Lukas felt at that moment was an indescribable feeling of pleasure. It filled him with confusion at first, but he soon realised why.
Uncertain challenges, crises, and fruits of his labour.
All things that were foreign for an Absolute.
That was why he was happy.
It felt like a long lost feeling had been revived.
At that moment, he felt human again.
Book 2: Chapter 299
Book 2: Chapter 299 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
How is it?
Interesting.
When he heard her response, Peran smiled slightly as if he was expecting.
I thought youd say that.
Right. As you said, he definitely is an interesting man.
I thought hed be a Wizard, but he wields a sword.
You said he killed Budilem in one hit right? He might have been overwhelmed if it was a real fight.
Peran nodded.
How is it? I dont know enough about the Swordsman field to confirm. But since he killed Budilem, he should have been at least First Class.
In terms of pure ability, hes Third Class.
Peran couldnt help but be surprised when he heard this.
Really?
No. Even Third Class feels a bit generous. You saw his body too, didnt you? The most eye-catching thing is the limp in his right foot, but the situation of his left arm isnt good either.
Snow looked down at her own left hand as she clenched and unclenched it.
The grip strength of his left hand is probably not even half of his right. His reaction rate should also be very slow. For example, even if he thinks about moving his left arm now, there will probably be a few seconds of delay before it actually moves. Thats fatal for a swordsman.
Then do you think he used a different kind of power to kill Budilem?
That may or may not be the case.
How about you? What is your judgment towards this man?
I cant see through him.
If it was said that Snow paid attention to the exterior, what Peran focused on was the interior.
I dont know what kind of training he was given. However, his mental strength far surpasses most Wizards. He has reached the state of mind as calm as a still lake.
Peran seemed to want to say something more, but he closed his mouth. Saying more than that would just be his own suspicions and speculations, and it wasnt something he should say lightly in front of his superior.
What else?
Im sure hes hiding something But, whatever it is doesnt seem to be malicious. That much I can tell.
Hmm.
Snow hummed softly beneath her breath and folded her arms. As she hummed, she swung her head back and forth as if she was listening to a song. While this might seem like a playful attitude, Peran knew that she was seriously thinking at the moment.
I think we should move on to talking about more practical things.
Snows humming died down.
What is his usage value?
about five points.
Out of 10?
Out of 100.
Snows expression changed.
That score is very low for someone you rated so highly.
Isnt the usage value you mentioned in regard to the meeting in two years? At his current level, he wouldnt be of much help.
While it was amazing that Lukas had killed Budilem, Peran had at least a dozen more talented people capable of the same feat. It was also clear that they all had something that made them better than Lukas.
Growth potential.
Even at that moment, they were consistently growing stronger.
Right. That was an important factor.
Its impossible for him to get any stronger at this point.
I agree, but thats not completely correct.
Huh?
Its not impossible. Its just very close to impossible.
In any case, now is the time to focus on nurturing elites. At the meeting in two years, either this Queen or Ivan will have to die.
are you okay?
Are you worried about me? Ahahaha. Im flattered.
He wasnt worried about that.
Not knowing what to say, Peran remained silent.
In any case, it looks like weve managed to reach a rough conclusion. Ill go tell him.
Ill go with you.
Snow didnt stop Peran from following her, and instead went upstairs to Lukas room and directly opened the door.
Click.
mm?
Hm
Snow and Peran simultaneously let out sounds of surprise.
This was because they were met with a strange sight when they opened the door to the room.
Lukas was standing alone in the room in a strange position with his sword in his hand. In addition, he was sweating profusely and breathing heavily.
Snow tilted her head to the side.
What were you doing?
that.
They had come up so fast that he didnt even have time to put the sword away.
Naturally, he couldnt say that, so Lukas just came up with a rough excuse.
I was doing a bit of training
Training? Why would you do it here?
When she asked this in a confused voice, he didnt know what else to say.
Suddenly, as if he realised something, Peran spoke to Snow.
Lady Swordna, I dont think it would be polite to delve any deeper into this matter.
What do you mean?
That
Peran lowered his head and whispered something into Snows ear.
ahhh~
Snow let out a sound as if she finally understood before nodding in a shaky manner.
If thats the case, well. Then I guess it cant be helped.
Still it would be better to find a more suitable time and place.
Lukas didnt know what they were talking about, but he felt that the longer this topic continued, the worse it would become.
Pushing his suspicions aside, he opened his mouth.
Have you made a decision on how you will deal with me?
Ah. Thats right.
Snow nodded and straightened up slightly.
From tomorrow, you will be accompanying us.
!
Peran looked at Snow with a hint of surprise on his face.
On the other hand, Snows voice remained calm as she continued.
Well be in your care for a while, Lukas.
* * *
It was a cloudy night.
Lukas woke up in the dim moonlight around midnight. Hed woken up much earlier than usual, and it wasnt because of the moonlight shining on his face.
Rustle-
He could hear the sounds of pages being flipped.
Lukas had been given a single room, so he should have been the only one in the room.
But now, he could clearly sense someone elses presence in the room. The sound came from the desk.
He sat up in bed.
The first thing he saw when he looked over was something white. At first, he thought it was a white blanket. It reminded him of a high quality white blanket made from the fur of the snow ferrets living in the snowfields, or the hair of silver maned foxes.
But it wasnt.
He was looking at someones back, which meant the white curtain was their hair.
White hair seemed to glow mysteriously in the moonlit room.
Tak-
Snow closed the book and turned around.
She wasnt wearing the mask. Of course, Lukas had already realised this when he saw her hair.
Arent you surprised?
Do you want me to treat you like a ghost?
That would be interesting.
I am surprised. I wouldnt have expected you to break into my room without permission.
Ahaha
Snow let out a laugh. The sound was much quieter than usual, almost a whisper.
What were you doing?
Waiting for you to wake up.
You couldve woken me.
Its not good to do that to someone whos sleeping peacefully. Sar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Snows consideration was a bit off putting. Was it because she was an elf? No. Maybe it was because of her unique personality.
Undead have appeared in the forests in the eastern part of Kastkau.
After dealing with a few more things here, well go there.
It was strange.
While the appearance of undead was something that could happen naturally, the undead that appeared at that time would usually be few in number and their power would be negligible.
There was no reason for Peran and Snow to be so wary if it was just the appearance of undead.
It didnt happen naturally.
It seems you know about undead. You have a lot of general knowledge.
Lukas ignored Snows words and asked.
Who is behind it?
Would you even understand if I told you? You dont even remember anything.
She wasnt wrong.
Lukas felt a bit of regret and couldnt help but wonder if he had messed up by choosing to go with memory loss.
We plan to leave around tomorrow afternoon. Well be using Perans magic, so there wont be a need to prepare much. Oh, and
Snow placed her hand on the books Lukas had bought.
These will be of no use to you.
As she said that, frost spread from her fingers, freezing all of the books in an instant.
Crack!
With a bit more pressure, the block of ice was crushed beneath her palm.
One month.
This Queen is a busy person. I only plan to teach you for one month.
Snow valued him more than he expected.
As he thought this, Lukas asked a question.
What if, after a month, my growth doesnt meet your expectations?
Just before she left the room, she turned around and gave him an answer with a smile.
Then there would be no reason to meet again in the future.
Book 2: Chapter 300
Book 2: Chapter 300 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
When dawn came, Lukas went down to the first floor of the inn.
The first floor of the inn was quiet. The caravan was scheduled to depart in the afternoon of the next day. Their departure was delayed more than initially planned after Peran had a conversation with Rina and the others.
This meant that the mercenaries were suddenly given another free day. They would probably slowly begin to trickle back now after visiting all the bars in Bairak. They would then go to bed and sleep till noon.
Lukas ate his breakfast slowly and wasted a bit of time before leaving the inn in the afternoon.
His goal was to get the identification card hed applied for.
When he entered the building which seemed to be the city hall, he saw Rinas acquaintance, the woman named Tia.
It seemed that she remembered him as she nodded as soon as Lukas appeared.
Were you able to get my identification?
Yeah. Here you go.
He looked at the card Tia handed to him.
It displayed his name, age and origin. At the bottom of the card was an engraving of a herb that had been cut in half.
This insignia signified that the identification card belonged to a member of the Red Herb*. (Note: I did think that it was herb at first, but red hub sounded like a more plausible name for a merchant association. Itll be Red Herb from now on. For reference, the word is ?? - heob/hub)
Lukas was registered as an apprentice merchant. Because he was a merchant who could not work on his own, the herb on his card was only half.
It says that I am 30 years old and from a rural village in Luanoble.
Rina had probably written this on Lukas behalf since hed forgotten his memories. Nevertheless, he still wondered where the age 30 came from.
As far as he could tell, this body was still in its 20s.
Did she think I was older because of the hair color?
Putting those useless thoughts aside, he left the city hall. When he returned to the inn, he found Peran standing at the entrance.
Good afternoon.
A bright smile stretched across his face. Peran was probably in his early 30s by now, but he didnt look older than someone in their mid 20s.
If they were to walk side by side, Lukas would probably be taken as the older one between them.
Whered you go?
To collect my identification card from the city hall. I got it with Rinas help.
0
Thats good news. There are many restrictions in the empire for those without any form of identification.
Peran nodded.
Are we going to head to the forest in the east now?
No. Well be going to Westroad Academy first.
Westroad Academy? sea??h th N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Now that he thought about it, Snow did say that they still had some things to do first. Did that have something to do with their trip to the academy?
We plan to use the Warp Stone in this city. I try to refrain from using the Warp spell in cities as much as possible.
Lukas nodded since he naturally knew the reason for this.
Wouldnt it be better to go with the caravan? I heard that they were also headed to the academy.
It wouldnt be cost effective to move that many people and carriages over.
Then why didnt you just take the things that were supposed to be delivered?
If that was possible then there wouldnt have been a need to hire the carriages or mercenaries.
Peran answered sincerely without any signs of being annoyed by his questioning.
Those items were bought in a different region. There are many restrictions on Warping between countries. That would only be used for very special cases.
Indeed.
As Lukas nodded in understanding, Snow walked out of the inn.
Her wooden mask was on her face once more. Well, if she didnt wear it, shed be even more noticeable while walking around.
Peran, have you contacted the academy yet?
What about Syris and Sonya?
Im sure theyre already waiting By the way, are you sure this is okay?
What do you mean?
Im talking about the meeting. If things dont go according to plan
Perans voice was serious but not grave.
Its not like I dont already understand the situation. Theres no need to worry even if a problem arises.
Why is that?
Snow responded in a calm and soft tone.
Because Ill be the strongest.
* * *
For Lukas, Westroad Academy was one of his many starting points.
It was the first place he opened his eyes after escaping from the Abyss and inhabiting Frey Blakes body.
Nevertheless, nothing really came to mind when he thought about it. After all hed only stayed in the academy for a month. He left at the beginning of the vacation and never returned.
But there was still one thing he remembered.
At that time, there hadnt been a Warp Stone at Westroad Academy.
Woowoong-
The Warp ended successfully.
Although there was still some brightness in his peripheral vision, that would soon fade.
Welcome, your Majesty.
As the light from the Warp faded, they heard a voice.
After blinking a few times, he found a woman bowing in front of them in a dignified manner.
Such a stiff greeting as always, Syris. Its been a while. Did everything work out?
Thats right.
Hmm.
Snow nodded before rubbing her chin.
Lead the way.
Yes.
Syris.
The woman bowed her head once again with an elegant gesture before turning around and walking away.
Her gracefulness seemed to be second nature. This meant that she was a noble who learned about etiquette from a young age.
The others?
Your Majesty is the first to arrive.
I see. Thats not too bad.
Snow clicked her tongue softly, to which Syris nodded before naturally turning to look at Lukas.
By the way, this man is?
Instead of Snow, it was Peran that answered.
Hes a new member of the alliance.
I see.
Regardless of whether she was convinced or not, she didnt ask anything after that. The sound of their footsteps was the only thing that resounded in the hallway.
This place.
It was a building hed never been to during his time in the academy.
It wasnt a building where the cadets were taught, nor did it seem to be a dormitory, library or cafeteria.
This meant that it was probably one of the buildings for the professors. A place that students generally werent allowed to enter.
Syris continued to lead them through the building before finally coming to a stop in front of a door.
Then she opened it and gestured for them to enter.
Just as Lukas was about to follow Snow and Peran inside, Syris spoke to him.
You wait outside.
No. Let him come.
Syriss eyebrows rose slightly.
Do you mean this man will accompany you?
Do you have a problem with that?
Sir Sonya is still waiting for you.
I know. Sorry, but tell him to wait a bit longer.
Syris remained silent instead of responding. She didnt show it, but she was obviously dissatisfied with Snows order.
Snow waved her hand with a lazy expression.
Its not an official meeting anyway. Why are you being so strict? This is fine, isnt it? Itll allow us to hide our power a bit. Peran alone is enough to deal with any unexpected situations.
understood.
For some reason, Syris displeased gaze turned to Lukas.
Maybe she was taking it out on him maybe not. Lukas decided to not think about it as he slipped inside the room.
It was a very large space. It had probably been used as a conference room in the past, but now, the furniture was far from sufficient for such a large space.
There were only three chairs surrounding a large round table.
Snow calmly walked over and occupied one of the chairs. Peran naturally took his position at her side before blinking at Lukas. He was hinting for him to stand on her other side. As he complied, Lukas couldnt help but feel like an attendant accompanying his monarch.
In fact, Snow was a Queen and Peran was a noble, so it wasnt entirely wrong.
You might feel like your life is in danger later.
It was Perans voice.
He was looking at Lukas with a serious expression.
The ones who are about to appear might seem to transcend common sense, but they wont harm you. I dont understand her Majestys intentions, but you shouldnt be afraid. Well protect you.
Snow swung her feet back and forth with a sullen expression.
Perans words were like a riddle. But it didnt seem like he was intentionally being mysterious. Instead, it was more like he didnt have the time to explain in more detail.
Lukas entry into this conference room had probably been an unexpected situation for Peran too.
But Lukas soon found out the reason.
-she here?
A deep voice sounded from outside the door.
Lukas eyebrow twitched slightly.
Yes. Her Majesty is already inside W-, wait. What are you doing?
Bang!
The door flew towards them.
Book 2: Chapter 301
Book 2: Chapter 301 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
The door flew.
This wasnt a metaphor for something, the door was actually flying.
It was also dozens of times faster than a cannonball and its momentum was extremely heavy.
It was coming towards them.
Lukas couldnt react. He was aware that the door was speedily approaching. In fact, it was flying straight towards his head.
But he couldnt move his body. No, even if he moved, he didnt have the ability to block or cut through a solid marble door like that one.
Piht.
As he was thinking this, the door suddenly split into two.
Bang!
The two halves of the door flew to a corner of the conference room.
Click.
Snow sheathed her sword without changing her expression, but she turned her gaze towards the doorway.
Are you on your period? Youre being much more moody today.
I havent slept in four days so Im a bit sensitive. To the point where I wanna tear apart every bastard I hear spouting bullsh*t.
It was a voice Lukas knew.
So you better think twice before you open that mouth of yours.
From the doorway that no longer had a door, a man walked into the room.
The first thing that one would notice was his hair, which was like a lions mane. Then, they would see his body which seemed to be made of steel.
Lukas pursed his lips tightly.
He thought that if he opened his mouth, he would definitely say something strange.
Am I second? At least Im not last.
The man then sat down on one of the three chairs.
For the speechless Lukas, surprising things continued to happen one after the other.
No, you were last.
A soft voice sounded in the room.
Swoosh-
A ripple in space appeared, covering the remaining chair.
This was a somewhat familiar sight for Lukas.
The power to use space.
A purple haired woman stepped out of the ripple.
hmph.
Haam.
Ivan snorted and Snow yawned.
Everyones here now. So lets get started with the meeting.
Iris smiled.
For a moment, their eyes met in the air.
Hostility and vigilance.
There were no gentle emotions in their gazes.
In other words,
Snow, Ivan and Iris were all hostile to each other.
After seeing that.
what the hell.
Something in his mind broke.
And that became a fuse that caused his insides to start boiling.
As if it contained lava, something deep within his heart began to burn furiously.
That fire then began to spread to the rest of his body.
Crunch.
Suddenly, a strange sound resounded. Peran turned to Lukas. He intended to remind him that this was not a place where he should recklessly show his presence.
But he couldnt.
The moment he saw Lukas facial expression, he couldnt help but subconsciously hold his breath.
0
what the hell.
Hed been able to leave confidently.
Because he had left them behind.
Because they told him to leave it to them.
Hed believed them. So he hadnt been worried even as he traversed countless universes. Hed always thought that this world would be the most beautiful and peaceful by now.
The only thing hed ever been concerned about was whether he could return here or not. He was afraid that hed never be able to see the beautiful universe hed worked so hard for ever again. Or that even if he did manage to see it again, he would not feel the same appreciation for humans.
Just.
Just to look at it.
That was the reason hed endured for so many years.
what the hell are you all doing? sea??h th Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
So the emotions he was feeling at that moment were justified.
Lukas Trowman was truly angry at that moment.
* * *
Syris Triznine* was previously a Circle member belonging to the Phisfounder Armlets. At that time, shed sat in the position of Force Honor and could be considered a Circle executive. (*: Formerly Sirij. Id forgotten that Id tld the name before but the last name made me remember. Shes the Headmistress of Westroad Academy and Isabelles aunt.)
That was why she knew the minimum requirements for joining the group known as the Circle.
Their enemies were the Demigods. They were an entire race of semi-transcendent beings who, from the perspective of the general public, were no different than gods.
In order to confront such beings, one could not be ordinary. They had to have at least one extraordinary capability that no one else had.
Whether it was innate talent, indomitable mental strength, or extraordinary growth potential.
10 years ago.
Among the various circles that were made up of various races, there were three that stood out the most.
The members of the Circle called them the Three Great Circles.
This was because their influence and power easily stood out when compared to the other circles.
They were the Strow Necklaces, the Lucid Swords and the Phisfounder Armlets.
How strong were leaders who led the Three Great Circles.
The Strow Necklaces Rezil Wilsemann was a 9 star Great Wizard that would forever be recorded in the annals of history. (Note: Wasnt he quasi 9 stars?)
The Lucid Swords Jekid Deosis was a Master Swordsman who had been given the title Lord of the Sword.
The Phisfounder Armlets Altan was the greatest if not the only authority on black magic and was a specialist in Demon summoning who had even signed a direct contract with one of the six Archdukes of the Demon World.
All three of them were beings who had no issues controlling the immense power of the Three Great Circles.
They were all super geniuses who stood out even when placed in a group with other geniuses.
Talent and hard work were natural.
In addition, their experience and luck allowed them to stand on a level that very few others could even place their feet.
The reason she was even thinking this in the first place was simple.
It was because the three sitting in the conference room were beings who had reached a level even beyond those old Circle Masters.
That was why the meeting that day was so important.
Of course, there would only be about twenty people who ever knew about this meeting, including those who were present.
After all, it was just an informal meeting. Their official encounter wouldnt take place till two years later.
And of course, that time would not be as peaceful as it was now.
Everyone gathered there were all great figures who held immense power across the continent, both in influence and strength.
If they had a minor argument which developed into a fight, then several kilometres around the academy would become a barren wasteland in the blink of an eye.
Thats why she couldnt understand.
Is he crazy?
She couldnt help but think this as she looked at Lukas.
Everyone in the room immediately noticed when his anger erupted. Naturally, this caused the attention of everyone there to focus on him.
In the first place, there wasnt much to look at. No, in fact, it wasnt good at all.
Everyone there could easily spot the disabilities in Lukas foot and arm with a glance. If he didnt manage to somehow overcome those, they would become a fatal obstacle that would prevent him from even reaching the First Class level.
But he couldnt just be a cripple.
Since he was accompanying none other than Snow herself, he had to have something that at least didnt make him inferior to Peran since he was standing beside him.
Did he have a special power other than his physical ability?
Or did he have enormous wealth or special status?
Or perhaps he had a brain that was superior to everyone else in the room?
There was a man whose attitude was to ask questions directly rather than making guesses and conclusions in his head.
Whats up with that guy?
Ivan crossed his arms as he opened his mouth.
Book 2: Chapter 302
Book 2: Chapter 302 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Whoosh-
In an instant, the anger that had been radiating from Lukas vanished without a trace. It was clean and quick, like a blaze that had been doused.
Snow smiled at Ivan.
I picked him up on my way here.
Your eyes are burning, Ivan, are you that curious about my new subordinate?
Only then did Ivan take his eyes off of Lukas.
And when he raised his chin slightly, a middle aged man, who had been silently standing behind him, stepped forward.
When Syris saw this man, she couldnt help but gulp subconsciously.
Cairo Wilsemann
Each party was allowed to bring two people into the meeting.
Nevertheless, Ivan had only brought Cairo. Was it because he was confident that one person was enough?
That wouldnt be an incorrect judgment. After all, Cairo was capable enough to warrant such confidence.
But the truth was that Ivan brought only Cairo because he felt it would be too bothersome to bring two people.
In addition, Cairo was deeply related to what they would discuss in the meeting.
Then lets start the discussion.
Cairo was Ivans representative in the discussion that was about to begin.
The others also had their own representatives.
Snow had Peran, and Iris had the Vampire Queen Sheryl.
The three representatives stepped forward and began sizing each other up.
Cairos gaze turned to Peran.
Peran Jun, you really are improving day by day. You probably dont understand how fortunate you are to be such a talented young man.
Thank you for the compliment. If youre ever struggling with anything, Id be happy to give you some advice.
Sheryl held back a snicker.
Without a doubt, it was nothing but a childish exchange. However, in Sheryls opinion, Perans blow was heavier. Cairo, who had been trying to gain the upper hand by acting like an elder, became rather silent after being hit by the unexpected blow.
He was definitely embarrassed, but it was commendable that he didnt show it on his face.
Hoho. Thank you for your care, but I dont think I can improve any further. Im just envious of you, who still has an endless path ahead of you.
Peran smiled strangely at those words.
11th Tower Master, do you really think 9-stars is the end?
The genial smile disappeared from Cairos face.
thats quite the presumptuous remark. You are not yet at the level to discuss such things with me.
Well I know my level best.
If they continued this conversation, they would definitely cut into the discussion time. So Sheryl decided to end their little spat.
Clack-
With a snap of her finger, two bats appeared behind her.
Each bat was holding a corner of a roll of parchment that was much too large for them, but they flapped their wings hard and gently placed them on the table.
Swoosh-
Soon the parchment was unfurled on the table.
It was a map large enough for everyone to see everything clearly.
We found their base.
Peran and Cairo turned their gazes over at the same time.
Where?
Here.
Another bat appeared.
This one was much smaller than the bats that appeared before. The bat flew across the parchment before falling from the air when it reached its destination.
Spat!
The bat was crushed, causing black juices to spread, staining the map.
The western part of the continent? I think there is a country there.
Matuui.
It was Peran who muttered softly.
Matuui?
Although he was a bit narrow-minded at times, it couldnt be denied that Cairo was much more knowledgeable than most people. And yet, he had never heard of a country called Matuui before.
It is a very small country with a population of only about 100,000. Their warriors are known for having many unique fighting styles.
A land of warriors, like Silkid.
Its similar but different. Matuuis warriors are more savage and barbaric. This is because there are a lot of monsters in the region due to the tropical climate. As a result, the people became strong warriors to combat them.
Those that fight for survival.
Exactly.
right. I knew there was a reason we werent able to find them. So they were hiding in the tropics.
Cairo muttered in a bitter tone. Noticing the emotion in his voice, Peran couldnt help but say something.
Are you feeling sympathy for your old comrades after coming this far, Cairo Wilsemann?
are you testing me?
Im just checking. Im sure you understand how important this operation is. Regardless of whether youre a 9-star Wizard or not, if you dont cooperate with everyone, then youre just a burden.
That wont happen. I still have karma to complete.
Cairo spoke in a firm tone.
I will personally watch Diablos end with my own two eyes.
He wasnt forcibly saying this.
It was clear that it bothered him, but he had made up his mind. So Peran had nothing more to say.
Sheryl spoke up again.
This is the problem. Its possible that Matuui has already fallen into Diablos hands.
Does that mean its already become a country of undead?
Were not sure. In the past, we sent a subjugation squad into swamps surrounding Matuui at least once per week. To reduce the number of monsters as much as possible.
But?
We havent seen the subjugation squad for a month. In addition, we confirmed that most of the monsters in the area have become undead. To be precise, they mostly consist of lizardmen, basilisks, and swamp trolls. That is why we made the guess.
Sheryls gaze turned to Ivan.
She could already imagine how this man would react when he heard what she said next.
But it couldnt be helped. Sharing information was a fundamental and important step in their cooperation. If she skipped this step, it would be impossible for them to form a unified front.
Matuui and Diablo might have made a deal.????n????????e????d.nbsp;????????????
A heavy silence descended in the room.
Almost everyone turned to look at Ivan. They too had similar thoughts to Sheryl.
But it was Cairo who spoke up first.
You should confirm that first.
And after confirming?
And it was Sheryl who asked back.
Their eyes met.
If they truly did make a deal with Diablo, then they should pay the appropriate price.
The appropriate price would naturally not be light.
The current Circle, including Cairo, had the power to wipe out a country with a population of 50,000 in a single day.
There it is again.
A small smirk appeared on Sheryls lips.
This caused Cairos expression to harden.
Then? Are you saying we should negotiate again? Show them that its wrong to join hands with the undead and forgive their sins?
I think that would be much more peaceful than erasing an entire country.
Peace, peace, peace Stop chasing after those fancy words. Youve lived for over a hundred years, how do you still not know the truth about reality?
I know. I know so well it makes my teeth chatter. Thats why I can say it now. Sometimes, the long way around is the fastest way.
The long way around is the long way around, its not a shortcut I know what Im suggesting is a massacre, for lack of a better term. And I know its not ethical. But think back to five years ago.
When Diablo first appeared in Silkid, what happened to the Warriors who fell for his tricks?
They became Death Knights with formidable power. Hundreds of those dreadful monsters appeared. It took us three years to just take care of them all. At the end, there were millions of casualties and the neighboring countries became dead wastelands.
Cairos gaze turned to Peran.
If what Peran said is true, then the skills of the warriors in Matuui wouldnt be lacking when compared to Silkid. What if thousands of undead on the same level jumped out this time? How do you intend to deal with that?
It hasnt happened yet, and if we are fast enough, we can prevent it. Depending on how we deal with it, we can end this without anyone else having to die. Like you said, five years ago, we failed. I know that. But this time, we wont fail.
This time, it was Cairos turn to laugh.
How optimistic. I think its time you woke up from your dream, vamp.
dont call me that.
Sheryls eyes shined with bright red light.
The aura of the two began to rise. Peran sighed.
Seeing them like this, he found it was understandable why Snow decided to separate herself from the Circle.
No. It was the same for Peran too.
Hed always dreamed of joining the Circle, but hed long since woken from his delusion.
Creak-
Suddenly, Ivan got up from his seat.
Then he turned around and tried to leave the room without saying anything.
G-, Grand Master?
Even Cairo was shocked by the sudden action, but he didnt dare to stop him. Sarch* The N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
It was Snow who stopped Ivans steps.
Where are you going, Ivan?
The answer came back easily.
Now that I know where Diablo is, Im going to end this.
Right now?
Right now.
The meeting isnt over. Sit down.
Ive already achieved my goal. In the first place, I only wanted to know Diablos location. I never had intention of working with you lot.
Snow chuckled.
Even though it was a laugh, it was frighteningly cold.
She was finally releasing an aura befitting of an Ice Elf.
Is that your choice? Ruling with force? Whats the difference between you and the Demigods?
Snow sneered.
Ivan, have you still not gotten over your Masters death?
wh-, what?
Caira was greatly shocked by those words. Iris eyebrows twitched slightly, and Peran and Sheryl turned to look at Snow with shocked faces.
The words shed just spoken were, without a doubt, Ivans reverse scale.
except one thing.
Ivan slowly turned to look at Snow.
Before coming here, I made a pact with Cairo. I told him that no matter what you said, I wouldnt fight you. Except for one thing.
Krrr
An earthquake shook the building.
No, Ivan was the earthquake.
As long as you didnt say anything about my Master.
Snow stood up and said.
Peran, step back a little.
Just as Deukid was about to slide out of its sheath
A hand blocked its hilt.
Snow turned to look at the owner of the hand.
Lukas?
Lukas face was expressionless so Snow had no idea what he was thinking.
Then, after a moment of silence, he spoke in a low voice.
I have something to say.
Book 2: Chapter 303
Book 2: Chapter 303 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
It was a good idea to let go of his anger.
Lukas looked around. Of all the beings gathered in that room, he was, without a doubt, the weakest. At this point, comparing himself to them was like an insult. (Note: Sometimes I feel like Lukas forgets who he is)
Only the strong were allowed to act in an emotional manner. The weaker someone was, the more they had to rely on reason.
If he showed off his emotions for no reason, he might end up dying in vain. Although it could be said that Peran and Snow had developed a strange liking for him, it would be better for him to not bank on that.
With that in mind, Lukas had stayed silent and listened to their discussion. That alone allowed him to obtain a lot of valuable information.
First of all, it was clear that the Circle had become divided. Despite her silence, he believed that a confrontation between Ivan and Iris was the root cause of this.
Secondly, the appearance of undead, who were causing havoc across the continent, was closely related to Diablo.
Diablo.
The Archlich of the Frozen Lands was a member of Paragon, which had been led by Cairo Wilsemann, and a true 9-star Wizard.
What changed?
Although he was an undead, his goals had always been clear. Also, his hatred and resentment for the Demigods overflowed
Lukas furrowed his eyebrows.
The Demigods were all dead. Diablos long awaited dream had been achieved.
Was that the reason?
He might not have been able to handle the deep emptiness that came after completing his only purpose in life, causing him to sway.
Right. In the first place, undead were beings who embraced the darkest emotions. Diablo had probably only cooperated with Paragon because they shared a common enemy.
If that was the case, then Diablos change was understandable.
Finally, the third thing.
It was just his guess, but it was about the reason Snow left the Circle.
I see, so as Snows subordinate, youve decided to die first.
Lukas stopped pondering for a moment when he heard Ivans words.
He was looking directly at Lukas.
This was the first time hed met his eyes since they reunited.
Snow had just said that his Master was dead.
Naturally, Lukas knew who she was referring to.
Nora. The previous Successor of the Warrior King Fist, who had a petite figure that didnt suit her age. (Note: Legal loli died T~T)
He knew just how much Ivan looked up to her. She was the one who taught him and raised him like, who was basically an orphan, like a mother.
If Ivan lost her due to some event, it wasnt impossible for it to break his mind.
It wasnt just that, there should be much more.
Lukas believed that an unimaginable number of things had happened, which gradually eroded Ivans iron will.
Diablo is a formidable opponent.
Snows eyes narrowed imperceptibly. The same was true for Peran.
He spoke as if he knew the Archlich
But neither of them had told Lukas about Diablo.
Do you think you can win on your own?
Ivan, who wasnt sure where he was going with this, just smiled violently.
Do I look like that much of a joke? To the point where you doubt whether I can handle an Archlich? Right. Now I get how you guys see me. Its been a while since I have been looked down on like this.
Dont get me wrong. If I was looking down on you, I would have said something more insulting.
It doesnt matter what intentions a bastard has when he talks. All that matters is how it makes the listener feel. And I feel dirty after hearing those words. Of course, the most important reason is because your boss already touched my bottom line.
Unless youre deaf, you should have heard the way she talked about my Master. She did something like that when I was already on the brink of snapping. Dont you think thats enough reason to die?
Indeed.
Coming from Ivan, it truly was a logical statement. Moreover, it could be seen that he was still exercising some patience. If it was the past Ivan, he would have just swung his fists without bothering to say so much.
Nevertheless.
You dont have any intention of killing me.
What?
Even if you were to try to stab my skull with two fingers right now, I would be unable to stop it or dodge it. I probably wouldnt even be able to react before my brain was destroyed and I died. You know that. You can clearly see how weak I am, and yet, youre just talking to me instead of killing me directly.
At those words, not just Ivan, but the entire room became silent.
Those that had only taken Lukas for a crazy person before were now beginning to look at him in a different light.
This man was able to tell Ivans personality with just a glance.
A man like Ivan would never lower himself to resort to violence against the weak.
As long as he didnt cross the line, he wouldnt kill him.
It might appear that Lukas was being rude to Ivan at first glance, but he had never actually crossed the line.
Ivans eyebrow began to twitch and his expression darkened.
On the other hand, Cairo, who was standing beside him, had a displeased expression.
You sure do talk a lot. But we dont even know your name yet.
My name is
Lukas gaze shifted slightly to the left. Iris was sitting there, but she seemed to be an independent party to everything happening in the room. From beginning to end, her gaze had never left the map that Sheryl had spread out.
not important.
Ha.
Cairo snorted derisively. sea??h th N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
To speak up against the Grand Master of the Circle but be unwilling to share his name. This man was truly shameless.
With the thought that words wouldnt really work here, he turned to Snow.
Is your Majesty really intending to cut all ties with us? When the true discussion hasnt even begun yet?
Snow shrugged.
Dont misunderstand. As Ive always said, this Queens aim is true neutrality Well
A sharp smile spread across her lips.
Its sad that there are people who cant seem to stop doubting that and keep sending attackers.
Cairos expression disappeared completely.????n????????ea????. ????????????
Ivan looked up when he heard this.
What the hell are you talking about?
Ohhh Are you going to pretend to not know?
What did you say?
Their eyes met.
Snow, who paused for a moment after seeing the look in his eyes, suddenly burst out laughing.
Ahahaha! Ah. I see. Youll have to excuse me for that. I forgot you werent that sly. Indeed So thats what it was. Huhu.
Snow chuckled.
It seems the Circles condition is even worse than I thought.
Ivan wasnt the type to ponder things for a long time. In fact, it could even be said that he was completely clueless when it came to battles behind the scenes and wars of wits.
Nevertheless, he was by no means a fool.
He looked back. Cairo flinched when he met his gaze.
What the hell did you do?
We will talk about this later Then.
Ivans gaze once again returned to Lukas.
White hair.
An extremely thin body.
A left arm with several paralysed nerves.
And a right leg that had severely deformed joints.
where have I seen him before?
Although he thought this, Ivan felt that even if he saw a man like this once, he wouldnt easily forget him.
Despite his paltry strength, he left a very distinctive impression.
It gave him a strange feeling.
Until now, Ivans heart had been brimming with uncontrollable rage. This was because of the remarks Snow made. Her words dug into the biggest wound in Ivans heart.
And he had no intention of forgiving that.
He even had thoughts of putting an end to Snow right then and there.
But the anger had dissipated to an extent.
He didnt know if it was intentional, but as he talked to this man, his intense anger slowly began to cool down.
He had a somewhat eccentric expression, a calm voice, and an aura that made it seem like he knew every detail about ones essence.
Just as he was beginning to have a familiar feeling.
His head began to hurt a bit, so he shook it before looking at Lukas again.
Ill answer your earlier question first. Naturally, I have no intention of initiating a fight I have no confidence of winning. So I will say it clearly and plainly. I alone am enough to kill that Archlich.
Book 2: Chapter 304
Book 2: Chapter 304 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Cairo was speechless.
Somehow, a conversation had been established between the Grand Master of the Circle, who could be said to have the greatest influence on the continent, and this crippled man, who had seemingly rolled out from somewhere.
Of course, this was only possible because of Ivans personality.
Ivan was the type of person who hated rigid manners and pretentiousness, so it could be said that this man suited his personality perfectly. They treated each other as equals regardless of strength, origin or authority.
In other words, Ivan had approved of this man.
It doesnt seem like youre aware of your position.
Nevertheless, Cairo felt that this man was going too far. He really wanted to say something, but he knew he couldnt open his mouth because of the warning Ivan had given just before.
My position?
It seems to me that you are the leader of this group. This is a situation where everyone is relying on you. It can be said that you are the centre of this group.
Ha.
A sneer stretched across Ivans lips.
They should rely on themselves. I never wanted to do something like this in the first place.
That was true. He hadnt wanted it from the start.
In the end, he was just doing me a favor.
When hed heard his selfish request to become the leader of the Circle, Ivan had reluctantly agreed.
Lukas still wasnt completely sure about what Ivan had experienced during those 10 years.
He didnt know how much hed changed or what his thoughts were.
Nevertheless, there were still a few things that he knew.
He knew that Ivan had suffered greatly under the burden of being the Grand Master. And that he thought he wasnt suitable for the position.
He knew that look on his face.
Since it was the same look Lukas had in the past.
He hadnt thought very deeply about this at that time. No, hed thought about it, but hed simply ignored it. He deluded himself into believing that even if he died, there would be others that could take his place.
And hed wrapped that delusion into a nice package called trust.
But he finally realised. It had never been about trust. Hed simply been trying to shirk his own responsibilities.
4,000 years ago.
When Lukas disappeared, the heroes who had been fighting against the Demigods with him died or disappeared one after the other.
Therefore, the role of the centre was much more important than most could understand.
Maybe Ivan was the Lukas of this era. That was the thought Lukas had at that moment.
He thought that Ivan could lead people in a different way than he did, perhaps even better than he did.
Nevertheless.
The Circle was currently divided. The conflict and strife hadnt disappeared at all.
Even though the Demigods had disappeared, peace was still a distant thought.
That thought caused his heart to fluctuate once again, but it quickly calmed down.
Lukas felt that he needed to know a bit more about the Circles situation before he could make any conclusions.
You.
Ivans gaze locked onto Lukas.
Have we met before?
Hoh.
Unlike Lukas, who was stunned into silence for a moment, Snow let out a soft chuckle as she crossed her legs on the chair.
This guy said he lost his memories. Id brought him here because he seemed to be related to the Circle somehow, but hes exceeded my expectations.
She didnt stop after saying that.
Id intended to ask after wed finished our discussion, but I might as well do it now. Everyone here can be considered to be pretty knowledgeable about the Circle. His name is Lukas. Do any of you know him?
A small buzz rippled through the room.
Those there.
Ivan, Cairo Wilsemann, Sheryl Roland, and Iris Phisfounder were all people who knew Lukas true identity.
Especially Iris
But at that moment, their voices began to ring out.
Lukas?
Thats a pretty common name. Its especially common here in the empire.
His disposition is fairly impressive. At the very least, I dont think I would easily forget him even if I only met him once.
Those words made Lukas forget how to speak for a moment.
Ivan, Cairo, and Sheryl had all responded one after the other.
It seemed that none of them knew a Lukas.
Lukas was suddenly filled with unease. In an instant, his body was covered in goosebumps.
His current appearance was obviously different from his appearance in the past. So he could understand why it might be difficult to equate the current Lukas to the Lukas of the past.
Nevertheless, he found their reactions quite strange.
Was the weight of the name Lukas so light?
Lukas finally turned his gaze to the only person in the room who had yet to speak.
Iris.
This woman with eye-catching purple hair had her head lowered as she seemed to be pondering something.
Their gazes met for a moment.
Iris slowly opened her mouth.
And Lukas continued to look into her eyes as she spoke.
I too.
A terribly indifferent gaze met his own.
Am hearing it for the first time.
* * *
There was a library in Westroad Academy.
As it had been built in a prestigious educational institution, it was much larger and had a more extensive collection of books than the libraries in most major cities. But because of the average level of the cadets, there were very few books that had in depth content.
Nevertheless, it couldnt be denied that the number of books in this place was enormous.
Tap, tap, tap.
In a dark, quiet hallway.
Only the footsteps of a person could be heard.
This should be a vacation period.
That would explain why there were no cadets there.
Snow glanced out of a window.
The sky was gloomy, as if it would rain at any moment.
The rain was nice. It could be said that there was no elf who didnt enjoy the sound of raindrops falling on grass leaves. Snow, an Ice Elf, was no exception.
Nevertheless, Snow couldnt help but show a hint of worry on her face.
I hope there wont be any thunder.
For elves, who had enhanced hearing, the sound of thunder was particularly harsh.
While thinking about such inconsequential things, she finally arrived at her destination.
Click-
With a soft sound, she opened the door and entered the library.
The hundreds of bookshelves seemed to create a heavy atmosphere.
0
There was no one else in the library. Thanks to that, she was able to easily find the person she had been looking for.
In any case, with his rare white hair, it wouldnt have been that hard anyway. Snow hardly knew anyone who had a similar hair colour.
Perhaps it was this strange feeling of unfamiliar familiarity that caused her to be so interested in him.
Have you eaten yet?
She didnt receive an answer.
Lukas was practically buried in a pile of books.
Two days.
Thats how long he had been in this place. As soon as the discussion ended, he headed straight for the library. She hadnt heard any reports of him leaving, so this man should have been here the entire time.
Snow looked at him for a moment before walking past him.
The library was also a pretty good place to take a break, with soft couches and magazines that had nothing to do with learning. She could even have whatever drinks she pleased.
Ssss
She boiled two cups of black tea in her hands. While she couldnt say that it tasted amazing, at the very least, it wouldnt taste bad.
Clink-
Then she placed one of them in front of Lukas.
It was only at that moment that Lukas finally stopped reading the book. To be precise, he simply lifted his eyes from the pages of the book and looked at Snow.
Even if you dont want to eat, you should stay hydrated.
Drink up. If you want to keep reading.
Lukas finally put the book down.
Then he took a small sip of tea, savouring the taste for a moment before swallowing it.
Snow stared at him for a moment before slowly opening her mouth.
those two.
At that moment, she thought back to the meeting two days ago.
Are the ones who currently stand at the very top of the Circle. Therefore-
The chances of me having met them is very low?
Lukas voice cracked slightly. This showed that it had been quite a while since hed last spoken.
Hmm.
Instead of responding, Snow let out a small sigh. Sar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
It was in her nature to simply blurt out whatever she was thinking. So for her to not directly affirm Lukas words could already be considered a great consideration on her part, but Lukas couldnt realise that fact.
Tak.
He put the teacup down. It was half empty.
Do you remember everything now?
If Snow hadnt been mistaken, then Lukas had been surprised when Ivan and Iris didnt recognise him.
Lukas didnt answer directly and instead looked up at her again.
Theres something Id like to ask you.
Say it.
the name Lukas Trowman. Have you ever heard it before?
Book 2: Chapter 305
Book 2: Chapter 305 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Snow looked at Lukas face.
Hope.
Compared to the despair that seemed to cover his face, there was a tiny glimmer of hope hidden in his eyes.
Even Snow couldnt help but want to satisfy this mans small hope.
Ive never heard that name before.
But she couldnt.
If she did that, it would be a deception that went far beyond a simple lie, and it might have terrible consequences.
Great Mage.
Nevertheless, Lukas continued to ask questions.
What comes to mind when you think of the title Great Mage?
Wizards who managed to reach 9 stars. Like Cairo and Diablo.
Is there a circle called the Trowman Rings? sea??h th N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Trowman Rings? This is my first time hearing about it?
10 years ago how did Lord die?
At the hands of the Circles heroes, including myself, Ivan and Iris.
I see.
Lukas slowly lowered his head.
Snow looked down at him with her arms folded.
Im not sure whats going on. This Queen was going to train you for a month as promised, but things have changed. At best, I can only train you for about a week. And thats a very tight timeframe to learn swordsmanship.
The meeting could roughly be considered to have gone well.
Even though it was unstable, Snow, Ivan and Iris had agreed to form a temporary alliance until they dealt with Diablo.
The preliminary work such as selecting subjugation squads, investigating Matuui, and formation of a siege network would take at least two or three months after which they would begin their full scale assault.
As the leader of the Anti Circle Alliance, there was a lot that Snow had to do. No matter how interested she was in Lukas, she couldnt invest more than a week into him at the moment.
After that, I planned to send you to a talent development centre established by the alliance, but Now it feels like you are no longer motivated to accomplish your goals.
I will give you one more day. If you dont make up your mind by then, this Queen will leave you behind.
With those words, Snow left the library.
Lukas gaze fell back to the book he had been reading.
[Magic Warrior King Kasajin]
[Sword King Lucid]
[Black Witch Iris Phisfounder]
[Great Sage Schweiser Strow]
Not there.
[As the existence of the Demigods was slowly revealed to the surface, so too were the achievements of the four heroes who fought desperately against them in the past.]
[The situation 4,000 years ago was much worse than it is now. Conflicts between humans were much more frequent, countless monsters roamed the continent, and the relations between races was by no means smooth.]
Not there.
[In such an era, they were the heroes who gained the ability to threaten the Demigods, gathered talents regardless of race, and eventually fought for freedom in a situation where there were many traitors among them.]
Not there.
Lukas closed the book. For two days, hed read countless books in the library.
Nevertheless, it wasnt there.
There was no book in which the name Lukas Trowman had been written.
Crunch.
He grit his teeth.
He couldnt accept it.
There was no way he could accept it.
Lukas got up from his seat.
Lukas? A common name?
He looked for another book.
This library was very large.
At the hands of heroes of the Circle, including myself, Ivan and Iris
Hed spent two days, but he hadnt even read 10% of the books there.
So there was still hope.
There had to be a record of Lukas in a book that he hadnt yet found.
In particular, he focused on the older texts.
On information from 4,000 years ago
I too am hearing it for the first time.
Tuk.
Lukas hand, which was reached for another book, fell helplessly.
Hed already read hundreds of books.
Nevertheless, it wasnt there. It was nowhere.
As if Lukas Trowman had completely disappeared from this world.
Lukas returned to his seat.
There, he saw the teacup. Still half filled with the black tea Snow had made for him.
Gulp.
He swallowed the rest of the tea in one large gulp.
It was cold.
* * *
He stopped reading books. He realised that it was just a meaningless act. It was something that any logical person would be able to understand.
This fact let Lukas realise that his composure had been greatly shaken.
There isnt much to think about.
He regained his cool, his calm.
Then he analysed the situation properly.
He had been perplexed for a while, but that didnt mean he was at his wits end.
After thinking about it carefully, he realised that this situation wasnt impossible at all.
Of course, ordinary people would either think that the entire world had gone mad or they had gone mad.
But Lukas knew of a being that was capable of doing something like this.
God.
A being that had a hand in the creation of every creature in the universe, and who was capable of making records that had already been written blank.
Right.
God could do it.
In fact, erasing all traces of the human Lukas Trowman couldnt even be considered a difficult task for that being.
Hed probably done something to make things like this.
This made it clear to Lukas what he needed to do.
He had to meet God.
He also knew how to do it.
As long as he regained his position of Absolute, God would appear before him even if he didnt want to meet him.
good.
What he needed to do had been decided.
Lukas got up from his seat and left the library. He had no more time to waste there.
A way to get stronger.
As hed thought before, it would be better to learn swordsmanship from Snow first. At the very least, there were no Sword Masters in this world that could surpass her.
Although it was a pity that their time had been limited to a week, it was clear that this was an opportunity that mere Swordsmen could only dream of.
Krrr
The sky rumbled. Lukas looked up at the dark clouds above him. Dark clouds were continuously rolling in. He felt that it was exceptionally dark considering the time, but this was just a precursor to the rain that was about to fall.
Pat pat pat.
Finally, the rain began to fall.
Nevertheless, Lukas chose to continue walking instead of entering a building.
Come to think of it, where was he going?
Ah. He was going to find Snow.
Shaaaa-
0
The cold rainwater pounded his skin. In the blink of an eye, his entire body was thoroughly soaked. Nevertheless, he continued to walk.
The heavy rain wasnt unwelcome in his current situation. In fact, the rhythmic pattering of the raindrops on his body allowed him to clear his head. So now he had the chance to think carefully.
About what he would do from now on. About where hed find Snow.
If.
Nevertheless, the thoughts that he didnt want and shouldnt have kept creeping into his mind like the memories of a past nightmare.
If no one remembers me.
His instincts cried out in alarm, telling him that it was dangerous to think more deeply about this.
If no one was waiting for my return.
But he couldnt stop them.
Lukas inner musings continued until they reached the final knot.
what is the point of everything Ive done so far?
Boom!
Thunder roared.
Lukas looked up at the sky. He saw bolts of lightning spread across the sky, like cracks in the void.
Huu.
He let out a slow breath. The tension in his body relaxed and his mind became calm.
Using all the methods he knew, he was able to calm his turbulent mind.
Its the same as its always been.
Nothing had changed.
He was in a desperate and seemingly hopeless situation, but he had a plan and the means to get through it.
All that was left was his mindset.
To not stop. To not give up.
The things he had to do and the goals he had to achieve were clear.
So all he had to do was overcome this setback and get back on his feet.
All he had to do was step over the numerous obstacles blocking his path and reach the faint light hidden behind them.
Just like hed always done until now.
That was all.
Lukas started walking again.
But he didnt get far before his weight shifted because of the slippery, muddy ground.
Hed taken a big step with his right leg and tried to carry his weight, but it didnt work as hed hoped.
Bang.
With a loud thud, he fell face first onto the ground. He was given a taste of thick mud and bitter failure at the same time.
At that moment, more than ever, he felt that his limp was bothersome.
His left arm, through which he couldnt apply any strength, felt pathetic.
And his body, which couldnt hold mana, felt empty.
Lukas wanted to lift his head to look at the sky, but contrary to his thoughts, his gaze shifted downward instead.
Soon after, when his head was completely lowered, he could see nothing but the dark mud path.
Lukas fell silent for a while.
That day could be considered to be unusually loud.
its hard.
So no one heard that murmur.
Book 2: Chapter 306
Book 2: Chapter 306 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Yahiko
Pitter patter.
The sound of the raindrops falling onto the carriage roof was surprisingly not very soothing. In fact, it was loud and annoying enough to cause a headache.
In the first place, a carriage traveling in the middle of the night on a rainy day in itself was an incredibly dangerous act, but the two passengers didnt seem to be aware of this.
somethings wrong.
Muttering to herself was a habit Iris Phisfounder had never been able to grow out of.????n????????e????????. Co????
Sheryl tilted her head as she looked at her.
What do you mean?
Well. Im not sure.
0
In any case, 10 years had already passed since shed first started having the strange feeling, but Iris still had yet to find the cause. If it was not a problem that she could solve after thinking about it for so long, then it was better to just ignore it completely.
She shook her head and opened her mouth again.
Im still surprised that Ivan agreed to cooperate so easily. I thought hed act more stubbornly.
Its not just that. If things had gone differently, then Snow or Ivan, one of them would have died today.
that mans balls are pretty big. (Note: I choked)
Sheryl nodded, knowing what man she was referring to. That white haired man, who seemed like hed collapse from a sneeze, had managed to stop Ivans rampage.
It was an amazing feat for all of those who had witnessed it.
Iris was also recalling the same scene.
Lu kas
He was a man shed never seen before, but the way he looked at her left an impression. Maybe that man was the reason she was feeling strangely depressed at that moment.
In any case, one thing is clear.
Sheryls voice roused Iris from her thoughts and she nodded.
Right. The situation of the radicals is much worse than we expected.
Sheryl nodded as well.
Do you think there will be internal conflict?
I dont think there will be internal conflict. I doubt they would dare to go against Ivan. There is no one in their camp who has more charisma than Ivan. He is a necessary existence both in terms of strength and symbolism.
then
Dont forget what era were in. Only fools would mistake actions done behind their back for loyalty.
Iris smiled coldly.
In the end, secret actions are still secret actions.
Cairo Wilsemann, that man
He was one of Ivans closest aides and even had the guts to do things he wasnt asked to do.
It was then.
A single strand of Sheryls trembled.
One of the minions shed spread everywhere, in other words, a spy, had just made a report.
Theyve arrived at the academy.
The words were said in an unfriendly tone without a subject, but Iris knew who she was talking about.
* * *
Snow brushed a few raindrops off her shoulders as she stepped into the headmasters room.
Syris, who had been reviewing documents, immediately got up from behind her desk, grabbed a nearby dry towel and tried to wipe the water off of her body.
This Queen also has hands.
Then she grabbed the towel and roughly wiped the water from her face.
hows the situation?
For who? This Queen? Or?
Naturally for your Majesty.
In all honesty, Syris didnt have much interest in the white haired man or his situation.
She recalled Lukas performance at the meeting.
His show of stopping Ivan was impressive, but in the first place, humans had always been impressed by those who stepped above their station.
As a result, while everyone who witnessed it had some degree of respect for him, they all still view him as a crazy or conceited person.
There is no situation. Im just a bit tired.
How long will your Majesty be here?
One more week.
In Syris eyes, Snow was simply wasting a week of her time, but she used her superhuman patience to suppress the urge to say something.
I dont think it was a good idea to stimulate the Grand Master like that.
She was talking about the things shed said to Ivan,
Snow chuckled.
That might be true. But you should know Ivans personality. If I hadnt done something, that man would have simply left the meeting before it got too far.
If that did happen, then the entire meeting would have become a pointless waste of time. Sear?h the N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Since she was also aware of them, Syris didnt voice any more complaints.
Snow, who was wiping her wet hair with the towel, suddenly said.
By the way, wheres Peran?
It seems that one of his younger siblings came.
his younger sibling
Snows eyebrows furrowed.
If it was just a family member that came then there would be nothing to worry about. But both Syris, who brought it up, and Snow, who heard it, exchanged subtle glances at that moment.
This reaction was natural.
It doesnt seem like she came with Iris.
This was because Lylia Jun, Perans younger sister, was Iris servant.
Each side had been allowed to bring up to two people into the meeting, but Sheryl had been the only one standing behind Iris. Shed thought the other had just been waiting outside the meeting room, but after the meeting she found that wasnt the case.
Right. She came through the Warp Stone.
Lylia Jun.
They believed that it would have been much more beneficial if Iris had taken her into the meeting with her.
The reason for this was simple.
Lylia was a master negotiator.
Even if the meeting was filled with childish battles of wits and conflict, it was possible for talented people like her to lead the direction of the meeting just by being there.
Could it be that she couldnt come because she was busy with another task? That shouldnt be the case. Iris was also aware of just how important that meeting was. It wouldnt have been difficult for her to adjust Lylias schedule accordingly.
Nevertheless, the fact remained that shed sent Lylia to the academy after the fact rather than let her accompany her.
From the start, she had no intention of negotiating with us.
Snow smiled as she came to this conclusion.
Iris Phisfounder had intended to unconditionally agree to the Anti Circle Alliances request for cooperation without negotiating terms.
Of course, this wasnt a bad thing for Snow, but it somehow felt like she was the one to take the loss.
I cant predict her. Thats the difference.
Ivan usually acted in the exact opposite of what Snow wanted, but that meant that his actions were in a predictable range.
Although it was annoying, it didnt make her uneasy.
But Iris was different.
She was a woman who could pretend to be quiet, and smile softly, while having hundreds of venomous snakes lying in wait.
Perhaps from the moment shed heard that theyd be having a joint operation, shed already devised a way to get the most benefit.
Is Lylia the first step?
Even though shed noticed this already, Snow wasnt worried.
The reason for this was simple.
She trusted Peran.
Book 2: Chapter 307
Book 2: Chapter 307 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Sei
It had been a year since the siblings had last met.
Weve found Diablos location.
Hearing Lylias cold, business-like tone made Peran feel a tinge of bitterness.
His cute little sister, whod always liked going to tea parties and balls, had now become a stubborn negotiator with the ability to manipulate conversations as she pleased.
Naturally, Peran felt a bit of guilt and responsibility since it was his departure that caused this change.
Of course, he didnt show any of this on the outside.
They stood facing each other not as two siblings of the Jun family, but as negotiators who represented the Circle and the Alliance respectively.
So?
Cant it then be said that we have made the greatest contribution so far? sea??h th NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Well. Well have to verify the accuracy of the information first.
Do you really think wed present false information at the meeting? Thats a bit disappointing. I cant believe thats the way the Alliance views our Circle.
Ivan and Iris.
It gave the Alliance a bit of a headache when they shamelessly called themselves the Circle.
In the first place, they had long separated themselves into radicals and conservatives, realists and idealists, but those couldnt be considered as accurate designations.
Nevertheless, it was important for both sides to maintain the legitimacy of the Circle, so neither of them would be willing to give up the name.
Of course, if Her Majesty was here, I wouldnt have had to mention such a thing. You should know just how meticulous I am.
She had already participated in several major negotiations.
Shed had many failures, but even more successes.
This gave her the chance to learn from the results of both sides and gain experience.
Thanks to this, she wouldnt be pushed around even when her opponents were politicians or merchants with great experience.
as expected, it wont be easy.
Nevertheless, Lylia had no choice but to acknowledge this older brother of hers. Even when she tried to misinterpret Perans personal opinions as the will of the entire Alliance, he naturally separated them.
He calmly stated that his words were his own opinion instead of Snows will, and clearly drew a line to distinguish the two.
After reviewing dozens of thoughts in his mind, he would then say the most effective response. For a man like Peran Jun, such a seemingly difficult process was as easy as breathing while exchanging words with his opponent.
After the meeting, we sent a few of our people to Matuui. We should receive a report in a week at the latest.
Are you saying that we should have our conversation then?
That is an option. It wouldnt be a problem to end this here.
However, if that was the case, then you wouldnt be able to take advantage of the merit of finding Diablos specific location.
Lylia easily understood Perans unspoken words and sighed inwardly.
Although shed expected it, it really wasnt easy.
She recalled Iris instructions.
Shed told her that there was no need to overly apply pressure to them. It was fine to just maintain their relationship with the Alliance as it was now. After the events of that meeting, that thought must have grown much stronger.
Ivan and Snow were clearly not on good terms with each other.
What Iris wanted was to get Snow to help her drive Ivan out completely, but Snow was no fool. This was proven by the completely neutral stance she had been prattling about. Breaking it would be impossible even for Iris.
I lost again.
Lylia pouted slightly as she grumbled as if shed been wronged.
It was only then that Peran smiled slightly, his business-like expression fading.
It wasnt easy. Maybe there will be a different result next time.
Thats what you said last time.
Did I?
The two looked at each other before smiling.
Even those who didnt know them would be able to tell they were family from their smiles that were almost identical.
I havent seen you in such a long time, big brother.
Im glad youre well, Lylia.
The order seemed to have been mixed up, but they finally started their reunion conversation.
You seem to have become even more beautiful. Im sure the line of suitors stretches on for miles.
Ive heard about marriage so much that Im starting to get tired of it.
It seems to me that youve become more popular than when you were a socialite.
Thats true, but 90% of them are only after my background anyway.
She was just being humble.
The true number was not 90%, it was probably closer to 60%.
The rest were young men who had truly fallen in love with Lylia.
What about Father?
Hes well. It would be nice if big brother could send a letter every now and then though.
Right. Ill write one sooner or later.
Lylia rolled her eyes inwardly. This was a conversation that they repeated every year.
And far from sending a letter, Peran hadnt even set foot on the family property since his departure. And just like before, he wouldnt send any letters either.
By the way, shouldnt big brother start a family soon?
Huh?
The Rainstorm, Lady Sonia, is waiting for you.
Peran made an embarrassed expression when he saw Lylias mischievous smile.
The Rainstorm, who was waiting, was Perans former fiancee.
Our relationship isnt like that.
Thats an excuse that couples always use when theyre now starting to connect.
No. Im serious. Besides now really isnt the time for that. I still have many things to do.
Of course, Lylia knew that Peran was usually busy almost 24hrs a day. He didnt have the time to give someone his heart.
Her mischievous expression soon became clouded by worry.
Im worried about you, big brother. If you keep running around like that, you wont even notice when your body cant take it anymore. Its only after you stop, whether intentionally or unintentionally, that youll finally notice just how much youre overworking yourself.
Sometimes its good to take a break. Any kind is fine. Whether its by making love to a lover or immersing yourself in a hobby. Or even spending time with close friends.
Lylia looked deeply into Perans eyes for a moment before continuing.
well, I dont think big brother has a single person you can call a close friend anyway.
I do.
Huh?
A friend.
Peran smiled brightly.
I have one.
Book 2: Chapter 308
Book 2: Chapter 308 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Sei
The flower garden, which was filled with nothing but red roses, was the rose garden his mother had grown as a hobby.
When he was young, Peran liked to run between them.
Be careful to not get pricked by the thorns.
Young Peran paid great heed to those words.
This wasnt because he was afraid of the rose thorns. He was simply happy to receive praise for faithfully listening to his mothers words.
However, that day was different.
Mm?
Peran blinked.
He could see blue bugs hovering around a rose.
Dont do that.
Even to a childs eyes, the blue color was spoiling the beautiful colors of the rose garden.
They had to be brushed off.
No matter how mature Peran was, he was still a child. In that moment, his sense of duty to protect the rose garden became greater than his desire to heed his mothers warning.
So he tried to swat the bugs on the rose with his small hand.
Ow.
A thorn pricked his finger. Drops of blood, redder than the roses around him, fell to the ground.
Peran didnt cry.
In fact, the fear and surprise he felt at that moment were greater than the pain in his hand. He didnt want his mother to scold him or be disappointed after seeing it.
So he hid the wound, but it was still revealed in the afternoon.
Perans mother didnt scold him. Instead, she just asked him in a calm voice.
Why did you do it?
I was trying to get rid of the blue bugs that were on the rose.
Blue bugs?
Perans eyes turned to his mother.
Theyre buzzing around you too, Mother.
!
Peran Jun.
That was the moment when he started seeing mana at the age of five.
* * *
Ive never seen such talent.
H-, hes definitely a genius. Its unprecedented
Peran couldnt really understand their words and reactions.
Whats a genius?
When he looked up at his father and asked this question, he stroked his head with a proud expression on his face.
Hes also a bit smarter than others his age.
Like you, Father?
Right. However Youll definitely be bigger than me when you grow up.
I like that too. Mother said the bigger I get, the better.
mm.
Shepard couldnt be considered a very large man, so he simply let out a soft grunt.
Soon afterward, he looked down at his son and spoke in a solemn tone.
Theres something that you should never forget. Geniuses might be smarter than everyone else, but that doesnt mean they are superior.
I dont understand what you mean.
to put it simply, dont show off. Dont you feel annoyed when you see other kids showing off?
Peran recalled the Marquis son whod come to play with him two days ago and was showing off a flashy pendant.
It was then that he vaguely understood what his father meant when he said dont you feel annoyed?.
He raised his head to look at Shepard once again. Unlike his light tone, his eyes were serious.
Peran nodded his little head vigorously.
I do.
* * *
At the age of six, Peran began to pursue the field of magicology in earnest.
He was talented, had a suitable aptitude, and most importantly, found it interesting.
There was no obstacle that could stop him, so it was natural for him to conquer magicology at an unprecedented pace. The Wizards who had recognised his talent before were once again astonished.
They realised that what theyd seen at that time was simply the tip of the iceberg.
Peran reached 3-stars at the age of 13 and 4-stars at 17. 4-star Wizards were individuals that possessed great influence across the Kastkau Empire, and even those slightly talented individuals usually only reached this stage around the age of 30.
Can you feel the wall now?
At Shepards words, Peran nodded slightly.
It didnt feel like something he would be unable to cross. However, he felt that receiving someones guidance would allow him to save more time than if he were to continue learning on his own.
Will you teach me, Father?
I want to, but
Shepard let out a tired sigh.
I have so much work to do.
He understood.
Shepard was the head of a duke family, and at the same time, he was one of the only five 7-star Wizards in the Empire, as well as the master of the 4th Tower.
Lately, he hadnt been able to spend much time at home.
17 year old Peran understood his fathers position and the responsibilities that came with it which is why he didnt ask him anymore.
But his sons resolute attitude only made Shepard feel more guilty, so he mobilised all of his personal connections to find an outstanding teacher, and he was finally able to find someone competent enough to teach Peran.
It was the deputy master of the 5th Tower and a 6-star Wizard.
He was also a person with a high reputation even in Kastkau, which was known as the Magic Empire.
Peran greatly respected his teacher and followed him obediently. In a way, his position in his heart was even higher than his father.
But soon after, the Master-Student relationship ended in disaster.
It was the day Peran reached 5-stars. In other words, the day he became 19.
Y-, you are a monster.
The master that he relied so heavily upon could not handle Perans talent.
At first, he kept his distance because he was wary, but soon enough he became afraid.
That hurt Peran. Those with extreme talent were bound to be feared more than admired.
At that time, this wasnt something that Peran could understand.
So he hid it.
He really thought that he would become a monster if he continued to learn and that the people around him, his friends and family, would also look at him in the same way that his master had.
Shepard didnt know the details of the incident. This was because Peran never told him about it. Nevertheless, some things could still be understood even if they were never said openly. Noticing his sons anguish, he recommended a different method.
Why dont you go to the Westroad Academy?
The Westroad Academy was a Wizard training centre.
A talent training centre where young people who were interested in magicology were gathered and raised to become pillars that would lead the empire in the future.
However, there wasnt much for Peran, who had already reached 5-stars, to learn in that place.
Ill go.
Nevertheless, Peran decided to enter the academy.
This was because he had nothing better to do at that moment and there was a hint of expectation within him.
Maybe Ill find someone bigger than me.
A genius more talented than him.
If he met such a person, he felt that the thought that he was a monster would disappear. He felt like he could use a competitive spirit and inferiority complex as a driving force to continue pushing himself forward.
But there wasnt.
The academy didnt live up to his expectations in the slightest.
Instead, it was just filled with people who admired and glorified Perans status, talent, and appearance.
Empty.
It was empty.
None of those people were treating him sincerely.
Their expressions, words, and actions were all empty.
If that was the case, then he didnt need to treat them sincerely either.
As he thought that, Peran smiled. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Then he began to ponder. The length of a course in Westroad Academy was four years. But he felt that spending that long in such a place was simply a waste of time.
Then, as he began to seriously contemplate whether he should graduate early, or get expelled.
He heard an interesting rumor.
* * *
Did you just say hes sick?
Peran looked at Snow with a strange expression on his face. Perhaps it was because of the unexpected situation, but her expression was also unpleasant.
Thats what I said.
How could
Look at that guys body. He stayed up for two days and two nights with a weak body like that. He didnt eat or drink properly during that time, and then when he went outside, he just walked into the heavy rain as if hed been possessed by a ghost or something, fainted, and was left soaking in the mud for thirty minutes.
She was so upset that the tips of her ears had become red. If he hadnt been found in time, he really would have died.
Snow muttered to herself before snorting as if shed been offended.
The doctor said hed be sick for three to four days which means he wouldnt be able to keep his promise with this Queen. What an arrogant guy.
0
His promise?
I told him yesterday that I would give him one more day.
I see.
Peran looked down.
There, lying with a pale face that matched his white hair was the topic of their conversation. Hed always given an impression of weakness before, but now, he felt fragile, as if he would crumble with a touch.
It was strange.
When he first saw this man, while he did appear insignificant, he never thought of him as weak.
In fact, he felt a bit overwhelmed. This was because he gave him a feeling similar to the untouchable beings like Snow and Iris
His condition had become strange ever since the meeting two, no, three days ago.
It felt like something within him broke.
Peran had a lot of work to do so he hadnt been able to pay much attention to it, but he never thought it would become like this.
You take care of him.
What about Your Majesty? Are you leaving today?
No. I want to see what excuses this man will make when he wakes up. The crime of mocking this Queen is heavy. I wont let it go.
Snow had a talent for being dishonest and only said things like that when she was worried.
As if sensing his thoughts, she snorted before turning around and leaving the room, allowing silence to descend once again.
Peran looked at the thin soup and hot water in his hands before placing them beside the bed.
So that Lukas could eat it whenever he woke up.
Book 2: Chapter 309
Book 2: Chapter 309 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Sei
In a dark place.
A cave where almost no trace of light existed.
Scrape, scrape
The sound of stone being scraped resounded.
Someone was sitting in front of a boulder.
But the darkness made it almost impossible to tell their appearance.
All that could be seen was a faint outline of their face.
It was a familiar face.
what are you doing?
Cant you see? Im making a statue.
As he gave this answer, Kasajin continued to sculpt the statue. All he had in his hand was a rough carving knife that seemed to be made from animal bones.
Thats unexpected. Have you always been able to sculpt?
No. I learned it for the first time in this place.
Why did you learn it?
Because this cant be taken away.
He didnt really understand what that meant. But this was not the time to ask. Kasajin was wielding his carving knife with the serious expression he usually had when he trained his body.
Since it was a bit tiring to keep standing, he decided to sit in front of him as he watched.
Phew.
After a while, Kasajin brushed some dust off the statue and let out a slow breath before turning to look at Lukas.
You look like sh*t.
A lot happened.
I know. Thats why you came to this place.
Tell me. Ill listen.
His manner of speech hadnt changed at all.
He missed it.
Although it wasnt the time, Lukas couldnt help but let out a soft chuckle.
do you remember? A long time ago, when we were fighting the Demigods I told you that it wouldnt matter even if no one remembers what we did.
I remember.
That even if our footsteps were never recorded in history, it would be fine as long as we didnt forget.
Right.
but, its not.
He fell silent for a while.
At some point, Lukas smile had become bitter.
I dont want to be forgotten. I dont need to be praised for what we did. We didnt save humanity, the continent, and the world because we wanted fame or rewards for it. We didnt fight against the Demigods just for that.
A desire for success, fame, or wealth.
If they had just been fighting just to satisfy those desires, then they would have given up a lot sooner.
The reason they did it was because they thought it was wrong. Because they knew the things the Demigods did werent right. So they kept fighting.
No. It wasnt just that.
Lukas gaze turned to Kasajin.
I was only able to hold on because of you guys. Because even when we were struggling desperately, we knew we were doing it together. It was that sense of camaraderie that comforted me. But I didnt realise.
That it would hurt so much if no one remembered him.
Lukas didnt add the last part.
He didnt want to show how much those words affected him to Kasajin.
It was better to call it his last sliver of pride.
Youre wrong.
What?
Kasajin got up from his seat.
It was only then that Lukas was able to see his full appearance.
you.
He didnt know what to say.
It was a body so weak that he couldnt imagine that this was Kasajin.
His wrists were so thin it looked like they would snap with a touch, and the legs that supported his body looked frailer than twigs in the middle of winter.
But the look in his eyes.
If it wasnt for that fierce gaze that was almost synonymous with Kasajin, he might not have recognised him.
Not everyone has forgotten you. Your life wasnt that short, and your achievements werent that small.
!
At the very least, I will always remember you in this place. Always.
He could feel the emotion hidden in Kasajins voice.
His heart ached,
Kasajin, where is this place?
Hed thought that it was a dream, or that he was reflecting on the past.
But that wasnt the case.
This place
Kasajin smiled faintly.
Its a place you dont need to know about just yet.
Paht-i????????r????????? ????o????
Lukas body was flung out of the cave. Lukas tried to grab Kasajin to stop himself, but Kasajin shook his head and stepped out of reach.
You shouldnt come to this place. Not yet.
Kasajin! You!
Lukas, you just said it yourself. You saved our world. Do you understand what that means? The universe couldnt survive without you. Its impossible even for God to make those achievements disappear.
What are you talking
One more thing. You werent just Lukas Trowman.
Kasajin chuckled.
You should have had another name as well.
* * *
Lukas woke with a slightly hazy mind.
A dream.
Had it been a dream?
His head spun. He was incredibly thirsty. He also had chills as if the condition of his body was not good.
Was he still dreaming?
Another name.
The other name he used in this world?
Frey, Blake (Note: Pray Blake)
Crash!
A loud noise came from beside him.
Lukas forcibly opened his eyes and looked over.
A man was standing beside the bed and staring at him with a shocked expression.
It was Peran Jun.
* * *
When he opened his eyes again, it was dark.
Lukas couldnt tell if it was the middle of the night, or approaching dawn. He decided to get up first.
To an extent, his body, which had been stiff and shivering before, had regained its original condition.
this body
He couldnt remember being this sick even after staying in his workshop for months on end studying magicology. But hed stayed in the library for just two days and gotten soaked by a bit of rain, and now hed gotten so sick he could barely move.
Although he knew how weak his body was, he couldnt help but feel surprised.
His chest still felt like a heavy piece of lead had been placed on it, but his mind felt a bit clearer. Perhaps as his sickness cleared up, so too had the bad thoughts in his head.
I feel like something important happened.
As hed laid on the bed, hed woken up and fainted several times. Thanks to that, his memories were still unclear. He felt like something had happened, but he couldnt remember.
He let out a sigh.
He had completely lost control of himself. He felt like even if he kept scouring his memories, he wouldnt get what he wanted, so Lukas decided to let it go.
His gaze turned to his right.
There, on a small round table, were a suitably wet towel, a bowl of soup, and a cup of lukewarm water.
Traces that someone had been caring for him.
Was it Snow?
Lukas thought of the cool touch that hed felt on his forehead, but shed told him that she would only wait one more day. Even though he was unconscious, he was aware of the fact that it hadnt just been for one day.
Snow had probably already left.
Creak-
But at that moment, the door opened, and it was none other than Snow that walked into the room. Lukas was a bit surprised.
Not only because of her sudden appearance, but also because of her expression.
Usually, she had a smile on her face. Whether it was a mischievous smile or a confident smile, most of the time, the corners of her lips were raised.
But at that moment, the Snow that entered the room was visibly upset.
hmph.
She glanced down at Lukas and crossed her arms.
For a while, she didnt say anything and simply stared down at him with an annoyed gaze.
Seeing that she didnt intend to speak up first, Lukas opened his mouth.
How did you know I was awake?
Ha.
Snow snorted.
The expression on her face, which was as white as the moonlight, changed.
It was to the point where he could almost hear her thinking, what did this bastard just say?
Is that all?
What? Sar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
The first thing you say when you fully regain consciousness. Im asking if that is all.
Lukas looked down at the table.
thanks.
Im really in your debt.
You saved my life.
He spoke with sincerity, but Snows expression didnt relax at all.
She still looked annoyed, but eventually let out a sigh as she looked at Lukas face.
right. Well, I guess its natural to say thank you, but Im not the one you should be telling it to.
0
Then the person
It was Peran. But he left the academy a few hours ago. You missed it perfectly. He seemed to want to talk to you about something
Snow narrowed her eyes for a moment before shaking her head.
in any case. Do you remember what this Queen told you?
You mean about waiting for a day?
So you remember. For reference, four days have passed since then. 96 hours to be exact.
Blood flowed into Snows pale white face.
Lukas gently bowed his head.
Im sorry By the way, not that I intend to make excuses or anything, but why didnt you just leave when I didnt wake up in time?
Because I wanted to hear what would come out of your mouth. But if I knew youd say something like that, I would have just left.
She really had a fickle personality. To the extent that he pitied Peran, who was her assistant. Of course, since Lukas was completely at fault in this matter, he wisely remained silent.
Snow smiled once again, and only then did she take her annoyed gaze off of Lukas.
Your condition seems to have improved a bit. Last time I saw you, you looked like you were going to die.
you saw that?
Right. Anyways, Im glad youre better. Times a bit tight, so well leave right away.
Were leaving? To where?
The best place to train you.
Where is that?
Snow finally smiled.
Amalgam Forest.
Book 2: Chapter 310
Book 2: Chapter 310 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Sei
Even though they were in a hurry, he couldnt skip his meal. After recovering from sickness, it was necessary to pay close attention to his body and nutrition.
Snow and Lukas filled their stomachs with a meal of soup and bread before setting off.
The forest was about two days away from the academy. Or at least, that was the case if one was riding a carriage, but Snow didnt get a carriage. She didnt use the Warp Stone either. (There werent any Warp Stones near the forest in the first place.)
Nevertheless, Snow and Lukas were able to arrive at the Amalgam Forest in just one day.
Urg
Lukas forcibly suppressed the urge to vomit. Even with the fresh air of the forest, the nausea didnt go away easily.
Snow snickered as she saw this. This sight pleased her a great deal.
Youre tougher than I expected.
wasnt there another way?
There wasnt. But thanks to that, we were able to arrive much faster than if we took a carriage.
She wasnt wrong.????????????????????d. ?om
Nevertheless, it wasnt good to only look at efficiency when doing a task. Oftentimes, it could cause disasters to occur.
Lukas gagged a few more times before finally straightening his back with a sigh.
the people we passed stared at us like they had seen some kind of ghost.
Ahaha. This Queen saw that too. They all had funny expressions on their faces.
Well, anyone would stare if they saw a white haired woman carrying a white haired man and running at a speed that surpassed the Fly spell.
He thought that it would have been better since Snow was wearing a mask, but instead, it only seemed to make the scene even more bizarre.
In any case, it was a memory that he would not easily forget.
This is Amalgam Forest.
He looked around at Snows words.
They were in a clearing in the forest, but it didnt seem to be completely natural. The grass in the clearing was cut very short, there were tents at one end, and in the centre, were traces of bonfires.
Although the traces were a bit old, it was clear that a group of people had stayed there at some point.
This is the place we take talented people who want to enter the alliance. To be precise, this place is a test site.
a test site.
Right. The goal of the test is survival. You just have to survive in this forest for a month. Simple, right?
It wasnt that difficult.
The forest was neither hot nor cold, there were tents, and it seemed easy to obtain drinking water. It wouldnt be difficult to find food either since he saw the shadows of beasts moving within the forest from time to time, and there were many fruit trees.
Snow walked forward with light steps before bending over and picking something up.
This isnt too bad.
It was a branch.
However, it was very thin. It wasnt even 1cm in diameter. It was a thin twig that even a newborn baby could snap into two pieces.
But.
Snow swung the branch once.
From top to bottom.
As if she was drawing a line in the air.
Whoosh-
And a strong wind billowed around her. He could even see bugs who were sent flying by the sudden gust.
Snow looked down at the branch appreciatively before turning back to Lukas.
Draw your sword.
It seemed she intended to start right away.
Well, she had said that they didnt have any time to waste.
Doing as she said, Lukas drew the sword hed bought from the city.
Get into your stance.
He did as she said again.
Lukas swordsmanship was heavily influenced by Lucids Dreadment, but he had added his own interpretation due to the constraints of his left arm and right leg.
He held the sword in his hand at an angle, and lowered his head slightly. He placed his left foot a half step in front of his right, and his right shoulder was also drawn back slightly.
All in all, it was a strange stance that caused the right side of his torso to stick out.
Snow glanced at Lukas for a moment before tilting her head to the side.
You, are you from Luanoble?
well
Right. You did say that you lost your memories. Hmm Anyway, this is better than I was expecting.
She nodded to herself before continuing.
First, well work on fixing your stance.
Swoosh-
Snow narrowed the distance in an instant. It was shorter than the time one took to blink. She circled around Lukas a few times before nodding.
Imagine that this foot cant move.
Then, she pressed the tip of her branch to the top of Lukas foot.
It can be used as a fixed point. Your legs and movement are limited, but that doesnt mean you dont have any power.
thats true.
He understood what it meant to use it as a fixed point. But he felt that limiting his movements in battle could prove fatal.
Folding her arms, Snow continued her explanation.
If your mobility is your weakness, then its better to leave it as it is rather than waste time doing a poor job at fixing it. You can be like a fortress.
You mean to focus more on defense than offense?
Thats right. With your legs, if you were to actively attack, the efficiency would be reduced by at least half.
This was something he knew. In fact, it could even be considered a kind estimation. After all, if one took his left arm into account, it would probably be even more than that.
There are attacks that I wouldnt be able to deal with with a fixed right leg.
You mean magic?
That was typically the case.
How would I deal with attacks like that?
You cant deal with those. So its best not to try. Sear?h the n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
what?
Lukas looked up at Snow with a frown, but the expression on her face was serious.
In fact, her eyes were even a bit cold.
Are you telling me to just accept death then?
Who said anything like that? Im just saying that if you encounter attacks that dont suit your fighting style, you should avoid fighting as much as possible.
In most cases, fighting is inevitable.
Thats true. So you should find some way to buy time until an ally who is capable of dealing with magic attacks arrives.
For a moment, Lukas was speechless.
It felt like hed been hit in the back of the head with a hammer.
Did I say something strange?
No.
It wasnt just strange.
He couldnt be sure when it had first started, but he was used to dealing with everything on his own.
Not 4,000 years ago.
At that time, hed had four friends who were on par with him.
If so, then was it when he was Frey Blake? Of course, there were people who hed called companions at that time. Snow in front of him was one of them, and Ivan as well.
However had he really treated them as equals?
No.
In the end, Lukas had handled everything on his own, including the final battle with Lord.
Right. At some point, hed gotten used to fighting on his own, and now it seemed that he had taken it for granted.
Thats why hed been so shaken by Snows words.
To allow others to deal with attacks that he couldnt handle for him.
Of course, apart from that thought, the feeling of relying on others simply made him feel uncomfortable.
For today, well only work on the general framework of your swordsmanship. Tomorrow, Ill guide you in swordsmanship. And on the day after that, the last day, well have a spar, so do your best to satisfy this Queen. Then Ill acknowledge you.
What happens after you acknowledge me?
I will recommend you to the Alliances talent training centre. And Ill tell you this Queens name.
Talent training centre.
Snows words made Lukas feel a bit uncomfortable.
What about Diablos subjugation?
Cant I take part as well?
Snows eyes narrowed slightly. Then she spoke in a slow tone.
To be honest, the strength of our alliance is not much. Even though the Circle split into two parts, the sides led by Ivan and Iris are still stronger than us.
Nevertheless, I can assure you. The number of talents the Alliance can mobilise is more than three figures. They are all stronger than you and they have no flaws either.
Snow didnt say more, but her meaning was clear.
In other words,
Even if Lukas were to participate in this battle, with his current strength, hed most likely just die.
It was only then that Lukas understood the situation and Snows attitude.
She wasnt treating Lukas like an equal companion or someone to leave her back to.
He was just one among dozens if not hundreds of people.
Although he was crippled, he still had a lot of potential.
That was all Snows expectations of Lukas amounted to.
0
Perhaps her act of investing her time now was also just a part of trying to recruit a good talent.
It was true. But it severely wounded Lukas pride.
Crunch.
The hilt of his sword creaked a bit as the strength of his grip increased.
Before coming to this forest, there had still been a number of tangled thoughts in his head. His heart had been heavy and his mood was gloomy.
This was natural, because hed gone there without any idea of how to deal with his many problems.
But at that moment, he forgot about everything else.
Snows attitude was understandable.
In all honesty, it couldnt be said that she was looking down on Lukas, in fact, it was possible to say that her attitude was excessive compared to the worth he had displayed.
nevertheless
Lukas had no intention of being looked down upon like this.
He made a decision at that moment.
There were three days left.
During that time, he would change Snows attitude towards him, regardless of what it took.
Book 2: Chapter 311
Book 2: Chapter 311 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Sei
Stance is important.
In particular, the basic stance is the most important. There are several reasons for taking a stance, but the most fundamental reason is that it allows you to flexibly respond to your enemys attack. In that regard, your basic stance isnt bad.
Snow closed her eyes for a moment.
Lukas realised that she was reducing the strength she put in her left arm and right leg.
Just like his condition now.
I see. Sear?h the N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
After nodding to herself, she then took the stance Lukas had shown.
No. It was different. Her stance was similar, but it felt more sophisticated than his.
This surprised him.
Snow had managed to replicate a physical condition similar to Lukas using nothing but her imagination, and shed even found a more appropriate stance.
Her talent was astonishing.
Lukas copied Snows stance.
When he moved his body to match her, he immediately felt the difference between the two stances.
For one, the gap between his legs had been narrower. It felt a bit too close, but if he were to use his right leg as the focal point like Snow said, this stance would allow him to stand more firmly. (Note: Lukas has big balls remember)
Secondly, his left arm was no longer hanging without purpose.
It was necessary for a swordsman to focus their weight on the hand holding the sword. In Lukas case, it was his right. Nevertheless, because of his condition, he needed to focus his weight on his left side as well. In this new stance, his shoulders were level.
Hmm.
He could feel a gaze.
It was Snow. She was looking at him with narrowed eyes while rubbing her chin with her hand. In this strange pose, she circled around Lukas.
A moment later, her expression changed subtly, but she didnt say anything and continued to circle, this time, much slower than before.
Then she stopped.
With one hand on her waist, Snow stared at Lukas contemplatively.
Swoosh!
Then, without any warning, she stabbed forward with the twig in her hand.
Lukas tilted his head, dodging the strike. Strangely, he felt a few strands of hair fall despite it being only an attack from a blunt stick.
Nevertheless, he had no time to think too deeply about it.
Without stopping, Snow continued to attack.
The twig appeared above his head before naturally falling down. The stab, which had enough force to pierce his eye, quickly changed to a slash. If he stood still, then he would probably get cut in half from forehead to groin. This was by no means a joke.
Whoosh!
Using his right foot as a pivot point, he rotated his body in a half circle. Although it was only a small margin, hed managed to dodge the attack.
Snows eyes shone. A curious smile spread across her lips as she continued to attack.
Papapat!
Her attacks were no longer limited to the twig. At first, she just used her left hand, before following with elbows, knees, feet, and even her forehead.
Lukas had no chance to fight back.
In the first place, the purpose of this spar wasnt to test Lukas offensive abilities. Lukas knew that she was focusing on the effectiveness of the defensive stance as well as his responsiveness.
So he simply focused on dodging her attacks.
Lukas body seemed to be moving more than ever, but in truth, the part of him that was being worked the most was his eyes.????????????r????????????. ????????????
He looked at Snows eyes, the branch in her hand, her shoulders, and her feet in order to read her next attack. Otherwise, he wouldnt have been able to dodge any of her attacks.
Swoosh!
Snows movements grew faster and more ferocious. She was gradually increasing the level of her attacks, as a result, sweat soon began pouring down Lukas entire body.
This spar lasted for more than 10 minutes.
ah.
Snow let out a soft cry.
And Lukas body was sent flying.
Thud!
Soon after, he felt pain in his back. This was natural since hed landed on the hard ground without any form of cushioning.
Urk
He couldnt stop the groan that leaked out.
As Lukas laid spread eagle on the ground, Snow looked at him with an embarrassed expression.
Suppressing the pain, Lukas squeezed out a few words.
that is not a speed I could handle.
He wasnt exaggerating, it was the truth.
Snow had continuously increased the speed and strength of her attacks to see if Lukas could react to them.
She probably wanted to see how well he could respond instead of simply copying the stance, as well as how he would fare in a real battle.
But that last attack was different.
For some reason, she used a speed that was at least a few times faster to snatch Lukas by the collar before throwing him backward.
Mm. It was this Queens mistake. Sorry. I was just getting really annoyed that you kept dodging everything.
He never would have expected to hear such a ridiculous reason.
Snow walked over to him and held out a hand with an awkward expression. He felt that she was genuinely sorry, so he grabbed her hand.
It was cool. And firm. Without a doubt, it was the hand of a swordsman.
In any case. You really surprised me.
Snow tapped her chin and spoke with a hint of praise in her voice.
Your memory and comprehension are extraordinary. Youre like a sponge. You were able to almost perfectly absorb this Queens stance And there is something I just realised.
Her eyes shifted to Lukas left arm.
We can fix your left arm.
Really?
Right. There is an elixir that can heal nerves and regenerate tissue. It should work for you. I know a pretty good alchemist, so Ill get it for you. As an apology for what just happened.
Snow smiled as she brushed dust off of Lukas back.
It might even be possible to fix your right leg too.
In the current situation, there was nothing he wanted more than to fix his arm and leg.
Apart from that, he couldnt help but pay attention to the pretty good alchemist that Snow had mentioned.
By far, the best alchemist that Lukas knew was Schweiser.
Although he had died, Anastasia, who had inherited Schweisers memories and personality, still existed in this world.
Is she with Ivan? Or Iris?
In all honesty, Schweiser had always been a bit of an idealist. In other words, Lukas expected that he would have joined Iris side. Another reason for that was their relationship which had been forged through life and death battles.
However, he wasnt sure how much Anastasia had changed over the past 10 years. It was possible that she had come to share Ivans ideologies, or she might have even joined the Anti Circle Alliance.
Of course, it wasnt like he could directly ask about her at this point.
In any case, my miscalculation was a good thing. I cant believe we managed to complete the first step in less than an hour.
After making sure he was okay, Snow picked up the twig again.
Now then, lets head straight into the second step.
Book 2: Chapter 312
Book 2: Chapter 312 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Sei
Paak!
Lukas sucked in a breath as he felt a sharp pain in his stomach. He could taste a hint of blood in his mouth. Despite this, it was clear that Snow was holding her strength back so as to avoid damaging his internal organs.
His gaze slightly blurred, he lifted his head.
Before he knew it, he saw Snow standing about ten steps away from him.
He got into the stance again.
He wasnt able to see Snows movements. Originally, he had been able to because Snow had been moving at a speed that did not surpass his dynamic vision.
Thanks to that, he was able to get used to her movements. But that had changed.
Swoosh.
Once again, Snow disappeared.
Was it his stomach again? Or his back?
Lukas thought about Snows tendencies and battle style for a moment before coming to a conclusion.
Front.
As he expected, Snow appeared in front of him.
Paak!
Of course, even though he knew this, he wasnt able to react.
His wrist felt like it was about to fall off. He couldnt overcome the force of the strike and was sent rolling across the ground. Nevertheless, he didnt let go of his sword.
She became an amazing Swordsman.
Rikis swordsmanship.
The subtle movements that shed developed on her own.
The traits of an Ice Elf.
And finally, the rare treasured sword Deukid.
Even Kran from Earth, who had reached the peak of mortality, was not a match for Snow.
Over the past ten years, Snow had fully digested all the products she had in her possession.
She must have undergone grueling training.
In other words, the power she was displayed now was her own power.
Lukas couldnt help but smile. The last time hed seen Snow, she was wallowing in her own helplessness. There were no signs of that now. This proved that shed perfectly overcome that tribulation.
Are you masochistic?
Snow was staring at him with a strange expression.
No.
Snow looked at this man who lay on the ground, before turning to the side and spitting.
You are a strange man.
There was a brief pause then Snow continued.
Of course, I dont know you well enough to say this. Do you know why I said that? Its because of your eyes.
The wind blew, causing Snows white hair to flutter.
Brushing her hair from her face, she continued.
Detached observation is not an easy attitude to obtain. Its an innate trait that not just anyone can acquire. Usually, only those who have reached the end of their field or those whove had a special experience can Did you say that you lost your memory?
Lukas didnt respond.
But Snow continued to talk while fiddling with the branch as if she hadnt expected to receive an answer in the first place.
I dont care if thats true or not. But one thing is certain, you have many secrets.
Lukas finally got to his feet again and brushed the dust off of himself.
What do you want to say?
Lukas, Im not a fan of arrogantly preaching, but Ill tell you one thing. You. No, your calm mind is basically poison at this point.
Its your life, your struggle. You keep contemplating problems with a distant mindset. That is not a virtue that a Swordsman needs. You need to be able to use your emotions when you need them.
Sorry.
Lukas shook his head.
This isnt something I can change.
This was different from his body.
Lukas had lived for an extremely long time as a Wizard. He could deceive his body, but he couldnt deceive his mind.
Of course, it might be a good idea to destroy everything and restart from scratch. If he was going to be a Swordsman, it would be better to abandon his mindset as Snow advised.
However,
I dont intend to only fight as a Swordsman.
Do you have other means?
maybe.
He had no choice but to give a vague answer. Because even he wasnt sure at that moment.
When he had broken into Perans barrier back at the inn, Lukas had been greatly inspired. It felt like he might have found another means other than swordsmanship.
He looked down at the sword in his hand.
Not with this.
He couldnt accomplish it with just a high quality steel sword. It was an impossible task with a sword that didnt have runes.
That sword.
Lukas pointed at the sword hanging at Snows waist.
Can I borrow it for a moment?
Snows expression changed at that moment, and a frosty glint appeared in her eyes.
Do you know how rude that question is?
I know. Thats why I asked so politely first.
That wasnt that polite
Snow muttered in a soft tone, but unexpectedly, she handed Deukid to him.
Here. Keep it clean.
Thanks.
Lukas slowly pulled Deukid from its sheath
Sssng-
It felt like he would be cut just from looking at it.
It was obvious how amazing of a sword it was.
Hed also heard about the process of making this sword.
The main material had been the fang of a Dragon, and all kinds of mystical metals had been included. At that time, the greatest blacksmiths of Lucids homeland, Icollium, quenched it for a year in lava from the hottest volcano.
When it finally began to take the form of a sword, Schweiser and his disciples engraved all kinds of runes on it.
Self recovery, sharpness maintenance, strength increase, hot and cold resistance
Thanks to this, Deukid could still last without rusting even after 4000 years.
But the thing that Lukas was paying attention to now wasnt Deukids formidable strength or sharpness.
It was one of Deukids special abilities.
Magic break.
It depended on the users competence, but even if a Second Class Swordsman were to wield it, they would easily be able cut through 4-star spells.
Lukas understood this principle.
Mana was essential both for spells and for runes.
Deukids blade had the ability to interfere with the flow of mana in cast spells. In other words, it was possible for it to disperse even runes that had already been engraved. And the mana would remain on the blade for a long time.
But there were no spells cast there.
So Lukas only had one option to choose from.
Snow silently watched Lukas actions.
It was her first time seeing a stance like this, or swordsmanship like this.
No. Her eyes narrowed.
That isnt swordsmanship.
Lukas stopped moving and slowly let out a breath.
This is a large forest, but the mana here isnt dense. Thats probably because many people have been here. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
What?
Nevertheless, I think I got the hang of it.
As Lukas finished muttering, he drew a line in the air with Deukid.
And
Fwoosh!
A flame appeared in the air from nothing.
Book 2: Chapter 313
Book 2: Chapter 313 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Sei
The fire didnt go out even after hanging in the air for a while.
Snow silently watched on from the side. Well, it was more accurate to say that she wasnt sure what to say at that moment. After observing for a while longer, she walked towards the flickering flames and stopped a short distance away before stretching her hand out.
She felt the heat on her skin.
In other words, it wasnt an illusion.
There was no difference between the flames that floated in front of her and the flames of a bonfire. After finishing her observation, Snow turned to look at Lukas once again.
This did you create this?
Thats right.
It looks like magic.
Its the 2-star spell, Fireball.
Fire was one of the most basic attributes so he didnt really need to add any more explanation after that.
Snows expression became complicated.
Are you a Wizard?
No.
Lukas shook his head.
He never would have thought that there would be a day when he denied that he was a Wizard, but this was the reality. He couldnt claim to be Wizard now that his manaroom had collapsed. As the Great Mage, Lukas was naturally extremely knowledgeable about this field.
Snow, on the other hand, furrowed her eyebrows as if the person in front of her was speaking a language that shed never heard before in her life.
If youre not a Wizard, then how can you use magic? Are you trying to mess with this Queen?
Even those who are not Swordsmen can use a sword.
Those two things are completely different. As far as I know, you cant even enter the field of magicology without the right talent. Its completely different from swords that anyone can make or pick up.
This was the truth.
Even if one wasnt a Knight or a Swordsman, they would still be able to use a sword. Even if they might not be able to fight against someone, anyone would be able to use a kitchen knife.
In other words, there were no conditions or qualifications that one needed before being able to hold a sword.
Magic, on the other hand, was different. People who could not sense mana would never be able to use magic.
Snow knew that Lukas didnt have mana in his body. She also knew that he didnt have any magical items, artifacts or scrolls.
And the more she knew, the more suspicious she became.
The principle behind it is simple.
Lukas moved Deukid once again.
Once again, she couldnt help but feel that it wasnt swordsmanship.
It felt more like he was using the sword like a paddle. sea??h th novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
I wrapped the mana distributed throughout the atmosphere around the sword. Then, before the mana disappears, I rearranged it in the specific pattern of the spell. Then
Snow narrowed her eyes. She hadnt realised it before, but now that she was paying attention Lukas sword was wriggling in a very specific manner.
It was like he was drawing a small picture by using the tip of the sword as a brush.
And.
Paht!
This time, a white ball appeared in the air.
The 1-star spell, Magic Missile.
He didnt just stop at casting the spell. Since it was an attack spell, he had to carry out calculations in order for it to fly to its target.
How fast the spell could move, air resistance(drag), wind, terrain, and even the location of the target.
Lukas stretched the sword forward.
To Snow, it was more like a Maestro(1) giving instructions to the musicians than a Swordsman.
With a soft hiss, the Magic Missile shot forward before striking a tree at the edge of the clearing.
Thud.
The sound was much heavier than she expected, and many leaves fell from the tree, almost leaving it bare.
how is that possible?
Snow grunted softly in disbelief.
If she were a Magic Warrior, then she would have been able to understand the principles Lukas had explained to an extent, but Snow was a Swordsman who had nothing to do with mana.
That was why it was so hard for her to understand and accept what she was seeing.
Her gaze turned to Deukid.
Is that a skill that you can only use with a sword?
Its more efficient if I do it with a sword, but the effect isnt that good with this sword.
In the first place, Deukids characteristic was magic break. Therefore, mana only stayed on the sword for a short period. No matter how Lukas tried, he would never be able to make anything more than a 4-star spell in that time.
I need a sword that can store mana on its blade.
If he had that, then the range of spells that Lukas would be able to cast would increase exponentially.
Hmm.
After a while, Snow shook her head and her expression was no longer as complicated as it was before. This wasnt because shed finally understand what Lukas was talking about. Instead, shed simply stopped thinking about it.
She just decided to accept it as it was.
Lukas could use magic in a way that shed never seen before.
Thats perfect for ranged attacks. I think it would also be quite useful as a surprise attack. Because no one would think you could use magic by swinging a sword.
Lukas agreed.
Unless they were an Archmage class Wizard, they wouldnt even notice that the mana in the air had been disturbed.
Lukas slid Deukid back into its sheath before returning it to Snow. She shrugged and collected her sword.
Sorry. Id love to lend it to you, but this sword is very precious to this Queen.
It looks like a really valuable sword. Did someone give it to you as a present?
It was none other than Lukas who had given Deukid to Snow, but Lukas existence had been completely erased from this world. When he recalled this fact, his heart ached in his chest. It felt like he was digging into a wound that was just beginning to heal.
Nevertheless, he needed to check. He didnt know when again hed be able to use the flow of the conversation to ask a question like this.
I got it from my comrade.
Well, even if I were to tell you, its not like youd know them.
Feeling like it would be best to not ask anything further, Lukas kept his mouth shut.
Book 2: Chapter 314
Book 2: Chapter 314 Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Sei
Snow realised that she couldnt teach Lukas like a normal Swordsman. This man in front of her was a rare breed of Swordsman who possessed a special never before seen battle style.
More importantly, he was very intuitive and had an outstanding personality.
Neither his intuition nor his personality could in any way be considered weakness.
In other words, Lukas didnt need any help from her with regards to those two factors. This meant that she could focus her attention on other things. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
For example, the openings that even Lukas himself didnt realise he had. The most efficient way to do this was to teach him the pros and cons of specific stances.
Fortunately, Lukas comprehensive ability was extraordinary.
No, it was even more than just extraordinary.
Snow had encountered many geniuses.
And among them, shed even met unprecedented geniuses with ridiculous talent like Peran.
But none of them had the same qualities that Lukas did.
For example, when someone became aware of a bad habit, it usually took them a few months or even years to fix it, even if they knew that they had it. (Note: Ive been trying to stop biting my nails for 15 years T~T.)
Habits were called such because they werent easily fixed or changed, and in some cases, they were even harmful to the body if left unchecked.
But Lukas was different.
As soon as this man heard Snows advice, he would nod once and immediately get rid of the aforementioned habit.
That means he has complete control of his body.
She was amazed by this fact, but she was all the more disappointed.
If the condition of his arms and legs was better, and if his tenacity towards swordsmanship was a bit higher, a Master Class Swordsman would have been born as easily as having a meal.
In fact, the thing that disappointed her the most wasnt Lukas disability, it was the fact that he didnt seem to be very interested in swordsmanship. This wasnt that different from saying he had no talent for it.
In any field, it was impossible to succeed without tenacity and a certain amount of obsession.
After shed finished giving him a rough explanation about stances and swordsmanship, Snow focused on giving him more theoretical explanations.
Consider the sword as your life.
when I say this, people usually ask What if I lose my sword after becoming obsessed with it.
Snow decided to not pay attention to his reactions.
You have to be careful to not let such a situation occur. Is there anything worse than a Swordsman without a sword? For us, our sword is like our arm, our leg, even our torso. Of course, if you fight, theres a chance of getting hurt. Your sword might get chipped, or even broken to the point where its unusable. But its just like your body. If you dont take care of it, you cant use it.
It sounded like sophistry, but strangely enough, it also seemed plausible.
This wasnt because Snows words had solid logic or anything like that. Instead, it was the confidence in her voice that made her strange, nonsensical words feel more trustworthy.
Thats why you should never be neglectful when taking care of your sword. Well, this Queens sword doesnt need to be taken care of, but yours is different. Its not just about wiping off the blood and flesh that might remain on it. Its about whether the joint between the blade and the hilt is loose, or whether the sheath is too large or too small. You must always make sure to check these things carefully. In a sense, you have to pay more attention to it than to your body. If you have any kind of discomfort in your body, your brain would send a signal immediately, but for your sword, you wouldnt know until you see it and feel it for yourself.
To put it simply, the importance of a sword to a Swordsman was something that could be emphasised hundreds of times. Lukas put his hand on the hilt of the sword hanging from his waist, his expression changing subtly.
In all honesty, he didnt think it was possible for him to consider this item as his life. For Lukas, who was a Wizard, a sword was nothing more than a tool.
Even as a Wizard, he didnt pay much attention to weapons like staves or canes.
Perhaps it was this mindset that caused him to feel that the Warrior King Fist was more suitable than sword techniques.
Alright, thats enough for the boring explanation. Now, we will spar again. But this time, dont focus on just defending like before. Use all the means you
Snow suddenly stopped talking. Her bright expression also fell, becoming serious.????????????????????????d. ?????????
Then, she turned her head and stared into the forest.
the forest.
Whats wrong?
The forest is crying.
Snow tilted her head to the side, her long ears twitching slightly. It seemed that she was listening to something.
After a while.
An exceptionally cold expression descended upon her face.
Was that killing intent?
Without turning her head, Snow spoke to Lukas.
Ill be right back. I wont be gone for long, so wait here.
What?
Taht.
Snows figure disappeared without another word. In fact, shed left before Lukas had even responded. He hadnt even managed to figure out which direction shed gone in.
Lukas couldnt help but look at the spot she had been standing in before she disappeared with a strange expression on his face.
Whoosh.
A warm wind blew across the clearing. It was unpleasant, like someone licking his skin with a slimy tongue.
It was probably just in his head.
Shaking the thoughts away, Lukas decided to head over to where the tents had been erected in the clearing. There, he found cooking and eating utensils.
Now that he thought about it, he felt that he should probably eat something. After all, he hadnt had a single bite since entering the forest.
Heading over to the nearby river, Lukas filled a bucket with water and caught a few fish. Afterward, he returned to the clearing and made a bonfire.
Luckily, firewood had already been stored beforehand, but it still took him a while to start the fire.
This was because hed tried to cast Fireball with his steel sword.
As he expected, it was much less efficient than Deukid, so it took a while for him to get the hang of it. In the end, he was only able to make the Fireball after trying for 10 minutes.
If this was how long it took to just make a Fireball, then he wouldnt be able to get much practice. Nevertheless, there was some fortune in his misfortune. It was the fact that he would be able to greatly reduce the time through practice.
Of course, for him to use high level magic, hed probably need better equipment or a more suitable environment, but at the very least, he would be able to use low level magic after he got the hang of it.
There was another thing that he realised.
I cant do it with my fingers.
Nor could he use a tree branch.
In order to wrap mana around an object, it seemed that a certain amount of metal was required. In addition, the tip of the blade was very sharp, so it was very suitable for arranging and rearranging the mana. On the other hand, his fingertips were blunt, so it was impossible for them to carry out such a delicate task.
At this point, Lukas was no longer using his sword as a sword. Instead, it was more like a staff that just happened to be in the shape of a sword.
He roughly grilled the fish and ate it before continuing to practice his swordsmanship.
Lukas decided to simply name his swordsmanship the Zero Technique. (Note: Or zero style?)
It was only possible for him to use low level magic, but Lukas found that training with the sword was pretty fun.
However, he didnt know if he could climb back to the Absolute level with just this.
To become an Absolute.
For now, he could only look at it as an incredibly distant goal.
power.
In the end, the thing Lukas lacked the most was power.
If he had power, he could have revealed himself in a spectacular manner during the meeting. He could have asked them about the strife in the Circle without needing to worry about anything.
He needed power.
But he didnt have any now.
With this thought, Lukas immersed himself in his training.
Book 2: Chapter 315
Book 2: Chapter 315After a while, his body began announcing its limit. Even when he stood still, he could feel his arm muscles trembling.
He wasnt sure how long hed been training with the Zero Technique, but it seemed that he would have to stop for now.
Huu.
A sigh mixed with regret escaped his lips.
The environment was lacking.
There was too little mana in the Amalgam Forest. Because of the low mana concentration in the forest, Lukas was only able to cast 3 Star spells at best with his current weapon.
It would be more effective if he trained in a place where the mana concentration was more dense, like the Ispania Mountains.
After letting out another sigh, he returned to the area with the tents. There, he drank from the water hed gather before going to pick fruits from the nearby trees. Of course, it was for food.
In all honesty, it was a very dangerous act to carelessly eat fruits in a forest, but there were half rotted fruit skins beside the tents which let him know that some of them were safe to eat. With that logic, he only picked fruits that had the same skin so that he wouldnt have to worry about getting sick.
Crunch.
It was hard and sour. However, the aftertaste was a bit sweet.
In a word, it was edible.
While struggling to chew the fruit, Lukas looked up at the sky. It seemed that dawn was approaching.
It was only then that he belatedly realised two things.
One was the fact that hed been focused on training for almost an entire day.
And the other was that Snow, who said she would come back soon, still hadnt returned yet.
Whoosh.
The wind blew again.
And just like before, it felt warm and ominous.
* * *
-Five days before.
In the capital of the Kastkau Empire, Kausymphony.
Swoosh.
A man appeared from the Warp Stone. The head guard gestured to stop the other guards who were prepared to approach the man and ask for his identification.
Peran looked around with a solemn gaze.
This could be said to be his first time returning home to Kausymphony, the empires capital, but he didnt feel particularly nostalgic.
Of course, the same would be true for his destination. Or at least, that was what he thought now, but it might be different when he actually arrived.
He walked through the streets. sea??h th n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Even when it was late at night, the streets of Kausymphony were usually filled with people. Someone had once said that there is no night in the streets of the empire. That saying wasnt completely wrong.
After walking for a while, Perans surroundings finally began to grow quieter. This was natural since this area was under the direct control of one of the noble families.
Finally, a familiar mansion appeared in his sight. In front of this beautiful mansion which exuded an opulent aura even in the darkness of night, was a structure that Peran was even more familiar with.
It was the main gate, which was large enough to accommodate four carriages passing simultaneously, and the four guards guarding it.
The Jun Family Mansion.
The place where Peran had been born and raised.
Welcome.
Its been a while since we last greeted you, Young Master.
The guards were not surprised and instead welcomed him politely.
This meant that theyd already gotten word. With a slow nod, he accepted their polite greeting.
As he passed through the main gate and entered the garden, a butler appeared before him. He claimed that he would guide him, but Peran thought that it was an unneeded luxury, so he continued on his own with a firm attitude.
Its fine.
Of course, that wasnt the only reason.
The person he was about to meet would probably also want him to be alone.
Click.
The mansion was quiet. Even though the moon was high in the sky, maids could still be seen around, but there was no sign of the occupants of the house. The hallways were practically empty. Recalling the bustling downtown area that hed just passed through, Peran couldnt help but feel like hed stepped into a completely different world.
It gave him a strange feeling of incongruity, but he shook his head.
It was probably because this was his first time returning to the mansion in 5 years.
Before long, Peran finally stopped walking.
In front of him was a door made from cypress wood, and behind it was the study of the Family Head, a place that not only the servants but even Peran and Lylia could not enter without permission.
He knocked on the door lightly, and it wasnt long before he got a response.
Come in.
Candles flickered in the room, and a middle aged man could be seen sitting behind an auburn desk.
Its been a while.
His heart shook a bit when he heard the familiar, caring voice.
The man was Perans father, the Head of the Jun Family.
Shepard Jun smiled softly, and rejoiced at being reunited with his son after such a long time.
Have you been well?
Right. Nothing happened. How about you? I worried a lot because you never sent any letters.
please forgive me for being an unfilial child.
Thats enough. To think that youd turn out like this
Would you like some tea? I remember you preferred tea leaves from the Kalur Mountains. I think we got some high quality ones
Father.
Peran interrupted Shepard.
This was a rude action that was rarely committed by Peran, who was very strict when it came to manners. Thats why, instead of rebuking him, Shepard stopped talking and looked him in the eyes.
I would like to know why you summoned me from Westroad Academy as the Head of the Jun Family.
A few days ago, Shepard had summoned Peran, who was at the Westroad Academy, with the authority of the Family Head.
It had been almost 5 years since Peran had last set foot in this house. And in that time, Shepard had never interfered with Perans actions. No matter what he did, he let him do as he pleased. Of course, Peran had never done anything that was unbefitting of someone from the family.
Shepard realised that Peran wanted to hear the main point before they had their reunion conversation.
A bitter smile spread across his lips.
Talking about the private things before the public things was something that was often done by older politicians. Although it was simple, it allowed them to form a closer connection to the other person which made it difficult to deal with and the effect of the later conversation better.
However, since he had hit an iron wall like this, there was nothing more for Shepard to say.
Hmm.
Shepard let out a soft cough and his gaze became serious.
Son.
Yes.
You dont regret it, do you?
Knowing what he meant by not regretting, Peran answered with a firm tone.
I dont.
I dont understand why you want to walk down such a thorny path.
I would like to hear an honest answer. Im asking as your father, not as the Head of the Jun Family. Can you tell me a bit about your inner feelings?
The sincerity in Shepards voice was clear.
Peran was silent for a while.
the ideology of the current Circle makes me uncomfortable.
Then he spoke in a low, cold tone.
Whenever I see them bickering with each other, I cant help but find it pathetic. Im disappointed in their clumsy decision making. I dont want to be associated with their ideologies. I cant even think about it. Thats why I chose a different path. A path I think is right.
What if that means becoming hostile with the Jun Family?
Even if I have to face the empire itself, my thoughts will not change.
Shepards expression was a bit strange.
But it seemed that hed expected such a response to some extent.
Its hard to have such unshaken subjectivity. Its amazing.
Of all the things he had expected, a compliment wasnt one of them.
No matter how gentle Shepard appeared to be, he was a member of the Circle and an executive at that.
Even though he criticised his ideology, he still complimented his attitude.
This was more than just broad minded.
Id like to make a suggestion.
I have no intention of joining the Circle, Father. My answer is the same as it was 5 years ago.
Regardless of whether it was an order from his father or the Family Head, his answer would not change.
Nevertheless, Shepards smile deepened when he heard his response.
This time its different. This time, I will be the one not joining the Circle.
what do you mean?
Ill tell you one thing. Your father has also been displeased with the Circles ideologies for a long time.
Sss.
Suddenly, black smoke began flowing from Shepards body.
No, it wasnt smoke. It was mana that was so dark and thick that it was impossible to see through.
It was darker than the night sky and gave off a creepier feeling than the shining chitin of an insect.
Perans face became harder than a stone statue.
Black Magic? Father, why
Book 2: Chapter 316
Book 2: Chapter 316Shepard looked at Peran.
As my son, Im sure that you know. The fact that Ive been frustrated at being stuck at 7 stars for 20 years.
He knew.
Although hed never mentioned it, Peran knew just how deep the despair and frustration Shepard felt was.
Of course, his father never showed it.
Instead, it was the fire always burning brightly in the library in the middle of the night when he was young. It was the many books that had become stained from the sweat of his fathers hands.
He knew that before being the 4th Tower Master and the Head of the Jun Family, Shepard Jun was a Wizard.
But Peran still couldnt understand.
Black magic and Magicology are separate fields. It was you, father, that taught me that.
There is no difference. Black magic is aimed at exploring mana, interpreting the truth, and understanding the laws of the world. It is not fundamentally different from magic.
no.
Crunch.
Peran grits his teeth. The anger and betrayal in his voice no longer subtle.
That was an insult.
It was not only an insult to Peran, but to every Wizard who followed the path of magicology.
Black magic is a cursed power created by using the death of the innocent. It does not qualify as a field of study. Do you not know how many lives were lost to develop that terrible power?
It feels like this is the first time in 10 years that Ive seen you so excited.
First of all, be polite. Even though Ive started using black magic, I am still your father.
That is something Im wondering about.
Perans cold gaze was locked onto Shepards face.
Are you really my father?
Hahaha.
With a soft whoosh, the black mana that had been spreading out disappeared.
My eyes have been opened. And son, so will yours. After all, you are a Wizard like me.
What?
Every time we uncover the secrets of mana and peek at the truth, it fills us with unparalleled pleasure. Can you imagine? Knowledge capable of satisfying even our unending desire, and satisfaction sweeter than any drug It is a world that every Wizard dreams of.
Shepard emphasised once again.
Right. Every Wizard. The world of Wizards is about to open up, and you too should ride the wave.
What are you talking about
You dont know, do you?
Shepards voice became calm.
There is already no one among the high level Wizards that still oppose him.
Shuffle.
At that moment, someone walked out from behind Shepard as though he had been standing there the entire time. But hed never noticed.
Their face, which was engulfed in darkness, was then revealed in the candle light.
!
Perans mouth fell open.
* * *
Jik-
Lukas drew a line in the bark of a tree with his sword.
It slashed diagonally through the four vertical lines that had been there before.
Five days.
Thats how long it had been since Snow disappeared.
After so much time had passed, he didnt feel like silently waiting any longer. Even if he wanted to concentrate on training, he couldnt focus because his mind would be drawn to Snow. In addition, he had already reached as far as he could while training in the Amalgam Forest.
If he wanted to grow stronger, then he would have to find another location.
Shuk.
Lukas sheathed his sword before fastening it to his waist. Then, he packed the water and fruits hed gathered. If he used them sparingly, it should last him about two days.
Firstly, he planned to head north. The reason for that was simple. They had come from the south. In other words, if he headed in that direction, he would leave the forest.
The forest is crying.
Thats what Snow said. So the reason that she had disappeared and hadnt returned yet was more than likely related to the forest.
Naturally, in order to find traces of her, he had to go deeper into the forest, not out of it.
After deciding where to go, Lukas headed North along the river.
A short while later, he heard a sound behind him.
It was a very loud sound, as though its creator had no intention of hiding their presence as they rushed forward with tremendous momentum.
It wasnt just one person.
A group of people was rushing forward at a tremendous speed.
Then, after noticing Lukas presence, they changed direction and surged towards him.
Ssrng-
By the time Lukas drew his sword, they had already surrounded him.
Three men and two women.
All of them were quite strong.
Their intimidating aura, formation, and the speed they moved towards Lukas were enough to prove this.
The one who called out to Lukas was the man in the middle. He was a handsome man with a gentle expression, but there was a suspicious glint in his eyes as he observed Lukas.
Who are you? And why are you in this forest?
I am Lukas.
Lukas?
They exchanged glances. It seemed like they were asking each other if theyd heard the name before, but all of them shook their heads.
You, why are you messing around in this forest? Sear?h the n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
This time, it was a large man with a ferocious expression that called out in a rough voice.
Arent you the same?
Naturally, Lukas response wouldnt be soft.
Perhaps because he found his attitude displeasing, the giants eyebrows twitched.
how dare a cripple question me?
It was then that the gentle looking man opened his mouth again.
We are the Swordnaz.
Swordnaz?
It was a name hed never heard before.
When Lukas tilted his head to the side in confusion, the suspicion in the mans eyes became deeper.
Now that he looked closely, Lukas realised this man was an elf. Hed only just noticed the long ears sticking out of his hair.
Look at this bastard. He doesnt even know who we are. Hes obviously a spy who somehow managed to infiltrate this place. We should just kill him here. No. Lets torture him to death so that we can extract some information!
The giant loosened his neck as he said those words, killing intent lacing his voice.
Hoffman, shut up.
When the elf snapped at him with an annoyed voice, the cheeks of the man named Hoffman twitched.
Hey, Eric. Were you just talking to me?
Ignoring them, Lukas thought to himself.
Swordnaz, Swordnaz.
Swordna?
Are you guys acquainted with Snow no, with Swordna?
oho. Look at this bastard. Hes trying to act now.
Hoffman, who still thought he was a spy, loosened his joints as a fierce smile spread across his lips. (TL: Hes loosening a lot of things)
Thats right, but this situation is urgent, so please state your.
Eric.
Suddenly, one of the women interrupted him. By her attire, Lukas assumed that she was a Wizard.
We have to hide.
!
Eric hurriedly looked up at the sky, and Lukas gaze followed.
It was strange. Even though it was the middle of the day, the sunlight still felt too strong.
He also saw someone standing in the sky, but he wasnt able to clearly see who it was.
Thats
It was probably not meant as an answer to Lukas murmur, but Eric muttered in a low voice with a sigh.
Monster Queen
Monster Queen?
Just as Lukas eyes narrowed slightly.
Dodge!
Hoffman suddenly cried out.
It was only then that Lukas realised why the sun seemed so bright.
There were two suns in the sky.????n????????e????????. ????o????
Rumble
And one of them was slowly descending.
Straight towards them.
(TL: So I was wondering how I could make this a kind of April Fools themed event. But I really couldnt think of anything, so Ill just go with the only idea that seemed interesting to me. The mass release chapters that I promised will be released randomly during the day(between 00:00 to 11:59 GMT -4) instead of being released altogether.
The number of chapters released at any time will be up to a rng. It can be 1, 2 or 3 chapters each time.
Yes, yes, I know, Im bad at making fun/interesting events. At least its fun for me.
Enjoy the cliffhangers, or wait anxiously till theyre all released, the choice is yours.)
Book 2: Chapter 317
Book 2: Chapter 317Lukas knew that he was in danger.
After all, he had no way to deal with the incoming attack. Of course, it wasnt a real sun, instead, it was an artificially created sun-like flame. From what he could tell, it wasnt a spell either.
In other words, this meant that he had no way to destroy it.
Moreover, he couldnt avoid it either.
Even as it fell towards them, the artificial sun was large enough to seemingly cover the entire sky.
There was no time to think. The sun was growing closer and closer. Even though it was still some distance away, he was already beginning to feel the burning heat on his skin.
Lukas eyes shifted to the river.
It was a bit of a gamble, but if he were to throw himself in there
Suddenly, Lukas body began to float.
This
It was magic. He could even tell who was using it. It was the Wizard girl standing not so far away from him.
She spun her fingers slightly.
Whoosh!
And Lukas was sent flying into the river.
It was a little rough, but he knew she wasnt trying to drown him. Nevertheless, it was so sudden that he still gulped down a few mouthfuls of water.
He almost lost consciousness.
The world seemed to be spinning around him at an incredible rate. Despite the loud sound of the current in his ears, he was still able to hear a large explosion followed by the sound of flames.
He couldnt help but feel that even the middle of a warzone wouldnt be that loud.
He cursed his body. Come to think of it, swimming was a really good full body exercise, but because of the condition of his arms and legs, his movements in the water were not natural.
No. It wouldnt have mattered even if his arms and legs were normal since he was being dragged around by magic.
It was gradually becoming harder for him to hold his breath.
If this continued, I might actually drown.
Just as this thought appeared in his mind
Gasp! Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Lukas body surfaced.
As he panted like a wet mouse, the first thing he checked was whether his sword was okay. Fortunately, he could still feel the now familiar heavy weight at his waist. Fortunately, hed fastened it securely.
A bitter smile stretched across his lips.
He couldnt believe that the first thing hed checked in such a chaotic situation was whether his sword was still there. Perhaps this was proof that he was subconsciously following Snows advice.
In any case, hed managed to survive.
Sweeping his wet hair out of his face, Lukas finally looked around.
Stifling heat.
That, together with his burning red surroundings, was the first thing that Lukas noticed. The loud noise hed heard while submerged in the river hadnt been an illusion.
The part of the forest that had been hit with the artificial sun was decimated. The area around him cratered as if it had been struck by a meteorite, and the residual flames had lit the surrounding forest on fire.
The billowing smoke coloured the entire sky gray.
This place could no longer be called a forest.
cough.
This didnt look good.
In most cases, it wasnt the fire itself that killed those trapped within its blaze. Instead, it was the smoke that suffocated them.
Lukas tore a strip of cloth from his clothes, soaked it in the river, and then wrapped it around his nose and mouth. Although it wasnt much, this would be able to help him survive for a while.
Firstly, he decided to head downstream where the fire had not yet spread.
Suddenly
Boom!
Dark clouds rolled in overhead.
Lukas narrowed his eyes slightly.
Fwoosh-
Then, rain began to fall heavily to the ground. It carried a fierce momentum almost as if a hole had been pierced in the sky.
Lukas had suffered from the rain not so long ago. Although it didnt leave him with a good memory, that was beside the point for now.
This is a spell.
To be precise, it was a magic application technique.
It wasnt just to make it rain.
Rumble-
A part of the river surged, becoming a huge wave that began to extinguish the fires spreading through the forest.
In an instant, the flames, which had been growing at a frightening rate, were extinguished. It was a wise move to deal with the fire before it was given the chance to spread.
Lukas looked up at the caster of the spell.
Standing in the middle of the crater with a staff that was excessively large for her small physique was a girl covered in a haze of billowing mana.
The girl lowered her staff with an expressionless face.
In terms of the spells and techniques that were used, what shed just done couldnt be considered particularly difficult. However, putting out all the fires in such a large area was no simple feat.
To put it simply, one would need to have enormous mana reserves in order to carry out such an endeavor.
7-stars?
Lukas expression became a bit strange.
He knew how rare 7-star Wizards were.
Even in Kastkau, which was known as the Magic Empire, there were only five official 7-star Archmages.
He couldnt believe that such a young girl was an Archmage.
He wondered if she wasnt human. Or if she was older than she looked. From her ears, she didnt seem to be an elf like the man named Eric.
Suddenly.
Gasp!
Another person emerged from the river.
It was the large man from earlier. From what he remembered, his name was Hoffman.
Dammit. Cough! Cough! Dumb bitch!
It seemed that Hoffman had swallowed a lot of water while submerged in the river. As soon as he got out, he lifted his head to the sky and swore heavily.
Then his gaze finally turned to Lukas.
What the hell? Yuriah, did you save this guy?
Right.
Why did you save him?
We cant let him die.
What does that mean
As Yuriah walked over, Hoffman asked.
What about Eric?
He went after the queen. I thought out of all of us, he would be the last to do something so stupid.
Among the elves, it was common to find those willing to give up their lives for the forest, and Eric, as a High Elf, was especially so. There was no way he could give up his anger after seeing something like this.
Hed obviously be turned to ashes if he were to fight alone, so the others went to help him and left you here to put out the fire?
Mhm. Thats right.
shit. Things have become messed up. To think we were separated in a situation like this.
Hoffman clicked his tongue. Eric was usually calm, but it was understandable that he wouldnt be able to remain so in a situation like this. Perhaps the Monster Queen had calculated this as well. If that really was the case though, she would be too frightening.
Yuriah then turned to look at Lukas.
You, do you know Lady Snow?
You idiot! How can you say that name!
Right. I know her.
huh?
Hoffman blinked.
On the other hand, Yuriah continued to speak in her uniquely emotionless tone.
This man knows about Lady Snow. He even mentioned the name himself. But he didnt know about us Dont you understand what that means?
I dont.
There was no change to her expression, but for some reason, it felt like that doll-like face was annoyed.
it means that he was being tested here to become a part of Swordnaz.
What did you say?
Hoffman started slightly.
Lukas was able to realise something from their conversation.
For one, they were probably Snows subordinates and members of the Anti Circle Alliance. In fact, based on their individual strength, they were probably elite soldiers.????????????r????????????. ????om
We are the Swordnaz, the elite unit who serve as Lady Snows personal escort.
Her voice did not even waver an inch as she continued.
Four days ago, we received a distress signal from Lady Snow.
Four days ago, that was the day after Snow disappeared.
Lukas expression hardened.
In other words, Snow was trying to deal with some threat in the forest but called for reinforcements because she didnt think she could handle it alone.
There is something that Snow cant handle on her own?
It was hard to imagine just what kind of threat that could be.
On our way here, we ran into the Monster Queen. We couldnt afford to engage her, so we deliberately ignored her and continued on our way, but it seems that she followed us here.
They hadnt even noticed her pursuit. Yuriah added at the end.
Hoffman kicked a rock away and spoke in a slightly stiff tone.
Hey! Should you really be saying all of that?
In order for us to understand the situation from his perspective, we need to gain his trust. To do so, its better to reveal our identity and goal first, besides, was there anything wrong with what I said?
Wizards.
Hoffman couldnt have known, but Yuriahs decision was the most effective towards Lukas.
My name is Lukas. As you expected, I arrived in this forest about five days ago. With Snow.
He then began to briefly describe what had happened over the past few days. (TL: I swung a sword and ate suspicious fruits)
Book 2: Chapter 318
Book 2: Chapter 318so you lost contact since then? For five days?
Right.
Hmm.
The worry on Hoffmans face was evident. Although his bad temper was apparent, his loyalty to Snow was undoubtable.
I dont think there was anything wrong with what you said. It doesnt seem like youre lying, but there is one thing I dont quite understand.
What is it?
The fact that you were taking the test to join the Swordnaz.
Hoffmans eyelids twitched slightly.
Of course, Lady Snows thoughts and intentions are not something that a blockhead like me could understand. Nevertheless, it should be enough to trust my eyes, right? From what I see, youre not good enough to become one of us.
Just asking, but are you a Swordsman?
As he said that, his gaze drifted to the sword hanging from Lukas waist.
Lukas didnt respond. Swordsman Could he be considered a Swordsman now?
Hoffman snorted at Lukas silence.
Youre not. I can tell that much just from looking at you. Because the body of a person who is used to holding a sword carries certain traces. At best, you have probably been training with the sword for less than a month.
Then is that sword just for self defense or are you a Wizard?
No.
It was Yuriah, not Lukas, who responded to this question.
That man is not a Wizard.
Lukas never thought there would be a day when someone denied him being a Wizard, but it was an unavoidable truth.
He had no choice but to gently accept it. In the past, this might have caused him to feel a bit gloomy, but hed received a great shock not so long ago, so it was only able to cause a small amount of damage. (TL: Emotional damage)
Then Whats so special about you?
Hoffman asked in a reluctant tone.
Like the first time they met, he wasnt being intentionally malicious. It seemed that he simply wanted to know why Snow acknowledged Lukas.
Of course, although Lukas also wanted to meet their expectations
Most of the mana in this area that had been mixed in the atmosphere disappeared because of the fierce flames that burned everything away.
Even if he drew his sword and swung it
As expected, he could not use magic in such an environment.
What are you doing?
Nothing.
With a soft mutter, Lukas returned his sword to its sheath.
The degree of doubt in Hoffmans eyes became stronger.
Yuriah no longer showed any interest in him. Now that shed received all the information about Snow, it felt like she no longer cared about his existence.
Ah. You there. Do you want to just stay here?
Why?
Compared to where were about to go, isnt this place safer?
Although it was a bit stiff, it seemed that she was being considerate in her own way.
Or perhaps she was just looking down on him.
Were going to reunite with Eric and the rest first. Its highly likely that we will encounter the Monster Queen, and eventually fight the threat that Lady Snow is currently facing.
Ill go with you.
Dont you know that you might die?
I dont care.
Hey, just leave him be. He probably wouldnt understand even if you kept explaining it to him.
After Hoffman said this, Yuriah didnt say anything more.
The Queen might be nearby. There might also be other threats lurking in the forest, so its better to keep a close eye on our surroundings and follow them at as cautious a speed as possible.
What? Wouldnt Eric die then?
No matter how upset he is, he wouldnt try to fight with only three people.
Bullshit. Youre only saying that because you didnt see the look in his eyes as he left.
Hoffman and Yuriah soon began to bicker. The atmosphere of their back and forth was quite fierce. In fact, it felt so harsh that they didnt appear like teammates at all.
It felt like they had a bad relationship from the start.
Perhaps Eric was the one who usually mediated between the two.
But it soon became impossible for them to hurry like Hoffman initially wanted them to. Of course, this wasnt because hed finally agreed with Yuriahs opinion or anything of the sort.
what is this?
Hoffman poked at the air in front of him with a smile. His thick fingers seemed to be blocked by something invisible.
It wasnt the air. It wasnt visible, but it seemed like there was a wall in front of them.
Whats this?
Hoffman muttered again.
Yuriah, who was wearing a conical hat, stepped forward.
a barrier.
What did you say? A barrier? Then break it.
I cant.
What?
Ive never seen such a solid barrier before. Its structure makes it impossible to break from the outside. The person who created this is a much stronger Wizard than I am.
Yuriah bit her lip.
She probably had a lot of pride in reaching such a level.
Hmm.
Hoffman lifted the sword that was hanging from his shoulder. It was a sword large enough to be mistaken for a small tree, and it seemed to weigh quite a lot, but Hoffman was able to lift it easily with one hand.
Then he took a stance.
Hup!
Then he swung it.
It sounded like the air was torn apart.
Bang!
Then, the sound of an explosion rippled through the area as sparks were sent flying. Hoffman grit his teeth and pushed down on the sword with all his strength, but there wasnt even a scratch on the barrier. He kept going till his face became red and his blood vessels looked like they were about to pop.
kuah!
Shortly after, Hoffman raised the white flag.
Panting, he stabbed his sword into the ground.
Holy shit. Its so hard. Son of a bitch. Im sure Eric is in there
Probably.
Did they put that much effort into separating us? Or was this just a coincidence?
Im not sure.
Lukas ignored their conversation and approached the barrier.
Then, he rubbed his hand across it. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Yuriahs judgement hadnt been wrong.
This barrier had been formed by someone above her level. It was very sturdy, and he couldnt find any openings.
8 stars? Or 7 stars with a talent for barrier magic.
Lukas narrowed his eyes. It was difficult to determine the strength of that person with just this spell.
Then what will we do now? We cant just wait here till they die, can we?
Itll take some time, but Ill try to find an opening.?????????????????????????. ?????
What can I do to Hey, what are you doing?
It was only then that Hoffman noticed Lukas actions.
Analysing.
Thats a high level barrier. Its not something that someone who doesnt understand magic can analyse.
Ignoring him, Lukas drew his sword.
Hey. Dont do anything weird. Put your sword away. If you swing it incorrectly, you might injure your wrist
He ignored those words too.
He needed all of his concentration at that moment.
This was different from Perans barrier last time.
Because this time, instead of modifying the barrier and digging into the cracks, he had to destroy it completely.
He wasnt sure if itd work, but it was worth testing.
The joints that connected mana. In terms of size, these gaps were thinner than hairs, but that didnt matter. In fact, it was pretty easy for him to find them.
After all, barriers were fixed spells.
The realm that Lukas was aiming for was to be able to break down spells that were flying towards him at incredible speeds before they could reach him.
In other words, fixed spells like barriers were fairly easy to break.
Found it.
An opening.
Without hesitation, Lukas stabbed his sword into the small crack that only he could see.
Well, it couldnt be considered stabbing.
This was because his sword entered gently, like a paper knife into a cake.
Crack.
The sound of something being pierced caused Yuriahs eyes to widen.
Uh?
Subsequently, a black crack appeared in the air.
It was a crack that stemmed from Lukas sword.
Crack crack!
Like cracked glass, the cracks quickly began to spread.
Its momentum was as terrifying as a charging herd of bulls.
Crash!
Soon after, the invisible barrier shattered completely. The falling barrier fragments were harmless. After retrieving his sword from the falling fragments, Lukas briefly reported his success.
I broke it.
When he said that
whaa-?
For the first time, Yuriahs expressionless image was shattered as she asked back foolishly.
Book 2: Chapter 319
Book 2: Chapter 319Hoffman looked at Yuriah, who had slurred her word, with a slightly stiff expression.
Hey, Yuriah. Are you okay?
For a while, Yuriah just stood there, blankly staring at the place where the barrier had just been.
ah.
Then she let out a soft sound that resembled a sigh and frowned slightly. She turned to look at Luks with an expression that made it seem like her pride had been wounded.
No. It was a bit different from that.
Hoffman couldnt help but mumble.
I cant believe you managed to turn Yuriah into a fool.
turned her into a fool?
What was he talking about? Even though Lukas asked this question with his eyes, he didnt receive a response.
However, the way Hoffman looked at Lukas changed slightly. Was it because Lukas cut the barrier? Of course while that certainly had a role to play, it felt like the fundamental reason was a bit different.
But is it really gone?
completely.
This time it was Yuriah that responded. At the same time, her gaze was still locked onto Lukas. Others might think that she had become infatuated with him, but there was no such emotion in her eyes.
Yuriah hesitated for a moment before speaking.
Can I take a look at your sword? (TL: Hohoho, Yuriahs moving so fast)
My sword?
Lukas tilted his head to the side for a moment but soon realised the reason.
Indeed.
No matter how she looked at it, a man who didnt seem like much had completely broken a 7 star or higher barrier. With ease.
Rather than think that he was hiding his power, it was more reasonable to believe that his equipment had some kind of mysterious ability.
In addition, Yuriah had not witnessed exactly how Lukas had broken the barrier either. This was because she had been behind him, and even if she had been in a position to see everything, she hadnt been paying much attention to him in the first place.
On the surface, it looked just like a steel sword.
Hoffman murmured as he stroked his chin.
Naturally, it wasnt just its appearance, it was actually a steel sword, but Lukas decided to not correct their misunderstanding.
No.
It wasnt difficult for him to show them his sword, but he thought it would be better for them to continue to misunderstand.
The Zero Technique was a sword technique that Lukas had developed on his own. No, in fact, it was shameless to call it a sword technique in the first place, but in any case
It was not a sword technique that normal people could understand.
This was the same even for high ranking Swordsmen.
While theoretically, it was possible for a Wizard to understand the principles of the way the spells were being casted and broken down, they would need to be at least 8 stars to do so. And even then, it would be impossible for them to imitate it.
Nevertheless, he had no intention of revealing the Zero Technique yet.
Currently, the Zero Technique was Lukas greatest trump card. And it could only showcase its true strength when it was hidden.
Yuriahs expression hardened at Lukas firm rejection.
Nevertheless, it didnt seem like she was willing to let it go so easily. Just as she was about to open her mouth again.
Enough.
Hoffman stopped her.
Its rude to ask a Swordsman to show you their weapon. Sar?h the ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
You just said he doesnt look like a Swordsman.
I still think so. And
Hoffman turned to look at Lukas.
Im not sure if this guy has been lying to us or not.
What?
Hmph.
It was a sharp remark.
It could be said that this man had a simple mind.
But his ability to derive an answer that was close to the truth using nothing but his own intuition reminded Lukas Ivan or Kasajin.
Skrr
Suddenly, a strange sound came from the forest.
It sounded like something hard was being dragged against the ground. It also carried an ominous and gloomy aura.
Hoffman narrowed his eyes being smiling grimly.
Yuriah, get ready.
Are we using Formation E?
No. Lets do D. That guy can help us too.
Realising that they were preparing for battle, Lukas asked.
Whats coming?
It should be obvious.
Then the creators of the ominous sound appeared.
Their arrival was heralded by a foul odour that pierced the nose. It was a smell unique to rotting corpses.
Each of the individuals had different appearances, but Lukas knew the name that grouped them together.
Undead.
First it was the barrier, now its undead I dont know what to do with such overwhelming hospitality.
Be careful. They arent weak. There might be a few low ranked ones there, but I think that most of them are medium ranked undead and above.
That doesnt matter. But time is a bit tight If its like this at the entrance of the forest, then the situation inside must be even more chaotic. We need to reunite with Eric and the others as soon as possible. Yuriah, shoot an extra large spell and wipe all of these guys out.
Idiot. Ill need at least 5 minutes to cast a 7 star spell. Its impossible to get that much time alone.
Hoffman turned his gaze to Lukas, who revealed his power without hesitation.
I can take on two of them.
For reference, dozens of undead had appeared.
seriously.
Hoffman let out a sigh.
Ill take care of the undead in the back first. Hoffman, you deal with their frontlines, and you just take care of yourself.
Alright.
Lukas decided to follow their instructions for now.
Hoffman pulled out his sword and charged forward like a wild beast without any warning.
The ground that he passed across scattered with every step.
Boom!
With one swing of his sword, a loud explosion was heard.
No, it wasnt just a sound, an explosion actually burst forth from his sword.
It seemed that Hoffmans sword had been engraved with magic runes.
Thats a lot of power.
In addition, his understanding of his weapon and the runes was quite high. If he made a wrong move, he would be caught in his own explosion, but he was twisting his sword and moving his body to minimise the force reflected onto him as well as using the momentum for even stronger attacks.
Hoffman was not the only one showing off an amazing performance.
Yuriah, who was a few steps away, was constantly pouring out spells. Her body floated about five metres above the ground, but instead of the Fly spell, it was with the help of a pair of boots that appeared to be magic items.
This was probably done so that she could see the entirety of the battlefield with a glance.
Screech!
Undead.
A method of reviving the body of a creature whose life had already come to an end by injecting it with negative emotions and dark mana.
Of course, there was some degree of ambiguity in the use of the word revive.
Most undead did not maintain the personality and memories of their lives before death.
In fact, such cases were extremely rare.
Instead, most undead were heavily influenced by the memories that they had just before their death, and the emotions that they felt at that time.
Those who died of starvation only focused on predation despite the fact that their stomachs no longer worked. This was due to the fact that the memory of hunger had been engraved onto their very existence, and they would move to eliminate this unfulfilled hunger until they returned to the soil.
Negative emotions were the greatest driving force when it came to undead.
Thats why those who died while feeling intense emotions like rage or hatred tended to become strong undead.
Roar!
A ghoul rushed forward, black saliva dripping from its mouth.
Use the right foot as the focal point.
Remembering Snows advice, Lukas turned his body. Since the attack was so simple, it was also simple to dodge. In an instant, an opening appeared on the ghouls body, and without hesitation, Lukas plunged his sword into the back of its head.
Gurgle
The sound of gargling blood came from the ghoul. Even though it was an undead, it still had vital points. But instead of the heart, it was the head. Of course, that didnt mean it was easy for them to die like living beings.
Lukas quickly withdrew his sword before slashing horizontally.
Hed swung with the intention of separating its head from its body, but his sword got caught in its spine.
Its not possible with my current strength.
Hed tried it because undead have weaker bones and muscles, but it had been stopped easily.
Although it didnt work out as Lukas had planned, his blow was still fatal for the ghoul. It struggled on the ground for a while, but it was unable to get up again.
Necromancy was a type of black magic.
But Iris, who had reached the pinnacle of black magic, never used necromancy.
This was because she understood.
Just how terrible it was to use the corpses of those who had already died.
And just how much of an insult it was to the deceased.
Were these undead made by Diablo?
He didnt know.
Lukas didnt have much knowledge when it came to Necromancy.
Nevertheless, he understood that the undead they had encountered were exceptionally strong.
Book 2: Chapter 320
Book 2: Chapter 320In this situation, Hoffmans performance was particularly amazing.
Although it looked like he was being buried under waves of undead, in reality, he was overwhelmingly smashing the enemies without receiving a single wound.
At least two undead fell with every swing of his sword. sea??h th Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Of course, this was only possible with Yuriahs exceptional support.
Thanks to their efforts, only one or two undead ever made their way to Lukas, and even then, most of them were low ranking, so it wasnt hard for him to deal with them on his own.
Even if they bicker constantly, they have great teamwork in a fight.
Being able to make up for each others shortcomings in a fight showed just how well they understood each other.
It would probably be more interesting to watch all of five Swordnaz fight together.
five of them.
Lukas forcibly suppressed the depressing thought that threatened to surface in his mind.
He knew that such an act was simply hiding from the truth, but with the current weakened state of his mind, he wasnt sure if he would be able to overcome it if he were to face it head on.
Bang!
About 15 minutes into the battle.
This is weird.
Hoffman frowned as he swung his greatsword.
Why does it not seem like their numbers are decreasing?
By now, Hoffman had already turned dozens of undead into powder. And yet, the density of undead surrounding him didnt seem to have changed.
no way.
Just as Hoffmans expression became stiff at a sudden thought.
Theyre being reinforced!
A voice dug into his ears.
It was Yuriah.
Hoffmans expression crumpled.
This wasnt good. Although he still had stamina, the fight composition was really bad. He hadnt given up his rear yet, but there were undead pushing at him from the front as well as both sides.
If he were to slow down his speed of killing the undead by even a little, they would rush to occupy the rear, and then, regardless of how good of a Swordsman Hoffman was, he would not be able to last more than a few minutes at best.
Yuriah, who was at the back, was able to grasp this situation much more easily.
This is my fault.
Even though she had placed herself in a position that allowed her to grasp the state of the entire battlefield, she had taken too long to notice the enemys reinforcements. This was a result of being too focused on getting rid of them.
To add a bit to her excuse, because she was floating in the sky, it was hard for her to notice the undead hiding behind the trees in the forest. But in the end, it was still an excuse.
We have to retreat
Should they go across the river?
Undead couldnt swim. Even if they tried to cross the riverbed, most of them wouldnt be able to make it.
But the problem was Hoffman. He couldnt afford to relax even for a moment. If he slowed down the speed with which he swung his sword, he would be surrounded by undead in an instant.
Suddenly, she heard a voice.
7-star spells.
It was Lukas.
He was fighting three undead at the same time. In all honesty, he looked like he was in a more desperate situation than Hoffman, who was fighting dozens.
Can you use them?
His heavy breathing broke his sentence into parts.
Yuriah responded in a cold tone.
I am an Archmage.
I can see that.
He could see it?
What Im asking is if you have enough mana to spare.
I do. But it will take at least 5 minutes to cast.
The enemy numbers were constantly increasing.
In these circumstances, she couldnt be certain whether Hoffman would be able to survive for 5 minutes.
Youre planning to use Blizzard
How did you know that?
Most of the spells she had been using so far had either water or ice properties, of which, the latter had the greatest effect against undead, and Blizzard was the most effective 7-star ice spell.
Instead of explaining this, Lukas just decided to skip to the main reason hed called out to her.
Theres a difference between being emotionless and being calm. That is something you need to understand if you intend to call yourself an Archmage.
What?
Mind like the surface of a still lake. Even if a stone were to cause a ripple on the surface of a still lake, it would eventually calm down again. Maintaining that stillness requires acknowledgement. Acknowledge the fact that youre in an unfavourable situation. Acknowledge the fact that you might die. Acknowledge the fact that you are feeling desperate. Then think of a way to overcome it.
Unknowingly, Yuriah began to focus on Lukas voice.
Usually, it was easy to ignore the ignorant words of laymen, but for some reason, she couldnt now.
Cast the spell. I will help you with the calculations.
Help with the calculations?
You just need to focus on casting Blizzard. Distance, power, range, I will calculate the other things.
what the hell are you saying? You cant leave things like that to someone else.
Do you have any other way? If this continues, that man will die.
If you dont believe me, then use a different spell. In these circumstances the 5-star spell White Hail is probably the most appropriate.
Yuriah had said that this man was not a Wizard.
That thought remained unchanged even now.
heavy rain, frozen by the cold.
So she wasnt doing this because she believed him.
Sss-
Cold air began to spread from her fingertips.
As he wielded his sword against the three undead, Lukas kept a close eye on her actions.
He could see it.
Mana flowed out of Yuriahs mana room. Then, it began twisting and merging to create the circle required for the spell. It was like a sculpture that was being carved at an extremely high speed.
Become the teeth that bites at ash and dust.
Lukas took a few steps back, closing the distance between him and Yuriah.
At least, enough to interfere with Yuriahs magic.
My enemies, please do not beg for mercy.
Her mana fluctuated.
With a soft cracking sound, countless hailstones began forming in the sky.
It was at that moment that Lukas swung his sword.
There was no sign of awkwardness in the sword that he swung with confidence. Even if he wasnt a Swordsman and his technique wasnt swordsmanship.
Right. This wasnt swordsmanship.
It would be more accurate to call it a sword dance.
Yuriah couldnt help but feel that Lukas movements were smooth and beautiful.
Paht!
!
Her eyes went wide.
Someone was interfering with her magic. The mana circle, which was the foundation of the spell, began to twist.
Was it twisting?
No.
It wasnt twisting, it was evolving.
Crack crack-
The tips of the balls of hail became sharp like spears.
They also began to absorb the moisture in the atmosphere and grow in size.
More importantly, it transformed from just being an area of effect spell, as each individual hailstone pointed towards an enemy as if they had their own wills.
The next moment, Yuriah and Lukas voices resounded terrifyingly.
White Hail.
Kakakak!
White hail began to pour down.
Screech!
Roar!
The screams of the undead erupted. Before going silent a moment later.
huh?
In the centre of it all, Hoffman stood stiffly with a blank expression on his face.
Looking at the spell that had manifested, Lukas realised hed made a mistake.
There was no need to use a 7-star spell.
The enhanced White Hail was more than enough to get rid of all the undead reinforcements.
Book 2: Chapter 321
Book 2: Chapter 321Hoffman, who was walking carefully, stopped moving. Without a word, he lifted his hand above his shoulder.
It was a signal to stop.
Lukas and Yuriah obediently followed his instructions.
Gurgle
Rattle????????????r????????????. ????om
Howl
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A sound similar to an animal howling rippled through the air, accompanied by the obvious sounds of undead moving.
These sounds were only made by low ranking undead who hadnt gained sentience. And it was made by a group of undead that were shambling through the dark forest.
In other words, it was already too late for them to use this path.
Shit. How many times has it been already?
Hoffman grumbled under his breath and Yuriah poked him in the back with her staff. Obviously, she was telling him to shut up.
cant we just pierce through?
Thats a stupid idea.
Yuriah immediately rejected the suggestion. Of course, Hoffman didnt actually mean it. No matter how hot headed he was, or how much he hated being placed in such situations, he would never recommend that they forcibly break through.
That wasnt being hot headed, it was stupidity.
The Amalgam Forest had completely become the land of the undead.
The trees and grass, which once boasted healthy colours, disappeared. In their place were rotted grey trees and withered grass. It was only a matter of time before the ground itself began to decay as well.
This was because of the death energy being emitted by the undead.
The fact that the forest has been polluted to such an extent means that the number of undead is beyond imagination.
Undead were particularly responsive to sound.
It wasnt impossible for them to defeat the horde of undead that were moving around in front of them. In fact, it wouldnt even be that difficult. But destroying all of them wouldnt solve the problem. Instead, the commotion it caused would only attract the attention of all the other undead in the area.
If they were surrounded, it would be impossible for them to escape.
Unlike before, they werent in a situation where they had the river at their backs. They had already entered deep into the forest.
but where did such a large horde of undead come from?
It wasnt just the corpses of the beings in the forest that had been reanimated.
Hoffman couldnt say that he knew every monster that inhabited the Amalgam Forest, but he was at least certain that there were no Wyverns or Ogres living here.
In addition, they had even seen a few high ranking undead like Dullahans, Death Knights, and Liches.
They couldnt have openly sent such a large army of undead into this forest.
This was already on the scale of a military mobilisation.
Regardless of whether it was the Circle, the Anti Circle Alliance, or some other organisation all together, there was no way that they wouldnt notice such a large movement.
In other words, someone had summoned these undead into this forest.
And that someone was probably the threat that Snow had encountered, and the main culprit behind all of these events.
Little by little, anxiety began to blossom in his heart. Of course, Snow wasnt so weak as to need the worry of someone like Hoffman.
In all honesty, he didnt think Snow would lose even if she were to face one of the Dragons or Demigods who had become extinct. (TL: If only he knew)
So please, dont go crazy. Heart.
As he begged his racing heart, Hoffman turned and began heading in a different direction.
Naturally, he was intending to find a different path. Lukas and Yuriah quietly followed suit. For a cripple, Lukas was doing a good job of keeping up with them.
They wandered through the forest at a slow pace without an exact destination in mind. They didnt know where Eric and the rest had gone so they could only carefully explore deeper while keeping an eye out for any traces.
Surprisingly, they were able to achieve results much faster than expected.
I can hardly sense the presence of any undead here.
Hoffman muttered as he straightened up. Crack, with a soft sound, his spine readjusted itself and his stiff expression became a bit more relaxed.
Lukas looked around for a while before pointing to the shadow of a tree.
Over there.
Huh? Is there something there?
Look for yourself.
Hoffman squinted to get a better view before unknowingly flinching slightly.
It was the corpses of an undead. Or, to be precise, it was what was left of them.
There were shattered bone fragments as well as torn bits of flesh and internal organs scattered all over the place.
Someone had dealt with a group of undead in this place.
Ill go check it out. You guys keep watch.
After they nodded, Hoffman leaped towards the corpses.
Ill start from here.
As Hoffman began working, Lukas and Yuriah, who were a short distance away, carefully observed their surroundings.
But after a while, Yuriahs eyes drifted to look at Lukas face instead. She was naturally recalling the situation at the river.
The undead had almost surrounded Hoffman.
And it was the White Hail that Yuriah had cast that wiped out the entire group in an instant.
But the spell contained power that she could never have imagined.
It was strange.
Even though shed clearly been awake, whenever she recalled that scene, it felt like it had all been a dream.
It was a spell that she had cast personally.
As a Wizard who specialised in water and ice magic, she fully understood the power, range, and duration of the 5-star spell White Hail.
But the spell that had manifested far surpassed her expectations in every way.
Ill help you with the calculations.
Thats what Lukas had said, but even now, she wasnt entirely sure what that meant.
It wasnt rare for multiple Wizards to work together to perform a spell, but in order to do so, there were several demanding criteria that had to first be met.
For one, the magic circles usually had to be drawn in advance. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
It also depended on how much the participating Wizards understood each other.
But Lukas didnt meet any of the required criteria.
Nevertheless, in terms of efficiency, that spell was greater than any collaborative spell she had witnessed before.
with this mans help, the power of my spell was increased by several times.
How was such a thing possible?
Yuriah had deep knowledge about magicology, but even she was not confident enough to explain that phenomenon.
Nevertheless, she was certain of one thing.
An unknown power from the sword Lukas wielded intertwined with her spell just before it was fully cast.
its an ability any Wizard would long for.
It still made her feel uncomfortable.
Hed used some kind of unknown power to enhance her spell, and as a result, they were able to overcome a crisis, but she couldnt stop the strange feeling of anxiety that developed in her chest.
Perhaps it was because Yuriah was a Wizard who disliked encountering things that she couldnt understand or explain.
It was Lady Snow.
At that moment, Hoffmans voice awoke her from her thoughts.
These traces were left by Lady Snow.
When she looked at him, she found that he was unable to hide his excitement.
Did she pass through here?
Right. I cant tell when exactly the traces were left, but its certain that she passed through this place.
Undead were corpses that had been brought back to life.
Therefore, it was hard to determine how much time had passed since they were returned to death, especially since their flesh and bones had been scattered all over.
Nevertheless, the fact that they found traces of Snow relieved them to an extent.
Crunch-
Suddenly, they felt a presence in the nearby grass.
Lukas and Yuriah, who were keeping watch, and Hoffman, who was examining the bodies, immediately raised their guard.
No, it would be more precise to say they got ready to run away.
But after a while, a familiar face appeared from the grass.
Eric! You son of a bitch, youre alive.
Eric, who appeared in front of them, smiled faintly.
Book 2: Chapter 322
Book 2: Chapter 322Hoffman, Yuriah, you guys are okay.
Naturally. Whats that way? Why are you alone? Where are the others?
Everyones fine too.
The other two members of the Swordnaz appeared from the grass.
Im sorry. As the leader, I failed to maintain my cool in a situation that demanded it. Instead of blindly chasing after the Monster Queen with no hesitation, I should have done my best to fully understand the situation in the forest first.
Enough of that. Its already in the past.
Eric smiled bitterly at Hoffmans words.
Then, he finally looked at Lukas and opened his mouth as well.
Ah. Im glad youre safe as well.
Yuriah helped me.
Is that so?
Look at this, Eric. There are traces of Lady Snow here.
When Hoffman spoke in a slightly urgent tone, Eric nodded calmly.
We saw that before and decided to hide here and wait for you guys to arrive.
You were waiting for us to arrive?
Thanks to Raven, we were able to ascertain Lady Snows whereabouts.
R-, really, Raven?
The man called Raven was a blunt looking man with dark blue hair. Instead of responding, he simply nodded his head slightly.
Lady Snow is headed towards the heart of the forest. Its possible that she also eliminated all of the undead along the way instead of avoiding the enemies like we did.
Right. Even if hundreds of millions of undead were to gather here, they would not be a threat to Lady Snow.
hundreds of millions?
After softly muttering for a moment with a strange expression on his face, Eric continued.
In any case, after following Lady Snows traces for a while, we eventually arrived at a cave. But we cant go any further.
Why?
There is someone guarding it. Someone that the three of us cant handle on our own.
mm.
Hoffman let out a soft sound, and Yuriah finally spoke up.
The Monster Queen.
Right.
Eric nodded and continued to explain.
Do you guys remember? The Queen didnt actually attack us, instead, she only burned the forest and passed through without caring about our life or death. What if her goal wasnt to follow us, but instead, she was aiming for this forest from the start?
I dont know. Regardless of what her goal is, its none of our business. Plus, theres something thats much more important than that.
Hoffmans eyes became cold.
Can we break through the Queen and get to that cave?
Eric didnt easily respond.
The Monster Queen.
To be honest, when they first saw her, he judged that three of the Swordnaz would be unable to defeat her, and decided that it would be best to wait for Hoffman and Yuriah.
But even with their addition, he couldnt guarantee that they would be able to win even if they were to go all out.
That was because he knew just how strong their opponent was.
There is a chance of victory.
It was Yuriah, not Eric, who muttered those words.
She wasnt just saying this because she wanted to. Instead, it was a realistic and logical conclusion that she reached after carefully estimating the Swordnazs strength.
Eric asked in a cautious tone.
Do you have a plan?
No. However, we have a helper.
a helper?
After she finished speaking, Yuriah turned to look at Lukas.
If this man helps us, we can win.
Huh?
Surprised, Eric turned to look at Lukas.
Does this person have some kind of special power?
Eric could also tell that Lukas was not a well trained Swordsman or Martial Artist from the state of his body.
He was not a Wizard either. It was none other than Yuriah herself that had affirmed this fact. (TL: How would Eric know that?)
I cant really explain it. But still
Just as a trace of doubt appeared in Erics eyes.
Yuriah is telling the truth.
An unexpected man bluntly came to stand beside Yuriah.
It was Hoffman.
Crossing his arms, he continued.
This guy is reliable. If it wasnt for him, we probably would have died.
This was surprising.
Hoffman might seem like a hotheaded person at first glance, but surprisingly, he had a very keen eye when it came to people. It was also very difficult for someone as prideful as he was to acknowledge another person.
He even had a history of openly displaying hostility to Lukas before. This made Eric wonder why Hoffman, who hated to take back what he said, had changed his mind so easily.
Is this man that powerful?
He wasnt sure.
However, Eric trusted his teammates.
youre called Lukas, right? Im ashamed to ask this, but can you help us?
I dont know if I can be of any help, but Ill do my best.
Lukas didnt want Snow to die, so it could be said that he and the Swordnaz shared a common interest.
Thank you.
After a brief word of gratitude, Erics expression became serious once again.????n????r????????????. c????????
Then lets hurry there. Time is of the essence.
* * *
Lukas blinked.
His expression was blank as if he was seeing snowflakes in the desert.
Whats going on? Did he always blank out like that?
he wasnt like that last time.
Im starting to feel a bit worried.
The Swordnazs conversation didnt enter his ears at all.
Instead, his attention was focused on the striking red hair.
The hair swayed gently in the breeze as if it was a flickering flame.
from what I heard, the Monster Queen often mumbles to herself while grabbing her head.
Is she mentally unstable or something?
I dont know, but isnt this a good opportunity?
As he said this, Hoffman drew his sword.
be quiet. Shut up. Dont interfere I told you I dont know You cant interfere I I
A faint muttering could be heard.
Her head was lowered so it was impossible to see her face.
Nevertheless, Lukas knew who this woman called the Monster Queen was. Sarch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
It was at this moment that the Monster Queen lifted her head.
!
Her red eyes met his.
Her lips parted.
I.
Her identity was exposed.
It was the Phoenix that Lukas himself had named.
Humans burn them all.
Burning hate was mixed into Nixs voice.
Kuk! Yuriah! Barrier!
Everyone, gather around!
Shit! This is a familiar sight!
A sea of flames spread out as if it intended to consume the entire forest.
Book 2: Chapter 323
Book 2: Chapter 323Not too long ago, Lukas had almost been hit by the artificial sun.
Right. At that time, hed wondered how it was possible for someone to create such a large flame without using magic, but if the person in question was Nix, then it made sense.
This is dangerous.
He had no way to destroy the flames currently surging towards them. He couldnt even avoid it since the range was so large. It was like a remake of the earlier situation with the artificial sun.
Lukas had no way to respond to it.
Who said anything like that? Im just saying that if you encounter attacks that dont suit your fighting style, you should avoid fighting as much as possible.
Snows voice resounded in his mind at that moment.
He couldnt help but feel strange.
Even though shed only taught for a very short time, her attitude, gestures, and words had become deeply embedded in Lukas mind.
This proved that she had a profound influence on him that he hadnt even noticed before.
Lukas eyes instinctively turned to Yuriah.
He could see her lips moving slightly. Clearly, she intended to cast a spell. What kind of spell would it be?
There was no time to communicate.
So he had no choice but to figure out what spell she was going to cast on his own.
He thought about it carefully.
In this situation, what kind of spell would be the best to stop the huge wave of flames that covered their entire field of view?
After carefully analysing a number of different spells, Yuriahs tendencies, and the current situation, he was able to quickly find an answer.
Ice Wall!
Once again, their voices resounded in unison.
Crack crack!
At the same time, a huge wall of ice rose up from the ground. It was so cold that white mist could be seen rising up from the wall. And yet, this shield which was so cold it was capable of burning the skin of whoever touched it, melted like an old candle as soon as it came into contact with Nixs flames.
Nevertheless, that wasnt a problem.
In the first place, its purpose wasnt to perfectly block the flames, but instead to buy them some time.
Use this opening to escape!
The Swordnaz and Lukas obediently followed Yuriahs orders and were able to escape from the range of the flames that were being blocked by the Ice Wall.
Formation A!
When Eric shouted this as they ran, Hoffman and Raven twisted their bodies to position themselves as the frontline.
Crunch!
With the sound of flesh and bones tearing, Ravens body began to grow at an extreme rate.
Lukas couldnt help but look at him in surprise.
Originally, he had only been around half of Hoffmans height, but in an instant, he grew to tower over him.
Hair also began sprouting all over his body before turning into a shaggy coat, and his eyes became golden.
Saliva dripped from his elongated snout.
Werewolf?
He never would have thought he was a werewolf. In fact, it was almost unimaginable.
Nevertheless, the thing that was most surprising was that Raven had such a reserved temperament despite that.
a descendant of the Cursed Clan.
Calling it the Cursed Clan wasnt a form of mockery to Raven, instead, it was the correct way to address them.
This was because the ancestors of his clan had been cursed with black magic in the past by a very powerful witch, which caused their bodies to mutate on a genetic level.
Perhaps, over the generations, they had learned of a way to keep their reason which was why Raven was as calm as he was.
Taht.
He ran on all fours beside Hoffman as if it was something they had practised many times.
Eric disappeared into the forest. But before that, Lukas managed to see him pull out a bow. It seemed that he intended to hide in the trees and find a good opportunity to attack Nixs vital points.
The last member, a woman with blue-green hair whose name he hadnt yet heard, positioned herself between the front and back lines.
Then she licked her lips.
Nevertheless, she didnt say anything.
Lukas had actually never heard this woman speak, and he wondered if she might be mute.
Flash!
But his thoughts were interrupted in the next moment as a bright light shone from the bracelet on her wrist before an enormous, pure white shield appeared in her hand.
Thud!
She then slammed her shield into the ground as if she intended to embed it there.
Flash!
A bright light shone once again, except this time, it came from the large shield. Instead of disappearing after a moment, the light began taking on a physical shape.
It formed a barrier.
The shield was a magic tool.
A magic tool that had been engraved with powerful defence runes. This was something that could only be crafted by an extremely skilled alchemist.
It was only then that Lukas understood this womans role.
She was, in effect, the shield that protected Yuriah.
Frost Scream?
Her tone was unfriendly, and there was no context in her question, but Lukas was able to easily understand the intentions behind Yuriahs question.
She was asking for an opinion on what spell to use in the current situation.
From someone who wasnt even a Wizard at that.
Lukas knew what she wanted, but he wasnt able to answer easily.
Nix
He hadnt been mistaken, it really was her.
The Phoenix that Lukas had saved in the Ispania Mountains in the past, who he let consume the heart of a thousand year old Drake King, and who was able to take human form because of her own desire.
Why was she called the Monster Queen?
What had happened to Nix in the past 10 years?
What about Torkunta?
No.
Thats not it, Lukas.
That wasnt what he was curious about at all, was it?
Even Ivan, Snow, and Iris had forgotten about Lukas.
So Nix had probably forgotten all about him too.
Nevertheless, Lukas was unable to suppress the sliver of hope that arose inside of him.
The moment he encountered one of his past relationships, the desire to know if he had truly been forgotten couldnt help but rear its head once again.
This time maybe by chance
Kup.
Lukas couldnt help but feel disgusted by his own frailty.
What are you doing?
It was Yuriahs that woke him from his thoughts.
This is not the time to fall into a daze.
Bang!
With a sound similar to that of an exploding firework, the white shield that was protecting them was pushed backward. Sweat dripped down the face of the woman with blue-green hair.
I trusted your strength and believed that we would be able to win with your help, thats why I suggested we fight the Monster Queen to Eric.
Sarch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
There is a limit to how much Sera can endure. Hoffman and Ravens harassment tactics will end before that happens My role in the Swordnaz is the spear. Im the one responsible for unleashing the attacks that are threatening enough to break the enemys guard. That way, Eric can then accurately target their vital points.
Even at that moment, a stream of spells was constantly being sent from the Yuriah to Nix.
A salvo of missiles made of ice and water rained down relentlessly.
But those werent enough to threaten Nix.
Flap!
A pair of flaming wings sprouted from her back, erasing the spells shooting towards her with a single flap.
A wave of scorching heat rushed through the forest.
The heat brought him back to reality.
With a sunken gaze, Lukas finally opened his mouth.
How much mana do you have left?
Even Lukas was unable to determine how much mana was contained within someone elses mana room.
Yuriah took a breath before responding.
enough to cast one 7-star spell.
It was by no means a small amount.
But it wasnt enough for them to relax either.
Even at that moment, Yuriah was constantly casting spells.
White Hail.
Even if they were to use the spell they used to wipe out the undead before, it would be insufficient to deal with Nixs flames.
From the start, Nix, a Phoenix, and Yuriah, a Ice Wizard, were a bad matchup.
Frost Scream.
Yuriah once again brought up the suggestion shed made earlier.
The 6-star spell Frost Scream.
In general, it had a smaller range than White Hail. But in return, it had far more penetrating power and lethality.
If she were to shoot a bunch of sharp shards of ice, it might be possible to pierce through those flame wings.
Of course, such a thing would not be possible with the power of a normal Frost Scream.
She would need Lukas power.
The possibility would only appear when the power of her spell was upgraded by that strange power he had.
No.
But Lukas shook his head firmly.
He could hear the shield creaking.
The heat of the flames was gradually increasing, and it was beginning to feel like their skin was burning. The barrier that the blue-green haired woman, Sera, had erected around them not only blocked physical attacks, but also heat and cold to some extent.
This meant that the heat of the flames outside the barrier was even more intense. Raven and Hoffman probably felt like they were fighting in a furnace. Sooner or later, they would collapse from dehydration.
Nix, who was at the centre of the inferno, staggered slightly and appeared to be unstable.
Whoosh!
Nevertheless, the flames that continued to spread from her body were enough to pressure them greatly.
There was no time. By the time that Nixs mental episode ended, the Swordnaz would probably have already been wiped out.
Then?
You need to use Blizzard.
No.
Yuriah shook her head firmly.
The battle has already reached the stage of melee combat. If I were to use a 7-star spell, there is a high chance I would endanger Hoffman and Raven, who are at the front, as well as the rest of us too
Frost Scream would only make her pause for a while. Even if Eric was able to find an opening, his opponent is practically immortal. A clumsy attack would only make her angry.
It has to be a 7-star spell.
Lukas spoke in a clear voice, but he felt different in his heart. In all honesty, even 7-star spells werent enough.
But he felt that that was a truth that he should keep to himself.
Yuriah grasped her staff tightly.
Although she didnt say anything, Lukas could tell that she was considering it.
This was because she knew he was right. No matter how much it was strengthened, a 6 star spell would not be able to restrain Nix.
After a while, Yuriah made a decision.
frost that freezes even our breath.
The soft chant of the spell began to resound.
Seeing that, Lukas slowly drew his sword from its sheath.
It wasnt just Yuriah.
It was also time for him to make a decision.
Book 2: Chapter 324
Book 2: Chapter 324The bowstring was pulled tight.
The elasticity of string made from the tendons of a Rock Troll was amazing.
Since they were supported by that much elasticity, the power of the arrows that were shot out of the bow naturally increased by a few times. Of course, the strength required to pull such a bowstring could be imagined.
He could feel the bowstring hum slightly beneath his fingertips.
ssp.
He sucked in a soft breath and stopped breathing.
His eyes narrowed in concentration.
His aim focused on a vital point.
Twang-
He let go of the bowstring.
The arrow tore through the air and arrived in front of Nix in the blink of an eye. In a short span of time fast enough to be called nigh-instantaneous, the arrow reached the nape of Nixs pure white neck.
But that was all.
Fwoosh!
As Nixs wings unfolded, the approaching arrow was quickly burnt to ashes.
Kuh.
He couldnt help but bite his lip.
That wasnt an ordinary arrow. The arrow hed just fired was made from the wood of a lava tree which was well known for being able to withstand high temperatures. Nevertheless, in front of Nixs flames, it burned like dry firewood.
Hed heard a lot about her, but he never would have thought that she was such a monster.
Monster Queen.
It was only at that moment that he realised why she was given that name.
About three years ago, rumours that fire beasts called Phoenixes had been spotted in the Ispania Mountains came flooding in one after the other.
At that time, there was still a lot of speculation since Phoenixes were so rare that one might not be able to find one even if they were to search the entire continent.
Some countries and races referred to them as Divine Beasts, but to the general populace, they were just seen as monsters. But that didnt matter. Sear?h the ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
What the powerful people cared about was that all of the parts of the Phoenix held enormous collection value regardless of whether it was for magicology, alchemy, metallurgy, and so on.
So upon hearing the rumors, nobles and bureaucrats from all over the world joined forces to form a powerful subjugation team and sent the expedition to the Ispania Mountains.
Ten First Class Knights, and fifty Apprentice Knights, and five Knight Divisions.
Two 6 star Wizards, five 5 star Wizards, and twenty 4 star Battle Mages.
Two A rank Mercenaries, five B rank Mercenaries, and ten C rank Mercenaries.
Five hundred infantrymen.
There were also guides, cooks, and even hunters.
Thus, a large army of more than 1,000 men was gathered, but even until the end, no one knew.
That was the beginning of a disaster.
* * *
The Ispania Mountains were given the nicknames Monster Heaven and Hell Mountains.
In other words, apart from the Phoenixes, there were still many threats scattered everywhere. At that time, the members of the subjugation team only assumed that the other monsters living in the mountains were nothing more than the Phoenixes food.
Nevertheless, they were monsters.
In front of such a systematically organised force, the monsters were helplessly overrun.
They attacked the Ispania Mountains with unstoppable momentum and soon arrived at a mountain that seemed to pierce the sky.
This was the location of the Phoenixes they were looking for.
But when they ascended the mountain, they were surprised.
Seven individuals.
There were only old and young individuals on the mountain. Thanks to this, their expedition became the easiest subjugation expedition ever.
But the subjugation force did not leave immediately.
The top of the mountain was quite peaceful, and for some strange reason, no monsters approached it.
Since it would take at least a month for them to return, they decided to stay at the top of the mountain and hold a small banquet.
It was the biggest and worst mistake they would ever make.
Early the next morning, a red haired woman appeared at the top of the mountain.
The Monster Queen.
there were only ten survivors from the subjugation force.
Even if they were being negligent, they were still an elite subjugation force with close to 1,000 members. And yet, only 1 percent of them managed to survive.
According to the survivors reports, the flames she spewed didnt just destroy the expedition party, instead, it even burned down part of the Ispania Mountains.
After that, the Monster Queen was unable to erase her hatred for humans.
She sometimes secretly and sometimes openly engaged in the burning of prominent human figures.
Then there were reports that she had recently come into contact with Diablo.
Krrr
!
Suddenly, with a loud crack, a tree began to fall towards Eric, but he was barely able to quickly roll across the ground and avoid it.
The tree, which had been exposed to death energy, had become dry and twisted, making it no different from firewood that had been covered in oil. This place, where the flames were so hot that it was beginning to melt the rocks around them, was gradually becoming more and more like hell.
His heart ached.
The Amalgam Forest had already suffered irreparable damage.
And yet, Eric, a High Elf, could do nothing to the culprit who had caused this tragedy.
[Eric.]
A voice.
He heard Yuriahs voice. Was she using telepathy?
[Just listen carefully. Ill be restraining the Monster Queens movements soon. It might even be possible for me to put those annoying wings of hers out for a while.]
How?
He asked back subconsciously, but telepathy was a form of one sided notification magic rather than back and forth communication. His voice could not reach Yuriah.
[That will give you an opportunity. If this fails, we all die. If you intend to run away, this will be our only chance. We can only do it now when the Monster Queen is unstable and spewing flames randomly.]
Run away.
That was the most logical response one could make when faced with an enemy they couldnt handle.
[If you want us to escape, shoot an arrow to the sky. Then I will give the order to the others.]
Hed witnessed the Monster Queens formidable power. It was at a level where he wasnt even sure what to do. Even when all of the members of the Swordnaz were gathered, their chances of winning didnt exceed 10%.
In the current situation, the best thing for them would be to retreat, come up with a strategy, and arrange their formation accordingly.
However What will happen to Lady Snow if we run away?
The Swordnaz were the escort team created to protect Snow. None of them would hesitate to use their own bodies as a shield to protect Snow from attacks, and they were ready to give up their lives if she ordered it.
Raven said that the Monster Queen was blocking the path leading to Snow.
So running away now would be no different from abandoning their Lady. In other words, it was an act that defied their very reason for existing.
So from the start, there was no choice.
Creak-
His bow let out a soft sound and his hand drew the bowstring back.
Eric aimed his bow.
Not at the sky, but at the Monster Queens throat.
(TL: No wonder Nix hates humans now. She probably worked hard to gather all the phoenixes together then they killed them all.)
(TL: I was going to add another chapter after this, ya know 10/10. But ending it short just seems so funny to me. So, the mass release will end here at 9/10.
Also, I wont post any chapters on the 2nd either, to give you more time to bask in my greatness ^-^.
But maybe, just maybe, Ill also release another bunch of chapters on the 3rd too.
Happy April Fools ^-^.)
Book 2: Chapter 325
Book 2: Chapter 3257-star Wizards rarely used 7-star spells.
This may sound strange, but it was the truth.
Magic was harsh. Those without talent for it werent even allowed to enter its doors.
In truth, anyone could be called a talent just for being able to faintly sense mana.
However, as the levels increased, the talent requirements also became greater.
In this way, only the most outstanding talents were able to enter the higher levels, like jade being separated after being mixed together with ordinary stones.
The world called these talents geniuses.
Nevertheless, there existed a place.
A place where even these geniuses, who pressed forward without pause while enjoying the admiration, envy, and praise of others, all came to a stop.
A place where they seemed to face an unclimbable wall and finally felt despair for the first time.
This place was the bottleneck that one would encounter when trying to break through to 7-stars.
Countless geniuses were left frustrated by this wall. Some of them were even unable to overcome the sense of shame they felt for their paused progress and went crazy or lost their minds.
In other words, Archmages, people who managed to cross this seemingly uncrossable wall, were geniuses among geniuses.
It was only after Yuriah reached 7-stars that she finally understood just how much power, range, and aftermath each 7-star spell had.
And that was exactly the reason why she rarely used it. The sharper a blade was, the more careful one had to be when determining whether to draw it or not.
In fact, shed already thought of using a 7-star spell three times before.
Of course, this time was an exception. Because she didnt really have a choice.
Yuriah knew what kind of spell Blizzard was.
It was a fierce snowstorm that even froze the air in the area it covered.
An extreme range spell.
Thats what most 7-star spells were like. In some cases, the traces left behind by these spells would last for several years before fading away. This meant that they could completely destroy the environment and ecosystem of an entire area after being used.
According to Yuriahs expectations, the Blizzard that she could cast would have a range that was at least large enough to cover the entire forest in her sight.
But it wasnt.
Once again, Yuriahs spell had been changed.
Impossible
Yuriah looked down at the ice crystals that were coalescing on her palm. The mere sight of it seemed to fill her with ecstasy. It filled her heart with excitement as though she was looking at an artistic masterpiece. The catharsis she felt at that moment was something shed never experienced before in her entire life.
This wasnt magic.
This was art. She wholeheartedly believed this.
She felt like if she were to relax her mind for even a moment, she would fall into a daze. To borrow Hoffmans words, she would become a fool.
Blizzard? No. It couldnt be called that anymore.
To call this a Blizzard was the same as calling an unprocessed tree a chair.
Processed.
Right. Lukas was processing Yuriahs spell. She couldnt think of a better expression than that.
The principle in itself wasnt very difficult.
It was just maximising the power of a wide range spell by compressing it. However, what about the calculations that were required to do such a thing? Was it really possible to calculate a formula so large that just thinking about it would make her brain hurt in such a short time? Did he really create a brand new formula that was different from the normal Blizzard? And did he really just calculate this complicated equation that hed created on the spot?
All of it just seemed impossible.
All you have to do is calculate the course of the spell. You can do that, right?
Lukas voice woke her up from her thoughts.
Right. Of course, she could do that.
Get ready.
This wasnt the time for complicated thoughts.
Nevertheless, there was something that Yuriah had to say.
I really want to know who you are.
She took a deep breath before continuing.
When this is all over, can you teach me how to do that?
Instead of answering, Lukas simply nodded his head slightly.
* * *
[Get out of the way.]
As soon as they heard Yuriahs voice through telepathy, Hoffman and Raven immediately retreated as they had previously agreed.
They quickly retreated behind Sera, the woman with the shield.
you dare!
Of course, Nix wouldnt let that happen.
With her wings spread, she stared at them with hate-filled eyes.
Whooosh!
But at that moment, a white storm erupted.
It scratched grooves into the ground, smashed trees, and even froze the very air as it barrelled towards Nix.
!
The cold wind caused her wings to shrink back for a moment.
This was a natural reaction for a Phoenix, who was a being of fire, but in this situation, it became a decisive mistake.
Crackle!
Her toes began to freeze.
Nix tried to flap her wings again, but frost had already begun to spread on their tips. She couldnt move them as she pleased.
Screech!
Her fingertips were cold.
I hate!
She hated the cold.
This wasnt just because she was a Phoenix.
The cold reminded her of when she was alone. The loneliness, which seemed to have been engraved on her very soul like a curse, always forced her to reflect on her fate.
That was why Nix hated the cold.
Haah!
She spat out fire.
She needed to warm up. Twisting her body desperately, she tried to escape the encroaching cold.
But the more she struggled, the more the frost spread. It was as though she was in a swamp, the more she struggled, the deeper she sank.
Seeing this scene, Eric couldnt help but mutter blankly.i????????r???????????? ????????m
Yuriahs magic was it always this powerful?
It wasnt strange for him to have doubts.
After all, it had been more than 5 years since he and Yuriah had become teammates. So he had a good idea of what level shed reached. Raven and Sera were equally surprised.
One person, Hoffman, muttered without much surprise.
It was that man.
That man?
When Raven tilted his head slightly, Hoffman responded.
Im talking about Lukas. Yuriah, I guess he helped you again?
Yuriah nodded quietly.
Eric, who began looking around after hearing that, spoke up.
By the way, where is he?
Huh?
Lukas. Hes not here.
At this, Hoffmans expression stiffened and he also began looking around.
But Lukas was nowhere in sight.
!
Suddenly.
Sera let out a quiet exclamation and pointed towards Nix.
Lukas was there.
What the hell?!
Cr-, crazy!
It wasnt strange for them to let out shocked cries.
This was because Lukas was currently walking towards Nix in a defenceless manner.
* * *
Tap, tap-
As he walked across the frozen ground, Lukas mind wandered.
There were several reasons why he advised Yuriah to use Blizzard, but there was one crucial reason.
It restrained Nixs movements, and the icy atmosphere created by Blizzard lowered the temperature around her body.
Nevertheless, she would still be conscious. Even if it was faint, it would be enough for them to talk.
The thing Lukas wanted was to talk to Nix.
So he only stopped walking a few steps away from her.
kt.
She was glaring at him.
Indescribable rage overflowed from her burning gaze, and she didnt even try to conceal the hatred she felt for him.
Shed never looked at him like that before.
Nix.
He called her name.
This caused a slight change in Nixs expression.
You Who are you?
How do you know my name?
At least it was a start.
Or at least that was how it seemed from Lukas perspective.
Thats because I named you myself.
what?
This was different from Iris and Ivan.
Although they had forgotten Lukas existence, they could not be considered obvious enemies.
Nix, on the other hand, had tried to kill Lukas, twice. Even now, her attitude hadnt changed.
If it wasnt for the fact that she was currently frozen by Blizzard, Lukas fragile body would have already been burned to ashes. Sarch* The N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
But he couldnt make use of that spell anymore. This was because Yuriahs mana room was now empty.
So this was his first and only chance.
That was why Lukas wished with his entire heart.
He knew that it might be in vain, and he knew what kind of response hed probably receive, but he couldnt help but hope for a miracle.
He hoped that Nix would remember him even a little bit.
Its me Lukas.
Otherwise.
its a bit late but Im back.
He would have no choice but to kill her.
(TL: I kind of want her to not remember him. To see if Lukas could really go through with it.)
Book 2: Chapter 326
Book 2: Chapter 326That day, Nix should not have been away.
Black ashes covered the ground.
She knew what these ashes used to look like.
Ah ahhh
Her hoarse voice pierced the silence.
Nix collapsed on the spot.
Then she slowly began rubbing the ashes with her palms.
Trickle.
Tears rolled down her cheeks.
The moment she touched those ashes, she knew that the possibility she wanted to deny was an unavoidable reality.
why?
Nix was clearly aware.
Even though they were called Phoenixes, that didnt mean that they were actually immortal. (TL: Phoenix and Immortal are homonyms.)
why?
She murmured again, but no one was there to answer.
But she wasnt even asking herself.
Nixs murmur was nothing more than meaningless whining.
Ah uh ah
Her head throbbed.
She had a splitting headache. It felt like someone was driving a nail into her skull.
It hurt. It hurt so much.
That was the moment when the headache that would torment her for years first arrived.
With a wince, Nix got to her feet.
Her hair fluttered gently even though the wind was not blowing.
The dead Phoenixes only left ashes behind.
She knew what that fact meant.
Phoenix feathers.
As a material wanted by many fields, phoenix feathers were considered treasures with infinite value. However, they transformed into simple feathers when the phoenix died.
But the expedition party didnt care about that, after all, they had the solution.
All you needed to do was pluck the feathers when the Phoenix was alive. Then, the feathers would continue to burn with unquenchable flames
It wasnt just the feathers.
The beak, eyes, tongue, and even the claws. She was certain that they had taken every part that was of any use.
She could also imagine how frightening it must have been. How painful it must have been And how much they must have hated them.
The Phoenixes that were on the mountain had been brought there by none other than Nix herself.
Shed gathered all of those who had been living on their own around the continent.
Thats why Nix felt that it was her responsibility and duty to protect them.
But shed failed to uphold it.
She shambled to the top of the mountain.
She could feel the heat now.
Humans
The ones who trampled upon her territory with their muddy feet were holding a banquet with happy expressions on their faces. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
It was at that moment that she realised.
The fact that annihilating Nixs people was nothing more than a war achievement for them.
They were dancing around a bonfire, clashing wine cups together, and hugging each other around the shoulders.
haha.
A soft chuckle escaped her lips.
The urge to vomit surged up.
Stop! Who are you?
A sentry shouted in a cautious tone.
Instead of answering, Nix simply waved her hand.
Flames sprouted from the tips of her fingers and swallowed the sentry whole.
!
The fire didnt even give him the chance to scream. His entire body was burned in an instant and his ashes fell to the ground.
Wh-, whats going on?!
Enemy!
The subjugation force quickly readied themselves for battle.
Each of them drew their weapons and surrounded Nix.
You all What the hell did you do?
She muttered in a soft voice, but no one heard it except her.
N-, Nick is dead!
Its an unidentified enemy! Wizards to the rear!
4th and 5th Knight Divisions, subdue the enemy!
Nix grabbed her head and screamed.
Why the hell did you do that!?
Fwoosh!
Flames rushed from her body.
The ones in the frontline who were looking directly at her felt their eyes burn before their bodies went up in flames soon afterward in a scene reminiscent of Nick.
In truth, they could still be considered lucky.
The Knights were the ones who suffered the most. The heavy armour they were wearing was engraved with high grade temperature resistance runes. But in this case, it was their greatest misfortune. The runes on the armour had a greater effect on the wearer than on the equipment itself. This prevented the Knights bodies from being turned to ash, and instead, allowed them to gain the experience of dying by having their armour melt into their flesh.
Crash, crash
The 4th and 5th Knight Divisions, the B rank Mercenaries, the C rank Mercenaries, 200 infantry units, and ten Battle Mages.
Those were the ones that had been killed by Nixs first eruption.
Ah uh
The Knight Commander and 6 star Wizards, those who could be said to have steel like wills, couldnt help but take a few steps back as they felt genuine fear for the first time in their lives.
Nevertheless, Nix didnt intend to let them off.
Not a single human there would be able to escape with their lives.
She would never allow them.
Nix hated humans.
hate?
That word made her feel strange.
Did she like humans in the first place?
Right. It seemed that she did like them at first.
When she remembered that, an indescribable warmth flowed into her heart.
At that moment, the memory of her sitting in the cool shade of a tree as someone stroked her hair filled her with the warmth like the sun.
[stop!]
She heard a faint voice.
Nevertheless, she didnt feel panicked or surprised. It was a voice she heard from time to time.
It was nothing but an ordinary auditory hallucination.
Shut up.
She spoke in a low voice.
Ignoring her splitting headache, Nix spread her wings.
She was going to kill all of the annoying humans.
Nix looked at the man standing in front of her.
He had white hair, a thin body, and seemed to have a weak looking arm and leg.
Weak.
Even among the humans, he was particularly weak.
Nevertheless, the impression he left on her was greater than any human shed ever encountered before.
Those eyes.
They felt familiar.
Flash-
U-, urg
Suddenly, her head began to hurt so much she felt like screaming.
Shed never felt such intense pain before in her life.
That wasnt all. Her heart began to ache.
Looking at this human made her heart ache.
I hate it.
She hated feeling more pain.
I dont know anyone like you.
Nix took a deep breath before exhaling harshly like she was about to faint.
So dont recklessly call me by my name.
Once again, his expectations had been trampled upon.
He didnt know.
He didnt know that having your existence denied over and over could be so hard to bear. In the end, the conversation with Nix did nothing other than dig further into his wounds.
Lukas looked at Nix.
She had changed. She had changed so much. Compared to her, Iris and Ivans changes were not that significant.
She was like a completely different person now.
Lukas knew her secret.
Torkunta. The ego of the thousand year old Drake King lived on inside her. Then what if the person in front of him now wasnt Nix, but Torkunta instead?
No.
That wasnt true.
This was Nix.
Lukas was certain that this was the young Phoenix that hed saved in the Ispania Mountains.
Nix.
What the hell happened to her?
Just as Lukas was about to ask.
Pak!
Someone suddenly came running up to him and grabbed him with their thick palm.
It was Hoffman.
What the hell do you think youre doing?!
Dammit. Why the hell do you think that monster would talk to you? Thousands of people have been burned at the hands of the Monster Queen!
Lukas turned to look at him.
why does she hate humans?
(TL: Sometimes I wish the author would make the transition between past and present more clear.)
Book 2: Chapter 327
Book 2: Chapter 327Hah? You dont know that?
Hoffman put Lukas down a long way away from Nix. There were no signs that they were pursued.
Nixs body was still being restrained by the Blizzard, and she looked like she was in even more pain than before.
Apparently, all of her people were captured and killed by humans.
Her people?
Right. So her eyes were blinded by revenge.
Lukas wanted to ask him some more questions, but Hoffman didnt have time for that.
We cant expect any more help from you, can we?
Lukas nodded.
Yuriah had run out of mana, and Nix said she didnt remember him.
There was nothing else for Lukas to do in this fight.
Unfortunately, our chances of winning arent very high.
Hoffman left after saying those words. As he headed back to his teammates, his gaze turned to Eric.
Rumble-
A strange aura was rising up from his body.
It was Erics skill, Force Arrow.
Had it been 3 years since hed last seen it in person?
hes putting all of his energy into it.
That bastard He was intending to risk his life with this attack.
Hoffmans thoughts were by no means an exaggeration.
The further Eric drew his bow back, the more his muscles trembled. Blood dripped from his bulging eyes, and the veins in his face bulged as though they were about to burst.
Nevertheless, he persevered.
In order to gather more power, even if it was only by a bit.
Finally.
Twang.
A sharp sound rang out.
Swoosh!
Crack crack!
As the arrow flew, it tore the icy ground beneath it like paper. Shards of ice once again scattered in every direction before falling to the ground like snow. Everything in the arrows path was destroyed.
To put it simply, the power behind this single arrow was stronger than a normal 7-star spell.
The destination of the arrow, which was charging forward with the same momentum as a raging wave, was, naturally, the frozen Nix.
Boom!
No one would think that was the sound of an arrow hitting its target. The nearby trees, which were hit by nothing but the shockwaves from the explosion, were all uprooted.
Lukas finally realised why Eric was the leader. It wasnt just because of his gentle personality which helped him mediate between the members who had strong personalities.
Instead, he was clearly the strongest among the Swordnaz.
Kyaaak!
From the dust cloud created by the explosion came a roar that sounded like a mixture between a birds screech and a womans scream.
It was Nixs scream.
I think that was a good hit.
Eric muttered in a weak voice. He blinked his tired eyes over and over.
However, that is still not enough. Raven, Hoffman, itll be up to you to finish this
That was Erics last order. Afterward, he collapsed onto the ground and directly fainted.
Taht!
It was Raven who made the first move.
The developed vision of a werewolf was enough to find where Nix was struggling in the smoke.
He closed the distance in the blink of an eye and slashed at her with his claws that were sharper than most swords.
With this, he would cut off that pure white
Fwoosh!
Ravens thoughts were interrupted before they could go further.
Flames erupted from Nixs body, causing a huge explosion. The force of the explosion was so great that Raven was sent flying back in the direction that he came from. Hoffman, who had appeared not long after Raven did, was also caught in the same situation.
They flew across the clearing their battle had created in the forest before crashing heavily into the treeline and falling heavily to the ground. Afterward, they remained on the ground because they had already lost consciousness.
Thud!
Sera once again slammed her shield into the ground and formed a barrier. But she wasnt able to completely defend as she had before.
!
As if they had physical force, the waves of flames smashed against the white barrier.
Jurk.
With each blow, it felt like her insides were being shaken.
Urk
Sera couldnt help but cough up a mouthful of blood.
This was dangerous. The Monster Queen had suddenly become several times more powerful than before.
Nevertheless, she couldnt back down.
Sera grit her teeth heavily. Blood continued to spill for her lips and her consciousness felt like it was beginning to fade, but she didnt care.
Unfortunately, her desperate defence didnt last very long.
Crash!
Nixs rage-filled flames shattered the shield barrier. Sarch* The N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Just before the flames hit, Sera grabbed Yuriah and rolled across the ground.
Sera was afraid of fire. It was to the extent that she couldnt even get close to a campfire. So, for Sera, these flames were no different from the flames of hell.
As soon as the flames hit her back, she didnt even get a chance to scream before she passed out on the ground.
Lukas was not unharmed either.
Even though he was a fair distance away, he was still swept up in the aftermath. But this wasnt too much of a surprise. Just the wind from Nixs eruption was enough to uproot the trees around him, so it was natural that he was also caught up in it.
The windstorm that was formed sent him flying like a piece of garbage. He was bounced off of trees and rocks, covering him in bruises, and making his ankle, thigh, and shoulder throb. Worst of all, he could feel excruciating pain in his torso.
He was having trouble breathing, so it made him believe that he had broken a rib that was piercing one of his lungs.
Cough!i????????r????????? ????o????
Unable to bear it, he coughed up a mouthful of blood.
An acrid smell filled the air.
Through the hazy smoke, he saw the five Swordnaz collapsed on the ground.
The five elites that Snow had nurtured had been rendered unconscious by Nix without being able to put up much of a fight.
Nix.
Once again, he muttered the name hed given to her.
Did she hear it?
Nix, who had been standing in the centre of the burning world, let out another scream.
Kyaaak!
The only thing that could be felt from that scream was indescribable pain.
Then, the staggering Nix turned to look at Lukas.
Her eyes shook slightly, and the flames surrounding her body flickered as if they would go out at any moment.
She was weakened.
But it wasnt because of Erics attack.
Transcendent body.
Lukas understood. Nix was halfway to that point.
In general, it was a level that only those who had reached the peak of mortality could enter.
This was probably a miracle caused by a combination of her characteristics as a Phoenix, and Agnis crystal, but it wasnt necessarily a good thing for her.
This was because a strong mind was needed to control a transcendent body. Once someone reached this stage, it was possible to be resurrected dozens or hundreds of times as long as their mind remained intact. No attack would be truly fatal to them unless it threatened their source of existence.
But Nixs mind was unstable. Her body had become transcendent, but the strength of her mind was not able to keep up. It was this deviation that made her situation so much more dangerous.
The current Nix was weak.
Not physically, but mentally.
This was proven by her next course of action.
She let out a scream of anger and hatred before charging towards Lukas.
In other words, she simply rushed towards him with no semblance of technique or skill.
If Lukas swung the simple steel sword in his hand now, he would probably be able to kill her.
I.
He couldnt die yet.
There were still many things that he needed to do.
That wasnt all.
He also had the personal desire to not die without being remembered by anyone.
Nix was trying to kill Lukas.
Therefore, there was only one way for him to live.
Nix I
Screech-
As Nix rushed towards Lukas, she began to return to her original shape as Phoenix.
A faint memory surfaced in his mind.
In the past, a young Phoenix with an appearance identical to the one flying towards him now had saved him in the Ispania Mountains.
Just to save him, this young Phoenix had stood up to a thousand year old Drake King that was on a completely different level than her.
But.
Why was he thinking about that now?
Huht.
A soft chuckle escaped his lips.
Lukas weakly stretched out his sword.
He was completely defenceless.
Nevertheless, Nix didnt notice that.
Her broken mind and sight which was covered by a red haze made it impossible for her to make proper judgments.
I cant kill her with my own two hands.
Right. It was an impossible task from the start.
A sad smile blossomed on Lukas lips.
And a moment later,
Paak
Nixs beak pierced Lukas.
(TL: The End Again.)
Book 2: Chapter 328
Book 2: Chapter 328It had always been like that.
Even when his vision was blurred, the color of blood was always clear.
Cough
The spilled blood made his entire body feel warm. A feeling of drowsiness similar to when one rested in a bathtub began to settle on his mind.
But after a while, he began to feel cold as though wind was blowing on his wet clothes.
His body was getting colder.
He couldnt help but feel like this was dangerous.
Compared to the internal and external wounds that hed suffered while being tossed around by the shockwave, this was much more serious.
He forcibly moved his numb hand to touch his stomach.
A fatal injury.
An injury so serious that he would likely die.
He could feel the blood dripping from his abdomen. Fortunately, the wound wasnt too large. If the hole had been even a tad bigger, his intestines would have spilled out.
Kuh
This wasnt good.
It wasnt just his vision anymore, his consciousness was also beginning to blur.
In the first place, he was so messed up that it was a surprise he hadnt directly fainted, and he was probably only able to hold on until now because of his exceptional mental strength.
Although it was possible because he had complete control over his body, he was quickly approaching his limit.
His body was beginning to collapse before his mind could be broken.
This meant that he could feel the shadow of death slowly drawing closer.
why did you move your sword?
Nixs voice still trembled like a raging flame, but it sounded like she had regained some stability.
She had returned to her human form and was looking down at Lukas.
He forced himself to raise his head and look at her. The emotions in her burning eyes were so mixed that they were indiscernible.
Answer me. Why didnt you attack me?
It was just an ordinary sword without any special properties, but at that moment, Nixs body had been in a very dangerous state.
Even an ordinary steel sword would probably have been able to deal severe damage to her.
Did this man not know this?
Or did he think that such a desperate attack wouldnt work?
No.
The denial to those questions appeared in her mind in an instant.
Lukas expression had never been one of a desperate human.
Throb-
She felt pain once again. Except this time, it was her heart, not her head.
She felt stifled.
She felt so stifled that she wanted to pound her fist against her chest.
Why?
Kuk.
Nix frowned with a cold expression.
Why did she feel so frustrated? Was it because she hadnt killed this man yet? Would that change anything?
No. It wouldnt change anything.
The pain in her chest wouldnt go away. And her headaches wouldnt disappear.
Nixs years of experience were able to tell her this.
Shed already come too far.
Im tired.
For some reason, today was just as tiring as the day shed lost her family. She wanted to just get some rest.
But before that, there was still something she had to do.
Tap tap.
Nix walked towards Lukas.
Fwoosh-
Sparks of flame danced on her fingertips.
Then, she heard a faint voice that seemed to pierce through her thoughts.
Huff, huff
Lukas was breathing heavily.
Now, he could barely even feel the pain.
humans.
Cough.
Before he could finish his sentence, he coughed up a mouthful of blood. It was so hard to utter even the few words he wanted it to. He wanted to just close his eyes at that moment and fall asleep.
But he couldnt do that.
Because he knew what it would mean to close his eyes and fall asleep now.
He couldnt do that yet. There were still things he wanted to say.
Not for himself, but for her.
I heard you hate them.
So?
I heard they hunted all of your people.
Thats right. So what?
Did she really not know? Or was she just pretending to not know?
It didnt matter which one it was.
So why are you using a human form?
The voice that had been speaking to him coldly, stopped.
He wanted to look at Nixs face, but he couldnt. This was due to a combination of the smoky surroundings and his blurred vision.
Nevertheless, beneath the sound of the fire burning in the background, he was able to hear a sharp intake of breath.
If you hate them more than anything else in existence, then why are you still using their form?
Nix.
Once again.
He called out the name hed given her himself.
This time, there was a faint smile on Lukas lips.
It must have been really hard, right?
!
Bang!
Flames erupted from Nixs body once again. He knew that the reason for this phenomenon was the strong reaction inside her.
What are you talking about?
I shouldnt have left you alone. I should have taught you more. Not only about the good side of humans, but also the evil side as well.
shut up.
Lukas couldnt help but pity for Nix.
The reason why she was subconsciously clinging to her human form.
Despite being so badly hurt by humans, she still couldnt give up the love for them in the corner of her heart.
He knew this because he was the same.
Not all humans are like that. No matter how much anger blurred your vision, you must have had at least that level of discernment.
It would have been better if she had completely lost her mind to anger.
At least that way, she wouldnt have to suffer because of her complicated emotions.
Be quiet
This crazy human.
This mans voice, tone, and expression. Everything about him pissed her off.
Thats why she just had to make sure he couldnt say anything more.
But
Why am I still letting him talk?
The more she listened to his voice, the more her heart ached.
Nix held her head with a face that looked like she was about to cry. No, she was about to cry.
But why?
What the hell is this? sea??h th N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
It had never been like this when she killed other humans.
But when she looked at this man, her heart ached.
It felt like her heart was being torn apart. It made her sad, desperate, and teary.
She hated it.
Nix didnt want to feel pain anymore.
So shed burn it. That was the best solution she could think of.
Shed burn everything that made her suffer, that hurt her.
So that, when everything became black ashes, she would be numb to this pain once again.
Fwoosh-
Fire covered Nixs body. Compared to the flames shed shown so far, it was like the difference between a bonfire and a candle, but Lukas didnt have the power to stop it.
Im sorry.
With a soft mutter, Lukas closed his eyes.
Tap tap.
The approaching footsteps sounded slow. But this wasnt because Nix was walking slowly.
It was because Lukas consciousness was on the verge of death.
Nevertheless, there was no reason for her to move quickly. Even if he was given time to think, it wasnt like hed be able to come up with some kind of plan. There was no way for Lukas to stop Nix now.
No matter what he said, there was no way for him to persuade the current Nix. The only thing that could stop her now was force, not a few words.
But the current Lukas had no power.
So there was only one possible ending for him.
Death.
.
.
But Lukas couldnt help but feel strange as he had this thought.
I
Was Lukas Trowman really trying to accept death?
Am I really?
He reflected quietly.
Looking back, hed had several opportunities to escape without directly fighting Nix.
It was the same since he first met her again. When he realised that she was not in a normal condition, he should have fled far away without hesitation.
But he didnt.
Instead, he chose to confront her face to face, and afterward, he restrained her movements with Blizzard and tried to talk to her.
She might remember me.
He threw himself forward with this baseless hope.
And now, he was trying to accept death.
Was this really a situation where I had no choice but to die?
Book 2: Chapter 329
Book 2: Chapter 329Lukas wondered if his current crisis was really one that could not have been avoided, or if hed secretly intended for this to happen.
Wasnt it just a convenient excuse?
He couldnt kill Nix. So he was the one who would end up dying by her hand.
If that was the case.
Then his actions were nothing more than disgusting, hypocritical justification wrapped up as self-sacrifice. (TL: deja vu anyone?)
No.
Self-disgust filled his mind.
What the hell was he doing by giving up?
He still had a lot of work to do. There was still a lot of information he needed to obtain, and people he needed to meet.
No, more than that.
He didnt want to hurt Nix more than he already had.
If she kills him now, and if in the future she were to understand exactly what she had done, she would never be able to live with herself.
Lukas opened his eyes again.
His eyelids, which he thought hed never open again, were forcibly lifted until they were half open. That alone was proof of how desperate his struggle was.
He saw Nix, who was still approaching him at a slow pace.
First of all, he needed to stop her approach.
in the Ispania Mountains.
No matter what happened, he had to say it.
His mind moved as he spoke.
Do you remember? That is where you met Frey Blake for the first time.
I dont know such a person.
I saved you there, and you saved me. And we joined forces to defeat the Lord of the Mountain.
I told you I dont know you.
Our victory was injury filled. But your condition was worse than mine so I had no choice but to leave you in the mountains while looking forward to the day I met you again Have you really forgotten everything?
Shut up. Be quiet. Dont say any more.
Nix shouted as though she was having a fit.
Something like that, something like that!
Fire erupted around her.
I already said I dont know!
Whoosh!
The wave of flames surged towards Lukas.
He couldnt avoid it. And he had no way of stopping it.
He was foolish. It had taken him much too long to realise.
In the end, Lukas voice was unable to reach Nix.
But Nix couldnt reach him.
Crack!
Ice sprung up from the ground.
The momentum behind it was so strong that it caused Nix to flinched slightly.
Magic
Who?
This forest had already become no different from Hell. Flames spread all over the place, so it shouldnt have been possible to use ice magic there. sea??h th N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Nevertheless, the wall of ice in front of her, which had white mist drifting from it, was cold enough to make her shiver.
Yuriah?
Lukas could only think of the only Wizard there.
However, she shouldnt have been able to do something like this with the state of her mana.
Out of habit, Lukas observed the spell more closely before quickly realising.
It was different,
The quality of this spell was different from the spells Yuriah used.
This was not a spell that had been casted by Yuriah.
Suddenly, Nix raised her head and looked in a direction.
The direction that she was looking with a fierce glare was none other than the sky.
Lukas followed her gaze.
Someone was standing there.
Unlike the dark blonde hair that Lukas had before, this mans hair shined like a star in the night sky that had been tainted with death energy.
the Frey Blake I knew
A voice rolled in on the wind.????n????????e????. ????o????
Although he was still some distance away, his words could be heard as clearly as if he was standing in front of them.
His voice shook slightly. But it was so faint that, if one didnt listen closely, they would never notice.
It was as if a man who had been overwhelmed by his emotions was trying to keep his composure.
Lukas
Knew the owner of this voice.
Had grey hair. His physique was the same as yours, except he was a bit shorter. Nevertheless, his impression was more blunt.
The man in the sky continued to mutter softly as he slowly descended, coming to land just beside Lukas.
He still couldnt see his face.
All he could see was his fluttering white robe, the staff in his hand, and the view of his back.
He was a few years younger than me, but he was so mature that I didnt think he was younger.
I learned a lot from watching his attitude towards life. Our time together was brief, but Frey left the most meaningful mark on me.
Lukas couldnt say anything.
Instead, he could only stare with half lidded eyes, an open mouth, and a blank expression.
The man continued.
I havent forgotten.
Those words.
Lukas mind was blank.
Although he was near death, with tears in his eyes, he felt something rise up in his throat.
It wasnt blood. It was something hotter than that. His mixed emotions stopped just below his adams apple.
Lukas couldnt open his mouth.
He felt that, if he did, he would release a very strange, pathetic sound.
I didnt forget.
The words he muttered.
They were the words Lukas wanted to hear the most.
They were the hope that prevented him from giving up even as he wandered and struggled with despair.
this is it.
Even if it wasnt perfect, even if it wasnt who he really was.
Hed just wanted one person to remember him, to remember the path he walked, with a sad expression.
And there was one.
What are you doing here?
Nix, who had come to her senses, growled. Once again, flames erupted around her.
Piss off. Dont get in my way. That guy
Youre wrong.
He cut Nix off with a simple utterance.
What are you talking about?
Its you, not me, whos getting in the way, Monster Queen. This time, I managed to find clues about a man I have been looking for for a very long time. I will not forgive anyone who gets in my way.
So what if you cant forgive me?
The man sighed.
Im not in a good mood right now. A lot of things have happened these past few days.
So what? Its simple.
Fwoosh!
The mans white robe billowed as his mana became a visible cloud around him.
I will just have to let my anger out on you.
The man, Peran, smiled.
(TL: A lot of you guys have been complaining about the pacing, which I think might feel slower because I split the longer chapters(usually into 2 parts). Would you guys prefer me to continue splitting the longer chapters or posting each chapter at original length? Naturally, this would mean that instead of daily releases some chapters might take two days to complete.)
Book 2: Chapter 330
Book 2: Chapter 330Frey Blake?
Yes.
The male cadet nodded as he responded. Peran turned to look at this cadets face before narrowing his eyes slightly.
This cadet, what was his name again?
ah.
Douman.
That was definitely his name.????????????????????????????. ?????m
Umm. Th-, there
Doumans eyes swiveled back and forth and he began to stutter. Being stared at so silently by Peran made him worried that he might have made a mistake.
Peran smiled slightly to ease his anxiety before falling into his thoughts once again.
Frey Blake.
Of course he knew him. Hed been a hot topic in the academy from the moment of his admission.
As the third son of Count Blake, it was natural for him to draw attention. After all, the Blake Family was one of the magic families with great influence in the empire, especially Isake Blake, the current head of the family, who was a 7 star Archmage and the Tower Master of the 6th Magic Tower.
Father praised him.
Although Shepard Jun had a mild personality, his view towards magicology was much colder than anyone else.
Therefore, the fact that his father praised him was enough to give a hint of Isaka Blakes capabilities.
Nevertheless, Isaka wasnt the only one that was famous.
His two sons Mischael and Heinz were both geniuses who stood out from a young age. In addition, they were very popular among the noble young ladies due to their outstanding character and beautiful appearances.
With their performances, everyone had high hopes for the future of the Blake Family.
But what many people didnt know was that there were actually three sons in the Blake Family. The same was true even for Peran. The name Frey Blake was something hed never heard before.
Thats why hed become interested.
Peran was deeply interested in the title genius. In the first place, the reason hed gone to Westroad Academy was to look for a genius, which made his interest increase even more.
Since he was a member of the Blake Family, then his talent should be around the same level as his own.
But Perans expectations were soon dashed.
This was because many rumors about Frey Blake began to spread.
[The Shame of the Blake Family.]
[The Greatest Dunce in the history of the Westroad Academy.]
[Trash who had absolutely no talent for magicology.]
In less than a month, he received no less than five such titles. S~ea??h the N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Peran only found out later that Frey was the half-abandoned child of the Blake Family. This wasnt because he was an illegitimate child or anything of the sort.
If there was a reason, it was purely because of his abysmal mana sensitivity.
Frey didnt feel mana until he was already in his teenage years. And the magic families were well aware of how miserable that fact was.
but its a bit strange.
Mana sensitivity was deeply influenced by ones innate talent. However, even if you are not born with it, it is possible to use special elixirs, training, and teaching during childhood, when the muscles were not yet fully developed, to partially convert someones body.
In other words, this meant it was possible to artificially create a body that was suitable for mana.
Of course, it was insufficient in many ways to those who were naturally talented, but it couldnt be denied that it was the second best alternative that a majority of magic families used to ensure the continuance of their line.
There is no way the Blake Family doesnt know that.
Was his talent so bad that even those methods wouldnt work?
If that was the case then why did they send him to the academy? Were they planning to have him learn magicology in a systematic manner?
Or
It is said that he changed a lot recently.
What do you mean?
That
As he listened to Doumans explanation, Perans expression changed slightly.
Frey Blake had been severely bullied in school for the year or so that hed been there, but his personality had suddenly changed one day as if he was a completely different person. Not only that, he seemed to have received great enlightenment in magicology as he defeated the students who had been bullying him one after the other.
I heard that members of other clubs were also beaten pretty badly.
It was at that moment that Peran understood why Douman had brought Frey up to him.
You want to recruit Frey Blake to our club?
Yes.
Douman nodded.
At that point, Peran couldnt help but feel curious about Frey.
But he only nodded his head coolly.
Do it yourself.
* * *
Nevertheless, things took an interesting turn.
he refused?
Yes. That cheeky bastard I cant believe hes looking down on us just because he gained a bit of skill.
Its not just a bit of skill. I heard he even defeated Alex Drimid.
That Yes.
Douman could only nod his head slightly with a disgruntled expression.
Alex Drimid was one of the more talented cadets who had even participated in a relatively famous magic competition and reached the round of 16. Of course, Peran believed that there were some underhanded dealings at play between his family and the organisers of the competition, which allowed his luck in the matchmaking to be exceptionally good, but even then it was still a surprising feat.
It was amazing for a cadet class Wizard to advance to the round of 16 in an official magic competition.
Did you tell him [ ]?
Yes. But that didnt work either.
When he heard that hed rejected their offer, Perans curiosity about Frey became even stronger.
In fact, Peran wanted to meet him for himself, but, unfortunately, their vacation was soon approaching. It had been a while since hed last shown his face at home. Moreover, this time, he would be forced to have a conversation about his engagement that he had been avoiding, so Peran didnt have a choice but to go.
it cant be helped.
No matter how much he wanted it, he didnt have the time to spare.
So, unfortunately, he would have to postpone their meeting for a while longer.
Or so Peran had thought, but after a while, he was able to meet Frey.
During his trip home no less.
* * *
They were attacked by pirates.
Nevertheless, Peran wasnt really concerned. This was because there were two Battle Mages from the Magic Tower accompanying them, and he was confident in their skills.
However, the pirates were also accompanied by their own reinforcements that no one could have expected.
A Lich, a high ranking undead. One that was at 6 stars no less.
He didnt even think about fighting back. There was no way for them to break through. It was at that moment that Peran realised just how much he was like a frog trapped in a well.
The feeling of helplessness that he was experiencing for the first time reminded Peran of the fear that hed all but forgotten.
Nevertheless, he never showed any signs of his emotions on his face.
As a member of the Jun Family, the son of an Archmage, and above all else, as Peran Jun.
He needed to be confident in everything he did.
But when he forced his body, which was half frozen by fear, to move, another man moved before him.
Frey Blake.
Peran couldnt help but stare blankly at this figure.
In an instant, the Lich as well as all the pirates were killed.
Unhesitating judgement, determination, and amazing magic.
When he saw this, for the first time in his life, he thought of the word amazing while looking at someone his own age. He genuinely felt admiration and respect.
It was a bit different from the respect he had for his father.
Peran wanted to know more about him.
He wanted to talk to him.
And more importantly,
He wanted to be friends with Frey.
(TL: *sweats* People are suggesting I modify, cut, or skip chapters, but its not my place to do so. Im simply translating the authors work from Korean to English(as closely as possible) so you guys can read it. Anything besides that is not something Im willing to do. Although, I will say there are times when I correct things or embellish(slightly), those are always minor and far in between.
Id understand if you guys want to skip a chapter or two since I also do it when I feel a novel Im reading is moving too slowly or the chapter is basically filler(*cough* this one). But please understand, Im just a lowly little translator, not the author.)
Book 2: Chapter 331
Book 2: Chapter 331(TL: Although this chapter might also seem like filler, there is main storyline content in it which kind of explains the reason for these fillers. Id advise you not to skip it after reading a few lines.)
He was able to get to know Frey.
He was happy.
This was completely different from his relationships in society which were built on pretenses and checks.
For the first time in a very long while, Peran, who had gained a private friend, had a bright, honest smile.
Frey didnt lower himself. Nor did he place Peran in an elevated position.
It was an equal relationship, and they talked to each other as equals.
It was a type of friendship that Peran had admired and longed for.
After receiving Freys definite reply that he would visit his house later, Perans heart fluttered like a little boy eagerly anticipating a picnic.
He was so excited that he even forgot about his engagement to Sonia Aquarid, his fiancee. But when he heard that she had met Frey, a smile unconsciously stretched across his lips as she praised him.
The sight of Frey being insulted by the nobles at his ball enraged him.
He even told him about the wounds that he refused to tell his father.
And,
I want to maintain a relationship as equals.
Of course, such a relationship was not necessarily determined by the strength of the parties. He hadnt become his friend for that reason either, but it seemed that Frey was worried about his thoughts.
If the gap between them was to become wider than it already was, then it wouldnt be easy for them to think that the other understood them better than anyone else.
Peran felt like something was piercing his insides.
That was right. Peran also wanted to maintain a relationship as equals.
Even if their friendship wasnt determined by their strength, Peran still had his own pride.
If they were both Wizards, but his strength fell far below Freys, then he wouldnt be able to accept it.
That was why he needed to be strong.
To be honest with himself, and proud of himself.
Peran no longer felt that life had no meaning. The boredom that had begun to settle in his mind also disappeared. The trauma of the past was dismissed as a trivial matter. Even if his Master was to appear in front of him again, Peran felt that he could face him with a smile.
Magicology became fun for him once again.
His talent, which had stagnated for a while, bloomed once again, and it felt like a warm spring breeze was blowing in his heart.
The darkness that had settled on his mind disappeared without a trace.
And as it did, Peran couldnt help but regret the years hed spent idly. He should have continued to persevere, but he hadnt.
But regretting the past wouldnt change anything.
All that mattered now was the present.
I have to become strong.
He wanted to concentrate fully on magicology.
When he had this thought, Peran couldnt help but feel that everything around him was burdensome.
Peran didnt waste any time. Because he was filled with determination and drive.
After submitting his request for a leave of absence to the academy, he immediately headed for the Lava Field in the south.
It was one of the places with the greatest abundance of natural mana on the continent, and Shepard had said it was the best training place as long as one had patience, determination, and concentration.
at least three years.
He had already taken all the necessary steps to reach 6-stars.
But Peran wasnt satisfied with just becoming a 6-star Wizard. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
At that point, he was seriously aiming to reach 7-stars.
Archmage.
Peran wanted to reach the stage that only those chosen by magicology itself would be able to enter.
* * *
A long time passed.
It hadnt been easy.
No, if he were to put aside his useless pride and speak honestly, he could only say that he was constantly filled with despair.
He didnt know how to get to 7-stars.
hoo.
Peran let out a sigh.
After arriving at the Lava Field, it had only taken him 2 months to advance to 6-stars. And after 6 months he was able to reach the great completion of that stage.
However, for the next 2 years and 4 months, he didnt make any progress.
This didnt mean that there wasnt any harvest.
In that time, his mana had grown tremendously. This was the result of spending 2 years and 4 months meditating in a place filled with natural mana.
However, he had reached his limit. He needed to take a break. He didnt want to, but it felt like he would lose his mind if he continued to practice anymore.
That wasnt the only reason.
He felt that, in order to get a clue about 7-stars, it would be better to not just focus on training.
So Peran returned to society.
And learned that in the 3 years he had been training, many things had happened one after the other.
Demigods.
Extremely powerful beings, who had been controlling the world from the shadows, had suddenly appeared and wreaked havoc on the continent. As a result, numerous cities were wiped out completely, and the Circle had stopped avoiding the fight or gathering power, and had instead chosen all out war with the Demigods.
Peran couldnt help but feel suffocated after learning all of this.
I had been training in a situation like this.
He couldnt help but shudder in self pity.
After all, one of the reasons why Peran was so desperate to become strong was, in fact, to prepare for when he would have to fight the Demigods.
But now, the war had already ended.
It had ended in the Circles victory.
However, many people had died.
The first thing Peran did was confirm the safety of his family. Fortunately, both Shepard and Lylia were unharmed. (TL: Doesnt he have his mother and two other younger brothers?)
The next thing he was concerned about was Frey.
Father, did you hear anything about Frey?
mm.
Shepard narrowed his eyes for a moment before eventually shaking his head.
Im sorry. But Im not entirely sure who you are talking about.
My friend, Frey Blake.
Frey Blake? Was there someone like that in the Blake Family?
Didnt I invite him to the house before? You even had a face to face conversation with him.
Im sorry but I really dont remember that.
Shepard forgot someone that hed personally met face to face?
That shouldnt be possible.
At first, he wondered if Shepard was lying or playing a trick on him, but his expression of confusion seemed genuine.
An extremely strange feeling filled Peran at that moment. Deciding to suppress his anxiety first, Peran began to inquire about Frey on his own.
Who?
Frey Blake?
This is my first time hearing that name.
It was as if he had vanished into thin air.
No one seemed to remember him anywhere.
No, it wasnt just that no one could remember.
There was no record of Frey Blake even in the Westroad Academys register.
It was as if Frey Blake had completely vanished from the world.
The Blake Familys third son?
Dont talk nonsense. The Blake Family only had two sons.
Well, its possible that there were some hidden illegitimate children.
The Blake Family had fallen.
This was because it was revealed that the Family Head, Isaka, had been colluding with the Demigods.
Of course, none of that was really important to Peran.
Ha, hahaha
He couldnt help but let out a laugh.
What the hell was going on?
He was confused.
Everyone seemed to have forgotten Frey Blake.
Then Who did he remember?
What the hell was the Frey Blake that hed met?
Was he a hallucination? A dream? Or had he already lost his mind a long time ago
that cant be.
Peran strongly denied it.
He was not crazy, he was not dreaming, and he was not mistaken.
That wasnt possible.
Frey was real, hed become his friend, and theyd parted after promising to meet again in the future.
Others might be deceived, but he couldnt be.
Because he was Peran Jun.
And because the man called Frey Blake was the one who changed his life.
hasnt Sir Peran been acting quite strange recently?
He was certain.
Hes been asking everyone if they know Frey Blake like a crazy person.
He had to be somewhere.
Frey Blake? If its the Blake Family that place was ruined during the time of calamity.
So he wouldnt give up.
I dont think Ive ever heard of the name Frey in that family.
Ignoring the gossiping of the ignorant, he continued to look for clues.
there isnt anyone like that, Peran.
Are you okay? N-, no. Im not saying youre weird, its just
Why dont you take some time to relax? Theres a nice resort near the West Sea. Lets go there together. Im sure there would be a lot of good looking girls there too
His acquaintances were the same as well.
Older Brother, there is no such person. He doesnt exist.
Are you alright? If youre tired, you should get some rest.
Even his family was no different.
Frey had disappeared from the memories of everyone except Peran.
And at this point, it felt like the entire world was laughing at him.
Accept it. Admit it. Everyone else couldnt be wrong.
If you go further than that, you will be treated like a crazy person.
It couldnt be said that the majority was always right. But this case far exceeded the majority.
There was only one person who couldnt accept the truth that was given by the world.
So there was only one thing that Peran could do.
Im not crazy.
He shook his head at the world.
Maybe, Peran truly had become crazy.
But he still couldnt understand this situation.
So he decided to stubbornly persevere.
Fortunately, Peran was confident in his own stubbornness.
Im not weird.
With a soft murmur, he looked up at the sky, at the entire world.
Its not me that is weird, its you all.
He would not give up.
He could not give up.
Frey was the man who changed his life.
If he could forget even him, if he couldnt remember him, then he wouldnt be able to lift his head when they met again.
He believed in himself.
He believed in the one whod opened his eyes.
And that was why he would never forget.
As if to laugh at the resolution he just made, Perans own memories began to fade the very next day.
It was incomparably strange.
Not to boast, but Peran knew that his memory and memorisation skills were exceptional.
Haha.
But Peran didnt feel despair.
Instead, this just proved his own suspicions.
Something was trying to erase Freys existence.
He didnt know who or what it was, but in truth, it didnt matter. Just realising its existence was the greatest harvest he could obtain at that moment.
Keeping notes was useless, so all Peran could do was do his best to always remember Frey.
It was possible that hed already forgotten a few things, so he decided to constantly think and say the most important thing.
I have a friend.
A friend who was more amazing than anyone else.
But if his murmuring was to become a habit.
Peran didnt know what would happen then.
(TL: While this was a fairly nice chapter, my only issue with it is the fact that Peran could remember Frey but Iris didnt remember Lukas. But maybe there is a reason for that too, or maybe well end up seeing Iris pov as well.)
Book 2: Chapter 332
Book 2: Chapter 332Perans figure shot into the sky. Nix, who was staring at him like she wanted to kill him, immediately chased after him.
Changing the battle location.
From Perans perspective, his highest priority goal had already been completed.
She was curiously easy to provoke.
This didnt mean that he thought she was an easy enemy.
In fact, she was probably the most formidable enemy hed ever faced.
Hoo
He took a deep breath and calmed himself down.
Peran realised that his emotions were in a slightly unstable state.
The first thing he needed to do was forget everything.
The conversation between Lukas and Nix.
The first clue that hed found in ten years.
And everything about Frey Blake.
This opponent was not one he could face while his mind was in turmoil.
It was even possible that he would have to risk his life in this fight.
Fwoosh!
Immediately afterward, he felt immense heat coming from behind him. When he glanced back, the first thing he saw was a wave of flames that completely covered his entire field of view.
Trying to block those flames was no different from suicide.
Should he use Blink? Unfortunately, it didnt seem that the range of this attack was small enough for him to escape it using short distance teleportation.
Narrowing his eyes slightly, Peran observed Nix over the flames.
Her eyes were shaky, her breathing was erratic, and her face was flushed.
It was clear that this person had lost half of their reason and had become mentally unstable. This was probably the reason why her attacks were so one dimensional. In the first place, fire was an element that was easy to understand and simple to use.
I wont be intimidated.
He just had to do what he always did. Sear?h the ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
There was no need for him to be frightened by her overwhelming firepower.
Of course, this didnt mean that this would be an easy fight for Peran at all. If he were to touch even a small spark of those flames, the tide of the battle would turn in an instant. Or perhaps it would immediately end. It was entirely possible that Peran would suffer from the tragic end of having his body turn into ashes without being able to resist.
The overwhelming pressure from his enemy and the overwhelming pressure from this life and death battle overlapped, creating a heavy weight on his shoulders.
This pressure was so immense that even high level Wizards would find it hard to concentrate enough to cast spells.
Right. Its too heavy.
But if he couldnt overcome adversity like this one, then he couldnt really call himself an Archmage.
Whoosh!
A windstorm began to form above Perans hand.
Just because his opponent was a Phoenix didnt mean he needed to use water attributed magic.
Of course, it was impossible to put out such a huge flame with wind magic. Even a naturally formed hurricane would not be able to do so.
However, it was possible to change the path of the flames.
Whoosh!
The raging storm temporarily stalled the flames before forcibly changing their direction. The flames, which were rushing towards the forest with fierce momentum, rolled over and went back in the direction they came from.
In other words, they rushed towards Nix.
Nix didnt try to avoid them.
In fact, she didnt even blink as the flames she shot out engulfed her entire body. Those flames were hot enough that even polished steel would have melted in an instant, but Nix looked like she was just feeling a warm breeze instead. (TL:no duh)
I didnt expect that.
He didnt expect it to have any effect at all.
As he looked at her unmoving expression, Peran couldnt help but feel a bit of fear rising within him.
For instance, if this had been a battle between Wizards and those flames were a spell, it would have been a completely different story.
Just because the caster was the one who created the spell didnt mean that they wouldnt take damage from it.
Peran couldnt help but recall the fact that his opponent was a divine beast and a Phoenix at that.
For a being that had been born from flames, the flames she made were as threatening as her own fingernails.
Crack!
Whoosh!
Immediately after carefully analysing the situation, Peran cast Earth Fragment and Frost Scream simultaneously.
In terms of pure skill, the Monster Queen surpassed him by an almost insurmountable margin. Perans only advantage in this fight was the fact that he was much calmer than Nix was.
Usually, in battle, if your opponent was to lose their cool first, it would be possible to win even if there was a large gap between you.
But Peran quickly realised that irregardless of how many spells he shot out one after the other, he still failed to pierce the shell of flames that covered Nix.
The reason for this was simple.
Nix was several times stronger than Peran.
Moreover, her flames were gradually becoming stronger as more time passed.
Despite this, there were two reasons why Peran had yet to receive any injuries.
The first, as mentioned earlier, was that Nixs attacks were too one dimensional. The other was that Nix had become too used to one sided slaughtering.
Wiping entire regions with a vast range of flame attacks.
That was the main fighting style of Nix, the Monster Queen.
However, Peran was able to respond to the flame attacks she used to an extent.
Even though he was only desperately defending, it couldnt be denied that Peran was doing an exceptional job at staying alive.
In other words, the Monster Queen has never fought an enemy as strong as I am.
It was thanks to that that he hadnt stopped breathing yet, but he wasnt optimistic that would remain the case for long.
The Monster Queens combat senses were extraordinary. Even now, she constantly analysed Perans numerous spells as if she could see right through them, and was able to distinguish his real attacks from his feints. Since she was effectively half-mad at the moment, this meant that she was relying almost solely on her instincts.
This fact covered his back in cold sweat.
That was why he couldnt let his guard down for even an instant.
I cant afford to waste any more time.
His analysis was complete.
Perans judgement was simple.
He needed to act as soon as possible.
In the beginning, there was only a handful of wind.
While holding Nix back, he began to chant a spell.
Although this counted as a form of double casting, the perfection of the spell he was using to hold Nix back didnt falter at all.
This wind became a breeze for the good and a typhoon for the corrupt. Behold. Even if a formidable foe blocks my path, how can I feel fear when I have the fangs of wind that scratch the earth on my side?
Howl-
His mana, which was slowly rising up from his body, began to shake violently.
It was a strange omen.
It was Lukas, who was still collapsed on the ground, that noticed it before anyone else. He stared blankly at Peran for a moment before his eyes quickly widened.
He realised what spell Peran was trying to cast.
I declare here and now. That the fangs of wind have come to rest on me, and I will not show mercy to my enemies.
Bang!
The harbinger of the spell appeared.
Following the loud sound, an enormous shockwave spread in every direction.
The clouds in the sky immediately scattered and disappeared.
Rumble
Then came the vibrations.
Even Nix, who had lost basically half of her reason, could tell that these unusual vibrations were not a good sign.
While she didnt know what it was, she could tell that it was dangerous.
This man was up to something.
Fwoosh!
Nix let out a breath of flames, and the space that had just been occupied by the clouds, were now filled by a sea of flames.
But Lukas could tell that Nixs response was already a step too late.
His eyes were glued to Peran as he saw him mutter the name of the spell he was about to invoke.
Beginning Wind. (TL: Wind of the Beginning might have sounded cooler.)
Roar!
In an instant, the scarlet flames were torn apart by a sudden gust of wind. It was as if the sunset sky was falling.
Those who witnessed a battle between high level Wizards might mistakenly think that they had somehow fallen into a chapter of mythology. If anyone were to see this scene, they would not think it was strange, instead, they would feel like it was normal. They would believe that they were witnessing a battle of the gods.
Kyaak!
Nixs scream ripped across the sky.
The Beginning Wind tore her flames, which covered the sky, to shreds before continuing to scratch deep grooves in her body.
The feeling of the blades of wind cutting into her flesh was so intense that Nix couldnt help but scream, but her eyes became overflowing with murderous intent.
You dare!
Flames erupted from her back.
Book 2: Chapter 333
Book 2: Chapter 333Just as the flame that sprouted from Nixs back transformed into wings,
Crack!
A vine of ice suddenly wrapped around her body.
Perans eyes were cold.
The hottest flames that Nix utilised were the ones that came from her back.
To be precise, they erupted from her shoulder blades.
Those flames were so strong that they were able to instantly annihilate any spells 6-stars and below, but that was only when her wings had fully taken the shape of wings.
In other words, if the flames were only just beginning to appear, or if they hadnt yet taken the shape of wings, the temperature probably wouldnt be so high Or so Peran hoped, which is why he cast a spell trying to take advantage of that gap.
His experiment was a success.
He had managed to restrain her with just the 5-star spell, Ice Vine.
K-, kuh
Nix groaned and struggled, but it wasnt easy for her to break free of the Ice Vine.
This was because the Beginning Wind was still swirling around her.
Like a bonfire that could stay alight in heavy wind, the swirling blades of wind shattered any flames she tried to emit before they could become terrifying.
Nix couldnt help but tremble as a sense of helplessness filled her heart.
This guy Who the hell is he????????????????????????????? ????o????
Of course, she knew he was a Wizard. But she couldnt help but feel that he was fundamentally different from all the Wizards shed killed before.
Even the 7-star Wizards, high ranking Wizards who were known as Archmages, werent able to push Nix like this.
Looking at this scene, Lukas couldnt help but remain silent, almost forgetting about the pain in his abdomen.
Beginning Wind.
That spell, called Beginning Wind, was an 8-star spell.
Peran had been able to cast it perfectly. Even going so far as to use double casting.
In other words, that Wizard, who was currently suppressing Nix in the sky, had reached 8-stars at an unprecedented age.
Crack!
Nevertheless, despite his seemingly overwhelming advantage, Peran didnt let his guard down.
The Ice Vine that sprouted from his hands grew thicker, and gradually, more than half of Nixs body was encased.
Ack.
A soft moan escaped Nixs lips.
It was cold.
Needless to say, the cold was deadly for Phoenixes.
For them, becoming cold was the same as watching their approaching death. sea??h th N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Ice Vine.
Although it was just a 5-star spell, it was slowly but surely sapping Nix of her heat.
It hurts
The pain was beginning to make her feel light headed.
Beginning Wind was still scratching her all over her body.
At first, no blood came from the scratches. Her skin, which was being sliced apart, was restored almost instantaneously by the innate regenerative powers of Phoenixes.
Nevertheless, there was a limit.
Now, red blood was beginning to flow from her wounds.
Uh ah st- stop
Nix groaned and stuttered, but Peran didnt stop using his spells.
This wasnt the time to show mercy.
If he missed this opportunity, it was possible that he would lose and die.
Crack-
Before long, the Ice Vine completely covered Nixs body.
Nix was now completely trapped in a block of ice. She could no longer move, and she could no longer speak.
Rumble-
The final hit.
He gathered the remaining power of the Beginning Wind before shattering the block of ice into pieces.
The pieces were so small that even a Phoenix would not be able to put itself back together.
This fight was finally over.
Perans deep gaze slowly cooled.
* * *
Nix was alone in the dark.
-Are you leaving?
She heard a voice from somewhere.
It was a soft, fragile voice that seemed like it would shatter at any moment.
It was familiar. Whose voice was that?
-please take me with you.
Ah. She realised.
It was her voice.
After realising this, Nix couldnt help but question herself once again.
Had she ever said something like that?
-The best place for you is not beside me.
A gentle voice sounded.
For a moment, Nix almost burst into tears. She couldnt help but feel that shed heard this voice just recently too.
Where had she heard it? She couldnt seem to recall.
-Is there anything that you want to do?
However, every time she heard that voice, she felt her eyes tear up. Her heart began to ache as though it was being ripped apart.
I want to find mypeople.
That was Nixs answer.
The voice of her memory overlapped with her own voice at that moment.
-Dont be afraid of them rejecting you. Since youve become such a powerful being, you can become their shadow. Keep that in mind. (TL: This wasnt what Lukas originally said. PR: Author has memory issues just like everyone else lol)
-Is still there?
Who?
For a moment, she wasnt able to hear what her voice said.
-sharing a body with someone is not something that many can experience. Moreover, hes a monster who lived for almost 1,000 years. His character is poor, but your relationship doesnt seem to be that bad.
Lived for 1000 years?
Their relationship didnt seem to be that bad?
It was obvious that he was talking to her.
But she didnt know who he was referring to.
-Treat him well.
-Please take care of Nix.
At those words.
She felt like she heard a strange voice from somewhere.
-Hmph Naturally. If this woman dies, I will die as well.
It was a deep voice.
For a moment after hearing it, Nix felt like her head had been struck by a hammer.
Then, she felt her dreadful headache, the painful companion that had haunted her for years, suddenly disappear.
Right.
She wasnt alone.
Shed never been alone in the darkness.
She turned around.
There, she came face to face with a pair of bright yellow eyes. This pair of eyes, which were so large that they were as tall as she was, was staring intently at her.
This would have been a frightening sight for anyone, but not for Nix.
Instead, she smiled and whispered the name of her other half.
Torkunta.
(TL: So is she dead, or?)
Book 2: Chapter 334
Book 2: Chapter 334There were moments when you were certain of your victory in battle.
Of course, the timing of this moment varied greatly depending on the person, but in Perans case, because of his calm personality, he was never certain of his victory until there was irrefutable evidence.
But this time was different.
Just before the enhanced blades of wind hit Nix, Peran was already certain of his victory. Hed vowed to never let his guard down in the battle against Nix, but it was different when he was just about to win.
It was only for a moment, perhaps only a few seconds or less, but he relaxed.
He let his guard down.
Crackle!
So by the time he realised, it was already too late.
A crack appeared in the Ice Vine cocoon covering Nixs body.
Just before the blades of wind hit the block of ice.
Boom!
A huge explosion erupted from Nix.
What?
Peran couldnt help but let out a startled exclamation.
The instantaneous eruption of light was so intense that for a moment he lost his vision.
He could feel the flames shooting in all directions. The roar of the flames was deafening.
The force of the explosion was so great that Beginning Wind was no longer capable of containing the flames.
This was understandable since the duration of the spell was almost over.
Fire
Through his vision, which was blurred from his tears, Peran was able to see that the sky had once again turned crimson.
Fwoosh!
Even Peran was not free from the fire.
The end of his robe had caught fire.
Without hesitation, he threw his robe to the side.
This wasnt an exaggeration, instead, it was an accurate response.
The small speck of flame, which was only about as large as the flame from a match when it first landed, quickly grew in size until it consumed the entire robe.
that was a magic robe covered in numerous high ranking resistance runes. S~ea??h the ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
That was amazing incineration ability. If Peran had been even a moment slower in throwing it away, his body would have been mixed in with the rest of the ashes.
Cold sweat covered his back.
With just that single explosion, the Ice Vine was instantly destroyed and his magic robes were burned to ashes.
The temperature of the flames rose?
That wasnt all.
The momentum was much fiercer, and the explosive power felt more like a rampaging bull.
Could it be that she was using this fight to improve herself? Was he helping this monster gain exp?
No.
It felt a little different from that.
Ahhh!
Boom boom boom!
Following a scream, he heard a series of explosions.
Pillars of fire burst into existence before intertwining around Nix, occasionally releasing gouts of flame, creating a phenomenon similar to a solar flare. Soon, the only sound that could be heard was the constant rumbling explosion and the sound of the air gradually beginning to burn as the ambient temperature rose sharply.
Huff, huff
As his heat resistance disappeared together with the loss of his robe, it was becoming difficult for him to breathe. The heat stung his skin and sweat quickly soaked his body.
Roar!
As the flames broke out once again, Peran had to admit that the situation was a bit more twisted than he expected.
This is not good.
In all honesty, it could no longer be considered a level of not good, it was now extremely dangerous.
Heavy breathing, heat, sweat.
Factors that interfered with his concentration were beginning to pile up one after the other.
The worst one was the sweat that was constantly flowing without end.
The moisture in his body was rapidly disappearing. His vision was beginning to blur, and his throat was swiftly becoming dry.
These were all signs of a case of dehydration that was rapidly becoming more severe.
did I make the wrong judgement?
He bit his lip lightly.
First, he used strong winds to extinguish the flames then a relatively weak ice spell to restrain Nixs movements. Afterward, he tried to finish it off with wind magic.
His plan had been almost flawless, and he was even on the verge of completing it.
Nevertheless, Peran failed.
He couldnt help but be filled with regret.
He couldnt help but wonder if it would be possible for him to change the outcome if he were to use the 8-star spell Ice Age together with a 7-star spell.
I dont have enough mana.
Before coming here, Peran had fought a battle at the mansion. Hed faced two opponents, and none of them were easy.
Then, after receiving the signal from Snow, he forcibly withdrew from that battle. At that time, hed already used a large portion of his mana by then, but in the process of flying to the Amalgam Forest, he consumed even more mana.
Of course, all of his battles occurred at unexpected moments, so he could only complain about his luck
Bang!
An explosion occurred a short distance away from him. It was getting harder for him to avoid.
The entwined flames, the pillars of fire The flares and explosions were starting to become more frequent and Peran was having a hard time responding to each one.
This was natural.
Who could predict the paths of hundreds and thousands of flames.
Peran couldnt help but accept the fact as he saw the flames shooting toward him.
His chances of victory had completely disappeared.
Should I escape?
After thinking that, his gaze turned to the ground.
He could see Lukas groaning beneath a tree, and the fainted Swordnaz scattered in all directions.
The explosions that Nix had created in the sky had produced a lot of embers. For those on the ground, it would be like a rain of fire.
Their wounds needed to be taken care of as soon as possible.
Of course, Peran didnt have any intention of personally treating them, but he would at least take measures to prevent them from getting worse. The more serious the wound, the more important it was for them to receive some form of first aid.
Lukas was in the most serious condition. The amount of blood seeping from his abdomen was by no means healthy.
It wouldnt be strange if he were to die in a few minutes if he didnt receive any aid.
Crunch.
He grit his teeth in frustration.
Hed finally managed to find a clue. He wouldnt let it go like this.
He had two options.
One would be to somehow end this battle against Nix.
The other was to take Lukas and Snow and escape.
Both options carried their own risks. The probability of death was higher for the first one, but there was no guarantee that he would be able to successfully escape.
Boom!
The explosion caught him by surprise.
His field of view had narrowed momentarily and he took his attention away from above him.
The five overlapping barriers hed created just in case were shattered in an instant. The first thing Peran felt was a burning sensation on his back before he shot towards the ground.
Thud!
Just before hitting the ground, he barely managed to cast the Fly spell, but it wasnt enough to fully absorb the impact of the fall.
Perans figure crashed into the ground. One of Wizards greatest weaknesses was their abysmal defence, so receiving even a single attack would usually place them in a near death state.
Today was no different.
Although he didnt receive the attack directly, the resulting collision with the ground was enough to cover him in scratches and bruises.
dammit.
With a soft swear, he got to his feet and looked up at the sky. Did he hit his head? There was a cut on his forehead from which a trickle of blood rolled out.
For a Wizard, such an injury was near fatal since it hampered his ability to calculate. If flares and explosions were to pepper him like before, he would have no way to stop it.
But, fortunately, Nix didnt pursue Peran.
Ahhhh-!
Instead, she continued to scream, still creating almost instantaneous explosions without any warning.
Tweh.
Peran spat out a mouthful of blood on the ground before turning back to the sky.
If it was the state the Monster Queen was in now
falling.
A voice came from his right.
It was Lukas.
Did I fall in his direction?
Peran examined Lukas appearance. His complexion was pale, and his lips were bluish, but he looked strangely calm despite this.
your injuries are very serious.
Peran muttered in a low, cold tone that was almost the opposite of his usual, gentle tone. This was probably because his nerves were still stretched thin due to the fight with Nix.
The flames falling from the sky
What?
Without another word, Lukas moved his hand away to show his abdomen.
There, his torn, discoloured skin was visible.
Perans expression froze. It was clear now that this man had been wounded by the flames that littered the ground.
Youre insane
Book 2: Chapter 335
Book 2: Chapter 335I had no choice. If I didnt do such a crazy thing, I would have died from excessive blood loss.
As he looked at this man who used a Phoenixs flames to cauterize his injuries, Peran couldnt blame him.
Lukas looked up at the sky before murmuring.
the one going crazy right now is Nix.
Nix?
Thats her name.
He couldnt help but have a strange feeling.
Peran hadnt known the name of the Monster Queen before, no, he hadnt even known that she had a name.
So how did this man know the Monster Queens name?
We have to stop Nix.
Of course, if we leave the Monster Queen like this, then not just this forest, but this entire area will become a sea of fire. Fortunately, there are no cities or villages in this area. Although its a pity, I dont think we can stop the Amalgam Forest from disappearing
Thats not what I mean. Right now, Nix is using her life force to create those flames. If we let this continue, her body and soul will eventually disappear without a trace.
Whats wrong with that?
Nix was a murderer.
A murderer who had already killed thousands of people, and who, if left alone, would kill even more.
But now, it sounded like Lukas was worried about her.
I dont want that to happen.
you dont want it to happen? Are you thinking of saving the Monster Queen?
Right.
When Lukas nodded his head slowly, Perans expression became cold.
You really have lost your mind. She tried to kill you.
I know that. But I still want to save her.
It was an uncompromising tone.
Since hed heard a bit of their conversation, Peran was able to gather that Lukas and Nix had some kind of relationship.
But even with that
Peran, youre just as amazing as I thought.
what?
You must have worked hard day and night. You probably used all of your talents but still suffered from setbacks. You must have been desperate. People who are called geniuses all feel that the first wall they encounter is as high as a mountain. Most of them usually fail to climb that wall.
He wasnt sure why Lukas was suddenly saying this.
But for some reason, Peran suddenly felt like he was going to cry.
Lukas forced himself up from the ground. His entire body ached, and he felt dizzy, but he forcibly stood up.
He was glad that he met Peran.
Because he was the only one who seemed to remember him.
This allowed him to piece together some of his broken heart.
Peran looked at Lukas with a complicated gaze before opening his mouth.
you.
Suddenly.
Whoosh!
The flames in the sky merged to form a gigantic sun.
It looked like the entire sky was on fire.
Upon seeing this, Peran couldnt help but put aside what he was about to say.
it seems its already too late for us to run away. That sun will soon explode.
i????????r???????????? ????????m
The explosion will probably have a radius of a few kilometers, but the damage radius will probably be more than double that.
The area would be devoured by the explosion and flames, and the only one who would be safe was Nix, who was immune to them.
Peran thought of dozens of ideas in an instant, but none of them seemed feasible.
this is the end.
This wasnt him giving up quickly.
Instead, Peran had thought up all kinds of situations and considered all the available means, but he could not find a way to overcome this difficulty.
Dont you still have mana left?
Its not enough. I dont have enough to stop this attack or to escape its range. Sarch* The Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
The sun would explode in about a minute.
It was just his guess, but he was sure that he wouldnt be off by more than 5 seconds.
It was an absurdly short time to run away, it was the same even if he used the Fly spell at maximum speed. He also didnt have enough mana to use the Warp spell.
No matter what method he used, his remaining mana was not enough to let him escape the explosion.
So it was natural for Peran to accept death.
If youre going to die anyway, why not gamble a bit?
gamble?
Give your mana to me.
Peran narrowed his eyes.
youre not a Wizard.
Thats right. My mana room is broken.
Having a broken mana room meant that even if he were to give him all of his mana, it would just seep out of him like pouring water into a broken cup.
But Lukas continued in a calm voice.
8-star Wizards have the ability to embody their mana room. Not just in their own bodies, but outside it.
So?
So make a mana room in my body.
Peran fell silent.
Lukas didnt say more. There was no time to persuade him.
In truth, even as he was making the proposal, he felt that the probability of Peran accepting it was very low.
After all, it was an absurd suggestion, and his intentions were unclear.
In truth, Perans real thoughts were a bit different.
What was the point of creating a mana room in someone elses body? Someone who wasnt even a Wizard no less.
It was not a rational choice.
And there was no reason for him to accept it.
if you answer a question for me, I will accept your suggestion.
But instead of directly refusing, Peran said something else.
What is it?
You Are you Frey?
Lukas couldnt easily answer this question.
Because he knew just how much weight it carried.
This question was an important one for both Peran and Lukas.
But one thing was clear.
No.
Lukas was not Frey Blake.
Peran couldnt hide his disappointment at the answer. He lowered his head and bit his lip.
But Lukas wasnt done talking.
But I am your friend.
!
Perans head shot up, his eyes wide. His gaze was locked onto Lukas, his pupils shaking.
His mouth opened and closed repeatedly.
Their eyes met.
And Peran immediately
Sss-
Began to create the mana room.
Lukas immediately noticed the strange sensation in his body. To put it into simple terms, it was as though someone was blowing cool air into his intestines.
It was not a very pleasant feeling, but this wasnt the time to complain about that.
He just accepted the mana.
For some reason, Peran became speechless as he beheld this scene.
The soaring mana and fluttering hair.
In truth, Lukas condition at that moment couldnt be worse.
It wasnt just because of the wound on his abdomen. His body, covered in bruises, his crippled arm, and leg, and his torn clothes made him look pitiful.
Nevertheless, Lukas, whose eyes were closed as he concentrated, had such an otherworldly aura that it took Perans breath away.
Sss-
Finally, Lukas opened his eyes.
A bluish glint flickered in his pupils.
Peran had embodied his mana room in Lukas body and transferred the control of the mana within it to Lukas.
In other words, in this state, Lukas
Paht.
Had the ability to use magic.
If he could just cast a simple magic missile.
That would make him feel endlessly happy.
He was filled with familiarity and nostalgia.
After all, interfering with another persons spell casting and casting spells on his own was completely different.
Thanks.
Thanks for trusting me. And thanks for not forgetting me.
Thanks for not giving up and immersing yourself in magicology which allowed you to become an 8-star Wizard at such an unprecedented age.
Although he only spoke one word, the meanings hidden within it were clear.
Lukas turned to look at Nix once again.
Since his mana room was artificial and temporary, it was dozens of times more difficult to draw upon the mana and create magic formulas. As Peran had said, the mana he had left was not a lot.
But that didnt matter.
Taht.
Lukas body slowly rose into the air.
Right. None of that mattered at all.
At that moment, there was only one thing that was important.
From now on, Lukas
Lukas Trowman could use magic.
So he would take this opportunity to show Peran and Nix.
How the Great Mage fought.
Book 2: Chapter 336
Book 2: Chapter 336Fwoosh.
Lukas created a ball of fire.
Fireball? No.
It was the 5-star spell Flame Ball.
An extraordinary degree of perfection.
Peran quietly admired.
Just like a master Swordsman could guess the skill level of someone wielding a sword, Peran was also able to see the depth that Lukas reached in magicology with just one spell.
A flawless Flame Ball had been immediately casted without a chant. It was amazing.
It was amazing, but
Why?
Despite the spells perfection, he couldnt understand why he had used Flame Ball.
Why did he use a fire spell?
That fire would not work on Nix. Peran wasnt sure if even a 7-star or 8-star fire spell would work, and the spell that Lukas had used was only 5-stars. Even dozens or hundreds of such spells would not be able to burn a single strand of her hair.
He didnt think Lukas wouldnt know this fact.
Was it to ensure that he could cast spells properly?
Clearly, creating an artificial mana room in someones body to give them the ability to use magic was something that had never been done before. And it was natural for someone to be sure of their full ability before stepping into battle.
But if his goal was to confirm his ability to cast spells, then there would be no need to use the 5-star spell, Flame Ball. Fireball, no, even a magic missile would have been enough. (TL: Isnt he floating in the air rn?)
Fwoosh!????????n????????????. ????????m
However, Lukas continued to make more balls of fire until they numbered in the dozens. Then, he slowly began to approach the artificial sun.
That seemed risky. What was he thinking?
Peran accepted that Lukas had a strange origin, but at that moment, he had no idea what Lukas had in mind.
He didnt think he was trying to commit suicide.
Boom!
Suddenly, there was an explosion.
It erupted right beside Lukas, but somehow, he was not touched by it.
Nevertheless, his hair and clothes were swept up in the aftermath. It felt like his slender body would fly away in an instant.
Boom!
Another explosion, this time, closer.
Peran was filled with anxiety as he watched on.
Could it be that he couldnt think of a solution either? If that was the case then he was no different from a moth rushing towards a flame.
Boom!
When the third explosion occurred, Peran finally had a strange feeling.
This explosion once again came frighteningly close, but somehow it didnt manage to hit Lukas. They made his hair and clothes flutter, but he himself suffered no injuries.
The first one could have been called a coincidence. The second could be considered luck.
But the third?
Boom!
It was just as Peran thought.
It wasnt by luck or coincidence that the explosions were not affecting Lukas.
Lukas fingers twitched.
As a result, one of the flame balls around him would appear in position to intercept a flare from the artificial sun. The two flames collided.
Boom!
And an explosion occurred.
So thats what it was.
Peran was finally able to realise Lukas intentions, but that only made his surprise greater.
This man was artificially causing the explosions around the artificial sun. He was using none other than the Flame Balls hed created!
Peran was confident in his ability to calculate. He also felt that he had a wide point of view and the ability to grasp everything that was happening around him with a glance as well as the calmness to not be surprised by any unexpected events.
Nevertheless, the level of skill that Lukas was displaying was almost godly to him.
Boom!
But Lukas wasnt actually as relaxed as Peran thought him to be.
It was true that the explosions were no longer a threat to him. The same was true even for the large explosion of the artificial sun that would happen a minute later. After reaching the interior of the sun, he was using the Flame Balls he created to gradually deplete the energy of the artificial sun.
In other words, he was delaying the time of the explosion. By his calculation, hed managed to buy ten minutes by using the Flame Balls.
But hed run into another problem.
Finding Nixs position within the artificial sun.
its hot.
Calling the inside of the artificial hot was a great understatement. Lukas had to occasionally create Water Balls to soak his head.
The water was practically useless compared to its mana cost, but he had no choice but to use it. The water only managed to last 30 seconds before evaporating. If Lukas were to stop this repetition, Lukas body would be covered in severe burns in an instant.
Using Water Ball, deploying barriers, and maintaining Fly.
And when considering the spells he might have to use after meeting Nix, he wouldnt be able to make more Flame Balls.
In other words, he needed to find Nix before he ran out of Flame Balls.
Boom!
One Flame Ball disappeared.
The temperatures of the aftermath of the explosions were different as well. Some of them had extremely high temperatures, and some had lower temperatures.
The conditions for the explosions werent very hard to figure out.
When two flares weaved together and combined, and when the temperature instantaneously exceeded a certain level, an explosion would occur as long as there was a spark. sea??h th n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Of course, Lukas wasnt sure what the exact temperature was. The explosions he caused were a result of relying on his senses.
Boom!
How deep did he have to go? He wasnt exactly sure. However, if he were to make an assumption, he would say that she was in the centre of the sun.
Looking back, Lukas could see that the path hed taken had already disappeared. All he could see were the red flares and flames. He couldnt help the chuckle that escaped his lips.
He realised now that if he couldnt manage to stop Nix, he would die.
Nix.
She was not completely out of control. It seemed that she still retained some of her reason.
This wasnt just speculation, he was certain.
There was only one reason for this certainty.
If Nix really had lost her mind, the power of her flames would not only be this much.
This artificial sun.
It looked very large, but even the weakened Lukas was able to withstand the heat on the inside.
If Nix had gone into a complete frenzy and created the sun with the maximum output that she was capable of, then everything in the area would have been melted or burned to ash.
Shes fighting.
He knew she was still struggling because she didnt want to just run wild, and she didnt want to burn everything.
Thats why Lukas wanted to help her.
Huff, huff
It was getting harder and harder to breathe.
He only had three flame balls left.
Since hed reached this far, he should at least be able to get some clue as to her location
ah.
Bright red hair.
At first, he thought it was just red flames, but it couldnt be. It was too faint and thin.
It was Nix.
She was floating in the air with a blank expression on her face.
Boom!
Lukas caused another explosion as he approached her. Nixs entire body was on fire.
The flames around her were hotter than any other hed encountered so far. He could not touch her.
huu.
Nevertheless, he got as close as he could.
At least till he was close enough to look her in the eyes.
you should be in there, Torkunta.
Nix didnt respond. However, she turned to look at Lukas with a blank gaze.
That was enough. He knew they shared senses.
If there was a reaction, then hed know his voice had reached him.
Listen, Torkunta, from now on, Im going to try to kill Nix.
Flinch-
There was a clear reaction on her doll-like face.
A faint light flashed within her unfocused eyes.
Crack-
A scythe of ice appeared in Lukas hands. He put all of his remaining mana into it. This was the reason why it was able to maintain its shape despite the surrounding temperatures.
Do you remember? It might not be a pleasant memory, but I cut off your head in the Ispania Mountains with an ice scythe like this one.
Torkunta, I know how much you want to live Youre more afraid of death than anyone else. Despite being trapped in the body of another person, you didnt feel pessimistic about your situation, and were instead happy that you were still alive.
Torkunta was Lukas only hope now. Torkunta was probably trapped deep within her.
There was only one reason why he was certain about this. If he was still active, Nixs mind would not have become so broken.
Nix was strong, but she was young.
She didnt understand the ways of the world. She wasnt used to sadness, and she didnt know how to control her anger.
That was why she couldnt come to terms with the death of her people. She blamed herself for it and walked down the path of destruction.
If Torkunta was there.
If she had the advice of Torkunta, who had lived for 1000 years, then Nix would never have become so broken.
Lukas slowly approached Nix and lifted the scythe into the air.
I really hope you show yourself.
He hoped that he wouldnt be able to tolerate Nixs, and by extension his own, death.
Lukas put his heart into the scythe. He infused the certainty and determination to kill her within himself.
Then swung the blade towards her white neck.
Book 2: Chapter 337
Book 2: Chapter 337Fwoosh!
Kuk!
The flames around Nix soared, blocking the scythe and pushing it away. The force of the eruption was so strong that he almost lost his grip on the scythe.
Then came the heat.
He could feel his skin begin to burn.
Nevertheless, Lukas didnt stop pushing. Instead, he grit his teeth and wrung out the rest of his strength.
Kuh!
The veins in his eyes burst, and blood seeped from between his clenched teeth, but he couldnt feel any pain. This was because he was using so much energy that his senses had become muted.
Creak-
A soft sound came from the scythe in his hands. Was it already reaching its limits?No. That wasnt right.
It wasnt the scythe that had creaked, it was Lukas body.
A certain place in his body.
The mana room
The mana room that had been embodied in Lukas body would soon disappear.
What was the reason? There was still a lot of mana left in the mana room, could it be because he was too far away from Peran?
He didnt have the time to think. sea??h th n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Just a bit more
At last, the scythe reached Nixs neck, causing a few droplets of blood to roll down.
But that still wasnt enough. It wasnt enough to make her feel like her life was in danger.
It wasnt enough to force Torkuntas mind to awaken.
Just a bit more.
If he could cut a bit deeper
Crack!
ah.
It was the sound of something breaking.
The mana room in his body disappeared.
Sss-
The cold scythe of ice quickly became liquid and flowed between his fingers before quickly evaporating. He could no longer maintain the Fly spell either.
Lukas body began to fall into the fire.
Hed reached his limits both mentally and physically. His willpower alone was no longer enough to support his mind and body. This backlash was the price of pushing himself far past his limits.
He couldnt even move a single finger.
Like this, his stiff body slowly fell towards the red flames which flickered like the tongue of a predator.
Just as Lukas was about to be consumed in the flames
Snap-
Someone grabbed him by the arm.
hmph.
Then came a soft snort.
I cant believe you would use such an ignorant method That doesnt suit you at all. What would you do if this body really died?
But I guess you didnt have much time either. Well, its fine. Now let me have a good look at your shabby appearance.
Lukas, who had already lost consciousness, could not respond.
Her eyes.
Nixs eyes were no longer red.
Now, they had become resplendent gold like the eyes of a predator.
The Drake King, Torkunta, held Lukas in his arms as he muttered softly. (TL: Remember male pronouns for Torkunta, female for Nix.)
First off, I guess I should congratulate you. And give you a warm welcome. Lukas Trowman. Even if this world has become crazy, you managed to return successfully
* * *
Two days before.
Deep within the Amalgam Forest.i????????r????????? ????o????
Snow was feeling the dirtiest she had in years.
The reason wasnt just because undead had appeared in this beautiful forest.
With her sword hanging at her side, she looked in front of her.
Death Knight.
A being that was generally classified as a high ranking undead.
Its combat power was comparable to a First class Swordsman or Warrior, but they werent just classified as high ranking because of their power.
Beings classified as high ranking undead like Death Knights, Dullahans, and Liches, were all sapient.
In other words, they knew what they were.
For example, even if they didnt have memories of when they were alive, they still understood that they were just rotting corpses.
The lower ranking undead were different.
The emotions of resentment, hatred, or rage that they might have had at their death were what became the energy that drove them. Even after they were resurrected, they didnt know what they were, and they didnt care.
They simply acted upon their resentment for the living in order to fill emptiness within them that could never be satisfied.
In Snows opinion, it would be more accurate to call them Corpse Beasts instead of an old fashioned name like undead.
These guys are different.
Five Death Knights.
Death energy was also wrapped around them like a fog.
Since Diablo had begun to scatter undead across the continent, she had already cut down countless undead. Thats why she was clear as to why these five Death Knights were considered to be high ranking undead.
If even a single one of them were to leave the forest, a horrific disaster would occur.
Crack.
The Death Knights were facing Snow in an organised formation.
They didnt rush in. In other words, they remained cautious
This could mean that they had some level of intelligence
They dont seem to possess their own ego.
The only thing that could be seen in their blank eyes was a glint of death energy.
This was proof that they were just puppets who moved according to the orders of the caster.
Arent you gonna come?
[]
Snow swung her sword in provocation, but she didnt receive a response.
They were all high ranking undead, but they didnt have their own intelligence. To be precise, it was being suppressed This proved the strength of the Necromancer who was controlling them.
I really wanna know who you are.
Snow grinned before she returned Deukid to its sheath and slowly walked towards the Death Knights.
A Swordsman who put away their sword and approached their enemy with their two hands at their sides.
If the Death Knights had any of the pride they had during their lives left, they would have been outraged by the blatant insult, but they were now undead who had no care for such things.
Instead, they looked at Snow with a hint of hesitation.
In the meantime, the distance between them continued to close.
In the end, the closest Death Knight had no choice but to rush forward.
Crack.
Its armour cracked.
With a bewildered glimmer in its eyes, the Death Knight stumbled backward.
It wasnt the only one. The other Death Knights behind it also staggered backward as if they had been hit.
Crack crack!
The armors of all five Death Knights had identical cracks.
Clink!
Then, as if their entire bodies had been crushed, they fell into a pile of rubble.
You were even too slow to notice that attack. Stupid things.
Snow muttered indifferently as she walked over the remains of the Death Knights.
Book 2: Chapter 338
Book 2: Chapter 338How many undead had she killed in this forest? The number should have surpassed 100 a long time ago.
They didnt appear here naturally.
It would take hundreds of years for such a number to occur naturally. Even on a battlefield where tens of thousands lost their lives, it would take at least ten years for undead to appear.
Naturally, for a peaceful place like the Amalgam Forest, there was no way to foster the negative emotions necessary for that.
In addition, as the Elf Queen, Snow was able to grasp the condition of any forest from the moment she set foot in it.
When she arrived with Lukas, there were no signs of undead in this forest.
In other words, someone had very recently released a large number of undead in this forest.
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What was their goal?
Hmph.
A sneer spread across Snows lips.
They had to be.
Diablos minions.
Her eyes turned towards the depths of the forest.
She could sense thick death energy there.
Even up to the day before, he had been carefully hiding his presence, but now he was blatantly beckoning her over.
Although the fact that it was a trap was as clear as day.
Interesting.
Snow still smiled.
One trait of the strong was to boldly respond to such provocations.
Taking a deep breath, she kicked off from the ground.
Boom!
The ground shook heavily and was overturned. This was an act that the nature loving Queen would normally avoid doing, but the land in this area had already died.
Moreover, Snow wasnt there as the Elf Queen, but as a Swordsman.
Of course, that didnt mean it didnt enrage her to see the forest in this state.
She saw it.
An army of undead.
With many individuals who were even stronger than the Death Knights shed seen before.
Nevertheless, this didnt make much of a difference for Snow.
She swung Deukid.
Boom!
Dozens of undead were utterly destroyed by a single swipe that carried no technique.
Snow brutally destroyed all of the undead troops that she encountered, but that didnt slow her advance in the slightest.
She was like a flash of white.
And in the places that she passed through, there was nothing but scraps of flesh and bone fragments, the only proof that the undead had once been there.
This didnt mean that they were weak. Every undead that Snow crushed like weeds was strong enough to slaughter well trained soldiers.
However, Snows power was so overwhelming that she made them look like low ranking undead.
There is no end.
Snow clicked her tongue.
She had been fighting against undead for almost three days straight without pause.
Fighting against undead always took the form of a protracted war.
This was because she could not let even a single undead escape. This was something that had to be done even if there were no cities or villages nearby.
The power and infectivity of a single high ranking undead were enough to turn an entire village into a den for undead in the blink of an eye.
Snow absolutely could not allow such a thing to happen.
That was why she thoroughly destroyed every undead she encountered without missing even a single one.
As a result, the fatigue that began to accumulate in her body steadily built up before making itself known.
What was worse was her concentration.
A persons concentration was not infinite. It wore out as you used it, and naturally, the longer you used it, the faster it wore out.
Sleep was the best way to clear her exhaustion, but she hadnt slept for three days and three nights.
It would have been better if the Swordnaz and Peran were here
She couldnt afford to sit around and wait for them.
At that moment, Snow remembered Lukas, who she had left alone for a while, but she soon shook her head. Although she was sorry, she didnt have the time to care about him right now.
Fortunately, he was far from the source of the undead, so he shouldnt be in any danger.
the source.
She needed to find the source of the undead as soon as possible.
She would probably get there if she continued to head towards the death energy they had blatantly been releasing a while ago.
Taht!
Snow, who had been slaughtering undead as she travelled, eventually came to a stop.
She found it.
In front of her was a large cave.
The death energy that she could feel seeping from the mouth of the cave was indescribable.
Nevertheless, Snow walked directly into it. She didnt have the time for hesitation.
The cave was deep.
Even though she was moving at a speed that caused her surroundings to change rapidly, she could not see the end.
It continues downwards.
It seemed that this cave stretched tens of metres underground, or maybe even more.
After a while, the entrance of the cave was no longer visible. (PR: I thought she was moving rapidlyC)
Splash-
Snow finally stopped walking and looked around carefully.
She was in a limestone cave.
The ceiling was covered in sharp stalactites, and the ground was covered in a pool of water high enough to cover her ankles.????????n????????d.nbsp;????????????
Flesh and bone fragments floated in the water.
indeed.
This was where they created the undead.
Splash-
She walked around. The dense death energy had already polluted the water in this place so much that it would be impossible to purify.
Those with low resistance would melt simply by stepping into this water, but it was no problem for Snow.
After wandering around for a while, Snow found something huge in the centre of the cave.
This is not something I thought Id see again.
A soft chuckle escaped her lips.
It was at least tens of metres long.
A giant Dragon made entirely of bones without the slightest hint of flesh.
This Bone Dragon was a type of undead that could only be created by those whod reached the absolute peak of necromancy.
In the past, it was this very monster that had attacked the elves capital city.
At that time, she had been helped by Ivan.
Just as Snow was bitterly recalling the past.
[So youve seen a Bone Dragon before.]
A deep, eerie voice sounded in her ears. It was like the roars of the devil, who had been trapped in hell.
If it was someone without much mental strength, they would have gone mad just hearing it, but Snow only made a slightly surprised expression as she opened her mouth.
I never would have expected this. I didnt think you would dare to show up in person Should I shout bingo in this situation?
[kuku.]
A figure slowly rose up from the water that covered the floor.
The first thing that appeared was the pale white skull. Nextwere the sinister eye sockets that contained flames which glowed the colour of rotten blood, and the skeletal body wrapped in black robes.
Finally, a sickle shaped staff formed in his hand.
He looked more like a Death God who guided people to hell than a Wizard.
Diablo. Sarch* The N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Snow turned to look at the being who currently terrified the entire continent.
When it came to black magic, necromancy, and even magicology, Snow could not think of a Wizard better than him.
For that reason, she couldnt help but consider a possibility.
The fact that the Diablo before her might not be the real one, but instead a double, or puppet.
But
Youre the real Diablo.
If nothing else, the suffocating death energy exuding from him was enough to convince her that he was the real deal.
[That is correct.]
I dont understand. Why would you reveal yourself to me when you could have escaped? Do you want to die now after living for about 1000 years?
[You cant speak to me about death, young elf.]
Young elf Its been a long time since I heard something like that. Ill have to thank you for calling me pretty, bones.
Diablo let out a quiet laugh.
[Snow de Predickwood, Queen of the Elves and Master of the Sword, Revered White Supreme.]
Hmmm.
An arrogant smile stretched across Snows lips as she put her hand on her waist.
This Queen likes being praised by others, but being praised by a rotten corpse makes me feel uncomfortable instead.
[we do not have to be enemies.]
That was true. Until you murdered hundreds of thousands of people.]
[Do you consider me a murderer?]
Snow frowned when she heard this.
Cut the crap, Elder Lich. That is what you are. You destroyed two countries, seven cities, and twenty two villages just to satisfy your own disgusting self interests. There is only one way for you to atone for those crimes. By dying.
[I have no intention of denying that. But what if there was a reason for my murder?]
[Regardless of the reason, there is no justification for murder There are countless hypocrites who make that boring claim. Im sure you are not like that. To be honest, it isnt really murder if there was a reason. From my perspective, I only sacrificed a few humans.]
Snow silently looked at him with an absurd expression before opening her mouth and speaking in a harsh tone.
even this Queen feels like her patience will shatter after listening to your bullshit. So? What is it that youre trying to say?
The faint humour in Diablos voice disappeared.
[a glimpse into the truth of the universe.]
What?
[You, me, and even the beings called Demigods, you do not realise just how weak we truly are. Kukuku, I shudder at the feeling. The words Transcendent and Absolute. They were not things we could understand]
Although Diablos voice was calm, the insanity contained within it was dizzying.
Rumble. Even the water on the ground began to quiver in tune with his emotions.
Snow slowly drew Deukid from its sheath.
What a load of bullshit. Are you trying to say that you learned the truth about the universe a long time ago?
[Its different.]
What?
[The universe you know, and the universe I know are fundamentally different.]
I cant listen to any more of your nonsense.
Snow let out a sigh.
I didnt come here to talk to you, Diablo. There are a lot of things I need to deal with besides you. This Queen is the type of person who cuts down the things that displeases her, and thats exactly what you are. So this Queen will kill you here today.
[So that is your answer In that case, I sincerely apologize.]
The vibrations in the water became stronger, causing droplets of water to occasionally splatter across the clearing.
Krrr-
The Bone Dragon began rising to its feet.
That wasnt all.
Snow could also see hundreds of undead approaching her.
[I hereby declare. You will die here today.]
Snow looked around.
Those undead
[These are my strongest armies that Ive been secretly nurturing over the past few decades. Rejoice, for I am using a force strong enough to destroy a nation just to slay you.]
He wasnt lying.
The auras of the undead in these armies were all stronger and more vile than any of the undead in the forest above.
Each army was at least a few hundred strong, perhaps even more than that.
haha.
But at that moment, a roar of laughter filled the cave, carrying on for a while before it eventually stopped.
After taking some time to catch her breath, Snow then spoke with a frighteningly cold expression.
How unbelievably foolish. I cant believe youd treat this Queen as just one nation.
[]
How dare you talk to me like that with just these couple of undead? Since when did my title as White Supreme become so shallow? You are spitting on this Queens pride. Ive never been so insulted and disgraced before. Therefore.
Taht.
The stagnant water scattered in every direction.
I will definitely execute you here.
Snow leaped forward.
Her figure, which seemed to have disappeared for a moment, reappeared dozens of meters in the air.
Her cold gaze was locked onto the head of the Bone Dragon which was right below her feet.
[Roar!]
The Bone Dragon finally sensed Snows presence and raised its head with a loud roar.
Green fog writhed in the darkness of its throat, seeming as though it would rush out at any moment. Just from looking at it, one could tell that everything that touched this acidic breath would melt.
Crack!
But it was too late.
Before it even had a chance to spit it out, its neck was cut. No, it was smashed.
The neck bones of Bone Dragon, which supported its massive head and were several times stronger than steel, shattered like glass.
Splash
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The bone fragments fell like rain.
Among them, Snow landed silently on the ground before slowly approaching Diablo.
You brought your strongest armies? That was the wrong move, Diablo. Just the strongest is not enough. You ought to have brought every undead army you control. If that had happened
Boom!
The Bone Dragons giant body collapsed, causing a wave to roll across the surface of the water.
[]
When she saw the violent glint in Diablos eyes, Snow sneered.
Maybe your chances of winning would have increased by 1 percent.
Book 2: Chapter 339
Book 2: Chapter 339Hundreds of undead charged toward her at the same time.
With a fierce laugh, Snow threw herself into the crowd of corpses.
Boom!
The first clash.
It wasnt the same as before in the forest.
These undead didnt shatter with one hit.????????????????????d. ????????????
They were pretty tough. If she were to focus on them a bit more, it wouldnt be a problem to cut them cleanly with her sword, but she couldnt afford to spend too much time on one enemy.
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So she divided it.
She didnt spend more than half a breath on a single enemy.
And if any of them managed to land any blows on her, she remembered them. Then she made sure to silence them completely.
Slash, stab, smash.
The tip of her sword never stopped moving. When the blade fell, it immediately rose up again in an equally powerful reverse movement. Whenever she took large steps forward, her slashes became stabs. When she swung sideways before her momentum died, the flat faces of her sword became great tools for smashing.
Snows series of movements were worthy of being called never ending. Nevertheless, this was accomplished by forcibly continuing her flowing movements.
The pressure that this placed on her muscles was beyond imagination, but she still managed to keep up such a vigorous performance for several minutes.
[Amazing.]
Diablo humbly admitted this fact.
He didnt know much about swords. It would be enough to even call him a layman.
Nevertheless, Snows swordsmanship was able to cause the heart of an undead, which he assumed had long gone dormant, to feel admiration.
He could tell.
She was close to reaching the very peak of her realm.
Even if it wasnt the same peak where he was standing, as someone who was also standing at the peak of a mountain, he could see the other mountains in the distance, even if it was a bit faint. Because of this, he knew just how difficult the journey to get there was.
The sword was Snows life.
That was why,
He was even more satisfied.
Diablos gaze drifted to the side.
[Look carefully and make sure you dont miss anything. That is Snow de Predickwood, the greatest Swordsman of her time, and the strongest being in this era.]
Although Snow continued to destroy the undead, at least 30% of her attention remained on Diablo. This was a natural response since she didnt know what he had hidden up his sleeves.
However, Diablo didnt appear to be planning anything. On the contrary, he just continued to watch in a leisurely manner.
Why?
Undead. Although it was a terrifyingly large number, they werent infinite. Although her speed couldnt be considered too fast, she was still gradually whittling down the number of troops.
To borrow Diablos words, these undead were the strongest armies that he had been secretly nurturing for a long time. She didnt think he would be happy to have them wasted here.
What is he thinking?
Snow couldnt help but wonder as she looked at Diablo. Then, she finally realised something strange.
At some point, someone had appeared to stand beside him.
It was an undead. Probably a Death Knight.
The jet black armour that it wore, which didnt expose even a hint of flesh, had a ferocious aura as if it had been modelled after a Demon.
But it was strange.
She could barely feel the death energy and deathly aura from the armoured Death Knight.
But there was something that was even more surprising than that.
Its strong.
Its strength was on a completely different level when compared to the other undead.
Even Snow was not certain of just how strong it was.
This realisation caused another question to bubble up with her.
Why wasnt he letting this undead fight?
Was that this guys plan?
To slowly use up Snows stamina and mental strength with the unending attacks of the other undead before stepping in at the last moment and finishing the fight?
It was a simple and obvious plan, but the problem was that despite knowing it, she had no way to respond to it.
All Snow could do at this point was kill at least once more undead before he decided to use his full strength.
* * *
She wanted to take a deep breath.
But she didnt.
Snow stood atop a pile of undead corpses.
Her white hair was covered in disgusting bits of flesh and bone fragments, and her entire body was covered in sweat. But Snow didnt try to clear her hair.
Instead, her gaze remained locked on Diablo.
She didnt look tired.
Although she wasnt sure if Diablo knew what her current physical condition was, this was still better than if she were to reveal it herself.
It wasnt just a matter of pride.
[121 Death Knights.]
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[152 Dullahans. 73 Liches. And 103 other miscellaneous high ranking undead. As for ghouls and skeletons there were roughly 2000 or so.]
what are you talking about?
[That was the composition of my army that you destroyed. I thought youd be curious.]
Although hed lost nearly 2500 undead, his attitude remained nonchalant.
This attitude made Snow angry, but instead of expressing that anger, she showed a provocative smile.
You miscounted.
[Hoh. Were you counting all the undead you killed? I didnt think you had that much time.]
No, I didnt count. But I could tell after hearing what you said.
Snow raised her sword to point at Diablo.
That you forgot to add a Death Knight and a Lich.
[kukuku.]
Diablo chuckled.
[I will give you time to rest.]
[I know youre very tired. If you rest for an hour or two you should be able to regain some of your energy.]
Enough bullshit.
Snow shot with an irritated voice.
There is no way an undead with no sense of honour would be worried about this Queens health. There is nothing more unpleasant than a dirty victory, Diablo. What exactly do you want from this Queen?
[]
As expected, she was quick to realise.
No. In this case, it was probably because his proposal had been too blatantly suspicious.
Nevertheless, it didnt matter. Hed already achieved his goal.
[I dont want anything.]
[To be precise, I no longer want anything. I already got everything I wanted from you in the previous fight.]
What?
[Do you wish to have your final battle now? Then I will grant your wish.]
Diablo beckoned, and the Death Knight, who had been silently standing beside him, stepped forward.
It was the Death Knight wearing the devilish armour.
Snow had a bad feeling. The demonic energy that was being released by the Death Knight felt like a thousand pound weight pressing on her shoulders, but she forced herself to lift Deukid.
If her senses were correct, then this one Death Knight would be harder to deal with than the thousands of undead shed killed before.
This wouldnt be an easy enemy even if I was in a normal state.
If she were to fight in her current state, then her chances of winning would be very slim.
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Moreover, Diablo was still alive and well.
But none of that mattered.
In fact
[Why are you smiling?]
She was excited.
Because Im happy.
[Happy?]
Ahh. Im so happy. I really have to thank you. For pushing this Queen so hard. If I make even a single mistake now, I will definitely die. Its been 10 years since I felt a crisis like this.
Book 2: Chapter 340
Book 2: Chapter 340After the Demigods disappeared, Snow devoted herself to training like crazy.
This was because she realised how powerless she was.
Did she work harder than anyone else? Did she overcome her limits?
She didnt know anything like that.
However, one thing she could be certain of was the fact that she was more desperate than anyone else.
So Snow became strong. She became strong enough to overcome her past weakness.
But she had no more enemies left.
She never had a chance to push herself to the limit, to use all of her rage and resentment to push herself even further.
At that time, shed felt so dissatisfied that it felt like she would explode.
Now, finally. She had met someone who could detonate that urge.
[You will die here.]
Maybe. However, you should keep something in mind. If you dont kill me here today, I will go beyond my limits once again and become even stronger.
[hmmm.]
Just as Diablo shook his head as if he couldnt understand what she was saying, the Death Knight disappeared.
Clang!????n????????ea????. ????????????
She managed to react in time.
Fortunately, she hadnt let her guard down.
The two swords grinded against each other, with neither side retreating.
Snows smile widened as a cold chill rolled down her spine.
They were equal in strength. No, actually, she was being pushed back slightly. Snow easily accepted this fact.
But that was fine.
After all, Snows physical ability wasnt her only weapon.
Crack
White fog began to rise up from her body. The extreme cold that exuded from her body quickly began to freeze the ankle deep water beneath their feet.
The Death Knight tried to pull its feet out, but it was a step too slow. The frozen ground bound its ankles.
While this was happening, Snow broke the engagement and pulled back a bit before unleashing a series of attacks on the trapped Death Knight, while it was off balance.
Clang clang clang!
Ten strikes landed in an instant.
All of them were hits that not even an undead would be able to ignore, but none of them landed.
Snow narrowed her eyes.
The temperature of the surroundings rapidly fell after she released her cold aura.
Within this area, everyone but Snow would have their movements inhibited.
I know the effect against undead is fairly limited, but
She couldnt believe that the Death Knight was able to defend itself perfectly despite that.
It was stable.
A perfect stance and perfect swordsmanship.
It was monotonous and basic, but it was terrifying. She couldnt find any openings to take advantage of. It was like she was facing an iron wall that blocks everything in sight.
Swoosh!
And at times, the iron wall would take the shape of a sharp spear.
The sound of the air being cut was terrifying.
They were all straight line attacks without any tricks, but it felt as though dozens of contradictory sword techniques were being used at the same time.
It was unpredictable. No matter where she moved, this inescapable sword would reach her.
Thats why she had no choice but to block it.
Clang!
Jurk-
Blood spilled from the corner of Snows lips. The shock of that attack reached her internal organs.
Her opponents intentions were clear. The Death Knight intended to force Snow to continually block his attacks in order to accumulate blunt force trauma to her internal organs. This wasnt good. Her body was already reaching its limit.
If she were to continue receiving such trauma while in this state
Ten times? Twenty times?
How long would her body be able to last?
Clang! Clang!
Before she knew it, the initiative had already been grasped by her opponent.
Ignoring her rising doubts and spasming muscles, Snow tried to force the offensive.
Crack!
But she was blocked before she could even properly begin.
Biting her lip, she tried again.
Clang!
And failed again.
this Queens movements.
Were being read.
And with very high probability too.
Five out of ten of her attacks were blocked before they could even be properly unleashed. And the more they fought, the higher the ratio became.
Six, seven, eight sea??h th N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Impossible.
What the hell was this monster?
It was being absorbed. It was only at that moment that Snow realised.
The path shed walked, her life, her experience. It was all being copied at a terrifying rate.
Kuk.
She couldnt help the groan that slipped out. The more they fought, the more she realised.
This guy was extremely dangerous.
He could not be allowed to leave this forest.
Ivan? Iris?
No. Even they could not stop this Knight of Death. (TL: Yes, different from Death Knight)
This Queen has to do it.
She had to risk her life.
Even if she had to settle for mutual destruction. She had to stop this monster.
Cough.
She coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Snow didnt even bother to wipe the gushing blood. Her hair, which was always neatly arranged, began to scatter as a wind began to blow.
Whoosh!
The wind was heavy.
Just as Snows eyes began to fill with blue light.
Puk.
ah.
She let out a soft cry.
Snow slowly lowered her head and looked down.
There, she saw what appeared to be a skeletal arm sticking out of her stomach.
[Its nothing special.]
Diablos dry voice resounded.
[Its just a simple application of the Blink spell I moved my arm into your body. As you can see, I havent yet perfected the spell. After all, I cant recall my arm.]
As he said that, Diablo waved the stump that remained of his arm, and after a while, the bones that had disappeared, soon regenerated.
[Its not much when compared to the Black Witchs ability to control space, but it seems to be quite useful for launching surprise attacks]
Snow didnt have the chance to listen to everything he said.
Her eyes had returned to the Knight in front of her.
Clang!
In a flash, the Death Knights sword collided with Deukid. Snow was no longer able to put any strength in her wrist.
I let go of my sword?
Snow looked at the sword soaring into the air with a blank expression.
The Knight of Death leaped upwards.
Then it caught Deukid, which was soaring through the air.
Ah.
When she saw this scene, Snows heart began to pound in her chest.
Her opponent was an undead, a resurrected dead being with a suppressed ego who only followed Diablos commands. But when this being grasped the sword, it almost instinctively took a stance.
That was all it did, but it was enough to make Snows heart shake. She was deeply moved.
No. The admiration and awe that she felt at that moment far surpassed being moved.
She had feelings that one should never have for an enemy.
And those feelings
Puk-
Didnt disappear even as Deukid pierced her body.
She could clearly feel the cool sensation of her muscles and organs being torn.
But she didnt scream.
The wound was by no means shallow. She could feel her strength leaving her as her vitality was greedily sucked out through the blade.
Cough
[amazing. To think that you could remain conscious after being stabbed by my Heart Knight.]
Snow didnt respond to Diablos words.
To be precise, she couldnt easily answer.
Jurk, blood continuously streamed from her mouth.
without a doubt this guy this Death Knight is
[]
If Diablo had facial muscles, there would probably have been a deep smile on his face at that moment.
He clapped his boney hands together.
His finger bones clashed against each other, creating the most terrible applause in the world.
[White Supreme I pay my respects to your achievements. There is currently no individual stronger than you on the continent. Whether its the Grand Master Ivan, the Black Witch Iris, the Wandering Golem Anastasia, the last Demigod Elliah or me, the Immortal King. Even among all of the strongest beings, you alone deserve to be called the strongest.]
[It is because I acknowledged that fact that I considered you to be my greatest enemy. I decided to take the most difficult and important step first by killing you. And this has proven it There is no longer anyone who can oppose me.]
Snow was beginning to lose consciousness.
Nevertheless, her eyes remained fixed on the Knight of Death. The Knight was looking down at Deukid in his hand, the flames in his eye sockets shining brightly.
This undead Knight in devilish armour was holding the best sword in the world.
Contradictingly, the two seemed to be a perfect fit.
[With this, the final piece has been placed]
Diablo let out a laugh, and the entire forest rumbled.
[Rejoice, my Knight! There are no longer any living beings in this world capable of stopping you!]
Snow watched this scene with blurred vision,
She forcibly twisted her lips into a smile.
Then, she spoke the name of the undead before her.
Sword King Lucid.
[]
I always wanted to have a sword fight with you.
It had been her childhood dream.
It wasnt just Snow. It was a dream that everyone who used a sword should have had at some point.
Clang.
Lucid walked toward Snow without a response. The sound of his metal armour clashing filled the cave.
Snow could only behold this scene through her blurry vision. Should she call him the Heart Knight now? Perhaps she should call him the Demon Sword since he was sucking all of the vitality from her body.
She couldnt even move a finger now.
A bitter smile spread across her lips.
Its unfortunate.
[]
I didnt want to fight you like-
Puk.
Her words were cut short as Lucid stabbed her with his sword once again.
Snow, who had been twitching from time to time, finally stopped moving.
And thick blood mixed with the dark water below.
(TL: Although I guessed who the Death Knight was, its still messed up. But then again, Necromancers always like to raise past heroes from the dead.)
Book 2: Chapter 341
Book 2: Chapter 341Drip.
The sound of water was the only thing he could hear.
Drip.
It was annoying.
Drip.
Every time he heard the sound of the water dripping, he felt a throbbing pain as if it was resonating with it.
Gradually, his blurred consciousness began to clear up.
did I faint?
Lukas forced himself to open his eyes.
Nevertheless, his vision was blurred, making it hard for him to distinguish his surroundings.
His entire body felt like it was on fire, and his head ached. His throat also felt dry as if hed swallowed a mouthful of sand.
His most grievous injury.
He subconsciously stretched his hand down to his stomach. The first thing he felt was a bandage that was wrapped tightly around his abdomen. That wasnt all, there were also sticky leaves stuck to his skin. It was bothering him. S~ea??h the Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Those herbs are good for burns.
A pleasant, low pitched voice spoke to him.
Turning his head, he waited for his vision to clear.
After a while, he was able to see a man standing beside him.
You lost too much blood.
It was Peran Jun.
He also didnt look very good.
His complexion was pale, he had heavy bags under his eyes, and his body was also covered in bandages.
This is the second time Im taking care of you when youre sick. Apart from my younger siblings, youre probably the person whose body Im most familiar with.
He was making a joke.
Lukas wanted to comment on it, but although his lips moved, no sound came out.
Seeing this, Peran handed him a canteen. When he tried to bring it closer with one hand, he almost dropped it. The canteen felt heavy as if it was made of lead. Of course, it wasnt that heavy. This was just proof of how little energy Lukas had at that moment.
Do you want some help?
He shook his head and slowly raised the bottle to his lips.
As the cold water flowed down his throat, it felt like his mind was gradually clearing up. He forcibly raised his upper body to sit up, causing his entire body to cry out in pain, but enduring pain had never been a problem for him.
where is this?
A cave in the Amalgam Forest. Of course, its not the cave we were aiming for, but it is a cave nonetheless
How long has it been since I lost consciousness?
About a day or so.
What about the Swordnaz?
Their injuries arent life threatening. Theyre conscious, but they have difficulty moving at the moment. Everyone is in better condition than you are though.
Peran sincerely answered Lukas one sided questions without showing any displeasure, but it was clear that he had questions of his own.
now that youve asked your questions. Dont you think its time we had a proper conversation? (TL: Rip Snow)
Although he remained silent, Lukas agreed with him.
Peran remembered Frey Blake. And there was a lot he wanted to ask him.
After contemplating what to say for a while, Peran shook his head. It seemed that he took Lukas silence to mean something else.
No. Sorry. I was in too much of a hurry. Youre not well, so you should get some rest. Well talk later.
Before Lukas could stop him, Peran continued.
Also, it seems that she wants to talk to you more than I do.
Peran disappeared soon after saying those words. He wasnt sure if he left the cave entirely or if he just moved out of sight.
Just as Lukas was beginning to wonder why Peran had left so suddenly, he saw a woman standing in the darkness of the cave.
With red hair that looked like red flames
Nix?
No.
A mocking tone.
As she walked closer, the darkness around her receded.
Soon, her face came into the light, revealing her golden eyes.
Torkunta
Hmph.
Torkunta snorted and sat down beside the bed before looking at Lukas with glowing eyes. His sharp eyes made Lukas very uncomfortable, as if he was being scrutinised.
What is this? You pathetic bastard.
what?
Why did you come back in such a pathetic state when you left so proudly?
You I
I remember.
Lukas remained silent.
The blood drained from his face in an instant.
He didnt know what to say.
you remember, everything about me?
Those words sounded even more foolish when he said it outloud.
Dont say such cheesy things. Is there any reason for me to remember everything about you? Since when were we so close?
Torkunta raised an eyebrow as he responded. His tone carried a faint sense of hostility, but it proved that he remembered Lukas.
Do you really remember me and not Frey Blake? Or something else?
Nevertheless, Lukas still found it hard to believe.
Thats why he couldnt help but persistently ask.
Right.
How could that be? Why did everyone else forget, but you
Hey. Calm down.
Now I really-
Lukas Trowman.
A low growl interrupted Lukas rambling.
Torkunta continued while staring at him with his slit pupils.
You. have changed.
Did your mind weaken together with your body? Isnt being able to keep your composure in any situation the greatest strength of you Wizards?
It was like a cold flame burrowed into his ears.
The thread that was wrapped around his head was engulfed by the flames before disappearing.
That was right.
It wasnt like him to be dragged around by his thoughts like that without being able to calm down. In times like this, Lukas Trowman would remain rational and analyse the situation.
Sssp.
He took a deep breath through his teeth, calming his excitement and allowing him to regain his composure.
Then, he opened his mouth again.
everyone forgot about me.
Seems so. I really want to know what happened to the world.
Its not just the memories that disappeared. There are also no traces of Lukas Trowman in documents, publications or records.????????????????????????? c????
I see.
But you remember me. So clearly.
Its not very clear.
Torkunta exclaimed in an annoyed voice.
This guy didnt seem to like Lukas very much. This was natural considering that he had killed him once before.
Do you have any idea what might have caused this phenomenon? Even small things are fine.
Ha. I cant think of anything.
Torkunta grit his teeth and spoke in a harsh voice.
Immediately after you left, I was locked away for 10 years. Inside this goddamn Phoenix! I could hardly see what was happening on the outside, and this bitch acted like she forgot about my existence! Naturally, my voice couldnt reach her either!
Torkunta pounded on his chest as if he couldnt contain his anger.
Can you imagine how frustrating it was to be locked in an empty space for 10 years!?
The Great Mage, who had been imprisoned for more than 400 times as long in the past, stayed silent.
Book 2: Chapter 342
Book 2: Chapter 342Not so long ago, Nix finally noticed my presence. She even called my name too Although the process wasnt pretty, it was thanks to you.
Because of me?
Right. You managed to shake Nixs mental state. Thanks to that, her memories, which had sank to the bottom, were able to rush to the surface.
It was a metaphor that was a bit hard to understand.
Nevertheless, he had a feeling that he shouldnt brush it aside easily.
Torkunta shared body and mind with Nix. In other words, he had the most objective and accurate grasp on Nixs condition. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Her memories sank?
He couldnt help but wonder if that only applied to Nix.
Or if everyone else was the same.
If it was the latter, he wondered how he could help them recall their sunken memories. Could the method used against Nix work again?
What exactly did he say to Nix that caused it to happen anyway?
How is Nix now?
Shes hibernating. This is only natural considering that she had been on the verge of losing her mind.
As he spoke Torkunta raised his arms and stretched.
Mmm-I really gotta thank you. Its been a long time since I was allowed to see the outside and I love being able to move around like this. Ahh. It feels so good to move my body. Even if its a lowly body without claws, scales, wings, or a tail.
You do know thats Nixs body, dont you?
Hmph. I know that. In the end, this is only a brief moment of freedom anyway. Nix is the one who is really in control of this body. As soon as she wakes up, Ill be trapped inside again.
You also said that she couldnt hear your voice either
That was what it was like before, but she seemed to notice my presence just before she fell unconscious, so things might be different now.
I see. That means I might not see you again any time soon.
Lukas couldnt help but feel that it was a pity. In this world where everyone had forgotten about Lukas, Torkunta was the only one who remembered him.
He never thought that there would be such a day, where Torkunta became the one who was supporting Lukas weakened spirit to an extent.
Wh-, what are you doing? Stop that.
However, Torkunta took a large step backwards with a pale blue complexion.
What do you mean?
D-, dont look at me like that.
How am I looking at you?
Like a male trying to court a female.
thats a misunderstanding.
I, I reject your courtship! Even if I look like this right now, my mind is still completely male!
Youre misunderstanding!
After brushing off Torkuntas nonsense, Lukas became lost in thought.
In any case, it was unclear when Torkuntas mind would disappear into Nixs subconscious again. But he could still use the limited time when he was in control to find out as much as possible.
If Nix regains consciousness, will she still be hostile towards me?
Im not sure. But if that does happen then you definitely wont survive. Nixs mind has fully stabilised now. So her power wont be unstable like what you faced before.
Lukas completely agreed.
From now on, if Nix wanted to, then all of the people in this cave, Lukas, Peran, and the Swordnaz, would be burned to ashes in the blink of an eye.
What should I do?
Since Torkunta was in control now, he could send him as far away from them as possible. If he were to ask him to do so, Torkunta would probably agree without much fuss. But Lukas didnt want to let go of his only clue source.
By the way.
Torkunta opened his mouth as if he was just talking in passing.
There are other people who remember you other than me.
What did you cough!
Lukas coughed heavily.
Dammit. His body was in a really bad condition. He couldnt believe that he was in so much pain just because his heart began to beat a bit faster.
Are you okay?
Im alright, keep talking. Are there really others that remember me?
Maybe.
Who?
I dont know.
Lukas almost cursed at that moment.
When he turned to glare at Torkunta, he was met with a dazzling smile.
This is revenge for earlier. How do you like it?
Earlier? Was he talking about the courtship eyes that he mentioned before?
I told you that was a misunderstanding.
I didnt misunderstand that look in your eyes.
In any case. I wasnt joking when I said I dont know. All I know is that it was a woman. I dont know anything more than that.
An unknown woman?
Right. It was few years ago, before Nix went completely mad. A woman came up the mountain and asked her, `Do you remember Lukas Trowman?
Of course, Nix had already completely forgotten your existence, so she sent her away.
The first person that came to Lukas mind was Iris, but he knew it couldnt be her.
She hadnt remembered Lukas existence even when he met her face to face, much less to mention his name to others.
Then who else could it be?
Someone who still remembered Lukas Trowman
What did she look like?
I dont know. I was still locked away at that time, so I couldnt see anything. At best, all I could hear was her voice. Thats how I knew it was a woman in the first place.
This was becoming more and more mysterious.
Then, all of a sudden, the image of a person appeared in Lukas mind.
(TL: Brownie points for anyone who can guess who the mysterious woman is.)
Book 2: Chapter 343
Book 2: Chapter 343Peran headed into the depths of the cave.
There, he found five people, who should have remained on bed rest, exercising in their own ways.
The Swordnaz.
How are you all feeling?
Ah. Magic Commander.
Eric and the other Swordnaz quickly stopped what they were doing and tried to politely bow to him, but Peran shook his head.
Dont push yourselves too hard.
No. Were fine.
After speaking in a firm tone, Eric bowed politely.
He wasnt just pretending, it seemed he had recovered quite well already.
It seems your condition has improved by a lot.
Yes, sir. The others have no major problems either. While we havent returned to our peak states, we are still capable of fighting.
The Wizard, Yuriah, in particular, was having some trouble because of her slow mana recovery speed, but the others were almost fully recovered already. In particular, Hoffman, who was regarded as the toughest among the Swordnaz, was already training with his sword.
I see. Still, it would be best if you didnt overdo it. You wont be able to help if you make your injuries worse.
Yes, sir. Ah, Magic Commander.
Eric hurriedly stopped Peran, who was about to turn away.
What is it?
its been five days since we lost contact with Lady Snow. No. We were unconscious for a day, so its been six days. sea??h th ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
He started talking with a cautious tone.
Thats why I
Perhaps because he didnt think it sounded right, Eric seemed hesitant to voice his thoughts.
Realising what he wanted to say, Peran asked first.
Are you worried about Lady Snow?
Erics body trembled slightly. He muttered to himself with an indescribable expression on his face before letting out a sigh.
Yes. The Swordnaz have failed. At times like this, we should trust her even more.????n????????e????????. Co????
Thats not true. Lady Snow understands the Swordnazs loyalty better than anyone else. Im sure she would be happy to know youre worried.
really?
You should know what her temper is like. She would never summon her followers to a place of death if she had a choice. If possible, she would rather handle everything on her own.
That Yes. Youre right.
Peran smiled gently.
The fact that she called you to this place means that she trusts and relies on you. You should be proud of that fact.
He knew just how prideful Snow was. She was the type who would not ask for any help in most cases.
And yet Snow had looked for them first in this situation. Peran was right. This was something they could be proud of.
Plus, our leader is the strongest being on the continent.
Peran had a faint smile on his lips.
At the very least, I cant imagine her losing to anyone.
* * *
What do you plan to do now?
Torkuntas question woke Lukas from his thoughts.
This was truly not the time to be too concerned about the mysterious woman. Her identity wasnt something he could confirm just by thinking about it.
Instead, he would have to deal with one thing at a time, starting with the situation before him.
First things first, we need to find Snow.
Do you mean the elf woman who wields a sword? Then youd better hurry.
Do you know something?
It was Diablo that lured Nix to this forest. As far as I can tell, the Elder Lich intended to make use of her hatred.
Diablo.
Lukas couldnt help but feel strange as he thought about Diablo.
To be honest, he still found it hard to accept that Diablo the Demon Lord was causing chaos all across the continent.
Because the Diablo in Lukas memory was a comrade who helped them tremendously in the fight against their common enemy, the Demigods. They werent close enough to call him a colleague, but it could still be said that they had a cooperative relationship.
wait. So does that mean that Diablo is in this forest now?
Well, I cant say for sure. But Im pretty sure thats the case.
Currently, Snow was touching the very peak that one could reach as a mortal. No matter how he thought about it, he didnt believe Diablo would be able to defeat her.
But he couldnt jump to conclusions just yet.
Lukas didnt know a lot about Diablo, but he did know that he had a very thorough personality.
He would never do something like this unless he was absolutely sure of his victory.
Right. As you said, we need to hurry.
Well, I wish you luck. Ill go now.
When he heard this, Lukas looked at Torkunta and asked.
Youre leaving? Where will you go?
Im just going to look around. Or Ill head back to my territory in the Ispania Mountains.
Cant you help us now?
Hmph. I know youre desperate for help, but there is no way you dont understand the current situation. Sooner or later, Nix will regain consciousness. Are you sure she wont be hostile towards you when that happens? The risk would be too high to take the gamble.
Besides, what were they called again, the Swordnaz? How are you going to explain my presence to those guys that Nix kneaded like dough?
Torkuntas words were very on point.
Even if Peran might accept it, the Swordnaz would definitely not be convinced about Nixs change of attitude. Even if he were to take the time to perfectly explain everything to them, he didnt believe that they would readily accept it.
You dont have to bring them with you.
With a soft tone, Peran appeared.
Lukas glanced at him for a moment before turning to look at Torkunta.
Does Peran know about your situation?
In a way. We talked for a bit while you were unconscious.
Lukas didnt believe that Torkunta would talk a lot about his situation. At best, he probably said enough so that Peran had a slight understanding.
Of course, the intelligent Peran should have been able to grasp a few more details from the explanation.
What we need right now is to increase the strength of our group. We dont know what kind of undead are lurking in the cave, so even one extra person would be a lot of help.
So youre asking me for help despite the fact that I just tried to kill you?
Thats right.
Hmph.
Torkunta snorted, but Peran continued without hesitation.
The Swordnaz are currently waiting in this cave. They dont know about your presence yet. So if the three of us were to go to the cave before them, we wouldnt cross paths.
You want the three of us to go alone?
Right. Of course, we would just take a look first, try to get a grasp on the situation, and if we think we can break through on our own, we can just go directly into the cave. How about that?
This was probably the plan that Peran thought up while Lukas was unconscious.
It wasnt a bad idea.
In fact, it might be the best course of action for them in the current situation.
Lukas nodded in approval while Torkunta didnt answer, but his expression showed that he agreed with the suggestion.
Fine. Then lets set off right away.
Book 2: Chapter 344
Book 2: Chapter 344(TL: 9/10)
The cave Lukas and the others were staying in was quite far from the cave Snow was supposed to be in.
The fact that the nearby trees and grass were still alive was the best indicator of this fact.
The area around the cave with Snow, where Nix had gone wild, only had ashes and smoke left.
Although they were moving as fast as they could, they also made sure to remain careful. Nevertheless, Peran couldnt help but open his mouth after a while.
thats strange. I dont see any undead.
The death energy in the forest is also thinner.
As if he agreed, Torkunta added.
It was as they said.
Even after travelling for more than an hour, they hadnt seen even a single undead.
At first, it could be said that they were expertly keeping their traces hidden. But this was different. As Torkunta said, even the unpleasant death energy that had drifted like fog in the forest was beginning to clear up.
The fact that they didnt encounter any undead didnt reassure them. On the contrary, it increased their vigilance and curiosity even more.
Nevertheless, they didnt have time to carry out further investigations.
Deciding to move a bit more openly, they soon reached the point where they could see the river in the distance.
I will use Fly to take you guys over.
Let me do it.
Fwoosh.
Wings of red flames sprouted from Nixs shoulders.
Peran, who had been thoroughly harassed by those wings, couldnt help but flinch slightly.
When he saw this, Torkunta grinned widely and flapped his wings once again.
Are you scared? Thats cute, its not like you.
Im not scared.
With a shake of his head, Peran denied those words.
Suddenly.
Lukas, who had been calmly looking at the river, suddenly frowned.
Wait.
What?
Something is flowing downstream.
At those words, Peran and Torkunta turned to follow Lukas gaze.
After a while, their expressions changed.
Those are
Hmm.
It was the corpses of the undead.
It was more than just one or two.
There were a lot. Too many to count. The undead, which they couldnt find anywhere in the forest, were flowing along the river as though they had been placed there.
hnn.
What?
When he heard Perans soft grunt, Lukas asked.
There are sword marks on each of those corpses. It must have been Lady Snows doing.
Did she take care of all of these undead on her own
Lukas looked at the almost endless flow of undead corpses.
Peran nodded with a bright expression.
Right. She is capable of something like this. Maybe she didnt really need our help.
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We should hurry. She might be in a situation where she is too heavily injured to move.
Was that really the case?
Lukas couldnt make such optimistic assumptions like Peran.
It was his bad habit to always consider the worst when thinking about possibilities, but that wasnt the only reason.
He had a strange feeling as though he was missing something
Those undead guys are really rotten.
Torkunta clenched his nose as he spoke with a disgusted expression.
What?
Im saying that at least dozens of hours have passed since they were returned to death. In other words, its been at least a few days since that woman named Snow killed them.
!
Lukas expression hardened.i????????r????????????. ?????m
When Nix had been causing a fuss because of her mental instability, the scale of the damage was large enough to burn down a small city.
In other words, it would have been impossible to miss the disturbance no matter where in the forest you were.
Reserve energy.
If Snow had even the slightest bit of reserve left, she would have immediately noticed the disturbance and dragged herself over to help.
But Snow never appeared.
She failed to make an appearance even when Lukas, Peran, and the Swordnaz were on the verge of death.
This could mean one of two things.
Either she couldnt afford to.
Or.
Lukas stopped thinking about the other possibility.
There was no need to consider the worst case scenario right now.
In any case, even if he didnt want to, he would have to check for himself.
His gaze turned to the cave past the river.
* * *
There was no need for them to be careful as they crossed the river since Nix burned down all the trees in the area.
The only thing left in the surrounding area was a layer of ash on the ground, so there was no need to worry about hidden undead.
Thanks to this, they were able to reach the cave in a short span of time.
Whoosh-
The sound of wind blowing could be heard from within the cave.
The stench it carried was so powerful that the others didnt need Torkuntas keen senses to be affected by it.
Lukas and Peran couldnt help but cover their faces with their hands as the powerful smell assaulted their noses.
There might still be undead here.
Lukas agreed with Torkunta.
Peran nodded before creating a ball of light that floated in front of them. The dark cave was immediately lit up.
They stepped forward.
The floor of the cave was covered in moisture, making it slippery, and the tepid air was damp.
Lukas realised that this was a limestone cave.
Suddenly, a ghoul, which had been lying in the shadows, jumped out at them with its claws outstretched.
Peran was a bit surprised by its appearance, but he didnt panic and instead fired an Ice Arrow at it.
Puk.
The ghoul, which was stabbed through the eye, didnt make a sound. Its body simply collapsed to the floor with a soft thud.
I guess I should say as expected. This is just the entrance, but there are already ghouls here.
There might be more lurking in the shadows. How about I just shoot out my breath? All of them will be burned alive. No. Theyre undead, so they would be burned dead.
Torkunta made an offer with a vicious smile, but Peran shook his head firmly.
No. Lady Snow might be in this cave. If you make a mistake, you might implicate her as well.
Torkunta frowned for a moment before finally opening his mouth.
That woman, I think shes probably a corpse by-
Torkunta.
Lukas interrupted him.
Torkunta might be arrogant, but he was also smart. When he finally realised why Lukas interrupted him, he closed his mouth with a dissatisfied expression.
For now, lets progress carefully. We dont know where the enemy might appear from.
Right.
They slowly delved deeper into the cave.
The sphere of light illuminated their surroundings, but it couldnt shine into the cold, empty eyes of the undead corpses around them.
Corpses.
There were countless corpses.
The corpses that he and the Swordnaz had made.
The corpses that were swept away by the river.
The corpses that piled up like garbage in the cave.
When he thought of those corpses and looked at them, Lukas gradually grew angry.
Why are you getting so angry?
As if he felt the anger that was slowly rising within Lukas, Torkunta asked him. This guy really could be observant when he wanted to be.
As he had this thought, he responded simply.
I really hate Necromancers.
Hmm. If I remember correctly, we have been working with Diablo for about a year.
Peran, who was walking ahead of them, glanced back at those words, but he didnt interrupt their conversation.
Now that he thought about it, Lukas realised that he still hadnt gotten the chance to have a proper conversation with Peran. But he didnt think he would let it go.
This was true for both Peran and Lukas.
However, for now, their top priority was to check Snows safety, so both of them continued to keep their mouths shut for the time being.
I thought he was a Black Wizard.
Necromancer, Black Wizard? Is there a difference?
They were different. Very different.
Lukas didnt hate black magic in itself.
Although it was different from magicology, it couldnt be denied that it was a branch that had been derived from it.
Moreover, he always thought that their hidden desire, their quest for truth, and their obsession with mana was a commonality they shared with Wizards.
That was why he acknowledged Diablo.
In that past, although he had the body of a Lich, he mainly fought using black magic.
Necromancy is different.
How is it different?
because necromancy is the worst insult to the dead.
This time, it was Peran, who was walking at the front, that responded.
Torkuntas gaze turned to his back.
It is far more unforgivable than digging up a corpse and beheading it. It is the greatest insult to the dead.
I dont understand. Arent they already corpses? What pride is there to insult on flesh that can no longer move and simply waits for the day when they decay into nothingness.
That was the view of Torkunta, who was a monster, a Drake, and a King.
Even after hearing these views that differed so greatly from his own, Peran didnt get upset.
Instead, he continued to explain in a calm tone.
Perhaps what you said isnt entirely wrong. But what makes necromancy so terrible is the fact that reviving the dead inflicts indelible wounds on those who were close to them during their lives.
It could be a lover, family member or friend.
Lukas listened in silence.
Surprisingly, Perans views were similar to his own.
Was it because the young man who admired Lukas Trowman and sympathised with his ideal in the past still remained inside Peran?
Or
Suddenly, Torkunta looked over to Lukas and asked.
Did that ever happen to you?
What?
Did anyone you know ever become an undead?
No.
Although Lukas replied immediately, there was indeed a similar case to that.
The Green Dragon Isola.
Lukas recalled the scene of the Dragon, who had been his Master in the past, with just his head remaining, attached to the body of a sea serpent.
Of course, strictly speaking, that was a chimera instead of an undead, but Lukas still felt unbearable rage at the fact that someone had insulted his masters body like that.
Thats why he wasnt actually sure.
How he would feel if someone turned someone he knew personally into an undead.
Ah.
When he heard Perans soft exclamation, Lukas put aside his thoughts and looked ahead.
After a long while, the dark tunnel opened into a large cavern.
An underground cave.
Stalactites hung from the ceiling, and there was an ankle deep pool of water on the ground.
But it was the mountain of hundreds or thousands of undead corpses that truly gained their attention at that moment.
that.
In the meanwhile, Torkunta seemed to discover something else and narrowed his eyes slightly.
Turning his head, Peran followed his gaze.
Lady Snow?
His voice was muffled and cracked.
(TL: I was going to add another chapter after this, ya know 10/10. But ending it short just seems so funny to me. So, the mass release will end here at 9/10.
Also, I wont post any chapters on the 2nd either, to give you more time to bask in my greatness ^-^.
But maybe, just maybe, Ill also release another bunch of chapters on the 3rd too.
Happy April Fools ^-^.)
Book 2: Chapter 345
Book 2: Chapter 345Peran hurriedly ran towards Snow.
That wasnt like him. There was a mountain of corpses in front of them, but that didnt mean there werent any undead still alive.
It was even possible that Snow was used as bait to lure Peran.
Torkunta, keep an eye on the surroundings.
Dont order me around.
Torkunta replied in a harsh voice, but Lukas took it as a sign of acceptance and followed after Peran. He didnt forget to look around for any traces of movement as he moved.
Theyre all corpses.
That was the conclusion he eventually reached. Even if there was an undead that could miraculously hide from him, he didnt think it would also be able to fool Torkuntas sharp senses.
Lukas soon arrived beside Peran.
Snow de Predickwood.
The Elf Queens body was half submerged.
But she didnt look like a corpse.
Was it because her skin had always been deathly pale? Or was he having this thought simply because he refused to accept reality?
Peran was looking down at her body with a stunned expression.
This was Lukas first time seeing such an absentminded expression on this man who was always quite calm.
Lukas also had a hard time believing it, but it was clear that he was much calmer than Peran at the moment.
Calm down.
Peran remained silent, but he let out a shaky breath.
Lukas looked at him for a bit longer before turning back to Snow.
He couldnt feel any traces of life from her face which looked like an ice sculpture.
He checked her pulse Her wrist was cold. It felt like he was touching a chunk of ice instead of a persons skin. Moreover, he could not feel a pulse.
why the hell did a Swordsman like you
Lukas couldnt suppress the slight hitch in his voice as he spoke.
This cant be real!
Splash!
Peran fell to his knees. In an instant, his clothes were soaked in the rotten water, but he didnt care. He grabbed Snows wrist and placed his hand under her nose.
Lukas carefully looked at Snows body from a step away.
What was the cause of death?
The first thing he noticed was two holes on her abdomen,
The first hole was small, similar to a stab wound from a sword. It pierced through her clothes and skin and ripped the internal organs beneath.
The second hole was much larger than the first, and the shape of the wound was quite strange. It looked more like something had burst from her abdomen rather than stabbed into it.
This meant that something had come out from inside Snow, ripping through her intestines and skin on the way out.
Lukas narrowed his eyes.
An application of space magic
There were traces of sinister mana.
So it was probably the Blink spell mixed with black magic.
Nevertheless, in order to deceive the heightened senses of someone like Snow, it would have required a very complex and stealthy formula.
As far as Lukas knew, there was only one Warlock* who had that kind of ability. (*: I think Ill change Black Wizard to Warlock since I feel like its a good match for Witch. Black Witch is just Iris title, the rest are normal Witches.)
Diablo. sea??h th N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
It was just like Torkunta had said. The Lich had been in this forest, in this cave.
Lukas examined the other wounds.
Snow also had wounds on her upper abdomen and chest.
Including a stab wound directly above her heart.
This was probably the direct cause of Snows death. The first two wounds incapacitated her, and the final blow to her chest ruptured her heart.
It was at this moment that Lukas finally noticed something strange.
Deukid isnt here.
Did Diablo take it?
Why?
Of course, Deukid was a treasured sword that was hard to find an equal of, but Diablo was, in essence, a Wizard.
No matter how amazing it was, in the end, it was still a sword. There wasnt really any need for him to take it.
Something wasnt right.
Lukas examined the sword wounds again.
At first, he thought shed died after a fierce battle with the undead because there was such a large pile of them around her.
He believed the undead had launched attacks in waves to sap her stamina and concentration before Diablo took the chance to deal a heavy blow to the exhausted Snow.
The hundreds of undead would have used that opening and Snow, who was already exhausted, would have defended constantly until she eventually died.
While it might have been somewhat of an unfair death for a powerful being like Snow, the undead that were scattered around were by no means weak.
Every one of these undead were worthy of being called high ranking undead. If the location and timing were suitable, it was possible for this group to even destroy a small country in a week or less.
But now, it seemed that the true situation was a bit different.
There were only three major injuries on Snows body.
The sword wound on her abdomen, the hole from the black magic that pierced from the inside.
And the last hole in her heart.????????????????????????d. c????m
If she had been killed by a lot of undead, her body wouldnt have been in such good condition. Her enemies were undead. They were a group so vile that it wouldnt be strange if they were to consume not only their enemies flesh and blood but even their bones.
Nevertheless, Snows body was relatively clean.
a small number.
One or two at most.
Even including Diablo, their number wouldnt have exceeded three.
They were able to fight a fierce battle with Snow with just that many. And by the wounds, it was highly likely that one of them was a Swordsman.
An undead swordsman, who had the ability to fight against Snow?
He found it hard to believe, but it wasnt completely incomprehensible.
Diablo had confidently appeared in this forest and lured Snow over because he was confident that he would win.
In other words, the undead that he used in this fight were Diablos trump card.
A sigh leaked out of his lips.
Snows death. Although hed had his doubts before, he still found it unbelievable.
Although it was different from the blind faith that Peran and the Swordnaz had in her, Lukas also believed in her. Because he knew what Snow had achieved. She was a talented person who shouldnt have died in such a vain manner.
Lady Snow is still alive.
Perans soft murmur entered his ears.
Book 2: Chapter 346
Book 2: Chapter 346Lukas looked down.
It seemed Peran still couldnt accept reality.
This showed how much Snow meant to Peran. Since even the spirit of an 8-star Wizard could be shaken in such a way.
Peran, Im sorry, but she-
No. Shes really alive.
At those words, Lukas turned to look at him.
This was because the tremor in Perans voice disappeared. On the contrary, his voice seemed to contain a different emotion.
It seemed that he was truly convinced about Snows survival.
Lukas looked at Snows body again.
But he still couldnt sense any signs of life.
If that was the case, then
Her wounds.
His attention turned to the large hole in Snows abdomen.
The bloodstains around them were few.
It wasnt that they werent there, just that there wasnt much there.
Usually, for a hole of that large, not to mention blood, it wouldnt be strange if her intestines were to fall out.
this is
Upon closer inspection, he realised that there was a faint white mist escaping from her wounds.
Iceheart.
Perans voice shook slightly as he spoke.
Whats that?
Its one of Lady Snows skills. It seems that she put herself in a false death state just before she died.
As expected, I knew she wouldnt have died in vain like this.
Peran seemed pleased, but Lukas thoughts were different.
The enemy was Diablo, a 9 star Warlock.
When it came to thoroughness, he would be second to none.
Did he really not realise that Snow had survived? Even if he hadnt, there was no reason for him to leave her body here.
So there had to be a reason.
Why he left Snow alive
Did he intend to turn her into a puppet?
No. That couldnt be it.
He should have known Snows noble spirit. Even if she became an undead, there was a high chance that she wouldnt obey Diablo.
The success rate of the mind control varied dramatically depending on the personality, character, and willpower of the dead. As far as Lukas could tell, Snow was more likely to try and stab Diablo even if he were to bring her back to life.
Theres no way Diablo didnt know that.
The more noble a person was, the more preparations the Necromancer needed to make to corrupt them.
They would have to inject a huge amount of death energy into the body for an incredibly long time before they had a chance of succeeding.
Lukas put his hand on Snows body and frowned.
its as you said. Shes still alive.
Didnt I already tell you that?
Peran answered Lukas with a bright smile on his face, but Lukas expression still didnt improve.
However, her situation is not good. There is a large amount of death energy laying dormant in her body.
I know that too. However, when Lady Snow regains consciousness, she will be able to force it out on her own
Thats not possible. She must have realised how bad her condition was since she put herself in a false death state.
That was the conclusion Lukas reached.
Peran seemed to want to refute that statement without even thinking about it.
Blind faith.
To receive such blind faith from others. While it was a great accomplishment, it was also a great responsibility.
For the first time, Lukas felt sympathy for Snow. There had probably been some weakness from having to shoulder such heavy responsibilities, but she hid it behind her arrogant and broad-minded facade.
Then what do you think will happen if she were to regain consciousness like this?
Her consciousness would start to corrode because of the death energy, and her soul would die. And without her soul, her body would also lose its life.????????????????????????d. c????????
what? That means
Right.
Lukas voice was firm as he spoke.
Snows body would transform into a low ranking undead, like a ghoul or a skeleton.
th-, that
Peran clenched his fist as his shoulders began to shake. His eyes became slightly red because of his anger.
Reviving a Sword Master like Snow as a low ranking undead?
That was an insult, an insult to her very existence.
How dare he
It wasnt difficult to awaken her from her false death state. All they needed to do was warm up her cold body. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
However, if they did that, the frozen death energy would also begin to move. The weakened Snow would be unable to remove the death energy and would slowly become an undead.
Her hair would fall out, her flesh would melt, her intestines would spill out, and her heartstopping appearance would become so hideous that there would be no traces of her former beauty.
So that is his goal.
Diablo had probably noticed Snows false death state.
And yet, he still left without finishing her off.
If he were to kill Snow here, the Anti Circle Alliance would stop at nothing to ensure that he was dead.
There was nothing more annoying than an entire organisation blinded by rage. This was something that Diablo knew too.
But if Snow was still alive, then they would not give up on her.
It was easy to tell how powerful Snows influence in the organisation was by the actions of Peran and the Swordnaz.
It was none other than Snows overwhelming charisma that brought them together.
The Alliance was also different from the Circle in the fact that they werent separated into different factions within their organisation.
The Anti Circle Alliance was centred around Snow, and from now on, they would do everything in their power to revive her.
This meant that they would stop focusing on other things like keeping the Circle in check or dealing with Diablos armies.
Even if they were to make the determination that Snow was unable to be saved, they would not stop trying despite knowing that their struggles would be in vain.
shit.
Peran must have come to a similar conclusion. Sometimes, it was possible for one to regret their own intelligence.
Spitting out a swear that was very unlike him, Peran punched the ground, causing the water on the ground and even the very walls of the cave to shake.
Lukas looked at him for a moment before muttering.
Theres a way to save her.
What?
Snow can be saved.
Peran remained silent for a while before finally speaking in a low tone.
I trust you. However, I hope youre not trying to give me some kind of false consolation right now. Say it clearly. Do you really know of a way to save Lady Snow?
I do.
Lukas voice was firm.
However, it will not be easy to get their help.
In order to remove the death energy that was laying dormant in Snows body, they would need an authority in black magic.
Someone whose skill and knowledge in black magic was comparable to Diablos, or perhap even more than his.
Iris.
It wouldnt be easy to convince her.
But she wasnt the only person theyd need.
After expelling the death energy, Snows polluted body would still need to be purified to ensure that all of the aftereffects were completely removed.
In other words, it would require an intellectual with knowledge in the fields of basic medicine, anatomy, immunology, and pharmacology. If they were also skilled in purification then it would be even better.
It wouldnt be good to gather experts from each field because it wasnt something that could be done separately.
It had to be one person.
One person had to have all of that knowledge.
And Lukas knew one such person.
Unlike Iris, he didnt know anything about her whereabouts, but
He turned to Peran and asked.
Do you know of a golem called Anastasia?
Book 2: Chapter 347
Book 2: Chapter 347Oh my God.
I cant believe it
Upon seeing Snows appearance, the Swordnaz despaired as though the sky was falling onto their heads.
Sera, who seemed unable to speak, could only clench her fists tightly with tears in her eyes.
The others reactions werent much different.
It was only Eric who was able to stay relatively calm.
Magic Commander, will Lady Snow be okay?
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Nevertheless, he was unable to completely suppress the shiver in his voice.
Shes currently in a false death state, but fortunately, her life isnt in immediate danger.
Peran answered in a voice completely different from when he himself had discovered Snow.
Relief swept across the faces of the Swordnazs faces like a wave.
Just this interaction was enough to show that Peran, while not as trusted as Snow, was still relied on quite a bit.
I intend to go on a journey to heal Lady Snow.
Will she be able to wake up again?
She will.
Perans voice was quiet, but it was filled with unshakeable resolve.
With a grave expression on his face, Eric slowly opened his mouth.
Then we
No.
But Peran, who knew what he was about to say, gently dissuaded the Swordnaz.
I have something even more important for you to do.
By something more important
You need to help Lady Snow. Be the shield that protects her while she is in this vulnerable state.
all five of us?
His face was asking if not even one of them could go along with him.
The important thing to remember was that the five of them were a unit. So it would be counterproductive to take only one of them.
The Swordnaz can only reveal their true value when all five members are present. That is something Lady Snow used to say all the time. Was that a mistake?
thats not it
As he spoke, Eric tried his best to hide his sorrow.
However, his expression of anger and frustration still seeped through.
Eric, you need to take Lady Snow to Lilund. We need Lady Snow to be near the World Tree, Hruhiral, to stabilise her condition. This is something only you can do.
The cold air around Snows body didnt fade even after they left the cool cavern. In fact, it would probably be fine even if she were placed in a hot environment.
Her Iceheart wasnt so weak that it could be shaken by the heat of the sun or a bonfire.
However, they were worried that the death energy in her body would begin to spread over time.
Hruhirals sacred power also contained the element of purification. So if the death energy truly was to begin acting up, the World Tree would be able to suppress it a bit.
No one should be allowed to know how critical her current condition is. Even if its other elves. I believe you dont need me to explain why. Can you promise me that you will carry out this task?
I promise, Magic Commander.
Eric gave a stiff nod.
In other words, he would need to deceive his people, but now was not the time to be worried about that.
At least from Erics perspective, Snows life was much more important than the fundamental integrity and innocence that he had as an elf.
Please hurry And Yuriah.
Yes.
I would like to talk to you for a second.
Yuriah nodded without changing her expression.
Peran gestured with his head slightly, and the other Swordnaz got up from their seats.
After a while, only Peran, Lukas, and Yuriah remained in the cave. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
You have to be careful.
Huh?
keep this in mind. From now on, its possible that any Wizard could be an enemy.
Yuriahs expressionlessness gave way to a look of confusion. She didnt understand what Peran was saying.
He knew this.
But he didnt have much time to explain.
Before coming to the Amalgam Forest, I visited my home in Kausymphony. You know of my father, Shepard Jun, dont you?
Ive heard of his reputation. Hes a Great Wizard who represents the empire, and a high ranking executive in the Circle.
Peran smiled faintly.
Hes good at pretending I suppose I should still call him father.
At those words, Lukas, who had been leaning against the wall of the cave the entire time, lifted his head.
What do you mean by that?
My father tried to kill me.
Huh?
It wasnt just Yuriah that was shocked. Even Lukas had an expression of disbelief on his face.
He has already sold his soul to Diablo. To see the end of magicology, he would not hesitate to commit any crime My father, Shepard Jun, has already been corrupted.
But why so suddenly?
Shepard Jun.
Yuriah had never met him personally, but she knew that he was a very straightforward person. This was because Peran often told her about him and because Yuriah had done a lot of research on the high ranking Wizards on the continent.
Shepard Jun was a man that she assumed would break long before he would bend.
He was a 7-star Wizard. You are also at the same level, so you should understand, right? Just how high the wall in front of you is.
Of course, she knew.
In fact, she felt like even if she spent her entire life, she wouldnt be able to obtain any clues about the next level.
This kind of vague fear and self doubt put a lot of pressure on the shoulders of this young Wizard, who was considered a genius.
Diablo promised them enlightenment. He proclaimed himself to be a teacher It goes without saying how tempting that would be for an Archmage who thinks they cannot progress any further on their own. (TL: Ive always wondered why the author uses both Great Wizard(????) and Archmage(?????) to refer to Wizards above 7-stars. To this day, Im unsure.)
My loyalty to Lady Snow is much greater than my pursuit of magicology.
Yuriahs voice was firm.
I know that. But it is not good to be overconfident because even Cairo Wilsemann, the right hand of the Grand Master, Ivan, who has already reached 9 stars, has already joined Diablos side.
!
Both Yuriah and Lukas revealed shocked expressions at those words.
Did you say Cairo Wilsemann? That
This information is concrete. After all, I was directly attacked by him. Maybe if it werent for the fact that they were trying to capture me instead of killing me, I would not have been able to make it to the forest.
Was Cairo working with Diablo from the start? Or did he only recently decide to betray the Circle? I dont know.
Both of them used to be a part of the organisation called Paragon. In other words, they were former colleagues. The possibility that Cairo had been deceiving them from the start could not be ignored.
listen carefully, Yuriah. Diablo has been saving up so much power that we couldnt even begin to imagine. He crouched down and hid his claws for a long time, so he must still have a lot of hidden cards. And the fact that he is revealing it now means that he is confident in his victory regardless of what we do to try and stop it.
This is not all. Its highly likely that this is only the beginning.
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That was the fact that worried Peran the most.
10 years. The peace they obtained by overthrowing the Demigods had only lasted a short time.
Sooner rather than later, another storm would sweep across the entire continent.
Whenever we meet again, treat me with suspicion, and I will do the same.
Yuriah licked her lips over and over as if she had something to say, but she couldnt say anything in the end.
She simply clenched her fists.
And nodded.
Book 2: Chapter 348
Book 2: Chapter 348They watched the backs of the departing Swordnaz, the sun setting behind them.
When their figures finally disappeared over the horizon, Lukas opened his mouth.
Is what you said before true?
What do you mean?
The story about Cairo joining Diablo.
Peran nodded his head slowly instead of responding.
Cairo Wilsemann is a 9-star Wizard.
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Right.
Enlightenment. And a desire to be taught. Did you notice? According to your words, Diablo will teach a 9-star Wizard.
There was no answer, but he could tell from looking at Perans expression. This man was also considering that possibility.
we need to contemplate this situation more carefully, but I dont believe most Wizards will be able to refuse Diablos temptation. As you said before, they are on the verge of going crazy from their hunger for teaching. They will accept it regardless of what he asks for in return.
Thats not teaching.
Lukas voice was cold. Teaching wasnt something that should be paid for. That was what Lukas always believed.
But why didnt you fall for Diablos tricks?
Huh?
Youre 8-stars. The higher the level, the greater the desire for enlightenment.
Peran gave a small smile.
Well. Perhaps its because I am less desperate. It hasnt been so long since I reached 8-stars.
Lukas didnt think he was being completely honest, but he decided not to question him more deeply.
In any case, now is not the time for us to worry about Diablo and the Wizards. Firstly, we need to focus on Snows treatment and resuscitation. To do that, we will need to find Anastasia like you said.
You said there was a place you thought she might be.
Thats true, but you shouldnt trust that too much. It is outdated information.
Peran spoke with a slightly troubled expression, but Lukas didnt mind. This was because he hadnt expected that Peran would have any contact with Anastasia in the first place.
But when he asked Peran about her, his strange expression told him that there was some story there.
Even outdated information is fine. So where were we
Lukas turned his head slightly, and when he stopped, his gaze was resting upon Torkunta who was standing in the distance. He was half hidden behind a burnt tree.
Lukas beckoned towards him.
The Swordnaz have already left, Torkunta. You can come over.
Torkun
Lukas paused for a moment.
Nix and Torkunta.
They were two consciousnesses, two souls that shared the same body.
It was possible to tell which one was in control by looking at the colour of their eyes.
When Torkunta was in control, the eyes were golden and slit like a predator.
And when it was Nix, the eyes were red.
The reason Lukas paused was for one reason.
The eyes looking at him from behind the tree were bright red.
It was clear.
The one who was currently in control was Nix.
Be careful.
When Lukas spoke in a low tone, Peran, who also noticed something strange, began to draw upon his mana so that he would be able to cast a spell at any time.
there are still a lot of things I wanted to ask Torkunta.
Nix had woken up much faster than they expected.
Then what would happen now?
If she were to decide to kill them, there was nothing Lukas and Peran could do to fight back. In other words, they would have no choice but to run away. But did they really have enough time to escape from Nix?
I might need to try calling out Torkunta again.
No, that would be difficult too.
There were two reasons why Torkuntas consciousness was able to come forward so easily last time.
One of them was because Nixs mind was unstable, and the other was because Lukas had successfully managed to threaten her life to an extent.
Now, it would be difficult for him to satisfy either condition.
It was strange.
He had been thinking for quite a while already, but Nix still continued to look at him without saying a word. To be more precise, her gaze was glued to Lukas face.
When he lifted his gaze to meet hers, she turned her head to the side and folded her arms with a slight huff.
why is she acting like that?
Well.
Lukas and Peran werent sure of what was going on.
But they could at least be certain about one thing.
For now, Nix wasnt showing any hostility to them.
Lukas and Peran exchanged glances while lifting their guards ever so slightly.
It doesnt seem like she plans to kill us.
that seems to be the case.
Then what should we do? If we talk to her
We might end up stimulating her again
She doesnt look as unstable as before.
That might just be how she looks. Those who are mentally and emotionally unstable dont always show it on the outside.
so youre saying if we try to approach her, we might get turned to ashes.
Should we just act like we dont care? Maybe we should head to the main road.
That wasnt a bad idea.
With a slight nod, they slowly turned around and began walking side by side through the forest. Despite this, almost all of the attention of the two men were focused on the woman who was looking at them.
After taking about ten steps.
Tap tap-
They heard the sound of footsteps behind them.
shes following us.
Thats right.
You dont think that she will hunt us down and try to kill do you?
I dont think so, but Im also not sure what shes thinking.
Should we use the Warp spell to try and shake her off?
Thats too risky.
Lukas pondered for a moment before making a suggestion.
Lets leave the forest first before deciding what to do next. Dont let your guard down.
Right.
by the way, where are we going?
When he heard this, Peran pulled a half broken compass from his pocket. Lukas guessed that it might have become like that during the fight with Nix.
Peran pointed to the northwest and spoke.
Yuterdam.
Yuterdam?
This was his first time hearing that name.
Peran chuckled slightly as he added.
It is the so-called City of Pleasure. (TL: This scene was so funny to me.)
* * *
Nix, who was walking at a fixed distance behind them, suddenly frowned and mumbled.
why are you so noisy? Shut up.
[]
The headache? Its fine for now. It doesnt hurt anymore. In fact, Im sure
There was a strange glint in the eyes of Nix, which had been locked onto Lukas back since he turned around.
It wont hurt anymore.
* * *
Its fine now.
The doctor announced as they finished wrapping the bandage tightly.
Lukas bowed his head slightly.
Thank you.
It is something you paid for. But you should be more careful in the future. The surgery was a success, but that was no minor wound. If you were to move too much, you might cause it to reopen.
I will keep that in mind.
Take these medicinal herbs twice a day after a meal for one week. Once in the morning and again in the evening. You may go now.
Lukas nodded, put on his shirt, and left the room.
As he climbed the creaking stairs, he was greeted with a panoramic view.
The blue horizon that stretched endlessly, and the sails swaying in the salty breeze which brushed past the tip of his nose.
He was on a ship. A transport vessel headed towards Yuterdam.
It seemed that there were no Warp Stones in Yuterdam. In addition, since it would be the first time that Peran was visiting it too, he didnt know its coordinates. In other words, it meant that they had no choice but to travel there themselves.
It is safer to travel by sea than by land.
For one, it would help them avoid Diablos tracking, and it would shorten their journey by a considerable amount.
Above all, it allowed Lukas to get the required rest to heal his wounds while they travelled. Thanks to this, his physical condition was able to improve rapidly over the past two weeks.
According to the doctor, as long as he didnt overdo it, he wouldnt have any trouble moving around.
I cant tell if this body is weak or strong
It was surprisingly sturdy.
When his stomach had been pierced, he really thought that he would die.
In any case, after leaving the Amalgam Forest, they received some proper treatment in a nearby town before heading to the nearest port town after a short rest. Then they immediately found a ship heading towards their destination and got on board.
It had already been two weeks since theyd left the Amalgam Forest, and five days since theyd stepped onto the ship.
According to the schedule, they would be able to see Yuterdam by sunset.
Is your treatment over?
He turned around when he heard the sudden voice behind him.
It was Peran.
Even though the sun was high in the sky, his skin was clammy and his hair was tousled as if he had just woken up. This wasnt strange. He had been constantly locked in his cabin, using the numerous communication stones hed set up there to calm the chaos in the Anti Circle Alliance.
Lukas couldnt tell just how busy he was, but he was certainly busier than him, who just had to focus on his recovery.
Right. You?
It was a bit rushed, but Ive done everything I can. All thats left to do is pray.
I see.
Silence fell.
The two men stood side by side, staring out at the open ocean.
It wasnt particularly awkward. In fact, the silence was actually comfortable.
But this fact was even stranger.
It had been so long since Lukas had felt something similar to this that hed already forgotten it.
Shes doing it again.
Lukas looked over when he heard Perans laughter filled murmur. sea??h th N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
There, not so far away, stood Nix, partially hidden in the shadows.
Have you spoken to her yet?
No. Whenever I get close, she runs away.
Really? Well. It doesnt seem like she wants to kill us anymore, so I guess we can count ourselves lucky.
That was something he could definitely agree with.
Of course, Lukas wanted to know a bit more about what was currently going through Nixs mind, but her power was too intimidating to provoke.
It was too risky to pursue her and ask her questions when she was avoiding him herself.
At the very least, it was something he had to avoid until he was absolutely certain that it was safe.
on a ship.
Peran spoke slowly.
His expression and tone were completely different from before.
Thats where we met for the first time.
There was no subject.
But it was easy to tell who Peran was talking about.
Frey Blake.
Until now, Peran hadnt mentioned anything. They had been too busy in the Amalgam Forest. And even afterward, theyd been focused on finding a ship and seeking treatment from a doctor.
Theyd had a few minutes of conversation between those times.
Nevertheless, Peran didnt say anything, nor did he ask anything.
It was only now that he was bringing up Frey.
Lukas wondered why.
Right.
He nodded.
Peran paused for a moment before opening his mouth again.
I didnt really care about the pirates, but the Lich was a problem.
With your level at the time, he could be considered a formidable opponent. But compared to Diablo, hes like a newborn.
Haha. Thats natural.
Lukas looked up at the sky for a moment before muttering.
I just realised something.
What is it?
Both then and now, our enemy was a Lich.
Peran turned to Lukas with a look of confusion for a moment before he burst into laughter.
Ha, hahaha. Hahaha
His smile was as refreshing as the ocean breeze.
Lukas didnt think his words were particularly funny, but Peran laughed so hard that tears appeared at the corners of his eyes. Nix, who was standing a bit away, seemed to become curious as she inched closer. But when her eyes met Lukas, she stopped moving and went back to her original spot.
right. Thats right.
Peran muttered to himself while nodding as though he understood something.
When he looked at Lukas once again, his expression seemed a bit brighter, as though hed let go of some kind of burden.
By the way, what should I No. What do I call you? (TL: Hard to portray in English. The first what do is formal, the second is more casual, like the way youd speak to a friend.)
For some reason, it felt like this was something that was important to him.
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Lukas cleared his throat and answered in a clear voice.
Lukas, Lukas Trowman.
Lukas Trowman Good.
Peran smiled brightly and stuck out his hand.
Im Peran Jun. Please take care of me, Lukas.
Right.
He grabbed his outstretched hand.
Perhaps it was just a feeling. But Lukas felt like a refreshing air was blowing in his chest.
Book 2: Chapter 349
Book 2: Chapter 349Yuterdam was the capital and largest city in the country of Freeland. Its size was about one third of the size of Kausymphony, which could be considered quite large among the cities in smaller countries.
Although it had a population of about 100,000, the proportion of original residents was not that large because it was a well known trade and tourism hub.
It was said that many people who visited as tourists ended up staying because the process for getting a visa and obtaining permanent residence was not very complicated.
Currently, it was very noisy
is there a festival or something?
It wasnt strange for Lukas to ask this question soon after disembarking from the ship.
The noise was so loud that it made his ears ache.
The lights that hung above their heads illuminated the streets that were so crowded that it seemed almost impossible for them to pass, and the scent of food that made their mouths water tickled their noses.
The entire city buzzed as though some kind of festival was going on.
No. Its like a festival all year round. To put it bluntly, Yuterdam is well known as the city where one is happiest as long as they have money.
he did say that it was called the City of Pleasure.
Now that he was seeing it for himself, it truly did live up to its name.
Lukas and Peran decided to move to a quieter place before considering their next move.
First off, before we start moving around, we should prepare.
Prepare?
Right. We dont look very good right now.????n????????????????????.nbsp;????????????
While they couldnt be called dirty, they certainly did look quite poor and shabby compared to the well dressed people around them.
After briefly telling him to follow him, Peran skillfully traversed the streets through the endless sea of people.
Seeing his reckless steps, Lukas couldnt help but call out to him.
Didnt you say youve never been here before?
Thats right. So I did my research as thoroughly as I could.
It seemed that he had even memorised the map of the entire city.
As he was thinking that it was something that Peran would do, they arrived at their destination.
It was a clothing store.
There were a few people inside already.
It was a very high end store, this could be seen both by the atmosphere and the level of clothes being displayed.
Peran approached one of the clerks in a very familiar manner.
Welco- Ah.
The clerk turned her face to greet them, but she froze slightly when she saw Perans face and blushed.
Im here to look for some clothes.
When Peran smiled, the clerk continued to look at him blankly for a while before her face became even redder.
Th-, thats right! Do you have any design or material that you prefer?
Do you have any silk shirts?
Of course we do. As for the color
Id like white, please. Id also like it to be tight, but not too restricting. The outerwear should be large and thin, and I think it would be better if it was embroidered in dark gold
We have several similar designs. Please follow me.
The clerk nodded and guided Peran through the shelves. As he walked, Peran looked at the clothes with a serious expression.
Lukas, who was left alone, looked at the price tag on one of the nearby outfits.
It was an unimaginable price.
An amount of money that ordinary people wouldnt be able to touch even if they worked for their entire lives. Were some strips of cloth really worth such a price?
He wasnt trying to disparage the clothing industry, but Lukas just couldnt understand.
After a while, Peran came out fully dressed in his new clothes.
What do you think?
He smiled brightly, showing off his white teeth.
It was needless to say what the result of this action was.
The clerk beside him immediately looked like she was about to faint. To put it in other words, her expression seemed to say I would have no regrets even if I were to die right now.
The other customers in the store were also staring at Peran with bated breaths. It didnt matter whether they were men or women.
the clothes are like wings.
In this case, it was like adding wings to a white horse.
When Lukas nodded slightly, Peran grinned.
Now then, its time to choose your clothes.
No. These are fine.
No. Were going to a place where first impressions are very important.
There was a bit of firmness in this voice like he wouldnt take no for an answer.
Perans gaze shifted to behind Lukas.
Without them realising, Nix had followed them into the store. She looked around with a clueless expression for a while before her attention seemed to be drawn to a scarlet dress.
If its okay with you, Id like to buy this dress for you.
Nix didnt answer, but she turned her head shyly.
* * * This chapter is updated by [ f r e e w e b n o v e l. c o m ]
There was a saying about being uncomfortable, like wearing clothes that didnt fit.
That was exactly how Lukas felt at that moment. He usually only wore clothes like large robes or armour that protected his body, but when he wore clothes like this, even just the feeling of the cloth rubbing against his skin annoyed him.
It suits you.
Empty words.
Its not. Look. Everyone is looking at us.
Theyre looking at you and Nix.
Lukas muttered inwardly and sighed.
So where are you going now?
The most important store in Yuterdam.
Store?
Itll be faster for you to see it for yourself.
Peran didnt say more than that and continued walking. Lukas had no choice but to follow him.
Were here.
The place they arrived at was a building with a dark atmosphere.
It was neither large nor small, but it was built in a way that made it hard to spot at a glance. Nevertheless, there was a long line of people waiting outside the door.
Looking at them, Lukas couldnt help but frown slightly.
they are all excited.
In fact, there was even a hint of madness in their eyes as though they were longing for something.
I heard an explanation, but I think wed be able to figure out more details by going inside.
After muttering a reply, Peran began to walk towards the door.
What about the line? Dont we have to stand there?
I made a reservation in advance.
When?
While we were looking for a ship.
He had a very meticulous attitude. It seemed that he hadnt just settled on a preliminary investigation.
The group headed into the building. The interior was dark, but it consisted of a single long hallway. At the entrance of the hallway was a figure wrapped in a dark robe.
Welcome to [Memories of Heaven].
Lukas narrowed his eyes.
It wasnt possible to tell if this person was male or female. They were using some trick to change their voice.
I made a reservation.
May I please have your name?
Peran Jun. I contacted you five days ago.
The person fell silent for a moment before suddenly opening their mouth again.
pink?
Angels.
It was a secret code.
It was only after Peran responded without hesitation that the person nodded their head.
Your identity was confirmed. Please continue along this path. Then heaven will begin.
Thanks.
After saying that, he walked past the woman, and Lukas followed him.
I think I know what this place is. It has a familiar scent.
Peran blinked in surprise at those words.
you do?
Right.
The line of customers waiting outside. The faint obsession and madness in their eyes. The fact that this building was built in such a secretive location. And last but not least, the security.
This most likely meant that it was a place that handled illegal goods.
They were probably selling drugs under the name of [Memories of Heaven].
There are clues about Anastasia in a place like this?
He didnt want to believe that she would be associated with such a thing, but Peran was by no means a fool. There was no way hed travel for five days by boat to come to this city if he didnt have some level of confidence.
thats really surprising.
Perans voice was filled with all sorts of complicated emotions.
And it was a bit weaker.
This is my first time coming to a place like this Mm. Well, to be precise, I didnt even know they existed until I started investigating.
Thats surprising to me too.
Drugs.
Even if it wasnt a word that he would associate with Peran, it was still surprising that he never even heard about it despite being relatively experienced in the world.
In addition, not only was he a high level Wizard, but he was also a member of one of the most influential noble families in the empire. While he didnt expect him to like this sort of underground thing, he should have at least been aware of it.
Haha. Well, Im not that trendy. I heard that there are many places like this nowadays. The times really are changing, you can even find them on main streets.
Trendy? Can even find them on main streets? Times are changing?
It felt like something was wrong with their conversation.
Just as Lukas was about to open his mouth to mention this, they reached the end of the hallway.
Creak-
The door opened.
And there, as he expected, the dark, musty smelling drug deal-
Welcome! Master!
Was not there.
Instead, Lukas felt like he would go blind.
Their surroundings had become bright, and a group of beautiful women with various skin and hair colours stood there with bright smiles.
This unbelievable sight caused the blood to drain from Lukas face.
Are the three of you a group?
Its been a while since we got a Mistress.
Wow. You are all so beautiful. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
The beautiful women burst into laughter and chattered among themselves, but Lukas couldnt hear any of it.
Whats going on? This
When Nix, who was standing behind them, muttered with a shell-shocked expression, Peran responded.
Firstly, its a restaurant, but the customers here call it [The Garden of Hopes and Dreams] or [The only Heaven you can go to while alive].
So its a type of concept restaurant. As long as you are in this store, you are the Masters and Mistresses of these maids Ah, of course, that doesnt mean you can treat them rudely.
He patted Lukas on the shoulder and let out a relieved laugh.
Anyways, Im glad you have experience. I was planning to move around secretly until I could meet the owner here.
So Lukas, what do we do now?
Lukas?
(TL: Hahahaha!)
Book 2: Chapter 350
Book 2: Chapter 350An enormous circular lobby.
Dozens of doors were connected to this lobby. It seemed that meals were served in private rooms.
There wasnt any noise coming from behind the numerous doors, but considering the waiting line outside, it definitely couldnt be because there were no customers. This meant that the soundproofing of these rooms was exceptional.
Please come this way.
Following the maids guidance, they entered one of the rooms. The interior of the room was much too large for just three guests.
Lukas, Peran, and Nix sat down at the table positioned in the center of the room first. A maid politely handed a menu to each of them with both hands. Lukas didnt pay her much mind and instead skimmed over the menu.
[Hotter than Ashs Love Garlic Hot Steak]
[As sweet as Jamies voice ? Honey Bread]
[Thaws even Lunas frozen heart Karul Mountain Tea] (PR: what, no emoji for this one? xD)
He forcibly suppressed the sound that almost escaped his lips.
Apart from the special names of the menu items, the prices were also quite startling. They were unreasonable enough to be described as extortion.
When he turned to glance at the girl waiting beside him, she smiled brightly and said,
We hope Masters will enjoy the food we made!
1 person per menu, per customer.
As such, their voices overlapped as they recited their lines.
Since he hadnt eaten anything since theyd disembarked, he was quite hungry.
Lukas ordered grilled skewers. Peran ordered steak and a glass of wine.
As for Nix, she tilted her head to the side as she looked at the menu in front of her.
Which ones are delicious?
Everything is delicious!
Then I want everything.
Wow! I love you! Mistress!
Lukas turned to look at Peran with an expression that seemed to ask if it was fine for her to do that. Since he would be the one paying for everything. But Peran simply shrugged his shoulders like it didnt matter.
We will prepare them right away! So please wait a moment!
They spoke in sweet voices as if there were hearts attached to the ends of their words.
The girls smiled cheerfully before carefully closing the door behind them as they left.
Peran took a sip of cold water before speaking.
The service here is much more thorough than in an ordinary restaurant. I can see why the food is so expensive.
Lukas was beginning to have an inkling as to the real reason why Peran wanted to visit this store.
Beautiful women who entertained guests with bright smiles, all of them much more beautiful than the noble girls who gave their all to maintain their appearances. Their features were so flawless that it seemed a bit unrealistic.
Not to mention the maid outfits that they all wore
Lukas knew of a man who had such a wicked hobby.
Hector.
The red Dragon, the prisoner of the Demigods, and a man who had a large role to play in the creation of Anastasia.
To make Anastasia, Lukas had found and gathered the best experts at golem creation.
Among them, Hector was a particularly key figure. At the very least, when it came to golem crafting, he was probably the only person whose knowledge had managed to surpass that of Schweiser in the past.
Its highly likely that Hector knows Anastasias whereabouts.
He never would have thought that he would be hiding(?) so openly in a store like this in the City of Pleasure.
No. On second thought, such a place was a perfect fit for Hector.
We need to meet the owner of this place.
After saying that, Peran took another sip of water.
Maybe we can tell the employees we want to meet him.
That will be hard. The owner here hes like a zombie.
He spoke like he knew Hector well.
Hes secretive
To put it nicely, and to put it badly, he closed himself off.
Even in the past, Hector had shown no particular interest in the happenings around the world.
Hector was an alchemy master, the highest authority when it came to golem crafting, and the owner of a vast amount of knowledge that he accumulated over a very long time. He could acquire an astronomical amount of money just by using a fraction of what he had in his head, so opening this store was probably just a simple extension of his hobby.
Your meal is here!
Following the lively cry, the door swung open. Then, the food, from which fragrant smells instantly filled the room, was brought in.
It was a good thing that the table was so big. If it were even a bit smaller, it wouldnt have been able to hold all of the food.
Nix looked at the spread of food with bright eyes like a child looking at treasure.
While Peran elegantly unfolded his napkin before cutting into his steak.
Bon appetit.
Lukas looked up at the maid who just spoke from beside him.
The first thing he noticed was her strange orange hair. Her pale skin and almond eyes drew his eyes next. From the outside, she looked no different from an ordinary human, but all of the maids in the room were probably golems.
Since Hector had always had a kind of fanatical obsession with the external aspects while neglecting actual performance, it was not easy to pinpoint any differences with the naked eye.
Suddenly, the maid turned her face to him and met his eyes.
Ah. Did you fall for Ash?
Ash?
Thats my name, Master!
Her way of speaking in 3rd person caught him by surprise.
When Lukas remained silent, Ash smiled gently.
Would you like me to feed you?
no. Its fine. We didnt come here for that.
Huh? But the other Master over there
Ash drifted off at the end of her words and her gaze turned to another side of the table. Following her gaze, Lukas was met with the sight of Peran who was leisurely eating the steak that was being fed to him by a maid.
what are you doing?
Mm. Since were paying for it, shouldnt we enjoy the full services? The steak here is excellent.
After saying that, he smiled at the maid beside him.
I think it would be better if the steak was cut into thinner slices.
Yes! Master!
The maid nodded with an enthusiastic expression before feeding Peran another piece of steak which he ate happily.
Obviously, in the past, Peran hadnt seemed to be very experienced in relationships with the opposite sex and had even been reluctant to go along with his familys arrangements. But it seemed a lot had changed in 10 years. (TL: Yes Lukas, not everyone can last for thousands of years)
Nix seemed to be wary at first, but after she reluctantly ate a piece of meat offered by a maid, her attitude changed completely. Afterward, she just sat back in her seat and opened her mouth without a word, waiting for the maid to feed her as if she was a chick waiting for its mother.
There was still no emotion on her face, but her eyes were sparkling.
Lukas couldnt understand Perans relaxed attitude at first, but he soon realised his disposition.
Peran was probably the type who progressed steadily, albeit slowly.
That was why he could still leisurely eat steak despite being more worried than anyone about Snows injuries.
Lukas disposition wasnt much different, but there was one crucial difference.
There were times when he pushed forward despite everything.
We would like to meet the owner of the restaurant.
Lukas brought up the main point right away, but Ash simply responded with a professional smile.
Im sorry. But the Owner isnt here right now.
When will he be back?
That is a very difficult question to answer. The Owner is like the wind Ah. But if Master is here when the Owner gets back, Ash will tell you right away!
! Sarch* The N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
At first glance, this seemed like a normal response, but Lukas was certain that this answer was more like an indefinite hold.
Perhaps even if he were to visit the store every day for a year, he would not be able to meet the Owner Ash had mentioned.
Thats an interesting lie. Theres no way Hector would go far away from you all.
Clink.
The movements of the maids froze at the same time.
Their smiling expressions disappeared like smoke, and instead, the only thing that remained was emotionless doll-like faces.
Peran looked at Lukas with a slightly startled expression, and Nix, who had just been about to eat a piece of bread like a baby bird, closed her mouth with a small pout.
who are you?
Ashs tone changed, becoming stiff and unfriendly.
Before Lukas could answer, Peran opened his mouth first and took the initiative.
We are acquaintances of Hectors. We came here because we really need his help.
(TL: This is why Lukas cant get nice things, he doesnt know how to enjoy them.)
Book 2: Chapter 351
Book 2: Chapter 351Ash spoke in a cold voice.
Our Master isnt interested in the affairs of the world.
We know that. And what were asking will not trouble him in any way. We would only like to meet him for a short while.
Thats a request I cant accept. The Master said that he will not meet anyone.
There are exceptions for everything. Im pretty sure this will be one of those times for Hector.
Ash fell silent for a moment before responding in a firm tone.
That isnt something that we can judge.
Peran had a slightly embarrassed expression on his face.
Their stubbornness was like an iron wall But he had expected something like this to happen. This was because he knew how inflexible these maids were.
He also understood just how absolute the orders of Hector, their true Master, were.
Thats why I tried to act like a guest.
Were trying to find Anastasia.
When she heard Lukas words, Ashs expression changed for the first time.
that name how
Suddenly.
The sound of footsteps came from outside the door.
It was clear that someone was walking towards the room with great momentum.
Realising this, Lukas and Peran tensed up.
Nix also seemed to sense it, but she continued to stare at the bread in front of her as if she determined that whoever it was wasnt a threat.
Bang!
Soon after, the door opened violently, and a red haired man strode in.
Hector.
Ten years had passed, but his appearance hadnt changed much from the last time Lukas had seen him. The only difference was that he seemed a bit thinner than back then.
The other thing he noticed was his eyes.
Hector was staring at Lukas with bloodshot eyes.
Did I just hear my Anas name in here?
Ma-, Master
The maids stared at Hector in surprise. His eyes swept across the crowd before settling on Peran.
You are Peran?
He hadnt expected to meet Hector like this.
Peran turned to Lukas for a moment with a dumbfounded expression before turning back to Hector with a wry smile.
Long time no see, Mr. Hector.
* * *
Hector sat down at the table first.
Ragged beard, greasy hair, and dark bags under his eyes. All in all, he looked haggard. It looked like he had been working all night.
Here you go, Master.
Ash handed a cup of tea to him in a polite manner, which Hector accepted with a bright smile.
Thanks, Ash.
Looking at his scruffy face, it seemed that his personality hadnt changed much at least.
After taking a sip of the tea, Hector slowly opened his mouth.
It has been a while, Peran. Has it already been 5 years?
Seven years. Have you been well?
Im always well. How can I not be when Im always stuck in a safe place?
I heard you decided to focus on business. I always knew that you were very resourceful, but you truly surprised me this time. Ive seen your franchise in the Imperial Capital. I also heard that the response in other countries has been very good too.
When he heard those words, a bright smile spread across Hectors lips.
Hahaha. I suppose my actions affected the winds of change which hastened our fated meeting. After all, every intelligent being with a working brain is destined to love maids.
I see.
Perans smile cracked a bit as he replied.
But why have you come here? Peran, I thought you were always very busy. Also.
Hectors gaze turned to Lukas.
It was you, right? The one who said my Anas name.
Thats right.
Hmm This is my first time seeing your face. Pardon my manners, but what is your name?
Its Lukas.
I see. I am Hector.
It seemed that Hector didnt remember him either.
Lukas was able to accept this fact calmly.
Perhaps it was because he was already used to it by now.
Or perhaps it was because he had already found people who remembered him. Sar?h the N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Although one who submerged in someone elses consciousness and the other only remembered a part.
Ill be blunt, Mr. Hector. We desperately need to know where Anastasia is.
Please explain in detail.
Peran began to give him a brief explanation of the situation.
That Diablo had revealed his hand.
And that Snow had become his first victim and was on the brink of death.
Hector didnt really pay much attention to his story. But that didnt mean he ignored him. Instead, he gave vague responses to the things Peran said, sometimes nodding or letting out faint exclamations.
Then, when the story came to an end, he muttered.
I see. So thats why you need Anas knowledge as the Great Sage
Thats right.
but its still strange. Wasnt Snow already capable of overwhelming Jekid a few years ago and inherited the title of Sword Master? I dont think even Diablo is capable of pushing her to the brink of death.
I agree. That means he has a trump card that we dont know about.
When Hectors face became a bit troubled, Peran added cautiously.
of course, I know that Anastasia isnt with Mr. Hector right now.
Hectors expression changed at that moment as if those words broke his heart.
Shes in her rebellious phase right now. I thought shed return home soon, but Huu. It breaks my heart.
in any case, I understand your situation. I did think that the continent was a lot more noisy lately, so it was probably because of Diablo.
Although he spoke clearly, there was no alarm in his voice. Instead, his voice was calm as though he was talking about a war that was happening on the other side of the world.
This wasnt very surprising. Hector had always been like that.
Even when hed been forced to be a minion for the Demigods, he hadnt shown any signs of pessimism. He was the type of person who perfectly suited the word optimism, but there was a slight sense of incongruity with his current attitude.
My desire to help you is burning, but as you said, Anastasia isnt here. You came to me despite knowing that because you want clues about that kid, right?
Yes. Do you have any clues to give us?
I do.
Thats true. Mr. Hector probably doesnt know-
Peran, who had already let out a low sigh, stopped talking for a moment and looked up at Hector with a startled expression.
huh?
I do have some clues. To be precise, I know where Anastasia is right now.
A-, are you serious?
Naturally. There is nothing I dont know about my Ana.
Hector spoke in a hoarse voice.
Where is she now?
The Ispania Mountains.
!!!
In an almost synchronised motion, Peran and Lukas turned to look at Nix.
It was only then that they realised Nix had already finished all of the food on the table and was now reaching for Perans steak.
When their eyes focused on her, her fingers froze in the air and she raised her eyes to meet theirs.
Then, after pausing for a moment, she brazenly grabbed Perans plate without changing her expression.
nom.
She swallowed the piece of meat as big as a palm in one bite.
Then she spoke to Peran in a slightly timid tone.
You werent eating anyway
It was now abundantly clear that Nix had not been paying any attention to their conversation.
Book 2: Chapter 352
Book 2: Chapter 352After hearing the words Ispania Mountains, Lukas was able to make a guess as to Anastasias specific location.
The location was Drake Mountain, the tallest mountain in the mountain range. Or to be precise, Schweisers Dungeon which was inside the mountain. Most people didnt know about it, but of course, Anastasia would.
Anastasia is called the Wandering Golem. I even heard that she was one of the heroes that saved the world 10 years ago. So why is she wandering the continent alone?
Well. Perhaps its for the same reason as Snow.
If it was for the same reason as Snow, that meant that she was also tired of the division and conflict in the Circle. Sear?h the N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
And that possibility wasnt entirely unlikely. While they could be called separate beings, Anastasias personality was based off of Schweisers memories and personality. This meant that she would also be particularly sensitive towards division and betrayal among comrades.
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so its the Ispania Mountains. Thanks for telling us.
As he said this, Peran got up from his seat.
Hectors expression darkened a bit when he saw this.
Where are you going?
Were going to leave immediately. Fortunately, Ive visited the Ispania Mountains before, so we will be able to get there in no time with a Warp spell.
Stop. You wont be able to meet her.
Huh?
Peran looked at him with an expression of confusion for a moment before deciding to ask.
Has she already left?????n????????ea????. ????????????
No. According to my predictions, she will be there for another week or two.
Then why
Eighty nine times.
?
Thats the number of times Ive tried to meet Ana.
Perans face became serious at Hectors words.
Did she attack you?
Yeah. I dont know whats going on, but its like shes filled with unending rage. Huu.
Hector let out a deep sigh as if he was truly heartbroken, and Ash, who was standing behind him, quietly continued his explanation.
Master almost died ten times.
really?
Really.
Peran sucked in a slow breath.
It felt like something which had seemed easy to solve at the beginning, was gradually becoming more and more twisted.
Anas attitude probably wont change even if you were to go instead of me.
Are you sure that she will try to kill us?
If she could even show such an attitude to me, who is like her father. I doubt she would treat you any differently.
Lukas didnt think Anastasia would easily attack anyone, but it had already been 10 years since their last meeting.
It was possible for her to have gone through several major and minor changes within that time.
In fact, it wouldnt be surprising if the changes Anastasia went through were even more drastic than the others.
At this point, it would be better to trust Hectors words, since he was the one who had met Anastasia most recently.
In the worst case scenario, if Anastasia were to become hostile
Lukas and Peran alone would not be able to face her.
Anastasias body could be called the culmination of the greatest techniques in alchemy, metallurgy, and golem crafting. Even though she had the form of a young girl, her entire body could basically be described as a weapon.
Her mana storage was a staggering 1 million ME.
If she had trained in martial arts and fine tuned the assimilation rate between her core and her body, it was possible that Anastasia may have experienced as much growth as Snow over the past 10 years.
Lukas gaze turned to the woman sitting at the table.
If Nix helped us
They might have a chance of survival. Nevertheless, it would still be impossible for them to subdue her.
No. That assumption was meaningless in the first place. From the start, Lukas had no intention of fighting Anastasia.
Afterward, a thought appeared in his mind. Lukas couldnt help but ask just in case.
Did Anastasia show any strange signs?
Strange signs?
For example, looking for someone.
Hector pondered those words for a moment, but he eventually shook his head.
As far as I know, nothing like that has ever happened.
Ana is Shes a good kid, shes just going through her rebellious phase right now. If you want to ask for her help, youll have to attract her attention first, and then you might be able to earn her favor. Peran, in my opinion, youre still a long way away from meeting the conditions. That handsome face of yours wont work on my Ana either.
is there really no way?
There is.
Hector wiggled his fingers.
I know something that Ana might be interested in. If you give it to her as a gift, you might easily be able to earn her favor. Of course, it would also be easy for you to mention Snows treatment to her at that time.
What thing?
A relic of the Regal Emperor.
Perans eyes narrowed slightly.
By Regal Emperor do you mean the 12th Ruler of one of the ancient countries, the Dragol Empire?
Thats right. Im talking about a relic that he owned during his lifetime about 2,000 years ago. Thats something that is bound to catch Anas interest.
but, how would I get something like that now?
The higher the value of a magic relic, the more difficult it was to find than a specific star in the sky.
For a relic of the Regal Emperor, the price would be astronomical. In fact, it was highly likely that it would be impossible to obtain even if he offered a ridiculous amount of money.
There is one here.
Huh?
A relic of the Regal Emperor. You can find it here, in the City of Pleasure.
Peran fell silent.
The thing they needed was very close At first glance, this might seem like good news, but he couldnt be happy just yet. Hed already been slapped in the back of the head when hed rejoiced over finding Anastasias current location.
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You know its here, but you cant get it yourself. In other words, that item is very difficult to obtain.
Thats just the case for me. It is something that I will never be able to obtain.
Why is that?
Thats simple. Because I have a very bad relationship with the current owner of the relic.
the owner?
Yeah.
Hector showed a rare frown.
The current Lord of this city, Yuterdam.
Book 2: Chapter 353
Book 2: Chapter 353The building was in a style he had never seen before in his life.
It had the appearance of hundreds of gold coins stacked on top of each other. The artificial light from the street reflected off the building, creating an indescribable splendor.
It looked as if the building was actually made of gold coins.
Of course, since it was being referred to as a building, it was clear how enormous the pile of gold coins were. In fact, this strange building was several times larger than the surrounding buildings. In addition, although they were made to be inconspicuous, several windows and doors could be seen on the building.
Looking at the shiny surface of the building, Lukas murmured.
The Gold House. Quite the intuitive name. I like it.
Its not made of real gold.
I think it might be plated on the outside.
I dont think anyone would try to take it off.
Peran gestured to a corner of the building.
There, a few large men were standing. They had harsh expressions and were all equipped with deadly weapons. They looked like mercenaries.
indeed.
It seemed that if anyone wandered around for no reason, those guys would probably not even leave their bones behind.
Well. From a casinos perspective, it was natural for them to hire mercenaries and bodyguards.
The Lord of Yuterdam
According to Hector, he would be somewhere in this building.
He didnt tell them anything about his appearance or personality. This wasnt for lack of trying.
It was clear that Hector knew him well, but for some reason, he seemed unwilling to reveal any details about the Lord.
That came as a surprise to Lukas.
Hed never seen Hector hate a person so much. Sar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Do you know anything? About the City Lord.
Lukas turned to ask Peran, who was always well-informed, but surprisingly, he shook his head.
The City Lord of Yuterdam is Marquis Mikhail, but I dont think thats who Mr. Hector is talking about.
Lets go in first.
After saying that, Peran entered the building first.
The inside of the building was bright, colourful and spacious. If the outside was gold, then the inside could be called platinum.(TL: Platinum coins are higher than gold coins in the Empire)
Not just the walls of the hallway, but even the chandeliers that hung from the ceiling were covered in jewellery that didnt seem fake.
It could be felt from the open entrance, but it didnt seem like they cared whether customers were coming or going.
But that didnt mean there wasnt any security. The large suits of armour that were situated on either side of the entrance seemed to follow them with sharp gazes.
There was no limit to entry, but it seemed that if inferior people were to set foot in this place, they would be blocked.
so. How are we going to meet the owner of this casino?
Thats not too hard.
Peran smiled confidently.
As he looked around, there was also no discomfort in his eyes.
you dont have experience in casinos, do you?
Ive played a bit of roulette, dice, and cards before.
Although he said it like it was nothing, the games Peran just mentioned were all the core things that practically represented casinos.
Peran rummaged through his bag for a while before saying,
Lukas, give me your hand.
My hand? Like this?
Clink.
Something heavy landed in his palm.
It was a handful of sparkling platinum coins.
Not gold coins, platinum coins.
This should be enough for you to play around with for a while. Ill come get you later.
Ive never done anything like this before in my life.
First off, dont play any game more than five times. Second, never bet all of your money at one time. Third, if you lost three times in a row to the same person, leave that game without hesitation.
If you follow those three rules, this much money is more than enough. Good luck.
With those words, Peran really turned around and left.
He never would have expected that he would like something like gambling. At least he didnt seem to like alcohol. For a moment, Lukas missed the pure and steady young man from 10 years ago.
Huu.
Didnt he just tell him to play around?
Lukas turned to look at his surroundings. He could see money being transferred back and forth in every direction.
As expected of the place called the City of Pleasure. The opening amount for every game was rather high.
Nevertheless, Peran had given him 12 platinum coins before he left. If he were to exchange it, that would be 1,200 gold coins, an amount that would be able to last him for over a month in the casino, not to mention a single day.
Ill save him some money.
Gambling was based on probability calculations, and battles of wits.
While it was hard to guarantee a win, if he learned the tricks, then at least he wouldnt lose.
In addition, Lukas would be able to see through most tricks, so he didnt have to worry about being deceived.
But before that, he decided to take a look around.
The Gold House was Yuterdams largest casino, but the building wasnt just a casino.
A dazzling stage was set up in the centre of the spacious lobby, where handsome young men and beautiful young women dressed in suits and dresses danced elegantly.
As he watched this scene, a man in a gold suit approached him with a glass of wine.
Sir, would you like a drink?
Im fine.
then please tell me if there is anything you need. I hope you enjoy your time here.
Ah. I would like to exchange some money
The currency exchange office is right beside the entrance. Would you like me to guide you there?
Please.
The man guided Lukas towards the front of the currency exchange office before leaving. The smile on his face didnt leave from start to end.
Lukas wasnt certain, but he felt that they probably paid a lot of attention to training their employees.
Deciding it wasnt necessary, Lukas exchanged only one platinum coin.
Clink-
He lightly shook the heavy money bag.
100 gold coins.
If he had exchanged the money into chips, he would have been able to enjoy a wider variety of games in the casino, but he didnt feel the need to.
then.
He wondered how much money hed make.
* * *
By far, the most popular games in the casino were those that involved cards.
There were so many varieties of card games that one would need two hands to count them, but in Yuterdam, the game that was, by far, the most popular, was Number Fight.
I-, its grown so big.
That board, how many piles are there now?
If we count Count Boborus side alone, its already 3,000 gold coins.
Ha! Thats the price of a house.
Count Boboru, a man covered in colourful jewels, was biting his nails.
Receive. Stop. Receive. Stop.
A conflict that anyone who sat at a gambling table had experienced was occurring within him at that moment.
Count Boboru, whose cheeks were trembling nervously, closed his eyes for a moment before finally crying out.
Call!
He received!
Wow!
The surroundings erupted.inn????e????????. co????
Without being swept up by the atmosphere, Boboru revealed his hand.
Double Five!
Another cheer burst out from the crowd.
A double appeared now.
Theres a reason why he held on till the end.
Hmm. I think that the Count will win this time
Nevertheless, Boboru didnt relax just yet.
Double Five.
It was by no means a weak hand. In fact, it was a good enough hand that he could confidently say that he wouldnt lose.
However, that confidence had been stamped down over and over again.
By none other than the handsome blonde man sitting in front of him.
Im sorry about this.
N-, no way
Double Seven.
As soon as those words were said, another wave of shouts swept through the crowd of onlookers.
Wow!
It became a battle between doubles!
Kya. Theres a reason why the board became so big!
Unlike his enthusiastic surroundings, Count Boboru looked like someone who had lost their soul.
All the money that he had earned in three weeks at the Gold House, had completely disappeared in less than 10 rounds. He had nothing left.
Impossible
This was a dream. It had to be a dream. Huhu. Hahaha
While Boboru was struggling to accept reality, Peran was focused on calculating his winnings after receiving the piles of chips on the board.
I made about 5,000 gold.
It was a large enough sum of money to cause even nobles to falter, but it was still not enough.
What Peran needed was enough money to draw out the owner of this place, the Lord of this city.
Ill stop I think Ill stop here.
Count Boboru staggered up from his seat.
Well, he had earned almost 3,000 gold coins from this man alone. He would probably not set foot anywhere near a casino for a while.
Of course, Peran felt no sympathy for this fact.
Now that Ive earned enough money, I should change games.
There was no point in winning money from the customers.
To make the owner appear, he would need to take money from the dealers, the casinos money.
Dice or roulette would be better.
However, it was against the rules to leave a game immediately after winning such a large pot. Of course, this was only an implied rule, but it was a type of etiquette that gamblers followed.
It would be fine if he lost two or three rounds first.
Just as Peran came to a decision and was about to shuffle the cards.
Is this seat taken?
Ah. No. Please have a seat, My Lady.
Thank you.
A sudden soft voice made Peran shudder slightly.
The owner of that voice No way
He looked up at the person sitting in front of him.
Purple hair that went down to her waist and gentle features. And the dark, mysterious eyes which made her seem so unapproachable.
When their eyes met, the woman nodded slightly.
Huhu. To meet you in a place like this.
What a coincidence, Peran Jun.
Iris Phisfounder smiled gently as she said those words.
Book 2: Chapter 354
Book 2: Chapter 354The light of the chandeliers above reflected brilliantly on the wine.
Peran took a small sip of the sweet smelling liquid into his mouth. Not only did it roll over the tongue like silk, but it also flowed down his throat almost as if it had a mind of its own.
This was, without a doubt, high class wine.
If its alright with you, may I have a drink as well?
His expression almost hardened like a stone when he heard the sudden voice.
A woman was standing behind him with a bright smile.
It was Iris.
From a naive girl to a seductive beauty.
Iris Phisfounder was a woman capable of completely changing her aura depending on her smile.
Peran deliberately turned his eyes away from her face. Hed only just moistened his mouth, but it already felt like he was intoxicated. This was proof that he was already being swept away by Iris.
It would be my honour, my Lady.
After receiving a glass from a passing waiter, he politely poured wine for Iris.
Clink-
They lightly tapped their glasses before simultaneously bringing them to their lips.
Except, this time, Peran could hardly taste the wine.
Im surprised.
What do you mean?
I never thought Id meet you in Yuterdam.
If her words were to be believed, that meant she hadnt come all the way here to meet Peran In truth, that much was obvious. After all, Peran hadnt informed anyone that he would be coming to Yuterdam.
Nevertheless, that didnt mean he could be too quick to jump to any conclusions.
After all, this person was the Black Witch.
She was a master of negotiation and a wizard when it came to language and speech.
Even experienced politicians were nothing more than newborn babies in front of her, so for her, keeping her intentions hidden was as easy as breathing.
Gambling sometimes serves as an excellent distraction. As long as you dont overdo it.
Huhu, I still dont think you came all the way here to flip some cards.
well. Naturally, I came here for other business, its just that I sadly cant tell Miss Iris what that is.
Rather than insist till the end that he didnt have any other goal, it was better to admit that he had other business and claim that it was too private to share. Of course, he didnt forget to mix a bit of firmness into his voice.
She must never find out about Lady Snow.
While Iris was a member of the moderate faction, she was by no means an ally. In fact, she was someone who had been deemed as a potential enemy by the alliance.
Therefore, it was imperative for him to hide the fact that Snow, the leader of the alliance, was currently wandering the small path between life and death.
What did Miss Iris come here for?
I came to meet the Lord of Yuterdam.i????????????????. ????????????
the Lord of Yuterdam?
He couldnt help but ask back.
Iris chuckled gently before nodding.
Yes. Ive been having a bit of trouble lately so Ive been meaning to ask for the Lords help.
Then why Number Fight. (TL: There was a typo in the raws for the previous chapter. It is Number Fight(???) and not Number Five(???). I thought the name was strange but just went with it.)
Its boring to just wait.
It was thanks to this boredom that Peran lost half of the money he earned to her.
It was then.
excuse me.
A tall young man approached them and looked at Iris before opening his mouth.
Are you Lady Iris?
You are?
I am Lady Asillas assistant, Merad.
Oh my, you came much faster than I expected.
I was told that if I didnt come hurriedly, the Gold House might have lost all of our money entirely.
When she heard Merads words, Iris let out a soft chuckle.
Thats not true. For a casino of this size, it would take about a week, even for me.
I, I see.
She was saying that it would be possible in a week.
Peran couldnt help but feel a surge of awe for Iris.
The beautiful woman in question placed her wine glass on the table before turning to Peran.
I want to give you something in return for the excellent wine, Peran. Wont you come with me?
Huh?
Dont you have business with her as well?
How did she know?
Peran had a suffocating feeling in his chest, but he tried to hide it as best as he could.
Then, please.
Is that alright, Merad?
That
Merad, who had an embarrassed expression on his face, tried to say something, but soon, his face changed and he nodded.
Understood. Then, both of you, please come with me.
Iris followed Merad with a smile. Peran watched her back for a moment before letting out a soft sigh.
Ever since hed met Iris, he couldnt shake the feeling that he was being dragged around by her.
Theres probably no one who can take the lead when shes around.
At the very least, he found it hard to imagine Iris being led around by anyone.
Now wasnt the time to think about this nonsense.
With a quiet shake of his head, he followed after them.
* * *
Hey, brother. If you dont want to play anymore, why dont you give up your seat?
Hey. Didnt you hear me
When the large man frowned, the man who was beside him restrained him.
Hey, thats enough. He lost like 1,000 gold coins in the last round.
What was that? Whats the point of gambling if youre going to lose so much?
Forget it. Look at his face, this is probably his first time in a place like this. Imagine how terrible it would feel to step in dog shit as soon as you step out the door.
ha.
With a low snort, the man walked up to Lukas and patted him on the shoulder before handing him a gold coin.
Eat a bowl of hot soup on your way home. Your head will still be hot so avoid going to a bar, alright?
S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Lukas looked down at the coin in his hand in dismay.
A gold coin.
This gold coin, which glittered in his palm, was now the entirety of Lukas fortune.
In other words, Lukas had no money left.
1,200 gold coins.
It had only taken him a single hour to lose all of the money Peran gave to him.
Impossible
Something that should be nigh impossible probabilistically had happened.
From what hed seen, he could win nine out of ten of the games in the casino.
And even the one he wasnt completely sure about, he was confident that his chances of winning were 90 percent at least. To bet on such odds could not be called gambling.
But he lost.
He lost again and again.
In fact, it would be easier to say that he never won.
In terms of probability, hed made thousands, no, tens of thousands of calculations.
There wasnt any cheating, so how could this happen?
just one more round.
Theoretically, the probability of losing 15 times in a row was almost zero.
But Lukas sighed as he looked down at the gold coin in his hand.
what are you doing?
He asked himself.
After staring for a while longer, he got up and left the building.
Standing in the cold wind for a while allowed him to gradually come back to his senses.
He would never gamble again. Seriously.
Just as he made this important decision.
Whoosh-
Lukas expression changed subtly.
He had a strange feeling. A feeling as if someones breath had just brushed past his face.
It was a trace of magic. It was done in an extremely stealthy manner, too. If he had still been in the building, he probably wouldnt have noticed it at all.
Lukas narrowed his eyes.
Who is it?
It had obviously been done by a high level Wizard.
Was it one of Diablos subordinates?
Lukas instinctively reached for his sword, but there was nothing at his waist.
Before boarding the ship, hed bought a new sword, but hed left it at Hectors store. This was because weapons werent allowed in the casino.
At that moment, Snows advice sounded in his ear once again.
Have your sword by your side at all times.
If those words were so easily forgotten, then their weight had already been greatly reduced.
Nevertheless, it wasnt like he was completely defenceless.
He put his hand in his pocket.
Feeling the cool touch of the dagger, Lukas looked around and tried to find the source of the strange feeling.
(TL: Where were those guys who expected Lukas to make a lot of money? Come on, lemme see you.
Also, Lukas cant be inconspicuous to save his life. Get a strange feeling, change expression, put hand in pocket, look around.)
Book 2: Chapter 355
Book 2: Chapter 355In a deep stairwell, only the sounds of three peoples footsteps could be heard.
Iris was silent.
Was it because Merad was there? Or did she simply have nothing more to say to Peran?
As he mechanically climbed the stairs, Perans thoughts never stopped.
It was only after the sounds of the first floor faded away and they came to a stop that he realised they had reached their destination.
Peran looked up to see a huge set of steel double doors.
It was not the size that one would expect for a normal person. This set of doors was so large that even a giant would easily be able to pass through.
Lady Asilla is waiting inside.
With a nod, Iris walked towards the doors before tapping one with her slender white finger.
Creak-
Then, with a soft sound, these giant doors, which seemed almost immovable, began to swing open almost as if they had their own will. For a moment, Merad stood frozen as he stared at Iris in shock, but she ignored him and walked into the room behind the doors.
Peran followed suit.
Thud!
A breath after the two of them stepped into the room, the doors closed once again with a heavy sound.
But Perans attention was no longer focused on the steel doors.
The interior of the room was bright, but that wasnt because of the light.
Gold bars.
There were piles of gold bars in the room like mountains in a mountain range.
Peran didnt dare to count the number. The inside of the room was large enough to match the size of the steel doors, but the mountains of gold bars still filled the space. And Peran was able to tell at a glance that all of these gold bars were authentic.
Have a seat.
A gentle voice sounded.
His attention was then drawn to a work desk that sat in the centre of the golden mountains. And behind that desk, was a young woman reading a document.
She had blonde, almost white hair, and slim eyes with barely visible pupils.
Was it platinum blonde? She was a woman with strange hair colour.
Iris observed her for a moment before speaking.
Its been a while, Asilla.
Peran didnt show it on his face, but he was shocked.
Iris was someone who consistently spoke in a polite manner, but this wasnt because she was showing or feeling respect for the other person.
She used the same attitude with everyone in order to build a wall around herself. In other words, it was a part of her persona.
But now, there was a clear sense of familiarity in Iris tone.
Right. Its been a while.
The woman named Asilla smiled with her naturally perfect face before her gaze shifted slightly.
And that man is?
Feeling that he shouldve left his introduction to Iris, Peran stepped forward and gave a polite bow.
Its a pleasure to meet you. I am Peran Jun.
Peran Jun.
Asilla murmured under her breath before asking.
The Archmage of the Kastkau Empire, Peran Jun?
Thats right.
After Peran nodded, Asillas gaze turned back to Iris as if to ask why she had brought him there.
It seems he has business with you. So I brought him here.
Hmm. What business?
Although it was a voice soft enough to melt the hearts of the listeners, Peran tensed up instead.
Now, how should he answer?
Asilla.
Hed managed to meet the Lord of Yuterdam, which had been his goal, but not in the one on one setting that hed envisioned. Beside him was Iris, a woman that one should never let their guard down around.
Shed probably brought him with her because she wanted to know what his purpose was.
hiding my goal would be the wisest option, but
If he had intended to do something like that, then he wouldnt have accompanied Iris in the first place.
Therefore, Peran exposed his purpose without any hesitation.
I need the relic of the Regal Emperor.
Hmph.
Asilla let out a soft huff as she folded her arms with an interesting expression on her face while Iris turned to look at Perans side profile.
And who was it that told you that I have that relic?
that.
No, I dont even need to ask. Im sure it was that bastard, Hector How dare he go around spreading my business.
Crunch.
She grit her teeth as anger leaked into her voice.
Although her tone was still gentle, it had become bone chilling.
but that doesnt matter. I was going to call a high level Wizard anyway. Its not a bad thing that a Great Wizard came to me of his own accord.
Huh?
Then, I guess Ill show it to both of you at the same time.
Taht!
After saying that, Asilla took something out from under her desk.
Peran blinked.
It was a pitch black box that was surprisingly large. It was so big that it could probably fit the upper body of an adult man.
What do you think this is?
There was a hint of humour mixed in with Asillas voice this time.
A box?
And?
Peran observed the box a bit more closely, a bluish haze emanating from his eyes.
is it a magic relic? (TL: Its at this moment that my brain says artefact sounds better)
Correct.
There seems to be a seal on it
You were able to notice that in such a short time. Your eyes are pretty sharp.
Asilla continued in a voice filled with anticipation.
Peran Jun. The youngest Great Wizard in the empire and a super genius with unprecedented talent in magicology. Ive heard a lot about you.
rumours often tend to exaggerate.
I believe the same, but I dont think that is the case with you.
You said you wanted the Regal Emperors relic right? Fine. Although it is a priceless relic, I have no qualms giving it to you. On the other hand.
Whoosh-
The black box moved suddenly and came to a stop right in front of Iris and Peran.
Can you unseal this box?????????n????e????????. ????????
Peran silently stared at the box for a while before finally opening his mouth.
I must obtain that relic. To the point where Im even willing to risk my life if necessary.
Really? sea??h th N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Yes. So I will be perfectly honest with you.
Perans voice was firm.
It is absolutely impossible for me to undo that seal.
Impossible?
Yes. To be more precise, I dont even have the slightest clue as to what magic was used to seal this box in the first place.
really? How unfortunate. Then should I find another Wizard
Itll be the same regardless of which Wizard you call.
It wasnt Peran, but the silent Iris, that spoke at that moment.
She slowly circled the box with her elegant gait.
As you said, Peran is the youngest Great Wizard in the Empire. But he has already reached a stage where he is a few steps ahead of those old coots that call themselves Great Wizards. Even I cannot think of more than 5 Wizards who surpass him.
What are you trying to say?
Peran said that he couldnt even guess what magic was used on the box. So its highly likely that any Wizard you call will say the same thing.
Even if its a 9-star Wizard?
Could you call a 9-star Wizard?
Well No.
besides, in my opinion.
Iris looked at the box as she continued.
Not even a 9-star Wizard would be able to solve this mystery. Thats why Im even more curious now. Asilla, what the hell is this black box?
Book 2: Chapter 356
Book 2: Chapter 356Diablo is beginning to move in earnest.
That wasnt an answer to the question. It seemed that Asilla was intentionally avoiding answering.
That means that he has completed his preparations, while you guys, the Circle, are still arguing instead of doing something productive.
We know that. But the thing we need to pay attention to is timing.
Timing?
Yes. The Circle, Ivans forces, and the Anti Circle Alliance. The three groups who have been opposing and pressuring each other have agreed to a temporary cooperative effort. We planned to form a subjugation team in at most a few months and deal with Diablo directly.
This is my first time hearing about that.
Thats natural. Since it was a conversation that was only held between the top executives of each organisation. We were planning to let the other members know just before the deadline.
Thats no longer possible. Diablo showed his true colours at a time that makes it difficult for you to respond. Do you understand what this means?
Iris was silent for a while before letting out a breath and speaking in a cold tone.
A traitor.
Peran wasnt surprised.
Although Iris reasoning was sharp, her conclusion wasnt anything special. This was because it was an easy conclusion to reach after considering all of the clues.
It was only after then that she showed her truly terrifying side.
Although its unfortunate, we do have traitors. The process of getting rid of them is still ongoing even at this moment, but I honestly dont think it will end any time soon. It seems that there are many more traitors than I initially expected.
Tremendous momentum. It couldnt have been more than a few days since she realised the existence of traitors, but she had already begun the process of finding and removing them.
This would have been impossible if there werent already systems in place to deal with traitors.
However, Asilla seemed to be surprised for a different reason than Peran.
Thats surprising.
How so?
I thought youd be a bit more cautious. I never would have thought youd allow traitors to appear in a group you were personally leading.
Well, you see. Its a bit weird. If they were normal traitors then this wouldnt have happened.
Iris wasnt boasting emptily.
That was the truth.
Asilla was right. The woman named Iris Phisfounder would never have allowed traitors in an organisation that she was personally leading.
So youre saying they arent normal traitors?
Most of the traitors we found were Wizards. Or Magic Warriors, or Magicologist and so forth, no matter who it was, they were closely related to mana. (TL: Magicologists is new to me too. Its literally Magical science people or Magical scientists)
Iris continued without changing her tone.
Their desire for teaching and obsession with reaching a higher level was, to be frank, extremely disturbing, even for me. The stronger they were, the more severe it was.
Wizards.
In an almost synchronised motion, the two womens eyes turned to Peran.
Peran held back a sigh that threatened to slip out.
Although they couldnt be regarded as his allies, he couldnt just stand there and allow them to brand him as a traitor.
This wasnt the time for distrust and unnecessary pressure which would just exhaust them.
Shepard Jun has betrayed us.
Both Iris and Asilla knew the name he had just mentioned. Peran was talking about his own father.
I learned of it when I went to the Jun Family Mansion. He wanted me to become a traitor as well. It is as you said, Miss Iris, they use teaching as bait.
They didnt need to ask the outcome of that encounter.
If he had betrayed them then he wouldnt have been there, and he wouldnt have mentioned it either.
I also confirmed the betrayal of Cairo Wilsemann.
he also betrayed us? Sear?h the ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Iris muttered, unable to hide the surprise in her eyes.
He should have known that the information that he turned traitor would be revealed when they let me get away. So Cairo has probably already disappeared from Sir Ivans side.
So youre saying that our enemies have at least two 9 star Wizards.
Iris frowned openly.
It was quite intimidating when such an expression appeared on her usually emotionless face.
When Peran saw this, he felt a bit conflicted.
Diablos trump card was probably not the mass defection of the Wizards.
He had something that was far more dangerous than himself, Cairo Wilsemann, and his thousands of high ranking undead.
Snow de Predickwood.
He had some being or some means capable of pushing the strongest Swordsman of this era to the brink of death.
That was the first thing that anyone who opposed Diablo should be cautious of.
However, if he brought that up, it would be inevitable for him to mention Snow, who had been seriously injured
Could he really trust these two that much?
Enough to tell them that Snow, the absolute leader of the Anti Circle Alliance, was currently in critical condition?
In the end, Peran chose to remain silent.????????n????????????. ????????m
Turning her gaze to the black box floating in front of them, Asilla opened her mouth.
Diablo wants to obtain that box.
Since when?
Since I obtained it.
Why?
That
Asillas words cut off and her eyebrows twitched slightly.
intruders.
Huh?
Two high level Wizards are secretly spreading their mana across this city.
Are they Diablos underlings?
Theres a nine out of ten chance of that Iris, can I ask your help to deal with them?
Iris smiled beautifully and pointed at the box.
Give this thing to me.
You dont even know what it is.
That just makes me want it more. I like riddles.
Surprisingly, Asilla nodded her head without any further thought.
I see. In that case, if you manage to unseal this box or learn what it is, please let me know.
Of course.
and Peran Jun, I would also like to ask for your help to defend this city.
I accept.
Peran spoke up before Asilla could say any more.
As remuneration, Ill accept the relic of the Regal Emperor.
Book 2: Chapter 357
Book 2: Chapter 357The mana reverberation was very faint.
If this wasnt a city, but in the middle of the wilderness filled with ambient mana, Lukas might have had a hard time tracking it down.
Thump-
It had been about an hour since hed begun his search.
When hed first noticed the sensation, it had only been a slight tickle. Now, it had clearly taken shape and took a form closer to pressure.
Gradually, the number of people and buildings in his surroundings began to reduce, and before long, it seemed like he left the city entirely.
At some point, the artificial light from the street lamps also became natural moonlight.
Although few, buildings lined the road, which was still paved. However, it appeared that these buildings hadnt been maintained in a long time, and there were many cracks in the stone, almost as if they would collapse at any moment.
The road was in a similar state. Here and there, weeds could be seen sticking out from some of the countless cracks.
It was a deserted area.
A place that was almost a ruin. Instead of being a different part of the city, a different city, or even a different country, it was almost like a completely different world. A world of the dead.
Lukas didnt expect such a place to exist just an hour away from the Gold House.
It was almost as if it was signifying that the darkness was as dark as the light was bright.
It was even possible that most of the people living in Yuterdam didnt even know of this places existence. Because the light of Yuterdam was just that brilliant.
In any case, for Lukas, who wanted to move stealthily, it was regrettable that his surroundings had become deserted.
As he looked at the dark road that even moonlight seemed unwilling to enter, he pondered.
what should I do?
He was basically at a choice crossroad.
If he went any further, the risk would increase exponentially.
Should he continue his search? Or should he go back to the Gold House and call Peran?
The latter choice was much safer, but by the time he went back to get Peran, it was highly likely that the mana trace would disappear and it would be impossible to track it any further.
Lukas quickly made a decision.
A bit further.
He didnt feel like hed reached the source yet. If it had to be expressed, it felt like he was still hovering on the outskirts. In addition, although it was deserted, there was still plenty of cover, so hiding wouldnt be a problem. (TL: Dont Wizards have some kind of magic sense, especially high level ones?) (PR: But Lukas currently has no mana so could they even detect him?)
With that in mind, Lukas continued his search while staying close to the shabby buildings outlining the dark road.
It was a pity, if his legs were fine, he could have moved at twice the speed.
After a while.
Taht.
He could no longer see any buildings in front of him.
This was probably the true end of the city called Yuterdam.
Lukas stood on the roof of a 4 story building and looked down.
There, not too far from the end of the city line, was a dark green meadow and a black forest that stretched behind it.
The mana reverberation was coming from there.
Its here.
There was no more cover after that point.
Even though it would be fine to walk through the forest, it would be dangerous to walk through the meadow in an open manner.
If we were to be discovered by the enemy halfway across the meadow, he may not have had the chance to advance or retreat before he received a baptism of magic.
Fortunately, he had already managed to find the source.
Now was the time to step back and get Peran and Nix.
smart.
A sweet voice whispered in his ear.
But it didnt come from behind him.
Instead, the voice came from above.
Lukas raised his head and was immediately met with the sight of a beautiful woman looking down at him with her back to the moon, a glint of interest in her eyes.
At an unexpected moment, hed encountered an unexpected person.
But it was strange.
His heart wasnt thumping as violently in his chest as it had when theyd met before.
Lukas could now face this woman, Iris Phisfounder, while remaining relatively calm.
He wondered why.
When he briefly inspected his thoughts, he came upon a surprisingly simple answer.
It turned out that Lukas had already accepted the fact that hed been forgotten.
Your body would have been turned into a sieve if you had gotten any closer.
Are you talking about the alarm spells in the meadow?
Oh my. So you knew. (Tl: For all my weebs, Iris oh mys are basically aras)
As she said that, Iris slowly descended.
Taht, with a soft sound, she landed beside Lukas. Her uniquely mysterious smile hung on her lips.
We met in the meeting before, didnt we? I believe your name was Lukas Trowman?
A common name, although the last name was a bit odd.
When Iris added this softly under her breath, it left a bitter taste in Lukas mouth.
Not like this. Lukas swallowed the words that threatened to spill out and instead said.
Do you have some business with me?
Huhu. Theres no need to be on edge. I have entered a temporary partnership with Peran. Naturally, that means I wont hurt you, his subordinate.
Lukas didnt think Peran would ever call him his subordinate. This was probably just Iris guess. Well. Ninety-nine out of a hundred would think the same thing.
I heard a bit about Diablo and the alliance. I know this isnt the time to put pressure on you.
While Im sure this is hard to believe, I assure you
Iris went on to slowly and logically lay down the evidence for him to believe her words.
Lukas was almost certain that she had already formulated it before she revealed herself to him. He knew. Iris preparedness. And what kind of woman she was.
Lukas looked at her face.
Her hair, which swayed in the gentle night breeze, her voice, which swam into his ears like a pleasant song, and her gaze, which remained unshakeable.
These things that he was so accustomed to, he missed.
A thought suddenly came to him that he might have been wrong about something.
He thought that everyone he knew had undergone many major and minor changes over the past 10 years. In fact, it was natural.
But Iris had managed to endure 4,000 years on her own. During those long years, she had continued being that amazing and confident woman whose faith did not waver despite getting swept by the winds and waves of time.
Even if Lukas had disappeared from her memory.
Iris Phisfounder was still Iris Phisfounder.
It felt like he had only just realised that fact.
Huht.
He couldnt suppress the soft chuckle that leaked out.
Iris paused slightly and tilted her head to the side.
Did I say something funny?
The corners of her lips only stretched ever so slightly, but he could tell that she was upset.
Lukas pretended not to notice.
There are about four more spells in the meadow besides the alarm spell.
After a while, he decided to speak with a faint smile on his lips.
so?
I have a way of removing those spells without the caster noticing. So lets enter the forest. We should be able to cross the meadow in about five minutes.
Iris blinked for a moment.
It was one of the habitual things she did when she was surprised.
you Do you know who I am?
The Black Witch Iris Phisfounder. Youre one of the heroes from 4,000 years ago.
You know that, and yet you still dare to order me around?
Its not an order, Im describing a plan I have.
Ah. I see.
Iris smiled again.
Then let me explain the plan this time. There is no need to remove the spells. I can enter the forest on my own without triggering the spells, so you should just return to Yuterdam.
You cant. Its too
He stopped himself just before saying the word dangerous.
If he did that, it might end up stimulating Iris pride. At the moment, she didnt even acknowledge Lukas. Instead, she treated him as a burden. If he were to make such a presumptuous remark, she would directly send him away without hesitation.
it would be safer if you didnt go alone.
I think it would be better if I did go alone.
No. Firstly, you cant go in by leaping through space.
Why not?
9-star Wizards have a deep understanding of the concept of space. If there is a 9-star Wizard in the forest, and they are the ones who set up the barrier on the meadow, then it would be impossible for you to enter it without leaving a trace.
Youre underestimating me.
If you really think so then look for yourself. If youre confident that you can cross the meadow without a trace, then I will return to Yuterdam as you said.
When she heard those words, Iris turned to look at the meadow again.
Perhaps she was trying to tell if Lukas was really telling the truth. Lukas, on the other hand, quietly waited until she was convinced.
uht.
After a while, a soft sound leaked out of her mouth, but it was quickly carried away by the wind.
Lukas pretended not to hear.
so you.
Iris turned her head slightly and spoke.
have a way to remove that barrier?
She had taken a step back. That was enough.
Lukas took the dagger from his pocket.
Then he went downstairs and walked toward the front of the meadow. The elaborately woven alarm spell had been set to sensitively react to any disturbances in space. In other words, the Wizard who set up this barrier likely knew of Iris presence in the city.
However
They had focused too much on Iris ability, which resulted in them creating gaps in other places.
Shuk.
The moment his dagger fell through the air, the barrier split apart without warning.
Iris was silent.
She could already tell that the barrier was no longer functional.
wow.
Clap.
His new partner, Iris, gave him a brief applause with a small smile. Sar?h the n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Amazing. Did you always have this ability?
I can understand a bit why Peran carries you around now. Wow. Truly amazing~
There was no fakeness in Iris tone of acknowledgement and praise.
But Lukas could tell.
Others might not notice, but he could never miss it.
The tips of Iris brightly smiling lips were twitching slightly.
This
shes being sarcastic.
Was also a habit.
(TL: Sorry guys, I wasnt feeling well, hence my impromptu break. Not 100% better now, but enough to do a few chapters)
Book 2: Chapter 358
Book 2: Chapter 358Spreading across the ground of the city.
In general, the most reasonable assumption people would make was that this was done in preparation to cast a colossal spell.
And the task of removing the mana from the ground was something that could only be done by a Wizard.
In other words, there was no person currently in the city more suitable for the task than Peran.
Asillas decision and request was not wrong.
But there was one thing that Peran regretted.
I wish I had gone with Lukas.
As he busily removed the mana, Peran couldnt help but worry.
This was because Iris behaviour was difficult to predict. It was almost impossible to tell what she was thinking about at any time. And with Lukas cautious nature, it would be hard for him to trust Iris, who wore secrets like a shroud. (TL: Lukas: Iris? What secrets?)
Although he wasnt entirely certain, he believed that his presence was necessary for Lukas to use his full power. This was because, regardless of how powerful Iris was, it was impossible for her to create a mana room outside of her own body. That was a skill that only 8 star Wizards, like Peran, had.
Of course, this situation was unavoidable since they couldnt possibly entrust Iris with the task of clearing away the mana.
Huu.
He let out a sigh.
In the current situation, the best response that Peran could make would be to finish his work in the city as quickly as possible.
But as he looked at the mana on the ground, he couldnt help but frown.
It was strange.
Ironically, if someone were to ask him what was strange, he wouldnt be able to give them a clear answer.
The Wizard who had secretly been spreading mana throughout the city of Yuterdarm, was at least on par with Peran himself.
Thats why I cant help but guess their intentions.
Sighing again, he turned to look to the west of Yuterdam.
Would those two be okay?
Lukas sword technique could create and destroy spells at the same time. Of course, Peran still hadnt managed to grasp the principle behind it. After all, hed never seen Lukas technique, which was called the Zero Technique, up close before.
However, he still knew that its strategic value was enormous.
In the current situation, where most Wizards had probably betrayed them, it wouldnt be enough even for ten mouths to explain how high the value of Lukas, who could even break down high level spells without a sweat, was.
Iris Phisfounder is known for being greedy for talent.
In fact, this was a trait that any leader of an organisation had.
Even Snow, who led the alliance, and Ivan, would be no different.
Peran smiled bitterly.
In the end, the thing he was worrying about was that someone else would notice Lukas true worth.????????????????????????????. ????o????
no.
With a shake of his head, he denied that thought.
In any case, he was just worried about Lukas and Iris being alone together.
As he cleared the mana away, Perans footsteps were gradually heading towards a certain direction.
Hectors shop.
And to the red haired woman that would still be there.
* * *
The night wind was exceptionally cold today.
Lukas sighed as he looked down at his clothes. A simple cloth outfit with no defensive capabilities. In other words, it was the worst clothes to be wearing in a place like this.
This proved his thoughts that these clothes were made purely for aesthetic purposes while completely ignoring any kind of practicality or functionality.
Although hed said that it was a necessity if they wanted to enter the Gold House, Lukas couldnt help but resent Peran, whod dressed him in these clothes in the first place.
Crunch.
There was a soft sound beneath as his foot crushed the blades of grass.
The forest was silent, and there were little to no signs of life. The most they could hear were the cries of crickets.
There was no conversation either.
Lukas looked at the back of the woman, who had chosen to take the lead, in front of him.
Iris purple hair undulated like a wave as she trodded lightly in the soft moonlight.
Why are you looking at me like that?
Iris suddenly spoke up in a strangely sharp voice.
It was like she had eyes on the back of her head.
Unable to give a good reason, Lukas was silent for a while before finally opening his mouth.
I was thinking about your strange hair colour.
Really?
Right.
Silence fell again as their conversation cut off.
This silence didnt make Lukas feel particularly uncomfortable. After all, the other person was Iris.
However, what about Iris?
Perhaps she was finding this silence uncomfortable.
He wondered what she thought about him.
When such a silly thought appeared in his mind, a bitter smile spread across his lips without him realising.
Is Snow alright?
Iris suddenly changed the subject.
Or at least, it would have been a sudden change if the other person wasnt Iris.
Although others might be fooled, he was certain that she had done this intentionally.
It was possible that shed noticed something from Peran or Lukas behaviour which gave her the vague sense that something had happened to Snow.
That was likely why she was probing him like this.
I think shes alright. Im not an actual member of the alliance, so I dont know.
This was the truth.
After all, the incident had occured when Lukas was taking the test to join Snows faction.
Snow, who had been carrying out the test, was now in a near death state, so naturally, Lukas entry into the alliance was put on hold.
Hmm.
Iris made a soft nasal sound, but her steps didnt stop.
She probably didnt want him to see her face.
In all honesty, Lukas wondered if he should tell Iris about Snows serious condition.
After all, he knew her well and had confidence in her as a teammate. If he explained the situation to her properly and formally requested assistance, there was a high chance that she would agree to cooperate fully in Snows treatment.
However, he couldnt do that.
Because the one who had to do this was Peran, not Lukas. If he remained silent, then Lukas would stay silent too.
It would be incredibly presumptuous for him to mention Snow here, not to mention how disrespectful it would be to Peran.
I dont think Snow is in imminent danger
At least, not right now.
She was certainly in an incredibly serious situation, but they still had some time.
one thing I can be certain of is the fact that Iris current power is not enough to save Snow.
He was sure that this situation would be explained in time.
Your arm and leg seemed to have some problems.
Iris spoke once again.
Is that congenital?
No.
To put it more accurately, they were acquired defects.
This was because his bones had been fused incorrectly when his body was being reconstructed.
I will try to protect you as much as possible, but you shouldnt expect too much. If this situation doesnt work out, I will abandon you without hesitation.
Right.
This time he could almost feel her click her tongue.
Those words had probably not been sincere, and were instead used as a way to feel out Lukas intentions.
He wondered if he should give her the reaction she was looking for. But after thinking that for a moment, he soon shook his head. It was too tiring to care about that.
Shh. Sarch* The N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Iris suddenly turned around and lifted her finger to her lips before pointing ahead of them.
A few steps away from them was a large clearing.
And in the centre of this clearing was a person.
Book 2: Chapter 359
Book 2: Chapter 359!
Lukas forcibly suppressed his heart which seemed to want to leap out of his throat.
Standing in the centre of the clearing was a white skeleton wrapped in a ragged black cloak which rippled like a shadow.
Diablo.
I think he knows we are here.
Thats probably the case.
Hmm.
Iris made a soft sound in her throat before stepping forward into the clearing without any hesitation. Lukas followed her.
[]
As they expected, Diablo wasnt surprised.
He just turned his flickering eyes towards them.
Are you pretending to be the God of Death in the moonlight? Diablo.
[I despise the word God. Honestly, Id prefer if you called me the Guide of Death instead.
Hmph.
Iris still had a smile on her face, but her displeasure was obvious.
Its been a long time since we were able to meet like this.
[Thats right. Because I didnt want to take part in your little tea party.]
Ive been trying to understand just whats going through your head, but I cant. So this is your chance to tell me yourself. Why the hell are you doing this? Is it a pursuit of nihilism? A desire to see the end of all life?
[Even if I explain it, you wont understand None of you will ever understand.]
You didnt even try to explain. Thats all your own assumption. Typical lunatic logic.
It was at this moment that Lukas muttered in a soft voice.
Be careful.
What are you talking about?
Diablo is a thorough man. There has to be a reason why he chose to appear so openly.
You talk as if you know him.
In any case, I know that already. But this time is different. Diablo has too much confidence in his own power. It is overconfidence.
No. That wasnt the case at all.
Lukas was well aware of how powerful Iris was.
Black magic, demon summoning, and authority over space. While none of them were special in their own right, her level of skill with them was by no means small.
However, when it came to black magic, Diablo was no less knowledgeable than Iris was.
Her demon summoning ability would also be of no use in this situation. To be a threat to Diablo, the demon would have to at least be on par with the Lords of the Demon World, but they couldnt be summoned since they had all died during the war with the Demigods. Several high level demons would not be enough to threaten Diablo.
And finally, her authority of space could be considered the most powerful among the group, but 9 star Wizards had some level of resistance to it but that wasnt all.
Part of the reason was the strange feeling that Lukas was currently experiencing which he was almost reluctant to put into words.
This was his first time facing Diablo since his return.
As he stood in front of him with his weakened body, he was suffocated by the death energy that simply exuded from Diablos body, and his muscles began to twitch uncontrollably.
He was strong. So strong that it instinctively filled him with a nauseated and uncomfortable feeling.
However, apart from that, there was one thing he was absolutely certain of.
Its impossible that Diablo is alone.
Although he was strong, it would have been impossible for him to defeat Snow on his own.
He was able to confirm this fact after meeting him personally.
In other words, it wasnt Diablo that pushed Snow to the brink of death.
In the fierce battle in the underground cave, there was a being who managed to suppress Snow.
And that being was probably
Here, too.
He was only able to prepare for what happened next because of that prediction.
In the next moment, the sound of something falling from the sky filled the clearing.
Boom!
Dirt and rock fragments, which were scattered by the impact, shot out in all directions, and a thick cloud of dust filled the clearing. (TL: Death by allergies)
In it, a lone undead slowly straightened its bent knees.
The only thing that was visible in the billowing dust was the shape and colour of its armour. The armour wrapped around its body was as black as the night sky.
Although it was clearly an undead, its death energy was very faint, almost unnoticeable.
Despite the sudden entry of another enemy, Iris response remained calm and accurate.
She hadnt expected Diablo to be alone either. From the moment she stepped into the clearing, shed been on the lookout for an ambush from the front, back, left, right, and even the ground beneath them.
Therefore, she wasnt that surprised by the appearance of an enemy from the sky.
Srrrng.
The sound of a sword being drawn filled the clearing.
The undead, which drew its sword in an instant, then charged towards them.
It moved so fast that it could only be described as a flash of black light. The undead appeared in front of Iris in the blink of an eye.
Firstly, she tried to widen the distance between them with a space leap.
Crackle-
But her authority was stopped before it could activate.
For a moment, a puzzled expression appeared on her face.
Absolute?
The power of a 9 star Wizard.
It was a power that gave them dominion over a certain portion of space.
However, was that really enough to interfere with her own authority?
Kuk.
Just as Iris was about to hurriedly use a black spell, the dust settled and the undeads face was finally revealed to them.
And Iris froze.
Lucid?
The colour quickly drained from her face.
Why the hell was he like this?
As if oxygen stopped being supplied to her brain, Iris thoughts were completely paralysed.
This created a small, but nonetheless fatal, gap.
At the very least, the gap was enough for a Sword Master like Lucid to take his opponents life.
After that, everything happened in a blink of an eye.
Paak!
Iris felt someone push her, causing her to roll several times across the ground. Her hair, which had always been perfect, was messed up.
Ugh
Staggering, Iris got to her feet.
Were you hurt?
She heard Lukas voice.
He had saved her. Her pride was bruised once again, but now was not the time to argue about that.
Iris answered with a cough.
Yeah. Thanks. You saved my life.
right.
But at that moment, Iris felt something damp on her palm.
It was warm. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
This
Blood?
Both of her palms were covered in bright red blood.
Of course, it wasnt her blood.
Iris quickly raised her head.
She immediately caught sight of Lukas pale complexion which was no different from that of a corpse.
still.
His bloodless lips trembled.
You still dislike unexpected situations.
Ah?
His lips were stretched in a gentle, bloody smile.
The now bloodied Lukas Trowman looked into her eyes.
but Im glad you didnt get hurt.
And with those words, he collapsed to the ground.
(TL: Which death number is this? Anyone keeping track?)
(PS: 4 Chapters to go before you guys finally start getting the uncut chapters.)
Book 2: Chapter 360
Book 2: Chapter 360 [Things got a bit messed up.]
Diablo muttered softly as he looked across the clearing.
There was a trace of blood there.
This blood, which had flowed from someones body, had formed a small puddle in the place they had once been.
[well, it was a hasty plan, so I couldnt expect it to go as smoothly as with Snow.]
It hadnt been a long time since he noticed the presence of Iris Phisfounder in the city.
Yuterdam, the city that Diablo would soon turn to ruins. Although Asilla, who was in control of this place, had a strong heart, she lacked military power.
In fact, shed probably called Iris here because she had managed to read Diablos intentions to some extent.
He hadnt known that they were acquainted with each other.
Iris Phisfounder. One of the three beings capable of interfering with Diablos plan.
If he had known she was here from the beginning, he would have planned it more thoroughly. Then, she would have gotten the same end as Snow.
[How unfortunate.]
Revealing Lucid now had also been a bit of a gamble on Diablos part.
He knew that doing so would inevitably agitate Iris mind, which would cause her to unintentionally reveal a fatal opening. Although he knew she would try to respond with a space leap after recovering, he could suppress that with the power of Absolute.
Despite his hasty preparations, everything had been perfect.
Except for the actions of the white haired man beside her.
[Who was that?]
He couldnt catch a glimpse of his face because of the dust cloud. And even before it had appeared, his attention had been solely focused on Iris, but
[Hmm.]
In any case, Diablos improvised plan had ended in failure.
Firstly, Lucids existence had been discovered, and secondly, Iris had learned that he could use the power of Absolute to interfere with her space leap. Iris would probably be many times harder to kill when they met again.
Clink-
In a slow, mechanical motion, Lucid placed his helmet onto his head, once again hiding his appearance in his armour.
[Right. Even if that failed, I can still move on to the original plan.]
As he said this, the flames in Diablos eyes emitted a bluish glow.
His gaze was directed to the City of Pleasure which lay beyond the forest.
[Lets go, my army, to retrieve my lost property.]
Crunch, rattle
Corpses slowly began climbing out of the ground beneath him.
And after freeing themselves, the army of the dead began marching towards Yuterdam at a tottering pace.
* * *
This person was probably the first one to encounter them.
Adam Luid. 31 years old. A refugee from the now destroyed Geotanbul.
After losing his home, Adam wandered aimlessly before visiting Yuterdam five years ago. At that time, he loved this city so much that he immediately got a permanent residence permit. Hed even managed to start a family with a woman, whose eye hed managed to catch, and was currently earning a living by working as a street vendor.
The income wasnt bad. In fact, it could even be considered quite good. After all, in the City of Festivals and Pleasure, there was a large proportion of floating population, and his skill at making food was nothing to scoff at.
I wish I could set up my stall closer to the centre.
Adams stall was located near the outskirts of the city. Although this area was relatively quiet when compared to the rest of Yuterdam, the scenery of the forest to the west was quite romantic, making it a very popular destination for lovers to visit.
Nevertheless, as it was around 2 or 3 in the morning, there was no one around.
This was usually around the time when Adam prepared to close his stall. Today, as usual, he was packing up all his leftover ingredients when he saw a person stumbling in the distance.
At first, he thought it was just a drunkard, and while he hoped that they wouldnt come toward him, he wasnt very surprised.
This was because it was a common occurrence.
But this time, he decided that he wouldnt lose his momentum.
Just as he opened his eyes wide and took a deep breath in preparation to scream get lost, he finally noticed something strange.
Tuk, tuk tuk.
Something was dripping from the persons mouth. At first, he thought it was just vomit, but he later realised that it couldnt be the case.
There was no way that someone would vomit bright red objects like that.
U-, uhh?
Leaking from that persons mouth was blood and bits of bloody flesh.
A moment later, the persons face was finally revealed to him.
It was a rotten, decomposing face, like that of a corpse that just stepped out of its coffin. It didnt even have eyes.
Adams heart sank when he saw those dark, empty eye sockets.
U-, undead!
His shout felt more like a scream. He felt cold sweat drip down his face.
Undead in Yuterdam?
Those words didnt match at all! It was like mixing oil and water, just putting those two words together made him feel uncomfortable.
No. Now wasnt the time to be thinking about such things.
Adam hastily turned his body and tried to escape, but his body soon became as stiff as a rock.
There was another undead rushing towards him from the other side of the street.
D-, dear God
Adam placed his trembling hands together.
If this was a nightmare, he begged to wake up.
Crack!
And with that thought, Adams body became a piece of meat.
* * *
Lady Asilla! The city!
I already know everything. Calm down, Merad.
Although she spoke in a calm voice, Asilla was not as relaxed as she seemed. Her palms, which were hidden under the table, were soaked in sweat.
Why did it have to be a Wizard?
Most of the defences built around Yuterdam were magic barriers.
It was very effective when dealing with low level threats, but the entire defence structure was inevitably neutralised when a Wizard who was a higher level than the Wizard who placed the barriers interfered.
And now, a terrifying army of undead had appeared in the city.
It was obvious.
Diablo was currently attacking Yuterdam.
Has Iris already been defeated?
The reports stated that the undead first appeared in the west. In other words, there was a high possibility that they came from the forest where Asilla had just sent Iris.
Hiding her anxiety, she forcibly squeezed out a calm voice.
Where is Marquis Mikhail?
I I was unable to reach him.
..hmph.
A sneer appeared on her lips subconsciously.
What a useless, disgusting old man. She was certain that hed already run away.
I will entrust the command of the city guards to you. First things first, secure the safety of the civilians and evacuate them to the city square.
Understood.
Angela! Are you there?
Yes, Master.
I need you to request assistance from the nearby cities. Tell them that a first class catastrophe is occurring and inform Freeland as well.
I will obey your commands.
And
Asilla hesitated for a moment, but after turning it over in her mind for a while, she finally came to a decision and opened her mouth.
Contact a man named Hector in the southwest
Theres no need.
With a calm voice, a man walked through the open steel doors.
It was a young red haired man who she would never have wanted to meet if it wasnt for the current situation.
Since Im already here. (TL: Hectors badass entrance score: 8.5/10)
Seeing his calm, innocent expression, Asilla couldnt help but make a snarky smile.
Oh my. Why did your heavy ass come all the way here? In a situation like this, I would have expected you to close your store and focus on playing with your dolls even more.
Thats cause you dont know anything. Peace comes from stillness. If my surroundings are a mess, I wont be able to enjoy a cup of tea with my angels.
It was at this moment that Merad, who was about to leave, caught himself.
Lady Asilla, that man
Its fine. Hes an acquaintance. More importantly, you two. Is this really the time for you to be sitting there blankly?
Ah. Yes!
With a loud shout, Merad and Angela hurriedly left the room. sea??h th N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
And as if to replace them, Peran strode in.
Im sorry. I am the one that called Hector. I felt that it was a necessary response given the current situation.
In truth, Asilla really wanted to berate him for doing something wrong, but she knew that it wasnt the time to be led by her pride. Certainly, with Hectors knowledge and the golems he possessed, he was a reliable force in this emergency situation.
In the end, Asilla could only let out a soft sigh.
Thank you.
Book 2: Chapter 361
Book 2: Chapter 361 ????????n????????d.nbsp;????????????Hector scoffed.
Theres no need for your empty words, whats the situation?
the outskirts of the city are basically destroyed at this point. I intend to send a rescue team, but I dont have much hope that they will find any survivors. Fortunately, there havent been any reports of undead in the heart of the city, so I decided to have everyone evacuate to the city square first and then build a barricade.
A barricade? I think that would be useless.
Most of the undead that appeared are only low level. It should be enough to last about an hour.
just low level undead? Diablo himself didnt come?
Hectors question was valid.
He knew how terrible Diablos personal army of undead was. If even 10 percent of that force appeared in this city, then the barricades would amount to nothing.
But if all the undead that had appeared in the city were low level, then it was possible that Diablo himself might not have come personally.
No. Diablo might still be here. He has already consumed most of his elite army. So its highly likely that the only undead he can currently mobilise are the low level ones currently in the city.
When Peran said this in a confident tone, Hector tilted his head to the side.
This is my first time hearing about this. Where did you hear that from?
That
If he were to tell the truth then he would inevitably have to mention Snow.
When Peran trailed off at the end of his word, Hector let out a soft chuckle.
Its fine if you cant tell us the reason. Well believe your words for now.
Thank you.
then back to what you were saying about building a barricade. As you said, it would only be able to buy us time. At most, it would only mean that they will die a few hours later.
Asillas eyebrows twitched slightly at the cynical remark.
Then do you have a better plan?
I cant say that its better, but I do have a plan.
Lets hear it.
You know that there is also a warp stone in this city as well, dont you?
its covered in dust. That piece of junk cant be used.
If its broken, I can fix it.
That wasnt a lie.
If it was Hector, he would probably be able to fix it in a matter of minutes. That was a fact that she admitted, albeit reluctantly.
What would you do about the mana required to power it?
I have dozens of golem cores. Theres a lot of ME sleeping inside them. We also have a Great Wizard here, dont we?
Despite Hectors unstoppable words, Asillas expression did not become better.
After all, the most important issue still existed.
there are 100,000 people in Yuterdam
Hectors expression shifted a bit when he heard that.
Even if I take the damage weve already suffered and the future into account, the number of survivors wouldnt fall below 60,000 or 70,000. It would be impossible to move them all with the warp stone.
Naturally, even if we use all of my cores and all of Perans mana, we would only be able to operate the warp stone a dozen times or so at best. Even if we packed the warp stone every time we used it, we would probably only be able to move around 100 people.
In other words, youre saying that we would only be able to save 10 percent of our population? (PR: 10% of 60,000 is 6,000 100 x 12 is 1200 Try 2%, math is hard lol)
Hector also frowned when he heard Asillas sarcastic tone.
Whats with that look on your face? Do you really think I want to throw them away?
This is my city.
I know that.
The people youre suggesting I leave behind are my people.
So?
perhaps we can find another-
Asilla Goldiroth.
For the first time since he entered the room, Hector spoke in a cold voice as he called her full name.
It seems your old way of thinking hasnt changed. Have you already forgotten why your people perished?
Cut what needs to be cut, and throw away what needs to be thrown away. That is one of the truths I learned over the past few thousand years.
Crunch. Sar?h the N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
The sound of Asilla quietly gritting her teeth filled the room. The atmosphere in the room froze in an instant.
Despite Hectors rebuke, Asilla was still hesitating on making a decision.
It was at this moment that Peran, who had been silent the entire time, finally opened his mouth again.
Why is Diablo aiming for Yuterdam?
That probably because he wants the black box that I have.
Do you mean the black box you showed us earlier?
Right.
If they gave Diablo that box, there was a chance he might retreat.
Well, no one actually believed that possibility. If Diablo had wanted to talk in the first place, he would not have summoned an undead army.
that box, where is it now?
Nevertheless, the fact that the box was a key item that had great significance in the current situation couldnt be denied.
I dont have it.
There was a hint of a sigh in Asillas voice.
Because I already gave it to Iris.
* * *
Kuk
Blood gushed from his slit back.
It could be considered fortunate that the blade hadnt reached his spine, but that didnt mean that the wound wasnt fatal.
Iris hurriedly tried to stop the bleeding and close the wound using black magic, but the effect was insignificant.
Why I
She forcibly suppressed her rising doubts.
The reason this man used his body to protect her, Diablos goal and even the appearance of an undead Lucid.
There were a lot of questions she wanted to know the answers for, but now wasnt the time to think about that.
0
I cant
The blood wouldnt stop flowing.
She wasnt using much black magic, but if she were to increase the output, it might cause the opposite effect from what she wanted. He might die immediately.
Then What should she do?
At this rate, this man would die.
When she thought of that fact, for some reason, it made her feel strangely anxious. She could also taste blood on her lip where she bit it too hard.
She didnt understand. Why was she so upset?
Was it because this man had saved her? It was true that she never expected it and that she was grateful and sorry for him.
However, even so, it shouldnt affect her this much.
Even if Sheryl, her most loyal subordinate at this point, were in a similar state, she would not be more flustered than usual.
You still dislike unexpected situations.
But Im glad you didnt get hurt.
She still remembered the words Lukas left before he collapsed.
At that moment, it felt like something was stuck in her throat. She felt like if she opened her mouth now, she might cry.
This couldnt be happening. No way.
This wasnt like her.
Iris shook her head.
Woowoong-
Suddenly, she felt a vibration from her bag.
Opening it, Iris slowly pulled something out and held it in front of her.
This
It was the black box she got from Asilla.
It was rattling and trembling as if it was alive.
Just as Iris tried to touch it with her finger.
Swoosh-
She felt a presence nearby.
Instantly going on alert, Iris quickly turned around.
But it wasnt Diablo or Lucid standing behind her.
You
The person standing behind her was a woman, but her gaze was not on Iris.
Her eyes, which were shaking with agitation, were looking at something else.
To be precise, they were looking at Lukas, who was laying on the ground.
Book 2: Chapter 362
Book 2: Chapter 362Silence descended upon the hall.
Hector and Asilla glared at each other. The tension was thick, but it was Asilla who looked away first.
She herself admitted it to some extent. She knew how selfish and ridiculous she was being at that moment.
But even if she knew Wasnt she supposed to be?
It was a realistic and feasible solution. Of course it was good. However, it was too cruel to treat and judge things so logically. Especially when there were so many lives at stake.
Wouldnt it be better to take the risk and try to save the lives of the majority even when the probability was low rather than certainly saving the lives of a few?
At the very least, for Asilla, even if she were to lose the gamble, she could die with a smile.
But Hector was different. That was why they could not understand each other.
Not once even in thousands of years.
I dont think wed be able to easily leave with the warp stone.
Perans words brought her to her senses.
The enemy is a 9 star Wizard. There is no way that he wont notice a large scale warp spell. He also has enough power to stop it.
Well, I suppose.
It was absurd.
Asilla had a blank expression for a moment, then she turned to glare at Hector.
you already knew that.
I didnt know.
You knew that and you were just messing with me.
From the start, mentioning the warp stone had been a trick. Hector pretended to look away, but Asilla was already bubbling with rage.
This was the point.
This was exactly why Asilla hated Hector.
I dont think Lady Iris was defeated so easily.
Once again, it was Peran who roused her from her thoughts.
And even if she was, it would have been impossible for Diablo to do it alone.
Hey, what are you trying to say?
Lady Asilla, can you observe Diablos current position?
Most of the barriers had been broken, but the observation function should not have been damaged.
Peran had asked this with that expectation, and his prediction was not wrong.
Although thats possible I dont think seeing it would change anything.
It might change a lot of things.
fine.
As she said this, Asillas eyes widened.
Then blinked. For a moment, her eyes glowed amber.
Jing-
The light emanating from her eyes formed a shape.
Upon seeing this shape, Peran made an expression of surprise. This wasnt magic. Then was it a type of divination? It just felt different from that.
0
It felt like a skill that was impossible for a normal person, it was something that could only be attached to a magical artificial lifeform.
Lady Asilla, are you by chance
Dont say more than that.
Asilla spoke with a wistful smile.
Peran did not speak any further and instead focused on the image that appeared in front of him.
The light had changed its shape and soon became a birds eye view of a certain place.
A ruined city. Yuterdam.
Undead could be seen ravaging citizens who had no way to resist. It was a scene of horrendous slaughter. The citizens tried to beg for mercy from the egoless undead. But it was no different from trying to talk to a natural disaster.
Peran bit his lip and revealed a pained expression as he witnessed the horrors, but he soon stopped. S~ea??h the Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Now wasnt the time to dwell on his anger.
He had to find it.
Perans eyes moved busily.
Diablo alone isnt enough.
Something that drove Snow to the brink of death, and even put Iris life in danger.
Diablo alone was not enough. There was definitely something more.
Where is it?
Where would he hide such a being, or a means?
Diablo had lost most of his elite legion in his battle against Snow. The undead who were currently attacking were all low level undead who were no different from dead animals without an ego.
For him, Yuterdam was no different from an enemy stronghold. There was no way that he would advance to the city center while relying on nothing but low level undead.
No matter how confident he was in his ability to crush the city, he was Diablo.
As long as he had the thoroughness that everyone mentioned, then he would have at least two or three failsafes in place.
A definite means of protecting himself.
Of course, there was no guarantee that the something was what placed Snow in a near death state, but it might give him a hint.
After a while, Perans eyes turned to a certain place.
Among the low level undead in that place was a single high level undead.
A knight in black armor, a Death Knight.
And.
In its hand was a familiar sword.
The moment he saw that familiar sword, his body shook as if an electric current had run through his entire body.
Mr. Hector.????n????????e????????. ????o????
Did you notice some, Peran.
Perhaps. But before that, Id like to ask you something.
Go ahead.
Among the Swordsmen of our era, is there anyone who could compete with Lady Snow?
Although he seemed to have no connection to the world, an impression that most people believed, Peran knew the truth.
Hectors information network stretched across the entire continent.
It wasnt just his store that had branches in every country.
I dont know. If it had been five years ago, I might have said that kid Jekid.
The man in question had already lost to Snow in a fair duel. With quite a big gap as well.
The title Master of the Sword had been Snows since that day, and people respectfully referred to her as the White Supreme.
Other than him, I cant think of anyone.
Then, how about in the past?
Huh?
Are there any great men or heroes recorded in history?
Peran, what the hell are you thinking?
Something crazy.
Peran gaze was still locked onto the Death King and on the sword he was holding.
please give me some time 15 minutes, no, 10 minutes is enough.
Do you have a plan?
Peran nodded.
Book 2: Chapter 363
Book 2: Chapter 363Sp-, spare me
A young woman begged with tears streaming down her face.
Her face was pale, and her entire body shook incessantly from fear.
[]
Lucids movements stopped.
The tip of his sword, which was raised high in preparation to swing, quivered uncontrollably.
Perhaps this action gave the young woman hope, as her horrified expression gained a hint of expectation.
Bang!
Suddenly, a giant hand of bone appeared in the air before smashing the woman to bits.
Blood splattered everywhere.
Lucid wasnt spared from the impromptu shower. The drops of blood standing out starkly on his pitch black armor.
[its still not perfect.]
Diablo let out a long sigh.
Hed thought hed been able to completely corrupt Lucids heroic character, but he had been wrong. The command system had been established perfectly, but it seemed that he still needed to make some adjustments when it came to particular details.
He looked around.
Although his surroundings were a scene of misery and horror, Diablos unmoving heart was not affected. Instead, he was just calculating how many undead he would be able to extract from this city.
Even though he had already received the cooperation of most Wizards, a trump card like Lucid, and killed Snow, it was still a bit reckless to openly take on the entire continent on his own.
The majority of people here are just civilians without any combat capabilities. Even if I revived all of them, they wouldnt be very useful.
It would be very difficult for him to obtain a useful army here.
Of course, if he were to slowly inject his death energy into them over time it would be possible for him to transform them into a useful force. But, unfortunately, Diablo didnt have that much time.
Iris Phisfounder easily had the ability to call reinforcements. Of course, it wouldnt be much of a threat unless she brought in a major player like Ivan, but Diablo was not in his prime state yet.
There was no need to bet on unclear odds.
Moreover, the goal of this attack wasnt to kill someone.
[I didnt think you would come personally.]
As he said that, Diablo turned to look behind him.
Asilla was standing there. Sar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Srrng-
Lucid drew his sword and tried to step in front of him, but Diablo raised his bleached white hand.
[Asilla Goldiroth, the Demigods plaything. How does it feel to live while trapped in that fragile body.] (TL: So she is a Dragon.)
[I cant imagine that it would be pleasant.]
The flames in Diablos eye sockets burned brightly.
Asilla met his gaze for a while before finally opening her mouth.
Did you really need to do this?
[Hmm.]
If you had tried to negotiate, I would have agreed.
[I do not believe so.]
Why?
[Because if that truly were the case, you would not have called the Black Witch immediately after obtaining that item.]
Asillas eyes went wide.
[Theres no need to be so surprised. There wasnt a leak of information. It was purely a speculative conclusion. It hadnt been long since you obtained that item and Iris appeared in this city. That wouldnt have been possible without a quick and accurate response. In other words, you had no intention of giving that item to me from the beginning.]
do you even know what that thing is?
[It seems you believe I am unreasonable enough to be greedy over something that I dont know the true value of.]
Crunch.
His skeletal fingers twitched ominously.
[I have a question for you.]
As expected, he also had a goal.
Perhaps that was the reason he was still allowing Asilla to live.
[Where did you obtain that box?]
shouldnt you know as well? I heard that you arrived just after I retrieved the box.
[Thats roughly true. But I would still like to be sure. Of course, it doesnt matter if you dont want to answer.]
In that case I wouldnt have more business with you.
Although he didnt say those last words, it was basically spelled out by the atmosphere.
Asilla hesitated.
In all honesty, it wasnt that difficult to answer his question.
However, what would happen next? It had been less than a minute since shed started this confrontation with Diablo. According to Peran, she needed to buy at least 9 more minutes.
She knew if they were to fight she wouldnt even last 10 seconds, let alone 9 minutes, so she had to find some way to drag on the conversation
Should she try to trick him? Or say that she couldnt tell him so easily?
No, she couldnt. That wouldnt work.
Diablo had probably spoken his true feelings.
It wouldnt matter to him whether she told him or not, he was just trying to be sure.
This person would have no regrets even if he didnt get to hear a definite answer from Asilla.
In that case
The Amakan Desert.
First of all, confess the truth.
[]
Diablos eyes shimmered slightly.
Perhaps it was because he found Asillas compliance surprising.
Or maybe the answer he received was different from what he was expecting.
The answer came a few moments later in the form of a murmur from Diablo.
[I see, as expected.]
As he said those words, the hand that had been restraining Lucid fell.
Then Diablo spoke in a brief tone.
[Now to end this.]
* * *
A familiar place.
This was the thought Lukas had as he opened his eyes.
Whether it was a dream or reality, his mind was a bit clouded. But that wasnt because there was a problem with his mind. Instead, it was as if this space forcibly blurred his consciousness.
The name Great Mage must be crying.
A voice drifted into his ears.
When he turned his head, he was met with the unfamiliar face of a familiar person.
A man, the same Kasajin hed met last time.
He was sitting on a boulder, swinging his skinny legs in a motion that didnt match his aura.
0
His memories slowly came back to him. Lukas had been here before, and hed also met Kasajin before.
It was strange.
Why had he forgotten this?
I wasnt bored.
what?
Watching you roll around like that, time passed really quickly. But what the hell? Roll, roll, roll How the hell did the worlds Lukas Trowman become like that? No. Thats not it.
Kasajin smiled cheekily.
Youve always been like that.
Like what?
Youve always been more comfortable when youre rolling around in dog shit than when youre at ease Theres a word for that. What was it again? I think they call it masochism?
What the hell are you talking about?
Kekeke.
Perhaps it was because of his joke, or Kasajins vulgar laughter.
But Lukas also burst into a ridiculous laugh before his expression changed.
Kasajin.
What?
are you the real Kasajin?
It might just be his feeling, but when he said those words, Lukas felt like his surroundings became a bit clearer.
But he still couldnt tell where this place was.
Maybe he really was dreaming.
Im not sure if there is enough time.
What?
Follow me and see for yourself.
As he said that, Kasajin got up from his seat.
What kind of place this is.
(TL: This will be the last part of a chapter. And for reference, its the second half of chapter 223.
Going forward, the chapters will be posted in their completed state. )
Book 2: Chapter 364
Book 2: Chapter 364Immediately after leaving the dark cave, they were met with a grey world.
The sky was clear as if there was no ocean to reflect colour from, and the ground was covered in something like dry sand.
The reason it was something like was because while it had the appearance of sand, it clearly wasnt. It had a unique, near white colour that was similar to the sky above the latter also seemed to be wriggling as if it were alive.
Follow me.
Kasajin spoke up again in an indifferent tone.
Hed told him to see this place for himself. Even if Lukas asked him any questions, he probably wouldnt receive an answer.
So Lukas followed him in silence.
Stranger to him than the unfamiliar texture of the ground and the desert-like surroundings over which there wasnt a single hint of breeze, was Kasajins very existence.
He wasnt used to it.
The rag-like garments he wore did not detract attention from his arms and legs which looked like the withered branches of an old tree. It felt like even if he dressed a scarecrow in the same way, it wouldnt be as thin as him.
This thought made him bitter. Was this man really Kasajin?
At that time, he could not feel any of the charisma of the Warrior King who had polished his body to the limit in the past.
No. Now wasnt the time for him to worry about that.
Without a doubt, Kasajin probably had the same thought when he saw Lukas.
Coo oo oo
Suddenly, a strange sound drifted over.
Taking his eyes off of Kasajins back, Lukas turned to find the source of the sound. And immediately after almost leapt away.
A strange creature hed never seen before in his life was slowly moving past.
What was that?
He couldnt think of anything to compare it to. He had never seen an animal or a monster that had a similar appearance.
It walked on six legs while a pair of degenerated wings hung uselessly on its back. There were no eyes or ears on what appeared to be its head, but two protruding noses moved around busily.
Sniff, sniff
The busiest part of the creatures body were its noses. The huge pair of noses moved around like an insects antennae, and its nostrils opened and closed constantly. It turned its head to them as if it sensed their presence.
Depending on the perspective, it looked quite creepy.
Of course, Lukas paid more attention to the sharp claws on each of its six feet than its noses.
Leave it. Two noses is harmless.
Two noses?
Thats that guys name.
Thats a weird name.
That so?
Despite his words, Kasajin continued walking with an even pace.
Lukas hesitated for only a moment before following behind him. And as Kasajin said, the creature didnt seem to have any intention of attacking them.
When two noses had completely vanished from their sight, Kasajin finally spoke up again.
Is it really weird?
The name two noses.
You came up with it.
* * *
After that, strange creatures began appearing one after the other.
A bed with hands and feet.
A monster with a huge body that looked like a tongue and was covered in tentacles.
A giant whose face was in the middle of his chest.
All of them were monstrous creatures that even Lukas, who had visited countless universes, was seeing for the first time.
Whenever Kasajin saw them, he would tell him the name he had given them.
That was sleeper, that was bunch of tongues, that was face giant
But unlike the countless monsters that appeared, the surrounding landscape changed very little.
They were still strolling across the pale grey desert with a similar coloured sky hanging above their heads.
How many monsters had they encountered so far?
How far had they walked?
Shortly after crossing over a sand dune that was more like a sand mountain, Kasajin spoke.
Were here. Do you see that castle?
castle?
Lukas looked where Kasajin was pointing, but there were no castles in his sight.
However there was something there. Noise? No. It would probably be more accurate to call it a mirage. It was as if something was trying to hide itself away.
I guess you cant see it.
Kasajin tilted his head to the side.
It seems it still isnt enough.
Whats not enough?
It shouldnt be because of Diablo Ah. Thats right. Its probably her.
Lukas expression changed at his sudden words.
you know about Diablo?
I already told you. Ive been watching everything from here. Anyway, I guess youre still lacking the qualifications.
Qualifications?
Once again, his question was left unanswered. Depending on who it was, when their questions were avoided so many times, it could bother them more than being lied to.
It was something that wouldve driven most to anger, but Lukas just let out a deep sigh instead.
This isnt like you, Kasajin.
Isnt like me?
Youve been avoiding my question all this time. Of the questions that Ive had since coming to this place, you havent answered a single one.
Where was this place?
Why did you look like that?
Are you even real?
Regardless of how many times he asked, Kasajin always remained silent.
But this time, his expression was a bit different.
Lukas slowly opened his mouth.
I saw you.
And started talking.
About Kasajin, but not Kasajin.
About the Demon King, not the Magic Warrior King.
In a different universe You were the subordinate of the Black Horned Demon King, a Ruler, and you slaughtered countless humans.
I would like you to answer this. Was that really you? The Demon King, was that really the Kasajin I knew?
No.
The answer came without hesitation.
It was the answer Lukas wanted, but the more he listened, the more confused he became.
That wasnt me. However, that guy, the Demon King you knew, was Kasajin.
Then you
Im just the dregs, Lukas, trash that doesnt even deserve to talk to you.
For the first time, Kasajin smiled bitterly.
You said I was avoiding answering? Thats not it. Its that I cant answer. Just like you could preach about the endless multiverse to the mortals in this world and no one would understand a word you say, similarly, you cannot understand my situation. Thats the kind of place this is.
is it because I dont have the qualifications yet? Sarch* The n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Kasajins silence was as good an affirmation as any.
this is the second time youve come here. You even wandered around for a while before leaving. You dont understand just how ridiculous that is.
However, I, we, saw a possibility. Lukas Trowman, even if I am dregs, I will help you walk that path again. Just like 4,000 years ago.
For a moment, Lukas had a brief sense of nostalgia.
The last time hed had this feeling was when Kasajin had reminded him of the existence of Frey Blake
Lukas expression became urgent.
That was usually a sign that he was about to leave this world.
Wait a minute. Kasajin, I still
Another question would remain unanswered. No. That wasnt all.
Lukas definitely had more to say to Kasajin.
You will definitely do well, Lukas. The next clue is the box, and Diablo.
What
With a bewildered expression, Lukas disappeared before he could even finish his sentence.
Kasajin stood alone on the dune and stared out across the landscape. Suddenly, he collapsed to the ground in an exhausted manner. He couldnt help but feel that it would have been nice if there was even a little wind.
Unfortunately for him, that was not the case.
* * *
Asilla didnt feel like Deukid was a sword. Instead, it was more like a large building, like a castle, was compressed into the shape of the sword and swung around.
Bang!
With every swing, the ground shook and there was the sound of an explosion.
Krrr
The tall, splendid buildings that had surrounded them gradually crumbled like sand castles. And with each one that crumbled, it felt like a piece of her heart crumbled with it. She really was deeply attached to Yuterdam.
[]
Lucid suddenly stopped moving. The head that was completely wrapped in black armour also seemed to be a bit tilted. It wasnt strange for him to be puzzled.
Asilla, the platinum blonde woman in front of him, had almost no fighting ability.
Diablos words fragile body hadnt just been a mockery, they were true. And yet, Lucid had failed to hit her three times in a row.
[I see.]
0
Diablo, who was observing from the side, quickly understood the reason for this.
He could see Asillas lips moving slightly just before each attack hit.
[So you can still use Dragontongue, Gold Dragon Asilla.]
As expected of a Great Wizard.
It was impossible to fool the eyes of a being like Diablo more than three times.
[Im amazed. Dragontongue is a power thats engraved onto the very souls of Dragons. Even if your body is changed, that power wont disappear, but you shouldnt have the power to use it.]
Diablo calmly continued his speculation. There were absolutely no signs of tension.
Perhaps it was because of his blind faith in his own or Lucids power. Or perhaps there was another reason.
In any case, it wasnt a bad thing for Asilla at that moment.
Because she needed to buy every second that she could. If Diablo had decided to intervene, she would not have been able to avoid Lucids attack three times.
How long has it been?
Shed been so focused on holding on for one more second and avoiding for one more second that she wasnt conscious of the passage of time.
She hoped it had at least been five minutes No. Wait a minute. If it was 5 minutes, it meant that she still needed to buy more time.
Are you crazy, Asilla? You, can you even do that?
I cant.
After answering her own questions, she slowly raised the corners of her lips. It was close to a smile of resignation.
Right. If she made any mistakes, she would die.
Bang!
With a splatter of mud, the fighting began once again.
Despite the chaotic mess, Diablos eyes remained locked onto Asilla.
A curious mind.
That was the greatest strength and weakness of Wizards.
Currently, Diablo was focused on analysing Asilla. There wasnt any special reason for this. As mentioned before, he was just curious.
Dragon.
The Absolutes of the continent comparable to Demigods. However, after losing the Great War of Fate, they were deprived of their powerful bodies and their prides were castrated.
Diablo was naturally interested in Dragons. Beings who were blessed from birth with extraordinary sensitivity to mana and its manipulation. Any Wizard would be interested in them.
[Indeed.]
Clack.
White finger bones intertwined, creating an unpleasant sound.
[That body, is that of a golem.]
Like a mathematician who had finally found the answer to a particularly difficult problem that hed been struggling on, there was a hint of satisfaction in Diablos voice.
[It would be more accurate to call it a puppet. It wasnt inputted with memories and a personality, instead, it is a combination of artificial flesh and a soul I know of only one being capable of such a feat.]
Without a doubt, it was Hectors work.
Diablo had a faint interest in the relationship between them, but it was very faint.
The question that had interested him the most had already been answered.
How a Dragon had managed to use Dragontongue without a Dragon Heart.
[Thats it.]
Diablo gave his sentence.
[You can finish it now.]
Shuk-
With that one sentence, Lucids momentum changed.
!
Asilla didnt even have the chance to use Dragontongue.
Lucid, who appeared in front of her in the blink of an eye, swung his sword without hesitation.
Crack!
From her left thigh to her right shoulder.
Asillas body split apart in an instant, but there was no scream. There wasnt even a splash of blood.
Instead, a liquid the same colour and consistency as molten iron, slowly dripped out.
[So the resemblance to a human ends at the appearance.]
He wasnt sure exactly how durable the body was. But even if the entire body was made of steel, it would have ended the same way before Lucids swordsmanship.
Kuh
Nevertheless, Asilla was still alive.
It seemed that as long as the head was still intact, there would still be a chance of survival. Or at least, there was a chance for a golem to survive.
But no such chance would be given.
Because Deukid gradually moved towards her head.
Just before the sword pierced Asillas head.
Lucids head snapped to the side.
Deukid, which was still in motion, was quickly pulled in front of his chest.
Bang!
A heavy sound came from Deukid. Lucid, who was unable to withstand the force of the blow, was sent flying. His body skipped across the ground a few times before crashing heavily into a three story building.
[]
As if he couldnt believe the scene that had just unfolded before his eyes, Diablo remained frozen in place.
His gaze locked onto the young girl who had sent Lucid flying.
She had a small slender body. In addition, she was currently naked.
However, the pressure that was currently being exuded from her body made it difficult to pay attention to those factors.
I didnt believe it when I heard it, but its true.
The girl, Anastasia, glared at Diablo, her silver hair fluttering.
You bastard What the hell did you do to my friend?
Needless to say.
Her turquoise eyes burned with rage.
Book 2: Chapter 365
Book 2: Chapter 365You got here pretty quick.
Peran looked over his shoulder.
Standing there was Hector surrounded by a group of maids.
I got lucky. She fully understood how serious the situation was. Thanks to that, our conversation was able to progress quickly.
Youre being too humble. It wouldnt have been possible without your eloquence and ability to think on your feet. If I had gone instead, I wouldnt have been able to convince her in such a short time.
Persuade.
A bitter smile spread across Perans lips.
He hadnt done anything noble enough to be described as such.
As soon as he stepped out of the portal to the Ispania Mountains, hed shouted at the top of his voice.
Diablo brought Lucid back to life! We need your help! Please help us!
He hadnt even been certain about the information.
Of course, he knew that the undead hed seen had Deukid in its hands, and its skill with the sword should be comparable to or higher than Snow, but he wasnt sure if it was Lucid or not.
In other words, it was a gamble.
In all honesty, he didnt have any idea what Anastasia, who had appeared after a while, thought.
This was because her cold gaze and emotionless expression hadnt changed from the start.
It seemed that she believed Perans words, but right before he used Warp again, she spoke.
If you are lying, I will separate your flesh from your bones.
To be honest, the hardest part was getting out of the city without Diablo noticing. If he had noticed, he would have interfered with the spell.
However, despite the tension, Peran was able to successfully leave Yuterdam without any hindrance. Hed thought hed just been lucky, but that wasnt actually the case.
From the start, Diablo was more focused on Lady Iris power than the movement of mana.
indeed.
Hector gave a slow nod.
His gaze turned from Anastasia, who was currently locked in combat with Lucid, to Asilla, who had rolled to the side like a piece of junk.
With a deep sigh, he said.
My angels, may I ask you to retrieve her?
We will obey Masters orders.
The maids politely bowed their heads to Hector before going to collect Asilla, who had been disassembled in a miserable manner. Seeing this unbearable scene, Peran couldnt help but say.
is she still alive?
Asillas core is in her brain. As long as her core is intact, her body parts can be replaced at any time Well. In a way, this state is worse than dying for her. Its fortunate that shes still alive. Asilla did a great job.
Hearing those words, Peran couldnt help but feel that the relationship between Asilla and Hector wasnt as simple as it seemed.
He was curious, but now was not the time for that.
Perans gaze turned to the city.
* * *
Anastasia was not in this city. No. She wasnt even anywhere close to here. She was one of the few that Diablo kept a close eye on, so he was certain of that.
This meant that someone had brought her here.
[I made a mistake.]
Diablo murmured.
[I was too focused on Iris. Warp is a fairly high level spell, but I didnt notice it.]
A Wizard who had not joined him. At the same time, an Archmage capable of warping back and forth in a short enough span of time that he didnt notice.
At this point, there was only one such person that Diablo was aware of.
[Peran Jun.]
Things were definitely becoming annoying. Diablo admitted this fact without hesitation.
It was regrettable that he hadnt managed to kill Iris with his surprise attack. If hed killed her, then he could have treated Anastasia, who had appeared here, as a bonus.
[Anastasia.]
Diablo slowly opened his mouth.
[I dont intend to fight you. What I want from them has nothing to do with you, and if you let me get it, I will leave without causing any more trouble.]
You seem to be mistaken about something. From the moment you transformed Lucid into an undead, there was no longer any chance for a conversation between us.
A laugh involuntarily rolled out at those words.
When Anastasia glared at him, Diablo spoke again.
[Pardon me. I was just a bit confused by your words. Seeing someone express anger over me reviving someone from 4,000 years ago is quite humorous.]
The tone of Diablo, who laughed out loud for a while, suddenly changed.
[But whats even funnier is the fact that you called the Sword King your friend. Battle Golem Anastasia, have you still not understood your identity? You are not Schweiser.]
Shut up.
Diablo had touched Anastasias reverse scale.
No, instead of touching it, it was more like he stabbed it with a knife.
Her turquoise eyes rippled with rage.
Her small fists clenched with a frightening sound and she began to stride towards Diablo as though she intended to smash his white bones.
But after she took a few steps, the sound of an explosion was heard from the rubble of a building in the distance. As the dust cleared, Lucids armour was revealed once again.
There wasnt even a single scratch on the pitch black armour.
A wave of death energy rippled out from his body. Anastasias expression hardened.
Hes coming.
She was forced to turn her attention from Diablo to Lucid.
The black knight, who was more than a few metres away, narrowed the distance in an instant.
There was no sound, and even his presence became faint. So the only thing she could rely on was her eyes.
She could track his movements. So it was possible for her to respond.
Anastasia crossed her arms before covering them in a thick layer of mana. And in the same instant, Lucid struck with Deukid. sea??h th novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Clang!
There was a loud sound similar to colliding metal.
Anastasia sank. Neither her knees nor her back were bent. She was still standing straight.
However, Lucids strength was so ridiculous that he forced her into the ground.
What this power
She did all she could to withstand it.
Anastasias arms trembled as if they would collapse. She had to find some way to counterattack or get out of that position, but she didnt have the chance.
Lucid pressed his sword down with one hand.
This isnt Lucids fighting style.
His style consisted of sword techniques and sword skills. This way of swinging his sword around like a club was something that a sane Lucid would never do.
Her muscles were gradually approaching their limit.
If she continued to endure this, her entire body would be crushed like a tomato.
I, too, didnt spend the last 10 years in vain.
Suddenly, Anastasia clenched her teeth. Two tentacles sprouted out of her back. In truth, they were more like metal tails than tentacles.
Clack!
The tentacles wrapped tightly around Deukid and began pushing it away with great force.
At last, Lucids momentum was broken. Without any hesitation, he withdrew his sword and took a few steps.
During this time, Anastasia retrieved a blue gem from her bag, stuck it into her mouth, and clenched her teeth. (TL: Isnt she naked?)
Crunch.
This was a solid gem, but it was no match for the teeth of Anastasia, a golem. She chewed the gem like a piece of candy before swallowing it.
Slowly, an icy colour began swirling around her iris.
Hup.
After taking a deep breath.
[Ahhh!]
She shot a storm of ice out of her mouth.
The powerful storm ripped through the surroundings as it rushed towards her opponent. She knew that his armours defence was formidable, but she was certain that this would cause some damage.
That was the moment Anastasia was waiting for.
Lucid, who quietly watched as the ice storm approached him, suddenly stabbed Deukid into the ground.
Fwoosh!
At that same time, black fog began to seep out from the ground. It was like the fog was alive. The fog seemed to move on its own, gathering together and forming a semi-circle that enveloped Lucid.
Pak pak pak!
At last, the approaching ice storm slammed into the black fog. But like heavy rain hitting a rock, there was only a loud sound; it failed to break through.
That was an ice storm created with the finest aquamarine.
And yet, it was still not enough to break through Lucids defen
Anastasia cut her thought short as she threw herself back. This was because she caught sight of bone spears pouring down from the sky like arrows.
Puk puk puk!
The bone spears pierced the spot shed just been standing in. Immediately after, the dirt began to take a purple hue before melting directly.
Those bone spears didnt just have simple physical power. With that kind of corrosive ability, her body would have melted like a candle if she hadnt noticed them in time.
Piht
Another attack followed that one. A beam of dark red light.
The moment she saw this attack, her spine went cold.
This single dark red beam of light was far more dangerous that Lucids hand to hand attacks and those bones spears combined.
Anastasia quickly turned her head to avoid it, but she was too slow, allowing the beam to brush past her cheek.
My body
It couldnt move.
Her entire body creaked as if it was straining under great pressure.
Anastasia immediately understood the reason.
Diablo has he finally crossed over the threshold of true 9 stars?
Absolute line.
Absolute, a power which was higher than mana, had struck Anastasias body.
This caused the mana in her body, which was constantly circulating, to freeze.
It was like having the blood in your body stop moving. Of course, if such a thing happened to a human, they would die in seconds, but, fortunately, Anastasia was a golem.
No. This isnt fortunate at all!
In front of Lucid, not to mention tens of seconds, even a 1 second opening was lethal.
Boom!
She saw him charge toward her with explosive momentum. Every step he took shook the ground beneath them.
In the blink of an eye, Lucid appeared in front of her, Deukid outstretched. It was a simple stab, but the power behind it was unimaginable.
It was a stab that should be dodged at all costs, even if it was at the expense of her mana.
Just before the blade pierced her throat, Anastasias vision went black.
Taht!
And when the darkness lifted, she was looking at an entirely different scene.
Ah?
What just happened?
You let your guard down, Anastasia.
The moment she heard that voice, Anastasia understood the situation.
Iris.
Without her realising, Iris had appeared behind her.
Shed teleported her with her power.
To be rescued by this woman.
It didnt leave a pleasant aftertaste so it was not easy to thank her.
Anastasia opened and closed her mouth a few times before finally turning to look at Lucid.
do you know who that guy is?
The Sword King Lucid. The most noble and reliable shield that always protected us.
He has now become the sword that threatens our lives.
Iris chuckled at those words.
Thats a different feeling. It makes me a bit sad.
She probably didnt actually find it funny since her expression remained solemn, so she probably said that as a way to lighten the mood.
Anastasia also joined in.
Whos missing?
We dont have anyone else to talk about old memories with, do we?
Hmph. Im not sure. That beast might also be alive somewhere.
At that moment, an unexpected voice interfered with their conversation.
[Youre wrong.]
It was the dry, cracked voice that literally belonged to a dead person.
But Iris and Anastasia could only make horrified expressions as they turned to look at him.
Lucid?
You were you conscious
[You are all wrong about one thing.]
Lucid interrupted them in a calm voice.
we were wrong about something?
What do you mean by that?
[Its not just one person that should be here.]
Isnt it only Kasajin?
What the hell are you talking about? No. More than that, are you still acting like a servant of that undead despite having an ego?
[]
Lucid raised his sword once again. It was as if to answer them with his attitude.
As though he was saying that conversation was no longer necessary.
He had always been a guy like that.
A stubborn, noble man with strict convictions.
Iris and Anastasia bit their lips at the same time.
* * *
Warmth.
That was the first sensation Lukas felt upon waking up.
His mind was a mess. Two things, the memories of Kasajin and his last memories, jumbled together in his head, giving him a headache.
Lukas slowly untangled the mess.
its warm.
Soft and warm. It was to the extent that he didnt want to move. He just wanted to stay like this.
But he couldnt. Knowing this, Lukas forcibly opened his eyes and woke up.
At that moment, he felt a familiar sensation, like a blanket wrapped around him.
But after moving slightly and blinking a few times, he realised what was wrapped around him.
It was not a blanket, but a giant Phoenix wrapped around his body.
Nix.
The Phoenix, Nix, lowered her head to look at Lukas.
The flames of the Phoenix race were mysterious.
It was literally the greatest threat to those they were hostile towards, but for those they accepted, it was as warm as a hearth. In addition, it had the effect of regenerating and healing injuries.
Nix was probably the only reason he was still alive after taking that cut to the back.
Thanks.
Nixs feathers ruffled slightly, but she avoided making eye contact.
But he now understood.
It wasnt because she hated him.
Lukas got up from the bed of feathers.
And immediately felt vertigo.
Although his wound had healed, his blood hadnt been replenished. So, in a way, he was still injured.
It didnt feel like there had been many days recently when he hadnt been injured.
dont go.
He looked back.
Nix, who had returned to her human form, was looking at him with a complicated expression.
You are very hurt.
I know.
You wont be much help if you go there.
That might be true.
Its safer here.
Youre right.
Lukas didnt deny anything Nix said.
The more Nix spoke, the more confident she was that this man wouldnt listen to her.
if you go this time, you might really die.
After a while, Lukas looked away from Nix. Then he started walking.
Nix clenched her fists as she looked at his back.
Huff. Huff
Before he could even go far, Lukas was already out of breath. He felt dizzy and nauseous, but he held it in because he felt like he would collapse if he allowed himself to vomit.
For a moment, he couldnt help but wonder.
Had he ever been so physically and mentally exhausted?
He felt like this was much harder than when he fought the Demigods in the past when he lived as Frey Blake, and when he was saving universes.
Huhu.
Somehow, a chuckle managed to escape his lips.
This was because Kasajins words popped into his mind at that moment.
Right. He was right. Perhaps he really was a masochist.
Tuk.
After taking a few more steps, he tripped over a stone and fell onto his face.
He wasnt sure if hed eaten any dirt or not, but there was a bad taste in his mouth.
For some reason, this reminded him of the night with heavy rain back at the Westroad Academy.
Hed fallen then too. And hed wanted to just give up on everything,
its much better now.
As he had this thought, Lukas forced himself to his feet.
It was at this moment that something caught his eye.
It was black box. A smooth box made out of some kind of material that he couldnt identify. It hadnt been there before but he thought that it might have fallen out of his pocket. Was it because he just fell?
But that thought still made him suspicious. Lukas didnt remember having a box like this.
Nevertheless, after a while, those thoughts faded.
Lukas expression changed as he observed the box.
Book 2: Chapter 366
Book 2: Chapter 366 Reaching 8 stars was no easy task.
Peran pondered for a long time on what talent truly meant, and he looked back on his life from various angles to see where it had played a role.
He also endured great despair and suffering, and after persevering for a long time, he was finally able to reach 8 stars.
And then he realised something.
He had become incredibly strong.
This wasnt conceit or arrogance. Instead, it was a clear and objective thought that he had after thinking about it for a long time.
Peran, who had reached 8 stars, now had the power to wipe out an entire small or medium sized city in an instant.
But this brought a new kind of pressure onto his shoulders. Because he learned that with such great power came an equally great responsibility.
This made his self confidence skyrocket.
Again, it wasnt conceit, it was simply a firm belief in himself.
He knew that there were still beings stronger than him in the world, but at the very least, he didnt think that he would lose to them with no way to fight back even if he were to face them.
Not so long ago, this thought was cemented even further when he fought Cairo Wilsemann in the Jun Family Mansion.
After all, hed even managed to face a 9-star Wizard to some extent.
And that was exactly why he was having so much trouble understanding.
The reality that he had no way to intervene in the battle currently unfolding before his eyes.
Crunch.
His clenched fists became even tighter, causing his nails to pierce his flesh.
His mana room was almost filled with mana. His mind was steady. And he wasnt injured in the slightest.
Except for the mana that had been used in the Warp, he was in perfect condition.
Nevertheless, he could not enter this fight. If he were to try to forcefully step in, he might end up getting in the way of Iris or Anastasia.
Because they were strong.
And he was only a bit strong. This was something he was finally made to understand.
If he stepped foot in this battle, he would only get in the way of his allies. So the only thing he could do was watch.
Perans judgement was not wrong.
But it was still an incredibly bitter pill to swallow.
* * *
In truth, the fight wasnt as equal as Peran thought.
And without a doubt, the one who was feeling this the most was Anastasia.
Clang!
The force of the clash sent her flying, her feet digging deep grooves into the ground.
Kuk
One of Schweisers bad habits was to quantify everything that he saw and heard. And that trait was passed on to her.
She couldnt help but compare the physical ability of the Sword King from her past and the undead in front of her right now, and soon, she reached a conclusion.
His physical ability should be about double what it was in the past.
At least.
Since the opponent was an undead, his explosive power was quite oppressive, so in order to obtain more accurate data, she would need to battle him longer.
So far, Anastasia could only be certain about one thing.
Lucids physical abilities were far above hers.
Her body moved with a fearsome 1 million ME as fuel. Nevertheless, she hadnt managed to gain the upper hand a single time in dozens of skirmishes.
Lucid had become an undead, and hed become much stronger. The limits of his human body had been lifted, which allowed his power output to more than double. In addition, Diablo must have used all of the dark magic in his arsenal to increase his attributes even more.
Paak!
A group of skeletal hands burst out of the ground, trying to grab her feet. Each white hand exuded a fearsome amount of death energy.
With her defences, the hands wouldnt be able to hurt her, but if her movements were restricted for even a moment, Lucid would be able to take advantage of it.
Tch.
Clicking her tongue, she dodged the attack.
This was a problem.
The connection between Diablo and Lucid was close to perfect. Whenever Anastasia tried to grab the initiative by using a magical tool or gem that was attached to her body, Diablo would cleverly dig into the momentary gap.
Because of this, she had never managed to step out of her defensive position since the fight started.
The division of roles between Lucid and Diablo was perfect. In the first place, Diablo was the Necromancer. Since he was the one who created the undead, he was also the one who had the best grasp on his abilities.
On their side, however, the situation was not good.
Papapat!
She hit the hands reaching towards her, turning them into bone powder that stuck to her fists. Anastasia didnt shake it off, instead, she took a few steps forward. In an instant, the distance between her and Lucid narrowed.
That black armour.
Its defence must be extraordinary, but she couldnt throw away the first opportunity shed been given in a long time.
Just as Anastasia extended her fist to probe the extent of her opponents defences.
In an instant, her view changed completely. And her outstretched fist futilely hit the air.
Huh?
Anastasia let out a soft sound with a bewildered expression. Sear?h the ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Ah.
Then she heard Iris voice. It took a moment for Anastasia, who was standing there blankly, to understand the situation. Iris had teleported her away with space movement.
You! What are you doing?!
A mistake. I didnt expect you to advance so suddenly there.
You, really! Its not that hard to think while fighting!
Iris had a slightly sour expression but she didnt say anything because it had been her mistake.
Nevertheless, Anastasia was able to close the distance to Lucid once again and punch him in the chest. Lucids body was sent flying backward instantly, so it seemed like the attack worked.
Hard.
Anastasia looked down at her fist with a frown.
That punch had enough power in it to flatten steel armour, but it didnt even scratch Lucids armour.
Boom!
Black lightning struck down from the sky.
The lightning landed right where Lucid had just been. From the charred ground around that location, it was clear that it was a fairly strong black spell.
Why did you hit him away?
Iris criticised in an irritable voice. As expected, she was the one that had just used the black magic.
Anastasia pouted slightly in response.
why didnt you say something before you used it.
If you could hear it then Lucid would be able to hear it too, wouldnt he? Or would you prefer I go to Diablo and tell him everything I plan?
Who said that? Im just saying that there should be some kind of heads-!! Kuk!
Anastasia leaped away without finishing her shout. Just as Lucids sword swept through the air, cutting a few hairs.
They were horrifically out of tune.
However, this was natural.
Even 4,000 years ago, Iris and Schweiser had always been at each others throats. Not only did they get along terribly, they never bothered to try to understand each other very well.
To make matters worse, the way the two fought now was quite different from the way they fought in the past.
Iris didnt focus on demon summoning or black magic like she had in the past. Instead, she focused more on Lords legacy, the authority of space, and the way she fought changed to best utilise that power.
Anastasia, on the other hand, went without saying. Compared to before, her best weapon now was her body, not her knowledge. It was more efficient for her to swing her fists at the front as the combat golem Anastasia, rather than supporting from the rear like the Great Sage Schweiser.
They were unfamiliar with each others changed ways of fighting, which, inevitably, caused a rift in their connection.
Dammit! It would have been easier for me to fight alone!
Thanks for saying the words I was just about to say.
The way they looked at each other was not nice.
If it werent for the desperate situation, the things they would have told each other probably wouldnt be so few.
Why did I team up with a woman like this in the past? (TL: EXACTLY!)
When she looked at this woman, on which she couldnt find a single pleasing feature, Anastasia couldnt help but wonder. But, of course, now wasnt the time to think about it too deeply.
As time passed, the banter between the two of them began to fade. This wasnt because they had finally started to properly work together by some miracle.
Instead, it was because their opponents offence was becoming sharper.
In other words, even the time to speak was gradually disappearing.
And after 10 minutes,
For the first time since the fight began, the two of them shared the same thought.
This.
Is dangerous.
They thought that they might die there.
* * *
An unexpected opportunity.
Diablo calmly analysed the current situation and quickly reached a conclusion.
The Black Witch and the Wandering Golem.
Members of the continental powerhouses that Diablo kept a close eye on.
Separately, they might not be able to pose as much of a threat as Snow, but they were still a part of the group that he specifically planned to deal with in the future.
Of course, he never expected any of the encounters to be easy. Thats why he only intended to meet them after planning thoroughly.
When Anastasia appeared, soon followed by Iris.
Diablo immediately made plans to escape at any time. Regardless of if Lucid was there or not, he didnt think it would be easy to deal with two of the great heroes from 4,000 years ago.
However, soon after the fight started, he lost that thought.
These two. Instead, they are reducing each others strength.
It was a situation where they were interfering with each others ability to fight at their full strength. This situation usually occurred between those who had a very weak understanding of each other, and whose personalities did not mesh.
It was not something hed expected to see here. He hadnt expected the heroes from 4,000 years ago to be so pathetic. But for Diablo, it was a happy little accident. (TL:I had to)
At first, he had been concerned about hiding his strength in preparation for future encounters.
But in this situation, it would be better to change that strategy.
Now, he planned to bury these two, who were major obstacles to his grand plan, in this place.
One thing annoys me
There was no sign of the box in this city.
But he didnt think too deeply about it.
Including Anastasia and Iris, who were here. There was no one who could understand the mystery of that box.
As far as Diablo knew, there was only one such being on the entire continent. And of course, she was nowhere close to this city.
Shuk-
It was around this time that Lucid cut Anastasias arm off.
Kuk.
Anastasias expression briefly flashed with dismay, but in all honesty, that was not a fatal injury for a golem like her. In fact, Anastasia herself had the regenerative ability to restore a severed limb. The problem was that she didnt have time to regenerate.
Lucid pressed her harder. Since shed lost an arm, her defence naturally dropped by half. And before long, Anastasias body was covered in countless cuts.
In this situation, Iris was almost useless.
Because of Diablo, her authority of space could not be used in depth. To prevent his interference, she would have to expend a great amount of power.
But she couldnt do that right now. Iris knew better than anyone just how dangerous the ability to manipulate space was.
If she were to recklessly increase the output or create something so complicated that Diablo couldnt interfere with it, it was possible for the power to go out of control and she would end up trapped in a dark space, a gap in the dimensions, forever.
just a bit, if I just had a bit of time.
If she just had a bit of time to experiment, she could get a hint of how to utilise her power in a way that Diablo couldnt interfere with.
But there wasnt.
She didnt know what to do.
Should she take the risk, or should she leave this place first?
Just as Iris was struggling with her decision.
A beam of dark red light suddenly shot from Diablos fingers.
!
There was no sound, and even the traces were faint. Iris had not been able to feel any sign of the Absolute Line before it was fired.
Fast.
Iris knew that she would not be able to avoid it with her physical ability. She also couldnt use the authority of space either.
Left without a choice, she hurriedly created a summoning circle to summon a Demon.
[Kweeek]
The Demon that came out of the purple summoning circle had the appearance of a giant meatball. It was a low level Demon that could only serve as a meat shield at best. In fact, it was such a low quality monster that it was almost shameful to call it a Demon.
The meatball Demon was somewhat resistant to physical and magical attacks, but it offered absolutely no resistance to the Absolute Line. The dark red beam pierced through the Demon without wasting a second.
In an instant, the red beam appeared in front of Iris forehead.
Shuk!
But Iris body disappeared.
[]
Diablo was silent. That wasnt the authority of space.
That was a spell that moved her to a different place.
[Peran Jun.]
Peran took a deep breath with a slightly tired expression on his face.
He had only used the Blink spell, but it felt like he had depleted most of his mental power. This was something that most Wizards would feel when trying to use spells close to Diablo.
Absolute, the power that gave complete control within a certain portion of space.
He had used a spell while fighting against that power.
[That really surprised me. To believe youd be able to defy Absolute and cast a spell.]
Diablo was genuinely amazed. For a moment, he completely forgot about Iris and Anastasia.
[What an awe inspiring talent. No. You seem to have more than just talent.]
[initially, I intended to erase this entire city after killing these two, but now Ive changed my mind. Join me, Peran Jun.]
Peran took a deep breath as he looked at Diablo.
Reaching out a bony hand to him, Diablo continued.
[Let me help you. In 10 years, no, in 5 years, I will help you discover the clues to 9-stars. I will definitely do it.]
I already turned down your offer once before. Didnt you hear?
[Im still going to make another offer. Im doing it personally this time because Im sure you are worth it.]
There didnt seem to be any falsehoods in Diablos words.
Perhaps this was his last chance, Diablos last mercy.
If Peran accepted this offer, it was possible that he really would be able to reach 9-stars in 5 years.
I refuse.
Nevertheless, there wasnt even a hint of hesitation in Perans unshakeable voice.
[I see.]
Diablo slowly lowered his hand with those words.
[Then die.]
Book 2: Chapter 367
Book 2: Chapter 367Diablo wasnt immediately able to carry out his sentence.
There were two reasons for this.
The first was Iris.
It seemed that she had managed to figure out how to bypass his Absolute interference.
Annoying.
Diablo had no choice but to raise her threat level by two tiers.
If he failed to end Iris Phisfounder here, she would without a doubt go beyond the level of simply troublesome enemy.
The interference wasnt something unique to Diablo. And in some cases, he might actually end up as the one being affected.
He didnt even have to think too deeply about it.
Lord, the leader of the Demigods, had conquered the continent in the past.
In front of that being, who was almost like a god, even 9-star Wizards were powerless.
Iris had inherited some of Lords power. If she learned to freely use that power, she would, without a doubt, become a greater foe than Snow.
As for the second reason.
Fwoosh!
Flames erupted in front of Peran.
It was a simple 2-star spell, Fireball, which was no threat to Diablo. Even if he were to stay still and allow it to hit him, it wouldnt even be able to burn the black robes he was wearing.
But that wasnt the problem.
How can he still use magic?
Of course, Diablo hadnt fully released his Absolute Field.
If he were to extend his absolute space to cover the entire area, while it certainly would be advantageous in this situation, the burden on his mind would be too high.
In truth, he didnt feel that the situation was bad enough to force him to rely on his Absolute Field. For now, just using Absolute Line was enough.
Absolute power lingered wherever the Line passed, and that remaining force was enough to stop any Wizard from being able to use magic.
Depending on the level of the Wizard, it wouldnt be strange for the internal organs to shake and bleed the moment they tried to use their mana.
It might be possible if he was squeezing out his mental power, but
That would have only worked a few times.
By now, Peran had already cast an unknown number of spells.
Its weird.
At that moment, the words of Cairo Wilsemann, who had failed to capture Peran at the Jun Family Mansion, came to mind.
The difference between Peran and I was clear. And yet, I couldnt easily subdue him. It was almost as if I couldnt interfere with him, do you know what I mean? As though I couldnt influence the mana room in his body.
When hed first heard that, Diablo had just assumed that Cairo had been careless.
There was no other possibility he could think of apart from that.
The correlation among high level Wizards was absolute. It wasnt like Knights, Magic Warriors, or Mercenaries. Just the difference in their levels meant that they couldnt compete with each other.
For example, depending on the strategy, terrain, or condition, it was possible for a Second Class Warrior to defeat a First Class Warrior.
But Wizards were different.
In particular, the higher the level, the more those differences stood out. A 6-star Wizard could never beat a 7-star. Likewise, it was impossible to defeat an 8-star at 7-star or a 9-star at 8-star.
Thats why, when he first heard the report, he doubted what hed heard.
Cairo and Shepard, two high level Wizards, had let Peran escape.
But now that he was in front of him, he could finally understand why. Sarch* The Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Its not talent.
It was something else.????????n????????????d. ????????m
There was something unexplainable and alien about this man.
* * *
Flame Ball.
Throb-
As soon as the spell manifested, Peran felt a sharp pain as if his skull was being cracked open. He had to forcibly stop himself from screaming.
It was fine. He could still take it.
It was so painful that he felt like he would die, but not enough to actually kill him.
I owe you one.
It was at this moment that he heard Iris voice.
As he couldnt afford the effort to open his mouth and respond, Peran simply gave her a small nod as he sent the Flame Ball forward.
Shuk-
Diablos black robe swallowed the Flame Ball. It disappeared as naturally as a drop of water in a waterfall.
Paimons Curtain. Spells at or below 5-stars will not be able to break through that curtain.
Is it black magic?
Yes.
Spells at or below 5-stars wouldnt work.
In other words, it meant that he would need to at least use 6-star spells, a level higher than the spells hed been using until now.
He corrected his breathing. Just by drawing on his mana slightly, he could feel pressure as if his organs were being twisted. If he actually finished the spell, it wouldnt just end there.
Howling Tempest.
The 6-star spell manifested.
Gurgle.
And in the same instant, blood rushed up his throat. It was similar to the backlash one would experience if they failed to cast a high level spell. No, it was about five times worse than that, but that wasnt the point.
Im starting to feel it.
At first, he thought that he would die just from using a 1-star spell. The throbbing pain in his entire body that felt like he was being ripped apart and the intense backlash almost made him faint. And for the first time in his life, he became afraid to use magic.
But Peran did not give up, and instead tried to learn from that experience.
Paradoxically, when he used a 2-star spell, he was in a better condition.
This was because he learned how to move his mana to minimise the backlash.
All that was left now was whether he had the skill.
To increase the level.
3-stars, 4-stars, 5-stars.
Gradually he learned how to cast spells naturally once again. The pain continued to grow, but thanks to his experience, he was able to prevent himself from fainting.
And now, he was able to use even 6-star spells.
Iris wasnt wrong. Howling Tempest truly did seem to have an effect. At the very least, the black robe covering Diablo, Paimons Curtain, was somewhat shaken.
However, that was all.
He had managed to get past the black robe, but his opponent wasnt someone who would be affected by a 6-star spell.
Diablo raised his fingers to the sky. The ground around him rose up to take the ominous shape of a skull, becoming a barrier that protected him.
Howling Tempest could not pierce this earth barrier.
The result would be the same even if I used a 7-star spell.
It might have a slightly better effect, but it would only be a minor improvement at best.
What about 8-star spells?
Another Sun, Tornado, Ice Age.
Would such spells be able to bring down this monster?
He would not be able to escape unscathed. There would definitely be some kind of damage.
However, he did not believe they would be able to kill him.
Its not enough.
He was too weak.
When this thought appeared in his mind once again, it caused anger to rise up within him.
Why was he not a 9-star Wizard?
Crackle-
The space around him twisted and wobbled. He could feel the very space begin to creak.
Diablo and Iris powers collided.
In the end, it was all thanks to her that Peran was still alive. If Diablo had only focused on Peran from the beginning, he would have died a long time ago.
That was the reality.
An 8-star Wizard. The Youngest Archmage. The Unparalleled Prodigy.
All he had were those fancy titles.
Although he was only one step away, Peran was no threat to Diablo.
[]
Diablo had a similar thought, but it was also different.
Despite fighting with Iris, his attention never left Peran.
Of course, Peran wasnt wrong. On his own, he couldnt be considered a threat to him.
But the next moment might be different.
To put it bluntly, the Peran a few seconds later might be completely different from now.
This man appeared to be getting stronger with each passing second.
Hes using this battle as the greatest fuel to grow explosively.
If he had skin, it might have already been covered in goosebumps. He could see the faint flicker of anger in Perans eyes.
He knew that having the aptitude to feel anger instead of wallowing in despair when facing an enemy that was on a different level was one of the most important keys to reaching 9-stars.
Crackle-
The surrounding mana began to tremble as if it was resonating with Perans emotions.
It was not a phenomenon that could be explained theoretically.
After all, Diablo was the person who should have had complete control of all the surrounding mana.
even if Iris is interfering.
It should not have escaped his control.
Despite its instability, Diablo could not interact with the mana surrounding Peran at all. This was proof that Perans influence exceeded his own.
This is dangerous.
As mentioned before, this was not just talent.
Perans mystery. As a Wizard, this phenomenon should have filled him with curiosity first, but now, he was more wary and afraid than anything else.
At that moment, something suddenly occurred to him.
In addition to his potential, Peran might actually be the greatest threat to his cause
And as soon as that thought became clear.
Diablo did not hesitate.
Paht!
!
Iris couldnt help but tremble in surprise.
Because in an instant, it felt like the world had been flipped over and she could feel pressure in her lungs.
He released his Absolute Field to the fullest.
Peran, who also realised this, bit his lip. His entire body refused to move as if hed been paralysed. It was impossible to even move a finger, almost like the air itself was restraining him.
[So this much output is enough to restrain your movements.]
Diablo muttered calmly.
Then he raised a bony finger and pointed at Perans forehead.
Ah.
Perans face paled.
It felt like flames, which had only been tickling his toes before, had suddenly reached his shoulders.
[Im glad I was able to kill you here. Truly.]
Buzz-
Absolute Line.
Peran could feel his inevitable death slowly approaching.
Is this how I die?
His eyes widened.
That was all. Even if he could move, there was nothing that could block the beam of light.
He never would have thought that his end would be like this.
Then what? Did he expect to die a more meaningful death?
No. That wasnt it.
There was a real reason why Peran could not accept his death.
I not yet
It was because he had not achieved anything yet.
Genius.
That was what everyone said when they saw Peran, but his own feelings were different.
In his eyes, he had just walked a bit faster on the road of magicology which had already been paved and polished. He hadnt created the path himself.
He hadnt pioneered anything, hadnt truly challenged himself.
So he hadnt accomplished anything.
I.
cant die in a place like this!
Boom!
It was at that moment that an explosion sounded. Peran blinked. Just now, the dark red beam, which had been heading towards him with unstoppable momentum, disappeared without a trace.
Peran turned to look at Diablo.
The white, fleshless fingers that had been stretched out were now a bit curled. The flames in his eye sockets were also flickering as if they were being hit by strong winds.
For a moment, Peran could not understand what happened.
Who is he looking at?
It wasnt Peran. It wasnt Iris, or Anastasia, who was still fighting Lucid in the distance.
Instead, Diablos gaze was locked onto something behind Peran.
[Who are you?]
There was a deep sense of caution and unmistakable shock in his voice.
Hed never been more shocked than at that moment.
Even if an unexpected event occurred, he wouldnt be more shocked than necessary. He would just feel that it was unfortunate that things didnt go as calculated.
This was because he was confident that he could solve it one step later. He knew he had the ability to clean up a mess, regardless of what it was.
But it was different this time.
Absolute Line.
The power that tore space itself apart was impossible to defend, as Peran thought. If she had enough time, Iris, who had the power of space, could cut off its source, effectively stopping its progression. But that was a skill that only she had.
In general, there was only one way to truly stop an Absolute Line.
Cancelling it out.
And that was what happened.
Diablos Absolute Line had been canceled out.
By another Absolute Line that had shot from the opposite direction.
[I asked you who you were.]
Diablo muttered again in a deadly tone.
His gaze was locked on an abandoned building behind Peran.
There wasnt a response.
Instead, a person appeared.
Tap.
It was a young man who appeared in the grass.
A face that was unfamiliar to everyone.
Except for one.
You
Perans voice trembled.
His expression continued to shift back and forth like a raging wave.
Do you know that man?
He couldnt answer Iris question immediately.
But in his head, he was certain.
He knew. Of course, he knew. He couldnt not know.
This man,
This man with spiky gray hair and an almost emotionless expression,
He was the man he had been looking for for 10 years.
.Frey Blake.
Book 2: Chapter 368
Book 2: Chapter 368 As soon as he saw this grey haired young man, Diablo realised.
That his opponent was a 9-star Wizard.
Who is he?
There were no 9-star Wizards on the continent that Diablo wasnt aware of. He even knew most of the 7 and 8 star Wizards.
A young Great Wizard with such a unique appearance. Even if he were to hear about him in passing, he wouldnt have forgotten him. Of course, there was always the possibility that his appearance was fake.
However, Diablos surprise wasnt because of his outward appearance.
Those who reached the realm of 9-stars.
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Cairo Wilsemann, the de facto leader of Paragon, the 11th Tower Master, and until just recently, the Right Hand of the Circle Master, Ivan.
He was also 9-stars, but he couldnt be said to have completely conquered that realm.
The different levels were only ranked from 1 to 9 for the sake of convenience, but even if two individuals were at the same level, their level of skill might not be the same.
Cairo, who had only just entered 9-stars, and Diablo, who had been 9-stars since a long time ago.
It was only natural for there to be a gap between them.
Diablo was certain.
There was no Wizard currently on the continent that was a higher level than him. Not to mention a higher level, he couldnt even find someone on the same level.
Then what about this guy?
He had managed to perfectly cancel the Absolute Line hed just shot out.
With the same technique.
there are still strong people on the continent that I dont know about.
That was something he was already aware of.
But the time that this one appeared was very coincidental.
Iris, Anastasia, Peran Jun, Asilla, and Hector. He had just been on the verge of wiping out all of these people who were getting in his way.
This could only mean one thing. This man was most likely on the same side as them.
[It doesnt seem like you want to answer.]
He said this to the man who had been silent since his arrival.
And this time, he received the answer he didnt expect.
Even if I tell you who I am, you wouldnt know.
His tone was indifferent as if he didnt have emotions.
[Peran just called you Frey. Is that your name?]
The answer to that question is not important in this situation.
[so you mean to say that further conversation is unnecessary. I understand.]
Since those were the other persons intentions, Diablo didnt insist on further conversation.
He called upon his mana.
His opponent was a Wizard who was stronger than Cairo. There was even a high chance that he was close to his own level.
Nevertheless, the word defeat was improbable.
Of course, he had been surprised to find a Wizard this strong, but that was it.
Diablos confidence was not shaken in the slightest.
[I will tell you one thing. As long as you are a Wizard, it is impossible to defeat me.]
The reason?
[Because this isnt about the hierarchical relationship between Wizards Peran Jun, even that man, who is praised as an unprecedented genius, is no different from a beggar in front of me. Of course, I know that you are a 9-star Wizard who surpassed Peran. Thats why Ill show you clearly.]
Diablos black robes wavered.
[The fact that there is still a difference in levels among 9-stars.]
Paimons curtain. The true value of this black spell was not revealed in defence.
Crack!
The black cloth was torn into tens of thousands of pieces. The sound mixed with a cacophony of screams.
[Screeech!]
[Kyaaak!]
Hundreds of evil spirits appeared from the torn black robe. The evil spirits began to scream in every direction as though theyd just escaped from hell.
Kuk
Peran sank to the ground as a terrible headache shook his brain.
His head felt like it would split open. It was worse than when he tried to use spells while under Diablos pressure.
A mental attack.
It was more powerful than any attack hed encountered so far.
The higher the level of the Wizard, the more resistant they were to mental attacks. After all, the higher the level of the Wizard, the more inevitable it was that theyd spent a great amount of time training their mind. This training was fundamental for obtaining one of the most important skills for high level Wizards, Mind as Still as a Clear Lake.
That was why most mental attacks didnt work on Wizards.
However, the resentment contained in the evil spirits Diablo released was beyond imagination. They were not beings that could be classified as simple banshees.
Each of those evil spirits contained the resentment of thousands of people.
But that was just the beginning of Diablos attack. As the evil spirits scattered in every direction, Diablo began to mutter.
[Hells]
Bang!
However, before he could even finish the phrase, Diablos body staggered.
Shock could be seen in the way the flames that burned in his dark eye sockets flickered.
I was attacked?
The mana that hed just gathered to cast the spell scattered in vain.
The timing was perfect. If the attack had come any later, the spell would have already been released, and if it had come sooner, then even if the spell failed, his mana would not have been used up.
As a result, Diablo suffered a great loss.
He was forced to use up enough mana to cast an 8-star spell, but it had no effect.
Was that a coincidence?
He raised his head.
And thats when his gaze met Freys which was still locked onto him.
It wasnt a coincidence.
That thought lingered firmly in his mind. Sear?h the ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
He had no proof or basis, but he was certain.
That guy had intended for that to happen.
[Interesting!]
There was a bit of heat mixed in with Diablos voice.
[Are you trying to compete with me in magic? Fine. Lets do it.]
1,000 years.
He had devoted himself to magic for even longer than that.
Black mana began to swirl around Diablo.
[You will learn why all Wizards long for my teaching. And Why I am called the symbol of magicology.] (TL: Arrogant Diablo huh.)
Frey Blakes gaze deepened.
The full scale of a battle between 9-star Wizards.
Not everyone there knew what it would be.
Peran looked up at the sky with a shocked expression.
At some point, the surroundings had become as bright as day. Of course, this wasnt because the sun had risen.
Instead, it was because the hundreds or thousands of spells, which covered the sky, were illuminating the area.
Boom boom boom!
Loud explosions several times louder than thunder ripped the sky apart.
This was natural since hundreds of spells collided at the same time. However, the aftermath was horrifying.
Human corpses, undead corpses, small rocks, and even parts of buildings that were on the brink of collapse were swept away by the storm.
I didnt expect to see a fight like this in an era where both the Dragons and the Demigods had disappeared.
It wasnt unreasonable for Hector to utter those words. After all, the battle occurring in the sky was something that mortals would believe was a battle between gods.
Who is that man?
I dont know.
Of course, he knew that this man was the Frey Blake from his memories.
However If that was the case then what about Lukas? In the first place, where even was he?
Could you help that man fight Diablo?
The answer to that question came almost reflexively.
No. I would only get in the way.
even 8-stars like you are like that. Truly, its suicide to step into such an equal fight.
No. In my opinion
As he looked at the battle unfolding before him, Perans expression became a bit strange. He paused for a moment before eventually deciding to close his mouth. After all, the words hed been about to say were absurd.
Instead, he focused on the sky again.
If his predictions were correct, this fight wouldnt last much longer.
* * *
Hundreds of engagements came and went in the blink of an eye.
It was a battle that left those on the ground in awe, but the two Wizards understood that it was only superficial.
Rather than a battle of attrition, it was more of a probe. Or a test.
Those names were more appropriate than calling it a battle.
It had never been a full force fight.
Hundreds of spells were unleashed each second, but there were no signs that either side was growing weary.
Ttuk.
Diablo halted the spell that he had just been about to cast. Then he looked at his opponent, who had also stopped gathering his mana.
With that, he was certain.
[You, what are you doing?]
Is there a problem?
[Quit your cheap acting. Did you think I wouldnt notice?]
There was a hint of anger mixed in with Diablos voice.
[Why are you only responding to my spells? Why arent you casting any spells first? Do you think you can beat me with such a passive attitude?]
Its not my fault?
[What?]
Its you who cant make me use my full power. If you were worth it, or if I couldnt afford to be so relaxed, I wouldnt just respond.
[kuku. How arrogant.]
Well. I will
Suddenly.
Freys voice broke off. His gaze was directed to a few figures in the distance.
A girl and a Death Knight.
They were continuing their own fight while ignoring the commotion in the sky.
In fact, it was so one sided that it couldnt even be called a fight in the first place. Unlike the Death Knight, who was still in perfect condition, the girls entire body was covered in blood.
Frey knew who the girl was It was Anastasia. The battle golem created by Hector.
However, the one that caught his eye the most was actually the Death Knight who was wielding Deukid and using a familiar swordsmanship.
He was strong.
Even though Iris was assisting her from the shadows, Anastasia stood absolutely no chance.
Instead, she was being overwhelmed.
Diablo.
He mumbled softly.
After that, Frey lifted his head to look at Diablo again.
You Did you resurrect the Sword King Lucid as an undead?
There was a slight waver in his voice.
Upon seeing this faint, but obvious agitation, Diablo regained his calm.
He even let out a quiet laugh.
Thats right.
Even this unknown Wizard had no choice but to feel a bit of panic when faced with Lucid who had become his subordinate.
[It wasnt easy. But it was possible for me.]
[You certainly are strong, Great Wizard. But you should know that magicology is not my only specialty. Necromancy is also one of my strengths. Let me ask you a question. If Lucid and I join forces, how long do you think you can la]
Paak.
He couldnt finish his sentence. Diablo felt a sharp blow to the back of his head.
And as if he lost consciousness for a while, the flow of mana in his body was interrupted for a moment.
Unable to maintain his ability to fly, Diablo plummeted to the ground.
I cant right myself
It was an incomprehensible situation.
As an undead, pain didnt exist for him. It was understandable that he was surprised by the unexpected blow. But it shouldnt have caused any interference with his spells.
[Ku uk]
He forced his mind to concentrate, but in the end, the spell did not manifest.
Instead, Diablo crashed into the ground with a heavy sound.
As soon as he landed, he tried to get to his feet, but he failed to do that as well.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Second strike, third strike, fourth strike.
The heavy shock reverberated within his body.
He didnt feel pain in the conventional sense, but every time he was hit, his mana room shook violently and his concentration was interrupted.
What kind of attack is this?
It wasnt meant to inflict damage. If that was the case, then the strike would have already been aimed at his vital points.
It felt more like he was venting his anger on him instead.
It should have been almost impossible to resurrect a man like Lucid as an undead.
A voice came from above him.
Because he had a noble, faultless soul. His soul must have been brilliant, unsullied.
Frey paused for a moment.
And you dirtied it.
[So what?]
Shut up. I didnt give you permission to speak.
Boom!
His body shook once again. As he trembled, Diablo finally realised.
He knew. He knew what it was.
The thing that was hitting his body without him noticing.
This time, when he was hit, he realised that it wasnt magic at all.
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It was Absolute.
[How?]
He was using the power of Absolute like a club.
Such application.
Such skill.
You were right before. Even among 9-star Wizards, there is a distinction in class.
The voice was low.
You will feel that deeply from now on.
Book 2: Chapter 369
Book 2: Chapter 369Dreadment.
The sword technique created by Lucid. The sword technique that always protected them.
Reliable, reassuring. Capable of giving the confidence that Lucid would hold out, regardless of what enemy they were facing.
Thats why shed never known.
Just how much pressure one felt when they were on the other side of that sword.
How should I say it?
A rampart? An iron wall?
In any case, it felt like she was punching an incredibly hard surface to no avail. She didnt even know if any of her attacks were working.
Im not a combat specialist in the first place!
It was only natural for Anastasia to scream inwardly.
Over the last 10 years, shed made numerous modifications to her body. She attached magical tools and even added alchemy. In the first place, it was the most efficient way for golems to become stronger.
As a result, she was much stronger than she was 10 years ago.
Nevertheless, she was having a very hard time dealing with Lucid. Even though she was receiving the full support of Iris, nothing changed
Our cooperation is better than before, but
The situation wasnt showing any signs of improving.
No, that wasnt all.
Anastasia narrowed her eyes slightly.
It feels like this guy is growing stronger the more we fight.
Was he familiarising himself with his undead body?
That thought alone gave her goosebumps.
He was already frighteningly strong right now, but if he were to make that body completely his
As she had that thought, her fists clenched subconsciously. The situation would only become worse as time dragged on.
Paak!
Anastasias fist met Lucids stomach.
It sunk in deeply.
The proof of this was the fact that his black armour, which hadnt suffered a single scratch until now, caved slightly.
It was her first effective blow since the battle had started.
Nevertheless, Anastasia, who had managed to attack successfully, had a stunned expression.
That attack hadnt been a trump card or anything. And the blow wasnt snuck in after exchanging a fierce set of blows.
It was the same attack as before, but for some reason, Lucid had allowed it to hit him.
Anastasia retreated quickly. Then she looked at Lucid with a wary gaze.
He was standing still as if hed suddenly lost his mind. When she looked at him closely, she realised that he was actually looking somewhere else.
He wasnt looking at Anastasia right now. But it didnt seem like Iris was the one who captured his attention.
Lucids gaze was aimed at the sky.
To be precise, it was trained on the two Wizards who were fighting in the sky.
Among them, it seemed that his gaze was fixed more on the man with grey hair.
* * *
When a battle between Wizards of the same level took place, there were important factors that usually determined the outcome.
In order to win such a fierce, equal battle, it was necessary to be able to read the opponents intentions and be ready to quickly respond to them at any time. In other words, a broad mind was crucial.
Their field of view couldnt be too narrow. A Great Wizard was capable of casting more than a dozen spells at the same time. Front, back, left, right, above, beneath. It was even necessary to remember that it was possible to cast a spell directly in the body.
But the most important factor was calculative ability.
Spells that had already been cast couldnt be undone. Regardless of the size of the spell, the mana could not be recovered, and the time that was invested to cast it, whether long or short, could not be returned.
In other words, if one was to cast dozens of spells at the same time and send them all to their opponent without thinking about it, it was likely that they wouldnt be able to display even half of their maximum power.
Because even the spells that were cast by the same person could counteract each other.
Fire and water.
Air and earth.
Light and darkness.
Spells with conflicting attributes should never be sent out at the same time. A certain amount of distance needed to be between them for them to not affect each other. On the flip side, there were also spells that synergised when they were combined. Those types of spells didnt necessarily need to be cast at the same time. But even if their departure time was different, they had to arrive at the same time.
That was not the only thing that one needed to think about.
There was something that was more important than the spells cast by an individual. These were the spells of their opponent.
In fact, it was much more important.
The dozens of spells that one sent out, and the dozens of spells sent out by their opponent.
When spells of the same level collided, the factor that decided the outcome was matchmaking.
Therefore, it was necessary to constantly correct the course until the collision. In order to obtain and keep the advantageous position, it was imperative to not stop thinking and calculating even for a moment.
On top of that, it was necessary to remember to continuously cast new spells while the other collisions were still ongoing.
It was no different from a large-scale war. Even if one gained the slight advantage in the first round of clashes, without any reinforcements, that situation could be reversed at any time.
Diablo and Frey.
The magical bombardment fired off by the two Great Wizards seemed like an endless war of attrition, but the reality was completely different.
They were constantly calculating to the point that smoke might start coming from their brains. Even if 10 7-star Wizards were to gather, they wouldnt be able to digest the number of spell formulas that were being squeezed out every second.
The fight had already turned into a brawl.
In this kind of chaotic fight, sometimes even 1-star spells were more effective than 6-star spells.
Thats why one could never let their guard down. sea??h th N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Impossible.
Right. He couldnt let his guard down.
Diablo had never thought that his calculative ability would be inferior to anyone.
And that was the truth that he was facing right now.
However, what was the war situation now?
Boom!
The aftermath of a spell collision happened right in front of him. If one were to compare the current situation to a real war, then the frontline had been pushed back all the way to the front of his base.
The opponents mind was at least one level higher than his, his field of view was extraordinarily wide, and his calculative ability was incomparable.
Crash!
The first price of losing in the battle of attrition finally appeared.
Diablos right arm shattered.
To be hit so hard, it had to at least have been the 6-star spell Hyperbolt.
Paimons Curtain has already dispersed.
He didnt have the extra mental capacity to maintain the barrier.
There was a saying that offence was the best defence. That saying was perfect for Diablo at that moment. If hed tried to defend at all, his entire body would have been shattered to pieces long before.
At that moment, he had no choice but to admit that this unknown Wizard bested him in every way.
That made his suspicions grow even more.
His opponent wasnt simply a genius.
It was true that one could be born with a high calculative ability.
However, in order to develop such a deep mind and battle awareness, one would need to accumulate experience for a very long time.
Diablo had lived for over 1,000 years.
A Wizard who was more experienced than him should not exist on the current continent.
Right, the current continent.
[]
At that moment, Diablo felt a shock as though an electric current had passed through his body.
It was a certain type of pleasure that one felt when all of the pieces of a puzzle clicked into place.
[Kukuku Kuhaha Kuhahaha!]
Diablos low laugh suddenly became a cackle.
The flames in his eyes burned brightly.
[I see. So its you, Great Mage!]
A voice filled with joy.
At that moment, Frey.
No, Lukas who currently had the appearance of Frey, paused.
[You have finally returned. To this world]
[Kuhaha I see. That appearance. It must be one of those forgotten appearances that you had in the past. Right. I couldnt feel the presence of the box, but I hadnt thought that youd already made contact with it.]
Diablo burst into laughter once more.
Lukas simply looked at him silently.
He was completely defenceless now. Should he just finish him off now?
No.
He couldnt.
Something had changed. Diablo was different from before.
It wasnt his aura.
Instead, he simply felt that the current Diablo was dangerous. But that in itself was strange. The situation hadnt changed. The only thing that changed was that Diablo realised his identity.
He realised that I am Lukas Trowman.
Immediately after that, he regained his composure.
In other words, did that mean that he had means that could be used on Lukas Trowman?
Although there was no proof of this, Lukas trusted his intuition.
In the next instant, Diablos mad laughter cut off.
[Come here, Lucid.]
Somehow, Lucid, who was still fighting Anastasia, managed to hear his low whisper and quickly appeared beside Diablo.
Lukas looked at him before opening his mouth heavily.
Lucid.
Kiki, kik.
As if broken, the Death Knight turned its head to him in a slow, choppy motion.
The moment their eyes met.
Lukas eyes trembled slightly.
[Lu Ka S]
A broken voice.
[Luka Lukas Lukas, Trowman.]
Lucid. You
[Ahhh. Uaah. Aaak. A-, ak!]
Lucid gripped his head and screamed.
Lukas expression hardened. His very soul was being damaged.
[Lets stop here.]
Diablo spoke.
[Ill be leaving now. Because this isnt the place to fight you.]
Bullshit.
Boom!
Following the cold voice, an explosion caused stone to scatter in every direction.
It was Anastasia landing. Shed crossed the distance of hundreds of metres in a single leap, so it was natural to damage the ground like that.
She glared at Diablo as the cloud of dust rose around her.
Do you really think well let you go like that?
Despite Anastasias clear rage, Diablo still responded in a cheerful manner.
[I wont stop you from following me. But you should be prepared to risk your life when you come, Wandering Golem.]
you.
Diablo didnt listen to her response and instead snapped his fingers.
Then a pitch black tear in space rose up from the ground and swallowed him from the feet up.
Iris, who had just arrived, immediately recognised the true nature of the black magic.
Shadow Way.
It was a high level spell with a long travel distance and fast activation speed.
In the blink of an eye, Diablo and Lucid disappeared. But Anastasia didnt panic and instead turned to look at Iris.
Can you track them?
yes.
While it was undeniable that Shadow Way was a high level black spell, it wasnt impossible for Iris, who had the authority of space, to track it.
Good. Start tracking them right away. Diablo should be on the ropes right now. This is our best chance to finish him off. We cant miss it.
You cannot track them.
A restrained voice.
Anastasia turned her head sharply.
Her fiery gaze met Lukas.
You
Anastasia paused for a moment before letting out a sigh.
Im thankful for your help, but please dont interfere more than this.
Even though you dont know if youll die if you chase them?
It seemed that he was asking about their intentions, but his strange tone made Anastasia snap.
Do you think I dont know that? But if we miss this opportunity today, itll be even more dangerous the next time. So we have to try and end it now.
Theres a good chance that its a trap.
No. He cant afford that right now.
Dont make assumptions. Have you forgotten Diablos attitude as he left? He didnt seem too worried that wed follow him.
Its possible that he was just bluffing.
you should know how meticulous Diablo is. He is not the type of man to bet his safety on uncertain odds. Calm down a bit.
Anastasia was silent.
Perhaps it was because she understood what Lukas was saying, or perhaps it was because she thought differently.
The reason was proven by her next words.
calm down?
Anastasia spoke in a clear but emotional voice.
How can I calm down? Did you know? That undead knight, the Death Knight that Diablo revived and controlled, is my friend.
This has nothing to do with you, which is why you can still be so calm. You can take a step back and analyse the situation carefully. I cant.
Anastasias voice was like a cold wind that penetrated his heart.
Subconsciously, his fists clenched.
Those words were hard to bear.
That guy, Lucid, was a man who never spat on the street in his life. He was always clean and innocent. He was someone who would fuss more over his teammates scratches than his own broken arm
He knew. He knew it very well.
Nevertheless, Lukas, who could not admit that, stayed silent.
a guy like that was made into an undead. He must still be in pain even now. Im sure of it. He was cleaner than anyone else. If even a small portion of his sense of self remains, he will never accept the reality that he was made into an undead.
So I have to break those chains and free Lucid as soon as possible.
Anastasia looked at Lukas before sighing again.
You dont know. You cant understand. But I cant just sit back and watch my friend become an undead.
Since Anastasia.
No, since Schweiser was the one that said that.
Lukas couldnt say anything. He felt like he couldnt stop Anastasia now.
No.
Was that really the reason?
Was the reason he didnt continue to dissuade Anastasia really because he had no way to stop her?
Lukas asked himself.
Or perhaps he was just afraid that her words would hurt him even more, which was why he backed down.
He didnt know. But it didnt matter. She wouldnt understand.
Anastasia wouldnt know just how much her simple words had hurt him. They were daggers that pierced his heart.
It was much more painful than he expected.
Ignoring Lukas, who was standing there silently, Anastasia turned to talk to Iris. They were probably discussing how they would track down Diablo.
I.
Just as Iris turned to look at Lukas.
Stop.
A loud shout was heard.
Someone was walking along the broken street.
He is right. If you go after Diablo, you might not survive.
Everyone turned to look at the source of this voice.
It was a woman in a very unique style of dress.
But Lukas recognised her instantly.
Gods representative.
A being hed been determined to meet after returning to this world.
Great Medium.
The Great Medium of Hitume Ikar walked along, leaving soft footprints in her wake.
I have a lot to tell you all. Especially.
The Great Medium stopped a short distance away and poked Lukas chest with her finger.
Lukas Trowman, especially you.
(TL: Oof did Anastasia forget the way she was being wrecked by Lucid? How would she kill Diablo?)
Book 2: Chapter 370
Book 2: Chapter 370 The box was neither large nor small. It was big enough to fit in the palm of his hand.
The texture of its surface was similar to that of jelly. It was cool and felt like it was sticking to the tips of his fingers.
Rather than a box that was storing something. It looked more like a material that simply had the shape of a box.
Nevertheless, everyone called it a box. And the reason for that was quite simple.
It felt like there was something inside of it.
No.
It wasnt just a feeling.
There was definitely something inside of it. And it had been sealed in some way so that those who werent qualified could never open it.
It wasnt magicology.
But the vast majority of people who saw it would mistake it as such. Was this the intention of the person who made the box or put the seal on it?
That might be the case.
-
External force.
That was the power surrounding the box.
At first, he thought it was an illusion, but it wasnt.
There was probably no one else in this universe apart from him who could see what this power truly was.
It was a power granted only to Absolutes who roamed between universes.
But that only made him even more suspicious.
After all, he was the only Absolute born from this univ-
-
No.
He wasnt.
Apart from him, there was one more.
Two images of the man appeared in his mind.
In one, he looked no different from a Demon, and in the other, he looked more thin and vulnerable than an old tree.
Although the two looked like completely different beings, they shared the same name.
Then what?
Did that mean they were the same? Sear?h the ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
CThe next clue is the box and Diablo
A voice sounded in his head.
Was it advice? Or was it a trap?
What exactly was Kasajin thinking? He couldnt even guess what was running through his mind. It wasnt consistent. In the past, Kasajin was exactly the same both inside and out.
The box.
His attention was drawn to it once again. Just as he touched it with his finger.
Click
The box opened.
Ah. Subconsciously, he let out a soft cry of surprise.
As if it was resonating with him, black smoke rose up from the box. He shuddered, but it was already too late to dodge.
The black smoke engulfed his entire body. His vision went black.
He flinched, but there was no pain. The black smoke showed no signs of hurting him.
Instead it felt warm. As if his entire body was submerged in warm water.
In the meantime, he could feel the smoke that was wrapped around his entire body entering his mouth, eyes, ears, and even his skin.
But there was no pain.
Instead, the smoke just continued to burrow deeper and deeper at a calm pace.
Deeper than his blood vessels, muscles, bones, and internal organs that were beneath his skin. Deeper than that.
Gurgle
Then there was change.
The elements that formed the very basis of his body began to change.
Th is.
His own voice startled him.
It felt strange, but also carried the familiarity and nostalgia of a voice he knew.
It wasnt just his voice that changed.
He could feel it.
The fact that every cell which made up his appearance, physique, and bodily systems had changed.
To be precise, they had been overwritten.
The smoke disappeared.
He still didnt fully understand the situation.
However, he was certain that his physical condition, which could only be described as the worst before, had improved like an illusion.
He could hear the sound of water nearby. So he decided to walk there.
And on the surface of a small lake in the middle of the forest, he looked at the reflection of his face.
Frey Blake looked back at him.
* * *
Lukas opened his eyes.
He couldnt help but feel like this kind of thing had been happening quite a lot recently. However, this time, he wasnt greeted by intense pain as soon as he came to his senses. In a way, it could be called a small point of comfort.
my memory.
It was a bit hazy.
He remembered obtaining the box and becoming Frey Blake, but his memories after that felt like a dream.
He wasnt even sure if he remembered everything.
Perhaps only time would be able to answer that.
Would you like some water?
A loud voice came from beside him.
In a chair beside the bed, he saw a woman looking at him with an indifferent expression as she held her chin in her hand. Her hair was as dark as a starless night, and her eyes were as clear as a lake as she stared at Lukas.
The Great Medium.
As he looked at her, a faint memory surfaced in his mind.
Shed shown up shortly after hed failed to deter Anastasia. And shed said that she had something to say to him and after that, he couldnt remember.
I fainted again.
He looked down at his hands as he said those words.
And just from that, he could tell. He was now Lukas Trowman, not Frey Blake. (TL: so he has a Blake State now?)
How long?
About 6 hours.
Fortunately, it wasnt a worst case scenario where several days had passed.
Lukas looked around the room. Apart from himself and the Great Medium, he couldnt sense the presence of anyone else in the room.
The others?
They left.
His heart grew heavy at the Great Mediums words.
did they decide to pursue Diablo in the end?
No. Not that.
The Great Medium shook her head as she continued.
Peran persuaded them. He didnt manage to convince them completely, but he did manage to stop them from at least going after him right away.
Peran.
He asked Anastasia and Iris to heal Snow.
Ah.
It seemed he had chosen to confide the Alliances situation to them. It was a timely decision.
Now that Anastasia and Iris had witnessed Diablos prowess for themselves, and seen Lucid with their own eyes, their sense of crisis should have been amplified to an unprecedented level.
Perhaps all the human powers would join forces and they would put aside the conflicts in Circle for now.
Even if things didnt work out that well, he didnt believe that they would refuse to treat Snow right now.
Lucid, the Undead Sword King, had become much stronger than he ever was. In the past, Lucid had been a brilliant hero even when hed been more focused on defence than offence. If Kasajins role was to threaten the throats of the enemies by smashing from the front, then Lucids role was to create a strong defence line so that those in the rear could perform to their full ability.
But that wasnt the case now.
The defence of Lucid, who had become a Death Knight, was stronger than ever, and his offensive power was now comparable to Warrior King Kasajin.
Even Anastasia, who had a ridiculous 1 million ME energy source couldnt win in battle against Lucid. This was true even when she was receiving the full support of Iris from the rear.
Someone who could go head to head with Lucid without being pushed back.
Perhaps on the entire continent, only Snow de Predickwood could accomplish such a feat.
So Peran isnt here now.
Right. Its just me and you. And Nix as well.
when did they leave?
Just a while ago. Maybe 30 minutes or so?
As he listened to her reply, Lukas got to his feet. Then, he took a sip of water from the bottle on the table to moisten his dry throat. The water was lukewarm, but it was enough to quench his thirst.
Even after he closed the bottle and placed it back on the table, the Great Medium did not say anything. It seemed that she was waiting for Lukas to speak first.
The Great Medium remembered Lukas Trowman. She remembered him more clearly than anyone else hed met.
Peran, who only knew Frey, was fundamentally different from Torkunta, whose very existence in itself was unstable.
This universe forgot about Lukas Trowman.
This was the first time he was able to mention this fact so calmly.
The Great Medium nodded.
Do you know why?
Yes. I know.
It was an answer that was filled with confidence.
At that moment, Lukas heartbeat increased a little bit.
Regardless of whether she knew that or not, the Great Medium continued in an indifferent voice.
I can probably answer most of the questions you have now. But it might be a long conversation, so Ill ask you in advance. Are you sure you wouldnt like to get some more rest before we continue?
No. Lets do it right now.
He had a slight headache, but other than that, he was fine.
Lukas nodded to show his assent, and the Great Medium opened her mouth again.
Everyone in this universe has forgotten you. And there is also no record of your existence.
No. Peran and Torkunta remember me.
Those are exceptions among exceptions. Torkunta in particular is very lucky. But he may soon forget about you as well.
What do you mean?
Lukas couldnt help but question the Great Mediums shocking remark. But she continued instead of answering his question.
What do you think is the reason for this? Im sure youve made your own guesses by now.
I think God did something. But I cant guess why.
Well, youre not wrong. Thats right. Your disappearance has something to do with his influence. But it was not done out of malice.
I see.
There was only one being that an Absolute, no, a former Absolute like him knew who was capable of such an extraordinary act.
Whether large or small, Gods actions were always accompanied by events on the cosmic scale. That was something that Absolutes knew better than anyone else.
It is a rule.
rule?
This is a truth that I only learned recently. This is thanks to the weak security of the void records. Of course, thats also why some beings other than me were able to interfere But thats not important right now, so lets move on.
Lukas looked at the Great Medium. She felt even more mysterious than she did before. For a moment, he couldnt help but think about his disciple Arid, who had the power of Communication.
He couldnt help but wonder if he had anything to do with the weak security of the void records that she just mentioned.
Lukas Trowman. You left this universe as an Absolute. How long have you been working as an Absolute.
I dont remember, its been too long.
I see. Perhaps it was such a long time that mortals would not be able to perceive it.
The Great Medium paused again and for a moment, their gazes crossed.
Lukas noticed hesitation in her eyes.
Why was she hesitating?
However, when you returned to this universe, only 10 years had passed. What do you think is the reason for this?
Because the flow of time is different in each universe.
That is not wrong, but it is different. The real reason is because that is what you wanted.
what?
It was hard for him to understand what she meant.
Of course, Lukas knew that the Great Medium was already doing her best to explain everything in an easy enough manner for him to understand.
But even her simple explanation was hard for Lukas to understand.
I didnt come to this universe with the power of an Absolute. It was with the help of someone elses power, not mine.
Perhaps it was someone with a similar power to mine, but who was more powerful than me. No matter how powerful an Absolute is, they dont have the ability to freely travel to a particular universe.
The Great Medium of the past hadnt known about Absolutes.
But now, she seemed to be perfectly aware of God, Absolutes, and the endless multiverse.
It was clear that in the decade that Lukas had been away, the Great Medium had also had her own experiences.
But I was able to return to this time because I wanted to?
It must have been a subconscious desire. You probably wished that it would have been nice if only 5 or 10 years had passed, right?
He couldnt deny it.
There is one thing that is important here, Lukas Trowman. You are not the only one. It is possible for Absolutes other than you to step into this universe as long as the conditions are met. It might not be now, but it might be the past or the future. Do you understand what this fact means?
do you mean a temporal conflict can occur?
That was the only probability Lukas could think of.
For example, if he had returned to the battle 10 years earlier instead of now, he might have encountered Lukas Trowman who was fighting Lord at that time.
Absolutes are the only beings capable of transcending time and space. Ill give you an example. Lets say that an Absolute came to this universe 50 years ago. To get rid of Lord and the Demigods who broke the balance. After easily accomplishing their goal, they leave. What do you think would happen to you?
Whether he could think of an answer or not, the Great Medium continued.
You would not become an Absolute.
Ah.
The Absolute [Lukas Trowman] was born in the battle with the Demigods. So, in a universe without Lord or the Demigods, the universe would have been fine without your desperate struggle.
so, my existence disappeared.
To be precise, you became independent. When beings become Absolutes, they inevitably fall away from their homeworld and become independent. That was the law that Dawns created to solve that paradox. (TL: Dawns is what the Great Medium calls God.)
The Great Medium looked at Lukas face.
The words she was about to say would surely hurt him. Not only that, they would bring him to the crossroads of choice once again.
Nevertheless, they needed to be said.
Perhaps that was the role that had been assigned to the Great Medium.
when you left this place, you must have left your home behind with dreams of returning.
And even while facing the thorny road that he would walk as an Absolute in the future, he would not feel despair.
Because he had the hope of returning home.
Someday.
However, the truth is that the moment you left, the place you wanted to return to was already gone.
It was easy to see what the Great Medium was actually trying to say.
She was saying.
That was the return that Lukas Trowman had been anxiously anticipating.
Was not possible from the beginning.
Book 2: Chapter 371
Book 2: Chapter 371
The Great Medium looked at Lukas expression.
She couldnt tell what he was thinking. One thing was clear, and that was the fact that he was still calm, at least outwardly. Sear?h the n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
But in the next moment, she realised that wasnt actually the case.
There are people other than Peran and Torkunta that remember me.
The voice that came out seemed to be composed. However, with the amount of attention she had focused on him at that moment, it was easy to pick up the slight quiver.
The Great Medium nodded as she pretended like she didnt notice, and Lukas continued.
Diablo and Lucid.
the Elder Lich is an integral part of this story. In fact, it might be safe to say that he is the key. It might be hard for you to accept, but the beginning of all of these errors stemmed from his curiosity.
The beginning of all of these errors?
I also didnt remember you at the beginning.
The Great Mediums emotionless voice became surprisingly cold.
One day, I suddenly realised something was wrong, but it was only after I accessed the void records that I learned about Lukas Trowman Do you understand? You didnt come to my mind, I looked you up. Do you know what that means?
it was information that you came across, not memories.
Yes. Thats correct.
If that was the case then the Great Medium couldnt be considered Lukas acquaintance. Instead, as she said, she was more like someone who read about the life of Lukas Trowman in a history book.
Perhaps even in a face to face situation like this, she only had a strange feeling like she was having a conversation with a historical figure.
Even though they had once been comrades that had fought an enemy together.
The same is probably true for Peran and Torkunta. They too, with a bit of luck and chance, were able to remember you to an extent Maybe there are others who also had strange feelings.
The Great Medium lifted two fingers.
And thats because two factors intertwined.
What are the two factors youre talking about?
As I mentioned before, one of them is Diablo. Shortly after you disappeared, he was able to find clues about the world all over the continent.
Clues about the world?
Dont you know? You were able to become Frey Blake because of a clue.
The box.
The Great Medium was talking about the black box.
After that, Diablo learned of the void records existence, and he succeeded in approaching it. And that was when he became the first person in this universe to learn about you.
!
The Great Mediums words took him by surprise.
In other words, in this universe, the first being who learned about Lukas Trowmans existence was none other than Diablo.
you are weak now. The external force you had as an Absolute is no longer there. That means that you no longer have the ability to resist the power of disappearance. If Diablo hadnt remembered you, you would have disappeared as soon as you returned to this universe, without even realising it. (TL: Can anyone think of a better word than disappearance? Maybe amnesia?)(PR:Obliviate! lol)
then the reason some people barely remember me
is because Diablo remembers you.
He understood what she meant.
The Great Medium had said that the thin threads that connected him to this world, which stemmed from Diablo, were the reason Lukas hadnt disappeared.
Diablo has the potential to become an Absolute.
The Great Medium looked at the man who had been an Absolute in the past and spoke.
Of course, the difference between having the potential and actually becoming one is like the difference between heaven and earth. But one thing is important here. Albeit slightly, Diablo has the ability to resist the power of disappearance.
Then what would happen if Diablo died?
At this point, the Great Medium fell silent again.
Lukas wasnt sure if she was giving him more time to prepare or if she herself needed to prepare.
Then the power of disappearance would come upon you once again. And without the Absolutes external force, you will not be able to stop it.
that means.
Right.
The Great Mediums eyes met Lukas.
This time, you would disappear for real.
Silence.
A heavy and long silence.
Lukas didnt know what to think.
But there was something that he needed to ask the Great Medium before all of that.
why are you telling me all of this?
You could have hidden this all from me. If you had, then I would have killed Diablo without thinking about anything, and I would have disappeared without knowing anything. So I need an answer. Why did you tell me?
The Great Medium was staring at the floor. Unlike before, it felt like she was intentionally avoiding Lukas gaze.
because I felt that you at least had the right to know.
At this point, I am probably the only one who knows the long journey you took as a human being. Diablo wouldnt have looked that deeply into it, but I did I have great respect for you, and everything you have done.
There was clear respect in the voice that softly flowed out. But it didnt feel real to Lukas at that moment.
So I wanted to respect you now. I know its selfish. But no matter how cruel it is, I wanted you to have this choice.
Lukas let out a laugh.
Whether to fight and disappear or remain silent and watch the continent suffer through this crisis?
The voice that came out was so sharp that he had trouble believing it was his own.
The Great Medium didnt seem to notice it. However, she spoke in a much quieter voice.
or, there is a third option.
Lukas knew what the third option was.
To fight on Diablos side. It was against his cause, but it was a reasonable choice to defend himself.
And it wasnt impossible.
Diablo would probably not have any unwillingness towards Lukas joining his side. In fact, he would probably welcome him with open arms.
And then what would happen?
With Lukas knowledge and guidance, it might be possible for Diablo to reach 10 stars. The levels of the other hundreds of Wizards, including Cairo, would also rise exponentially.
If the powerful undead army, including Lucid, was added, then there was probably no force on the continent that could stop them.
Even if the Circle were to unite once again, it still would not be enough.
The Great Medium.
This woman would never stop Lukas from making a choice. Even if he decided to stand on Diablos side and betray his current comrades, she would not say a word.
its because you know.
Lukas spoke.
You know what choice I will make, so why did you show me these options?
Did you think that Lukas Trowman wouldnt mind saving the people on this continent even though he had been completely forgotten? Did you think he would make another heroic sacrifice with a smile?
He could feel the heat gradually rising in his voice.
He knew this was a childish outburst. Nevertheless, Lukas couldnt help but let out his emotions now.
If he endured even this, he really couldnt tell what would happen to him later.
If that was the case, Great Medium, then you were very wrong this time I am weak now. Both physically and mentally. Im weaker than when I fought the Demigods as the Great Mage 4,000 years ago, and Im much weaker than when I was Frey Blake. I Now, I
It took some courage to say the last words that were hanging on his tongue.
dont want to sacrifice myself.
He didnt want to.
Hed come back.
Regardless of the process or form, Lukas had returned to his home universe.
The moment hed realised that, he had thought with all his heart that he was lucky to be alive, even if it was shameless.
Although he was different, and everything was different from how it was in the past, he thought that he might be able to live like a human again.
He wanted to talk with his past comrades, make jokes, and go on trips with his friends when the weather was good.
Lukas, Lukas Trowman
I want to stop being happy now.
The Great Medium didnt say anything.
He wasnt sure what kind of expression she was making or what kind of gaze she was looking at him with.
All Lukas, who had lowered his head, could see was the blanket covered by his shadow.
Im sure you need some time to think.
With those words, he heard the Great Medium get up from her seat.
She opened the door but paused before she stepped out of the room.
And said.
Ill wait.
Click.
The door closed, leaving a silent room.
Lukas didnt open his mouth anymore.
* * *
Lukas remained at a loss until Peran returned that evening.
He concealed his turmoil. He didnt want Peran to see something like that.
Fortunately, everything worked out.
Lady Iris and Lady Anastasia are both active in the treatment. Haha. They said that Lady Snow will soon be completely cured.
The way he rambled on reminded him of an excited child. Even his eyes were glittering with hope.
Lukas couldnt help but stare blankly at him for a moment.
It was all thanks to you, Lukas.
huh?
You said that it would be possible to heal Lady Snow. Sorry, but to be honest, I didnt quite believe you.
I thought you were just saying that to comfort me. But you werent,
It was a pleasant mistake. Peran added in a laughing voice.
You gave me hope, Lukas. Thank you so much.
Lukas closed his mouth.
Peran Jun.
The possessor of a talent that far surpassed his own. There were no flaws in his personality, and he had the charisma and charm to lead people.
However.
It wasnt enough.
That alone wasnt enough.
Lukas wasnt sure what he was thinking. And yet, his mouth seemed to move of its own volition.
Peran.
Mm?
Can we defeat Diablo?
what do you mean?
You saw for yourself how strong Diablo is. The Sword King that he revived is also amazing. Thats not all. Diablo is probably hiding more trump cards as well.
Lukas continued without giving Peran a chance to speak.
Even if Snow is cured and joins you, it will be difficult to defeat Diablo.
It might be.
Peran nodded weakly.
As you said, our victory is not guaranteed. However, I see hope.
hope?
Lady Iris has gone to convince the Grand Master. I dont think he will turn down our request. So I believe this could be an opportunity.
Perans eyes lit up as if he was daydreaming.
Its an opportunity for everyone to understand that just because you are right, it doesnt mean everyone else is wrong.
Those words struck Lukas heavily.
Youve had this thought since they decided to subjugate Diablo.
Haha. Sorry. Was I too excited?
Lukas looked Peran in the eyes.
Honest eyes. As soon as he saw them, Lukas recalled a scene.
A scene of five heroes fighting a bloody battle against a divine being. It looked tiring and painful, but at the same time, they emitted a blinding glow.
And that glow was now emanating from Peran.
If that was the case, then I
Whats wrong? Lukas.
nothing.
As time passed, the scene began to change.
New figures began replacing the old ones.
Ivan, Anastasia, Snow, Nix.
And in the centre of them was Peran with his arms outstretched.
Succession.
The moment he had that thought, a smile subconsciously spread across his lips.
It felt like a tangled thread in his mind had unravelled.
Right. Hed already lived a long time.
As he felt a refreshing but at the same time depressing wind, Lukas called his friends name.
Peran.
Yeah?
Lets defeat Diablo. Certainly.
Perans face instantly became even brighter.
Definitely.
As he looked at that expression, Lukas had a thought.
If it was Peran, it might be possible.
To create a new Great Mage who would succeed Lukas Trowman.
Book 2: Chapter 372
Book 2: Chapter 372 The next day.
As she faced Lukas, the Great Medium realised that hed made a decision.
She could tell from the first moment that she looked at him. Because Lukas face was no longer covered by a shadow.
He will fight.
This man had chosen to fight Diablo in the end. He knew the consequences, but he still chose to help the cause.
The cause? sea??h th Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
No. Those words were an insult to Lukas. The Great Medium didnt know what kind of thoughts he had when he made the decision. And there was no one qualified enough to ask.
So she would just complete the rest of the role shed been given.
Because there were still things she needed to tell Lukas.
Diablo isnt in this world right now. Iris couldnt track him either.
Do you mean he went to another universe? Thats impossible for anyone but an Absolute.
The wall between universes wasnt so low that it could be crossed by beings who only had the chance of becoming an Absolute.
It was similar to the power of disappearance in that external force, which only Absolutes were capable of using, was the only power that could counter it. In the case of universal travel, it would be impossible to withstand the pressure that came with crossing dimensions without external force.
I dont mean a different universe. I mean a different world. Dont you remember? There used to be two worlds that neighbour this continent.
The Celestial World, and the Demon World.
He recalled one of the truths of this world that hed heard from God in the past.
The Demigods were originally beings who would become angels, and the Celestial World was the world they were supposed to live in. But things had gone awry and everything went down the drain.
Is Diablo there?
Hes not in the Celestial World or the Demon World. After you left, a new neighbouring world appeared.
Another one?
That world is a bit strange. That world existed for a long time, but no one discovered its existence. Diablo and I were only able to learn of its existence through the void records.
Lukas thought of the black box.
And the remnants of Frey Blake that he found inside it.
He had a vague idea of what that world was like.
Let me backtrack a bit. Yesterday, I told you that the reason that some people could remember you was because of a combination of two factors. I only explained one of those things to you.
That was true. At that time, his mind had been in too much of a mess so he didnt realise.
The first factor was Diablo. He had managed to access the void records, which allowed him to learn about Lukas existence. And that was why Lukas hadnt been destroyed.
Then what was the other reason?
The Great Medium hesitated for a long time. Her mouth opened and closed over and over again.
Lukas realised that she was afraid to say the words that waited on her tongue.
I cant feel his aura.
But him, you mean
Dawns.
Dawns.
The name of the god worshipped by the Great Medium and Hitume Ikar.
It was also another name for God, the creator of the multiverse.
Hes always busy. Unless it is a Cosmic Event then he probably wouldnt even care about it.
I know that. But even then, I could still feel his presence, albeit vaguely. I could always feel the existence of a thread that connected me to him.
and you can only barely feel that thread now?
Yes. Its like
The Great Mediums expression seemed to say that she didnt want to say her next words, but she forcibly finished her sentence.
Like his existence will soon disappear.
* * *
Diablo was walking through a desert the colour of the sky.
His only companion was an undead knight that hed created by pouring all of his knowledge and essence as a Necromancer.
For him, the Sword King Lucid alone was enough.
No. To be precise, any being that wasnt at least on the same level as Lucid could not enter this world.
Crunch.
For a while, the only sound that could be heard was their footsteps in the sand.
It was almost impossible to tell just how long they had been walking without saying a word.
After a while, Diablo heard the footsteps of other people besides Lucid and himself.
They didnt even try to hide themselves.
Soon, the owners of the footsteps appeared.
There were three people.
Diablo continued walking as if he hadnt noticed them.
They all had similar appearances to Lucid. In other words, they were knights. Just like Lucid, they were all completely covered in armour such that not even an inch of skin was visible.
Their destinations were probably the same. And they wouldnt hurt Diablo.
He knew that.
And yet, Diablo still felt chills as though his life was in danger. It felt like he was walking naked beside three tigers. Even if they didnt show any intention to hurt him, he had no choice but to feel fear while being so close to an apex predator.
Right.
Even Diablo, who was a 9-star Wizard, was nothing but prey for these three beings.
It was at that moment.
One of the three knights, the knight in red armour, turned to look at Lucid.
The other knights turned to follow him.
For a while, the three knights silently looked at Lucid.
That was when Diablo started to grow nervous.
Dont tell me they cant accept a being like Lucid
Even if they were to draw their swords and swing at Lucid, there was nothing Diablo could do about it.
He would have no choice but to watch as the weapon that was vital to his plan was destroyed.
Trying to suppress his anxiety, he watched the situation. However, Diablo was worrying for nothing.
The knights looked away and started walking once again.
After walking for another indiscernible period.
The knights finally came to a stop. And Diablo did as well.
However, their reasons were different. For the knights, it was because they had arrived at their destination, but Diablos body stiffened because he was unable to control his emotions.
A castle loomed before their eyes.
When he finally was able to see this castle with his own eyes, his entire body trembled without him realising it.
I see it!
He was finally able to see the castle!
That meant that Diablo finally had the qualifications to enter.
The Red Knight spoke.
Follow me.
[]
His long awaited statement of permission.
Unable to overcome his excitement, Diablo tried to take a step forward.
Not you.
But the Blue Knight standing beside him stopped him.
[What?]
You are not yet qualified. Go collect more lost items.
[]
The knight was not joking. In the first place, it was not even possible.
That was why Diablo couldnt help but stare at them blanky.
If the permission wasnt directed at him, then it could only be for one person.
Diablo looked at Lucid.
It was an unexpected development. This dead man, the knight of death that had been revived by Diablo, had been granted permission to enter before Diablo himself.
[This I brought him back!]
Diablo shouted fiercely.
He knew that he could not force these knights to change anything for him. Nevertheless, he couldnt back down so easily.
Even if it was ineffective in the end, he was only one step away from the truth of the world that he had longed for for so long.
He could not walk away like this.
[If Lucid has the permission to see, then I, his owner, should naturally have the same right.]
[I can also see the castle! Ive met the conditions you told me about! So why wont you allow me in?]
Youre not qualified.
Once again, he heard that inorganic voice.
Just as Diablo began to grit his teeth.
-.
A voice. No. A trace.
He heard something as if someone was whispering to his very soul. Or at least, he felt it.
The movements of the knights froze for a moment, then the Red Knight turned to look at him.
Follow me.
[What]
You are qualified. The King has acknowledged your entry.
[!]
King!
Would he finally be able to see that being?
If Diablo had a heart, it would definitely have been beating heavily at that moment. He followed the Red Knight into the castle.
And when he witnessed the scene within, Diablo sucked in a deep breath.
It was as if dozens of worlds had been broken, crushed, and roughly mixed together before being left as they were.
The background reminded him of the universe. Stars scattered within a pitch black space shined their light on the surroundings.
But in the centre of it all, the space had the appearance of broken glass. Everything that spread beyond that broken space had a completely different appearance.
In one shard of space, there was a large civilisation of intelligent lifeforms that hed never seen before, in another, a primitive race could be seen hunting creatures several times larger than themselves.
Different universes!
Diablo shuddered slightly.
Each and every one of those shards of space was the entrance to a different universe! It was a treasure trove of knowledge that Diablo had spent so long searching for.
The three knights walked steadily through the dark, chaotic space.
Lucid was already with them as if he had become one of them.
[]
When he saw this scene, Diablo couldnt help but have a strange feeling.
For some reason, Lucid suddenly felt very distant from him.
no, thats not possible.
After all, he was an undead that Diablo himself had raised.
He was his greatest masterpiece. A soul that he had taken a long time to corrupt, the perfect body, and the greatest command techniques he could find.
Just like a craftsman might sometimes feel unfamiliar with his work, this strange feeling was only temporary.
Pushing aside his unnecessary thoughts, Diablo followed after them.
Hundreds of worlds. Thousands. Perhaps they had passed even more than that.
Diablo slowly became uneasy.
It felt like he was slowly sinking deeper and deeper into the abyss. Could he even return to his own universe? Just as his anxiety was beginning to reach its peak.
Thud!
The three knights suddenly fell to their knees and bowed their heads.
Diablo was startled.
He looked around quickly before he eventually caught sight of it.
A grey throne that sat so far away it was hard to see.
I cant reach it.
Perhaps it was just a feeling. But Diablo felt that even if he were to run as fast as he could, he would never get any closer to the throne.
In truth, the throne was in a shabby state. There were many cracks on it, and it was covered in dust.
In addition, there was no one sitting on it.
[]
Nevertheless, Diablo gritted his teeth as he looked at it.
Someone was there.
However, Diablo could not tell who it was. He knew that someone was there, but he could not see them.
It wasnt just about power or authority. It was something far beyond that, that existed between Diablo and that being.
-
Once again, he heard the strange voice.
Then the three knights slowly rose to their feet.
As the king commanded.
We have brought the deceiver.
Who broke the rules.
The three knights spoke one after the other.
Afterward, they drew their swords in an orderly manner and pointed them downwards.
Puk!
The swords pierced the space in front of them.
The three swords then gave off different coloured lights, forming a triangle.
And after a while, a figure appeared in the centre of the triangle.
A figure that was familiar to Diablo.
[Lord?]
No.
It wasnt.
It wasnt the Lord of the Demigods who had terrorised the continent in the past. They were surprisingly similar to Lord, but it wasnt him.
Something was different Like it was a higher level being.
But
Why are they so weak?
He could tell that much.
This Lord-like being was very weak.
Diablo believed that it must have originally been a cosmic level being that he couldnt even lay his eyes on. Probably a being on par with the one sitting on the throne.
But now, they were so weak that even Diablo could kill them.
[Who the hell is that?]
The three knights didnt answer him and instead raised their swords again.
Then, they slowly approached the Lord-like being.
It was clear that they intended to swing their swords and cut the beings head off in an instant.
Just as Diablo was certain of this.
-
The voice sounded once again.
And for the first time, the knights expressed surprise. Then they turned to the throne as if to verify what theyd just heard.
Srrng
After a while, the knights returned their swords to their sheaths.
And as one, turned their heads to look in a particular direction.
The direction Lucid was standing in.
Black Knight.
Draw.
Your sword.
Diablo snorted at those words.
[He wont listen to your orders. Im the one that made]
However, before Diablo could even finish his sentence, Lucid drew his sword.
[Ah?]
Then, as if he understood his role, he began to walk towards the being that resembled Lord.
The following events happened in an instant.
Shuk-
A single slash.
It sliced through both sides of the neck without resistance.
There was no blood. In fact, nothing came out of the body. It was like cutting the head off of a puppet.
The severed head wavered like smoke for a moment before disappearing without a trace. The body soon followed suit.
The being disappeared without leaving a corpse behind.
[What the hell is this]
Diablo could not understand anything at that moment.
He simply stood there in shock.
Rumble-
But at that moment, the space around them began to shake.
A creak echoed as if the very dimension itself was screaming.
Even the universes in the fragments seemed to feel the vibrations as they all shook in fear and wondered what was happening.
is this not happening only in this space but throughout the entire multiverse?
Was that even possible?
Diablo had seen the void records. He knew that there were an infinite number of universes.
His gaze flickered sharply.
[Who the hell did you guys just kill?]
It was not a question that expected an answer. It was more like a cry of fear.
But the knights replied in a blunt tone.
God.
[What?]
God.
Was killed.
At last.
The knights then spoke together for the first time.
And now it begins.
That statement was the truth. Because something actually started with that declaration.
A Cosmic Event on a scale that could not be found in the long history of the multiverse.
The death of God that they spoke of was not a lie.
Because all of the Absolutes in the Three Thousand Worlds immediately realised the death of God.
And of course.
The Rulers were no exception
(TL:)
Book 2: Chapter 373
Book 2: Chapter 373 The Great Reynols Forest, the home of the elves, was a forbidden land for all other races.
From time to time, slave hunters, Martial Artists, or Wizards looking for a place to train would come, but even they didnt dare to venture too far into the forest. At most, they would sneak around the outskirts before leaving soon afterward.
Because they knew if they entered without permission, they would die.
The most sacred place in the Great Forest, Lilund, the High Elf village built among the roots of Hruhiral.
In the heart of this place, where even Elves could not enter without permission, stood two people who were clearly not elves.
One of them was a girl with silver hair, and the other was a tall woman with purple hair.
An elf woman with snow white hair laid on the ground in front of them as if she was dead.
This is Lucids work.
It was Anastasia who opened her mouth first.
She clicked her tongue as she looked at sword scars on Snows body.
The death energy has seeped deep into her body. She was attacked by a sword covered in death energy. Its not just the wounds, there is also a curse that prevents her body from healing naturally and instead is causing it to slowly rot.
There is no problem getting rid of that much. The problem is afterward.
Anastasia had said that it wasnt difficult to save Snow.
Peran, and her bodyguards, the Swordnaz, would be jumping for joy with just that much, but Iris thought that it was not enough.
The clean up is going smoothly, but what about the after effects?
After the treatment is over, will Snow be able to use a sword without any issues?
Anastasia did not answer for a while.
Shed been focusing on the medicinal aspect like crushing herbs, grinding gems, and adding various additives.
Lucids sword practically melted all of the nerves that were directly connected to her right arm.
If they were just severed, or the damage was minimal, then we could put it back together, but this situation is a bit complicated.
Cant you recreate them?
Its not impossible, but it would take too long.
How long?
About 5 years.
Iris fell silent.
Although it was clear that she wouldnt be able to help in the fight against Diablo right away, she thought that they might only need to wait for a month. It was possible that the fighting would begin even before that.
It would be possible for her to hold a sword. But her thumb, index, and ring fingers wont work well. If she were to wield a sword in her right hand, she would only be able to hold it with two fingers, but if its like that
She wont be able to use her true power.
No matter how good of a Swordsman she was, it would be impossible. It was not something that could be overcome with mental strength or willpower.
It was physically impossible.
Snow de Predickwood had survived, but her power had fallen to less than half.
Of course, the fact that she had survived at all was a miracle in itself. However, they had wanted her to take the role of Lucids opponent.
Could that be possible when she wouldnt be able to even hold her sword properly?
Silence descended once again.
Only the soft clatter as Anastasia continued to process the materials rang out softly.
Finally, it was Anastasia that broke the silence.
Remember that man?
That man?
The 9-star Wizard. I think you said his name was Lukas Trowman.
why are you mentioning that person?
Do you know him?
The question made Iris speechless for a moment, but she responded without thinking.
No.
Really?
Yes. But why are you mentioning him all of a sudden?
when I suggested we chase after Diablo, I was a bit agitated.
It wasnt a bit.
At that time, Anastasia had completely lost her composure. She knew that too as she was a bit red in the face as she said those words.
At that time, when I snapped at him, the expression on his face was
For a moment, she didnt know what to say.
After a while, she muttered in a slightly embarrassed manner.
It was a bit memorable.
For some reason, she was unable to erase that mans face from her mind.
His sad, bitter expression.
For some reason, the moment shed seen that face, shed felt guilty for running her mouth without thinking.
My memories werent duplicated perfectly, so I cant be sure. Thats why I was wondering if you knew him from before.
What do you mean by before? 4,000 years ago?
Iris voice wavered a little. But Anastasia didnt notice her discomfort and instead spoke with a bitter smile.
Am I talking nonsense? Just forget it.
But Iris couldnt say anything, nor could she forget it.
Because her heart felt heavy. It felt like something was stuck in her throat.
Shed noticed this strange feeling for a while now. When exactly did it start? She couldnt exactly remember.
However, one thing was clear, that strange frustration had grown even more after meeting that man.
It made her feel annoyed, angry, and even affectionate
Anastasia.
Yeah?
I think that man-
Suddenly.
Rumble!
!
A sudden tremor shook them without warning. Their entire bodies shook so much that it was even hard to remain seated.
Anastasia stopped mixing the medicine and shot to her feet.
An earthquake? No, is someone attacking?
Although it was unlikely, common sense dictated that the only enemy it could possibly be was Diablo. He would not hesitate to spread his evil hands into even a sacred place like this.
Its not.
But Iris expression hardened.
As she had inherited some of Lords power, she had a vague idea of what the phenomenon was.
Its not an earthquake. Space itself is shaking.
What?
The space is screaming! Almost like-
Like it would collapse at any moment.
Iris swallowed those last words. She needed to figure out the source of this tremor.
She clenched her teeth.
Please take care of Snow, Anastasia.
Huh? Wa-, wait! Where are you-
Ignoring Anastasias cry, Iris leaped through space.
When she reappeared, it was at the top of the World Tree.
There, she was able to see across the entire area with a glance.
However, as she looked around, her eyes gradually widened with shock.
This
impossible.
Her stuttering voice was filled with disbelief.
These vibrations had no source.
Instead, all the space in her sight was shaking.
To be precise, the entire world was shaking.
* * *
It was the most beautiful thing Diablo had ever seen.
A cracked space that creaked incessantly.
A space that was filled with countless universes, large and small.
The entire thing fell apart.
Space itself collapsed.
The natives of those universes struggled to accept that fact. But there was no way for them to prevent their impending doom.
If an island you were on sank, you could escape to a continent.
If the continent sank, you could escape to the vast sky.
And even if the planet reached the end of its lifespan, it was possible to find another planet.
In fact, many of the civilisations that existed in the cracks had already developed interplanetary travel.
However, if the entire universe was collapsing, if all the matter and particles that formed the universe were shattering one after the other.
There was no way to escape it.
[Ahh]
Diablo let out a soft sound that even he himself was not sure was fear or awe.
[What the hell is this]
The timeline of the Three Thousand Worlds is being unified.
As a result, the lower level universes are collapsing.
[What does that mean?]
When this ends, the number of universes in the Three Thousand Worlds will be reduced to less than half. (TL: What is half of infinity?)
[What the hell are you talking about?]
It was a statement that surpassed Diablos degree of understanding.
The number of universes in the Three Thousand Worlds would be halved?
Did that mean that half of the countless universes would disappear together with God?
The hell
How many lives would be lost because of this vibration?
That thought gave him goosebumps. Diablos gaze shook.
In this way, your dream has come true.
In an unfeeling voice, the White Knight continued.
The universes that survive will become faintly connected to each other. The restrictions will disappear, and all living beings will have the potential. If you are qualified, you will be able to realise the existence of other universes and make contact with them.
[In that way Hu, huhuhu.]
Diablo let out a laugh.
It was only then that he realised what hed done.
Of course, his influence on the death of God and the destruction of the universes was minimal.
However, Diablo had still helped. By his own will no less!
[Kuhahaha!]
It was a simple pleasure.
A pleasure that he had never experienced since obtaining his skeletal body.
The results were simply and abundantly clear.
In the end, Diablo had contributed to the destruction of countless universes in a single day. Even the beings who ruled above the Absolutes could not boast such an achievement.
He also could have prevented this tragedy. Even if he only had meagre strength, there was still a possibility.
But he had chosen to turn a blind eye.
And this fact pleased Diablo even more.
[Will the surviving universes also go through such a process? White Knight of Conquest?]
Someday.
[I see. So it is an inevitable end.]
The Red Knight spoke.
This place is now connected to all of the universes. And all of the items that were lost in the Apocalypse should have appeared here as well.
[What does that mean?] S~ea??h the Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
That means that several entrances have been opened.
Diablo burst out laughing once again.
[The inhabitants of the universes who cannot accept their end will come to this place. Even the Absolutes. I dont know what kind of place this will become.]
A war of an unimaginable scale.
[Then the battle that will be fought here is the real Great Game?]
Universes that have reached the end of their lifespans, universes that have stopped developing, and universes that have not proven their potential will be forgotten.
No one but us would remember them.
So this is not a game.
It is a fight to not be forgotten.
[and you will be the judges.]
It was at this moment that something flashed before Diablos eyes.
Thud
There was a heavy sound, and he realised that the throne was moving away from him. No, it wasnt the throne that was moving. It was Diablo that was leaving. As if time was being reversed, he was being sent back through the space that he had travelled before. All against his will.
After a while, Diablo found himself standing in the desert once again.
The castle was no longer visible.
Did it move to another space? He wasnt sure.
[Kukuku]
With a chuckle, Diablo turned around without hesitation.
Just as Lucid, who was standing blankly beside him, was about to do the same, he stopped.
[]
With his legs rooted to the ground, he turned his head to look at the sand dunes in the distance that rose up like small mountains.
Diablo turned to look at him.
[What is it?]
[]
[Is someone there?]
After a moment, Lucid turned his eyes away and began walking forward.
Diablo glanced at the dunes again, but he couldnt feel any presences. So he also turned his eyes away and followed Lucid.
Soon after, when they were already out of sight, two figures emerged from behind one of the dunes.
His senses are still as sharp as ever.
Who is that man?
Lucid.
so that guy is the Sword King.
The man, Kasajin, continued.
Why wasnt it Iris? I wanted to show you what kind of woman she was.
Shut up. Before I smash your fragile bones.
Kukuku.
Kasajin chuckled.
You dont understand whats going on. But there is no need to think too deeply about it. Didnt you already experience the qualifiers?
it will get much louder in the future. So follow me well. Youll be done for if you get lost here, Sedi Glaston.
After saying that, Kasajin turned around and left first.
The girl with pitch black hair followed him while muttering.
its Trowman.
(TL: Sedi is back too. I wonder how Peran would react to Lukas daughter.)
Book 2: Chapter 374
Book 2: Chapter 374 Being 8 stars was not enough.
This was something Peran had realised in the previous battle.
He needed to be strong.
Much stronger than he was now.
9 stars.
To play his part in the fight against Diablo, he would need to make that distant state his own.
So Peran went to visit Lukas.
Although he wasnt sure how it happened, last time, he had appeared as Frey Blake and completely overpowered Diablo with nothing but his magical skills.
That scene had been embedded into the deepest part of Perans mind.
Do you know how to reach 9 stars?
I do.
He couldnt help but freeze slightly when he heard the prompt response.
Lukas, on the other hand, had a calm expression.
It was a strange feeling. Not so long ago, Lukas seemed a lot more complex. It felt like he had troubles that he didnt know how to deal with and that he couldnt share with him.
But now, he felt carefree.
It seemed that hed come to a conclusion. That was a good thing, and it was something he should be happy about.
But, for some reason, Peran felt conflicted instead.
Im being too sensitive.
Peran shook his head.
Can you teach me?
There is no need to rush. Youre moving quickly enough. Its almost impossible to reach your level at your age.
I know that.
Others might mistake it as arrogance, but Peran nodded as if it was natural.
At the very least, he didnt need to act humble in front of Lukas.
However, in the current situation, I will just be dead weight in future battles.
There is no other Wizard in our camp other than you. Besides, you were able to use spells even while enduring Diablos pressure, which caused even him to feel threatened by you.
Theres you.
Lukas smiled at those words.
I cant now.
Peran felt his heart sink.
It felt like the strange feeling hed been having for a while was finally being materialised.
Did something happen?
Why?
you just feel a bit strange.
He couldnt say more than that because it was nothing more than a feeling.
Lukas looked at Peran with a mysterious glint in his eyes, but he simply nodded.
Nothing happened. Im fine.
But
Just as Peran was about to say more, the door opened with a click and the Great Medium walked in.
Am I interrupting?
No. Its fine.
Lukas answered first before asking.
What is it?
Iris and Anastasia have returned.
They came back so quickly?
They came without even going for the Grand Master, Ivan. It seems they want to talk about the tremors that happened not so long ago.
Looking at the Great Mediums expression, it was clear that it was a serious situation.
Peran got up first and started walking out of the room. Lukas didnt move.
Lukas?
You go and come back.
What about you?
Theres something I have to do.
But this is important
Peran.
It was the Great Medium, not Lukas, that interrupted him in a soft tone.
She shook her head gently at him.
Leave him be for now.
A lot of words were stuck in his throat, but none of them came out of his mouth. Instead, after hesitating for a moment, Peran nodded.
Understood. Ill be right back.
Right.
Peran left the room and Lukas gaze met the Great Mediums.
Do you intend to entrust everything to him?
As expected, she was quick to notice.
Since there was no point in hiding it, Lukas nodded.
I know about Perans talent. But he is too young.
Thats why Im looking forward to it even more. Arent you curious about where Peran could reach in 10 years?
The Great Medium didnt know what to say.
For the first time, she felt greatly conflicted.
She wondered if it was really a good idea. To remain silent after witnessing all of those tragedies.
if its Peran, he might be able to replace me.
In the end, the Great Medium had no choice but to leave the room without responding to those words.
Click.
The door was closed and Lukas was once again left alone in the room.
Now then. What should he do?
Should he write a note for the future? A note that would give Peran hope if he lost his way or became frustrated.
No. When Diablo died, everything he wrote would disappear with him.
It would certainly be different from a normal death.
It would probably be so lonely, to die without leaving any trace of his existence.
It was at that moment.
[When I first saw you.]
A voice sounded without warning.
Who was it? Lukas looked around but he couldnt see or feel the presence of another person.
Nevertheless, the voice felt like a whisper in his ears.
After a while, Lukas was finally able to identify the source of the voice.
The Box.
The faint voice had come from the black box.
Of course, it no longer had the shape of a box. Instead, it looked like the abandoned shell of an insect. The smooth lustre had become dry and the straight sides had become wrinkled.
[I saw a possibility.]
Lukas knew who this voice belonged to.
[You have lost everything. Lukas Trowman.]
Gods voice was weak and light as if it would fade away at any moment.
Lukas looked around.
In the past, whenever God appeared, he would completely freeze time and space. It was a power that only he had, something that Absolutes were not capable of. (TL: Didnt the Lightning God do it too?)
But that wasnt the case now.
He could still feel the flow of air. He could still hear the sound of footsteps outside the door. And he could still see dust particles floating in the moonlight.
Time wasnt frozen.
Not everything. But its accurate to say most things.
[Kuku.]
It was a pleasant laugh.
Lukas couldnt help but ask.
Whats your condition now?
[]
I heard it from the Great Medium. She said your presence was faint. And just a moment ago, a spatial tremor strong enough to shake the entire world occurred.
[Indeed, Lukas Trowman, your senses, and eyes have not deteriorated in the slightest.]
Dont dodge my question, give me a straight answer. What the hell happened to you? What is happening in the multiverse?
God didnt answer and there was silence for a long time.
The room was quiet.
Just when Lukas was beginning to wonder if the connection had been broken.
[Do you not resent me?]
God asked a question out of nowhere.
[Some time has passed since your return. You must have felt bitter this entire time. All of your achievements, all of your experiences, everything youve built, all of them disappeared.]
I did feel it.
[Despair?]
Yes. Enough that I felt like I was drowning.
And hed struggled with pain and sorrow.
An unprecedented pain that he had never felt in his entire life had gnawed at his entire body.
I resented you. I hated you and cursed you.
Ironically, there was no sign of resentment in Lukas voice.
But the Great Medium explained it to me. You werent being malicious, it was just a law you had created.
[So you accepted it?]
I complied. Because I no longer have the ability to change anything.
God chuckled.
[I dont feel any agitation in your voice. Whatever it is you experienced, you have once again overcome it and found your answer.]
[I dont have any feeling of guilt. However, when I look at you Right. I feel a bit sad.]
You shouldnt be sympathetic. Its worse than your sarcasm.
[This isnt sympathy. Its atonement.]
At that moment, Lukas felt an eerie sensation like his entire body was sinking. Like he was sinking in the sea with a heavyweight attached to his body, and he didnt have the strength to swim up. He couldnt even make a sound.
Gods voice sounded in his ears once again.
[As I expected, you need to disappear completely, Lukas Trowman.] sea??h th N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Immediately after those words, Lukas vision flipped.
* * *
Spatial vibration.
The moment everyone entered the room, Iris opened her mouth.
Its my first time hearing about that.
Thats right. Its a term I just made up.
Iris spoke in her characteristic, calm voice.
I just received reports from my subordinates scattered across the continent. Approximately 2 hours ago, they all felt an earthquake that lasted for 5 minutes.
That is a geological impossibility.
Anastasia spoke up.
If an earthquake were to occur on a continental scale, the effects would be catastrophic. The ground would split open and the ocean would overflow
are you saying compared to the magnitude of the earthquake, the damage is too small?
It wasnt small, it was nonexistent.
When they heard Iris words, everyones expressions became serious.
Thats why I called it a space vibration.
That makes it sound like it wasnt the ground, but space itself that was shaking. But clearly Lady Iris is an expert in this field so I wont question it more.
Peran meekly nodded at her opinion.
The spatial vibration might have something to do with Diablo.
On what basis?
There is none. To put it simply, Im assuming because of the timing and my gut feeling.
He wasnt sure about the feeling part, but Peran could agree with the timing.
The earthquake had occurred about a day after Diablo had disappeared. No, the space vibration.
It was too coincidental to dismiss as pure coincidence.
Ah. There is another thing. Immediately after the spatial vibration occurred, I could sense Diablos presence once again. Im certain that he wasnt in our world before the spatial vibration ended.
Of course, they werent entirely sure where Diablo had been hiding.
The most likely option was the Demon World, but they couldnt be entirely sure about that either. In truth, there had been several cases where Diablos presence had disappeared from the continent. Iris had gone to the Demon World during one of those incidents, but she couldnt find him there either.
In other words, it was possible that Diablo knew about a world that Iris didnt, and he also had the means to enter it.
Something is obviously going on. I think that things will only get worse for us as time goes on, so I intend to fight him as soon as Snow wakes up.
When do you think Lady Snow will wake up?
I cant be sure, but it would at least take a week. Perhaps even two or three weeks.
I see. How is her condition?
Iris and Anastasia fell silent at the same time.
Lady Anastasia?
There will be some aftereffects.
By aftereffects
She wont be able to hold a sword properly.
Peran shuddered.
That is rehabilitation impossible?
It is possible, but it will take a long time. However, you should know better than anyone else. What Snow will be like when she wakes up.
She would probably grab a sword regardless of her physical condition.
Peran had a complicated expression.
He had the desire to stop her, but would Snow listen to him? And what if he did manage to stop her?
If they fought Diablo without Snow, their chances of winning were less than half. Even if she was weakened, she was still the greatest Swordsman on the continent.
Firstly, well need to convince Ivan. And Jekid, even though hes retired. If we can get his cooperation, we wouldnt have to overwork Snow.
I see.
Peran nodded his head reluctantly. He understood. Of course, he still wasnt alright with Snow joining them, but he understood.
It was then.
The Great Medium, who had been silent this entire time, finally opened her mouth.
I have something to tell you.
There was a hint of determination in her voice.
Is it about Diablo?
No.
If its not important, we can put it off till later. For now, we are too pressed for time to discuss the future.
It is important.
She didnt know if it was right to talk about it here. Or what the consequences of doing that would be.
She also didnt know if it would help Lukas or not. After all, he seemed to have already accepted his fate.
So this might just be for her own self satisfaction.
Even so
Even if it was just an act of self satisfaction, she felt that it would be wrong to keep her mouth shut when she knew everything.
It was like telling Lukas about his own disappearance upon Diablos death.
Peran, Nix, Anastasia, and Iris.
Those who were here deserved to know.
At least by knowing the truth, they would be able to make their own decisions.
to believe or not is up to you. But I would like to tell you about that man named Lukas Trowman.
Iris and Anastasia made puzzled expressions at that moment.
This was an expected response. After all, those two had completely forgotten everything.
On the other hand, Peran and Nixs expressions became strange.
Looking at all of them, the Great Medium thought.
From now on, Ill tell you everything I know.
Perhaps this was also her role.
Book 2: Chapter 375
Book 2: Chapter 375 After the Great Medium finished her story, silence fell in the room for a long time.
One thing was clear, everyone in the room was experiencing immense shock.
But among them, the person who was the most shocked and confused was Iris.
I that man
She didnt even know what to think.
The first thing Iris did was deny it. It couldnt be true.
She had never been infatuated with anyone before. From the start, she was the type of person who couldnt fall in love with another person. In addition, Lukas appearance was in no way her type. Then what was her type of man? In the first place, had there ever been a time when shed felt anything for a man just because he was handsome?
Hey.
Anastasia called out to Iris.
Fanning her face with her hand, Iris turned to her.
What?
Your face is red.
Iris flinched slightly and bit her lip.
In her heart, she wanted to smack Anastasias mouth, but she held it in because she knew it would just be further acknowledgement of her agitation.
I cant accept it.
The conclusion that escaped her lips was natural.
But Iris turned her head to look at another person.
I have to see it for myself. Peran, where is that man now?
Peran?
Ah, yes.
Peran came to his senses. Nevertheless, his gaze was dull as if his mind was elsewhere.
Perhaps Iris wasnt actually the most surprised among them.
Where is Lukas now?
the room. He should be waiting in the room. Should I call him?
Please.
Peran slowly got up from his seat and left the room.
It felt like his chest was being squeezed and his throat was dry.
Lukas.
Lukas Trowman.
Another hero who had existed 4,000 years ago.
The story was truly hard to believe.
In fact, even two of the heroes that represented the Era of Light had completely forgotten about him. Even after the Great Medium had finished her explanation, they found it hard to believe what she said.
Then what?
Did Peran Jun believe everything the Great Medium had said?
The fact that Frey Blake was actually Lukas Trowman?
He didnt know.
In the first place, Frey did not reveal his true identity to him 10 years ago.
That wasnt all.
Frey, no. Lukas never stopped moving after he separated from Peran. Without hesitation, he ran forward, covered in wounds.
He fought Apostles, Demigods, Apocalypses, and finally Lord.
And in all of that fighting.
He hadnt asked Peran for help, not once.
Crunch.
He clenched his fist. Without realising it, his footsteps became heavier.
He could understand.
10 years ago, Peran Jun was weak. He was just a 6-star Wizard. Considering his age, it was a great achievement, but he knew that against Demigods, he was no different from a bug.
So even if Lukas asked Peran for help and he agreed, he would have been of no help in the war.
He knew that.
He knew it, but
Was that really all?
Had Lukas really not reached out to Peran just because he was weak?
A question suddenly appeared in his mind.
Lukas, did Lukas really consider him a friend?
According to the Great Medium, Lukas true friends were the four heroes from 4,000 years ago.
The Black Witch, Great Sage, Sword King, and Magic Warrior King.
Compared to him?
Peran had never considered himself lacking when compared to others. But when he was compared to the great heroes of the past, he humbly accepted it.
Peran shook his head.
Now wasnt the time to think about that.
Instead, it was what the Great Medium had said at the end that was more important.
Diablo.
Currently, apart from the Great Medium, he was the only being that remembered the existence of Lukas Trowman.
If they killed him, then Lukas existence would disappear for good.
Was Lukas expecting such an end?
Perans hand, which he had stretched to grab the doorknob, paused.
Then he lifted it to touch his face.
Was he angry now, or was he disappointed?
And if he was disappointed, in who?
In Lukas? Or himself?
He couldnt open the door.
Suddenly, his body stiffened.
Arent you going to open it?
He flinched at the sudden voice.
Without him realising it, Nix had appeared behind him. Perhaps she had followed Peran as he left the room, but he had been so distracted that he hadnt even noticed.
Ill open it.
As he said that, Peran changed his expression. He didnt want to show such a face anymore.
Huu.
He took a deep breath before knocking on the door.
There was no response.
Thinking that maybe the sound had been too quiet, he knocked on the door again, louder this time.
And yet, there was still no response.
Lukas?
Even after calling his name, he didnt receive an answer.
He was filled with indescribable anxiety.
Peran exchanged glances with Nix for a moment before opening the door suddenly.
The inside of the room, which was soon revealed, was empty.
In other words, Lukas was nowhere in sight.
Nix.
Ill check the area.
With those words, Nixs figure disappeared.
Suppressing his anxiety, Peran combed the room. But he couldnt find any traces. As if Lukas had evaporated, the room was no different from when hed left not so long ago.
Except for one thing.
Except for what hed assumed to be the shell of the black box on the table.
* * *
It was possible for those who became Absolutes to leave their home universe and enter other universes.
However, there was a universe that they had to go to before they could begin their rescue effort.
Everyone in that universe was an Absolute. Therefore when considering the level and tolerance of that universe, it could be called the best in the Three Thousand Worlds.
A world where every being was an Absolute.
Commonly called [Apex Universe].
When Lukas had first gone there in the past, he had met a senior Absolute who taught new Absolutes the basics.
The [Senior] had explained a lot of things to him.
And it was from that senior that hed first heard about that world.
-At first, it was just an assumption.
In his usual, languid tone, the senior spoke.
-Imagine if a being was completely forgotten without even any trace of them in literature. What would happen then? If every trace of a being in a universe were to disappear.
-What do you mean?
The senior was one of the few beings that Lukas spoke politely to.
This was for three reasons.
Firstly, the senior was very strong. Even Lukas, who later became a Lord, had no chance of victory.
Secondly, the senior didnt tolerate informal speech. In particular, when he was spoken to informally by a rookie Absolute that had just stepped into the Apex universe, he would beat the party in question until the word politeness was engraved into their skulls.
And the most important reason.
Lukas acknowledged that he had many things to learn from and admired about the senior.
-When you become an Absolute capable of using external force, it doesnt matter if no one remembers you. As long as you dont lose yourself, you will be able to maintain your presence in any universe. However, that is different for the vast majority of mortals. For them, others must be aware of the fact that they exist. Only then can they exist.
Now that he thought about it, the senior must have known.
That the moment one became an Absolute, they would be forgotten by everyone in their home universe.
-Does that mean that as long as someone discovers them, it would be possible for them to exist?
-Right. However, there must be worlds that no one remembers, countless beings that have been forgotten. Even I have personally witnessed the destruction of tens of thousands of universes and cannot remember them all.
-Isnt there someone who would remember everything?
-Youre talking about God.
Lukas nodded.
God.
It was said that everything in the multiverse was recorded in the void records that he read and recorded, the akashic records.
The seniors lips curled into a smile.
-Everything that exists has a capacity and a limit. You should know as well. What god is.
-
-Omnipotent, the saying that anything is possible for him was false from the start. In the first place, those words are contradictory.
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The God that Lukas knew had never been omnipotent.
Instead, he gave him a strong human feeling, as if he had similar emotions.
God knew how to joke, he sometimes trailed off at the end of his sentences, and he sometimes used a conceited tone.
-Thats why it was just an assumption at first. If there were beings that even God forgot, would they disappear completely? Would there still be any traces of them in the Three Thousand Worlds?
-
-It didnt take long to figure out it wasnt just an assumption.
-What do you mean?
-The capacity never decreased.
-capacity?
It was a statement that he couldnt easily understand.
-Lets say there are 1,000 universes. And lets say that each universe occupies a space value of 1. One day, the universes from 1 to 100 disappeared. If that occurred then youd get 100 free spaces by subtracting 900 from 1,000. But that isnt the case. The total capacity value did not decrease at all.
-
-If you fill a cup with water then throw out half, you will create a certain amount of free space in the cup. But would the thrown water disappear? It wouldnt. There isnt just space inside the cup. If you think of the cup as one universe, and the space outside of the cup as the entire multiverse
-throughout the history of the multiverse, nothing disappeared.
The senior nodded.
-Everything that seemed to have disappeared simply entered a space that Absolutes are unable to observe.
-that space.
-The trashcan of the multiverse, the world after extinction. There are many names for it. My friends and I just call it something simpler.
The seniors voice was like a whisper, barely audible as it drifted into his ears.
-The Imaginary World. (TL: Or fictitious world)
* * *
Lukas slowly sat up.
His head throbbed. It wasnt a headache. Instead, it felt like his forehead had been scratched. He could also feel an itchy sensation in his clothes. This texture was it sand?
He laid his hand on the ground, and as expected, he felt sand. After all, it was sand that had burrowed into his clothes.
He had just been in his room. And hed heard Gods voice
He tried to remember the last thing he heard.
You need to disappear completely.
Right. That was clearly what he said.
He wanted him to disappear? What did that mean?
Wow! Youre finally awake!
He was awakened from his thoughts by a lively voice.
When he looked up, he saw a woman looking down at him with her head tilted to the side.
who are you?
Thats what I want to ask! Who are you, uncle?
It was a voice that didnt have any vigilance. Lukas got to his feet.
Lukas.
I didnt ask for your name!
She covered her mouth and giggled.
Lukas looked around.
It was a familiar sight, but he wasnt quite used to it.
But there were two things that were distinctly different from his last visits to this place.
Firstly, it didnt feel like he was dreaming. At that time, it had felt a bit unstable. It felt like he was holding on to a rope that was slowly breaking. I cant stay in this place long, that was the feeling he got.
But it was different now. No matter how he looked at it, it felt real.
And secondly, he couldnt see any signs of Kasajin, who was always with him when he woke up.
Ah! Uncle! Be careful!
Along with that urgent cry, he was suddenly covered by a shadow.
That meant that something had appeared above him.
Lukas looked up and soon stiffened.
!
Where did it come from?
A monster with wide jaws.
That looked like something which would normally be seen in water.
It had a bizarre appearance.
Inside its jagged toothed mouth filled with teeth the size of Lukas forearm, was another mouth.
Lukas paled in an instant, and his body reacted instinctually.
His arm stretched out almost like it had a mind of its own.
Fwoosh!
And soon after, a giant flame erupted from his palm. The strength of the flames was astounding.
In an instant, the entire body of the creature which was covered in thick hide was burnt to ashes. The monster, which had likely been tens of metres in length, had become nothing more than a small pile of ashes in the blink of an eye.
Wow~!
A voice that seemed to be filled with shock or admiration sounded from behind him.
But Lukas couldnt help but be more surprised than she was.
Silently, he began to inspect his body.
And he realised.
His broken mana room had been fixed.
Book 2: Chapter 376
Book 2: Chapter 376 How did you do that?
The woman came rushing over and called out to him in a surprised voice.
Instead of responding, Lukas stared at her for a while.
Compared to her voice, she looked very young. Perhaps it would be more appropriate to call her a girl instead of a woman. Contrary to her exceptionally noticeable navy blue hair, and her boisterous voice, she had a particularly small figure. Her thin cheeks and skinny limbs were prominent features. They gave the impression it would be much better if she gained a bit of weight.
?
Despite being stared at so closely, the girl didnt seem particularly bothered. Instead, she simply tilted her head to the side in a relaxed manner before opening her mouth with a soft ah.
Its Pale. (TL: Or peil, or fail. Or anything with the same phonetic translation.)
Pale.
Thats my name.
She pointed to herself with her finger and smiled.
Was that her real name? If so, it was a very unique name.
Lukas wasnt particularly wary of her. However, he couldnt help but wonder if her innocence was an act or not.
I havent seen another person in a long time. So its nice to meet you!
Pale walked up to him and stuck her hand out. But Lukas walked past her, ignoring it.
You shouldnt go that way.
He wasnt walking particularly quickly, and Pale, who was able to follow behind him, advised.
You seem to be familiar with this place.
At the very least, when it comes to this place, Im your senior.
As soon as he mumbled those words, a smug reply came back.
Senior. For a moment, he felt a strange feeling that came with that word.
Why cant I go this way?
Its a territory.
Territory?
Yeah. If you set foot there, youll get painted.
He didnt know what [painted] meant.
Lukas pondered for a moment on whether he should follow Pales advice or not.
although I can use magic now.
He wasnt sure if it was a temporary phenomenon or not.
In addition, the mana that he had used had yet to be recovered. Did that mean that he would not be able to regain the mana he used? He didnt know. There was too little information.
Lukas looked at Pale and came to a conclusion.
Firstly, he should get information about this place from her.
* * *
A desert that seemed to stretch infinitely in every direction.
He could clearly feel the sand beneath his feet. As he expected, unlike last time, he didnt have the feeling that he would return after a while.
The Imaginary World.
Lukas realised that this was the world after extinction that even Absolutes feared. (TL: I feel like I should add that extinction here is more like ceasing to exist.)
Perhaps the black box had been a gateway to this world.
The grey desert was neither hot nor cold. There also didnt seem to be any separation between day and night.
The surrounding landscape was also frozen as if even time had stopped. In the end, there was only one thing that changed drastically.
It was the sky. The sky constantly changed its colour as though it was a mixture of paints. It was now glowing, but it didnt give off a mysterious feeling like an aurora.
Why was I sent here?
Lukas wondered as he sat in the middle of the desert.
He understood that this was the Imaginary World. But he had no idea why God had pushed him into this world.
I needed to completely disappear?
Clearly, this was a space where only the forgotten could enter. At least that was the concept that Lukas understood.
If that was the case, then what? Had Lukas now become a being that didnt exist in his home universe? Before they had even gotten rid of Diablo?
I cant yet.
There was still more he had to teach Peran.
Crunch, crunch.
Pale was eating a scorpion the size of an adults palm raw. Green slime dripped from her mouth.
When their eyes met, Pale smiled brightly and held out half of the scorpion to him.
Ay, Ill be generous! Here!
Are you not going to eat?
Im not hungry.
He couldnt say that looking at her had caused him to lose his appetite, so he simply looked away.
Mmm. Dont regret it.
Pale murmured those words, but she didnt offer the rest of the scorpion to him anymore and instead brought it to her lips. Once again, the crunching sound filled the air.
Lukas tried to ignore her and continued his thoughts.
He was at a loss.
A life without a goal would be boring and worthless.
That was how Lukas felt now. He had lost his purpose. It was no exaggeration to say that the purpose hed found in an impossible situation had been forcibly stripped away.
Hed intended to make Peran his successor, and hed really been prepared to die. Then, he was suddenly dragged into the Imaginary World, and now, he was sitting in front of a woman he didnt know.
At that point, he couldnt help but feel that fate hated him. Everything that he wished for didnt come true, and the things that he didnt want, usually happened in even worse ways.
Twet.
In the meantime, Pale had finished her meal. She spat out a piece of scorpion shell, licked her lips, and hummed in satisfaction.
Lukas hadnt managed to obtain much information from Pale.
Maybe she was hiding something, or maybe that was just the way she talked.
In any case, Pales answers to most of Lukas questions were vague, and her facial expressions were so vivid they were unreadable.
Then Ill take my rest!
This attitude was a good example of it.
As if shed just finished talking, Pale nodded before laying down on the desert sand. She didnt snore, but she was clearly fast asleep in an instant.
Lukas sighed before looking up at the sky once more.
The sky was still glowing.
* * *
The next day, Lukas was about to take a step when he suddenly fell to the ground.
What
He hadnt tripped on anything. In the first place, there were no rocks in this desert. And he hadnt tripped over his own feet.
When he looked down, Lukas expression hardened.
His feet had disappeared.
To be precise, from the soles of his feet to his ankles had transformed into white smoke.
Uncle, didnt you eat anything yesterday?
Pale tilted her head to the side before she continued.
This is why you should have eaten when I gave it to you. Ugh.
is this because I didnt eat the scorpion?
Naturally. If you dont eat, youll disappear.
Pale scratched her head.
Ay. I guess it cant be helped. I was going to save this to eat later.
She rummaged through her pockets for a moment before pulling something out.
It was a tailless mouse with five eyes.
Does this mean you owe me one?
Lukas wasnt a picky eater, but he was still not relaxed enough to see a rat as food.
Arent you going to eat? Youre going to disappear.
What will happen if I disappear? Sar?h the Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
I dont know, Ive never disappeared.
Now that she mentioned it, that was right. It would be dangerous to let this continue.
Lukas reluctantly collected the mouse. And after looking at it for a while, he decided he wasnt going to eat it raw, so he made a fireball and baked it. Nevertheless, the smell was disgusting, and the texture of fur as it slid down his throat was nauseating.
Gulp-
As soon as he swallowed it, a disgusting stench filled his nostrils. He stayed still for a while because he knew the moment he let his guard down, he would end up vomiting.
Sss
At that moment, his feet, which had become white smoke, regained their shape.
That wasnt all, a portion of his mana also returned.
Five meals!
Pale shouted.
what?
You have to eat a meal five times, for every time the sky changes. Otherwise, you will start disappearing from your toes. If the sky changes three times while youre in that state, your entire body would disappear.
This was the type of information Lukas wanted to hear.
Isnt there anything better to eat?
There is. But the chubby ones are usually in the territory.
what is the territory?
A place we cant go.
What will happen if we go there?
Well get painted.
What does it mean to get painted?
I dont know.
Whenever he asked questions, he would also be met with this mysterious answer in the end.
As a result, the only way for him to learn about this painting experience, was to experience it for himself.
Uh!
Suddenly, Pale raised her head and looked into the distance.
They could see small shapes meandering towards them.
At first, Lukas thought it was a large, centipede-like insect, but it wasnt.
It only looked like that from a distance, but as they grew closer, it became possible to see its true appearance.
Dwarves.
Dwarves with a height that only reached Lukas waist.
They all looked like boys and girls, and they didnt appear dangerous.
!
!
When the dwarves spotted Lukas, their faces turned bright. Then they began circling around Lukas. Their joyful expressions and exuberant movements made it seem like they were dancing.
However, unlike their loud body movements, they did not make a sound.
Could they not talk?
Suddenly, a dwarf girl signalled to Lukas with her hands.
Sign language?
It probably was.
The other dwarves kept smiling with bright expressions, but there was no sign of them speaking any words.
He wasnt sure if it was because they didnt have vocal organs or if it was for some other reason.
When Lukas remained silent, another dwarf girl pulled his clothes. But she didnt pull with all her might; the strength she used was so weak that Lukas only felt like his clothes had been caught on a branch.
Wow! These are natives! I think theyre trying to invite you.
This was her first time seeing something like this. Pale smiled happily.
Invite me?
Follow them first! Maybe theyll treat us to nice food!
As she said that Pale began to walk with an excited gait. There were no dwarves around her.
All the dwarves had surrounded Lukas.
If he stayed, he wouldnt be able to learn anything.
So Lukas obediently allowed the dwarves to pull him along.
The dwarves gathered into a line like they had when they appeared. They even advised Lukas to join them, before finally advancing. Pale happily followed behind them with a smile on her face.
This would have been a ridiculous sight for anyone who saw this, but the dwarves all had serious expressions.
They walked for an unknown length of time.
Suddenly, the leading dwarf stopped. Naturally, the dwarves following him stopped as well. Then, they started looking around as though they were looking for something.
Pale also swung her head around, seemingly copying their actions.
Are they ensuring that no one is around? At first, Lukas was cautious, but he couldnt sense anything.
Perhaps the leading dwarf realised that too because he nodded once before taking a step forward. And then disappeared.
Shuk! Shuk!
No. He didnt disappear.
When the second and third dwarves also disappeared after taking a step forward, Lukas noticed a small indent in the sand. Upon closer inspection, he realised that there was a small ant nest there.
In an instant, dozens of dwarves disappeared.
This is going to be fun!
Pale jumped into the ant nest with an excited shout, and Lukas slowly followed suit.
Just in case, he took a deep breath before he jumped in, but he didnt have any trouble breathing. If it wasnt for the grains of sand digging into his clothes, he might have mistaken it for being washed along a river.
Instead, all he could see was darkness.
After a while, the sand rapids stopped and Lukas suddenly felt like his body was floating in the air.
No. It wasnt a feeling. It was real.
Lukas body was falling from the sky.
Just as he wondered how he would respond since he seemed to be very far from the ground.
Whoosh!
One of the dwarves who had entered earlier caught Lukas before throwing him to another dwarf. This process was repeated several times.
He was being tossed about.
Pale, who had entered before him, was laughing as she was thrown by the dwarves. Minutes later, the excited dwarves deposited Lukas to the ground and he was finally able to look around.
He would not have thought that a city existed underground. The city had an ancient aura like that of a historical ruin, but that feeling was partially obscured by the liveliness of the dwarves.
Follow, come.
One of the dwarves spoke. They hadnt said a single word before, but now they had definitely spoken, even if the tone was a bit rough.
Where?
Us.
Follow, come.
The dwarves smiled as they led Lukas into the inner city.
Through the holes in the small houses that served as windows, small dwarves stuck their heads out. They all seemed much smaller and weaker than the dwarves that were guiding Lukas. Their eyes that looked at Lukas and Pale were filled with fear and wariness.
Pale waved brightly and the dwarves flinched visibly before jumping back into their buildings like turtles.
A dwarf tapped Pale on the back of her hand.
Ah.
Provoke, stop.
He seemed to have said it in an intimidating tone, but, unfortunately, it wasnt intimidating at all.
They, not warriors.
Eh? Then are you guys warriors?
Right.
We, warriors.
The dwarves responded with proud expressions. They didnt seem to be joking or bluffing, so they probably sincerely felt that way.
However, the noisy atmosphere diminished as they entered the heart of the city.
It wasnt long until they arrived before a huge cathedral.
From here, only you.
A dwarf pointed at Lukas.
Then he looked at Pale and shook his head.
Blue hair girl, cant.
Not allowed.
Uwaa. Why not?
Pale made a disappointed expression.
Then she turned to look at Lukas.
You will get to meet the Lord! Im jealous!
Lord?
I wanted to meet him too. Uwa. Uwa.
Pale twisted her body around while making strange sounds.
Lukas didnt get the chance to ask more. At the urging of the dwarves, he walked to the front of the cathedral.
Creak-
The huge iron door opened, revealing a chapel. Lit torches that hung on both sides of the room gave it a gloomy atmosphere.
He was beginning to have a strange feeling.
The atmosphere in the chapel was not strange. In fact, he was used to it.
Tap tap.
The sounds of his footsteps echoed quietly in the building.
Lukas paused after walking for a while.
There was someone on the altar.
When he saw that back, Lukas couldnt help but suck in a deep breath.
That figure
[An interesting guest.]
!
As soon as he heard that voice, his doubts became certain.
Lukas stepped back, subconsciously raising his mana.
Then, the figure on the altar slowly turned around.
A body that gave off a holy white glow.
A lack of features.
It wasnt an illusion.
He wasnt mistaken.
This being,
The one whose relationship with Lukas could only be described as tumultuous opened his mouth.
[How did you come here? Unfamiliar yet familiar being.]
The Lord of the Demigods looked at Lukas.
Book 2: Chapter 377
Book 2: Chapter 377 Lukas stood there for a while as if he had been nailed in place.
Hed thought that he wouldnt be surprised by anything he experienced for the rest of his life. This was especially so since hed been prepared to disappear just before being sent to the Imaginary World. The less regrets he had in life, and the more he suppressed his emotions, the less he would care about the world.
But this time was different.
His head went white. This wasnt just a metaphor, it really happened.
On the other hand, Lord slowly tilted his head to the side.
[Hoh.]
Interest filled his voice.
Tak, folding his fingers, he closed the book in his hand. It was only at that moment that Lukas realised he was even holding a book in the first place.
That was the extent that Lukas entire consciousness and gaze had been focused only on Lord.
Then, Lord started to approach him. That fact alone was enough to pressure Lukas.
Widening the distance between them once again, Lukas warned quietly.
Dont come any closer.
The caution in his voice could not be hidden.
Lord accepted without any fuss, stopping his walk instead of getting closer.
Instead, he spoke again.
[You are wary of me. No, are you afraid of me?]
Afraid?
Him, of Lord?
That was definitely not possible. His dead pride chose this moment to raise its head once again.
[What is the reason? Isnt this our first meeting?]
Our first meeting?
What was he talking about? No, wait a moment.
Now that he thought about it When Lord saw him for the first time, he said something.
Unfamiliar yet familiar being.
It was only at that moment that he finally realised that it was clearly a strange statement.
Did that mean that he wasnt just saying that?
Lukas inner worries must have been revealed by his expression since Lord seemed to pause for a while.
He seemed to think about something before speaking again.
[Stranger, what is your name?]
His tone was calm, his gestures gentle.
It was strange. Lukas couldnt help but feel that again.
The being standing in front of Lukas was without a doubt Lord. But there was clearly a strange feeling of incongruity.
More than that.
Should I just answer directly?
He hesitated for a moment, but it was abundantly clear that Lord bore no hostility.
In the first place, even if Lord was hostile, did Lukas have any way to respond to it? Lord was a being that he could only fight if he was at least 10 stars.
He was the type of being who could even defeat new Absolutes as long as the environment was in his favour.
Lukas quietly said his name.
Lukas.
When Lukas finally answered, a bright smile appeared on Lords white face.
[Lukas. Hmmm.]
Lord nodded once before turning around again. Then, he opened his closed book and continued to read.
At that moment, Lukas realised the source of his feeling of incongruity.
The current Lord was not interested in him.
The Lord he knew before also hadnt really cared about him, but that was the inevitable indifference a being who was close to an Absolute would naturally have. As proof of this, Lord always displayed intense emotions to any being who grew strong enough to threaten his and the Demigods stronghold. Lukas was a prime example.
That was the strangest thing for Lukas.
The relationship between Lord and Lukas was so bad that it could not be described in a few words, a few lines, or even a few pages.
Each of them had stood at opposite points of conflict, and they always faced each other without any intention of retreat so that they could prove to the other that they were in the right.
They fought, and fought, and fought some more.
Finally, in their final fight, Lord killed himself.
Lukas didnt win the fight. He could say that he won, but he couldnt say he won.
Because it was Lukas enemy who had set himself on the path to destruction.
Instead. When their beliefs had clashed head on, it was Lukas who had lost the confrontation. Even though hed managed to reach the unprecedented 10 stars, hed still lost. At the time, Lukas still wasnt convinced, but he had no choice but to admit it.
Lords obsession with his people was much stronger than Lukas hope of humans.
hey.
Lukas called out for the first time.
This time, Lord didnt close his book, instead, he simply raised his head slightly.
[Is there anything else? Do you have business with me?]
[Ah. You must want to ask for permission.]
Permission?
[You are free to stay in my territory as long as you like. Ill even give you food for free. I will tell the miglings.]
Not that
Lukas couldnt help but sigh slightly.
The thought that Lord would harm him had faded for the most part, but his caution grew instead.
Who are you?
[Hmm?]
I dont think youre the Lord I know.
[the Lord I know.]
Lord seemed interested as he repeated Lukas words. Once more, he closed his book. This time was different from before. He didnt keep the book in his hand but placed it on the altar beside him.
Then he turned around to face Lukas again.
It was as if he was finally ready to talk.
[Who are you?]
I told you Im Lukas. Did you forget about me?
[Thats a funny thing to say. I never knew you to begin with.]
What?
[Lukas Then what is your last name?]
Trowman.
[]
Lord fell silent again, except, this time, he appeared a bit startled.
[Trowman]
He repeated Lukas last name before suddenly letting out a laugh.
[Indeed, so thats what it is.]
[This is quite rare. But I believe I understand where the nostalgia I feel when I look at you comes from to an extent.]
Nostalgia?
[Im quite interested in you. And you, seem to have a lot of questions you want to ask.]
Lukas hesitated for a moment before nodding.
[Im an intellectual. I believe I have the knowledge to answer any of the questions you might have.]
[However, I have no intention of simply giving you the answers you seek. Because that would go against the rules of this world.]
The rules of this world?
[To put it simply, it is equivalent exchange.]
In other words, if he wanted answers, he would also need to provide something worthwhile.
I currently dont have anything.
[I know that. Thats why I wasnt interested in you at first. But just now, you managed to grab my attention. That is no different from proving your worth.]
[Lets do this. We will exchange questions.] (TL: 21 questions with Lord.)
It seemed that Lord also had questions he wanted Lukas to answer.
Lord began walking towards a nearby table. There also happened to be two chairs on either side of it.
After taking a seat at the table, he gestured to Lukas.
[Of course, youre more than welcome to reject my offer. The choice is yours. What will it be?]
There was no choice.
Lukas walked towards the table.
* * *
[This question and answer exchange will end when you are no longer able to answer my questions.]
Will you be asking the questions first?
[Right.]
what if you cant answer my questions?
[I dont think that will happen, but I will put a failsafe if you are worried that might occur. In the event that I cant answer one of your questions, I will allow you to ask two more questions. Now. Is that fair enough for you?]
Lukas nodded his head, but as Lord said, he didnt actually think such a situation would occur.
This was probably because of the calm confidence that echoed in Lords voice.
But it didnt matter.
Even if it did occur, Lukas had nothing to lose with the conditions that had been put in place.
[Then Ill start right away. Were you a former Absolute?]
It wasnt a question. Lords voice was filled with certainty.
This question was simply to further verify something that might as well have been a fact.
Lukas tried to guess the intentions behind the question, but he couldnt think of anything. In the first place, he knew too little about the other person.
Reluctantly, he nodded his head in assent.
Right.
[Hmm.]
There was a hint of satisfaction leaking from his voice. It felt like he was barely holding back the words as expected.
Afterward, Lord gestured with his chin. It meant that it was his turn.
Lukas licked his dry lips.
The first question.
Its importance didnt need to be emphasised. After all, there was no guarantee that Lukas would be able to answer Lords next question. In other words, it could possibly be his first and last question.
That was why it couldnt be wasted.
Lords knowledge was vital for helping him accurately understand his current situation. He was different from Pale who was waiting outside.
If he missed this opportunity, it was possible that never be able to create a similar situation. Of course, he couldnt be certain of anything since it was just his assumption.
He thought for a long time, but Lord waited without saying anything. This was because he understood the pressure that Lukas was facing.
Or perhaps he was just patient.
As expected, he was different.
The gap between you and me.
Lukas began.
And the strange feeling I have. What is the reason for them?
[Hoh.]
Lords voice was coloured with genuine admiration.
At first glance, it might seem like a question that was just grasping at the air, but it was also a question that could lead to the most answers.
Hed had a feeling that a question like this would appear, but he hadnt thought it would come right at the start. This meant that this man was very intelligent and had a lot of experience.
Lord replied cheerfully.
[Talking about that might take a long time.]
Does that mean you cant answer?
[Of course not. I was simply asking for your understanding in advance. However Right. It might be a bit difficult for you, who was once an Absolute, to accept.]
[Do you know where this place is?]
the Imaginary World?
Lord let out a laugh.
[Are you saying you know simply because you know the name?]
To correct the above. It wasnt just a laugh, it was a loud laugh.
If another person had reacted like that, it might not have mattered, but when the other person was Lord, Lukas couldnt help but furrow his eyebrows slightly.
It wouldnt be a lie to say that he felt a bit insulted, but he managed to stop himself from displaying it.
I know that it is a place where things that are completely forgotten and not remembered by anyone come. Is there anything else I need to know?
[If you were living in the Three Thousand Worlds, that would be enough. However, after stepping in here, that becomes a different story. You need to know more. Thats the only way to exist.]
It was as if he was saying in order to survive.
Disappearing.
Lukas was able to understand one thing about that term.
Death probably didnt exist in the Imaginary World.
Instead, one would cease to exist.
Body, soul, and consciousness.
What would happen then?
Where would the beings who were forgotten even in the Imaginary World go?
Lukas contemplation was broken by Lords voice.
[Its not just the things that have been forgotten. This world also contains the abandoned possibilites.]
abandoned possibilities?
[There are a number of things that could possibly occur. Didnt you know that? In any one universe, there are an infinite number of possible futures.]
Lukas suddenly got goosebumps.
This was because he finally understood what Lord was trying to say.
That cant be true. Parallel universes cant exist. Sarch* The N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
This was something that all Absolutes knew.
[Who was it that said that? Was it God? Its a pity that all of the Absolutes were tricked by that deceiver.]
Deceiver?
[Put your confusion aside for now. Im not finished answering. Now. Let me just ask one thing so I can give a more accurate answer. What kind of being was your me?]
the Lord of Demigods.
[What are Demigods?]
It was clear that Lukas was speechless.
He never would have imagined a day when Lukas Trowman had to explain Demigods to Lord.
If anyone had been there to witness this scene, they would have seen his jaw hanging in front of his chest.
It was the generic term for a race who were born with transcendent power. Of course, there was no real commonality that could group them together as a race. Every Demigod had different appearances, characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses.
Lukas gaze focused on Lord.
And it was Lord who brought them together and led them.
[In other words, you mean me.]
Lord chuckled.
[Right. There was such a possibility.]
Possibility
Fragments of the information Lord gave him gradually came together, creating a conclusion that he would not have reached otherwise.
who are you?
This was one of the biggest questions Lukas had.
[My name is Michael. The Representative of God, the One in Charge of the Heavenly Realm, and the One Responsible for the Three Worlds.] (TL: yes, just three)
What?
[That must be different from the information you know. However, it is the truth, Trowman.]
It felt like Lord was smiling.
[We basically share the same universe.]
(TL: Everything has become so complicated.)
(TL: Sorry about the sporadic/erratic releases. For the past while Ive been quite busy/sick or experiencing the joys of living in a third world country. Ill try to post multiple chapters to make up for all of those Ive missed, which at this point is more than a few, I just ask that you bear with me for this.)
Book 2: Chapter 378
Book 2: Chapter 378 Thats not possible.
He wasnt talking to Lord.
The fact that Lukas had muttered his thoughts in such a manner was proof of his confusion when he was faced with a situation that he found difficult to accept.
The fact that parallel universes existed.
In other words, it meant that even in a single universe, the number of space-time possibilities were basically infinite.
And if all of the possibilities that didnt occur entered the Imaginary World
How big is this world?
After becoming an Absolute, hed learned about the Three Thousand Worlds. At that time, he had been more shocked than hed ever been in his entire life.
But at that moment.
The shock he was feeling was comparable to, if not more potent than, at that time.
At the same time, he could instinctively foresee one more thing.
This was probably not the only secret of this world. In fact, it might only be the tip of the iceberg.
[No one knows the answer to that question.]
Lord, no.
Michael answered.
[Any being that is strong enough can claim any unclaimed territory as their own.]
territory.
It was a word Pale had mentioned earlier.
[You are quite strange.]
Strange?
[Right. Even those who have the power to become the Lord of an area would not recklessly set foot into someone elses territory. Unless the gap between them is wide enough to be overwhelming, it would be no different than putting their neck into the other persons mouth,]
Those guys outside had said it was an invitation.
[Of course, it was. However, there is also the possibility that it could have been a trap.]
in other words, I could have died without knowing anything?
[Who knows. However, you are strange.]
Michael said the same thing again.
[There is nothing I can do to you right now. Even though you are in my territory and just out of arms reach from me.]
[But the strangest thing is the fact that you are in the Imaginary World in the first place.]
Lukas didnt say anything, but Michael continued to speak in a pleased tone. He was like a researcher boasting about his achievements, or a professor giving a lecture about an interesting topic.
[Only the completely forgotten should be able to come to this place.]
Lukas blinked.
only the completely forgotten?
[Right. Completely.]
Michael re-emphasised his words.
[Id like to ask. Do you think youve been completely forgotten?] S~ea??h the N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
No.
Lukas shook his head. He didnt.
Diablo still existed in his home universe.
There was also the Great Medium who had taken a peek at the void records, and Peran and Torkunta, who, while not perfectly, had never forgotten him.
But it was at that moment that Michael burst into laughter once again.
[You seem to be misunderstanding something, Fallen Absolute, I am not talking about your home universe.]
Lukas didnt immediately understand what Michael was trying to say.
[After becoming an Absolute, you must have saved numerous worlds. You would have inevitably changed the fates of countless universes, either as a saviour or as a judge. So I will ask you again, Trowman.]
A bright smile appeared on Michaels face.
[The beings from other universes that you saved, killed, or interfered with in some way or the other. Do you think they all forgot about you?]
!
At that moment, it was as if a bolt had struck the top of his head and penetrated his entire body.
Eyes wide, Lukas stiffened.
He had never thought about that. But Michaels words were not wrong.
Instead, they were very sharp as they directly pointed to things he had not thought about before.
He was right.
The Absolute Lukas had saved countless universes.
To save humans, or to not forget that he himself was a human.
He had saved many and killed many more.
The traces left by that would not have disappeared.
Because all of them were traces left by the Absolute Lukas, not the Great Mage Lukas.
[That is why Absolutes cannot come here. Absolutes, beings who exist by interfering with universes, and a world where only the forgotten can exist. From an existential point of view, they are like perfectly opposite poles.]
[Of course, that doesnt mean that it is impossible for all Absolutes. In particular, the Rulers might be capable of tearing space and stepping into this place.]
Michaels voice suddenly became cold.
[But the result would not be good.]
At that moment, Lukas suddenly thought about the Seven Fanged Dragon God.
A being who had been pulled from the position of Ruler because of some kind of event. Compared to her power of the past, she became a being that could barely be called an Absolute.
Was it this place?
Had the Seven Fanged Dragon God ended up like that after stepping into this world?
Is it because Ive fallen?
[Mm?]
Is it possible that I entered this world because Im no longer an Absolute?
[That may or may not be the case.]
Probably because he felt that his response was a bit lacking, Michael added an explanation.
[Fallen Absolutes. While it is not a common occurrence, it has happened a surprising number of times in the long history of the multiverse. However, so far, Ive never heard of a Fallen Absolute entering this place.]
so your first question was to confirm this.
Lukas was referring to when he was asked if he was a former Absolute or not.
Michael smiled gently instead of answering.
[Exploration and contemplation are my hobbies. I was intrigued to learn that you were a former Absolute and that we share a fundamental universe. Your name as well.]
He knew it wasnt Lord.
But when Lukas looked at this being with his face and voice acting so differently, he couldnt help but feel strange.
In the first place, they could not be called completely separate beings.
Lord and Michael were fundamentally the same person.
[At some point, this stopped being a question and answer exchange. Then I will ask you one last thing, Trowman.]
Michael spoke up.
[What is your relationship with that person who was accompanying you?]
The person accompanying me?
Was he talking about Pale?
Lukas shook his head as he answered.
We have no relationship. When I first opened my eyes, she was already beside me. She seems to know this place well and she doesnt seem hostile towards me, thats why I chose to go with her for a while.
[I see.]
Michael spoke in a strange voice and his tone also changed slightly. It seemed that he had either already made a conclusion or had chosen to not think about it too deeply for now. Lukas couldnt tell which it was.
[Its your turn.]
Michael had asked his last question.
In other words, Lukas would also need to ask his last question.
A few of his questions had been answered, but even more questions had taken their place.
However, at that moment, there was one question that Lukas had to ask.
How do I leave the Imaginary World?
[]
Michael didnt answer immediately. Because he didnt have any facial features, it was hard for him to guess what he was thinking. But Lukas did not rush him. After all, Michael had also waited patiently when he had hesitated to respond earlier.
[I consider myself a seeker of knowledge. It might be a bit silly to say it with my own mouth, but that is quite unusual in this place. While the original intelligence of those here is intact, very few of them care about the truth.]
[Ive been here for a very long time. Most of that time was invested in research and experiments, which is why I can truthfully answer your question.]
The answer that eventually came was one that Lukas expected, but
[It is impossible for you.]
It was also the answer he least wished to hear.
* * *
After the question and answer exchange ended, Lukas left the cathedral.
Although Michael hadnt explicitly kicked him out, he had still expressed his intention to be alone with his aura.
When he came out, Lukas could not see the dwarves anywhere. Instead, the only one he saw was Pale. She also waved at him from afar when she spotted him. When Lukas showed no reaction, she ran over to him in a heartbeat.
What did you talk about?
She asked abruptly.
Her eyes were filled with curiosity and excitement.
I asked a few questions about this place.
Heh. And he just answered your questions?
He also had questions he wanted the answers for. It was an exchange.
I see
Pale drawled lazily as she dragged her feet on the ground.
And she didnt seem to intend on trying to pry any further.
However, when she saw Lukas expression, she tilted her head to the side.
By the way, why do you look like that? Did you hear something bad?
A bit.
What was it?
The reason he didnt answer right away was because of his cautious personality. But at that point, there wasnt any particular reason to hide it. Even if Pale was an unknown, it was clear that she bore no hostility. Besides, she seemed to have been in this world for a long time, so maybe she might know things Michael didnt.
I asked if there was a way to get back to the original world.
The original world?
Right. Do you know anything? It doesnt matter even if its just a small bit of information.
Pray smiled.
I do.
The surprise Lukas felt was greater since he had asked without any expectations.
But Lukas couldnt tell if her I do was an affirmation that she knew how to return to the original world or knew just a small bit of information that hed mentioned after.
Dont you think this place is very unstable right now? Its like the world is lagging behind, like riding on the back of an out of control earthworm.
Pales analogy was difficult to understand.
Lukas tried to picture himself on the back of an out of control earthworm, but he could not fathom what that would feel like.
Thats why the desert is now filled with treasures.
Pale smiled again.
Uncle, lets go treasure hunting! If you go treasure hunting with me, we can be friends! Because well share a secret!
Hurry! Uncle! Come on! Together! Well be secret friends!
Ignoring the noisy chattering, Lukas pondered to himself.
Was it really the right choice to leave the city now? By the looks of it, this city seemed to be one of the few safe zones in the Imaginary World. There were many monsters lurking outside.
It was fortunate that the monster that had appeared before was on a level that the current Lukas could handle
But this was the world that had caused the Seven Fanged Dragon God to lose her power.
No matter how confident he was, he did not intend to recklessly explore.
Firstly, he would turn her down and explore the underground city a bit more.
Just as he had this thought and began to open his mouth.
The dwarves in the city approached them.
You came out?
Something, happen?
They all fussed with their unique slurred voices.
Now that he thought about it, it was a bit strange. Were they called miglings? This was definitely Lukas first time meeting them, but they had shown an unusual affection for him from their first meeting. In comparison, they treated Pale like something theyd picked up on the wayside.
Was it because they shared a fundamental universe?
However Lukas could not recall any such creatures in his universe. They were similar to dwarves, but unlike their stout muscular bodies and thick beards, the miglings looked more like innocent children.
They were more like fairies or spirits However, they were too big to be either.
Trowman.
Trowman, good.
Hihi. Hehe.
The miglings rubbed themselves on Lukas like puppies while calling out his last name.
Now that he thought about it, Lord had also called him by his last name. In fact, his attitude had only changed after hearing his last name. When he had heard the name Lukas, he had not shown much of a reaction at all.
Not his first name, his last.
Was there a special reason?
Suddenly.
Rumble
A vibration was heard above the city.
The ears of the miglings surrounding Lukas immediately perked up.
Uhh?
Coming! Coming!
They were so beside themselves with joy that they immediately ran out of the city.
Lukas and Pale exchanged glances before following them.
The miglings headed to the place where Lukas had first landed on the ground.
Then, they all formed a circle around and looked up with sparkling eyes.
Now that they were closer, they realised that the sound theyd heard before was closer to moving sand. It was a sound theyd heard before. To be precise, it was the sound theyd heard when they first entered the city.
Someone is entering the city.
An enemy?
No, from the expressions on the miglings faces, that didnt appear to be the case. They showed no apprehension or hostility. Instead, they looked extremely happy.
Then who the hell
While Lukas was quietly contemplating, Pale decided to take a much more direct approach.
Guys, who is coming?
She asked directly. Lukas, who had been pondering on his own, admired her approach before belatedly realising that he was being ridiculous.
But when he heard the miglings answer, his expression became even more dazed.
Trowman!
Huh?
The miglings smiled brightly as they answered.
Trowman coming!
Pale slowly turned to look at Lukas.
Before tilting her head to the side.
Huuuuh?
Book 2: Chapter 380
Book 2: Chapter 380 Huh. This person is also very injured.
Lukas came to his senses at Pales sudden words. It was only then that he took a closer look at the womans condition. Hed thought that she was just unconscious, but as Pale mentioned, the womans brown robe was covered in blood.
This was not the time to remain idle.
Lukas went closer and knelt beside the woman who was lying on her face. It was then that he checked the severity of her wounds.
It wasnt good. Her wounds werent so serious that she wouldnt be able to recover, but she had lost too much blood.
Pale, do you have any of that jerky the miglings had used earlier?
Of course not.
Really?
Absolutely.
It was surprising how a seemingly emotionless face somehow appeared shameless.
He asked one more time.
Can I trust you?
Would I lie?
Their eyes met.
Pale had a proud look on her face. He didnt know what she was thinking on the inside, but her expression didnt change. A forced body search was Well. It would not be a polite thing to do.
In the first place, even if Pale did have the jerky on her, he couldnt force her to give it to him if she didnt want to.
In any case, if she pretended that she didnt have it, there was nothing he could do about it.
I should hunt a nearby monster.
Just as he had this thought and was about to stop looking at Pale suspiciously.
She scratched her head before suddenly rummaging in one of her pockets and pulling something out. On her outstretched hand was a dusty piece of jerky.
Here. But how did you know?
thanks.
Lukas didnt say anything and instead, he simply thanked her. Then he carefully observed the jerky Pale had offered.
This jerky was a different colour from the one the miglings had. This meant it was probably made from different ingredients. In any case, it didnt matter to him as long as it was effective.
Lukas dustred the piece of jerky off before putting it in the womans mouth.
By this point, hed gained a rough understanding of what eating meant in this world.
It had been at least two days, or maybe even three or four years since hed arrived in this place. But Lukas hadnt taken a single sip of water. In fact, hed only barely noticed this a short while ago.
It hadnt been a long time, but he hadnt been thirsty at all.
When Pale had offered him her food, hed hadnt been the slightest bit hungry either.
In other words, eating in this world wasnt to replenish nutrients or satisfy hunger.
To maintain existence.
Lukas remembered when his legs had started disappearing.
As soon as hed eaten the mouse Pale gave to him, the phenomena had reversed.
Eating in this world was likely to supplement or maintain their own existence.
In the same vein, eating seemed to also be the way to treat injuries.
In many ways, it was a twisted world and a twisted rule, but since it was a rule of this place, they had to follow it.
As if she could barely hold herself back as she watched him feeding the jerky.
Shes eaten enough. What will you do when she fully recovers and wakes up?
Lukas looked down at the womans wounds.
There, he witnessed the unrealistic sight of her flesh returning to its original form. Rather than restoration or regeneration, it was more like watching time reverse.
The second thing he checked after the womans wounds was her face.
They shared a fundamental universe. At first glance, her face was covered in scabs, so he could not see her appearance. Lukas silently peeled them away. Fortunately, she did not seem to be someone he knew.
Since she was not an acquaintance, it didnt really matter.
As he thought this, Lukas removed the dried blood from the womans clothes and hair. Her dark coloured hair was finally visible.
Pale bent over and pretended to look around. Like a captain looking for land, she had one hand on her waist and the other hand above her eyes.
What do we do now?
Wait for her to gain consciousness.
And after that?
Take her to the underground city.
Perhaps Michael would know who this woman was.
He wasnt sure if it was the right expression, but maybe she was one of his companions.
Wow. Youre a good person.
Pale exclaimed. It wasnt sarcasm, but genuine admiration.
Good. A good person It was only then that Lukas realised he was doing a good deed.
Then shall we go right now? You have the talent to be a guide, so you wouldnt make the same mistake again. Right?
I have to cool my head down first. If I do it now, my brain will burn.
It had been a long time since hed felt a brain overload which was what Wizards experienced when they tried to forcibly use spells beyond their capabilities. It was actually a little pleasant for him to experience the stiff sensation again. At the very least, it was something that he hadnt felt since pushing his calculative ability to the extreme in the abyss.
It was no joke, if he were to force himself in this state, it really would destroy his brain. He needed to cooldown for the time being.
Then does that mean we wont be able to move right away?
Right.
That might be a bit dangerous.
Dangerous?
Pale scratched her cheek when Lukas gaze turned to her.
It feels like there is a territory nearby.
Lukas didnt respond.
Because just as she brought it up, he felt his senses tingling. (TL: Spidey sense)
It was a sign of imminent danger, an instinctive alarm. There was no time to think. He spread his hands out and released his magic.
A barrier formed around Lukas in an instant. Clang! And in almost the same instant, he felt a dull shockwave.
He narrowed his eyes. There hadnt been any trace of them, but in the blink of an eye, five people wielding swords surrounded the barrier.
Four men and one woman.
These are not easy foes.
All of them were highly skilled Swordsmen.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Sword attacks poured in one after the other. Heavy impacts gradually shook the barrier. The damage continued to accumulate, but it wasnt enough to destroy the barrier just yet.
!
The Swordsmen all wore expressions of shock. It seemed that they were surprised by the durability of the barrier that was much harder than they ever would have expected.
Lukas didnt miss the opportunity and immediately took the offensive.
Bang!
A loud sound rang out as the barrier shattered. But this wasnt because of the Swordsmens attacks, Lukas had deliberately broken it.
The pieces of the shattered barrier became like shards of glass and shot towards the Swordsmen. Fast, sharp. The sound of the air being cut showed just how much of a threat each shard was.
The Swordsmen responded in a swift manner. They all immediately gather in one place as though they had trained as a unit for a long time.
Clang clang clang clang!
Loud sounds rang out as their blades slapped away most of the shards.
They managed to stop most, not all. They managed to perfectly protect their vital points, but as a consequence, they had to pay relatively less attention to the areas that werent vital points, like their forearms, thighs or cheeks.
There were two factors that made them incapable of perfectly defending the attack. Sear?h the novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
One was because the attacks were actually difficult to see due to the transparent nature of the barrier.
And the other was because Lukas attack didnt end there.
Lukas body slowly rose into the air.
The eyes of the five Swordsmen filled with horror.
An apparent enemy had approached him with murderous intent. Naturally, Lukas would not show mercy.
Crackle-
After the brief sound of electricity, a flash of light erupted.
No, it wasnt light, it was lightning.
The 7 star spell, Gigantic Thunder, struck down on the desert as if it wanted to pierce through it.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The attack did not stop with just one. Without the slightest bit of error, a series of lightning bolts pierced the same spot one after the other.
Including the first attack, there were four strikes in total.
Nevertheless, he still had mana to spare. Since he couldnt recover it naturally, he couldnt use it all at once.
After his attack ended, Lukas looked down at the huge crater that had formed in the middle of the desert from the sky.
Squirm-
He detected movement in the crater. It seemed that they were still alive. As expected, they were not easy to deal with. Just as Lukas prepared to use another spell.
Wa-, wait!
An urgent shout sounded.
It was the voice of a young man.
Wait, please wait a minute!
There was a hint of fear in the voice, as though they were worried that another spell would fall.
Maybe they had lost some of their will to fight.
Lukas calmed his roiling mana and opened his mouth.
What is it?
The voice that came out of his mouth was freezing cold. Within the crater, there was a sign of flinching, but the voice shouted once again.
We are not your enemies!
You attacked me first.
Th-, that that was an accident. We beg your forgiveness. Were sorry.
He gave excuses and apologies in a heart-rending voice.
Lukas remained silent, unable to accurately guess the others intentions.
The owner of the voice probably thought this was an opportunity as, after coughing a few times, he quickly continued.
Could you please give us a chance? We have no intention of fighting you. Please give us a chance to prove that.
Please.
There was a sense of desperation in his voice. He could tell that much.
Lukas slowly descended to the ground. He wasnt really accepting the mans words. After all, he didnt believe them, but he felt that he could still make a decision after hearing what the other had to say.
Tak.
When he landed, Pale, who had been squatting next to the unconscious woman and poking her face, stood up.
Uncle, you really dont hold back when youre angry! Hihi. Thats my secret friend!
Pale said in an excited voice.
She didnt seem surprised by Lukas magic. Not to mention frightened. There was only admiration and excitement in her voice.
0
Lukas liked that too.
Take care of her.
Yes Sir!
Chak, Pale answered loudly with a salute.
Walking past Pale, Lukas headed to the crater hed created. There, he saw the five shabby Swordsmen breathing heavily.
To his surprise, they were all relatively unharmed.
Of course, their entire bodies were covered in soot, and their clothes had numerous cuts and tears. But with the strength of the attack that Lukas had used against them, he wouldnt have been surprised if they had turned to ashes.
Or cut into 4 pieces.
The bolt of lightning had pierced the very centre of their formation. Nevertheless, all of their limbs were intact and in good condition. They were still capable of swinging their swords and fighting.
As he got closer, the Swordsmen cupped their hands to him.
I thank you for your mercy. This one is Kwak Do-san.
Fist cupping.
That was enough to give Lukas an idea of what their universe was like. It was knowledge hed gained as an Absolute.
May I ask what you are called?
A cautious voice called out, it was the man who had been earnestly shouting to Lukas just before.
Lukas.
Kwak Do-san nodded at his brief introduction.
Great Sir Lu, I believe there is a misunderstanding between us.
Who was Great Sir Lu? He almost furrowed his brow at that.
He felt like pointing it out, but in the end, he decided to put up with it. In any case, he had no intention of prolonging this conversation.
A misunderstanding?
Exactly. But before that, there is something Id like to ask.
Kwak Do-sans gaze went past Lukas shoulder.
Is that woman your acquaintance?
Coincidentally, there were only women behind him.
When Lukas looked back, Pale waved at him. Pale was someone who usually had a consistently uncaring attitude about everything, but now her expression appeared a bit innocent. In other words, Kwak Do-san was probably not talking about Pale.
This left only one person, the unconscious woman covered in blood.
In truth, considering the timing, it could have only been her that they were referring to.
Given that he had been attacked shortly after finding her.
No.
He didnt think he knew her. Shed been unconscious since theyd encountered her.
Kwak Do-sans expression brightened when he denied it so firmly.
Huu. As expected. Thats a relief.
A relief?
I would like to explain the situation, would that be alright?
When Lukas nodded his head, Kwak Do-san swallowed once before opening his mouth.
Not long ago, we received confirmation that a witch, who had appeared unannounced in the vicinity of Origin Mountain, was harming innocent people.
Witch.
It was probably a different concept from the Witch that Lukas knew. However, he was still able to understand it in the context of the story.
That woman is the Witch?
Thats right. Origin Mountain gathered as much manpower as possible to stop the Witch, but her power was too strong. It was only after sacrificing 30 disciples that we were able to drive her into a corner, but we couldnt finish her off in the end.
Kwak Do-san spoke bitterly.
She is a very dangerous being. If we dont kill her now while shes unconscious, there is no telling how great the bloodbath will be when she awakens.
Do you not believe me?
Of course he didnt.
For Lukas, he was unable to properly judge the situation. The experience and knowledge that he had about the Imaginary World was still too lacking.
In fact, he was still filled with a strange feeling.
The Imaginary World.
A world shrouded in mystery that no one had been able to enter before.
That was why, when hed first learned of this place, he couldnt help but feel a bit uneasy.
However, a few days after entering it for himself, he felt his unease waning. This world was not as threatening as he thought.
This situation was an example.
This man, Kwak Do-san, was a resident of the Imaginary World. He wasnt sure how long hed been here, but it was certainly longer than Lukas, who had only been here for less than a week. Kwak Do-san was intelligent. He could talk. On top of that, he had been frightened by the magic Lukas had used.
He asked himself. Could he be afraid of such a person? The answer came without him needing to think about it.
No. Not at all.
Even if Kwak Do-san was stronger than Lukas, at most he would have been surprised, not scared.
Because, at least, they could talk.
If the opponent was an intelligent being, and as long as their ability to understand each to some extent, then there would be no reason for him to be afraid, regardless of the power he possessed.
Of course, the secrets of the Imaginary World still took him by surprise. Especially when it came to parallel worlds.
However, was that really all?
Was that really all there was to this world that even Absolutes were afraid of and where Rulers could lose their status?
He couldnt be quick to judge.
As mentioned before, Lukas hadnt even been there for a week yet.
However, the impression of the Imaginary World that hed been given so far was that it was dull and achromatic.
Lukas could easily name ten universes more dangerous than this one.
Mm
Seeing as the other party hadnt spoken for a long time, Kwak Do-san probably thought that they were seriously contemplating his words. He pondered for a while before finally speaking.
Then how about this? There are still traces of her bloodshed in our territory. You can check them for yourself, and if you think shes really a danger, you can hand her to us.
Your territory?
Exactly. Its not very far from here.
The pride on the face of Kwak Do-san could not be hidden.
Flower Mountain.
Book 2: Chapter 381
Book 2: Chapter 381 (TL: Volcano has been changed to Flower Mountain(Aɽ).)
They walked through the desert, feeling the texture of the sand on their skin, and the crunch as they crushed it beneath their feet.
Lukas looked at the back of Kwak Do-san, who walked ahead. It wasnt just Kwak Do-san. The other four Swordsmen, who appeared to be Kwak Do-sans party, also showed their backs to Lukas. Their swords slept quietly in their sheaths.
Even with their skill, it would take them a few seconds to fully draw their swords and be ready.
In other words, they were giving Lukas their completely defenceless backs.
In their current state, Lukas could subdue all five of them in five seconds or less. In fact, at least a dozen methods to do so were already running through his mind.
There was no way that Kwak Do-san did not know this.
Do they trust me?
That couldnt be it. Instead, it felt closer to resignation.
They had already witnessed Lukas might for themselves. Even if they remained on guard and had their swords out. Even if they were ready in advance, they knew it would only delay their deaths by a few tens of seconds.
So the thing that was truly surprising was their stubborn determination to not show their helplessness or inner feelings.
Wouldnt it be dangerous to follow them so easily?
Pale spoke up. At first glance, it might seem like she was worried, but there were no signs of nervousness in her voice.
Shed told him before that if he recklessly entered someone elses territory, hed get painted. He still wasnt sure what that meant exactly. However, he had the vague understanding that it would be an extremely dangerous situation.
Nevertheless, Lukas shook his head.
Michael had said. Even though you have stepped into my territory, for some reason, there is nothing I can do to you. If those words were true, then even if it was a Lord, they would not be able to subdue Lukas.
He looked at the backs of Kwak Do-sans party once again.
Even though they were walking a short distance behind them, Pale had not spoken in a soft voice. So they must have heard her words.
Nevertheless, there was no change in their pace or gait. Even in the face of blatant suspicion, their attitudes remained the same.
He decided to shake them a bit more.
That might be true. However, if they tricked me into following them, then they should hope they prepared their trap thoroughly.
Whys that?
Because if their preparations are even slightly insufficient, the Flower Mountain will lose at least half of their men.
He spoke in a quiet voice, but there was no wind in the desert. So it would have easily reached the ears of those walking ahead.
And yet, there was no change to Kwak Do-sans footsteps. It was the same for the rest as well.
Except for one. The woman on the far left, who appeared relatively young. When she heard Lukas words, her shoulders shook slightly. But that too was only for an instant.
In the blink of an eye, her agitation completely disappeared.
Unfortunately, there was no reaction beside that one.
Lukas turned his head to look at Pale. No, to be precise, he looked at the woman she was carrying.
Witch.
Witch
She didnt seem like one. There were no traces of black magic on this woman. Instead, what he could feel was the faint reverberation of extremely dense and pure mana. In that case, was she a Wizard? Perhaps she was, but he couldnt tell.
Lukas couldnt help but question this conclusion. Why couldnt he tell? He could not inspect the inside of her body. Then why couldnt he inspect her insides?
Was it because this was the Imaginary World? Or was there something wrong with his senses? That was also unknown.
0
For a moment, Lukas felt like bursting out in laughter.
He carefully looked around him.
The Swordsmen from the Flower Mountain whose true intentions were still unknown.
Pale, whose identity he hadnt yet guessed.
And a woman who could be from the universe that he hadnt yet spoken a word to.
He had no one to talk to, no friend to trust.
Anyone could try to trick him at any time and stick a knife in his back. He was surrounded by beings that he didnt know if he could trust.
In fact, it was possible that this was a situation where he was walking into the jaws of the enemy with his own two feet. After all, just because Michael couldnt do anything, it didnt mean that the Lords of other territories would be similarly incapable.
He was aware of all of these possibilities, and yet he was still walking forward without hesitation.
Because it doesnt matter.
Right.
Even if all of them were deceiving him, even if he were walking to his own grave.
Lukas felt that it didnt really matter to him. It was strange.
It was not confidence. Nor was it desperation. It was also far from resignation.
Whatever happened happened.
If he had to say, that would be the best way to put it.
* * *
At some point, the surroundings had become foggy. Visibility fell so low that even the backs of Kwak Do-sans party, who were only a few steps ahead, were blurred.
That wasnt all. The ground below their feet also hardened. It was easy to see that they werent in the desert anymore.
It didnt feel like they were walking on a well trodden path. Like a mountain road. It felt more like they were walking on a path that had been carved by nature, by roaming wild animals.
Weve reached the entrance.
Pale muttered.
When he heard the word entrance, Lukas thought of the ant hill hed seen right before they entered the underground city.
As he had this thought, the scent of plum blossoms filled his nostrils and their view changed.
Wow!
Pale exclaimed softly. The sight before them was worth such an exclamation.
A giant mountain that reached through the clouds and seemed to pierce the sky. Combined with the faint scent of plum blossoms, the subtle magnificence of the scene could be felt with a glance.
Flower Mountain.
It wasnt just the huge mountain, but also the surroundings that were beautiful. They felt warm sunshine and refreshing air on their bodies as if they had come to appreciate the mountain scenery on a beautiful spring day.
It was a hundred times more colourful and lively than the desolate underground city that Lukas had visited before.
Welcome to Flower Mountain.
Kwak Do-sans voice was filled with pride. But he couldnt help but wince slightly when he saw that Lukas expression hadnt changed in the slightest.
ahem. Before we take you to see the damage, I would like to guide you to the underground prison first.
Prison?
When Lukas frowned at that word, Kwak Do-san shook his head.
Please dont misunderstand. Although it is a prison, we dont intend to detain you. I would just like to remind you that the witch is an extremely dangerous being. To be honest, Im fearful that she will regain consciousness any moment now.
If the place where the witch wakes up is the underground prison, the elite masters of the main mountain will be able to respond quickly. Im making this suggestion because I think its the safest option.
Kwak Do-sans voice remained unshakeable.
Besides, hed said it was a suggestion, not a demand. Perhaps if Lukas refused, he would not say anything else.
Fine.
When Lukas accepted his suggestions so easily, Kwak Do-sans eyes widened slightly, but he quickly regained his composure.
I thank you for your trust. So-han, guide these people to the prison.
Understood.
A tall young man bowed his head politely before turning to Lukas.
This one is called Yong So-han. I will be your guide from now on.
Are you not going to guide me?
Lukas gaze turned to Kwak Do-san.
I would love to, but I have a responsibility as the team leader. Since we have returned to the main mountain, I naturally have to report to our Senior Brother first. I beg for your broad generosity to accept this much.
Lukas nodded his head without saying anything more, and Kwak Do-san took that as his permission to leave.
Two of the Swordsmen, who hadnt spoken a single word so far, followed him.
Please follow me.
The young man, Yong So-han, bowed his head to them before walking away, followed by the last of their group.
Lukas and Pale followed.
The underground prison was located a short distance away from Flower Mountain. It had the appearance of a naturally formed cave.
Unlike the beautiful scenery outside, the cave seemed to exude a gloomy aura.
Here is fine.
Pale muttered softly. It felt like her footsteps became more lively.
What was fine? Lukas pondered inwardly, but he was not curious enough to ask.
The cave was quite deep, and it gradually began to slope downward. It was unclear just how far they traversed down the rough stone steps.
After a while, Yong So-han stopped walking.
The smell of wood incense mingled with the humidity in the cave. It carried a scent similar to a temple sacrifice.
The scent of the wood incense seemed to mask another faint smell.
The smell of blood.
This way.
Yong So-han resumed walking.
On both sides of the path, jail cells made of solid iron were erected. In them were men and women, old and young, even children.
And,
Lukas form stopped.
He was in front of a jail cell. His gaze was locked onto someone on the other side of the iron bars for a long time.
What are you doing?
Yong So-han, who was walking ahead, turned around.
Without even looking up, Lukas said.
Who is this person?
One of the sinners.
What is his crime?
Massacre. He killed 11 of our disciples and wounded another 25. He is one of the most dangerous sinners in this prison.
Massacre.
Lukas felt his mouth go dry. It felt like hed swallowed a mouthful of sand.
He walked closer to the jail cell.
Wa-, wait. Dont get too close.
Ignoring Yong So-hans call, he reached his hand as far into the cell as it could stretch. Then he quietly spoke again.
Is that really the truth?
Did this man really commit a massacre with his own hands?
At that moment, the person inside the cell stirred slightly.
Slowly, he raised his head. His entire body was covered in scars, and he was so thin that his rib bones were visible. This showed that he had experienced a long period of torture and neglect. Rather than meals. He had probably only been given enough to eat to maintain his existence.
Suddenly, his chapped lips parted, and it seemed that a voice that hadnt been used in a long time tried to flow out.
But no sound came out of his mouth. Nevertheless, Lukas heard his words.
He turned around.
The prison didnt seem to have any specially assigned guards.
In other words, the only ones there were the two Swordsmen.
Im not sure whats going on, but please calm
Just as Yong So-han had a strange feeling and brought his hand to the hilt of his sword.
Paak!
A Hyper Bolt struck him in the stomach. Yong So-han coughed out the air in his lungs and his eyes rolled back into his head.
Knocked out in one hit.
What-!
The other swordsman a short distance away was surprised and drew his sword like lightning.
Lukas turned to him, preparing to cast another spell, but it wasnt necessary.
Crack!
Because the Swordsmans face was crushed in the next instant.
Red Blood and white brain matter mixed as they flowed down. The body, which had lost its head, convulsed a few times as if it couldnt understand what had happened, before finally collapsing to the ground.
Blood soaked the cave floor.
Lukas turned to the woman who had created such a horrific scene.
Pale.
She twisted her mouth instead of answering.
Then, she licked the blood from her hands. The image was alluring, but at the same time, it carried a frightening aura.
Uncle, do you remember what I said last time?
What are you talking about?
I told you that territories have a lot of tasty things.
There was no need for him to ask what she meant.
Pale showed the meaning of her words through her next actions. After walking over to the body, she grabbed it by the ankle. Then, she pulled it in the opposite direction from the hip.
With a gruesome sound, the mans leg was ripped off, like a boiled chicken leg that was pulled off.
With a hum, Pale opened her mouth wide.
Hap.
Chomp, crunch, munch. The sounds of her chewing not only the muscles and blood vessels, but also the bones, filled the underground prison.
Lukas gaze became cold.
He wasnt surprised or shocked. But the sight of cannibalism was something that he never liked to see.
Are you not going to eat?
Pale didnt look back at him and instead asked with a smirk.
You put in a lot of effort. That should make up for it.
Pales question carried genuine curiosity.
Certainly.
If Lukas were to kneel down and carry out a similar predatory act, he would be able to completely replenish the mana hed lost. Perhaps the nutritional value of a warrior like Yong So-han was much better than the rats and monsters hed eaten before.
However, he had no intention of doing so.
No matter how polluted, corrupted, or soiled he became, there were actions that he would never tolerate.
Cannibalism was one such action for Lukas.
Pale finished eating the leg in a flash and wiped her lips. However, that only served to spread the blood that had splashed onto her face while she was ripping the body apart, making it even messier.
If you dont eat, itll be your loss. If you just leave it, itll disappear.
Disappear?
Look at that.
As if to prove her point, the body of the unnamed man began to slowly disappear.
That wasnt all. Even the pieces of flesh and bone fragments that had scattered and the blood that had splashed onto Pales face began to disappear.
Thats why its better to eat. Even when everything is gone, the feeling of fullness will not disappear.
Pale patted her stomach in satisfaction.
He knew that she was a glutton. She always seemed to be eating something. When they were walking, Pale would take things out of her pocket to eat.
And yet, her cheeks were still sunken, her limbs were still thin.
This fact unsettled Lukas, but hed never taken the opportunity to ask.
Why did you kill him?
Hed had no intention of killing. The Hyper Bolt that Lukas had used had only been strong enough to knock him unconscious. Pale was different. Shed smashed the Swordsmans head with the first blow.
I hate liars. And this place is a den of liars.
Pale straightened her knees and stood up.
Then she turned to Lukas.
By the way, why did you do that? Did you know they were lying too?
Id had my suspicions before. But I was certain after what just happened.
Just happened?
Right.
Lukas turned to the cell he was standing in front of.
This man is not someone who would commit a massacre without cause.
Do you know each other? Are you from the same universe?
No.
Lukas shook his head as he looked inside the cell.
Many things had changed, but those eyes hiding behind his long hair remained the same.
Lukas was more surprised that hed met this man here in the first place. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
He hadnt expected this man to be in the Imaginary World. Because this was a place only forgotten beings were supposed to enter. Even now, as he stood face to face with him, he couldnt understand what was going on.
However, there was no doubt that they had reunited.
Lukas called his name in a soft voice.
Lee Jong-hak.
As if to answer him, the Human Dragon lifted his head.
Book 2: Chapter 379
The Great Mage Returns after 4000 Years (Season 2) C Chapter 379Translator: Seven
Editors: Ana_Banana, Sei
The sand fell and someone appeared.
It was at that moment that the miglings excited expressions became those of disappointment instead. Lowering their outstretched hands, they muttered despondently.
Not, Trowman.
Yeah. Not.
That, white one.
White one?
Lukas took a closer look at the person that had fallen from the sky.
Thats
It was a man.
He had flowing white hair, but he wasnt old. He didnt even look middle aged.
It was a man with a young face. In fact, it was a face that Lukas knew.
Schweiser?
Without a doubt.
There were some subtle differences, but this man was definitely Lukas friend, Schweiser Strow. But he didnt look very good at that moment. His entire body was a mess as if hed fallen into a grinder, and blood dripped down like the rain.
He seemed to be unconscious, his limbs shaking violently like tree branches in a hurricane. This proved that there wasnt even the slightest bit of tension in his muscles.
It would be dangerous to fall in that state.
Lukas cast a spell.
In an instant, a gentle breeze seemed to blow over, and Schweisers body, which was accelerating dangerously to the ground, lost most of its momentum in an instant. Soon after, he fell to the ground as lightly as a feather.
Wow!
Magic! Magic! Magic!
Oh my! Magic! Magic! Magic!
Oh my! Oh my! Oh my!
Ignoring the excited miglings, Lukas looked at Schweiser. And swallowed a mouthful of saliva without realising.
Up close, his condition looked much worse.
Heavy bleeding, fractures, bruising If that was just the damage that was visible on the outside, he couldnt help but wonder how serious the situation would be on the inside. He thought about wrapping the wounds first, but several miglings surrounded Schweiser.
Unlike before, they all wore serious expressions. He looked at them carefully to see if they would seriously treat him, but one migling simply took something out of his pocket.
It was something that looked like jerky no, not looked like, it was jerky.
The miglings then stuffed it roughly into Schweisers mouth.
What!
Startled, Lukas tried to stop them. In his current condition, Schweiser would have a hard time swallowing water, let alone food.
But Pale, who was beside him, stopped him.
Let them.
Why?
That is the best method.
is that jerky effective?
Maybe?
Pale shrugged with an uncertain answer.
Swallowing his spit once more, Lukas turned to look at the miglings again. Those were all sitting and chatting amongst themselves.
Serious wounds.
Yeah. Very serious.
And white one lost flesh. (TL: A slang for losing in a fight, usually in a game.)
Yeah. Lost a lot of flesh.
Why not, Trowman?
Dont know.
Think, think something happened.
At that moment, one of the miglings raised his head and spoke in a serious voice.
Must report to Lord.
Then the miglings picked Schweiser up and began running towards the city. Lukas could tell that they were going to Michael.
In the blink of an eye, there were only two of them left there, Lukas and Pale.
Mmm.
Pale hummed softly and seemed to be in a daze, but after a while, she turned to Lukas with an innocent expression.
So, whats your answer?
It took Lukas a while to realise that she was continuing their conversation from before the miglings interrupted them.
The proposal for them to go treasure hunting.
It seemed that Pale really didnt care about what was happening in the underground city.
It amazed him. Hed never met a woman like this before. Even right after theyd met, Iris hadnt been this indecipherable to him.
Nevertheless, Iris and Pale were fundamentally different.
If it felt like Iris was intentionally hiding herself behind a false persona, for Pale, it was hard to understand the principles behind her thinking or her sincerity even when she revealed everything as it was.
If we leave this place, can we come back?
Lukas asked cautiously.
We could request a guide and the Lords permission again. But why?
Im wondering if there is any other place in this world as safe as here.
Ay. So thats what youre worried about. Of course, there is.
Pale answered in a low voice.
Besides, there is no absolutely safe place! This place is also quite dangerous. Looking at the condition of big brother white one, he must have taken part in a border war.
Border war?
The losing side loses everything.
She was saying they were at war.
If that was the case, then Pale was right. It would be more dangerous in this place than in the grey desert.
Of course, judging from Michaels words, Schweiser was likely not the same Schweiser that Lukas knew. No. It was safe to say that it wasnt just likely, it was almost certain.
He was probably a different possibility of Schweiser, from a parallel world.
If that was the case, then why?
Why did he want to meet Schweiser?
Michael knew about Trowman. The miglings were the same.
Now he understood.
The reason the miglings were so kind to him since the beginning.
And the reason why Michael was only interested in the last name Trowman.
In this city, there must be another Lukas Trowman.
Of course, that Lukas and him would be different. The same was probably true for Schweiser. He had a similar appearance to the Schweiser that Lukas knew, but he couldnt guarantee that they would be the same on the inside.
He could tell that much after seeing Lord, no, Michael.
However, despite knowing that.
That Schweiser might still remember a Lukas. He may not have been forgotten.
It wasnt just Schweiser. There was a good chance that there were other people that remembered Lukas.
There might be many beings with different possibilities that shared the same fundamental universe as him.
Lukas felt a wave of emotion as he had that thought.
Disgust, anger, curiosity, and above all, jealousy.
It was a strange feeling.
There was no way he was jealous of his other self.
Shaking his head, Lukas spoke to Pale in a firm voice.
I agree.
Huh?
The treasure hunt. Lets do it together.
This place.
It was not a place that Lukas should stay in. It was no longer a place that allowed Lukas to be here.
Because, in the end, there was only one reason why Lukas wanted to meet Schweiser.
He wanted to hear him call his name.
* * *
It wasnt too difficult to return to the desert.
There were dozens of holes in the ceiling, and Lukas had memorised which one they had emerged from. All that was left was to go in the opposite direction, but the passage turned out much longer than he expected.
I didnt realise at that time.
Fortunately, they had no trouble breathing, so it wasnt difficult to get through as long as they could bear the gritty texture of the sand.
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As she stuck her head out of the ground, Pale took a deep breath.
Ah. Sweet air~
She spoke with a blissful expression on her face before pulling the rest of her body out of the hole and brushing the sand off of her body.
Lukas had been the first out of the hole.
The grey desert was still as empty as before. Just looking at it filled his heart with a lonely feeling and made him feel stuffy.
What is a guide?
Lukas asked.
When hed asked if it was possible to return to the city, Pale had said it was possible with the Lords permission and a guide.
The Lord in question was Michael, but he didnt seem to mind his presence.
So all that remained was a guide.
A being who can find the way here.
Pale answered in her usual roundabout manner.
the way.
He looked around.
It was almost certain that there was no map of this world.
After all, if one looked up at the sky, all they would see were constantly shifting colours like mixing paint. There was no boundary between night and day, so it would also be impossible to use the night sky as a guide. There probably wouldnt be any stars in the first place.
Are the migling also guides?
Huh?
Those guys came directly to us before.
Yeah. I dont think so. Its possible that they smelled you. Its certainly possible if you are from the same universe.
From the same universe
When Lukas mumbled those words as if he couldnt understand, Pale beckoned to him.
Follow me.
Without waiting for a response, she turned her body around and began walking away. Lukas followed her.
After taking about ten steps, Pale turned around. And headed back to where theyd walked from.
Just ten steps.
She tapped her feet against the ground.
Its not here.
Lukas understood what she was trying to say.
She was saying that while it might feel like theyd returned to the same place, they hadnt.
The place they were standing in now was completely different from where they had been standing just before.
What was the reason?
It wasnt because they were hallucinating or simply mistaken.
countless spaces are overlapping one another.
The overlapping spaces constantly rippled and changed. The significance of one step in this desert was not light. One might think that they only moved a short distance, but the reality was that they could enter a completely different space with that simple step.
It was only at that moment that he understood why the dwarves, the miglings, moved perfectly behind each other in a straight line.
However
He had a strange feeling.
Lukas squinted his eyes slightly and changed his point of view.
Then, the sight of countless intertwining coordinates appeared in front of him.
The number of threads easily exceeded tens of thousands.
They all intertwined, creating a skein that was thicker than a boulder.
Trying to interpret the overlapped coordinates was like trying to fully understand how each thread was weaved into the skein.
That was something beyond the realm of simple calculations, but
What are you doing?
He ignored the question. He needed to use the full extent of his concentration.
Analysis was a specialty of Wizards. And Lukas calculative ability was probably in the top five among all the beings in the Three Thousand Worlds.
Of course, these coordinates were so complicated that he was hesitant to even attempt to decipher them, but it was possible because nothing in the world was intertwined from the beginning.
The miglings.
They had come to Lukas first.
Even though they werent guides, they knew his location, and they knew the way back to the underground city.
Smell.
He felt like he could finally understand what Pale meant.
Lukas gestured to her slightly with his chin before walking first.
Aht. Where are you going?
Pale called out in a startled voice, but she seemed to be following him. Lukas couldnt afford to answer, so he just kept walking.
Rather than smell.
It might be more appropriate to call it a string.
In any case, he could not do this for too long. He wasnt sure how it would be with an Absolute body, but with his current body, if he were to maintain this state for too long, his brain would be unable to withstand the pressure and burn to ashes.
He naturally increased the speed of his steps.
Then Lukas finally reached the source of the thread.
Huu
He couldnt help but let out a sigh. His head throbbed.
He felt like he wanted to take a seat more than anything, but he suppressed the feeling for now and regulated his breathing first.
After his condition improved a bit, Lukas raised his head. It was only then that he noticed how quiet his surroundings were.
What about Pale? Had she not followed him?
Lukas looked around. Fortunately, it didnt seem like shed had any trouble keeping up with him.
She was standing a short distance away, staring directly at Lukas.
Her eyes were narrowed slightly, and there was a glint of interest in them as though she was looking at a toy that managed to surprise her.
The moment their eyes met, Lukas felt a chill down his spine.
Was that really pale?
Her aura had changed so drastically that he couldnt help but wonder. The cuddly feeling from before had disappeared entirely.
Uncle can see the way.
Her voice was still the same.
When Lukas looked at her again, Pale had returned to the same unbothered manner from before.
Perhaps you are qualified to be a guide.
no. I think I came to the wrong place.
After saying that, he turned to look at the ground.
Lukas had tried to return to the migling city. Even if they didnt need to enter the underground city, he wanted the reassurance that hed gone in the right direction.
But this wasnt the entrance to the underground city.
Turning his eyes, Lukas looked at the source of the string.
A woman lay in a crater on the ground. The string Lukas had been following was connected to her.
In other words.
This woman was also a being that shared a fundamental universe with Lukas.
Book 2: Chapter 382
Book 2: Chapter 382 Cloud Pavilion, which was built at the top of Flower Mountain, was the residence of Flower Mountains Senior Disciple. No one else stayed there. This wasnt because it was impossible to enter, but because the disciples of Flower Mountain would only enter if they had special business. It was a so-called unwritten rule that even the elders of Flower Mountain adhered to.
Fortunately, Kwak Do-san, who was now setting foot in Cloud Pavilion, had a special reason.
He thoroughly prostrated himself.
Kwak Do-san bowed so low that his face was practically touching the ground.
It was not a rare sight to see disciples prostrating themselves in this place, regardless of who it was that was reporting to the Senior Disciple.
His forehead was damp. But this was the only sign that Kwak Do-san was nervous.
The Flower Mountains Senior Disciple.
The Everlasting Plum Sword, Yang In-hyun, had his back turned as he watched the beautiful mountain scenery.
His years could be felt in his white hair, but his straight waist and unblemished white robes displayed indescribable purity and uprightness.
Suddenly, Yang In-hyun stretched forth a finger and a butterfly, which had been flying in the sky, came to rest on it.
You brought them here.
The voice was overflowing with kindness. But Kwak Do-san gulped heavily as if the tip of a sword was pressed to his throat.
Th-, thats right.
And now?
I entrusted So-han to guide them. If all goes according to plan, well be able to deal with them in the time it takes to have two meals*.(*: ??- the time it takes to eat a meal. Roughly 30 minutes.)
They are formidable, but not to the extent that the main mountain would need to go all out to defeat them. As long as we get the help of the Elders, Senior Brother wouldnt even need to
Why?
Kwak Do-san was interrupted by Yang In-hyuns soft mutter. He never asked a stupid question. Kwak Do-san felt suffocated, he thought that he might really die if he opened his mouth without thinking.
After a short pause, Yang In-hyun continued to speak in a relaxed tone.
I sent five great disciples including you. And yet you didnt even have the strength to cut off a single one of your enemys limbs?
Im sorry for disappointing you. However, it was impossible with our strength
Impossible if you fought normally. But it would have been possible if you detonated your true ki. Am I wrong?
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Kwak Do-san inhaled sharply. Telling him to detonate his true ki was no different from telling him to die.
Nevertheless, Kwak Do-san simply bowed deeper as his complexion paled.
Im sorry.
However, the decisive blunder is what you did after that. Leading them to the prison was the worst possible choice.
Huh?
The butterfly that rested on his finger flew away again.
At the same time, Yang In-hyun turned around.
It would be fine if they accepted your suggestion. Because the prison has the Five Stage Plum Illusion Formation. So as long as they put the witch into one of the cells, a potential threat would disappear.
But you did not consider the opposite.
the opposite?
What if they let all of the criminals in the prison out?
!
Kwak Do-san gulped when he heard those words. Yang In-hyuns calm gaze swept over to him and he realised at that moment.
If I dont give a proper excuse here, I-
Before he could even finish his thought, he opened his mouth.
Th-, the criminals trapped in the prison are all people with twisted minds that cannot be understood. Even if they tried to negotiate a jailbreak, they wouldnt accept it. After all, they might just turn on them after they were set free
You tend to think too positively. The probability of that happening might be small. But when it comes to possibility, its always better to assume the worst. That way, you will be less shocked.
Tuktuk, Yang In-hyun, who had been rubbing his temples gently, picked his sword up from the table. It was a plain sword with no other special features apart from a gem the size of a thumb that was embedded in the hilt. But the moment Yang In-hyun collected the sword, its aura changed.
In the blink of an eye, the plain sword transformed into a treasured sword.
The Senior Disciple had taken his sword.
Kwak Do-san immediately understood what this action meant.
D-, does Senior Brother intend to go there personally?
Ive already sent the elders, but I dont think they will be able to handle it.
When did he send them?
Kwak Do-san felt a chill down his spine. Since hed entered the Cloud Pavilion, it hadnt even been enough time to have one meal. And in that time, no one had entered this place apart from Kwak Do-san and Yang In-hyun.
The timing is good. Its the perfect time to warm up.
Ye-, yes.
But why are you asking me that? Is there a reason why I shouldnt go down?
N-, no.
Warm up.
He didnt think that was the only reason.
Suddenly, Yang In-hyun smiled for the first time.
In any case, its clear that they are from the underground. Since they came to the main mountain on their own, it would be better to deal with them as efficiently as possible. Without too many losses.
I will accompany you.
You dont have to.
Yang In-hyun gently refused. Then he opened his mouth.
Do-san.
Yes.
How long have you been here?
Yes?
I mean the time. How long has it been?
Im not sure, but perhaps, hundreds of years.
Yang In-hyun smiled again.
And how long has it been since I came here?
Kwak Do-san was silent for a while before he finally managed to force the words out.
About half a year.
Right. Thats right.
Half a year. Since hed come to the Flower Mountain.
Only half a year.
And within that half year, Yang In-hyun had risen to the position of Flower Mountains Senior Disciple.
The smile on his face grew wider.
He recalled the time when he killed the previous Senior Disciple. It hadnt been that difficult.
Do you hate me?
T-, thats impossible.
Kwak Do-san denied it immediately, but Yang In-hyun didnt stop smiling.
It felt like he had all of his emotions in his hand.
Hate might be there, but fear was much more abundant. Yang In-hyun liked that kind of primitive feeling. He really wanted to thank fate again for allowing him to come to this world.
Change has begun. Not just in this world, but the entire Three Thousand Worlds. Did you know, Do-san? There are two ways to deal with a storm. The first is to grab a tree and hold on. And the other is to just let the wind take your body where it pleases.
It was impossible to know where you would be sent by the fierce winds. So it was a gamble that was close to an adventure.
Yang In-hyun didnt mind that.
A colourless world. A world that had stopped, a world that existed but didnt exist, was now being born for the first time.
It was becoming coloured and was moving wildly.
Was this the era of war?
That would be fine too. But it may not be suitable for him to stay a member of the Murim.
Unable to hold it any longer, Yang In-hyun left the Cloud Pavilion with a burst of laughter.
* * *
Each jail cell had an entrance, but naturally, they were locked.
Purple energy which swayed like a mist was formed into thick, hard chains. Naturally, it couldnt be magic.
Even Lukas wasnt able to grasp the principle or effect of this energy.
Should I force it open?
Just as he had this ignorant thought
Let me do it!
Pale struck the chain with her blade-like fingertips.
With a crack, the purple energy dissipated, and the chain snapped like a cookie. It was an unbelievable display of power.
thanks.
It was nothing.
Lukas stepped into the prison and looked down at the man there.
Lee Jong-hak.
This man, who was called the Human Dragon, had been so thoroughly broken that there were almost no traces of his past self.
Untrimmed hair and beard, and skin so stained with dirt that it had become the colour of a honey cookie.
But the really serious thing was the condition of his body itself.
all of his tendons have been cut.
They had been cut intentionally.
It was only then that he understood why a Swordsman like Lee Jong-hak had no choice but to remain locked in this prison.
Are you alright?
Lee Jong-hak nodded.
His body was in the condition mentioned earlier, but his eyes were still alive.
Are you having trouble speaking?
When he heard those words, Lee Jong-haks expression changed slightly.
He seemed hesitant at first but slowly opened his mouth as if hed made up his mind.
!
Lukas expression hardened.
Something was missing from the opened mouth.
Lee Jong-hak didnt have a tongue.
Did they cut it out or pull it out?
Pale asked in a relaxed voice.
But Lukas couldnt be so relaxed.
Can you heal him?
It was a question for Pale.
With the smile still on her face, Pale replied firmly.
No.
I helped you a lot because I like you. When some people continue to receive favour, they think its their right. Youre not that kind of person, are you Uncle?
This was a hint of coldness in her last words.
This place is about give and take, right?
Michael had told him something similar. That was probably the basic iron rule of this world, regardless of where you went.
Pale suddenly began to imitate a weak and ill old man. She bent her back and began to cough.
For a long while actually,
Then, she violently pointed to Lukas.
So if you want more, you have to give me something equivalent!
At this point, shed long surpassed the stage of unpredictable.
For Lukas, Pale was unknown.
Her identity was unknown, her goal was unknown, and her personality was also unknown.
Everything about her was unknown.
Ill be your friend.
What was that?
Ill be your secret friend.
Lee Jong-haks eyes shook slightly at the strange word.
But Lukas pretended not to see it as he continued.
I will do the treasure hunt with you in the desert, so please help me. (TL: Didnt he already promise this?)
Hmmm.
When she heard those words, the corners of Pales mouth rose once again.
Ay, Ill be generous again!
Then she took out a piece of jerky.
This one was also different from the jerkies hed seen before.
It was small and grey, but it looked very hard. If he had seen it from a distance, he would have probably mistaken it for a stone.
It looks difficult to eat.
Youre welcome. This is a special product! He can eat it even if he doesnt have a tongue or his teeth arent strong.
Really? Thanks.
When he picked up the jerky, Lukas realised the truth in her words. Unlike its appearance, the jerky had a very soft texture. It felt like if he were to squeeze it hard, it would pop like a fruit.
Lee Jong-hak stared at the strange jerky with a bewildered expression on his face.
No. Instead of bewilderment, it was more like immense surprise.
Next, he turned to look at Pales face. Did they know each other? That didnt seem to be the case. After all, Lee Jong-hak had only shown that surprised expression after seeing the jerky.
Then the reason hed turned to look at Pale was probably because he wanted to see who could take out an item like that.
Lukas turned to look at Pale as well, but she had the same unflappable smile as always.
Im a little hungry too, so Ill also munch on something.
Then she rummaged through her pockets.
Lukas turned to Lee Jong-hak and handed the jerky to him.
Can you eat this?
Lee Jong-hak nodded before putting the jerky in his mouth.
Instead of chewing, it looked like it melted in his mouth and flowed down his throat.
I dont think youll recover right away.
I dont know what happened to you. But its nice to see you again.
When he heard those words, Lee Jong-haks gaze became strange. The reason for that was easy to guess.
The Lukas he knew was not the type to say something like that.
That was natural.
The Lukas Trowman that Lee Jong-hak remembered was the Absolute Lukas.
While it was true that he sometimes showed his human side, he was essentially an existence that was close to perfection, without wavering or weakness.
But it was different now.
Lukas had fallen from Absolute. All his external force was lost, and hed suffered a series of events that caused him significant mental pain.
Mm?
At that moment, Pale, who had been chewing on something in the corner, narrowed her eyes slightly.
We have guests.
As soon as she finished those words, two old men appeared in the hallway.
There was a red robed old man and a blue robed old man.
They had no presence, and their footsteps made no sound.
Lukas observed these new opponents. He looked at the swords hidden in their robes and the faint aura that emanated from their bodies. They would not be easy.
did that child So-han get defeated?
He was a talented child. They must have used a surprise attack.
What about Ha-wol? I thought the two of them were together.
Mm?
Pale, who had tilted her head to the side at those words, raised her hand.
Ah. I ate the other one!
The old mens expressions became cold.
Then they turned to look at Lukas.
Your vigour is good. You broke into our main mountain, killed our disciple, and released a sinner from prison.
A sinner?
Lukas asked.
Yes. That one behind you is a murderer who caused a terrible bloodbath on the main mountain. Ridiculous. Did you release him without knowing that?
Thats not what I need to know.
He knew how important it was to understand the situation before making a decision. But Lukas already knew something more important than that.
He knew that the members of Flower Mountain had deceived him. And he knew Lee Jong-haks personality.
If that was so, then what would he do now?
There was only one answer.
As if reading the intent in Lukas eyes, the old man in blue snorted imperiously.
Insolent! Did you grow arrogant after defeating two disciples of our Flower Mountain? Do you take us Elders of Flower Mountain as jokes?
Maybe he came to save Lee Jong-hak from the start. I think there is a lot of information that we will be able to obtain from him. Lets make him like that guy.
Make him like that.
Just as Lukas eyebrows began to twitch at those words, he felt someone grab the hem of his robes.
It was Lee Jong-hak. When Lukas looked down at him for a moment, their eyes met.
Dont fight.
The eyes hidden behind the dishevelled hair were warning him. He was worried. Lee Jong-hak also wouldnt have thought he was weak.
No, it probably meant that his opponents were that strong.
Lukas nodded. But he didnt heed the warning. Firmly but gently, he reached down to remove Lee Jong-haks hands, then he stepped forward.
Then he looked at the old men,
No, at the elders, and asked in a calm voice.
Which one was it?
What?
What are you talking about?
Instead of answering their questions, he continued to step forward.
He felt strange. His head was cold, but his chest felt like it was filled with raging flames.
Slowly exhaling a hot breath, he asked once more.
Between the two of you, which one pulled out Lee Jong-haks tongue?
Ha.
Is that important?
Not for me, but it is for you two. I dont have a talent for torture, so I wouldnt make you like him.
Lukas didnt stop walking. Slowly but surely, the distance between them narrowed.
This was not something that someone who called themself a Wizard should do.
Both of his opponents were Swordsmen. Kwak Do-san, who he had seen before, was powerful in his own right, but he would be no match for either of these two. For enemies like this, instead of closing the distance, it would be wiser to increase it.
There was only one reason why he didnt do so.
Lukas was now moving with emotion, not reason.
You will probably suffer a little more.
The elders expressions became distorted.
At the same time as the sound of swords being drawn resounded, flames erupted from both of Lukas hands.
(TL: Just shy of 3k words.)
Book 2: Chapter 383
Book 2: Chapter 383 Lukas wasnt the only one surprised by his impulsive approach.
Naturally, the two elders that were about to fight him were more surprised than he was.
It was the red robed old man that returned to his senses first. He squinted his eyes as he observed his opponent.
There were strange beings with a distinctly foreign aura, who wore clothes similar to those of monks, those who used all kinds of sorcery and other magical spells and wielded canes and staves with large gems embedded in them.
They were called Wizards.
He was certain.
The man in front of him was a Wizard.
Despite not holding a weapon, the flames that coated both of his hands were the best proof of that fact.
And that was what made the current situation even harder to understand.
Would a Wizard voluntarily reduce the distance like this?
Something so foolish
The elders laughed inwardly at Lukas judgement, but their outward reactions were different. Instead, they began to shuffle backward, widening the distance slightly.
That was not the reaction that Lukas expected.
In any case, thanks to their voluntary retreat, he had a bit more leeway. Lukas eyes turned to Pale.
She was still standing in the same spot, twirling her hair around her finger as she watched the situation with an interesting expression on her face. When their eyes met, she smiled like an idiot.
Clearly, she didnt have any intention of joining the fight.
That was too bad. Pales power was something even Lukas hadnt gained a full grasp of. It would have been great if she could help him with even one elder.
Nevertheless, it didnt really matter.
He looked around. He realised just how disadvantageous the terrain was.
It was an underground cave. A closed off, narrow space.
If he were to recklessly use magic, he himself would suffer from it. The key to the Wizards fighting style was to maintain distance, and in such a narrow, straight place, the difficulty of the fight would increase several times.
Not to mention he had to be considerate of the woman who was still unconscious and Lee Jong-hak who was in poor physical condition.
Nevertheless, those series of problems were not a major obstacle for Lukas.
Srrng-
When the distance between them narrowed a bit more, the sound of swords being drawn was heard.
The red robed and blue robed elders were ready to start the fight.
At first glance, it might seem like they were just retreating, but they had moved with strange shifting steps and before he knew it, they were standing on both sides of Lukas, their swords at the ready.
Suddenly, Lukas stopped walking.
One step.
If he had taken one more step, he would have entered the elders most comfortable rhythm and exposed an opening. It wouldnt be an exaggeration to say he almost stepped towards death with his own two feet.
This distance was perfect.
Fwoosh!
At the same time, the flames that flickered on Lukas hands shot towards the elders.
Taht, the figures of the two elders disappeared. Their swords, which they had been holding openly, seemed to become undetectable flashes as they pierced the flames. In an instant, the intangible element disappeared silently as if it evaporated.
Their advance did not stop because of Lukas first attack. Rather, it was only beginning.
The two elders clearly kicked off at the same time, but it was the elder on the left that reached him first.
In other words, it was the blue robed elder.
He hadnt arrived first because he was faster or closer. Instead, it was simply because the red robed elder deliberately slowed down in order to sync their attacks.
When the blue robed elder was only one step away
Fwoosh!
Lukas saw plum blossoms in full bloom.
It felt like the dark cave had become brighter. Then he felt a tingling sensation all over his body. It felt like he was pressuring him with his aura.
Hes at a level close to Master.
He was impressed by his opponents achievements, but the progression of the blue robed elders mastery was about to come to an end.
Fwoosh!
The plum blossoms fluttered and covered most of his vision. It was a beautiful sight, but now was not the time to admire it. Lukas could feel the dozens of blades fluttering around him.
It was a sword technique that mixed truths and falsehoods while bewitching the opponent.
In other words, it was a phantom sword.
Lukas eyes glinted coldly and his fingers shot into the air.
Motion magic. A spell was triggered by his simple gesture, and the ground stretched like rubber before soon shooting up like a sharp spear.
What?
The blue robed elder uttered a cry of shock. He wasnt surprised that spears of earth rose up from the ground. It was the same even for the fact that they were able to pierce through his sword technique.
No, the truly surprising thing was what happened next.
A total of fifteen spears, large and small, rose up from the ground.
It was the same number of blades hidden in the blue robed elders sword technique.
Did he immediately see through my phantom sword?
It was unbelievable. Sarch* The N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Of course, he also knew the weakness of his phantom sword.
It was a sword that was vulnerable to prolonged combat. The longer a battle went on, the more accurately his opponent would be able to discern the truths hidden in his sword.
The better the persons eyesight, the shorter that duration would be. However, he still had strengths that could make up for those shortcomings.
First Stage, Thirty Moves.
During the first thirty sword moves, the blue robed elders sword technique was able to demonstrate overwhelming power. He couldnt help it that his technique lost power over time, but in exchange, he specialised in ending battles quickly.
Among his techniques, the one he was most confident in was the one he used first, Dancing Plum Blossoms.
In fact, the probability that the blue robed elder could injure his opponent with Dancing Plum Blossoms was over 90%.
10 percent.
In other words, only once in ten battles would there be a time when he was unable to inflict a fatal wound. However, this was the first time his technique had been discovered and destroyed so easily.
Unlike the shocked elder, it wasnt that surprising for Lukas.
This wasnt because he was special.
It was because Lukas was an Absolute. (TL: Former)
From the very beginning, Absolutes were beings that were the furthest from delusions and deceit. This was because they had utmost confidence in themselves and strong wills. The eyesight they gained as a result could not be fooled by any tricks.
He was a Fallen Absolute. But just because he had lost his external power didnt mean he had lost his eyesight.
At the very least, Lukas eyesight hadnt fallen to the point where he could not distinguish the truths in his opponents sword technique.
Crack crack crack!
Like a monster moving underground, the floor rose sharply towards the blue robed elder. The blue robed elder stepped back, sweeping his sword at the ground which rushed towards him like thorns.
At the same time, the red robed elder attacked.
Swoosh!
A sword cut through the air, its blade coated with sword ki.
Lukas felt that an improvised barrier would not be able to stop this attack. Shuk, so he used Blink to widen the distance slightly. However, short distance teleportation was not enough to serve as a breather.
The red robed elder continued to swing his sword at the same speed as before. Lukas had appeared about ten steps away from him, but he could feel a cool sensation on one side of his chest.
His premonition soon became a reality.
Thick, powerful sword ki shot out of the red robed elders sword.
A long ranged attack.
In the blink of an eye, the red robed elder swung his sword five times. As a result, five thick sword slashes shot towards Lukas.
If he wanted to use Blink to avoid this attack, he would only be able to go backwards. But the blue robed elder was behind him. If he were to step back recklessly, the chances of him being hit by his sword would increase dramatically.
The best option would be to stay in place. But as mentioned before, it would be impossible with a barrier.
Absolute?
Lukas shook his head as the thought passed through his mind.
Certainly, if he used the power of 9 stars, the battle would be over in an instant, but the consumption would be too high. These two were not the full power of Flower Mountain*. In fact, they were probably just a small portion of it. (*: Sei reminded that Mount Hua is a thing. Would you guys prefer if I changed it to that instead of Flower Mountain.)
Therefore, he still had to preserve his power.
7 star spells or lower.
If possible, he should only use that level of spell to defeat these two elders.
Lava Blast.
Fwoom!
With a soft mutter, red lava erupted in front of Lukas. The five sword slashes, which had almost reached him, disappeared as if they had been burned in an instant.
That wasnt the end.
Like a rampaging beast opening its mouth, the Lava Blast tried to swallow the red robed elder.
The red robed elder held his sword in front of him with both hands with a stiff face.
Immediately after, the sword ki coating his sword soared.
Clang!
Then he slashed it down. A storm swept through the area. It was not just wind generated by his swing.
He had controlled the flow of air with the tip of his sword. Hooooh- A strange sound filled the cave. It was a phenomenon caused by the sudden shift in the air currents.
It wasnt just the air currents that the red robed elder controlled. The Lava Blast, a great spell that filled the hallway, was attracted to the tip of his sword before being directed away.
Soft.
Lukas realised the true meaning of the swordsmanship being used by the red robed elder.
One thing he noticed was that the two techniques of the two elders were fundamentally the same. Lukas guessed correctly.
Twenty Four Hand Plum Blossom Sword Technique(ʮ÷).
The martial arts techniques of the Flower Mountain all had the same underlying basis. In addition, the specific characteristics of the sword technique depended on the user.
When used by the blue robed elder, it became a phantom sword that confused his enemies.
And when used by the red robed elder, he unleashed a series of sword slashes. Or, it became a sword that softly cut through an enemys strong attacks.
Boom!
The ground shook.
The Lava Blast, which had been pulled in by the red robed elder, was directed into a hole the elder had created.
The direction had changed, but the power had not dissipated.
The violent explosion that occurred shortly after shook the underground cave. Krrr Pieces of stone fell from the ceiling like rain.
youre strong.
The red robed elder muttered.
Unlike his soft sword technique, the red robed elders eyes were practically blazing. A violence that didnt match his noble and elegant swordsmanship seemed to flicker within them.
The lava you just summoned shook the entire prison.
He continued to talk in a gentle voice.
So?
this prison is quite sturdy, but that impact clearly exceeded its durability. It wont be long before its foundation begins to collapse.
The foundation was collapsing.
It went without saying what the consequences of such a thing would be for this underground cave.
Lukas asked.
Do you intend to die together?
That wouldnt be a bad outcome. Because you are stronger than us.
The red robed elder acknowledged this fact after their few exchanges. Until now, their engagements hadnt been largely biassed to one side.
However, they could understand one thing.
That Lukas was hiding his power.
Perhaps the strength he had revealed was only around 30% at best. And yet, this monster was able to gain the upper hand against two elders.
In that case, then our mission also changes.
In the first place, the mission they had was to capture or eliminate the intruders.
If that was not possible then the next best option would be to do exactly what Lukas mentioned. However, even that seemed difficult to do.
In that case, there were only two options left.
To cause even the slightest bit of damage, or to make him use more energy.
To make it easier for the Senior Disciple to fight him later.
Krrr
The falling stone fragments and the shaking cave walls.
They were no different from the screams of the cave. Even at that moment, the sinking of the foundation continued to accelerate.
Lukas also felt the change in their mindset. The arrogance in their expressions had faded. Their will to fight had also changed.
Basically, they intended to take the defensive instead of the offensive, but if his response faltered for even a moment, they would not hesitate to rush in at the risk of their lives. Just to leave an injury of some kind on Lukas.
This was going to become a real hassle.
The corners of Lukas lips rose.
* * *
Lee Jong-hak watched the fight unfolding before him.
He knew how strong the elders of Flower Mountain were individually. When they attacked together, the difficulty rose to an unimaginable level.
Naturally blocking and counter attacking.
The martial arts ability that Lukas was displaying. It was definitely amazing. To the extent where he couldnt help but feel admiration.
However
He was weakened.
Even Lee Jong-hak could tell that much. He couldnt feel the same aura and pressure of an Absolute that hed felt every time he faced him in the past.
What was the reason? Did it have something to do with the strange feeling hed had during their short conversation.
My friend fights well, doesnt he?
Lee Jong-hak turned his head at the sudden voice.
A blue haired woman was standing there. She continued with a grin.
I like fighting as well.
An overwhelming fight is not worth watching or doing. Fighting is always rough and ugly, but above all else, the more equal it is, the funner it is. Dont you agree?
Lee Jong-hak didnt answer.
He didnt know why, but every time she talked, he felt an inexplicable sense of strangeness.
However, he didnt show his discomfort. After all, the other was his benefactor.
Hed seen the jerky Pale had taken out.
Regardless of whether it was a trade with Lukas or not, she had handed over such a valuable item.
You know. There is something I want to ask you, Oppa.
Answer me. I know you can talk now.
Pale chuckled.
It was true. Lee Jong-haks tongue had already regenerated. It was possible because of this world.
Lee Jong-hak opened his mouth and spoke in a slurred manner.
What is it?
I want to talk to the person behind you.
Behind?
Lee Jong-hak looked behind him. Naturally, there was nothing there. Just a dank cave wall.
I dont know what youre talking about.
Dont pretend to be innocent.
Pales smile deepened even more.
Im saying I want to talk to the Lightning God.
Lee Jong-haks expression hardened.
Book 2: Chapter 384
Book 2: Chapter 384 Lee Jong-hak still remembered that world.
Where the prelude to the Great Game took place.
That place, which hed arbitrarily thought of as a field, had turned out to be many times larger than Earth, the planet he was from.
And one of the most important regions in that world was the Sky Continent, a place where a race called the Dragonmen created a society and lived. The breadth of that region was so great that it wouldnt be strange to call it a world.
Lee Jong-hak had found himself on Combat Island, one of the seven islands that made up the Sky Continent.
Championship.
The largest martial arts competition that was held once every 10 years.
And the most honourable title, Grand Champion, that only its winner could obtain.
Many famous fighters from across the world had applied. Likewise, Lee Jong-hak also applied, but he did not do so for honour. Lee Jong-hak had a goal Of course, the important thing now was not his reason for participating.
What was important was the end he met.
Lee Jong-hak had died. Hed died after losing in the Championship.
The strength of his opponent, the involvement of a third party. Those could not even count as excuses.
Hed made a promise that he wouldnt die, and hed failed to keep it. His declaration that he would give up if the situation became too dangerous also ended up becoming a lie.
That was why Lee Jong-hak could not accept his death.
But so what?
What did it matter if he accepted his death or not?
Similarly, Lee Jong-hak had also killed many people. Even if most of them were the Demons he hated, the fact that he had personally ended countless lives would not change.
How many of them could calmly accept their deaths?
Death, and acceptance. It was difficult for those words to mix.
So his denial of reality made no difference.
Lee Jong-hak had lost and died.
Or at least, he should have.
* * *
I dont know what youre talking about.
Lee Jong-hak denied again. It was at this moment that Pales expression changed.
She was still smiling, it was just that it felt like her aura had changed.
Of course, Lee Jong-hak had never been one to judge others by their appearance.
Even if they were a small and thin woman like her, there could be an immeasurable monster hiding within.
It was at this moment, when he was looking directly into her eyes, that those thoughts became stronger.
Pales blue eyes were so dark that he couldnt look at them for too long. This had nothing to do with Lee Jong-haks current weakened state. He probably wouldnt have been able to look at her for a long time even if he was in perfect condition.
Pales gaze remained locked onto Lee Jong-haks face for a while longer. This didnt seem like it was because she wanted to force an answer. Instead, it was more like she was carefully observing and analysing him.
A short while later, a subtle glimmer flashed across Pales face.
How strange.
The voice that came out wasnt as cold as a moment before, as if it was a brief chill down the spine.
Pale seemed to be lost in her thoughts for a moment before letting out a breath as if she finally understood something.
Ahhh Right.
What are you talking about?
When Lee Jong-hak couldnt bear it any more and asked back, Pales gaze had already turned away from him.
Ay. Ive completely lost interest.
After she turned her head away, she didnt look at Lee Jong-hak again. Just like she said, it was as if all the previous interest shed shown had disappeared.
who the hell is this woman?
On the other hand, Lee Jong-haks thoughts grew louder and louder, but he couldnt continue his thoughts for long.
Krr
The screaming of the cave grew louder.
Lee Jong-haks gaze naturally shifted towards the battlefield. To Lukas, who was fighting against the two elders.
* * *
Fighting was the best way to refresh your mind.
That was one of Kasajins favourite sayings, but Lukas had never been able to understand it.
For Lukas, fighting was like slowly solving a very difficult problem over a long period of time. The fatigue that inevitably came afterward was nothing to scoff at. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Naturally, battles he considered fights were never easy. Firstly, the opponent needed to be at least equal to or stronger than him. Of course, there were times when he would have confrontations with weaker opponents, but Lukas never thought of those trivial conflicts as fights.
In a fight, magical formulas werent the only things that he needed to think about. He also had to consider the strengths and weaknesses of the enemy, predict the flow of battle, and keep in mind the surrounding topography, among other things. Then, after considering all of the necessary factors, he would have to carefully think and devise so many plans that steam could pour out of his ears.
In the past, right after his fights ended, he would always be left with a throbbing headache. And even when he didnt get it, he would feel extremely tired. It was a so-called natural aftereffect, the price he had to pay when he used his concentration past the allowed range.
Thats why it was weird.
Kasajin was a natural fighter. But even people like that did not fight without thinking. While at first glance it might seem like they were swinging their fists according to instinct, their actions were always backed by thorough calculations. In some cases, even if they might not realise it, they instinctively took advantage of their opponents strengths and weaknesses, and psychology, as well as the terrain and the skills their opponent had trouble dealing with.
In other words, even though the directions might be different, Kasajin thought just as much as Lukas did in a fight.
Nevertheless, Kasajin looked happy before a fight, happy during the fight, and refreshed after the fight.
Am I jealous of him?
Lukas asked himself, but he wasnt able to get an answer immediately.
Shuk.
The hem of his robe was cut.
If he had been a bit slower to dodge, it might have been his heart that was cut instead. Cold wind seemed to lick the nape of his neck.
This was not the time to shiver with chills. The attack had begun.
Waves of petals that seemed to be made from blades fluttered around him. Huk, as the breeze stirred, the petals suddenly changed appearance.
Fwoosh!
Dozens, Hundreds. Perhaps more.
An uncountable number of blade petals rushed forward like a flood.
In truth, there were no blade petals rushing in.
In truth, it was just a fleeting illusion created by a quick stab that could not be followed with the naked eye. However, this technique was fundamentally different from the phantom sword used by the blue robed elder.
It was not an illusory sword to deceive the opponent, but a sword technique that had been polished to the pinnacle of swordsmanship.
A quick sword, and heavy sword were put into one sword.
It was so skillful that he couldnt help but feel admiration.
How many years had he trained in order to display a sword strike like that?
But the elders sword technique did not end there.
Swoosh!
In an instant, he took a slightly twisting step. The tip of his sword seemed to shake slightly.
Before long, the tip began to vibrate like crazy.
Woowoong-
Following the strange swordsmanship, the afterimages began to take shape. The hundreds of blades surrounding Lukas were no longer illusions, but had instead become real threats.
The hem of his robe fluttered violently like the clothes of a scarecrow in a typhoon.
The blade petals, which seemed to shoot forth at the same time, quickly narrowed the distance with violent force. And before long, Lukas body would be torn apart by the blades.
Boom!
A huge explosion erupted from Lukas. Although it had been condensed and the range and power were much less than usual, the fact that Explosion was a 7 star spell could not be changed.
The wreath of blades collapsed futilely in the face of the explosion.
The red robed elder shuddered.
The fact that his attack didnt work was surprising. But there was something that confused him more than that.
He responded with an explosion?
It was a seemingly ignorant response that didnt take the current situation into account.
Nevertheless, Lukas attack didnt stop there.
Crackle, five rays of light shot out of his outstretched fingers. The red robed elder pulled his sword to his chest and used the Falling Plums Return technique to redirect the beams of light.
Crack crack!
His sword cried out.
It was only then that the red robed elder realised that Lukas five beams of light each had a different colour.
Cold and heat, crackling lightning, sharp wind, firm earth could be felt at the same. Such a complex attack could not be deflected perfectly with a single sword.
0
My judgement was wrong.
Dodging instead of blocking or deflecting would have been the right response. Because of that, the durability of his sword had been drastically reduced. His muscles were also strained quite heavily. Part of the attack, that he was unable to deflect, slipped through and scratched his body.
Paak!
!?
For a moment, his face went pale. But it wasnt because of the dizzying pain in his jaw.
Ignoring the pain in his jaw and teeth, the red robed elder forced his eyes open to glare in front of him.
He narrowed the distance?
He could see Lukas, who was within arms reach now, with his palm raised. He couldnt believe that a Wizard had voluntarily come within reach of a Swordsman.
The expression of the red robed elder, which had been bordering on despair for some time, was soon replaced with rage.
Insolent!
Along with his loud shout, the Plum Blossoms Nine Changes unfolded. His twirling sword seemed to change shape multiple times in a fleeting moment, creating a sword strike where the point of attack could not be easily predicted.
And yet, Lukas predicted it.
He was able to perfectly read the Plum Blossoms Nine Changes, the anomalous sword strikes, and the complex sword path that it created. It was a prediction based purely on his eyesight, experience and senses.
Shuk-
Nevertheless, that didnt mean he could avoid every attack. The mastery of the red robed elder was not for show.
Soon, dozens of scars covered his body. The wounds themselves were not very deep, each one only slightly cutting into his skin and muscles. But he couldnt prevent the bleeding.
Certainly
It was difficult to keep attacking from this distance. (TL:but why did he get close? To slap him?)
Lukas took a step back and released a bombardment of spells. This time, the red robed elder made sure to dodge them instead of blocking or deflecting.
Boom boom boom!
The untargeted spells pounded against the walls of the cave.
The collapse of the cave is accelerating.
The expression on the blue robed elders face changed.
This was because the cave wall, which was already having difficulty maintaining its shape, could not withstand the shock and started to crack. It would not be much longer before it completely collapsed.
The two elders realised this at the same time and quietly distanced themselves from Lukas. Then, with their swords hanging by their sides, they opened their mouths.
Youve basically dug your own grave.
Due to your explosions, the prison is about to collapse.
The blue robed elder pointed behind him.
And the only way out is behind us. Do you think its possible? To escape before this cave is completely destroyed?
Of course, we would never let that happen.
You walked in here on your own so you should know that the passage behind us is by no means short
The elders expressions were completely relaxed. They seemed indifferent to the fact that they would die soon. Instead, they seemed to be filled with pride at the fact that their plan had worked.
Krrr, as the cave around them rumbled loudly, Lukas nodded.
It would be difficult like this.
The like this he was referring to was his insistence to only use 7 stars spells.
The elders might not have realised his meaning, but it was strange for someone who was about to die to be so calm.
Youre quite relaxed. What is it? Do you think you could survive the collapse?
Well. I dont think I need to tell you that.
You said so much to me to buy time. Its quite the dirty trick.
At Lukas words, the red robed elders eyes sank.
You followed our conversation despite knowing that?
Theres nothing wrong with me taking my time.
What?
Sss-
Lukas began to draw upon his mana. In that state, he was close to defenceless.
The expressions of the elders grew even more bizarre, but he simply turned his back on them in an unhurried manner. As he walked over to Pale and Lee Jong-hak, he spoke.
That was a pretty interesting fight. Its a pity we didnt have more time.
What?
Im leaving.
At that moment, the blue robed elder had an amused expression.
He had figured out what Lukas was thinking.
ha. I was wondering what you were thinking.
Spatial Movement.
The red robed elder had also figured it out. A similar smirk spread across his lips.
Right. The Wizards are also adept at such tricks. However, it seems you are ignorant of this world.
The Flower Mountain is the Sect Leaders territory That means that regardless of how fast you run, how high you jump, or even if you use spatial movement, it would be impossible for you to leave.
The elders voice didnt seem to carry a bluff. That statement was probably the truth.
That was why it was weird.
Lukas didnt feel like he couldnt use Warp. He knew what it felt like when he was unable to use a spell or if his mana was being restricted.
If I cant use Warp
He would just think of a different method. It might be a rougher and dirtier escape, but it wasnt like they couldnt escape at all.
Nevertheless, Lukas still had his doubts.
Can I really not use it?
Hed have to try.
Lukas grabbed Pale and Lee Jong-haks hands before muttering.
Warp.
Shuk-
A moment later, the three figures completely disappeared from the underground prison.
Huh?
What!
The two elders couldnt help but mutter with blank expressions.
Boom
The sound of the ceiling collapsing echoed through the cave, but it didnt seem to reach the ears of the two elders. They were still looking around while having trouble accepting reality.
Thats impossible! How could he use spatial movement!
He must have just gone invisible! How dare he use such a cheap trick-
Crack-
The broken fragments of the cave fell upon them, swallowing the elders cries.
Book 2: Chapter 385
Book 2: Chapter 385 Six years old.
A young child who didnt even have a name.
Without parents or siblings, the child wandered the streets every day, hungry.
The figure of this child, who was searching for food to fill his aching stomach in the trash, was spotted by someone.
An elder of Flower Mountain, Jo Seong-chu.
Jo Seong-chu recognised at a glance that the child was a possessor of natural martial bones. That wasnt all. Despite his squalid appearance, the childs eyes sparkled with intelligence even as his hands desperately searched through the garbage.
In other words, the child was perfectly equipped with all of the necessary tools to practice martial arts.
Jo Seong-chu collected the child. And he had no doubt that the child would become a key figure in his secret plan.
At that time, the Murim was experiencing unprecedented chaos due to conflicts between factions, the overflowing power of the various sects, and the establishment of the Demonic Cult.
Jo Seong-chus plan was to create a secretive organisation to protect Flower Mountain from the turbulent Murim, so he sought out and collected talented children regardless of their origin, age, or character.
A secret organisation that would protect the peace of Flower Mountain from the shadows.
He had planned slowly and meticulously.
But as a result, Jo Seong-chus plan failed before it could ever bear fruit.
In the grandest and most miserable manner.
* * *
A cold wind.
Lukas found himself standing near the entrance of the underground cave. The ground beneath him shook, signifying that the collapse of the cave was still underway.
Then, with a loud crash, the shaking stopped.
No presence could be felt from the prison. This meant that the elders had been crushed.
Huu.
Lukas let out a breath.
While it was possible for him to use Warp, it seemed to have some conditions attached.
Firstly, the destination could only be a place that he had been to before.
For example, the peak of Flower Mountain stood high in the sky, piercing the clouds. Although it was a place that he could see, Lukas could not designate it as a destination. This wasnt a condition that was added because it was the Imaginary World. In the original world, in order to use Warp accurately, it was necessary to have an accurate grasp of the destinations coordinates, and the most accurate way to do so was to have personally visited the location.
Instead, it was the distance restrictions as well as the mana consumption that was much more fatal. According to his rough calculations, he had used up at least five times as much mana, but the distance they had travelled was less than half of his initial expectations.
I have roughly half of my mana left.
He had about 60% of his mana left.
While it was by no means a small amount, it wasnt enough to be considered plentiful.
Lukas felt that he was at a crossroads of choice.
If more than five elders like the ones hed just fought were to appear, then even Lukas wouldnt be able to win without using absolute.
In addition, the mysterious Sect Leader was likely to be even stronger than an elder.
Lets leave this place first, then come back when Im in perfect condition.
Just when he turned to Pale with that thought.
Another thought flashed across his mind.
Wait a minute.
What is it? Why do you have such a scary look on your face?
Are you alone?
Huh? No, theres that one there.
Pale pointed towards Lee Jong-hak, but Lukas tried to suppress his rising anger.
No. There was another person besides Lee Jong-hak.
?
The woman we found in the desert.
Ah.
Pales eyes went wide.
Then she smiled bashfully and clasped her hands together.
I forgot. Sorry.
You
His anger flared for a moment.
He hadnt known anything about the woman, but he was certain that she was from the same universe, he hadnt meant for her to die.
Lukas almost let his anger out, but he decided to suppress it instead. After all, he didnt think Pale would actually feel apologetic even if he were to show his anger, and now wasnt the time for that.
Is she still alive?
Generally, it would be better to consider her dead.
However there was a twisted law in this world where even fatal injuries could be healed just by eating.
Even if she was in a terrible state that was difficult to look at, it might be possible to save her even if she was on her last breath.
Of course, in order to do that, he would need more jerky from Pale.
It didnt look like shed be willing to give it, but if she had any conscience left, she might give it to him surprisingly easily.
However, that was just his wishful thinking.
In general, he didnt believe that defenceless humans could survive a cave collapse.
As he was contemplating what to do, Pale spoke.
Rather than that woman, wouldnt it be better to focus on the situation in front of us?
What?
Instead of answering, Pale pointed behind them.
The moment Lukas turned around, he felt his back go cold.
A middle aged man was standing there.
Since when?
He hadnt noticed.
If Pale hadnt said anything, Lukas would not have noticed his presence.
The middle aged man seemed to have an empty aura. His expression was calm and his hands were held behind his back. If it wasnt for the location and the situation, Lukas might have mistaken him for someone taking a stroll through the mountains.
But there was no way that was true.
A single sword hung from his waist, completing the image that they were being looked down on. Sear?h the N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Yang In-hyun.
Lee Jong-hak stuttered.
Lukas picked up the subtle terror in his voice.
Yang In-hyun?
The Sect Leader of this place.
This man.
Lukas looked at the middle aged man again.
The man, now identified as Yang In-hyun, tilted his head to the side and opened his mouth.
Is your body feeling better, Human Dragon? Its been a while since you last had a breath of fresh air.
I didnt expect you to show up so quickly.
I had some free time.
There was no tension in Yang In-hyuns voice.
He was peaceful as if he was just greeting them.
It seems Hae and Jung lost.
Although it was their first time hearing those names, they could roughly guess who those two were.
The two elders who had just fought a fierce battle with Lukas.
Eventually, Yang In-hyuns gaze turned to Pale.
To their surprise, he politely bowed his head towards her.
It is a pleasure to meet you again.
Both his attitude and tone were polite. This was not an act either, it was an honest gesture.
Pale blinked a few times.
She looked surprised, but more than that, she looked confused.
Huh? Who are you?
Ive seen you once before. In the War of Existence in the Western Region
I dont know what youre talking about. Are you sure youre not mistaken?
Those words cause Yang In-hyun to raise his head and stare at Pale for a while.
It was as if he was trying to peer into her brain.
indeed.
After a while, he muttered as if he understood something.
As Young Miss said, I must have been mistaken. Please forgive my rudeness.
Hehe. So you agree.
There is one more thing I would like to ask you.
Afterwards, Yang In-hyun looked at Lukas.
I am going to kill that man now. Will Young Miss stop me?
Even when he said those words, his tone did not change. Lukas gaze sank as he heard that calm tone.
Uh. Why are you asking me that?
If Young Miss intends to stop me, I will back down immediately.
0
Aha.
Pale chuckled.
Im not going to interfere. Im not so tactless as to interfere in someone elses fight.
I see. Under-
Shuk-
Lukas bowed his head.
-stood
He heard the end of the word afterwards. He felt a cool breeze sweep past the back of his head.
If someone were to ask him why he bowed his head, he wouldnt be able to give a definitive answer. In any case, it was clearly an instinctive reaction. Lukas had not been fully aware of Yang In-hyuns attack.
That wasnt all. Hed also missed his movement.
A completely different level.
The two elders hed just met.
They were also rare Swordsmen who had caught a glimpse of the peak of swordsmanship, but Yang In-hyun was a level far above them.
Swoosh!
Yang In-hyuns offensive didnt stop.
He no longer felt empty. On the contrary, a ferocious aura of intimidation radiated from him like a wild beast.
A deluge of swords. In an instant, the tip of his sword seemed to split into countless pieces.
This wasnt a part of Yang In-hyuns sword technique. It was a sight that only lasted for a few seconds.
Sword Road.
Lukas had to analyse the hundreds of thousands of swords that Yang In-hyun could choose.
Find it.
Which of these swords would be the most suitable for his opponent to choose.
He couldnt simply rely on his senses. Such an analysis wasnt couldnt be fully trusted without sufficient support.
He recalled the skirmish with the two elders. The Plum Blossom Sword Techniques they used seemed completely different, but they were fundamentally the same.
The form of their swordsmanship, or its personality.
There were some commonalities that could not be eliminated.
That was part of the reason why Lukas let his fight with the elders carry on for so long. To learn even a little about their swordsmanship.
Yang In-hyun.
This man was probably no exception. The sword technique he was using also seemed to be the Plum Blossom Sword Technique.
Three.
In the meantime, Lukas had reduced the hundreds of swords down to three. The time it had taken to reach this point was extremely short, but the most important part was what came next.
A one in three chance.
Some might consider this probability to be quite high, but for a Wizard, it was still too risky. He had no intention of gambling. Lukas raised his concentration even more, to the point where his face went pale.
It wasnt just the eyes, hands, or waist.
He also carefully observed the factors that appeared in flashes when his clothes moved like his soaring tendons and stretching muscles, to factors that were difficult to see at all, like the tips of his toes.
And he saw it.
Left side cut.
It was hard to avoid. Lukas body wasnt fully trained in dodging attacks at such a close range.
As expected, the only way to respond was with magic. (TL: Why was there any other option?)
Crackle.
Ice spread across his skin. Of course, it wouldnt be possible to fully block the sword attack with the ice. But he would be satisfied if it was able to buy him even a single second.
kuk.
For a moment, his thoughts froze as he coughed out a breath. He felt like his intestines had twisted.
Pain?
My stomach
Yang In-hyuns fist was buried there.
What was going on?
Paak!
His head was quickly jerked to one side. The forming ice shattered. That meant that his concentration had been broken, which was an extraordinary phenomenon for Lukas. He had never stopped a spell after casting it. He always held on to the end regardless of what happened. That was the case even if his limbs were torn off or his tongue was pulled out.
However, this time was different.
It wasnt the pain that was the problem.
Instead, he was more shocked by Yang In-hyuns unexpected move.
An opponent with the habit of analysing can be pretty tricky, but once you get used to it, there is nothing more trivial.
He heard a whisper beside his ears.
Lukas fired off a number of Hyper Bolts, but it was futile. Yang In-hyun avoided everyone with ghost-like movements.
Twet,
He spat a mouthful of bloody saliva.
Pieces of his teeth followed his spit to the ground.
Eventually, his gaze settled coldly onto Yang In-hyun.
You know about Wizards No.
He denied his own words.
That wasnt right.
The two elders hed fought not so long ago had known about Wizards. But he was not like them.
The knowledge of Wizards that the elders had was shallow at best. It could even be called crude. The knowledge they had was nothing more than a superficial touch, a scratch on the surface, and even then, it was not information that they could put into practice.
On the other hand, what about Yang In-hyun?
Lukas was well versed in battles of wits.
And yet, hed lost. It was an unfamiliar experience for Lukas, and it could only mean one thing.
You have experience fighting Wizards. Perhaps even with a Wizard with skills similar to mine.
At those words, Yang In-hyun drew his sword.
The tingling pressure that had enveloped the area also seemed to vanish in an instant.
Silence fell on the area, then, after a while, a small smile appeared on Yang In-hyuns face.
How arrogant. Great Wizard. (TL: From the context, I think this should be Great Mage instead, but since the author used Great Wizard Ill leave it.)
you know me?
I do. Ive heard a lot about you, from a certain being.
Lukas listened quietly.
This is because he didnt think Yang In-hyun would need his urging to keep talking.
Youre probably thinking about a few people. But your guesses are all wrong. Because you dont know the answer. It is not someone you know.
Youre saying its someone who knows me one-sidedly?
Youre trying to dig for more information. Theres no reason for me to tell you that much. However Indeed. I can understand what that person said now that Im seeing you for myself.
What did they say?
?The magic that is spread across the Three Thousand Worlds has many different branches. However, the roots are the same. In other words, the higher the level they pursue, the closer they get to the true form of magic.?
His tone changed.
Those were not Yang In-hyuns words.
He was just repeating what hed heard while imitating the voice of the other person.
?The Great Mage, Lukas Trowman, is probably one of the closest to the origin of magical science. A man who realises the truth. A being born with talent, fate, and luck, all exquisitely intertwined And a being watched by God, the four Rulers, the King, and the four Knights.?
Lukas couldnt fully understand that statement.
God and the four Rulers he knew them.
But who were the King and Knights?
Do you believe that you are the Wizard who has reached the highest point? Do you think there is no one with greater understanding of the truth than you? No. Not at all. The words frog in a well might not be fully accurate, but you are still not good enough to call yourself the Lord of that field. If you hadnt come to this world, you wouldnt have even known about that delusion.
When he stopped talking, Lukas bit his lip.
Who is it that you were talking about?
Even after I said so much, you still couldnt figure it out Its a Wizard.
Yang In-hyun slowly raised his sword and pointed it at Lukas.
His aura was beginning to rise again.
Plum Blossom Sword Technique? No. It was something completely different.
Dark red light flicked across Lukas entire body.
Absolute.
He had decided that it was not the time to conserve power.
Just before the two collided once again, Yang In-hyuns voice drifted into Lukas ears.
A Wizard who is far stronger than you.
Book 2: Chapter 386
Book 2: Chapter 386 No human was strong from the start. Growth was a destiny that all humans shared from birth.
It was the same for Lukas.
Even he had a period of weakness, a period when he needed to be protected, in other words, a period of growth.
In the future, 4,000 years after he was born.
Lukas searched for literature of the past.
The Age of Light, The Prosperity of magicology.
And the Great Heroes.
Among the Great Heroes, the records about Lukas were very detailed. Although there were obvious differences in the interpretations by historians and Wizards, no one could deny that he was the idol of all Wizards living in the present era and a pioneer with absolute influence in magicology.
Naturally, there were many books that analysed Lukas activities very carefully.
But in all of those books, there were no records of Lukas Trowmans childhood.
Lukas actions in his youth were recorded in detail, that is to say, after he entered the world of magicology, and revealed his existence to the world.
If so, then what about before that?
Naturally, Lukas couldnt be a human who suddenly fell from the sky one day.
He must have parents. He must have siblings.
For him, his childhood memories were always blurred whenever he tried to remember them.
Lukas was also reluctant to talk about the past. The same was true about his family.
He deliberately suppressed those thoughts, and even his closest friends knew nothing of Lukas childhood.
What was the reason?
Was it because Lukas was a pathetic, shabby human before he came into contact with magic? Was it because he didnt want to bring up his immature days?
Those sounded reasonable, but it always felt like there was something more. Lukas himself wasnt able to give a clear answer to that question.
Nevertheless, one thing was clear.
Lukas had also had a time when he was weak.
There were countless Wizards more powerful than him.
In the beginning, he walked along the path they paved. He read their books, listened to their teachings.
He enjoyed the learning process, and he never got tired of it. It was like he was addicted.
Since when?
He stopped feeling excited about learning new spells. His heart didnt pound heavily when he found a book hed never read. He stopped having expectations before listening to the lecture of a renowned Magicologist.
-There has to be a formula more efficient than this one.
-The information in this book is incorrect.
-This Wizards lecture is strange.
At first, he thought hed become arrogant. This was considered a process that all Wizards with outstanding talent had to experience.
There was only one person that he considered a teacher deep down inside, but they always emphasised humility. Sear?h the N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
But this wasnt arrogance.
It was something else. He was different from others.
Lukas realised that he was special.
From that moment on, he solved everything on his own. He no longer craved for anyone elses advice or instruction.
He showed off his own talent.
He informed others about more efficient formulas, shouted that the contents of the books were wrong, and preached on the spot if he found anything wrong with the lectures.
Most of the time, he was met by people who couldnt accept his words.
At that time, Lukas social standing was low, and Wizards were usually quite proud.
So Lukas fought them.
Sometimes with his tongue, sometimes with his knowledge, sometimes with his fists.
And most of the time, with magic.
Lukas defeated most of the Wizards who were stronger than him.
At those times, Lukas heart would pound heavily in his chest. He didnt enjoy fighting, but it felt good to convince others that he wasnt wrong.
Sometimes, there were problems that werent so easily confirmed, but when that happened, his heart beat even harder.
Right. Even before encountering the Demigods.
Lukas had always enjoyed standing in the shoes of the underdog.
Since when?
At some point, no one could listen to Lukas comments without arguing.
He found himself in a position not to learn, but to teach.
Whenever he encountered a question, he couldnt expect anyones advice.
That was when he suddenly realised.
There was no one in front of Lukas on the road he was walking.
He was alone.
If a question arose, he had to find the answer for himself.
It was a road without a single footprint.
A rough, barren, unfinished road.
Looking at the road he would have to walk on from now on, Lukas didnt feel fear.
However
He sometimes missed his youth.
At that time, there were still a lot of beings to compete with.
* * *
A Wizard stronger than me.
When he heard Yang In-hyuns words, Lukas wasnt sure how to describe the feeling that arose within him.
But it was clear that his heart beat suddenly accelerated.
Confusion, shock, disbelief, faint expectation.
The wave of complex emotions soon began to influence his body as well.
The magic that is spread across the Three Thousand Worlds has many different branches.
He recalled what Yang In-hyun had said.
To be precise, the words of someone else that Yang In-hyun had recited.
I know that.
Lukas had visited many universes in his time as an Absolute, and hed also been exposed to the magic of other universes.
Although they all had minute differences, the spells and context that Lukas was accustomed to were the same. They had the same method of interpreting natural mana, tuning it, and applying the laws.
At first, he couldnt understand the reason. Universes could not interact with each other. Naturally, this meant that it was impossible for them to share information. And yet, their interpretation of mana was so similar.
But after a while, he realised that it wasnt that strange.
It was the same in history as well. There were many cases of different ethnic groups developing similar weapons at the same time without ever meeting each other. While there were still minute differences between them, it was clear that they were essentially the same weapon.
Thats why it wasnt that surprising that intelligent beings who discovered the existence of mana, learned to use similar concepts.
The roots are the same.
The higher they reached in their pursuit, the closer their magic got to the root.
The original form. Maybe it referred to Endtongue, maybe it didnt.
Endtongue was what Lukas believed to be the end of magicology.
Utilising the infinite power and possibilities that were contained in mana to adjust the material laws. An absolute power which wouldnt feel strange even if it was called reality manipulation.
Yang In-hyun had said.
The being he knew was a Wizard who was stronger than Lukas.
0
Far stronger? Even if he was speaking carelessly, that was not an expression that could be used lightly. Especially to a being like Lukas Trowman when it came to the field of magicology.
However, Lukas was certain that Yang In-hyun was not lying.
Babump-
Knowing that Lukas heart pounded even harder.
* * *
Clang!
Yang In-hyuns sword collided with Lukas magic.
Absolute.
The power of 9 stars, which could tear even space itself apart, was being blocked by a single sword. He couldnt even find the slightest hint of strain on Yang In-hyuns face. He maintained his calm expression and light steps even while withstanding the full force of absolute.
Following a series of low cracking sounds, Absolute Line broke into pieces.
Lukas couldnt help but feel a bit speechless as he witnessed this scene with his own eyes.
A state where he only needed his swordsmanship to affect space. Yang In-hyun stood far higher than Snow, the best Swordsman Lukas knew. (TL: Lucid is officially chopped liver.)
The information he had about Yang In-hyun needed to be revised significantly.
This opponent was a monster who had already transcended mortality and could be considered an Absolute even if he only met the lower requirement.
Their gazes met.
Flap, the hem of Yang In-hyuns clothes fluttered slightly. But this was because of his tangible aura, not the breeze.
Once again, he felt the strange aura hed felt before hed shot an Absolute Line towards him.
This was the first time Lukas had ever experienced something like this. In other words, everything was unclear. The principles behind the attack, the form, the manner, he knew none of them.
Nevertheless, there was one thing that Lukas could be abundantly clear about.
Yang In-hyun should never be allowed to easily draw his sword.
Crackle-
His entire body sparkled with dark red light. He could feel the mana in his mana room rushing out.
It couldnt be helped.
Spells at 8 stars and below would have no effect on Yang In-hyun.
Absolute was the minimum that could be used as a deterrent to stop this monsters advance for a moment.
However, Absolute Line could not even withstand one of Yang In-hyuns sword strikes.
If that was the case, then
Absolute Field.
At the same time as he thought that, the entire area around them became Lukas territory. Dark red light quickly engulfed the surrounding area.
Hmm.
Even though the colours of the world around him changed and his movements were restricted to an extent, Yang In-hyun didnt seem to be very surprised.
He still looked at Lukas calmly while holding his sword.
This is a bit annoying.
He tilted his head slightly like he was loosening his joint.
Crack. Crack. A soft sound could be heard for a while and that was it.
Yang In-hyuns stretch was over.
Piht, with a faint sound that was almost inaudible, Yang In-hyuns figure disappeared.
Fast.
Much faster and stealthier than when hed missed his movements in their first encounter. This meant that even Absolute Field, which had cost a lot of mana, was no deterrent for him.
It was a desperate situation, but to some extent, it was expected.
Shuk.
His forearm was cut. A bit of flesh fell and blood splattered.
But Lukas ignored the pain and stretched out his right arm.
Suddenly, his outstretched hand grasped Yang In-hyuns collar.
Yang In-hyun opened his mouth slowly. It seemed that he wanted to say something, but Lukas didnt give him the chance.
Bang!
An explosion erupted from his palm.
It wasnt an ordinary explosion. With the power of Absolute Field, he condensed space to the limit before letting it explode. The compressed space spread out in an instant, forcible pushing away anything that came into contact with it.
No matter how tough a material was, it could not completely block a force capable of destroying space itself. The only variable in this situation was Yang In-hyuns sword technique, but the distance was much closer than a Swordsman was comfortable with. In other words, it wasnt suitable to use a sword technique.
Absolute Burst was a technique with many restrictions and high risk, but it had great destructive power to make up for it.
When it was used at such a super close range, even Yang In-hyun wouldnt be able to easily handle it.
Blood dripped from Lukas wrist. Smoke blocked his view for a moment.
Yang In-hyun
You even sacrificed your own hand. Such an unbecoming and ignorant way to fight
A soft voice was heard from within the smoke.
Bang!
With a loud sound, the smoke was cleared in an instant. A strong wind swept across the area as if hed swung his sword to clear it.
When the smoke dissipated, Yang In-hyun could be seen standing about ten steps away from Lukas. Lukas expression hardened.
wounds.
He didnt have any. The only thing different was the slight tear on his collar. The result of offering his right hand was just a piece of cloth.
Lukas bit his lip.
He couldnt help but feel deep regret.
Using this absolute space to read my movements was a pretty good move, but it probably wasnt the best method. Your next actions were even more disgusting. Im talking about that attack that was close to self destruction, sacrificing your own arm.
Fighting without thinking is not a bad thing. But I cannot feel a desperation for victory or desire for survival at all. You dont feel desperate in the slightest. Its bad enough to fight someone like that, but thats not all.
Rage seeped into Yang In-hyuns voice.
What pisses me off the most is that youre trying to take advantage of me.
Crunch-
Yang In-hyun grit his teeth.
You bastard, youre trying to use me to die.
Book 2: Chapter 387
Book 2: Chapter 387 Shuk-
A blade cut into his skin and muscle. It didnt reach his bones or internal organs. The reason it had missed his internal organs wasnt because Lukas dodge had been excellent.
Although he had twisted his body to avoid the blade, from Yang In-hyuns perspective, it would have been like the struggles of a bug that had lost its leg.
The time when his struggles had any effect had long passed. In terms of time, it would have been about ten minutes ago. His mana room, which didnt have much capacity left in the first place, quickly emptied out, and there was no way for Lukas to respond to Yang In-hyuns attacks without mana.
Zero Technique? That was impossible.
There was no mana in the atmosphere of the Imaginary World. It was the same for the desert, and it was the same for territories like Flower Mountain and the Underground City.
This place, which looked rich in natural energy on the outside, was actually no different from an empty wagon. Even a land of death, which had been soaked in blood and left neglected for hundreds of years, would have more mana than this place.
The only way to replenish mana in the Imaginary World was by consuming food.
The powerlessness of a Wizard without mana.
Currently, Lukas, who was in an empty state, had absolutely no way to respond to the attacks he was receiving.
Nevertheless, there was one simple reason why Yang In-hyuns sword had not taken his life yet.
Yang In-hyun had no intention of killing Lukas just yet.
Shuk, the pain was a bit clearer this time. His right ear had been cut off. He could feel his blood flowing. Even though his vital points had been left relatively untouched, his blood loss was already serious.
His consciousness was faint, and the only thing he could feel was pain, but Lukas didnt even make a sound.
Is torture your goal?
Compared to the ruined state of his body, his voice was relatively clear.
The reason for his question was simple. If his goal was torture, then he would never achieve it.
Yang In-hyun stopped swinging his sword.
Then he stared at Lukas. The moment their eyes met, Lukas realised that his goal had nothing to do with torture.
No one truly wants to die.
Yang In-hyun opened his mouth.
There are many people who can ignore their lives and rush in, but that usually only occurs when they have the determination to protect something even at the cost of their lives, or if they want to escape a fate worse than death. Pessimists who say they want to die. Cynics who treat life like nothing. What do you think their attitudes are when they realise that they are on the verge of death? Do you think they feel happy to finally die?
It wasnt a question he expected an answer for.
Yang In-hyun shook his head calmly and denied the question himself.
No. Not at all. There has never been a case like that. When they realise whats about to happen, their faces are always covered in fear. Regret and despair engulfs them in waves. It is a vivid, ugly sight.
Do I look like that too?
This time, Lukas voice cracked slightly. It felt like his head was being split open. Even just opening his mouth felt like it took all of his energy.
Nevertheless, Lukas asked again.
Does it look like Im filled with regret at the brink of death?
No.
Yang In-hyun denied it simply.
You sincerely wish to die.
Then he spoke in a softer voice.
Thats why its even harder for me to understand. Why are you still alive if you wish to die?
No one really wants to die. Do you know why?
0
if there was such a person, they would be dead already.
Yang In-hyuns eyes widened slightly.
After a while, he smiled slightly and lifted his sword.
Kuk, the tip of his sword touched Lukas Adams apple.
Soon, drops of blood appeared on the tip of the sword like fruits.
With just a bit more force, his sword would easily pierce through Lukas throat.
There was no way he didnt know that fact. Nevertheless, Lukas eyes didnt even shake in the slightest.
Look at yourself. And realise just how contradictory you are. If you want to die that badly, then why dont you take your own life? Is it that you cannot accept suicide? So youre looking for someone strong. If you were to die at the hands of someone stronger than you, then it cant be helped.
Yang In-hyuns voice was like a cool blade.
In a sense, it was even sharper and fiercer than his sword technique.
Most of what hed said was true.
Yang In-hyun had accurately read Lukas inner thoughts, which even he himself had been unsure of.
Nevertheless, Lukas smiled vaguely.
Do I still look like Im alive?
Do you think this place is the afterlife?
No. I know that it is similar, but its something different. Im not talking about that concept I mean that my very existence has disappeared from my home universe.
I know that. It is the fate of Absolutes.
Right. Nevertheless, it was not perfect, there are still people who remember me there.
Lukas voice was soft. For some reason, Yang In-hyun didnt interrupt his speech. He just stared at him with a hollow gaze.
I was happy. I thought that it could perhaps be a clue. Maybe, maybe if I used that as a key, other people will remember me as well. I had that kind of hope.
His soft smile slowly turned cynical.
But it wasnt. In the end, fate still forced me to die.
When he learned the truth of the world from the Great Medium, Lukas had collapsed. It had happened many times before, but this time was different.
He couldnt get back onto his feet.
For the first time, he found himself unable to overcome his despair.
When I realised there was no way out of this place. That all that I could do was accept. I became a corpse. Yang In-hyun, did you know? A beating heart doesnt mean youre alive. If I dont have the means to prove my existence, I am a corpse. Right now, Im nothing more than a wandering ghost.
not looking for someone to kill you, but for a place to die.
Yang In-hyun knew the difference.
And you are not the only one who has the discerning eye to see the essence. sea??h th Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
What do you mean?
A bright light flickered in Lukas eyes.
I can see your twisting as well. Unlike me, who collapsed due to exhaustion, you became disillusioned with everything. You too, must have experienced numerous ups and downs.
At those words, Yang In-hyun froze for the first time.
And he looked at Lukas with a strange gaze.
disillusioned.
His mumbled words seemed to be filled with sorrow. That was probably the word that best described the being known as Yang In-hyun.
Yang In-hyun looked at Lukas again. He had a strange feeling.
This was the first time Lukas and Yang In-hyun were meeting each other, but they got to know each others inner thoughts deeply. Perhaps even more than all of the beings that knew them.
It was such a strange event that would probably never be replicated.
Im curious. Lukas Trowman, a man who even possessed the status of Lord in the past. Why do you accept death so easily? You called yourself a corpse, but that isnt true. You can still move, still think. In other words, you can still struggle. Are you really completely exhausted? To the point where you dont have the strength to throw off a fly that landed on your eye?
I knew that I would be crushed by my task one day.
Task?
After I became an Absolute, I killed many people. I killed so many that even the word genocide is not enough. Simply for my personal goals. That task gradually gnawed on my mind, destroyed my ego. It is a madness that even Absolutes cannot withstand. Thats why most of them
Leave it to the Rulers.
Yang In-hyun interrupted.
Lukas nodded.
I didnt do that. I thought it was my own responsibility, and above all, I didnt want to forget the fact that I was human. Because only I could be responsible for my own actions.
you are obsessed with humans.
Yang In-hyuns expression became strange.
Humans are not a beautiful race.
I know that.
No, you dont know. Im not talking about duality or two-facedness. Humans are inherently ugly. They are the most disgusting, evil race.
There was certainty in his quiet voice.
Humans were an inherently evil race. That was the answer Yang In-hyun had derived after a long period of pondering.
If that was the case, what was Lukas answer?
youre probably right.
But they have the most colourful emotions in the Three Thousand Worlds. Even when they do something wrong, they may someday realise it and regret it. Then, they would learn to repent.
He heard Yang In-hyun suck in a breath.
He silently looked at Lukas for a while before opening his mouth.
is that the answer of the being who wanted to become the God of Humans?
Lukas didnt answer. They simply looked at each other.
After a while, Yang In-hyun took a few steps back. Then, after sheathing his sword, he cupped his hands politely.
I didnt know anything about you and yet I spoke carelessly. I apologise.
He wasnt speaking vainly or being sarcastic.
Yang In-hyuns expression was serious, and his hand gestures were sincere.
My thoughts are different, but I will respect yours as well. I also salute the thorny path youve taken.
His tone also changed a bit.
Was it because he acknowledged Lukas? He wasnt sure.
He didnt have the time to dwell on it.
Yang In-hyun drew his sword again and took a stance. Seeing this, Lukas smiled.
Death.
He had felt its shadow numerous times in his long life, but this time, it felt like it was devouring his entire body.
Everlasting Plum Sword, First Move, Martial Annihilation.
Suddenly, a colourless flower bud appeared.
The bud was hazy like smoke, and it seemed like it would collapse with a touch, as though it was made from ashes.
But the moment the bud bloomed.
Ah
There was an explosion of light, creating a variety of colours like sunlight reflected off of a piece of glass. The scent of flowers that pierced his nose was enchanting. Lukas found himself standing in the middle of the most beautiful flower garden hed ever seen in his life.
This is the end of the path of the sword.
Lucid, Riki, Snow.
It was a state that all the Swordsmen he knew were aiming for.
With this move, I erased the world of Murim.
Swoosh!
With that voice, the scene disappeared as if it evaporated. The same was true for the scent of flowers. Everything he saw seemed fleeting like a midsummer nights dream.
Through that, he felt a sharp pain in his chest.
Jurk.
Blood dripped from Lukas lips.
Yang In-hyun, who looked down at him with a solemn gaze, asked.
Do you have any last words?
my party, there are two of them.
I know.
Please spare them.
At those words, a bright smile appeared on Yang In-hyuns face.
One of them is an opponent I cannot face, but the other, I can accept that.
thanks.
Splatter!
Lukas chest cracked open and a fountain of blood gushed out. A few drops managed to splash onto Yang In-hyuns face, but he did not wipe them away. Instead, he continued to look at Lukas with his solemn gaze before silently turning away and leaving.
There was a boundary between day and night in this place.
Even though it was fake, the sun that lit the world went down and the entire area was shrouded in darkness.
It was around midnight when someone appeared in this place.
It was a woman with dark blue hair.
She poked Lukas with her foot.
Uncle.
Hey! Are you dead?
Wow. I cant believe it. I cant believe it.
Pale squatted down and looked at Lukas in disappointment.
That fight was really one-sided, ya know. It was really boring.
or was it my expectations that were too high? It might have been too much for you to deal with one of the Twelve Imaginary Lords from the start.
Huu.
Pale sighed awkwardly and straightened up again.
In any case, you did well, Uncle. Sleep well. Bye.
After the brief farewell, Pale turned around.
At first glance, no traces of regret were visible on her face.
Book 2: Chapter 388
Book 2: Chapter 388 The first scene was of a flickering candle providing light to a dark room.
Beyond that, the sight of two people sitting across from each other at a table.
The atmosphere was gloomy. The reason was probably not just because the table was empty.
The man sitting on the left, Ivan, crossed his arms and tapped his fingers. He didnt appear to be thinking about anything. Instead, he was simply observing the woman sitting in front of him.
Eventually, Ivan opened his mouth.
I refuse.
The voice that came from his lips was firm. It carried his honesty and insistence that he wouldnt allow any disagreement.
Iris, who had been silent for a while, finally asked a question.
you refuse?
Right.
Why?
A week ago, Cairo came to me.
the traitor?
Diablo has declared that he no longer has hostile intentions towards us.
Are you telling me that you believe that?
Iris spoke in an exasperated and angry voice when she heard those words which were beyond ridiculous.
I dont believe it. However, Im certain of one thing. Diablo currently has no intention of fighting us. His attention has been drawn elsewhere.
I know that. Thats why this is the best opportunity. Now that he is concentrating on something else.
An opportunity? Dont be ridiculous. Even if we fight him in the current situation, our chances of winning are less than half.
So should we just leave him alone? How many will he kill if we do that?
No, we will monitor him closely. If we find any signs that hes playing dirty tricks, we will respond to them immediately. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Iris pursed her lips slightly and spoke in a low voice.
thats wrong. What we need now is prevention, not response. If we respond, well have no choice but to act only after damage has been done.
I know that. But it cant be helped.
What cant be helped? Is that something you should say? You, who lost your Master to Diablo?
Ttuk.
Ivan froze.
If it was the Ivan of the past, he probably would have swung his fist at that moment. Or he might have kicked the table away instead.
In any case, he would have done something. He would have expressed his anger in some form.
Not this time.
Iris Peacefinder.
He quietly murmured her name.
It wasnt that he wasnt expressing his anger, it was that he wasnt angry.
Ivan simply glared at Iris with a contemptuous gaze.
Do you really think that Diablo is the biggest headache we have to deal with right now? Did you know? About the anomalies that have been discovered all across the continent?
The sharp aura that was surrounding Iris faded. She remained silent.
After the great earthquake. No, you called it the [Spatial Vibration]. After that mysterious phenomenon, catastrophes occurred simultaneously. Everyone in the Circle is currently in charge of dealing with them. Of course, I, too, have officially rescued and provided aid to hundreds of thousands of people. If I had accepted your offer and fought Diablo instead, what do you think would have happened?
In all likelihood, all of the people I saved would be dead.
the Circle is not a relief organisation. It seems you have forgotten the ideal behind the founding of your own organisation.
I didnt forget that it is to keep beings that humans cannot deal with in check. However, I have determined that there are currently more pressing matters.
You have determined?
Right. Because that is my responsibility as Head.
Iris lowered her head as the tip of her chin shook slightly.
Then she got up from her seat in a rough motion. She realised there was nothing more to gain from continuing the conversation.
Just before she left without even looking back.
Ivan spoke again.
Perhaps I thought, this might be an opportunity for us to bring our opinions together.
I had expectations that we would unite and join hands like we had in the past But I guess it was all my delusion.
Yes.
Iris responded coldly.
It was a delusion.
* * *
The second scene began with a man entering a room. His face couldnt be clearly seen because of his tangled mess of hair, and he had a staggering, unsteady gait as if he was drunk.
As soon as he entered the room, the man sucked in a deep breath.
huuu.
A moment later, he swept his hair back, finally revealing a haggard face. He had a sparse beard, and there were thick dark rings around his eyes that spoke of his fatigue.
The man looked at the piles of papers scattered across the desk in the room with a tired expression. Then, with another sigh, he reached for the nearest document.
His eyes moved quietly as he read the letters that stretched across the page.
[Hitume Ikar]
[Official Damage Count: Approximately 17,000 dead or missing, around 40,000 injured, 26.7% of the land submerged.]
[The extent of the damage is expected to increase, with the island being expected to be fully submerged within six months.]
[The number, goal, base, and combat power of the Undersea Race is still unknown.]
The document took the form of a report.
The more he read the report, the more the light in his dark eyes seemed to die.
And by the end,
Bang!
The man pounded his fist on the table. The wooden table creaked loudly, and various documents were sent flying in all directions.
dammit.
There was a hint of resentment in the harsh voice that leaked out.
The man touched his forehead. His expression was distorted as if he was experiencing a sudden headache, and his forehead was covered in sweat. He floundered like an unhinged person for a while before his eyes caught the sight of something on the table.
It was a bottle. Probably a bottle of wine, with an open lid. It seemed to have been left unattended for quite a while, but it was not empty. Reddish liquid was still visible inside of it.
The man picked up the bottle, the tips of his fingers trembling slightly.
Then, he carefully poured its contents into his mouth as if he were drinking the delicate wine of the heavens.
Gulp, gulp.
The careful sip soon became gluttonous chugging. He no longer seemed to care if the liquid leaked past his lips.
In an instant, the man emptied that half full wine bottle.
Then, he collapsed onto a nearby sofa. The mans face became calmer. It was still haggard, but from a certain angle, he looked a bit better.
The reason was simple.
Alcohol.
Because he drank alcohol.
kukuku.
A soft laugh escaped the mans lips. It seemed both pessimistic and self-ridiculing at the same time.
At that moment, he knew who the man was.
The man, was Peran Jun.
Peran got up from his seat and shambled out of the room again.
0
When he returned after a while.
He held a bottle of wine in both hands.
* * *
The third scene.
It was a dark place. Perhaps the inside of a building.
But presences could be felt. There was also the occasional rustle of clothes or brief chatter.
Paht.
The area was suddenly lit up by a faint stream of light. It was easy to see that it was artificial light created through magic engineering.
Under the dim lights, hundreds of seats and a gigantic stage could be seen.
It felt like a familiar scene.
There was a feeling of unease.
You all are lucky.
A pleasant, low voice.
The man standing in the middle of the large stage was a middle aged man with a neat appearance.
He had a calm face and pleasant voice even when faced with hundreds of audience members.
His tone, proper usage of his aura, and subtle movements. Finally, his straight moustache which, depending on your view, may or may not be a bit ridiculous.
Even those who sat in the seats furthest from the stage noticed that moustache.
This was a man who had a talent for gaining the attention of hundreds. In other words, he was the owner of a natural stage presence.
The number of events held at [Cortus] is 72. I was given the honour of hosting 50 of them.
After saying that, he bowed his head as a roar of applause sounded.
Thank you.
After expressing his thanks, the man continued.
I assure you. Of the 50 events I have hosted personally, and the 12 that I havent been in charge of, today will certainly be the best event ever.
He remembered. Where he had seen a similar sight before. It was the Demon auction house on earth. It was a surprisingly similar scene to that time.
Of course, there was also a difference. The ones in control of the auction house were humans, not Demons, and unlike the auction house at that time, where only humans were treated like products, various races were led to the stage.
Humans were among them.
As soon as the sight of humans placing value on other humans unfolded before him, a voice suddenly appeared in his mind.
Humans are not a beautiful race.
No, you dont know. Im not talking about duality or two-facedness. Humans are inherently ugly. They are the most disgusting, evil race.
The event proceeded slowly.
Those sitting quietly in the audience revealed their ugly desires. When the heat of the event had risen to a sufficient level, the host spoke again.
This is the highlight of todays event. Im sure there are many enthusiasts who came here after hearing about this product.
A great commotion swept through the crowd.
Some bigshots who had been silent before revealed their presence. They all looked at the stage with greedy eyes.
Haha, understood. I will not drag it on any further.
Rattle.
The Divine Beast, the Phoenix. In particular, this is a notorious individual who, decades ago, single handedly wiped out an army of 1,000 men.
As he spoke, a woman was brought to the stage.
The characteristic hair, which was clearly visible from a distance or in the dark, was long enough to touch the floor.
It was a woman with the appearance of a human, but she was not a human.
I bring to you! The Nightmare of Ispania! The Monster Queen!
Cheers erupted from the audience. It wasnt just because the woman was dazzlingly beautiful.
The Monster Queen.
No, Nix, was standing in the middle of the stage with her entire body covered in shackles.
Her eyes, which were stained with hatred and resentment, burned like flames.
* * *
Perhaps this was the last scene.
It was an instinctive feeling.
Boom
Thunderclouds rolled overhead. Heavy rains poured as though there was a hole in the sky. In the middle of the night, countless corpses lay in a place that should have been a meadow.
In the middle, was a skeleton, but not a corpse.
Diablo.
The Elder Lich, who had reached the peak of necromancy, stood still in the pouring rain.
[That was a reckless fight.]
Diablos gaze was directed to a hole in the ground.
There lay the body of someone.
It was a girl with silver hair. No, to be precise, it was a battle golem in the shape of a girl. She was in a miserable state. Half of her head had been crushed, and her limbs were nowhere in sight. Sometimes, her body shivered, but that wasnt a biological reaction.
[I have a lot of work to do, but I ended up consuming my power uselessly.]
As soon as his soft murmur ended, the sound of footsteps in the mud could be heard.
A Knight walked slowly in the heavy rain. The Knight, who was clothed in black armour, carried his sword over his shoulder, from which someones body hung like a piece of luggage.
[Snow?]
At Diablos question, the Death Knight, Lucid, shook his head.
[I see. Nevertheless, it was a sufficient achievement.]
Lucid lowered the person who had been skewered on his sword to the ground.
Splash.
Another corpse was added to the mud.
This corpse was different from the others. Hed wanted to see it with his own eyes, that was why hed had Lucid bring it to him.
Because he felt like he needed to personally confirm this womans death.
[Hmm.]
After a while, he nodded in satisfaction.
Because he realised that Iris Peacefinder was most certainly dead.
Book 2: Chapter 389
Book 2: Chapter 389 Dark clouds hung above the continent. The scent of blood seemed to be everywhere, and there was no place without smoke. Despair and hunger mixed together to create intense madness.
Great chaos and calamity had stolen the reason from humans. They surrendered themselves to their ugly instincts. Those who were swept away by the disaster went mad and eventually became someone elses disaster. This was repeated over and over.
It was a terrible sight. He felt a tearing pain in his chest.
Hed seen this scene many times before, but this time, it was especially hard for him to endure.
The reason.
Was it because he was now seeing it as a human, not an Absolute?
Or was it because this disaster was occurring in his own home world of all places?
He didnt know. It was something he hadnt thought too deeply about.
He wanted to look away, but he couldnt.
As if he were being punished, the entire scene was imprinted onto his eyes.
Why?
Lukas muttered softly.
[This is only a small part.]
He received an answer.
But he wasnt sure where the answer came from or who said it.
[The continent will experience this era of blood for 100 more years. Civilisation will be set back by centuries and the total population will fall to less than 20%. The ground, marinated in flesh and blood, will stink of rot for decades.]
Why are you showing me this?
[It seems you want to pretend you didnt see it.]
!
Lukas flinched.
His true intentions, which he wanted to hide the most and was doing his best to hide, were revealed. That is to say, his true intentions that even Yang In-hyun hadnt been able to see.
[You ignored your growing anxiety and just acted like you were worried about the world. You thought your role was over. That they would be fine without you. So you comforted yourself and allowed yourself to die comfortably. No. You brainwashed yourself in order to die like that.]
His view changed drastically.
He saw the ground, black and dead, and the countless corpses strewn across it.
And the humans who were still capable of moving were all running away with looks of terror on their faces. Chasing them were creatures with bizarre appearances.
Lukas expression hardened. Those were beings that shouldnt exist in his home universe.
Kariv?
They were lifeforms from a different universe. A species from a primitive planet with a first class danger rating. They were monstrous creatures with earthworm-like bodies, a huge mouth, and two arms. They were very aggressive and gluttonous, such that one would not come across even a single insect in their territories.
The kariv galloped at a tremendous speed and devoured the fleeing humans. The main way they ate was to crush their food with their two arms, then they would throw it into their mouths and chew it all at once.
Why are kariv here
[This is one of the tragedies that occured when all of the timelines in all of the universes were unified. This is only the beginning.]
It wasnt just the kariv.
Monsters like the Dobrams, Bickersticks*, Hungry Ghosts and Vine Sharks all appeared simultaneously. Humans struggled desperately, but they could not overcome the innate differences. (*:Biggersticks)
However, the bigger problem they faced was that there was no talent to bring them together and lead them.
Most of the heroes who protected the continent had died in the battle against Diablo.
For a while after that, the continent would be covered in death. Hed heard that only 20% of the population would survive.
It was unrealistic to view it as a percentage, in reality, that meant that hundreds of millions of people had died.
He had an intense feeling of nausea. He wanted to empty his stomach.
He wanted to stop looking at this, but he couldnt.
ah.
Then he saw a light.
A group of people could be seen walking on the blackened, dead land.
The man standing at the centre was Peran.
He still had a haggard face and dark circles around his eyes. He also seemed older. Proof of this could be found in the faint wrinkles on his face.
There were a lot of people around him, all of them gazing at Peran with hopeful eyes.
Crackle!
A dark red glow sparked around Peran.
Absolute.
Peran had finally learned how to use the greatest power in magicology.
The dark red light shot forward with a violent momentum like an outburst of anger, attacking the uninvited guests from other universes. The monsters who slaughtered the humans were strong, but they could not withstand absolute.
As a result, hope began to bloom on peoples faces.
The central point.
The thing that the humans who faced the disaster needed the most.
Peran was born with the aptitude to be such a being. He had the right skills and heart. Hope began to glimmer faintly on Lukas face as well.
Right. He was counting on him.
He might become an even greater Wizard than he had. He might even become another Great Mage.
Crack-
He didnt understand what happened.
It was a Giant. Probably 10 metres tall.
It had a body that seemed to be made of metal, and the face of a monster. That was all.
The power of absolute did not work on this Giant that Lukas was seeing for the first time.
It trampled on Peran, blood splattering in every direction.
The man Lukas had trusted. The man he thought of as a friend, had become a pile of bloody meat.
The giant peeled what Peran had become, which was stuck to the sole of its foot, and threw it into his mouth before chewing.
Crunch, crunch. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
The humans reacted in two different ways at the sight of this horrific meal.
Some of them rushed forward in anger. But they were the minority. When the Giant waved its hand lazily, as if swatting annoying insects, their entire bodies burst like balloons. Even he could not understand the principle behind this.
The rest fled. They didnt get to run very far. Before they knew it, they were surrounded by other Giants.
The slaughter began.
His sight, which had been stained red with blood, became black once more.
His surroundings were quiet. And the scenes hed just seen felt like a dream.
Even so, Lukas could not speak for a while.
that are you trying to say it is my task?
His cracked voice shook heavily.
Im asking if this is all because of me, because it is my task.
[]
What the hell do you want from me?
His targetless rage echoed.
Should I have struggled some more? Could I not just die peacefully? Should I not have given up even if everyone forgot me and fate forced me to die? Cut the crap!
When he wanted to rest even a little, he couldnt rest. When he didnt want to live, he couldnt die, when he didnt want to die, he couldnt live.
At some point, Lukas life had become an endless series of denials.
He learned that there were some things that couldnt be achieved no matter how much he craved it or how hard he tried, even to the point of vomiting blood. He realised that there were some things he couldnt reach.
So for the first time, he compromised. He made the same choice as those hed been unable to understand in the past. He felt a bit more relieved. At least at first.
It was only difficult to make the first step.
Since then, Lukas compromised, compromised, and compromised some more.
And yet, he wasnt able to accomplish even a single thing.
Even the countless yearnings that hed compromised remained far beyond reach. No, in fact, it felt like they were getting farther and farther away.
There was no longer a man who believed that fate could be overturned and that enough individual power could change it.
Lukas Trowman became fragile enough to crumble at a touch.
I.
Dont want to see this.
Avoidance. Right, he was avoiding.
It was ironic how Lukas was avoiding his responsibilities and running away.
Because, he knew.
That it would probably be like this.
After he died, things wouldnt magically work out, and things would get worse instead.
However, the scenes of the catastrophes that unfolded before him were far worse than his expectations.
[Is it painful?]
it is painful. So much that I want to die.
[Do you want to die?]
Right. I want to die.
[I can do that for you.]
Lukas looked up.
Without him realising it, a whitish figure had appeared in front of him.
[I can completely erase your existence. That will give you the eternal rest you desire. I still have that much power left. I promise you, you wont go to another world, to the underworld, or to the Imaginary World. Your ego will be completely erased in a complete sense, and no one will be able to bring you back.]
[However, Lukas Trowman. I would like you to delay your choice for a while. There is still one scene that I would like to show you.]
A scene you really want to show me?
Once again, his view changed.
The continent felt a bit brighter. It wasnt an illusion, that was really the case. The sun shone slightly in the cloudy sky, and rough weeds could be seen growing on the dead land.
[Time has passed.]
A calm voice.
As expected, time seemed to have passed in the scene he was looking at now.
Tap, tap. A group of people appeared. They were all humans with shabby, hungry faces.
[The blood flow stopped, the wounds healed, and the deeply ingrained fear and despair have gradually faded.]
But they were different from before.
Their facial expressions.
There was no longer fear, terror, or despair on the faces of the humans. Intense rage. A will for war that had been suppressed until it was ready to explode.
[And those who have adapted to that fear will not back down. In other words, they have regained their courage.]
Ahhh-!
With a scream, the humans ran forward. They fought fiercely with various weapons, tools and techniques.
A warrior threw himself into the mouth of a kariv. This wasnt suicide. Instead, the warrior avoided its teeth and drove his axe into the roof of its mouth.
Kyaak!
The kariv let out a terrible shriek. This was only natural since it had been attacked so precisely.
It wasnt just the kariv.
The Dobrams horns were cut off.
Bickersticks were engulfed in flame.
The Hungry Ghosts ran away from tree bark and salt.
The Vine Sharks were exterminated during their spawning season.
Lukas looked at the scene with a blank expression.
[They learned where to attack. Based on countless sacrifices.]
The black haired man fighting the monsters at the front.
It felt like a lot of people were following him.
A person that Lukas had never seen before.
Perhaps he was the central point and the hero of this era.
[The will was inherited, and a hero was bound to appear at some point.]
[Even if everyone you know is dead, sunny days will come again.]
[Even the tragedies that happened and the disasters that caused countless sacrifices will eventually become nothing but lines in history. Its even less from a cosmic scale. Even if a war engulfed the entire continent and left deep scars in nature, when the lifespan of the entire planet is taken into account, it could be considered a short term disease.]
Lukas understood what God was trying to say.
[A crossroads of choice.]
choice.
[If its the you of now, you can judge it from two perspectives. The despair you saw earlier, the death of all of your companions, the collapse of the system, and the invasion of monsters. From the perspective of an individual, its like your world collapsed.]
[However, hundreds of years later, hope arose on the continent once again. They lost a lot, but they were eventually able to get back to their feet. They found a way to overcome their pain and live. Although it was painful, they fought for a brighter future. Now, do you still think despair is all you saw?]
Lukas was silent.
He didnt say anything in a very long time. God waited patiently without rushing him.
After a while.
the things you showed me havent happened yet.
Lukas voice was low.
The death of his friends, the advent of chaos, the blood covered continent. None of that had happened.
[Thats right. What I showed you were scenes from the future. If this had already happened, I wouldnt be able to give you a choice.]
[The first scene you saw. It was the most despair a human could feel. And the scene you saw just before was the faint hope that you saw from the perspective of an Absolute.]
What are my options?
[Your heart must be much lighter than it was before. Because you were able to see the sprouts of hope from hundreds of years in the future. Even if youre not around, even if there is no one you believe in left, humans will not fall easily. They will get back onto their feet somehow, they will survive.]
[You asked what your options were? The first is simple. Like I said in the beginning, you will close your eyes and disappear. Now that the burden on your heart has lightened, you should be able to go more comfortably In other words, to die as an Absolute.]
Those words were right.
Without a doubt, the scenes that God had shown him were significant.
Now, Lukas was somewhat convinced by the deaths of his companions. He understood that their deaths were not meaningless and instead served as foundations for future generations.
Death as an Absolute.
He couldnt deny it.
It would take time, but he knew that humans would rise again in the distant future, so he could turn a blind eye to the upcoming disaster.
That wasnt the thinking of a mortal.
His hesitation grew.
God had said it was a crossroads of choice. This meant he had one more option.
But he was afraid of that fact.
He felt like he didnt want to hear the second option. He felt like it would be more comfortable to just close his eyes and accept death like this.
And the other option?
But Lukas mouth opened as if it had a will of its own.
[To continue to struggle as a human.]
[To live desperately to protect the world you belong to. It will be bitter and miserable. So the choice is yours only.]
[Choose]
Gods voice could no longer be heard after that word.
Lukas was left alone in the dark space.
Kukuku
Suddenly, a laugh bubbled up from his throat.
Kukuku. Kuku Kuha, kuhahaha!
The soft chuckle soon gave rise to maniacal cackling. At some point his laughter began to make the space shake before it stopped.
In the silence, Lukas lips spread into a wide smile.
Book 2: Chapter 390
Book 2: Chapter 390 From a grand perspective, disasters could be called purges, and Absolutes were sometimes tasked with completely destroying a universes civilization. It was like squeezing out rotten blood.
If their science was highly developed or if the average strength of each individual exceeded a certain level, it would greatly reduce the lifespan of the universe. This was not a theory based purely on speculation. In fact, countless universes had been destroyed by intellectual beings who had gotten a glimpse into the realm of God. In other words, it was an argument that had already been proven.
And it was a fact that anyone who became an Absolute was aware of.
The disaster on the continent that hed just witnessed.
As a result of it, the universes civilization declined and its population was greatly reduced. In other words, the development of the civilization suffered a major setback.
In the short term, it might seem unfortunate, but the lifespan of the planet and the universe would be much longer.
In the end, it was always the development of intellectuals that led to the destruction of universes.
Therefore, God offered Lukas two paths.
One was to accept death while maintaining the contemplative attitude of an Absolute. This meant that Lukas would be able to receive the eternal rest he longed for.
However, that eternal rest would mean the inevitable death of all of the beings Lukas knew and a complete abandonment of all the responsibilities he had as a human.
If he considered himself a human, it was a path that he should never choose.
That was the reason for the laughter that suddenly burst out of him. Lukas couldnt stand his own existence so much that he thought it was funny.
He didnt want to forget he was human.
That oath, which had once been closer to a belief, had gradually transformed into a clingy, dark obsession. He was no different from a monster who considered himself a human.
That was why Lukas had no choice but to choose the other path. He had no choice but to struggle.
The implications of that choice would be great.
It would be different from before. He would have to refuse even if he was given the chance to die.
Therefore, in the future, he could no longer lament his plight or curse his fate. He could not display such an unsightly scene.
Because it was a path that he himself chose.
It was going to be grim, gruesome, and arduous, but he would not be able to regret it because it would be the result of his own choice.
Struggling desperately?
Right. Fine. Since he wanted it so badly, he would show him. Just how wild a wriggling worm could be. It didnt matter if it was an extremely limited struggle. The destiny and beauty of mortality were as fleeting as a burning candle.
Lukas looked ahead with clear, focused eyes.
And, as if his gaze was a signal, a whitish figure appeared in the space again.
[You will walk down a path that you have never walked before.]
One of Gods characteristics was to end a conversation with words that seemed to be grasping clouds.
Without asking what he meant, Lukas just waited for his next words.
[Lukas Trowman, do not regret the external force of Absolutes. You became a Lord at an unprecedented rate, but you should have realised it at that time. That its impossible to go beyond that limit.]
As God said, when he reached the Lord stage, he had vaguely sensed that he had reached his limit.
[Even if countless aeons pass, it would have been impossible for you to close the gap with the Rulers. That would be your last stop.]
I heard that if I won the Great Game, I would become a Ruler. Was that a lie?
[Its not a lie. But what is the meaning of just having a new title on your business card? What you need is not the title, but the power and authority to stand beside them.]
right. Thats why I was frustrated.
Unreasonable existences.
That was the only appropriate expression to describe Rulers.
They were born that way. Their births in themselves were nothing short of miracles.
In the end, when he looked up at them, he felt the same kind of intensity as the Demigods hed encountered in the past.
[moreover, by becoming a Ruler that way, you would achieve nothing.]
God murmured in a strange voice before continuing.
[You will find clues in the Imaginary World.]
Clues?
[Become one of the Twelve Imaginary Lords. Afterward, if you go to the throne, you will know how to act.]
Lukas felt like God was smiling.
[Lukas Trowman. I didnt]
What?
For a moment, Gods voice became muffled and he wasnt able to hear what he said. He wasnt sure if it was intentional or not, but God didnt repeat the words hed spoken.
[Everything must be difficult for you right now. So I will give it to you. The power to struggle most desperately.]
Just as Lukas was about to say something, his figure disappeared without a sound.
[This is my atonement, Lukas Trowman.]
The words hed spoken to him before.
Suddenly, the whitish figure began to flicker as though it would disappear at any moment.
[I knew which path you would choose. Nevertheless, I deceived you by presenting it as though I was giving you a choice. I apologise for that.]
There was no answer, but Gods murmurs didnt stop.
[It will be painful. And there will be many times when you want to give up. However, that is what makes it meaningful. Lukas, everything youve experienced until now will become the central element that makes you who you are.]
God muttered bitterly.
[Please overcome it. As always]
Swoosh.
With a sound similar to air leaking out of a balloon, the figures form collapsed and disappeared.
* * *
Throb-
A throbbing headache made him realise that hed returned to his body. Lukas could feel the sensation of touch from every part of his body.
Instinctively, he began to check for his wounds. Just before his death, he was cut up by Yang In-hyun. Sar?h the N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
But it was strange. There were no wounds. And he couldnt feel any blood.
Before finding the cause of his discomfort, Lukas decided to sit up first. The rough texture of the sand on his palms was a little familiar. Was he taken out of Flower Mountain? When his blurred vision cleared, he realised that was the case.
He was laying in the middle of a grey desert.
Wow! Youre finally awake!
Similarly, a slightly familiar voice came from beside him.
When he turned his head, he was greeted by the familiar face of a blue haired woman. With her head tilted to the side, she looked down at him while standing in a strange pose.
Did you take care of me?
Yep!
Thank you. Im in your debt again.
?
Pale, who tilted her head to the side at his words, scratched her head and smiled.
Hehe! Youre welcome.
Lukas looked at her with curious eyes.
He was almost certain that his body had died. Yang In-hyuns sword had left no loopholes, and his killing intent towards Lukas was clear. Lukas, who had desired death, accepted his sword attack.
What he was saying was that Pale should have witnessed the certain death of Lukas Trowman.
In other words, from her perspective, his body should have been brought back from death, but she didnt display any surprise, confusion, or fear.
Then he noticed something strange.
What about Lee Jong-hak?
Huh? Who?
Lee Jong-hak. The man who was locked in the prison. The one I rescued
Umm~?
Pale folded her arms with an unsure expression on her face. Seeing that made his heart drop slightly.
Did Yang In-hyun break his promise?
No. He shouldnt have broken his promise. While he would not care about the survival of Lee Jong-hak, he would still do his best. Because he said it.
Is he dead?
I dont know. I dont know what or who Jong Lee-hak is, but you were the only person here.
Something.
Was wrong.
He wasnt sure what it was, but he felt like something was wrong with his and Pales conversation.
Pale, what are you talking about
Suddenly, Pales eyes went wide. She looked at Lukas in surprise, but there was also a glint of sharpness in her eyes.
It was at that moment.
Ah!
Pale raised her guard and pointed behind Lukas.
Uncle! Be careful!
A huge shadow covered them. Of course, there was no such thing as clouds in this place.
When he lifted his head, he saw a monsters jaws wide open above him.
!
Lukas used Lava Blast almost instinctively. Boom, the Lava Blast devoured the body of the monster in an instant.
The monsters body melted like wax. It writhed madly in terrible pain but soon stopped moving.
Wow!
Surprised, Pale clapped her hands excitedly, but he didnt have time to pay attention to that right now.
There were two things that surprised Lukas.
First of all, his mana room, which hed emptied in his fight against Yang In-hyun, was now filled. Did Pale feed him jerky while he was unconscious? He wasnt sure. In any case, there were many possible reasons for this, so he set it aside for now.
The thing that bothered him the most was the monster, or, to be precise, the appearance of the monster.
Lukas looked at the melted body of the monster that was still twitching slightly.
As expected, he hadnt been wrong about it.
This monster was familiar.
The appearance was similar to that of an alligator, the body which stretched tens of metres long, and the huge jaws filled with rows of jagged teeth.
He was certain that it was the monster hed encountered when he first came to this world.
Is it the same species?
Of course, that was possible, but
Lukas felt a sense of confusion that couldnt be answered by just that.
Then, Pale, who had been looking on admiringly from afar, ran over and began to chatter excitedly.
Awesome! How did you do that?
I used magic. My mana room is full now. Did you feed me jerky?
Huh? No. I dont give food to others.
Then, she asked before Lukas could speak again.
By the way! How did you know my name?
Your name?
Yes!
What are you talking about?
What do you mean? You just said my name! But I never told you!
Pale.
Yep.
What happened after I died?
After you died?
I lost the battle against Yang In-hyun and died. After that
Lukas began to explain the situation. But the more he spoke, the more strange Pales expression became, and toward the end, she looked at him as though he was a crazy person.
Uh. I didnt think Id have to say this, but is your head okay?
Pale reached out to touch his forehead with a troubled expression.
When Lukas avoided her hand, she pulled it back with a pout.
He looked at Pale with a complicated expression on his face, before opening his mouth.
You and I, is this our first meeting?
Pale nodded her head.
Obviously!
Mmm. This is serious. I thought Id found a candidate to be my friend, but it turned out to be a man with a serious head injury.
Pale muttered to herself as she walked over to the body of the monster Lukas had killed. Then she poked it with her finger while asking, can I eat this?, but Lukas didnt answer.
As he stood stiffly, Lukas replayed Gods words in his head
-Everything must be difficult for you right now. So I will give it to you. The power to struggle most desperately.
The most desperate power to repeat. (TL: the fact that the author changed struggle to repeat here, was a bit confusing for me.)
The monster he saw when he first arrived, his fully recovered mana room, and Pale who said they hadnt met before.
0
After putting all of these pieces together, only one conclusion could be reached.
I returned.
Lukas Trowman had returned to the past.
The point when hed first entered the Imaginary World.
Book 2: Chapter 391
Book 2: Chapter 391 Crunch, crunch.
An eerie sound woke him from his thoughts.
Lukas turned around. Behind him, Pale had begun to eat the half cooked corpse of the large monster. It was more like predation than eating, and although the outside was burnt, the inside was still uncooked, which caused blood to drip from the flesh as it was ripped apart.
The taste, smell and texture must have been the worst, but Pale still ate enthusiastically as though she had found the most delicious food in the world.
Then, she suddenly got up and wiped her lips as if she felt Lukas gaze.
I ate well! Thank you.
He didnt remember answering when she asked for permission, but in the end, he still nodded awkwardly.
Pale grinned. The soot and blood stains that covered her face made her smile rather creepy. Then, she buried her face in the half eaten corpse of the monster once again.
Crunch, crunch. He realised the source of the eerie sound. It was the monsters scales. Pale was chewing on the scales, the hardness of which were unimaginable, as if they were flesh.
Twet. After spitting out a particularly hard scale, Pale opened her mouth again.
My name is Pale. Ah, but you already knew my name.
Hmm? She narrowed her eyes slightly.
But how did you know my name?
There were no signs of suspicion in her voice or in her expression. But there was no telling what she was thinking on the inside.
How should he explain it?
Lukas hesitated as he was unsure of what to do, but Pale shook her head.
Well. It doesnt matter.
It doesnt matter?
Did it not matter that someone you met for the first time knew your name?
Such a conclusion was completely incomprehensible to Lukas principle of thinking, but there was no need for him to pick up on that.
Thank you for taking care of me.
He decided to change the subject by thanking her.
It was clear that Pale had protected him while he was unconscious. The Imaginary World was a very dangerous place. Without her, he might have become a monsters meal before he could even come to his senses.
Hehe. Well.
Pale scratched her head while smiling bashfully.
Lukas couldnt help but observe her for a moment.
Who is she?
A strange presence, a mysterious personality, and a surprising understanding of this world.
His question didnt arise because of that knowledge.
It was because Pale was, clearly, hiding something.
In fact, even before hed died, hed had that feeling since the first time hed met Pale, but after meeting Yang In-hyun, he became certain.
-Ive seen you once before. In the War of Existence in the Western Region
The War of Existence.
Yang In-hyun had spoken as though hed met Pale there. Of course, Lukas didnt know what the War of Existence was, and he didnt know where the Western Region was. However, he didnt think Yang In-hyun had been mistaken.
But Pale denied him immediately. Presumably, this was because she didnt want to reveal the fact that she knew Yang In-hyun.
-As Young Miss said, I must have been mistaken. Please forgive my rudeness.
-There is one more thing I would like to ask. I am going to kill that man now. Will Young Miss stop me?
-If Young Miss intends to stop me, I will back down immediately
Yang In-hyun maintained an extremely cautious attitude towards Pale. Sar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
To be precise, he seemed to be afraid of going against her.
That was why Lukas had no choice but to be more wary and even slightly afraid of Pale.
He knew how strong Yang In-hyun was. Since hed personally fought him, he knew it well.
The sword path that hed seen stretched to the very edge of what a being could reach. Each swing of his sword contained the essence of Yang In-hyuns very being, and they represented the peak.
Even if Lukas had not only the power of 9-stars but also Endtongue and the external force of an Absolute, he could not guarantee victory in that fight. No, in all honesty, he felt like he would lose even with that.
0
And yet, Pale was someone that Yang In-hyun feared.
What is it? Is there something on my face?
At Pales words, Lukas turned his eyes away.
Blood, flesh, and soot.
Ah.
Pale wiped her face with her sleeve. Then, she turned to look at him as if to say how about now?.
Her foolish appearance didnt look dangerous at all, but that just made him warier.
Looking at the face that was not completely clean, Lukas nodded.
But wont you eat, uncle?
Pale suggested that he eat food. Theyd had a similar conversation last time.
At that time, hed denied his hunger, but the next day, his body began to disappear from his toes.
The phenomenon of disappearing.
Hed eaten the rat pale gave him and was able to escape the phenomenon.
He didnt want to be more indebted to her. In addition, the only way to replenish his mana was to take in nutrients in some form.
With a sigh, Lukas approached his prey. Then, after cutting off a bit of flesh, roughly pulling the scales off of it, and cooking it as evenly as possible with a palm sized flame, he ate it.
To be precise, he bit a small piece of it and tasted it. It was somewhat edible. The first meal hed had last time was a dirty rat. So, while it was a bit dry, the taste was much better. It was a small comfort.
* * *
He looked up at the sky. The colours mixed as if several paints were poured onto the same place. Last time, hed taken the time to organise his thoughts while in the middle of the desert.
Lukas looked over at Pale. She was laying on the flat sand, staring up at the sky.
It didnt seem like she wasnt thinking about leaving him like earlier.
Various questions arose in his mind.
What exactly did she plan to do with him? What would happen if he tried to force her away? What was she thinking?
Suddenly, Pale turned to look over at him. Perhaps he had been staring at her too openly.
Deciding to take the lead before she opened her mouth, Lukas spoke.
Do you know the Twelve Imaginary Lords?
I do.
He received a plain answer.
What are they like?
They are amazing!
Although hed expected a similar answer, her response didnt help him at all.
God told Lukas to become one of the Twelve Imaginary Lords and go to the throne. But Lukas didnt even know who the Twelve Imaginary Lords were.
Just from the name, he assumed that they were the twelve beings who ruled over the Imaginary World
Lukas wanted to ask a few more details, but he soon changed his mind. Instead, someone who would communicate more than her appeared in his mind.
He claimed to be an intellectual, and after having a conversation with him, Lukas could tell that he wasnt bluffing.
Michael.
He had a feeling that Michael would definitely know about the Twelve Imaginary Lords.
Since Lukas wouldnt forget the location of places hed been to before, he knew the location of the underground city.
He could head there now, but that would be no different from recklessly invading the territory instead of being invited. In the worst case scenario, he might even have to fight Michael.
If I wait for a while, the [Miglings] will come.
After all, they were the ones whod come to him last time.
Lukas prediction wasnt wrong. When the colour of the sky changed for the fifth time, figures seemed to approach them from a distance.
Miglings.
Pale exclaimed, her eyes sparkling.
Wow! These are natives! I think theyre here to invite you!
Ignoring Pales excitement, Lukas looked at the miglings. In the underground city, it seemed like they could speak, but now, they kept their mouths closed as though they didnt have any vocal chords.
Could they not talk in the desert?
Hiding his doubts, he obediently allowed them to pull him by his hands and clothes.
After walking in the desert for a while, they arrived in front of a small ant hill. The miglings threw themselves in one after the other.
And this time, Lukas jumped in before Pale. He heard her startled uh as he went in.
He fell down the rapid stream of sand to the underground city and was tossed around by the miglings who went down first.
Lukas went down with an expressionless face, waiting for their little carnival ride to end.
After a while, the miglings walked up to him and spoke.
Follow, come.
Us.
Follow, come.
This time, he followed them without asking questions like last time.
As they walked, he slowly looked around the city. Last time, he hadnt been able to do this because he wasnt in such a relaxed mood.
Its much larger than I thought.
There were many side streets in addition to the northbound road that they were currently walking on, which led to the cathedral that Michael stayed in. In addition, there was also a large road that cut from east to west, and passages that went below the underground city. Flickering torches were the only sources of light on the dark passages.
This showed that they were not natural, but were paths made by people so they could pass.
That, dont look.
A migling quietly warned him.
Why?
Might get into fight.
With whom?
The migling frowned.
Bastards.
The migling didnt seem to want to talk more about the topic, so Lukas didnt ask more questions.
Before long, they arrived at the cathedral that Michael was staying in.
From here, only you.
With a nod at the miglings words, he walked into the cathedral. He pretended not to hear Pale complain enviously.
Perhaps he should ask Michael about Pale as well. He might be able to get an unexpected answer. He decided to do that if he had the chance.
Creak-
The huge iron doors opened.
The scene in the cathedral was magnificent, and an altar stood at the end of the long aisle.
Standing at this altar reading a book was none other than Michael.
Even looking at him again, he looked like Lord. He wasnt as surprised as before, but he still felt an instinctive wariness.
[An interesting guest.]
Michael seemed to have been aware of Lukas presence from the beginning. The sound of the iron doors was a bit loud.
[How did you come here? Unfamiliar yet familiar being.]
Michael had probably felt from the beginning that Lukas was from the same fundamental universe as he was.
Hes not certain yet.
Michael had only been convinced after he mentioned the name Trowman.
In any case, this time, he didnt intend to be led helplessly like last time.
Intellectual of Underground City. I came here because I have something to ask you.
He decided to skip the unnecessary questions and go straight to the main point.
[Hoh]
With an interested sound, Michael closed his book.
[You know about me.]
Right.
[As you said, I am an intellectual. I have enough knowledge to answer any of your questions. However-]
You dont intend to simply give me the answers I seek. Because it goes against the rules of this world, right?
[]
Michael fell silent. He seemed surprised, or even a bit shocked. This reaction was natural, seeing as the words he was about to say were stolen from him, but Lukas had simply interrupted him because he wanted to get to the point as quickly as possible.
Equivalent exchange. Fine. Then lets exchange question answers one after the other.
[although that is what I was going to suggest]
Are there any problems? Im sure you are interested in me to some extent now.
[not really]
Michael responded in a slightly uncomfortable voice.
Lukas then opened his mouth immediately.
Then Ill ask first. Tell me everything you know about the Twelve Imaginary Lords.
[]
Michael fell silent again. Was it because of his surprise at Lukas question, or was it because he was shocked that hed completely lost control?
He couldnt tell because he didnt have any expression on his face.
[in, detail. What do you want specifically?]
What kind of beings they are. Who the members are and what their goals are. It would be good if you could also tell me where they are.
[That wont work. That far exceeds the capacity of one question.]
Although hed said it in such a complex way, that was only a trick to take control of the first round. Naturally, Lukas hadnt expected it to be that easy either.
Then, tell me what kind of beings are the Twelve Imaginary Lords.
[good. I can tell you that.]
Michael nodded and opened his mouth.
[There are many ways to describe the Twelve Imaginary Lords, but the expression that is closest to the essence would be the strongest and most qualified candidates.]
Candidates? For what?
[To enter the Kings Castle.]
Kings Castle.
At that moment, Lukas suddenly recalled a conversation with Kasajin.
-Were here. Do you see that castle?
-I guess you cant see it.
The space that appeared empty in his eyes.
And Kasajin who was pointing towards it.
-It seems it still isnt enough.
-I already told you. Ive been watching everything from here. Anyway, I guess youre still lacking the qualifications.
Lacking the qualifications?
Did Kasajin also want him to become one of the Twelve Imaginary Lords?
Lukas expression hardened slightly.
If that was true, then it meant both God and Kasajin wanted the same thing for Lukas.
[Its my turn. Your name. No, I want to know your last name.]
Trowman.
[Hoh. So youre a Trowman Indeed.]
Michael spoke as if he was convinced.
Lukas asked his next question.
What do I need to do to become one of the Twelve Imaginary Lords?
[There are two ways to do that. Either you appear in this world like that in the first place, or you defeat one of the Twelve Imaginary Lords and occupy their seat. The former is simple, the latter is a bit more complicated.]
Lukas took it the other way around.
Compared to the latter, which simply meant defeating one of the Twelve Imaginary Lords, the former was much harder to understand.
What did it mean to appear in this world like that? Did that mean they become one of the Twelve Imaginary Lords from the moment they were born? Like the Rulers?
His eyebrows furrowed slightly, but he didnt ask any more.
Because Lukas turn had ended.
[Are you an Absolute?]
Right.
[Hmm.]
Michael looked pleased, but Lukas couldnt help but feel that he was cheating him. Of course, it wasnt enough for him to get a guilty conscience. This was probably because Michael looked like Lord.
Instead, he wondered how he could extract more knowledge.
Because the information I can give Michael is limited.
On the other hand, there were a mountain of things that Lukas wanted to ask Michael.
This meant that he would have to be careful with his questions from now on.
After thinking about it for a while, Lukas realised what he should be asking the most.
How strong are the Twelve Imaginary Lords?
[]
Michael didnt answer right away.
Was it because it was a difficult question to answer? Or was there another reason?
Lukas looked at the blank white face nervously.
Then, after a while, he spoke.
[Thats right. To give an answer that you could understand]
When he heard the words Michael said next, Lukas eyes went wide.
[The Ruler who entered this world, the Seven Fanged Dragon God, was defeated by one of the Twelve Imaginary Lords.]
(TL: So one needs to be Ruler level to be qualified?)
Book 2: Chapter 392
Book 2: Chapter 392 (TL: It was brought to my attention that there was an error in my raws which I didnt notice. Imaginary in imaginary world and other related terms would actually be closer to Emptiness or Void. So going forward, Ill use Void instead of Imaginary.)
Lukas didnt know how strong the Twelve Void Lords were. No, in the first place, he didnt even know who they were.
Nevertheless, he couldnt help but feel a hint of doubt when Michael told him that a Ruler had been defeated by one of the Twelve Void Lords.
you do know who the Rulers are, right?
It would be amazing for an Absolute to not shout out after hearing those words. For most Absolutes, the Rulers were like gods.
In fact, the reason Lukas could still ask so calmly was because he had hostile relations with most of them.
[The extraordinary swords created by God, the strongest deterrents and tyrants of the Three Thousand Worlds.]
Michael replied in a cynical tone.
It felt a bit different from the concept Lukas knew, but that wasnt the thing to be focused on at that moment.
And youre saying that one of those Rulers was defeated by one of the Twelve Void Lords?
[It is up to you whether you believe it or not. However, since I proudly call myself an intellectual, I would never give out false information.]
There was a faint hint of displeasure in Michaels voice. It seemed that he was upset that Lukas was doubting his words.
Nevertheless, the problem was that his words werent so easy to accept.
who was it that defeated them?
[That is too much to ask for a single question. I didnt intend to tell you this much, but]
Michael drifted off at the end of his words.
[It was the 4th Beast.]
the 4th Beast?
[Its my turn now.]
Michael spoke in a cold voice as if he didnt intend to say more.
[What is your relationship with the person accompanying you?]
Companion. He was talking about Pale.
He remembered.
This had been Michaels last question.
Similar to the time with Yang In-hyun, Michael, a Lord who was from the same universe as Lukas, was interested in Pale.
Ive already told you the answer. She and I are simply travelling partners.
[Simple travelling partners.]
Right.
[hmm. I see. Then. Its your turn.]
Michael nodded with an unexpectedly calm expression and gestured with his chin.
Lukas was a bit surprised by his attitude.
He intends to continue the question and answer.
This was different from last time. At that time, after asking his question, Michael no longer displayed any interest in Lukas.
In any case, this was not a bad thing for Lukas. Because he still had about a hundred other questions for Michael.
Yang In-hyun, the Lord of Flower Mountain. Tell me about that man. (TL: Lukas is bad at questions)
[The scope of that is too broad. As I said earlier, it exceeds the capacity of a single question.]
Then Ill leave it up to you.
[Leave it up to me?]
Right. Please summarise what you know. As long as it doesnt exceed the capacity you mentioned.
[Youre leaving it up to me to decide. Do you trust me that much?] Sarch* The N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
I dont trust you. I trust my eyes. The being that I knew wouldnt deceive someone over something so trivial.
Michael chuckled.
[Interesting. Ive never received a request like this before.]
[Fine. Then Ill tell you about the Everlasting Plum Sword Yang In-hyun. He is one of the Twelve Void Lords, and among them, he is the newest.]
Lukas paused at that.
one of the Twelve Void Lords? Yang In-hyun?
[Did you not know?]
Lukas was greatly surprised, but it wasnt that unbelievable when he thought about it. In fact, he felt that this revelation explained Yang In-hyuns unreasonable strength to some extent.
[Yang In-hyun defeated the former Lord of Flower Mountain, one of the Twelve Void Lords, the previous generations Sect Leader*, Sword God Dang Mu-gi, to obtain his current position. Only six nights ago.] (TL: The term the author used basically refers to the most senior disciple in a sect, but Ive always felt a bit strange using senior disciple, so Ive changed it to something more acceptable.)
Six nights do you mean six days ago?
At that, Michael corrected himself.
[Ah. Pardon. Six nights Following your concept, that would be about 6 months, half a year. Night comes periodically even in this world.]
night. Ive never seen it before.
[I see. It does not occur often. In any case, Id recommend you dont wander around outside at night. If you encounter a situation where you have no choice but to do so, you should try to remain in one place as much as possible.
He couldnt tell if the advice was given with good intentions or not, but Lukas decided to accept it with a grain of salt since it was most likely correct.
[Yang In-hyuns sword technique is quite powerful. Since it is very compatible with this world, he is able to exert power that exceeds the limit.]
the Everlasting Plum Sword.
[You know it.]
Michael nodded his head.
[The essence of the Everlasting Plum Sword is deeply connected to the void. If he uses it in his territory, the power is more than doubled. There is an incredibly skilled Swordsman in my territory, but I received a report that they were unable to defeat Yang In-hyun.]
[Hmm. I said more than expected. Is it my turn to ask now? I think this will be the last question.]
Ask whatever you like.
Michael had given Lukas much more information that hed expected. It was hard to think it was a slip of the tongue, and instead hed probably had a change of heart, but he wasnt sure why.
It was then that Michael spoke.
[What do you intend to do from now on?]
Mm?
[Your next move. I wonder what it will be.]
Lukas never would have thought hed be curious about his next move. Bewildered, he couldnt help but ask back.
is that your question?
[Thats right. Why? Is it something you cant answer?]
No. Thats not it Firstly, Im going to find a way to get stronger.
[Hmm. Thats not a specific plan.]
Michael muttered in a nonchalant manner before making a startling suggestion.
[In that case, if you dont have any plans at the moment, why not become a resident of this city?]
you mean become a resident of your territory?
[I dont think its a proposition that could be objectively damaging.]
Why are you making the offer to me?
[There is no great reason. If I had to say, it would be because of my own tendencies. I like to keep things that interest me nearby so that I can observe them.]
That meant that in the conversation hed had with Lukas, hed become interested in him.
It wasnt a bad proposal.
Perhaps, if Lukas had to list the places in this world where he felt even slightly safe, this city would be the only one.
It wasnt just because of Michael.
He might be able to meet some of his acquaintances like Schweiser, who he hadnt managed to successfully reunite with, in this city. He might not have forgotten about Lukas existence.
I appreciate the offer, but Ill have to decline.
Nevertheless, Lukas refused.
[I see. How unfortunate.]
Michael muttered in a soft voice.
With those words, the conversation with Michael ended.
* * *
After leaving the cathedral, he was met by Pale, who looked at him with a face full of curiosity and excitement.
As soon as Lukas appeared, she came and fussed over him, saying, what did you talk about?, and whats wrong with your expression.
I asked him about a few things I was curious about. Luckily, the Lord seemed to be interested in me, so we exchanged information.
Hoh. Hoh.
Looking at the overly excited Pale, Lukas tried to peer into her inner thoughts.
Its not just me. The Lord also seemed to be interested in you.
Huh? In me?
Right.
Ay. Thats not possible.
It seemed his attempt had been too shallow. There wasnt even the slightest change in Pales nonchalant expression.
Lukas decided to press a bit more.
I think he might have met you before.
Where?
0
For a moment, he wasnt sure what to say.
The places that Lukas knew in this world could literally be counted on one hand.
Suddenly, Yang In-hyuns voice flashed in his mind.
I think he said it was in the War of Existence in the Western Region.
Pale twisted her head slightly and fell silent. Her long hair covered her face, so Lukas couldnt tell what her expression was like at that moment.
Then, after a short while, a barely audible murmur was heard.
That cant be true.
!
It sounded like someone elses voice.
Just as Lukas expression hardened slightly, she lifted her head again.
Her exposed face had the same cool smile as always.
I think hes mistaken! I really dont know the Lord of this place.
I see.
Yeah.
By that time, the miglings had gathered around him once again. Nevertheless, Lukas still looked at them with a calm expression. In truth, he felt burdened by their kindness.
This was because he knew their favour wasnt directed towards Lukas Trowman. It was probably directed to another Trowman that stayed here, a Trowman who had walked a different path than him.
its about time for Schweiser to fall.
The conversation ended much sooner than last time so he had a bit more free time, but it was only a few dozen minutes or so. If he waited a bit longer, he would be able to encounter Schweiser again, bloodied and falling from the sky.
But even if he was unconscious, he didnt want to meet him just like that.
Pale.
Yep?
Are you going to keep following me?
The question that hed avoided when it was only the two of them was finally brought up.
Pale nodded as if it was natural.
Yeah.
Why?
I want to be with you.
Not expecting such an answer, Lukas froze.
Looking up at him with wide eyes like a small animal, Pale asked.
Cant I?
theres nothing I can do about it.
Hehe. Then we can stay together? Nice*. (*:Think of something youd say while fistpumping)
He glanced at her happy expression as she clenched her fist.
He couldnt help but have a vague feeling that all of his conversations with Pale ended like this. This meant that Lukas was at her mercy.
But it couldnt be helped.
If he wanted to dig deeper into her mystery, he had to be prepared to get entangled with her. Pressing clumsily would be no different from recklessly digging into a beehive.
Lets get out of here first.
Were leaving? Where to?
Well.
That was something that Lukas wanted to ask instead.
He couldnt think of a way to get strong in this world.
A sense of hopelessness filled his heart.
firstly, before wandering around aimlessly
There was one place he had to visit from last time.
* * *
Lukas walked through the grey desert after leaving the city. He wasnt walking aimlessly, instead, he there was a place he wanted to reach.
Through the countless overlapping spaces and intertwined coordinates, he followed an almost hidden path with a very faint presence.
The single string flowing through the narrow gap was Lukas guidepost.
Pale followed him without question. She was quiet.
It wasnt like that in the beginning. It was just a speculation, but it felt that shed gradually grown quieter after realising that Lukas had a clear destination.
When he finally stopped walking, Pale spoke.
Uncle knows how to see the road.
Hed heard this voice last time as well.
A serious tone and expression, without the usual hint of laughter, which, like always, would disappear in the blink of an eye.
Taking his eyes off of Pale, Lukas looked at the crater in front of him.
To be precise, he looked at the woman bleeding within it.
A familiar presence.
Shed died in vain in her last life. A woman he didnt even manage to see awake or speak to.
Like last time, Lukas roughly persuaded Pale to give him a piece of jerky and fed it to the woman. Then, he immediately lifted her onto his back when her wounds showed signs of healing.
In a short while, Kwak Do-san and the other Swordsmen would arrive in this place.
If they didnt leave before that, they would end up swinging their swords at Lukas.
Theyre not a threat, but
While he could wait there and kill them all when they arrive, he would have to face Yang In-hyun openly afterwards.
He wasnt confident that he wouldnt leave some trace or evidence in the area. After all, Lukas didnt have much knowledge about the World of Void.
In other words, the best course of action was to rescue the woman and leave without getting into conflict with Kwak Do-san.
The Underground City.
He would leave the woman there first and figure out a way to become stronger.
Even as he thought about it, Lukas actions made him feel uncomfortable. He couldnt tell why he was going through so much trouble for a woman he didnt know. Lukas wasnt the type to be particularly fixated on doing good deeds, nor was he bound by any morals.
Then what was it?
Was he sympathetic because they came from the same fundamental universe? Or was he guilty about not being able to protect her till the end in his last life?
Uncle, what is your goal?
He was awoken from his thoughts by a sudden voice.
It was at that moment that he realised his brain was throbbing slightly.
Finding the road had put great strain on his brain. At the very least, it was impossible for Lukas to make a round trip to the Underground City as he was now.
Since theyd already travelled pretty far, it shouldnt be possible for Kwak Do-san to follow them.
I should rest a bit.
Putting the woman down, Lukas turned to Pale.
All the while, Pale had been staring blankly at him, waiting for an answer.
To be strong.
He calmly stated his primary goal.
A strange flicker of light appeared in Pales eyes.
How strong?
Enough to defeat the Twelve Void Lords.
This time, her eyes narrowed slightly. Then, she crossed her arms and tilted her head to the side.
You want to become one of the Twelve Void Lords?
Right.
I see. Then thats easy.
Easy?
Pale nodded with a bright expression, then gave him a dangerous smile.
You just have to eat that woman.
Book 2: Chapter 393
Book 2: Chapter 393 Eat her.
At that moment, the scene of Pales predation at Flower Mountain flashed in his mind.
I cant.
There wasnt a need to think too deeply about this.
Lukas refused almost reflexively.
Why not?
Because I dont want to become strong like that.
I dont understand.
Pale mutter in an incomprehensible tone. She appeared frustrated.
This woman is the best prey for you. This is a great opportunity to eat without any repercussions!
Kuk, kuk. As she spoke, she poked the woman with her finger.
No one would blame you for it.
Thats not the reason.
Then what is it?
For a moment, Lukas wasnt sure what to say. There were many words lingering on the tip of his tongue, but he could not voice them easily.
As mentioned before, Lukas had a few things left that made him a human. Nevertheless, the fact that he was repulsed by cannibalism was, in fact, a clear contradiction.
Suddenly, he thought of Yang In-hyuns sword technique.
Everlasting Plum Sword, First Move, Martial Annihilation.
For some reason, he couldnt get this sword technique, which had defeated him perfectly, out of his head.
That blade had been able to cut all concepts. Even absolute powers ability to control space was ineffective. Perhaps it even had the ability to cut down the yoke of death and the shackles of the abyss.
He didnt know how to defeat him, and that fact felt strange to him.
Although the opponent was one of the Twelve Void Lords, his fundamental essence was clearly human. On the other hand, the opponents that Lukas was used to fighting were those who were born as Absolutes.
And yet, the person he would now have to risk everything to face was a human.
That fact made Lukas feel awkward.
Is that the reason?
Did he not feel desperate because his opponent was another human?
Could he still afford to be picky about the means?
He couldnt.
Hed seen what the future held if he didnt become one of the Twelve Void Lords.
Just.
Lukas started.
I cant do it because I just dont like it.
He felt Pales gaze on him.
Lukas raised his head and looked at her.
For a moment, their gazes met.
Do you need a better reason than that?
Pale chuckled.
No need.
Kikiki. She let out a low, cheerful giggle.
Because what you dont like is what you dont like.
It seemed that she liked Lukas answer.
On the other hand, despite making a decision, Lukas anxiety deepened.
If cannibalism was the most efficient and basic principle to becoming strong in this world, how was he supposed to grow stronger?
Perhaps at that point, he was looking at the only person who could answer such a question, Pale.
Is there any other way?
Ummm.
Pale seemed to think about it seriously for a moment. She folded her hands and began to hum. It almost felt like he could hear the sound of her brain rolling from where he stood.
After a while, she swung her index finger as if she was drawing something and said.
There is. But at your current level, it would be very dangerous.
Lukas replied to her slightly condescending tone.
That doesnt matter.
He didnt intend to get stronger while ensuring his personal safety.
In the first place, he knew it was impossible to easily get much stronger in a short amount of time. Radical growth always came with great risk.
Pale looked at Lukas with a subtle expression and nodded.
Doesnt matter, huh Well, you might change your mind if you see it for yourself, but Ill take you there.
Take me there? How?
Could it be that Pale could also see the road..
Its not that, its because its a special place.
Pale replied with a smirk.
Lukas knew the meaning of that smile, no matter what uncle asks, I wont say any more.
It seemed that Lukas could now understand the meanings of Pales smiles.
First off, you wont be able to carry that woman all the way
Pales words drifted off slightly and the corners of her eyes lit up.
Actually. I thought of a good way to deal with her. Since you dont want to eat her, Ill just
No.
Tch.
Pale pursed her lips at the sharp answer.
* * *
After a short break, Lukas hurried forward once again.
A round trip didnt mean the travelling would take the same amount of time.
Strangely, it was taking much longer to go back than it did to leave. This was because of the constant movement of the space. If he was able to better understand those spatial movements, it might be possible to find a shortcut instead of just following the road.
Or if he were to move a few steps in the right direction and stop, he might be able to go to whichever location he wanted, like a shipwreck being carried by waves.
But that was a long way off for now.
As he calculated the coordinates, Lukas couldnt help but think about Flower Mountain.
Not because of Yang In-hyun, or his sword technique.
But Lee Jong-hak, the man who was still trapped in prison.
was that the Lee Jong-hak I know?
Now that he had some spare time, this thought finally appeared in his mind.
Hed certainly acted as if he knew him, but the fact still remained that the person he knew might be a completely different person.
In other words, the Lee Jong-hak, in the underground prison could have been another possibility that existed in the countless parallel worlds.
It was possible that Lee Jong-hak also met another Lukas there and might have built a similar relationship and memory to what he knew.
Nevertheless, it was all nothing but his conjecture. And it was something that he wouldnt be able to find the conclusion at that moment.
The best way would be to compare and contrast his memories with Lee Jong-haks, but unfortunately, that was impossible for now since he was trapped in the Flower Mountain.
Someday, if he had the chance, he would have a deep conversation with Lee Jong-hak. (TL: Until then, he can suffer.)
As he had this thought, he suddenly felt movement on his back.
Kuh
A low groan sounded in his ear.
Of course, it wasnt Pale.
The woman Lukas was carrying on his back, the woman who theyd found laying in the desert, had finally awakened.
Are you awake now?
Wow! She finally woke up!
whe, re
A cracked voice leaked out. A voice so fragile it was almost as if it would shatter at any moment.
It seemed that swallowing the jerky hadnt restored her condition perfectly.
Lukas stopped walking and looked over his shoulder.
The woman had a nauseous expression.
put me down.
He did as she asked.
Swaying, the woman struggled to stand on the sand. She gave off a very unstable feeling, as if she would collapse at any moment.
After taking a few breaths, the woman looked at Lukas and Pale with a slightly solemn gaze.
You dont look like disciples of Flower Mountain Who are you?
Her stiff voice could not hide her suspicious tone.
To put it mildly, it was prudent, to put it harshly, it was ungrateful. In particular, the bottom lip of Pale, who had sacrificed(?) a piece of jerky, protruded visibly.
How rude. We saved you.
We should just eat her.
Cut it out.
Lukas stopped Pale before turning to the woman once again.
You were unconscious in the middle of the desert. Covered in blood. I was able to save you with jerky that Pale, here, gave to me.
The womans expression became a bit more relaxed and she then bowed her head to them.
I owe you my life. Please excuse my rudeness.
You picked it up pretty quickly! Hmph hmph!
Pale snorted and grumbled loudly.
but, why did you save me?
The subtle trace of vigilance didnt fade from the womans eyes.
For some reason, Lukas felt as though he was looking at himself.
Regardless of if they saved him or not, it would be hard for him to trust people whose intentions he was unsure of. If their roles had been reversed, Lukas would have acted the same way.
You look like someone from the underground city.
Yes.
I am acquainted with the Lord of that place, Michael.
0
If you dont believe me, you are free to continue on your own. Sar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Like the miglings, she should know the way back to the territory.
The woman seemed to feel a bit conflicted at Lukas words, but in the end, perhaps because she made up her mind, she spoke politely.
Im not in very good condition right now. Im sorry, but can I owe you a bit more?
We have no intention of entering the city.
He might bump into a Schweiser who had regained consciousness.
Without revealing his reasons, Lukas continued.
We can take you in the vicinity.
thank you.
After she nodded, Lukas turned and started walking away.
Despite her staggering steps, the woman followed without a word.
She seemed to be a proud figure, so it would probably be best to not offer to carry her again.
It was only at that moment that he realised something he should have asked sooner.
What is your name?
my name is Lesha. And you?
Im Pale.
The woman, Lesha, seemed to ignore Pale and was only looking at Lukas.
Lukas, who was getting a strange feeling because of her stare, revealed his name.
Lukas.
* * *
As the colour of the sky changed for the third time, Lukas party suddenly stopped.
Do you hear that noise?
He nodded.
There was a turbulent atmosphere that didnt suit the tranquil grey desert.
Clang, clang-
There were also the faint sounds of clashing metal. Followed by a loud explosion and what sounded like shouting
Gradually, a storm-like feeling descended on the windless desert.
The sound of group fighting.
no way.
Lesha ran forward with a stiff expression. Then she started climbing the small sand dune in front of them. By climbing up there, she would be able to see the source of the commotion.
Lukas and Pale followed her.
Lesha, whod run up first, was able to reach the top of the dune quickly.
And her hunch hadnt been wrong.
There were two groups fighting in the vast desert below.
On one side were the Swordsmen from Flower Mountain. There wasnt anyone he knew in the group, but he could tell their identity from their unique clothing and the Plum Blossom Sword Technique.
On the other side were the miglings. They werent alone. There were a mixture of people, who looked like humans, among the dwarves.
Swoosh!
There were also beings floating in the sky, carried by glowing white wings.
They looked like angels that would appear in temples.
Oh hey~ Its a War of Existence.
Pale pretended to make a spyglass with her hands as if shed found a marvellous spectacle.
We cant miss this. Uncle, they seem to be on the same level, lets watch from here and then wipe them out in the middle!
I dont intend to take a side.
Someday, he would face Flower Mountain, but if he were to make an appearance now, then it would make avoiding Kwak Do-sans party unnecessary.
this.
The expression of Lesha, who had arrived before them, was hard.
Biting her lip, she looked down at the battlefield and tried to take a step forward.
Youre planning on going?
Yes.
You wouldnt be much help in your current state.
I know that. But I have to go. Those are the ones I have to protect.
Those words caused a strange pounding in his chest.
Nevertheless, Lesha fell to the ground after taking a few steps.
He could practically feel the muscles beneath her robes twitching. In exchange for forcing her body to move, the pain must feel like her entire body is being torn apart.
Dammit, my mana is still
Just as Lesha muttered those words, someone else appeared on the battlefield.
It was a white haired man, panting and covered in sweat, Schweiser.
His condition wasnt good. Just from looking at his expression, one could tell he had long surpassed his limits.
The Swordsmen of Flower Mountain closed in on Schweiser. The blades of their swords digging into his body like the sharp fangs of a ferocious beast.
idiot.
Head on confrontations were not your expertise.
Lukas sighed.
It would have been better if he didnt see this sight.
Where was Lord, no, Michael? If he made an appearance, the battle would have been one-sided.
Lukas looked at the battlefield carefully, but he could not find any traces of Michael.
Suddenly, Schweisers arm was cut off. This meant that he probably wont last for another dozen seconds. Considering his current condition, this result was natural.
A cold blade swiftly approached his defenceless neck.
Crackle-
But a dark red beam of light shot forward and shattered the sword.
!
Schweiser turned his gaze to the top of the dune and Lukas.
Didnt you say you wouldnt take a side?
He didnt bother to reply to Pales snark.
Flipping up his hood, Lukas slid down the dune.
Because of that
Absolute? No way
He didnt hear Leshas murmur.
(TL: Sometimes I swear Lukas is the dumbest smart guy in existence.)
Book 2: Chapter 394
Book 2: Chapter 394 As he slid down the sand dune, Lukas once again realised that he was acting in a very impulsive manner. But he couldnt help it.
He didnt think he could watch Schweiser die right in front of his eyes.
Taht.
As he landed on the ground, he felt gazes lock onto him. Coincidentally, the place Lukas had landed was in the middle of the Flower Mountain Swordsmens formation.
They werent the only ones looking at him with hostile gazes. The miglings and humans past them, and even the angels in the sky were looking at him.
Just wearing the hood of his robe would not do much to hide his identity. But that didnt matter. As long as he wasnt caught by Schweiser, who was still in the distance. Sar?h the ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Woosh!
The nearby Swordsmen quickly swung their swords.
Their response was quick. They had probably seen the absolute that Lukas had shot from the dune.
This isnt the Plum Blossom Sword Technique.
Depending on the user, the appearance of the Plum Blossom Sword Technique varied, but the sword techniques they were displaying now were completely different on a fundamental level.
Lukas wasnt sure, but the sword techniques they were using now all seemed to be different styles.
The Flower Mountain Factions Solitary Gate Martial Arts, Profound Sky Sword, Supreme Purity Sword, and Sky Flow Sword.
The martial arts of Flower Mountain were a symbol of harmony. Even though they were martial arts with completely different origins, as long as the Swordsmen had a certain level of understanding about each other, it was possible to sublimate them into a natural connection.
Swoosh!
Swordsmanship that hed never encountered before flowed in like a flood.
But that didnt matter. With a glance, Lukas could tell that the martial arts they were using were not on the same level as the Plum Blossom Sword Technique.
Paht.
He raised his fingertips slightly. In response, the sand surged upwards.
It was a display of motion magic.
Rumble
In an instant, the sand rising into the air clumped together before striking the surrounding Swordsmen. Even though it was just sand, it had been compressed to the limit till it was as strong as metal.
The Swordsmen pulled their swords back in a move to block the attack, but they were too late.
Paak!
And in real battle, such mistakes were particularly painful.
Five Swordsmen wavered at the same time, their blades almost certainly badly damaged.
Without giving them a chance to recover, Lukas dashed forward. Condensed bolts of lighting wriggled around both of his hands.
Boom boom boom!
He took five steps.
With each step, he appeared before a defenceless Swordsman. Any part was fine. Regardless of whether it was the hem of their clothes, a finger, or even the tip of their blade.
That alone was enough to send condensed lightning coursing through them, electrocuting their entire bodies.
As a result, one person fell with each step.
Plop, plop
Coughing up black smoke, the Swordsmen collapsed.
?!
More than half of the Swordsmen around Lukas were shocked because they could not understand Lukas skills. The rest, on the other hand, gazed at him with tense expressions.
He has a strange skillset.
Were there still practitioners like this in the Underground City?
Lukas didnt give them time to think or react.
Boom!
An explosion swept through the area.
Boom. Boom. Boom. The intervals were consistent, but the locations of the explosions seemed to be random. In the area around Lukas, as well as the surrounding tens of metres, explosions occurred without warning.
Scatter!
If we stick together, well be blown away all at once!
Cries like this rang out, but the surrounding area had already been obscured by smoke because of the explosions.
Though small, a battlefield was still a battlefield. And the presence of a Wizard on a battlefield was truly overwhelming. In particular, if a Wizard who had the ability to protect themself like Lukas swept through the middle of the battlefield, it would be no different from a disaster for the enemy.
To Lukas.
Most of those around him were small fry. Despite being so close to them, he did not feel threatened at all.
Even if Lukas, a Wizard, were to stick his head into one of the Swordsmens inherent space, they would be too slow to realise that fact. Their thoughts were too slow. Their ability to judge the situation was also terrible.
But they werent all like that.
Swoosh!
Lukas turned to look at his opponent after avoiding a sharp stab by a hairs breadth.
It was a Swordsman in distinctive green clothes. Lukas had seen clothes like that before. (TL: So theyre colour coded?)
An elder.
Lim Ho-sang.
He briefly gave his name before kicking off from the ground once again.
This time, it was the Plum Blossom Sword Method once again. Lim Ho-sangs Plum Blossom Sword Technique erupted like an explosion. It was relentless as if he wouldnt give Lukas a chance to breathe.
That wasnt all.
Some of the Swordsmen around Lim Ho-sang joined in and began to naturally blend in with his Plum Blossom Sword Technique.
In an instant, there was nothing but fluttering swords surrounding Lukas.
!
It was a sword display similar to what hed seen before, but this time, the level of completeness was on a completely different level.
A perfect sword display by ten people.
The swordsmanship was fierce, but the distance they maintained from each other made it even more difficult.
In a short time, Lukas noticed what bothered him the most about the distance.
If I use magic without thinking, I will also be swept up in their momentum.
Nevertheless, it was also hard for him to retreat. Enemies lurked on both of his sides as well as behind him.
He was completely surrounded without any openings. How had this happened without him noticing?
There was no need to think about it further, because it was clearly Lim Ho-sang. It happened in the instant when he was distracted by his explosive swordsmanship.
It was this man who created this situation, realised the distance that bothered him most and informed the people around him, and who was guiding the sword display.
In other words, if Lim Ho-sang alone was killed, the sword display would collapse like a sandcastle. Of course, there was no way that Lim Ho-sang and the surrounding Swordsmen didnt know that.
In that case, the method was simple.
He had no choice but to pierce through the iron door from the start. (TL: Or he could have nuked them from the start)
As soon as Lukas robes fluttered slightly, Lim Ho-sangs eyes shined.
There was no reason for his robes to flutter in a windless desert. In other words, it was safe to say that the sudden appearance of wind was a precursor for magic.
!
At that moment, Lim Ho-sang noticed a faint hint of red aura wriggling beneath his robe. It sent shivers down his spine.
That power was dangerous.
Jurk-
Lim Ho-sang turned the hilt of his sword and held it horizontally. Following his instructions, the Swordsmen around them flinched slightly before immediately copying his movements.
The Ten Sided Plum Blossom Sword Display, which they were currently unfolding, was their strongest defence.
Pyut!
At that moment, the red aura became a beam that shot out in an instant. It wasnt just to Lim Ho-sang. Red light filled the surroundings faster than a flash.
Boom!
Their swords trembled and they felt a heavy pain in their wrists. With a heavy shudder, the Swordsmen of Flower Mountain collectively released a sigh of relief.
Miraculously, their defence had been successful, and it was all thanks to Lim Ho-sangs keen eyes. Without his instruction, they would not have been able to block that attack.
However, there was one person with a stiff expression, Lim Ho-sang.
that shouldnt have been so easy to stop.
The red light.
He knew it was something that could only be used by a small portion of practitioners.
He knew how strong it was.
And he knew that it couldnt be blocked by any countermeasures.
As I thought, you know about absolute.
Lukas calm voice was heard.
That was just a small trick. By mixing a bit of red wavelength into a lightning spell Well, you wouldnt understand even if I explained it to you. Only a Wizard could see through it.
!
A Void Trick.
When those words appeared in his mind, Lim Ho-sang hurriedly shouted.
Attack! Dont let him use-!
Buzz!
A dark red beam of light pierced Lim Ho-sangs skull.
Lim Ho-sang froze where he stood, his body growing stiff.
How the hell could it be so fast
He collapsed, blood spilling from the hole in his skull.
E-, Elder Lim!
Bastard!
The broken sword display caught his attention before the angry shouts or emotional blades. No matter how helpless they were, they shouldnt have lost their composure like that.
Lim Ho-sang was a leader they didnt deserve.
Pathetic.
Crack!
The sand rose to grab the Swordsmens ankles.
Urk?
Wh-, what
They swung their swords to cut the sand, but because they were off balance, it wasnt very effective. During this time, the sand began to pull them into the ground.
K-, kuhuk!
Dammit! What kind of sand is this hard Hup!
The nine remaining Swordsmen were quickly buried in the sand and crushed to death. Or perhaps they were suffocated. Either way, it was clear that they were dead.
Lukas swept his eyes over the battlefield again without paying too much attention to a singular point. There were a few more who appeared to be elders. All of them seemed formidable, but Lukas had no intention of facing them head on in the first place. He nimbly hid among the Swordsmen of Flower Mountain and began to disperse their willpower.
The tide of the war, which had been relatively even until now, gradually began to shift to one side with just that small intervention.
this should be enough.
The tide of the war had turned. And at some point, the Flower Mountain Faction had begun to get swept away.
Lim Ho-sang. He had probably been the key figure that led this unit. A unit that lost its commander was bound to collapse easily.
Lukas returned to the dune from which hed descended. Some Swordsmen rushed in as if to say they wouldnt let him leave easily, but it didnt take him long to deal with them.
Taht.
As he stepped onto the top of the dune, Pale approached him.
Do you not plan to kill more?
Right.
Looking down at the battlefield from there, it was clear to see where the tide was leaning towards.
Lukas gaze turned to Lesha.
The war will soon be over. Im sure your companions will welcome you when you go down from here.
who the hell are you?
Lesha asked in a cautious voice.
Im not asking for your name. I could tell from the way you fought. There are many kinds of magic in this world, but the one you use is the same as us.
are you a Wizard from the same fundamental universe as us?
Lukas didnt answer.
Pale.
Yes!
Lets go.
Where Ahh.
Remembering their previous conversation, Pale nodded.
Then, with her eyes closed, she put her hands to her temples and started making weird sounds.
Dugudugudugudugu Hut!
Then she opened her eyes and turned in the direction theyd come from.
This way! This way!
Wa-, wait a minute cough.
Lesha tried to follow them but let out a cough instead.
Without stopping or even looking back at her, Lukas muttered.
Forget about me. We will never meet again.
That was the last time he would get involved with them.
Lukas followed Pale.
* * *
there isnt a part that doesnt hurt.
As he lay on the desert floor, Schweiser muttered to himself. He didnt even want to lift a finger. Instead, he just moved his eyes to look around. He was trying to find where his severed arm had gone, but it seemed that it would take a while as it had gotten mixed with the corpses.
At that moment, a faint light appeared above him. It was an angel with grey hair. With a playful smile, she spoke.
Seeing as you can still grumble, I guess youre alright.
can you really say something like that while looking at this sorry sight?
Mhm. Come along.
Youre too much.
With a sigh, Schweiser got to his feet.
Then he began looking through the corpses for his arm.
What about Raphael? Is he okay?
What about me? Some of the Left Angels died.
That is unfortunate.
Schweiser flipped over the body of a middle aged Swordsman and found his arm beneath it. After roughly attaching it back to his body, he took a piece of jerky from his pocket and started eating it.
As he felt his flesh beginning to reconnect, Schweiser let out a sigh.
In any case, that was dangerous. If Lesha hadnt joined in the middle, it really would have been a dangerous situation.
Lesha? What do you mean?
Uh. Did you not see? Lesha came down from a sand dune and entered enemy lines. Thats what flipped the table upside down.
Schweiser chuckled.
At any rate, she likes to appear at dramatic moments, just like old times. I knew she would be okay.
It seems you have misunderstood something.
Raphael narrowed her eyes.
That wasnt Lesha.
Huh?
That wasnt Lesha. You didnt see it clearly.
Ah. He was a bit far away.
Raphael nodded.
Since I was in the sky, I was able to have a better view of the battlefield. Lesha is still on that dune right now. I dont know when she got there, but I at least know that she hasnt moved.
No, wait a minute. Im not sure I understand what youre saying. Then does that mean that someone else shot the Absolute Line?
It was one of the two people that came with Lesha. A man in a robe. I didnt manage to see his face.
you mean that man used Absolute?
I would doubt it as well if I didnt see it with my own eyes.
Schweisers expression became a bit strange.
So there was a 9-star Wizard other than Lesha on this battlefield? Is that what youre saying, Raphael?
Thats right.
What the hell-
It was at this moment that Lesha stumbled down from the top of the sand dune.
Before Schweiser could even approach her, the miglings cheered.
Wow!
Came! Came!
Im going to meet!
No! Im going!
Kiki. No one can stop me!
Schweiser frowned.
Didnt I tell you guys not to talk outside? The desert air is harmful to you.
White one noisy.
Talk, a lot.
Blind. Blind.
Ignoring Schweiser, the miglings ran over to Lesha and shouted.
Trowman!
This time, real Trowman is here!
Wow!
Looking at them, Lesha showed a blood stained smile.
Im glad youre alright, Schweiser.
Book 2: Chapter 395
Book 2: Chapter 395 They walked for a very long time.
Lukas recognised this from the fact that the sky colour changed five times.
At some point, the surrounding landscape had changed completely. He hadnt noticed it immediately. This wasnt just because he was focused on the changing colours of the sky. Instead, it was because something that Lukas couldnt perceive interefered with his concentration as they entered the unfamiliar area.
It was similar to the first time hed entered the Flower Mountain.
A feeling of incongruity hidden in the midst of perfect naturalness.
It was almost as if theyd stepped into a completely different dimension
Splash-
The touch of cool liquid.
Lukas found himself standing in the middle of a sea. Or at least, that was what the surrounding scene claimed.
From the surface, the sea seemed unthinkably deep, but in truth, it was only ankle deep. In reality, this was not a sea, but a vast puddle of shallow, stagnant water.
Where are we?
The Northern Region, The Sea of Lost Possession.
Pale answered with a wide smile. For her, it was a good answer.
As usual, she spoke in a straightforward tone without any explanations that only she could understand, but just knowing the name didnt actually tell him where it was. This was especially so for Lukas, who was new to this world.
Hang in there for a bit longer! Were almost there!
It seemed that this wasnt their final destination.
Pale strode forward with brisk steps.
Splash, splash.
The sound of splashing water was almost deafening.
As he followed behind, Lukas felt that his robes were a bit cumbersome, so he just discarded them.
They didnt walk for that long this time.
After the sky had only changed colour a few more times, Pale stopped walking again.
This is probably it
Just as she mumbled under her breath.
Rumble
Lukas felt the surface of the water begin to shake slightly. His expression grew stiff.
Pale.
Something was coming. Before he could say that,
Fwoosh!
The surface of the water erupted with a loud sound. From beneath, the shadow of something huge was revealed.
Big!
Lukas couldnt help but admire the size of the monster.
At first, all he could see was a golden eye. Then, a gigantic body covered in smooth turquoise scales appeared.
The monster had the appearance of an enormous sea serpent. Just by raising its head slightly, it obscured the entire sky.
It was different from the monsters hed encountered in the desert. It wasnt just its size. There was something, but Lukas wasnt sure what it was.
Was this normal in this area? Suppressing his doubts, Lukas shouted again.
Pale!
However, Pale was looking up at the monster with her characteristic nonchalant expression.
How lucky! I cant believe it showed up so quickly!
What?
Ill be going first~
Pale kicked off from the ground slightly and leaped towards the sea serpent. The sea serpent calmly looked at her with eyes that were larger than her body and opened its mouth.
Gulp.
!
Just like that, she was swallowed.
This was literal, the sea serpent had swallowed Pales entire body whole.
Lukas stood there like a statue.
Shuk-
The sea serpents gaze then turned in his direction. Its eyes were filled with indifference.
There was no hostility or hunger.
Rather, it seemed to be calmly asking what Lukas intended to do.
Do I have to get eaten too?
Lukas bit his lip.
He didnt know what was going on, but one thing was clear. If he did not step up now, the sea serpent would leave.
a method to become strong.
As for what that method was, Lukas had no idea.
Pale was his only hint.
Sss-
Slowly, his body floated up into the air. The giant sea serpent opened its mouth in the direction of his floating body as if waiting for him.
Lukas threw himself into its throat.
* * *
The slippery texture of the oesophagus was unpleasant. The sticky saliva that got into his clothes, the terrible stench If hed known this would have happened, he would not have discarded his robes.
He slid down for a while, as though he was riding a slide.
It was the same feeling, but, naturally, it was not nearly as pleasant.
Thud.
Ugh.
He bumped into someone. He felt a throbbing in his head as if something hit him.
Ow ow ow ow
He heard a groan. It sounded like Pales voice.
Lukas blinked, but he could not see anything around him.
Paht-
He used the Flash spell to illuminate the surroundings.
Then, he saw Pale, who had fallen onto her butt and was holding her forehead.
Are you alright?
Pale looked at the outstretched hand of Lukas, who wasnt groaning. A strange look flashed in her eyes.
Pale?
yeah.
With a disinterested tone, she held his hand and stood to her feet.
Lukas took the time to look around Was this the sea serpents stomach? It felt strangely hot and stuffy.
Being digested and becoming a part of a sea serpents flesh and blood isnt really a method to become stronger.
Pale didnt answer right away. Instead, she was looking down at her palms. Unlike normally, there was a serious expression on her face.
Pale?
huh? Oh. Come to think of it, was this the method?
Instead of feeling shocked by Pales unexpected response, Lukas decided to first feel relieved that his words werent wrong.
With a slight smirk, Pale clenched her fist slightly and spoke.
This place is a garbage dump.
Garbage dump?
We should go deeper first.
Bouncing, Pale walked forward. He had no choice but to follow her while looking around.
The first thing he noticed was the wall Was this the wall of a stomach? It looked that way, but it felt strangely different. Just as he was thinking about touching it, he heard Pales voice.
Thank you for your hard work.
They were at a dead end.
But that didnt mean there was nothing there.
Someone was standing in front of Pale. Lukas couldnt help but feel surprised when he saw their appearance. A smooth, clean skull, white bones, and empty eye sockets.
A skeleton. (TL: Diablos brother?)
A skeleton was standing at the dead end.
Had Pale finally lost her mind? No. That couldnt be it.
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A voice came from the skeleton.
The reason for the expression came from was because the skeletons jaw did not move at all when making the voice.
It was like telepathy that theyd heard. But Pale didnt seem surprised by this as she spoke calmly.
Im here to pick up a possibility.
[I, see. A while, wait.]
The skeletons eyes flashed as it looked at Pale. It seemed like it was analysing her.
Then it spoke again.
[Not, possible. Your, origin, no loss.]
Pale shook her head as if that was expected.
No, not me, you dumb skeleton. Why do you make the same mistake every time I come here?
[]
Analyse this uncles origin, not mine.
The skeleton then turned its skull to look at Lukas. When he looked closely, he could see faint flames burning within those deep, dark eye sockets
Was it analysing him?
After a moment of silence, the skeleton spoke again.
[A, being, from universe, number 2731361.]
Mhm.
[Strange. The possibilities, of this man, one of a kind, in this world. No. Rather, an external]
The skeleton tilted its head to the side as it muttered in a hoarse voice.
Pale chuckled.
Its not your job to care about that, is it?
[that is, correct.]
As it said those words, the skeleton stepped back.
There was a huge compass, or perhaps something like a clock, hanging from the wall.
However, there were far more hands than the hour, minute, and second hands. At a glance, there were dozens of them. The markings also seemed to be quite precise.
The skeleton stretched out its boney fingers in a familiar motion and began to adjust the needle-like hands. Unlike its sluggish voice, there was no hesitation in the movement of its fingers.
Pale hummed quietly as she waited.
And when the adjustment was over.
Rumble-
The dead end wall began to shake before finally splitting in half. A short while later, the black space hidden behind it was revealed.
[Number 2731361, dumpsite.]
Wow. Nice work!
Pale patted the skeleton on the shoulder and praised it. Ignoring this, the skeleton spoke again.
[Mas-, ter, wants to, meet you.]
Naturally, it wasnt talking to Lukas. The skeletons head was turned to Pale.
She dismissively waved her hand at him.
I cant. Cant you see Im busy right now?
[I, see. Understood.]
The skeleton did not make the request again.
[I hope, the possibility, that you wish for, is there.]
After saying that, it bowed its head. Like a machine that had finished its task.
Now then. Lets go!
Pale turned her attention away from the skeleton. She suddenly got close to Lukas and grabbed his hand. Then, she led him along with a satisfied smile on her face.
As soon as they stepped into the darkness, the sound of the wall closing again could be heard behind them.
Can we not return that way?
Lukas asked as he looked at Pale, who was holding his hand.
Theres no need to go there anymore. If we go a bit further Look. Didnt we arrive quickly?
Pale stretched out a finger.
Were here.
Lukas covered his nose for a moment. There was a stench in this place that was completely incomparable to before.
It smelled like rotting corpses.
But the scene in front of him was even more disgusting than the smell.
He was speechless as he beheld the mountain of corpses. No, there were so many corpses piled on top of each other that it could be described as a world of corpses.
No matter where he looked, there was nothing but corpses. Even Lukas had never witnessed such a sight.
Everything here are possibilities that have been discarded.
Pale strode through this place.
The sight left him speechless for a moment. As she walked forward one step at a time, she looked like an angel taking a stroll through hell.
Then, she began to rummage through the corpses with an innocent expression.
They are all hollow shells, and yet they havent disappeared. They havent rotted. Why? Because this place doesnt have anything like an underworld.
these corpses died in the World of Void?
You could say that.
Pale snickered.
This world abides by the laws of the jungle. And the prey becomes the flesh and blood of the predator in the truest sense. In other words, absorption. That is the rule here, and it is the most common way to become strong.
By the way, the efficiency of the absorption varies greatly depending on the food.
efficiency?
Even if the opponent is much stronger than you, if you have nothing in common, the efficiency would be very low. If you are completely different beings, it might even be as low as 0.1%.
Pales tone was a little different from usual. It felt like she was a completely different person. It wasnt just because this was her first ever detailed explanation.
For Lukas, a strange feeling was never a good thing.
He almost instinctively looked behind him, at the path that they had taken.
But he was certain that an escape route didnt exist anymore.
Perhaps Pale hadnt noticed his behaviour, because she continued in a soft voice.
On the other hand, the more you have in common, the higher the absorption efficiency. Anything is fine. Whether its appearance, like hair colour, eye colour, the same gender, similar characteristics, or even manner of speech What Im trying to say is that the most efficient is Ah.
Her searching hands stopped for a moment.
Found it. As expected, Im a lot luckier when youre around.
Pale grinned as she pulled a corpse out from the other corpses.
!
The moment he saw this corpse, Lukas couldnt help but suck in a cold breath.
It looked like it had been neglected for a long time. It was in terrible condition.
There were pieces missing as if it had been eaten by wild dogs. In particular, the lower body was nonexistent as if it had been ripped off.
Nevertheless, the face was still easily recognisable.
Dark blonde hair, dead blue eyes.
Pale,
Showed off the half eaten corpse of Lukas Trowman with a broad smile.
This is the best prey for uncle. Ah. Its already dead, so you should be able to eat this, right?
Book 2: Chapter 396
Book 2: Chapter 396 To eat.
None other than his own body.
Just thinking about it filled him with a sense of repulsion.
What did this woman just say? It was already dead, so he should be able to eat it?
The way she spoke as if it was natural made him feel it again. The distance between himself and Pale. Just how far apart they were.
Furtive, Pale slowly lowered Lukas corpse that she was holding up. Maybe it was because she saw the discomfort on Lukas face. Or maybe she was just offended that Lukas had rejected her proposal once again. There was a hint of dissatisfaction on her face.
This uncle is not uncle.
I know.
He at least knew that much.
That corpse was a discarded possibilitys Lukas. They were basically the same, but still different.
Its not me, its another me.
He could understand the truth in this pun like saying.
Nevertheless.
Its not like that.
Interrupting his thoughts, Pale opened her mouth.
I dont understand. Even if its an act like cannibalism, is this really a situation where you can be picky?
You said you want to become one of the Twelve Void Lords. Do you think you could even reach their toes like this?
He couldnt reach them. He knew that.
In the end, was Lukass pride the thing that was holding him back right now? Was he still not desperate enough yet despite seeing the future? Was there still the thought somewhere in his mind that he could relax?
hoo.
Pale sighed in a mix of tiredness and frustration.
Then with a tuk, she threw Lukas body away.
Predation is different from what uncle thinks.
Hmph.
Pale huffed heavily.
In an instant, her cold expression disappeared.
I dont know anymore. Do what you want.
After muttering those words, she suddenly climbed over a mountain of corpses and disappeared. She didnt say where she was going, or when shes coming back.
A feeling of loneliness.
Only the rotten smell of corpses accompanied him.
Lukas gaze turned to the Lukas corpse that Pale had left behind.
Another me.
When he recalled what hed just heard, the emotions he felt became more prominent.
Those emotions werent simply because of the strange feeling that he got from seeing his own corpse.
First of all, the body.
This Lukas body was much more muscular than his own.
He also hadnt neglected his training in the past and trained both his mind and body at the same time, but that was only to increase his concentration and physical strength, which was ultimately to increase his magic power.
On the other hand, this Lukas body was different. Muscles covered his entire body, showing that he was much more dedicated than he had been.
Those were not muscles that could be formed through simple training, and there were many scars, large and small, crisscrossing across his entire body.
Scratches, cuts, and even stab wounds.
This was also very unfamiliar. 4,000 before his return, Lukas had fought a bitter war with the Demigods. Naturally, few of his wounds were caused by blades.
You.
Lukas stretched out his hand, his curiosity rising.
A being with the same name as him, but who had experienced something different.
What kind of life did you live?
Just as his fingers touched the pale skin.
[Are you curious?]
He seemed to hear a voice.
Just as Lukas flinched and tried to pull his hand away.
[Then experience it.]
Whoosh-!
!
Memories came flooding in.
* * *
In a building filled with the scent of moss. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Which sat in the outskirts of the city, surrounded by lush trees and overgrown weeds.
A place filled with the cries of forest bugs during the day and the cries of owls at night.
Jrr-
Lukas stood silently in front of the building.
It felt like he was looking at a dusty place that had been left unattended for a long time.
What he was currently facing was the distant past.
He stretched out his hand to the cracked building wall, but his hand passed through it instead of touching it. It wasnt possible for him to interact with anything. This showed that he was experiencing everything as a phantom. Nevertheless, it wasnt fake.
This was a Vision of Lukas past.
Of course, it wasnt his own.
It was the Lukas who was dead.
This was the past of the Lukas, who had taken a different path and experienced different possibilities.
Tap tap-
The silence was broken. To his west, someone was approaching from the city.
It was a woman with a vulnerable appearance. She looked to be about 30 years old, but her tired face made her look older.
She held a newborn baby in one hand, and her other clasped the hand of a child with a bold expression.
hoo.
She stood in front of the quiet building for a moment before taking a deep breath. She lifted her hand to knock on the door and hesitated.
For a while.
Finally, she seemed to steel her determination as she finally knocked on the door.
Click-
The door opened, revealing a middle aged woman with a voluptuous figure. Her thick, grey hair was neatly brushed, and her expression was soft and gentle.
Illuminating her visitors face with a candle holder held in her hand, the middle aged woman asked.
Mrs. Larson?
The pale woman nodded.
I am Grecia Larson.
Ah.
The middle aged woman smiled.
Youre a bit later than I expected.
Im sorry. That, I was trying to deceive the eyes of the others
That is alright, madam.
The middle aged woman placed her hand across her breast and bowed in a dignified manner.
My introduction is a bit late. I am Sophia. Im acting as the caretaker of this place in the place of Lady Aria, who is away for personal reasons.
Yes. Miss Sophia. Thank you for accepting my personal request this time.
Huhu.
Sophia smiled gently.
The night breeze is chilly. Please come inside.
yes. Mark, please wait outside.
The boy named Mark nodded. The boy was only six or seven years old at most. It should have been scary to stand in front of such a deserted building in the middle of a dark forest, but Marks eyes shined with curiosity.
Taking his eyes off the boy, Lukas followed the steps of the two women.
Candles gently lit the dark hallway. The old wooden floor creaked from time to time, and each time it did, Grecia flinched.
Its okay. Around this time of year, the children sleep so soundly that they wouldnt even wake up if you picked them up.
Ill keep that in mind.
Eventually, they arrived in a small room.
The tables and chairs were old, but there was no dust, and the room felt clean. This was proof that it was cleaned regularly.
I apologise for not having anything to serve, madam.
No, its okay. More than that
Yes. You probably dont have much time Then.
Sophias eyes narrowed slightly.
That is the child?
Yes.
May I see his face?
Of course.
Grecia slowly handed the newborn baby she was embracing to Sophia. The baby was fast asleep.
From the city to this building by foot had taken about an hour, but the baby had shown no signs of waking. The same was true even while the quiet conversation was happening around them.
Oh my.
Sophias expression was gentle. She gently brushed the babys hair aside in order to not wake them.
So pretty. Is it a boy?
Yes.
What is his name?
Miss Sophia can name him.
It was at this time that Sophias expression changed.
That isnt possible.
Huh?
I know that madam has special circumstances. But this child is yours. No matter what life madam might lead in the future, or how this child will grow up. That fact will not change.
Madam, please tell me this childs name. It seems you havent named him yet. But I can tell just from looking at your eyes. That madam loves this child very much.
Grecias eyes became red. Eventually, she couldnt hold it in any longer and burst into tears.
Lu-, kas.
And said the childs name.
That childs name is Lukas.
Sophia smiled again.
Then she looked at the childs small, mischievous face.
Good for you. Mommy gave you such a nice name. Youre happy too, arent you, Lukas?
Miss Sophia, I know I dont deserve it. Nevertheless, I would like to shamelessly ask. That child, Lukas
She broke into a sob before she could finish her sentence.
I cant make any promises to you that this child will grow up properly. Because that would be a lie. Of course, I will do my best to ensure that Lukas grows up to be a good adult.
Sophias expression became bitter.
Regardless of my will, I have seen countless children go astray.
However.
As she continued, Sophias expression became serious.
You can be certain of one thing. Today, our Trowman Orphanage has gained a new family member.
At that, Grecia silently burst into tears.
Sophia stood up and quietly wrapped her arms around her shoulders.
Its okay. Itll be okay. One day, even this child will understand. I will help. So that this child becomes someone with a heart as wide as the sea and as pure as the forest.
Th-, thank you. Thank you
Lukas.
He listened to the entire conversation.
And he looked around.
Trowman Orphanage, a kingdom funded institution that hed been entrusted to as a child.
His gaze went forward once again.
He looked at the woman with the vulnerable expression, whose shoulders still shook.
She was unfamiliar but also familiar. He could see a few similarities. Not in the hair, but especially in the eyes.
I see.
This woman was his mother.
It was the same for you up to here.
He heard a voice.
Lukas turned round.
A Lukas was standing there.
Lukas.
He called his name.
Lukas.
Lukas also called his name.
The two of them stood in front of each other.
Eventually, Lukas chuckled.
Amazing. A Wizard Lukas Trowman. Right. So such a future existed. Well. I was very qualified when it came to mana.
Were you not a Wizard?
Do I look at a Wizard?
Lukas asked back. Lukas didnt answer right away. He chuckled again.
Im really curious. What was your life like? Did you enjoy it? Did you feel warm? Was there even a single person you could trust?
His cynical voice soon became filled with anger.
I didnt. My life was by no means smooth. Everything I longed for grew further when I felt myself getting closer, and disappeared when I held them in my hand.
You want to get your hands on my possibility? Ill give it to you if you want it. However
Lukas whispered.
before that, you should learn. About me. About my life. (TL: Or just eat him)
* * *
He felt the sunlight.
sunlight?
Lukas immediately opened his eyes, shocked.
Unlike his tired body, his mind was clear.
Cough.
When he let out a low cough, he saw a swirl of dust. His condition was not very good. As he instinctively groped the floor, he felt the touch of an old blanket.
He looked around.
Dozens of blankets were spread out in a spacious room. The blanket that Lukas was laying on was one of them.
Each blanket had its owner. They were all children at different stages of childhood, with different appearances and genders.
This scene.
Beyond the feeling of familiarity came a sense of nostalgia.
If his memories were correct, this place.
Almost as if he was possessed, he rose up from his bedding. And walked carefully on cats feet(1) in order to not wake the other children. His destination was a large window at the end of the room. After a while, he arrived before it.
And Lukas opened the window wide.
He could see the scene of a familiar forest, hear the sounds of the birds chirping, and feel the fresh air as it pierced his lungs.
You woke up early today too, Lukas.
He heard a soft voice. It came from the yard outside the window.
A middle aged woman stood there as she hung out laundry.
Sophia.
She looked older than she had when hed last seen her.
She spoke to me.
Surprised, he looked down at his hands. It was with those two small hands that hed opened the window.
In other words, it was possible for him to interact with things here.
Lukas palms were smooth. Perhaps because he was a boy, they felt a bit stiff, but that was all. There were no callouses from holding weapons or pens for a long time.
Lukas?
As if puzzled, Sophia called out his name.
He raised his head.
He didnt quite understand the situation yet.
However, it was clear what action he had to take at the moment.
Rummaging through his old memories, Lukas looked at Sophia.
good morning, Sophia.
And spoke in the way Lukas Trowman did when he was 12 years old.
Book 2: Chapter 397
Book 2: Chapter 397 He had to go to a nearby stream to wash his face. Perhaps because it was approaching autumn, the forest breeze was quite cool.
Splash-
When the cold water met his face, his drowsiness was completely washed away.
Lukas stared down at the flowing water. This was what he looked like when he was 12 years old.
Although the face was the same, his expression did not have the cuteness of a child his age. Would it be better for him to act a bit like a child? No, there was no need to act since this was just a fake world, to begin with.
Not bothering to wipe the droplets of water off of his face, he looked around the forest. Towards the west was a city.
In the future, after leaving for the city, Lukas would encounter many large and small incidents. That was all that came to his mind.
He couldnt remember exactly when he went to the city, or what the incidents hed encountered were.
I should learn?
Thats what Lukas had said.
He needed to learn about Lukas himself, and about his life.
But this current phenomenon was closer to an experience.
If he simply wanted to tell him about his life, there was no need to go through so much trouble. The same was true even if the information was given to him in the form of possession.
Lukas had to now move this body on his own. There also didnt seem to be a limit to what he could say.
In that case, what did Lukas want from him?
[You cannot leave this forest.]
His thoughts stopped.
A voice appeared directly in his mind. The image that was being reflected in the flowing stream also changed.
Before he knew it, a man was standing behind him. It was Lukas. However, his figure was faint, like a ghost, and his lower body simply didnt exist. In other words, he was floating in the air.
Lukas spoke.
[The materialisation doesnt stretch that far. The range of this Void Image is very small. There are only around 100 characters, and the field has a radius of about 5 kilometres centred around the orphanage. There is nothing past that.]
[Why do you think Im showing you memories of this time?]
This point.
Lukas didnt answer immediately, and instead slowly retraced his memories.
The autumn when he was 12 years old.
Because of how long it had been, it wasnt easy to remember.
The stream trickled, and he could easily see the fish swimming within it. By the time the water on his face had dried, Lukas opened his mouth. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
The disappearance incident that occurred at this time.
[So you havent forgotten.]
Lukas nodded.
[If I had to choose one major turning point in my life, for me, it would be the disappearance incident that occurred at this time.]
[The choice I made after that incident At that time, I didnt think I had a choice. It was only till after that I realised that wasnt the case. Thats why Im curious. You are basically the same as me. Lukas how did you act at this time?
The voice gradually faded, and with it, the figure of Lukas disappeared.
Lukas remained where he was standing. The words Lukas left behind were stuck in his mind.
-You, how did you act at this time?
The disappearance incident.
How did he act at that time? He couldnt remember.
* * *
When he returned to the orphanage, he was greeted by bustling movements. The other children were slowly waking up. They all rubbed their eyes, stumbling around like zombies.
Good morning, Lukas.
A clear voice.
It was a girl with braided hair. She had orange hair and a cheerful face.
Lukas managed to recall her name relatively quickly.
Ellie.
Wah, look at how your face is shining. Did you go on your own again?
Ellie spoke reproachfully with a disapproving look on her face.
Mhm.
You didnt listen to me when I told you I wanted to go with you next time. Hmph.
I looked for you before I left, but I couldnt find you.
I went to the bathroom.
Ellie grumbled as she began to tidy up the beddings. Glancing at the side of her face, Lukas helped.
Ellie Trowman.
She was either 13 or 14 years old. Even though he couldnt exactly remember, it was clear that she was older than Lukas. The image of her bossing him around and telling him to call her big sis appeared in his mind.
Whats for breakfast today?
Tuktuk, Ellie patted dust off of her pillow.
Stew.
Really? Huu. I hate stew. I wont feel full even if I eat a couple bowls.
Thats because there arent many solid ingredients.
Then Ellie opened her mouth.
Come to think of it, I saw something in a book before. It said that its common for normal stews to have meat in them. Can you believe it? With so much precious beef
As was common with orphanages, the Trowman Orphanage was not very well off. For breakfast, it was usually stew which consisted of root vegetables, stem vegetables, and offal boiled in plain water. For lunch, it was two or three dry loaves of bread, although dinner was a bit more luxurious.
That was why the children in the orphanage looked forward to dinner.
phew. All done.
Good job.
Ng. Should we close the window? I think thats enough ventilation.
Ill close it.
Thanks.
As the window was closed, the door was opened and Sophia stepped in.
Ellie, Lukas, come down for breakfast.
Well go now.
Did you two clean up everything again?
Ahaha. Well
Sophia frowned.
Those rascals have no intention of helping their big brother and sister.
Thats okay. Lets hurry, the food is getting cold.
Ellie smiled warmly and gently pushed Sophia out of the room.
Lukas followed them.
The cafeteria was noisy. This was natural considering that there were dozens of children in one space. But despite being noisy, the children were not disorderly. More importantly, they were all waiting patiently without touching the food.
It was one of the orphanages strict rules that Sophia ensured was enforced. This showed that they were properly following the rule everyone eats together, and starts at the same time.
Looks like everyone is here, Al, Liz.
Yes.
The children, Al and Liz, went to and fro along the table distributing meals, and soon, the noisy breakfast began.
* * *
After breakfast, they had work. The Trowman Orphanage was basically self-sufficient. Of course, they received subsidies from the city but it was only a miniscule amount. It was impossible to feed dozens of children by relying on just subsidies.
It was for this reason that they produced most of their own food ingredients and daily necessities as well as clothing.
Children with good eyes were responsible for picking edible grasses or looking for fruits, while the brave children looked for firewood.
Some children did the laundry, or caught fish in the stream.
Lukas job was to take care of and monitor the children.
This might seem like an easy task at first glance, but it wasnt. This was because the children were spread out across the forest. Lukas had to go around from time to time to check if anyone was injured or was caught in an unexpected situation.
Luther, dont touch that tree.
Luther, who was just about to climb a tall tree to pick fruits, froze.
What? Why?
It has a beehive.
Beehive?Ah!
It was only then that Luther noticed the hanging beehive. Of course, the activity level of bees had dropped significantly since it was the beginning of autumn, but the fact that they were dangerous didnt change.
How did you even see that?
The location of the beehive was so excellent that it was almost invisible among the leaves. There was a high chance that he wouldnt have noticed it even after climbing into the tree.
Im a lot bigger than you.
Tch. Youre such a show off Anyways, thanks!
He nodded to Luther before gesturing with his chin.
Go back first. Its almost time for lunch.
What about you, Lukas?
Ill look around to see if there are any other kids around.
Okay! See you later!
Luther ran off with a shout.
Lukas, who was left alone, looked up at the beehive and muttered.
Magic Missile.
He casted the most basic 1-star spell. He stared at the unstable sphere of flowing energy for a moment.
Lukas had sensed mana when he was younger. And after digging through a few magical tomes that were closer to general knowledge books, he learned how to use a few spells.
This would have been impossible without his natural talent, but the spells he could cast clearly displayed his lack of skill.
He closed his eyes and checked the mana room in his body.
Small, and bare. His mana room was at most the size of his palm. The mana it contained was less than half a cup.
Nevertheless, with the knowledge Lukas now had, it was possible to use 3-star, or even 4-star spells with this much mana.
Stretching his hand towards the beehive, he spat out the activation phrase.
Water Jet.
An attack spell that sprayed a jet of compressed water. The range was short, but the power was high. The spell would cut through not only the beehive but also the beautiful tree behind it.
But the spell didnt manifest. Lukas lowered his outstretched hand.
Something inside his body was wrapping around his mana and preventing his spell from manifesting.
Naturally, there was no problem with the formula. It was also not because he lacked mana either. In theory, everything was perfect.
That was what made the reason easy to guess.
The reason why he couldnt use Water Jet was simple.
At this point in the past, Lukas could not use 4-star spells.
It wont allow me to use enough power to change things.
It would be correct to understand it like that.
In other words, the spells that Lukas could use at that moment were probably limited to what 12 year old Lukas could use.
1 star and 2-star spells.
He recalled the words of Lukas. Hed called it a turning point. Lukas had an idea of what he wanted from him.
The upcoming disappearance incident.
He probably wanted to know what Lukas thought and how he acted in the face of that incident.
He would compare and analyse the differences in their actions, and then, he would probably tell Lukas what hed done.
It would probably end there.
This Void Image world would disappear, and Lukas would return to the dumpsite filled with corpses.
Then, he would obtain the possibility of another Lukas and get stronger.
Ah, there you are, Lukas.
It was Ellies voice. Panting heavily, she put her hand on the tree and tried to catch her breath.
It seemed that shed gone around looking for Lukas.
Sorry. Were you looking for me?
Mhm. But
She narrowed her eyes at him.
Then she spoke in a slightly accusatory tone.
You, were you practising magic here again?
well.
Now that he thought about it, in the past, Lukas had used patrolling as an excuse to go deeper into the forest to practice magic. The only person who knew that was probably Ellie.
Arent you being too loose? You know how important our role is! If any of the other kids get hurt
That wont happen. There arent any more kids in the forest. Luther should have been the last one and he has already returned.
Ellie flinched slightly then asked in a timid voice.
really?
What about you?
Ellie had the same duties as Lukas, it was just that the area she was in charge of was different. Lukas managed the clearings and surrounding forest, while Ellie managed the streams around the orphanage.
Im almost done on my end.
So you came to pick me up on purpose. Thanks.
Because Im the big sis.
Ellie stuck her nose up as she said that.
Anyways, Lukas, did you forget your promise again?
What promise?
You said youd show your magic.
Of course, Lukas wouldnt remember such a small promise.
Sorry.
However, he was quick to apologise.
It was easy to see that Ellie wasnt lying.
Seeee, youre so mean! You didnt do it even though I havent told anyone for a month!
Ellie stomped on the ground as if she was disappointed. That jogged his memory a bit.
At that time, Lukas had been hiding the fact that he could use magic. He hadnt expected Ellie to find out. Hed been practising beside the stream at dawn and got caught.
Im sorry.
Lukas apologised again.
Then he looked up at Ellie for a moment before saying.
In return, Ill teach you how to use magic next time.
huh? Really?
Mhm. Really.
Ellies face brightened.
Really? Do you promise? If you break this one too
I wont break it. But you cant get mad at me if you cant do it.
Naturally! Does this big sis look that petty?
Ellie smiled wickedly.
Huhu! Good. When I learn to use magic Um I want to use water magic first.
From the start? Why?
Why else! Dont you think it would help a lot with laundry and cleaning?
if used well, its possible.
Lukas hollowly agreed to her words.
Unfortunately, Ellie had no talent for magic. She was born with a constitution that could not sense mana. To tell her that hed teach her despite knowing that was to deceive her.
Nevertheless, it was the right thing to say at this moment. For the time being, it would be better for him to stick with Ellie.
Because Ellie was the first victim of the upcoming disappearance incident.
Book 2: Chapter 398
Book 2: Chapter 398 Boss, is this really okay?
A man with buck teeth. His entire body was covered in dirt and his hair and beard were ungroomed and scattered.
The man was almost a perfect representation of a bandit.
Lukas answered the mans question.
The plan is perfect.
That Of course I know that. Boss operations have never failed before.
If you know that then you shouldnt be feeling so anxious.
Its because the targets this time are nobles.
The man frowned as he spoke.
If even a rat escapes, they will definitely try to get revenge. Dont you know that too, boss? Just how terrible those guys are.
Youre talking about revenge. But we wont leave any traces, just like we always do.
But
We have already found their forces and route. We have plenty of time to carry out the operation, and our chances of failure are less than 1%. Dont you know that?
Mm
The operation would take about an hour.
In that time, it was possible to kill all of their targets, rob money and valuables, and escape after cleaning up completely.
That was what the feelings developed from the mans experience told him.
He knew that.
He knew that, but
Trust me, Tuvel.
Lukas spoke in a deep tone.
Have I ever betrayed your expectations?
Besides, this is necessary. Our family is much bigger now. If we dont increase the scope of our area and target, itll be much harder for our family to live.
thats true.
When he brought up the logical explanation, Tuvel couldnt help but nod.
His expression soon became serious as he said.
Ill follow your orders, boss.
Good idea.
Lukas nodded and drew his sword.
Then lets get started.
* * *
Lukas woke up from his dream.
Hoot hoot, the cries of owls rang out ominously. This told him that it was still late at night.
water.
He was unusually thirsty. Lukas got up from his bedding and walked towards the drinking fountain in the hallway. There, he took one of the provided cups and filled it halfway with water before drinking it.
It had been three days since hed come to this place, but that was his first dream.
No. Was that even a dream?
[It wasnt a dream.]
He heard a voice.
He looked around, but he could not see anyone. But the voice that seemed to whisper directly into his brain had, without a doubt, come from Lukas.
It was your memory.
[As expected, youre pretty quick-witted. Like me.]
you, were a bandit?
Someone who killed people and robbed them of their money and valuables. Trash that lived by stealing the results of others sweat and blood.
That was what Lukas knew about bandits. And that was why he couldnt believe it, which caused his voice to be filled with disbelief.
[Right.]
Lukas affirmed nonchalantly.
This made him speechless. Even though Lukas knew there were other possibilities, he never thought there would be one where he became a bandit.
[Do you think this is the time to be swept up in my memories? You dont have the time to relax.]
What do you mean?
[Your body in the dumpsite is going to die.]
!
Lukas trembled in shock.
Then he recalled Pales words.
The five colour meal.
Before the colour of the sky changed five times, everyone had to eat at least once.
Otherwise, theyd disappear. Sar?h the N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
[You seem to have misunderstood. Youre not going to disappear. Youre going to die.]
As if reading his mind, Lukas spoke up.
[There is no concept of disappearance in the dumpsite. Otherwise, there wouldnt be a pile of corpses.]
[Instead, there are things called three day bugs. They are smaller than a fingernail, and they usually live in groups that can number in the millions. They are very docile until they find their prey that is Kuku.]
Lukas chuckled and asked.
[Do you know why theyre called three day bugs?]
There was no way hed know that.
[Its because they devour anything that hasnt moved in three days. Sooner or later, they will consider your body to be prey as well.]
Does that mean that three days have actually passed?
[Right. The flow of time in this world is the same as the place you came from.]
This meant that the real Lukas hadnt eaten anything in three days.
Lukas spoke in a cynical tone.
[This isnt the time to worry about your starving body. What you should really be worrying about are the three day bugs. I know that your pain tolerance is pretty high, but the pain they inflict far exceeds your imagination]
You should have told me sooner.
Lukas spoke in an annoyed tone, but he only received a laugh in response.
[Why would I do that? Dont get this wrong. Just because were basically the same person doesnt mean I am on your side. I dont care even if you fail and die.]
What?
[Even if you die here, another Lukas will eventually come for my body Then Ill just test me again. All I hope is for a Lukas who will be strong enough to inherit my everything]
Are you saying that you can choose?
The fact that a long dead corpse could choose who would be eaten or not was completely incomprehensible for Lukas.
[The difference is efficiency. If you show a suitable answer in this illusion, the power you will obtain will increase exponentially.]
Dont be ridiculous. I doubt that the power of a bandit would make me strong enough to matter.
[Consuming yourself in the World of Void is not so simple. It doesnt matter how strong I was during my lifetime.]
[As I told you before, its a matter of efficiency Lukas. My corpse doesnt just consist of flesh, blood, bones and maggots. It also has something that you need right now.]
Efficiency.
Pale had mentioned something similar before.
At that moment, Lukas felt like hed finally understood what the corpses dumped in the dumpsite were.
They were not truly dead, instead, they had been frozen before death. And they were all waiting in that state.
In the hope that someday, another self would come along, inherit their everything, and fulfil all of the lingering regrets that they could not throw away.
In other words, the dumpsite stored the corpses of the losers.
[by the way, Ive been analysing your inner thoughts for the past few days.]
Lukas voice continued calmly.
[I thought youd be like this.]
Like this?
[I believe I got a glimpse of it. You have a lot of work to do. And none of it is easy.]
[The fate around you is incredibly twisted. Honestly, it took me by surprise. Ive never seen anyone carry such a heavy fate. Thats why Id like to make a suggestion.]
He couldnt see his face, but Lukas was probably smiling.
[Why dont you become a corpse too? Lukas.]
* * *
He could no longer hear the voice of Lukas.
But his words werent easily forgotten.
become a corpse?
It was an invitation to become one of the losers. From none other than himself. His fists clenched tightly. The shock was so great that his chest felt tight and his stomach felt nauseous.
Is he telling me to let someone else take care of my problems?
Anger began to seep into his voice.
-No.
That wasnt it. The meaning of his words was a bit different.
Not leaving it to someone else, leaving it to himself.
It was only then that he realised.
The reason that Lukas was simply a loser, a corpse rolling around in the dumpsite. The reason he was so carefree despite giving up everything and not achieving anything.
It was because he was entrusting everything not to another person, but to another self.
If that was the case, could it still be seen as abandoning his responsibilities?
Kuk.
That didnt matter. Or at least, it didnt matter to Lukas.
Nevertheless, he still stumbled.
His hatred of his other self grew. However, more than that, he felt disgusted. Because he wasnt completely wrong.
-I thought youd be like this
He wasnt wrong.
For a moment after hed learned the truth about Lukas, who rolled around as a corpse, he felt envious. For a moment, the thought of wanting to do so as well crossed his mind.
No.
He was certain about one thing.
The fact that he carried the heaviest fate out of all the Lukases in the World of Void. And with that certainty came the grim conviction that no one else would be able to withstand that weight.
That was why he couldnt pass it on.
Lukas didnt trust anyone anymore.
Not even himself.
* * *
Autumn.
He remembered that the first disappearance would occur at this time. But he couldnt remember the exact date. This was because hed probably completely forgotten about it. No matter how brilliant Lukas brain was, he couldnt recall memories that hed completely forgotten.
There was also another problem.
He remembered the disappearance event itself. He clearly remembered the first victim, Ellie, the number of victims that came after, and even the culprit.
But no matter how he thought, he could not remember how he himself had responded to the incident. This was different from forgetting about it.
There was no obscure feeling like trying to search in fog, instead, it felt like the memory related to that had been completely erased.
This was why Lukas had not done anything for three days despite knowing the identity of the culprit.
Hed wanted to make a move after recalling how hed responded in the past.
Because Lukas was sure that the judgement hed make with his current thinking was far different from back then.
However, it seemed that was no longer possible.
He didnt return to the room. Well past midnight, he headed towards a room at the end of the hallway.
He could not feel any presence behind the door.
Nevertheless, he chose to knock first.
Knock knock.
When there was no response, Lukas opened the door.
As he expected, there was no one in the room. On the table, he could see a half burnt candle and a cup of cold tea. Lukas didnt look around the room. Instead, after closing the door, he left the orphanage.
Crunch-
The sound of his footsteps on the grass echoed slightly. When the wind blew, goosebumps rose up on his skin. The forest on an autumn night was quite chilly. This was especially so for a 12 year old boy without a coat, but Lukas didnt care.
Lukas had said that the entire forest had not been materialised. He knew why this world had a range of 5 kilometres in every direction from the orphanage.
The forest in the middle of the night was usually a place of complete darkness, but the moonlight was especially bright tonight. It was fortunate that the forest was not thick enough to block out the sky.
Lukas waited just long enough for his eyes to get accustomed to the darkness before moving forward, each step placed carefully. There was no need to rush. The night was long.
Steadily, he proceeded through the darkness. His destination wasnt that far away. As long as he didnt get lost, it would not take him long to get there.
In addition, there were tracks in the grass in front of him. Tracks that showed that someone had passed through this place recently.
These tracks became the path that guided Lukas to his destination.
He stopped walking. Then, he bent his back and slowed his breaths.
In front of him was a clearing, in the middle of which was a shabby cabin. The children probably didnt know that a place like this existed in the forest
Children being the operative word.
Creak-
The cabin door opened and someone walked out. If there was another child there together with Lukas, they probably would have screamed.
The person who appeared from the cabin was none other than Sophia. Of course, while they would be suspicious, that would not be enough to make them scream.
Hah-
Sophia let out a breath. She seemed to be brimming with excitement. She also seemed blissful. Whatever it was, her face was completely different from her normally calm expression.
Sophia was holding a large sack in her hands. It seemed to be quite heavy as she was dragging it across the ground instead of carrying it.
It was dark, but it was still possible to see marks left by her dragging which looked like bloodstains.
Thats right. The thing in the sack was probably a body. (TL: Or a bunch of crushed beets)
Lukas gaze sank.
-The Director of Trowman Orphanage, Sophia Trowman.
She was the culprit in the disappearances of 61 children, in addition to kidnapping, confinement, murder and even cannibalism.
Book 2: Chapter 399
Book 2: Chapter 399 (TL: Im not sure if this is necessary. But there is a particular graphic death scene in this chapter. So this is a warning. I will place the translation note Start at the beginning and End at the end of the gruesome part in case anyone would like to skip it.)
Sophia was like a mother to Lukas.
Not just to Lukas. The dozens of children in the orphanage also took Sophia as their real mother. That was why he couldnt take the feeling of betrayal that grew when he found out the truth.
It wasnt just the citys children that Sophia touched. There were a total of seven victims from the orphanage. The first victim was Ellie. Naturally, they were all killed. Perhaps they were even eaten.
The youngest among the victims was only 6 years old.
She kidnapped, confined, degraded, and eventually killed a child who could not even speak properly.
Throb-
His head ached.
Lukas massaged his temples.
He still couldnt remember how hed responded to this last time, but that didnt matter.
Regardless of the reason, there was no justification for the murder of 61 children.
Sophias true nature was human scum, disgusting trash. She played the role of a good Director in front of the children she collected.
Lukas couldnt help but feel disgusted by her hypocrisy.
It shouldve been young Lukas that discovered the truth.
He couldnt remember what kind of person he was at that time. But 12 was not a young age. At the very least, his basic personality would have already begun to form, and he would have begun to have his own subjectivity.
As his eyes had gotten used to the darkness, it was possible for Lukas to analyse Sophias condition despite being 20 or so steps away. Curled up in the grass, Lukas observed her.
She looked to be in a state of excessive excitement. Her eyes were wide and bloodshot, and her fingertips trembled slightly. Saliva was also dripping from the corner of her mouth. She looked like an insane person who had gone completely mad.
But she was not mad.
If that were the case, then Sophia would not have been able to hide her crimes for such a long time. She was cunning, thorough, a woman capable of making perfect plans.
That was probably Sophias hidden nature.
She held a sword in one hand. There were traces of blood on the blade that had not been wiped clean yet. And the person in the sack was probably a child.
her muscles are swollen.
Lukas soon realised.
Sophias forearms were so thick that they didnt match a woman of her age. It was like someone who had taken enhancement drugs. Although he couldnt be sure, he guessed that the strength she could display was probably two or three times more than usual.
It would be difficult for the 12 year old Lukas, whose body was not well developed yet, to openly fight such an opponent.
He softly chanted a spell. The grassy area swayed slightly, but this could be dismissed as the act of a passing breeze. As proof of this, Sophia didnt even glance over to him.
When Lukas had finished his preparations, he shook the grass with both of his hands.
Swish!
The sudden sound was barely audible in the quiet forest.
But Sophias head swung around.
Whos there?
Her voice and tone were harsh. If he just heard her voice and didnt see her, he wouldnt think it was Sophia. He could see her slowly approaching him, the hilt of the sword held tightly in her hand. Despite the sound being light, she still managed to pinpoint the correct direction. He had no intention of leaving. If he were to show an appearance of running away, she would chase him to the ends of hell.
Lukas waited until Sophia stepped into the planned location.
Then, when it was time, he showed himself.
Its me, Sophia.
Sophias expression became puzzled.
This came from meeting an unexpected person at an unexpected time.
Lukas?
Yes.
Why are you here?
Her voice and eyes shook slightly, showing that her reaction was genuine.
At the very least, it was clear that she was surprised at that moment.
I couldnt sleep, so I went to look for Sophia, but you werent in your room. So I went out to look at the moon for a while, but then I saw Sophia going into the woods
you followed me here?
Sophia stuttered slightly.
Lukas nodded.
Yes.
Silence.
But Sophias eyes moved busily.
Then, she smiled gently. Nevertheless, she couldnt stop the corners of her mouth from twitching slightly.
You followed me well. It must have been very dark
My vision is pretty good at night. By the way, Sophia
Y-, yeah?
0
For some reason, Sophia looks bigger than usual.
Lukas looked at her thick forearms as he said that.
She responded with a slow nod.
perhaps I look like this because Im wearing a lot of clothes. Isnt the night breeze a bit chilly?
I see. Then whats that sack in your hands?
Sophia shook at those words, but it was only for a moment.
She soon responded with a normal expression.
Ah. This is beef.
Beef?
Right, I was lucky enough to get some beef. I kept it a secret from you kids. Right. I kept it as a secret because I wanted to surprise you guys.
It looks a bit small to be a cow.
The sack wasnt that big. Even half a cow wouldnt be able to fit in it.
thats because it was a young calf.
I see.
Silence fell once again.
And once again, it was Sophia who broke it.
Did you come here alone?
Why do you ask?
Because the forest is very dangerous at night. Of course, there arent any wolves or bears in the forest. But wild owls can also be quite aggressive. If you came with another child, and if they were left alone somewhere in the forest, they might be in a very dangerous situation.
Thats fine. I came alone.
really?
Sophias complexion brightened a bit.
Then, she smiled and stretched her hand out.
Come here, Lukas. Lets go back home.
Okay. (TL: Start)
Lukas wiggled his fingers as he walked towards her. This wasnt motion magic. It was just a signal for his pre-casted spell.
The Stone Tooth he cast shot forward before Sophia could realise.
Crack.
Kuack!
Sophia screamed and fell down. The Stone Tooth had struck her knee. This proved that his magic skills were still lacking since he had originally been aiming for her ankle.
Wh-, at
Lukas used one spell after the other on Sophia, who had not fully grasped the situation yet. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Magic Missile.
Woowoong, the projectile of pale glowing energy hit Sophia in the face. Although the power of this spell was not strong, it became a different story when it was continuously launched at a vulnerable and vital spot like the face.
It was very possible to crush an eyeball, or cause the nose bone to collapse.
Kuaack
Sophia grabbed her face as her body curled up. She was probably feeling the pain of having her face torn apart.
Lukas didnt show any sympathy, and instead continued what he planned to do.
Fire Ball. (TL: Brownie points for any naruto weebs who remember how to say this in Japanese.)
Fwoosh!
A finishing spell.
The dark surrounded lit up in an instant.
Fire Ball was considered one of the most basic 2 star spells, but its pure destructive power was on a higher scale.
Hed also put most of his mana into it, making the fireball twice as large as usual. This left him with barely any mana remaining.
Shuk.
As soon as he pointed his finger towards Sophia, the ball of flames engulfed her entire body without mercy.
Kyaaaak!
This time, her scream contained a noticeable amount of pain.
Before, when she was hit by the previous attack, the pain she felt was slightly numbed due to the fact that it was a surprise.
However, the Fire Ball was different.
Those who hadnt experienced the pain of having their skin burn would not know. Sophias clothes burned. The smell of a burning human was truly appalling.
Sophia rolled across the ground in the clearing crazily. Nevertheless, as they were created by magic, the flames would not be extinguished so easily.
This wasnt to say that he actions were completely ineffective.
When half of her body had been burned, the flames disappeared.
Kuuk
Sophia was still alive.
Rather than because her will to live was strong, this was probably because Lukas magic skills were terrible.
He walked towards her.
A-, auh
Sophia seemed to have already gone blind.
Perhaps a Magic Missile had crushed her eyeballs or the Fire Ball had burned her optic nerve. It could be either one. Either was fine with him.
Lu-, kas, Lu-, kas
She groaned out his name, but it didnt affect Lukas. He calmly checked his remaining mana.
What was left was enough for five Magic Missiles. It was enough.
Magic Missile.
After lining up the Magic Missiles, he aimed at Sophia.
To be precise, he aimed at her forehead.
Then fired them one by one.
Paak!
Eek!
Paak!
Euk!
Paak!
Uek!
Whenever the Magic Missiles struck, terrible screams, reminiscent of the sounds made by a pig, rang out.
With an expressionless face, Lukas sent the Magic Missiles forward one after the other, maintaining the precision of a craftsman driving in nails with a hammer.
First, her forehead became red and swollen. The pain similar to her head being hit by a small hammer was a bonus.
Second, her skin was torn and blood began to flow. Her entire head felt shaken, and she was no longer able to think consistently.
Third, a crack appeared on her skull. In that instant, she fainted two or three times and instantly woke up each time.
Fourth, blood flowed from her eyes, nose and mouth. Now, pain was the only thing she could feel.
And finally.
Lukas waited a moment instead of firing this missile right away.
After firing this Magic Missile, Sophias skull would be completely shattered and she would die.
Ah, auh, ahhh
Groaning heavily, Sophia crawled across the ground.
She looked up at Lukas with a bloody face.
By now, she couldnt see or hear anything, but she was surprisingly able to find the right direction.
Lu-, ka-, s
The moment Sophia called his name once again, Lukas released the last Magic Missile.
Crack!
And that was the end.
The murderer who killed 61 children, Sophia Trowman, was dead. Her body had been torn apart, and her blood scattered across the ground. (TL: End)
huu.
With a heavy sigh, he sat down on the ground.
Killing Sophia hadnt been that difficult. There was no danger. From beginning to end, everything had gone according to Lukas plan.
She didnt have any special power. Of course, her swollen muscles were a bit strange, but that was all.
She wasnt good at using weapons, she wasnt good at magic or spiritual arts, and she didnt know black magic or holy power.
None of that was the reason why Sophia had been able to kill so many children.
She was just cunning.
There was never a single trace of her at the scenes of her crimes, and there was never any room accidents in her carefully crafted plans.
Her outward appearance was also perfect. The kind Director of an orphanage who took care of dozens of children.
Even the city guards wouldnt suspect her.
As he was lost in his thoughts, he felt his fingertips become wet. Without him realising it, Sophias blood had spread across the ground to his hands.
Just as Lukas looked down at his bloodstained hands.
[So this is your choice.]
Following the voice, Lukas appeared.
[Im surprised. I didnt think you would kill her without hesitation.]
She is human garbage that killed 61 children. There was no reason to hesitate.
Lukas expression became stiff.
[Thats a very unsympathetic statement. So youre saying you killed her because she was human garbage. Even though she was the person who raised you like a parent until now?]
Is that why you showed me that before? The scene when I was a baby.
As he said that, Lukas recalled that scene.
Sophias smiling face as she accepted his young self into her arms.
It has nothing to do with family ties. If you commit a crime, you deserve to be punished. That is the way it works.
[and you are the judge?]
At least in this case I was.
Lukas had a complicated expression on his face before opening his mouth.
[Your principle of judgement cannot be considered a human thing.]
What?
[Your words are not wrong. But there is one important thing missing.]
What is it?
[Human emotion.]
This made Lukas pause.
[Your words are right. Sophia is a vile murderer, a piece of trash that could not be saved. Such a woman does not deserve to be shown mercy. However, was there even a shred of hesitation when you killed her? Was it so easy to remain expressionless while hearing her tortured screams? Was the relationship youd built with her over ten years so light?]
What are you trying to say?
[it is human nature to be swayed by emotion even when we know it is morally wrong. Even if my child were to kill someone and be scorned by the entire world, as their parent, I would have no choice but to cover for them because they are my child. That is the tie of family. Of course, that doesnt mean it is the right thing to do. However]
Lukas voice became cold.
[If you considered Sophia to be your family member at all, you would have considered a different ending.]
-A different ending.
At that moment, as Lukas face turned white.
A thought suddenly popped into his mind.
What had Past Lukas done after finding out the truth about Sophia?
Book 2: Chapter 400
Book 2: Chapter 400 (TL: Again, not sure if this is necessary, but this chapter has a scene depicting extreme violence towards a child. Like last time, the translator notes Start and End will be in place.)
It was around the winter when Lukas was 13 years old that hed started feeling strange.
At that time, Lukas was the oldest child in the orphanage. It hadnt been like this from the start.
Ellie, Rohan, Fergus.
They were one or two years older than Lukas, but they had all gone missing last year.
The mass disappearance incident had been going on for nearly a year and it caused the atmosphere of the city to inevitably deteriorate. Even until that point, they had not been able to determine who the culprit was.
And yet, there were no large-scale movements from the territorys soldiers, the Knights directly under the Lord, or the Wizards. This was because it wasnt much of a big deal for the nobles.
Most of the victims were young vagrants living in the corners of the city, and the Lord, who had the mindset of a noble, was indifferent to the plight of the poor.
But then, the criminal made a big mistake. They kidnapped the apprentice maid belonging to the Lords family.
After receiving the report, the Lord expressed his anger and displayed a firm attitude that was completely different from before.
He claimed that he would punish the heinous kidnapper disturbing the citys security and creating unrest among the citizens, but no one believed him. There was quiet speculation that the high-nosed Lord was only acting like that because his authority had been damaged, or that the maid was a plaything of the Lords, who was known for enjoying young women.
Despite the unclear circumstances, the Lords response quickly showed effect.
The disappearances, which had been happening at least once a week, suddenly stopped. In a way, this was normal. After all, the number of guards patrolling the streets had tripled, and now, people who seemed to be even slightly suspicious were frequently stopped and questioned.
It was around this time that Sophias appearance became very unstable.
She seemed to always be sleepy. She had trouble waking up in the mornings, dozed off during lunch, and went to bed as soon as the sun went down.
That wasnt all. Outwardly, she appeared to have aged by ten or so years. Her hair became white, and wrinkles and age spots appeared all over her face. Her straight back bent like an old lady.
This rapid ageing occurred in just one year.
The children were all saddened by Sophias sudden change. Some of the more mature children decided to not burden her any longer.
Lukas was the only one who still had doubts. Even though he was young, Lukas was very cautious, thoughtful and doubtful for his age.
So when he noticed something strange about Sophias appearance, he couldnt help but follow her after a moment of hesitation. Ignoring his rising guilt, he sincerely hoped that he was just overreacting.
But his expectations were quickly betrayed. Sarch* The ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
He witnessed a scene in the middle of the night.
Sophia dragging a corpse-filled sack.
Sophia?
Lukas?
What is that?
Lukas asked with a blank expression. But this wasnt because he couldnt grasp the situation.
Sophias entire body was covered in blood, and the thing in the bag seemed to twitch occasionally. Blood was also dripping from the blade in her hand.
His clear brain had already completed its analysis and pointed out an undeniable truth.
Sophia?
Nevertheless, Lukas called her name again.
Not accepting the truth even when it was in front of his eyes was simply denying reality.
Perhaps Sophia noticed that fact as well.
Lukas, come here.
Sophia?
Come here.
As soon as Sophias voice became coercive, Lukas subconsciously took a step back.
Youre not listening to me.
Then, the moment her expression became distorted, he was unable to overcome his fear and tried to use magic.
But the Lukas at this time, even though he was panicking, could not give up his lingering affection for Sophia. So there was still a bit of hesitation.
He quickly casted a spell, but not to kill. It didnt even have any control properties. When faced with the clumsy spell that could barely be considered a form of containment, Sophia only suffered a few weak wounds. She didnt even have any problem moving her body.
She soon released an overwhelming power that was completely unimaginable from her old self.
Lukaaas!
Sophia roared. Her muscles swelled and her veins protruded. With bloodshot eyes, she threw her sword. (TL: Start)
Swoosh!
Although it was a simple sword, it shot forward with fierce momentum. Despite this, its path was straight, which meant that it was possible to avoid it simply by twisting to the side.
But Lukas, in his immaturity, was as limp as a frog who saw a predator.
Crack!
Aaak!
Lukas screamed. The feeling of the blade cutting into his skin was probably the clearest feeling of pain that Lukas had ever felt.
It felt like a bundle of nerves had been severed. Far from continuing to chant spells, it became impossible for him to even think clearly about the current situation. The only thing that filled Lukas mind at that moment was pain.
Sophia approached.
Now, there was just terror and dread. It felt like death was approaching. Lukas tried to crawl away, but he couldnt.
Sophia grabbed his ankle.
Crunch.
Aaaack!
Unable to withstand the force of Sophias grip, the young boys ankle shattered. Lukas couldnt help but scream once again from the pain.
Lukas, Lukas! Why arent you at home? Huh? The forest is dangerous at night!
Holding him by the ankle, Sophia spun Lukas around in an unfathomable display of strength.
Sometimes, she slammed his body into the ground. Soon, Lukas body was covered in mud, blood, and saliva.
Ugh, kuk, kuhk
Lukas coughed. (TL: End)
know. I huk.
He tried to mutter in a faint voice that seemed like it would disappear at any moment.
What is it, Lukas? Didnt I teach you to look me in the eyes and speak clearly if you have something to say?
I know
Lukas spoke with tears in his eyes.
Sophia isnt like this. Right?
At those words, Sophia suddenly stopped.
Her wide eyes shook heavily.
Lukas?
Her tone changed.
Sophia suddenly stumbled backwards and grabbed her head. Then she twisted her head back and forth like a crazy person. Crack, crack. The sound of her joints twisting was eerie.
Ah, ak, ug.
Sophia pulled her hair out. She ripped it out so hard that blood even began to flow from her scalp.
Then, she looked at Lukas.
And pulled out the blade stuck in his shoulder.
Ack!
Lukas let out another scream.
Holding the sword in a reverse grip, Sophia staggered slightly before stabbing it into her chest.
Splash.
Blood splattered.
Sophia?
Auk, kek. Ku-, uk
Sophia coughed up a mouthful of blood and pulled the blade back out. Then, she inserted it into her chest once more. Over and over again. As if to say one time was not enough.
Sophia!
Lukas crawled towards her. At that moment, he completely forgot about the pain in his ankle.
So-, Sophia. Stop that
Young Lukas tried to stop Sophia. But Sophia pushed Lukas aside and stabbed herself even harder. Soon, her chest was indiscernible except for the thick coating of blood.
Plop.
Sophias body collapsed.
Im sorry.
A broken voice leaked out of her mouth.
Im sorry, Lukas.
Sophia struggled to breath as she spoke again.
Im sorry for being weak. Im sorry for being such a person.
Cough.
Sophias voice contained an unpleasant sound, like a person trying to speak before swallowing a mouthful of water. Tears mixed with blood ran down her face.
Also in tears, Lukas spoke.
Its okay. I forgive you. I forgive you for everything. So stop talking like that.
You could use magic. Huhu. I had no idea.
Yes. Sorry for hiding it. I wanted to surprise you by becoming a Wizard first.
Im already surprised enough. Really, youre so amazing
Sophia smiled weakly.
Wizard It suits you well, Lukas.
Sophia, youre badly injured. Lets go home. No, lets go to the city. I know a good doctor. The last time Ellie got hurt, she got treated with almost no scars left. If its him, then maybe Sohpia
Lukas spoke while covering Sophias wounds with both hands, but Sophia just smiled at him.
I should have done this sooner
The blood didnt stop flowing.
She reached out to Lukas one more time and opened her mouth.
But she was only able to let out a breath of air.
Her half raised hand fell to the ground.
* * *
Standing still, Lukas accepted the wave of memories.
Hed forgotten.
No, he himself had erased it from his memories.
Just thinking about it made him feel tormented, and he could not withstand it, so he chose to intentionally forget about it.
[Sophia Trowman had a demon.]
Lukas voice sounded.
[Perhaps it could be called a split personality. It probably has a deep connection to her origins In the middle of the night, when she fell asleep, the other personality woke up. It had a very sinister, unsightly, evil character. In other words, the Sophia we knew was not a lie.]
[It was in the fall when I was 14 that Sophia realised what was happening. She must have been more shocked than us. After learning the truth, she wanted to kill herself, but she couldnt even do that. The other personality had already gained a firm grip of her psyche. Since she couldnt die, she had no choice but to live. I couldnt tell anyone either. The other Sophia warned me.]
If you dont do as I say, I will kill all of the other children in the orphanage and feed them to pigs.
[It must have felt like living in hell. Without being able to tell anyone, Sophias mind gradually rotted away.]
Lukas continued.
[I looked at your memories more closely.]
[Iris Peacefinder. For the sake of the cause, she also turned a blind eye to countless tragedies and sometimes even got her own hands wet with blood. In the past, you understood her behaviour. You sympathised with her tragedy. Because back then, you still had emotions.]
Iris and Sophia are different.
Lukas voice was no longer as firm as before. Because he also realised it to an extent.
[Its the same twisted behaviour Sophia didnt have a choice. Her situation was much more unfortunate than Iris, who decided to walk the path to hell on her own two feet.]
[You forgave Iris in the past. However, the current you wouldnt. Thats because the principles and rules that you have set are incomprehensible to humans with emotions And Sophia could not escape your strict standards.
I.
Lukas continued to speak.
[Certain landscapes can only be seen after walking on the wrong path.]
[Humans are creatures that are prone to mistakes and failure. Because of this, they can explore other possibilities and develop into better beings. But you havent shown me that possibility.]
Lukass next words were the most shocking yet.
[Lukas, you no longer have the mindset of a human.]
This was not the first time hed heard those words. But each time he did, Lukas had the ability to deny it.
This was true even if it was God or one of the four Rulers who said it.
But he couldnt refute them now.
He couldnt refute them because they were the words of Lukas, not anyone else.
For a very long time, he had considered himself to be a human. It had been like that since he became an Absolute, a long, long time ago.
But he wasnt.
Lukas had changed.
Since when?
Since when did I.
Had I obtained the mindset of the people I hated?
[You are far from human, but Right. I think thats why Id rather leave it to you.]
Lukas spoke almost as if muttering to himself.
[Take it, Lukas. My possibilities, everything]
The faint voice gradually disappeared like smoke.
Sss-
Full.
It felt like something deep within his heart had been filled. It also felt like his very existence was satisfied, something that could be described as ecstasy or pleasure was constantly rushing in.
And he was getting stronger.
The principles behind it were unclear, but the fact itself was obvious.
Nevertheless, almost paradoxically, while immersed in this feeling of immense fulfilment, Lukas couldnt help but feel a sense of loss, as if a part of his heart had been torn out.
While inheriting this possibility, the sense of loss did not diminish, but instead grew stronger.
Lukas, who had disappeared, had been wrong about something.
Until that moment, Lukas still had a faint human nature left. Although it was faint, it was one of the most intense human natures.
It was akin to a mindset of always considering oneself to be a human.
Regardless of his appearance, Lukas had always considered himself to be human. There had been a few times when hed wandered off that path, or was swept away by uncertainty, but deep down, something had always convinced him that he was human.
But now, it didnt.
This was due to the words of Lukas, who had disappeared.
Because of his words.
ah. Thats right.
Lukas suddenly realised.
Im no longer human.
Book 2: Chapter 401
Book 2: Chapter 401 Lukas who had died, Lukas who had become a corpse, and Lukas who had chosen to live the life of a bandit instead of that of a Wizard.
Had he also witnessed the truth about Sophia?
If so, what had he done after that?
He soon received the answer to that question.
Just like him, he had chosen to follow Sophia and learned the truth.
But that night, instead of confronting Sophia or asking anyone for help, Lukas chose to run away. Terrified, he ran away from that reality without looking back.
In Lukas opinion, that was one of the worst choices.
How far did he run? By the time Lukas had become exhausted and had no choice but to stop, light was beginning to appear in the dark night sky, and the surroundings were becoming brighter.
The view around him was that of a mountain valley, but he had no idea what mountain it was. But at least he could tell that it was a place hed never been to before.
I must have seen wrong.
Lukas thought. His thoughts had calmed down, but he was still in denial. Foolishly, he decided to return to the orphanage. If he simply retraced his steps, he should be able to get there soon enough.
But his feet could move easily. His legs felt like they were made of lead.
Kuk.
He forced himself to walk forward. He comforted himself thinking that he would be fine as long as he forced his feet to move, but his legs grew heavier and heavier, and to make matters worse, his heart rate also began to accelerate. It wasnt even that hot, but sweat poured down his face.
Clench.
He bit his lip hard. Enough to make it bleed.
Using the pain in his lip, Lukas forced his legs to move, but soon, even that was no longer enough.
Hey brat, stop right there.
Give us everything you have on you. Sar?h the Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Lukas was stopped by bandits waiting at the exit to the mountains. His entire body was already exhausted so he couldnt even use magic. When they saw the penniless Lukas, the bandits clicked their tongues.
Shit. We havent seen a beggar like this in a long time.
Weve been too lucky from the beginning Hey, what are you staring at? You should get out of here while were letting you go nicely.
The bandits didnt harm or kill Lukas for no reason.
Their goal was simply to extort money.
But at that moment, a man appeared behind them.
Brat, youre an orphan.
A thin appearance.
He was a man who was a head shorter than the bandits who had stopped him earlier. However, his face was covered in countless horrific scars. So, despite being relatively small, he had an intimidating aura.
This man was Black Fox, the notorious bandit leader of this mountain range.
Black Fox stared at Lukas for a moment before suddenly lifting him up with one hand and throwing him over his shoulder. This was an incredible feat of strength to perform with a small body, but Lukas soon realised that his entire body was made up of well developed muscles.
Boss?
What are you
Taking him.
Black Wolf responded simply.
Let me go!
Lukas began to struggle. But, looking back on it later, he probably would be relieved that he hadnt returned to the orphanage at this time.
When one of his swinging hands struck the back of Black Foxs head, his expression immediately became cold.
Paak!
Immediately after, Lukas felt a sharp pain in the back of his head and lost consciousness.
Black Fox muttered.
Now youre a bit more obedient.
* * *
The kidnapped Lukas was forced by Black Fox to live the life of a bandit. The reason why the word forced is used is because Lukas naturally didnt have any intentions of being a bandit, and expressed his defiance with all his might.
It didnt work.
Black Fox was strong. He was so strong that he couldnt be taken as a simple bandit leader. Lukas couldnt see a way to beat him.
And he also couldnt tell why such a strong man was obsessed with making him a bandit.
Perhaps it was because Black Fox saw Lukas tenacious spirit.
He secretly nurtured Lukas to be his second in command, sometimes telling him.
If you kill me, you can leave this place. None of these bandits will be able to stop you.
It was by no means a comfortable life. He experienced all kinds of hardships. He was abandoned in a monster infested forest for a month, and realised just how much of a blessing it was to be able to eat once and fall asleep without needing to be wary of his surroundings. There was a time when hed almost gone blind because couldnt properly treat a rotting wound.
Perhaps it was because of how desperately he struggled.
But Lukas soon forgot about the orphanage. No, he didnt forget. He brushed it off to the side.
When he was first captured by the bandits, he was obsessed with killing Black Fox and escaping. But he didnt have the power to do so, and he didnt have the ability to return to the orphanage
In that way, he hid behind a cowardly excuse.
But five years later, Lukas was able to unintentionally escape from the bandits. Of course, this wasnt because hed managed to kill Black Fox.
That man had died on his own terms.
It was a big accident.
They had naturally targeted a noble.
And attempted a simple but effective two stage plan, but it failed.
The other side had a Wizard. It was a 5 star Wizard whose destructive power had been absolutely terrifying. Most of the bandits had burned like dry firewood in the flames summoned by the Wizard.
At that time, Black Fox had made a decision. He revealed himself to be the leader of the bandit group and attracted most of the enemys attention.
In the end, he didnt even leave a corpse, his black ashes scattering in the wind.
Lukas had been greatly shocked by the death of Black Fox. Even as he tried to run away, he couldnt help but feel sadness and even sympathy.
Why?
That man had given him hell for five years. Was he touched that hed given his life for him in the end?
He didnt know, but Lukas was certain that Black Fox hadnt sacrificed himself at that time just to save him.
Instead, hed considered the circumstances and made the most reasonable judgement at that time. With just his one life, he would be able to save the lives of dozens of bandits. That was the kind of man he was.
The remnants of the bandit group took Lukas as their new leader. He was the youngest among them, but over the years, he had established himself as the brilliant right hand of Black Fox.
But Lukas ignored them and went to another place.
The orphanage.
He couldnt avoid it any longer.
When he entered the familiar forest, Lukass heart pounded heavily in his chest. By this time, Lukas had already grown into a strong, 19 year old young man. He knew how to calm himself down and control his fear.
However, when he saw the appearance of the orphanage beyond the stream, he could no longer maintain his composure.
Technically speaking, there was no orphanage in sight. In its place were only charred marks on the ground.
It must have been a huge fire to burn it so perfectly to the ground. It felt like he was in a completely different place.
Heart pounding, Lukas rushed to the nearby city. Then, he grabbed the arm of a passerby like a madman and began to ask questions.
And he found out.
Sophia was the culprit behind the disappearances, and she had burned herself together with the orphanage in a fit of madness.
* * *
The memories of Lukas ended there. That was all he could see for now.
Aaaaak-!
With a terrible scream, Lukas regained consciousness.
What the hell kind of pain was this? It felt like his very cells were being torn apart
No. No! It like that at all.
Lukas was highly resistant to pain.
And he couldnt think of anything that was comparable to what he was currently experiencing.
However, in the future, whenever he felt pain, Lukas would compare it to the pain he was feeling at that moment.
His lower half.
The pain was coming from his lower half. He looked down to the source.
Clitter clatter clitter clatter.
A terrifying sound.
Like stones rubbing together or teeth grinding
Without a doubt, it was a sound that would naturally cause humans to feel disgusted.
Lukas lower body was dyed black.
No, it wasnt black.
It was bugs.
An uncountable number of bugs were gnawing on Lukas legs.
Kaak, ak, ack
He screamed and reeled.
-There are things called three day bugs. They are smaller than a fingernail, and they usually live in groups that can number in the millions. They are very docile until they find their prey that is Kuku
-What you should really be worrying about are the three day bugs. I know that your pain tolerance is pretty high, but the pain they inflict far exceeds your imagination
He recalled Lukas words.
Thats right. These were three day bugs.
Flame Ball!
Fwoosh!
The Flame Ball burned the bugs.
Kiiieeee, the bugs screamed in terror as they were torn apart. There was also the sound of something popping.
The three day bugs were soon eradicated. The bugs burned, smelling even worse than the rotten corpses. Compared to the terrible pain they inflicted, they didnt seem to have any defensive ability.
Ugh, ack
Lukas gasped.
There wasnt much of his lower half left. His appearance was now closer to Lukas when hed first seen him.
This was dangerous.
At this rate, Lukas might become a corpse as well.
Eat something
Something made from flesh and blood.
As he looked around, something appeared in Lukas eyes.
A body of flesh and blood, although rotted.
Lukass corpse.
To eat another human.
If one were to ask if his rejection of this had completely disappeared, the answer would be no.
However, even another Lukas didnt consider him to be human.
And he himself agreed with that.
If that was the case then now,
Even if he were to become a monster, it couldnt be helped.
Tuk.
He picked up Lukass corpse.
Juk, he opened his tightly closed mouth.
Crunch.
And bit into the rotten corpse. Immediately, a terrible stench filled his nostrils, and it felt like he would release the contents of his stomach, but he was able to suppress the feeling and keep moving his jaw.
He endured the taste and sensation of chewing flesh as well as the stench that made him want to vomit.
Munch, munch
Lukass flesh did not taste good. This was natural since it was a rotten corpse. There was also the occasional sensation that didnt feel or taste like flesh or blood, in those cases, it was probably maggots. Every time that happened, his disgust grew even more.
Munch, munch
With every bit of flesh he ate, it felt like his heart was becoming darker and darker. As if his entire body was being painted black. Every time he became aware of his own actions, he felt an overwhelming sense of immorality, making it difficult to maintain his sanity.
It felt like he was gradually sinking into an abyss from whence he would never return.
It was even more disgusting since he was eating the corpse of another Lukas but it could not be helped.
This was the only way.
Lukas was now crossing a line.
In order to live for such an unimaginably long time and still keep a clarity of mind, it was necessary to limit ones scope of action.
For example, one should set lines that could not be crossed. Otherwise, regardless of how strong one became, it would be easy to lose go crazy.
The collapse and corruption of those who had lost control of themselves.
It was something that Lukas had seen countless times before, and something hed vowed never to do.
But now, he was breaking his vow.
Lukas was now becoming that kind of being because he wanted to.
In other words, he was going crazy.
Ku, kukuk, ku..
He burst into laughter, but he realised that he was also crying at the same time.
Nevertheless, even while he shed tears with a distorted expression, Lukas didnt stop eating Lukas.
By the time the hardest meal of his life had ended, Lukas face was covered with blood.
He was full.
He had eaten several times in the World of Void, but this was the first time hed felt full. His missing lower half had also regenerated without him realising.
He wiped his face with his sleeve, but the blood didnt come off so easily.
While looking down at the bones of Lukas, which had become bare, he suddenly had a thought.
Eating people wasnt as bad as he thought.
(TL: Hmmm, it was a great idea to translate this while eating. Wonderful idea.)
Book 2: Chapter 402
Book 2: Chapter 402 He wandered around in search of another Lukas.
Pale had called him lucky when shed discovered the corpse of the Bandit Lukas. She was right about that. It wasnt easy to find the corpses of other Lukases.
He walked around aimlessly.
On the occasions when he felt hungry, he would casually eat one of the bodies around him. (TL: Dang, thats someone elses possibility Lukas.)
But even at those times, he focused on efficiency. He aimed for the corpses that had the most in common with him.
The passage of time could not be felt in the dump site.
The surroundings were constantly dark, and the surrounding scenery was consistent enough to make him laugh bitterly. This was natural since regardless of where he looked, he would see nothing but corpses.
It was a different feeling from when he was in the Abyss. If what he felt in that place was an emptiness that killed courage and trampled upon hope, the dump site seemed to be filled with an atmosphere that drove a healthy mind to madness.
He discovered the second Lukas body completely by accident.
A corpse creaked as he stepped onto it. This had happened many times since he was here so it was nothing new, but something different happened this time. That was because it felt like an electric current shot up his foot.
It was very similar to the feeling he had when he touched the corpse of the Bandit Lukas.
He looked down at the corpse.
He didnt realise what it was at first. This was because the appearance of this corpse was completely out of Lukas expectations or imagination.
Nevertheless, the feeling of familiarity remained. The more he looked at the corpse, the more he realised that it wasnt just a feeling of familiarity.
She had long hair. She had a decent figure, and there was a slight glow to her face. She didnt have a right arm. It appeared to have been cut off by a sharp blade.
Lukas
Realised that this woman was another of his selves.
Tuk.
He touched her body. And he once again saw a segment of the past.
This womans name was Lucia Larson. Larson was his mothers last name.
It seemed that shed lived a life that had nothing to do with the Trowman Orphanage.
Why was that? Because she had a different gender?
Grecia Larson didnt appear to be a commoner. There was fatigue on her face, but her clothes were clearly made from high quality materials, and she carried herself with grace that could not be hidden. Shed also appeared deeply saddened to leave Lukas at the orphanage.
In other words, she hadnt abandoned the child because she wanted to, but because of some other uncontrollable circumstance.
What was the reason?
Why did she abandon the boy-child and raise the girl-child?
He had no idea.
This was because Lucias phantom didnt appear. He didnt know why.
However, he was able to understand one fact. The fact that even if he were to eat the entire body without undergoing that kind of complicated process, he would still obtain her full potential.
In that case, there was no reason for him to hesitate.
Crack, crunch
The predation began.
The second time was easier than the first. He still felt like he was descending, but at least this time he didnt feel he was falling into an abyss. He didnt know why. Perhaps it was because he was already at the bottom.
Lukas finished his meal with an indifferent expression and immediately felt full once more.
But this time, he also had a strange feeling.
The mana, which filled his mana room, had disappeared.
It felt like the purely natural energy had become turbid.
Was it simply a feeling? Or
Lukas murmured to himself as he made a judgement.
Flame Ball.
The spell appeared without any issue. Or so he thought at first.
Fwo-, oosh
Like his mana, the spell gave the impression that it was somewhat precarious. But apart from that, there were no other abnormalities. It was no less powerful, and while it was a bit unstable, it wouldnt disappear unless Lukas willed it to.
After looking at the Flame Ball for a while, he finally turned his head away. He decided not to care. The changes that occurred didnt matter as long as they didnt reduce the power. If there were any problems, he would deal with them at that time.
This way of thinking was very different from Lukas in the past.
It kind of reminded him of Lucia. Hed found her completely by accident. If he hadnt stepped on her, he would have walked past her without realising anything. He was only able to tell that she was him after coming into contact with her corpse.
This fact caused him to realise something.
There were probably Lukases in this dump site whose appearances were completely unimaginable to him. It was possible that he might have even seen other Lukases without noticing.
In that regard, it might not have been a good thing that the first Lukas he encountered was Bandit Lukas.
His appearance had been almost identical to his own, which created the prejudice in Lukas mind that the others would have similar appearances in the broad sense.
Tap tap-
Lukas began to retrace his footsteps. He walked past the surrounding bodies without even looking at them.
After an indiscernible amount of time.
He returned to the entrance of the dump site where theyd found the corpse of Bandit Lukas.
From the beginning.
From here, he would check each corpse one by one. Without overlooking a single one.
He knew.
How many corpses were in just this area. Going through each of them one by one was a task that would seem impossible to any sane mind.
The corpse of one Lukas had already been found in this area. From a probability standpoint, the chances of him finding another Lukas here were absurdly low.
But while they might be absurdly low, the chances were not zero.
That fact was more important to Lukas than anything else.
Then, lets begin.
With a listless mutter.
Lukas dug up the nearest corpse.
* * *
Tap.
He passed through corpses.
Tap.
He ate a lot.
Tap. sea??h th N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
He ate a lot of Lukas.
There were countless failed Lukases. It wasnt just bandits.
Swordsmen, Knights, Guards, Martial Artists, Farmers, Fishermen, Doctors, Peddlers, Herbalists, Mercenaries, Priests, Nobles
Lukas was directly able to experience the infinite possibilities of one being.
He stopped.
Suddenly, it occurred to him that a lot of time might have passed.
He slowly looked around.
He was still surrounded by thousands of corpses piled onto each other, but now, he was familiar with all of them.
This meant that hed rummaged through all of these corpses at least once.
He passed them.
The corpses around him changed, and the colour of the ground and walls changed. This was proof that hed entered another area.
Lukas had learned a lot about the dump sites environment.
Firstly, it wasnt just himself and the corpses in this place. (TL: And Pale.)
Three Day Bugs. In addition to those insects which inflicted terrible pain, there were other living beings.
Surprisingly, there were many different kinds, and there were even some among them that were threats to him.
Throb-
He had a headache.
It was a pain that had been following him consistently from some point, but now, he could barely feel it.
It first appeared after hed eaten three corpses.
The pain had come unexpectedly.
It felt like his entire body was being torn apart. It was so painful that he couldnt even scream. It was as if Three Day Bugs had dug into his skin, and were gnawing on his internal organs, muscles, and blood vessels.
That pain had stayed with him for days afterward.
It didnt stop, and he didnt get used to it. Instead, it felt like it was getting worse.
So Lukas had no choice but to continue forward.
It felt like the pain would never end even if he waited forever, so he had no choice but to continue doing what he was doing.
He ate another corpse.
When he ate the fourth and fifth corpses, the pain doubled. At that time, it was hard for him to stay sane.
But he ignored it.
Stumbling, he looked for the next corpse.
He struggled to keep a hold on his blurring vision and raised his concentration as high as he possibly could. Among the pain ripping through his body, the most severe by far was the headache. The thought that it would be better to just smash his skull appeared in his mind tens of thousands of times a day.
But he couldnt. Death was no more than an escape. Lukas had no intention of dying.
He ate a corpse.
He even ate a corpse that wasnt a Lukas by accident. As mentioned before, his vision was blurred and his sanity waning.
Then, at some point, the pain began to fade. It wasnt that he was growing used to it, it was really fading. He didnt know why, and he didnt know when.
That wasnt the only thing that changed.
He no longer felt full even after eating a complete corpse. To be precise, it felt like he could no longer absorb it efficiently. It was like pouring water into a cup that was already full
It was at that moment that Lukas corpse feast came to an end.
Then, he sat down and inspected himself.
He realised that hed become stronger.
Was it maximum magic power? Absolute quantity of mana? Or, a state beyond 10 stars?
No, it wasnt.
The power hed gained from abandoning his humanity was nothing like that. At least he didnt think so. A simple increase in the strength of his magic power, which he now had, was not enough to defeat the Twelve Void Lords. It couldnt surpass Yang In-hyuns sword.
He continued to observe within him.
Mana.
He could now feel the familiar energy that filled his body a bit better.
But as he ate more corpses, the nature of his mana seemed to change, and at some point, it began to feel turbid. As a result, his mana could no longer be called pure energy.
Mana was the most natural and purest energy. It was infinitely close to the source of fire, water, earth and air, which were the matter that made up all creation.
Energy that gained its value from its purity.
If that was the case, then what was the value of this turbid mana?
Mana was a type of energy that didnt fit in with this world.
Lukas had felt this a long time ago. The way to replenish it was also inefficient, and the power of absolute had failed to have an impact on an Absolute being like Yang In-hyun.
It wasnt just Yang In-hyun.
Lukas knew that in this world, he was not even on the same level as the truly strong beings.
Michael, Pale, and the giant monster whose throat was the entry point for the dump site he was currently in.
They were all stronger than Lukas.
He knew that.
Despite knowing that, he was not able to completely abandon mana. It was Lukas only weapon. In a way, he could even be called obsessed.
His mind was in tatters as if it had been stitched together countless times, but, paradoxically, it was stable in that regard.
Knowing just how much of a mess he was as a being, he was able to stay rather calm.
Lukas had thought that hed reached the end of the path of magicology.
But was that really the case? In the first place, could a field of study even have an end?
He thought for a long time, but his decision was quick.
Lukas
Decided to abandon mana.
Shaa-
Lukas entire body felt a state of extreme weakness. Hed metaphorically opened the lid of his mana room, which was always tightly closed. And the mana poured out of every orifice in his body.
He let it go without holding anything back.
No, the mana wanted to stay.
It didnt want to leave the mana room, where it had stayed for a long time.
So this was a one sided release on Lukas part.
Ohhhh-
A strange sound resonated when the huge amount of mana was gently released all at once. It sounded like a howl or a scream of resentment.
It was a strange feeling.
They were like companions, friends, family, lovers and maybe even more than that, for a long time. And now it felt like hed killed the other with his own hands.
But there were no large ripples in his already blackened heart.
At most, there was a small hint of regret.
What Lukas was looking at was what was in front of him.
Abandoning mana was only the beginning. There was still a lot he had to throw away.
Abandoning mana was the same as abandoning his identity as a Wizard. Naturally, the title Great Mage was also being abandoned. He also didnt have the right to teach anyone anymore, so the title Great Teacher was undeserved.
He wasnt throwing away his worldly shackles. This was far from such a noble sacrifice, which was usually practised by religious people.
It was more than that
A bit more
___
A thought suddenly appeared in his mind.
If he threw everything away one after the other,
What would be left at the end?
It wasnt long before his mana ceased to exist. Surprisingly, it had taken longer than hed expected.
Completely draining all of the mana in his entire body had been much harder and more meticulous than hed initially thought. It wasnt just his mana room, it was difficult to remove the residue left behind by mana in the pathways throughout his body which the mana passed through like veins.
However, he was now completely empty.
At the very least, Lukas now no longer had any mana.
Then what was he to do now?
Should he find another weapon?
Swords, spears, axes, blunt weapons, bows, dozens and hundreds of weapons appeared in his mind. It wasnt just physical weapons. Spirit arts, black magic, and holy power also crossed his mind.
However, would those work?
Hed felt it while eating countless Lukases.
He was stronger than any Lukas in the dump site.
In other words, it could be said that Lukas, who had pursued magicology, had made the best choice when it came to strength. But he had already abandoned mana.
He had no intention of reverting that decision. Mana was not enough to help him fight the Twelve Void Lords. He was sure of this.
At that moment, Lukas suddenly had an absurd thought.
It was so ridiculous that it was hard for him to put it into words, but he also found that he was unexpectedly drawn to it.
I wonder if I can use magic without mana.
(TL: So The Not Great Mage Returns After 4000 Years?)
Book 2: Chapter 403
Book 2: Chapter 403 He could not completely get rid of his mana.
In order to not die, he would need to eat, and every time he did that, his mana would refill. So that wouldnt work.
Should he destroy his mana room? No. That was pointless. That would also regenerate as soon as he ate something.
That meant that Lukas had no choice but to starve himself. (TL: You cant disappear in the dump site.)
The pain that followed was not insignificant, but when compared to the terrible pain of being eaten by the three day bugs or eating the corpses, it was not that bad.
He used the time to reflect on his goal again.
Using magic without mana.
Breaking his prejudices, changing his ideas, thinking outside of the box
It wasnt something that could simply be dismissed as such. This was because it was practically impossible according to the laws. Just as it was impossible to make ashes by burning water, it was physically and realistically impossible to cast spells without mana.
Zero Technique.
Lukas had clearly used a similar technique in the past, but it was different from then. The Zero Technique was never about casting spells without mana. It was about using the mana in the atmosphere instead of the mana in the body.
What about this place?
There was no mana.
There wasnt even the slightest hint of mana in the atmosphere. Thats why he said that mana didnt suit this world.
Then firstly, he would need to learn.
About this place, the World of Void.
* * *
The first thing he considered was as follows.
What was the most basic power that existed in the World of Void?
Mana was a symbol of balance and nature. This pure, great energy was darker and more abundant in places that had not been touched by the hands of man. Simply encountering such mana could allow a Wizard to step into the next level or gain the clues that would allow them to reach it.
Then what about this world?
What kind of energy was the most abundant and easiest to obtain in the World of Void, where only the beings who had failed and were forgotten could enter.
Since it was the World of Void, it was empty.
This was a natural thought, but Lukas flatly denied this.
disappearance*, and regeneration. (*: A place holder for ceasing to exist. Still open to any better suggestions.)
If you didnt eat something before the colour of the sky changed five times, you would begin to disappear from the tips of your toes. If you ate something, the disappearance would stop. In addition, even unrecoverable fatal injuries could easily be regenerated.
Why was that possible?
Because it was the World of Void? Because those were the laws of this world?
No. He couldnt simply accept that.
He needed to understand it more deeply. He needed to analyse it.
Cause and effect.
Laws and limitations.
Fate and providence.
What exactly caused the disappearance? It wasnt a phenomenon that began in the body. It was interference that came from outside of the body. In other words, there were material and immaterial elements capable of interfering with the body in the atmosphere.
Lukas felt that those elements made up the most basic and abundant power that encompassed the World of Void.
However
He couldnt understand it at all.
It was impossible for him to even sense it.
The only clues he had were from the moment his body had begun to disappear. At that time, hed felt a sensation of emptiness and dissipation from the tips of his toes He would need to ponder about that sensation some more.
If I wasnt in the dump site now.
He might have refrained from eating for a while. Then he could have waited until he began to disappear and tried to feel the sense of dissipation more clearly.
Then, he would have eaten something only at the moment when he could not take it any longer.
But he couldnt use that method now.
Dissipation would not occur he- Sar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
!
Lukas expression suddenly changed.
Dissipation did not occur in this place.
In other words, unlike outside of the dump site, there was no element that caused the disappearance here, or there was another element that suppressed that element.
In that case, this was an opportunity.
In any case, there was a clear distinction or difference between the inside and the outside of the dump site.
He just needed to specify what that was.
Analyse, experiment, think.
Regardless of how mysterious this world was, regardless of how the laws of this world might defy common sense.
In the end, it meant that there were still laws of its own. It didnt matter if they were too broad or complicated to understand at first.
In any universe, this was something that anyone who discovered the laws for the first time would feel.
* * *
From a young age, once he made a decision, he had a tendency to see it through to the end.
And magicology had been the first major decision hed made. He wanted to see the end of that field of study. He wanted to be ahead of everyone else.
Certainly, it had been a simple and childish idea at first.
But regardless of the initial reason, Lukas had eventually achieved what he was pursuing.
There were times when he failed and felt frustrated and lost, but in the end, he became the greatest Wizard to carve his name in history.
Although hed lost the battle to the Demigods, he hadnt lost to anyone in the field of magicology.
Therefore, analysis and contemplation were Lukas greatest assets.
His head felt heavy as if a rock was resting upon it.
In that state, Lukas lay among the corpses, still.
His face was haggard, and his eyes were dead. His hunger had already reached the limit, and he was beginning to see changes in his body as well. At some point, hed started losing weight. This was probably a special phenomenon that could only occur in the dump site.
As he quietly looked up at the ceiling, a thought suddenly occurred to him.
was I underestimating this world?
No.
That wasnt it. He hadnt underestimated it.
By now, hed spent a long time in the World of Void, but it was only a short chapter when compared to the life Lukas had lived.
Of course, this chapter was more intense than anything else, but he was still confident.
He felt that, if it were him, he would be able to learn everything he wanted as long as he analysed every single detail with all his might.
He wasnt.
He hadnt even managed to grasp the slightest hair of a clue.
He felt like his head was about to split open. This wasnt about a mortal genius.
This was about Lukas, who, although now declined, had once been an Absolute Lord, using his brain to such an extent.
Nevertheless, it wasnt enough.
He hadnt managed to figure anything out.
Was this his limit?
Was this as far as he could go?
For the first time in his life, he felt despair.
Although hed been forced to yield to the authority and might of beings greater than himself, he had never given up on himself. The process of finding laws and providence could be considered one of his specialties.
In other words, Lukas felt like hed reached the limit in the field he was most confident in.
is this it for me?
That was enough,
He wanted to give u-
Lukas thoughts stopped there as he shot up from his place on the ground.
Crack!
Then, he swung his fist like a hammer and crushed one of his fingers. Blood dripped down. At this point, this kind of pain was no different from a bug bite, but his head became much clearer.
Kuk.
Give up? He wanted to quit now?
Enough.
Why the hell had he abandoned his humanity, mana and even his own identity?
To become strong.
He had chosen to cast everything aside for that goal.
How dare he have such a weak thought now? He felt his mind reach its limits and now wanted to stop and rest?
Hahaha.
He laughed loudly at his unsightly self.
No. He couldnt.
That, more than anything, was unacceptable.
Clearly, Lukas had abandoned many things.
It wasnt just his identity and humanity as was mentioned before. So many things had been thrown away that he hardly felt like himself at this point.
Nevertheless, it seemed there was still something he hadnt yet thrown away.
Lukas hadnt yet abandoned his pride.
* * *
In order to not die, he needed to eat.
But eating meant replenishing his mana.
By nature.
His crushed finger regenerated. Lukas did not take his eyes off of this sight which could only be described as grotesque. However, what he was looking at was not the outside, but the inside.
What happened within his body when he regenerated?
Lukas wasnt able to find the right answer in his own body. It was the same now.
It was for this reason that his gaze had shifted from the inside to the outside.
However, was that really the case? Perhaps hed missed something.
From that day forth, Lukas began to practice self-harm.
He injured himself then ate food while closely observing the effects on his own body. Even if the correct answer didnt exist inside his body, it was clearly being influenced by some factor.
What he needed to pay attention to was the change.
Crack.
He cut off his finger.
Crack.
He dug out his eyeball.
Crack.
He bit off his tongue.
Crack.
He pierced a hole into his stomach.
[At any time.]
Suddenly.
[The narrow gate leading to the truth can be found within you.]
He seemed to hear a voice.
When he heard those words, Lukas stopped harming himself.
A lesson hed forgotten. In the past, that lesson could be considered a maxim that carried him through life.
He closed his eyes and thought.
Inside him.
Was it referring to his body or his mind?
Or both.
Lukas once again looked at his mana.
To be precise, he looked at the impurities that were mixed into his mana.
And he realised.
Whenever he hurt himself and regenerated, the impurities in his mana experienced a slight change.
Theyre moving.
The impurities moved towards the site of the injury.
And then they disappeared? No, the total amount of impurities didnt decrease. Lukas would have immediately noticed it if there was such an obvious change.
The beginning.
Could this energy really be dismissed as impurities?
He didnt know.
Something that Lukas couldnt identify had mixed with his mana. It was only then that he realised hed been wasting his time. He should have been searching for the source of this turbid power from the start.
In order to analyse it more accurately, he would need to separate the impurities from his mana.
He immediately put it to the test.
It was usually difficult to separate powers that were already mixed, but this was especially difficult. The impurities did not separate easily and instead acted as though they had bonded with the mana for a long time.
An old memory popped into his mind.
It was from sometime in the past, when he was called Frey Blake.
There had been a time when he tried to combine two opposing forces in his mind world.
While it was reckless, he refused to give in and was eventually met with success, obtaining what he wanted.
The difference this time was, instead of combining two powers, he was now trying to separate them.
Separation was inherently more difficult than combination. It was going to take a long time, and unlike that time, when he had some knowledge of both powers, he did not know exactly what kind of energy the impurities were.
So what was the reason for the thought?
It had been a long time since hed forgotten the time and effort needed to accomplish such a difficult goal.
The most important thing was to progress forward one step at a time.
It didnt matter how slow or short those steps were.
* * *
A long time passed.
Lukas had finally succeeded in obtaining the impurities. To be precise, hed gotten ahold of the original form of the impurities that he so badly wanted.
When he drained all of his mana, the original form miraculously moved near his heart.
It was a miniscule amount of energy.
Using mana as a reference, it was about enough to cast a 1 star spell. He wasnt certain, but thats what he felt.
Huu.
He took a deep breath.
What came next was the important part.
Lukas thought of a formula.
For the most basic spell.
Even though it was only one line, he meticulously checked the formula before opening his mouth.
Magic Missile.
Bang!
He felt a great shock in his heart.
Lukas couldnt help but cough up the blood rushing up his throat.
A large amount of pressure had been applied to his internal organs, damaging them. He knew what this phenomenon was. It was the reaction that occurred when a spell was forcibly cast with the wrong formula.
In other words, Lukas had simply failed to cast the spell.
The original form of the impurities that hed spent a long time collecting, dispersed.
He had failed to cast Magic Missile, a spell that had been perfected even when he first encountered magic.
Moreover, although it could be regenerated, he had suffered damage to his heart and other internal organs as a result.
Kuh.
Nevertheless.
Puhaha
Lukas burst into laughter as tears rolled down his face.
Hed failed.
Finally, hed failed. He could fail.
That fact filled him with immense joy.
Ahhh. Until now, he couldnt even fail. In other words, he didnt even qualify for the challenge.
Hed experienced how difficult and painful that was.
But it was okay now. He didnt need to despair anymore.
Now it was just a matter of time.
How much effort it took, how long it took, how many times he failed, none of that mattered anymore.
Either way, Lukas would eventually be able to see the end of this mysterious power.
Because he never ran away from failure.
Book 2: Chapter 404
Book 2: Chapter 404 After that, he didnt try to use any other spells. Of course, this wasnt because he was afraid of pain or injury. The corpses around him were piled up into mountains. In other words, he didnt have to fear dying from any injury while here.
First off, he wanted to understand this power hed discovered more clearly.
He felt like if he rolled it around in his head a bit more, he would be able to discover an important clue.
But before that, there was one misconception that he needed to correct.
I didnt become stronger.
Of course, it was true that he was now stronger than before hed started eating corpses.
But, technically, it was impossible to gain a radical rise in power just by consuming corpses and taking their possibilities.
He didnt know about anyone else, but at least that was the case for Lukas.
Consuming corpses.
This inhumane act had only served to raise Lukas potential to the max.
In other words, it only equipped him with the conditions to become strong.
It was like his body was filled with the raw materials for power that hadnt been smelted yet. The possibilities of Lukas that he had obtained.
In that case, what were the possibilities?
The turbid power that reduced the purity of his mana, that is to say, the impurities. The more corpses he consumed, the better his ability to sense those impurities became.
It was only at that moment that he realised that.
In the beginning, Lukas didnt have the ability to sense the impurities.
Its because it mixed with my mana.
Because the impurities mixed with mana, which could even be called the purity of nature itself.
That was why he was able to sense it.
Lukas couldnt help but smile wryly at that thought.
Hed accepted it into his body, used it as he pleased, and now, threw it away when he felt like it was no longer useful. Hed committed an action so horrid that he wouldnt complain even if he were labelled as trash for it.
And yet, it was the same mana that gave him what he needed as a parting gift.
I have to live up to it.
He didnt want to waste manas last gift to him.
The impurities. Did these impurities truly deserve to be Lukas new power?
He wasnt sure.
It was a different kind of energy.
He had no idea where to start studying it, and he didnt know how to interpret it.
So, he had no choice but to once again compare it to the power he knew best, mana.
Simple materials.
This referred to air, fire, earth, and water.
Everything that made up the universe could be deconstructed into these four materials without exception, and they could be changed constantly through the movement of other matter.
Fire could be air, water could be earth.
And mana,
Was the power that made the creation of those simple materials possible.
In other words, it could be called the most basic energy in a more absolute sense than the four elements.
The interpretation the purest and most basic form of energy that had been construed by the Wizards was not incorrect.
Mana was also nature, as it could be created in turbid or polluted lands.
In that case, the impurities could be considered the opposite of mana.
The reason Lukas had this thought was simple. Mana did not exist in the World of Void. No matter where he went, he could not sense even the slightest hint of mana. It was as if to prove the claim that such energy simply did not exist in this world.
Mana can only be replenished by eating something.
This was another thing that Lukas didnt quite understand.
Naturally, corpses did not have any mana in them. This was true even for the corpse of a 10-star Wizard. As soon as they died, the mana slumbering in their body would disappear without a trace. While he wasnt sure if this was the same for dragon hearts, it was at least the truth for human bodies.
And yet, when he ate something in this world, his mana was replenished.
So firstly, he needed to figure out why.
* * *
What if it wasnt replenished?
A thought suddenly occurred to him.
After that, thoughts began to erupt one after the other like waves from a dam that had collapsed.
At first, hed thought that mana could only be supplied by consuming something. However, now that he thought about it, it felt a little different from that. It could not be regarded as supply or replenishment.
To put it in a different perspective.
For Lukas, there were three things that could be solved by eating.
One, he wouldnt disappear.
Two, his injuries would be healed.
Three, his mana would be refilled.
Lukas thought about these three things separately. In other words, these three things could be called the effects of eating.
But what if they werent?
He looked around. Surprisingly, the dump site also seemed to serve as a junkyard, so he was easily able to find what he was looking for.
Chuk-
It was a sword buried in a corpse. He observed the sword for a moment. The blade was a bit damaged, but he didnt think it would be a problem.
Just like that, he cut off his left arm from the forearm.
Shuk-
It wasnt a proper swing, but he was still able to easily cut through his flesh and bone. Blood dripped from the cross section of the wound. But by this time, Lukas had already picked up the calf of a nearby corpse and bitten into it.
Crunch.
His wound began to regenerate and his mana refilled. He couldnt tell if his disappearance had been prevented. That was still a mystery in this place.
But it was fine. At least he didnt have to worry about it.
He looked closely at the wound. Wriggle. His flesh squirmed out of the cross section of his forearm. The sight of regeneration was never pleasant to look at. Nevertheless, Lukas did not take his eyes off of it.
And when the wound was completely regenerated.
ah.
He realised.
This phenomenon wasnt regeneration.
it regressed.
His body had basically returned to his best state, the state he was in when he first entered the World of Void.
The prevention of disappearance, recovery of wounds, and replenishment of mana.
Lukas conjecture was right. It was not right to call these three things the effects of eating.
This was because there was only one phenomenon that happened.
His body regressed.
* * *
Lukas speculation continued.
The World of Void.
A world that only the forgotten, or failed, could enter.
A world filled with countless possibilities that had been abandoned by the Three Thousand Worlds.
0
What was the most important thing in this world?
to not be forgotten.
Right. That was it.
If they were forgotten even here, then they would really cease to exist.
The environment of the World of Void was incredibly harsh. It was as if this world was constantly trying to annihilate all living beings.
If they didnt eat anything before the sky changed colour five times, beings would disappear.
This was the most basic and ironclad rule of this world.
To replenish the power of existence by eating.
The term Power of Existence had occurred to him before. However, its weight as it touched his heart was different now than then.
It was a terrible world.
Lukas felt that fact even more now.
Of course, the providence of the law of the jungle applied everywhere.
However, even with that, this place was severely twisted.
It was like a gigantic, giggling mass of malice.
Great malice.
And the power that Lukas was currently trying to decipher was probably the source of this malice.
The impurities.
Although faint, hed finally grasped a clue.
Lukas murmured.
Magic Missile.
Bang.
He once again felt the pain as if someone had struck his heart, and his entire body shook violently.
Lukas forcibly swallowed the blood that rushed up his throat, but he was unable to stop a small dribble from rolling down the corner of his lips.
His injuries were serious. This was natural since hed hurt his heart. Nevertheless, it was not enough to kill him. So he decided to put off eating a corpse for now.
The reaction that had just happened in his body. Why the explosion occurred, and why it was in close proximity to his heart.
There were a lot of things he needed to learn.
if I dont understand, then Ill do it till I do.
With that thought, Lukas wiped the blood away from the corner of his mouth.
* * *
Every material and immaterial element had its own inherent laws and properties.
And as far as Lukas knew, there was no energy as esoteric and boundless as mana.
Whether its bond structure or volume, pressure of the exerted force, or ambient temperature.
Mana could be influenced by a wide variety of things, causing it to sometimes become fire, sometimes ice, sometimes rocks, or sometimes wind.
The deep consideration and examination of these interactions of mana, and the concept of actually using its power to express magic, was known as magicology.
In order to call yourself a Wizard, it was necessary to first understand what effects mana had when combined into different structures.
Of course, this was a difficult task for Wizards now entering the field of magicology, but they wouldnt get far if they only focused on memorising and copying. That approach met its limits very quickly.
He knew that.
That was the reason why Lukas was trying to fully understand the impurities.
And at that moment, his tenacious obsession and effort finally paid off.
its different from mana.
The properties of the impurities.
Those were the first words he uttered after grasping that clue.
They were completely different from the properties of mana.
Hed tried to control this energy with magic formulas.
It was only at that moment did he realise how ignorant his actions had been. It was similar to pouring oil onto a fire to put it out. If it wasnt for the fact that he was in the World of Void, he would have already died thousands of times over.
Its like mana.
Lukas then spoke words that directly contradicted what hed said previously.
The impurities also had their own properties, attributes and laws.
However, the outcomes of those were completely different. But only different to an extent.
For example, if he applied the formula for casting Magic Missile to the impurities, he would feel a shock in his chest like someone slapped his heart. If he used Fire Ball, half of his internal organs would be blown away, and if he used Ice Spear, all of the blood vessels in his left arm would erupt simultaneously. Stone Teeth caused his knees to explode.
The fact that different phenomena were appearing depending on the formula used meant that this power had different laws. Although he didnt understand it yet.
How long would it take for him to use this power in practice?
Magic.
He knew how each and every magic formula that created spells were made.
Magic Missile, the most basic spell.
The spell involved changing the form of mana to give it physical power and launching it at a target.
In terms of formulas, it wasnt more than two lines, five lines if you unravelled it. It was that simple. A talented person would be able to use it just by looking at it.
However, was the process of making the magic missile that simple? It was just a two lined magic formula so it could have easily been made with a few days of thought. Right?
No. Definitely not.
There had to have been Wizards who were the first to discover mana, analyse its laws, and realise the principles of interaction.
They would have put their heads together and pondered it deeply.
Perhaps all the geniuses of that time had gathered together.
Then, after countless trial and error, they were able to create the first spell.
It was because of the existence of these forefathers that the Wizards of the future were able to gradually increase their level and eventually catch a glimpse of the 9-star level. sea??h th N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
How much blood, sweat and tears had they shed? How many years had it taken?
Magic was a field of study.
And the process of creating a field of study was by no means short. It couldnt be short.
Ill have to do that process on my own, from now on.
It was a fact that didnt really excite him now.
Lukas simply nodded acceptingly.
He would do it.
He would analyse the impurities, understand their interactions, figure out formulas through trial and error, and eventually, use magic once again with this power.
But. To do that, he couldnt call it impurities anymore.
It was the most basic power that made up the World of Void.
The power that made the disappearance and regeneration possible.
A power that was still unknown to Lukas.
After a moment of silence, he thought of an appropriate name for this power.
Void. (TL: In English)
Lukas named this power, Void.
Book 2: Chapter 405
Book 2: Chapter 405 Void could not be called a field of study.
Even after studying this power deeply and building up systematic knowledge, it would be a futile effort to try to leave any records of it.
Fields of study should be shared by many people.
They should allow those who have accumulated enough knowledge to discuss amongst themselves, and anyone who has the will to learn should be eligible to enter. Although they might seem difficult and unfriendly to the layman, their complexity should never exceed a certain level.
In other words, they should be accessible. That was the only way for them to keep going. They needed masters, disciples, forefathers, and descendants.
And it needed alumni.
Those who could find different solutions to the same problem, and who could sometimes take different approaches to the same topic and discuss them.
Since ancient times, the most developed fields of study were the ones where experts with different thoughts often clashed.
Constantly thinking to point out or respond to logical arguments resulted in the most beautiful development of a field of study.
And it was for this reason that Void could not be considered as such.
Because the layman wouldnt understand.
It wasnt just the laymen.
Objectively speaking, even those talented enough to be called geniuses would hardly be able to understand the magical powers that void possessed.
To state it specifically, its structure was tens of thousands of times more complex than mana.
From his understanding, the power of void was closely linked to disappearance and regeneration. There was no power in the entire multiverse that was as dangerous.
This level of difficulty, this level of risk.
It was not something that could be studied with trial and error. Naturally, this made it impossible to discuss with anyone else.
So Lukas simply accepted this power as a kind of authority.
It was similar to the power Absolutes used. A kind of power that couldnt and shouldnt be used by just anyone.
The reason he said it was similar was because unlike that, Lukas had to learn the power of void from the bottom up.
Absolutes were different. Most of them were given a complete understanding of the power given to them from birth. This made it possible for them to use it as easily as breathing. In a nutshell, it was inborn.
That wasnt the case for Lukas.
Sss
He immersed himself.
Continuously immersing himself.
The flow of consciousness did not stop.
Lukas had only stopped once, and that was when he was no longer able to feel the power of void.
As indicated before, he had already crossed the most difficult ridge. Now, there was nothing to block Lukas.
However, it was slow. His pace was as slow as a snail. This couldnt be helped. This was how difficult it was to carve out a field from nothing. Nevertheless, if he was neglectful now, there would surely be a time when he would have to pay for it.
It was fine.
Lukas didnt feel any frustration or irritation because of this. In the first place, his perseverance and patience had long surpassed the level of an Absolute.
In the World of Void, the dump site was the perfect place to research the mysterious power of void.
Even if he was injured to the point of death, eating a corpse would allow him to be fully healed in the blink of an eye. To be precise, it should be called bodily regression or retrogression, but there was no need to go into the details.
He got injured.
Over and over again.
Hed thought that the risk would be removed as he gained more knowledge, maintained control of his temper, and got used to it, but that wasnt the case. Instead, the risk seemed to only grow larger and larger.
Crunch.
Lukas forcefully bit into a corpse. This time, his teeth were also shattered, so he almost couldnt chew or swallow.
It was at that moment that he realised something.
If something went wrong, there was a chance that he might not be able to chew or swallow a corpse. The solution to this was simple. He would simply need to cut the corpse into a more edible form.
To put it simply, he would have to cook a human corpse. This was a solution that Lukas would never have thought of in the past, but his blackened, rotten mind had long since lost its aversion to this.
There were no tools or technology.
So he could only make the corpses into something like dried jerky. Due to the nature of the dump site, the jerky wouldnt harden as time passed.
Munch.
Lukas chewed on a piece of jerky and swallowed it.
The arm that had been severed in the explosion quickly regenerated.
Although he didnt want it, mana also re-emerged.
He didnt want to replenish mana.
What Lukas wanted was to just restore his body.
If I can fully understand and control void, it should be possible to isolate the concept of regeneration.
To allow the restoration of mana.
Or to just restore the body.
Of course, currently, it was impossible for him to even guess how such a thing could be done.
Shaking his head, he decided to halt those stray thoughts.
In this case, since he was still far away from his destination, it would be better to just lower his head and stare at the tips of his feet as he took one step at a time. That would remind him that although hes moving slowly, hes moving steadily.
* * *
To create spells with void, he first needed to understand the interactions.
And to learn the interactions, he needed to fully understand the properties of void.
As a result of his analysis, he learned that void had the property of being easily swept away by surrounding movements whether they were material or immaterial. This was the reason it had unknowingly been mixed in with his mana and became an impurity.
That was tricky.
This meant that if his concentration wavered in even the slightest way, the void could be swept away by his own pulse.
Gathering it back together was a tedious process, but Lukas suddenly realised.
There is no need to gather it back together.
This was a preconceived notion he had due to mana.
With void, there was no need to gather it in one place like a mana room.
Lukas allowed the void to spread out as it pleased.
Void scattered throughout his body.
Lukas could literally feel the power of emptiness flowing within him.
Now.
Now that youve pranced around to your hearts content, its time to listen to me.
Lukas cautiously assumed control over the void.
Bang!
A large shockwave rippled through his body, and with a cough, he spat out a mouthful of blood.
* * *
His experiment to observe the reaction of applying magical formulas to void was ignorant and dangerous. It was something that he would never have considered if he couldnt regenerate his body an almost infinite number of times.
Originally, he was already quite insensitive to pain.
But now, it had grown to the extent that he even felt numb to what was essentially his acts of self harm. Whenever he used a spell, at least one of his limbs would be turned to rags, but he barely felt anything. The only thing he paid attention to was the movement of void.
There certainly was progress.
Gradually, he was beginning to understand the properties of void.
A bit more.
Just a bit more, and this power would belong to Lukas.
Or so he thought.
One day, Lukas suddenly looked around.
There were no corpses in the area.
The reason for their absence was obvious.
Get injured.
Eat a corpse.
Get injured.
Eat another corpse.
For what reason?
For what reason am I living like this?
No. Could this even be called living?
Does being able to think and act mean one is alive?
Those sudden questions made him reflect on himself.
Then came the most difficult moment.
The feeling of detachment that he felt when he changed was hard to bear. He couldnt accept the fact that the disgusting smell of a strange monster was coming from none other than himself.
At that time, hed buried himself in the mountain of corpses and cried for days.
There were times when he screamed like a deranged person.
As time went by, his broken mind gradually stitched itself back together.
After that, he became a bit more numb. He knew that this phenomenon was not a good thing. Everything that made up Lukas had either been dyed black or disappeared.
He forced himself to ignore it.
And once again.
Dived into void.
* * *
One day, he suddenly realised that he could move void according to his will.
That hed completely comprehended the properties of void.
At that moment, he didnt feel any sense of accomplishment or satisfaction.
He touched his face. He touched the face of a man who was incredibly expressionless.
How much time had passed.
And how much more time would pass.
He didnt know. He couldnt know.
Lukas shook his head.
Completely understanding the properties of void was a clear achievement.
Nevertheless, it meant another start.
There was no point in simply being able to manipulate this power. He wouldnt achieve anything like that.
Void needed to be sublimated into a means of attack, defence, and perhaps even more than that.
Only then would he be able to defeat the Twelve Void Lords.
* * *
A long time passed.
No.
Perhaps it didnt pass at all.
* * *
If there was an accurate way to measure the movement of time in the dump site, it would be the existence of the three day bugs.
If he remained motionless for three days, they would always appear right on time.
This time was no exception.
Clitter clatter-
Hundreds of millions of them.
The number of three day bugs there was perhaps even more than that.
It was definitely an unusual sight to see such a number of these guys who usually only moved in groups numbering in the millions. Anyone who learned the reason for this would have no choice but to nod their heads.
Because there was a man who hadnt moved a muscle for more than three days.
Not a corpse, a human.
He was definitely alive.
Even though he had a skinny body, long, dishevelled hair, an unkempt beard and fingernails, the man was clearly alive.
A long time had passed since the man had been in this state. To an extent, it was strange that not a single three day bug had tried to devour him during this time.
Even after such a long time, the three days bugs were not able to approach him.
They themselves didnt know the reason for this. As if they were being blocked by an invisible wall, they could not get closer than a certain distance from the man.
Twitch.
Suddenly, the mans finger twitched.
Startled by this movement, the three day bugs, who had completely covered the surroundings, immediately began to scatter. If they were eating, they wouldnt care if their prey moved or not, but sadly, theyd never been able to get close to the mans flesh.
The man,
Lukas opened his eyes.
ah.
The voice that flowed out was very broken.
So its like that. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
In a completely emotionless voice, he muttered as if hed finally realised something.
Then, he slowly lowered his stiff neck and looked down at his body.
His long hair and overgrown nails caught his eye.
Lukas stretched a finger towards his carotid artery.
Ssss-
Suddenly, his hair began to shrink. It was the same for his beard and fingernails. No, rather than shrinking, it was more like time was being reversed.
Before long, Lukas appearance had completely changed.
His long hair was now at an appropriate length, his beard had disappeared, and his fingernails, which were as long as a beasts claws, had become short as if they were freshly cut.
All of this happened in the blink of an eye.
Hed lost many things.
Mana, identity, humanity, emotions.
No. Did he lose them?
Maybe hed thrown them away, or maybe hed broken them himself.
He wasnt sure. In truth, he didnt really care. He didnt feel like it was worth taking time to think about.
In any case, Lukas had lost a lot in this place.
Perhaps that was the reason.
His body felt incredibly light as though he could float away at any moment.
Hed become empty.
In other words, void.
That was the only thing Lukas still had in the dump site without throwing it away.
Lukas eyes were no longer blue. They were now a deep shade of black.
He looked around with those eyes.
The dump site.
He knew this place was large enough to be called a world.
But that didnt matter. He already knew how to leave.
At some point, hed become able to feel the existence of the exit.
Nevertheless, hed never paid any attention to it until now. He hadnt gone near it and hed purposefully ignored it.
That was because he still had more to gain from the dump site, and above all, hed felt that he wasnt ready.
Tap-
As he walked towards the exit, a thought appeared in his mind.
Not anymore.
(TL: The one thing Im curious about is what Pale is doing all this while.)
Book 2: Chapter 406
Book 2: Chapter 406 Flower Mountain.
It was one of the three major forces that represented the Western Area of the World of Void, and it was also the main culprit that disturbed the situation in the area. Of course, such a radical move had only begun recently.
To be precise, it was after the Everlasting Plum Sword Yang In-hyun became the Sect Leader.
For some reason, Yang In-hyun declared an indiscriminate war against the surrounding territories, starting a War of Existence. It was a seemingly barbaric action, but some of the local Lords felt that Yang In-hyuns actions werent sincere.
The reason for this was simple.
Since the beginning of the battle, Yang In-hyun, the man in question, had not made a single appearance. The pressure of the title Twelve Void Lords far exceeded imagination. If even the hem of his robes were to appear on the battlefield, most of the surrounding territories would surrender unconditionally.
That wasnt all.
Yang In-hyun wasnt the only powerhouse in Flower Mountain. It wouldnt be counted as one of the three major forces in the Western Area if that were the case.
The Lords knew.
Those who were called the elders of Flower Mountain were, in fact, not the core forces. There were others who people needed to really be wary of.
Not a single one of those beings stayed in Flower Mountain. Unless it was an emergency, they usually wandered around the World of Void, fully focused on increasing their own strength.
The Seven Flowers. Or the Seven Sleeping Dragons of Flower Mountain.
That was what those beings were called.
* * *
its been about 5 years.
The Second Flower ranked second among the Seven Flowers, Sama Ryeong, roughly calculated the amount of time that had passed.
Her internal clock was fairly accurate.
At most, the degree of error wouldnt be more than a month or two.
About 5 years.
It was short enough to be called a short time, but what Sama Ryeong had obtained in this time was by no means small.
I wish I could stay for a few decades.
Such a thing was impossible for her. Sama Ryeong knew the limits of her mental power. This wasnt a whine, it was simply the truth.
Within the dump site, there was an aura that gradually drove intelligent beings to madness.
This energy was incredibly tenacious and persistent, and it grew worse as time passed, so much so that even the self discipline of Sama Ryeong had almost broken several times.
Its a place you dont want to return to.
Shed stepped in because she didnt have much of a choice, but she didnt have any good memories of the place.
After all, there was no place more efficient than this to increase ones power of existence. This was something that most intelligent beings in this world knew.
And yet, not many people actually came here. This was because, aside from the absolutely crazy access method, the risks were more than enough to offset the advantages.
One of those risks was the aforementioned madness.
If Sama Ryeong hadnt mastered one of the Flower Mountain Factions secret methods, the Purple Cloud Divine Technique, then, let alone five years, she probably wouldnt have been able to last one year.
Shed achieved some results.
Sama Ryeong was at least two steps stronger than before shed entered the dump site.
Nevertheless, there was no feeling of satisfaction. Instead, her chest felt heavy as if there was a chunk of lead resting on it.
Yang In-hyun.
The current Sect Leader of the Flower Mountain Faction was a monster whose strength surpassed all of the former Sect Leaders.
But Sama Ryeong did not acknowledge him.
She wasnt the only one.
More than half of the Seven Flowers did not like Yang In-hyun.
This was inevitable. Yang In-hyun wasnt the one whod created the Seven Flowers, instead, it was the former Sect Leader Dang Mu-gi.
All of them had received favour, great and small, from Dang Mu-gi, and among them, Sama Ryeongs feelings were particularly special.
She regarded Dang Mu-gi as her father.
huu.
The reason for her heavy sigh was obvious.
It was still not enough.
Even though shed become stronger, she didnt think she would be able to defeat Yang In-hyun. Sama Ryeong shook her head. Rather than the distance between Yang In-hyun and herself, she decided it would be better to focus only on the fact that shed become stronger.
Besides, it was still too early for her to think about that. The dangers of the dump site hadnt yet ended.
Instead, it could be said that they were only just beginning.
There were no corpses in the area that Sama Ryeong was currently standing in. There was also no stench that clung to her nose, and instead, it simply had the appearance of a normal cave.
On the wall of this cave was a door.
The appearance of this wooden door embedded in the wall filled her with deep unease, but Sama Ryeong, who was already lost in her thoughts, didnt pay much attention to it.
One thing was clear.
This door was the exit.
Grabbing the doorknob a bit roughly, she opened it.
Creak-
Her vision immediately went black and she had a feeling as if she was floating in time and space.
It was something she hadnt felt upon entering.
Perhaps it was reverting her incorrect time. The moment one stepped into the dump site of their home universe, their very existence stepped into the flow of an independent time. That was completely separate from the time and space on the outside. Naturally, the passage of time was not the same.
Sama Ryeong didnt resist, and quietly accepted the feeling of floating.
A few moments later, as she blinked her eyes, she heard a voice.
[- originating from Universe Number 5518588, Sama Ryeong.]
A dark room.
It wasnt that wide.
The voice it had come from her left.
When she turned her head slightly, she saw a skeleton standing there. The ghastly glimmer in its eyes let her know that it wasnt a simple corpse. More than that, she was certain that it was this skeleton that had just spoken.
[5 years, 2 months, 7 days, 2 hours, 11 minutes, 31 seconds.]
what does that mean?
It was closer to something she muttered to herself, but it seemed the skeleton heard it anyway and responded.
[It is the time you spent in the dump site.]
It was an uncharacteristically fluid manner of speaking.
It felt completely different from the inarticulate skeleton at the entrance of the dump site. Perhaps this one was a higher level.
I was right, about five years.
Sama Ryeong looked around the room.
It was an empty black room.
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[The waiting room.]
Waiting room?
[There are no restrictions to entry, but exiting is a different matter. If you dont meet the Masters standards, you will not be able to leave this place.]
I know that.
She also knew who the Master the skeleton had mentioned was.
Corpse Ghost, one of the Twelve Void Lords.
If one didnt meet the Corpse Ghosts standards, they would not be able to leave the dump site. She knew that as well.
That was another of the risks that Sama Ryeong had been thinking about. No one knew what the Corpse Ghosts criteria would be.
Shed heard that it varied greatly depending on the person, where they originated from, or the Corpse Ghosts mood at that time.
My question is, what does this waiting room have to do with meeting the standard?
[It is a matter of efficiency. Master is of the opinion that things like this should be dealt with all at once.]
All at once?
[When a certain number of people gather, the door will open.]
Suddenly.
The door that Sama Ryeong had just entered from swung open and someone appeared.
It was a man with grey skin.
He had horns on his temples and thin wings on his back. His hairy lower body was reminiscent of a goat.
Looking at this man, who perfectly matched the image of a devil, the skeleton opened its mouth.
[Originating from Universe Number 2, Haspin.]
[12 years, 8 months, 35 minutes, 3 seconds.]
The man named Haspin walked past the skeleton with an expressionless face and sat in a corner of the dark room.
Haspin
Sama Ryeongs eyes narrowed slightly.
Just from looking at his appearance, it was easy to tell that he was from [The Pit]. In addition, shed heard of the name Haspin before.
She didnt talk to him. He was a dangerous man.
Instead, Sama Ryeongs gaze turned to the skeleton once more.
What exactly is the certain number of people?
[Six people.]
That meant there were still four to go.
Tch. She clicked her tongue before also going to a corner and placed her butt on the ground.
She wondered how long theyd have to wait, but, fortunately, it didnt take too long for the next figure to appear.
Burk-
The appearance of the figure who appeared this time was much more shocking than that of Haspin.
It was an enormous mantis.
Large mandibles, emotionless compound eyes, and above all, the pair of front legs that seemed to emit a bloodthirsty aura.
[Originating from Universe Number 59953, Duk Mantis.]
Yes yes. Thats me.
To her amazement, the mantis responded with a nod. It shouldnt have been possible with the structure of its mouthpart, but its pronunciation was accurate as if it had a tongue.
[3 years, 11 months, 29 days, 23 hours, 35 minutes, 1 second.]
Hmm. Hmm?
The mantis tilted its head to the side for a moment before approaching Sama Ryeong.
Sama Ryeong got ready to draw her sword at any time.
Pretty Miss over there, can you tell me what that skeleton friend said?
She had a rough idea of where the mantis was from, so she replied simply.
Go away.
Ou.
Without seeming particularly offended by her attitude, the mantis turned around, this time approaching Haspin.
Handsome gentleman, I would like to ask a-
He was stating the time you spent in the dump site.
Haspin answered before the mantis could finish talking.
The mantis nodded.
Ah. So that was it.
Uh, by the way, arent you the famous Apocalypse Disciple from [The Pit]?
Haspin did not answer anymore and simply closed his eyes.
Taking her eyes off of them, Sama Ryeong turned her attention to the door once more.
A short while after, the door opened again.
The next person to appear was an old man who was half bald. He was wearing a pure white robe and held strange mechanical devices in each hand, the inverted eyes behind his glasses were by no means normal.
[Originating from Universe Number 92158, Daihad Roksilo.] (TL: Diehard.)
[1 year, 7 months, 19 days, 10 hours, 51 minutes, 9 seconds.]
Kiki. A year. Good.
Daihad giggled strangely before looking around.
The moment Sama Ryeongs eyes met his, she felt a sensation as if her entire body was being licked, so she turned away and didnt look at him again.
Kikiki
Daihad continued to look at her with half-lidded eyes before finally turning away with a smile.
There really arent any sane people in this place.
Perhaps the others in the room had similar impressions of her, too.
After a slight interval, the next person appeared.
[Originating from Universe Number 39339, Jacob Big Crash.]
[103 years, 11 months, 19 hours, 12 seconds.]
!
Sama Ryeongs body shook. It was the same for the others.
100 years in the dump site was not a time that one could reach simply with high mental power. This figure was without a doubt an extraordinary being.
The figures in the black room all turned to look at the door with sharp gazes.
There, they saw a man in blue robes.
The man had a handsome appearance and a calm aura.
Upon seeing his appearance and aura, Sama Ryeong was all but certain.
Wizard.
In addition, the pattern of a planet had been embroidered into the robe, signifying that he was a Wizard from the Magic Planet.
It wasnt strange that he was able to pass 100 years.
It was well known that mental training of Wizards was very comprehensive, and Jacob was also a member of the Magic Planet.
He had probably reached the level of understanding the nature of the mind.
The Wizard, Jacob, looked around with a smile that was more of a smirk. In an instant, the humble aura around him disappeared, and he gave a dirty feeling instead. Only he knew what his smile meant.
100 years.
Nevertheless, what Sama Ryeong paid more attention to was Jacobs time.
In this place, shed obtained a dense number of possibilities that couldnt be easily obtained outside. Shed prepared the conditions to become stronger, and in fact, she had increased the size of her container by several times.
It had only taken 5 years to accomplish that.
And yet, Jacob had spent 20 times as long as she had in this place. Hed probably seen and obtained more possibilities than anyone else in the room.
Sama Ryeong carefully observed everyone in the room, not just Jacob. Perhaps there would be a situation where she had to fight them. Naturally, none of them were easy characters to look at.
As she was making observations and developing countermeasures for them, she suddenly realised something.
There were still five people in the room.
The last one still hadnt appeared yet. Nevertheless, it felt like after Jacob-
[-from Universe Number 2731361.]
The voice of the skeleton broke Sama Ryeongs train of thought.
[Lukas Trowman.]
At that moment, Jacob, who had been meditating with his head down, suddenly opened his eyes. Then, he showed a complicated expression that was difficult to describe.
Before Sama Ryeong could even think to ask the reason, the skeletons voice continued.
[4,000 years, 17 days, 1 hour, 11 minutes, 3 seconds.]
As a cold silence descended upon the room, the door opened.
(TL: We all knew it was coming)
Book 2: Chapter 407
Book 2: Chapter 407He didnt give a very striking impression. His hazy blond hair resembled dusty gold. This didnt mean it shined. It more had the appearance of a treasure that had been neglected for a long time. But the thing that made the greatest impression on her was the colour and depth of the mans eyes.
Sama Ryeong couldnt keep looking at the eyes of this man which seemed to lack even the slightest glimmer of light. Because her chest began to feel stuffy and her head throbbed.
She was beginning to hear the voices of her other selves, the possibilities that shed obtained in this place. It was as if the madness, which had faded since shed left the dump site, had reappeared.
did you say 4,000 years?
The man who spoke in a heavy voice was Haspin, the man who had the appearance of a devil. He stared at the skeleton with a hollow gaze.
I would like to ask you something, skeleton.
[What is it?]
I would like to know if you know what 4,000 years means.
Haspins doubts resonated with the hearts of all the people in the dark room.
But the skeleton responded in a low voice.
[I know. It is a long time, 1,460,000 days.]
Kikiki No. You, a walking corpse, could not know. 4,000 years in the dump site is much harsher.
The man in the white coat, Daihad, smiled twistedly.
The atmosphere paralyses the mind and penetrates deep into the brain. After analysing it myself, I concluded that it is impossible to fully adapt to this energy. (TL: Self-proclaimed specialists are the worst.)
[]
This was probably intentional by the Corpse Ghost. If it werent for such restrictions, many people would stay in the dump site forever.
Daihads words werent entirely wrong.
If it werent for the pressure of madness, Sama Ryeong would have stayed for at least a few more years.
The skeleton didnt respond. She couldnt tell if it was because hed hit the nail on the head, or if it was for some other reason.
Daihad didnt seem particularly interested in obtaining certaining in his conjecture. His eyes were shining for a different reason.
Personally, Im more curious about how youre able to accurately measure the independent flows of time so accurately while being out here But of course, you wouldnt tell me that, right, skeleton?
[Thats right.]
The skeleton responded bluntly before continuing.
[There are no abnormalities in my measurement. Lukas Trowman, from Universe Number 273136, has spent around 4,000 years in the dump site.]
The reason he said it again could also be taken as a firm expression of his intention to not speak about this further.
The mantis bobbed its head and exclaimed.
Wo-, wow. Then doesnt that mean that is an amazing feat?
Its forelegs, which were like scythes, waved wildly.
4,000 years, 4,000 years! Thats long enough to be called history! Im really impressed! A guy like me almost died after just 3 years uh, honestly, I cant even imagine how he survived.
Well. Just because he survived for a long time doesnt mean hes that great.
The mantis titled its head at Daihads words.
What do you mean?
Look at that guys eyes. There is hardly any emotion in them, let alone thought. The AI robot I developed is probably more human than he is.
Like a robot with artificial intelligence?
Yeah, something like that.
Daihad laughed.
If you sacrificed your ego and emotions, the passage of 4,000 years would probably feel like a moment. After all, the passage of time doesnt matter to an inanimate object like a rock.
Huh? However, hes not a rock, is he?
you have a brain worthy of your outward appearance, dont you?
It was at this moment that Haspin, who had been silent all this while, spoke.
So youre saying that man killed his ego and passed the time by becoming like an inanimate object.
That is the most convincing hypothesis.
Sama Ryeong quietly listened to their conversation.
The man named Daihad spoke without much regard, but it would be even more surprising if what he said was true. Sar?h the n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Because that would make it seem as though that man, Lukas, had crossed a natural boundary.
I cant tell what hes thinking.
The man named Lukas didnt seem the slightest bit interested in the debate going on around him. He simply stood there with an expressionless face as if he was wearing a mask.
is he strong?
She couldnt tell.
She didnt feel anything from him.
Not that she couldnt feel anything, she didnt.
In other words, Lukas had no hidden power. Anyone in the room would be able to tell that.
Nevertheless, she wasnt convinced that he was weak. Was it because shed heard that hed spent 4,000 years in the dump site? That certainly had something to do with it.
But there was one thing that was even stranger. That was Jacobs attitude.
He was staring directly at Lukas, almost as if he wanted to pierce his face with his gaze.
This was very strange. Shed always heard that Wizards were very closed-minded and rarely showed interest in others.
[If that is all you have to ask, follow me.]
After saying that, the skeleton turned and began to walk in a certain direction. It was the entrance to the dark room. Sama Ryeongs expression became strange. She couldnt help but wonder if they were going back to the dump site.
Her doubts were resolved quickly as the skeleton grabbed the doorknob and opened it.
The landscape beyond the door was not the scene of the dump that Sama Ryeong remembered. Now that she thought about it, all of the people who had come through that door had come from different dump sites.
This door probably had some kind of power that allowed it to interfere with space and time.
Outside the door stretched a straight corridor. It wasnt dark because something that appeared to be amethyst glowed lightly on the walls.
They walked down this corridor that had no windows.
Wow. The floor is soft.
That amethyst Ho. Interesting.
Except for the mantis meaningless admiration and Daihads mumbling, only the sounds of footsteps could be heard. Aside from those two, the other members of the group seemed more reticent. The same was true for Sama Ryeong. However, she wanted to say that that only made her more cautious.
[Were here.]
When the skeleton stopped and said those words, all but one turned to look at it questioningly. They seemed to have reached what appeared to be the end of the hallway, but they couldnt see the entrance of another room. It was just a dead end.
Here?
[Get ready. You will be moving soon.]
Sama Ryeong sensed the change in the skeletons tone.
When the skeleton turned around, a strong presence that was different from before could be felt in its dark eye sockets.
[You have obtained many possibilities in this dump site.]
As soon as they heard that deep voice, the words Corpse Ghost appeared in everyones minds.
Sama Ryeong clenched her teeth slightly as she felt pressure as if someone was holding her heart.
Right. This was it. This was the momentum of a monster who stood on a completely different level even in the World of Void, one of the Twelve Void Lords.
Corpse Ghost was clearly a formidable monster. This could be seen from the fact that they were feeling such immense pressure from a skeleton, a mere foot soldier, whose body he was temporarily borrowing by some means.
[It is not something that can be easily obtained outside. I dont think you have fully absorbed all of them yet, but there is no doubt that you have become better existences.]
So what?
Jacob grunted in a sharp voice.
We used the power of your territory to become strong, so we have to give you something in return?
[That is not what I want, Truth Seeker of the Magic Planet.]
[I do not need anything grandiose. If you can prove three things to me, you will be able to leave this place.]
Three things?
[The first, growth.]
As soon as Corpse Ghost said that, the surrounding landscape began to change.
Again.
Sama Ryeong felt time and space being mixed together, just like when shed first stepped through the door to the waiting room. Suddenly, she had a strong desire to challenge herself and resist. If she could resist this power, she felt like she would be able to gain a clue about how to resist the Everlasting Plum Sword, Yang In-hyun.
She decided not to.
The dump site was Corpse Ghosts territory. In other words, it could be said that Sama Ryeongs right to live or die was in the hands of Corpse Ghost. If she were to act recklessly, she might end up losing her life like a bug. Of course, shed never heard of such a thing happening.
What do you mean by growth?
Daihad stood calmly in the warped space and time and smiled twistedly.
Like Jacob, he also had a lack of hesitation towards one of the Twelve Void Lords.
This couldnt be helped. By chance, everyone there followed one of the Twelve Void Lords.
They belonged to the most powerful groups in the world. And according to Sama Ryeongs observation, they all held fairly high positions in their respective groups.
Even Sama Ryeong was the same, she was a member of the Seven Flowers, the most elite unit in Flower Mountain.
Except for one.
Her eyes turned to Lukas again.
Only this man had no affiliation Of course, she couldnt jump to a conclusion so quickly, but that was the result of Sama Ryeongs observations.
[Its not difficult. You simply have to prove that the time you spent here was not wasted.]
Hmm. So we have to show you how strong weve become.
Daihad nodded his head in understanding.
The warping of time and space was a sign that they were changing location. They were probably going to a place where they could show their growth more comfortably.
She didnt know what method it would be, but she could understand it as a test prepared by Corpse Ghost.
Her vision went dark. Now, she even found it hard to stand properly.
In the midst of this, Sama Ryeong turned to Corpse Ghost and spoke.
There is something Id like to ask.
[Say it.]
What if we dont pass your benchmark?
[Thats very simple.]
Corpse Ghost muttered in a low voice.
[There will be one more corpse added to the dump site.]
Eventually, the surrounding landscape changed completely.
* * *
A dense forest.
Sama Ryeong remained where she was, got down on one knee, and swept her hand across the ground. She grabbed a handful of coarse sand and rolled it in her palm to feel the texture before even smelling it.
This immediately made it clear that this wasnt a void image.
She brushed the sand off of her hand.
A single crescent moon hung in the cloudless sky.
Although it was midnight, this forest was surprisingly still. She couldnt even hear the wind, let alone the sounds of nocturnal animals.
As for the others she couldnt see them.
Had they been taken to another place? Or were they scattered around this forest?
She couldnt tell in the present situation.
She recalled Corpse Ghosts words. He said theyd have to prove that their time spent was not wasted. That meant theyd have to show that theyd become stronger than they were before. This meant that Corpse Ghost was probably observing Sama Ryeong from somewhere. Just that thought made her a little uncomfortable.
Shaking her head, she searched for the tallest among the surrounding trees. Then, with a single leap, she soared tens of metres off of the ground without making a sound.
Eventually, Sama Ryeong was able to look around while standing on a branch that was thinner than her little finger.
Its big.
The forest was much bigger than she expected.
And she could feel a lot of presences.
There were more than just one or two people. There were a lot more people than that wandering the forest. Easy opponents she didnt think there were any.
Five people.
Sama Ryeong remembered those who were with her in the dark room.
Except for one, she had a rough understanding of the others.
The devil from [The Pit], the scientist from [Futurix], the mantis from [The Colony], and the Wizard from [Magic Planet].
There was none among them that she could guarantee victory against. In other words, they probably also saw her as an enemy.
Am I supposed to fight them in this forest to prove myself? How much Ive grown?
That was certainly the most intuitive reasoning, but something felt strange. For some reason, Sama Ryeong had a feeling of incongruity.
At that moment.
She felt someones gaze from a short distance away. Sama Ryeong soon found the source of this gaze.
That
About 30 paces away.
Blue eyes could be seen through the leaves.
Lukas Trowman?
Just as Sama Ryeong recalled the mans name, the dark night sky lit up. This wasnt because of moonlight. The crescent moon had been showing itself from the beginning. This was natural since there werent any clouds in the sky.
-Magic.
Hundreds of spells appeared at the same time, illuminating the surroundings.
There were many different kinds. A sharp awl made of ice, a blazing ball of flames, a spear of condensed lightning, a boulder the size of a house
The spells were aimed toward Sama Ryeong with clear hostility. She didnt know why, but it was clear that Lukas viewed her as an enemy.
There was no reason for her to avoid a one on one fight.
Sama Ryeong quietly drew her sword with a deep gaze.
(TL: For a swordsman, shes not very observant)
Book 2: Chapter 408
Book 2: Chapter 408Twenty Four Hand Plum Blossom Sword Technique(ʮ÷), Bones Soaked in Plum Fragrance(÷).
Crack, Sama Ryeongs blade pierced Lukas chest.
She could clearly feel the beating of his heart from her blade.
Lukas body shook heavily, but he didnt scream. In fact, he didnt even groan. He simply stared at Sama Ryeong for a while with his expressionless face and blue eyes.
Gurgle.
Then, he coughed up a mouthful of blood. There were pieces of his internal organs mixed in with the blood that flowed down his chin.
Sama Ryeong withdrew her sword.
Plop.
And Lukas body collapsed like a puppet that had its strings cut. (TL: The end again?)
Huu, it was only then that she let out the breath shed been holding.
It had not been an easy battle. The fight had taken the form of a hectic dogfight. That was due to the chaotic nature of the fighting method known as magic. Nevertheless, neither had suffered any significant injuries until the match had been decided.
In truth, the hundreds of spells that Lukas had used hadnt been that threatening.
The only thing she had to take note of was the dark red light that occasionally pierced through the space.
Sama Ryeong knew exactly what that power was called.
Absolute
It was the absolute power of Wizards which had the ability to interfere with space.
That power was dangerous.
Sama Ryeong was not confident in her ability to block it or cut it, so she had no choice but to avoid it.
Focusing on dodging, she gradually narrowed the distance bit by bit.
This made the fight last longer, but it was the safest and most certain way to win. After finding a brief opening, she used one sword.
The fragrance of plum blossoms pierced Lukas vital point.
Sama Ryeong looked down at her body.
She was covered in dirt, but she didnt have any noticeable wounds. At most, there were a few scratches here and there.
Seven Severing Swords߽~.
She used the trump card shed obtained in the dump site.
It hadnt been necessary. Shed fought with about 3 percent of her strength hidden in case of any unexpected events, or interference by a third party, but she was able to win the fight without difficulty.
That was why she felt so discomforted at that moment.
Was this man really such an easy opponent?
She didnt think so. Lukas had an unknown background, strange aura, and hed spent 4,000 years in the dump site.
But above all, his intense eyes-
Eyes?
Sama Ryeong trembled as if an electric current had suddenly flowed through her body. Her gaze quickly returned to Lukas corpse. Sar?h the N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Hed died with his eyes open, so it was easy for her to look at his eyes.
blue.
Blue eyes.
But the color of Lukas eyes when shed seen him in the room was black. They were so black that they subconsciously reminded her of hell.
Sama Ryeong stopped thinking about that for now.
Instead, she drew her sword and pointed it toward the nearby bushes.
Whos there?
If you dont show yourself, I will take you as an enemy.
There was a mixture of killing intent in her low voice. This was natural since shed just ended a battle.
Despite her blatant threat, there was no response from the bushes.
Shed already warned them. So she had no obligation to wait any longer.
Just as Sama Ryeong was about to launch an attack.
Quite sharp.
Someone appeared from the grass.
A person with a handsome physique covered by a robe, a pleasant aura, and cynical expression which seemed out of place.
Jacob Big Crash. (TL: Ill point out now that Big Crash is probably supposed to be closer to Viklaesh or something similar, but I like Big Crash.)
This man
His ability to hide from her senses was quite considerable.
Shed heard that this man was a Wizard from the Magic Planet, so he shouldnt be too skilled at handling his body. But now that she was looking at him closely, she noticed that Jacobs body was well trained. Even though he was wearing a robe, the parts of his body that were exposed proved this.
You fought very well.
Jacob spoke with a smirk.
So hed seen everything.
If there werent rats watching, I would have displayed an even more dazzling sword dance.
Hmph
Are you here for revenge?
Revenge?
This man, isnt he from Magic Planet?
With the intent to provoke him, she pushed Lukas corpse with her foot.
Magic Planet.
It referred to a micro planet that floated in the distant sky of the World of Voids Southern Area.
It was said that very few Wizards were qualified to enter that place, and all the members maintained strict secrecy. For this reason, it was one of the least known places among the territories.
The only thing that Sama Ryeong knew was that a being known as the Beginning Wizard, the First Seat of the Twelve Void Lords, ruled over the Magic Planet.
Youre a Wizard. This man too.
Lukas was a Wizard, Jacob was a Wizard.
So they could both know each other because they were Wizards.
In such a far fetched conjecture, there was still the slim chance that it was true.
In fact, according to Sama Ryeongs judgement, Lukas and Jacob didnt seem to know each other. Nevertheless, she couldnt jump to any conclusions. They might have just pretended to not know each other with some other goal in mind.
Ha, hahaha
But Jacob suddenly burst into laughter.
Colleagues, are you saying we are colleagues? That man and I?
Even if its just a mistake, it is very unpleasant. Flower Mountains Seven Flowers Your reputation is great, but it seems your eyes are not very good. How disappointing.
Was my guess wrong?
Right. Completely wrong.
Jacob chuckled and continued.
It seems you have fought beings who claim to be Wizards many times before.
She nodded in affirmation.
Sama Ryeong certainly had fought beings who claimed to be Wizards before.
There were the members of the Underground City near Flower Mountain. But they werent the only ones. During her wanderings around the World of Void, shed encountered quite a few WIzards.
That was why she knew about the magic they used and the destructive power of that dark red light. Thanks to that, she was able to calmly fight Lukas without panicking.
She looked at Jacob.
One of the words that this man said bothered her.
Claim to be?
They are all stupid. At the very least, in this world, they do not deserve to be called Wizards. Of course, the same goes for that trash on the ground next to you.
[Can you call it a replica instead of trash?]
The voice that was suddenly heard didnt belong to Sama Ryeong.
Naturally, it didnt come from Jacob either.
At that moment, the empty space in the clearing distorted slightly Was space and time warping once again? No. It wasnt. It didnt give her that unique feeling.
When she looked closely, she realised that it wasnt space and time warping, but light being distorted.
Soon, a being that seemed to be entirely covered in steel appeared.
Jacob frowned.
One of Futurixs robots. An interesting toy.
Then, the face part of the steel armour opened up, revealing Daihads grinning face.
If possible Id like it if you called it advanced science. Optical camouflage, which has a cool name, is a pretty useful technique. Since it was capable of deceiving the senses of master classes like you two, Id say it is worth it Ah, of course, if I had revealed the slightest intent to attack, you probably would have noticed immediately.
What do you mean by replica?
Exactly that. That body is just a copy.
A copy?
Right. Its like a very precise doll that was given the will to fight.
Why do you think that?
Simple. I saw something similar on the way here.
Daihad revealed his white teeth after saying this. It was only then that they noticed he was carrying something in his right hand.
It was a corpse. But if it was just that, it wouldnt have been so surprising.
But when he threw the corpse over, Sama Ryeongs expression couldnt help but harden.
Hoh.
Meanwhile, Jacob made a soft exclamation of interest.
It was the corpse of Sama Ryeong. Then, he turned to look at the living Sama Ryeong.
Do you have a twin?
Sama Ryeong didnt have such a fun personality as to accept jokes.
Of course, this wasnt the time for them either.
Jacob shrugged graciously when she ignored him.
This isnt the only one.
Daihad continued on without dragging it along.
I saw a few more similar to this one.
you mean more Sama Ryeongs?
Not just her, I also saw you, Magician Jacob.
You must have felt quite a few presences in the forest. Now that youve seen this, can you guess what kind of beings those presences are?
Theyre copies of us.
Daihad smiled, once again displaying his white teeth.
But there is something interesting about them.
Jacob didnt seem able to relate to the interest Daihad was showing, but he still asked.
What is that?
Those replicas arent copies of the current us.
What?
They are our past forms. Probably our forms right before we entered the dump site
Of course, that is just my speculation, so can you check it out, pretty Miss? I took a look earlier, but unfortunately, I couldnt be certain since thats not me.
Even if it was just a copy, it didnt feel nice to hear that a corpse that looked exactly like her had been touched like that.
Resisting the urge to stick her sword in Daihads smiling face, Sama Ryeong inspected the corpse of Sama Ryeong.
Shed only been in the dump site for 5 years, but her gains in that time were by no means small.
Self Rising Sword(Bᄦ), Jady Lady Sword(Ů), Profound Heaven Sword(섦), Boundless Taiyi Sword(oO̫҄), Heavenly Flow Sword(), Clarity Sword(ٜ[)
But swordsmanship was not so visible. It might be possible to tell something by taking a closer look at the muscles, but there would still be a lot of uncertainty, and most importantly, it will take a long time.
It was a corpse, but it would be possible to make an accurate judgement using the danjeon*. (*:dantian)
After a while, Sama Ryeong straightened up and spoke.
I think your guess is correct. This should be me before I entered the dump site.
In the dump site, Sama Ryeong had also learned some mental techniques from different factions, and by successfully combining them with the Flower Mountain Factions Purple Cloud Divine Technique, she was able to develop a divine technique that suited her body.
The main contributors were the mental techniques, Heaven and Earth Divine Technique(Ǭ), and Jade Lady Divine Technique(Ů), but the Sama Ryeong corpse did not show any traces of learning or using those two mental techniques.
Huhu. As expected.
Daihad seemed satisfied to learn that his conjecture was correct.
Then this guy is the same.
Jacobs eyes turned to Lukas.
You said there were several. If thats the case then things might get annoying. I dont know about the rest of you, but Im pretty annoyed to learn that multiple mes exist. Even if its me from the past.
Jacobs conceit was abnormal.
Sama Ryeong looked at the two of them coldly before sighing.
It wasnt a role that suited her, but it seemed that she was the only one who would bring it up here.
Growth. The outline of the test the Corpse Ghost mentioned is slowly being established.
Fighting our past selves and overcoming them Kuku. That certainly is an objective comparison. Im quite interested in the Corpse Ghosts way of thinking.
Would you like to work together?
She didnt say it in a roundabout way.
She felt their eyes turn to her.
But she continued without hesitation.
By themselves, none of them is much of a threat, but it would be a different story if they attacked together.
Thats true. There havent been any signs of that yet, but there is no way to guarantee it wont happen at some point during the test.
Surprisingly, Daihad responded in a voice that said it wasnt a bad idea.
Besides, if the other person shares information about the past me, then dont you think wed be able to take care of them more easily?
Sama Ryeongs suggestion was well founded. That was to say, it was correct.
Nevertheless, she wouldnt expect these two oddballs to easily accept it.
Fine. I accept.
That thought was pleasantly misguided.
Sama Ryeong looked at Daihad with slightly shaking eyes. Noticing her gaze, he tilted his head slightly.
Why are you looking at me like that? You are the one that made the suggestion.
I didnt expect you to accept it so easily.
It is an advantageous proposition for me. As you can see, my fighting skills are not particularly great. I have to wear this power armour to play my part.
Then, what will you do, Magician Jacob?
Ill have to refuse. Grouping up with others is not my cup of tea.
Nevertheless, I will not attack you while we are in this test. Of course, it cant be helped if you somehow get caught in my spells.
Then, lets do our best.
With that mutter, Jacob turned around and soon disappeared into the forest.
Looking at his back, Daihad muttered.
I dont usually say things like this, but that guy is a bastard.
Sama Ryeong fully agreed with that.
* * *
Haspin was running through a dark forest.
His legs, which looked similar to a goats, moved without a sound. That wasnt all. Haspins body seemed to drift through the forest like a black fog. His presence was so stealthy that the replicas walking through the forest did not even notice his presence as he passed them.
this way.
A rocky hill.
It was probably the highest place in the forest.
Haspin climbed to the top in a few leaps.
In this place, where the entire forest could be seen at a glance, there was already a visitor.
Lukas Trowman, was it?
At those words, Lukas, who was sitting quietly, slowly opened his eyes.
Well.
I have something to tell you.
I dont. So leave.
After a brief response, Lukas closed his eyes again.
Despite his cold attitude, Haspin continued without hesitation.
Listen. It is something you need to hear.
I am from the [Pit].
I dont know where that is.
He was still cold, but Haspin focused on the fact that hed answered in the first place.
You dont know it despite it being a relatively famous place in the World of Void It seems you only recently entered the World of Void.
You werent originally born in the World of Void. Nevertheless, you dont seem like an abandoned possibility. Your essence was forgotten. You came here because you were forgotten. Am I wrong?
Is that what you needed to tell me?
I follow one of the Twelve Void Lords, the [0th Demon].
After you leave this place, follow me to the [Pit]. They want to meet you.
He was probably referring to the 0th Demon.
Lukas retorted coldly.
I dont have the time for that. I have things to do.
Even if its a being you know?
The position of the [0th Demon], the ruler of the Pit, has recently been passed on to someone else. In other words, there has been a change in the Twelve Void Lords. The name of the new [0th Demon] is
Lukas eyes were still closed.
But Haspin was certain that hed react to what he said next.
Sedi Trowman.
As he expected, Lukas eyes opened again.
Those deep, black eyes looked at Haspins face for the first time.
Are you interested now? Im sure you-
So?
A voice like a chunk of ice was heard.
Haspin trembled slightly.
what?
So, is that what you wanted to tell me?
what do you mean, Ive heard about your relationship. Sedi Trowman is your-
That doesnt matter.
Lukas interrupted.
I dont care who the 0th Demon is. The same goes for anyone else I know. You seem to have forgotten what I said the first time, so Ill repeat it for you.
Lukas continued to speak in a deep, cold voice.
I have nothing to say to you, so get out of my sight.
(TL: Dang, Lukas is so cold now. Also how the heck did Sedi get so strong? Proud of our little girl.)
Book 2: Chapter 409
Book 2: Chapter 409Kiiing-
Daihads right hand turned into a spiral shaped awl and began spinning at a tremendous speed.
Mantis quietly looked at this scene. The spiral awl, which was spinning without any signs of stopping, was reflected in its compound eyes.
After a while, it raised its forelimbs.
Sharp. The edge of his scythe-like forelimbs glinted ominously in the moonlight.
Im filled with anticipation.
It wasnt innate. Just like the fists, muscles and bones of humans, those forelimbs, which looked like weapons, had to be trained.
Daihad laughed cheerfully.
The collision of an artificial weapon made with cutting edge science and a body that had been polished to the extreme. Just imagining it filled him with excitement.
The two of them leaped at each other at the same time.
Mantis speed was faster, but this was something that Daihad expected. He stepped heavily with his right foot which was wrapped in metal.
Boom!
The thrusters on the soles of his feet dug into the ground as if they were trying to break it apart. A small earthquake occurred as a result, causing Mantis body to reel for a moment.
He knew its lower body was comparatively weaker, but he hadnt expected it to be that effective.
Despite losing its balance, Mantis still swung its forelimbs desperately. Such efforts were admirable.
Crack crack!
The spiral awl destroyed Mantis forelimbs, sending clear blood splattering in every direction. With a scream, Mantis staggered backward. The original shape of its forelimbs, which exuded a baleful aura, could no longer be seen.
Daihad stretched out his left hand. Suddenly, the tip of a muzzle poked out of the palm of his hand. Woowoong, minute energy gathered at the tip of the muzzle before shooting forward. The blue beam of energy that shot forth completely annihilated Mantis upper body.
Sama Ryeong was watching this scene from a short distance away.
This was because Daihad had asked her to not interfere in the battle. She accepted it because she wouldnt lose anything anyway. In fact, she also wanted to see how Daihad fought.
what a strange way of fighting.
And strong.
The cutting power of the spiral awl, the destructive power of the beam from the muzzle, and the unpredictable amount of power produced by the armour.
Considering the combat abilities that werent revealed yet
In a way, Daihad could be the most troublesome enemy here.
Did he call it a power suit? Hed said he had to wear that ridiculous armour in order to play his part. Now, she felt that might just be a bluff.
This might end up being a bit boring.
Daihad muttered in a disappointed tone before turning towards Sama Ryeong. When she saw his expression which looked like he wanted her to ask a question, she had no choice but to open her mouth.
Boring?
This is the first replica weve seen even after walking through the forest for a while.
This mans uniquely discomforting smile appeared on his face.
What do you think is the reason for this?
Daihad was a better man than her first impression led her to think.
Contrary to his appearance, he was well spoken, had many talents, and possessed a deep level of knowledge.
Nevertheless, he had fatal flaws that completely overturned all of the above advantages, one of which was that unique smile.
Just looking at it left a bad taste in her mouth. It was enough for her to feel that the myth that one couldnt spit on a smiling face was utter bullshit.
Because someone reduced the number.
Suppressing her discomfort, she voiced her reasoning. Daihad nodded.
Considering the route, it should be Jacobs doing.
That man said he wanted to go alone. That means he doesnt think there is anyone who is a match for him in this forest. But that wasnt necessarily arrogance. From the looks of it, the odds of Jacobs judgement being true are very high.
That man probably intends to destroy all of the replicas in this forest on his own. Kuku. This leaves us at a crossroads of choice. Do we sit back and watch, or compete with Jacob and focus on getting rid of all the replicas What do you think, Miss?
Another flaw was that he was a terrible chatterbox. Personally, she disliked the latter more. She disliked people who talked a lot.
Before that, there is something that should be mentioned.
Mm?
How are we supposed to complete this test?
At those words, Daihad smiled faintly.
I have a couple of guesses, would you like to hear them?
please.
The first is simple, by killing all of the replicas in this forest. Personally, I believe that will cause some changes, even if it isnt necessarily the right answer.
That was a possibility that even Sama Ryeong had thought about.
However, if that were true, it led to the thought that this test was far easier than expected.
All six of the people currently in the forest had made exponential progress in the dump site. Or at least, that was the case with Sama Ryeong. Even if her enemy was her past self, she was confident in her ability to deal with at least five of them on her own.
Of course, there were still two tests that they still had to take, so it was possible for the first one to be a warm up.
Whats the second?
The goal of this test might not be to destroy the replicas.
What?
Didnt you say it earlier, Miss? It would be a good idea for us to work together. That way we can also share information about our past selves.
but.
That might not necessarily be the wisest idea.
She didnt understand what he meant.
Even as he looked at her expression which clearly displayed her doubt, Daihad didnt appear frustrated or annoyed. He just slowly explained it in the same tone without complaint.
What if the replicas are simply obstacles that were placed in the field? And the real test was a survival contest between us?
!
Jacob probably already thought of this. Thats why he refused to join us. He probably didnt want to give information to those who might be his enemies, even if it was about his past self. Well, even before that, his actions might just be natural given the secretive tendencies of the people from Magic Planet.
That was right.
Sama Ryeong finally understood Daihads words.
Then, if nothing happens even after killing all of the copies
Jacob will probably try to kill us. To elicit some kind of response.
When Daihad said this as if he had nothing to do with it, Sama Ryeong asked.
What about you?
Huh?
What will you do? Will you try to kill the others like Jacob?
If there is no other way then I will, but Ill consider it a bit more first. As to whether there truly is no other way. The possibilities I just mentioned are so obvious that it wouldnt be interesting.
I feel like its going to be a long night. Because it doesnt seem like the sun will rise in this place.
Sama Ryeong looked up at the sky.
Now that she thought about it, the moon had not moved at all since they arrived.
* * *
Sensing something in the silence, Lukas opened his eyes.
Haspin had long since left. Upon realising why he wanted his attention, Lukas stopped listening to him. He only remembered him emphasising that his words were very important.
He looked up at the sky.
With the crescent moon as his backdrop, a man was standing there.
He believed his name was Jacob. It was the man who had been staring at him since they were in the dark room. In Haspins case, he had tried his best to hide it, but this man didnt. His confidence could be felt in the way he didnt even try to hide his gaze.
He didnt particularly care about it.
There had only been one thing that Lukas had thought about this entire time.
When the aura and voice of the skeleton that had been waiting in the dark room had changed, becoming ominous. In other words, it was the moment when it had become the Corpse Ghost, one of the Twelve Void Lords.
Corpse Ghost was a being on par with Yang In-hyun, who had driven him to death.
Lukas got up from his seat.
He understood what form this world was made in.
So there was no need for him to be bound by the shackles of this test.
* * *
A round table sat in the middle of a dark place. It was a room without any sources of light, but it didnt hamper the vision of those there.
On one of the chairs in the room sat a very bizarre and disturbing creature.
In truth, it might be more accurate to say it was resting on it, instead of sitting.
This was because the creature didnt have a butt. It didnt have arms or legs. In fact, it didnt even have a body.
The part that could be called its body was just a spine. And attached to this yellow spine was a head. Even the face on the head was of an ugly old man*. Countless flowers of death bloomed on the old mans wrinkled face. (*: Not confirmed to be a man)
Would you like something to eat?
Corpse Ghost, one of the Twelve Void Lords, spoke.
His voice was filled with an aura so horrific that his disgusting appearance wasnt even that much of a bother. It was like worms that burrowed into the ears of the listeners, driving them crazy before ultimately driving them to death.
But the woman sitting across from him simply smiled.
What do you have?
You already know.
Thats true.
Pale chortled.
After a while, a skeleton walked in with a plate of food. The plate contained a surprisingly tasty stew.
Thanks for the meal.
Pale scooped the stew up with a spoon. She ate very messily without even an ounce of decency. Pieces of meat covered the white table.
Corpse Ghost silently watched this scene.
I ate well.
Pale roughly wiped her fingers and mouth with a napkin.
I thought you wouldnt like it, but I hoped the food would suit your taste.
You do know thats a stupid thing to say, right?
Huhuhu
Corpse Ghost chuckled.
The smile on Pales lips disappeared. The skeleton collected the plate and cutlery as well as the scattered pieces of meat.
It was at this time that she spoke.
I dont know what your intentions for making a test like this are.
I know that you always inspect the people that leave the dump site, but it is originally much simpler than this, isnt it? Why did you put in so much effort as to create a world?
Arent each and every one of them interesting? Its very rare for people with such presences to be gathered together like this.
At that moment, Corpse Ghosts eyes glanced to the right.
There, a screen made of turquoise light floated in the air.
On it, the people taking the test were displayed.
Of course, this isnt exactly a coincidence. The Deceiver is dead, so those guys are bound to react The Void Lords must also prepare to react.
Pale knew who Corpse Ghost was referring to when he said those guys.
Beings who were more powerful than God.
Those who stood at the very top of the countless beings in the Three Thousand Worlds.
The Rulers.
Theres no need to exaggerate. Havent you already killed one of them?
That case was a bit That Dragons specific inclination, as well as the matter of that beasts ignorance of this world It is the result of the overlapping of numerous complex factors. Moreover, Im not even sure if it was completely killed.
Hmph.
Pale looked at the screen with a bored expression.
So what do you intend to do now? No matter how many copies you pour in there, I dont think anything will change. As you said, they are all interesting and strong.
I can now start the next phase.
Next phase?
Corpse Ghost smiled grimly.
Not so long ago, a very interesting person came to my territory. He said he wanted to join my territory.
Hmm?
At that moment, a figure appeared behind Corpse Ghost.
Pale couldnt help but blink when she saw their appearance.
wow.
She made a sound of bewilderment.
One of the King Candidates.
Right.
Amazing Dont tell me you accepted him, did you? Im sure you can guess why he came under you.
Hes aiming for the name Corpse Ghost, to be precise, the position of one of the Twelve Void Lords.
Pale let out a laugh.
And you let him in despite knowing his ambitions?
The dump site accepts everyone. It has been so in the past, and it will continue to be so in the future.
Thats a really boring principle.
Her gaze turned back to the being.
But he certainly matches the atmosphere in this place well. Uh, what was his name again?
Originating from Universe Number 2731361- sea??h th NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Interrupting Corpse Ghost, the being answered on his own.
[Diablo Kairak.]
Book 2: Chapter 410
Book 2: Chapter 410 Jacob looked down at the dark forest. He could feel a lot of presences It was unpleasant. Like a disgusting fog was wrapping around and touching his entire body.
He hated the fact that the Corpse Ghost was testing him, and that there were copies of his past self in this place.
But the thing that bothered him the most-
Jacob stopped thinking about it.
Firstly, his priority was to finish this test or whatever it was.
Hed already understood what needed to be done. He thought of the copies hed killed until now. Among them, the most annoying was Haspin. He was the only person in this test that could be considered even a slight threat to him.
However, Haspin couldnt be considered an opponent either.
This was something he was certain of after dealing with all the copies one after the other.
Jacob had thoroughly analysed, understood and destroyed all of them.
So it was time to end this.
Looking down at the forest, he spread out his palms.
Crunch
The tendons on the back of his hands clenched, and just as Jacobs gaze deepened
The copies in the forest began rising up one after the other.
Without warning, a powerful suction force erupted.
Two people were able to react quickly. Sama Ryeong immediately made herself heavier with One Thousand Falling Catties(ǧ), while numerous mechanical parts shot out of Daihads foot and stuck into the ground.
Then, they looked up at the sky.
There, they saw dozens of struggling copies.
Its Jacob.
Daihad muttered and although she didnt answer, Sama Ryeong agreed.
I dont understand the principle behind this suction.
Isnt that what magic is like?
That is the case from a laymans point of view, but
After saying those words, Daihad began to mutter to himself, softly mumbling the rest of his words. It seemed like hed started analysing at a time like this. As expected, he had an exhausting personality.
Instead of thinking about it any further, Sama Ryeong returned her gaze to the sky. Fortunately, several of the surrounding trees had been pulled up as well, so she was able to easily see what was happening above them.
Standing in the middle of the sky with his palms outstretched in front of him was Jacob. And the copies were gathering right in front of him.
Crack, squelch The copies were smushed to each other to create balls of meat.
In order to create such a shape, bones and muscles were not unharmed. Before long, blood could be seen dripping from the construct.
Finally, Sama Ryeong saw Jacob spread his fingers apart.
Shuk.
The ball split in half.
He moved his fingers again. This time, it was a series of movements. To match those movements, the sound of flesh being torn was heard continuously. Before long, the ball of meat had become small pieces of meat that fell like rain.
Sarch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
At that point, the suction force disappeared.
Sama Ryeong stopped using One Thousand Falling Catties, and Daihad withdrew the mechanical parts.
There were no longer any presences in the forest.
I cannot sense any biological reactions from replicas in the forest.
It seemed that Daihad was also checking the surroundings in his own way.
Perhaps it was just her imagination, but Sama Ryeong felt that his method might be more accurate than her own senses.
That man might be more dangerous than I expected. I will have to think of a solu-
Before he could finish saying -tion.
A black lightning bolt appeared in the sky. It was strange. As mentioned before, there were no clouds in the sky.
The moment she thought she might have been mistaken, she heard it.
Boom!
Her eardrums almost ruptured.
For a moment, her vision became black and white. The ground shook heavily. Unlike the suction force from before, she had a hard time maintaining her balance.
It was a sound so loud that it could be heard from the other side of the forest.
It was then that she realised what had happened.
The black lightning had struck.
Ssng.
Sama Ryeong drew her sword, cold sweat forming on her pale face.
Daihad was also silent. There was a rare lack of expression on his face, and if one looked closely, they would realise that his facial muscles had stiffened.
Both of them had realised something at the same time.
A presence had appeared in the forest together with that black lightning.
And that being was currently exuding a terrifying aura.
indeed.
Daihad spoke in a voice that had lost all of the previous humor.
This is the next stage.
* * *
The place where the lightning struck was no different from a scene of chaos.
The ground had been hollowed out to form a huge crater, and the surrounding area had become a sea of fire. Krrr, huge trees became ashes and fell, and smoke rose into the air endlessly.
The one closest to this place was Mantis.
Hmm.
Mantis compound eyes calmly observed the scene of the disaster. Occasionally, flames would lick at its carapace, but they didnt even leave scorch marks.
Just as it was thinking of slowly going closer.
Swoosh!
Together with the sound of something cutting through the air, he felt the presence of someone approaching with great momentum. It was coming from the sky, so who it was it went without saying.
Taht.
With the sound of a soft landing came the sight of a flapping robe.
And the figure covered by this robe was none other than Jacob with his characteristic arrogant smirk.
How surprising. I didnt expect you to survive, mantis.
Haha. My life string is quite tough.
You must have gotten lucky. However it is amazing. I thought you were mixed in with the copies earlier and died.
Ah. So that was your doing after all.
Mantis smiled kindly. Almost at the same time, the smile disappeared from Jacobs face.
Instead, there was a chill in his eyes.
Considering your luck, I will show you some mercy. Get out of here, and I will spare your life.
That is my prey.
Then, without waiting for Mantis reply, he began walking toward the crater.
Do you hate me?
Of course, Mantis had no intention of backing down so easily.
You got rid of most of the copies, so I wasnt able to do anything. At this rate, I might not be able to pass the test.
That so? Then die.
Mantis figure leaned to the side.
Bang.
At almost the same instant that it moved, something invisible crushed the ground where hed been standing. It left a dent in the ground.
Haha. You are quite skilled at attacking without warning. Why is that?
You want to know why? Because nothing will change if I warn you beforehand. You will still die here.
Shuk.
Jacob stretched out his finger. Then, with a strange whooshing sound, Mantis stopped moving.
mm.
It found it hard to move as if its entire body had been restrained. No. It was a bit different from that. Instead of restraint, it felt like it had lost control of its own body.
Hey. Cant you just take a step back?
You must be joking. You dont know what kind of being is in that crater.
Then do you know?
At least I know its not the type of being to mess around with.
Hah.
Mantis sighed.
He talked as if he knew everything, but there were things that Jacob didnt know.
One of them was his potential. Of course, he could understand why he spoke as if he knew everything. Jacob had killed dozens of Mantis copies.
After considering the maximum amount of growth he could achieve in the dump site, hed probably concluded that it couldnt be a threat to him.
That was a mistake.
Mantis was certain of it.
Although he might have been the weakest among them when he first entered the dump site. He was certain that he might be the one who had experienced the most rapid growth in this place.
As I thought, it doesnt seem like you get any extra points from killing!
Is that so?
Im not sure, but I dont think its impossible.
Ill admit one thing. Your ability to talk is superb.
Thanks for that. (TL: This conversation is confusing.)
Mantis chuckled.
Ive heard a bit about the Magic Planets Truth Seekers. I heard that in order to kill someone, you first have to go through a process called analysis.
who told you that?
Mantis shook his head with a smile.
Your abilities are intimidating. I admit that. But in order to completely defeat your opponent, you need time to analyse In the current situation, that is a considerable disadvantage.
His decision was quick.
With a crack, Mantis back split open, revealing a pair of insect wings. The moment they started flapping, a small vortex was created. The vortex wasnt very strong, but it was enough to make Jacob pause for a moment.
He was surprised.
Mantis didnt have wings like this when hed first entered the dump site.
Paht.
In an instant, he entered the crater.
The vortices created by his wings pushed the dust cloud away. It wasnt perfect, but at least he didnt have any trouble seeing in front of him anymore.
Shortly after seeing the figure of someone not so far away, Mantis figure disappeared in a flash.
If Sama Ryeong of Daihad saw this sight, they would not have been able to hide their surprise. The instantaneous speed that Mantis was displaying far surpassed that of the copies they had faced.
The same was true for Jacob, who was standing still. He stretched out his fingers to stop him once more, but for some reason, closed his hand again. Then, he crossed his arms and looked at the crater.
Based on the Corpse Ghosts personality, the real test should be starting now.
Mantis knew that, so he had thrown himself into the crater without hesitation.
Even those in this place, Jacob included, didnt know. What exactly would happen to beings who were unable to meet the Corpse Ghosts criteria.
Maybe thats why they werent that desperate.
Not me.
He was more desperate than anyone else in this place because he had a great sense of duty.
After taking only a few steps, the area which had been cleared away was once again filled with dust. But Mantis compound eyes were able to pick out the blurred silhouette within it.
Perhaps this would be the highlight of the test.
It stretched out his forelimbs.
Clang!
He clashed for the first time with the unseen opponent.
Hard.
Mantis admitted that fact firstWas it armour? It was surprising. Mantis hadnt put its all in that attack. Nevertheless, when it looked at the silhouette, they were in a half squat position. In other words, they were defenceless.
Even though its view was partially obscured by the dust, it thought that its attack would at least be able to surprise them even if it didnt outright defeat them. But those expectations had failed to the point of being funny.
By this time, the opponent had already gotten to their feet and drawn their sword. Its body shook. Cowering in fear, Mantis almost pulled back its forelimbs.
But it couldnt do that. Mantis had already entered the opponents range. Since it had already reached this stage, the only thing it could do was continue attacking.
It swung its forelimbs without mercy. Dozens of strikes were sent out in the blink of an eye, but they were all blocked. The only thing it could hear was the collision of metal. At this point, Mantis had already lost all hope.
It understood its strengths well. It was a combination of rapid attacks and instantaneous speed.
Although the damage of each attack might be low, it was confident that it wouldnt lose to anyone when it came to speed.
But this opponent was standing still with a single sword, easily blocking every attack.
Nevertheless, there were some slight results. Their violent clash had caused the surrounding dust to begin to clear up.
As a result, the figure of the opponent was vaguely revealed.
What Mantis saw was black armour that seemed to be made from condensed darkness.
And that was the last thing it saw. Because a blade that shot forward like black lightning pierced its eye not a moment later.
Mantis figure stopped moving, only its forelimbs continuing to shake slightly. But even that shaking soon came to an end as the last hints of vitality disappeared from its other eye.
Thump-
With that, the first death among the test participants had occurred.
But it didnt seem to have any effect on the test participant who was looking on.
I wasnt wrong.
After watching the brief skirmish, Jacob muttered. He didnt even look at Mantis corpse. Instead, his gaze remained on the Black Knight wrapped in black armour.
Hed never seen him before.
But Jacob knew of him. This was his first time seeing this Knight, but hed heard of Knights who looked similar to him. Hed been told what they were.
Over and over again by the Beginning Wizard, one of the Twelve Void Lords.
Black Knight of Death.
One of the Four Knights of the Emptiness King*, who hadnt been seen for the first time. (*: I thought it would just be Void King(̓), but author made it Emptiness King(̓) instead. I guess this implies that hes not exactly king of the void? I suppose well find out.)
The last of the group had, somehow, appeared in the Corpse Ghosts test.
Interesting.
Jacob grinned, showing off his teeth.
If I defeat you, will that make me a King Candidate? Huh? Black Knight?
Suddenly, the figure of the Black Knight disappeared. Jacob didnt react. From the time the Black Knight reappeared right in front of his eyes to the time he swung his sword.
Clang!
With a heavy sound, Jacobs figure was sent flying across the forest, sprinkling blood. A huge scar was carved in the forest. It looked like a huge claw had scratched the ground.
Of course, in reality, Jacobs body, which had been sent flying, was only a trace left from smashing the ground, trees, and rocks.
Afterward, the Black Knight responded in a quiet voice.
[Thats right.]
(TL: Not sure how this is a test anymore. The Corpse Ghost should have just killed them all on his own if he was gonna make them fight one of the four knights.
Also defeating one of the Knights makes you a candidate huh. Interesting.)
Book 2: Chapter 411
Book 2: Chapter 411 The Great Mage Returns after 40002Years (Season 2) C Chapter 411
Hundreds of metres away from the crater the black lightning had created when it struck.
Sama Ryeong and Daihad looked down at the forest. Immediately after the lightning had struck, they decided to move to this place to get a better grasp of the situation.
Thanks to that, they were able to see everything that ensued from the beginning.
Mantis who had appeared first, and Jacob who appeared after. It seemed like they exchanged a few words before Jacob attacked first, but Mantis was able to avoid his attack and go into the pit at the same time.
Then.
Mantis is dead.
Daihad spoke in a calm voice.
It ended in one blow.
Sama Ryeongs deep gaze shook slightly. Her gaze was locked onto the crater that had been created by the black lightning, and the Black Knight that had come out of it.
A terrifying amount of death energy flowed out of the Knights entire body.
So this is the next stage that you were talking about. It certainly looks hard to take down.
what?
Daihad turned to her with an absurd expression.
Hard to take down? Its not just at that level. Dont tell me you dont know what that Black Knight is?
Do you know?
huh.
Daihad made a sound of frustration as he shook his head.
You must be much younger than I thought. That, or you have a very bad relationship with Flower Mountains Sect Leader.
Sama Ryeongs expression became cold. She didnt know if it was intentional or not, but Daihad had just touched her bottom line.
Why are you talking about that man here?
Even though there was no way he didnt notice the killing intent mixed in her voice, Daihad responded in a flat tone.
Because that Knight is something that all Twelve Void Lords are aware of.
Do you know about the Kings Knights?
Sama Ryeong nodded. They were the judges who defended the King and his castle. Shed never seen them before, but shed heard of them. In fact, it was knowledge that any intelligent being in this place should know.
To never get involved with the Kings Knights. If you somehow got involved, get out of their way and run.
However
Ive never heard of a Black Knight.
The White Knight, Red Knight, and Blue Knight.
Those were the members of the Kings Knights that Sama Ryeong knew of.
Shed never heard of a Black Knight before.
The Kings Knights didnt exist from the beginning. Every time they appeared, there was a huge change in the world. Of course, it is still unknown whether they appear around the time of the change, or if its their appearance that causes the change.
Change
You must be aware of the unusual phenomenon that recently occurred in this world.
Of course, she knew.
An unauthorised person had appeared in this world where only the forgotten or abandoned could come.
It was a being so great that even the residents of this world had heard its name before.
A Ruler, the Seven Fanged Dragon God.
According to our calculations, an invasion from the outside will eventually occur through some point. The boundary between this place and the outside world. Its also possible that in the not so distant future, the boundary will become so murky that even we will be able to come and go.
Thats impossible.
Sama Ryeong denied it.
This was because she knew just how absurd Daihads words were. Of course, it would be interesting if such a reality did come to pass in this world, but the World of Void was not a place for living beings from the outside.
Even if outsiders had a hard time understanding it, it had its own laws and structure.
And the words Daihad had just spoken were a direct denial of the essential providence of the World of Void.
The world of the abandoned, the forgotten. A place that was nothing more than a dumpster for those beings to come.
And once they were thrown away, garbage could not go back outside. This was decided when this world was born. And it was clear that this rule had been absolutely maintained over billions and trillions of years.
So if what Daihad was saying was the truth, it would be a big surprise.
Would the purpose of the World of Void, or its innate role, be blurred? If so then what? What would happen to the world that had lost its original role?
Could they continue calling it the World of Void?
I heard that the central point of Flower Mountain was weak, but it seems to be true. I cant believe you dont even know this information. Or is it that youre simply not on good terms with the man who just became one of the Twelve Void Lords?
Was it Yang In-hyun? The Everlasting Plum Swords real name. That man really doesnt know where hes going. He didnt even attend the meeting held now so long ago. Plus-
Lets assume your words are right.
Sama Ryeong didnt want to talk about Yang In-hyun so she interrupted him.
Why would such a great Knight appear in a test like this?
If there is one question that I cannot answer at this point, it would be that.
That meant that he didnt know either
He always pretended to know everything, but in the end, he didnt know the key thing. Naturally, this caused Sama Ryeongs eyes to narrow slightly in amusement.
Jacob is probably dead.
Shed seen the Black Knight bury his fist in his stomach. Even the trained eyes of Sama Ryeong had missed his instantaneous movement. The Wizard Jacob wouldnt have had time to respond.
His body had shot through the forest like a cannonball. Hed flown for maybe a few hundred metres. By the time he landed, his body might not have even been distinguishable.
Then that means there are three or four test participants remaining.
The two of them there, Haspin, and finally, Lukas.
Where were the other two? There was no way they hadnt noticed this commotion.
Now, then, what will we do from now on? Or choices-
[There are two options.]
!
They turned around.
The Black Knight was standing there.
This crazy Sar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Daihad swallowed his curse.
There were no signs. His 17 precision detection devices could catch the yawn of an ant hundreds of kilometres away if he wanted to. And yet, as if all his detectors had stopped working simultaneously, he didnt receive any kind of warning.
That wasnt all.
Despite the fact that they were now standing face to face, he still could not detect any biological signature. It was almost like
I see.
A smile appeared on Daihads cold sweat drenched face.
So the Black Knight of Death. Is an Undead?
[That doesnt matter. Rather, Id like to explain two options to you.]
The Black Knight spoke in a blunt tone.
It was strange.
His voice didnt feel emotionless. Instead it seemed to carry a sense of nobility and intimidation as if they were spoken by a formal Knight.
Two options?
Sama Ryeong asked again.
Her sword was already slightly drawn. Daihad had completely missed the arrival of the Black Knight, but Sama Ryeong had been able to feel something strange for a moment.
Of course, if the opponents purpose had been battle instead of conversation, and hed arrived while swinging his sword at the same time, she wasnt sure if she would have been able to block his attack.
The important thing.
Wasnt that.
Sama Ryeong looked at the Black Knight with a piercing gaze.
If they were to get into a fight, how would she fight?
She could not see any openings. No matter how she attacked, it would be easily blocked, and then her body would be pierced a moment later. That was the only conclusion she could envision.
This was the second time shed felt such a feeling of helplessness from a Swordsman.
I guess youre thinking of making an offer to us.
Although he didnt show it on his face, Daihad inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. He had already completed his calculations. Their odds of winning against this monster were less than 0.01 percent. That was also the percentage that would only appear if there were a few lucky coincidences.
A battle with such odds was not a fight, it was suicide. And Daihad had no intention of just throwing his life away like that.
[The first is to fight and die.]
kuku. I suppose that is a joke to loosen our shoulders a bit. Then whats the other option?
The Black Knight continued in the same tone without any traces of humor.
[To die obediently.]
What?
[Because I dont want to waste time. I believe those options are the best for both parties.]
Youve gone too far. Your joke isnt funny anymore.
[]
The Black Knight didnt respond. He just looked at them with an ominous gaze.
Daihads expression hardened at that. Because he realised.
He was speaking the truth.
youve got to be kidding me.
His expression flashed with unusual anger.
Neither of those choices have merit for us. You should study proposals and negotiations more.
[They have enough merit. If you choose the latter, you can die comfortably.]
Do you think were afraid of pain or something like that?
[I do not know that. However, there is something that every living being fears.]
Whats that?
[An unacceptable death.]
That one phrase seemed to press down heavily on the surroundings.
[Unfortunately, it seems you didnt accept my offer. In that case, Ill assume you chose option one.]
The Black Knight slowly drew his sword.
Daihad looked down at his body. A very thin line was engraved on the surface of his extremely durable power suit.
I couldnt even observe
Squelch, starting from the thin line, Daihads body split into two halves. Sama Ryeong, whod been dazedly staring at the sight, immediately came to her senses and lowered her head hurriedly.
She could feel the blade silently pass over her head. The fact that she was able to avoid the attack was purely because of her combat experience and the fact that her main weapon was a sword.
When the line was left on Daihads power suit, Sama Ryeong had thought that the best time to attack would have been when the Black Knight was drawing his sword to make the horizontal slash.
But she hadnt dared to move.
Terror, fear and hesitation. At that moment, any excuse would be the answer.
Sama Ryeong didnt want to be the first to make a move against this monster.
But the Black Knights figure had suddenly disappeared afterward.
Kuk.
And she heard Daihads voice which seemed to be mixed with water. She could guess how bitter his wide eyes were. Although she couldnt accurately predict the scene, she could still guess the first few moments.
Then, considering the difference in physique between Daihad and herself, and the distance, she wondered what her next attack would be if she were the Black Knight. These thoughts came naturally without any conscious act on her part.
Then she reached a conclusion.
The part the Black Knight would aim for was her face.
And the attack method would be a stab.
It was a simple guess on her part, but the Black Knight moved as shed expected, allowing Sama Ryeong to successfully evade his attack.
In summary, Sama Ryeong had won the first encounter of her battle with the Black Knight.
Surely he would
!
It felt like electricity had flowed through the hair that had been brushed. The terror made her limbs heavy.
It was strange. Sama Ryeong thought she had good control of her fear, but now she was having trouble suppressing it.
Kuk!
Biting her lip as if the pain would suppress her fear, she used the fastest technique of the Plum Blossom Style that she could unfold at this time.
In an instant, the light flashed on her blade as it rushed towards the Black Knights chest.
Clang!
It hit.
Not his sword, she directly hit his armour.
But she was unable to penetrate it, to be precise, there wasnt even a scratch on the black armour. Instead, it was the wrist of Sama Ryeong, who had attacked, that throbbed.
What is this-
Monster.
She wasnt able to finish her words.
Because the Black Knight began his offensive once again.
* * *
The ignorant call anything they cant understand magic.
One of the Twelve Void Lords, The Wizard of Genesis, the Staff of Beginning.
But he was most well known by the nickname Beginning Wizard.
The Lord of the Magic Planet had always told the Wizards this.
Its ironic that the thoughtless remarks of these people are infinitely close to the true essence of magic. Because magic in its truest sense is something that cannot be understood by anyone.
His old voice resounded.
Magic is not a field of study. Or rather, it shouldnt be a field of study. If there are hundreds of Wizards, then there should be hundreds of different kinds of magic.
A wrinkled face turned to Jacob.
The nature and interaction of mana? Structured teaching and discipline? That is all false. Its the same for the word magicology. In fact, that word in itself is a contradiction.
Create your own world in your head. Do not be understood by anyone, and do not share with anyone. You have to be outrageously self righteous. Remember. The moment your world is understood by someone else, your identity as a Wizard fades.
To become a true Wizard, a Truth Seeker
That was a statement that penetrated Jacobs life.
Hed become a Truth Seeker because he could not forget that voice or those teachings. It was also because of them that he was able to become one of the greatest Wizards in Magic Planet.
The title Truth Seeker of Magic Planet was only given to the Magic Planets greatest Wizards.
That was why Jacob could be arrogant. He could not let go of his pride because he had always been better than others. He showed a similar attitude even to his comrades who were not Truth Seekers.
* * *
Jacob opened his eyes.
Cough.
He coughed up a mouthful of thick blood. He had been bleeding internally.
Did I lose consciousness?
For how long?
He looked around with slightly blurred vision. Shattered wood fragments, deep grooves and dirt that seemed to have been unsettled recently met his gaze. It was none other than the scar that had been created by his own flying body.
In other words, it had only been a few seconds since hed shot through the forest like a cannonball.
It could be called a short time, but when considering the monster whod made him that way in the first place, it wouldnt have been strange for him to have died dozens of times in that period.
That guy is a monster.
He hadnt been able to see him move until his fist was buried in his stomach, or perhaps even after that. This proved just how great the difference in level was.
Intere-, sting.
Jacob grinned. Blood dripped from his mouth, staining his teeth red, but he didnt care.
He got to his feet. His legs were shaking, but hed managed to stay on his feet. This meant that he didnt have any broken bones.
That was enough for now.
He glared at the Knight through the dust. He didnt see anyone.
How far had he flown? No. Was he still there in the first place?
Its like this after one blow
At best, his chances of winning were 1 percent. In truth, just thinking about it made his legs tremble. It would be a lie to say he wasnt scared. Even if he managed to deceive his head, he couldnt deceive his body.
The Black Knight that scattered death.
If what Jacob heard was true, he was a monster that he couldnt deal with.
Then would he run away?
No.
That wasnt an option.
He had no choice but to fight.
Jacobs smile widened.
No one would understand how he could smile in this situation, but that thought just made him smile more.
In order to not be understood.
In order to be seen as incomprehensible.
Book 2: Chapter 412
Book 2: Chapter 412 Clang, clang!
Twice.
She blocked the incoming attacks.
Still, with every clash, she felt her joints creak. In fact, it had already been a few minutes.
A few minutes?
She wasnt mistaken. As mentioned before, Sama Ryeongs body clock was very accurate. Thats why she herself was surprised.
Without realising it, she had already lasted this long?
It was as if a beam of white light had formed in Sama Ryeongs eyes. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say she was in a trance. Her brain, which didnt stop analysing, seemed to be heating up endlessly to the point of becoming white ashes.
His swordsmanship itself is simple.
It was fundamentally different from the swordsmanship of the Central Murim. It didnt have the sense of grandeur that came from being developed over numerous years. It also didnt seem to be a sword technique from a different era that was modified, developed, or inherited across generations.
He seems to have reinterpreted a swordsmanship he encountered, and developed it in a more suitable direction for himself.
Although she used the word reinterpretation, in reality, the process must have been much closer to creation.
In other words, this meant that he was a Grandmaster with the ability to create his own sword technique.
This was the reason why she couldnt feel any grandeur in his swordsmanship.
Moreover.
It was closer to a guess, but she didnt believe his sword technique was initially designed to be used against humans.
Clang!
Their swords met once again.
Now that she was somewhat used to the Black Knights ridiculous speed, she was able to mix in counterattacks of her own on occasion. Nevertheless, that didnt mean the situation was any better.
I cant land an effective blow.
That damned black armour. She had no idea what metal it was made of. But one thing was clear, even the swordsmanship of Sama Ryeong, which could easily cut a diamond, couldnt leave even a single scratch on that black armour.
But after a while, Sama Ryeong came to realise that it wasnt the Black Knights armour that gave him that ridiculous defence.
Self Defence Rigid Ki.
It was a technique that entailed emitting rigid ki from the danjeon like armour to increase the defence of the body. This was something that only experts whod reached the peak could use, but the consumption was so high that even the experts were hesitant to use it unless it was an emergency.
The black ki is covering this guys entire body.
It couldnt all be rigid ki. However, if it was something similar to that
For a moment, Sama Ryeong was terrified by that thought.
Clang!
Kuk.
She swallowed. The shock was so great that it felt like her internal organs were being flipped. As she didnt manage to swallow in time, blood dripped from the corner of her lips.
As mentioned before, Self Defence Rigid Ki was a technique that consumed a lot of internal power. It wasnt just the peak experts, even Masters who had climbed above the peak had trouble maintaining it for a long time. It was a technique that was terribly inefficient. Thats why Masters usually chose to only protect their vital points unless it was an emergency.
The Black Knight was different.
From the moment hed appeared, hed been spewing black ki from all over his body. Thats why shed been mistaken. She hadnt thought hed be able to spew rigid ki like water.
This monsters internal power doesnt seem to have a limit.
Fwoosh, for a moment, the Black Knights form seemed to grow larger. She felt a deep chill throughout her body.
This was dangerous. She couldnt move. It wasnt just a feeling. If she were to move recklessly, her body would be shredded like a rag.
Hes using rigid ki and intangible spirit ki at the same time.
In doing this, he forcefully reduced Sama Ryeongs countermeasures to one.
To only defend.
Clang!
A simple downward chop. No. It couldnt even be called a chop. It was a crude movement that was similar to roughly swinging a club.
Nevertheless, the force behind it was tremendous. The ground around Sama Ryeong sank greatly, her waist and knees were bent almost to their limits, and her internal bleeding became worse. But she didnt have time to cough out the blood. This was because three successive attacks bombarded Sama Ryeong.
This motherfucker!?
The third strike had been the most dangerous. She almost lost consciousness.
The Black Knight had changed the combat route.
Realising that he couldnt easily overwhelm her with speed or skill, he chose to tie down Sama Ryeongs feet first.
Then there was a series of simple downward chops.
Not once, but three times.
now I know.
The reason why the bad feeling didnt disappear even after shed gradually become more familiar with the Black Knights movements to the point of being able to occasionally counterattack.
This guy hadnt been giving it his all. Was this some kind of test?
If that was the case, then the results would be coming out soon.
Sama Ryeong realised that her body had reached its limit. She would not be able to block the next attack. Just as she faced the blade with a feeling of hopelessness.
A hint of light appeared behind the Black Knight. The Black Knight paused.
Ping-
With a sound similar to shaking glass, a beam of light shot towards the Black Knight. Its speed wasnt very fast. The Black Knight began to swing his sword to block the beam of light, but suddenly he jumped away and avoided it as if he realised something.
Huk
The pressure from the intangible spirit ki disappeared.
Feeling free, Sama Ryeong let out a breath. Nevertheless, she couldnt let go of the tension that filled her entire body. Her body was already at its limits, so her current movements were basically being driven by her mental power instead of physical function.
Her ankles were in an especially bad state. Shed felt pain as if theyd been broken, but at that time she could not check because of the Black Knights consecutive attacks.
When she checked them, they were both swollen to the size of a young childs fist.
Huu
It was fine.
As long as her ankles werent cut off, then shed be able to move around while ignoring the pain.
Sama Ryeong looked towards the source of the light. What she saw there was Daihads corpse. No. What she thought was a corpse.
I wish hed just let it hit him. Did he notice the danger of the energy beam?
Daihad smiled as he spoke. He still lay like a corpse, half submerged in a pool of his own blood.
Your upper and lower body were completely separated
As far as Sama Ryeong knew, a human could not survive such wounds. It might be possible for them to remain alive for a few minutes, but they certainly wouldnt be able to talk like that.
Ah. Im clearly cut in two.
but arent you still alive?
Isnt it smart to leave a life support device on my power suit?
Suddenly, the separated lower half of the power suit jumped up on its own and walked over to Daihad. Then, it connected itself to his upper half as if it was putting puzzle pieces back together.
Churk.
With a sound similar to something being connected, the cut sections of the metal wobbled like a liquid, before perfectly combining soon after.
Now, there were no cuts on the surface of the power suit.
Sama Ryeong watched speechlessly as Daihad calmly rose up from the ground.
Mm. Its uncomfortable inside here since my clothes are soaked in blood. It feels like I peed as hard as I can. The texture of the few pieces of internal organs is also like poop
Why are you looking at me like that? Is it because I didnt help you right away? That couldnt be helped. At that time, the best thing to do was pretend I was dead and prepare for a surprise attack.
that doesnt matter.
She replied with a sigh.
In any case, it was a relief to have the power of even one more.
The Black Knight was looking towards them from a short distance away. It didnt seem like he was going to attack right away.
Why was that? Just as she was wondering about this, the Black Knight lifted his head to look at the black sky.
Youre still alive.
It was Jacob who appeared with his arrogant voice. Sama Ryeong muttered at him with a surprised expression.
Youre alive. Even after a blow like that
He doesnt look so good.
As Daihad said, Jacob was covered in blood. His robes were torn to the point where they could almost be called rags instead, and his neat hair was wildly disheveled.
Theres another piece of good news.
At that moment, she felt someone climbing up the steep cliff. It was Haspin, the devil with goat legs.
He climbed the cliff in an instant and then stood on the edge, looking around.
A clear confrontation.
It was his characteristic blunt voice. Grinning, Daihad asked.
Whats your judgement of this situation?
I have a rough idea. I think the test will end if we kill that Black Knight.
Kuku. Good.
Daihad looked up at the sky and called out.
Jacob. Im proposing that we cooperate to deal with that monster, will you accept it this time?
Of course
Jacob smiled arrogantly.
I refuse.
Even Daihads expression was bound to harden at that rejection.
Even in this situation? I thought the Black Knight had hit you in the stomach, but maybe he hit you in the head instead.
Talk however you want. You lowly people. I have no intention of working together with anyone I dont acknowledge.
You
Just as Sama Ryeongs gaze sank.
However, I wont interfere with you.
what is that supposed to mean?
That means the three of you should join forces and fight hard. I will move separately.
With those words, he disappeared into the dark sky.
Did he run away? No. She could still feel Jacobs presence. It was just obscured.
Nevertheless, Sama Ryeong still stood frozen, unable to understand what hed said before he left.
It was Daihad who successfully interpreted them.
He means a diversionary fight. While the three of us draw his attention, he will try to do something from his side.
it didnt sound like that at all.
Kuku. Thats just how crooked people talk. That man perfectly matches the criteria Now, then.
The eyes of Daihad, Sama Ryeong and Haspin turned to the Black Knight.
Shall we start the second round?
* * *
I cant understand why you put the Black Knight in this test.
As she said this, Pale turned to look at Diablo.
Diablos eyes flickered like candles.
[I heard that in the past, the World of Void was chaos itself. A time before the establishment of the Twelve Void Lords, when the existence of intelligent beings was rare.]
Uh. Why are you suddenly talking about the past? I dont want that.
Ignoring Pales muttering, Diablo continued.
[A world filled with chaos and the law of the jungle. The living beings at that time didnt even know about the nature of the world, they simply preyed on other beings in order to not die. It was the simplest yet most brutal battle for survival. One day, the first outsider appeared in this world.]
Corpse Ghost looked at Diablo with unreadable eyes.
It seemed as if he was concentrating on something he was hearing for the first time, or reaffirming what he already knew.
[It is unknown how that being, the outsider, was able to enter this world. However, he was able to bring a faint order to this world as a result. Then, instead of killing the losers, he taught them that there were other things they could do besides eat.
Dominate.
Pale chuckled.
[You could call it mercy.]
That was the moment when the concept of Lords and territories were introduced to this world.
[I am an outsider. However, when it comes to the nature and mysteries of this world, I think I know a lot.]
Youre more than qualified to say that.
Despite Pales admiration, there was no change to Diablos tone.
[The Kings four Knights are all outsiders.]
0
[Of course, the real reason they came into this world is unknown. However, every time one of them appeared, the world underwent a huge change.]
What are you trying to say?
[the White Knight was the one to teach this world about domination. If not for that, the World of Void would have certainly entered a path of ruin.]
Hmm. Is that so?
[It is. Clearly.]
His voice was filled with certainty.
[Every time a Knight appeared, this world was able to overcome a crisis. And now, this world has summoned another Knight. That means there is some role for him here.]
[If so, then what do you think is the role of the Black Knight, Lucid.]
He didnt wait for an answer.
Diablo answered his own question.
[He is the Agent of Death.]
[The beings in this world do not know how frightening death is. When confronted by it, most of them choose to accept it without struggle. There are even several who forget their responsibilities and wish for death. The bodies strewn across this dump site are the perfect examples of this.]
What the hell are you trying to say?
[Its simple.]
For a moment, it felt like a cold breeze was blowing across the hall.
[With such weak mindsets, it will be impossible for them to survive the coming game.]
game?
[It seems there is something you dont know. Did you not realise?]
For the first time, there was a hint of a smile in Diablos voice.
[The fact that the Rulers intend to use the World of Void as the battlefield for the Great Game.]
Surprise spread across Pales face.
You, no way. The Demon Gods
Suddenly. sea??h th ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
You seem to be talking about something interesting.
No one felt any signs.
No one sensed anything till the voice was heard.
However, it was a voice that all three of them knew, so they couldnt help but freeze.
Because the voice belonged to someone who shouldnt be there.
Corpse Ghosts dull eyes turned to look behind Pale.
Standing there submerged in the darkness, was Lukas. No one when hed arrived there.
Tap, he slowly walked to the table.
His black eyes, which seemed even deeper than the darkness, turned to Pale, then Corpse Ghost,
-if its okay with you.
And finally landed on Diablo.
Would you mind if I joined as well?
(TL: Poor Mantis.)
Book 2: Chapter 413
Book 2: Chapter 413 Silence fell upon the room as if time had frozen.
They had all been surprised by Lukas appearance, but it didnt take too long for them to regain their composure.
Pale was the first one to open her mouth.
wow.
Pure admiration glistened in her eyes like starlight.
Its been a really long time.
When he heard her unique, bubbly voice, Lukas briefly turned his eyes to look at her.
Was it like that for you too?
The person she was talking to responded with an embarrassingly emotionless tone and expression. Nevertheless, Pale bobbed her head and giggled as if nothing happened.
Not really.
Pale hadnt stayed in the dump site with Lukas for 4,000 years. Because Lukas hadnt met her at all in his time there. Shed probably left right after shed disappeared.
And here, outside, the flow of time was different from the time inside.
From Lukas perspective, their last conversation had been a long time ago, but it wouldnt have been the case for her.
It seems my advice worked.
Advice?
Huh. Dont you remember?
Lukas turned away instead of answering. It was an act that seemed dismissive at first, but Pale didnt seem to be displeased as she continued to smile brightly. It was almost as if she was happy just looking at Lukas face.
The other two.
Their gazes were not as friendly as Pales.
Deep, sunken eyes glared at Lukas. At the same time, the intangible aura in the room became sharp and pressed heavily on his entire body.
Focused aura seemed to stab into his body.
Despite the pressure being so strong that it wouldnt be weird if he had trouble breathing or was writhing in pain, Lukas expression didnt change. Naturally, he didnt stop walking either. After walking up to the table, he looked around and said.
It doesnt seem like there are any more chairs.
There arent.
It was Corpse Ghost who responded.
There was a faint smile on his badly wrinkled face.
Thats because I only invited two people here.
Lukas tilted his head slightly. He looked at Corpse Ghost as if he was observing him. He was certain of one thing. Unlike before with the skeletons, this time, he was not possessing anything.
In front of him now was the main body of the Corpse Ghost, one of the Twelve Void Lords.
Then, why dont you give yours up?
Corpse Ghost smiled as if hed just heard something funny.
There are a total of three people sitting here right now. Isnt that right? S~ea??h the N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Right.
So among the three, why are you asking me to give mine up?
A chair is a device that is usually used to reduce leg fatigue. By placing your butt on it.
Corpse Ghost gestured as if telling him to continue.
Lukas continued in the same indifferent tone.
You dont have legs or a butt, do you? Instead of sitting on the chair, its more like youre resting on it.
So youre saying since I dont need a chair, why not give it to you? Kukuku! Hahaha!
Corpse Ghost couldnt hold it in any longer and let out a laugh.
His spine rattled. His body was moving so much that it wouldnt be strange if he tilted and fell over. In fact, skeletons standing behind him flinched constantly, as if they were anxious.
After a while, Corpse Ghost stopped laughing and said.
thats an interesting perspective. No, really. But you seem to be mistaken about something. The chairs here arent for reducing fatigue. They serve as a kind of qualification.
Qualification? What qualification?
The qualification to talk to me.
Lukas looked at him indifferently.
Thats not something I want to have.
Hoh. We share the same thought. I dont want to talk to you, either.
[Its as he said.]
Agreeing with Corpse Ghost, Diablo rose up from his seat.
There seemed to be a peculiar aura swirling within his bony eye socket.
[I cant believe it. I suppose you are the Lukas Trowman I know and made contact with]
[How surprising. I didnt think youd be in this world More than that, I didnt expect to meet you in a place like this.]
Is that so?
Lukas replied in an uninterested tone.
Almost at the same time, pitch black energy gushed out of Diablos body.
[Although you seem aloof now, you probably hate me a lot, dont you?]
Diablos gaze turned to the screen. Just in time, the figure of the Black Knight was reflected on it. Scattering black energy, the Black Knight toyed with the test participants.
No, it was Lucid, the Sword King, who had become an undead.
[I brought your friend back to life.]
[Defiled his soul, corrupted him, and resurrected his rotten corpse. Then, after weakening his mind with various methods of torture and brainwashing, I made him obey my commands. Did you know that?]
I know.
[Do you really not care? Or are you simply suppressing your emotions and forcing yourself to remain calm?]
Why are you curious about that?
Instead, Lukas asked back.
Diablo closed his mouth as his expression changed subtly.
Diablo, I have no interest in anything like that.
[is that really the case?]
Diablo couldnt help but feel a strong sense of incongruity.
Did Lukas really just say that?
Most beings in their fundamental universe had forgotten about Lukas. So in a sense, Diabo was the person who knew Lukas the best.
He knew just how much the Great Mage Lukas Trowman cared about his past friends. Thats why he was so dumbfounded. If it was the Lukas Diablo knew, he never would have disregarded this matter.
[Are you really Lukas Trowman?]
Lukas didnt answer.
It was then that Diablo realised something.
When he first appeared, Lukas had looked around like he was observing the room. Afterwards, he talked to Pale and turned his gaze to her for a while.
And since then, hed been staring at the Corpse Ghost.
His eyes hadnt turned to Diablo. It was as if to say hed already figured out everything about him when he first looked at him.
[]
He felt insulted.
Even if his body was already dead, his pride still remained.
Diablos aura changed.
Pitch black energy swirled around his entire body. The table covering fluttered and Pales hair whipped around wildly. With a soft cry, she clutched her hair.
Wriggle-
The pitch black energy gathered to the tip of Diablos pure white finger. It was so black that it seemed as if the darkness itself had wrapped around his finger.
Shuk.
With the sound of the air splitting, the pitch blackness* shot forward like a beam. (*: ??. Yes, exactly that.)
As soon as Lukas gaze turned to the pitch blackness, the pitch blackness changed from its linear form.
Fwoosh!
Like a viscous substance in an explosion, it spread widely like the jaws of an animal trying to devour Lukas.
Taking two steps back, Lukas raised his hand.
There was no energy around it. Not to mention absolute, there werent even any signs of a defence spell.
Just his bare hand.
[Foolish]
Diablo scoffed.
At the same time, the pitch black substance wrapped around Lukass arm. Then, a strange phenomenon took place.
His skin became dry and wrinkled like a dried fruit, before quickly becoming rough like bark.
Before long, it turned black and fell off like cracked ceramic. It hadnt taken long for this to happen.
In the blink of an eye, Lukas arm had rotted and began to release a bad smell.
Lukas response was swift.
Shuk.
Forming a knife shape with his left hand, he sliced off his right forearm. Blood dripped from the cross section.
Lukas didnt even groan, but with a slightly paler face, he muttered.
This isnt absolute.
Despite losing an arm, he still spoke in a flat tone, but Diablo felt like he was just bluffing.
But the words that Lukas spoke next made him think differently.
Did you graft it with death energy? A power that burns lifeforce with just a touch its similar to Nozdogs power, however, it has a more fundamental feeling.
[]
The nature of his ability had been discovered in such a short time.
Although he was shocked in his heart, he didnt show it.
[As expected, you have amazing eyes. But there are things in this world that you cant respond to even if you know about it.]
Are you talking about this power?
[Are you going to deny it? Despite losing an arm to it already?]
Diablo spoke in a sarcastic tone.
[You cant stop it just by cutting off your hand. Although slower, my death energy will continue to corrode your body. Do you understand what that means? Its just a matter of time before you die.]
There was a subtle shift in his speech.
This meant that he was no longer showing respect to Lukas. Nevertheless, that didnt matter to Lukas.
[You intended to feel the nature of my power by touching it directly. It seems like youve made some progress However, you should have been more careful. Even if you didnt know, isnt one arm and one life as tuition too expensive?]
I dont know what youre talking about.
Lukas spoke.
Losing an arm? A life? Talk seriously.
[Kuku. Pathetic. Even if you deny reality, it will not change]
Diablo stopped talking.
Then he looked at Lukas.
Just a moment ago, his right arm had definitely been rotten.
But now, the right arm, which hed cut off himself, was still intact.
[What?]
Lukas sighed softly.
Diablo, is this low level power really all? Is this what you achieved after putting your entire life into it?
[You, what the hell are you]
It was not even worth considering and analysing. To explain it in a way youd understand, I only made direct contact with it as a kind of entertainment.
[Dont be ridiculous]
Diablo gnashed his teeth.
[This is the power I developed while wandering this world..!]
And yet, you werent able to deviate from the framework of magicology. Your power is still one dimensional, simple, and thats why
Lukas stretched out his palm and pitch black energy formed on it.
Its simple to imitate.
[impossible.]
There was a strong sense of disbelief in his voice.
[I dont believe it.]
He muttered again like hed lost his mind.
Diablo was unable to believe what he was witnessing with his own eyes.
[you, what the hell kind of trick did you do?]
Even if you deny reality, it cannot change anything. Dont you understand yet? Why I didnt pay any attention to you?
Even the faint hint of cynicism disappeared from Lukas mouth.
At this point, killing you isnt a big deal.
[!]
But there is one thing I want to experiment with. What will happen if this power touches you, who has already become a skeleton? Will your bones become powder and scatter?
[Kuk. Dont be ridiculous.]
Death energy rose up from Diablos entire body. The black smoke rushed towards Lukas like steam.
But Lukas didnt block or dodge it, he simply accepted it.
There was no effect. Lukas skin didnt rot or wither away like before.
Just as the light in Diablos eyes began to fluctuate roughly.
Enough.
As soon as he heard the Corpse Ghosts soft murmur, Diablos death energy disappeared as if it had immediately evaporated. This wasnt Diablos doing. He turned to look at the Corpse Ghost in bewilderment.
Lukas attention turned to the Corpse Ghost again. In truth, his attention had only been on the Corpse Ghost since hed entered this place.
I feel like I have a rough understanding of your power.
Lukas lips twitched slightly at those words.
You feel like you know it.
Why? Do you think Im lying?
Thats not it. I think youre probably mistaken.
The Corpse Ghost laughed again.
Mistaken? Why do you think so?
Lukas looked at him quietly for a moment before saying something else.
You seem to like to talk a lot.
Its a part of my nature. Dont you?
Well. Im not sure what I was like before
Lukas muttered softly.
But I dont think I do now. Talking doesnt seem to come as easily to me as it does to you.
Hmm. I see.
The Corpse Ghost nodded and didnt seem displeased as he opened his mouth again.
Then Ill stop talking. Goodbye.
Squelch-
In the next moment, Lukas body melted into a pool of blood.
(TL: The End.)
Book 2: Chapter 414
Book 2: Chapter 414 The Great Mage Returns after 4000 Years (Season 2) C Chapter 414
Editors: Ana_Banana, Sei
The smell of blood was terrible.
The smell was so terrible that it was hard to believe it came from a body that had been turned to blood. Of course, Diablo didnt have a sense of smell, but he had the ability to collect information about his surroundings in other ways.
For a while, Diablo stared nervously at the blood before he became dumbfounded by his actions.
Did he think he would be able to come back to life after becoming like that? Seriously?
Even if this world went beyond common sense and perception, there was no way a being could still be living after its entire body had become blood. Revival wasnt even worth mentioning.
Hes dead.
Lukas biological activity had completely ceased.
This man, who Diablo had been confronting only a moment before, had come nothing but a pool of blood.
[what did you do?]
Diablo looked at the Corpse Ghost and asked, but instead of answering, the Corpse Ghost spoke to Pale.
I just killed the man you brought, are you okay with that?
ah, well.
Pale had an indecipherable smile on her face.
More than that, how about we continue where we left off?
For a moment, Pales attitude made the Corpse Ghost uncomfortable, but he decided not to point it out.
We were just talking about the Great Game. It seems that Diablo knows more than I do. Its something even I dont know a lot about.
With a gesture of his chin, the skeletons standing behind him creaked and began to clean up the blood that had once been Lukas.
Diablo looked at this scene for a moment, but when he realised that the eyes of the other two sitting at the table were focused on him, he opened his mouth.
[Its not just speculation about the game. In fact, in the World of Void already]
Diablo suddenly stopped talking.
What is it?
[how?]
Diablo didnt have eyes.
Therefore, it was difficult to accurately discern where he was looking or what he was focused on.
Luckily, however, the scenery in the room was extremely limited.
He wouldnt have been so surprised while looking at the Corpse Ghost or Pale. There was no chance of it being the skeletons wiping up the blood, and apart from that, there was only a table and chairs, which also wouldnt have been enough to shock Diablo.
The screen.
That left the screen showing the test site that the Corpse Ghost had prepared, which was constantly transmitting images.
Diablo had been surprised while looking at it.
Seeing this, the Corpse Ghost also turned his head to look,
And saw something that shouldnt have been there.
* * *
The appearance of the battle couldnt be called tense. Nevertheless, there hadnt been any fatal casualties yet. This wasnt simply because there were four combatants on one side and one on the other.
Daihad suppressed the Black Knights movements as much as he could from a distance and sometimes even kept him in check.
In all honesty, it wasnt an amazing role. It was the role with the least risk, nevertheless, he couldnt play any role other than this. To put it bluntly, Daihad was the most useless among the four.
He used all of his concentration in the battle, but on the other hand, his thoughts were different.
The Black Knight isnt trying his hardest.
This was the only reason there were no casualties despite this monsters seemingly unending strength.
Daihad looked at Sama Ryeong.
Haspin and Jacobs assistance were a major help, but the biggest reason they were able to maintain the front line was because of Sama Ryeongs presence.
Daihad realised that she was a genius with tremendous talent.
Shes growing even while they exchange swords.
That growth was at an enormous rate.
She probably was even aware of it herself. In reality, the perception of time that Daihad and she had were probably now completely different.
Its long.
It certainly was. sea??h th novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Every time she locked swords with the Black Knight, Sama Ryeong felt terrible as if countless years of oppression were repeating over and over again.
Clang!
Blood flowed from her mouth and nose.
Its heavy.
Once again, she blocked the incoming attack. She no longer had the strength to counterattack, so she just accepted it.
Her entire body was in pain. Nevertheless, she didnt even have the time to cry out. The mental pressure she was currently experiencing was much greater than the physical pain.
Sama Ryeong looked at the Black Knights helmet and the aura swirling around it.
hes terrifying.
She gently acknowledged this fact, but she could do nothing more than avert her gaze. Otherwise, she wouldnt be able to predict the Black Knights next move.
She couldnt help but think that wouldnt be so bad either.
This was a hellish fight. The mental pain she was feeling was equivalent to what shed felt coming down to the end of her stay at the dump site, and the physical pain was dozens of times more. Sama Ryeongs mind was already in tatters like a bloody rag.
At some point,
Sama Ryeong had begun to feel both the fear and sweet temptation of death from the Black Knights sword. This was another absurd contradiction.
She just had to push her neck to the edge of the blade and that would be it. Perhaps shed die without any pain.
But as she was about to succumb to the temptation, another question popped into her mind.
If she died there, who would be responsible for all the Sama Ryeongs?
Do I want to be like the trash lying in the dump site?
Crunch.
She clenched her teeth. There was a sharp pain from her molars, but she paid it no mind.
Such an ending was unacceptable.
Boom!
Sama Ryeong took a big step forward.
The ground cracked, and stone fragments were sent flying. The Black Knights sword paused for a moment. Sama Ryeong had been gradually retreating this entire time. Although weak, this was the first time shed moved forward.
Jacob and Haspin, who had been waiting for an opening, looked towards each other at the same time.
They realised that Sama Ryeong was trying to turn the mood around.
At that moment, her eyes were bloodshot. In reality, this was caused by the ruptured and bleeding blood vessels, but her face was so covered in blood that she looked like a ghost who had climbed out of the Pit.
The Black Knight released his intangible spirit ki. This was the price for letting down their guard.
The blood vessels in her body screamed and begged for death.
But she ignored them.
Sama Ryeong would not regret this choice.
There is no point in wasting more time.
In the fight just now, Sama Ryeong had been constantly pushing herself past her limits. And shed commended herself for it.
But not anymore. She knew that she would only be able to receive the Black Knights sword at most one or two more times.
The death of Sama Ryeong would mean the collapse of the front line and the eventual death of all the test participants.
In every fight, there are times when you have to go all in.
Sama Ryeong decided that now was that time.
[]
Perhaps it was because hed felt her desperate spirit.
The Black Knight paused for a moment before changing his stance.
Gugug.
At the same time, his sword began to vibrate and a strange sound seemed to resonate from it. It was an unpleasant sound as if someone was grinding their teeth in anticipation.
Fwoosh!
Black energy covered the Black Knights entire body.
Then it began to gather on his sword.
This fucker
He intended to face the attack filled with all of Sama Ryeongs might with his own extreme attack.
She couldnt help but let out a laugh. Surprisingly, this monster was fair.
Although the energy around his sword was dark and insidious, his attitude was excellent.
She could feel uprightness and integrity similar to that of the Masters of the Righteous Faction.
Whoosh-
A weak air current swirled around Sama Ryeong. Those who looked from a distance would be able to see plum blossoms fluttering around her body.
The characteristics of the Plum Blossom Sword Technique wasnt simply its adaptability.
Mirage Sword(Ä), Quick Sword(ل), Chaos Sword(y), Rapid Sword(섦).
Among them, there was a sword that Sama Ryeong pursued.
CYou have a talent for the Killing sword().
Yang In-hyuns voice sounded in her head.
That was probably the first lesson hed given her.
Sama Ryeong had denied it at that time, but after spending some time in the dump site, she had no choice but to admit it. Yang In-hyuns eyes were at a height that she couldnt even look up to, and his advice was true.
Ill admit to being taught by you.
At that moment, her gaze was filled with killing energy.
however, that will be your last lesson to me.
Thinking of the man who wasnt there painted her heart with killing intent. Then, her entire body erupted with killing energy. The fluttering plum blossoms disappeared like flames.
Piht.
Sama Ryeongs figure disappeared.
The Black Knight was surprised. The movement speed Sama Ryeong was currently displaying was three times more than her fastest speed so far.
It seemed that shed decided to sacrifice her bones and muscles.
Good.
He felt like his still heart had begun to beat once again.
Ill accept it, from the front.
The Black Knight, Lucid, smiled beneath his visor.
-But he was unable to wield his sword properly.
Suddenly, he felt something pulling on him from behind.
[!]
No one was actually touching him. There was no way he wouldnt have noticed someone getting so close. Reeling slightly, Lucid looked up at that sky.
There, he saw Jacob giving him a bright, bloody smile.
Paak!
Then, he felt intense pain in his wrist. This attack was a close contact hit, but because his body was thrown off balance, he was unable to respond.
Haspin.
The Devil, who hadnt participated in the battle yet, had approached at surprising speed and kicked Lucids wrist with his hoof. As proof of how strong the impact was, Lucid had no choice but to let go of his beloved Deukid for a moment.
In truth, Id also like a one on one.
Then he heard Sama Ryeongs voice.
But youre really strong, so it should be fine for me to get some help, right?
From the moment shed encountered this monster, Sama Ryeong had thought.
If she could get in one shot, where would she attack this monster?
There were several places in the body that could be considered vital points, but most of them were covered in thick black armour. Of course, while there was no Self Defence Rigid Ki around his body now, the durability of his armour itself couldnt be ignored.
Nevertheless, the area where the armour provided less protection was without a doubt the joints.
So Sama Ryeong aimed for Lucids neck.
Clang!
Her wrists tingled heavily. As expected, the defence of his armour was also significant. However, it was not as much as when he was covered in black energy.
As proof of this, the black armour that protected his neck cracked.
Crunch.
She unleashed all the power in her body.
After pouring everything out, she wouldnt even have the strength to blink.
That was why
Please blow this motherfuckers head off.
For the first time, Sama Ryeong earnestly wished for something.
Shuk-
Her earnestness was fulfilled.
Lucids head was cut off. His head flew high up into the air with his helmet still attached before quickly falling to the ground. After a while, it clattered to the ground with a dry sound.
Plop.
Sama Ryeong collapsed on the spot. Then, with her face pressed to the ground, she panted like she was out of breath. Her entire body was covered with sweat and blood.
amazing.
Haspin muttered while looking at Sama Ryeong. His voice was filled with genuine admiration.
This womans potential was frightening. The growth shed already shown was terrifying, but she would probably only grow her real wings after leaving the dump site.
She would continue to become strong as she fought against the strong.
We did it.
Daihad collapsed to the ground with a tired smile. (TL: Red flags, red flags everywhere.)
But Jacob remained in the sky and looked down without descending.
Just as Haspin began to wonder about his attitude.
[How admirable.]
A voice that should not have been heard rang out once again.
!
Sama Ryeongs eyes went wide and black smoke rose up from Lucids neck at almost the same time. The smoke wriggled as if it were alive and floated towards a certain direction with an ominous movement reminiscent of a snake.
It was going towards the severed head.
Its going to reconnect! We cant let them touch!
Daihads judgement in this situation was the fastest.
With a scream, he brought his hands together and released a barrage of bullets made of condensed energy without mercy.
Boom boom boom boom boom!
This was probably Daihads last resort. Nevertheless, there were two reasons why he had not used it before.
The first was that Lucid and Sama Ryeong had been engaged in an ultra close ranged fight and they both would have been implicated.
And the second
Crack!
He didnt think it would be able to do much damage to Lucid.
Daihads prediction was correct. The energy bombardment he unleashed did nothing to stop Lucids movements. He easily reconnected his head and neck, and calmly fixed it back into place with a twist.
[Hmm.]
Then he looked around.
He could feel a sense of despair that couldnt be hidden. Especially so since he was convinced of his victory.
This situation had almost reached its end. He no longer felt any of his previous sympathy for them. At the very least, there still seemed to be some fire in the eyes of Jacob, who was in the sky, but that was fairly weak as it went.
It wasnt enough.
They were afraid, but it wasnt enough.
Lucid, the Black Knight, did not want to spread just this much fear.
He clapped his empty hands.
First things first, he had to collect his beloved, Deukid, which had been sent flying by Haspins impressive blow.
Sama Ryeong looked at him with a stunned expression. Shed already poured out all of her strength. She didnt even have the strength to blink, let alone lift a finger. Naturally, it was also impossible for her to stop Lucid from retrieving his sword.
Am I going to die here?
Despair, which she thought shed pushed away, swept over her body.
Her body gradually began to feel cold from her fingertips. Her eyes were still filled with killing intent, together with resentment and fear.
Deukid was stuck in the ground not far away.
Ten steps at most.
But among those whod fought Lucid, there was none who could stop him from taking it.
Among those whod fought Lucid that was.
Lucids steps abruptly came to a stop.
Sama Ryeong felt like she was seeing killing intent from the Black Knight, who had been emotionless till now, for the first time.
Struggling to catch a glimpse with her blurred vision, she looked in the direction that Lucid was staring. Someone was standing there.
Haspin narrowed his eyes, Daihad was surprised, and the expression on Jacob, who was still in the sky, became twisted.
It was a man who hadnt shown himself at all since the beginning of the test.
Sama Ryeong recalled his name.
Lukas?
Lukas pulled the sword that was stuck in the ground in front of him.
The blade is still undamaged. It seems you took good care of it. Huh? Lucid?
[]
Lucids aura flashed strangely.
(TL: Id like to appeal for Mantis. He didnt get a chance to be afraid.)
Book 2: Chapter 415
Book 2: Chapter 415 Decent.
That was the thought she had when she saw Lukas pick up the sword.
It couldnt be called an accurate indicator, but when you reached Sama Ryeongs level, it became possible to tell how skilled someone was by the way they held a sword.
Is he a Swordsman?
Of course, it was hard to call him a great master or anything of the sort, but it was impossible to have such a natural grip without decades of experience.
Sama Ryeong soon denied that possibility.
He hadnt had a sword when shed seen him the first time. The same was true now. He had been completely empty-handed until hed picked up the Black Knights sword.
That was impossible for a Swordsman. It was the same for Sama Ryeong. Shed lost her sword quite a few times in the dump site, but every time she rummaged through the corpses, it returned.
[]
Lucid and Lukas.
The atmosphere that formed when their eyes met made it hard for the onlookers to speak.
Lucid was impatient as he looked at Lukas.
This attitude was certainly quite strange. This feeling was stronger in Sama Ryeong, who had fought him more closely, than anyone else.
Why?
What was he hesitating about? Everything would be over as long as he took his sword back.
She was certain that Lucid had the power to do that. Sama Ryeong knew.
She and the other participants had risked their lives in the battle just now, but Lucid hadnt. That expression might not be an appropriate expression to use on a Knight who scattered death, but he hadnt used his death power to its maximum.
Because she couldnt see his expression, she couldnt see his emotions. Thats why she hadnt realised he wasnt doing his best.
When even a fatal attack like cutting off his head had no effect, she realised.
In other words,
Lucid could have killed all of them at the same time if he wanted to.
Why didnt he?
And why was he not moving in front of Lukas now?
Did that weak guy have that much latent power? Did he have enough latent power to make the Knight of Death wary?
It was Haspin who broke Sama Ryeong out of her thoughts.
Are you here to help?
It was a lonely voice. Lukas turned to look at Haspin. The moment he saw that dark light in his black eyes, he had an indescribable feeling of anxiety.
As you can see, the current situation is very dangerous. Could you please lend us your strength?
This time, he spoke in a more polite tone.
In almost a direct contradiction to this, a cold smirk appeared on Lukas face.
You want my help?
Right.
Instead of answering, Lukas spun the sword in his hand several times.
Rather than a display of swordsmanship, it was a light movement, like a warm up exercise.
This certainly is a famed sword.
After that soft mutter, he suddenly threw the sword into the air.
Swoosh!
The blade flew through the air.
It was a sudden throw, but Lucid was able to catch it without difficulty. In all honesty, it was quite simple.
he threw it?
No. It couldnt really be said that he threw it. Deukid, which had just flown towards Lucid, hadnt had the slightest intent to attack, let alone killing intent.
It was just that,
Deukid had been returned to Lucid.
Madman.
Daihad sighed as he tapped his forehead with his finger.
do you know what you just did?
Haspins voice was quieter than Daihads murmur, but it was still much clearer in everyones ears.
Even though he didnt know, Lukas smirked.
I returned a sword to an old friend. Is there a problem?
An old friend?
I dont know what the hell youre talking about.
Daihad seemed to be having trouble maintaining his composure.
Let me check something first. Hey, monster.
[]
Dont look around. Even without looking, you should know youre the only person here that can be called a monster, right?
Lucid didnt show any particular reaction, but Daihad continued to speak as if he didnt care.
Im curious about something. This self proclaimed old friend of yours, who is standing in front of you, just returned your sword, will you spare him for old times sake?
[No exceptions.]
Lucid replied in a low voice.
Sama Ryeong noticed that the faint signs of agitation that he had displayed before were now gone.
[Everyone here will experience death.]
Is that so?
Daihad turned to make eyes at Lukas as if to say, now do you understand what youve done?.
Suddenly, Lukas attitude changed. His smile disappeared. It wasnt just that, there was a stark change aura as if he had changed masks.
Youre self aware, Lucid.
[]
Thats a funny joke So youre obedient to those white bones despite being self aware?
[Thats right.]
Lukas suddenly looked around.
His eyes swept past Sama Ryeong, Haspin, Daihad, and Jacob.
Lets have a talk, alone.
The moment he muttered those words softly, an incredible sight unfolded.
Following the sound of wind blowing, the ground about half a step around Lukas and Lucid vanished, and the two of them also disappeared without a trace as if theyd evaporated.
What?
What?
Daihad and Haspin walked over to where they stood, but the ground had already been fixed. Naturally, there were no signs of them there.
Flop.
At the same time, Sama Ryeong lost consciousness. In fact, shed long exceeded her limits, but when she saw Lucid disappear, she was no longer able to maintain the tension that had been keeping her conscious.
Out of all of those there, only one of them had a faint idea about this magical sight.
no way.
Jacob, who was still in the sky, muttered in disbelief.
* * *
Taht.
The sound of the landing was so light that no one would believe it belonged to a heavily armoured Knight with unimaginable weight. Lucid, who landed lightly, looked around. This wasnt a completely new space. The surrounding area still looked like a forest.
But the colours were strange. As if their colours had been reversed, the leaves were black or grey instead of green. The sky also seemed to have become grey.
A severed world.
Lukas appeared.
Of course, with your sword, you should be able to tear through the space and escape. With ease.
[Are you telling me not to do that?]
I didnt bring you here because I wanted to imprison you. I said I want to talk.
[I have nothing to say. I need to fulfil the role that was assigned to me.]
Scattering Death?
Lukas chuckled.
Diablo said The Great Game will soon begin in this place. At first glance, that and the role youre playing seem to have a causal connection But it probably doesnt.
[]
I thought about it for about 10 years. Why I was suddenly called here. Why the World of Void existed in the first place. What Diablos goal was.
[Did you get an answer?]
The answer I got was that I dont need answers. I dont know if I was like that in the past, but the current me is.
[Why?]
Because my goal is
Lukas said up there before suddenly stopping, then he shook his head and frowned.
if you intend to fight me, Id advise you to change what youre holding first.
[What do you mean?]
Dont act like you dont know. Or do you want me to make one for you now? How about this?
After saying that, Lukas stretched out his hand to the right. Crack crack, wood and rocks were quickly shredded and processed. Before long, they gradually began to take the shape of a weapon.
A single spear.
Although it was made of unsightly materials, the shape was still quite plausible.
Lukas lightly spun the spear like a windmill. It felt like he was checking the weight, durability and killing power of the weapon. Then, with a satisfactory nod, he threw it toward Lucid.
But Lucid didnt catch it the way hed caught the thrown Deukid, instead, he took half a step backwards.
Puk.
The spear stabbed into the ground diagonally.
Lukas tilted his head.
Do you not like it? I suppose the materials are a bit cheap.
[]
Compared to that famed sword it is inferior, but wouldnt you be closer to your full strength if you used that instead of a sword?
[I dont know what the hell youre talking about.]
Come to think of it, Lucid, your shoulders seem broader than usual.
[]
Youre wearing a helmet too, so it took me a while to notice, but your voice has also become deeper is it because youve become an undead?
[My voice is the same. With regard to my physique, I might appear a bit bulkier because of the armour.]
Now youre the one saying something strange. Your current musculature doesnt seem like a woman at all.
If Lucid hadnt been wearing a helmet, he might have shown some expression on his dead face at that moment.
[what the hell are you talking about, Lukas? I was a man.] (TL: Craftsman(?) Lukas x Fem Spearman Lucid? Sounds promising.)
Its not me, youre the one saying something strange. Clearly you
After saying that, Lukas expression hardened a terrifying amount.
No. No. I. And you
A soft murmur sounded.
[Lukas.]
No. The basis is still me
Lucids aura sank.
Then he, here.
He remembered where Lukas had been before entering the space the Corpse Ghost had created.
[even beings with minds of steel usually dont eat more than a double digit number of corpses when they go to the dump site.] S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Lukas wasnt listening to him and continued to mutter to himself nonstop. Regardless of his attitude, Lucid continued.
[This is because its possible to become oversaturated. This is no different from taking the first few steps to destruction with your own two feet. Isnt that natural? The target is none other than yourself. Just as the efficiency of predation is maximised, too much of it makes it a poison.]
Lucid knew.
Just how big the container of this man named Lukas was.
If he preyed on ordinary beings, Lukas could probably consume units of millions or tens of millions without difficulty. Despite this, there would be no wavering in his mental strength.
But the ones Lukas had preyed on werent ordinary people.
Even though they were fragile and insignificant when compared to Lukas, their essence was still the same.
Lukas was strong now. What was scarier was that he had yet to fully digest the power within him. It was like there was a huge chunk of ice inside him, and only the smallest part of it had melted so far.
But that wasnt the point.
It wasnt about the strong power hed gained.
It was the fact that hed absorbed an uncountable number of selves.
The greatest danger they posed was chaos.
Overlapping memories. Overlapping intelligence. Overlapping personalities. And overlapping nature.
The chaos that would result from that was not something that any being could handle.
[You might be the best out of all the Lukas. However, the soul container of beings who were born identical will certainly be the same.]
.
Lukas slowly turned his head.
At some point, the murmuring had stopped, and his swaying figure had straightened. The hands that were holding his head lowered, and a smile spread across his lips as he looked at Lucid. It was a smile of clear madness.
Lucids gauntlets crumpled.
This was because he clenched his fists so hard his black armour began to creak.
[answer me. How many Lukas did you eat in the dump site.]
(TL: Well that explains Lukas seemingly split personality behaviour. Thats basically what he has. Ive always had a thing for mentally unstable characters so I hope he doesnt recover completely but I suppose a Lukas that isnt fully in control isnt really the Lukas were used to.
Also, can we just take a moment to visualise how badass weaponmaster Lukas is, easily wielding a bunch of different weapons.)
Book 2: Chapter 416
Book 2: Chapter 416 There were certainly some things that he hadnt known.
Lukas didnt know that if he hadnt stopped eating, he would have been destroyed. He didnt know that he would be completely ruined.
His body had sent him countless warnings, both physical and mental.
Then why didnt he stop eating?
Tap, tap-
Lukas slowly walked towards him.
He didnt say anything, but the smile still hung on his lips. Of course, it wasnt a friendly smile.
Lucid was poised to respond. But he was still thinking.
It was only then that he realised something. Lucid was also twisted, so it had taken him so long to notice.
His thoughts had been wrong from the start.
If it was the Lukas Trowman he knew, even if it was his own corpse, he wouldnt have eaten it.
Three steps.
When that gap was all that was left, Lucid came to a trivial conclusion.
Probably even before hed preyed on his own corpse.
Lukas must have been broken before then.
* * *
The distance shortened to two steps.
At that point, Lukas posture changed. He leaned forward and suddenly increased his speed. Between the two options, attack and defence, Lucid chose the former.
Buzz-
Deukid rushed towards Lukas face, a black streak trailing behind it. Naturally, at that moment, Lucids sword showed no mercy. It was full of piercing intent as it rushed towards the other persons face. The advanced information that the opponent was an old friend and that he seemed to be out of his mind did not mean anything at that moment.
Puk!
There was the sound of flesh being pierced. But things didnt turn out as Lucid expected. Originally, hed planned to stab through Lukas left eyeball and into his brain, with the goal of killing him instantly. Of course, he also had a dozen other plans in case his stab didnt go as planned, but Lukas choice exceeded his expectations.
He reached out with his right hand to accept Deukid. As a result, the black blade pierced through his palm.
Ah. This really hurts.
Just as he muttered those words, Lucid kicked him hard in the stomach. The boot of black armour was covered in dense black energy. Boom! With a loud explosion like the sound of something being fired from a cannon, Lukas was sent flying.
As he flew away, something flew towards Lucid*. (*: Author put Lukas here and I was very confused for a while.)
It was the spear. Without him realising it, Lukas pulled up the spear that had been stuck in the ground and threw it.
Of course, since he threw it from an unstable position, it didnt have much power or speed behind it.
Clang!
He hit it away with Deukid Hit it away? No. That wasnt right. Lucid had swung his sword with the intention of destroying this shabby spear. In fact, it shouldnt have been that difficult at all.
Look look. The spear I made isnt too bad either.
[]
The voice had come from behind him.
He looked ahead of him. The Lukas who had just been set flying while spitting blood was nowhere to be seen. He hadnt lost sight of him, it was like hed evaporated
It certainly was surprising to hear the voice from behind him. But Lucid wasnt too bothered by it. His body moved before his head. He flipped Deukid over, held it in a reverse grip, then stabbed it behind him.
He felt his sword cut through the air.
He dodged it.
For a moment, Lucid felt as if his body was floating. Lukas had grabbed him by the shoulders and lifted him up. In all honesty, at this point, Lucid couldnt help but feel a little shocked.
That Lukas, who was using martial arts, was trying to get him to the ground.
Of course, he couldnt let him accomplish this unchallenged.
Lucid stretched out his left arm just before his back hit the ground. His gauntleted hand dug deep into the ground. Just as he clenched his fist after digging his arm in.
Boom!
The ground flipped with the sound of thunder. It wasnt that big of an explosion. All he had done was detonate the black energy hed condensed in his fist underground. But, of course, the power was great. The ground in about a 10 metre radius vanished in an instant.
In the process, Lucid looked carefully.
The fragments of the ground had become dull stones or sharp daggers that struck him all over. Hed realised it when hed hit him with Deukid, his body didnt seem to be that well trained.
Even if the ground hadnt been mixed with Lucids black energy, he would not have had any way to defend himself.
A short while later, Lukas body disappeared over the bushes.
This reminds me of the old days.
Then he heard a voice from behind him again.
Lukas was grinning as he stood there without a scratch.
You were ruthless even in spars. Ah. Or is that also a mistake?
He wasnt. This time, he was correct.
Treating spars like real fights was one of Lucids mottos.
However, Lucid didnt comment on what he said.
Its like that now. Every attack is loaded with killing energy. You really have no hesitation to kill me.
[Because that is my role.]
Thats a boring role Ah. It seems my head has cleared up a bit.
As he muttered, Lukas grabbed the spear. Even while looking at him, Lucids thoughts didnt stop.
Hed killed him.
Hed killed him twice.
When his boot had kicked Lukas in his stomach, his black energy had corroded Lukas entire body. It was no different from him directly accepting the energy of death.
The only thing Lukas could do with his final bit of strength threw the spear.
Nevertheless, hed appeared behind him in perfect condition. Then, when he tried to use martial arts, the debris from the ground turned Lukas entire body into a rag. Lukas had flown into the bushes after suffering great damage to his vital points.
And again, he had appeared behind him without a scratch.
What the hell kind of trick was he using?
No. Before that.
Why hadnt he used a single spell yet?
Magic was the power that symbolised that man named Lukas Trowman and it was his main focus. It was the weapon he was most confident in, and there was a possibility that he would be able to threaten the current him.
There was no way he wouldnt be aware of that fact, so why hadnt he shown any signs of using magic?
Taht.
Lukas narrowed the distance between them and stabbed forward with the spear. It was just like before. Once again, he was choosing close combat, and this time, it was spearmanship.
The spear swayed wildly and the tip of the spear began to vibrate. Although the principle of deception was simple in that it obscured the path of attack, it was difficult to practise and even more difficult to apply in real combat situations.
It was a technique that was too excessive to use with such a weak body, but it only felt like a trick to Lucid.
With definite power, his sword rose up from below in a rising cut. This time, Deukid really cut the spear. But Lukas grabbed the other end of the severed spear, then swung the spear, which had been cut in two, like dual swords.
Ppapapa!
There was a flurry of strikes, but the results were minimal. Such simple blows wouldnt be able to penetrate Lucids black armour, not to mention the black energy surrounding it.
Sama Ryeong. If it wasnt at least as good as the attacks of the Swordsman he had just fought, it would be impossible to deal significant damage to Lucid.
Lukas had to be aware of that.
He must have a target.
He was not a man who fought without meaning or purpose. Of course, this fighting style was also not something that Lukas would adopt.
The means that Lukas was using now it was frivolous. His attitude was the same. He knew he was a much more serious man than this.
If there was anything he was aiming for in this state
Puk.
This time, the sword pierced through his chin. There was a soft sensation. Without any resistance, the blade pierced through the soft meat under his tongue before continuing to his brain.
Gurgle.
In an instant, blood poured from Lukas face. It had been the most obvious attack. It wasnt a fatal injury, it was an attack that instantly killed the opponent.
However, it wasnt enough.
Lukas withdrew his sword and stabbed it into his chest this time. Deukid cut through his flesh and bone before accurately piercing his heart.
[]
Through the sword, he felt the beating heart slowly stop beating. The ending of life signs. He experienced a lot of sensations that pointed to death.
He pulled Deukid out. The wound hole was not very wide. After he withdrew his sword, it was small enough to be mistaken as a stain in his clothes. Blood gushed out of the stain.
Lukas body slowly leaned towards him, but Lucid refused to catch it.
Plop-
The corpse fell to the ground and the blood began to soak the ground below.
Lucid,
Hadnt let his guard down.
Of course, his keen senses that told him Lukas was dead were not mistaken, but the world had not yet disappeared.
He hadnt let his guard down.
And yet, without him realising it, his arm was torn off. (TL: *Fangirling*)
And a few steps away, Lukas was smiling at him.
Look Lucid, you bled. While undead.
The blood wasnt dripping, but there was clearly blood on the torn flesh. It was very red. This made him curious. Lukas had watched Lucids head get cut off.
There hadnt been any blood at that time.
But now, there was blood, and it was clear and bright. He didnt know why, but he didnt really care.
That was because there was a fragrant smell.
He knew. This was probably a delusion. However, this delusion excited Lukas. He licked some of the blood on the arm. First, he rolled it gently over the tip of his tongue before swallowing it slowly. He had a cautious attitude as if he was tasting fine aged wine. (TL: Oof, if Lukas remains like this forever *melts*)
Suddenly, Lukas body began to tremble.
This couldnt be called the blood of the dead. That taste
Ahh
A small sigh of ecstasy leaked out.
It was no different from the best fine wines. At least that was what Lukas felt at that moment.
It was also easy for him to guess the reason.
Everything hed eaten in the dump site was, in a sense, corpses. There was no way that rotting corpses mixed with other kinds of waste would be delicious.
But Lucid was different.
Even if his heart didnt beat, his skin was pale, and his internal organs didnt exist.
For Lucid, there was a crucial difference between him and the corpse in the dump site.
Lucid was moving.
That alone created such a difference in flavour.
Pale. Sarch* The N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
He suddenly remembered the scene where hed watched her devour a corpse. He didnt understand it at that time. Hed even felt disgusted.
However, now, he envied her.
Ahhh. If even the flesh and blood of an undead were so addictive, then how amazing would the flesh of a fresh corpse taste, or even the flesh of a being that was still alive?
Turning slowly, he looked at Lucid.
Then, a bloody smile stretched across Lukas lips.
Hey, Lucid. Theres something Id like to ask you, for old times sake.
The moment he heard the next words, Lucid could no longer consider the being in front of him as Lukas.
Can I eat some of you?
(TL: Unhinged Lukas T^T Subarashii!! I hope he becomes a connoisseur in search of the supreme flavour. Perhaps taking a bite or two out of the king as well.)
Book 2: Chapter 417
Book 2: Chapter 417 He didnt wait for an answer.
Crack.
Lukas bit into the end of the arm. The black armour that got in his way was peeled off and thrown aside.
Crunch, crunch.
It wasnt just the flesh. Lukas even chewed the bones in his hand. The short predation soon came to an end.
Huhuhu
Lukas chuckled.
In no time, his face had become covered in blood. Without even thinking about removing the strips of flesh hanging from his lips, his gaze turned to Lucid once again. There was a flicker of untamed desire in his narrowed eyes.
Ah. My head feels like its melting. I cant believe such happiness exists I think I can now understand people who are addicted to drugs.
[]
Hey. Lucid. Have you eaten any flesh since becoming an undead?
[I havent.]
I thought so.
Lukas giggled before ripping off his left arm.
Pshk.
It happened in an instant. Blood dripped down from the cross section of his severed arm. But in the blink of an eye, Lukas arm regenerated. Lucid watched this scene from beginning to the end.
Lifting his severed left arm with his freshly grown left hand, Lukas threw it.
As a show of sincerity. Try it.
Thud.
His arm landed right in front of Lucid. It was like throwing food at an animal.
Whats wrong? Do you think it wont taste good because Im skinny?
[]
You really dont need to worry about that. No matter how bad it is, it wont be as bad as your rotten flesh.
Instead of responding, Lucid took a single step forward.
Crack, with a loud sound, Lukas severed arm was crushed beneath his boot. Blood splattered across the ground like paint.
Aura blazing, the Knight of Death looked at Lukas.
[When will you become serious?]
What do you mean?
[Did you really think you could fool me with that attitude and tone? Its about as interesting as watching a low level play.]
Youre enjoying this play.
[Youre wrong.]
Really? Then lets change the subject.
Lukas smiled faintly.
You dont deserve to say things like that. Because you dont know me.
[]
You were only with me for a few decades or so. Compared to the long journey Ive taken, that wasnt even a single step. Do you understand? You look at that one step, and you talk as if you saw my destination or the direction I took.
[If thats what you think, then what were your previous actions?]
Previous actions?
[You were insulting me.]
Lukas was silent for a while before a faint smirk spread across his lips.
Right.
[I see.]
Lucid slowly waved his severed arm. Then, black smoke erupted from the cross section before finally taking the shape of an arm.
Perfect restoration.
He didnt know what the principle behind it was, but it seemed that even the black gauntlets had it.
[Then from now on, I will not let you off anymore.]
Lukas narrowed his eyes.
Lucid had just regenerated his arm, but it was fundamentally different from his ability. Lucids regeneration did not require any external energy. It was a power that came from within his body.
It had been like that from the beginning.
The black energy Lucid possessed, or the black smoke.
He had no idea what the source of that power was.
Yang In-hyun.
When he had faced the Swordsman, Everlasting Plum Sword, one of the Twelve Void Lords, Lukas had thought that he was facing a Swordsman who surpassed Snow or Lucid. But now, that thought had changed.
So youre saying you were letting me off this entire time?
[I knew that you were using an incomprehensible power.]
Ignoring Lukas words, Lucid started talking. Surprisingly, his words coincided with Lukas thoughts about him.
[I believe that power, which you gained after a great sacrifice, is enough to allow you to reach the level of the Twelve Void Lords.
You talk as if you know a lot about this world.
[I do know a lot. This happened regardless of my intentions. It is a byproduct that came with becoming the Black Knight.]
[In this world, the Knights are inviolable. From now on, I will let you understand what that means, so you*. No, you*.] (*: The first you is how you would address a friend, the second is kind of you could say extremely formal and rarely used.)
The way he addressed him changed. Lukas knew what that meant.
[Should prepare yourself.]
The atmosphere changed.
Ssrng-
Lucid drew a sword from his waist. Lukas expression changed slightly when he saw this.
He had another sword? How had he never realised that before?
Naturally, that sword was not Deukid. However, it was clear that it was also a famed sword.
Rather than a famed sword, it would probably be better to call it a Magic Sword.
Lucid was holding two swords, one in each hand.
Dual Swordsmanship.
He didnt understand. Dual Swordsmanship was basically incredibly inefficient and difficult to use.
It required the user to hold a sword in each hand. Muscle strength, grip strength, endurance, and balance. Of course, for a master like Lucid, those requirements were not a problem.
Instead, the most fatal drawback was the fact that using two swords limited the number of sword paths that could be used.
But Lucid probably knew this in much more detail than Lukas did.
Puk!
He felt a sharp pain in his shoulder. He swallowed his groan of pain, but he was unable to hide his surprise. He wasnt surprised that Lucid threw his sword. He had two now, not one. Depending on the situation, throwing one of the swords could be considered a smart choice.
Taht.
Lucid closed the distance in the blink of an eye. His advance was also unstoppable. Just like you couldnt push fog away with your hands No, that metaphor wasnt quite right. It was a feeling that couldnt be explained so easily.
Huu
Lukas slowly let out a breath.
Then, slowly, he brought his index and middle fingers to his carotid. At the same moment that his eyes glowed black.
Fwoom-
The entire area collapsed. As if a strong earthquake had occurred, the ground rose and the sky seemed to spin. Rocks, pieces of the ground, and uprooted trees swirled around like a typhoon, making it difficult to see.
Nevertheless, Lucids advance remained consistent. He continued to walk forward, the crumbling ground and flying debris insignificant obstacles.
[You understand the laws of this world.]
It was a compliment, but Lukas wasnt paying attention to Lucids voice. Instead, he was replaying what he just said in his mind.
-In this world, the Knights are inviolable.
Inviolable.
Although the statement was arrogant, it was true. In fact, it was impossible for Lukas power to interfere with Lucid.
This hadnt happened before. Lukas had been able to enter the space the Corpse Ghost was hiding in by digging into the flaws in his created world. No one there had even been aware of his presence till he revealed himself.
But that analytical ability didnt work against Lucid. It could even be useless. Thats why he had no choice but to understand a fact at that moment.
The Knights were superior to the Twelve Void Lords. (TL: But but)
Paak.
He received a strong blow to his abdomen. The skin on his back almost protruded. It felt like his spine had been crushed. In this time, Lucid pulled out the sword that had been stuck in his shoulder.
[Youve grown stronger.]
Is that a compliment?
[Im simply stating a simple fact.]
Im honou-
He couldnt finish his sentence. This is because the Magic Sword, which had just been drawn, had pierced through his open mouth. The cold blade sliced his tongue and pierced his oesophagus. His mind went blank. This wasnt because of the pain.
The blade protruded from the back of his skull.
Lucid calmly looked at Lukas for a moment before raising his sword.
Shuk.
Naturally, Lukas head split in two from his mouth as a result. From his neatly bisected skull, the whitish-grey brain matter was clearly visible.
But Lucids swordsmanship didnt end there.
Crack crack crack!
Like lightning, a chain of sword strikes slashed Lukas entire body. It would be right to call it a series of heavy attacks. At that moment, Lucid was taking full advantage of the fact that he had two swords.
In an instant, Lukas body fell to the ground as a pile of bloody meat.
Thats not Dreadment.
Lucid didnt turn to look at where the voice was coming from. Instead, he looked closely at the pile of bloody meat that hed created and the bits of flesh that still hung on his sword.
It wasnt a hallucination or trick. He hadnt made a dummy either.
Without a doubt, the being that Lucid had just cut up was Lukas.
Nevertheless, Lukas was currently standing in front of him without a scratch.
[Youve mastered the power of disappearance, one of the absolute laws of this world.]
Personally, I prefer to call it Void. Its a power with a lot more applications than you know.
[Is that the source of your power?]
Right. Do you understand now? Even if we continue to fight, neither of us will win.
Lukas couldnt interfere with Lucid.
Lucid couldnt kill Lukas.
Even if they were to continue to fight like this, it would only be a waste of time since a winner could not be clearly determined.
At the very least, thats what Lukas thought.
Chrrk, Lucids figure flickered as he quickly closed the distance. Black smoke billowed from his body.
Of course, Lukas wouldnt just sit still and let him do as he pleased. This time, he tried to solidify space itself. This was because he felt like it would be a more effective obstacle than physical obstacles.
Crash!
But the result was the same.
Lucid tore through space just as easily, and the time it took for him to do that could not even be called the blink of an eye.
Crack!
Lucids twin swords stabbed into both of his shoulders. Unable to withstand the force of his charge, Lukas was sent flying before eventually stopping as he crashed into a huge tree.
indeed.
Lukas tried to move his arms, but he couldnt. The two swords stopped his movements like nails. They also severed his tendons and muscles, preventing any movement in the first place.
As I expected, that power is difficult to understand.
Paak.
He was hit in his stomach once again. This time, it was Lucids knee. But unlike before, his spine was not smashed. Nevertheless, most of his internal organs were crushed instead.
Urp.
Uwek!
Unable to stop it, he vomited blood. Lukas vomited with so much force that it seemed like he would spit out his organs. But Lucids assault didnt stop. In fact, it could only be said that his ruthless violence had just begun.
Without using a sword, he destroyed Lukas body with his bare fists. Blood, teeth, and flesh were sent flying. Every now and then Lukas tried to do something but to no avail. From Lucids perspective, it must have felt weaker than the breaths of a dying old woman. (TL: Dang)
[]
When Lucid finally stopped his violent rampage, there was a sea of blood around. There was so much flesh and blood that it was hard to believe it came from one person.
In this world, where the colours were reversed, blood didnt lose its original gleam. sea??h th N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
[I understand. What kind of person you have become.]
[I was about half successful in my purpose for coming here, so I will leave now. But let me be clear. The next time we meet, you will die by my hand.]
Lucid spoke.
[Because I no longer consider you as Lukas.]
He pulled out his two swords.
He sheathed the magic sword and swung Deukid in the air. Chwak, that was enough to easily tear space apart, and Lucid walked through the crack in space without looking back.
Now alone in this world, it was so still that he could almost hear his ears ring.
Lukas had been released, but he couldnt move. Instead, he slowly slid down the tree. His head lowered slowly and his long hair covered his face.
right.
A cracked voice came out.
Thats what I want too.
Urk.
Lukas wanted to vomit again. He wanted to spit out everything inside him.
But he decided to hold it in.
Book 2: Chapter 418
Book 2: Chapter 418 I am Lukas Trowman.
At least so far.
* * *
He had gotten stronger.
It was a thought that hed heard after absorbing countless Lukases.
He perfectly dominated and understood the concept of Void, the basic substance of the World of Void. It constantly regenerated his body without the need for food. No. It was more like it gave him the ability to regress.
That wasnt all.
The possibilities of Void were endless.
He was able to use that power to do most things.
He could use it for swordsmanship, spearmanship, and for his body.
He could carve weapons out of nature, and he could enter the overlapping world. It made it possible for him to infiltrate the space where the Corpse Ghost, one of the Twelve Void Lords, was hiding.
Hed gotten stronger.
That vague thought carried great conviction.
No one can kill you.
A Lukas who had wandered the World of Void for tens of thousands of years told him that.
Of course, its still too hard for you to deal with the Twelve Void Lords.
Theres no need to rush.
Because the power you have melted is only a fraction
In this form, the other Lukas became competent advisors and informants.
At least thats what he thought at first.
Kill him.
Save that person.
The voices of the Lukases grew louder and their demands increased.
Destroy everything.
Defend that.
The voices all asked for their own things. He couldnt fulfill all of their requests. Sometimes, fulfilling the request of one betrayed the request of the other. He was gradually sucked into a swamp of self contradiction, and when that happened, the Lukases egos ravaged his brain.
Dont forget.
Dont forget for even a single moment, Lukas.
This strength is not something you achieved on your own.
You are responsible for all of us.
The murmurs of tens of thousands could not be called murmurs.
They talked to him constantly. Upon absorption, they strongly emphasised their right to present their power instead of transferring it.
At some point, he became unable to maintain his sanity. The constant forcible instilled not only information but also thoughts and personalities into him.
-even beings with minds of steel usually dont eat more than a double digit number of corpses when they go to the dump site.
Lucid had said.
CThis is because its possible to become oversaturated. This is no different from taking the first few steps to destruction with your own two feet. Isnt that natural? The target is none other than yourself. Just as the efficiency of predation is maximised, too much of it makes it a poison.
Perhaps that guys diagnosis was right.
After hearing those words, he was finally able to understand what hed done.
In fact, it had been foreshadowed. After eating a certain amount of corpses, pain that could not be ignored coursed through his body. Not just his body, but also his mind creaked from the pain. Perhaps even someone with great mental strength would not have been able to withstand that pain.
But he ignored it.
He ignored it and continued to devour corpses.
It wasnt enough. He needed to be stronger. It was an obsession hed had ever since he met the two of the Twelve Void Lords in person.
Kukuku
A chuckle crept out.
Eventually, he ate all of the Lukases and became strong.
He would have to face one directly to know just how he compared to one of the Twelve Void Lords, but he was at least able to learn one thing from his confrontation with the Corpse Ghost. At the very least, he wouldnt die in vain as he did previously. But what did that mean? It felt like hed even forget his own purpose if he were to let his guard down. The mixed memories and personalities of the Lukases confused him. If he wasnt him, he might have gone mad already.
What was his purpose in the first place?
The future God had shown him. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
The future where everyone he knew was destroyed.
That future had to be changed. He wanted to change it.
Diablo.
He was the main culprit and mastermind behind that future.
When hed infiltrated the Corpse Ghosts space, it was obviously unexpected and surprising to find Diablo sitting there.
But one thing was clear.
He could have killed Diablo on the spot. Even when considering the fact that the other beings present might have tried to prevent it, it might have been worth a shot.
In order to actually change the future, he should have done it.
But he hadnt. He didnt do it. He didnt kill Diablo.
Was it because he cared about what hed said?
That Knights brought huge changes to the World of Void whenever they appeared.
That this place would be the battlefield where the Great Game commenced.
The things he spoke about caught his attention.
However, what did those things mean to him?
Crunch.
He clenched his fist.
Of course, he was sure that if hed tried to destroy Diablo, the ones sitting there would not have continued to watch silently. Maybe even Pale who sat beside him would get involved. Even after acquiring so much information, her identity was still a mystery for him.
-No. Not that.
That didnt matter.
The Corpse Ghost, one of the Twelve Void Lord, the unidentified Pale, none of that mattered. He didnt care about what Diablo was talking about or the Great Game.
At that moment, he was only stopped because of an instinctive reluctance. He thought that killing Diablo on the spot wouldnt solve anything.
You could call it instinct, sixth sense, or intuition.
If he had killed Diablo then, things would have become more complicated.
My purpose, what I want.
It was to protect the future of those who were from the same fundamental universe
* * *
Was that really true?
Were they really worth it?
No one would remember my sacrifice anyway. They dont even know that Im struggling here, or that Ive thrown away something that I cherished for billions of years. (TL: Yes this is first person.)
In the end, even if I manage to change the future and protect them at the last moment, all that awaits me is extinction.
No one would even remember my death.
Because they already forgot about me.
So even if I dont save them, I wont receive their resentment or hatred.
A disgusting desire filled my mind.
And I realised what I really wanted.
I dont want to die. I dont want to be sacrificed.
I still want to live.
Insects, trash, motherfuckers.
Those guys that forgot me, those ungrateful guys who forgot me after I saved them.
Do I have to die for those guys? Hahaha.
Seriously, that joke isnt even funny.
It wasnt known whether this Lukas voice came from the absorbed memories, or from an intense desire to survive that emerged after.
Clearly, I could not turn my eyes away from this desire. My ego wasnt so strong now. I could only do my best to not go crazy while protecting the few remaining Is from the constantly echoing voice.
I looked into myself a bit more.
Why I still wanted to live despite becoming so disgustingly hideous. And where the root of that shameless desire was.
I didnt have to look for a long time before I realised.
I still had some attachment for myself.
Broken pieces, fragments of self love that I thought had been smashed and scattered still rolled around in my heart. So I wanted to live.
I thought Id crossed the line and completely lost all affection for myself, but that didnt seem like the case.
Well. Id started hating myself over 4,000 years ago, so Id had a long time.
I decided to completely clean up all of the fragments of self love rolling around in my heart. To do that, it seemed like it would be a good idea to rely on the handful of pride left.
For example, something like this.
I would become irrelevant garbage.
I would become so repugnant that everyone who knew me would feel disgusted
I made a small calculation.
I put my little remaining pride and the strong desire for survival on a scale and carefully compared them.
And yet, the side with the pride still had more weight. But the fact that the difference between them wasnt that large made me less bitter.
All humans had dark desires. The desire to live was one of them.
I had suppressed that desire for a very long time. I firmly controlled my inner self, and I knew how to control my desires.
But I decided to not do that anymore.
I decided to release my dirty and primitive desires to my hearts content.
Lucid had said it was as interesting as watching a play.
Thats wrong. I was the one who had been confused while thinking about countless Lucids, and it was me who had chosen a fighting style without magic.
And it was also me who craved flesh and blood like a monster.
Lucids flesh had been really delicious. My mouth watered just thinking about it.
urg.
Although my nausea rose, I didnt feel resistance. I graciously accept that fact.
Along with the sense of deliciousness, a feeling of disgust rose up my throat. I wanted to grab my throat and empty my stomach, but I didnt.
It certainly worked. My desire to live had faded a bit. Although it was idiotic, it was proof that the method I was using wasnt wrong.
I decided to continue maintaining this attitude.
Anyone who knew Lukas would be disgusted.
Again, this wasnt an act. The appearance I was now showing was one of my true colours, and it was an image that I might have had if I had made slightly different choices.
It was a coincidence that I decided to use such an image at the end of my life.
Compared to me.
Lucid, you.
Nothing had changed.
His skin had become paler, his blood vessels had become stagnant, and his heart had gone cold, but he was still Lucid.
When I tore off my arm and gave it to him, he was insulted and angry. He hadnt lost his pride. Even after everything, he still considered himself a Knight, and it was true.
He was amazing, I envied him. Although he was covered in black energy, his figure was still dazzling.
He wasnt convinced that hed become Diablos servant, but looking back, he had always been self-righteous. Even if there was a situation, he wouldnt tell anyone.
Lucid obeyed Diablo without losing his ego. It was only at that moment that I realised he was acting. Although Id shown anger at that time, I was actually happy.
If he was bowing his head to Diablo now, there had to be a reason. That was enough reason for me to be convinced.
At some point.
My mind was going to collapse. It was like a fate that couldnt be avoided.
If I were to have one greedy wish, I wanted to die as I was.
The moment I met Lucid, a rough plan emerged in my head.
If I finished what I had to do, and I saw him again while I was still me, I would die by his hands.
And it would be the most perfect full stop to my life.
(TL: A rare short chapter.)
Book 2: Chapter 419
Book 2: Chapter 419 He got up from the blood.
He didnt have any trouble moving, but it still took him a moment to adjust. Even though his body could regress, it seemed that being beaten into a bloody pulp for dozens of minutes had created a dissonance between his body and mind. This was also useful information.
If his opponent was Lucid or someone who was just as skilled, he learned that the fight would be quite annoying.
His surroundings were literally a sea of blood. There was so much blood, flesh, and bits of internal organs that it seemed like it couldnt have come from one person. If someone who hadnt been present saw it, they might have thought that a small scale war had occurred here.
[What are we going to do now?]
A voice echoed in his head. He ignored it instead of answering. This was because he knew there would be no end to them if he answered every question he was asked.
Nevertheless, it was certainly necessary for him to think about the future.
Firstly, there was someone he had to see in person and talk to more. Depending on the situation Right. He might have to fight once again. Of course, that wouldnt stop Lukas from actions.
He swept his hand through the air. Crack, space was torn apart and the scene of a different space was visible through the tear. The face of the person within that space was clearly visible.
The Corpse Ghost was silent.
He didnt seem as relaxed as when they first met. But he also didnt appear very surprised.
He could feel a great pressure behind that hideous appearance.
The Twelve Void Lords.
The depth of his container was difficult to see. He was by no means an easy opponent.
Lukas hoped he had the same feeling as he looked at him.
You came back.
There was a hint of coolness in the Corpse Ghosts voice.
There also seemed to be a hint of caution mixed in. At that moment, he didnt feel happy that he wasnt being ignored. Instead, he felt a tingling sensation in his skin and his hairs stood up as he sensed danger.
Do you have the power to manipulate bodies?
At that time, the blood flow in my body suddenly changed. Then my blood vessels broke down and my bones melted.
Lukas was talking about the time the Corpse Ghost had killed him.
Coincidentally, Lukas had brought it up when the Corpse Ghost was considering repeating the same experiment once more. Although he wasnt too surprised like this, he couldnt erase the feeling that Lukas had read his intentions and that hed somehow lost a round. As a result, the Corpse Ghost stopped the experiment he was about to perform and looked away.
Lukas slowly looked down at the table. Diable was nowhere to be seen. Only Pale was there, swinging her legs with a playful expression on her face.
For a brief moment, a feeling that he wasnt quite sure was regret flashed across his mind.
If Diablo was still there, would he make a more serious attempt to kill him this time? He wasnt sure.
There was one reason why he couldnt give a definite answer.
Lukas could not conclude whether Diablo was the source of all evil or not.
Diablo isnt here.
As if he knew who he was looking for, the Corpse Ghost spoke up.
What if I ask you where he is?
You wouldnt get an answer.
That was a surprisingly strong statement Then perhaps he should be a bit more forceful too.
Just as Lukas was about to lift his hand to his carotid artery, the Corpse Ghost spoke again.
Is that how you control the basic energy?
His hand motion stopped. Hed read his intentions. It was a situation almost identical to what had happened before. Except the roles had changed.
Is that a guess? You have a boring way of talking.
Im sorry, but while I dont have arms or legs, my eyes still work.
The Corpse Ghost smiled and opened his eyes wide. The part of his eye that was supposed to be white was black, and his pupils were red.
If you dont believe me, I can explain in more detail. You are manipulating the flow of your blood in order to move the energy.
You used your head. The basic energy in itself is difficult to move, so you decided to use your blood flow, right? Indeed. Like a ship being swept along by a river, the basic energy and your blood flow move together. Of course, there are some weak points, and also some risks But you are using it without any problems.
Id prefer it if you call it Void.
Even at Lukas words, the Corpse Ghost continued with a laugh.
Sure. There is no end to what Void can do. Basically, you have transcended death, and the accompanying destructive power is like a helpful byproduct, but there is something that is truly terrifying. From now on, you-
Lukas turned to look at Pale. She was listening to the Corpse Ghost with an expression of interest.
Lets stop there.
Really?
Right. Ill admit it. Your understanding of my power is correct.
Huhu. Should I say its an honour?
Lukas ignored him. He didnt want to carry on this conversation any longer because his head was beginning to throb.
There is something I dont quite understand.
Whats that?
My power is not something you could understand with just a glance.
Lukas didnt believe he would be able to hide his power forever. However, even after considering that fact, the Corpse Ghosts deduction had been too fast.
It wasnt one. This is the second time you and I have met.
Stop playing word games. I dont like talking for too long.
The Corpse Ghost smiled faintly.
Then lets do this. Instead of answering that question, how about you leave my territory?
I believe there are still tests left.
Couldnt you leave the dump site at any time if you really wanted to? To test such a being would be absurd.
That was right.
The Corpse Ghost was now politely asking him to leave.
He hesitated without giving an answer. He wasnt really obligated to accept his offer. In the first place, Lukas goal was to kill one of the Twelve Void Lords and take their place. It didnt matter to him whether his opponent was Yang In-hyun or not.
Right. Even if it was the Lord of the Dump Site in front of him.
The Corpse Ghost was reluctant to have him stay here That much was clear. Otherwise, he wouldnt have suggested he leave his territory.
What was important was how reluctant he was.
For the Corpse Ghost, was Lukas simply a nuisance? Or was he an enemy who could threaten his life?
He looked at the Corpse Ghost.
He could not tell what he was thinking behind those black eyes with red pupils.
[Just kill him. Lets fight.]
[Look at that wretched body.]
[Hes scared of you. Cant you feel it?]
Some of the more radical Lukases started talking again. Shut up. Lukas frowned slightly, but he didnt have any intention of completely ignoring their opinions.
Crunch.
He clenched his fist.
Like the Corpse Ghost had said, in order for him to control Void more accurately, he needed to put his fingers against his carotid artery.
This was because it was much easier to manipulate his blood flow if he could feel his pulse. But it wasnt absolutely necessary for him to do this.
A surprise attack was still possible.
Of course, that would be a big deal. The Corpse Ghost was currently offering Lukas peace. He had stretched out the hand of truce first. If he were to knock it away, Lukas would probably have to fight to the death with the Corpse Ghost.
Should he take his offer? Should he not?
Should he attack? Should he accept the truce?
In an instant, Lukas conflicted feelings increased.
It was the silent third party that brought an end to the possible conflict before it could start.
Accept it.
It was Pale, who grinned as she spoke.
Sitting on the chair in reverse, she was smiling as she rested her chin on the backrest.
You cant handle the Corpse Ghost. He is the most annoying of all of the Twelve Void Lords.
There are a few out of the Twelve Void Lords that uncle can fight now. But the Corpse Ghost isnt one of them.
Although she spoke in a playful tone, she wasnt lying.
When Lukas realised that, he calmed his rising aura so quickly that even he himself was surprised. Then he looked at the Corpse Ghost.
I accept.
A wise choice, thank you.
The Corpse Ghost smiled as if he wasnt aware of Lukas internal conflict and spoke.
My story continues where she left off. It seems like your goal is closely related to the Twelve Void Lords As far as I know, our fighting power is around the same level.
Those words were strange.
Lukas immediately had a strange feeling after hearing the Corpse Ghosts words.
What do you mean by fighting power?
As expected, you know how to find the pulse of the conversation.
The Corpse Ghost smiled faintly.
The Twelve Void Lords can be divided into two categories. Those who created a force, and those who didnt create a force. It is the latter that you need to be mindful of.
He couldnt easily understand what that meant.
Not the former, but the latter? S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Wasnt it easier to prey upon the Twelve Void Lords who hadnt created a force?
Ill say it again. The Twelve Void Lords all have the same fighting power.
fighting power.
Lukas finally grasped the hidden meaning in the Corpse Ghosts words.
Are you saying that the independent members of the Twelve Void Lords have just as much fighting power as the Twelve Void Lords that created forces?
Correct.
If that was the case then they were really dangerous.
There were an uncountable number of powerful people in the Flower Mountain alone. Naturally, there werent any masters comparable to Yang In-hyun, but those with the ability to take over most territories easily exceeded ten.
The independent members of the Twelve Void Lords were equivalent to the entire Flower Mountain.
In my case, this Dump Site is my force. At the same time, the people you met outside all belong to forces of their own. Sama Ryeong belongs to [Flower Mountain], Daihad belongs to [Futurix], Haspin belongs to [Demonsio], and Mantis, who unfortunately died, belonged to [The Hive].
And Jacob. He belongs to [Magic Planet], kuku, and if there is someone youll want to avoid, it is the Lord of that place.
Why?
Because there is a high chance that the Beginning Wizard is a higher level version of you.
This was probably the answer to Lukas earlier question.
The reason why the Corpse Ghost was able to recognise his power with just a glance.
It was simple. He had seen a similar power before.
Of course, the effects and direction are a bit different. But at least, you are not a perfect pioneer in that power of Void.
My answer ends there. I trust that you will keep your promise. Then Ill go now.
After saying those words, the Corpse Ghost quickly disappeared. His attitude seemed to say that there was something he needed to deal with.
Lukas and Pale were the only ones left in the dark room.
I missed the moment to speak earlier.
Pale slowly opened her mouth.
Uncle is really strong now.
As expected, Im really good at recognising talented people. How is it? Like I said, eating made it fast, right?
He didnt have the strength to deal with nonsense. Ignoring her, Lukas looked around, observing their surroundings.
The place where the Corpse Ghost and Diablo were.
Perhaps hed be able to find some clues about it here.
Huh.
Pale tilted her head and chased after him.
Youve become really cold since we last saw each other. Did something bad happen?
-what the hell are you?
Still not looking at her, Lukas asked a question.
Have you forgotten already? Im Pale.
Im not asking for your name. I dont even know if thats your real name.
Ah. Why are you being like that? It really hurts.
She didnt have any intention of telling him.
Then Lukas didnt have any intention of talking any further.
Lukas cut the space.
Huh? Im coming too.
Pale chased after him.
* * *
When Lukas cut through space and appeared, he could feel the people around him tremble.
From their perspective, it would seem as if a black shape had suddenly appeared in space from which Lukas walked out.
Hehe. This path is interesting.
He looked around.
There was no sign of the Black Knight, Lucid. As he expected, hed probably left with Diablo.
He kept looking around. Eventually, he found what he was looking for.
The figure of Sama Ryeong lay on the ground. It seemed like she was unconscious. That was a good thing for Lukas.
As he was about to walk up to her, someone blocked him.
It was Daihad.
What is it?
um. I made a temporary alliance. With her.
He was talking about Sama Ryeong.
So?
So I cant stand aside and watch you hurt her.
I have no intention of hurting her. Now get out of my way. This will be your only warning.
Lukas only said the main points. This was partly due to the fact that he had a headache which made it difficult to carry on a conversation for a long time.
But Daihad laughed as if he had no intention of standing aside.
Im sorry, but how can I just trust your words?
He should just kill him. As he looked at Daihad, he had this thought.
He didnt think that killing him would hurt him in any way.
Right. Hed do it. Hed just kill him here. And it wouldnt hurt to eat his corpse too.
Just as Lukas was about to put his thoughts into action
What do you want with her?
It was Haspin.
Why should I explain that? To weaklings like you?
There is no harm in it. I might be able to help.
Haspins voice was dry but calm. And his attitude towards Lukas was very mild. This was evidence that he still wanted to cooperate despite Lukas harsh attitude towards him.
I dont need your help. And you dont just want to help me.
Haspin wanted something from Lukas. He frowned slightly, it felt like he was trying to bring up that matter again under the pretext of helping him.
does that mean you still dont want to meet her? My Lord.
Sedi.
Haspin had told him her name.
When he thought of her, he felt his heart beat louder than the voices in his head. It was a bad omen. Perhaps if they met he would experience even greater agitation than this. That was not something Lukas wanted.
Stop it with your disgusting offers. Goat.
Unexpectedly, it was someone other than Lukas who shared the same thoughts.
The voice came from the sky.
It was Jacob, whose arrogant expression had made a reappearance.
The sir will be going with me.
the sir?
Instead of answering, Jacob landed lightly on the ground.
Then he looked at Lukas. For some reason, his gaze was warm. His eyes also seemed to be shining brightly. Regardless of what happened, this was the first time his attitude had changed so much. It didnt suit him.
Sir Lukas.
Sir?
Would you be willing to accompany me to the Magic Planet?
Jacobs incomprehensible attitude change made Lukas feel like his headache was getting worse.
Book 2: Chapter 420
Book 2: Chapter 420 Uncle, you could just kill them all.
Pale fanned the flames.
Personally, Lukas also wanted to kill Pale, who brought it up in the first place, but he could only endure it for now. It wasnt necessarily a bad thing to do what she was suggesting. But he needed to pace himself.
If he were to just act as he pleased at random, his mind would not be able to hold out and would collapse in no time. It wasnt yet the time for that. At the very least, he needed to maintain his sanity till he killed one of the Twelve Void Lords and went to the place known as the Kings Castle.
Shuk.
He stretched out his arm, causing the unconscious body of Sama Ryeong to float up. After that, he gestured with his finger and she came towards him as if she was being pulled. In truth, Lukas didnt have to do this in order to move something, but he did it anyway. This was to deceive the people around him, as well as the Corpse Ghost who might be watching this scene.
Lukas roughly picked up the body of Sama Ryeong before tearing space open once again.
The Corpse Ghost had only given Lukas permission to leave, so he probably wouldnt want him to take Sama Ryeong out of this place.
But he didnt care. He didnt think the Corpse Ghost would become hostile with him just because of this matter. And even if he did, it wouldnt be that big of a deal.
Wait!
Haspin called out to him, but Lukas coldly ignored him as he stepped through the space. Pale followed him. But the most surprising thing happened at the end.
Just before the crack in space could disappear completely, Jacob threw himself into it.
Haspin and Daihad had no time C and no reason C to stop them.
Four people.
In an instant, most of the group had disappeared.
Now, only Haspin and Daihad were left in the forest.
I feel like I got caught up in something huge. First of all, Im thankful that I even managed to survive.
Daihad stroked his chin before turning to glance at Haspin.
What do you plan to do now?
The test hasnt ended.
Haspin spoke in his uniquely deep voice.
We still have to finish.
And after?
I will return to my territory, [Demonsio]. (TL: I really preferred the pit)
Haspin knew there might be some repercussions because of what he saw and heard.
Nevertheless, he had to make the report. Because that was the role he had been given.
* * *
Fwoosh!
Kuk.
Jacob let out a groan.
He had just come out of the crack in space. He couldnt breathe or move his body. His actions had been completely blocked.
Even the movement of his cells seemed to have been restrained.
Is your goal to die? If so then Id be happy to help.
Lukas spoke in a frightening tone. His black eyes seemed to pierce directly into his heart. His heart pounded. This wasnt just because he was afraid.
Forcing the motionless corners of his mouth to move, Jacob spoke.
To die by your hands would be my honour!
You seem to believe your death would have great meaning. I wouldnt even remember you. (TL: such a cold line.)
Kuku
Jacob chuckled instead of responding. His eyes seemed to glow faintly.
Lukas looked at this figure who was staring at him with wide eyes.
What was this mans goal? Was it just to take him to Magic Planet? What exactly did that mean?
He recalled the Corpse Ghosts words.
Hed advised him to avoid the Beginning Wizard, Lord of the Magic Planet and one of the Twelve Void Lords, saying that there was a high chance that he might have a different but higher level power to Lukas.
Of course, Lukas didnt believe that he understood and could control Void better than he could. However, he didnt intend to simply ignore the Corpse Ghosts warning.
Perhaps, the Beginning Wizards goal was to gather those with similar powers in the Magic Planet and then devour them. He could have spread strong beings like Jacob all over the World of Void to look for them.
Although that would be a good way to explain most things the one thing it couldnt explain Jacobs respectful attitude towards him.
Dont be a nuisance. I have no intention of going to the Magic Planet.
After saying those brief words, Lukas released the restraints. Gasping, Jacob collapsed.
His entire body had been restrained up until then and the pain he must have felt was by no means small, but there were no signs of resentment on his face.
Just kill him! That man is worth eating!
Pale stomped on the ground and urged.
Worth eating Now that he thought about it, there was a reason for him to avoid cannibalism for the time being. The power swirling around inside Lukas hadnt melted yet. It wouldnt be a good idea to add more things to his body. If anything went wrong, the cracks in the glass might spread faster.
Surprisingly, Jacob and Lukas had a lot in common.
If he ate him, he might be able to obtain many things. It just wasnt a good time right now.
I could use him.
Lukas glanced at Jacob. He wasnt exactly sure what this mans intentions were, but he was a Wizard from the Magic Planet which was shrouded in mystery, so he was worth using.
Do you intend to keep following me?
if I do, will you kill me?
I wont kill you. As long as you agree to my conditions.
Jacob hesitated for a moment before speaking.
I cant tell you anything about the Magic Planet.
It has nothing to do with that.
Huh?
Firstly, dont be a nuisance. If you intend to follow me, keep quiet.
Dont be a nuisance.
This was a very vague condition. This was because it was possible for the party who raised the condition to push Jacob around by interpreting it as they pleased.
Understood.
Nevertheless, Jacob still accepted.
This was because he judged that this level of risk was worth it.
Whats the second condition?
Jacobs voice was filled with tension.
Usually, the conditions that came after were more difficult to complete.
Lukas answered without looking at Jacob.
The polite speech.
Huh?
Stop using polite speech, its unnecessary.
?
Jacob looked at him strangely for a moment.
A Wizard showing him respect and speaking to him politely. Because of that, he recalled unpleasant memories from the past.
I cant do that.
But Jacob refused in a firm tone.
You are a great Wizard who reached the level of being able to look down on Truth Seekers. I cannot treat such a person like that.
Even if it means you die here?
it is my nature.
His attitude was inflexible.
With this he was able to get a rough idea of Jacobs personality. Because of how high his pride was, he would not take back his words after he said them. Even if he were to try to kill him now, there was a high chance that he would just accept it calmly.
He looked at Pale. Pushing out her lips slightly, she mouthed the words just kill him.
Lukas clicked his tongue.
* * *
The World of Void was incomparably vast and there were no clear landmarks.
After walking ten steps, it would be impossible to return to where you once were even if you were to turn around and retrace your steps. In order to not get lost in this land, it was necessary to be accompanied by a guide.
Fortunately, Lukas had experienced what it meant to be a guide even before coming to the dump site.
Of course, he didnt need to use that skill now.
Crack-
Just by tearing the space apart, he was able to return to the grey desert.
That power is astounding Such a feat is not possible with just talent and knowledge of space.
Ignoring Jacobs muttering, Lukas looked up at the sky.
As always, the appearance of the sky seemed to show a flow of colours.
Lukas sat down roughly in the sand. He knew exactly where the Flower Mountain was, but he didnt intend to go there until Sama Ryeong woke up.
Ill take a look around.
Jacob took it upon himself to do the chores. He was so polite that Lukas couldnt help but wonder if he was the same arrogant man from their first meeting. Lukas didnt respond, but he didnt seem to mind as if hed already decided to take the role.
Soon, he disappeared from view. Lukas wasnt worried that he wouldnt come back. Jacob probably had the skills of a guide as well, or at least some other method.
Lukas stretched his hand into the air.
As expected, its much more abundant outside.
It was possible for him to clearly feel the presence and movement of void in the atmosphere.
In the World of Void, the power of void could do almost anything. Not just killing someone, if the conditions were met, perhaps even the reverse would be possible
Lukas suddenly turned his head and looked at Pale. She was looking up at the sky with a serious expression that seemed to be a mixture of caution and solemnity.
What was wrong? Lukas followed her gaze and looked up at the sky.
The flowing skies that were unique to the grey desert. At least as far as Lukas could see, there was nothing strange about it. Just as Lukas narrowed his eyes a bit more.
Its really quiet around here.
Jacob returned.
He had a slightly suspicious expression on his face.
I could barely feel any signs of life The desert in the Western Region, it was never this peaceful when I came here.
Those last words were closer to a mumble.
Lukas agreed with him. In the past, when he was wandering this desert with Pale, monsters would appear almost hourly.
Should we wait for her to wake up first?
Jacob glanced at Sama Ryeong as he said this.
Lukas nodded.
In any case, he needed to talk to Sama Ryeong, someone who came from Flower Mountain, for his rough plan.
* * *
When Sama Ryeong opened her eyes, she was greeted by a multicoloured sky.
This wasnt the forest that served as the test site. It wasnt even the dump site.
She was currently outside.
The first thing she noticed was that fact. Then, she wiggled her fingers slightly. They moved. There didnt seem to be anything wrong with her sensory organs and she wasnt bound. Next, she checked her muscles.
Their condition wasnt perfect, but at least it was enough to move. It was enough since even her fatigue had been completely relieved.
this feeling.
The feeling of the ground felt like sand.
Sama Ryeong was shocked by this fact. If this was the desert, that meant that she was in the Western Region.
Why am I here? Sarch* The N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Was she brought all the way here while unconscious? How long had it been since shed fallen unconscious?
Sama Ryeong calmed her confusion and focused her attention on her surroundings. There were three presences that she could feel. And it seemed that none of them were paying attention to her.
My sword
Naturally, it was not on her waist.
A small investigation showed that it was lying beside a woman who was the farthest away from them.
The other two were having a conversation.
then is your goal to kill Yang In-hyun?
For a moment, she almost trembled. The contents of the conversation that shed overheard were too shocking.
Kill? Who? Yang In-hyun? By who?
Do you think its reckless?
Definitely not. You can certainly discuss killing one of the Twelve Void Lords.
Sama Ryeong finally realised that the owner of the voice was Jacob. But his voice lacked any of his characteristic arrogance. If she had to say, it felt like he was being strangely obedient or polite.
Nevertheless, it wont be easy. The Everlasting Plum Sword is strong and ruthless. I heard that once he considers someone an enemy he will eliminate them by any means.
Eliminate.
In this world, where the meanings of defeat, exclusion and death were relatively light, this might be the surest method.
Sama Ryeong knew.
Yang In-hyun didnt blindly kill those who didnt follow him. Instead he used their desires and desperation in order to get what he wanted from them. In Sama Ryeongs case, it was vengeance.
Jacob is talking to someone
Was it Lukas Trowman?
Then that meant two out of the three were identified.
It was the woman at the far end of the campfire that was still an unknown. She was the one who had her sword, and she was not someone that had been in the test area.
Sama Ryeong had been the only woman there.
Since youre awake, can we talk now?
A clear voice.
Sama Ryeong was startled. Without her realising it, the blue haired woman had squatted beside her and was looking at her.
When did she come here? She hadnt felt a single trace.
Ah. I have no intentions of harming you, so you dont have to worry.
you expect me to believe that?
Hey. Do you know how long you were unconscious? If I wanted to eat you, I could have done it hundreds of times by now.
Pale replied with a grumpy expression.
Even Sama Ryeong was unable to refute her statement.
what do you want from me?
Thats easy.
The answer didnt come from the woman, but from Lukas, who was behind her.
Take me to Yang
Boowoowoong-
A strong vibration. It was like the sound of birds buzzing in your ears.
Lukas eyes turned to Pale, because the vibrations were coming from her.
Eh? Its not me.
Pale shook her head with a bewildered expression.
The vibration is coming from the sword, not her.
Jacob spoke, looking at the sword hanging from Pales waist. He was right. The vibrations were coming from the sword.
Huh. Youre right. So cool. Did you put an alarm function on your sword?
thats not it.
Sama Ryeongs expression became frighteningly stiff.
The sword. Give it to me. Its urgent.
Im not giving it to you until you explain whats going on.
Kuk.
Sama Ryeong hesitated for a while but she quickly determined that it wasnt worth worrying about now.
The Seven Flowers, the most elite group in Flower Mountain, usually dont stay in the territory. We are usually scattered all over the World of Void, training ourselves and focused on pursuing our own goals.
Thats true.
Jacob nodded as if to help.
Nevertheless, the fact that we are the main force representing Flower Mountain doesnt change. So Flower Mountain needed a way to contact us in case of an emergency.
Sama Ryeong pointed towards her sword.
That sword has such a function attached to it. Its a device that can immediately summon us when Flower Mountain faces a threat it cannot handle with its current power.
Hmm. In other words, Flower Mountain is currently experiencing some kind of crisis?
Right. And the degree of vibration on the sword tells us the level of danger. I can only tell by touching it, so please give it to me quickly.
Pale glanced at Lukas.
He nodded as if to say he allowed it, and she handed the sword over.
Here.
Sama Ryeong quickly snatched the sword and inserted it into the sheath at her waist. Then, while holding the sword by the tip and hilt, she concentrated.
Her face gradually turned pale.
This unbelievable
What is it? Is it serious?
Sama Ryeong gulped slightly before speaking.
its the highest level, a level 7 danger alert.
Pale tilted her head to the side.
How serious is that?
it means the power of Flower Mountain has decreased by more than 90%.
With a crunch, Sama Ryeong grit her teeth.
A situation in which the Sect Leader has died.
(TL: If anyone can guess the culprit theyll get a cookie.)
Book 2: Chapter 421
Book 2: Chapter 421 I have to go.
Sama Ryeong looked up at the sky.
When a being becomes affiliated with a certain territory, a thin thread is formed between that being and the territory. Because of this, even if they didnt know their location, it was still possible for them to return to their territory.
Sama Ryeong could see the thread stretching out of her body and realised that their current location wasnt very far from Flower Mountain.
If she hurried, she would be able to return before the sky changed colour three times.
Arent you going to stop her?
Lukas fell silent for a moment at Pales words. Amid his throbbing headache, he speculated about a few possibilities.
First was the possibility that Sama Ryeong was lying. She could be pretending that there was a crisis in order to return to Flower Mountain Of course, the odds of this were low. As far as Lukas could tell, Sama Ryeong was not that cunning. He couldnt be certain, but this woman had a similar scent to his old friend. In a sense, she was very inflexible.
Second was the possibility that the danger signal that Sama Ryeong had received was a trick. Through some means, they realised that Sama Ryeong and Lukas were together, and theyd set a trap to lure him to their den
No. Even for Lukas, the odds of that being the case were low. In the first place, he hadnt had a proper encounter with the members of Flower Mountain in this life. Hed rescued Lesha, but they hadnt left any traces, so there was no reason for them to be hostile towards him. Instead, the possibility that they didnt even know he existed was much higher.
Stop.
Lukas tried to stop Sama Ryeong, but she kept moving without stopping. As her body warmed up, she gradually gained momentum.
Hed brought her here, so he wouldnt let her leave like this.
Lukas restrained her body.
Clang, unable to walk forward any further, Sama Ryeong collapsed.
What kuk.
Sama Ryeong struggled to move her body, but she remained motionless as if her entire body had been paralysed.
Amazing
Jacob let out a murmur of admiration, but he didnt fully understand Lukas power.
Undo this, right now.
Sama Ryeongs low voice was mixed with killing intent. She glared at Lukas with tearful eyes. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Stop doing useless things. I dont care that your territory is currently in danger. In fact, it is a rare opportunity for me.
I heard that you plan to kill Yang In-hyun.
Shed overheard their conversation. Had she been awake since then?
Lukas had this thought, but his expression didnt change as if he was wearing a mask. Sama Ryeong stared at his face for a while but eventually, she let out a resigned sigh.
I do too.
What?
I also desire to kill Yang In-hyun.
This was an unexpected development.
Lukas looked back at Jacob but he slowly shook his head as if to say I never heard about that.
I have been sharpening my blade with hate ever since that bastard killed the Sect Leader and took his place.
I know it must be hard to believe. But you need to believe me.
Pale spoke with a smirk.
There is a sense of desperation in her voice. If this is an act, doesnt that make her an amazing liar?
Lukas looked down at Sama Ryeong and said.
Have you ever fought Yang In-hyun?
Sama Ryeong couldnt understand why he suddenly asked her that question, but she decided to answer first.
No.
Then do you know about his swordsmanship?
I know.
Im not talking about the Plum Blossom Sword Technique. Im talking about Yang In-hyuns lethal sword technique.
Nevertheless, when he didnt receive an answer, Lukas brought it up first.
The name of the sword technique.
Everlasting Plum Sword, First Move, Martial Annihilation.
Sama Ryeongs eyes were filled with hesitation.
She looked as though she was contemplating whether to confess or not. However, the look in her eyes soon changed as if she thought she had no choice.
Im not very clear on the details either. Ive never experienced it personally. Ive only heard about it from the previous Sect Leader. The Everlasting Plum Sword consists of a total of four forms, and with each successive form, the power is doubled.
That meant the second form was twice as strong as the first, and the third was twice as strong as the second.
His head throbbed.
Lukas had died to the first form, Martial Destruction. He couldnt even fight back. This made it hard for him to accept that the first form was the weakest. Of course, Lukas strength had grown incomparably since then, but Yang In-hyun had been hiding three other forms.
Lukas gaze turned to Sama Ryeong again.
If you want to kill Yang In-hyun, why do you want to go to Flower Mountain?
The level 7 warning, if what you said was true, means Flower Mountain was partially destroyed and Yang In-hyun was at least in critical condition. Isnt that a good thing for you?
All I want is Yang In-hyuns death. I dont want the other disciples of Flower Mountain to get hurt.
Apparently, the relationship between Sama Ryeong, Yang In-hyun, and Flower Mountain was a bit complicated. Of course, Lukas had no intention of delving deeper into it.
Shuk, he withdrew his hand and released the restraint. Realising this, Sama Ryeong got up from the ground. She might have thought she was hiding it, but the others could still feel her glower at Lukas.
Impudent girl
Jacob displayed his displeasure before Lukas even had the chance to, but Lukas raised his hand and stopped him. For him, the situation where this man was getting upset when he was insulted was unpleasant enough.
Lets head to Flower Mountain first. That way we can find out whats going on.
I think thats a good idea.
Jacob agreed and Sama Ryeong nodded as well.
It was at this time that Pale raised her hand.
Before that! Why has no one said the thing that should be said right now?
the thing that should be said?
Pale tilted her head to the side with an innocent expression.
Who was it that made a mess of Flower Mountain and drove Yang In-hyun to a critical condition?
* * *
When they entered Flower Mountain, the territory was filled with a pungent smell of burning.
The turquoise landscape that hed seen in the past was nowhere in sight.
Fwoosh
Flames soared in every direction, and ashes, which used to be trees, floated in the sky.
Its like a forest fire.
It was on a very large scale. Jacob added, casually patting soot off of his robe.
Crunch.
On the other hand, Sama Ryeong gritted her teeth. There was a sharp glint in her eyes.
Srng.
She drew her sword and swung it furiously. The wave of wind from her slash swept through the area like a storm, extinguishing the raging flames in an instant.
this level of flame could easily be handled by a few senior disciples.
Sama Ryeong muttered in a low voice.
That must mean they dont have enough time for that. Hmm. Wait a minute.
Jacob narrowed his eyes.
Someone is coming this way. Three people.
Tch, he clicked his tongue. The goal of putting out the fire was good, but the sword wind that Sama Ryeong had created had been too noticeable. If there were enemies currently invading Flower Mountain, it would have naturally drawn their attention.
It was only then that Sama Ryeong realised her mistake and made a slightly apologetic expression.
I acted rashly. My apologies.
Is that supposed to be an apology?
Jacob made a sarcastic remark, but Sama Ryeong didnt respond. The presences of those approaching were familiar.
Taht!
Three human figures landed from the sky with gentle movements. They were all men dressed in black, white and green robes respectively. They all had swords at their waists and exuded auras that could not be easily ignored.
Lukas could tell at a glance that these three were stronger than the Flower Mountain elders hed encountered before.
In addition, they all had slightly similar auras to Sama Ryeong.
Martial Brother Chun.
The young man in black at the front took a step forward.
Long time no see, Martial Sister.
You returned too.
I just happened to be not so far away.
Jacob, who was beside Lukas, got closer to him and whispered.
They seem to be members of the Seven Flowers like Sama Ryeong.
Jacobs guess was correct.
Standing in front of them was the Third Sword Cheon Jong-woo, the Fifth Sword Man Seol-gun, and the Sixth Sword Jo Sang-ak.
The Seven Swords was the most elite group in Flower Mountain, and it was a rare occasion for most of them to gather in the same place.
Do you have an understanding of the situation?
No. We just arrived. Fifth and Sixth joined me along the way.
Martial Sister, long time no see.
I hope youve been well.
Man Seol-gun and Jo Sang-ak respectfully greeted her.
A soft smile also spread across her cold face.
She was lucky. All of these people were members of the Seven Flowers who disliked Yang In-hyun. In other words, it meant they were strong allies for Sama Ryeong.
by the way, who are those behind you?
Cheon Jong-woo, the young man in black, looked at the people behind her with flickering eyes. It was easy to tell that they were outsiders from their appearance and auras.
Lower those eyes. Before I pull them out.
The atmosphere cooled as Jacob sneered derisively.
Cheon Jong-woo didnt draw his sword right away, but there was a glimmer of killing intent in his eyes.
What a vulgar way of talking. I wonder if you have the skills to back that up.
Hoh. Would you like to test it? What will you do?
The atmosphere between them became harsh.
This useless dispute was not something that Lukas wanted. Pressing down on his temples out of habit, he said.
Jacob.
Yes.
Martial Brother Cheon.
Im sorry.
Jacob bowed his head politely. At the same time, Sama Ryeong played the same role on the other side.
Then, Sama Ryeong sighed and said.
These are reinforcements I called.
Reinforcements do you mean?
Right. They can be trusted for now.
Sama Ryeong added a useless phrase at the end, but Lukas didnt mind it. This level of boundary, this level of distance, was right.
Ill believe it since its Martial Sister.
Thanks.
Shall we make our way to the main mountain? There dont seem to be any enemies around.
Right.
Cheon Jong-woo turned and led the way up the mountain, followed by the rest.
Lets hear whats going on from Sixth first.
Martial Brother Jo?
The young man in the green robe smiled and spoke.
I came a bit before, so I was able to take a look around.
What was the situation on the main mountain when you came?
I didnt feel any presences. There werent any disciples guarding the mountain or carrying out reconnaissance.
Jo Sang-ak, the young man in the green robe, continued with a smile.
That means there are two possibilities. One is that they cant afford to, the other is that theyre all dead already.
If it was the latter then the situation would be much worse than they expected.
This is because the disciples patrolling or carrying out reconnaissance never deviated from their assigned positions or missions unless it was a fatal situation.
At that time, Man Seol-gu, the young man in white, spoke.
Not so long ago, the Sect Leader went outside and came back injured.
His voice was as cold as ice. It didnt seem like he was in a bad mood, instead, it felt like that was his normal voice.
Man Seol-gu was probably the strangest out of the Seven Flowers that wandered around the world. He usually liked visiting other regions to train, but he returned to Flower Mountain the most frequently. Of course, he usually didnt stay for very long and left quickly, but the frequency was incomparable to the other disciples.
During one of the times when Sama Ryeong had returned, Man Seol-gu had left and returned at least a dozen times.
His left arm was covered in blood.
He was injured? The Sect Leader?
Sama Ryeong couldnt help but question it. Despite her hatred for Yang In-hyun, she acknowledged his strength. No, it would be more accurate to say she was keenly aware of it.
In all honesty, even if all the forces in Flower Mountain came together to fight Yang In-hyun, it was questionable whether they would even be able to inflict significant damage to his body.
Yes. When I asked him the cause of his injury, he said it was a wound from [The Exile].
the exile?
One of the Twelve Void Lords.
Jacob interrupted their conversation.
Are you talking about the Void Lord [The One who was Exiled from the Universe]?
He tilted his head to the side.
Doesnt he only wander in the Eastern Region? As far as I know, he hasnt left there for decades.
I dont know the exact details. However, the Sect Leader said his wounds were made by his [Occult Hand] and that it couldnt be healed by ordinary means.
that means [The Exile] is the most likely culprit for why Flower Mountain became like this.
It was certainly possible for one of the Twelve Void Lords to make Flower Mountain look like this on their own.
Sama Ryeong grit her teeth. She didnt know the details, but in the end, this disaster was caused by Yang In-hyun. Flower Mountain wouldnt have been like this if he hadnt gotten into a needless conflict with the exile.
-were here.
Cheon Jong-woo stopped and looked up at the sky. Everyone looked at Flower Mountain, which seemed to have a strange atmosphere.
Except for one.
Only Lukas was looking somewhere else.
Book 2: Chapter 422
Book 2: Chapter 422 Theres a place I need to stop by.
A place you need to stop by?
Ignoring Sama Ryeongs question, Lukas turned around.
Jacob, who was just as confused, asked.
Where are you going?
Lukas walked away without answering, and after exchanging glances for a moment, Jacob and Pale followed.
Glaring at their backs, Cheon Jong-woo said.
Is it alright to just let them leave like that?
it normally wouldnt be.
Sama Ryeong sighed and added.
However, its currently an emergency.
That meant that they should place more importance on understanding the current situation than restraining their actions.
One of them appears to be from Magic Planet, but the other two are unknown. Who the hell are they?
Jo Sang-ak spoke in a low voice.
Although his sword technique was lacking when compared to the other members of the Seven Flowers, Jo Sang-aks strength came in his ability to stay clear-headed, and his analytical power.
Sama Ryeong hesitated to answer. She could tell them now that she had been half threatened into leading them here, but
They wont harm us.
Probably.
This time, she was able to swallow the end of her sentence properly.
In any case, there was no need for her to make her Martial Brothers anxious for now.
As if to clear the air, Man Seol-gun spoke in a cool voice.
Their intentions are unknown, but we can at least tell where theyre going.
Although there were flames roaring chaotically in every direction, they were able to roughly guess the surrounding location by using the main mountain as a point of reference.
Jo Sang-ak answered with a nod.
The prison.
* * *
[Theyre following us annoyingly.]
[Why dont we just kill them?]
[The girl is a bit on the skinny side so she wouldnt be too tasty, but the man would be quite the delicacy.]
Among the whispers in his head, some voices were particularly loud. Of course, that was just how he felt, it wasnt actually the case. The whispers in his ears or head were all at the same volume.
Nevertheless, the reason why those voices were particularly clear was simple. It was because they represented desires that were similar to Lukas.
The existence of the two people following him was quite annoying. Lukas just wanted to kill them for that reason. Sar?h the N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Pale cheerfully hummed as she followed him. It was quite out of place in the burning forest with charred earth and blanketed by thick smoke, but it also felt natural. It had been like that before as well.
When they had been walking among the mountains of corpses at the dump site. For some reason Pale felt indescribably beautiful.
I checked uncles condition.
For a moment, he didnt realise.
It was said in such a low voice that he almost mistook it for one of the voices ringing in his head instead of Pale. But he realised it wasnt. Unlike those voices, which were filled with negative emotions, Pales voice was moist.
Checked?
You havent eaten anything since you met me, have you? And yet, you dont show any signs of disappearing at all.
It was then that Jacob looked at Lukas with a puzzled expression.
Lukas gaze turned to Pale.
Right. Eating was no longer a necessary function for Lukas. A void existed in most places in this world. And because of that, his power could be replenished at any time.
Thats right, you dont feel hungry anymore, do you? I envy you.
Lukas stopped walking. At the same time, a dangerous smile spread across Pales face.
Im always hungry. It wouldnt be an exaggeration to say Im dominated by hunger.
She pulled something from her pocket. It was a dead rat. No, it couldnt be a corpse. If it was, it would have disappeared already. Animals that werent yet dead couldnt be called food. Naturally, they couldnt be processed yet since they were still alive.
Pale put the furry mouse into her mouth and bit down.
Crunch.
Blood dripped down her chin. It was a voracious meal. Jacob took a few steps away from her with a strained expression.
Pale seemed like she was holding something back.
Even if I eat even if I eat, I dont feel full. Its like theres a hole in my stomach. A huge, deep hole that sucks in everything it touches. I feel like Im going to be sucked into that hole someday. So Im always anxious.
Its dangerous.
Lukas instincts warned him. He didnt know why, but Pale didnt seem normal at that moment.
Can you imagine what that feels like?
Pale continued to rummage around in her pockets and pulled out more rats. Hah, hah. She began to breathe heavily as she ate.
Lukas expression suddenly hardened. Even though the number of rats shed chewed and swallowed had exceeded ten by now, she didnt show any signs of feeling full.
Instead, she appeared even thinner than before. It wasnt just a feeling, that was really the case. Pales cheeks became sunken and her wrists became so thin that they appeared to just be skin and bones.
I cant sense it.
Even with the power of the void, he was unable to peek into Pales body.
The rats Pale swallowed. Where did those rats void disappear? Was there really a hole in her stomach that devoured everything?
Ttuk.
Pales hand movements stopped. At the same time, her smile disappeared.
huh.
Her expression changed drastically.
Was that the last one? No. Then
Seeing Pale mutter to herself, Jacob couldnt help but mumble.
She doesnt look sane at all. What the hell is this woman?
Of course, Lukas didnt know either.
And Pales murmurs were gradually becoming more unstable.
No, no, no. Im still hungry. I need something to eat, somewhere
Her bloodshot eyes turned to Lukas.
Kuwaaa.
A stifling pressure seemed to envelop the entire area. Even Lukas cringed for a moment.
Huk
In Jacobs case, it was much worse. His legs shook heavily and cold sweat poured from his face as if rain was falling.
Crunch.
Lukas clenched his fists Hunger. This woman, she was looking at him as food.
Not this one hes a candidate but Im so hungry.
Suddenly.
Pales gaze turned in another direction.
Ahah.
Just as a wide smile spread across her lips, Pales figure disappeared.
At the same, the pressure that had been suppressing the two men disappeared.
Kuk
Jacob stumbled slightly. Lukas reflexively caught him by the shoulder.
Ah th-, thank you.
He spoke in an appreciative voice.
Lukas didnt respond and instead looked at the place where Pale had been looking before she disappeared. It was the sky. Now that he thought about it, Pale had also looked up at the sky when they were in the desert.
The sky was covered in fog. Was there something there? As far as Lukas could see, there was nothing there.
What the hell had she seen?
[Shes dangerous.]
[Theres nothing you cant eat, but it might be a bit troublesome]
[Its not worth it. Lets give up on her.]
Shut up.
Lukas warned the voices.
Now that he thought about it, his symptoms seemed to be similar to those necromancers who were inflicted with madness. The necromancers with small soul containers constantly heard the voices of the masses of resentment that clung to their minds and bodies. The necromancers whose minds were constantly gnawed on by the whispers of the evil spirits usually had two endings. Insanity or death.
Are you okay?
Jacob asked in a worried voice.
Lukas responded with a slight shake of his head. He didnt want to say more than was really necessary.
This was because most of his attention was needed to suppress the madness.
But when he heard Jacobs next words, Lukas had no choice but to open his mouth.
You wont last long.
What?
Lukas turned his head quickly.
Jacob looked at him with nervous eyes but determined eyes.
You must have devoured many corpses in the dump site. Isnt your current condition one where you constantly hear your voice?
I know. Because I have also experienced similar symptoms.
That wasnt a lie.
Jacob had accurately described his symptoms without any prompting. And he didnt have the ability to see his condition. So it seemed he had guessed his symptoms based on his prior knowledge.
You have to go to Magic Castle. The Honoured Father will take care of it for you.
The Honoured Father? Is that the Beginning Wizard, one of the Twelve Void Lords?
Yes.
Please trust me. It is not an ordeal that is impossible to overcome. There is a clear cure for it, like a disease
Kukuku
A smirk crept across Lukas lips.
A solution? A disease? That guy you call Honoured Father? Haha, ahahaha!
Lukas burst out into a hearty laugh after a very long time. On the other hand, Jacobs expression became as hard as a rock. While it sounded like a pleasant laugh, in reality, it was sticky and seemed to contain indescribable madness.
Very good. You really gave me a good laugh. It was a silly joke, but it was really funny.
It wasnt a jo
Be quiet.
Ugh.
The moment Lukas lifted his finger to his lips, Jacob closed his mouth without finishing his sentence.
He slowly approached him, his black eyes peering over Jacobs entire body.
Look, Wizard. Do you think you understood everything about me after making a rough guess about my situation? Does my situation seem so light to you?
I never
No, thats what you did. But you dont understand my situation at all. Because you wouldnt have said something like that if you understood. Look at me. Look me in the eyes.
Jacobs body trembled.
Do I look sane to you right now? Do you think Im fine because I can have conversations? If even a tiny fragment of what Im suppressing comes out, and if you were to experience that fragment, you wouldnt even dare stand.
Ah, uh, uhh
Dont appear in my sight for a while.
Jacob collapsed.
Ignoring him, Lukas turned away. The voices in his head were becoming noisy again. They were mainly complaining about the fact that he didnt just eat him right away. He could feel their irritation and dissatisfaction. It made him feel like destroying everything in his sight. And at the end, he would smash this head. Just that thought was refreshing.
the next time I see him, Ill eat him.
Lukas decided what hed do to Jacob. He could give him some clues about the Beginning Wizard and the Magic Planet. Of course, it was an attractive idea, but he didnt need to get too hung up on it. That guys presence had really been starting to bother him.
If he ignored his warning and followed him, he would tear his body apart. Blood would splatter.
Although it wouldnt be enough to put out the flames raging around him, it would be enough to satisfy Lukas thirst.
Right. It wouldnt be a meal, it would just be blood splashing into his mouth like rain. The blood of a living being how sweet it must be.
As he thought this, he felt like it might not be such a bad thing for Jacob, whose very existence annoyed him, to appear again.
* * *
The entrance of the prison wasnt badly damaged. Of course, that didnt mean this place had been saved from the touch of the enemy.
There were clear traces of battle around the entrance of the prison.
The inside of the prison, that was to say the underground cave, didnt seem to have collapsed. But no signs of activity could be felt within it.
Perhaps the man Lukas was looking for was already dead.
[Then we can eat him.]
[As long as the corpse is still there.]
The dark desire made him salivate. Lukas suppressed it for a moment and entered the prison. The formation which had once surrounded the prison no longer seemed to be functioning properly. This meant that the runes that had been supporting it had probably been smashed.
The underground stairs were clean, and there were no bloodstains. Nevertheless, Lukas could see signs of the corpses that had been scattered there.
He walked among them. It seemed that he could not only feel the bodies that had disappeared but also smell the scent of blood. Although the bodies had disappeared, the void that had existed in them seemed to remain like particles.
These particles showed what had happened there as if they were replaying the scenes of the past.
The guardians of the prison.
Those powerful masters had died without even having a chance to react. There was a high possibility that they hadnt even realised theyd died.
That was all he could tell.
He didnt know how they died nor how many enemies there were.
Before long, Lukas reached the deepest part of the underground prison. This place had a much more devastating appearance. The bars that stretched along both sides were all shattered. It was as if a small typhoon had swept everything away.
But Lukas was able to find one survivor in this messy place.
The man he had been looking for.
The reason why hed come to this prison before meeting Yang In-hyun.
Lee Jong-hak lay face first in a pool of blood.
(TL: Lukas: Hes strong, I can use him
Lukas literally one chapter later: Hes annoying, I should eat him)
Book 2: Chapter 423
Book 2: Chapter 423 There wasnt any great feeling of excitement.
That was Lukas first thought as he looked at Lee Jong-haks bloodied form. Even though they had a connection from the outside world, which could be considered quite close in a way, he didnt feel much emotion after meeting him now.
Whether he was alive or dead. There was no sentimentality to speak of.
Lee Jong-hak.
Perhaps he heard Lukas voice. Or perhaps it was just a physical reaction.
Lee Jong-haks body trembled.
cough.
Then he coughed up a mouthful of blood. He opened his eyelids with great difficulty, but the light within them was so faint that it seemed like it would go out at any moment.
Lee Jong-hak seemed to mutter something, but it wasnt clear. It didnt even have a sound. Did he not have enough energy to speak?
Lukas knelt and placed his hand on Lee Jong-haks back. He could feel that his physical condition was a mess. Covering his entire body was mostly sword scars. It was as if hed been attacked by multiple enemies. Including the minor scratches, there were over a dozen on his body.
Sword technique. Was it a sword technique?
He felt that it was somewhat familiar. Lukas felt like he could tell if he looked at the wounds more closely, but if he delayed any further, Lee Jong-hak would really die.
[Is that a bad thing?]
[No. Its not bad at all.]
Lukas put his hand to his carotid artery.
Whoosh, the void around them began to swirl.
He changed the arrangement and adjusted the laws. The power he was manifesting this time was the power of regression. If there was a difference from the usual, it would be that he was changing the scope of the application from his own body, to that of someone else.
The Void, which had been wandering around aimlessly, gradually began to move according to Lukas will and began to seep into Lee Jong-haks body.
Gurgle
Then his wounds began to regenerate. The tears in his flesh knitted themselves back together and the sunken flesh filled out once again.
But Lukas expression was strange. Something wasnt right.
The regression speed was extremely slow. For reference, in Lukas case, he could completely regenerate in seconds, no matter how fatal his injury was.
But Lee Jong-haks body was different. At this speed, it would take 10 minutes, or maybe even more than that.
Void, this was the first time he was returning the body of someone else to its most perfect condition. Could that be the reason?
If that was the case, then there might be more side effects that Lukas didnt know about. Even though he was pondering that, he didnt stop healing Lee Jong-hak.
Did he think that since he would die if he left him, there was nothing to lose? Was it really only because of such a rational decision?
In fact, regardless of Lee Jong-haks appearance, wasnt he already thinking that he had nothing to do with him?
[You know it well.]
[Thats a great self-objectification.]
Lukas waited patiently.
My wounds
After hed recovered to a minimal level, Lee Jong-haks voice came out.
Five minutes.
Lukas briefly told him how much time was left. Lee Jong-haks eyes widened for a moment, but only briefly. Soon afterwards, he closed his eyes and focused on calming his mind and body.
After the mentioned five minutes, Lee Jong-hak was completely healed.
Lee Jong-hak stood up and looked at Lukas. For a moment, he could feel complex emotions swirling in his eyes. This was natural. Unlike Lukas, this was Lee Jong-haks first time facing him.
thank you.
Nevertheless, Lee Jong-hak displayed his gratitude for saving his life before anything else.
Am I dreaming right now?
There was a hint of agitation in his voice. Unlike the agitated Lee Jong-hak, Lukas response was cold.
No.
how did you get here? Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Long story.
It wasnt strange for this short conversation to make Lee Jong-hak feel uncomfortable. In the past, Lukas hadnt been one to talk a lot, but his voice had always carried a faint gentleness.
It was like a warm spring wind, it was hard to notice it unless you were conscious of it, but it gave everyone who felt it a feeling of security that warmed their heart.
But now, Lukas voice was dry. It didnt seem to carry a single emotion, and his expression was so cold it was as if he was wearing a mask. It was enough for him to even mistake him as a different person.
Lee Jong-hak was shocked by his changes, but Lukas spoke before he could ask any question.
Who made you like that?
ah.
Lee Jong-hak stretched his neck. Although his entire body had been healed, Lee Jong-hak still felt like there were foreign things stuck inside him. For example, there were some blood clots stuck in his throat. Lee Jong-hak spat out his blood soaked saliva as quietly as possible.
I dont know. When I was locked in the prison cell, a huge shockwave suddenly shook the ground. The cave shook as if it was going to collapse. Then, a huge flash of light seemed to engulf everything and I felt pain as if my entire body was being ripped apart. Thats the last thing I remember.
A flash? And a huge shockwave?
Something wasnt right.
Hed seen the sword scars that covered Lee Jong-haks body.
Had the enemy taken the time to carve Lee Jong-haks body when he was unconscious?
The probability of that being true was extremely low. If an enemy had fallen unconscious, it would have been much wiser to just cut their head off.
Flash of light.
That was the only clue.
Lukas narrowed his eyes.
How did you come to this world?
In truth, this was a question Lukas had wanted to ask when hed first encountered Lee Jong-hak. Lukas glanced at him for a moment before opening his mouth.
Gods trick.
huh? What does that mean?
Lukas turned around instead of answering him.
What a minute Is Ha-rin okay?
At that moment, Lukas body froze.
It was strange.
Ha-rin Ha-rin
Min Ha-rin.
The disciple that Lukas had accepted.
It felt like hed forgotten that child.
Was that intentional? Or
Throb.
He felt a headache that was incomparable to before. It felt like his skull was going to split in two. Nevertheless, Lukas simply clenched his fists instead of screaming.
He couldnt even remember the last conversation hed had with Min Ha-rin.
Please answer me. Im
Shut up. Dont say anything.
After saying those words, Lukas staggered up the underground stairs.
Despite looking hesitant, Lee Jong-hak followed after him.
* * *
Lee Jong-haks home universe, where the world called Earth existed.
The science that humanity possessed had been quite advanced, but a race known as the Demons invaded. In an instant, the blue planet became hell. At least that was the case from a human perspective.
And Lukas had gone to that universe as the saviour of humanity.
It was the last world visited by Lukas the Absolute, and it was also the place where hed made the most connections outside of his home universe.
He had apprentices.
Hed reunited with those he thought dead.
And hed met a child who called him father.
Lee Jong-hak hadnt forgotten him. The same was true for Sedi.
According to Haspin, she was looking for him even after becoming one of the Twelve Void Lords.
If that was the case then,
Min Ha-rin and the people of Earth
Crunch.
Lukas gritted his teeth. The weak thoughts that had been buried in a corner of his mind quickly expanded until they filled his head.
What kind of disgusting thought was that? Now that the beings from his home universe had forgotten him, was he going to whine to them?
Of course, that wasnt really wrong. However, he couldnt forget that it was an insult. Lukas, the role that guy wanted from them was just to be a simple substitute, right?
[Why is that?]
[Dont you think theyre better than the trash that forgot about you anyway?]
Shut up, shut up
Lukas muttered harshly.
He kept ignoring it, but this voice was hitting the nail on the head. So he couldnt help but react.
The figure of Lee Jong-hak following him was beginning to bother him. Even more than Pale and Jacob.
Gurgle, his killing intent was beginning to rise.
He wanted to kill him. And he wanted to eat him. The body of a trained warrior must be quite delicious.
Are you okay?
Lee Jong-hak tried to approach him with a worried expression on his face. Was he trying to help him? It was already the fourth or fifth time hed asked that question. And it was the same number of times that Lukas didnt answer.
.
However, this time, instead of blatantly ignoring him, he did something else.
Stay away from me.
Lee Jong-hak followed his words faithfully. He didnt ask Lukas anything more.
Not only did he not ask what happened for him to change so much, he also didnt say anything more about Min Ha-rin. Perhaps if Lukas had been in better condition, he would have appreciated his consideration.
After walking aimlessly, at some point, he realised that hed climbed to the middle of the mountain.
Whoosh-
Ashes floated up even to such a high place. Although there wasnt any natural energy, Flower Mountain had definitely been a beautiful place. But now, it was ruined.
But more than that, Lukas was able to learn about the scars on the territory.
He could see the deeply carved ground. The thing that had set fire to the forest was something powerful, continuous, and irregular.
By this time, Lukas head had calmed down a bit.
The pain hadnt disappeared, but his mind felt a bit clearer.
I climbed halfway up the mountain, but I didnt meet anyone.
As Sama Ryeong had said, it was clear that most of the Flower Mountains masters had been lost.
Originally, he had been planning to kill anyone he met on his way up the mountain and obtain information from them. But since he didnt feel any movement, he decided to change his plans.
It would be faster to hear it directly from Sama Ryeong who had gone up first.
Jwak
After finding the place where there were the most life signs, he split space apart.
Lee Jong-hak followed him with a strange expression.
His vision turned black for a moment and when it returned, they were standing in a house.
What!
Who are you?!
Ssrng-
He saw a lot of familiar faces.
Not only were Sama Ryeong and her Martial Brothers who had gone up ahead there, but also the blue and red robed elders who Lukas had fought the last time, and Jacob.
Jacob flinched when his eyes met Lukas then he looked away as if hed done something wrong.
He had planned to kill him the next time he saw him, but this meeting was not Jacobs fault. In all honesty, it was Lukas who had come here and met him.
Besides, he wasnt that interested right now.
Lukas attention was directed towards a bed that was in the middle of the room.
The purpose of his visit to Flower Mountain was right there.
Yang In-hyun was panting and his entire body was covered in bandages. There were also dozens of bloody bandages scattered beside him.
I asked who you are!
What kind of sorcery did you use to break into Cloud Pavilion?
If he didnt answer, they would start slicing immediately.
Just as Lukas decided how to deal with them, Sama Ryeong spoke.
You two elders, put your swords away.
huh?
What are you-
I wont say it twice.
Sama Ryeongs voice was soft, but it was filled with firmness that couldnt be easily denied. The two elders hesitated greatly, but the authority of the Seven Flowers was higher than the elders. They had no choice but to resheathe their swords.
Lukas walked up to Yang In-hyun and looked down at him.
Why havent you treated him?
Theyre saying that treatment didnt work.
Sama Ryeong answered.
Didnt work?
Right. They said that they not only used specially selected preserved meat, but also elixirs from the main mountain, but he couldnt be cured.
The preserved meat in question was probably referring to the jerky.
Lukas then asked the next question.
Then why dont you kill him?
The two elders thought theyd heard wrong for a moment, but Lukas continued, ignoring them.
The current Yang In-hyun is completely defenceless. Even a baby would be able to kill him if you gave it a sword.
This unpardonable bastard.
You dare to say such things in front of us!
Sama Ryeongs expression became a bit embarrassed. Yang In-hyun was well aware of her desire to kill him. Even though he knew, he didnt kill her or exclude her, but instead, kept her closer to his side.
To be honest, in that regard, Yang In-hyuns container was very large. However, even the elders were not aware of that.
the Sect Leader is the pillar of the main mountain. In a situation like this, we need his presence more than ever.
In the end, Sama Ryeong avoided the question by speaking about the immediate situation.
Right. So your hatred was so shallow.
As he said that, Lukas reached out his hand to Yang In-hyun.
Clang-
At that moment, all of the Seven Flowers present drew their swords. Four swords were aimed at Lukas neck. There were no gaps between their blades and his skin, so even the smallest movement would cut his throat.
Move your swords.
Move your hand.
You all are misunderstanding something. I also have no intention of killing Yang In-hyun right now. It doesnt seem like any of the people here understand the situation so Im trying to hear it from him directly.
In any case, it wasnt difficult for him to kill the current Yang In-hyun.
Instead, he wanted to solve the confusion that hed felt since coming to Flower Mountain.
So? Does it mean you were reaching your hand out to heal him?
It was simply emergency treatment. And its already over.
What?
Twitch.
Yang In-hyuns finger twitched.
!
All of the people in that room had reached the level of master, so there wasnt a single one who hadnt noticed Yang In-hyuns movement.
Yang In-hyuns eyes slowly opened.
Sect Leader!
Youre awake?
Yang In-hyuns eyes widened slightly. His eyes moved to look around.
Then his eyes met Lukas.
It was strange.
This was the first time he was meeting Yang In-hyun in this life. However, his eyes as he looked at him were calm, despite being bright red from burst veins.
No, they were only calm for a few moments.
Because when Yang In-hyuns gaze shifted to someone behind him.
They went extremely wide.
behind. Be careful.
His voice leaked out.
Behind?
Behind Lukas right now was Sama Ryeong, her Martial Brothers.
And Lee Jong-hak
Crackle!
He heard the sound of an electric current. For a moment, his consciousness went white. This was because a huge bolt of lightning penetrated his body. He lost control of his body and he couldnt move as if hed been paralysed.
[Hahaha! Uhahaha-!]
Then he heard a loud laugh from somewhere.
After that, everything happened in a flash.
Lee Jong-hak, who had drawn his sword, cut the necks of two of the Seven Flowers and cut off the arms of the other two.
Before their blood had even fallen to the ground, Lee Jong-haks figure appeared before Lukas nose. He saw an unfitting, violent smile on his face.
Even until then, Lukas was unable to move his body.
The sword which extended towards him was exceptionally clear.
Shuk-
He heard the sound of skin being cut.
Lukas expression hardened. That sound hadnt come from his body.
Just before, someone had pushed Lukas away and was stabbed instead.
Kuk
With his eyes wide open, Jacob collapsed to the ground in a pool of blood
(TL: Well plot twist?)
Book 2: Chapter 424
Book 2: Chapter 424 Kwadang.
Jacobs body collapsed as Lukas regained control of his body. He was only a step away from Lee Jong-hak.
He reached out and grabbed a cup of water from the nearby table. The cup was filled with tepid water. Splash! He threw it towards Lee Jong-hak. Droplets of water scattered in the air before quickly growing in size.
Pik.
Letting out a laugh, Lee Jong-hak grabbed his sword. Crackle. This time it was undoubtable. A clear current flowed along his sword.
Bang!
The water droplets exploded. Lee Jong-haks eyes narrowed slightly as if this situation wasnt as hed imagined. His body was caught in the explosion and was sent flying backwards, through the walls of the house.
This building, the Cloud Pavilion, had been built precariously on the edge of a cliff. And for reference, the direction Lee Jong-hak had flown towards was that of the cliff. Drenched in water, he fell down the cliff thousands of metres in the air.
Kuk
What is the
Lukas confirmed the situation.
Two of the Seven Flowers, the Third Flower Cheon Jong-woo and the Fifth Flower Man Seol-gun, were dead. Their heads rolled across the ground like garbage. Looking at their expressions, they hadnt even realised theyd died.
Sama Ryeong and Jo Sang-aks arms had been severed. In particular, Jo Sang-ak seemed unable to accept the devastation that had unfolded before his eyes and had lost his mind.
The two elders were nowhere in sight. At least that was the case at first glance.
Lukas noticed that the ground where they had been standing was charred. He could only make a guess. The lightning, which had spread out from the swinging sword, had destroyed their entire bodies without leaving a trace.
And the last person.
Jacob was dying.
His body twitches occasionally, and although his wounds seemed fatal at first glance, it wasnt much of a problem. His spine had been severed and was bleeding heavily, but it was possible to save him even if he had worse wounds.
As long as they were still alive, Lukas could save anyone.
At least that should have been the case.
As he placed his hand on Jacobs back, Lukas expression hardened.
Why?
He couldnt save him. He wasnt regenerating.
The power of void wasnt working.
Was Jacobs body rejecting the regression?
No. It wasnt his body.
It was the lightning power that remained in his body that was pushing the void away.
There was nothing he could do. He couldnt heal him. Lukas had no idea how to solve this problem. He didnt have much time to contemplate it either. Jacobs life was coming to an end.
__
Jacobs lips were moving.
It was only after a moment that Lukas realised this. The first thing he noticed was his eyes.
Lukas was curious about what Jacob was thinking and what emotions were in his eyes.
And he was surprised.
Jacobs eyes did not show any despair over his current situation, fear of death, or above all, resentment towards him.
Why?
He repeated the same question.
No. In the first place, Jacob had chosen to take the attack in Lukas place. So it shouldnt be a surprise that he didnt resent him.
However Why did this man save him? Even to the extent of giving up his own life? Lukas didnt have any special relationship with Jacob. Instead, he had actually considered him annoying to the extent of wanting to kill him.
Jacob must have felt his killing intent.
And yet, Jacob still chose to save Lukas.
He stopped his racing thoughts.
One thing was the clearest at this point.
Lukas could not save Jacob.
So the least he could do was listen to his last words.
But Jacobs lips were just twitching, and he didnt seem able to actually form any words. Instead, only his bloody breath roughly rasped from his lips.
The light in his eyes gradually faded. Cough, he vomited a mouthful of blood.
Then Jacobs movements came to a complete stop.
[Shouldnt you eat him before he completely disappears?]
Clang!
Lukas struck out with void to the source of the voice. Of course, there was nothing there. The power smashed the walls of the house and continued into the sky behind it.
The hell is this
Sama Ryeong bit her lip.
She could not keep up with the events that had happened in an instant, causing a gap to form between her processing of information and reality.
Of course, Sama Ryeong knew who the culprit behind this tragedy was.
Lee Jong-hak.
Someone who had recently appeared in the World of Void and a criminal who had massacred the disciples of Flower Mountain. The most dangerous of the prisoners in the prison.
Of course, Sama Ryeong hadnt witnessed his murders personally. She had been away at that time.
But she had spoken to him face to face before.
And shed been dazzled by the spirit of integrity that seemed to exude from him.
In all honesty, Sama Ryeong had wondered if that man was really such a butcher.
And if his massacre was true, then why hadnt they executed him right away? The Yang In-hyun that Sama Ryeong knew was not such a benevolent man.
Kuk.
No.
That wasnt the problem right now.
What is your relationship with that man?
Sama Ryeong looked at Lukas as she asked this. Because this man was the person who had brought Lee Jong-hak to this place.
Lukas didnt respond. He continued to look at Jacob with an indescribable expression.
Sama Ryeong felt intense anger at this sight which seemed like hed lost his mind.
Im asking you a question!
It was then that Lukas responded. He finally turned his gaze towards her.
Move.
It was a short word. It wasnt a request, nor was it an order.
It was closer to a prediction of what was going to happen. Sama Ryeongs body was pushed to the side and slammed into the wall.
Ugh
Even though she was alive, her arms had been cut off and she suffered fatal internal injuries. Unable to withstand the shock of the blow, Sama Ryeongs eyes rolled back into her head as she fainted.
Ma-, Martial Sister!
Jo Sang-ak rang over to Sama Ryeong.
Lukas ignored everything and approached Yang In-hyun.
His body was covered in wounds Right. Lukas had just given him some emergency treatment. Even then, it hadnt been very effective. Hed tried to treat him to the point where he would be able to communicate, but Yang In-hyun was barely conscious and could only speak in a faint voice.
Now he understood.
Who made Yang In-hyun like this?
Lee Jong-hak.
No, thats not right.
Lukas.
When he thought about how Lee Jong-hak had destroyed Flower Mountain and driven Yang In-hyun to the brink of death, another being came to mind.
One of the greatest beings in the multiverse.
Gods strongest fangs.
A being who ruled over all creation from the highest height.
Thunderous Lightning God.
Rumble.
The sound of lightning and thunder.
Dark clouds began to gather in the sky.
Tuduk, tuk, shwaa. In an instant, rain began to pour down.
Lukas knew that this weather did not belong to the territory.
This thunderstorm was not a natural occurrence, it had been caused by someone.
Is the Lightning God stronger than you?
It was something that Lukas had trouble understanding. Yang In-hyun gave him a strange look for a while before closing his eyes as if hed run out of energy.
In the end, did he have to find out for himself?
[Its really nice to meet you again.]
At that moment, he heard a soft voice.
[Especially since we could meet in a place like this.]
It was strange.
He was clearly speaking softly, but his voice resounded in his ears. The voice wasnt just ringing in his head like the Lukases.
In fact, the eardrums of Jo Sang-ak, who was near him had burst and blood flowed from his ears. If he had his arms, he probably would have covered his ears.
[I thought youd been completely destroyed. Everyone thought so, Lukas Trowman.]
[Youve become more reticent than before. You also obtained a pretty interesting power Now, what is it going to be?]
The Lightning God continued.
[Should I go to you? Or will you come to me?]
Lukas chose the latter. He threw himself through the hole the Lightning God had made and fell down the steep cliff. At times like this, he felt the desire to commit suicide begin to resurface. He just wanted to relax the power in his body and fall onto his head.
Taht.
Instead of giving in to the impulse, Lukas landed lightly on his toes.
This was a place that wasnt very damaged. The fire hadnt spread here, so it still had the appearance of a forest.
Tududuk The falling rain soaked his hair. Lukas glared at someone through his hanging wet bangs.
The Lightning God was crouched in front of a blooming peony.
That friend was pretty strong Was he called Yang In-hyun?
A Swordsman like that is rare in the entire multiverse. If Id made a single mistake, I wouldve lost.
It wouldnt have affected you even if Lee Jong-hak died.
There would be some damage. S~ea??h the N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
The Lightning God straightened his knees and stood up. Then he cut the peony.
Wouldnt it make me miss the best opportunity? Id have to retune the synchronisation rate in a new possessed body from the beginning, and that would be really annoying.
He sniffed the peony hed cut and frowned.
this world is like an empty rice cake. I cant feel the taste of domination in this place. What I can feel, is that the beings here cant mix with us. Kuku. No matter how I look at it, [The Dragon] made the wrong choice.
How did you come to this place?
Lukas asked straightforwardly.
You didnt abandon your position as an Absolute. Youre also not someone who has been forgotten. So you couldnt have met the basic requirement to enter the World of Void, right?
The Lightning God responded indifferently.
Thats because the boundaries have weakened. Shall we say that God touched the lid of this garbage dump and left it open? That left an opening.
What does that mean?
Do you have a hard time understanding what I said?
what is your goal?
The Lightning God simply smiled.
Shwaa!
For a moment, only the sound of the rain could be heard.
Crackle!
Suddenly, the crown of the Lightning Gods head seemed to flash, and a sharp bolt of lightning hurtled towards Lukas. Lukas didnt move. Crunch, instead, the ground in front of him rose up and blocked the lightning.
Hoh
Lukas felt like the lightning fired by the Lightning God was more like a check than a real attack. This was then proven by the fact that he didnt continue to attack.
Youve grown stronger. Haha. Can you answer my question? What did you give up in this place, and what did you get?
You ignore my questions and only ask about things youre curious about. Your selfish way of speaking hasnt changed.
Unchangeability is one of the most important qualities for a Ruler. We do not need to change. Because we were born perfect unlike changeable beings.
Lukas gaze became cold at those words.
In any case, I owe you one. Since you healed this body.
Can you say that even after you tried to kill me?
You arent dead now, are you?
Someone else died instead.
Right. That guy who was with you Who was that? Was he your disciple?
Why?
Why did he really want to kill the Lightning God at that moment?
That wasnt all. The conversation with him was gradually becoming unpleasant. He couldnt stand the smirk that remained on his face.
But the catalyst that burst his fraying patience was the Lightning Gods next words.
Then Ill offer an apology for him. Lukas Trowman, dont you want to be a perfect being?
A perfect being?
A Ruler.
The Lightning God smiled.
If its the current you, I think I could make it happen.
-He smiled.
While casually mentioning Lukas lifelong wish as if it was nothing important. He spoke about the purpose that hed risked everything for in a light, frivolous voice.
Lukas slowly lowered his head. Rainwater rolled down his jawline. It was cold. But there was something more annoying than that.
What answer should he give?
How could he get rid of this dirty feeling he had, even if only slightly?
After enough time had passed for three lightning bolts to strike in the thunderstorm, the Lightning God asked.
Whats your answer?
It was around this time that [some Lukas] gave him a cool answer.
Lukas shook his head.
suck.
Huh? What was that?
And with a bright smile, he said.
Suck my nuts, you bastard.* (*: This was censored, I had to improvise)
The Lightning Gods expression hardened.
Book 2: Chapter 425
Book 2: Chapter 425 Boom!
A fork of lightning carved through the sky. The falling raindrops dripped down his jawline.
The reason the Lightning God was offended wasnt because of the other persons rude swearing. In the first place, such insulting behaviour was only valid when both parties were on the same level.
The eye level of a Ruler was at the highest height. For him to respond to such a thing would be similar to a human suddenly laughing after hearing the swearing of an ant. (TL: I wouldnt laugh if I heard an ant swear at me)
Nevertheless, there was a reason why the Lightning Gods expression hardened at that moment. This was because he was inwardly wondering about something that he could not easily let go of.
Why had Lukas Trowman changed so much?
He knew how strong the mind of an Absolute was. It was in their nature to not bend even to the point of breaking, but Lukas had changed so much.
As if hed become a completely different being.
Pik-
The Lightning God suddenly laughed.
Right. If he had changed, then the reason was obvious.
Why didnt you just come under me, Lukas?
As he said that, he turned around.
In the end, you still lost.
Despite his insulting remark, Lukas didnt swear at him anymore. Because it was pointless. The emotions swirling within him calmed. The voices that drove him mad still rang in his head, but he couldnt afford to pay attention to them right now.
From head to toe, all of Lukas attention was locked onto the Lightning God.
You asked about my goal, right? Thats simple. It is to rule, as always.
Before Lukas could even understand the meaning behind those words, a huge beam of lightning exploded from the Lightning God. The lightning was so intense that it was impossible to look at.
As he faced this beam of lightning, Lukas began to shudder. This was because he felt a sense of crisis within his very being.
Youve become really interesting.
His mind was in tatters. Like a pile of blood, flesh, and residue glued together. It was on the verge of breaking, but it was also, ironically, solid. Perhaps no one, not even the Lightning God, could completely break that fragile mind.
Kukuku
That was interesting. A desire for a challenge was a very important factor. To live in such a crazily boring life.
The Lightning God smiled once more, and that signalled the start of the battle.
Show me what you got. Sar?h the ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Shwaa
The sound of the rain increased.
Before he knew it, the falling rain became a downpour. It was to the point where it was impossible to even see an inch in front of your face.
Nevertheless, the two beings stared at each other without blinking.
Flash-
There was no sound.
A white lightning bolt filled Lukas vision, seemingly covering the heaven and the earth.
It was only then that Lukas realised that the bolt of lightning extended from behind the Lightning God. The bolt of lightning split and spread apart like a spider web, or like wings.
He didnt have the time to observe it for long.
Lukas was now in a state of hyper focus. By infinitely dividing the seconds into numbers with numerous commas, it felt like each moment lasted a very long time.
Thanks to that, the Lightning Gods movements seemed to slow-
He disappeared.
!
The sound had disappeared. And the Lightning God had also disappeared.
There was no trace. The world was still infinitely slow. In it, the figure of the Lightning God was the only thing that disappeared as if he had evaporated. The rainwater that seemed frozen in the air was an indicator for Lukas.
It had nothing to do with speed. If something physical moved in the rain, it would inevitably destroy the droplets of water. And the trail that would be left would be an intuitive means of tracing it.
Is he underground?
No. It wouldnt be such a simple tactic. In the first place, if he had done that, he would still be able to feel his presence.
Lukas was forced to admit it. He had missed the Lightning Gods movement. In that case, he had no choice but to focus on defence for now.
He covered his entire body with the power of void. A material that had the best resistance to electricity
Boom boom boom!
That momentary choice probably saved his life.
A moment later, he heard the sounds of hundreds of lightning bolts striking at the same time. It wasnt just the ground, it felt like the entire world was shaking.
And Lukas body.
Ah?
Was sent flying away.
Boom!
He was embedded into the cliff wall. Krrr, unable to withstand the force, fragments of rock fell from the cliff. As he bled, Lukas thought.
What was that?
He hadnt responded. He hadnt reacted. He hadnt even realised
No. This wasnt a matter of level.
It felt like hed experienced some kind of ridiculous phenomenon.
I have no intention of killing you.
Even in the downpour, his voice was clear.
Crackle. As the Lightning God walked, electric currents danced all over his body. This phenomenon seemed to carry a destructive force that he didnt seem to dare contain in his body.
Cough.
Lukas coughed up a mouthful of blood.
This wasnt good.
Although hed expected it, he still noted that his speed of healing was greatly slowed when he was attacked by the Lightning God.
Fear.
There was no trembling, panic, or anything of the sort, but for the first time since he left the dump site, he felt a sense of crisis.
If he made a mistake here, he might really die.
Right about now.
He raised his head.
It seemed that there was a strong wind, as grey sand flowed in from the outside.
Was the space destroyed?
Part of the boundary that separated the territory and the outside seemed to have disappeared. This was also the work of the Lightning God.
Incompatibility. All of the power the Lightning God was using seemed to destroy the very foundation of the world itself, it negated the very existence of void, which could be called the very core of the world.
He couldnt understand.
A Ruler.
Why was the Seven Fanged Dragon God defeated if it was able to use tyrannical power?
What I can feel, is that the beings living here cant mix with us. Kuku. No matter how I look at it, [The Dragon] made the wrong choice.
Those were the Lightning Gods words.
The wrong choice What was the wrong choice?
He didnt have the time to think about it. The stone fragments around Lukas began to float.
The Lightning God smiled brightly as he watched on.
Thats not magic. Is that your new weapon?
He didnt answer. As mentioned before, he didnt have much time for that.
The stone fragments shot towards the Lightning God.
Hundreds of stone fragments shot forward at different speeds and with different powers. While it might look simple at first glance, the power of void was condensed into each stone fragment. To put it into perspective, each of the hundreds of stone fragments would be able to drill through a mountain without suffering a single scratch.
Crackle!
But the fragments of stone were destroyed before they could even pierce through the electric currents covering the Lightning God. Lukas attack was easily thwarted. Or at least that was how it looked at first. Paak! The ground beneath the Lightning God split open and vines shot out from it.
Surprisingly, the vines werent annihilated by the electric current.
For a moment, the Lightning God was restrained. But he simply chuckled as his entire body was wrapped in vines.
It seems your calculative ability is still there. Did you use the stone fragments to analyse my power, then create a material with strong resistance to it? No. Its not creation, you simply applied the property to an existing material.
Most of Lukas intentions had been seen through, but he stretched out his hand regardless. The weeds that had been bowing under the heavy rain were pulled out and mixed together until they formed a certain shape.
Such tricks
Swoosh.
A spear woven from blades of grass shot towards the Lightning God, splitting apart the heavy rains and the air itself. Crunch, but just before it reached him, the Lightning God, broke free from the vine entrapment with nothing but pure muscle strength. At the same time, a lightning bolt formed on top of his head.
Boom!
A spear of lightning and a spear of grass flew by each other in the air. The Lightning God had intentionally not fired at an angle where the two attacks could collide.
Crash-
This was because the spear of grass could not do anything to him. It managed to pierce through the electric current surrounding his body, but it was then blocked by the Lightning Gods body directly.
On the other hand, the Lightning Gods spear of lightning easily pierced through Lukas body.
___
He couldnt even scream.
Lukas eyes went wide. The splattered blood around him formed a pool. The spear of lightning hadnt just made one hole in his body. Instead, it had created holes all over his body. It was hard for him to move.
The paralysis symptom was the most difficult. It was the same before. The signals from his brain couldnt be transmitted accurately, and above all, his muscles themselves refused to move. As if his entire body was frightened.
Lukas let out a black breath and collapsed. Beyond his vision, which had turned white, he saw the completely unharmed Lightning God.
How come youre not hurt?
-is what you want to ask, but you dont seem to be able to move your tongue. The reason for that is simple. This is the level difference between you and me.
The Lightning God smiled as if he was satisfied with his solo conversation, and continued.
Its just like mortals could never hurt an Absolute with external force. You can call it the next level of external force I call it Thunder, but the others say its tacky. What do you think?
Boom, the clap of thunder was heard once again.
Consciousness fading, Lukas was finally able to guess how hed disappeared in his first attack. He wasnt certain, but it probably had something to do with the power he called thunder.
Yang In-hyun.
Had he fought this being and brought him to the brink of death on his own?
If that was the case then it was very impressive. It was an achievement that was worthy of admiration and praise. For the first time, Lukas felt like he understood the power of the beings called the Twelve Void Lords.
Then there was the Lightning God.
The power this being currently displayed was not everything. As he said, he was in a situation where he was possessing a body. There was no way he could use his full power in such a state.
He once again realised the dignity of the Rulers.
Hed misjudged.
If it was asked what hed misjudged, the answer would be everything.
He shouldnt have recklessly come to Flower Mountain. Even without the Lightning God, he would have been hard pressed to defeat Yang In-hyun. Of course, he wouldnt have been defeated as overwhelmingly as he was now. As he said, the reason for this situation was because the Lightning Gods power was a higher level than Lukas.
Nevertheless, that alone wasnt enough to guarantee victory. Lukas felt that he should have melted more of the power in his body. He should have analysed the power of Void more deeply and accumulated as much experience as possible.
He would have probably met a similar result if he fought against the Corpse Ghost. (TL: He shouldve realised this when he got creamed by Lucid.)
Why didnt you use magic?
The Lightning God asked as if he was genuinely confused.
Wasnt that your greatest weapon?
Im sorry to say, this is my greatest weapon.
Hoh.
The Lightning God let out a sigh.
He looked at Lukas with a complicated gaze for a moment before slowly shaking his head.
Youre badly injured. It was a bit interesting, but that was all.
you said you wanted to rule. Does that mean you want to be a Ruler in the World of Void?
Its very different from that. I said it before, this world isnt worth it.
The Lightning God smirked.
Anyways, lets end this boring fight. Lukas Trowman, looking at you now, I dont think its possible to make you a Ruler, but you still have some value.
what are you planning?
Im going to take you away. Ill take you to the Planet of Thunder. Im sure youll realise my greatness after about 100 million years of isolation.
Although he said it lightly, the meaning behind his words was by no means light.
The Lightning God was now openly declaring that he was going to brainwash Lukas.
No.
He couldnt speak for Absolute Lukas, but it was a situation that the current Lukas shouldnt encounter. If it was the current Lukas, there was a chance that he would give in to the Thunder God. He might go under his arms and become his most faithful servant. In fact, one part of his mind was even confidently declaring that it might not be that bad.
But hed rather die than do that.
That was a boring fight. The fight with the Swordsman Yang In-hyun that made me excited after a long time.
The Lightning God chuckled.
Perhaps I was just too hungry for this fight.
Suddenly, a voice was heard.
-hungry?
The Lightning Gods outstretched hand stopped.
He turned his head.
Within the heavy rain, a figure stood with their head lowered.
Their posture was strange, like a puppet whose strings had been cut.
Bullshit.
A corner of the figures mouth, which was pulled into a smile, was the only part of their face that could be seen beneath their messy hair.
Nevertheless, their blue hair was still exceptionally bright even in the dark surroundings.
What do you know about hunger?
Lukas knew that voice.
And yet, it had taken him a while to realise. This was because the tone of the voice was different from what hed heard before, and the emotions contained within it were the same.
The product of a miracle, a natural born predator, an absolute being who was blessed from birth.
Who are you?
Dont you dare talk about hunger in front of me. Its disgusting.
The Lightning Gods figure disappeared.
Lukas felt that he was using the mysterious movement method that hed used in the first encounter. But he still couldnt trace it or identify it.
Then the being, Pale.
Raised her arm.
Crumble, a sword rose up from the ground. It was a sword with a pale blue colour.
She grabbed it and swung it.
Whoosh!
The ground was overturned.
The strong impact managed to catch the Lightning God. He, who had disappeared before, suddenly appeared in the scattered clumps of dirt. Lukas saw that his body had become half thunder and lightning, and half sparks.
This power
Pale didnt capitalise on the opening.
Instead, she flipped her sword to reverse grip and stabbed it into the ground.
Boom!
Blue chains shot out of the sword.
The chains wrapped tightly around Pales body. They literally wrapped so tightly that it seemed impossible for her to move. Then, a strong light was emitted from the chains.
Clink, clink. There was the sound of something interlocking, but even the Lightning God wasnt able to see this scene.
Soon enough, the light faded.
And the being standing there could no longer be judged as Pale.
The Lightning Gods eyes widened.
This was the first time Lukas saw a Ruler panifc.
[Trespasser, Thunderous Lightning God.]
no way, you
[As the Guardian of the West, the Servant of the King.]
It was a being whose entire body was covered in blue armour.
[And as the Blue Knight of Famine, I hereby sentence you.]
The Blue Knight spoke in an emotionless voice.
[To the Death Penalty.]
(TL: Are Rulers actually closer to the Knights in power and the SFDG simply chose the wrong method of entry into the World of Void? Or is Pale going to crush the Lightning God and show him that he is also an ant compared to her? Find out next time on GM4k ball-z!)
Book 2: Chapter 426
Book 2: Chapter 426 There was a thought that he had in the past.
Something that would never happen, and if it did happen, he would never be able to see it.
If there was a fight between Rulers, what form would it take?
* * *
The scene unfolding before his eyes could definitely not be considered a fight between Rulers.
Nevertheless, the reason Lukas suddenly recalled this thought was simple. This was a battle that far surpassed the limits of his perception.
He could not follow it with his eyes. He couldnt even hear a sound. And yet, he knew that they were engaged in a fierce battle because of the screams of the creaking space.
This battle was a level above Lukas.
No, it was even higher than that.
Crack, crack
The space began to crack. Grey sand poured down like a river. There were even desert monsters that appeared with the sand.
Screech!
But they didnt last very long.
They were unable to adapt to the sudden change in landscape before they were torn apart by lightning and sword waves.
The sound of the heavy rain didnt stop. But the sound of the sand streaming through the cracks in space mixed with it, making the surroundings noisy.
Nevertheless, Lukas suddenly felt the surroundings become quiet.
It was over.
The short but intense battle had come to an end.
The being that appeared first stood in their original position as if they had been standing there from the beginning.
Pale.
No, the Blue Knight stood with their sword held by their side. There didnt seem to be any visible wounds. Their armour only seemed a bit scorched. But, unlike Lucid, it didnt seem like they could easily regenerate. Instead, it felt like the faint electrical burns were the traces left after they had been electrocuted.
In the end, it wasnt just Lukas void.
The Lightning Gods power was able to suppress even the powerful regenerative ability of the Knights.
Of course, that didnt mean the Lightning God had the advantage.
Kudangtang!
The Lightning God rolled across the ground.
The Blue Knight didnt move. Even as the Lightning God was sent flying and rolled across the ground before staggering to his feet, they simply looked on while maintaining the same posture without lifting a finger.
Those were fatal openings that Lukas would have desperately, and vainly, tried to dig into.
The Lightning God didnt seem surprised by this fact. Instead, there was a smile on his lips.
Its you. The God Killer.
However, his characteristic tyrannical smile was now filled with anger that hed never seen before.
It was bound to happen one day and I even wished for that guys end, but It doesnt feel very pleasant. To be honest, Ive been really annoyed ever since I realised.
[It wasnt me.]
The Blue Knight responded in an indifferent voice. Their voice was completely different from the Pale that Lukas knew. Not only the age, but even the gender was hard to guess.
However, you are somehow connected to it, Blue Knight of Famine
[You talk a lot.]
Im usually like that So, answer me. How did that guy die?
[]
The Blue Knight was silent. The Lightning God had a talkative personality, but when she was Pale, the Blue Knight was no better. But now, it felt like they would only say the things that needed to be said.
God.
The Lightning God had mentioned God.
But the Blue Knight didnt seem to feel like talking to him about it. That alone seemed to suggest that the Blue Knight held the initiative even while outside of battle.
I guess thats how it is.
The Lightning God seemed to roughly guess the other partys thoughts, so he didnt bother continuing the conversation.
-Then he disappeared again.
His sounds and presence had completely disappeared.
Like before, he could not be detected at all. By Lukas, at least.
That wasnt the case for the Blue Knight. Although it was impossible to tell where they were looking because of the visor of their helmet, and their stance with their sword held to their side didnt change.
This being was clearly following the movements of the Lightning God.
Crackle-
There was a faint spark.
Lukas was only able to sense it because of his wide perspective.
The Blue Knight lifted their sword at that exact moment. And as soon as their pale sword soared upwards in a straight line, it collided with a bolt of lightning that suddenly appeared in the air.
Crack crack!
Upon closer inspection, it wasnt a lightning bolt. Both of his eyes felt like they would go blind. It was a sword covered by intense lightning.
The moment the two blades met, the Lightning Gods figure became clear again.
This was the clearest that Lukas had been able to see the Lightning Gods image since the Blue Knight had first appeared.
He looked like a lion with a body made out of lightning. He also appeared to have a thunderstorm for a mane. That beast held the hilt of a sword in its mouth, and despite its unstable posture, it was able to fight the Blue Knight to a stand-still.
-Or so he thought at first.
In the next moment, he realised that was an illusion.
Rumble
A slight tremor occurred when the two swords collided. It was in this same moment that blue light exploded out of the Blue Knights helmet.
Bang!
The pale blade tore through the Lightning Gods body of lightning. The torn lightning didnt disappear. Instead, it shot up to the sky with strange momentum before becoming a bolt of lightning that struck down towards the Blue Knight.
Boom!
Space screamed once again. Although the surrounding landscape hadnt changed greatly and a huge crater hadnt been dug into the ground, that lightning strike seemed like it was capable of penetrating the essence of existence.
!
But it had no effect.
The lightning hadnt even managed to penetrate the Blue Knights armour.
Just like Lukas attacks didnt reach the Lightning God.
Is it that much?
Did that mean that there was also a gap between them like Lukas and the Lightning God?
No. It was a bit different from that.
Unlike Lukas, who had absolutely no chance of defeating the Lightning God, the fight between them was not so one sided.
Their fight couldnt be called one sided.
Paht!
The Lightning God disappeared once again. A storm seemed to rage in every direction. The surroundings were covered in dark clouds. Crackle, crackle. The sounds of lightning gave Lukas the illusion that he was within a thundercloud in the dark sky instead of on the ground.
Light flashed in every direction. The silhouette of a lion could sometimes be seen momentarily. Every time that happened, lightning would strike. That was all Lukas was able to gather.
Rumble. The ground beneath him shook.
Cough
Although he was pretty far away, Lukas was still forced to cough up a mouthful of blood. This wasnt even the result of a direct attack. A small spark of lightning had flowed into his body, and that alone was enough to make his internal organs explode like firecrackers.
At some point, he was no longer able to even see the silhouette of the lion.
The sounds of a sword slicing through the air, the ground being overturned, the heavy rain, and the thunder and lightning rang out. They all mixed together in a complex way, creating a pattern that no one dared follow.
Even the centre of the largest typhoon ever would be calmer than here. (TL: Isnt the centre supposed to be the calmest part?)
Why?
Why were the Blue Knights attacks causing visible harm to the Lightning Gods body?
As far as he could tell, the pale blade didnt contain any power. Nevertheless, the Blue Knight was able to face the lightning being released by the Lightning God, and was even overwhelming him.
He thought about Yang In-hyun once again.
His Everlasting Plum Sword was without a doubt a formidable martial art, but what was the difference between it and Lukas void? He was confident that it didnt lose when it came to destructive power. Not to mention practicality.
And yet, Lukas void hadnt been able to reach the Lightning God.
On the other hand, Yang In-hyun had been able to drive him to the brink of death.
Were the remaining forms of the Everlasting Plum Sword really that amazing? Of course they were. Sama Ryeong had said the power of the technique doubles with each form.
However, this was different. That wasnt the decisive reason.
Lukas couldnt help but feel like he was missing something.
Him and Yang In-hyun.
Void and Everlasting Plum Sword.
What was the difference between the two?
The battle between the two absolutes was gradually coming to an end.
Lukas was only able to realise this because the deafening noise was beginning to subside.
Then, in an instant, the sound disappeared completely.
[]
They were facing each other. S~ea??h the ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
The Blue Knights armour was covered in numerous scratches and scorch marks. The armour at her shoulder and knee was also broken.
This proved that the Lightning Gods power, claws, and fangs were able to deal significant damage.
Nevertheless, the Lightning Gods condition was much worse than that.
He could no longer maintain his beast form. He once again appeared in the shape of Lee Jong-hak, panting and staring at the Blue Knight.
huuu.
He let out a slow breath.
The Lightning Gods gaze lowered. He looked down at his own tattered body.
indeed, Blue Knight of Famine.
Then he nodded as if he understood something.
I cannot win.
Shuk-
In the next moment, the Lightning God was decapitated.
The Blue Knight hadnt moved a single step. They were still standing still. However, there was a weak current on their pale blade.
Crackle
Instead of blood, sparks shot out from the severed cross section of the neck. Wiggle, the wrist holding the sword moved. Despite the lack of head, it seemed that his biological activity hadnt completely stopped.
The Blue Knight didnt even look at this weak resistance.
They simply swung their sword one more time and the Lightning God, no, Lee Jong-hak disappeared without a trace.
The fight had ended so vainly.
The dark clouds that filled the sky disappeared, and the sound of thunder gradually faded. The heavy rains, which fell as if a hole had been pierced in the sky, gradually weakened before eventually coming to a stop.
[]
The Blue Knight.
Although theyd just won a formidable battle, they didnt show any satisfaction or sense of accomplishment.
Instead, they simply turned around indifferently and started walking.
Splash-
Their blue boots stomped into one of the many puddles left by the heavy rain. Mud splattered, dirtying their tattered armour even more, but the knight didnt seem to care.
The Blue Knight looked down at Lukas.
[To be honest, I cant remember the taste of food from the outside. If possible, Id wanted to preserve the body]
Although it was the same ageless, genderless voice, the tone that they used had returned to Pales.
[As expected of a Ruler. It didnt go as planned.]
[By the way, uncle, youre in pretty terrible condition, arent you?]
Her face wasnt visible, but Lukas was certain she was smiling at that moment.
Lukas didnt respond. The wounds left by the Lightning God were fatal, and his internal organs had been shattered by the subsequent fight. Neither healing or regeneration would work.
To put it frankly, Lukas was dying.
[still, its not enough.]
Chrrk.
At that moment, blue light appeared from the armour and it flowed down the sword just like it had appeared.
Soon enough, Pales face was revealed.
As he expected, she was smiling, but it was a much more dangerous smile than Lukas expected.
More, more, more. You need to be much more hungry than you are now. Only then will you be qualified to become my King.
The hunger of the body isnt a problem. Whats really, really important Is right here.
Tuk, tuk. Pale tapped her head a few times.
Emptiness and hunger arent that great. You probably ate countless corpses. Didnt you? However, even if you endlessly fill your stomach, only some parts would be satisfied while others would become dry. In other words, you would realise that youre mentally hungry. Eventually.
Pale smiled brightly.
I was curious. And I was really looking forward to it. What kind of being would the deceiver use his last few dregs for? And those expectations were met.
But next time, I think you should fix that impulsive tendency.
If you meet me again, you better hide your current condition. Because, to be honest, the current you looks really appetising. That me might not be able to hold back since I wouldnt know the circumstances Now, then.
A slender but rough hand grabbed Lukas by the neck. That alone made him feel like his entire body was restrained.
I feel bad for watching you like this, so Ill let you go.
Crack-
She broke his neck.
He couldnt use his void regression ability. This was due to the Lightning Gods power that was still wriggling in his body.
His consciousness faded in an instant.
Lukas died once again.
* * *
He opened his eyes. He felt a familiar sensation on his back. The familiar feeling of laying in the middle of the grey desert.
Lukas wasnt surprised.
This was because this was a vague possibility that hed considered after hed suffered his first death when Yang In-hyun had cut him with his sword. Pales words just before he died increased his confidence in that faint possibility.
[The power to struggle most desperately]
The power God had left him didnt go away.
It surrounded his body in a realm that he could not perceive until it was manifested again.
Wow! Youre finally awake!
This was now his third time hearing it.
Lukas turned his head.
Pale had the same meaningless smile as always.
Throb-
His head ached.
Pressing his fingers on his temples, Lukas sighed.
His third life in the World of Void had begun.
Book 2: Chapter 427
Book 2: Chapter 427 [This ability still seems to work.]
[Its a really strange phenomenon, right?]
The voices hadnt disappeared.
This confirmed that the things Lukas had gained through his predation didnt simply accumulate in his body.
They had a direct influence on his mind, or perhaps something even more than that.
its like.
Like a curse that couldnt be removed. That was the extent the voices were following Lukas to. In a sticky, persistent manner.
That fact made him so uncomfortable he wanted to vomit. But even if Lukas had the means to get rid of them, he wouldnt. He had to accept this situation and persevere.
Are you feeling alright?
He heard a bright voice.
He turned to look at the young woman with blue hair and blue eyes. She had a thin face, shabby clothes, and a skinny body that seemed unable to even lift a sword, but Lukas now knew her true identity.
The Blue Knight of Famine.
One of the Void Kings most loyal subjects.
A mysterious monster capable of winning an overwhelming victory against the Lightning God, a Ruler who had appeared in this world.
That was the true face of this skinny woman in front of him.
He understood everything.
Yang In-hyun, one of the Twelve Void Lords. The reason why that man was wary of her from the start. The reason why he had been so respectful of her. And the reason why the Corpse Ghost had treated her so carefully.
But there were still some things that he couldnt figure out though.
Why was Pale beside him at this point?
Was it a coincidence? No, her origins were too unusual for it to be so simple.
When Lukas took too long to answer, Pale narrowed her eyes slightly. It was then that he recalled what Pale had told him just before hed died.
-If you meet me again, you better hide your current condition. Because, to be honest, the current you looks really appetising. That me might not be able to hold back since I wouldnt know the circumstances. (TL: Author really likes reminding us of the prev chapter)
When you meet me again.
How did she know that? Had Pale realised Lukas situation? Did she know that he was going to regress?
-I was curious. And I was really looking forward to it. What kind of being would the deceiver use his last few dregs for? And those expectations were met.
Pale had also mentioned God.
In other words, this meant that she also knew about the circumstances that led Lukas to come to the World of Void, something that even he himself didnt know.
She might have learned about his regression ability after, but it was highly likely that she knew that fact from the beginning.
In conclusion.
This woman had already been waiting here for Lukas with some goal in mind.
Hide my current condition.
He recalled those words again.
Since she didnt understand the circumstances yet, this Pale might not be able to hold herself back. Lukas didnt fully understand the meaning of those words.
But he remembered how horrified he was when hed seen the glimmer in Pales eyes before.
-The Pale in front of me now is by no means my ally.
That thought suddenly became a conviction that firmly stuck itself into his mind.
So Lukas decided to hide his true self. Or at least that would have been the case if it hadnt been for Pales advice.
simply hiding it might not be enough.
Pale was already suspicious of Lukas. It could be his different attitude, the faint presence of leaking void, or other factors. There were too many reasons that could be guessed, but suddenly hiding the presence of his power would definitely raise suspicion. He couldnt do that.
He had to recall. The physical condition hed been in when he first came to this world. He needed to imitate that time. He couldnt be impatient. But he also couldnt be too slow.
It was by no means an easy task.
For Lukas, that had been over 4,000 years ago, and he was already using most of his mental strength to calm the voices ringing in his head.
Nevertheless, it was possible.
[Relax the power a bit more.]
[Not really empty. Youre just pretending to look the part.]
[Pay attention to your breathing, gaze, and pulse. Her eyes are dozens of times sharper than yours.]
Ironically, the Lukases helped. (TL: All together team!)
He could understand the reason.
They were all afraid of Pale. She was so strong that they couldnt comprehend it.
Pale silently looked at Lukas. Her face was expressionless and her head was slightly tilted to the side. That was all, but he felt immense pressure as if someone was holding his heart. But this pressure wasnt being intentionally released by Pale.
If he had to say, he felt this way because he knew her true self.
He needed to say something.
Who are you?
Hed probably said something similar the first time theyd met.
Pales expression changed. She was smiling again as she spoke.
Pale.
This reaction was different from the first time. Lukas now remembered that it was Pale who had asked him his identity.
Something from the past had already changed. That wasnt good. Once again, his tension rose.
It was hard to not show it.
I didnt ask for your name.
-I didnt ask for your name!
The moment he said those words, Lukas felt like his and the past Pales lines had been reversed.
Ignoring that, Pale opened her mouth.
Ill tell you what, uncle. By chance
At that moment, she was about to say something.
Lukas had been giving her most of his attention, but not all of it.
Suddenly, a shadow stretched across the ground as if something had appeared in the sky.
It was here. The crocodile monster that he was now seeing for the third time.
Lukas instinctively stretched out his hand to the monster but stopped, cringing.
At this moment in the past, Lukas had used magic. He could still do it. It wouldnt be that difficult. He could use the power of void like magicology. Even if he couldnt do magic, it was at least possible for him to imitate it.
But he couldnt do it.
The wide mouth reached right in front of him. Of course, this much wouldnt be enough to really kill Lukas, but it wouldnt be a good thing for him to go into its stomach either. He didnt want to show Pale that he could revive himself after death or that he could heal his wounds.
Just as he clenched his teeth and decided to use void while hiding it as much as possible.
Paak!
The monsters giant body seemed to quiver for a moment before being sent flying with its mouth still wide open.
It was Pale. She had kicked the monster in the side. The force behind the kick was so powerful that it was hard to believe it came from such a small body. The monsters body even shattered in the air, sending bits of flesh flying in every direction. Nevertheless, Pales cold eyes hadnt looked at it once.
What are you doing?
Upon hearing this voice, Lukas knew he was at the crossroads of choice once again.
How should he respond?
It was a combination of worries and answers.
I dont know.
What?
I didnt notice that monsters existence.
Ahahaha.
She burst into laughter. It was a clear laugh that hed heard many times before, but this time was different.
Do I look stupid to you?
Although she said those words with a smile, he felt his heart flutter. It wasnt because he felt particularly agitated. It was more due to the presence of the other Lukases. They were all making a fuss like civilians in the face of a disaster.
[Answer better! You fool!]
[Are you trying to make her mad?!]
[You dont understand how terrifying Famine the being known as the Blue Knight is]
Lukas paid the most attention to the last voice.
It was a faint voice.
But it felt like that Lukas knew more about Pale than the others.
I havent absorbed all the Lukas yet.
It wasnt just their strength, presence, ego, and void that hadnt fully melted yet. He had only absorbed a small portion of their memories.
Then does that mean you know? What kind of being the Blue Knight, Pale, is?
Just as Lukas was trying to ask the terrified Lukas for more details.
You knew.
Pales voice interrupted.
You noticed it. But you hesitated.
She chuckled. Her expression was different from before, at the very least, it was a cynical attitude that shouldnt have appeared at this time. It seemed that Pale already had no intention of hiding her vigilance.
Shed read him too quickly.
He didnt expect to completely deceive her, but her senses were sharper than he thought.
What were you hesitating about? How to kill it?
That wasnt wrong.
I wasnt sure if my attack would work. Its natural to hesitate. After all, Ive never seen a monster like that before.
what the hell are you? How did you blow that monster up in one go?
I already told you who I am. Sear?h the ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
It seemed shed stopped asking questions for now.
Pale smiled faintly.
Im Pale.
* * *
In the desert landscape, the feeling of loneliness was greater than the silence. It was like being alone in a frozen world. The most fundamental reason for this was the lack of any natural phenomena. There was no wind or changes in temperature.
The only thing that changed was the sky that sometimes changed its colour. So Lukas raised his head as he was lost in thought. There was no particular reason for this.
It was similar to looking at the changing scenery from the window of a carriage while thinking about something.
Lukas was thinking about what had happened on Flower Mountain.
About the sudden appearance of the Lightning God. Who used Lee Jong-hak as his medium.
Why had the Lightning God possessed Lee Jong-haks body? When Lukas had last seen him, there hadnt been any connection between them.
The preliminaries.
When Lee Jong-hak had died on that field, even Arid, who was tremendously talented, hadnt been able to find his soul.
So if there was a gap where the Lightning God could have interfered, it would have been at that time.
But there was still something that he was unable to understand, and that was the reason why Lee Jong-hak had been able to enter the World of Void. He felt like he couldnt think of an answer for this even after thinking deeply about it.
Even at this moment, the body of Lee Jong-hak, which was imprisoned in Flower Mountains prison, probably contained a projection of the Lightning God.
I need to leave him alone.
Lukas made that judgement.
The Lightning God had fought a battle where neither side won or lost with Yang In-hyun. If he had left him alone, he would have eventually bled out and died. The reason he was able to regain his strength was because of Lukas intervention. Because hed healed the body of Lee Jong-hak, he also allowed the Lightning God to be revived.
If he left him alone, that wouldnt be a problem.
Even though it meant Lee Jong-hak would die, that didnt matter to Lukas.
Lukas erased the very thought of him. The same was true for the other characters from Earth in his mind. He also decided to forget about the black haired girl who burst into tears while looking at him.
Lee Jong-hak is one of the preparations that the Lightning God sent to the World of Void.
It was highly likely that it was in preparation for the full fledged Great Game that would freeze the World of Void.
Aside from the question about why a war to determine a Ruler would be held in this world if one thought about it in a certain way, it roughly made sense.
It was complicated.
It was a very complicated causal relationship, and Lukas felt like he was standing at the very centre.
For now, he would place a hold on going to Flower Mountain. For now, Lukas was unsure of his ability to defeat Yang In-hyun, and he also could not overlook the uncertainty that was the Lightning God.
That meant that he needed to aim for another of the Twelve Void Lords, but the only one Lukas had met was the Corpse Ghost at the dump site.
I could change my goal to the Corpse Ghost.
Lukas shook his head. He wasnt sure about that either.
He had no choice but to admit it. His current self was weaker than the Twelve Void Lords.
More, he needed to melt more.
The countless corpses that hed eaten in the dump site. He needed to melt more possibilities
-will that really work?
Although he wasnt one of the Twelve Void Lords, the Lightning Gods thunder gave Lukas a huge shock.
Was it really possible for him to break that power that surrounded his body like armour with void? Was it really a challenge that he could overcome simply by honing his power a bit more and increasing its practical ability?
Suddenly, he thought of a man who had died on his behalf.
Jacob.
Why had that arrogant man chosen to die in his place? Lukas knew he didnt deserve that kind of treatment.
He had even thought about killing Jacob, and he had shown signs of actually doing it.
Can this condition really be cured?
If this symptom of madness could be cured, he didnt know what the consequences would be. As mentioned earlier, perhaps he might become weaker.
however, even so
Magic Planet.
A place where Wizards and Truth Seekers gathered.
The Lord of that place was one of the Twelve Void Lords, the Beginning Wizard.
The latest_epi_sodes are on_the ???????.???. website.
-Do you believe that you are the Wizard who has reached the highest point? Do you think there is no one with greater understanding of the truth than you?
He now knew.
-No. Not at all. The words frog in a well might not be fully accurate, but you are still not good enough to call yourself the Lord of that field. If you hadnt come to this world, you wouldnt have even known about that delusion.
The Wizard that Yang In-hyun was talking about.
-Even after I said so much, you still couldnt figure it out Its a Wizard. A Wizard who is far stronger than you.
That being was the Beginning Wizard.
He felt like it would be fine to believe Jacobs words at least once. Perhaps it was a simple whim. Or perhaps he felt like he could trust him since hed saved his life.
But more than that.
Lukas personally felt like he needed to go to Magic Planet.
Book 2: Chapter 428
Book 2: Chapter 428 Lukas seemed to be walking aimlessly, but that wasnt really the case. He had a clear destination, he was just trying his best to hide that.
For the current Lukas, he needed to pretend like he was confused by this area that he was supposed to be in for the first time. Of course, there was no need to overtly show his confusion, but he still had to show signs of it.
Thats why, even though he was already aware of his destination, he trudged along with uncertain steps even though he could clearly see what direction he was going in this desert with complicated coordinates.
Tap tap.
He could hear footsteps not far behind. Pale never overtook Lukas, and instead chose to follow him from a certain distance. Most of Lukas attention was focused on her.
He suddenly had a thought.
What was Pales destination? By his side? If so, then was Pales goal simply to accompany him?
They didnt talk to each other. This was also different from the past. Lukas had been quiet even then, but there was no silence because Pale talked nonstop. As mentioned before, she basically had a very talkative personality. But she wasnt like that now. He was now certain that this fact made him feel strange.
He shook his head inwardly. He also chose to ignore the gaze digging into his back.
As they crossed over several dunes, the colour of the sky continued to change. Lukas made sure to keep a very careful count.
It had been four times.
Five times.
If he didnt eat before the sky changed colour one more time, his body would begin to disappear from the tips of his toes. That was one of the laws of this world. Of course, the current Lukas was a being who bypassed that law. This was because he already understood the laws of disappearance and regression, and had learned to control void, which enforced these laws.
Lukas no longer needed to devour anything.
But there was a problem, the presence of Pale.
what should I do?
The current Lukas should not be aware of the fact that your body would disappear if you dont eat. This was because there was basically no hunger in this place, so it would be strange if he were to look for something to eat.
Would he have to let his body disappear first?
Then, when she saw this scene, Pale would offer him a rat from her pocket like last time?
Well. He didnt think she would. It was an uncertain gamble. If it didnt go according to his plan Lukas would have no choice but to use the power of void to prevent the disappearance, which meant completely revealing his identity to Pale.
He couldnt let that happen.
In the end, Lukas could only increase his pace. He needed to reach the destination faster. Before the colour of the sky changed again.
From his experience, it took approximately three hours for the sky to change colours, so that was his time limit.
Lukas needed to arrive at his destination within three hours.
* * *
The sand dunes still continued to appear irregularly. The same was true for the surrounding landscape. Not to mention a few hours, the scene they saw wouldnt change even if they were to walk for 10 days or 100 days. Perhaps it wouldnt change unless they entered a completely different region.
Nevertheless, Lukas realised that the place he was standing now was his destination.
I came a bit early.
He might have to wait for a little while now.
Lukas flopped down onto the ground. He could see Pale looking at him with a strange expression.
What are you doing?
It had been a while since hed heard her voice.
Taking a break.
You dont look tired.
She was so unnecessarily sharp.
But it wasnt a statement she could make with full confidence.
I feel a bit dizzy, and
And?
Nothing.
When he intentionally dropped the end of his sentence, Pale pressed him.
What is it? Tell me.
Its not that big of a deal. The more I walk, the more time passes the more I feel like Im losing something.
When he spoke as if he was trying to catch a cloud, Pale fell silent again. She seemed to be lost in thought for a moment before opening her mouth as if she was about to say something.
He knew exactly what she was going to say.
Mm?
Lukas deliberately widened his eyes and got up from his seat. This caused Pale to close her half opened lips.
What is that?
ah.
He pretended to be surprised, but he knew exactly what was approaching them. After all, the reason hed come to this place in the first place was to meet them.
Dwarves were approaching them in a line like a train.
The Miglings.
* * *
The miglings response was the same as before. They still werent wary of Lukas, and in a way, their affinity for him seemed even deeper than before. In any case, it wasnt a few miglings that were jumping around at their first meeting.
Then with big smiles, they grabbed him by the sleeves and led him along.
Under their guidance, Lukas headed towards the Underground City.
What an interesting situation.
What do you mean?
Lukas asked this but Pale didnt answer.
Her reaction was a bit different from before. It seemed like shed found something to think about deeply instead of studying or being wary of him.
When they entered the Underground City, being tossed around almost felt like a ritual to him now.
To the Lord.
Guide.
Trowman.
Follow.
Lukas, who still couldnt get used to their strange way of speaking, nodded to the migling. He moved together with them to the centre of the Underground City. And as expected, Pale was prevented from following him into the cathedral.
Until now, every time this had happened, she would make an exaggerated expression, but this time, she simply nodded with a blank face.
After losing Pale for the first time, Lukas let out a sigh of relief. This was because just being near her made him feel an immense amount of pressure.
Of course, there were some downsides. Without Pale around, the voices in his head began to misbehave once again. His headache was still terrible, so that didnt get better with or without Pale.
Nevertheless, Id prefer to act separately as much as possible
Even in his past lives, Pale didnt easily separate from Lukas.
Since he didnt know the reason, he had no choice but to judge carefully.
Naturally, it was impossible for him to separate by force. Nevertheless, it was still risky for him to try to run away or suggest that they go their separate ways. In fact, there was a high chance that would have adverse results. As far as he could tell, Pale was not a rational person. This meant that it wouldnt be strange for her to act in a manner that went against common sense from time to time. (TL: Why are you running uncle?)
I have no choice but to accompany her for the time being.
Nevertheless, now that he was in the Underground City, he no longer had to pretend that he was ignorant about the world in front of Pale.
If she were to ask how he knew, he could just say that the Lord of the Underground City told him. That would be a lie, of course, but Pale wouldnt know the truth.
Here.
Go in.
Only Trowman.
The miglings waited outside as Lukas walked towards the cathedral and opened the doors.
At the end of the chapel stood Michael.
[Lord!]
[Its Lord!]
He was caught by surprise.
[Bastard! Kill that bastard!]
[What are you waiting for? Chop that guys head off right now!]
Some of the Lukases began to shout erratically. It was those who had especially bad relationships with Lord in their lives.
Thats not Lord, you fools.
It might have been meaningless, but Lukas still snapped back at them coldly as he looked at Michael. It was different from before. He wasnt reading a book. Instead, he was down on one knee with his right hand across his chest and his head lowered.
It was a strange posture, but Lukas was able to quickly realise that he was praying.
Lukas had arrived at the Underground City much earlier this time in order to avoid Pales suspicion. That was the reason why he was witnessing this sight.
Michaels posture was very different from what was usually associated with prayer, but there was no specific posture for prayer. In fact, the form that it took didnt matter at all, what mattered was the action of communicating with God in the mind.
But it wasnt his posture that Lukas was curious about.
A cathedral was a building that was built for the purpose of religious events and ceremonies. The significance of this cathedral could be seen in the fact that Michael, the Lord of this city, chose to stay here. It felt like Michael, or perhaps all the beings in this city, believed in God.
It was the same even now.
But this brought the question of who Michael was trying to communicate with through prayer.
Lukas suspected that it might be the God of the Three Thousand Worlds that he knew.
[You are a patient guest.]
Michaels voice woke him from his thoughts. Perhaps it was Michaels habit of saying guest the first time he spoke.
Slowly, he got to his feet before turning to face Lukas. Of course, their gazes couldnt meet because his face didnt have features.
However, Lukas was able to recognise the slight dip of his head which was similar to a bow.
[Thank you for respecting my personal time. Tangled, distorted being.]
He knew that Michaels insight was amazing. This could be seen from the fact that every time he repeated this first encounter, Michael would say something that pierced Lukas very essence to an extent.
And the words that had just come out of his mouth.
Tangle, distorted being.
That was probably the most accurate description of Lukas current condition.
I have a few questions for you.
He decided to bring up the main point from the start. Lukas didnt come to the Underground City simply to provide a safety net that would allow him to act natural in front of Pale.
Michael nodded his head without much surprise.
[I am the same. So how about this? I]
As usual, Michael mentioned the question and answer exchange and Lukas agreed. Hed thought that he already knew what questions he would ask, and in what order, but his predictions were proven wrong in the next moment.
[Are you from Magic Planet?]
Magic Planet.
That name came up once again.
Lukas paused for a moment before shaking his head.
No.
[I see. Hmm.]
When he saw this, Lukas had no choice but to ask a question he hadnt even thought of before.
Why did you ask that?
[There isnt any deep meaning. Its simply because the moment I saw you, I was reminded of the Truth Seekers from Magic Planet that Id met in the past.]
He thought about Jacobs face once again.
[Of course, you also feel different from them. You feel a bit familiar.]
Perhaps he realised that he and Lukas shared a fundamental universe. In fact, Lukas hoped he did to an extent. After all, only then would Michael become interested in him and continue the question and answer exchange.
Michael nodded slightly before speaking again.
[What is your relationship with the woman outside?]
This was another unexpected development.
Of course, Michael had asked him about his relationship with Pale before, but it was usually his last question.
This time was different. Michael had asked Lukas about Pale before his own identity or origin. What was the reason for this? Had he been alerted because Pale was in a more dangerous state than last time, like a ticking time bomb?
Perhaps Michael had vaguely guessed Pales identity.
He knew now. The reason Michael was so wary of Pale, and the intention behind this question. After all, if a person who was suspected to be the Blue Knight of Famine was seen with an unknown person, it was natural to try and guess their relationship first.
She
Has no relationship with him, or she was following him of her own accord.
He thought about saying something like that, but stopped. He couldnt try to solve it in the same way. Lukas had already failed twice in the Underground City.
Although this question and answer exchange might appear trivial, fate often changed because of the most trivial things.
And what Lukas needed now was such a change.
Looking at Michael, he said.
She is testing me.
[testing?]
Michaels voice seemed to tremble slightly.
Lukas wasnt exactly making anything up. Hed thought about why Pale didnt leave his side.
And the words that he was letting out of his mouth now was the most plausible possibility he had thought of. sea??h th n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
To determine if I am worthy of becoming King.
[!]
This time, the reaction was more noticeable. A hazy fog of holy energy began to surround Michaels body.
[That means]
Right.
Lukas nodded.
I am a Void King Candidate.
Book 2: Chapter 429
Book 2: Chapter 429 Michaels reaction to this information was also unexpected.
[I see.]
For some reason, he just nodded as if he accepted it. This made him feel a bit embarrassed since it was something he spouted without thinking too deeply about it.
Why did Michael accept it? Lukas wanted to continue the conversation until he understood why, but that would be difficult. The basic rule of their conversation was one question, one answer.
Then would he have to bring it up again? That wouldnt work either. Not only would it be awkward to bring up a topic that had already passed, it would also increase the probability that he would get caught in his lie. Of course, even if his lie was discovered, he wouldnt be put in a particularly difficult situation.
The current Lukas had the power to erase this Underground City, Michael included. Although, of course, the presence of Pale, who was probably whistling somewhere in the city, was a bit unpleasant,
For some reason or another, Lukas decided to move on to another topic.
Slowly, he opened his clenched fists.
The direction he had chosen in this life was to go towards Magic Planet. He didnt completely trust Jacob, but he felt like he needed to learn more about the being known as the beginning Wizard.
Where is the Magic Planet?
[]
For the first time, Michael fell silent. This was the first time Lukas was seeing such a reaction from him. This was because hed never hesitated to answer a question before.
[I cant answer that.]
The words he said afterwards were also surprising.
He couldnt answer?
Not that he didnt know. So he knew the location, but he refused to tell Lukas. It could also be seen as him avoiding the question.
You talked as if you knew everything in the world.
Naturally, Lukas attitude became cynical.
Michael shook his head.
[I dont not know. I cant answer that.]
Of course, Lukas knew that. Nevertheless, the reason he decided to take such a crooked attitude was to gain an advantage at the negotiation table.
Why cant you answer it?
[Is that a question?]
He wanted to count that as a question. It was a funny trick. For a moment, anger swelled in Lukas. He almost brought his index finger towards his carotid artery without realising it.
Perhaps feeling Lukas bad mood, Michael continued.
[Ill just tell you that it carries significant risk. It would expose not only me but also this entire city to grave danger. Of course, whether you will be satisfied by my answer or not is a different matter.]
Although he spoke in an uncaring manner, he still dug a hole for himself to escape out of like a snake.
Clearly, Michael was no pushover. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
With a sigh, Lukas nodded. He acknowledged that it was a question.
Then Michael continued.
[The Planet of Magicology is one of the most mysterious places in the vast World of Void. Have you ever been to the Southern Region?]
No.
[The Southern Region is a frozen wasteland. It is a land filled with soaring icebergs and icy valleys, and the Magic Planet can be seen from any part of it. It always hangs on the edge of the exceptionally beautiful sky.]
Lukas paused for a moment before asking.
is the Magic Planet really a planet?
[Thats right. But outsiders dont know where the planet is or how to enter it.]
You just said it yourself. It hangs in the sky of the Southern Region.
[Thats right.]
And yet no one knows its exact location? Are you saying that the planet hanging in the sky is an illusion?
[I dont know.]
Michaels affirmation irritated him once again. Of course, he was smart enough to speak quickly before Lukas could vent his feelings.
[However, even if you were to fly in the direction of the planet, you would not feel like you were getting closer. Even if you fly for decades.]
That answer gave Lukas a headache.
[I said a lot more than I was expecting. Is it my turn now?]
Right.
[What is your goal?]
This was another unexpected question.
Lukas looked at Michael. And he had a feeling that was close to a certainty.
It was only his second question, but it was probably Michaels last. This Michael didnt seem to have any questions about Lukas name, last name, or background.
Was it because he was a King Candidate? Ignoring the possibility that came to mind, he responded.
Firstly, I plan to become one of the Twelve Void Lords.
[You must know how difficult that is]
Of course he did. After all, it was Michael whod told him the method to do so, but there was no reason to tell him that.
Cautiously, Lukas asked the question that would probably be his last.
How can I enter Magic Planet?
[I dont know.]
You dont know? That-
Lukas frowned. If Michael hadnt continued speaking, he might have started to spit out swear words.
[However, I know someone who does know.]
Who? The Beginning Wizard? Or one of Magic Planets Truth Seekers?
Despite Lukas cynical attitude, Michael continued.
[Not someone so far away. They belong to my territory.]
a resident of the underground city? How could such a person know the location of the Magic Planet?
[Because in the past she was offered the position of a Truth Seeker and even stayed in the Magic Planet for a while.]
where is she? Is she in the city now?
[No. Not right now. She is out on an important mission, although I think she might be having some trouble. Seeing as the time we agreed upon has already passed.]
By that point, Lukas knew who Michael was talking about.
Nevertheless, he still asked.
What is her name?
And the name he heard was unexpected.
[Lesha. Lesha Trowman.]
* * *
As he expected, that had been Michaels last question. He didnt ask Lukas anything more, making this the shortest question and answer exchange yet.
Nevertheless, Lukas didnt leave the cathedral right away.
[Do you need anything else?]
He didnt.
It was just that the conversation had ended too quickly.
In the future, Lukas intended to act like hed obtained information about the World of Void here, but the time hed spent in the cathedral was too short for that.
After all, he couldnt act like hed learned everything about the World of Void in just 10 minutes. Of course, that didnt mean he could relax either.
Lesha.
Lesha Trowman.
He needed to find the woman who had collapsed in the desert before the pursuers from Flower Mountain. Of course, there was still some time left before that. He wouldnt be too late even if he only left just before Schweiser arrived.
Hiding his plan, Lukas said.
I want to know what you do here.
In fact, this was a question that hed had since the beginning. Lukas glanced around the chapel and sat down on one of the chairs lined within it. Michael didnt stop him from doing so. Instead, with a brisk pace, he walked to the altar and opened the book there.
[Thats a question. Do you intend to do question and answer again?]
[Huhu. It was a joke.]
He said this after seeing Lukas frown. This attitude was surprising. The Lukases who still thought Michael was Lord were even more agitated.
[What the hell? Who is this guy?]
[If he was Lord theres no way he would react like this.]
[This is giving me chills. Im gonna be sick.]
Lukas couldnt help but agree with the last voice.
Do you believe in God? (TL: A reminder, God is the character. While god will refer to any godly beings)
Lukas asked.
Flip, Michael turned a page in the book as he responded.
[I believe.]
Hes dead.
[Is that really so?]
His vague response left him speechless. At the same time, he was annoyed. Lukas felt that he was being impatient, but he didnt bother hiding it.
Quit the wordplay. How could you, who claims to be an intellectual, not have noticed Gods death.
Tremor, the atmosphere seemed to shake in response to Lukas anger. The chairs in the chapel began to creak. But Michael calmly flipped a page without paying it any heed.
[If you are talking about the death of the God of the Three Thousand Worlds. Then yes, I confirmed the death of that being.]
Lukas eyebrow twitched.
Then? Are you saying you believe in something other than God? As a god?
[That view is wrong.]
thats funny. God is a unique being. Or did you find something in this world to serve as a god? Like the Void King.
[Although Void King is a great position, they simply cannot be seen as god. I simply have a different belief, other Trowman.]
He didnt remember telling his name. And yet, Michael was able to accurately refer to him as a Trowman. Was it because hed consumed many Lukases in the dump site? Was that why he was able to grasp the essence of his existence more accurately?
[This is a place where everything was abandoned. That was what the God of the Three Thousand Worlds decided and the Rulers accepted it. The beings in the outer multiverse treat this place like a garbage dump. The abandoned possibilities Dont you think its funny? The me in the real multiverse might not be a more complete being than I am now.]
Lukas knew.
Michaels doubts were perfectly valid, and they were actually true.
The Michael in the real multiverse, that was to say, Lord, was much more unstable and twisted than the one in front of him.
In that case, what was the difference between Lord and Michael?
Why was Michael one of the possibilities that had been abandoned while Lord, who could be considered a failure, was allowed to exist in the real multiverse? What criteria determined that difference?
The reason Lukas was able to sympathise so deeply with his doubts was because he had absorbed countless Lukases who had wandered around the World of Void.
[We were abandoned. There is no reason for us to exist. The intelligent beings who had these thoughts faced different changes.]
Different changes?
[Their egos broke. Either by their own choice or for some external reason. Those who made the choice left themselves with only a very simple ability to think. Like the miglings here. Their intelligence went down, but because of that, they were able to find happiness.]
!
It was only then that Lukas realised the true identity of the miglings.
[It seems that you have never been to any other territory apart from this one.]
Ive been to Flower Mountain and the Dump Site.
[Hmm. The territories of the Twelve Void Lords are special. All the beings there have strong mental power. Theres no reason for them to become like the miglings.]
Now that he thought about it, Lukas had never visited any normal territory apart from the Underground City.
So those who do not choose for themselves, and whose egos are broken by external factors become monsters?
[Thats right.]
The monsters I saw outside.
Their true identity was actually intelligent beings whose egos had been broken. It was a twist that usually only appeared in cheap novels. (TL: Pfft)
Lukas was not surprised.
[I also experienced many disturbing events that shook my will. There were times when I wanted to give up. But I was able to overcome it. Just by having faith.]
faith?
[I created a possibility. Or rather, I created a fictional being. A being who is omnipotent, is fully aware of the birth and destruction of the multiverse, is able to calculate fate, and knows all of the laws. I thought of a god. Not a god with limitations, but a truly omnipotent god.]
It was only then that Lukas realised what faith Michael was talking about.
Thats just a delusion. There can be no such thing.
[It is natural to think so, but that is what I chose to believe nonetheless. And my heart was saved I didnt need a reason to exist. This world was not a garbage dump, and I was not an abandoned possibility.]
Lukas felt that Michael was smiling.
[You wouldnt understand. As someone from the outside.]
you knew I was from the outside.
[You said it yourself. You are a King Candidate.]
Did that mean that all the King Candidates came from outside?
This was new information for Lukas.
He looked at Michael with a strange expression. Lord, a being who wanted to become a god himself, and Michael, a being who wanted to believe in a god so much that he made one himself. It really wasnt easy to believe they were, essentially, the same being.
Huu.
He got up with a sigh.
[Are you leaving now?]
Right.
[I wish you luck. In any case, the Blue Knight was the first to find a King Candidate]
Lukas glanced at Michael before turning his head and leaving the cathedral.
His destination had already been decided.
Lesha Trowman. He had to meet her first.
A woman who shared the same last name as him.
After absorbing so many Lukases, he knew who she was. She wasnt another Lukas, or another possibility.
Blood tie.
Lesha was Lukas younger sister.
Book 2: Chapter 430
Book 2: Chapter 430 Huh. Is your conversation already over?
Pale spoke in her characteristic amused voice. Lukas stared at her very deeply for a moment as if he was trying to understand her intentions.
She, who had been silent and cautious this entire time, had now taken a gentle attitude once again. Naturally, this made him feel more anxiety instead of relief.
Of course, he didnt show any signs of it.
I dont think it was short enough to say already.
Then I guess I must have spaced out for longer than I thought.
Pale spoke with a smile as if she was in a good mood. Her brooding attitude was nowhere in sight.
What did you talk about?
In truth, this was the question Lukas had wanted her to ask all this time.
We talked about this world.
Heh.
The Lord is an intellectual with a wide range of knowledge. Thanks to him, I was able to broaden my horizons.
Hmph.
Pale made an unexpected sound. He wasnt sure if she was only half-listening or if she was genuinely surprised.
Then what are you going to do now?
first.
Lukas eyes turned to look at somewhere far away.
Im going to leave this place.
* * *
They left the underground city before Schweiser came and headed directly to the new destination. It didnt take long. Lukas was now able to find the path more accurately and quickly. In fact, if he hadnt had to hide the power of void, he wouldnt need to go through all of this trouble.
Lukas had a complete understanding of the concept of space. Because of this, he was able to quickly move to any location as long as hed been there before. This counted even for places that hed visited in a previous life.
For example, if he put his mind to it, he would be able to go to Flower Mountain or the Dump Site in an instant.
no. The Dump Site is a bit more delicate.
His eyebrows furrowed slightly as he thought about it.
In the first place, the Dump Site was by no means ordinary. To enter it, you needed to go into the jaws of a monster that lived in the Northern Region. He now knew that the monster was called a Cleaner. They were creatures who swam in the shallow waters of the vast Northern Region and collected corpses.
Beings who had given up their egos but not their lives used the Northern Region as a graveyard. They threw themselves into the Dump Site and waited there as half-corpses. Until another them came to succeed them.
-In any case, the Dump Site was an independent space, so it wouldnt be easy for Lukas to come and go as he pleased. Even if it was possible, it would be impossible for him to avoid being detected by the Corpse Ghost.
Jacob. To be honest, meeting him was the easiest method to join the Magic Planet, but it was not easy to adopt.
In fact, from a certain point of view, the Flower Mountain was the same. With Yang In-hyuns developed senses, it would be impossible for him to not notice Lukas infiltration.
He wanted to avoid bumping into any of the Twelve Void Lords as much as possible. To be precise, until he was confident that he was definitely stronger than them.
With that in mind, Lukas looked into the large crater in the desert. There, he could see a woman unconscious and bloody.
Shes dying.
Without responding, he slid into the crater.
Then, he observed the face of Lesha, who was breathing heavily.
Did she resemble him? He honestly didnt know. Even after staring at her from such a close distance, he didnt really feel like they were related by blood.
Lukas couldnt tell if it was because he didnt have much emotion left, or if it was because they were siblings who didnt have much in common from the beginning.
There was only one similarity, their hair colour. The dark blonde hair specked with hints of blood was familiar to the point where he wondered why he hadnt noticed it before.
This wasnt the time for this.
Lukas took out a piece of jerky from his pocket. He had obtained it from the miglins before coming here. They had gladly accepted Lukas request. He was grateful for those guys. Because he now knew just how precious the jerky was.
He put it roughly in Leshas mouth. The jerky was quickly absorbed into her body, and her wounds slowly began to regenerate.
Youre such a good person.
Pale muttered. Shed said something similar before. Of course, he hadnt understood the remark at the time, but now, he almost couldnt stop himself from snorting.
Good person? Lukas was saving this woman purely for personal reasons. There was a complete absence of compassion, consideration, or pity towards the other person. If it was looked at from his perspective, he wouldnt be called a good person, and this wouldnt be a good deed.
That was it.
He didnt have any emotion towards Lesha Trowman despite knowing she was his younger sister. He was still perfectly calm. This indifference would not waver even if Lesha opened her eyes and they began to talk directly.
All he wanted was a way to get to the Magic Planet. When he achieved his goal, he would take her back to the Underground City, and he wouldnt feel any regrets at their parting.
Soon, Flower Mountains forces would attack and the city would face a crisis, but this time, he didnt intend to stop it.
[Lesha Lesha Trowman.]
[My poor little sister.]
[This child has lived a hard life too. How pitiful.]
Of course, that wasnt the same for the other Lukases. The Lukases who had a direct relationship with Lesha as their sister and who taught her, began to grumble in gloomy voices.
Ignoring them, he continued to carry Lesha. He was taking her to another place. Of course, it was to avoid meeting the members of Flower Mountain.
He could take her back to the Underground City right away, but he didnt. Instead, he stopped halfway between the place hed found Lesha and the Underground City.
Its stifling.
If he could use the power of void, he could restore Leshas consciousness in an instant. But of course, he couldnt act recklessly because Pale was beside him with a bright smile.
So Lukas waited patiently for Lesha to open her eyes.
Perhaps the jerky given to him by the miglings was particularly effective. Lesha opened her eyes earlier this time.
Mm
Her eyelids trembled slightly before she finally opened them.
Where
Youre awake.
!
Lesha jumped up when she heard the unfamiliar voice. She quickly looked around and grasped the situation. Lukas didnt stop her. He realised at that moment that it wasnt just her hair but also her eyes that were exactly the same colour.
Now that he was seeing her again, he felt that she did look a bit like him.
Who are you?
The one who saved you. You were badly hurt, werent you?
Michael asked me directly. I understand that you might be suspicious and wary, but dont be hostile. We could have killed you hundreds of times while you were unconscious.
Or maybe you just want something else from me.
Lesha didnt seem to readily believe Lukas words. Of course, Lukas didnt think he could win her trust in such a short time. Perhaps if he really considered her his younger sister, he would have tried to.
a feeling of identity?
Or was it familial affection?
Lukas was overcome by this new emotion. An emotion that came from the other Lukases as well. As if he felt as though hed be swept away if he let his guard down, his expression hardened and his voice lowered.
I do want something. There is something I want to ask you.
What do you want to ask?
How to enter Magic Planet.
Lesha seemed confused for a moment.
That who Ah, Michael. Did he tell you that?
Right.
hes the only one in the Underground City that knows that. So I suppose its not a lie that you met Michael.
Is it true? That you went to the Magic Planet?
Lukas wanted to finish this conversation as soon as possible, so he asked again.
Lesha nodded without any attempt to hide it.
Yeah.
Then I would like to ask. The location of the Magic Planet and how to get there.
I certainly did visit the Magic Planet. However, the method I used wasnt the norm.
What he could tell from those words was that there were at least two ways to get into the Magic Planet.
I received help from someone. But that method was only used because it coincided with a special case. Even if you tried to approach it the same way, the chances of success are slim.
Who did you receive help from?
Although I cant answer that, I can tell you where he is.
After saying that, Lesha retrieved something from her pocket. Lukas expression became a bit strange. It was a tool known as a Dowsing Rod. However, it wasnt a pair and the colour was faint.
This will serve as your guide tool. The tool will point to where he is. You just have to go in whatever direction it is pointing. If you show this tool at the entrance, you will be allowed to meet him without any issues.
It seemed that Lesha had no intention of accompanying him.
Of course, Lukas preferred that as well.
Can I take this?
Think of it as a reward for saving me.
After hearing that, Lukas accepted the guide tool without any hesitation.
Its about time I say goodbye. Thanks for saving me. Then, see you later.
Believing that there was nothing more to do, she turned around and prepared to leave.
Wait.
Lukas stopped her almost reflexively.
Yes?
She turned her head to look at him. The moment he saw her questioning expression, he forgot what he wanted to say. Why did he stop Lesha? Did one of the Lukases wishes burst out of his mouth?
After hesitating for a while, Lukas spoke.
Be careful.
? Yes. Thank you.
After saying those words, Lesha left for real.
Lukas felt a hint of deep sense of regret in a corner of his mind. He wished they had talked a bit longer. Thats what he thought.
* * *
Using the dowsing rod as a guide, they continued walking. Even Lukas, who had gained a lot of knowledge at this point, couldnt pinpoint the exact principle that the tool was pointing toward.
Pale had returned to her chatty persona. She seemed to have a knack for talking about trivial topics for hours. For example, the correlation between the colour of the sky and the monsters that appeared.
Im pretty sure its a rule.
At first, Lukas listened to her. After all, it was none other than the deductions of the Blue Knight of Famine, so he thought she might reveal the truth of the world to some extent.
She didnt.
Pale just said whatever came to her mind. This thought became certain when the words she mentioned conflicted with what she said before. From then on, he let Pales ramblings in through one ear and out the other.
When they crossed a dune, Lukas eyes narrowed. Sar?h the N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
He saw a monster. That fact alone didnt surprise him much, but two things were strange.
Firstly, it seemed to be much more gentle than any monster hed seen before. Clearly it had noticed Lukas presence, but it didnt seem to have any interest.
And secondly,
Lukas knew this monster. Not just its appearance, but also its name.
It had six legs, a degenerated pair of wings on its back, and instead of eyes, two constantly moving noses protruded from its head.
-Leave it. Two Noses are harmless.
They continued to cross the dunes.
Although the scenery of the desert was the same no matter where they went, this scenery felt familiar.
And the monsters that roamed around
A bed with hands and feet, a monster with a huge body that looked like a tongue and was covered in tentacles, and a giant whose face was in the middle of his chest.
He walked past them as if possessed. At some point, Lukas stopped looking at the dowsing rod. This wasnt because he was able to calculate the space, he was simply walking according to his instincts. Nevertheless, he was confident that he was going in the right direction.
It wasnt long before a cave came into sight.
The appearance of the cave standing in the middle of the desert was easily noticeable.
Lukas knew what this cave was. It was the place where hed first entered this world.
It was the cave Kasajin had been in
There was a cool aura surrounding the cave. Crossing her arms as she looked at the cave, Pale muttered.
this place seems a bit different.
Do you know where this is?
No~ dont you know?
She told lies that even a fool wouldnt believe. Lukas was about to argue, but he closed his mouth and turned his gaze to the cave.
He could feel a presence.
Thud!
He heard the sound of heavy footsteps. Someone was walking out of the seemingly endless cave.
[Who are you?]
What appeared with a beastly voice was a demon so large its shoulders touched the ceiling of the cave. It had bright red skin, wings, black horns, and fangs that jutted from its lower jaw.
[I asked who you are.]
Instead of answering, Lukas showed it the dowsing rod.
[A Devil Sensor?A guest of the Lord. Please excuse me.]
The demons eyes narrowed slightly.
[Welcome to Demonsio.]
Demonsio.
Lukas expression hardened.
He knew where this was. It was the territory of the [0th Demon] one of the Twelve Void Lords. In other words, it was the place called the pit.
[Follow me. Ill guide you to the Lord.]
When he heard those words, Lukas thought of Haspin, the demon from the pit that hed met in the Dump Site.
Hed told him that there was a new Void Lord ruling the pit now.
This wasnt good.
Book 2: Chapter 431
Book 2: Chapter 431 Things were getting messed up.
Things are going well!
The words of Pale, who was still pretending to not know anything, were the exact opposite of Lukas thoughts.
No. Was this real? Was Pale really acting like this right now? He wasnt sure.
Meanwhile, the demon turned around and said,
[Follow me.]
Then, without waiting for a response, it stomped away.
How could he get around this?
Should he say that something suddenly came up? Or that he forgot something? Lukas shook his head. That wouldnt work. If he was alone, perhaps he could have made an excuse, but Pale was currently by his side. It would be awkward if he were to forcibly come up with an excuse. If he reacted recklessly, her lowered suspicion might rise up once again.
The way out had already disappeared when he received the dowsing rod from Lesha.
Do I have no choice but to meet her?
Sedi Trowman.
What would happen then?
Sedi would definitely recognise him. Right. Of course she would recognise him. Then, would she be happy? Or sad?
Either that or
[Sedi? Whos that?]
[Sedi, Sedi Trowman?]
[Trowman A, a daughter?!]
The Lukases rarely had a group panic like this.
[I dont believe it. This guy is a traitor!]
[No. Wait, its too early to jump to conclusions. Theres a possibility that its something different]
[Hang on Sedi Trowman is not related by blood.]
[Shes an adopted daughter!]
[Then isnt it safe?]
When the voices erupted all at once, it was no different from waking up to a hangover. Lukas head pounded as he was forced to listen to their drivel.
None of them knew about Sedi. But their strange voices made his head ache.
None of them knew about Sedi. This was natural. Lukas relationship with Sedi had been made in a different universe when he was an Absolute.
The Lukases from the parallel words, an almost infinite number of Lukases
They all had their own talents, personalities, traits, and above all, possibilities, but none of them had reached the level of Absolute. They couldnt have done so in the first place. In other words, only the Great Mage Lukas had been able to become an Absolute.
Are you not going?
Pales voice tickled his ear. It felt like this because shed gotten close to him and whispered into his ear. Flinching slightly, he looked into her eyes. Eyes resembling a deep blue sea looked back at him.
Were going to miss it.
Then, without warning, she grabbed Lukas by the wrist and began to lead Lukas. Lukas tried to calm the goosebumps that threatened to rise up on his arm.
Pale laughed, but it was unclear if she noticed or not.
Lets hurry.
* * *
The cave didnt go downwards. At least, that was what Lukas senses told him.
But at some point, he realised that he could see a city through a black hole from a slanted perspective.
No. The view wasnt slanted. Instead, he was standing at an angle. Perhaps, from the perspective of the beings in the city, Lukas was sticking to the wall.
[Welcome to Demonsio.]
The demon said as it proceeded to walk into the hole. Suddenly, the demons size doubled and its wings unfurled.
[Get on.]
On its back? Before Lukas could ask, Pale got on first.
Wow! Its more comfortable than I thought! But it smells kinda musty. Do you ever wash?
[]
A flash of displeasure went across the demons face.
Lukas quickly followed Pale onto the demons back.
The demon closed its half opened mouth and flapped its wings vigorously.
Taht.
As soon as he stepped into the hole, the slanted view of the city returned to normal.
Then Lukas,
Realised that this place was not so small to simply be called a territory.
Its huge.
He shuddered slightly at the sheer enormity of the territory.
He hadnt realised it when he was standing at the hole, but now that he was standing on the demons back, he did.
It was hard to imagine. But the space beneath the cave was as big as a world.
Although it was just his assumption, he believed the space stretched for thousands of kilometres. The thing that was particularly surprising was the depth. Lukas couldnt imagine how deep the ground of this space was. Perhaps looking up at the ceiling of this space from the ground was no different from looking up at the sky outside.
What was more amazing were the buildings that had been built in this space. sea??h th N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
They were towers that started from the bottom of the cave and stretched up to the ceiling. They looked as if they were supporting the sky which proved that each tower was at least several hundred kilometres tall. There were countless spaces along the length of the towers that protruded like bumps or leaves.
And buildings were built in the particularly large spaces. Those places were large enough to be called cities or towns.
A territory.
This place wasnt so small to call it that. Its size was comparable to a world. It was impossible to guess where it ended or how many beings lived here.
Flower Mountain isnt this big.
Of course, the same could be said for the Underground City that Michael had.
This place is incredibly vast.
After hearing Lukas words, the corners of the lips of the demon, who was flapping its wings beneath him, curled slightly.
[It seems this is your first time visiting the territory of one of the Twelve Void Lords.]
Thats right, but I heard that Flower Mountain isnt as large as this place.
He answered this way because he was mindful of Pale. Although it was a bit overused already, he could still say hed heard about it from Michael. Of course, Pale didnt seem to care about his conversation and seemed more interested in looking around at Demonsio in open mouthed wonder.
[Flower Mountain is special. The only way they select a new Void Lord is by having a challenger fight the current Void Lord and win. But each time that happens, the territory is smashed or wiped out. In particular, the Sect Leader Everlasting Plum Sword Yang In-hyun and his predecessor, the Sword God Dang Mu-gi were among the top five of the strongest Void Lords in the history of Flower Mountain. Naturally, the aftermath of their fight was unprecedented.]
[Because of that battle, the territory which was called Murim in the past, gradually became smaller and smaller to the point that it was just called Flower Mountain.]
Thats right.
Although he still had a few questions, he still understood. Now that he thought about it, the Dump Site, the territory controlled by the Corpse Ghost, should also be a territory, but it was much larger than Demonsio.
[The Lord is over there.]
The demon pointed to the tower in the middle of this space. There werent any space protrusions on this tower, and it seemed to be thicker than the other towers with a surface so dark in colour that it reminded him of the abyss.
The end of it, that was to say, the part that touched the ceiling took the form of a castle in a ridiculous way. At first glance, it looked like a royal castle that had been pierced by a spear.
that place.
The demons flying speed was very fast. Even though the distance to the castle wasnt very close, they were able to arrive in less than an hour.
Ugh. Motion sickness.
The castles entrance.
Pale got off first with a nauseous expression. She staggered a few times as if she was going to keel over, but Lukas, who came down after her, didnt make any attempt to support her.
In the meantime, the demon, whose size had reduced once again, slowly landed.
[I will remind you to be mindful of what you say and do from here. The other Apostles are not as generous as I am.]
Apostles?
It was then.
The castle gates opened and someone appeared. They were completely covered by a black robe, but from their physique, they appeared to be a man.
[That]
While the demon showed a bewildered expression, the man approached them without hesitation. As the man grew closer, they realised that his entire face was covered in bandages, so it was impossible to tell what he looked like.
Lofiken, let me guide them from here.
The moment he spoke, Lukas eyebrows soared.
[why are you here?]
Cant I be here?
[]
Its a joke, relax. It is the Lords command. I was asked to be their guide.
[The Lord]
The demon, Lofiken, looked at the man with an incomprehensible expression for a while before sighing with a resigned expression.
[In that case, I have no choice but to obey.]
Thank you. You worked hard to get them here.
[]
Lofiken didnt respond to those words and instead turned to look at Lukas.
[It seems this is where my role ends. You can just follow that man from now on. Then Ill take my leave.]
Then, he unfurled his wings and flew away without hesitation.
With a heh, Pale watched him leave and waved her hand at his back a few times.
When you get home make sure you wash up and get some sleep!
Eventually, after Lofikens figure had completely disappeared, the bandaged man looked at Pale and said.
Its been a while.
Huh?
How long has it been since you last came to Demonsio?
Pales head tilted 45 degrees.
Do you know me?
Of course I know you. You are the woman who gave me many first time experiences.
Oh my.
Pale quickly hid behind Lukas and poked her head out around his shoulder.
Uncle, I think that person is a pervert.
You still act foolishly.
Ah, well I dont know anyone like you.
Really? Well putting that aside.
The man smiled and continued.
Why dont you take a look around? Relax and refresh yourself.
Why so suddenly?
I think it would be good for your memory.
After saying that, he gestured to the distant landscape below the castle.
For example, there is a mountain of food in one of those towns that you might like.
Umm. I dont feel like it.
Then consider me asking for a favour. There is something I want to talk about with that friend.
As he said that, the man gestured to Lukas.
Then he shook his head.
But if you stay here, I think I might make a mistake.
A mistake like what?
Something like talking about the first time we met. Or perhaps Id explain the pale hunger.
Pales eyes curved into crescent moons. While it could certainly be called an eye smile, there was a faint eeriness in her slightly exposed eyes that seemed to reveal her true feelings.
Is that so? It would be better for you to watch your mouth, I think I told you that before.
My memory is a bit faint, but I think that might have been the case. But Im quite dense, so its hard for me to understand things that were only said to me once or twice.
Lukas had never seen anyone act this rudely to Pale before. And it was clear that her identity wasnt unknown to this man.
The words pale hunger were closely related to Pales essence.
His palms became damp. This was proof of how nervous he was. Was it because he knew who this man was? Or was it because of Pales strong grip on his shoulder?
Kiki. It seems youve become more sly since I last saw you.
Thanks to you.
Kikiki.
Pales eerie expression disappeared. And she returned to her usual bubbly attitude as she said.
Fine. Ill go take a walk for a while.
She glanced at Lukas and smiled.
But if you talk any nonsense, Ill kill you. Completely.
The killing intent contained in her words was not light.
Nevertheless, the man didnt seem surprised and instead nodded his head.
Ill bear that in mind.
Mhmm. Then, where should I go~
As she murmured to herself, Pale left. To be precise, she threw herself down from the castle. Her falling body was soon swallowed up by the darkness, becoming a dot that could barely be seen. She was probably headed to one of the countless cities or towns down there.
And Lukas was left alone with the man.
Are you alright?
am I alright?
Lukas voice shook slightly.
He looked at the man and asked.
Why are you asking me that?
Its just. You look exhausted.
As soon as he heard those words, Lukas felt like crying for some reason. He wanted to open his mouth and say something, but his voice didnt come out. Instead, all that seemed to want to leak out was a sob or a broken word.
This, too, was something that only happened because of the multiple Lukases.
So Lukas decided to ignore the words that the voices were screaming in his head.
And instead, he said a name.
Kasajin.
Right.
Kasajin slowly undid the bandages wrapped around his face and smiled.
Long time no see, Lukas.
Book 2: Chapter 432
Book 2: Chapter 432 The interior of the castle was silent, but Lukas paid more attention to the deep darkness instead. This was because there were no candles or other light sources. Nevertheless, it didnt have a gloomy atmosphere. There wasnt a single speck of dust on the floor as if it was cleaned regularly, which didnt seem to suit them.
Pressure.
He felt a suffocating pressure.
How should he say it, it felt as if he was finally entering the territory of one of the Twelve Void Lords in a true sense.
As mentioned before, the castle was very quiet, but that didnt mean there wasnt any movement. Rather, there were demons of all shapes and sizes walking through the hallways. But their footsteps couldnt be heard, and they didnt seem to make any sounds.
It was as if they were ghosts wandering the castles halls, which, in a sense, was pretty frightening.
Lukas didnt have any interactions with them. In the first place, the castles hallways were very wide. It wouldnt be an exaggeration to say that they were wide enough for four horse drawn carriages to drive side by side.
They didnt directly talk to each other, but every time Lukas and Kasajin passed one, they gave them a strange look. To be precise, their gazes were directed at Kasajin.
The emotions in their gazes were mixed.
Doubt, vigilance, surprise, embarrassment, respect, and even disgust.
Lukas knew that it was rare for one being to be on the receiving end of such differing opinions.
Ignore them.
He heard a dry voice.
It was a voice that was quieter than a whisper, so even in the quiet surroundings, Lukas was the only one who could hear it.
All they can do is look at me like that. They cant hurt me. And of course, they wont suddenly attack you.
Without him realising it, Kasajin had bandaged his face again. He walked with calm steps, ignoring the gazes of the demons. He walked through the castle as if he was familiar with it, and at some point, Lukas realised there were fewer demons walking around them.
Is this a trap?
As soon as he had that thought, he immediately felt the self disgust within him skyrocket. He never would have thought such a thing would happen in the past. A day when he doubted this guy beside him.
However, Lukas blind trust had been worn down after hed experienced countless things that hed never wanted to experience.
Before long, Kasajin opened a door in the middle of a hallway and walked in first. When he saw that Lukas didnt follow, he spoke.
Arent you coming?
We dont have time for this. Dont tell me you think Im going to eat you.
Although he said this in a joking tone, in truth, those words couldnt be taken as a joke in the World of Void where the concept of predation was a thing.
But Lukas shook his head and walked inside. There were several reasons for his behaviour, but the biggest reason was because the current Kasajin didnt seem to be stronger than himself.
Tak.
The door closed.
This room also didnt have a single candle in it, but it wasnt completely dark. There were flickering red lights on the wall which at least made it possible to distinguish the things in the room.
A pungent smell.
A wine cellar. The stacked wooden barrels supported this guess.
No one will come here. We can- t relax, but at least this is a good place to talk for a while.
Kasajin roughly placed his ass on one of the wooden barrels lying around. That meant he sat down.
Of course, Lukas had no intention of using a wooden barrel of wine as a chair.
Hmm.
It didnt really matter, so Kasajin shrugged his shoulders.
I didnt expect to see you so soon. Of course, I knew youd come here eventually.
You knew Id come here?
His head throbbed. Ignoring his headache, Lukas said.
Are you talking about the World of Void, or Demonsio?
Both. But you
Kasajin looked at Lukas again. From head to toe.
you look really tired.
And repeated his previous words.
I see.
Lukas replied roughly in a subdued voice. Then he hid his fatigue even deeper so he wouldnt have to hear Kasajin repeat those words again. He didnt want to be pitied now. It wasnt the time.
Earlier, you claimed that you would be a guide. To guide me to the Lord.
He looked around the cellar.
I dont think your Lord the Void Lord, is here.
Of course, your adopted daughter, Sedi Trowman, is not here.
Kasajin said the exact name that Lukas was reluctant to mention. In addition, he appeared to be well informed of his exact relationship with her.
Surprised. Or embarrassed.
For a moment, Lukas didnt know what to say.
Lukas, we dont have much time to talk like this, so I will just be direct. You cant meet Sedi right now. I was waiting for you at the castle in order to prevent that.
Of course, that was also what Lukas wanted, but he didnt expect to hear it from Kasajin.
Why? I heard that Sedis looking for me.
Apocalypse Apostle Haspin.
He didnt know what that position meant, but at least Haspin was certainly not just an ordinary member of Demonsio. Lofiken, the flying demon that hed just met, was also a being with formidable power, but he was still inferior to Haspin.
It was such a formidable demon that said it, so it couldnt be a lie that Sedi Trowman was looking for him.
You know about that. I dont know who you could have heard that from or when Well, I suppose its obvious. It must have been one of the Apostles scattered across the world.
Its like a murderer looking for someone to kill. It would be best if you didnt meet her.
Are you trying to say Sedi is the murderer?
Um. No. Was that analogy a bit too strange?
Kasajin scratched his head. At least with that bashful expression, he looked like the Magic Warrior King that Lukas remembered from a long time ago.
I mean, just because someone is desperately looking for someone else, it doesnt mean their reunion would be beautiful.
Lukas thought about Sedi as he heard those words. He hadnt thought about it too deeply before, but how had she ended up in this world? Did she also die in the Preliminaries to the Great Game like Lee Jong-hak?
If that was the case, who was it that killed Sedi?
He looked at Kasajin.
His past best friend, a trusted comrade, the Magic Warrior King.
However, now, he was a mystery that Lukas didnt know.
Are you Kasajin?
Kasajin didnt answer right away, and instead raised the corners of his lips slightly.
No. Im not the Kasajin you know. Im just a shell.
You said that you met Kasajin in a different universe, who called himself the Demon King.
Then, Kasajin said something quite shocking.
In fact, he is more of Kasajin than me.
What?
I dont have any reason to hide anything anymore, so Ill just tell you everything. About the Demon King Kasajin. The Magic Warrior King Kasajin. And the Kasajin in front of you right now. And about the situation Sedi is in right now.
The smile on Kasajins face disappeared.
Firstly, Ill tell you about the experiences of the Magic Warrior King after he met his end in the Amakan Desert.
* * *
Shit.
Kasajin spat out a curse.
Gurgle, unexpressed anger burned his insides.
Is this it?
He fought.
Hed fought a Demigod in the desert.
And in the end, hed successfully killed him.
He had subjugated a Demigod on his own.
It was certainly a great achievement. However, Kasajin didnt feel delighted.
It cant be.
This was the end for his body.
He couldnt accept it. He couldnt accept it.
He didnt want a meaningful death.
Kasajin had just wanted to prove himself.
He wanted to show everyone that he could succeed even without Lukas.
That didnt happen.
Lucid, that son of a bitch, hadnt stopped his unprovoked conflicts. Schweiser, who was still talking about peace in this era, pissed him off just by showing his face. Iris, who travelled the continent as if she had lost her mind, annoyed him.
They werent the only ones.
The officials from the various Kingdoms had approached them with a smile while Lukas was alive. The fact that their attitudes had changed as easily as flipping a palm was frustrating. Inwardly, he really wanted to destroy their castles.
I didnt think I could replace you.
In the first place, it was impossible.
Lukas role was something only he could play. In the same context, Kasajin thought that Kasajins role was something that only Kasajin could play.
So he swung his fists. Because that was all he could do.
There was nothing else he could do to take revenge, or get rid of his trivial thoughts.
And he died.
He died fighting with a Demigod who could control sand in the Amakan Desert. At the last moment, his fist pierced his stomach and he felt something that wasnt a bone or an organ break, but that didnt matter.
What mattered was that in the end, Kasajin died.
Just like Lukas.
Kasajin collapsed as he felt the hot wind of the desert. He could also feel the sweeping sand covering his lonely body. His body slowly cooled and his consciousness faded. Just as he felt the sense of death looming around the corner.
Ah?
His mind suddenly became clear.
Kasajin jumped up from the ground. He couldnt feel any pain in his body. After he started touching himself, he found that his wounds had disappeared.
What is this
He looked around.
Was it night? The air felt a bit cooler.
No. Thats not really it.
The colour of the desert sand had changed to grey. Kasajin looked up at the sky. And for a moment, he was speechless.
The sky was a mix of dreamy colours, as if paint had spilled on it.
Where the hell is this place?
Of course, there was no one to answer his murmur.
* * *
Kasajin decided to walk aimlessly through the desert first. There were occasionally monsters that popped out of the sand and attacked him, but they werent a major threat.
He looked down at the corpse of a monster and murmured.
Im pretty sure this isnt the Amakan desert.
There werent any monsters like this there.
but can I eat this?
He didnt feel hungry at that moment, but he felt like he should eat. It seemed difficult to find food in the desert, so he ate a piece of flesh from a monster which looked like a fish with four legs just to taste it.
Wah. Fuck.
And swore instantly.
He wasnt a particularly picky eater, but this was really the worst. The taste and smell of the flesh and blood was so bad that it made vomit flow up his throat. Nevertheless, instead of spitting it out, he forcibly chewed it a few times before swallowing it.
You have a good appetite!
Kasajin suddenly turned his head and took a stance. He hadnt felt a presence.
Squatting at the sand dune he was looking at was a young blue haired woman. She was grinning at him with a smile that seemed a bit unpleasant.
Was it because of that smile?
Although this was his first time meeting this person, he didnt welcome her.
What the hell are you?
Im Pale!
Okay? Im Kasajin.
Uh. Thats a weird name. Kiki.
What the hell. Who was this woman?
The strange feeling was bothering him.
With slightly narrowed eyes, he observed the woman named Pale as she stood up and slid down the sand dune.
Then, she circled around Kasajin a few times before nodding.
Um. Youre not Forgotten are you?
What?
And you dont seem like an abandoned possibility.
What the hell are you talking about?
If a being who is neither of those comes to this world, it means they have one of three major fates. Theyre either a King Candidate, Knight Candidate, or Twelve Void Lord Candidate.
Pale smiled gently.
I wonder which of those roles you will have.
Then, after taking a few steps back, she curled her finger at Kasajin.
Kasajin looked at her with a ridiculous expression.
What are you doing?
Provoking you.
Eh?
When Pale answered calmly, Kasajin couldnt help but confirm her true intentions once again while blinking slowly.
Hey. Are you saying you want to fight me?
Yeah.
I really think Im going crazy.
He shook his head before gesturing as if to shoo her away.
Im in a pretty annoying situation right now. But Im not the type of person to take it out on a skinny girl like you. If you want to fight me, you should gain at least twice as much weight as you have now first.
You scared?
Right, right. Im really scared.
Umm.
Although it was just a rough answer from Kasajin, Pale seemed to consider his words seriously.
Then she smiled gently and said,
Fine! Then a handicap. I will not move from this spot.
What?
Uh. Is that not enough? Then I wont use my right arm either. So Ill only use my left arm to deal with you. That should be enough for you to not be scared anymore.
After that remark, Kasajins laid back attitude changed. He hated being looked down on more than anything else. Pales attitude perfectly stepped on his bottom line.
With a grim expression, Kasajin looked at the blue haired girl in front of him. She grinned at him with clear eyes and lifted her left hand.
Youre pretty rude, brat.
So Ive heard.
Even though you knew it needed fixing, you didnt fix it. So Ill help you.
Kasajin raised his right index finger.
Youll only use your left arm? Then Ill use only one finger to deal with you.
Ah.
Pale smirked and said,
Is that so?
Her attitude was like an annoying brat.
Right. If he gave her three lumps on the head, he was sure this spoiled brat would learn some manners.
With that thought in his head, Kasajin walked towards Pale.
(TL: Kasajin is about to learn.)
Sar?h the n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Book 2: Chapter 433
Book 2: Chapter 433 What was this?
huk.
He couldnt breathe.
What the hell happened?
Firstly, he noticed that he could see the sky. Then, he wondered if it really could be called the sky since it seemed to be a mixture of strange colours, but that wasnt really important right now.
Why was he looking at the sky?
it hurts.
He felt pain as if his back had been broken. Phew. He let out a slow breath.
This was dangerous.
If the sand hadnt acted as a cushion, that probably would have been the end of him. He must have lost consciousness, and the condition of his body must have been much worse.
So
He slowly began to regain his memories.
He had approached Pale and stretched out his hand.
He had intended to give her a finger flick. Of course, if he hit her with full strength, he would break her skull, so hed intended to control his strength to a moderate level.
Half a step away.
Hed stopped just within reach and stretched out his finger.
And immediately afterward, his view was flipped, and he felt a sensation as if his body was floating. Kasajin had almost been buried in the sand, and that was how the situation became what it was now.
As he looked blankly at the sky, Pales face suddenly popped into the edge of his vision.
Kasajin looked up at that innocent face and asked.
What are you?
Eh.
Blatant disappointment spread across Pales face.
Whats with that face?
Your reaction was boring.
What did you expect?
Something like, You fucking bitch! What the hell kind of trick did you use?!?
Only shameless bastards would react like that. Im sorry, but Im not like that.
I see.
Pale smiled and held out her hand.
Perhaps it was a display of kindness, but a displeased expression appeared on Kasajins face.
What do you take me for?
Then he got up on his own. He felt some pain in his back as he did so, but he didnt show it.
Pale withdrew her outstretched hand and grinned.
A man who confidently got into a fight and got thrown to the ground in one hit.
Lets go again.
As he said this, Kasajin took a stance. A misty stream of air flowed from his rock-like body.
This time, Ill take you seriously.
It wasnt just his expression that became serious. The aura that erupted from him was so violent that it began to disrupt space itself. Woowoowoong, the atmosphere also began to shake as if it was frightened.
So youve decided to take me more seriously now?
Right. So lets try again.
Ahaha. In the time you said that, you could have attacked several times.
Im not so shameless as to attack an unprepared opponent.
Pales expression changed subtly.
Prepared? You want me to take a stance?
That is only fair.
Puha. Ahaha
Pale grabbed her stomach and burst into laughter. It was a bright, clear laugh, but the laugh didnt make Kasajin feel good at all.
What was so funny? He didnt even bother asking. Instead, his gaze simply continued to grow colder as his momentum rose.
Then, when her laughter finally stopped, he spoke.
Are you done?
No. I didnt laugh enough Pfft.
Pale wiped away tears from the corners of her eyes.
Hey. Do you really think youre in a position to talk about fairness?
What?
This is enough. Even when Im defenceless like this, uncle wont be a threat to me even if you do your best.
Can you take responsibility for those words?
Weve been talking for a while now.
Pale smiled and snapped her fingers.
Enough talking, lets get on with it.
* * *
Kasajin charged in and was laid out on the ground once more.
The difference in skill was clear. To be honest, it was absurd.
As he looked, blankly, up at the sky, he asked.
Are you, a Demigod?
Huh?
He didnt feel any divine power, but if this woman was a Demigod, then that would explain her ridiculous strength. Of course, it was true that Kasajin had proven his strength by slaying a Demigod, but in all honesty, that Demigod wasnt particularly strong among the Demigods.
Like humans, there were also different degrees of individual strength among the Demigods.
The Demigod who used poison was like that, and Lord, their leader, was someone they couldnt even figure out how to defeat.
Whats that?
Pale responded with a smirk.
Was she pretending? Kasajin narrowed his eyes as he looked at the other party, but in all honesty, he couldnt tell.
With that attitude, it was impossible to infer any truth or falsehoods. Something like that? He wasnt Iris.
The only thing Kasajin could do was ask straightforward questions.
what are you?
She held out her hand again.
Im Pale!
Are you not going to grab it?
Kasajin looked at her hand before grabbing it and getting to his feet. His hard palm clasped a hard palm that didnt match her slim physique at all.
Wow. You grabbed it this time. Did you have a change of heart?
You are stronger than me.
Huh?
Thats it.
Pale tilted her head to the side, but Kasajin didnt say anything else.
To be precise, he felt that the current Pale had that right.
Because that was one of the rights of the strong, the winner.
* * *
Pale gave him some explanations about how to exist in this world. To be honest, he didnt think it would be a problem to call it how to live. After all, what she taught him was basically the laws of the jungle. Kasajin acknowledged that he had a lot to learn, so he graciously accepted her instructions.
Youre kinda slow.
Why cant you understand something so simple?
What a waste of size. Ugh.
He didnt lose his temper even when she occasionally uttered insidious remarks.
Uncle, youre a little different from the way you look.
What does that mean?
You look like youd get mad if someone even touched you.
Was she saying that he was more patient than he looked? In fact, this reaction wasnt unfamiliar to him. Many people looked at Kasajin and believed he was simple, ignorant, and hot headed. But in fact, he was nothing of the sort.
Nevertheless, there was one reason why he didnt express his feelings to Pale even when he was scolded or bullied.
Pale was a strong person, whose ability surpassed Kasajin.
-Pale didnt give a clear explanation about this place, but Kasajin was gradually able to realise that this was not his world. Despite having wandered around a lot on his own, he had never heard of a place with a grey desert and colourful sky.
Most of all, in this place, if you didnt eat, you would begin to disappear from your toes. At first, he thought it was some kind of curse.
This is a terribly large place.
Even in the Amakan desert, which was the largest area on the continent, if he were to walk in one direction for this long he would eventually come out, but not in this place.
Monsters continued to appear from time to time. Kasajin passed time by giving names to the unique monsters.
Or at least that was the way it seemed, in truth, most of his attention was on Pale.
What is she doing?
More than hundreds of times a day, Kasajin would look for an opening. His goal was a surprise attack. It wasnt a fair act, but what could he say? Pale was strong. She was overwhelmingly powerful. She even accepted the weak and somewhat cowardly challenge. Or at least that was how it appeared to Kasajin.
And yet, he couldnt see any. He couldnt find them.
He constantly replayed simulations.
A powerful punch. His fist was crushed.
A roundhouse kick. His leg was torn off.
A headbutt. His skull was smashed and his brain was splattered.
No matter what form the battle took, all he could see was defeat.
Then, at some point, the desert disappeared and was replaced by endless water. At first, it looked deep enough to remind him of the sea, but upon taking a step into it, he realised that it barely met his ankles. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Where are we going?
He asked this question after about a month or so. In fact, the passage of time was simply Kasajins guess. Because this world didnt seem to have day and night.
You are not the king.
Pale answered without looking back.
Not the king? Kasajin let out a laugh.
Not? I am the king.
Huh?
Haha. So theres something that even you dont know.
Pale stopped and turned to look at Kasajin.
Was she upset? Was she surprised? Whatever it was, it felt like hed one upped her for the first time.
Kasajin smiled confidently and pointed towards himself.
Did you not hear? Are you some kind of half-baked newbie Demigod who doesnt know about anything? This father is the Magic Warrior King Kasajin who buries his fists in bastards faces.
Seeing as she didnt seem to understand, he repeated himself.
Magic Warrior King.
Ah~
Pales attitude quickly became lukewarm again.
I see.
Whats with that attitude?
Its nothing~
Kasajin frowned as he followed her.
More than that. Isnt it about time that you gave me some answers? I think I should at least know where we are and who you are.
This is the Northern Region, and Im Pale.
This fucker.
In the end, he spat out a curse at her vague attitude. Did she want him to jump at her and try to kill her? He didnt think he wanted anything more than to punch the back of her defenceless head at that moment.
Just as he began to seriously think about it, Pale stopped walking.
Im kidding, were almost there.
Then she pointed somewhere.
what is that?
Kasajin narrowed his eyes.
It was a sword. A single sword that seemed to release a strange red light.
It was stuck in the surface of the water.
What is it? Do you want me to pull that out?
Yeah.
Why?
To know if youre a Knight or not.
I think you made a mistake. Im not the type to use a sword, youre looking for someone else.
Were here already, so just pick it up. Swordsmanship doesnt really matter.
With an unwilling expression, Kasajin walked across the water. Up close, the sword was more menacing than he thought. How to say it? He instinctively felt like he didnt want to touch it.
But upon feeling the dagger-like gaze on his back, he forced himself to grab the sword.
kng.
It wouldnt come out. It didnt even budge.
What the hell was this?
He immediately got carried away. The thought of just pretending to pick it up disappeared in an instant.
Kasajin grabbed the hilt of the sword with both hands and pulled with all of his might.
Uahhhh!
Why are you screaming?
Pale covered her ears and muttered, but, naturally, Kasajin didnt hear her. The tendons on his arms bulged.
Crunch.
He grit his teeth. He used so much strength that cracks began to form on his molars. Both of his eyes were bloodshot, and the surface of the water beneath his feet shook heavily.
But the sword remained immovable.
huah!
Eventually, Kasajin raised the white flag. He panted heavily as he collapsed on his ass in the water.
What is this?
Heart Knight*. Mm, I guess youre not a Knight either. (*: Or night, there is no guarantee yet)
How many times have I told you, Im a Magic Warrior
Then its confirmed. You came here to be one of the Twelve Void Lords.
What?
Im curious.
Pales eyes curved like crescent moons.
Which of the Twelve Void Lords will disappear.
* * *
Pale said that the closest ones to them were the Dump Site, Utopia, and Room of Gold.
It was only later that Kasajin learned that those three places were the territories of three of the Twelve Void Lords.
In any case, he visited the territories and fought the Void Lords.
He was smashed.
They couldnt be called fights, instead, they were disastrous defeats.
He saw his death hundreds of times in each fight. Nevertheless, it was purely thanks to Pales existence that he was still alive.
am I this weak?
Kasajin couldnt help but think so as his shattered body regenerated once again.
Youre getting stronger!
He heard Pales voice. He became even more curious about her true identity.
Regardless of whether it was the Corpse Ghost, Gods Envoy, or Golden Eye, who smashed Kasajin one after the other, they all tucked their tails between their legs in front of her.
when fighting the gold eyes, I lasted three more seconds.
After giving the self deprecating reply, Kasajin continued.
There are twelve of them.
Yeah.
Are you one too? One of the Twelve Void Lords?
No.
Twelve Void Lords.
Twelve people.
What positions were those three in among the twelve?
He was talking about their strength.
Well. Golden Eye is around the top, Gods Envoy is around the middle and I think Corpse Ghost is near the bottom.
This was something that Kasajin couldnt have known on his own.
This was because he was beaten before he even knew what was happening, so he couldnt measure the strength of his opponents.
In any case, the north was a loss, so how about we go south next? We can stop by the castle before we go.
South? Whos there?
[The 4th Beast], [Deathworm], and [The Beginning Wizard].
He shouldnt have asked.
Even if he heard their names, he didnt know who they were.
Ah. Keep in mind.
Then Pale said something that even Kasajin, who barely knew anything about the Twelve Void Lords, had no choice but to pay attention to.
The Beginning Wizard is the strongest among the current Twelve Void Lords.
Book 2: Chapter 434
Book 2: Chapter 434 It was different.
Every being he met and fought in this place was different.
It wasnt just their appearances and habits. Their fighting styles were things that Kasajin had never experienced before.
The powerful beings known as the Twelve Void Lords were no exception.
The Corpse Ghost, Gods Envoy, and Golden Eye.
And the [4th Beast] and [Deathworm] that hed fought in the frozen lands.
The fighting styles of those guys completely exceeded the frame of battle that Kasajin was used to. That was part of the reason why he was so helpless against them. Of course, Kasajins pride didnt allow him to use that fact as an excuse.
No matter how strange his opponents were, if he was stronger, he would win.
Complete defeat.
Kasajin had not experienced a single victory since coming to this world.
The same was true for this time.
His voice couldnt come out. This was because of the screaming hed done while being devoured by flames. Because of that, the fire went into his mouth and burned his throat. Every time he swallowed, he felt pain so severe it felt like he would lose consciousness.
Unlike his burning throat, his limbs felt cold. This was because they were encased in ice.
Had it been about 10 seconds?
The time it took for him to become like this.
Kasajin looked at the man who had made him this way. In fact, he didnt even know if it was a man or not. This was because their entire body was covered in a robe, and there was a mask on their face. The mask had a hideous visage of a silky old man.
In his right hand was a staff. That was the only part of his body that was exposed, but his flesh was still not visible since he was wearing black gloves.
Did this guy want to hide himself so badly?
you.
After a while, he managed to get his voice out.
What was that?
Although it was said in a hoarse voice like a zombie, his pronunciation was not bad.
How surprising.
His opponent admired in a dry voice. The voice that came out sounded like that of an old man.
You must have suffered severe burns to your throat, but you can already speak. You didnt regenerate by eating something is it because of your martial arts internal force?
It wasnt the Warrior King Fists internal force.
To put it simply, it was Kasajins internal force.
It was his innate resilience, and it was probably not something that would be passed down to others who learned the Warrior King fist.
Of course, it wasnt so amazing that it could regenerate a severed limb or completely repair shattered organs. At best, the limit was set at his ability to speak after his throat was burned.
You are you someone I know?
Kasajin asked another question.
Why do you ask?
Because your fighting style is familiar.
The Twelve Void Lords that were mentioned before were not like that. They all displayed fighting styles that were completely beyond the scope of Kasajins comprehension or expectation.
But this man didnt.
The Beginning Wizard used magic.
Of course, that didnt mean he was able to respond to it.
Instead, Kasajin had experienced his most devastating defeat in this fight.
The magic you used. Thats what I know.
At those words, the old man, the Beginning Wizard, let out a strange laugh.
Thats just what you think. Young man.
What?
Magic isnt something that anyone should be able to understand. That is an iron rule that I follow very closely. Saying that is more ridiculous than figuring out a clowns tricks.
You also use your mana to fight, but you chose a different direction. It is different, but you could be called a follower of magicology.
He got the feeling that the Beginning Wizard is smiling behind his mask.
So what? Are you saying you want to be friends?
No. But Ill spare you.
you talk as if you can kill me.
He said this while being conscious of Pale.
The Beginning Wizard seemed to pick up on this, because he laughed and said,
You shouldnt rely on her too much. She certainly is strong, but this is my planet. Doesnt that make it clear who is in charge here?
It felt as if he could see a pair of blue eyes behind the mask.
It hasnt been long since you gained that position. Blue Knight. You cant get replaced already, right? Even that man doesnt look down on a Wizard.
um. While I agree with that, that doesnt mean its entirely impossible. If it wasnt for work, I wouldnt have even wanted to come to this place.
Pales voice was as cheerful as ever, but Kasajin noticed that she was a bit reluctant to act up in front of the Beginning Wizard.
For a moment, he didnt know what to say.
No way, was this old man stronger than Pale?
In any case, weve already seen the result, so were leaving.
You dont need to go that far. Ah, you might think of it as me poking my nose.
The Beginning Wizard turned to Kasajin.
But I think the thing this young man is looking for is in the west.
* * *
West.
Kasajin realised that this referred to the desert that hed first arrived in.
He fought again there.
And for the first time since he entered this world, he had a fight that he felt was fun.
Clang!
His fists rang as they clashed.
His entire body felt like it was on fire, and his heart pounded happily.
Kasajin didnt hide his bright smile as he said.
Hey, you. Whats your name?
Namkoong Ok.
The elderly man in a cheongsam held his sword with a cool aura as he spoke.
You?
Kasajin.
Hmm. Can I call you Great Warrior Ka?
What kind of bullshit is that?
Kasajins expression became absurd for a moment before he smiled again and said.
It was fun to fight you.
Is that so?
Right, Maybe its because youre holding back on me.
Dont try to deny it. You could have killed me in less than ten sword swings, but you didnt.
Namkoong Ok didnt deny it and instead nodded his head gently.
It is called a guiding battle.
Indeed, so you were teaching me.
Kasajin let out a cheerful laugh.
Are you a human?
Do I look like something else?
No, sorry. I was just hoping that you were human. Im just happy.
Namkoong Oks expression became dark.
Youre happy?
I didnt know humans could become so strong. I happen to know a guy who uses the sword, and our relationship ended badly, but
Kasajin mumbled to end of his sentence.
I think one day that guy will be as strong as you are. Because youre human.
We talked for a long time. I like the guiding battle, but I would also like to see your true strength.
Namkoong Ok responded calmly.
You might die.
Do I look like Im scared?
then prepare yourself.
Plum blossoms began to bloom around Namkoong Ok.
Kasajin smiled brightly.
* * *
Your life cord is pretty tenacious.
no, if that was the case then I wouldnt have died.
Pale tilted her head and looked at Kasajin.
You died?
Isnt this the afterlife? I came here because I died.
Hmm.
Pale beckoned as if telling him to continue.
And those Twelve Void Lords are the Kings of the Underworld or something, no, um
The King was a different being.
He hadnt met them personally, but hed seen the castle from afar.
Are they like an administrative position right below him?
Thats an interesting take on it.
That was probably wrong.
Even though his guess was wrong, Kasajin still smiled.
Then youre saying this place isnt the afterlife? Thanks for the information.
Pale blinked.
Wow~ What was that? Did you just use a leading question?
Huh? Leading question? Whats that?
Huh. I got tricked by an idiot.
Pale seemed to shake her head in disappointment for a while before continuing.
Were done here. There should only be one more Void Lord in this region, right? Personally, I dont think uncle will be able to take that position.
Before that, theres something Id like to ask.
What is it?
Is there a way for me to return to where I was?
Kasajins voice was the most serious it had ever been. While following along beside Pale, the thought of the Demigods had always remained in a corner of his mind.
Lukas had disappeared, and he himself had died.
By his judgement, there were less than five people left on the entire continent who could threaten the Demigods.
Im stronger.
In the months that hed spent chasing after Pale, he had grown radically stronger. Although most of the fights ended in a beating, his gains were tremendous. Each of those fights had a higher nutritional value than the fight with the Demigod.
If he could go back now, he felt like he could deal with two Demigods at the same time. It went without saying how powerful he was now.
Of course, he still wasnt sure whether he could defeat Lord or not.
Its not impossible.
There is a way?
Its simple. All you need to do is be my secret friend.
Secret what?
Secret friend.
Pale chuckled.
But, you dont deserve it.
* * *
The last place they went to was a place in the desert called the Pit.
It was an incredibly deep and dark abyss. There, seemingly irrational demons with primitive forms roamed around, and although there were some strong ones, they werent much of a threat.
The Void Lord was at the very bottom of the pit.
Its appearance was different from any being he had encountered so far.
What is that?
When they first encountered it, it had the appearance of a statue.
A statue that was about five metres tall.
The statue had six horns on its head, two pairs of wings on its back, and a tail of burning flames.
The 0th Demon.
What?
Didnt your world have a concept of demons?
it did.
Hed seen the demons that worked with Iris. Among them, the Rulers of Hell were very strong.
In that place known as the Demon World, they were the absolutes who had as much power and authority as the Demigods.
To put it simply, this is the source of all demons, the concept of demons itself was born here.
I dont understand what youre saying. Is it because Im stupid?
Pale let out a slow laugh.
Now. Go and put your hand on that statue and ask it. Come and fight me.
He didnt want to do it at first, but he obeyed.
As he was walking, a thought suddenly occurred to him. Why was he so obedient to Pales words?
Up close, the demon statue looked even bigger than it really was. And when he placed his hand on it, it was cool to the touch. He hadnt been able to tell because of how dark it was, but the statue was made of metal. Of course, he didnt know what metal it was.
Hey. Wake up and fight me.
As soon as Kasajin said those rude words, the statue reacted.
Krrrr!
The entire statue seemed to vibrate. Then, like an egg, the surface of the statue began to crack.
Tuk, tuk tuk. The shards fell, revealing the eyes.
!
Kasajin crossed his arms.
And the demon hit his hands just like that.
Boom!
Even so, Kasajins body, as well as the ground beneath him, caved.
Kuk!
The force was unbelievable. He could feel blood rushing up his throat. It wasnt just internal injuries.
His trained muscles, his hard bones, and the mana that he roused at that instant were all useless. That single blow was enough to break his right wrist.
He also felt pain as if his stomach had been flipped. As he flew away, he realised hed been kicked.
Nevertheless, he still fought back. He punched and kicked the leg that kicked him.
The problem was that he couldnt tell if his attacks had any effect.
Kaak, peh.
Raising his head, he spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva.
[-]
The demon didnt move from that place.
Instead, it simply stared at Kasajin with bloody red eyes.
He didnt avoid its gaze.
So you also like hand to hand combat, huh? It doesnt seem like you have any weapons.
[]
Good. Then lets have a hard fight. You bastard.
Kasajin laughed violently.
* * *
The fight went on for a long time. That fact surprised him.
Until now, a fight against one of the Twelve Void Lords had never lasted this long.
Whats going on?
The demon was strong. That much was clear.
It possessed a similar level of strength to the other Twelve Void that hed found before who were like monsters.
And yet
Its bearable.
Unlike with the other Void Lords, the fight was still going.
It was strange.
Was it going easy on him like Namkoong Ok? He wasnt sure. But he didnt think so.
This was because the demon statue didnt seem to have reason or emotion.
The fight lasted an unusually long time, but the outcome didnt change.
Paak!
He felt a jolt in his head.
Kuh
That bastard, he couldnt speak for anything else, but its durability didnt make sense. He had attacked its body hundreds of times, but they never seemed to have much of an impact. It was like its entire body was made out of some kind of fantasy metal.
With that thought, Kasajin lost consciousness.
When he opened his eyes again, he was once again greeted by Pales face.
I lost again.
I know~
Pale smiled slyly. At that moment, Kasajin wished for nothing more than to bury his fist in that face. While thinking that, he said.
Then whos next?
No.
Pale kept smilling.
There will be no other opponent, Kasajin.
It felt like that was the first time Pale had called his name.
Did you feel it? Its a perfect fit. I didnt expect this. The [0th Demon] has never changed before.
What are you talking about? Sear?h the ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
You came here to become the 0th Demon.
He, would become that demon?
Fight now. Keep fighting. Fight until you win.
But the qualifications to fight the demon arent obtained so easily. For every defeat, you will lose something. So you better defeat him as soon as possible.
With a giggle, Pale took a few steps back.
Kasajin looked at her with a subdued gaze for a while before turning his head around.
He would lose something every time he lost a fight? There was nothing in this world that Kasajin had to protect. What more did he have to lose now?
I have to keep fighting?
That was also what Kasajin wanted.
He had become even stronger in the fight just now.
And hes also noticed his opponents patterns.
If he were to fight more strategically this time, he should get better results than the first battle.
Huu
Kasajin let out a breath as he looked at the demon.
The demon, who had been standing there the whole time, started running. The way it only moved as it approached him reminded him of a combat golem.
Of course, its momentum was much greater when compared to a golem.
Boom, boom.
With every step it took, the ground shook. Was it planning to go on the offensive from the start? He couldnt win a straight up battle. So firstly, he would need to focus on defence and aim for any openings.
Then, he took a defensive stance which was rare in the Warrior King Fist-
?
At that moment, his head went blank.
Defensive stance?
What was that-
Boom!
He felt a shock before he could even think. He had been kicked in the ribs. He had been kicked by a foot that was as big as his torso, so he had no choice but to be sent flying like a piece of paper.
Urk.
He felt confused for a moment.
The Warrior King Fists defensive stance He was sure hed made something like that. Him personally. It was a skill that was definitely appropriate in this moment.
This isnt the time. You moron.
No matter how stupid he was, how could he forget something like that in this situation?
Kuk.
He clenched his teeth.
He didnt have time to think about it. The 0th Demon was approaching again.
Then, he needed to attack first.
Woowoong-
Mana condensed on his fist.
Warrior King Fist, Secret Skill, Beast Fang.
The extremely condensed mana took the shape of a fang.
In this state, it would be possible to damage or even destroy his opponents body with just the swing of a fist. The physical burden of this attack was great, but he couldnt back down now.
Kasajin ran towards the demon. But as he did so, he noticed something strange.
It took a stance just before his fist hit it.
!
Kasajins expression hardened.
Boom!
The ground shook heavily at the collision. Pale, who was a short distance away, smiled even wider.
you.
Kasajins face was stiff.
The stance the demon had just taken.
Without a doubt.
It was the one Kasajin had been trying to use.
[Warrior King Fist.]
The demon opened its mouth for the first time.
[Rock Shield]
And a smirk stretched across its face as it looked at Kasajin.
(TL: What a long chapter.)
Book 2: Chapter 435
Book 2: Chapter 435 He never thought hed lose something in a fight.
For Kasajin, fighting had always been a gift box that he didnt know the contents of.
Whether it was a major or minor fight.
Whether the opponent was weak or strong.
Whether he would be injured or not.
Kasajin was always grateful and delighted every time he fought.
Because he always learned something. And he had the confidence that he would be able to fight even better next time. Even when he thought it was a trivial fight where he obtained nothing, at some point, when he looked back at it, he realised that he did get something.
Severed arms or legs, gouged eyeballs, shattered teeth, ruptured organs. Even though they were things that people called damage, for Kasajin, they were seen as medals that he won in a fierce battle.
He lost consciousness.
The demon had used another technique from the Warrior King Fist.
Using the ground, the soles of the feet, and an injection of mana to increase instantaneous acceleration before hitting the opponent with the palm of the hand. At the same time, it was possible to inject heated mana into their body to do even more serious damage.
It was an application of three techniques of the Warrior King Fist at the same time.
But that skill, what was its name?
As soon as he regained consciousness, he heard a voice.
Seven losses.
Cuk, Pale carved another slash on the ground.
Seven slashes were carved there, but they werent necessary.
Because Kasajin was very clear about how many defeats hed suffered.
What did you lose this time?
Every time he lost, he lost something.
However.
I dont know.
The scariest part was that he could never tell exactly what hed lost. He had to fight the demon to know. Because it would use whatever he stole from him in battle.
Not only that, it also changed it to suit its own fighting style.
It made him feel dirty. Like someone had spat in his face.
-Your Warrior King Fist isnt a big deal, so Ill refine it into a more useful form.
Kasajin felt like he was being told that.
All of his wounds had been healed. Until just a moment ago, he had been on the brink of death, but a piece of Pales jerky the size of a finger joint was enough to easily regenerate all of his wounds.
So he could fight again.
Nevertheless
Kasajin denied the thought that suddenly popped into his mind.
You lose something every time you lose, but your body gets stronger.
Pales soft voice seemed to mock him. Kasajin looked at her with a sunken gaze.
Im curious. Are you getting stronger? Or are you weaker?
He didnt know.
Pales question was something that Kasajin also wanted to know badly.
Was he moving forward? Or was he moving back?
There was only one way to find out.
Straightening his posture, Kasajin walked towards the demon.
* * *
I remember there were five of us.
His voice was as dry as sand without any moisture.
Pale quietly listened to this voice.
Lukas, Schweiser, Kasajin, and
As he said those names, Kasajin stopped. But his mouth remained open. And it stayed that way for a while as if he was hesitating or unsure.
Boom!
Suddenly, he swung his fist into the ground like a hammer.
Spider web cracks spread across the ground. Kasajin panted, unable to calm his anger. His glaring eyes turned to Pale.
its not just techniques. That guy, is he also taking my memories?
Huhu.
Answer me.
Techniques, and memories.
Pale smiled creepily.
But is that really all?
Are you trying to test my patience?
Fighting intent rose up from Kasajins body. Pale took his defiance lightly. She took two containers from her pocket.
They were water containers.
One of them was empty and the other was filled with water.
Hey, Kasajin, what do you think is the essence of these canteens?
Answer me.
Pales voice seemed to contain an irresistible charm. So even though he gritted his teeth, he had no choice but to reply roughly.
They hold water.
Thats their role. Not their essence.
Pale chuckled before continuing.
The essence of a canteen is the water. Do you understand? This is a well made canteen, but without water, its nothing more than a useless piece of junk.
What are you talking about?
This canteen is Kasajin. And this empty one is the [0th Demon].
And this is the process youre currently experiencing.
Pale smiled as she began to pour water from one of the canteens to the other.
Splash, the sound of the pouring liquid was strangely eerie to Kasajin.
The memories you have. The personality that formed your nature, your human relationships, and your experiences. Memories that only you know and the emotions that you felt at those times, the emotions you feel when you look at your loved ones, the trivial habits, and mannerisms that even you dont realise the Demon will take them all.
You
Now. Look at this.
Pale picked up the empty canteen and shook it slightly.
There is no water in here. Its empty. So what should we call this canteen now?
An empty container, a shell.
Tuk.
The empty canteen dropped from her hand and rolled across the bare ground.
If you keep losing, you will become an empty shell. And
Pales gaze turned to the demon.
Deep down, that being will become more like Kasajin.
* * *
let me go.
Kasajin spoke in a broken voice.
His voice sounded weaker than a hair, and thinner than that of a sick patient lying on their deathbed, but his body was still in perfect condition.
Pale was right. His body was becoming more powerful the more he battled.
However, his mind was cracking.
Eh?
Pale tilted her head to the side.
You liked to fight. Didnt you?
No. This is different. I, I
Kasajin squeezed out.
Dont want to fight anymore.
If anyone who knew Kasajins true nature heard those words, they would have doubted their ears. Or they might have mistaken it for a trick or that he was a fake.
But it wasnt anything like that.
It was truly the Magic Warrior King, who thought of fighting as his life, that spoke in such a weak voice.
I cant.
Pale softly but firmly refused.
You cant?
Right. I cant. You are fated to become the Void Lord [0th Demon]. There can be no other result. So
She pointed towards the [0th Demon] with her index finger.
Keep fighting.
Whether its a hundred times, a thousand times, or ten thousand times. Keep fighting. -Now. Kasajin, youve had enough rest, havent you? Then get up now.
At those words.
Kasajin rose from the ground like a puppet given an order.
Then he staggered over to the demon.
[Come.]
The 0th Demon greeted Kasajin with an innocent smile.
He looked up at it and thought.
Did the demon take even his basic thinking ability? Why did he keep fighting? Why was he still fighting these losing battles? Why couldnt he disobey Pale?
He didnt know.
His mind felt like it was shrouded in mist. It felt like there was a heavy lump of lead in his chest, and he could no longer feel his heartbeat.
He couldnt think of a solution.
So Kasajin had no choice but to keep fighting.
* * *
He was afraid of defeat.
To be precise, he was afraid of what he would lose upon defeat.
He wanted to protect them. He didnt want to forget anything. He didnt want to lose anything else.
But how?
Kasajin remembered the Demon Statue.
Statue Right. Stone statues.
While his memory was still clear, he should carve the people he knew.
From that day, Kasajin carved statues whenever he had time. The materials were abundant. There was an uncountable number of strangely shaped rocks in the area.
He could also carve the broken stone fragments.
Of course, the results were sloppy. It couldnt be helped that they were absolutely terrible. After all, Kasajin didnt have any dexterity to speak of.
I can forget about anything else. But
But he didnt want to forget his closest friends.
Kasajin grit his teeth. A man who used a sword, a woman who used black magic.
He couldnt remember their names. But even if he couldnt remember their names, he carved their faces while those memories were still clear in his mind.
At some point, the carving no longer brought Kasajin any happiness.
Scratch scratch-
He carved the statues with a blank expression. He wasnt allowed much time.
Was it a sense of obligation? A sense of duty?
Or was it something else that made him carve the statue?
He didnt know.
So, Kasajin just kept carving.
* * *
At some point, Pale had disappeared.
The only ones left in this pitch black space were Kasajin and the demon. Kasajin and the demon?
He looked at the being in front of him.
It had a body that resembled solid stone, eyes like a beast, and although the horns on its head and wings hadnt changed, its features seemed to belong to someone he was very familiar with.
In fact, now.
Wasnt it more suitable to call this being Kasajin?
Then what did he look like now?
Kasajin looked down at his palm. He could see thin fingers that only seemed to be covered in skin. It was strange. It felt like his body was stronger. In fact, hadnt Pale also said that his body was getting stronger?
Right. He was definitely getting stronger.
Although his muscles had disappeared, Kasajin felt like his body contained more power.
However was that really the path he wanted?
* * *
He looked down at the statue and said.
Hey, can you hear me?
Of course, the statue couldnt answer, and Kasajin knew that.
My memories are gradually fading.
He ripped out his hair. Bit his lips, and chewed his fingernails. He screamed like a madman, and at some point, he slammed his head into the ground until it bled.
The Great Mage. My dear friend. The Great Teacher
And yet, it still couldnt come to mind.
He couldnt remember in the first place.
After all, Kasajins memories hadnt faded, or been forgotten.
What was it again?
There were a lot. He had more titles than that, a lot more
They had disappeared.
They were all gone.
Like burning firewood, or a fog at sunrise.
The colour of the letters on the pages of the book hadnt faded, the pages were ripped out. And the contents of pages that had been ripped out of a book couldnt be seen.
He had lost his memories, lost his essence.
He looked like you.
Kasajin looked down at the statue as he spoke.
This man.
This man with a blunt expression on his face, who was covered by a robe and held a staff in a majestic manner.
Statues have a clear limitation. Because it can only show one form. Thats why, you
He could only remember being close friends.
However. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
What colour was your hair? Your eyes? What did your voice sound like?
The hand holding the statue tensed. And cracks spread across the statue, which was carved out of stone.
Haha Im going crazy.
Hey, please answer me.
The statue couldnt answer.
Kasajin knew that.
Nevertheless, he felt like he couldnt survive if he didnt ask.
so, tell me. Great Mage.
Kasajin said with a face that looked like he might cry.
What was your name?
Book 2: Chapter 436
Book 2: Chapter 436 [It was a fun fight.]
It was the demon that said those words.
The man in front of him, who appeared so fragile that he would crumble if touched, remained silent. He felt wretched, in danger, and pitiful, to put it in one word, he felt miserable.
[I was able to get a lot thanks to you. Ego, personality, memories, values. And even a name.]
The Demon Kasajin laughed.
[I would like to express my sincere thanks. However, apart from that, I have no more business with you.]
The Man without a Name felt like he knew that manner of speech.
[Ill be leaving this place. I probably wont see you again. So tell me what you want.]
what I want?
The Man without a Name spoke for the first time.
It was such a small, quiet voice it felt like it would be impossible to hear if one wasnt paying close attention.
But it was enough for Kasajin. He gave a big nod.
[Anything is fine. Ill even return something you lost, that is to say, what I stole from you. Or it could even be something you didnt lose. In my current state, I could probably give you whatever you want.]
[Do you think theres a problem? Dont overthink it. Since I took a lot of things from you, I want to at least give you something. Consider it a parting gift, a sympathetic gesture. Or pure goodwill. It doesnt matter which way you take it.]
The Man without a Name was silent for a long time.
Kasajin couldnt tell what he was thinking. Just like the first time this man had looked at him.
He was no better than an empty shell.
That was why he was even more curious.
What would a man who had nothing left ask him for?
The 0th Demon.
[hmm]
Kasajin hummed to himself.
Then he looked into the eyes of the Man without a Name. He was still unable to see anything in his eyes.
Give me that name.
However, there seemed to be a weak power in his voice.
He felt sorry for that fact. For a moment, a hint of pity appeared in Kasajins eyes.
[Thats probably not what you wanted.]
[I feel heartfelt sympathy for your fate, Being without a Name.]
Swoosh.
Kasajin spread his wings. That alone created a strong wind that swept the area. The hundreds and thousands of statues that filled their surroundings shook.
[You lost everything. To become empty. That was the absolute condition to become the [0th Demon]. In other words, you already have the name 0th Demon.]
[You are asking for something you already have. Are you sure you dont want anything else?]
The Man without a Name didnt answer.
[I guess you even lost your ambition.]
[Fine. If that is all that you want, I will give it to you. Your fundamental reason for coming to the Pit. You continue to fight to achieve what you were seeking. Even if it wasnt what you really wanted.]
As he spoke, Kasajin looked into the empty eyes of the Man without a Name.
[From now on, you are the 0th Demon.]
Thud-
At that moment, the Man without a Name felt immense pressure envelop his entire body.
It felt like something was rising up within him, at the same time, it felt like pressure from the outside was squeezing him. Feeling the great pressure from within and without at the same time made it feel like his entire body would explode at any moment.
At the same time, an unknown power seemed to be pouring in.
Ku-, ah, ah
[You will probably sleep for a long time. Maybe you will die, but that would also be your fate. And I]
Kasajin spoke.
[I will leave this place.]
In an instant, a tremendous aura seemed to shoot up towards the ceiling. If someone were to see the scene in the cave, they might have mistaken it for a black flash of light.
Despite the exit in front of him, Kasajin didnt leave immediately.
His eyes were on someone else.
Where are you going?
Pale leaned against the only entrance to the cave with her arms crossed.
[Im leaving this place.]
A smile appeared on Pales face.
This place That doesnt mean the Pit, does it?
[You caught on quickly. Thats right. Im leaving this world.]
Didnt you know? That thats impossible.
[after acquiring an ego, I gained not just that mans memories, but also memories that I had. Memories of the Beginning]
A smile appeared on Kasajins lips.
[If there is any being who deserves it, its me. I am going beyond the universe to find my other half. Is that wrong?]
[Such a precedent already exists, Blue Knight of Famine.]
Pale looked at Kasajin with cold eyes for a moment before snorting coldly. Then, turning her back on him, she jumped to the bottom of the Pit.
It was tacit permission.
Looking at her back, Kasajin grinned.
[Thats what I thought, rule follower.]
* * *
The brief story came to an end.
Lukas looked at the man in front of him and forced his mouth to open.
Then how did you remember me?
Dont you know? What kind of world this is.
!
Lukas clenched his fists.
You ate another Kasajin.
Kasajin nodded.
I didnt go looking for them. After that guy left, I didnt move from the Pit for a very long time. Then, one day, one of the countless Kasajins in the World of Void came to me, and I ate him.
I regained a miniscule sense of self. But I was still confused. And my hunger grew. At that time, I had almost no reason left. Driven by instinct, I rushed out of the Pit and ate everything I saw. I probably ate a lot of Kasajins in the process.
They were all different possibilities of Kasajin, but they all had a common denominator. As a result, I took on their fate and obtained something similar to what I was in the past Do you understand? I didnt get back what I lost. Instead, I was filled with something similar.
Kasajin got up and slowly began to look around.
Do I like alcohol? Lukas.
Lukas didnt answer.
I might or might not have. I want to drink now. But I dont know if that was really something I did in the past. Because, technically, the thing that fills me isnt mine. To borrow Pales analogy, its like Ive been filled by a completely different liquid. It has a completely different composition.
It was similar.
The components of my essence are already gone. As a result, I dont know if my composition now is really what the existing Kasajin had.
Just like the current him.
That was what Lukas thought.
Now you can understand. Why I denied being Kasajin in the beginning, and why I had no choice but to claim that I am just an empty shell.
However, it was different.
Even in the worst case scenario, Lukas at least had a choice. After all, it was his own arbitrary decision to consume so many Lukases. On the other hand, Kasajin didnt have such a choice. For him, everything was unexpected and unwanted.
Kasajin had suddenly been brought to an unknown place, dragged around by Pale, lost everything, and was eventually filled by unwanted components.
How did he feel? What was he thinking? What were his emotions?
He probably felt like he was constantly walking on cracked ice. Perhaps even now.
Even though he was aware of this fact, Lukas remained silent. His tightly closed lips wouldnt open easily.
He could have said something.
He could have told Kasajin the simplest, but most encouraging words he could hear right now. Words that might save him.
For example, he could tell him he was still his friend. Or that he hadnt changed at all. He could smile like it was nothing and say that didnt matter
I see.
He couldnt say it.
He couldnt let those words out of his mouth.
Lukas couldnt take this matter lightly, he couldnt let it slip by. And he couldnt console him either.
Because affirming Kasajin would be no different from affirming himself.
I cant.
He clenched his fists even tighter.
His chest hurt more than the nails digging into his skin.
The current Lukas couldnt sympathise with or comfort himself. He shouldnt.
If he did that, he thought that he would really break, and he would collapse without ever being able to get up again.
It was possible for me to observe the outside to some extent, whether thats thanks to Demon Kasajin who went out, or whether its one of the powers of the [0th Demon]. And when your existence was forgotten in the universe, when you no longer belonged to the Original Universe(1) or the World of Void, it became possible for me to talk to you.
He was talking about the time when they met in the dream.
You are a special being, Lukas. As Pale said, few outsiders come to this place. When they do, its either as a Twelve Void Lord Candidate, Knight Candidate, or
King Candidate.
He had shamelessly claimed that he was a Void King Candidate in front of Michael, but he didnt really know if that was actually his fate.
There are currently two confirmed King Candidates. You. And Diablo.
He heard that name again.
Is it because there is originally a Knight beside a King Candidate?
Right.
Then Diablos Knight must be Lucid.
Thats right.
Lukas wondered about Lucids goal once again, but shook his head in the end. In a way, Lucid had a firmer belief than anyone else. There had to be a compelling reason for his actions.
While this was a self-biassed interpretation, Lukas chose to believe it.
Kasajin.
He was still looking at him with a smile.
He hadnt heard any words of consolation from Lukas, but he didnt seem to care.
I see. sea??h th ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
The scrawny Kasajin, the statue carving Kasajin, the mellowed Kasajin.
He had changed, but he hadnt changed.
is there anything else you want to tell me?
Lukas deliberately changed the subject.
As if he expected this, Kasajin smirked.
Right. About Sedi Trowman. I met her after the [Pit] had become a decent territory Well. I didnt have a hand in that.
* * *
When the being known as Sedi appeared in this world, Kasajin was able to realise it immediately.
-ah.
What is it?
Jiltex, one of the Apostles, asked.
Sitting on a throne, Kasajin turned to look at him.
At some point, beings had begun to gather in the pit. They all had the appearances of demons.
No, it wasnt just their appearances. All of them originated from the concept of demons.
From this pit, or from Kasajin. A sense constantly leaked out that drew such beings there.
It was only natural for them to be drawn there. It was no different from the scent of flowers to bees.
The gathered demons.
They formed a group, they made a society, and in the process, they naturally appointed Kasajin as their Lord. And they developed this place on their own.
Kasajin hadnt needed to do anything.
When he had awoken from being immersed in his endless thoughts, the pit had the appearance of a city that had developed for centuries.
The more demons gathered, the more the overall level increased.
At some point, Kasajin learned that the number of demons present in the pit was comparable to the population of a universe.
Among the countless demons, those who were especially strong were given the name Apostle by Kasajin in order to distinguish them.
Someone is here.
Is it an Apostle Candidate?
Kasajin was usually able to foretell when strong demons appeared.
But Kasajin shook his head.
No. Perhaps-
Boom!
Suddenly, the huge door to the room was smashed.
Wh-, what was that?!
[What is this!]
This was a place that only the Lord and Apostles could enter. And with a bit of exaggeration, it could even be called a place that was inviolable to the demons. Naturally, no one had the right to smash the door at its entrance.
In fact, there was one such person, but he was currently the being sitting upon a throne with his chin on his hand.
Tap tap-
Someone appeared through the smashed door.
When the smoke cleared, their appearance was revealed.
It was a girl with long hair and bright red eyes.
Hi.
She gave an absent-minded greeting.
[This]
[This rude brat!]
The eyes of the two closest Apostles changed, and in an instant, they reached out to the girl. There was no need to talk. After all, this girl had already committed a rudeness that far surpassed the limits of the demons patience.
Compared to the ferocious auras of the hands that stretched out, the girls body looked like it was in a precarious position like a candle in the wind.
Crack!
But the pair of hands twisted before they could reach the girl. Following the terrifying sound of flesh and bones mixing, blood dripped down.
[Kuaaak-!]
My, my arm!
Clutching their arms, the two Apostles collapsed. Paak! At an almost invisible speed, the girl kicked them in the jaw. The Apostles eyes instantly rolled back in their heads and they lost consciousness.
Sorry about the first impression.
The girl spoke without looking at the fallen Apostles.
Who is the strongest here?
(Note:
1. Im assuming this is the Three Thousand Worlds or what I otherwise call the multiverse. Usually, the author just uses the word universe/space to represent both individual universes and the universe.)
Book 2: Chapter 437
Book 2: Chapter 437 The Apostles didnt answer. Instead, they simply glared at Sedi with deathly gazes. The same was true for Kasajin. The difference was that there was no animosity in his eyes.
He was still looking down at the girl with his chin on his fist and an indifferent attitude.
Whats your name?
Instead of answering, he asked a question of his own.
The girl looked at Kasajin with blood red eyes. In fact, that had been the case since the girl had broken down the door. Even though she hadnt received an answer, the girl clearly knew who was the strongest there.
She swept her long hair from in front of her forehead as she responded.
Sedi Trowman.
Trowman?
That was a last name that Kasajin had no choice but to pay attention to.
When his eyes twitched, the girl, Sedi, reacted even more violently than he did.
What is it? Have you heard it somewhere before?
I knew someone with the same last name.
Sedis eyes shined.
Hoh. What was their name?
Lukas.
The two Apostles closest to Sedi subconsciously shrank back. For a moment, they felt as if a cold breeze swept past their bodies.
Later, when they realised that the phenomenon had been caused because of Sedis changing mood, their faces were marked with humiliation.
I came all the way after chasing after an annoying woman, and I got an unexpected gain. Hey, condescending old man sitting on a chair, do I have to blow up everything to find out?
Whats your relationship with Lukas?
Sedi responded with an uncaring expression.
Im his daughter.
On the other hand, Kasajins mind went blank.
After that, he brooded about five times on whether hed heard wrong or not. Of course, since he wasnt deaf, he couldnt have heard wrong.
Daughter?
That Lukas had a daughter?
He glanced over Sedis appearance once again.
Her dark hair which was reminiscent of a starless sky contrasted starkly with her bright red eyes. Of course, her black hair and red eyes had as little to do with Lukas as her fingernails. Then what about her facial features?
She had a strange, decadent aura that reminded him of Iris Peacefinder, but her features were completely different. When looking at just her features, Iris appeared quite docile. The corners of her eyes drooped slightly and the corners of her mouth curved softly. With such a face, it was always terrifying to hear what kind of speech came out of her mouth, but that wasnt important right now.
On the other hand, Sedi had stronger features, the sharply rising corners of her eyes, the twisted smile resting at the corner of her mouth, and the fangs that could be seen within her mouth. To sum it up, her face was at least five times fiercer than the Black Witchs.
In other words, this meant that this child was most likely not the child of Lukas and Iris
Who is your mother? Is it Iris?
Nevertheless, he decided to get confirmation first.
Who is that?
It was denied immediately.
For now, it seemed that Iris hadnt preyed on Lukas yet.
Then who was it? He had a headache because he couldnt think of anyone.
Of course, this wasnt because Lukas was unpopular with women. He was tactless and sometimes had a more serious personality than Lucid, but that didnt mean there werent any love interests at all, because his appearance wasnt bad, and he was quite the academic. On top of that, he had a heroic aspect that anyone could respect and admire, and that was longed for by women.
Of course, their flirting would disappear as soon as they saw the Black Witchs dark smile, but that wasnt important right now.
The reason Kasajin was bewildered was simple.
You must be from the outside
After becoming one of the Twelve Void Lords, Kasajin also learned the truth about the multiverse. He learned that his home universe was like a grain of sand in a desert. He also vaguely understood the role of the World of Void.
The outside. Youre saying the same thing that woman did.
That woman?
It was a blue haired woman. And I hate blue. The mere sight of it makes me sick. So I feel like shit right now.
A blue haired woman.
Pale, had she led Sedi here?
Kasajins gaze deepened.
If that was the case, then he could vaguely understand what his meeting with Sedi meant.
What did she tell you?
She said that if I defeated the strongest person here, my wish would come true.
Sorry about destroying the door, was I tricked?
Sedi glanced at the broken door as she said that.
Kasajin chuckled.
No.
Thats good. Then how long are you going to keep sitting there?
Get up. Youre the strongest guy here.
Looking around, Sedi continued.
Im not interested in fighting these small fries.
That statement was the final straw that broke the camels back.
Unable to take it any longer, the five remaining Apostles moved almost reflexively. They felt no shame in their collaborative attack. They acknowledged that Sedi was strong.
Nevertheless, it was hard for them to accept.
Not only was it an insult to themselves, it was an insult to Kasajin.
Snake, goat, lion, bat, and horse.
Sedi clicked her tongue.
The appearances of the demons were truly individualistic, or in other words, there was no consistency. And it wasnt threatening.
She lifted her right foot and placed it down lightly. It was a simple step, but the ground broke apart like a cracker.
The ground crumbled and fragments of stone were sent flying. Sedi caught five of the fragments and threw them toward the demons.
The momentum contained in those fragments of stone was strange.
A trick.
The five demons all had the same thought at the same time.
In that case, what was her real target?
Puk!
Following the sound of something being pierced, the demons stopped moving. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Sedi murmured with an expressionless face.
Not against you all.
[Why]
Your vision is too narrow.
Black energy from Sedis toes penetrated the demons bodies. It instantly neutralised five of the Pits greatest demons.
Kuak.
[What is this]
The demons muttered in futile voices, but Sedis attitude was cold.
It would be better to not move. If you dont want to die.
Kasajin noticed that Sedi hadnt killed any of them. The first two Apostles were also still alive, even though the arms theyd outstretched had been ruined.
Dont you think its really about time you got up?
Nodding, Kasajin got up from his seat.
Shall we change location?
Thats annoying.
I dont want to make a mess of this place. I hope you will agree to this.
Fine. Then where?
The end of this territory. The bottom of this pit where no light can enter.
The Pit had made rapid progress, but its bottom where he had fought the [0th Demon] had been preserved.
At first, he thought it was to protect the many statues and sculptures there, but in retrospect, they might have been preparing for this day to an extent.
Why do you want to fight there?
Kasajin answered.
It might be the tradition to fight there.
* * *
Kasajin stopped talking and turned to look at the door behind Lukas.
Tap tap-
Faint footsteps could be heard beyond the door. A look of tension appeared in Kasajins eyes.
This is dangerous.
What is?
Lukas, hide firs-
Before he could finish his sentence, the door swung open.
Lukas paused for a moment before stiffening.
A girl stood just outside the open door.
The girl, Sedi, was wearing clothes hed never seen before.
She was wearing a black and white dress, it had a bit of lace, but it didnt feel airy. It also felt like she was wrapped up. The black gloves that were wrapped around her forearms made that sentiment even stronger. It was an outfit he wasnt used to, but it wasnt hard to recognise her.
Her distinctive hair and eyes were still the same.
-ah.
For a moment, Lukas couldnt think of anything to say.
Hed heard it several times already.
The fact that Sedi became the [0th Demon], one of the Twelve Void Lords.
If that was the case then did that mean Sedi had lost most of herself like Kasajin? No, she hadnt. If that was the case, she wouldnt still call herself Sedi Trowman. Then how much had Sedi lost to Kasajin? In the first place, she had lost to Kasajin so was it possible that he had returned it to her?
[That brat is your daughter?]
[I think we have similar eyes.]
[What are you talking about? They said that we werent related by blood last time.]
His thoughts and questions didnt stop, and the voices of the Lukases mixed in, making his head a mess.
Perhaps Lukas was currently experiencing the greatest chaos since hed entered the World of Void.
And that chaos was cut off in an instant.
Puk.
There was a slightly heavy feeling, the touch of cool fabric, and the warmth that he could feel beyond it.
It took a moment for Lukas to understand what had happened.
Sedi had strode forward and buried herself in his chest.
He couldnt think of anything to say.
So Lukas just stood there stiffly.
It was Sedi who made the first move.
one more time.
Sedi spoke first.
Her face was still buried in his chest so he couldnt see it. But her voice was as thin and faint as if it was barely squeezed out.
if you disappear without a word one more time, that will really be the end.
He didnt know what it would be the end of. In fact, he couldnt afford to think too deeply about it.
Lukas was panicking.
And this kind of confusion was something hed never experienced before.
First of all, Lukas had never seen this side of Sedi. As far as Lukas could remember, while she had the last name Glaston, Sedi had always maintained a calm expression even in the face of death. It didnt matter if it was an act or a faked expression. What that told him was that Sedi hated looking weak more than dying.
However, what about now?
Lukas felt like the girl in his arms was like a glass sculpture.
I didnt think you were dead. People who didnt know anything said you died, but I didnt believe them.
If you had died on your own after talking to me like that, I would have killed you myself.
She was talking incoherently. He wasnt used to that either.
you remember me?
In retrospect, this was probably not what he should have said right after they reunited.
Sedi jerked her head up, revealing her face.
The tip of her nose was red, and her eyes were red in a different way from usual.
Then you wanted me to forget?
At her sharp voice, Lukas shrank back slightly.
No, I just
He couldnt think of anything to say. He couldnt even look her in the eye Dammit. He was more agitated than he expected. Perhaps it was visible on his face as well.
The voices in his head had become loud once again. And Lukas was no longer in a position to control the agitation.
It was at that moment that an unexpected saviour appeared.
Sedi didnt lose anything.
Kasajin spoke with a sigh.
What?
Naturally, that means she also remembers everything about you.
How is that possible?
Because
After a brief moment of hesitation, Kasajin started to answer.
I never lost to him.
Sedi interrupted him, and Kasajins expression became a bit uncomfortable.
what you just said.
what she just said.
Did he suddenly become stupid? Did he lose his comprehension ability? Or was it because of the voices in his head?
While Lukas found it hard to understand the situation, Kasajin continued to explain.
I lost to Sedi in our first fight. Naturally, this means she became the [0th Demon] without losing anything.
This development which far exceeded his expectations put Lukas at a loss for words. Then, he suddenly felt warmth on his chest and lowered his head.
Sedi sniffled slightly, then, as their eyes met, she said,
Why?
Book 2: Chapter 438
Book 2: Chapter 438 Lukas had a conversation with Sedi. They spent a lot of time together.
In fact, it was hard to call it a conversation. Mostly, it was just Sedi speaking one-sidedly. This was because Lukas didnt want to talk about his situation.
Sedi didnt stop talking for at least a few hours. Although there were rare occasions when she paused to catch her breath, her voice basically didnt stop. After reuniting after a long time, this girl had become a chatterbox.
She didnt mention the Great Game, the Preliminaries or the Trowman Rings. She just talked about how desperately shed tried to find Lukas. Like a rice puff, most of it was hollow. Most of it was just trivial things.
But that was probably the reason why he was able to listen to her for so long without stopping her.
As he faced her now.
He began to feel the relationships he had on Earth flutter once again. Among them, Min Ha-rin was the one who came to his mind the most. He didnt know the reason. However, among the relationships that hed made there, thinking about her was the most painful.
The conversation, which was closer to gossip, ended.
Sedi stared blankly at Lukas for a while before speaking.
You changed a lot.
It sounded like she was talking to herself, but it seemed like she was asking Lukas a question.
You were quiet before, but now youre even more so.
By chance
Sedi was about to say something, but she closed her mouth in the end.
Her gaze then shifted slightly downward as she continued.
Im the Lord of this place now. I kicked the ass of that guy who was pretending to be the Lord.
Hey.
What?
Kasajin and Sedis eyes met. Tch, but the one who turned his head first with the click of his tongue was Kasajin.
Surprisingly, there seemed to be a clear hierarchical relationship between the two of them.
Im not trying to look cool or anything, I just want you to be comfortable, and if anyone is annoying or rude to you, tell me right away.
After saying that, Sedi looked at Lukas again.
Then she bit her lip slightly and turned around.
I have some stuff to do so Ill leave first. My room is at the end of the castle.
Without another word, she walked out of the door, slamming it a bit too hard on her way out. A bit of dust that had collected in the warehouse fell.
Lukas was still standing still.
Shes mad.
Kasajin said. Of course, Lukas knew that too.
Kasajin scratched his head and asked.
Was that on purpose?
What?
Were you being cold on purpose?
What? Dont tell me you didnt notice. You havent said more than five words in the last two hours.
He knew that he hadnt said much. But Lukas hadnt realised that hed only said five words.
This was an illusion created by the voices in Lukas head. His surroundings always felt like it was really noisy.
But in reality, when Sedi was talking, the surroundings had been quiet. Only Sedis quiet voice could be heard in the wine cellar, Kasajin hadnt cut into their conversation.
And Lukas it was just as Kasajin said.
He hadnt said more than five words.
I felt bad for her.
Of course, he was referring to Sedi.
At first, shed been unable to hide her excitement. I was a little surprised, too. I knew a little about your relationship, but I didnt expect that cold girl to come up and hug you. Just by looking at that, I could tell how special you are to her.
When youre that excited, the responses of the other person are really important. When youre happy to meet a friend after a long time, its natural to look really excited and happy. But its embarrassing if youre the only one making a fuss.
He really had changed.
But when the other person is as happy as you are Thats when you put aside the annoying calculations and start laughing.
The Kasajin he knew was not someone who would think deeply about the thoughts of others. Perhaps this consideration was something he absorbed from other Kasajins.
Her expression kept changing. At first, she looked so happy that she didnt know what to do, but after about ten minutes of happily chattering, she finally noticed your expression. And since then, she kept watching you. The demons in the Pit would probably never believe it. That Sedi Trowman was paying attention to someone. Are you listening?
Im listening.
After a while, her voice became less than half as exuberant as it was before. And with every word she said, she looked at you.
Hed misunderstood.
Sedi hadnt become a chatterbox. It was only then that Lukas realised why she had been talking so much.
The awkward atmosphere.
She somehow wanted to fix the atmosphere between Lukas and herself.
So you.
Kasajin looked at Lukas with cold eyes.
Did you show any signs of welcoming Sedi even once?
* * *
I didnt show it.
As he lay on the hard bed, Lukas belatedly thought of the answer.
There were many things that he could have or should have done.
He could have stroked her head, said something nice. Or just smile.
But Lukas hadnt shown any reaction. So it was natural that Sedis excited attitude cooled quickly.
Then, what expression was he making?
Lukas got up. Then, he stood in front of the mirror that sat in the corner of the dreary room.
Dark blonde hair, black eyes. (TL: He reset with black eyes this time?)
A skinny face with an emotionless, doll-like expression.
He tried to smile.
Lukas tried to force a smile onto his face. Apparently, he used to smile a lot in the past. Or in other words, when he was human. Or when he was saving humans as an Absolute.
He hadnt been at peace or happy even then. He had definitely been struggling. Both physically and mentally. And yet, he could still smile.
But now he didnt know how. He couldnt remember what kind of thoughts hed had at that time.
How did he make smiles that made the other party feel at ease?
At the very least, the smile of the man in the mirror was not like that. No matter how he changed his smile, it only seemed like a kind of cold ridicule.
That fact was unfamiliar to him and he hated it a little.
He went back to the bed. This time, instead of laying, he sat down.
This is probably why I didnt want to meet her.
His obsession with his goal had faded. His determination to die had weakened. Sedis existence had already occupied a very large share of Lukas inner thoughts.
The desire to live was sneakily raising its head.
He shook his head. He couldnt change an ending that had already been set.
Lukas had come to the Pit with the goal of finding out how to get to the Magic Planet. Perhaps Kasajin knew the way. After all, hed said that he fought the Beginning Wizard in the past.
The strongest among the current Twelve Void Lords
When he recalled those words, a shiver went down his spine.
Of course, the Twelve Void Lords at that time were different from now. Yang In-hyun wasnt the Lord of Flower Mountain that fought Kasajin. It was possible that the current Beginning Wizard had also inherited his name and position and that he was now a completely different person.
Nevertheless, the words the strongest among the current Twelve Void Lords resonated with Lukas in a strange way.
Above all, he didnt lower his head even in front of Pale. That was an attitude that Lukas had never seen among the Twelve Void Lords.
Naturally, his wandering thoughts turned to Pale.
Now that he thought about it, she was the one that took Kasajin to the Magic Planet.
if he were to just ask Pale for directions to that place, would she answer him?
Now that he thought about it, where was Pale now?
At that moment, he heard footsteps in the hallway outside. Then, the door burst open without warning. He thought it might be Pale, but it wasnt.
It was Sedi who appeared again, this time, with a blank expression.
She hadnt knocked. That certainly wasnt a display of manners that befitted Sedi The sound of footsteps. Perhaps that was Sedis own kind of etiquette. It wouldnt have been hard for her to remove her presence.
My room is at the end of the castle. Sear?h the N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
It took a moment for Lukas to realise the meaning of Sedis words.
It had been a clumsy but obvious invitation to visit her whenever he had time. Sedi walked forward a few steps and stopped. And her lips opened.
You knew I was here, didnt you?
Lukas hesitated for a moment before nodding slowly and expressionlessly.
Sedi wasnt agitated. Twisting her hair with her fingers, she continued.
I thought so. You were surprised when I showed up, but you werent surprised at my appearance. It was more like you were bewildered at our unexpected meeting.
You didnt want to meet me, did you?
Lukas paused.
Sedi looked at the gap between them before taking another step forward.
Right.
Lukas didnt want her to get any closer.
So he answered.
It was probably the answer Sedi didnt want to hear the most.
I didnt want to meet you.
A clear rejection came from his mouth. Lukas thought that would make her agitated, or at least be a bit taken aback. He was wrong.
There wasnt any change to Sedis expression, and that wasnt all.
As I expected.
With a nod, she took another step forward.
So?
What?
So what do you want me to do? Does Father not want me to come see you anymore?
If thats what Father really wants, Ill do it.
But
After saying that, Sedi continued.
But its not. Its not that I hate you, you just dont want to meet me.
This statement was probably the key.
I showed off a lot of pathetic things earlier that werent like me. Theres no reason for me to shrink back like that just because Father is withdrawn.
Lukas felt like he was being overwhelmed by this little girl.
I can tell just by looking at your face. That youve probably been through something awful.
Maybe even now. So tell me. What is the reason? What the hell is bothering Father?
There is no reason to speak of it.
Why?
Nothing would change if I told you.
After Sedi took another step closer, they were basically face to face. She was only about half a step away and he could touch her if he stretched out his hand.
How do you know without even trying?
Not everything requires experience.
Ha. You still have that old fashioned way of speaking.
Sedi shrugged her shoulders.
Ill say in advance that Im not disappointed in the current Father. And this is not out of anger.
Paak!
His abdomen sank in. Lukas staggered back. Sedis elbow had been buried in Lukas stomach. He hadnt noticed her attack at all. Was it because he was too relaxed? Or had Sedis physical ability surpassed Lukas senses?
Paak.
This time, he felt sharp pain in his chin. For a moment, his teeth clashed together roughly and it felt like a bolt of lightning had struck his head. He had almost bitten off his own tongue.
Then, his upper body was pulled upright.
Look at me.
Red eyes appeared in front of him.
Sedi was holding Lukas up by his neck.
Look at me.
Im looking.
Just because your eyes are on me doesnt mean youre looking at me. Since meeting me, Father hasnt looked at me properly.
Looked at you properly?
Sedis cynical remarks.
Those words became a fuse.
This time, he grabbed Sedis arm, which was holding him by the throat.
Ill look at you properly, then what? Do you want to talk? If I were to tell you everything, all of my secrets, do you think you could do anything? Do you think you could change this fucked up situation?
There was a bit of heat mixed in with his voice. The strength of his grip increased. There was a creaking sound, but despite the obvious pain, Sedi remained expressionless.
Dont be ridiculous. Our relationship is not that deep. Dont you get it yet? I saved you on a simple whim. To put it bluntly, I calculated it as a way to get back at the Black Horned Demon God or a way to get information about him.
Lukas had lost his patience.
Father? Daughter? Did you really think we could have a relationship like that? Did you think it was so easy for two Absolutes to become family with just a few words? Ha.
Crunch, he gritted his teeth.
Dont flatter yourself, Sedi Glaston. You treasure me because I consoled you when you were most vulnerable. But it is funny and pathetic-
Lukas head snapped to the side.
The inside of his cheek burst and his teeth quaked.
It took him a moment to realise hed been slapped.
Book 2: Chapter 439
Book 2: Chapter 439 The memory of that nightmare was still vivid.
He passed away.
What?
It is something he wanted for a long time, and it was his own will. Even if I am his disciple, I have no right to stop him from doing what he wants.
A woman with black hair like her. She wasnt that bad. To be honest, there werent many things that could enter her mind, but there were definitely a few points that she couldnt ignore. Moreover, looking back, Sedi probably didnt hate her that much.
However, when shed heard that, Sedi had almost killed that woman, Min Ha-rin, in an instant.
You What the hell are you talking about?
There were certainly several reasons why she was emotional and angry.
Her detached expression and low tone. All of this showed her that Min Ha-rin was trying to maintain her composure.
Had she lost her mind?
Could this woman really show that attitude when talking about her Masters death?
Min Ha-rins face came closer. It was none other than her that made that so. Before Sedi realised, she had grabbed Min Ha-rin by her collar and pulled her closer.
dont try to beat around the bush, tell me straight. What happened to Father?
In fact, she already knew. She probably did.
Nevertheless, maybe, maybe it wasnt like that, it wasnt possible.
She denied reality. And desperately hoped that the answer she received was different from what she expected.
Hes dead.
She couldnt breathe. Her chest felt tight and her mind went blank.
While this happened, her mouth moved and asked.
dead?
Yeah.
And you just left him alone?
Min Ha-rins mouth opened again. She probably had something to say about the situation.
But Sedi couldnt accept it.
Babump, Babump.
Her vision shook with her heartbeat. Before she realised it, the surroundings felt like they had turned black, and it felt like every sound had become distant as if her eardrums had ruptured.
right. Its fine since you guys survived, since he saved your lives.
I dont think so.
Shut. Your. Mouth.
If that was really true, that wouldnt have happened.
Did he really want to die?
Then what about her?
Was the relationship with her not important for that person? Was it so insignificant that he wouldnt say anything to her in the face of death?
She knew. In the end, Sedi was the one whod forced herself to be his daughter, and it was Sedi who clung to the title of family.
Nevertheless, Lukas accepted her stubbornness.
I wont accept this.
It would be more accurate to say that she couldnt accept it.
She felt like if she accepted the facts that were revealed as they are, she would go crazy.
* * *
When her head cooled, she realised something.
Just because Min Ha-rin was like that didnt mean she wasnt sad. She must have been experiencing pain similar to Sedi.
However, funnily, in the face of the death of a loved one, a mortal appeared far more mature than Sedi.
Even if it was just an act, it was still amazing. Because Sedi couldnt even do that.
I respect and accept Masters choice.
The Min Ha-rin in her memory seemed to make that claim.
Was your answer correct?
Was it correct to accept both Lukas choice and death?
No. That wasnt right.
That might be the correct answer for Min Ha-rin. Even for that woman named Beniang. And it might also be the right choice for the other disciples as well.
However, it wasnt for Sedi Trowman. It never was.
A daughter could never accept her fathers death so easily.
In any case, it is Fathers life I wont say childish things like that.
Sedi wiped her tears.
Then she looked up at the sky with her swollen red eyes.
Just because I want to.
That was all.
That was why, from now on, what she was going to do was completely self-righteous. Sedi understood and accepted that fact first.
Her desperation to meet Lukas again was a complete denial of the choice of Lukas, who had some kind of ulterior motive. S~ea??h the novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
It was no different from that.
* * *
A lot happened.
And she gave up a lot.
It got harder day by day, but her desire for her goal did not fade in the slightest. It made her happy, but on the other hand, she was also scared. She couldnt tell what would happen if that aspiration disappeared.
She was afraid, but she didnt give up.
At some point, she stopped moving and recalled her goal.
And she found a clue to make her wish come true.
* * *
It stung. But that was it.
Lukas rubbed his cheek.
It didnt hurt as much as her previous attacks. Or at least that should have been the case, but that slap on the cheek hurt more than his tingling chin or throbbing stomach.
Its Trowman.
Sedis voice still didnt change as she spoke.
youre still saying that.
I will say it over and over again. And I mean it. This kind of act doesnt work for Father, you should give up.
You think Im acting?
I dont want to answer any more silly questions.
Sedi touched her hand. It was the hand that had slapped Lukas cheek.
I know youve been through a lot. It must have been really hard. It still looks like it is.
You asked me earlier, didnt you? Whether it would make a difference if you told me, did you mean that?
Of course
Look at me and say it.
Dont just put your eyes on me.
The words shed just said. And the end of her words that shed stopped herself from saying before.
The words he heard.
Are you hesitating because its hard to even talk about? How immense were the things you went through?
what are you trying to say?
The corners of Sedis mouth rose. In other words, she smiled.
ah. Well, I just have a bit of doubt. From Fathers perspective, it might seem mind boggling, but it might not really be such a big deal.
Do you think Im exaggerating?
I didnt say that.
He knew in his head. That this was just a childish provocation.
Nothing more than a half baked provocation to make Lukas open his mouth.
Even Lukas knew that.
What do you know about me?
And yet, a clear, angry voice still came out of his lips.
Do you know what its like to always be forced to make unwanted choices? Do you have any idea what it feels like to not be able to die when you want to, and not be able to live when you want to?
Really? It must have been hard.
The smile disappeared from Sedis lips.
Then what about Father? Do you know how I felt? I hope you didnt forget. You willfully chose to die in the preliminaries.
For a moment, Lukas didnt know what to say.
Im sure you thought it was a death without regrets. Right. Well. I was the one who forced Father to take on the role. You probably didnt even think about me before you died.
No. That
Be quiet. Its my turn to talk.
Lukas closed his mouth.
Do you know how it felt when Father died like that? Like that person didnt have anything to do with me. It was so ridiculous that you didnt even leave a single word for me before you died.
Lukas recalled that time.
Just before leaving to fight Nodiesop, when he had been ready to accept his death, when hed finished his final farewell with Min Ha-rin.
He had only felt carefree at that time. He had only thought that he would finally be able to escape his dreadful fate. He didnt even spare a thought for Sedi.
Im sorry.
He couldnt help but apologise for that. But Sedis expression became worse.
Shit. I didnt bring it up because I wanted to hear something like that. Just because I showed my emotions doesnt mean I became childish. I just
like Father told me a long time ago. I thought about it since then. How a father should treat his daughter. What you can do for me. An ideal
Sedis voice became a bit hoarse.
the ideal father-daughter relationship.
Those were obviously Lukas words.
I mean. I did the things Father said. I thought about it seriously, more seriously than anything else in my life. Thats why, when I heard Father had died, all I could think about was meeting you again somehow.
And this is my answer.
Sedi took a half step forward.
Then, without hesitation, she embraced Lukas.
This was the first time in his life that Lukas had felt such warmth.
I will fight for you.
Something seemed to rise up in his throat.
No matter what it is, I will get rid of everything that bothers Father.
It was then that he realised the reason.
No one had ever said something like that to Lukas.
Everyone, including his closest friends, considered Lukas as someone to rely on. Even Kasajin, the only one with a different attitude, wanted a relationship where they supported each other.
This was the first time.
That a person wanted to take over that responsibility instead.
Lukas had always been someones shadow. Hed been their shade.
And now.
The daughter hed forgotten, and had continued to forget, was trying to become his shadow. She was telling him that she would fight instead.
Those words choked him up.
So just say something. All I want is for Father to look at me and tell me.
It was at that moment that countless voices resounded in his head.
[What the hell are you doing? Lukas.
[Why are you hesitating? You arent really considering what she said, are you?]
[Thats not going to work. Why do you think we allowed you to absorb us and gave you our strength?]
[it is your responsibility. We entrusted you with our unfulfilled dreams because we wanted a Lukas with another possibility to accomplish them.]
The pain, which felt like his brain was being stabbed by a needle, faded a bit.
So he could ignore it.
Then will you listen?
Lukas spoke.
The situations I was in. The things that happened.
For the first time, Sedi truly smiled.
Tell me.
* * *
He talked.
Lukas told Sedi about his situation.
It was the complete opposite of what happened earlier. Sedi only asked a few simple questions which never interrupted the flow and just listened to Lukas. There was hardly any change to her expression.
Lukas voice was the only sound in the room, but the atmosphere was tender.
And when his story ended, Sedi said bluntly.
Im sorry.
huh?
Lukas was taken aback by the sudden apology.
The things Father went through, were really no joke. I understand why you didnt even want to think about it. You could hardly afford to Shit. If that God guy, was still alive, Id love to kick his ass.
Anyways, okay. Ive received Fathers request.
Received?
Sedi spoke in an indifferent manner.
The woman called Pale is bothering you, you are curious about the identity of the Beginning Wizard, and you want to know the truth about the Castle*. Is there anything else? (TL: When referring to *what I assume to be* the Void Kings castle, Ill use Castle as a way to differentiate it.)
Lukas
Thought that his situation was more complicated than that. There were many things that he wanted to accomplish, and he thought that none of them could be solved immediately.
But when laid out by Sedi like that, his goals didnt seem as great as he thought.
Thats true, but
Good.
Sedi got up from her seat. Then, she turned around as if she was going somewhere.
Where are you going?
To take care of the closest one.
The closest?
Pale. Isnt she still in Demonsio?
With a wicked smile, Sedi cracked her knuckles.
Lets start with that woman. After all, I still owe her something.
(TL: T~T Sedi is our best girl.)
Book 2: Chapter 440
Book 2: Chapter 440 Sedi walked through the hallways of the castle and Lukas followed suit. Then, she suddenly came to a stop.
This was because Kasajin was standing in the middle of the hallway, blocking the way.
Dont you have something to do? Why do you keep following me around?
When Sedi asked this with a crumpled expression, Kasajin answered with a smirk.
I dont have anything to do. You took all of my responsibilities.
if you have something to say, say it quickly, otherwise, move out of the way. Im busy.
Are you going to see Pale?
Did you eavesdrop? So amazing.
Sedi was beginning to show annoyance. But Kasajin didnt shrink back. Instead, his gaze shifted over to Lukas for a moment. There was a subtle sign in his eyes.
Only for an instant.
I didnt eavesdrop. But with your combative gait, even a baby could tell that youre going to fight someone.
How did you know it was Pale?
Everyone else in the Pit would run over and kneel before you with just a snap of your fingers. Unfortunately, that includes me. At this point, the only one who wouldnt obey your orders is Pale.
Kasajins tone became slightly more serious.
Do you really plan to fight Pale? Im not doubting your strength, but that woman is not simple.
That attitude of yours is really suspicious. And I dont plan on just fighting all of a sudden. Its just that that woman seems to be bothering father
Seems to be?
Sedi stared blankly at Kasajin for a while before continuing.
Im just gonna ask her to quit it.
ask. That certainly is a peaceful alternative. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Hmph.
Lets just say youre going to talk, you dont need Lukas to go with you, do you?
What? You. Did you want to talk with Father without me?
Kasajin shrugged.
Sedi glared at him disapprovingly.
I dont care what you two talk about, but dont talk any nonsense. Understood?
Of course.
Dont take my words lightly.
Sedis voice became cold.
Because this is an order from the [0th Demon].
Keep that in mind.
At those words, Kasajins gaze shifted slightly.
For a moment, their gazes met in the air.
Just as Lukas started to feel the strange tension, Kasajin nodded.
Understood.
Hmph.
Sedi snorted before walking a few steps, then, she looked back slightly. This time, her gaze locked on to Lukas.
I didnt say that lightly.
Lukas expression became strange.
Firstly, I will try to have a conversation mainly because I dont want to bicker with that monster in my territory. Otherwise, there is a risk that the space will be destroyed.
Those words reminded him of Flower Mountain. Apparently, a fight had broken out to determine the next Void Lord, and it had torn the space, making the territory become as small as a fingernail.
In a way, it could be seen as the aftermath that would be left if two strong figures at a similar level as the Twelve Void Lords clashed.
Be careful.
Ha.
Sedis lips twisted.
I dont know who youre telling that to.
Then, this time without looking back, she disappeared with small, fast steps.
When she left the castle, Sedis presence quickly disappeared completely.
You look better than before.
We had a proper conversation this time. I also showed the right signs that I was happy No.
Hed shown the right signs that he was welcoming.
But he hadnt talked to Sedi with such pretentious or arrogant thoughts.
Lukas just spoke franky.
I was just a bit more honest.
That was more accurate to say.
I see.
Thanks for your advice, Kasajin. I never expected that you would help me with my relationships.
Perhaps it was because his mind had relaxed a bit.
But Lukas spoke in a faintly playful tone.
Nevertheless, Kasajin didnt laugh.
Kasajin?
They met.
Just as he mumbled those words.
Boom!
There was the sound of an explosion in the distance as the ground shook.
* * *
Pale and Sedi.
The sound of those two absolutes fighting resounded throughout the pit.
Lukas wasnt very curious about the whereabouts of their match.
It was strange. He was well aware of how strong Pale was. Even out of all the beings hed seen in the World of Void, she had to be within top two.
Nevertheless, he wasnt too worried about Sedi. He soon realised why.
It was trust, or to be more precise, blind faith.
Lukas was now feeling the emotions many people had felt towards him in the past, when he looked at Sedi.
Bang, boom. Grrr
Loud, earth shattering explosions shook the ground.
Then, the sounds suddenly stopped.
Lukas turned around.
Kasajin?
His close friend had disappeared without him realising.
He left without saying anything. That was uncharastically cold for that guy.
After standing alone in the hallway for a while, he went back to his room.
Hed only sat on the bed for a few minutes before Sedi opened the door.
-ah. Its been a while since I felt like I would die.
She staggered into the room with a messy appearance.
He was surprised by her appearance and also by the fact that she had returned much faster than he expected.
Are you alright?
Lukas came over to help Sedi. Sedi obediently left her body to him. Lukas had felt it before, but compared to her immense strength, she was as light as a feather.
She didnt have any fatal injuries, but she had many wounds that couldnt be dismissed as minor.
Sedi grinned tiredly.
Of course Im fine. These are just some minor injuries Mm. Do you have any bandages?
Is that a joke?
Uh.
Lukas and Sedi looked at each other for a while before they both burst out laughing at the same time.
Stay still, Ill fix you up.
Fix me? Ho- Ah. With that Void thing or whatever?
Right.
Are you sure you can do that? These arent that bad, Ill be better after chewing a few pieces of jerky and maybe applying some saliv- ah hey hey.
When he touched her wrist slightly, she made a sound as if she was in pain. Of course, it didnt actually hurt. She was just being a crybaby.
He knew how strong her mind was.
Even if she hadnt expected it, it was not at such a low level that she would make a sound of suffering from this much pain. Nevertheless, he pretended not to notice.
Dont overdo it, what if it gets infected?
if you say so. Lets see how good your skills are.
Sedi spoke in a cool manner, but he could feel that she was trying to hide her shyness.
He also didnt bother to say this.
Woowoong-
While Lukas was regenerating her wounds, Sedi closed her eyes and said.
She left quietly. I mean Pale.
That seemed pretty loud.
She asked me to show her enough power to convince her. I did what she wanted. For your information, its not just me. Shes just as hurt as I am.
Really?
Sedi averted her gaze.
maybe she was a bit less hurt than I am.
Lukas chuckled.
I can see bloodstains on your back. Lay on the bed.
Sedi lay on the bed without any complaints. Her face was buried in the pillow.
It bothers me a bit that she stepped back so easily, but shes not a woman who would lie, so she wont bother Father anymore. So thats one down.
Thanks.
Its fine. Something like this Anyways, the next one is the Beginning Wizard.
Sedi was already looking towards the next goal.
Do you know him too?
I know the name. Ive never met any of the other Twelve Void Lords like me. If you include the former ones, its only Kasajin.
It certainly didnt seem like much time had passed since shed become the 0th Demon.
Then you dont know how to get to the Magic Planet.
Mhm.
That was a bit of a tricky situation.
Pale was probably the one who knew the most accurate way to Magic Planet.
But she was gone now.
Should he go now and catch her? That was a stupid idea. Not only would Pale not take it well, but if things went wrong, the situation might become even worse.
Kasajin.
It seemed it would be better for him to ask that guy.
Although hed gone there with Pales guidance, Kasajin might still have some clues about how to get to the Magic Planet.
But it was at that moment that Sedi brought up something unexpected.
There might be a way. For me to handle both of Fathers remaining goals at the same time.
Mm?
A meeting will soon be held in the Castle.
By meeting
Looking up at the ceiling, Sedi continued.
Its a special meeting that might reveal the Twelve Void Lords, Four Knights and even the Void King. I dont know if everyone will attend, but at the very least, the scale is unprecedented.
The Twelve Void Lords meeting held at the Castle.
He now understood Sedis words. That might certainly be a way for Lukas to accomplish his two remaining goals.
What is the agenda?
How the aftermath of Gods death will affect this world, an introduction of the Knight of Death. And finally, a discussion about the next Void King Candidate.
All of those were topics that were deeply related to Lukas.
Is the Void King hosting the meeting?
No. The Beginning Wizard.
That guy was truly mentioned at memorable moments.
that guys influence seems unparalleled in the World of Void.
It cant be helped. He is the only one who can control the independent Void Lords.
The independent Void Lords.
In other words, she was referring to the Void Lords who wandered around on their own instead of making a force.
This was new knowledge. He hadnt known that the Beginning Wizard could exert control on even those beings.
Sedi turned her head and looked at Lukas.
Your expression isnt very good. If what Jacob told you is true, wouldnt you want to meet him at least once?
Thats not it.
In the first place, the reason Lukas wanted to meet the Beginning Wizard could be considered a bit impulsive.
Firstly, it was to pay respects to Jacob, who had given his life to protect him. And secondly, it was because of the voices that resounded in his head.
But he wasnt as desperate now as he was at that time.
The fundamental problem hadnt been solved, but Lukas felt like he had gained a lot of mental stability after meeting Sedi and Kasajin.
I can understand why you dont trust him. Ive heard that the people from the Magic Planet are all gloomy, bad tempered guys. Its possible that Jacob lied to you.
Sedi didnt know. That Jacob had died to protect Lukas. Because he hadnt told her that.
Right. There was something that Lukas hadnt told Sedi. It was his regression. Lukas had deliberately hidden that part.
Even he himself wasnt sure why.
Because of that, explaining everything to her had become several times harder, but in the first place, Sedi didnt know exactly when Lukas arrived in the World of Void.
Moreover, although he hid some facts, he didnt lie, so it was just a self rational thought and not a big mistake.
Is the treatment over?
Right.
Mm~
Sedi stretched and smiled.
It certainly is a refreshing feeling that cant be felt from jerky. Even if it takes a while.
Father?
Sorry. I was just distracted for a moment.
Lukas shook his head, hiding his subtle expression.
Distracted? Youre showing me a lot of things that arent like you.
Sedi giggled before throwing herself on the bed.
Im going to nap for a bit.
Here?
Cant I?
I didnt say that.
Right.
She grinned with an innocent face, and before long, she really fell asleep.
Lukas sat on the edge of the bed and looked down at the sleeping Sedi. All of a sudden, her shining hair caught his eye. Its colour was so dark, it felt his hands would become dark if he touched it.
Shuk-
When he came to his senses, Lukas realised he was stroking it. Sedis hair was incredibly soft that he hadnt even realised when hed started touching it.
Indescribably emotions welled up inside of him like a spring.
Comfort, relief, and happiness.
There were now two people in this castle who knew and understood Lukas situation.
Sedi. And Kasajin.
When he was with them his mind felt at ease.
He felt like this was what small happiness was like, something that hed never felt before.
A kind of happiness that hed thought he would have no connection or contact with for his entire life.
The remaining problems and responsibilities he had.
If he confided the things about his home universe and Diablo to Sedi, she would probably solve everything without a word. She wouldnt even ask Lukas for anything.
He wouldnt have to do anything.
He could just live in peace until his mind collapsed and he died.
It felt like he would be breaking his promise to Lucid.
But this level of selfishness should be okay.
Book 2: Chapter 441
Book 2: Chapter 441 Lukas didnt ask about the exact timing of the meeting. This fact meant two things.
That meeting the Beginning Wizard no longer had as much significance to him, and that life in the castle was so comfortable, he almost forgot what his goals were.
Nevertheless, Sedi answered without needing to be asked.
There is still a while until the meeting.
He just nodded roughly.
Inwardly, he didnt really care whether the meeting would be the next day or in a few years.
Lukas stayed in the castle and did nothing. Most of his time was spent idly.
He hadnt forgotten his burdens. But there was a thought in his heart that it would be fine even if he didnt do anything like this.
He spent most of his time talking to Sedi. Whenever he talked to her, his mind felt at ease, and a calm smile spread across his lips. Sweet happiness welled up inside of him like a spring, and for a moment, he forgot the tiresome headaches and goals that made his heart heavy.
[if]
[are you doing? in]
At some point.
The voices in his head began to fade away.
The voices of the Lukases that Lukas had absorbed. Those voices began to disappear. It was an unexpected but happy change.
I dont need to meet the Beginning Wizard any more.
The solution had been so close.
Just by stabilising his mind and body, he was able to obtain an unexpected harvest. For the first time in this world, Lukas found rest in the truest sense.
Sedi.
Mm?
You have times when you work.
I do.
Sedi, who was laying on the bed, as usual, replied.
What do you usually do then?
Not much. I just sit and listen to reports. My role isnt to identify the problems or solve them on my own.
She continued in a smug voice.
A decision maker only needs to do two things. Look serious and listen to everything till the end, then nod or shake your head.
It was clear that this was a crooked mindset, but Sedi seemed to be of the belief that this was true.
Of course, if something big happens, I will have to step up, but that rarely happens.
As if to show she had a bit of conscience left, she added.
Considering that you only have to listen to reports, you seem pretty busy.
Sedi only spent about half the day with Lukas. Even the longest periods were never more than half a day. (TL: Lukas wants more attention.)
Sometimes I have to listen to complaints, sometimes I have to go do inspections I dont have any specific work, but it really feels like I do a lot of chores. Its really annoying.
Surprisingly, the Twelve Void Lords had a lot of chores.
Sedi grumbled for a moment before her expression suddenly changed and she fell silent. Then, she got off the bed.
I should get going. Ah. Would you like to go on a city inspection with me tomorrow?
Inspection?
Its just an inspection in name, I want to take a walk with you. Ive never walked around the Pit with Father.
Lukas nodded because that was true.
Since coming to the Pit, Lukas had not left the castle.
District Z-17. Thats the busiest shopping district, and theres a cafe there that sells that cheap coffee thing. It reminded me of Father.
Coffee.
Now that he thought about it, it seemed that hed drunk it quite often when he was on Earth. This was because the sweet flavour surprisingly suited his tastes.
Although it felt bad that Sedi disparaged the drink as cheap, he nodded his head since he knew she had good intentions and probably wanted to introduce him to a decent store.
Right. Ill go with you.
It wouldnt be bad for you to wander around the city without me. This territory, I didnt really develop it, but there are many things to see. All of the members are demons, but its not that much different from where people-
Sedis voice cut off. Then, she staggered a bit as if shed lost her balance.
Sedi?
Lukas jumped up from his seat when he saw her perilous appearance. He tried to help, but Sedi pushed him away with one hand.
Im fine.
Frowning, she grabbed her head.
Sorry. Im just a bit dizzy.
Just as Sedi smiled bitterly, a bit of blood dripped from her nose.
!
When he saw this, he couldnt help but feel even more surprised than when shed stumbled.
The blood dripping from Sedi was black. Seeing Lukas hard expression, Sedi waved her hand.
Ah. Wait. Theres no need to get worked up. This happens sometimes.
She wiped her nose offhandedly.
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Was it backlash from not fully digesting the power of the 0th Demon or something like that? Anyways, its not a big deal.
Despite the fact that she spoke in an insignificant manner, Lukas had a strange feeling.
Then, they heard a knock on the door.
Excuse me.
It was one of the Apostles who made an appearance. He didnt remember its name, but it was a being with the head of a snake.
Am I interrupting?
Slurp, its split tongue shot out of its mouth and its yellow eyes flashed. It was an eerie sight but it wasnt threatening. Instead, this attitude came because of tension. The Apostles were very afraid of Sedi.
No. Its fine that you came. Whats wrong?
that, a guest has arrived.
A guest?
That was not an easy word to hear in this place. When Sedi frowned and urged it to speak more, the Snake Apostle spoke with an expression that didnt hide his apprehension.
Yes.
Who is it?
its the Beginning Wizard.
Lukas and Sedis eyes met.
* * *
The hospitality towards guests is pretty poor.
When meeting him personally for the first time, Lukas recalled the description Kasajin had given him.
His entire body was covered by an auburn robe, and his face was covered by a hideous mask that was reminiscent of a sickly old man.
The only part that wasnt covered by his robe was the hand that held a twisted staff, but even then no flesh was exposed.
Hes alone.
Surprisingly, the Beginning Wizard had not come to the Pit with anyone else. He also didnt seem to release any pressure. Even when he was in front of him, it felt like he was looking at a ghost. If he closed his eyes and didnt focus his senses, he couldnt sense his presence at all.
Id thought so before, but the Lord is really different in person.
The strangest part was his voice. It was impossible to guess his age or gender from his voice.
It sounded like several overlapping voices, so it felt as if several people were talking at the same time without a single error.
Nice to meet you. New 0th Demon, Sedi Trowman.
Your first impression is the worst, Wizard of the Beginning.
Did I do something wrong?
To call me by my full name at the first greeting is very unpleasant to me. It feels like you have grasped something about me, and its freaking disgusting.
The Beginning Wizard didnt seem to take offence to her rough remarks.
Or at least, that was how it felt.
What is this?
From the moment he first saw him, Lukas had been feeling strange. He could see the blue eyes behind the mask, and every time he saw them, his chest fluttered.
Almost instinctively, a question arose within him.
I do I know this person?
Why did you come here? Do you want a war?
Sedi spoke with a provocative smile, but from her perspective, it was probably not something she really thought about before saying.
But, instead of denying it, the Beginning Wizard nodded.
You catch on quick. Thats right.
What?
Pop!
It was as if the nod of his head was a signal.
The body of the Apostle standing beside Sedi, the Snake Apostle who had guided them to this room, exploded. Flesh and blood splattered in every direction.
Isnt it always refreshing to hear that popping sound?
!
There was probably no one who could have foreseen this situation. At the very least, Lukas hadnt. He couldnt foresee what trick the Beginning Wizard had done. The reason for his delayed response was because he was thinking about the reason. Perhaps that wasnt the only reason
Nevertheless, Sedi was different. She was the same as Lukas in that she was unable to predict the situation, but she regained her composure faster than anyone else there.
Crackle
Black energy rushed out of her clenched fists. Sedis entire body became dyed back.
Perhaps feeling an unusual omen, the Beginning Wizard retreated with a flutter of his robes. But Sedi was able to close the distance much faster than that.
Papapak!
In the blink of an eye, she landed dozens of consecutive blows. The Beginning Wizards body fluttered like a scarecrow being swept by a typhoon.
Sedis gaze became cold. None of her previous attacks had any effect.
Lets all calm down a little.
There was a hint of amusement mixed in with the Beginning Wizards voice.
Shut up.
Why are you so angry? It was just a greeting.
Killing someone without saying a word is a greeting? Then let me try it too. That kind of greeting.
Smiling ferociously, Sedi began to raise her aura, but she didnt release it.
Uh huhh?
The sudden voice made Sedi freeze. She turned around.
Just now.
The Snake Apostle, whose shattered flesh and blood had scattered, was now standing there.
Perfectly intact.
Like I said. Calm your agitation.
The Beginning Wizard spoke in a soft tone.
Agitation narrows your vision, makes it dark. In times like that, taking a deep breath makes you feel better. It might sound simple, but it really works.
you what the hell did you do?
Instead of a simple greeting, I showed you a bit of magic. Did you enjoy it?
Magic.
Lukas fists subconsciously clenched at that word. He was still staring at the Beginning Wizard with wide eyes while lost in his thoughts.
Just now.
He had confirmed the death of that Apostle. It wasnt an illusion. The Snake Apostle had died without a doubt.
And yet, he was revived No, was he revived?
I dont know.
He didnt even know what method hed used.
All he knew was something beyond his cognitive ability had happened.
Your expression still doesnt look so good. Mm. Then, perhaps I truly was disrespectful as you said. I apologise. However, that was absolutely necessary for me.
Hoh. I wonder what the deal behind that is.
The Beginning Wizard looked around before speaking.
Its not difficult to tell you, but there are too many ears around.
Fine. Lets go to my office. I wont allow the others to enter. You and I will have a long talk alone.
I like your hot temper.
Before leaving, Sedi winked at Lukas. This meant for him to leave it to her. After hesitating for a moment, Lukas nodded.
Suddenly, the Beginning Wizard turned his gaze towards him.
You are comfortable, young man.
When his attention turned to him, it felt like he could hear his voice more closely.
Lukas once again had an indescribably strange feeling.
Life is a series of struggles. As long as you live, you will have no choice but to keep fighting. All that changes is the subject of the fight.
what are you talking about?
I thought you needed some advice, was I wrong?
Hey. Dont talk nonsense.
As Sedi growled threateningly, the Beginning Wizard burst into laughter and walked past. After a while, his figure, which was getting further away, eventually disappeared.
But even after he left, Lukas was unable to move from that spot for a while.
* * *
Lukas returned to his room. But he couldnt stop thinking about the Beginning Wizard.
The biggest question he had was the face behind the mask. He kept feeling like he might know it.
It was strange. The more he thought about it, the more clouded his mind felt.
Suddenly, the door swung open.
When he was alone in his room, there were only two beings who would open his door as they pleased. And one of them was probably still talking to the Beginning Wizard at that moment.
Lukas looked at the man who appeared through the open door.
Kasajin.
Kasajin nodded slightly and said.
An important guest arrived.
The Beginning Wizard. I saw it from a distance, but I could tell. He hasnt changed.
He wasnt saying that he hadnt changed.
Kasajin was saying that the being hed seen in the past and the current Beginning Wizard was the same person.
Kasajin looked into Lukas eyes as if he was trying to see what was inside, then, he suddenly asked.
Are you satisfied with the current situation?
This wasnt the first time.
Lukas had been asked this question several times by Kasajin.
Even when he didnt have anything to talk about, he would suddenly appear and ask those few words that he could never figure out the reason for.
If you have something to say, say it.
You by chance, are you looking down on me?
Lukas looked at Kasajin.
Because the Lukas Trowman you knew wasnt like this? Because I passed my responsibilities to someone else and leisurely took a break in my room?
His voice gradually rose. Lukas himself probably realised this before Kasajin.
Are you dissatisfied with me because the Lukas you knew wasnt like this?
Kasajin didnt say anything. He just kept looking at him with his dark eyes. At that moment, Lukas couldnt help but feel pathetic.
What was the difference between him and a child who was getting excited because of his own guilty conscience?
Its not like that, Lukas. I have nothing to say to you because I dont deserve to. I just I want you to realise.
You want me to realise? Realise what?
Its not my place to tell you. However, you already have a clue. You just dont want to think about it too deeply.
Stop ignoring it. Thats all I want to say.
After saying that, Kasajin opened the door and left.
Lukas, who was left alone, thought about chasing after him but suddenly had a deep feeling of incongruity.
Since the day he first arrived at the castle, Kasajin had visited Lukas without fail. Most of the time, there didnt seem to be any reason for it.
Of course, one didnt need to have a reason to meet a friend, but this was Kasajin. Even if he had been completely emptied and refilled with something else, it didnt change the fact that he was, in essence, Kasajin.
He was never a guy who would commit a meaningless act.
Then?
Why was such a serious guy coming to him so often?
to let me know.
To inform him of something.
He felt the warmth on his fingertips gradually fade. Of course, it was just an illusion, but Lukas heart was already ice cold.
It felt like he was missing something, something crucial.
And when he had such doubts, he knew how to find a clue.
Lukas calmly went back to the drawing board.
He had come to the Pit to find a method to get to the Magic Planet, and he had a semi-forced meeting with the Lord of this place, Sedi. At that time, Lukas had been reluctant to meet her.
And at the same time, Kasajin had tried to stop him from meeting her.
!
At that moment, there was a flash of thunder in his mind. It felt like hed finally remembered something hed forgotten.
Sedi hadnt forgotten about Lukas. Instead, shed achieved victory in her first fight with Kasajin, who was the [0th Demon] at that time, and therefore succeeded in perfectly maintaining the Sedi Trowman that Lukas knew.
He finally realised what was missing, what hed ignored.
Sedi hadnt forgotten Lukas.
Naturally, this meant that reuniting with her would have no negative impacts. And that was actually the case.
But if that was the case, then why?
Why did Kasajin try to stop him from meeting Sedi?
(TL:Sedi might not be our best girl after all)
Book 2: Chapter 442
Book 2: Chapter 442 I need to investigate.
He wasnt exactly sure what he was looking for, but Lukas couldnt shake that thought. His heart pounded in his chest and his lips became dry. Anxiety filled his entire body, making the peace that hed experienced so far seem like nothing but an illusion.
Lukas remembered all of his conversations with Kasajin. If he was looking for clues, he should first look for them in his conversations with him.
Kasajin had probably been trying to teach Lukas from the moment theyd first met.
Then he remembered.
A place that had the highest potential to answer his questions.
the bottom.
The end of Demonsio.
The lowest and darkest place.
And the place where the two battles that determined the fate of this territory took place.
There might be some clues there.
* * *
Two Apostles stood in front of the office.
When they saw Sedi and the Beginning Wizard approach, they began to tremble.
Lord?
That one behind you is
Sedi replied without even looking at them properly.
The Beginning Wizard.
O-, one of the Twelve Void Lords!
The bodies of the two Apostles stiffened. But Sedi didnt seem to notice their reactions.
Move aside. I need to use my office. Dont let anyone get close to this place till our conversation is over.
Are the two of you going to talk alone?
What was that?
you cant.
Please reconsider.
The Lord could not be left alone to talk with one of the Twelve Void Lords. This was a statement made of pure loyalty.
There was no way that Sedi didnt know that. Perhaps if she was in her usual, relaxed state, she would have appeased them with a blunt but clear tone.
But at that moment, Sedis displeasure was already reaching its peak.
I cant? I should reconsider? I dont think I heard you clearly, are you two giving me orders?
Thats not it. However, the other is one of the Twelve Void Lords. You should be prepared for any situation
At a time like that, we can serve as your shields.
A corner of Sedis lips curled up.
Thats a lot of self praise, you two.
Huh?
Against that monster, do you think you guys could even serve as shields?
!
The bodies of the Apostles trembled. But the twisted smirk on Sedis face didnt change as she continued.
I will say this one more time. If you are next to me, you will only get in the way, so leave.
Shattered pride, humiliation, and the misery of hearing such an insult from none other than their own Lord silenced the Apostles.
Just as Sedi ignored them and grabbed the handle of the office door.
My Lord. Then please allow me to accompany you.
It was the Snake Apostle standing behind her that said those words.
You know the power of this Uros. Im sure I will be of help in a time of need.
Sedis eyes narrowed coldly.
But Uros, the Snake Apostle, faced her with a face that said he wouldnt back down.
tch.
Clicking her tongue, Sedi looked away.
Realising that her attitude meant permission, the faces of the Apostles brightened at the same time.
* * *
Id like a cup of tea please.
You should shut up before I pour it directly into your face.
Sedi shot back fiercely. She didnt sit down because she didnt want to lose even the slightest bit of tension.
On the other hand, the Beginning Wizard sat down, placed his staff across the table, then leaned back into the chair as if he was trying to bury himself in it.
Uros, the Apostle who had succeeded in joining their talk, couldnt help but think as he looked at him.
His body was filled with openings.
It felt like it would be extremely easy to smash that hideous mask, snap his neck, or grab his heart through his robe and crush it.
Right. This was something that even Uros, who had just experienced death from a mysterious attack, was feeling. So the Beginning Wizards current defencelessness went without saying.
However, at the same time, a sharp instinct was warning him.
It would never be that easy.
That point was easy to see. After all, he still couldnt figure out what kind of trick this guy had used. Without knowing that, their side would be at a tremendous disadvantage if a fight truly was to break out.
I have no intention of fighting you.
As he said this in a relaxed tone, the Beginning Wizard picked up a teacup. The teacup was filled with clear, bright liquid, which had steam coming out of it as if it was freshly boiled.
Sedis expression hardened. Naturally, she hadnt served any tea. On the contrary, there werent even any teacups, teapots, or even tea leaves in this office.
And yet, a cup of hot tea had appeared on the table.
Slurp.
Hmm. The taste is very stable.
Click. Sedi didnt remove her gaze from his mask until he put the tea back down.
is this your goal?
What do you mean?
To keep playing dirty tricks and keep my guard up. Clearly, its working pretty well. If Ill be honest, I still havent figured out what tricks youre really using.
!
Uros was startled by the last remark.
Not knowing how he attacked.
Confessing that was not a good tactic. What would they do if he were to attack in that way again?
Unless
Had she grasped some of the mysteries of that mans magic?
Still smiling, the Beginning Wizard spoke.
Its a small habit. Its always a Wizards job to create a sense of mystery.
Thats different from the Wizards I know.
Fufu. Those that you know cant be called Wizards. It would be more accurate to call them Magicologists.
Sedi didnt reveal her own distinction, but the Beginning Wizard spoke as if he knew everything.
The feeling that she might not have even noticed her own mistake made her stomach turn. What was even more annoying was that she didnt think this bastard was wrong.
It was just her speculation, but it felt as if the Beginning Wizard knew exactly what Sedis definition of Wizard was.
Why did you let Uros come with us?
Sedi asked about this first.
Didnt you want us to talk alone?
It doesnt matter if its just one. Its fine if hes here, its fine if he isnt.
Im surprised you didnt just go straight to the point. Of course, Im a chatterbox who prefers private conversations, so what can I do? Would you like to continue talking about trivial things like this?
Although he said it in a roundabout manner, the Beginning Wizards suggestion was clear.
Lets get to the point.
Right. Lets carry on.
Sedi immediately rejected his offer.
Then, she plopped onto the chair in front of the Beginning Wizard and raised her chin in an arrogant manner.
Are you going to drink tea on your own? I have a mouth too?
kukuku.
A chuckle crept out from the Beginning Wizards mask. Then, the moment he snapped his fingers, the tea in front of him split in two.
It was as if its cells had been divided.
Just as Sedi touched the teacup.
My Lord!
Uros raised his guard. They didnt know what was in that cup!
But Sedi drank the steaming tea all at once. Naturally, she didnt burn her tongue.
Whats this made of?
Corn.
No wonder it was somewhat savoury.
Just as Sedi twisted her lips.
Crunch, the teacup in her hand twisted like a dry leaf before becoming powder and scattering.
Talking about trivial things, carry on. Im interested.
With a gesture of her chin, she crossed her legs.
It was as if she was giving an order to a subordinate, but the Beginning Wizard still spoke in a bright tone.
I visited Flower Mountain before coming here. Before that, I met the Sinking Man, so, in order, you are the last one.
Did you travel all over the west? The Magic Planets Void Lord sure is lucky.
Its not just the west. Demonsio is just the last area I visited. Before coming here, I met all of the Twelve Void Lords in the North, South and East.
Well I say visit, but it was a bit different from that. Because I had a clear goal.
To meet the Twelve Void Lords?
There wasnt an immediate answer to this question.
Instead, the Beginning Wizard stared down at the remainder of his tea. The blue eyes behind the mask seemed to shine exceptionally brightly.
This is like the opposite. I said we should talk about trivial things and you brought up such a heavy topic.
When Sedi said this with a snort, he responded after a while.
For me, this is trivial.
Meeting all of the Twelve Void Lords? So sitting here and having a conversation with me now, from your perspective, is trivial?
Thats right.
When he nodded his head in a cool manner, Uros could no longer restrain his killing intent. Sedi stopped him with just a glance before saying.
Then I suppose you didnt come here to see what the new [0th Demon] looked like.
I visited each of the territories because I was looking for something. And I got results in a few places. To be exact, in five places.
The Beginning Wizard spread his fingers.
Utopia, Dump Site, Grigorison, Flower Mountain, and finally.
He pointed his index finger, which was still outstretched, towards Sedi.
Demonsio.
The eyes behind the mask drew into a curve.
What these areas have in common, Im sure you know-.
The Beginning Wizard was unable to finish his sentence.
A black thorn that shot out from Sedi, pierced his neck.
* * *
He fell endlessly into a pit which didnt seem to have an end.
As he sank into the darkness, Lukas couldnt help but think.
It was strange in the first place.
When Kasajin had become the [0th Demon], he should have been strong enough to surpass almost all Absolutes.
After that, he wandered the World of Void and devoured other Kasajins, so his strength would have continued to exceed his limits.
The Twelve Void Lords.
Even if it was in the past, the weight of that name would not have been much different from now.
Was it possible for Sedi to defeat such a Kasajin in one round?
Its impossible.
Even if the modifier Absolute was added in.
It would have been impossible for the former Absolute, Sedi Glaston, not to mention the fallen Sedi Trowman.
Lukas felt ridiculous. How had he not even had the slightest doubt?
no.
He bit his lip.
Kasajin was right. It wasnt that Lukas hadnt had doubts. It wasnt that he hadnt had such thoughts before.
He had been aware of this in a corner of his mind. Hed had that lingering suspicion.
But it was none other than himself that had prevented that doubt from rising to the surface and instead forced his mind to think about other topics.
Taht.
He reached the bottom of the Pit. Lukas looked around.
The battlefield where the first 0th Demon and Kasajin
And Kasajin and Sedi had fought.
The black ground was engraved with countless scars of those times. He could feel the traces of Kasajin. He could also see the fragments of stone statues scattered across the area.
Each of the statues contained Kasajins memories, and it would have been possible for Lukas to sympathise with many of them.
However, there was something that drew his attention away from all of that.
Something which boasted an overwhelming presence was embedded in the middle of the area.
It was a long, sharp material that seemed even darker than the darkness that engulfed the surroundings.
His fists clenched tighter. Lukas could not take his eyes off of it.
This trace.
It was something that shouldnt be in this place.
* * *
Cough
With a groan, the Beginning Wizard coughed up a mouthful of blood.
It had happened so suddenly that he hadnt been able to react to it. Even though his face was covered in a mask, his robes were visibly getting wet with blood.
Twitch, twitch. His body shook from time to time before finally going still.
you are certainly an annoying being, Beginning Wizard.
As she said that, Sedi got up from her seat. Not noticing the way her tone had changed, Uros called out to her.
M-, my Lord what the hell is-
At that moment, Sedi turned to look at Uros.
!
The moment he saw her pitch black eyes, Uros voice was blocked.
You didnt see anything, right?
J-, just now, that
Do you need me to say it twice?
M-, my Lord B-, but that power, that thorn
Ahh?
Sedi spoke cheerfully. Sarch* The n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
That look I see. You know about my power.
Amazing. No. Im really impressed. You are quite knowledgeable. But didnt you know? Being smart isnt always a good thing, Uros.
H-, huh?
Firstly, relax your expression.
A smirk spread across Sedis lips.
Its not that surprising that Im using the power of the Black Horned Demon God.
(TL: Nu not our best girl Im so hurt I have lost all trust)
(TL: Sorry about the long break. I ended up falling ill.)
Book 2: Chapter 443
Book 2: Chapter 443 It was a voice shed never forget.
[Lukas Trowman is alive.]
Sedi turned around. Standing there staring at her was a lion with a black mane. No emotions could be felt from its black eyes. But the moment she faced it, her heart dropped.
What the hell
She paused, unable to finish her sentence, then, she bit her lip slightly.
what are you talking about?
In the end, the words that came out of her mouth were filled with politeness. Sedi hated that she was speaking in such a way, but it was like she could no longer control her tongue.
No.
She clenched her fist and shook her head.
It wasnt her tongue. She couldnt blame her body.
It was her mind that was giving in. The being in front of Sedi had great influence on her inner self.
After all, this black lion had once been the Master whom Sedi had given her everything to.
She resented him. Detested him. She quivered at the sense of betrayal.
However she still had lingering feelings.
And after meeting him face to face, she came to realise that there were complex feelings she had been avoiding all along.
[He is in a place that cannot be reached easily.]
The Black Horned Demon God didnt repeat what he said. In the first place, he wasnt that kind of person.
That attitude gradually cooled Sedis head as well.
you mean hes in another universe?
It was one of the highest possibilities that Sedi had considered.
But why cant I go there? Is it because Im a fallen Absolute?
[I said it is a place that cant be reached easily. And if youre asking if youre qualified to go there or not, Ill give you an answer. Out of all the beings I know, you have the highest possibility of being able to enter that place and maintain your existence.]
that means
[Because you experienced your own existence flowing into that world once before.]
Sedi wasnt stupid. Nor was she ignorant. If it had to be said, it was just that her head was on a strange tangent.
So she was able to easily understand.
the World of Void. Are you saying he went there?
[It was only speculation a while ago, but it is now a certainty.]
How?
[In this situation, the reason isnt important, Sedi Trowman.]
Shit. Sedi cursed inwardly.
Her heart throbbed when she heard Trowman, the last name shed always been insisting on, come out of the mouth of the Black Horned Demon God.
[We conducted many experiments in parallel to gain an understanding of that world. Many things are still unknown to us, but the things we know are steadily increasing. The biggest harvest we obtained was learning the conditions to go there, and finding an entrance.]
[Then, we created a world. It is not very special compared to the rest of the multiverse, but there is one difference. It was designed so that the beings here would go to the World of Void when they die.]
The Black Horned Demon God spoke.
[Im talking about this world, the place that was prepared for the Great Games preliminaries.]
!
She was unable to hide her surprise.
The thought that this world was much too large for just the preliminaries had crossed her mind several times. Nevertheless, she hadnt found it too strange.
Because they were Rulers.
For them, it wouldnt be difficult to erase an entire continent just because a fly bothered them.
I dont understand. How did you connect death here to entry into the World of Void?
[One by one, we each created a world we knew best. The Black Earth, Heavenly Realm, Thunder Gorge, Giant Field All the beings that lived there are real people. We peeked into the multiverses records and successfully produced puppet copies of them. Of course, this wasnt a difficult task either.]
puppets?
[The puppets were made with very little difference from the original person so its a bit awkward to call them copies. Naturally. Every single minute cell was made to the same standard. Of course, they cant be called the exact same either. This is because they have different souls. At that time, there was nothing we could do about that but that turned out to be the difference we sought after.]
Sedi was beginning to have trouble understanding the Demon Gods words.
The story was gradually progressing to a perspective that exceeded her level of comprehension.
[Even though they are fundamentally the same, they are still different. This is the prerequisite we were looking for, and it is the key to opening the door to that tightly closed world.]
What do you mean, that
[It allowed the World of Void to mistake the beings living here as abandoned possibilities.]
This wasnt a conversation. It was the Demon Gods one sided rambling.
[But our plan couldnt progress to the next level. It was possible to send them to the World of Void, but that was the limit. Soon after entering, the beings were unable to withstand the power of the surging emptiness and their very existence perished.]
[This is probably because they arent beings who have been forgotten. The power of emptiness exists everywhere in the World of Void. If they are unable to withstand it, it is impossible to avoid death. However, you are different, Sedi.]
The Demon God continued.
[You can maintain your existence there. There is just one condition.]
Condition?
[Accept my power.]
Sedis eyes became cold.
[The Seven Fanged Dragon God fought a being in the World of Void called the Twelve Void Lords and was defeated. It was surprising, but it turned out to be an acceptable result. We cannot exist in that world in a clear state. Because we cannot hold our breath forever. It is possible for us to stay for a while, but the longer we stay, the more of a burden it becomes.]
[So we changed our plan. We decided to select a representative, who would play the role of oxygen tank, to enter. The first experiment was already a success.]
[You are the best candidate. Beings who fall under the category Absolute cannot enter the World of Void. You may have fallen, but you possess overwhelming strength when compared to other mortals. That factor will be of great help in the World of Void.]
She could feel her nails digging into her palms. Feeling her head grow colder, Sedi spoke.
What if I meet Father there? Dont you hate him?
[I do not hate him. He is simply an annoyance.]
If you intend to use me to deceive and kill him
[Deceive you? I do not lie. Im sure you know that.]
[I have no intention of breaking up the relationship between you and Lukas Trowman. Naturally, that means I will also not interfere with your reunion. The role I want you to play is extremely simple. Relay information about the World of Void. And act as my representative.]
You want me to be your tool again.
Sedi was sure that her expression was as cold as her voice.
[You understand perfectly.]
Ha.
[You seem angry. Is there a problem with my proposal?]
A problem? There is. Its full of them.
[What are they?]
You abandoned me.
Her voice fell even lower. But it was no longer cold.
Instead, it was mixed with scalding heat as if it was burning.
After taking my power away, you want to take advantage of me again? You want me to be your representative? Do you think Id accept that offer?
[Then will you refuse? To protect insignificant pride?]
She was speechless.
What?
[This isnt the time to raise your pride. I dont understand. Is that really what you should be focusing on right now?]
The Demon God continued to speak in a flat voice.
[Is it uncomfortable to borrow power from a being you followed in the past? Does it hurt your pride? Do you feel humiliated? Im just asking if you cant even tolerate that much.]
[Has your focus shifted from reuniting with Lukas Trowman to protecting your own pride? Is this all your obsession towards your goal amounts to?]
No, I.
[There is no need to distinguish between means and methods to achieve a goal. Cause, justification, and righteousness only matters after.]
[Or is it perhaps that you still have lingering feelings towards me? If you accept my power again, you wont be able to go back-]
Shut up.
Sedi interrupted.
The Demon God, who was currently in the form of a lion, looked at Sedi with black eyes. His eyes seemed to gleam for a moment.
Sedi wasnt scared.
Instead, she smiled as she spoke.
If your goal was to provoke and tempt me, then Ill have to tell you that youve succeeded.
Right, fine.
She could do it. She would do it.
Some of the words that the Demon God used in the conversation this time touched her heart the most.
There is no need to distinguish between means and methods to achieve a goal.
* * *
Sedi stumbled back to the room.
I, I dont think that was me.
Even her basic ability to think felt like it had been paralysed. Her heart felt tight and her head throbbed. She panted as if she had been sprinting, and her body was filled with heat.
She wanted to sleep. Otherwise, she felt like she would pass out at any moment.
She couldnt do that. She couldnt show any weakness.
Leaning against the wall, she breathed heavily and calmed her body.
And she remembered.
Lukas.
She could feel it just by looking at his eyes. Just how much Lukas relied on her.
She was glad. After all, it was none other than Lukas.
The fact that he regarded her as his daughter, loved her, and relied on her filled her with an irreplaceable sense of fulfilment.
But she wasnt satisfied. Her thirst and greed grew uncontrollably.
More, more, more.
She wanted him to rely on her more, depend on her more, and lean on her more.
So that he wouldnt care about anyone else, so that hed only look at her.
In order to do that, she couldnt show any weakness. She had to show a perfect and strong appearance.
But shed made a big mistake not so long ago. Shed stupidly failed to manage her own condition and had spilled blood in front of Lukas.
Shed managed to gloss over it in her own way, but the other side was Lukas. He might have already noticed something strange.
So for the time being, she intended to play the role of the perfect innocent daughter without making even the slightest mistake.
The Beginning Wizard.
That motherfucker had arrived at the worst time.
Of course, since he was bothering Lukas, she had intended to kill him eventually, but it was too soon.
huu.
She managed to stabilise herself.
Her headache was gone, her heartache had ceased.
Walking through the long hallways of the castle, Sedi wiped cold sweat from her face.
Then she slammed the door of the room assigned to Lukas open.
Im back.
Fortunately, her voice didnt falter.
father?
Lukas was in the room.
But she didnt receive an answer.
He wasnt sitting on the bed, he was standing in the middle of the room, looking at her.
Whats going o-
What about the Beginning Wizard?
Lukas interrupted Sedi. Perhaps it was just a feeling, but there felt like there was a hint of chill in his voice.
Flinching at the cold, Sedi responded.
He just, left after talking.
Why did she lie? That was a lie that was bound to be discovered one day.
Although she questioned herself inwardly, Sedi continued to look at Lukas visage.
Something was wrong.
Lukas attitude, his voice, his expression. And the atmosphere in the room
I was comfortable.
Huh?
After coming here, I was able to spend the most peaceful time of my life. All thanks to you. So thank you very much for that.
Originally, she would have been happy.
Lukas had softened a lot, but he had never spoken so straightforwardly before. That was probably something hed never told anyone before. Just having this thought would have filled Sedi with overwhelming happiness.
However now it was different.
Why are you saying that all of a
Sedi stopped talking.
Then she spoke in a stiff voice.
you know.
Lukas silence was an affirmation.
How? No, what did you see? Was it the thorn? Or
The bottom.
That one word was enough.
He caught me. He caught me.
Father caught me.
Did he know everything? Then what did he think of me? Then what am I supposed to do?
Stunned, Sedi opened her mouth. Tens of thousands of thoughts swirled in her mind.
Then, a voice that added to the chaos sounded in her ears.
Sedi, Ill be leaving this place today.
Le-, leaving?
Right.
Lukas spoke in a calm tone.
I cannot continue like this. I can feel myself growing weaker. This is natural since I was relying on you for everything.
Whats wrong with that? Its not a bad thing to rely on someone.
Someday, it will get very bad. After all, there are some things that cannot be entrusted to others. There are things you can only do on your own.
Im not others. We are family.
I know. And I still feel that way.
n-, no. Fa-, Father doesnt think so.
Sedis voice was beginning to quiver.
Rumble.
As if it was resonating with her, the surrounding space began to tremble as well.
Sedi?
No. No. No. No. Not this.
Sedi began to shake and mutter to herself.
And pukpuk, pukpuk, she began to scratch her head till her skin started bleeding.
Sedi?
I, do I disgust you? Huh? Do you feel betrayed, deceived, and contempt because I accepted the power of the Black Horned Demon God again?
Thats not it.
It really was.
As if to prove it, Lukas had not directly made mention of the Demon God even once.
I know it was all to meet me. Id be lying if I didnt say I didnt have a bit of regret, but Im so much more grateful than that
Lies!
Sedi shouted like she was getting a seizure.
Boom. Like an explosion, a shockwave rippled through the air. The table and bed were flipped upside down, and the vases were broken.
Stop lying! You wouldnt want to leave if you didnt think I was disgusting!
If I stay by your side
Youll get weak? Whats wrong with that? If theres anything you cant solve because youre weak, Ill solve it for you! No matter what it is, or who it is! I just have to destroy and kill them all!
Sedi.
No. Not this, Father. Fathers thoughts right now are wrong. So
Sedi shook her head vigorously and paused.
huh. You just need to think a bit more. With me.
Lifting her face, she showed a bright smile.
I have a good idea. Stay with me until you change your mind. I dont have anything to hide anymore, so Ill always be by your side. Uh, but I still cant let you run away, so Id better cut off your limbs.
Youll be fine. It wont bleed, and you wont die. It might hurt a bit, but Father can withstand that much, right? Even if you look like that, Im sure youd be much happier by my side. So
The smile transformed into something dangerous. Sear?h the N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Stay with me until the day you die.
Book 2: Chapter 444
Book 2: Chapter 444 He didnt want to fight. That was the first thought he had.
But, contrary to his wish, he knew there was no way to avoid a confrontation. Lukas reached up to touch his carotid artery.
He had no idea what kind of power shed use.
He knew about her fighting style in the past when she was an Absolute and after her fall. But Sedi would probably show a completely different fighting style now.
Because she couldnt have defeated Kasajin, who was the [0th Demon] with the power she had at that time.
He could feel tension begin to seep in from his head to his toes.
Lukas hadnt seen her fight. He regretted that. If he knew something like this would happen, he would have tried to accompany her somehow when she went to fight Pale.
Of course, this wasnt the time for regrets.
Instead, his mind drifted to Lee Jong-hak.
To be precise, he thought of the Lightning God hidden within Lee Jong-hak.
Ssss-
He could feel darkness wriggling all over Sedis body. At first glance, it seemed like the darkness was moving secretly, but in truth, the darkness had no intention of hiding its presence.
Did she not want to attack?
Or did she think it didnt matter if he noticed or not?
In the next moment, he realised it was the latter.
Paak!
The darkness shot to Lukas in the shape of a thorn(1*). It moved at a speed that was physically impossible.(*:Previously horn, explanation below.)
Nevertheless, Lukas had completed his preparations. Opinions about whether those preparations were enough or not would probably differ, but he didnt act carelessly.
Sedis first attack lacked decisiveness. Instead, it was more of a check or probe. He could easily tell that much.
There was definitely a difference in level between the two of them. However, if it was an attack that was only intended to probe, it could be handled without difficulty.
Or at least, it shouldve been.
Puk.
!
He felt a sharp pain in his abdomen.
Unable to withstand the force, Lukas was sent flying backwards, blood spewing from his mouth. The wall did nothing to stop his flying body. Instead, Lukas broke through dozens of walls with his back, and before long, he appeared outside of the castle all together.
This castle was like a bat stuck to the ceiling. The only place to stand outside of it was the small piece of land in front of the entrance.
What unfolded for Lukas, who had broken through the walls of the castle, was the view of a long fall.
But Lukas body didnt fall. This was because the thorn that pierced through his body was firmly holding him in the air.
Kuk
The pain of the thorn piercing his body was quite formidable.
The power of a Ruler.
It was said to be the next stage of external force, the power that the Lightning God used was called [Thunder]. This thorn probably contained the same kind of power as the Lightning Gods Thunder.
Sedi was freely using this power.
a power that directly opposes Void.
Once his body was attacked with this power, he would essentially be helpless afterwards. So the minimum condition to win this fight would be to not touch the thorn at all.
Lukas grit his teeth.
Void.
He was unable to use the power he devoured countless Lukases to obtain.
Cough!
Unable to suppress the blood rising up his throat, he coughed it out. The blood was the colour of burnt ashes.
This thorn that had pierced him was dangerous.
It felt as if it wasnt just his body, but something more important that had been pierced and held in place. It also felt as if the thorn was sucking his energy out.
Lukas grabbed the thorn with both hands. Then, he tried to break it forcefully. His void might not be available, but his current physical ability was nothing to scoff at.
He could probably fold a thick steel bar five times with just his grip.
But the thorn was unmoved. There were no signs of it breaking.
Lukas realised.
He would not be able to break this thorn. It was impossible for him to even bend it or interfere with it in any way.
Tap tap-
On the thorn that pierced Lukas body, a girl could be seen walking from the castle.
What are you going to do when youre so weak?
Her long hair swayed back and forth as she walked.
Father, did you know, I changed my view of humans.
At the sudden remark, Lukas coughed up blood once more before opening his mouth.
What?
Father is a human who couldnt live and cant die. Humans as individuals are weak like bugs, but the higher their numbers go, the greater the synergy they create. They are the race with the greatest potential in the Three Thousand Worlds.
Her quiet, muffled voice approached.
Hed lost too much blood. His consciousness was fading.
Being unable to use void meant that the ability to recover from injuries had also been lost. Nevertheless, Lukas forcibly focused his blurred vision. Then he looked directly into the eyes of Sedi, who had drawn near.
Sedis gaze darkened.
I hated humans. I thought that they were so united because they were all weak. But it wasnt like that. I was actually envious of them. Although they were weak, they acknowledged their weakness, and joined together to make up for their weaknesses with their strengths.
I acknowledge that fact now. And Ive come to fully understand the human race. Relationships built on relying on each other Its amazing. I thought Father and I could have a relationship like that.
Then she looked at Lukas with anticipation filled eyes. But in the same instant, her gaze became one of disappointment instead.
there is no response. I thought Father would be happy if I said this.
She had twisted it.
Lukas couldnt help but think so.
The current Sedi, she didnt understand the beauty of humans at all.
She was just trying to force a concord. In truth, it was a very obsequious way of speaking to bring up topics that one had no real interest in.
Even with his blurred vision, Lukas could see that much.
Why are you looking at me like that? Did I say something wrong?
do you rely on me?
Of course not. But just looking at Father gives me a lot of strength. I feel like I can do literally anything.
thats not what it means to rely on someone.
Lukas continued to speak in a faint voice.
Youre forcing me to be your father.
Your only goal is to receive an extremely selfish satisfaction from it. Because you need to truly care about someone to fully understand.
He looked at the thorn piercing his body.
Your actions dont show that at all.
-then what if I had cared for you?
Sedis voice rose sharply.
Is it considered caring if Id let Father go when you said you were leaving? When I dont know if wed ever see each other again? I
Her face became distorted and her hair began to flutter.
Then, her raised voice took on a dark tone.
I gave up everything, and I came here for what I gave everything up for!
Sedi.
Its not like that. Youre wrong. Im not being selfish. Its Father.
Right, right I understand now. That is also a possibility. Now that Father is weak, your mind and body cant be separated. Because Father is weak. Huh. And its not strange for the weak to be wrong about things.
It was different from Lee Jong-hak.
Sedi Trowman was the one who was currently in control of her body.
He could feel the Black Horned Demon Gods power, but not his consciousness.
While it might seem fortunate that she was able to keep her mind, in truth, it might be even worse.
Sedis mind now had been tainted.
Why are you looking at me like that?
Sedi smiled brightly.
I dont like that look.
At those words, a thorn extended from his index finger and stabbed Lukas right eye.
Puk.
Kuk
As his vision darkened instantly, Lukas couldnt help but let out a groan.
As expected, Father is amazing. This thorn can stimulate your nervous system to the maximum, and the pain is usually thousands of times more than normal. If it was a weak person, just a stab to the finger would probably be enough to melt their brain and make them die of shock. Isnt that interesting? Kikiki.
Sedi spoke in a blissful voice.
And yet Father barely groaned. This proves that your mental strength far surpasses the level of Absolutes. Nevertheless, its time to put a stop to this, isnt it? You lost a lot of blood, so your consciousness is probably blurred.
Get some sleep. And leave everything to me. Then everything will be fine.
He couldnt lose consciousness.
It would be dangerous to lose consciousness right now.
Nevertheless, his eyelids were becoming heavy. And his consciousness was gradually fading to darkness.
Lukas head dropped.
* * *
He felt moisture.
Drip. Sarch* The N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
And a cold feeling.
Was it a drop of water?
Lukas opened his eyes. To be precise, he only opened one eye.
This place
It was very dark. There was only a flickering lamp in the corner of the room that seemed like it would go out at any moment. The overall scene was reminiscent of a dungeon.
The iron bars were strangely cold as if they were covered in a desolate aura.
Rustle-
Instinctively, he tried to move his arm, but he couldnt.
That wasnt all.
He had no hands or feet.
Lukas arms had been cut off from the forearms, and his legs had been cut below the thighs.
Kuh
It was only then that he noticed the horrific pain. The pain was so severe that even Lukas, who had an extreme tolerance for pain, couldnt help but groan.
He realised.
The thorn that had pierced his eye, his limbs had probably been cut off with the same thorn.
He had once shown Sedi his power of void. That wasnt all. It was none other than Lukas who had healed her wounds after her fight with Pale.
The amputation of his limbs had probably been done while keeping void in mind.
But, in truth, it was an unnecessary measure.
The current Lukas couldnt use the power of void.
why?
A cracked voice leaked out.
Why cant I use void?
He asked the voices that had always been screaming annoyingly in his head.
[]
[]
But all he received was silence.
At some point, the voices had disappeared entirely and he could no longer hear them.
haha.
Lukas let out a dry laugh.
Why were they no longer here?
No. That wasnt it. Lukas ridiculed his attempt to ignore reality.
This was the result of his own actions, and it was the karma that Lukas had to pay.
They hadnt abandoned Lukas.
It was Lukas who had broken his promise to them.
He was the one who chose to throw away his responsibilities first.
They didnt want me to play that kind of role.
He wasnt supposed to entrust his responsibilities to anyone, even Sedi, who said she was his daughter and who Lukas considered to be such.
Because they were all Lukas.
Even though they had all lived different lives, had different values, and had different personalities, they were all undeniably Lukas.
Had I really been convinced?
He hadnt.
It was as Kasajin said.
He knew. He knew everything.
And yet, he pretended not to know.
Hed wanted to stay a bit more ignorant.
He knew all too well that not knowing would make him happy and knowing would make him unhappy.
He didnt want to wake up.
The brief dream in the castle had been so sweet.
He was so comfortable and happy that he could cry, so he ignored his discomfort. He ignored the warnings.
And this was the result.
Creak-
Then came the sound of the iron door opening.
Tap tap, he felt someone enter this space.
Lukas looked through the iron bars with his one remaining eye.
How are you, Father?
Tap tap, tap.
Lukas looked at Sedi for a moment.
Then, his gaze turned to something she was holding in her right hand. Holding like it was a package.
Of course, it wasnt a package.
Looking at your face, you seem fine. Did you just wake up?
what are you holding?
Ah. By the way, not a lot of time passed. In our concept of time it should be about half a day.
What are you holding?
I wanted to come right away, but I had some things to take care of, so-
Sedi Glaston.
Sedi, who had been talking with a bright smile, stopped.
The air seemed to freeze.
But Lukas continued in a heated tone.
What are you holding?
Sedi looked at Lukas with a blank expression, then she opened the iron door and walked into the cell.
Clang, creak
Then, she rolled the thing she was holding in her right hand over to Lukas.
Clatter-
Its the result of the purge. I came here as fast as I could. Father knows, right? Corpses in this world disappear quickly.
That head.
That head, which had come to a stop right in front of Lukas, had a very calm expression.
The furrowed eyebrows and closed eyes allowed one to feel this guys characteristic stubbornness.
A face he could envision even while asleep.
It was Kasajins defenceless face.
I clearly warned him. I told him not to speak nonsense, it was this guy who broke it first.
Lukas looked up.
So, I killed him.
He was looking at the severed head of his best friend, the Magic Warrior King, Kasajin.
Shwaa-
Then, right before Lukas eyes,
Kasajins head disappeared as if it had evaporated.
He was kinda annoying.
Sedi smiled sadistically at the stunned Lukas.
(TL: Well this took a turn.)
(Note:
1.I was going to stick with it, but now that it is appearing more often I figure I might as well fix/explain it. Long story short, the Black Horned Demon God should have been the Black Thorned Demon King/Demon King of Black Thorns(changed to Demon *God* to avoid confusion) but I believe that I made a typo and wrote Horned instead. Usually with titles, I just go back to check/copy what I wrote before since there are so many ways to interpret them hence why it stayed as horned. But a while ago, when they started mentioning the name more often I actually looked at it and noticed that Id been calling him horned this entire time. I used horn(s) to describe the power before for the sake of continuity and to avoid confusion, but I decided to correct it to thorns since it is a bit debilitating. It has been corrected in the previous chapters(as far as I could remember it being mentioned)
I will continue to use the name Black Horned Demon God because I find it amusing that this happened again(something similar happened in S1 with Freys mothers name).
For reference, horn is ?-ppul while thorn(and a lot of other things that are thin and sharp) is ??-gasi.
TLDR: Black Horned Demon God uses the power of thorns.)
Book 2: Chapter 445
Book 2: Chapter 445 It felt like his head was covered in thick fog. His body felt heavy. Dizziness seemed to swallow not just his mind, but his entire body.
And yet, in the midst of that, a fact that couldnt be ignored pierced its way to the forefront.
Hes dead.
Kasajin was dead.
Although he had been reduced to a pitiful being who didnt even know if he could call himself Kasajin, and his appearance had changed greatly, that man, who was able to share memories with Lukas, was now dead.
His heart sank.
So vainly.
Hed died at the hands of a being he never would have expected.
The water in a canteen is the essence.
Those were the words Pale had said to Kasajin in the past.
The canteen was just the shell. The liquid it contained was the essence.
Death in the World of Void was like breaking the canteen. But just because the canteen was broken didnt mean the liquid in it disappeared.
It just scattered.
The spilled water would wet the ground, and it would be impossible to collect it again. In a sense, it could be described as returning to nature.
That was what death in this world was.
The void that made up the body would scatter into the atmosphere. It was close to impossible to revive someone even if all of the scattered void was collected again.
So it could be said that Kasajin was truly dead.
He didnt realise.
Hed felt the way he was feeling now before.
When hed finally escaped from the Abyss and entered the body of Frey Blake.
At that time, he hadnt fully recognised the weight of those 4,000 years, and the fact that most of the things he knew were dead or forgotten. At that time, too, his brain had trouble accepting it.
That was still the case. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Lukas had seen Kasajins severed head, but he still hadnt fully accepted his death.
Perhaps it was because of the fatigue, but his head throbbed.
Suddenly, he felt like he wanted to fall into a very deep sleep.
* * *
-thats why. Im gonna kill that Diablo guy.
It was like reporting your daily routine to your parents.
Sedi spoke in a relaxed voice.
Im not going to attend that meeting. So how will I get to kill him? There has to be a way. That skeleton is in the Dump Site, so maybe I can go there myself and
It seemed that Sedi intended to get rid of all of Lukas obstacles first. But her voice didnt reach his ears. She didnt receive a proper response. He just stared blankly with dead eyes.
And Sedi didnt like that unresponsiveness.
Paak
Kuk
His abdomen sank. Sedi had kicked Lukas.
Father, Im talking to you.
Say something.
Puk, puk.
She was engrossed in beating him as she tried to get Lukas attention or see some kind of reaction. There were times when she wouldnt say anything and would just unleash violence all day.
Why arent you smiling, Father?
Smile. Like you used to. And call my name. Stroke my head.
Sedis mind was no longer normal. It had been barely stable before the truth was discovered, but it seemed to have collapsed completely after the discovery.
First of all, Lukas had no hands to stroke her head with.
Jurk-
One time, Sedi coughed up black blood. When he first saw it, it poured out from her nose and mouth, and in the end, it even flowed from her eyes.
It looked like she was vomiting black mud from her eyes.
thatll be all for today.
When that happened, Sedi hurriedly wiped her face and left the dungeon.
Lukas gradually came to realise that she would leave when she began to bleed black blood.
* * *
Even in this situation, he was able to grasp the approximate passage of time.
It had only been about three or four days since hed been imprisoned in this place. But it felt like it had been tens of times longer than that.
That must hurt.
He heard a voice.
At first, he thought it was a hallucination. This was because he couldnt sense anyone else, and the voice was so faint as if he was hearing it in a dream.
That must be painful.
When he heard it again, he thought it might be the Black Horned Demon God. Because it was likely Sedis mind and his intention that had caused him to be locked up in this place.
How are you feeling now?
But the third time he heard, Lukas realised that wasnt the case.
He opened his eyes That voice. Hed heard it somewhere before.
With his lone eye, he looked ahead. In his dim vision, a certain being could be seen.
It was a frog.
He saw a frog standing there while moving its head.
Hop.
The frog jumped through the bars of the cell and stopped about two steps away from Lukas.
Kukuku
A low but cheerful voice rang out. It had definitely come from the frog.
But it was strange.
He could hear the voice from the frog, but the frogs mouth remained firmly closed. It didnt seem to be using any sound projection or telepathy technique either.
As if it didnt care about Lukas curiosity, the frog continued to look at him with its characteristically emotionless amphibian eyes.
A frog in this situation. Had he finally gone crazy? Or was he simply hallucinating? It didnt really make a difference which one it was, but he wasnt sure.
The current Lukas lacked acuity.
The loud voices ringing in your head. They werent necessarily a bad thing, young man.
The moment he heard those words, Lukas realised who the frog was.
Beginning Wizard.
You are a living witness. This is what happens when the voices disappear.
The frog chuckled.
They were constantly awakening your mind. Of course, you wouldnt think so. You must have simply wanted to get rid of the voices.
But is that really possible? After all, they are all Lukas Trowman. They eagerly handed their responsibilities over to you so that you could fulfil their unfulfilled wishes on their behalf. Theres no way those people would interfere with your work, is there?
He hadnt thought that far.
He hadnt expected the voices to have that kind of effect. That meant the reason Lukas mind was so foggy now was because the awakening effect they had given was gone.
There are certain thoughts that you can only have in such a state.
what do you mean?
There was a time like this when you couldnt move, wasnt there? At that time, you didnt even have a body, and you couldnt get anyones help, so if you just judge from the situation, I think this one is better.
He felt his mind clear up.
The time the Beginning Wizard was talking about was when Lukas had been locked away in the Abyss.
Lukas looked at the frog.
Wh-, who are you?
The frogs eyes seemed to shine strangely with brilliant blue light.
How do you know about me? By chance, are you from the same universe
Show me what youve already shown me time and time again. Dont let me down.
His manner of speaking changed.
Think about revenge. Vent your hatred on the person who made you like this. Even if its dark and negative, its fine for you to use it. In this situation, its a useful factor for maintaining a broken mind.
are you another Lukas?
The frog didnt reply.
But Lukas somehow had the feeling that he was smiling faintly.
Come to the Magic Planet whenever you want. I have a lot of gifts for you.
Hop.
The frog jumped out of the cell.
* * *
-Hatred and rage. Revenge.
Thats what the frog no, the Beginning Wizard said.
The more constrained the situation was, the more unorganised and rough emotions could be transformed into the most efficient driving force.
But the current Lukas hatred had lost its direction. He could not direct it at Sedi. He knew it in his head. She was also a victim. Although she had killed Kasajin, although she had tricked him and tortured him, that was probably not what Sedi wanted to do.
Demon God?
In that case, could he direct his hatred towards the Demon God? Of course, Lukas hated the Black Horned Demon God. However it wasnt enough.
He couldnt vent as much rage at him as he had when he was trapped in the Abyss in the past. This was a matter of emotions. While it was possible to control them to an extent, it was impossible to control them completely.
And.
-ah.
Lukas suddenly realised.
His heart had felt stuffy ever since hed returned to his home universe and realised his existence had been forgotten. An unresolved resentment. It was like he was suffering from an insatiable thirst.
The reason had become clear.
Lukas had no being that he could focus all of his hatred and rage on. He had been toyed with by fate, accidents, or laws, but never by a specific being. From a more human perspective, it was like being swept away by a natural disaster like a typhoon or tsunami.
driving force.
Lukas pondered those words.
In the end, he was the one who knew himself best.
* * *
In front of Sedi, he still acted as if hed lost all of his energy. As such, the level of violence that Sedi unleashed gradually increased, but he didnt care.
When she left him alone, Lukas would get lost in his thoughts and he often meditated.
Its been a long time.
It had been a long time since hed focused on meditation. At least, since becoming an Absolute, he had never immersed himself in meditation with the goal of development. Because he was already mentally complete.
But it was different now.
Lukas was now realising his own imperfection.
-There are certain thoughts that you can only have in such a state.
The Beginning Wizards voice lingered in his mind strangely.
There were thoughts that he could only have when he was like this.
That meant there were also things that he could only do in this state.
But Lukas had no clue how he could escape his current situation.
I would just rather die.
His lips twisted into a sneer at the sudden thought. It was in mockery of himself.
He didnt think of dying to be more comfortable.
Lukas was simply suffering from the desire to start over.
Trash.
He stopped to swear at himself.
You want to die and start over? So what, would you kill yourself? There was still the question of whether hed even be able to regress this time.
In itself, the thought was an insult to life.
Life was only beautiful because you only had one which meant youd always do your best.
If you could have two, three, or even more lives.
If you could undo as you please, revert as you please, and repeat as you please.
Then you would probably regret every choice you made. It would reach a point where you could only be satisfied with a perfect judgement, and that compulsion would eventually devour you from the inside. It was a self destructive choice.
Lukas respected life. He respected the dignity of a single life.
To want to kill himself because of the possibility of starting over?
It was an insult.
A clear insult to the path hed walked so far.
I have no intention of killing myself.
There was no point in doing that.
This perspective.
In a situation where he couldnt use void.
In a situation where Kasajin was dead.
In a situation when all of his limbs had been cut off and he was struggling to find a way to reverse this situation.
Sss-
A bluish aura appeared within Lukas eyes.
Book 2: Chapter 446
Book 2: Chapter 446 He had no arms. He had no legs. He only had one eye left. At every moment, he felt pain in the cross section of his wounds and his empty eye socket as if they had been set ablaze, but that didnt really bother him. Lukas knew how to handle pain.
Clink.
Even if he wanted to, he couldnt move around because his severed limbs were bound in chains.
But even with all of this, he was still granted some freedoms.
He could still close his eye. He had no problem controlling his rate of breathing, and he could continue to think. Therefore, he had no problem creating the conditions needed to concentrate.
Meditation.
An absence of thought was required for mediation. The only time this wasnt needed was when ones mind was free from distractions in the first place. But that wasnt the case for Lukas now. On the contrary, his mind was more active than it had ever been before.
Huuuu
He slowly let out a breath.
The fog in his head seemed to escape through his mouth. It was faint, but it was clear that his mind was slowly regaining its intelligence.
There were two things that he had to think about at this point.
What he had to do.
And what he could do.
What I need to do is
The first thing he had to do was regain his bodys freedom. If possible, it would be good if he could regenerate his limbs. It was difficult, but not impossible. There was certainly a way, if he could succeed.
Father, its time for dinner.
Sedi opened the cell door and walked in. She was holding a single piece of jerky the size of a knuckle in her hand.
Sedi didnt want Lukas to die. What she wanted was to keep Lukas presence by her side and have complete control over him.
Even if she had lost her mind. No. Even if her mind was broken, that goal only made her obsession stronger. And in this world, if you didnt eat, you would eventually begin to disappear from the tip of your toes. It was an unannounced death that was twice as terrifying than normal starvation. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Sedi gave Lukas the jerky. Lukas opened his mouth and bit the jerky before chewing slowly and swallowing. He felt the barest amount of energy return to his body.
This made it possible for him to exist for the time being.
Sedi smiled contentedly.
Youve become a bit more obedient. Thats enough. Huh.
Later, when Father can really make good judgements, Ill even let you regenerate your limbs too. So stay calm. Alright?
Sedi left the dungeon without waiting for an answer. Gradually, she was beginning to spend less and less time in this place. Was she working on something? Or
Lukas shook his head. He couldnt afford to think about what Sedi was doing now.
He waited until he could no longer feel Sedis presence, and her footsteps could no longer be heard.
When he was convinced that she had left completely,
Twet.
Lukas spat the beef jerky out of his mouth. The beef jerky, which had been carefully cut by his molars, glistened with saliva.
Pale had said that in order to maintain ones existence in the World of Void, one had to eat before the sky changed colour five times, but that wasnt the complete answer. There were subtle differences depending on the individual.
So when Sedi gave Lukas jerky for the first time, she had no choice but to feed him a larger amount than usual. This was because, if Lukas were to disappear because she didnt give him enough jerky, that would be the worst.
At first, she gave him two pieces. As soon as he ate them, one of his arms had regenerated. When that happened, Sedi had frowned before cutting it off again.
Now that I think about it, theres one more thing I need to break.
After saying that, Sedi pierced Lukas mana room with a thorn that she produced from somewhere. The small bit of mana he had replenished disappeared once again, and the amount of jerky he received from that point was reduced by half.
After she realised how much was needed for Lukas to barely maintain his existence, from that day onward, Lukas meal was a single piece of jerky. But that turned out to be a trick.
In fact, Lukas only swallowed half of the jerky that he took into his mouth. It was a method that took some finesse, acting skill, and a fair share of luck, but in the end, he still succeeded.
This is far from enough.
It would take at least ten pieces of jerky for him to fully regenerate his limbs. If he were to swallow all of the stored jerky at one time, he would be able to heal all of the wounds on his body.
Eight more times.
Lukas would need to have eight more meals in the future. It was a gamble because there was still a chance that he could get caught, but he couldnt think of a better plan.
Lukas forcibly moved his severed leg to cover the jerky.
* * *
Hed collected five pieces of jerky in total.
Hed received a total of five meals.
At this point, Lukas agonised inwardly.
This wont do.
Even if he ate the ten pieces of jerky and regenerated his body, that didnt necessarily mean hed be able to break free from the chains restraining him. Not to mention escaping from the dungeon.
And what about after that?
If Lukas managed to escape, Sedi would probably still be able to recapture him again with ease. Even if she only noticed his escape after a long time, that would still be the case.
He didnt know if hed be safe if he went to the territory of another of the Twelve Void Lords, but even the closest one was very far away from this place. And even if he did arrive at one of their territories, there was a very slim chance that one of the Twelve Void Lords would fight Sedi for Lukas.
I have to fight.
His options narrowed. Running away was pointless.
To overcome this crisis, he would need to defeat and subdue Sedi.
But, how?
He couldnt use void. Hed been trying to use that power for a long time, but it remained silent.
The most powerful, almighty and dangerous powers that Lukas had used before. Mana, divine power, divine magic power, and of course, the Absolutes external force were nothing compared to it. At the very least, in the World of Void, void was the power that was closest to the concept of invincibility.
When hed gained the ability to use that power, Lukas realised that he had entered a higher level. (TL: And still got his butt handed to him xD)
But hed lost that power.
No, it rejected him*. He didnt even know if any of the Lukases were left. (*: Could also be he rejected it.)
He felt the sense of loss once again.
Then, what did he have left?
Subconsciously, Lukas checked his mana room.
His mana room had been pierced by black thorns. Naturally, there wouldnt be any mana there. The mana that was regenerated when he ate the jerky quickly fled through the gaps.
A mana room without mana was still called a mana room. Lukas smiled twistedly as he thought of the pun. He couldnt. It wasnt a mana room, it was just a space in his body.
He scoured every inch of that space. It could even be said that he turned on a light to look for even the thinnest residue. Seeing himself like this was ridiculous. It was no better than going to a lover youd abandoned and kneeling down to beg for forgiveness.
Nevertheless, Lukas was desperate.
He was so desperate, he searched for even the slightest hint of mana in his body. It didnt matter how little.
His mind became hot and his consciousness ignited.
Meanwhile, a corner of his head gradually cooled down.
What is the reason?
When he had been using void to fight in the past, Lukas hadnt used the fighting style he was most familiar with. It would have been entirely possible for him to do so because void was an infinitely applicable ability.
He could have used magic.
But he didnt.
Instead, Lukas used weapons he was unfamiliar with, and sometimes even resorted to hand to hand combat. Of course, there was no discomfort in that behaviour because he had the memories of the countless Lukases.
But it was by no means his strongest fighting style.
What was I afraid of?
He asked himself.
It wasnt that he couldnt use magic. He chose not to use it. And the reason for that lay within him.
He had to ask. He wanted to know for sure.
Why the hell did he hesitate, what exactly was he afraid of.
-ah.
His voice leaked out without him realising it.
A bit.
He felt like he could sense a bit of mana now.
He had sensed a reverberation. Nevertheless, the reason it took him so long to realise it was because the trace didnt come from within Lukas.
The frog.
The hint of mana hed sensed came from the spot where the Beginning Wizard had stood.
Lukas hesitated again.
Even though hed found the mana he desired so much, he couldnt reach his hand out to it so easily. However, this wasnt the time for hesitation. He couldnt expect the mana to remain there forever.
He focused his attention.
He approached it with utmost respect and caution, and also with the slightest hint of fear.
Please come here.
And the mana.
As if it had been waiting, it began to approach Lukas.
Tears threatened to escape.
Lukas clenched his teeth, his expression unsightly.
In his head, he understood. This was nothing more than a simple reaction.
Mana was just energy, it did not have a will of its own. Therefore, for a Wizard as talented as Lukas, it would not be difficult for him to make it do his bidding even if it was further away. In fact, it could be considered a natural phenomenon.
Nevertheless, he was so grateful that it had so willingly answered his call that the faint touch of mana warmed him enough to bring tears to his eye. Lukas had a hard time keeping the tears at bay.
There was only a bit of mana.
There was so little that it would almost be used up if he cast even a 1 star spell. It was far from enough to reverse his situation.
But it was by no means useless.
This mana allowed Lukas to take the first step. It gave him hope.
So what he had to do now was the simplest but also most difficult thing.
That was to be patient and move forward slowly, step by step.
But, of course, that was one of Lukas specialities.
* * *
The Corpse Ghost had said.
-Because there is a high chance that the Beginning Wizard is a higher level version of you.
Hed said that after seeing Lukas use void.
-Of course, the effects and direction are a bit different. But at least, you are not a perfect pioneer in that power of Void.
In other words, the Beginning Wizard could use void, just like Lukas. Probably more perfectly than Lukas, too.
But when the Beginning Wizard blew up the Snake Apostle, he hadnt felt any activity of void.
No. At that time Id already been rejected by void, so I might not have been able to notice.
If that was the case, then hed have to change the direction of his question.
How had the Beginning Wizard left mana in this place? Mana was not a part of the World of Voids atmosphere. In other words, it couldnt remain here. He now knew that it wasnt just the case for mana, but for other types of energy as well. The power of void erased everything it touched.
[The ignorant call anything they cant understand magic.]
Suddenly, he heard a voice. At the same time, he felt the mana, which had reached almost to the front of his nose, melt like a candle.
Lukas was surprised, but he soon calmed his surprise as he grasped the situation.
The Beginning Wizard.
This was all that mans arrangement.
Hed left the mana here, then set a certain spell that would activate once certain criteria were met.
[Its ironic that the thoughtless remarks of these people are infinitely close to the true essence of magic. Because magic in its truest sense is something that cannot be understood by anyone.]
The voice continued to make remarks that were difficult even for Lukas, the Great Mage, to understand.
[Magic is not a field of study. Or rather, it shouldnt be a field of study. If there are hundreds of Wizards, then there should be hundreds of different kinds of magic.]
Nevertheless, Lukas was deeply focused on that voice.
[The nature and interaction of mana? Structured teaching and discipline? That is all false. Its the same for the word magicology. In fact, that word in itself is a contradiction.]
[Create your own world in your head. Do not be understood by anyone, and do not share with anyone. You have to be outrageously self righteous. Remember. The moment your world is understood by someone else, your identity as a Wizard fades.]
[The knowledge of a Wizard is self righteous.]
The voice stopped there.
In the cell, Lukas became lost in his thoughts.
Hed come to realise after talking to the Beginning Wizard.
He For some reason, he seemed to favour him. He couldnt tell if it was a lie or calculated behaviour.
What was clear was that he had a certain reason for leaving this arrangement.
self righteous.
Lukas slowly rolled those words around in his mind.
The Wizards from Magic Planet.
They were completely different from the Wizards Lukas had known before. It wasnt that they used an energy that was completely unrelated to mana, but they didnt seem to use the system of magic that he knew before.
Was that the answer?
Was the magic they were seeking and using right?
He could not even guess how powerful the Beginning Wizard was.
Sedi had said shed killed the Beginning Wizard. But hed appeared before him in the form of a frog, and there hadnt seemed to be any urgency in his voice. To put it simply, this meant that he was safe and without injury.
In other words, that meant that even Sedi, who had borrowed the Black Horned Demon Gods power, had not realised that the Beginning Wizards death was fake.
A being superior to me in the field of magic.
His heart beat strangely in his chest.
For the first time, Lukas looked forward to meeting, or reuniting, with the Beginning Wizard, for a reason other than Jacob.
This was a crossroads.
He could see two choices before him.
He could either take the Beginning Wizards words as a lesson or simply dismiss them as simply advice.
But that thought didnt last very long.
!
Lukas raised his eye.
This
A voice that could not hide the surprise he felt leaked out of his lips.
The presence of mana had suddenly appeared in the void around him.
No. That wasnt it. It hadnt suddenly appeared. Lukas focused his gaze a bit more.
Then he realised.
The void is changing into mana.
It felt like a current passed through his brain. Like a scholar who had gained a glimpse of the truth, Lukas looked at this scene with a wide mouth.
Eye wide, Lukas made sure to capture the entire scene in his gaze.
And he had a thought.
If he could fully understand what was happening at that moment, he might have a chance to obtain clear victory in the fight against Sedi.
(TL: For anyone getting a sense of deja vu, the words in the [] are exactly what the Beginning Wizard said to Jacob as quoted in chapter 411. The Author likes to reuse dialogue.)
Book 2: Chapter 447
Book 2: Chapter 447 Sedis assaults gradually lost a reason. Lukas was well aware that this behaviour was simply venting anger.
Paak, pak, puk.
She mainly used her hands and feet. The only thing Lukas could do to defend himself was to twist his body as much as possible to avoid blows to his vital points, but the order was a bit mixed this time.
A sharp kick stabbed into Lukas solar plexus.
Kuk
Lukas eye widened as he let out a gasp.
On the other hand, Sedis mouth stretched into a bright smile.
Mm. The feeling in my hand* just now was good. No, I kicked you just now so I guess I should say the feeling in my foot instead. (*: Feeling in the hand/taste of the hand is just an expression to emphasise the touch or feel of something or the effort that went into it)
Something seemed to be wrong with her expression. Sedi chuckled as Lukas coughed a few times before he looked up at her with a blank expression.
Sedi stopped laughing.
Is there something you want to say urk.
Sedi staggered, clutching her head.
The dizziness. It was becoming more frequent. She was probably more aware of that fact than Lukas was.
are you okay?
Without realising it, Lukas mumbled those words. Sedi, who was wiping away blood, shook.
what?
Their eyes met.
But Lukas didnt repeat himself. Instead, he simply looked into her eyes.
There was no trace of Sedis unique red colour in those black eyes.
Did you just show worry for me?
Right.
Ha, hahaha. Is that something the current you can do?
Sedis lips twisted into a sneer, but she was unable to stop the cold sweat that flowed,
With your whole body wrapped in chains. Who should worry about whom?
What does my miserable state have to do with worrying about you?
What?
Even if I was on my last breath, and you were in your healthiest state, I would worry about you.
Sedi paused.
is that your answer?
Right. Thats my answer.
Lukas smiled faintly.
The answer for this relationship that I found.
Paak.
He received a kick to the face. The inner flesh of his cheek ripped.
A stream of blood flowed, but Lukas didnt groan or flinch.
He only looked at Sedi with his still attitude and expression.
It was Sedi who became more anxious at this reaction.
Cough, cough.
Sedi coughed up a mouthful of black blood. But, unlike before, she didnt leave. Instead, she simply stared at Lukas with evil eyes.
Late, late, late! Its way too late! I dont want that anymore! At least, now I!
Pak, pak.
Lukas entire body creaked.
Sedi became excited like a predator before its prey. The violence made her lose control. Because of this, Lukas body was completely destroyed.
Huff, huff
Sedi panted heavily. It was only then that she realised what shed done. She licked her lips several times as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she always closed her mouth again.
Then, she finally managed to squeeze out a voice.
there is only one role I want Father to play. You know the theme.
Just continue to be an outlet for my emotions like this. Forever and ever.
With those words, Sedi left the dungeon with unsteady steps.
Lukas simply smiled tiredly.
* * *
How did he transform void into mana?
Lukas had completely captured that scene in his mind. He had focused not only on the phenomenon itself but on even the smallest details.
Mana and void.
Firstly, it could be said that he understood these two types of energy to an extent. Of course, Lukas saying that he understood them to an extent meant that there was less than 0.1% that he didnt understand.
If he had to give an opinion from a position that fully interpreted the basics, it was structurally impossible to convert void to mana. This was something that went beyond common sense or stereotypes.
Even if it was possible, there is no point in simply transforming void into mana.
It wasnt that Lukas didnt want to hold on to mana. Nevertheless, he had no choice but to let it go. Because he could feel the deep limit of the energy itself. Mana could not keep up not only with the Twelve Void Lords, but the other powerful beings who ruled over this world.
That was why he gave it up and turned to void, and as a result, he was able to become stronger.
If he were to use mana again because he could no longer use void, it wouldnt be progress, it would be a regression.
Nevertheless, there was a reason why Lukas had felt happy.
The Beginning Wizard.
That Wizard, who was clearly stronger than Lukas, had shown him a phenomenon of changing void into mana. There had to be a clear intention behind this act.
It wasnt simply transforming void to mana.
Something There had to be something else.
Lukas didnt stop trying to find a clue.
Then, he suddenly had a question. It was a thought that hed had before.
How did the mana stay in the atmosphere?
Void, which was prevalent in the atmosphere, tolerated the existence of mana. That was absolutely impossible.
He considered hundreds of possibilities at the same time. Then, he gradually removed the ones that werent even close one after the other. In this case, the method of elimination was the most effective method.
When the possibilities had been narrowed to ten, Lukas noticed one possibility that bothered him more than the others.
if it wasnt changed.
If the void wasnt changed to mana but was simply imitating it It was a ridiculous hypothesis, but the speculations to support it bloomed one by one.
The void hadnt transformed into mana. It had simply imitated the colour, characteristics and movements of mana. And after some thought, he acknowledged that it wasnt impossible.
The applicative ability of void far surpassed ones imagination. It was possible for it to imitate not only the molecular structure but also the inherent properties of any form of energy.
He understood that.
Of course, it would take some practice to apply and use it, but that wasnt the problem.
The problem was that to carry out this experiment, he would need to be able to use void.
His mind cooled in an instant. It felt like hed started climbing a mountain without hesitation and had arrived at a sheer cliff face.
Using void.
Was impossible for the current Lukas.
* * *
ten pieces.
Hed collected ten pieces of jerky.
He had reached his target quantity.
I cant delay it for too long.
As the quantity of jerky increased, it would become more difficult to hide. He could barely hide ten, but as the number increased, the chances of being caught would increase exponentially.
However it was still not enough.
If he were to eat all of this jerky, he could break free of the chains and escape the dungeon, but it was not enough to help him face Sedi head on. Sar?h the ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
void.
A sigh escaped his lips.
Lukas had tried over and over again to control that power to no avail.
He never heard the voices that had completely disappeared again. The Lukases didnt respond to his attempts at conversation.
it cant be helped.
Since that was the case, he had no choice but to make a risky gamble.
Just as Lukas was about to eat the jerky.
Ah. Are you going to eat it now?
He was shocked after hearing a sudden voice.
Lukas turned his head to look to the side.
No one shouldve been in that place, but hed clearly heard a voice from there.
Sedi.
When he called out to the owner of the voice, smoke rose from the wall of the prison. Shaaaa, Sedi appeared from the black smoke.
Its as I expected. Father wouldnt have given up, wouldnt have quietly let yourself be imprisoned. I was certain you were planning to escape.
To be honest, I thought youd show a more innovative method, but I guess you were too restricted.
From the way she spoke, she knew from the beginning that Lukas would try to escape.
Nevertheless.
are you saying you deliberately left me alone?
Mhm.
Why didnt you just stop me from the start?
This moment is good. This is the moment when youd feel the most frustrated after feeling a glimmer of hope and expectation from carrying out your plan.
Then you would have a better perception of reality. Of course, the best moment to break your mind would be just before you tried to escape Then, the mental damage at that time would completely ruin your mind. Moreover.
Sedi smiled brightly.
I never underestimated Father. Nevertheless, I had a foreboding feeling that it would be troublesome if you were to eat the jerky and get your limbs back Now. Then.
Paak!
Something wrapped around his neck and he felt his head fly up.
It was a surprisingly flexible thorn. Sedi used this thorn as a whip and slammed Lukas head into the wall.
Just as he tried to turn his head away, he felt pressure on the back of his head. Sedi was stepping on Lukas head with her dirty feet.
This place was pretty bright, wasnt it? It was quiet, comfortable, and environmental factors that gave you the space to think. So its no surprise that came up with a crazy idea like escaping.
K-, uk.
Even if this is my territory, I cant stay with you 24hrs a day, so I thought it would be a good idea to push Father a bit more so that you wouldnt think about anything other than me. If the meeting will be held soon, I might have to leave for a while. So. Before that.
Kkok.
The pressure on his head increased. Jujuk, juk. The wall began to crack.
Lukas face was half buried in the wall.
Apologise.
Apolo-, gise?
Right. Tell me youre sorry. Sincerely.
Sedis smile widened.
I like Father so much and I want Father to be with me forever. But Father tried to run away from me. That really shocked me. My heart aches. I feel like I will collapse at any moment.
So say it. Im sorry, if Father keeps avoiding it, this broken relationship can never be repaired.
Broken relationship.
Lukas felt like hed been struck in the head with a hammer.
Shouldnt the one in the wrong apologise so that the relationship can be fixed? Thats one of the principles I learned.
That was right. She hadnt said anything wrong.
So, Lukas apologised.
-ry.
Sedis smile became sadistic.
What was that?
Sorry. Im so sorry
Be a bit more straightforward.
It was my mistake. I was in the wrong. So please, forgive me.
Lukas apologised. Sedi could see clear liquid streaming down his cheeks.
Right. He was crying. He was really crying. It was something shed never seen before.
The way her father looked when he cried. It made a tingle course through her entire body.
He looked so adorable when he cried.
Every time she saw an image of her father that shed never seen before, it filled her mind with an incredible sense of satisfaction.
She wanted to see*. She wanted to see more. She wanted to know every detail. She wanted to dig it all up. But she couldnt. She had to save it. She could, but she wouldnt.
It wasnt fun to take everything at once.
Hah
Sedi let out a deep sigh, like a drug addict getting her fix.
Right. Thats it, Father.
There were no falsehoods in his apology.
Lukas now really believed hed done wrong.
Then from now-
Dont be mistaken.
A cold voice.
That voice immediately wiped away Sedis smile.
Im not apologising to you.
what was that?
Anger appeared on Sedis face.
Father and I are the only ones here.
Right.
So if its not to me, then to who?
[Lukas]
As he responded, Lukas wiped his tears away.
Seeing this, Sedi couldnt help but be confused for a moment.
Uh?
The hand.
Lukas severed hand had regenerated.
When. How.
Clang!
The chains around Lukas body fell with a loud sound.
I apologised to Lukas. For pretending to not hear, for pretending to not notice, for letting go of my responsibilities, for breaking my promise, and for focusing on my own comfort for so long.
What are you talking about?
You were right. In order to fix a broken relationship, the one in the wrong should apologise first. Thats the start. Only then would it be possible to talk. And thankfully, they accepted my apology.
Why?
Because they
He could hear them.
[Its okay.]
He could hear their soft voices.
[Sometimes you make wrong choices and end up regretting it.]
He heard the voices of the Lukases.
[Sometimes you end up showing a pathetic side that you dont want others to see.]
The voices continued.
[When that happens, we will blame you.]
[Well be disappointed and angry.]
[We might even hate you.]
However.
[Well still understand.]
[Everyone will understand.]
[No matter what, we will never deny you.]
[Because we are all]
As his thoughts and the voices aligned, Lukas smiled.
Indeed, after a long time, he was able to show a refreshing smile because of their voices.
-are Lukas.
Fwoosh!
Blue light erupted from Lukas body.
(TL: I wont lie, I was almost disappointed for a second.)
Book 2: Chapter 448
Book 2: Chapter 448 The atmosphere shook, and a feeling of pressure descended. And from the bluish energy came a refreshing feeling.
The feeling of the mana naturally filled Sedi with a feeling of nostalgia as she remembered someone from the past.
Back then.
It reminded her of the time when shed fallen from Absolute, given up on life, and met Lukas as everything became a mess.
It would be a lie to say she didnt long for that time again. But that longing had now become unpleasant. It was so unpleasant that it made her dizzy and nauseous.
Until just now, shed felt like she was flying on a cloud.
It was fun, she was happy. She felt like she could do whatever she wanted.
But now, the entire thing disappeared as if it was an illusion.
So what?
Sedi grit her teeth.
Do you think regenerating your limbs makes anything better? Dont tell me you already forgot. Who was the one that defeated Father before already.
Lukas didnt answer.
He simply looked at Sedi, but it was like he wasnt really looking at her.
What is he looking at?
She was right in front of him, so what the hell was he focusing on?
Suppressed dissatisfaction and anger rose up from inside. The inside of her head seemed to be covered in pitch blackness.
Babump, babump. Her heart pounded so strongly that she could feel her pulse in her head.
This wasnt good. It was dangerous.
At this rate, to Father, she might really
change your attitude right now.
Say that youre wrong. Ask me to forgive you. Because Father cant beat me Okay? Please.
Sedi squeezed her voice out.
I dont want to kill Father with my own hands.
Then Lukas spoke for the first time.
Im really grateful to you.
what?
Because of you, I was able to be happy for a time. Life in the castle was really comfortable. I hadnt had such a comfortable time in my long, hard life. So thank you. You gave me some shade to take a break under.
A smile appeared on Lukas face again.
At the same time, Sedi was filled with conflicting emotions when she saw his smile. The frustrating part was that she wasnt even sure what the conflicting feelings were.
Thats what I cant understand!
So all she could do was shout out the darkness.
Why are you just taking a break? You should keep resting. I heard about it from Kasajin. How Father lived while you were human. How much you struggled after you became an Absolute Father deserves to rest.
Lukas closed his eyes.
-Lukas deserves to rest.
Now that he thought about it, Lukas had heard something similar from someone else.
-Why dont you ignore them? Is it so wrong to run away? You dont have to deal with all of their problems. Sometimes, you need to take a break. You you are human too.
They were similar.
Iris and Sedi. There were some similarities between them. Sear?h the novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
What was similar was that they knew things about him that most people didnt know.
They knew Lukas weaknesses.
What we need to do now is not have a conversation.
you want to fight?
Right. Try to subdue me again.
Lukas expression changed.
Didnt you say you liked moments like this? The moment when the feelings of hope and expectation become frustration?
Right now, hope is springing up from me like a fountain. If you make me frustrated now, I might really become the puppet-like Lukas you want.
His sarcastic way of speaking pissed her off.
The current Lukas wouldnt give up so easily. He probably wouldnt stop struggling as long as he had the ability to move a single finger.
To subdue a man like this would be incredibly difficult. So this time, she really might kill Lukas with her own hands.
It cant be helped.
If she couldnt get him in her hands.
Then shed rather use her hands-
* * *
The memories of that time came to his mind.
The Lightning God and the Blue Knight.
The phenomenon that occurred when two beings of such strength clashed was rare even in the Three Thousand Worlds.
He hadnt been able to follow them with his eyes. He couldnt even hear them. All he could feel were the screams of the creaking space and the pounding of his own heart at the fear of the unknown.
The two of them disappeared and reappeared suddenly. And at some point, the match was already decided.
When the Lightning God had disappeared the first time, Lukas thought he was using an ability that was related to space-time. So hed simply assumed that he was unable to respond to it.
It wasnt that.
-a distant realm, beyond.
It was simply that the Lightning God had been standing in a place so high that Lukas couldnt see him at all.
Thats why Lukas had been helpless, and the Blue Knight, Pale, was able to respond to it.
The reason for that was simple.
Because she was in the same location as the Ruler.
If that was the case, then what about Yang In-hyun?
The question hed had before, resurfaced.
Yang In-hyuns realm was not on the same level as the Four Knights of the World of Void or the Rulers. It was obvious that he was strong, but compared to them, he was definitely a few steps behind.
Nevertheless, Yang In-hyun was able to fight an equal battle with the Lightning God, who was using Lee Jong-haks body and even managed to defeat him.
He felt like he could now see why.
Strength might not be relative.
That was his thought.
In a sense, Lukas had been thinking too narrow-mindedly. Hed thought he could solve everything simply by becoming stronger, stronger than everyone else.
That idea was only correct to an extent.
However, there would be no end.
Every time he thought hed become the strongest, a different, stronger being would appear.
It was like that with the Demigods, with the Apocalypses, and with Lord.
And it was the same with the Absolutes, with the Rulers, and with God.
There is no guarantee.
If by chance
Certainly, if Lukas became strong enough to look down upon all of the Rulers, there was no guarantee that a stronger being would appear.
But what would he do if it did happen?
Would he have to fight again? How long would he have to polish himself that time?
There has to be a way.
Right, there definitely had to be a way.
A battle against the strong would be endless, in other words, it was unclear if it would ever end.
A road without end was something that only people like Kasajin and Ivan would like.
However, Lukas was different. From the start, fighting against others was never Lukas nature.
The one Lukas had always been fighting the most was himself.
My object of comparison should be myself.
To seek to overcome himself.
This was a truth that existed outside the concept of selfishness.
In all things, the most important thing should be himself.
As long as the subject of his consciousness was me, the value of his existence would be comparable to the entire Three Thousand Worlds.
haha.
A laugh sneaked out.
He finally understood. The reason Yang In-hyun wasnt pushed back in the fight against the Lightning God. That fight must have been gruesome, and the Lightning God probably had the advantage the entire time.
Nevertheless, Yang In-hyun won. Hed managed to win.
He knew. He knew his own value, and he had the confidence that the path he was walking wasnt wrong.
As long as one had those two things, the chances of winning against an enemy would never be zero.
It didnt matter what spells he used with mana, or how elaborate their formulas were.
Fwoosh.
Although Lukas was finally able to use void for the first time in a long while, there was no awkwardness.
This was true even on the verge of a battle where he would put his life on the line. He was shaking, but it was because of excitement.
Whats so funny?
Swoosh. He felt thorns shoot towards him.
Lukas smiled and said.
Magic Missile.
Paht.
The number of magic missiles that manifested matched the number of thorns. For a moment, Sedi was dumbfounded. She was aware of the concepts and stages of magicology.
Hes using a 1 star spell?
Her vigilance rose as soon as she had this thought.
After all, her opponent was none other than Lukas Trowman.
If he was using a 1 star spell in this situation, there had to be a reason for it.
She analysed the Magic Missile for a moment. It then occurred to her that the essence of the spell might not just be a 1 star spell. So, he might just be confusing her with his voice while using a more grandiose spell
No.
This wasnt the time to be lost in her thoughts.
The thorns had already reached Lukas vicinity.
Clang!
And when the thorns were blocked by the Magic Missiles, Sedi wasnt surprised. Because she had already assumed that possibility.
I have to be wary of every spell he uses.
At least until she had determined his level of power, she would need to spend some time and effort to analyse things But Sedi decided not to do that.
Hes awakened.
She wasnt sure about Lukas current state, but she was certain that hed awakened a new power. In fact, he seemed to be a bit intoxicated by the new power hed gained.
A mildly excited state.
So she couldnt give him extra time.
In that state, if he were to regain his normal coolness and become more proficient in using that power, this would go beyond the level of an annoyance.
So she decided to end the hand measuring with the next attack.
Paht.
Sedi reached her hand out. Crack crack, black thorns extended from her palm and lingered like a black cloud before taking a certain shape.
A scythe.
A scythe that was taller than her appeared. Sedi spun it a few times like a windmill before pointing it at Lukas.
Dont dodge. You might get even more hurt if I miss.
Lukas smile also faded. Her aura hadnt changed, but his instincts were warning him.
That scythe. Conceptually, it was similar to her soul weapon.
But the level and power were probably several times stronger than before-
Sedi disappeared.
And time froze.
Lukas felt both of these facts at the same time.
His body slowed and his cognitive ability was significantly reduced.
He could predict where Sedi had gone.
[She must have entered the beyond space*.]
A space outside of the world that only a handful of beings were capable of entering, a transcendent world that the unqualified would never be able to enter even if they knocked on the door till their hands bled.
Those who could enter that space could one-sidedly interfere with those outside of it, In other words, the beings on the outside could not reach them no matter how hard they tried. Even reacting was impossible.
[React.]
He heard a voice.
[Perceive.]
A voice on the inside.
[Block]
The voice of the Lukases.
No. He couldnt refer to them as such.
This,
This voice now.
is [our] voice.
His mind opened up.
For the first time, he felt as if all the voices combined.
Right. At that moment, their thoughts were his thoughts, and their will was his will.
Perfect unity.
His will, his voice, said.
[Move. Lukas.]
If hundreds of millions of people mutter the same thing at the same time, it would be an extremely loud cry, but it would never be noise. (TL: Hundreds of millions?) (PR: He really got bang for his buck at the buffet huh)
Jujujuk!
The cry that was close to a roar forcibly broke Lukas free of the stopped time. He tore apart the frozen space.
Lukas boldly stepped forward and stretched out his arms.
Clang!
!
Sedis eyes were filled with astonishment. The fact that the scythe had stopped in the air, to be precise, it was blocked by an invisible, intangible wall, filled her with deep shock.
It was different from when she shot the black thorns out.
Sedis scythe had been made from thorns. The external force that was condensed within it was the next level of power that the Lightning God called thunder.
Using that power to the maximum, she swung the scythe with all her might, and it was blocked by Lukas.
I cant believe it how?
Lukas didnt look at the stuttering Sedi.
-ah.
He shivered with deep ecstasy.
Ahh.
Hed finally entered.
He couldnt stop the light smile from spreading across his face.
It was a smile filled with many meanings.
Looking back, the many journeys hed taken since becoming an Absolute may have all been to take this one step.
And he could finally see it.
The Rulers.
The place where those guys were standing.
Book 2: Chapter 449
Book 2: Chapter 449 How did he react?
How did he stop it?
Sedi suppressed her rising doubts and calmed her agitation.
Then, she decided to judge the situation as calmly as possible based on the facts that were revealed.
The conclusion she reached was simple.
He got in.
Lukas had entered the same world as her, and she could no longer guarantee victory against this being.
Her heart shivered with impatience. Her breathing became disturbed, and her vision began to fade. She could clearly feel her agitation.
I cant.
Kill him unintentionally.
There was a flash of lightning in her head. This caused a flowing nosebleed that forced her mind to awaken.
The mental burden was immense, but it was an unavoidable choice. Just now, Sedi was in a situation where her agitation was beginning to rise. Had she not forcibly broken herself from that condition, she would have faced the worst situation that she feared.
She felt that she was ridiculous, and even more pathetic.
Can I really afford to be flustered right now?
In fact, she was well aware.
Just how twisted she was now, and how many rivers she couldnt uncross.
After coming this far, theres no turning back.
It was too late to turn back now.
So she had no choice but to carry on. Even if she knew that she was going deeper into the swamp, she had no choice but to keep using her legs.
Whats with that look on your face when youve only just stepped into this place?
Sedi grinned.
Do you think you figured everything out? You must be getting drunk on the feeling of omnipotence and feel like youre like a Ruler, but dont get it twisted. Father is only standing at the very bottom. The peak of the mountain is not a place that you can see from the foot.
That was her conclusion.
It was undeniable that Lukas had somehow managed to enter this world. However, that didnt matter.
Experience, proficiency, and the being behind her. At this point, Sedi was superior to Lukas in every way. Although the process of overpowering him would be more difficult, the result that they would receive would not change.
Going from 0 to 1.
what?
That was the hardest part. After that, anything is fine. Even if the target number is a hundred, ten thousand, a thousand*, a hundred million, or an immeasurable number. (*: Yes ten thousand before a thousand, left it cause it threw me for a loop)
It was a statement that shouldve made her laugh. After all, most people who said things like that didnt know. They didnt realise the weight of the number one hundred million. That was why they could say such nonsense.
But the one speaking was Lukas. It was none other than Lukas Trowman who said those words.
It was the person who had the closest connection to the words time, effort, challenge and mental power than anyone else Sedi knew.
After that, anything is fine.
He meant that.
Lukas truly meant that he held no fear towards the long steps ahead of him. Instead, he would take one step at a time with a smile on his face. Instead of despairing at the fact that there seemed to be no end, he would feel satisfied that he was able to make steady progress one step at a time.
Over and over again without stopping, forever
Lukas might really-
Kuuu-
The atmosphere began to shake. The prelude of a spell. Realising that, Sedis expression and aura also changed.
There was one thing that Lukas Trowman didnt know.
The current Sedi wasnt just carrying the power of the Demon God behind her.
By defeating the 0th Demon, one of the Twelve Void Lords who ruled over the World of Void, and taking his position, she could also wield a strong power.
Crunch.
But Lukas was fully aware of that fact as well. He cracked his knuckles.
It still felt like he was flying, but in truth, his odds were much lower.
Even if it was less than 4 percent. Nevertheless, a smile appeared on his lips.
After all, one thing was clear. Lukas always grew stronger while facing ridiculous enemies.
So he would use this fight to farm.
* * *
The phrase [the beyond space] was quite abstract.
Based on his own analysis and interpretation, Lukas had decided to call it something else.
The minimal time zone. (TL: Stuck between this and smallest time slot/zone)
It divided the smallest period of time a human could perceive into thousands of equal parts. It was a world where a falling raindrop would remain frozen in the air for a short time.
One second in this place would be impossible to even perceive on the outside.
.
With every step that Sedi took, the stone floor shattered, but the pieces of stone didnt scatter. Instead, the fragments remained frozen in the air like sculptures. The world hadnt come to a stop, but it wouldnt be unreasonable to misunderstand it as such.
She swung her scythe. The difference between her and Lukas was about five steps.
Of course, this was a distance that could be narrowed at any time depending on how the fight progressed, but it was usually unexpected for a long range attack to be launched from such an ambiguous location.
Dozens of slashes flew forward.
There was no sound, and their presences were faint, but the force behind them was clearly formidable.
Frost Breath.
A wave of cold air swept forward at Lukas mutter.
The cold air spread from the tips of his toes and engulfed the entire area. The air was no exception.
Crackle!
The rushing slashes froze in the space and hung in the air. Frost Breath was only a 4 star spell that lowered the temperature of the surrounding area, but the power it was displaying now easily surpassed that of an 8 star spell, albeit with a limited range. Even Sedis feet were restrained for a moment.
Crack!
Of course, it was only for a very small time.
Sedi quickly broke free from the ice and continued forward. But there was an expression of displeasure on her face.
She was annoyed that her feet had been restrained for a moment with just a 4 star spell.
As she expected, there was something different about the magic that Lukas was using now. However it wasnt enough.
That alone wasnt enough to change the situation or defeat Sedi.
At that moment, Sedis figure in the frozen time increased speed.
!
Lukas clenched his fingers for a moment. He looked at Sedi, who approached him in an instant. Sedi, who had only shown certain movements in the minimal time zone until now, suddenly increased her speed by more than five times.
What is the principle?
He was sceptical, but he didnt have the time to consider it. Instead, his eyes were drawn by the scythe that was swinging towards him.
Then Lukas mouth fell open at the sight in front of him.
The scythe.
It wasnt a weapon that could display subtle or complicated methods of attack. Its lethality had nothing to do with the users proficiency. Its structure was like that. It was for this reason that some experts regarded scythes as ornaments or tools for execution instead of weapons.
That cynical interpretation was by no means wrong.
However, in all things, there were always exceptions, and the scene Lukas was currently witnessing was something that could be considered an exception among exceptions.
The unpredictable and subtle movements of the scythe were as cunning as a snake. However, it was like a snake with a hundred heads. It truly felt as if such a creature was swaying its head in front of him at that moment.
The wickedness and strangeness it exuded was suffocating. For a moment, Lukas felt as if his body was surrounded by hundreds of sharp thorns that were inches away from piercing his skin. The thorns gave him a feeling of pressure as if his entire body would be pierced if he were to move even a little bit.
What level of proficiency with a scythe had Sedi reached?
No.
It wasnt comprehension, proficiency, or maturity.
Her skills had long surpassed those concepts. It wasnt a level of being one with her weapon. In the first place, Lukas had a negative opinion of such a state.
In his opinion, weapons were just weapons and should never be considered as one with the body. There was no point to that. In the first place, the reason for using a weapon was to make up for the inadequacies of the bare body.
The sharpness, firmness and range were all things that soft flesh would never be able to achieve.
fussy.
And kind of unpleasant.
This was probably the first time Lukas had such a feeling while watching someone wield a weapon.
Fwoosh!
The gushing blood came from Lukas. A scar appeared from his shoulders to his chest. Naturally, he was unable to heal them with the power of void. Sedis scythe was imbued with the Demon Gods external force.
I lost the fight.
He graciously admitted this fact, but there was still a feeling of resentment somewhere deep in his heart. Nevertheless, he had no choice but to accept it. The scar on his chest was the best evidence.
Hed sent dozens of spells to Sedi as she approached, but none of them worked.
As long as she had that scythe, Lukas wouldnt be able to gain an advantage in a head on fight against Sedi.
He probably had ten thousand or more tricks. But even with the means that Lukas had, he couldnt envision a destruction method. Even if he ran simulations till his brain burned, the only result Lukas could find was his defeat.
Sedi twisted her waist heavily. Hundreds of afterimages merged into one. She held the scythe in both hands.
There was a short silence, something was coming.
Boom! Of course, there was no sound. But Lukas felt the illusion that hed heard a similar sound. It was just as the scythe smashed into his body like a black flag. Unable to withstand the shock, his body was sent flying. This was dangerous. If his response had been lacking in even the slightest bit, his entire body would have been separated with that blow.
Moreover.
This time, he wasnt the only one. Sedis body also staggered. She also felt a sharp pain in her chest.
So that was the case. He had launched a spell just before he was sent flying.
This meant that he had the ability to cast spells without chanting, saying the name, or using gestures.
You should have been a bit more decisive at that moment.
Sedi chuckled as she bled.
Is that it? Huh? Is that the end!
Breaking through one wall after the other, Sedi chased after Lukas, who was still flying away. As his blood splattered, Lukas sent spell after spell at Sedi. All kinds of missile spells flew towards Sedi.
Some missed, some hit. And most were blocked by her scythe.
Small wounds covered Sedis entire body but they were just that, small wounds.
Not enough, thats far from enough! How much longer will you be bound by magic?!
When Lukas heard her cry, he replied inwardly.
Right. He couldnt be bound by magic forever.
It was possible to treat void like mana. It was a different concept from simple substitution. On a fundamental level, the power of void couldnt change, so it was merely an imitation.
In other words, it was possible for it to imitate other forms of energy.
When Lukas stretched his hand out, purple liquid burst out of his hand. Sedi, who was chasing after him, narrowed her eyes and swung her scythe like a windmill.
It was about one drop. The purple liquid splashed against the edge of Sedis cheek.
Sizzle-
And her skin immediately became discoloured and melted. Wiping it away roughly with her sleeve, she muttered.
poison?
The power of Hydra.
Divine power.
As he expected, it was possible for him to imitate this power with void. Sedis movements paused for a moment.
This was because she became a bit wary of this new kind of power that wasnt magic. That gave Lukas enough time to gather his bearings. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
He stopped his body that was flying through the air. Just like when Sedi had pierced his body with a thorn and pushed him out of the castle, Lukas once again found himself floating above Demonsio.
And after a short while, the world that was only being shared by the two of them regained its flow.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
There was a tremendous explosion.
As if compressed energy had been released in every direction at the same time, a formidable shockwave tore through Demonsio.
The castle, which exuded a sense of majesty, was destroyed almost instantly. Stalactites that hung from the ceiling fell like rain, and fires could be seen erupting in dozens of cities across the pit.
The space shattered like a broken mirror and a completely different world was almost visible beyond it. Time and space showed signs of collapsing completely.
This was the aftermath of a battle between two beings who had entered the minimal time zone.
In fact, they hadnt even fought with all their might. This was the result of just a probing battle.
Sedis face showed that she didnt care even when her territory was reduced to such a state.
Do you have a lot of random skills?
Instead, she smiled disdainfully.
Huu.
As expected, it still wasnt enough.
Until just now, Lukas mind had been extremely overloaded. In fact, even at that moment, he could feel the heat all over his body.
This was a natural phenomenon.
Lukas was unable to enter the minimal time zone in a normal manner. Because of this, he had to match the consciousnesses of countless Lukases and concentrate their mental power to forcefully enter the minimal time zone.
It was a method that probably only Lukas could use, but it was hard for him to sustain it for a long time. At the very least, if he didnt use it at intervals, he would end up burning his brain.
Random skills.
From her perspective, most of Lukas means would only be random skills. But that didnt matter. Those random skills all had their own uses.
Sedis impression of divine power wasnt wrong. Even if it could be considered the strongest power in his home universe, it was nothing more than a random skill in front of her.
Or at least, that was the case with one exception.
I can use that.
This time, he would use it perfectly.
Lords power.
The manipulation of space was something he could not gain a proper grasp of even as an Absolute. In the end, he had ended up trapped in the Abyss, so he couldnt claim to have learned to control it.
But he didnt have the time to hesitate or think about it anymore.
He could use it. He would use it. It wouldnt be a problem.
For her, and for himself.
He had to do it.
Book 2: Chapter 450
Book 2: Chapter 450 A solemn and heavy atmosphere filled the conference room located in the basement of the castle. The reason for this wasnt just because of the beings who filled the seats.
There were a total of fourteen participants, each of the Apostles who could be considered the core power that supported Demonsio. They had varying expressions and thoughts, but none of them had a light attitude.
Amidst this solemn and heavy atmosphere, the first being to open their mouth was an Apostle with skin the colour of blood, Turahel.
I think its about time that we all came to a decision.
There was no immediate response.
Regardless of this fact, Turahel continued to speak.
Her behaviour has been getting more and more out of hand. Not only did she arbitrarily kick the Blue Knight out not so long ago, she also killed the Beginning Wizard. Its only a matter of time before this information reaches the Magic Planet, and more recently, she has been roaming around the Dump Site.
Why the Dump Site?
I dont know. But one thing is certain, the Corpse Ghost wont turn a blind eye to it forever.
such an act can be considered a provocation. And the Corpse Ghost was never known for his patience.
It was at this moment that a pale skinned Apostle, Denster, who was sitting on the other side, grinned.
What do you intend to do then? Are you suggesting treason?
Know your place. Even if the Lord does more than this, it is not our place to stop her. We cannot because she is none other than the Lord of Demonsio, the 0th Demon.
Denster sneered.
And Turahel, you arent being completely honest.
What are you talking about?
Dont try to hide your true intentions behind those cheap excuses. Is that the real reason why youre complaining?
Or is it because of the vain death of the previous Void Lord? Isnt that the real reason why you are trying to incite the Council of Apostles to rebel?
Turahels expression stiffened.
He licked his lips slightly before sighing.
I will admit that you arent wrong. However, I dont want a rebellion. What I want to talk about is legitimate.
Legitimate?
It wouldnt be treason if someone challenges her to a legitimate challenge and wins. And you all know too. Who was expected to be the new 0th Demon before she appeared.
At those words, the faces of all the Apostles changed at the same time.
Blanco
However, he has already left Demonsio.
There is talk that he has already disappeared.
Is there anyone who knows his whereabouts?
Haspin Apocalypse Apostle Haspin.
Among the muttering Apostles, there was one individual who was particularly quiet.
Uros quietly watched on with a hard expression. To be honest, he wasnt paying much attention to this controversial meeting.
Among the Apostles, who were wracking their brains for answers, he was the only one whod witnessed the scene back then. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Uros was the only one there who knew.
Just how Sedi Trowman had killed the Beginning Wizard.
the power of a Ruler.
If he were to mention what he saw, even the Apostles who favoured Sedi might change their minds.
A prime example would be Denster, who was currently at odds with Turahel.
Great chaos would ensue.
Sedi probably wouldnt forgive the Apostles who bared their fangs at her. And even if all the Apostles in the castle joined forces, they wouldnt be able to defeat Sedi. This meant that a massive purge would take place.
In that case, wouldnt it be better for him to remain quiet?
Shed borrowed power from none other than a Ruler?
If this somehow leaks out, then it cant be helped. But it would probably draw the wrath of the Knights.
The other Twelve Void Lords would probably dislike it as well.
Isolation It would be the Isolation of Demonsio.
Of course, in the World of Void, the concept of isolation wasnt a scary concept for a territory. In fact, it was rather natural. Nevertheless, that didnt change the fact that it would be annoying.
There was no clear answer to this problem.
Slurp-
Uros flicked his forked tongue. Then his vertically torn pupils widened in surprise.
What is it, Uros?
I felt a vibration just now.
A vibration?
I felt it from below this place did you not notice?
Our senses arent as good as yours.
The Snake Apostle, Uros, was particularly sensitive to vibrations and tremors in the air.
[However, below this place? If its the space further down then]
Another Apostle, Lofiken, recalled the structure of the castle in his mind. After a short while, he continued.
[There is only the underground prison.]
The moment he stopped talking
Five Apostles were sent flying as if they had been struck by something.
Boom boom boom!
Their bodies slammed into the walls. The seated disciples didnt realise what had happened until the blood splatter touched their faces.
What is this?
Among the confused Apostles, it was Turahel that regained his composure the fastest. He realised the Apostles smashed against the walls had become pools of blood.
Theyre all dead? Five Apostles?
Upon realising the situation, the composure hed regained showed signs of breaking once more.
He was more dejected than surprised, more horrified than dejected.
This couldnt even be called a sudden death. Turahel shook as the fear of the unknown overcame him.
Boom!
Then came the sound of a tremendous explosion that threatened to tear their eardrums. This time, the vibration was felt by every Apostle, not just Uros. This was natural. After all, the vibration was so intense that it seemed that the entire castle was shaking.
Crack crack!
The walls of the conference room broke apart. They felt the castle tilt. Turahel found it hard to grasp this fact.
Leaning? The castle?
What the hell is going on?
[Ill go take a look.]
Lofiken spread his wings and flew out of the broken wall. He flew up to a height that allowed him to see the entire castle at a glance, then he looked at the surrounding area.
And his mind immediately went blank at the scene that he was seeing for the first time.
He had lived for a long time, and it hadnt been in vain.
He had seen, heard, and felt many things. In other words, he was quite experienced.
But the scene unfolding before his eyes was a phenomenon that he had never witnessed before in his life.
Boom!
At that moment there was another explosion.
It was an explosion unlike any Lofiken had ever heard before. It was as if thousands of large and small explosions had erupted all at the same time.
It took him only a moment to realise. It truly wasnt a single explosion. And the sound of each explosion came at the exact same time without deviation.
Something strange was going on.
[!]
At that moment, the ground all over the pit had collapsed. It was an almost divine display of destruction.
Dozens of cities littered the surface and there were at least tens of thousands of demons in each city. Most of them were resilient, but it was clear that there were very few individuals capable of reacting to the sudden catastrophe.
In other words, Lofiken was now witnessing the deaths of hundreds of thousands of demons.
[!]
Hurriedly, he twisted his body to avoid something. It took him a moment to realise that it was a fragment of stone from the ceiling and not someones attack.
The ceiling cracked
Because of this, there was a rain of stone from the sky. It was his first time witnessing this phenomenon as well. The strength of the stone that formed Demonsios ceiling far surpassed imagination, and on its own, it formed a barrier that was stronger than steel.
No amount of physical force should even be able to scratch it.
But as he looked at the ceiling now, he bore witness to dozens of cracks that spread across its surface like spider webs.
Boom!
When the next explosion occurred, Lofiken felt space itself begin to collapse. He watched as random shattered and crushed portions of space appeared throughout Demonsio.
[Oh my God] (TL: Coming from a demon xD)
Lofiken subconsciously let out a soft exclamation. But he had to keep his cool. It was his job to figure out what was going on.
Is Demonsio under attack?
At first glance, this conclusion seemed the closest to the truth, but a part of his mind refuted that theory.
It was different. It was different from an enemy attack.
For one, he couldnt see any enemies. In addition, among the various territories, Demonsio was one of the hardest for unauthorised people to invade. This was because even if someone did manage to successfully invade, there were demons who specialised in detecting them.
Naturally, the Apostles, including Lofiken, had not received any signals from them.
-I felt a vibration just now.
-I felt it from below this place did you not notice?
At that moment, Uros murmurs sounded in his mind.
Below Below the conference room.
The underground prison.
Lofikens expression hardened. And a thought flashed through his mind.
This was an internal problem.
Boom!
There was an interval of about ten seconds between the explosions. As each ten second interval passed, Demonsio gradually collapsed. It was as if the God of Destruction compressed his power and let it explode at once. Contradictingly, the sudden destruction occurred at regular intervals.
Every explosion was linked to hundreds of thousands of deaths.
There was nothing Lofiken could do apart from watching the disaster unfold. Nevertheless, he didnt feel helpless. Instead, he already admitted that he had been consumed by fear.
[How how is such a disaster possible?]
Suddenly, Lofiken realised that there were two beings standing above him.
[!]
They were both faces that he knew.
One of them was Sedi and the other was Lukas.
[Territory Lord?]
Lofiken would never have thought that those words would be his last.
The two disappeared in an instant, just like they appeared. And that was the last sight Lofiken witnessed.
Pop.
His skull exploded. Like a ripe fruit crushed by an invisible hand, or as if a bomb had been detonated directly in his head.
Splatter, the Apostle called Lofiken, who had been divided into a headless body, white bone fragments and brain matter, fell into the abyss of Demonsio.
This wasnt a special sight, at least in this moment.
Because there were hundreds of such scenes occuring at the same time.
* * *
Sedi noticed Lofikens death. That wasnt all. As the 0th Demon, she could feel the deaths of every single one of the countless demon residents of Demonsio.
Nevertheless, she didnt pay much attention to them at that moment.
Something has changed.
The Lukas in front of her.
At some point, shed become unable to close the gap between them.
Did he improve again? In such a short time? However, there hadnt been any noticeable changes.
For example, just a while ago, when Lukas had first entered the minimal time zone.
Sedi had felt Lukas undergo a major change both internally and externally.
She immediately realised that a new person had gained the qualification to enter the world that only a small number of beings could enter.
nothing has changed.
She had a thought contrary to her previous one.
She was growing anxious. The time taken had long surpassed her expectations.
Half of her vision was covered in darkness. And her mind seemed to become more and more muddled.
I have to get close.
There were many wounds on Lukas body. But those were all moves from their first clash. Since then, something had changed, and his number of injuries hadnt increased at all.
I cant reach him.
Not to mention getting close, even ranged attacks were unable to deal any damage to him.
She needed to get closer.
At least within half of a step.
However it didnt seem possible. The distance refused to narrow to the extent that it was outrageous.
Sedi suddenly had a feeling.
It felt like Lukas was manipulating space.
* * *
When hed first used Lords power, Lukas realised that there was barely any burden. In fact, using it felt much smoother than before.
One thing was certain.
Lukas wouldnt be at the mercy of this power, at least not like in the fight against Nodiesop.
He was a little surprised at this fact, but he didnt have much time to consider the reason. Instead, it was more important for him to focus on utilising this power in his fight against Sedi.
Using the power reminded him of Lord. Lord, the transcendent being, utilised the power more skillfully than the Absolute, Lukas. Fortunately, his technique had been clearly engraved in Lukas mind. No matter how many years went by, he would never forget.
-One of them is space leap
It was the power to leap from space to space.
Lukas had thought that, among Lords powers, this one wasnt very efficient. This was because he thought that the required concentration and delay would be fatal.
But to his surprise, those problems seemed to disappear in the minimal time zone. Lukas sharp focus made it possible to use space leap on a regular basis, and there was hardly any delay due to the computational assistance of the other Lukases.
This power is a huge advantage in the minimal time zone.
Even Sedi, who had the power of a Ruler, had no choice but to walk step by step to reach him. She had the ability to shorten her time to a minimum by instantaneously increasing her speed, but it never surpassed the concept of really fast.
On the other hand, space leap was no different from teleportation.
Regardless of whether the space he wanted to go to was a step away or ten steps away, the time it took was the same.
In other words, with this ability, Lukas could maintain his desired distance from any enemy and in any situation.
This was a great advantage for a Wizard like Lukas.
Thats not all.
Time and space, shortened to space-time.
Lukas knew that these two concepts were inseparable.
Time was relative, and Lords power granted him the ability to create his own space. This meant that eventually, he would have the ability to manipulate everything that existed in space.
Right. Even time.
Its not yet enough.
Lukas felt that the power he had grasped was only a fraction of that. If he gained the ability to fully control Lords power, and then applied that power fully in the minimal time zone
The task of defeating a Ruler would no longer appear so distant.
Huff, huff
The sound of panting woke Lukas from his thoughts. He looked at Sedi.
She wasnt hurt, but she was out of breath.
This appearance was no surprise to him. At some point, Lukas had stopped attacking Sedi.
Sedi was also aware of that.
Looking at me like that
The hand that was swinging the scythe stopped midair as she made a choked expression.
Warble, there was a strange sound. It had come from Sedis body.
Ub, urb
Staggering, Sedi grabbed her chest.
Lukas looked at her with a deep gaze.
For me, fighting in the minimal time zone is a great burden. So at first, I tried to finish this as quickly as possible. I thought that the longer it took, the less of a chance Id have.
Ugh, ub, kuk.
However, I changed my mind. Because I realised at some point that you were under even more pressure than me.
Uwek
Sedi vomited up black blood. Black liquid also flowed from her eyes.
Entering the minimal time zone was something that shouldnt have been possible for Sedi to do. In a way, she was like Lukas. She sought after a sight that far surpassed the level of power given to her.
The Demon Gods power. The power of a Twelve Void Lord.
Sedis existence was too weak to accept it all.
The recoil she was experiencing was probably far greater than Lukas.
He calmed his thoughts.
Then, he dispersed the consciousness of the different Lukases which had united. He had intentionally ended his combat readiness.
The match had already been decided.
Book 2: Chapter 451
Book 2: Chapter 451 However, Sedi didnt accept it so easily.
She rushed at Lukas without even bothering to wipe the black blood off her mouth. Swoosh, he heard the sound of the scythe cutting through the air, but it wasnt threatening. In the first place, an attack that was slower than the speed of sound was nothing to the current Lukas.
He didnt think Sedi didnt know that as well.
He tilted his head slightly to dodge the attack. Originally, with Sedis level of skill, dodging with just a small movement wasnt something that wouldve been possible. At the same time, this was a testament of how weak she currently was.
Sedi didnt stop even after her attack was dodged. She swung her scythe like a madperson. There was a lot of emotion involved. The heart chilling display of skill that shed shown earlier as she batted away the many spells was nowhere in sight.
Just a few minutes ago, the scythe had moved like one of her own limbs, but now, she seemed to be having problems supporting its weight. It felt like her small body was being dragged around by the weapon.
Her body was filled with openings.
He would only need a single finger to subdue or kill her.
Paak!
Lukas chose the former. He grabbed the scythe with his bare hands before throwing it into the distance. It was something he could only do because there was no force behind her swing.
Uahhh!
Despite losing her weapon, Sedi still rushed forward with her bare fists. There was no hesitation in her actions, and the animal-like howling was a bonus. Sarch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Lukas felt that he no longer needed to use magic, divine power, or external force.
He just used martial arts to respond to Sedis attacks, redirect the force, and put her on the ground.
Kuhuk
Sedi let out a breath. Blood could be seen dripping from her mouth. Lukas snapped his fingers, causing the ground around her to move like clay and bind her entire body.
Kuk, eek!
Sedi struggled to break free from her restraints and get to her feet, but the ground had already regained its hardness.
The situation had completely reversed. Luksa was no longer the one who was imprisoned.
After a while, Sedi stopped struggling. It could be said that she had given up too quickly, but in this case, it was completely reasonable. She had understood the fact that she couldnt break free with her own strength.
You did really well.
Her voice was composed of a strange mix of emotions.
It sounded sharp, but there was also a clear tone of deep self deprecation. There were many other emotions mixed in, but Lukas wasnt able to identify them all.
This isnt the end. At the very least, you cant just end it by restraining my limbs and looking down on me.
You know what you have to do.
What do I have to do?
Smirking, Sedi gestured with her chin towards the weapon that had flown behind her.
Isnt a scythe a weapon made specifically for execution? So
Lukas was silent.
Dont stay silent.
And for Sedi, that silence was a response that made her uncomfortable.
Because it meant he was thinking.
Think carefully. Remember what I did to you.
Sedis voice seemed to be filled with an incomprehensible emotion.
Who was it that cut off Fathers limbs? Who gouged out your eye? Who cut off the head of your best friend?
Answer me!
Sedis voice was filled with desperation.
Lukas didnt answer, and instead, continued to look down at Sedi with a solemn gaze.
And then he said something preposterous.
Did you kill Kasajin for a moment like this?
Sedi realised that those words werent completely ridiculous.
In case you lost. You cut off Kasajins head so that I would kill you without hesitation. Was that your plan?
Stop.
Sedis voice became cold once again.
Perhaps it was because shed lost a lot of blood, but it felt like her mind was a bit clearer. The phenomenon of the edges of her vision becoming dark had also faded a bit. Perhaps, the current Sedi was the most sane shed been since coming to the World of Void.
You seem to think there is something wrong with me, but theres nothing like that. It was just magnified. I did what I always wanted to do.
Even if it had been driven by impulse, the fact that shed acted that way wouldnt change.
Sedi paused before muttering in a broken voice.
so everything I did, it was my choice. My decision. So please put aside your cheap sympathy and do what needs to be done. Otherwise, everything will just repeat after Father leaves this place. You know that, dont you?
Is sympathy wrong?
Instead, Lukas asked back. And continued before Sedi could answer.
Im not trying to cover for you. I have no intention of comforting you. Of course, I wont forgive you for the terrible deeds you committed. However, worrying about you is my freedom. Even if you did worse things, I would still worry about you.
Sedis heart sank when she heard the word worry.
Trying not to show how much it bothered her, she said.
dont be swept away by trivial acknowledgement. Father isnt like that.
Acknowledgement will never be trivial. And I was like this. A long time ago. Before I met you.
Hed been like that in the past, when he was called the Great Mage.
I thought that if someone committed a crime, it was natural for them to be punished for it. I still dont think thats wrong. However there was clearly something missing from this thought. I was able to realise that in this world.
He remembered the past he saw, and the Trowman Orphanage.
And Sophia.
I had a mother-like figure. Like you. Sedi. She and I werent related by blood.
Sedi was still panting, but she didnt stop him or do anything.
For one, it was because she knew Lukas didnt like to talk about his past, and two, because she couldnt help but be deeply interested in what he was saying.
However, I believed that our connection was made from something deeper. I knew. Simply being related by blood didnt make you family.
family.
One day, I learned that the woman I considered my mother, Sophia, was committing horrible crimes.
As he continued to speak, Lukas felt as if the situation at that time was overlapping with the present.
It was unforgivable. It was so terrible that I cant even say it. I witnessed it for myself and I killed her with my own hands.
It was more of a one sided slaughter than murder.
Of course, this wasnt what hed actually done in the past.
Instead, when hed eaten the body of another Lukas in the Dump Site and was faced with a similar memory as a consequence of it, Lukas had killed Sophia without hesitation.
Sophia had died without being able to even say her last words. It was a fitting end for a murderer who had thrown aside their humanity, but it wasnt an end that was a suitable final appearance for the woman he considered his mother.
It is human nature to be swayed by emotion even when we know it is morally wrong.
[]
When he quoted what hed heard from a Lukas, he heard someone in his head chuckle.
Of course, thats not the right thing to do. But I think such imperfection is necessary. For you, and for me.
Lukas felt as if a light had turned on in his head. Perhaps it was because he kept thinking about it. The way he should treat her, and the way she should treat him. The answer was now clear.
He walked towards Sedi. Each step was taken without hesitation, and when he reached out to her, whose entire body was restrained, Sedi instinctively flinched and closed her eyes tightly.
Surk-
But what she soon felt was the touch of fingers gently brushing her hair.
Just as Sedi was about to open her eyes.
Ttak.
She felt a sharp pain on her forehead.
It was the first time in her life that Sedi had felt this kind of pain No. Was this even pain? As she became bewildered by this vague feeling, Lukas spoke.
Why did you do that?
!
His stern voice caused waves in her heart.
You shouldnt have done that.
He was scolding her. And teaching her.
He was reprimanding Sedi for making the wrong choice based on his own experience.
Just like a real parent.
Ulkuk. (TL:if you can think of a onomatopoeia for being emotional, insert here)
urp.
Something hot rose up from her chest.
Sedi claimed to be Lukas daughter, but she wasnt a child. She knew how to use her common sense and her personality was more advanced than most intelligent beings.
When a child made a mistake, the child didnt perceive that it was a mistake. They only realised what they did was wrong after being scolded by their parents.
That was the crucial difference between Sedi and a child. (TL: not the hundreds-thousands of years?)
She was fully aware of her mistakes. She had always been aware of the fact that the path she was walking on was wrong. It was like a lump of lead resting on her chest that she couldnt get rid of.
Sedi had been determined. Shed decided that she would carry that weight for the rest of her life.
But now, that determination had faded.
Because Lukas stern voice had removed the lead.
No, he hadnt removed it. Hed lightened it. He removed half of the fault from Sedi and took it upon himself.
This foolish man.
hu.
She heard a strange sound. It had come from her own throat.
Her vision became blurry, but it wasnt as dark as before. Instead, Lukas face seemed to be shrouded in fog.
Hht, huu
A sad sound leaked out of her mouth.
The beast-like sound showed that Sedi was trying with all her might to suppress the sob that threatened to come out.
Lukas didnt say anything.
so-, rry.
But when he heard the voice that leaked out, he answered quietly.
Its okay.
Im sorry. Hup. Father. Huk
Finally, she was unable to stop the tears from bursting out. They werent black.
Sedi, who had only been pouring out black liquid until now, finally let out something else for the first time.
Im sorry Father. For doubting you. For being obsessed. For trying to force you. Its not like that the relationship I was thinking of, isnt like that.
Did she really think that she had no choice but to continue walking even though it was the wrong path? Dont be ridiculous. Sedi was so ashamed of herself that she couldnt stand it.
She couldve turned around at any time. That level of choice and will had always been there. And yet, Sedi had ignored them and continued walking. In fact, despite knowing that she was walking the wrong path, she had been filled with greed. Dominated by desire.
This was the result.
It wasnt the fault of her father, Lukas.
thanks.
Sedi smiled faintly.
This is it. Its enough. So, kill me.
Sedi mentioned her own death for the first time.
This is different from before. I can now die with a smile. Im not bluffing, thats really the case. And the thought of dying to anyone other than Father I hate it.
After all, that was also her greed.
Sedi was getting sick of her shamelessness even at this time.
At the same time, she hoped that Lukas wouldnt mind this childishness.
is that really what you want?
Sorry. For doing the wrong thing.
Lukas looked down at Sedi with a hollow gaze. Then he stretched his hand out.
The scythe that was stuck in the ground a short distance away shook before floating up on its own, eventually coming to rest in Lukas palm.
Sedi smiled faintly.
Goodbye, Father.
It was nice to see you again.
Those last words didnt come out of her mouth. It was too shameful.
Then, the scythe fell like a guillotine.
Book 2: Chapter 452
Book 2: Chapter 452 There are many cliches to describe a sudden change in the atmosphere.
It felt as if time stopped, the air seemed to change, it felt like the temperature suddenly dropped
Lukas knew that most of those expressions were simply metaphors. Most humans would be unable to sense it if time were to stop, and they couldnt be said to be sensitive enough to notice the changes in air currents. Among them, the expression the temperature dropped was probably the most realistic.
There was only one reason why he suddenly had this seemingly rambling thought.
It changed.
He felt a change that was difficult to describe in the words currently in his vocabulary.
It was a strange feeling, almost as if hed suddenly realised that the ground he was walking on was actually an incomprehensibly large being.
That strange feeling was soon applied to reality.
First, the scythe, which he was swinging like a guillotine, neatly broke into two pieces.
It was an act that seemed to occur from nowhere. Lukas knew that it sounded silly, but he didnt really have any words to describe what had happened.
It was as if the scythe was made of two pieces in the first place, and he was just swinging the rod.
That wasnt possible.
He had a hair-raising feeling.
And in the next moment, Lukas twisted his head.
It was an unconscious action that far surpassed the realm of instinct.
And that action prevented a catastrophe.
Swoosh.
Something shot past Lukas cheek. A chill went down his spine. If he hadnt twisted his head just now, his skull would have been pierced through and he would have died.
A thorn.
Lukas was only able to identify the something after the second attack.
The identity of the something from somewhere was a thorn that shot out from Sedi.
However
Why couldnt I see it?
As for the reason why hed twisted his head at that moment, even he wasnt sure about that. In other words, it could only be said that he had avoided it by luck. And such miracles wouldnt happen again and again.
Ah uh.
Sedis blank voice reached his ears.
Sedi.
Ru-, n run
You
Lukas swallowed the rest of his words. Sedis eyes were slightly open, but her consciousness wasnt clear. Her paling complexion explained it in her stead.
Tutuk, tuk.
The ground, which had been restraining Sedi, crumbled like dried clay. Of course, Lukas hadnt released it She also shouldnt have the strength to escape on her own.
Lukas once again united his mind and entered the minimal time zone.
And he could see that the scene of time had changed.
It was as if his vision had reversed. Lukas was standing in the middle of pitch blackness.
For a moment, he couldnt help but wonder if his eyes were still closed or if hed moved to a space that was completely devoid of light.
That wasnt it. Lukas realised.
Just how dangerous his current situation was.
!
Thousands of thorns rushed towards him. What hed mistaken as darkness was actually thorns.
For Lukas, it felt as if all of these thorns had appeared in an instant, but that wasnt actually the case. The thorns simply existed in an area that could only be observed in the minimal time zone.
The reason hed been able to avoid the thorn just now was because of a sense of discomfort he could feel since hed entered the minimal time zone before.
Using space leap, he fled several dozen feet away. Thousands of thorns covered the place Lukas had just been standing like a tsunami. This wasnt just an analogy. The ground literally looked as if it had been swallowed by a gigantic black wave.
Its a pity.
Even in the slowed time, he could still hear a voice clearly. It sounded like a whisper in his ear No, that was exactly what it was. The voice had come from right behind Lukas.
When had they caught up? He didnt know. Instead of looking, Lukas turned his head in a different direction. His response was so quick and accurate that it was admirable.
Without turning around, he sent dozens of spells behind without any chanting and immediately widened the distance with a space leap once again. This time, he roused his senses to the max so that he wouldnt miss even the smallest movement.
And he realised that he couldnt sense anyone in the place where hed sent his spells.
Where did they go? Lukas expression hardened as he looked around.
The place where Im going to come out.
Someone was in the place where he would arrive with space leap.
How, did they read the future?
No. That wasnt it.
In the past, Lukas had once fought a Demigod capable of seeing glimpses of the past and the future. However, that was only the ability to analyse the current situation with extreme precision and assume the highest probability of what would happen in the near future.
The future was fluid. That was the truth that Lukas knew.
Therefore, there was a simple reason why this being was able to arrive in the place where Lukas would be.
A prediction made with pure intelligence.
Puk.
Thorns pierced his abdomen. There were a total of five thorns, and if they had been a bit thicker, instead of piercing, they would have directly split him in half.
I see.
But, despite the pain, Lukas smiled.
Hed learned something.
Space leap.
Hed thought that this power was almost invincible in the minimal time zone, but that wasnt the case.
If there was someone who could read his movements like this being, and who could move even before he moved, this power would hold him back instead.
There was no delay in space leap.
As soon as he entered it, he would exit.
This meant that he couldnt use any countermeasures. The moment he came out of the exit, Lukass body would be defenceless.
Boom!
He was sent flying into the wall of Demonsio. He felt his consciousness dim a bit. As expected, he couldnt speak for anything else, but the pain was the most difficult to deal with. Even most Absolutes would not be able to withstand the pain from these thorns. A mortal? Even a small scratch would drive them crazy.
Crunch.
Lukas forcefully smashed the thorns in his abdomen. Of course, this was only possible because he could now control void.
He staggered off the wall and took a stance.
Then Sedi, no.
What is a pity?
The Black Horned Demon God said.
Your reunion.
He saw the Demon God recall all the thorns around him. Although it was temporary, it could be said that he had withdrawn his desire to attack.
Whats his goal?
Was he trying to get him to let his guard down then surprise him? sea??h th ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
No.
That couldnt be.
Lukas scoffed at his own speculation. This wasnt a being who would use surprise attacks. Rulers would only ever overwhelm their enemies from the front.
And yet, no one could stop them.
Did he recall his thorns to talk? Or did he have some other goal?
Lukas didnt know. Nevertheless, maintaining his current state for a long time was a considerable burden, so he loosened the unity in his mind ever so slightly.
Shed always been obsessed with death.
I see.
I thought it was because of your existence. That she was afraid of your arrival.
For Sedi, the worst thing that could happen wasnt losing to Lukas.
That Lukas wouldnt kill her after defeating her. That he would forgive her. The Demon God realised that that was what she feared most in the World of Void.
I dont want Sedi to die.
The Lightning God.
The voice of the Ruler Lukas had encountered the most was incomparably loud. It felt as if, with every word he said, thunder and lightning rang in his ears.
But the Demon Gods voice was just melancholy. It was as if it contained absolutely no emotion.
She is a sturdy puppet that I worked hard to prepare. Look at this. Even after retaining some of my consciousness, her body can still maintain its shape.
The Demon God made Sedis body pat her chest.
Even if I ask, you wont tell me your goal.
You sound like youve met a Ruler other than me in this place.
Think whatever you want.
Once again, Lukas became extremely focused.
At that moment, he entered the minimal time zone.
!
It was different.
A shiver went through his body as he experienced an unprecedented sense of tension.
Lukas had a deathly feeling. It was really strange. The fight against Sedi was by no means easy. In fact, it had been extremely dangerous. Hed been on the brink of death countless times. The mere thought of the scythe shed wielded gave him chills.
But the Demon Gods very presence and the actions he intended to take, were so dangerous that it made Sedis force seem little.
Chwak-
A small space opened in front of Lukas. It was the entrance to another world, and the most perfect defence he could currently muster.
Tingle.
A side effect of creating space was a headache strong enough to make him almost lose consciousness, but the pain soon faded. The Lukases were helping him handle the mental burden.
Im really indebted
He could no longer feel the burden.
The moment Lukas smiled faintly, thousands of thorns shot out from the Demon Gods body.
Kuwak!
In fact, it was more accurate to say they exploded out rather than shot. It was as if springs had been compressed to the limit before being released.
In the current state of Lukas body, allowing even a few of those thorns to pierce his body would kill him without a doubt. So he spread this space out in advance, and the rushing thorns were sucked into that space.
Thats an interesting method. Did you make a personal space to use as a shield? Although it is simple in theory, it is an ability very few people could make use of. I have to commend you for that.
As usual, the Demon King didnt display much hostility towards Lukas.
On the contrary, at first glance, be it in voice or demeanour he seemed to not care about him at all.
Im still lacking.
He was still lagging behind the Rulers in every way.
Lukas humbly accepted this truth. Then, he looked at the Demon God and said.
Do you plan to kill me?
There are other possibilities, but you wouldnt accept them.
Do you want to make me a Ruler?
This was the proposal hed received from the Lightning God in the past.
Of course, it was before his return, so only Lukas had memory of that event.
As expected, you truly did run into another Ruler. Was it Lightning God or perhaps the Seven Fanged Dragon God.
What?
Lukas blinked.
The Seven Fanged Dragon God was knocked down from the position of Ruler.
thats what you think. There are still many things you dont know.
The Demon God seemed as if he had more to say, but Lukas had a feeling that he wouldnt hear anything more from him.
The World of Void is the universes trash can. The role of this place is far more important than you imagine. If there is no place to dispose of the garbage, then the rooms and house will end up getting dirty.
All of the abandoned possibilities from the beings in the Three Thousand Worlds come here. That is what maintains the balance. It hasnt been long since we already realised this role So what do you think would happen if the World of Void were to disappear?
What?
With the trash can gone, where would the abandoned possibilities of the universes go? Would they just disappear? Would they go to another universe? Would they appear in the same universe in a different time axis? I wonder.
Dumbfounded, Lukas asked.
Dont tell me that is the Rulers goal. Are you trying to answer that question?
Question is a strange word for me. I dont think our understanding of it is the same.
Lets end it there. Its time we got down to business. I have a proposal for you. Im sure itll be better than the Lightning Gods.
Proposal?
The Demon God nodded.
Lukas Trowman. Will you become my puppet? Then, Ill make you the Void King.
Book 2: Chapter 453
Book 2: Chapter 453 He had received a similar offer from the Lightning God. But the Demon Gods proposal was more specific more insulting. The Lightning God had offered for Lukas to become a Ruler. But the Demon King was different.
He knew what he meant by the word puppet. There was an example of it right in front of him.
Are you saying you want me to take Sedis role? Does that mean youll let her go instead?
I didnt say that. That interpretation is too much.
Just because you didnt mention it doesnt mean the meaning isnt there.
The intent is different. Dont tell me you cant tell the difference.
That wasnt a joke.
Lukas paused for a moment before speaking.
You wont threaten to use Sedi as a hostage. Is that what youre claiming?
The Demon God remained silent and Lukas expression became bleak. He quickly united his mind and entered the minimal time zone, but he couldnt find any threatening attacks in the changed scenery.
He didnt show any killing intent.
This being had caused Lukas to feel a sense of crisis simply by changing his temperament.
you, have a knack for making me feel uncomfortable. It was like this in the past too.
Of course, even a fool could tell that wasnt a compliment.
I wont repeat my question. I wont ask twice. What I ask is my proposal and what I want is an answer. Any other conversation between us is unnecessary.
He hadnt changed.
Rulers didnt change. They wouldnt.
But what had he expected, what did he hope for? Lukas chuckled.
It was impossible from the start.
Then Ill also make a proposal.
The prickling sensation on his skin intensified.
If there was a line that shouldnt be crossed for the Demon God, the Lukas remarks had definitely crossed it. Because making a reverse proposal could also be included in the unnecessary conversation.
Keeping his eye on his every move, Lukas continued.
Make me submit. With your thorns.
You will die.
It wont be that easy.
The Demon King let out a sigh.
Then.
Lukas last battle in this life began.
* * *
Black, Thorn, Demon God.
It could be said that the being in front of him was represented by those three identities. Those words were probably closer to his essence than Ruler.
But Lukas was convinced that among them, the word thorn was the most important.
.
There were no thorns in his sight. This was true even after entering the minimal time zone. Lukas leapt through space to widen the distance between them. He still couldnt see anything, and the Demon God was still standing still.
But Lukas still felt as if something was threatening him.
Piht.
He constantly leapt through space, but at some point, his calf muscles split. This had been caused by an invisible attack.
Lukas swallowed a murmur.
It was an attack that he couldnt see even in the minimal time zone In that case, did that mean it was undetectable even in this space? Was there another higher level space beyond this one?
No, that wasnt it.
Lukas now existed in the same world as the Rulers. Although there was still a clear gap in level, it was clear to him that they could at least see the same scenery.
So he changed his thoughts.
If he couldnt think of an answer after thinking hard, then it was better to simplify his perspective.
Lukas closed his eyes for a moment. Then, after calmly analysing the situation, he reached the answer that was closest to the truth.
Clairvoyance.
It was the power of one of the Demigods, which made it possible to raise his vision to a level that couldnt be reached with the normal naked eye.
Eyes white, Lukas glanced behind him and was able to grasp the truth.
Its thin.
It was an extremely thin, slender thorn. It was so small that it was impossible to see it with the naked eye. It had to be thousands of times thinner than a hair. There were tens of thousands of such thorns.
And the power of one thin thorn was enough to pierce through Lukas void and make his body a simple one of flesh and blood.
Itll be dangerous to miss even a few of their movements.
A smile crept across Lukas lips. It felt like he was walking on thin ice, but this gave him a thrilling feeling to an extent.
Was this his own feeling, or was it the influence of the other Lukases?
He didnt have the time to think about it.
Howling Tempest.
A strong wind swept through the area. Nevertheless, the thorns didnt scatter. Despite the heavy winds, they remained firm as they shot towards Lukas.
This level of wind was far from enough. Even though they were thin objects, they were as sturdy as solid spears.
In that case, hed have to use a different tactic.
Lukas created a space in front of the thorns shooting towards him. After being sucked into the space, the thorns shot out of the exit Lukas provided.
This resulted in the thorns colliding.
Boom!
He felt like he heard that sound.
As tens of thousands of thorns collided with each other, a formidable shockwave spread in every direction. And after the black air current covered the surroundings, there was nothing left.
It was mutual annihilation.
The power contained in each thorn is exactly the same.
Such a terrifying guy. The power of every single one of those thousands of thorns was exactly the same.
Of course, Lukas had grasped the exact number of thin thorns. The number of thorns Lukas had just received was 37,132, exactly half of the total.
It might have been his luck that the total wasnt an odd number.
However, this isnt his full power.
On the contrary, the power hed revealed was only a small fraction.
His pride was scratched.
He wanted him to go all out against him. He knew it was an impulsive feeling, but Lukas decided to not be patient.
His body shot into the air. For some reason, the Demon God didnt send out any more thorns, he just watched on blankly.
After reaching almost to the ceiling of the cave, Lukas looked down at the Demon God.
The difference in level is obvious. So theres no need to waste any more time I will now use the most powerful spell I can.
Your most powerful spell? Sarch* The novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
This.
Lukas cast his strongest spell.
A single Magic Missile.
The Demon King was still expressionless. He simply stared at the Magic Missile without saying a word.
Then Lukas chuckled.
Of course, even if I sent trillions of spells at you, they wouldnt leave even a single scratch. However.
Rumble-
The entirety of Demonsio shook. This was because what was happening transcended the density of space. Lukas created several spaces in front of him.
Jurk.
Blood flowed from his eyes, nose and mouth at the same time. This was because his current actions far surpassed the limits of his mental power.
Lords power of space. In a way, what Ive created are Personal Spaces the spaces before me are no different from small universes.
I put magic circles in these universes. Theyre only for an insignificant amplification spell, but the amount of amplification will be enormous.
Woowoong-
The magic circles in the space he created overlapped. It was like a planet surrounded by a ring.
The main spell doesnt need to be outstanding. In fact, if its too strong, the calculation might become complicated, so the simpler it is, the better
A single Magic Missile. It was enough.
I will now throw a Magic Missile into the space in front of me. Inside of my small universes are countless amplification spells that couldnt be applied in the normal world. Every time it passes through a space, it will become several dozen times stronger. Not addition, it will multiply, and multiply, and multiply, and multiply until it passes through all of the spaces.
The universes must have the power to not break into pieces.
Lukas smiled mischievously, cold sweat dripping down his chin.
I put everything I have into this attack. If you can stop it, itll be your win.
I see.
The Demon God nodded candidly and spoke.
Come.
Then he launched the Magic Missile.
As soon as it passed through the first space.
Crash!
It no longer had the shape of a Magic Missile. Lukas prediction had been incorrect. The amount of amplification the Magic Missile gained far exceeded several dozens of times. With just that single amplification, he could feel the territory, Demonsio, begin to creak.
But that was just the beginning.
When it passed through the second space, the residual force that leaked out of the spell pulverised Demonsios castle.
When it passed through the third space, the surroundings became white. The energy being released was enough to distort space itself.
Then it passed through the fourth, fifth, sixth
It multiplied and multiplied.
Stronger and stronger.
Eventually, after passing through all of the spaces Lukas had prepared, the spell had already escaped his control.
From the Demon Gods perspective, it was like he was watching a warhead filled with destructive power falling steadily towards him. It was no different from watching the scene before the end.
Nevertheless, his expression remained unchanged. While watching the scene unfolding before his eyes, the Demon God muttered indifferently.
Now that I think about it, you said If you stop it, itll be your win.
Strangely enough, in this world where sound could barely be heard.
If I followed your rules, I wouldnt call it my win. I wont just stop it.
Lukas felt like he could hear his voice most clearly.
Look closely. What you will see now is just the tip. (TL: *insert childish comment*)
Then, a black thorn shot out.
.
It felt like he heard the sound.
Lukas didnt know, and he didnt get a chance to analyse it closely.
However, he was still able to interpret the scene in front of his eyes.
The spell, which had been enhanced an astronomical number of times, simply disappeared. It was pierced through and lost its shape. It hung in the air for a moment before vanishing like a lamp in the wind.
Following that, all of the spaces in front of Lukas were smashed. As mentioned before, although small, each one of them could be classified as a universe.
In other words, not only had the Demon God destroyed Lukas strongest spell in a single blow, he also destroyed several worlds.
They shattered. The pieces of the broken spaces fell like shards of glass.
And as Lukas blankly stared at this scene.
Puk.
His body was also pierced.
!
The thorn pierced through the ceiling of Demonsio and continued out to the outside world.
An indescribable pain coursed through his entire body. Lukas couldnt even make a sound. He could only exhale sharply with his mouth open. The pain was impossible to suppress or endure.
He couldnt even use void. As soon as his body was pierced, he could no longer take any action, so it was no different from directly dying. In fact, if it wasnt Lukas but someone else, they probably wouldnt have been able to have such coherent thoughts.
They would have already collapsed under the agonising pain.
Thud.
He fell, hollowly, to the ground.
Coincidentally, the spot he landed was close to the Demon God.
Ive changed my mind. Youve already learned too much about this world. You wouldnt be a suitable puppet.
The Demon God walked over slowly.
Its very fortunate. That I can just kill you here.
that thorn.
Hoh.
Lukas coughed.
Youre still conscious after being stabbed by the [Thorn of Pain]? Thats amazing. When it comes to mental power, you definitely are close to our level.
That was your true essence
Know that with honour. Its been hundreds of millions of years since I last used that thorn.
Lukas could feel the gradual approach of death.
It was a clean defeat with no excuses. But he had gained a lot. He had a clue about the Demon Gods power. Perhaps if they fought again, his chances of winning would be tens of times higher.
Haha.
Why are you laughing?
There were two reasons. Finally, at the moment of his death, he thought about his next life. But he hadnt fought the Demon God under the assumption that he would definitely return.
He just had a feeling. If he accepted the Demon Gods proposal, he would experience a fate worse than death.
That was why he fought.
To calculate his chances of victory, to obtain information, to preserve his dignity.
Most of all, he wanted to take a shot against the Demon God, a Ruler.
However, it was impossible. It was too much for Lukas.
For Lukas.
You called it the Thorn of Pain. Its an amazing power. It destroyed the several spaces I made, pierced my body and even smashed the ceiling of Demonsio.
What are you trying to say?
Lukas lips twisted.
That power was a bit excessive. It was like an awl sticking out of the Demon Gods pocket.
I didnt fight to die. I ended up dying, but I had only considered this ending. Nevertheless, the thought of just dying peacefully makes my stomach twist.
Lukas smiled brightly.
So I decided to call an expert.
Expert?
Just as the Demon God asked this question.
A being appeared through the sky.
To be precise, they broke through the ceiling, but when looking up from the city, it was no different from them breaking the sky.
It was different from before. The fragments of the cave ceiling, which had already been cracked, began to fall like rain.
The Demon God ignored the huge stones falling like heavy rain.
At that moment, he was no longer looking at Lukas. Lukas didnt even know that he was witnessing a rare sight. The sight of a Ruler panicking.
The being that the Demon Gods eyes had locked onto fell faster than the stones. And landed gently between Lukas and the Demon God.
Their blue hair could be seen through the scattered dust.
He figured that she wouldnt be too far away. That she wouldnt have left completely. She was probably even close by.
So this move could be called Lukas second gamble.
Kuku
A laugh escaped his lips.
His expression was relaxed, nonchalant. As he looked at the unchanging expression of the Ruler in front of him, he was no longer offended, and instead felt amused.
You
Hmph.
The blue haired woman snorted as she stretched out her hand. A blue sword rose up from the ground before settling in her hand.
Then, Pale smiled brightly and said.
Hello.
Book 2: Chapter 454
Book 2: Chapter 454 Blue Knight.
The Demon God murmured. His voice was still as emotionless as before.
With a smile still on her face, Pale swung her sword. It was a light movement, like stretching a joint, but the maelstrom it created was by no means normal.
You seem upset.
The curve of her lips deepened.
Have you met me before?
No.
Then why does it seem like you know me?
The Demon God didnt respond. Shrugging her shoulders, Pale continued.
I havent even put my armour on yet, but you called me Blue Knight.
Youre the same. You must know who I am as well.
I dont.
At that, the Demon God stretched out a finger. A black thorn shot out towards Pale at a tremendous speed.
Shwak.
Pale swung her sword again, cutting the thorn.
That should be enough for my introduction.
Black thorn?
Kekeke, Pale let out a chuckle.
The Black Horned Demon God.
That is my name.
I dont really care about who you are. You still didnt answer my question.
Persistent.
There was a hint of irritation in the Demon Gods voice.
Is that topic really that important? To the point where you stick to it like this?
Of course it is, you didnt even need to show me that black thorn. I saw the thorn that pierced the ceiling of Demonsio while I was outside. The moment I saw it, I immediately knew who was here. Besides, as I look at you now, I can see an energy that doesnt exist in this world swirling around your body.
That alone was enough to convince you despite never seeing a being like a Ruler before?
At first glance, it seemed like the Demon God and Pale were arguing. No. They were actually arguing.
But their argument made Lukas feel frightened.
Rumble-
The fight had already begun. Their battle of wills was causing space itself to distort. It was a ridiculous sight. Of course, Lukas had seen people distort space with their auras before.
But that was only a visual illusion. Just like heat shimmers in a desert could be mistaken as waves, the aura they released didnt actually affect space.
This was different.
The energy being released by the Demon God and Pale was actually distorting space. If they were to increase their momentum even a bit more, they might end up creating several black holes in this place.
Its not like that. I know you all very well. Ive been observing you for a long time.
Thats an elegant way to gift wrap the word peeping.
Peeping. Well
Just as Pale smiled.
Right. I peeped. However.
Her tone of voice sank.
You cant.
Hey. Demon God. Didnt you realise it yet? Peeping is a privilege of the losers. We are free to observe you regardless of where you are. Free to analyse. But you cant. Because that would be a serious violation.
The Demon Gods expression darkened. That seemed to show that even a Ruler couldnt help but show disapproval at Pales obstinance.
Look at you now. Did you think you could analyse this place that you despise as a trash can, sneak in, and come up with some sneaky plan without us knowing?
Im not really sure. When am I supposed to see the dignity of a Ruler?! Hmm. Or does ruling mean something different over there?
Then, Pale accomplished something that probably no one in the multiverse had even attempted before.
She caused the Demon Gods face to contort.
this is a new feeling. Thanks to you, I was able to figure something out. It seems Im not very tolerant of insults.
Ahaha.
Lukas looked at the two beings facing each other.
Which one?
Which one, between the two of them, was stronger?
Personally, he thought it was Pale. After all, shed managed to win an overwhelming victory against the Lightning God who had taken over Lee Jong-haks body.
However, this time, her opponent was the Demon God, not the Lightning God, and the being he was possessing was Sedi, not Lee Jong-hak. She was a being that was on a completely different level from Lee Jong-hak, so, naturally, the amount of output the Demon God would be able to produce would be much higher.
On my own.
The current Lukas had a 50% chance of winning against the Lightning God Lee Jong-hak, but he had been defeated by the Demon God by an overwhelming margin.
The Demon God didnt reveal his true power in the fight against me.
He had probably only shown his true strength once.
That was when hed used the Thorn of Pain to penetrate the maximally amplified spell Lukas had used. Without a doubt, the power he experienced at that time was more devastating than anything hed ever experienced before, and he hadnt even managed to escape from its aftermath yet.
It truly suited the name Thorn of Pain. Even at that moment, Lukas had a hard time thinking because of the pain that seemed to twist his mind.
Good. Now that we both have a proper hatred for each other. Its time to stop all the nonsense talk.
Chrrk, blue armour began covering Pales body.
Shall we begin?
Just before the helmet covered her face, her eyes curved like crescent moons.
And just as those two shapes disappeared.
.
Lukas felt as if he was at a crossroads.
Before making a decision, he checked his physical condition first.
It still wasnt good. As mentioned before, the Thorn of Pain which was embedded deeply into his body was very annoying. The thorn was also gradually eating away at Lukas life force. If he didnt pull it out as soon as possible, he would die. In truth, his condition was so bad that it wouldnt be strange for him to suddenly lose his life at any moment.
If he were to use all of his physical and mental strength, he might be able to pull the thorn out.
However, if he did that, he wouldnt be able to witness the scene that was about to unfold.
He was conflicted for a moment, but in the end, Lukas made a decision.
I should watch.
He would give up everything to watch the scene that was about to unfold.
Lukas used all of his remaining mental power to enter the minimal time zone.
Then it began. The fight between two Absolute beings who had entered the [minimal time zone].
He saw Pale holding her sword. He could not feel any momentum from her body which was covered tightly by armour. It felt like her momentum had been trapped inside.
On the other hand, black energy swirled all over the Demon Gods body.
Then it shot forward.
Lukas could feel it.
The extremely thin thorns, the thorns that he had failed to recognise at first, were now being aimed at Pale.
But Pale didnt stop moving forward. She also made no attempts to block.
Did she not notice?
No. Surprisingly, the thorns had already reached Pale, Lukas had simply failed to notice it at that time. Nevertheless, Pale continued walking.
There were no signs of her being obstructed. The thorns couldnt penetrate the armour covering her body.
Like toothpicks stabbing a shield, they either bent or broke as they came into contact with her.
Its some kind of defence.
The Demon Gods thorns, which Lukas had no choice but to dodge, were being blocked purely with the defence of her armour.
The Demon Gods eyes narrowed. It looked as if he was thinking about something.
What will he do?
When Lukas and Sedi were fighting, Sedi had chosen to narrow the distance.
The current situation was the opposite.
It was Pale who was steadily advancing towards the Demon God, and it was the Demon God who now had to choose how to fight.
The Demon God stretched out his palm.
Crack, huge thorns shot out of his spread palm. The thorns didnt detach, and instead remained affixed to the palm they shot out from. It seemed more appropriate to call them awls than thorns.
He then produced a similar thorn from the other palm before rubbing the two together and nodding.
Hmmm.
After making a sound of satisfaction, he bent his knees slightly. Then, he aimed the two thorns at Pale like spears.
It looked like a close combat stance, but somehow, it seemed clumsy.
The two thorns the Demon God had pulled out of his palms were strange.
They seemed to be on the same level as the [Thorn of Pain].
It seemed that he intended to hold them in his hands and use them like weapons. Of course, Lukas didnt quite understand.
If he wasnt mistaken, the Demon God wanted to fight a hand to hand battle with Pale.
[Thats a novel form.]
Pale spoke in an interested tone.
Her voice changed when she became the Blue Knight.
Was it just the way she spoke, or did her entire personality change? Lukas wasnt yet sure.
What he did know was that Pale as the Blue Knight spoke very little and rarely expressed emotion. But now, she expressed interest in the Demon God. Not ridicule or mockery, but genuine interest.
Is she saying thats not the wrong choice?
Did that mean that it was more advantageous for the Demon God to use hand to hand combat instead of fighting at a wide distance?
He couldnt tell. Not until he fought her himself. Lukas shook his head. That wasnt a problem he needed to consider for now.
The distance between the two combatants was now reduced to two steps.
Even without thinking about it, the result would soon be revealed.
[]
The Demon God and Pale.
A Ruler and one of the Four Knights.
Two absolute beings stared at each.
Then, without another word, the great hand to hand battle commenced.
Their movements had no form.
Swordsmanship, sword techniques, martial arts. There werent any moves graceful enough to be called that.
Instead, it was primitive, instinctive. Like two beasts going head on against each other.
At the extreme, a fight devolved to its most primitive form. That was the vague thought that Lukas had as he watched the scene unfolding before his eyes.
A chaotic hit for hit battle.
No dodging. No backing down.
At a distance of only a few steps, two thorns and a sword swirled like a storm. Their weapons rarely came into contact with each other. Most of the time, their weapons struck their opponents body instead of their weapons. This was proof that both Pale and the Demon God were ignoring defence.
Fragments of blue armour fell in every direction, and more than twice that amount of flesh fell to the ground.
This fight
Was this really high level? Wasnt it low?
He really couldnt tell.
They were immersed in a fierce battle, surrendering themselves to their base instincts.
He knew how much power was contained in that aspect. However was that it?
No.
What he was seeing wasnt all.
Lukas was simply unable to grasp everything happening in this fight. At least for now.
So what he had to do now was simple.
He would watch everything closely. And remember every little detail.
.
In a portion of time where no sound existed, the fight gradually heated up. The fight hadnt lasted very long. In the first place, it was never meant to. The result would be made in an instant.
Shuk.
Just as he had that thought, the Demon Gods head flew up into the air. Blood gushed from the separated body.
It was settled.
The Blue Knight had won again.
[]
Pale still didnt show any emotion. She simply shook the blood from her sword in a restrained manner.
The match had ended.
And as Lukas predicted, the Blue Knight, Pale, won.
This time, again, there were no fatal wounds on her body. Although the damage to her armour was much worse than after the battle with the Lightning God, there were no signs of blood or exhaustion.
Lukas turned his eyes to another place.
The Demon God hadnt left any last words. He wondered what this defeat would mean to him, but hed never be able to find out.
His decapitated head had regained Sedis appearance.
Sedi Trowman, who had sacrificed her body to come to the World of Void and abandoned everything in Demonsio, had become a cold corpse. Soon, her body would disappear without even leaving a trace.
Boring.
Pail murmured.
I was hoping for a big fight against the Demon God.
Since we just fought, I got a good understanding. The Demon King had expended at least half of his power on Uncle.
He hadnt known that.
Right. So he used half of his full power on the Thorn of Pain that he shot at him.
He wasnt sure if he should feel happy or upset at this revelation.
From your expression, I guess you only just realised that. Well, its already too late.
Pale chuckled. Now that he thought about it, he realised she was still holding her sword.
At that moment, Lukas was filled with indescribable anxiety.
This was dangerous. Really dangerous.
It didnt matter what he said, he just needed to keep talking
Pale.
Yes.
He couldnt think of anything to say.
Pale tilted her head to the side for a moment before chuckling.
Well, you dont have to say anything. Because it wont change anything. S~ea??h the N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
After speaking in a clear voice, she began to walk towards him. Kukukuk, she allowed the tip of the sword to rub against the ground, the sound exceptionally clear in his ears.
Pale was about to kill Lukas.
He was prepared to die.
However, he didnt want to just accept death calmly. He had to struggle to stay alive at least a little bit. He had to gain something, even if it was just a little.
Wait a minute. I-
Before he could finish talking, he felt himself get cut.
Shuk.
shit.
But it was only a moment later that he realised that he had been decapitated. His consciousness began to fade.
Originally, decapitation wouldnt have been enough to kill him. In fact, it wouldnt normally be so easy for Pale to kill Lukas. This was because the source of her power came from the World of Void. It would not be easy for her to deal a fatal blow to Lukas who used the power of void. But now, Lukas was unable to use void because of the mental strain left by the Thorn of Pain that the Demon God had stabbed him with.
At that moment his physical and mental strength were already at their limits.
Sleep well.
With that last whisper, his vision darkened.
And Lukas died once again.
Book 2: Chapter 455
Book 2: Chapter 455 Being fully aware of your death.
Uncle.
Opening your eyes again.
Hello?
And reuniting with the person that had killed you was certainly a unique experience.
Umm.
Lukas looked at the face of the woman who had killed him not metaphorically, really.
In fact, even if he didnt want to look at her, he didnt have a choice but to look at her.
This was because Lukas was laying on his back in the desert and Pale was standing above him.
Uuu nnn cleee.
Blue hair, gaunt face, and shabby clothes. If there was one thing that didnt match that appearance, it was her eyes.
Pales eyes sparkled as if they were filled with stars. Was that light also a lie? She tilted her head to the side and looked at Lukas with those innocent, or seemingly innocent, eyes.
What are you doing?
Thinking.
Lukas thought that the voice that had come out of him was surprisingly calm.
Unlike before, Lukas was no longer more wary of Pale than he needed to be. Of course, it was impossible to completely ignore her presence, at the very least, he didnt have to be filled with worry before something actually happened.
This was also something that he knew in his previous life, but he hadnt been able to mentally apply it at that time. This proved that he hadnt had much composure.
It was different now.
Lukas had become stronger, gained confidence, and more importantly, hed managed to learn a bit more about Pale.
At the very least, this woman wouldnt use rudeness as a pretext to kill Lukas.
By the way, what was that just now?
You killed the monster falling from the sky without even touching it!
Its something like magic.
Huh?
Personally, I like to call it void.
Lukas got up from the ground as he replied. Pales expression became a bit strange at that. It was a subtle expression that made it hard to read what she was thinking. Perhaps her wariness was rising.
Nevertheless, he didnt regret bringing it up. He had no intention of hiding it.
Even if he were to reveal the presence of void, Pale probably wouldnt become openly hostile towards him. She might feel interest and suspicion, but she wouldnt directly cause him harm.
-If you meet me again, you better hide your current condition. Because, to be honest, the current you looks really appetising. That me might not be able to hold back since I wouldnt know the circumstances.
He recalled Pales words.
Now that he thought about it, shed spoken as if she knew about Lukas regression. He still wasnt sure why. No one, not even the Lightning God or the Demon God, had noticed his regression.
Did Pale have more insight than them?
Or.
Lukas subconsciously rubbed his neck.
The feeling of Pale cutting his neck without hesitation in his previous life was still vivid. He now had an idea as to why Pale had killed him without bothering to ask or answer.
She was probably disappointed.
The reason Pale had been by his side from the moment he opened his eyes in this world. He wasnt entirely sure about the details, but it was probably because she thought of him as a Void King Candidate. In fact, she had even said the words my King*. (*: Chapter 426, aka the first time she killed him)
So, she must have been incredibly disappointed when she saw him give up his responsibilities to Sedi and choose to live a peaceful life. Shed probably cut his neck without bothering to listen to his excuses because she was filled with anger at him.
In any case, his crime had been reset(?).
Although it wasnt intentional, Lukas no longer had any bad feelings towards Pale.
So hed laid down and thought. About what he would do from now on.
He still had more than one scattered issue to deal with.
Although he no longer had any problems meeting Sedi, it would be impossible to meet her in a different way. The current Sedi was mentally broken and showed an excessive obsession towards Lukas. Moreover, she had a bomb by the name of the Demon God, so if he approached her too carelessly, the only outcome would be his destruction.
Of course, that bomb wont explode unless she meets me.
Kasajins response had truly been superb. Hed probably realised just how dangerous Sedis condition was. Even the fact that it was dangerous for her to meet Lukas.
And yet, the reason why he was unable to fully express his feelings was probably because Sedi was his unconditional superior. Sarch* The ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Demonsio.
It was a place that he would return to one day, but not now. He lacked preparation.
Then where should I go?
Lukas consciousness reminded him of a certain being.
About the being who had helped him when he was imprisoned in the castles dungeon.
The Beginning Wizard.
Among the Twelve Void Lords, who were shrouded in mystery, he was, without a doubt, the being that attracted the most of Lukas attention. Of course, in his previous life, the reason hed gone to Demonsio was to meet him, but there was a clear difference with his mindset then and now.
It could be said that it had changed from I should go at least once to I have to go.
I might know him.
It wasnt just someone he met in passing or something like that.
Lukas was certain he knew the Beginning Wizard. But the more deeply he thought about it, the more clouded his mind seemed to become.
Would all of those problems be resolved when he met him in person?
At that moment, he suddenly felt a gaze on him and came back to his senses.
Pale was looking at him with her hands on her hips. She still had the subtle expression from before.
I want to go to the Magic Planet.
Lukas got straight to the point. While it might seem impulsive, it really wasnt. This wasnt an assumption. Instead, it was something that hed carefully calculated.
Pales eyes went wide like saucers. Now that he thought about it, her eyes were really large. When she widened her eyes like that it looked like they would roll out.
The Magic Planet?
Right.
Mm.
I think you know how to get there.
Mmm.
Pale held her chin as if she was thinking about something.
Then, as if shed made up her mind, she turned to Lukas and smiled.
Of course I do. If you want, I can help you get there, but it would be dangerous for you to go alone.
Dangerous?
Yes. You should have at least one more person you trust to accompany you.
It was dangerous.
The Rulers puppets were all over the World of Void.
In all honesty, from Lukas perspective, they were the only ones that were much of a threat to him now. This was because he was certain that he wouldnt easily be beaten by any of the Twelve Void Lords.
But this advice had come from none other than Pale. Naturally, he wouldnt ignore it or dismiss it as nothing.
A person I could trust.
The first person he thought about was Kasajin. Power aside, it was clear that he was the person Lukas could rely on the most in this world. However, it was too risky to sneak into Demonsio and steal Kasajin away.
Regardless of how much control over space he had, Demonsio was Sedis territory. It would be incredibly difficult to avoid her gaze and deceive her.
Underground City?
In that place was Michael, Schweiser, or Lesha Trowman, his blood relative.
However, that begged the question of if she was a reliable person or not. After all, she was probably different from the person Lukas knew.
Lesha.
Now that he thought about it, he had to save her in this life as well.
She was probably being chased by the members of Flower Mountain at that exact moment.
Lukas froze for a moment. Even Pale called out Uncle? when she saw his expression changed. But he couldnt answer. The moment he thought of Flower Mountain, a ridiculous plan had taken root in Lukas mind.
It was only ridiculous at the beginning. The more he thought about it, the more he realised that it wasnt completely unrealistic.
I formed a plan.
Huh?
After saying that, Lukas used space movement.
This ability allowed him to instantly reach any place hed been to at least once. He instantly moved to the destination he wanted to.
Wow. How did you do that?
Pale called out in an admiration filled voice, but this time, he didnt answer.
Instead, he looked directly ahead.
The thing that immediately caught his eye was the figure of a woman moving along with staggering steps.
Wh-, ho
Lesha called out in a cautious voice, but she was already on the verge of losing consciousness. She couldnt even see Lukas properly, let alone try to stop him.
Lukas put his hand on her shoulder and spoke.
Restore.
There was no particular meaning behind this word. He didnt need to use any sounds or actions to use void. Nevertheless, he decided it was a good habit to cultivate.
Ah?
Lesha blinked and fully opened her eyes. He could clearly see that she was confused and surprised.
It was inevitable. Just a moment ago, her consciousness had been fading and she was exhausted to the point of collapsing, but now, her wounds, pain, and fatigue were all gone in an instant.
What is this How
I healed you.
He directly spoke the truth.
Lesha seemed to normally have a calm and cool personality, but now, it seemed that she had trouble properly understanding the current situation.
Uh. That, tha-, thank you.
Dont mention it.
After giving her a chance to say her thanks, Lukas asked.
Do you want me to send you to the Underground City?
Huh?
Its the territory youre affiliated with.
Ah, yes. Yes?
The moment Lesha, who had replied almost subconsciously, belatedly answered his question, Lukas drew a line with his finger. Juwok, space split apart as if it was cut by a knife, and the scene of the Underground City could be seen through the opening.
Uh, uh
For a while, Lesha stared at this scene. Lukas chuckled.
Off you go.
E-, excuse me you?
Im not going.
There was nothing more for him to see in the Underground City.
Whenever he regressed, hed always go to the Underground City and exchange questions and answers with Michael, but at this point, there wasnt any information that he really wanted to hear from him.
But that didnt seem to be what Lesha wanted to ask.
Who are you? By chance, are you a Wizard from the Magic Planet?
This wasnt the first time hed been mistaken as a Wizard from the Magic Planet.
Lukas stared at Lesha for a moment before giving her a gentle push.
Aht.
Lesha, who was pushed through the gap, turned to look at Lukas bewilderedly.
No.
He replied late. Coinciding with the gap which was beginning to close gradually.
Just before Leshas bewildered face disappeared completely, Lukas continued.
My name is Lukas Trowman.
Trow-, man?
As the gap closed fully, Lukas tilted his head to the side.
Why did he give her his full name? There probably wasnt a deep meaning behind it.
Shaking his head, he drew a line in space once again.
This time, the scene beyond it was, of course, not the Underground City. Before stepping in the gap, Lukas turned to Pale and said.
I would like to go alone this time, can you wait here for a while?
Whatever you like~
After saying that, Pale lay down on the sand. Then she stared up at the sky with her eyebrows slightly furrowed. Looking at her, it looked as if she was imitating Lukas earlier behaviour.
Without paying her any more attention, Lukas stepped into the gap.
Then his vision seemed to completely change. The first thing he felt was a gentle breeze. And the first thing he saw was a tall, beautiful, sheer mountain.
This place was at the top of the mountain.
A pavilion was erected here.
Lukas walked up to the pavilion. Then, he opened the door without knocking.
Creak-
The first thing he saw was a mans back. He seemed to be admiring the scenery of the mountains with his hands behind his back in a neat manner.
Lukas looked at this scene for a moment before sitting down in one of the nearby chairs. Then, he waited quietly without talking or announcing his presence.
The man enjoyed the scenery for a long time. He didnt even move. If one were looking on from a distance, one might have mistaken him for a statue.
After a while passed, he was the one that made the first move.
You are an uninvited guest.
Without turning around, he simply let out his voice.
Is that rude?
A bit.
After saying that, the man finally turned around to look at Lukas.
His clear and deep eyes were reminiscent of a flowing river at night. He walked over to Lukas and sat in front of him.
It seems you were waiting for a while, why didnt you say something?
I didnt want to interrupt your appreciation.
Hmm. After a soft sound, the man added briefly.
thats new.
new?
Its rare to get both a feeling of rudeness and politeness at the first meeting.
His voice was still indifferent, but his tone seemed to carry a hint of pleasure.
It seemed his first impression of Lukas wasnt bad.
Now. What was going to happen now was the most important.
Hed only left Pale behind for one reason. Because he thought that if she was with him, he wouldnt be able to see this mans sincere attitude.
Lukas looked at this man.
He looked at the man who was called one of the Twelve Void Lords, the Sect Leader of Flower Mountain, or the Everlasting Plum Sword.
Yang In-hyun, Id like to make a proposal.
A proposal?
Right. Firstly
His goal, of course, was conciliatory. For that, he needed to proceed with the negotiations first.
With a smile, Lukas spoke.
Do you know about the Ruler, the Thunderous Lightning God?
(TL: This really is a speed run.)
Book 2: Chapter 456
Book 2: Chapter 456 The chance that he knows is high.
That was Lukas thought.
The reason Yang In-hyun had imprisoned Lee Jong-hak instead of killing him was most likely because he had somehow managed to sense the presence of the Lightning God.
Instead of answering, Yang In-hyun lowered his gaze slightly. It seemed like he was avoiding his gaze, or perhaps he was lost in thought.
When he raised his head again.
Lukas realised what Yang In-hyun was thinking.
Here?
Here.
A short question and short answer.
Lukas nodded gently.
Whoosh-
A gentle breeze blew. The gentle breeze flowed through his hair as a butterfly flew in from the window. At first, he thought it was a plum blossom. This was because the butterflys wings were surprisingly similar in colour.
Yang In-hyun held out his index finger towards the flying butterfly. And just as the butterfly sat upon it Sear?h the N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Whoosh-
Plum blossoms bloomed all around.
It felt like hed gone blind in both eyes. The scent of plum blossoms made his nose tingle. For a moment, he lost sight of Yang In-hyun due to the countless plum blossoms flying around.
An illusion.
And at the same time, this scene was also real.
This wasnt just nonsense.
The plum blossoms seemed to change according to Yang In-hyuns wishes. They could disappear with the flick of a finger, or they could become corporeal and directly threaten Lukas. Anything could happen as Yang In-hyun wished.
He could change the landscape and imitate nature with just his consciousness.
The stage he had reached was clearly visible. As expected, Yang In-hyun was a peerless Great Master of Swordsmanship.
That isnt the Everlasting Plum Sword.
He knew because hed experienced the Everlasting Plum Swords First Move, Martial Annihilation before.
This scene was just a reflection of Yang In-hyun. But what was the point of showing him this scene?
First off, he was certain that he didnt have any intention of attacking.
Is this a test?
Lukas chuckled.
It was rude, but Yang In-hyun had the right to do so. And it was natural to measure the other party before accepting their proposal.
If Lukas failed to meet Yang In-hyuns expectations here, he would kick him out. Or kill him. Before learning how to utilise void, Lukas probably wouldnt have been able to realise what this scene meant.
He probably would have hurried to defend himself.
It was obviously a handshake.
He let his entire body relax. He leaned back into the chair and raised his chin.
It was at that moment that Yang In-hyuns gaze became stange.
Boom!
With a loud sound, the plum blossoms exploded. The exploding plum blossoms scattered into snowflakes.
you took back the spring I summoned.
I thought this would be a rarer sight to see here. Do you not like snow?
Yang In-hyun held out his palm and caught a snowflake. The snowflake that landed on his palm quickly melted. Feeling the crisp and chilly air, Yang In-hyun opened his mouth.
I like falling leaves more.
Since I got a nice present, I suppose I should reciprocate.
As he said that, Yang In-hyun got up from his seat. Then, he rummaged through a drawer and began to prepare something.
Lukas was able to witness a rare sight. The Everlasting Plum Sword Yang In-hyun had began to personally brew tea leaves.
Would you like a drink?
It was a simple offer for a cup of tea.
But Lukas couldnt help but feel strange because of it.
Even though it was a small gesture, he was being treated like this directly by Yang In-hyun.
No. That wasnt all. Yang In-hyuns current attitude was something Lukas had never experienced before.
Yang In-hyun acknowledged Lukas as an equal. He took him as someone who could sit at the same negotiation table as him and talk.
Something similar to pleasure rolled down his spine at the thought.
Lukas let out a low laugh as he said.
Do you not have coffee?
what is that?
If you dont then its fine.
And he hid his smile.
Right.
Finally, Lukas had reached the same level as the Twelve Void Lords.
Lukas told him about the Lightning God. Throughout his story, which was neither long nor short, Yang In-hyun remained silent. At first glance, it seemed like he wasnt paying full attention because all he did was occasionally bring the cup of tea to his lips.
So, how do you know all of that?
After the story was finished, it was clear that he wasnt.
Yang In-hyun was probably also wondering about things that Lukas hadnt mentioned. And his guess was surprisingly sharp.
Because I am also from the outside.
outside. Then that means youre a Twelve Void Lord Candidate. Or
Void King Candidate. Yang In-hyun didnt bother to mention that. He closed his eyes for a moment and seemed to be thinking deeply about something.
Lukas quietly lifted his teacup. He liked the feeling of the lukewarm water on his lips.
Then, after pouring the remainder of the cup into his mouth, he said.
The Lightning God can temporarily descend to this world by using Lee Jong-hak as a medium. Of course, he has to face considerable restrictions so he cant use his full power. Nevertheless, the fact that he is a dangerous being doesnt change. In particular, the Thunder power that he uses could be called the most deadly poison for the beings in this world.
Even with void, the wounds would heal slowly. In other words, most of the treatment methods in this world would be useless against wounds caused by Rulers.
What are you trying to say?
Even if you are one of the Twelve Void Lords, there is no guarantee that youll win.
Yang In-hyun didnt refute that statement.
Of course, for Lukas, his remarks werent just speculation. They were fact. In a certain future, the two of them had fought, and the only result was mutual destruction.
I dont think you want to keep a bomb like the Lightning God in Flower Mountain. That guys existence will certainly bring harm to you at some point. So Ill help you.
You want to fight together?
The risk of death will almost disappear completely, and the damage would be minimal.
This was also not an exaggeration meant to win the negotiation.
Currently, Lukas on his own had about a 50% chance of defeating the Lightning God. If Yang In-hyuns power was added to the mix, then obtaining an easy victory wouldnt be impossible.
Fighting the Lightning God would be a burden for you as well. Are you sure you want to take that risk just so I will owe you a favour?
Right.
What do you want in return?
Accompany me to the Magic Planet.
His true intention wasnt something he needed to hide.
Yang In-hyun tilted his head at that.
You want to take me to the Demon Planet? Did the Beginning Wizard ask you to come to me?
Its not like that. And Im not from the Magic Planet.
mm.
Yang In-hyuns forehead became wrinkled. He had ruled out the possibility that Lukas might be from the Magic Planet.
Instead, he seemed more fit to be a Twelve Vord Lord Candidate or even a Void King Candidate.
If its just to accompany you then there is no problem, but it seems youre a bit wary of the Magic Planet.
Its not something to take lightly. I received advice from someone I know that I shouldnt go to the Magic Planet alone. She said I should take at least one other person on the same level as me.
Someone, you know?
The Blue Knight.
This was also not something he needed to hide, so he confessed it honestly. It was better to tell him in advance since he would learn about it when he accompanied him anyway.
For the first time, he was able to see an agitated expression on Yang In-hyuns face. As expected, the existence of the Blue Knight, Pale, was not something the Twelve Void Lords too lightly.
She is your companion?
For now.
indeed. It seems you will probably bring more trouble to the World of Void than I expected.
After mumbling those meaningful words, Yang In-hyun fell silent again.
He was probably trying to guess Pales intentions.
But even Lukas couldnt tell what she was thinking at this point. He also wasnt sure why he needed to find a reliable being to accompany him to the Magic Planet. If he were to ask directly, hed probably never receive a straight answer.
Was it simply to prepare for the Beginning Wizard? That might be the case. In the past, the Beginning Wizard had been the strongest of the Twelve Void Lords, and even the Blue Knight Pale, who was far stronger than the average Void Lord, was wary of him.
Or maybe there were strong enemies in the Magic Planet. Or maybe he needed the presence of one or two more individuals for a different reason other than a physical threat.
In the end, it was still a mystery.
Therefore, it was necessary for him to bring in a being like Yang In-hyun.
If this man was his companion, he would be able to leave his back to him at any time. Even if it was just a temporary verbal agreement. At the very least, Yang In-hyun wouldnt betray him first.
Yang In-hyun had a reputation for being able to remain calm in any situation and there were no doubts about his combat power. Lukas, who had been killed by Yang In-hyuns sword, knew this better than anyone else.
But more than that, there was a decisive reason why Lukas chose him as the reliable being.
Yang In-hyun was a human.
In the World of Void, humans were very rare and hard to find. Although one might not think so at first.
So, will you accept?
Yang In-hyun opened his eyes. Looking into those eyes, Lukas realised hed come to a decision.
I accept.
Lukas wasnt overjoyed, but he still let out a soft sigh. From a rational perspective, the odds of rejection were extremely low, but considering who the other party was, he couldnt relax at all.
Before we subjugate the Lightning God, there is something Id like to ask.
What is it?
His host, Lee Jong-hak. Can we ensure his survival?
Although it might seem like a trivial question, this matter was very important for Lukas.
He couldnt let Lee Jong-hak die. He didnt want to. It was enough to see his acquaintance be controlled and made into a puppet for a Ruler.
If Yang In-hyun were to reject this request, then Lukas plan would go awry. It was possible that just before defeating the Lightning God the target of his attacks would change to Yang In-hyun. That would be a very risky choice for Lukas.
But it couldnt be helped.
Because one of Lukas objectives was to free Lee Jong-hak from the Lightning Gods possession. This was absolutely necessary to save Sedi from the Demon God in the future.
And Yang In-hyun nodded easily.
I think so. Because I dont want to kill members of Flower Mountain with my own hands.
Those words gave Lukas a strange feeling.
Was it possible that the reason Yang In-hyun didnt kill Lee Jong-hak and instead confined him to prison wasnt simply because he felt the presence of the Lightning God?
It was a difficult conclusion to make at that moment.
Yang In-hyun got up from his seat. Then, he retrieved his sword, which was laying on another table.
Lets end it quickly.
Are we going to start right away?
Is there a problem?
For a moment, Lukas thought about getting Pale. She was a being that could be considered the perfect final weapon to use against the great Rulers.
In the event that Lukas and Yang In-hyun werent enough, Pales existence would be the perfect safety net.
No. There isnt.
But he decided not to. He couldnt rely on Pale forever.
Besides, it was possible that his behaviour might disappoint Pale. Then, she would cut Lukas neck with her blade again. It was like enticing a tiger to drive out a wolf.
Then like you said, shall we start immediately?
With those words, Lukas snapped his fingers, and the surroundings changed.
They were now in the underground prison below Flower Mountain.
Spatial movement (TL: Still half half on space or spatial. Which do you guys prefer?)
Yang In-hyun muttered in a surprised voice. He couldnt believe that this man was able to move freely through space like that even though this was his territory. Though he did have a strange feeling from the way he had suddenly entered Flower Mountain.
Uhuk!
The manager of the underground prison, Yong So-han, was shocked out of his wits by Lukas sudden appearance.
Wh-, who on earth Se-, Sect Leader?
Just as he quickly pulled out his sword and shouted, he finally noticed Yang In-hyun.
U-, uhh. What is this
Yong So-han blinked his eyes with a dream-like expression, and just as Yang In-hyun was about to say something, Lukas waved his hand once again.
Then, Yong So-han disappeared.
I didnt kill him. I just thought hed get in the way if he stayed here.
Where did you send him?
Where we just were.
Yang In-hyuns eyebrows twitched at that.
Cloud Pavilion is a history residence that only the Sect Leader is permitted to freely enter. Even Elders arent allowed to come and go as they please.
Really?
Im asking you to be more mindful next time.
Hm. My apologies.
After giving a rough answer, Lukas turned to look through the iron bars in front of them.
In that place, was Lee Jong-hak.
now.
First off, it was time to call out the Lightning God.
Book 2: Chapter 457
Book 2: Chapter 457 He looked at the man behind the bars.
Just now, there had been a small commotion as he sent Yong So-han out. Even if he was currently in a worn out state, there was no way someone as talented as Lee Jong-hak wouldnt have noticed it.
Lee Jong-hak weakly opened his eyes and looked at Yang In-hyun before his gaze finally drifted over to Lukas. Then an expression of indescribable surprise appeared on his previously expressionless face.
You, how
Spak!
In that same moment, Yang In-hyun swung his sword in front of him.
The bars of Lee Jong-haks cell were sliced through, together with his waist.
!
Lee Jong-hak stared at Yang In-hyun with wide eyes. Then, like a chopped apple, his torso began to slide off of his waist-
Crackle!
-But at that moment, lightning erupted from the cross section.
Chak. The torso suddenly stopped sliding. It was quite a bizarre sight. It was like a photograph that had been cut in half then misaligned.
[Hahaha! Kuhaha!]
Then, a booming laugh rang out in the underground prison.
As if time reversed, the cut torso slid back onto the waist before connecting once again. He had regenerated the wound. The cross sections had simply been joined together by an electromagnetic force.
Do you know each other?
He wasnt asking about the Lightning God.
Just before Lee Jong-hak had been cut in half by Yang In-hyun, hed reacted as if he knew Lukas.
But Lukas couldnt help but feel speechless for a moment. This was because he hadnt expected him to immediately ask this question given the current situation.
Yang In-hyun didnt even blink in front of the lightning* storm. Feeling like he had to give an answer, he nodded.
Right.
I see.
Yang In-hyun didnt ask any more questions.
Was it because he didnt have much interest in the relationship between Lee Jong-hak and Lukas? Or was it because he judged that there was no longer time for idle chatter?
Before he could come to a conclusion, Lukas took a few steps backward. Yang In-hyun glanced at the tip of his sword. It was the sword that had just sliced through Lee Jong-haks waist, but there wasnt even a single drop of blood on it.
Was my attack shallow?
Yang In-hyun asked himself inwardly before denying it. That wasnt the case. His sword had definitely cut Lee Jong-hak in half. He had felt it clearly. Therefore, the problem wasnt his sword, but the being in front of him.
Thunderous Lightning God.
A being that he only knew about.
Facing off against one of the strongest beings in the multiverse, he began to feel the fighting spirit that hed long forgotten.
I want to face him.
He wanted to test his sword against this being.
Huk.
The lightning storm which caused the entire underground prison to tremble quickly dissipated. Or at least that was the way it seemed. Instead, all of the tremendous forces had been densely condensed into the Lightning Gods body.
[So you know about me. Nice to meet you, one of the Lords of this Garbage Dump.]
Crackle, a wriggling current flowed across his pupils.
[The swordsmanship you just displayed is certainly at an amazing level. I too am a swordsman on the same level-]
Naturally, Lukas and Yang In-hyuns goal wasnt to talk.
The Lightning God didnt get the chance to finish his sentence. This was because a spell that was suddenly sent out, struck his body. Following the sound of an explosion, the Lightning Gods figure was obscured by a cloud of dust.
Of course, Lukas was the one who had sent the spell out. Looking at Yang In-hyun, he said.
That wouldnt have even scratched him.
Thats true.
What is our battle formation?
Ill take the front. You behind.
Lukas nodded. That was reasonable.
[Lukas Trowman!]
With a thunderous roar, the Lightning God flew out of the dust cloud. There seemed to be a mixture of delight in this cry.
Lukas skin tingled.
For some reason, he was reminded of his first time subjugating a Demigod. He could feel Yang In-hyun looking at him with a strange gaze.
The first subjugation, how was it?
Of course, it was a success.
Lukas grinned.
Then, the short Lightning God Battle began.
* * *
There is a limit to the void I can use in the minimal time zone.
In the first place, it was barely possible to use. Void was the energy that formed the foundation of the World of Void. Naturally, this meant there were no restrictions on its supply.
But in the minimal time zone, where time moved extremely slowly, even the act of rousing void became slow. Of course, it was possible that there were other reasons for this. After all, although he had defined that world as the minimal time zone, there was a possibility that Lukas interpretation was incorrect. After all, Lukas had only just entered that world.
In order to receive void at the original rate, Id need to leave the minimal time zone at least once.
From Lukas perspective, the act was like diving in water. Naturally, void took the role of oxygen, and there was a limit to the distance he could reach while diving on his own.
Regardless of whether it was a long or short time, he would have to stick his head out of the water and take a deep breath. Replenishing his oxygen supply was a need, not a choice.
This was clearly a huge limitation, and it could even be considered a weakness.
That was why Lukas fight would be several times easier if there was someone he trusted that could hold the front.
Yang In-hyun flowed through the electric current to close the distance with the Lightning God. The method he was using was mainly the Plum Blossom Sword Method. His body movements were great, but what was even more amazing was the fact that he was using the tip of his sword like a lightning rod.
If he didnt have meticulous control, unclouded concentration, and above all, tremendous boldness*, he wouldnt have even been able to attempt it. (*: Really wanted to use the word temerity here)
Then what is my role?
Backline support?
Usually, the swordsman took the front and the Wizard stayed back. But this wasnt a situation that could be handled with such a standardised tactic.
Lukas cast dozens of spells simultaneously. Classification according to attributes and level were pointless. In any case, as long as it was a spell that used void as its source, the power would be the same. At least, that was the case if he didnt use amplification or put it all into one spell.
So it was the quantity, not quality, that needed to be taken into consideration.
Dozens of spells shot out in branches like water from a fountain. The several branches then scattered into even more spells before shooting towards the Lightning God from different directions.
[Haha! Is this magic?]
The Lightning God let out a laugh and swung a sword*. The lightning released from the sword clashed violently with the scattered spells. It had nothing to do with attributes or power. Most of the spells shattered like ice as soon as they came into contact with the lightning, and the broken fragments were sent flying in every direction.
Yang In-hyun was also in their path, but he didnt swing his sword or dodge. The spell fragments simply disappeared just before they touched his body. They were destroyed by the intangible aura that was secretly exuded from his body.
Then, the Lightning God and Yang In-hyuns swords collided.
Boom!
It was as if there was a huge explosion in a world where time was blurred. It was an explosion that smashed space. The two absolute beings exchanged dozens of strikes with their two swords. As a result of this, the screams that came from Flower Mountain were gradually increasing.
This cant be dragged on for too long.
They had to finish this battle before the aftermath damaged the territory. Those were in the terms of their deal in the first place. He wasnt sure how Yang In-hyun would react if he were to go against it.
He calculated.
Absolute coordinates and relative coordinates flowed through his mind simultaneously. Yang In-hyun and the Lightning God were constantly locked in battle. Countless skirmishes, that even those on the level of Absolutes would be unable to read, raged on.
Lukas needed to read it.
If it had been only a while ago, he would have burst out laughing at the thought.
Read this fight?
A fight between one of the Twelve Void Lords, Yang In-hyun, and one of the Rulers, the Lightning God?
That would be impossible even if he had a hundred brains.
However, the current Lukas had more than a hundred brains.
So he could read it. He could calculate it.
How would they move their swords, where they would look, where they would step, whether their movements were real or diversions, and what they were thinking.
Because he had gotten stronger.
And because of the computational assistance of the Lukases.
The moment the Lightning God took a step forward.
Shuk!
His right foot suddenly sank. It wasnt that the ground disappeared. Instead, Lukas had placed the entrance of a space he created there.
Rather than him being able to read his movements, the Lightning God was more surprised that he was able to secretly create the space. He rushed to escape, but it was already too late. The space instantly closed its jaws, preventing the Lightning God from escaping.
And Yang In-hyun would naturally not miss such an opening. Puk! His sword penetrated the Lightning Gods danjeon. This caused his body to lose its strength for a moment, but the Lightning God forcibly ignored his weakness and pain and swung his sword towards Yang In-hyun.
This attack missed.
This wasnt because Yang In-hyun avoided it, but because a space that appeared in the air swallowed his right hand and sword.
[Mm]
As the Lightning God let out this sound, spaces also appeared on his other arm and leg. He tried to avoid it with the parts of his body that could still move, but he was practically half paralysed already. In an instant, his power was reduced to less than half.
Kwak.
The spaces engulfed his limbs in the blink of an eye, and the Lightning God was restrained.
They werent cut.
Yang In-hyun narrowed his eyes. The spaces were simply holding the Lightning Gods limbs. On the surface, it looked as though all of the Lightning Gods limbs had been amputated, but they were simply existing in another space.
In other words, Lukas goal wasnt to kill the Lightning God.
Capture complete.
With a murmur, Lukas appeared beside the Lightning God. Yang In-hyun glanced at him. The match had already been decided. It seemed surprisingly easy, but Yang In-hyun was greatly impressed by Lukas.
With his first move, when he captured the Lightning Gods right foot, the outcome had already been decided. The first move had been the most important, and also the trickiest.
The Lightning God and Yang In-hyun had been locked in a fierce battle. Naturally, they wouldnt have remained in one place as they fought. In order to predict the Lightning Gods next move in this situation where their coordinates changed at every moment, he would have needed to closely examine not only the Lightning Gods movements but also Yang In-hyuns.
He also needed to succeed on the first try. There wouldnt be a second. If hed failed, the Lightning Gods attention would have also been directed towards Lukas.
It was so absurd that it made him want to laugh.
This man had perfectly read the flow of the fight from a third party perspective.
[Hmm.]
The Lightning God looked at Yang In-hyun and Lukas with a deep gaze.
[My limbs have been restrained, and I cant put strength in my body because my danjeon has been pierced with a sword I cant use Thunder in this state.]
Then he nodded his head.
[This fight is my loss.]
It seemed that he was graciously accepting it, at least on the surface.
Lukas looked at the Lightning God.
He had been thinking. About how to get the Lightning God out of Lee Jong-haks body.
What he was going to do would probably be labelled as definite madness. Nevertheless, it was usually the craziest things that were the most successful.
There was no other way.
Making up his mind, Lukas opened his mouth.
Can you let Lee Jong-hak go?
[]
I know a bit about your plans. You want to be able to influence the World of Void. However, Lee Jong-hak is too weak to do that.
Thats right.
The Lightning God grinned. Blood stains were clearly visible on his teeth.
[However, I refuse.]
Why?
[There isnt a special reason I simply thought that doing this would make you the most desperate. Should I say I want to see your face become distorted because of Lee Jong-haks death? And Lukas Trowman dont you think its still too early?]
Early?
[It is clear that youve grown stronger, but I am the Lightning God. The Thunderous Lightning God.]
The Lightning Gods smile stretched wider.
[You are not yet qualified to negotiate with me.]
He was smiling, but he was clearly angry.
It was only then that Lukas realised that his proposal in itself could be considered a great insult to the Lightning God. Of course, from a normal perspective, this might be considered an incomprehensible response, but that was the truth.
In fact, in a way, Yang In-hyun was similar. If Lukas had proposed to cooperate despite not being powerful enough, he might have had a similar reaction.
[Now, the only thing you can do is kill Lee Jong-hak with me. Otherwise, I will never give up this body. Why? Because that is more interesting. Kukuku.]
[Just kill me, Lukas Trowman. You and this man dont have anything to do with each other anyway, right? As far as I know, there seems to be some kind of conflict between you.]
Those words were right. It could be said that Lee Jong-hak couldnt tolerate Lukas existence. In a sense, he hated him. And in the past, Lukas understood his hatred. The same was true even now.
Lee Jong-hak was a great man. Although he hated him, Lukas didnt hold any bad feelings towards him. In fact, he even had some form of respect for him.
Thats foolish, Lightning God.
[Hmm, in what way?]
Even though you could get a host better than Lee Jong-hak, youre choosing to give up your life because of your wounded pride.
[Are you talking about Yang In-hyun? While he certainly is stronger than Lee Jong-hak, it wouldnt work. He doesnt meet the requirements. He is also from the outside, but his body has already become too tainted by the World of Void. If I were to try to forcibly occupy his body, it would collapse]
I wouldnt let that happen.
Yang In-hyun quietly added.
But the Lightning God had misunderstood Lukas intentions.
Im not talking about Yang In-hyun. Isnt there a being right in front of you? A being that recently arrived from the outside that you Rulers have always been coveting.
[you dont mean]
The Demon God had coveted Lukas body.
In other words, there werent any problems with the Rulers entering Lukas body.
So this proposal was possible.
Come into my body, Lightning God. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Book 2: Chapter 477
Book 2: Chapter 477 (TL: Minor edit made to the previous chapter, Three Bullies has been amended to Three Tyrants. Blood Prince has also been changed to Blood Sovereign)
Kukuku.
A frivolous laugh resounded.
It was Wiji Gil, who, until now, had only let out an emotionless voice. Yang In-hyun knew that what he was showing now was actually his true self.
Getting up, Wiji Gil spat on the floor.
We made it all happen? Haha. Hey, Yang In-hyun. What do you think about that statement?
We didnt. You achieved most of it on your own. In fact, you alone killed three of the Evil Factions Ten Great Masters. The three of us were only able to kill the others by rushing in without caring about our lives.
Wiji Gil smiled coldly.
You understand? The reason the Elder thinks this reckless plan will work. Its all because of you. Its because youre here, Yang In-hyun.
The other two seemed to agree with him. He watched them leave together with Wiji Gil as if sympathising with him.
Yang In-hyun, who had been left alone, thought about the attitude theyd just displayed. Firstly, he was certain that their skewed hostility stemmed from an inferiority complex.
Their purpose for living was to satisfy Jo Sung-choo, so it was natural for them to hold some level of dissatisfaction towards Yang In-hyun, who had successfully completed one high level mission after the other and monopolised Jo Sung-choos favouritism.
It wasnt that he didnt understand, nor did he have any intention to blame them.
That was just the way theyd learned to live. Thats how they had been raised by Jo Sung-choo. Brainwashing it might not be entirely wrong to call it that.
Then what about me?
Why did he find no joy in Jo Sung-choos praises or encouragement? He didnt know.
Yang In-hyun stopped questioning it. He couldnt afford to. His attention naturally shifted to the goal of the next mission.
The Evil Factions Number Two Man, Blood Sovereign Dang Chun-geuk.
A powerful man second only to the Heaven Breaking Sovereign, who was called the Sky of the Evil Faction. The stories of his victory despite facing a sneak attack from the masters of the righteous faction like Wudang(䮔)s Taichi True Man(̫Ow) and Shaolin()s White Crane Great Master(Q) was already a legend in the murim.
That wasnt all.
Dang Chun-geuk led the Black Demon Alliance, one of the top three forces in the evil faction. There would definitely be distinguished masters from the evil faction there.
This time, Jo Sung-choo didnt give a deadline for the mission. Yang In-hyun seemed to realise the reason.
This mission didnt have a deadline.
* * *
However.
Cough!
And yet, he won.
He accomplished the mission.
Dang Chun-geuk looked at Yang In-hyun with wide eyes. He couldnt believe that he was still alive despite his heart being pierced through. Was he really human? Yang In-hyuns pace was slightly pale.
The Bloody Plum Group I see. So you are the one that killed half of the Ten Great Masters.
are those your last words?
The surrounding was a sea of blood. Yang In-hyun was the only one left who could hear Dang Chun-geuks last words.
Coughing up another mouthful of blood, Dang Chun-geuk murmured with hazy eyes.
To the west, there is a village called Great Virtue(̫).
What?
My daughter is there. She was born on a whim. She probably doesnt even know I exist. I too had forgotten about her until now.
at the moment before death, I suddenly remembered that child for some reason. Hwa-ryun*. My only flesh and blood (*: Az- meaning pitiful flower)
Dang Chun-geuk lowered his head after saying those words.
Yang In-hyun stood there blankly.
Listening to the final words was a habit that had developed at some point. Most of Yang In-hyuns missions were assassinations. Naturally, this meant that he was the only one who could listen to what the target said just before death.
Thats why he listened to the final words of those he killed. And he never forgot them. This wasnt because of feelings like atonement or guilt.
Then what was it? That smallest courtesy he could give to those that faced his sword? Did it have anything to do with human morality? He didnt know.
Yang In-hyun looked down at the corpse of Dang Chun-geuk. Most members of the evil faction usually cursed him just before they died. At the very least, Dang Chun-geuk was the first to bring up something like a blood relative.
His head ached slightly.
Yang In-hyun left with weary steps.
Not east, west.
* * *
His hair itched. It felt as if the sunlight was stroking his head. As if hearing someones voice through fog, Yang In-hyun slowly regained consciousness.
Someones hand.
The moment he realised that fact, his hands wildly. The wrist in his grip was surprisingly slender, a womans wrist. When he forced his eyes open, he saw a puttering sight.
The figure of a woman staring at him with rather large eyes.
Did you regain consciousness?
You were lying near the village. You had a fever and your entire body was covered in blood Uh, are you already healed? I used some medicine to stop the bleeding.
Ignoring the womans words, Yang In-hyun raised his upper body. Then, he looked around.
He was inside a shabby house which was rather dirty as it had all kinds of herbs and medicines scattered all over the place.
Hed lost consciousness.
Yang In-hyun couldnt believe it. Of course, it wasnt a surprise that hed lost consciousness. After all, Yang In-hyun had risked his life in the fight against Dang Chun-geuk. The problem was what came after that.
I didnt even know what was happening to my body.
He had no right to be a Killing Ghost.
Hed made a blunder so great that it wouldnt be strange if he lost his life at that moment.
So, why? Why had he done something so stupid? What had made him make such an impulsive decision?
Excuse me?
When he heard her voice, he looked up at the woman.
Thank you.
And got up to bow after a brief moment.
Uh. Wait a minute, youre still injured Sear?h the novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
How long had he been unconscious? He didnt know, but it was clear that he no longer had time to lose.
Dang Chun-geuks death would soon be known to the entire evil faction, and Yang In-hyun had left a red plum at the scene this time as well.
In other words, the news would soon reach Mount Hua. So before that, he needed to go to the village called Great Virtue
Go to the village?
Yang In-hyuns thoughts suddenly stopped.
After going to the village, what would he do?
Even if he did find a woman named Hwa-ryun. Was he going to take care of her?
That was impossible. In the life of a Killing Ghost, there was no need for the humane part.
In fact, it should be cut out entirely. It would be absurd for him to create a relationship with his own hands. He existed only to straighten the fallen righteousness and chivalry.
It suddenly felt futile. This entire act made him feel like a fool. Dang Chun-geuks last words had shaken his heart for a while, but no longer.
It felt like his mind had now returned to normal.
lets head back.
To where he was supposed to go,
To Mount Hua.
I will pay for the medicine.
At that, the woman let out a laugh.
You, are from the murim?
Whats the point of being surprised? You have a well trained body, a single sword, there is a lot of power in your gaze, and you are inflexible.
Instead of listening to more, Yang In-hyun got to his feet. Then, he pulled a bag of silver coins from his pocket and placed it on a desk.
With that much, you could buy all of the herbs on the desk.
Im paying for my life.
well, fine. Im always in need of money anyway.
With a snobbish expression, she stuck her tongue out and took the money. Just before he left the house, he heard her voice again.
You can come again if youre hurt. Since you paid this much, Ill waive the fee a few times. Im pretty good at this kind of thing.
He could have just left after that.
But Yang In-hyun paused at her next question.
By the way, whats your name?
why do you ask?
So that if Im not here the next time you come, you can write your name in a letter? That way I wont be confused.
Thats fine. I wont be coming here again.
Ah. Is that so? Then Ill ask as the one who saved your life.
You make funny faces.
Looking at Yang In-hyuns frowning face, the woman burst into laughter. Did this woman know? That he could smash her head with a finger if he wanted to.
you can call me Yang In-hyun.
As soon as he answered, Yang In-hyun felt a strange emotion. Now that he thought about it, he couldnt remember when last hed introduced himself to someone.
Ill call you Young Sir Yang.
The woman smiled brightly and said.
My name is Dang Hwa-ryun.
* * *
After that day, Yang In-hyun occasionally visited Great Virtue.
In order to fulfil Dang Chun-geuks will, because Dang Hwa-ryun was a pretty good apothecary, because he didnt want to waste silver.
He had many excuses if someone were to ask him why, but none of them could convince himself. In other words, Yang In-hyun didnt know why he kept going to Great Virtue.
Dang Hwa-ryun was a proud, ambitious woman. Even though she hadnt learnt martial arts.
In the village of Great Virtue, there were many elderly people and children, and a few young people. And yet, in Yang In-hyuns eyes, it wouldnt be wrong to say that Dang Hwa-ryun was solely responsible for the vitality of this village.
There came a time when Yang In-hyun found that he enjoyed watching Dang Hwa-ryun play with the children beneath the sunset.
Where did you roll from this time?
It was always nice to hear Dang Hwa-ryuns worried voice,
Her strangely strong but precise touch,
Her soft but distinctly pure gaze,
As well as the foolish appearance that he sometimes saw.
Yang In-hyun
Have some of the hundred flowers wine I made.
Dang Hwa-ryun smiled and said.
I used a lot of herbs that are good for your health.
The moon was unusually bright on that summer night.
Like the pleasant song of a grasshopper, Dang Hwa-ryuns voice tickled his ears.
Where else would you be able to taste something like this?
She handed over a glass and slowly filled it with the hundred flower wine. As a result, the bitter scent dug deeply into his nostrils. It certainly smelled like medicinal herbs.
As he quietly looked down at the starlight in the glass, Dang Hwa-ryun interrupted.
When the moon is bright, you can catch the starlight like this. Isnt that wonderful?
I see.
Pour for me too.
Yang In-hyun filled her outstretched glass.
Then they drank it down at the same time. Without snacks*. (*: appetisers you eat while drinking.)
It was certainly bitter. However, the sweet aftertaste was a bit addictive.
For a while, they emptied one glass after another. Gradually, the bottles of alcohol created a pile. Usually, Dang Hwa-ryun was the one leading the conversation, but that day, she was exceptionally quiet.
After emptying two more bottles.
Young Sir Yang.
Dang Hwa-ryun spoke.
Today will be the last day.
What do you mean?
The free treatment. Do you remember the silver coins you gave me the first time? It was the perfect amount to finish with todays treatment.
Had she been counting it? Yang In-hyun suddenly felt bitter.
Dont worry. I can pay.
No. Thats not it. Im saying
Mumbling her words a few times, Dang Hwa-ryun looked up at the sky before saying.
from now on, you dont have to pay.
The always confident Dang Hwa-ryun now had a red face that hed never seen before.
It wasnt because of drunkenness. As soon as he realised that, Yang In-hyun could not remove his gaze from her face.
Just come. Anytime. Y-, you dont have to pay.
but.
Does Young Sir Yang dislike it?
I dont dislike it.
Really?
Dang Hwa-ryun smiled.
Thank goodness.
The moment he saw that smile, his heart began to beat uncontrollably. Yang In-hyuns eyes were so dazzled that he couldnt see her face.
27 years old,
Spring, which seemed like it would never come, had arrived.
And the spring,
Quickly.
Too quickly
Book 2: Chapter 458
Book 2: Chapter 458 []
The atmosphere became frozen as the smile fell from the Lightning Gods face.
Yang In-hyun, who was just watching from the side, placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. Despite being near death, the Lightning Gods aura was still uniquely intimidating.
Was it because the Lightning Gods body was still mostly uninjured?
It wasnt something that was possible simply because of his inherent power. Instead, it was the presence, experience, and sheer existence that the beings known as Rulers had accumulated over the years. It was these elements that caused them to naturally exude such an atmosphere.
As a result, they had the ability to dominate the atmosphere of an area simply by changing their expression.
This guy is dangerous. S~ea??h the ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
This thought kept popping up. Yang In-hyun had to constantly resist the urge to chop the Lightning Gods neck. For him, a promise took precedence over his urges.
[You overestimate yourself, Lukas Trowman I can see what youre thinking. The current me can withstand the Lightning Gods mental control. And even if I cant, it would still be possible to drive him out of my head. So first, Ill take the Lightning God out of Lee Jong-haks body]
[Its a clumsy idea.]
At the cold voice, the smile on Lukas face disappeared. Did he read his mind accurately? He couldnt tell. That was why Yang In-hyun couldnt help but feel interested.
These two seemed to be intertwined in a very complicated relationship, and now, they were locked in a battle of wits that he couldnt grasp.
Rather, the mysterious Wizard, Lukas, was provoking the other to enter his body.
And the Thunderous Lightning God was showing a ridiculous reaction to his attitude.
But one thing was clear. In this battle, the winner and loser would clearly be divided. And neither side seemed to believe that they would be the loser.
Im curious.
Which of these two would gain the upper hand?
Your tongue seems to be uncharacteristically long right now. Are you uncertain? Are you afraid that you wouldnt be able to rule me?
[Thats a clumsy provocation but, right. Ill respond to it. Because that is the dignity of the strong.]
Lukas smiled at those words, but his palms were slick with sweat.
Now.
The bait had been cast. Everything up to this point was within his calculations. This was because he knew a Ruler would never be able to ignore provocations under any circumstances.
However, everything going forward was uncertain. Not even Lukas, who was setting the trap, was certain of the outcome.
Lukas turned to Yang In-hyun. He might not have understood the entire situation, but he continued to maintain a contemplative attitude without making any further comments,
I will now allow the Lightning God to enter my body.
That seems to be the case.
If it looks like he is going to control me, kill me.
Yang In-hyun nodded.
I thought so.
It was Yang In-hyuns job to eliminate every threat towards Flower Mountain.
And Yang In-hyun knew.
Just how terrible of a being the Lightning God would become if he were to gain control of Lukas.
It couldnt be compared to giving wings to a tiger. It would probably take three of the Twelve Void Lords working together to fight him on equal footing. He had absolutely no intention of letting such a being roam free.
If there was even the slightest hint of it, Yang In-hyun would cut off Lukas head without a moments hesitation.
[Youre talking right in front of me.]
It was an obvious conversation. It wasnt worth hiding. Or is it more polite to not have secret conversations in front of a Ruler?
[youve changed.]
The Lightning God murmured.
[You are a very versatile being, Lukas Trowman It is amazing, I have never seen a being change as violently as you, especially after becoming an Absolute.]
[Even Sedi Glaston, no, Sedi Trowman. Even after she fell from her position, her consciousness still remained that of an Absolute. And yet, she began to change after becoming involved with you.]
Perhaps.
Lukas spoke quietly.
You will change too.
[]
From now on, you will be involved with me.
[ku kuhahaha.]
The Lightning God let out a laugh.
[Indeed Then I will fix you. I will preserve you in the most perfect form I can think of. Now, then.]
The Lightning God spoke.
[Prepare yourself.]
Huu Lukas took a deep breath. Then, he let down the barriers around his mind. This was to make it easier for anyone trying to break in.
Crackle!
Something like a bolt of lightning shot out of Lee Jong-haks body. The blue lightning took on a spear-like shape before piercing into Lukas body.
!
It felt like his entire body had been pierced by lightning, but it was actually just his mind. As he had this thought, Lukas consciousness sank.
* * *
Opening his eyes, Lukas looked around. He found himself in the middle of a meadow. Blades of grass that grew up to his ankles swayed pleasantly. It was nighttime, and there were countless stars in the sky above.
indeed.
This was the imaginary world. Lukas nodded before looking directly ahead of him.
There stood another being. He stood there with a bewildered expression on his face before asking.
What kind of trick is this, Lukas Trowman?
Was he confused? It was nice to be able to figure it out from his expression unlike the usual. It felt like they were on the same level now.
Smiling, Lukas said.
Youre at eye level now, Lightning God.
At those words, the Lightning, who had been given a body, fell silent. In fact, he looked more like a god of lightning or thunder than a human. His body was three times larger than a normal human, and his eyes were ferocious. His hair arced like lightning, and he was holding an axe in one hand.
This is my imaginary world. It is a place where I can exert my will even more than in a personal space. So I changed your appearance, too. I think its going to be a long fight, so I thought it would be better if you looked good, too.
Mm. I guess that is roughly the image I imagine when I think of the Lightning God.
indeed.
The Lightning God looked down at himself with a blank expression before a grin stretched across his face.
This is certainly a unique experience.
Im glad you like it.
Kukuku
At that moment, the Lightning God stretched out his hand and reached towards the sky. Krrrr, dark clouds began to gather in the sky. It was a change that could be seen even in the dark night.
Lukas expression hardened. Seeing this, the Lightning God laughed even more.
Are you surprised at how much influence I have on your world?
You seem to have misunderstood that you are the one in control. You think you trapped me in this vessel of flesh. Youre wrong about everything.
Woong A lightning bolt wriggled in the dark clouds above. It sounded as if the lightning was growling. Lukas looked up subconsciously.
This little body, I can rip it apart and leave right now. It wouldnt even be hard.
However, I wont. I dont really like the gift you gave me. I think itll be more effective to crush you with the form you gave me. Now, Lukas Trowman. What fighting style did you imagine I have?
Just as Lukas had a thought, the Lightning God chuckled.
Ten Thousand Thunder Claps. Your imagination is poor. However, Ill accept it.
Kuok. The Lightning God held out his hand.
Then, ten thousand bolts of lightning struck.
Boom boom boom!
It wasnt on a scale to be called an explosion. He felt like it could have probably been heard on the other side of the world.
The meadow, which had been engulfed by darkness, instantly lit up.
Kuk
Lukas realised that his corneas had been burned. He hadnt been hit by it directly, but just looking at it had been enough to make him like this. He willed his eyes to regenerate. This was possible because it was the imaginary world.
Then, he shot countless spells towards where the Lightning God was.
That wont even buy you time. Isnt it time you used a different tactic?
Just as he felt his presence disappear, he heard a voice behind him.
He didnt panic. He already knew the Lightning God could travel at extremely high speeds, and that there was a high chance that he would try to go behind him. Paak! The Lightning Gods head snapped upwards to the sky. In an instant, Lukas had crouched down and launched a kick behind him. Of course, since his body was three metres tall, he had no choice but to go in the air to kick him.
When the Lightning God tried to stretch out his arm, he turned his body before kicking him in the side. Chaaak, the Lightning Gods body was sent sliding across the half burnt meadow.
How does it feel to spit blood?
kuku.
Without even bothering to wipe his bleeding nose, the Lightning God narrowed the distance.
Rumble*, he moved at a high speed once again. (*: The sound of thunder, I cant think of a better onomatopoeia)
Bang!
The Lightning Gods axe collided with Lukas sword. The Lightning God looked down at the Lukas sword curiously, then to the sheath hanging from his waist.
You transform your body into a wave of lightning. Is the afterimage of a bolt of lightning the trace that couldnt be erased?
Its a service. Without that sign, you wouldnt be able to read my movements.
It seems youre still relaxed, Lightning God.
Lukas smiled faintly.
The difference in power is obvious. However, keep in mind. Latching on and clinging is a characteristic of Lukas. (TL: So Lukas is clingy?)
What?
The conversation didnt continue.
Lukas simply hardened his expression and started the full fledged fight.
* * *
Lukas declaration had been true.
He was persistent. Much more persistent than hed imagined. His victory had been clear from start to finish. And yet, he didnt give up. He stuck to him as if his only goal was to cling to him.
But in the end, that was all.
Lukas struggles had only delayed the result slightly.
You knew this was going to happen, didnt you?
The Lightning God murmured.
You didnt really believe you could defeat me, Lukas Trowman.
He looked at the burning Lukas.
In all honesty, hed put up more of a fight than he expected, but that was all.
In the end, Lukas hadnt posed a threat to the Lightning God.
Lukas body scattered into ashes. A completely shattered mind was unable to regenerate. This scene meant that the Lightning God had completely crushed his will.
Nevertheless, there was something he didnt expect. The Lightning God had been unable to spare Lukas. This was because he fought desperately, making it impossible to subdue him as he rushed towards death.
Since his mind had shattered, it would be impossible for him to replicate what hed done with Lee Jong-hak. And it would be impossible for him to hide his presence as a Ruler.
Perhaps the four Knights would be able to sense him, or perhaps another of the Twelve Void Lords would come to bother him. But that didnt matter.
After all, this vessel wasnt a mortal like Lee Jong-hak, but none other than Lukas Trowman. This body would be able to handle his power to a considerable extent.
In other words, the limit to the power he had available had increased drastically. According to his calculations, it wouldnt be difficult to prevent Yang In-hyun from cutting his head off immediately after he regained consciousness.
Whoosh-
The wind blew and the ashes, which had once been Lukas, disappeared completely.
This imaginary world would now begin to collapse. And the Lightning Gods consciousness would settle into the deepest parts that composed Lukas.
Just as he had this thought, the Lightning God had a strange feeling.
Wind?
Why was wind blowing?
This world was an embodiment of Lukas imagination. Naturally, since Lukas consciousness, which could be called the main component, had disappeared, this place should collapse.
The Lightning God looked around. This world showed no signs of collapsing.
Instead, just like a moment ago, a calm wind blew.
[You won.]
It was at that moment that he heard a voice that he shouldnt have been able to hear.
Lukas Trowman?
[At least the 1st round.]
Youre still conscious? How?
[Prepare yourself for the next round, Lightning God. You dont need to take a break, right?]
Next round?
Just as the Lightning God asked this question.
Boom!
A spell crashed into his side.
mm.
He hadnt been prepared for the sudden attack. Shocked, the Lightning God stumbled.
Someone walked towards him.
I told you. This is going to be a long fight.
Lukas walked towards him with a smile.
Do you know what tiredness feels like? If you dont then youd better get used to it. Now, then.
He made a small gesture.
As a result of this, dozens of spells manifested.
Lets begin the second round.
(TL: Swaaaaarm!)
Book 2: Chapter 459
Book 2: Chapter 459 Two, three, four, five
Lukas was carrying out his role.
Of continuing to count.
I knew there was a hidden place like this.
Ten, twenty, forty.
And I accept that. Because, in any case, its our role to continue to accept challenges without hesitation.
One hundred, two hundred, five hundred.
At some point, he became unable to ignore it any longer.
The Thunder Gods calm voice reached Lukas very core and shook it.
If there is a trap, destroy it. If there is a carefully planned strategy, destroy it completely. Regardless of how unfavourable the situation might be. It doesnt matter. At no time will we ever speak a word of cowardice.
So Id like to ask you, Lukas Trowman.
Lukas had already stopped counting. Counting the number of dead Lukases had already become pointless.
Is this all there is to the trick you prepared?
And he decided to accept the reality that had unfolded right before his eyes.
-The reality that every Lukas other than him had been defeated.
Lukas made his appearance. From the sky.
Tak, he landed on the dry meadow that had long since lost its original appearance.
When he saw this, the Lightning God smiled.
Indeed. You are the Lukas I know. Not those half baked ones Ive been fighting till now, the real Lukas.
Your expression is terrible. Did you not expect this result? Hmm I will say that it was a good plan. It is true that you had a higher chance of victory by making it a battle of minds. The chances were a thousand times higher than a head to head battle.
As he spoke, the Lightning God was repeatedly throwing and catching his axe like an acrobatics performance.
However, thats all.
Crack! Instead of being caught in his hand, the axe was crushed.
It was sloppy.
There was a hint of anger in the Lightning Gods voice.
Do I know what tiredness feels like? Is that really the question you asked me? Lukas Trowman how long do you think the being in front of you has existed? In comparison, the time you have experienced could be called fleeting. Even the time of every being I know combined wouldnt be enough to drive me crazy.
Of course, except for the Rulers.
The Lightning God let out a laugh as the anger in his words rose.
Listening to everything he said, Lukas thought.
His opponent was a monster. He had no choice but to acknowledge the Lightning God.
Hed observed every fight and analysed the Lightning Gods power. Hed focused his eyes so that he wouldnt miss even the slightest habit and analysed every pattern.
Just in case it became his turn, just in case, it would allow him to increase his chances even the smallest bit.
It was pointless.
Because the Lightning God continuously showed different fighting styles, different patterns, and different habits in every fight. He either changed endlessly or had an almost infinite amount of fighting styles.
And in a corner of his mind, Lukas felt a chill. It was possible that, in this fight, the Lightning God was also evolving.
Lightning God.
What is it?
Youre really talkative.
Lukas chose to reveal his honest feelings. The Lightning Gods expression changed subtly. Sear?h the n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
In my experience, the guys who talk too much can rarely back their words.
Thats probably a bias that built up over time. You should be grateful that Im talkative, otherwise youd die sooner.
-I had two plans.
Mm?
You talked about my expression. Its not that Ive given up hope. Im just a bit sad.
The Lightning God suddenly realised that all of the half baked Lukases hed killed had been smiling.
Why did this thought suddenly come to his mind?
What are you talking about?
I didnt want it to come to the second plan.
The Lightning God realised that Lukas words werent just a bluff. His expression changed. Then, as he carefully scanned his body, he realised the truth.
You, no way! Hahaha!
The Lightning God suddenly erupted with delight.
* * *
He hadnt made this plan on his own, nor had he decided it alone.
Is this really okay?
Lukas had clearly asked the others for their opinions. But he still hesitated at the last moment.
[How many times are you going to keep asking this?]
[I dont know why hes still hesitating.]
The Lukases all responded indifferently, but it wasnt easy for Lukas to accept.
I dont know how much influence the Lightning God will have over the imaginary world. Of course, the number of Lukases I consumed is greater than the number of stars, but
Subjugating a Ruler through tactics was not an easy picture to draw.
[Of course, you are the only one among us who has faced a Ruler in person.]
[You are the one who has the most objective grasp of the Lightning Gods power.]
[Nevertheless, wouldnt it be considered a miracle to be able to win against a Ruler?]
Do you still not understand? Im not talking about winning right now. If this all goes as planned even if I win, all of you would be gone.
Lukas bit his lip.
All of you would just cease to exist.
The Lukases would fight the Lightning God in the imaginary world. And in that place, defeat meant losing your ego. Lukas had already seen this happen several times before.
[Even if we all disappear, it wont affect you.]
[Isnt that what you wanted at first?]
The Lukases spoke with pleasant voices. But it was that attitude that made him more angry.
Lukas was annoyed because of their detached attitudes and disregard for their own egos.
Its a matter of efficiency. I wont be able to enter the minimal time zone without you all.
[Thats not true. All that matters is the first experience. Your senses have already been awakened.]
[Our role was merely to aid your computational ability. You dont need us anymore.]
Thats not certain. You all
[Not you all. We all.]
[Even if you dont say it, everyone already knows.]
[Because we are all Lukas.]
They smiled as they said that.
Why are you smiling? If you disappear, you wont even know if I fulfil your wishes or not.
That was the agreement in the first place.
They would give Lukas their strength, and in return, Lukas would fulfil their wishes.
I cant. I dont understand.
[Dont be ridiculous, Lukas.]
He heard a cold voice.
[We are all equals. Your opinions are just that of Lukas One.]
[And we always prefer to use the majority to make conclusions.]
[Every Lukas except you agreed.]
[So if you respect us.]
[If you considered every one of us as a Lukas.]
[Will you not listen to our voices?]
There was no place to step back. There was nothing he could say to refute. It was like being pushed to the edge of a cliff.
Lukas clenched his fist Every Lukas except him had already chosen and agreed.
Even if he were to make a sound now, it would just be the voice of another Lukas. So Lukas had no right or justification to block their decision.
Thank you, he swallowed those words.
Only a narcissistic bastard or a fool would say thank you to themself.
Lukas was neither.
He would just engrave this deeply.
[We are the losers.]
[None other than our place of birth proves that fact.]
The World of Void.
A world where the losers, the failures, and the abandoned possibilities were thrown like garbage.
Lukas didnt refute them. He didnt offer any reckless consolation. They werent torturing themselves by saying that now.
[Thats why you, who absorbed us all, is no different from having learnt all of the failures that Lukas can make.]
He wouldnt forget.
He would never forget these guys, his failures.
[And it might be too late to say it, but our wishes have already changed.]
[This can also be considered your achievement.]
[You have united us. Kuku.]
The voices, which had been embracing joy for a while, became serious once again.
[Succeed.]
[Dont fail anymore.]
[That is our changed wish. Great Mage Lukas.]
Lukas nodded his head.
* * *
The Lightning God had eliminated the half baked Lukases. But it was just their egos that broke, their energy didnt disappear.
Instead, that power had been absorbed by the Lukas in front of him. He had fully accepted all of them.
A hundred, a thousand, ten thousand*, no. Its not a number like that. Hahaha!
The Lightning God a delighted laugh.
You madman. How many selves did you devour? And yet you still maintained your ego! It wasnt broken!
Right! So you were using me! You used me to kill a lot of Lukases so you could absorb the ownerless power that was drifting around! Kuhaha! You really put me in a good mood!
Lukas clenched his fists.
So how does it feel? To absorb all of the Lukases inside you and their power. It must feel so good that it feels like your brain will melt No. You must be feeling a fullness that is so addictive you dont even know what expression to make! Im so jealous! That is something that I will never be able to imagine or feel!
I.
Lukas spat out as if he was chewing the words.
Dont feel full at all.
Of course, it was obvious to him that he currently had power that hed never had before. Lukas had always been aware of the unmelted power inside of him. And he knew that melting it and absorbing it in its entirety was the prerequisite for progressing another step.
It had all melted now. As the Lightning God said, he had used his power against him and was eventually able to absorb it completely.
But Lukas would call this feeling a feeling of loss, instead of a feeling of fullness.
It was quiet.
Unlike his body, which was filled with vitality, his mind was terribly quiet.
It was clearly different from when they were all united. It wasnt noisy then, but he could still feel the presence of the other Lukases.
Not now.
He couldnt feel their voices, signs or presence. And that fact weighed heavily on his mind. The Lukas who had just left the Dump Site would probably never be able to understand.
The same was true for the Lightning God. He couldnt understand Lukas. So he didnt bother to explain.
From now on, what he needed to show was actions, not words.
He had to thoroughly crush the face of this absolute being in front of him who had insulted them.
One thing that all the Lukases had in common was that they had no tolerance for insults.
hoh.
The Lightning God let out a sound of admiration at his changed attitude. Lukas slowly scanned his entire body. Although he seemed perfectly fine after killing all of the Lukases, he probably wasnt in perfect condition.
It was possible that he was just bluffing.
You will probably be the most difficult out of all of the Lukases I killed so far.
This was said with a twisted smile. That judgement was accurate.
Is this the final fight?
Right. So this time, Ill try something.
Whats that?
Turn you upside down.
The Lightning Gods face became blank for a moment before he burst into laughter.
kukuku! Kuhaha!
As the Lightning Gods laughter burst out, dark clouds began forming in the sky once more.
There was no more conversation.
Boom!
The moment a bolt of lightning struck the ruined meadow, the final fight began.
Book 2: Chapter 460
Book 2: Chapter 460 He needed to pour out everything he had.
It could be said that Lukas was, without a doubt, in his best condition at that moment, and could display more strength than he originally had. This was because this was none other than his imaginary world. In this place, it was possible for him to turn his imagination into reality.
But his opponent was the Lightning God. Even though his presence was extremely limited in this place, his strength would still be enough to compete with him, who had absorbed countless Lukases.
Lukas created dozens of spaces. Then, he applied a tremendous amount of gravity to each of these spaces and sent them towards the Lightning God. The words of the disappeared Lukases had been right. Even when instantly carrying out this kind of calculation, there wasnt much of a burden. This meant that he no longer needed the help of their computational ability.
The Lightning God frowned at the small black holes rushing towards him. Gravity was one of the most troublesome forces for him to deal with. This was because he had been through many battles at this point.
Nevertheless, he made no attempt to dodge.
Crackle-
The Lightning God covered both of his hands with electric currents before grabbing a black hole with his bare hands. Then he tore the black hole apart as if it was a ball of cloth.
Not even a mass of gravity can withstand my Thunder.
That madman had just ripped a black hole apart with nothing but his physical strength. Of course, its principles and strength were different from an actual black hole, but it was a shocking feat nonetheless.
Lukas stretched his hand towards the sky. In this place, the most important thing was his imagination. He would need to use his imagination to crush this overwhelming being into dust.
Rumble
In an instant, the sky brightened. This wasnt because of the lightning wriggling in the dark clouds lingering in the sky.
The Lightning God asked with a provoking tone.
Are you dropping a meteor? Thats too common.
Thats true. Thats why I prepared a lot.
The dark clouds were swept away as around ten meteors appeared. They all had shocking sizes. Each one was comparable to an asteroid*. (*: For reference, meteors are usually fragments of asteroids or comets.)
In any case, a spell of this scale would be impossible to use in real life. If anything goes wrong, it could have a nigh permanent negative impact on the entire planet.
His head was pounding. Apparently, this level of calculation was still a considerable burden for Lukas.
kuhahaha!
With a loud laugh, the Lightning God stretched his hand towards the sky.
Crack! A blue torrent of lightning shot out of his hand into the sky. When the torrent reached about halfway to the meteors, they separated into thousands of different branches, quickly taking the shape of enormous nets.
Then, they wrapped around the meteors.
Rumble, the meteors, which had been falling at a slow but steady pace, stopped moving.
The Lightning God wagged his finger at the sky.
The black hole was a bit better.
Crash! The lightning nets destroyed the meteors they wrapped around. The meteors were crushed into dozens of pieces the size of boulders which poured from the sky. Of course, stones that size couldnt even scratch the Lightning Gods body.
That would have been the case. If my desire was to show off.
What?
Do those look like normal meteors?
The falling stones trembled. The Lightning God sensed the energy in the trembling stones.
No way, Lukas, you
Those meteors were all made of spells. There were hundreds of millions of spells in each meteor.
Hundreds of millions. It was a joking unit, but it was by no means a joke. sea??h th N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
In the first place, it was a situation that he never would have expected, more than that, he never would have expected the man in front of him to cast such a number of spells at the same time.
The falling fragments froze at the same time. Then, all of the falling fragments transformed into spells. Right. There had to be a reason why it was so burdensome for him to summon only around ten meteors.
He had realised that Lukas was up to something, but he never would have expected a method like this.
Looking up at the sky, the Lightning God shook his head.
There is still something I dont understand.
What is it?
Why bother starting with the meteors in the first place? If it were you, you would be able to create this number of spells from the beginning.
Presentation.
Presentation?
By using magic in this way, I would be able to shake you up a little bit.
In this regard alone, Id say my presentation was a success.
ku, kuhaha.
After a while, the Lightning God burst out laughing and said.
You, you know exactly how to fight a Ruler.
Is that a compliment?
It is a great compliment. Let it seep deep into your heart, Madman.
Smiling at that, Lukas waved his hands.
Then, the greatest spell bombardment in history began.
* * *
Each meteor had hundreds of millions.
Ten or so meteors meant billions.
Was that possible? To deal with such a number of spells at the same time.
-Of course, it was possible.
Lukas looked directly at the Lightning God through the billions of spells. He was erasing all of the incoming spells by emitting lightning in every direction. Every second, dozens of spells were wiped out. That was a pointless act. After all, as mentioned before, the spells numbered in the billions.
The Lightning God was probably aiming for something else.
[Are you aware of the phrase Nothing in the world is certain?]
That guy suddenly let out a voice. A voice capable of reaching Lukas through the violent roars of the spells.
[The things that make up the universe change constantly. There is no unchanging self, no everlasting nature those are just the banal arguments of philosophers.]
[You really match that phrase, Lukas Trowman.]
The Lightning God had been paying attention to Lukas changes from the very beginning. Hed always been interested in the versatile nature of Lukas existence.
[Those who advocate nihilism understand the fickleness of life. They accept that you can lose anything you have obtained at any time without being able to do anything about it. They are certain of the fickleness of all things.]
[Interestingly, the more enlightened they become, the more they hold on to the nostalgia of the absolute. They begin to fantasise about something that will not change even after hundreds of millions of years, something that is eternal. Kuku dont you think that is amazingly similar to Absolutes?]
Piht!
A wound appeared on the Lightning Gods body. The spells were beginning to pierce through the lightning that he was emitting, and scratch his body.
Wounds began to appear all over the Lightning Gods body. There were no decisive blows, but there were fewer and fewer wounds that could be considered minor.
But Lukas was paying too much attention to the Lightning Gods words to be pleased by this fact.
[Unchanging beings exist. There is such a being right in front of you. I am one who can stand independently of cause and effect.]
[So it can be said that this is a battle between an agent of change and an unchanging being.]
Crack, the Lightning Gods right hand twisted and fell off. It was undoubtedly the most effective wound that he had inflicted so far.
[I will not attack before this magic has ended. Instead, I will recover my power. I will tell you in advance. There is nothing that piercing thunder cannot penetrate.]
[If Im still standing after all of these spells have ended It will be your defeat, Lukas Trowman.]
* * *
Yang In-hyun looked at Lukas. Except for the lack of life in his eyes, and the occasional shaking of his body, it looked like he was just standing still.
But at that moment, a war on a scale that he couldnt even imagine was happening inside this man.
Flinch-
Lukas shoulders shook. It wasnt a weak movement like before It seemed that something big was happening inside.
Ssrng.
He drew his sword. He couldnt use the Plum Blossom Sword Method.
After preparing to use the Everlasting Plum Sword, he looked at Lukas. In truth, it hadnt been that long. It felt like it had only been ten minutes or so.
The struggle, which could be called short or long, was about to end-
Crackle-
When Lukas opened his eyes, an electric current swept across his pupils. Yang In-hyun didnt hesitate.
Everlasting Plum Sword, Second Move, Flower Cultivation.
Just before he could use it.
Paht!
Someone caught Yang In-hyuns half drawn sword. No. It couldnt be someone.
There were only three people in this place, and Lee Jong-hak, who was fainted in the corner, wouldnt have been able to stop this move even if he was awake.
So Yang In-hyun looked at the only person it could be, Lukas.
How did you manage to do that?
Lukas stared blankly at his hand that was holding the blade. The look on his face seemed to say that he hadnt yet come to his senses How much time had this man spent inside?
Holding back that question, Yang In-hyun asked again.
Did you win? Against the Lightning God?
for now.
Lukas took a while to answer.
Then, the Lightning Gods power
You dont have to worry about me. In any case, the Lightning God will no longer pose a threat to Flower Mountain.
How much time has passed?
About 10 minutes.
A surprisingly long time had passed.
This was also a testament to how long the battle between Lukas and the Lightning God had lasted.
Pressing down on his throbbing head, Lukas said.
Lee Jong-hak appears unharmed.
Although he was unconscious, his life didnt seem to be in danger.
The wounds on his back didnt heal fully. He will need to be treated. I can leave that to my disciples.
Thanks. Then can we leave Lee Jong-hak to them and leave right away?
I dont care, but what about you? There will probably be side effects.
its not perfect, but we need to hurry because I dont know where my companion will suddenly pop up.
Understood.
Yang In-hyun picked Lee Jong-hak up.
Ill be right back.
Lukas stood there until Yang In-hyun left before seemingly speaking to himself.
shut up a bit.
* * *
Yang In-hyun returned quickly, and Lukas moved with him to the desert. Yang In-hyun seemed a bit surprised by this power that he was seeing for the first time*, but he didnt hesitate to step into the gap in space. That calm step showed his confidence in his ability to deal with any situation. (*: Pretty sure this is the second time hes seen it but oh well)
Spatial movement* So there is someone else in the World of Void other than that man that can use this power.(*: It was practically unanimous)
That man?
The Exile.
At first, I mistook you for that man.
The Exile. The exile of the entire multiverse.
Lukas had heard the name before.
Without a doubt, he was one of the Twelve Void Lords.
Now that I think about it, it was said that Yang In-hyun had been injured by The Exile before his battle with the Lightning God.
He wanted to ask him about that, but it hadnt yet happened in this life. He considered questioning him further on their relationship but decided not to because of the strange reverberation when Yang In-hyun said the words The Exile.
He figured that Yang In-hyun probably had a bad relationship with The Exile.
After stepping out of the spatial movement, Lukas looked around. And he easily found what he was looking for.
In the middle of the desert, he saw Pale laying happily on the sand.
As Lukas walked over to her, Yang In-hyun hesitated for a moment before following with a mutter.
so it was real.
As he expected, Yang In-hyun had recognised Pale at a glance. It was something that hed already experienced in a previous life, so he wasnt surprised by it.
Although hed mentioned the Blue Knight when talking about the Magic Planet, with Yang In-hyuns personality, it would be impossible for him to blindly trust him. He could feel the boundary between them become a bit less clear. Although he didnt think he trusted him completely-
Lukas, of course, didnt expect him to treat him completely like a comrade. He didnt have to.
A relationship where they helped each other to the specified extent depending on the need. That was all he wanted.
I dont know what her goal is as the Blue Knight.
Mm?
you could say that were still testing each other. It is complicated to explain.
I see.
Yang In-hyun roughly nodded his head. It seemed that this man rarely asked questions or talked back. In fact, his first impression of Yang In-hyun had been so unfamiliar to Lukas that it had revived the fear hed forgotten.
This is probably closer to his essence.
As he had this thought, he walked over to Pale. Tilting her head, Pale looked at him, before looking towards Yang In-hyun at the back.
I was wondering who you were going to bring.
Then she let out a laugh.
Who are you, uncle?
well.
At that moment, he really didnt know.
Huh?
At that moment, Pale jumped up from the ground and stuck her face so close to Lukas that their faces were almost touching.
At a distance where they could feel each others breaths, Pale looked at Lukas with her calm blue eyes.
This was probably one of the tensest moments of his life.
mmm?
Pale tilted her head to the side and scratched it.
What is it?
No. I must have been mistaken.
After speaking in her usual carefree tone, she turned around.
And Lukas
He held back the desire to let out a sigh of relief.
[Kuhaha are you trying to hide it? Thats fun too.]
Please shut up.
He shot at the voice resounding in his head.
He had to hide it. Of course he had to hide it.
He couldnt say it anyway.
If he were to say that he tied in a fight against the Lightning God and his consciousness was now in a corner of his mind.
Even if Yang In-hyun would forgive him, Pale wouldnt. That woman would draw her sword without hesitation. And she would cut off Lukas head without hesitation. (TL: Lukas has ptsd now)
[Why are you so scared? As you are now, youd be able to fight the Blue Knight.]
There was no need to take the chance. Because Lukas main enemy wasnt the Four Knights or the Twelve Void Lords. (TL: Definitely ptsd)
Now. Since were all gathered, lets go to the Magic Planet!
With a bright smile, Pale began to walk, and Yang In-hyun followed.
Looking at their backs, Lukas couldnt help but think.
Pale, one of the Four Knights, at the head, followed by Yang In-hyun, one of the Twelve Void Lords, and finally, Lukas, who had the Thunderous Lightning God in his body.
With such a member composition, it wouldnt be hard to understand even if their goal was to destroy the universe. Although it was only a temporary group, it was an unprecedented event in history for such beings so capable of creating a ripple effect throughout the entire multiverse to gather in one place.
All of a sudden, Lukas realised that all of them had something in common, a record of killing him.
I really have lost my mind.
With a strange expression, Lukas also began to walk forward.
Book 2: Chapter 461
Book 2: Chapter 461 The final clash in the imaginary world resulted in a draw. The Lightning God had finished charging the skill he called Piercing Thunder. Although he had been beaten to a pulp, Lukas was unable to defeat that guy with the billions of spells that hed casted.
He had faintly expected that to be the case.
In the first place, the more people wanted to avoid a possibility, the more they turned a blind eye to it. Lukas was no different. He didnt want to even think about the possibility that the Lightning God could endure the billions of spells. Not to mention denying it, he didnt even want to think about it in the first place.
However, he couldnt. His thorough personality prevented such optimistic thoughts from the very start.
And his foreboding feeling hadnt missed the mark.
You really tried, Lukas Trowman
Just as the Lightning God smiled and prepared to send forth his piercing lightning.
Lukas also didnt hesitate. He could no longer afford to hide any cards, so he poured all of his remaining mental strength to imitate a single skill.
Crackle-
The moment he saw the skill he developed.
You, that is
The Lightning Gods expression changed.
This was because it was in the form of none other than a pitch black thorn.
The [Thorn of Pain] how do you have that power?
However, since this place was inside Lukas mind, it was possible for him to imitate skills that he had experienced before to an extent. It was this same concept that allowed him to have a higher computational ability and control over space than he usually did.
And I know the power of this skill well.
After all, he had personally experienced it when it stabbed into his body. Therefore, he had no problems imagining it. Of course, this could also be considered a gamble on Lukas part. This was because the Thorn of Pain wouldnt be able to display the same power it had in reality, so even if he did manifest it, it was possible that it would be destroyed miserably by the Lightning Gods Piercing Thunder. Or his brain might melt because his imagination and computational ability were unable to withstand it.
However,
Boom!
As usual, Lukas was pretty good at gambling with his life.
* * *
In truth, it would be right to say it was an uncomfortable situation.
The Lightning God, who was currently in a corner of his mind, was a far more bizarre existence than the Lukases. Although he didnt feel any pain as if he was interfering with his body or had a splitting headache, that didnt mean the uncomfortable feeling would go away.
He probably would have been less discomforted if there was a bomb planted in his brain.
But it was pointless. In the end, since he hadnt won a complete victory, he hadnt been able to drive the Lightning God out of his head. That responsibility lay solely with Lukas.
Will he take control of my body?
No. The Lightning God didnt have much power left at that moment.
In fact, he also seemed to be quite pleased with his current condition. For the Rulers, the World of Void was an unknown land, so it wasnt necessarily a bad thing for him to investigate this world through Lukas eyes.
This left a bitter taste in Lukas mouth. It seemed he really needed to think of a way to get rid of the Lightning God.
In addition to the anxiety mentioned above.
[Isnt it about time you gave me an answer, Lukas Trowman? How did you use the Thorn of Pain?]
[Did you experience it personally? If it werent that, it would be impossible to materialise it so accurately However, if youd fought that guy, you wouldnt still be alive now. Hmmm.]
The voice of the Lightning God, which persisted in his head, was incredibly annoying. As he expected, this guy was basically the biggest chatterbox in the entire multiverse.
Be quiet. sea??h th ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Lukas groaned inwardly. Then, before he could respond, he continued.
You, cant you see that girl?
He was referring to Pale who was walking at the front. Kuku, at that, the Lightning God chuckled.
[Of course, I see her. Didnt I tell you before? Right now Im sharing your senses. Hmm, maybe even more than that]
The Lightning God drifted off at the end of his sentence as if he was thinking about something for a moment but soon continued in a nonchalant tone.
[I see what you see. Similarly, I feel what you feel. Surprisingly, it seems that the compatibility between you and I isnt bad. The synchronisation rate is much higher than with Lee Jong-hak.]
Thats not what Im talking about right now. That woman is the Blue Knight. She is a being that will do everything in her power to kill you Rulers, and if she learns that you are currently possessing me
[She will probably draw her sword without hesitation. Kuku. However, Lukas Trowman, that wouldnt affect my main body at all. At most Id feel a bit sad about losing such a good puppet. Kuku. I think Ive found a pretty good threat.]
Lukas frowned.
Cut the crap.
[]
Its not that easy to find a good puppet in the World of Void, is it?
[Why do you think that?]
Because if it were, you would have made one of the Absolutes under your command into your puppet. You would not have settled for a mortal like Lee Jong-hak.
The Lightning God was silent.
So quit making such foolish threats. Although its a bit comical, its me, not you, who has the initiative right now. You didnt take control of my body, and you cannot exert your authority on me.
It was true that the fact that Lukas couldnt drive the Lightning God out made him uncomfortable.
However, the humiliation the Lightning God was feeling was probably tens of thousands of times more. For a Ruler, the fact that hed tied with a lesser being meant a lot.
You should only talk after youve firmly gained control of me.
[kuku, as I expected, you really are an interesting guy. Alright. Ill remember that.]
The Lightning God seemed to follow Lukas words, but this attitude only made him more anxious. He couldnt tell what he was thinking.
And there was something else that gave Lukas a similar feeling.
Suppressing a sigh, he walked up to Pale who was at the head.
Are we going to the Magic Planet right now?
Thats right.
as far as I know, the Magic Planet is in the Southern Region.
Right.
Lukas looked around. His expression seemed to say even though I havent been to the Southern Region, I know what the landscape looks like.
It was said that the region was a pure snowfield filled with nothing but snow. But as he looked at their surroundings, there wasnt even a speck of snow.
The surrounding landscape was one of the most unique among all that hed seen so far.
The western desert, the southern snowfield, the northern sea.
And this place with grey dirt. The ground looked faded as if it had died and in the places that theyd passed so far, not even a single blade of dried grass could be found.
It was a land that was even more desolate and oppressive than the desert.
And if it was neither the north, south, or west, then it was obvious where this place was.
-the east.
Yes.
Is the Magic Planet in the east?
No, didnt you say its in the south?
Then why did we come to the east?
Huhuhng.
With a soft hum, Pale continued to walk forward. It seemed she had no intention of answering. So Lukas looked back and asked.
Have you ever been to the Eastern Region?
Yang In-hyun nodded calmly.
Right.
Do you have to come here in order to get to the Magic Planet?
Thats not it If I remember correctly, there is only one way to get there.
Whats that?
Before he answered, Yang In-hyuns expression became a bit awkward. Then, just as his lips were about to open
Fwoosh-
Lukas suddenly felt himself enter a new space.
Were here.
As soon as he heard Pales voice, the surrounding landscape changed completely. First of all, the sky became black, and the surroundings became rocky. Although it was a similarly bleak landscape, it still felt more alive.
There were even stars shining in the sky above, and a hot wind blew. In the middle of this area was an incredibly large, strange looking building. It was half sunken as if it had been embedded into the ground.
No. It wasnt a building.
Upon closer inspection, Lukas realised that this strange structure was actually a spaceship.
It was big. Large enough to be called a huge battleship.
Mm
Then, Yang In-hyun let out an awkward sound. He was staring at the spaceship with a glum expression, and Lukas got the impression that he knew this place.
Ahem.
Pale took a step forward and cleared her throat before shouting in a surprisingly loud voice.
Anyone there?!
Her shout actually caused the spaceship to tremble.
Nevertheless, there was no response. Narrowing his eyes, Lukas tried to peer into the spaceship, but it was strangely difficult to do. This was true even after he used Clairvoyance. As if his vision was being blocked by an invisible curtain.
A-ny-one there!?
Pale shouted once more. And again, there was no response. Just as she took a deep breath.
Tap tap-
They heard the sound of footsteps as well as something being dragged along the ground.
Lukas turned around. And he saw an extremely bizarre looking creature.
It had a body that was about 3 metres tall. Although it walked on two legs, it couldnt really be considered humanoid. It had pale, reptilian skin and eyes, and was wearing a type of armour that hed never seen before. The armour looked like it hadnt been maintained in a long time or it had been worn after it was already heavily damaged. The most noticeable part was its right arm. It was huge and seemed to be covered by a giant gauntlet from which bluish energy seemed to constantly flow.
The creature was dragging something in its hand. It was a being that looked just as bizarre. Its eyes were rolled back and it was bleeding bright yellow blood, but it wasnt hard to tell it was already dead.
[ ?U? ?ء.]
The being mumbled in a strange language. It seemed that it would be impossible to communicate. At least thats what he thought at first.
[Amazing]
It spoke in a language he could understand.
Pale grinned.
Did you just come back from a hunt? Was it satisfying?
[]
The beings eyes passed over Pale without answering.
Then its eyes settled on Yang In-hyun.
[What a rare face]
Yang In-hyun averted his gaze with a displeased expression. The being continued to look at Yang In-hyun with pupil-less green eyes before walking past them. At the same time, it fiddled with the gauntlet on its wrist.
Woowoong-
A blue hologram filled with mysterious drawings and symbols appeared above the gauntlet. After the being tapped a few buttons with its long finger,
Pshhh-
The entrance of the spaceship opened. Then, as if it had forgotten about Lukas and the others, it dragged its prey into the spaceship.
Who is that?
The Exile.
When Yang In-hyun answered shortly, Lukas head snapped over.
One of the Twelve Void Lords. He hadnt expected that he would meet another one so soon
[Hoh. That guy]
The Lightning God pretended to know him. Lukas was confused by his attitude.
Why are you pretending to know him?
When it came to the World of Void, the Rulers couldnt be called knowledgeable. Instead, they probably knew less than Lukas. Because of this, the Lightning Gods attitude of pretending to know the Exile felt like a bluff.
But the Lightning God simply smiled.
[Im not pretending. That guy is probably the most unique being in the World of Void.]
What?
[Kuku, at the same time, hes incredibly dangerous. After all, he has a record of erasing 17 Great Universes with his own hands.]
!
[If you end up fighting him, youd do well to be careful of that unique right hand of his]
A moment later, the Exile returned from the spaceship. The beast in his hand had disappeared, and he had changed his outfit.
Instead of the broken armour, he was wearing something similar to a robe.
And he was barefoot. Although it probably didnt matter, he had three toes.
[For what reason did you come here?]
The Exiles gloomy voice, like the incantations of a Warlock, echoed in an excessively dreary manner.
In addition, the voice itself sounded like that of a monster trying to imitate human speech.
But that didnt seem to matter to Pale.
I wanna go to the Magic Planet. Can you lend me the power of your [Occult Hand]?
[Last time you said that was the last time.]
This time! This time is really the last time!
[]
The Exile looked at Pale with an indecipherable expression before saying.
[Fine However I cant just do it]
Ohhh.
[This time as well their value they will have to prove it]
Of course, they will!
[]
At that moment, the Exile stretched out his right hand.
Fwoosh!
An air current appeared behind him. Lukas turned around. And encountered a scene that was quite familiar to him.
A space crack
He saw a gap leading to a different space.
Lukas narrowed his eyes slightly.
A power similar to Lords.
Although there were some differences, the Exile was also a being who could manipulate space. There was another being in the World of Void who could manipulate space, an ability that was incredibly rare in the entire multiverse.
[In that space beyond convince that being with just the two of you]
The Exile pointed at Lukas and Yang In-hyun. Pale smiled and waved her hand.
Its as he said. Go ahead. Uh. By the way, when are you going to eat what you brought earlier? Cant you give me some too?
[No]
Wah. Youre so stingy.
Lukas and Yang In-hyun exchanged glances.
They didnt know what being was in this beyond
Its probably a good thing that Pale wont come.
Lukas was currently carrying a bomb called the Lightning God.
He didnt know if any of that guys power would leak out at any time while he was fighting. The space in front of them was probably completely separate from this space, so the probability of Pale noticing was extremely low.
With that thought in mind, he stepped into the gap first. And he could feel Yang In-hyun follow him a step later.
Fwoosh!
Once again, the surrounding landscape changed.
This place, the ground had become grey once more.
Did they go outside?
Lukas suddenly felt a chill and instantly prepared to use void.
On the lifeless ground, someone stood like a statue.
indeed, it seems this is the being we need to convince.
There was also a bit of tension in Yang In-hyuns voice.
This couldnt be helped. At that moment, Lukas managed to understand several things at the same time.
The condition laid out by Pale. In order to go to the Magic Planet, he needed to find someone he could trust to go with him. She must have known that Lukas strength was comparable to one of the Twelve Void Lords.
And yet, shed still told Lukas to find someone he could trust.
In other words, she had determined that it would take at least two beings at the level of the Twelve Void Lords.
Those words were correct.
Because the being in front of them, a Knight in white armour, was probably one of the Kings Four Knights like Pale.
Ssrng-
The White Knight of Conquest quietly drew their sword.
(TL: That was sudden. Is it time to die at the hands of another Knight?)
Book 2: Chapter 462
Book 2: Chapter 462 Lukas knew the kinds of beings that he needed to be wary of in this world.
They could be grouped into three main categories.
The Twelve Void Lords, who could be considered the most powerful Lords or Rulers of the World of Void.
Next were the Rulers, who had snuck into the World of Void with some kind of goal, and were cleverly waiting for opportunities. S~ea??h the N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
And finally were the Four Knights.
It was still uncertain if he should add the Void King, whose identity was still a mystery, to that. This was because Lukas didnt even know what kind of being they were, let alone how powerful they were. Did they even exist in the first place? That person called the Void King.
Lukas clicked his tongue. Deeply contemplating things wasnt important when there was a real threat in front of him.
This was without a doubt, one of Lukas flaws.
What Lukas had to do now was pay attention to the current situation, not to an unsolvable question.
Generally speaking, the Four Knights were stronger than the Twelve Void Lords.
This was a clearly recognised fact.
At first, hed encountered it as knowledge, but he had later experienced it with his body. Nevertheless, this information could not be considered as an absolute fact.
Lukas hadnt yet gained a complete understanding of the Twelve Void Lords. So far, he had only met a small part, and it couldnt even be said that he had a full understanding of the power of the people hed met.
He glanced at Yang In-hyun who was right beside him. This person was probably the one that Lukas knew the best out of all of the Twelve Void Lords, but he had yet to see and couldnt even imagine his full power.
Sama Ryeong, a member of the Seven Flowers, had said that his swordsmanship had reached a divine level, and the Everlasting Plum Sword had up four moves, but that didnt mean that Yang In-hyun didnt have any other secret means.
The Four Knights were the same.
will Lucid also become this strong?
Enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with Pale, and this White Knight in front of him? It left a bitter taste in his mouth. He knew that his beliefs hadnt changed, but apart from that, everything was a mystery. The reason he was working together with Diablo, and what happened to make him the Black Knight.
He came to bring death to the World of Void? Lucid? Knowing just how much he cherished life, Lukas found it difficult to understand.
Unlike Lukas, who was immersed in his various thoughts, Yang In-hyun was focused on the being in front of them.
Theyre not in the mood to talk.
Yang In-hyun couldnt help but feel deep doubts about the situation. As far as he knew, among the Four Knights, the White Knight was the most moderate, easy to talk to, and reasonable. Because of this, some people called them the Leader of the Knights.
Of course, Yang In-hyun knew there wasnt any kind of hierarchical relationship between the Knights, but he couldnt erase the feeling that the White Knight had the strongest voice among them.
But that being was now silently exuding fighting intent. No light was visible beneath their helmet. There was only gloomy darkness. This appearance didnt suit the name White Knight at all.
however.
They werent fake. At least that much was clear.
In this infinitely large world, the number of beings that could make him feel so much tension that sweat covered his hands was extremely limited.
Everlasting Plum Sword, First Move.
So there was no need to probe.
Yang In-hyun immediately showed his own intent from the first move. Even though his strength was limited, he hadnt used the Everlasting Plum Sword in the brief fight with the Lightning God, a Ruler.
This was natural.
After all, the being in front of them was incomparable to a Ruler borrowing the body of a puppet.
Murim Annihilation. (TL: Previously Martial Annihilation, I changed it to fit the context.)
Paht-
Centred around Yang In-hyun, colourless buds began to bloom. Each bud flickered as if they would disappear at any moment. This refined technique that was unfolding was the scene that had once bewitched Lukas, and the extreme of swordsmanship that he couldnt help but praise.
The blooming buds were just a simple phenomenon.
There was no special meaning behind them apart from Yang In-hyuns wish to annihilate the Murim. He wished that beautiful flowers would bloom in this desolate world.
This phenomenon was a manifestation of the resolution hed made at that time.
What had emerged was an amalgamation of history originating from that image, memory and technique.
And the season when Murim was annihilated didnt unfold from those buds. It was an actualisation of every technique from the sword.
That was why the Everlasting Plum Sword was a sword technique.
Lukas felt like hed fully grasped what Murim Annihilation was. It was a slash of karma brought about by Yang In-hyuns history.
Deep-seated hatred, resentment. And, at the same time, he could feel the opposing feelings of longing and sadness.
Perhaps, Yang In-hyun hadnt wanted to annihilate the Murim with his own hands. Of course, this was probably a very rude thought. So hed never reveal it. Yang In-hyun probably wouldnt talk about it either.
If it wasnt for the faint traces of emotion in his swordsmanship, Lukas probably wouldnt have thought about that possibility in his whole life.
The karma Yang In-hyun carries.
Those who were unable to bear it would be unable to stop that slash. They wouldnt even notice it.
Lucid always said that every slash had to be done with all your heart. And hed also said that he had a long way to go before he could reach that level.
Those words werent a bluff or ideology. At that time, Lucid had still been far away from that state, but it was clear that he was dreaming of it.
Clang!
Lukas soul almost departed.
The Everlasting Plum Sword, Murim Annihilation had been blocked.
!
Lukas breath hitched for a moment. The White Knight held a small shield in their right hand. He had only just noticed. This was because the shield had been hanging on their back.
It had a form that was similar to a buckler. It wasnt very large, and seemed quite thin as well. Normally, Yang In-hyuns Murim Annihilation should have been to slice through even a few thousand of such shields.
Its hard.
Yang In-hyun frowned slightly.
What kind of material was it made of? To so easily block his Murim Annihilation.
Of course, the defensive abilities of all four of the Knights could be described as monstrous. After all, most attacks could barely scratch the armour of Pale, the most aggressive of them all.
And among the four Knights, the White Knight possessed outstanding defensive abilities.
This was a fact that Yang In-hyun was well aware of. Nevertheless, he couldnt help but be filled with shock.
The difference between what hed believed and what he experienced was greater than the difference between heaven and earth.
I thought it would at least have some effect.
He thought that if it was his Everlasting Plum Sword, he would be able to make a crack in the White Knights defences, even if just slightly.
Yang In-hyun had considered this to be calm confidence, but it turned out to just be arrogance. This result proved that.
The White Knight had blocked his attack without even moving from their spot. In fact, even the word blocked was a bit ambiguous. The White Knight had simply raised their shield towards the incoming sword strike.
They didnt bend their back, focus on their shield, or do anything of the sort. The feeling of being disregarded filled Yang In-hyun with humiliation.
Yang In-hyun withdrew his sword. The White Knight didnt pursue. Instead, they just lowered the shield and continued to stand there with their sword drawn.
This is just my guess.
Without revealing the emotions boiling inside him, Yang In-hyun spoke.
But I think we need to break through the White Knights defences in order to gain The Exiles acknowledgement.
Lukas agreed with those words.
He didnt need more proof as the White Knight didnt seem to have any intention of attacking. Even at that moment, they were just looking at them with a sword in their right hand and shield in their left hand*. (*:The shield was in the right hand before.)
We cant attack at the same time.
Right. Our power would interfere with each other.
His magic and Yang In-hyuns Everlasting Plum Sword wouldnt mix. It was like oil and water. Rather than strengthening the other, they might end up adversely affecting or even directly destroying each other.
We have two options. The first is to take turns to attack till were tired.
Thats no good. It wouldnt be very efficient, lets go with the second one.
When Lukas spoke bluntly, Yang In-hyun couldnt help but ask.
Do you even know what the second option is?
Is it not taking turns to attack continuously? (TL: A bit hard to differentiate, but I took this to mean 1. Theyd each get a chance to attack until they were tired/ran out of options and 2. Theyd attack back and forth continuously.)
hmm, yeah, thats right.
Yang In-hyun nodded with a slightly strange expression.
How will we determine the turns?
This was also an important issue. At that, Yang In-hyun spoke.
Youve already seen my Everlasting Plum Sword. You must have some grasp of my power. However, I dont know much about you.
In the battle against the Lightning God, Lukas had ended up taking the role of support. Yang In-hyun hadnt been relaxed enough to take a good look at him.
He meant that he should show his hand this time, to make it fair. Nodding, Lukas agreed. This was because he judged that it was a fair argument.
Of course, he also had other calculations.
I havent used my power properly since [Lukases] voices disappeared.
He had clearly felt himself grow stronger in the imaginary world, but he couldnt expect the same amount of power in reality. There would still be some differences.
Just in time, the toughest training dummy in the world was prepared for him.
Hed have plenty of time to hone his skills.
[You can tell me if you think you wont be enough. This Lightning God will help you.]
I dont need it.
He would rather die than receive help from that guy. The Lightning God let out an unpleasant laugh.
Pretending not to hear, Lukas walked up to the White Knight. Then he drew on his void power.
.
Entering the minimal time zone was easy. The Lukases had been right. It was now possible for him to enter it without the help of their computational ability. There was a slight dizziness at first, but that quickly faded away.
Nevertheless, the bitter feeling didnt go away.
Forcibly swallowing the bitter taste that lingered on the tip of his tongue, Lukas looked at the White Knight.
If there wasnt a faint glimmer from the eye holes of the helmet and the armours paint was a bit gloomier, they could have been mistaken for a Ghost Knight.
But his opponent was just as much of a monster as Pale. So he had no doubt they could perceive this time zone.
I wish I could test if I could use the Thorn of Pain
Of course, it would be impossible to manifest to the same extent as in the imaginary world, he still wanted to know to what extent he could use it.
Clearly a bad idea.
To use the power of a Ruler in front of none other than one of the four Knights. Considering Pales reaction, it was tantamount to suicide. If that happened, the White Knight might abandon their defensive stance and rush to take Lukas life.
It was a shame. The power of a Ruler would certainly have been able to deal a valid blow to the White Knight.
then, what should I use?
Lukas flicked his finger in thought. Chwak, several spaces expanded in front of him.
Even using the power of space was less of a burden. There was a slight delay when compared to the imaginary world, but that was it.
Clearly feeling his own progress, Lukas decided to send a spell through them.
Woowoong-
It was a weaker version of the amplification magic hed used in the battle against the Demon God.
The silent, enhanced spell bombardment hit the White Knights armour. Armour, not shield.
In other words, they hadnt moved or reacted in any way, standing still like a training dummy and enduring Lukas spell.
They didnt even need to block it?
His pride took a small hit, but Lukas calmly accepted it. This was because he didnt think the magic he used was in any way superior to Yang In-hyuns Everlasting Plum Sword.
At that moment, the White Knight moved. They began rushing towards Lukas position.
Werent they just standing still and blocking attacks?
Although he was a bit surprised, he wasnt shocked.
Nevertheless, he did still need more time. For now, he needed to slow them down, even if only slightly. There was no point in using ordinary spells. Lukas placed a space trap in the White Knights path.
This was the same trick hed used in the battle against the Lightning God. Even if it only worked once, it would be considered a success. And even if it didnt work, it wouldnt be that bad for Lukas since he would still be able to earn the smallest amount of time as they went around his trap.
He didnt expect them to fall for his trap. The Lightning God had only fallen for it because Yang In-hyun had been drawing most of his attention, but now, the White Knights attention was entirely focused on Lukas.
So that meant hed have to find another way
Shuk!
The White Knights right foot fell into the space trap Lukas had created.
Mm?
Yang In-hyun, who was watching from the side, furrowed his eyebrows. Surprised, Lukas did the same.
Did they not notice that? The White Knight?
Just as he questioned this scene, an even more shocking scene unfolded. Without even the slightest hint of surprise, the White Knight stabbed their sword into the space that had swallowed their foot. Then, they twisted the blade.
Crack!
The sound of the space cracking could be heard. Lukas expression became stiff.
Even when the White Knight had fallen for his trap, hed been more confused than glad, but now, he couldnt help but feel anxious.
They forcefully expanded the entrance of the space.
With just their physical strength.
Then, the White Knight jumped into the expanded space.
!
For the first time, Lukas couldnt help but feel flustered.
Whats in there?
its a space where almost nothing exists.
The only things in that universe were a few enhancement spells that Lukas had placed to amplify his spells. Naturally, there was nothing there to support living beings. It was an empty world that could be described as empty space.
if I close the entrance to that space.
It might mean the capturing or sealing of the White Knight.
It doesnt make sense.
If it was the White Knight, it wouldnt be strange if they were able to escape on their own, and even if they couldnt, there was the possibility that the Exile* would take them out after. He wasnt certain of the level of power he had over space. (*: The author used a different word here which is almost the opposite of exile, but from the context, Im assuming it is.)
Ill follow.
Just as Lukas made up his mind, Yang In-hyun asked.
Should I join you?
The White Knight had already displayed unexpected behaviour. If they werent simply responding defensively, then they couldnt afford to leisurely take turns to attack.
But Lukas shook his head.
No. Id rather go alone.
I see.
Worst case scenario, Ill immediately get rid of the space, then youll immediately attack the White Knight.
Alright.
Then, Lukas stepped into the space that the White Knight had entered first.
A world without anything. In this world filled with nothing but darkness stood the lone White Knight, emitting a pure white glow.
As if feeling Lukas presence, they turned to look at him as he entered.
Then, just as Lukas was about to call upon the power of void once more. The White Knight once again did something completely unexpected.
But no matter how one looked at it, it couldnt be seen as an act of aggression.
Churk-
The White Knight removed the helmet covering their face.
And Lukas frowned as he saw the revealed face.
Book 2: Chapter 463
Book 2: Chapter 463 Platinum coloured hair, skin so pale that even the veins beneath were visible, and greyish white eyes.
A man who gave the impression that he would disappear at any moment, but he also possessed features that were almost inappropriately perfect. In other words, he was a man with an unrealistic appearance.
Hes not human.
While he looked similar to a human, he was different. He felt like an entirely different being from humans. This wasnt because of his identity as one of the four Knights. As far as Lukas knew, all four Knights were from the multiverse outside, in other words, the Three Thousand Worlds. And there were countless humans in every universe in the Three Thousand Worlds.
What was it that made humans humans? Lukas had struggled for a long time to find an answer to this question. And then he realised. Even he would not be able to make a perfect judgement. This was because, in the end, he was also nothing more than a being with an ego. This meant that he would inevitably classify humans according to his own personal and self-centred views.
The explanation was long, but what Lukas was thinking boiled down to one thing.
This man was far different from even the broad standard for human that Lukas had set.
Sss-
This could be clearly felt from every part of him, especially his eyes. The White Knights greyish white eyes made Lukas want to immediately avoid making eye contact with him. He knew this feeling.
This
It was the same feeling that was similar to when he met the Rulers.
[Hoh. A Perfect One]
The Lightning Gods voice interjected at the right time. Lukas felt the faint fear that was making him hesitant disappear, and asked without even the slightest hint of that fact.
Perfect One?
[Indeed, it wouldnt be strange for one of them to still be around in this world. No. Instead, I should say that its natural for one to be in this world Nevertheless, I never thought that this would be the White Knights identity. Kukuku.]
The Lightning God seemed to be genuinely happy and didnt try to hide it. And he even started talking without him needing to ask.
[There was once an unprecedentedly large universe in the past. That universe was so large that all four Rulers could have been there at the same time. The Perfect Ones were the conquerors who ruled over that entire universe with only a few hundred individuals.]
!
He couldnt help but be surprised by those words.
Naturally, not every universe had the same standards.
Some universes were smaller than planets, and some were larger than dozens of universes combined.
And the larger the size, or in other words, capacity of the universe, the higher the average number of beings that filled it. In the larger universes, there was a higher probability of the birth of an innately Transcendent or Absolute being.
[In terms of species alone, the Perfect Ones were able to compete with the Giant Spirit Clan, which the Sun God hailed from. With their natural ability, nigh infinite lifespan, and highly developed intelligence they were probably the race that was closest to perfection.]
Perfect One.
He thought of the name once more. It was a phrase Lukas had never encountered before. According to the Lightning Gods words, this was natural as it appeared as if they had been destroyed and forgotten a long time ago.
Why did that happen to such a perfect race?
[They destroyed themselves.]
The Lightning God immediately resolved Lukas confusion.
[It was a dull ending, but it was a shame. If the Perfect Ones hadnt gone extinct perhaps another being like us would have been born from that race.]
He was talking about the Rulers. Lukas shuddered quietly at the Lightning Gods statement. This was probably the highest praise the Lightning God could give. He believed that the Perfect One had the racial potential to reach the level of a Ruler.
His tension increased by several times.
Lukas stared at the White Knight, assuming and preparing for all manners of unexpected situations.
At almost the same time, the White Knight opened his mouth.
Its a pleasure to meet you.
..
An unexpectedly polite attitude.
This reaction was even more unexpected since hed acknowledged the other as a being comparable to a Ruler. In a sense, the White Knight had done the one thing that Lukas never would have expected.
No.
After thinking about it, he realised it wasnt that much of a surprise.
Aside from her annoying attitude and floaty voice, when she wasnt the Blue Knight, Pale basically only spoke politely Lucid was also a stickler for manners.
So it wasnt that strange that the White Knight was polite and respectful.
But that didnt change the awkwardness. Lukas stared at the White Knight without saying anything.
You dont have to be so tense. Im not so savage as to launch an attack in the middle of a conversation.
Of course, considering the fact that Pale was the Knight accompanying you, I suppose it wouldnt be easy for you to let go of your suspicions. Whatever makes you comfortable.
He smiled bitterly, he quietly added Among the four Knights, Pale was the most audacious. So it wasnt that much of a surprise.
You want to talk to me.
Yes.
Why?
Because you are a Void King Candidate.
This was said with full confidence.
Pale, and now the White Knight in front of him.
What exactly did they see that made them conclude that he was a Void King Candidate?
White Knight of Conquest.
I dont really like that name. Can you call me Agolet instead?
He asked this with such politeness that it would be impossible to say no. Feeling strangely uncomfortable, Lukas asked.
Why are you here? Who is the Void King Candidate that you follow?
Every Knight had their own Void King Candidate. This was only Lukas guess, but considering the case of Diablo and Lucid, it seemed like a reliable hypothesis.
But the White Knight shook his head, no.
I dont have such a thing.
What does that mean?
How much do you know about the being called the Void King?
Of course, he could say that he knew almost nothing. But instead of answering, Lukas remained silent. This was because he didnt want to display his own ignorance to an enemy.
It seems you dont know anything. Sar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
But remaining silent at a time like this was no different from directly saying that you didnt know anything.
All this while, the World of Void has been at peace. Although it might be hard to accept, there definitely is order and balance in this place.
But if a new Void King appears, that peace will be broken.
Agolets voice became cold.
There will be all kinds of intrigue*. Its a situation that will cause all kinds of incidents. I dont want that kind of chaos.(*: In this case using the definition C the secret planning of something illicit or detrimental.)
[Hmph.]
The Lightning God snorted coldly.
[Thats some really interesting bullshit. Thats not something that someone responsible for accelerating the collapse should say.]
What do you mean?
[Originally, we would never have been able to set foot in this place. We had knocked on the door countless times before and it never opened. It was like someone was blocking it with all their might.]
[It was none other than these guys that killed that being and broke the chains.]
Lukas realised who that being was.
God.
I want to prevent the conflict.
Agolet spoke with a troubled expression.
The Great Game that the Rulers are trying to play will cause a war of slaughter filled with flesh and blood. And I am tired of such wars.
[]
He couldnt tell if he was serious or just acting. But he could clearly feel the contempt the Lightning God held for the White Knight.
It was a strange feeling.
It was as if he was being swayed by the Lightning Gods emotions.
Did you know? In order to become the Void King, you must ultimately receive the loyalty of all four Knights.
Of course, he didnt know that.
Thats why I wont vow my loyalty to anyone. The birth of a new Void King will cause even more chaos, so I will remain silent. And I will eliminate everything that tries to disturb the order. And you
Are not the right person to be the Void King. So give up. All I wanted to do was give you that warning.
And if I dont give up?
Lukas displayed his defiance almost reflexively.
At that moment, it felt like the temperature in the space dropped by several tens of degrees. Agolet looked at Lukas with cold eyes.
Then you
The moment he put the helmet in his hand back on his head, Agolet became the White Knight once more.
[Will die here.]
His tone changed, and so did his aura.
[You are a fool of fate, but you do not need to live as a toy anymore. In the first place, you shouldnt be in this world.]
that might be true.
The things hed felt the most while wandering the World of Void were confusion and anxiety.
However, the guy who brought me here seemed to think differently.
There was a role the God hoped Lukas would play. He wasnt entirely sure what that role was yet, but it was clear that he had some expectations of him.
[you mean that deceiver.]
Disgust was evident in the White Knights voice.
[That was probably his final struggle before he died.]
[I will tell you one thing. You do not deserve to be tested by me. The Exile will probably understand that. Go back to where he is then you will see where you really need to go.]
Boom-
After that, the space shattered like glass, and Yang In-hyun could be seen on the outside.
Lukas sneered.
Go back? It seems you are mistaken. You are not the owner of this-
The White Knight swung his sword without bothering to listen to the rest of his words. Suddenly, tremendous wind pressure appeared and shoved Lukas body away.
Should he endure it, fight back? That thought occurred to him for a moment, but Lukas eventually allowed himself to be carried by the wind pressure. Then, as intended, he found himself expelled from the world he had created.
Outside once more.
Yang In-hyun approached Lukas, who had fallen to one knee.
What happened?
well.
Straightening his knees, Lukas got up. Then he agonised for a moment.
It wouldnt be difficult to reenter the world that the White Knight was in. However, he had the feeling that if he entered again, he would be risking his life.
I have no choice but to go back to the Exile.
Among the things the White Knight had said, there was something he found particularly disturbing.
* * *
It wasnt that difficult to return to the place that the Exile was. As mentioned before, Lukas could return to any place that hed been before.
Then, as he arrived at the abandoned spacecraft, Lukas was greeted by an astonishing sight.
It was the image of the Exile grilling animal meat over a bonfire. In front of him, Pale was devouring a leg that she was holding in both hands.
The figure of the animal over the fire was familiar. It was the one the Exile had been dragging when he first appeared.
food.
In this world, there was no food other than jerky, so how?
Now that he thought about it, it was strange from the beginning. In the World of Void, bodies disappeared almost instantly, but the animal that he had been dragging didnt
Questioning that fact, Lukas looked around.
The space that he was in right now was it really the World of Void?
Suddenly, the Exile rose to his feet. Then he looked at Lukas and nodded.
[Indeed you came out like that]
When she heard his tone, Pale, who had been frantically devouring the meat, changed. Her eyes became sharp as she glared at the Exile.
Hey. Like I said earlier, dont do anything stupid.
Despite this menacing threat, the Exile ignored her and waved his hand. Just as her expression changed like a demon.
What are-
Her voice was cut off.
In an instant, the surrounding space changed. It became a place that could never be interfered with from the outside.
Lukas watched it all in silence.
[You didnt stop me]
The Exile spoke. His green eyes seemed blank, but Lukas felt that he was looking right at him.
[With your ability my spatial movement you couldve interfered Answer why didnt you stop me?]
Because it didnt seem like you intended to harm me.
[Is that all?]
Glancing around, Lukas nodded.
No matter what space I am dragged to, I have confidence in my body.
[Hmm everything was correct]
Nodding, the Exile said.
[And I do have no intention to harm you I called you here to help you]
Help?
[I know where you really want to go not the Magic Planet]
You are mistaken. My goal is the Magic Planet.
[No its different Think a bit more deeply Lukas Trowman your real goal from the start what is it?]
Lukas, of course, had no memory of introducing himself to the Exile. But this had already happened several times before. For some reason, the strong beings here knew Lukas.
As if they had been paying attention to him for a long time.
Just be honest. You dont want to send me to the Magic Planet.
[It doesnt matter if you can think like that However, before that I want to show you where you really want to go the places]
At this moment, the Exile waved his arm again.
!
Lukas eyes widened. His mind went blank.
This was because two cracks in space appeared before him.
Of course, that alone wouldnt have been enough to surprise him.
Th-, this
Through the cracks, he could see familiar faces.
On one side, he could see Peran, Nix, Ivan, and Iris. It was none other than the scene from Lukas home universe.
And on the other side he could see Min Ha-rin.
It wasnt just her.
Lukas other disciples, Arid, Leo, and even Venian* were also there. (*: Beniang*. I said Id change it to what the author said it was the next time it came up. So here we go.)
[Choose]
Choose?
[Where you want to go if you do]
The Exile stretched his hands out as he spoke.
[I will send you to the world you want]
(TL: Which do you think Lukas will pick?)
Book 2: Chapter 464
Book 2: Chapter 464 Several thoughts popped into his mind at the same time. That seemed to be the case. But the words that escaped from Lukas lips were much simpler than those thoughts.
Are you saying you can do that?
Confirming the authenticity.
Tch, he heard the sound of the Lightning God clicking his tongue in his head. He didnt know why but seemed disappointed in Lukas for some reason.
He didnt care about that. Without him realising, Lukas senses and attention had become focused on the Exile.
How is that possible?
Space manipulation.
Lukas had also become able to skillfully wield that power. Due to an explosive increase in his proficiency, he could visit any place that hed been to before. The same was true even for restricted areas like the Dump Site and other territories.
However, the range of that movement was limited to the World of Void. He couldnt go to the Three Thousand Worlds outside. He couldnt find a path. Every time he tried, it felt like he was stuck in something.
[I have no reason to tell you lies]
That could just be your thoughts. The cracks themselves could be traps.
Even as he said that, Lukas was aware of how slim the chance of that was. Then he realised that the reason he denied it in the first place was because he wanted the Exiles words to be true.
It was a ridiculous and pathetic response.
In his home universe, Lukas had been betrayed too many times. Therefore, even though hopeful observations came to his mind, he shook his head, denying them.
A weak defence mechanism.
He calmed his agitation, he didnt want to display an unsightly appearance.
Even if the Lukases themselves were no longer there to watch, Lukas wouldnt allow himself to make the wrong choice again.
The Exile looked at him silently. It was difficult to predict what he was thinking.
That thought caused him to be even more uncomfortable facing this being.
Should he just put an end to this farce and ask him to show him the way to the Magic Planet?
However, what if his statements really were true?
[Its true.]
The Lightning Gods voice confirmed that possibility.
What?
[That being is the only one across time and space that can travel between the World of Void and the Three Thousand Worlds.]
How is that possible?
[All kinds of miracles are possible with that right hand of his]
The Lightning God turned his attention to the Exiles right hand. His hand, which was huge and thick as if there were iron plates beneath his skin, was still emitting the unknown blueish energy, however, Lukas couldnt tell exactly what kind of energy it was.
[The Occult Hand It can be said that your knowledge of space is pretty good too. So I can speak assertively. Now that God has died, there is no other being in existence who is more skillful at manipulating space than the Exile.]
From the start, the Lightning God had spoken as if he knew the Exile.
In other words, there was a high chance that his words were true.
What is the Occult Hand?
[Kuku. Well All of the records related to the Exile have been erased. There isnt even any information about him in the Akashic Records, but the Exile was able to wipe out 17 Great Universes on his own. Do you understand what that means?]
Taking a deep breath, Lukas said.
He can travel between universes without Gods help?
Instead of answering, the Lightning God smiled grimly. As if to say his answer was correct.
The thoughts in his head became several times more complicated.
The Exiles words were true.
And it was none other than the Lightning God himself that had confirmed his words. Rulers didnt lie. Although they might hide some truths to deceive someone, they would never outright lie.
In other words, this meant that it really was possible for the Exile to send him to those two worlds.
What do you want from me?
[]
Is your goal to listen to my old wishes?
Lukas chuckled.
Even if thats the truth, Ill have to ask you to stop right there. Id prefer it if you had an ulterior motive. Maybe even to use me for some grand scheme.
[Lukas Trowman do you not know that such pure intentions also exist?]
So? Because Im such a good person, Im showing mercy to a man Ive never seen before. Is that what youre trying to say?
[I am an ally of every exiled being]
As he was about to shoot something back, he closed his mouth. The sharpness that hed been projecting before dulled a little. This was because, for the first time, he could feel a glimpse of emotion in the Exiles voice.
[You can still change Those that can change with a place they can return to beings like that I always help them.]
[These cracks take a closer look not at the reunion with those dear to you but at the real threats]
Lukas gaze turned to the crack in space again.
[If it was the original you you wouldnt have been able to respond However, the current you might be able to do what you have to do there]
Lukas looked at the being glowering beyond his home universe.
Pure, white bones without a hint of flesh, surrounded by a black, cloth-like robe, an undead.
He knew the name of this being very well.
Diablo.
This time, his gaze shifted to the Earth universe where Min Ha-rin was.
There, sitting on a throne surrounded by countless demons, was a huge demon.
A being with multiple horns, a gigantic body, grey skin, and a bored expression.
Kasajin, no.
Demon King.
[Likewise left as they are]
The Exile murmured in a low voice.
[These two universes will soon be destroyed]
* * *
Lukas suddenly thought about Pale who was outside this space. The last thing hed seen from her was her distorted expression. Perhaps she knew what the Exile intended to do.
A useless thought.
Even if it wasnt, it wasnt something he should be thinking about at that moment.
Lukas realised, then, that the fact that he was thinking about Pale at that moment showed that conflict had already arisen in his mind.
Diablo and the Demon King. Are you saying those universes will be destroyed by those guys?
[Their destruction will come unannounced]
[Hoh]
The Lightning God reacted to those words. He looked at the Exile with an attitude of curiosity.
Was there a hidden meaning within the words hed just said?
It was still a riddle for Lukas.
But there was one word that he could understand with certainty.
Destruction.
One way or the other, these universes were facing an unprecedented crisis.
In the past, this thought alone would have filled him with anxiety. He might have even felt powerless at the fact that he couldnt do anything on his own.
But it was different now.
They do not need a guardian anymore.
[]
I know the truth now. At first, I thought people needed me to lead them. Perhaps, I thought that I was the only one who could fill that role. Im not sure if that came off as arrogance. But if it wasnt.
The scene from his home universe.
A confrontation between beings that Lukas held dearly.
At first, their behaviour made him angry. He couldnt stand it. Hed risked his life to drive the Demigods away, to kill Lord, and left his home universe with hope.
And yet, the conflicts didnt disappear. Instead, the confrontations only grew. It was so intense that they made each other bleed.
However, in the end, that was human nature.
Not all conflicts are wrong.
[]
Sometimes, the wisest answers can only be found through conflict, and the greatest of possibilities, blossomed in the midst of the extreme hardships.
There were many things in the world that couldnt be linearly divided into good and evil.
It was the same for them. They were all living as their hearts desired. That wasnt wrong.
Iris, Ivan, and Snow, they all had their thoughts.
And one thing was clear. They hadnt changed. Although their methods were different, it was obvious that their thoughts were the same as before.
Of course, they wouldnt have quarrelled if Lukas had still been there, because he would have controlled them not to, and led them in the right direction.
Right. Now that he thought about it, Lukas would have used coercion in the guise of goodness to lead them in what he considered to be the right direction.
Im glad I left.
He finally voiced the words hed hated to admit the most.
They dont need me anymore.
This went not just for his friends in his home universe,
But also his disciples on Earth.
Of course, in the future God had shown him, everyone he knew ended up in miserable states or dead. God had also said that Lukas was the only one who could change that ending.
However
He could stop it even if he didnt go directly to that world. Diablo wasnt in the Three Thousand Worlds, but the World of Void.
Maybe if he killed that guy in the Dump Site, that would solve everything.
[Is that your choice?]
Right.
As he replied, Lukas turned around.
He didnt care if the Exile was satisfied by his answer or not. Lukas had the ability to escape this space hed created.
[I see]
And it was exactly in the next moment that the Exile suddenly took action.
[I am not fond of coercion, but I am not confident in my ability to convince you]
What?
[Id like to apologise in advance but it cant be helped Regrets there is a being who doesnt want you to have themand I owe them]
What are you talking about?
[Go take a look and judge for yourself]
Fwoosh.
He felt a strong suction force. It was a pressure as if his entire body was being pulled somewhere. It took a bit too long to figure out what was happening.
The Exile was trying to force him into one of the forces.
He grit his teeth.
He pretended to give him a choice, only to act hypocritically in the end?
Cut it out
Lukas shouted violently as he swung his arm. It wouldnt be too hard to deal with this suction force.
Or at least that would have been the case if there wasnt any interference.
[Kuku Kuhaha!]
The Lightning God chose this moment to suddenly burst into a frenzy.
Boom!
Kuk!
A huge bolt of lightning crashed into his mind. For a moment, his vision went black and it felt like brain was burning.
You motherfucker
He knew that the Lightning God still had some power left, but he never would have thought that hed interfere at that moment.
For a moment, Lukas lost control over the power of void and his body was helplessly dragged into the Exiles hand.
-ah.
Then he was thrown.
Floating, and falling.
Lukas body fell into the pitch black space.
* * *
He felt warm sunlight.
His head was resting on something soft, but he had such a headache that he couldnt properly identify the texture.
They combined; the warmth, the softness, and the pain.
As he felt these three sensations at the same time, Lukas frowned.
Kuk
His head ached and he felt nauseous. Overall, his condition wasnt too good. This was more a matter of his mind than his body, so it would have been wise to just wait for a while, but he couldnt afford to.
Just as he was about to try to get up from where he lay.
Guk-
He felt fingers press against his forehead.
The force wasnt strong, but strangely enough, he couldnt resist.
You should lay for a while longer.
He heard a voice that was closer to a whisper.
A familiar voice.
Pale?
Yes.
He opened his eyes.
He could see Pale with her back to the sun. As she looked back at Lukas, she smiled, showing off her pure white teeth.
How are you?
Instead of answering, he closed his eyes again.
Then he pieced together his last memories.
The Exile. The two universes, his offer, his rejection, the Lightning Gods interference, floating, falling
And
where are we?
It was clear that hed been swept away by the Exiles power. And, through the lack of void, he could tell that this place wasnt the World of Void.
Then?
Was this Lukas home universe? Or Earth?
Dont you know?
Pale tilted her head to the side.
As he looked at her, he asked the biggest question he had.
Why are you here?
This time she replied indifferently.
Hmm. I dont know. I think we might have been caught up in it, but Im not sure. sea??h th n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
We?
Pale pointed to the side.
Standing not so far away, was another familiar face.
It was Yang In-hyun.
(Announcement: Apologies for the delay. I made an announcement in discord but forgot that a large portion of the readerbase doesnt have it. Long story short, I required a break, took it, and now Im back. Will commit myself to at least one chapter a day. Even if I have to find alternative methods to post them.)
Book 2: Chapter 465
Book 2: Chapter 465 Yang In-hyun was standing in front of a beautiful tree with his hands behind his back.
He was looking around at the surrounding vegetation while seemingly being lost in thought, and there was a faint hint of sadness in his expression.
This wasnt the time for him to be looking at Yang In-hyun. This time, before Pale could stop him, Lukas got to his feet. Then, he realised that his previous position had been a bit embarrassing. Sar?h the N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Pale looked at Lukas with a strange expression, then, tapping her thighs, she got up as well.
I guess we got caught up in something awesome?
She also seemed rightly aware of the fact that they werent in the World of Void. Nevertheless, she didnt appear that confused or surprised.
Instead, she seemed to find the situation interesting.
huhu.
On the other hand, Yang In-hyun, who was a few steps away, let out a deep sigh. With just that, the feeling of sadness that had been surrounding him before disappeared as if it had been washed away.
Then his gaze turned over to them. Lukas could feel the irritation in Yang In-hyuns expression and attitude.
So, what situation are we in now?
His skin felt numb.
Yang In-hyuns voice was, at the same time, cold and filled with hostility. It wouldnt be strange for him to suddenly draw his sword depending on his answer.
It seemed that Yang In-hyun was trying to make Lukas take responsibility for this situation, but Lukas was actually a victim as well. It wasnt that he didnt feel wronged because of this, but an emotional response would not get through to him. Instead, it would only make him angrier.
it was the Exiles doing.
The Exile?
Right.
At least, it was clear that Lukas knew more about the current situation than they did. So he continued to explain. But it didnt last very long, because Lukas didnt know that much either.
Hng. I see.
Pale giggled. Yang In-hyuns expression wasnt good. He stood still with no expression on his face before he abruptly said.
Then we can go back.
Naturally, a retort came from Lukas mouth.
Go back? How?
You have the power of space. If you use that power, we should be able to go back.
It was a farfetched conjecture, but that didnt mean that it was completely unreasonable However, he doubted it would be that easy.
Putting his doubts aside, he decided to try first.
mm.
As expected, he only got a vague feeling. In order to move through space, the most important component was the coordinate value, but that value was now unreachable. It was like looking for a piece of fingernail while swimming in the open sea.
No. It was as if it didnt exist in the vast sea in the first place.
Quitting his useless attempt, Lukas shook his head.
I cant.
Really?
Right.
Yang In-hyun had a regretful expression. There was also a hint of suspicion in his gaze. Considering the circumstances, there was a high chance that this universe was related to Lukas, so he might be lying deliberately. It might be possible for them to return immediately, but he was hiding that fact.
That was probably what he was thinking.
If that was the case, then Lukas wanted to point out that it was a complete misunderstanding.
In the first place, he was reluctant to come here, and he definitely didnt want monsters like Pale and Yang In-hyun to be here.
If possible, he would have liked to return to the World of Void right away.
No.
In the first place, where was this?
The surrounding area was a place that could be called a forest, but it wasnt possible to confirm which of the two universes this place was in.
The coordinate values are strange too.
With Lukas ability, it should have been possible for him to identify what universe he was in by identifying the individuality of the coordinate values. Each universe, whether it was his home universe or Earth, have their own values.
But now, they felt a bit strange. It felt like theyd been twisted.
Lukas couldnt tell if it was a problem with himself or the universe. In any case, it was clear that it would be difficult for him to use spatial movement at that moment.
In the end, he concluded that hed have to meet someone to find out where they were.
Looking at Yang In-hyun, who had a dismal expression, Lukas said.
there should be things like entrances to the World of Void.
Entrances?
Right. Thats how I first entered that world.
In all honesty, kidnapped would have been a more appropriate word instead of enter.
There might be something similar in this world.
does that mean we would be able to go back to Flower Mountain if we secure one of these entrances?
At the very least, wed get a clue.
He couldnt speak with certainty. This was because Lukas exactly wasnt sure what the entrances were composed of.
Yang In-hyun sighed again, but it was clear that he was a bit calmer than before. He hadnt been convinced by Lukas explanation. He was simply accepting the situation coldly.
In any case, it was fortunate that he was in the process of calming down. It was a small but big crisis.
Although the probability was low, if Yang In-hyun had just erupted, it would have been a universe class disaster. Lukas didnt believe Pale, who was beside him, would try to calm him down, so it would be up to him to fulfil that role.
And regardless of the outcome, the aftermath of the fight between the two of them would be enough to smash this dimension to bits.
As he had this thought, Lukas checked within himself.
While he could feel the presence of void, unfortunately, there was one problem.
There is no way to replenish void in the Three Thousand Worlds.
In the first place, this was natural because void was a unique energy that only existed in the World of Void. In other words, if he used up all of the void in his body, Lukas would not be able to guarantee victory against powerful beings capable of entering the minimal time zone.
Of course, such powerful beings were incredibly rare, but he should still save as much void as possible just in case.
Nevertheless, this didnt mean that Lukas was powerless. After all, it wasnt like he didnt have any fighting methods outside of void.
As mentioned before, this place was in the Three Thousand Worlds, which meant that it was possible to replenish mana without having to eat anything.
In other words, he could use as much magic as he wanted.
then.
His self analysis ended there, and he looked towards Yang In-hyun and Pale. Their accompaniment was a completely unexpected development.
This was probably arranged by the Exile.
But why?
He had many questions about his attitude and behaviour, but one thing was clear. As hed said, he didnt bear any hostility towards Lukas.
In other words, it was possible that these two had accompanied Lukas for his sake But that didnt make sense.
The threats in the two universes.
Firstly, Diablo, it wouldnt be difficult at all for the current Lukas to kill him. He could probably grind him into bone powder in the same instant that they came face to face.
As for the Demon King. That guy he would be a bit trickier than Diablo, but that was all. There wasnt any overwhelming gap between them like he had with the Twelve Void Lords or four Knights in the past.
If the Exile had sent Pale and Yang In-hyun to help him kill them, then he had made a fatal error in his judgement.
In the first place, there was no way that Lukas would be able to control these two beings.
Lucid?
If it was related to anything, it would be the existence of the Black Knight, Lucid.
That thought made the most sense. Of course, he couldnt predict how Pale would react to Lucid.
Clicking his tongue, Lukas spoke internally.
Lightning God, why did you disturb me?
[Kuku.]
The Lightning God chuckled. But it wasnt ridiculing.
In any case, he couldnt understand his attitude.
Wasnt your goal in the World of Void? Im now in the Three Thousand Worlds. Weve returned to a world that you find boring, is this what you wanted?
[Its a shame. However, I decided that this was better.]
What?
[There were more changes than you think on the outside.]
You, what are you talking about?
The Lightning God laughed unpleasantly once more and didnt answer.
Try to figure out the rest for yourself.
He was a guy who really didnt care.
* * *
Fortunately, Pale and Yang In-hyun followed Lukas obediently.
These two beings were like bombs. This wasnt a joke, they were both bombs capable of turning an entire universe to dust.
Even if they did as they pleased, Lukas wasnt certain that he could stop them. In the case of Pale, she was clearly above him, and as for Yang In-hyun, he couldnt be dismissed as being below him.
Moreover, unlike Yang In-hyun, who was following him with relative calmness, it was still difficult for him to read Pales intentions. She simply hummed in the same manner as when they were in the World of Void.
All four of the Knights were from the outside.
The White Knight, Agolet, who was from a race known as Perfect One. Lukas best friend, the Black Knight, Lucid.
Pale was probably the same.
He suddenly became curious. What kind of life had she lived and how had she come to the World of Void. Hed had similar questions before.
Now that he thought about it, his relationship with Pale was really mysterious.
She was the first person he encountered in the World of Void, but Lukas still knew almost nothing about her.
Even if he thought about it deeply, he wouldnt be able to come up with an answer for Pale.
It was a really thought provoking moment. As the surrounding vegetation disappeared, a steep cliff was revealed.
It was a place that allowed them to see the entire area at a glance. Beneath the scorching sun, they could see a wide open meadow and in the distance was the silhouette of a city.
hm.
Seeing it, Yang In-hyun let out a sound.
There wasnt a castle or castle wall.
Instead, the buildings in the city were very tall. Not just one, all of them.
Lukas knew that these buildings were called skyscrapers or high rise buildings.
And he realised what kind of universe this was.
One with a fairly advanced level of civilisation and technology.
Where humans fought against demons that crossed over to their dimension.
This was Earth.
* * *
Suddenly, the sunlight was blocked.
Huh?
Of course, it wasnt that night had suddenly come. It wasnt even a cloud. Instead, the shadows that were shown on the ground reflected the shapes of something moving in a hurry, and above all, they could hear loud noises coming from the sky.
Tilting her head back, Pale looked up at the sky.
And saw the beings that were covering the blue sky.
Heh
Lukas realised that they were demons.
A huge army. There had to be at least tens of thousands of troops, as for their destination it was probably the city in front of them.
He didnt know how strong the citys defences were, but he didnt think it was enough to withstand a demon army that was large enough to cover the sky. Even if they successfully defended against them, the damage they would inflict would be tremendous.
Should he get rid of the demons?
One or two 8 star spells would probably be enough. But instead of acting right away, Lukas decided to observe them a bit more Something felt strange.
Uncle. Did you meet Agolet?
Pale suddenly asked.
By Agolet, she was talking about the White Knight. Forcing his eyes away from the sky, Lukas nodded.
thats right.
Aha. Then I dont need to hide.
Shrugging, Pale stretched out her hand. Crack crack, the Blue Knights pale sword appeared in the Three Thousand Worlds.
Wait
It would be dangerous for Pale, one of the four Knights, to reveal her power.
The volume that Earth could withstand was ridiculously small. Of course, it was possible that the level of humans had risen in Lukas absence and the amount the universe could tolerate had risen, but would it be able to withstand Pales power?
Ahaha!
Bursting into laughter, Pale swung her sword.
Boom!
There was the sound of heaven and earth breaking. This wasnt an exaggeration, this really was the case. Just the wind pressure from the swing was enough to smash the surroundings. Hundreds of trees were uprooted, and the cliff crumbled like a kicked sandcastle.
Then, the slash that had been released from her sword hit the army of demons. As if a hole had been cut into a dark cloud, a gap appeared in the dark sky.
The demons that were directly hit by the slash directly fell from the sky in a shower of flesh and blood, and those near them were all swept away.
Barrier.
Lukas hastily cast a spell. The demons were all different sizes, but most of them were several tens of metres tall.
Even if they were cut into pieces, if they were to fall from the sky, it would wreck the surrounding area. Actually, the surroundings were already a mess anyway.
The barrier took the shape of a deep bowl. This was because it had been created to catch the bodies instead of for defence.
[!]
[!?]
The advancing demons were shocked. This was natural since over half of their army had disappeared in the previous attack.
Heh.
Pale grinned as she looked at them. Then, the demons at the front of the group shook and hurriedly turned around. The rest of the demons didnt hesitate to follow suit. As if they had received instructions from the leader of the flock, the demons that covered the sky disappeared in an instant.
Huhng.
Pale didnt pay the disappearing demons and mind. She simply whistled as she approached the corpses. (TL: Whistle like a missile bomb bomb)
I wonder what they taste like.
It seems she had wielded her sword so she could eat the demons. As he stared at her grimly, Lukas suddenly realised something.
Yang In-hyun had disappeared.
For a moment, his heart sank.
He wasnt even these two troublemakers parent, but he was feeling anxious after one of them left his sight. Despite feeling it for the first time in his life, Lukas was already fed up with the sinking feeling, since the situation wasnt funny even if the metaphor was.
Their existence was like bombs, nuclear bombs. Nuclear bombs that could erase the entire planet without leaving a trace.
Quickly spreading his senses, Lukas searched the surroundings and was, fortunately, able to find Yang In-hyun not too far away.
What surprised him was the fact that he wasnt alone. Instead, he sensed the presence of a lot of people around him.
It was only then that he understood the situation. It seemed that Yang In-hyun had protected them from the falling demon corpses that hadnt been caught in the barrier.
O-, oh my God.
What the hell
What just happened?
The dozen or so people found it difficult to calm their frightened hearts.
A strange light flashed in Lukas eyes as he looked at them.
(TL: Papa Lukas has to deal with naughty nuke- I mean kids.)
Book 2: Chapter 466
Book 2: Chapter 466 All of them were young. Even the oldest among them didnt seem to be more than 30 years of age. Their simple clothing was covered in dirt and dust, and fatigue was evident on their faces. Looking at their appearances, it seemed that they hadnt been able to wash themselves comfortably for at least a week.
Hunters?
After reaching this conclusion, he couldnt help but feel a bit strange.
It was a complicated feeling.
Although they were all of different races, nationalities and mentalities, one thing that every Hunter had in common was their belief that they could drive the demons out of their land. It was this fact serving as the focal point that caused these characters with strong personalities to come together, and it was also the fact that caused others to get a feeling of unity from them.
But this group was different.
Some of them appeared to be hunters. That much was obvious. After all, in the first place, it was Lukas who had spread the practical means to fight the demons. As the method was developed, the source gradually faded away, but it was, without a doubt, Lukas.
At that moment, someone at the edge of the group caught his attention. The reason hed taken such a long time to notice them was because they were very small, and their face was completely blocked by the large hat on their head.
They didnt just feel small. Even if they were to straighten their posture, it didnt seem like they would reach further than Lukas waist.
A child? No, if that was the case
Thank you for lending us a hand.
At that moment, the man at the front of the group bowed his head towards Yang In-hyun. Lukas realised that he was the leader of the group.
An honest face, black hair, and a sword sheathed on his hip. Yang In-hyun looked at the sword for a moment before asking in an emotionless voice.
Where is it from?
Huh?
The martial art you use. Where did it originate from?
Uh, th-, that
The man was thrown for a loop at the sudden question. It was at that moment that Lukas chose to intervene.
Did anyone get hurt?
The man seemed even more bewildered by Lukas sudden intervention but quickly replied.
Ah, no. This person stopped all the corpses from falling here
It was really close.
Thank you.
Subsequently, as their tension faded, voices expressing their gratitude could be heard in succession.
The corpses of demons suddenly falling from the sky was nothing short of a disaster for them. Although they seemed to have some level of combat ability, it didnt seem to be that great. If Yang In-hyun hadnt stepped in just now, some of them would have suffered grievous injuries.
Yang In-hyun stared blankly at the man for a moment before abruptly turning around and walking away. It seemed he was heading over to the demons corpses.
Whats with him all of a sudden?
He couldnt understand Yang In-hyuns intentions. It hadnt been like this when they had been in the World of Void, and it seemed that Yang In-hyun held a certain amount of resentment towards the Three Thousand Worlds.
But what the hell happened?
Perhaps it was infighting among the demons.
There was that tremendous sound
Looking around, the group began to talk about what had just happened. Nevertheless, they had no idea what exactly had happened. They could only guess. The level of martial arts Pale had displayed was completely incomprehensible at their level.
The typhoon that had swept through the area was just the wind pressure released from a sword slash that had slaughtered half of the demon army in an instant.
They probably wouldnt believe it even if they learned the truth.
Thank you again. I am Kim Sang-un.
Smiling brightly, the man stretched his hand out. It seemed that he had determined that Lukas would be easier to talk to than the awkward Yang In-hyun.
Lukas clasped his outstretched hand.
Im Luka-
The end of his sentence stretched unnaturally. But just as a strange glint could appear in Kim Sang-uns eyes, he finished.
-sajin.
Lukasajin? Ah. I see. (TL: Luka-saji-cid-is-er. We cant forget the others)
He thought that it was a strange name before realising how rude that thought was. This was clearly visible from his expression.
Um. By the way, where is sir Lukasajin from?
Lukas, whose thoughts that it was a stupid name werent very different from Kim Sang-uns, replied.
England.
In the past, when he was active on Earth, those who didnt know Lukas often mistook him for an Englishman. In other words, it was easier to lie about being an Englishman.
But Kim Sang-un continued to look at him with a blank expression after hearing his response. Had he made a mistake? Perhaps he was asking him where he was affiliated to instead of his nationality.
That would be more difficult to answer, and just as Lukas tried to think of a response, Kim Sang-un spoke again.
Ah, its fine if you dont want to talk about it. I
Just as Kim Sang-un was about to say more, Lukas felt a presence behind him.
Tap, tap, tap. Then came light footsteps that seemed to follow a rhythm. It was Pale.
Ung-hng-hgn.
She was walking over towards him while humming something. It seemed that she was done with her business.
Is that another member of your party?
Yes.
It would be better to say that it was another walking bomb instead of a party member.
As soon as he turned around with that thought in mind, Lukas saw Pale with blood dripping from her face.
!
Traces of her meal!
Before Kim Sang-un could see her clearly, Lukas quickly grabbed and started wiping her face with his sleeve.
What are doing so suddenly!
Swinging both her hands wildly, Pale tried to struggle, but he ignored her.
In any case, after seeing this, no one would believe that Pale was the one who had wiped out half of the demon army, with the reason being that she wanted to eat these creatures that shed never seen before but better safe than sorry.
Sir Lukasajin?
Dont call me that.
Lukas couldnt help but feel some mental distress as he wiped Pales face. Pale looked up at him with an ambiguous expression. For a moment, their eyes met.
Pales eyes were incredibly blue, but there seemed to be a strange light within them that wasnt usually there.
Hey
Just as she was about to say something.
Rumble-!
A strong wind blew over.
Had the demon army returned?
Something is coming.
As Yang In-hyun looked up at the sky and murmured, Lukas gaze followed. And he couldnt help but feel surprised.
The thing that had appeared in the sky was a huge aerial warship.
* * *
Aerial warship. No, it was large enough to be called an aerial fortress.
Just from looking at it, Lukas could tell how advanced the technology used on this battleship was. Of course, some of the universes hed gone to had even more advanced technology than this, but.
The level of science and technology on earth shouldnt have reached this level.
The scientific civilization of this world had stagnated. This was because the appearance of the demons had caused the collapse of society, and left nigh unhealable scars on every country.
There was only one possibility that he could think of. Could it be that more time had passed than Lukas thought?
So much so that they were able to restore civilization and build such a large warship?
Mm. I think that would be a bit hard.
Slurp. Wiping the corner of her mouth, Pale moved to draw her sword again. Waking up from his thoughts, Lukas hurriedly spoke.
You cant eat that.
There is nothing in the world that cannot be eaten.
then just hold it in for now. Ill give you something much more delicious later.
Mm. If you say so.
Pale smiled brightly.
It was only then that Lukas realised shed been joking. Shed never had any intention of eating the aerial warship in the first place.
The Aerial Fortress [DiArk]!
It came on time. What a relief
The group werent surprised. Instead, they seemed to cheer as they saw the aerial warship approach. This allowed Lukas to gain a rough grasp of the situation.
It seemed that after realising the existence of the demon army in the sky, they had requested for reinforcements in advance. The aerial fortress was the reinforcement sent to deal with the citys crisis.
things are really strange.
He couldnt get rid of the strange feeling of incongruity that hed had since coming here.
Firstly, he needed to figure out where the discomfort was coming from So it would be better to stay away from Kim Sang-uns group.
Unlike in his home universe, it would be more difficult to deceive the people on Earth. They would basically need to forge identification in order to enter the important places.
But more importantly, the datafied information was stored in a computer network, so it would be impossible to perfectly make forgeries without hacking it.
I should enter that city first.
Perhaps hed be able to gain a more accurate grasp of the situation after wandering through the streets for a while. Lukas decided to take a bit of a risk to follow them for a while longer. Even if it was a bit dangerous, they could deal with it.
however
There was one thing that Lukas had done that he didnt understand.
And that was why hed used a pseudonym. After all, if he had said he was Lukas Trowman, it might have been possible to meet his disciples wherever they were.
To be honest, he had to admit that he was a bit afraid. The current Lukas had changed a lot. A lot had changed since his final battle against Nodiesop in the Great Game.
The Lukas at that time was an Absolute. Because his mind had been complete at that time, the only thing hed shown his disciples was what was morally right. Hed been able to speak with an unshaking voice at any time.
Not now.
Hed become much stronger compared to then, but, ironically, his mental aspect had become unstable. Sarch* The n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
The current Lukas could feel anger, happiness, and confusion even towards trivial things.
In other words, hed become human.
He couldnt help but wonder if his disciples would become disappointed upon seeing this. Although it might seem insignificant, this matter was incredibly important for Lukas. (TL:the dumbest smart person)
He couldnt help but think about Min Ha-rins eyes. Forcibly ending his introspection, he erased the image from his mind.
Lightning God, who won the preliminaries?
The Preliminaries for the Great Game.
A huge field created by the Rulers where the persons they selected fought. Those who participated in it were all those with incredible growth potential.
Although he asked, Lukas didnt expect the Lightning God to easily answer.
[Your disciples won.]
It was a nice miscalculation.
The Lightning God had answered without hesitation.
For a moment, Lukas wasnt sure how to react. As mentioned before, this wouldnt be a lie unless he was up to something else.
Huu.
In the end, this was Earth.
That fact gave him a strange feeling.
Was he happy, or sad?
Lukas couldnt accurately identify his emotions. It was probably both.
On the other hand, even if hed gone back to his home universe, Lukas would have probably felt the same way.
He smiled bitterly at the thought, but it quickly disappeared as they entered the city.
* * *
Huu. Weve arrived.
They arrived in the city.
Lukas felt that the streets here looked quite different from the way they appeared from the cliff. Of course, the high rise buildings were just as theyd seen from afar.
However, it was the architecture of the buildings below them and the pedestrians walking through the streets that caught his attention
We have to go to the castle to make a report first. What will sir Lukasajin do?
Sir Lukasajin?
Lukas finally opened his mouth.
What is the name of this city?
Uh
Kim Sang-un looked at him suspiciously, but Lukas didnt take back his words.
This city used to be called Kazan(ѧ٧ѧߧ), but there are almost no natives left. In the first place, this was a land that had been abandoned because of the demons
After the Dimension Meeting that was held with the humans who appeared during the Great Fusion, we decided to change the name.
After those unfamiliar words, the words he heard next were familiar.
It is called New Luanoble.
(1/3)
Book 2: Chapter 467
Book 2: Chapter 467 Sizzle-
The Exile quietly watched as the meat cooked slowly over the fire. Suddenly, he looked behind him.
Without him realising it, a platinum haired young man had appeared behind him. Looking at him, the young man asked.
Did you send them all?
[]
I see.
Although he didnt receive a response, the young man responded as if he had affirmed his words.
Then, the White Knight, Agolet, sat right in front of the Exile.
For a while, his eyes were fixed on the piece of meat being cooked. But his attention wasnt focused on the meat. Of course, he didnt care about how well the meat was cooked.
Just as a burnt smell began to come from the meat that was only receiving heat from one side.
A third party spun the skewer.
Do you not know how to roast?
The newly appeared man continued with a slightly mocking attitude.
In order to have a better flavour, all sides must be cooked in a balanced manner. That is to say, in order to eat the most delicious meat, you have to turn the skewer continuously like this. Well, I dont want to do this tiresome thing. My arm is also getting sore.
Ttak-
When the man snapped his fingers, the skewer began to spin on its own like magic.
The man stood in front of the fire and looked at his handiwork with a satisfied expression.
Then, his gaze turned towards the Exile.
Why did you interfere with my plan?
The man.
When the Beginning Wizard said those words, the Exile responded.
[Is that not what you hoped for?]
What I hoped for? Definitely not. My displeasure at the moment has reached its peak.
As he spoke, the Beginning Wizards voice gradually became colder.
He was ready. If he had come to the Magical Planet, everything would have gone according to plan. You ruined it.
[I]
The Exile spoke quietly.
[Am indebted to you]
[I just wanted to repay you old friend.]
It seemed that this answer wasnt enough to satisfy the Beginning Wizard. Although his expression couldnt be seen because of his mask, Agolet was certain that his face was currently distorted.
such a trivial reason.
[]
Did I interrupt your meal? I apologise. This uninvited guest will leave, so please, enjoy your meal.
At that moment, the bonfire soared into the sky. In an instant, the heat exuded from the flames became hundreds of times stronger. Naturally, it no longer mattered whether the meat was cooked well or not. After all, the piece of meat had long since been burnt to ashes in the raging flames.
And when the flames subsided, the Beginning Wizard was no longer there.
You managed to make him angry. Thats not an easy feat.
Agolet smiled bitterly as he spoke.
However, I also dont understand, Exile. Do you really think he can become the Void King?
[.]
Dont you know? About the Knight that is even pickier when it comes to choosing the King than I am?
[She is the one who searches the most desperately for one who will be the King Because, unlike you, she believes that the existence of the Void King is necessary.]
However, in the end, they all died. She killed them herself.
Agolet slowly shook his head.
Even if you decided to send him to the Three Thousand Worlds, it would have been better to send him alone. But you forced those two to accompany him. Thats the part that I dont understand.
[The King.]
The Exile spoke in a calm tone.
[Should be able to unite all of his subjects.]
Thats a pretty unrealistic story.
[However that is why we have no choice but to cling to it]
[Arent you curious Together with one of the four Knights*, and one of the Twelve Void Lords in a familiar yet unfamiliar land what kind of choices will he make?] (*: Should I just make it Four Knights to match Twelve Void Lords?)
* * *
What the hell happened, Lightning God?
[Kukuku.]
The Lightning God burst into laughter. sea??h th Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
[God died. At the same time, half of the multiverse disappeared. The universes that werent swept away in the aftermath began to merge with the universes close to them Now. That should be a good enough explanation about this phenomenon.]
thats possible?
[Obviously, its unprecedented. However, the one thing that is certain is the death of God.]
It is certain?
[The one who created the boundary to prevent universes from interacting was none other than God himself.]
!
Lukas couldnt help but shudder involuntarily.
Whats wrong?
I might be a bit cold.
Haha. It certainly isnt a warm country.
Making this idile remark, Kim Sang-un shivered slightly as he walked ahead. Hed made a mistake. He couldnt allow himself to express emotion because of his conversation with the Lightning God.
For what purpose?
[Lukas Trowman, the purpose of a God that is already dead is of little importance. The things you must pay attention to and the things you must do, will not change.]
[Go meet Diablo. Then, something interesting will happen.]
The Lightning Gods voice gradually faded away. This guy always did this to show that he didnt want to continue the conversation.
He probably wouldnt respond regardless of what he said now.
In the end, Lukas had no choice but to carefully analyse the current situation on his own.
Its obvious that multiple universes have merged.
Now that he thought about it, it all began to match up.
Lukas home universe and Earth were probably not the only universes in this combination. He thought of the small figure in Kim Sang-uns party that he was seeing for the first time. Then, he looked at the face beneath the rim of his cap with Clairvoyance.
It was a bizarre figure with pinkish skin, a single eye, and antennae. Of course, they were only bizarre from a human perspective.
Moreover.
Although Pale had revealed some of her strength, it hadnt had any effect on the universe. This proved that the overall tolerance had risen explosively.
Generally, universes that could withstand a Ruler were called mega universes. And as far as Lukas knew, such universes were rare in the Three Thousand Worlds.
This place has become a mega universe.
At least in terms of scale.
it will be difficult.
Would he be able to find Diablo in this vast universe? No. Not just Diablo. If this place was both Earth and his home universe, then that meant that the Demon King would also be here somewhere.
In all honesty, if he focused on the search, he was confident that hed be able to find them in about three months at most.
However, he couldnt do that.
This was because of the existence of Yang In-hyun and Pale. If he were to leave them alone and focus on his own business, a bigger disaster would probably occur.
When it comes to pure strength, they are stronger than the Demon King.
It was clear that the potential danger was at the level of universe emergency.
Suddenly.
Im.
One of the walking disasters, Yang In-hyun, spoke up.
Going to go look around for a while.
What?
Then, he disappeared without waiting for a reply.
Wait
Lukas tried to chase after him, but Yang In-hyuns figure and aura had already disappeared into the distance.
What should he do? Chase after him? No. That would mean leaving Pale alone.
Eventually, he could only click his tongue and straighten his bent knees.
Nevertheless, since Yang In-hyun was more rational than Pale, it should be fine to leave him on his own.
Dammit.
As if he could do that. Lukas took a look around. Although the sunlight that hed felt in the forest was warm, cold energy could be felt throughout the city, and the temperature of the region didnt seem to go too high. Instead, it would always be on the colder side.
Closing his eyes, Lukas focused.
Sss-
Soon after, a being in the shape of a bear that seemed to be made of frost appeared in front of him. This guy, which was the colour of ice, was so small that it could be mistaken for a doll.
As he expected. There were spirits here.
This was probably a spirit of snow.
The spirit looked at Lukas curiously.
Perhaps it could feel the deep purity within him which was greater than nature itself and became half shocked and half interested.
Would you like to sign a contract?
As soon as he mentioned the main point, the spirit of snow nodded. The current Lukas could probably easily sign a contract with a spirit king. As for a mid to low tier spirit, there was no need for any complicated procedures.
Whats your name?
[]
The spirits thoughts flowed in.
I am [Metel].
[]
Find the man who just disappeared, and keep an eye on him. If anything happens, report it to me right away.
Metel nodded before transforming into a cold breeze and chasing after Yang In-hyun. Of course, there was no way that Yang In-hyun wouldnt notice Metels presence.
Nevertheless, Lukas put a bit of his mana on it, so he wouldnt get rid of it. Metel wasnt strong, so it wouldnt bother him.
Looking towards Kim Sang-un, Lukas spoke.
We should get going now.
Huh? Ah, but you havent been given a reward yet
Its fine.
Although he was curious about the Royal Family, nobles, or Knights of Luanoble that might be the castle, it wouldnt be a good thing to step into that place right now.
So Lukas politely declined the offer of Kim Sang-un, who was still trying to keep them, and separated from the group.
Lets go, Pale.
Mm. Yes.
Pale trudged after Lukas. She looked around with an interested expression before, with a heh, her eyes landed on a restaurant.
By the way, Uncle, when are you going to give me the delicious thing?
Huh?
You said youd give me something much more delicious. I dont have a bad memory.
Unless that was a lie.
Although Pale was smiling, her eyes werent.
He couldnt tell if it was a joke or not, but he was beginning to feel a pressure that wouldnt be easy to break free of.
Judging from her attitude, it seemed that she wanted to go to the nearby restaurant.
How will I buy it?
Naturally, in order to conduct transactions in civilised society, one needed to have money. For a moment, he wondered if he should go back to the reward from Kim Sang-un. But no. It would be strange if he were to suddenly ask for money.
Lukas looked around.
Luanoble.
The Country of Knights, which possessed a dignified name, was not a very clean country. Moreover, now that there was a mix of multiple ethnicities and cultures, public security would be even more unstable.
Just in time, he happened upon a dark alley.
Seeing this place, which was dark and gloomy even though it was daytime, Lukas moved towards it.
Follow me, Pale.
Hihihi.
Pale came up next to him. He really wanted to hold her wrists firmly as he went around with her Maybe it would feel more secure if he got handcuffs.
As these absurd thoughts ran rampant, he entered the alley.
At first, it wasnt that messy, but as they walked a bit further, the air became damp. There was a lot of trash laying around, and it began to smell.
Then, before long, he felt movement.
First, five men appeared in front of them.
Lady and Gentleman, hello.
Why would you come to such a shabby place?
Why are you asking that? Isnt it obvious?
The men didnt hide their ridicule, but Lukas looked at the man in the middle of the group.
He was muscular, bald, and held a sword in one hand and a gun in the other.
Its dark and people dont usually come here, so this is the best place to do it secretly.
Kikiki. He really is a gentleman.
Laughter could also be heard behind them. It was an obvious deployment. Blocking the back so that they couldnt run away.
In any case, this is our area, so well have to charge you to use our space.
Think of it as a hotel. Of course, since this place is a bit unique, the fee will be a bit expensive.
How about it, would you like to enjoy your last time before your limbs are chopped off? We wont disturb you.
Actually, wed like to watch.
As they laughed vulgarly, Pale tilted her head to the side as if she couldnt understand the situation.
Who are these people?
Gangsters.
They dont have any sheep.
Not shepherds, gangsters. (TL: Shepherd is ???- Yangchigi, gangster/do-badder is ???- Yangachi. ?-Yang is sheep.)
Whats the difference?
Lukas didnt respond any more.
Then, as if realising they were being ignored, the gangsters expressions became stiff.
Were saying this isnt a dating course. Young miss.
By the way, you really have bad taste. Your boyfriend looks pretty weak.
Dating? Boyfriend?
Pale tilted her head as if it was the first time shed ever heard those words.
Meanwhile, Lukas decided to deal with things.
Crack-
Firstly, he smashed the faces of the two men standing behind them. They collapsed with broken noses. They werent dead, but they probably wouldnt be able to regain consciousness for an entire day.
Huh?
What was that?
The men at the front couldnt help but make dazed sounds. They hadnt managed to catch Lukas movements. For them, it probably looked as though their two companions suddenly collapsed.
Tuk
He tapped the ground with his foot. At that moment, the ground broke apart and rocks rose. The rocks flew towards the men in front of them like arrows.
Papapak-
Aaak!
It wasnt a proper spell, but getting pelted by rocks would definitely hurt. Most of the men collapsed with screams. The only one left standing was the man in the middle with the sword and gun.
Surprisingly, he had managed to avoid or block the stones flying towards him without being hit.
This at least proved that he was a bit stronger than the others.
You motherfucker!
Suddenly, he lifted the pistol in his hand and fired. As the bullets flew towards him, Lukas roughly caught them in his hand.
H-, huh?
The mans eyes widened as if hed seen a monster. Looking at the bullets in his hand, Lukas said.
These little bullets are far from enough.
Lukas placed a bullet in the palm of his hand before flicking it with his finger.
Boom!
The bullet brushed past the mans cheek before smashing the wall behind him. Instead of a 9mm bullet, it was as if it had been shot at with a bazooka.
It was then that the man realised.
I, I fucked up.
Not counting anything else, he was at least quick enough to realise the unprecedented crisis he was currently faced with.
And his actions came faster than the realisation.
P-, please spare me!
He lay face down on the ground like a frog.
The situation was pretty much dealt with.
Lukas pondered how to get what he wanted.
It didnt take too long.
The memory of a Lukas who was familiar with this kind of situation, was a part of the current him.
Squatting down, he looked at the man in front of him.
Hey.
Ye-, yes.
Then, with as refreshing a smile as possible, he said.
Got any money?
(2/3)
Book 2: Chapter 468
Book 2: Chapter 468 The Great Fusion.
A super phenomenon that had occurred five years ago.
The initial harbingers of this were the earthquakes on an extra large scale that shook the entire planet.
But it was strange. Earthquakes are one of the most terrifying disasters that can occur naturally.
If there was an earthquake on such a scale to shake the entire planet, then it wouldnt be strange if the planet shattered. But no cracks could be found whether it be on land or in the sea. There were also no reports of casualties from the earthquake.
An unpleasantly calm feeling. Because of this, the most influential group among the organisations on Earth, The Hunter Association, judged that this phenomenon was a large-scale manoeuvre of the demons.
But the demons they managed to capture alive, including noble class demons, all said that they had no idea what this phenomenon was.
Of course, they didnt naively believe this response. It might have just been a plan that had been carried out so secretively that even the nobles didnt know about it.
But it didnt take humanity very long to realise that the demons had nothing to do with what happened.
Space had broken. It had shattered like a glass window.
Then, from beyond that pitch black space, appeared things that theyd never seen or heard of before.
Otherworlders.
Beings who lived in a completely different world from this one.
Most people were astonished, but the smarter ones despaired.
They were already at war with the demons, who had invaded their world, for the fate of their species. And at a time like this, beings from another, different world appeared Perhaps humanitys situation would become even worse than it had been before.
But the situation developed in an unexpected way.
First of all, not all of the Otherworlders were from the same world. The inhabitants from various worlds that appeared were so many that Planet Earth felt small. But in the process of their appearance, the planets size also seemed to grow by several times.
It was only then that humanity realised that it wasnt just the otherworlders that had appeared.
In some cases, in certain areas, entire villages or even cities were moved. That wasnt all.
It was later discovered that there were also places on Earth that had simply disappeared. And the hypothesis that those areas may have been sent to other worlds gained a considerable amount of credibility.
The Hunter Association later decided to give this phenomenon the name Great Fusion.
The otherworlders were not hostile to humanity. Instead, some of them had surprisingly similar cultures and ways of thinking to the humans on Earth that they could be called other humanity. This meant that they were rational and possessed a fairly high level of knowledge.
But not all the otherworlders were like that. Some of them seemed to have even more violent and dangerous thoughts than the demons.
Nevertheless, there wasnt any immediate chaos.
This was because most of the other humanity were intelligent.
Exploring the surroundings, understanding the situation, reserving power, or preparing some plot.
The various factions didnt immediately choose all out war to achieve their respective goals. Sarch* The ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Instead, they first identified the neighbouring forces, promoted the exchange of information, and created secret alliances with those who had similar tendencies.
There were also some who just chose to remain silent, and didnt respond to the conversations. The association couldnt tell what they were thinking or how powerful they were. The confrontation between the humans and the demons also didnt disappear.
Most of the Hunters were aware of this.
It wouldnt be strange for a huge war with the demons to break out at any moment.
In other words, the current situation was like a giant powder keg on the verge of exploding.
* * *
The gangster, Sergei, swallowed dryly.
Hed answered all the questions. In the first place, it wasnt anything to hide. All of the knowledge hed shared could be obtained by stopping and asking anyone on the street.
But what was going on? Something was strange.
It had already been five years since the Great Fusion. It could be called a short time, but it was by no means insufficient to adapt to an unexpectedly massive event.
The humans, otherworlders, and even the demons. A vast majority of intelligent beings understood, accepted and adapted to the current situation.
But this man acted as if he didnt know anything about a situation like the Great Fusion. Could it be that he hadnt left his territory for a long time?
No. He didnt seem confused enough for that to be the case.
How should he say it?
It felt like the man was focused more on the changes that had happened to Earth, rather than the phenomenon known as the Great Fusion.
This fact caused him to have suspicions about where he was from, but Sergei didnt show any signs of this. There wasnt even a hint.
This was something hed learned while going around back alleys since he was young. In this crazy world, his life was only a bit tougher than a winged insect and the man in front of him could easily crush him between his fingers.
Hed have to be a fool to die such a miserable death.
Of course, the man, Lukas, had no intention of taking Sergeis life. However, his characteristic emotionless expression when he was lost in thought created a strange sense of intimidation, and to Sergei, it only seemed that he was contemplating whether to kill him or not.
Almost as I expected.
He had a rough picture of the situation. There were still a few detailed questions that he needed answered, but he wouldnt get the answers he wanted from Sergei even if he asked.
Standing up, Lukas said.
Lets go.
Mm?
Pale, who was looking down at the unconscious gangsters, called out curiously.
Arent we going to eat them?
They arent things you should eat.
Ay. Unlike the thing before, these guys are made of meat, arent they?
Sergei, who was still prostrated on the ground, flinched heavily. He instinctively realised.
Those words werent said as a bluff or a joke.
At that moment, he recalled Pales unusually pointy teeth and began to shake violently.
These guys they wouldnt taste good. Theyre dirty too.
We can grill them and eat them.
There are a lot more delicious things around here. Arent there?
Sergei quickly raised his head at those words.
O-, of course there is! There is an amazing restaurant at the three way intersection! Its called Kalinka(ѧݧڧߧܧ), with a barley coloured sign
Sergei introduced the eatery in the neighbourhood as if it was a top notch restaurant, and even took it a step further by rifling through the pockets of the other gangsters before taking their wallets and offering them to Lukas.
As he looked at the wad of cash, Lukas realised something.
In this world, it was still the dollar that played the role of currency.
That cant be helped.
Although it was said that several universes had merged and there was a huge influx of otherworlders, the basic setting was Earth.
About 500 dollars.
Although he didnt know the going prices in this era, it should at least be enough for one meal. Lukas grabbed the wrist of the salivating Pale and left the back alley.
W-, walk safely!
Sergeis foolish farewell came from behind them.
After returning to the street and looking around, he could feel it more clearly. There were more Knights, Mercenaries and Hunters on the street than civilians.
They also had their guards raised so that they could respond at any time if a battle were to break out.
Thats natural.
If Pale hadnt slaughtered the demon army, this city would have already become a hellish scene.
Even if the aerial warship Diark had participated as a reinforcement, they would not have come out unscathed. Luanoble had probably already confirmed the demons retreat. Nevertheless, the fact that the wartime conditions hadnt been lifted meant that they were trying to understand the current situation.
After he had these many thoughts, he found the restaurant Sergei had told them about.
But the door was firmly closed since it wasnt open for business at that moment.
Thinking about it, this was natural.
Given the situation in the city, the civilians must have been aware of the demon attack, so no store would continue to operate peacefully
At that moment, the door opened.
Huh?
It was a chubby middle aged man. He had a rich beard running from ear to ear, and if he were holding a beer mug in his hand, it would have suited him perfectly.
What is it?
ah. I heard that the food at this restaurant is delicious.
Hmm.
When he gave this slightly stupid answer, the man, who seemed to be the owner, stroked his beard.
It doesnt seem to be open, so well come back another time.
No. It was just about to open.
Huh?
The demons ran away. Mm. Havent you heard?
The owner shrugged.
Well, it seems that the other stores in the area intend to open as normal from tomorrow, but I have debts to pay, so I dont think itd be worth it to take a day off.
So, are you going to keep standing around like that?
No.
Lukas headed inside with Pale. Naturally, there werent any customers inside.
The inside felt a bit messy, but he didnt really have a choice anyway. The owner had just said it. The other stores in the area would only open up tomorrow.
After taking a seat at a table, he looked at the menu. It was food from Russia, not Luanoble, that was listed there. This was better. The food from Earth was so much more advanced than in his home universe that they were impossible to compare.
He ordered Borsh(), Samsa(ѧާ), and five grilled skewers with a complicated name.
Fortunately, the food wasnt too expensive.
Pale looked at the menu curiously.
Hihi. That smells delicious.
He hasnt even started preparing the ingredients yet.
Pale pointed towards the owner and said.
I mean the chubs that was
Lukas poured the water from the glass in front of him into her mouth. Pale gulped the cold water without saying anything.
The store wasnt very large. It had five or six tables, a few flowerpots, and a large hanging TV that didnt quite fit on the ceiling.
[As a result of this, the Director of the European Association, Nina Rednikova, has decided to call the new power rising in Germany Werebeasts.]
A face he longed to see was visible on the screen.
Nina Rednikova.
She didnt look much older than the last time hed seen her. However, her behaviour displayed an attitude that seemed to be much more mature than before.
Shed been blinded by a powerful curse in the past, but she had been cured by the power of Arid, one of Lukas disciples. He didnt know what happened after that because hed left for the Great Field, but looking at her face now, it seemed that she was able to overcome her trauma.
Not just her.
There were countless people in this world who had a deep relationship with Lukas. But he didnt have a very strong feeling to reunite with them. This had nothing to do with the fact that they might not remember him.
It was because Lukas had cut off his obsession with them.
He was able to get more information than he expected from the TV. Even if it might only be a part of the daily lives of the people living here, everything that was reported was vital information for Lukas, who had been in the World of Void all this while.
The Association is still influential.
If that was the case, then it probably meant that the President of the Association, Neil Prand, had also returned successfully.
That man had suddenly disappeared with Letip, a Lord under the Lightning God. Of course, Lukas hadnt met him in the preliminaries.
Clatter-
The food came out just in time.
First was the borsh, a traditional Russian soup, and samsa, which was baked unfermented bread with meat.
A red soup with various vegetables floating around. As soon as the food came out, Pale held the bowl between her hands and drank it all. The tableware of the table was completely disregarded. The samsa, which was the size of a fist, disappeared as quickly as a crab hides its eyes.
how was it?
Mm. So so
As if she was unhappy, Pale added.
The portion was too small.
The owner, who had just brought the food out, looked at Lukas with a ridiculous expression.
When was the last time she ate?
It had only been about an hour since shed eaten the demons.
Im not sure.
Of course, he couldnt say that, so he responded in a vague manner. Shrugging, the owner returned to the kitchen. Then, he brought out eight skewers and a bottle of vodka.
I didnt order alcohol.
There probably wont be any more customers today. Its a bit lonely to drink on my own, so I thought it would be good to do it now since I have company.
Indeed. So thats why he brought out more skewers. With a happy expression on her face, Pale started to eat again.
Since it was already too late to refuse, he nodded.
Lets have a drink.
Mm.
The owner quietly lifted his glass. It was half filled with a clear liquid. Then, he emptied it in one go and held out the glass again. Lukas filled it up.
the world has gone mad.
But even in a world that has gone mad, you still need money. No, should I say you need money even more since the world has gone mad? Kuku.
The owner laughed cynically.
Ah. Im not sure if this is something the otherworlders can relate to. Just take it as me whining. It doesnt look like you two are from Earth, nor from Luanoble.
So that was why he was talking like this to Lukas, who he had never seen before.
What brings you to this city?
We were just wandering around and heard about it.
If you dont have a specific reason, then you should leave soon. It wont look good if you stay here for too long
Stopping, the owner looked at Lukas. His drunken face and loosened eyes were focused on Lukas face.
Mm? You, are you a celebrity?
Huh?
No, Im sorry if Im mistaken Mm. It feels like Ive seen you on TV before
It seemed that he was really drunk. Just as Lukas was about to pour him a glass of cold water.
The door was kicked open violently and a group of people stormed into the store. People wearing shining armour, Knights.
The owner leapt up abruptly.
What are you doing?!
His drunkenness immediately vanished as if it had been washed away. But the Knights ignored him and turned to Lukas.
You two. Are you outsiders? Show your faces.
I asked what you are do-!
Just as the owner reached out to grab the Knights shoulder Paak! Another Knight beside him slapped the owner across the face. It was a gauntlet covered hand, and the owner was an ordinary civilian without any combat ability. So, naturally, he collapsed with blood spewing from his mouth.
Lukas eyes narrowed.
The Knights strode closer and crowded around the table as if they were surrounding them.
The middle aged Knight in the centre of the group spoke.
Is it true that you entered Luanoble today?
Incidentally.
We have some questions for you. Follow us.
Where?
The middle aged Knights eyebrow twitched when he heard Lukas short reply.
the castle. And let me give you some advice. Here in Luanoble, it would be smart to be polite to the Knights. If you want to keep living.
Lukas got to his feet and looked around before saying.
Where are they?
What?
Where are the Knights?
huu.
The middle aged Knight sighed before saying.
No matter where you go, there will be races that cannot understand even when you explain things nicely.
Then he gestured.
Dont kill them, subdue them.
Clink.
As ordered, the Knights slowly closed in on Lukas.
(3/3 C This is the end of the owed chapters. Sorry for the delay)
Book 2: Chapter 470
Book 2: Chapter 470 It was possible for someone you didnt know to know about you. Especially if you yourself were famous.
Lukas was aware that he was quite famous. The legendary achievements that hed made during his days as a human in the distant past were now recorded as tales of a hero that would be talked about for hundreds or thousands of years.
Even after becoming an Absolute.
Instead of fame, it was notoriety. Because he didnt follow any Ruler, bad rumors about him were spread among the Absolutes. Although most of them knew him as Madman instead of Lukas Trowman
However, this time was different.
This was because he hadnt expected to hear his full name from someone from this world.
Heh.
Beside him, Pale had a strange look on her face. Then an amused smile appeared on her lips.
Lukas couldnt help but feel unsure whenever he looked at her.
Whether Pale was really a fool, pretending to be a fool, or wanted to become a fool. Even after observing her for a long time, he didnt have a clear answer to this question.
Lukas Trowman, thats-
Hyup. Pales mouth closed. Of course, this wasnt done of her own volition. Lukas was the one that closed her mouth.
Pales eyes turned to Lukas, and he could feel her pointed teeth on his hand. He could feel her asking what are you doing? with her eyes. If he answered incorrectly, there was a chance that she would bite his hand. Since this was Pale, it was probably not a joke.
Lukas just shook his head. He wasnt sure if this alone would be enough, but that was what he chose to do first.
Pale looked at Lukas with calm eyes.
Then, Lukas hurriedly pulled his hand away as he suddenly felt something touch it.
You, what are you doing
Pale poked out her tongue slightly and licked her lips. It was the same tongue that had just licked Lukas palm.
Delicious. As I expected.
Lukas looked away from Pale. No matter what, he always had a headache when dealing with her.
He forcibly returned his attention to the person in front of them.
Do you know him?
Jiudad asked. Pale and Lukas attitudes made it seem like they were hiding something. Only a fool wouldnt be able to notice.
Im Lukas Trowman.
Wouldnt be that hard to say.
But Lukas had a feeling that he should hide this fact until he understood the situation.
This man knows [Lukas Trowman].
However, ironically, he didnt believe that the Lukas before him was actually Lukas.
That was the attitude he was currently displaying.
He didnt think he was him but instead wondered if he knew him.
Lukas shook his head.
We dont.
You dont?
Right. We dont know him.
hmm.
He blatantly denied the subject that he had just stopped Pale from mentioning.
Depending on how one looked at it, it could be taken as them taking him for a fool, but Jiudad didnt press any further.
After all, this man had an idea of Lukas or Pales strength.
How? Was his insight that amazing? Unfortunately, that wasnt possible. While Jiudads power could be considered admirable when compared to other humans, it was far from enough to get any kind of understanding of their power.
Do I look like Lukas?
not exactly. If I look closely, I can see the differences. But something about you is similar.
Lukas couldnt help but have a strange feeling at that remark.
Because, from Jiudads tone, it seemed that hed met Lukas before.
Im curious about that Lukas person.
This time, it was Jiudads expression that became strange.
were you stuck on some kind of mountain and are only now entering society?
Why do you ask?
Because if you have even the slightest bit of interest in whats going on around the world, then there is no way for you to not know about him. Its a face you could see just by turning on the TV at any time.
Lukas expression became several times more strange than Jiudads.
You could see him by turning on the TV at any time?
What was going on?
He had a strange feeling.
Anyways, thats not important right now.
Jiudads voice awoke him from his thoughts.
I will be honest. I saw you destroy half of the demon army.
Lukas attention returned to him once again. He wasnt that surprised by Jiudads words. Because he had expected that to be the case.
So? I dont think you called us here to reward us.
Luanoble.
Lukas mentioned the name of the country.
Although it was given the grand title of Country of Knights, the group I met after coming here would better be described as ruffians.
Jiudads expression changed.
They used violence against a civilian. And from the casual way it was done, it was clearly not the first or second time. They seemed to have mistaken themselves for Knights, and this is an illusion that was instilled by this country.
Lukas voice became cold.
I do not have a good impression of you or this country.
A heavy silence fell. Pale looked around the hall with a disinterested expression.
She was probably looking for something to eat. Although she was moving around the throne room as she pleased, neither Lukas nor Jiudad did anything to stop her.
After a while, Jiudad spoke in a heavy tone.
Are you from our universe?
Im asking because you seem to be very familiar with the situation of Luanoble. Its fine if you dont want to answer. And to answer your question, yes. We were once corrupted.
Once, you say?
Thats right. Although weve become corrupt again, perhaps even more than before the winds of change definitely had blown across our country. After a massive and unprecedented purge, we were able to regain our pride in the title Country of Knights. It was an incredibly valuable victory that was earned through the sweat and blood of the entire nation.
However, right after the Great Fusion, everything changed for the worse. Do you remember the man who was beside me?
Of course he remembered. The middle aged mans aura was noticeably different compared to the others.
Advisor Song.
Thats right. He is my watchman.
A look of indescribable humiliation was obvious on Jiudads face.
And the being behind that man
He didnt speak further, but Lukas could see the fear he held. This confused him.
He wondered what kind of being could make such a talented man feel fear just by thinking about him.
I know how powerful you all are. Since you were capable of annihilating half of the demon army, you must possess tremendous power. But for the being who controls Luanoble, it wouldnt be difficult to wipe out the entire army.
You two might have been incredibly powerful in your world, but he is on a different level. (TL: Yes, far lower)
Who is [he]?
Although he has many titles
Jiudad suddenly looked up at the ceiling and let out a chuckle.
He seems to prefer being called the Heavenly Demon. (TL: What is a KR action/fantasy novel without cheonma.)
* * *
Most of the beings in the World of Void missed the outside universe, and the Three Thousand Worlds. This was because they recognised the fact that they had been abandoned. It was a sorrow that they felt on an existential level.
However, it would be wrong to call it missing. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
After all, they hadnt actually belonged to the outside world in the first place.
It was only after a being was born in the Three Thousand World that they could begin to exist in the World of Void.
They simply received an infusion of memory, knowledge and personality.
They were born fake, and thats why they yearned for the outside.
If the opportunity arose, and if they had the ability to, they would leave the World of Void without hesitation.
But not Yang In-hyun.
Even though he was an outsider from the Three Thousand worlds, he didnt have any nostalgia or lingering feelings for it. In fact, simply thinking about it was enough to make him grind his teeth.
Yang In-hyun was one of the few beings that had gone to the World of Void of their own volition.
He hadnt wanted to return.
Even the feeling of the air against his skin was unpleasant, as if disgusting insects were crawling all over him.
This feeling became more and more intense the deeper he got into the city.
At some point, Yang In-hyun found himself in front of a tall building. He immediately realised.
The fact that this was the tallest building in Luanoble.
You, what are you doing?
Get out of here.
Then he realised the existence of people in front of it.
Yang In-hyun turned his attention to the men standing in front of the door.
They were dressed in suits.
Although they had concealed their weapons and aura, it was clear to him that they were actually martial artists.
Are you deaf? I said, get out of here.
You should leave while were still talking nicely.
As Yang In-hyun continued to stand there without moving, the atmosphere became more and more harsh. After he didnt budge despite their threats, a particularly large man stepped forward with a sigh.
Seriously. Theres always people like you who cant understand things when they are said nicely.
Dont kill him. Its still the middle of the day. If you cause too much of a commotion you know, right?
Hmph. I know.
The giant man trudged forward. Even up to then, Yang In-hyun didnt move. Then, he slowly lifted his head to look at the man.
Are you a monk?
What?
No, you didnt shave your hair, that is natural hair loss. Sorry I was mistaken.
The giants face turned red and his expression became twisted like a demon before it soon became calm once more.
those who talk too much dont live long. Thats why you will die today.
Then he stretched out his hand. His thick palm was filled with strong internal energy and dense killing intent. Although it seemed to be moving slowly, his opponent would find it hard to move because of the pressure from his internal energy.
But his hand dropped before it could even reach Yang In-hyun.
!
The look in the mans eyes changed. In an instant, the relaxed attitude that hed shown so far disappeared and his movements and expression became filled with sharpness.
Magnificent. You should be First Class.
There was no answer.
Instead, he lowered his right wrist which had been broken without a sound before stretching out his left hand.
Heaven Shaking Iron PalmFơ
Muttering softly, Yang In-hyun raised his own palm.
And took a stance similar to the giant.
This guy
There was a flash of surprise in the mans eyes.
Yang In-hyun stretched out his hand.
Boom!
As soon as the outstretched palms collided, there was an explosive sound. Then, the giant was sent flying, splattering blood.
The martial artists, who had noticed the unusual atmosphere and gotten into formation, were unable to resist the shock and were smashed against the wall.
The giant died instantly while the rest simply fell unconscious.
Calmly, Yang In-hyun stepped into the building.
It was dark. Although it was still the middle of the day outside, no light could be seen in the building.
Did you come here because you wanted to die?
At that moment, he heard a voice.
Stopping, Yang In-hyun spoke into the darkness.
Where is this?
did you make a fuss without even knowing that?
The voice spoke in disbelief.
It doesnt matter where this is. None of this matters.
Yang In-hyun mumbled to himself before asking.
Do you want to know what really matters?
Wha-, kuk.
Splatter-
From the darkness came a sound similar to pieces of meat falling to the ground. Yang In-hyun had already assessed the situation. About ten people had been slaughtered in the same instant, but there wasnt even a drop of blood on his sword.
Yang In-hyun continued to walk as if nothing happened before turning to glance behind him.
[kiiiing.]
Metel shook like a leaf as she looked at this scene.
Ignoring the frightened spirit, Yang In-hyun continued to move deeper into the building.
Book 2: Chapter 471
Book 2: Chapter 471 After the Great Fusion.
Almost everyone was caught up in the great chaos. It was a chaos that wasnt easily settled.
Encountering different worlds, different intelligent beings, and different civilisations. They hadnt even had the time to be curious or interested in those things. The Great Fusion had occurred suddenly and unannounced.
Panic, shock, and agitation mixed together, further fueling the flames of fear started by the chaos.
The Heavenly Demon Cult(ħ).
Commonly referred to as the Demonic Cult, it was one of the fastest groups to put that fear to rest.
Because of the Supreme One.
The Demonic Cults second most elite unit, the Slaughter Regiments Captain, Danli Pung, recalled the figure of that being who had reached godhood.
It had already been decades since hed gotten to know him and pledge his allegiance to him. Nevertheless, whenever he recalled the martial prowess he had displayed with his hand, his heart pounded, and cold sweat covered his forehead.
He was filled with excitement as if he was meeting him for the first time, but more than that, he felt joy. And at the same time, he felt overwhelming fame.
Thats why it didnt matter where they were.
It wouldnt matter even if hell had been among the several worlds that had fused.
Because as long as the Supreme One was around, the cult members would never have to feel fear.
In other words, the reason the Demonic Cult was able to adapt faster than anyone else in this world that had gone mad, was because of the existence of a single being.
Ahaha. How exciting.
After conquering the Murim and putting the world beneath their feet, they gained the awe of all martial artists.
Then, the Supreme One basically lived in seclusion because there was no longer anyone who could challenge him.
When the Supreme One, who had been suffering from deep lethargy, came to this world, he said one thing. Beings from other worlds. Then, he burst out into a pleasant laugh as beings with extraordinary strength could be found in every direction.
And even among them, the Supreme One still reigned supreme. His unrivalled might hadnt been shaken in the slightest.
The cult members adoration only grew more and more intense. Their faith was so strong that even if God himself were to appear to receive their religious belief, he wouldnt even be able to obtain a handful.
Thats why he found it hard to believe.
Kuk.
Urk.
That he had become numb with fear.
To be precise, he didnt expect to feel it outside of when he was in the presence of the Supreme One or witnessing his martial prowess.
But he found it hard to believe the current scene.
Four Regiment Captains had been killed at the same time. They didnt even get the chance to scream or show off their martial arts.
Uh
He felt coldness rising from his fingertips.
Before hed even realised, Danli Pung had taken a step back.
How?
The Captains who had collapsed in pools of blood.
Their levels werent much different from his own.
The beings known as the Captains. Those who had the toughest and most violent members of the Demonic Cult under their command. With a few exceptions, they were all ranked in the top ten when it came to strength.
And yet, theyd died like flies.
Danli Pung still couldnt believe their deaths.
The middle aged man who had calmly turned the entire area into a sea of blood. His power far surpassed the scope of Danli Pungs understanding.
Th-, the Supreme One
He had to call the Supreme One.
Just as he had this thought.
I, I have to call the Supreme One.
Stop, you fool.
He heard a cold voice. Danli Pung shuddered involuntarily.
Then he was delighted to see the man who had appeared from behind.
Vice Cult Leader!
A man with a ferocious appearance and a large cut across his face.
He was the second in command of the Demonic Cult, the Cowardly Demon(ħ), Kwak Yang-gun. (TL: Cowardly? Not a title Id like to have I think)
Dont you already know, Captain Danli? The Supreme One doesnt like to move around when the sun is still up. If you bother him for nothing, you will die.
! B-, but, that man
Kwak Yang-gun turned to look at the intruder, Yang In-hyun.
I dont think Ive encountered such a skilled master even after the Great Fusion. Kuku. It seems I can finally stretch my legs after a long time.
As soon as Kwak Yang-gun let out a grim laugh, Danli Pungs heart sank.
Although he was just the second in command of the Demonic Cult, Kwak Yang-gun was one of the strongest beings in the world, capable of withstanding the Cult Leaders sword for more than 100 seconds. In fact, there was no one who doubted that, had he not been born in the same era as the Cult Leader, he would have taken the position of Leader.
Moreover, this man, on his own, had managed to wipe out one of the Murims leading powers*. (*:This could be an individual or an entire group, so its not quite clear.)
When Kwak Yang-gun stepped forward, Yang In-hyun stopped walking.
Unlike Yang In-hyun, who remained expressionless, Kwak Yang-gun smiled and said.
You. Youre from the Flower Mountain Sect*. (*: Reminder Flower Mountain=Mount Hua)
Were you trying to hide it? You probably were. You were obviously trying to avoid using your sword as much as possible. Your intentions are as clear as day. You probably tried to hide your swordsmanship as much as possible before reaching the Supreme One. How arrogant.
Kwak Yang-guns smile became cold.
Where do you think this is?
No one answered when I asked.
Yang In-hyun spoke indifferently.
Instead, he tilted his head slightly.
Will you answer me?
Kuku, Crazy bastard.
Crunch.
A horrifying sound could be heard from Kwak Yang-guns finger joints. Then he took a stance.
Draw your sword, intruder.
Yang In-hyun paused at those words.
Do you intend to use only martial arts in front of the Cowardly Demon Kwak Yang-gun? My body is hungry for a fight against a strong being like you, so dont make this boring.
What Im saying is use your best from the begin-
Yang In-hyun drew his sword.
-ing?
Tuk.
And in that instant, Kwak Yang-gun felt a strange sensation before his vision spun rapidly. It was strange. He couldnt move his body, almost as if hed been paralysed.
Huh?
His eyes were the only thing that could move. Kwak Yang-gun looked below him. There, he saw the figure of a headless man standing there.
It was his body.
Why was it like that? What was he currently experie-
His thoughts ended there.
Bang!
Kwak Yang-guns face exploded midair. His blood poured down like rain.
Take me. To the one on the roof.
Yang In-hyuns gaze turned to Danli Pung, who was cowering in a corner.
Or should I go on my own?
* * *
This is my private study.
It was a small room.
With a desk, a chair, and a few books.
Even though he was just acting as a proxy, it could not be seen as the private study of the person playing the role of King.
Nevertheless, Jiudad had a comfortable expression.
I like this place. Of course, its a bit bland, but its the only place in the castle where I can be free. Even if its limited freedom.
After saying that, he walked over to the desk and took something out of a drawer.
Nng?
Pale let out a curious sound. Considering that it was something she was probably seeing for the first time, this reaction was natural. In truth, it wasnt something that Lukas was very familiar with either.
What Jiudad had pulled out was a greyish-white laptop. Which he then manipulated masterfully as if he was already familiar with Earths modern culture.
The sight of someone from his home universe using a laptop was very strange for Lukas. A series of senseless scenes, like Iris drying her hair with a blowdryer, Kasajin running on a treadmill, Schweiser making a call on a cellphone, and Lucid driving a car, flashed through his mind. Sar?h the N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Meanwhile, Jiudad moved a wireless mouse and played a video file.
Please excuse the poor video quality. In truth, its a miracle that I was able to secure this video record in the first place.
Then, the video started.
Crackle-
With a harsh sound, a blurry image appeared on the screen.
There were clouds of smoke everywhere, and the sounds of explosions mixed with the noise.
And screams as well.
Huge battleships covered the sky, from which countless small fighter jets poured out, indiscriminately attacking those on the ground.
And those responding were the Knights of Luanoble.
You must have seen it, the Aerial Fortress, Diark. It is one of the tactical weapons of the Great Galactic Alliance, and as you can see, they had a hostile relationship with Luanoble.
[Shoot down Dont back down!]
The scene displayed was one of a Knight, who appeared to be the commander, shouting desperately. But, from the start, it was a bad match up.
The Knights swords could not reach the battleships which hung several hundred metres in the air, nor could they reach the fighter jets that flew at lower altitudes.
Several Knights who were near the Master rank were able to shoot down a few fighter jets with their swords, but it was only a handful of them. Moreover, the opponent also had a numerical advantage, so it wasnt possible to change the situation even after destroying several of the fighter jets.
This is war.
Thats right.
A horrendous form of war. The one sided abuse didnt stop. And the only reason the abuses didnt become a massacre was thanks to the Knights desperate struggle.
But that didnt last long either.
Humans were not machines. After singing their swords for that long, they would naturally become exhausted. In fact, the movements of the Knights were visibly slowing down.
It was at that moment.
Hundreds of fighter jets exploded at the same time. Most viewers looking from this perspective wouldnt have expected this explosion, but Lukas was different.
One strike.
A single action performed by a single being.
Even Lukas couldnt hide his admiration for that amazing feat.
The quality is really terrible.
Pale, who had been looking around for something to eat, had also become interested in the video. She whined as if she was disappointed by the low quality of the video.
Jiudad responded with an expression as if he was being blamed for nothing.
I told you. It wouldnt be very good.
Uah, its frustrating.
Lukas thoughts were similar to Pale. Because it was a video, it was difficult for him to gauge the others skill level. And even now, as the battle reached its most violent part, the video quality seemed to become even worse, to the point that they could no longer clearly see the scene of the battle.
Is that the one? The Heavenly Demon that you mentioned.
Thats right.
The Heavenly Demon wasnt exactly a reinforcement for Luanoble.
Techniques that flowed from his hand, no, the martial arts, carried a very bloody scent. With every strike, at least dozens of fighter jets were shot down, and the Knights near them also collapsed in pools of blood.
Not long after, he looked up at the sky.
Fwoosh!
Black rigid ki shot up towards the sky like a dark cloud, piercing through one of the battleships.
Chuuk-
And the battleship split in half. Kaboom, when this super large battleship that covered the sky exploded, the surroundings became bright as if it was the middle of the day.
Thousands of unmanned drones stopped working like puppets that had gotten their strings cut. From the sky, sparks, bits of machinery, and strange looking alien creatures fell like rain.
At this unbelievable sight, the Knights became speechless. Some even dropped the swords they were holding.
Oho.
A glimmer appeared in Pales eyes.
For something like this to be on the outside
She didnt continue but Lukas understood what she was saying. Because he had a similar sentiment.
Then, just before the video ended.
Lukas caught sight of someone standing among the corpses, machine fragments, and debris from the fallen battleship. He couldnt see their face very well, but he did notice their unusually long hair that seemed to wrap around their body like a robe.
However, the impression they gave off was like a phantom.
Ill tell you now, this is only a portion of his power. There were several powerful people who came to show off their strength after the Great Galactic Alliance, but no one was able to stand against the Heavenly Demon.
Why do you think Im showing you this video?
Jiudad said with a calm gaze.
Its because I dont want you to fight him. Fights between powerful beings have a major impact on their surroundings And Im certain that you are also very powerful.
I do not want my people to become victims of your fight, The people of Luanoble are suffering enough already.
Lukas spoke quietly.
So thats why the factions are divided. In Luanoble, there are those who follow the Heavenly Demon. Thats why you cant impose sanctions on their excessive behaviour.
Jiudads silence was an affirmation.
Lukas had roughly grasped the situation.
Just as he was about to open his mouth to make an offer that Jiudad wouldnt be able to refuse
Click-
The next video began to play automatically.
Lukas, who was about to speak, stopped. His eyes were affixed to the video as if they were nailed.
who is this?
Mm? Ah. Now that I think about it, you were interested in this guy.
In the video, a man with dark blonde hair smiled as he waved to the public.
Jiudad muttered indifferently.
Thats the Great Mage, Lukas Trowman.
(TL: Does Danli Pung survive or die? Random poll on a random character with a random reward. Could end up being nothing, but hey, who knows?)
Book 2: Chapter 472
Book 2: Chapter 472 He looked like him.
That was the first feeling Lukas had. Right. They werent identical. The mans features merely stopped at the level of looking like Lukas. It felt like a clumsy imitation.
Who is this guy?
That question couldnt help but pop into his mind.
He was waving amidst the heart cheers of the public like a hero returning home after a great victory at war, or a politician carrying out an election campaign.
That experienced image, and the smile that hung on his mouth were unfamiliar and a bit unpleasant.
Did you say, Great Mage?
Thats right.
Is that what that guys calling himself?
Jiudad looked at Lukas with a puzzled expression. Until now, this man hadnt easily displayed his feelings, but this time was different. Although his expression and voice were still calm, Jiudad could sense a hint of discomfort in them.
Did they really know each other like he thought?
Thats not it. Its because of his heroic achievements and godly magic that made it necessary to distinguish him from the other Great Wizards.
There are many Great Wizards in this world now, but Lukas Trowman is the most unrivalled among them.
For some reason, there was a bitter taste in his mouth. Lukas shook his head.
The title Great Mage had been exclusively his for a very long time. So it would be a lie to say he didnt have any attachment to it.
However, he could no longer have any lingering feelings or obsession for that title. He shouldnt. Lukas had already abandoned that name once before. In the Dump Site, when he had abandoned mana.
Bursting into anger here would be childish and pathetic.
What are his achievements?
It seems you really dont know anything about Lukas. Thats really strange. You knew so much about Luanoble
Well, its fine.
Although he might have felt annoyed by the one-sided questioning, Jiudad didnt show any signs of it.
He stopped the whirlpool of war that could have engulfed the entire world. It is safe to say that 90% of the reason this seemingly peaceful state is maintained is because of his contribution.
There was an unmistakable hint of respect in Jiudads voice. Filled with complex, subtle emotions, Lukas continued to ask questions.
How did he stop the war?
Thats simple. He risked his life to meet with representatives from each world and negotiate with them. He managed to persuade a majority of them, and because of that, The Dimension Alliance Council was formed.
The Dimension Alliance Council?
In this world, which had expanded several tens of times since the Great Fusion, it can be called the institution that handles the role of legislative body If the Dimension Alliance Council hadnt been established, at this point, perhaps tens of thousands of people would be dying every day.
Hed heard of the Dimension Meeting before. Perhaps it was a meeting that was periodically held by the Dimension Alliance Council.
After a moment, of silence, Lukas asked.
Do you know about the Age of Light?
Mm?
Jiudads expression became strange.
I do, but why are you asking about it all of a sudden?
Among the heroes of that time, who is your favourite?
The Sword King. He will forever be a role model for every Knight.
right. Sword King Lucid.
Lukas muttered that name for a moment. It was very unfortunate that when he thought of him, the image that came to mind wasnt the usual blunt faced man, but instead, an undead completely covered in black armour.
There were heroes that stood shoulder to shoulder with him.
Thats right.
Tell me about them.
For the first time, Jiudad sighed openly. This sigh carried many meanings. But there was no more rude behaviour after that.
As the guardian of Luanoble, he decided to focus on the power of the man in front of him instead of his strange questions.
In other words, no matter how dumb the question may be, he decided to answer sincerely.
The Black Witch, Great Sage, and Magic Warrior King.
What about the Great Mage?
why would you mention the Great Mage now? Ah, of course, his achievements are by no means inferior to those of the heroes from the Age of Light, but he was born in a different age.
There is nothing more pathetic than comparing the achievements of heroes of different eras.
This was the most refined accusation of Lukas ignorance that Jiudad was capable of.
But Lukas was able to get a good understanding of the situation through that series of questions.
As hed expected, things about Lukas, who had suddenly been forgotten, hadnt been restored.
Then who is that man?
Lukas looked at the man in the video once more As expected, he couldnt tell anything from the video. He wondered if it was a deception with a spell, if he was wearing a mask, or if those really were his features.
Hed have to meet him in person.
Of course, before that.
In other words, that meant that Lukas is one of the greatest heroes of the Great Fusion era.
Thats right.
Then why didnt you ask that guy to deal with the Heavenly Demon?
Lukas asked a minor question.
Jiudad didnt answer and instead smiled bitterly.
Did you determine that even the Great Mage cant deal with the Heavenly Demon?
Well. He might or might not be able to. However, thats not exactly why I didnt ask him for help. In this world, there are other organisations that can compete with the Dimension Alliance Council.
Mm.
Lukas understood the situation.
Is the Heavenly Demon a part of one?
Exactly.
It was possible for him to ask the fake Lukas for help, but if that managed to cause conflict between the Union Council and the organisation the Heavenly Demon was a part of, a war of unimaginable scale could break out. That was Jiudads judgement.
This man thinks about the safety of his people first.
The reason he was answering Lukass questions without trouble was because he wanted him to surrender to the Heavenly Demon without fighting back.
A man willing to give up his pride for his people.
Lukas liked Jiudad.
I have a proposal.
And he finally continued to say what hed stopped before.
A proposal?
Its simple. I plan to stay in this country for a while.
Or at least until he had a better grasp of the situation.
Swallow the last of those words, Lukas continued.
It probably wont be for long. Jiudad, promise that you will give me your full cooperation during that time. Of course, I will not do anything to harm the people of Luanoble or this land.
What are you talking about now?
If you accept my proposal, Ill deal with the one called Heavenly Demon.
Jiudad looked as though hed heard a terrible joke. It was a face that seemed to be formed by numerous intermingling thoughts, but it was proof that he didnt believe Lukas words.
Just as Lukas was about to talk again. He felt a chill on the back of his neck. When he looked back, his eyes found a spirit clinging to the back of his neck.
It was Metel.
[]
Metel waved her hands as she tried to convey her intentions.
Then Lukas got to his feet.
* * *
The higher he went, the more enemies he encountered.
Kill this bastard!
Dont let him act arrogantly anymore.
Nevertheless, this didnt mean that the levels of the enemies had risen. In fact, it was clear that some of these people had a very poor grasp of the situation.
Most of the Captains and the Vice Cult Leader had already died downstairs.
They probably knew that too. And yet, they didnt back down. Like moths to a flame, they didnt hesitate to rush to their own deaths.
Their behaviour was so disgusting that Yang In-hyun had trouble suppressing his rising nausea.
Bang!
He waved his hand, causing his sleeve to flutter gently. The turbid wind pressure from that motion touched the bodies of the Demonic Cult members that were surging forward. Crash, the cult members lost their balances and rolled across the ground.
?!
It wasnt unreasonable for them to be shocked. After all, the lukewarm breeze that blew past them could not be described as a strong wind. The wind seemed to cover their bodies as they laid on the ground.
They struggled to get to their feet again, but Yang In-hyun calmly swept his finger across before they could. Suddenly, the ceiling collapsed, the piles of stone crushing their laying bodies. The dirty blood soaked the ground.
No matter how much they trained their external energy, if they were crushed by stones while in a defenceless state, then there would be no result apart from being turned into pools of blood.
D-, dont fight anymore stop fighting
Yang In-hyun was dragging Danli Pung in one hand by his neck. His acupuncture points had already been suppressed, so the only things he could move were his eyes and tongue.
Nevertheless, his voice was so cracked that it was almost completely gone.
Yang In-hyun headed upwards through the destroyed ceiling. And he couldnt help but feel that it was a more effective method than using the elevator or stairs.
At the very least, it would make it impossible for the being on the top floor to not notice his presence growing closer by the minute.
* * *
He knew the building was enormous, but the number of martial artists in it far exceeded his expectations.
Because of this, Yang In-hyun had no choice but to coat his hands in more blood than expected.
There was a man who witnessed the slaughter from right beside him. Of course, it was Danli Pung.
He was a member of the Demonic Cult. That wasnt all. He was a Captain, in other words, he was an executive member who had dozens of elite cult members as subordinates.
For him, scenes filled with slaughter and bloodshed were familiar, and he had even created such scenes with his own hands.
Nevertheless, Danli Pungs face had become pale as if he had witnessed a terrifying nightmare. His entire body shook like a leaf, and his face was covered with cold sweat.
This was because he knew.
How strong the Demonic Cult members who had died to this man were.
Who the hell
Yang In-hyun ignored Danli Pungs voice. Then, he let go of his neck, which he had been holding tightly. To be precise, he threw him away.
It was only after Danli Pungs face hit the ground that he was able to recover from his shock to some extent.
That was when he realised he was on the top floor.
Ahh!
The surroundings were shrouded in darkness, but for a master on Danli Pungs level, it was still possible to distinguish things to a sufficient extent.
Yang In-hyun also looked around. The surrounding was covered by a faint purple mist. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Apart from that, the giant floor was frighteningly empty.
Because of this, the large bed in the centre, which was large enough to allow five tigers to roll around comfortably, stood out even more.
Of course, Yang In-hyun had already noticed someone laying on it.
Danli Pung rushed towards the bed and prostrated himself.
S-, Supreme One! An intruder!
Ssss, the sound of breathing stopped.
It was then that Yang In-hyun realised.
Surprisingly, the being on the bed had been asleep this entire time.
Despite the fact that Yang In-hyun had been making such a racket on the lower floors.
The person on the bed raised their upper body. Their face, the gender of which could not be easily distinguished, was covered with a gloomy expression.
an intruder?
But the voice was that of a man which seemed to carry a spell that made it hard to ignore.
H-, he is incredibly skilled. According to the Vice Cult Leader, hes from Flower Mountain
Suddenly, the mans gaze turned to the ceiling. Despite still being in the building, it felt as though he was looking at the sky.
Yang In-hyun saw his eyes flash for a moment.
The sun is still up.
H-, huh?
That was Danli Pungs last word. In the next moment, as if his neck had been cut, his head slipped off his shoulders before falling to the ground. There was a splatter sound similar to an overripe fruit falling to the ground.
Then, the mans gaze turned to Yang In-hyun.
You name?
Yang In-hyun.
This is my first time hearing it. That means youre not a member of the Murim.
Whats your name?
Dok Go-yun.
Are you the owner of this building?
No.
Dok Go-yun shook his head and said.
Its not just this stupidly tall building. Everything in the world belongs to me.
His deep voice was calm as if he was just stating a natural fact.
Yang In-hyun didnt think this attitude was a bluff. This man was qualified to say that.
Its too bad. If you had come an hour later, you might have had a happier death. Or you could have been my subordinate.
An hour later.
Thats when the sun sets.
Right. Mm. By nature, my mood is not good when the sun is still up. Especially when Im forcibly woken up. It makes me want to rip everything around me to shreds.
Ssk, Dok Go-yun got out of bed. He had been covered by several thin fabrics which trickled down as he got up.
When he stood to his full height, Yang In-hyun finally noticed his hair which was long enough to touch the ground. He was very tall, but he didnt feel huge. This was probably because Dok Go-yuns frame was quite thin.
Yang In-hyun glanced at him before drawing his sword first.
Dok Go-yun opened his mouth.
Its surprising that the Flower Mountains martial arts was able to create a master like you.
Mm. Perhaps its just that my perspective about old school martial arts is limited.
So.
Yang In-hyun spoke.
When will you come?
Youre yielding the first blow to me?
Dok Go-yun chuckled.
Interesting.
For the first time, a smile appeared on his face.
No. It doesnt feel that bad. Really. Thats just the way martial artists are. After reaching a certain level, they have no choice but to consider themselves the strongest. They become no better than the blind. Even when the one in front of them is far stronger, they wouldnt realise.
Although it sounded ridiculous, it was true.
Even if the enemy might be stronger, it was difficult for them to realise that fact.
Perhaps it was because they would have to fight with their life on the line anyway, so their brains refused to acknowledge that fact.
Acknowledging the hopeless gap that existed between them and their enemy would be no different from directly erasing their odds of winning.
I personally witnessed countless people who thought they were the strongest, and with these two hands, I made them aware of their mistake.
Thats why your attitude doesnt make me feel bad.
At that moment, Dok Go-yun stretched out his hand, and a pitch black turbid stream erupted from his palm. Taking a stance, Yang In-hyun swung his sword.
Plum Blossom Honeysuckle(÷̶). The first form is more monotonous than I thought.
Jurk, Yang In-hyun slid backwards as if he was standing on ice.
Dok Go-yun shook his head slightly at this sight.
I suppose thats why its such a prestigious faction.
Just as his voice was filled with blatant disappointment,
Yang In-hyuns body was covered by the black turbid stream.
(TL: Danli Pung but the majority of the responses said hed live so no reward for you guys xD. Or maybe Ill just do it anyway when my wifi is stable at least.)
Book 2: Chapter 473
Book 2: Chapter 473 Danli Pung.
There was something that this man, who had become a corpse, had misunderstood.
The Vice Cult Leader, Kwak Yang-gun, was without a doubt the second in command. But that didnt mean that he was the second strongest in the Demonic Cult.
The Three Great Guardians of the Demonic Cult.
They didnt have names. And their real identities were unknown.
Some of the cult members speculated that they were children who had inherited the blood of the Heavenly Demon, but they were executed soon after for insulting the Cult Leader. After that, the cult members stopped making unnecessary speculations and the guardians became a mystery that shouldnt be prodded.
Nevertheless, because each of them used the blade, dagger, and spear respectively, they were called the Sword Kill, Dagger Kill, and Spear Kill.
The three guardians protected the Cult Leader from the shadows. Individually, their powers were only slightly superior to the Captains, but when they attacked together, it was possible for them to overwhelm Vice Leader Kwak Yang-gun.
Of course, only a few people in the cult knew that fact. Even Captain Danli Pung, one of the executives in the cult, didnt know their power.
Even at that moment, the three guardians were looking at the ongoing situation while hiding in the shadows.
Its over.
This was what the Sword Kill thought, and the Dagger Kill and Spear Kill agreed.
The Demonic Cults Esoteric Martial Arts(书) Divine Legacy Skill(W) Dark Cloud FogF.
It was the internal strength released from a martial art known as the Mountain Destroying Black Wind(L).
The intruder was clearly quite strong. This was clear from the number of cult members hed killed on his way up from the bottom. It would take the Demonic Cult at least ten years to recover from the damage it had suffered today.
a monster that we wouldnt be able to survive more than 100 seconds against even if we launched a sneak attack.
They had never encountered such a skilled Swordsman in the Murim even in the past. He was probably one of the ten best Swordsmen in the Great Fusion World where countless monsters existed.
However, it was a bad matchup.
The Dark Cloud Fog was the Heavenly Demons most well known martial art.
Whoever was designated as an enemy, regardless of their martial arts or internal strength, would become a pool of blood.
At least they should.
Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
But it wasnt long before the Spear Kill realised something strange.
He noticed that Dok Go-yun didnt stop releasing the Dark Cloud Fog and instead continued to release it endlessly. The pitch black gale had already been around for more than ten seconds. Even if the opponent had a body made of diamond, that was enough time to have ground them into a pile of sand.
Like the name suggested, the Mountain Destroying Black Wind was a martial art capable of destroying a massive mountain.
It was the Dagger Kill that grasped the situation first. This wasnt because his eyesight was better than the others. However, his position was better. His hiding place was the closest to Yang In-hyun.
!
Yang In-hyun was standing there with his sword raised. After being pushed back two steps, his feet remained planted on the ground as if they were nailed in place.
There were no signs of struggle. It looked like he wasnt even trying to defend.
No. Much more than that he looked relaxed.
Instead of a martial artist facing the Mountain Destroying Black Wind, Yang In-hyun looked like a mountain climber enjoying a warm spring breeze.
But as soon as he saw his eyes, the Dagger Kills heart sank.
undoubtedly.
Swoosh, Mountain Destroying Black Wind, which had been raging unceasingly, stopped.
Pulling back his hands, Dok Go-yun said.
You have the power to kill Kwan Yang-gun.
This is surprising. Its been decades since I met someone who could compete with me
There was a mixture of excitement and joy in his voice.
Thats meaningless.
What was that?
I said its meaningless, Dok Go-yun, what is the point of such a competition?
The retort came in a voice filled with indifference and futility.
What does it matter to compete with power? Does it change anything if Im stronger, or if youre stronger?
It changes everything. Thats a simple principle, isnt it? After all, in the end, it is the strong that decides the order and means of things. Therefore, it is the criterion of power that determines everything. Anyone who has surrendered themselves to the martial path would know this. And
Dok Go-yun smiled brightly.
Even if they dont have hands and legs, a martial artist should always desire to be the best in the world.
You really.
Yang In-hyun sighed.
Are exactly the type of person that I hate.
Bababang!
Blood splattered onto Dok Go-yuns face.
what
It took him a short while for him to grasp the situation.
Yang In-hyun was standing with his sword drawn, and in front of him were three bodies.
It took Dok Go-yun a moment to understand that the bodies belonged to the Heavenly Demons Three Great Guardians.
Their tenacity was magnificent. At their level, they shouldnt have even been able to make a sound under the pressure of my sword energy Was it something psychological?
It wasnt that Dok Go-yun was unable to grasp the situation. It was just that his mind was incapable of accepting what had just happened so quickly.
Just as Dok Go-yun had sensed his inevitable death, the guardians that had been hiding in the darkness appeared in front of him and used their bodies as shields.
And died. The Three Kills, who were more powerful than the Vice Cult Leader, had died so vainly.
It was only then that Dok Go-yun was able to move his body again. The fear that engulfed his entire body in an instant was pushed away by the humiliation that filled his stomach.
Bastard!
Grrr!
Dark clouds covered his arms like fog, causing his skin to become black. Black Spirit Possession was the secret form of the Dark Cloud Fog which increased the users combat ability as well as their physical and mental strength by covering their body with dark ki.
Dok Go-yun had used this martial art less than five times. And this was the first time that he was doing so out of anger.
At first glance, it might seem that hed lost his mind in rage, that wasnt exactly wrong.
The Dark Cloud Fog was a demonic art, and all demonic arts were greatly influenced by the users emotional state. Therefore, it made sense that martial arts, which were used out of anger, would be stronger than usual.
Dok Go-yuns fingers shook with rage.
Yang In-hyuns sword,
Didnt contain anything.
Clang!
Nevertheless, when the fist and sword collided, it was Dok Go-yun that was sent flying.
In an instant, his body was turned into a ragdoll. Dok Go-yun spat out a mouthful of blood as he collided with the wall.
Pain that he was feeling for the first time coursed through his body. But instead of the pain, it was the mental terror that caused his body to become sluggish.
The hell is this
For Dok Go-yun.
Winning was just a natural process in a fight. That was what he was taught. Dok Go-yun had been assured that there was no being beside himself that could harm him.
Thats how it shouldve been.
Tap.
Yang In-hyun walked up to Dok Go-yun with unhurried steps.
Gritting his teeth, Dok Go-yun used the Dark Cloud Fog once more. The black fog poured out like a waterfall and devoured his body. This caused his twisted bones to return to their original positions and the internal bleeding stopped for a moment. The pain also faded.
Thats a dangerous martial art.
Yang In-hyun spoke with deep admiration.
Dok Go-yun once again took a stance as he said.
Do you have any idea what youre doing?
Im just about to kill a frog in the well.
kuku. Right. Im not sure about that.
Yang In-hyun noticed that Dok Go-yuns tone had changed. Was he hiding his true feelings? It felt a bit different from that.
Then Ill change the question Do you understand the weight of what youre doing?
The weight of what Im doing?
Do you think our Demonic Cult is the only force ruling in this place? The Great Galactic Alliance, Demon King, Archlich. And the Murim. All of those neighbouring powers are our allies.
That means that the breath of the Demonic Cult has already reached a level of being able to affect heaven and earth.
When Yang In-hyuns steps stopped, Dok Go-yuns smile widened.
Now you understand. To kill me is to become the enemy of the entire world.
You wouldnt be able to sleep comfortably for a single day. Hunters from every organisations in the Murim would-
Kuku.
In the end, Yang In-hyun couldnt hold it in any longer.
Kukuku, ha, hahaha. Ahahaha.
He burst into laughter.
For Yang In-hyun, who rarely expressed emotions, this was the equivalent of laughing his head off.
However, Dok Go-yun, who heard this laughter, felt unknown shame, humiliation, and fear once more.
Why are you laughing? Did you really lose your mind?
Thats right. I havent been sane for a long time.
With a smile, Yang In-hyun continued.
And you, who dared to mention the Murim in front of me, will not be able to remain sane either.
What?
Everlasting Plum Sword, First Move.
When the colourless buds covered his vision, Dok Go-yuns mouth fell open.
This What was this scene?
Murim Annihilation.
There was no sound. It was as if his entire body was surrounded by smoke. Instinctively, he tried to swing his hands, but he couldnt feel anything.
Then Dok Go-yun felt a chill penetrate his entire body.
Ugh
Was this really martial arts?
Was this really the same kind of technique as the Mountain Destroying Black Wind that he used? Was it really possible to perform such martial arts with a human body?
Ive never used a cow slaying knife to kill a chicken, but this seems like an opportune time.
Dok Go-yuns entire body was covered in blood as he collapsed to the ground. His body shook.
He was alive.
He was still alive.
However, his fighting spirit was dead.
This was also Yang In-hyuns intention.
If he really wanted it, the body of this man in front of him would have been completely destroyed without leaving a single trace.
this place.
Yang In-hyun opened his mouth.
Isnt the top floor.
Dok Go-yuns trembling stopped.
Upstairs, there is still one more floor left.
kuk, kukuku.
Then Dok Go-yun forced out a laugh.
Right. Since you already know, there is no need to hide it anymore You are right. This place isnt the top. And Im not the Heavenly Demon.
Yang In-hyuns expression was still indifferent.
Im just a double. He is the one controlling everything from the shadows. Did you say your name was Yang In-hyun? Youre obviously strong, but you wont be able to defeat him.
Dok Go-yun spoke with a relaxed expression.
Because Im just his double. Its now your turn to be the frog in the well.
Im really looking forward to it. That moment when your face becomes distorted with despair-
What happened in the next moment was something even Yang In-hyun couldnt have predicted.
The ceiling collapsed and someone appeared in the dust.
Yang In-hyuns expression changed. The one who appeared was none other than Lukas Trowman. After being silent for a while, Yang In-hyun finally asked.
why from above?
I came in a hurry. But it seems I was too late.
Responding briefly, Lukas looked around. He wasnt alone. In one of his hands, he was holding someone by the throat.
Yang In-hyun looked at the man, no
He looked at the corpse and asked.
Who is that?
Well. He got in my way as I was entering the building
Did you kill him.
Unfortunately, he wasnt weak enough for me to subdue him quickly. I was in a bit of a hurry.
Dok Go-yun couldnt believe the sight that was unfolding before his eyes. In truth, it would be more accurate to say that his brain refused to accept it.
That being.
That being, no that man, in the hand of the blonde haired man was clearly
By the way, where is that guy called the Heavenly Demon?
Why?
I made a deal with the representative of Luanoble. I need his head.
mm.
The one called Dok Go-yun.
In truth, he was the real number two of the Demonic Cult. He was a figurehead put in place by the cautious Heavenly Demon. Nevertheless, his martial prowess was not a lie. If the Heavenly Demon wasnt around, he was strong enough to destroy the Demonic Cult on his own.
In the first place, if he didnt have that kind of martial arts, there was no way he could have claimed to be the Heavenly Demon. In fact, the real Heavenly Demon had generously passed on his most well known martial arts skills to Dok Go-yun so that he wouldnt be suspected.
But despite all of his teachings, hellish training, and restricted life, Dok Go-yun had only one ambition.
To survive.
To live a long life, no matter what.
This situation was confusing, but one thing was clear.
If he didnt say anything, he would definitely be taken for the Heavenly Demon.
At that moment Dok Go-yuns judgement was extremely fast and accurate.
That sir, no that guy is the Heavenly Demon!
Dok Go-yun threw himself on his face at Lukas feet.
Thank you for rescuing me from that evil guy! Great Sir!
(TL:lmao I was not expecting that to be the way this went)
Book 2: Chapter 474
Book 2: Chapter 474 Did you say this guy is the Heavenly Demon?
Thats right.
Then who are you?
Lukas gaze turned towards Dok Go-yun. As soon as his terrifyingly emotionless eyes stared at him, Dok Go-yun gulped drily. It felt like a scythe made of ice was hanging above the back of his head. Of course, Dok Go-yun couldnt sense any energy from this dark blonde man, but that was the same for Yang In-hyun.
Im just the Heavenly Demons double!
He raised his head and shouted at the top of his lungs. He tried to make his voice as pitiful as possible. Pride? Give that to the dogs. You cant have pride or anything if youre dead. In order to survive, Dok Go-yun could even lick between the others toes.
Lukas gaze lingered on his face for a while. Then, the cold feeling that he had on the back of his neck spread to the rest of his body. Goosebumps rose on his arms.
This chill was different from what he felt when he faced Yang In-hyun.
Then, after a while, he felt the gaze leave him and turn towards the corpse in his hand.
A somewhat puzzled face.
What was he thinking about now? Why was he puzzled?
He needed to figure it out. He literally needed to figure it out for the sake of his life.
From now on, it would be a battle of wits. If he was able to figure out this guys thoughts by even the slightest amount, it would be enough to increase his chances of survival by several times.
Firstly.
These two are acquainted.
Hed learned this from their conversation and attitudes.
Of course, it wasnt clear to him which of them was stronger. But that didnt matter. Dok Go-yun would probably be unable to estimate that.
All he needed to pay attention to was the fact that both of them were capable of taking his life.
Who is it?
Of these two, who could he plead to to increase his chances of survival?
Dok Go-yuns eyes rolled back and forth as his thoughts bounced around.
Then, as he realised that both of these men were emotionless as if they were made of iron, he became filled with despair.
This despair soon dissipated.
Clang!
He heard the sound of something colliding.
That sound came from very close by. In fact, Dok Go-yun realised the sound had come from behind him.
When he turned around, he saw Yang In-hyun standing only two steps away from him.
The sword.
The sword in his grasp trembled slightly. As if he had just swung it and it collided with something
!
It was only then that he realised the situation.
Yang In-hyun had just attacked him.
But hed failed. Because someone else had interfered.
Who was it?
That was obvious.
It could only be the blonde man that arrived after.
Why?
Yang In-hyun spoke with an expressionless face. That was all, but Dok Go-yun felt like his heart sank.
How many did you kill?
Lukas ignored the question.
Then, without getting angry at the fact that his answer was ignored, Yang In-hyun answered.
One hundred and twenty five.
You didnt have to kill that many.
Is that a problem? In any case, they will either go to the afterlife or enter the cycle of reincarnation to be reincarnated later.
The conversation unfolding before him was not at a level that Dok Go-yun could easily understand.
It felt as if he was eavesdropping on a secret conversation of Evil Gods that he shouldnt hear.
The concept of death is not something that should be taken so lightly. Im sure you know that.
What do you mean?
Why arent you considering the ones they left behind?
Without any change to his expressionless face, Yang In-hyun replied.
Thats not a funny joke. They belong to a Demonic Cult. People who take the responsibility of regularly carrying out slaughters. Im sure there are many people who would be happy they died.
this place, is not the World of Void.
When he heard those words, Yang In-hyun paused for the first time.
What is it that you hate so much? What the hell is making you so upset?
Do you really hate the Murim world that much?
Huk-
It felt as if thousands of candles had been blown out at the same time.
Yang In-hyuns aura changed completely.
Lukas realised that the killing intent wasnt directed at Dok Go-yun, but himself.
Lukas Trowman.
A deep sigh.
That remark crossed the line.
After that, Lukas called upon void.
The reason for this was the faint intention that he could sense in Yang In-hyuns voice.
In an instant, he entered the minimal time zone.
In that same moment, he saw the tip of a sword right in front of his nose. Lowering his head, he dodged it before spreading his palm towards Yang In-hyun who was now close to him. Void spread out in the form of magic.
It took the basic shape of beads that seemed to be shaped by gathering particles of light. They didnt contain even a hint of killing intent or threat. They just looked like a few floating light bulbs.
But Yang In-hyun didnt dare to take these beads lightly. He withdrew his outstretched sword and, in an instant, the beads of light surrounding his body were sliced apart.
Suddenly, Lukas chin shot up. As he was cutting the beads, Yang In-hyun moved forward a bit and took the chance to launch a kick from Lukas blind spot.
Despite the dizzying pain from his chin, Lukas didnt lose his concentration. He clenched his outstretched hand.
Ssss-
It was at that very moment that Yang In-hyun had a strange feeling. The particles of the beads that hed definitely scattered before, were gathering once more.
Did I not cut them?
No, that wasnt it.
Even if their forms were intangible, there was no reason why Yang In-hyuns sword couldnt cut them. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
He could only speculate about the possibility of this situation.
From the start, every particle was a spell.
In other words, Lukas Trowman had created thousands or maybe even tens of thousands of little spells and clumped them together to form the beads. The beads that had been sent to Yang In-hyun numbered at least in the dozens, and when he swung his sword, theyd simply matched the timing and separated.
This had caused Yang In-hyun to believe that hed cut the spells with his sword.
what the hell goes on in this guys head?
Yang In-hyun couldnt help but feel a bit startled by this. After all, this was not something hed be able to do even if he had ten brains.
The particles gathered once again and wrapped around his right wrist. Passing the sword in his right hand to his left, Yang In-hyun cut the clump of light. This time, he clearly perceived every particle.
But at the same time, he felt a chill on his back.
He lowered his head almost instinctively. Together with the feeling of something brushing past his head came that of a few strands of hair being cut.
Immediately afterwards, he felt a cold pain in his back. Almost as if a giant ice hammer had slammed into his spine.
Yang In-hyun stopped his slightly leaning body. Supporting his weight on one toe, he turned around to face Lukas, but Lukas was no longer there.
spatial movement.
Yang In-hyun frowned. A troublesome ability. This was especially true when entering the minimal time zone.
Instead of looking at Lukas, Yang In-hyun slightly lowered his sword. This was a request to truce revealed through action instead of voice.
Lukas accepted the request.
Although there was a possibility of it being a trap, the man named Yang In-hyun was not a person who would resort to such cheap tactics.
The instant the two left the minimal time zone.
Kaboom!
A huge explosion sounded.
Urk!?
Dok Go-yuns eyes went wide. There was a great tremor that shook his entire body.
This building? No. The scale was bigger than that.
The entire city of Luanoble was shaking.
Dok Go-yun quietly trembled at this revelation.
Then, he saw a huge amount of energy be shot into the sky from between Lukas and Yang In-hyun.
The ceiling disappeared without a trace, but the momentum of the energy didnt disappear as it continued to soar towards the sunset sky.
It was a pillar of light that could easily be seen from anywhere in the city, no, perhaps even from far away.
Dok Go-yun was speechless. He didnt have the slightest understanding of what had just unfolded in front of him.
From his perspective, the two had simply vanished for an instant before reappearing in completely different locations.
Then, there was a huge explosion that shook the city, and a pillar of light which stretched up to space and made his body tremble just from looking at it.
Uh
Sweat poured down Dok Go-yuns body like a waterfall.
What was that? What just happened? Was he still alive? What the hell was that scene just now
Hed completely missed their movements. This wasnt a theory.
Without a doubt, whatever had just unfolded far exceeded Dok Go-yuns range of cognition. That fact brought untold horror to Dok Go-yun.
Lukas gaze shifted to the broken ceiling.
With the scarlet sky as the backdrop, the mass of energy that was still moving was like a shooting star. A star shining so brightly it could be seen even through the glow of sunset.
Youre really thoughtful. Now that I think about it, you were called humanitys saviour in the past.
Yang In-hyun shot out in a sharp voice.
The mass of energy that had just disappeared into the sky was the aftermath of the short exchange between Lukas and Yang In-hyun. If it had been left as it was, the aftermath would have turned the surrounding area into powder.
So as soon as he left the minimal time zone, Lukas gathered the aftermath, compressed it, and fired it towards the sky. This was a technique that would have been impossible if he didnt have some control over the power of space.
That was what Yang In-hyun was referring to.
He didnt seem to understand why Lukas cared about Dok Go-yun and the residents in this city.
I didnt want to consume void in a place like this.
Lukas held back the desire to sigh. It couldnt be helped. He couldnt respond to Yang In-hyun without void.
Why are you complicating things?
Yang In-hyuns voice was a bit calmer. Perhaps it was because hed taken the time to think. Or perhaps it was because some of his anger had been relieved in the brief fight.
Dont stop me from killing him. Then I promise I wont touch the other martial artists here.
You cant.
It was at this moment that Dok Go-yun was certain of which of these two men he needed to survive. Faster than the speed of light, he prostrated himself in front of Lukas.
Great One, please spare me!
Paak-
Lukas hit the back of Dok Go-yuns head hard, stopping him from talking.
Urk
Still, since he was tough, he didnt lose consciousness, but he did lose control of his body for a moment and collapsed on the ground.
Wh-, what was that?
A strange energy seemed to circulate within his body. Because of that, it became difficult for him to even lift a finger.
A voice echoed from above Dok Go-yuns head.
Step aside.
It would be wise to make the right decision. Is protecting one man worth more than antagonising me?
Of course it wasnt worth it.
Lukas knew. Just how difficult and scary Yang In-hyun would be if he turned him into an enemy.
I know well.
Hed learned by using his life as tuition.
Then can you promise? That if you kill this man, you wont kill other martial artists you meet in the future.
Yang In-hyun didnt answer.
This was just as Lukas expected.
I cant keep looking on. This isnt about me having deep thoughts about this world, or respecting the lives or martial artists.
Then?
Your arbitrary actions will create variables. And those variables might interfere with my plans.
This was an issue that needed to be clearly addressed now. If he let it pass here, then there was a chance that they would clash again in the future for the same reason.
So if they were going to clash, then it was better for it to be sooner rather than later. While the power Lukas possessed was still close to his full strength.
I see.
Seemingly understanding that Lukas wouldnt back down easily, Yang In-hyun raised his sword once more.
He couldnt deal with Yang In-hyun using ordinary magic.
In other words, the longer the fight went on for, the more void he would end up using.
This was not a good fact. Because Lukas had many enemies he needed to fight.
The Demon King, Diablo, Lucid.
And as this was the Three Thousand Worlds, the Rulers also had the ability to exert their influence.
It would be annoying if those guys sent Absolutes.
Or, although the odds were slim, other ill-mannered enemies might appear.
So without delay-
[Kukuku.]
Just as he got ready to fight, the sound of laughter echoed in his head.
It had been quite a while.
Of course, he wasnt the slightest bit welcoming of this.
[Didnt you want to conserve your power? Lukas Trowman?]
I just want you to keep your mouth shut. Do you have a habit of only talking when its advantageous for you?
The Lightning God burst into pleasant laughter. The rumbling sound echoing.
[That impression is wrong. If that was the case, Id always be talking to you. I only talk when I feel like it]
In other words, he was claiming that every moment was advantageous for him. This arrogance appeared naturally whenever he talked, this was why Lukas didnt like the Lightning God.
So? Why are you suddenly talking in this urgent situation?
[To make an attractive proposal. Lukas Trowman, arent you trying to conserve your strength? I have a way for you to do so.]
It seemed that this guy was well aware of his situation. He might have also figured out something about void.
The Lightning God continued in a whisper.
[I can lend you my power.]
What?
[Even though it was in the imaginary world, you used Thorn there Kukuku. Thats not possible simply by experiencing it.]
[Thats why Im curious. If you have my full support, how well could you utilise my Thunder in the Three Thousand Worlds?]
Full powered support.
This place wasnt the World of Void, but the outside. Right. That might be possible.
Cut it out.
But Lukas refused.
[Why? I have no intention of using my power to control you. Im not trying to erase the debt.]
You expect me to believe that?
[Im certain you know. I do not lie.]
However, it is possible for you to hide your real intentions. Just like when you forced me to come here then closed your mouth and stayed silent.
[]
I will say this only once. I do not need to borrow your power. So you can quit it.
[Kuku. Well if you ever change your mind]
He focused on Yang In-hyun once more.
Now that even the possibility of the Lightning God interfering had been erased, there was no one who could stop the upcoming fight.
Creak-
Except for one.
It was only then that Lukas noticed that there was a door there, but he couldnt spend much time focusing on the fact that he hadnt noticed it after so long.
What are you two up to?
With her head tilted, Pale appeared.
The collapsed Dok Go-yun couldnt help but stare at this young woman with wide eyes. Hed never seen a woman with such a funny hair colour in the Demonic Cult.
In other words, she was an outsider, so how did she get to the top floor of the building?
But the thing that surprised him most was what happened next.
The two monsters who had been facing each other with killing intent changed really quickly.
Not only that, the gazes that they had been sending towards each other, as if they wanted to kill each other with them, were quickly hidden away.
Huh? Whats going on? The atmosphere is so strange. Did something happen?
no.
Nothing.
Lukas and Yang In-hyun responded shortly.
Pale made a puzzled expression for a moment before chuckling as if it didnt matter.
Ay. I thought you were going to fight again.
With a murmur, she walked up between the two before standing with her hands on her waist.
The light from the setting sun shining through the ceiling illuminated her face, and Dok Go-yun was able to witness this scene from the front.
A-, an Angel has descended!
An Angel had come down from heaven.
And shed interceded in the fight between the two monsters with only a few words.
It truly was a miracle.
Just as Dok Go-yun was staring at Pale with eyes filled with emotion and fascination.
She opened her mouth, allowing him to catch sight of her exceptionally sharp teeth.
By the way, can I eat that?
At first, Dok Go-yun thought hed heard wrong, or misunderstood where she was pointing. He also thought that the word eat might be a code for something.
Because what she was pointing at was the Heavenly Demons corpse.
For a moment, Lukas expression soured.
Thats not something to eat.
Ah. Youre saying that again. There is nothing in this world that cant be eaten.
No. Seriously.
Its fine. Its fine.
Wait-
Ignoring Lukas restraint, Pale grinned as she walked over to the Heavenly Demon.
Then, after flipping his body around a few times, she opened her mouth and
Crack.
Ate him.
Crack crack.
To reiterate.
She ate him.
Crack, crack crack
And blood splattered everywhere.
It wasnt surprising that she was eating human flesh. Dok Go-yun was the man who led the Demonic Cult as the Heavenly Demons proxy.
He had seen countless scenes that were far more terrifying and cruel.
But the fact that the human flesh being consumed belonged to the Heavenly Demon, coupled with the fact that the person eating him was the woman hed thought was an angel just a moment before, and all the accumulated physical and mental damage hed suffered until now, made it all too much.
Thud.
Dok Go-yun fell unconscious.
(TL: Poor Dok Go-yun, his angel was hungry)
(TL: Apologies for the long and unannounced break. I took some extra time to make a backlog of chapters for rainy days, so there will be one chapter released daily at/around 12-12:30am gmt-4 (4-4:30am gmt 0). Around because there are times when Im without power or internet. Id schedule the release in advance, but, for now, free chapters need to be unlocked manually.
Note: The posting time is still under consideration, so it might change as we go forward depending on circumstances.)
Book 2: Chapter 475
Book 2: Chapter 475 The name of the mega building that housed the Demonic Cults main forces was the Infernal Heaven(ħ). (TL: How are there this many coincidences)
Of course, Jiudad knew about their garrison in the Infernal Heaven. Was it just knowing? In fact, he also had a grasp of the approximate amount of power that the Demonic Cult possessed.
And hed ordered some Elite Knights. sea??h th novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
To never take their eyes off the Infernal Heaven.
Because of this, he had learned of the great commotion in the Demonic Cult before anyone else.
An intruder?
Yes.
When Jiudad received the report, the first thing that came to his mind was Lukas.
-I have a proposal.
-Its simple. I plan to stay in this country for a while.
-Jiudad, promise that you will give me your full cooperation during that time. Of course, I will not do anything to harm the people of Luanoble or this land.
-If you accept my proposal, Ill deal with the one called Heavenly Demon.
Because of what hed just heard.
However, it wasnt Lukas. He had just left this place. It had taken at least a few minutes for the report to get to him, and it said about ten minutes ago, an intruder entered the Infernal Heaven.
What about the description?
They appear to be a martial artist.
mm.
Was it a power struggle within the Murim?
The Demonic Cult wielded considerable influence in the Murim, but that didnt mean that every martial artist worshipped them. There were several forces who didnt agree with the ideologies advocated by the Demonic Cult who had been suppressing their dissatisfaction until now.
In other words, it wouldnt be strange for some Master who was unable to suppress his anger to charge into the Infernal Heaven.
However, why at a time like this?
Rumble!
U-, urk!?
What?!
When the entire castle began shaking as if there was a huge earthquake, Jiudad had a feeling of familiarity.
This tremor. It wasnt a normal earthquake.
He felt it before. Something very similar
Where the hell- ah
The Great Fusion?
This tremor was very similar to what hed felt when the Great Fusion took place. That was the extent of what Jiudad could grasp, and it was a speculation that hadnt yet reached the realm of truth.
However, his intuition was sharp. It was true that space itself had cracked both at the time of the Great Fusion and now.
Running out of the castle, Jiudad climbed the tallest watchtower.
And witnessed.
!
A pillar of light pierced through the roof of the tallest building in this city and disappeared beyond the sky.
What is that?
It felt like he was looking at a scene from a legend or myth.
It filled him with a feeling of overwhelming ecstasy and reverence. Then, as the pillar of light disappeared, Jiudads body was wracked by fear.
Something unbelievable was happening in Luanoble.
But the surprise wasnt over yet.
Shuk-
Four figures appeared behind Jiudad. Two of them were familiar faces. Lukas and Pale, who had disappeared abruptly.
The other two he was meeting for the first time.
One was a middle aged man with a neat appearance. And the other was a man with long hair and a fairly unisex appearance.
This was Jiudads first time meeting the long haired man, but he knew who this man was.
No way, is that the Heavenly Demon?
I didnt kill him. I thought he might be useful alive.
Lukas answer woke him from his sudden daze. But his confusion only grew.
N-, no. W-, wait a minute. Im not sure I understand the situation. What the hell are you
They didnt have to explain. Remaining silent was a privilege of the strong.
Therefore, it wasnt necessary for them to mention the fact that the Demonic Cult had suffered a blow that would be difficult to recover from, and that it was the middle aged man named Yang In-hyun who was responsible for it or the fact that the real Heavenly Demon had died at Lukas hands and that this man with ridiculously long hair was just a puppet who had been acting as a proxy for the Heavenly Demon.
Thinking this, Lukas pushed Dok Go-yun towards Jiudad.
Kuk.
Dok Go-yun staggered and regained his balance. Although hed come back to his senses not long after fainting, it seemed that he was still in shock.
In the future, the Demonic Cult will have no involvement in the politics of Luanoble. Tell him about the restructuring. Im sure hell give his full cooperation.
What is this how?
Let him explain, were going to go out for a while to have dinner.
After saying that, Lukas looked at Pale and Yang In-hyun and hesitated for a moment before eventually saying to Jiudad.
um. Do you have money?
* * *
Yet again, they left the castle and went out into the street.
By now, the sky had completely turned black. The night street was filled with vitality. The owner of Kalinka had said that most of the shops would be closed for the rest of the day, but that prediction was wrong.
The scents of fragrant foods came from every direction. As the day grew dark, the restaurants whose doors had been tightly shut began to open up one after the other.
now that I think about it, this is still the first day.
Hed come to the Three Thousand Worlds with Pale and Yang In-hyun, encountered the demon army, found out where they were, and finally wiped out the Demonic Cult organisation.
So much had happened and a day hadnt even passed yet.
Although his body wasnt tired, his head was aching. Shaking his head slightly as if trying to shake off his headache, Lukas looked around.
Then, he found the perfect shop.
Before anything else, he decided to walk in. As he expected, Pale followed him without a word. And Yang In-hyun stopped for a moment when he saw the shop sign.
The Golden Flower Pavilion().
The insincere name, the slightly nostalgic atmosphere, and the smell of the food drifting from the inside made Yang In-hyun speechless for a while.
By this time, Pale and Lukas had already entered the shop. Yang In-hyun followed them a step behind.
Welcome!
The Golden Flower Pavilion, a nighttime inn, had a boisterous atmosphere. The sounds of loud conversations, and the clinking of glasses filled with alcohol resounded continuously. Most of the windows were open, so the noise from the street was also mixed in.
And there were also many martial artists around. Looking at the shop assistant, Lukas said.
Isnt there a quieter place?
Its quiet on the 5th floor, but youd be charged for an extra admission fee.
Thats fine.
The price is a bit expensive
Thats fine.
Lukas mechanically repeated the same words. Subserviently, the shop assistant went upstairs first. Before following the shop assistant, Lukas turned his head slightly and shot a look at Yang In-hyun.
Will you follow, or will you turn this place into a sea of blood?
Even though he didnt verbalise it, his intention was obvious. Yang In-hyuns fingers wriggled slightly before he glanced over at Pale. With a delighted expression on her face, she stomped up the stairs.
His aim was so obvious that it wasnt even funny.
Lukas was currently stimulating Yang In-hyun while relying on Pales existence. In reality, it didnt seem like she wanted them to fight.
Huu.
Without a choice, Yang In-hyun could only follow.
As the shop assistant had said, the 5th floor was quiet. No, it wasnt just quiet, it was tranquil. This was because there was no one there apart from Lukas and the others who had just gone up.
As they sat, another shop assistant approached them with a smile.
What would you like to order?
The shop assistant had a typical Russian face. The theme of wearing something similar to a flowy uniform looked quite funny on him.
Do you have any menu recommendations?
The fried food in our inn is amazing. If it is your first time, Id recommend the sweet and sour fillets(ǴＹ) and chinese spring rolls().
Then with that
If you have it with our Hundred Flower Wine(ٻ) you will experience an even deeper flavour.
Then together with that-
Suddenly, Pale smiled and held out the wooden board that had all kinds of food written on it.
Ill have everything here.
Huh?
Give me everything.
Uh
You cant?
No. Its not that, but
The shop assistant secretly looked over Lukas, Yang In-hyun and Pale. He was probably estimating whether they really had enough money to pay for that.
In all honesty, none of the three looked like they did.
Lukas decided to tip the hesitant shop assistant. He wasnt sure how much to give, so he just gave them 10 dollars.
At that, the shop assistants face lit up.
Please give me a moment. Your food will be served soon.
After that, the shop assistant politely bowed and left.
Now, only Lukas, Pale, and Yang In-hyun were left at the table.
You were mistaken.
The silence was suddenly broken by Yang In-hyuns voice.
Coming to a shop like this wouldnt make me feel anything.
Even though there were many shops nearby, Lukas must have intentionally chosen to come to a restaurant like this one that took the form of a drinking shop. But regardless of what his intention was, it was pointless.
Then Lukas looked at Yang In-hyun in front of him.
When was it?
At some point, whenever he got into a conflict with someone, he usually resolved it by force. This wasnt exactly because Lukas had violent tendencies.
The stronger the being, the more indomitable their belief.
It was very difficult for such beings to be persuaded or coaxed by talking.
The only way to shake that was to persuade them through force.
But that method was not available right now. Because Lukas didnt want to fight Yang In-hyun. So for the first time in a long while.
Why do you hate the Murim so much?
He chose to talk.
A technique like the Eternal Plum Sword First Move Murim Annihilation is not something that couldve been born simply from training in swordsmanship. Im sure you have some kind of background.
Answer me.
Why?
Because then I might understand. At the very least, the Yang In-hyun I know is not a man who would kill for no reason.
Lukas had already made a decision.
He could not drag both Pale and Yang In-hyun around as time bombs. This time, it was a small disturbance(?), but if Yang In-hyun were to commit the same behaviour again, the situation might be tens or even hundreds of times worse.
The worst case would be for both of them to go out of control.
huu.
Yang In-hyun sighed heavily.
What difference would it make if you understand?
At least I might stop meddling in whatever you do.
Yang In-hyun also didnt want a confrontation.
This was because he recognised Lukas power. He knew that he was as strong as him.
Hed had that impression since their first meeting, and it had solidified after their brief exchange in the Infernal Heaven.
That fight was nothing more than a simple probe. Lukas hadnt used his full power and Yang In-hyun hadnt used his Everlasting Plum Sword.
But that was more than enough for them to understand each others level.
Yang In-hyun was silent for a while. A long while. He kept his mouth closed until the food was brought out one after the other.
Pale quickly devoured the food. Lukas only moved his chopsticks a few times until his stomach was no longer empty before stopping.
Mm. It was delicious but too greasy.
Pale didnt seem to like foods that were too oily. It seemed so because she seemed to enjoy eating raw meat that was dripping with blood. It wasnt long before she reached for the hundred flower wine that was served with the food.
Pop, she opened the cork and took a big gulp.
huh?
Pales face brightened.
This is delicious!
Then, she snatched the bottles of hundred flower wine beside her and drank three in quick succession. After drinking from the bottle, Pales white face gradually took on a red hue.
This wasnt good, as Lukas had this thought and was about to stop her with a stiff face.
He caught sight of Pale placing the bottle of hundred flower wine back onto the table.
Wait
Boom!
-The moment the bottle of hundred flower wine was placed down, the table was smashed.
Seeing this, Lukas broke out into cold sweat.
That was dangerous.
He had created a space beneath the table to absorb the impact If he had been even slightly slower, the impact of her placing the bottle down would have pulverised the entire building, the Golden Flower Pavilion, before scattering it into the nearby street.
Mmm
The culprit who had nearly created such a major disaster, staggered a few times before leaning onto Lukas shoulder and fell asleep.
Was she really asleep?
Lukas looked at the face of the sleeping Pale, wondering if she was acting or not.
Just as his face became troubled.
Yang In-hyun looked at Pale with a complicated expression. He probably had a completely different feeling from when he usually looked at Pale.
Before long, he muttered.
perhaps choosing this store wasnt such a bad choice.
He looked at the hundred flower wine on the table.
I dont drink. In the past, and now.
Then, contrary to his words, he held out a glass towards Lukas. After a brief pause, Lukas poured the alcohol for him.
Gurgle-
He half filled the glass. This was out of consideration since he said he didnt drink alcohol. But Yang In-hyun gulped down the half filled glass in one go.
Gulp.
After swallowing the alcohol, Yang In-hyun lowered his head.
hundred flower wine, was her favourite drink.
Lukas didnt ask who her was. He just stared at him quietly.
I would like to ask you something, Lukas Trowman.
Putting down the glass, Yang In-hyun said.
What do you think is a martial artist?
(TL: Here is the first illustration for Pale.)
Book 2: Chapter 476
Book 2: Chapter 476 Lukas knew a fair bit about martial artists. This wasnt referring to the magic martial artists from his home universe.
This was referring to those who used internal energy that they accumulated in their danjeon to power their martial arts.
Beings who lived in another world called the Murim, martial artists.
However, Yang In-hyun didnt seem to simply be asking him for a definition of martial artists.
Mmm
Pale tossed and turned with a groan. Her sleeping face was like that of an angel, although her drooling destroyed any sense of elegance. Trying to ignore her existence, Lukas said.
Are they not those who temper their bodies and polish their martial arts?
Im asking about after that.
After?
Polishing martial arts and tempering the body. Those arent wrong. In fact, it is even advisable. However, then what? What would you do after gaining that strong power?
If you were to dig at it from that direction, then nothing in this world would be meaningful.
At that, a corner of Yang In-hyuns mouth rose.
No. There is a clear reason for a farmer to cultivate a field. To stock up on food, to trade for goods. Even if their jobs are different, shop workers who do the chores, boatmen who row all day, soldiers defending a royal palace, or astronomers staring at the night sky, all have the same purpose. Even a petty thief who steals a single potato to fill his stomach has a reason. So let me ask. What is the purpose of a martial artist?
Lukas couldnt answer.
This was because it was a problem hed never really thought deeply about and because he felt like he shouldnt open his mouth hastily.
Its simple. To rule as the strong, that is all.
Yang In-hyuns gaze drifted down to the hundred flower wine.
Then, after a brief pause, he spoke once more.
The Murim, is a world that shouldnt exist.
* * *
Yang In-hyun, age 8, autumn.
In an underground space created by remodelling an underground cave. Dozens of children were gathered in a gloomy place that was only illuminated by candlelight.
This is an era when righteousness(x) has fallen to the ground.
It was the only voice in this place that didnt belong to a child.
It was an old man with an even older old impression, but his very presence seemed to fill the huge cave. Of course, that wasnt all. The eyes of the children were filled with indescribable emotions as they looked at this old man.
For the dozens of children there, that old man was their saviour. Although they all had different forms, he had repaid debts and saved their lives.
But the old man had never treated the children warmly. From the start, he always maintained a cold attitude towards the children and threatened to send them back to where theyd come from if they acted rudely or lacked manners.
They were all children with different backgrounds and circumstances, but they all had no choice but to be fearful of the old mans words. Because of this, the children did not speak a word of complaint even when being made to stand for over an hour in a cave with an atmosphere so gloomy it wouldnt be a surprise for a ghost to appear.
The men of refined taste no longer sing about the chivalry(b) of martial artists. The overwhelming forces of the evil faction, the establishment of the Demonic Cult, the fall of some of the most upright members of the righteous faction. There are probably countless reasons for this. Those from the grass roots are speaking in unison. This is an era where a plague is running rampant.
the Nine Righteous Sects*, who used to be the most prestigious members of the righteous faction, became obsolete. Mount Hua** no longer smells of plum blossoms.(*: According to the wiki, this refers to the top 10 sects in the Murims righteous faction.)(**: Decided to only refer to Yang In-hyuns territory in the void world as Flower Mountain, the murim sect will be Mount Hua for separation purposes)
The old mans voice carried a hint of remorse. Then, the look in his eyes changed as he turned towards the children. At the end of his deep gaze were emotions that were impossible to describe.
You all will drive the plague away.
!
And you will bring the scent of plum blossoms back to Flower Mountain. Im sure of it.
The voice of the Mount Hua Sect Elder, Red Void Jo Sung-choo, caused the children to tremble.
Thats why you cant give up. Get used to the pain. Whenever youre struggling, think about your roles and a better world. Then, you will all become the heroes of this era.
1.
Living was hell.
Thud-
Yang In-hyun heard the sound of someone falling. He looked to his left Who was it? Ah, right. Moyong San was that guys name.
It was said that he was a descendant of the prestigious Moyongse Family. Jo Sung-choo had picked him up when he found him nearly dead after being caught up in some scheme.
If he was left like that, he would probably die. Autumn nights were incredibly chilly, and many scary mountain beasts appeared around this place. There was no way that they would pass up the chance to taste the soft, tender flesh of a defenceless boy.
The moment Yang In-hyun was about to go try to help Moyong San.
What do you think youre doing?
He heard a shout from somewhere.
Upon turning around, he saw Jo Sung-choo staring at him with wide eyes.
San two* fell down.(*:Assuming theres a san one)
Answer the question first. Im asking about your actions right now.
I was going to help him since hed die if left alone.
Why?
I am not injured, and I still have plenty of energy left. Even if I carry San two, Ill be fine
Nevertheless, why?
because, Elder wont help him.
At that, Jo Sung-choo strode over and slapped Yang In-hyun across the face The taste of blood spread in his mouth. This was because the inside of his cheek had torn apart.
What do I always tell you?
Answer me.
Yang In-hyun forced himself to speak.
to kill our emotions.
And?
To obey the words of Mount Hua, without question.
What else?
Wiping the blood from his mouth, Yang In-hyun replied.
never forget chivalry, and always keep it in your heart. But I dont understand. Isnt chivalry about guarding faith, respecting principles, and above all, protecting the weak?
That is all correct. However, San two is not weak. Look.
Moyong San wriggled his fingers. And he could see him clench his teeth, trying to raise his body.
Isnt he trying to stand up on his own? Your help will only be an insult to that child.
Go on ahead. And stop looking around. Let go of your compassion as well. The children around you are not the weak that need your help, but the comrades you will walk with.
Yang In-hyun hesitated for a moment before walking forward. But after walking a few steps, he looked back.
At Moyong San who had forcibly picked himself up.
There was no spite or determination in his gaze. It was fear that moved him. The voice and pressure of the old man who only had a few sparse hairs standing behind him was the only thing keeping him moving.
But Yang In-hyun was no different from Moyong San.
After all, wasnt it the fear of Jo Sung-choo that he felt that was making him move at that moment?
Kuk.
Yang In-hyun bit his lip. Then he just moved his body roughly so as to force himself to stop thinking about it.
He climbed a sheer cliff. Avoided traps that could take his life. And killed the occasional wild animal that he encountered.
Then.
He reached the top of the mountain.
At the top, all kinds of delicacies had been prepared for them, including medicines to heal their wounds and even elixirs.
Jo Sung-choo had prepared all of this.
Hed created a system where they would obtain better rewards depending on their order of arrival.
But Yang In-hyun didnt touch any of the prepared rewards.
Instead, all he did was eat one dumpling and drink a few sips of water.
Then, he sat in a corner and waited.
As time passed, children arrived one after the other. They were all covered in scars, and the moment they reached the top, they all had expressions of relief. Then, in turn, they took the rewards that Jo Sung-choo had prepared.
Food, medicine, and elixirs all disappeared.
Yang In-hyun sat and watched all of these scenes without exception.
By the time the dawn of the new day began to arrive, new children stopped appearing.
Instead, Jo Sung-choo was the one that appeared.
Well done. You all surpassed your limits.
Jo Sung-choos voice was filled with satisfaction.
Now well move on to the next step.
Yang In-hyun looked around one last time.
When theyd arrived, there had been a total of 49 children. But only 27 children had arrived at the top of the mountain.
Moyong San was not among them. He knew what that meant.
2 years.
It had been 2 years. That was how long it had been since Moyong San had left the Moyongse Family and started training at Mount Hua.
Was that the life Moyong San had wanted? When hed accepted Jo Sung-choos offered hand, had he expected this kind of end?
If that was the case, then what was the meaning to such a life?
To only live for two more years before becoming a corpse in a mountain no one would search, and be eaten by wild animals.
Would Jo Sung-choo remember him? What about the other children? Would Mount Hua remember the name Moyong San?
As dawn broke, a cool breeze blew atop the mountain.
10 years old, again in fall.
2.
16 years old, early winter.
The plan for success that Id set was for 20 years.
As he said this, Jo Sung-choo let out a white breath.
That was my minimum expectation. 30 years, 40 years, 50 years I even wondered if Id have to pass down the task to someone else.
However, Hyun. Your existence shortened that plan by decades.
Jo Sung-choos rare smile was bright.
You have already surpassed me.
Those words werent a lie. Sar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
At the age of 16, Yang In-hyun had already surpassed Jo Sung-choo. He had already been taught several combat techniques, including Mount Huas actual martial arts, by Jo Sung-choo, and now, he could overwhelm him in every aspect apart from internal energy.
Although Jo Sung-choo looked like an old man, and he had already resigned from his position as an Elder of Mount Hua, he still possessed skills that wouldnt be lacking even when compared to peak masters.
To surpass Jo Sung-choo, who far surpassed him in age, before reaching the age of twenty
The word genius isnt enough.
A natural martial aptitude and talent, coupled with a harsh environment and training to the point of death, and the martial arts and elixirs of one of the righteous factions most prestigious sects.
All of these factors had combined to make Yang In-hyun what he had become.
The other childrens training hasnt ended. However, I have nothing more to teach you.
Jo Sung-choos eyes narrowed.
So I will give you your first task.
I await your orders.
Kill Jin Gi-ak. The deadline will be 1 year.
He gave the command as if it was nothing, but it was by no means light.
Yang In-hyun knew this.
Jin Gi-ak was one of the demon leaders that dominated the evil faction. He was also an elder of the cult known as the Blood Ghost Sect, as well as one of the Three Tyrants()* that had recently gained notoriety.(*: Not exactly but the word I translated as bully means to rule through might instead of right)
The power of the Three Tyrants is at least on the same level as one of an elder from the Nine Righteous Sects.
This referred to the elders that were still on active duty, no Jo Sung-choo, who had resigned from the front line.
I will obey your command.
Nevertheless, Yang In-hyun nodded calmly.
On that day, Yang In-hyun made his debut in the murim as the sharpest sword forged.
Jo Sung-choo did not think Yang In-hyun would fail. But he did think that 1 year might not be enough.
Itll be a good experience.
In any case, since it was his first mission, there would probably be many problems.
After Yang In-hyun returned, Jo Sung-choo intended to dig deeper into his mistakes and pick them apart one by one.
After some time passed, Yang In-hyun returned to Mount Hua.
And it was then that Jo Sung-choo realised that his two expectations had been wrong.
First, Yang In-hyun returned not after a year, but after three months.
And second, he had returned with not one head, but three.
Yang In-hyun had defeated all of the Three Tyrants, not just Jin Gi-ak.
3.
Assassination, execution, or slaughter.
Yang In-hyuns main missions were all to kill.
But at some point, he began to be forced to do more. It wasnt that hard. It was simply placing a red plum blossom on the corpses. This was also the same for his comrades who had also begun their activities.
The demon leaders of the evil faction or corrupt officials from the righteous faction were assassinated one after the other.
And a red plum blossom was also present at the scene.
Being targeted by the Bloody Plum Group was no different to writing your name in King Yamas book.
After some time, rumours began to spread even to the people who had nothing to do with the murim.
Excellent work.
Jo Sung-choo said in a satisfied voice.
The Bloody Plum Group(Ѫ÷F).
There were only four people known by that name. They were the only survivors of the rigorous training, and the levels their martial arts reached made it easy to overpower even four or five elders of small or medium sects.
Jo Sang-choo didnt call these four the Bloody Plum Group, he called them Killing Ghosts().
At last, law and order has been revived in the murim. You should be proud. This was all accomplished because of you all.
We just did what we had to do.
Evil Killing Sword Wiji Gil responded in an emotionless voice. Jo Sung-choo slowly looked around before walking towards Yang In-hyun.
Then, he put his hand on his shoulder and said,
Your hard work was especially good. Hyun.
Thank you.
However, this mission will not be easy. So please take extra care.
He had never received such advice from Jo Sung-choo before a mission before. Yang In-hyun looked at him without a word.
Your next target is the Blood Prince.
!
The other Killing Ghosts flinched and looked towards Jo Sung-choo. There was also a mixture of astonishment in their gazes.
Jo Sung-choos wrinkled eyes remained directed at Yang In-hyun.
Kill the Blood Prince.
Despite asking for so much, Jo Sung-choo knew what kind of answer he would receive.
I will obey your command.
Because Yang In-hyun had never turned down a mission.
The Blood Prince(Ѫ)
A much more famous name.
The Evil Factions Number Two Man(аɵڶ) Dang Chun-geuk.
Yang In-hyun, 25 years old, late winter.
Received a life-changing mission.
Book 2: Chapter 478
Book 2: Chapter 478 Dang Chun-geuk has a daughter.
His heart sank.
Her name is Dang Hwa-ryun, and she works as an apothecary in a village called Great Virtue-
Jo Sung-choos voice continued, but it stopped entering his ears.
Hyun, I know youve been going to that village a lot recently.
He sucked in a breath.
How did he know? Did he track him? Or had he made a mistake and left some evidence? No, he hadnt acted that clumsily.
How the hell
Good job.
Huh?
You were investigating the agents left behind by Dang Chun-geuk, right? Hyun, I really admire your thoroughness.
However, its done now. I also carried out my own investigations. The Black Demon Alliance that Dang Chun-geuk left has been completely destroyed. Not even a remnant was left.
Jo Sung-choo spoke with a calm expression.
You can kill her now.
His mind went blank.
Jo Sung-choo turned around.
After he finished speaking, he left without delay. But he couldnt leave it at that.
Wait!
Yang In-hyun hurriedly held him back.
Mm?
Did you mean kill Dang Hwa-ryun?
Thats what I said.
What is the reason?
?
Jo Sung-choo looked at Yang In-hyun with a puzzled expression. This was because Yang In-hyun had never expressed any doubts about a mission before.
She has nothing to do with the murim. She was born in Great Virtue and has never left. Naturally, she wouldnt know that her father is the Blood Sovereign either
Do you know who Dang Chun-geuks father is?
Huh?
Blood Disaster Demon(Ѫħ) Dang Gi-chul.
What does that have to do with
Dang Gi-chuls father, Dang Chun-geuks grandfather, was Heavenly Martial Arts Kill(O욢) Dang Il-lyuk, both of them were vicious people who created horrendous disasters that turned the murim into a bloody death.
.
The future generations of the Dang bloodline is something that must be cut off. Do you understand what that means? That means that not only Dang Hwa-ryun, but also any children she might someday have, have the talent to become a demon.
So you want me to kill her now? Even though she hasnt done anything yet?
It would be too late to do it after an incident. If she does go out of control, what will you say to the families of those that died?
It was ridiculous logic. There was a limit to speculation.
For the first time, Yang In-hyun felt that something was horribly wrong.
I wont do it.
Then, he muttered in a firm voice.
I will not kill Dang Hwa-ryun. Never.
Jo Sung-choos face became one of surprise and anger.
Then, after a moment, it became expressionless.
Looking at Yang In-hyun with emotionless eyes, he spoke in a dry voice.
You are refusing to do the mission, is that what youre saying now?
Yes.
I see, understood.
Yes?
Yang In-hyun was surprised when Jo Sung-choo accepted it so easily.
Until now, there was never a time when you failed to follow orders. So I will respect your wishes this time.
tha-, thank you.
In comparison to Yang In-hyun, whose expression brightened at the unexpected result, Jo Sung-choo disappeared without a reply.
Even so, he kept his head lowered in thanks.
He was glad hed spoken up.
It was a stupid thought.
* * *
He thought hed grown accustomed to blood. No. It was different from being accustomed to it.
Even when hed committed his first murder, Yang In-hyun hadnt felt anything. This was also according to Jo Sung-choos arrangement. He had taught them to be like that.
Therefore, Yang In-hyun wouldnt be shaken even in front of a mountain of corpses and an ocean of blood.
But not now.
There was only one body at the scene, but Yang In-hyuns hands and feet shook.
Dang Hwa-ryun.
She was lying submerged in a pool of blood as if she had fallen asleep.
I was a bit nervous because she was Dang Chun-geuks daughter.
Together with the voice appeared a man,
It was revealed.
A face he knew.
Wiji Gil. A man who was a Killing Ghost just like Yang In-hyun.
She wasnt that big of a deal. No different from an ordinary person.
I dont know why you had a hard time with this woman, Yang In-hyun. Sarch* The ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
It was then that Yang In-hyun realised.
Jo Sung-choo had accepted Yang In-hyuns refusal, but that didnt mean hed given up on killing Dang Hwa-ryun.
The mission that Yang In-hyun had refused had just been given to another Killing Ghost.
To the man here, Wiji Gil.
Before he could even feel its warmth, spring
Went away.
* * *
It wasnt like he was moving his body, it was like he was operating it. The days passed like that.
There was a huge hole in his chest, and the sense of loss was impossible to fill.
As if his heart had disappeared, he could no longer hear it beating in his body.
Staggeringly.
He continued to carry out missions in a manner as if he would collapse at any moment. He couldnt stand it otherwise.
Jo Sung-choo was extremely satisfied with Yang In-hyuns attitude. The form of only following missions was the ideal form that Jo Sung-choo had in mind for the Corpse Ghosts.
One thing.
Yang In-hyun also had a change.
He began to grow stronger. Even at that moment, just by inhaling and exhaling, he continued to climb to a higher level.
And he killed.
He killed so much that a scent of blood that couldnt be erased permeated his entire body.
Time passed with each kill. But Yang In-hyuns time had already stopped.
In the colourless world, the only thing that stood out was blood.
The time that had stopped began to flow again.
You cant kill him.
?
It was when he heard this voice.
Yang In-hyun stared blankly at Jo Sung-choo.
It was the moment hed defeated the Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult, the Heavenly Demon, and brought him back to Mount Hua alive.
What is the reason?
?
You know it as well, the might of the Demonic Cults forces.
Yes. And I am well aware of the dangers.
Right. However, it is possible to control that danger. Because all of the followers of the Demonic Cult obey the orders of the Cult Leader unconditionally.
Do you still not understand? If we can control the Heavenly Demon, we will gain control of the entire Demonic Cult. With their power, it would be possible to contribute greatly to the peace of the murim. I would be able to move my plans forward.
Jo Sung-choo spoke as if giving a speech.
But Yang In-hyun didnt understand.
What was this guy talking about right now?
This man is the Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult, the Heavenly Demon.
Thats right.
And the force he leads is the Demonic Cult.
Thats right.
hundreds of martial artists have died to them. And dozens or even hundreds of times more civilians suffer because of them.
And you just told me to spare this man?
Hyun, you have to think broadly.
Jo Sung-choo spoke.
The standard of martial arts that the Heavenly Demon possesses. There are only a handful of martial artists in the present murim that can compete with him. If we could take control of such a person, how much would it help in raising the morality of the murim?
Of course, it might be hard to understand. However
Then what about Dang Hwa-ryun?
Yang In-hyun felt as if he was spitting out lava.
After the incident, he had been living like a puppet for five years, but now, he could help but spew out the heat that was building up in his throat.
Yang In-hyun asked.
Why did Dang Hwa-ryun have to die?
Hyun.
Then.
Jo Sung-choo said.
Who is Dang Hwa-ryun?
His mind went blank. Then, he felt his head begin to ache.
He felt sick. Dizzy. This time, his field of vision, became red
Hyun?
He felt sick to his stomach.
He felt like throwing up right then.
what, was that-?
Nevertheless, he forced himself to speak.
What did you just say?
Ah.
Jo Sung-choo seemed to finally remember.
Right. Dang Hwa-ryun. That was the name of Dang Chun-geuks only daughter.
Then he spoke.
But Yang In-hyun could no longer hear Jo Sung-choos voice clearly.
Had he forgotten? The woman who hed sentenced to death with his own mouth. A woman he had practically killed himself.
How could that be?
At the very least, Yang In-hyun remembered the faces of all of the people hed cut down.
This is a different case from that woman. Dang Hwa-ryun didnt learn martial arts even after becoming an adult-
A different case?
What was the difference?
However, we cannot forget the savagery in her blood. There was still the chance of her going out of control if she learned demonic arts. On the other hand, the Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult already has a complete understanding of his martial arts, so theres no need to worry about him losing his reason-
He was talking about something, but he couldnt seem to hear him properly.
Instead, Yang In-hyun looked at the old man with blank eyes.
A face covered in liver spots, hair that was falling out, turbid eyes, and yellow teeth.
He couldnt feel any profoundness or elegance. It was like looking at a rotten tree that was giving off a stinky smell.
What the hell was this ugly old man?
Where was the Red Void?
That day,
The Jo Sung-choo who had taken him by the hand when he was suffering from hunger and guided him, where was he?
so you have to understand. Got it?
After finishing his story, Jo Sung-choos eyes shifted towards him.
And at that moment, he saw something shimmering in those eyes.
[Greed(j).]
-ah.
Yang In-hyun suddenly realised.
He was wrong.
It was his fault.
That day,
The day Dang Hwa-ryun died.
What Yang In-hyun should have cut with his sword wasnt the target of his next mission.
Hyun?
The person that he really should have cut that day.
was you.
What?
Jo Sung-choos neck was cut.
The old mans neck, which was already hard for him to control, was weaker than a rotten tree branch. Blood rushed out like a waterfall. It was surprising. A human like this had red blood.
Yang In-hyun then cut down the Cult Leader that he had captured and dragged here.
He also cut down the three remaining Killing Ghosts that rushed in.
Then, then
Yang In-hyun.
* * *
Severe regret could drive a person mad. At that time, the strong willpower developed through training was useless.
Even if he were to cut down the Righteous Factions Great One, or the Evil Factions Sky like he cut down the Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult, there was no way to turn back the past.
What was once lost could not be regained.
He had cut down Jo Sung-choo, but he would never meet Dang Hwa-ryun again.
Then what is the purpose of my sword?
If it was now, there was nothing that he couldnt cut.
Whether it be a mountain, sea, or even the sky, he could cut it.
However, at the moment when he should cut, Yang In-hyun had cut the wrong thing.
He could have prevented it. He could have done that much.
If he had been a bit faster, he could have saved Dang Hwa-ryuns smile.
He hadnt.
Then what exactly had he done until now?
-The men of refined taste no longer sing about chivalry.
He recalled Jo Sung-choos voice.
Chivalry(b).
What the hell was chivalry?
-Get used to the pain.
He was used to it.
-Whenever youre struggling, think about your roles and a better world.
He always thought about it.
The important role given to him, and a better world.
However Jo Sung-choos training was wrong.
Yang In-hyun didnt know the world. He didnt even know what the world contained.
How could he dream about a better world when he didnt even know what the original world was like?
-Then, you will all become the heroes of this era.
So, had he become a hero?
Before erasing Mount Hua, when hed still faithfully followed Jo Sung-choos words, was what hed done heroic?
No.
If he had really walked the path of a hero.
It might have been painful. He might have strayed. He might have given up. It might have been an arduous and lonely road.
However at least it would have been honourable. He would have been able to puff up his chest and admit it openly.
He couldnt do that.
Yang In-hyun was so ashamed of himself that he couldnt take it.
still.
If his actions had benefited the world even a little bit. If that was the case
He walked down the street to find out.
Hiding himself, he walked around Shaanxi.
He recalled the scene hed seen in Great Virtue.
Children playing beneath the sunset, elderly people watching the scene with bent backs. And young people clinking glasses beneath the moonlight The memories were faded now, but when he thought back to that time, he felt his empty heart fill ever so slightly.
Uaaah!
P-, please spare me some change. I havent eaten in three days.
Well, what do we have here? Youre dressed up so nicely.
He saw starving people.
Children picking up dumplings that fell to the floor, elderly people begging for money with bent backs. And young people trying to extort money and valuables from others.
Was this what the original world looked like?
Was this a better world?
Or was it deteriorating?
No. That didnt matter.
This place was Shaanxi. The breath of Mount Hua.
If Jo Sung-choos change for a better world were to occur, the first wave would certainly have started here.
Crunch.
His molars clenched so tightly that blood seeped out. His fists clenched as if they would shatter.
Jo Sung-choos goal.
From the beginning, it was never to establish righteousness and chivalry.
All he wanted to do was raise the name of Mount Hua.
To just put the name of Mount Hua at the top.
He just wanted something so trivial.
Mount Hua, Mount Hua!
Yang In-hyuns burning gaze turned to one place.
Towards the highest peak in the Shaanxi region.
* * *
The Supreme Council Meeting of the Mount Hua Sect was held on Yeonhwabong peak.
In a large conference hall where only the Sect Leader, Elders, and a few leaders with special permission were allowed to participate.
With this, even the Demonic Cult has been brought down.
I really cant help but admire Elder Jos mind.
But where is Elder Jo?
I heard he wouldnt be able to attend the meeting today.
Mm. Thats a shame.
Yang In-hyun eavesdropped on the meeting.
Then, lets proceed.
First of all, the Merchant Union that sprouted in the Shaanxi region has decided to rely on Mount Hua. From the next month, 70% of the dojos and drinking shops will be doing business under the name of Mount Hua.
Wont there be a lot of resistance from Zhongnan?
Haha. They have already been warned. They wont act foolishly. They know about the red plum blossoms, so they will accept it.
The Zhongnan Sect was also a part of the Nine Righteous Sects.
In the words of Jo Sung-choo, a comrade to rise up together with.
And yet, they were discussing ways to keep them in check, humiliate them, and suppress them.
Was this how they treated their comrades?
Ugh.
He felt like vomiting.
He bore it.
It seems we have been receiving a lot of requests from Sanseo and Hanam. Haha. We dont have enough students to send.
Wouldnt it be a good idea to send the second generation disciples? Even if the martial arts of those kids are lacking, there is no force left who dares to challenge Mount Hua head on.
Hmm. Thats a clever idea.
Ah. The Evil Factions Dark Flower Group(Ah) and Truth Piercing Gate(w?T) have expressed their intention to surrender. They seem to be planning on handing over the control of the entire region to Mount Hua
Thats not even worth considering. Hasnt history proven that righteous and evil arent compatible?
Why dont we publicly execute the heads of each school? Right here in Shaanxi. Wouldnt that be an opportunity to raise the name of Mount Hua and win the support of the public?
Hoh! And we can subjugate the remnants that remain.
Was this really the way a meeting between prominent members of a sect established in the murim was carried on?
Yang In-hyun could no longer suppress his nausea.
He revealed himself.
Uht?
Wh-, what fool is this?!
To dare come to this place
Their reactions made him suddenly want to burst into laughter.
Right. So that was it.
They didnt even know his face.
Ku, kukuku.
Where the hell was the scene he was painting?
Was this the law of murim that hed mentioned?
Haha, hahahaha!
This crazy bastard
I dont know how you managed to infiltrate so deeply, but well make you spit out everything you know.
In the meantime, the elders surrounding him drew their swords.
With poor posture, and contemptible internal energy.
You all, when last did you swing a sword?
What was that?
Kuku. No. Nevermind. There is something else Id like to ask instead.
Soon, Yang In-hyun asked with a calm smile.
The scent of plum blossoms, is it fragrant?
* * *
He wiped out Mount Hua.
He literally erased it.
He exterminated the Sect Leader and the Elders, and then the disciples. He knew there were innocents among them. He knew that what hed done was a massacre.
He knew it, but he couldnt stop himself.
Mount Hua disappeared.
And yet, the world didnt change.
Zhongnan filled the vacancy, their behaviour not much different from those from Mount Hua. They used their power to beat down and intimidate, and eventually, they began to look down on the weak and dominate the region.
Then, he realised.
In the end, the strong didnt care about the lives of the weak.
They, after all, were martial artists.
While chasing demons who killed dozens of people, they overlooked disasters that killed tens of thousands of people.
No one lowered themselves to do the field work for the sake of the famine stricken commoners. They didnt catch fish. They didnt cut firewood for the orphans who froze to death on the cold nights after the firewood ran out.
Because to the strong, to the martial artists, such things were trivial.
Those things couldnt help them raise their name.
Even if he were to wipe out Zhongnan, he was certain it would be the same.
The various factions simply slandered each other as they all fought to take the position of overlord.
Disgraceful.
Srrng.
Yang In-hyun drew his sword.
At one point, hed mistakenly believed he simply had to swing his sword at his opponents. That was the most miserable mistake in Yang In-hyuns life.
Not this time.
What Yang In-hyun knew wasnt what to cut.
He knew what to do.
(TL: Here is the illustration for Yang In-hyun.)
Book 2: Chapter 479
Book 2: Chapter 479 The street lights had gone out a while ago. As dawn approached, very few people could be found.
Lukas looked at the completely relaxed figure of Pale.
Now that he thought about it, he didnt think hed ever seen her sleep before. That was because sleep didnt exist in the World of Void.
Yang In-hyuns story tugged on his heartstrings. And he now understood why he once had a negative view of humans.
His life had been completely ruined because of the greed and malice of humans. Wiping out the world called murim at the last moment could be considered a very restrained result when compared to the rage Yang In-hyun felt.
In all honesty.
He hadnt expected it. For Yang In-hyun to reveal his origin like this.
Something shouldnt be mistaken though. This man wasnt the type of person to confide in others for advice or comfort. In the first place, it wasnt possible to conclude that Yang In-hyun was a good person.
What had happened to Yang In-hyun was certainly tragic. And there was nothing wrong with sympathising with him. However, the massacre hed carried out was definitely too far.
How many peoples blood did he have to be covered with in order to wipe out the murim?
Are you convinced?
After a short while, Yang In-hyun spoke.
Right. In the first place, the only reason hed brought up this story in the first place was to carry out his twisted conviction to kill martial artists. It was because he didnt want to have conflict with Lukas while carrying out this task.
right. I understand the situation.
Then you wont stop me from doing it.
I wont stop you.
Yang In-hyun made a puzzled expression when Lukas answered so passively.
However, there is something Id like you to answer.
What is it?
You hated the world called murim. This includes all the elements that make up that world. However, do you not consider yourself a martial artist?
An identity cannot be denied.
Im sure an identity can be denied.
Yang In-hyuns expression changed.
What are you trying to say? If you have something to ask, just ask.
Lukas decided to follow through.
Looking into Yang In-hyuns especially sunken eyes, he asked.
Why do you consider yourself the Sect Leader of Flower Mountain?
***
He didnt hear the answer.
This was because Yang In-hyun had gotten up from his seat and prepared to leave. It seemed he didnt want to continue this conversation. Or Lukas words had given him a change of heart.
Just as Lukas was about to send Metel after him again, he heard a voice.
I will be right back.
It seemed he found Metels presence offensive.
Are you going to kill someone else?
You said you wouldnt stop me.
Im just asking.
Yang In-hyun was silent for a moment before answering.
Not tonight at least. Im not in the mood to kill anyone.
Tonight, he said.
It wasnt something one should say at dawn, but Lukas was convinced.
At the moment that Yang In-hyun left and Lukas prepared to go back to the castle,
[How boring.]
He heard the Lightning Gods voice in his head.
[My excitement was shattered. I was curious about how such a strong being came to be, but it wasnt that big of a deal.]
thats surprising. Is that really what you thought after hearing that?
[Did you expect me to feel some kind of human emotion?]
The Lightning God smirked as he said that.
[I just realised if all Twelve of the Void Lords are like Yang In-hyun, those guys wont be able to respond.]
Respond? Do you mean to you Rulers?
The Lightning God continued without answering.
[An unprecedented being, someone strong enough to step into our domain, is only born in one case. By incalculable coincidence Those guys arent. They just had a couple incidents and low quality malice.]
Most of the things that we call incidents are born out of coincidence.
[Youre making stupid remarks. If you look back at an incident, you will be able to clearly see the cause of it. The only reason it can be dismissed as a coincidence is if you cannot grasp the causal relationship. Its like a natural disaster. The ignorant consider them to be the wrath of god.]
Then what coincidence are you talking about?
[Well the way the Seven Fanged Dragon God was born.]
Lukas said in disbelief.
Its not surprising that you treat every being that isnt a Ruler as trash, but did you forget? The one who brought down the Seven Fanged Dragon God was one of the Twelve Void Lords.
[Thats right. Kuku]
The Lightning God chuckled as if hed heard something unpleasant. Lukas had no desire to continue the conversation, so he just woke up Pale, who was lying beside him.
Wake up. Itll be dawn soon.
Uhh
With a groan, Pale opened her eyes.
Then, with dishevelled hair and dopey eyes, she uttered.
Hungry.
It was 4:17 in the morning.
This remark was made 17 minutes after the closing time for the drinking shop.
Looking at the table, Pale said.
Wheres my food?
You ate it all.
Mm. Im sure I had a bit left.
They had eaten the leftovers as snacks.
It really was a bit.
Im hungry.
Pale muttered the word again.
Lets go back to the castle. You can eat as much as you want there.
Why? This is a restaurant. The food was delicious too.
Business hours have ended. We have to leave now.
Ayyy. Im hungry.
You cant.
At that, a dangerous glint appeared in Pales eyes.
I want to eat, now.
Lukas broke out in cold sweat. It was clearly the appearance of Pale, but, strangely, the tone was similar to that of the Blue Knight.
This might not end as a joke. If he didnt fill her stomach here, an unbelievable disaster might occur.
He didnt have the courage to try to forcefully take Pale to the castle in this state.
Excusing himself, he called for the owner who was closing up.
Hah? You want me to make food? Do you not see the time?! Thats really rude! Its already past closing time! (TL: Sir if you dont want us all to die)
Was what he said until he gave him way too much money for him to bring out food to feed Pale.
Huhuhu.
Pale grinned in satisfaction as she inhaled the food with puffed cheeks. Sarch* The N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Strange.
By nature, she was a glutton, but she didnt want food this often before.
Did something change after she came to this world?
With such doubts in his mind, he finally returned to the castle. It was just before dawn.
He didnt see Jiudad or Dok Go-yun in the throne room. But he could feel their presence in the private chamber beside it.
When he opened the door, he bore witness to a strange scene.
It was the forms of two men drinking tea.
Youre back?
Ku-, kuhum
Unlike Jiudad, Dok Go-yun seemed to have a hard time greeting Lukas.
Y-, youre here.
Then, with a determined expression, he spoke informally. But when Lukas gaze turned to him, he quickly flinched and added.
sir.
He didnt care if this man spoke formally or informally. Rolling his eyes, Lukas looked at Dok Go-yun and said.
You can go back and clean up the Demonic Cult. Ill come look for you soon.
Ye-, yes.
Dok Go-yun answered quickly and left just as quickly.
He could consider this an opportunity to escape, but he had no intention of doing so.
The magic that this blonde haired monster used was invisible, and he was also able to use some kind of amazing spatial movement.
It felt different from the Warp spell used by Wizards, the space contraction method of the Magicians, or the portals of the Great Galactic Alliance.
One thing was certain though, as long as he had that bizarre technique, Dok Go-yun would never be able to run away from Lukas.
After confirming that Dok Go-yun had completely left, Lukas said.
Im sorry, but I ended up spending more money than expected.
Its fine for you to use all of it. After all, you are my benefactor.
Jiudad smiled as he said this.
There was still a hint of bewilderment on his face.
To be honest, I still cant believe it. To think the Heavenly Demon would show such a figure Who the hell
Jiudad muttered for a moment before shaking his head.
I wont question your identity. What is important is to keep my promise. You said you wanted my full support? As long as you do not harm the people of Luanoble, I will grant your every request. Even at the cost of my life.
Of course, Lukas had no intention of making such a heavy request.
Id like to start with a simple question.
Of course.
Have you ever heard of an organisation called the [Trowman Rings]?
It was something he should have asked immediately after realising that Lukas Trowman existed in this universe.
You know about the Trowman Rings?
Right. Can you briefly tell me what you know about them?
Hmm. Fine.
Jiudad began to speak with a casual expression.
First off, theyre mostly made up of people born on Earth. The Leader is a young woman with the title [White Flower]. Her name should be
Min Ha-rin.
Ah. Right. Thats it.
Although its made up of mostly young people, some of the founding members possess tremendous power that doesnt match their age. It is said that they gained power that defies common sense in an incident that occurred just before the Great Fusion. But I dont know the details about that.
The preliminaries for the Great Game.
The Great Game didnt just end after Lukas battle with Nodiesop. The rewards for the result had become meaningless, but the merit of being able to grow explosively in the field that had been prepared still remained, so it wasnt surprising that they had grown beyond recognition.
To be honest, he was a bit curious.
He wanted to see how strong his disciples had become with his own eyes.
However, meeting them would be difficult.
Although he had no intention of doing so, he asked.
Why is that?
The Trowman Rings are pan universal problem solvers that travel all across the world to resolve disputes. This means they never stay in one area for too long. They are probably some of the busiest beings since the Great Fusion.
Problem solvers that resolved disputes.
Lukas almost had the urge to laugh lightly for a moment.
are the Trowman Rings related to Lukas Trowman?
They dont seem to have any particular connection. But there are certainly many people who associate them as Trowman is not an established vocabulary. There is also some overlap in their actions
It seems that youre interested in the Trowman Rings.
A bit.
Mm. Please wait for a moment.
After saying that, Jiudad took out his laptop again.
I have some information about the size of the Trowman RIngs and its members. Of course, nothing I have is certain since it was all independently investigated by Luanoble, but it should serve as a reference.
Why did you investigate them?
I asked the Trowman Rings to help in our country. I had hoped that they would be powerful enough to drive away the Heavenly Demon. Of course I didnt receive a rep Mm?
Is there a problem?
Surprise shined in Jiudads eyes.
the Trowman Rings accepted my request. A week ago.
What?
Id been pretty busy recently so I didnt get the chance to check Mm. They say that they will be sending some of their members here, but according to the reply, they should be arriving today
Give it to me.
Lukas snatched the laptop away.
Then, when he saw the names on the screen, his expression became a bit strange.
Book 2: Chapter 480
Book 2: Chapter 480 Those sent by the Trowman Rings.
The number of people was fairly large. He looked through the list and found 12 names. Most of them were names that he didnt know. Since Min Ha-rin was the Leader, Lukas had thought that the group would be comprised mostly of people he knew, but that didnt seem to be the case.
Except for one.
The name of the person at the top was surprisingly familiar.
[Person in charge: Neil Prand]
A man who was once the boss of the Hunter Association.
And the disciple that Lukas had ultimately failed to lead in the right direction.
That Neil, was a member of the Trowman Rings?
Isnt this guy the Head of the Association?
Thats right.
But hes coming to aid Luanoble as a member of the Trowman Rings?
Is there a problem?
Problems? There were many.
Neil Prand could be classified as a dangerous man.
He had an amazing talent and senses, but his nationalist mindset was so strong that he had no issue sacrificing non-Americans.
For example, even if he had to choose between 1 American and 100 foreigners, he would choose the former without hesitation.
Was a man like that really affiliated with the Trowman Rings and accepted orders from Min Ha-rin?
It was natural for him to have suspicions.
Ive heard of Neil Prands martial prowess. If that man worked together with the elites of the Trowman Rings, they might have a good chance of defeating the Demonic Cult.
Ignoring Jiudads voice, Lukas came to a conclusion.
He couldnt meet Neil Prand.
This wasnt just because Lukas didnt want to make any more contact with his ties from Earth and his home universe.
During the Preliminaries for the Great Game, Lukas had tried to secure Neil as a member of his team. However, someone had struck before him.
Retip.(TL: According to the author, this is the correct spelling, but it isnt revealed till much later for some reason)
Is Retip still in this world?
It would be fair to assume that.
At the moment, meeting Retip would be undesirable. This wasnt just because the Lightning Gods consciousness was inside his body.
Retip would not be an easy opponent.
He was a Lord, a strong being that ranked at the top of Absolutes.
It was said that he was a monster that was at least comparable to the Demon King who held the same position. If he was to meet that guy and something went wrong which caused them to clash, he would have to use void again.
Im sure something bad would happen if he met Pale.
According to the response, it appeared that Neil Prand would be arriving in Luanoble today. Lukas felt the need to leave before that happened.
Jiudad, have you heard of the names Diablo and Kasajin before?
!
At that, Jiudads expression suddenly changed.
For a moment, he appeared startled before fear blossomed on his face.
theres no way I wouldnt know them. Especially the Archlich Diablo. He is the being responsible for the most terrible disasters before and after the Great Fusion.
After the Great Fusion? Diablo appeared in this world even after the Great Fusion occurred?
Thats right.
Lukas frowned.
He recalled the last scene that God had shown him. The image of his home universe meeting a tragic end.
Was that scene an event that unfolded in this merged universe? Or had God tricked Lukas?
If not
The future might have already changed.
Lukas shook his head.
For now, he had just learned something.
Diablo had a method of travelling between the World of Void and the Three Thousand Worlds. He knew this because he had seen Diablo in the Dump Site before regressing.
If I use this fact well, I might be able to control Yang In-hyun.
Thinking this, he asked Jiudad.
Do you know where they are?
I might be able to guess, but there is a fairly high chance that I would be incorrect. And dont you have someone around you who would know even more than I do?
Mm.
Narrowing his eyes slightly, Lukas muttered the name of this person.
Heavenly Demon.
* * *
Yang In-hyun was standing on the roof of the building called Infernal Heaven once more. But this time, instead of looking down at the street, he was looking out over the horizon. The dark sky was slowly becoming grey as the glaring sun slowly rose in the east.
It was a sight that didnt exist in the World of Void, so it couldnt be seen.
Yang In-hyun asked himself.
Him now, was he feeling sorrow and other emotions while looking at this sprawling scene?
His chest had been feeling stuffy for a while.
There were many reasons for this, but the biggest reason for this was the last question Lukas had asked.
-Why do you consider yourself the Sect Leader of Flower Mountain?
He hadnt been particularly shocked by it. Yang In-hyun had always been relatively able to look at himself objectively. Naturally, he was also aware of the contradictions he had.
However, just because he was aware of the contradictions, did that mean he had to resolve them? How many beings in this world lived without harbouring contradictions?
I just wanted to see his reaction.
Yang In-hyun muttered quietly.
He knew about Lukas life. Because hed heard it so much he was tired of it.
Perhaps it was because he couldnt tell what his thoughts or reactions would be. He wondered what kind of expression Lukas would make after hearing about the life of the man called Yang In-hyun.
You travelled to many worlds, Lukas Trowman. Taking on the role of saviour.
He must have seen more strange scenes than the Mount Hua and murim trash that Yang In-hyun had seen. And yet, he didnt stop. He hadnt abandoned his duty.
Was it because that was your first conviction?
If so, then what was the difference between you and me?
You
Who are you?
Yang In-hyun said this out loud. This time, it wasnt a murmur.
Taking his eyes off of the horizon, he turned around.
Before he knew it, a man was standing here.
Hello, sir.
A man in a suit and fedora, holding a cane.
I asked you who you are.
This foolish guy doesnt have a name. You can just call me Pawn for now.
Nevertheless, if that displeases you, please call me Gentleman.
The man called Gentleman took off his fedora and bowed.
Pawn he said.
Yang In-hyun narrowed his eyes.
In his opinion, this man was not so weak as to lower himself in such a way.
Right, Gentleman. What business do you have with me?
Thanks to sir, I was able to witness a priceless sight yesterday. So first of all, let me start by expressing my heartfelt thanks. It was truly a beautiful stage.
A sight? That is not possible. There wasnt anyone watching. I killed them all.
Thats quite assertive.
Im sorry, but someone at your level would not be able to deceive me.
Haha. That is right. As you said all the people watching you died. However, I was watching through video.
Smiling, Gentleman raised his cane and pointed at the sky.
Then, Yang In-hyun recalled the gigantic flying metal ship that he had seen when they first arrived.
A ship that soared higher than Mount Tai.
If that was the case, then
0
Yang In-hyun looked up at the sky.
For a short time.
Indeed.
Then nodded.
There is a strange object floating in the vacuum of space. Was that the cause of the strange feeling?
huh?
For a moment, Gentleman couldnt help but be taken aback by his remark.
Did he really confirm the presence of the satellite in space with his naked eyes?
No, there was no way. He had to be bluffing or joking.
Soon, his smile returned.
In any case, it was amazing. The power to single-handedly demolish the Demonic Cult I was naturally in awe.
So? What business do you have with me?
Do you not like this kind of private talk? Alright. What do you think of the phenomenon called the Great Fusion?
Yang In-hyun responded expressionlessly.
I have no opinions.
Is that so? Have you never had this thought? There must be a reason why the strong people who reached the peak in different universes and different environments, were miraculously gathered in one space.
That is what we think. If God exists, then he must have decided to host some kind of competition to determine the strongest in the entire multiverse. The huge explosion must be a result of this! It is foolish to try to stop it
For a moment, an expression of disgust flashed across the face of Gentleman, who had been speaking joyfully.
Im talking about the fools that try to obstruct this great interaction.
To ignore this opportunity gifted by the heavens and the voice of the era is, without a doubt, an incredibly foolish thing to do.
Gentleman placed his hand into his breast pocket.
Then, he retrieved a black card and handed it to Yang In-hyun.
Sir. Would you be willing to join us?
Turning over the black card that was bereft of any characters or patterns, Yang In-hyun asked.
[Us] isnt the name of the organisation you belong to, right?
Thats right.
With a smile, Gentleman opened his mouth.
2.
VIP?
Dok Go-yun nodded at Lukas question.
Yes.
The Demon King, Diablo, and even the Heavenly Demon are affiliated with it?
Rather than affiliating you could call them members of VIP.
Members?
Pale, who was beside him, tilted her head as if she was unfamiliar with the concept.
Yes. So there are many cases in which members do not know the true identities of other members. Most of them seem to like hiding their true identities like the former Cult Leader.
the Cult Leader said that the Demon King and Diablo are exceptional members. He said they didnt hesitate to reveal themselves.
Looking at Lukas, Dok Go-yun said.
Um. So what should I call you
Luka sajin. Call me that.
Ah, yes. Sir Lukasajin. A splendid name.
Does Sir Lukasajin have some kind of grudge against them? S~ea??h the ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
I have to ensure their end with my own hands. Both of them.
I, I see.
Dok Go-yun gulped.
He, of course, knew how strong the Demon King and Diablo were. Even if he were to briefly scan the TV or newspaper at that moment, he would find reports of dozens of disasters and massacres caused by those monsters.
However, the thought that the man in front of him might be under them never occurred to him. After all, wasnt this the being who had killed the Heavenly Demon in an instant without a scratch?
In other words, a monster catching monster. More of a monster than a monster
As a martial artist, Dok Go-yun couldnt help but feel a bit excited.
This man, the Demon King, and Diablo.
If they fought, who would be the final winner?
There will be a chance to meet them soon. The Cult Leader said that a general review meeting for the VIP would be held soon.
Perhaps because this desire spurned him on, Dok Go-yun said these words before he could realise.
A general review meeting? What will they be reviewing?
W-, well. Im not sure
I heard that this card is proof of a VIP membership.
As he said that, Dok Go-yun pulled out a black card. He had obtained this card from the clothes the monster woman had left like a shell after eating the Heavenly Demon. (TL: At least she didnt eat that too.)
Huhuhu.
Pale let out a chuckle at the sight of the card, and Dok Go-yun had to forcibly ignore the goosebumps rising across his body as he said.
H-, he said that hed have to reach the next stage before October 10th in order to participate in the meeting.
October 10th What date is it today?
October 1st.
Where is the next stage?
Ah, please wait for a moment.
Dok Go-yun left his seat, then, after a while, he returned with a map.
This is the map of the world after the Great Fusion. Of course, because of the distortion of space, the region is still constantly changing even at this moment.
The Heavenly Demon didnt seem to think much of it, but in truth, the value of a map in the current world was tremendous. It was to the point where it would probably easily sell for millions of dollars.
Lukas could recall.
The form that his home universe and Earth had before.
Thats why the image on the map that was now unfurled before them was even more bizarre for him. It felt as if normal clothes had several pieces of cloth sewn onto it and made it like rags.
This is the location of the next stage.
Dok Go-yun pointed his finger somewhere between Mongolia and China.
But there was no designation for the area where the next stage would take place. Instead, the entire area had been dyed black as if it was a large stain, and instead of a word, ??? was written beside it.
It looks like an empty spot on the map.
Thats because it hasnt been properly identified yet. Arent there many places like that?
As Dok Go-yun said, there were many black stains on the map.
How do you know the next stage is here when it hasnt been properly identified?
The next stage will take place on an artificial island that floats in the air. Its one of the Great Galactic Alliances mobile cities. It would be more appropriate to call it a position instead of a region.
A meeting held on an artificial island.
Lukas pondered for a moment before looking at Dok Go-yun.
This man might still have some use.
Fine. Then you will join. Not as Dok Go-yun, but as the Heavenly Demon.
H-, huh?
Dok Go-yun jumped up and said.
I-, Im sorry, but Im afraid I cant agree. Thats not a place for a guy like me to go. Pretending to be the Heavenly Demon probably wouldnt work in front of those guys. As soon as my identity is revealed, I will immediately-
I will accompany you.
deal with that rabble, if the Great One accompanies me.
Dok Go-yun spoke with a determined expression.
I know the fastest way to get to the next stage.
Book 2: Chapter 481
Book 2: Chapter 481 There are three ways to get to the next stage. The first is Siberia.
Dok Go-yun pointed at the map, saying that they could use a railway to cross.
Pale marvelled.
Wow. Thats a long railway.
Lukas gaze also turned to the map.
Im surprised there are still railways.
Its said that it was rebuilt. Of course, it hasnt been completely restored so its impossible to arrive in one go. It would take a long time, but it has the advantage of being cheap and relatively safe.
But Lukas didnt accept it so easily.
Was there a reason to rebuild it? There should be countless high ranked Wizards in this world. It would be more efficient to use a warp system designed by them.
At that, Dok Go-yun tilted his head to the side.
I know that Wizards have the ability to leap across space in one breath, but they say that the current world is twisted which makes it impossible to travel across large distances. Moreover, it seems that even short distance travel requires a fairly complicated process
Thats right. He could accept that.
Even Lukas had never encountered a world where the spatial values were so complicated. Even Wizards who were fairly confident in their skills would not be able to muster up the courage to use Warp in this world.
Lightning God.
[What is it?]
By chance, is it not just here, but the entire multiverse that experienced a similar situation to the Great Fusion?
[Thats right.]
The Lightning God answered with surprising obedience. Lukas clicked his tongue. It seemed the entirety of the Three Thousand Worlds was experiencing this situation.
Was this situation caused by the death of God, or was the death of God caused by this situation?
And if that was the case, was this situation caused by those from the World of Void? Or was it the Rulers who still seemed relaxed.
Or.
Was it not the Rulers, nor the beings of the World of Void.
Someone else entirely
Thats an excessive thought.
Lukas dismissed his suspicions as a delusion.
The possibility that there was a being stronger than the Rulers, Four Knights, and Twelve Void Lords, who had been hiding themself without revealing any hints until now
He couldnt say there was none. This was because Lukas had already experienced many things that surpassed his understanding.
In any case, the boundary between universes is very unstable right now.
To a certain extent, the possibility that a high ranking Wizard might get sucked into another universe if they recklessly interfered with space existed.
In other words, even a being that wasnt an Absolute could move between universes. This was likely due to the absence of God. It was likely for a similar reason that the boundary between the Three Thousand Worlds and the World of Void, which had been on completely different courses before, had collapsed.
The second way I was about to tell you was to use Warp. Luanoble also has a warp system, so it would be possible to travel bit by bit But this way isnt too good. So what Id recommend we use is the third way.
The third?
Yes. Using personal skills.
Personal skills?
Pale muttered in a doubtful voice.
If it was personal skills
You mean using a plane?
Not an ordinary plane. Those are loud and high profile, and they dont have a means for combat, there would be no way to respond if we encountered an enemy in the sky. The sky outside the safe zones are filled with all kinds of dangers.
Dok Go-yun continued.
The Demonic Cult is in possession of a fighter jet. It is a friendly gift the Heavenly Demon received from the Admiral of the Great Galactic Alliance, and it has several functions that I think are quite useful. We can ride in that.
I dont know how to fly.
Of course, Yang In-hyun and Pale, who accompanied him, would be the same.
Basically, it is equipped with an autopilot function, but I will operate it in case of an emergency.
You can fly a fighter jet?
At that, Dok Go-yun let out a bitter laugh.
No. Not even the basics. Literally, all I can do is grab the control stick in the event of an emergency.
When do you intend to leave?
Right away. The sooner the better.
Understood. Ill check the equipment and carry out a simple handover. Please give me 30 minutes.
Go ahead.
Thank you. Please wait on the roof.
Just before leaving, Dok Go-yun said.
Im not particularly fond of slaughter.
It came out of nowhere. Dok Go-yun had already turned around so he couldnt see his face.
Although Lukas didnt understand why he chose to bring it up all of a sudden
I know.
He gave an answer first.
Huh?
Didnt the Heavenly Demon capture you when you were very young because you were exceptionally talented? Then he forced you to act as his double. While teaching you his martial arts.
how did you know?
In the first place, if you were a guy with a rotten mind, I wouldnt have stopped Yang In-hyun when he tried to kill you.
From now on, just live as you please. As long as you dont harm others.
Its too late for that. I have already lived for half a century
So? Youre still young.
Lukas smiled as he continued.
If you go astray, I will give you some advice. As long as youre by my side.
Dok Go-yun found it hard to open his mouth.
Hed thought that his life would never be understood by anyone. After all, it was an unfortunate life. Even if he managed to escape from the Heavenly Demons influence, as the person who impersonated the Heavenly Demon, whether it was forced or not, Dok Go-yun was someone who had a lot of blood on his hands.
Dok Go-yun looked at Lukas and caught his side profile as he had a conversation with the blue haired woman. For him, his top priority had always been his own self preservation. Dok Go-yuns sole purpose in life was to live a long life.
That was why he had been overwhelmed by the Heavenly Demons overwhelming dignity* and felt fear, but that was no longer the case.(*: Yes)
For reference, he hadnt felt even the slightest hint of sorrow at the death of the Heavenly Demon.
It was the same now. Dok Go-yun was still grovelling at the feet of a strong person. He was in a situation where he had to follow Lukas orders without a word.
But he felt something different compared to when hed obeyed the Heavenly Demon.
***
When Lukas went up to the rooftop, he saw a familiar face.
It was Yang In-hyun. Looking around, he said.
Who were you talking to?
Only then did Yang In-hyun turn his gaze over to Lukas. Then, he threw something in his hand towards him.
this.
A black card. That looked exactly like the one hed just seen, which had been taken from the Corpse Demons corpse.
In other words, it was a card that proved someone was a member of VIP.
Where did you get this?
Someone called Gentleman gave it to me.
What did he tell you?
An offer to join VIP.
Lukas was silent for a moment. Then, looking at Yang In-hyuns face, he asked.
What was your answer.
It was at that moment that Yang In-hyuns expression changed. A strange scent seemed to spread out in every direction as if the flow of the atmosphere had been reversed.
They dont know me.
A cool voice.
No one knows me. Not even you.
And a cool gaze. sea??h th ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Even if you know about my past, you know nothing about the man named Yang In-hyun.
Lukas didnt deny Yang In-hyuns words.
However, those guys talked as if they knew me. Isnt that funny? Ive only been in this world for a day. All they saw was me cleaning up the dregs of the Demonic Cult. And yet, based on that alone, they assumed that they were the same as me. From my perspective, thats more disgusting than being covered in worms.
Drawing his sword, Yang In-hyun looked up at the sky.
Did you know, Lukas? A device was installed in the vacuum of space that exists beyond the sky. They seem to have peeped at our battle using it.
Observing from the vacuum of space, he seemed to be talking about a satellite.
Then, Yang In-hyun swung his sword towards the sky. He didnt even get into a proper stance. Rather than swordsmanship, it was a rough movement as if he was swinging a stick instead of a sword.
Papat-
It was miniscule.
A sound that was barely audible.
Then, Yang In-hyun sheathed his sword again.
Im so displeased its giving me a headache.
Lukas looked up at the sky. The sun had already risen up high so it was a bit hard to see, but he witnessed a brief flicker of light in the pitch black space beyond the sky.
I roughly heard your conversation. You said you were going to the place where the VIPs are, I will go with you.
It seemed that VIP might have accomplished a feat that even Lukas couldnt easily achieve.
The feat of making the Everlasting Plum Sword Yang In-hyun a complete enemy.
(TL: These two guys are flexing so hard without even trying. Oh I heard your conversation on the roof, Oh I heard your conversation in the building, Oh look, theres a satellite in space, watch me cut it)
* * *
A giant carved from gold.
That was Jiudads impression when he saw Neil Prand for the first time.
He felt unbelievably strong.
If the Heavenly Demon felt like a bottomless abyss, Neil was like a golden brilliance. It felt like he couldnt take his eyes off of him, but if he kept staring at him, he would go blind.
So what the Archduke is saying
The grave voice woke Jiudad from his thoughts.
Is that someone broke into New Luanoble, and single-handedly drove the Demonic Cult to the brink of destruction?
Thats right.
What about the Heavenly Demon?
He is missing.
This was what Lukas had requested him to say.
And, as Jiudad himself had said, he was willing to do whatever Lukas wished.
For a moment, Neil looked at Jiudad with blank eyes. Cold sweat began to form on Jiudads palms, but he didnt show it and instead pretended to hold his chin naturally.
In other words, there is no reason for us Trowman Rings to come to Luanoble.
Im sorry you had to make this trip in vain.
I welcome this kind of vain trip.
Neil grinned and said.
Thats not something you need to apologise for, in fact, it is a good thing. We were prepared to suffer heavy damages if we were to fight the Demonic Cult.
Thank you for understanding. Then, how about this, since you came all the way to Luanoble, why dont you take a look around the country? There isnt any place that can be called a tourist attraction yet, but it will nonetheless be a feast for the eyes.
Thank you for the offer, but our schedule is a bit tight. I can only accept your heartfelt thanks.
With that, Neil left the castle without hesitation.
A subordinate, who was following behind him, opened their mouth.
Are the Archdukes words true?
True?
The fact that the Demonic Cult was destroyed. According to our information, it is safe to call Luanoble the Heavenly Demons territory. In other words, its possible that the Archduke succumbed to Heavenly Demons threats and faked the destruction of the Demonic Cult
To avoid conflict with us?
Yes.
Its plausible. But no. That is too passive to be one of the Heavenly Demons tactics.
Faking the destruction of the Demonic Cult out of fear of colliding with the Trowman Rings. That was a plan that the Heavenly Demons pride would never allow him to carry out.
Of course, it seems the Archduke is hiding something besides that.
But he didnt intend to forcibly dig into that. The Trowman Rings didnt come here for war. It didnt seem like he was being threatened, so there was no need for them to bother.
However, the Heavenly Demon being missing is not a good thing.
Mm.
What will we do now?
thats right.
After thinking for a moment, Neil spoke.
I had wanted to get the [card] in order to infiltrate [VIP], but things didnt seem to work out easily. I have no choice but to move on like this.
Should we report to the Master?
Right. And
For a moment, Neils gaze shifted to the roof of a huge building, the Infernal Heaven.
Should we report anything else?
No. Thats all for the report. You guys should head back first.
Huh? Then Honour Prand
For a moment, a lightning bolt seemed to flash across Neils blue eyes.
I will go to the next stage.
Book 2: Chapter 482
Book 2: Chapter 482 The gift the Demonic Cult received from the Great Galactic Alliance was an eight seater fighter jet named Omega.
The Omegas appearance was in many ways different from the normal fighter jets that Lukas was expecting. Firstly, it didnt look like an aircraft at all.
Instead, it took the form of a giant disc. Overall, it was only a bit thicker than a dish*. Instead of something that you could ride, it looked more like a large ornament or statue. (*: Im assuming satellite dish but the word used also means dinner plate/saucer) (PR: Literally flying saucer lol)
How do you ride this?
It was Pale, who didnt really care about things, that asked this question, but this time, it was understandable. Even Lukas, who had experienced all kinds of hardships, had a hard time finding the part that served as an entrance.
First of all, the entire surface was too smooth.
Overall, even after looking it over, he could not guess where the door would be.
It is opened with voice recognition. Please wait for a moment.
Dok Go-yun stepped up to the Omega and spoke in a solemn voice.
The Supreme Heavenly Demon(ħ)! Greatest of the Demonic Cult(ħ)!
A moment after that ridiculous shout rang out, something like a line appeared on the smooth surface. It was a very secretive appearance, like a snake emerging to the surface.
After a while, he realised that a very thin gap had appeared, so thin in fact that it might not be possible for even rainwater to get in.
Tsss-
With a sound similar to steam being discharged, the door swung open. The open door stuck to the ground and became a stairway.
Lets go.
Dok Go-yun took the lead, and the other three followed.
Wow.
Pale, who went in ahead of the others, let out an exclamation.
The interior of the cabin consisted of a clean and incredibly futuristic design with a white base. The walls, floor, cockpit, interior decor, seats, beds, and other amenities were either grey or white.
And the inside was much larger than it appeared on the outside.
If we activate the stealth function, we should be able to reach our destination without getting caught up in any unnecessary trouble.
What is a stealth function?
Its a function for hiding. It makes it impossible to guess the location of the Omega by tracking our movement with the naked eye.
Oho.
Dok Go-yun went to the cockpit. Then, he continued talking while manipulating the holographic screens.
Even for a weapon made by the Great Galactic Alliance, its speed is quite slow for a fighter jet, but I heard that this model was optimised for combat and concealment. The fuel consumption isnt too bad, so a round trip shouldnt be a problem Mm. By my calculations, it will take us about two days to reach our destination while taking the safest route. Sarch* The N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Today was October 1st.
And the general review meeting would be held in the next stage on October 10th.
So there wouldnt be any problems with time.
Then lets do that.
Shall we leave immediately?
Right.
Understood.
When Dok Go-yun pressed a button, the entrance closed.
Woowoong-
Then, they felt the fuselage begin to float. For a moment, they could feel a slight shaking, but it was very faint. The Omega rose so gently that it could hardly be taken as a fighter jet taking off. Surprisingly, there was hardly any noise.
The Great Galactic Alliance?
Lukas realised that their technology could be ranked in the top tier among all dimensions. Slowly looking around the aircraft, he suddenly said.
Are there things to eat?
Over here.
Dok Go-yun opened a door on the wall, revealing a space that was filled with food. Most of it was instant food and canned food that had a long shelf life and were easy to store.
He didnt think theyd need to worry about food. That amount would be enough to last them a month.
Two days.
Now that he thought about it, His mind was a bit blank and his eyelids were heavy. This was a bit different from mental fatigue. For the first time in a long time, he felt sleepy.
Since there was no telling what would happen at the next stage, it was important for him to get some rest while he could.
Yang In-hyun, and Pale.
Since they were both in the same space as him now, he could relax a bit.
Im going to rest my eyes for a bit, tell me if you have anything to say.
Ah, yes.
Heading towards one of the beds, Lukas leaned his back against the wall. Nevertheless, he had no intention of sleeping completely relaxedly. Instead, despite closing his eyes, he still maintained a certain level of caution so that he could respond to any unexpected situation at any time.
* * *
Dok Go-yun.
The man who led the Demonic Cult as the proxy of the Heavenly Demon was currently facing a great difficulty.
Of course, their trip hadnt suffered any setbacks. Although the Omega was slowof course, when compared to other means it was not that slow and was steadily moving toward their destination.
Occasionally, they would encounter flying beasts, demons or strange looking objects, but they never noticed the Omegas presence.
The problem was that things were going too smoothly.
The cabin was quiet, a space filled with science with not even the slightest hint of conversation.
its awkward.
So awkward he could die.
What was this?
Werent these three companions? That couldnt be true. If it was, then why hadnt they said a single word to each other?
The three monsters didnt seem to have the slightest interest in each other. Dok Go-yun decided to take a glance at them.
First of all, the blue haired woman, Pale, was the noisiest of the three. Of course, her noisiness didnt come from talking too much.
Pale was currently seated in front of the refrigerator, frantically digging into their food supply. Empty cans rolled aimlessly beside her.
As far as Dok Go-yun knew, the food in storage should have been enough to last them a month, but at this rate, it didnt seem impossible for it to be completely emptied within two days. It even made him want to dissect her to see what the hell her stomach looked like.
Of course, Dok Go-yun had neither the authority nor the courage to stop her.
Naturally, his gaze shifted to the other two men.
Yang In-hyun was looking at the passing scenery outside with his hands clasped behind his back. As he looked at the clouds filling the blue sky, he gave off a free and solemn feeling as if he was a taoist hermit. But Dok Go-yun couldnt shake off the fear he felt.
The Demonic Cult had been crushed by this mans sword, and even he himself had almost died.
Forcing his gaze away, he looked at the last man.
The man with dull blonde hair sitting on the bed with his eyes closed. Hed said that he was going to rest his eyes, but from Dok Go-yuns perspective, it looked as though he was meditating. Most importantly, he couldnt find even a single opening.
In any case.
In Dok Go-yuns eyes, out of the three, Lukas seemed to be the most rational and communicable. However, even he didnt seem to have a particularly social personality.
Say something, anything
It felt like an entire day had passed, but in reality, it had only been about 30 minutes.
Didnt these guys feel awkward? Was he the one who was being weird?
At this rate, Dok Go-yun felt that he might pass out. This wasnt a joke, it was serious. The intangible pressure that he was feeling from these guys was intense.
It had only been 30 minutes.
In other words, he had to experience this 96 more times before he would be free, but Dok Go-yun didnt think that his mental strength was that strong.
Should I meditate too?
He had this thought for a moment, but he didnt think hed be able to concentrate at all because of Yang In-hyuns presence. So Dok Go-yun got up from his seat and began to rummage through some drawers for something.
Something to break this situation
Huh? Are you going to eat?
The rattling sound drew Pales interest. She was such a glutton that she filled her mouth so much her cheeks seemed to be on the verge of exploding.
Of course, hiding his true feelings, Dok Go-yun smiled and said.
No. I was just looking for something to pass the time
Mm. Do you want some of this? Theres a lot to eat here.
Dok Go-yun looked at Pale with a strange expression.
She was a very strange woman. She seemed to have a huge appetite, but she also didnt seem to feel any reluctance towards sharing her food with others.
No. Im fine, thank you.
But Dok Go-yun shook his head. Then, after rummaging through the drawers for a while longer, he found something.
It was a pack of trump cards.
For a moment, Dok Go-yun imagined the four of them sitting down together and playing cards. Even the scene of the former Heavenly Demon tap dancing with a rose in his mouth would probably be more realistic than that.
Oho.
At that time, Pale, who had come to his side without him realising it, showed some interest in trump.
What is that?
Ah. This its called trump. Its a game from Earth.
A game? How do you play it?
There are several ways. The representative way is
Dok Go-yun was very interested in Earths culture.
In this world, before the appearance of the beings called demons and the Great Fusion, they had enjoyed a tremendous cultural level, and, accordingly, there were many diverse things for him to enjoy and draw his attention. Of course, as he was bound to the Heavenly Demon, he couldnt enjoy them openly, but Dok Go-yun had always secretly expressed his interest in things like that. Of course, he had already mastered all of the games that could be played with trump cards years ago.
He taught Pale how to play catch the thief*. And as he taught her, she was able to get the hang of it before he knew it. (*: Aka Joker Game, Old Maid, Pull the Joker, etc)
It was a game where managing your facial expression was very important, and it was incredibly difficult to read Pales seemingly naive expression.
This is fun. But its a bit boring with just the two of us.
Originally, the recommended number of players was 3-4.
As soon as he carelessly spat out that remark, Pale jumped up from her seat at almost the exact moment he said it.
Hey! Do you want to play with us?
At that, Lukas, who had been immersed in his meditation, slowly opened his eyes, and Yang In-hyun, who was looking at the scenery, turned around.
What is that?
I think it was called Trump? Its pretty interesting.
How do you play it?
Yang In-hyun expressed curiosity. He couldnt tell if he really was or not. In the first place, it seemed that he was basically obedient to Pale.
Then the other one
Dok Go-yun looked at Lukas. Although this man was basically expressionless, for some reason, his expression seemed a bit sour.
Uncle, play with us.
His face didnt fit being called uncle, but Pale seemed to always call Lukas that. Despite the cheerful voice calling for him, Lukas shook his head without moving.
I dont want to do stuff like that.
Like what?
Like gambling.
Huh? What part of this is gambling? This is just for fun.
still.
Lukas tried to close his eyes again, but Pale didnt let him. Grabbing him by the forearm, she forcibly dragged him over.
And so, a one of a kind game of catch the thief began.
2.
Can we stop for a moment?
At Yang In-hyuns voice, the hand of Dok Go-yun, which was about to pull a card, stopped.
No, not you. Can we stop this lump of flying metal?
Ah, yes. Of course.
With an embarrassed expression, Dok Go-yun got to his feet and asked.
But may I ask the reason?
There are people screaming on the ground.
Huh?
We should save them.
Uhh
He said the ground.
Dok Go-yuns eyes blurred slightly as he looked down. Naturally, he could only see the floor of the aircraft. No, even if the floor had been made of glass, the Omega was currently flying thousands of metres in the sky. It would be impossible for him to see what was happening on the ground.
However, it was impossible for Yang In-hyun to say such a thing casually.
It wouldnt be very hard to land, but we would need to check if there were any dangers in the area first
It would be too late then.
Ill go ahead.
Lukas stood up from his seat. His expression carried a hint of annoyance and displeasure. Dok Go-yun hoped that it wasnt because hed lost 18 consecutive games of catch the thief. (TL: Lukas is so bad at card games lol)
How fortunate. I wanted to get some fresh air.
Me too! Ill go with you!
Pale raised her hand and said.
Nodding, Lukas looked over to Yang In-hyun.
Can you stay on standby here? I think it would be a mess if the Omega were to be broken while Pale and I are gone.
Sure.
Yang In-hyun nodded his head candidly. The expression of Dok Go-yun, who was going to be left alone with the man he was most uncomfortable around, was slightly rotten.
Then
Lukas looked down. When he used Clairvoyance, he was able to see the scene that had been noticed by Yang In-hyun.
But the scene he witnessed was different from what Lukas was expecting.
Book 2: Chapter 483
Book 2: Chapter 483 There are people screaming on the ground.
That was what Yang In-hyun had said, but Lukas didnt hear any screams. Nevertheless, he noticed that there was a disturbing atmosphere in some areas on the ground.
At first, he was expecting to see people being attacked by demons, monsters, or some other kind of monstrous being.
But it was different.
The scene that Lukas saw was not one of an attack or slaughter.
It was a mine. A huge mine that was rarely seen.
The current time was 4:37. It was much too early for the sun to have set, but the entrance of the mine was exceptionally dark and shady. The reason for this was that the entire mining area was covered by a black fog. As if it was alive, the black fog surrounding the area seemed to be actively blocking the sunlight.
This proved that the dark atmosphere that Lukas had sensed was not a trick of the eye or a feeling.
The role of the black fog wasnt simply to block out the sunlight. It also served to hide the signs of the mine to an extreme level. The size of the entire mining area was comparable to that of a small city, but it would have been impossible even for people with extremely keen senses to notice the signs of life within the black fog.
Yang In-hyun was probably the only one who could have sensed this incongruity from thousands of metres in the air.
Its a formidable being.
Yang In-hyun leaned on the wall of the aircraft as he said this.
I know.
Others might not realise, but the being that had spread the black fog was not easy to see. This was made clearer by the fact that even Lukas and Yang In-hyun had not yet figured out their identity.
This probably has something to do with that [VIP] group.
He thought that this was somewhat of a guess. After all, there were definitely many strong beings in this universe aside from those in VIP.
As Yang In-hyuns words flowed into one ear and out the other, Lukas carried out spatial movement with Pale.
And in an instant, they arrived at the entrance of the mine. There were no guards at the entrance. He knew this from the beginning, and that was why he boldly used spatial movement.
Sss
He could feel the black fog wriggling and trying to wrap around his body. Lukas stood still and didnt refuse the unpleasant contact.
Ugh.
On the other hand, Pale spat to the side with an expression of disgust.
Something in this place is not right.
Although he agreed.
Hold it in
After saying that, the first thing he did was analyse the fog that was touching him.
Naturally, it wasnt a natural phenomenon. It wasnt magic. If he had to classify it, he would say that it was some kind of evil technique, but it was at such a high level, it could be called an authority*. (*: The same level as demigod abilities.)
However.
It was at this moment that Lukas eyes turned black for an instant. The wriggling movement of the black fog around his body stopped for a moment.
Then, it flowed straight past Lukas and Pale and continued as it was. After that, the black fog no longer tried to wrap around their bodies.
Looking down at her body, Pale said.
What did you do?
After analysing it, I tricked it into no longer being able to perceive us.
Versatile!
please lower your voice from now on.
Yeees.
Lukas face was a bit tense.
This was because when he analysed the black fog, he had sensed a fragment of a familiar power within it.
[Kukuku]
Perhaps the Lightning God also sensed it because he began to let out his uniquely unpleasant laugh.
The one who was controlling this mine might end up being more troublesome than he initially expected.
* * *
The inside of the mine was dark. It wasnt that there was no light, but it was so faint that it was difficult to see the path.
Moreover, the air was very murky. Of course, considering that it was a mine, the air couldnt be that clean, but this was a bit different.
Lukas felt that even a healthy person would not be able to survive a year in this place.
The fact that his body clearly existed at that moment made him uncomfortable. Lukas roughly blocked his nostrils with his robes.
Then, he decided to head a bit deeper.
Clang clang
As the earthy smell intensified, a metallic sound resounded in the distance.
The sounds of pickaxes?
Lukas steps gradually slowed. Eventually, the passage came to an end and unfolded into the form of a large open workspace.
It was at that moment that Lukas realised what the screams Yang In-hyun had heard were.
With a glance, he could see hundreds of people doing their best to mine minerals. But it was clear that they werent working of their free will.
Their appearances were worse than beasts.
They wore pieces of cloth that were hardly better than rags and couldnt be called clothes on their too skinny bodies. Their hair and faces were so soiled by dirt that he could tell how bad they smelt from a distance.
They didnt seem lethargic.
Instead, their expressions were filled with desperation and anxiety. The reason for that was easy to find.
There werent just humans in the workspace.
Standing in the centre like a statue was a 12 armed monster. It was enormous. Its head was so high that it reached the high ceiling of the workspace.
In addition, dozens of eyes were embedded into its face seemingly at random and Lukas realised that its pupils were constantly moving around and keeping a close eye on the workers.
Forced labour.
It seemed they had captured humans and were forcing them to work.
For what reason? And why? Sarch* The ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
First, he decided to continue analysing the situation.
People were vigorously swinging pickaxes, shovelling the ground, or pushing minecarts.
What are they mining?
From Lukas perspective, there didnt seem to be any useful minerals in this mine. In other words, their work was completely useless.
Or was there something hidden that couldnt be determined through Lukass analysis?
Suddenly.
Smack!
The monster clapped its hands forcefully. The wind pressure from the clap spread out in all directions, causing dust to scatter.
It was just a clap, but it was quite fearsome.
The degree of sheer strength
[I ts fo od dis tribu tion ti me.]
The monster spoke bluntly in a broken voice.
At that, the emotion of living appeared on the faces of the people who were working frantically.
Kilkilkil.
Kkikki
Small fat monsters waddled in from another passage. Each of them clutched a dirty leather pouch in their fat fingers.
The people staggered to the front of the little monsters. Then, they cupped their hands together like bowls and pushed them forward.
Kilkilkil.
With ghastly laughs, the monsters opened their leather pouches. Then, they grabbed something from within them and gave it to the people.
It was boiled beans.
Its feeding time.
If that was the case, then was what they were doing distributing food?
It was absurdly lacking. It was so little that even a newborn baby wouldnt feel full after eating it.
Each person was only given at most a clump of worthless beans.
A, a bit more
At that moment, a little boy uttered in a pitiful voice. One of the fat monsters looked at the boy with pale eyes before kicking him in the stomach.
Kuek.
Retching, the boy collapsed to the ground. The monster didnt stop there and instead proceeded to mercilessly stomp on the boy with its wide feet.
The boys fragile body was soon covered in wounds. In the meantime, the beans that the boy had been given, scattered on the ground.
N-, no.
Even while barely holding on to consciousness because of the pain, the boy scrambled to pick them up. Then, he shoved the beans into his mouth, not caring about the sand and stones that accompanied them.
Lukas narrowed his eyes.
He wondered if he should put his analysis aside for later and kill them all first.
That impulsive but undoubtedly human thought resounded strongly in his mind.
a bit more.
He forced himself to bear it and continued observing the situation.
The food distribution time was very short. Probably less than 10 minutes. Since they were only given a clump of beans, it was inevitable that the time given for them to eat was also short. They werent even given time to take a break for a while.
Without even bothering to converse with each other, people lay scattered all over as they tried to get some rest.
Smack!
[I ts wo rk ti me.]
The monsters clap caused them to stagger to their feet once more.
Despair bloomed on their faces once more, but their bodies looked for their tools as though they were used to it.
It was then.
Urk, huk
A boy in the corner couldnt stand up. It was the boy whod been beaten almost to death by one of the fat monsters.
He tried to stand several times, only to fall back to the ground every time.
Lukas realised that the boy had an injury that wouldnt allow him to get up through grit or spite alone. A fracture.
Move, move!
He shouted while crying his eyes out, but even as his thighs shook heavily, he couldnt even pretend to stand.
This scene was captured by the giant monster.
[Ca nnot mo ve.]
The monsters broken voice sounded once more.
Hi-, hiik! N-, no! Thats not true! I can still move!
The boy struggled even harder. It was quite pitiful to see only his upper body struggling.
Wa-, wait. Someone, please, just help me stand up for a while.Please!
He hurriedly looked around while shouting, but the people around him just pretended they couldnt hear with terrified faces.
[Ca nnot mo ve.]
At the same time, one of the monsters arms began to stretch towards the boy. Then, it picked the boy up like he was catching a bug.
Urk.
In the monsters huge palms, the boy was held like a small mouse.
A-, ah. Mom
[Th en w ill ea t.]
The monsters chest cracked open, and within it, a purple tongue writhed. All of the people turned their heads away at the bizarre and terrifying sight.
When this happened, Lukas could no longer keep watching.
He would use magic to kill the monster. Stealthily, but not destructively. At that moment, in a place like this
The time it took Lukas to go through that series of thoughts was less than an instant.
Even if he were to cast a spell after considering it, he wouldnt have had any issue saving the boy.
That was why what happened next took even him by surprise.
Without a sound.
The monster that was about to devour the boy, split in two.
!
It was cut.
He hadnt even noticed.
Even in his surprise, Lukas was able to wrap the boy, who had fallen free, in wind so that he could land gently.
Thud!
At the same time, the two halves of the monster collapsed, creating a large dust storm. The lights hanging from the ceiling swayed heavily, causing the lighting in the entire workspace to flicker. As soil and small pieces of stone fell, the people crouched and covered their heads.
Lukas ensured that the young boy landed gently.
Then, he looked towards the person who had shown themselves without even bothering to hide and killed the monster.
Pale was standing there blankly.
The scene of her standing there as small bits of stone fell on her made it seem as if she was just standing in the rain.
Ah, uhh?
Wh-, what just happened?
Bullseye is dead?
The people who had been crouching straightened their backs once more.
Lukas had no choice but to also step out of the passage.
Pale.
He didnt receive an answer.
Now that he thought about it, shed been very quiet for a while. How long had it been? Since Pales attitude became strange.
Pale.
It was only after he called her name again did Pale turn her head. Her face was surprisingly expressionless. It didnt suit her.
When she smiled, she was Pale, when she showed little emotion, she was the Blue Knight.
But it felt like hed found another side other than those two.
Pale looked at Lukas for a moment before her gaze turned away. Although her gaze was on the boy, she wasnt looking at the boy. Pales pupils were focused on the boy, but there was a completely different scene in her mind.
hungry.
The light in Pales eyes slowly began to dim.
She thought.
This place was really unpleasant.
Book 2: Chapter 484
Book 2: Chapter 484 Kiiing
The Omega prepared to land. This fruit of cutting edge technology made an almost soundless landing. There were no changes to the surroundings apart from the slight shifting of the sparse weeds sprouting in the area.
Tsss, as long as you ignored the distinct sound of leaking steam.
Huu
After getting off of the Omega, Dok Go-yun let out a soft sigh.
This was because it felt like the pressure he had been feeling within the enclosed space of the aircraft was reduced slightly. He never would have dreamt that he would be left alone with Yang In-hyun.
There is no need to be on edge.
It was a gentle voice, but it needlessly sent chills down Dok Go-yuns spine.
Since I have no intention of killing you.
No. It wasnt needless.
First of all, he knew that Yang In-hyun was someone that killed people while maintaining that same calm attitude. And second of all, even at that very moment when they were facing each other, he could not grasp his presence.
It was the same on board the aircraft.
Yang In-hyun was clearly in front of him, and there werent any signs of him trying to hide himself, but Dok Go-yun still felt that his presence was faint like a ghost.
It was as if the sensory organs in his body were refusing to sense him.
Besides, even if you do that, youll still lose.
Huh?
It doesnt matter if youre on edge or not. In any case, you will die with a single sword strike, so theres no need for you to waste your energy like that.
Those words instantly made Dok Go-yuns pride as a martial artist rage.
The words, Then try to swing, rose up his throat.
However, he held it in. This was because Dok Go-yun had something that was more important than his pride. The desire to survive. He didnt want to lose his life because his pride took a brief hit. He readily admitted it.
To the man in front of him, he was no different from a bug.
Yang In-hyun was looking at him with a calm gaze. The moment their eyes met, his scalp became numb once again.
Was this man deliberately provoking him all this while?
That, wouldnt it be too conspicuous if you left it like that?
He was talking about the Omega.
While it certainly was a poorly lit place, the pure white aircraft stood out so much that it was noticeable even from hundreds of metres away.
Dok Go-yun, who finally came to his senses, agreed.
Ah, Of course. Its possible for it to standby in stealth mode, so there should be an external control device somewhere here
While Dok Go-yun fiddled with the Omega, Yang In-hyun slowly looked around.
Even though there wasnt a cloud in the sky, this was a land where the sunlight could barely be felt. With a dark and damp atmosphere and unpleasant wind.
Something is coming.
agreed.
Dok Go-yun, who had just managed to successfully hide the fuselage, narrowed his eyes as he agreed. Then, with his narrowed eyes, he looked into the distance.
Thud, thud. The sound of the ground shaking steadily grew louder. As they looked, a monster with two legs and a deformed neck came into view. It didnt seem to be a monster capable of reason.
He didnt think it had seen the Omega land.
Go save them.
Huh? Ah.
It was only then that Dok Go-yun realised the monster was chasing people.
After all, since most of his attention was focused on Yang In-hyun, it took him a while to notice.
Understood.
Dok Go-yun nodded, then, with a single step, reached the monster. Something like a black air current followed him like a shadow.
Gerk?
The monster finally noticed the presence of Dok Go-yun and let out a strange sound. With an expressionless face, Dok Go-yun stretched out his fist. Boom, the monsters face exploded like a firework and its long neck swayed like a highrise building on the brink of collapse.
Thud!
The body, which had now become a blood spewing corpse, collapsed.
Ah, ahhh
Only then did the fleeing people sink to the ground. It seemed that as soon as they confirmed the monsters death, their tension was lifted.
Their bodies had probably long since exceeded their limits and had been moving purely off of willpower and the desire to survive.
For Dok Go-yun, their desperate expressions were things hed never seen before.
Th-, thank you for saving us.
Thank you, thank you
With tears in their eyes, the people expressed their gratitude.
He felt strange. His facial expression was probably showing that as well. Now that he thought about it when was the last time hed heard someone say thank you?
Dok Go-yun turned his head to look at Yang In-hyun. He was still looking over at him with his hands behind his back.
No way, was this what Yang In-hyun intended
No.
That would be overthinking.
Dok Go-yun turned to look at the people once more. Upon closer inspection, they looked like beggars. They had no shoes, the clothes they were wearing were no more than rags, and they were so thin that their ribs were visible.
Above all, the gloomy aura that he could feel on their faces was so rotten that it amazed even Dok Go-yun, who had experienced many things because of his occupation(?).
They didnt become like this while being chased by the monster.
They must have been looking that shabby from the start.
What is this monster?
Looking at the monsters corpse which was still twitching intermittently, Dok Go-yun asked.
At that, the man at the very front of the group responded.
D-, demon.
Demon?
The man gulped and said.
Th-, the Demon of the Mine
* * *
Lukas was witnessing a spectacle of mass panic.
For, for something like this
Bullseye is really dead.
No, no!
It was at that moment when the people fully realised Bullseyes death.
Subsequently, their eyes turned to Pale.
I-, it was you wasnt it? You killed Bullseye!
What the hell have you done?
You dont know anything! Something like this
It seemed the one who could be considered their benefactor was not in the position to receive any gratitude.
Pale stepped back with a slightly surprised face.
Uh, um. What are you talking about?
Were asking why you killed Bullseye!
This is the end. Were all gonna die.
Th-, the Demon of the Mine will come. To kill us all. Huhhh.
Surprisingly, kindness was rarely rewarded honestly. Also, Lukas was well aware that there were humans who spat on the kindness of others.
But Pale was different. She didnt seem able to easily accept what was happening.
Narrowing his eyes, Lukas appeared as if he was covering Pale.
What is the Demon of the Mine?
Upon seeing Lukas sudden arrival, the people flinched.
Wh-, who are you again?
Im this ones companion. If you have any complaints, you can tell them to me.
At first glance, it might seem that he was acting that way to protect Pale, but, in truth, it was for the sake of these people. If they were to make a mistake and cause Pale to go out of control and eat them all, everything would become a mess.
Suddenly, he felt a strange sensation. Just as he realised that Pale, who was behind him, had grabbed his sleeve, the people spoke.
We we were content with this life.
We dont want to go down any further. This place is the closest to the light.
Hnnng.
Some of them even began to burst into tears.
Lukas frowned.
If it was like this, the conversation wouldnt be able to progress. If he were to use a more coercive method, then he would be able to extract an endless amount of information from them, but it would create an incredibly inhumane scene.
While looking around for someone who was still in their right mind, he spotted the boy who had been saved by Pale.
Compared to the others, there was still some vitality in his eyes. He didnt seem to be too aware of the rules of this place, which was proven by the fact that he had whined for more when food had been served.
In other words.
The boy hadnt been in this place for long.
Ttak-
Lukas snapped his fingers. At the same time, the people who had been complaining loudly, simultaneously fell asleep and collapsed.
It wasnt a grandiose spell. It simply induced them to sleep naturally by making their consciousness relax.
Their exhausted bodies made it surprisingly easy.
Uh?
The boy, who was the only one left awake, looked around with a frightened expression.
Lukas walked over to him.
Hey, boy.
Ye-, yes?
Your name?
I, Ivan
It was another name he missed.
Right, Ivan. Im Lukas. How is your leg?
I, I think its sprained.
Let me take a look.
Lukas looked at Ivans ankle. It was swollen as if air had been pumped into it. This was only natural when he forced himself to remain standing when the bone was broken. Lukas couldnt heal that.
He used ice to reduce the swelling, then he broke a nearby pickaxe and used the wood fragments to make a splint.
It shouldnt be too much to stand with that.
Ivan hurriedly lowered his head as he witnessed the magical scene that suddenly unfolded.
Th-. thank you.
If its fine with you, Id like to talk.
Talk?
About where this place is. Why people are mining minerals here. And what those monsters are.
Ahh
Still with a dazed expression on his face, Ivan nodded and spoke.
Th-, that. Im not sure about the details either. Originally, I was living in Omsk(ާ), but when I woke up like usual, I found myself in this mine. The clothes I was wearing were taken away Th-, the adults around me said that if I didnt work, I would either die or be sent underground.
Underground?
Yes. The lower you go, the more terrible the work is, and Uncle Boba, who had miraculously come up from a lower floor, said that he would rather die than go down again.
Below this place.
Lukas knew that the mine was much larger than it looked. But perhaps the underground area was much larger than he expected.
Then what should I do?
Should he kill the one called the Demon of the Mine, or
Arent you hungry?
Pale suddenly spoke to Ivan.
H-, huh?
Youre hungry. To the point of falling unconscious.
Ah, yes.
Its fine now. There is a lot to eat.
With a smile, Pale put her hand on the corpse of Bullseye, the monster beside her. Then, with a sharp cracking sound, one of Bullseyes legs was torn off.
Hi-, hiik
Ivan shuddered as he was splattered with blood. Pale probably didnt see it as she naturally held out the monster meat that was dripping blood.
Here.
Wh-, what?
Eat it.
Seemingly taking Ivans speechlessness in a different way, Pale took a big bite of Bullseyes leg Munch, swallow, smile.
See. Theres nothing wrong with it. You can eat it. Its still warm, so its even more delicious.
It was an act without the slightest hint of malice. Lukas could see that. But she seemed to have not thought about how it would look to a boy with normal thoughts.
M-, monster
Huh?
Ivans face became one of utter terror.
Monster!
Then, he turned and ran away without looking back. He hobbled as he ran because of his injured leg, and he even tripped over a stone and fell to the ground. Nevertheless, his fear far surpassed the pain, so he shot to his feet like a roly poly toy.
Pale froze where she stood. She didnt try to speak in a bubbly voice like usual, and instead just stayed still. Her expression wasnt visible. But, unlike usual, her shoulders were slightly droopy.
Lukas didnt look at Pales face. He didnt even say anything.
Instead, he carried out a fairly impulsive act.
He snatched a chunk of meat out of Pales hand.
Huh?
He looked down at the red meat for a moment.
He felt a bit of resistance.
Lukas had eaten a lot of meat that was so rotten it wouldnt be strange for them to have been infested with maggots. But he wasnt sure if that experience would be helpful.
He opened his mouth wide.
Crunch.
He bit and chewed. The fishy scent of blood overpowered his nostrils and made him feel a bit dizzy. It was strange since this was his first time eating a freshly killed corpse.
Indeed, as Pale said, the flesh was still warm. He felt blood dripping down his chin, but he didnt care and continued to eat it all. Sar?h the ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Then, wiping his lips, he said.
Its a bit tough.
Pale looked at Lukas with a blank gaze for a moment before bursting into laughter.
Legs are usually like that!
Then she started the chew on the meat once more. It was a sight that no one should have to see. The sight of a young man and woman chewing on monster meat.
Uncle.
What is it?
Would you like to eat the skull too?
No.
Ay. Its a delicacy.
Its fine.
Kikiki.
Pale giggled with a pleasant expression.
After seeing the numerous faces of Pale until now, Lukas felt that he couldnt tell which one was really her.
However, this time.
Lukas.
He got goosebumps.
Lukas looked at Pale with a startled expression.
uh.
He inadvertently let out a timid sound that wasnt like him. With a face as if she had no cares, Pale had the widest smile hed ever seen.
Thanks.
It wasnt strange for Ivan to run away. After all, if you didnt feel fear as a woman with a bloody face smiled at you, then you would be a strange person.
Therefore.
Lukas was probably the strangest of them all
Book 2: Chapter 485
Book 2: Chapter 485 They went down a bit more.
The first thing he felt was the fact that the sparse lights gradually disappeared. As a result, the surroundings gradually grew darker. The sun was probably still high in the sky, but the inside of the mine was completely surrounded by black fog which completely blocked any kind of external light.
Because of this, Lukas couldnt help but compare this place to the depths of the ocean.
This was because the deeper they went, the more the light faded.
Clang- clang-
The helpless image of living beings mining for minerals also reminded him of fish swimming in the black sea.
Lukas couldnt help but wonder if he could still refer to them as humans.
Mutated beings.
They looked like a mixture between humans and monsters.
Their limbs were swollen as if there were tumours attached to them, and even if they didnt have them, the sounds they made while moving with an incomprehensible, bizarre gait were terrifying, as if they had huge mental abnormalities.
The deeper they went, the more their appearance seemed to lean towards monsters rather than humans. And at some point, he could no longer see any beings among the workers who had figures resembling humans.
This also made his initial thought, about this place feeling like the depths of the sea, even stronger.
They were like deep sea fish, who had more and more bizarre appearances the deeper you went.
They dont look tasty.
Pale whispered in a soft voice.
The fact that it could elicit such a sentiment from someone like her, who could even eat rebar without any difficulty, was clear proof of how repulsive the mutated humans were.
Instead of responding or looking at the mutated humans any further, Lukas turned instead to the monster standing in the middle who seemed to be playing the role of supervisor. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
This one didnt have an appearance as bizarre as Bullseye that hed seen above.
On the contrary, it had an appearance that was close to that of a human.
It had two arms, two legs, one face, and a height of less than two metres.
Looking at it again, it was truly a bizarre sight.
Humans had the forms of monsters, and monsters had the forms of humans.
But the way the workspace was run didnt change at all from the workspace above, as both sides still kept the same roles.
Lukas looked at the small monster once more.
It was strong.
Almost to the same extent as Dok Go-yun.
In other words, it meant that this monster, who was only playing the role of supervisor, was a formidable being that had reached the peak of what a human could accomplish.
without a doubt.
At the very least, there were a few monsters like this who played the role of supervisor in this workspace. And it was clear that most humans couldnt even dream of escaping.
Wait here for a minute.
Yes.
Lukas couldnt help but stare at Pale for a moment when she answered in that strangely obedient manner. But she just smiled at him with a nonchalant expression. She seemed to be asking What is it? with her expression. After thinking that to himself, Lukas shook his head.
Maybe it was just him.
And in the next moment, Lukas body suddenly appeared in front of the monster.
Uht?
The monster let out a dumb sound as it flinched, but it was able to grasp the situation in the blink of an eye. In an instant, its bright yellow eyes narrowed. It judged Lukas as an enemy, a target to be killed.
Crack, both of its hands took on vicious shapes like hooks. At the tips of its fingers, something similar to poison seemed to form.
But from Lukas perspective, it was slow.
It was slow enough to make him yawn. By that point, Lukas could have already taken the monsters life 20 times without even using the power of void.
Clang!
The monsters body flew backward as if it had been struck by something and slammed into the wall. Soon after, the wall wriggled as if it was alive, and firmly restrained its entire body.
Kiuk!
Subsequently, the monster spat out a mouthful of blood. Seemingly realising that its movements were being restrained, it began to struggle and twist its entire body, but its resistance was futile. Looking around, Lukas walked over to its body.
The mutated humans seemed to have no interest in the series of commotions. Like machines, they devoted themselves to mining.
Your name?
Wh-, who the hell are you?
Lukas didnt like answering questions like that. He drew a line with his finger. He did it slowly so that the monster would see it clearly.
Shuk. With a chilling sound, the monsters right arm fell to the ground.
Uhh
The monster let out a blank sound for a moment before letting out a heartrending scream. Dark blue blood flowed like candle wax from the cross section of the cut.
It seemed quite painful, but it wasnt enough.
Lukas put his hand on the monsters head.
Kuh, ahhh what are you going to do?
The monster looked up at Lukas with a difficult to understand expression. Its expression seemed to be a mixture of anger, hatred, and murderous intent.
From now on, Im going to pour mana directly into your head. It will be like an electric current. Of course, the pain youll feel will be incomparable to electric torture. But dont worry. I can roughly guess the level of your mental strength.
What do you mean
I mean. I can control it.
The monster wasnt able to say any more than that. This was because those words were followed by a wave of pain, unlike anything it had ever experienced.
Its eyeballs popped out and a scream so desperate it sounded like its uvula would tear, resounded.
Lukas stared at it blankly for a moment before pausing the mana injection.
How was it? Was that the longest 5 seconds of your life?
Huff! Huff! You motherfucker! Even if you do this
The poison in the monsters eyes hadnt faded in the slightest.
It would be difficult to get what he wanted if that continued to be the case.
Lukas put his hand on the monsters head again, then he raised the index finger of his other hand.
1 second. Ill continue to increase the duration by just 1 second, no more, no less. I dont have much time to waste, but Im not in a hurry. Naturally, I have no intention of rushing you. So when you feel like answering my questions, just tell me. Ill be waiting.
There was no need to wait for an answer.
Once more, Lukas violently pumped mana into its head.
And once again, screams resounded in every direction.
* * *
The monsters name turned out to be Twohands.
It was the name that it had screamingly uttered as soon as the duration of the torture reached exactly 11 seconds.
Things went smoothly after that.
What was the reason for creating this circus? It doesnt seem to be for mining minerals.
U-, uhh, e-, emotion
Twohands mind was almost broken. He slurred out indistinct words with dazed eyes and a drooling expression.
Emotion?
Ne-, need negative emotions
Where is it needed?
Dont know
Negative emotion.
Certainly, if that was the goal, then he could fully understand why they were being made to use pickaxes so meaninglessly, but it was absurd.
So collecting them is the purpose of the Demon of the Mine?
Yeess
It was not an insignificant identity.
Lukas curiosity disappeared, and it was instead replaced with rage.
In that case.
Did that mean that the reason they were kidnapping humans, setting up mines, and making them carry out meaningless labour was simply to collect negative feelings?
So trivial.
And more than that, it was disgusting and cruel.
The worst thing that one could do in the world was force another person to feel unwanted emotions.
And this facility was specifically built for that purpose. It was, essentially, the largest torture chamber in the world.
Twohands head exploded.
Its brain matter splattered all over the place. The colour of its blood was dark blue, but the colour of its brain matter was no different from that of a human.
Even though the monster who had been playing the role of supervisor died, the humans in that place didnt act like theyd just been liberated. Instead, they continued to mine minerals with erratic movements.
After reaching this point, it was already over.
Their mental structures had already deteriorated to the point that they were no different from insects.
What will we do now?
If I kill the Demon of the Mine, they wont be victims anymore. But they wont be able to regain their original bodies.
Lukas sighed impatiently.
Thats all we can do.
Even if it was Lukas, he couldnt return living beings that had already changed to such an extent to their original forms. The Humans whose bodies had mutated had already become completely different creatures.
The Demon of the Mine.
Now that he knew its goal, there was no need to waste any more time.
Lukas rested his hands on the ground and closed his eyes for a moment. In his mind, the figure of the entire mine unfolded like a blueprint.
Their current location was about halfway through the mine. Theyd been going down for a while, but they were still in the middle. That was when he realised that the mine was very unstable.
The area had not been expanded gradually, and the underground facilities hadnt been constructed carefully. Instead, it was as if they had simply dug large holes.
To put it simply, the mine wasnt strong enough to withstand either internal or external shocks. It wouldnt be strange if this heap of earth were to collapse at any moment due to a sudden jolt*. (*: In this sense, shock and jolt are the same word)
The monsters in this place, and the Demon of the Mine, couldnt be unaware of this fact either.
They probably wouldnt die even if the mine was to collapse. It was highly likely that they had already secured a means to escape. In other words, they didnt really have anything they could do about the life and death of the humans working in this place.
I figured it out.
Interpreting the coordinate values.
Long distance teleportation was still impossible, but it was possible for him to travel to the lowest floor of the mine. This was because hed managed to make some sense of this ridiculously twisted universe.
Without delay, the figures of Pale and Lukas disappeared.
* * *
The deepest underground space.
The abode of the Demon of the Mine was not dark. Instead, it was brighter than any other place in the mine that hed seen.
The surroundings were only illuminated by soft light, but despite the illuminated surroundings having a clear momentum, there were no signs of danger.(TL:I made it as not weird as I could)
There were no signs of life in this place, and the sounds of pickaxes that seemed to follow them everywhere couldnt be heard. In fact, it was strangely quiet.
Of course, that wasnt the reason for Lukas firm expression.
this place.
It didnt look like a place where a demon stayed.
The surroundings were filled with all manners of reagents, research tools, and parts of unknown living organisms like skin tissues or cell fragments. Among them, something large enough to be called a complete corpse was stored in a glass tube with what appeared to be culture fluid*. (*:the fluid used as a medium for growing microorganisms.)
Lukas realised that the appearance of the living being in the glass tube was similar to that of the mutated humans or the humans* who performed the roles of supervisors. (*: Assuming this should be monsters, or even human-like monsters)
The wall on the other side was filled with countless books. After approaching it, he picked out a book and opened it.
[therefore, it can be derived that the basis of magicology stems from the mind. There are many types who can only accept mana into their bodies but release it over time.
However, we are the only ones capable of reinterpreting it and controlling it as we]
He closed the book without finishing.
Then he had a thought.
This place seemed more like a Wizards workshop than a demons lair.
never thought youd show up so easily.
A calm voice resounded in his ear. He wasnt surprised by this fact. Hed noticed that someone was secretly observing him from the shadows from the moment theyd arrived.
But Lukas expression couldnt help but harden when he visually confirmed the Demon of the Mines face.
It was a familiar face.
Book 2: Chapter 486
Book 2: Chapter 486 Survivors.
Although it might be a bit of a stretch to call them that, in any case, the people who had been chased by the long necked monster began to earnestly speak about where they had been imprisoned.
Th-, the mine is a place that shouldnt exist.
It cant be compared to a prison or concentration camp. W-, we were in hell.
Uhuk, huk
One of the women sobbed through the entire conversation. Even if they didnt, instead of being relieved that they had escaped, most of the others still seemed unable to get over the fear they had experienced in the mine.
But Dok Go-yuns expression as he listened to these peoples stories was indifferent. Of course, this wasnt because he was taking their words lightly or thought they were lying.
It was simply because he couldnt get rid of the thought that it was boring.
These people probably didnt doubt that what they had experienced was the most terrible thing in the world, but sadly, that wasnt true.
This tragedy, which they thought was one of a kind, was just one of the events that happened all of the time in this messed up world.
Having no power in this world was, in itself, a sin. It was a cruel thing to say, but it was the reality.
And those who had been captured and placed into the mine were the lowest of the lowest class who had no means to protect themselves.
He felt nauseous.
These people had no plans, no vision.
Dok Go-yun couldnt understand that. His every move had been under the control of the Heavenly Demon. There wasnt any part of his life that he could call his own. All he could do was hide the part called me in the deepest corner of his thoughts, hiding even his true nature.
But these people were different.
Ahhh
Why, why did this happen?
A few days ago, something like this uhukhuk.
Before they had been kidnapped,
These must have seen enough to realise the world was going crazy. Stories circulated on the TV, in the newspapers, and on the streets. No matter what form it was, there was no way for them to not encounter the media.
And yet, they had no feeling of danger.
They dismissed the disasters occurring in the other parts of the world as things that had nothing to do with them.
That was the part that truly made Dok Go-yun feel disgusted.
Why didnt you all develop the power to protect yourselves while living in a world like this?
He forcibly stopped himself from asking such a question. Apart from having strange feelings because of their gratitude, it seemed that if he continued to ponder this fact, his mind would be filled with dark and shady thoughts that could not be calmed.
what are you going to do?
So he turned towards Yang In-hyun and asked.
After all, it was Yang In-hyun who had sensed the tragedy occurring in this mine. And he was also the one who immediately decided that these people needed to be saved, so Dok Go-yun knew that this man was actually a kind hearted man.
Will you kill that Demon of the Mine??
He didnt know who the Demon of the Mine was or how powerful they were. However, Dok Go-yun could not imagine Yang In-hyun losing. In the first place, if he hadnt had this thought, he would not have accompanied them on a dangerous journey to the [VIPs General Review Meeting].
Yang In-hyun looked at the people with calm eyes before turning his head in another direction.
It was a completely different direction, neither where the Omega was nor where the people came running from.
Someone else is coming.
Huh?
You cant be so careless this time.
!
Dok Go-yun suddenly felt a surge of energy covering his entire body in an instant.
Before he even had time to continue his thoughts, he had already prepared himself to use his signature Dark Cloud Fog.
Then he stretched out his hand.
Boom boom boom!
The ground shook and the sound of multiple explosions resounded.
Surprisingly, Dok Go-yun felt a throbbing pain in his palm.
Although it wasnt perfect, how had it managed to do so much damage despite him using his Dark Fog Palm(F).
At that moment, it seemed that Dok Go-yun wasnt the only one that was surprised. For a moment, a look of surprise flashed across the expressionless face of his opponent. The enemy, who had slammed his foot down midair, used the force of the collision with Dok Go-yun to create some distance. Then, after gracefully somersaulting a few times, they finished with a smooth landing.
Strong.
Just now,
Even though it was a surprise attack, Dok Go-yun was the one who had lost in that exchange. Hed felt it at the same time. That the opponent had extremely domineering internal energy.
In other words.
The opponent is a martial artist. sea??h th novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
At the very least, they are a person with martial prowess on a similar level to Dok Go-yun.
Dok Go-yun turned his eyes towards the opponent. Rather than a figure that could never be thought of as a demon, it would make more sense to call them an angel.
It was a man who was so handsome that he made Dok Go-yun feel that every other man hed seen in his life looked shabby. But rather than the young mans unconventional appearance, Dok Go-yun paid more attention to the internal energy that he could sense from him.
strong.
The young man reiterated his thought with an indifferent voice.
Naturally, the corner of Dok Go-yuns lip curled up into a sneer.
Who the hell are you?
Theres no need for trash like you to know my name.
Thats smart. Right. Clearly, even if I knew who you were, it wouldnt change the fact that you attacked me.
In any case, this man had come at him first. Dok Go-yun had no intention of letting go of this fact.
Although the cruel disposition that hed displayed while acting as a puppet for the Heavenly Demon was not his true self, he was not a nice enough person to laugh even after being slapped on the cheek.
At the very least, he had to return as good as he got.
If the other persons goal was his life, then it was only fair for him to respond in kind.
If your wish is to die then Ill gladly help you!
The young man kicked off from the ground without bothering to wait for a reply, and the engagement between the two powerful martial artists began.
And.
Yang In-hyun watched on from a distance with his deep gaze.
* * *
I didnt think youd recognise me with a glance.
It was a calm voice.
The man didnt try to hide his joy, but he continued to narrow the distance to Lukas with quiet steps.
Im sorry I dont have anything to treat you with. However, Im sure you understand, right? After all, tea in a Wizards workshop would be as fitting as a dress in a smithy.
You know me.
At that, the man made a slightly disappointed expression. It seemed he thought the joke hed just said was quite good.
It was only for a moment. Soon, he had a smile on his face once again as he said.
I know you. Youre Lukas Trowman.
Lukas didnt react.
This was because he couldnt jump to any conclusions even if this man talked as if he really knew him. After all, there was another Lukas Trowman in this world. It was possible that he was the Lukas he was thinking about.
But the words that followed denied the possibility Lukas was thinking about.
Of course, Im not talking about the Lukas Trowman, thats currently world renowned. Im talking about the Hero of the Era of Light who fought the Demigods in the past, the only Great Mage and Great Teacher, who could never be left out when discussing the history of magicology
Now. Is this enough of an explanation for the Human Lukas?
Lukas narrowed his eyes at those words and the atmosphere gradually cooled. There was no way the man wouldnt notice this fact, but he didnt let go of his relaxed attitude.
Im sorry, but I dont know anything about your life after that. Perhaps the concept of Absolutes is still impossible for me to comprehend.
Cairo Wilsemann.
At that moment, Lukas finally called the mans name.
You have been completely corrupted.
Cairo let out a quiet laugh instead of responding. He plopped himself down onto an old sofa that sat in the corner of the workshop and crossed his fingers before speaking.
Its not corruption. However, I will admit that there have been some changes of thought. I dont know what time frame of Cairo you knew as Cairo Wilsemann but, ah, by the way, I didnt actually remember you. Those were all things I heard about Lukas Trowman from Diablo.
Then he smiled lightly.
By chance, are you disappointed?
Refrain from asking questions like that. I dont have enough patience at the moment.
For Lukas, that was probably the most polite warning that he could give.
But Cairo didnt let go of his beaming expression.
Then what will you do? Kill me?
That depends on your answer.
Hahaha. Thats a good one.
He burst into laughter before gesturing with his chin.
Ask whatever you want. Ill answer truthfully.
Are you the Demon of the Mine?
As he asked the question, he already knew the answer. So what Lukas wanted to see was Cairos response.
Thats right.
Cairo affirmed. He still had an attitude where he couldnt seem to let go of his smile.
He had a sense of composure that was impossible to hide, and Lukas found himself unable to understand it.
A relaxed attitude was something that was only afforded to the strong. And in this situation, Cairo could never be said to be in a strong position.
Did he not even know that? Could he not tell the capabilities of the person standing in front of him?
Cairo Wilsemann, do you want to die?
Lukas wasnt threatening him, he was genuinely curious so he asked.
Do you think I cant kill you? Do you think I dont even have that much power?
Not at all. I watched you kill Twohands. Although I created it, it was a complete entity that even I wouldnt be able to deal with. If you were to try to decide to kill me now, I probably wouldnt even be able to respond.
Then why do you continue to provoke me?
Because you are unable to kill me.
It was at that point that Lukas began to suspect Cairos mental state. However, this mans eyes were freezingly cold.
His cold gaze contrasted sharply with his smiling mouth. But it also served as proof that this man was perfectly sane.
In that case
Whether you completely stop my bodys vital activities using your vaunted magic to burn me, freeze me, crush me or even some method that surpasses my understanding. If that is what you mean by death, then even hundreds of lives wouldnt be enough.
Then what do you think death is?
Being forgotten.
Pale, who had been standing next to him, burst out laughing. Cairo wouldnt be able to understand, but she certainly deserved to let out a laugh. After all, she was one of the oldest inhabitants of a forgotten world.
And in the same sense, Lukas would also have the right to laugh.
However, he didnt.
This was because he could see the rising emotion within Cairos eyes.
Even if I kill you, as long as others remember you, then you wont truly die, isnt that true?
Thats a very philosophical perspective. It is interesting, but its also a bit wrong.
Lukas let out a sigh.
Im not here to discuss death with you. Tell me, why are you doing this? What do you have to gain from torturing, mutating, and extractive negative emotions from your fellow humans? Isnt your goal just to spread death?
Youre mistaken. The things happening here have nothing to do with Diablos plan.
Cairo smiled with a relaxed expression.
This is just for my personal desire to learn. In other words, this entire area is just a large testing site.
The man named Cairo Wilsemann that Lukas had known.
He was someone who had recognised the corruption in the circle faster than anyone else, because of which he lost his only brother, and without caring about the fact that he was on his own, created a new force with his bare hands.
Paragon.
In preparation for the battle with the Demigods that would happen someday, Cairo chose to bleed on his own without hesitation.
Lukas felt that for him, the word belief could be replaced with aspiration.
He was completely different from his brother Rezil Wilsemann, who was tired of Lords pressure and chose to compromise with reality.
He was a man worthy of the last name Wilsemann.
Was a man.
Cairo Wilsemann.
Thats why it was a shame.
Why did you change so much?
Cairo couldnt answer. Just as he opened his mouth to say something with a smile.
Urp.
His eyes suddenly flew wide open.
Uur, urp. Uwek (TL: Just thinking/reading this made my stomach do a flip)
Then, he vomited up a mouthful of dark blood. Pieces of his internal organs could be seen in it. Surprisingly, Cairos blood was also dark blue. Just like Twohands above, Cairos blood could no longer be called the blood of a human.
It seemed that he had also carried out his experiment on his own body.
Hu, huhaha
Chuckling, Cairo glared at Lukas with bright red eyes. He must have realised that he was about to die. However, he didnt seem scared at all.
In a way, it seemed like he was feeling joyful.
Now, I can finally
Cairo fell forward, unable to finish his words. Like water leaking from a broken glass bottle, blood spread across the ground.
Just as Lukas was about to walk to him.
Pale grabbed Lukas by the collar. Then, after he stopped, an unexpected event occurred before he could ask why.
Cairos body, which had collapsed, rose up like a puppet being controlled by strings.
[Ive been waiting.]
The toneless voice still belonged to Cairo, but Lukas knew that his body was being controlled by a completely different being.
Diablo.
Book 2: Chapter 487
Book 2: Chapter 487 [I never thought Id see you outside.]
Outside.
This wasnt just referring to a place. The bottom of the mine where he was facing Diablo now was not the place he was calling outside.
The outside that he was referring to meant the entire multiverse, the Three Thousand Worlds.
[And I never thought you would kill Cairo without hesitation. Hahaha.]
Diablos voice was toneless, but Lukas could read the pleasure in his laughter.
He couldnt understand that.
Why are you laughing?
[Mm?]
Cairo Wilsemann was your comrade, wasnt he?
[Did Cairo say that? Or is that just your personal opinion?]
[Huhu. I guess you wont pick at my words. Right. You asked why I laughed. That-]
Just before Diablo finished speaking, something shot past Lukas from behind. He could see blue hair fluttering like a wave.
There was a cracking sound, like old fruits being squashed. Pale who had narrowed the distance in an instant and covered Cairos face with her small palm before crushing it with just her grip.
Noisy, if you have something to say, come here and say it.
Pale spat in an annoyed voice before licking the blood from her hand.
Just as Lukas was considering whether to praise or scold her for her actions.
Black smoke flowed like a mist out of Cairos body and soon took on a translucent shape.
[Lets do that, then.]
The top of the shape soon became Diablos face.
You didnt come here yourself.
Pale grumbled, but it seemed that she had no intention of getting rid of the fog as she crouched down on the ground and began licking Cairos blood.
The flickering green lights in the two eye sockets looked at her figure.
[Blue Knight of Famine, why did you appear in the Three Thousand Worlds? This place is not a world that can accept you.]
I dont know either.
[You dont know Indeed, in other words, that means you didnt come here of your own volition. Let me guess]
Diablos eyes turned to Lukas.
[One of the Twelve Void Lords, the Exile from the Entire Multiverse. Was he the one who sent you to the Three Thousand Worlds?]
[Silence. In that case, thats really the answer.]
Lukas returned to the subject.
I asked you why you laughed.
[I cant help but laugh. Of course, Im not happy about Cairos death in itself. What is important is that you, Lukas Trowman, killed Cairo Wilsemann.]
He was gradually becoming unable to understand what Diablo was talking about.
[Didnt you kill Cairo because he was conducting inhumane experiments in this mine?]
And if that was the case?
[In other words, it would mean that you vented your anger at Cairos behaviour. And you killed him half impulsively. Hahaha]
He burst into laughter again. Although it was obvious, the sight of a fleshless skeleton laughing was horrifying.
A smile was an emotional expression that one made using the flesh attached to the cheeks. Naturally, as a skeleton, Diablo shouldnt be able to smile.
That was why it was a strange sight. Perhaps Diablo, who was laughing in front of him, was more bizarre than someone who could laugh while maintaining a perfectly expressionless face.
[It was a very human reaction. I am moved. I dont have a heart, but my blood vessels pulsed, and I dont have skin, but I got goosebumps.]
He couldnt listen anymore.
There was something wrong with Cairo and Diablo. To put it bluntly, he thought theyd lost their minds.
Perhaps feeling something from Lukas attitude, the white skeletons head tilted to the side.
[It seems Cairo didnt tell you anything. What should I say? I want to tell you so many things that I cant even summarise it. Because now you can empathise with my thoughts.]
There was a deep conviction mixed into that unwavering voice, but Lukas discomfort and displeasure surpassed the peak that it had reached with Cairo.
Empathise?
Him? To Diablos thoughts?
You think you can change my ideologies?
Lukas sense of identity was something that even a Ruler couldnt influence. Then what about Diablo? Did he think he could exert more influence than a Ruler?
If that was really the case, then either his sense of identity was out of control, or he was looking down on Lukas.
Either way, Lukas cynicism wouldnt be erased.
[There is no longer anything like sealed truth in the world. The knowledge in the void is now accessible to all humans. When you become an Absolute, you will be forgotten in your home universe, and it is impossible to even tell the truth to the mortals That ridiculous law has also disappeared. Thats why Cairo could become aware of you.]
[The Absolutes who kept the balance of the universe, the Three Thousand Worlds, the Rulers that rule over them, the existence of God, the World of Void, the Void Records All of these thoughts can even be passed down to a small child. So I spread it. The truths that I learned, and the approaching terror that we would soon face.]
[Kuhaha]
At that moment, Lukas heard the laughter of someone else.
[I see, so this was also the Demon Gods insurance. As expected, that guy is not easy to see through.]
The distinctive sound of roaring thunder that was the voice of the Thunderous Lightning God who was still in a corner of Lukas consciousness.
Diablo spoke.
[I wasnt able to completely control Lucids mind. However, he chose to be my hands and feet and move as I wished. You must have been puzzled by that fact, werent you?]
[The answer to that is simple. Its because Lucid was my first understanding.]
What the hell kind of enlightenment did you give him?
[I cant talk about that here.]
Diablo spoke nonchalantly before adding.
[No. To be precise, I cant talk about it in front of her.]
And his gaze was directed at Pale as he said that.
With her blood stained face, she glanced over at the fog that shimmered like a demonic figure before straightening her bent back and smiling.
Why? I heard you told the Black Knight.
[It seems you dont know. The White Knight and the Red Knight already know this truth. Youre the only one who doesnt seem to know. Blue Knight Pale.]
The smile disappeared from Pales face.
[Didnt you notice the difference between yourself and them? Its not that they couldnt find a being they wanted to follow as King. Youre really unstable, thats why its too dangerous. Even if a wild dog with the power to destroy a universe was to roam around freely, I wouldnt feel as anxious.]
The only reason you can say that to my face.
Pale smiled brightly.
Is it because of the Demon God backing you?
[No one is backing me. My relationship with the Demon God is purely contractual. For instance, if you tried to kill me here, the Demon God wouldnt try to stop you.]
Indeed. So you want to die. You know what? I didnt like you from the beginning. The only reason I left you alive was because I dont like eating bones.
Diablo wasnt there. But Pale released a momentum as if she was on the verge of killing him.
She reached out as if she didnt care about the constraints of space. This movement was familiar. It was the way she summoned her sword.
Stop.
Lukas stopped her. Naturally, this wasnt to protect Diablo. There were still things he still needed to talk to him about, and more importantly, Pale wasnt the one that would end him.
Hmph.
Pale snorted and let go of her murderous intent. Although he didnt voice it, Diablo was surprised by this fact.
[When I entered the World of Void and could see the Castle, I was elated. Because it meant that Id gained the qualification I so badly wanted. Do you know what Im talking about? It meant I was qualified to become the Void King. In the end, sitting on the throne would be a new beginning.]
[Im certain. After you hear my story, you will make one of two choices. Either you will support me to become the Void King, or you yourself will become the Void King.]
He had thought of the latter several times. He felt that he would eventually end up sitting in the seat of the Void King. Even if it would be a hassle.
However, hed never thought of the former. It was so absurd to the point that it even made him angry.
Lukas would support Diablo to be the Void King? That would be almost impossible even if the sky was to flip over hundreds of times. Diablos eyes curled like crescent moons.
[And I will support you regardless of whichever choice you make. In the first place, Im not the only one who can achieve my goal. Perhaps you will be the real master of this mission.]
What is your goal?
[To spread death. If possible, not just to this universe, but to all of the Three Thousand Worlds.]
Lukas let out a sigh. It was an expression of exhaustion at the story that continued to go around in circles.
But Diablo continued with the same attitude.
[You have the mindset of a human again. You can see things from the eyes of a mortal. Thats why Im certain. That you will understand my choice, and empathise with my plan.]
At that moment, a crack appeared beside Diablos image. Lukas realised it was both an entrance and exit to another space.
[Its not like a trap or anything.]
[Go in. Then you will be able to draw your own conclusions. Maybe you wont have to wander anymore. In my opinion, it would be nice if you could regain your original goal and mission.] S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
He had no intention of going in. Even if everything Diablo said was true, sometimes knowing the truth only lead to responsibilities. And at that moment, Lukas didnt want to increase his responsibilities even more.
The reason hed come to the Three Thousand Worlds was to kill Diablo and the Demon King.
That should be enough for now.
But.
The next moment, Lukas stepped into the crack.
* * *
Right after that, Lukas felt like hed been trapped in a small room. It wasnt a trap. The meaning of that sensation was simple.
It was just that the size of the crack in space was very small.
It was dark.
It was a place where there was almost no light. Nevertheless, his eyes gradually grew accustomed to the dark.
!
Instantly, his heart sank. The moment he had instinctively stretched out his hand, he felt the touch of something resembling a soft skein* of thread. (*: Fun fact, these are also called hanks)
It only took Lukas a moment to realise it was someones hair.
And the fact that the owner was so close he could feel their breath.
ah.
It was immediately clear to him who the woman was.
A woman with ebony hair and unfathomable eyes.
Iris Peacefinder was staring at Lukas in surprise.
(TL: Diablo best wingman?)
Heres Sedi ^-^
Book 2: Chapter 488
Book 2: Chapter 488 A shabby wooden chair.
A skeleton wrapped in black cloth sat cross legged in a place completely engulfed in darkness. At first glance, it was so still that it looked like a corpse, but the eye sockets of the skeleton carried proof that this skeleton couldnt be considered a corpse.
The green ghostly fire flickered like will o wisps, but from a different perspective, they looked like people burning in the dark.
What was clear, was that there was clearly magical power contained within those will o wisps.
[What is the difference between a god and a man?]
It was a low but loud voice that was unpleasant to listen to, like the condensed screams of evil spirits.
[The god Im referring to isnt the unique and omnipotent being. Every Absolute that is capable of travelling between universes can be classified as gods. Of course, that is just my personal classification, but what is the reason? Its nothing much. Its simply because they all have the power to destroy a large number of universes.]
Diablo waved his hand, causing pitch black fog to billow out and begin taking a shape. At that, most of those in the audience breathed heavily.
[The Demigod Lord, a being that could easily destroy our universe. Im not sure anyone here has forgotten the despair that man caused you to feel. However, even the weakest Absolute is more powerful than Lord. How about it? Dont you think beings like that its accurate to call such beings gods?]
There was no answer.
Without paying any attention to his audiences unresponsiveness, Diablo continued.
[Then whats the difference between them and humans?]
And once again, he returned to the original question.
[It is easy to understand when theyre called humans and gods, but if you classify them a bit more clearly, it would be more appropriate to refer to them as mortals and Absolutes. Then does that mean that it is simply the difference in power that divides them? Thats not it. Although its extremely rare, there are some people who, while still being mortal, have the power to stand against an Absolute.]
After saying that, Diablo turned his gaze to the Black Knight standing on his right.
[Heres what I think. Ill share the mission with them.]
After saying that, he paused for a while, but there was still no response.
[Every being possesses a mission even if they themselves might not realise it, our destiny is surrounded by countless missions. And Absolutes are beings who are bound by those missions. They can never turn away from their mission. Instead, they continue to complete their missions precisely and perfectly like machines. In that case, then what about humans, what about mortals?]
Diablo spread his boney hands then clenched them passionately.
[Of course, we are also beings who have missions. However, our missions are never permanent. Is there any human who could take on a mission from the moment they are born and adhere to it till the moment they die? No!
The voice gradually grew louder.
[There is none. Without a doubt.]
After saying that, Diablo rose from his seat.
[Our missions change constantly! It might even be better to call them desires! Standing on two feet for the first time, proving your worth, making money, finding a good spouse, supporting your parents, caring for your children until they grow up because life is continuous, the missions are also continuous. Isnt it wonderful? Isnt it beautiful?]
The sight of an undead with a skeletal body clamouring about the beauty of life was strange in its own right. However, as had been the case until now, no one in the audience found fault with it.
[And each mission must have a full stop at the end. Otherwise, if they couldnt be accomplished in the end, how would the missions be any different from curses? However, they, the Absolutes, seem to not know such a simple thing. As if they had been brainwashed, they continue to repeat their actions, as if they were bound by missions that can never be completed Its quite tragic. How is it that they havent yet realised that they are stuck in an inescapable trap despite the fact that there hasnt yet been an Absolute who managed to accomplish their mission?]
One thing was clear.
The lack of response didnt mean the audience werent paying to Diablos words. While not everyone there were enchanted by Diablos words, it was clear that they were all at least paying attention to his speech.
[And the Absolute born from this universe is no exception to this. Im talking about the Wizard who became an Absolute even though he was a human.]
When he said those words, the vigour in Diablos voice was clearly disturbed.
[Whether only those who can complete unachievable missions can become Absolutes, or whether Absolutes are contradictory beings who struggle to complete unachievable missions. I dont know that much. However, it is clear that their actions are as meaningless as pouring water into the sea. Isnt it natural? Even after one task is completed, there are thousands of things occurring in other universes that need to be resolved.]
Diablos voice gradually became filled with emotion. It felt like he genuinely felt sympathy for the Absolutes.
[What they need is an end* and rest. The same could be said for the entire multiverse. And I will be the agent of Death](*: In this case referring to a true end e.g. death)
That was the end of the speech.
The people that filled the hall could all be called some of the strongest on the entire continent, and all of them were also those who had successfully passed Diablos strict screening.
[getid]
Those who had the right to know the truth about the world outside.
Those who had enough power.
Among them was Snow, whose life Diablo himself had tried to take. She had lost both eyes, but there were no issues with her ears. In other words, this meant that she was able to remain calm even while listening to Diablos voice.
What was the reason for this?
Was it because she felt that what he was saying was worth listening to? Was it simply because she couldnt defeat him with a body that was unable to see? Or
She couldnt tell.
Iris wasnt close enough to be able to guess Snows inner thoughts. However, she could tell that her hostility towards Diablo, which could be clearly felt, had faded noticeably.
Diablos speech that day wasnt his first. As far as Iris knew, there were ten of them that she had been present to, not to mention the ones that she hadnt attended or didnt know about.
At first, it was certainly semi-forced. But as the number increased, more and more people began to listen to the speeches voluntarily, and naturally, more and more people began to empathise with Diablos opinion.
And Diablos speech that day was the last.
This was because he probably believed that everyone who could be convinced had already been convinced. This judgement was accurate.
In the end, there were only three people who hadnt been influenced by Diablo.
* * *
Lukas realised that he was visibly agitated. It must have been clearly displayed on his face.
On the other hand, Iris raised her eyes for a moment at Lukas appearance, but that was it. Her face soon became expressionless once more. She then took a few steps back to create some distance from Lukas before snapping her fingers.
Ttak. A beam of light fell upon the dark space. Only then did the outline of their surroundings become clear.
It was a library.
There were several rows of bookshelves that were high enough to reach the sky, and every inch of space was filled with books.
The extremely large library gave off a feeling of a mysterious world that had been naturally formed like this, but instead of being overwhelmed by the scenery, Lukas had a different opinion.
The first impression that hed had when he first entered about this being small was not wrong.
This place was an incredibly small universe. At first glance, the library seemed huge, but it was still not enough to be considered a world. Of course, it was probably still bigger than most planets.
why are you here?
It was only then that Lukas finally spoke. Iris didnt immediately respond. Instead, she picked up a few books nearby that had fallen and returned all but one to the bookshelves.
Then, opening the book in her hands, she said.
Thats a strange thing to say.
Iris voice was emotionless.
A strange thing to say?
Why Im here. Thats what you said. As if you know who I am, and where I am.
I.
You. You seem to know me. I know about who you are too.
Her black eyes turned to look at Lukas once more.
Lukas Trowman.
She was just saying his name, but Lukas felt as though cold fingers were touching his neck.
However, I still dont know you. I merely learned about you after coming to this place.
This place?
Do you not know where this is despite being an Absolute? This place is the Void Records.
Lukas expression changed at those words.
The Void Records, the Akashic Records.
Wasnt this Gods library where all the information in the universe was recorded? IT seemed that it was more stereotypical than hed expected.
The scenery seems to change depending on the ideas of the visitor. The appearance of the Void Records that I envisioned was a place filled with an endless line of bookshelves that reached the sky.
I also saw your life story here. Sar?h the Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Tak. Iris closed the book she was holding and showed him the cover.
[The Great Mage Returns after 4000 Years, Chapter 214]
Lukas remained silent.
To summarise what I heard from Diablo and the Great Medium, the memories that I had before were all overwritten and falsified, and that the things that were written in this were real, that is to say, the real history.
And that you are the hero who saved our world, and yet you are the tragic figure who was forgotten by everyone. That your life afterward was all about sacrifice. That you threw yourself into an endless battle to save humans in order to return to your home world.
When hed returned to his home universe.
He had realised that hed become a forgotten being that had disappeared even from the memories of his closest acquaintances. At that time, he had a thought. Hed hoped that they would one day remember him once more. Hed hoped that the memory of the man named Lukas Trowman would return.
That had now been achieved. With none other than the woman hed promised to return to. The woman who had sacrificed 4,000 years for Lukas had learned about him.
And yet, he wasnt happy. He couldnt be happy.
Instead, he felt a throbbing pain in his chest.
I will admit it now, when I first saw you, I didnt have a strange feeling that it didnt feel like our first meeting. Yes. I was strangely concerned about you and my attention stayed on you. It was an unfamiliar feeling that Id never felt before.
but isnt it amazing? Despite coming here and reading all the stories about you, my head amazingly grew cold.
Iris continued with an expressionless face.
I respect you. I commend your amazing achievements. And I thank you. For protecting our universe. However
She hesitated for a moment.
But soon afterward, she opened her mouth with a determined expression.
However, I can not think of you as an acquaintance at all. To me, you are simply Lukas Trowman, a character from a myth, or a historic hero.
I can understand the feelings of the Iris written here, but I cannot recognise her as me.
After saying that, Iris Peacefinder lowered her head.
I just wanted to make this clear before we started talking. Im sorry.
(3/3 C This is the end of the owed chapters. Sorry for the delay)
Book 2: Chapter 489
Book 2: Chapter 489 There was no immediate response.
But it felt like something was lodged in his throat. Lukas suddenly wondered what he would say even if he opened his mouth at that moment.
While he was immersed in that feeling, Iris raised her lowered head once more. Then, she blinked her eyes once before speaking.
Would you like to have a seat?
Where?
Before he could even say this out loud, a table and a pair of chairs fell from the sky. He wasnt exactly sure how high they had fallen from, but it was definitely high enough for furniture made of wood to be smashed upon landing.
Nevertheless, the furniture completed the landing with surprising grace.
There wasnt a single sound, not even a rattle. It was as if they were stuck to a wall made of glue.
The table was a dining table. This was because there was food on the table*. Although the menu wasnt amazing. (*: The word for dining table is basically food table)
It was just freshly baked bread, soup, bacon, and a glass of milk each.
Iris sat down first. Then, she repeated her words, except this time, it was with her gaze. He had no choice but to sit in front of her.
Of course, that was all.
He didnt think he could eat carefreely in this place, moreover, in front of Iris.
Iris, who was staring blankly at Lukas, snapped her finger once more. This time, a cup of coffee fell from the sky.
He looked down at the steaming cup.
Coffee.
It was Lukas favourite drink.
But, of course, Iris didnt know that She shouldnt have known that.
She knew a fact she shouldnt have known. In that case, how did she find out?
It was obvious. Shed read it in the Void Records.
It suddenly felt like all of his memories lost their colour.
What shed just said made sense to him now. She had learned everything about Lukas through information rather than memory. That gap that they could feel between them would not be filled even if they were to make countless memories in the future.
He knew.
Serving coffee for him was her way of showing consideration for Lukas. However, that consideration had now become poison.
There was only a table between them, but it felt as if there was a thousand foot precipice between Lukas and her.
He took a sip of the coffee to get rid of that feeling. To his surprise, it worked. The aching in his chest subsided a little.
Now that he thought about it, Lukas realised that he shouldnt have been so affected by this.
He had already been given a solution for their relationship. Of course, it was just a simple conclusion and couldnt be called the correct answer, but at least it was something he could understand since he himself had deliberated and put forward. He just had to accept it.
Nevertheless, the reason hed been so affected was simply because Lukas could not have predicted this development.
Iris had learned about Lukas. And yet, she didnt seem interested.
Those two facts combined were the causes of Lukas confusion.
However, its over now.
He took another sip of coffee.
As soon as the mellow flavour flowed over the tip of his tongue and went down his oesophagus, the pain in his chest could no longer be felt. That was a change that surprised even him.
Lukas was now able to look at the situation with calm eyes.
Was this your doing?
Huh?
This furniture, it doesnt seem like they were simply summoned.
indeed. You are level headed and capable of quickly judging the situation. Just like in the book.
You must have been very fond of the being called Iris Peacefinder. However, there isnt even the slightest hint of agitation in your eyes as you look at my face now. It seems you were able to calm down and sort your emotions in a short time, just like it said.
I went off tangent. You asked about my power, didnt you?
Iris brushed her fingertips across the tabletop.
Thats right. Its not like summoning. I didnt move them from somewhere.
Did you create them?
Although Lukas assumption was unrealistic, it was highly probable. Although creation was by no means a power granted to mortals, Iris was an exception.
After all, she was the Apostle who had been given the authority of none other than Lord himself. She had trained that power for at least thousands of years to help Lukas escape, and even after Lords death, she hadnt lost her authority over space.
Of course, her ability to create wasnt on the same level as Lord in his prime, who could create a variety of things from nothing. In fact, Lukas didnt think that Iris, whom hed simply shared his power with, would be able to reach that level.
However, perhaps
Its a bit different.
A whispered voice tickled his ears.
It is simply a copy of something that was recorded in this place. Perhaps it would be more accurate to call it materialisation.
Materialisation?
The table that was called here now is the breakfast that a man named Dumar Chester had on the eighth day of July when he was 47. Ah, the man named Dumar was not my acquaintance.
Lukas hesitated.
you have the power to materialise what is written in the void?
To an extremely limited extent.
Iris didnt seem to think it was a big deal, but it wasnt something that should be said so calmly.
It seemed that something unreasonable and extremely unrealistic was taking place.
In other words, Iris had successfully connected to the void?
How was that possible
It shouldnt have been possible for the vessel of a mortal to contain even a fraction of the information held within the Void Records, the Akashic Records.
It was quite natural.
The trick that Iris had displayed was only beginning to enter the entrance of the transcendent stage. If she became able to use that power as she pleased, she would be able to take out any creation in the universe whenever she desired.
She would be able to obtain an authority that was very close to Gods, no, that it was safe to say belonged to God.
Are you not eating?
Iris spoke again.
I dont have an appetite.
It hadnt been there in the first place, but it had fallen even more after the conversation just now.
Wouldnt it be better to eat? You seem hungry.
It was an accurate analysis.
It had been quite a while since they had entered the mine, and all hed eaten until then was the piece of flesh that hed eaten to comfort Pale. In fact, if he let go of his concentration even slightly, he would be able to feel his stomach complaining of hunger.
Lukas hesitated for a moment, but soon picked up the tableware. He didnt have an appetite since he had just drank the coffee, but after eating a few spoonfuls of soup, his appetite returned.
The simple meal quickly came to an end.
In the meantime, Iris read a book without paying any attention to Lukas. Looking at the cover, it was still a book about Lukas.
All of a sudden, Lukas wanted to read that book as well.
The people you know.
Without taking her eyes from the book, Iris spoke.
Most of them agree with Diablos ideals.
what?
They came to understand the ideas he advocated.
Lukas remained silent for a moment.
Do you mean the crazy claim about spreading death to the Three Thousand Worlds?
Yes.
Silence fell once more as he recalled Diablos claim once more.
I cant understand.
But even after thinking about it again, he still felt that he couldnt understand it.
Its not even sophistry. Theres no way the people I know would agree to that.
Right. Unless they all had collectively gone mad.
But Iris made a puzzled expression before nodding as if she understood something.
I guess you didnt hear everything from Diablo, did you?
He told me to hear the rest from you. Thats why Im here.
from, me.
Iris lowered her head slightly and lightly ran her finger across her lips. It was a habit that appeared whenever she was lost in thought.
Most things are recorded in this place.
Then, looking at Lukas, she continued.
Not everything, most things.
She repeated her words with emphasis. Then she looked at Lukas face. As if she expected to see some kind of reaction after he heard this.
But she didnt show any reactions to Lukas.
Iris was a woman who could perfectly hide her thoughts if she wanted to. Although she hadnt been easy to read in the first place, the unique light in her eyes had become several times deeper than before. In order to forcefully peek at her thoughts, she would have to be agitated or confused, but Lukas couldnt think of a way to do that.
In other words,
Lukas couldnt guess what Iris intentions were for saying this.
This place looks huge, doesnt it? Its just as it looks. This library is even bigger than the current world outside that has become a mega universe after the Great Fusion.
After saying that, she took a moment to catch her breath. He had the vague feeling that she was gathering her momentum.
Lukas
Had a hunch that what she was about to say was the most important.
But even though its huge, it isnt infinite. That is the truth of the world.
For a moment, Iris eyes seemed to become pitch black for a moment.
Nothing is eternal in this world.
Something.
He felt like this was something hed felt before.
When was it?
It was definitely not when he was Lukas, but perhaps it was when he was Frey.
The look in Iris eyes was similar to something hed seen before
-then you can go now.
What?
Or is there something else you want to say?
When Iris tilted her head to the side and asked this, he became speechless.
Of course, there was nothing Lukas needed from Iris. Because he hadnt expected to meet Iris in the first place.
Diablo had sent me here confidently. It seemed he thought that I would be able to reach some kind of conclusion. sea??h th N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
I see.
However, that didnt turn out to be the case.
Lukas spoke with a complicated voice.
I still dont understand Diablos ideals. I still think of him as a risk factor, and I still havent changed my mind about killing him whenever I encounter him.
Nevertheless, that is all I can say.
Iris, what are you hiding-
It was at that moment.
The space next to Lukas split open and someone suddenly appeared.
It was Pale.
You?
Without even looking at the bewildered Lukas, she looked around with a pout. Then, she revealed her signature bright smile.
I came to pick you up since you were taking so long!
How did you come here?
The entrance didnt disappear and its still open. Ah. That stupid skeleton ran away. Gloomy bastard. I dont like that guy. Next time I see him, Im going to kill him.
She crossed her arms while speaking as if it was no big deal.
Then, she looked up at the towering bookshelves as tall as buildings and muttered in a faint voice.
Hmm. Indeed. This place is
What about you, Lukas? Are you done with your business?
It was at that moment.
Pales gaze, which was moving around, finally settled on Iris.
For a moment, the two silently looked at each other.
It was Pale who smiled first. After making her signature wide smile, she suddenly grabbed Lukas by the arm and began leading him away.
Since youre done with your business, lets get going. The top seems a bit noisy.
Wait. Im not
Hurry.
He couldnt understand Pales suddenly rushed attitude. Lukas, who was half led and half dragged, subconsciously turned back to look at Iris, and couldnt help but tremble.
For the first time, there was a ripple of emotion on Iris expressionless face.
Book 2: Chapter 490
Book 2: Chapter 490 Palm and fist collided. (*: Palm technique vs fist technique)
Rumble!
Together with thunder-like explosions, a dust storm swirled in every direction.
Even the ones who had escaped from the mine were affected despite being far away. They felt the ground beneath them shake as their bodies were buffeted by heavy winds that threatened to carry them away.
Dok Go-yuns body was pushed back. But he didnt have any injuries.
Hmph.
Instead, he even sneered as if to show off.
In the skirmish just now, hed clearly had the advantage. Although the young mans body hadnt been pushed back like Dok Go-yuns, his right arm had been shattered to such an extent that it looked like a rag.
Of course, it wasnt a one-sided advantage.
The right side of his forehead was split and blood flowed from it, although it wasnt a serious injury, it was unlikely that the bleeding would stop easily. (TL:what about he had no injuries?)
Even as the blood dyed his eyes, Dok Go-yun didnt blink. Instead, he analysed the condition of his body.
His left knee was cracked, his abdomen and chest were bruised, and his right shoulder was fractured while his left palm was torn. (PR: tis but a flesh wound)
He hadnt suffered any fatal injuries, but he thought that it would be a bother, so he decided to use it now.
Dark Cloud Fog(F), Mothers Palm Wrap(ĸư)
Fwoosh-
Dark fog that was incomparable to before was released from Dok Go-yuns body.
The young mans eyebrows furrowed at that. Maintaining his stance, he observed it for a while before he finally realised.
This things goal wasnt to attack.
Taht!
Only then did he kick off the ground to narrow the distance with Dok Go-yun, but he was a step too late.
You were too slow!
In the darkness, Dok Go-yun let out a laugh. As he stretched out his right arm, the dark fog that was surrounding him raged like a turbid stream and pushed the young mans body away.
The young man tried to hold on by releasing his internal energy but was soon swept away forcefully.
Dok Go-yun didnt let go of this chance and immediately chased after him. Running faster than the flying young man, he then stretched out his pure white hands.
Boom!
He unleashed the Fourteen Vexing Bone Palms(ʮ) technique in order, pressuring the young man. Sar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Hed done it. Hed controlled the flow.
Dok Go-yun continued his offensive as if he was dancing.
Whats wrong? Your movements are so slow!
The young man was being driven into a corner, but he muttered without exposing a vital point.
demonic arts are demonic arts. I cant believe you were able to heal your wounds in an instant.
Haha. Its okay to admit youre jealous.
Im not jealous. You didnt use it from the beginning. The reason is simple. It must have a pretty heavy price.
Even as he said that, the young man stumbled as if he would collapse at any moment.
Oh? Is that so?
Although Dok Go-yun smiled as he answered like that, inwardly, he was surprised.
The young mans guess was right.
Mothers Palm Wrap was capable of healing most injuries in an instant, but it had the disadvantage in the form of its extreme consumption of internal energy.
I also lost too much blood.
Although it could heal internal and external injuries by increasing the users healing factor, it could not replenish blood that had already been lost.
Of course, even if the opponent realised that, that didnt change Dok Go-yuns superiority.
The stumbling young man stomped the ground with his right leg. Crack! The ground cracked like a spiderweb, and pieces of stone were sent flying. In the meantime, an enormous amount of power condensed in the young mans fist.
He was a quick witted guy.
Realising that as time passed he would be more and more at a disadvantage, he decided to use this trick and end it in one blow.
Good. Ill accept it.
Not thinking that hed lose in a head on contest, Dok Go-yun also raised his vitality* to the limit. (*: not exactly, think of a pure form of internal energy)
As the inner principle of the Dark Cloud Fog, the Black Spirit Possession, began to unfold, both of Dok Go-yuns arms became dyed black as if they had been painted with ink.
Crunch, as if he wasnt in a hurry to release it, the internal energy gathering on the young mans fist began to emit light.
By the end of this collision, one of them would become a corpse. But neither side thought that the corpse would be theirs.
Nevertheless, the outcome of the match would forever be unknown.
Just before their two powers could collide, a gentle breeze blew between them.
At least that was how it felt for Dok Go-yun and the young man.
At some point, with a flutter of robes, Yang In-hyun appeared at the point where their powers would collide.
!
What was he doing?!
A look of bewilderment flashed across Dok Go-yuns face. Even if it was Yang In-hyun, he would not remain intact if he were to stand in the middle of the collision.
However, if Dok Go-yun were to withdraw his power or try to forcibly change direction, he would have to bear the recoil with his body.
His opponent was equally flustered.
Srrng-
In the meantime, Yang In-hyun drew his sword and slowly swung it in a clockwise direction.
As a result, the essence of the dark cloud released by Dok Go-yun was captured on the tip of the blade.
!
Even while witnessing it with both eyes, he couldnt believe it.
It was neither broken nor sliced.
Like a thread attached to the tip of a needle, Dok Go-yuns killer move was manipulated by Yang In-hyun as he pleased. As a result, the force of the dark cloud gathered at the tip of the sword gradually began to be neutralised.
Soon, the sword reached the opposite direction. In other words, it reached the place where the young mans fist was surging.
Boom!
The sound of thunder was heard once more.
But instead of being sent flying dozens of miles, the young mans body simply shook as he took a few steps back.
The young mans expression also hardened for the first time. Dok Go-yun felt that this reaction was natural.
It wouldnt have been so surprising if their attacks had been blocked or even destroyed directly.
But the technique Yang In-hyun displayed was several levels above that.
It was a technique that couldnt be explained as simply the exquisite use of Gentle Overpowering Movement(oƄ)*, and at the same time, it was also proof of how great the distance between them was. (*: basically the redirecting/making use of the opponents attacks that is present in many(most) martial arts.)
who is this sir?
The young man spoke in a respectful tone.
Just now, this man could have stopped the fight in a much easier way. At that time, the openings that theyd both shown as they launched their killing moves to take each others lives were fatal. If he had wanted to, he could have used them to slice through their throats before they had even realised they were dead.
I think you are misunderstanding something.
misunderstanding?
Right. We have nothing to do with the evil actions being carried out in this mine.
The young mans eyes narrowed.
You probably mistook the black fog surrounding the mine to be similar to the dark cloud fog that Dok Go-yun uses, but thats wrong. The two powers are completely different.
You should have experienced Dok Go-yuns dark cloud fog enough in your skirmish just now, so if you analyse the black fog covering this area, youll understand.
The young man hesitated for a moment before doing as he said. Upon seeing him close his eyes and concentrate, Dok Go-yun wanted to launch a technique at his body, but he remained still after noticing Yang In-hyuns gaze.
After a while, the eyes of the young mans handsome face, which were filled with bewilderment, opened.
I dont believe it.
So you understand.
I apologise. It was my mistake
As he said this, the young man bowed.
A vein pulsed on the head of Dok Go-yun, who was watching on.
Hey, arent you apologising to the wrong person? I was the one who got hit by your surprise attack.
When he looked at Dok Go-yun, the young mans expression became cold once more.
You asked for it.
What?
Did you not expect this to happen when you decided to learn demonic arts?
As he looked at the young man, Dok Go-yun grit his teeth as if he was pissed.
Ive never seen such an asshole. Do you know who I am to be so rude to me?
Dont know. Dont care.
You brat, you really wanna see if
Stop.
After interceding with a brief word, Yang In-hyun looked at the young man.
it seems you have calmed down enough so I would like to ask you something.
What is it?
Who did you learn martial arts from?
* * *
That
Iris voice cut off slightly. Confusion was clear in her expression. But she was able to recover her emotions faster than they appeared, and she looked at Pale with her characteristic cool figure.
Their eyes met in the air.
Lukas felt strange.
Seeing Iris and Pale at the same time felt extremely unrealistic. It was as if characters from entirely different novels had come out of the pages and met each other.
Theyre similar.
They were strangely similar.
Of course, their appearances, atmospheres, and physiques were different.
If so then? What was the similarity that Lukas was seeing between them?
Lukas looked at Iris. As she looked at Pale, a smile began to spread across her face.
It was at that moment that Lukas realised the identity of the strange feeling hed been having while looking at Iris.
Its an honour to meet you, Blue Knight of Famine.
Huh? You know me?
Because you are quite famous.
Thats strange. There is no way anything about me is written in this library.
Pale only spoke a little, but it was enough for Lukas to realise something.
There were no records of the World of Void in the Akashic Records, or in other words, the Void Records. This place carried a record of everything that happened in the multiverse. But the World of Void did not fall into the category of everything in the multiverse.
It was nothing but a dumpsite for abandoned possibilities. That was the identity of the World of Void.
I know about you too. Black Witch!
How?
I know everything. Mm, even that Lukas had been indebted to you in the past.
Pfft, then Pale let out a laugh. It wasnt obvious, but anyone could tell that it was done mockingly.
I guess you forgot everything now. Ah, how pitiful.
The atmosphere gradually became sharper.
This wasnt just Lukas imagination.
You forgot your oath. Did you know that? Its much harder and crueller to forget a promise than to break it! But every single one of you betrayed Lukas.
that was done by God.
Was it because of the rule? Ah. Of course it was. However, that doesnt mean exceptions were impossible, does it? Moreover, I dont think you can even fool yourself with that excuse!
Mm. I said too much. Im sure youll forget it all anyway, so it doesnt matter. Listen to my words with one ear.
Pale finished speaking with a smile.
Iris was silent for a moment before speaking.
Blue Knight Pale, I never would have expected you to mention the rules of God.
Mm?
After all, arent you one of Gods biggest victims?
What are you talking about?
Well. Should I talk about it here? About the life of a blue haired girl named Pale before she became the Blue Knight of Famine. I guess you forgot.
Like a magnolia blooming in the dark, Iris white teeth showed as she smiled.
Arent all the records of you before you went to the World of Void in this place?
Ttuk.
Pale froze.
its strange.
And the smile on her face disappeared.
How many extra lives do the people outside have?
Then she stretched out her hand.
It was her characteristic stance when calling out her sword. Crack! Something emerged from the ground.
Stop!
Lukas belatedly tried to stop her, but unlike with Diablo, Pale had no intention of stopping. In an instant, she grabbed her sword and rushed towards Iris.
Kuk!
It was dangerous.
Iris wouldnt be able to take even a single blow from Pale. Just as Lukas was about to urgently call upon the power of void.
Hey, Blue Knight. Ive never seen you, or your armour, before.
Iris called out with a smile.
Is that what your sword is supposed to look like?
?
At that, Pale looked down at her own sword. Then she realised.
The sword she was holding was not its usual pale colour, but was instead covered in ridiculous rainbow colours.
Huh?
You didnt summon it. I materialised it.
Then, the tip of the blade moved like jelly and tried to cover Pales entire body. Pale belatedly tried to let go of the sword, but it had already taken on a lumpy form, even down to the hilt, so it was hard to get rid of.
Just as Pales body was about to be completely swept away by the mucus. Bang! The mucus was sent flying following a sound similar to that of compressed air bursting.
Iris looked at the figure and said.
You cannot become the Blue Knight in this place.
aha. That seems to be the case.
Pale gave her a torn smile.
But I dont think I need a sword to eat you.
Those words were right.
Even without becoming the Blue Knight, Pale was still a formidable being. She might even be able to enter the minimal time zone as she was now.
But Iris relaxed expression didnt go away.
I cant defeat you.
Its good that you know.
Nevertheless, if its in this place, it is possible for me to run away forever. While still pestering you.
Would you like to play tag with me here forever?
The two women were smiling at each other.
That was certainly true. But Lukas felt like he could see a rift growing between them.
hmm.
Pale was the one to turn away first. She spoke with a huff.
Lets go.
She grabbed Lukas by the arm.
And, somehow, he was unable to shake her off. It was as if Lukas was stuck to Pale. Before leaving, he turned to look at Iris face one last time.
And he realised again.
Iris was a woman who could always hide her true feelings behind a smile.
Whether she felt joy, sadness, anger, or nothing at all.
She always had a smile on her face. That was just a way of life for the woman named Iris Peacefinder.
In other words, that meant.
If Iris felt nothing towards Lukas, she would have smiled. She would have smiled like she always did.
But she didnt.
Right before they left, Iris was expressionless
(TL: Lukas was wise to remain silent this time.)
Book 2: Chapter 491
Book 2: Chapter 491 After the one guest and one unwelcome guest left, the space was tinged with silence.
Iris slowly lowered her gaze. Faint traces of destruction were left in the place she arbitrarily called the inside of Gods skull. The sight added to the gloominess.
As she didnt like it, she waved her hand.
Shak-
The destroyed ground, the spilt bookshelves, and the library that had been left in a mess all began to gradually recover. The number of damaged books was by no means small, but that was fine. It would be fine even if a fire was to cover the entire library and burn all the books to ashes.
The things recorded in the Akashic Records were all the original forms of the information. Even if a force strong enough to wipe out a universe was used, they wouldnt disappear.
Reaching out, she picked up one of the fallen books. Then, Iris noticed that her fingertips were trembling.
She suddenly had a thought.
Had Lukas noticed her agitation?
She wasnt sure. She focused on the beat of her own heart.
Please notice, please dont notice.
Such conflicting thoughts filled her head, but she soon shook her head. The movement was slow, but at the same time, it seemed to be filled with certainty as if she was reassuring herself.
After her hair, which looked as if it had been soaked in black ink, swayed a few times.
Smack!
Iris slapped herself on her cheek.
good.
Then, she thought of the blue haired young woman. She intentionally erased the memories of her pulling Lukas and only paid attention to that womans identity and goal.
Not good.
If things were to continue at this rate, it was bound to end badly.
As she stood in front of a certain bookcase, Iris Peacefinder made up her mind.
Her twirling fingers eventually pulled out a book.
* * *
Shortly after leaving the Akashic Records.
[How interesting. The Akashic Records, kukuku.]
Lukas frowned as the Lightning Gods voice resounded in his head. This guy always showed his presence when he was about to forget him.
If possible, hed prefer to not talk to him when Pale was around.
What is interesting about it? Was that your first time entering the Akashic Records?
[Thats not it. What Im interested in is Iris Peacefinders aim.]
Her aim?
[Right.]
you know her aim that even I dont know?
[If you take a few steps back, youd be able to see the wider picture.]
Although those words were right.
What is it? Iris aim.
[Theres no reason for me to answer.]
He couldnt help but think that his timing to say that was right.
Lukas clicked his tongue inwardly and decided to ignore the Lightning God the next time he tried to talk to him.
Dammit. Even as he had those trivial thoughts, his heart pounded as if he had been sprinting. He found it hard to calm down.
He recalled his helpless appearance just now in the Void Records.
When Iris and Pale were about to fight, although it was only for an instant, Lukas simply watched the situation. Fortunately, it didnt continue till the end.
If,
If the fight had continued, if it really became intense to the point of either side dying.
If that did happen, whose side would Lukas take?
Generally speaking, it would be Iris. Although his feelings towards Pale were better than before, he still couldnt trust her fully.
However.
-You forgot your oath. Did you know? Its much harder and crueller to forget a promise than to break it! But every single one of you betrayed Lukas.
Pales words made his heart thump heavily. Those were the words Lukas pride didnt allow him to utter.
Gods doing? The rules of the world? They forgot him just because of that?
Him, who had abandoned everything for them, for humans.
Now that he had regained his humanity, he was up to his neck in childish whining, which never happened when he was an Absolute.
That was why Lukas couldnt help but feel grateful to Pale. She said what he couldnt say in his place. In all honesty, it made him feel relieved.
Huhu.
He let out a chuckle.
Once more, he realised what state he was in.
The current him was pathetic.
Lukas turned around.
The crack in space was disappearing. Stretching out his hand, he tried to read the coordinate values from the disappearing space.
It didnt work.
Its Iris doing.
She had deliberately twisted the space in a complex manner. This made it impossible for him to enter that space again even though he had entered it before. As expected, the authority over space that shed obtained had advanced by leaps and bounds.
Huu.
He didnt know Iris aim.
However, he could at least tell what she was thinking.
She had learned about Lukas again, but she didnt feel any emotion. Knowing that was enough.
It was at that moment that he felt a sudden impact on his back. Turning around, he saw Pale with her palm unfolded and a smile on her face.
Fix your face!
Pale had slapped his back with her palm.
Of course, her aim wasnt to attack him Was she comforting him?
Are you upset because you met your ex lover?
Ex lov- no. Not. That.
Heh? I see.
Giggling as if she was satisfied, she closed the distance.
Her blue eyes shined brightly through her unkempt hair.
Pale looked up at Lukas with an expressionless face for a moment before the corners of her mouth raised. It was a smile that would better be described as cool rather than beautiful.
-you know.
Her whispered voice tickled his neck like a feather.
I, surprisingly, dont like the leftovers of others.
youre saying.
Right. Im saying you havent been eaten yet.
The moment her brightly coloured tongue darted out, Lukas unwittingly took a few steps backwards.
At that, Pale giggled and took a few steps back as well.
Im joking, then, since youre done with your business here, lets go up.
Although he was a bit confused by Pales previous attitude, Lukas replied.
Now that I think about it, you said the top is noisy. What happened?
Huh? It seemed like a fight.
A fight?
Was it Yang In-hyun, Dok Go-yun, or someone else?
It was hard to believe.
Dok Go-yuns martial prowess was so high that it was hard for him to find an opponent not just among humans, but in this entire Great Universe. Even a dozen martial artists who would be regarded as experts wherever they went would not be able to deal with Dok Go-yun. Not to mention Yang In-hyun.
Pitter patter
Suddenly, dust fell from the ceiling.
It was caused by vibrations that came from the surface, in other words, it was the aftermath of a fight.
It was as Pale said. Lukas could sense a fierce battle going on above.
Lets head up.
Yes.
Pale, who was a few steps away, strode over and grabbed Lukas hand. With both hands. After a moment, she looked up at him, smiled, and said.
We have to be touching to move together, dont we?
Although that was true, she had never been this active before.
Lukas forcibly swallowed what he wanted to say. It would be difficult to reach the surface in one go, so he would have to separate the spatial leap into two parts.
I still need to think about what to do with the people in the mine.
The humans in this place, who had already lost their human intellect.
They couldnt be fixed. At the very least, it was impossible for Lukas.
Then should he just leave them like this? Was it right to leave them to endlessly repeating labour?
Shuk-
The first movement ended.
It was a layer filled with the scent of blood, the same layer where hed killed Twohands.
He could see the people who were indistinguishable from monsters. Despite Lukas sudden reemergence, they continued to be preoccupied with their work.
It was a sight that he didnt want to see again for a long time.
Just as Lukas was about to space leap again.
Huh? Wait.
Letting go of his hand, Pale walked off in a direction. It was towards the body of Twohands.
Did she want to eat more because she didnt eat enough? Lukas thought about a way to refuse. Right. He could say that Iris had served him a meal before she arrived.
But the excuse Lukas came up with was not needed. Because it seemed that Pales goal was not a meal.
Standing in front of Twohands corpse was an indistinct figure. He was about to draw upon his mana, but Pale stopped him with one hand.
Hey, what are you doing?
The indistinct figure was gradually revealed.
It was a child.
A little girl who was probably less than 10 years old.
But she wasnt human. She had red skin, white hair, sharp teeth, and deformed horns sprouting from both temples. She also had hook-like fingers.
Hiss
Hissing like a cat, the girl raised her claws. Her vertically slit pupils were filled with vigilance.
But Pale reached out without a care.
Crack! Lukas was startled. This was because the girl bit Pales hand. He was worried about her attitude, which was no different from that of an animal. Of course, rather than Pales hand, he worried about what would happen to the girl afterward.
He couldnt imagine what the expression of Pale, whose hand was suddenly bitten, looked like.
That was a mistake.
But Pale spoke with a gentle smile.
There are better things to eat here than me.
It was very much like Pale to classify even herself as food. No, it wasnt that. Pale forced the girls mouth open before pointing her head towards Twohands corpse.
These are leftovers. Eat.
Quickly.
It seemed like some kind of rapport developed between them.
After hesitating for a while, the girl once more began to eat Twohands corpse.
Aha, ahahah.
Pale suddenly burst out laughing as if she was having fun.
Then, looking at Lukas, she said.
Im taking this kid.
* * *
He didnt refuse.
No, it would be more accurate to say that he couldnt. In any case, that wasnt that important right now. After the girl finished eating, she fell asleep in Pales arms.
Lukas looked at the sleeping girl.
Was she originally a human or a monster? He couldnt tell. Perhaps Cairo didnt know either.
What he was more curious about was why Pale took this girl in.
Sympathy?
He wasnt sure. Pale, of course, was a being with human emotions, but she was not someone who possessed a good enough character to show kindness to the weak.
Huah. As expected, the air outside is best.
Upon arriving on the surface, Pale stretched her back as she said this. But the air in this place couldnt be called good. Because there was still the thick black fog outside.
Now that Cairo was dead, no more black fog would be produced. In other words, if the fog that was currently settled was blown away, the uniquely gloomy atmosphere of the mine would disappear.
He could do it now. It wouldnt be difficult. One large scale wind spell would be enough.
No.
First of all, he needed to figure out what was happening on the surface.
He didnt even need to look around for long. He could feel the two strong energies clashing not so far away.
Lukas expression suddenly became strange.
Dok Go-yun.
This man, who was fairly skilled, was now locked in combat with someone else.
The fight was quite fierce. In other words, this meant that the opponent was another Peak Master like Dok Go-yun.
Lukas walked towards the battlefield.
Before suddenly stopping.
His body became stiff as if he was soaked in cold water. He could almost feel his neck becoming stiff.
dammit.
Eventually, he let out a swear for a reason even he didnt know.
However, Lukas no longer tried to get closer, and even went on to hide his presence.
He didnt know what kind of day this was. But relationships that hed thought hed put aside were rushing in one after the other without any warning.
It wasnt that he wasnt happy. And it wasnt like he didnt want to meet them.
However, Lukas suddenly looked down at himself.
His robe was stained with blood. It was probably Bullseye, Twohands, or Cairos.
Even if he tried to brush it off with his hand, as it had already hardened, it would not come off.
Bloodstains were naturally like that. They were easy to apply but difficult to remove.
He didnt want to appear like this. Especially in front of that child.
Boom!
In the meantime, the fight was escalating.
Whenever the fist and palm connected, the ground shook as if there was an earthquake.
The more he looked on, the more he realised.
He grew stronger.
It was so hard to believe that it was like he was a completely different person.
The boy, who had once been dominated by his past trauma, had overcome his flaws and become an undeniably powerful being. In addition, he wasnt losing at all despite facing Dok Go-yun, the proxy of the Heavenly Demon.
But this wasnt the time to feel moved.
The gradually heating fight was approaching its end.
Both sides could be seen putting all of their remaining energy into their fists. They intended to end the contest with the next blow.
Dangerous.
When that much power collided, one side would surely die.
And Lukas didnt want either side to die. There was no time to hesitate. Just as Lukas was about to step in between them, Yang In-hyun appeared like a phantom and brushed off their attacks. It was an intervention that was perfect enough to be admired.
. .
? .
Soon after, he heard them start talking about something. It was at this moment that Lukas got a bit closer and overheard their conversation.
If that is the case, then you Sarch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Yes. I came here as a member of the Trowman Rings. To subjugate the Demon of the Mine.
On your own?
No.
The young man,
Leo Freeman, shake his head.
There is one more person.
At those words, Lukas spread out his senses.
And soon, he was able to find the other person Leo mentioned.
[Kuhaha if it isnt a nostalgic face.]
The Lightning God burst into laughter.
A few kilometres away, outside of the black fogs influence, was Venian Argento.
[Hey, Madman.]
what is it?
The Lightning God spoke in a mocking voice.
[If you encounter that being now, youll definitely die.]
Book 2: Chapter 492
Book 2: Chapter 492 The appearance of Venian Argento was that of Venian. In the first place, if that hadnt been the case, he probably wouldnt have been able to recognise her at first glance.
Compared to the various appearances shed displayed in the Great Field, her current expression was closer to Venian than it was to Chorong.
But Lukas couldnt recklessly approach her. Just because her outer appearance was that of Venian didnt mean that the personality inside was the same.
Venian was one of multiple personalities, a fragment of the Ruler, Seven Fanged Dragon God.
Of course, the Lightning Gods warning was also probably for that reason. He really hated that guy, but he could at least trust the fact that he wouldnt lie.
definitely die.
Speculation mixed with conviction. This wasnt because he doubted it.
However, if he were to die, Lukas wondered as to the reason.
Would it be because of the remnants of the Lightning God in his head?
To deal with Lukas, who could now be considered as half a person of the World of Void?
Or would the presence of Pale, who was standing still with a relaxed expression, be the cause of conflict?
Yang In-hyun.
Lukas turned his gaze over to the Void Lord.
He could feel it.
Venians attention hadnt yet picked up Lukas or Pale. Instead, she was completely focused on Yang In-hyun, who was talking to Leo.
Venian and the Seven Fanged Dragon God should know about Yang In-hyun.
He wasnt sure.
The one who had defeated the Seven Fanged Dragon God was the 4th Beast. But Lukas had never encountered that Void Lord before.
However, the Twelve Void Lords, no, every being in the World of Void, had a unique aura that only they exuded. They generated unique energy waves that were unlike any being in the Three Thousand Worlds, so it was impossible for the Seven Fanged Dragon God to not notice.
And yet, Venian continued to watch the situation.
Even as Dok Go-yun and Leo came to blows.
I have no choice but to watch the situation first.
Thinking that, Lukas hid his presence even more, but things didnt go as he intended.
I can feel a disgusting aura.
When Lukas turned around, shaking, he saw Pale, who was smiling toothily.
I didnt expect to meet one of them so soon. Its bothering me so much I have to kill them.
wait.
In terms of numbers, this was already the third time. He stopped her. Of course, it went without saying that this time was the most dangerous.
He had expected it, but it was much harder to deal with Pale than Yang In-hyun.
Pale turned her head to look at Lukas. She seemed to be waiting to hear what he wanted to say. In all honesty, just being able to elicit such a reaction from her could be considered a huge step.
But what should he say?
Why do you want to kill her?
Because I hate those guys.
The Rulers, or Absolutes?
At that, Pale released a seething momentum. Her expression was gradually being coloured with irritation. It could be interpreted as why are you asking something like that?.
Those guys dont know hunger.
what?
They probably lived their lives without knowing hunger. Satiety pickled brained bastards*. Im going to wring the oil out of their stomachs with my bare hands. Only then will I feel better.(*:Bastards whose brains have been pickled in satiety)
Pale rarely showed such strong emotions. But whenever a Ruler was involved, the emotions she displayed were special.
It wasnt just hatred or anger.
Lukas S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Could understand what Pale was saying to an extent.
Contempt towards those who were born as Absolutes, those who had lived without a single crisis or risk. What Pale wanted to shout about was the so-called discontent of the underdog.
In that case, he could persuade her.
I hate them too. My reasons are different from yours, but my hatred is no less.
I suppose.
However, not that woman. Take a closer look. Does that really look like a Ruler?
Definitely. I cant tell the difference.
Shes not.
Lukas shook his head. It had been a long time since hed felt Pales cool gaze.
Her actions in the mine allowed him to realise that their relationship was much more advanced than before. He wasnt sure exactly what direction it had advanced in, but it was clearly deeper than before.
However, for Pale, the Rulers could be considered her reverse scale. If he were to answer incorrectly here, Pale would turn her sword on him without hesitation.
That woman knows hunger.
Huh.
She has experienced failure.
The hunger Pale was talking about was failure.
There are ups and downs in the lives of every being. There is no life that is only happy or only unhappy. There are times when you succeed, and times when you fail.
That was the reality.
But not for Rulers.
Their lives had no crises, no misfortune, and no failure.
They were selfish lives that travelled the road of success from the moment they were born.
However, the Seven Fanged Dragon God had experienced defeat in the World of Void.
Even though they could not tolerate defeat, it had happened. Perhaps Rulers were beings who were not allowed to have even a single defeat. It was possible that the Dragon Gods fall had something to do with that defeat.
Without even mentioning that speculation, Lukas spoke.
You should know. Where she was defeated.
There was no way she didnt know.
After all, she was none other than the Blue Knight, Pale, one of the Four Knights.
She was the one who had sensed the Rulers invasion through the use of puppets and had clearly shown that she was on full alert.
On the other hand, although he didnt know much about the Seven Fanged Dragon God, her power should have been equivalent to the strongest beings in the World of Void. So there was no way that the battle would have gone unnoticed.
It was even possible that Knights were involved in the conflict between the 4th Beast and the Seven Fanged Dragon God.
Shes not worth fighting. At least I dont think so.
There was no guarantee that his persuasion would work.
But that was all he had. Lukas had no other excuse to persuade her with. If Pale still decided to kill Venian
The gleam in Pales eyes calmed. Then, she puffed out her cheeks.
Tch.
And, after squatting again, she began to play with the face of the sleeping girl.
The skin piercing momentum also disappeared, and Lukas could finally let out a sigh of relief.
The worst had passed.
* * *
While his attention was on Pale, the conversation between Leo and Yang In-hyun came to an end. Lukas clicked his tongue. Hed been so distracted, hed ended up missing what they had talked about.
Leo politely bowed towards Yang In-hyun before disappearing.
Hes heading into the mine.
There was no need to stop him.
He couldnt say for when Cairo was still alive, but there was nothing in the mine that could threaten Leo now. As he thought of the mine that had already lost its original function, Lukas recalled another of his disciples.
Arid.
If it was Arid, then maybe even those who had already become monsters would be able to regain their original forms. It might seem irresponsible, but it seemed reasonable to leave the mine to the Trowman Rings.
Lukas confirmed that Leo had left. Then, while maintaining his awareness of Venians attention, Lukas space leapt into the Omega.
After a while, Yang In-hyun and Dok Go-yun entered the aircraft, the latter looking at him in surprise.
Uh, why are you here?
Ill give you a detailed explanation later. For now, can we leave this place immediately?
Yes.
I killed the Demon of the Mine.
Ah, yes
Although he was confused, Dok Go-yun carried out Lukas orders. The Omega immediately took off, quickly rising several hundred metres in the air.
He could feel Venians gaze in their direction. Fortunately, she made no moves to stop them, but it made Lukas suspicious.
Why was she letting Yang In-hyun go despite realising his existence? Was it because she judged that she had no chance of winning on her own, or was there some other reason.
He couldnt tell.
This was because Lukas didnt even know how powerful Venian was now. This couldnt be helped. After all, he might have been caught if he tried to inspect her more carefully.
The Trowman Rings came here to kill Cairo.
It wasnt a good feeling.
Iris had said. Most of the beings from his home universe empathised with Diablos ideals.
In other words, it was possible that his home universe and Earth might one day enter an all out war.
If such a situation did occur, should he remain silent?
Should he dismiss their actions as those of the outside?
-Id like to apologise in advance but it cant be helped Regrets there is a being who doesnt want you to have themand I owe them
-Go take a look and judge for yourself
The Exile.
Lukas recalled the last things the person who sent him to the Three Thousand Worlds said.
Then he thought.
In the end, what would his role be after coming to this place?
* * *
He finished giving a short explanation to Yang In-hyun and Dok Go-yun. He told them that the situation in the mine had been resolved, and that he thought it would be better to leave since the Trowman Rings who came after them would be better at cleaning up.
His various explanations were insufficient, but neither of the two expressed any doubts.
The cabin was quiet.
Pale had fallen asleep while hugging the little girl like a doll, and the Heavenly Demon was also meditating to replenish the mental energy hed exhausted in the fight against Leo.
Apart from the sounds of breathing and faint mechanical sounds, there were no other noises.
Pale moonlight shined gently on the white interior. Lukas sat in front of the window, looking out at the landscape outside which didnt change much.
A moonlit night.
He heard a deep voice. Even without looking back, he could tell that it was Yang In-hyuns voice.
Its not easy to fall asleep on a night like this.
He felt him sit down beside him. He was a bit far away, but it was close enough to see his face. Of course, it was a face that made it impossible to tell what he was thinking.
Thats the way you looked at those people.
Yang In-hyun suddenly spoke up.
What do you mean?
You dont always need to know what the other person is thinking.
Did he notice that he was looking for something?
If that was the case, then Yang In-hyun had pointed out Lukas rudeness in the politest way possible.
I apologise if I offended you.
Yang In-hyun silently shook his head.
He wasnt sure if that meant he was forgiving him or he didnt want to accept it.
Gurgle-
He heard something being poured. When he took a look, Yang In-hyun was pouring a drink for himself. But after pouring the alcohol, he didnt drink it, and instead simply looked at glass.
The young man I saw today.
Yang In-hyun spoke without even looking at him.
An acquaintance?
He pondered that question for a while.
Should he be honest, lie, or remain silent.
My disciple.
That young man wasnt a Wizard.
I didnt teach him magic.
Indeed, so you had an impact in a more ideological sense.
He wasnt wrong, but Lukas expression changed slightly.
You dont know anything about having a disciple.
I at least know what it means to be Master and Disciple.
So conceptually.
Shaking his head, Lukas changed the subject.
Do you not have any disciples?
Yang In-hyun smiled. Of course, it was a wry smile.
Im not qualified for that.
qualified.
Lukas looked at Yang In-hyun for a moment before blurting.
Youre like me.
Yang In-hyuns figure froze.
To be honest, even Lukas himself was surprised, but his mouth didnt stop.
I also didnt have any disciples for a long time. Because I felt that I wasnt qualified.
Youre saying
Right. I thought that it would be shameful to teach someone when my own inadequacies and inferiority constantly drew closer like the air. I couldnt afford to. However, one day, I happened to get a disciple.
How and where did you find them?
I didnt find them. It just just happened to happen.
Even Lukas himself thought that was a terrible explanation, so he added.
I dont like the word, but it must have been fate.
fate.
That meeting made me feel a bit better. Its not about learning something new while teaching someone or anything like that. However, I learned that the person teaching doesnt necessarily have to be perfect. In the first place, thats not possible.
Whats important is the kind of educational views you have. And how you set yourself to be seen by your students.
In all honesty, he never thought hed bring up these inner feelings to Yang In-hyun out of everything.
This was probably also thanks to Lukas regaining some of his humane sensibility.
Which form did you choose?
Mm.
What form did you show to your disciples.
I pretended to be perfect.
Looking at Yang In-hyun who was lost for words for a moment, the corners of Lukas mouth twisted.
I couldnt be perfect, so I decided to act as perfect as possible. Being fair, saying the right things they did were right, saying the wrong things they did were wrong the kind of being to become. It didnt matter if they really do or not. Because it was simply a Masters wish.
Wish.
That our disciples become better than us.
As he said that, Lukas thought of a woman with black hair.
That they dont fail as spectacularly as we did.
The conversation paused there.
Yang In-hyuns gaze turned, once more, to the window. As he looked at the moonlight dyed clouds, he suddenly downed his alcohol for some reason.
Then, looking down at the clean glass, he opened his mouth.
Its something I never pictured before.
However, right. Maybe thats the way to find the answer.
Lee Jong-hak is in Flower Mountain.
He is a man of substance, but I couldnt be his Master. Even priests of different types could get along, but that guy and I wouldnt.
Maybe you will be able to guide him to the right path.
Yang In-hyun was silent for a long time. Then, he started emptying one glass after the other.
Eventually, as the scenery outside began to change, he heard him mutter in a slightly drunken voice.
one more reason to go back.
They didnt talk anymore after that.
However, Yang In-hyun, who got up from his seat, brought another glass with him, and the drinking party carried on until dawn.
Then the Omega.
Arrived at the [Next Stage].
Chapter Season 2 492
The appearance of Venian Argento was that of Venian. In the first place, if that hadnt been the case, he probably wouldnt have been able to recognise her at first glance.Compared to the various appearances shed displayed in the Great Field, her current expression was closer to Venian than it was to Chorong.
But Lukas couldnt recklessly approach her. Just because her outer appearance was that of Venian didnt mean that the personality inside was the same.
Venian was one of multiple personalities, a fragment of the Ruler, Seven Fanged Dragon God.
Of course, the Lightning Gods warning was also probably for that reason. He really hated that guy, but he could at least trust the fact that he wouldnt lie.
definitely die.
Speculation mixed with conviction. This wasnt because he doubted it.
However, if he were to die, Lukas wondered as to the reason.
Would it be because of the remnants of the Lightning God in his head?
To deal with Lukas, who could now be considered as half a person of the World of Void?
Or would the presence of Pale, who was standing still with a relaxed expression, be the cause of conflict?
Yang In-hyun.
Lukas turned his gaze over to the Void Lord.
He could feel it.
Venians attention hadnt yet picked up Lukas or Pale. Instead, she was completely focused on Yang In-hyun, who was talking to Leo.
Venian and the Seven Fanged Dragon God should know about Yang In-hyun.
He wasnt sure.
The one who had defeated the Seven Fanged Dragon God was the 4th Beast. But Lukas had never encountered that Void Lord before.
However, the Twelve Void Lords, no, every being in the World of Void, had a unique aura that only they exuded. They generated unique energy waves that were unlike any being in the Three Thousand Worlds, so it was impossible for the Seven Fanged Dragon God to not notice.
And yet, Venian continued to watch the situation.
Even as Dok Go-yun and Leo came to blows.
I have no choice but to watch the situation first.
Thinking that, Lukas hid his presence even more, but things didnt go as he intended.
I can feel a disgusting aura.
When Lukas turned around, shaking, he saw Pale, who was smiling toothily.
I didnt expect to meet one of them so soon. Its bothering me so much I have to kill them.
wait.
In terms of numbers, this was already the third time. He stopped her. Of course, it went without saying that this time was the most dangerous.
He had expected it, but it was much harder to deal with Pale than Yang In-hyun.
Pale turned her head to look at Lukas. She seemed to be waiting to hear what he wanted to say. In all honesty, just being able to elicit such a reaction from her could be considered a huge step.
But what should he say?
Why do you want to kill her?
Because I hate those guys.
The Rulers, or Absolutes?
At that, Pale released a seething momentum. Her expression was gradually being coloured with irritation. It could be interpreted as why are you asking something like that?.
Those guys dont know hunger.
what?
They probably lived their lives without knowing hunger. Satiety pickled brained bastards*. Im going to wring the oil out of their stomachs with my bare hands. Only then will I feel better.(*:Bastards whose brains have been pickled in satiety)
Pale rarely showed such strong emotions. But whenever a Ruler was involved, the emotions she displayed were special.
It wasnt just hatred or anger.
Lukas
Could understand what Pale was saying to an extent.
Contempt towards those who were born as Absolutes, those who had lived without a single crisis or risk. What Pale wanted to shout about was the so-called discontent of the underdog.
In that case, he could persuade her.
I hate them too. My reasons are different from yours, but my hatred is no less.
I suppose.
However, not that woman. Take a closer look. Does that really look like a Ruler?
Definitely. I cant tell the difference.
Shes not.
Lukas shook his head. It had been a long time since hed felt Pales cool gaze.
Her actions in the mine allowed him to realise that their relationship was much more advanced than before. He wasnt sure exactly what direction it had advanced in, but it was clearly deeper than before.
However, for Pale, the Rulers could be considered her reverse scale. If he were to answer incorrectly here, Pale would turn her sword on him without hesitation.
That woman knows hunger.
Huh.
She has experienced failure.
The hunger Pale was talking about was failure.
There are ups and downs in the lives of every being. There is no life that is only happy or only unhappy. There are times when you succeed, and times when you fail.
That was the reality.
But not for Rulers.
Their lives had no crises, no misfortune, and no failure.
They were selfish lives that travelled the road of success from the moment they were born.
However, the Seven Fanged Dragon God had experienced defeat in the World of Void.
Even though they could not tolerate defeat, it had happened. Perhaps Rulers were beings who were not allowed to have even a single defeat. It was possible that the Dragon Gods fall had something to do with that defeat.
Without even mentioning that speculation, Lukas spoke.
You should know. Where she was defeated.
There was no way she didnt know.
After all, she was none other than the Blue Knight, Pale, one of the Four Knights.
She was the one who had sensed the Rulers invasion through the use of puppets and had clearly shown that she was on full alert.
On the other hand, although he didnt know much about the Seven Fanged Dragon God, her power should have been equivalent to the strongest beings in the World of Void. So there was no way that the battle would have gone unnoticed.
It was even possible that Knights were involved in the conflict between the 4th Beast and the Seven Fanged Dragon God.
Shes not worth fighting. At least I dont think so.
There was no guarantee that his persuasion would work.
But that was all he had. Lukas had no other excuse to persuade her with. If Pale still decided to kill Venian
The gleam in Pales eyes calmed. Then, she puffed out her cheeks.
Tch.
And, after squatting again, she began to play with the face of the sleeping girl.
The skin piercing momentum also disappeared, and Lukas could finally let out a sigh of relief.
The worst had passed.
* * *
While his attention was on Pale, the conversation between Leo and Yang In-hyun came to an end. Lukas clicked his tongue. Hed been so distracted, hed ended up missing what they had talked about.
Leo politely bowed towards Yang In-hyun before disappearing.
Hes heading into the mine.
There was no need to stop him.
He couldnt say for when Cairo was still alive, but there was nothing in the mine that could threaten Leo now. As he thought of the mine that had already lost its original function, Lukas recalled another of his disciples.
Arid.
If it was Arid, then maybe even those who had already become monsters would be able to regain their original forms. It might seem irresponsible, but it seemed reasonable to leave the mine to the Trowman Rings.
Lukas confirmed that Leo had left. Then, while maintaining his awareness of Venians attention, Lukas space leapt into the Omega.
After a while, Yang In-hyun and Dok Go-yun entered the aircraft, the latter looking at him in surprise.
Uh, why are you here?
Ill give you a detailed explanation later. For now, can we leave this place immediately?
Yes.
I killed the Demon of the Mine.
Ah, yes
Although he was confused, Dok Go-yun carried out Lukas orders. The Omega immediately took off, quickly rising several hundred metres in the air.
He could feel Venians gaze in their direction. Fortunately, she made no moves to stop them, but it made Lukas suspicious.
Why was she letting Yang In-hyun go despite realising his existence? Was it because she judged that she had no chance of winning on her own, or was there some other reason.
He couldnt tell.
This was because Lukas didnt even know how powerful Venian was now. This couldnt be helped. After all, he might have been caught if he tried to inspect her more carefully.
The Trowman Rings came here to kill Cairo.
It wasnt a good feeling.
Iris had said. Most of the beings from his home universe empathised with Diablos ideals.
In other words, it was possible that his home universe and Earth might one day enter an all out war.
If such a situation did occur, should he remain silent?
Should he dismiss their actions as those of the outside?
The Exile.
Lukas recalled the last things the person who sent him to the Three Thousand Worlds said.
Then he thought.
In the end, what would his role be after coming to this place?
* * *
He finished giving a short explanation to Yang In-hyun and Dok Go-yun. He told them that the situation in the mine had been resolved, and that he thought it would be better to leave since the Trowman Rings who came after them would be better at cleaning up.
His various explanations were insufficient, but neither of the two expressed any doubts.
The cabin was quiet.
Pale had fallen asleep while hugging the little girl like a doll, and the Heavenly Demon was also meditating to replenish the mental energy hed exhausted in the fight against Leo.
Apart from the sounds of breathing and faint mechanical sounds, there were no other noises.
Pale moonlight shined gently on the white interior. Lukas sat in front of the window, looking out at the landscape outside which didnt change much.
A moonlit night.
He heard a deep voice. Even without looking back, he could tell that it was Yang In-hyuns voice.
Its not easy to fall asleep on a night like this.
He felt him sit down beside him. He was a bit far away, but it was close enough to see his face. Of course, it was a face that made it impossible to tell what he was thinking.
Thats the way you looked at those people.
Yang In-hyun suddenly spoke up.
What do you mean?
You dont always need to know what the other person is thinking.
Did he notice that he was looking for something?
If that was the case, then Yang In-hyun had pointed out Lukas rudeness in the politest way possible.
I apologise if I offended you.
Yang In-hyun silently shook his head.
He wasnt sure if that meant he was forgiving him or he didnt want to accept it.
Gurgle-
He heard something being poured. When he took a look, Yang In-hyun was pouring a drink for himself. But after pouring the alcohol, he didnt drink it, and instead simply looked at glass.
The young man I saw today.
Yang In-hyun spoke without even looking at him.
An acquaintance?
He pondered that question for a while.
Should he be honest, lie, or remain silent.
My disciple.
That young man wasnt a Wizard.
I didnt teach him magic.
Indeed, so you had an impact in a more ideological sense.
He wasnt wrong, but Lukas expression changed slightly.
You dont know anything about having a disciple.
I at least know what it means to be Master and Disciple.
So conceptually.
Shaking his head, Lukas changed the subject.
Do you not have any disciples?
Yang In-hyun smiled. Of course, it was a wry smile.
Im not qualified for that.
qualified.
Lukas looked at Yang In-hyun for a moment before blurting.
Youre like me.
Yang In-hyuns figure froze.
To be honest, even Lukas himself was surprised, but his mouth didnt stop.
I also didnt have any disciples for a long time. Because I felt that I wasnt qualified.
Youre saying
Right. I thought that it would be shameful to teach someone when my own inadequacies and inferiority constantly drew closer like the air. I couldnt afford to. However, one day, I happened to get a disciple.
How and where did you find them?
I didnt find them. It just just happened to happen.
Even Lukas himself thought that was a terrible explanation, so he added.
I dont like the word, but it must have been fate.
fate.
That meeting made me feel a bit better. Its not about learning something new while teaching someone or anything like that. However, I learned that the person teaching doesnt necessarily have to be perfect. In the first place, thats not possible.
Whats important is the kind of educational views you have. And how you set yourself to be seen by your students.
In all honesty, he never thought hed bring up these inner feelings to Yang In-hyun out of everything.
This was probably also thanks to Lukas regaining some of his humane sensibility.
Which form did you choose?
Mm.
What form did you show to your disciples.
I pretended to be perfect.
Looking at Yang In-hyun who was lost for words for a moment, the corners of Lukas mouth twisted.
I couldnt be perfect, so I decided to act as perfect as possible. Being fair, saying the right things they did were right, saying the wrong things they did were wrong the kind of being to become. It didnt matter if they really do or not. Because it was simply a Masters wish.
Wish.
That our disciples become better than us.
As he said that, Lukas thought of a woman with black hair.
That they dont fail as spectacularly as we did.
The conversation paused there.
Yang In-hyuns gaze turned, once more, to the window. As he looked at the moonlight dyed clouds, he suddenly downed his alcohol for some reason.
Then, looking down at the clean glass, he opened his mouth.
Its something I never pictured before.
However, right. Maybe thats the way to find the answer.
Lee Jong-hak is in Flower Mountain.
He is a man of substance, but I couldnt be his Master. Even priests of different types could get along, but that guy and I wouldnt.
Maybe you will be able to guide him to the right path.
Yang In-hyun was silent for a long time. Then, he started emptying one glass after the other.
Eventually, as the scenery outside began to change, he heard him mutter in a slightly drunken voice.
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They didnt talk anymore after that.
However, Yang In-hyun, who got up from his seat, brought another glass with him, and the drinking party carried on until dawn.
Then the Omega.
Arrived at the [Next Stage].
Book 2: Chapter 494
Book 2: Chapter 494 When the sun set completely, Lukas got to his feet.
The rented room was quietly shrouded in darkness.
Youre going out?
Yang In-hyun, who was meditating in front of the window that overlooked the outside, spoke up.
This is the best time to move.
Something is watching us.
I know.
Its not a living thing-
Of course, I know. It doesnt matter if we leave them alone.
Youre going to pretend that you didnt notice.
Lukas neither confirmed nor denied it.
But just as he grabbed the door handle, he realised that there was someone standing outside. Nevertheless, there was no need to be cautious. When he opened the door, he found Dok Go-yun standing there with a slightly surprised expression.
Ah where are you going?
A late night walk. You returned earlier than I expected.
So thats what it is.
Dok Go-yun scratched his head.
Any results?
There were quite a few.
He seemed confident
Lukas glanced at Pale, who had fallen asleep with Butterfly, before saying in a quiet voice.
Have you eaten?
No. Not yet
Then lets go out and talk.
Dok Go-yun nodded and followed without a word, and for some reason, Yang In-hyun, who was sitting, stood up.
The three men headed to the restaurant on the first floor of the hotel. There were a few people in the restaurant, and some could be seen eating quietly.
After taking as much as they wanted to eat, they sat at a table in a corner.
When the meal had progressed enough to fill their hunger, Dok Go-yun wiped his mouth with a napkin before speaking.
First of all, its safe to say that this city belongs to the Great Galactic Alliance. There were several invasions by foreign powers in the past, and each time, the air force from the Next Stage would stop them No, it would be better to say they annihilated them.
Annihilated?
Yes. Literally that. Those who were designated as enemies were completely burnt without leaving even hair behind.
If it was that much, then as Dok Go-yun reported, Manjuria could be considered as a part of the Great Galactic Alliance.
In order to go to the Next Stage, three conditions must be met.
Three conditions.
Yes. The first is money. To be exact, $100,000 USD. Of course, that is the price per person. In our case, we would need a total of $500,000.
Although Yang In-hyun, who didnt know the exact value of the currency, quietly ate caviar with a disinterested expression, Lukas became speechless.
$500,000.
These days.
It was an amount that would not be considered small anywhere in the world.
Of course, I can prepare this much cash.
Ill owe you again.
Its okay. Its not like I earned it anyway.
Dok Go-yun smiled and said.
Spending the former Heavenly Demons hard earned money was also one of his ways to get revenge on the dead son of a bitch.
The second is the appointed date. I heard that only once a month, an elevator that leads to the Next Stage comes down from the artificial island. It is actually the only way to enter the Next Stage apart from planes, fighter jets, or portals.
When is it?
The 9th of every month.
Lukas nodded.
Five days from now.
Yes. The day before the general review meeting.
Indeed. Perhaps thats why they set the date for the general review meeting.
Its very likely. Im sure the VIPs arent the only people entering the Great Galactic Alliance.
There was one more piece of information that Lukas could distinguish from that.
Lukas looked out the glass wall. Even though the sun had fully set, the night streets only became more lively.
VIP members from other areas might be somewhere in this city right now.
Yes.
Dok Go-yun quenched his thirst with wine before saying.
Of course, regardless of the dangers that lurk, they wouldnt pose a threat to the two of you.
Well. About that.
It wasnt that he lacked confidence, but that there were without a doubt many variables in this collection of universes that experienced the Great Fusion.
What is the final condition?
The previous two conditions were not much of a problem. Instead, it could even be said that they were already achieved.
Nevertheless, there had to be a reason why Dok Go-yun explained the three conditions. As expected, as he opened his mouth, Dok Go-yun had a different expression from before.
it is said that you need to be personally granted a medal from the Great Galactic Alliance or verification from a field grade officer in the form of a badge.
A medal or a badge?
Yes.
How can we get that?
An ordinary person would not have investigated how to obtain it, but he asked because he was certain that Dok Go-yun had done so.
Indeed, Dok Go-yun didnt betray Lukas expectations.
There are two ways. The first is to make a great contribution to the Great Galactic Alliance in some way and receive it directly. A typical example would be in a war.
I dont think that can be done in six days.
It is as you said. Thats why well choose option 2.
Puk, just in time, Yang In-hyuns fork stabbed into the steak.
Stealing badges from field grade officers.
* * *
For her, pain was like a sister that had been born at the same time.
It always felt normal for her because she never didnt feel pain.
She was used to all kinds of pain, and while most things were bearable, there was something that wasnt.
Hunger.
The bitter taste of gastric fluids filled her throat. No matter how much time passed, it was something that she couldnt get used to.
The sensation of slowly feeling cold from her fingertips while her stomach was hot. Pain that felt like lava raging in her stomach
Shed known ever since she was a baby.
It was a pain shed never be able to escape from.
Forever.
* * *
When she opened her eyes, Pale felt warmth. Not hotness, not pain, warmth.
It was the warmth of holding someone in her arms that she had long forgotten and thought that she would never feel again.
Butterfly tossed slightly, but she didnt wake up. The red skinned girl slept very well. To an extent, she was similar to Pale. That was why Pale couldnt ignore her.
She was a girl like her, with the same original sin.
The two of them were the only ones in the room. But this didnt come as a surprise. Shed felt them leaving while she was asleep.
She looked out through the window.
There, she could see the night streets lit by artificial lights.
In this small city alone, there were thousands, tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands of living beings.
It was a world where all kinds of chaos existed. Therefore, there were all kinds of unpredictable possibilities.
However, it was a world that held no good memories for Pale.
Shed never thought about coming back.
Then, what did she feel now?
I dun know.
Pale shook her head as she murmured, and headed back to bed. Then, after hugging Butterfly again, she closed her eyes again.
While thinking that she just wanted to feel the warmth for now.
* * *
Its said that the badges dont have any codes or markings. In other words, no matter how you obtain a badge, you can use it for the elevator. The inspection isnt too stringent.
Does that mean they wouldnt care if we use a stolen badge? It feels like theyre taking it too lightly.
Dok Go-yun nodded.
I felt the same way, so I looked into it a bit more, but there is no need to worry about it.
On what grounds?
Its said that if they lose their badge, they will be reprimanded by the Great Galactic Alliance. The punishment is also harsher than would be expected.
Yang In-hyun nodded.
So theyre not in a position where theyd speak up about losing it.
That is probably the intention of the Alliance. The more severely they punished those that lost them, the more vigilant those that have them would be.
It was a bit strange.
How to say, it was a barbaric system that didnt match a force that used advanced technology.
Well need three badges.
Dok Go-yun spread out three fingers as he continued to explain.
It seemed that if someone in a party had a badge, they would be able to enter the Next Stage with one other companion.
Without Butterfly, they would have only needed two badges, but it couldnt be helped. They all realised that Pale had taken a real liking to the girl.
We cant just leave Butterfly alone in the Omega.
In that case, Pale might insist that she wont accompany them.
And right now, there are only three people in Manjuri who definitely have badges.
Dok Go-yun glanced around. As the night deepened, the restaurant gradually became deserted. Nevertheless, he expanded his senses and checked the surroundings one more time before retrieving a map from his pocket.
Is this a map of the city? You managed to obtain it.
Well, it wasnt that difficult.
Dok Go-yun scratched his cheek sheepishly before withdrawing a pen and circling a few spots on the map.
The Mayor of Manjuri City [Gao Lin], the Head of the citys only army, the Grassland Mounted Division, [Baljinnyam], and finally, [Lieutenant Colonel Bistrong], a commissioned officer of the Great Galactic Alliance who is staying in the city for a while.
The difficulty?
To put it simply, Gao Lin would be 2 stars, Baljinnyam would be 3 stars, and Lieutenant Colonel Bistrong would be 5 stars.
Lukas nodded.
Ill take care of Lieutenant Colonel Bistrong.
He had always wanted to meet someone from the Great Galactic Alliance.
Then Ill take care of the one called Baljinnyam.
In that case, Ill take care of Gao Lin.
This was the conversation from 30 minutes ago.
The three men had already decided to scout their targets and had parted ways. In all honesty, taking the badge before the end of the night wouldnt be that much of an issue, but there was still time until the deadline.
Since the elevator would be coming down on the 9th, it would be best to take the badges early in the morning then head straight for the Next Stage.
And for the time being, it is better to move cautiously.
As mentioned before, members of VIP were likely to be gathered in the city by now. If possible, he didnt want them to notice the commotion.
According to Dok Go-yuns information, Lieutenant Colonel Bistrong seemed to have booked the top floor of a luxury hotel.
Every night, the powerful people in the city and dozens of women would go there, so it wasnt difficult to imagine what they were doing.
The hotel was heavily guarded from the very first floor. Lukas realised that it would be more efficient to infiltrate from above. After ascending far into the sky, he slowly began to descend into the darkness. Then, after landing, he scanned the area.
There are guards here too.
In addition, they seemed to be of an even higher level than those on the first floor.
This was a reasonable arrangement.
The height of this building was at least 100 metres. Anyone who could jump this high and infiltrate from the roof would be a formidable opponent, so it was right to deploy more talented people here.
Lukas moved into a blindspot in their senses. After a while, he was able to infiltrate the hotel without any difficulty.
A hall of marble stretched out before him.
Similarly, there was strict security here.
If he were to remove his presence, he would be able to stroll right past them without them realising.
Therefore, the only problem would be the cameras that were looking around without any openings. Destroying them would only make things worse, and temporarily disabling them would be unnatural.
Of course, a Wizard could come up with a better solution than those.
Shuk.
Using the Blink spell, he directly entered a room.
To be precise, he entered the bathroom because it was a place where there were no presences.
Although it was a bathroom, it didnt feel dirty. Instead, it was cleaner and more well decorated with an expensive interior than most rooms. There was even classical music playing softly.
Laughter could be heard from outside the bathroom.
Lukas looked at the scene outside the door. There, he saw a disgusting sight that made it hard for him to keep looking at it, but he couldnt remove his eyes before finding the target.
That was when Lukas realised something strange.
Lieutenant Colonel Bistrong isnt here.
The owner of this room was definitely Bistrong. So where was the owner?
Lukas narrowed his eyes. Then, he began to search the large rooms one by one before he managed to find Bistrong.
Bistrong was in a hidden space between the hotel proper and the roof.
Shuk-
Lukas openly appeared in the room, but Bistrong didnt notice.
The room was not very spacious, but it had all of the necessities like a bed and table. sea??h th N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Scattered bottles of alcohol, cold food and clothes that were taken off roughly were strewn around. The meaning was simple.
This is where Bistrong lives.
Then, was the banquet downstairs a trick?
Why?
Lukas question disappeared in the next moment.
This was because Bistrong, who was in front of a monitor with a headset on, spoke.
October 5th, 1:21am, Lieutenant Colonel Bistrong. Beginning my report.
A deep voice.
A total of five members are currently in the city, and the identified information has been attached.
Before long, a persons personal information began to pass over the monitor.
When the Heavenly Demons face appeared on the screen, Lukas realised that by members, Bistrong was referring to VIP.
Theres no harm memorising it.
It could be considered as an unexpected side income. Just as he was imprinting the faces and information into his head.
The monitor revealed the face of the last person.
Unconsciously, Lukas clenched his fists tightly. This act almost revealed his presence.
This man is the most important.
Bistrongs voice rang in his ears.
This is the first time he will appear in the general review meeting, no, in any of the VIPs gatherings.
It was a face hed seen once and could never forget.
Yes. We have confirmed that the Great Mage Lukas Trowman has set foot in this city.
The face of the [Lukas Trowman] that was currently active in this world.
Chapter Season 2 493
The 4th of October, dawn.The Omega successfully landed on a snowfield so white it seemed to freeze the vision of whoever saw it.
There are certain areas where the fluctuating climate caused by the Great Fusion has not recovered. This place is probably the same. This snowy field hasnt melted in the slightest in the last four seasons.
Lukas had a subtle feeling.
When hed seen the map, this place had been covered by a black stain. That was why hed believed that this place had already died or been devastated, but when they arrived, the scene was the opposite.
Huu
With every breath, it felt like his lungs would freeze.
Although it was only the beginning of autumn, in this place, it was already winter.
Although, geographically, this place was probably classified as [Inner Mongolia]
The reason Dok Go-yun used past tense was probably because he wasnt sure just how many regions had been mixed into this place.
Letting out a breath, Dok Go-yun continued.
to be precise, this place isnt the Next Stage.
At those words, the members of the party all looked up towards the sky at the same time. In fact, they werent just looking as everyone noticed the presence of that thing.
In this region, even if the sun was in the middle of the sky, it would probably be difficult to notice. This was because of an array of metal that covered the sky.
Part of the reason the snowfield refused to melt might be because the sunlight was blocked.
As I mentioned earlier, the Next Stage is an extremely large artificial island.
Wow. Its big.
Pale tilted her head back 90 degrees. As a result, her waist gradually bent backwards like a bow until she fell flat onto the snowfield. Buried in the snow, Pale burst out laughing. Not knowing why, the girl in Pales arms simply looked up at her.
Although he didnt express it, Dok Go-yun appeared to marvel at the size of the island, and even Yang In-hyun seemed surprised.
Lukas didnt have much of an impression.
He had visited universes with even more advanced scientific power, and the Sky Continent in the Great Field was so huge that this artificial island could not even compare.
Instead, Lukas paid more attention to the surrounding geography.
There is a city at the bottom.
Ah, yes.
It seems inhabited.
thats right.
Yang In-hyun spoke in an absurd tone.
Those people dont have any sense of crisis. If that island were to fall by chance, they would all be annihilated.
Dok Go-yun smiled bitterly.
Moreover, its dozens of times more dangerous to live in the area outside than to be crushed to death by the island. At the very least, as long as the Next Stage remains in the air, there is no force big enough to touch this place.
In this era of countless groups and organisations, very few organisations were as influential as the Great Galactic Alliance. And even fewer were reckless enough to wage an all out war against them.
Of course, it wasnt clear whether the city beneath the Next Stage was actually a part of their alliance, but the simple fact that they were related to the Great Galactic Alliance was enough to prevent invasions by over 90% of external forces.
Hearing this series of circumstances, Lukas nodded.
When it came to issues or information about this chaotic world, Dok Go-yun was pretty well informed. Hed brought him along simply to use him as an excuse to participate in the VIPs general review meeting, but hed turned out to be surprisingly helpful in many other areas as well.
Then lets go to that city first.
Yes. We should obtain information about the Next Stage.
Lukas looked at Pale, who was still laying on the snowfield.
Pale, lets go.
Mhm. Help me up, Butterfly.
What was Butterfly? That was simple, it was the name of the monster girl.
Of course, she hadnt introduced herself as that, and it was Pale who had named her arbitrarily. Butterfly couldnt speak. This didnt mean she wasnt intelligent though, as she actually seemed to be very quick witted and able to understand what they said.
Even at that moment, she hesitantly got up from her seat and reached her hand out to Pale.
Pale seemed to like Butterfly very much. Lukas wondered why.
Did she simply sympathise with the fact that she was starving? Or was it Butterflys appearance that greatly shook Pale?
He couldnt tell at that moment, but one thing was clear, Pale was beginning to care more and more about that girl.
* * *
The correct name for the region was [Manjuri City*, Inner Mongolia]. It was the place where Russia, China, and Mongolia met.
The basic foundation of the city was modern. Of course, this was according to Earths technological standards. Unlike Kazan, where there were almost no natives, there were well built streets in this place which seemed to be performing their roles properly. Cars were driving smoothly on them.
Most of the people here are Earthlings.
This fact became more apparent when they saw the crowded streets.
There were some people who were wrapped tightly in thick clothing, and others who seemed to have trained their bodies. But the vast majority were civilians with no visible combat capabilities.
Peoples eyes turned towards them. The reason could be guessed.
our outfits stand out too much, I think that we should change outfits first.
Dok Go-yun basically hated to stand out. Whenever attention was placed on him, for some reason, he felt uneasy and even displeased. He wasnt sure if this was a natural tendency or an unwelcome by-product of living as the Heavenly Demons agent.
In any case, Dok Go-yun led the party into a nearby clothing store.
Welcome.
The best and most expensive.
The employees expression changed as they heard Dok Go-yuns short and bold words, and they soon began the sales zealously.
Consequently, Lukas and Yang In-hyun chose coats, Dok Go-yun wanted to wear street fashion, and Pale strongly insisted on a pair of denim jeans and a jacket. Purely because she liked the colour blue.
Blue is a bit
Dok Go-yun muttered softly but it didnt look so strange that he couldnt stand to see her wear it.
Pale had a tall and slim physique, so her look could roughly be called stylish. He couldnt help but think that if her messy hair was arranged and her face gained some more flesh she would look even better.
Finally, Butterly was dressed in a hooded parka. It was a choice made because she was the one with the least resistance to cold among them.
When they came out dressed like that, it felt like they could blend better with the people in the street.
Afterwards, they headed to a nearby fast food store. Of course, this decision was secretly impacted by Dok Go-yuns secret craving.
They sat at two tables, with Pale and Butterfly sitting together at a different table. This was because they alone ordered over 50 hamburgers. They piled the hamburgers up like a mountain and hummed as they peeled off the wrapping paper.
The atmosphere in this city is stable.
Dok Go-yun was speechless.
It can even be said that not even the slightest hint of a sense of crisis could be felt. The citizens living here have never been directly exposed to danger.
Public order is maintained and public security is flawless. It must be quite peaceful.
Yes. The people outside would probably faint if they saw this.
Horrible rumours about the regions on the map commonly known as black spots circulated constantly. They either said the people there were treated like livestock, that large scale biological experiments were held, or that there was a never-ending war.
At least, based on the appearance of this city, they were all false.
With this extent, it is safe to assume that they are protected by the Great Galactic Alliance. This isnt a bad thing for us. The closer the relationship between this place and the Next Stage, the easier it will be to get information.
There are still six days left until the general review meeting. That should be enough to scout the surroundings and gather information.
First of all, it would be better to find out exactly how to enter the Next Stage.
Yang In-hyun, who had been staring down at the fries, soon turned away and spoke.
You mean a legitimate way to enter.
Yes. And pardon my rudeness, but I believe it would be more efficient for me to do this on my own.
On your own? Will that be okay?
Im confident in my ability to hide my presence.
Then we
Can you take a look around the city together, to check if there is anything unusual?
Although he said it politely, he was basically telling them to relax and tour around the city. Sarch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Lukas nodded. But he didnt accept Dok Go-yuns proposal. He also intended to obtain information on his own.
Then the first thing we should do is establish a base of operations. On our way here, I saw a hotel. Shall we stay there for the time being?
* * *
Along the way, they bought a lot of food from a supermarket. Pale had swept up most of the snacks, drinks and frozen food on the shelves. Lukas didnt stop her. At the very least, he had learned that when Pale was quiet, she was probably eating something, so the more things she had to eat, the better.
Of course, the balance was left entirely to Dok Go-yun.
The hotel room was large and spacious, had centralised room service, and served meals in a buffet style.
There was no doubt that the cost of a days lodging would be huge.
Osha.
Pale rolled on the bed. It seemed that she liked it because it was soft. Butterfly was still beside her, while Yang In-hyun looked out at the scenery outside through the window. It seemed that he liked to look at the scenery from a high place as hed done the same at the location of the Cloud Pavilion, where hed stayed in the past.
Dok Go-yun left. It seemed that he intended to start collecting information immediately.
Then.
What to do at that moment?
Theres nothing to do.
The expression of Pale, who seemed to have grown tired of the bed and was rummaging through a drawer, suddenly brightened.
Ah. There is trump here t-
I wont.
He immediately rejected Pales proposal.
He decided to take a break in the hotel since the sun was still up. It would be better to go out once it had become dark and Pale had fallen asleep.
As he sat on a chair with a sigh, Pale, who snuck up to him, stretched out something to his chin.
Tired?
A bit.
Drink this.
As she said that, she held out a drink in a glass bottle.
What is this?
Hmm? If you drink this, your fatigue should go away.
It had a wrapper with the name Bacchus*. The words were neither Chinese nor Mongolian. He was certain that the text was Korean.(*: A South Korean energy drink aka Bacchus F and Bacchus D.)
Why were there Korean products in the supermarket?
The name seemed similar to Lukas, so I bought it! (*: ???- Lukas ??? C Bacchus. Although the author censored bacchus(??) for some reason)
ah. Right. Im so grateful I could cry.
Hehe. No sweat.
Pale raised her thumb with a triumphant expression.
* * *
In an underground building in Manjuri City.
In a place where hundreds of monitors covered the walls, Gentleman began to report.
Confirmed. A total of five individuals.
Gentlemans eyes busily moved back and forth across the screens.
The middle aged Swordsman who destroyed the Infernal Heaven, a dark blonde man, a blue haired woman, a red skinned girl, and the Heavenly Demon. The Heavenly Demon probably chose to follow them after losing to the Swordsman.
There was no response from the radio, but Gentleman continued his report as if he was used to it.
Their current place of residence is unknown. But we will learn it soon. Please understand why the confirmation is delayed. If we try to check with our naked eyes, our traces might be found.
Gentleman glanced at his missing left arm. The martial prowess displayed by Yang In-hyun had reached a level so high that he couldnt even imagine it.
If his goal hadnt been to capture him, he probably wouldnt have been able to escape.
They probably intend to participate in the general review meeting, but their exact goal is unknown. I will report as soon as the information is updated.
Then, he was done.
He turned off the radio after speaking briefly.
Burying his back in the chair, Gentleman narrowed his eyes. Then, they widened slightly as his gaze turned to one of the monitors.
He could see a man walking through a dark alley like fog.
Heavenly Demon.
He seemed quite confident in his covert actions, but he failed to notice the Great Galactic Alliances ultra small cameras.
Should I deal with him?
Gentleman narrowed his eyes before eventually shaking his head.
The Heavenly Demons value to the group was probably not high. His goal was likely that of a guide.
The same was true for the red skinned girl.
The girl was their latest addition. She hadnt been with them when they left Kazan. Then, that naturally left one person.
The woman with blue hair.
It seemed that the two unordinary men treated the woman with great care. It seemed that her weight in the party was different from that of the Heavenly Demon and the red skinned girl.
kidnapping and threatening a weak woman goes against my aesthetic, but
It couldnt be helped.
Before being a gentleman, he was a member of VIP.
(TL:RIP)
Chapter Season 2 494
When the sun set completely, Lukas got to his feet.The rented room was quietly shrouded in darkness.
Youre going out?
Yang In-hyun, who was meditating in front of the window that overlooked the outside, spoke up.
This is the best time to move.
Something is watching us.
I know.
Its not a living thing-
Of course, I know. It doesnt matter if we leave them alone.
Youre going to pretend that you didnt notice.
Lukas neither confirmed nor denied it.
But just as he grabbed the door handle, he realised that there was someone standing outside. Nevertheless, there was no need to be cautious. When he opened the door, he found Dok Go-yun standing there with a slightly surprised expression.
Ah where are you going?
A late night walk. You returned earlier than I expected.
So thats what it is.
Dok Go-yun scratched his head.
Any results?
There were quite a few.
He seemed confident
Lukas glanced at Pale, who had fallen asleep with Butterfly, before saying in a quiet voice.
Have you eaten?
No. Not yet
Then lets go out and talk.
Dok Go-yun nodded and followed without a word, and for some reason, Yang In-hyun, who was sitting, stood up.
The three men headed to the restaurant on the first floor of the hotel. There were a few people in the restaurant, and some could be seen eating quietly.
After taking as much as they wanted to eat, they sat at a table in a corner.
When the meal had progressed enough to fill their hunger, Dok Go-yun wiped his mouth with a napkin before speaking.
First of all, its safe to say that this city belongs to the Great Galactic Alliance. There were several invasions by foreign powers in the past, and each time, the air force from the Next Stage would stop them No, it would be better to say they annihilated them.
Annihilated?
Yes. Literally that. Those who were designated as enemies were completely burnt without leaving even hair behind.
If it was that much, then as Dok Go-yun reported, Manjuria could be considered as a part of the Great Galactic Alliance.
In order to go to the Next Stage, three conditions must be met.
Three conditions.
Yes. The first is money. To be exact, $100,000 USD. Of course, that is the price per person. In our case, we would need a total of $500,000.
Although Yang In-hyun, who didnt know the exact value of the currency, quietly ate caviar with a disinterested expression, Lukas became speechless.
$500,000.
These days.
It was an amount that would not be considered small anywhere in the world.
Of course, I can prepare this much cash.
Ill owe you again.
Its okay. Its not like I earned it anyway.
Dok Go-yun smiled and said.
Spending the former Heavenly Demons hard earned money was also one of his ways to get revenge on the dead son of a bitch.
The second is the appointed date. I heard that only once a month, an elevator that leads to the Next Stage comes down from the artificial island. It is actually the only way to enter the Next Stage apart from planes, fighter jets, or portals.
When is it?
The 9th of every month.
Lukas nodded.
Five days from now.
Yes. The day before the general review meeting.
Indeed. Perhaps thats why they set the date for the general review meeting.
Its very likely. Im sure the VIPs arent the only people entering the Great Galactic Alliance.
There was one more piece of information that Lukas could distinguish from that.
Lukas looked out the glass wall. Even though the sun had fully set, the night streets only became more lively.
VIP members from other areas might be somewhere in this city right now.
Yes.
Dok Go-yun quenched his thirst with wine before saying.
Of course, regardless of the dangers that lurk, they wouldnt pose a threat to the two of you.
Well. About that.
It wasnt that he lacked confidence, but that there were without a doubt many variables in this collection of universes that experienced the Great Fusion.
What is the final condition?
The previous two conditions were not much of a problem. Instead, it could even be said that they were already achieved. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Nevertheless, there had to be a reason why Dok Go-yun explained the three conditions. As expected, as he opened his mouth, Dok Go-yun had a different expression from before.
it is said that you need to be personally granted a medal from the Great Galactic Alliance or verification from a field grade officer in the form of a badge.
A medal or a badge?
Yes.
How can we get that?
An ordinary person would not have investigated how to obtain it, but he asked because he was certain that Dok Go-yun had done so.
Indeed, Dok Go-yun didnt betray Lukas expectations.
There are two ways. The first is to make a great contribution to the Great Galactic Alliance in some way and receive it directly. A typical example would be in a war.
I dont think that can be done in six days.
It is as you said. Thats why well choose option 2.
Puk, just in time, Yang In-hyuns fork stabbed into the steak.
Stealing badges from field grade officers.
* * *
For her, pain was like a sister that had been born at the same time.
It always felt normal for her because she never didnt feel pain.
She was used to all kinds of pain, and while most things were bearable, there was something that wasnt.
Hunger.
The bitter taste of gastric fluids filled her throat. No matter how much time passed, it was something that she couldnt get used to.
The sensation of slowly feeling cold from her fingertips while her stomach was hot. Pain that felt like lava raging in her stomach
Shed known ever since she was a baby.
It was a pain shed never be able to escape from.
Forever.
* * *
When she opened her eyes, Pale felt warmth. Not hotness, not pain, warmth.
It was the warmth of holding someone in her arms that she had long forgotten and thought that she would never feel again.
Butterfly tossed slightly, but she didnt wake up. The red skinned girl slept very well. To an extent, she was similar to Pale. That was why Pale couldnt ignore her.
She was a girl like her, with the same original sin.
The two of them were the only ones in the room. But this didnt come as a surprise. Shed felt them leaving while she was asleep.
She looked out through the window.
There, she could see the night streets lit by artificial lights.
In this small city alone, there were thousands, tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands of living beings.
It was a world where all kinds of chaos existed. Therefore, there were all kinds of unpredictable possibilities.
However, it was a world that held no good memories for Pale.
Shed never thought about coming back.
Then, what did she feel now?
I dun know.
Pale shook her head as she murmured, and headed back to bed. Then, after hugging Butterfly again, she closed her eyes again.
While thinking that she just wanted to feel the warmth for now.
* * *
Its said that the badges dont have any codes or markings. In other words, no matter how you obtain a badge, you can use it for the elevator. The inspection isnt too stringent.
Does that mean they wouldnt care if we use a stolen badge? It feels like theyre taking it too lightly.
Dok Go-yun nodded.
I felt the same way, so I looked into it a bit more, but there is no need to worry about it.
On what grounds?
Its said that if they lose their badge, they will be reprimanded by the Great Galactic Alliance. The punishment is also harsher than would be expected.
Yang In-hyun nodded.
So theyre not in a position where theyd speak up about losing it.
That is probably the intention of the Alliance. The more severely they punished those that lost them, the more vigilant those that have them would be.
It was a bit strange.
How to say, it was a barbaric system that didnt match a force that used advanced technology.
Well need three badges.
Dok Go-yun spread out three fingers as he continued to explain.
It seemed that if someone in a party had a badge, they would be able to enter the Next Stage with one other companion.
Without Butterfly, they would have only needed two badges, but it couldnt be helped. They all realised that Pale had taken a real liking to the girl.
We cant just leave Butterfly alone in the Omega.
In that case, Pale might insist that she wont accompany them.
And right now, there are only three people in Manjuri who definitely have badges.
Dok Go-yun glanced around. As the night deepened, the restaurant gradually became deserted. Nevertheless, he expanded his senses and checked the surroundings one more time before retrieving a map from his pocket.
Is this a map of the city? You managed to obtain it.
Well, it wasnt that difficult.
Dok Go-yun scratched his cheek sheepishly before withdrawing a pen and circling a few spots on the map.
The Mayor of Manjuri City [Gao Lin], the Head of the citys only army, the Grassland Mounted Division, [Baljinnyam], and finally, [Lieutenant Colonel Bistrong], a commissioned officer of the Great Galactic Alliance who is staying in the city for a while.
The difficulty?
To put it simply, Gao Lin would be 2 stars, Baljinnyam would be 3 stars, and Lieutenant Colonel Bistrong would be 5 stars.
Lukas nodded.
Ill take care of Lieutenant Colonel Bistrong.
He had always wanted to meet someone from the Great Galactic Alliance.
Then Ill take care of the one called Baljinnyam.
In that case, Ill take care of Gao Lin.
This was the conversation from 30 minutes ago.
The three men had already decided to scout their targets and had parted ways. In all honesty, taking the badge before the end of the night wouldnt be that much of an issue, but there was still time until the deadline.
Since the elevator would be coming down on the 9th, it would be best to take the badges early in the morning then head straight for the Next Stage.
And for the time being, it is better to move cautiously.
As mentioned before, members of VIP were likely to be gathered in the city by now. If possible, he didnt want them to notice the commotion.
According to Dok Go-yuns information, Lieutenant Colonel Bistrong seemed to have booked the top floor of a luxury hotel.
Every night, the powerful people in the city and dozens of women would go there, so it wasnt difficult to imagine what they were doing.
The hotel was heavily guarded from the very first floor. Lukas realised that it would be more efficient to infiltrate from above. After ascending far into the sky, he slowly began to descend into the darkness. Then, after landing, he scanned the area.
There are guards here too.
In addition, they seemed to be of an even higher level than those on the first floor.
This was a reasonable arrangement.
The height of this building was at least 100 metres. Anyone who could jump this high and infiltrate from the roof would be a formidable opponent, so it was right to deploy more talented people here.
Lukas moved into a blindspot in their senses. After a while, he was able to infiltrate the hotel without any difficulty.
A hall of marble stretched out before him.
Similarly, there was strict security here.
If he were to remove his presence, he would be able to stroll right past them without them realising.
Therefore, the only problem would be the cameras that were looking around without any openings. Destroying them would only make things worse, and temporarily disabling them would be unnatural.
Of course, a Wizard could come up with a better solution than those.
Shuk.
Using the Blink spell, he directly entered a room.
To be precise, he entered the bathroom because it was a place where there were no presences.
Although it was a bathroom, it didnt feel dirty. Instead, it was cleaner and more well decorated with an expensive interior than most rooms. There was even classical music playing softly.
Laughter could be heard from outside the bathroom.
Lukas looked at the scene outside the door. There, he saw a disgusting sight that made it hard for him to keep looking at it, but he couldnt remove his eyes before finding the target.
That was when Lukas realised something strange.
Lieutenant Colonel Bistrong isnt here.
The owner of this room was definitely Bistrong. So where was the owner?
Lukas narrowed his eyes. Then, he began to search the large rooms one by one before he managed to find Bistrong.
Bistrong was in a hidden space between the hotel proper and the roof.
Shuk-
Lukas openly appeared in the room, but Bistrong didnt notice.
The room was not very spacious, but it had all of the necessities like a bed and table.
Scattered bottles of alcohol, cold food and clothes that were taken off roughly were strewn around. The meaning was simple.
This is where Bistrong lives.
Then, was the banquet downstairs a trick?
Why?
Lukas question disappeared in the next moment.
This was because Bistrong, who was in front of a monitor with a headset on, spoke.
October 5th, 1:21am, Lieutenant Colonel Bistrong. Beginning my report.
A deep voice.
A total of five members are currently in the city, and the identified information has been attached.
Before long, a persons personal information began to pass over the monitor.
When the Heavenly Demons face appeared on the screen, Lukas realised that by members, Bistrong was referring to VIP.
Theres no harm memorising it.
It could be considered as an unexpected side income. Just as he was imprinting the faces and information into his head.
The monitor revealed the face of the last person.
Unconsciously, Lukas clenched his fists tightly. This act almost revealed his presence.
This man is the most important.
Bistrongs voice rang in his ears.
This is the first time he will appear in the general review meeting, no, in any of the VIPs gatherings.
It was a face hed seen once and could never forget.
Yes. We have confirmed that the Great Mage Lukas Trowman has set foot in this city.
The face of the [Lukas Trowman] that was currently active in this world.
Chapter Season 2 495
At the same time.Yang In-hyun was travelling to the prairie to meet the Head of the Grassland Mounted Division, [Baljinnyam].
Rather than a grassland, it would be more correct to call the scene a snow field. Under the moonlight, the sprawling scenery was so beautiful it felt like it could paralyse all sense of reality.
Yang In-hyun ran across it.
If someone were to witness this scene and had eyes capable of discerning the reality, they would probably not be able to withhold their screams.
The speed of the man running with fluttering clothes was unusually fast, to the extent that he was not even leaving footprints on the snow. In other words, it looked like a ghost was passing over the snow field.
Yang In-hyun, who had been travelling across the snow field for a while, gradually reduced his momentum.
This was because a number of tents had become visible, with smoke billowing up towards the night sky.
They were traditional Mongolian houses called ger. In other words, this place was the residence of Baljinnyam.
Erasing his presence, he stepped in.
Even though it was late at night, only a few people were actually asleep. Most of those who laid inside the tents with their eyes tightly closed were the elderly or children.
well trained warriors.
They were not martial artists, but they couldnt be looked down upon.
Yang In-hyun was well aware that martial arts was simply one of the ways to train the body. Although most of the people in the murim would not admit it, it was a fact.
The atmosphere was mild.
The races of the people here were diverse. There werent just Mongolians, but also Mainland Chinese, Koryo*, and Semu* people mixed in. (*: Koryo(Goryeo, Goguryeo) is the name of the Kingdom that unified and ruled the Korean Peninsula and is what the name Korea is derived from. Semu is the name of a caste established by the Yuan dynasty.)
Huu, the weather has gotten pretty cold.
I brought some chicken from the city, fancy a hot drink?
Great. Ill head over to your house after Im done working.
One peculiar thing was that they didnt seem to have any discrimination or qualms when dealing with each other.
Yang In-hyun could tell what this meant. It was a sense of kinship that could only be shared by those who walked the line of death together.
He walked past them.
Among the tents that were lined up in rows was a particularly large ger. The strongest presence could be felt from here.
Opening the tent, he walked in. At the same time, he stopped hiding his presence.
Mm?
Perhaps noticing the cold air that came in through the entrance, the giant man in the tent raised his head.
Who are you?
A grotesque figure that was bloated because of an innate bone and muscle structure as well as training and combat. His entire body was covered in scars and his aura was similar to that of a wild beast.
It could be seen from a glance. This man was Baljinnyam.
The Head of the only army in Manjuri City, and one of the three people who definitely had a badge.
Indeed.
The scars on his body were not for show. He must have risked his life more times than he could count. And became stronger every time he was able to overcome them.
Yang In-hyun decided to confirm first.
You are Baljinnyam.
I asked who you are.
Someone who can erase this place from the world.
The man, Baljinnyam, made a puzzled expression for a moment before clenching his fists.
Crazy bastard.
His outstretched fist hit Yang In-hyun. When it hit his skinny body, it made it crumble like a rotten scarecrow.
Or at least, it should have.
Crack.
A strange sound was heard. No. The sound wasnt strange. After all, Baljinnyam had swung his fist with the full intention of utterly crushing the intruder.
So it wasnt the sound that was strange, to be precise, what was strange was where it came from.
The sound had come from Baljinnyams arm. Huh? When Baljinnyam lowered his head without properly grasping the situation, his arm below the elbow drooped and swung like a corpse held by the neck.
The pain came afterward.
Ee-!
But more prominent than that was the feeling of danger.
His arm had been broken. But he hadnt even noticed.
That meant it was dangerous.
Instead of swinging his other arm, Baljinnyam quickly widened the distance. It was an appropriate response, but for Yang In-hyun, it was so slow that he could yawn.
He smoothly gave chase.
Hup!
The distance was closed in an instant. It probably felt like his face, which had been five steps away from Baljinnyam before, appeared in front of him in a flash. As Baljinnyam tried to raise the fist of his remaining hand, his vision suddenly went white.
Paak!
He felt a sharp pain in his jaw, and his teeth tingled as if hed been struck by lightning.
Before he could even spit out the mouthful of blood, Baljinnyams body collapsed to the ground.
A sharp sword was then stabbed into the ground beside his sweaty face.
I heard that you have something called a badge from the Alliance.
You are doing this despite knowing that!?
I dont think you understand what youre doing right now by baring your fangs to the Alliance! Dont you know? The Alliance would never let go of a being they identify as an enemy! They will be pursued to the ends of hell and be annhila-!
I thought youd have a bit more backbone.
Yang In-hyun spoke in a disappointed tone.
Everyone in this place seems to be like that. If youre pushed a little too hard, if you think youre in danger, if you feel like your life is being threatened, you immediately brag about the forces behind you. Does that make you proud?
What are you talking about
Your backing cannot guarantee anything in a really dangerous situation. If I were to kill you here now, there is nothing they could do about it.
Kikik, the blade that was stabbed into the ground began to move closer and closer to Baljinnyams eye.
I need that badge. And I dont want any information that I took it to leak out.
He didnt dare breathe.
If he moved even slightly, his pupils would be cut.
Baljinnyam was a warrior who had experienced all kinds of life and death battles but now, he was so overwhelmed by the atmosphere Yang In-hyun created that he couldnt even murmur inwardly.
But if you die, I wouldnt be able to hide it. So I have a question for you, what do you consider to be more important to you?
St-, stop
At the very least, it shouldnt be orders from above. I looked around this place already. I saw different races treating each other as equals without discrimination. Such an atmosphere couldnt have been formed if the leader wasnt a person of principle. You probably treated them like a family. Isnt that right?
Yang In-hyun continued with an expressionless face.
So I will ask again. Between your family and your orders, which one is more important to you?
* * *
We lost track of him after he entered the city, but it is believed that he plans to stay at the [Lake Hotel] from October 9th. It has already been confirmed that he has a reservation. Until then, we will likely be able to gather more information End report.
While Lukas stood absentmindedly, Bistrong turned off the monitor and sank back into the chair with a sigh.
Dammit. I really cant do this. If only I hadnt made that small mistake, I wouldnt be left in this backwater
A wisp of smoke swirled in the room following the sound of a cigarette being lit. Bistrong smoked five cigarettes in a row before leaving the room.
With a sigh, Lukas stopped hiding his presence.
[Lukas Trowman] is in this city.
He thought that hed run into him someday, and even if he didnt, hed already decided to see him for himself at least once. But for Lukas, meeting him was not a necessity.
In fact, hed actually forgotten about him before this point.
Diablo and the Demon King alone are enough to give me a headache.
He couldnt believe that even the fake Lukas had turned up.
It didnt even end there.
There was Pale, who seemed to have calmed down but he could never let his guard down, the members of VIP who he had yet to encounter, and the force called the Great Galactic Alliance. By that point, there were so many unknowns that it gave Lukas a headache. The word Wizards hated the most was uncertainty.
In any case, if the fake Lukas was aiming to enter the Next Stage and participate in the general review meeting as a member, an encounter was inevitable.
In the worst case, he might have to deal with Diablo, the Demon King and the fake Lukas at the same time.
Huu.
Lukas sighed again before firming his determination.
He looked at the floor below.
There was Bistrong, who had gone there after leaving the room. There were no signs of the lamentation that hed just felt. It could be said that he was thoroughly enjoying the sordid banquet. So it wasnt a trick, it was simply a combination of work and play. (TL: Work smarter)
Was this guy really five stars? It seemed to him that Dok Go-yun had made a wrong judgement.
In any case, after seeing what hed seen, he didnt think hed be able to look into that room for a long time. Lukas began to search the small room.
The odds were low, but there was a chance that Bistrong had left the badge in this secret room. Of course, a person that was even slightly meticulous would never commit such an irresponsible act, regardless of how well the room was hidd-
Durk.
Just as he was having that thought, his eyes landed on the badge that sat in a drawer.
A badge that perfectly matched the appearance that Dok Go-yun had shown him.
He really was a rough and tumble guy.
Lukas clicked his tongue. It wouldnt be hard to take the badge away then and there, but if he did that, then even someone like Bistrong would notice. For now, he was satisfied with just knowing the location.
Leaving the room immediately afterward, he returned to the hotel where they were staying.
The hotels 24hr lounge was equipped with simple food and drink machines. They had decided to meet there after completing their tasks.
Just as he roughly grabbed something to eat and sat onto a sofa, Yang In-hyun appeared. Seeing Lukas, he headed over to him.
You came quickly.
Because mine was closest. What about you?
I completed the objective.
Those words stuck out for some reason.
Just as Lukas narrowed his eyes and was about to say something, Yang In-hyun pulled a badge from his pocket.
Where did you get that?
I took it from [Baljinnyam].
Why?
Rather than reply to Lukas question, Yang In-hyun asked instead.
Werent the badges our aim?
Thats right. However, it was explained that our goal today was just simple reconnaissance.
There are times when its possible to complete your objective during reconnaissance.
This case is different.
Yang In-hyun sat down on the sofa and said.
I know what youre concerned about. But theres no need to worry. There is no way it will leak.
No way it would leak?
Lukas expression hardened.
Did you kill them all?
Annihilation isnt the only way to guarantee complete secrecy. I put a lock on their minds.
The lock will eventually come loose.
It wont loosen in six days.
Can you not understand what Im saying? The moment a secret is leaked, its no longer a secret. And thats what you did.
Are you saying that you dont trust me?
thats not what I meant.
Although he said that, he was a bit disappointed. Without realising it, this inflection was added to his tone.
But Yang In-hyun didnt seem to care.
Lukas.
Or at least, thats how it appeared from his expression.
Do not try to change me.
I dont intend to.
If thats really the case, then it must be unconscious coercion.
The atmosphere froze.
The several people in the lounge all felt a chill for some reason. Of course, it wasnt because the heating system malfunctioned.
Just in time, Dok Go-yun returned.
Ah. Im the last one. Did things work out for both of you? I bought pizza on the way
Coercion.
Right. You are coercing me to follow your method.
It was a suggestion, not coercion.
Thats just a difference between active and passive, but in the end, the fact remains that you tried to change me. Dont you know? This is different from our conversation on the Omega.
Dok Go-yun quietly lowered the pizza box he was raising and sat in a corner.
It is fine for you to tell me about things I didnt know. Im still grateful for that. But when it comes to tackling a problem, a hundred people would have a hundred methods to do so. That is the method of their life. Something that is achieved when their life experiences, personal inclinations and thoughts combine.
Let me make this clear to you. I am not your subordinate.
After that, Yang In-hyun got up and left the lounge.
huu.
Letting out a sigh, Lukas leaned back into the sofa.
It was then that he noticed the figure of Dok Go-yun, who was blinking dumbfoundedly.
Then he noticed that he was holding something.
Is that for us to eat?
Ah, yes. That
Im hungry. Let me have some.
O-, of course.
Nodding, Dok Go-yun opened the pizza box. The smell of savoury cheese rose.
Please listen to my report while you eat. I was able to obtain some interesting information from Mayor Gao Lins office.
You didnt touch the badge, did you?
Huh? Ah, of course not. Wasnt the purpose for today just reconnaissance
No. I said something foolish. Continue.
Lukas looked at the stretchy cheese and wondered how to eat it in a clean manner.
Ive located the Demon King and Diablo. Um. It might be hard to believe but they are both staying at the same hotel.
Hotel?
Of course, its not an official establishment. It is a place that unqualified guests would never be able to enter even if they paid a billion dollars. After some background investigation, it appears to be that it is run by [VIP].
The name?
It is the Lake Hotel. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Lukas let out a few more sighs.
That was the hotel that the fake Lukas was staying in.
Book 2: Chapter 495
Book 2: Chapter 495 At the same time.
Yang In-hyun was travelling to the prairie to meet the Head of the Grassland Mounted Division, [Baljinnyam].
Rather than a grassland, it would be more correct to call the scene a snow field. Under the moonlight, the sprawling scenery was so beautiful it felt like it could paralyse all sense of reality.
Yang In-hyun ran across it.
If someone were to witness this scene and had eyes capable of discerning the reality, they would probably not be able to withhold their screams.
The speed of the man running with fluttering clothes was unusually fast, to the extent that he was not even leaving footprints on the snow. In other words, it looked like a ghost was passing over the snow field.
Yang In-hyun, who had been travelling across the snow field for a while, gradually reduced his momentum.
This was because a number of tents had become visible, with smoke billowing up towards the night sky.
They were traditional Mongolian houses called ger. In other words, this place was the residence of Baljinnyam.
Erasing his presence, he stepped in.
Even though it was late at night, only a few people were actually asleep. Most of those who laid inside the tents with their eyes tightly closed were the elderly or children.
well trained warriors.
They were not martial artists, but they couldnt be looked down upon.
Yang In-hyun was well aware that martial arts was simply one of the ways to train the body. Although most of the people in the murim would not admit it, it was a fact.
The atmosphere was mild.
The races of the people here were diverse. There werent just Mongolians, but also Mainland Chinese, Koryo*, and Semu* people mixed in. (*: Koryo(Goryeo, Goguryeo) is the name of the Kingdom that unified and ruled the Korean Peninsula and is what the name Korea is derived from. Semu is the name of a caste established by the Yuan dynasty.)
Huu, the weather has gotten pretty cold.
I brought some chicken from the city, fancy a hot drink?
Great. Ill head over to your house after Im done working.
One peculiar thing was that they didnt seem to have any discrimination or qualms when dealing with each other.
Yang In-hyun could tell what this meant. It was a sense of kinship that could only be shared by those who walked the line of death together.
He walked past them.
Among the tents that were lined up in rows was a particularly large ger. The strongest presence could be felt from here.
Opening the tent, he walked in. At the same time, he stopped hiding his presence.
Mm?
Perhaps noticing the cold air that came in through the entrance, the giant man in the tent raised his head.
Who are you?
A grotesque figure that was bloated because of an innate bone and muscle structure as well as training and combat. His entire body was covered in scars and his aura was similar to that of a wild beast.
It could be seen from a glance. This man was Baljinnyam.
The Head of the only army in Manjuri City, and one of the three people who definitely had a badge.
Indeed.
The scars on his body were not for show. He must have risked his life more times than he could count. And became stronger every time he was able to overcome them.
Yang In-hyun decided to confirm first.
You are Baljinnyam.
I asked who you are.
Someone who can erase this place from the world.
The man, Baljinnyam, made a puzzled expression for a moment before clenching his fists.
Crazy bastard.
His outstretched fist hit Yang In-hyun. When it hit his skinny body, it made it crumble like a rotten scarecrow.
Or at least, it should have.
Crack.
A strange sound was heard. No. The sound wasnt strange. After all, Baljinnyam had swung his fist with the full intention of utterly crushing the intruder.
So it wasnt the sound that was strange, to be precise, what was strange was where it came from.
The sound had come from Baljinnyams arm. Huh? When Baljinnyam lowered his head without properly grasping the situation, his arm below the elbow drooped and swung like a corpse held by the neck.
The pain came afterward.
Ee-!
But more prominent than that was the feeling of danger.
His arm had been broken. But he hadnt even noticed.
That meant it was dangerous.
Instead of swinging his other arm, Baljinnyam quickly widened the distance. It was an appropriate response, but for Yang In-hyun, it was so slow that he could yawn.
He smoothly gave chase.
Hup!
The distance was closed in an instant. It probably felt like his face, which had been five steps away from Baljinnyam before, appeared in front of him in a flash. As Baljinnyam tried to raise the fist of his remaining hand, his vision suddenly went white.
Paak!
He felt a sharp pain in his jaw, and his teeth tingled as if hed been struck by lightning.
Before he could even spit out the mouthful of blood, Baljinnyams body collapsed to the ground.
A sharp sword was then stabbed into the ground beside his sweaty face.
I heard that you have something called a badge from the Alliance.
You are doing this despite knowing that!?
I dont think you understand what youre doing right now by baring your fangs to the Alliance! Dont you know? The Alliance would never let go of a being they identify as an enemy! They will be pursued to the ends of hell and be annhila-!
I thought youd have a bit more backbone.
Yang In-hyun spoke in a disappointed tone.
Everyone in this place seems to be like that. If youre pushed a little too hard, if you think youre in danger, if you feel like your life is being threatened, you immediately brag about the forces behind you. Does that make you proud?
What are you talking about
Your backing cannot guarantee anything in a really dangerous situation. If I were to kill you here now, there is nothing they could do about it.
Kikik, the blade that was stabbed into the ground began to move closer and closer to Baljinnyams eye.
I need that badge. And I dont want any information that I took it to leak out.
He didnt dare breathe.
If he moved even slightly, his pupils would be cut.
Baljinnyam was a warrior who had experienced all kinds of life and death battles but now, he was so overwhelmed by the atmosphere Yang In-hyun created that he couldnt even murmur inwardly.
But if you die, I wouldnt be able to hide it. So I have a question for you, what do you consider to be more important to you?
St-, stop
At the very least, it shouldnt be orders from above. I looked around this place already. I saw different races treating each other as equals without discrimination. Such an atmosphere couldnt have been formed if the leader wasnt a person of principle. You probably treated them like a family. Isnt that right?
Yang In-hyun continued with an expressionless face.
So I will ask again. Between your family and your orders, which one is more important to you?
* * *
We lost track of him after he entered the city, but it is believed that he plans to stay at the [Lake Hotel] from October 9th. It has already been confirmed that he has a reservation. Until then, we will likely be able to gather more information End report.
While Lukas stood absentmindedly, Bistrong turned off the monitor and sank back into the chair with a sigh.
Dammit. I really cant do this. If only I hadnt made that small mistake, I wouldnt be left in this backwater
A wisp of smoke swirled in the room following the sound of a cigarette being lit. Bistrong smoked five cigarettes in a row before leaving the room.
With a sigh, Lukas stopped hiding his presence.
[Lukas Trowman] is in this city.
He thought that hed run into him someday, and even if he didnt, hed already decided to see him for himself at least once. But for Lukas, meeting him was not a necessity.
In fact, hed actually forgotten about him before this point.
Diablo and the Demon King alone are enough to give me a headache.
He couldnt believe that even the fake Lukas had turned up.
It didnt even end there.
There was Pale, who seemed to have calmed down but he could never let his guard down, the members of VIP who he had yet to encounter, and the force called the Great Galactic Alliance. By that point, there were so many unknowns that it gave Lukas a headache. The word Wizards hated the most was uncertainty.
In any case, if the fake Lukas was aiming to enter the Next Stage and participate in the general review meeting as a member, an encounter was inevitable.
In the worst case, he might have to deal with Diablo, the Demon King and the fake Lukas at the same time.
Huu.
Lukas sighed again before firming his determination.
He looked at the floor below.
There was Bistrong, who had gone there after leaving the room. There were no signs of the lamentation that hed just felt. It could be said that he was thoroughly enjoying the sordid banquet. So it wasnt a trick, it was simply a combination of work and play. (TL: Work smarter)
Was this guy really five stars? It seemed to him that Dok Go-yun had made a wrong judgement.
In any case, after seeing what hed seen, he didnt think hed be able to look into that room for a long time. Lukas began to search the small room.
The odds were low, but there was a chance that Bistrong had left the badge in this secret room. Of course, a person that was even slightly meticulous would never commit such an irresponsible act, regardless of how well the room was hidd-
Durk.
Just as he was having that thought, his eyes landed on the badge that sat in a drawer.
A badge that perfectly matched the appearance that Dok Go-yun had shown him.
He really was a rough and tumble guy.
Lukas clicked his tongue. It wouldnt be hard to take the badge away then and there, but if he did that, then even someone like Bistrong would notice. For now, he was satisfied with just knowing the location.
Leaving the room immediately afterward, he returned to the hotel where they were staying.
The hotels 24hr lounge was equipped with simple food and drink machines. They had decided to meet there after completing their tasks.
Just as he roughly grabbed something to eat and sat onto a sofa, Yang In-hyun appeared. Seeing Lukas, he headed over to him.
You came quickly.
Because mine was closest. What about you?
I completed the objective.
Those words stuck out for some reason.
Just as Lukas narrowed his eyes and was about to say something, Yang In-hyun pulled a badge from his pocket.
Where did you get that?
I took it from [Baljinnyam].
Why?
Rather than reply to Lukas question, Yang In-hyun asked instead.
Werent the badges our aim?
Thats right. However, it was explained that our goal today was just simple reconnaissance.
There are times when its possible to complete your objective during reconnaissance.
This case is different.
Yang In-hyun sat down on the sofa and said.
I know what youre concerned about. But theres no need to worry. There is no way it will leak.
No way it would leak?
Lukas expression hardened.
Did you kill them all?
Annihilation isnt the only way to guarantee complete secrecy. I put a lock on their minds.
The lock will eventually come loose.
It wont loosen in six days.
Can you not understand what Im saying? The moment a secret is leaked, its no longer a secret. And thats what you did.
Are you saying that you dont trust me?
thats not what I meant.
Although he said that, he was a bit disappointed. Without realising it, this inflection was added to his tone.
But Yang In-hyun didnt seem to care.
Lukas.
Or at least, thats how it appeared from his expression.
Do not try to change me.
I dont intend to.
If thats really the case, then it must be unconscious coercion.
The atmosphere froze.
The several people in the lounge all felt a chill for some reason. Of course, it wasnt because the heating system malfunctioned.
Just in time, Dok Go-yun returned.
Ah. Im the last one. Did things work out for both of you? I bought pizza on the way
Coercion.
Right. You are coercing me to follow your method.
It was a suggestion, not coercion.
Thats just a difference between active and passive, but in the end, the fact remains that you tried to change me. Dont you know? This is different from our conversation on the Omega.
Dok Go-yun quietly lowered the pizza box he was raising and sat in a corner.
It is fine for you to tell me about things I didnt know. Im still grateful for that. But when it comes to tackling a problem, a hundred people would have a hundred methods to do so. That is the method of their life. Something that is achieved when their life experiences, personal inclinations and thoughts combine.
Let me make this clear to you. I am not your subordinate.
After that, Yang In-hyun got up and left the lounge.
huu.
Letting out a sigh, Lukas leaned back into the sofa.
It was then that he noticed the figure of Dok Go-yun, who was blinking dumbfoundedly.
Then he noticed that he was holding something.
Is that for us to eat?
Ah, yes. That S~ea??h the N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Im hungry. Let me have some.
O-, of course.
Nodding, Dok Go-yun opened the pizza box. The smell of savoury cheese rose.
Please listen to my report while you eat. I was able to obtain some interesting information from Mayor Gao Lins office.
You didnt touch the badge, did you?
Huh? Ah, of course not. Wasnt the purpose for today just reconnaissance
No. I said something foolish. Continue.
Lukas looked at the stretchy cheese and wondered how to eat it in a clean manner.
Ive located the Demon King and Diablo. Um. It might be hard to believe but they are both staying at the same hotel.
Hotel?
Of course, its not an official establishment. It is a place that unqualified guests would never be able to enter even if they paid a billion dollars. After some background investigation, it appears to be that it is run by [VIP].
The name?
It is the Lake Hotel.
Lukas let out a few more sighs.
That was the hotel that the fake Lukas was staying in.
Book 2: Chapter 497
Book 2: Chapter 497 October 8th, before dawn.
With a rustle, Pale got out of bed.
Through her veil of messy hair, she could see the hotel room.
It was dark. It wasnt just inside the room. The city that could be spotted through the window was still enveloped in darkness.
It was also quiet. Apart from the faint mechanical noises coming from the air purifier and thermostat, there was almost no sound.
A place that was neither hot nor cold.
A place where she could get food whenever she opened the refrigerator.
On the good side, it was peaceful, but on the bad side, she had been living an indolent life for a week.
Pale suddenly felt that she might be dreaming. And the fact that she had such a thought made her hesitate.
Did this situation make her so happy? So much so that she could regard reality as a dream.
There was a slight shifting on the bed.
It was a red skinned girl, Butterfly. She was looking at Pale with half lidded eyes. When her eyes seemed to ask whats wrong?, a smile naturally formed on Pales face.
She wasnt sure if the reason for the smile was to conceal her inner feelings as usual or to reassure Butterfly.
Sorry. Did I wake you?
At that, Butterfly shook her head quietly before patting her stomach.
Shed woken up because she was hungry.
Youre like me.
When Pale said those words with a smile, Butterfly smiled as well.
Wait here. Ill go get something to eat.
There was still some food in the refrigerator, but it was not enough to be breakfast for the two gluttons.
Pale got off the bed, took out her clothes, and put them on.
Recently, Lukas, Yang In-hyun and Dok Go-yun were always busy. They rarely stayed in the hotel, and even when they did stay here, they rarely came up to the room. Most of the time, they stayed in the lounge, where they had serious meetings with mountains of documents spread out.
Because of this, the two had no choice but to procure their food entirely on their own.
Butterfly also got up and grabbed her sleeve. But Pale shook her head as she put on her jacket. sea??h th n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
You cant.
They couldnt go out together. Because in this human dominated city, a being with red skin was too foreign and noticeable.
Gugaak. (*: Butterfly talking)
Today, Butterfly clung to her without giving up easily. For Pale, the body temperature of Butterfly, who was leaning against her, made her ticklish.
someone I have to protect.
Shed thought that if there was ever such a being, it would be the [King] she would someday meet.
Ill be back soon.
Guahuh.
Right. Ill get you what you ate last time. Was it pizza?
Butterfly was smart.
Although she couldnt speak, she understood what Pale was trying to say. Even now, as soon as she heard the word pizza, she immediately let go of her hand and her eyes lit up.
Ahoohuh.
Then she bowed her head.
As if to say go and come back.
Pale finally let out a burst of laughter.
* * *
I was feeling that it was a nice morning.
Pale muttered in a soft tone.
I didnt expect maggots to come squirming on a day like this.
By maggot.
Was she referring to him? Gentlemans expression stiffened for a moment, but he soon smiled and pointed towards his sleeve, which he was now used to being empty.
Do you see this?
You dont have an arm? Was it eaten?
Gentleman wondered what that strange statement meant for a moment, but it felt like the dumb looking woman didnt have any intelligence.
Your companion cut off my arm.
Hmm.
I am a person who repays what I was given. Since you seem to not want to follow me obediently, I will give you an advanced warning. First, Ill cut off one of your arms. Consider it a minor revenge.
Ah, okay.
Both the answer and attitude were dismissive.
Gentleman no longer spoke. This unnecessary conversation would end here.
As he thought so, he gradually roused his aura.
I cant underestimate her.
The fact that shed noticed his presence and her current relaxed attitude.
They caused him to be unwilling to think this uncomfortable woman was really a weak person. Even at that moment as she was filled with openings, he wouldnt find it strange if she was actually concealing a hidden blade or two.
That was why Gentleman gave his all from the first move.
If there was a difference from the way he handled a real enemy, it would be that he was aiming to just take an arm instead of kill.
In other words,
Gentleman hadnt let his guard down in the slightest.
Taht. He kicked off from the ground, closing the gap in an instant. His hand knife imbued with ki was no different from a famed sword. It probably wouldnt even be smeared with blood.
Or at least, that would have been the case if he had cut off her arm.
Kwadang! In the next instant, even as his vision was reversed and his body crashed into the ground, Gentleman didnt understand what had happened.
Huh?
Most deaths were like that, but it was pointless to have such a thought in the face of death.
Crack, Gentlemans face was crushed.
Mm.
The woman who had avoided Gentlemans charge, stretched her foot out and tripped him, stepped on his face without hesitation.
Although its a bit of a waste.
She looked down at her right foot as if shed stepped on ice cream that shed dropped by accident before shaking her head.
Its fine since I have something more delicious now.
Carrying the bundle in her arms, she recalled the face of the girl who was waiting for her.
Just as she was about to move away with light steps.
The smile on Pales face disappeared.
She looked up to the sky with an expressionless face.
Of course, what she saw wasnt the clear blue sky. Instead, what she could see was a metallic surface, the bottom of the artificial island.
Something was about to happen.
* * *
Shortly before that, on the roof of a building not far from the Lake Hotel.
Lukas and Dok Go-yun stood beneath the sky coloured by the light of dawn.
Its strict.
It seems so.
Dok Go-yun nodded at Lukas words.
Hed thought that the [Lake Hotel] would be a trap in itself.
Because, from a common sense point of view, it was not a good idea to place all the powerful people capable of devastating a planet in a matter of days in the same building.
But the moment Lukas inspected the hotel for himself, he realised that this place was not a trap.
Instead, the hotel was guarded more heavily than any other place in the city.
It would be difficult to break in. It wouldnt be hard to deal with the guards, but the surveillance cameras are annoying. There may also be micro cameras that we dont know about.
October 8th.
According to Bistrongs report, the fake Lukas would be staying from tomorrow.
But Lukas felt that it wouldnt be strange if the fake Lukas was already staying in the hotel.
The many presences he felt in the hotel seemed to support that belief.
That wasnt all.
theyre here.
He could also clearly feel the presence of Diablo and the Demon King.
They didnt try to hide their presence at all. The reason that he hadnt sensed them until now was probably because they were controlling the amount of energy that was radiating. Just enough so that it only covered the hotel.
In other words, those guys were declaring the [Lake Hotel] as their territory.
What shall we do?
It was impossible even for someone on Dok Go-yuns level to sense it. At most, he would be able to sense the gloomy death energy that Diablo exuded.
The energy exuded by the Demon King was several levels higher than that. Even in this Great Universe, the number of beings capable of detecting his presence was extremely limited.
In other words.
Yang In-hyun probably noticed their presence when he scouted most of the city before.
His fists clenched unconsciously. And his throat became tight.
In the first place, the reason he planned to join the general review meeting was because the members of [VIP] would gather there. And the reason why he cared about VIP was because his targets Diablo and the Demon King were members.
And now, all of his targets had gathered in the Lake Hotel.
Then what was the point of waiting till the general review meeting?
Wouldnt it be more strategically advantageous to attack them here rather than in the uncertain variable known as the [Next Stage].
Those guys havent noticed my presence yet.
Even if they knew, they would not have realised that they were on the verge of suffering a surprise attack. Moreover, Diablo and the Demon King didnt know that Lukas was capable of using [void].
In other words, it wouldnt be strange or reckless for him to carry out a surprise attack now.
However.
Lucid.
The presence of his old friend, the Black Knight, could also be felt in the hotel. Right, He would be protecting Diablo. After all, he was the King Candidate that Lucid chose. Lukas still felt that he needed to know why.
That wasnt all.
In the Lake Hotel now, there were at least five powerful beings that even Lukas took notice of.
In all honesty, this surprised him.
It wasnt that he had been looking down on VIP, he simply hadnt expected them to have so many strong characters. Lukas thought the Demon King would be the strongest member of VIP, but that might not be the case.
If I were to attack the Lake Hotel now?
It would be no different from declaring war on every absolute level powerhouse staying in the hotel. That was the reason that Lukas was hesitating.
its a shame about Yang In-hyun.
Even if he dismissed Pale as someone he couldnt control in the first place, if things had worked out, he might have been able to obtain Yang In-hyuns cooperation.
Lukas felt even more bitter since he was the one who pushed the relationship to ruin, even if it wasnt intentional.
That
A cautious voice sounded.
It was Dok Go-yun, the Heavenly Demons proxy.
This man, of course, was a strong character who would find it difficult to find an opponent among mortals, but he would be useless if an all out war with the Lake Hotel were to begin.
Attack? Retreat?
Lukas indecision was probably deepened because of the fact that this was a golden opportunity.
Suddenly.
[Did you say VIP?]
The Lightning God revealed his voice after a long while.
Lukas was inwardly surprised.
The Lightning God had hardly said anything since they arrived in this city. He was silent as if he wasnt there at all, and he didnt respond even at the times when Lukas talked to him first, so he couldnt help but wonder if he had really disappeared.
[I know who the founder is. Kuhaha Be careful. He was the most powerful candidate.]
What?
Lukas couldnt help but ask back in surprise.
He knew from experience that he would never receive an answer from the Lightning God after asking again. As he expected, instead of answering, the Lightning God let out his distinctive laugh.
[Youre feeling conflicted. Let me ease your worries.]
Then, before Lukas could respond, he continued.
[Accept my power, Lukas Trowman. If my Thunder is added to your magic, you can kill half of those absolutes with a surprise attack. Even the half that survive will suffer from extreme mental and physical paralysis for a few seconds. That means youd gain an absolute advantage in the fight from the start]
[Why are you hesitating? Are you still worried about the Blue Knight? Are you afraid that her sword will be directed at you after you accept my power? I dont understand.]
!
Lukas shuddered for a moment.
He thought about from now on, the next, the future.
He had a desire to live longer, and lingering regrets.
What did he regret?
Theyll patrol this place soon. You should decide
Dok Go-yun stopped talking.
At that moment, the two men felt a chill at the same time as if cold air licked the back of their necks.
Something was coming.
Piht-
Lukas could not stop what was about to happen. No, his attempt to stop it failed.
The moment he stretched out his hand, a barrier was deployed.
Even though it was done hurriedly, the barrier was strong enough to stop even a meteor falling from the sky.
Crash!
The barrier shattered like glass.
And yet, the momentum of the projectile wasnt reduced in the slightest and it instantly pierced its target.
ku-, uk.
Dok Go-yuns body slowly collapsed.
(TL:well that was a bit unexpected)
Chapter Season 2 496
October 8th, daybreak.One could call it the day before the showdown, or the day before the day before*. (*: i.e. two days before) Sar?h the n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Lukas opened his closed eyes. The scene he saw was that of the lounge on the first floor of the hotel. Right. Hed closed his eyes for a moment to organise his thoughts. But it seemed that hed fallen asleep for a while, as his head was still foggy as if it was covered in dust.
Not much had happened. There were no problems.
However, since that day, he hadnt encountered Yang In-hyun again. He couldnt even sense him.
Of course, if Yang In-hyun was determined to conceal his presence then it would be difficult to find him, but
He didnt think he would avoid him so blatantly.
Should he try to look for him against his will? For example, by using the void that he had been conserving until now.
lets stop.
Even for Yang In-hyun, hiding himself to the extent that even Lukas couldnt sense him would be exhausting.
In other words, the man clearly wanted to distance himself from Lukas even at the risk of such loss.
He clearly didnt want to meet him right now.
That was basically what he was saying, so if he were to try to meet him against his will, it might worsen the situation.
At this point, Lukas had no choice but to admit that he had made some mistakes.
Of course, it wasnt anything like considering Yang In-hyun to be his subordinate. He never had any intention of doing something like that.
But if he were to look at the situation from a different perspective, it was understandable that Yang In-hyun would display resistance to his attitude.
Hed realised it while they were talking.
Yang In-hyun had no intention of correcting his thoughts. He didnt regret his past nor repent for his sins. In the first place, if he had regrets then it would have been impossible for him to become so strong.
And yet, when he suggested to him to get a disciple.
Why did he feel so attracted to the thought?
It was simple.
Because he knew he was wrong.
In that case, then what was it that Yang In-hyun really wanted?
What was that guy thinking to do after raising the ideal disciple-
Lukas paused at the sudden thought.
No way, did Yang In-hyun
Are you awake?
His thoughts came to a halt.
With a soft voice, Dok Go-yun appeared. It seemed that he had been the busiest man in the city over the past few days. His eyes were puffy, skin dry and hair greasy. The last one was particularly pitiful considering how much hed seen Dok Go-yun cherish his hair.
Did you sleep at all yesterday?
Haha. I closed my eyes a bit.
How long?
For a bit before I came
About 15 minutes.
He really had just closed his eyes.
Havent you already obtained all the means to enter the Next Stage? What are you doing that you cant even find time to sleep?
I noticed a suspicious trend.
A suspicious trend?
When Lukas asked this question, Dok Go-yuns expression became a bit awkward.
It is still too early to say for sure, so Im afraid
Tell me.
Mm. In this city, there are many so-called powerful people. Ive shown you the list several times.
You mean the executives of the Great Galactic Alliance?
Not just them, but also powerful people from other regions as well.
Lukas nodded.
What about them?
Most of them went missing recently.
Missing?
Yes. As for who is behind it Im sorry. I havent been able to figure it out yet.
A being whose traces even Dok Go-yun failed to grasp.
Lukas could understand why Dok Go-yun had not reported this yet. The most important thing when making a report was certainty.
But given what hed revealed so far, the entire disappearance incident was uncertain.
Whether it had something to do with the [General Review Meeting], the [Next Stage], or [VIP], Dok Go-yun couldnt be sure.
nevertheless, it is strange.
Even if the incident itself might not seem to be deeply related, the place and timing were superb.
In that case, it was better to make a connection.
Even if it was between words that seemed to not have any connection at first glance, a necessity would certainly exist somehow.
Do you have a list of the missing persons?
Yes.
Give it to me. Ill take a look on my way.
Understood. But, on your way? Where?
The Lake Hotel. Its time for me to take a closer look.
I will accompany you.
You should wait in the hotel. If possible, at the side of Pale and Butterfly.
um. That will be a tough order to carry out.
Why?
Dok Go-yun spoke with a puzzled expression.
Didnt you know?
* * *
Gentleman looked down at the street.
He could see the back of his target, with her fluttering blue hair. She was walking while carrying a huge bundle that was as big as she was.
A defenceless and unstable appearance.
Clicking his tongue, Gentleman leapt from the roof.
Then, he finished a graceful landing with nary a sound. He had no intention of creating a fuss that someone might notice.
Now, he would just knock her out and drag-
Could you please step aside?
!
Gentleman flinched.
She had noticed his presence? How?
Wasnt her sight completely blocked by the bundle she was carrying?
Gentleman became nervous for a second before realising that it was unnecessary.
His targets body was full of openings. Enough that he could break her neck just by stretching out his hand.
She probably has sharp eyes.
Considering the fact that she was accompanied by monsters, it wouldnt be surprising for her to have such a characteristic.
Convincing himself inwardly, Gentleman spoke.
I have a debt to repay to your party.
Huh?
If you follow me obediently, I will not harm you.
* * *
The Lake Hotel, the tallest building in Manjuri City.
The 7th floor was 303.7 metres above the ground.
Even the cheapest rooms cost over $10,000 USD per day and the price skyrocketed as the floor number increased.
The Royal Suite on the top floor was so burdensome that even the top players of the financial circle would feel a burden if they stayed there for a long time.
But money was not a problem for those who were staying there at that moment. In the first place, the accommodation fees were just a justification, and the owner of the hotel had no desire for money whatsoever.
Another secret.
The space provided to the most valuable guests of the Lake Hotel wasnt the top floor.
Instead, it was a space that extended 50 metres beneath the hotel building. The interior structure was dark and spacious. Also, there was no interior decor.
All that was placed in this space was a long rectangular table surrounded by a dozen or so chairs.
It was a place that wouldnt be strange if it was called a meeting hall for ghosts, a place where the most ghostly beings would appear. The figure whose entire body was wrapped in black cloth looked more like an envoy of death than a ghost. For a brief moment, the flesh beneath the black cloth was revealed.
Except, the only thing that could be seen was clean bones.
Without any hesitation, Diablo sat at the very end of the long table. The lights in his eye sockets, which flickered like will o wisps, soon turned to the being on the other end.
[I believe this is our first time meeting face to face, Demon King.]
Shuk, black liquid gushed up from the floor. The liquid shot up like a black fountain before gradually taking the shape of a demon.
He wasnt alone.
Diablo shifted his gaze to those standing behind the Demon King.
[Are they them? The infamous Five Dukes.]
[Your information is outdated.]
The Demon Kings voice weighed heavily on the underground space.
[That title has already been discontinued. It no longer has use. Instead, they are now my new limbs.]
Diablo focused on them one after the other.
There were five of them in total, and every one of them were incredibly powerful. In all honesty, on his own, Diablo wouldnt be able to defeat even a single one of them.
But that fact didnt bother him. After all, what a king needed was not personal power.
Leaning back comfortably in the chair, Diablo linked his finger bones together.
[By limbs, I assume youre referring to your arms and legs, of which you only have two each. So if four of them are limbs, what is the other one?]
[Tongue.]
[]
[Im sure you didnt call me here just to chat, Diablo.]
The Demon King spoke in a bored voice.
[VIP. Its a pretty interesting group name. The members are all amusing, and the founder even more so.]
[Amusing? I dont think its that bad. Some of the members are people that even you wouldnt be able to disregard.]
[Well even if that is the case, it wouldnt change the fact that what theyre doing is banal.]
Diablo looked around as he spoke.
[Thats pretty ballsy. I bet theyre listening.]
[Let them listen. Its the same for this general review meeting. The members were tasked with collecting and analysing the data of all the powerful characters they knew, then they would gather and select the 100 strongest candidates then rank them accordingly They say its an indispensable process for the final goal, but I dont know why they picked such a cumbersome method.]
You have been waiting for a while. Here is the food you ordered.
Just at that moment, a man in a tuxedo brought food. The Demon King reached out to the man. The man felt his vision blur.
[Isnt there a faster and more accurate method?]
Crunch, the Demon Kings hand crushed the mans head like a walnut. Blood mixed with skull fragments and brain matter flowed like tomato juice.
[Just fight. It doesnt matter if its one on one, many on one or many on many. After a fierce battle, naturally, the one who can still remain standing until the last moment is the strongest and has the right to take everything. Isnt that simple?]
[I saw Lukas Trowman.]
[]
The Demon King fell silent.
But a faint dark red air current began to blossom from his Limbs.
[You wanted to have a rematch with that man. So I think I should make something clear now.]
[What is it?]
[Do not approach Lukas.]
At those words, the Demon King burst out laughing.
[No. That might not be clear enough. Of course you, but also your limbs, dont get close to Lukas. I want you to refrain from even sneaking a peak at him or digging up his information. That was unnecessarily long, but to put it briefly, it means you shouldnt interfere with Lukas at all from this point on.]
Laughter was still mixed in the Demon Kings voice as he said.
[Do you want to die?]
[You cannot become my death.]
[Cut the crap. I doubt that you dont know how ridiculous the words you just said were Unless you called me here to pick a fight?]
The Demon King murmured almost to himself before nodding as if he understood something.
[That would certainly make more sense. If you were intending to provoke me, your plan was a resounding success.]
[I have no intention of wasting strength on you, but if a confrontation is inevitable then it cant be helped. Then would you like to give it a try? To see which one is harder between your limbs and my sword.]
[]
At those words, the Demon Kings gaze shifted to behind Diablo.
There stood a Knight wrapped completely in black armour.
Calm and restrained black energy enveloped his body.
The Demon King knew.
Just what this Black Knight was, and who the face behind the visor was.
[Its really an interesting sight, Lucid.]
[]
[Meeting you again made me deeply emotional. I remember you didnt like wearing helmets, what changed?]
[Dont talk to me with that voice.]
Lucid spoke in an emotionless voice.
The Demon King laughed again.
[Do you not consider me to be Kasajin? Thats fine too. However, what about you? What kind of being are you now? Didnt you do a lot of things that the Sword King Lucid I know would never have done?]
The Demon Kings smile widened.
[Every being changes. Schweiser, who was trapped in a golems body, Iris, who extended her life by changing her body repeatedly, and even Lukas Trowman. The longer the life, the more it changes. Why cant you admit that the time we spent together was only a brief moment.]
If he had a tongue, Diablo would have clicked it at that moment. The words the Demon King had just said had accurately stabbed at Lucids inverse scale.
I really didnt plan to clash with the Demon King in this place.
It wasnt that he thought hed lose.
But the imminent fight between them was interrupted by the appearance of a completely unexpected individual.
Juk-
A blonde haired man appeared.
The Demon King, Diablo and Lucid all knew who this man was. This was because they had all been monitoring him from the moment he started promoting himself with a certain name.
However, this was their first time meeting him in person.
And Diablo couldnt help but be bewildered.
Why was this guy pretending to be Lukas Trowman?
Chapter Season 2 497
October 8th, before dawn.With a rustle, Pale got out of bed.
Through her veil of messy hair, she could see the hotel room.
It was dark. It wasnt just inside the room. The city that could be spotted through the window was still enveloped in darkness.
It was also quiet. Apart from the faint mechanical noises coming from the air purifier and thermostat, there was almost no sound.
A place that was neither hot nor cold.
A place where she could get food whenever she opened the refrigerator.
On the good side, it was peaceful, but on the bad side, she had been living an indolent life for a week.
Pale suddenly felt that she might be dreaming. And the fact that she had such a thought made her hesitate.
Did this situation make her so happy? So much so that she could regard reality as a dream.
There was a slight shifting on the bed.
It was a red skinned girl, Butterfly. She was looking at Pale with half lidded eyes. When her eyes seemed to ask whats wrong?, a smile naturally formed on Pales face.
She wasnt sure if the reason for the smile was to conceal her inner feelings as usual or to reassure Butterfly.
Sorry. Did I wake you?
At that, Butterfly shook her head quietly before patting her stomach.
Shed woken up because she was hungry.
Youre like me.
When Pale said those words with a smile, Butterfly smiled as well.
Wait here. Ill go get something to eat.
There was still some food in the refrigerator, but it was not enough to be breakfast for the two gluttons.
Pale got off the bed, took out her clothes, and put them on.
Recently, Lukas, Yang In-hyun and Dok Go-yun were always busy. They rarely stayed in the hotel, and even when they did stay here, they rarely came up to the room. Most of the time, they stayed in the lounge, where they had serious meetings with mountains of documents spread out.
Because of this, the two had no choice but to procure their food entirely on their own.
Butterfly also got up and grabbed her sleeve. But Pale shook her head as she put on her jacket.
You cant.
They couldnt go out together. Because in this human dominated city, a being with red skin was too foreign and noticeable.
Gugaak. (*: Butterfly talking)
Today, Butterfly clung to her without giving up easily. For Pale, the body temperature of Butterfly, who was leaning against her, made her ticklish.
someone I have to protect.
Shed thought that if there was ever such a being, it would be the [King] she would someday meet.
Ill be back soon.
Guahuh.
Right. Ill get you what you ate last time. Was it pizza?
Butterfly was smart.
Although she couldnt speak, she understood what Pale was trying to say. Even now, as soon as she heard the word pizza, she immediately let go of her hand and her eyes lit up.
Ahoohuh.
Then she bowed her head.
As if to say go and come back.
Pale finally let out a burst of laughter.
* * *
I was feeling that it was a nice morning.
Pale muttered in a soft tone.
I didnt expect maggots to come squirming on a day like this.
By maggot.
Was she referring to him? Gentlemans expression stiffened for a moment, but he soon smiled and pointed towards his sleeve, which he was now used to being empty.
Do you see this?
You dont have an arm? Was it eaten?
Gentleman wondered what that strange statement meant for a moment, but it felt like the dumb looking woman didnt have any intelligence.
Your companion cut off my arm.
Hmm.
I am a person who repays what I was given. Since you seem to not want to follow me obediently, I will give you an advanced warning. First, Ill cut off one of your arms. Consider it a minor revenge.
Ah, okay.
Both the answer and attitude were dismissive.
Gentleman no longer spoke. This unnecessary conversation would end here.
As he thought so, he gradually roused his aura.
I cant underestimate her.
The fact that shed noticed his presence and her current relaxed attitude.
They caused him to be unwilling to think this uncomfortable woman was really a weak person. Even at that moment as she was filled with openings, he wouldnt find it strange if she was actually concealing a hidden blade or two.
That was why Gentleman gave his all from the first move.
If there was a difference from the way he handled a real enemy, it would be that he was aiming to just take an arm instead of kill.
In other words,
Gentleman hadnt let his guard down in the slightest.
Taht. He kicked off from the ground, closing the gap in an instant. His hand knife imbued with ki was no different from a famed sword. It probably wouldnt even be smeared with blood.
Or at least, that would have been the case if he had cut off her arm.
Kwadang! In the next instant, even as his vision was reversed and his body crashed into the ground, Gentleman didnt understand what had happened.
Huh?
Most deaths were like that, but it was pointless to have such a thought in the face of death.
Crack, Gentlemans face was crushed.
Mm.
The woman who had avoided Gentlemans charge, stretched her foot out and tripped him, stepped on his face without hesitation.
Although its a bit of a waste.
She looked down at her right foot as if shed stepped on ice cream that shed dropped by accident before shaking her head.
Its fine since I have something more delicious now.
Carrying the bundle in her arms, she recalled the face of the girl who was waiting for her.
Just as she was about to move away with light steps.
The smile on Pales face disappeared.
She looked up to the sky with an expressionless face.
Of course, what she saw wasnt the clear blue sky. Instead, what she could see was a metallic surface, the bottom of the artificial island.
Something was about to happen.
* * *
Shortly before that, on the roof of a building not far from the Lake Hotel.
Lukas and Dok Go-yun stood beneath the sky coloured by the light of dawn.
Its strict.
It seems so.
Dok Go-yun nodded at Lukas words.
Hed thought that the [Lake Hotel] would be a trap in itself.
Because, from a common sense point of view, it was not a good idea to place all the powerful people capable of devastating a planet in a matter of days in the same building.
But the moment Lukas inspected the hotel for himself, he realised that this place was not a trap.
Instead, the hotel was guarded more heavily than any other place in the city.
It would be difficult to break in. It wouldnt be hard to deal with the guards, but the surveillance cameras are annoying. There may also be micro cameras that we dont know about.
October 8th.
According to Bistrongs report, the fake Lukas would be staying from tomorrow.
But Lukas felt that it wouldnt be strange if the fake Lukas was already staying in the hotel.
The many presences he felt in the hotel seemed to support that belief.
That wasnt all.
theyre here.
He could also clearly feel the presence of Diablo and the Demon King.
They didnt try to hide their presence at all. The reason that he hadnt sensed them until now was probably because they were controlling the amount of energy that was radiating. Just enough so that it only covered the hotel.
In other words, those guys were declaring the [Lake Hotel] as their territory.
What shall we do?
It was impossible even for someone on Dok Go-yuns level to sense it. At most, he would be able to sense the gloomy death energy that Diablo exuded.
The energy exuded by the Demon King was several levels higher than that. Even in this Great Universe, the number of beings capable of detecting his presence was extremely limited.
In other words.
Yang In-hyun probably noticed their presence when he scouted most of the city before.
His fists clenched unconsciously. And his throat became tight.
In the first place, the reason he planned to join the general review meeting was because the members of [VIP] would gather there. And the reason why he cared about VIP was because his targets Diablo and the Demon King were members.
And now, all of his targets had gathered in the Lake Hotel.
Then what was the point of waiting till the general review meeting?
Wouldnt it be more strategically advantageous to attack them here rather than in the uncertain variable known as the [Next Stage].
Those guys havent noticed my presence yet.
Even if they knew, they would not have realised that they were on the verge of suffering a surprise attack. Moreover, Diablo and the Demon King didnt know that Lukas was capable of using [void].
In other words, it wouldnt be strange or reckless for him to carry out a surprise attack now.
However.
Lucid.
The presence of his old friend, the Black Knight, could also be felt in the hotel. Right, He would be protecting Diablo. After all, he was the King Candidate that Lucid chose. Lukas still felt that he needed to know why.
That wasnt all.
In the Lake Hotel now, there were at least five powerful beings that even Lukas took notice of.
In all honesty, this surprised him.
It wasnt that he had been looking down on VIP, he simply hadnt expected them to have so many strong characters. Lukas thought the Demon King would be the strongest member of VIP, but that might not be the case.
If I were to attack the Lake Hotel now?
It would be no different from declaring war on every absolute level powerhouse staying in the hotel. That was the reason that Lukas was hesitating.
its a shame about Yang In-hyun.
Even if he dismissed Pale as someone he couldnt control in the first place, if things had worked out, he might have been able to obtain Yang In-hyuns cooperation.
Lukas felt even more bitter since he was the one who pushed the relationship to ruin, even if it wasnt intentional.
That
A cautious voice sounded.
It was Dok Go-yun, the Heavenly Demons proxy.
This man, of course, was a strong character who would find it difficult to find an opponent among mortals, but he would be useless if an all out war with the Lake Hotel were to begin.
Attack? Retreat?
Lukas indecision was probably deepened because of the fact that this was a golden opportunity.
Suddenly.
[Did you say VIP?]
The Lightning God revealed his voice after a long while.
Lukas was inwardly surprised.
The Lightning God had hardly said anything since they arrived in this city. He was silent as if he wasnt there at all, and he didnt respond even at the times when Lukas talked to him first, so he couldnt help but wonder if he had really disappeared.
[I know who the founder is. Kuhaha Be careful. He was the most powerful candidate.]
What?
Lukas couldnt help but ask back in surprise.
He knew from experience that he would never receive an answer from the Lightning God after asking again. As he expected, instead of answering, the Lightning God let out his distinctive laugh.
[Youre feeling conflicted. Let me ease your worries.]
Then, before Lukas could respond, he continued.
[Accept my power, Lukas Trowman. If my Thunder is added to your magic, you can kill half of those absolutes with a surprise attack. Even the half that survive will suffer from extreme mental and physical paralysis for a few seconds. That means youd gain an absolute advantage in the fight from the start]
[Why are you hesitating? Are you still worried about the Blue Knight? Are you afraid that her sword will be directed at you after you accept my power? I dont understand.]
!
Lukas shuddered for a moment.
He thought about from now on, the next, the future.
He had a desire to live longer, and lingering regrets.
What did he regret?
Theyll patrol this place soon. You should decide
Dok Go-yun stopped talking.
At that moment, the two men felt a chill at the same time as if cold air licked the back of their necks.
Something was coming.
Piht-
Lukas could not stop what was about to happen. No, his attempt to stop it failed.
The moment he stretched out his hand, a barrier was deployed.
Even though it was done hurriedly, the barrier was strong enough to stop even a meteor falling from the sky.
Crash!
The barrier shattered like glass. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
And yet, the momentum of the projectile wasnt reduced in the slightest and it instantly pierced its target.
ku-, uk.
Dok Go-yuns body slowly collapsed.
(TL:well that was a bit unexpected)
Book 2: Chapter 500
Book 2: Chapter 500 Among those in the room, Diablo and the Demon King were the only ones who remained silent.
After their conversation, the other absolute level powerhouses* disappeared one after the other, leaving them. (*: Until now, Im still not certain if these people are Absolutes or not as the author uses absolute both as a title and a power rank. But Ill call them Absolutes from now on for simplicitys sake)
It was Diablo that stood up first. As he was about to leave, Diablo looked back.
[I will allow it.]
[Allow what?]
[You to send your subordinates.]
[]
[No. Did you say they were your limbs, not subordinates? In any case.]
The will o wisps burning in Diablos eye sockets turned toward the Demon King.
[Dont try to contact him directly. I will not let it go.]
[You seem to be mistaken. Neither I nor my limbs intend to meet Lukas Trowman. My goal is elsewhere.]
[Is it the Blue Knight? Or Yang In-hyun?]
[Do I have to tell you that too?]
[You dont.]
Immediately after hearing that reply, which seemed to be taking a step back, the Demon Kings figure disappeared. Diablo muttered, a sigh mixing into his voice.
[Today might be. The most important day of my life Lucid.]
The Black Knight, who had been concealing his presence until now, revealed himself.
[Can you defeat the Blue Knight?]
[Dont know.]
Lucid replied bluntly before adding.
[However, I wouldnt lose.]
* * *
He didnt manage to extract any information from the monster.
This wasnt because the goblin monster overcame its fear or show its backbone during torture. Instead, as soon as it opened its mouth to spit out some information, its facial muscles twisted and exploded.
Lukas clicked his tongue as he blocked the flying pieces of meat with a barrier.
A trivial act.
Was some sorcery cast?
No. Lukas hadnt even noticed until right before the explosion, so it was probably a machine. An explosive device must have been implanted into its skull. The faint burnt smell and bits of brain matter mixed with mechanical pieces turned that suspicion into a certainty.
This was why science was annoying.
No.
Lukas shook his head, clearing it. Then, he decided to put aside his arrogance and think again.
It was not just at the level of an annoyance.
Science might be the most threatening power for me.
It was a subtle feeling.
In many worlds, humans were usually the ones that developed science. This was because those who were born with innate strength, special abilities or talents usually dont feel a need to resort to such means.
Humans, who were not born with anything special, had no choice but to study other things to protect themselves.
In other words, science was one of the possibilities and brilliance that humans displayed.
And this science.
Turned out to be the most threatening power for Lukas, who at one point claimed to be the god of all humans.
An unknown bitterness rose up to the top of his throat, but it couldnt be denied.
Lukas suddenly felt curious.
What limit of science had the Great Galactic Alliance achieved, and what was the limit of the power they could display?
He looked at the Lake Hotel.
Perhaps it was because hed just shown his strength when he killed the two monsters. He could feel that many presences in the hotel were paying attention to him.
They would soon approach.
They wont attack all at once.
At least there would be two, and at most, there would be five. The chances of them launching a pincer attack are slim.
In other words, in a sense, this crisis might be an opportunity.
If he took care of the forces that they sent, then he could reduce the number of enemies at the beginning without having to give his all.
Taht.
However, Lukas ignored the gazes and presences he felt at the hotel and flew in the opposite direction.
His destination was, of course, the place where Pale was.
In this situation, he was more wary of a single out of control Pale than the group of Absolutes or Kiel Marlgol in the Next Stage.
As he was moving through the sky at a high speed, he felt a presence.
With fluttering robes and a gleaming blade.
Yang In-hyun landed right beside Lukas and began moving along with him. He was already in a combat ready state and his sword was already drawn.
Nevertheless, with an indifferent face, Yang In-hyun asked.
Whats the situation?
Kiel Marlgol, the founder of VIP and the Head of the Great Galactic Alliance, started this.
The two were reuniting after a week, but they didnt ask each other about their well-being. This probably would have been the case even if the situation was different.
Im sure you also heard what he said, right?
The screen covering the sky had been so large that it could be seen from anywhere in this city.
Yang In-hyun simply nodded.
Dok Go-yun was injured. The injuries arent serious but I dont think he will be an effective force in what is to come. So I entrusted him with the rescue and evacuation of the citizens.
Lukas continued. S~ea??h the ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
And I confirmed the presence of my original targets, Diablo and the Demon King, in a place called the Lake Hotel. In addition, there were also a bunch of guys at the absolute level waiting there. Looking at their movement, it can be assumed that they were aware of our presence long ago.
Yang In-hyun thought for a while before opening his mouth.
Then
The conversation cut off abruptly. This was because a shadow was cast in the sky for a moment.
Boom!
Like a meteor crashing down, something fell to the devastated city. The force of the collision was so strong that it caused a small earthquake, making the building rubble heave for a moment.
Of course, Yang In-hyun and Lukas knew that it was not just a simple object.
Beings with presences that couldnt be ignored showed themselves through the rising smoke one by one.
Whats this? Youre both together?
That saves us the trouble of looking for them.
Hold on a second. Theyre both here. Doesnt that mean one person can take care of both of them on their own?
They all had unique appearances.
There was a small man who was barely over 1 metre tall, a woman radiating enough colour to make ones head spin, and a dragonman with crystal-like scales.
Lukas narrowed his eyes.
Three revealed themselves openly.
His eyes then briefly swept across the ruins.
Four are hiding.
Then, he looked up at the sky.
And the other three passed straight over us. They should be heading to where Pale is.
Lukas was conflicted for a moment.
Pale and the Absolutes.
Would it be worth it to let them meet now?
Of course, if the enraged Pale exterminated all of them then it wouldnt be a bad thing for Lukas.
However
If Pale lost all reason because of their hasty actions
Then, no joke, this great universe would disappear today.
As expected, he couldnt. He couldnt wait and see.
Just as Lukas looked at Yang In-hyun and was about to open his mouth, he beat him to it.
Go.
will it be fine?
Are you worried? Thats a bit disrespectful.
Lukas let out a hollow laugh at those words.
You really misunderstood. You were going to Pale too. I was asking if it would be okay for you to take on the role of cleaning up these guys.
Ah.
As if he hadnt thought of that, Yang In-hyun let out a dumb sound that didnt suit him. That was only for a moment, and soon he shrugged.
It doesnt matter. I dont think itll take too long.
Be careful. Youre not allowed to be careless.
Hmm.
The small man, woman and dragonman watched this series of conversations with absurd expressions.
Hah? What are these guys blabbering about now?
It seems like one plans to deal with us while the other goes off to do something else.
Kukuku. They seem to be talking for us.
Letting out a laugh, the small man sat down where he was.
Then, something strange happened. A white chair suddenly appeared in the space that was just empty.
The small man sat on it, crossed his legs and said.
Theres no need to let those guys get a rise out of you. Ill watch from here, you two can take care of one each.
thats what our Disease King* says, what will you do? (*: Tentative translation since there is no context.)
The woman looked at the dragonman and spoke.
The Swordsman or the Wizard. Who will you take?
Ill take the Swordsman. He seems to be a martial artist as well.
Then I guess Ill take the Wizard. Ugh, a chase is tiring.
Clicking her tongue, the woman was about to leave, but for some reason, she stopped moving.
Huh? What are you doing? Are you not going?
Can you be so relaxed? That guy is skilled at using space. Itll be annoying if the distance spreads any more.
The small man and dragonman let out puzzled voices, but the woman didnt respond. She appeared to be lost in thought.
The two Absolutes quickly diverted their attention. This was because they didnt care about other people in the first place.
The dragonman focused on the enemy before him.
The narrow, vertical pupils in his gem-like eyes reflected Yang In-hyuns image.
I am the Gem Dragon Hazirholman.
Nodding, Yang In-hyun raised his sword.
This was the politest greeting he could give to an enemy.
Yang In-hyun, Sect Leader of the Flower Mountain Sect.
You are one of the Twelve Void Lords of the World of Void, correct?
Thats right.
Hmm. Good. I always wanted to try fighting one.
Hazirholman nodded.
indeed, it will be a great contest. I couldnt ask for a better opponent.
Hazirholman.
At that moment, Yang In-hyun let out a sigh.
You, no. All of you, dont know anything.
What-
At that moment, Hazirholman hurriedly twisted his body.
But he wasnt able to dodge completely. Together with a cool feeling, he felt his right arm be cut.
He lost one of his limbs in one blow?
Fast!
But Hazirholmans face was filled more with shock than frustration. This was because he didnt understand how Yang In-hyun cut his arm. And that feeling of unknown soon became one of horror.
Clang clang clang!
Yang In-hyun continued to attack with an expressionless face. Every time the sword wind blew, shards of crystal were scattered everywhere as if they were being mined.
Wh-, what kind of sword technique is this?
On the planet of Dragons in a certain universe, someone with jewel scales was born once every few millions of years.
Hazirholmans race was lords of that universe. And they had the unique characteristic of getting stronger as they aged.
Their average life expectancy was in the tens of thousands of years.
And within such a race, at the age of barely more than a decade, Hazirholman could no longer find an opponent.
He had never suffered a defeat.
He was the strongest.
Even when the universes merged and he learned about the existence of VIP as well as encountered the Absolutes there, that declaration never wavered.
But now, Hazirholman couldnt even afford to speak. He could only watch helplessly as the number of sword wounds on his body gradually increased.
The small man, who was watching the situation, narrowed his eyes.
somethings not right. Hazir, are you not doing your best?
Ay. Diana. Say somethi-
Ru-
Diana, the woman who had been standing still all this while, finally spoke.
The small man turned his gaze to her. And saw. The completely bloodless face of the woman, which was covered in cold sweat.
Run-
Diana?
Dianas body split into two pieces. A thick bloody smell was released in an instant.
!
The small man jumped up from his seat.
She was cut. When the hell? Did Yang In-hyun cut her?
However wasnt he fighting right now?
Crack!
Kuack!
The sound of metal breaking and a scream were heard at the same time.
He saw Hazirholman standing there with a dumbfounded face. Most of his body was destroyed and bleeding profusely.
What is this strength
The moment Hazirholman muttered in disbelief, his chest split vertically. Blood poured out like a fountain before his huge body collapsed.
You motherfucker! What did you do?!
Do you want me to explain it to you?
What?
No. You wouldnt understand anyway. Because you
Yang In-hyun shook his sword.
The moment his emotionless eyes turned towards him, the small man felt a chill on his neck.
Havent even realised youre dead.
Huh?
But the coolness was not just a feeling or an illusion.
He hurriedly touched his neck. There, he felt something, like a thin hair. A moment later, he realised it was a solid line.
His neck was cut.
Whe n
The small mans eyes slowly rolled back and his neck slipped off. Thump, the head without consciousness* rolled across the ruins. (*: Consciousness-less head)
Three Absolutes were killed without difficulty.
But Yang In-hyuns heart was calm. After standing there for a while, he turned to look in a direction.
I think I warmed up a bit. How about you?
Krrr
Shadows from all directions gathered in one place. The gathered shadows rose up and swayed like sewage water.
The ominous liquid gradually took shape.
It was the first time Yang In-hyun was meeting the being in front of him.
However, he felt a strange sense of kinship. But considering this persons origin, it wasnt that surprising.
[Im always ready.]
Demon King Kasajin, the 0th Demon, one of the Twelve Void Lords, smiled and said.
(TL: They were so arrogant before I thought they were worth something.)
Current schedule:- 1 per day(No official posting time as of yet)
Book 2: Chapter 501
Book 2: Chapter 501 You will probably fight the Demon King.
In the Omega before they arrived in Manjuri City, Lukas said.
The Demon King and Diablo. Although both of those guys are my targets, and they will both be aiming for me too if we fight, it would be better for me to take Diablo on.
The reason?
Beside Diablo is the Black Knight. You dont want to antagonise the Four Knights, right?
Yang In-hyun neither confirmed nor denied.
Instead, he asked another question.
What kind of person is the Demon King.
He used to be one of the Twelve Void Lords, the 0th Demon. He was able to escape the World of Void some time ago through a certain method and now he has become the subordinate of a Ruler.
Lukas fell silent for a moment before continuing.
He stole everything from my friend.
Stole?
Then Lukas explained.
About how the man named the Magic Warrior King Kasajin came to the World of Void, and what he went through there.
And exactly what the 0th Demon was.
I can tell you the disposition of the man named Kasajin that I know. It should be of some help to you when you fight. But dont trust it blindly.
Lukas spoke in a bitter voice.
Because that thing can already not be called Kasajin.
* * *
Even when he looked at Mount Tai, he didnt really get the impression that it was that high.
Even when he looked at the sea, he didnt think it was that wide.
Yang In-hyun had never been overwhelmed by nature.
This was because he had already known that he had become a being that was higher and wider than them.
In a similar way, when he had noticed the existence of a mechanical structure in the space beyond, he had only felt a little wonder.
In terms of whether Yang In-hyun could cut something or not, distance was not much of a restriction.
Only a few beings could understand the sense of alienation Yang In-hyun felt due to the form of the world that he could see.
It had been a while since Yang In-hyun thought about the Demon King.
He was a huge being.
Of course, his figure was big. This was true when considering his simple height, but in terms of bulk, he was muscular enough for dozens of people.
However, more than that, it was the aura that the Demon King released that made him appear dozens of times larger.
certainly.
This was the first real enemy hed faced since coming to the outside world.
His opponent was a former member of the Twelve Void Lords, a current Absolute, and probably had some other special element besides that.
[]
The Demon King.
Didnt seem willing to make the first move. This fact surprised Yang In-hyun.
To put it simply, between him and the Demon King, who was in more of a hurry?
The answer came quickly.
Both of them. Neither could afford it.
Past these ruins was an enormous time bomb that had already started counting down. If things went wrong, there was a chance that a huge mark would be engraved on the planet. There was no guarantee that they wouldnt be caught in the aftermath.
it cant be helped.
It didnt suit Yang In-hyuns temperament to just watch his opponent forever.
Raising his drawn sword, he pointed it towards the Demon King. The pointing of the tip of his sword was what the Demon King wanted. The Demon King, who had been standing with his arms folded until now, also changed his stance.
Then, with a faint swoosh sound, the blade became indistinct. Yang In-hyuns blade disappeared in an instant.
However, it hadnt disappeared.
The sword territory() expanded. The traces of the sword blade vanished, it could be estimated that dozens of kilometres had been added to Yang In-hyuns new cutting range.
[Kuhu.]
The Demon King couldnt hold back a brief chuckle.
The world in his eyes had become a sword domain() with millions of swords. Sword hilts swirled like a gale.
[Dont the Swordsmen from Mount Hua usually use the Plum Blossom Method or something like that?]
Thats one of the prejudices I hate. That is just one of the many sword techniques of Mount Hua.
[Kuku. Indeed, I see.]
Boom!
The Demon King clapped his fists together hard. This caused a massive amount of wind pressure to rage around, scattering the pieces of the shattered buildings like pieces of trash.
The sword domain created by Yang In-hyun disappeared like fog after dawn.
[I dont like probing attacks.]
Then?
[From start to finish, full power.]
Crack crack.
Cracking his knuckles, the Demon King grinned.
[Our sword or fist will only stop when one of us dies. What do you think?]
Its barbaric.
[I see. Is that your answer?]
Everlasting Plum Sword. First Form.
Saying the name of your technique. So you like that.
The Demon King closed his mouth that hed opened to say that.
He could see the colourless buds rising up like haze. The buds that bloomed faintly and vaguely looked pitiful as if they could be buried with the wave of a finger.
The world of swords. Next was a flower garden?
This situation felt like a joke, but the Demon King couldnt afford to laugh.
A feeling of pressure, which was completely incomparable to what hed felt before, pressed down on his entire body. All of the Demon Kings nerves tensed to the limit in preparation for the coming impact.
The furled buds unfolded.
Dozens of blinding lights exploded from within.
Murim Annihilation.
It felt like both of his eyes went blind.
Time was compressed, space was compressed.
And compressed some more.
Compressed
Compressed.
-Stab.
Crack!
He realised the true nature of the attack.
And caught it.
Just before it could pierce his chest, the blade Yang In-hyun thrust forward was caught in the Demon Kings thick hand. His palm, which was big enough to match his physique made it look like he was holding a toothpick, but blood still dripped from his tightly clenched fingers.
But, the Demon King laughed, regardless of the wound or pain.
[Murim Annihilation? It doesnt quite match its grandiose name. Isnt it just a simple stab? No way, with this much power-]
Everlasting Plum Sword, Second Form.
The moment Yang In-hyun continued to talk with an expressionless face, the Demon King swallowed the rest of his words.
Flower Cultivation.
He felt a tremendous weight from the sword tightly held in his grip. There was no time to react.
The hand holding the blade sank. The Demon Kings waist and knees also bent, causing him to fall to his knees.
[What]
The weight hadnt been put onto the blade.
Looking at the Demon Kings puzzled expression, Yang In-hyun muttered.
The kneeling look suits you better than I expected. My neck hurts less now.
As soon as he heard that emotionless voice, the Demon Kings eyes became red.
[!]
Letting out a beastly roar, he raised his hand up from the ground. Piles of dirt were sent flying in every direction, and black energy covered the city.
Yang In-hyun opened space with his sword. The wide expanse of black energy moved across the sky in inconceivable motions and attacked at the same time as Yang In-hyun as if they were in sync.
Clang clang clang!
Deflect, block, dodge.
It wasnt difficult to defend perfectly, but he couldnt relax.
This kind of rotten attack, he felt that it would be annoying if he let it hit him even once.
And in this case, the hunch isnt wrong.
Then, the Demon King, who had jumped up, crouched down. Yang In-hyun felt him concentrate his strength on the tips of his toes.
He was coming.
Perhaps, a charge?
It would be hard to dodge. The black energy in every direction completely blocked his retreat.
He was forcing a head on collision.
Yang In-hyun narrowed his eyes.
Of course, even if his movement was restricted it would be possible to release an attack. However
From start to finish, full power.
Right. Fine.
Hed put together the sum for once.
What he needed was his fastest sword. Yang In-hyun quickly sheathed his sword and took a stance.
The movement of the black energy flowing in every direction slowed for a moment. This was because he entered the minimal time zone.
This pitch black energy is the Demon Kings arrangement.
However, he wasnt the only one who made arrangements.
Did you know, Demon King?
Just before the collision, Yang In-hyun whispered.
Seeds planted will one day germinate.
This time, he didnt say it and instead just thought it in his head.
My root, my life, my belief.
The things that shaped Yang In-hyun repeatedly rose and fell like water droplets.
His most precious memory.
A goblet filled with starlight, a bitter smell, the sweet aftertaste on the tip of his tongue.
The image of a woman who shined brighter than anyone else.
A scene that should be protected. A scene he couldnt protect.
The smile of the woman as starlight wrapped around her body was more beautiful than blooming flowers.
Everlasting Plum Sword, Third Form, Full Bloom(M_).
He drew his sword.
A ray of light flashed across the frozen world.
Gugugugu
A tremor shook the ground.
The seeds had already been planted.
The Everlasting Plum Sword, Second Form, Flower Cultivation, was technically not an attacking form. Instead, it was more like preparation in advance.
Preparation to link the third form and the final form.
The entire area brightened.
A blade jutted out from the ground. Swords also rained from the sky. Countless swords pierced the Demon Kings entire body. This wasnt an illusion or trick. The Demon King could clearly feel the cold touch of the blades as they dug into his skin.
His ferocious charge, which wouldnt stop even after destroying a world, was stopped directly.
The Demon Kings body was skewered by swords. The swords were pierced in so many places that even his flesh could not be seen.
Despite shedding blood, the Demon King laughed.
[Kuhaha, hahaha!]
His eyes, which were filled with madness, turned to Yang In-hyun.
[Is this your nirvana? Is the sword you pursue transforming mental reality into physical reality? Answer me. The Everlasting Plum Sword. Is that what your sword is?]
[The erasure of a world, Murim Annihilation, the planting of seeds in that ruined world, Flower Cultivation, and after a while, the blooming of the bed of flowers once again, Full Bloom then what will the next form be?]
The Demon King chuckled.
[What do you want to put into your sword, destruction, or regeneration? Can you answer that? No. You cant.]
Contrary to what I heard, you actually talk a lot.
Yang In-hyun spoke in a dry voice.
I tend to listen to what people say just before they die, but for the first time, I feel like it will be hard. So I will set a time limit. You better think of better last words before your time runs out.
[Kuhaha!]
The Demon King burst into laughter again.
[Contrary to what you heard, I talk a lot I see. So you heard about me from Lukas. Interesting.]
Yang In-hyun stopped walking.
At that moment, the sense of danger he felt was on a completely different level from before.
[But did he tell you about this?]
Paht!
Strange beings appeared from every direction. That was the best way to describe them. Maybe they should be called flesh instead. They were sinister fleshy beings that looked as if they were made from compressed shadows.
Yang In-hyun didnt panic. He knew that there were things hiding nearby even before Lukas left.
But what happened next was unexpected.
The bizarre creatures curled up like pill bugs. Then, their physiques, which were similar to Yang In-hyun up to that point, became smaller than the palm of his hand.
The black balls then tried to pierce Yang In-hyuns arms and legs.
He could stop them.
And it certainly would have been the case if not for the pitch black thorns that suddenly rushed towards him.
Yang In-hyun swung his sword with all his might.
The moment the silent collision occurred, heaven and earth darkened. Boom boom boom! And a formidable explosion followed.
!
Yang In-hyuns body stumbled, unable to withstand the shock.
In an instant, he felt his four limbs lose strength. His vision blurred and his body felt as if it weighed thousands of lbs.
It wasnt because of the horrific clash that just happened.
His limbs began to turn black.
[I made my limbs dwell on you.] S~ea??h the N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
[They are one time consumables made for that purpose. I think your physical ability should now be around 10% of your full capacity. How is it? Doesnt the weight of the sword in your hand feel different now?]
you used the power of a Ruler.
Yang In-hyun exhaled deeply. This was to catch his breath.
We are sensitive to that. I dont understand. Why would you, who was once one of the Twelve Void Lords become the subordinate of the Demon God?
[Does it look like Im the Demon Gods subordinate? Not at all. You really dont know anything, rookie Void Lord. You dont even know what the World of Void truly is.]
[Do you really think there were so many worlds in the beginning that it could be called the Three Thousand Worlds? If so, then why did God leave the rest of the multiverse unattended? Why would he recklessly create a universe that he didnt have the confidence to manage? Did he really need to create the Absolute system? Why are there beings stronger than the omnipotent God?]
As if he was humming to himself, the Demon King, who asked one question after the other, lowered his tone.
[what I want to say, Yang In-hyun.]
The Demon Kings entire body became covered in pitch black thorns.
Yang In-hyun watched this scene with a sunken gaze.
[I didnt borrow or receive these thorns from anyone.]
Laughing, the Demon King said.
[I too am the Black Horned Demon God.]
Book 2: Chapter 502
Book 2: Chapter 502 His ears were deafened by a beating sound. His lips were dry and his throat burned. Cold and hot sensations ran down his spine at the same time.
The feeling of death.
When was the last time hed felt it?
[There were two.]
The Demon King stretched out two thick fingers. After grabbing Yang In-hyuns sword, the flesh and bones of his fingers had been damaged, but now not even a speck of blood was visible.
[In the beginning, there were only two worlds. Each world reflected the other like a mirror, and although they could never be separated, they also couldnt interfere with each other. If there was a difference it would be that only one world had endless possibilities. Its a bit old fashioned, but if you wanted, you could call it the World of Light.]
Yang In-hyun silently listened to what the Demon King was saying.
This was for two reasons.
One was because he expected his physical condition would improve even slightly over time, and the other was because he couldnt ignore what he was talking about.
[However, how many possibilities could one universe really contain? Im sure you know. Yang In-hyun. The appearance of even a few Absolutes would be enough to make it creak.]
[The certain being who first realised the situation had to come up with a countermeasure. However, there was no time to explore the many possibilities. The energy of destruction was already nibbling away at the universe, so the being adopted a not so perfect method.]
Not so perfect method?
[Duplication.]
The corner of the Demon Kings mouth twisted.
[Infinite duplicates of a single universe! In other words, the source of all of the three thousand worlds is the same! Worlds that developed magic, worlds that developed swordsmanship, and even worlds that developed science! From the start, they are all the same universe!]
!
[Hahaha! No one would ever notice! However, just one small event would be enough to determine the rise or fall of a universe! A little urchin brat was going out on a rainy day but stopped, such an insignificant thing is enough to determine whether a universe disappears or not! Much more than tens of thousands, millions and even trillions of years have passed since they were duplicated! So its no surprise that theres nothing in common between the universes!]
then the Great Fusion occurred.
[Right. Its not really a Great Fusion. In fact, its perfectly normal. Currently, the universe is returning to its original state. Because the being who duplicated the universe is dead!]
[What type of being do you think I was at the beginning? What do you think the name 0th Demon means?]
The Demon Kings smile had already calmed.
[The concept of evil stems from me. Every demon can be considered my child. Even the Black Horned Demon God, who acts as if he is invincible in the outside world, is nothing more than a being derived from me.]
Yang In-hyun,
Felt that hed just heard an important detail. No. It wasnt a feeling, he actually had.
Perhaps, even in all of the universes, there were no more than ten individuals who knew what the Demon King had just said.
The feeling of knowing the truth.
Of course, it was amazing. He was a bit taken aback. However, there was something.
The person to hear this shouldnt have been me.
A faint thought.
Yang In-hyun looked at the Demon King. Hed been boasting about all kinds of things, but he had yet to mention the most important thing.
What is your goal?
[My goal? Ive already accomplished it I simply had the role to come out. I got an ego. Then, I roamed the world as I pleased according to my own will. So Im happy now.]
Thats a funny joke.
[]
Yang In-hyun raised his sword again. It seemed that hed been wrong. Hed thought that the feeling of his body becoming heavier was an illusion, but it probably wasnt.
At this rate, instead of improving, it would only get worse as time passed.
[Whats funny?]
Your own will? You think that is your will? Its not. Youre just so hell-bent on roleplaying that its horrendous. Keep this in your empty head.
Still with a smile, Yang In-hyun said.
You cant steal more than an ideal.
[]
The reason you will lose to me is because you dont even know that.
[Hmm. Those last words arent that impressive.]
Seeing the Demon King take a stance, Yang In-hyun forcibly raised his heavy hands.
He managed to get into a stance.
-huuu.
As he took a deep breath, he couldnt help but think.
After a long time, he was going to fight for his life again.
* * *
Lukas was moving quickly..
If he could use space leap, he would have arrived at his destination in an instant, but he couldnt.
The spatial coordinates have twisted once again.
It was completely incomparable to its previous state. The reason might be because of several overlapping problems that Lukas couldnt identify, but one of them was definitely Pale going out of control.
The Four Knights, those guys were monsters.
It was hard to imagine that they could make space like this simply by revealing their true strength.
Can I stop her?
Lukas couldnt answer that question. His current relationship with Pale compared to his past few lives, could be called the best. However, that and whether or not he could convince Pale were two different things. It was the same in the case of Yang In-hyun. The more powerful a being was beyond the standard, the more they carried a belief to never yield.
It was something that could not be touched, their so-called reverse scale.
Butterfly.
It was very likely that the red-skinned girl that Pale had allowed into her heart had died. No, she was definitely dead. And that girls death had destroyed Pales ego.
If he were to go convince her now.
What was he supposed to say?
His thoughts were interrupted.
Lukas stopped running and stepped back. Taking a step back was an act that he should never have committed as it was a situation where every minute and every second were urgent, but it couldnt be helped.
Crack crack crack!
Hundreds of skeletal hands protruded from the ground.
The fingers on each palm wriggled, looking as disgusting as wriggling white maggots.
-what the hell do you want?
Lukas voice was filled with irritation.
As if to answer, a being wrapped in black cloth fell from the sky.
Lukas chilly gaze was directed at him.
Do you need me to explain to you what it means to bother me in this situation, Diablo?
[No.]
With a brief response, Diablo straightened his back after landing.
[I know youre worried about the Blue Knights rampage. First of all, its fine. Ive already sent a much better expert than you.]
Lukas expression changed strangely.
[I was hoping that youd hear an explanation from Iris Phisfounder. Because I thought that it would be better than if I were to say it myself. But it seems that she has more thoughts than I expected. Right. Then it cant be helped. I guess I can only say it myself.]
What are you thinking?
Since he was really curious, he couldnt help but ask.
You sent the Black Knight to Pale. Dont you know what the current situation means?
He pointed a finger at Diablo.
Do you think it would take more than a second for me to kill you here?
Diablo was completely defenceless.
He had observed him for a few seconds to be certain of that fact. Of course, he might have some means of protecting himself, but those wouldnt be too much of a problem. His defences would be weaker than water soaked paper.
Thats why he couldnt understand.
Why did Diablo show up defenceless?
Was it because he hadnt grasped void?
Was it because he determined that Lukas was really weak the last time they met so he could protect himself even in this situation?
No. That was a sloppy thought.
Diablo knew that Lukas had been to the World of Void.
[You have the right to be my death.]
There was even a hint of willingness in his voice.
He kept silent because he wasnt convinced.
Was it right to continue a conversation with this man?
Would it just be better to kill him?
Crackle, dark red energy formed on his outstretched finger.
The King of Undead, Elder Lich, Undead.
He was a death-defying being with several titles, but that wasnt a problem for Lukas.
[Listen.]
Suddenly, the Lightning God spoke.
His tone was different from usual.
After a while, Lukas realised that there wasnt any amusement in his voice.
[This is a crossroad.]
What?
The Lightning Gods voice cut off.
Biting his lip, Lukas looked at Diablo.
You have no choice but to say it yourself? What more conversation needs to be had between you and me?
[About death.]
It was a statement that made him want to grit his teeth.
Death, death, death.
Diablo seemed obsessed with the word. It even felt like he was bound by it.
It was a word that he always had in his mouth. And he didnt have even the slightest hesitation in his planning and execution in spreading death across the continent.
When it came to the subject of committing genocide, he even had a slight feeling of nobility.
That was why Lukas thought Diablo was twisted. He thought that he was obsessed with false justice.
However, for the first time, this thought showed signs of cracking.
If that was the case, then why?
Lucid, Iris, and his other past companions.
Why did they all agree with Diablo?
[What do you think is the difference between death and vanishing*?](*:Still havent found a better word for ceasing to exist. But I like this more than disappearing or extinction?)
A seemingly random topic was raised.
Lukas didnt respond hastily.
[My assumption is that there would be neither a soul nor an afterlife, that is my standpoint. To vanish is to completely disappear without any observation. No one would remember you, and there would be no traces of you left in the world. In that case, then what is the difference between that and not existing in the first place?]
what are you talking about?
[There has never been a complete vanishing in this world. Anything that once existed still exists in some form. In other words, there was always a next.]
He didnt understand what he was talking about.
But Lukas lowered his outstretched finger and listened to his words.
[After a mortal dies, the soul remains. And the next, such as the afterlife, resurrection, or reincarnation, is guaranteed. As it turns out, there is even a next for Absolutes called the World of Void. Its the same for you, Lukas Trowman. Even when all the beings in your home universe forgot you, some Absolutes and other beings in the multiverse, and above all, the Void Records, still remembered your existence.]
Green death energy swirled behind Diablos back. It wasnt to attack.
The death energy soon condensed to form a shape.
It was a fairly large jar. Sarch* The N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
[Nothing vanishes, yet new life continues to be born and fill the multiverse.]
Death energy in the form of water poured into the jar.
[Filling. Filling. Slowly but surely, until its completely full. The world has been filled. This is the core, the truth of the world. In this world we live in, nothing has ever been taken out.]
A full jar.
A place where nothing else could fit.
[What happens if you try to forcibly put something into a space that has been filled? Normally, it would probably overflow. Or stick out on the outside. However, this jar doesnt have an outside. Likewise, the Three Thousand Worlds doesnt have an outside.]
Crack, crack.
The jar began to crack.
[Infinity is a concept that couldnt exist.]
Clink-
The jar broke
(TL: Question for the maths/physics whizzes, can an infinite number be contained within a finite number(space)?)
Book 2: Chapter 503
Book 2: Chapter 503 [The vast sky has an end, and the deep ground has a bottom. If there is a beginning, there is an end, perhaps because everyone knows this truth, they failed to realise. Or they avoided it. The fact that the universe has a lifespan that complete extinction would soon come.]
Is this universe disappearing?
[Do you still not understand?]
Diablos voice was filled with the heat of the fires of retribution.
[Its not just one or two universes that would be ruined at most. The things within your cognitive range, and the things outside of it! They could disappear in an instant, and you wouldnt even realise! Can you imagine that?]
Diablo clenched his pale fingers.
[There is no being that can foresee the signs of destruction. I mean there isnt much time left. Even as we talk like this, suddenly, everything could end. We wouldnt even realise our deaths. In an instant, a real instant, all of the traces left by beings across an immeasurable number of things could disappear]
Diablos body was shaking.
[Im Im afraid of that.]
Lukas could sense the extreme fear coming from the undead, who had an expressionless body of bones.
[Its not everything that will disappear.]
Suddenly, the Lightning God murmured.
It was still a serious voice unlike usual, but
[I will remain as I am. My sole defiance is to succeed]
Nevertheless, there was a hint of madness in his voice.
Lukas paid as much attention to the Lightning God as he did Diablo, but he couldnt talk to him right away.
Then what is the point of the death you spread?
Unbeknownst to him, Lukas voice calmed down.
As you said, killing someone doesnt count as removing them. The same is true for killing an Absolute. Since the creation of the world, there has never been a being that truly ceased to existThen, wont you not be able to buy time no matter who or how many times you kill?
[Im not killing to buy time. What Im doing is advance preparation.]
Advance preparation.
[there is only one being who can definitely withstand the force of the coming destruction.]
Diablo murmured.
[The Lord of a place known as the post extinction world, the one who observes all of the possibilities being abandoned, the brother of God whom everyone considers to be unique, or his other side.]
surely.
Lukas recalled the old castle that stood all by itself in the desolate desert.
[After the destruction sweeps everything away, only the Void King will remain.]
!
[And in the world with nothing, I shall revive all those I killed. That is why I must become the Void King. That is why I once again stretched my hand out towards the necromantic techniques I had abandoned in the past.]
even if you revive them, it wouldnt be a resurrection in the full sense, right? Wouldnt they be completely different beings, constructed simply from your memory?
[What is wrong with that? My mission is different from the heroic determination to save everyone. I just just want the things we left behind. I cant accept that everything weve built would just disappear without a trace.]
[That is why I dont forget those Ive killed. I remember everything. I always use more than 90% of my concentration just for that.]
what, wait a minute.
For a moment, Lukas was unable to hide his surprise.
How many beings had Diablo killed so far? He wasnt sure. However, it must be an astronomical number.
You remember all of them?
[Not just their name and appearance. Their personalities, and even their trivial habits. What I remember is their ego and soul. I cant memorise it half-heartedly. Because even the disappearance of a minute characteristic would make them a completely different being. Of course, as you said, every single cell cannot be the same.]
He wasnt talking nonsense. Diablos voice was more serious than ever before.
Thats why Lukas couldnt help but wonder even more.
Hed realised while eating many Lukases in the Dump Site. That the capacity of a human was by no means small. The determination to put them all in his head was not something that could be taken lightly.
Of course, the possibility of the being Lukas Trowman was so enormous that it was impossible to compare it with ordinary people, but the number of people Diablo killed was large enough to overshadow that difference.
90% of his concentration.
If that was true then it meant that the power Diablo could normally use in battle was only a tenth of his full power.
Until now, while regressing repeatedly, he had driven Diablo to the brink of death several times. And even then, Diablo had not revealed his true power.
In other words, this meant that hed always put his mission before his life.
It was only then that he understood what Iris said. And why the people he knew could sympathise with Diablo.
However
Can you guarantee that they can be revived?
[]
How do you know what the world will look like after the destruction? What if all the laws we know disappeared? What if it is impossible to save everyone, and even if it is possible, what if they become a completely different being? What if the only thing alive and well in the world is your consciousness, and your thoughts are the only freedom that can be guaranteed?
Unable to do anything,
In a space where there is nothing,
Where all you can do is think on your own.
Just like
[You mean like when you were trapped in the Abyss]
Diablo chuckled.
[I might regret my choice when that time comes. However, that is not something to worry about now. More than anything, the possibility wouldnt disappear just from being able to continue to think.]
[Now. I have revealed everything about my clumsy goal. So I would like to hear your opinion.]
my opinion?
[When you regained the consciousness of a human, I was genuinely delighted. Since Id be able to hear the opinion of the human Lukas rather than of an Absolute.]
Diablos voice glimmered with anticipation.
[I myself know that the plan I came up with is a bit far-fetched. Thats why I want to know even more. What the thoughts of the Great Mage who saved our universe in the past are.]
[If you have a better way, you can just kill me. I will gladly accept. Ill say it again, You are worthy of being my death.]
Lukas almost sweated under the weight of those words.
[I know how many humans youve saved. I know that you have overcome countless trials that were deemed impossible and that your indomitable will is stronger than anyone else. If anyone other than you tried to kill me, I would struggle to the best of my ability. Because I understand the gravity of my role. However, you are the exception. To kill me is to declare that you will take on the burdens I carry. It would free me from the responsibility weighing on my soul. -How could I not be happy? How could I not laugh?]
Lukas Trowman,
Had carried many expectations in his life.
However, he had never felt burdened by them. He never felt that he couldnt hold on.
But now, the expectations placed upon him by a single undead were too heavy.
They were so heavy that they made him want to bend his knees just from listening to them.
The responsibility weighing on my soul. Diablos words were embedded in his mind.
[Now. Lukas Trowman!]
Diablo spread his arms.
He showed no intention of attacking.
It was a similar act to sticking your neck out to your opponents blade.
As if pushed, Lukas stretched his hand out. And aimed at Diablos neck once again.
When they first met.
Lukas had been willing to kill Diablo. The reason he hadnt killed him was because his calm attitude worried him.
Now he understood why.
He understood what it meant to kill him here.
His outstretched fingers,
Fell powerlessly.
[I see.]
Diablo let out a cold voice.
[Right. Thats right.]
[Im not disappointed. I thought about this more deeply than anyone else, and I sought advice from transcendent figures, but they also couldnt give me a clear answer. Thats why Im not disappointed. However right.]
After searching for the word for a while, Diablo nodded faintly.
[Its a bit, of a shame.]
I.
[You dont have to force yourself to say it. Its not a matter of refusing to give up.]
[I will go to the Blue Knight on this road. Because it is necessary to become the Void King. If I, the Black Knight, and those who sympathise with me join forces, it will be possible to subdue her.]
you intend to subdue her to gain her loyalty.
[It would be more certain to obtain it voluntarily, but the beings known as the Four Knights are quite picky. It is fundamentally impossible for all four of them to be loyal to the same being. Lucid is the only knight who will agree with me in the truest sense. So I have no choice but to make the rest submit to me.
[Id like you to help me. Then, I would be able to subdue the Blue Knight more easily.]
Turning around, Diablo murmured.
[I will wait.]
* * *
There is nothing more horrendous than terrible hunger. Pale was convinced of this fact based on experience.
She swung a slash at the sky.
It was a simple swing without any technique, but the slash from the pale blade pierced the barrier system that was a condensation of the Great Galactic Alliances scientific power and shattered the surface of the artificial island that was made out of a superalloy.
for pain.
Pales lips suddenly moved.
There are things that can be tolerated and things that cant. Hunger is obviously the latter, a terrible thing you can never get used to over time.
A gauntlet covered hand groped her stomach.
can it be more painful than this?, isnt this the end of the pain?, small expectations, and the slightest bit of hope like that always disappears the next moment.
Pale grinned.
I. Have never described the pain I suffered in detail. Because Im not confident that I could make anyone understand even a little through imperfect means like words or language. sea??h th n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
[]
We all are born with flaws. And we all look for something that can fill that flaw. Some sought to have no ambition, and some sought to live in peace forever.
She turned around.
Looking at the being in front of her, the smile on Pales face widened.
Isnt it funny? Those who were more crazy about conquest and war than anyone else in the past are now looking for a king with an ideology that is completely different from theirs at that time, which would be absurd to say when they were alive.
[]
How about you? Did you look for a king who can defy death?
Lucid didnt answer.
It was not just because his reason for going there was not to have a conversation. He didnt know what to say in return.
Pales slender body staggered slightly. Accordingly, the blue sword danced like an afterimage.
Desire for domination, desire for battle, desire for survival. Hahaha. Dont make me laugh.
The low pitched voice encroached gloomily on the surroundings.
It was always me that was the coldest, with the most difficulty, in the most pain. Dont act like were the same. You bastards dont even know what it means to starve.
[what is it that you desire?]
Lucid asked.
And Pale laughed again.
Hunger. It always has been. Nevertheless, I never wanted this hunger to go away. If you jump into a lake because you want to go to the moon, it wont change anything. It is more efficient to not do meaningless things.
[I understand now.]
Lucid murmured.
What?
[Why you, who became a Knight before me, know nothing. Your existence is too dangerous.]
Srng
After he finished speaking, Lucid drew his sword.
[You need to be subdued as soon as possible.]
Subdue? Me? Hahaha.
Pale swung her sword.
Lucid responded by swinging his sword head on. Clang! The first attack was parried. However, Pales attack wasnt over.
The attacks came one after the other. Accordingly, Lucids swings became increasingly more urgent.
Do you think youre on the same level with me just because you became the Black Knight? You probably dont know-
Chrng.
[-how stupid that is.]
The tone of speech changed. It would have been a good thing if that was all.
Lucid paid more attention to the fact that the power of the slashes had become ten times stronger. When he hit the next blow, he realised that his body had been pushed backward, and that his wrist had completely shattered.
[hmmm.]
For the first time, he was grateful for the fact that his body wasnt made of flesh. Lucids wrist regenerated faster than it was broken.
Of course, none of that impressed Pale.
She continued to swing her sword at the same speed.
[You are really stable. But you have no peace of mind. All I can feel are your emotions being extremely restrained. In the end, even moving must be a mission. You will never be able to close the gap with me with such boring emotions.]
Pale muttered.
[Do you not know that?]
[I know.]
Lucid muttered in a tired voice.
[Thats why I didnt intend to fight alone in the first place.]
Kiiing!
The sky above the two split and a group of people appeared.
Lucid looked at the woman standing in front of them.
They say that people change when they die.
Iris Peacefinder smiled.
You have become a chatterbox, Lucid.
[]
Pales gaze sank.
Although she was a woman shed only seen once, she had left an impression she couldnt easily forget.
The most annoying person shed ever met.
Yo, Lucid, your skin has gotten more crumbly since the last time I saw you.
A beautiful woman with silver hair and turquoise eyes appeared.
Pale could feel that the girl who spoke like a man was actually a puppet with an extremely accurate body.
[Schweiser.]
Its Anastasia now.
[hmm. Should I congratulate you on discovering a new hobby?]
Ah, man. Dont do that.
Anastasia snapped in a slightly annoyed voice before saying.
This is an unexpected reunion. That guy Kasajin
Hes nearby. Although Im not sure if you can call that thing Kasajin.
You should get over the change of appearance. Look at me and Lucid.
[I havent changed that much.]
Lowering her sword, Pale watched on.
She stared blankly.
The Black Knight of Death.
One of the Four Knights like her, surrounded by countless people.
[kiki.]
A laugh leaked out.
Right. That was the case.
She didnt understand the whole situation, but she could tell one thing.
Lucid had dozens on his side.
While she was standing alone.
Even if they were both Knights, they were different.
Thats why Pale raised her sword and smiled brightly.
[Ahh. As expected-]
This really was a fucked up world. (TL: x100000)
(TL: My pc broke)
(1/?)
Book 2: Chapter 504
Book 2: Chapter 504 For a while, he stood there, unable to move.
Tuduk, tuk. A few drops of liquid fell from the sky like rain.
The reason it was like rain was because it clearly couldnt be rainwater.
The Next Stage seemed to have suffered great damage from Pales attacks, but it hadnt fallen yet. It was still floating in the sky.
In other words, the falling liquid was something from the bottom of the Next Stage.
Some kind of liquid was leaking from the artificial island. Regardless of whether it was a drinking water reservoir or something else. S~ea??h the ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
The implications of this situation were clear to Lukas.
Being hit as if it was rainwater, made Lukas feel dirty.
that conversation.
Lukas lips twitched.
Im sure you heard it all.
[]
Tell me. Is everything Diablo said true?
[Most of it.]
The Lightning Gods dry answer came back.
The possibility he anticipated the most.
The moment the possibility that Diablo had misunderstood something disappeared, his clenched fists tightened even more.
It had been confirmed by none other than the Lightning God, a Ruler.
No, that wasnt all.
After hearing everything Diablo said, Lukas couldnt help but understand what he was saying. This was because most of his unanswered questions and suspicions had been solved. It was not something that could have been made up.
But even after obtaining the truth that hed longed for, he didnt feel any better. On the contrary, he felt heavier.
Lightning God, what do you want from me?
Lukas spoke harshly as if chewing the words.
So this is it? The reason you wanted to send me to the Three Thousand Worlds. The reason you interfered when the Exile was playing his tricks was to make me aware of this.
[Thats right.]
Why?
[Because I wanted to know what you would do after knowing the truth.]
[Didnt I tell you? I want you to become the Void King.]
You can become it yourself.
[That is a difficult task.]
Although that is what he said, to Lukas it seemed as if he was saying it was impossible. After all, most things were possible for a Ruler like the Lightning God.
Whats so hard about it?
[The Four Knights. Dont you know how much they hate the Rulers?]
Dont tell me you thought of forcefully making them submit like Diablo
[Of course I did. However, unfortunately, there is not enough time to make all four of them submit. I also dont want to take an uncertain gamble in this case.]
So you want me to be your proxy?
The Lightning God didnt answer, but it was clear affirmation.
But there was still something that was unconvincing.
Diablo said. After the apocalypse* sweeps away everything, the only thing that will exist is the Void King. In order to survive, you would have no choice but to become the Void King. (*: Previously just destruction, I changed it to highlight the severity and impact)
[Kuku. Thats one of the things the Lich got wrong. Hey, Lukas Trowman. Even if the world disappears, I will never disappear.]
Why?
[Because I am the Lightning God.]
That was a terrible reason.
[You dont believe me.]
Any words that are not supported by evidence are usually lies.
[I already told you the reason.]
It was a pointless conversation.
Crunch.
Lukas gritted his teeth.
you have known about the apocalypse since a long time ago.
[Thats right. I at least had a vague feeling about it before you were even born. The actual trigger for the apocalypse was the death of God. The implications from that incident were surprisingly large. As the Lich said, the apocalypse is no longer far away. Not from my perspective, but the perspective of a mortal.]
Are you going to let that happen?
[What is that supposed to mean?]
Even if the apocalypse covers the entire multiverse, will you just watch.
[Thats right.]
Shit. Is it really okay for a Ruler to do that?
Rumble, the air around Lukas shook heavily. Spider web cracks spread across the ground, and the surrounding debris rattled.
The Absolutes, living beings, and universes are your responsibility! Are you really going to let all those who worshiped you like a god disappear?
[Lukas Trowman After such a long time, you really still dont know anything about them.]
In a voice as if he couldnt understand, the Lightning God spoke.
[All those who follow me understand me. Not to mention the Absolutes. You used to be an Absolute, so you should know think about it. Do you think anything would change if all the Absolutes who follow me knew this?]
[Do you think a single one of them would struggle because they dont want to be destroyed? Do you think they would tremble out of fear of extinction*? Or do you think they would be unable to overcome their fear and rebel against me? Think for yourself and answer. How would the Absolutes who learn the truth act?](*: the same disappearance mentioned in the world of void, just changed to suit context)
they would follow your will.
Lukas couldnt help but spit out an answer mixed with disgust and pity.
No matter what choice you make, they will follow you. Even if it meant their eternal extinction.
[Exactly And for most mortals, in the first place, death is no different from extinction. Most universes are not even sure about the existence of an afterlife. Within the scope of their knowledge, there is no difference between death and extinction.]
Thats not wrong. However, that isnt that deception?
The strength in Lukas voice gradually faded.
However, nevertheless, he didnt stop talking.
We know thats not it. You know more than the ignorant, and you have a lot more power. So, shouldnt your responsibility be greater as well?
[With great power comes great responsibility That was one of the boring notions created by the weak to trap the strong. As far I know, there is only one thing to keep in mind before making a choice.]
Sighing, the Lightning God said.
[Regardless of the result that comes after, I must adapt. And Ive never regretted a single choice that Ive made in my life.]
[You know it, Lukas Trowman. I am a Ruler. A being who has never experienced defeat since birth. To be precise Ive never even experienced a crisis.]
There was a deep emptiness in the Lightning Gods voice.
At that moment, for the first time, Lukas felt that hed gotten a glimpse of this incomprehensible beings true thoughts.
[A sea route that has never experienced a single storm, a farm that has never experienced a single drought. Right. Its not bad. However, what if you have sailed and sowed seeds for thousands or tens of thousands of years? What if you never failed once and succeeded constantly? How would you feel if such a life didnt end and continued forever]
Lukas realised that the Lightning God was displaying a never before seen kindness. He was explaining his case by using a mortal scenario.
[There is nothing more boring than a life without twists and turns kukuku.]
[I know that even if I say this, no one would agree with it. However, Lukas Trowman. Im feeling a bit thrilled now. Its like an electric current is spreading to every corner of my body, and I have a sensation as if a heart that doesnt exist is beating. Because.]
The Lightning God spoke in a cheerful voice.
[For the first time since I was born, I have something worth challenging.]
what if you fail that first challenge? What if even you cannot withstand the power of the apocalypse and disappear without leaving so much as a scream?
[That wont happen. Because I am the Lightning God.]
Completely insane.
That was the conclusion Lukas reached at the end of the fruitless conversation.
He couldnt understand why the Lightning God didnt take any measures even though he had noticed this kind of cosmic apocalypse in advance.
Then he himself was startled by such a thought.
Was he now trying to rely on a Ruler?
ha.
He had gotten weaker.
Just now, if the Lightning God had some method, a clear way to prevent the apocalypse,
Lukas might have become a subordinate of the Lightning God. No, he definitely would have.
He had tried to pass his responsibility onto someone else,
Something he hated so much.
I have to come up with something.
The Lightning God interrupted his inner thoughts.
[What?]
A better choice. Better than Diablos, the right choice.
[Why?]
Because thats how its always been.
[So you plan to do that again? Are you sure you can do it? Even God was unable to come up with a countermeasure, so what can a guy like you do?]
I, I.
Thud.
Then he heard a heavy step.
[This falling like rain makes me feel dirty.]
And a voice that was just as heavy.
He turned around.
There, he saw the Demon King walking towards him.
But Lukas paid more attention to the direction he was walking from rather than his existence in itself.
you.
He couldnt sense anything in the direction the Demon King was walking from.
Even if he was unconscious, Lukas would still be able to notice his power.
What happened there?
[]
What happened to Yang In-hyun?
[Its been a long time since we met, but the first thing you talk about is someone else? Im a little disappointed, Lukas.]
Crunch. He gritted his teeth once again.
Lukas ground out in a voice mixed with hate.
Quit your disgusting bullshit. Ive heard all about your origin.
[hmm. Indeed, is it because Yang In-hyun knows my identity? He told you everything.]
After muttering casually, the Demon King showed his chest.
[That man was strong.]
A grievous injury.
Blood still dripped from a cut deep enough to show his ribs.
[See? This is the sword mark he left. It will forever be incurable. It is a wound that was engraved on my very existence, so if I transfer my soul or create a new body, it will follow me like a leech.]
I asked you what happened.
[Dead.]
The Demon King continued to speak in an indifferent voice.
[Sadly, there was no corpse. Its too bad. If I could have given him to Diablo, I would have been able to find out how efficient the undead made from the corpse of one of the Twelve Void Lords is compared to when he was alive.]
Cut the crap. You cannot defeat Yang In-hyun with your power.
[You seem certain.]
I am well aware of Yang In-hyuns power.
[Is that so? But you do not know anything about me.]
The Demon King grinned.
[Let me introduce myself formally. Im the former 0th Demon, the one that stole all of the components that made up your close friend Kasajin, the current Demon King. And.]
Crack crack.
Black thorns sprouted from the Demon Kings body.
[Another Black Horned Demon God.]
what?
[Im deeply fatigued. Nevertheless, I wanted to walk here on my own power. Because I wanted to see you with my own eyes. Im glad. Lukas Trowman Im glad youre alive, and much stronger. However, thats all.]
The Demon Kings eyes gradually became hazy.
[Im going to get some rest now. So you can continue talking to him. After all, he is the one who has business with you in the first place]
Then, the house-like body stumbled as if it was about to collapse.
He bent over, his waist which seemed that it would stretch at any moment, stopped as if it had been frozen in time.
Crack.
Then, his back, which had been completely bent, straightened as if the scene was playing in reverse.
[Hmm]
When he heard the voice that leaked out, Lukas finally realised that it was no longer the Demon King.
Demon God.
[Long time no see, Lukas Trowman.]
The Black Horned Demon God smiled.
You have business with me?
[You could say its an offer.]
Enough of your bullshit. Again, Im not going to accept your offer.
[Thats a strange thing to say. Have I ever made a real offer to you?]
Lukas closed his half open mouth for a moment.
When the Demon God had stolen the body of Sedi Trowman. Even at that time, the offer hed made to Lukas had felt more like an insult. However, that already didnt exist. Even the Rulers couldnt realise Gods last miracle.
[Or, have you accepted the Lightning Gods offer?]
What?
[Theres no need to pretend. I know the Lightning God exists within you right now.]
A convinced tone.
He couldnt help but wonder if the Lightning God had sent him some kind of signal.
[I didnt do anything.]
Perhaps reading his mind, the Lightning God grumbled.
[If it had been the other way around, I would have noticed as well. Thats why I told you, its better to not encounter the Demon God too much.]
There was a hint of laughter in the Demon Gods voice.
[Im not upset because something unexpected happened. Has your hatred towards us improved, Lukas Trowman? Seeing as you allowed the Lightning God to stay in your body.]
That wasnt my aim.
[What do you mean?]
I fought the Lightning God in the imaginary world. I won, but I wasnt able to completely get rid of that guys remnant thoughts.
[what?]
The Demon God seemed to pause.
Then, he looked into Lukas eyes as if to ascertain the truth.
After a while, as if he realised something, the corners of his lips twitched.
[Kuk, haha, hahahaha!]
The small snicker became full blown mad laughter.
After bursting out laughing, the Demon God opened his mouth.
[You defeated the Lightning God? In the imaginary world? Just you?]
Is that hard to believe?
[Its not a story I can believe or not. In the first place, it is impossible kukuku.]
Your arrogance is no surprise, but Ill let you know that it was a humble victory. At that time, the Lightning God was in the state of controlling a puppet. Since he wasnt able to show his full power
[Its not a question of body. You said it yourself, it was a mental confrontation.]
[If the Lightning God was willing to use a bit more concentration, he could have summoned the main body of God in the imaginary world.]
what?
[Youre doing something interesting, Lightning God.]
There was laughter mixed into the Demon Gods voice as he spoke.
[Why did you intentionally lose?]
(TL: Way to crush all of Lukas confidence.)
Book 2: Chapter 505
Book 2: Chapter 505 Shwaaaaa.
The liquid pouring from the sky was no different from rainwater. Before long, Lukas entire body was soaked.
The Demon God was still standing there with a smile.
He stayed silent without saying anything. It was as if he was giving Lukas time to determine whether he was telling the truth or not.
The pattering of the rain, the cold touch of his clothes clinging to his skin.
However, the thing that disturbed Lukas the most was the presence that he could feel in the corner of his mind.
Is it true?
[.]
Lightning God, is everything the Demon God said true?
[Right. Its true.]
The Lightning God affirmed with a patient attitude.
Did you lose on purpose in order to enter my body?
[Right.]
So that was your goal?
[One of them.]
What are the others?
[]
Whenever he didnt want to answer, the Lightning God remained silent. Lukas had no choice but to accept this attitude.
Gritting his teeth, Lukas quickly drew upon void. The surrounding air began to shake.
Hoh, the Demon God let out a soft exclamation. There was a look of genuine surprise in his eyes.
The Lightning God spoke.
[What are you trying to do?]
[Are you trying to force me out? No matter the cost? In order to do that, we would have to compete in the imaginary world again. Give up. The Demon God is watching. Do you think he wouldnt do anything to you while youre defenseless?]
The existence of you hiding within me is much more annoying than the Demon God in front of me.
The Lightning God fell silent at those sincere words before speaking.
[I had no intention of causing any direct harm to you. Although, I wont deny that I didnt intend to use you.]
So what? We should keep going like before? Ha. Bullshit. Sar?h the N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
[I will tell you about my goals.]
[However, before that, listen to the Demon Gods offer. Didnt you ask if the reason I sent you to the Three Thousand Worlds to make you listen to Diablos proposal? That was half right. As for the other half, it was to listen to what the Demon God had to say.]
and after that?
[After that Ill clarify my goals and ask for your cooperation. If you want, I will remove my thought projection from this body. I promise.]
Promise.
It was a word that didnt suit a Ruler the most, but it was because of it that Lukas became speechless.
Had he ever heard the Lightning God say promise before?
[is the conversation over?]
A chilling voice.
The Demon God, who had sat down roughly, suddenly turned his gaze in a certain direction. It was the direction Diablo had gone in. And probably the place where the fiercest battle in the universe was taking place.
[It seems the battle between the Four Knights has begun in earnest. Im sure you noticed.]
[I dont think there is much time so Ill get to the point. Dont you want to be happy, Lukas Trowman?]
Lukas paused for a moment.
This was because that was a question he didnt expect to come out of the Demon Gods mouth.
You talk as If you know what happiness is.
[Of course I know. The fact that beings like humans cannot live without happiness and pleasure. However, what about you? If you look back at it, what was your life like? Wasnt it mostly pain? Compared to the number of years you lived, the amount of happiness you felt is ridiculously small Have you never felt that before?]
It would be a lie to say he hadnt.
Especially more recently.
There were even times when he cursed his own fate.
[I think the Lightning God should have revealed a bit about his goals. My goal isnt that different from his. I also want to experience the apocalypse. If theres a difference between me and him I guess it would be that I could make an attractive offer to make you fulfill my goal.]
What offer?
[I will let you experience happiness as a human. I will send you back to your home universe. Not just return. The memories, achievements, and history of Lukas Trowman that had disappeared from that universe. I will bring that all back.]
you, what are you talking about.
[Do you not think its possible? Or do you think its a bluff? I can declare it in my name. Everything I say now is true.]
[It will be for a long time. I will give you and all those you love enough time to become numb to happiness. Not just those from your home universe. The relationships you made in other universes perhaps I can even bring Sedi as well. You can live with them to your hearts content, and when you get tired of it, think of death. There wont be any rush. Even if it takes hundreds of millions of years, Ill wait.]
Hundreds of millions of years of happiness.
To be guaranteed the happiness that Lukas longed for, for hundreds of millions of years.
[Then, when you and all those you remembered have died, and there is no longer any trace of them, then, I will let the energy of apocalypse spread throughout the multiverse.]
Its said that no one knows when the apocalypse will occur. Much less adjusting the timing
The Demon God smiled brightly.
[Its possible. If you become the Void King, and obtain the corpse of God in that place, it would be possible to postpone the apocalypse by hundreds of millions of years.]
[We can talk about the how and why later. For now, Lukas Trowman, focus on the offer. I cannot think of any reason for you to refuse.]
Everything the Demon God said was true.
If that was the case, then just as he said, it was a hard offer for Lukas to refuse.
However.
However that is wrong.
At that, the Demon God smiled as if that was what he was waiting for.
[Right. Perhaps from your perspective, just letting the apocalypse happen is wrong. However, isnt that the thought of an Absolute?]
What?
[Dont you know? Hundreds of millions of years in other words, only after a period longer than the lifecycle of a star will I bring the apocalypse to the world. A length of time that humans cannot experience or even comprehend. Only after then will the apocalypse occur Tell me. Do you know any humans who can fight for hundreds of millions of years? And even if you do, can their way of thinking still be called human?]
!
[If you dont kill the Demon King, the world will suffer. If that was all, most humans would struggle. However, what about this case? Grab a passerby and ask. Ask them to fight with you for hundreds of millions of years in order to prevent the world from being destroyed. Its obvious what kind of answer youd receive.]
There was nothing wrong with the Demon Gods words.
The being that Lukas hated so much in the past, now had a better understanding of human behaviour than anyone else.
[Is it right to give up your happiness for danger that will come hundreds of millions of years later? Do you think that is also shifting the blame? Its not. Its the succession of the will or responsibility that the humans have been clamouring for.]
Lukas expression stiffened.
It was only at that moment that he understood what the Demon Gods proposal meant.
[What will you do, Lukas Trowman? Will you refuse? However, if you refuse]
The Black Horned Demon Gods smile widened.
[Does that mean you are denying that you are human?]
* * *
A hectic life.
That was the evaluation Anastasia gave to her life.
Boom!
Suddenly, a huge explosion erupted. Wind pressure that could make even a typhoon feel like a summer breeze, rippled outward in every direction. For a moment, Anastasia was unable to keep control of her body.
Dammit. Give me some time to think.
But in retrospect, relaxation was a word that was quite distant from Anastasia. From the day she was born until now, she had never had the time to really relax and think.
Naturally, she couldnt get any significant answers about her identity.
I didnt show it, but
At least on the surface, she pretended that she didnt care much about that stuff. Nevertheless, it was not a problem that could be completely ignored. On a psychological level, she felt anxious.
Was she Schweiser?
Or was she an individual being that just inherited the mans memories and personality.
If it was the latter, then what was the difference between her and Schweiser.
There was nothing more disturbing than being unsure about your identity.
The issue of self consciousness was not something that could easily be overlooked. She knew because shed made a lot of golems in the past.
The first thing to do to a golem with self consciousness was to give it a name. You have to make them aware of who they are. Entering the rest of information was only secondary.
But according to this theory, Anastasia hadnt even taken the first step yet.
Boom!
There was another explosion.
Anastasia forcibly opened her eyes and looked ahead.
Whenever the Blue Knight and Black Knight clashed, an overpowering feeling seemed to weigh on her skin.
Lucid, that son of a bitch. Did he train even while he was dead? It feels like hes thousands of times faster than before.
Its not training, its because he inherited a special role.
With a soft voice, Iris appeared.
Anastasia looked at her with an unfriendly gaze.
Role? What role?
Theres no time to explain.
Then dont say anything in the first place.
Ill do that from now on.
Resisting the urge to smack Iris upside the head as hard as she could, Anastasia said.
its nice to look impressive, but what exactly are we supposed to do here? If we step into a fight like that, well get squashed like shrimp.
This shouldnt be the real show yet. The Blue Knight probably hasnt used 10% of their real strength yet.
What?
Iris gaze continued to point forward. Come to think of it, she hadnt taken her eyes off the fight for a moment since it had begun. As if she was waiting for something.
right. Lets pretend your words are true. Then what was the point of us coming here? If that monstrous fight isnt even a warm up, then it wouldnt change anything if we all were to charge in at once.
Anastasias words were correct.
The people Iris brought were not only people from their universe. There were other powerful people from all other universes who agreed with Diablos ideals. But none of them dared to intervene in the fight.
In the end, they could only watch on from a distance of dozens of steps away, shaming their initial dignified appearance.
minimal time zone.
Whats that
Its a place in space-time that probably only less than 20 people in this entire universe can enter. In order to influence this fight, we need to enter that place too.
How do we do that?
At that, Iris turned to look at her for the first time and smiled.
You wouldnt understand even if I explained, so for now, just pay some more attention to the Blue Knights movements. Our chances of winning will go up if you do.
She really couldnt deal with her.
Anastasia looked at Iris side profile for a while.
When was it? The moment her attitude changed.
Was it when the Great Medium told them about Lukas Trowman?
Was it afterwards, when Lukas completely disappeared from the continent?
Was it when Diablo, who appeared suddenly, revealed his goal and asked for their cooperation?
Or was it
After, when Peran Jun appeared-
Boom!
There was another explosion. The battle was heating up.
At first glance, it seemed like an equal fight, but the reality was different.
The one who knew that the best was Lucid, who was directly exchanging swords with Pale.
Since the fight began, dozens of battles of nerves, hundreds of feints, thousands of contests of force.
Lucid hadnt won a single one of all those encounters. If it wasnt for the defensive ability of the black armour covering him, every bone in his entire body would have long since shattered.
He knew that, but it was hard for him to understand.
It was pointless to say that it was because shed become one of the Four Knights before him, or because he was too stable as Pale had said.
Lucid felt ashamed of being pushed around by a sword that carried no convictions. And it could be seen that, despite having so much power, Pales ability to wield a sword was unbearably pitiful.
This is no time for sympathy.
When his shoulder armour shattered, Lucid decided to stop thinking about other things.
[I dont believe you called so many people out to be spectators.]
Swinging her sword, the Blue Knight, Pale, spoke.
[What are you trying to do?]
[Thats what I would like to ask instead. Blue Knight, why are you not trying your hardest?]
[]
[If you showed your real power, not to mention me, those behind me would be swept away simply by the aftermath. Nevertheless, you arent revealing more than 10% of your power right now.]
[Im sure its the same for you.]
[Im in a passive situation. If I exert my full power, you can respond to it. However, you are different.]
[]
Pales sword attacks stopped for the first time.
She glanced at the staggering Lucid, then at those standing behind him, watching the fight, then at the surroundings.
[if I do my best, this world will be destroyed.]
[What?]
[What kind of person do you think I am? Do you think Id want that?]
Her manner of speech changed.
For the first time, soft emotions mixed into Pales voice.
Only Lucid, who was nearby, and Iris, who was paying the most attention to their conversation, noticed.
Just as Iris lips moved slightly.
Boom boom boom!
Suddenly, dozens of spells poured down fiercely onto Pales body from the sky. Pales small body was quickly devoured by the magical storm and disappeared.
Wh-, what was that? Did you allow someone to attack?
Anastasia hurriedly asked Iris, but Iris expression was different from before.
no.
What?
Its not someone we brought.
The two looked towards the sky at the same time.
There, they saw a man standing in the pouring rain.
Isnt that
Anastasias eyes narrowed, then after scrutinising the mans face, she uttered.
Lukas, Trowman
(1/2)
Book 2: Chapter 506
Book 2: Chapter 506 What is human nature?
If anyone were to ask that, Lukas would say that it is the qualities that make humans human.
Then, what were the qualities that made humans human?
What were the decisive differences between humans and non-humans?
Ironically, it was during his time as an Absolute that Lukas pondered this question the most, not when he was human.
When he decided to become a god, when he decided to save every suffering human in the entire multiverse.
Lukas had to distinguish between those he should save and those he shouldnt save.
It was a time when he didnt realise that such a distinction was built on disgustingly self righteous arrogance, a time when he was incredibly immature and thus fearless.
Humans, humans, they, he
-Lukas.
Remembered a story.
He remembered the story of a man who, on a night when the moon was exceptionally bright, had a drink with a precious woman.
To refuse the offer.
According to the Black Horned Demon God, that would be Lukas choice to abandon his humanity.
Was that really the case?
Did he have the right to decide that?
Once again, he thought a little deeper.
What was human nature to him? What would it mean to throw it away?
At the Dump Site.
Lukas had thrown everything away. He thought he had become a being that was completely devoid of dignity, morality, ethics that humans had. Depending on the perspective, it could be interpreted as a kind of liberation.
However, what happened to him after that?
I looked at the current Lukas Trowman.
Was the image of the current him as disgusting as the Lukas eating humans was concerned about? Was he so disgusted with himself that he couldnt even maintain his own ego? Was that how he saw himself even at that moment?
It wasnt.
That might have been the case right after.
However, as time passed, Lukas eventually affirmed his existence. And eventually, he accepted the fact that he was Lukas.
Is it something that cant be thrown away even if I want to?
Or are humans creatures that cant live without affirming themselves?
This situation.
In this situation, where two Rulers had made offers to Lukas, the causal relationships were probably much more complicated than expected.
There were also facts that he could learn from their attitudes.
The Rulers seemed to believe that there was a high chance that Lukas could become the Void King.
In the end, that was the reason.
The reason the Lightning God, who was hidden inside Lukas, and the Demon God, who was standing a short distance away, were both making offers as if they believed that Lukas could become the Void King as long as he wanted to.
After he finished talking, the Demon God didnt open his mouth. He wasnt even looking at Lukas.
His gaze and attention were directed at the battle that was taking place not so far away.
This attitude seemed to suggest that he understood that Lukas would need a lot of time to think before answering.
Nevertheless, his face was strangely relaxed.
It was as if he already knew what he was going to say.
Is he assuming that I cant refuse?
Lukas let out a silent laugh.
While the Demon Gods attitude was annoying, he felt embarrassed by the fact that he couldnt completely betray his expectations. There was a reason for his composure, as well as a certain charm.
Right.
For Lukas, it was clear that he had nothing to lose in this offer.
If he nodded, the Demon God would surely keep his promise. Lukas could live the life he desired and pursued for hundreds of millions of years. He would give him a tediously long time to drown in happiness.
However
Why was he not willing to obediently accept the offer?
Was it because of his nonsensical pride?
Surprisingly, that was it.
Lukas looked within himself and realised that fact. His breathy laugh grew louder.
[Did you get an answer?]
The sound of his laughter seemed to reach the Demon God.
Nevertheless, Lukas laugh didnt stop.
Guaranteed happiness, a safe life.
However that
A life like that.
its not for me.
[What?]
The Demon God turned his head.
By this point, the laughter had grown even louder. For a while, Lukas laughed like a madman. The Demon Gods attention, which had been focused away, was immediately drawn over.
Whats the point of living a life that you made and prepared?
[There is no meaning to giving a reason to everything.]
It might not be needed for other things. But happiness has to have a meaning.
[That is an extremely emotional and impulsive answer. Why cant you understand? Just the fact that you can elicit this offer from me makes you amazing]
That was probably the greatest compliment a Ruler could give.
[Since the dawn of time, how many beings in this vast multiverse do you think have been able to receive an offer from a Ruler? You are one of the chosen few.]
Did I make a mistake? Hearing that doesnt make me feel proud at all. Instead, it fills me with anger. The way youre talking seems to be looking down on me.
[]
not just me. Any human that could maintain their discernment in front of you would be offended. Because youre treating them like a pet.
Ill make a good kennel for you and feed you, so listen to me.
The Demon Gods offer didnt deviate too far from that.
That was why such an offer was an insult to Lukas.
I, cannot let go of my pride.
[Why?]
Because I am Lukas Trowman.
At some point, Lukas laughter became a faint smile.
Then, he recalled a certain point in his memory.
Pride. What do you call someone that abandons it?
In his memory, Lukas was proudly talking to a certain man. (TL: I cant remember this maybe S1?)
Livestock. Understand? You would become a domestic animal. Youll gradually get used to the feed they give you, and you will be stripped of your ability to think for yourself. Is that what you want?
He had preached like this to a fallen man who had submitted to an absolute being.
That man must have had reasons too. There must have been a good reason for him to fall. His actions and choices were obviously wrong, but they were understandable.
However, just looking at the result, Lukas saved that mans life. He became his condemner.
That was to say, he could not repeat the sins the man committed.
That was too ugly.
do you understand, Demon God? To me, human nature is being able to take a sip of wine under the moonlight.
Like another man had done.
Right, Yang In-hyun.
Who had become a powerhouse as a human.
Even after obtaining overwhelming power, even after becoming one of the Twelve Void Lords,
He was still human. Still stuck in the past.
He recalled his expression as he regaled him with stories from the past on the 5th floor of a bar, where the noise from the street below drifted in.
That was cool.
[Are you declining my offer?]
Have you ever smiled while thinking about the past? Do you know what it means to reminisce? No, you dont know. You cant even understand it.
[you even reverted to the bad part of being human.]
The Demon God muttered.
[Thats truly a disappointing answer. If that is your conclusion then I have nothing more to say. I have no choice but to proceed as planned.]
The Demon God stretched out his hand.
With just that simple gesture, Lukas expression became filled with a deep sense of crisis.
Fight the Demon God.
Hed probably have to risk his life. He wasnt sure he could win even if he poured out all the void he had stored, but he couldnt do that.
Lukas still had work to do. He still had a role to play.
[Are you going to fight while preserving your strength? Against the Demon King that has been possessed by the Demon God?]
Right.
[That is reckless. Even ten lives wont be enough.]
I know that too.
[why dont you ask me about my offer?]
Lukas let out a laugh at the Lightning Gods words.
In this current situation? Quit it. It wont be enough even if I use all of my concentration.
[Thats right too This is a separate offer, but I have a great way to break out of this situation. Do you want to hear it?]
Are you going to suggest I use your power again?
[Will you refuse this time too?] Sarch* The Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
He didnt feel as much resistance to it as when the Lightning God had first offered it.
Wouldnt that make you completely hostile to the Demon God?
[Thats another disgusting misunderstanding I sometimes hear. We were never on the same side in the first place.]
I see.
Before answering, just as Lukas hesitated
Dark red thorns shot out of the Demon Gods body. Lukas didnt hesitate and immediately roused the void.
Or at least he would have had it not been for a sword falling from the sky.
Crack!
The dark red thorns shot by the Demon God were severed.
Lukas looked down at the sword stuck in the ground. It was a familiar sword.
Taht.
Not long after, someone made a soft landing in front of him. Lukas looked at the back of a man that was dripping with blood.
you.
Yang In-hyun straightened his bent back He was fatally injured. Let alone standing on two feet, it was amazing that he was still alive with such serious injuries.
Cool answer, Lukas.
But the voice was clear.
Pulling his sword out of the ground, Yang In-hyun took a stance.
I lost consciousness for a bit. Its my mistake for letting this guy come here.
I wont let him go twice, so go. To where you need to be.
are you going to fight with that body?
Yang In-hyun smiled at that.
Are you worrying about my fight? As I said before, thats crossing the line.
Lukas smiled at those words.
I have something to tell you about Lee Jong-hak.
Mm.
It was out of the blue.
Even when Yang In-hyun gave him a strange glance, Lukas continued without a care.
Its something that would help if that man became your disciple. You could call it advice.
why at this time?
Naturally, I dont have any intention of talking about it now. Ill tell you later.
At that, Yang In-hyuns mouth fell open slightly, then he burst into laughter.
Right. Then Ill listen to it, later.
The conversation ended.
Lukas just left like that.
[This is a new feeling.]
The Demon Gods voice was gloomy.
[So this is what its like to be ignored. Its certainly new, but not pleasant.]
Crack crack crack!
Hundreds of thorns attacked Lukas, who was about to leave. But Lukas didnt even look back at them.
This was because the thorns were cut off before they could reach him.
[Yang In-hyun.]
Hmm.
Yang In-hyun brushed torn fragments off of his blade.
My body feels light. It seems I bled too much. No. Thats not it Now that I think about it. I havent risked my life in a fight in a long time, so maybe Ive grown a bit from fighting.
[How are you alive?]
You cant kill me with something like a thorn.
[]
Since my opponent is a Ruler, I should also come up with a suitable means.
Smiling, Yang In-hyun said.
Let me show you. Everlasting Plum Sword Final Form(ʽ).
(2/2)
Book 2: Chapter 507
He had never handed over his messes to be taken care of by someone else. To be frank, Lukas role had always been the opposite.He even took care of the messes that he didnt cause. He had to.
There was no setting of a heroic sense of sacrifice behind that. It was simply that there was no one else who could take care of it apart from Lukas.
If he ignored it, a city would sink into the depths of evil, the fate of a country would be shaken, or an entire world would be destroyed
It didnt have nothing to do with him.
As long as he knew about it, it couldnt have nothing to do with him.
If he were to turn away, he would be haunted by guilt for the rest of his life.
And in all honesty, he was much more comfortable taking care of it himself than leaving it to someone else. He found it hard.
Because of that, there was a point in time when Lukas was surprisingly unable to trust anyone.
But not today.
The Demon King and the Demon God were things that Lukas should have taken care of. Even if Lukas didnt take full responsibility, he should have at least been more deeply involved than Yang In-hyun.
And yet, he left Yang In-hyun there.
That fact made Lukas feel strange, but it wasnt as bad as he thought it would be.
.
The vibrations of the air, or the screams of space.
He could feel a sensation on his back that couldnt be properly described in words.
Yang In-hyun and the Demon God had begun to fight in earnest.
And yet, Lukas didnt look back. Instead, he suppressed his attention from going behind him.
The probability that Yang In-hyun could defeat the Demon God?
To be honest, it was low. Enough to fight a thousand times and only win once. No, even that much could be considered the most optimistic perspective.
[Yang In-hyun is probably already risking his life in battle with the Demon God.]
He heard the Lightning Gods voice.
[In the end, that guy probably would have won, but his body is already a mess. The Demon God probably appeared as soon as he was certain of his victory and let his guard down. Borrowing the Demon Kings body.]
[Lukas Trowman, would you condemn the Demon Gods actions as cowardly?]
No.
Lukas shook his head.
That was a meaningless action, a useless expenditure of emotion.
In any case, no matter how much he insisted on the matter, it would be impossible to awaken feelings of guilt in the Demon God. After all, that was what a Ruler was like in the first place.
[Interesting.]
The Lightning God spoke in an interested voice.
[You are gaining a deeper understanding of Rulers.]
I guess that makes us even.
[What?]
Arent you also gaining an understanding about humans?
[]
At that moment, Lukas could feel the Lightning Gods surprise.
In this state, Lukas and the Lightning God were not just sharing senses. They were also experiencing an assimilation of emotions to an extent.
[You]
The Lightning God tried to say something and stopped. Because he had arrived at his destination. So Lukas was no longer curious about what the Lightning God would say.
The scene that was unfolding was a scene that far exceeded his expectations, making him speechless.
this.
At some point.
Lukas realised that he could no longer hear the noise from the battlefield. Thats why he sped up even more and had no choice but to be grateful for Yang In-hyuns help.
Nevertheless, his anxiety hadnt eased.
No way, could the battle have ended already?
It could only mean the death or annihilation of one side.
And as soon as he saw this scene, Lukas realised the reason.
There were a lot of corpses around.
These werent the corpses of ordinary people from the city. Each and every one of the scattered corpses belonged to a powerful being who at least surpassed Dok Go-yun. They were probably the comrades Diablo had gathered from the conjoined universes.
There were a few that were familiar to him. It wasnt to the level of being called acquaintances. There were members of the Circle from Lukas home universe. Beings from the same universe as Lukas.
And among the corpses.
Was Diablo.
Diablo was laying on the ground with his bottom half completely shattered. He couldnt feel his uniquely gloomy and decayed aura. At first glance, he looked like an ordinary skeleton.
Lukas went up to Diablo and knelt down on one knee, looking into his black eye sockets.
What happened?
[]
Diablo, didnt you say you would wait for me?
Faded ghostly flames flickered in the dark holes.
The ghostly flames, which burned frighteningly not so long ago, now seemed like candles on the verge of being extinguished. This seemed to be a visual representation of Diablos vitality.
[I did.]
His voice was faint, as if it would be cut off at any moment.
Diablo might soon die.
Lukas couldnt help but feel the absurdity of that fact.
Who made you like this?
Pausing for a moment, Lukas asked.
Was it Pale?
[It wasnt the Blue Knight. Raise your senses a bit more and focus on the surroundings You, will know who it was that created this scene.]
Diablo.
Knew who was responsible for this. And yet, instead of telling him his name, he was telling him to think for himself.
This wasnt meant to tease or mock him.
So Lukas just did as he said.
Once again, he took a look at the surroundings and accelerated his mind.
Diablos eyes flashed with surprise as he looked at Lukas.
[You changed so much in that instant. Enough to accept my advice. How else did you grow?]
Well.
Lukas shook his head and responded roughly. His speculation came to an end.
It was a Wizard.
[Thats right a Wizard who is only second to you. And also copies your name.]
Someone that copies my name.
Lukas expression changed.
Are you talking about the Lukas Trowman that is active in this world?
Diablo nodded weakly.
[a dangerous being. The magic that spewed from his hands was even more so. I couldnt even respond to anything he did before my body became like this. Even my Black Knight, Lucid.]
!
[As soon as that Lukas appeared, he launched an indiscriminate attack in every direction. By the time I arrived, half of my companions were already dead.]
What is that guys goal?
[I dont know. Lukas left after making a mess of this place.]
Where
Diablos gaze turned towards the sky.
Then, his gaze slowly lowered.
[I do not see any more confusion in you, Lukas Trowman. I know one thing. You wont accept my negotiation, right?]
Well.
Lukas murmured.
There is no specific way to deal with the apocalypse. Nevertheless, I couldnt accept your offer nor the Demon Gods offer.
After saying that, he felt that it wasnt enough, so he added.
What can I say? It just happens to be like that.
[Kuku. I like your calm attitude. I know. Its not easy to be like that after knowing everything At least I couldnt be like that.]
Diablos voice gradually faded.
[how unfortunate. I wanted to see what your choice would be. Then I]
[you, will you remember my death?]
Before Lukas could answer, Diablos skull scattered like ash. Lukas unknowingly retracted his half outstretched hand.
Then, his eyes turned up to the sky. To the place where Diablos eyes were just directed.
[Next Stage]
The fight on the artificial island floating in the sky continued.
* * *
Sometimes she wondered.
Did she really have a childhood?
Her first memory was hunger. She didnt even know that the pang in her stomach was called that, so at first she only knew it as pain.
Hunger, which never disappeared no matter what she did, constantly ate away at her mind. If possible, she wished she could tear out her stomach to take out the source of the pain.
This unpleasant voice sounded in her head from time to time.
Sometimes, the voice bothered her more than the pain in her stomach.
However, those words were true.
Because when she chewed something, or swallowed something, she could forget her hunger. The moment was fleeting, but as a result, she couldnt help but be addicted to eating.
In a life filled with pain, the temptation of that moment was very sweet.
Nevertheless, there was a fact that she knew instinctively.
This pain would probably not go away.
It would follow her for the rest of her life, and even after death.
Why me?
She cursed the world, cursed her fate.
She screamed until she became hoarse and her throat bled. In the process, she realised another fact.
Nothing would get better.
Are you okay?
I brought you something to eat.
Her parents, whose faces she couldnt remember, were always gentle with her.
They were rarely at home, but she knew it was because of her. Because of her abnormal appetite, the two of them probably worked from dawn to dawn. Even so, they never complained about her.
Its okay.
We love you.
The two things she heard the most.
She also wanted to help.
She wanted to endure her hunger and do something.
So she went out and worked.
You crazy bitch!
What will we do if you eat that?
The situation got worse.
She couldnt help herself when food was placed in front of her. It was far more than a matter of patience. sea??h th NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
In addition, if she moved her body even a little, the side effect would be that she would become insanely hungry.
She, she
She couldnt take it.
She collapsed, cried, and still wanted something to eat. One day, she hit herself to the point of bruising her stomach. Nevertheless, nothing got better.
She didnt want to do it anymore, so she wanted to die, but she couldnt. Her body didnt die. The pain just got worse.
She could clearly tell that she was strange. Even the word monster was not enough to describe her.
She was certain that her parents were the same.
However.
Its okay.
Mother said.
Its okay.
Father said.
Its not your fault.
You did nothing wrong.
The two, who were now old and no longer had the energy to work, said.
Come here.
Theres still something to eat.
Laying on the hospital bed, gesturing to her with weak hands.
No, there wasnt.
Now, at home, there was no food.
With trembling hands, she covered her eyes.
And yet, she still heard the voice.
She wanted to ignore it. She hated it.
Until now, the thing she resented was the hunger, but at that moment, the thing she hated was eating in itself. To do that here, she
Sorry. Daughter.
Im really sorry.
I wanted to give you something delicious to eat.
Without end, to your hearts content
Those were the last words she heard.
A red skinned girl.
Butterfly was her.
That child couldnt bear her hunger either, so she ate something that should never be eaten. She committed the same original sin, an act that could never be forgiven.
She saw that scene. No, she made it happen.
Thats why it was even more pitiful, pathetic, and why she couldnt look away.
Book 2: Chapter 508
There was little life on the Great Galactic Unions artificial island, the Next Stage.Or at least in this area.
The only things moving around the long and pointlessly flashing buildings with differently coloured artificial lighting that dazzled the eyes were machines that busily traveled along the ground or in the air.
[.]
Withdrawing her outstretched hand, Pale looked around. sea??h th ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
The world she saw was dyed red. The moment she had come to terms with the death she didnt want to accept, her vision became like this.
She hadnt fully vented the anger pent up in her chest. Proof of this being the fact that this planet was still intact.
But her patience was gradually reaching its limit.
This was because she couldnt get rid of the causes of that anger.
Especially one of them. A being who would suddenly appear, change the battle situation, and quickly disappear again.
Pale knew who it was.
First, she turned to the woman, who was also looking at her.
Because of that woman.
Because of her annoying ability, Pale had failed to achieve her goal until now.
Nevertheless.
[This is the limit.]
.
[Thats right. That power far exceeds the capacity of a mortal.]
Well. I dont think its that amazing of a power.
Although Iris said this with a smile, to Anastasia it seemed like nothing more than a pitiful bluff.
Iris, what the hell kind of power are you using?
The veins on her forehead were clearly prominent, and her eyes were so bloodshot it seemed like she would cry tears of blood at any moment.
With the exception of Lucid, everyone that was still alive was doing so under the protection of Iris.
Of course, Anastasia was no exception.
Shit. Iris plan is screwed.
Of course, she didnt know what exactly the plan was. From the start, Iris never shared the plans or strategies she concocted. She was really distasteful.
No. That wasnt the point.
The sudden appearance of Lukas Trowman ruined the operation Iris had designed.
Of course, he wasnt an ally of Pale, but in the face of his indiscriminate bombardment, the Blue Knight didnt suffer any damage. Instead, it could be said that his actions had worsened the situation as it had only roused her anger.
And their battle formation suffered.
The body of Diablo, who had just joined them, was split in two.
Wouldnt it have been better to run away when the Blue Knight pursued [Lukas]?
However, Lucid and Iris followed the Blue Knight as if they didnt have to think about it. The rest of them were forced to follow, and the situation eventually reached this point.
shit.
Anastasia was one of the few beings that were still alive, but she had surprisingly little influence on the situation. Her being there or not made no difference to the situation.
She wanted to say that fighting wasnt her specialty in the first place, but such an excuse could only be seen as cowardly when considering the fact that she possessed the body of a battle golem.
Even the Blue Knight isnt completely unscathed.
Her armour had quite a few scars on it. Lucids wounds were far more severe so they couldnt really brag, but still
Shuk.
Suddenly, Lucids chest was cut deeply. There was the sound of not only his armour, but also the flesh inside being cut.
Although there was no blood splatter, Lucids body instantly staggered. His sword shook as if it would fall to the ground at any moment. Had he reached the point where he couldnt even maintain his grip?
Anastasia belatedly tried to join, but Pales series of attacks continued before she could. Instead of withdrawing her sword which was explosively drawing a straight line to the sky, she extended her right leg and shoved Lucids chest.
Clang!
Looking at it again, rather than shove, it was better to say she launched him. Lucids body flew like a cannonball, striking a wall so hard it created a sound that threatened to tear their eardrums.
Iris expression hardened.
Lucids absence from the frontline was equivalent to the collapse of the frontline.
The term desperate situation flashed in her mind.
Shuk.
The last thing she noticed was the disappearance of Pales figure. From the start, Iris sensory organs were unable to keep up with Pales movements.
The same was true for Anastasia and the few survivors that were left.
Lucid was the only one who could respond to her, but now, he was implanted in a wall with injuries that could not be ignored.
When she noticed Pales presence again
ah.
The thing that entered Iris sight was a pale blade.
Glowing under the artificial lighting, the blade slowly fell. As it did, her mind went blank, and her entire body was still as if she had been frozen.
But the blade stopped just before cutting Iris.
Cold sweat broke out.
Just now, Iris almost died without realising.
But just before, Pale stopped her slash.
[why?]
Soon after, a powerless voice leaked out.
The blue eyes within the helmet shook violently.
[Why did you block it?]
Whoosh
Then, when someone appeared through space, Iris eyes couldnt help but shake like Pales voice.
enough.
Panting, Lukas spoke.
His head ached. Was this the backlash from forcibly using spatial movement? Nevertheless, if he had hesitated for even a moment, it would have been too late.
Stand back.
He said this without looking back.
He could feel the slight inhalation of breath behind him.
[]
Pale looked at that figure before taking a few steps back.
Then she took off her helmet, revealing a face covered in blood and sweat. Pales expression was not something that could be described in a few words.
It looked like she was about to cry, angry, and expressionless all at the same time.
Why did you block it?
The same question came once again.
Why are you siding with them?
Pale.
Do you know what those guys did?
They didnt kill Butterfly.
Theyre the same group.
Thats a misunderstanding. VIP is
Even if its a misunderstanding, that changes nothing.
Pale raised her sword.
From the start, they are the ones that wanted to fight me. They had a chance to end the fight but they kept persisting.
That was right.
They could have stopped the fight when Pale chased after Lukas. But, instead, they chose to pursue Pale to the end.
Lukas also kept his mouth shut.
Subduing the Blue Knight was one of the cornerstones of Diablos plan to become the Void King.
And these people were those that agreed with Diablos ideals.
The only variable was that Pale was much stronger than theyd expected.
I see.
Pale suddenly giggled.
Lukas is also putting them before me. You want to kill me to protect them.
No. These people youre trying to kill can no longer
It took a bit of time and courage to spit out the rest of the sentence.
be my meaning.
Is that so? From the look on your face, I dont think so.
She didnt look at Lukas as she said this.
He wondered who Pale was looking at and talking to, but he couldnt afford to turn around at that moment. In the first place, it could be a lie.
In the end, Lukas is trying to trick me too. Haha. Ahaha.
Holding her face, Pale burst into laughter for a while.
Then, she slowly put her helmet back on, as if donning a heavy crown.
[Right. At best, it can only be said that we met in a garbage dump*.](*:This is actually the same Dump Site as the territory, but considering they didnt go there this life, Im assuming she is referring to the world of void as a whole)
Youre wrong.
[Then what is it?]
For you.
Pales movements suddenly stopped.
Pale. Im stopping you here, for your sake.
[What the hell?]
They never intended to kill you from the start. Diablos goal wasnt to kill but to subdue.
[]
They are just annoying you. Something about them just offended you. And if thats your only reason for killing them you will be ruined. You might not realise it right away, but it will slowly eat at your mind. Then, one day, you will think of this moment, and you will regret it terribly.
[Regret? Thats not something Ive done before.]
I heard something similar before coming here. So I know. Thats a lie.
With a smile, Lukas said.
I know you. You are not a Ruler. You cant be like that.
If that were the case, then even if she did regret, it would not be until the moment she died.
Lukas only knew this fact because he was the one who had seen Pales most diverse forms.
[bullshit. Dont pretend like you know me.]
Pale spoke in a dangerous voice.
[If thats really true then you kill them. I can kill them with Lukas hand instead of my own. Then there would be no reason for anything to eat away at me.]
Thats far-fetched.
[Haha. Right. I knew youd answer like that. Then I I]
Pales voice dropped.
The air shook.
This was dangerous. Lukas knew. Pales ego was very unstable. Compared to the other Knights, it was more fragile than glass.
That was why she hadnt yet been told the truth of the world that Diablo had told him.
Crack, crack
Cracks began to appear on the ground and surrounding buildings.
[No. Not this. This isnt what I wanted]
Pale continued to mutter in an unstable voice.
Still staring at Pale through the rubble of the collapsing buildings, Lukas said.
Leave.
He said to Iris.
And dont do anything stupid like trying to subdue the Blue Knight again.
why are you protecting us?
Since I am the one that brought Pale to this world, I am obligated to send her back to her original world.
Sorry, but I dont think I can afford to take care of other people.
A moment of hesitation.
I can do it.
At this time, Iris was swift. She quickly made up her mind and began taking care of those around her.
Just before leaving, she left a word.
dont die.
Lukas pretended not to notice the emotion in her voice.
His words to Pale werent lies. Iris could no longer be Lukas meaning. It wasnt anyones fault. It just, just happened like that. And it was very difficult to revive a broken relationship.
It wasnt long before Iris presence disappeared completely. The same was true for the other presences in the surrounding area.
Then, looking at Pale again, Lukas said inwardly.
Lightning God.
[What is it?]
What are my chances of winning?
[Zero.]
His certainty was a bit annoying. Although he agreed.
Lukas laughed at that thought.
Then, what are my chances of survival?
[The probability of that is also low. The Blue Knights mind is extremely unstable. It seems that you managed to somehow build a relationship with her, but that probably doesnt mean much in the current situation. Look. Isnt she already unable to distinguish her surroundings?]
After a moment of silence, the Lightning God continued.
[To put it simply, she already lost her mind.]
[What a contradictory being. Such power, yet such an unstable ego hmm. It is understandable why she hates God more than anyone else.]
At that moment, Pales figure disappeared.
Lukas eyes widened and he raised his concentration to the limit.
Minimal time zone.
In the world where everything moved slowly, Lukas grasped Pales movements. Surprisingly, despite being in the minimal time zone, she was still moving at an alarming pace.
It was a terrifying sight. If it hadnt been for the slowly moving objects in the surroundings, Lukas might have mistakenly thought that he hadnt actually entered the minimal time zone.
Shit.
He had to overpower that? Him?
He already began to feel dizzy.
Pales movements were devastating.
With every step she took, the ground cracked, and he could see a shockwave that turned the surrounding buildings to dust spreading outward in every direction. This was a mess that she was creating simply from her momentum.
Not allowing approach.
This was a battle method that Lukas had adopted some time ago, but this time, it was a necessity.
He could not allow Pale to get within five steps of him.
Paht.
A storm of magic unfolded from his outstretched hand.
This isnt the time to worry about the surrounding space.
If he left Pale as is, the universe itself would be destroyed.
Countless spells scratched Pales armour. But, at best, all of the scratches were not even worth being called scratches.
This was proven by the fact that the speed of Pales approach was not reduced in the slightest.
What should I use?
Lukas thought of all the means he had, but none of them led to the image of him defeating Pale.
His throat burned with anxiety.
Now, the distance from Pale was about 20 steps, he still had time to
Think.
Piht.
Disappeared.
Pale disappeared.
Puk!
Immediately after, Lukas felt a burning pain in his stomach. Instead of letting out a scream, he used space leap to widen the distance as much as possible.
What happened
The cool touch of the blade was still vivid.
The pain Pale left behind was so severe that Lukas almost screamed for a moment.
The Lightning God commented calmly.
[Its nothing grandiose. Its just instantaneous acceleration.]
She moved at a speed that I couldnt perceive, in the minimal time zone?
[Kuku. Lukas Trowman. Do not underestimate the being in front of you.]
The Lightning God chuckled.
[That is a monster.]
This was even heavier considering the fact that it came from none other than a Ruler.
Lukas used void to heal his wound in an instant.
Unable to perceive her movement even in the minimal time zone, Lukas realised that he was completely mistaken.
The level of power revealed by the Four Knights far exceeded his expectations.
Monsters comparable to the main body of a Ruler.
If that was the case, then Lukas didnt have time to choose between means and methods.
Right. Means and methods
Lightning God.
[What is it?]
Gritting his teeth, Lukas said.
Lend me your power.
[!]
He could feel the Lightning Gods surprise.
Then, for a moment, he also felt his immense joy.
[Uhahaha!]
The Lightning God burst into laughter.
[Ive been waiting for those words, Lukas Trowman!]
I cant afford to waste time, hurry!
[Kuhahahaha! Good! Ill let you taste a bit of extreme power!]
The next moment, Pales figure disappeared.
Rumble!
And a bolt of lightning struck the world that had ground to a halt.
(1/2)
Book 2: Chapter 509
Crackle!It felt like thousands of birds were all chirping in his head at the same time. It wasnt easy to lift even a single finger.
A split mind, an electrocuted body.
Struggling, Lukas let out a silent scream.
A torrent of pain, which made what he had just received from Pale feel like a joke, grasped horribly at his mind. If he were to let down his guard for even a moment, it felt like he would get caught up in the torrent and his consciousness would disappear without a trace.
However, there was something that was even greater than the pain he was desperately feeling. It was a tremendous power that he had never experienced before.
A taste of extreme power, what the Lightning God had said, was not a lie.
If this much power was only a taste, then how much power did the Lightning God originally have?
If.
If he were to submit to the Lightning God, he would be able to use-.
[Only this much]
Right before he was swept away by that power, a voice that was reminiscent of thunder brought him back to his senses.
[Did you really think you could handle the power of the Lightning God at that level? After all, youre just another being that isnt one of us.]
I.
[Maintain your consciousness. Be conscious of who you are. Lukas Trowman, what did you do when you couldnt control yourself.]
Moments when he couldnt control himself.
At that time, he.
First, he always took a deep breath.
Hu-, up
Lukas took the most unsteady breath he ever had.
Air rushed violently into his trembling airways. His head, which felt like an electric current was jumping around frantically inside, felt refreshed.
And conscious of the Lightning God.
Did this guy just help him?
[Dont relax, look straight ahead.]
Firstly, he didnt think too deeply and took the Lightning Gods words as a signpost. It tensed his mind just enough so that he wasnt swept away by the torrent. It felt like a waterfall was flowing endlessly inside his head, and if his goal was just to hold on, then all he had to do was not let go of the branch he was clinging to, but that was meaningless.
One day, the branch would break, and Lukas would be swept away by the large waterfall.
I have to overcome it.
Or dominate it.
This meant that climbing the waterfall was his only option.
He could do it.
With a unified spirit and void, it was not impossible. Even if it was impossible, he would just make it possible. Just like he used to.
Struggling mentally, Lukas looked straight ahead.
And came to his senses in a different sense.
[Hahaha, ahahaha!]
He saw Pale rushing in with a mad laugh. There was no longer even a single trace of sanity on her.
[It seems that she noticed my presence even after completely losing her mind.]
That is possible?
[Naturally. The presence of the Lightning God is not something trivial that you can ignore just because you lost your mind.]
Grinning, the Lightning God continued.
[Kuku. How is it? It seems that the anger the Blue Knight feels towards you is beyond imagination. Did you not foresee this situation? That if you accept my power, the situation would only become worse.]
of course I did.
Hed calmed down a bit now.
Trying to keep his wild spirit as calm as possible, Lukas spoke to the Lightning God.
With this, I should have become Pales number one target.
[So she will no longer ignore you and chase someone else? Kukuku. How self sacrificing. Its a shame that Im the only spectator that can witness this tragedy. Would you like a round of applause?]
Shut up. I dont need you anymore, so stay put for a while.
[Kuhaha This is why I like you]
The Lightning God burst into laughter as if it had been something pleasant.
Lukas looked down at his hands and clenched them tightly.
this is [Thunder].
The power that made the Lightning God the Lightning God.
The power that made him one of the strongest beings that ruled over the Three Thousand Worlds.
One of the greatest powers in the entire multiverse.
It certainly deserved to be expressed like that.
Lukas felt a ridiculous sense of omnipotence just from obtaining a small portion of Thunder.
However, when he became aware of the being called Pale, that sense of omnipotence and superiority disappeared.
The opponent is also a monster.
The chill down his spine was the perfect stimulant.
[Should I teach you how to handle that power?]
If I listen to you, itll only get more twisted.
[Well.]
He couldnt imitate the Lightning God. It wasnt possible.
So he had to figure out how to use this power to fight on his own.
He had memories of thunder and lightning. This was because there was a demigod who had similar powers in the past. However, the feelings from that time were of use now.
The Lightning Gods Thunder was a power that was dozens of levels higher than the demigods power.
Ill use it in my own way.
The opponent was an out of control Pale.
Control by force was not an option.
Even if he were to fight with the intention to kill, his chances of winning were less than half.
Lukas pointed a finger towards Pale.
Pales movement, which he was completely unable to follow just a moment before, could now be grasped to an extent.
Just having Thunder flowing through his body caused his sensory organs to be enhanced by several levels. Just because hed reached the minimal time zone didnt mean that was the end.
Feeling a bit of bitterness at that fact, Lukas fired a bolt of lightning.
Boom!
Something exploded.
Not Pale, Lukas arm.
This crazy
Lukas body failed to overcome the output of Thunder. As if it had nothing to do with the flustered Lukas, a blue bolt shot out.
Then, for the first time, Pale stopped advancing. And for the first time, after holding her sword with both hands, she took a stance.
Upper defence. She held the blade upwards, drawing a vertical line in front of her forehead.
!
His vision became white.
Dozens of airwaves erupted simultaneously from the place where the lightning bolt and sword met. In accordance, the world repeatedly lost and regained its colour.
Kuk
Lukas grunted.
Just as he was about to use Void to regenerate his arm.
[Focus!]
He heard the Lightning Gods reminder. Goosebumps instantly ran down his spine, but it was a step too late.
Lukas felt death behind him.
It was strange. The only being that could threaten him was confronting the lightning over
Not there?
There was no one in the place that the light was extending from.
Then this feeling
His consciousness was cut off.
Shuk- sea??h th n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Lukas head was severed. The hand that hed just outstretched fell down, and he collapsed.
Blood slowly leaked from the body. After shaking intermittently for a while, the body finally stopped moving.
[ha.]
Pale looked down at her sword. Looking at the blood dripping from her blade, she was tormented by a feeling shed never felt before.
Regret, remorse.
No. It wasnt anything like that.
She did what she had to do, and killed who she had to kill.
That was all.
[by chance, if it was Lukas.]
Nevertheless, to anyone who could hear it, the voice that came out sounded pitiful.
[I thought he could be the only one that could understand me.]
Arent you the one that killed him with your own hands?
[!]
Pale turned around.
Lukas was standing there. Unscathed.
It wasnt that the attack was too shallow or anything like that. Because Pales blade had directly severed Lukas head.
This is why I dont feel like a human.
Lukas spoke in a self deprecating voice.
The emotions that flowed onto Pales face disappeared once again.
[Is that also the Lightning Gods power?]
No.
This regeneration was from the power of Void that Lukas had acquired on his own. But Lukas didnt bother to answer. Regardless of what he said, he wouldnt get through to Pale.
Pale fixed her grip on her sword. With this signal, the battle began once again.
Blue sword slashes shot out with every swing of the sword. Every strike was heavy. It felt like his back was going to break and his will would collapse.
Lukas gritted his teeth, thinking.
This cant be called swordsmanship.
[Thats right. Its simply swinging the sword without form.]
however, it is more chaotic than any swordsmanship Ive ever experienced.
[Kukuku. When you have that much power, it becomes annoying to use swordsmanship.]
Lukas dodged Pales attack with his naked eyes.
The attacks that he couldnt respond to were blocked with Thunder, but there were attacks that he couldnt block.
Shuk-
Every time that happened, a scar appeared on his body. The cuts would be so deep that his bones were visible or one of his limbs would fall off. Such damage caused the physical condition of his body to quickly deteriorate.
He wouldnt be able to last under Pales attacks unless he was in perfect condition, so he had no choice but to use Void to continuously regenerate his body.
The form of the fight was established. This was surprising considering the fact that the opponent was one of the Four Knights.
However.
[Thunder is not infinite.]
I know.
It was not infinite and neither was Void.
The core energies supporting Lukas were quickly running out.
Once again, the fight was established. However, what was the difference?
Pales anger wouldnt subside even if he dragged time out before dying. After tearing apart Lukas corpse, she would still kill Iris, and she might even destroy this entire universe.
I need time.
[Hmm?]
I need to reflect on your Thunder.
[You can do it now.]
Dammit. No matter how extraordinary my brain is, I cant completely immerse myself in this state!
[Aha. I see. You mean you need some training time in order to interpret Thunder in your own way.]
Understanding Lukas intentions, the Lightning God smiled.
[To say something like that in this situation. You madman.]
Of course, Lukas was aware. Of just how crazy what he was saying was.
[How much?]
at least 10 minutes.
[Kuhahaha.]
The mockery came once again.
The Lightning God spoke laughingly.
[You know how ridiculous what youre saying is, dont you? Do you think there is anyone who could last against one of the Four Knights for 10 minutes?]
He had nothing to say in response.
But the Lightning God continued.
[Actually, there is.]
What?
[Until when are you going to watch? Come out already.]
At that moment he realised.
The Lightning Gods voice was not directed at Lukas.
Then the sky turned dark.
[what other tricks do you have?]
Pales words were cut off.
The darkened sky brightened up. She saw a crack in the sky. It was a bolt of lightning with ten thousand branches.
Boom!
Following a thunderclap, a bolt of lightning pierced Pales body. Pales prized blue armour was scorched.
Taht.
The being that appeared with the thunder gently knelt on one knee as soon as they landed.
It was the perfect posture of obedience, without flaws.
Lukas was surprised at the sight of the mans face.
It was a middle aged man wearing a biker jacket and jeans. His messy golden hair fell to his shoulders.
A being he knew. How could he forget?
You called, one true being.
[10 minutes.]
Instead of returning the greeting, the Lightning God asked.
[I need 10 minutes. Can you do it?]
Hmm.
The right hand of the Thunderous Lightning God.
The Lord, Retip, straightened his bent knee and looked at Pale.
Honestly, it wont be easy.
There was a smile in the eyes covered by sunglasses.
But who can refuse your orders?
Book 2: Chapter 510
Shit.Neil Prand clenched his fists. He clenched them so tightly that his nails pierced his skin and blood flowed. However, he himself didnt even realise this. Mind numbing despair and a sense of shame masked the pain.
I couldnt stop it
He knew in advance that something unusual was going to happen in the [Next Stage]. Hed come here to prevent that, but he couldnt change anything.
It wasnt an artificial island at all.
It was a gigantic aerial warship that could turn an entire area into powder Shortly after hed realised this fact, the massacre in Manjuri City took place.
you knew, didnt you?
Neils burning gaze turned towards his side.
Retip, who was reading a book with his chin in his hand, looked over at him with an annoyed expression.
What?
About the massacre that was going to happen in this place.
Your words are gradually getting more impolite.
Smiling, Retip closed his book.
Right. I had a rough idea. But what about it? Does knowing in advance give me a reason to stop it?
isnt that why you accompanied me?
Not at all. I told you. You and I just have overlapping destinations.
More than that, Im very displeased with your behaviour, Neil Prand. Why did it change so much? Looking at your actions, I cant help but feel sick sometimes.
Neil couldnt help but ask back strangely.
Roaming the world preventing conflicts among the various forces, gathering orphans, and eliminating war. Is there any part of this behaviour that can make you feel sick?
Are you trying to talk to me about human ethical beliefs?
Im talking about change. Its your changed attitude that is disgusting. Didnt you decide to live only for Americans?
Neil remained silent for a moment then opened his mouth.
You said that we had overlapping destinations.
Retip obediently accepted Neils change of subject.
Right.
What is your goal?
That
Suddenly.
Retip turned to look out the window, put his book down, and stood to his feet.
It seems I have to go.
Where?
Retip smiled roughly.
To where my master calls.
* * *
I never expected to get such an opportunity.
Smiling, Retip spread out his arms.
Boom! A bolt of lightning struck down from the sky before transforming into a spear and was caught in Retips hand.
Soul Weapon, Astrafe.
In the Lightning Gods residence [Thunder Planet].
Once every 100,000 years, the most ferocious bolt of lightning would strike, and the soul weapon [Astrafe] was formed after the Lightning God gathered one hundred of these lightning bolts and refined them into a weapon.
Feeling the electricity in his hand, Retips smile deepened.
Has it been 300 years since I last brought this out?
[]
Why arent you saying anything? Arent you the one thats going to fight for your life from now on?
[Make me fight for my life. Someone like you?]
Once again, Pales attitude was dry.
In the first place, there was only one being that could stop her from maintaining her demeanour as the Blue Knight.
She swung her drawn sword.
Clang!
Pales slash was blocked by a series of fierce lightning bolts from Astrafe. Feeling the heavy sensation in his hands, Retip almost burst into laughter.
If it wasnt for Astrafe, my arm would have been blown off.
A single clash, that was all it took to make him realise the gap between his opponent and himself.
This is even more absurd than the order to conquer 17 great universes, Lightning God.
Ignoring the pain in his throbbing arms, Retip took a stance.
Then, when he saw that Pale had also taken a stance in front of him, his smile widened.
Right.
Nevertheless, since he had received the order, he had to complete it.
Because he was the Lord, Retip.(TL: Its times like this that I wished there was more context hundreds of chapters ago. The word I translate as Lord, which in all honesty is a bit of a stretch, matching this context, would more accurately be translated as Conqueror. Should I make the change?)
* * *
He cant hold on.
As he witnessed the unfolding scene, Lukas thought.
It had only been a few seconds since the fight had started, but Retip had already been driven into a corner. He seemed to be able to respond with the spear in his hands, but it was so dangerous that it wouldnt be strange if he were to collapse into a splatter of blood the next moment.
this isnt looking down on Retip. I know how strong a Lord is.
The Demon King.
He had fought that guy who, besides his complicated origin, was in the position of Lord for the Demon God.
However, Pale is a monster that doesnt conform to the norm. Shouldnt you, a Ruler, know that better than anyone else, Lightning God?
[Dont treat him so lightly.]
A rare occasion.
There was a hint of coldness in the Lightning Gods voice.
[That is a being that I personally bestowed a weapon unto. Very few Absolutes that follow me can maintain their individuality. That guy is special.]
[He was probably born with a strong ego. In a certain universe, he is the King of all beings and is called god. The pride born from that is by no means negligible, and I also couldnt make him a puppet either. Making that guy my subordinate was pretty fun.]
The King of all beings called god.
Retip was a being like Lord of the Demigods.
[Focus on your own task, Lukas Trowman. You should not waste even a single strand of concentration. Just whose power do you think youre reinterpreting?]
It was like the Lightning God hit the inside of his head.
[Youll have to exert more concentration than you ever have Otherwise, not to mention 10 minutes, even 10 hours would not be enough.]
I know.
Nodding, Lukas added.
Ill trust Retip. Ill assume he can survive for 10 minutes.
There was no other way. If he didnt gain control of Thunder here, everything would be over.
[Thats enough.]
As he felt the Lightning God nod, Lukas took a deep breath.
Huu
Raising his concentration, he began the immersion.
And closed his eyes.
Time shut off.
The surrounding objects disappeared one after the other, and the sound of the rumbling ground faded. His sense of smell and touch also disappeared.
After a while, he could not feel anything.
In the world where he was the only one, in other words, the best environment to concentrate, Lukas threw himself a topic.
What is Thunder?
The authority of the Lightning God,
The unique power that only the Lightning God could control,
The Lightning Gods symbol of absolute authority,
On a more fundamental level it was thunder and lightning.
Thunder and lightning have long since been symbols of fear.
The darkening sky was seen as ominous, and even more ominous than that was the dragon-like roar that came from it. Even snot nosed kids instinctively knew that such a sound was nothing but a portent.
Soon afterward, a flash of light streaked across the dark clouds followed by a loud explosion as if the sky was being torn apart.
Naturally, humans, who could not understand such weather phenomena, were filled with wonder and fear at that sight.
That was what the Lightning God was.
Thunder was the ubiquitous image of the Lightning God. A being that reaped both fear and wonder at the same time. It was a characteristic that was unique to the Lightning God, as the Demon God, Sun God, and Dragon God did not have it.
And the Thunder that the Lightning God controlled was the purest energy of destruction in the multiverse. Lukas would not hesitate to describe that flash of light as the destruction of destructions.
Then how should I use that Thunder?
Should he also focus on destruction?
If he were to mix Thunder with magic, it was possible. The destruction Lukas could produce would be comparable to the Lightning God.
However that was not the answer.
While it might not be impossible, such a fusion would change the main principle.
Thunder would become the lead, and magic would be downgraded to an auxiliary role.
In other words, mixing Thunder with magic, the difference would be huge.
Of course, the destructive power would be tremendous. It would no doubt be great enough to deal effective damage to Pale.
But.
No.
There had already been an opportunity to do so.
Immediately after hed accepted Thunder into his body, just as hed been infected by the feeling of omnipotence, the moment hed lost consciousness in the raging torrent.
At that moment, it was none other than the Lightning God who had slapped the near collapsed Lukas on the cheek.
The Lightning God didnt want that option.
And he could now be sure. That the Lightning Gods restraint was for him.
The capacity of Thunder is not just destruction.
He recalled.
In the imaginary world, how did the Lightning God fight?
He was the person who had observed battles with the Rulers the most. He hadnt taken his eyes off for a moment, and analysed the Lightning Gods power. Then hed realised.
This guy doesnt fight in a fixed pattern.
Different methods, different habits, different patterns.
The Lightning Gods fighting style was filled with countless habits, endless changes, and a near infinite number of things.
At first, he thought that every Ruler was like this, but that wasnt the case. The Demon God didnt have many changes. He knew this because hed fought him personally.
In other words, the display of so many fighting styles was also a part of the Lightning Gods authority Sear?h the Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
How?
Was it because hed lived too long? There wasnt enough evidence. He had to think about it in relation to Thunder.
Disorganised words floated in his head without any connection, as if his thoughts had been broken and every piece had their own will.
Lukas let it be.
He randomly spread the disorganised information out and analysed them all at the same time.
Thunder, thunder and lightning, static, current, electricity, magnetism.
Lukas thoughts came to a complete stop.
electromagnetism?
One of the most basic forces in the universe.
What if that was what Thunder was rooted in?
That force is the source of almost all the forces and phenomena that naturally occur.
So if he could perfectly understand that concept, he might also be able to know the position and momentum of every atom. In theory, he would know everything about the present.
If he had the capacity and processing ability of a Ruler, it might even be possible to predict the future based on the acquired information.
In the imaginary world, the patterns of Lukas are infinite.
He knew this because hed accepted every Lukas. All of them were the same, but at the same time different, being. Even if the root was Lukas, they all lived completely different lives, so inevitably, there were differences which eventually led to their own individuality.
The Lightning God must have known about that individuality even before the fight.
So the fight that followed was nothing more than a response to the information gained in advance.
The battle style that the Lightning God displayed, which Lukas mistakenly thought were infinite patterns, was nothing more than something made as a result.
If there was a hundred, there was a strategy for a hundred.
In the end, the patterns that one revealed during a fight usually occurred because there was no perfect strategy. After all, because of a lack of information about your opponent, you would have no choice but to fight in the method you were most confident in.
In other words, if you knew everything about your opponent before you even started, there would be no need to reveal your habits.
It was like reaching a stage of omniscience.
haha.
A laugh leaked out as goosebumps ran down his spine.
It wasnt because of fear or terror.
It was because for the first time since obtaining Void, he had seen the path to the next level. At that moment, Lukas had a feeling of both achievement and excitement that numbed his brain.
Just a bit.
If he analysed just a little bit more, he thought that he could catch something. He knew he could.
It was because of this that Lukas didnt realise.
10 minutes.
The 10 minutes hed talked about with the Lightning God.
Had already passed.
Book 2: Chapter 511
Astrafe was smashed, both arms were chopped off, his head was crushed, and his body was embedded into the ground like a piece of trash.Instead of the pain that far exceeded his imagination, Retip was more afraid of something else.
has it only been 1 minute?
In his extremely focused senses, blue flashes of light could be seen in every direction, like illusory images.
This sight revived the feeling of fear that Retip had forgotten long ago.
Cough. Kuhaha
Coughing up crackling lightning, Retip chuckled.
Then, he wondered why he had burst out laughing.
What did that laugh mean?
Was it a bluff to forget his fear? Or was it a way to help his wretched self?
It was fine either way.
More than that, Retip paid attention to the fact that he could still laugh.
If he still had the energy to laugh, then naturally, he still had the energy to fight.
The moment he got up from the ground, lightning began to strike from the sky like heavy rain.
Rumble!
The surroundings were illuminated and the tall buildings began to crumble like rotten old trees. Retip looked at the only existence that had maintained its original form in his brightened vision.
Ten Thousand Claps of Thunder(f).
He used a radar concept that could turn a country into powder.
Boom!
In the end, it turned out to be the correct judgment. With his ability to barely catch the movements, and half luck, Retip was able to earn another 3 seconds.
Head to head confrontations had to be avoided.
Engaging in direct power clashes with that thing was tantamount to suicide.
In this time, his severed hands and crushed skull had regenerated.
[so you have a transcendent body.]
Pale murmured in a dry voice.
[That certainly is annoying. If your concept isnt cut, youll keep coming back.]
At that moment, she raised her sword. As the dark blue aura swirled around the blade, Retip felt an unprecedented pressure.
His entire body felt paralysed, like a mouse before a predator.
Crackle.
An electric current flowed through his stiff body, forcing it to move. Retip managed to avoid the blade by a hairs breadth or so he thought.
Shuk.
He felt a large cut on his stomach. But instead of blood and intestines, electricity leaked from the wound.
This electricity was the foundation of Retips very existence. To the Absolute Retip, this damage was more severe than pouring out blood.
Pales attack didnt stop there.
A series of wild blows that couldnt be grasped poured onto him without rest, causing the large and small wounds on Retips body to increase.
It wasnt long before he lost the energy to even move and was pushed into a corner.
[About 2 minutes.]
Looking at Retip, who had collapsed in a defenceless state, Pale spoke.
[That is the time you sacrificed your life to earn. Did you know? I could have finished you off faster.]
I see.
Retip muttered in a slurred voice, then reached out to grab something.
It was the broken Astafe. It was like that because it had endured dozens of attacks from Pale. It could be said that it was the biggest contributor to him making it through the first minute.
Even though it had been split in two, a blue current was still flowing from Astrafe.
Its broken anyway, so I dont need permission anymore.
Just as Pale had a premonition of something troublesome, Retips mouth opened wide.
Crack.
Then, he began to chew and swallow the broken Astrafe. Astrafe, which was absorbed by Retip, was not a piece of metal, but a ferocious current.
Crack crack.
Retips appearance changed, and his body began to blow up like a balloon.
His skin turned blue, and white currents shot from his eyes.
Haaah
Crackle, electricity was mixed into the sigh that he let out.
So this is the power of the Thunder God that the Lightning God mentioned.* It definitely is something that Ive never experienced before.(*: Once again, my arbitrariness bites me in the butt bear with it for now.)
Pale looked up at Retip, who had become ten times larger than her, and opened her mouth somewhat sluggishly.
[Why?]
Rising doubt.
She lowered her sword for a moment.
What do you mean?
[In exchange for swallowing that spear, you can at most buy some more time, but you cannot escape death. Even if you run away, you will eventually die.]
[But that doesnt mean you will be able to defeat me, or hurt me.]
Pales gaze was not on Retip, but on something behind him.
Contempt flickered in her eyes for a moment.
[The Lightning God. That despicable being hasnt even thought about showing up in this situation. Do you not know why? Hes avoiding me because he is afraid of fighting me.]
Shut up, Blue Knight.
Retip retorted coldly.
Crackle, the electricity surrounding his body crackled as if matching his response.
I will not forgive you for insulting him in front of me.
[Why are you defending him? I dont understand]
You dont have to understand. Because you and I are different in the first place.
[Why are you so loyal to the Lightning God?]
Retip smiled faintly.
Are you really asking about a subject like loyalty while in the form of a knight?
[]
Huhu. You dont know. Ruling at the top is a lonelier and harder task than you could even imagine You have to carefully consider every small choice, and if you make even one bad decision, it will become a lifelong resentment.
A feeling of pressure as if your existence is being crushed.
As if recalling something, Retip shuddered.
Then, one day, the Lightning God appeared Can you imagine it? Being able to put all of your responsibility and accountability onto someone else! At that moment, I was reborn. It was the first time I understood what freedom really meant
Retip smiled as he recalled a man.
Others might look at me like this and mock me for simply passing my responsibilities to someone else.
[]
Thats not wrong. However, I was saved, and Ive been living a wonderful life ever since. So this is my gratitude. It is to repay the kindness he bestowed upon me.
[Even if you die as a result?]
Even if the consequence is worse than death.
Retip smiled.
I have no regrets.
[]
Pale realised that further conversation was pointless and raised her hanging sword once more.
Then, the two beings clashed once again.
The result.
Retip was able to accomplish his task brilliantly.
Although there was no longer even a trace of the being Retip in the Three Thousand Worlds, he has successfully endured 10 minutes against one of the Four Knights, Pale.
However, by that point.
Lukas had still not finished thinking.
[were you waiting a long time, Uncle?]
Pale stumbled towards Lukas.
[Im coming.]
* * *
His mind was blank.
Almost immediately after obtaining the first and most important clue, Lukas thoughts unfolded explosively. That small enlightenment was enough to cause the scope of his thoughts to become infinite.
It was clear that the information about this power was simply obtained from the Lightning God. So it could not be considered omniscience in the full sense.
Whether the way he used the power was wrong, or the Lightning God was wrong. It was not yet at that level.
What he focused on was destruction. And as mentioned before, Thunder was the purest destructive force in the universe.
Rather, my way can be called trying something else.
On the verge of grasping something.
If he thought about it a bit more, he might be able to grasp something.
No, he could definitely grasp something.
What Lukas was currently experiencing was the time of enlightenment, which was much more precious than thousands of pieces of gold. If he were to miss this moment, then even if he did repeat the same thought later, he would end up with the wrong conclusion.
Only if he were to raise his concentration to the limit and completely immerse himself would Lukas be able to go to the next level.
However
Lightning God.
Relaxing his concentration a bit, he called out to the Lightning God.
I know youre listening, Lightning God. Answer me.
[can you afford to talk?]
An apathetic voice responded.
This guy was probably watching Lukas contemplation. He was the only one able to do so.
In any case, this was because his remnant thoughts resided within Lukas.
How much time has passed?
[]
How much time has passed outside since Ive been immersed?
[What does that matter?]
What?
[In any case, if you dont develop here, it will all be over.]
The Lightning God spoke in a cold voice.
[Right. What if, at this point, you only had 1 minute left? Or what if 10 minutes have already passed? Will you stop your immersion and return to reality? Are you confident that you can defeat Pale without developing?]
He wasnt confident.
It was not enough to just find a clue. If he were to return to reality like this, Lukas would not be able to stop Pale.
Lukas couldnt refute the Lightning Gods words, but despite that, he couldnt help but feel that he was hiding something.
It had already been a long time since the Lightning God had entered his mind. Now, there were things he could understand to an extent just from this guys tone of voice.
however.
Nevertheless, it didnt change anything.
Lukas sighed.
He didnt want to give up his life so easily. Although he was in a state of repeated regression, he was unsure just how long this rule would apply. Moreover, this situation was taking place in the Three Thousand Worlds, not the World of Void. It wouldnt be strange if variables were to occur.
I have always regressed to the first time I stepped into the World of Void.
In other words, the regression was a rule that only applied within the World of Void, and it might not be possible for him to regress after coming to the outside world.
If he were to die to Pale here, it would all be over.
As soon as he realised this fact, tension ran up his spine, but at the same time, an absurd laugh leaked out.
If he died, it would all end?
Wasnt that how it was supposed to be in the first place? From the start, regression was an act that went against nature.
I tried to not let it happen, but.
At some point, Lukas way of thinking had factored in his regression.
It was dangerous.
He couldnt think about the next time. Because that fueled the sharpness of his decision making.
Making up his mind, Lukas hardened his heart.
The Lightning God,
That was his only source of information about Thunder. And because of that, there were limitations.
For example, if someone with the same vessel as you were to exist in the same space, it would not be possible to perfectly obtain information about that being.
What about me?
Lukas inputted himself into the equation.
The computational power Lukas gained by devouring the other Lukases was formidable.
Computational power can be called the [authority] of Lukas Trowman.
Therefore, if it was him, he would be able to not only see the movement and development of every atom in space, but also predict the behaviour, and even thoughts, of those with egos.
It would be possible for him to completely digest all of the information.
If this power was applied to the minimal time zone
Lukas contemplation deepened, but as a result, his understanding of Thunder began to increase.
Thoughts beckoned thoughts, and possibilities beckoned possibilities.
And the hypothesis with the highest probability was established.
Of all the scenarios, the best method to use Thunder.
Lightning God.
He perceived the presence of the Lightning God.
[What is it now?]
There was even a hint of annoyance in his voice now.
Lukas got straight to the point.
I want advice. Listen to my opinion and tell me if Im wrong.
[Kuku madman.]
Chuckling as if he enjoyed it, the Lightning God continued.
[Nevertheless, since you seem to have let go of your pride, Ill give you one piece of advice. If you want to go to the next level, dont be so attached to the human body.]
[As you are now, it should be possible to form a transcendent body with your soul. If you got rid of the pesky constraints of a physical body, the amount of power you could handle would increase by several times.] Sear?h the N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
I know that. Nevertheless, I have no intention of abandoning my body.
[Why?]
Because I can only be myself when I have this body.
The Lightning God was silent. Lukas could feel that he was speechless.
Although you might not know, I, who was once an Absolute, know. The warmth of a body. The beating of a heart that is more beautiful than any rendition The soft skin that feels good to touch.
[Or in other words, fragile. You intend to use the Lightning Gods Thunder with a human body? Did forget what happened to the arm that you used to fire the lightning bolt?]
I didnt have any experience at that time, I just need to use Void to prevent the side effects.
[Hmph do whatever you want.]
The Lightning God didnt seem to plan to persuade him any further.
Smiling, Lukas said.
I want to apply the information acquisition of Thunder to the Absolute Field.
[Are you talking about magic again after coming all the way here? This guy.]
Its fine as long as theres a detailed setting. Ill adjust it after combining them. All I want to know is if its possible.
This was something that he couldnt figure out, no matter how much he pondered.
Only the Lightning God, who knew everything about Thunder, could give an answer.
[In theory, there should be no problem.]
Then
[However, you might go crazy. It seems that youre trying to show off your computational power, but controlling space and understanding it are completely different matters. Even more so understanding everything.]
[It is similar to what you defined as the minimal time zone. The general laws of physics that you use in the world are a bit different from that place. The world of atoms that youre trying to comprehend are even more so. The elusive laws in the minimal time zone are tangled together like a spiderweb]
Lukas also knew that the atomic world in the minimal time zone had completely different laws from the existing world.
However
Its possible.
[]
This isnt refusal to give in. Lightning God, Ill say this without any arrogance or conceit. My computational power is higher than yours.
[Hmph.]
The Lightning God neither affirmed nor denied.
[Then prove it.]
That was the last thing he said.
Almost immediately after reaching a conclusion, Lukas consciousness quickly rose to the surface.
He could feel his blocked senses returning one after the other.
The first thing he felt before even opening his eyes was a certain sensation.
Tuk, tuk.
It was the feeling of a warm, gloopy liquid.
Falling regularly onto Lukas face.
The sense of touch meant that his body still existed.
Lukas opened his eyes.
His blurred vision gradually cleared up and returned to its original state.
Then, he realised that someone was standing in front of him.
Like a shield, protecting him.
At first he thought it was Retip, but it wasnt.
It was a body so delicate that it couldnt possibly be that guy.
Iris?
Blood dripping from her mouth, Iris looked at him with hazy eyes.
Seeing this, he realised two things.
Firstly.
Iris protected him from Pales sword.
Secondly.
She was already dead.
Book 2: Chapter 512
The site of the brutal destruction was covered with a thick aura of death.Standing among it, the Black Knight silently looked down at the empty ground where there was not even a corpse.
After a while, he knelt onto one knee as his gaze skimmed across the rough ground.
[hes dead.]
Turning, Anastasia, who was staring at the sky for fear that a blue haired monster might be chasing after her, asked.
Who?
[Diablo.]
Anastasia blinked her large eyes a few times.
what?
[]
Hey. Dont just gloss over it, say it clearly. Who died?
[Its fine. I can save him. Although it will take a lot of time and concentration.]
At those words, a ridiculous expression flashed across Anastasias face for a moment.
The ability to save the dead. Since when did you become so versatile?
[Its not my skill. Its his arrangement.]
Saying that, Lucid drew a sword.
Srrng.
It wasnt Deukid, the beloved sword that the Sword King Lucid used in his lifetime.
Instead, it was Heart Knight, the weapon of the Black Knight that filled all who saw it with dread.
Puk!
Lucid stuck Heart Knights blade into the ground.
Rumble
Then, something amazing happened. Sar?h the novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
A white powder-like substance began to flow from the ground where the sword was stabbed. At first, the grains were as small as millet grains, but as they clumped together, they began to take shape.
Anastasia, who was watching this scene for a while, was shocked when she realised it was Diablos skull.
I see so thats why its the Heart Knight. That sword is Diablos heart.
[]
Even taking that into account, hes really different from other liches. Even if their heart is still living, it wouldnt be possible for them to regenerate if all of their bones are ground into powder
Lucid didnt respond. The eyes within his helmet remained fixed to the blade, and his mind seemed to be even more hyper-focused.
Anastasias head ached.
It felt like her mind couldnt keep up with the complicated situation. Shit, did her mind become stiff because she was using her body too much? The title Great Sage would cry.
Pressing on her temples for no reason, she turned to look elsewhere.
To a woman who might, no.
To a woman who definitely had a much more accurate grasp of the situation than she did.
Hey, what are we gonna do?
Iris Peacefinder was looking up at the place theyd just come from a deeply depressed gaze.
The [Next Stage].
A battlefield that would soon become a scene of unparalleled chaos, or a living hell, that was completely incomparable to what happened here on the ground.
The sounds of conversation, roars, wars of nerves and fights that were happening there.
Iris.
Could see all of it.
She bit her lips, clenched her fists, and her body trembled for reasons that even she wasnt entirely sure about.
By the time the chills and goosebumps had disappeared, a faint smile appeared on Iris face.
You, are you smiling?
Without replying, the smile on Iris face disappeared as if she was trying to hide it.
Theres something I have to do.
What?
Lucid seems to be in a defenceless state right now, so you have to protect him. There are still a few disturbing presences in the surroundings.
Hey?
Ignoring the calling voice behind her, Iris disappeared into space.
After a while, Anastasia, who had guessed her destination from her attitude, let out a meaningless scream.
Hey! Wait, Iris! Shit. What do you plan to do there?!
Anastasia didnt realised it, but her voice certainly reached Iris.
As she moved quickly through the cracks in space, Iris once more let out the smile she was hiding.
What she was going to do. It was just what needed to be done.
It wasnt a big deal.
Iris Peacefinder recalled.
What happened in her home universe.
The things that happened right after Lukas Troman disappeared.
* * *
I will make you remember.
She still clearly remembered the words Peran Jun had uttered one day.
You all forgot about him. Despite saying this, I dont remember everything, either. I know I dont have any right to question you. I know its not our fault. However, still, I cant help but feel angry.
At the time, what her thoughts were when she heard those words.
Even if you encountered him simply as information now, it wouldnt change much. That is what I cant understand Perhaps this is my role. All my life, I have acted according to the cause. Sometimes for family, sometimes for country, and always for the voice of the people. However, from on, I will move according to my own personal desire.
Looking at those seated around him with cool eyes, Peran declared.
In order to bring Lukas existence back to this world. Even if it is an act of rebellion against Gods order, I will not hesitate.
Then, Peran left. Nix was the only one that followed.
The rest fell into an uproar. They all felt confused.
Iris wasnt.
She regretted that she could neither sigh nor snort derisively, and at the same time, she made a conclusion about the human named Peran.
A reckless man.
After hearing what the Great Medium said, she knew who Lukas Trowman was. And it was true that her mind was a bit confused right after that.
The reason for that was simple.
It was because she couldnt understand the fact that she so deeply loved a man she couldnt even remember.
In fact, when she was talking to the man, her composure had broken and she couldnt lose the feeling that she was being swayed by something, so Iris couldnt completely deny the Great Mediums words.
So she took time to think carefully.
It didnt take very long to reach a conclusion.
Iris would just, admit it.
Right.
It was clear that Iris Peacefinder loved Lukas Trowman. She loved him so fiercely and sacrificially that she willingly gave up 4,000 years.
But so what?
What did that have to do with the current Iris Peacefinder?
The feelings of the past were foggy, but the feelings of the present were clear.
She had no deep feelings for the man named Lukas Trowman. At most, it was a bit of sympathy.
After realising that, her head cleared up.
Her composure didnt shake any longer.
Because there were no longer any feelings of love left within her.
It just felt like she was peeking at some characters in a novel, nothing more, nothing less.
According to the Great Medium, Lukas Trowman was a hero.
He lived as a hero his entire life.
He might feel despair at that moment because the world had forgotten him, but he would soon be able to overcome it. One of Iris theories was that heroes didnt want anything in return.
Besides, she couldnt afford to focus on Lukas at that moment.
Space earthquakes had occurred all over the world. She needed to find out the reason and prepare for the unknown threats that would surely come in the near future.
Iris made an incredibly rational judgement, and after that, she forgot about Lukas Trowman.
And after some time passed.
That moment came suddenly.
* * *
A cloudless dawn.
Hup!
Iris, complexion paler than the moonlight, jumped out of bed.
In contrast to her cold fingertips, cold sweat flowed unceasingly from her entire body.
A-. h, ahh.
Her hands and feet shook under shock that she had never felt before. Ruffling her hair with both hands, Iris tried to say something, but found that she couldnt speak.
Whats wrong?
Sheryl appeared from the dark. She could realise the abnormalities in her masters physical condition faster than anyone else.
She-, ryl.
Yes. Im here.
Huff, huk, hah
I will bring some cold water. Please wait a moment.
Iris took a deep breath and nodded.
Quickly leaving the room, Sheryl was taken aback by the sight of her masters face, which she had never seen like that before. No, she was shocked.
Iris Peacefinder was a woman known for being good at hiding her emotions. Even at that end of the apocalypse, she was able to smile meaningfully.
And this Iris, was now terrified.
Trembling like a little girl that had gotten a nightmare.
Sheryl couldnt understand what happened.
Iris couldnt even drink half a sip of the water Sheryl brought for her. As if she didnt even have the strength remaining in her trembling hands to grip the cup, she eventually spilled the water.
Sheryl hurriedly took out a handkerchief.
I will wipe it up for you.
I.
Iris muttered in a blank voice.
What did I say?
And the intention of the words that flowed out was unclear.
Huh?
What I said. I, what did I say to him?
What are you talking about? To whom?
I, I, I
Lowering her head, Iris managed to squeeze the words out.
I, what did I say to Lukas?
Sheryl paused at the name that suddenly appeared.
Lukas.
It was a name that she long since forgotten.
That mans name, why now?
Answer me. I, what did I tell Lukas?
Those questions disappeared as soon as she heard that voice that was just shy of a sob, and Sheryl instinctively realised.
The moment she was talking about.
It was the meeting between Iris, Ivan, and Snow.
A meeting where a man named Lukas appeared when they had gathered to respond to Diablos threat.
In a situation where the mans name was intentionally revealed.
Iris looked at the man and
hearing it for the first time.
Sheryl spoke.
I too am hearing it for the first time.
.
Sheryl,
Couldnt look at Iris expression anymore.
* * *
It was hard to breathe.
It felt like her heart was being torn to pieces.
A hoarse cry leaked from her locked throat.
How, could I.
Was it possible, to forget?
A subject whose return she longed for so much.
Why did she forget?
Why didnt she realise?
The gaze that turned to her when his name was revealed.
The emotions contained in those eyes, the sorrow, longing, and expectation,
.
Why did she
This,
Whose voice was it?
.
Ah. it was her voice.
That was her answer.
The expectation, which was thinner than a thread on the verge of breaking, was ruthlessly severed by her hands.
Aha, ahahaha
Laughter leaked out.
An awful joke.
So awful it even caused her laughter to dry up.
Ahahaha
The empty laughter didnt stop.
Hed never betrayed her expectations.
He always brought her more joy and happiness than she expected.
But I.
Forgot him.
When he was at his weakest, when he was the least like Lukas Trowman, when he needed her more than ever.
She denied his existence.
The law of the world? God made them forget?
Crunch, she grit her teeth.
So what?
She still shouldnt have forgotten.
She didnt know about anyone else, but at the very least, Iris Peacefinder shouldnt have forgotten.
She recalled Lukas face.
The bewilderment, disbelief, denial, and finally despair that appeared there after hearing her voice.
The fragility that could be seen just before he left the scene.
At that moment, Iris stopped laughing.
It hurt.
It was so painful, saddening and distressing that she couldnt bear it.
Shed never seen a face like that on Lukas before. She didnt want to see it.
What made it even more impossible for her to ignore it was,
She, was the one that made it that way.
sorry.
Lukas, Lukas.
But.
It was a very shameless wish, but
can you please stay alive?
Her cheeks became moist.
Can you please stay alive one more time?
Up to her chin was wet.
One more time, please, one more time
The moment Iris remembered the promise she shouldnt have forgotten.
It had already been a year since Lukas Trowman disappeared.
(TL: Im not crying, you are.)
Book 2: Chapter 513
One day, Diablo appeared.[The wall has been torn down Now, I can tell you the truth about everything Ive learned.]
By that point, the number of beings Diablo had killed had already reached millions. Naturally, no one really believed what he said.
In particular, Snows followers were the ones that opposed it the most. After all, not only had she lost her eyesight, but her body had noticeably weakened, and she was no longer able to display even half of the skills as in her prime.
[Do you resent me? Do you want to kill me? Thats fine too. However, Iris Peacefinder, and the puppet with Schweisers memories. Have you never wondered why one of your best friends, who has already died, follows me?]
Excuse me?
[I dont have a puppet that doesnt have a mind of its own. This man has an ego and is capable of making situational judgments.]
[Thats right.]
Nodding, Lucid agreed.
Momentarily speechless, Iris couldnt help but ask back.
the massacre you inflicted naturally included the weak, like children. Lucid, are you saying that you killed them all while you were still of sound mind?
[Im not sure if Im still of sound mind.]
Lucid muttered bitterly.
[However, I wont deny that I made that choice.]
[You were like this when you came to me in the past too, Iris Peacefinder. Im just making the best choice I can make at this point.]
How on earth was slaughtering millions the best choice?
Iris couldnt understand. Lucids voice was that of a dead person. The distinctive low tone was dry like sand, but there was no madness mixed in.
Of sound mind*. (*:meaning to be fully sane or rational)
Did he really do that while being of sound mind?
[I will tell you the truth.]
Diablo reiterated his previous words.
Then he started giving his speech.
About the system that made up the world,
About the existence of God, and the Absolutes,
About the Three Thousand Worlds and the World of Void,
About the capacity reaching the limit,
About the apocalypse that would come without warning,
About ceasing to exist instead of dying.
sounds crazy.
Empty words.
Truths that were too heavy for a mortal to accept, no.
Truths that were too scary.
That was what made them all the more convincing.
Although each of them seemed like tales a megalomaniac would tell, they were all intricately intertwined and provided a basis for each other.
[Iris Peacefinder I know about the power of space that you possess. Now that the barrier is no longer working, it should be possible for you to enter the Void Records.]
the Void Records?
[The Great Medium should be able to tell you the coordinates Because she was the only one in our world who could touch the Akashic Records.]
After saying that, Diablo left. Some radicals were unable to hold back and expressed their intention to attack, but they didnt clamour to kill him like before.
do you believe what that guy said, Black Witch?
Glancing at her, Ivan spoke.
I wish I could just dismiss everything he said as bullshit.
Iris muttered with a tired smile. In situations like this, being smart was counterproductive.
After the conflict, Iris headed to the Void Records.
And found out first hand that the things Diablo said really weren''t bullshit.
As if to compensate for her ignorance until then, Iris immersed herself in the knowledge of the Void Records. Or maybe she immersed herself in order to forget something.
Then, one day.
That happened.
* * *
who is it?
In the Void Records, Diablos voice rang out once more.
[Lukas Trowman.]
Iris body shook.
She had only heard his name, but it was already enough to send a chill down her spine and make her heart pound loudly.
It was like the dawn of the day she realised too late all over again.
[I will talk to him in a moment, but he probably wont easily believe me no matter what I say.]
[I would like you to convince him. At the very least, it should be more effective than what I say.]
After falling silent for a moment, Diablo continued.
[Of course, if that is too difficult]
Please send him.
Iris spoke in a trembling voice.
Here, please send him here. I will appease him.
[It will take some time.]
Ttuk, his voice cut off.
Iris stood there blankly.
Right.
He was still alive.
The record of Lukas Trowman in the Void Records had been cut off at some point. It didnt end with a full stop. The middle section had disappeared as if it had been lost, which was something that Iris had never seen among the countless records. The Great Medium had said that it was as if someone had intentionally erased the traces of him.
And Diablo had said.
Lukas was probably alive somewhere.
A world that could not be recorded, a dump site where all the abandoned things flowed into.
Lukas had probably gone to the place called The World of Void
Then, Iris met Lukas again.
The moment they met, her voice didnt come out easily.
She tried to hide her emotions completely, but she was unable to hide the surprise in her eyes.
At the reunion that she longed for, Iris throat was locked.
Again, he had changed.
Now that she thought about it, he had changed every time they met.
Even after 4,000 years, when he was Pray Blake, even after he returned to their home universe, he kept changing. Not all of those changes were possible.
However this time, the change was a bit different.
She was so sad that it felt like if she were to let down her guard for an instant, she would burst into tears. She wanted to ask questions right away.
What happened, What the hell did you forsake, and Are you okay.
If she could, she wanted to give him words of comfort.
However, I cannot think of you as an acquaintance at all.
The words that came out of her lips were the exact opposite of the truth.
It was fine.
She was used to hiding her true feelings anyway. She could trick him. She could fool him perfectly.
I can understand the feelings of the Iris written here, but I cannot recognise her as me.
Nevertheless, as expected.
I just wanted to make this clear before we started talking. Im sorry.
She couldnt bear to see his sad face.
* * *
Since youre done with your business, lets get going. The top seems a bit noisy.
When the blue haired woman appeared, she felt her throat stiffen.
She knew from the knowledge.
This young looking woman with a seemingly unstable attitude was one of the Four Knights, a monster on par with a Ruler.
She didnt have any good feelings.
Shed managed to keep her composure in front of Lukas, but the presence of Pale, who came after, once again caused a stir inside Iris.
You forgot your oath. Did you know that? Its much harder and crueller to forget a promise than to break it! But every single one of you betrayed Lukas.
that was done by God.
Was it because of the rule? Ah. Of course it was. However, that doesnt mean exceptions were impossible, does it? Moreover, I dont think you can even fool yourself with that excuse!
Ahh.
Those exact words. They were not all wrong.
She wished she could laugh out loud at the words that were so far from the truth they were refreshing. The pain of barely healed wounds being torn open again wracked her, but more than the pain, Iris felt disgusted by herself.
But she wasnt the one that felt it the hardest.
The person that felt it the hardest was standing right in front of her. Who felt what real pain was.
Then, Lukas and Pale left the Void Records. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Pale was standing beside Lukas.
Standing in the place that Iris wanted to stand so badly, a place that she wanted to obtain no matter what, even if it cost her soul.
I see.
She felt it.
Pale didnt rely on him one-sidedly. Iris could tell from his attitude when she arrived.
Lukas also relied on Pale to an extent.
Smile.
Smile, Iris Peacefinder.
What do you plan to do with that stiff expression on your face?
You have to smile, smile even if you have to force it, please smile.
However, in the end, she couldnt smile.
Even when Lukas looked back for a moment.
Iris couldnt smile.
* * *
Still, I thought I could leave him to you.
On the [Next Stage], facing an opponent she couldnt beat.
Iris muttered with a sneer.
[]
She felt the Blue Knight turn her head.
After slowly taking off her helmet, her face was revealed.
People keep appearing one after the other. Its so annoying.
There was a trace of boredom on Pales face.
I thought that you could support Lukas. Because you are strong.
It wasnt exactly certain what emotions were exchanged between the two of them.
However.
What Lukas needed the most was practical strength, not warm comfort. So I expected you, whose power is equivalent to a Ruler, to be by Lukas side and help him overcome the things he couldnt handle.
Why are you saying weird things? That thing is no longer Lukas.
Pale spoke in a baffled voice.
A Ruler, that disgusting being, has already devoured Lukas mind. His appearance and the way he speaks is just pretending to be Lukas, but the inside is already a completely different being. Ah. Or do you not understand what Rulers are because youre a mortal?
No. I know. I know very well. But so what?
Huh?
I can see now that you dont know anything about Lukas. Lukas is not a man that can be defeated by a Ruler.
Iris smiled confidently.
He is not that weak.
My judgement was wrong. You didnt deserve to stand beside Lukas.
Pale was silent. She put on the helmet that she had taken off. As if to cover her face.
A short while after, a giggle leaked out of the helmet.
[I cant beat you with words.]
The blue eyes within the helmet looked behind Iris.
!
Just as Iris was startled, Pales figure disappeared.
Puk-
Then a blade pierced flesh.
[It was obvious.]
Iris could manipulate space. This meant that if she wanted to run away, it would be difficult for Pale to kill her.
That was why she deliberately revealed her goal.
Looking at Lukas just before disappearing was no different from declaring that she was going to target him.
Obvious intent, obvious attack.
But Iris had no choice but to respond in an obvious way.
This was probably the first time her chest had been pierced by a blade. The aching sensation was greater than the pain. A cold feeling, as if ice was directly pressed to her heart.
Pshk.
The moment Pale pulled the sword out, she felt something warm rapidly escaping. It wasnt just the splattering of flesh blood, but the feeling of her life crumbling away with it a clear feeling of death that she had only felt once in the past.
Cough.
She didnt wipe the blood that dripped down.
[What should I do now the Black Knight is still alive]
Pales attention to this place disappeared in an instant. After that, she couldnt hear her voice anymore. All she could hear was buzzing as if there was a swarm of bees nearby.
Iris forcibly braced her staggering steps. With her end nearing, her gaze and mind were focused only on the man in front of her.
Lukas face with his eyes closed was one of her favourites.
He looked focused.
Ah, but at the same time, he looked great.
His angry face, thoughtful face, interested face, puzzle face.
Nevertheless,
Although most of his faces are wonderful.
not the sad face.
Iris let out a laugh.
The sad face is not nice at all. So I dont want to see that face anymore, I wont.
She carefully reached out.
She wanted to wipe the sweat from his brow or stroke his chin. But in the end she gave up.
If she did that, it would leave a bloodstain. Because he was quick-witted, in such a position, he would be able to see that she had used herself as a shield. She didnt like that.
She didnt want to reveal the fact that she had become his shield.
She didnt deserve his compassion.
but still.
Iris gaze turned to Lukas mouth.
Lukas smiling face, is the most wonderful face.
Because it was that smile that saved her.
Her vision blurred. Her voice was slurred because of the sadness that was greater than the pain.
Why did we
Fall apart so much.
Seriously, why was it so hard?
To see him smile.
* * *
[You lied again.]
He heard Pales voice.
[Didnt you say that woman no longer meant anything?]
[If she doesnt mean anything, why does she have that expression? Oh, youre not Lukas anymore.]
Pale had already lost her mind.
It was clear just from looking at her voice and attitude.
[Omniscience is a great authority.]
This time, the voice he heard was the Lightning God.
[Depending on the capability of the user, it can even guarantee victory against much stronger foes. However, in the past, every mortal with a similar ability was destroyed without exception.]
[This is because their weak minds couldnt handle it. Not just because there is a lot of information. There is a saying there are some things its better to not know. This is that case. You were able to learn everything about that woman because you used Thunder.]
That was right.
Iris wouldnt have told anyone about her inner turmoil. She would have let it quietly rot, and embrace it on her own. That was the kind of woman she was.
[Now. What will you do, Lukas Trowman?]
What would he do?
I dont know.
[]
Lightning God, what kind of expression am I making right now?
[Are you asking me about human emotions? Kukuku]
The Lightning God let out a laugh.
[Is it anger?]
[Does it feel like your mind is going blank with rage? Does your breathing feel fast and it feels like blood is rushing to your head?If so, then let it out. Run as wild as you want. Theres an opponent standing right in front of you.]
The Lightning Gods voice rang in his head like thunder.
[This Lightning God will help you, Lukas.]
Crackle
Electricity flowed all over his body.
He saw Pale take two steps back.
The Lightning God spoke,
[Roar like thunder, strike like lightning.]
And so Lukas did.
Book 2: Chapter 515
Even a cursed fate has an end.The life of hunger, which she was unable to do anything about on her own, came to an end. It took a very long time for that to happen. She was only released at the moment when the universe came to an end, long enough for her to even give up on giving up.
But freedom was just the beginning of a different hell.
A grey desert.
A sky embroidered with various colours.
A desolate world where not even a trace of life could be felt.
.
All of a sudden.
She realised her role.
It was her first time feeling this way.
Knowledge that she hadnt known before flowed into her head. Each and every truth that she came to know was so shocking, she
kukuku.
Let out a laugh.
How could she not.
After all, she found out why she had suffered so much.
Dont go looking for God.
She heard a dry voice.
It was a person with bleached hair that sharply contrasted his brown skin.
Under no circumstances, regardless of how hard it is, wont go looking for God. We.(*: The we should start the sentence)
The way he spoke was more unique than anything she had ever experienced before, but it was not enough to distort the intent behind his words.
More importantly, she knew who this being was.
We?
Thats why it was even more disgusting.
Dont act like were the same. Do you even know what hunger is?
The Knights are not all the same.
They dont have the same pain.
.
I dont know. However, I know. Other things.
Like what?
Why we became like this.
There is. Outside. Beings born from hundreds of millions of overlapping miracles. Beings who live long lives without experiencing a single failure. Beings who took away the blessings we were meant to have, like the two sides of a coin, light and dark.
This was something that surpassed the knowledge that she received.
She asked.
Who are they?
Rulers.
After a brief reply, he continued.
Every being is born with their own purpose. According to that persons determined classification system, we are born losers. And Rulers are born Absolutes, beings who acquire everything from the very beginning.
Who is that person?
God. Sear?h the N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
That day.
From the day she first learned about God and the Rulers, she hated them so much. But more than that, she was jealous.
For a while, she was overcome by a sense of inferiority and defeat, and she struggled with pain once more.
No one knew what was happening inside of her.
Because she didnt want to show any signs of weakness, she laughed.
* * *
The past was something she didnt want any piece of to be discovered by anyone.
No matter how precious a person is, even if they were closer than a family member, the things that someone didnt want to reveal were even more precious.
In Pales case, her past, which was dotted with hunger, was that thing.
Sorry.
Lukas apologised first.
She wanted to conceal her origin, but Lukas had peeked at her memories without permission. It was an act deserving of criticism.
I see.
However, because of that, Lukas was able to grasp Pales nature.
He also learned of her blind hatred towards the Rulers.
Ahahaha! Ahahahaha!
Pale burst into laughter, but she wasnt laughing at all.
She seemed crazy, but she was calmer than ever before.
Lukas could see it now.
In that case, then,
At this point, there was something that he could say to her.
Even if it cant change anything, even if it is pointless.
[Lightning God, if we continue like this, we can win this battle.]
That was actually the case.
Although one arm had been cut off, the Lightning God displayed such an amazing fighting sense that he couldnt even be regarded as a one armed person.
It didnt stop at sending Pales helmet flying. While minimising the damage he took, he was consistently destroying Pales armour.
Still concentrating on the fight with Pale, the Lightning God responded.
Why did you add a useless thing like [if we continue like this]?
[Because I need to do something crazy that will probably lower our chances of winning.]
If someone else had heard such bullshit, their bodies would probably have paused, even if just for a moment.
Of course, the Lightning God would not make such a silly mistake, but the absurdity he felt was no less.
Can you not understand the situation? I have the advantage. I finally managed to build momentum to put pressure on the Blue Knight. Do you understand? If we dont continue this momentum, there will not be a second time. .
The Lightning God looked at her.
Even though her helmet was hit away and half of her armour was smashed, she didnt look like a being who was at a disadvantage at all.
If the initiative is passed to the Blue Knight again, that will be the moment of certain defeat. As I said, that guy is still growing even now.
[Everything you said is right.]
Then
[However.]
It was at that moment.
The Lightning God experienced the unpleasant experience of his body moving without his control. It opened its mouth and spoke.
Just this time, follow my insistence.
Immediately after those words were uttered, the Lightning Gods eyes widened slightly in surprise, before narrowing again.
Did you grow again? I cant believe you managed to regain control of your body while looking at the past, present and future.
Just the tongue and lips.(TL: And jaw?)
What are you trying to do?
I told you. Im about to do something crazy that will lower our chances of winning.
prick, arent you watching right now?
He was talking about the authority of omniscience.
Lukas smiled bitterly.
Not yet. Im doing it at the same time. However, Im gradually reaching my limit. You should know too, right? The longer this pointless conversation goes on, the more our chances of winning decrease.
If someone were to see this scene, they would probably burst into laughter.
It would look like one person was asking and answering his own question, as if he were playing two roles.
You dare to threaten the Lightning God?
Im saying think rationally. I will tell you, I have no intention of giving up on this craziness.
This is turning me off more and more.
you, know a word like that?
But the only spectator there, Pale, was not interested in their conversation.
She was still smiling, but the smile on her face was not because of the unfunny jokes by the beings in front of her.
Ha. Right. Just do whatever you want.
Saying that, the Lightning God focused on the fight once again.
Lukas only regained control of his tongue. But that was enough for now.
Pale.
He called the name of the woman with blue hair.
There was no response.
Pale.
In the minimal time zone, in the even more compressed period of time.
In the midst of the fierce battle, Lukas called her name once more.
There was still no answer.
Pale just continued to swing her sword with a faint smile.
Maybe she doesnt want to listen.
But it was Lukas fault for causing this disagreement.
That was why he had more to say.
You are wrong.
haht.
This time, there was a reaction.
Pales eyes flashed with cynicism, and the power behind her sword slash increased.
The Lightning God clicked his tongue. Depending on their emotional up and downs, they become stronger or weaker. This rule should only apply to the weak. As expected, the Four Knights were beings that deviated from providence in many ways.
The momentum of the fight intensified.
However, this was only the beginning. From now on, Lukas would stir up Pales heart even more wildly and violently. Most of the responsibility for handling the aftermath would fall on the Lightning God.
Feeling a little sorry for him, Lukas continued.
Now I know your principles of conduct.
He thought of an event that occurred in a certain timeline.
At that time, Lukas had gone to a place called the Dump Site. And it was none other than Pale who guided him there.
The corpses of many Lukases,
He had no choice but to eat them in order to become stronger. Pale must have been able to see through that goal.
So Lukas ate them.
He committed a sin by eating everything without leaving anything behind.
Pale, who realised this fact when they later reunited, was even more happy.
He wasnt sure why at first, but now he knew.
At that moment, Pale had felt a faint sense of kinship. She also got the slightly addictive pleasure gained from the feeling of immorality when corrupting someone.
She must have felt a kind of love as well.
A twisted affection directed only at those who had committed the same sin.
She couldnt just love those that bore the same scars. The quality had to be much worse.
Without such a person, Pale had to create one.
So she guided Lukas to the Dump Site.
And she encouraged Butterfly to eat her parent.
You cant do that.
Lukas murmured again.
That method is wrong.
Whats wrong with it?
Pale replied in a low voice.
It was the first time that conversation had been established since she went out of control.
Just because youre walking through hell, you shouldnt entice others to walk with you. The presence of someone else walking beside you might cause the pain to fade for a while. However your surroundings are still hell. Nothing changes.
Change? I dont want to change.
No. You do want to change. You long to change your environment. You are lonelier than anyone I know, which is why you cant stand being alone.
The power of Pales blade doubled.
A lightning-clad arm blocked the attack, but the Lightning Gods body sank into the ground.
He was shedding blood. It was only then that the Lightning God realise what Lukas meant by something crazy that will probably lower our chances of winning.
Continuing this conversation which was stimulating Pale was basically a shortcut to defeat.
Please look at me, understand my wounds, and the cries I let out every time I cough up blood.
Lukas slowly recalled the past.
It was like that the first time we met. Sorry. I didnt notice.
Hed thought she was an incomprehensible monster.
Even after that, he kept her in check, being careful.
It was the same even in this life, in this life where he could confidently say that he was the closest to Pale.
Even after coming to the Three Thousand Worlds, he treated Pale like a dangerous element. Although he didnt express it directly, he had always regarded her as an uncontrollable monster.
He was more wary of Pale than of Diablo or the Demon King, who were his original targets, or the Rulers, who were hiding their ulterior motives.
He shouldnt have.
Pales eyes shook.
It was a different attitude from before. At some point, the smile had disappeared from her face. Her tightly pressed lips seemed to be forcibly blocking her bursting voice.
Its not too late.
Ill help. Ill teach you how to live a better life.
Of course, Lukas didnt know enough about life to brag. However, there was no right way to live. There was just one truth.
Life was essentially pain.
And in Pales case, she didnt even know what her pain was. That made it the most painful and saddest pain in the world.
and how to kill an inferiority complex, control jealousy, and overcome a sense of defeat.
There is no one that isnt at least a little ugly.
Everyone has some amount of evil in their hearts. There is no human who is perfectly good from head to toe.
Lukas now knew that too.
I learned that because of you.
I learned a lot after I ate so many mes in the Dump Site.
Pale didnt understand what he was saying.
Pale, who had been looking at him for a while, turned her gaze away.
Lukas wanted to reach out to her, but he couldnt.
His body was still under the control of the Lightning God. As mentioned before, Lukas only had control over the lips and tongue.
Now he had reached his limit.
Lukas returned control, which he had temporarily regained, to the Lightning God.
He turned his eyes away from the the battle between the Lightning God, and the Blue Knight, the two absolute beings,
And looked at the future.
Hopefully, this conversation wouldnt have been for nothing.
He hoped something had changed.
Wishing desperately, he looked.
Looked at the futures which were more numerous than the stars.
.
Lukas blinked.
More than hundreds of millions of possibilities.
In the blink of an eye, most of the futures began to disappear rapidly. It was similar to the Milky Way rapidly disappearing from the black sky. Or like a city filled with lights suffering a power outage. In this way, possibilities began to disappear one by one.
He had kept it from the Lightning God, but Lukas hadnt found a future where he reconciled with Pale. He couldnt find it.
This meant that this possibility didnt exist from the start.
However Nevertheless, he still hoped something would change.
Although he really hated the word, he hoped that a miracle would happen.
But judging from the result, Lukas actions were foolish.
Most of the possibilities disappeared from his sight.
Among the pitch black futures, only one possibility had not lost its colour.
Seeing that future, Lukas resigned himself.
The sight of a corpse laying grimly on the ground in a miserable state.
A future that had already been fixed, a future that could not be changed.
Soon,
Lukas Trowman would die.
Book 2: Chapter 516
With a blurred consciousness, Yang In-hyun recalled some unpleasant memories.C A world that was wiped out and destroyed, the seeds that were planted in that devastated world, and the flowers that bloomed after a long time Then what would the next form be?
The reason they were unpleasant was simple and childish.
-Do I want to put destruction or regeneration into my sword? Can I answer that? No. I cant.
What he said went right through the heart of it.
And it seemed that he was more upset because he had pierced the heart of it.
hoo.
He tried to wipe blood off of his face, but it didnt come off easily.
The Demon Kings blood smelled worse than that of a human, and it was disgustingly sticky.
[Understood. So that was your final form.]
The Demon God possessed the body of the Demon King.
His limbs had been severed, and his body was carved with countless sword scars. Rather than being cut by a sword technique, he looked as if he had been butchered by countless small blades.
[Its incomplete.]
[But its strong. In fact, because it is incomplete, it is the form that suits you the best right now.]
The Demon God grinned.
[The power of the Twelve Void Lords. Its a bit higher than I expected. Or maybe you are special. Thats one more interesting thing to consider.]
Then the body gradually began to lose vitality.
[Thats a pretty good killer move.]
Tuk, his head fell.
The body of the Demon King, which had become a corpse, soon scattered into ashes. Yang In-hyun watched on indifferently before murmuring.
right now, I am stronger than I was right after coming to the Three Thousand Worlds. If it wasnt for that, I would have lost to you.
Yang In-hyung started walking away, but he collapsed after taking a few steps.
Cough.
The blood that he had been suppressing until then finally came up. Not caring that his clothes would get dirty, Yang In-hyun spat it out.
Bleeding any further would put his life at risk, but forcibly swallowing it wouldnt change anything.
With blurred vision, Yang In-Hyun looked up at the sky.
He could see the shape of the [Next Stage]. He was vaguely aware of what was happening there.
Subconsciously, he reached out his hand, but his vision soon faded.
Why did he fight so desperately, to the point of foolishness? He
Yang In-hyun asked himself.
He had never used the last form of the Everlasting Plum Sword in actual combat. There were very few opponents that could cause him to use it, and even then, he hesitated to do so.
As the Demon God said, this form is still incomplete. It wasnt just because of the burden on his body, but also because the consumption of mental strength was greater than he expected. Since it was a blow that truly changed the power of existence, it had even created the illusion that his own existence was fading.
The last form of the Everlasting Plum Sword could be called Yang In-hyuns final act of desperation, something he would only take out when he was ready to risk his life.
Why?
Was the fight with the Demon God really worth that much?
To be honest, it wasnt.
That would have been true if he wasnt involved.
He kept his promise.
Thanks to this, he felt strangely satisfied before death.
However, the regret was greater.
The Everlasting Plum Sword was an expression of Yang In-hyuns inner world in the form of swordsmanship.
Past, present, and future.
What Yang In-hyun wanted to add to the last form of the Everlasting Plum Sword was the future he wanted to paint. The reason it was incomplete until now was because he still wasnt clear about what future he wanted to paint.
Nevertheless, something had changed.
Did he have a future that he wanted to paint now?
-For me, human nature is being able to toast a glass of wine under the moonlight.
So he was calling him a human, like him.
Was that the answer he got after seeing him like that?
If that was the case, then there was something he wanted to tell him. Things he wanted to show, and conversations he wanted to have.
How about it? Lets have a chat over a glass of wine.
He said that he had something to tell him about Lee Jong-hak.
Right.
It would be nice if it was a day that was a little cold, a day when you had to adjust your collar because of the chill, and a day when the moonlit night was especially beautiful.
Yang In-hyun forcibly got to his feet. Then, he tried to use his sword as a cane to walk, but he collapsed once again before he could get too far. He didnt expect that not having a leg would be so uncomfortable. This was not the Void World, so there was no way to regenerate the severed leg.
He might have to continue living like this, so he would probably have to develop martial arts that were suitable to be used with one leg.
Kneeling on the ground, he leaned against his sword.
His eyelids were heavy and his body couldnt move well.
He decided to take a break for a while and think up a name for the new form.
the moon reflected in the wine glass.
A name like that should be fine.
Everlasting Plum Sword, Third Form, Glass Moon.
With a faint smile, Yang In-hyun went stiff.
And he could not move any longer.
* * *
Even when faced with his future death, Lukas didnt feel despair.
He just tried to push away the feeling of resignation that came in like a wave.
Did a way to change a fixed future really not exist?
Lukas struggled to find hope.
However, the sea of stars, which had once been filled with countless possibilities, had lost all colour. The great sea of possibilities had stopped moving and become stagnant.
What did you see, Lukas Trowman?
He heard the Lightning Gods voice.
I dont even need to ask such a stupid question.
He clicked his tongue in irritation.
He must have felt the way the battle situation changed more clearly than anyone else.
To borrow the words of the Lightning God, the momentum had been grasped by the opponent. Pale, who had been taken over by her emotions, showed off her ridiculous martial might as she overwhelmed the Lightning God.
Is this the result of the crazy thing you wanted to do? You really are annoying. To make this Lightning God suffer a defeat, even indirectly.
[Sorry.]
Hmph. Its your body anyway.
Suddenly, the Thunder wrapped around his body was cut apart by Pales blade.
This situation was no different from having a warrior having his armour, shield and sword destroyed. But instead of being surprised or shocked, the Lightning God only clicked his tongue once.
Tch.
Pale didnt miss the opening and darted in. After narrowing the distance till she was just below his chin, with the hilt of her sword held in both hands, she raised the sword and slashed.
At that moment, even Lukas, who was looking at the future, could see nothing but blue flashes covering his sight.
mm.
Then the Lightning God let out a short grunt.
His one remaining arm was cut off in an instant.
This is it.
The moment he uttered those words in a calm voice.
Puk, a blade pierced the Lightning Gods-
No, Lukas body.
Lukas ego returned at almost the same time. But since their senses had been shared from the beginning, the pain was not sudden.
However, the place the blade pierced was his abdomen, not a vital point. This was because the Lightning God was able to twist his body at the last moment.
Thanks to that, he was allowed a very small amount of time.
Pale was in front of him. sea??h th Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Since the beginning of the fight, this was the closest shed come.
A place where he could stretch out and touch her, no, even closer than that.
What will you do after you kill me? Youve already killed everyone that annoyed you.
I havent.
Pale sneered coldly.
There is still the Black Knight, the Rulers, and VIP. There is a mountain of trash that needs to be cleaned up.
You will kill all of them by yourself? Do you really think that is possible?
Who do you think I wont?
Pales smile gradually took on a dangerous colour.
I know what you want.
No. Lukas doesnt know.
Secret friend.
The smile stiffened.
A bewildered light flashed in her eyes, followed by calm rage.
Who did you hear that from? The White Knight? Was that idiot the one that said it?
Now that he thought about it, in this life, she had never said those words.
But it didnt matter. Lukas smiled dejectedly.
For you, the secret must be a sin. You can only love and be close to those who have committed sins like you.
A good being, a being who wouldnt let off a speck of dust even if they were to shake, could not get close to Pale. Instead, they would only earn her hate.
However, if the other person committed a terrible sin, especially if it was a sin close to hers
Pale would not be able to help loving such a being.
If you know that.
Rather than flow, the voice that came out afterwards sounded like it was squeezed.
If you know what I want, why didnt you do that for me?
Pale withdrew her sword. As he felt the cool sensation of the blade cutting through his skin, Lukas let out a soft groan.
You know. What you should do.
Now. Come along.
Pale guided Lukas by the hand. He could feel the softness of the hand on the other side of the gauntlet. With an angelic smile on her face again, she slowly dragged Lukas to a certain place.
To a place where a corpse lay.
Eat.
Iris corpse,
Which was growing ever colder on the ground.
That is the beginning. If you eat that, Ill forgive you for everything youve done until now. The Ruler in your body? Ill get rid of it. The Demon King and Diablo? As long as they are in VIP, as long as they borrowed the power of a Ruler, they cannot escape my eradication. However, uncle Lukas, is different.
He knew now.
Just how special Pales offer was.
And how much she cared about him now.
For a moment, he pictured a future where he accepted this offer. She would probably do exactly as she said.
Come on.
Smiling brightly, Pale urged him.
All that remained was the final step.
Eating Iris,
A corpse that was already dead. He had already experienced eating cold meat that had already lost its vitality.
Lukas walked towards Iris.
His body was a mess, so it took quite a while for him to move just those few steps.
Ahaha.
Pale giggled.
Lukas looked down at Iris corpse, closed her eyes.
Then, turned around again.
what are you doing?
I had been thinking about it since before. Her eyes were still open.
Thats not what Im asking.
A roar rang through the air.
Just the pressure from it alone was enough to make Lukas cough up a mouthful of blood.
Did you already forget what I said?
Pale, I used to consider you a monster.
Pales expression didnt change despite the unexpected words.
I was always wary, afraid. However, there is one thing I can say with confidence.
Whats that?
I never stopped trying to understand you.
From the first time we met until now. Ive been trying to figure out who you are.
Regardless of if it was because of fear or something else, the trigger was no longer important.
What are you trying to say?
Did you ever do that?
For a moment, Pale froze.
Have you ever tried to understand me? Did you ever try to figure out what I was thinking?
I dont think you did. You wouldnt have been interested in something like that. You just kept trying to change someone, anyone. You didnt care what other people thought.
you seem certain.
Right. Because if you had even the slightest understanding of me, you wouldnt have made such a disgusting offer.
At the words disgusting offer, Pales expression changed once again.
Am I, disgusting?
This word could be considered Pales reverse scale.
Lukas knew about her past.
So he also knew how much it hurt Pale.
Yeah.
Thats why he said it even more clearly.
Its so disgusting that I dont want to look at it with my own eyes.
Puk.
A short sound was heard once again.
Lukas looked into Pales eyes, instead of the sword that pierced his throat.
So he was able to capture the sight of those shaking and unsteady blue eyes.
if you want to understand a person, you have to first know what they dislike.
The stab to the throat should have been an expression that she didnt want to hear what he wanted to say anymore.
Pale withdrew her sword. Lukas stumbled, feeling the sensation of bloody tears flowing down.
However, Lukas, nodded in agreement with the strongest voice in his heart.
He would never, no matter what, want to eat Iris Peacefinder.
Thunk.
Falling to the ground, he looked up at the sky.
Then, he realised that his current state was the same as the future hed seen through the authority of omniscience.
Up to here.
The future that Lukas had looked very carefully at before was until this moment.
Although he grandiosely called it the authority of omniscience, the Lightning God was right.
He wasnt capable of fully understanding every past, present and future that occurred in this space. Most of it was accumulated in his brain as prototypes of unprocessed information.
Therefore, the scene that was about to unfold was after that.
Through his blurred vision and clouded mind, he could see someone standing in the sky.
It was a man, who was slowly coming towards him.
The expression of Pale, who realised this after, stiffened.
[Lukas Trowman]
A being who he had been paying attention to since learning of his existence, but whose true identity he was still unable to uncover.
That person was looking at Lukas with a bitter expression.
You, who the hell are you?
Looking at the sloppy face that seemed to mimic him, Lukas asked one last question, but his voice wasnt able to come out.
Then, his vision went dark.
Lukas Trowman, died once again.
Book 2: Chapter 517
Coming to the World of Void,Receiving the power to struggle the most desperately from God,
Lukas had experienced four such lives by now.
He couldnt help but feel that number was much less than expected.
In terms of mental fatigue, it felt like he had experienced at least dozens or hundreds of regressions.
This life,
The fourth life, felt especially longer.
Of course, in terms of actual time, the life where he ate all of the Lukas corpses in the Dump Site would be the longest, but the density of living itself was by far the highest.
He learned a lot of the truths that he had to know.
He also learned about other peoples secrets.
There were also many tremendous accidents.
Slowly immersed in darkness, he recalled everything about that life.
A life that was by no means easy.
Then, he suddenly realised.
He hadnt come back to life.
Lukas consciousness was simply trapped in darkness. That fact brought a heavy silence.
Was this the end?
Did he no longer have any more chances?
He had lived every life desperately, but the ending of this particular life was especially desperate.
After he died, what would happen?
Pale wouldnt stop her killing spree. It wouldnt be strange if she completely destroyed the universe where most of Lukas acquaintances were gathered.
Would the Rulers just look on?
Pale was right.
The Thunder God, the Demon God, and even the silent Sun God
Even though they are fully aware of what the Four Knights are, and how strong they are, they were reluctant to fight them head-on.
Why?
Werent the Four Knights the beings who were as strong as they are and worthy of challenging that they longed for?
Lukas couldnt help but be confused by their contradictory appearances.
If not the Rulers,
Then the Lukas Trowman who appeared at the end. Could he stop Pale?
This was also something he didnt know. He had wanted to analyse him, but, unfortunately, Lukas, who was about to die, didnt have any mental strength left.
After a while, Lukas came to a conclusion.
The phenomenon he was currently experiencing was not death.
[That is a truth that cannot be known from just one life.]
As if responding to his conclusion, he heard a low voice.
A voice he hadnt heard in a while.
He knew who that voice belonged to.
Are you really dead?
[That is certainly the case now. This voice youre hearing now is just the last trace I left behind.]
[I told you. I would give you the power to struggle the most desperately. However, I didnt tell you what you would struggle against.]
Lukas nodded.
He now knew.
the predestined apocalypse.
[]
God didnt immediately continue the conversation.
For a while, silence befitting the dark space fell.
[What do you want to do?]
That question is too comprehensive.
[The power you currently have is enough to rank in the top 20 even if both the Three Thousand Worlds and the World of Void are included.]
Lukas expression became strange.
Top 20.
Being in the top 20 in the Three Thousand Worlds and World of Void was amazing. Even if looked at from an objective angle, it was clear that the power he had acquired was tremendous.
However, Lukas was still a step short of the level he was pursuing.
That wasnt all.
Lukas was surprised to learn that there were still at least 10 beings stronger than him.
Among the beings hed personally identified, only the three Rulers and Four Knights could be considered stronger than him.
What other beings were there apart from those?
The rest of the Twelve Void Lords that he hadnt met? The Void King?
That or
Lukas shook his head.
Since it was a statement from none other than God, it would be foolish to harbour excessive doubts about it. sea??h th n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
[Youve been through several lives, but it wasnt just a repetition.]
Right. As you said before, I learned truths that couldnt be known in one life.
[No. Im talking about after that.]
after that?
[For me, the most important thing was your attitude after knowing the truth. Look back on the path youve taken.]
Lukas figure suddenly appeared in the dark space.
And the lives he had lived so far flashed past like a panorama.
[You were a human, and an Absolute. You communicated with a Ruler, and tried to understand one of the Four Knights. Although you were not the strongest being in my multiverse, you became the most unbiased. And being the most unbiased is not much different from being the most free.]
The freest being.
It was the first time hed heard someone say that.
That was what someone thought of him.
Lukas always thought that his life was always tied to something.
Responsibilities, obligations, things only he could do
It was only relatively recently that he put them all down.
[If there is a virtue that a king needs the most, it is that. The ability to understand various people.]
are you suggesting that I become the Void King?
[Didnt I tell you? If you go to the Castle, you will know everything. The most standard way to do that is to become one of the Twelve Void Lords, but You came to learn the truth from a direction completely different from my own prediction.]
[All of your guesses are all correct. My arrangements were to let you become the Void King, but from now on, everything is up to you. No matter what choice you make, or even if you dont make a choice]
He could feel Gods voice gradually growing fainter.
[Because I no longer have the power or ability to force you to make a choice.]
you.
Then, just before he disappeared, God spoke.
[This is the last time, Lukas Trowman. To talk to me like this and also to regress.]
Words that could never be taken perfunctorily.
[There is no next time.]
* * *
He regressed once again.
That death was also not the end.
That fact made Lukas feel relief as well as faint hope, but he also felt a chill somewhere in his heart.
The last regression.
No, there was no after.
If he died another time, it would really be over.
as expected.
Eventually, the accusations built up again.
Lukas realised that the reason hed died to Pale was also because he had been counting on the regression to some extent. If he had made this realisation at the end, he wouldnt have gone to his death so obediently.
He felt his consciousness slowly rising from his sleep.
there is no next time.
He engraved Gods words into his mind once more.
This time, was the last time.
* * *
There was something that God didnt talk to him about.
That was exactly which point in the past he was regressing to.
As mentioned before, many variables had occurred in the fourth life, and a lot of things happened.
Among them, the thing that bewildered him the most was the fact that he had left the World of Void.
This was because this was also Lukas goal when he first arrived in the World of Void.
Would the life begin from the moment immediately after hed left the Three Thousand Worlds?
Thats what Lukas thought.
Even before opening his eyes, he could already tell which point he had returned to.
It had been quite a while by now, but he didnt miss the feeling of the cool sand at all. The dry, stuffy air which didnt seem to contain even the slightest trace of life energy.
When he opened his eyes, he was greeted by the sight of the sky swirling with various colours.
A scene that hed seen many times before.
Huh? Youre awake.
And a voice that hed heard many times before.
Standing at his side with a large grin, was Pale.
He could see her slightly malnourished face, long hair, and innocent smile.
He couldnt think of anything to say.
Unquestionably, the woman in front of him had killed him at least twice, and at least had a direct or indirect effect on his other deaths.
After turning his gaze to Pale, Lukas stretched out his hand to the sky.
Fwoosh!
The monster which attacked from the sky was burned from its mouth down and quickly disappeared without leaving a trace.
Heh~
Pale, who had been quietly watching this scene, let out a sound and clapped.
Again, instead of reacting, Lukas fell into thought for a brief moment.
What should he say?
What kind of relationship should he aim to have with her?
Lukas had experienced a series of failures in his lives.
In his last life, it could be said that he had made the choice that was closest to the answer, but that was also wrong. In the end, it only led to failure in a different form.
However, it could be said that his relationship with Pale was the most advanced it had ever been.
He still remembered her eyes and voice before he died.
Hello!
A lively voice that was completely different from that time.
Pales eyes as she looked at Lukas now were filled with nothing but curiosity.
He could guess.
Pale at this time just wanted to observe Lukas. To see whether he was really suitable to serve as king.
It wasnt just her.
All of the relationships hed made in the previous life had also disappeared.
I cant keep doing it again.
It was something he hadnt realised in the regressions until now. Lukas forced himself to swallow the wave of bitterness that came rushing in.
There was no time to immerse himself in emotions.
As said before, this was his last chance.
There are two things that I have to deal with urgently.
They were the Lightning God in Lee Jong-haks body and the Demon God in Sedis body.
They were potential threats.
Theres a lot of work to do.
Not just in the World of Void. There were also things that he had to do and find out in the Three Thousand Worlds.
However, he couldnt go out with Pale. Unless he could find a way to control her, or lose her altogether.
Suddenly.
[what the hell is this]
Lukas couldnt help but tremble at the sudden voice.
It was a voice he shouldnt have heard.
Lightning God?
[]
How are you here?
The voice hed heard in his head was definitely the Lightning Gods. There was even a hint of shock in his voice that he couldnt hide.
Of course, Lukas confusion was no less than his.
[That is what I want to ask. What the hell kind of phenomenon is this?]
[I should have been in the Three Thousand Worlds until a moment ago. However, this place is the World of Void Thats not all. Its not just my location that changed. Is this the power of retrogression?](TL: For reference, regress is ??-hwegwi, while retrogress is ??-yeoghaeng)
Had the Lightning God regressed with him?
How could that be?
No. This wasnt the time to think about the cause.
What mattered now was the result.
The Lightning God, found out about my regression.
Then what should he do?
Lukas expression hardened.
Although he had built a good relationship with the Lightning God in his previous life and even managed to eventually build a united front. The Lightning God was still one of Lukas potential enemies. Even if it was all empty words now, he didnt think that having such a secret exposed to such a guy could be a good thing.
It was quite possible for him to use the truth as an excuse to create a situation that was in his favour.
[Was it on a personal scale or world scale If even the residual thoughts of my current self could be involved]
Lightning God?
[I]
In the Lightning Gods voice were emotions that Lukas never could have imagined.
They were bewilderment, nervousness, and fear.
You are you really the Lightning God?
[]
The voice cut off.
He tried to call out a few more times, but there was no response from the Lightning God.
Lukas realised that he had fallen into deep, dark contemplation. There were times before when hed ignored his words, but this time was different from those times.
Hey? Are you okay?
Pale approached him with a smile.
Lukas had been forced into silence by the current situation.
He hadnt figured out everything about what happened, but one thing was clear.
This life would also not be easy.
Book 2: Chapter 518
Until the end, his relationship with Pale was not bad. This could be seen from the attitude shed displayed right before killing Lukas.Until Lukas blatant provocation at the end, Pale had been looking for another ending. Because of that, she gave him many opportunities that he didnt take.
She wanted to compromise with Lukas in some way.
As a result, although Lukas had continuously turned down her offers,
Its fine if the relationship progresses to that level.
Perhaps it was impossible to make the Blue Knight, Pale, a complete ally. But it wouldnt be difficult for their relationship to progress again to the point it had once reached.
In any case, it couldnt be more complicated than the last life.
Hed come to accept the Lightning Gods remnant thoughts.
Diablo, who had joined hands with Iris, could not withstand the confrontation with Pale.
In the end, he had no choice but to completely become hostile with her and fight for his life.
Now he knew the whole story.
the last time.
Recalling the words God left behind, he raised his alertness.
What Lukas didnt expect was that there would already be a Lightning God inside him.
Lightning God.
[]
He called to him, but there was still no answer.
However, he hadnt disappeared.
The Lightning God still existed somewhere in Lukas mind, and was only silent now. He could definitely feel that for sure.
This time, I have to hide it.
One of the crucial mistakes he made in his last life was revealing the power of the Lightning God. Nevertheless, it allowed him to learn some things.
The Rulers and the Four Knights were absolutely incompatible.
Pale was even more so. Since she was destined to have nothing from birth, she couldnt help but blindly hate the Rulers who were destined to rule from birth.
Good.
He saw the relationship he had to aim for with Pale.
So now he had to lead the situation to allow her to accept him and not shun his existence. After forming such a degree of intimacy, he will just have to not repeat the mistakes of his previous life.
It wasnt that difficult. In fact, it was rather easy.
Because Lukas knew everything.
Pales past, her conscious state, her likes and dislikes.
He knew what to do to please her and what to say to make her feel uncomfortable.
He knew.
But
Lukas paused at the sudden thought.
But, what?
Was there something wrong?
He asked himself this, but could not find an answer.
This isnt the time for useless thoughts.
This was the last time, the final regression.
Failure was beyond unacceptable.
If even a minor mistake led to death, he had no choice but to pay close attention to all of his decisions and actions. The many regressions he had experienced until now 0were all examples for him.
However, it wasnt his own death that Lukas was truly afraid of.
Lukas recalled Iris death.
He recalled her past, recalled the feelings she had just before she died, recalled the hand she had tried to reach out towards him.
He forcibly tightened his heart which was becoming loose.
* * *
therefore, I am the senior here!
Pale pushed out her chest and raised her nose. Nodding slightly, Lukas said.
Right. Please take care of me.
Hihi. Yes, uncle!
Uncle.
First of all, he had to change the way she addressed him. He had to induce a situation for her to call him Lukas again.
Even as he was lost in thought, Lukas didnt stop moving. From now on, the most important thing was how to use his time most efficiently.
The first order of business was the save Lesha.
Shuk.
When he used void to move to the coordinates, he saw a staggering Lesha, who was bleeding profusely.
Ah, urk
Lesha stopped walking.
Then, she turned to look at him with blood-soaked eyes. With how badly her pupils were dilated, she could probably only see his shape.
Lukas walked towards her.
Are you okay?
who are you?
A sharp voice snapped back, but he had no way to respond to that at that moment.
Lukas effortlessly laid his hand on her shoulder and healed her physical wounds.
Hu?
In the meantime, there was something he had to check.
Your body has fully recovered. At the same time, I also refilled your mana.
Uh, ah, huh?
So, speaking of your mana, do you think there is anything wrong with it? That is the only thing I cant know on my own.
Uh, that
I dont have a lot of time, so please tell me quickly.
Lesha, who stuttered for a while, immediately checked her body before making a surprised expression.
Uh? How
It seemed that she was talking to herself without seeking a response, but that in itself was enough.
It seems that there was no issue in using void to restore others mana.
Heh.
Pale watched this scene with interest, but she didnt seem to have any intention of inquiring about void. This had always been the case. Even when he had asked about the Magic Planet in his last life, Pale didnt wonder how Lukas knew about it.
Then.
The little doubts he had were solved.
Lukas arrived in front of the Underground City with Lesha and Pale.
Go on.
Uh, that, who are you?
Lukas wondered if he should reveal his full name like last time.
Before answering, he looked carefully at Lesha.
The dark gold hair, blue eyes, and auburn robe certainly made him feel a sense of familiarity.
However, he wasnt sure about the features.
Do we look alike?
They probably did look alike.
Nevertheless, the concept of siblings was still unfamiliar for Lukas.
By chance, are you from the Magic Planet?
Im not.
Then how can you use a power like that
A power like that.
Did Lesha know about void?
But. Even if that was the case, it wouldnt be too surprising.
After all, the Beginning Wizard knew about void. Lukas was able to enter the minimal time zone due to a hint from the Beginning Wizard.
Go on.
Shaking his head, Lukas spoke. This time, he wouldnt reveal his name.
Lesha seem to pick up on it quickly. As if realising that he was reluctant to reveal his identity, she no longer asked Lukas who he was.
Wont you go with me?
Instead, she made an offer.
Why would I?
I would like to return the favour.
What can you do in return?
if there is anything you want, please tell me.
Just as he was about to immediately refuse, Lukas thought of something.
Michael, the Lord of the Underground City.
There might be something to gain from him.
Fine. Lets go together.
Nodding calmly, Lukas walked into the Underground City.
* * *
It had been a long time since he had set foot in the Underground City.
The scene of the city which existed beneath the sandy desert, naturally, was still the same.
Wow!
Returned! Trowman returned!
T-ha! T-ha! (*: T- the first syllable of Trowman-????, and ha- the first syllable of hai(hi)-??.)
The miglings were still there.
These little dwarves were overjoyed by Leshas return.
How have you been?
Lesha also responded with a gentle smile.
Or at least that was how it appeared on the surface.
Shes still a bit inexperienced.
Nevertheless, he could see that the majority of her attention was still concentrated on him.
Right. That was the correct response.
Even if he had saved her life, Lukas was still an unknown figure to Lesha. So it was natural for her to be vigilant. Otherwise, he would be disappointed in this little sister.
Cant you act a bit more natural?
He really wanted to give her some advice, but now that he thought about it, Lukas wasnt that good at acting either.
Perhaps the reason Lesha invited Lukas to the Underground City was with the goal of investigating. Nevertheless, he couldnt help but think it was a risky move to invite a stranger into your main base.
Does she have faith in her comrades in the Underground City?
Probably.
In any case, Lukas didnt have any intention of revealing his identity.
Oh! Trowman!
He didnt have to.
When one of the miglings pointed to Lukas and shouted, the heads of all of the miglings turned at the same time before they rushed over to him.
Lukas almost instinctively backed away from the unknown intimidation.
Another Trowman!
Two Trowman!
Double joy!
Uhehe
The Miglings surrounded Lukas.
Wait, I dont have time
Lukas couldnt help but be surprised as the miglings rushed towards him as if they would tear him apart.
Trowman?
Lesha looked at Lukas with a confused gaze. Things were getting a little off the rails.
Just as he was at a loss as to how to get things back together.
Were in a bit of a hurry, can you move away?
!
One word from Pale caused the miglings to stop moving.
Uh, uhuh. Understand.
Cant help if in hurry.
Go on, go on. Not block.
Then, they scattered to the left and right while nodding their heads.
With a satisfied expression on her face, Pale said.
Now, lets go.
* * *
Just before they could enter the cathedral, the miglings blocked Lesha and Pale.
Cant.
From now, only that Trowman enter.
When Pale looked down at them with a smile, the miglings averted their gazes.
Ca-, cant go even when look like that.
Even in the face of your end, you wont compromise?
Better kill me.
Who said that? Give me something to chew on. My mouth is bored.
Pale laughed as if she wasnt that annoyed by the miglings, and when she said that, Lesha drew closer.
Do you happen to know Michael?
well
Well its not like he didnt know him.
When Lukas murmured this answer, Lesha nodded.
I see. Then I hope you have a profitable conversation.
Leshas vigilance reduced noticeably. This was caused simply by his admittance of knowing Michael He felt like she trusted him quite a bit, which made him feel a little strange.
The scene where trust had been formed between the Demigod Lord and a Wizard named Trowman.
this isnt the time to think about that.
Shaking his head, Lukas headed into the cathedral.
Creak-
As the door opened, the long walkway bordered by pews with an altar at the end came into view.
Michaels figure, wasnt there. He was nowhere to be seen.
He was praying the last time he came, it seemed that he had arrived faster than expected.
Just as he was about to take a seat and wait, but the book on the altar caught his eye.
This
It was the book that Michael was reading whenever he came to the cathedral.
Curious, he took a closer look at the cover of the book.
[Even in the Dump Site the night sky sprawls]
[Mark]
A novel?
The name written below seemed to belong to the author.
Just as Lukas was about to open the book.
[Who are you?]
He heard a voice.
Lukas wasnt surprised, and instead placed the book he was holding back onto the altar.
My apologies.
[] Sar?h the N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Michael.
He could feel a strong sense of vigilance from this being who looked exactly like Lord.
Unlike the times before, this time he didnt make any remarks that seemed to pierce his essence. Lukas had made sure to hide himself well in order to not repeat the mistake he made with the miglings.
He wasnt sure it would work properly until they met, but from the reaction he received, it seemed that he had succeeded.
Indeed.
Did that mean that the current him had become a being that even Michaels insight couldnt penetrate?
You dont need to be so wary. I have no intention of harming you or this city.
[I hope you can understand that from my position, that is hard to believe.]
He suddenly had a strange feeling.
When Lukas had come to this world for the first time and saw Michael who looked like Lord,
He had felt suspicious, wary, and confused. And he had no choice but to ask questions as if clinging to the answers one-sidedly. The Lukas at that time was ignorant and weak.
But after several regressions, the relationship had now been reversed.
The things Michael were feeling at that moment were the same things that Lukas had felt before, and Lukas no longer had any questions to ask him.
Michael.
[How do you know my]
Would you like to make a trade?
Now, he could even say those words.
Book 2: Chapter 519
[a trade?]This Underground City should be at war with Flower Mountain. I can make it stop.
[Their invasion?]
No. The Flower Mountains war activities in general.
[]
Michael fell silent.
Lukas could tell that he was somewhat bewildered, and at the same time, he was having a hard time believing what hed told him.
[In order to do that, you must have the qualifications to negotiate with the Sect Leader of Flower Mountain. Are you one of the Twelve Void Lords?]
Does it appear that way?
[You dont match the identities of the ones I know, but you never know. The Sinking One, The Executor, The Skin, The Beginning Wizard There are several of the Twelve Void Lords that I havent identified.](*: The names of the ones that we havent seen yet may change when there is more context.)
Sorry, but youre wrong. I am not one of the Twelve Void Lords.
[Then are you an acquaintance of the Everlasting Plum Sword?]
Not that either.
[Then how will you convince him? The current Sect Leader of Flower Mountain is said to be the strongest ever. At the same time, his goals and ideals are thoroughly hidden. Do you understand what that means? It means his real goal cannot be grasped accurately.]
Lukas explained in the simplest and most effective way.
There is probably no deep reason for Yang In-hyuns war. Even if there is a slight risk, there is a high probability that he will stop immediately. Sear?h the n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
[are you going to take that risk?]
Without a doubt, Michaels insight was not bad.
I cant say that I will succeed no matter what. However, if that method doesnt work, I will have no choice but to take a more forceful approach. But I dont think things will get that bad.
[Why?]
Because I have something to negotiate with Yang In-hyun.
[What is that]
I cannot answer that.
No matter what, it was dangerous to reveal the fact that there was a Ruler in his body to the inhabitants of the World of Void. While Michael didnt seem like the type of person with loose lips, there was nothing wrong with being a little more careful.
[]
Michael fell silent again.
After a brief but deep contemplation, he spoke again.
[I wont deny that it is an attractive offer. However, there are still two fundamental problems.]
What are they?
[First of all, I still dont know who you are.]
Indeed. That certainly was a fundamental problem.
Because it was difficult to trust an unidentified person.
Lukas pondered for a moment.
What Michael wanted was an answer that could satisfy him. He was puzzled and wary of the sudden good deeds being offered by this mysterious being.
Its the justification that matters.
Should he reveal his origin? And he could say that he just didnt want those who shared the same fundamental universe to die
Well. Although he could use that as an excuse, it was still a bit lacking.
After thinking for a moment, Lukas then gave an answer.
I Lukas Trowman.
[Trowman? Then]
Lesha, who accompanied me, is my younger sister. But she doesn''t know who I am.
Michael should have known that Lukas had saved Lesha. At least he believed that he should know what had happened in the Underground City.
It seemed that Lesha clashed with members of Flower Mountain, and was seriously injured in the process. If something had gone wrong, she could have died.
[Indeed. So its familial love?]
Similar.
[Hmm.]
After thinking for a while, Michael nodded.
Judging from his attitude, it seemed that he had obtained the minimum acceptance.
[Fine. I will trust you.]
What is the second?
Michael had said that there were two fundamental problems.
[Since its a trade, it means there is something you want, but we might not have the power to satisfy it.]
It isnt an immense proposal. I just need you to do me one favour, at some time.
[that is a strange thing to say. So youre not asking me to listen to you, and are just asking for a favour?]
Right. At that time, you can choose to decline. That freedom is yours.
Michaels expression became even more strange.
[Then you would not benefit]
.
Lukas swallowed that response.
In the first place, this was just a bonus.
There was a separate reason why Lukas had chosen to create this position.
It was because he wanted to separate from Pale even if for a moment.
If you feel uncomfortable, can you do me a favour that is not a big deal?
[What is it?]
Im going to leave for a while. If my companion out there finds out, please cover it up.
[By companion.]
In an instant, Michaels awareness turned outward.
Immediately afterward, he flinched as if he fully realised the existence of Pale outside the cathedral.
[that doesnt seem like a small favour.]
Will you refuse?
[No. As a Lord, I can find a way to do it, so Ill accept.]
Michael nodded then asked.
[But how will you leave without being noticed by her? There is only one entrance to this place.]
Thats not difficult.
Lukas waved his hand, causing space to split open, and a path to appear.
[to be able to use spatial movement in this world.]
Please make a good excuse. Even if it might look like shes smiling, she has sharp senses
No. That kind of explanation was probably unnecessary.
Even if Michael didnt know who Lukas was, he knew who Pale was, so he would act appropriately.
Lukas stepped into the space crack without looking back.
* * *
Lukas stepped into an unfamiliar area.
Beneath a blackened sky, surrounded by strangely shaped rocks.
The place where Lukas was standing was relatively open and empty, with a bizarrely shaped building rooted into the ground.
Of course, now, he could tell what it was at first glance.
It wasnt a half sunken building, but a spaceship.
Crackle
A bonfire was quietly burning in a place where there were no other signs of people. After taking a brief look around, Lukas realised that the owner of this space was not around.
I see.
He muttered to himself.
The location of this space, which was strange and unfamiliar before, had been completely grasped by him now.
this place is the middle.
Between the World of Void and the Three Thousand Worlds,
This place was the halfway point that separated them.
Perhaps, if he were to stay in this space for a long time, he might see several interesting sights.
But that wasnt Lukas purpose at that moment.
First off, before getting to his main purpose,
Lightning God.
[]
I know you can hear me. Answer me, Lightning God.
He still received no answer, but Lukas was not in a position where he could relax and allow things to progress as they were.
Although he had managed to buy some time, he couldnt afford to waste it.
So he decided to be a bit more proactive.
What are you so depressed about?
[what was that?]
It worked.
A growl came back like rolling thunder.
As expected,
The current Lightning God was strange.
He was letting out his unresolved feelings. This didnt fit the image of the beings called Rulers that he had seen so far at all.
[Did you just say depressed? What do you know to talk about?]
Its because I dont know that Im asking. Why the hell are you like this?
At first, Lukas had been shocked that the Lightning God had regressed with him.
He thought that if the information about his regression was passed on to the Lightning God, the situation would become troublesome.
However something was different.
The attitude of the Lightning God who had a hold on this information was too calm.
What happened to you?
[do you still not get it? I have fallen.]
Even Lukas was taken aback by the weight of those words.
you downfell?
[Downfall? Ha! Its far more miserable than that!]
The Lightning God shouted as if through gritted teeth.
[I got caught up in the power of retrogression that was applied to you! It must have happened because the scale encompassed the entire multiverse instead of just an individual!]
What.
[Do you not understand? My remnant thought got caught up in your regression, and in the process, the connection between me and the main body was severed!]
At that moment, Lukas understood what had happened to the Lightning God, no, to this being.
if thats the case then the current you
[]
The Lightning God fell silent once more.
There was no choice.
Even if it had fallen from the main body, the consciousness of this being now was definitely that of the Lightning God. It still recognized itself as the Lightning God, and it also had the accompanying self confidence and arrogance.
In other words, if you were to only take the consciousness into account, this being was actually no different from the Lightning God. It was like his consciousness had been copied without even the slightest difference.
However This current guy had become a being who could no longer be called the Lightning God. Not only that, but the main body, the Lightning God, was present in this world.
[Do you understand now? What I have become.]
[The reason Im giving you this explanation is simple I dont want you to talk to me anymore. Understand? Dont say anything, dont pay attention to me. Treat me as if I dont exist.]
He couldnt even imagine the confusion this guy had to be going through at that moment. He couldnt imagine, but still.
His chest was thumping.
Lukas impulsively asked.
What if I did do that?
[What?]
If I did as you wished, what would you do? Will you drift around in my consciousness and slowly sink? Do you want your end to be by being slowly eroded by my consciousness?
[you, did you not understand what I said?]
No. I understood. What you experienced is certainly more miserable than a downfall.
Lukas grit his teeth.
It was only then that he recognised the emotion surging in his heart.
It was anger.
So what? Are you giving up after a single failure? Do you really consider yourself the Lightning God?
[I dont know.]
Right. You dont know. However, now I know that you are pathetic.
He waited for a response but didnt receive one.
Right. Hed become so spineless that such provocations wouldnt even make him angry.
He was so annoyed he almost erupted.
This was not the Lightning God that Lukas knew and had received from.
Even though there was nothing he liked about him, treated him as a potential enemy, and was annoyed every time he spoke to him.
At the very least, he never thought he was pathetic.
Sharing a mind with the Lightning God, allowed him to learn just how strong that guys mind was.
He respected his willpower.
But how dare,
The guy that Lukas respected, be so spineless?
Of all the beings you look down on, do you think there is even one who didnt fail at least one time? Look at me. Take a good look at my existence. How many times do you think Ive failed until now? And how many more times do you think Ill fail in the future?
Lukas recalled his past in turn.
I overthrew them, overcame them. I wont say those things. Because I am still restrained by my failures. However I endured them.
He endured the failure, sadness, and despair.
Sometimes on their own, sometimes together with the others.
The human before you right now is the human who has failed the most in the world. And you are saying that you are going to collapse after a single failure? The guy who was wandering around looking for a challenge?
[]
He didnt hear the Lightning Gods voice again.
Lukas said one last thing to the silent guy.
If you dont know, I can teach you. How to better endure failure.
[ha.]
There was a brief jeer.
Lukas was about to say something else before realising that there wasnt much time left. He looked around, but he could feel no signs of the return of the owner of this place.
It couldnt be helped.
He had no choice but to choose a slightly ruder method. He wasnt in a position to save face either.
Occultic Hand
He recalled the Exiles special right arm. That guy used that arm to manipulate space.
Crackle-
A weak current wriggled in Lukas body.
Was it because the Lightning Gods remnant thought was still in his head? It was possible for him to use a weakened version of that guys Thunder.
Of course, it wasnt possible for him to know everything about this space as he had in his previous fight against Pale, but it wasnt difficult to peek at a partial future or analyse the structure. It also consumed less energy.
Analysing his surroundings, Lukas trudged forward before stopping at a certain point.
Here.
He stretched out his hand.
Then, as if pulling down a zipper, he slowly drew his hand down.
Chuk-
The space split open.
And without hesitation, he sent himself into the space that he could not see beyond.
Fwoosh!
The surrounding scenery changed.
The rocky terrain filled with all kinds of strange rocks disappeared like smoke, and Lukas found himself standing on grey earth.
He didnt know exactly where this was, but this space seemed to be quite special. There was probably no way to get here other than the Exiles abode, the middle.
Lukas gaze turned to someone who was standing on the lifeless ground.
They had also just noticed Lukas presence.
[Who are you?]
The White Knight of Conquest asked in a quiet voice.
Lukas didnt reply. Because he didnt come here to talk.
I want an estimation.
He wanted an estimation on how other beings would judge the current him.
And the White Knight of Conquest was the most suitable being for that purpose. Among the Four Knights, he was the one with the most peaceful and rational thoughts.
When they met the last time, the White Knight told Lukas that he didnt deserve to be the Void King.
Such an answer would be fine too. After all, even an answer like that would be a meaningful indicator for the current Lukas.
In addition to that, he also had a minor question.
Rumble-
Void raged around Lukas.
Clink-
The White Knight in the distance lifted his loosely hanging shield.
Im also curious.
Without using omniscience,
How far would be able to go in a fight with one of the Four Knights in full condition?
Current schedule:- 1 per day(No official posting time as of yet)
Book 2: Chapter 520
The White Knight didnt move.As if affixed to the ground, he stood there just holding his sword and shield.
This was the basic stance for defending and attacking only when the minimum conditions to counterattack were met.
Moreover.
The White Knight lacked the will to kill his opponent.
It was unclear if this was originally one of the White Knights characteristics, or if it was a rule that only applied in special situations.
The thing that Lukas paid the most attention to was the fact that even if he were to fight with all of his might, the risk of death would not be too high.
In other words, he would be able to engage in a mock battle that was infinitely close to an actual fight.
The moment he entered the minimal timezone.
They both realised that the others consciousness was hyper accelerating at the same time.
[]
The White Knights aura changed.
His stance remained the same, his iron wall-like aura flowing from his armor intensified.
Was he at least considered an adversary? Lukas chuckled.
Even though he was just maintaining his defensive stance, Lukas still felt pressured. Without a doubt, something about the White Knights defence felt fundamentally different.
Because no one should feel threatened by a shield instead of a sword.
When extreme tension reached its limit, it led to limb stiffness and shortness of breath.
And this was exactly what Lukas was hoping for.
Some experience could only be gained in real life threatening and bloody battles filled with all kinds of threats. Whenever a living being felt that their life was in danger, they were usually able to take measures that they never would have thought of. Sometimes it was possible to think of things that you had never thought of before, as if you were using a part of your brain that you had never utilised before.
That was what he had come for.
As a result, although this fight was the situation Lukas intended, the tension was still real.
And with these conditions in place, it was possible for him to fight as if this were a real battle.
Full condition.
Just like hed thought before the fight, what he wanted the White Knight to evaluate was a Full Condition Lukas Trowman.
And now,
Lukas honed concentration brought his condition to the peak.
Buzz-
As soon as he took a step forward, an electric current wriggled in his hand. Soon, the pale, crackling electric current wound around his entire body.
Of course, it wasnt the Lightning Gods Thunder.
[What are you trying to do?]
The Lightning God spoke in an absurd voice. Did that guy have a slight idea of what Lukas was going to do?
Either way, after his regression, it was quite rare for the Lightning God to talk to him first, but he couldnt afford to talk to him right now.
Lukas poured his sharpened concentration into his task without losing a single strand.
Because the being in front of him was the White Knight, it was possible to concentrate on other things in a defenceless state even while narrowing the distance like this.
The Lightning Gods [Thunder] still remains inside me. (TL: Umm)
Lukas had learned about the source or root of that power. And he had come to understand it to a certain extent.
It was after that that he started having an absurd thought.
If that was the case, wouldnt it then be possible for him to create Thunder as well?
no.
That was such an arrogant idea.
I dont know how to create it, but it might be possible to imitate it.
Therefore, even if the imitated power is a lower ranked form of Thunder, that would be okay.
The important thing was whether Lukas could realise it or not.
After all, it was a power based on electromagnetism. Lukas had dealt with similar powers in the past.
Starting with that power, he gradually analysed the structure and drew on the specks of Thunder that were left. It would be good if this strong power ate all of the lightning that Lukas created and increased in size.
Combining the Lukas Thunder created by him, his understanding of the atoms and phenomena in this space
Crackle!
He couldnt do it.
Lukas challenge failed before he could even try.
A spark suddenly erupted in his mind, and he lost consciousness for a moment. S~ea??h the ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
No, had he actually fallen unconscious for just a moment?
[Crazy bastard.]
The Lightning Gods cold voice awakened his chilled mind.
[That was enough time for you to lose your head hundreds of times over. Do you not know how long a moment is in this state?]
Of course I know. I wouldnt have done something this crazy if it wasnt the White Knight.
[You dont know anything. Do you really think the White Knight has a peaceful temperament?]
judging from what Ive seen so far, its peaceful enough.
[I should have told you before, right? What race that guy is.]
You said he was a Perfect One.
Of course, he remembered.
A race who had a high potential to give birth to beings comparable to Rulers,
According to the Lightning God, they had innate talent, near infinite lifespans, and highly developed intelligence.
They had also perfectly conquered and ruled over a universe with only a few hundred individuals.
[Do not be fooled by his outward appearance. A Perfect Ones ambition and lust for conquest is not something that can be suppressed or eliminated.]
What does that mean?
[That means that they could be the most underhanded beings in the entire multiverse if they had the desire to do so. Just now, even if he had chopped your head off, it wouldnt be that strange.]
Lukas couldnt fully understand what the Lightning God was saying.
Was that really possible for the Perfect Ones racial instincts?
Being able to suppress the duties of one of the Four Knights?
Without a doubt, the White Knights upright personality was very unrealistic when compared to the power he possessed. Lukas had experienced it personally. The stronger the being, the more twisted they tended to be. Otherwise, it might not be possible for them to maintain their ego.
Is it self-righteousness?
He suddenly remembered what the Beginning Wizard said to him.
Of course, this was the righteousness, or concept, of a Wizard that the Beginning Wizard was advocating. There should be no reason to think about that at that moment.
In any case, the word underhanded was in no way appropriate to describe the being called White Knight. When hed seen the handsome face of the White Knight, Agolet, it even felt like a personification of the word righteousness.
However.
Lukas had already experienced the being called Pale.
He had already experienced how different the hidden natures of the beings called the Four Knights were from the first impression one had of them. And how vast the number of secrets they held was.
That was why he couldnt blindly deny the Lightning Gods words.
can you tell me what happened just now?
Lukas obediently asked the Lightning God for advice.
A moment ago, he had tried to use void to embody the properties of lightning and transform it into Thunder, before using it to imitate the authority of omniscience.
He didnt expect it to easily succeed, but he thought that he could at least gain something even if he failed.
He hadnt.
The result had been disastrous, and nothing was achieved. He didnt even get the slightest clue.
Worse than that, he didnt even know why he failed.
[Did you really think it would be that easy? If it was possible to copy it in such a clumsy way, I would not have given it a grand name like Thunder]
[Your clumsy lightning would never reach the level of my Thunder even after millions of years had passed. If you want to copy it]
Having said that, the Lightning God paused for a moment for some reason.
[hmph. I quit. Even if I teach you, nothing will change.]
Dont be so sure, just say it. Im listening.
[Noisy. Im going to sleep, so dont bother me.]
He didnt seem to have any intention of talking anymore.
H was bothered by the sleep that guy said, but Lukas could no longer pay any attention to the Lightning God. Even if his opponent was someone who was exceptionally defensive, it was rude to make him wait any longer.
Stopping about ten steps away, he spoke.
Sorry to keep you waiting.
At that, he received a short answer.
[Prove it.]
Prove he said.
He intended to do so even if he didnt say it.
Nodding, Lukas spoke again.
Theres not much time, so lets get this over with.
This time, he didnt receive an answer.
Regardless, Lukas stretched out his hands.
In an instant, hundreds of millions of spells unfolded behind him before launching towards the White Knight.
* * *
Lukas really didnt have time.
Even though everything that happened in the minimal time zone happened within the blink of an eye in the real world.
Pale was by no means slow. By that time, she might have already noticed Lukas absence. While she wouldnt turn the Underground City upside down, that
No. That isnt something I can be sure about.
If it was Pale, that was still a possibility.
Such a possibility didnt make Lukas impatient. Instead, it made his brain, which had been immersed in the fight, cool down and begin exploring the possibility of victory.
But that conclusion was reached much sooner than he expected.
[Enough.]
To be precise, it was stopped instead of concluded.
Lukas, who was about to cast another spell, stopped moving.
The World of Void.
In this world, where there is no limit to the supply and demand of void, Lukas power was inexhaustible, but the countless spells that he unleashed unceasingly failed to even pierce the White Knights shield.
Nevertheless, there were still many things he wanted to try.
In terms of percentage, what Lukas had revealed so far was only about 30%. In other words, Lukas still wanted to fight more.
Nevertheless, the reason he stopped moving wasnt because he was listening to the White Knights words or because he had judged that fighting further was meaningless.
It was because the White Knight had expressed that he had no intention of fighting anymore.
That is to say, he removed his helmet.
The handsome appearance that hed seen before was once again revealed. It was an appearance that was still unreal.
Who are you?
He heard a somewhat contradictory voice, which sounded both gentle and dry.
The eyes of the White Knight, Agolet, carried a mixture of curiosity and vigilance.
I came here to find out.
What does that mean?
What do you think? What being do I look like?
At that, Agolets eyes swept over Lukas as if observing him.
After a while, he spoke briefly.
you, are the Blue Crown Prince.
Lukas expression became strange at those unexpected words, but he was able to grasp the meaning of that unfamiliar title to some extent.
The Blue Crown Prince.
That meant that he was the King Candidate named by Pale.
That is not all. If it is as I expect, you
Agolet, who was about to say something, closed his mouth.
Then, he lowered his head and seemed to ponder deeply over something.
Lukas didnt disturb him, and fortunately, Agolets ponderance didnt last a long time.
Have you ever been to the Snow Field?
By Snow Field, he was probably referring to the southern part of the World of Void.
No.
Lukas shook his head.
Hed been to the East, West, and North, but he had never been to the South.
Then you havent been to the Magic Planet, or Habitat either.
Does it matter?
It matters.
Then Agolet made a sudden proposal.
Do you want to go to the Snow Field?
Of course, Lukas intended to go there at some point. He needed to go to the Magic Planet to figure out what was going on with the Beginning Wizard.
However, there was no way that Agolet knew such an inside story.
Why?
In response to what was, in Lukas opinion, a natural counter question, Agolet replied.
Because I want you to meet the Red Knight.
Book 2: Chapter 521
What?He subconsciously asked back at the sudden remark.
The Blue Knight, Pale, whom Lukas had the deepest relationship with Lukas in the World of Void.
The Black Knight, Lucid, who was Lukas close friend in the past and was now following Diablo.
The White Knight, Agolet, who, despite some things still being a mystery, he had a basic understanding of.
Although they were to different extents, Lukas at least knew some information, big or small, about them.
However, the Red Knight was different. Sarch* The n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
He had never met them before, and he had not received any information about them.
Agolet did not respond to the question and simply stared blankly at Lukas. Lukas couldnt help but ask again.
Why me?
I think you can help the Red Knight.
help?
That was not a word that suited the Four Knights.
Agolet nodded his head frankly.
Yes.
Are they in danger?
Thats right.
What kind of danger?
You will find out when you meet them for yourself.
Lukas narrowed his eyes.
In the first place, was there anything that could put a being like one of the Four Knights in danger?
Judging from Agolets words, the Red Knight seemed to currently be somewhere in the Snow Field to the north.
Something in the north that could threaten one of the Four Knights
The Beginning Wizard?
The Beginning Wizard, who made even Pale wary, might be the only thing that could pose a real threat to the Red Knight. That, or another puppet of a Ruler that Lukas had not encountered
Lukas slowly shook his head.
When nothing was certain, guesses and hypotheses only served to clutter his mind. Moreover, these issues were not things that could be resolved by his deep contemplation.
Where?
Didnt I say it was the Snow Field?
That is an absurdly large place. The Snow Field is the entire northern section of the World of Void. What I want to know is the Red Knights exact location.
At that, Agolet smiled faintly.
You have no intention of meeting the Red Knight.
However, without revealing that fact, you are still trying to get more information from me. The reason you want to know the Red Knights exact location is not to meet them, but to avoid them. Am I wrong?
Lukas almost groaned internally.
Hed thought it was a natural flow, but his intention had been completely read from the beginning. He could barely hide his embarrassment as it was rare for him to be grasped by someone to such an extent.
Agolets words were correct.
He was curious about what danger the Red Knight was facing in the northern Snow Field, but Lukas didnt want to increase his workload any further at this point. Just thinking about the things happening around him felt like it was causing an earthquake in his head.
Perhaps my request was a bit rude. After all, you are Pales King.
Was he acknowledging him as King?
Lukas expression couldnt help but become a bit strange at his attitude.
Arent you the one who doesnt want to have, nor acknowledge the existence of a King?
That is a partial interpretation. Did you hear about me from someone?
If you dont want to answer, then I wont ask anymore. Im not that curious. You asked about the existence of a King, right? To answer that, the only King I cannot tolerate is the Void King. So even if you were to rule as Pales King, it doesnt violate my values.
So it didnt matter if he was Pales King, and not the Void King?
What difference did that make?
Thinking for a moment, Lukas frowned. This was because he had a premonition that he would not be able to find the answer with just the information he was given.
Instead, he changed the subject.
the apocalypse.
Does the danger the Red Knight is facing have anything to do with the impending apocalypse?
There was no need to explain to Agolet what the apocalypse mentioned by Lukas was.
Agolet looked at Lukas with extremely clear eyes. Just looking at those eyes could make one feel refreshed, as if the fog in their mind was being cleared.
Finally, he nodded.
Its amazing. The apocalypse is a truth that only a handful of people in this world know, and yet you, who came from the outside, are fully aware of it From your expression, it doesnt seem to be a guess. You should really know the truth of the apocalypse, and its reason.
Its as you have guessed. They are related. However, Im still not going to tell you exactly what the danger is.
Why?
If I told you, you would never approach the Red Knight.
As soon as he heard those words, the thought of not wanting to meet the Red Knight grew stronger.
In other words.
Does that mean that if Agolet were to reveal the entire truth, I would be even more reluctant to do so?
The reason he didnt reveal it in the end might be to arouse Lukas curiosity. And in fact, this operation did work to some extent. A little head of curiosity raised slightly within him, and Lukas would probably not be able to completely get rid of it without meeting the Red Knight for himself.
However.
I will not go to the Red Knight of my own accord.
Why not? Dont you know about the apocalypse? The Red Knight might have a hint about how to prevent it.
As he said that, Agolet moved the helmet in his hand slightly, as if to put it on.
It is not a bad story like that. The apocalypse is something that every being will soon experience.
At that, Agolet smiled faintly and lowered his helmet once more. It was only then that Lukas realised the meaning of that action, causing his eyebrow to twitch.
This guy was really thorough.
While pretending to admire Lukas, saying Dont you know about the apocalypse, he then gave him the wrong information in the next moment.
If Lukas hadnt actually known about the apocalypse and was trying to gain inferences from the conversation with Agolet, he would have been caught up in his narrative. He would have nodded his head and pretended to know the wrong information that hed deliberately said.
If that was the case.
What would Agolet do?
Immediately after asking the question, he was about to put his helmet on In other words, he was about to become the White Knight, not Agolet. He didnt know his exact intentions, but that fact alone chilled his heart.
Its as you said. There is probably no way to stop the apocalypse. However, it might be possible to delay its coming.
He made it sound as if there really was a way to do so.
Although he was a little intrigued, Lukas calmly shook his head.
Then wait for someone else. I feel like my knees are about to give out from what Im already carrying on my shoulders.
Huhu I see.
Agolet chuckled.
You seem to have started the fight with me to find an answer, but I have nothing more to tell you.
That means.
Leave. There is no point even if we were to clash further.
Contrary to the gentle attitude he used before, it was a cold send off.
Lukas felt a bit uncomfortable. After all, in the end, the only impression hed gotten from the White Knight, Agolet, was that the current Lukas was closer to Pales King, than the Void King.
If I forced a fight
The White Knight would, of course, respond.
However, there was no guarantee that Lukas would not die in that fight. In addition, the word underhanded that the Lightning God had used strangely bothered him.
Its a pity. If you
Agolet muttered before shaking his head slowly.
Hmm. Thats a pointless assumption
Wait. Theres one more thing I want to ask.
If its about the Red Knight, I have nothing more to say to you.
Not that. Its about the Rulers.
At that word, a hint of curiosity appeared on Agolets face.
Did you know that there are agents of the Rulers lurking all over the World of Void?
Well
He pretended to know about it.
Do you hate the Rulers too?
A particular Knight I know simply cannot tolerate their very existence. To the point of killing everything that is even slightly related to them. Is it because she was born weak and was cursed by fate.
What do you want to say?
You are not like that.
The White Knight, Agolet, was not a weakling.
He was born a Perfect One, a born Absolute who had the potential to develop to become comparable to a Ruler. He didnt know what happened after, but he couldnt believe that he hated those who were innately strong like Pale did.
This was because, if they were to be divided, Agolet would fall into the same category as the Rulers.
This is the first time Ive been asked such a question.
Agolet grinned.
Dont worry. The feelings I have for those guys are no less than Pales.
Then if you were to find one of the Rulers agents
I would draw my sword first instead of my shield.
For a moment, an unknown dark emotion swam in Agolets eyes before it disappeared.
After falling silent for a moment, Lukas turned around.
It was a bit uncomfortable, so once his question had been answered, there was no reason for him to stay there any longer.
But just before he left, he heard a voice behind him.
I also want to ask you a question.
Lukas turned around.
you will become stronger, right?
It was a very strange question.
But Lukas felt the chill hed felt when Agolet was about to put on his helmet once again.
No, it was even worse than that.
It wasnt just a chill, it was as if a lump of ice had fallen onto his chest.
Probably.
Lukas spoke in a clearer tone than usual to dispel that feeling.
Growing continuously, and eventually evolving.
Even though he had to take a step back from time to time, those eventually became the foundations for him to take two steps forward.
Thats how it would continue to be.
I see.
The White Knight smiled.
As if hed heard the answer he wanted, he gave a pure white smile.
Please, dont forget the resolution you just made.
* * *
Leaving that space, Lukas returned to the rocky area once more.
Before he could even take a proper look around, he smelled a savoury scent. Lukas gaze shifted in front of him.
There was someone sitting in front of the bonfire, groping at the firewood. The fire was raging, and there was a skewered piece of meat being grilled.
A 3 metre tall body, reptile like appearance, pale skin and eyes and wearing a type of armour he had never seen before. A being whose right arm was the most bizarre thing Lukas had ever laid eyes on.
The Exile turned his eyes over to him.
[šġ ??]
A bizarre language that he couldnt even begin to guess.
Lukas opened his mouth.
You dont want me to eat with you, do you?
[]
His emotionless, inorganic eyes spun.
After a while, the Exile spoke again.
[The White Knight you met]
It was a distinctive raspy voice.
Striding over to the bonfire, Lukas sat across from him.
Should I have asked for permission?
[That space does not belong to me However]
However?
The Exile pointed to the skewer.
[This is my prey]
Ah. Right.
Lukas had no intention of eating the octopus looking creature with hundreds of eyes stuck all over its body and countless hairs covering its tentacles.
Crackle
The bonfire burned.
When the meat was about half cooked, Lukas spoke.
I want to go to the Magic Planet.
[]
Can you send me there?
The Exiles gaze turned to Lukas.
The moment he met that gaze, Lukas recalled his past life.
At that time, to Lukas, who had wanted to go to the Magic Planet, the Exile said.
And also said.
Soon afterward, the Exile offered Lukas two paths that he hadnt expected at that time.
On one side, there were people from his home universe.
On the other side, were people from Earth.
The most precious relationships that Lukas had built during his long life.
In the end, Lukas didnt choose, but he was forcibly sent to the Three Thousand Worlds with the power of the Exile and the interference of the Lightning God.
It was possible that he might try to do something similar now, so Lukas remained vigilant to any tricks he might try.
This time there wont be any interference from the Lightning God.
But the Exile didnt carry out any unexpected actions. Instead, he looked at Lukas and nodded calmly.
[If that is what you want I can send The current you is qualified to go]
Qualified?
[However, you should know one thing If you go to the Magic Planet you will die]
It was not the first time hed received a notice of death or destruction. On the contrary, hed received too many to count. This allowed Lukas to remain calm without being greatly surprised or taken aback.
Who will kill me? The Beginning Wizard?
[He will not personally kill you but he will have a profound influence on your death]
Lukas eyes narrowed.
You know who he is.
[]
Who is the Beginning Wizard? Is it someone I know?
[I am the Exile]
Lukas was silenced by this sudden remark.
[I was banished from the Three Thousand Worlds and the World of Void Do you see? This hand of mind it is the exclusive property of that place]
The Occultic Hand.
There was a strange light that clearly shimmered around the thick hand called by that name.
What are you talking about?
[Arent you curious Lukas Trowman why I was abandoned by both worlds? Where I went? What I saw?]
After a while, the Exile said something shocking.
[I have witnessed the apocalypse]
What?
Looking at Lukas,
[As a qualified person I will tell you the form of the apocalypse I saw]
The Exile spread his fingers.
[There were five]
Book 2: Chapter 522
There was a being who expressed interest in the Exiles voice.[Ask what exactly he means by that.]
The Lightning God spoke up once again.
Of course, even if he hadnt said anything, Lukas would have done so.
The apocalypse has five forms?
[Thats right]
speak clearly. Are you saying that five apocalypses with different forms will appear in different places at the same time? Or are you saying that five apocalypses on a universal scale will occur at the same time?
Neither option was easy to accept.
Of course, on a planetary scale, for example, an apocalypse could have many forms.
Earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, heavy snowfall, lightning storms or wars.
Faced with a natural disaster that they could not take countermeasures against, humans would consider that to be the scene of an apocalypse.
Strictly speaking, this was a misinterpretation.
Those were disasters, not apocalypses. That was simply a phenomenon that occurred before an apocalypse, or a phenomenon that makes it happen faster.
The apocalypse that the world would soon face would not be something so lukewarm.
Everything in existence had a lifespan, and now, the lifespan of the multiverse had reached its end
But the moment he had that thought, Lukas thoughts suddenly came to a halt.
How exactly does a world that has reached its end, disappear?
A living being at the end of its life,
A star at the end of its life,
A universe at the end of its life.
He knew about the deaths of these things. He had even seen them die for himself. Then he realised. The forms of death were all different.
If that was the case, then the death or extinction of the Three Thousand Worlds, might be completely different from the death of other things.
Lukas thought of Diablo.
Someone I know said. Everything we know would cease to exist in an instant. And we wouldnt even realise we had ceased to exist.
Not death, extinction*.(*:Once again, ceasing to exist and extinction are the same as the disappearance mentioned in the World of Void.)
If Diablos interpretation was true, he would have no choice but to feel chills. The higher the intelligence of the being, the more likely they were to feel the same way.
[Something no being would realise a simultaneous extinction the apocalypse is something like that hu, hu, hu.]
The Exile let out a laugh, but it soon turned into a sob.
Nevertheless, his expression did not change in the slightest.
[You couldnt know couldnt imagine just how helpless you would be because you dont know how insignificant of a being you are]
Helpless?
[Do you want to deny it?]
Lukas current level was at least on par with the Twelve Void Lords. This meant that he currently had the ability to rule in this vast, nigh infinite world.
However the being that uttered those words was one of the Twelve Void Lords.
It was said that the Exile fought Yang In-hyun before.
Yang In-hyuns uncomfortable expression when he faced the Exile.
If this beings strength skills were better than Yang In-hyuns, and yet he still considered himself to be insignificant then, what the hell did the Exile witness in that place?
What did you see?
[I cannot answer]
Why? Because I am not qualified?
Lukas spoke in a sarcastic tone.
The word qualification had always blocked Lukas when he tried to learn the hidden truths.
However, this time the case was a bit different.
[Thats not the reason Its because I myself what I saw is too vague also I have communication problems]
Vague?
Was he messing with him?
Didnt you say it myself? That the apocalypse has five forms.
[That is the only thing I could know honestly]
Lukas thought about asking further, but gave up.
what do you mean by communication?
[Right now, I am talking to you through a language interpretation program]
As he said this, the Exile shook his machine on his arm.
Was that the reason for his excessively broken speech and unclear pronunciation? It seemed that his slurred tone was not simply because of the structure of his mouth.
[What I witnessed to explain even one hundred millionth of it I would need to do so in the language of my race.]
The language of your race?
[A race with the greatest language system]
Then at least try to briefly teach me the language. It will only take 10 minutes.
This was also a display of humility. Depending on how efficiently he explained, just a few minutes would be enough.
However, the Exile shook his head.
[Lukas Trowman your brain is superior to that of any other being, but regardless of that it is impossible]
Why?
[Because the language of my race has a different system from any other race in the multiverse It is not a brain problem any race other than mine will never be able to understand From the beginning that is how it was supposed to be]
Lukas inquired in his head.
Do you know what race the Exile is?
[Ingtel.]
Ingtel?
Ah. The name of the race.
The Lightning God continued.
[That guys words arent lies. In order to learn their language, you first need to be able to use their races naturally diffusing energy waves.]
Can other races not use it no matter what?
[That is the case with your bare body. Im not sure if it would be possible with those guys power of science But the Ingtel are already extinct, and the entirety of their scientific civilisation has disappeared.]
Lukas gaze shifted to the Exile once again.
did he destroy them with his own hands?
[As far as I know, yes. It was one of the 17 Great Universes that guy destroyed. I couldnt get an accurate understanding about the multiverse apocalypse, but if that guy really witnessed an apocalypse it might be closely related to that.]
Was he saying that guy had gone crazy after witnessing the apocalypse? But he couldnt feel any sense of madness from the Exile.
His head ached slightly.
Lukas was beginning to regret coming to this place a bit.
In this life, the White Knight and the Exile had given Lukas a bunch of questions that could not be compared to last life.
Do you want me to stop the apocalypse?
[No.]
Then why are you telling me this?
[If you are going to the Magic Planet this much is good to know]
you said I would die if I went to the Magic Planet.
[Thats right]
Then are you saying that that is a truth I should know before I die?
The corners of Lukas lips curled up. This was because the situation itself was funny.
The Exile spoke again.
[You shouldnt go to the Magic Planet alone You need a companion]
At that point, there was only one being who could called his companion.
[Travel with the Blue Knight that for you, and for her is best]
You think we should travel together?
Lukas sneer became clearer.
Do you know what youre talking about? Do you know what kind of being Pale is? The Blue Knight, do you think that title can express her entire essence?
Lukas knew it couldnt. After all, the Blue Knight could only be considered one of Pales forms.
At that, the Exiles gaze turned towards him. His face and eyes were still emotionless, but his head was half tilted.
[Stupid question]
The voice that came out was mixed with confusion.
[Is that what I need to know?]
What?
[Arent you the one who should the Blue Knight best]
Why me? I had no connection with her until I came here.
[Every relationship is like that at first even family connected by blood until you meet in person they are just another stranger]
[You asked if the title Blue Knight could express her entire essence? My answer is it cant The reason I only call her the Blue Knight is because that is the only form of her existence I know However, for you, it is not]
The moment he heard those words, Lukas,
Suddenly felt that he was missing something big.
No, it wasnt sudden.
It was a feeling hed had from the beginning, right after regressing to this life. However, he had always ignored it
[Pale You kept calling her by that name You didnt think of her as just the Blue Knight like me All this while there has never been a being like that]
[It is a process You guys are currently in the process I want to ask you]
The following words caused Lukas to shake his head.
[When you think of her do you still feel fear first?]
* * *
Lukas left the Exiles abode and returned to the cathedral in the Underground City. This was because he didnt seem to have anything else to say, and he didnt seem to have any intention of sending him to the Magic Planet if he wasnt accompanied by Pale.
He could not see Michael in the cathedral.
How much time had passed? He wasnt sure.
Huu.
He couldnt divert his consciousness elsewhere. The Exiles last words could not be erased from his mind.
Lukas plopped onto a chair.
fear.
Clearly, Pale was the one who had driven Lukas to death several times.
So when he first learned her identity, he had felt afraid. He couldnt help it. After all, she was a being with power equal to that of a Ruler. He didnt want to provoke her, and he didnt want to get involved with her.
However, because she was strong, because that power was real, he had thought about how valuable she was to use.
Hed thought that by using the power of the Blue Knight, he could overturn the unreasonable fate dealt to him.
Then, in his last life, he got to learn about Pale.
Lightning God.
[what is it?]
I am I still afraid of Pale?
[Those are your feelings. Why are you asking me?]
Because I myself dont know either.
[Youre freaking nuts.]
The Lightning God cursed him roughly.
[Your feelings are none of my business. There is only one thing Im curious about. What the hell are you doing? No, what do you want to do?]
What?
[The current you has a profound influence. This means that you have enough power to change the situation. However, the behaviour youve shown since regressing is so passive its making me sick.]
passive? Me?
[Then am I wrong? You didnt face the Blue Knight properly, and you didnt go looking for the puppets who have the Rulers remnant thoughts engraved inside them. Besides that, there are countless things you could have done. But what did you do?]
As if frozen, his entire body didnt move an inch.
[Did you really have to meet the White Knight? Was it really your wish to hear that from the Exile? If its not something like the Blue Knight. Then what exactly are you afraid of?]
!
The Lightning Gods roar illuminated his mind. A strong flash ran through his mind like a bolt of lightning and eventually spread to his entire body.
His frozen body awakened.
And he realised.
What he was thinking about.
He,
repeated several lives.
[That seems to be the case.]
Regression(ؚw), is really an absurd experience.
[Thats right. Returning to the past is something even I cant do.]
It is unfair to be allowed to live again and again. Its terrifying, and more than that, it is a miracle. Thats why I tried not to become intoxicated by it. Whenever I regressed, I made the decision to live that life as if it were my last.
However, at some point, that determination had faded.
Hed thought it hadnt, but it had. At the crossroads between life and death, Lukas chose to give up his life surprisingly easily. Even if he didnt, he never struggled desperately in the face of death.
This was because, in a corner of his mind, he vaguely knew that there would be a next time.
But this time, God told him.
This was the last time.
I was frightened by Gods words. Haha.
He laughed because he realised how unsightly he was.
It was natural for there to be no second chance in life, but he had been scared by such an obvious thing.
If the egos of the other Lukases were still around, they all would have burst out laughing.
Everything you said was correct. I was so passive it makes me sick.
[Hmph]
This wasnt the time to do things like this.
Like receiving an evaluation from the White Knight,
Or going to the Magic Planet.
Or saving the puppets being controlled by the Rulers!
Even more so, saving his precious people in the Three Thousand Worlds outside was not something that needed to be done right now.
Even if they were all things that needed to be done at some point, at least, it wasnt now.
He recalled a cracked voice.
It was the voice of someones heart.
Someones inner thoughts that hed dared to peek at
I was gravely mistaken about something.
The hatred Pale had for the Rulers was true.
However, even with that, the anger Pale unleashed at the end was different from before.
She hadnt lost her reason to such an extent when she had seen Sedi or Lee Jong-hak, who had borrowed the power of a Ruler.
.
Thats right.
.
The reason Pale had gotten angry was because he, Lukas Trowman, had lied to her.
Because shed felt betrayed by someone she thought she could trust.
If that was the case, then,
Click-
Lukas stumbled out of the cathedral.
After opening the door and walking for a bit, he finally saw a blue-haired woman standing in an open space.
A woman who was humming a song while sitting on a set of stone steps.
Pale.
He called her name.
She leisurely turned her head to look over at him. Then, she waved her hand with a delighted expression on her face.
Uncle, youre late! I thought you ran away again!
Pale was a contradictory being, that was what hed thought.
However, if that wasnt the case,
If this innocent smile was real, without lies, if it was one of her forms,
I have something to tell you.
Huh?
Pale looked up at Lukas with a confused gaze.
Several regressions, several times standing at the same starting line.
When he opened his eyes in the grey desert, when he met Pale, when his gaze met her blue gaze,
Something he should have done. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
I regressed.
Not lie to her.
Huh?
From my perspective, this is not my first time meeting you.
U-, uncle?
I have felt and experienced your existence several times. I know your past. Sorry. I didnt hear it from you, I peeked one-sidedly.
What are you saying all of a sudden?
And.
Right now, the remnant thought of a Ruler, the Lightning God, resides in my body.
[What!]
Not deceive her.
The smile on Pales face disappeared.
(TL: My pc broke)
(1/?)
Book 2: Chapter 523
This judgement was not wrong.Regardless of the outcome, Lukas would not regret it. This was the attitude he had seen and learned from someone.
Hed just forgotten it for a long time.
Life was an endless series of choices, and the burden of the choices you made couldnt be passed on to anyone else. It shouldnt be passed on.
However, what Pale would think about his statement. And what kind of attitude she would show.
He wouldnt be able to tell without experiencing it for himself.
The silence lasted for a long time.
Pale didnt open her mouth. So Lukas didnt say anything either.
He had already said everything he needed to say at that point.
Until she reacted, Lukas had no right to speak.
Tap, tap.
Pale walked over to him. With the same expressionless face, she narrowed the distance to Lukas.
Finally, she stretched out her hand, which was white enough to be called pale. So white it could be mistaken that she was wearing gloves. This hand gently stroked Lukas cheek.
He could tell that there was no hostility in this action.
Of course, for Pale, it would not be difficult for her to hide her killing intent, but Lukas didnt stop her actions.
Because there was some meaning to her actions, and, at the very least, he didnt think she was going to kill him for now.
Pales lips parted slightly.
Are you lying?
Lying?
I cant sense anything disgusting inside of Uncle.
Did she inspect the inside of his body or soul through physical touch?
It should be. Because the Lightning God in my body is in a special situation right now.
What was left in his head now was just the remains of the Lightning Gods remnant thoughts, or in other words, the residue.
Even Lukas, who was directly sharing his soul, could barely sense it, so no matter how sensitive she was, it would be difficult for Pale, who was an outsider, to notice its existence.
Hoh. What kind of situation?
I cant tell you that.
[]
That was related to the honour of the Lightning God that remained in Lukas mind. Even if they had a bad relationship, there needed to be a minimal respect between them.
Although it was still hiding the truth from Pale, it was different from lies or deception.
Hmm, I see.
Seemingly convinced, Pale took a step back.
That regression. Indeed. Its that power all over again.
After muttering to herself, she looked up at Lukas again.
Once again, a smile was hanging from her lips.
So? Why did you suddenly reveal that? You didnt say anything at first.
Pale smiled brightly.
You went around making such a fuss, could it be that you received advice from the Exile, or the White Knight?
Indeed.
This was really terrifying.
It seemed all of his actions had already been seen through.
And yet, why did she still wait for him so patiently?
Lukas shook his head. This wasnt the time to think about such problems.
It is true that their actions affected me. However, the thing that played the decisive role is the Lightning God staying inside me.
Then. Why cant I feel anything inside you, Uncle?
I can prove it.
Giving him a blank stare, Pale suddenly asked.
Uncle, do you want to die?
no.
Then why do you keep trying to die?
As she said that, Pale walked up to Lukas once again and poked his chest with her finger.
She injected her killing intent.
That alone was enough to send a tingling sensation through his entire body.
I checked for myself, and told you that I could not feel the power of a Ruler in your body at all. Do you think I cant even sense those bastards?
Rumble.
The ground began to tremble.
As a result, the surrounding buildings began to shake violently like blades of grass in a strong wind.
Dont you know by now? If Uncle had a Ruler in your body, you would have died a long time ago. You would have turned into a grisly pile of meat before you even had a chance to react.
Or are you acting like this because you have faith in your regression? Indeed. That actually makes sense. Ill do whatever I want in this life. See how it goes, if you were acting with that attitude
Thats not the case. I have no more opportunities. You might not believe it, but this is the last time.
Then why?
Lukas smiled bitterly.
I found that the first step is the most.
What are you talking about?
This is the closest way to the right answer to understanding you. That is what I am saying.
The tremors stopped abruptly.
A look of absurdity appeared on Pales face.
Understanding?
Right.
pu-, pukuku. Ahahaha.
Pale grabbed her face. A messy laugh then escaped her long, flowing hair.
How?
Then, her blue eyes flashed behind her fingers. The moment their eyes met, his heart sank. They were like blue moons shining with murderous intent and madness.
How will you understand me? What do you know about me? Ah, you said you know everything about my past, didnt you? I dont know how many times you experienced regression.
Pale grinned.
But that, dont you know from my perspective, how unpleasant that is?
He could guess.
She didnt know anything about him, but he knew everything she wanted to hide.
If the roles were reversed, Lukas would have felt disgusted.
However.
This is better than lying from the beginning.
The disgust youre feeling right now is less than if I hid that I knew everything about you. Am I wrong?
There was no voice of denial in return.
Pale was just looking at him with a calm smile.
If anyone else saw this, they might not know what she was thinking at that moment.
However, Lukas was different now. He knew that.
And Pale was now affirming Lukas words.
To sum up what you are saying, you believe in my regression, but you dont think the Lightning God is in my body, right?
In a nutshell, I guess so.
Moving on from here was also an option.
And later,
If at some point, Pale came to believe it,
If she became certain that the Lightning Gods remnant thoughts were in Lukas body,
At that time, he could say, Thats what I told you back then.
Even if it came out like that, he wouldnt have lied.
However.
No.
Lukas shook his head.
[What do you mean no?]
The Lightning God, who had been silent all this while as if speechless, spoke up.
[Do you understand what you are doing right now? This isnt at the level of poking a beehive. This is like polishing the knife of someone who doesnt want to kill you and putting it to your neck.]
He almost burst into laughter at that moment. Coming from the Lightning God, that was a very human metaphor.
[Didnt you say this was your last life? Have you lost your mind? Or do you just want to give up and die?]
Neither. Lightning God, do you think Ive changed?
[I think you just went mad.]
This time, he laughed aloud.
Pale gave him a puzzled expression.
[Whats so funny? Do you like being cursed at?]
No, Lightning God. I just kind of miss it.
[Miss it?]
You used to call me that often in the past.
After falling silent for a while, the Lightning God muttered in a ridiculous voice.
[Madman.]
Right. I thought I had changed a bit after experiencing repeated regression, but I feel a little relieved now that you have personally confirmed that I am crazy. It feels like I went back to the past, which is a pleasant feeling.
[Ha.]
With a snort, the Lightning God closed his mouth, as if he didnt want to talk anymore.
Lukas looked at Pale once more.
If you dont believe me in the end, then it cant be helped. I have no choice but to show you directly.
Show me what?
He didnt answer, and instead drew on his power.
In all honesty, this was a last resort.
The Thunder left by the Lightning God was worse than dregs.
And he didnt want to waste this power.
Crackle-
As soon as the pale lightning crackled on Lukas fingertip, the look in Pales eyes changed.
Her aura also changed.
She stretched out her hand.
Crack crack! A sword flew up from the ground into Pales hand. A whirlpool of murderous intent swirled around the blade.
Lukas smiled calmly.
Raising her sword, she went into a battle stance.
In other words, Pale had finally acknowledged the presence of the Ruler.
Swoosh!
The blade rushed forward.
The motion felt a little slower than usual.
Was it because hed just fought the White Knight?
Or was it simply because Pale had not fully taken on the form of the Blue Knight.
Crash!
Lukas dodged the attack, but the ground was mercilessly torn apart by the energy wave that swept out, creating a storm in the surrounding area.
Its contradictory.
Even though she had swung her sword with tremendous force, there was no change to Pales expression or breathing. It was a terrifying sight.
Contradictory?
If you really wanted to understand me, you shouldnt have done something like accepting a Ruler.
It was beyond my control if I said that, you wouldnt believe me, right?
Instead of responding, Pale swung her sword again. Lukas retreated without confronting her directly. He had no intention of engaging in a power contest with Pale in this place.
One step, two steps.
Widening the distance between them, he snapped his fingers at the planned time.
Behind Lukas, a pitch black space unfolded like a curtain. Then, his figure quickly disappeared into it as if he had been swallowed.
Pale let out a laugh.
Haha. Did you really think you could run away from me with something like space movement? Seriously?
Inserting her sword into the closing space, she twisted the blade vertically. The closing space let out a scream and its mouth opened once more.
Pale entered the space just before it could close again.
Eventually, the space opened up in midair, but she was able to land easily without panicking.
Taht.
Pale looked around.
The piles of corpses and blood covered floor were really reminiscent of the expression mountain of corpses and sea of blood(ɽѪ). It was a place where the stench of rot stung your nose unpleasantly.
this place is.
the Dump Site.
Lukas responded.
He was sitting on one of the piles of corpses.
Indeed. Did you intentionally move to a deserted place? Because you dont want the Underground City to be involved.
Lukas shrugged.
Not really. Most places in this world are deserted. If my goal was just to move to a place with fewer people, there were many others I could go to. Its just that this place has meaning. So I can negotiate with you.
What are you talking about now
You are an unpleasant person, Pale.
There was no change to Pales expression.
Even after learning of your past, while I did feel sympathy and pity, the thing I felt most was disgust. I hope you can understand. Its hard to have good feelings for someone who has driven you to death several times.
What are you trying to do?
nevertheless. You are a woman I cannot let go of.
Lukas smiled as he spoke. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Snorting, Pale was about to raise her sword once more when he spoke again.
From now on, Im going to starve.
That word,
The word starve, caused Pales movements to stop.
Her face became cold.
you say you know my past, and yet you say that so carelessly?
Carelessly? No. You are the one speaking carelessly.
For a moment, Lukas voice also became cold.
Dont you get it yet? My determination for coming to this place.
Explain it in an easy to understand way. If you dont want to die right now.
I know why you are lonely. You have a scar that you cannot share with anyone else. If you were outside, then you might have been able to meet others like you, but there is not a single such person in this place. Because.
Lukas gaze shifted to the ceiling of the Dump Site and the sky beyond it.
There is no hunger in this world.
In the World of Void, the dissipation phenomenon occurs before you can even begin to feel hungry. Whether it is outside or in this place, the fundamental reason for eating is to not die. However, here, we lack the pain that accompanies the process, or in other words, the hunger.
What are you trying to say?
You can only love those who have suffered the same pain as you. That is not your fault. You cannot help your innate nature. Nevertheless, it is possible to suppress it, or to redirect it slightly to another direction.
Keke.
Pale giggled.
So? Do you want to teach me how to do that? Do you want to pretend to be a Great Teacher to me too? On a subject like hunger which you dont even know.
That is why I came here.
Lukas body floated quietly. Then, he slowly descended until he landed not too far from Pale.
And sat gently, as if he were sitting on a mat.
Here, even if you dont eat anything, your body wont disappear. And I can change a lot of things using the power I gained, which is called void.
I dont get it.
If its in this place, I can starve indefinitely.
!
Pale quivered.
That is what Ill do to my body. First, Ill make my body feel hungry, then as time passes, the hunger and pain will grow, but I will never die.
You can only love those who have experienced the same pain as you, right? Unless they are like that, you wont accept what any being says, right? Fine.
He had already understood Pales pain with his head. So now all he had to do was experience it with his body.
There,
That was where the starting line was.
From now on, I will starve. Until I can fully understand you. Or until you feel I can.
Lukas smiled.
Perhaps,
All of the regressions Lukas had gone through might have been for this.
Book 2: Chapter 524
Has your bullshit ended?Swoosh.
Pale brandished her sword. A blue aura could be seen blossoming around her. It seemed she was intending to become the Blue Knight.
You didnt think I would really accept a proposal like that, did you? Huh? Lukas. Youre thinking too simply.
It seems I am. Because youre not a simple woman.
Nevertheless, Lukas didnt get up and just opened his eyes.
However, it would be a much more interesting development than just killing me in this place, wouldnt it?
Hmmm. Well. I dont think so.
I can only use my spatial movement magic to go to places Ive been to before. This place is in the World of Void.
Youre saying something useless again.
Pale, who looked at him reproachfully, soon frowned.
This isnt your first time coming to the Dump Site?
You brought me here.
So what?
You should know better than me, right? Why that Pale brought me to this place.
The swirling blue aura became slightly fainter. Pale looked at Lukas with half lidded eyes, but didnt open her mouth.
Did she not want to say it herself?
Lukas decided to accept her complaints.
You wanted us to share a similar original sin. You were inducing me to eat the other Lukases here.
And I loyally followed your intentions. I stayed in the Dump Site for a very long time and ate every failed Lukas.
What are you trying to say? Sear?h the ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Lukas smiled faintly.
Dont you understand, Pale? The man in front of you is someone who is used to suffering.
Dark figures emerged behind him.
Pales expression hardened instantly. That was how much deep seated resentment she could feel behind Lukas.
The failed Lukases, these were the fragments of their emotions.
You should know a part of my life as well. You should also know how far from smooth it was. It was especially true in this place. I have made countless difficult choices in my life, and I even accepted the pain of all of the failed Lukases as well.
Therefore, pain was not a strange or frightening concept for Lukas. In a fundamental sense, he somewhat agreed with the adage, life is pain.
Looking back now, Lukas life could be described as a series of endless pain.
You lived a more painful life than I did. Is that what youre trying to claim?
Pale spoke in a mocking voice.
Lets compare.
What?
You always said. The pain you experienced was uniquely awful, and what others experienced was nothing. Youre free to think that, but whether that is actually the case is another matter. You have never felt any pain other than hunger.
At some point, Pales sword pointed towards the ground. She stared at Lukas lips with a disoriented gaze.
Im different. The life Ive experienced, the pain Ive suffered which was even acknowledged by Rulers.
[When did I?]
That is to say, if I suffer as much hunger as you do in this place it will be possible to compare. I will be able to confirm whether hunger is the most terrible pain or not.
Looking at Pale, Lukas continued.
I will try to hold on. If hunger is so terrible that it is beyond comparison to the pain Ive experienced, I will not be able to hold on, and will have to raise the white flag. At that time, you can cut my head off. What do you think? Isnt that simple?
Ha, hahaha!
Pale burst out laughing.
A raspy laugh resounded throughout the Dump Site.
After a short while, she stabbed her sword into the ground.
Puk!
The blue sword remained half buried in the ground.
How interesting!
With a grin on her face, Pale sat down.
Accepted.
At last, Pale had accepted Lukas offer.
* * *
The flow of time in the Dump Site was different from the outside.
And for the current Lukas, it was also possible to adjust the detailed values of that flow.
In other words, it was possible to set it so that even after hundreds of years had passed, hundreds of seconds wouldnt have passed outside. Of course, if he were to act that recklessly, the lord of this place, the Twelve Void Lord, the Corpse Ghost, would definitely notice.
It didnt matter.
When Lukas had first entered this place with Pale, he should have noticed their presence. Nevertheless, it was one of two reasons why there were no signs of intervention so far.
Either he was observing them, or he had already finished his observation and had no intention of hurried getting into contact.
Taking the Corpse Ghosts sinister and cautious character, it was probably the latter.
Thats why Lukas chose to adjust the flow of time. Now, regardless of how long they spent in the Dump Site, the time outside would not pass a second.
You probably have a lot of patience. Definitely.
Pale spoke up.
She was sitting on her in an upright position that didnt quite suit her, looking at Lukas. There was still a smile on her face.
Did you say you ate every Lukas in this place? Thats not something that could be done in decades or centuries. Even if you had very high mental strength, that would at least take thousands of years.
Shall I predict something?
Coldness slowly filled her voice.
It wont take that long this time.
Do you think Ill give up before then?
Give up? Even that is a joke. Dont you have to still be sane to do that?
Pales lips moved slightly, and a whisper escaped.
You wont be able to endure hunger for thousands of years. You said you knew everything about me, right? Then keep two things in mind.
Then the whisper seeped into his ears.
This pain isnt something you get used to. It gets worse. Like a nightmare.
* * *
Time.
As he slowly went through his memories, Lukas recalled that word once again.
In the long time hed lived, what was the longest time that hed been hungry?
As mentioned before, Lukas life had been a series of pains, but hunger was a type of pain that was fairly unfamiliar to him.
This was because, in the first place, the moment of having a physical body did not occupy much importance.
Even when he was imprisoned in the Abyss, it was his mind, not his body, that had suffered. Naturally, he hadnt felt hungry,
After becoming an Absolute, he shed his physical body and began to move with a transcendent body. While he would occasionally appear with a physical body, most of the time, he remained in a transcendent state which didnt require any of the metabolism needed by ordinary living beings.
Right.
I have never starved.
Of course, among the failed Lukases in his mind, there was a Lukas who died of starvation. He could also see the grief, fear, and pain he felt just before he died.
However, even that could not be considered something hed personally experienced. Even if he could feel the memories as if they had happened for real, it was still a far cry from actually experiencing it.
Thats why.
Lukas starved himself.
* * *
It was good to have an accurate grasp on the passage of time.
Counting the seconds one by one as they passed.
Lukas operated his body clock with the same precision as a machine.
He didnt feel much until a day passed. His stomach felt a little strange, but that was it. In the first place, Lukas had often gone hungry for three days and nights when researching magic in the past.
One day passed, then another day.
The existence of his empty stomach became evident. At least it was now beyond a level that could be ignored. Nevertheless, it was bearable.
Lukas didnt get lost in his thoughts but instead focused on the pain. Then, he began to feel that time was moving ridiculously slow.
After another three days passed, something began to show its presence as much as his empty stomach.
Thirst.
His throat felt like it had become a parched desert. Every time he swallowed his saliva, his throat felt sore, and he felt like crying. He had to swallow his saliva, but the saliva secretion was very slow. Right. There was an unpleasant taste in his mouth. The rough feeling on the top of his tongue felt like sand.
Lukas didnt say anything. There was not even any change to his expression.
Most of the pain that a human could experience was no ordeal for Lukas. The same was true for this. Lukas knew there were worse things than physical pain.
But at that moment, feeling a strange gaze, Lukas opened his eyes.
Smirk-
Pale still had a smile on her face.
* * *
It was a month later that his thoughts began to change.
this is the point.
This was Lukas thought as he faced the hunger he was feeling directly.
This was probably the point where ordinary people would die of starvation. Although it may vary among individuals, no human could survive more than a month without eating anything.
It would be more comfortable to die here.
However, the hunger Pale experienced was different.
Instead, this could only be called the beginning.
The incoming pain,
Was a pain no living being had ever experienced,
A pain that transcended death.
Then it began.
!
Lukas eyebrow twitched.
Suddenly, his throat felt like it was on fire. His stomach contracted and expanded as if it was shrinking. In the middle of it, there seemed to be a ball made of blades, such that Lukas couldnt help but swallow every time the process repeated.
He felt nauseous. Of course, there was nothing to throw up. Because there was already nothing in there.
The world became yellow. It seemed that oxygen was no longer being properly supplied to his brain.
It hurts.
It was tough.
Nevertheless, Lukas remained relatively calm as he thought this.
What would an ordinary human think if they were to experience this pain?
They would try to figure out how to escape this pain.
want to die.
Ah.
At that moment, Lukas suddenly understood. He learned what that blue haired girl had felt in the past by experiencing the same thing, not by peeking at her memories.
Pale had,
Lived a long life.
Seen a lot of people.
Seen mountains of corpses of people who had starved to death.
When she saw this scene which would make other people feel pity or disgust, what did she feel?
Envy.
She was so envious her eyes were stained with jealousy.
Because no matter what she tried, she couldnt die.
* * *
The snowball called pain swelled. Growing larger.
A change occurred in the body of Lukas, who had been sitting motionlessly as if meditating. His eyebrows furrowed, his lips began to twitch, etc. These movements, which were weak at first, soon intensified.
Uh-, kuk
Clutching his abdomen, Lukas let out a groan.
Three Day Bugs, were they called the Three Day Bugs? He remembered the pain they inflicted. The pain Lukas was feeling now was no less than what he felt then. It felt as if those scavengers, who only existed in the Dump Site, were slowly moving through his body and eating away at his organs.
Ha, hu
His voice couldnt come out.
Lukas voice sounded like the sound of escaping wind.
Even that was painful.
The air passed through his parched airways, and each time, it felt like a blade of ice was ruthlessly cutting into his throat. Even breathing had become painful.
He no longer had the energy to sit up.
Lukas sprawled on the ground.
At times, he strangled himself, or punched himself in the stomach. However, he didnt feel anything, and it had no effect.
The pain of suffocation or the pain from hitting were meaningless in the face of hunger. Since his body was already burning with the hottest flames, it wouldnt hurt any more if he was burnt with a match.
You were counting the time, werent you?
It seemed like hed heard a voice, but Lukas couldnt make it out clearly.
With a radiant smile on her face, Pale looked down at Lukas.
To this man, who was buried among the corpses and walking through hell, she said.
But halfway through, you couldnt count anymore. You no longer had time to focus on that. Huhu. How is it? Not easy, right?
Pale giggled, but Lukas couldnt even hear her laughter properly.
Ill tell you. Its been three months now.
However, he heard those words clearly.
Three months.
Ah.
It seems.
Only, that much
Compared to the years I experienced, thats not even a drop in the bucket. Its safe to say it is only an instant. And yet, Uncle is already like this. Crawling on the floor in an ugly way, shedding tears puhuhu.
She let out a chuckle as if she had just told a funny joke.
regardless of the fact that you created this artificial situation to try to emulate my pain, Uncle and I are fundamentally different. You can never be like me. Because you can choose to give up at any time.
A whisper of temptation.
If you just say, I give up now, it will all be over. Then, well, youll just have to fight me, wont you?
Its not like you have no confidence in a power contest, and you can even borrow the power of a Ruler, so wouldnt it be more reasonable to just try to fight me and win?
Lukas looked up blankly at Pale.
He was starving, and,
At that moment, his throat was burning.
Pales suggestion shook Lukas like the sweet scent of honey.
Such a sweet temptation, offered under conditions that were nigh irresistible.
This Lukas Trowman,
Wondered how many times he could resist?
!
Pale trembled.
Because while suffering in hunger, struggling in pain, and writhing as if he was about to die,
Lukas was smiling.
(1/2)
Book 2: Chapter 525
A blurred mindNo, it wasnt blurred. If anything, Lukas consciousness was sharper than it had ever been. The reason starving people became sensitive was because their nerves and senses had become sensitive. It was for a similar reason that people in ancient times fasted while meditating.
He came to understand the reason for Pales strength.
With her concentration, which had become extremely tense because of hunger, she could gain millions of times more experience than an ordinary person with just one swing of her sword.
However, the price of that was harsh.
Even a practitioner with sturdy willpower would not have been able to withstand even a fraction of the pain Lukas was currently experiencing. This was a level of pain that wouldnt even allow you to go crazy.
However, even amid the torrent of agony that he couldnt bear, there was a portion of Lukas reason that remained intact.
That independent reason was constantly assessing the level of pain his body was experiencing and contemplating exactly what hunger was.
Eventually, Lukas reason reached a conclusion. Or a definition.
Hunger was erosion.
Like a contagion of parasites who devoured every element that made up a person, grew bigger, and continued to spread.
Things like their reason, ideas, identity, morality, ethics
The difference between humans and beasts is the ability to control their true nature. The same goes for the difference between beasts and monsters.
What was the difference between a mother who tried to breastfeed her child even when she could not endure her own hunger, and a mother who chose to boil and eat her children?
Whether their morality had been eroded by hunger or not.
The same was true for eating dirt covered weeds, chewing on maggot-infested corpses, or drinking muddy water.
If there was even a shred of reason left, no one would ever commit such acts.
I see.
Everything Pale had had been eroded.
It didnt take long for everything that made up who she was from birth to be eaten. It was inevitable.
Lukas suddenly felt like crying.
Out of pity.
He felt sorry for the girl who had to endure all of this pain, which was too much to bear, by herself without knowing why.
Without knowing what crime shed commit.
What the hell had she done wrong, for such a girl, who was no different from any ordinary person, to endure such pain on her own?
She would curse the world.
She would have no choice but to vomit blood while resenting God.
Lukas wanted to cry. He wanted to at least shed a tear for Pale.
However, like a spring that had long since dried, nothing came out.
* * *
Auh, ak
Covered in blood, Lukas crawled on the ground.
His body was covered in scratches as if he had been mauled by an animal, and his blood-matted hair hung loosely as if it had been scattered.
As she looked at this man, who looked no different from an animal, Pale chewed on her lip.
Why?
Hee, ah, auk
Instead of an answer, all she got in reply was a howl, so she asked again.
Why are you doing this
Cough, cough uh, ugh
How can you not eat?
Crunch.
Her clenched fist tightened.
Pale had said.
Even if Lukas created this artificial situation to try to emulate her pain, they were fundamentally different. They couldnt help but be different.
Initially, she had made this remark to ridicule Lukas.
It was an expression of sarcasm, as if to say, No matter how hard you try to understand me, it would ultimately be for nothing.
However, those words shed uttered unthinkingly contained some truth.
That really was the case.
Lukas and Pale were different.
Not only was there a big difference in the situations they faced, there was also a difference in the way they responded to them.
He has a way out.
She looked around.
Countless corpses could be seen laying in every direction.
What they looked like to Lukas now, Pale understood it painfully well.
They were no different from countless pieces of meat. The scent of the rotten corpses was probably more fragrant than that of meat roasting over a bonfire, and the blood that was infinitely close to turning black was no less appetising than juices from the highest quality meat.
However, Lukas didnt even reach for a corpse. Even when acting as if his mind was about to break or had already broken.
He didnt reach for the countless things to eat around him.
He didnt even look at them.
Pale couldnt do that.
She ate everything around her. She had chewed and swallowed things that were so disgusting and dirty that Lukas couldnt even begin to imagine. It was so disgusting and ugly that even she herself could not bear it.
Uah, ah, ah
His voice cut off. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
From his throat came a sound more unpleasant than that of unlubricated metal pieces rubbing against each other.
How long had it been?
its been 1 year now.
When Lukas had smiled, Pale thought that smile was just a bluff. She was shocked, but that was it, and her thoughts didnt change even after seeing it. This was because Lukas continued to show an appearance so precarious that it wouldnt be strange for him to break down at any moment.
However, the thread that seemed as if it would break at any moment had not yet broken. Like a candle that did not go out even in the face of a strong wind, Lukas persevered in the most precarious situation.
Pale realised that her heart was beating harder than ever before.
She wasnt exactly sure why.
There was no way that she was beginning to have expectations, right?
Did she really think that this man would be able to understand everything about her? That he could be the King she was searching for? This trash who had accepted the power of a Ruler?
haha.
She burst into laughter.
But Pales face was still distorted.
Dont make me laugh.
Her refusal to yield soared.
The long awaited salvation was in arms reach, but itself of holding on to it, Pale snorted loudly.
It had been like that for a long time.
The sympathy sent by someone else only made Pale lock her feelings in a bottomless pit. Especially from a man who borrowed the power of a Ruler.
Whatever kind of life he thought shed lived.
However he thought she had become the being she was now.
She didnt need sympathy. That time was long past.
Instead, she only regarded the sympathy sent to her as an insult.
Thump.
Pale sat down.
Then, she spoke to Lukas, who probably couldnt even hear her voice.
Fine. Just for this moment, I will put aside the name of the Blue Knight for a while.
There was no reply from the man who was moaning and groaning.
Pale continued coldly.
After becoming the Blue Knight, my hunger weakened a lot. It hasnt completely disappeared, but it has weakened enough for me to maintain my sense of self.
Huhu. Thats why I cant give up this beggar-like position.
But Im going to put it aside for a while. Then the hunger Ive built up until now will pounce on me
Pale twisted the corners of her mouth, forcing a smile. Fear was visible in that smile.
After all, she was about to encounter the real hunger that she had been avoiding for a long time once again.
She didnt want to do it. This was crazy.
But, still.
Pale stretched out a hand and pulled out the sword that had been stuck in the ground. Then, she held the blade with her bare hands and began to apply force.
Snap.
The pale blade, the Blue Knights sword, broke into two with a hollow sound.
!
Then the hunger struck.
* * *
The moment she reunited with the pain one wouldnt even miss as much as a fingernail, Pale wanted to run away immediately.
Unlike in the past, she had obtained a way out too.
Reassembling the broken sword would not be a difficult task for Pale.
However, she didnt.
Now, were the same!
Pale also had a way out.
In other words, her situation had become equal to Lukas.
Running away from here? That would be easy. However, she couldnt.
She wasnt sure about anything else, but at least she couldnt lose to this man. She didnt want to lose.
So she would endure.
She would grit her teeth until they broke, and endure it even if she had to die.
The hunger surged.
Pale writhed in pain. She screamed. She shed tears.
And then she thought.
It was more bearable than she thought.
Why?
The person who was the most taken aback by that thought was none other than Pale herself.
Clearly, the hunger that poured in was as she imagined, no, it was greater and more terrible than she had imagined. This fact was undeniable just by looking at the way she was crawling on the ground and crying.
Nevertheless, she was able to endure it.
She wasnt sure why, but she could do it.
Why?
Had she developed a resistance for hunger while acting as the Blue Knight of Famine?
Or, did it turn out that hunger wasnt that big of a pain now that shed become a transcendent being?
No.
It wasnt such a petty reason.
There was something, something a little more, something fundamentally different
!
Pale shuddered.
An inner voice.
The true feelings hidden beneath Pales reason.
Because she hated losing? That could be it.
However, it was different. There was only so much she could endure with just defiance. This was something Pale knew from her long experience.
A little deeper,
She listened to the sound her heart was making.
.
As if struck by a hammer,
Her mind went blank.
.
It seems.
The feeling of being the same that Lukas had mentioned the other day.
The statement that the being called Pale could only love beings who had committed the same original sin.
The emotions Pale was experiencing at that moment were similar to that, but also completely different.
.
Lukas and Pale were different.
Not only was there a big difference in the situations they faced, there was also a difference in the way they responded to them.
However, they were similar.
At that moment, Pale, because there was a being called Lukas writhing on the ground in a place she could see
Trickle.
Began to cry.
In an instant, it felt like her hunger had disappeared.
ah.
Right.
What she wanted,
What she really wanted, was not a being who was guilty of the same crime. Nor was it someone who bore similar scars.
What she wanted was,
During painful days like this one. To have someone beside her. It was selfish, but she wanted that person to experience the same pain as her, and understand.
She looked at Lukas.
Was this your aim?
Pales voice trembled slightly.
answer me. You, Lukas, is this what you wanted to show me?
Lukas was still suffering on the ground, but his eyes were clear. Perhaps they had been like that from the beginning. Why hadnt she realised?
Twitch.
His lips moved.
He was probably talking, but his voice didnt come out. Because his voice was already gone.
However, Pale could still hear his voice just through his moving lips.
I was looking for [a person].
where?
Now, here.
Gulp, she choked up.
Pale forced herself to speak.
What do they look like?
She has blue hair thats messy but silky.
She has an emaciated face, but her eyebrows are arched like a bad girl, and her eyes are as clear as the blue sky. She is probably like a tomboy who worries her parents.
She causes incidents everywhere, but her surroundings are crowded with people. Shes a child that no one can dislike, a child who cant be scolded because she will just smile and stick her tongue out and you will lose all your steam.
Lukas bitterly said.
That should be the face she could have.
Sorry.
What for?
Because I have no tears left to shed for you.
But after a while, Lukas smiled faintly.
You are even filling in for my tears as well.
From the moment she first shed a tear, she couldnt stop crying.
There was no sobbing, but Pale cried as if she was sobbing.
I thought you had lost every element that made up your existence.
Thats right, I
Its not.
Huh?
You put aside your position as Blue Knight. And you personally invited the hunger that you fear the most, something you could easily ignore. It was an irrational act that was highly emotional, but it was cool.
Cool? Wasnt it just a foolish mistake?
In other words, it is your pride. That is also what I value the most.
Value if you think that, then.
Right. That is where my first steps began.
Lukas got to his feet. His body, which had been covered in scars, became perfectly fine. In this state, he slowly walked towards Pale.
People have good memories and bad memories.
He spoke with an intact voice.
But as time goes on, the boundaries separating those become increasingly more blurry. At that time, you will also be able to calmly accept memories that are terrible and unpleasant. It might take a long time, but maybe there might come a day when you can reminisce about those times with a smile.
Blinking, Pale looked at Lukas.
Things that she had never even imagined. Everything hed said sounded like nonsense. It was unrealistic, and her mind refused to accept it.
Will a day like that come
However, her voice came out as if on its own accord.
for me too?
Without realising, she asked with desperation.
Will there come a time when I can recall my most painful memories, smile bitterly, and talk as if they are nothing?
I dont know. No one knows.
However.
Adding that, Lukas continued.
If you can imagine even a small bit of that moment, if you can imagine a little bit of that future.
Lukas stretched out his hand without finishing his sentence.
Despite being rejected time and again, he continued to reach out without flinching.
Maybe this was the greatest thing about Lukas.
His blue eyes pointed at Pale.
At that moment, Pale realised a minute fact.
She stretched out her hand.
And this time, she finally took the rough hand that she once rejected.
Strongly, as if she would never let go again.
(2/2)
Book 2: Chapter 526
He felt something heavy on his stomach. It was also slightly warm.
It was only as Lukas slowly regained consciousness that he realised that he had been unconscious in the first place.
It was probably the aftereffect of exhaustion. It seemed he was quite tired. Having a changed body didnt mean he didnt need rest.
hehe.
He heard a small laugh. It was pretty close too. When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Pales face. Why was this guys face here? It took some time for him to understand and accept the situation.
So,
As he lay on the floor, Pale was laying on his stomach?
Hehehe.
Whats more, Pale kept laugh in that bizarre way. The happiness on her face was as if she was holding all the happiness in the world in her hands. He thought she was making those sounds while having a sweet dream, but when he took a closer look, he realised that wasnt the case.
Ah! Lukas! Youre awake?
Are you okay? You were asleep for a long time! Your body was restored but, uh, you were probably still mentally fatigued!
um.
Arent you hungry? Thirsty? Right. You said you could control that. Still, do you want to eat something to cleanse your mouth?
Did she just ask if he wanted to eat something?
Here?
As he asked that, he looked around at the unchanged bloody scene unique to the Dump Site. At that, Pale chuckled.
That wouldnt so bad, but I know a nicer place!
A nicer place?No. Wait a minute, before that, what are you doing?
Huh? Ah. Supplying.
supplying?
Letting out a hehe, she looked at him with spotless clear eyes.
The more he looked, the more he felt he was asking something that shouldnt be asked.
right. Aside from that, could you please get off now?
Yeppp.
Pale jumped up first and reached out to Lukas. Lukas looked at her face for a moment before accepting the hand. A silly laugh trickled out.
Patting the dust off of his body, he looked at Pale. As he looked at the figure who was smiling at him with her hands behind her back, he could no longer sense any vigilance from the other.
There was no longer any strange hostility between him and Pale. Lukas understood her perfectly, and Pale accepted that.
Without needing to think about it, this was a good thing.
A good thing.
Lukas, you are
Suddenly, Pale spoke.
Taller than I thought, huh?
is that so?
This wasnt a fact he was particularly conscious of. He wasnt really interested in it. After all, the body was no more than a vessel.
But Pale seemed to have a different thought, and suddenly narrowed the distance.
Yeah! Look at this!
Then she tried to tiptoe to compare their heights.
The top of her head could barely reach Lukas chin. To begin with, Pale could never be considered as tall. If she were standing normally, she would only reach around Lukas chest.
But I think it would be better if you had some more meat. Youre too hard.
Ah. But Im also pretty thin, so it might be better like this.
What do you mean better?
And when you were sleeping, you had worry lines on your face! It didnt seem like you were having a strange dream, is it just a habit?
well.
Lukas swallowed those words.
So, what Im trying to say is, arent we a group sharing a common destiny now?
Huh?
He couldnt keep up with the flow of the conversation, so he ended up asking back.
Smiling brightly, Pale continued.
We are the only ones who can understand each other, so dont humans usually call a relationship like this
Wait a minute. Im not sure what youre trying to say, but can we talk about it later?
He was controlling the flow of time in the Dump Site, but there was no room for delay.
Pale nodded.
Fine! Then shall we find the exit first?
* * *
Lukas was in a quandary.
Hehe.
Of course, when it came to the major battle in the Dump Site, he could be considered the winner.
Hehehe.
As for whether the benefit he gained was short term or long term.
At that point, it was difficult to accurately calculate it.
Hehe, uhehe.
No. It would be too cold-hearted to make a judgement only from a rational perspective.
While he might have had a different goal when he first came to the Dump Site, afterward, he started doing what he wanted. What he thought was the right thing to do.
That thought hadnt changed even now, but
Lukas.
Lukas slowly stopped escaping from reality.
Now that his biggest concern had been resolved, there was no longer anything for him to think so deeply about that he would forget reality.
Lowering his gaze slightly, who was moving close beside him.
Her face was like that of a kitten melting in the sunlight.
what is it?
Just that.
Lukas. Lukas.
Why are you calling me?
I just want to call you. Hehehe.
What was this strange feeling?
With an indescribable feeling, Lukas looked at Pales smiling face. Pale used to smile often, but her smile now was different from before. It was a genuine smile that seemed to contain 1 million percent of her happiness.
Judging from that strange analogy, it could be seen that he was not yet fully back to normal. Although he had acted conceited before, the hunger Pale experienced was not something to take lightly. It was tremendous. If it hadnt been Lukas, no one else would have been able to survive.
Hey, Lukas.
What is it?
Lukas palms are unexpectedly big.
Placing her palm on Lukas palm, she smiled again.
What was the meaning of this action? It was clear that Pale trusted him. However, her subsequent behaviour, the aim of which he was unable to fully guess, confused him.
Lukas looked at Pales changed appearance and wondered what changes were occurring inside her.
[What it means.]
He heard a gruff voice.
Ah.
Now that he thought about it, he had forgotten about the Lightning Gods existence for a while.
Lightning God.
[Do you not know? That woman is head over heels for you.]
Head over heels?
It took Lukas a moment to understand what he meant.
indeed. Are you saying she completely opened her heart after being understood for the first time in her life?
Although this situation was common, it wasnt ideal.
[Not that, you dim-witted, stupid, idiotic bastard.]
The Lightning Gods voice was strangely sharp.
[Do you seriously not know? How the Blue Knight feels about you now She will do anything you tell her to. If you tell her to fight for her life, she will fight until she cannot move a finger. If you ask her to rip her heart out, she will do so in a heartbeat. She has reached a state where no matter how absurd or unreasonable the request is, she will accept them all. In other words]
Thats not good.
[]
Its good that the relationship progressed, but excessive dependence is not good for either of us. I should probably say something so that we can have a healthier relationship. (TL:)
[do whatever you want, dumbass.]
The Lightning Gods curses were becoming more and more diverse. Was it like this before?
[By the way, theres something I want to say to you.]
What is it?
[You bastard.]
A moment later, Lukas asked back.
Huh?
What did he just say?
The Lightning God kindly repeated himself.
[I said, You bastard.]
why all of a sudden.
[Im currently staying inside your head. And my current state can be described as being parasitic to you. In other words, I have no right to tell you what to do.]
The Lightning God said this first.
[But did you know? You forgot something. You and I dont only share feelings, we also share senses.]
ah.
He had completely forgotten.
Lukas didnt know what to say.
[Once again, I have no right to tell you what to do. I dont deserve to. So I can only enjoy the freedoms granted to me. Whatever this body says is right. Isnt that so? You bastard.]
Indeed.
The Lightning God was talking to him like this because suddenly started starving as if he wanted to die without discussing it first.
From his perspective, it was probably a bolt from the blue.
While watching how the situation was unfolding, he was suddenly subjected to pain he had never experienced before. If not for the Lightning Gods mental strength, he would have certainly gone crazy. Even though he was just a remnant thought, a Ruler was still a Ruler.
Hiding his admiration, Lukas briefly apologised.
Sorry. Ill notify you next time.
[Do whatever you want, dumbass.]
Since it didnt seem like hed accept any further apologies, Lukas didnt say anything more.
Now that he thought about it, there was something he certainly needed to tell Pale.
Listen up, Pale.
Yep.
At that, Pale stopped walking and sat down on the spot. Then, she looked up at Lukas with her uniquely clear eyes. He could feel that not only her ears and attention, but every fibre of her being were focused on him.
He felt pressured.
As I said before, a remnant thought of the Lightning God remains within my body.
Yep.
Do you not have anything you want to ask about that?
Yep.
Something about this development was weird.
Lukas asked again.
Do you not have any questions? At all?
Dont have.
Why? Dont you hate the Rulers?
Yes. I really hate them. If I could, Id rip those bastards limbs off and grind them into powder.
[]
Although she said it in a refreshing voice, this statement was real. In other words, her blind hatred of the Rulers had not disappeared.
Nevertheless. Lukas ended up accepting one of their remnant thoughts.
With a bright smile on her face, Pale continued.
So there must be some reason for that. That I dont know.
It seems.
Pale had not let go of her hatred towards the Rulers. She had just come to trust Lukas enough that it had become less important.
Ah. Or maybe its a situation where the remnant thought is forcibly staying by coercion or restraint!
Huh?
Then thats a different story. I know someone who can get rid of remnant thoughts in a professional manner! It might be a little hard to convince him, but if its for Lukas
No, no. Theres no need for that.
When Lukas hurriedly dissuaded her, Pale shrugged.
Sure. Tell me later if you change your mind. Hehe.
* * *
The Corpse Ghost was one of the Twelve Void Lords that Lukas had a fairly accurate grasp of. Not only had he observed him, but they had also fought, even though neither side had used their full strength at that time.
Thats why he knew. He was not something to be taken lightly. This was only natural considering that he had the title of Twelve Void Lord in the first place.
I was wondering who had recklessly trespassed into my territory.
Looking at it again, the being sitting across the round table had a bizarre appearance.
The only thing that could be called its body was a spine, and the head at the top of it was that of an old and ugly man. At first glance, it could be mistaken as a decapitated head hung on a long spear, or a human faced insect.
Thats an interesting expression.
Lukas first bowed slightly to the smiling Corpse Ghost.
I hope you will forgive my discourtesy.
The Dump Site was the Corpse Ghosts territory.
So it was clearly his fault for trespassing into this place, and manipulating and using the space as he pleased.
Thats why he apologised in a polite manner. In this life, he wanted to avoid increasing his enemies as much as possible. Especially when that individual was one of the Twelve Void Lords.
I think the order is a little wrong. Isnt it basic courtesy to ask for permission breaking in? The Dump Site does not refuse anyone. As long as you follow the proper procedures.
There was no time for that.
If there wasnt, you should have made it.
Indeed.
Although he was smiling quietly, the Corpse Ghost was quite angry. This was a natural response considering that his territory had been arbitrarily invaded, and the set values of the space changed.
It wasnt like this when I broke into Flower Mountain.
Now that he thought about it, Yang In-hyuns attitude at that time might have been too peaceful.
In any case, he really didnt have the time now.
How can I get you to accept my apology?
Hmm. Well
The Corpse Ghosts voice softened a bit.
If you do me a small favour, I might feel a bit better.
A small favour?
Generally, in situations like this, the favour had a history of not being small.
I need you to go to Eden and retrieve something for me.
Eden?
It was an unfamiliar toponym.
You dont know it? Its the Territory of the Divine One().
The Divine One was one of the Twelve Void Lords.
Like the Corpse Ghost, they were one of the Twelve Void Lords of the north.
Lukas frowned. This was a request that went past the realm of inconvenience. If he were to cause relations with another of the Twelve Void Lords to break down in order to be forgiven by the Corpse Ghost, it would be putting the cart before the horse.
I heard a bit about the Divine One from Kasajin, but
He didnt know any detailed abilities. In fact, it wouldnt be surprising if they were harder to deal with than the Corpse Ghost.
In other words, it was not a request he could accept So, how should he refuse?
Hey. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Suddenly, he heard a voice.
Turning around, he found Pale standing right beside him with a smile on her face.
The Corpse Ghosts gaze turned to Pale.
Now that I think about it, my greetings are late. Wel
Why are you talking so much?
The Corpse Ghosts voice cut off.
My King was a bit beholden to you, he apologised, and now were going to leave. Do you not understand the role you have here yet?
Youre just supposed to shut up, and nod your head. Before I completely smash this mangy place altogether.
Are you not gonna answer?
That
You understand? How kind of you. Lukas, he said we can go.
Pale grabbed Lukas arm. Then, while holding the arm of the still dazed Lukas, she waved.
Then thanks for your hard work!
And just left.
Now alone in that space, the Corpse Ghost was silent.
Book 2: Chapter 527
After taking a few steps, with an Ah, Pale turned around.Sorry!
What for?
We originally came to get a meal, but that bastard started talking nonsense so we left.
Was the nicer place Pale was talking about the Corpse Ghosts room? While it certainly was a better place than the Dump Site, it didnt quite fit the descriptor nice.
Lukas thoroughly shook his head.
Its fine.
Should we go back there?
No. Thanks.
But
With his eyes practically dripping with reluctance, Lukas spoke more clearly.
Im talking about the Corpse Ghost. His appearance is not a good one to look at while eating.
Mm. Really? Isnt he cute like an earthquake?
He didnt look like an earthworm, nor was he cute.
Or could it be that you know a better place?
Pale looked at Lukas with a strangely expectant expression on her face.
A better place
There was no place that immediately came to mind. After all, most of this world was empty in the first place.
The sea, snowfield, desert, and deadlands which stretched out infinitely all had places called territories that usually had a Lord. If he were to intrude recklessly, he would once again experience the criticism he had just received from the Corpse Ghost.
Ah.
At that moment, the scene of a territory unfolded in Lukas mind.
A giant mountain peak that pierced the clouds, plum blossoms which fell like spring rain, a well built house perched near the peak. When combined, they created a view worthy of being called magnificent.
Whats wrong?
Looking at Pale, who was tilted her head at him, he replied.
I thought of a nice place.
* * *
The mental strength of the Everlasting Plum Sword Yang In Hyun was like Mount Tai, unfazed by most things.
For example, if there was a huge tsunami rushing in from the end of the sea, a huge tornado large enough to cover the sky, a meteorite falling towards him just as he was watching the open sky, or an earthquake splitting the ground apart just as he was about to take a step.
Even if all of these things were to happen at the same time, Yang In-hyun would not be the slightest bit surprised or taken aback.
He would just calmly draw his sword.
Wow! What a spectacular view!
It is a picturesque place.
Bugs boiled in a place like this would be delicious!
well. There might be better food.
However, at that moment, Yang In-hyun had to admit that he was taken aback. It was just that he did not show it outwardly.
He looked at the dark blond man in front of him.
It was polite to offer tea to any guest who came to the Cloud Pavilion, but, unfortunately, these guests werent invited.
Suddenly, the head of the blue haired woman turned towards him.
By the way. Is there anything to munch on here?
Please wait a moment.
Ah. Then Id like something to drink.
After saying that, the woman waved her hand gently.
If anyone else had said that, regardless of if it was in the Cloud Pavilion which was only accessible by the Sect Head or not, Yang In-hyun would not have forgiven them, but now, he obeyed without hesitation.
This was because he knew the identity of this woman with an innocent expression.
As long as it didnt go too far, Yang In-hyun could tolerate some rudeness and disrespect. In Yang In-hyuns opinion, Pale was qualified to do so. Thats why it was possible for him to prepare something for her to snack on even though it was just a piece of jerky and tea for her to drink.
Of course, the food vanished as soon as it was placed on the table, as if it had disappeared.
Suddenly, the blond haired man quietly opened his mouth.
Would you like to look around outside for a moment?
Outside? Hmm.
After contemplating for a while, Pale glanced at Yang In-hyun and smiled.
Sure. Why not?
Dont make a fuss.
Ay. Im not at that age.
Pale got up from her seat with a grin.
Lukas, the man, gestured to Yang In-hyun.
Shall we sit and talk? I have a feeling it will take a little long.
Yang In-hyun did as he said.
He sat across from him at the table and opened his mouth.
I think I should ask if you are the King Candidate chosen by the Blue Knight.
A somewhat sluggish but intense voice rang out.
But judging from her attitude, it seems that it has far surpassed the concept of candidate. This is my first time seeing it personally. A being who has earned the true loyalty of a Knight No.
Slowly, he turned his head to look at the back of Pale, who was walking on the veranda.
You seem to be connected by something stronger than loyalty.
Although they were called for convenience sake, Yang In-hyun knew that they were far from chivalry. Those who understood their essence called them executors, enforcers, or principle-ists.
This was because they recognised that Knights who swore allegiance to a Lord became too distorted to be called as such.
However.
Yang In-hyun recalled the relationship between Lukas and Pale that hed just seen. There was no need to analyse for a long time.
Lukas was able to control Pale. The relationship between them was clearly hierarchical.
Why is that?
Thats why Yang In-hyun couldnt help but become curious about the man in front of him.
Could it be that you broke into the Flower Mountain and came to my residence because you had something to say to me? Wizard.
Something to say.
There were
Quite a few things.
However, Lukas could not easily bring them up to Yang In-hyun in front of him. Disordered emotions hung in his chest.
At that point, there were things he could or couldnt say, but he felt that if he were to open his mouth now, they would all pour out indiscriminately.
From the beginning, Lukas started a wrong relationship with Pale. Although he hadnt realised this fact until halfway through, and thought that he would still be able to create the ideal relationship with her in that life, he ended up being wrong.
However, that wasnt the only wrong relationship.
That wasnt the only relationship he wished to start over.
Lukas recalled the face of Yang In-hyun, who had helped him in that last moment. As well as his past that he told him about and his attitude towards life.
He learned something from seeing that. Or, he discovered something.
The answer to a problem hed had for a very long time.
He admired the attitude he showed towards life.
And Lukas was strongly aware of the kind of relationship he wanted to have with someone he respected to such an extent.
Lukas wanted to be friends with Yang In-hyun.
In the end, they might have ended up in a relationship similar to that.
Perhaps this is the longing and regret that comes at the end.
It was a bittersweet feeling to see a relationship that had been formed and deepened disappear like a bubble.
What happened to Yang In-hyun in the end in that time? Did he die? Did he win? Or was he erased?
Even if he were to think about it, it wasnt something he could figure out.
As soon as he saw the look in Yang In-hyuns eyes, a bitter smile appeared. All he could see on his face was curiosity and bewilderment. In other words, he was acting to make it seem like that was the case.
There was probably a deep sense of vigilance beneath the surface.
This was a natural response.
After all, it wouldnt be strange for him to directly declare war considering that he had appeared at his residence accompanied by the Blue Knight.
Lets talk about it.
He decided to tell him about his regression, like he did with Pale.
Wouldnt things work out better if he was honest?
Wouldnt it then be possible for them to have the same or even relationship as in his last life?
At that moment, Lukas felt a strong urge.
The Underground City near here.
But the words that came out of his lips were completely different.
It was something he instinctively knew. Yang In-hyuns and Pales situations were completely different. Things wouldnt work out so easily.
Rather, it was more likely to make things worse.
If he were to try to induce a relationship in that way, he would have no choice but to blatantly reveal his intentions. This would only serve to create more suspicion and vigilance.
Yang In-hyun had the greatest combat power among the Twelve Void Lords, he also had the heart to match. Therefore, even Lukas wasnt confident that he would be able to completely fool Yang In-hyun.
What underground city?
I mean the territory of Michael.
Mm.
You are currently conducting an indiscriminate conquest of the surrounding territories. For what reason?
He knew about Yang In-hyuns thoughts. And the past he had experienced.
That was why he was unable to accurately grasp the reason for his indiscriminate conquest.
The reason?
Yang In-hyun spoke in a quiet voice.
There is no need for a reason for territories to invade one another. Especially in this world. I dont believe you do not know this fact.
In other words, you are directly questioning my disposition.
As expected, he was not a man to be taken lightly.
A sharp analysis followed.
It sounds to me like youre saying The Yang In-hyun I know isnt like that. So I would like to ask. Have you met before? sea??h th N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
No. This is our first meeting.
Hmm. So you heard about me from someone else.
This time he didnt respond.
Seemingly regarding this silence as affirmation, Yang In-hyun narrowed his eyes and muttered.
You dont seem to be someone from the Magic Planet. There is only one Wizard with this level of ability in that territory.
You asked for the reason for my conquest. What if I dont give an answer? Will you use the Blue Knight to attack the Flower Mountain?
Not that. However, it is important to me. Because there is something I would like to negotiate with you.
Negotiate?
A look of interest flashed across Yang In-hyuns face.
Ruler.
[]
He felt the consciousness of the Lightning God in his mind become focused.
However, ignored that and continued talking to Yang In-hyun.
There is a man named Lee Jong-hak imprisoned here. Lurking within his body is the Thunderous Lightning God. If you leave it as is, it will bring turmoil to the Flower Mountain.
It would be no problem to change the word turmoil with calamity.
I see. Then are you saying that if I stop my conquest, you will help me destroy the Lightning God?
Thats right.
I dont think that can be negotiated.
!
He was slightly surprised by Yang In-hyuns words.
But Yang In-hyun continued in his unique lonesome voice.
After all, isnt the profit too small compared to what youre doing?
Ah, indeed.
He was this kind of man.
If there is anything else you want, please say so. If I can accept it, I will accept it.
mm.
What he wanted. There was not much.
Lukas planned to go straight to the Magic Planet after removing the Lightning Gods remnant thought from Lee Jong-haks body. And maybe this time, the Exile wouldnt give him any tests or anything like that.
Even if that did happen, he had secured the strong ally called Pale. The White Knights test would no longer be a serious issue. There was also no need for Yang In-hyun to accompany him on the journey to the Magic Planet.
I dont have anything right now
Then think about it later.
sure.
It would never be a bad thing to have Yang In-hyun, one of the Twelve Void Lords, owe him a favour. It was a bit mean to compare, but it was quite different from the debt Michael owed him.
[Lukas.]
Suddenly, the Lightning Gods voice rang out in his mind.
For a moment, he had a feeling of incongruity.
From Lukas Trowman, and You at the beginning,
To the recent bastard, son of a bitch, dumbass
It was a little strange for the Lightning God who had been calling him like that to suddenly call him by his name.
What is it?
[Youre about to encounter the Lightning God of this timeline, right?]
Right.
[]
After a period of hesitation, the Lightning God spoke.
[I have a request.]
Request?
The Ruler, the Thunderous Lightning God, had a request?
While he was lost in surprise, the Lightning God continued.
[after you encounter the Lightning God, can you give me control of your body for a moment?]
What do you mean?
[You probably heard it already. In this timeline, I deliberately lost in order to inhabit your body. You have become stronger now, but your chances of winning when you encounter my true self are not very high.]
[Besides, theres already a me in your body. Have you ever thought about how that might complicate things?]
Does that have anything to do with you taking control of my body?
[It does.]
Afterwards, the Lightning God once again hesitated for a while.
Then, when the expression of Yang In-hyun who was sitting in front of him gradually became puzzled, he spoke.
[I will try to persuade the Lightning God of this timeline.]
(1/2)
Book 2: Chapter 528
Persuade him? How?Would persuasion even work on the Thunderous Lightning God in the first place?
On that arrogant being? Lukas couldnt begin to imagine such a scene.
[It is sufficiently possible.]
The Lightning God spoke in a gloomy voice.
The Lightning God said it was possible. That probably wasnt a lie. This meant that he at least had the minimum means to persuade the guy from the present.
Then what benefit will you get from that?
[]
It wouldnt be easy to persuade him. Considering the risks of things going wrong, Im not convinced that you would be so cooperative for no reason.
The Lightning God was silent.
Did he plan to play dumb?
Lightning God.
Lukas didnt press.
He spoke in his usual voice, or perhaps a little calmer than usual.
Just like you have figured me out, I have also figured you out. I know very well that you are not a being to act out of goodwill or sympathy.
Whether it was out of pity for Lukas,
Or for Lee Jong-hak.
That would never be a reason for the being called the Lightning God.
Therefore, this guy probably had another purpose or reason.
[I will return to the Lightning God of this timeline.]
Lukas paused after this answer came out.
This was because he was unable to understand the meaning of those words at first.
return?
[Thats right.]
Wait a minute. Im not sure if I understand what youre saying, you, dont you understand what state you are in right now?
[]
The current Lightning Gods consciousness was not separate. It was a copy. That was to say, although the power of the Lightning God in Lukas mind was weak, there was no difference between his consciousness world and that of the Thunderous Lightning God.
To give such weight to a mere remnant thought and copied consciousness.
Perhaps there were very few beings in the Three Thousand Worlds capable of such a skill.
In other words, what was happening now could be described as a tragedy born from the omnipotence of the Rulers.
[Of course I understand.]
And yet you want to return? You and the Lightning God have already become separate beings?
[]
Its not like you will be welcomed when you reunite with the Thunderous Lightning God. That would just be absorption.
Nevertheless, he didnt receive an answer. Lukas composure was gradually breaking. Unfamiliar with the impatience he was beginning to feel, Lukas continued.
There wouldnt be any change in the [Thunderous Lightning God]. But [You], the being [You] that is currently talking to me, will definitely disappear. Dont you understand me?
What happened when a single raindrop fell into a great sea? The answer was nothing happened. Or at least that is the case for the sea.
However, for the falling raindrop, it was different. The raindrop would lose its identity. It would completely lose the independence and individuality that it once had, becoming a small part of a huge being.
The current Lightning God was trying to commit suicide.
[whats wrong with that?]
For a moment, Lukas was unsure what to say at this sharp voice.
what?
[You dont know. In the current situation, it can be said that you are the one that doesnt understand.]
He had a feeling of incompatibility.
Was he the one who was thinking something wrong? Did he really not fully understand what kind of situation it was like the Lightning God said?
Thinking this, he continued as calmly as he could.
The situation you are facing is regretful. However, it has already happened.
[]
Is that what you really want? To go to the Lightning God of this timeline to die?
When he didnt receive an answer, the impatience grew to anger.
What the hell are you doing
He couldnt accept it.
That wasnt it just giving up?
Like a sick person waiting to die or a criminal heading towards the death penalty, believing that it was meaningless to struggle.
The sight of him trying to helplessly accept fate.
Why are you showing me something like this?
An inexplicably stuffy feeling made his chest feel heavy. It became hard for him to see the bewildered expression of Yang In-hyun in front of him.
Just as he was on the verge of saying some more words of persuasion.
[What do you know about my condition?]
He heard an incredibly mangled voice.
With a seething aura, the Lightning God continued.
[My existence would disappear? Thats what I would rather happen right now. To be absorbed by myself and have my consciousness disappear without a trace, that is the end I long for.]
you.
[Right now I I am so disgusted by my own existence, I cannot bear the shame.]
The voice, which seemed as if it would cut off at any moment, continued.
[I just want to disappear. To do that, I can do anything.]
[Help me, Lukas Trowman.]
Shit.
The anger intensified. A feeling of indescribable repulsion caused him to clench his fists.
He now knew the reason.
Lukas was also a petty Absolute in the past.
So even if he didnt like it, he had no choice but to know what kind of being a Ruler was and just how much weight that title contained.
He didnt want to see it.
Such a pathetic appearance of an Absolute who reigned at the top of the Three Thousand Worlds.
He didnt want to see it.
* * *
He left the Cloud Pavilion with Yang In-hyun. Sar?h the n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
The house was built near the peak of the mountain, which made it the best place to capture the most beautiful scenery of the Flower Mountain in one glance. But instead of taking in the magnificent scenery, Lukas was busy looking for someone.
There was no sign of Pale.
I thought shed be over here
Mm.
Yang In-hyuns expression became uncomfortable.
This was only natural considering that a being like the Blue Knight was wandering around his territory as she pleased. Instead, it was more surprising that he managed to maintain his composure.
Lukas carefully asked.
What do you think would happen if the disciples of Flower Mountain discovered Pale?
the procedures of the sect does not allow intruders. Unless she reveals her identity as the Blue Knight, they will draw their swords first and act. This was a mistake.
Yang In-hyun let out a soft sigh.
I think we should find her quickly before things get worse.
Nodding, Lukas agreed.
As the two quickly went down while searching, Lukas blamed his own negligence.
While it was certainly nice that his relationship with Pale had deepened, her fundamental personality hadnt changed. It wouldnt be strange for her to carry out a massacre against the disciples of Flower Mountain.
Thats why Lukas should have paid more attention, or kept Pale by his side.
Does that mean that I was also too relaxed?
Or was it because of the Lightning God?
It was no use thinking about it now.
Ah.
Yang In-hyun, who was quickly descending the mountain, suddenly let out an exclamation. His gaze was directed towards the middle of the mountain.
There, a large flat area extended above a long series of stone stairs, upon which several huge buildings were erected.
A place that appeared to be a base for the Flower Mountain Sect.
Pale was in that place.
Exchanging glances, Lukas and Yang In-hyun headed there.
Huaah.
Spread out on the ground and looking up at the sky, Pale let out a breath.
It wouldnt be a problem if that was all, but there were six heads beside her.
They were surprised at first. At first glance, they seemed to be the decapitated heads of Flower Mountain Sect disciples. But they quickly realised that it was an illusion.
Kuk.
So shameful.
Where the hell did this monster come from
After all, even if this was the World of Void, no one could speak after their heads had been cut off.
The disciples of the Flower Mountain had simply been buried in the ground.
Mm.
Looking closely, he realised that they were not just disciples, but Elders of the Flower Mountain Sect that Lukas was familiar with.
Pale and the Elders gazes turned towards them, and their expressions changed immediately.
Se-, Sect Leader!
Lukas!
The Elders looked at Yang In-hyun, and Pale looked at Lukas.
The difference was that while the Elders were unable to move, Pale got up and came up to Lukas.
Whats going on here?
Huh? Ah. These guys?
Smiling, Pale said.
I was looking around the mountain, but they were really noisy so I buried them. But seeing that they are still noisy, maybe I should have buried them the other way around.
Then usually, they would die.
Or to put it differently, they were still alive.
Lukas knew from experience what kind of rude and arrogant beings the Elders of the Flower Mountain were. They didnt seem like the subordinates of Yang In-hyun, who was simple and rational.
The moment these people discovered the intruder called Pale, there was no way they would show a never before seen level of etiquette and politeness. He was certain that they would have threatened her like bullies.
This meant that from the perspective of the Blue Knight, there was enough justification to kill and eat them.(TL: So if I break in, and you threaten me, I can kill you got it)
In other words, Pale overlooked their rudeness.
Perhaps Lukas thinking had been wrong. There might have been changes inside Pale.
Meanwhile, Yang In-hyun swung his sword, splitting the ground. The Elders then haphazardly crawled out. Upon closer inspection, it could be seen that at least two of their limbs were fractured and they had significant internal injuries. Well, if they werent injured, they would have just escaped on their own.
Se-, Sect Leader.
Sorry. Even now, the intruder
Thats enough. These are guests.
huh?
Turning a blind eye to the Elders confusion, Yang In-hyun said.
Go back to your dwellings and take care of your internal injuries first.
But
When the Elders made unconvinced expressions, Yang In-hyuns voice deepened.
Within Flower Mountain, those holding the position of Elder were defeated.
!
Do I need to explain what that means?
Go back to your dwelling. I wont say it again.
Sorry.
We have brought you shame. Sect Leader
Getting up with downtrodden faces, the Elders left. Yang In-hyun looked at their backs and sighed once more.
This story has been drawn out. Lets go to where Lee Jong-hak is.
After saying that, Yang In-hyun started walking first. Pale walked up to Lukas, who was following behind him, and whispered.
Did you have a good talk?
For now.
Hmm. I see. By the way, where are we going now?
Now that he thought about it, he hadnt given Pale an explanation. Nevertheless, while he was thankful that she followed him without asking anything he thought it would be better to at least explain the minimum situation.
Keeping a short distance from Yang In-hyun, Lukas summarised the situation as briefly as possible.
Hmmhmm. So its something like that.
After thinking for a moment, Pale said.
But if your goal is just to get rid of the residual thoughts, there are more reliable means.
Even though its just a residual thought, most things wont work because a Ruler put it there himself.
That doesnt matter. Its a person who specialises in dealing with things like that.
Specialises in doing things like that?
Now that he thought about it, Pale had said something like this when he told her about the Lightning Gods residual thoughts.
There is someone who can do that?
Yes.
Who is that?
El.
El?
Mm. Maybe I should say a name thats easy for Lukas to know.
Pale smiled brightly.
The Red Knight.
This name popped up once again.
Although it certainly wouldnt be strange for the Red Knight to have the means to get rid of the remnant thought of a Ruler it was too uncertain for him to ask for help right now.
In the end, Lukas decided to accept the Lightning Gods proposal.
calling out the Red Knight will be the last resort.
He decided to put that off until things got worse and leave it to the Lightning God for now.
But those thoughts became useless as soon as they arrived at their destination.
Inside the prison, behind the bars.
The place where Lee Jong-hak was supposed to be was empty.
Book 2: Chapter 529
As Lukas expression immediately hardened, Yang In-hyuns sleeves fluttered faintly.Rustle.
The prison bars were cut apart like candles on the verge of melting.
Striding into the cell, Yang In-hyun slowly looked around. Was he looking for clues? Lukas began his own search outside, but there were no clues to be found with the naked eye.
It was strange.
was it not the Lightning Gods doing?
This idea, which suddenly occurred to him, was pretty credible. After all, there were too few traces.
If the Lightning God had escaped while fully controlling Lee Jong-haks body, there would have been a much larger commotion. It was somewhat strange for him to just disappear like this without leaving .
[! !]
Suddenly, it felt like someone was shouting at him.
Lightning God?
Was he the one shouting at him?
As Lukas listened to his inner voice, Yang In-hyun left the cell and headed to the entrance, where the manager of the prison was staying.
He opened his mouth to the man standing there.
Yong So-ha.
Yes.
The manager of the prison, Yong So-han, prostrated himself.
Seeing his reaction, Yang In-hyun felt that this man had no idea what was going on.
Go take a look at the cell where Lee Jong-hak is staying and come back.
Lee Jong-hak understood.
Shuk.
Yong So-han immediately disappeared from his place. And returned in the blink of an eye.
Unlike before he left, his face was a bit pale.
Do you have anything to say?
Im sorry, Sect Leader. I will gladly accept whatever punishment you impose.
Srrng.
Yong So-han drew his sword, held it up with the blade pointed towards his chest, and turned the hilt towards Yang In-hyun.
If Yang In-hyun were to press on it even slightly, it would pierce his heart.
But Yang In-hyun shook his head.
I didnt call you to hold you accountable.
Naturally, he had no intention of punishing him.
If everything Lukas told him was true, then the person who was locked in the prison was the puppet of a Ruler. It would not be difficult for such a being to escape the prison, and it wasnt surprising that Yong So-han hadnt noticed.
Did you feel anything strange?
Im sorry.
I see.
He gained no clues from Yong So-han.
Nodding once, Yang In-hyun returned to Lukas once more.
The manager of the prison said he didnt notice anything. In this case, that fact might be a clue in itself.
Right. It means that he was moved in a secretive manner in order to avoid the attention of someone on that level of skill.
Hmm. Its a bit strange
Even Yang In-hyun, who knew nothing about Rulers when compared to Lukas, muttered such words.
To make it clear, this was not the style of the Thunderous Lightning God.
Moving secretively to avoid being caught by someone? A Ruler nonetheless?
No.
It wasnt possible.
Suppressing his nervousness, he began to wonder if hed missed anything.
hmm.
Suddenly, Pale made a sound. With her arms folded, she looked around before tilting her head to the side.
I have a strange feeling.
Lukas also had a similar feeling, but it seemed that Pale was feeling it more intuitively, almost like an instinct.
Just as Lukas was about to discuss it.
[-ce! -s!]
Once again, a voice rang out in his head.
This time, he was certain.
It was the voice of the Lightning God.
What is it? I cant hear you clearly, speak up.
[-se omni-!]
At that, the mangled voice became a bit more distinct.
[Use omniscience! Lukas!]
!
The next moment, without any hesitation, Lukas roused the remaining Thunder in his body.
With the authority of omniscience, his consciousness world quickly expanded. The world he could see became different.
-Finally, his view unfolded,
!
Throughout this space, a power was spread as thinly and extensively as a spiderweb.
It was a power that was unfolding so secretively that Lukas, Yang In-hyun, and even Pale, could only have a faint strange feeling.
Thunder!
Not the residue left within Lukas, but the original Thunder!
In other words, it meant that it was a power being used directly by the Lightning God!
He came to his senses.
Then, a step later, he grasped the current situation.
The reason why there were no traces in the prison cell,
The reason why it was so calm for an escape staged by a Ruler!
The escape, was in progress!
Crackle
Sparks scattered from the electric current.
That was the signal.
Like a lit fuse, the spiderweb-like current began to crackle violently.
[Hahaha! Kuhahaha!]
A roaring laugh rang out.
Then, blue lightning covered everything.
* * *
Just before the lightning hit his body.
Lukas performed a spatial movement with Yang In-hyun, Pale, and Yong So-han. Thanks to the instantaneous entry into the minimal timezone, it was possible for them to narrowly escape just before the prison collapsed.
Crackle!
However, that did not mean the Lightning Gods attack was undone.
The collapse of the prison was only the beginning of the destruction. The lightning tore through the Flower Mountain with tremendous force. A fissure spread from the base of the mountain until it split it in its entirety. Kurrr, wreckage from the destruction began to fall from the top.
Yang In-hyuns expression hardened.
It wasnt just the mountain that was falling apart.
Not only the members of the Flower Mountain Sect, but maybe even the territory itself would perish without a trace.
You go handle the situation. Evacuate the disciples as well.
When Lukas said this briefly, Yang In-hyuns gaze turned back to him for a moment.
And you?
Did you forget the conversation we had earlier?
You seem pretty confident.
First of all, Im not alone.
Glancing at Pale, Yang In-hyun nodded.
Then please do it.
Instead of the leaving Yang In-hyun, Lukas focused his attention on the flow of the electric current.
After completely eroding the mountain, the blue electric current merged back into the sky, gradually dying the sky black. Before they knew it, the gathered dark clouds roared like dragons before intermittently releasing bolts of lightning.
What are you going to do?
First, Im going to try to talk.
heh. Talk. Something like that
Pale, who took a moment to find something to say, continued with a smile.
That is something I would want to prevent if it meant taking a big hit. If only it wasnt Lukas that said it.
Firstly, she was willing to overlook it. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Go ahead. Just know that Ill intervene if things get twisted.
Right.
Be careful~
Pale waved her hand.
Lukas let out a loose laugh. Right. Pale was one of his reasons for accepting the Lightning Gods offer. With her support, he would be able to avoid the worst outcome.
Slowly, Lukas body rose up and headed towards the clouds.
Among the clouds, the figure of a being wrapped in electric current could be seen.
[Lukas.]
As he looked at the Thunderous Lightning God, the Lightning God spoke.
[Please.]
Then Lukas handed his body over.
* * *
The Lightning God looked.
Looked at the Thunderous Lightning God.
It didnt feel like looking into a mirror. The Lightning God became bitter at that fact first.
[Hmm.]
The Thunderous Lightning God murmured.
[As expected, how interesting.]
[So, what kind of being are you supposed to be?]
I am the Lightning God.
The Thunderous Lightning God laughed at the Lightning Gods words.
[Thats not a complete load of crap. Because I can definitely feel Thunder from you. The only reason I performed this skit is because I felt your presence.]
He had noticed the existence of the Lightning God in Lukas, and prepared to turn his body into an electric current to bring down the Flower Mountain.
In other words, the serious of actions that had just taken place were a surprise show prepared by the Thunderous Lightning God.
[Im curious. What happened to you to cause you to parasitize Lukas Trowman like that?]
I am a consciousness that fell from you.
[Hoh. Explain in detail.]
Then, the Lightning God began to explain what happened to him. He couldnt help but mention Lukas regression. This was something that couldnt be helped, and if the Lightning God didnt tell him about it, he wouldnt be able to understand the current situation.
[Hmm]
When the story ended, the Thunderous Lightning God seemed to be lost in thought.
[I see. So you want to return back to this Lightning God?]
And I want you to leave Lee Jong-haks body as well.
[Kuku. Lee Jong-hak is a puppet that I worked hard to get. What benefit do I get for dumping this guy?]
Arent you interested in what I experienced in a different future?
Naturally, the Lightning God didnt explain everything hed experienced before regressing. Instead, apart from Lukas regression in itself, he kept most of the facts hidden.
Memories of what he saw here and in a different future, was the only bargaining chip the Lightning God, who had lost everything, had.
[A little, interested.]
If so, then
[Hmm]
Once more, there was a long silence.
Then, the Lightning God, who was waiting anxiously, heard a voice.
[Fine. Ill absorb you back.]
Seriously?
[If you agree to one condition, Ill take you back right now.]
condition?
The Thunderous Lightning God smiled.
[Youre in control of Lukas Trowmans body right now, arent you?]
you can see that.
He said it as if it wasnt a big deal.
[Then its simple. Use that body to kill Lee Jong-hak, who Im currently using as a puppet.]
What did you say?
The Lightning God unconsciously asked.
Then, looking at the person opposite him, he gritted his teeth.
Did you not fully understand what I just said?
The Lightning God had told Lukas. He would persuade him and get Lee Jong-haks body back from the Thunderous Lightning God.
Therefore, if he was to accept that ridiculous offer, the Lightning God would be going back on his word.
[I said it because I fully understand.]
What good would an act like that do you?
[Uhahaha despite being me, do you not know? Why I said that?]
[If thats the case then its not worth explaining. Understand? All I need is an answer. If youre my remnant thought, then it must be painful to exist independently. Dont you want to end every cursed moment as quickly as possible?]
That was right.
As expected of the Thunderous Lightning God.
He knew what kind of situation the Lightning God was in at that moment, what he was thinking that made him shudder so.
However
The Lightning God recalled his last conversation with Lukas.
And,
Nodded.
understood.
Ttuk.
For a moment, time seemed to freeze.
[Kuk, kukuku]
The Lightning Gods expression hardened at that low laugh.
[Kukuku, kuhahaha! Uhahaha!]
A sonorous laugh echoed across the black sky.
Why are you laughing?
[Are you asking that because you really dont know?]
No. In fact, he did know.
Because it was him, it was none other than his own laughter.
Even if he didnt like it, he couldnt help but know what it meant when such a laugh burst out.
[I just wanted to give this body a test. After all, how miserable could I really become? Ahh- Indeed, it seems I shouldnt get too deeply involved with humans. The mere fact that I have a possibility of becoming like you gives me goosebumps.]
A brightly smiling tone,
A thorough sneer.
[You dont still think of yourself as the Lightning God, do you? Youve already regressed no, youre less than that.]
Im not.
[Are you denying it? Is that really the case? You should know, right? Even in that state, if you wanted to be like a Ruler, if you still thought of yourself in that way, you would never break a promise you made.]
Youre the one who suggested it to me. And in my current state
[It must be awful. I can understand why you would want to escape. However, I still cant accept it. Right. Literally, we never break our word, even in the face of our end. That is who we are.]
Thats not it. I
[Deny it all you want. The more you do that, the further from me you become.]
[Since youre an idiot who mistakes yourself as the Thunderous Lightning God, this body will tell you for certain.]
Then the Lightning God spoke.
[You are no longer a Ruler. Just dregs. Know your place.]
As if announcing it.
Book 2: Chapter 530
It''s agonizing.The Lightning God felt a groan might escape him due to the pain he had never experienced before.
Pain was not unfamiliar to him. Some may think the Ruler has never felt pain even once, but that''s nonsense.
Pain could be an interesting amusement for the absolute being. Depending on the situation, it could also provide necessary data for experiments.
Thus, the Lightning God had often designed situations to inflict pain upon himself.
Maybe that could be called self-harm.
But at this moment, the Lightning God understood for the first time.
Simply feeling pain'' and being in agony'' were entirely different.
The latter meant to suffer,'' a word farthest from the Ruler.
This is I am.
Unfinished word stuttered out.
[Truly a dreadful sight.]
And the Thunderous Lightning God no longer scoffed.
A voice, seemingly fed up, continued softly.
[To think that this could have been one of the forms the Lightning God could have taken, even though I lack a body, I feel nauseous. Its the first time I''ve felt such displeasure.]
.
[You are already decayed. It seems there is no cure. Just the lingering thoughts implanted, and to be this much affected? Your existence proves that even someone of Lukas Trowman''s caliber could change this Lightning God.]
Interest flickered in the displeased voice but quickly faded away.
[However, that is an unwelcome change from my perspective. It''s what you would call a bad influence.]
Indeed.
The Ruler''s ego has been complete since its existence began. sea??h th N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
If any change occurs to that perfect ego, it can only be called degeneration.
The corners of the Thunderous Lightning God''s mouth twisted.
[There''s nothing more to discuss with you. Scum, disappear. And never show yourself to me again.]
.
Something should have been said.
Whether excuses, screams, or sophistry, anything but silence.
In this case, silence becomes affirmation, and affirmation leads to the most miserable end the Lightning God could face.
But was there really anything wrong with what the Thunderous Lightning God said?
Is there truly anything I can definitively deny?
No.
I see.
The voice that leaked out after this realization was surprisingly unshaken.
Was it that he wasn''t as shocked as expected? Or had he finally accepted it?
Maybe it was both.
The Lightning God was looking for an existence to give a definite answer.
Because he couldn''t accept the miserable state he was in, and yet, pride as a Ruler still lingered in one corner of his heart
But now that pride had become a burden. The pillar that had once firmly supported his strong spirit had turned into a sharp spear, beginning to shred his spirit into rags.
It''s a copy.
Even these thoughts, the humiliation he''s feeling, the rising bitternessall were nothing more than outcomes from a copied personality.
The words uttered by the Thunderous Lightning God were not wrong.
Scum, trash, or remnant. Could there be more accurate words to describe the current Lightning God?
Especially since he himself had pronounced it.
At least, it was still something he wanted to consider as his self.
Is this the end?
He closed his eyes.
The last hope was now unreachable.
The pride of being a Ruler, which had kept his lingering thoughts intact, was shattered.
He returned control of the body back to its original owner. To silently fade away in a corner of Lukas''s consciousness.
That was the only end allowed for the Lightning God.
At that moment.
?
His fading consciousness sharpened again. The sensations that were slowly drifting away from the body were restored.
Of course, it wasnt the Lightning God who did it. Then, there was only one being capable of such an act.
What are you doing, Lukas.
It was Lukas who, once again, had handed over control to the Lightning God.
[Is that really all you can do?]
A voice sounded, seemingly angry.
Yes.
Even if he had handed over physical control, his mind was fully aware of the situation. He would have seen his pathetic state in its entirety. Now, he no longer had the pride to be hurt by it.
Isnt that so?
The Lightning God chuckled.
Dont you have something else to say to me? I attempted to break our promise. Despite all my bragging.
[This isnt the time for such trivial matters.]
Then why are you angry?
[Your actions are too frustrating.]
Frustrating?
That was an unexpected answer for the Lightning God.
[Is it because your pride was hurt? Are you feeling despair about the current situation? Do you want to give up on everything now? You''re wrong. The emotion you should be feeling most intensely right now isnt any of those.]
What are you blabbering about?
[Sometimes its okay to turn a blind eye to the truth. But you should never ignore your own feelings, no matter the circumstance. You''re the only one who can acknowledge them.]
Lukas''s voice sharpened.
[Why are you pretending not to see your own anger?]
And the Lightning God shuddered.
[You''re so angry your head could explode. That bastard talking nonsense is annoying and unbearable.]
So youre saying I should unleash my anger in this state? On that being, the Thunderous Lightning God?
[What does that matter?]
Lukas retorted instead.
Memories from the past surfaced in his mind.
The abyss, the world of nothingness where he was trapped for 4000 years.
What was Lukas like back then? How did he act to not forget himself?
He unleashed his anger.
He constantly hated the being that had imprisoned him.
[Just because youre in a miserable state, you cant get angry? If the opponent has omnipotent power, should you just endure? Wrong. No matter who the opponent is or what situation you are in, you always have the right to get angry.]
!
[You''re just not used to it, having never harbored such intense emotions before.]
His nerves tensed sharply, then relaxed, and soon he was calm.
The Lightning God suddenly realized he had never experienced such violent emotional changes before. Lukas was right.
Is that so.
Now he had no choice but toacknowledge it now.
That the Thunderous Lightning God in front of him and he himself had already become different beings.
I actually knew it.
[What?]
That if I accepted the offer he extended, he would no longer see me as the [Ruler]. Haha. How could I not know? It was [my] own thought.
.
[But still, I couldnt help but cling to it. Yes. I had no choice but to.]
The Lightning God''s voice trembled faintly.
[Have you always lived like this? Clinging to a faint hope that''s barely there, knowing logically that the chances of it happening are slim, yet still desperately struggling.]
Its nothing remarkable. Nobody wants to be in a situation where they have to struggle.
[Is that so.]
There are things one only realizes after hitting rock bottom. That sensation is something even Lukas doesnt know. He cant understand it.
He had nothing more to say to the guy.
The presence of the Lightning God gradually faded.
And Lukas,
was able to move his own body again.
He looked up at the Thunderous Lightning God.
The guy was smiling.
[Now, Lukas Trowman. Shall we begin negotiating with this Lightning God?]
A smile as if he had finally found the right conversation partner.
Negotiation?
[You remember the events that scum just went through.]
You mean the things about another future''.
[Indeed. In fact, you might know more than the observer himself. I want that information.]
.
[Your goal is the liberation of this body, isnt it? Ill grant it. It seems youve managed to somewhat wield my inherent power, Thunder, as well. If you wish, I can even recharge that power.]
There will be no negotiation. Theres nothing more to discuss with you.
Lukas cut him off sharply.
The Thunderous Lightning God was silent. Though his expression did not show it, he might have been surprised or flustered.
[An emotional response. Werent you always one to prioritize rational choices?]
Thats when the other party maintains the bare minimum of courtesy.
[I dont believe I have been rude to you.]
It wasnt just a flippant remark.
The Thunderous Lightning God truly believed that, and indeed, it was a valid point. Lukas agreed with him on that matter.
This treatment was also a result of becoming stronger.
The Thunderous Lightning God truly believed that, and Lukas agreed with him on this point.
But.
Its not me. You.
A bit of thought was needed here.
After a short contemplation, Lukas spoke.
You insulted my partner. That alone eliminates any chance of negotiation.
[Partner?]
[.]
The Thunderous Lightning God asked with a dazed voice.
[Ha, Hahaha.]
Crackle, the dark clouds around started to spark with lightning. The phenomenon, just before the thunderclap, was truly a reflection of the Thunderous Lightning Gods emotions.
In other words, he was holding back laughter.
[HaHaHa! KHaHa!]
But patience is not a word that suits a Ruler.
The Thunderous Lightning God burst into laughter, looking at Lukas.
[Partner? I see. So, thats how you view it. But Ive observed you for a long time. You''re not someone who acts merely out of sympathy.]
.
[Did you find some use in that trash?]
Thats one of the reasons.
He couldnt completely deny it.
[Interesting. Cooperation between Lukas Trowman and the trash separated from this Lightning God.]
The Thunderous Lightning God seemed to ponder for a moment before smiling slightly.
[Im curious. About what kind of beings you two will become.]
Twist.
His form wavered for a moment.
And Lukas saw the remnants of the Thunderous Lightning Gods consciousness leaving Lee Jong-hak''s body.
In that state, his remnants could no longer exist. His form started to disappear gradually. He smiled in that state.
[It''s one of the precious puppets I finally obtained, but I don''t want to be deeply involved with humans right now. Even I don''t want to end up in that state''.]
.
[Ill observe you from a distance. Lukas Trowman, do entertain me.]
The dark clouds that had blackened the sky began to disappear.
At the same time, the immense pressure that filled the surroundings gradually faded. This is he truly left Lee Jong-hak.
He probably hasn''t completely left the void world.''
There are probably other puppets prepared by him besides Lee Jong-hak.
It will have to be identified eventually, but not now.
[Hey, Lukas.]
Another voice of the Lightning God was heard.
What is it?
No immediate response came back. Silence persisted until the sky was completely clear.
After a moment, the Lightning God suddenly said.
[Was I really that unappetizing?]
Keuk.
Laughter burst out momentarily.
Lukas found himself laughing heartily for the first time in a long while.
Its good you realize it now.
[I see.]
Silence again,
Lukas did not immediately descend.
Standing still under the clear blue sky, he waited for the next words from him.
[Lukas.]
Even without a response, the voice continued.
[I want to give that bastard a beating. Will you help me?]
No.
Lukas''s quick response seemed to surprise the Lightning God.
Just giving him a beating isnt enough.
[Then.]
Take everything from him. Everything that guy possesses.
Lukas said with a smile.
Usurp the authority you once held. Lightning God, show that tasteless guy what a loser''s rebellion is all about.
[.]
After a moment of being stunned, the Lightning God chuckled.
[I like that. But I have one correction to request.]
What is it?
[I will not use the name Lightning God until that day comes.]
Then what should I call you? Since youre the remnants of the Lightning God, how about Lightning Remnant? Or maybe Remainer?
[Your naming sense is terrifying. If you ever have children, it would be wise to let someone else name them.]
.
[Residue.]
His voice sounded somewhat relieved.
[Call me that for the time being.]
Residue.
Although it carries a strong sense of self-deprecation, the fact that he named himself carries significance.
At least it means his spirit has recovered enough to joke about his situation.
It wasnt the development he expected, but it wasnt bad either.
The cooperation of the Lightning God, now Residue, would surely be a great help to Lukas. Even though he has lost most of his power as a Ruler.
Gradually descending, he looked down at the ground. Thanks to the clear sky, the landscape below was distinctly visible.
The chaos at the Flower Mountain,
The figures of Pale waving her hand and Yang In-hyun who had finished evacuating his disciples.
Suddenly, he had a strange feeling.
The companions from his past life.
Up until then, Lukas couldnt trust them.
He distrusted them, was wary of them, and tried to use them.
Now it''s different.
Blue Knight Pale, Everlasting Plum Sword Yang In-hyun, and even Residue.
Now, Lukas can trust all of them.
*****
TL Note:
Hi everyone, I am the new translator hired to translate this series. I haven''t read this novel, and I am translating it without much context, aside from the summary document created by the users. I planned on reading 30-40 of the previous chapters, but due to the current situation, that is not possible. I haven''t even read what happened in the previous chapter, so if you find anything that does not make sense, please let me know in the comments.
Due to the current situation (where someone is already posting MTL chapters of this on NovelUpdates), it is uncertain whether I will continue translating, but I have already been paid by the owner for 10 chapters, so I will translate the next 10 chapters as soon as possible. As for after that, it''s up to the group owner.
Also, if anyone wants to know about Seven, they are currently unable to translate due to health issues, as conveyed by the group owner on Discord.
Enjoy!!! d(??`)o
*****
Book 2: Chapter 531
He landed on the ground and looked around.The half-collapsed appearance of the Mount Hua was visible. The debris that fell like a downpour had turned the once magnificent scene into a mess of weeds. It was the landscape after a disaster had swept through, but considering who had caused that disaster, it could be seen as minor damage.
The Thunderous Lightning God had withdrawn relatively easily. However, the mere Thunder'' he initially unleashed was enough to cause the surrounding space to collapse.
It''s not completely destroyed, so it should be recoverable.''
The territory seemed to have a degree of self-healing, so it was entirely possible.
The real problem was the casualties.
All those who could be rescued have been gathered.
Yang In-hyun said in a brief voice.
He had gathered those who could be rescued. Then, what about those who could not be recovered''?
Im sorry.
Instead of mentioning that, Lukas briefly apologized.
Yang In-hyun sent him a puzzled look.
Why are you apologizing?
I could have driven the Lightning God out more perfectly. The chaos he caused with his preparations and rampage was because of me.
To be exact, it was because of the Lightning God inside Lukass headno, because of Residue, but in this case, Residue''s fault is Lukass fault.
Thats strange to say. Im sincerely thankful that the damage ended at this level. Even if it was against a puppet, the opponent is a Ruler. Expecting a better outcome would be too unscrupulous.
No, thats wrong.
In his past life, Lukas had stopped the Lightning God in a much more perfect way. Although it ended with him taking on the remnants of the villain, there was ultimately no damage to the Mount Hua.
[Theres no need to mention such things.]
Residue said in a short voice.
[Of course, if you think of yourself as a saint, it might be different.]
No, I dont plan to talk about it either.
Lukas smirked bitterly, then nodded towards Yang In-hyun, and slowly sent Lee Jong-hak, who was floating in the air, towards him.
He has no external injuries, but the mental burden will be significant. It might look okay on the outside, but that might not be the case.
It would probably take a considerable amount of time for him to regain his senses.
Yang In-hyun received Lee Jong-hak and nodded.
Lets take this man in. Theres no need to confine him anymore, so we will treat him as a guest.
There was no longer a need to confine him.
At this point, Yang In-hyun seemed to have somewhat realized the danger posed by Lee Jong-hak. He might not have known that a Ruler was involved, though.
If Lee Jong-hak wakes up
Lukas started to say something but then abruptly stopped.
Yang In-hyun looked puzzled but could say no more.
After all, at this point, it was not possible to ask to take Lee Jong-hak as a disciple.
[Just leave it be. Dont interfere at all.]
Residue spoke again.
[Fate has surprisingly bizarre aspects. If its a relationship that is meant to be,'' no matter how misaligned or awry it goes, it will eventually cross paths again.]
I agree about the attractive force of relationships, but its strange to hear you say that.
[Hmph. Youd better get used to it. Itll be tiring for both of us if youre surprised every time I give advice.]
.
Residue had changed a bit. Originally, he only sporadically spoke up when he found a situation interesting.
Now it was different. His words took the form of advice and were much more intuitive. Starting to express opinions even on matters not directly related to him meant that Residue fully understood his own situation.
Whether for better or worse, he had become a fate-sharing companion with Lukas. sea??h th Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
* * *
Lukas stayed at the Mount Hua that day, helping to restore the torn or significantly damaged spaces. Even if left alone, it would recover to some extent, but using the Void he possessed could drastically shorten this process.
While doing so, he organized his thoughts and considered future matters.
What should I do now?''
Currently, he had two major options.
One was to head straight to the Magic Planet, his original goalto finally reveal the identity of the Beginning Wizard.
However
A girl with black hair flashed through Lukas''s mind.
Sedi Trowman.
His adopted daughter, colloquially known as the Pit,'' residing in the Demonsio territory.
If she doesn''t meet me, Sedi wont go berserk right away.''
He knew that, which is why he hadnt thought about her in his last life.
Looking back, it was a cruel choice. Just because she wouldnt go berserk didnt mean she wasnt suffering at this moment.
He knew very well how mentally unstable and precarious Sedi was currently. Yet, Lukas had ignored it. He had put it off with the excuse that there was no immediate solution.
Even now, her consciousness would be wandering in dark oblivion.
Im failing as a parent.
He grimaced bitterly, recalling the Black Horned Demon God.
Probably the most hostile Ruler to Lukas
Lukas wondered.
I want to completely expel the Demon God possessing Sedi.
[Hmm.]
Is there no effective means?
[Like you did with me, if you confront him directly in the world of consciousness, it might be possible]
Residue shook his head.
[It will be tough. Your mind is very sturdy, but mere willpower isn''t enough to defeat a Ruler.]
Then, theres no helping it.
He clicked his tongue, thinking of another way.
[Are you thinking of going to the Red Knight''?]
Residue quickly read Lukas''s intention and asked.
I definitely need to meet him once.
The fact that he had never encountered the Fourth Knight alone was reason enough to meet.
[But arent you bothered by what the White Knight said?]
Of course, that was true.
I thought you could help the Red Knight.
The White Knights voice echoed in his ears.
The Red Knight was currently in danger.
In a land where Magic Planet existed, somewhere in the snowfields.
He had refused because he didn''t want to get involved. Even now, his reluctance was much stronger.
But to ignore the faint possibility of help would be the same as ignoring the situation Sedi was in.
[If you don''t want to get involved with the Red Knight, why not just not go yourself?]
Residue abruptly made such a suggestion.
What do you mean?
[You fool. Right now, you have the most powerful and loyal servant in the universe, dont you?]
Residue seemed to imply someone he had an idea about.
Pale is not a servant.
[So you say.]
Are you suggesting I ask her?
Residue smirked.
[The Blue Knight seemed to be on good terms with the Red Knight.]
Well, they are knights, so its not strange. But will it resolve that easily? Theres also a chance that the Red Knight might be hostile to Pale.
[Youre seeing 4 Knights from the perspective of the Rulers.]
He was quick on the uptake, indeed.
Lukas didnt need to reveal his thoughts for him to know.
[Their relationship is different from ours. From the way the Blue Knight mentioned the Red Knight, he wouldnt have done so if it were a Ruler.]
That made sense upon hearing it.
The relationships among the Rulers were somewhat mysterious.
They were not each other''s enemies, but they were certainly not allies either.
Lukas sometimes wondered why those who often sought challenges did not clash with each other, but there probably were complicated reasons beyond what he could imagine.
That is, it wasnt something to ask about right now.
So, I should ask Pale for Sedis liberation, and in the meantime, I should go to the Magic Planet alone?
[Why. Are you afraid?]
A little. The Beginning Wizard is still a mystery after all.
Lukas paused for a moment and then asked.
Speaking of which, do you have any clue about him?
[He''s probably an abandoned.'' Not something that banished from the Three Thousand Worlds, but a being that originated from this world from the start.]
[And I sensed a presence somewhat similar to yours.]
At that, Lukas asked back.
A presence similar to mine?
[Yes.]
Does that mean he could be [another Lukas Trowman]?
[The probability is quite high.]
Residue did not confirm it outright, but he seemed half-convinced. Perhaps it''s the intuition of a former Ruler. Its a speculation that cant be taken lightly, though
Could it really be?
He was confused.
The indirect encounter with the Beginning Wizard happened when Sedi held him captive. At that time, he had disguised himself as dead in Sedi''s grasp and appeared before Lukas in the form of a frog.
And he had given advice to move on to the next stage.
He was much stronger than Sedi, or me at that time.
The Beginning Wizard.
He had to see the face behind the mask.
The reason Lukas was currently conserving his Thunder as much as possible was because of this. If he used the power of omniscience in front of him, he might catch a clue about his identity.
Alright.
Lukas voiced out and stood up.
[Have you made your decision?]
I''ll have to ask Pale. It seems like the best option right now.
A way to save Sedi without directly confronting the Red Knight.
Of course, he would have to operate separately from Pale for the time being, but it was unavoidable.
[Hmm. Then you will need to explain well.]
Yes. Even if Pale follows my words well, she wouldnt want to directly rescue someone controlled by a Ruler.
[Idiot. Thats not the problem.]
His tone was as if he was looking down on him, which made Lukas flinch.
It felt like he had been treated like this not too long ago.
[Explain well what your relationship with Sedi Trowman is.]
Even though Im the one saying it, Im pretty confident in that area. Your worry is unnecessary.
[Really? Hmm.]
Residue let out a sound that seemed filled with reluctance.
* * *
Pale was not staying at the accommodation provided by Yang In-hyun.
Naturally, it seemed that Yang In-hyun, including other people of the Mount Hua, did not know her whereabouts, so Lukas had to do a short search.
Fortunately, it wasnt long before he found the blue-haired woman sitting on a rock at the base of the mountain.
Pale.
He called her name softly, and Pale turned to him with a refreshing smile.
Hi, Lukas. Good morning!
There wasnt much time for lengthy explanations.
Lukas first stated his purpose.
I need your help with something.
Got it.
He was thankful that she responded immediately.
Lukas climbed up to the rock where Pale was sitting and sat next to her. On closer inspection, she was holding a fishing rod.
The Lightning God had shattered the mountain just a day ago, yet Lukas wondered if fishing was even possible here. Were there even fish in this shallow stream to begin with?
As he pondered this pointless thought, Pales lips parted again.
So what kind of help do you need?
Demonsio.
Lukas erased the unnecessary thoughts and continued.
Theres someone I know in that territory called the Pit. Right now, shes a puppet of a Ruler, and I really want to save her.
A Ruler?
The Black Horned Demon God.
Hoohoo.
Pale nodded as she jiggled her fishing rod.
Id like your help to rescue her.
Hmm?
Pale tilted her head slightly in confusion.
Why?
No, it''s nothing! Please, continue.
?
Lukas felt a moment of puzzlement but continued speaking.
Right now, she is
Hmm.
likely to have become the 0th Demon, the ruler of Demonsio and a Twelve Void Lord, compounded with the power of a Ruler.
.
She wouldnt be a threat to you, though. Actually, in one of your past lives, you fought with her and won quite easily.
At that, Pale smiled again.
Aha! So in that life, Lukas was killed by that Demon Gods puppet!
No, it was you who killed me.
Oops.
Pale scratched her head sheepishly for a moment then changed the topic.
What were we talking about?
Im asking if you could call the Red Knight and remove the Rulers remnants from her body.
Hmm.
Pale pondered for a moment and then slowly nodded.
Its possible. Subduing the puppet shouldnt be too hard either.
Then.
But before that.
Pale stopped an eager Lukas with one hand, smiling quietly.
Theres something we must clarify first.
The smile she wore while saying good morning was completely different now. Just the slight narrowing of her eyes changed her expression so distinctly, something only Pale could accomplish.
Who is this woman that Lukas so desperately wants to save?
[Be careful with your answers now.]
Pales airy voice,
Residues stern voice intermixed as if crossing each other.
Lukas internally nodded.
Of course, he knew.
If there was a turning point, it would be now.
Her name is Sedi Trowman
Trowman?
She cut him off before he could finish.
Trowman.
Pale slowly rolled the word off her tongue and then spoke again.
Ah. Sorry, Lukas. Please, continue. This is interesting.
She said it was interesting with a face that showed no amusement, causing Lukas to momentarily shut his mouth.
He wasnt sure why, but he could feel the atmosphere had frozen solid.
[Hey. You fool.]
Why.
[Things seem quite messed up already, but want a piece of advice?]
Im listening.
[It might be best to keep your relationship with Sedi Trowman as hidden as possible.]
Relationship? Ah.
The moment he heard that advice, something clicked.
Right. Sedi is Lukass daughter. And Pale had a complicated love-hate relationship with the concept of parents.
If Lukas were to try to save her just because she is his daughter, Pale might perceive hypocrisy and revulsion in his actions. Being his adopted daughter wouldn''t be a good enough excuse.
Still, I don''t want to lie to Pale.
It can''t be helped.
He wanted to avoid this method if possible, but he had no choice but to use the Ruler''s rhetoric.''
Sedi Trowman is
What is the Ruler''s rhetoric?
She is the only, truly precious being to me.
Its about obfuscating the truth without outright lying.
Lukas thought he had made the right choice. A faint smile even appeared on his lips.
[Congratulations, idiot. Youve managed to navigate through a slim possibility and made the situation as bad as it could possibly be.]
Then, like cold water, Residues scornful voice was dumped on his mind.
[Considering the numerous choices available, youve practically performed a miracle. I truly commend you. It seems I underestimated you. Calling you an idiot seems insufficient.]
Residue sighed.
[From today onwards, youre a complete idiot.]
And there it was.
He saw Pales face, her smile cracked as if it was broken.
Book 2: Chapter 532
What~ A daughter, you say? Ahaha!Pale burst into laughter.
She slapped Lucas on the back cheerfully, which to Lucas felt more like he was being hit.
Cough
Lucas seemed not to catch Pale''s attention as she chuckled and continued.
You should have said so earlier!
You never gave me a chance to
And to think she''s your adopted daughter! Ohoho
Is it okay because she''s an adopted daughter?
Lucas managed to suppress a sigh from leaking out. He regretted not being honest from the beginning. Now, he somewhat understood why Residue had spat out curses in irritation.
[It''s not because of that, you fool. You''ve got it all wrong again.]
Residue grumbled again, but Lucas, instead of focusing on him, said to Pale,
Anyway, thats the situation I''m in, and the favor I need. Can you help?
Hmm.
Pale''s expression changed as she sank into thought once more.
After idly swinging her fishing rod for a while, she finally spoke.
I can help, but does that mean I''ll be away from Lucas for a while?
That''s right.
Hmmm.
She frowned, apparently displeased.
What are you going to do in the meantime?
I''m planning to go to Magic Planet.
There was no more time to delay.
Lucas had a premonition that if he went to see Sedi or tried to resolve anything else, he might never uncover the secrets of The Beginning Wizard in this lifetime.
But it seemed that wasnt the answer Pale had hoped for. Her expression slightly furrowed.
Why there?
I need to meet The Beginning Wizard. I''ve been concerned about his identity for a while now.
All this just for that?
Its important to me.
Lucas said this and then asked another question.
Do you know anything about him?
If anyone, Blue Knight Pale would likely know more about the Twelve Void Lords than Lucas did.
Pale turned her gaze towards the stream and casually mentioned,
The most dogmatic wizard, a being who, under certain conditions and circumstances, cannot even be defeated by a knight, and he''s the head of the Twelve Void Lords.
The head of the Twelve Void Lords?
He usually leads the Void Lords'' meetings, which are held occasionally.
This wasnt a new piece of information.
The Twelve Void Lords'' meetinga massive conference that might even be attended by the Twelve Void Lords, the Four Knights, and even the Void King, was unprecedented in scale. Though whether they would all attend was uncertain.
The voice Lucas recalled belonged to Sedi. Back then, Sedi had provided him with some information about The Beginning Wizard. Lucas revisited those memories and said,
Isnt his existence too prominent? He leads meetings involving the Four Knights and the Void King, and he can even control the independent Void Lord to some extent without having his own territory. That''s
Does it seem like he''s exceeding the powers a Void Lord should have?
Lucas nodded.
Then Pale''s expression grew a bit more serious.
Thats what he is. Born to be that way.
Looking down at the stream, her face momentarily blurred with nostalgia. Pale continued in a longing tone,
The Void King once said that The Beginning Wizard has been here since the creation of this place. He''s also the owner of the largest library that exists on this land.
A library.
For some reason, the image of the Void Records flashed in Lucas''s mind, but he shook his head. It would be too far-fetched to connect someone from the Void World accessing the Void Records.
And then Pale fell silent for a moment.
Lucas looked at the motionless fishing rod. At the moment he concluded that there really were no fish here, Pale spoke up.
Honestly, I don''t want you to go. Going to Magic Planet alone is too dangerous.
Are you saying I can''t confront The Beginning Wizard alone? Sear?h the N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
It''s true, but it''s a bit different. It''s not just because you''re weak or anything simple like that. The important parts are alone'' and going to Magic Planet.''
?
Lucas didn''t quite understand what she meant.
To face The Beginning Wizard, you need at least one trustworthy person with you. Thats one of the best ways to counteract the situations'' he designs.
I don''t really get what you mean.
To put it simply, in Magic Planet'', in a one-on-one'' situation, The Beginning Wizard is invincible.
Lucas flinched.
Not just unbeatable, but invincible.
That is, no enemies at all, as stated by Blue Knight Pale.
How is that possible?
Well, its easier to just understand it as a rule. Digging deeper will only give you a headache.
.
It seemed that Pale knew this fact well, which is why she had advised him to always have at least one reliable person with him.
It wasn''t because of the White Knight then.''
Pale hummed and then spoke.
If you were to go, it would be safest to go just the two of us. Hmm.
Should I wait until you return from Demonsio?
That would be best, but are you okay with that? It might take a while.
How long?
Hmm. Perhaps until the sky changes its color about a hundred times? It could take longer.
That was a much longer time than Lucas had expected.
So, driving out the Ruler is not an easy task, huh.
Huh? Oh, no. That''s not the problem. Its because of El that it takes so much time.
Red Knight?
Yes. She''s a tough one to deal with in many ways.
Pale''s voice trailed off then she changed the subject.
Anyway, if you don''t have time to waste, we''ll have to act separately.
So, youll consider my request?
That''s what I said from the start.
Pale smiled mischievously, and Lucas smiled faintly as well.
Thanks. That''s a relief.
No problem~ No problem~ I have something to gain from this too.
Something to gain?
Lucas would like to offer something to Pale if he could, but currently, he had nothing to give.
Pale just chuckled without replying.
Promise me one thing. That you won''t go to Magic Planet alone.
I promise.
Good. Then
Pale stood up and stretched as if loosening her stiff body.
What are you doing?
El is in the snowy fields, right? Thought I''d stretch a bit before we head out.
Lucas was taken aback.
You''re going now?
It''s urgent, isn''t it?
Pale grinned and started descending the rocks.
Lucas felt grateful again but had just thanked her, so it felt redundant to say it again.
Be careful.
You too. Oh, almost forgot.
Just as Pale was about to leave, she turned around with a wave, seeming to have something else to say. As she came down from the rocks, suddenly, her face was very close.
!
Close enough that even a whisper would be clear,
Pale smiled within breathing distance.
Can you guess why I was upset earlier?
If she meant earlier, was she referring to when Lucas had hidden things about Sedi?
Because I tried to deceive?
Ahaha! See? I knew you wouldnt understand. Lucas, you can be so dense.
Pale giggled.
Youre clueless in strange ways and a bit clumsy. Thats charming in its own right, but I really dont like being misunderstood. I mean it.
Lucas was confused about what she really wanted to say.
As if she knew what he was thinking, Pale spoke in a clear tone.
I was jealous.
Lucas hesitated.
Of a woman, bearing the Trowman name, described as someone precious, I got annoyed thinking she might be the person you love most. It made me anxious and angry.
Pale''s voice mellowed.
I''ve lived my life indulging in whatever I wanted.
Her blue eyes were visible. Her smile deepened.
It wasn''t just a simple smileshe was smiling so brightly that her white teeth showed.
If not, I wouldnt be satisfied.
What followed happened in an instant. There was no time to react. It was the sharpest surprise attack Lucas had ever experienced.
.
As Pale came close suddenly, she withdrew slowly when she moved away.
But it wasn''t just her face that had come close and then retreated.
.
He froze as he felt a moist touch on his skin.
Literally, his whole body stiffened. Even his usually active brain halted.
A few steps away, Pale licked her lips then laughed mischievously.
Ill take this as payment for the errand.
.
Ah! I feel energized. Im fired up. I feel like I can do anything right now!
.
Ill go ahead then! See you later! Lu-ba~
Changing the atmosphere in a flash, giggling mischievously, and perhaps mimicking a tone she learned from Migling,
Pale cheerfully left Mount Hua.
And Lucas.
.
He stood dumbfounded, then collapsed to the ground as if crumbling.
Still dazed and unable to grasp the situation, his hands reflexively covered his face.
[Yes. The most effective strategy for a blockhead like you. The Blue Knight is indeed not to be underestimated.]
He heard cackling laughter in his mind.
.
[Overwhelmed, arent you? You poor bastard.]
Shut up.
Residue burst into loud laughter.
* * *
Anyway, one more condition had been added for going to Magic Planet.
Finding a trustworthy person to accompany him.
Lucas was at a location for that very purpose.
.
Located at the top of Mount Hua, Cloud Pavilion had quickly been restored to its original state.
Thanks to the strong insistence of the Flower Mountain Sect members, this place was prioritized over others for repairs.
As dozens of masters from the Flower Mountain Sect rushed to the summit, Cloud Pavilion was rebuilt in half a day. The reconstructed building seemed even larger than before.
Lucas was there waiting for Yang In-hyun. Naturally, his purpose was to proposing to go to the Magic Planet together.
However, up to this point, Lucas was still contemplating.
Would accompanying Yang In-hyun be the best choice?
[There seems to be no better candidate than Everlasting Plum Sword. None of the people you can call upon right now are stronger than him.]
There is one.''
[Who?]
Lucid.''
Residue paused briefly then nodded.
[You mean the Black Knight. But he would be with Diablo.]
I know Diablos intentions now. Understanding Lucids principles, persuading him won''t be hard.''
[Hmm. Certainly if you can involve the Black Knight, hed be a force greater than Everlasting Plum Sword.]
Although the power of Black Knight Lucid was inferior to the other Four Knights, he was stronger than most of the Twelve Void Lords. Moreover, he was a more reliable entity than Yang In-hyun at this point.
The problem is I dont know exactly where he is right now.''
After a little while he would appear at the dumpsite'' where they once met again, but Lucas was quite reluctant to go there now.
The image of Corpse Ghost''s face, rotten after receiving what was a threat yet not a threat from Pale, was still vividly etched in his mind.
That''s when it happened.
Sorry I''m late.
Yang In-hyun appeared.
He looked somewhat troubled.
No, it''s okay. But was there a problem?
Hmm. An unexpected guest arrived.
A guest?
Then it would be polite to postpone this matter.
Lucas got up from his seat.
Call me when you''re done. I''ll be down.
No need for that. In fact, I should be the one to leave.
What do you mean?
Thats when another voice was heard.
My business is not with Yang In-hyun, but with you.
Lucas shuddered.
He hadn''t sensed anyone approaching.
It was a voice he had heard before, and realizing whose it was not difficult.
The Beginning Wizard.
Silently, like mist, he materialized behind Yang In-hyun.
A low chuckle emanated from behind the twisted mask.
Hello, Lukas Trowman. I''ve come to greet you.
*****
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Book 2: Chapter 533
The moment he saw The Beginning Wizard, Lucas''s mind turned cold.Lukas realized two facts at once, and Residue spoke the first one.
[It''s a fake.]
It''s not about revealing his identity. In a definitive sense, it was The Beginning Wizard, but this wasn''t his real body.
The right expression would be an avatar, similar to the puppet method often used by the Ruler in the Void World.
In this case, it seemed he had infused his consciousness into an inanimate object like a doll or statue. In other words, the power he could exert in this state was nothing compared to his real body.
Is this why Sedi easily defeated him in Demonsio?
If it''s a clone that can''t exert its full power, it makes sense that The Beginning Wizard, known as the strongest of the Twelve Void Lords, lost.
You came to greet me?
Lukas repeated the words The Beginning Wizard had said.
That''s right.
Do you mean to take me to the Magic Planet?
Isn''t that your goal?
There was a pleasant light mixed in his voice. Of course, that was the plan, but having one''s intentions unilaterally read is always an unpleasant thing. After all, Lukas hadn''t yet figured out his opponent''s identity.
More importantly, how does The Beginning Wizard know about his goal? Currently, the only person who knows that Lukas''s destination is Magic Planet is Pale.
[Could the Blue Knight have told him?]
No. The Pale now wouldnt take actions that could disadvantage her.
[Maybe she didn''t think so. She might have thought it was okay to reveal the destination.]
You still dont know her well. Pale has a naive side, but shes not foolish. Rather, her instincts are quite sharp, and shes exceptionally intelligent. Above all, she is very wary of The Beginning Wizard. Its safe to say she didnt blabber about my goal.
[Hmm.]
Residue seemed to nod in agreement.
Lukas thought briefly and then spoke again.
Perhaps The Beginning Wizard has some means unknown to me.
[Means?]
I dont know what it is, but its something unimaginable at this moment.
[Hooh. Theres almost nothing you havent uncovered]
Thats true for the three thousand worlds. But in the Void World, Im still a novice foreigner. Isnt it the same for you?
Void records or regressions.
If someone were to ask Lukas about the source of the information he obtained through these, he would be quite perplexed before explaining, as it was information obtained through phenomena beyond the understanding of ordinary people.''
[Indeed.]
Interest finally flickered in Residues voice.
[So, The Beginning Wizard has an information acquisition method that even we can''t imagine, huh.]
.
[Even if its just a puppet, dont be careless. Lukas, something ominous about him.]
There was no need to nod to this.
Right now, Lucas was gauging the timing to use omniscience authority. He hoped to gain at least a clue about The Beginning Wizards identity by using it.
I cant use it rashly.
This power is conspicuous.
If he uses it in a situation like this where they are in close proximity and fully aware of each other, his intentions will be read directly.
This doesnt seem to be the right place for me.
Yang In-hyun said this as he was about to leave. Lukas felt a bit puzzled. Knowing that Cloud Pavilion was a special place permitted only to the head of Flower Mountain Sect, and Yang In-hyun held this place in high regard.
It was odd that he would leave the place to Lukas and The Beginning Wizard alone.
It then occurred to him that this man was acquainted with The Beginning Wizard. He didn''t seem to know much about him in detail, but at least he once called him a much superior wizard to Lukas when they fought in the past.
If its just a matter of talking, I am willing to provide a place anytime, but please do not cause any trouble. The wounds of Flower Mountain have not yet healed.
You worry too much. My purpose is conversation. There is no reason for a conflict to occur.
With that, The Beginning Wizard laughed softly again.
Of course, that''s if the other party also has no malice.
Ill wait outside.
Yang In-hyun, with a dubious look, shook his head and left the room.
Outside.
The moment he heard that word, he understood Yang In-hyuns intention.
Wherever you put him, he is a dangerous being. It is best to anchor him in a secluded place that at least his influence can reach. Cloud Pavilion was ideal for that.
After Yang In-hyun had left the room,
Only the two of them were left in the place, exchanging glances again.
The Beginning Wizard was wearing a mask, but his eyes were visible. His eyes were a slightly dark blue color.
Exactly, as if he resembled himself
Are you me?
When he came to his senses, Lucas was uttering those words.
He was surprised that he had made such a direct statement, but even after thinking about it late, it wasnt a bad move.
Depending on the reaction The Beginning Wizard shows here, he could at least gather minimal information. Of course, The Beginning Wizard wouldnt easily show his true intentions, but he could read a slight dissonance.
At the very least, the answer to this question,
Whether this entity was Lukas or not.
I am not.
However, The Beginning Wizard denied it lightly enough to be refreshing. In other words, he answered Lukas''s question reliably.
Then what are you?
The Beginning Wizard. The owner of Magic Planet and the first seeker.
He didnt just want to know that damn title.
Lukas frowned and said.
Take off the mask. I''m curious about the face underneath.
Even if he''s not the real Beginning Wizard, he might be able to get a hint. But he merely chuckled and said.
I refuse. You dont have the right to demand that now.
If you dont like the identity Ive kindly revealed, I''ll tell you something more. I am also a fan of yours.
What?
When he questioned back in absurdity, the Beginning Wizard said nothing. But he could tell that the eyes beyond the mask were curved like a crescent moon.
A fan?
What kind of bullshit is that?
Is there another meaning to that word that he don''t know?
[Stay calm. He is enjoying your reaction.]
I know.
The Beginning Wizard spoke again.
Did the Blue Knight go to Demonsio? To kill the 0th Demon that became a puppet, no. To save it, Right. After all, the new 0th Demon has quite a special connection with you, doesnt she?
Is that why you showed yourself in front of me because Pale isn''t here?
That could be one of the reasons too.
How boring. What''s the point of that? Regardless of Pale''s presence, in your current state, you can''t even put a scratch on me.
Hoh.
The Beginning Wizard let out a rather surprised voice.
Have you noticed this decoy? Impressive. Among the Twelve Void Lords, less than three have discerned this
Among the Twelve Void Lords, only three, a small number, but its not surprising. They each have their areas of expertise after all. Analysis was one of the areas where Lukas excelled the most.
Yang In-hyun included, you all seem to be under some misconception. Ive said it multiple times. I didnt come here to start a war.
You want a conversation?
Correct. And the Blue Knight is definitely a hindrance to having a smooth conversation. You may not know, but she is somewhat wary of me.
After saying this, he added with a chuckle,
To be more precise, all knights are wary of me. Ah, of course, I have yet to meet the Black Knight, though.
What kind of conversation do you want to have with me?
This kind of conversation is fine. Killing time with trivial talks Hehe. Its quite delightful.
[His words are sincere. Thats what makes him even more irritating.]
Is there anything you can pinpoint about this guy?
[Well, having seen him with my own eyes only deepens the mystery.]
After a moment of silence, Residue spoke.
[One thing is clear. Do not use the Omniscience. If I''m right, even if you gather all the remaining Thunder, you wont be able to discern his identity.] sea??h th ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
What do you mean?
[The mask he is using. It''s made from a material even I can''t identify.]
So the body is fake, but this mask is real?
[It might not just be a replica, it could also be exerting some significant power.]
[In addition to hiding his identity, it seems to have a few more effects, but I can''t say more than that.]
A material unknown even to Residue, who possesses the knowledge of the Lightning God.
Where did The Beginning Wizard get such a material?
By the way, what is your goal now?
Suddenly, The Beginning Wizard asked.
My goal?
Youve managed to make the Blue Knight, Pale, a devoted subordinate, havent you? The most violent and barbaric knight who no one could tame, I''m curious about your moves after earning her loyalty. Ah, this is just pure curiosity as one of the Twelve Void Lords.
What are you planning to do by going to Magic Planet? Are you curious about my identity? What if I take off the mask right here? What will you do after you see my true face?
He was at a loss for words.
The Beginning Wizard knew it too, and continued with a voice mixed with laughter.
Youre not particularly hostile towards me. As long as the face behind this mask isnt your sworn enemy, there''s no reason for you to attack me. I''d like to state upfront that theres no chance of that happening. You and I are meeting for the first time today, at this moment.
Let me ask you again. What is your goal now?
Goal.
The Beginning Wizards question echoed quietly in Lukass mind.
Whenever he had similar thoughts before, he pushed them back. Deciding that now was not the time to think about it, solving the problems in front of him was the priority.
But now the major issues have been resolved. Even the matter with Sedi, since he had sent Pale, so theres no need to worry about that anymore.
The Beginning Wizards words were correct.
After knowing his identity, what he would do?
Apocalypse ?
To prevent the impending apocalypse that would engulf this world? To struggle for that purpose?
Is that the final task assigned to him, handed over by the world?
If that''s the case.
It''s boring.''
And tiring.
Two thoughts occurred to Lukas simultaneously.
The predetermined apocalypse.
Everyone shook their heads that couldn''t be stopped, but maybe it could be stopped.
Perhaps theres a way somewhere.
Even gods couldnt prevent it, the Ruler didn''t find a clear solution, and even the Void King or the Four Knights remained silent, but maybe, just maybe, Lukas could stop it.
Its always been like that, after all.
The things everyone said were impossible, always seemed possible to him. But what about the pain he will have to endure to achieve that?
No.
At this point, pain like that doesnt scare him.
What really scares Lukas is what comes after.
Sometimes, I just can''t stand the people around me because they''re so revolting.
Thats when The Beginning Wizard spoke.
His voice cut through my thoughts like a knife, naturally drawing Lukas''s consciousness back.
What?
It seems like they dont try, they dont think. Just lying down on the floor, crying their eyes out like babies, and don''t think to stand up on their own.
For a moment, he almost lost his breath.
Why is that? If you fall and get hurt, you just need to get up, clean the wound, and bandage it up so it doesn''t hurt.
You scold and pay attention to a child eating dirt and vomiting it out once or twice. But when you see such scenes tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions, billions of times
This thought,
This ideology,
No one should know it.
He wouldn''t have told anyone or expressed it.
At some point, they start to look like slightly smarter monkeys. Then you feel an unbearable nausea. Really? Is that really the best you can do?, every time I see potential in them, the frustration in my heart grows because I
The answers seem all too clear to me. I know what should be done in such crises, in such difficulties.
But they dont know. Not until I tell them first. How naive they appear to me. Sometimes
How foolish they appear.
Before they knew it, they were speaking as one person.
[Lukas Trowman. You.]
Residue said something, but I ignored it.
Lukas''s consciousness and gaze were entirely focused on The Beginning Wizard.
Still, I don''t turn away from the duties given to me. Isn''t that natural?
Ive lived like that for too long to change now.
And when I approach them, when I offer my hand, when I utter words of advice, they grasp my hand with smiles as bright as can be. It''s quite an addictive sight.
His voice was serious, devoid of any mirth. It felt more appropriate than his usual frivolous demeanor.
Maybe this was his true nature.
I''m curious about the face behind the mask.
The reason was slightly different from before.
The existence known as The Beginning Wizard bothered me, having achieved a higher realm than myself, that thought had vanished.
Lukas felt a simpler and more intuitive emotion.
He have to know this person.
Lukas Trowman.
Towards such Lukas, The Beginning Wizard slowly extended his hand.
You need to come with me to Magic Planet.
His words felt more like a compulsion than a suggestion.
And Lukas did not refuse.
*****
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And make sure to read on woopread <- click here ^-^.
Book 2: Chapter 534
One doubt had disappeared.Lukas decided to accompany The Beginning Wizard to Magic Planet. He erased other options from his mind.
However, even though the decision was made, there were still concerns.
One thing you should know if you go to Magic Planet you will die.
The exile''s advice.
He added more to it.
Even if The Beginning Wizard doesnt kill Lukas directly, he will greatly influence his death.
He''s not someone who would spout nonsense.''
I still know nothing about the Exile. His power, personality, race, even his name, are still shrouded in mystery.
But one thing I''ve grasped is that his actions have a clear purpose. If Lukas goes to Magic Planet, he will die, there might be truth to this statement. If that''s the case, then the Exile''s goal would be he doesnt want Lukas to go to Magic Planet.
And there is no malice in such actions.
This is something that Lukas, who had experienced regression, could understand. It''s highly probable that the Exile sent him to the three thousand worlds for Lukass sake. Even though he ended up dying, the experiences there brought many changes to Lukas. Though they were a series of hardships, they were meaningful and important experiences.
[Are you planning to go to Magic Planet without any companions? Are you going to ignore the advice of the Blue Knight?]
Thats not it. I thought about it, and it seems like I already have a companion.
[What?]
Youre here, arent you?
Residue seemed to be at a loss for words for a moment.
[You stupid fool, do you think I can be of any meaningful help to you right now?]
Physical help isnt important. Pale emphasized being [alone]. I have a feeling that just being with you will be enough.
[Ha. A hunch. Thats too shallow a concept to stake your life on.]
Right, as you say. But its strange.
[Strange?]
Something about The Beginning Wizard, I have a feeling that my hunch will definitely be spot on. As if I know this man very precisely.
Lukas watched The Beginning Wizard''s back as he declared his intent to accompany him and started walking inside Cloud Pavilion. The moment Lukas followed him, the scenery around them completely changed.
They had left Mount Hua in an instant.
Lukas regretted not being able to say goodbye to Yang In-hyun, but he was more focused on the fact that The Beginning Wizard could also manipulate space.
Do you know what The Beginning Wizard just mentioned? Its the evil I have long harbored and told no one about.
Lukass inner evil.
Residue nodded, understanding the concept.
[Duality, huh.]
Its indeed easy to explain.
I became the absolute being and saved humans countless times. I tried not to succumb to the doubts that rose occasionally. But sometimes I couldnt endure my hatred towards them.
[The instinctive disgust a superior being feels towards inferior beings, you werent free from that either, huh. You hid it very well. Even I didnt realize such discord from you.]
Thats because it was something important. If I had shown even a slight sign of it, you would have persistently dug into that aspect and tried to persuade me then.
[Hmm.]
And if that had happened, I probably would have given in to you.''
Becoming not a savior, but a servant of a ruler.
That was something Lukas had to prevent at all costs.
[Youve been strange since then. Most emotions are lost when one becomes an absolute being Duality is also a characteristic of mortals.]
What''s important now isnt that. The Beginning Wizard precisely mentioned the thoughts I had buried within myself and told no one about.
[But he said, didnt he? That he isnt Lukas Trowman.]
It could be a lie. Or perhaps some sort of wordplay.
Whatever it was, the current Lukas had no certainty to rely on.
Thats why he had to go to Magic Planet.
I understand the risk involved. But I feel a strange confidence.
[What kind of confidence?]
Lukass gaze once again settled on The Beginning Wizard.
The confidence that he will never harm me.
* * *
Magic Planet, a place where one cannot set foot without special means.
Among the territories of the Void World, it was the most enigmatic, and how The Beginning Wizard would take him there was something Lukas had to focus on.
In the end, it was all for naught.
Weve arrived.
By the time the Beginning Wizard uttered those words, Lukas had already arrived at Magic Planet.
.
Cold sweat ran down his face.
He couldnt understand what had happened. Teleportation? No. It was something different.
Residue, what was my state of consciousness just now?
[There was no moment of unconsciousness.]
Was it something that occurred in a realm beyond my conscious reach? Isnt The Beginning Wizard unable to exert his full power right now?
Welcome. To Magic Planet.
Regaining his wits at those words, he looked around and then was baffled again.
This place is Magic Planet?
Yes.
Magic Planet.
The territory of The Beginning Wizard and the land of wizards.
For that reason, the image of Magic Planet Lukas had imagined was a bit prejudiced.
He had envisioned long towers beloved by wizards, cities floating in the air, castles with a dreamy ambiance.
However, this place was
Its just a village.
It really was.
A village on a hill with no particularly outstanding features. A picturesque site where one could view the warm sunshine, leisurely moving clouds, and the grasslands swaying in the wind.
He could see the faces of people living carefree daily lives within it.
Of course, Lukas knew.
The man tilling the field, the woman picking fruit, the old man bent over walking unsteadily, even the children earnestly running around the streets,
All of them were wizards.
Isnt it a tranquil scenery?
The Beginning Wizard, leading the way, spoke without stopping his steps.
Lukas also resumed walking and spoke.
This should still be the Void World.
Thats right.
But, this place is nothing like the typical Void World I understand. Did you create this illusion?
Its not an illusion. Just a simple deception.
Is there a difference?
Of course, there is. They know that this is a false landscape.
At those words, Lucas paused for a moment.
They know?
They are well aware.
Then, they understand that cultivating fields or picking fruit here has no meaning whatsoever?
The Beginning Wizard chuckled.
Thats right.
Knowing that, why do they do it? Did you manipulate their minds?
That''s a bit rude to say. S~ea??h the ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
His tone seemed sharp, yet The Beginning Wizard didnt sound particularly reproachful.
You''ll have to get used to the scenery here.
What?
As the word Magic Planet implies, this domain is an asteroid. Not too small either. Its about 500 kilometers in radius.
What are you trying to say?
I hope you like the scenery here.
.
You said you were curious about the face behind the mask. I will show you. But not now.
After saying that, The Beginning Wizard continued walking without stopping.
Past the village, across the meadow, his steps reached the forest.
It was a place full of vibrant colors, yet no presence was felt. The forest was eerily quiet, the only sound being the rustling of leaves under their feet.
They hadnt walked far when they arrived at a slightly larger clearing, where there was a small spring.
What is this?
It has many names, but I call it the [Spring of Wisdom].
Thats a rather old-fashioned name.
Haha. But its also accurate. Ive gained a lot of knowledge and enlightenment from here.
.
My request for you is simple. Stay here for a week.
Lukas blinked his eyes. However, The Beginning Wizard showed no signs of continuing.
You want me to just look at it? That''s all?
Thats all.
Do I need to protect this spring from someone''s attack?
No.
Cant I leave the forest around this spring?
There''s no such restriction. If you want, you can look at the spring once a day and spend the rest of the time exploring other places.
.
He didn''t understand.
What The Beginning Wizard wanted from him.
In other words, there are no restrictions other than that one condition. You can do whatever action you want, I wont interfere, but Id prefer if you abstain from unethical behaviors.
.
Thats a joke. I already know youre not that kind of person.
The Beginning Wizard laughed again.
Ill come back for you in a week.
So, I can just spend time near the spring and do nothing?
Of course. Its up to you how you use the given time.
.
Then, see you in a week.
Leaving only those words, The Beginning Wizard really left.
In the forest clearing,
A silence descended, and Lukas spoke.
Residue.
[What?]
What does this spring look like to you?
[.]
Residue looked into the spring through Lukass eyes. Surely sharing the same vision, but Residue might see and know more than himself.
After a while, Residue spoke.
[Vision.]
What?
[It possesses the power to show desired landscapes. Impressive. That such a concept can exist in material form.]
Residue seemed genuinely amazed.
Explain more precisely.
[Exactly as I said, Lukas Trowman. Through this mirror, you can see whoever you want to see. If you get used to it, it might even be possible to interact.]
I can see whoever I want?
[If you dont understand, try it out. Touching the spring should suffice.]
Lukas decided to do just that.
He dipped his hand into the spring. The water was so cold it made his hair stand on end.
What next?
[Think of the being you want to see. Do I really need to explain every little thing?]
Ignoring Residues grumbling, Lukas thought of the scene he wanted to see.
At this moment, the person he was most worried about.
Pale who had left earlier.
Ripples
No ripples had occurred before, but now elegant waves spread throughout the spring. The waves gently expanded across the spring water, and with it, faint lights began to flicker.
Soon, the surface of the spring started to form a figure.
I said I''ll only use it for a bit and return it right away!
Before the figure could become clear, a voice was heard.
A voice that was now familiar, Pale''s voice.
It really wont take long. I''ll just borrow it for a moment, poke someone with it, and then return it. Simple, right?
Pales face appeared. She was grimacing as if frustrated, a little different from her usual self. She was wearing the armor of a Blue Knight, only her helmet was off.
No.
A calm voice responded, and the view shifted slightly.
Soon, the vision showed a woman in bright red armor, looking a bit younger than Pale. It was a bit awkward seeing her clad in armor redder than blood.
Why!
Because no.
Ah, seriously. You should at least give a reason for me to understand, right?
I die. If I don''t have my sword.
The Red Knight''s voice was abrupt as she spoke, and then she added:
And when I die, it will come. The First Apocalypse.
Whats that?
Its
Whoosh!
Thats when it happened.
A massive flame erupted in the white snowy field where they stood. The blaze was intense enough to nearly blind them for a moment.
!
Pale was slightly startled, then she followed it up with a bright laugh.
Aha, I didnt expect it to be here.
.
So this was it? The reason you were stuck in this snowy wasteland and wouldnt come out.
The sight of a flame-enveloped giant, standing against the snowy backdrop, was incredibly foreign.
Lukas was seeing this being for the first time.
But he felt like he knew who it was.
Ruler, Sun God.
[He was here.]
Residue added with a surprised tone.
Is this the danger that the White Knight spoke of, that the Red Knight is facing?
Lukas murmured.
It could be if its the Sun God. Lucas dont know what trick he played, but the oppressive aura the Sun God is emitting now is beyond mere puppetry. He dont know how its possible, but it feels like the true body has directly manifested.
Then the conversation becomes simpler.
Pale said with a sly grin.
Ill lend you power, so lets eliminate this son of a bitch and head to the pit together?
That cant be done.
Ah. Why. Again.
First, let me correct you. The misunderstanding you''re having.
Pales expression changed.
Misunderstanding?
Blue Knight Pale, you have shaken it off now. The blind hatred. So, Ill tell you. Who I have been cooperating with here.
Cooperating? Dont tell me
Ruler Sun God.
The Red Knight said in a calm voice.
I am collaborating with him.
Book 2: Chapter 535
Thud.The video cut off there.
The faintly glowing light vanished without a trace, and the rippling waves also stopped.
The small disturbances at the spring had disappeared as if they were never there.
Is it over just like that?
The collaboration between the Red Knight and the Sun God, The First Apocalypse.''
The unfolding events were unexpected, but what really mattered was what would happen next.
Lukas needed to see the scenes that followed. Perhaps then, he might understand more clearly what Apocalypse'' meant.
However, even as he submerged his hand into the water and pictured Pale''s face in his mind, no change occurred.
Was it a one-time use thing?
[It seems there''s a limit on the number of uses. It probably recharges over time.]
With no other option, he withdrew his hand from the water. Drops of water fell from his damp palms.
Was he becoming anxious?
Lukas splashed his face with the water. Having a physical body was certainly beneficial. External stimuli like this could awaken the mind.
He wiped the water off his face and asked.
How long does it take to recharge?
[A day.]
The words of The Beginning Wizard flashed through his mind.
Once a day, he was supposed to visit this spring.
He must understand everything about this spring perfectly.
[That would be the case. Hmm.]
Residue murmured thoughtfully.
[This is something even I didn''t anticipate. I never expected the Sun God to be collaborating with the Red Knight]
Didn''t you have any clue?
[No. Frankly, the scene we just witnessed feels more like a fabrication than reality.]
Lukas thought of the Sun God.
I don''t know much about the Sun God, but he seems more moderate compared to other Rulers.
[What are you trying to say?]
If he''s a God, maybe it''s not so strange that he would cooperate with the Red Knight
[Heh heh. What an amusing load of nonsense.]
Residue chuckled.
[He is the most hot-tempered among the Rulers.]
Hot-tempered?
That was a word that didn''t seem to fit the Sun God. Rulers might mimic emotions for amusement, but the Sun God was different. He always restrained himself from even pretending to express, and he was quiet.
Residue chuckled briefly and continued.
[It''s just that his boiling point is extremely high, so it''s rare to see him visibly furious]
I don''t understand.
Lukas''s gaze returned to the spring.
What exactly does The Beginning Wizard expect from me?
Was it called the Spring of Wisdom? This was no ordinary spring.
It was a sacred treasure, rare enough that even Residue was encountering it for the first time, unique across all universes. Perhaps aside from The Beginning Wizard, the wizards of Magic Planet might not even know of this spring''s existence.
And yet, here Lukas was left.
The explanation was minimal, and he wasn''t even told how to use it, but clearly, The Beginning Wizard expected something from him.
[It''s obvious. There''s a scene he particularly wants you to witness through this spring.]
Residue''s advice was indeed helpful at times like this.
Lukas''s perspective wasn''t necessarily narrow, but Residue had a step wider view. It was only natural for someone who always ruled from the highest places.
A scene he wants me to witness?
[What that might be, I don''t know. But The Beginning Wizard said he would return in a week.]
After a brief pause, Residue muttered in a meaningful tone.
[Six times. You must make meaningful use of these six opportunities to see through this spring.]
* * *
Lukas then sat down heavily in a nearby clearing, staring intently at the spring lost in thought.
What scene do I want to see?''
As always, he asked himself.
Though Pale''s face came to mind again, he roughly understood her situation. Of course, he was curious about what happened after her encounter with the Red Knight and the Sun God, but he felt it would be a waste to use these precious six opportunities just to observe Pale.
Apocalypse.''
The words of the Red Knight,
The First Apocalypse'' lingered in his mind.
It is closely related to the five forms of Apocalypse'' that the Exile witnessed. This much is clear.
Does it mean that Apocalypse will strike five times?
I don''t know.
At this point, all I know is
[Is that a habit of yours?]
A nonchalant voice interrupted his thoughts.
What?
[Every time you think deeply, you pose as if you are meditating.]
Hmm.
Lukas looked down at himself.
Indeed, it was a somewhat grandiose posture for mere contemplation.
[It''s good to be lost in thought, but you''ve just barely reached the Magic Planet that you so desired. It wouldn''t hurt to look around a bit.]
Well, yes. I''ve memorized the coordinates of this forest anyway.
He had realized something else. The space known as Magic Planet was not entirely part of the Void World.
Its texture was different from that of the typical territories of the Void World. It overlapped faintly with another dimension, making it impossible to enter this place without using a special method.
Handling space and having a high understanding are skills that are indeed required.''
It was certainly the work of The Beginning Wizard.
Lukas stood up.
For now, he decided to put his concerns aside and explore the Magic Planet.
* * *
The place Lukas headed to was the hillside village he had visited on the way.
Although he could reach it instantly using spatial movement, he chose to retrace the path he had come.
[Because showing up suddenly would make them wary?]
That, and since there''s plenty of time, it seems better to look around.
[Indeed.]
Lukas looked up at the sky.
Did you notice? It seems this territory has day and night. I''m not sure if I should call it an artificial sun, but the sun did move.
[Hmm.]
There are clouds in the sky. Maybe at night, we might be able to see the moon or stars. There''s also temperature, and the wind blows In the forest where the spring was, it seemed devoid of life, but just by walking a little distance anywhere
Lukas flipped a large rock. Beneath the moist mud, he saw a wriggling worm.
I might even find insects.
Among the territories Lukas had visited, the one most resembling the Three Thousand Worlds was the Flower Mountain governed by Yang In-hyun. However, he could not shake off a certain eerie feeling even there.
Even if it was made by a master craftsman with all their heart, artificial flowers cannot have the vitality of real ones.
But this place was different.
[Unlike the Void World, this seems to be a place where life exists. Did they attempt to replicate the Three Thousand Worlds?]
Hard to say. To call it a mere imitation, the completeness is too high.
Lukas murmured his speculation.
It feels as if this territory itself came from outside.''
Around that time, the hillside village came into view. People were visible.
They were still busy with their daily tasks. Lukas suddenly stopped walking.
[What is it?]
Just feeling a bit nostalgic.
He seemed to have recalled such scenes before, but it was a bit blurry. He was surprised by that fact.
So there are still memories that I have forgotten.
Is that natural?'' Sear?h the ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
If he remembered all the information he possesses perfectly and completely at all times, it would be difficult for Lukas to maintain his personality.
[Nostalgic?]
No, it''s nothing.
There wasn''t even a fence around the village. Proof that there were no external threats. Naturally, he wasn''t stopped from entering.
Lukas walked through the village that seemed like something out of a fairy tale. Somewhere, the wholesome scent of bread wafted through the air.
Can they also make food here?
[It seems so. Hmm, it appears that your hypothesis is gaining strength.]
He sat on a fence that only reached up to a child''s waist, looking over the village with solemn eyes.
Just then, a cool breeze blew.
Lukas quietly faced the wind. There was a strangely nostalgic feeling to it. For a while, he sat there as still as a statue.
It''s strange.
Until just moments ago, his head was swirling with thoughts of the spring, the First Apocalypse, the Red Knight, and the Sun God, but now he felt as if none of that mattered.
Then he sensed someone''s presence.
Hello.
The greeting came boldly from a boy with dusky skin.
When their eyes met, the boy grinned.
Here.
He suddenly offered something. It was rye bread.
Why this?
Eat this, mister!
He handed over the bread as if passing a burden, then dashed away. Lukas looked down at the hard bread and took a bite.
Crunch.
[It''s almost like a rock.]
Indeed.
* * *
The sun had completely set.
As Lukas speculated, the night did exist on Magic Planet.
The lights that had been illuminating the village went out one by one, and soon all were gone. Conversely, the sky brightened significantly. The array of stars could well be called the Milky Way.
There was a miscalculation, however. There was no moon in the night sky here.
He observed Magic Planet in depth, though brief.
It wasn''t just idly sitting on the fence. Lukas had come to a realization about the structure of Magic Planet, and thus, he could only come to one conclusion.
It''s a nice place.
Thank you.
An elderly voice responded.
Lukas wasn''t surprised as he turned around; he had been aware of his presence since the moment he first laid eyes on this village.
From a distance, the feeble old man in shabby clothes might not seem remarkable aside from his gentleness, but Lukas had identified him as the most potent wizard of the village.
Who are you?
I am Sellun'', the village chief, but to a guest like yourself, it might be easier to understand if I claim to be a Truth Seeker.
A Truth Seeker, huh.
What business does a Truth Seeker of Magic Planet have with me?
Business, per se? I just thought you looked lonely watching the moonless night sky by yourself, and came to keep you company.
Was I being a bother?
No.
That''s good to hear.
Sellun smiled gently and sat on the fence a little away from Lukas.
Lukas then turned away from him and spoke.
You said you were a Truth Seeker.
Yes.
I''m curious, Truth Seekers are those who wander in search of answers. What principle do you pursue? What sort of truth is it that you call yourselves Truth Seekers for?
It was a question Lukas had since he first heard the term Truth Seeker.
From Lukass perspective, the term Truth Seeker was both fitting and unfitting for a wizard.
If it were merely about pursuing the truth, I might understand, but if they pursue deep inner practice and contemplation of life''s suffering, or religious enlightenment then they are far too detached from the kind of folk that wizards are.
Most wizards do not seek answers from within themselves. What they observe is always the external, namely the world.
Then, Sellun laughed.
What we seek is a way to overcome fear.
Fear of what?
Apocalypse.
Lukass gaze halted.
To face it, one must not waver under any adversity. It involves building a solid wall in your mind. Think of it as a border, creating your own little world filled with your dogmas. We''ve learned that this is the only way to survive the Apocalypse.
Is that knowledge exclusive to Truth Seekers?
It used to be. But now, every wizard here is aware of it.
Lukas fell silent at the weight of those words.
Everyone in Magic Planet, without exception, was a wizard.
He sat on the fence watching their daily lives.
The man wiping sweat off his brow from hard labor, the woman stretching pleasantly as she gathered laundry, the elderly couple supporting each other as they climbed the hill, and the boy who shyly handed over the rye bread,
All were aware of the Apocalypse.
[It''s an unsettling place.]
For the first time, Residue expressed his precise feelings about Magic Planet, and Lukas looked up at the sky once again.
Indeed, the notion of a moonless night sky felt somewhat eerie.
*****
Book 2: Chapter 536
[It might have been an something close to brainwashing.]At Residue''s words, Lukas lifted his head.
Brainwashing?
[Apocalypse'' is called by many names, isn''t it? Annihilation, extinction, or deletion If it''s a completely ignorant human, they wouldn''t feel more fear than necessary. They perceive it as no different from death, much like a baby doesn''t understand the dangers of a blade.]
[The ones who are most afraid, Lukas, are those who vaguely understand.'' Those who only half understand what apocalypse is, and fill the other half with fears of their own making. And from what I can ascertain, most of those in the Magic Planet are of that type.]
Residue''s point was clear.
Lukas nodded and said,
So, the point is, there''s no explanation other than brainwashing for such people to be calm in the face of apocalypse?
[Do you think differently?]
Instead of replying to the retort, he looked down at the spring water. Lukas had returned to the location of the Spring of Wisdom'' after leaving the village.
Staring at the surface of the water dancing with starlight, the gaze of the village chief Sellun'' whom he had just been conversing with came to mind.
There was no madness in his eyes There was no sense of discord that one would expect from someone brainwashed or mentally manipulated.
Just clear and gentle eyes.
Did he understand and accept the ultimate fate of extinction?
No.''
That couldn''t be it.
Even Diablo couldn''t overcome that fear. And most of those in the Magic Planet, they wouldn''t have higher mental strength than him.
I almost agree, but I have a feeling there''s something more hidden.
[Hmm.]
All the people in the village, they each possessed different magics.
[Different magics?]
Residue seemed puzzled.
Yes. Naturally, the magics of each universe differ. The composition of mana existing in the atmosphere is the same, but how much one can absorb into their body, which part of the body it will be stored, how it will be retrieved after storage, and how it will be deployed after retrieval The methods are myriad across universes.
[.]
Maybe if I had witnessed these during my inexperienced times, I might have been influenced too.
[What does that have to do with their mental states?]
It''s not that they use different magics because they are from different universes. Suppose there are a million wizards in the Magic Planet, there would be a million different magics, each governed by different laws.
[Hmm?]
Residue still seemed to not understand.
In fact, Lukas''s doubts were still at the stage of speculation and hypothesis, and he had no intention of elaborating further.
Arrogance, then.
That seemed like a hint that could lead somewhere.
[Its a concept thats difficult for me to understand.]
Really? Ruler'' and arrogance'', those words go well together.
[Hmph. You still lack understanding of what a Ruler'' is.]
Lukas chuckled.
Anyway, if my predictions are correct, there''s no need to look around the Magic Planet any further.
Wherever he went, he would see similar scenes.
Ultimately, among the numerous wizards in the Magic Planet, only one held the answer to Lukas''s questions.
* * *
The day dawned.
In other words, a day had passed.
Lukas said, looking down at the Spring of Wisdom.
Is it recharged?
[Yes. It seems usable.]
It doesn''t look any different on the outside.
[Using Omniscience, you''ll see something a bit different. Anyway, have you decided what to look at?]
Of course, he had.
Lukas nodded and said,
I need to see through Pale''s perspective once more. I''m concerned about what comes after that.
[A sound decision.]
He walked up to the spring and, just like last time, submerged his palm. Along with the splashing sound, he felt the cold touch.
He brought Pale''s face to mind.
.
However, the change like yesterday did not occur.
Just as before, the ripples didn''t spread, nor did a faint light appear.
While feeling puzzled, Lukas focused more and thought of Pale again.
.
Still, with no change, Lukas''s expression shifted.
Residue, didn''t you say the charging was complete?
[It definitely is. Theres nothing wrong with the spring.]
Lukas frowned at the significant remark.
Then, is there a problem with me?
[Thats not it either. Hmm.]
After a moment of thought, Residue spoke.
[Perhaps a subject once seen'' cannot be seen again. That is, if you haven''t already forgotten the face of the Blue Knight.]
Hmm. Sarch* The N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
It''s a plausible inference. The plan has gotten a bit tangled, but what can be done? Getting annoyed wont improve the situation.
If Pale is blocked, who should he think of?
The Red Knight? The Sun God?
No, the situation likely has already concluded. Time-wise, it wouldnt be strange if Pale had already left the snowfields and arrived at Demonsio. Of course, she said that convincing the Red Knight would take a lot of time
.
Sedi Trowman,
Should he think of her?
[About this spring,]
Residue then said.
[Maybe it should be asked in a more vague form.]
Vague form?
[Yes. Like asking the spring, Who should I be looking at right now?]
Lukas was momentarily speechless.
Are you serious? For that to work, this spring would need to know everything about me, right?
It means it would provide an outcome even Lukas himself doesnt know. Naturally, he couldnt consider this small spring capable of such a feat.
[Try it anyway. Theres nothing to lose.]
Residues suggestion was decisive.
Lukas reached his hand out to the spring again and thought.
Not the person I want to see, but the person I need to see right now.
Woong-
Residue''s hypothesis was correct.
Ripples began to form on the spring, and just like before, a faint light flickered.
Lukas narrowed his eyes and focused on the shapes forming on the surface.
Who will appear?
* * *
It''s a place with a massive typhoon swirling. It seems to be the surface of a planet where life cannot exist. The sky is filled with black clouds, hiding everything.
Quarrrrung!
Just then, lightning struck, and its scale was colossal, comparable to a continent.
Someone was walking there.
The person was cloaked in a brown robe, and due to the raging storm and the hood over their head, their face was not visible. The visibility was too cluttered in many senses.
However, Lukas did not grow impatient and heightened his concentration.
If the purpose of the spring'' is to teach something, the image wouldnt end here.
Suddenly, the figure stopped walking. And the moment they turned around, the pitch-black sky split in two, revealing a massive entity.
It appeared to be a monster made of dark clouds. It was vast enough to completely cover the sky, emitting a dominating presence that was overwhelming just by sight.
Golden eyes now focused this way.
Koooo-
The monster slammed its fist down.
Though it seemed slow at first, the fist was moving at an incredible speed.
Perhaps this is what an ant watching a meteor fall feels like.
But the cloaked figure wasnt perturbed. With no sign of fear, they calmly stared directly at the fist larger than a mountain.
And as the fist nearly reached them, they slowly spread their palm. Suddenly, a slight breeze stirred and lifted their robe.
The slight reveal of the body''s contours allowed Lukas to realize that the figure was a woman, and that she had only one arm.
Quang!
An invisible barrier blocked the monster''s fist.
[A wizard, then.]
Residue commented in a nonchalant voice, identifying one aspect of the womans identity.
The monster''s fist could not penetrate the barrier. The woman then clenched her outstretched palm tightly.
.
Her dry lips moved slightly, muttering something.
At the sound of her voice, Lukas''s eyebrows twitched.
Pit.
A crimson light shot out and pierced through the dark cloud monster.
!
The monster screamed thunderously as it flailed, indicating the tremors of an imminent death that anyone could recognize.
The body of the monster slowly disintegrated, leaving no trace as it vanished.
The fierce wind pressure swirled around, and the pitch-black sky suddenly cleared.
The hood was lifted by the wind pressure, revealing the womans face.
.
She had an expressionless face, cold enough to form frost. She was wearing a pitch-black eye patch, and her contrasting white hair made her stand out more. Her only eye was also the same color as the eye patch, somber and sunken.
[Who is that woman?]
.
While Lukas knew several women with white hair, the features of this woman did not match anyone he knew.
Of course.
Because she wasn''t originally white-haired.
Many things had changed, but her voice was the same.
My, apprentice.
[What?]
The vision ended.
However, the image of the white-haired woman did not easily fade from Lukas''s mind.
What on earth happened to Min Ha-rin.
* * *
He spent a whole day in thought, but no convincing conclusion emerged.
Min Ha-rin.
The girl who once had black hair and warm eyes, now perfectly matched her moniker of Ice Flower'' with her appearance.
Lukas regretted not investigating her more deeply when he was in the Three Thousand Worlds. Of course, regret is always too late, no matter how early.
One week.
He recalled the timeline mentioned by The Beginning Wizard and summarized.
So, are there five more chances to use the spring?
What else should I look at?
It was a headache-inducing situation.
Every time he used the spring, he seemed to gather more questions than answers.
When he saw the cooperation between the Red Knight and the Sun God, Residue had mentioned the possibility that this spring itself could be a deception. It was half in jest, but now Lukas was entertaining a similar thought.
Seeing the drastically changed appearance of Min Ha-rin compelled him to think that way.
[At this rate, if a day passes, a precious opportunity will fly away.]
Theres still time to spare, no need to fuss.
Lukas said this as he dipped his hand into the spring water again.
Ive thought of something good.
[Oh?]
And then he thought of the entity he wanted to see now.
Ripple-
The water rippled and the surface began to reflect the figure of someone.
A man with dark blond hair, who was sporting a refreshing and bright smile.
However, the surrounding atmosphere was contrary to his demeanor. Was there a war going on? He seemed to be rescuing people in a dreadful scene.
Residue also knew who this blond man was.
[Isnt this Fake Lukas Trowman. The one we saw in the Three Thousand Worlds.]
Yes.
[Of course, you were curious about this mans identity, but why do you want to see him now, of all times?]
Youre wrong. The person I wanted to see isnt the fake Lukas Trowman.
[Then.]
Lukas looked at the man impersonating him and said,
I was thinking of The Beginning Wizard.
*****
Book 2: Chapter 537
Surprising scenes continued to unfold one after another.The fake Lucas, no, the The Beginning Wizard'' suddenly shifted his gaze.
For a moment, the eyes of Lukas and The Beginning Wizard met. At first, he thought it was a mistake. That thought was shattered when a faint smile appeared on the guy''s lips.
Hmm.
The smile deepened even more.
With a brightly smiling face, the Beginning Wizard said.
You wasted a chance. There''s not much information you can gain from looking at me.
It''s certain.
Right now, The Beginning Wizard definitely recognizes Lukas''.
Ah, can it be considered a gain just knowing my appearance? It wasn''t particularly something I intended to hide.
How that is possible, I do not know.
Not only Min Ha-rin, but also the 4 Knights C Pale, Red Knight, and even the Ruler Sun God. No one realized that Lukas was peering through the Spring of Wisdom''.
Only The Beginning Wizard recognized the presence of Lukas and even spoke to him.
Why are you impersonating Lukas Trowman''?
I wasn''t sure if my words would reach him, but I said them anyway.
Then The Beginning Wizard let out a faint smile.
Well why indeed.
?
I don''t quite understand myself Anyway.
The Beginning Wizard reached out his hand.
This is all you can see.
His palm obscured the view, and soon everything went dark. There was no sound. It was as if a camera lens had been closed, and only a silent, dark scene continued.
And a little while later, the ripples on the water surface completely disappeared.
This footage had completely ended.
I should consider that he fully recognizes me, right?
[Didn''t you even have a conversation with him?]
I didn''t expect the fake Lucas''s identity to be the Beginning Wizard.
[If you think about it simply, that''s right, but looking back, there may have been several hints.]
Hints?
[What I mean is, in your past life, that guy may have been constantly lingering around you while you were moving in the Three Thousand Worlds.]
.
Constantly, huh.
There''s no way to verify that now, but the fake Lukas certainly intruded in the last battle that took place in the city. And before Lukas was about to die, he even showed his face directly.
There was something meaningful about his timing of appearance.
If it wasn''t coincidence, and if his appearance in Manjuri City was not to attend some council but to check on Lukas''s movements, and if he made Lukas realize this fact intentionally
What is his purpose?
[He said he was your fan. The reason he is imitating you might be related to that.]
Is there any basis for that?
[There is. The way The Beginning Wizard looked at you was almost slimy.]
What is that supposed to mean.
[Dont you understand? He didnt have even a hairs breadth of hostility towards you.]
The Exile said The Beginning Wizard was going to kill me?
[Hostility and intent to kill are not synonyms. Love can become an obsession that one might wish to bind by killing.]
Thats a scary thought.
[You''d do well to be cautious. If my judgment is accurate, the Blue Knight might have a bit of that vibe]
Hmm, Residue seemed to think that was unnecessary remark and cut himself off.
[Anyway, the Exile might have used our kind of speaking style.]
Our kind of speaking style, meaning the Rulers speech.
Not lying, but also concealing the truth.
[Do you remember the activities The Beginning Wizard conducted while acting as Lukas''?]
Charity and relief work, conflict resolution, things like that.
[From a human perspective, those were quite heroic actions.]
Thats right.
I replied with an uncomfortable expression.
Right now, Residue is speculating that The Beginning Wizards series of actions might have been for Lukas. It''s an unpleasant possibility, but it can''t outright be denied, so wearing a grim expression was the most rebellious response he could muster.
The fake Lukas was called a great wizard.
At this point, he wasn''t particularly attached to that title, nor did he feel any monopolistic desire, but separately, the fact that someone was impersonating him was not pleasant.
Even if that person was only committing acts of goodwill.
Because I don''t know the intention.''
The Beginning Wizard had never once revealed his purpose.
The source of Lukass discomfort stemmed from there.
[The fake Lukas was The Beginning Wizard. That''s the extent of what we''ve learned this time. How about it, Lukas Trowman. Do you consider this useful information?]
That would need more time to tell, but for now, there''s one thing I do know.
[What is it?]
Lukas muttered while looking at the spring.
The Beginning Wizard is truly an enigma.
* * *
Another day passed.
Lukas, with his hand dipped in the spring, contemplated the scene he needed to see.'' When he wasnt sure what to look at, he concluded that this was the best approach.
The water rippled, and the surface mirrored someones form.
Unlike with Min Ha-rin, this time Lukas could immediately identify who this someone'' was.
Peran.
Peran Jun was walking through some desert-like area with a haggard face.
Was it during a long journey? Dust densely coated his golden hair. Furthermore, his overall appearance was so shabby and pitiful, it didn''t suit the man known as Peran at all.
Is this the scene I need to see?
Though he clearly recalled the same thing, the result was completely different.
Min Ha-rin, and now Peran.
Was there some common denominator between them?
What is the Spring of Wisdom'' trying to tell me?
Cough.
Peran slightly coughed.
The scene shifted a bit, and he was now camping. It was a cold desert night; he sat on the chilled sand with a sunken gaze, looking up at the sky.
Its tough.
The moment Peran murmured that, the footage ended.
There was even less to grasp than with Min Ha-rin.
Just as Lukas was trying to review the hints left by the footage, Residue spoke.
[There was something noticeable, but its now confirmed with that.]
What is it?
[So far, the scenes you''ve seen aren''t necessarily happening at this very moment.'' Of course, you can probably see the present moment too.]
What does that mean
[It means that among the scenes you''ve seen, some may have already happened, or may yet happen.]
Lukass expression hardened.
So through this spring, I can see scenes from the future or the past?
[Thats correct. The spring itself is meant to show the scenes you wish to see.'' Time doesnt matter.]
Now that he thought about it, something did click.
It was the case with Pale.
It hadnt been long since he had parted ways with her, yet she was already meeting with the Red Knight. Moreover, the situation she was in was too coincidental.
Wasnt it the moment Pale and the Red Knight encountered each other that Lukas had unconsciously thought of?
Residue continued speaking.
[What I want to say is simple. This is a far more valuable opportunity than you think. How many chances are left? Three? You need to use them more meaningfully.]
Lukas contemplated the remaining times.
Three.
During these remaining three chances, what should I look at?
* * *
When another day had passed, Lukas had reached a certain conclusion.
Before touching the spring, he first spoke to Residue.
Then, with this power, it might be possible to spy on the Rulers, right?
[Yes.]
The chance of them noticing is
[Hard to say. It''s not impossible. In the first scene, the Sun God did not realize you were spying, but that might have been because he was in the form of an incarnation. If you were to spy on the true body of the Demon God or the Sun God Hmm.]
So there is a possibility.
Lukas nodded and asked,
What about you?
[What?]
Don''t you have anything you want to see?
The response came a beat late.
[What are you babbling about now?]
I mean the scene you want to see. There are three chances left, maybe I could give you one of them
[You dull fool Are you pitying me?]
Residue burst out angrily, but he wasn''t truly mad. He was raising his voice to cover up his embarrassment.
Lukas pretended not to notice and continued,
Its not about pity. We just have completely different perspectives, dont we?
[And what of it.]
Honestly, I dont find the scenes I''ve seen so far to be very meaningful. There are too many ambiguous aspects.
[.]
Whatever scene you want to see, it''s not completely unrelated to me. Maybe we''ll discover something unexpected from it.
[Hmm, stupid. Spouting such flawed arguments eloquently.]
Though his words were still harsh, the anger in Residue''s voice had faded.
[Fine. Of course, there are scenes I want to see.]
Then
[But I have no intention of seeing them through the Spring of Wisdom.] sea??h th N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Lukas paused before asking,
Why?
[Firstly, the scenes I want to see wouldn''t be of much help to you. Secondly, I feel that all seven opportunities should be used solely by you.]
Is that just a hunch?
[Hmph. I dont care for such vague concepts. The Beginning Wizard. I''m beginning to get a feel for his principles of action.]
.
[It''s not yet time to speak definitively, so dont ask any further.]
Residue spoke as if annoyed, and Lukas decided not to press any further. The opponent was a Ruler. Once they refuse, they wouldn''t backtrack unless the universe resets.
[What about you? Have you roughly decided how to use the remaining three opportunities?]
Right.
[Ho. What will you look at?]
Lukas voiced his planned intentions.
The appearance of the previous Void King, actions of the Seven Fanged Dragon in the Void world, and lastly, the Apocalypse'' that the Exile witnessed.
[Ha. You foolish guy.]
Residue criticized, and Lukas retorted.
Why again. Is there something wrong with my thoughts?
[It''s not that. What you just mentioned are things you must see at this point in time. There''s nothing worth leaving out, so to speak.]
Then
[But you were trying to waste one of those chances, weren''t you?]
Its not that I wanted to waste it; it just seemed like the priority for something like the Seven Fanged Dragon was lower, and maybe it could be more helpful for your side
[Youre wrong. The actions of the Dragon might be the most critical among those you mentioned.]
Since Residue''s assertions were almost never wrong, Lukas was persuaded.
[So, which will you see first?]
The appearance of the previous Void King.
[Hmm. That piques my interest as well.]
Splash-
Lukas dipped his hand into the water, recalling the Void King.
The water rippled, and a blurry form began to emerge.
*****
Book 2: Chapter 538
Lukas has two fundamental doubts about the existence known as the Void King.The most fundamental question is, what exactly is the Void King? And there are countless derivative questions.
What role does a king in the Void World have? Why did the Four Knights swear loyalty to him? What does the palace in the middle of the desert signify? If I were to become the Void King, what responsibilities would I need to shoulder afterward?
As of now, Lukas had grasped none of these.
And secondly.
At the current moment, is the position of the Void King truly vacant?
Ssshhh-
The light faded. The ripples gradually ceased.
And suddenly the water''s surface began to darken ominously.
!
It was a phenomenon he had never experienced before, and Lukas almost instinctively retracted his hand.
[Stop.]
Had Residue not intervened, he probably would have. The spreading darkness eventually engulfed even the palm of Lukass hand.
Ominous.
It was not a deep spring, merely dipping his palm slightly, and now he could not see his hand. While most living beings have an instinctual fear of darkness, Lukas could control even his own instincts. If this was merely darkness, there was little reason to feel uncomfortable.
What in the world.
He realized belatedly.
It wasnt that the spring had been darkened or contaminated in reality.
The darkness before him was merely a scene viewed through the Spring of Wisdom''. Naturally, there would be as much difference as between a tiger and a paper tiger compared to actually witnessing it. Indeed, he couldnt fully feel the oppressive aura of the Red Knight or the avatar of the Sun God through it.
But this darkness was different. Even filtered through, it was enough to make ones body tremble.
His mind began to cloud.
Fearful, terrifying, his body shuddered.
I want to run away.
Gritting his teeth,
Lukas clenched his jaw.
He must not.
He must not be devoured by this darkness.
He strained his eyes as wide as possible, pulling up his concentration to its utmost.
Is this all there is to the darkness?
Was the identity of the Void King truly such an opaque, ominous darkness, and was this the scene the Spring of Wisdom wanted to show me?
It cant be just this!
His breath became ragged. Now he even felt severe headaches. Blood vessels burst in Lukass eyes, and blood ran from his nose.
In that state, he forcibly maintained consciousness.
In his blurry vision, he desperately searched for clues.
And then Lukas found it.
Within the pitch-black darkness, there was a faintly luminescent something.
!
The moment he captured it in his field of vision, something intense that was incomparable to when he saw the darkness rummaged through his mind. It was a type of shock that Lucas had never experienced before.
Ugh
His consciousness quickly faded.
His mind creaked to the point of collapse, and for the first time since coming to the Void world, he felt his mind and body weaken the most. It was not a phenomenon that would occur simply by witnessing it.
Fighting off the overwhelming pain, Lucas put strength into his eyes for the last time.
And just before losing consciousness, he was able to see it.
It was,
An extremely expressionless
* * *
.
It had been a really long time since he opened his eyes to the shining sunlight.
Because he had lived too long in a world where the sun did not exist, with a body that did not need sleep, for far too long.
Did I faint?
His voice croaked out.
He thought he wouldnt lose consciousness unless it was a dire situation.
Just like that time with Pale, perhaps my mental strength has weakened, or maybe the events Ive experienced are proof of their extraordinary nature.
Lukas sighed.
Still, having slept soundly, his mind felt somewhat refreshed, making him seriously consider whether fainting forcefully sometimes might not be such a bad idea.
How long was I unconscious?
The answer came swiftly.
[About a day.]
I was unconscious for quite some time. It must have been quite the shock.
Lukas rose from his place.
And from a distance, he looked at the spring water with a complex gaze. In that moment, darkness'' and a white face'' flashed through his mind, causing his hands and feet to tremble.
Ha.
A scoff burst out.
I still havent overcome it?
[I can''t believe it.]
Residue quietly spoke.
[Even I felt fear.]
He had just realized that Residue''s voice was also faintly trembling.
That darkness. It was probably tens of times diluted compared to the real thing.
[Probably. After all, it was indirectly observed through the Spring of Wisdom.]
Yet still, both my mind and body are terrified. If I were to actually witness that darkness I might truly go mad.
Among all things, Lukas Trowman is undoubtedly most confident in his mental strength. The firmness of his spirit, honed through numerous trials and hardships, could confidently be ranked among the top ten in all worlds.
Such mental strength, to be devoured away in an instant and enough to cause fainting.
[Was that darkness itself the Void King?]
No. That seemed more like just emitted energy, and the man I saw at the end seems to be the Void King.
[The man you saw at the end?]
The being I saw just before I lost consciousness. A middle-aged man with a white face
[What are you babbling about?]
Residue asked with a voice full of disbelief.
You''re the one who''s
Lukass voice also cut off abruptly.
He asked, just in case.
Did you not see it?
[So you saw something.]
Residue felt a strong sense of incongruity and lowered his tone.
[You said you saw a white face? Exactly when did you see it? I only witnessed darkness throughout.]
Could it be that you fainted before me?
[On the contrary. I was conscious even after you fainted. Right after you lost consciousness, my senses were blocked though.]
Only then did Lukass expression harden.
That means.
[Yes. I shared the same view as you until just before you fainted, but I did not see the white face you mentioned.]
A chill ran down his spine.
Residue and he shared all senses. They were so deeply assimilated that they could distinctly feel each other''s emotions.
However, Residue did not see the man that Lukas saw.
It was the first time there had been a discrepancy in the information they should have equally received.
What exactly is the Void King? Was what I saw his past, present, or future?
[Its impossible to tell which time period it was from. No clues could be obtained from the background that showed the Void King.]
Surrounded by darkness, that must be natural.
[But this spring, The Beginning Wizard must have dealt with it countless times.]
Residue seemed to think for a moment, then muttered again.
[He would know. He could also explain it. What exactly was the scene you saw.]
Lukas nodded.
In an instant, he felt an urgent need to meet with The Beginning Wizard again, enough to forget about the spring itself.
* * *
Not that he had truly forgotten about the existence of the spring.
Lukas immediately recalled the next scene.
The Seven Fanged Dragon God''s actions in the Void World.
When the surface rippled, Lukas tensed up, reminded once again of the darkness he had seen the day before. Fortunately, the spring did not darken as it had before; instead, it reflected a familiar landscape.
The first place Lukas had seen,
The background was once again a snowy field.
However, instead of the Red Knight or the Sun God, completely different beings were standing tall.
One side featured a dragon in a blurry form.
The phrase blurry form'' might seem a bit awkward, but Lukas could find no better description. True to the description, the dragon''s form was crackling as if covered in static noise. It also resembled mist that was about to disappear.
The scales over its entire body were peeled or cracked, and transparent blood was leaking out. Overall, it was in a battered state.
This was the first time he was taking it all in with his own eyes.
This being is precisely the last Ruler, The Seven Fanged Dragon God''.
The entity facing the dragon was indescribable in a single word.
It resembled a gigantic monster, seemingly quadrupedal at first glance.
Each of its legs was as thick as an elephant''s, and its torso was covered with layers of red scales. Its back was topped with something resembling a turtle shell, and it had three tails. At the end of each tail, there was something like a snake''s head.
The face was somewhat similar to a lion''s, with no fewer than ten horns. At a glance, it might even look like it was wearing a crown.
Transparent liquid dripped from the monsters mouth.
It was not saliva, but the dragons blood.
''The 4th Beast''.
One of the Twelve Void Lords, known for having killed the Seven Fanged Dragon God.
In fact, The 4th Beast'' suited it less than The 66th Monster''.
Being who has lost reason Is there really no way to suppress your instinct? Do you not understand the meaning of binding me here?
The remarkably clear voice belonged to the Seven Fanged Dragon God.
It was tinged with a terrible harshness, but just hearing it seemed to purify the heart with its refreshing clarity.
However, the Beast'' responded with only a vacant gaze.
I see. There is no other way. It can''t be helped.
The dragon opened its maw wide.
Lukas narrowed his eyes.
Although it was called the Seven Fanged Dragon God, there were only three teeth present.
Flash-
Light emitted from inside the mouth dispersed in three directions.
After the light settled, the Seven Fanged Dragon God stood still like a statue and gradually crumbled from the head down.
And the vision ended.
Lukas remained quietly silent.
According to Residue,
He said that observing the actions of the Seven Fanged Dragon God might provide some crucial clues. But even after watching the entire scenes shown by the spring, he wasn''t quite convinced.
The only useful information seemed to be that the Beast did not kill or defeat the dragon through conventional combat.
[Indeed. So thats what happened.]
Did you learn something?
[Yes. The scene was quite meaningful. At that point, the dragon had weakened enough to be visible.'']
Weakened enough to be visible?
[The Seven Fanged Dragon God possesses a strong gravitational pull. When in peak condition, its scales even absorb light. Therefore, under normal circumstances, it cannot even be perceived.]
Lukas took over from Residues explanation.
So the dragon was already injured before fighting the Beast?
[Do you remember the prelude to the Great Game?]
Somewhat.
[There, you all competed to find the most special statue''. There were four statues in that world, each hiding one of the Seven Fanged Dragon God''s teeth, including a Priestess'' with consciousness.]
4.
Several thoughts clicked in his mind.
The light that scattered in the sky earlier was in three parts.
Lukas came up with a hypothesis and frowned.
Dont tell me the dragon had voluntarily extracted its teeth before going to the Void World? And then gave them to you rulers?
[You catch on fast.]
But it seemed like the Seven Fanged Dragon God was hostile towards you.
[The dragon''s teeth don''t simply contain power or authority. There will also be some gaps in its memory. If you haphazardly fit something into an empty gap, its understandable that it would lead to distrust in the rulers.]
Then why didnt you return the teeth to the dragon? It could have cleared up the misunderstanding.
[Ha. Such misunderstandings arent worth resolving. Once something falls into my hands, it belongs to me. How I use it is up to me. After all, the Seven Fanged Dragon God would have anticipated as much.]
Before knowing Residue, one might wonder what kind of guy he was, but now, his principles of action were somewhat predictable.
Returning all the teeth would still total only four, far from enough to fully restore the Ruler''s former glory.
He must have thought that it wouldnt be of any help anyway. He was sure that it was better to keep the teeth'' in his own possession. S~ea??h the novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
With just three teeth, you can''t guarantee victory even against one of the Twelve Void Lords.
[That''s right. But what''s important here is that the dragon''s original purpose was merely reconnaissance. It voluntarily stepped into that world to find clues to overcome the Apocalypse It was fully aware of the risks and had even secured a means to extract itself if necessary.]
However, for some reason, the dragon didnt extract itself. Instead, it committed the bizarre act of scattering its remaining teeth all over the Void World.
[Yes. Looks like theres one more thing to do, Lukas.]
Lukas nodded.
Teeth scattered somewhere in the Void World,
If he could get his hands on them, he might be able to glimpse the memories of the Seven Fanged Dragon God.''
*****
Book 2: Chapter 539
Now, there is only one chance left.I have already decided what to see.
But before that,
Phew.
I straightened my back after exhaling. Looking up at the sky. The sky, where the sun has just risen, is clear as ever.
And Lukass body began to slowly rise.
The levitation occurred in an impressively tranquil manner. The surrounding weeds did not shake at all, but the height Lukas had risen quickly surpassed the tree trunks and put the entire forest beneath his feet.
[Where do you intend to go?]
Nowhere in particular.
[Hmm?]
I just thought I''d go up to a high place.
[.]
There''s no particular reason. There''s still time until tomorrow arrives, and I want to check a few things before The Beginning Wizard comes.
It''s a part of changing my mood. My head still feels heavy, so thinking about something else might be a good stimulus.
Eventually, at a point surpassing 2,000 meters above ground, Lukas realized that calling Magic Planet a small asteroid was a bit of an anomaly.
It was more of a continent than a planet.
[Indeed.]
The overall shape of Magic Planet was not spherical, but rather, a flat continent.
And Lukas could also discern the true nature of the brightly shining sun in the sky.
A man-made sun created by magic.
[Its set to cycle about every day. Hmm. Were all those things that looked like stars also devices?]
It must be The Beginning Wizards handiwork.
The environment of Magic Planet was entirely crafted by The Beginning Wizard. Lukas felt certain of this.
Therefore, it was incomprehensible.
Each world has its own laws, and that includes the Void World. Although the rules of the Void World were quite alien, most of its inhabitants accepted them and lived accordingly.
But The Beginning Wizard was different.
He was forcibly applying the laws of the Three Thousand Worlds here, using even his formidable powers to do so. It wouldn''t have been without its burdens.
The casually created environment of Magic Planet was too intricate and showed too much dedication. And it wouldnt be strange to substitute the word dedication'' with obsession''.
Magic Planet.
The reality of the territory known as the wizards star, was mostly an artificially created continental mass.
[So? Did you realize something?]
Yes.
Lukas muttered as he looked down at Magic Planet.
The Beginning Wizard might be longing for the Three Thousand Worlds.
* * *
As the sun set, stars appeared, and then the sun rose again.
Lukas got up from his spot.
And he walked to the Spring of Wisdom, looking down at its tranquil surface.
The last chance.
This is the last time I can view the scenery through this spring. I feel no regrets about it.
Rather, the seven times set by The Beginning Wizard were quite fitting. Any less or more might have made me ponder more.
[No going back?]
Of course.
What Lukas wants to see has been determined from the start. He will recall the Apocalypse'' witnessed by the Exile.
However, the surface might not reflect anything.
If the Apocalypse,'' as the Exile described, makes one feel their own powerlessness there is a possibility that even this Fountain of Wisdom may not be able to capture it.
It doesnt matter.
If so, I have prepared a few other scenes to view as alternatives.
Splash
With his hand dipped in the water, Lukas thought of the Apocalypse.
The surface water stirred, and the faintly shimmering light Sar?h the N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Ssshhhh
instantly vanished.
And then it appeared.
Squirming, as if ink were welling up from somewhere, the water began to be painted black.
.
Lukas''s expression hardened as much as it possibly could.
It wasnt something familiar enough to say out loud, but this was a darkness he recognized, had acknowledged before.
[Lukas Trowman, this darkness is.]
Residue''s voice gradually became inaudible.
Was it because Lukass concentration had intensified to an extreme? That might be one of the reasons.
However, the more significant reason was that another sound, coming from somewhere, had swallowed Residue''s voice.
.
This sound, which Lukas had never heard before, was filled with an ominous foreboding.
Sticky and dark, like the cry of a baby. Perhaps it was closer to a scream than a cry. Just hearing it seemed to contaminate the mind.
A chill ran down his spine.
What did I just describe?''
Sticky and murky? Closer to a scream than a cry?
Are those words befitting the sound of a baby crying?
There was no time to continue questioning.
The sound gradually grew louder. Accordingly, Lukas felt his hearts palpitations intensify.
It''s dangerous.
It felt as if his heart might stop.
[Lukas!]
With a voice like lightning, Lukass heated mind was suddenly cooled.
The darkness was gone. The crying sound was no longer audible.
The sky was dark, and his body was stiff. As if he had not moved for a long time.
The sun has set again''
How long had I been like this?
[You, what did you see this time?]
I didnt see anything. I heard something.
[Heard? What did you hear?]
The cry of a baby.
Lukas struggled to calm his breathing. However, it took more time than expected to settle the trembling of his body.
Residue did not rush him further and calmly waited. Once his trembling ceased, he spoke.
[The darkness that had just engulfed the surface of the water. If my eyes are still sharp, that was]
Yes. It''s the darkness we''ve witnessed once before.
The word that simultaneously came to their minds,
Void King.
[What does that fact imply?]
It seemed even Residue needed time to make a credible inference based on the current situation.
But not Lukas.
He was able to judge, and the process came to him all too naturally.
As if someone had hinted at it, various possibilities emerged.
Its one of two things. The previous Void King was either already consumed by the Apocalypse
He paused briefly.
What he was about to say next was an exceedingly unlikely possibility and verged on absurd speculation.
It was also a possibility that Lukas definitely wanted to deny.
But isnt it known?
The more it is so, the closer it is to the truth.
To the one who is worthy
Suddenly.
I will tell you The form of Apocalypse I saw was
He remembered what the Exile had said.
There were five of them
Lukas continued speaking.
One of them has become an Apocalypse.
[That is]
It was a moment of hesitation for Residue.
Clap, clap, clap.
From somewhere, the sound of hollow applause came.
Turning around, he saw the mask of an old man floating in the darkness.
.
At that moment, Lukas felt an inexplicable chill.
And The Beginning Wizard stopped clapping and said,
The correct answer, Lukas Trowman.
The voice that flowed out contained joy and a faint bitterness.
* * *
Have you been well?
When he spoke again, that sentiment had completely disappeared.
The Beginning Wizard spoke with his usual demeanor.
Seeing you frozen, it seems I came a bit early. Shall I visit again in half a day?
.
Just kidding. Neither of us has that kind of leisure.
Thud, The Beginning Wizard walked up to the spring. Then, he knelt on one knee and dipped his palm into the water.
Uung-
A faint light flickered from the Spring of Wisdom, which was clearly not fully charged. Was he trying to reflect the scene he wanted to see? It felt a bit different from that.
You still cant handle the spring proficiently. It should be fine for now. Dont worry. Ill teach you how.
What?
Though its called the [Spring of Wisdom], its form isnt fixed. If you wish, you can change it as you like. Imagination is the basis for that.
What are you talking about?
The spring is the most basic form because its easy to handle. But my favorite is
Splash.
As soon as The Beginning Wizards palm touched the surface of the water, a change occurred.
Whoosh!
Everything turned pitch black.
It wasnt just the surface that was mistaken for being dyed, like when glimpsing the Void King or Apocalypse. The change had spread beyond the spring.
Suddenly, they were standing in the middle of space.
It wasn''t dark. On the contrary, it was brilliant. The Milky Way filled the surroundings so brightly that it seemed to blind the eyes.
Ive always been a bit envious of space. In the Void World, places where you can see such sights are extremely limited.
Now. If you think of the scene you want to see here watch this.
The moment The Beginning Wizard stretched his hand towards the Milky Way, a fragment of a star drifted over as if floating. Just before it touched his finger, it transformed into a book.
Isnt this much more efficient? Text, not video, so it takes up much less space. Meaning you can look at it as much as you want without needing to recharge.
That is.
Its my favorite story. Want to hear? Just the ending part.
He didnt wait for an answer.
He arbitrarily opened the book and began reading aloud.
[Lukas finally understood his role. He was the savior of all humans existing within the Three Thousand Worlds.]
!
[When they despair, when they are frustrated by walls they can never overcome, when they want to let go of everything. Lukas will appear as a beacon of hope within them, or manifest into their reality, in the form of hope.]
Lukas''s expression hardened.
[Shall we depart now?'' A smile appeared on Lukas Trowmans lips. The Great Wizard promising his return, took the first step of his long journey]
Thump.
He closed the book.
Lukas no longer said anything.
He looked at The Beginning Wizard with a subdued gaze.
Dont you think its a wonderful story?
Its my favorite scene. It resonates with me. A clean conclusion. A good ending that allows you to close the book satisfied. How beautiful would it have been if this mans story had ended here?
The Beginning Wizard spoke in a teasing tone.
But it didnt. Of course, life cannot become a story. [And so, the man never gave up and achieved everything he desired.''] It cant end with a clich sentence like that. Those who close the book there would be happy. Without any lingering aftertaste, they could believe that Lukas Trowman never gave up and moved on to the next stage.
But the mans life began anew at that point. From human to hero, from hero to god, the man who became a god found himself floundering as a plaything of fate.
Ha-ha. The Beginning Wizard burst into laughter.
It''s not a story that can attract fans. What appeal is there in a story where the protagonist only suffers? Even reading it would only stoke one''s anger.
''The rest'' of my life is merely superfluous.
Lukas said.
Is that what you want to say?
Plainly speaking, but I am not a reader.
It felt as if the face behind the mask was smiling broadly.
And it is arrogance for one human to judge another''s life. Even a sage has no right to do so, in my view.
Who are you?
Until now, a bystander who could not intervene. An observer who could only watch, no matter what happened.
But that is no longer the case. Since you came to the Void World, I too can finally step onto the stage. Lukas, there isnt much time left.
Time?
Apocalypse.
The Beginning Wizard spoke up.
Or annihilation, reset If I told you I know a way to stop that apocalypse, which is called by many names, would you believe me?
A method even the Rulers did not know, you know it?
Of course.
But it doesnt seem like you plan to tell me.
Lukas predicted this turn of events from his life''s experiences so far.
However, The Beginning Wizard shook his head.
That''s a misunderstanding. I plan to tell you everything. But there is one condition needed for that.
Condition?
The Beginning Wizard said in a calm voice.
You need to die.
*****
Book 2: Chapter 540
He was sentenced to death.What flashed through his mind in an instant was words of the Exile.
You intend to kill me.
I''d rather not, but if you keep refusing until the end, that''s what will happen.
There was not even a slight hint of murderous intent in the calm voice.
Instead, it was gentle, as if persuading him kindly.
Why do you want to kill me?
Lukas''s voice was also calm. It was not influenced by The Beginning Wizard''s demeanor.
Being sentenced to death or having one''s life threatened.
For him, these were not events that would provoke fear or disturb his calm.
Even at this moment, Lukass greatest question was directed towards the existence of The Beginning Wizard himself.
The existence named Lukas Trowman is too dangerous.
Dangerous? I''ve roamed this world for a long time. And I''ve realized that there are still many beings stronger than me, including you before my eyes.
I''m not talking about power.
Then? Do I feel like a being who can''t control myself?
That''s not it either. You are the center.
Lukas''s voice suddenly stopped.
Center?
It was a statement that was hard to understand at once.
You are the center of everything, the center of events. Havent you ever thought about it? That only to me, extraordinarily unique and off-course events continuously occur, as if I were the protagonist of a story.
Again.
Once again, The Beginning Wizard spoke as if he knew exactly what was on Lukas''s mind.
Its not only you. Many people harbor similar thoughts as they live. But, I, Beginning Wizard here assures you, most of those thoughts are mere delusions. Its a funny delusion that arises from an inflated sense of self, like a frog in a well.
There is no reason to pity.
Such delusions are childish. Not something to sympathize with, but rather to watch with a warm smile. Lukas does not pity the ignorant, for he truly knows who the pitiful ones are.
I''m not just talking about humans. From my perspective, even those considered absolute'' are ordinary.
What exactly are you trying to say?
From behind the mask, laughter flowed out once more.
[Every being is the protagonist of their own life] Yes, that''s not incorrect. But you, you are deeply involved in the most important events throughout all the history and records of this universe. It has always been so.''
The Beginning Wizard emphasized the last words particularly.
Do you understand? The most important thing is this always''. You have been involved in all the critical events that dictate the fate of this universe, and you have eventually come to know the secrets of the past, as if guided by destiny.
So I should die because I know too much?
Not such a childish reason. You are unaware of the value you possess.
Lukas felt an emotion in The Beginning Wizard''s voice for the first time.
It was frustration.
Not at all, you dont realize. How many people are affected by a single word you say, a minor action you take, and how great changes these influences can lead to.
If you are asking me to take responsibility for my own actions
Responsibility for actions? Does it feel like we are talking at that level? Lukas Trowman'' is a much bigger and more dangerous existence than you think. If you dont know that Yes. You are underestimating yourself.
This too, was something he heard for the first time.
I am underestimating myself.
Did you see what was in that spring? You saw and confirmed it yourself. What happened to the people related to you.
.
The moment he heard that submerged voice, Lukass heart froze coldly.
And he remembered.
The completely changed face of Min Ha-rin, and the appearance of Peran Jun, who seemed about to collapse from exhaustion.
During your time as the Absolute, you saved countless humans and taught them lessons. You tried to maintain as objective an attitude as possible, but it was impossible. Perfect objectivity can never be maintained when teaching someone. Your views inevitably get mixed in. Thats why I also call teaching the infusion of ideology''.
And most of those you saved must have felt as if they had encountered a god. Do you understand? To them, you are a guidepost leading to the absolute good.
What does that.
Lukas Trowman. How do you consider your own life?
The Beginning Wizard seemed to smile slyly again.
Immense power, vast knowledge, realizing the truths of the universe, and acquiring a lifespan nearly infinite. Depending on the viewpoint, some might call it a successful life, no?
Is your purpose to mock me?
A laugh like leaking wind was heard.
I knew you would answer that way.
A life you wouldnt recommend to anyone, admit it. That thought doesnt come from childish self-loathing or arrogance. I assure you, no one could endure the life you have led. However there are countless who have set such a life as their goal.
The chill turned into a shiver.
Lukas was reflecting on his own life. The Beginning Wizard was right. His life was certainly not something he would recommend to anyone.
Thats why Lukas never asked anyone to live like him. He knew how deficient and pathetic he was.
But what if that wasnt really the case?
Unnoticed by himself, what if he was continuously creating beings like himself''?
What if someone saw deficient and pathetic Lukas'' and took him as a life guide?
Lukas felt a fear he had never experienced before.
So the reason Ha-rin, Min Ha-rin turned out that way is
Its merely the result of her own choices. Nothing more, nothing less. But undoubtedly, the greatest influence on those choices'' was you.
Of course, Min Ha-rin has become strong. She gained powers she could never have imagined if she lived ordinarily. But as I said earlier, you cannot call her life successful or blessed.
The Beginning Wizard''s voice became serious again.
Shes not the only one. In the Three Thousand Worlds, there are countless who follow your legacy.
[I can''t listen to this anymore.]
Residue spoke in an annoyed tone.
[Its natural for a powerful being to have a significant impact on those around them. And the weak always idolize the strong, imitating their actions. All this is providence. Do you understand? Its not necessary to worry about how the weaklings end up because of my actions. The only responsibility I need to take is for the choices I make myself.]
[Dont be swayed by such nonsensical sophistry, Lukas.]
Before Lukas could even respond, something astonishing happened.
Sophistry? In what way do you feel that? Remnants of a Ruler.
[! How can you hear my voice]
This is the Magic Planet. Every phenomenon here cannot escape my eyes and ears. Of course
The Beginning Wizard stretched out his hand.
Crackle!
Kuk
Lukas gulped due to the tingling sensation on his scalp.
Erasing your remnants is not such a difficult task.
[Dare you threaten me?]
How could that be? I don''t dislike you. I was merely stating the facts.
[Really detestable way of speaking. You are]
Enough. Residue.
Lukas quietly subdued Residue, then turned to look at The Beginning Wizard.
Beginning Wizard. Through our brief conversation, I''ve come to learn a few things about you.
Oh?
Would you like to hear them?
The Beginning Wizard gestured with his chin, showing interest.
Speak.
Youve recommended death to me, but you do not hate or despise me. Nor do you harbor any intent to kill.
Rather, you seem to want to teach me something Is there anything among these that I am mistaken about?
No. Everything you said is true.
I see.
Lukas nodded.
Then I''ll also speak my mind. Right now, no matter what good intentions you have, or whatever you blabber, I can''t take it well.
Even if you are doing all this to help me, I might understand it logically, but I can''t accept it. I can''t shake off my repulsion towards you. Do you know why?
Because you dont know anything about me.
Yes. I thought he would answer easily.
Lukas continued without surprise or panic.
I''m not just talking about that mask, the one covering your face even now. Have you clearly revealed anything to me? What is your purpose? Why did you bring me to the Magic Planet? Was there any intention behind showing me the Spring of Wisdom?
Amid the flurry of questions, The Beginning Wizard maintained his silence.
And then Lukas spoke as if he was exhaling a pent-up breath, with difficulty.
You wish for my death? That might be fine. Do you see any attachment to life in me? Do you think I''m a being who desperately hopes for tomorrow?
Tell me the reason. If I can understand it, I don''t mind dying.
[Lukas.]
Be quiet for a moment.
[]
Lukas silenced Residue with a single word, then looked at The Beginning Wizard again.
He remained silent for a long time.
The eyes behind the mask seemed blurry. The Beginning Wizard seemed to be slowly surveying the surroundings. He carefully took in the constellations spread all around, one by one.
The action seemed either slow or fleeting, like a shooting star.
There were still new aspects, huh.
Eventually, a voice tinged with a hint of laughter flowed out.
What?
Yes. First, I must keep my promise. Didnt I say? If you come to the Magic Planet, I will show you the face under this mask.
Before he could respond, The Beginning Wizard boldly took off the mask.
And the moment he faced the revealed visage,
What are you playing at?
Lukas''s face contorted.
The face inside the mask was one Lukas had seen several times.
A face imitating him, crudely resembling Lukas Trowman.
The face of a Fake Lukas Trowman'' was there.
Coming all this way, and still playing such tricks at this moment? What''s the point in hiding your identity?
Still don''t get it? That face of yours, it comes across as so unpleasant to me that it gives me goosebumps. Sarch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
You''re the one who knows nothing.
The tone changed. The atmosphere did too.
Lukas realized this fact a bit late.
The Beginning Wizard faintly smiled.
Lukas. I''m not playing around. Nor am I hiding anything.
What?
Why have you never thought that this might be my real face''?
What are you talking about?
This is me. No alterations, no magic, no deception. My true face.
Crude imitation of you? You might feel that way. But alternatively, you and I.
The Beginning Wizard spoke with a faint smile.
We simply resemble each other.
Clap
The moment a clap sounded, a brilliant star shattered and scattered.
And the scattered star fragments formed a landscape.
In a clearing within a forest,
There stood a facility.
[Trowman Orphanage.]
At a place Lukas could never forget,
A brief yet intense story began.
*****
Book 2: Chapter 541
The entire clear space was gently enveloped by moonlight.Only the occasional hooting of an owl and the sound of grasshoppers were heard, and hardly any presence was felt at the orphanage in the middle of the night.
Footsteps.
Someone appeared there.
A woman with a fragile expression, her face stained with stress, fatigue, and guilt.
Lukas knew who she was.
Grecia Larson,
By blood relation, she would be Lukas''s mother.
Ah.
Lukas finally remembered.
He had seen this scene before. How could he forget?
The origin of Lukas,
The moment he was abandoned at the Trowman Orphanage.
This was also the first scene Lukas encountered through the corpses at the Dumpsite.
How could the Beginning Wizard see this scene.
No.
With the Spring of Wisdom,'' one could glimpse everything.
Then the question should not be how?'' but why?''.
Grecia walked past the confused Lukas and made her way to the door of the orphanage.
Before she could even knock, creak, the door opened.
A middle-aged woman with a plump figure appeared, her wrinkled hand holding a candleholder that warmly illuminated her gentle face.
Mrs. Larson?
Its Grecia Larson.
Ah. Youre a bit later than scheduled.
The middle-aged woman smiled warmly.
I''m sorry. I had to deceive the servants eyes
Thats alright, Mrs. Oh, Ive been late in introducing myself. Im Sophia. I am managing things here temporarily in place of Mr. Arias, who is away on personal business.
Yes, Ms. Sophia. Thank you for accommodating my personal request this time.
Sophia smiled softly.
The night air is chilly. Please, come inside first.
The scene replayed exactly as Lukas remembered it, down to the smallest detail, which confused him.
What exactly does the Beginning Wizard want to show me?
This is Lukas''s past.
If he knew it in more detail than the him, seeing it again wouldn''t offer any new insights since he had already seen this scene thousands of times in his inner world.
This is not your past.
The voice that suddenly rang in his ear was that of the Beginning Wizard.
What did you say?
It might seem similar up to this point. But keep your eyes wide open and pay attention. Will the events that follow unfold as you remember?
At that moment, Sophia suddenly turned around and said,
But where is the child you mentioned?
He came with me.
Grecia stated, although no child-like figure was visible in Sophias line of sight. As doubt crept into her wrinkled eyes, a voice was heard.
Here I am.
It came from behind Grecia.
Taking a bold step forward, a boy about seven or eight years old made a daring expression.
.
Lukas momentarily lost his words.
Why hadn''t he noticed before?
Grecia was not alone. It had been the same in the past. She had been accompanied by a boy then, too.
Lukas hadn''t paid much attention to it, probably unconsciously thinking of him as merely a servant.
Could that really be?
Grecia had said herself,
She was late because she had to deceive the servants'' eyes.
The boy was not a servant.
You are?
My name is Mark.
Why didnt you realize it before.
That child also had blond hair.
Blond hair just like Lukas''s, and Grecia''s.
From today, I will be under the care of Trowman Orphanage.
The boy, Mark, said with a slight grin.
* * *
To Lukas,
He had a sister.
Her name was Lesha Trowman. It was a fact he would have died without knowing had he not come to the Void World, but that wasnt the only secret hidden.
He also had a brother.
I knew it.
There was a blood relative named Mark, he had acquired that information.
Of course it was obvious. With how many Lucas'' he had absorbed?
However, Lukas did not pay much attention to that fact. The only thing he knew about the person named Mark was his name. He had never encountered him in his life.
So, he had not anticipated it.
That the boy accompanying Grecia was Mark
The Beginning Wizard, your older brother Mark Trowman''?
Once again,
As if reading his mind, the Beginning Wizard spoke.
The short video had ended before he knew it, and they were once again standing in space, facing each other.
Are you saying I should believe this?
Believing or not is your choice. If only you could truly deny it.
What are you talking about?
Can you dismiss everything I say as a lie? No, that would be difficult. I know you. You''re not the type to let emotions cloud your judgment.
That tone of knowing everything.
It would be futile to get annoyed by every little thing he said.
Lukas sighed deeply and then said,
Alright. Lets say you are, my brother.
Brother.
Just uttering the word made Lukas feel an unfamiliarity he could never have imagined.
What does that have to do with you acting like you know everything about me?
Lukass distrust was not directed at the existence of Mark Trowman. As mentioned before, he had a brother, and that was an undeniable fact.
But that alone couldnt explain too many things.
Why do you want to help me? What''s the reason you wanted to kill Lukas now? To you, what exactly is Lukas? S~ea??h the N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
A younger brother.
Lukass lips twisted coldly.
Thats the worst possible answer I could think of. I hoped it wouldnt come to something as nonsensical as brotherly love.
Theres a saying that blood is thicker than water. There are cases where long-separated parents and children recognize each other at first sight.
Ha. Lukas outright laughed.
That might be well described as elevating nonsense.
Dont be ridiculous. Our situations are completely different. You and I had no connection at all. Dont you understand what that means? Among the many Lukases I''ve assimilated, not one had ever met you.
At that, the Beginning Wizard burst out laughing.
Keuk, kekeke Yes. Thats exactly the point, Lukas.
With a somewhat joyful voice, he continued.
There wasnt even a hairs breadth of connection between you and me besides being brothers. We never met. All we knew was of each others existence.
Then, why.
The Beginning Wizard smiled broadly and clapped his hands once again.
Zzzak
Just like before, a star exploded.
But this time, it wasn''t just one.
Dozens, hundreds of stars positioned behind the Beginning Wizard burst simultaneously, creating an unprecedented fireworks display.
Within each spark was embedded a memory.
The past, the hardships, the memories Lukas had experienced
[No.]
Residue said.
[Look closely, Lukas Trowman. That there isnt you.]
At those words, Lukas corrected his gaze.
Residue was right.
The figure existing in the place where Lukas should have been was someone else.
Mark Trowman.
Can you understand?
And bitterness tinged the Beginning Wizards voice.
Within the near-infinite possibilities of parallel worlds, the two of us never exchanged a single word. We never met. And when you failed to rise, after facing a meaningless death I took over your role, Lukas.
What are you talking about.
It means I became the Grand Wizard.
He still did not understand.
It was a sequence of fucked-up events. I wanted to give up many times. The life of a Grand Wizard, I know it well. Just as you said, its not a life Id recommend to anyone.
I cursed the world, and blamed the gods. Why only me, why did this happen only to me? I thought about it thousands of times a day, but nothing got better, nothing changed. And in the end, I was defeated by fate.
As the Beginning Wizard, who had been speaking in a crushed voice, finally spoke with a relaxed face,
Those are the memories you carried, leading you to be abandoned here.
What happened after that?
Nothing much. I wandered the Void World, met the previous Beginning Wizard, and inherited his position, memories, and knowledge.
Speaking calmly didn''t mean the content was easy to accept.
You inherited them?
The position of Beginning Wizard is different from the other Twelve Void Lords; it is passed down. And I learned about the meaning of places like Magic Planet, our roles, the Void World, the Void King, the Four Knights about the Apocalypse too.
I also learned about the Spring, and I began to look beyond its surface into the world. The Three Thousand Worlds, the foundation of everything Do you know? It seems to everyone living there that they are surrounded by light. It''s so brilliant and dazzling almost blinding.
The voice of the Beginning Wizard grew desperate, his eyes seemingly reddened as if he might start crying any moment, which made Lukas fall silent with the poignancy of the moment.
While I was acquiring the knowledge of the Three Thousand Worlds I learned about you.
Now, his eyes, no longer hidden behind a mask, softened.
I had never imagined. There was a being who had experienced not just the desperation I felt but an even greater despair!
Life sparked in his voice.
The Beginning Wizard spread his hands and said,
I cheered for your struggles. I desperately hoped you would never give up. But at the same time, I felt anxious. The path I had walked was not an easy one Despite such worries, you coped magnificently and achieved more than I ever did. Can you imagine the euphoria I felt when I confirmed that?
Lukas could somehow picture that scene.
If the positions were reversed, Lukas would have done the same. This meant that he was gradually beginning to empathize with the Beginning Wizard''s words.
There was something I wanted to ask you after meeting you. I saw every moment you experienced, and in some ways, I came to know you better than you know yourself, but there was still one thing I could never know.
My feelings.
Lukas said with a cracked voice.
And the Beginning Wizard nodded.
How you prepared yourself for all those events, only by asking could I know about that. You faced every moment without showing weakness, always composed. [Is it really bearable?], [Does it not affect you at all?], [Is it actually hard? Do you want to escape?] My questions only grew. Meanwhile, a miracle happened.
I came to the Void World.
The Beginning Wizard nodded.
That''s why I''m thankful for this world. Without it, I would never have met you. A dumpsite? A world of discarded possibilities? No. Because it is such a world, a miracle like this could certainly occur.
When I finally met you, I naturally learned. What you felt, how you live with those feelings.
A short sigh was heard.
It sounded like the punctuation at the end of a story.
Lukas remained silent for a long time, and the Beginning Wizard said nothing either.
How much time had passed?
The Beginning Wizard put his mask back on.
Swoosh
The universe that had spread all around contracted as if shrinking, and then disappeared completely, with the darkness around them returning to vegetation.
In the middle of the clearing, the Beginning Wizard spoke.
That''s all there is to tell as Mark Trowman.
Shall we walk together? You might not know since you havent much explored Magic Planet, but there are quite some splendid places.
He walked away with his back turned.
After a brief hesitation, the moment Lukas started to move,
[That guy.]
Residue spoke in a displeased voice.
[It seems he didn''t lie.]
Yes.
[But Lukas, don''t let your guard down. There might be no deceit in his emotions towards you, but]
I know.
Lukas nodded and said,
That he has more secrets than what he has revealed to me.
*****
Book 2: Chapter 542
Magic Planet is vast. Lukas was aware of this fact, but there was a significant difference between understanding it through knowledge and walking through it and seeing with his own two eyes.Of course.
People can look at a map and understand the expanse of the world, but they can''t feel it.
The same was true for Lukas.
Only now could he truly comprehend how vast this territory was.
Nature.
Lucas hesitated for a moment.
Every plant and animal in Magic Planet was created by The Beginning Wizard, probably from zero. He pondered momentarily if the word nature'' could suit such a landscape.
Nature is almost preserved here.
But failing to think of a better phrase, he continued his thought.
Hmm?
The Beginning Wizard turned around. His mask was moist, which was to be expected. In front of him was a vast and beautiful waterfall. The sound of the rushing water hit his ears violently, but it was not enough to drown out his voice.
If they were people from the Void World, and with your knowledge, you could have advanced science further, couldnt you?
Science is a word unfit for a wizard.
Im not talking about the advanced science that harms nature and shortens the lifespan of stars. Ive seen the lifestyle of the people here. Its as if they are living in an old-fashioned inefficiency.
Through the mask, The Beginning Wizard seemed to smile.
It seemed he knew everything about Lukas as Mark Trowman.'' On the other hand, Lukas could not fathom his intentions, but now it was different. The more they conversed, the more Lukas was beginning to understand The Beginning Wizard.
From experience, this level is just right. If science develops further it always brings that about.
That?
Greed, that is.
He let out a blatant laugh.
The people living here, thankfully, all understand that fact and respect the Magic Planet that I''ve cultivated. Thats why they are satisfied with their current lives.
I call this waterfall Thunderfall. If you listen to the sound of the water falling for a long time, it feels like electricity is sparking near your ears.
[It''s nothing alike, ask if your ears are still fine.]
The former master of Thunder, Residue, expressed his annoyance in a grumpy voice. It seemed like he especially disliked The Beginning Wizard, naturally, since he heard him talk about his annihilation face to face.
Hehe, don''t be too shocked. There are still thirty-six more places I consider picturesque. In other words, Thunderfall is just the beginning.
With a seemingly joyful voice, The Beginning Wizard spoke.
Shall we move to the next location?
* * *
There were more than thirty-six places.
As The Beginning Wizard headed towards the picturesque'' locations he had classified, whenever he saw a place that seemed even slightly wonderful, he would change his path towards it.
Thus, the destinations they headed to sometimes appeared as landscapes naturally formed by nature, at times as the bustling life of a village, or even the interior of a small shop. S~ea??h the N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
The sunset is beautiful here, isnt it?
Its a pity about the timing. This place shows its true value when the leaves are falling
How about this place?
The Beginning Wizard, seemingly amused, kept asking Lukas for his thoughts.
[What the hell is this bastard thinking?]
Residue spoke in a voice that seemed sick of it all.
He must be trying to send me some kind of signal.''
[A signal?]
Yes. He''s hoping I''ll catch on to something he can''t say directly. It''s a typical development.''
[Something he can''t say directly]
As Residue trailed off, he asked,
[What is it?]
''
He didn''t knew.
To be more precise, he don''t even have a clue.
At the location guided by The Beginning Wizard, Lukas tried not to miss a single gesture, glance, or subtle movement. Moreover, he busily racked his brain to find commonalities between clues that seemed independent at first glance.
Yet, nothing concrete came to mind.
Originally, I wanted to differentiate each area. Literally, I wanted to create this Magic Planet as a world unto itself. And a world should encompass a variety of cultures blending together.
I dont understand.
What this conversation means,
Or what The Beginning Wizard wants to convey to me.
But it was difficult. The beings that exist in Magic Planet, hmm, were a bit boring. Of course, I am aware. Its not their fault. After all, this territory only permits entry to those who share certain traits.
Thanks to such tendencies, they also dont covet unnecessary things, he listened intently even to his casually flowing voice.
I can''t find the meaning, but there must be some hidden message.
The opponent is The Beginning Wizard, a monster that not even the Four Knights can guarantee victory against in Magic Planet.
Mark Trowman'' is just one of the many identities he holds.
Still, it seems that preferences vary from person to person, so when I have some free time, I roam around Magic Planet looking for decent shops. What do you think? Isnt the flavor of this tea quite rich?
At those words, Lukas bowed his head and looked down at the red-tinted tea.
Click.
The moment he held the teacup, a rich aroma penetrated his nose. As he tilted the teacup and let it down his throat, the fragrance amplified several times over. It''s a clich expression, but it felt like a small flower garden blooming in his mouth.
Thats all.
I dont really get it.
Setting down the teacup, Lukas said that.
Is that so?
The Beginning Wizard chuckled lightly.
From his attitude, it seemed he was under some misunderstanding.
Lukas shook his head and said,
Im not talking about my impression of this damn tea.
He had no intention of speaking with emotion. Indeed, his tone was calm. However, his choice of words could not be decoratively phrased.
I mean, I dont understand what youre thinking.
.
Do you not get it? Right now, I''m giving up. I can''t make heads or tails of what you''re up to. So .
He needed a moment before he could continue.
I''m asking you to tell me directly.
A heavy silence fell for a while.
Lukas was feeling self-loathing. Honestly, he hadnt expected to be so clueless. He thought his insight, analytical skills, and deductive reasoning were sufficient to gather clues and derive answers.
.
The Beginning Wizard remained silent for a long time.
His eyes behind the mask seemed to sink deeply.
As the lingering taste of the tea faded in his mouth, a voice finally came through.
Theres no such intention.
What?
Didnt I say? There are many splendid places in Magic Planet. It may sound silly coming from my mouth, but Im the one who cultivated this territory. Each time I tour around, I feel a certain pride. I wanted to introduce those places to you
Whats the reason?
Again, the flow was interrupted.
At this attitude, Lukas felt frustration and a rising annoyance.
I asked what meaning it holds. Does this have any relation to why you would want to kill me?
No.
The identity of the Void King, or a hint to prevent the Apocalypse, was it hidden here?
No, not at all.
Then what exactly are you trying to do?
Finally, anger was evident in Lukass voice.
Do I look like I have time to spare? Knowing the situation I''m in, yet youre doing this to me.
.
Is my death necessary? Could that possibly be the foundation to prevent the Apocalypse? If so, I would gladly accept that fate.
[.]
Lukas mentioned his own death again, but this time Residue just remained silent. Of course, Lukas hadn''t forgotten about their promise, or rather C their pact.
But if this trivial sightseeing, which isn''t even worth killing time, was done out of pity for me as I''m about to die
His previously calm tone crumbled. In contrast, his expression became even more frozen. Lukas wasn''t an amateur overwhelmed by his emotions, but now, he couldn''t maintain his complete composure.
An icy mist seemed to rise from Lukas''s body.
You don''t know anything about me as a person.
Whoosh,
The rising mist quickly dissipated the moment Lukas finished speaking.
And time, which had frozen, began to flow once again.
Once more, the sound of teacups clinking and the soft aroma of black tea filled the shop.
In the flow where everything returned to normalcy, only The Beginning Wizard still seemed to be frozen.
He said nothing.
He occasionally stopped speaking and maintained his silence, but this time it was unusually long.
Right. Perhaps, I misjudged.
A distinctive chuckle was heard, but it felt a bit different from usual.
The moment Lukas sensed this incongruity, the voice continued.
Its natural for you not to have leisure. My thoughts were short-sighted. I apologize.
With a creak, The Beginning Wizard stood up as he spoke.
Then, shall we head straight to the Tower 77''?
Tower 77?
Its also a place where I reside. To put it in more clich terms.
The Beginning Wizards gaze drifted upwards.
The Magic Tower.
* * *
Where does The Beginning Wizard usually stay?
Following him, Lukas recalled the residence of Yang In-hyun, a fellow Twelve Void Lords.
Cloud Pavilion.
The humble annex located just beneath the peak of the mountain was quite to Lukass liking. The harmonious location and the surrounding scenic beauty were also appealing.
And the residence of The Beginning Wizard, called Tower 77 or otherwise known as Magic Tower, was located much higher than the Cloud Pavilion.
It was not an exaggeration but really much higher.
Far above the ground, far beyond the sky,
Thats where Tower 77 existed.
This star is called Soma Star. What do you think?
Tacky.
Lukas muttered his brief impression as he looked around.
Soma Star, also known as the Little Magic Star, was indeed small. In terms of area, it was about the size of a rather small island. The surrounding scenery was also unusual. It was dark and sparse, with constellations spread out here and there.
It seemed like a tiny island placed in the vast ocean of space.
Hence, the sight of the elongated tower stretching above the island felt even more alien. Given that the backdrop was the universe, the setting felt almost dreamlike.
The Beginning Wizard''s body gently lifted off.
Floating soon turned into flying, and he began to ascend towards the top of the tower, his robes fluttering.
Lukas followed behind.
The tower, likely hundreds of meters tall, posed no issue.
The tower had a grotesque structure.
The circumference of the ground floor, that is, the first floor, was as large as a decent-sized castle, but as it went higher, it tapered significantly.
By the time it reached the top, the tower was no wider than an ordinary watchtower.
But Lukas saw something odd there.
There was a door on the wall at the top.
Naturally, there was no place to step on. The surface was rugged, and a door was attached out of nowhere, as if it had been carved into a mural.
Hmm.
The Beginning Wizard opened the door with a familiar movement.
Just as Lukas was about to follow,
Stop.
Along with a cold voice, a chilling sensation touched the nape of his neck.
Before he knew it, icicles seemed to wrap around Lukass neck, poised to pierce through it instantly.
Feeling the murderous intent that seemed to prick his skin, Lukas glanced back.
*****
Book 2: Chapter 543
Only one person voiced an objection, but there were many who harbored murderous intent and vigilance.However, when he turned around, all he saw was a single young man with a cold face. He was wearing a red robe.
He must be a wizard,
And the caster of the Ice Spike threatening Lukas.
What is it?
It was an opponent who threatened from the first encounter. Lukas''s voice was not gentle either.
That''s my line. What business do you have trespassing at the top of the tower so carelessly?
Stop it, Redrun. He''s a guest I personally invited.
Redrun.
An unexpectedly cute name that didn''t suit him.
Despite the Beginning Wizards command, the expression on the young man, Redrun''s face, did not relax.
I apologize, but I cannot comply. My lord, the thing'' at the top of the tower is not of a nature to be shown to outsiders. Was it not you, my lord, who taught us that?
Hmm. That is true.
The thing at the top?
Lukas turned his gaze back to the top of the tower.
What are you looking at, outsider?
Once again, a cold voice sounded. The sharpness of the Ice Spike intensified, and the distance closed even further.
Just before touching his skin, Lukas waved his hand. Suddenly, the sharp Ice Spike turned into a blob of water and collapsed.
!
A surprised look appeared on Redrun''s face.
To change the nature of magic so instantly My lord, could this person possibly be a candidate for the Truth Seeker?
Hmm. Something like that.
I see. That makes sense.
Redrun, having come to an understanding, withdrew the magic he had deployed.
Then, glaring at Lukas, he said,
It seems you havent received a proper explanation. I will overlook this rudeness just this once, so go back to the ground.
A proper explanation?
Yes. The [Seeker''s Trial] starts from the first floor.
Lukas sighed.
You''ve got it wrong. I didn''t come here to take any damn trial.
Redruns gaze shifted back to the Beginning Wizard, but he simply shrugged his shoulders, barely suppressing a smile.
Then his eyes returned to Lukas.
You didn''t come to take the trial? Do you know what those words mean?
Once again, the voice dropped lower.
If you are not a candidate for the Truth Seeker, then your status is merely that of a simple intruder.
Even though your lord brought me here himself?
There are no exceptions.
I see.
Lukas nodded and then asked,
What happens to intruders, then?
Death.
The expected answer prompted a nonchalant expression from Lukas.
At that response, a look of irritation finally emerged on Redruns face. Just as he was about to say something, Lukas spoke.
What are you trying to do?
The question was directed not at Redrun, but at the Beginning Wizard.
Havent you understood my words yet? Ive said several times that theres no time.
Thats true.
The Beginning Wizard grinned slyly.
But if this is a necessary process?
.
Redrun. What procedures must one undergo to gain entry rights to the top of the tower?
Yes. In the Tower 77, one must obtain the approval of more than half of the Truth Seekers and defeat all of the Seven Magicians.''
You heard him? Sadly, I''m the lord of this place, but I can''t change the rules of the tower.
.
Come to the top.
The Beginning Wizards voice became serious again.
If you cannot earn the recognition of the wizards in the tower, then you dont deserve to know the truth.
At that, Lukas''s gaze turned to the tower.
A tower nearly hundreds of meters tall.
At first glance, it appeared to be made of stone, but naturally, that couldnt be all. No matter how advanced the building technology, it would be impossible to erect such a height with stone alone.
Meaning, some special magic was applied to the tower.
.
He reached out his hand.
How to bring it down. First, the shape of the rooftop must be preserved
Indeed. If you show your true abilities, conquering the tower will end faster than it has meaning, so Id like to impose a few restrictions.
Lukas withdrew his hand and looked at the Beginning Wizard.
Restrictions?
Do you dislike them?
Tell me.
As if he had been waiting, the Beginning Wizard spoke.
Firstly, you must diligently clear each floor starting from the first. No cheating such as collapsing the tower from the outside or piercing straight from the first floor to the top.
At this, Redrun spoke with a voice full of confusion.
What joke is this? The Tower 77 was built using Earthstone''. All of us Seven Magicians'' have inscribed strengthening spells on it. Theres no way to bring it down, not from the outside nor from the inside
That''s right.
Lukas interrupted Redruns lengthy explanation. He felt a piercing gaze from behind but ignored it. Sarch* The n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
The Beginning Wizard continued with a smile.
Additionally, do not use any magic above 8-star, and once the fight starts, you must not seek assistance from the Ruler within you. Using divine power to wield the strength of a demigod is also forbidden. Of course, this includes the Lord''s authority over space.
.
Redrun''s eyes now held a sense of futility.
The tower consists of a total of 77 floors, and you will encounter the Seven Magicians'' starting from the 11th floor. They are waiting. The deadline for clearance Hmm. Considering your level and situation, how about half a year?
Redrun''s eyes flickered back to life at the last phrase.
Half a year?
Even the fastest to ever clear the tower took nearly 20 years.
Of course!''
Typically, it takes at least a year to gain the recognition of the first Seven Magician, and the difficulty exponentially increases as one ascends the floors.
It doesnt mean getting approval from all 7 of the Seven Magicians'' within 7 years is impossible. There are formidable trials in between as well.
What are you saying?
The face of the Seven Magician on the 11th floor, Redrun, was flushed with humiliation. Even if the statement came from the respected Beginning Wizard, it was hard to accept.
Lukas roughly guessed the emotions Redrun must be feeling, and yet he spoke out.
3-star.
Hmm?
I''ll only use magic 3-stars and below.
Interest sparked in the eyes of the Beginning Wizard.
Isn''t the purpose to limit my power? Then those restrictions are insufficient. You dont seem to know what I have acquired in the Void World.
Oh? What do you mean?
Spirit Magic and Black Magic, barrier spells, summoning spells, psychic powers, unusual powers, Holy Power, dark energy, earth energy, various martial arts and physical techniques Besides, about 2,000 types of powers I came to know as an Absolute Being wandering the universe and from the Dumpsite.
.
Among them, particularly notable powers are the Void and Omniscience.
I was not aware of that. Then, let''s also forbid those.
Lukas nodded.
It''s not that he underestimates the tower or the wizards here.
After all, the Beginning Wizard would cunningly observe every move Lukas makes. It''s better to clarify everything from the start than to have issues arise during the conquest of the tower.
Additionally, as I''ve said several times, I dont have the luxury of time
Lukas looked down at the Tower 77 and said,
I will clear the tower within one month.
* * *
A heavy silence enveloped the surroundings.
Heh, heh heh.
The Beginning Wizard let out a stifled laugh.
Ah. Certainly, you have the right to say that. But regrettably, in this territory, I am the only one who knows that fact. Do you understand what that means?
Once again, a chilling presence was felt.
This time, it seemed to target his entire body, not just the nape.
Youve angered them.
.
Is this the first trial you face before entering the tower? Lets see you break through splendidly.
The Beginning Wizard said this as he opened the door and entered the room at the top. The moment the inside was revealed, Lukas looked in that direction, but as expected, only pitch-black darkness unfolded.
[Beyond that is no different from another world. I could analyze it using Thunder if I wanted.]
Forget it.
[Youre not seriously planning to tackle from the first floor up slowly, as that guy suggested, are you?]
Residue spoke in a displeased tone.
If those are the rules of this tower, it''s only right to follow them.
[Ha. Such rules need not be followed]
You seem to forget, the Beginning Wizard is stronger than me.
[.]
The reason he hadnt yet taken any drastic actions was due to the fondness he held for Lukas. Of course, the reason for his fondness was something even knowing the circumstances couldn''t justify.
But one thing was clear.
The strong and the weak,
The absolute disparity between them.
Even if he forces his hand, we have no choice but to comply for now. You know this better than anyone.
[Hmph.]
At that moment, the door closed completely, and Lukas looked around once again.
He saw Redruns face.
You have just insulted not only me but all the Truth Seekers in the tower.
A sneering smile, one of the habits that surfaced when he was extremely angry.
Thus, before the official entry to the tower, youll have to take responsibility for the words youve uttered.
As his voice finished, the wizards who had been hiding showed themselves all at once.
The number easily exceeded a hundred, filling Lukas'' field of vision. Lukas carefully observed each one of them and was disappointed to realize that none seemed stronger than Redrun.
As if in defiance of that emotion, a barrage of magic began.
.
A myriad of lights blanketed his vision in an instant.
Lukas,
First realized that about 3,000 spells were being cast against him. By simple calculation, that meant each person cast about 30 spells.
Also, if the nature and characteristics of the magic were broadly categorized, there were 50 types.
Quite interesting.
The deployed magic was definitely composed of different laws. Was this the result of the self-cultivation the Beginning Wizard spoke of?
Lukas could have dissected each of them right there and then, making them his own. Therefore, it took a bit of mental effort to restrain that impulse.
He closed his eyes.
Although he hadnt entered the tower yet, it seemed certain that the restrictions mentioned by the Beginning Wizard were now in effect.
What to do then?
The moment the restrictions activated, countless plans to counter the magical bombardment were crossed out one by one with an X.
Using magic below 3-star was possible, but without utilizing the Void, their power would be significantly reduced. Of course, if he crammed as much mana as possible into a 3-star spell, or developed enough spells to overcome their barrage, he might be able to block it.
But the opponent is also a wizard.
Wizards typically dont give their all in the first strike. This magic barrage was merely exploratory, meaning they still had aces up their sleeves, one each at least.
[Our means have become limited. What will you do?]
Residue asked with interest.
Theyve got plenty of means on their side.
[Hmm?]
The following words were shown through actions.
Lukas wrapped mana around his palm and then caught the highest-tier magic, Redruns Ice Spike, with his hand.
Redruns eyebrows twitched but he was not overly surprised. There was no reason to panic just because one attack was blocked. As Lukas had analyzed, there were still 3,000 spells remaining.
Are you planning to catch all of them with your hands?
Of course, Lukas did not do that.
He threw the Ice Spike he had caught towards a specific point.
A collision between the fire attribute magic and the Ice Spike caused a small explosion. The explosion occurred exactly within the range Lukas had anticipated, and the surrounding spells were affected by it.
Then, Lukas precisely stepped back five paces.
The first explosion was like a small storm, but the second was somewhat larger. The third, the fourth As the sequence progressed, the power and range of the explosions increased. The speed also accelerated like a snowball rolling downhill.
Boom, boom, boom The intermittent explosion sounds eventually merged into one.
[Hooh]
Residue voiced his admiration just as a grand fireworks display was occurring before them.
It was natural since 3,000 spells were causing the explosions.
The moment Lukas blinked a couple of times, a sharp shard of stone flew out from the explosion. The shard embedded itself precisely an inch in front of Lukas''s foot.
[An interesting trick. Have you analyzed all their magic in that time?]
Theres no need to use Omniscience.
[Kekeke Certainly, when it comes to magic, your understanding is at a monstrous level.]
Monstrous?
Thats a grand compliment coming from Residue.
Its more about analysis than understanding. Its no different from destruction engineering.
If one considered the magic bombardment as a giant structure made of 3,000 components and 50 types of materials, and if its structure was fully understood, there would be nothing difficult about it.
Anyone could completely demolish it with a very small explosion.
[It took less than 3 seconds for the bombardment to strike you, right?]
It wasnt in an [extremely short time], was it? Rather than that, Id like to focus on the fight now, so lets talk later.
[Fight?]
Residue seemed at a loss for words.
Why.
[Having watched your life from the side, I understand, but you are overlooking something very important right now.]
Lukas hesitated at that.
When Residue spoke like this, it often meant there was an important hint.
Something important?
[It means you are not objectively assessing your own level.]
What does that mean?
Only then did a certain oddity strike him.
The next attack wasnt coming.
Lukas looked forward.
He saw that about a hundred wizards were staring this way with vacant expressions.
[Their first attack wasnt mere reconnaissance. It was a full-force strike fueled by rage. And you, you blocked all those attacks with just one Ice Spike.]
[Being cautious is good, but dont overestimate your opponents too much.]
Residue sighed as he spoke.
[Those guys are no match for even a single bite from you.]
*****
Book 2: Chapter 544
Redrun could not fully comprehend what had just happened. Overwhelmed by a sense of emptiness, he blankly stared into the void before snapping back to reality.Unable to understand? Really?
He shook his head.
No, it wasn''t that he didn''t understandhe just didn''t want to.
But that shouldn''t be the case.
No matter how dire the situation, turning away was not an option. Redrun forcibly turned his eyes back to reality.
And he acknowledged it.
How unbelievably the opponent had blocked the 3,000 magic bombardments.
.
Lucas had been watching the entire process.
Most wizards had lost their will to fight. But did that mean the fight was over?
It would not seem so.
Because the eyes of one remained alive.
Redrun.
To Lucas, that man appeared to be their leader.
Not bad, you blocked it quite well.
Redrun forced a smile as he spoke. Lucas decided not to delve into that clearly visible bravado.
There was no need to.
Shall we continue?
Redrun''s eyebrows twitched.
As if his pride had been scratched.
Do you think you''ve subdued us just with that?
That''s not it.
What Redrun needed to do now was not waste time in a pointless argument with Lucas, but to inspire the disheartened wizards.
Indeed.
The opponent was a wizard, not a commander or strategist.
It was understandable if he did not fully grasp the role a leader played on the battlefield.
Yet, Redrun seemed to have some influence among the wizards, as some snapped back to attention at his spirited voice.
[What are we going to do? It''s difficult to kill them with 3-star magic.]
That''s true.''
[Will you repeat what you did earlier until they exhaust themselves? Until they''re weak enough to die by just poking them.]
Residue seemed quite displeased with that plan, as his voice carried a tone of grumbling.
No. Im thinking of using the unique traits of this territory, the Magic Planet.
[Traits?]
This place is too unique to be called a Void World. The Beginning Wizard, he truly is a remarkable man.
Lucas said, pulling out a sharp stone embedded in front of him.
He made it so that mana could permeate the artificially created nature.
[Hooh So there''s mana in the atmosphere of this territory?]
It''s quite dense.''
[And what are you going to do with that?]
Im planning to use something I devised when I was in my home universe.
Drawing the stone through the air, the mana in the atmosphere rippled.
Zero Technique.
A combat method devised when the mana runes were destroyed.
He wasn''t sure how well it would work, but it was better than having nothing.
However, Lucas was about to arrange the mana when,
Let''s stop here.
Someone''s voice was heard.
Whoosh, a warm gust of wind swept through the area as someone appeared.
A young woman dressed in a green robe.
.
And Lucas lowered the stone he was holding.
[Hmm? Zero Technique or whatever, aren''t you going to show it?]
Later. This woman doesnt seem like an easy opponent to deal with.
Among the hundred or so wizards present, and including Redrun, this one woman seemed stronger.
Ah, Lady Altata What brings you here
I''ve assessed the situation.
The womans gaze fleetingly shifted towards Lucas.
It seems you''re not planning to become a Seeker, but since the lord brought you here personally, you must have proven your minimal qualifications.
But this man has insulted us
I said I''ve assessed the situation.
The voice of the woman called Altata grew stern.
You poured magic on him with the intention of killing him. It was an excessive response. Or is killing your opponent how you respond to insults?
I apologize.
Isnt there a more just way? After all, if he undergoes the trial, you will clash with him again.
Yes.
Redrun bowed his head in a gesture of apology, not even glancing at Lucas as he left the spot.
Altata turned around and said,
What are you doing? The trial will begin soon. Please wait at your respective places.
Her quiet voice carried an undeniable authority.
The wizards, like scolded children, flinched once then gradually disappeared one by one.
Soon, only Lucas and Altata were left at the top of the magic tower.
Her gaze turned toward him.
Altata had hair the color of green that matched her green robe, reminiscent of a forest.
This made Lucas think of someone else.
Nice to meet you. I am called Altata.
Lucas.
He deliberately did not reveal his surname Trowman.
It seemed unlikely that they knew the identity of The Beginning Wizard.
Lucas, first of all, I apologize on their behalf for their rudeness. Additionally, if it''s not too much, I would like to explain the Trial of the Tower 77'' to you.
An apology, and an offer.
Lucas nodded to both propositions.
Thank you. Lets head down to the ground first.
They slowly descended to the ground.
Altata dusted off her robe and then headed toward the entrance of the tower.
The entrance was a giant iron door, so large that it could easily fit a house.
In the middle of the door, there was a faintly shimmering emblem engraved, and Lucas realized it was a style of magic seal he had never seen before.
Altata placed her palm on the emblem.
Koong
The door opened majestically, as if it was announcing the opening of the gate. The interior revealed behind it was rustic. Most of the decorations were made of stone, and the interior was illuminated by torches that would suit a cave.
However, it wasnt dirty or messy. There was hardly any dust, let alone trash.
And then the corridor.
A very long and large corridor stretched out ahead.
Its bigger than it looks from the outside.
It wasnt just a figure of speech; it was factually so.
[Hmm. It seems not only the rooftop room but this entire magic tower itself is a space isolated from the outside world.]
Thud
Altata began walking down the corridor.
Please take this as friendly advice.
Just as Lucas started to follow, a business-like voice spoke.
I overheard your conversation.
Conversation?
Youve set many restrictions before taking on the tower.
Thats right.
You are probably the strongest wizard here, aside from the lord of the current Magic Planet.
[Looks like she is more perceptive than the idiot from earlier.]
Residue chuckled.
The techniques you showed in your fight with Redrun, even the lord might find them challenging.
What are you trying to say?
30th floors.
30th floors?
That''s the highest floor you can reach with the restrictions you''ve set.
To elaborate, you can defeat up to the Second of the Seven Magicians.''
Lucas didnt take it as an insult or feel bad.
Instead, it seemed plausible.
What level of the Seven Magicians are you?
Did I ever claim to be one of the Seven Magicians?
You seem much stronger than that Redrun guy, so I just assumed.
Hmm. A convincing sigh followed.
I am the Fourth, and I oversee the 44th floor.
The Fourth, that placed her in the upper-middle tier.
And that meant there were at least three wizards stronger than her.
Time is also an issue. A month would be ridiculously insufficient.
Is that so?
The conversation abruptly stopped, and Altata halted her steps because the corridor had come to an end.
Now there was a stone door.
She turned around before the stone door. Her cool eyes carried a hint of puzzlement.
Did you understand what I said?
You suggest reducing the restrictions or extending the period of the tower assault, correct?
You''ve understood correctly.
I appreciate the advice, but I have no intention of following it.
Her eyebrows twitched.
Did she feel her advice was being disregarded?
May I ask why?
Your lord agreed with my proposal.
Altata hesitated.
Agreed?
Yes. If these conditions were truly absurd or impossible, he would have reacted differently.
Thats a convenient interpretation. Maybe he just thought persuading you would be useless. He must have thought you would only understand by experiencing it firsthand. Didnt he burst into laughter the moment you mentioned a months time?
That could have been scoffing.
Then all the more reason I cannot retract my words.
No matter what others thought, he did not want to show such a disgraceful side to The Beginning Wizard. There was no clear reason, but this feeling was genuine.
At that, Altata fell silent before speaking.
You resemble the lord.
It seems I spoke out of turn. Please forgive my rudeness.
She slightly bowed her head. It was a simple gesture but not excessive, which was pleasant.
May this ascent through the tower strengthen your convictions further. I hope to meet you again on the 44th floor.
With those words as her last, Altata disappeared.
She must have returned to her rightful place.
And Lucas looked at the door in front of him. Unlike the one they entered through, it was unimposing and small.
It seems this is the 1st floor.''
[Ascending the tower Such a tedious process. To climb up from the 1st floor one by one. Truly an irritating task.]
Lucas chuckled lightly.
From now on, do not give me any advice or suggestions. I want to face it alone.
[Hmph. Let''s see how well you do.]
Residue snorted, and Lucas opened the door.
* * *
Suddenly, a bright light filled his vision.
It was so intense that for a moment, he thought he would go blind, but Lucas stared directly into it to understand exactly what was happening.
The space hasnt changed.
Rather, something more.
Welcome. To the first floor.
Warm sunlight, the scent of flowers, and the sight of a well-kept garden appeared.
At an outdoor table placed there, an old gentleman was sitting, looking this way with a deep smile.
I am called Torun,'' an old man who explains the tower''s system to the ascendants. Additionally, I present a simple first trial.
Torun.
Lucas nodded.
Im short on time, could you briefly explain the essentials?
You are an impatient ascendant. Very well.
Torun continued with a smile.
First, let me explain how the interior of the tower is configured. This place, known as the magic tower or the Tower 77, is composed of independent spaces on each floor. Generally, the way to ascend to the next floor is by completing the trial set by the wizard of that floor.
Spaces, huh.
So that''s how it''s packaged.
[Packaged?]
Dont you see? This place, the concept of independent spaces and such isnt real.''
Lucas looked around as he spoke.
This is the Three Thousand Worlds.''
[Hooh.]
If what this old man says is true, that each floor is an independent space then this tower is connected to a total of 77 different worlds.''
[Is this also the work of The Beginning Wizard?]
Possibly. I dont know how its possible.''
Regrettably, since he had restricted most of his powers at the start of the tower climb, properly analyzing it was also not feasible.
Torun continued to explain, unaware that Lucas had realized one of the towers biggest secrets.
Each floor presents a different trial, a different character, a different environment
Therefore, having only one or two outstanding attributes is not enough to reach the top
After a rough overview, Torun spoke. Sar?h the ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Before we start the trial, let''s lightly measure the ascendant''s abilities.
Measurement, huh.
There''s no need to be nervous. Its simply to assess your aptitude as a wizard.
The moment Torun snapped his fingers, several images appeared behind him.
From the 1st to the 10th floor are essentially the testing grounds. They are to prove the five most important qualities of a wizard, as emphasized by the lord: Observational Skill, Analytical Skill, Creative Skill, Application Skill, and Computational Skill. Those who are on the 10th floor will have their data quantified through simple trials.
[This is ridiculously childish.]
Lucas strongly agreed with Residues opinion.
And then.
Swish
Some figures appeared in front of Lucas.
There were seven of them, representing someones quantified data.
These are the approximate stats of the Seven Magicians'' who govern the Tower 77. Though its unlikely, if you surpass any of these figures in one category, you will receive bonuses that will aid your ascent.
Bonuses, huh.
So, obtaining good scores here could simplify the assault on the tower?
Lets cut to the chase and start immediately. I will measure Observational Skill.'' Here comes the first question.
Torun interlaced his fingers as he spoke.
It has been about 5 minutes since the ascendant and I faced each other. During this time, several minor and major changes have occurred to me. You probably havent noticed them.
Anything will do. Please tell me the changes that have occurred to me.
Torun grinned.
Since it''s your first time, Ill give you 10 minutes to think
The pattern of your tie.
The design on the top of your jacket, the color of your pupils, the type of gloves, the material of your shoes, the number of buttons on your sleeves has decreased And although its not a change related to you.
Lucas took a sip from the teacup in front of him and continued.
The contents of this teacup have also changed.
.
*****
Book 2: Chapter 545
The childish things'' continued a bit longer.The trials prepared by Torun were, in fact, closer to tests than trials. And if what he said was true, then the overall difficulty wouldn''t exceed this framework up until the 10th floor.
The old man hid the confusion he had just shown and asked:
How old do I look to you?
Can you tell what the main attribute of the magic I use is?
What are my hobbies?
Do you think I am married?
Torun''s questions continued, and Lukas responded while contemplating this spacethough it was connected to the Three Thousand Worlds, there might be restrictions in the active range.
Around 150 years old.
Fire magic.
Tailoring and gardening. The suit you are wearing was made by yourself, I see.
Married with three children: two sons and a daughter, in the order of son, daughter, son. Have you been away from your wife for a long time?
.
Torun could no longer maintain his leisurely smile. His facial muscles trembled uncontrollably as he spoke.
All correct. But how did you know?
.
Of course, you do not have to answer. Its just personal curiosity
You know how to control aging.
That is correct, but
Yet, you choose to appear old, which likely means you prefer to look experienced rather than young. Wanting to look old'' rather than wanting to look young'' is a tendency hard to understand for most people, and it typically appears after one has lived through enough time to face death twice.
.
The attribute of magic was because when you were startled, the magic energy emitted from your body had traces of fire energy, and the hobbies I guessed from the embroidery. The patterns sewn into the tablecloth and your clothes, and this garden must be modeled after it, right?
That''s right.
There were garden tools under the table, and there was a bit of dirt on the edge of your sleeve. It''s evidence you were tending to the garden before I arrived.
Torun glanced at the emblem sewn on the left side of his chest as he spoke.
The fact that you''re married was deduced from the stitching on the suit which differed in texture from other parts. Unfortunately, as much as tailoring is your hobby, your skill does not seem very adept. Probably, the flawed parts were mended by your wife. Lastly, about the children, this is it.
Lukas suddenly showed a handkerchief he was holding in his hand.
When did you
While you were distracted for a moment.
Of course, Torun had not been distracted.
Surely, this isn''t against the rules?
No, it is not.
Thats fortunate.
He nodded once and read the embroidered names at the end.
Taylor, Lucia, Moric. I merely guessed they were your children from the dearly inscribed names.
Yes. A guess.
Most of what Lukas had said was conjecture.
Results that can usually be obtained just from observation. Nothing is certain. One can only select the most likely possibilities.
Torun waited for an answer while looking at him.
It''s a childish act, but if it''s for climbing the tower, he could perform this farce several more times.
Impressive.
Torun nodded his head.
He was smiling again, but now it showcased more absurdity and resignation than the profoundness seen at first.
Is the test over?
It''s not a test but a trial Yes, it is.
After saying that, he took a deep breath and changed his expression to a serious one.
My trial'' is over. However, the trial regarding observational skill'' is not yet complete. On the second floor, a more challenging trial awaits you.
Torun smirked slyly as he laughed.
The trial there will not be as easy as this one. Hahaha
With a sinister laugh, Torun took a sip from his teacup.
Watching this, Residue commented.
[This old man, hasn''t his character changed?]
.
* * *
2nd Floor.
H-how?
And the wizard on the 2nd floor, a man who introduced himself as Kingdel, gaped in shock.
If it were possible to score the degree of surprise,'' he would easily surpass Torun.
Lukas had just repeated the thing he had done on the 1st floor about 15 minutes ago.
Is the test over?
It''s not a test, but a trial.
Kingdel thought so with a gloomy face, but he dared not say it out loud.
Yes, it is.
A more challenging difficulty of trial.
Torun had said that, but to Lukas, it was no different from the previous test.
Please, just a moment. It might take some time to quantify the observational skill'' of the climber.
With a nod, Kingdel disappeared.
Lukas slowly looked around.
The 2nd floor was a space universe, and hundreds of thousands of star clusters were spread out in all directions.
The trial Kingdel set was simple. To find the stars he defined in this vast universe.
Just like the one on the 1st floor, it was not difficult for Lukas.
[What can you possibly gain from this climb?]
Residue murmured in a quiet voice then.
What can be gained''
[Even if you do gain something, what meaning would it hold? The Beginning Wizard wished for your death, didn''t he?]
''
[Is it useless to kill you now? Does it only gain meaning after you have learned something or realized something''? Or else]
Residue paused for a moment before continuing.
[The worst possibility I can think of is Lukas Trowman. The Beginning Wizard might be stalling for some reason.]
Stalling?''
[If making you climb this tower is merely a deception? If its meant to make you believe you can gain something from this tower while actually preventing you from preparing for something soon to happen''?]
Something soon to happen.
Lukas''s expression hardened.
The destruction of All things'' apocalypse.''
[Of course, all this is just speculation. What I want to say is one thing: do not trust the Beginning Wizard. Blood relations, the destiny as a grand wizard, watching over you from beyond the Spring of Wisdom and gaining salvation from that sight? Ha. Even if its all true, it''s meaningless.]
.''
Lukas neither agreed nor denied explicitly, but he didnt completely ignore Residue''s advice.
Apocalypse.
When would the apocalypse come? What form would it take?
The First Apocalypse'', and the Void King''.
It''s different.
Diablo believed that the apocalypse, unnoticed by all beings, would happen in a way that everything would vanish like an illusion. But Lukas realized that it wasnt so.
If that were the case, there wouldnt be five forms of apocalypse.
The very fact that it has forms seems contradictory.
Can the apocalypse be prepared for?''
And the Beginning Wizard, as he himself said, knows the way.
When reaching the top of the tower, will the Beginning Wizard tell him that method?
.
Lukas closed and then opened his eyes.
Sorry for the long wait.
Kingdel had returned just in time.
Then, I will inform you of the figures. The climber''s observational skill is.
* * *
The trivial tests continued thereafter.
After observational skill came analytical skill, creative skill, application skill, computational skill
Lukas showed overwhelming numbers in all indicators. The highest was in the computational skill part, where the figure was marked with a ?''. When he asked the magician who measured it, this was the reply:
With the knowledge I possess, I was unable to fully measure the climber''s observational skill.
After all the tests were completed, about 24 hours had passed. The reason it took so long relative to the effort put in was that some tests were of a type that inherently consumed a lot of time.
Thus, the final data emerged.
.
Lukas looked at his data and compared it to the figures of the Seven Magicians''.
Naturally, Lukas''s total scores were higher than theirs. Honestly, it was almost embarrassing to compare.
However, there were those who had higher scores than Lukas in creativity and application skills.
[The 55th floor and the 77th floor, huh.]
Residue chuckled.
[You''re definitely a bit of a hard head, so it''s not strange that you lack creativity. It''s surprising that you lost in application though.]
These might not be accurate figures. They were measured using the tower''s unique testing methods.''
[Oh. Did that hurt your pride?]
Residue''s taunting was improving day by day. For Lukas, this subtle poking was more irritating than outright swearing.
[But still, the stats of this guy on the 77th floor are quite impressive.]
Lukas didn''t say it outright, but he agreed with that opinion.
The scores held by the magician on the 77th floor were several levels higher than the other Seven Magicians.
[He might be a disciple of the Beginning Wizard. Surely, and it''ll be hard to beat him with restrictions]. Sarch* The N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
.
[Special privileges, was it? Would using that help you climb the tower?]
A special privilege was given for scoring higher than the Seven Magicians.
Lukas pulled out the special privilege from his pocket.
It was three gems.
Red, blue, and purple.
These gems had a different luster from ordinary jewels, seemingly sparkling clearly even in the absence of light.
[That is]
The red is for [Expand], the blue is for [Maintain], and the purple is for [Skip].
[Expand? Maintain? Skip?]
Lukas looked around.
This place is connected to the Three Thousand Worlds, isn''t it? The magicians I''ve met so far seemed to try to hide that fact, but it doesn''t seem like it''s a secret that needs to be hidden. Probably, as you climb higher, you naturally come to realize it.
[Hmm.]
Even though it''s connected to the outside, there are limits to how far you can move On the 1st floor, you couldn''t go beyond Torun''s Garden.'' If you use this red gem then
[Indeed. Does it expand the range of movement you can act within?]
Lukas nodded.
[Maintain] extends the time you can stay on a given floor.
[Hmm? Was there a time limit on how long you can stay in the tower?]
There wasn''t until now, but it wouldn''t be strange if some floors had such a limit going forward.
[I see. Skip well, no need to explain that.]
Residue snickered.
[Then the tutorial is finally over. Now it will get interesting to watch. What are your thoughts? You''ll soon clash with the first of the Seven Magicians on the upper floors.]
Lukas thought of the man in the red robe.
The first of the Seven Magicians, Redrun.
It would likely be the first direct combat taking place inside the tower.
Lukas nodded once and said,
I think I need to revise the climb period.
[Oh?]
Residue showed interest. It was rare for Lukas to revise what he had previously stated.
[Have you decided to take the advice of that woman, whats her name Alaltain?]
It''s Altata. And it''s the opposite. I need to shorten the period.
Lukas looked up towards the higher floors.
Ill reach the 77th floor by today.
*****
Book 2: Chapter 546
Redrun.The lowest-ranked among the Seven Magicians, the Red Wizard.
He joined the Truth Seekers about 50 years ago. Despite his relatively short career, the fact that he was appointed as one of the Seven Magicians signifies that he possesses exceptional talent.
His magic primarily involves fire and ice.
Among The Five Qualities of a Wizard defined by The Beginning Wizard, his strongest is Observational Skill.
* * *
Lukas looked around.
It was a place akin to a dark altar.
A giant magic circle engraved on the floor, complex patterns written on the walls, icicles on the ceiling, and the positioning and number of candles set up as if to conduct a ritual.
What does this all mean?
He nodded once and spoke to the man sitting in the center.
Is this field meant for you?
Yes.
Redrun responded and stood up from his place.
There were no signs of excitement or disturbance as seen from outside.
A subdued demeanor, steady breathing, and a face that only showed calmness.
[Things have gotten tricky.]
Residue succinctly diagnosed Redruns condition, and Lukas agreed.
Redrun alone now was more troublesome than when he was outside commanding around a hundred wizards.
First, I will ask. How does the trial on the 11th floor proceed?
The trial on the 11th floor is
Redrun suddenly fell silent.
His eyebrows lifted in puzzlement.
Please wait a moment.
?
Lukas was perplexed, but soon realized that Redrun was communicating with someone, seemingly in another dimension.
[It seems hes in contact with a wizard from a different floor''. Interesting. Establishing a communication network that transcends dimensions is quite a complex task]
Has the prelude'' occurred?
A voice came from Redrun.
It seemed that it was a type that couldnt be conveyed by thought alone and needed to be vocalized.
Lukas didnt pretend not to hear; instead, he focused more on that voice.
But There should have been more time, right? It was the lord himself who said so, wasnt it? Yes. Still, we should prepare. That''s what the Magic Tower is for. Understood. I will relay the message to the Truth Seekers up to the 10th floor. Harun nim, please be careful too.
Thud, the communication was cut off abruptly.
His expression was seriously complicated. Redrun seemed to be deep in thought as he glanced at Lukas.
Has some trouble arisen?
It is not for an outsider to interfere.
Outsider.
Redrun repeated that word again.
This man showed a particularly hostile attitude towards Lukas among the wizards of the Magic Planet. By now, he knew that. It wasn''t just Altata; he had met several wizards on his way here.
They were amazed at the talent Lukas possessed and were awestruck, and that was it.
They didn''t harbor outright disdain just because he was an outsider.
Only Redrun did.
So, the trial?
He reconnected the conversation that had been interrupted.
What''s there to make a fuss about?
The flames from the candles around brightened, and cracks formed on the icicles.
Then, flames and ice surged from both hands of Redrun.
Defeat me.
* * *
The trial was to defeat Redrun,
And so, Lukas did just that.
He fought Redrun, one of the Seven Magician, and defeated him. It didn''t take long.
Unexpectedly, Redrun did not explode in anger.
He just lay sprawled on the floor, looking up at the ceiling with a blank face.
To be defeated so miserably Im not even filled with resentment.
That''s right. Redruns magic hadnt even left a scorch mark on Lukass clothes.
Lukas had already experienced his magic. Although he had seen it only once, that was enough. Unfortunately, Redrun''s magic was neither complex nor impressive enough to warrant a second look.
The dull voice continued.
How can this be? Aren''t you mostly sealed in terms of power?
That''s right. However, my greatest weapon is not restricted at all.
Lukas tapped his temple lightly.
Ha.
Redrun let out a laugh that sounded more like self-mockery.
My trial is over. Go up.
Will do.
The difficulty will increase from the 12th floor. The tutorial'' is over. Don''t expect it to be the same as before.
Is that advice?
Its a curse. Damn you.
Lukas almost let out a snicker.
He was about to ascend to the next floor but then stopped.
What is it. Do you still have something to see?
Redrun, who was lying on the floor, spoke.
Lukas turned around to face him and asked.
Is arrogance really the most important quality for you guys?
What?
.
Without asking again, just looking quietly, Redrun clicked his tongue and answered.
Yes. To use stronger magic, to remain unshaken by any crisis, we need to maintain our arrogance at all times.
Unshaken?
You must know by now. That everyone in Magic Planet is aware of the Apocalypse.
.
Some religious people overcome their fear of death through cultivation. Our context is similar. We hone our arrogance to endure the inevitable end.
Redrun smiled faintly.
What''s there to hide now? The first condition to become a Truth Seeker of the Magic Planet in the past was not to fear the Apocalypse, knowing full well about it.
.
Do you understand? We do not fear the already determined future because we believe in ourselves. That is how we can cherish each day we live.
The Beginning Wizard,
told Lukas that there was a way to prevent the Apocalypse.
But Redrun seemed unaware of that.
It was not the only thing Lukas realized.
He felt an odd dissonance in Redruns words, but hesitated before speaking.
What he was about to say could just be meddling.
Do I really have the right to say this, or would bringing this up cause a positive change for Redrun?
Do you know what form the Apocalypse takes?
Isn''t it the end of everything?
Not the conceptual part. I''m asking if you truly comprehend how terrifying the Apocalypse is.
Redrun''s gaze shifted.
What are you trying to say?
The Truth Seekers of Magic Planet. I thought they were commendable in some aspects, but if what you say is true, arent they just a bunch of fools who have given up?
What did you say?
Redrun stood up. Perhaps he hadnt been fighting with full effort. That would make sense. His mission wasn''t to engage in a life-or-death battle with Lukas.
The recent fight hadn''t deviated from the form of a trial.
Maintain arrogance to strengthen your inner self? You''re wrong. What you guys are doing isnt anything grand like tempering. You dont know. You dont know anything. Thats why you can casually talk about overcoming and such.
Now he understood.
The wizards of Magic Planet he had seen outside,
The reason they could live so carelessly.
They minimized the fear of the Apocalypse within themselves. They refused to think deeply about it.
It was the opposite with Diablo. He had thoroughly investigated the Apocalypse. Although his interpretations were incorrect, he came to understand the terror of the Apocalypse better than anyone.
Im not talking about right or wrong.
As a result, Diablo, who was overwhelmed by fear, lost direction and went on a rampage. The conclusions he could accept were extremely harsh, and they led him to death along with those around him.
In contrast, those living in Magic Planet, because they shunned deep knowledge about the Apocalypse, were able to find mental peace. They harmed no one.
Ethically, Diablo was in the wrong.
However, to Lukas, Diablo seemed more like a true wizard because he delved into the Apocalypse despite the fear, reaching a conclusion he could accept by himself.
Are you aiming to be a mountain or a pebble at the end of your arrogance?
Are you proud to be unshaken by the streams currents? Is that all you think the Apocalypse'' is?
From a certain point, Redrun neither spoke nor retaliated.
Lukas continued.
You should think of it as a tsunami. Learn more about the Apocalypse, research it. Even in the face of the impending terror, maintain your self. Then maybe your so-called arrogance will truly solidify.
It was uncertain what change this would bring to him.
Perhaps nothing would change.
Thus, this was meddling.
Wait a moment.
Redrun stopped Lukas as he was about to leave.
He was hesitating with an expression Lukas had never seen before.
That is, I mean.
It seemed to take great courage, but Redrun finally forced out his words.
I have more questions I want to ask.
Seeing his face, Lukas couldnt help but laugh this time.
There was at least one wizard-like aspect to him.
Curiosity came before pride for Redrun.
* * * Sarch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Magic Tower.
A space completely disconnected from the outside.
There are only eight places within it that can observe the outside''.
Firstly, the Room of the Beginning Wizard'' at the top,
And the Twin Floors'' managed by the Seven Magicians, from floors 11 to 77.
The higher one is, the broader the view.
Naturally, the room of the Beginning Wizard has the farthest view, followed by the 77th floor.
The actual top of the Magic Tower, the 77th floor,
The master of that world.
The strongest of the Seven Magicians and practically the right hand or successor to the Beginning Wizard.
Harun'' murmured to himself after finishing communications with all the Seven Magicians.
Why is the prelude happening already My lord, what exactly is going on?
At that moment, Haruns eyes sharpened.
Who''s there?
A tense voice permeated the surroundings.
His enhanced senses scanned meticulously around, but nothing caught on. There was nothing visible to the naked eye.
Was he being too sensitive?
This was the 77th floor after all.
A place that could be called the top floor,
The only ways in were the stairs'' connected above and below.
It wasn''t a place where outsiders could secretly infiltrate.
Sssrrk
Such rational analysis and a moment of complacency.
Death occurred all too simply when these elements overlapped.
Plop
Something dropped on his cheek.
?
Harun wiped it off with his finger. It was a black liquid, the composition of which he couldn''t identify.
From where, did it fall from above?
Harun looked up at the ceiling, and he could see nothing.
And that darkness was the last scene Harun ever saw.
A liquid-like darkness stuck to the ceiling engulfed Harun''s entire body.
It happened so swiftly that the strongest of the Seven Magicians in the Magic Tower couldnt respond at all. He couldn''t even make a sound.
The darkness squirmed after engulfing Harun''s whole body.
It was as revolting as the movement of a stomach digesting food.
Click
Eventually, the movement in the darkness ceased.
The darkness that had lingered there for a while began to move again.
Sssrk, sssrrk
It seemed to crawl, leaving a slimy trail as it moved downward.
Heading towards the lower floors.
*****
Book 2: Chapter 547
12th Floor.The first floor after the Tutorial'' ended.
The moment Lukas entered that space, what he felt was that the range of the space'' had significantly expanded compared to before.
This world'' was clearly wider than the previous places.
However.
Swoosh
The calm waves rippled. The air tasted salty, the sky was clear, and the seagulls cried overhead.
In such a vast space, the area where one could actually set foot was extremely limited.
In other words, the field of the 12th floor was a small island.
It was difficult even to fit a single building; in the middle of this incredibly narrow island, there was Lukas.
Hello. I am Taylor'', the manager of the 12th floor.
Taylor?
A man with a familiar name was sitting at a table, enjoying some refreshments. His friendly face and smiling eyes reminded Lukas of someone.
The son of Torun?
How did you know?
I learned it from the person himself.
He didn''t add that he had deduced it by secretly using a handkerchief.
Taylor seemed slightly surprised but laughed again.
To think that you''ve identified my identity all the way from my father''s trial Indeed. You seem to be an exceptionally excellent Tower Climber.
Lukas appreciated the compliment but did not want to waste any more time.
Then Taylor, what is the test on this floor?
You''re quite impatient.
I need to reach the 77th floor by today.
Taylor blinked for a moment, then smiled again.
It seemed he took it as a joke.
The trial here is simple, but at the same time, it can be quite tricky. It greatly varies depending on the Tower Climber''s abilities.
What is it?
Taylor looked around the island as he spoke.
What do you think of this island?
There was no need to look around as he had already taken it all in the moment he set foot here.
It should be called a deserted island. If only you weren''t here.
On the small island, there were just a few trees and grasses, probably halophytes that could grow strong even without caring about the seawater.
Is that so?
Taylor chuckled lightly.
The trial of the 12th floor is simple. Break through the sea in front of you.
Lukas glanced towards the sea.
From what he could see, there seemed to be no islands or continents nearby.
What can be used are the Tower Climber''s brain and some simple magic.
Simple magic?
Considering the types of magic you possess Hmm. You shouldn''t use magic stronger than 3-star.
Since this was already a restriction Lukas was applying, it wasnt much of a change.
Lukas nodded.
The content of the trial suggested that this floor required a comprehensive application of the wizard''s qualities learned in the tutorial''.
Resources on the limited island,
The vast sea spread out,
Sealed magic.
You said the materials on the island, right?
Thats correct.
Lukas immediately got to work.
As he said, there was no time to delay.
Then I can use that table as well.
.
Taylor, who was momentarily speechless, burst into laughter.
* * *
From the 12th floor, the difficulty of the trials significantly increased.
The trials seemed to emphasize balance'' overall.
Observational Skill, Analytical Skill, Creative Skill, Application Skill, and Computational Skill levels couldnt be skewed to one side. It was crucial not to be deficient in any one of these aspects.
Of course.
To become an outstanding wizard, one must not show any deficiency in any of the five attributes defined by The Beginning Wizard.
In other words, none of this was difficult for Lukas. Sear?h the ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Breaking through the sea of the 12th floor,
Purifying the contaminated land of the 15th floor,
Capturing a rare creature on the 17th floor,
Creating potions on the 20th floor.
And creating magic on the 21st floor.
The trials were varied, but it took Lukas about three and a half hours to complete them all.
[This is really childish,]
Residue couldn''t help but comment again.
I understand one of the roles that Tower 77 serves.
[The roles it has?]
The tower is a training ground where an excellent system is applied. Assuming one does not give up, anyone with a degree of talent in magic can become a Truth Seeker-level wizard from the ground up.
[So it can mass-produce wizards of a certain level.]
Residue murmured uninterestedly and asked.
[Then, whats the reason The Beginning Wizard had you climb this tower?]
.
He had not yet figured that out.
The Beginning Wizard was well aware of Lukass capabilities.
Lukas was not lacking in fundamentals.
For some, revisiting the first page of magical studies in this way could be a fresh stimulus to break through a plateau, a clue to gain enlightenment.
Not for Lukas.
Is it just about climbing to find out? What am I supposed to do in this tower?
He caught a hint of it on the 22nd floor.
* * *
The manager of the 22nd floor was a woman named Vila.
She wore an orange robe and possessed a unique talent for handling plants, which she considered magic. Accordingly, the surrounding field was a dark, vine-covered forest.
[That ridiculous ability is also included in their definition of magic.]
Is that so.
Lukas nodded.
The trial on the 22nd floor was the same as the 11th.
Proving his progress by competing in power.
And Lukas won this trial without much difficulty, either.
However, it took a bit more time than with Redrun. It took longer than expected to interpret Vilas plant magic, and the process of countering it was somewhat bothersome.
[Still, 20 minutes, huh.]
Residue chuckled and added.
[That woman, she couldnt fully concentrate on the fight. She seemed distracted by something other than your trial.]
I felt that too.
Lukas walked towards Vila.
She was sitting down, gasping for breath, and forced a smile.
Incredible. I heard roughly from Redrun but perhaps the attributes the Tower Climber possesses are already beyond our level of measurement.
.
Lukas was thinking about the remaining time.
The time spent from the 11th to the 22nd floor was about 4 hours. Considering there were still 55 floors left, every second counted, but
Why couldnt you concentrate?
It seemed better to ask what was on his mind.
What?
You were distracted. You seemed uneasy from the moment we first met.
You noticed that.
Vila smiled bitterly.
Theres been some trouble inside the tower.
Trouble?
Yes. We are still trying to figure it out but
Vila paused then shook her head.
Im sorry, but I cant speak any more about it.
Because Im an outsider?
That''s correct.
.
Lukas was silent.
To the cultivators of the Magic Planet, an outsider was perhaps a more complex concept than he thought.
Trouble in the tower.
Vila was right. There was no reason for Lukas to worry about it. Like he had done so far, he just needed to focus on climbing the tower.
However
Something is bothering me.
Timing.
Trouble had erupted in the tower during the period that Lukas was climbing. Could this simply be dismissed as a coincidence?
If.
Perhaps sensing Lukas''s thoughts, Vila began to speak.
If the Tower Climber passes the trial up to the 33rd floor, things might change.
What do you mean?
Typically, to be recognized as a Truth Seeker, one must break through at least to the 33rd floor.
Ah.
Lukas understood what Vila meant.
Even if I dont climb to the very top, I can become a Truth Seeker?
Yes.
Vila nodded.
If you overcome the trials up to the 33rd floor, you will also be granted the right to know about the tower''s situation.
I see.
There was another reason to climb the tower quickly.
* * *
The 23rd floors field was a vast snowy plain.
However, it was not as tranquil as the southern regions of the Void World'' or the plains of Manjuri City.
Whoooosh
The snowstorm was too fierce. The wind was so strong that it was hard to keep one''s eyes open. The snow piled up to the calves.
Body temperature dropped instantly.
Lukas created small flames inside his robe to preserve body heat.
[Somethings strange here.]
Yes. It''s different from before.''
The field was alien, but more importantly, there was no mage who usually explained the trials.
There was almost no sign of life around.
He needed to find a place to shelter his body first. With various powers limited now, prolonged exposure to this snowstorm could literally freeze him to death.
He spotted a cave nearby. The entrance was positioned opposite the direction of the swirling snowstorm, making it a suitable place to take refuge for a while.
Perhaps the mage was there.
Lukas struggled through the snowstorm, moving his feet with difficulty.
Upon entering, the cave was warm with a comforting heat, thanks to a lit bonfire. That wasnt all. Inside, there were stone-made furniture and cookware like pots, and preserved foods.
It seemed someone had stayed here until just moments ago, but now
[No one''s here.]
Thats strange. Did they step out for a moment?
Lukas sat on a cushion in front of the bonfire to warm himself. It wasnt a good situation.
If he didnt know what the trial was, he couldnt move to the next floor, and time would be delayed.
That''s when it happened.
[Someones coming.]
Residue focused his consciousness outside the cave and spoke.
Lukas didnt respond but stood up from his spot.
Then a voice came.
Is anyone there?
Someone was standing staunchly amidst the swirling snowstorm.
Was this person the owner of the cave? Maybe they had just gone out for a while.
Before Lukas could respond, the voice continued.
The snowstorm is too fierce. May I stay here until it subsides?
Lukas felt a sense of incongruity at that request.
Permission? Was this person not the owner?
Of course.
Lukas responded, raising his guard.
Something about this continued to feel off.
That voice, somewhere
Thank you.
The figure stepped inside from the snowstorm, illuminated by the bonfire.
She was not a mage from the Magic Tower. Lukas could tell at a glance. Unlike the Truth Seekers of the Magic Tower, who each possessed independent magic, the mana signature emanating from her was unsettlingly familiar.
Of course.
Lukas knew her.
If it hadnt been for the Spring of Wisdom'', Lukas wouldn''t have known who she was. He would surely have thought it was their first meeting.
White hair, an eyepatch, and one arm.
I''ll only impose on you until the blizzard passes.
The woman, with a frail stature and a stern expression,
Looking at Min Ha-rin'', Lukas belatedly realized something.
The fact that Tower 77'' was connected to the Three Thousand Worlds''.
*****
Book 2: Chapter 548
[This girl is.]Lukas touched his face.
.Should he hide the face of Lucas Trowman''?
But how? He can''t use illusion magic. He can forcefully twist his facial muscles and bones to change his appearance, but even that requires a minimum amount of preparation time.
And Min Ha-rin has already entered the cave.
It''s too late. He can''t hide it.
Then what should he say? What expression should he make?
As he struggled to come to an easy conclusion, Min Ha-rin gradually approached.
And calmly, she sat down in front of Lukas.
She slightly raised her head to look this way.
!
No. It''s different.
In this moment, Lukas realized.
Clearly, Min Ha-rin didnt show any signs'' of it.
She walked with a stable stride, sat down precisely on the cushion, and lifted her head to fix her gaze on Lukas''s face.
However, her pupils probably did not reflect Lukas''s figure.
Min Ha-rin was wearing an eyepatch on one side, but in fact.
[She is blind.]
She cant see anything.
[But its not that she cant see anything at all. This girl is seeing the world through a completely different perspective.]
A completely different perspective? Has she awakened the so-called Inner Eye''?
Or perhaps, in place of her lost sight, her other senses have developed abnormally.
[Hmph. It''s not such a childish concept. This girl is.]
Residue hesitated for a moment.
[But should I even be talking about this girl? Would this count as advice?]
Harin isnt a wizard of the Magic Tower, so it should be fine. And can you not use the term girl but call her something else?
She was once his disciple after all.
[You''re being fussy.]
Residue grumbled and continued.
[The world this youngster is seeing is made up solely of vibrations and souls.]
What does that mean?
[You must be aware of the top universe.]
Lukas nodded.
The top universe,
a colossal universe where only the absolutes exist, and every being that becomes an absolute receives basic education and assignments right after their ascension.
[Most absolutes are unaware, but there exists a universe with entirely opposite characteristics to the top universe.]
Are you talking about something like a bottom universe?
His unexpected declaration was met with a sharp retort.
However, Residue simply affirmed it.
[Yes, you''ve got the name exactly right.]
That response made the other party speechless.
Of course, Residue was not one to joke.
Why didnt I know about the existence of such a universe?
[Because you didn''t need to know. That place is only accessible to transcendents who cannot become absolutes.'']
Transcendents who cannot become absolutes
[Right. Those who have powers beyond the mortal frame but havent met a god.'' Such individuals, as if summoned, head to the bottom universe.'']
What happens if they go there?
[I dont know.]
What now?
[To be precise, there was no need to know. Back then, I didnt even care what that universe was like.]
It made sense.
From Residue''s perspective, who once was the Thunderous Lightning God, the bottom universe was literally a stage for the losers.
[All I know is that the bottom universe applies different laws than the typical universe, and one can obtain corresponding powers there by paying a certain price. And the power this youngster has obtained belongs to that kind.]
Min Ha-rin, clearly, had become explosively stronger in a short period. It wouldnt have been possible to reach such a level by ordinary means.
However, there are still points that are hard to accept.
How many and varied are the ways to become strong in this world.
Is there a reason to conclude that Min Ha-rin went to the bottom universe?
[Those who have visited there leave behind a unique trace. Its of a nature that your naked eye cannot see right now.]
Do I need to use the power of Omniscience?
Lukas sighed inwardly.
She became so strong by sacrificing her own vision and arm.
[Thats all you see, but]
Residue murmured meaningfully.
[Perhaps she sacrificed even more than that.]
More than that.
His heart grew heavy.
Why?
That question rose to the tip of his throat, but he held it back.
There was no point in arguing with Residue, and he didn''t want to reveal his identity to Min Ha-rin just yet.
Once again, he turned his gaze directly to Min Ha-rin.
The scene he saw through the Spring of Wisdom'' was too noisy to tell, seeing her again like this, it was clear she had changed significantly. It''s no wonder he didn''t recognize her.
Her hair, of course, and the kindly drooping corners of her eyes were gone. Its hard to imagine a smile on those firmly shut lips.
What was the last conversation we had?
Did we part on good terms?
What burden did I place on her?
Please see me off with a smile. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
I had forced a smile on a crying child.
It was a selfish wish because I thought it was the last time.
Back then, Min Ha-rin was young. Immature and weak.
But now
Are you a wizard?
Min Ha-rin tilted her head and asked.
It was an expression that even Lukas could not easily read the intentions behind. He preferred to look into a persons inner thoughts through their eyes, but it was hard to guess her feelings from her lightless eyes.
Yes, I am.
Lukas answered, changing his tone slightly. There was no need for magic. A slight alteration in his voice was enough.
I see.
Min Ha-rin nodded calmly.
It seemed she hadn''t realized Lukass identity. If her acting wasnt of a high enough level to deceive him, then that would be the case.
Its nice to meet a wizard in such a place. Are you here looking for Hope Herb'' too?
Hope Herb?
Yes.
Her voice continued coolly.
It''s a mystical flower that blooms rarely on a snowfield untouched by human footsteps for ten thousand years.
.
If such a special flower exists in this field, perhaps finding it is the purpose of this trial.
Of course, I would need to hear the specifics from a Truth Seeker''.
Why are you looking for the Hope Herb?
Its needed for a task I must accomplish.
Min Ha-rin answered calmly then turned her gaze outside the cave.
There was no need to turn her head.
If Min Ha-rin truly perceives her surroundings through vibrations and souls, then her vision would not be limited to one direction but would be like a radar detecting all around her.
[Shes still pretending as if she can see.]
.
[Its natural. It doesnt look like she feels ashamed or inferior about being blind, so this youngster has been acting this way long enough for it to become a habit.]
The reason was quite obvious.
She didnt want those around her to know, such as other disciples.
That point was still very much like Min Ha-rin.
It doesnt look like the snow will stop any time soon. The Ice Spirits'' seem very angry.
Min Ha-rin spoke again.
Its sudden, but may I take a nap? I had a tiring ordeal before coming here.
Please do.
Thank you.
Min Ha-rin briefly responded, then closed her eyes.
In the blink of an eye, her breathing evened out. If not for her head slightly dropping, one would not think she was asleep.
Thinking back, Min Ha-rin had looked tired from the moment we first met.
Physical fatigue,
It seems that even if those from the bottom universe obtain power beyond the mortal coil, they cannot become transcendent beings. They still have to reside in a body made of flesh and blood.
Unlike Lukas, who could transform into either a physical or transcendent being just by willing it.
Lukas sat for a few minutes, then carefully got up from his spot.
[Where are you going?]
Just looking around. To see if I can find this Hope Herb or whatever.
[You mean to go outside?]
It should be fine as long as Im not exposed for too long.
It would require some mana, but unlike the usual void world, replenishing it here should be entirely possible.
Of course, the blizzard had neither stopped nor weakened. If anything, it seemed to have grown stronger.
It didnt seem to be due to the climate or terrain, and perhaps the Ice Spirits Min Ha-rin mentioned really do exist.
About two hours? Thats how long I can endure outside.
Maybe three hours if he pushed himself.
After setting a time limit, Lukas wrapped himself in his robe and stepped out of the cave.
Whoosh
Immediately, a blade-like wind greeted him. It felt as though his skin might be torn off, so Lukas wrapped his face even tighter.
Hooo
His breath whirled away like a mirage.
Lukas trudged through the sinking snowfield, heading in the opposite direction from which Min Ha-rin had come.
[Its like looking for a needle in a desert. You wouldn''t have come out in this bitter cold without any idea, did you? You must have a lead.]
Ive figured out that this blizzard is artificially created.
[Hoh.]
Lukas continued walking, now with a direction in mind.
Specifically, he walked for about 30 minutes.
The edges of his leather robe felt as if they had turned to icicles. They seemed so fragile that they might shatter with just a bit of force.
The snowstorm intensified. Occasionally, what felt like shards of ice scraped against him.
The visibility was completely white, making it hard to tell if his eyes were open or not. The snow piled up to his calves, making it feel more like swimming than walking.
[The worst part about this is sharing senses with you. Even the Ruler at the end of his reign wouldnt have expected such a hellish tour.]
Heh
Lukas momentarily forgot the cold and burst out laughing.
A life fraught with hardship, certified by a Ruler himself.
My life has always been on the dynamic side. Get used to it. Youll be sick of feeling this way soon enough.
[With all your power, youre the only one in the Three Thousand Worlds who would suffer by choice.]
Isnt it a fresh experience?
[Absolutely not, so shut it.]
Just then, he felt the snowflakes weaken.
Until just moments ago, the visibility was nearly zero, but now it seemed he could loosen the tightly fastened edges of his robe a bit.
After walking a bit further, both the biting wind and the fluttering snow had completely disappeared.
.
The blizzard hadn''t stopped. Lukas glanced behind him. A few steps away, the snow was still swirling violently.
But here, it was surprisingly calm. It was no longer cold.
It was as if there was a thin wall between the outside and this place.
There might be Hope Herb here.
Lukas murmured as he looked over the tranquil snowfield that shimmered under the moonlight.
[That doesn''t seem to be the problem.]
Residue spoke in a subdued voice, and Lukas quickly realized what the problem he mentioned was.
There was blood spread over the white snow, and someone was lying at its center.
[That man is]
.
Lukas said nothing and headed in that direction.
The person lying down was a man wrapped in a robe, and he was already dead.
The cause of death was a large hole in his abdomen. Bones were clearly visible, and his still-warm intestines and blood were horribly spilled out on the snowfield.
His eyes showed the agony he endured, his fingernails were peeled back, and there were scratch marks on his skin. He had scratched his own body madly, unable to withstand the extreme pain.
Hes a wizard of the Magic Tower.
[Then this guy must be.]
Yes. He must be the administrator of the 23rd floor.
There was no wind.
However, Lukas felt a chill settling into one side of his chest.
After a moment of silence, Residue spoke.
[This direction.]
.
[Isn''t it the direction that girl had walked from?]
Lukas closed his eyes.
*****
Book 2: Chapter 549
A wizard from the Magic Tower was murdered. The circumstances and evidence at hand eliminated the probability of suicide.Obviously, murder isnt something one can accomplish alone.
And in this vast snowy field, Lukas could only sense the presence of one other person.
[Is it certain that this man is a wizard from Tower 77?]
Residue first brought up the possibility of other probabilities.
Definitely.
[How can you be sure?]
This robe.
Lukas coldly touched the stiff robe with his palm.
Not all the administrators wore robes, but those who did had one thing in common.
[A commonality?]
Yes. Something special was mixed in.
[Just that]
It''s not just anything. I havent been able to explain what exactly was mixed into this robe.
He sighed before continuing.
Honestly, I don''t even have a guess. It feels similar to when I saw The Beginning Wizards mask.
[Hmm]
It doesn''t seem to be the same material that made up the mask, but nonetheless, if this wizard is from the outside world, the probability that he shared a common trait unique only to the Magic Tower''s people is incredibly low.
[I see.]
Residue acknowledged this late realization, and Lukas looked up at the sky.
In this area, free from blizzards, the pitch-black night sky was clearly visible.
What kind of place is this universe?
It''s one of the Three Thousand Worlds connected to the Magic Tower, but that''s all Lukas knows. He hardly has any knowledge about the characteristics of this universe, much less this planet he''s currently standing on.
Maybe its something like an ice planet thats frozen all over.
What could Min Ha-rin be doing in such a place?
Searching for Hope Herb? No. That''s just a preparation for something else'' Min Ha-rin intends to do.
Min Ha-rin has not disclosed her own purpose.
Lukas felt a strong premonition that he needed to know what that something'' she was going to do was.
Some chaos that struck the Magic Tower,
Could it be related to Min Ha-rin?
If what she intends to do involves causing chaos in the Magic Tower, or if it extends even to destruction itself
[You also need to make a decision.]
Residue muttered.
Thats a problem for after I hear the circumstances.''
Lukas sighed again.
[You arent thinking of restraining your power even in this situation, are you?]
.
He turned around.
The swirling blizzard was still visible beyond the thin wall. It had been just over 30 minutes since he had arrived here.
Lukas stepped back into the cold snowflakes.
Something had changed. The moment the snowflakes touched Lukas, they began to disappear like fog. More precisely, they instantly turned into liquid and melted away, evaporating before even wetting the ground.
Fwoosh, a tremendous amount of steam exploded around Lukas. The heat he emitted began to affect not only the surrounding environment but also the climate.
[You insolent fool!]
A harsh voice boomed in his ears.
Lukas stopped walking and slightly raised his head.
Whoosh
The blizzard that had disappeared started swirling again, and an aberrant presence revealed itself. Now that he had unleashed his power, it was easy to identify what this being was.
Ice Spirit'', possessing considerable latent power. At least at the Spirit King Level.
Perhaps it''s not just the ruler of this vicinity but also the lord of the planet.
[Who dares to release heat in my abode, an insolent act, if ever there was one? Did you not realize that such behavior clearly violates our agreement?]
I am not a wizard of the Magic Tower.
Lukas curtly responded, and the Ice Spirit scoffed.
[How ludicrous. You appeared in this world suddenly. Without any forewarning. Your arrival was much more abrupt than if you had fallen from the sky. Do you think I wouldnt recognize that as the Magic Towers doing?]
Explaining his relationship with the Magic Tower was a terribly tedious task. Above all, the Ice Spirit was quite enraged, making it seem unlikely that they could have a proper conversation.
Lukas pointed in the direction he had come from, where the body of the wizard lay.
Look over there. Isnt that the body of the wizard you had an agreement with?
[That is]
The Ice Spirit''s gaze shifted over Lukas''s shoulder.
When I arrived, he had already been attacked and was dead
[So it turns out you weren''t a wizard of the tower but an intruder!]
What nonsense is this?
Don''t be mistaken. It wasnt me; it was some other being
[Who sent you here? Did you take this Biofrost for a fool?] Sarch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
So, Im just the one who found the scene. If I had killed the wizard, I wouldnt be talking to you so openly.
[I never liked you lot from the start! Good riddance I shall show you how bitterly cold the winter can be!]
.
Suddenly, something snapped in Lukass mind.
[Just beat him up a bit.]
Residue said nonchalantly.
[Historically, that has been the remedy.]
* * *
A moment later, the Ice Spirit kneeled and said,
[I, I apologize. I did not recognize you, the absolute being.]
.
Lukas was not the Absolute Being, but he did not affirm or deny the Ice Spirit''s words. It was hard to articulate his current state in just a few words.
Ive wasted unnecessary time here.
Tsk, Lukas clicked his tongue as he glared at the Ice Spirit. The Ice Spirit flinched under his gaze, but Lukas felt no sympathy.
Should I just annihilate it?
Lukas suppressed the rising impulse and said,
What happened here?
[What?]
As the ruler of this area, you should have a rough understanding of the situation. Tell me what you know.
The Ice Spirit hesitated for a moment before speaking.
[I do not know.]
What?
[I have grasped nothing.]
.
[I, truly. I have been unconscious until just recently.]
Lukas paused.
Unconscious? You, a spirit?
[Yes. Its the first time in thousands of years this has happened to me After regaining consciousness, I could not even muster a hundredth of my original power.]
The Ice Spirit said with a sullen face.
What about other intruders besides me?
[What?]
Theres someone in the cave in that direction. Were you unaware of her presence too?
[Yes, yes.]
The Ice Spirit said with a face devoid of honor.
Lukas frowned.
Of course, if it''s Min Ha-rin now, it wouldnt be difficult for her to commit a murder without catching the attention of the Ice Spirit, but the fact that it was unconscious bothers me.
[Ah.]
Suddenly, the Ice Spirit spoke up.
[I dont know if I should say this but just before I passed out, I think I saw a pitch-black darkness.]
Pitch-black darkness?
[Yes. It was quite blurry, almost like a dream.]
.
Lukas asked the Ice Spirit a few more questions afterward, but there was nothing more to glean.
After letting the creature go, he headed back towards the cave and arrived in the blink of an eye.
.
Inside the cave,
Min Ha-rin was still sitting there.
Her eyes closed, her head bowed, she hadn''t changed at all from when he had left.
She appeared to be either immersed in thoughts, in contemplation, or perhaps in the midst of meditation.
But Lukas knew none of that was true.
Min Ha-rin was awake, and her attention was directed at Lukas.
You left without a word.
With a soft voice, her only eye opened.
Where have you been?
A soft voice approached Lukas as if probing his intentions.
From where you came.
Their gazes met.
Min Ha-rin''s eyes were like glass, not mirrors.
Glass that cannot contain light can neither reflect nor hold anything.
However, Lukas continued to look into those eyes as if he were half-enchanted.
Then she said,
Lukas Trowman.
The moment she spoke his name,
He could not react with surprise, or show any other reaction.
That was because, at that moment, the cave ceiling collapsed. Ice-mixed stone fragments fell like hail, and the real cause of the cave''s destruction became visible.
It looked like a murky form of liquid, leaving elongated footprints as it fell.
Like endlessly stretching icicles, where the liquid passed, pitch-black fissures remained as if drawn with a brush.
A sudden, eerie fear chilled his heart.
Lukas had experienced this fear before.
The Apocalypse'' he had seen through the Spring of Wisdom.
The darkness that surrounded that apocalypse, the sensation was strikingly similar to when he had encountered it.
Kwaaa!
Without hesitation, Lukas unfolded the Void. He had completely forgotten about the constraints he had set for himself at that moment.
Gwaang!
The unfolded Void took the form of a barrier. However, it was useless. The falling droplets of darkness, as if they had the properties of a strong acid, penetrated the barrier effortlessly. It seemed as though they simply passed through without any hindrance.
Lukas was shocked that the Void he deployed had no effect whatsoever.
[Unleash the power of Omniscience!]
Following Residue''s advice, Lukas invoked Thunder'' and used Omniscience.
Everything around him turned into forms of information and was sucked into his brain.
!
And Lukas understood what the droplets of darkness were.
They were death.
They were annihilation, and it was the most perfect destruction'' Lukas had ever observed.
The droplets were obliterating all space'' they passed through without leaving any trace.
Through his heightened senses, Lukas came to one conclusion.
Theres no way to block it.''
If it couldn''t be blocked, the answer was to evade.
He identified spots where the droplets werent falling and moved his body there. At the same time, he looked at Min Ha-rin.
The moment he used Omniscience, he realized.
These droplets were not deployed by Min Ha-rin. The timing was very intricate, nonetheless.
In the [Minimal Time Zone], shes not skilled enough to enter.
Lukas shook his head at the sudden thought.
As Residue said, it was obvious.
The space Lukas had now entered was a scene not even allowed for twenty people across all universes.
It blurs the consciousness that was clear.
Time, which had been moving slowly, returned to its original flow, and right after the destruction resumed, Lukas nudged Min Ha-rin.
Ah.
Staggering, Min Ha-rin took a few steps back.
There.
He continued, looking at her as she stopped abruptly.
Dont move a step from there for 13 seconds.
Lukas briefly warned her and then left the cave. There were things he needed to see for himself, but first, he had to figure something out.
He had memorized all the points where the droplets were falling, so there was no risk.
Immediately after exiting the cave, Lukas looked up at the sky. The blizzard had already stopped, so he could immediately see what was happening.
It was a sight you''d expect at the end of an apocalypse.
The sky was crying murky tears.
Within the fissures that ripped through space, ominous liquid flowed like sand from a broken hourglass, pouring down like a waterfall.
The recent assault on the cave was just a small part of a much larger flow, like a river.
[Apocalypse]
The moment Residue murmured that word, Lukas felt his fingertips freeze as if they were icing over.
So, it was you, Master, after all.
A dry voice came from behind.
13 seconds had already passed.
Lukas turned around and saw Min Ha-rin standing in front of the cave.
Youre still alive.
Yes.
Denying it till the end could be one method, but there was no reason to. Moreover, from Min Ha-rins demeanor, it seemed she had somewhat guessed this from the start.
A brief silence.
Lukas used this time to slowly observe his disciple, and he realized that she showed neither joy nor surprise, not even the slightest disturbance.
Has our reunion now become so meaningless to her?
.
Min Ha-rin opened and closed her mouth repeatedly.
It looked like she was carefully selecting her words.
Im glad.
The voice that eventually flowed out was still clear and emotionless.
Its joyful yet bitter.
But.
Im sorry.
Then, Min Ha-rin bowed her head deeply.
Her voice was still dry.
Im sorry.
When she repeated the same words again, Lukass mouth fell open slightly.
Something is off.
There might be no emotional response to our reunion. Expecting joy from her here might just be Lukass own desire.
But this situation?
The sky is crumbling, and from it flows a murky liquid, in this landscape of destruction.
How can she not be disturbed at all? How can she not feel fear even upon seeing that''?
All I see is that but perhaps she has sacrificed even more than it seems.
Suddenly, Residues words came to mind.
Besides eyes and arms, what she had sacrificed.
At this moment, Lukas realized what it was.
Min Ha-rin had lost her emotions.
*****
Book 2: Chapter 550
All existences harbor emotions.From the religious who practice self-restraint, to beasts whose nature precedes reason, and even the dead, who have only their souls remaining.
The Absolute Beings.
Even those who became absolutes couldn''t completely discard their emotions. Some mistakenly believe they are free from the Five Aggregates, but they have only learned a different way to view the world.
As far as Lukas knew, the beings furthest from the concept of emotion were the Rulers.
They acted as if they felt emotions from time to time to endure their tedious lives, but in reality, no matter what happened, they were merely unshaken.
Emotions definitely existed, but the world containing them was too small and insignificant to stir them.
Lightning God,
No. After knowing Residue, that fact became clear.
In other words, as far as Lukas knew, existence and emotion were inseparable concepts.
However, right now, there clearly was an existence in front of him that had lost its emotions, not a religious person, not a beast, not a dead one, and certainly not an absolute, just a single human.
A former disciple.
Min Ha-rin sat with a blank face in front of the collapsed cave.
Why did you do it?
Lukas''s voice was slightly submerged.
Why did you discard your emotions?
Min Ha-rin didn''t readily answer.
It seemed as though she was trying to grasp his intentions, or perhaps she was organizing her thoughts as she bowed her head in contemplation.
Back then, I.
Eventually, a dry reply fell like autumn leaves.
I was suffering from a sense of powerlessness.
I thought I had to inherit the position and role of my master. It seemed like that''s what you wanted.
That''s
I know. You never said anything like that. It was just what I thought.
Min Ha-rin shifted the blame to herself, but was that really the case?
No. That was wrong.
Lukas too had somewhat expected her to take on such a role. At that time, Lukas was suffering from severe self-contradiction and was acutely aware of his own deficiencies.
And he believed that Min Ha-rin, this child, could become something greater than himself.
To lead those left behind, various elements were needed. Overwhelming power or charisma, a naturally high status, or achievements recognized by everyone
As Min Ha-rin listed these things, she shook her head.
I had none of those.
So, you went to the bottom universe''?
That universe was the first to approach me. I saw it as an opportunity. The battles at the outposts'' greatly enhanced my talents, but that alone was far from enough. As a mortal, I had innate limits that I couldn''t overcome unless I could adapt to the rapidly changing situations.
The rapidly changing situations'' referred to the Great Fusion that happened in the Three Thousand Worlds.
It was your choice what to sacrifice, wasn''t it?
It''s regrettable, all the sacrifices you made, but among them, I am especially saddened that you discarded your emotions. Sar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
I don''t think it was the wrong choice.
Contrary to Lukas, who was becoming increasingly emotional, Min Ha-rin''s voice did not waver.
The power I gained by giving them up was formidable, and looking at it long-term, having no emotions was a tremendous advantage.
That makes sense.
How efficient could an existence without a single emotion be? It applies to everything. The same goes for training. I understand.
I understand, but.
You call it an advantage. Even though you know what you''ve become as a result.
What?
Do you have no regrets?
Lukas bit his lip.
Min Ha-rin no longer had emotions. What was I expecting by talking to such a child?
Master.
Min Ha-rin said in a calm voice.
I only discarded my emotions. The responsibilities and duties are still upon my shoulders.
My words were abruptly cut off.
The current Min Ha-rin doesn''t know. It''s become impossible to know.
How futile a responsibility and duty without emotions are.
Because all living beings change. They continually evolve. At the core of such changes are emotions. People see the world and every time they feel something new, they change endlessly, until the moment of death, or perhaps even in death.
But without emotions there are no changes.
They merely persist.
Until right before death, no. Until just before breaking.''
Even if there is a faint twist in the initial mission or responsibility, it cannot be corrected. They will firmly adhere to Min Ha-rin without wavering and go to the end.
Can that still be called a mission?
Isn''t it just a curse?
Why exactly
Already, Min Ha-rin was speaking of the Min Ha-rin'' of that time and the Min Ha-rin'' of now as separate entities. It felt continually alien, like she was talking about someone else.
A heaviness settled in the chest amidst the complexity.
Was the sense of responsibility Min Ha-rin had, the pressure, that intense?
Was it so painful that she couldn''t endure it without discarding her emotions?
Don''t you know?
Lukas looked at Min Ha-rin again.
He saw her eyes, shining transparently like glass, chilling to the bone.
What the master of that time meant to me, what kind of existence he approached as.
What.
I imagined him as the perfect savior, a hero. Such a person entrusted me with what comes next.'' There was no option to refuse. It was too glorious an opportunity.
.
Suddenly, he realized.
It wasnt the sense of responsibility or pressure that led Min Ha-rin to such an extreme choice.
And most of those you saved probably felt as if they had encountered a god. See? To them, you are a guide towards the absolute good.
The words of The Beginning Wizard came to mind.
His imperfect, contradictory self seemed like the ultimate goal Min Ha-rin had to achieve from her perspective at that time.
Lukas, having become an absolute, minimized his emotions. He acted indifferently in most moments, responding without emotion.
An incorrect form, certainly not something that can be deemed right.
But Min Ha-rin didn''t realize that it was wrong. Instead, she took it as a hint towards becoming stronger.
An intensely pure and strong admiration.
I just wanted to follow in the footsteps of my master.
Hearing Min Ha-rin''s voice, Lukas recalled the words of The Beginning Wizard once more.
The influence he possessed,
And the reasons why Lukas Trowman'' needed to die.
* * *
The collapsing world, and the liquid of apocalypse falling like a waterfall.
It''s clear.
The black liquid he just saw was of the same nature as the darkness that surrounded the apocalypse he saw through the Spring of Wisdom.''
Is it happening? The apocalypse.
It was as sudden as he had always anticipated, and in a form he could not have imagined.
Lukas looked up at the broken sky and thought.
Had this event happened even before the regressions started?
If so, why hadnt I realized it? Because Magic Planet was the most secluded among the territories?
No. More importantly.
What is The Beginning Wizard doing?
Lukas thought about the owner of the Magic Tower.
It''s unlikely that man is unaware of this situation, so is he already responding? But still failing to completely contain it, hence the leakage?
Did he foresee this situation? If so, what was the real intention behind bringing Lukas to the Magic Tower?
Something is off.
Lukas recalled the incident that took place in Demonsio, the territory of the 0th Demon, where Sedi resided.
There, Lukas met The Beginning Wizard. Even though it was like meeting an avatar, they exchanged words.
Despite the state of the Magic Tower, did The Beginning Wizard have the leisure to send an avatar?
No. It''s hard to think that way.
Lukas suddenly had two thoughts at once.
If such an event hadn''t occurred in that world'' at the time,
Perhaps the time of the apocalypse had been accelerated because of me.
[Do you feel guilty?]
.
[The apocalypse is certainly important. Your current thoughts are the same. However, you are overly fixated on contemplating it as if obsessing over it. Shouldn''t that be the case? Even now, your attention and concern are focused on that woman.]
That is.
[Don''t try to deny it. You know better than anyone what relationship you and I have.]
Lukas remained silent.
No more wind blew across the snowfield.
[Do you remember what I told The Beginning Wizard?]
The only thing one should take responsibility for is the consequences of their own choices.
Lukas sighed.
That''s what I said.
[Do you think otherwise?]
No.
Residue''s thoughts were arrogant and authoritative, but they couldn''t be said to be completely wrong.
However.
Harin was my disciple.
[So what?]
I should have noticed the distortions she had. That''s the role of a teacher.
[Ha. The purpose of a teacher is to point out mistakes and correct them. There is a limit to just warning. Until they get burned by the fire, it is only warm and generous. Do you understand? It all starts when a foolish disciple experiences it firsthand, and feels what went wrong.]
Residue''s voice grew quieter.
[But what is this regret you are currently harboring? What kind of existence do you want to become? Do you intend to hold onto your disciples so tightly in your grasp that they dont even make a single minor mistake? Is that your idea of ideal teaching, to just restrain them and preserve them as flawless, perfect jade?]
Are you trying to teach me with that? You think I don''t know such basic issues? There are irreversible mistakes in this world.
[Irreversible mistakes? Do they really exist in this world? I want to ask. What do you think an irreversible mistake'' is? Is killing your parents such a thing? Or leading an entire world to apocalypse?]
Lukas felt a surge of irritation at Residue''s biting tone.
The irreversible mistake would be you implanting lingering thoughts in me.
[.]
Residue fell silent.
Lukas chewed on his self-loathing after speaking.
This was a mean personal attack. Knowing how much despair Residue had from that, he still couldn''t suppress his momentary anger and blurted it out. Lukas felt nauseous from self-hatred.
Residue remained silent for a long time.
Had Lukass words wounded him? Was he feeling bitter?
Eventually, Residue murmured too.
[That could have been reversed too. No. Maybe it wasn''t even a mistake to begin with. Lukas. You were the one who taught me that.]
.
[You''re not a dreamer. No one knows better than you what a contradiction is. That''s why you also had the capacity to accept and embrace everything. What I want to ask is, why can''t the Lukas who claims to be a teacher'' do the same?]
Residues words were sharply piercing.
Lukas found no words to counter and remained silent.
[A perfect teacher is an impossible existence. If you feel sorry for that woman''s situation, just do what you can.]
What I can do.
I don''t know.
At this point, what can I do for Min Ha-rin?
Crackle
The crack in the sky grew larger.
[This world is wrong now, Lukas. Recall the original purpose.]
Are you saying to go back up? When nothing has been resolved?
[Ha. Have you become such a whiner now? Was your life ever so kindly choreographed with problems kindly popping up one at a time? If it''s a problem that can''t be solved right away, you have no choice but to put it aside, don''t you?]
.
Residue declared coldly.
[Go up, Lukas. Towards the top floor, towards the source of that liquid of apocalypse. That is what you need to do now.]
*****
Book 2: Chapter 551
The [Hope Herb] is a miraculous flower that can strengthen the earth''s veins and explosively increase the vital energy of the forest just by planting it.With a dry voice that Lucas still wasn''t accustomed to, Min Ha-rin continued her explanation.
Even in dead lands where plants can no longer grow, its the same. Even on planets below freezing temperatures, if they can properly root, they could form a vast forest in a short period, provided there is a good climate, fertile soil, and proper care.
This was the answer she gave when asked about her purpose in searching for the Hope Herb after returning to the cave.
Lukas stared blankly at her face.
Rather than coldness, her face had a inorganic glass quality to it. He asked,
Why do you need that?
There is a tribe of the forest who lost their home due to the [Great Fusion] Ah, the Great Fusion is.
I know. You don''t need to explain.
There are tribes of the forest that have lost their homeland due to the Great Fusion. Since they can only nourish themselves from unspoiled nature, their current state without forests is extremely dangerous. They are on the verge of extinction, so it wouldn''t be strange for them to take drastic actions.
Lukas was aware of many races called the forest tribes, but those Min Ha-rin spoke of were among the most extreme.
Their lives were inextricably linked with the forest, so damage to the forest meant direct harm to their lives.
Most of them were usually gentle-natured, but driven to such circumstances
They might attack others in different territories. That would lead to war.
Yes.
Min Ha-rin nodded.
Thats why I told them I would find a way to revive the forests.
How did you learn about the Hope Herb? And how did you come to this universe?
I heard from Arid. After master disappeared, Arid continued to train his powers and now can find not only the coordinates of each universe but also anything I need.
Lukas could hardly believe how much stronger Arid had become compared to the last time he remembered.
So honestly, I find it hard to believe that master is still alive. Even Arid couldn''t find you with his powers.
The Void is a concept existing outside the space that Arid can perceive.
You said Arid''s powers have gotten stronger. Surely you dont mean Arid has also been to the Bottom Universe''
No. Only I have been in that place.
Min Ha-rin denied Lukas''s possibility with an emotionless voice and continued.
Inter-universal travel became easily possible after the Great Fusion, regardless of whether one has a physical body.
More so, the current situation in this universe seems not just an aftermath of the Great Fusion.'' From my limited Observational Skill, it appears as though destruction or collapse is occurring
Her eyes, which demanded explanation rather than teachings, were directed at him.
Lukas was silent for a moment.
Min Ha-rin of course did not know about the Apocalypse.'' It would be so. Very few knew this dreadful truth as far as Lukas was aware.
Should he really inform her about the Apocalypse now?
Certainly, if it were the past Min Ha-rin, Lukas would have hidden this truth without hesitation.
But.
Meeting you was an incredible coincidence.
Coincidence.
No, perhaps it was closer to fate, but it seemed almost ridiculous to think so.
Lukas had lived five lives in the Void World, and it was only in the last one that he had met Min Ha-rin. Strictly speaking, their paths had missed crossing four times.
There is a world with entirely different laws that exist. A place that even Arid''s enhanced abilities cannot detect, a place that most should not know or even dare to know about. In that place, there is a location connected to 77 worlds. Due to personal reasons, I had to pass through all those worlds, and it was in the twenty-third world that I coincidentally met you.
I see.
Min Ha-rin nodded understandingly.
She wasnt just matching him word for word or pretending not to understand; she truly grasped the general situation Lukas described.
Being emotionless is so convenient like this. If the sole purpose is the sharing of information, devoid of empathy, it can be achieved so easily. From a certain point of view, it''s understandable that this could be dismissed as unnecessary. I already get it.
[Stop getting depressed. Its annoying.]
At Residue''s words, Lukas came to his senses and pointed to the sky.
At the waterfall of Apocalypse pouring down from there.
It''s falling from above.
Yes. It looks like it''s falling from the sky.
That''s not what I mean. Its a completely different concept of above''.
?
Min Ha-rin tilted her head slightly, seemingly unable to understand.
Perhaps this reaction was the only human habit left in her.
The place I stayed was shaped like a tower.
He waved his hand, moving a snowball.
The snow on the ground buoyantly rose and formed the shape of a tower.
The coordinates of the universe are very complex and, above all, fluid. This is because each possesses a different time.
What is one second in some worlds, could be tens of thousands of years in others.
This concept should be understandable to the current Min Ha-rin.
However, the tower I was climbing perfectly connected 77 worlds.'' Though there are restrictions, its closely related enough that communication is possible even between different universes. Its not that the universes themselves were merged. Its a form stitched together in parts, extremely unstable, but still, how could this have been achieved?
So the being that stitched the universes together, does it possess a profound understanding of space and formidable powers?
That''s one of the reasons. But it''s not the core. The answer is the flow of time''.
Min Ha-rin blinked, and Lukas supplemented the explanation.
All 77 universes belonging here had the same flow of time''.
This was the crucial reason why the Magic Tower, and The Beginning Wizard, were able to connect 77 worlds partially.
The Beginning Wizard likely observed the universes over a very long period, selecting those with exactly the same time flow without a single error.
That task would have been arduous, tough, and above all, tedious, but The Beginning Wizard eventually accomplished his goal.
Of course, after the Great Fusion, the timelines of all universes were unified.''
Except for a few special places like the Corpse Ghost''s Dump Site''.
Perhaps this is also why Arid became able to specify the coordinates of the universe. Sarch* The N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Lukas paused his thoughts there.
These are facts grasped around the time he had ascended to about the 10th floor, but he still doesnt know the most important thing.
Why did The Beginning Wizard build the Magic Tower?
To train wizards above a certain level? No. Such a reason is too trivial to justify the existence of the tower.
There must be some other reason
Realizing Min Ha-rin was staring at him, Lukas spoke again.
After connecting them, he relocated the position of the universes and also managed to unite space as a material concept.
The concepts of up, down, left, right, and front, back do not exist between universes. As mentioned earlier, based on complex coordinates that ordinary people could not understand even if explained over a hundred days, it moves.
To put it as simply as possible, imagine the sea oscillating every moment, and each droplet within it is a universe.
But the Magic Tower is different.
It arranged 77 universes like a tower and then forcibly threaded them together,
That is, he succeeded in fixing the universes in a linear form. This is a feat even the current Lukas cannot achieve, and the amount of effort and trial and error The Beginning Wizard must have repeated to accomplish this is unimaginable.
By now, Min Ha-rin would have understood what Lukas meant by above''.
Then that ominous waterfall is flowing from the universe above''.
Yes.
Lukas nodded as he continued,
The true nature of the waterfall is Apocalypse.
Apocalypse, you say?
It might soon envelop the entire universe, the end of everything.
I see.
Min Ha-rin nodded.
So, Master is fighting against this Apocalypse.
Lukas momentarily closed his half-open mouth.
Since parting with Min Ha-rin, many things had happened, and Lukas''s purpose had continuously evolved. But currently, he indeed was struggling to prevent the Apocalypse.
Thats as much as Lukas could tell.
The reason for climbing the tower, his relationship with The Beginning Wizard, and even the remnants of the Lightning God residing within him He felt no need or reason to reveal these core aspects.
He looked at his disciple.
The current Min Ha-rin, now a wholly rational being, might set aside her responsibilities after hearing this story.
That would be enough.
I will find Harins emotions, somehow.''
Even if it means overturning whatever lies at the Bottom Universe.
So until then, hopefully, she stays safe and causes no disturbances.
Indeed.
Min Ha-rin murmured after a while,
Then regarding that matter, there seems to be nothing I can do.
The expected response came.
However, Lukas felt, somehow, that Min Ha-rin, who maintained her expression and tone, seemed a bit deflated.
It must be an illusion.
I will help you find the Hope Herb. If you need anything else, Ill help with that too. But afterward, go back to Earth and stay still for a while.
Lukas looked at the unresponsive Min Ha-rin and suddenly felt like sighing.
Hope Herb.
A terribly ironic name for a being who has forgotten what hope is.
* * *
After a brief silence, Min Ha-rin spoke,
After that, you will go up, towards the source of the Apocalypse, wont you?
Yes.
Thats regrettable.
Lukas hesitated.
Everyone would be delighted to see the masters face.
I have something Id like to ask.
What is it?
How did you become so strong?
A strange fervor flickered in Min Ha-rins eyes.
Even in the past, Master you were undoubtedly strong. To me back then, you were like a cloud beyond a mountain whose peak was not visible.
You might think this a presumptuous statement, but since then, I have managed to reach the peak of the mountain. Only then could I truly measure how powerful the master of that time'' was. But now
Her voice carried a hint of distress.
The master today is incomparably stronger than before. It seems you have surpassed the final stages of wizardry I had glimpsed, and I cannot even imagine where you stand now.
Saying she saw the end means she saw a limit.
Lukas did not consider Min Ha-rins words arrogance, but he thought them a misconception.
A recent thought had occurred to him.
Does an end truly exist in any field of study?
To see an end, must one not see the end of everything?
And can the scenery one sees truly be considered the end?
Perfection, completeness, omnipotenceare these real?
Lukas shook his head.
In front of Min Ha-rin, Lukas still wanted to be a teacher. That''s why he thought deeply before even uttering a single statement.
If I tell you, will you follow my way of life?
If necessary.
Her answer came without weight, yet it was undoubtedly sincere.
How harsh and tough Lukas''s life has been doesn''t matter to the current Min Ha-rin. To her, the only important thing is the reward of strength'' that comes afterward.
Its a life you cannot follow. There''s no guarantee that experiencing the same things would make you strong.
You mean you dont want to tell me.
Thats right.
Min Ha-rin spoke after a moment of silence.
Still, I need to know.
She persisted stubbornly, yet her demeanor remained matter-of-fact.
If I knew the reason why the master could become stronger, then I could save more people. I have one thing to ask, thoughthere isnt some condition for going up'' there, is there?
There shouldnt be But you, surely not.
Yes.
Min Ha-rin nodded as if she had already made up her mind.
I would like to accompany the master for the time being.
*****
Book 2: Chapter 552
[Why did you accept?]An annoyed voice is heard.
[That woman asked to accompany you, but if you had refused, she wouldn''t have insisted any further. It means she would have quietly agreed and stepped back.]
.
[Don''t tell me you''re expecting a miracle where emotions revive, right? Please, discard such childish expectations, Lukas. Don''t you understand what happened to that woman? That is, a permanent loss.]
Permanent loss.
Lukas understands the meaning behind those words.
Even if Min Ha-rin looks at the world around her, receives a major stimulus from a scene, or a new connection, and her dried-up emotions miraculously spring forth, it will evaporate like a dream before long.
Is the influence of the Bottom Universe that persistent? That it follows permanently even after the [deal] is over?
If Min Ha-rins capacity becomes large enough to encompass the Bottom Universe, maybe she could be freed from the curses they engraved.
However, Residue refuted Lukas''s words in a completely different direction.
[The Bottom Universe might just be a simple system.]
A simple system?
[It summons those who meet certain conditions and then offers strength or visions of becoming stronger in exchange for something. Does it seem like someones will is applied to that?]
.
[Of course, there must be a being that created the Bottom Universe. Whether it''s a god, or some entity even this venerable doesnt know.]
Residue has changed.
His tone still carried arrogance, but there was definitely a change in his self-centered way of thinking.
That''s why Lukas listened to Residues words quietly.
[The important thing is, if the Bottom Universe is merely a system, then the constraints it imposed are now fully integrated with that woman.]
As Ha-rin grows, the constraints become stronger, is that what it means?
[Yes. Because the strength that woman will gain in the future would have been unattainable originally, and the growth that will happen is also thanks to the constraints.]
It''s a terrible thing.
Lukas sighed.
With such a system, even if Lukas somehow went to the Bottom Universe and destroyed it, Ha-rins emotions would not return.
Your words are all correct, except for one.
[What is it.]
I don''t hold such childish expectations like you mentioned. That''s why I plan to keep Ha-rin by my side for the time being.
[What do you mean?]
We''ll have to observe to find out. I mean, a way to revive Ha-rins emotions.
[There is no such way]
There is.
Lukas interrupted Residue and added, looking at his incredulous face.
Of course, I have no clue right now.
Nevertheless,
because theres nothing that truly cant be found in this world.
* * *
Finding the Hope Herb took longer than expected. Waterfall of Apocalypse had cracked the world itself, and the detection methods Lukas knew didnt work properly.
However, ultimately, with the help of an Ice Spirit, the one named Biofrost, he was able to locate it.
It was in a massive crevasse, deep within.
Hundreds of meters below the surface of the crevasse, there was not a single piece of ice. Lukas felt a strong life force there.
There was the Hope Herb, glowing in a brilliant amber color, much smaller than he had expected. Even including the roots, it seemed it wouldn''t surpass Lukas''s calf.
Is it alright? To give it away so easily.
[Compared to the rudeness I committed, this is a cheap price to pay. One or two bloom every thousand years, so its no trouble.]
The Ice Spirit spoke nonchalantly, perhaps having lived much longer than it seemed.
Thank you.
Lukas briefly nodded, then carefully carved out the Hope Herb without damaging the roots. Despite being detached from the ground, the Hope Herb did not lose any of its vitality. It likely wouldnt rot even if left alone for decades.
Min Ha-rin carefully packed away the Hope Herb. She would be moving with Lukas for the time being, but she did this in preparation for the time she might return.
Then, without any regrets, the two left the 23rd floor, the glacial zone.
Since the barriers were already down, Lukas was able to easily find the entrance to the next floor.
The 24th floor appeared to be a labyrinth.
It seemed that Lukas and Min Ha-rin had emerged about midway through, but the maze was not of a quaint size one might find in a garden. The walls were erected so high they seemed to reach the sky, as if designed for giants.
However, the maze was damaged.
Parts of the walls were destroyed or, in severe cases, completely collapsed, unable to fulfill their original purpose of causing bewilderment.
It seems there are no [Magic Tower Wizards] here either.
Min Ha-rin murmured in a low voice.
Having lost her sight, she could now see the world made of vibrations and souls, which in some ways made her more sensitive than Lukas.
Lukas looked up at the sky again.
The Waterfall of Apocalypse'' still flowed down from the sky.
The rain-like disaster that had first attacked the cave did not occur again, nor were there any signs of it.
The waterfall was disturbingly peaceful as it poured down.
Let''s go up higher.
As Residue had said, the higher they went, the closer they would get to the truth of the matter.
However, they did not meet any wizards on the 25th or 26th floors. There werent even any bodies.
A creeping sense of unease seemed to become clearer.
Before encountering the Apocalypse'', Lukas had hoped to meet at least one wizard.
From his conversation with Redrun, it seemed the Magic Tower had some understanding of the current anomalies.
What Lukas needed now was information. He also had questions about The Beginning Wizard.
Surely we wont reach the top floor without meeting anyone.''
Should he go back down now, to Redrun on the 11th floor or Vila on the 22nd floor?
They seemed to be able to communicate with the upper floors, so they would roughly understand the situation. Of course, it didnt seem like they would willingly talk to an outsider like Lukas, but he didnt have the luxury to be polite.
Even if he had to use a bit of rough methods
Lukas then realized Min Ha-rins presence and abandoned that plan.
He didnt want to show her someone being threatened.
What should he do then?
Lukas pondered, but this thought became useless the moment they stepped onto the 27th floor.
Hello.
There was the person from the Magic Tower that Lukas had been looking for.
Ive been waiting for you, Lukas Trowman.
The man with yellow hair bowed.
* * *
The man raised his head, then his expression turned to one of distress.
His gaze was not on Lukas but next to him.
Who is this?
He obviously meant Min Ha-rin.
Before answering, Lukas asked first.
And you are?
My name is Baltak.
One of the Seven Magicians?
He felt a unique presence from him, similar to what he had sensed from Redrun, Vila, and Altata.
Though I am inadequate, I do hold that position.
We are on the 27th floor.
This place wasnt known as a Double Floor'' area.
Baltak nodded willingly.
Yes. Originally, my assigned area is the 33rd floor.
.
There were no other signs of life around.
6 floors down, why was Baltak in such a place?
I have revealed my identity. I will ask once again. Who is she?
Lukas did not agree to a question-and-answer session, but he spoke frankly without hiding anything.
She is my disciple. We happened to reunite on the 23rd floor, and due to circumstances, we decided to travel together for the time being. sea??h th N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
The 23rd floor.
After a moment of silence, Baltak asked.
What about Roster'', the man who was there?
Hes dead.
Is that so. Thats regrettable.
Baltaks face turned slightly bitter, but he didnt seem overly surprised. Rather, it seemed like something he had somewhat anticipated.
The Magic Tower manages a limited space within the Three Thousand Worlds, and originally, outsiders should not be able to enter these spaces freely. It seems that such restrictions have disappeared due to the anomalies.
Did you get involved in an unavoidable incident? Perhaps the world on the 23rd floor completely collapsed, and you had to move together. If thats the case, I can use my power to send her outside.
No.
The one who answered was Min Ha-rin, not Lukas.
I am here of my own will.
Youve prepared yourself, then. I understand. Normally this wouldnt be allowed, but now is not the time to nitpick over such details.
Baltak spoke in a business-like tone, then looked back at Lukas.
You probably dont fully grasp the current situation. I will explain things one by one.
Lukas looked around.
The 27th floor appeared to be a wizards workshop. It was dark, damp, and smelled of dust.
It wasnt an open area, so the Waterfall of Apocalypse were not visible, but the 27th floor was not immune to its effects.
This world was as fragile as the ones they had seen before; it wouldnt be strange if it crumbled immediately.
The reason I was waiting on the 27th floor, not my assigned 33rd floor, was to see you, Mr. Lukas. There was something I needed to verify.
Verify?
Yes.
If thats your purpose, then hurry up. I need to go up as quickly as possible.
Why?
Lukas almost let his irritation show but restrained himself.
Youre asking because you dont know? The Waterfall of Apocalypse that ravaged the Magic Tower, I need to find out where they originate from.
You speak strangely.
Baltak said in a dubious voice.
The Waterfall of Apocalypse, as you have named them, have you not seen them with your own eyes? Did you have a way to confront them? A method to deal with them? Or, perhaps, a means to delay them?
There arent any, right? Thats why I am suspicious of you.
Suspicious?
Yes.
A chill momentarily flickered in Baltaks eyes.
Lets assume you know nothing and discuss from there. The perpetrator behind the Waterfall of Apocalypse, the source you are looking for, originated from the topmost floor. We have temporarily named it [The Deepest Darkness].
The topmost floor,
Lukass expression changed.
Are you talking about where The Beginning Wizard is? What is he doing right now? He must know about this situation.
Baltak looked steadily at Lukas and answered one point at a time.
The Lords chamber does exist within the tower but is considered a separate space that isnt exactly part of it. When I referred to the topmost floor, I meant the 77th floor. And currently, we have lost contact with the Lord.
Lost contact, you say. Could it be
No.
Baltak shook his head.
The Lord is alive. Every Seeker knows this.
Lets continue the explanation. The Deepest Darkness started from the 77th floor and has been expanding its territory one floor at a time. Opinions on its speed have varied; sometimes it was fast, sometimes slow, and sometimes it even stopped completely. Then, one of the Seven Magicians, Hyke'', realized something about the pattern of this darkness.
The movement pattern.
That could be the clue to the identity of the darkness or a strategy to tackle it.
At that moment, Baltak pointed a finger at Lukas.
It''s you.
What do you mean?
The speed of the darkness was completely in sync with you.
Lukas''s body stiffened.
What does that mean?
The emergence of the darkness started from the top floor, specifically the 77th floor, and it has been moving down one floor at a time.
That''s what you already explained.
Yes. But I didn''t understand something. Didn''t you find any part of my story strange?
Lukas was silent for a moment.
As he cooled down his somewhat heated mind, he felt several dissonances that he hadn''t realized before.
It appeared not on the lowest floor but on the highest floor, and it''s moving down one floor at a time?
Yes.
Baltak nodded.
The destructive power of the darkness is something you know as well. If it wished, it could destroy everything from the top floor to the first in a blink of an eye. That means it could collapse the tower in the blink of an eye. However, it hasn''t done that. The darkness has been moving down meticulously, floor by floor.
Sometimes, its movement even stops. Despite having completely eroded a floor, it stayed in that area. Yes, that''s what happened on the 55th floor.
55th floor.
Even then, Lukas doesnt know what kind of world the 54th floor is.
Baltak looked intently at Lukas and said,
Shall we consider it in reverse? Assuming the top floor as the first floor, the darkness'' is climbing the tower. From that perspective, the 55th floor would be the 23rd world for the darkness.
Baltak emphasized his point.
23, the 23rd floor. Dont you feel anything?
!
Lukas''s expression hardened.
The world of ice,
The world where he met the Ice Spirit Biofrost and Min Ha-rin.
And the world where he stayed relatively longer than others to find the Hope Herb.
The 23rd floor.
The darkness is moving just like you are. When you go up a floor, the darkness comes down a floor.
The darkness they had never encountered,
He didn''t even know what it looked like.
Yet, an undeniable chill emerged in one side of Lukas''s heart.
You said you have to go up to the top to see the source of the darkness. Im not sure if it''s unfortunate or fortunate, but that seems unnecessary now.
Baltak said in a low voice.
39th floor. At the midpoint between the 1st and the 77th floors, you will encounter the darkness.
*****
Book 2: Chapter 553
Baltak briefly stopped talking.It seemed like he was giving Lukas a moment to accept the situation, or perhaps just observing his reaction.
Of course, this is assuming you continue to climb the tower.
Only then did Lukas understand why Baltak was doubting him.
It was a legitimate suspicion. From the perspective of a third party, Lukas and the darkness were sufficiently connected to be certain of it.
I have roughly explained the position of the Magic Tower. Do you understand the situation?
Do you have something to say?
Baltak persistently pursued, as if chasing an answer, looking at the silent Lukas.
What is your relationship with the darkness? Did you deceive the lord and infiltrate the Magic Tower? Are you an apostle of Apocalypse? Is it your purpose and role to turn this territory into a wasteland? What other secrets are you hiding?
The moment his voice sharpened, the air around turned chilly. Clink, clink. Lamps, reagent bottles, and beakers placed on the dusty table trembled.
Lukas calmly increased his mana to restrain Min Ha-rin and answered one by one.
I did not deceive The Beginning Wizard. I am not an apostle of Apocalypse, nor do I intend to ruin this territory. I have many secrets, but none are related to this case. And
Lukas paused to think before responding, but eventually shook his head.
I dont know what my relationship with the darkness is.
You dont know? Is that something the person involved should say?
Yes. I dont know what the darkness is. I havent figured it out yet. However, if all the things you just mentioned were true
He paused again, then corrected himself.
No. They must be true. Therefore, I cannot claim that I have no relationship with the darkness.
Baltak was not slow on the uptake.
So, you mean to say, unknowingly, some kind of relationship might have formed between you and the darkness?
Yes.
You are giving a convenient answer.
Im just being honest about my situation.
That can hardly be called an answer.
Then what kind of answer do you expect from me?
Do you want me to agree? Regardless of what I say, you dismiss it and peg me as a risk, is that your role?
Thats
I suppose you wouldnt simply accept it if I denied it, would you? That can hardly be called an answer, you said. How about being honest for a change? You just dont like me.
Thats not it.
Baltak sighed as he made an excuse.
I swear, I have no personal feelings against you.
Was this the truth?
Lukas changed the topic after a brief silence.
If the darkness and I truly move at the same pace without any discrepancies, then there must be a connection. What it is, thats what I need to think about now.
Baltak could only look at Lukas with a puzzled gaze.
Even in a position of being questioned, there was no urgency in his voice. Even his rebuttals sounded like he was defending a third party.
Such an attitude caused two conflicting emotions in Baltaks heart simultaneously.
Doubt and trust.
Words that could not coexist merged together, and that became intriguing.
Baltak looked at Lukas. He had the authority to decide this man''s fate. Currently, the Magic Tower, and further, the full powers of the Magic Planet were delegated to the 55th floor''s Seven Magician, Hyke''.
Very well. For now, I will choose to believe your words. However, please stop climbing the tower any further. And follow some directions from us as well. There are things we''d like to test.
As long as it doesnt harm this child and me, Ill comply.
Then please wait a moment.
Baltak said that and left his seat. He went into the room next door, seemingly to communicate with someone else.
[He has a surprisingly sly side.]
Residue chuckled.
[It does seem quite convenient. Lying, that is.]
What are you talking about?''
[Are you planning to feign ignorance? I must have told you several times. Theres nothing you can hide from me.]
Residue burst out laughing.
Lukas bowed his head heavily.
The darkness,
it first appeared on the 77th floor and gradually moved downward, expanding its territory.
Meaning, its course was downwards from the beginning. Naturally, the likelihood that it appeared from the 76th floor becomes nil.
Then, did the darkness suddenly appear on the 77th floor as if it had dropped from the sky? Is the universe belonging to the 77th floor the first target of the impending Apocalypse?
That, I do not know.
Lukas detached his consciousness from that, focusing on something else.
The 77th floor was not the top.
There was a space prepared one floor above it.
The Beginning Wizard''s room.
[Coincidentally, I was told that communication with the Beginning Wizard had already been cut off. However, that boy Baltak insisted that he is still alive.]
''
[Its different from blind faith. Perhaps they have a means to ascertain the life and death of the Beginning Wizard. Thats why he acts so confidently.]
The problem comes next.
[But that guy is strange. If he had even a bit of reasoning and judgment, he would have dismissed the most obvious possibility from the start. It''s unlikely that the Seven Magicians'', said to be superior among the wizards of the Magic Tower, wouldnt think of this.]
Residue''s voice lowered.
[The deepest darkness might be the Beginning Wizard himself. Arent you thinking that? If so, that would explain most of the absurd situations that have occurred.]
''
[Now, even though all signs point to a single conclusion, Baltak seems to be suffering from cognitive dissonance, keeping silent about this]
There was a hint of sneer in his voice.
It seems his ego as an absolute being hasnt completely disappeared yet. He still has the capacity to scoff at the foolishness of mortals.
[How you judge this is entirely up to you, Lukas.]
* * *
The thing he wanted to test'' that Baltak mentioned was of course related to the darkness. More precisely, he seemed curious to what extent the darkness would mimic Lukas''s movements.
First, Lukas went down a floor. From the 27th floor to the 26th.
The purpose of the experiment was to see if, when Lukas went down a floor, the darkness would instead go up a floor.
The darkness does not move. No. Rather than that
Baltak said with a troubled face.
We have been mistaken about one thing. The darkness has not moved a single step from the beginning.
What do you mean?
The darkness has just been increasing its mass all along.
So from the 77th floor to the 55th floor, darkness has occupied all those universes without exception?
Yes.
If so, the darkness already possesses a volume and mass that are inexplicable from a physical standpoint.
Lukas spoke gravely.
So, 23 universes have already been destroyed.
Baltak did not respond, but Lukas felt the truth in the words he had spoken. The darkness wouldnt have kindly selected only a part of the universe, namely the administrative space of the Magic Tower'', to consume.
How much time did it take to climb 23 floors?
Even including the ''23rd floor'' where time was inevitably delayed, it would not have taken more than a day.
A day, 24 hours, 3,600 minutes.
During that time, 23 universes were destroyed.
Roughly calculating, it meant that one universe disappeared every hour. And Lukas, being the Absolute being, knew how many lives existed in one universe.
All of it had vanished. Or had been devoured.
Although it wasnt the momentary event Diablo had described, given the potential they held, the term in an instant could be allowed.
Lukas continued to follow a few of Baltaks instructions afterward. Naturally, the results were not as expected.
Regardless of how Lukas moved, the darkness stayed on the 55th floor and did not expand its territory. This was true even when Lukas went outside the tower.
The information obtained in the process only indicated that the damage to the lower floors was more severe than expected. More than half of the magicians had died.
There are two possibilities.
Baltak opened his mouth with a heavy voice.
Either the darkness no longer follows you, or
Lukas picked up his trailing voice.
It only reacts when I go up.
.
Lukas and Baltak had to admit that the latter possibility was much more likely.
So what do we do now?
Lukas asked.
If you guys prefer, I wont climb the Magic Tower any further.
Maintaining the status quo was not a bad ending in the current situation.
Baltak knew this too and nodded heavily.
For now, can you please stay below the 27th floor and wait?
Thats not difficult, but what about moving around below that floor?
That is
Baltak hesitated for a moment then nodded.
Lets do that. However, if the darkness begins to move again
Ill stop my activities immediately.
Yes.
After a moment of silence, Baltak spoke.
By the way, you are acquainted with Altata.
Altata was one of the Seven Magicians of the 44th floor, a woman with green hair. She had played the role of a mediator when Lukas had a confrontation with Redrun outside the tower.
Yes
Then it would be best to bring Altata with me.
Is there a reason I need to meet her?
We have exchanged many thoughts about the darkness in a short time. If I tell you the summarized opinions, something might click for you.
You could tell me yourself. Through that communication thing.
This communication is quite limited. The usage time is very short too.
Indeed, Residue had said that setting up inter-universal communication was quite a complicated matter.
Then until you return, please try to stay out of trouble as much as possible.
Baltak left after saying that.
From the first meeting, he had been a man of very business-like attitude.
Lukas looked up at the sky.
His current location was the 26th floor, the level with a giant maze. It was also a place where the somewhat broken sky was clearly visible.
Master.
Min Ha-rin spoke in her uniquely dry voice.
Come to think of it, from a certain point, she seemed to have been contemplating something, and looking at her expression now, it seemed she had reached some sort of conclusion.
I have understood how dangerous Apocalypse is. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
.
It was an abrupt statement.
Lukas didnt quite understand what she wanted to say and simply stared at her blankly.
So Ive come up with a good idea.
A good idea?
Yes. I will try facing that darkness myself.
What?
Lukas looked as if he had just heard the most absurd logic in the world.
In contrast, Min Ha-rin continued speaking with a serious expression.
I am currently devoid of emotions. I do not feel fear even when looking at the Apocalypse, so approaching it is not difficult for me.
So? What are you going to do by getting close?
I will make contact.
Perhaps my body will disintegrate, but it won''t happen instantaneously. Therefore, I will relay to you everything I feel and encounter right up to the moment my body completely falls apart.
Fortunately, I now have a tolerance to pain. This means I can explain everything I experience logically. Based on that, you could develop a strategy to combat the darkness
Are you serious?
Lukas asked in a low voice, then bit his lip.
What a foolish question.
The current Min Ha-rin could only sincerely engage with everything.
Why are you angry? If the Apocalypse comes as it is, all beings will die anyway. So, combining my strengths and yours, Master, let''s create a turnaround in the situation.
Never again.
Lukas opened his mouth.
Never say that again.
Min Ha-rin half-opened her mouth then closed it again, but her expression did not seem convinced Perhaps what she said was the best course of action.
But that would involve Min Ha-rin''s sacrifice
No.''
Lukas shook his head.
Sacrifice is a personal right. Even as a master, he had no right to dictate that.
The reason Lukas was angry was that Min Ha-rins willingness to sacrifice herself lacked any resolve.
There is nothing more hollow and sad than a sacrifice without resolve, especially when the individual is one''s disciple. Lukas''s heart became impossibly heavy.
The sight of her calculating despite staring into a darkness that everyone feared was pitiful
Lukas''s thoughts abruptly stopped.
A sudden feeling of discord arose.
Is this the level of oppression that Apocalypse possesses?
Since she lacks emotions, does the fear capable of overwhelming even a Ruler not affect her?
No. Its different.
Something is missing.
And then.
Ah.
He suddenly realized one crucial fact.
*****
Book 2: Chapter 554
Could he have been thinking about this all wrong?He thought that by losing his emotions, she became unafraid of the Apocalypse. Of course, that fact might have some impact, but can it really explain everything?
The Waterfall of Apocalypse, the deepest darkness.
Is that all the fear that the Apocalypse, which could erase the universe, amounts to?
Could a mortal being feel nothing just because they lost their emotions?
The evidence is lacking.
What Lucas needs to pay attention to is Min Ha-rin.
What is the difference between him and Min Ha-rin, or rather, it''s not just Lukas. Residue, as well as the wizards of the Magic Tower, also felt fear and dread.
They all have something that Min Ha-rin does not.
Or perhaps, they all lack something that Min Ha-rin has.
Theres definitely something beyond just the loss of emotions.
She didnt know about the Void World?''
No. Min Ha-rins attitude didnt change even after she learned about the Void World.
She is not a resident of the Void World''
He shook his head.
Even now, Lukas could not be considered a resident of the Void World. Regardless of what anyone says, his origin was the Three Thousand Worlds.
Then the remaining possibility is.
Min Ha-rin didnt know about the Apocalypse.''
To be more precise, she had never experienced it.
Thats it.
If that''s the case, everything can be explained.
Lukas, as well as Residue, had witnessed the Apocalypse. And the Truth Seekers of Magic Planet, perhaps, had also indirectly experienced it.
But.
Harin didnt.''
She didnt know what the Apocalypse was until Lukas mentioned it. Naturally, she had neither witnessed nor experienced it. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
[What does that mean?]
Residue asked in a voice that showed he did not understand what Lukas had realized.
Its simple. We were all just prematurely scared. Because that waterfall gave off a vibe similar to [the Apocalypse].''
[.]
It wouldnt be a pleasant truth for Residue. It was obvious his pride would be shredded.
But Lukas continued.
Its like a person who almost burned to death getting a panic attack just from seeing a candle. Or someone who nearly drowned''
[Cut the trivial analogies. Ha. This is absurd. I dont know about the others, but are you saying even my judgment was clouded?]
Did you forget? You are currently fused with me. You are bound to be deeply affected by what I feel.''
[.]
Residue struggled to find a rebuttal, then after a moment, he said,
[But then how do you explain the penetrating power of the Apocalypses rain? Even the Void couldnt handle it, could it?]
Penetrating power. Well said. That was just a property of the rain. Of course, even if I had used all my power, I might not have been able to completely stop it, but that leading to my death is another matter.''
It was evidence that Lukass thinking at the time was overly simplistic. If he had been a little more rational, he might have thought of other means besides defense and evasion.
Although extreme, the method Harin mentioned was one of them.''
[You cant be serious.]
Residue paled as he grasped Lukass thoughts.
[Are you mad? Thinking of making contact without even knowing what it is?]
Did you forget? To me now, a body is just a part. Even if I lose it, there are plenty of ways to replace it.''
[It might not end with just losing it. A single drop of liquid could completely annihilate your body, or perhaps leave a permanent disability.]
Lukas chuckled lowly.
See. You were also trembling in fear, werent you?''
[What?]
Did you forget? The man who died from the rain in the center of the snowy field.''
[.]
Residue flinched noticeably.
Lukas had already seen what happened to someone struck by the droplets. A huge hole in the chestit was merely a scratch to Lukas, nothing more.
However, at the moment the rain fell, Lukas had completely forgotten that fact.
If that wasnt his brain being consumed by fear, then what was it?
[Then you mean.]
Yes.
As Lukas suddenly spoke, Min Ha-rin sent him a curious look.
Looking into her eyes, he said,
I''ll be the one to make contact with the Waterfall of Apocalypse.
* * *
There are limits to the information that can be obtained just by observing.
At least with that alone, one cannot differentiate or interpret. Everything must be left in the realm of conjecture.
For instance, even if Lukas concluded from his observations that a substance was 99.9% safe, he would never be completely reassured.
Instead, he would pour all his efforts into compensating for the remaining 0.01%, which, depending on the perspective, is an infinitesimally small percentage.
It''s not the Apocalypse itself, but the waterfall created by the Apocalypse. The black liquid that flowed from there.
Lukas does not know what making contact with it implies. It''s unknown. He may have boasted pretentiously to Residue, but all that could also be wishful thinking.
If the liquid''s aggressiveness or destructive power were to amplify over time, causing damage beyond what any of Lukass defenses could handle in the worst reaction
That is why courage was necessary. If one only fears the unknown, there can be no progress.
Thus, this was indeed a long-overdue challenge for Lukas.
And Lukas believed that every challenge required insurance.
Lukas looked at Min Ha-rin.
The girl he once taught and still wished to think of as such.
There must be a reason why he met the grown-up Min Ha-rin at this moment.
Min Ha-rin had made him aware of the discomfort darkness held, but her role would not end there.
Harin.
Yes.
Lukas hesitated briefly before speaking, and then brought up something entirely unrelated to what he had been thinking.
Shall we take a walk for a bit?
.
Min Ha-rin blinked and then tilted her head.
Trying to grasp the true intent in his words, she looked down and thought for a moment before suddenly asking,
Are you talking about walking through the labyrinth on the 26th floor?
Yes.
Is there something you want to show me?
Something like that.
He finally nodded.
Understood.
And so, Lukas and Min Ha-rin walked through the labyrinth.
Of course, they felt none of the thrill, fear, or mystery that a confined space like a labyrinth could offer, as the labyrinth was collapsed, as mentioned earlier. Even if it had been intact, it would have been the same.
How have you been in the meantime?
At some point, Lukas found himself asking that.
After all, he hadnt even properly asked her how she was since they reunited. If Min Ha-rin had been her usual self, she might have felt neglected and rightly so.
No, if she hadnt changed so much, perhaps their reunion would have been more appropriate, more like a true reunion.
I didnt spend a single moment without meaning.
Min Ha-rin spoke calmly.
My priority was to prevent local conflicts and rescue humans to achieve peace, but I also had to arrange events sequentially to foster my own growth. Yes, tailored to my level. It shouldnt be too easy or too difficult. Fortunately, I had an excellent companion, Arid.
.
However, the world is full of unpredictable events. If I remember correctly, I stood on the threshold of life and death about twelve times. Thanks to Arid, I was able to save my life.
Those eyes and arm, you didnt lose them in the Bottom Universe?
Min Ha-rin''s cool gaze directed at her own body.
Yes. When I went there, I was already disabled.
Why? If it was Arid''s power, healing them would have been
These are wounds of when I lost to an Absolute being. Of course, regenerating them with Arid''s power isn''t impossible, but it would require so much spiritual energy that I would need to be bedridden for at least a month. Moreover, Arid''s role in the world after the Great Fusion was much more important than mine.
That would be the case.
Arid''s healing power sometimes showed results that even the word miracle'' couldn''t fully describe.
Lukas felt a disconnect.
He had only asked how she was doing casually.
He hadnt expected frivolous talk, but the words Min Ha-rin uttered were too heavy and bleak.
Min Ha-rin chose only the essential points to describe what had happened, and now she was looking at Lukas, waiting for some kind of response.
She wanted to be evaluated by Lukas.
As mentioned before, for Min Ha-rin, the correct answer was Lukas. His life was the perfect benchmark, and ultimately, her goal was to take over all of Lukas''s responsibilities.
Therefore, she needed to be acknowledged.
To confirm whether she was qualified to replace him.
Suddenly, Lukas could hardly remember Min Ha-rins smiling face. He remembered being saved by that smile once, but now her face was obscured by a thick fog.
It''s just avoidance.
How about your siblings?
What?
Your family, your siblings. Are they doing well?
Min Ha-rin looked puzzled but answered first.
Of course they are in a safe place.
It seems youve joined hands with Neil Prand.
Yes. But how did you know that, Master?
I found out somehow. That must be your achievement, right? Well done.
Min Ha-rin sent a uniquely blank stare a few times before bowing her head.
Thank you.
Speaking of which, there''s something youd be happy to hear. About Lee Jong-hak, he exists in the Void World'' where I am. Its hard to say hes alive, but if fate allows, you''ll be able to meet him again someday.
[Lukas.]
Residue called his name in a low voice, but Lukas ignored him and continued speaking.
There were circumstances that put him in danger, but theyre resolved now. Im sure hed be happy to see you. You know, Lee Jong-hak and I didnt get along well, but he seemed to care a lot about you.
And Sedi, that kid is also here. She came all this way looking for me, even bowing her head to the betrayed Ruler. It was a dangerous and impulsive act, but I was also pleased. However, her condition is more critical than Lee Jong-hak''s. Ive already sent a solution, though.
Master.
Min Ha-rins gaze turned this way.
I dont understand.
What?
What you are thinking, or why you are telling me this.
Lukas closed his mouth which had been half-open.
My family, Lee Jong-hak, Sedi Trowman. What do their whereabouts have to do with the Apocalypse? Or can they provide me with a chance to become stronger?
There was no malice in Min Ha-rins voice.
She was still emotionless.
No.
So, do we have more leeway in the situation than I am aware of? Enough to share such unnecessary stories.
Wasnt the situation urgent? What exactly are you thinking about now, Master?
But to Lukas, it felt like she was angry.
Min Ha-rin''s eyes were like glass.
Void of its own color, unable to reflect anything, a crafted piece of glass. However, sometimes in the glass, he could see his own reflection.
Lukas saw Min Ha-rin, and in her eyes, he saw himself.
He suddenly remembered a similar situation he had been in.
The roles were reversed then, but it was when he had wandered around Magic Planet with the Beginning Wizard, who spouted such unnecessary words, and he had gotten angry at him.
Is that so.
The Beginning Wizard, Mark Trowman, must have felt this way at that time.
[You''re getting that kind of response because you''re meddling unnecessarily, you dense fool.]
Residue also clicked his tongue and criticized.
With that, Lukas could make up his mind.
There was no time to dally. He couldnt delay.
What Min Ha-rin needed now was not this.
You said you wanted to become stronger.
Thats right.
Min Ha-rin answered without hesitation.
There is a way to certainly become stronger, but it is very difficult and arduous. If I were to tell you about that method
I will do it.
Even if there''s a slim chance of success? You might lose your life.
It doesn''t matter.
Perhaps thinking her explanation was insufficient, Min Ha-rin continued.
Master, among all the mortals I know, you have climbed to the highest place. If there is a right way to pursue strength, your life would certainly be the closest example.
He had anticipated such an answer to come back.
But hearing it directly made no less impact. Lukas swallowed his bitterness.
So please tell me. What should I do?
Perhaps Lukas wanted to use the pretense of helping Min Ha-rin regain her emotions to justify committing a more cruel act. For a moment, he longed for the days of being an absolute being. If it were those times when his emotions were faint, he wouldnt feel sadness over such choices.
But he stopped himself.
This was not something he should do in front of Min Ha-rin.
The choice is mine.''
And he would bear this sin too.
Fwoosh
A pitch-black space opened beside Lukas.
Min Ha-rins gaze solemnly shifted towards it.
Inside the space, there was nothing visible, just darkness spread out.
However, this darkness had a different aura from the destructive waterfall of the Apocalypse or the dark droplets.
The Bottomless Pit.
Lucas spoke the name of that space.
A space where nothing exists, and the space that suppressed me for 4,000 years.
Min Ha-rin did not seem to understand the situation.
Residue had said that Min Ha-rin had permanently lost her emotions. Even if they were to revive, they wouldn''t last long.
But there are no absolutes in this world.
Right now, Min Ha-rin, whether in a good or bad way, was fixated on the entity that is Lukas. Thus, she would focus intently on the life Lukas has lived.
Regardless of the presence or absence of emotions, it means she would become immersed.
And immersion provokes stimulation.
That was the method Lukas had chosen.
He would create a series of massive stimuli, like a storm, one after another.
Thus, making her feel more, faster than the emotions could fade.
In this place, I''ve stored a part of the knowledge I''ve acquired and aspects of my life.
Thus, for Min Ha-rin, the Bottomless Pit would no longer be a space of nothingness.
I see. Experiencing your life within a confined space, it certainly seems like it would be a great help in becoming stronger.
It will be very tough.
She might want to give up.
Lukas swallowed the words rising to his throat. There was no point in saying them.
I wont tell you the conditions to leave the Bottomless Pit. You need to find them yourself for there to be any meaning.
What happens if I can''t find them by the end?
Then you will remain inside until your self is completely swallowed by the darkness.
The choice is yours.
I will do it.
As soon as the anticipated answer was heard, Lukas shook his head.
And he faintly abhorred himself for making Min Ha-rin his first insurance.''
*****
Book 2: Chapter 555
Lucas had been outside the tower, as part of the Baltak''s experiment. There, he saw the floors and the top that had been eroded by darkness.That reminded him, there was still something he hadn''t tried yet.
What if he were to destroy the tower from the outside, or fly up to the top floor as it is and infiltrate the Beginning Wizard''s room?
What would happen to the darkness?
Of course, it''s not like the Baltak hadn''t realized this possibility. It''s just that these two experiments were too risky to carry out.
Lukas recalled the appearance of the Magic Tower again.
It was just peaceful. It hadn''t changed at all from the first time he saw it, which was why it was such a bizarre sight.
He knew about the distortions that Apocalypse brought. In the face of that, the architectural structures that reach the sky, or the computational magic that could densely fill the surface of a planet, were meaningless.
[Maybe those wizard bastards lied.]
Residue said in a cynical voice.
[In reality, you''ve never directly witnessed the deepest darkness''. Those bastards might have exaggerated without properly assessing the situation. After all, fear can make even a puppy into a wolf.]
Its not a lie, but a misconception.''
Lukas corrected Residues words and thought.
Certainly, both possibilities were plausible.
Lies and misconceptions.
Lukas chuckled. That''s why he had to come into contact with the darkness. He needed to understand what it was.
He went back down to the first floor.
The beautiful garden was no longer recognizable. Instead of floral fragrances, there was the smell of burning, and the soft ground was now crusty. The table that used to emit the aroma of black tea was smashed and overturned.
There was a corpse there.
Torun.
The body of the old man dressed in a suit was already cold.
Lukas temporarily lowered the temperature around the body to prevent it from decomposing. He considered cremating the body and holding a modest funeral, but the mans son was upstairs. It wasn''t Lukas''s role to intervene.
This tower might never collapse.
It had withstood the darkness.
That alone had proven its durability.
The Beginning Wizard why did he build the Magic Tower in the first place? Suddenly, he had a feeling that he could guess the reason.
It felt like walking through a fog with nothing in sight and then suddenly seeing a shape that resembled something.
Then, the thing that Lukas had to do was..
[What are you doing?]
Second insurance.
[What?]
He didnt explain any further.
From the first floor up to the 27th floor, which he was allowed to access, Lukas observed each floor as he ascended. Each time, the mana that had been full began to decrease.
[Replenishing mana has become difficult too.]
Because nature is completely ruined.
[.]
Residue did not say anything more.
After all the work was done, Lukas returned to the 26th floor.
[Where did the woman go?]
I''ve sent her back to the original world for now. I need to deliver the Hope Herb, and I need to explain what will happen next.
[Your disciples will find out that youre alive.]
Well, I wonder about that.
Lukas muttered and then said. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Residue, what will you do if I die from coming in contact with the darkness?
[Id die too. Are you actually asking that?]
Residue replied indifferently, and then added.
[Why are you asking such stupid questions? Youve already denied such a possibility.]
Its not denial, but it''s a slim chance. And as you know, there are no absolutes in this world.
[You speak of death so lightly. Is what The Beginning Wizard said bothering you?]
Right.
Lukas easily agreed with Residue''s words.
You heard it too. The Beginning Wizard is one of the beings that understands me the deepest in this world. Such a person mentioned my death.
[So?]
Hearing his prickly voice made him laugh.
Before he knew it, Residue had begun to disdain the idea of Lukas''s death.
[You''re going to meekly accept his death sentence? I can''t believe it. Are you really the Lucas Trowman I knew?]
Thats not it. You know, dont you? I still have much to do. And regrets.
Just as he had told the Beginning Wizard, if Lucas'' death was necessary to prevent destruction, he would do so, but until that time comes, he won''t give up. He will live his life to the fullest.
However, the conversation with The Beginning Wizard made Lukas feel a lot.
The impact Ive had on others isnt necessarily positive. Ive saved many lives and even the universe, but Ive also shed blood equivalent to that. I know. Life and death,''
[Such nonsense]
I know. It might not mean much to you. But as someone born human, I can''t be completely free from it. Especially after my emotions came back.
The same goes for Min Ha-rin.
If Lukas had encountered her before regaining his humanity at the Dumpsite, he would not have felt as much torment as he does now.
He wanted to live.
But as much as that, he also craved death.
Humans and Gods,
Mortals and the Absolute.
Lukas had become a being full of contradictions.
Residue, I have a favor to ask.
Lukas said with a smile and spoke of the [Last Insurance].
* * *
The Waterfall of Apocalypse'' seen up close resembled a waterfall of oil. Or perhaps as if the space itself had liquefied and was flowing. Of course, it was a space devoid of any stars.
Of course, such a view could only be appreciated after overcoming fear.
[How will you make contact?]
I feel like separating a few drops, but thats impossible. Theres nothing that could contain it.
[That means]
I have no choice but to make direct contact.
Lukas flexed his left hand. The chances were high that his fingers would melt first. He was not afraid of the ensuing pain. What mattered was the potential influence this liquid might have on Lukas''s mind.
Residue, if my mind completely freezes, and I''m just blankly standing there, unable to pull out or cut off my hand, please help me out a bit.
[You''re asking for a lot.]
Residue accepted the request with his usual grumbling voice.
Lukas smiled brightly again, then dipped his hand into the Waterfall of Apocalypse.
Plunk.
And then his vision went completely dark.
* * *
A sphere came into view.
Though called a sphere, it might actually be much larger or incredibly small. It was hard to accurately guess its size since there was nothing nearby to compare it with.
That was the nature of this space.
Whether it was brightly lit or dark was also uncertain. It definitely existed beyond the realm of usual perception.
That''s why the presence of the sphere, placed there all alone, stood out even more.
Upon closer observation, the sphere was fascinating. It seemed still at first glance but was moving more violently than anything ever seen before.
Because of what existed inside it.
There, at this very moment, countless events were occurring, progressing, and ending.
It contained everything.
Ah.
Suddenly, he realized.
That sphere was everything, the entirety, the whole.
Three Thousand Worlds,
The sphere contained an immeasurable number of universes.
It was a shocking sight and truth.
To think that all the worlds he knew existed inside this sphere?
Did God know? The Ruler?
No, more than that, where exactly is this place?
How can I observe that from the outside of the world''?
What am I?
[ ]
A strange sound was heard.
It was something that could hardly be called a sound.
The mumblings of a madman, thunder and lightning, explosions, the wind blowing across a meadow, metallic sounds, screams. These disparate sounds merged messily, then seemed to be injected directly into the brain, not through the eardrums.
[ ]
[ ]
[]
The voices were not from a single source.
There were more presences around.
All I could know was that there were four'' of them.
[ ]
Something absurd happened.
I, too, had made a similar sound.
It couldnt really be called a conversation, but some form of communication was definitely taking place.
That''s when it happened.
Crack-
The sphere began to crack. Something like sand dust leaked out and gradually dispersed into the surrounding space.
Mixed with the dust, a very feeble entity revealed itself.
Even if observed from the far reaches of space, it wouldnt seem smaller than this.
But the moment I recognized this entity, I could fully perceive its overall form.
It looked like a reptile of some sort, but it was unique in that it stood on two legs. Its skin was pale, its eyes, and it wore armor of a unique style.
I decided to call this entity a bug''.
The bug looked around vacantly, seemingly on guard, but unfortunately, it was completely unaware of our presence.
I felt pity leaving it alone, just as I was about to speak to it.
[ ]
One of the presences spoke. The bug jolted and then raised its head, making an expression I had never seen before.
A mix of fear and astonishment, life and death, resignation and desperation that could only emerge together.
Following that, the bug''s eyes flipped back.
[Uh, ah, aaaaaaaaaaaaaa!]
Then a small scream was heard.
The bug frantically flailed its arms, swinging its right arm and starting to fire something in all directions. I didnt like the noise it was making, and the right arm, the source of the trouble, was annoying.
Bulge-
At that moment, the bugs right arm swelled significantly. Even in its dazed state, it looked at its arm in disbelief.
Thats enough.
I didnt want to see that bug anymore.
Woosh-
The moment I thought that, the bug disappeared. It had returned to where it originally was.
I was pleased with the silence that finally arrived.
Now onto the next task
.
Something was strange.
The bugs appearance I had just seen felt familiar. I had seen it somewhere. Where had I seen it?
Exile?
Yes.
That was the Exile.
One of the Twelve Void Lords I had met in the world of Void.
Something else seemed about to come back to me. I had to remember. Something of utmost importance.
Aren''t you curious .
The bug was speaking to me.
I, who was abandoned by both worlds where I had been what I had seen there
I have witnessed Apocalypse I am qualified I will tell you The forms of Apocalypse I saw were five
Five kinds of Apocalypse.
[Lukas!]
Thunder struck in my head.
* * *
I snapped to consciousness.
My face was damp, my body numb, and my mind foggy.
I slowly felt my face. A sticky wetness was present. A mixture of blood and saliva was flowing down like mucus.
.
[What did you say?]
Residue?
The moment I uttered a word, I became Lukas once again.
What happened.
[Thats what Id like to know.]
.
[It seems your memory is cut off. Right after you touched the waterfalls, you lost consciousness.]
Residue spoke in an angry tone.
[Look at the state of you!]
Lukas looked down at his own body.
What was there could hardly be called a body.
The entire left upper half of his body was completely gone. Grotesque ribs and intestines were exposed. The remaining torso wasn''t in good shape either. It was wrinkled like the skin of an old man plagued with disease, and there were growths like dark mushrooms sprouting from it.
Moreover, his entire body was charred black, and there was a smell of burnt flesh.
[Your mind wasn''t coming back, so I used a bit of Thunder. I know how much you cherish Thunder, but there was no other choice.]
I see.
Lukas, forcing himself to ignore the throbbing headache, used the Void. His battered body was restored to its original state.
However, his shattered psyche was not as easily healed.
[Answer me. What exactly did you see?]
Apocalypse.
[You saw the Apocalypse?]
No. I
He choked on his words.
Lukas couldn''t easily explain what he had experienced.
What did I just see?
Did I get a glimpse of the memory of the Apocalypse, or did I experience it from its perspective?
It wasn''t that.
It was a unity that couldn''t be explained by such trivial things.
I was.
The Exile said there were five types of Apocalypse. When I thought I wanted to see the Void King, I saw darkness.
Lukas was muttering in a dazed voice before he knew it.
[That''s right. So what.]
He looked again at the Waterfall of Apocalypse.
He reached out his hand and waved it.
Kwaaaa-
An astonishing thing happened.
The flow of the waterfall, which had never changed its course before, altered its path.
It started flowing in the direction Lukas had waved.
[]
Seeing that, Residue was at a loss for words.
Lukas felt the astonishment Residue was feeling, but continued speaking anyway.
It was me.
[What did you say?]
To Residue''s questioning, Lucas spoke in a desolate voice.
I was one of the five Apocalypses.
*****
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Book 2: Chapter 556
After a short silence, Residue spoke.[What on earth are you talking about?]
Despite the abrupt declaration, Residue did not shout or panic.
He simply asked where the absurd fact that Lukas had mentioned had originated from.
[You''re one of the Apocalypses? How is that related to the time you wanted to see the Void King and ended up seeing a scene resembling the Apocalypse?]
That.
It was something Lukas had not fully considered. His head throbbed and he felt disoriented. His nose began to sting again. Lukas wiped it off, and stayed silent upon realizing that his own blood was no longer red.
Creak, squeak.
A dissonance sounded in his head. It was more unpleasant and creepy than any sound he had heard before.
[Lukas.]
[Does this mean you''re going to become one of the Apocalypses? Or does it mean you''ve always been one of the Apocalypses from the beginning?]
Those are
Lukas shook his head as he spoke.
They existed outside of all concepts.
Time was no exception.
As Lukas awakened to the power of Omniscience, he realized that time was merely a coordinate. Based on this realization, he could know events that had occurred, were occurring, and would occur in a specific space.
But they were
[What happened?]
The cold voice made his head feel a bit cooler.
What if Residue hadn''t been there? Just now, perhaps Lukas wouldnt have been able to return to this place. His very existence might have been devoured and erased.
The experience he just had was the same. He couldn''t talk about it to anyone. He didn''t want to.
He didn''t think they would understand, nor did he want to show his vulnerable side.
But Residue was different. He was the exception.
This once Ruler knew all of Lukas'' secrets in detail and possessed the capacity to remain calm in any astonishing and outrageous situation.
I am
So Lukas spoke.
He explained what he had experienced, as precisely as possible.
After a brief yet lengthy explanation, Residue spoke.
[Isn''t that a misconception?]
Although it might seem like a dismissive remark, anyone who listened to Lukas'' story from an objective point of view would say the same.
[When you merge with a vast entity and see the world from its perspective, feeling a sense of unity isn''t rare. If it intensifies, it can even lead to confusion about ones own identity.]
Residue spoke from cases he had seen and experienced, but Lukas shook his head and denied it.
Do you think I would have such a misconception?
This was a matter before arrogance.
Lukas'' ego was extremely solid and clear, allowing him to maintain his sanity even when eroded by any entity.
Residue knew this as well.
[Its possible.]
However, Residue thought more twistedly.
[The Apocalypse is a vast entity unlike any you''ve encountered before. You cant interpret it based on the concepts you''ve always held.]
You, that means.
[Exactly.]
Residue readily agreed.
[The Apocalypse'' would surely be an entity greater than a Ruler.]
[It wouldn''t be unreasonable for your ego to be swept away by such an entity. That you alone didnt feel what I felt also makes sense.]
Unable to think of a rebuttal, he shut his mouth, but he was not convinced.
And Lukas was appalled that he couldn''t describe the feelings he had experienced just now with any of the many words he knew.
But could Residue''s words explain everything?
There are two things that cant be explained by that.
[What are they?]
Firstly, I''ve now become capable of handling the Apocalypse.
I have become capable of it.
In fact, there might be a flaw in that statement. Lukas still hadn''t clearly grasped what this was, nor did he understand the principle that allowed it to be controlled.
If anything, it was instinct, and some kind of sense.
Two words that Lukas disliked were now the driving force that allowed him to handle the Apocalypse.
Crack-
He clenched his fist. The pitch-black waterfall seemed to stop its flow as if time itself had halted.
[It might be a byproduct of becoming one with the Apocalypse.]
It''s highly improbable, but lets assume that''s true. However, the other thing doesnt make sense.
When he unclenched his fist, the waterfall flowed again.
Lukas took in the sight.
The fear had mostly disappeared.
The Waterfall of Apocalypse.
He now felt a strange sense of kinship with this unidentifiable mass, beyond mere familiarity, and it disgusted him like a foreign body stuck in his mind.
You and I, who share all senses, saw a different scene when I touched this.
[I''ve already told you about that. The opponent is an entity beyond a Ruler. Separating and controlling our senses as well]
I''m not talking about just now. I mean at the Spring of Wisdom.
[]
Residue fell silent.
Back then, I heard the cry of a baby, but you didn''t hear it. Dont you find that strange? At that time, I hadn''t even come into contact with the Apocalypse yet.
[Because you were the Apocalypse from the beginning? So you have a sense that only you possess?]
I can''t be certain of anything. That''s why we need to find out.
[How.]
Theres a way right in front of us.
As Lukas looked at the waterfall, Residue finally spoke with a mixed tone.
[Ha. You mean to repeat that insane act? You may not realize, but I used every possible means to awaken you when you lost consciousness. Most were useless, and Thunder,'' the last method I used, barely worked.]
[Dont you see the point? You were able to wake up just now purely by luck. If the same thing happens again, you might not come back this time.]
Thats a valid point. You''re not wrong.
Lukas readily nodded, and Residue cursed softly.
[Damn it. You crazy son of a bitch. But you''re still going to do it.]
Yes.
Lukas smiled faintly.
Its the only way.
Lukas swallowed his words and looked at the waterfall again.
Of course, using Thunder'' indefinitely was not possible.
This power was among the scarcest and rarest of resources Lukas had, with no means to replenish it. What was left now were just remnants brought by Residues residual thoughts, and even Residue didnt know how many more times he could wake Lukas.
Lukas felt somewhat relieved.
Creak, creak
A terrible noise sounded in his head again.
Lukas murmured lowly, then dipped his hand into the waterfall again. Becoming able to handle it didn''t mean he was immune to the Apocalypse itself.
As evidence, the onslaught of pain returned, and his vision blacked out once again.
* * *
Slurp.
Whats that sound?
Hmm.
Along with a comfortable sigh, slurp. The sound occurred once again.
Then he realized what it was.
The sound of drinking tea.
This was a different space from the one he first saw.
A small round table was set in the pitch-black space. There were no chairs. However, on the table were two teacups with steam rising from them.
One of the cups was floating in mid-air, as if an invisible person was elegantly sipping from it.
What the
Lucas said that, and was surprised that he could speak.
It wasn''t just that which was strange. He didn''t feel the sense of being unified with a vast entity'' that he had experienced before.
Lukas stood still for a moment before walking towards the table. It didn''t feel like walking but rather sliding smoothly. His whole body felt like it was made of mist.
When he stood in front of the table, he saw something other than what he had previously confirmed.
Floating above the tea was a mask.
A familiar mask, the mask of an old man. Sear?h the ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
The mask of The Beginning Wizard.
You''re earlier than expected.
A solemn voice, why hadnt he realized?
This too was the voice of The Beginning Wizard.
Why are you here?
Lucas stopped his voice from flowing out.
And he voiced the question he had earlier.
Are you the Apocalypse?
Hmm.
The Beginning Wizard, the being Lukas presumed, chuckled.
It seems you''ve experienced some interesting things. Have your questions been answered? To what extent have you seen and felt?
I.
The teacup clinked as it was placed on the saucer.
That sound echoed in the space for a long time, and when it finally stopped, another voice followed.
The Waterfall of Apocalypse. That''s an interesting name. I called it the Overflowing Apocalypse Heh. It''s a matter of perspective. You saw it as falling from above, while I understood it as something that couldn''t be fully controlled and overflowed.
Overflowed?
Lukas muttered and then asked.
Is the Apocalypse sealed in a room one floor higher than the 77th?
The Beginning Wizard gently burst into laughter.
It was as if he had heard an interpretation of an incident from a completely new perspective.
What you encountered was not the Apocalypse, nor even a part of it.
What?
That was just a precursor, or the remnants left behind, and the impending disaster will be incomparable to the likes of a waterfall.
Then, the Deepest Darkness'' witnessed by the wizards of the Magic Tower is
If we must say, that darkness could indeed be considered a small part of the Apocalypse.
Lukas was at a loss for words.
It hadn''t even started. Just a precursor?
I knew the waterfall wasn''t the Apocalypse.
It was merely the aftermath of something indescribable that existed above.
And the few drops of liquid that Lukas failed to block, split from the waterfall, were once again part of that aftermath.
But now The Beginning Wizard said.
The source of the waterfall above is not the Apocalypse.
Lukas was.
Overwhelmed by just a part, of a part, of a part of the Apocalypse.
The Magic Tower is a breakwater. I designed it myself to prevent the Apocalypse from expanding its territory. You probably noticed, but the system to cultivate wizards was established after that.
After stacking 77 worlds, I designed sturdy and unbreakable inner walls. The downside was that I focused too much on the inside, which made the exterior durability terribly weak. When you said you were going to destroy it, I was taken aback, you know?
What are you trying to say?
Im admitting Im the Apocalypse. And you, you need to learn about this mask going forward.
The Beginning Wizard muttered.
Its a ridiculous device, but the Apocalypse has an order, and it can be distinguished in this material world in the form of masks. You must have heard the baby''s cry at the Spring of Wisdom? That was the First Apocalypse.
Suddenly, behind The Beginning Wizard, the mask of a crying baby appeared. Following it, the smiling mask of a young man and the expressionless mask of a middle-aged man appeared.
They lined up on The Beginning Wizards left side.
The masks floating vaguely in the pitch-black darkness sent a clear chill through the air.
From birth, through life, to old age.
The life of someone, or everyone, was there.
Four masks
Lukas noted the number of masks.
Then, the remaining one is
Then, The Beginning Wizard''s mask tilted slightly, as if cocking its head.
Are you really asking because you don''t know? Weren''t you aware of all this when you came here?
At that moment, Lukas looked down at his teacup, and for the first time, he could see his reflection in the tea.
It was a gaunt skeleton.
A mask made so intricately that it could be mistaken as such was floating in the air, just like the Beginning Wizard''s mask.
It was Lukas.
Kkirk, kuk!
The noise in his head amplified tens of times. His head hurt. Is that really possible? Can it be?
Lukas faltered, feeling an unknown fear.
The Fifth Apocalypse, Lukas Trowman.
The Beginning Wizard said in a solemn voice.
Let''s talk about the old days.
*****
Book 2: Chapter 557
Why does Apocalypse exist in five forms? What is the reason for that?A dazed voice continued.
You must have experienced [Outside the Sphere]. Where that place is, what I was at that time, how much more there is''the current me'' cannot know. That''s because everything I experienced, felt, and noticed disappear like a fog the moment I return here.
Lukas recalled the words of the Exile. He too couldn''t accurately describe what he had gone through.
So the words I''m about to say now will be from the perspective of the Beginning Wizard, as a member of the material world.
As if the distinction was very important, there was strength in the voice of the Beginning Wizard.
The form of destruction was originally just one. At the same time, it was also creation.
What does that mean?
I guess I have to use a somewhat childish expression. You know about the existence called a god,'' right? You''ve seen one directly and even had a conversation. How was it?
The intention behind the question wasn''t clear, so he asked back.
What about it.
Your impression of having seen it directly. Did you not think it was incompetent? Perhaps you thought it was a being unworthy of the title of a monotheistic god. In fact, he was dragged into the world of Void and executed. A rather miserable end for a creator.
That was a being neither omnipotent nor omniscient. It thought its death could change something, but it did not. The only achievement it made was bringing you into the world of Void and creating the Ruler.
The Beginning Wizard chuckled.
You might have vaguely thought so. That this being might not be a god.
I didnt think that.
You did. Even if it was unconsciously. I can guarantee that.
It was a strange moment.
Someone else was certain about what he had thought. However, due to the peculiar relationship with the Beginning Wizard, he couldnt completely deny those words.
First off, congratulations are in order. That conjecture is true.
What?
At the beginning of time, there existed the only one'' in a universe when there was nothing yet. This being was omnipotent within the sphere of the universe. Whether this being also came from outside'' or whether the effects of this being reached outside'' I do not know that much. I can only tell what I know.
Only then did Lukas realize what the Beginning Wizard had referred to as the childish expression''.
The primordial god? Bringing up such a being now?
It might have been fortunate that he had no face. If he had facial skin, he might not have been able to contain his sarcasm at this moment.
The primordial god had a will. A vast one at that. It did not actively create something like the gods you know. Yet, the world was created. It was a very natural phenomenon. Just as living beings exhale carbon dioxide while breathing, its mere existence could have a massive impact around it. That was the very first creation.
Of course, thats the story of the world inside the sphere.
The Beginning Wizard added with a laugh, then suddenly became serious. He noticed that his joke was neither funny nor appropriate.
After an unimaginably long time, this being suddenly realized its role and fate. Creation and Destruction, within a vast category, weren''t much different, and it had to perform both roles. Yes. It had to erase what was born from itself.
After a slight pause, the voice continued.
The First Destruction was the moment it became aware of its role.
But the primordial god made arrangements before becoming the Destruction. The first intentional creation, which resulted in the birth of two beings you know as the god and the Void King.
So, the god and the Void King are.
In human terms, you might call them brothers.
Lukas remained silent. He knew, having glimpsed it through the Spring of Wisdom.
What the Void King had become.
Then, the god who had suddenly disappeared
When the First Destruction struck, both the god and the Void King fought against it. What do you think happened?
Did they win?
Since the world had not yet perished, which was decisive evidence of some sort, Lukas asked this question.
No. They were defeated. Miserably. But they managed to get a reprieve, despite the dreadful event.
A dreadful event?
Keep this in mind. When the crucial moment comes, theres only one who can face the core Destruction. Therefore, the existence of one with the power of 100 is far more important than millions with the power of 99. Thats the law, and because of that, the god created a vast system The beings that the people of the Three Thousand Worlds often perceive as the absolute ones are merely by-products of this system.
A hint of laughter was mixed into the Beginning Wizards voice.
The Rulers? Surely strong, but not enough. They might have been sufficient if they were still one entity, but now that it''s divided into four, it''s far from enough.
This statement, too significant to ignore, just slipped out.
The Rulers were one entity?
Oh. You didnt know that yet? No matter. Theres nothing left to hide from you now.
How is that possible? I might not know about the other Rulers, but in the case of the Seven Fanged Dragon God
That It was created by the merging of the seven Absolutes? No. It was originally one being that split into seven. What the Dragon inherited was that characteristic.
Theres no need to delve deeper into this. At most, you might use it to comfort the pitiful remnant residing within you.
It was fortunate that Residues consciousness wasnt here. This insult had crossed the line even from Lukass perspective.
The Beginning Wizard redirected the conversation.
Therefore, although the god and the Void King joined forces to prevent the destruction, in the end, only the Void King was able to hold out at the decisive moment.'' And the Void King was defeated. What happened after the defeat?
The fate of the Void King,
It wasnt hard to predict the outcome from his current state.
Apocalypse transformation.
It may not have been an appropriate expression, but Lukas said it, and the Beginning Wizard agreed.
Thats right. The Void King became the Second Destruction. Although a brief reprieve was gained, the difficult task of stopping one Destruction now doubled in difficulty. I''ve contemplated this issue for a very long time, but I still havent reached a clear conclusion on whether things turned out well or not.
Then the reason the Four Knights hate the god is.
There are several reasons, but the fundamental one is because they misunderstood that the god killed the Void King.
Of course, the Four Knights also knew that the god was hiding something, but that being kept the truth hidden until just before its demise. I agree with that thinking. The truth about the destruction should be kept as secretive as possible. The more who know, the greater the chaos.
So that''s why he was executed without any resistance.
In that ownerless castle.
The god you remember was probably a remnant, from the very first moment you met.
Lukas couldn''t argue against that.
Because from their first meeting, the god was neither omniscient nor omnipotent.
So the god.
Is already dead, and became the Third Destruction.
The white mask of a middle-aged man floating next to the Beginning Wizard entered his sight.
One person, all the arrangements the god made during his lifetime were to create one absolute being. And Lukas Trowman, you were the most suitable candidate for the gods plan. The reason your life has been full of trials is simple. The being that made the Three Thousand Worlds wanted it that way.
It was the truth he hadnt wanted to know.
Lukas felt not so much surprise as anger, and not so much anger as a sense of emptiness.
Even then, his mind did not stop thinking.
A single absolute being.
Just one.
Self-righteousness.
Lukas recalled the word that the Beginning Wizard had continuously emphasized.
What I do know is that during the miraculous time when the beings known as Destruction possessed a sense of self, they all desperately took the same action. To prepare a contingency for themselves becoming the Destruction. Like the primordial god birthed brothers, the god created the Ruler and built the system of absolute beings and the Void King spawned the Four Knights and the Twelve Void Lords.
What does that mean
We call such desperate, meaningless actions flailing.
The Beginning Wizard''s mask transparently looked at Lukas.
Strange. Are you trying to find the meaning of their flailing? You''ve done similar things yourself.
It felt like a cold wind was brushing against his skin.
Insurance, was it? The arrangements you made before coming into contact with the destruction are not much different.
I only prepared for after my death. I realized I might become the destruction only after coming into contact with the waterfall.
You must have felt more than just death.
Creak, squeak.
Dissonance.
Suddenly, his head throbbed.
It must have been something beyond instinct or premonition. It''s not strange. You just did what a being destined to become the destruction ought to do.
Yet, the Beginning Wizard did not stop speaking.
My question is more fundamental. Why did we become the destruction? Perhaps we were never meant to be the destruction from the start? So, we think we are relying on our own will and flailing, but if that too is just a situation set up by an outside'' entity, and even my'' self is defined by those outsiders, and all of this is merely a pastime of some grand entity
Such questions would be endless. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Thus, Lukas remained silent.
What are the five beings outside [the Sphere]? Are there really five? What is their purpose? I have no clues about that, but I probably already know. Perhaps when I completely lose my self and finally become the Fourth Destruction, I will understand
His voice gradually faded.
You will eventually awaken as the destruction one day, but not yet. It''s not time for you to come here. Because you, of all people, are the contingency plan that the god and I have prepared with the highest chance of success.
Lukas remained silent.
He considered himself not at all dull-witted, but it was difficult to fully understand the cascade of information.
Yet, he felt a peculiar dissonance in the Beginning Wizard''s explanation.
What was it.
This time obtained leave this place
Crackle, click.
Four Knights Twelve Void Lords and Ruler.
Chi-jik, chik.
Strong noise began to mix into the Beginning Wizard''s voice.
The old man''s mask suddenly fell and hit the ground.
As Lukas blankly watched this scene.
Lukas Trowman.
A voice sounded.
A different voice from the Beginning Wizard''s. A voice he recognized.
He turned his head and looked at the mask.
The expressionless mask of a middle-aged man.
According to the Beginning Wizard, the Third Destruction.
Another name, the god.
An entity that had already lost its sense of self, called out Lukas''s name.
*****
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Book 2: Chapter 558
Haven''t you already become destruction?The god was the third destruction, and much time had already passed since then.
Lukas could not see his form, but he could not find any madness or dissonance in the voice that flowed forth.
How do you still retain your sanity? Or is this also one of the fragments of the ego you left behind?
It would be inappropriate to say when he was alive,'' but he uttered the method that the god often used when he existed.
Still, no answer came back.
Is this really the god I knew?
It was at the moment he voiced his final question.
Are you asking about my condition?
Once again, a voice was heard.
I will answer simply You might feel like we are having a rational conversation right now, but to a third party, it would not seem that way at all.
What do you mean?
Every being has their own means of communication. For some beasts, scratching each others bodies is also a form of affection, and in some cases, there are even more intense forms of expression These are types incomprehensible to outsiders.
So, have I stepped into such a realm now? A realm beyond destruction,'' incomprehensible to any other than you and me?
If so, thinking that he, Lukas, was currently conversing'' with the god, The Beginning Wizard, might also be his misconception.
There was a more complex exchange of intentions going on between them than he could feel, and Lukass still-human mind was filtering it to make it understandable
Lukas thought the god''s emotionlessly spoken words held considerable credibility.
If this were true, then it explained why Residue, who shared all senses with him, felt nothing only at the moments of contact with the destruction.
Was it not that he couldnt remember, but that he couldnt comprehend?''
The god spoke again.
I thought you could be a being capable of stopping the destruction, stopping me.
You have a strange power. You know how to firmly grasp improbably slim chances of victory, and you''re accustomed to fighting against beings so strong they seem invincible. I thought there was something to learn and emulate from that. I believed it would be of great assistance in the fight against the destruction. However, the Fourth Destruction'' seems to have come to a different conclusion.
What are you talking about.
I am trying to explain the dissonance you felt in our recent conversation.
Shudder-
At that moment, the mask of the old man, The Beginning Wizard''s mask on the ground, trembled.
[. .]
A choked voice, or perhaps a shout, leaked out and then abruptly stopped. The trembling also ceased.
Lukas looked down at the mask of the old man with a complex gaze, then shifted his focus to the mask of a middle-aged man.
The Fourth Destruction thought that you needed more time.
Time?
He thought that you are not yet capable of stopping the destruction That has complicated my plans.
Your plans?
Originally, Lukas Trowman. You were supposed to become one of the Twelve Void Lords, The Beginning Wizard.
When was it, I had heard similar words before.
He reminisced about the past.
The moment he first arrived in the world of the Void, he recalled the voice left by the god.
Become one of the Twelve Void Lords. Once you go to the throne after that, you will know how to act in the future.
Was that your ultimate goal? To make me one of the Twelve Void Lords?
Thats right. If you become one of the Twelve Void Lords, you would be able to enter the palaces of the world of Void, where truths, including the destruction, are hidden. It was the most natural progression I could think of.
Also, becoming The Beginning Wizard would allow you to understand the movements of all mana that has existed since the creation of the world. Furthermore, you would awaken to the methods of manipulating the coordinates of time and space, and under certain conditions, it becomes possible to overpower beings like the Ruler or the Four Knights.
This was something that even Pale, the Blue Knight, had mentioned.
The uniqueness of The Beginning Wizard and his prominent strength among the Twelve Void Lords.
With that power and the existence known as Lukas Trowman overlapping, the chances of defeating the destruction, albeit slim, would have increased.
To what extent?
After a brief silence, the god replied.
It would be enough to find a needle in a Nayuta''. (TL: Sanskrit work Nayuta which means a very large number)
Ha.
Are you scoffing?
With a sarcastic tone, the god said,
Do you think I am joking with you by mentioning an astronomical unit?
He spoke as if he was angry, but his tone remained emotionless.
Do you know how much has been sacrificed to go from nothing to something, from 0 to 1? The hope that finally blossomed used a longer time as fertilizer than what I just mentioned. You, who have not experienced that time, saw despair in the number Nayuta, but I feel hope. I am merely happy. Happy that I dont have to perish powerlessly, that I have earned the right to struggle.
Yet, the god did not seem happy.
He appeared to have lost even that emotion.
Lukas felt a heaviness in his heart. Where did the gods sense of responsibility come from? It was the same for all those who had become destructions. If any of them had not possessed a sense of responsibility, had not loved the world, or had known that giving up would be easier, then
Then the universe would have perished long ago.
Should I apologize for not following your plans?
He spat the words out bitterly, still in a sarcastic tone.
Ultimately, Lukas had not become The Beginning Wizard despite several regressions. In fact, this was his first time setting foot on the Magic Planet. It was a move completely opposite to the god''s plan.
No. Its not your fault. Nor was there any mistake in my preparations. Right after you awoke, there was even a guide next to you.
He was referring to the guide, Pale.
When he opened his eyes, the being always by Lukas''s side was Pale.
Now that he thought about it, when Kasajin first came to the world of Void, it was Pale who had guided him.
The only mistake was with the current Beginning Wizard, Mark Trowman, your bloodline. For some reason, that man did not relinquish his position
Relinquish his position? What do you mean by that?
That was his role. To hold the position of The Beginning Wizard'' until you came to the world of Void, and then to step down without complaint immediately after you arrived, making it easier for you to absorb all his knowledge, experience, and accumulated power But he did not do that. Because of this, everything became complicated.
Complicated
Do you still not understand?
A monotone voice flowed into his ears.
It was you. Lukas Trowman. Originally, this was supposed to be your turn.
Suddenly, the mask of the old man on the ground caught his eye.
Creak, creak.
The noise in his head grew worse, and Lukas felt the cold again.
Even though he had no physical body, it felt like a cold wind was swirling around a corner of his heart.
My arrangement as the Third Destruction was you. It means you were destined to become the Fourth Destruction.
!
Instead of a cold wind, it felt like a large, hard snowball had hit his head.
It was as if his head had been whitewashed by a hammer.
However, the god continued to speak, unconcerned by the shock Lukas was experiencing.
Of course, that would have happened if you had lost. And in my opinion, now was the most opportune time. Delaying does not increase the chances of winning.
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Now he understood the meaning.
Those who fight against the destruction become the destruction themselves.
He still needed to find out what conditions applied, but it was clear that the power of the destruction did not weaken over time. On the contrary, it grew stronger.
As much as he had bought time, the next destruction would grow even larger and stronger.
Then, there would eventually come a limit to this stalling
However, Mark Trowman rejected that plan. He took on the role that should have been directed at you himself. Originally, it would have been impossible, but the strange relationship between you two had allowed for this absurdity.
Only then did Lukas realize the sense of dissonance he felt upon hearing the words of The Beginning Wizard.
The Beginning Wizard said:
Lukas Trowman was an arrangement made by God and Himself.
That couldnt possibly be.
The god was the Third Destruction, and The Beginning Wizard was the Fourth Destruction. Theoretically, their selections could not be the same.
Why.
His voice faltered as he spoke.
Lukas turned his gaze back to the mask of the old man.
Why did The Beginning Wizard go to such lengths to give Lukas time?
Lukas recalled their meeting and the conversation they had shared.
Because he was his younger brother''?
Because of their unique situation where only they could understand each other?
Or simply because he judged that doing so would increase the chances of victory?
He couldnt continue his thoughts.
And now, the time is up.
Time
The god muttered.
It has already started, and it will soon end.
Lukas knew what the god was talking about.
* * *
Ha, ack!
Lukas felt as though he had plummeted from the highest place imaginable to the bottom of the abyss.
Cough, cough!
Rough coughs.
He coughed harshly, as if he was vomiting something up, tears mixed with the coughing fits before they stopped.
Gasping for breath, he looked around.
[You?]
It was the same.
Lukas was still standing in the middle of the sky, in front of the waterfall.
And his hand was buried in the waterfall. Unlike the first contact, his body didnt melt away. Rather, there was no damage at all. The waterfall could no longer harm Lukas.
Realizing this, he bit his lower lip.
Initially, the waterfall of the destruction was something he could only avoid because there were no means to counter it, but now Lukas was handling it as if he was merely dipping his hands in warm water.
[You, how did you wake up by yourself? I didnt even use Thunder]
Residue.
Lukas cut off Residues words.
It was because of an inexplicable sense of urgency.
How much time has passed?
[About 3 seconds.]
3 seconds.
Only that much?
Lukas exhaled out of futility.
I need to go up.
[The Magic Tower, you mean? What''s the point?]
There''s something I must see.
It has already started, and it will soon end.
He recalled the voice left by the god.
Lukas muttered while looking at the waterfall.
This waterfall, and the Deepest Darkness'', are aftermaths of the destruction. Someone called it a precursor, but that was a misinterpretation.
[What?]
The Magic Tower was originally built by The Beginning Wizard as a battleground.
To stop the destruction? Yes, that wasn''t wrong either.
More precisely, it was to mitigate the impact when he and the destruction fought''!
[.]
Fight, with what? Residue didnt ask such a stupid question.
And Lukas bit his lip once again.
What an idiot, why did he only realize it now?
Observation, analysis, creativity, application, computation. Whats the point of scoring high in these skills if, in a state of panic, he can''t even come to such a simple conclusion!
The final battle of The Beginning Wizard has already started. It began right after we parted.
[So all that stuff about sending you to the first floor and trials and such.]
It must have been a stalling tactic to keep me occupied.
Damn it, and this waterfall, the droplets, The Deepest Darkness'' are merely the repercussions of the ongoing battle.
The Beginning Wizard''s room,
In that space which is but isn''t the Magic Tower, The Beginning Wizard must be fighting.
And, he will likely lose.
Creak, creak-
His head throbbed. What if he smashed his skull and turned the brain inside into pulp? It was a pain so terrible that he wanted to do that.
Lukas bled dark blood once again.
Why didn''t he realize it?
Among all the destructions, only The Beginning Wizard''s existence was incongruous.
And that man, he indeed gave Lukas the refreshing first experience.
He had stolen the responsibility that had been assigned upon him!
Numerous emotions surged in like waves, but Lukas had no time to analyze each one.
One thing was clear.
I have to see.
The Beginning Wizard and the Third Destruction.
Their fight, The Beginning Wizards final appearance,
He had to witness it with his own two eyes.
*****
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Book 2: Chapter 559
Lukas was about to break this space and escape outside the tower at any moment. Although it was designed not to be destroyed from the inside, it would be possible if he concentrated the power of Destruction'' and shot it out.
However, the hand he stretched out did not cause any changes. It wasn''t that he had lost the power to control Destruction.
Hesitation.
As he lowered his hand that he had extended, he bit his lips again. Blood was now seeping from his continuously bitten lips, and its color was so identical to that of Destruction that it looked like black ink was spreading between his lips.
Its the Magic Tower built by The Beginning Wizard.
Knowing what that man had thought when he erected this tower, Lukas no longer felt like destroying it.
A human sentiment that should not enter his''s mind when time is of the essence.
Should he be glad that he still had such aspects within himself?
[Are you planning to go to the roof from the outside?]
[I see.]
Though Lukas did not respond, Residue seemed convinced and muttered to himself.
Lukas, while grateful for his understanding, considered another possibility.
If he was too late, if everything was already over
I am
Upon reaching the 1st floor, Lukas immediately flew up towards the sky. The tower was built so high that it could inspire awe, but if he maintained this speed, in the blink of an eye
Stop!
With a frantic voice, someone suddenly appeared in front of Lukas.
Since he had anticipated his arrival, he was not surprised. Lukas even stopped as told by the man. That much consideration was due to the information the man had provided.
Baltak.
The mage, who is a Seven Magician on the 33rd floor and currently acting as Lukass caretaker, was breathing raggedly, which was a stark contrast to his usual methodical and organized demeanor.
Was he following Lukas? Or does a Seven Magician have a means to move from inside to outside the tower instantaneously?
Move aside.
This was both the first and last warning.
God said time was pressing, and that was the truth.
There was no time to persuade the magicians.
Was it a misunderstanding that I felt you understood what I said? Or was this your real purpose?
There''s no guarantee that darkness will just lie dormant when you are outside the tower! This impulsive action might lead to
Before he could finish his sentence, Baltak''s eyes glazed over. Then his body limply began to fall like a string-cut puppet.
By that time, Lukas was already moving again.
Koong.
Faintly, the sound of the body thudding into the ground could be heard. Although the fall was from several hundred meters, he probably hadn''t died. He must have broken a few bones, though.
And Lukas had reached the top.
The Beginning Wizards room,
The place he had last left that guy, who maintained a whirling, smile-mixed demeanor until the end.
If he had started fighting with Destruction right after that, what would The Beginning Wizard have felt at that time?
Its not the time to get sentimental.
Lukas placed his palm on the door that didnt even have a doorknob. He didnt know how to open it, but what did he care.
A door that does not open is no different from a wall, and Lukas knew how to break walls.
My Lord instructed not to let anyone in.
He didnt turn around, but he knew it was Altatas voice. Her demeanor was much calmer than Baltak''s, but that wasnt enough to justify stopping Lukass actions.
However, the following words momentarily halted Lukas.
Even if its the lords brother.
Did she know?
He didnt voice that thought.
Lukas turned around, and his eyes captured the green-haired woman. Her voice was calm, but her appearance was disheveled.
Who else knows.
Not everyone knows, thats certain.
A few more Seven Magicians like me were informed.
Baltak seemed unaware though.
Yes. Only the Seven Magicians from the 44th to the 77th floors were informed.
Is it the truth known only to Altata and four others?
Lukas did not feel much significance or shock from this statement. Perhaps his exposure to the truths he learned through contact with Destruction had built up his tolerance.
That you will lead us.
Altata spoke again.
The lord has said so.
Yes.
That must be The Beginning Wizard''s clever plan. Not different from that of a god, except that a little more grace is given.
Lukas clenched his fist tightly again.
Do not stop me.
Altata mumbled a few times but eventually closed her mouth and lowered her head, acknowledging that she could not stop him with her power.
And Lukas, he opened the door.
The space beyond the door was dark, yet bright.
Realizing this, Lukas also felt that the entrance he had come through had disappeared. It was a situation that could make his heart sink, yet he remained composed. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Lukas looked at the scene unfolding before him with sunken eyes.
A black river was flowing.
Below was the Waterfall of Destruction''. This was its source. He could guess why the magicians had named it the deepest darkness''. Visually, one could only see darkness emanating from it.
But Lukas saw light there too.
The light was slowly floating down the river in the form of lotus flowers. As it came closer, he saw what was embedded in it.
Memories.
Sometimes.
A voice.
I just cant stand the people around me because theyre so revolting.
Not Lukas''s voice.
It seems like they dont try, they dont think. Just lying down on the floor, crying their eyes out like babies, and dont think to stand up on their own.
The Beginning Wizard''s voice.
Part of a conversation they had once shared.
You scold and pay attention to a child eating dirt and vomiting it out once or twice. But when you see such scenes tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, millions, billions of times
At some point, they start to look like slightly smarter monkeys.
That was Lucas'' secret shame.
A thought too disrespectful for someone who once claimed to be the god of all humans, a thought he could not share with anyone.
When it came from another beings mouth, it sent chills down his spine. His face may have turned red with shame.
But that person did not deny Lukas''s existence.
Did not criticize or insult him.
He affirmed it.
Lukas realized it really late, only now.
How miraculous and thankful that was.
Someone else do it.
The voice continued.
Someone, please take over.
The Beginning Wizard''s voice continued.
* * *
You''re going to have a younger sibling.
He could not vividly recall his biological mother''s face. It was blurry, like the faded letters on an old page. He wasnt even sure if he remembered her voice correctly.
A sister?
Yes.
So, Ill be an older brother?
You might become an oppa, but Id also like to have a son.
Take good care of them and protect them.
Me?
Yes, because you''re the older brother.
Amidst most of those memories crumbling away like dry leaves, the words she left behind and the anticipation that filled his young heart remained vivid.
But the young Marks anticipation dimmed before it could blossom.
He was separated from the brother he barely got to see after birth.
Heir, politics, conspiracies, eldest son, second son
He could hardly remember the reasons now.
Afterward, Mark forgot about his brothers existence.
He lived on, forgetting.
For a very long time.
* * *
To Mark Trowman, responsibility was a word mixed with love and hate.
Mark! The seniors at the academy threatened to kill us! What should we do?
I''ll talk to them.
From his adolescence, he understood the weight that word carried.
Recently, the monsters of the forest have become more aggressive.
I will handle it.
He also learned that an appropriate level of excellence is a blessing, but the moment it goes too far, it''s no different from a curse.
The demigods have shown themselves. They are beings that cannot be opposed with human power and knowledge
Please leave it to me.
The world was full of problems, and Mark knew the equations to solve them.
It wasn''t difficult, and it certainly wasn''t anything grand.
Ah, look over there!
That person is the strongest wizard in human history
Truly amazing. The role model of a hero.
However,
What could he be thinking about normally?
It must be something noble that we can''t even imagine.
But the world,
I never thought a virtuous person like you actually existed.
You really have admirable thoughts.
I deeply respect the achievements you have made.
The world began to judge Mark arbitrarily and started to have expectations.
They began to shift their responsibilities onto him.
No.
Mark muttered to himself inwardly.
A hero? Virtuous? Noble?
All wrong.
Mark just knew how to solve problems. Remove that aspect, and everything was the same as them.
Thats why he tried to teach them. He thought if he persisted and explained things one by one, they could understand like he did.
No one did.
Those who wanted to be like Mark either gave up midway or died.
Realizing their frailty, Mark eventually gave up on teaching at some point.
Thank you for saving us!
You are my hero, teacher.
May endless glory accompany you, great mage
Why?
Why do they only highlight my achievements and not utter a single word about my slaughters?
Saving someone means killing someone else.
If they regarded Mark as a unique hero of salvation in the world, they should also have seen him as the worst murderer in history. That would be a fair judgment.
But he could also guess the reason for that.
If one must seek help, isnt it better from a hero than a murderer?
Disgusting beings.
He truly became sick of them.
Even at the moment of requesting help, their own conscience comes first?
Kekeke
Mark suppressed a laugh.
It would have been better if they had only known such appearances. Then perhaps he wouldnt have sacrificed himself to protect them.
But humans were not such one-dimensional beings.
There were those who would give their lives for Mark, companions who made being together enjoyable, and their vulnerable and fragile forms were incredibly endearing
He couldn''t give up. He couldnt throw them away.
If I don''t look after them, these ignorant and weak beings will not survive.
The current world was far from the word peace'', and there were too many threats to people.
Therefore, Mark sealed such thoughts in the deepest part of his heart, thoroughly enough that they would never emerge again.
However, human emotions were not something that could be controlled at will. Desires grew unpleasantly and steadily like neglected vines.
Sometimes, buried emotions surged up violently, invading even his psyche, and with each occurrence, the desire to escape grew stronger.
But because actually doing so was impossible, at some point, the direction changed.
From escape to transference.
Instead of me.
A being just like me.
If only someone else would take on my responsibilities
However, such a miracle did not occur during Marks lifetime.
Not even once.
*****
Book 2: Chapter 560
Peeking into the memories of others is a rude act. Especially if those are secrets they wish to keep hidden.Lukas was moving forward, his body immersed in the pitch-black river.
The river was sticky like mud and seemed to have an unpleasant will of its own. It clung to Lukass body like swarming insects, unpleasantly slimy as it licked every part of his skin before drifting away.
It was as if it was trying to analyze what kind of being Lukas was.
Within it, the sporadic touches of light lotuses intermittently revealed the memories of The Beginning Wizard.
He had experienced something similar before.
It was similar to the time when he inadvertently peeked into the memories of Iris Phisfounder, who had sacrificed herself for him. Perhaps the feelings he was experiencing now were similar as well.
Lukas looked towards the source of the river.
Nothing was visible, and no sound could be heard, but it was clear that The Beginning Wizard was there at the end.
He forced his unyielding steps to move.
And Mark''s memories crashed into Lucas like waves, reflecting memories like ripples.
* * *
The memories of his lifetime had cut off at some point.
Mark sometimes tried to recall his last moments but to no avail. He later realized that this was one of the few things common among those who had drifted into this world.
When he became self-aware again,
Mark existed in the Void World as if it was the natural order of things.
Lying on a pure white snowy field, looking up at a sky the color of which he had never seen before in his life.
[You will become The Beginning Wizard.]
A voice suddenly heard.
Was it a voice?
It was unclear. It felt as if the words themselves became concepts that embedded themselves in his mind.
Mark felt it was similar to a revelation.
A revelation, then could there be a god?
After all, considering everything he had experienced, the existence of such a fucked-up being wouldnt be strange at all.
[Accumulate knowledge, hone your power, and when a being similar to you arrives, pass on that position to them.]
Even if it was a statement from a god, it was not easily dismissible.
A being similar to me?
Theres no such thing.
A scornful retort came out involuntarily.
[See for yourself If you go to Magic Planet, youll find out]
What?
And then the voice was no longer heard.
Frozen in place, Mark eventually got up.
Despite lying in the snow for a long while, he felt no cold.
And his mind was clearer than ever.
Somehow, he felt as if he knew where he had to go.
He headed towards Magic Planet without a guide.
Back then, entering Magic Planet was not as restricted as it is now, and it was enough to walk there with his own two legs.
And in Magic Planet, Mark learned truths he would have been better off not knowing.
The Void King and God.
The Four Knights and the Ruler.
The Three Thousand Worlds and the Void World.
Destruction.
After formally succeeding the position of The Beginning Wizard, he was able to learn about such things.
Was this the truth of the world?
A hollow laugh escaped him, but the surprise was less than expected.
Was it because of the overwhelming flood of information that the bewilderment felt greater?
Or was it that the title of The Beginning Wizard he had inherited did not allow for any perturbation?
Whatever it was, it was fine.
Then lets think about how to prevent the Destruction.
Mark muttered with dead eyes.
Everything was a stage set for him.
So as always, preventing this Destruction was also a task given to him.
* * *
Lukas clenched his fist tightly.
They were similar.
No, they were the same.
Mark Trowman was Lukas Trowman.
If put in the same situation, Lukas would have thought the same thoughts as Mark did.
It was an unbelievable coincidence.
Among the countless Lukas Trowmans'' he encountered in the Dumpsite, it was Mark Trowman''merely a brother sharing the same bloodwho resembled Lukas far more closely.
Damn it.
It was knowledge he had known through information long ago, but for some reason, only now in this moment did he truly feel its significance.
Regret clenched Lukas''s heart.
Memories of the past surged.
Were those really the only conversations he should have had with the Beginning Wizard?
The truth of the world, the Destruction, the Twelve Void Lords, Magic Planet, the responsibilities of those with power.
Were those damn things'' really enough?
There could have been other conversations.
About the bullshit life he had led,
About the piled up frustrations,
About countless trivial matters that could only be shared with each other.
.
There is no time.
The anxiety only grows bigger.
Not wanting to end things this way, Lukas moved forward again.
* * *
There was no way to stop it.
What?
Mark initially couldnt accept that fact.
Had he missed something? Or had he taken the notion of the Destruction too lightly?
He sharpened his focus and searched for a solution once more.
Yet, there was no way.
.
Mark had faced countless difficulties'' throughout his life. Conversely, it meant he had never encountered an impossible task.''
To others, it might seem challenging, but if Mark thought deeply, he could easily find an answer. Of course, the pain and time it took to apply these answers were another matter entirely.
But this
This Destruction
theres no answer.
The moment he voiced it out, it felt as if the tightly pulled string of tension had suddenly snapped.
The Destruction was a natural order, a natural occurrence, an inevitable fate that could not be resisted. In some sense, attempting to resist felt almost like a disrespectful rebellion.
No.
Mark stopped denying it.
Natural order or not,
An inevitable fate or not,
Disrespectful rebellion or not!
Mark stopped trying to deceive his emotions with such bullshit.
He had merely fancifully disguised the fact that he was scared.
Yes!
The moment Mark acknowledged the existence of the Destruction, his entire body stiffened! Even his brain, which had considered possibilities in every crisis, stopped its movements. His mind turned blank, and no thoughts came to mind.
The Destruction was unstoppable even by the God and his children, the supreme beings far beyond the perspective of mortals.
How was he, a mere human, supposed to stop it?
Yet, desperately trying to find a solution, his body moved.
He looked into the Spring of Wisdom'' day and night, hoping to find any clue that might help.
Ah.
And Mark saw it.
He witnessed a miracle.
* * *
With slightly dark blonde hair, eyes deep like the abyss, and tightly closed lips.
He realized at first sight.
The unusual string of fate that connected this man to himself.
Lukas, Lukas
Yes.
That name, his mother had mentioned it a few times.
Blood, brother.
He muttered the unfamiliar, awkward words a few times.
Younger brother.
But it still didnt feel any more familiar.
Accumulate knowledge, hone your power, and when a being similar to you arrives, pass on that position to them.
Mark recalled the voice of God once again.
Is it this guy? A being similar to me, really.
He couldnt remember the last time he had felt his heart beat this excitedly.
A long-neglected desire stretched itself.
He suddenly realized.
According to God''s words, responding to the Destruction wasn''t his role!
A being like me, to take my place. To take on the duty that only I could fulfill.
That irresponsible wish, that reality, the fantasy he had always yearned for became reality.
So Mark,
Whew.
Mark calmed his desperately excited mind and body.
He took deep breaths to settle the emotions.
It was not yet time to be certain. First, he needed to know.
Whether, this man,
Lukas Trowman could truly be the one to take his place.
***
Ah
From his throat, a voice filled with intense joy flowed out.
Mark was crying, so overwhelmed with emotion that he did not realize it himself.
That man,
No, that being is indomitable.
He never breaks.
Despite experiencing more pain, frustration, and trials than even Mark, he did not give up. He kept moving forward. And he achieved it.
Therefore, this time too, he surely will!
I dont have to fight that dreadful Destruction! It was not my role! Even if it were my role, there clearly exists someone to replace me!
Isn''t he right there?
Someone much smarter, more outstanding, more resilient, and more reliable!
A wave of joy surged in Marks heart. At this moment, he felt saved, and he cried tears at the visit of a miracle he thought would never come in his lifetime. The thrill, the sense of liberation, and the joy he was feeling right now were unimaginable to anyone else.
Pass on that position to him.
Once again, the voice of God was heard.
As he first thought, that voice was truly a revelation.
It was a celestial voice meant to save Mark.
Thus, with a joyful heart,
For the first time in his life,
He was to pass on his responsibility,
To someone else
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Pass it on
Pass it on
He had to pass it on
Pass it on, he had to.
.
Mark could not move.
His face, which had been smiling moments ago, had now hardened, and his mind, once filled with euphoria, had turned ice-cold as if doused with cold water.
Was there ever a role he liked this much in his life?
For the first time, the world had offered Mark a role that he could be satisfied with.
A role so simple it made him yawn.
All that was left was to perform that role on stage faithfully and make a clean exit.
That should have been all.
But.
Why cant I do it?
He was acutely aware of his own hesitation.
It was something he never wanted, and there was even justified reason for it to be so.
So, he should just do it.
That would be the end of everything.
But, he couldn''t do it.
Because he knew,
It''s too hard. Its too much.
Because he knew better than anyone.
There, someone, please.
Just because he doesnt break, doesnt mean he isnt hurting.
Just because he doesnt give up, doesnt mean he doesnt feel despair.
Someone if there is anyone please, take my place
The envious looks, the admiring voices, all the praises that sang of him,
Turned the place where Mark stood into hell.
He couldnt show it. He shouldnt. He knew how frail they were. If he were to let go of the burdens he was carrying, the surroundings would turn into a wasteland.
Therefore, Mark had no choice but to scream.
A scream that he couldnt share with anyone, always having to scream it out alone.
At some point, that screaming overlapped.
In a different place, a person exactly like him was letting out the same cries.
The being he intended to pass the responsibility onto was not strong from the start.
For some reason, Mark remembered Lukas as a baby, whom he had never seen before.
Your younger brother is going to be born.
.
Two paths, two roles appeared before him.
One was the role desired by God, the role desired by the world, the role as The Beginning Wizard,
And the other one was
Take good care of him, and protect him.
Me?
Yes. Because you are the elder brother.
Haha.
Mark suddenly burst out laughing.
Perhaps everyone harbors a desire to be saved.
He had seen Lukass life.
He had suffered even more terrible pain than Mark.
So, he thought it would be okay. He thought that having lived a harder life, he would be tougher, a convenient interpretation.
The greater the pain, the greater the desperation.
Mark, of all people, should not have been ignorant of that.
Even if others didn''t know, at least he had to keep that in mind.
So,
What he really want to know now is,
How happy would he be?
If someone else could perform the duties he thought were his own,
Even if it were just a temporary reprieve or a momentary rest, how joyful would that be?
He wanted to share the ecstasy and thrill he felt right now.
He wished that guy would know it too, at least once. Even if it were not possible in the final moments, even for an instant, just briefly, he wanted him to understand the heart of someone who had been saved.
I see.
And Mark understood his own heart.
For the first time since he was born,
Not out of silent compulsion but by his own volition,
He wanted to take on someone else''s responsibilities.
* * *
Damn it.
Lukas wiped away the welling up emotion with his wrist.
The strength in his clenched fist didn''t disappear.
That bastard, that damned bastard, that unforgivable bastard.
Are you really satisfied with that, with such a role?
Can you be happy just because it gave you a reprieve?
I am not. It does not make sense to me.
I dont want to end it like this.
Because, wasnt our last conversation too pitiful?
The river water had now risen up to his chest, and Lukas was moving forward as if swimming.
In a space where nothing had been heard before, now there were sounds echoing.
It was the sound of crying.
The sobbing mixed with the cries of an old man.
As he moved further, he could see where the river was flowing from.
The giant mask of an old man,
This was the murky liquid flowing from its eye sockets.
The river was the tears of The Beginning Wizard.
*****
Book 2: Chapter 561
The viscosity of the river was gradually getting stronger. They clung to his entire body persistently like the seaweed of the Dead Sea, causing his body and mind to become exhausted as if he had walked for three days and nights with each step.At the decisive moment, there is only one person who can fight against destruction.
The story told by God came to his mind once again.
It was connected to the absurdity of the world that Lucas felt.
Because in this world, the power of an individual was overwhelmingly huge. It had been so even when Lukas was once a mere mortal wizard.
The number of lives that a single being can influence is too many. Yet, it''s not as if the value of life becomes any lighter.
Even if it wasn''t the god who created the Three Thousand Worlds, the one who cultivated that space afterwards was definitely him.
Then, this must be exactly what he wished for.
The power of an individual exceeding the normal bounds.
Huff, huff
Lukas gasped for breath.
It was truly the first fatigue he had felt in a long time. Perhaps in this place, even Void couldn''t be used. Or could it be due to some kind of change happening in his body?
Who knows.
He don''t want to think deeply about it. His focus of thought has shifted to something else.
I won''t be able to see it.''
Lukas realized a bit too late that he would not be able to witness the fight between the Beginning Wizard and Destruction.
As mentioned before, there is only one person who can fight Destruction. Then, it''s right to say that there is also only one person who can face Destruction.
In other words, if the fight between the Beginning Wizard and Destruction hasn''t ended, Lucas wouldn''t have even been able to enter this space.
Hmph
Going against the river current, he reached out towards the eye holes of the mask.
The surface of the mask gave off a strange and unpleasant feeling as if it wasn''t made of any material from this world, but Lukas didnt care and thrust his body into that vast eye hole.
Splash!
With a short fall, his body plunged into a puddle.
Inside the hole, or rather beyond it, water was pooled again but the color was more reddish than the one flowing outside However, the water level was low, and it lacked viscosity.
Lukas easily stood up and looked forward.
There, in the middle of the space, was the being he was searching for.
The Beginning Wizard looked as if he was being punished.
Tied to a cross, limbs restrained, hanging in mid-air, it really looked just like that.
From his Adam''s apple to his navel was split open, and from there, a reddish-black liquid gushed out like a waterfall. That scene of excision was far more gruesome than the most barbaric offering Lucas knew of.
It wasnt simply about pulling out blood and guts. Lukas understood at this moment. Sar?h the n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
The lotus flower.
The fragment of memory that shone brilliantly even on the pitch-black river water was actually from The Beginning Wizard, and it was one of the essential elements that constituted his being.
But such things were merely nuisances in the process of Destruction.
Destruction, assuming that fellow had a will, was beginning the excision knowing that.
It was gouging out all elements of The Beginning Wizard as if drawing blood.
Even the cruelest word Lukas knew could not describe the horror of this scene. Realizing that the being that was The Beginning Wizard was gradually fading even now, he couldnt easily open his mouth.
You''ve finally come here, my younger brother.
And from the distance, a voice was heard first.
The way here must not have been easy. Well, it''s not something for me to worry about.
Did you lose?
Lukas spoke and then regretted it.
It wasnt the right first thing to say. There could have been something better to say.
I probably lost. That''s why I ended up like this.
A different gentle tone than before and a faint laugh could be heard.
It''s surprising that The Beginning Wizard still has the energy to laugh. What could he be thinking right now?
Please understand that I can''t explain it clearly. I can''t help it because I can''t recall it well. All I remember is that it was truly terrifying, and it wasnt a fight worthy of being called one because it wasnt equal fight.
The fight with Destruction might have occurred outside the sphere''. That''s why he might not fully remember the fight itself.
Is this the end you wished for?
Lukas perhaps said what he should have said at the beginning.
Why would you go to such lengths for me?
Just as you glimpsed at me through the spring, I too saw your memories while I ascended the river. That you were saved because of me? No, that''s not it. Even after that, your life was a series of pain. You are, youve
As if spitting out the most agonizing thing, Lucas spoke with difficulty.
You''ve never been happy, have you?
A brief silence descended.
Gulugulug, only the sound of something being extracted and flowing from The Beginning Wizard''s body echoed for a while.
It doesn''t seem like you saw my memories correctly.
When a laughter-mixed answer came out, Lukas thought he had heard it wrong.
Im not that tough a guy. If I hadn''t been happy, I would have given up halfway.
Does it look like I''m lying? No. Every moment after meeting you was a miracle.
You are
I told you once. This world, which might be a dumpsite to someone, was a miracle to me. Its not an empty word. Because outside, there wasn''t a single future where you and I met.
Because it''s called the Void world, a dumpsite where all discarded possibilities gather, thats why I could meet you. I''m thankful for that. Although life before was miserable, the extra time that continued from here was a happy time for me.
The Beginning Wizard said with a faint smile.
The side story of my life wasn''t so bad.
The process of deciding to sacrifice for someone else and taking steps to prepare for it was enjoyable. From altruistic to voluntary sacrifice, only that had changed, but it changed the way he saw the world.
The position of the Beginning Wizard, though a temporary role he took on, was pleasing to him.
Cultivating the Magic Planet was also enjoyable. Perhaps he himself had never been to the Three Thousand Worlds, so he wanted to make the Magic Planet a similar place. That was a personal desire surprising even to himself.
Yes.
The moment he decided to sacrifice, the Beginning Wizard was finally able to indulge his own whims.
Because he would die for his younger brother someday, it''s okay to be a little selfish.
Truth Seekers are those who can follow my, our teachings. Although I havent fully understood it, they are far more confident than the fools who feast and live well outside. I like them. I consider them all my precious disciples.
He could have such thoughts because he had gained peace of mind.
The Beginning Wizard coughed loudly.
.
Lukas looked at his face and swallowed his words.
The black liquid that had been coming out only from his split chest began to flow from his eyes, nose, and mouth as well.
There isnt much time left. Let''s end the boring talk here. Listen carefully from now on, Lukas. You have always spoken of human will, but you have never applied it to yourself.
Lucas still loves humans and considers them more dazzling than any other being.
The will of humans, the will that is passed on, is more beautiful than any piece of art.
But Lukas does not belong there.
He always talked about succession, but he didn''t believe there was a being who could inherit his legacy. He couldn''t believe it.
That was the reason why he didn''t take disciples for a long time, and it was the same even after taking disciples. He talked about belief, but he never truly practiced it.
He committed an unforgivable act towards Min Ha-rin. That child was deceived by Lucas'' hollow words and lost her life.
In the end, we couldn''t rely on others at the decisive moment.
Everything The Beginning Wizard said was true.
They were pitiful beings who didnt know what it was to depend on others and could only trust themselves.
Theres nothing we can do about it. If that''s our self-righteousness, annoying as it may be, we just have to live with it. I realized that after coming to the Magic Planet. And I think you will come to a similar conclusion.
Do you want me to become The Beginning Wizard?
It was your place, to begin with. Now things are flowing as they should.
I am aware of your current state. First, you must abandon the name Lukas Trowman. My mask will help you. For a while, it will help suppress Destruction.
Long ago, he heard that going to the Magic Planet would mean the death of Lukas Trowman.
Maybe it was something he had been planning for a long time,
He wanted Lukas Trowman to abandon his own name and take over the position of The Beginning Wizard.
I said I would tell you how to defeat Destruction I did put memories'' in the mask in my room, but I think it''s better to say it directly. Listen carefully. The keys are the 4 Knights'' and the Rulers.''
After coughing a few times, the Beginning Wizard spoke.
Youve now gained the absolute loyalty of the Blue Knight, Pale, and you also possess the remnant of a Ruler. So, for now, use the power of the friendly Blue Knight to hunt all the Rulers. It wont be hard. The Dragon'' is weakened, and you might hear the Lightning God''s'' weakness from the remnant. Sun God'' is collaborating with the Red Knight so leave that for last, and the most troublesome will undoubtedly be the Demon God.''
It felt as if something had changed.
Lukas looked at The Beginning Wizard with a puzzled face.
What are you talking about?
Even if other Rulers die, they wont feel any sense of crisis or cooperate. Thats how they are made. So, all fights will be one-on-one. With the help of the Blue Knight, you could easily win, but I still hope you fight a Ruler alone at least once. It would be a good experience before your final confrontation with Destruction. Next, take their power.
He was at a loss for words. He couldnt keep up with the flood of words coming from The Beginning Wizard.
Use Pale to hunt all the Rulers and take their power?
Is that even possible? Exactly how?
No. More importantly, why?
[My Memory] must have told you. The Rulers were originally one being. Initially is more appropriate than originally, but primordial would be even more fitting.
It sounded like wordplay, but it wasnt. The Beginning Wizard didnt even have time to joke.
Primordial.
Primordial God.
Lukas''s expression changed, and The Beginning Wizard nodded.
The Rulers were a weapons of the Primordial God. Weapons that he himself had refined to fight Destruction. And the power contained in that sword was the four fundamental forces that make up the Three Thousand Worlds.
That means.
Originally, the Rulers were merely a single weapon without even a sense of self.
The power possessed by the Rulers has a strong independent tendency, just like their master.
Rather than harmonizing and mixing with other powers, they tend to consume and dominate. There are countless powers in the world with tyrannical characteristics, but the power of the Rulers far exceeds the normal extent.
Lukas, who has experienced the Thunder'' of the Lightning God, knows this well.
And the power of the other Rulers is equal to that Thunder.
All of them were once one in the beginning.
And now Lukas must make them one again.
That''s why I said it. You will need time.
It might be a bit harder afterward, but you don''t need to worry too much about that. The preparations are perfectly in place.
You mean there''s more to do.
I told you. The key is the Rulers and the Four Knights.
The overwhelming feeling in his chest had subsided. The changed atmosphere also cooled Lukas''s head.
He looked at the face of the Beginning Wizard, who was tied up.
He had the same face, the same voice as in the beginning, but Lukas was receiving a completely different feeling from him.
Kill all Four Knights.
What?
And take the power they possess.
You, what are you saying.
In a calm voice,
Unlike the Rulers, theres a possibility that the Knights might cooperate. Depending on the situation, even combining the power of The Beginning Wizard with that of the Rulers might not be enough. If it seems like the power is lacking, consume the Truth Seekers of the Magic Planet.
Gently,
As if he had prepared a secret gift for his younger brother,
If you make your intentions clear, they wont resist at all.
The Beginning Wizard said with an excited voice.
Because I raised them for that purpose.
In that moment, a single word came to Lukass mind, along with the image of someone
Self-righteousness.
And Lord.
In that moment, he realized. Maybe he had sensed the identity of this discordance long ago.
In the world of the Beginning Wizard, there were two beings.
*****
Book 2: Chapter 562
That can''t be.Lukas wanted to deny it outright, but he couldn''t find his voice.
After devouring'' the Ruler, 4 Knights and the Truth Seekers power fights against Destruction.
It''s certainly not the right thing. Just thinking about it makes the uneasiness persist.
From Lukas Trowman''s perspective, that is.
But from the perspective of The Beginning Wizard? Or from a cosmic perspective?
Life isn''t a fairy tale. Naturally, there are no pure tragedies or comedies.
So, how unrealistic a happy ending for everyone is, there''s no one who knows better than Lukas.
Life is just life.
There is no absolutely right choice, nor absolutely wrong choice.
You have a face that wants to deny it.
The Beginning Wizard laughed as if he was tired of it.
Do you think I''m wrong? If so, what do you think is wrong? Forcing sacrifices? Using Truth Seekers as consumables? No. I''m not a cold-blooded person.
A hint of affection passed through his eyes.
I can''t deny that in every aspect, I prioritize the two of us, but that''s not wrong. It''s natural to have priorities in affection. You know that there can''t be equal love.
.
I loved all the children I taught on the Magic Planet. All those children are prepared to sacrifice themselves without hesitation when the time comes. For that, I taught them about Destruction and made them understand Self-righteousness. It wasn''t easy, but they followed well. They are more than I deserve as disciples.
He knows.
The Beginning Wizard is not contradictory, nor is he despicable.
If this man spoke grandly about sacrifice but lacked the capacity to practice it himself, none of the Truth Seekers would have genuinely followed him.
But The Beginning Wizard did not do that.
This man either set an example himself or always emphasized it with his own words.
About what sacrifice is and how to practice it.
He knows.
He knows, but
You must feel repulsed. It can''t be helped. That''s been your way of life.
Way of life?
You''re just unfamiliar with it now. You''ve never comfortably put yourself into a thoroughly prepared plan. Since there''s no contemplation or reflection, your head is convinced it can''t be the right choice.
It was a statement that was difficult to deny easily.
Always choosing the third path, the most unreasonable one that no one else would choose. The most arduous path that anyone can imagine but no one would take. But not this time. This isn''t something to decide on with rebelliousness or emotions, and you know that best.
.
One person monopolizing everything to fight. If we push this plan forward and then fight Destruction, what do you think the winning rate will be?
The Beginning Wizard''s voice lowered.
It will be 10%.
10%, ten percent.
A whole 10%.
A probability that the gods had said was absurdly low and slim.
That number, which had practically no difference from zero, suddenly became realistic.
How could the probability rise that much?
Because of my existence.
What?
I told you. I''m the most alien existence among Destruction. Think about it. It''s true that I''m strong, but don''t you think there''s a clear difference in level compared to Primordial God'' or God'' or Void King''?
The Beginning Wizard smiled faintly.
The [Fourth Destruction] will be the weakest existence among all Destruction. And you, if you move according to my plan, will become the strongest among all adversaries.
Had he thought this far?
This is it. This is what The Beginning Wizard spoke of, the way to prevent Destruction.
This man had been devising a grand plan for a very long time, excluding all personal and private emotions from it. Thoroughly enough to consider himself as merely a means to an end.
How much time did he spend contemplating and thinking to find this method?
Lukas could see The Beginning Wizard spending countless days and nights.
And he truly realized it.
This plan deserves utmost respect. It is not something to be rejected based on simple emotions or a sense of rebellion.
Perhaps, up until now, he had been lucky.
Half indulged in self-delusion, the impulsive third choices he made might have miraculously led to good results.
Not this time.
There are no second or third chances.
Failure means Destruction, and Destruction signifies the end of everything.
Therefore, everyone would be hoping to follow The Beginning Wizard''s words. Even those who have to sacrifice would feel the same.
A feeling he had never felt before.
All beings, the situation, even Lukas himself.
It seemed like everything was telling him to accept The Beginning Wizard''s proposal. The circumstances were set up to justify everything for that purpose.
If he nodded,
If he followed The Beginning Wizard''s words
Why are you smiling?
The Beginning Wizard suddenly asked.
Lukas neither touched his face nor asked a foolish question back at The Beginning Wizard.
Because he knew he was smiling himself.
I can''t do it.
And he refused.
One word,
Just one word of refusal.
It was difficult until the moment he spoke it out.
But the moment he said it, the weight on his chest and the confusion in his head disappeared like smoke.
Can''t do it?
Yeah.
Creak, creak.
The dissonance in his head grew louder.
At that moment, Lukas sensed his own end.
He sensed it, but so what.
You''re not a man who refuses without thinking.
The Beginning Wizard''s voice was still gentle, but there was a noticeable difference in temperature compared to just before.
What made you refuse? Was it because of sense of duty, humanity, morality, or just because you don''t feel like it? I hope it''s not such trivial reasons.
It''s not that. I just can''t accept it.
Can''t accept it?
An incredulous voice.
But Lukas did not shrink back and spoke while looking directly at The Beginning Wizard.
You failed to uncover the most important thing. You failed to find meaning.
Meaning?
Everything that exists has meaning. If there''s one thing I''ve learned for certain through life, it''s that. You can call it an immutable truth.
What are you talking about? Sarch* The N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Lukas voiced what had been bothering him since he first heard it.
If you can only fight Destruction one-on-one, why is there a need for five Destructions?
.
What is Destructionification in the first place? If I fight and defeat you, who has become the Fourth Destruction'' according to the plan, will it really end with that? Won''t the second and third Destructions come crashing down on us?
That''s not possible. It''s a recent speculation, but maybe all of this is part of the Primordial God''s plan. As time goes on, Destruction weakens, and our power grows.
Do you really think so?
Lukas simply asked.
He was genuinely curious if he could truly believe that.
No. Since you can think of it, let''s change the question. Is there really nothing that bothers you?
There are fundamental laws in the world. Systems established since the beginning of creation. There''s no reason for them. If you trace them back to the very end, there are fundamental laws'' that were set from the start. Facts that are self-evident, with no further truth or hidden aspect. Destruction is of that kind. Trying to find a reason in such things is foolish.
Lukas fell silent.
Is that this man''s conclusion?
You seem convinced by that.
Yes.
Mark Trowman is Lukas Trowman. They were tragically similar.
So, if Mark Trowman was convinced, Lukas Trowman could be convinced too.
There was nothing he couldn''t understand.
He knew that The Beginning Wizard was a more exceptional wizard than himself.
Even though he spoke as if he had given up on everything, it was impossible that he hadn''t pondered over the nature of Destruction.
He must have considered every possible scenario, speculated, and searched tirelessly.
Yet he couldn''t find an answer, and the best he could offer was a plausible guess.
This was the stage where most people would compromise.
But even so.
Even so.
I.
Its just how it is.
What?
Lukas smiled faintly.
It''s the phrase I hate the most.
.
The reason there are five Destructions, the reason we can only fight one-on-one, it''s just how it is, and there''s no need to think deeply about it Sure. It would be easier to accept that.
But human exploration has always led to the next step, and such persistence has led to the greatest discoveries and advancements in history.
For what reason, why, for what purpose?
Its a tiring life.
The Beginning Wizard shook his head as if exhausted.
I know you''ve lived that way. Its not something you can change easily. But, now, just this once, isnt the time to be stubborn. Sometimes, you need to know when to give up. The path youre aiming for has no end.
There is an end.
What?
It''s when I''m convinced.
With the sound of a sharp intake of breath, The Beginning Wizard''s eyes widened.
I cant be convinced by anything right now. Ignoring that would mean deceiving myself in the end. And surely, I would regret it later.
.
It was neither logical nor reasonable, but what Lukas said was his true feelings.
The Beginning Wizard remained silent for a while, then spoke.
You are weaker than me.
I know.
You know less about Destruction than I do.
Right.
You can say such things because you haven''t experienced it. It''s the stubbornness of the ignorant.
Maybe. But Im much more persistent than you.
Puhaha. A burst of laughter erupted.
All the preparations I''ve made have become useless.
The Beginning Wizard burst into a clear laugh.
I didnt think youd come over easily I even tried to lure you by showing you this pathetic state.
Lure
I was sure that even if I left some room, youd come back to find me somehow. It was a close call, though.
Cough. The moment he finished speaking, The Beginning Wizard coughed.
Lukas suddenly looked at his chest.
The flow of liquid had significantly weakened compared to the beginning.
The meaning was clear.
Now, truly, there was no time left.
Lukas''s head slowly dropped.
I hesitated.
About what?
Whether to honestly tell you my thoughts. You''re going to disappear anyway, and there''s no way to stop it, so I just.
The rest of his words didn''t come easily.
While Lukas was fumbling, The Beginning Wizard finished his sentence for him.
So you were thinking of telling a kind lie, so I wouldnt have any regrets as I left?
His voice sounded cold at first.
It was full of strength and it hurt.
Lukas felt the urge to straighten his back. He lifted his head that had been bowed to the floor.
He saw The Beginning Wizard''s face. He saw the warm eyes.
The last voice, the last appearance, the last face.
He engraved them carefully in his mind, so he would never forget.
But you couldnt do that.
Yes. I couldnt.
Because you are Lukas Trowman.
Right.
Lukas wanted to lower his head again, but he didnt.
But his vision strangely wavered, so he squeezed his eyes shut. He felt the warmest line trace from his eyes to his cheeks, and eventually to his chin.
Because I am Lukas Trowman.
The sound of laughter was heard again. This time it was much fainter.
For the first time, Lukas thought that perhaps that laughter resembled his own.
In the end, I couldnt teach you.
Couldnt teach me what?
How to live comfortably.
.
But youre fine with that, arent you? Youre satisfied with that?
Yeah. Im satisfied.
Sincerely,
He truly believed so.
Do you have a plan?
I do. It''s quite sloppy and needs some more refinement, but.
I see.
Now, his voice was so faint it was barely audible.
Come to think of it, I also had one more plan.
Another plan?
Every time I cultivated the Magic Planet I thought about it. If I could tour this place with you, it would really be nice.
.
Eating delicious food together, taking in beautiful scenery, chatting about anything and everything, arguing over trivial matters like real brothers
Lukas almost lowered his head again. He forced himself to hold back.
And wiping his face to avoid showing an unsightly appearance, he said.
Lets do that next time.
Next time?
Yes. Next time.
Laughter was heard.
Next time, thats nice.
The voice continued.
.
And when he opened his eyes again, The Beginning Wizards was nowhere to be seen.
The empty space brought an unparalleled sense of loss.
Lukas looked at the spot where he had been.
The man who knew everything about him and yet affirmed him.
The man who forcibly took over the burden that Lukas never shared with anyone else.
Would it be possible to meet such a person again?
.
Just once, it would have been nice to call him that.
Not Mark Trowman, or one of the Twelve Void Lords, or The Beginning Wizard.
But hyung. (TL: Hyung = Brother)
*****
Book 2: Chapter 563
The space began to slowly collapse with a loud sound. The ominous liquid that had risen to waist level gradually lowered and disappeared beneath the ground.The collapse was proceeding very slowly.
Creak, creak
A noise could be heard.
It was similar to the sound of old floorboards cracking. It was unimaginably unpleasant.
At first, he mistook it for something ringing in his head.
Ever since his contact with Destruction, there had been a constant dissonance in Lukas Trowmans mind.
No.''
It wasn''t in his head.
This creaking was the scream of the space itself.
Even though the ominous liquid had disappeared, the turbidness of this place had not improved. Few would consider an abandoned house without any furniture to be clean. Moreover, the irregular noise was amplifying the dreadful sense of emptiness.
Lukas Trowman coughed again.
When he spat out what had welled up from inside him, he saw blood of the same color as the black liquid that had just filled the surroundings.
Have I been in contact for too long?
A bitter smile appeared.
He had come to understand his own physical state to some extent.
Originally, Lukas was destined to become the fourth Destruction. Mark Trowman''s plan and sacrifice had granted him a slight extension of that fate, but it was not a fundamental solution.
In other words, Lukas would eventually become Destruction, no matter what. Even Mark had not found a way to prevent this.
With Mark now Destruction, Lukas had become the most dangerous potential existence.
The Old Man''s Mask'' made of material from Outside the Orb''. Wearing it only slowed the progress of Destruction.
So, was the mask a preservative to delay the final moment as much as possible?
Heh heh.
A laugh escaped at the absurd thought.
Lukas sat down again, then lay down on the floor.
He suddenly realized what this place was.
It must be a boundary between Outside the Orb'' and Inside the Orb''. A place one could never enter by ordinary means. The interior of the Beginning Wizard''s room wouldn''t have originally been such a space.
Whether fighting Destruction temporarily formed such a space around it, or whether there was another rule, he didn''t know.
However, this place where Lukas was could not be the place where he fought Destruction. It would likely be somewhere deeper, more profound.
Can I not go there now? If I force myself to enter, will it be dangerous?
He didn''t know.
But one thing he knew,
If he left this place now, he would never be able to return.
One in ten.
A 10 percent chance of winning.
Even upon reconsidering, it couldn''t be denied as a high possibility. Rationally judging, the risk was not great. The number of lives that had to be sacrificed was insignificant compared to the entire universe.
But Lukas was still unsure if that was truly the right choice.
He had thought deeply about the reason.
Was it because the decision to disregard the weight of a few lives was inhumane?
Was it because he was reluctant to sacrifice the Four Knights and Pale?
Or was it, as Mark said, simply an emotional resistance?
None of these were the reason.
Ultimately, it was because Lukas knew nothing about Destruction.
Mark''s words did not go beyond the realm of speculation. There was no clear evidence in what he said, and Lukas was the kind of person who couldn''t believe something as the truth without credibility, even if it was the last will of his most cherished person.
So, how can I convince myself?''
Of course, as a compromise, he could follow half of Mark''s words.
Leave this space, wear the Old Man''s Mask to delay the onset of Destruction, and find a way.
That would be the best choice given the current situation.
But it won''t do.
That alone is not enough.
That is why Lukas Trowman remains in this space.
Crash.
At that moment, the space in front of Lukas was completely torn apart, revealing two different scenes.
One side showed the Magic Tower erected on the Magic Planet.
Truth Seekers were gathered in front of the entrance to the Beginning Wizards space where Lukas had entered. They were watching the door with tense faces, as if waiting for someone.
And the other side
Ah
Lukas let out an involuntary exclamation.
It was perhaps a place he had never encountered before. Lukas couldnt observe or confirm anything in that place.
A world without light, darkness, objects, or even thoughts.
Paradoxically, that was why he could understand what kind of place it was.
Unconsciously, he reached out his hand toward it.
.
A shock he had never experienced before pierced through his entire body.
* * *
It seemed like hundreds of thousands of lights were flashing simultaneously.
Concepts that did not exist in the material realm floated like the Milky Way. These sometimes clumped together or scattered, with no discernible pattern to their behavior.
There was no I'' in that place. No will, no ego.
Inside and outside,
Surface and core,
Me and not me,
They couldn''t be separated at all.
This place was truly a world that was both one and all.
A place with no secrets.
Where there was no life, no death, no creation, no destruction, no evolution, no degeneration, no prosperity, no decline,
Where nothing existed,
In other words, a place without any possibility.
Then this world
Is hell for an intelligent being.
!
Hundreds of thousands of light clusters were sucked in.
Through the opened skullcap, they seemed to greedily burrow in. Creak, creak, creak. The noise that had been causing pain all along was now amplified hundreds of times.
Pain, pain, pain!
He let out a horrible scream.
He hated this world. He didn''t want it.
It was perfect, and therefore, more loathsome and terrifying than anything.
He wanted to break this perfection.
It had to be dirtied, it absolutely had to be.
At the moment he sincerely wished for that, a massive chunk of concepts flowed in.
Primordial.
LawRule.
God.
Throb.
Destruction.
Individual.
The whole.
Five.
Ordersequence.
.
.
.
And.
And
Separation.
Ah.
The moment the crushed puzzle pieces formed a haphazard shape, he shuddered.
I see.
So that''s what it was.
What Destruction is,
Why it exists in five forms,
The reason why it must be faced alone, he understood.
Then what I must do,
What I can do
* * *
Hah!
Lukas took a deep breath. His eyes, which had widened as if they would pop out, were still trembling.
What on earth had just happened?
What he had witnessed, experienced, and understood.
Lucas couldn''t bring back everything he went through in that beyond'' intact. He couldn''t remember it either. S~ea??h the novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
It was a structure where such a thing was impossible in the first place.
Even so, there were things he had come to know.
He vaguely understood what lay beyond the Orb.
And he remembered the feelings and determination he had felt beyond.
Ha.
How utterly mischievous.
Haha
Lukas laughed as he got up.
Something fell off with a thud. He realized it was pieces of his own skin. His flesh was cracking and peeling off like a broken ceramic. His vision gradually lost color, and the noise in his head had grown so loud that it could no longer be called mere noise.
In the midst of that hell.
[Lukas?]
At the moment he heard Residues voice, Lukas smiled faintly.
* * *
[Hey, are you listening? Or is your sense still unstable]
Residue.
At Lukass words, Residue let out a deflated sigh and muttered.
[What is it. If you can hear me, answer me sooner, you unpleasant guy.]
Sorry.
[.]
Residue fell silent at the straightforward apology. It was as if he sensed some unease.
It seems a considerable amount of time has passed outside as well How have you been during that time?
[My state?]
Yes. While I was here talking with Mark.
[It felt like I was isolated in a dark space, alone.]
Suppressing his unease, Residue continued.
[It felt as if I was surrounded by darkness, unable to sense anything, unable to move a single finger. It wasn''t just a physical constraint but also a mental one. It was a filthy experience. I wouldnt want to go through it twice if I can help it.]
I see. Even for an absolute being, it would be enough to drive them mad.
[Ha. Do you think Im at the level of an absolute being?]
Of course not. Youre much more remarkable.
[.]
If Residue had a face, his eyes would have narrowed at that moment.
The unease he felt grew a little stronger.
[What about you?]
Huh?
[What did you experience here?]
.
[I warn you, dont try to play dumb. Your current demeanor is quite irritating. I can tell something happened.]
Lukas laughed again. He felt purely happy.
Having someone who could understand the change in his mindset without him having to say anything was incredibly gratifying.
Yes.
From some point, Residues arrogance had become a pillar Lukas could lean on.
Even in situations far beyond his expectations, it served as a foundation that helped him maintain his sanity.
If it werent for him, Lukas would have lost his mind right after encountering Destruction.
Youre remarkable.
[What?]
He repeated what he had said before.
It made him smile bitterly, realizing his vocabulary was so lacking, but trying to speak honestly led him to this.
To Lukas, Residue was literally a remarkable being.
I, too, was once like you. I lost my power and fell to the ground.
That was when he returned to his home universe.
When he lost all his power and even his existence was erased, Lukas was crushed and broken. He despaired, even shedding tears.
It was hard to endure. If there was ever a most disgraceful moment in my life, that would be it.
[Are you trying to open up your black history or something?]
But Residue, you were different.
[.]
Not only did you fall to the ground, but you were also buried deep underground, yet you remained arrogant and noble.
[Has your memory been distorted? Have you already forgotten the humiliations I endured to return as the Lightning God?]
Residue growled.
[I even tried to make you a sacrifice. I lied and schemed.]
It was a despicable act. But it was your way of overcoming it. I dont intend to deny it. You might be a much stronger being than someone like me.
Lukas laughed aloud at that. It was a refreshing and hearty laugh.
How could he not be happy?
To have someone who knew him so well and possessed such strong willpower.
You have a grand task. To strike a blow against the Lightning God and take everything he has.
[.]
But you dont even have the body that the past you looked down upon so much. Youre living in a pathetic state, half-parasitic on me.
[You are running your mouth much. Are you trying to pick a fight with me?]
Lukas smiled again as he looked ahead.
At the two spaces beyond the broken one.
What do you see?
[.]
Right now, I see two worlds, two choices. Residue, you who share my sight, what do you see?
[I only see one. The stupid faces of those wizards standing around like fools.]
I see.
As expected.
So Lukas spoke.
I will go to the right. It is a path only I can see and only I can take.
In other words, it is something that only Lucas'' can do, which he had been searching for all along.
By going there, I might be able to control Destruction to some extent.
[How.]
The fact that Destruction has five forms was the clue. Destruction did not proliferate as Mark said. It couldnt be eradicated or weakened, but it could be separated.
[.]
I will make it even more so. From beyond, I will divide Destruction finely enough for you all to handle. Residue, you will stop it.
[Me? How?]
Lukas recalled the moment before he made contact with the waterfall of Destruction.
The moment he was prepared to die,
When he imprisoned Min Ha-rin in the Bottomless Pit, left his traces in the Magic Tower, and spoke to Residue.
What resolve had he made at that time?
Mark wants Lukas Trowman to die. Thats understandable. He has watched my life closely and is one of those who understands me deeply. He can easily predict how difficult it will be if I continue to carry this name.
Lukas is just a name but also a heavy burden.
The path walked under that name pushed him towards the hardest journey. Lukas had experienced it countless times.
So Mark prepared another name for him.
He wanted him to live as the Beginning Wizard, shedding the burden of Lukas.
But.
I cant do that.
No. Its a little different.
I dont want to.
There were many hard times.
There were many painful times.
But still, despite that.
I liked being Lukas.
So he doesnt want to disappear.
He still wants his mark to remain, and for Lukas to exist. He believes that both the Three Thousand Worlds and the Void World still need Lukas.
As I said earlier, Mark Trowman, the Beginning Wizard, is one of those who understands me the deepest.
Lukas smiled faintly.
And the other is you. Thats right, Residue.
Residue, who had always been inside Lukas, reading his thoughts, feeling his emotions, and seeing the world through his eyes,
at some point, had become one of the beings who knew him best in this world.
Therefore.
I will give you everything. My body, my experience, my power. Everything.
[You, don''t tell me.]
This would be Lukass first and last request to Residue.
Become [Lukas Trowman].
*****
Book 2: Chapter 564
[You.]Residue started speaking but couldnt find the words to continue.
So he looked into Lukas''s inner self. He focused to understand what he was thinking. However, he soon realized that it was like staring into darkness, unable to see anything, and felt a sense of futility.
It wasnt strange.
Ever since the contact with Destruction, reading Lukas''s inner thoughts had become difficult.
[Are you asking me to wear your shell?]
That alone is not enough. You also need to imitate me.
[Imitate?]
I want you to play the role of Lukas Trowman.
Residue was momentarily speechless, and what broke that silence was a rising fury.
[Dont talk nonsense.]
Residue felt shame and humiliation at the same time.
He even doubted if this bastard was in his right mind to be saying such things.
[You dare suggest I play the role of a clown?]
Despite Residues anger,
Lukas could probably guess the reason for that anger, but he just laughed.
Is that how you feel? Well, it cant be helped. But you dont have a choice, do you?
[What?]
I told you. Ive already decided to go to the right. I have no intention of changing that.
He spoke as if he felt liberated.
With a face that looked refreshed, as if he had no regrets.
Residue,
He couldnt understand it.
[How can you do that?]
At this moment, the burden he might have to bear disappeared from his mind.
He simply couldnt understand.
It was like that from the beginning.
Since the time he was a Ruler, Lukas Trowman was an incomprehensible being.
[What is so refreshing? Is it because youre passing the burden to me? Because youve shed a responsibility? Do you feel liberated from the burden? This isnt that kind of issue.]
.
[You know, dont you, Lukas? That beyond is a greater hell.]
To the right,
A world that Residue couldnt even see.
What awaited Lukas there would be a pain that made the word hell seem laughable. The weight of the name Lukas that Residue would bear here would feel like a feather in comparison.
[I didnt hear what conversation you had with the Beginning Wizard here. But I can tell. That wasnt what he had planned.]
.
[I dont ridicule your change of heart. So let me ask you. Is this really your choice? Do you have to go there, Lukas?]
And Lukas slowly closed his eyes.
Residue looked at him for a while and then suddenly realized.
Why hadnt he noticed before?
The guys face was pale. Cold sweat was running down his whole body, and he was trembling all over.
Yes. Of course. It''s only natural.
Just because he wasnt afraid of Destruction didnt mean he wasnt afraid of the outer world.
He had been forcing himself to smile all along.
Even so.
Im going.
He muttered in a voice mixed with fear.
Residue found all his demeanor unbearably irritating. But that irritation was entirely different from the feeling one gets when watching a moth fly into a flame.
Such a sight is pathetic and amusing, but never pitiful.
[Why?]
Because thats my role. Because thats the only way I can accept it.
With a trembling voice and an awkward smile, he said that.
Residue was speechless for a moment, and then, not wanting to see his face anymore, he turned his consciousness elsewhere.
[Youre a real fool.]
Lukas seemed to smile faintly, but Residues rebuke did not stop.
[Youre an idiot who doesnt know your place, a fool who cant make proper distinctions, a moron, a lifelong virgin wholl never hold a womans hand. And]
Is there more?
[You.]
Perhaps he had been thinking this since the first time he saw him.
However, Residue ultimately swallowed those words and said something else.
[Do I really have to imitate you?]
You can''t keep doing it forever. But at least for a while, I want you to live as Lukas.
[You know how insulting that suggestion is, right?]
I know it very well. Thats why Im asking you.
[.]
You have to do it. No one else can.
[Damn it. You say that so easily.]
Residue spat out a rough curse.
[Even for me, its heavy. Your burden!]
He never thought there would come a day when he would complain.
But maybe he considered it an exaggeration.
Lukas burst out laughing once again.
Then Im more relieved. It means youre afraid of failing. Thats proof that youve become a remarkable person. Residue, were the same. Both of us are trembling.
[Ha. So, does that mean youre amazing too?]
His laughter grew louder.
Whats so funny in this situation, this guy.
Mark Trowman, my brother, took on my responsibility. I learned something from that.
[.]
Isnt it true that the world is full of unknowns, Residue? When you were the Lightning God, I declared to you that I would never pass my burden onto someone else.
Come to think of it, there was a time like that.
I will not pass on my burden. Its the path I walk and the choice I made. Theres no part where you need to interfere.
Lukas said that with clear eyes.
But now
The me who said that, now Im asking you. To take on my responsibility.
[.]
I thought I could never pass it on. Honestly, even now I do. Not to the most trusted disciple, or the closest friend. I couldnt give them my burden.
But.
If its you, I can trust you. So Im asking you, Residue. Be my last arrangement.
Lukas didnt wait for an answer.
As if he had already heard it, he took a step forward.
Ssss
And it began to flow out.
The desperately maintained body collapsed powerlessly, and black smoke began to flow out from the top of his head. sea??h th N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Cough!
Residue moved.
He moved with Lukas''s body and looked at Lukas.
Wait, stop!
He squeezed out his voice.
He had moved Lukas''s body before, but this time was different.
It was heavy.
This body,
Lighter than an average adult male, was so heavy that Residue felt like he wanted to kneel right then and there.
Youre not planning to die, are you! Lukas Trowman!
At those words, the departing black smoke halted.
[Die? Me?]
.
[No. For a long time, nothing could kill me. Destruction will be no different.]
Lukas had become a form like black smoke.
Residue couldnt even guess what state Lukas was in now or how he viewed the world.
But.
[So, Residue.]
He could tell that the guy was smiling now.
[See you again.]
He disappeared.
No, he was leaving.
To a place where the most painful journey awaited.
He wouldnt want to. He must be scared.
If he could, he would want to delay or pass this on too.
The remaining emotions in Lukas''s body claimed as much.
But you wont regret it.
This isnt a sight I should be seeing, is it?
Residue, left alone, murmured powerlessly.
He thought that someone else should be here instead of him. It shouldn''t be someone like him who witnessed this scene.
But Lukas thought differently.
He chose Residue. He believed it had to be Residue.
So this was the first time.
Being relied upon by someone.
.
Residue stood up.
The space that had been a boundary until just now returned to its original state.
The room of the Beginning Wizard was merely a few compartments with minimal furniture.
In there were a staff, a robe, and a mask.
Residue reached out for the mask.
* * *
At the entrance to the Beginning Wizards room in Tower 77.
All the Truth Seekers alive were gathered there. They all looked at the door with the exact same expression, as if stamped out of a mold.
Amidst the heavy silence,
How much time has passed?
Altata, the Sevens Magician on the 44th floor, suddenly wondered.
There was no time limit given, but this much delay felt unnatural.
His Lordship had said that after the task was finished, whoever emerged from his room would be the next Beginning Wizard.
And now, the emergency that had plunged the Magic Tower into chaos was over.
The distortion of space had vanished, and the black waterfall had disappeared. The darkest darkness that had occupied most of the upper floors had also faded away.
So the only space still uncertain was the Beginning Wizards room right in front of them.
His Lordship had forbidden access to that place.
And he added that they must not approach until the door opened on its own.
Should they keep waiting? For days and nights like this?
The anxiety didnt go away.
Altata bit his lip at that moment.
Creeeak
The door opened.
All the Truth Seekers flinched.
And they drew up their mana, ready to cast spells at any moment. Even Altata, who knew the situation, and Haike, another Sevens Magician, were no exception.
Though they were in a position to follow whoever came out of there, the tension remained because they had just faced darkness.
Then a man walked out.
That person is
Murmurs spread among the Truth Seekers like waves.
To some, the face was familiar; to others, it was strange.
The man''s identity didnt matter much.
Their eyes were more focused on the staff, robe, and mask in his hands.
Symbols of the Beginning Wizard.
Then this man is.
No, this person is.
Altata was the first to realize his role.
Your Lordship.
She felt a cold gaze behind her bowed head.
Altata bowed even lower.
Your Lordship.
As Haikes voice followed, the other Truth Seekers quickly came to their senses.
Your Lordship.
Voices overlapped.
Lead us.
Give us answers.
Please save us.
Those who knelt.
Among them,
The man looked down at the mask indifferently.
No,
It was a detached voice, like a stone rolling off a cliff.
I will not lead.
A silence like held breath fell.
I will not give answers. I will not save you.
Some of the Truth Seekers who had encountered him before felt a sense of discord.
Though the voice and face were the same, there was an inexplicable difference.
This bo. No.
The interrupted words resumed.
I will rule.
That day.
One great wizard left,
And another great wizard was born.
The most unusual great wizard in history.
* * *
Ridiculous.
If Residue were to sum up life in one word, that would be it.
When one has fallen this far, its natural to laugh before feeling anger or futility.
When he was the Thunderous Lightning God, when he was a Ruler.
Perhaps Residue felt no pride in those titles at the time. He had never been anything else. From birth, his position was at the top. He didnt know what it felt like to stand anywhere else, and he didnt want to know.
Whatever he desired or wanted soon became reality. It wasnt just overwhelming physical power. The mental strength of a Ruler was so solid that it wouldnt waver even through eons of fear, remaining unshaken by unexpected events.
So when did it start?
When did I become familiar with turmoil?
For me, humanity is about being able to smile while sipping a glass of wine under the moonlight.
Those were the words.
The words Lukas had said to the Black Horned Demon God.
At the time, they might not have meant anything to him.
But at some point, slowly but surely
Residue began to feel envy.
Its an inner feeling he never wanted to show, especially not to Lukas. Though, if it were him, he might already know
Yes.
Residue, absurdly enough, harbored admiration.
And he wanted to know more.
Its not about being human. Its about you, Lukas.
I just wanted to know more about you.
Every moment spent with you was intense. High-density memories added one by one, each with vivid colors. I learned about the beauty in a fleeting life.
And sometimes.
No, actually, always.
It was enjoyable.
..Stupid bastard.
Residue muttered.
It might have been the first time he reproached himself.
Like an idiot, he realized it too late, after Lukas had already left.
Youre an idiot who doesnt know your place, a fool who cant make proper distinctions, a moron, a lifelong virgin wholl never hold a womans hand. And.
Is there more?
You.
He should have said it.
You are an amazing person, Lukas.
Thats how,
He should have seen off his departing friend.
*****
Book 2: Chapter 565: Side Story Chapter 1
Side Story Chapter 1Bottomless Pit.
This place, known as the hell without a bottom, was indeed a space where only darkness existed.
In the midst of it, Min Ha-rin remained silent.
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Come to think of it, there''s a contradiction in that expression just now.
Min Ha-rin, without a body, wasn''t being silent, but rather, had no choice but to be silent, as if she had an option.
Of course, this fact didn''t make her feel particularly stifled, nor did the sudden loss of her body lead to panic.
It felt like being submerged in the pitch-black depths of the ocean.
Pressure.
The pressure, which gradually increased in intensity, initially caressed her entire body gently like a touch of life, but at some point, it changed its nature. It was like being caught in the grip of a ferocious giant. A feeling of her whole body being crushed.
Of course, all these thoughts were illusions. As reiterated, Min Ha-rin currently had no body.
Thus, in this situation, she wouldn''t feel the stifling sensation that anyone would typically experience, nor would the growing intensity of it lead to madness.
Min Ha-rin remained calm and composed despite the unprecedented anomaly she was experiencing for the first time in her life.
In the short term, it might not be a bad thing.
But thinking long-term.
Indeed. It''s not a good situation.
Min Ha-rin had no choice but to admit that fact honestly.
In the state where her mind and body were separated, the darkness spreading in the space was corroding her mind. The good news was that the speed was extremely slow, but the bad news was that it had never stopped even once.
At this rate, someday, inevitably.
Min Ha-rin''s mind would be eroded by the darkness.
My self will be annihilated.
[Stopping the act of thinking] and remaining in that state forever. It''s a fate far more miserable than biological death.
Of course, there is a solution to overcome this life-and-death crisis.
That''s why it''s troubling.
Emotions.
Emotions are necessary.
It''s an ironic thing.
The reason she was able to find a solution in this situation was because she lacked emotions. She could maintain her composure, allowing her to think coolly about other possibilities.
However, to be completely liberated from this state, emotions are needed instead.
Drawing out emotions, igniting them like fireworks.
The mental explosion that occurs then is the only way to drive out or block the erosion of the darkness.
If I don''t awaken my emotions, I''ll die here.
Indeed.
No matter how many times she thought about it, it wasn''t a good situation.
The current situation was forcing Min Ha-rin to make a choice.
Could it be the first time?
That she felt she must retrieve the emotions she had abandoned of her own will.
It''s not all bad.
The Bottomless Pit was also the best training place for Min Ha-rin.
Time flowed much slower than outside, and it was quiet.
Moreover, due to the special situation where her body had disappeared, she might be able to grasp a clue to move on to the next stage.
A clue to becoming a Transcendent.
One by one, one by one.''
She would have to slowly figure it out.
Min Ha-rin does not tire.
Even if there were a hundred million doors spread out in parallel, and only one of them was the real door, she would not feel despair.
She would simply open and check each one, one by one.
Whether it was the first door she opened or the hundred millionth, the time spent and the level of concentration would be constant.
So, there''s no need to worry. The speed of the darkness''s erosion is extremely slow.
Min Ha-rin believed that she could find the answer in time.
* * *
Time passed.
If estimated with fairly good precision of internal time, it would have been decades.
And the situation was still not good.
.
Correction.
It wasn''t just not good; it had worsened compared to before.
Min Ha-rin had no body. Naturally, she didn''t need sleep, nor would she lose consciousness. Yet, even in such a state, her consciousness had already been cut off several times.
She knew what those signs meant. It was evidence that the darkness''s erosion had progressed much deeper than Min Ha-rin had anticipated.
Since then, whenever she lost consciousness and woke up again, a certain thought would suddenly cross her mind.
Here.
Dying alone in a place where there''s nothing.
She had even abandoned her emotions to fulfill her mission, making such a deal meaningless.
No. That''s not all.
Death in this place would be remembered by no one.
Ah.
Fear.
Fragments of emotions, long forgotten, were felt.
Body and mind,
Two elements that originally couldn''t be separated were divided, so did the deal with the Bottom Universe'' temporarily lose its effect?
She didn''t know.
But despite finally feeling a part of the emotions she had so long desired, Min Ha-rin couldn''t consider this as favorable.
If I die like this will everything end?
Fear halted her thoughts.
What she desired was an explosion of intense emotions like fireworks, but fear and terror were different. They were cold, chilling winds.
Her mind, exposed to the forgotten fear, began to shiver miserably. Even though she couldn''t feel the cold, it felt as if she was placed in the center of a snowy field swept by a sudden cold wind.
What should I do?
Is it impossible to escape, was it impossible from the start. Is this my end?
I.
Whoosh-
Suddenly, the coldness faded.
And warmth.
A warmth she thought she couldn''t feel gently melted her entire being.
Her thoughts stopped.
In the midst of the darkness, a small light flickered.
At first, it''s okay to lie.
Min Ha-rin''s mind flinched.
Lying to yourself has its merits. You can forgive yourself at any time.
She thought it was an illusion, but it wasn''t.
The flickering light soon took on a faint form. It was as unstable as a light flickering in submerged water.
But, Min Ha-rin.
Deceive yourself. Consider the trembling not as fear, but as excitement or anger.
She knew whose voice this was,
and what kind of person that form was.
It won''t be easy. At first, you won''t be able to accept it yourself. So the most important thing is persistence. The thing you are best at right now.
The single beam of light that poured out in the pitch-darkness was so warm,
and the voice she heard was so gentle,
You can do it. I believe in you. It was never an empty statement when I said you would become better than me.
If she had a body, she would have surely made a sound at this moment. It might have been a sob rather than a voice.
While Min Ha-rin remained frozen, the form disappeared. The light vanished, and the voice was no longer heard.
But the warmth still remained.
Min Ha-rin, lost in the lingering feeling, thought.
Was it reassurance?
Because there wasn''t completely nothing here,
Because there were small traces left by her teacher.
I see.
Her teacher had said the Bottomless Pit was a place where there was nothing, but faint traces of his footsteps were engraved here. Experiences and knowledge he had personally gone through were scattered around.
As if he was confident that they would be meaningful stimuli for Min Ha-rin, Lukas had set up the Bottomless Pit that way.
Just that alone made Min Ha-rin no longer fear this space.
And the first resolve, which seemed to have been forgotten for a very long time, was revived once more.
I.
With slightly dark blonde hair, gentle eyes, and the last figure she saw.
Recalling all of that, Min Ha-rin thought.
I want to be like my teacher.
And.
I want to see you again.
Sincerely,
She desired a reunion.
***
Somewhere in a certain universe, on a certain planet, in a certain country, in a certain village.
It''s not wordplay, but truly a place that could only be described as such. In such a place, Peran Jun was staying.
Buildings that had collapsed and been left abandoned for a long time, half-buried in the sand. In a place that should be called ruins rather than a village, the house with a relatively intact roof served as Peran''s temporary shelter.
Crackle-
He lit a campfire and boiled water.
One pot was for stew, and the other for grilling lizard. Compared to recent meals, todays was a feast.
While the stew was simmering to a thick consistency, he first chewed on the grilled lizard.
Crunch.
Ugh.
Did some sand get mixed in? He frowned slightly but kept eating. As he finished the grilled lizard, Peran suddenly found his situation amusing and couldn''t help but chuckle.
Since he was young, there were times when he couldn''t understand his own actions or thoughts, but recently, it happened far too frequently.
He couldn''t comprehend the source of the motivation driving him now.
Was Lukas Trowman really this significant to me?
All he had achieved, built, and possessed in his life. The things he had fought for or inherited.
Was restoring Lukass lost honor so important to him that he would throw all that away?
No.
That wasn''t it.
In some ways, Peran''s journey might have resembled a form of ascetic practice.
He paid as much attention to his inner self as he did to observing the outside, and at some point, he was finally able to face the childish initial intentions he had long ignored.
At first, it was just an excuse.
Since birth, he lacked nothing and easily obtained whatever he wanted or desired. Eventually, the praise and admiration of others started sounding like noise.
Around that time, he met Frey Blake at the academy.
For the first time, he thought he had met a man equal to him and felt drawn to him.
But what happened after that?
Later, he realized that the guy, Frey, wasnt looking at him.
Now he acknowledges that.
Frey was only thinking about fighting the Demigods and never stopped to achieve that.
And in the ensuing war against the Demigods, Peran wasn''t called. The most intense battle in history proceeded without Peran and reached its conclusion.
He understood.
The power Peran had at that time was less than that of an ant compared to the Demigods he had to fight against. It was a relief if he wasn''t a hindrance.
But even so.
I wished he had called me.
He muttered softly.
When everyone had forgotten Frey Blake and Lukas Trowman,
When he was the only one who remembered his traces,
Peran believed that this time, he had been chosen by fate.
To save his only friend? No. There was no such noble idea.
Peran was still a child. The trauma of a wounded pride had become a lifelong scar, and without even being able to rein in the emotions that burst forth from it, he had recklessly tried to overcome it by sacrificing his life firsta fool.
He simply wanted to be equal.
He wanted to stand proudly next to the legendary figure.
Not to become a being like him,
But to become someone who could stand shoulder to shoulder with him.
However
Its far away.
He couldnt even imagine what kind of scenery that person was looking at now.
Was it really possible?
Was there something in this world that was simply unattainable?
Peran looked up at the sky with a frustrated heart.
And as if destined, he witnessed a strange sight.
Something was falling from the sky.
Of course, it wasnt unusual for things to fly across the teal night sky of this peculiar planet, but as he focused more and looked directly, he couldn''t help but be astonished.
It was a creature he had never seen on this planet before.
A being with a torso, two long legs, two arms, and a protruding neck. A face the size of a palm with all the facial features.
In other words, it was a human.
And that wasnt all.
!
His entire body stiffened.
Fear rushed in without any warning. Peran''s whole body trembled like an aspen tree, and his pupils shook violently. The fear was so overwhelming that his thoughts couldnt function properly, making him feel like he might faint at any moment.
Boom!
While Peran was frozen, that human-like being completed its fall.
It almost crashed into the ground like a meteorite, so calling it a collision might be more accurate.
Only then was Peran able to shake off the fear.
In an instant, his entire body was drenched in sweat. Peran adjusted his disheveled clothes and looked toward the place where it had landed.
Somewhere in this village, and unfortunately, very close.
.
He needed to check it out.
But recalling the fear he had just experienced, he couldnt easily move his feet.
Smack!
It was a terribly crude shock therapy, but he slapped his own cheek hard. He couldnt think of a better way. He hit himself so hard that the inside of his mouth tore, and blood flowed, but thanks to that, his stiff body loosened a bit.
Peran headed toward the landing site and soon found the fallen figure easily.
Cough.
Alive.
Despite falling from such a great height, that person was alive.
And in good shape.
Maintaining his tension, Peran spoke up.
Are you alright?
.
The moment that person raised his head after, Peran''s face stiffened.
*****
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Patreon Link C /tgmalpha
*****
Book 2: Chapter 566
Side Story Chapter 2A wizard.
Certainly, that must be it.
Peran first realized that fact, and then recognized that the man was young, handsome, and had a slightly stern impression.
His entire body was soaked as if he had fallen into water, and the dripping liquid was an ominous black color. Mud of the same color was smeared on his clothes and face. It wasnt hard to notice that it was odorless, but just a glimpse of it brought back the fear from earlier.
Only then did Peran realize that the source of his fear was not the man but the black mud on his body.
Where.
A voice was heard soon after.
Where is this place?
While Peran was confused about whether he should interpret it as a soliloquy or a question, the mans indifferent eyes turned towards him.
The moment their eyes met, Peran involuntarily shuddered again.
Are you a wizard?
A low, sunken voice flowed out.
He, too, instantly recognized Perans identity. No, it was more than that. The man''s eyes contained an unusual insight, and Peran felt as if even his deepest secrets had been instantly seen through.
A face I haven''t seen before.
What?
Peran asked, not understanding, but the man continued, ignoring him.
Why dont I know a young man like you?
What are you talking about?
By that time, the man had completely risen to his feet.
Surprisingly, he appeared uninjured. It wasnt normal. The man had fallen from beyond Peran''s observation range, which meant the starting point of the fall was at least beyond the planet.
Despite such a grand fall, there was no sign of severe bleeding, bruises, or even abrasions on the man''s body. At most, his robe was a bit dirty with dust.
Come to think of it, the explosion from the impact was strangely small too. Did he use some trick?
While Peran was lost in confusion, the man straightened his posture, showcasing his intact appearance.
And just as he was about to speak.
Cough.
Instead of his voice, something black was vomited out. It was clear from his wide eyes that this was unintentional.
Blaaargh, blaaargh
The man then displayed a painful retch as if expelling life itself. Black liquid flowed out as if being wrung out.
At first, Peran thought he was vomiting rotten blood or pieces of his insides, but it wasnt that. Even considering it was vomit, it was too mushy, clotted, and, above all, ominous.
Are, are you alright?
Peran eventually repeated the words he had first uttered.
By then, the man had stopped vomiting and was wiping his mouth. Aside from looking a bit pale, he seemed fine, which made it even more bizarre. The amount of vomit he had expelled was unreasonable. Even if it was the most useless part of his body, vomiting that much should surely cause some problem.
I don''t seem to be alright. My body is in a mess. And this place hmm.
The mans expression hardened as he looked around.
What?
Could you help me, young man?
Although the man didnt look older than Peran, Peran nodded almost reflexively.
Thank you.
The moment the man nodded and reached out his hand.
Peran felt,
Death.
!
He hadnt let his guard down for even a single moment in front of this mysterious man. Though he had been continuously surprised and bewildered, he had maintained his vigilance.
That must have been why he managed to survive.
Bang!
Several layers of barriers manifested without casting spells formed between Peran and the man, but they shattered instantly, as if pierced by something colossal and overwhelmingly powerful.
By then, Peran had managed to create a considerable distance between them, but he couldnt precisely understand what trick the man had used.
Is he a wizard?
The certainty he felt when he first saw the man was now in doubt.
And he couldn''t continue to speculate whether the man was truly a wizard. He sensed another formless attack approaching once again.
With a hardened expression, Peran extended his hands.
Tszzt-
As a crimson light emanated from his fingertips, a strange light flickered in the mans eyes. Unaware of this, Peran shot Absolute Lines in all directions. It was the most basic response, but against an unknown attack, there was no other option.
Crack!
Red lines that could affect space enveloped the surroundings. The space subtly shifted, and Peran finally understood the nature of the attack targeting his life.
At first, he thought it was a pillar, but it wasnt.
It was a finger. Naturally, it wasnt ordinary. It was thick and huge, like the finger of a giant carrying a mountain. And it was blurry.
The finger soon disappeared.
An uncomfortable silence lingered for a moment.
The distance between Peran and the man was very far, and the man had his head slightly lowered, obscuring his expression.
Should I attack first?
Just as that thought crossed his mind, the mans voice emerged.
Hoo.
A low sigh mixed with bitterness.
When he lifted his head, Peran realized it wasnt a mistake. The mans expression was filled with despair, as if he might collapse at any moment.
Forgive my rudeness.
Why did you attack suddenly?
It was necessary. However, if you cant control your anger, I can give you an arm or two.
It was clear from his face that it wasnt a joke.
Of course, now, you could easily do that without my permission. That magic just now was my final struggle.
Are you saying you have no strength left?
Indeed.
It made even less sense.
According to the man, he had no means of resistance now. Not only taking his arms but even his life was up to Perans will.
Why did he waste the last means to protect his life?
It was fortunate for the man.
Peran felt more curiosity about the incomprehensible situation than anger over the threat to his life.
What technique did you just use?
Magic.
Ive never heard of such magic.
Thats right. I understand now. You are not a Truth Seeker, nor are you from the Magic Planet. This world is not affiliated with Tower 77 either.
Although unfamiliar words poured out, Peran patiently remained silent.
It seems its a miracle that Im alive. Thanks to that, my body is a wreck.
Then the magic you just used.
Compared to my full strength, its less than a speck.
Peran shivered at his indifferent words.
The mans eyes turned toward him.
Perhaps there is a destiny in this encounter, wizard?
The mans peculiar aura of intimidation prevented Peran from losing his courtesy. Bowing his head to the one who nearly took his life, he spoke.
I am Peran.
Right. Peran. I must return to where I was, but in my current state, its impossible. So, I have a proposal.
A proposal?
I will impart knowledge to you.
I will teach you. Judging by the looks of it, youve been stuck at your current level for quite some time, havent you?
It was a precise judgment, so Peran remained silent for a moment.
In short, you must become a wizard capable of traversing the universe. It won''t be easy, but
I will do it.
Peran''s firm declaration caused the man to show a hint of surprise for the first time, but he soon nodded. As he had felt when he first saw him, this young man had a tremendous desire for power.
And for a wizard, that desire was no different from a thirst for knowledge.
But, what should I call you?
The man briefly recalled his background.
Seven Magicians, Wizard of the 77th Floor, Resident of the Top Floor of the Magic Tower, Future Beginning Wizard.
At this point, none of these titles held any meaning.
My name is Harun, but that''s not important to you. From today, call me Master.
*
Its funny how we look, isnt it? If I were a bit more intact, I would have laughed my head off.
[.]
Lucid had been silent for a long time.
He knew who the man in front of him was. Although much had changed, he wasnt unrecognizable.
So this silence was, in fact, because he knew who the man was.
[Kasajin.]
Unable to remain silent any longer, he forced himself to speak.
[What on earth happened to you?]
Kasajin didnt answer and instead grinned. Though his smile was similar to the past, Lucid couldnt shake the feeling that it was merely an imitation.
I didnt expect you to become the last of the Four Knights. Truly, the arrangements of the Void King are inscrutable.
[.]
Did you ask about my situation? That doesnt matter. It''s not important at this point. Whats more interesting is why you are obeying that skeleton.
[Ill return the same answer to you.]
Kasajin paused and then burst into laughter.
The one who had been the epitome of stubbornness and straightforwardness had changed a lot after dying and coming back. Kasajin pretended to wipe away non-existent tears and changed the subject.
Things are getting interesting. You should be considered from the Void World rather than the Three Thousand Worlds now. I am the same.
[I dont see whats so interesting about that.]
Iris and Schweiser are still on the outside. And Lukas has become a being that belongs to both worlds.
Even his supplementary explanation failed to pique Lucids interest. This was evident enough through his helmet, prompting Kasajin to shrug and change the topic.
There will be a Twelve Void Lords meeting soon. I heard the Four Knights will also participate?
[The other knights didnt seem to be that idle.]
Really? Its not the Blue Knight, is it? That woman is in our territory now.
Lucid actually showed more interest in that statement.
[The Blue Knight, Pale. I dont know her personally, but I''ve heard shes the most unpredictable knight. It seems no one has ever served her as a king, so she must be impossible to control. I cant picture her attending the meeting.]
Would it be more accurate to consider the opinion of a fellow Four Knight over his own? However, Kasajin had known and observed Pale long before Lucid.
As a result, he concluded that speculating about that woman was meaningless.
Many things will change with this meeting.
[Do you know something?]
Well
[.]
Lucid closed his mouth for a moment before asking.
[Arent you participating in the meeting?]
Why should I? I''m not a Void Lord.
[But I know you can accompany them.]
For someone pretending not to care, you seem quite knowledgeable. Kasajin chuckled.
Ive retired. Im no different from an old man leisurely awaiting death.
[Thats an ill-fitting joke.]
Does it sound like a joke?
As his voice turned sharp for the first time, Lucids bright red eyes flickered like candle flames.
The two men stared at each other for a while, and it was Lucid who first looked away.
[I still know nothing.]
About what?
[Why the Four Knights exist, why I, who should be dead, have become such an entity. Whether I am truly the Black Knight.]
Kasajin was momentarily at a loss for words.
[War, conquest, famine. All the Four Knights are fatefully entwined with what they symbolize.]
Lucid shook his head.
[Not me. I have no unique view on death, nor did I have any deep connection to become such a being. If anything, that would be Diablo. Of all the people I know, he is the closest to death.]
What are you thinking?
[That my existence might simply be]
Lucid stopped speaking and shook his head.
[I wont say any more now. Not until I am certain.]
.
Kasajins eyes narrowed slightly.
He knew Lucid was a thinker, but it seemed that hadnt changed even after death.
The meeting. I plan to attend if I can. Though it seems difficult since I dont have a good relationship with the lord.
[You spoke as if you had no interest.]
Normally, that would be true, but with the change in the host, my interest was piqued.
[The host?]
Kasajin grinned.
Your source of information is slow. Didnt you know that Lukas went to the Magic Planet?
[!]
He will likely succeed the title of the Beginning Wizard, considered the strongest of the Twelve Void Lords.
[He will become the next Beginning Wizard?]
Thats why this meeting is important. With him perhaps he could achieve what even the Void King couldnt.
Kasajin said with a smirk.
Standing above all Twelve Void Lords and the Four Knights.
*****
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Book 2: Chapter 567
Side Story Chapter 3Sedi Trowman realized.
First impressions dont necessarily lead to lasting impressions. Relationships are fluid, and even the worst first meeting can change significantly with a few coincidences.
She knows this, but theres one thing thats certain.
Her first impression of the woman before her would not change. She could bet on it.
Get the hell out of here! You crazy bitch!
She spat out a sharp voice, hurling the most vulgar and insulting curses she could muster.
However, the woman only smiled brightly as if she had received a compliment.
Why?
Why, indeed?
That innocent question implied that all the dozens of curses and insults Sedi had scraped together from her vocabulary had no effect.
Rather, it was Sedi who was left speechless, but she forced herself to continue.
This is my territory, and I hate you like crazy!
First impressions are meant to change.
Why do you get to decide that?
Because I like you!
I hate you!
Sedi shouted, seething with rage.
She had shouted it so many times shed lost count.
Damn it
Pressing her throbbing temples, she tried to cool her heated head. Then, in a relatively lower tone, she spoke.
Just what grudge do you have against me to do this? Are the 4 Knights really this idle?
Well, I do tend to spend my time rather productively.
Seeing her puff out her chest confidently made Sedis blood rush to her head again.
This won''t do.
Even shouting at a wall would be more meaningful than this. Above all, if Sedi were to shout, no matter how solid the wall, she could shatter it with just her voice, so naturally No, what kind of crazy thought is that? Sedi shook her head vigorously.
No matter what she said, it wouldnt get through to this woman. Realizing this, Sedis eyes grew dark.
If words didn''t work, should she drive her out by force?
Of course, she didnt think it would be easy.
Sedi had known who this woman was from the beginning. She couldnt help but know.
Someone who held the title of the 1st Void Lord couldnt be unknown or ignored.
One of the 4 Knights of the Royal Castle, famously the most insane of them all, the Blue Knight of Famine.
I cant drive this woman away with just the power of the 0th Demon.
Although she had gained immense power by becoming a Void Lord, it wasnt enough to deal with a 4 Knight.
In other words, to drive this woman away by force, Sedi would have to use the power of the Demon God that she was hiding.
She bit her lip hard.
Thats why she had been engaged in this stupid verbal sparring for hours.
Ive heard that the 4 Knights have an unimaginable level of hatred for the Ruler.
So far, the woman had shown no hostility towards Sedi. Although it was called a verbal argument, in reality, only Sedi was getting angry and shouting. The womans face had never lost its smile.
Of course, that smile was extremely unsettling and eerie
What Sedi was curious about was whether that smile would persist even the moment her secret was revealed.
More importantly
There was another question.
Is she really strong?
Its certain shes the Blue Knight. She must be strong. Sedi wouldnt deny that.
But from this woman, she couldnt feel the same level of presence as the Ruler. She seemed as light and fluffy as pollen floating in the spring breeze. Her demeanor lacked any tension, and as mentioned before, her smile was oddly irritating.
All these elements heightened Sedis discomfort to the maximum.
You don''t have to hide it.
What?
At the abruptly muttered words, Sedi looked at Pale.
Still smiling, but something
I said you don''t have to hide it.
So what are you talking about
Pale lightly tapped her nose.
The stench, you see. It''s not something you can hide just because you want to. You can''t cover it either.
Around that time, Pale''s eyes curved ominously. Her pupils looked like blue moons.
In the shock that felt like her entire body was being pierced by lightning, Sedi naturally realized one thing.
Shed been found out.
And I have a pretty good sense of smell.
However, she wasnt mentioning it directly.
What is she thinking?
The peak of her discomfort quickly turned into the peak of tension.
Feeling the pressure drying her throat, Sedi quietly readied herself.
Ready to attack at any moment, or to respond to whatever might happen.
Whats your goal?
Sedi asked in a surprisingly calm voice, trying to probe her intentions, but Pales demeanor remained consistent despite Sedis shifting attitude.
I told you from the beginning. I want to help you.
Help with what?
I know how to get rid of the stench.
Shwak, a giant scythe appeared in Sedis hand.
Right. She came to get rid of it. If the opponent knew everything, Sedi wouldnt just stand by and take it.
Huh?
Pale blinked with a blank expression and made an X with her hands.
Thats a misunderstanding!
A misunderstanding about what?
I wont hurt you. Im safe, really.
She spread her hands as if to assert her harmlessness. It wasnt a very convincing appeal. As evidence, Sedis mouth twisted coldly.
Ah. Right. Youre safe, huh.
Hmm. You dont believe me. But I have proof.
Proof?
If I had wanted to do that, it would''ve happened long ago.
Kwak.
Sedi tightened her grip on the scythe. Because of her unchanging tone and expression, Sedi could tell. This woman wasnt mocking or provoking her with those words.
What she just said was merely an insignificant fact to her.
That, more than anything else, trampled on Sedis pride.
Whew
Even so, Sedi didnt swing her scythe. She didnt shout angrily, her face flushed. Now she knows how to endure. Shes not immature enough to be swayed by emotions.
Isnt there a much more important purpose than her pride?
Recall it.
The purpose that brought her to this garbage dump of a world, forsaking everything else.
Who told you about me?
What?
Dont play dumb. Even if you could tell by looking with your own eyes, the stench youre talking about
Come to think of it, the fact that she specifically called it a stench was annoying. Sedi looked down at her body for no reason before continuing.
Anyway, that presence wouldnt leak outside my territory.
That much is certain.
As evidence, none of the demons in Demonsio know Sedis true identity.
But you came to Demonsio as if you knew exactly about my condition.
Hmm.
Was it Kasajin?
The former Void Lord who stayed in the territory and knew about her condition. If information leaked, it could only be him. She didnt know what method he used, though.
However, Pale dismissed Sedis confident words with a chuckle.
Nope.
Denying it flatly
Whether you believe it or not doesnt matter. Youll find out eventually.
So what are you going to do?
What am I going to do?
Is she really asking because she doesnt know?
Sedi had become a puppet of the Demon God. Therefore, the Black Horned Demon God would also know everything she saw and felt. Even at this moment, facing one of the 4 Knights.
So Sedis silence grew longer.
The truth is, the main reason Sedi had engaged in a meaningless conversation with Pale so far was to wait for the Demon God''s instructions.
In this situation, any command should have been given. At least, a sign of intent should have been shown.
But the Black Horned Demon God had shown no reaction at all.
Why?
To test Sedi''s loyalty? Given the sinister nature of the Demon God, this is a plausible hypothesis but its wrong.
The moment she saw those curved eyes, she realized.
The existence of the 4 Knights is sufficiently threatening even to the Ruler.
This woman could kill Sedi without much difficulty. Even with the power of the 0th Demon combined with the authority of the Black Horned Demon God, the result would not change.
In other words, if a clear strategy isnt presented now, they might lose the puppet they painstakingly crafted. This would be quite a painful loss for the Demon God as well.
Does he not know? That Ive made contact with one of the 4 Knights?
This seems more plausible, but it also leaves the question of why? sea??h th N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Even as Sedi''s silence prolonged, Pale did not urge her. She simply looked at Sedi with a bright smile.
Right.
She had always been like that.
The woman''s gaze had never once left Sedi, and the smile on her lips never faded. The discomfort and eeriness that Sedi constantly felt stemmed from that.
The blue eyes occasionally scanned not her face but her entire body, and each time, Sedi felt a cold, massive tongue licking her from head to toe, sending shivers down her spine.
At least two things were clear.
Pale was an incredibly dangerous entity, and the madness in her mind far exceeded what was visible.
Therefore, Sedis question remained the same as at the beginning.
What on earth is this woman thinking?
*
Daughter.
It was probably one of the words most distant to Pale.
Like words such as family, love, lover, and treasure, it was a word she thought shed never have a connection with in her life. It felt rough in her mouth and her chest felt ticklish when it came to mind.
But life is indeed unpredictable.
Pale now had to prepare to accept a daughter. Although she hadn''t directly said as much, the intention was clear in the fact that she had been sent here. After all, he was the smartest man in the world.
Thats why Pale kept smiling.
She believed that a smiling face could win favor at any time.
Daughter.
She thought of the word again.
A daughter
A daughter, huh~
Pale narrowed her eyes and scanned Sedis entire body.
Firstly, it''s good that she looks quite young on the outside. Seeing that she looks younger than herself, Pale couldn''t help but feel relieved. Though she might be different inside, that didnt matter to her.
As one could see, her personality is pretty prickly, but well, thats also kind of cute in its own way, so its fine.
Shes quite pretty. It wouldve been nice if her eyes were a bit more innocent.
Why do you keep staring?
Sedi snarled, baring her teeth.
Even as she rubbed her arms as if chilled, Pale just ignored her and continued thinking with a smile.
She imagined herself standing side by side with this girl.
Hmm. Its a bit of a stretch to see them as mother and daughter, but maybe as sisters if you look closely. No, but they look too different. This isnt good.
Have you ever thought about dyeing your hair?
Crazy bitch.
Pale nodded, acknowledging that the refusal was reasonable.
This girl still needed to prepare herself mentally in various ways. Anyway, there were things she needed to keep hidden until she got rid of the trash in that body.
Still, revealing everything all at once might be overwhelming, so its best to narrow the distance as much as possible beforehand.
Maybe it was an unconscious expression of that intention, but Pales body had already moved much closer to Sedi.
Without realizing that Sedis face had twisted in disgust, Pale cleared her throat.
Ahem! Hey.
What? What is it?
Sedi responded sharply, wary.
Pale smiled. A smiling face is the best way to lower someone''s guard.
Of course, she didnt realize that as her lips curled up, her pointed teeth showed, creating a sinister impression.
As I said, I have the power to resolve the crisis you''re in, you know?
To be precise, she knew someone who had the power to resolve it, but Pale said it this way to appear more reliable.
So?
Well, its nothing much. In exchange for getting rid of that bastard, could you do me a small favor?
Sedis eyebrows twitched, but she asked back.
What is it?
Could you call me Mom just once
Piss off.
Pale lowered her head with a dejected face.
*****
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Book 2: Chapter 568
Side Story Chapter 4As she felt the sunlight beyond her closed eyelids, Iris opened her eyes with a dazed expression.
Her neck felt unnecessarily stiff.
Of course it would. Her bed and pillow were made of books. Even an iron man couldn''t endure a month in a place like this.
Cough.
She felt like she coughed up some dust.
How long had she slept?
She had fallen asleep as the day was just beginning to break, so it must have been about two hours. She scratched her messy hair and got up from her sleeping spot.
The journey to the washbasin was not easy. Iris almost tripped a couple of times over thick books and only arrived after bumping her head against the wall once.
Splash-
As she splashed cold water on her face, catching it with both hands, her blurry mind belatedly awakened.
After a quick wash, she looked in the mirror and saw a woman with an unbelievably haggard expression.
Hmm.
Iris was satisfied with the look but felt it was still a bit lacking. The idiot reflected in the mirror needed to suffer a bit more.
Hard to tell which of us is the vampire like this.
A ridiculous voice came from behind, and Iris formed a faint smile at her lips.
I have been mistaken for one before.
When was that?
Well a long time ago.
Charles rolled his eyes.
Then, without asking further, he changed the subject.
How long did you sleep?
About six hours.
Charles didn''t bother to pressing more to the obvious lie. He already knew how meaningless such arguments were.
It wasn''t his role to worsen the condition of a woman whose spirit was already being eroded by trivial disputes.
Breakfast is ready.
Can you bring it to me?
Knowing you''d say that, I already put it on the table.
Thank you.
Iris smiled brightly and reached for the toast and espresso placed on the table. She quite liked the food of Earth, especially this bitter coffee. Even more so that it had an awakening effect.
What are your plans for today?
While having a simple meal, Iris opened a book again and answered without taking her eyes off the page.
Just a bit more reading Hmm. I have an appointment in the evening.
Evening Ah.
Charles nodded.
That was today.
Iris nodded, and a brief silence fell.
Iris quickly finished two pieces of toast. Charles handed her a wet tissue to stop her from licking the grease off her fingers. Since when had the Master known for being flawless become so sloppy.
Of course, he wasn''t disappointed in that. If there was anyone Charles was disappointed in, it would be himself.
He remembered Iris''s appearance from the middle of the night.
She was drenched in cold sweat, as if she''d woken from the worst nightmare.
Since then, Iris had changed. She often wore a fabricated smile, zoned out frequently, and became stricter with herself.
Stricter?''
No. That was an understatement.
Iris behaved as if she loathed herself more than ever. Yet, unable to die, she seemed to present herself with a different kind of hell every day.
It was the most dreadful kind of self-torture Charles had ever seen. He couldn''t even begin to imagine how much Iris''s mind had deteriorated or what perspective she had of the world now.
Please let me know if you need my help anytime.
Iris''s gaze briefly turned to him, and she gave a faint smile.
Of course. Thank you.
He knew it was an empty statement.
They had had this conversation dozens of times already.
Stay strong, Master.
Still, it was better than saying nothing, so Charles said it every day.
***
As the sun set once more, Iris closed her book.
Hmm
She stretched for the first time that day. Her stiff body and joints screamed in protest.
So uncomfortable. This body.
Muttering softly, she opened the door.
Beyond her room was a world filled with violet mist. Countless holes, with no discernible pattern, punctuated the area, each leading to different locations.
It was a place so complex that even the keenest guide couldnt discern directions, but Iris was familiar with it. She walked through the seamlessly blended space and soon found the place she desired.
A mansion shrouded in night,
It was her destination, untouched for a long time, with no flames flickering and dust accumulating.
Tap
She stepped into the central hall of the mansion after leaving the mixed world.
Did it have to be here of all places?
A brusque voice immediately reached her ears.
Down the hallway to the left,
A white-haired elf was leaning against the wall. The moonlight beyond the window illuminated her, making her already stern expression even more pronounced.
You arrived quickly, Snow.
I had nothing else to do.
It wasn''t wrong.
Snow,
Once the head of the Anti Circle Alliance, she was now all alone. It wasnt that her faction had disbanded. Rather, Snow had abandoned them.
Iriss gaze slowly dropped from Snow''s face to her shoulders, arms, and finally to her hand.
Have you gotten used to your left hand?
Hmm. Well
Snow trailed off, flexing her hand before shaking her head.
You didn''t summon me to ask after my arm.
True. But the others havent arrived yet
I am here.
An irritable, rough voice.
A red-haired woman was perched on the central staircase.
For the record, I arrived first.
Not Nix,
It''s Torkunta now.
So, everyone is here.
Everyone? All I see are three washed up rags.
Snow''s self-deprecation amused her, and she let out a low laugh. Torkuntas expression grew uncomfortable at the cynical remark but didnt argue. The past years had crumbled their lofty pride like sandcastles. There had been enough reasons for that.
That was why Iris liked them. Was it camaraderie born of shared suffering or perhaps something different?
The night is deep. Lately, my hobby is sleeping. I enjoy sleeping as long as possible. When Im awake
She trailed off, but Iris could guess the unspoken words.
I feel like Im going crazy.
Anyway, Id prefer if we got to the point, Black Witch.
I cant even understand why its just the three of us. What commonality do we have?
Torkuntas words prompted Iris to respond.
We do have a commonality. We did not agree with Diablos claims.
Both Snow and Torkuntas eyebrows twitched simultaneously at that.
You can say that for me and this elf. But not for you, right? Havent you been moving with that skeleton since that day?
I didnt think it was necessary to oppose him outright. Especially since most of my subordinates were swayed by his rhetoric.
Iris nonchalantly replied and continued.
We have several other commonalities but lets move on for now. The reason I called you here is simple. I want you two to be my right and left arms.
Chilling silence.
You dont seem to be missing any arms.
Torkunta was the first to speak. She didnt hide her discomfort.
Its merely a figurative expression. Was it too much for a drake to understand?
I said it because it was absurd.
Snow, seeming to feel the same way, tilted her head.
Right and left arms. I dont quite understand what you mean by that. Explain.
As you know, with the occurrence of the Great Fusion, independent universes began merging into one. Consequently, secrets that were once unknown and should not be known to mortals became accessible to everyone.
The moment Iris snapped her fingers, a crack appeared in the space behind her as if responding to her action.
And thanks to my inherent spatial abilities and the coordinates I learned from the Great Priestess, I was able to access the Void Record. It''s quite an interesting library. I intend to share the vast information there with you.
Share?
Yes. Snow, you might be able to fully heal your damaged arm and reach a higher level. Torkunta, you might achieve the separation youve been longing for.
!
Torkuntas eyes widened in surprise, but Snow remained indifferent. Without showing excitement or joy, she spoke in a lukewarm voice.
I dont see the connection. What does that have to do with making us your right and left arms?
Because I need power.
Iris murmured.
The Great Fusion. Even when tracing back through the history of the universe, its an unprecedented event, but this is only the beginning. The truly astounding events havent happened yet. To prepare for that, I need to stockpile power.
Yes. Iris Peacefinder has a mission.
Even if she no longer deserves forgiveness, she cannot commit any more sins.
She must become stronger.
The path he walks always requires strength, and powerlessness is a sin.
Iris had experienced that far too many times in her long life.
So.
Lets grow stronger together.
Power was needed.
***
The Red Knight El liked the snowy plains in the southern region of the Void World.
At the very least, this place resembled her homeland the most compared to other places in this world.
Of course, there were some disappointments.
It did not snow here. There was no chilling sky that froze ones chest, nor could one find the tough weeds that occasionally poked their heads out in the snowy fields.
A world called a dumpsite.
A world that remained stagnant and unchanging.
A world at a standstill.
There was a change in such a place.
[.]
El watched her own breath and suddenly lifted her head.
Snowflakes were falling from the sky. Faced with this weather phenomenon she had never witnessed in thousands of years, El was rendered speechless.
That wasnt all.
The sky started to take on a dark bluish hue, creating a scene resembling the midnight sun. It looked like a dark watercolor painting. Though it was impossible, it seemed as if day and night were occurring in this Void World.
In disbelief, El removed her helmet and looked up at the sky again.
She pricked up her ears.
She could sense the presence of life. As she turned her gaze, a small rodent-like creature suddenly poked its head out from the snow.
An animal that shouldnt exist in the Void World.
It was a creature from the outside world, long forgotten
Is this your doing?
This wasnt a soliloquy.
El was questioning someone.
A bothersome cohabitant who had been staying in these snowy plains for some time.
Hwaaah!
That presence soon revealed itself.
A figure flickered in the white night sky.
It couldnt be called a solid form, but it was clear that at least the will of that being existed there.
[It wasnt me.]
The Ruler, Sun God, answered as he manifested.
El was silent for a moment before speaking again.
Its impossible. This animal being here.
Her unique choppy, hard to understand manner of speaking continued.
What''s happening? What exactly is going on?
[It has entered the next stage.]
Next stage? Sarch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
[Do you know? Outside this place, in the Three Thousand Worlds. There is currently an unprecedented event called the Great Fusion occurring there.]
What is he talking about?
El had asked about what was happening in the Void World, not the Three Thousand Worlds.
[Dont you understand? They are connecting The Great Fusion is no longer confined to the Three Thousand Worlds. Everything you are witnessing now is evidence of that.]
Does that mean
[Yes.]
The Sun God continued in a low voice.
[The Three Thousand Worlds and the Void World are merging]
*****
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Book 2: Chapter 569
Side Story Chapter 5Cloud Pavilion in Mount Hua was a space solely for the sect leader.
Of course, it hadn''t been long since Yang In-hyun became the sect leader, but he didn''t break the tradition. However, if someone were to ask him why, he wouldn''t be able to answer easily.
Yang In-hyun sometimes found it hard to endure his own contradictions.
Sitting in the position of leader of a force he had hated so much, what did he want to do? What does Mount Hua mean to him?
When he looked at the foliage spreading out below the peak, such empty questions never ceased.
But today, he couldn''t continue that contemplation for long. Because a guest had arrived. This rude guest had intruded into Cloud Pavilion with dirty feet, brazenly lifting his head.
It wasn''t difficult to point out the rudeness, but he didn''t do so immediately. Because it was his own will that had called the guest.
Sssshk-
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He poured the tea. Of course, it wasn''t to entertain him. Though he had called him, they were not close enough to pour tea for each other.
I found a lake in the middle of the desert yesterday.
He started speaking like that, but there was no reaction from the guest.
Yang In-hyun continued speaking without haste.
It wasn''t entering a territory. Nor was it a hallucination. There was a lake in the western region of the Void, the most barren and empty place. The water was clear enough to drink immediately, and there were even a few blades of grass growing around.
[.]
The changes were not only on the ground. The brilliantly colored sky turned pitch black as if night had returned.
On the table, besides the tea cup, there was also a bowl containing porridge of a clear color.
Food.
Something that could not exist in the Void.
Yang In-hyun scooped a spoonful of porridge, put it in his mouth, and chewed slowly. The taste of the mixed grain porridge he ate for the first time in half a year wasn''t too bad. If he had to express it, the sense of longing was greater than the taste.
After swallowing the porridge, Yang In-hyun finally lifted his head.
And he sent his gaze to the being sitting in front of him.
[It seems you didn''t call me to serve tea Everlasting Plum Sword.]
The Exile of the entire universe'' was sitting with a bent waist.
His physique was more than twice that of an adult male. The remodeled Cloud Pavilion felt cramped, and if he stood up straight, his shoulders might touch the ceiling.
I thought you would know the reason.
[Indeed is that the reason.]
Were you disappointed?
[No way. Rather, I''m relieved. I thought, without knowing that our relationship had become so amicable.]
He jokes inappropriately.
Feeling a strange sense of incongruity at that sight, a sharp retort came out of his mouth.
If you''re looking for a fight, I''ll respond. But only after my questions are answered.
The Exile, who had been silent for a moment, let out a bizarre sound.
[Kakakak Kakakakaka.]
Yang In-hyun frowned.
Because he knew that unpleasantly creepy noise was laughter. The Exile, who had been laughing bizarrely for a long time, waved his hand.
[No more. Now is not the time for that. From now on I must conserve my strength.]
Why?
[Because the Three Thousand Worlds and the Void are merging.]
Yang In-hyun flinched.
The Exile''s words couldn''t be seen as the right answer to his question, but they weren''t something he could easily dismiss either.
Merging, what does that mean?
Is it a simple metaphor? Or
As he stayed silent, not knowing how to interpret it, the Exile spoke again.
[You must be wondering. Why is that happening? To prepare for the upcoming disaster a divine being''s arrangement? Does it want all beings to combine their strength to fend off the calamity?]
The Exile''s words soon turned into a monologue, a mumble.
Reading his complexion or eyes to discern his intentions was impossible, so Yang In-hyun had no choice but to ask again.
What exactly are you talking about?
[Many absolute beings must have various interpretations of this situation But I can assure you, they are all wrong And I am the only one who knows the truth]
At that moment, a strange light flickered on the Exile''s right arm.
Yang In-hyun somehow couldn''t take his eyes off that phenomenon.
[This is merely part of their preparation process You can''t even dip a finger in a tiny bathtub so it needs to be expanded]
Among the Twelve Void Lords, the Exile was the most eccentric. Although all the Void Lords classified as wanderers'' were mysterious, the Exile was the most enigmatic among them.
Therefore, it wasn''t surprising that he spouted incomprehensible words, but the things he was saying now were extremely severe.
It was only natural for Yang In-hyun to frown.
However, he didn''t get angry.
Because he saw the madness flickering in the Exile''s voice. And the unmistakable fear he couldn''t hide.
What are you afraid of?
Yang In-hyun knew the Exile''s strength better than anyone. He had already clashed with him several times.
He was the one who made Yang In-hyun recognize that the existence of the Twelve Void Lords was equal to his own.
[Destruction!]
[Do you understand Everlasting Plum Sword From now on you must move with me]
Why?
[Because it seems I will need you to meet the king]
The king?
In the Void, there is only one being referred to as the king.
But.
The Void King''s seat should be empty
[Do you. also think so]
Is the Void King really alive?
Yang In-hyun couldn''t easily believe it, but he couldn''t dismiss the Exile''s words as lies either.
I refuse.
Nevertheless, he said so first.
For now, that is.
[That means]
Before that, we have a duty to uphold.
[The Twelve Void Lords meeting.]
Yang In-hyun nodded.
[Hmm Fine I agree with that I also have something to convey to the new Beginning Wizard]
Wait a minute. What do you mean? The new Beginning Wizard
[What are you surprised about You''ve already met him]
The Exile didn''t mention his name.
But Yang In-hyun thought of the wizard who suddenly appeared and suddenly disappeared.
Lukas Trowman.
Has that man become the Beginning Wizard?
[That man is the key]
The Exile muttered in a low voice.
*
An infinitely small existence.
From the perspective of the Ruler, there was no better way to describe it.
Physically and conceptually, an insignificant being, no different from a speck of dust.
Such a bug was looking up at him with its head held high. Without any fear or reverence in its eyes.
An impossible situation.
The Black Horned Demon God had countless means to prevent this situation, and in the past, he had done so innumerable times.
Gouging out eyes, breaking spines, snapping necks The Demon God knew as many solutions as there were methods of killing he knew.
But he didn''t do any of that.
For one simple reason, he did not crush the bug before him.
[Have you regained your memories, dragon?]
The fact that this green-haired girl originally possessed power equal to his own as a former Ruler was the one and only reason, but in truth, that alone was sufficient.
I am Beniang now.
Beniang first corrected her identity.
The Demon God did not hide his sneer. Because he knew well the state of her inner self.
[A name not worth remembering.]
Therefore, even this seemingly rude remark was a form of positive expression for the Demon God.
And as for the memories you mentioned, yes. Some have returned. Thanks to them, I was able to come to this universe where your true form resides.
[Its not something that could be accomplished just by recovering memories. More than half of the Three Thousand Worlds have disappeared, and the remaining universes show signs of merging into one. The barriers that existed between the universes have also crumbled.]
Thanks to that, the difficulty of inter-universe travel has significantly decreased.
Beniang did not deny the Demon God''s words.
Thanks to that, the difficulty of inter-universe travel had significantly decreased, and as a result, Beniang, weakened as she was now, could come here.
After a brief silence, the Demon God spoke.
[Then let me tell you in advance. I have no intention of returning your tooth.]
.
[Of course, this tooth holds no great value to me. But when it came into my possession, I decided. Unless you regain the power equal to mine, I will never return it.]
A contradictory condition.
For Beniang to regain her power as a dragon, she needed the tooth, but without such power, the tooth wouldn''t be returned to her.
[You didn''t come here without such resolve, did you? You recklessly undertook the most careful challenge we should have faced, and that was the result. And I do not grant the right to speak to the weak.]
Despite hearing the unreasonable declaration, there was no change in Beniang''s expression.
Instead, she slowly shook her head and spoke.
You are mistaken. I did not come to ask for the tooth.
[Oh]
For the first time, the Demon God showed interest in an unexpected answer.
[Then what is your business? Answer more carefully than the previous question. Your existence arouses unpleasantness in me It is not a pleasant feeling to see the fallen figure of one who once reigned in the same realm as I.]
Perhaps if what Beniang said from now on did not pique the Demon God''s interest, he would kill her without hesitation. Or worse, make her suffer a fate worse than death.
Despite this, Beniang''s demeanor did not waver.
I will prophesy one thing. You will return the tooth'' to me by your own hand.
[By my will?]
Yes.
[.]
The Demon God fell silent.
Even though he heard such absurd words, he neither sneered nor got angry. He simply considered the possibility calmly.
What kind of situation must arise for Beniang''s words to come true?
I have things to tell you. First, about what I experienced in the Void.
[I''m not interested in tales of defeat.]
Yes. They are tales of defeat. But arent you genuinely interested in knowing who defeated the Seven Fanged Dragon'' who once held power equal to yours?
[It was a beast of the Twelve Void Lords, was it not.]
That was the final defeat. By then, I was already significantly weakened.
Beniang looked up at the Demon God with clear eyes.
In the future, you will experience unprecedented events one after another. Perhaps the former me fell to experience them ahead of you.
[Ridiculous. Theres nothing more pitiful than embellishing failure.]
It is not embellishment. I have prepared in my own way. And I know. Demon God, you too are preparing various measures.
[.]
But it won''t be enough.
Beniang murmured.
The same goes for the Giant. He is just beginning to learn about cooperation, but at this rate, it wont be in time.
The Demon God suddenly burst into laughter.
At least Beniang succeeded in one thing.
She managed to draw the Demon Gods interest.
[Alright. Infinitesimally small being. Lets say all your words are true. Then what is it that I need to know?]
Defeat.
The laughter abruptly stopped. The atmosphere changed. It was as if the air itself was screaming.
Within it, Beniang looked up at the Demon God and continued speaking.
The reason I came here today is to teach you that.
*****
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Book 2: Chapter 570
Side Story Chapter 6[The current phenomenon is not part of their plan.]
At Diablo''s words, Corpse Ghost narrowed his eyes.
By they'' you mean
[.]
you mean the Rulers.
[Yes.]
The jaw of the skeletal figure nodded.
It was a chilling sight. The one with a skeletal body was draped in something like black cloth, and within the dark eye sockets, ghost flames flickered.
The flickering ghost flames contained a power that could drive people to madness, but Corpse Ghost''s demeanor remained calm.
From the beginning, Corpse Ghost was far more grotesque than the lich before him in appearance alone.
Right. They said they would start a game in this Void world. So ignorant.
[Preparations for that were steadily progressing.]
Corpse Ghost knew.
He knew about the puppets'' sent to the Void world by the Rulers.
But he didn''t know exactly where they were. It wasn''t a matter of much interest to him.
To the Twelve Void Lords, the Rulers were such beings. They knew they were strong, but they didn''t evoke much emotion.
No matter what chaos they caused, they believed that the barrier between worlds'' that had lasted for a very long time could not be crossed.
As evidence, hadn''t the Seven Fanged Dragon God'' been defeated by the Beast''?
But the Four Knights are different.
[]
The resentment and hatred they hold for the Rulers are beyond imagination. That includes even the Black Knight you command, doesn''t it?
[If you''re talking about Lucid, he has no grievances against the Rulers.]
Why is that Is it because it hasn''t been long since he became one of the Four Knights?
Corpse Ghost quietly continued to mumble.
From what I''ve heard so far, the Black Knight might be a different kind of existence from the other Four Knights.
[Is that so.]
The fusion of the Three Thousand Worlds and the Void world. I don''t know what kind of world we will face once the fusion is complete.
[.]
But even in that, my Dumpsite will still be an independent space.
When Corpse Ghost calmly predicted one fact, Diablo''s ghost flames burned more intensely. It didn''t suit a dead man, but he seemed to be burning with some kind of desire.
The Rulers probably won''t bow. They''ll see this fusion as an opportunity and will forcibly try to host the game.
[Yes.]
Such coercion might turn the fused world into the most horrible hell.
[That''s correct.]
Diablo Kairak.
This time, Diablo did not answer.
Corpse Ghost looked at him with dull eyes and spoke.
Are you still aiming for the Void King?
[That is my reason for living.]
I see. Hmm.
Corpse Ghost closed his eyes slightly and mumbled.
I have existed for a long time. Truly, for a time that no one can fathom.
The sorrow in his voice was not something even Diablo could understand.
Corpse Ghost was among the weaker of the Twelve Void Lords, but he had existed far longer than any other Void Lord.
Hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands.
Those units couldn''t even represent a fraction of the life he had lived.
A new wind may be needed.
[What do you mean by that?]
Head to the castle. With the Black Knight.
Corpse Ghost spoke with a faint smile.
As my proxy, not as the master of the Black Knight.
*
The White Knight, Agolet, looked at the ground.
A gray land that could also be called the land of the dead. The gray hue symbolized desolation and evoked a sense of melancholy.
There was nothing where Agolet stood. Only himself and the endlessly sprawling land.
That''s why he liked this place. From the beginning, the reason he made a deal with the Exile was because of this. As far as Agolet knew, only Exile could find and guide him to such a place in the Void world.
Agolet desired solitude. He wanted to live here without any connections to anyone and die here. And he wished for no one to remember him.
All three were impossible.
Do you still aim to life of irrelevance?
.
It was an unexpected visitor after a very long time.
A unique hair color mixed exactly half and half with black and white. Clothes that seemed to be woven from the brightest light and patterned with sunlight. The wings spread behind him were those of both an angel and a demon. S~ea??h the N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
One of the Twelve Void Lords, the Enforcer of the Law, had come in person.
Agolet removed his helmet. He felt that level of courtesy was due to this being.
Yes, I still do, and I will continue to live that way.
You must change.
The Enforcer''s voice was calm, but it carried a clear power.
A strange power, just like his appearance.
But.
I cannot change. I can only suppress it at best.
.
I know why you have come here. Your primary purpose is to propose my participation in the meeting, and you also wish to borrow my power.
Agolet slowly shook his head.
Im sorry, but both are impossible. I will not leave this place. I am confident that it will be much more beneficial for others as well.
Are you still unable to control your inner desire for conquest?
That is a secondary issue. The disease that drives me mad is much more fundamental.
After a brief silence, the Enforcer spoke.
Perfect One. Is it the karma of your species?
Agolet chuckled softly.
Not long ago, a remarkable guest came to visit. He was a human from the Three Thousand Worlds, with tremendous potential. He might become an equal or even surpass the Four Knights in the near future.
.
And I almost violated, trampled, and devoured him on the spot. I barely restrained myself, but honestly, if we meet again well. Who knows what will happen next time.
Agolet could not afford to be careless.
Now, such beings might appear in the Void world.
Those who surpass the Four Knights.
Conquest and absorption are the traits of a Perfect One. The pleasure we gain the moment we defeat a being stronger than ourselves far exceeds the bounds of any other race.
So, he must not encounter anyone stronger than himself. The moment he does, Agolet''s mind would shatter. He would then be reborn as a terrible monster obsessed with killing and stealing the power of his opponent.
Perhaps even the self now known as Agolet'' might disappear.
Will you then live alone here, until the very end?
Yes.
I see.
The Enforcer did not get angry. Without any sign of being fed up, he merely turned away with a sad expression. Did he realize he couldn''t persuade him? Or perhaps, he was having some other thought
.
Agolet was alone once again.
Suddenly feeling suffocated, he looked up at the sky.
If someday,
A being who could control someone like him appeared, then
Hoo.
Agolet shook his head.
He didn''t even expect it, as it was something even the previous Void King couldn''t achieve.
The White Knight would not leave the gray land.
The White Armor would never shine brilliantly again.
*
There wouldn''t be a single one.
Anyone who really thinks you''re dead.
Residue walked down the dark corridor.
Amidst the silence, the sound of footsteps echoed regularly, and after a brief moment of silence, he muttered to himself.
But isn''t this a bit different?
No answer came back.
Residue felt a huge emptiness at that fact, but continued to speak as if it didn''t matter.
Its not just your name that I have to carry. What the hell is this cumbersome position?
The Beginning Wizard.
Even the Rulers could not take this name lightly, and it weighed heavily on his shoulders. The problem was that he couldnt just cast it off like shedding old skin. The position was still necessary for now.
So Residue clicked his tongue and voiced his complaint.
I didn''t know you had this side to you
Or maybe he simply didnt think this far ahead? On second thought, that seemed more plausible. He was a man with an outstanding mind but far from cunning.
Rather, he was straightforward. He didn''t match the word flexibility at all.
And now, that would become a trait that Residue had to embody.
It wont be easy. Damn it.
Name, body, memory.
It wasn''t just about inheriting those things. If it were just that, he wouldnt have made such a grand fuss.
Residue had to become Lukas himself.
He had to act so that everyone who knew him would see him as Lukas Trowman.
It would undoubtedly be exhausting, difficult, and unpleasant task.
Yeah.
That''s why he entrusted him with this role.
It''s a strange feeling.
How short was the time spent with Lukas? For Residue, who held the memories as the Lightning God, it was a fleeting moment.
But it was intense.
Far more vivid than a spark in the pitch black.
Recalling the footsteps Lukas had taken and the memories they shared made him chuckle.
Then suddenly.
Have you ever smiled while recalling the past, even once?
It felt like he heard Lukass voice.
Do you know what a memory is? No. You wouldnt. You can''t even understand it.
Is that so.
Had he, before he knew it, become able to reminisce about the past?
.
Residue closed his eyes for a moment and stood still, as if savoring the lingering feeling he was experiencing.
Then.
Hmph.
He let out a snort and opened his eyes again.
He looked ahead.
There was a massive door.
Opening this door was the true beginning.
He gripped the Old Staff'' in his hand. He draped himself in the Dung Beetle Robe.''
And Residue put on the Old Man''s Mask to cover his face. It felt like being trapped in a pitch-black box, an alienation from the world.
Kekeke.
Laughter spilled out.
He couldnt tell if it was amusement or self-mockery.
An interesting thing.
Even the face hidden behind the mask wasnt real. The essence of Residue was buried much deeper.
No one must discover this.
Fully aware of that fact
He opened the door.
.
.
Step.
Residue stepped inside.
Seated at the round table were eleven absolute beings who ruled the Void world, or their representatives.
There were some familiar faces and some he was seeing for the first time.
What was certain was that Residue was the latest to arrive.
.
.
He could feel their gazes converging on him. Various emotions flickered in their eyes, and he sensed a prickling pressure.
To feel this much just from their attention alone. Residue smirked subtly beneath his mask. In his current state, he couldn''t guarantee a victory against any of these youngsters.
Step.
So he straightened his back even more.
He put strength into his steps.
At this moment, he had to temporarily forget his original identity.
Not as Residue, the lingering remnant of the Lightning God,
But as the Beginning Wizard,
As an equal member of the Twelve Void Lords.
Residue took the seat at the center and then
Then, lets begin.
He spoke.
The Twelve Void Lords conference.
End of Side Stories
*****
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Book 2: Chapter 571
A short while before the Twelve Void Lords'' meeting was held.In the office of The Beginning Wizard on the Magic Planet.
Thud.
As a thick stack of documents landed on the desk, Residue''s head tilted.
What is this?
Documents.
With a stone-face that perfectly matched her blunt tone, the green-haired woman replied.
Her name was right, Altata.''
The 44th floor''s Seven Magicians, and someone who knew a few secrets'' about him.
Those secrets weren''t particularly grand.
It was just that the previous Beginning Wizard was related to him as a brother, things like that.
What documents.
Documents that briefly records all the members and the exact territory of the Magic Planet, information about the surrounding territories, and the relationship with the Twelve Void Lords. I hope you memorize it as soon as possible. Since it contains many top-secret matters, it would be best to dispose of them immediately after.
Memorize them. Me?
Because you''re the new lord.
It is one of the tasks entrusted to me by the previous lord.
One of the tasks.
Residue asked.
What else is there?
No. This tone seemed a bit off.
Again.
What else is there besides that.
I will inform you when the time comes.
Altata spoke in a business-like tone.
For a moment, Residue contemplated whether to threaten this woman into confessing everything she knew. But no matter how he thought about it, that was not the choice Lukas would make.
What attitude would he take at such a moment?
It was a thought he had become accustomed to lately, but there was a problem. There was no clear answer in sight.
Isn''t it strange, Lukas?''
If Residue had shared his mind with Lukas, he would have judged that he could perfectly imitate him. But in reality, it was like this.
Residue couldn''t imitate Lukas.
Why?
Residue tried to continue his contemplation, but seeing Altata staring intently at his face, he shrugged.
You can leave now.
I will stay by your side until you finish reading, in case there are parts you don''t understand.
If there is something like that, I will call you again.
What are you doing? I told you to go out.
Altata looked at Residue with sunken eyes. This woman seemed to have a knack for hiding her true feelings, but Residue could clearly see the faint dissatisfaction she was harboring.
So what.
When he didn''t avoid her gaze and met it directly, she finally lowered her head.
Understood.
She maintained an attitude that seemed polite until the end, but she left the office before Residue even answered. Was this the most rebellious attitude she could muster?
Residue chuckled as he watched her back.
Politeness.
If there was a word that he was least familiar with, it might be that.
Hmm.
When he took off his mask with a click, the frustration seemed to ease a bit.
The old man''s mask, there was no particular need to wear it even in front of that woman. However, he still hadn''t made Lukas'' expressions fully his own. Until he became familiar with it, he needed to avoid showing his face.
After briefly glancing at the documents piled up like a mountain, he stood up from his seat. Then, he stood in front of the full-length mirror in the corner of the office and looked at himself.
Dark blonde hair and sunken eyes, along with tightly closed, lips
The man with the gloomy impression in the mirror changed his expression according to Residue''s will.
He even tried making a ridiculous face for fun, but it looked shockingly out of place. It might be the first time Lukas'' face made such an expression since the beginning of time.
Even after doing such things, the sense of incongruity didn''t disappear.
The man in the mirror didn''t feel like himself'' at all.
Could he adapt?
Residue shrugged his shoulders and thought.
He must adapt.
***
There was still some time before the meeting.
This was fortunate for Residue more than anything. What he needed most right now was time.
Adapting to the body, adapting to the power, adapting to Lukas
There were countless things he had to get used to. But he didn''t have the luxury of getting accustomed to everything.
So he had to choose.
What should he prioritize?
Power, of course.
There was no need to ponder.
Residue lightly stretched his body and looked around.
The personal workshop of The Beginning Wizard, the training room in its basement a place Residue had temporarily named.
As expected, The Beginning Wizard had a knack for handling space.
This place was completely independent from the outside world, making it impossible for anyone to interfere or even spy.
In other words, he could act freely without worrying about others, and he didn''t need to pretend to be Lukas.
It''s a pity the flow of time is the same
How great would it be if one year here was equivalent to a day outside? Considering that efficiency, he would have renamed it something like The Room of Time and Mind''.
There might be a way to manipulate the flow of time as desired. Though it was impossible for Residue right now.
Unless he could use Thunder'', dealing with space based on magicology was beyond his skill level.
No. Was it different from skill level?
It''s not that this body lacks talent.
Tsst-
A dark red light sparked from Residue''s fingers.
Absolute.
A state close to the pinnacle of magicology'' that one can reach only with a combination of talent, effort, and fate, but Residue could unfold it without difficulty.
This was not all.
Whether it was martial arts, academics, or the arts, Residue could easily reach a state close to the pinnacle'' in any field. It wouldn''t take long.
In the case of the sword, it would be enough to swing it a few times, and martial arts would be similar. Arts and academics might require more focus, but it wouldn''t take days, let alone hours.
This seemed like an immense blessing that couldn''t be attributed to mere talent
But it''s not enough.
Thud, Residue sat down and propped his chin, lost in thought.
Residue was not weak. That was certain.
But if asked if he was strong well.
Strength is relative.
In a suitable universe, he could live as an absolute god, but what about now?
Can he face the Twelve Void Lords with what he has now? What about beings superior to them? What about Destruction''?
No.
It''s insufficient. Hopelessly so.
Countless shining talents, like stars in the night sky. Genius that stands out in every field means nothing.
After all, terms like talent and genius are just measurements by mortal standards.
Residue knew what he needed most right now.
One
He needed a single weapon that would not be inferior to anyone else, no matter what.
And Residue had not yet decided what to make his mainstay.
If thinking normally it would be magicology.
That was the case for Lukas. He incorporated all the power and enlightenment he gained into it. Whatever experiences he had in life, he ultimately digested them into the form of magicology.
The path he had walked, the values formed as a result, made him do so.
So should I follow the same path?
Is that what it means to inherit Lucas Trowman''?
It might, or it might not.
At this point, nothing could be confirmed.
I''ll have to try everything. Sar?h the Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
The most important thing is suitability.
The current me,
The remnant of the Lightning God'',
The successor of Lukas Trowman'',
Wearing the guise of The Beginning Wizard'',
And existing with the name Residue''.
The being named Residue''.
He had to find what talent suits this existence the best.
***
Does that mean the options are perfectly free?
For instance, to the extent of applying every talent that exists in this world one by one?
No, they are not.
No matter how immense Residue''s talents are across all fields and how capable he is of handling any power, he cannot choose a power that is entirely detached from the existence of Lukas.
The powers and authorities that Lukas used.
Residue must choose one of these to focus on.
It would be best if I could use magic, but
He chewed over the thought that had crossed his mind countless times.
He knew how Lukas used magic. He also remembered the sensations.
But this seemingly brilliant choice would be the worst of all. Magic was, in fact, the power Residue should avoid the most.
No matter how hard I try, I won''t be able to reach his level.
And a lack of proficiency would arouse suspicion. People would think, There''s no way Lukas Trowman would use such clumsy magic''.
Choosing magic meant having to make the most perfect judgment in every situation, and the manifestation of that judgment also had to be magic. It would become a shackle far beyond simply pretending to be Lukas.
Conversely, a Lukas who doesn''t use magic might also raise suspicions.
But in such cases, the position of The Beginning Wizard would serve as a good excuse. He could bluff that it was a new power he acquired upon becoming one of the Twelve Void Lords.
To circle back to the point,
The conditions for the power Residue must hone are:
A power that Lukas used but did not perfect to a mature level.
Whether it suited him or not could only be determined through use, but as mentioned, there was no time. Moreover, such persistent tasks did not suit Residue''s temperament.
There was no other choice.
This time, Residue decided to experience patience.
Without haste and with calm, he drew out the powers Lukas had handled one by one.
Then something interesting happened.
Ha.
He remembered the moments Lukas used these powers. Recalling them was no different from reminiscing about the past.
Of course.
For Lukas, power was the footsteps and memories he walked, and now they had become memories for Residue.
He would feel this way many times in the future.
Residue shook his head. He could indulge in sentimentality but should not be consumed by it. Honestly, it felt strange for him to be a being capable of feeling such emotions
Hmm.
It was time to curb these distracting thoughts.
Residue embarked on a full-fledged talent search''.
*
Residue had about three days. Considering the types of powers Lukas possessed, this was an extremely short amount of time.
Nevertheless, he managed to meet the deadline.
This must be it. The power that best probably suits me right now.
Probably so.
The reason he had to add the uncertain qualifier probably was because he hadn''t tried out all of Lukas'' powers. That guy had collected all sorts of discarded possibilities from the Dumpsite.
Because of his perverse behavior, the talents he possessed had multiplied thousands of times, and thanks to that, Residue now had a tough road ahead.
Honestly, there were still powers he wanted to test.
This is it.
He had already pushed it to the limit. How he would use it in actual combat was another matter altogether but it wouldn''t be bad to postpone that as a pleasure for later.
Residue finished his thoughts and stepped out of the training room.
Hmm?
Two figures were standing in front. Judging from their appearance, they seemed to have waited for quite a while.
Haike and Altata.
They were Seven Magicians'', key figures even on the Magic Planet, and had been decided to accompany him to the upcoming meeting.
Time is running out, my lord.
Altata spoke in a strangely reproachful tone.
Since it''s all done, let''s go right away.
In contrast, Residue''s voice was indifferent.
The man beside him, Hyke, looked at Residue''s somewhat disheveled appearance and spoke awkwardly.
Straight away, you mean? Preparations
There''s no problem.
As mentioned, time was already tight. If they delayed even a few more minutes, they wouldn''t make it on time.
The Beginning Wizard, who was supposed to lead the meeting, being late would be beyond a joke.
Then shall we depart.
To the place where the meeting would be held,
To the Kings Castle.
*****
For more chapters visit C /tgmalpha
Book 2: Chapter 572
While walking through the corridor, the two escorts on either side of Residue did not speak. Come to think of it, they rarely spoke first. From their attitude, gaze, and expressions, it was clear that they only had strictly professional feelings towards Residue.It wasnt the same attitude as when they dealt with the previous Beginning Wizard, Mark Trowman. Suddenly, he realized what the difference was.
Lack of respect.
They were following him as a superior, but it was merely an impersonal subservience arising from the hierarchy of their positions.
This is unfamiliar.
More than that, it was intriguing.
When he was the Lightning God, no one dared to take such an attitude.
There was no need to create an intimidating atmosphere or reveal his true power. Everyone worshipped him as naturally as breathing.
Thats why he was even more bothered by the few who held their heads high.
Where are we going?
Residue looked around and asked.
By now, he was quite familiar with the geography of the Magic Planet.
There were a total of five places that could be considered exits here. Six if the Beginning Wizard''s personal passageway was included.
Of course, with the instability of the space being more precarious than glass on the verge of breaking, soon the exits might become meaningless. Still, for now, they would barely maintain their role.
The place the two were leading Residue to was underground, and if memory served, there was no exit here.
There seemed to be something like an underground lake.
The Beginning Wizard is the coordinator of the Twelve Void Lords.
Coordinator.
He barely managed to suppress a scoff at that word.
And so?
The former Lord used to say repeatedly. Because he is the coordinator, the Beginning Wizard must be the most distinctive and eye-catching among the various Void Lords.
We came here for the preliminary preparations for that.
I dont understand what youre trying to say.
People say that first impressions are everything.
Saying something incomprehensible, Altata stopped walking, and Residue had no choice but to stop as well.
The lake situated underground was pitch-black. At first, it seemed so due to the darkness, but that wasnt it. The liquid here was truly jet black.
As he squinted and stared at the lake, the surface began to ripple.
This is the Beginning Wizards exclusive ride.
The ripples soon turned into vibrations. The vibrations seemed to spread not only to the lake but also to the ground, and it wasnt an illusion. Dust was falling from the ceiling of the cave as proof.
Altata and Hyke showed no agitation. As if they were witnessing a sight they had seen many times.
Then Residue shouldnt show any wavering either. Not that he was particularly surprised to begin with.
Splash!
However, when the lake split and the form of the ride was revealed, Residues expression hardened.
It was a ride of an unimaginable shape.
It was bright red and relatively round in shape. At the end was a green stem, and it looked incredibly fresh and ripe, perhaps due to the moisture clinging to it.
Is this the ride?
Yes.
But this is an apple, isn''t it.
What emerged from the lake was an apple of somewhat large size.
It is the exclusive ride of the Beginning Wizard. In life, the previous lord called it Apple.
It was a naming skill he wished he hadnt known.
Are there no other rides?
There are none.
Any other options?
None.
Altata said.
This is also one of the tasks the former lord requested. The lord wishes you to respect his last arrangements.
Residue clicked his tongue. Sear?h the Novl?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
*
It was a fact he didn''t want to accept, but the inside of the apple was quite comfortable. It was much more spacious than it appeared from the outside, easily accommodating up to ten people. It was equipped with food supplies as well as simple conveniences, making long-term stays not a problem at all.
With a subtle expression, Residue sat quietly inside, or, as one might humorously say inside the fruit.
The two companions, Hyke and Altata, had already closed their eyes and were deep in meditation. They had requested permission to sharpen their senses as much as possible before arriving at the Kings Castle. He saw no reason to refuse, so he let them be.
This strange ride moved without making any significant noise. Thanks to that, even the breathing of someone a few steps away could be heard clearly.
That silence did not quite please him, so Residue turned his attention outside.
The Void World.
The most closed-off space, known as the dumpsite of the entire universe.
A crack had formed in that dumpsite.
A space fractured like shattered glass. Everything flowing in from that crack was foreign to this world.
Beings of the Three Thousand Worlds.''
To the Void World, it would seem as though unfamiliar beings were appearing from beyond the broken space. From a certain perspective, it could be considered an invasion.
But theres a difference.
This phenomenon should be named fusion rather than an invasion or incursion, from an essential point of view.
A world merged into one, a collision. The simultaneous phenomena that occurred as a result soon transformed into a single common form.
War.
The scene of slaughter, which he ad seen so many times, unfolded below.
Residue looked down at the sight with a disinterested face.
The battle between the Three Thousand Worlds and the Void World surprisingly maintained a balance. Was it because the Void Lords hadnt joined yet? Come to think of it, most of the Void Lords would be attending the Kings Castle.
Should I stop that war?
Is it his role, as the Beginning Wizard, to control the Void Lords to make that happen?
Half of the universe had disappeared, and the flames of conflict had been thrown across the entire universe. It seemed like a great disaster, but Residues perspective was slightly different.
Its not a bad situation.
War is the most precise and efficient means of distinguishing between the strong and the weak.
Wasn''t it simple?
Regardless of how they fought, or what means they used, or what interests were involvedthose who survive are stronger.
This was an absolute and immutable truth.
Whats needed now isnt hundreds of billions of small fries. Its one usable individual.
Theres no need to intervene directly when the situation is naturally selecting the strong, so why should he stop it? Residue even wondered if the Three Thousand Worlds might have intentionally created this situation.
Thats Residues perspective.
Then, what about the perspective of the Beginning Wizard, and more importantly, the perspective of Lukas Trowman?
To them, is this war an irreplaceable tragedy rather than a selection process?
Is it a great disaster that the wizards emphasize with their mouths, something that cant be justified with rationality?
He didnt know.
However, there were things he understood at this moment.
The upcoming meeting,
Depending on the outcome of that meeting, the fates of countless lives, whether in the billions or trillions, would change.
And the Beginning Wizard was the only one who could formally lead that meeting.
Hmph.
The fate of the entire universe rested on his shoulders, but he didnt feel any pressure.
Because he thought it had been the same when he was the Lightning God.
*
[Everlasting Plum Sword Yang In-hyun.]
[Territory: Flower Mountain in the western region.]
[Main Subordinates: The Seven Flowers and Sleeping Dragon, Elders, and First-Generation Disciples.]
[Special Notes: He does not fully control his subordinate forces. Flower Mountain is the most ideologically diverse among the Twelve Void Lords territories, and many people hate Yang In-hyun. The most surprising thing is that Yang In-hyun is aware of this fact yet ignores it. Considering the decisive nature of Everlasting Plum Sword, this is somewhat unexpected and is likely related to his past.]
[Relationship with Magic Planet: Not bad, but this relationship does not extend to other individuals within his territory.]
Residue needed to understand the Twelve Void Lords the most thoroughly.
The twelve lords who existed in the Void World had immense influence.
Even Yang In-hyun, who had a relatively small territory, held absolute power in the western region.
Additionally, the vast territories of the [Dumpsite] where all discarded possibilities were piled up and [Demonsio] And upon reading the documents, he realized that the territory and forces of the Magic Planet were also significant.
Though the overall level was unknown, the average level of the wizards residing in [Tower 77] was exceptionally high. The executives known as the Seven Magicians were comparable to high-level absolute beings.
This revealed an important fact.
If more than half of the Twelve Void Lords regarded the beings of the Three Thousand Worlds as enemies and announced it, the current war would escalate to an unstoppable level. Even the Four Knights or the Ruler would have no means to stop it other than extermination.
Thus, the role of the Beginning Wizard becomes even more important.
The one who can, at least formally, lead the Twelve Void Lords,
The only one who can lead the upcoming meeting.
For this, it was necessary to understand the Twelve Void Lords in as much detail as possible.
[Golden Eye.]
[Territory: The Golden Room in the northern region.]
[Main Subordinates: None (presumed).]
[Special Notes: While it seems he has no subordinates, he cannot be classified as a wanderer. Unlike the Exile who roams around with a mobile base or the Beast who doesnt stay in one place, he has a small but definite territory.
The Golden Room, Golden Eyes territory, is the smallest among the Twelve Void Lords territories. Even by the standards of regular territories, it is very small, measuring only a few dozen pyeong.
The power of Golden Eyes golden eyes is one of the most bothersome and annoying abilities. That ability is likely why he doesnt regard me favorably.
[Relationship with Magic Planet: Not good.]
If there is a Void Lord to be wary of, it would be someone like him.
A person with a bad relationship with the Beginning Wizard. He is very likely to cause trouble at the meeting.
Residue categorized Golden Eye as a person of interest and organized his thoughts.
Out of the eleven Void Lords, four had a good relationship, three had a neutral relationship, and four had a bad relationship. Of course, there was no guarantee that these relationships would continue. These relationships were formed by Mark Trowman.
Rattle!
At that moment, a strong vibration was felt, causing Apple to shake violently.
It felt like they had either collided with something or made an abrupt stop.
It doesnt seem like weve arrived.
Yes. We still have some distance to the Kings Castle.
Hyke quietly answered his muttered remark. He had finished his meditation in an instant and was ready for combat.
Altata was no different. She went to the cockpit and started checking a few things, then muttered in a serious voice.
The rear section of Apple is damaged.
Damaged?
No. Rather than damaged its like something gnawed at it
At that moment, Residue abruptly spoke.
Get out of here.
What?
And dont come back until its over.
What do you mean.
Having no time to explain, he waved his hand.
Hyke and Altata''s bodies floated up and flew outside through the wall. Though they were several thousand meters in the air, those two wouldnt die from falling from that height.
Ignoring them, Residue approached the rear section of Apple and tore off the wall.
Inside, there were no mechanical components.
What came into view was a mass of darkness, ominously rippling like waves at midnight.
Of course, Residue knew it wasnt just darkness.
Kikikik-
It was insects.
Innumerable tiny, disgusting insects. They were interconnected and writhing together as if they were a single organism.
Somehow, these insects had infiltrated Apple and damaged its interior.
Insects.
Residue frowned, focusing on that fact.
That was when it happened.
Some of the insects spread their wings and took flight. They didnt seem to have an intent to attack. Residue silently watched them.
The flying insects clustered together, forming a shape that couldnt be considered natural.
[Who are you?]
It was a word.
Residue responded.
The Beginning Wizard.
Then the insects formed another word.
[You are not him.]
You could feel that way.
[I will ask again. Who are you?]
Should I say the next Beginning Wizard?
The insects movements suddenly halted.
Residue spoke indifferently.
So, what business do you have with me, Deathworm?
[You know me.]
Well, yes.
Residue cast his gaze at the documents he had just read, recalling what he had just gone through.
[Deathworm.]
[Territory: The Hive.]
[Main Subordinates: Seven Plagues.]
[Special Notes: Holder of an impossible wish. Because its a misguided wish that could lead to a great war, special attention must be given to its management and control.
Having had its wishes thwarted several times because of me, it harbors great resentment towards the Magic Planet and the position of the Beginning Wizard. Requires particular caution.]
[Relationship with Magic Planet: Worst.]
*****
For more chapters visit C /tgmalpha
Book 2: Chapter 573
He had been expecting a battle, but its timing was much earlier than expected.Residue had to accept the fact that he was somewhat nervous.
One of the Twelve Void Lord, Death Worm.
There was almost no information about this entity in the documents. Even with the Beginning Wizards intelligence and meticulousness, the information he could obtain was just a few lines.
In other words, the Death Worm is a Void Lord with a strong tendency towards secrecy.
Since Lukas had never encountered it, it was also a completely new experience for Residue.
[The owner of an impossible wish]
The most important aspect of the Death Worm, its wish. The documents didnt state what it was. In such cases, theres only one reason.
That wish is of a type so dangerous that even recording and leaving traces of it is hazardous.
It almost made him want to laugh.
Residue didnt hide his smile and spoke in a deliberately serious voice.
What business do you have with me? Did you come to congratulate me on my inauguration in advance?
Would such sarcasm be fitting?
It should be fine for now. Residue thought casually as he looked at the worms.
[It is very rare for the Beginning Wizard to change.]
[And I judged that the current Beginning Wizard would hold that position for a long time.]
The current Beginning Wizard the Death Worm referred to wasnt Residue.
Mark Trowman.
And why is that?
[Because he was immensely powerful.]
Residue chuckled and said,
You know well. If you know that much, whats the problem?
[What are you talking about?]
You know better than the new guy like me, dont you? Under what circumstances successions usually occur.
Residue pointed to himself.
I am stronger than my predecessor, hence the succession took place. Isnt it so simple to draw such a conclusion?
Even as he said this, he understood why the Death Worm was displaying such an attitude.
This guy had clashed with Mark Trowman multiple times. So, he knew just how strong he was.
It simply could not comprehend it. That someone as strong as Mark Trowman is dead.
That appearance was quite amusing.
Is it because youre a worm? You seem to have quite a low intelligence.
It might not be the right choice to provoke it. There was no time to waste either.
He knew that. But Residue couldnt resist the itching in his body.
In a way, this meeting felt almost destined.
One of the Twelve Void Lord, Death Worm?
Before the meeting, wasnt it the perfect opponent to gauge his own level?
At that moment, the worms moved once again.
[You desire a fight.]
[Your aggressiveness is clearly conveyed.]
[This is also different from the previous Beginning Wizard.]
Right. Thats my current desire. What about you?
Residue smirked as he spoke.
It seems you came to see the new Beginning Wizards face Im curious as to who told you this information. Though I doubt youll tell me.
[]
It doesnt matter. The danger of those who move by creeping around is obvious. What Im more curious about is your intention. If you only came to check on me, why now? Isnt the meeting about to begin?
[I have no intention of participating in the meeting. I was just going to send a representative.]
Why?
[Because I have nothing to discuss with those people.]
Its unfortunate that these words were composed of worms. He couldnt feel the emotion behind them.
Still, it was clear that the Death Worm didnt consider most of the Twelve Void Lords favorably. Perhaps this fact might become an important clue.
Thats an odd statement. If youre a Void Lord, youd at least have the basic situational awareness Did the agenda of this meeting seem so trivial to you?
Rustle Rustle
The insects made an unpleasant sound for a while. It was the most disgusting symphony in the world, created by the friction of unpleasant shells.
[Whether heavy or light, it has nothing to do with me.]
[The important thing to me is always one.]
[Ive learned what kind of being the current Beginning Wizard is. Maybe, you wont interfere with my work.]
The insects began to disperse as if they had no more business.
Are they leaving just like that?
Despite the provocations from this side, they didn''t respond until the end, which was unexpected.
Wait.
Regardless, Residue didnt want to let the Death Worm leave so easily.
Im curious about what your important work is.
[Why do you care?]
Let''s just say it''s personal curiosity. And
Hoping his smile was conveyed, Residue continued.
I might be able to help, you know?
There was no response for a while.
However, Residue was satisfied with the fact that the insects stopped moving and remained in front of him. It was evidence that the Death Worm was hesitating, at least.
In the meantime, he glanced outside the Apple.
The two subordinates Residue had flung away were looking up at him after landing on the ground.
Were they following his orders for now? Or are they just pretending to observe? It doesnt matter.
Whats important is that they at least nominally followed his words. Residue still wondered whether subordinates needed autonomy or individuality.
My judgment is the most perfect.''
The orders that come from that perfect judgment.
Those who question or doubt them aren''t even worth using words on.
Around that time, the insects made filthy sounds again. They werent forming words. It was much more chaotic.
It felt like they were agitated.
Of course.''
The reason the Death Worm sought him out was probably twofold.
First, to spy on what kind of being the new Beginning Wizard was.
Second, due to some bad blood. The Death Worm had a wish the previous Beginning Wizard termed a misguided wish. Judging by the words in the document, it seems there were many instances where the Beginning Wizard thwarted the Death Worms plans, so hostility was natural.
Upon hearing that the Beginning Wizard had changed, it would naturally want to see what kind of person the new one was. It would also want to confirm how much of the predecessors duties were inherited.
Secondly, realizing what kind of being the current Beginning Wizard was, it would consider the possibility of negotiations if it found the new one reasonable.
This was understood through their conversation. The Death Worm didnt respond to Residues provocative taunts and avoided a fight. This showed it had the patience to endure insults for practical benefits, regardless of whether they were enemies.
[Indeed.]
The insect formed words.
[You are different from the previous Beginning Wizard.]
[Yet you still dont understand me.]
[My wish is not something other species can understand.]
Species?
What does that have to do with its wish?
Why?
[I know what kind of disposition wizards have.]
Then you can tell me. Im a bit different from an ordinary wizard.
Screeech!
At that moment, the insects screamed simultaneously. The horrendous and distressing sound scraped all around, as if wanting to tear eardrums apart.
[You''re persistent.]
The atmosphere changed.
The insects that had been wriggling and clustering together until just now stopped their movement and all turned this way at once.
The sight of tens of thousands of those inorganic insect eyes focusing this way was definitely chilling.
[If youre so confident, prove it. Prove that you are different from other wizards.]
How?
The insects no longer formed words. Instead, they emitted a menacing killing intent.
Finding that delightful, Residue smiled silently.
*
The next moment, the insects vanished all at once.
Hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of insects that had been swarming disappeared from sight as if they had evaporated.
Rustle, rustle, rustle
But the sound was still there.
Did they burrow into the interior of Apple? It wouldn''t be such a simple issue.
Initiating an attack when both sides'' strengths were unknown required a considerable amount of confidence. While admiring their boldness, Residue thought about the alias Death Worm''.
Aliases, or names, carry inseparable information about the essence of an existence.
This was true for the Ruler and the Four Knights. The same applied to the Twelve Void Lords.
[Death Worm].
He knew quite a bit about entities that dealt with death.
But undoubtedly, most of them were fools who deluded themselves into thinking they controlled death.
Those who handled the dead, dealt with corpses, or manipulated souls Most of those called necromancers would either die or go insane the moment they truly encountered death.
How many truly handled death in its real sense?
The Black Horned Demon God and the Black Knight. Besides them, perhaps only Diablo, who realized the true meaning of death.
He began to feel a subtle anticipation.
This entity before him, arrogantly bearing the name of death.
What interpretation would it have of death?
Shhh!
Residue''s vision turned black. It wasnt that he suddenly lost his sight. A pitch-black curtain had fallen over most of his vision without any warning.
Of course, Residue understood that these were the insects that had hidden their appearance and were now simultaneously revealing themselves.
Though it was still unclear how they had concealed themselves,
Pssht-
Sparks flew from Residue''s hands, bleaching the world around him. The light was strong enough to cause temporary blindness, followed by lightning several times more intense that spread out in all directions. The unfolded lightning netted together densely, intercepting the incoming swarm of insects like a wave.
The unpleasant smell of burning insects and their shrill screams pierced his ears. Residue didn''t blink. Even as fragments of charred insect shells and repulsive bodily fluids splattered on his eyes, he remained unflinching.
The enemys initial attack, his own countermeasure, and the resulting phenomena.
The direction of the subsequent battle would depend on who gathered more information at this moment.
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Residue thought as he took a couple of steps back.
The lightning he had just unleashed was not a trivial skill. It was one of the powers left by Lukas that suited Residue''s aptitude the most and was something he should use as his main force. Naturally, he hadn''t held back in its execution.
Yet, with that power, he hadnt managed to kill even one of the millions of insects.
The defensive capability of these mere minions was astounding or was it that he himself had become so weak?
That can''t be.
Don''t underestimate yourself.
The current me has weakened. I''ll admit that.
But not to the extent of being unable to face even one the Twelve Void Lords.
There must be some secret.
This might make my defense a bit lax.
Should I change my approach?
Residue extended his fingers.
He aimed at one of the insects among the millions, the one that had taken the most damage from the previous attack.
The concentrated lightning was tens of times thinner than a strand of hair. Although its range was greatly reduced, its speed would be dozens of times faster than before. Its penetration power would be hundreds of times stronger.
Pew
The fired lightning beam pierced through the body of a small insect. But in that instant, Residue saw it.
The insects shell wasnt instantly penetrated.
Briefly, but clearly, it withstood Residue''s lethal strike.
Indeed.
Finally, the puzzle seemed to be unraveling.
At least at this point, the alias of death'' was not what needed attention.
You really are like a bug.
Residue voiced his honest impression without any derogatory meaning.
I thought those insects were your minions, but it seems I was wrong.
The insects moved again, forming words.
[As you said.]
[Every individual you see before you is the Death Worm'', and is me''.]
Truly a moving colony, huh.
Probably, the pure strength of the Death Worm ranked among the lowest of the Twelve Void Lords. But in terms of nuisance, it would definitely be in the top three.
These insects, their power transition is incredibly natural. They are connected in such a deep and organic form that calling them a colony is an understatement.
They are truly one and many, many and one.
It''s not just strength.
If he were to launch a lethal attack on the entire swarm, it would distribute that power among the millions. No matter how powerful the attack, if divided among millions, its effectiveness would diminish significantly.
Like with the lightning strike, focusing power on a single point could penetrate, but that would drastically reduce the range. At best, it would kill one or two, and the fight would drag on.
The insects, seemingly mocking, formed words again.
[I have experienced countless deaths so far, current Beginning Wizard]
[How interesting.]
[How many deaths can you show me?]
A sinister black wave surged.
The Death Worm was hostile to the Beginning Wizard and the Magic Planet.
How many wizards had it killed so far?
How many Truth Seekers had it devoured?
It remembers all the faces of those it had encountered. Even the gaze of the previous Beginning Wizard as he looked at it is still vivid.
Kukukuk.
And so, it took a moment to comprehend.
Laughter was not something that should be heard at a moment like this.
Had it misheard?
Hahaha
No. It wasn''t.
He hadn''t misheard.
To begin with, this wasn''t simple laughter.
Haha, kuhahaha!
It was maniacal laughter.
The kind of mad laughter it had never heard before caused the Death Worm to shrink back unconsciously.
And thus, the fight resumed once again.
*****
For more chapters visit C /tgmalpha
Book 2 Chapter 574
Season 2 Chapter 574Translator: Alpha0210
In fact, there is a clear strategy to tackle this.
It would be over if one could unleash a powerful area attack capable of killing millions of worms at once. With a force so strong that even dispersing it would be useless, then that loathsome swarm of insects would be annihilated.
Easier said than done.
In other words, it means that he have to unleash a force at least hundreds of times more powerful than what he just outputted.
The lightning bolts he scattered just now werent, of course, Residues maximum output, but they werent light attacks either. Its impossible to deliver an attack that far surpasses that.
If he could use Thunder, he wouldnt have to worry about this crap.
That equal and terrifying power of destruction would completely annihilate the insect horde, leaving not even a speck of ash behind.
But Residue had already decided not to regret the loss of weapons he no longer possessed.
Instead, he thought of Lukas.
How that guy dealt with crises.
He analyzed the opponents characteristics, simulated all possible scenarios using the means he had.
If that were all, it wouldnt be anything special, but the scale of Lukas simulations was exceptional.
He could simultaneously process hundreds of thoughts in a moment, perform complex calculations, and consider the opponents movements, the battlefield situation, and even the third and fourth elements that didnt exist in the field.
Should he try to emulate that first?
At this moment, the characteristics the death worms have shown, the means he could choose based on that, his response methods, and the unique battlefield of the floating aircraft interior
Hm. Theres more leeway than I thought.
This isnt particularly because Residues brain is exceptional.
Its because he left out the magic that took up the largest portion of Lukas calculations. Residue once again applauded his decision not to choose Magicology.
But even though he abandoned Magicology, he needed to make Lukas fighting style his own.
He would have to somehow manage with the power he had chosen as his main force.
If I attack the whole area, the power gets divided into millions of parts, rendering it ineffective. If I concentrate the power on one point, it only kills one worm, minimizing the damage
Residue imprinted the characteristics of the death worms in his mind and applied the remaining means at his disposal one by one.
Now. Let the simulation begin.
First method.
Arrange the worms in a line and pierce through them with concentrated power. The power will decrease with each worm pierced, but it would be much more efficient than spreading the attack widely.
Rejected, theres insufficient means to force the worms into a line. Moreover, the number of worms that can be killed at once with this method is at most a few dozen. Considering their swarming numbers, it fundamentally requires an astronomical amount of time.
Second method.
Make the killed worms into minions and use their corpses. If the combat power of each worm is similar, it might be possible to have them clash and eliminate each other. Among the powers Residue focused on, necromancy is included, so this isnt an impossible skill.
Rejected. The worms themselves are not extraordinary. They are just shells, containers. If the core essence of the death worm is empty, the displayed strength and durability will also vanish.
Third method.
How about freezing them all completely? In a frozen state, that ability might not activate. Freeze them and then smash them with maximum physical power to trigger a chain reaction of destruction
This too is rejected. The very idea of thinking freezing can neutralize their ability is overly optimistic. Besides, freezing requires sufficient time and preparation. If the groundwork had been laid in advance, maybe, but in a direct confrontation like this, the chances of success are nearly nonexistent.
Even after considering and discarding dozens of countermeasures,
Among those, even the more promising ones left Residue skeptical. How many of these would actually work in real combat?
Its somewhat different
Considering all the emerging possibilities isnt like Lukas. He knew how to use his time efficiently.
Dont cram every improbable possibility into your head. That would be endless.
I need to exploit the opponents characteristics.
Dispersing force could be said to be its main characteristic.
If so, there might be something that could work.
There werent any better ideas.
Kukukuk.
Laughter leaked out.
Residue found this situation so amusing that he couldnt stand it.
He didnt hold back and burst into wild laughter.
Because there might not be another chance to do this, he laughed even louder.
*
The death worms saw their opponent spread his hands. Not knowing his intention, the worm swarm momentarily halted its movement. Then, they sent a few hundred worms forward, as if to scout.
Swish, the hundreds of worms were instantly shattered to pieces.
The death worms vigilance heightened.
Is this one also capable of moving in [that timeframe]?
A timeframe perceptible to only a select few among the Twelve Void Lords.
A world that seems to have stopped, like dividing a millisecond into billions of parts
Yes.
If one could move freely in that timeframe, cutting down a few hundred worms would be nothing.
But.
He cant use it freely.
If he could enter that timeframe without any risk, he wouldnt be racking his brains to find the optimal means. The man before him had been contemplating since the first encounter. He had been pondering how to fight.
Interesting.
Though it was unexpected, this man succeeded in arousing the death worms wariness. In that case, they too should show a certain level of respect.
I will kill him with respect.
Crackle
As the worms made a grotesque sound and started clustering together,
The man spread his hands. The sudden action caused the swarm to hesitate. A strange sensation was felt. Something was being sucked in by his extended right hand.
Absorbing life force?
No. If it were absorbing direct energy, it would have been noticed immediately. What he was absorbing was clearly something much more insignificant. What could it be?
The death worms couldnt continue their thoughts. The man had spread both hands, and the absorption was done with his right hand.
So what was he doing with his left hand?
A trick?
Whoosh!
A scorching heat was felt. The death worms stared at the flames rushing towards them.
Fire.
And quite powerful flames that couldnt be ignored.
Planning to burn us all at once?
Of course, fire is one of the relatively effective ways to attack the death worms, but it wouldnt achieve a definite effect. That level of firepower is far from sufficient.
In other words,
A trick.
Even if it wasnt convincing, the opponent was someone who inherited the title of the Beginning Wizard. Such a crude attack couldnt be his maximum firepower, and it shouldnt be.
Even considering that, dodging is difficult.
From the start, evasion wasnt an option for the death worms in battle.
It was always one of two choices.
Concentrate the incoming force or disperse it.
Kieek-
At that moment, some of the worms screamed. They could feel the agony as they twisted their bodies.
Why? The flames hadnt even touched them yet.
Making strange, almost inaudible sounds, they eventually stopped moving altogether. The wriggling worms had dried up and become brittle. As if all the moisture had been drained from their bodies
Moisture.
What he absorbed was the little bit of moisture?
It grasped the opponents intention a step too late.
With one hand, he drained the moisture, and with the other, he spread the flames. This caused the dryness to be mistaken for the effect of the fire.
In their current state,
The worms, drained of moisture, had become the perfect kindling, blazing up fiercely even with a small flame. Although not all the worms were in this state, he could aim his flames at the most effective spots.
The time that had passed at this point was so short it couldnt even be measured in moments.
Amidst this, the death worms heard their opponents mocking words.
For a worm, youre overly cautious.
Then the flames erupted.
*
One thing was clear.
The Apple could no longer be used.
Residue didnt avert his eyes from the horrific scene unfolding before him.
He simultaneously heard the sound, smelled the scent, and saw the sight of burning.
That level of flame cannot burn me.
Then a cracked voice was heard. It was an unpleasant voice, mixed with the sound of the worms carapace cracking.
Residue stood still and nodded slightly.
I suppose not.
But your strategy was excellent.
As the flames subsided, a man revealed himself.
You mixed truth and illusion appropriately, expertly used my wariness, and, above all, executed everything extremely quickly.
The exposed death worm had the appearance of a head, two legs, and two arms.
Some might say he had taken a human form, but they would be wrong.
Certain alien beings, even those unfamiliar with humans, occasionally took on that appearance due to an instinct imprinted deep within their souls.
The being that first had such a form and characteristics.
The instinct to resemble a god.
So tell me. What did you mix into the flames just now?
Residue replied with a smile.
Poison.
Poison?
Yes. But you didnt notice it and dispersed the flames completely. To reduce damage. That means, without needing to do anything else, the poison was evenly delivered to all the worms.
On the ground, the worms had turned pitch black and were making squeaking noises as they died.
Though more than 70% were still alive, their overall strength had noticeably weakened.
This is not magic.
The death worm spoke again.
You did not use magic. They dont use things like poison.
I told you. I am a somewhat special wizard.
The powers you use are halves.
So he figured it out to that extent?
Halves, the death worms interpretation was accurate.
The power Residue had chosen was inherently a half-power.
Demigods.
All the powers they possessed are now Residues main strength.
Because it suited me.
A half-god and a half-absolute being.
It can be dismissed as wordplay. But inherent characteristics are not so easily dismissed. As someone who was innately and overwhelmingly absolute, Residue knew this well.
And even more importantly, the attraction.
Residue was more drawn to the power of the demigods than any other. Thus, he could immerse himself more and increase his concentration.
The fact that demigods used various powers was also a good merit. Having many means to choose from can be troublesome, but it allows flexible responses to various situations.
Around that time, the death worm was sweeping the writhing worms on the ground with his hand. Then the worms disappeared as if a hole that absorbed everything had formed in his palm.
Interesting.
When all the worms had disappeared, the death worm spoke.
You certainly seem to be a unique being, different from the previous Beginning Wizard and other wizards. So, I will accept your claim as well.
What do you mean?
I will tell you my wish.
He almost felt a bit of tension release.
And unexpectedly, he felt a sense of accomplishment, which pricked his pride a little. It wasnt an emotion he should feel from being acknowledged by a mere Twelve Void Lord.
But yes. That must be my current standing. I might have to accept it to some extent.
Let me ask you something. How do you think exceptional beings are created?
It was an abrupt question.
Most people say its through trials, experiences, upbringing, effort, and endless contemplation Growth from those temperings. They say that its necessary to go through such forging. But thats not true. The most exceptional beings are always
Residue spoke indifferently.
Born that way.
The death worms movement halted.
They are born absolutely powerful from the beginning. Of course, there are countless who consider themselves such beings, but Ill state it clearly. Most of them are frogs floundering in their own delusions.
A being born perfect does not need trials. Effort, environment, destiny, none of it matters. They are born as absolute beings and continue to live as such.
The Rulers.
When the death worm uttered that word, Residue wouldnt have needed to wear a mask.
Because even he wasnt as shaken as he had expected.
Like them, you mean?
You are indeed a peculiar being. Are you truly a wizard?
Without answering, Residue shrugged, and the death worm asked again.
Ive become interested in you. What is your name?
Lukas Trowman.
His mouth felt gritty after saying it himself.
Indeed, this was a rather unfamiliar feeling.
Alright, Lukas. You have a mindset very similar to mine. An absolute powerhouse must be born with that level of capacity from the start Then let me ask you another question. How does one give birth to such a perfect being?
Hmm?
That was a question Residue had never particularly pondered.
He had never deeply thought about his own birth process. The exact origin of the being known as the Ruler was something he learned from a conversation between Lukas and Mark.
Well
Its simple. It lies in the capabilities of the parents.
Residues expression became complex.
Exceptional beings mate to produce offspring that maximize their strengths, continuing this over many generations With particular attention, even just a few centuries of time investment could birth an incredible super organism.
I dont quite understand what youre saying
And whats crucial in determining our races strength is the superiority of the females over the males.
The death worms voice grew serious.
In the council, there is a perfect female to whom Ive proposed mating several times She is the perfect mate Ive sought for a long time. If I were to mate with her, I swear the most perfect being would be born.
The conversation was veering in a direction Residue hadnt imagined.
When I meet her, I cannot trust myself to hold back. I would use every means to mate with her. But she is much stronger than I am. Do you understand? Thats why I avoid participating in the council.
So this is it?
The wish mentioned by the death worm, one of the Twelve Void Lords, was to seduce a woman, and the reason he didnt participate in the council was because he feared he wouldnt be able to control his sexual desires?
Residue almost laughed at the unbelievable backstory.
Of course, the situation wasnt light enough to be explained so simply
Hmm
By slightly changing his perspective, the absurdity became more amusing than frustrating. sea??h th novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
And an interesting thought came to him.
Maybe I can use this.
Perhaps encountering the death worm at this moment was a stroke of luck.
Residue smiled broadly and said,
Then youre quite fortunate.
What do you mean?
I know very well how to seduce females. You could say Im an expert, no, a professional.
Leave it to me. I will make that female your mate.
But a cold response came back.
Youre lying.
What?
Are you underestimating my insight? I see no excellence as a male in you.
What do you mean?
The death worm looked at him with emotionless eyes and said,
Youve never once engaged in reproductive activities, have you? Your body gives off such a scent. (TL: Well, daaamn)
Lukas.
You idiot.
*****
Season 2 Chapter 575
Thats a ridiculous misunderstanding. If you judge the excellence of a male by the number of matings, then I am the most outstanding among the males you know.The Death Worm neither seemed surprised nor interested in those words, simply motioning with his chin as if to continue.
Experiencing this kind of insult for the first time, his mind went blank.
At the same time, he felt self-deprecating.
Why am I making excuses to this kind of creature?
Tell me what type of female you want. I can give you advice on how to make her your mate. But first, let me ask you one thing. Youre not a virgin, are you?
What is a virgin?
It means an idiot who has never had sexual intercourse.
I see. Then yes, I am a virgin.
Good grief.
But I cannot agree with your viewpoint.
Why?
The males of our species die immediately after mating. Therefore, many preparations and careful considerations are required before mating.
Such unfortunate circumstances. In that case, its much better than some fool Residue knows.
Anyway, its clear that the species this Death Worm belongs to has a very unique ecology and habits.
It might be a species that is not even recorded in the Void Record and exists only in the Void world. Considering even the extensive knowledge of the Lightning God, there is no species that comes to mind.
Anyway, I dont mind helping you, but there are a few conditions first.
The Death Worm nodded, seemingly thinking it was a reasonable suggestion.
Speak.
First, attend the meeting.
He frowned openly at this suggestion.
Did you not understand my words properly? I said I couldnt control myself if I attended the meeting.
Then send a representative, or move with just one worm. Even if you lose control and go berserk, youll be subdued quickly, so it wont escalate into a big issue.
I just encountered you. Even I could come up with such solutions after some quick thinking. There must be far more practical solutions. Why don''t you be honest? Right now, you''re simply avoiding her because you don''t want to face her.
The Death Worm''s face hardened.
Indeed, it was easier to read his emotions now compared to when facing worms.
Ill stop you if you are about to go berserk. How about that?
If my berserk state worsens the relationship with her.
That won''t happen, but in the extremely unlikely event it does, I''ll grant one wish of yours. Anything.
The Death Worm seemed to be deep in thought.
Residue expected his deliberation wouldn''t last long, and that was true.
Alright.
A heavy voice was heard.
With the cooperation of the Beginning Wizard, it might be possible to restore a deteriorated relationship.
Then shall I consider the contract concluded?
Yes.
Ssss
The Death Worm''s human form began to collapse, turning back into its insect form.
A cool fellow.
Since his business was concluded, he seemed to leave without hesitation.
If he was heading to the meeting right now, it wouldn''t matter to accompany him, but Residue decided against the suggestion. His two subordinates on the ground might not be able to accept the sudden presence of a companion. It was also a hassle to explain everything.
Hey, there''s one thing I want to ask.
Speak.
Who is the female you mentioned? As far as I know, there are very few females among the Twelve Void Lords.
He asked, recalling the entities from the Beginning Wizard''s documents.
Among the Void Lords, there might be more entities without gender or without a specific gender.
The Death Worm''s human form had almost disintegrated, but only his mouth remained. The rest of him was swarming with insects, creating a horrific scene where it looked like a human was buried in worms, with only his mouth moving, but Residue''s expression remained indifferent.
Until he heard the voice.
You seem to be mistaken about something. The one I am targeting is not among the Twelve Void Lords.
What?
What on earth is he talking about?
As Residue was taken aback, the disintegration of the Death Worm continued. Now, even his mouth had disappeared.
In the meantime, the worms formed letters again.
[The Blue Knight of Famine, Pale.]
[She is the most perfect female fit to be my mate.]
Residue''s face hardened.
*
He had judged the Apple'' could no longer be used but that wasn''t the case.
Surprisingly, Hyke nodded as he looked at the completely shattered Apple and said,
Fortunately, the core is intact. With this, we can repair it.
Repair Is that even possible?
Yes.
Hyke nodded and placed his hand on the large seed-like object he called the core. The seed was about the size of an adult man''s head, densely engraved with magical patterns. It was of a kind that Residue''s knowledge couldn''t decipher.
Woooong
As he infused it with mana, something began to resonate, and the fragments of the Apple started to float.
Then, the restoration began automatically. Altata helped by moving the scattered fragments to more manageable positions.
Residue watched them silently, curious about the fact that they didnt say a word about what had just happened.
Did they vaguely understand the situation? That couldn''t be. It was a battle of the Void Lord level. Even though neither had fought with full strength, it wasn''t something they could comprehend.
Residue saw the pride within them.
They do not recognize me as the new Beginning Wizard, yet they hold expectations.
They resist but secretly hope that Residue possesses the charisma to win their hearts. Their behavior was highly contradictory and thus felt human.
Residue silently laughed. Though their puzzled gazes turned his way, he didn''t stop laughing.
There was no need to earn the loyalty of Altata and Hyke. So he wanted to tell them to drop their futile expectations and simply obey orders, but their ridiculous pride amused him, so he decided to let it be for now.
Watching their quiet accumulation of dissatisfaction would also be an amusing pastime. Eventually, it would explode.
Residue wondered what form that explosion would take.
It was the Death Worm.
After the Apples restoration was complete, boarding was finished, and the flight towards the Kings Castle resumed.
Residue murmured as if in passing.
The two Seven Magicians blinked at each other. Judging by the unmistakable surprise and agitation on their faces, they seemed to know about the relationship between the Death Worm and the Magic Planet.
Why did he?
He said he came to see the new Beginning Wizards face.
And?
He congratulated me. Also said to look forward to working together.
A casual lie,
Naturally, distrust appeared on their faces.
We exchanged greetings and I sent him off. Hes a very communicative friend.
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A lie. Their expressions now clearly showed they were thinking exactly that.
Indeed, the aftermath of the clash with the Death Worm must have been observable even from the ground.
But Residue decided to stop explaining further.
They had just reached their destination.
Is that it? The Kings Castle.
The place where the Void King, once the god of this world, resided,
And the powerful presences felt from within.
His heartbeat quickened a little.
Residue smiled faintly as he thought.
This is where the real beginning starts.
These were the events that occurred before the meeting began.
*
And now,
Inside the meeting room prepared within the Kings Castle.
Residue, having taken his seat, looked around once again.
The twelve seats were all filled, but not everyone present was a Void Lord.
Some had sent representatives, others had only sent their spiritual bodies without showing up in person
Still, this could be considered a full attendance in a formal sense.
Residue suddenly felt the gazes directed at him and the emotions contained within them.
Hmm''
Not favorable. Most of them, at that.
How strange.
Let us begin the meeting'' he says.
The being who opened his mouth in response was a familiar face.
The head of Mount Hua,
Yang In-hyun, the Everlasting Plum Sword.
His characteristic contemplative gaze was directed at Residue.
You are quite bold. Considering you are the last to arrive.
It was said that Yang In-hyun had a good relationship with the Beginning Wizard.
His voice was oddly sharp.
Residue hid his suspicion and said,
There was an incident.
What kind of incident?
Im not obligated to explain. Its a personal matter unrelated to the issues to be discussed from now on.
Responding thus, he turned his gaze to a man with a grim appearance.
The Death Worm had arrived here before him and was quietly occupying a seat at the meeting.
Since he didnt exude immense power, it seemed he had taken Residues advice.
[Do you think that can be. an excuse?]
A voice, unpleasant and dragging, was heard.
This speaker was also known to him.
The master of the Occultic Hand,
Exile of the entire universe.
Like Yang In-hyun, he was one of the Void Lords who had some acquaintance with Lukas.''
And among the Void Lords, he was one of the few whose true identity Residue clearly knew.
Then make it clear.
[What?]
Do you want to hear my lame excuse, or a proper apology? Ill settle it with whichever you prefer.
[.]
Residue knew that being late was his fault. He was aware that this attitude was inappropriate. But there was no time to explain everything now.
Everyone here should know that the situation was dire.
As beings at the Void Lord level, some of them might even consider the situation more serious than he did.
Thats what he thought.
What are you thinking, you fools?
There were numerous issues to address, and they wanted to argue over lateness? Were the Void Lords really a group of idiots?
Residue didnt hide his irritation as he glared at Yang In-hyun and the Exile. They remained silent and didnt speak further.
Maybe they werent complete fools after all? That would be nice.
First, lets verify the participants. It seems quite a few havent attended in person. Do the representatives have a way to identify themselves?
The reaction was worth seeing as he spoke as if he were a superior. It felt as if silence and discontent had been materialized and were pricking his skin.
But it couldnt be helped.
Residue still hadnt figured out the appropriate demeanor to adopt with these people. So at least he had to maintain an air of confidence.
He suddenly wondered how Mark Trowman managed to coordinate and lead these individuals.
[Diablo Kairak.]
Diablo, Elder Lich.
He spoke.
[Participating as the representative of the Corpse Ghost and the master of the Black Knight.]
Unlike the horrific voice that sounded like the damned souls of Hell screaming, the tone was exceedingly polite. Several of the Void Lords glanced at him briefly.
It was likely that the identity they were interested in was the latter rather than the former.
Residue nodded as well.
I''ll acknowledge it.
Diablo didnt need to prove himself.
Because he was accompanied by the Black Knight.
But where is the Black Knight?
[He said he had business at the King''s Throne.]
The Throne?
Did he mean the physical throne that the Void King once sat upon, or something more abstract?
The Beginning Wizard might know exactly.
So, without delving further, he shifted his gaze elsewhere.
I am [Optic Nerve].
The strange introduction came from a man who, despite his odd self-identification, looked rather normal. Except for the eyepatch he wore.
When the Beginning Wizard looked at him with an indifferent expression, Optic Nerve, perhaps feeling the gaze despite the mask, flinched and quickly added,
Im not joking. Please call me that.
And you are?
I am the representative of [Golden Eye]. He cannot leave the [Golden Room], so I came in his place.
The Beginning Wizards documents had noted that Golden Eye had no allies.
Well. Had it been noted as a presumption?
Your proof.
What?
The proof that you are Golden Eyes representative.
Oh, yes.
Optic Nerve nodded and removed one of his eyepatches. A brilliantly glowing golden eye was revealed.
Indeed.
A supreme power that didnt match his feeble physique.
Golden Eye must have lent part of his power to his representative.
Residue nodded.
I''ll acknowledge it. Then next is
Hello, Void Lords. I am [Tamer].
Residue turned his gaze. If his assumption was correct, this would be the last representative.
The owner of the voice wore a mask like Residue, but it didnt cover the entire face as his did.
It covered the area around the eyes, forehead, and partially the cheeks.
The exposed lower face and the voice indicated that Tamer was a woman.
But Residue was more concerned with something else.
This voice,
He had heard it somewhere before.
*****
For more chapters visit C /tgmalpha
Chapter Season 2 576
Season 2 Chapter 576Translator: Alpha0210
Due to my ability to communicate with [the 4th Beast], although inadequate, I am attending here as its proxy.
Residue paused his speculation about her and focused on her words.
You can communicate with that beast?
Then it would be more accurate to introduce yourself as an interpreter rather than a tamer.
He gazed at her with this doubt in his eyes, but the tamer remained calm. Despite the numerous gazes directed at her, she showed a far more composed demeanor than even [Diablo], including the [Optic Nerve].
It wasnt even as if she was forcing herself to act confident, so naturally, it led to one conclusion.
This woman is not afraid of the Twelve Void Lords.
*
Golden Eye, Corpse Ghost, and the Beast.
These three sent proxies to attend.
Among them, the one who caught Residues attention the most was the Beasts proxy, the tamer. Using her voice as a clue, Residue tried to infer her identity, but no clear image came to mind.
He had lived a life far from forgetfulness.
In other words, the reason he couldnt remember was not because of Residue but because of that woman. She must have used some means that Residue couldnt currently grasp. She either blurred her own impression or used a slightly transcendental power to distort the memory herself.
Then another question arose.
Was my encounter with this woman in the Lightning Gods memory or in Lukass memory?
Also, was the slight discomfort he felt towards the tamer a situation she intended, or a mistake born of her carelessness?
It was hard to draw a conclusion immediately. As mentioned earlier, this womans presence was not ordinary, so it didnt seem likely she would easily reveal her true nature in such a public setting.
He had no choice but to turn his attention to the other Void Lords.
Void Lords who did not send proxies but instead sent their avatars or thoughts.
First, there was the entity whose thoughts were contained in a body composed of dozens of worms, Death Worm. He was occupying a corner seat with a somber but peaceful expression. Seeing his stable demeanor, it seemed Pale was not in the Kings Castle.
Next was the Void Lord with the alias The Sinking One, who had sent only a hazy spiritual form.
Lastly, [Futurix].
If there was the most unique attendee, it would certainly be this entity.
The ruler of an extremely advanced scientific civilization, was it.
The machine made of alloy looked quite simple.
It resembled a snowman made by joining two wooden boxes, with wheels attached to the lower part. At the very top, where a head would normally be, there was a glass junction containing a brain submerged in a transparent liquid. The brain was densely connected with dozens of electrodes.
Overall, it had the appearance of an old-fashioned robot, but was that really all there was to it?
The annoying thing about a weapon based on science is that what can be understood by mere observation is limited.
If the opponent were a living being, one could roughly gauge their level through their unique vitality, aura, and breath.
A weapon is different.
For example, someone who has never seen a gun would rarely anticipate that a small piece of metal could shoot out a projectile that can shatter skin and bones.
Thats how it was for the current Residue.
He couldnt feel anything from the old-fashioned robot that seemed no different from junk on the surface. Bubbles intermittently rose and disappeared from the brain tank chamber, but no more actions were shown.
Observation is not an efficient means of understanding a machine. Disassembly would be more suitable to understand its structure.
The most troublesome part is that, due to such elements, this machine being one of the Twelve Void Lords couldnt be proven, unlike the other Void Lords.
Creak
As if sensing Residues doubts, the robot rattled once. A square hole opened on the upper right side, and from there, a long tray emerged.
On the tray was something that looked like a mechanical part, and upon closer inspection, it was a hexagonal chip.
.
He glanced down and was genuinely impressed.
On the chip, only as large as a fingertip, the essence of science was engraved.
The technology applied here was decades ahead of the average level of science in most civilizations across the universe.
To put it bluntly, even Residue, who was not lacking in knowledge in the field of science, couldnt fully grasp certain aspects of it.
But does this prove his status as one of the Twelve Void Lords?
Ill acknowledge it.
He answered, cutting off his own doubts decisively.
It wasnt an unconsidered acceptance.
Though Residue had lost his original power, his discernment remained intact. Based on that judgment, any being capable of creating such a chip deserved to call themselves a ruler of the Void.
Futurix showed no particular reaction and retracted the tray.
Now.
With the verification of those who sent avatars complete.
There was no need to verify the remaining attendees since they had all attended in person.
There were two newcomers.
Executor and Gods Envoy.
First, he focused on them.
The Executor had an appearance that was half-angel, half-demon, and was female. Her movements were highly restrained, and she was the only Void Lord who, upon her first appearance, gazed directly at him before quickly lowering her eyes.
Residue had no doubt that she was one of the Twelve Void Lords. The unique aura exuded by those who attended in person was enough proof.
Gods Envoy looked like a barbarian. His dirty appearance, wild mane-like hair, and well-toned muscles set him apart from civilized beings.
His physique was excessively large, and his waist was slightly bent. His claws and nails were as long and sturdy as those of a beast.
What stood out most were his teeth. His teeth were so sharply honed that they far surpassed those of any predator or shark.
Grrr
Gods Envoy seemed displeased with Residue. As their eyes met briefly, he bared his teeth and growled.
Dealing with an ignorant bastard like him often required a firm hand, but Residue chose to endure for now and turned his gaze to the last three.
These were the ones he was somewhat familiar with among the Void Lords.
One of them.
Had sharp, wary eyes, and above all, an intense gaze of observation. Her eyes conveyed a strong curiosity about the face behind the mask.
She had probably never taken her eyes off Residue since he appeared at the meeting.
Sedi Trowmans eyes were fixed on Residues mask. She must be itching to confirm whether the new Beginning Wizard was truly Lukas.
Speaking of which, he was curious about her current situation.
Lukas had sent the Blue Knight, Pale, to Sedi to expel the thought of the ruler Black Horned Demon God that was controlling her.
Whether that plan succeeded or failed, he didnt know at this point.
One thing was certain.
Shes someone I should avoid for now.
Sedi was one of the people Lukas had a deep connection with, and naturally, she knew him thoroughly.
If she discovered that the new Beginning Wizard was not Lukas, but Residue in disguise, who knows what chaos she might cause.
He couldnt hide his face behind the mask forever, but he wanted to delay that moment as much as possible.
Alright. Formally, everyone is present. Even those who came as proxies seem to hold enough authority to take responsibility for their statements. Then, shall we officially start the meeting?
At that moment, a low laugh erupted.
[Ha Haha Hah.]
The unpleasant, disdainful laughter came from the Exile.
What is so funny?
He wasnt particularly offended.
Residue asked, purely curious about the intention behind the laughter.
[It feels unfair]
Unfair?
[Yes As you said we have all proven our qualifications But you have not]
He wasnt going to let it slide easily, was he?
Residue had hoped to muddle through by pretending to lead the meeting, but it seemed the Exile would not let it pass so easily.
And this made the faint premonition Residue had felt since the beginning of the meeting more concrete.
The Exile harbors malice towards me.
Not only that.
Although there wasnt enough evidence compared to his earlier conviction, many of the Twelve Void Lords seemed to view him unfavorably.
Aside from beings like Gods Envoy who displayed straightforward and instinctive murderous intent, he couldnt tell how many others felt the same way.
Just as Residue had hidden himself, they too knew how to conceal their true intentions. Sarch* The N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Do you want me to prove it? That I am also one of the Twelve Void Lords?
[Its more fundamental than that new Beginning Wizard]
Hmm. This time he almost admired it.
One of the secrets Residue wanted to keep hidden for as long as possible had already been exposed.
[Did you really think you could hide it? You fall short in every way compared to your predecessor]
Residue chuckled.
That mocking laughter escaped his mask and reached the ears of everyone at the meeting.
You know well what happened inside the Magic Planet. Were you spying?
[No I just anticipated it]
Those words might be true.
The Exile had warned Lukas when they met. If he went to the Magic Planet, Lukas Trowman would die. Was this anticipation also based on the assumption that the title of the Beginning Wizard would be passed on?
Its a strange thing.
The Exile should be currently consider him as Lukas Trowman. However, when he first met Lukas, the Exile didnt show any particularly hostile attitude. There is a clear difference from his current behavior.
Does he harbor hatred towards the position of the Beginning Wizard itself?
Or, although unlikely does he know that Residue is not Lukas but a third party?
Residue glanced around the meeting.
Most of the Void Lords didnt seem agitated by the Exiles words. Right. Even Death Worm seemed aware of the succession of the Beginning Wizard.
Now he understood. It was the Exile who spread that information.
Everything you said is correct. Im a novice who has just inherited the position of the Beginning Wizard.
Residue nodded as he spoke.
This statement had considerable impact. He could feel the ripple of agitation spreading among the Void Lords. Indeed, hearing it directly was different from just knowing it as information.
Then how should I prove my qualifications?
Take off your mask.
Sedi Trowman said shortly.
Residue glanced at her and responded.
That has nothing to do with proving Im a Void Lord, does it?
Sedi tried to say something but closed her mouth, remaining silent with a displeased expression.
[No Its not unrelated If you remove the mask and reveal your authority isnt that enough]
[Because of that mask we cant discern anything about you]
The majesty of the Old Mans Mask was indeed formidable. It not only hid his face but also perfectly concealed the true extent of Residues power.
Made from a mysterious material that existed only outside, even those with observational skills surpassing Residues wouldnt gain any clues from it.
It was a reasonable request, with little justification for refusal.
But.
That wont do.
Residue refused.
*****
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Chapter Season 2 577
Season 2 Chapter 577Translator: Alpha0210
Assuming that taking off the mask would only bring bad outcomes might not be entirely accurate.
Firstly, it could help avoid the immediate crisis and even gain the favor of some of the Twelve Void Lords, like Yang In-hyun or Sedi Trowman.
However, Residue refused. It wasnt just a short-term issue.
A time would come when the mask would have to be removed, but he judged that now was not the time.
.
.
However, Residues refusal had a chilling effect on the atmosphere around him. Though it was a predicted outcome, he had no intention of retracting his decision and chose to silently observe the situation for now.
What is your reason?
Yang In-hyun asked.
It was hard to tell what he was really thinking, but at least his expression and tone were calm.
Its because I would prefer if you thought of me as a Beginning Wizard in this meeting.
What do you mean by that?
The question came around again, but it wasnt Residue who answered.
The face behind the mask is one that most of us Void Lords are familiar with.
The owner of the ringing voice was the Executor.
So thats what you mean.
She had eyes as clear as ice, which seemed more fitting for the nickname judge rather than executor.
If the mask is removed and the bare face revealed, most of the Void Lords attitudes would change. Because you dont want such a change, you wont take off the mask at least until this meeting ends
Most of the Void Lords understood the deeper meaning in Residues words from her first statement, but she deliberately added to it and then paused.
Then she nodded slightly on her own and calmly spoke.
The last part might be an over-assumption. Anyway, these are the reasons presumed why the current Beginning Wizard doesnt want to remove the mask. What do you think?
Half of it was correct.
Firstly, Residue didnt know how well Lukass face was known among the Void Lords. Moreover, he wasnt sure how the real Lukas would have acted if he had been in this place.
Therefore, he simply nodded in agreement with the Executors words.
The Executor lowered her gaze with a nonchalant face as if responding.
Her demeanor indicated that she had said all she intended to. She is a woman whose thoughts were hard to read.
Residue spoke again.
The Exiles opinion is also valid. I might indeed be hiding myself and deceiving you all through this mask.
Though that was actually the case, Residue continued without a change in tone because his purpose was righteous.
How about this? Ive heard that the Beginning Wizard is the strongest among the Twelve Void Lords. If so, he should be able to achieve an overwhelming victory against one or two Void Lords.
.
.
The atmosphere froze even more compared to before. Even the Executor, who had lowered her gaze, frowned and turned her gaze back.
If two is too few, then up to three is fine. While an overwhelming victory might be difficult, ultimately, what you seek is proof, isnt it?
Ob-obvious thinking
The one who countered Residues words was an unexpected figure.
With a greatly subdued voice and a pale complexion,
The proxy of the Golden Eye, [Optic Nerve].
The wise Golden Eye believes that the new Beginning Wizard is making such unreasonable moves because he cannot prove himself. The more absurd the proposal, the less likely the Void Lords will accept it.
Golden light leaked from Optic Nerves eye covered by an eye patch.
As everyone knows, the situation is urgent. Theres no Void Lord who would want to waste their strength in such a situation. Moreover, he deliberately suggested a one-against-many fight, knowing well that the Void Lords wouldnt easily cooperate in this situation.
Residue wiped the smile off his face under the mask.
Thus, one more clear enemy was added besides the Exile. Well, it wasnt surprising since the relationship with Golden Eye was already noted as not good on the documents.
However, fortunately, really fortunately, this meeting wasnt only filled with Residues enemies.
Thats conjecture.
It was a voice as gloomy as a sky full of dark clouds.
The Beginning Wizard has no way to prove himself, and time is short. So, hes trying to assert his authority in the simplest and quickest way possible.
When the Death Worm intervened, some of the Void Lords couldnt hide their surprise. They hadnt expected him to support the Beginning Wizard.
Is subduing one Void Lord perfectly enough to prove the authority of the coordinator? Can such a performance be genuinely acknowledged? You should know. What kind of existence that person becomes when the condition of one-on-one is met.
Yang In-hyun stepped forward to speak in this rare situation.
Its a rare sight indeed. To see you taking the side of the Beginning Wizard.
.
You saw, didnt you? The face inside the mask.
It was a simple assumption without any inference. The Death Worm remained silent with an unchanged expression. That assumption was also only half correct. The Death Worm hadnt seen the face inside the mask.
The atmosphere heated up when voices were exchanged, and cooled down when they werent.
The Executor thought the overall situation was unfolding interestingly.
Yang In-hyun, who had previously had a not-so-bad relationship with the Beginning Wizard, was now hostile, while the Death Worm, who had had an extremely bad relationship, was now defending him.
As just mentioned, if the reason for the Death Worms change in attitude was that he saw the face inside the mask, then why had Yang In-hyuns attitude changed?
Exile.
She recalled the Void Lord who had visited him a few days ago.
It was an open secret among them that the Exile, who preferred to act alone, had visited the Void Lords lords before the meeting and made some proposals.
What on earth is he thinking?
As thoughts deepened among them, a sharp voice interjected.
Whats so important about that damn mask that youre making such a fuss? Sar?h the N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Sedi, with her chin resting on her hand, sent a bored look.
Is the position of the Beginning Wizard something that can only be proven by brute force?
Is there another way to prove it? 0th Demon.
You guys, do you know how childish it is to keep calling each other by aliases?
Sedi retorted with an annoyed voice, lifting her chin as she spoke.
Cant we just see how he leads this meeting? If he can manage ten crazy bastards like you, wouldnt that naturally prove his qualification? Am I wrong?
Sedis exclusion of herself from the count of crazy bastards was typical of her. Residue almost burst into laughter at the moment.
Although her words were a bit rough, what she said was what Residue had always wanted to say. However, he had remained silent so far because the meaning would be diminished if he said it himself.
Sedi, who had scoffed, changed her expression and glanced over. Her eyes, which had been sharp, momentarily flickered with a complicated look.
Seeing that, he understood.
For now, she intended to hold off on forming an opinion and observe Residue further. Sedi was standing on a borderline where she could not be called either an enemy or an ally.
Thus, her recent statement was not so much about helping as it was about preventing the situation from being one-sided. If the circumstances were reversed, she might have instead taken a jab at Residue.
I agree with the 0th Demons opinion.
The same here.
The Death Worm and the Executor spoke in turn.
Out of the eleven, twono, including Sedi, three were on his side.
It wasnt even close to a majority, nor half, but it should be considered that three of the remaining nine were proxies.
Residue looked directly at the Exile, merely asking with his gaze.
What will you do?
[.]
The Exile didnt respond, but his attitude was an answer in itself.
Alright. Now the atmosphere is finally set to proceed with the meeting.
Even saying this one sentence was not easy.
The Twelve Void Lords were clearly more troublesome than Residue had anticipated. To think that the fate of the entire universe rested on such individuals was truly lamentable.
But compared to the Four Knights or the Rulers whom he would eventually meet, their attitudes still seemed rather cute by comparison.
If there was only one aspect in which the Void Lords were more difficult than them.
it would be the presence or absence of cooperation.
This wasnt a sudden thought.
Residue looked around at the Void Lords and quietly affirmed his hypothesis.
There were already several factions formed among the Twelve Void Lords.
*
Residue knew well about the habits of the strong.
Of course, the standard he defined for the strong was quite high.
Even an absolute being of the universe, capable of erasing billions of lives and hundreds of planets alone, wouldnt qualify as strong by Residues standards.
So, what about the Twelve Void Lords?
Naturally, they were strong. Even if he applied the perspective from his days as the Ruler, that conclusion would remain unshaken.
And there was one common trait among the strong as acknowledged by Residue.
They do not compromise. They never break the strict rules they have set for themselves.
There were many ways to describe it, but Lukas called it this.
Conviction.
One can bow their head temporarily.
To achieve a greater purpose, the so-called great cause, one might choose to yield temporarily.
But cooperation? Under what circumstances does cooperation come about in the first place?
With an opponent of similar strength, or at least a situation where both sides cannot avoid mutual risk in a fight.
To put it clearly, an enemy.
Isnt it contradictory? That one can only establish true cooperation with an opponent who poses a threat to oneself.
But that is the logic.
For instance, no one calls the cooperation between termites and the Ruler a cooperation. When one sides power is overwhelmingly superior, it becomes submission no matter how its dressed up.
So, when beings of similar strength have different opinions and cannot avoid conflict, do they find a compromise? Or can they form a temporary alliance in the form of cooperation to achieve their goals?
If the situation turns out to be extremely coincidental, that might happen.
However, ultimately, the diverging convictions will always clash violently, causing catastrophic outcomes.
That is why conflict exists.
The act of breaking the opponents rules, the only way to deny their long-standing convictions most definitively. Compared to that, how repulsive, hypocritical, and unsightly is a conversation?
Residue doesnt know much about the Twelve Void Lords.
However, he knew that they lived unique lives that never overlapped with anyone elses.
This has shaped their values
Two, no. Maybe even three could be possible.
He was talking about cooperation.
When strong individuals of this caliber cooperate, up to three value systems might temporarily coexist. It might even be more effective than with just two.
The number three is like that by nature. Like three branches that can only stand by leaning on each other, they serve as each others restraints, maintaining a precarious existence.
But from four onwards, thats impossible.
From then on, chaos accelerates in earnest, and no matter how excellent a coordinator there is, the collapse will definitely begin from within.
Two to three, which means there can be a maximum of six factions here.
And those who do not hide their cooperation.
Yang In-hyun, Exile, and Golden Eye.
The ones showing clear hostility are Gods Envoy.
The Executor claims neutrality, and Sedis position is similar.
The one whose intentions are the hardest to guess is the Tamer?
No.
Theres something being overlooked.
The observers who seldom speak up.
For instance, what intention does a Void Lord like Futurix have? Are they merely maintaining neutrality and sparing their words because they hope that this side will acknowledge it?
.
To know for sure, he must dig deeper.
As roughly as possible.
The Three Thousand Worlds and the Void World have merged.
The moment Residue waved his hand, a faint light projected from the floor, displaying a single image.
It wasnt anything extraordinary.
There were demigods who could see the past, present, and future. Borrowing the power of them, he projected the image using clairvoyance.
The scene that unfolded as a result,
War.
The Void Lords displayed a range of reactions. Among them, the ones who appeared uncomfortable were Sedi, Yang In-hyun, the Executor, and Diablo.
The commonality among them, excluding the Executor, was that they were from the Three Thousand Worlds.
Could it be that the Executor was too?
Does anyone have a clear understanding of why the fusion occurred?
Setting aside his suspicion, he asked, but no one stepped forward.
It was unclear whether they genuinely didnt know or if they just wanted to observe more of his behavior. Not needing an immediate answer, he continued speaking.
Its a struggle.
A struggle?
Its like the final act of defiance that appears just before death. Thats whats happening on a universal scale now.
Is that a metaphor?
Maybe.
Residue chuckled lowly and got to the point.
Ill be clear. Within a minimum of a few dozen days to a maximum of a few hundred days, everything that exists will be destroyed and disappear.
When he said this, more than half did not react with surprise or confusion. They didnt dismiss Residues words as fiction either.
Those who werent surprised were already aware of the impending destruction.
[Annihilation.]
Diablos ears twitched. He had shown the most intense reaction since the meeting began.
An interesting fellow, no doubt.
Though he was attending the meeting as a representative, this mortal was among those who grasped the essence of the situation most accurately.
However.
Its slightly different, representative of the Corpse Ghost. Destruction will not occur suddenly and without warning as you expect.
[Do you know about me?]
It was a question that didnt require an answer.
The destruction will reveal itself in a distinct form.
At the mention of a distinct form, several Void Lords visibly reacted.
Residue chuckled as he spoke.
Ive mentioned it before, Exile. Destruction takes five forms.
Residue nonchalantly cast the bait. The Exile, with his grotesque appearance, reacted slightly to these words.
He must be recalling his conversation with Lukas.
No, you know nothing.
[Are you saying what I saw was wrong?]
I didnt say that. Its not that you saw it wrong, but the situation has changed.
[.]
Theres no end if we start talking about uncertainties. Lets focus on whats certain. We are running out of time, the enemies will soon be upon us. And I assure you that my proposal will be the most effective means to counter them.
Sedis eyes flickered.
The tone that left no room for considering the possibility of being wrong it was familiar.
What is it? This means you speak of.
.
He paused before responding.
The conclusion he was about to speak of was not solely derived from Residues own self.
It was a conclusion formed from the collective knowledge of Lukas and the Beginning Wizard. Encased in many layers, had led to one conclusion.
A tripartite battle.
*****
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Chapter Season 2 578
Season 2 Chapter 578Translator: Alpha0210
Can the strong be manufactured?
Undoubtedly, no one has pondered this question longer and deeper than Residue.
Although he lived a life unrelated to the word effort, there was one exception.
He spared no effort in experiencing failure.
Even if he eventually succeeded, he wanted to feel a sliver of fear before attempting anything. He wanted to understand the fear of those standing at the edge of a cliff. He wanted to feel what anxiety was, even just once.
Those who made him feel even a fraction of such emotions.
There were a few beings, perhaps the only ones who could make Residue experience failure, who were on the same level as him, but he could never regard them as enemies.
The same was true for them.
Now, he understood why.
They were fundamentally the same and essentially identical. The Rulers were all weapons of God.
The term brother or sister was insufficient; they were originally one entity. Naturally, no sense of competition could arise.
A long time had passed since the Rulers came into existence, and they each filled their boredom in different ways.
The Sun God fought against his inner self,
The Demon God obsessed over ruling more perfectly,
The Dragon delved deeply into the unknown mysteries of the universe that had yet to be uncovered,
And the Lightning God still sought someone to fight.
Eventually, he came to a conclusion.
If there are no beings to fight,
Why not create them with my own hands?
*
[What exactly are you trying to say?]
It was a voice he had never heard before.
The being known by the somewhat abstruse title The Sinking One.
He didnt attend in person, only sending an ethereal presence similar to his own thoughts.
The sound he made was more of a resonance than a voice, and it wasnt a pleasant kind.
[When you say a tripartite battle, it means three forces are fighting each other. I wonder if its a suitable expression for the current situation.]
The Sinking Ones tone was unexpectedly light and frivolous.
Residue looked at his vague face and chuckled.
Its quite suitable. Arent two forces already at war?
Sedi interjected again, her voice sounding cold.
It doesnt seem like you have any intention of stopping the war. No.
Her blood-red eyes narrowed.
It feels like youre inciting it.
A faint suspicion mixed in her voice.
The act of abetting war, something Lukas would never do.
It was an expected reaction, and an accurate judgment.
Certainly, Lukas would not have ignored such a tragedy.
But what does that matter?
People change. And change doesnt always happen in a positive direction.
In his home universe, in the Three Thousand Worlds, in the Void World
The changes Lukas experienced throughout his life were numerous, to the extent that even Residue couldnt know them all.
So Sedi, too, would not know. She couldnt even imagine the series of events he went through after parting ways in the Great Field. The changes in his values due to those events, and what ultimately remained unchanged.
Lukas changed. Thus, Residue didnt need to act in every single word and action.
There was only one thing that must be preserved.
Broken, shattered, fallen, despairing.
Yet unchanged, the most crucial core element that constituted Lucas being.
Its not enough.
What?
The Four Knights, the Twelve Void Lords, the Rulers, the Absolutes.
.
Even considering all the others, whom I havent even identified, its still far from enough.
What are you trying to say?
There are not enough strong ones.
This wasnt just a statement to Sedi.
Residue, looking at the eleven lords in the Void World, continued speaking calmly.
The impending destructions. I measure the minimum condition for strength to face them by the standard of Void Lords. One need to be at least that strong to even withstand them.
The Void Lords each had different reactions to the arrogant words.
Residue paused slightly before continuing. He wanted to observe the attitudes of those who showed any unique reactions to his statement.
It was a futile expectation. The Void Lords only changed their expressions, with none of them hastily opening their mouths.
Cowards. No, perhaps they were just excessively cautious? He couldnt tell the difference.
Feeling a peculiar sense of incongruity, Residue continued without showing it.
To be clear, in the upcoming battle, beings weaker than the Void Lords, regardless if they are in the tens of thousands or billions, are utterly useless.
.
.
Residue didnt voice his conclusion, but everyone present must have understood. The reason for condoning or letting the war proceed.
Even tracing back through the history of the universe, the most dreadful and large-scale war. In other words an unprecedented trial.
In the blaze of this war, beings comparable to the Void Lords would be born successively.
However.
Many lives will be lost.
Sedi muttered quietly.
Of course, she wasnt the type to hold sentimental feelings for the indiscriminate death of lives. She felt formal regret, but that was all. The extinction of hundreds of thousands, millions of lives didnt stir her much.
But it was strange for Lukas to reach a similar conclusion. That wasnt like Lukas.
Thats the face of someone thinking that.
Just as Residue intended.
Feeling that level of discomfort was the best outcome.
But if we continue as we are, everything will end anyway.
.
I told you, didnt I? This is a desperate struggle on a cosmic scale. It cant be stopped, and it shouldnt be.
But.
You are also from the Three Thousand Worlds too.
Sedi flinched at Residues words and closed her mouth.
Then tell me a concrete plan. How will you stop it?
.
The reason for the war is simple. The hatred the residents of the Three Thousand Worlds and the Void World have for each other is the cause. Its far more fundamental than some instinct imprinted in their genes. I cant think of a way to suppress or control it. So Ill ask you. Is there a way to quell that hatred?
No answer came back.
Residue, feeling no disappointment, continued speaking.
If we try to forcibly stop it, well have to be prepared to take damage on our side too. That would be the worst possible development I can imagine.
In the process, if some of the Twelve Void Lords got hurt or died, the situation would become worse than the worst. Ironically, the twelve lords who rule this dumpsite are the core of the defense against destruction.
Residue quietly stared at Sedi. Not to pressure or observe her.
He had a hope that she might come up with a plan he hadnt thought of.
However, her closed lips remained shut for a long time.
Just as Residue was about to look away from her.
Your voice sounds familiar.
It must be a mistake.
Residue was wearing the old mans mask. The voice he used was far from Lukass.
But your words arent familiar at all. If you were the person I know, you would be more
.
She couldnt finish her sentence. Her shoulders trembled slightly. Though her eyes were hidden by her jet-black hair, her tightly closed lips were clearly visible.
Why.
A voice tinged with metallic tones flowed out briefly before cutting off.
Turning his head away, Residue continued.
What we need to focus on is simple. In the midst of the worst trial in history, how many exceptional talents will emerge. Theres no need to negotiate with them. When destruction appears, theyll have no choice but to join hands with us anyway.
Even two blood-soaked wolves fighting against each other have no choice but to cooperate in the sudden presence of a lion.
This time, it would be the same.
[Interesting interpretation But Beginning Wizard of this era the premise itself is wrong]
The Exile intervened at that moment.
Premise?
[From the start there is no such thing as a will in the universe You are placing too much significance on what is happening now It is merely a phenomenon]
.
[And how many territories do you think exist in this Void World? Where do you think this world stretches from and to where]
Who would know?
Even the documents prepared by the Beginning Wizard didnt include such details.
[No one knows]
.
[No one could know No matter how profound ones knowledge No matter how bold ones drive Even if one conducted thorough investigations based on those in this world, always, and without exception]
The Exile paused.
Then took a deep breath.
A very deep and long breath.
There existed unknown parts.
For the first time, his voice became clear.
The unknown is the foundation of the Void World. And now, a war has erupted against the backdrop of these territories.
The war with the Three Thousand Worlds.
Residue accepted the Exiles words, recalling the Seven Fanged Dragon God.
The unknown.
She often spoke similarly.
The premise is fundamentally wrong. Why do you define destruction as an enemy? There is no way to counter it. There is no countermeasure. Since all you can do is pray, people call it a catastrophe. So, what about destruction?
The Exiles voice began to heat up.
Why do you think I called it not a catastrophe but destruction?
The Exile recalled.
The sense of liberation felt when going outside, the feeling of deviation, the freedom felt when completely free from the material world
Which it had vastly transcended.
Fear.
We can only be destroyed. The moment we face it, we have no choice but to disappear.
His heated voice now rippled with madness. Sar?h the N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
A tripartite war? A battle, a war? Hah, hahahaha Beginning Wizard, you truly know nothing. One thing is certain. You have not seen it yourself. Thats why you can say such things.
Those words were true. In the end, Residue had not witnessed the destruction with his own eyes.
Everything was only conveyed by Lukas.
But.
Didnt I tell you earlier? Its not that what you saw was wrong. Its that things have changed since then. Destruction comes thoroughly divided. It shrinks enough for us to deal with it.
[On what basis do you say that?]
The voice mixed with mechanical sounds was evidently heard for the first time since the meeting began.
Futurix.
A being borrowing a mechanical body, who had remained silent until now, spoke.
[Even when the Exile witnessed it, destruction clearly had five forms. Why would they suddenly split and come at us in a manner we can handle?]
Because there is someone who made it so.
[Who is that?]
He couldnt tell them the straightforward truth.
But if he made it up entirely, it would arouse suspicion or be exposed eventually.
So Residue uttered a prepared lie.
The previous Beginning Wizard.
To be more precise, it was a lie mixed with truth.
I see.
The Exile muttered in a low voice.
Thats enough. This has been a time of pointless debate.
It was at this moment that Residue distinctly sensed a peculiar sense of incongruity.
Several of the Twelve Void Lords suddenly stood up. It was a highly unexpected action.
Their gazes were directed behind Residue, towards the door he had entered from.
What we need right now is not a mediator, Lukas Trowman. That position must feel burdensome to you. Rest assured. We will relieve you of that duty.
I have no idea what youre talking about.
He has arrived.
Arrived?
Who could it be?
Arent all the Twelve Void Lords already gathered here?
Thump-
At that moment, Residue heard the sound of footsteps.
Though the sound came from beyond the door, it reached his ears distinctly and precisely.
The atmosphere in the room changed.
Even the Void Lords who hadnt stood up were now looking towards the door. Residue was no exception.
This presence is.
It was a presence that lightly surpassed that of the Twelve Void Lords.
Something that could not and should not be ignored
Creak-
The door opened.
With a clank and a dry metallic sound, the figures that appeared were, indeed, as Residue had expected.
The Four Knights of the Kings Castle.
What was unexpected was the fact that there were two, not one.
The presence of the Black Knight of Death here wasnt surprising. Everyone knew he would be here, after all. Wasnt Diablo, who resurrected him and claimed to be his master, present at this very gathering?
But the other knight was unexpected.
The Red Knight.
According to Residues knowledge, she was supposed to be fighting alongside the Sun God in the snowy plains. She had not left that place for a very long time.
Why is she here?
But perhaps that wasnt the most noteworthy thing.
Theres one more.
There was a third presence felt outside. This was the reason for Residues stiffened expression.
Because,
The presence of this third individual was so immense that it made the two knights in front seem insignificant by comparison.
There were still two more knights.
The White Knight and the Blue Knight.
But the power they possessed was on par with the other knights. They could never exude an aura capable of overwhelming the other two knights.
Even if their power was being restrained, that fact wouldnt change.
Thump-
The sound of footsteps, which had briefly halted, resumed.
From within that sound, the figure that appeared
*****
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Chapter Season 2 579
Season 2 Chapter 579Translator: Alpha0210
Inevitable destruction is approaching.
The Exile was fully aware of this fact.
Among the beings in the Void World, he might be the one closest to the hidden truth of the world.
That would be the case if not for The Beginning Wizard.
However, that man wouldnt have experienced the Outside either. The Exile gripped his grotesquely transformed right arm tightly with his left hand. So tightly that the flesh was crushed, and the muscles and blood vessels screamed in agony.
Despite this, there was no pain. Not even a sensation.
The reason I, not the Beginning Wizard, experienced the [outside].
There must be a reason for such a difference.
Then what is it?
The role assigned to me, the role that only I can fulfill
Preparation?
Hahaha!
A conclusion that almost made him burst into laughter.
Is preparation my role? Can it even be stopped by doing so?
Even if he mobilized all the means he had, its clear that he wouldnt even make destruction hesitate. It would be more realistic to stop a storm with a blade of grass!
[Ha. Ha.]
Just thinking about it made his entire body stiffen, and his mind was consumed by fear. An overwhelming pressure that he hadnt felt even when facing the Four Knights, a gap that words like different dimension couldnt fully express.
The Beginning Wizard,
Was someone whose thoughts were always inscrutable. Even when standing together and conversing, there were times when an inexplicable sense of distance was felt.
Now he understood the reason.
The landscapes they saw were always different. Although their methods might differ, he too was aware of the destruction and was making his own preparations to counter it.
While he didnt know the details of those plans, it was clear that he was struggling desperately.
Even though he might not have directly witnessed the destruction, he must have felt its fear indirectly.
And yet, he doesnt give up.
Instead of merely trembling with a stiff body and mind, he is making definite preparations, however slight they may be.
Those actions gave the Exile courage. They became the driving force that allowed him to momentarily forget his fear.
I can do it too. I must.
There is something I must do.
Remember, remember, remember.
He lived on with only that thought.
At some moment.
The Exile realized a new aspect of the power within his Occultic Hand. It was so natural that it felt rather artificial. As if someone had intentionally been blocking the power until now and was only releasing it at this moment
He doesnt think deeply about it.
The Exile instinctively understood what he needed to do with this power, where he needed to go now.
It was the Kings Castle.
There, on the throne he had seen only once.
The faint residual presence left in the seat where the Void King had sat was astonishingly similar to the auras of the destructions he had seen Outside.
In other words, an unidentified presence,
Like the destructions outside.
Poison against poison.
An unidentified presence against an unidentified presence.
What had been an absurd, half-baked gamble became the only breakthrough at some point.
He declared that he would struggle. There would be no laziness in making preparations.
But even up to this moment, the Exile couldnt envision himself directly fighting against the destruction. He had already lost the will to fight at some point.
If one were to witness the destruction firsthand, everyone would end up the same.
The other Twelve Void Lords, The Beginning Wizard, the Four Knights, even that Ruler.
It might be an excuse.
It might be just an attempt to disguise shirking responsibility.
So the Exile decided that if he were going to be a coward anyway, he would be the most thorough, the perfect coward.
[I will do it.]
I will carry out the most perfect evasion of responsibility that the world has ever seen.
*
The water was so shallow that it couldnt fully submerge even his feet.
Northern region of the Void World. The Exile stood there, looking in a certain direction.
[.]
The corpse of a giant was submerged in the water. Only part of the upper body, the right arm, and the left shoulder were exposed.
Even that was enough to fill his field of vision. It was so massive that one might mistake it for a mountain.
He knew whose corpse this was.
And now, the being claiming ownership of it as well.
What, is happening, here.
A stuttering voice was heard.
It was a different, awkward pronunciation compared to the Exile.
The owner of that voice was sitting on top of the corpse. His hair fluttered. Of course, it wasnt because of the wind. It was due to the aura emanating from them.
One of the Twelve Void Lords, Gods Envoy.
Exile. Have you come, to be eaten, by me?
[Ive come to propose something.]
Gods Envoys eyebrows rose even higher.
What, proposal.
[Give me the corpse of the god.]
Some of the Void Lords considered this to be merely the corpse of an absolute being, once called a god in some universe. The Exile thought the same, but now he saw it differently.
Once the power of the Occultic Hand awakened, the scenery he saw changed.
From this corpse, he felt the same aura as from the throne of the Void King.
What he obtained from the throne was intangible. To put it in words, it was the soul. That alone had no meaning.
He needed a body to house that soul.
[To be precise I need 10kg each of the skull and vertebrae at least a handful of brain cells and muscles, fats, and tendons with minimal decay.]
Grrrr.
A fierce energy emanated from Gods Envoys body.
This was not a suggestion born out of ignorance. Sarch* The N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
The Exile was spouting such nonsense even while knowing what the corpse meant to Gods Envoy.
In other words, this mans rudeness had crossed the line.
If you want, to die, just say, so.
[Do I seem like Im talking nonsense?]
Is that, a question. Youre asking, me.
[But what if this is a reasonable proposal?]
What did you say?
[Cooperate with me. You who have devoured a god.]
The Exile extended his hand as he spoke.
[Why dont you join me in creating a god?]
*
Whats needed is an individual with overwhelming strength.
Like Lucas later on, he didnt realize it because someone taught him. The Exile realized it on his own.
Perhaps this conclusion, tinged with a sense of madness, was something he could only reach after obsessively seeking solutions following his encounter with destruction Outside.
Although he might not have realized it himself, the Exiles quiet yet fanatical obsession led him to the correct answer.
Create.
He must manufacture someone who can fight the destructions he had witnessed, even if alone.
But this was not something he could achieve by himself.
Even with his vast knowledge, diverse experiences, and rare materials, he would hit a limit.
I need help.
He needed the cooperation of those with knowledge beyond his own, with far more extensive experiences, and with the rarest of materials.
It was truly fortunate.
That this world had eleven such beings.
Busy days began.
The Exile originally had a territory. It wasnt vast, but it wasnt too small either.
He abandoned it.
Taking only the essential items on his ship, he began to roam the entire Void World.
The Exiles encounters and persuasions were not limited to the Twelve Void Lords. He persuaded anyone who seemed even slightly helpful or showed any potential, without exception.
Meanwhile, he didnt neglect the search for materials.
He ventured to unknown places in the Void World, where no one had ever set foot. When he was sufficiently prepared, he even ventured Outside. That place was filled with substances he had never encountered before.
He nearly died dozens, hundreds of times. When the number of close calls approached a thousand, he stopped counting.
The threats to his life werent limited to the Outside. The Void World was just as perilous.
Invading another territory without permission is a clear act of provocation. There were few lords broad-minded enough to let such a thing slide. There were times when it was awkward to state his purpose outright so he held back, and in those cases, fights inevitably broke out.
Though these were days filled with pain, the Exile did not despair.
The thought of wanting to stop or give up never even crossed his mind.
He had already faced the greatest fear. There was nothing left to be afraid of now.
[Interesting. So, there still exists an undiscovered Outside.]
The master of future civilization, Futurix.
A Void Lord who claims to be the first self-awareness born without body or soul, and the most complete individual.
An intangible entity, whose mere existence signified rebellion against the gods, showed deep interest in the Exiles plan.
[I am not lying. I am not insane. I have come here with clear evidence.]
He was referring to the materials brought from the Outside.
[Your proposal aligns with a plan I have been pursuing for a long time.]
[A plan?]
[The creation of a perfect single entity, an ultimate organism.]
The briefly uttered words carried an undeniable weight.
It was a curious thing.
The final goal of an entity, the root of mechanical civilization and self-consciousness made of data, was the creation of a perfect biological organism.
Of course, the most important thing right now was not such a contradictory aspect.
[That means you will.]
[I will cooperate.]
The Exile exhaled a breath filled with excitement.
The two most crucial elements of his plan.
The gods corpse and Futurixs scientific prowess were now in his hands.
The extreme technological prowess possessed by this entity would perfectly utilize the supreme materials the Exile had secured. One hundred percent, and beyond.
However.
Its still not enough.
This alone wouldnt suffice.
Stronger,
More perfect,
More unique.
He wouldnt hesitate to use any means necessary.
If he couldnt gain cooperation, he would have to steal what he needed.
Combining the supreme materials obtained from the Gods Envoy with the science of Futurix and experiencing all possible failures based on the Dumpsite of the Corpse Ghost.
Incorporating the concept of justice held by the Executor, the wisdom that comes from the golden eyes of the Golden Eye, and the ultimate swordsmanship of the Everlasting Plum Sword,
The learning ability of the 0th Demon, the endurance of The Sinking One, the dispersal ability of the Death Worm, the ferocity of the Beast.
And when he grafted the Occultic Hand of the Exile,
That being would
***
It seemed like an absurdly unrealistic sight.
The Four Knights.
Residue, while parasitizing Lukass mind, observed them carefully. There was no way he wasnt interested.
The Rulers of the Three Thousand Worlds, the Four Knights of the Void World.
Their origins and natures were different, but their strength was equal.
Because of this, there was something he could understand.
In the end, separate from Lukas understanding Pale, Residue had completed his own analysis of the Four Knights.
They called themselves knights, but their pride was on par with that of the Rulers. Their self-formed identities were loftier and more arrogant than anything else.
What Lukas gained was Pales heart, which was different from loyalty.
The same applied to Diablo, who was called the master of the Black Knight.
But if that was the case.
How should the scene unfolding before his eyes be explained?
The bodies of the two knights who appeared first tilted.
As if they had entered [Extreme Time Zone], slowly
The Black Knight of Death and the Red Knight of War knelt down.
.
.
A heavy silence descended upon the audience.
For a moment, Residue noticed that fewer Void Lords were surprised or shocked than expected.
Some of you may be seeing this for the first time. I warn you in advance. Everyone, kneel.
Saying this, the Exile willingly lowered his own body first.
The moment Residues eyebrow twitched, several Void Lords who had risen from their seats joined the procession.
This person is the only one who can save us from despair, the perfect being who can stand alone against the five destructions.
The one who had gained the loyalty of half the knights,
And the obedience of half the Void Lords.
She is the Half King.
****
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Chapter Season 2 580
Season 2 Chapter 580Translator: Alpha0210
It was a small and slender existence. At least in appearance.
It wasnt simply that the figure was small. Their youthful appearance was out of place in the setting of the conference hall. Even more so than Sedi Trowman, who had the appearance of a girl due to some circumstance.
Standing still, the height barely reached Residues chest and floated several centimeters above the ground, cloaked in cumbersome clothing. It was an ornate attire fit for a king, with gold embroidery sewn into it.
The thin cloth covering the face was so translucent that it couldnt hide the features underneath.
There was nothing particularly special about it. Though the features were unrealistically beautiful, Residue felt an artificial touch in her beauty and nothing more.
So there was only one thing that bothered him.
The curve of her lips. It hovered between a serene smile and a sneer, more displeasing than any expression Residue had ever seen.
A Half-King?
It was Death Worm who spoke with an indifferent voice. One of the Void Lords who had not knelt.
I dont understand the intention. Exile, are you still unable to forget the king? Do you think we need such an existence?
We always needed one. We are the Void Lords, beings who are at best just feudal lords.
Childish wordplay.
Does it feel that way?
Death Worms lips twisted coldly at the questioning tone.
Are you discussing what it means to be a lord? When you dont even have a handful of dirt to call your own?
Its not the land that makes a lord. Without a king, there are no lords. Theres no one to bestow the title.
Death Worm didnt want to continue the childish argument and closed his mouth. He tried to look around, to see the faces of the other Void Lords listening to the nauseating sophistry.
But before he could, a voice interrupted.
It seems you cannot tolerate my existence.
It was the most mysterious and beautiful sound Death Worm had ever heard. More an echo or a melody than a voice.
It wasnt easy for someone of such presence to evoke that level of feeling with just their voice.
It seemed other Void Lords felt the same.
They were each experiencing their own emotions as they stared at the being called the Half-King.
Your existence? Are you considering yourself a king?
The one with the ringing voice was the Tamer.
Despite being an proxy, she displayed a stark contrast to Diablo, who shrank back, intending to avoid attention or Optic Nerve who was extremely careful in his words and actions.
Her attitude was much bolder than Diablo, who had the backing of the Black Knight,
As if she considered herself equal to the surrounding Void Lords.
If so?
Isnt it a bit arrogant?
The title of king, commonly used in other universes, was not used lightly in the Void world.
According to the Tamers knowledge, from the past to the present, only one being had been allowed the name of king.
Haha. Bold words. Considering your status, arent you the most out of place here?
Though it was mixed with laughter, the rebuke close to ridicule didnt change the Tamers demeanor.
The Half-King continued with a swirling smile.
You spoke of arrogance? I havent learned about that. But I know humility better than anyone. Ive heard that the rice plant bows its head more as it ripens.
Im not interested in hearing such hollow phrases. Do you truly believe you can lead the Void Lords?
Thats not for me to decide. Its for you all. I simply pursue the righteous path of a king.
During this brief exchange, Yang In-hyun felt an indescribable unease.
The subtle irritation lingered, sticking to him since the moment the Half-King appeared.
At the same time, there was an inexplicable sense of familiarity. Yang In-hyuns gaze flickered to the sword hanging at the Half-Kings waist.
Your Highness, allow me to explain from here.
Hmm.
The Exile stepped forward again.
The Half-King nodded gracefully and sat down. Of course, there was no chair beneath the floating Half-Kings feet. It was as if she sat on an invisible throne in the air.
Is that the new Void King you mentioned?
Yang In-hyun muttered, recalling the conversation they had in the Cloud Pavilion.
Indeed.
There wasnt some absurd secret that the previous Void King had a hidden child, was there?
I cant say theres no blood relation, but she is not the child of the previous king.
What do you mean?
[The king was created. We made her.]
!
It was a statement from Futurix.
It was hard to believe, but it was Futurix who made the statement. Yang In-hyun had heard rumors about the extent of biological experiments and genetic research conducted by the entity claiming to be the master of future civilization.
Yang In-hyun redirected his gaze to the Half-King.
She observed the situation with a bored expression, her chin resting on her hand. There was no sign of surprise at hearing the secret of her birth, or rather, creation.
After a moment, Yang In-hyun muttered.
Created, you say. Thats
It was a difficult task. We failed countless times and faced many limits. But we didnt give up and finally succeeded.
The Exile used the word we without any hesitation.
Yang In-hyun looked around.
Those who had shown their intention to obey with the Half-Kings appearance were the Exile, Futurix, Gods Envoy, Golden Eye, the Sinking One, and Diablo, perhaps.
It was hard to believe that half of the Void Lords had already sided with her.
At that moment, the Exiles mechanical eyes turned to Yang In-hyun.
I must also thank you, Yang In-hyun. Your swordsmanship had reached a level that His Highness could utilize.
Are you saying you stole my Everlasting Plum Sword?
The Exile opened his mouth to deny it, but Yang In-hyun continued without giving him a chance.
Then I have the right to test it.
His voice was as dry as desert sand. The tone was now devoid of emotion, and the agitation had disappeared.
It was proof that he had steeled himself and a time to remain calm.
Yang In-hyun entered a battle stance.
Srrng-
No one stopped him from drawing his sword.
Those Void Lords who hadnt submitted to the Half-King were likely observing the situation.
What about those who had submitted? Wouldnt they protect their king?
The two knights, who also didnt move, had straightened their knees but didnt react to the intangible killing intent Yang In-hyun was emitting.
Did they trust the Half-King, or were they underestimating Yang In-hyun?
It didnt matter.
Whooosh-
Yang In-hyun summoned the wind.
As the surroundings began to be swallowed by darkness, the scent of flowers drifted from somewhere.
Soon, when a colorless bud appeared, Residue realized that Yang In-hyun hadnt drawn his sword just to test his opponents strength.
Everlasting Plum Sword, First Move, Martial Annihilation.
A light akin to the glow of stained glass spread across the world.
Amidst the brilliant array of colors, one beam of light was the most intense and distinct.
An ultimate thrust that couldnt be seen, and even if seen, couldnt be blocked.
.
The Half-King frowned as if the light was blinding.
And she couldnt block it.
*
What is a sword to you?
If someone were to ask that, Yang In-hyun would answer without hesitation.
Its a tool.
But that wasnt all.
At some point in his life, it became the tool that fits best in my hand, and at some point, it became the tool that makes anything possible.
He achieved everything that could be achieved with a sword.
He achieved even those things that couldnt be achieved with a sword.
He realized that the state of unity with the sword and the state of unity with nature were just illusions. The stepping stone to the next level started by breaking free from that illusion.
He understood and accepted it again.
The sword was always just a sword.
A weapon, a blade, a tool for killing.
So, he couldnt believe it.
It was rare for disbelief to appear in Yang In-hyuns eyes when he held a sword.
Disbelief meant he couldnt accept reality, and not accepting reality meant he hadnt even anticipated it.
But who could blame Yang In-hyun for lacking foresight?
What is this?
Between the ribs spreading from the chest cavity.
It was a gap that a sharply honed blade could sufficiently and perfectly exploit.
When Yang In-hyun swung his sword, he didnt focus on the opponents defense. No matter how sturdy the armor made of the hardest metal, scales of the highest toughness, or muscles of the greatest resilience, they were meaningless.
Thats why he always focused on the opponents movements.
He believed that evasion was the only way to counter his attack.
And the Half-King didnt dodge.
She didnt take a defensive stance, nor did she move to protect her vital points.
She remained seated on her invisible chair in the air, her chin resting on her hand.
So the situation was so simple and obvious that it was almost laughable.
Yang In-hyuns supreme thrust with the Everlasting Plum Sword couldnt even pierce the girls thin skin. sea??h th N??eFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
The choked silence was painted over with astonishment.
No one easily spoke, and the Void Lords who decided to follow the Half-King were quietly shivering. They were struggling not to be swept away by the surging waves of emotion.
The Half-Kings descent was not something they had intended.
Because the Half-King had not awakened until just a few days ago.
They had used the best materials to their fullest extent and completed a near-perfect creation, but it didnt move.
There had been no mistake. They could stake everything on that certainty.
So the Exile didnt waver.
All preparations had been completed. Now, it was just a matter of waiting for the results.
The Half-King had opened her eyes just one day before the conference was to be held.
They realized.
The king had merely been waiting for the right moment. She had been conserving her strength until the optimal moment to act.
They had accompanied her to the castle, but she had disappeared thereafter.
But there was no worry.
The Half-King, having opened her eyes, would make perfect judgments ahead of everything. There was unwavering faith.
But seeing that faith with ones own eyes was overwhelming.
Ah
The Exile faced a wave of emotion he had never felt before. Something hot and unfathomable endlessly welled up from somewhere in his chest, climbing up his esophagus, almost reaching his throat.
What flowed out, filled with passion, was not just his voice.
Clear liquid flowed from the Exiles bright yellow eyes.
He wanted to shout to everyone present. He wanted to shout proudly.
Look at that!
Look at her!
She is the product of my, of our efforts!
We were not wrong!
We have finally succeeded, we have achieved it!
All those who had collaborated in the creation of the Half-King shared the same intense emotion.
Conversely, the other Void Lords couldnt easily break free from the shock. Except for one.
The one who recovered from the shock the fastest was Yang In-hyun.
He swiftly retracted his extended sword. He looked at his opponent with his sword now sheathed.
The Half-King spoke with the same indifferent expression.
Its exactly as powerful as Ive learned.
Do you have more to show?
No answer was necessary. No more holding back.
Of course, the earlier technique wasnt imbued with concern, but it couldnt be said that he hadnt put his full strength into it.
Now, it was different.
He imbued his blade with deadly intent.
The second form of the Everlasting Plum Sword was unleashed in an instant,
And it was at that moment that the Half-King took sudden action.
Waah!
With a burst of a loud shout, the Half-King closed the distance swiftly.
Kaang!
A sound similar to the friction of metal, and a sharp pain felt in his wrist.
This time, Yang In-hyun was truly frozen.
His sword was once again unable to penetrate the Half-King and was blocked.
This time, what met his blade was the Half-Kings eyeball.
The second form of the Everlasting Plum Sword,
Could not pierce even the most vulnerable part of the human body.
Clang-
Yang In-hyuns sword fell. However, no one blamed him for the mistake. They couldnt.
The Half-King looked at the sword on the ground, then at Yang In-hyuns face before speaking.
Your swordsmanship does not work on me. Ive already learned it all.
Learned it?
I have understood and absorbed it all. I found it still incomplete. So it was even more intriguing. I interpreted it in my own way and completed it. Ill show you someday when the opportunity arises.
The Half-King no longer looked at the frozen Yang In-hyun but glanced around.
I came to this place to learn.
The leisurely voice continued.
Everyone here can be considered my teacher. Just before coming here, I faced six teachers, and I proved myself through the test. Now, there are six, no, five remaining.
Its not difficult, nor dangerous. It wont take long. I will accept what you have and blossom to a higher level. When that process is complete, I will no longer be a half.
With another smile on her lips, the Half-King said,
Now, who is the next teacher?
At this moment, the eleven Void Lords, regardless of their affiliations, shared the same sentiment.
Only one person held a different sentiment.
A manufactured strong one.
Residue twisted the corners of his mouth beneath his mask as he looked at the being that could only be described that way.
****
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Chapter Season 2 581
Season 2 Chapter 581Translator: Alpha0210
Twelve Void Lords, Executor of the Law.
Before she fully revealed her power, two contrasting wings unfolded.
The wings of a bat and a swan appeared simultaneously, and two contrasting weapons were already in her hands.
In her right hand, a spear; in her left, a thick book.
Kwaaah-
The moment the two contrasting auras emanated from the Executors body, the spear moved. As if stretching her body, she swung the spear that was twice as long as her stature.
The erratic movements were brief, and the spears seemingly erratic movement soon took on a consistent rhythm.
She began to spin the spear shaft like a windmill.
Chwaaa!
The powerful wind pressure generated by this caused the pages of the book to start turning.
That wasnt all. The wind pressure had a strong gravitational pull, drawing the shabby furniture inside the conference hall towards it.
What do you think is the element that makes humans most human?
Even amidst the wind pressure that generated storm-like noise, the Executors voice rang out clearly.
The Half King was still seated. Neither her hair nor her fluttering clothes were stirred by the wind pressure. It was as if she alone existed in a different world within the same space.
Are you trying to start a Zen dialogue?
No. This is a one-sided question from my side. You just need to answer.
Hmm. How unreasonable.
If you claim to be a king, you should accept this level of unreasonableness.
Is that so?
She doesnt express any dissatisfaction.
The Half King, looking at the spear spinning ever more vigorously, opened her mouth.
It must be the law. For you at least.
Am I wrong? Dont you regard the law as the criterion that separates humans from beasts?
To be more precise, its the standard set by oneself. I also call it justice.
To each their own law, to each their own justice. Thats a splendid phrase.
The Half King mumbled that and chuckled softly.
What I wanted to hear was your opinion, but I guess its useless. You dont seem to have any intention of answering.
I cant. Because I am not human.
Thats a strange thing to say. Do you think a being thats not human can become a king?
Thats why Im the Half King.
Does she believe in her sophistry as a proper argument? If so, further conversation is unnecessary.
The movement of the spear shaft stopped. Naturally, the turning pages of the book also halted at slightly more than halfway through.
Woong
From the stopped page, a string of characters flowed out. Those characters enveloped the spear shaft with contradictory movements that were irregular yet orderly, like leaves swept up in a gust of wind.
The Executors strike of judgment.
Shes strong!
In an instant, many of the Twelve Void Lords had the same thought.
But at the same time, the same scene flashed through their minds. The Executors prepared the killing blow, but swordsmanship that was by no means inferior to that attack had been displayed earlier.
How did the Half King deal with that?
She did nothing.
This time, it was slightly different.
Kaaang!
Or perhaps it wasnt different.
The Half King extended her fingers. Her outstretched index finger was thin and slender enough for veins to be visible. There was no further action. As if that alone was sufficient.
And the result was as the Half King expected.
The spear shaft, blocked by the index finger, trembled violently like an aspen tree, and the Executors pupils trembled just as much.
The Executor,
She saw that Yang In-hyuns Everlasting Plum Sword didnt work. And she knew that her own strike couldnt surpass that in power.
Therefore, seeing this result shouldnt cause any agitation. Some might say that.
But.
Imagination and reality are always different. Thats why the term realization exists.
The Executors body stiffened with some kind of emotion rushing through.
Look at this.
The weapon touched the skin, but it was the weapon that trembled.
The Half Kings extended index finger didnt move a millimeter.
The closer the opponent is to the heretical path, the stronger your power becomes.
I dont know exactly how you regard me but its clear you cant simply define me as evil.
There was nothing to refute.
That wasnt all. The Executor no longer had the right to speak.
The extended spear shaft was powerlessly retracted.
*
I heard you recently became a new Void Lord.
So?
Interesting. Im curious to see what kind of power the 0th Demon of this era wields. Maybe theres something new to learn.
Ha.
A slight twitch appeared at the corner of Sedi Trowmans mouth.
All eyes in the room focused on her. Drawing attention wasnt what she desired at this moment. After briefly glancing at the faces around her, Sedi finally looked at the Beginning Wizard.
Yeah. Not a word from him, even in this situation. An inexplicable frustration made her grit her teeth.
Half impulsively, Sedi summoned a scythe into her hand.
Hmm. I see using weapons larger than ones body is trendy these days.
The Half King muttered such words. She was probably recalling the Executors spear from the earlier fight.
She doesnt get it.
At this level, the shape of a weapon doesnt matter much. More important than size, length, or material is familiarity.
So, just because its a scythe, it doesnt necessarily mean it has to cut or slice the opponent.
Kwoooah!
The energy emitted from the scythe rushed towards the Half King. The energy closed the distance to the Half King in an instant, but it wasnt at a speed she couldnt react to.
So the following action was somewhat surprising.
Before the energy could touch her, the Half King closed both eyes.
What!
Unlike the astonished Sedi, the Half King stood still as if she was merely enjoying a gentle breeze. In reality, that was what happened. The ferocious energy passed through the Half Kings body as if it were an illusion.
It only appeared that way.
In truth, it was simple.
The energy Sedi had shot out hadnt inflicted even a scratch on the Half King.
The Half King opened her eyes, turned around on the spot, and inspected her body.
Nothing different. Why did you use a scythe? Was it simply because you needed a medium?
Hmm. Even as a new Void Lord, it seems you cant break the mold. Ive learned something new.
Ignoring the frozen Sedi, the Half King turned his gaze to the next presence.
Now, what about you?
If experiencing the power of all Void Lords is necessary, I will comply.
The Death Worm gathered all its power into the few bugs that made up its body.
In its current state, the durability was poor, but the attack power was the same as usual.
Yet it was blocked.
Even though the Death Worm struck the Half Kings face with full force, its own right arm was crushed instead. Torn muscles and a mangled wrist dripped with a filthy liquid resembling the bugs bodily fluids.
It stinks.
Ive lost.
The Death Worm acknowledged its defeat with the calmest expression. It didnt seem particularly humiliated or shocked.
The Half King nodded, as if expecting such an attitude, and turned her gaze to the next opponent.
What will you do?
It was the first time she asked someones intention before starting.
And it was a worthy opponent.
I am not a Void Lord.
Tamer, Beasts proxy, said with a troubled voice, to which the Half King responded with interest.
I know. But dont you possess power that surpasses the Void Lords?
It seems your insight isnt that great.
Oh ho.
The Half King chuckled.
Well, it was mere curiosity. If you have no intention of fighting, I wont force you The most interesting is always saved for last.
Then, the Half Kings gaze finally settled on the last person.
Perhaps she had been avoiding this person all along. The Half Kings cheeks flushed, and her breathing grew rough. Excited breaths escaped from her mouth. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her excitement, and then spoke.
Youre called the strongest Void Lord, arent you?
Still, her voice strangely trembled.
It was like watching a child who couldnt hide their excitement in front of a toy.
That was likely due to her youthful appearance.
It was the previous Beginning Wizard, not me.
Residue responded with an emotionless voice, but the Half Kings smile didnt fade.
Hehe. Right. But youre the man who inherited that title. You should be able to meet my expectations.
Do you know? I have learned about all eleven Void Lords and the Four Knights, but you alone are an exception. You were so thorough that even those who created me couldnt gather any crucial information about you. In other words, you are the only unknown entity at this point.
She doesnt know any crucial information about the Beginning Wizard.
Ive obtained useful information.
Ive heard. You plan to leave the ongoing war across the universe as it is The reason being to maintain an environment suitable for the birth of heroes? Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Do you oppose it?
Yes.
Residue immediately responded without hesitation.
If you have a better plan, Id like to hear it first.
Of course I do, but I have no reason to tell you the details.
Hmm. Since you wont be convinced, Ill just say one thing. You no longer need to do anything.
The Half King smiled faintly.
Because I will end everything alone.
What do you mean by everything?
Everything, as in everything. The unnecessary war between the Three Thousand Worlds and the Void World, the ideological conflicts among the Twelve Void Lords, and the impending Destruction I was created to end all of that, and thats why Im here.
She sure spout nonsense well in such a calm voice.
However, Residue paused after glancing around.
The reason she suddenly appeared, showcased loyalty from two knights, and individually subdued the Void Lords, was to lend credibility to her absurd claims.
Looking around. The Void Lords were indeed silent.
They neither resisted nor expressed dissatisfaction.
Even if they didnt fully understand what Destruction was, they unconsciously thought that if the Half King could easily subdue them, she might be able to handle it alone.
It was a decent performance.
It was a bit crude, but since the atmosphere flowed according to the Half Kings intention, it had to be acknowledged.
And then.
Lucid.
He called the name of the Black Knight.
[]
Lucids red eyes only glinted, without a response.
Unperturbed, he continued speaking.
Is this the best youve got? Is this the king you so desperately sought?
There was still no response, but Lucids eyes gleamed more fiercely.
Residue smiled inside his mask. The groundwork for causing a ripple was sufficient.
He slumped into his seat.
Hm?
The Half King tilted his head with a smile.
I understand your plan well. But its hard to be convinced by just a few words. I have my own position to consider.
So?
Lets have a talk. To accurately grasp each others viewpoints.
Ho.
Sit down.
He gestured forward with his chin.
The smile on the Half Kings lips deepened.
That sounds good too.
The Half Kings body moved to the spot opposite Residue.
She still did not walk. Instead, she moved gracefully, floating in the air. Residue found it hard to imagine her walking with both feet firmly planted on the ground.
And so, she arrived directly in front of Residue.
As if she didnt need a chair, she sat in mid-air.
The mediator of the Twelve Void Lords and the new Void King.
The gazes of the two beings met in midair.
And a conversation, bearing the fate of the entire universe, began.
Or it should have begun.
Neither of them spoke.
The Half Kings expression turned peculiar. Though hidden behind a mask, Residue assumed his own expression was probably similar.
Do you feel it?
Residue didnt answer and directed his gaze downward.
Creak
The table legs were faintly trembling.
That wasnt all.
Creak, creak!
The faint tremors, barely perceptible at first, gradually intensified until the entire room began to shake.
Where is this coming from?
If this were an earthquake, the vibrations should originate from beneath the surface.
But no.
Boom!
A massive explosion sounded.
It was from above. Bricks and stone fragments fell noisily, and the fallen dirt soon became floating dust that blinded their vision.
Thud!
Something fell within the cloud of dust.
It wasnt just a large brick. A faint trace of life could be sensed.
Where did it come from?
The upper floors of the Kings Castle? The sky above that?
Or perhaps even higher?
Before he could finish his thoughts, the figure that had fallen through the smoke began to move.
****
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Chapter Season 2 582
Season 2 Chapter 582Translator: Alpha0210
The creature moved on all fours.
Its body, made of bones, muscles, and skin, resembled a human, but its movements were like those of an insect. An insect with at least four legs.
Sniff, sniff, sniff, sniff, sniff.
Judging by the hideous sniffling sound, it seemed to be sniffing something out. It looked as if it was searching for someone.
Gek, gek, kuk, kak.
It was a grotesque creature.
It wasnt wearing anything that could be called clothing.
The exposed skin was rough and dark as if afflicted by a plague, and its belly was unusually bloated. Like a malnourished person who had drunk a whole bucket of water.
Its arms and legs were abnormally long. They were about three times the length of an average humans, and on closer inspection, there were two joints in each limb. That might explain its bizarre movements.
Its face was covered with a bright red cloth, and a tight rope tied around its neck secured the cloth.
With its red swollen neck and choking voice,
It looked as if it had just been hanged.
Facing such a creature, Residue stopped in his tracks.
It wasnt because he was overwhelmed by its grotesqueness.
He had encountered countless more bizarre beings in his life.
Why, so soon, at this moment, whats its purpose, does it have self-awareness, how strong is it?
Countless thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant. The elapsed time was extremely short, of course.
The creature, which had been looking around, seemed to turn its head towards Residue for a moment. On closer inspection, there was something strange.
Above the neck,
The area covered by the cloth seemed small. If the skull were intact, it wouldnt look like that. It was as if the cloth was covering a partially severed face.
Presumably, it was cut off above the bridge of the nose.
If so, the original color of that cloth wasnt red
the creature disappeared.
Residue belatedly enveloped his entire body in lightning. It was a simple but the quickest defensive measure he could deploy.
However, the monsters target wasnt Residue.
Bang!
Ugh.
[Guh.]
A groan came from behind.
Turning around, he saw the faces of Death Worm and Diablo smashed against the table. The monster had moved behind them in an instant and struck the back of their heads before they could react.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The savage action was repeated.
Simply grabbing their heads and smashing them into the table, yet they couldnt put up any significant resistance.
Thats some abnormal grip strength.
The elongated fingers, as long as its limbs, were deeply fixed into the back of their heads as if they had taken root.
How much strength is contained in those fingers that look like theyre only skin?
Zap!
Condensed lightning shot towards the monster.
The monster didnt release its grip. It lightly jumped up in place and stretched out both soles of its feet towards the lightning bolt.
That ridiculous yet novel defense blocked the lightning.
Destruction.
For an instant, that word flashed through his mind again.
If so, why had it arrived so quickly?
The situation was getting complicated.
The uninvited guests that appeared at what was thought to be a simple Twelve Void Lords meeting werent just one.
Annoyance and irritation surged simultaneously.
At any moment, such unexpected sudden situations are so bothersome.
Gak, guk, gak, gak.
The monster made another unpleasant sound, tightening its grip. Cracks formed in Diablos skull, and Death Worms head was crushed, bleeding.
At that moment, two figures emerged through the dust.
Yang In-hyun and the Executor.
The sharpened sword and spear plunged in without a shred of mercy for the intruder. Just before stabbing and slashing, the owners of the two blades understood that the opponent did not have a single decisive weak point.
The upper part of the head, where the skull should be, was absent.
The opponent had no brain.
Thunk!
The spear pierced through the neck, and the sword went through the armpit, bursting the heart.
The two Void Lords felt through their senses that their attack had succeeded.
Stay still in that state.
However, Residue thought that wasnt enough.
Piercing the cervical spine and bursting the heart wasnt sufficient. After all, it was a creature that looked human but couldnt be considered one.
If it was to be brought down, it had to be done without a shred of mercy, so it couldnt even maintain its shape.
Whoosh!
A gentle breeze stirred in the palm of his hand, and in the blink of an eye, a blade of wind began to swirl. It was the power of a demigod who controlled the wind. But even this wouldnt be enough.
This blade of wind must [cut] the opponent.
As he imprinted this almost like a suggestion into his mind, he felt a sharp pain in one corner of his head. He forcibly swallowed the blood that surged up, but he couldnt stop the nosebleed.
Using two powers simultaneously was a difficult task.
Especially the power possessed by the demigod of the sword. The attribute of cutting anything wouldnt have been difficult to manifest in the universe he used to belong to.
But now it was different.
As the world expanded, the things that could be cut also increased.
To cut anything, one must first be able to consider anything. Just that alone caused a storm in his head.
Fortunately, Residues bleeding wasnt in vain.
Sshk
The creatures body fell apart, turning into chunks of flesh. There wasnt even any blood. The cut surfaces showed nothing No, on closer inspection, something was wriggling.
Residue wanted to observe it more closely, but his vision was still blurry due to internal injuries.
[What in the world is this.]
At that moment, Diablo, who had been slammed into the table, stood up. In contrast, Death Worm lay collapsed with its eyes rolled back. It seemed to have exhausted all its life sent to the meeting.
Its obvious.
A leisurely voice echoed.
The creature that ignorantly intruded into this Kings Castle has a form Ive never seen before Its almost laughably obvious.
As the dust settled a bit, the Half King remained seated with an unchanged demeanor.
That thing is Destruction.
And, the Half King added with a smirk.
Its not over yet.
Splatter!
The pieces of the shattered creatures flesh flew into the air. They wriggled in their fleshy forms and quickly reassembled into their pre-shattered state. In other words, the body was restored without a single injury, but now there were dozens of them.
Gik.
Gigik, gik
What principle is this?
How can each individuals strength be the same as before even though theyve split into dozens? And those flesh chunks growing to such a sizeis that even physically possible?
Residue attempted to analyze Destruction. Others hesitated to move recklessly.
The Half King was different.
She got off her invisible chair. Her smile remained, but her eyes narrowed.
At the moment her small hand clenched.
Pop, pop, pop!
The bodies of all the creatures exploded.
Almost without error, as if it all happened simultaneously.
Residues expression changed. He understood what had happened.
She entered the minimal time zone.
No. Did she really?
If the Half King had entered that time frame, Residue should have been able to realize it too. He was also qualified after all. But he didnt feel anything.
Then lets change the perspective.
Is it possible to deal with those Destructions simultaneously without entering a minimal time zone?
Not only Residue but also other Void Kings hadnt realized it?
The Half King still has more secrets. Its better to assume so.
He once again realized an obvious fact.
The remnants of Destruction around them disappeared without a trace, unlike when they had been cut by Residues blade wind.
So this is Destruction? Its more trivial than I thought.
The Half King said, shaking off the blood on her hand as if it was nothing.
The Exile spoke up belatedly.
Your Highness, your body
Theres nothing wrong. It wasnt a threat from the beginning. Was Destruction supposed to grow stronger through stages? Or is this just a mere prelude?
Her voice, which seemed like she was talking to herself, carried a sense of doubt, and Residue realized the question was directed at him.
I told you before. Destruction will come separated.
Youre repeating yourself.
Because its the truth.
Theres no evidence to support it.
Residue remained silent.
The Half King glanced at him for a moment, then suddenly looked up. Soon, her body floated up and she flew towards the hole where Destruction had invaded.
For some reason, Residue felt the Half King was calling for him alone, so he followed her.
The Half King sat on the roof of the Kings Castle, looking up at the sky.
Look at that.
It was a massive hole.
A huge, dark hole had been torn in the sky. No. Is it really a hole? It looked like an unimaginably huge tornado or storm, or an inverted mushroom cloud.
Residue understood the nature of that hole.
The harbinger of Destruction he had seen at Tower 77,
It had materialized into a more distinct form.
But that wasnt all.
Ha.
Residue could hardly suppress a hollow laugh.
It was absurd, but seeing this scene with his own eyes, the situation became clear.
Truly, the destruction has begun.
I didnt realize time was this short.
He thought there would be at least a month, or a few weeks at the least. He never imagined it would come before the meeting even ended.
Its too fast, even for being fast.
Is it because its been divided?
Is it because the one who advanced to the [Outside] started the separation of Destruction as he had declared?
Because of that, the power of Destruction that should have been accumulated until the end of the world had been fragmented and poured out earlier than expected?
What a magnificent sight.
The Half King murmured purely in admiration. Residue felt a sense of incongruity at her attitude.
Admiring that sight.
Anyone with a normal sense of values wouldnt have such an impression. Even Residue, who had a twisted sense of values, couldnt understand it.
The Half King even sat down with her legs crossed.
Well then.
And with her characteristic look of resting her chin, she spoke.
What kind of conversation did you want to have with me?
She wants to continue the conversation here.
She certainly doesnt seem sane, but Residue had no reason to avoid this flow either.
Its about means.
Means.
Yes. How will you fight?
?
At this, the Half King tilted her head. It seemed to be a habitual gesture of hers.
Are you perhaps blind?
No.
Hmm. Judging by how you answered correctly, theres no problem with your hearing either
The Half King tapped her cheek with the fingers resting on her chin.
Youre asking such a question with the two most important senses intact? Didnt you learn anything from seeing my fight just now?
It wasnt even at the level that could be called a fight. Even a fly would have had a better chance against a beast than that.
Not just the fight with the Void Lord.
Even in the ensuing fight with Destruction, the Half King had splendidly demonstrated her combat prowess.
One thing was clear: even if all the Twelve Void Lords joined forces to fight the Half King simultaneously, they wouldnt stand a chance.
Then you should have roughly grasped how much power I possess.
Youre a being that cant be defeated even with a mountain of Twelve Void Lords.
Indeed. Thats how I was made.
But thats only a disparity evident in a fight against the Void Lords.
Residue continued in a nonchalant tone.
You are indeed strong. I dont deny it. But the fact that an all-out attack from the Twelve Void Lords couldnt even scratch your skin is unrealistic.
Your assessment of me seems a bit lacking.
Does it seem that way? If you find the truth to be lacking, its because you are lacking. You should strive harder.
At these words, the Half King blinked, seemingly a bit surprised.
For the first time, her face seemed to match her age.
If you find the truth to be lacking, its because you are lacking Hmm. Good words. They resonate with me.
It feels like Ive received proper teaching for the first time, Beginning Wizard. My conversations with you are becoming increasingly enjoyable.
Residue smiled back at the voice filled with a hint of laughter.
Then, he removed his mask.
Oh?
Why are you surprised?
I didnt expect you to take off your mask so easily. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Its not a face worth hiding.
You seem reluctant to show it to others, though.
Youre different from those guys.
Hmm. Dont tell me this is special treatment?
Though the remark was somewhat off, Residue didnt mind and asked.
So, how is it? This face.
Youre not handsome.
I agree with that, but I wasnt asking about my appearance.
Residue tapped his face lightly as if it were a mask.
Havent you seen this face somewhere before?
No.
She declared without hesitation.
Well, she hadnt been around for long since she was created. And as per Residues understanding, she was crafted with such perfection that errors like forgetfulness or omission wouldnt occur.
Residue put his mask back on.
You are an infinitely compressed being.
Compressed knowledge, compressed history, compressed life, compressed world. Above all.
Briefly, Residue declared.
Compressed strength.
Sure, even the Everlasting Plum Sword that can destroy a world couldnt pierce your skin. The number of worlds wrapped around that one layer of skin must not be just a few dozen.
Id like to hear more. Your perspective.
Its not much of a perspective. Im curious about one thing. Where did you get such material?
Hmm.
The Half King leaned back comfortably.
It looked as if an invisible cushion of air supported her back.
There might be some inaccuracy in saying that I enveloped even life itself. What Ive shouldered is their karma. Its nothing more than recycling what was broken and about to disappear.
Broken and about to disappear.
Could it be?
Just before Destruction manifested, half of the Three Thousand Worlds were annihilated. The remaining debris disappeared to the Outside. It was my loyal servant, Exile, who persistently transported them.
How many times?
1.28 billion times. About that much, excluding trivial numbers.
Do you understand, the current Beginning Wizard? Why I am called the Half King.
With a faint smile, the Half King placed her hand on her chest.
All the karma derived from the vanished universes, that is me.
In that moment, a part of the veil surrounding the Half Kings identity was lifted.
At this moment.
It was at this precise moment that Residue,
the lingering consciousness of the Lightning God,
the current Beginning Wizard,
the successor to Lukas Trowmans will,
realized what he had to do.
****
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Chapter Season 2 583
Season 2 Chapter 583Translator: Alpha0210
A hot wind blew.
It was a natural phenomenon that did not exist in the Void World. The wind wasnt refreshing but rather gave an unpleasant feeling. However, the Half King didnt even flinch as she felt it.
Just as the wind died down, a voice was heard.
The karma created by the disappearance of half of the Three Thousand Worlds.
Residue lightly tapped his mask.
An unknown substance that can only be encountered outside, like this mask, combined with materials obtained from the Void World and data from the strongest beings Based on these, the final, ultimate, strongest weapon was born.
Although the tone seemed to disregard her as a human, the Half King smiled faintly.
You really know well. Im surprised, since nothing about me should have been revealed to the Beginning Wizard Are these words you just uttered your own speculations?
Of course, they were.
The reason such a simple guess could be so close to the truth was that he could almost grasp what method he would use to create the Half King if he himself were the creator.
In the past, Residue had pondered this issue longer and deeper than anyone else. At that time, he had to stop due to a lack of materials and talent
What a shame. If Residue had come up with this plan at the same point in time as now, he might have created a weapon on the level of the Half King, or maybe even beyond.
A being called the Half King created in such a manner Yeah. Maybe you, if its you, could prevent Destruction.
That was the highest praise Residue could express, but the Half Kings expression showed no particular sign of pleasure on her face.
It wasnt because she lacked emotions.
It was because hearing something so obvious didnt evoke any feeling in her.
But the circumstances have changed. The Destruction has weakened, and it will appear simultaneously in separate instances. The threat posed by the enemy has shifted from quality to quantity. No matter how great you are, its impossible to stop them all by yourself.
Youre saying that one hand cannot fend off ten?
The hands that will swarm you wont be just ten.
So? Are you suggesting we engage in a three-way battle as you say? Huh! Thats an utterly irresponsible statement.
The Half King momentarily averted her gaze.
She muttered as she took in the vast desert stretching out before her.
Conversation is good. It allows one to clearly feel the others perspective.
Are you saying youve figured me out?
Your viewpoint is far too lofty.
Even an idiot could tell that this wasnt meant as a compliment.
You probably think like this: Since the fate of the universe is at stake, everyone in the universe has a responsibility, So find a way to save yourself, Endlessly struggle, and only those who survive will have the right to face it
Transparent eyes turned towards Residue.
That may not be entirely wrong. But thats too harsh. The ignorant cannot comprehend the true meaning of annihilation or Destruction. Its like trying to explain the heat of flames to a moth.
You might really be stronger than the other Twelve Void Lords.
How can you know that without even fighting?
Just by listening to your insight, I can tell. The stronger someone is, the longer they think about the future. Do you know? The weaker someone is, the more they have no choice but to focus on the present. Their greatest trials arent death or annihilation, but worrying about their next meal.
Residue remained silent.
The victims of the great battle youre trying to start will mostly be such people.
It wasnt a wrong statement.
Weaklings clearly existed in both the Void World and the Three Thousand Worlds.
No, the number of weaklings was far greater, to a point where comparison was impossible. The world had always been that way.
What are you trying to say?
That for them, hell is a present reality. They fear the terror of the wars occurring everywhere much more than Destruction. And before my eyes, there is the embodiment of evil, who insists on further inciting those wars.
There was a slight hint of laughter in her final words.
Residue coldly curled up the corner of his mouth.
Because the ignorant are the majority, so we should think from their perspective?
Ahaha. Of course not. I was merely summarizing the situation. From the most objective standpoint, that is.
Residue disliked the word objective. He believed it was an impossible term as long as it came from a humans mouth.
Just as the Half King had sensed Residues perspective through their conversation,
Residue also realized the Half Kings perspective through their conversation.
I understand what you desire. We no longer need any further conversation.
As he muttered this and turned his back, a voice called out.
Where do you think youre going?
To prove that I am right. To borrow your words, it would be to become the instigator of war.
Haha. Do you think Ill just let you go?
And if you dont?
Residue looked back at the Half King.
Do you plan to stop me by force?
Hmm. Indeed.
Just before the voice finished, Residue took five steps back. Whoosh! He sensed something invisible sweep past where he had just been standing.
What did she attack with?
He couldnt tell what form the attack that had just brushed by him took.
Werent you supposed to refrain from laying hands on the Twelve Void Lords?
Such tedious restrictions dont apply to me. A true king must be able to choose everything for themselves, dont you think?
Heh. Choice. Do you really believe that? What a pitiful king you are.
Residue spread both hands.
Crackle, lightning formed at the tips of his fingers.
Im not your subject, but it seems you need a cold splash of water to cool you down.
*
It felt as if he had been struck by a massive meteor.
Boom!
Of course, even being hit by an actual meteor wouldnt send a body flying so helplessly.
So, the destructive power in that punch must far exceed that of a meteor.
Boom! Boom! The attacks continued relentlessly. Residues body wavered like a scarecrow caught in a typhoon.
Whats the matter? I heard that youre nearly invincible in one-on-one combat, but has the information I received been distorted?
It wasnt that he hadnt thought of counterattacking.
But before he could even launch any attacks, they were read and intercepted.
From the start, the fundamental purpose of this super-beings creation was combat.
Another individual created to oppose the strongest individual.
Even if it was Mark Trowman, who possessed near-invincible power under the conditions of one-on-one combat, he would not be able to gain the upper hand against the Half King.
How long do you plan to stay down? If this is a probing battle, its already over. Any further effective hits could be dangerous.
Look at the Kings Castle, Beginning Wizard.
The Kings Castle?
Indeed. At some point, their battlefield had shifted from the roof of the Kings Castle to the desert. This was because, after enduring a few of the Half Kings attacks, his body had been blasted away like a cannonball.
The Void Lords and Knights are watching, but their role is that of spectators. They have no right to interfere in this battle.
This is your last chance. Give it your all.
With those calm words, the attack continued.
More wounds appeared on his body.
He bled. His insides twisted. He spat out shards of broken teeth.
None of which are truly his.
The overwhelming violence continued for several minutes.
Residues, no.
Lukas body was being thoroughly destroyed.
It was only then that the true nature of the Half Kings power began to reveal itself.
The scale is different. In this case, perhaps its more accurate to say the level is different.
From an ordinary persons perspective, the Half King is an existence with potential that encapsulates possibilities as vast as an incomprehensible magnitude.
Residue knows.
He understands the potential that comes from condensing an existence.
After all, wasnt it Lukas who demonstrated this? At the Dumpsite, as he devoured countless Lukas-es.
But in the Half Kings case, its somewhat different.
Completely individual existences,
With different species, characteristics, habits, personalities, and even fundamentally different natures were mixed together.
There must have been countless explosions during the creation process. Mentally, physically, positively, and negatively.
And thus, the completed body.
The power contained within it is as primal as it is simple.
Strong, fast, and smart.
But is there anything more important in a fight than that?
The gap between the Half King and Residue was wide enough to break ones spirit.
The attacks stopped.
It was at the point where Residue had fallen to his knees.
The Half King looked at him indifferently and spoke.
I see. Its not that you arent counterattacking; you simply cant.
You couldnt even properly perceive my attacks. No wonder you couldnt resist. Honestly, its disappointing. I didnt expect the Beginning Wizards power to be this pathetic.
She was right.
Now, theres only one thing I dont understand. You knew you couldnt win. So why did you fight?
Wasnt it you who started the fight?
I may have lit the fuse. But you were the one who intended for this situation to happen.
Residue looked down at himself.
He looked down at the pitiful state of a man who had boldly initiated the fight, yet had been relentlessly beaten without landing a single effective hit.
You are strong.
Everything about me must have been a mystery to you. And yet, you fought without any fear or hesitation. Truly, your performance is worthy of the title ultimate weapon.''
I must have told you countless times. I can end everything by myself.
Heheheh. Yes alone.
Residue laughed, blood dripping from his mouth.
But can you really be called an individual?
What?
I dont know the extent of what the Exile knows. But it seems hes grasped something about the Destruction. Thats why he decided not to mass-produce beings like you, choosing to create only a single entity.
But youre not an individual. You cant even be called one.
Do you think the number of karmic burdens I bear is the issue? Isnt it common for people to fight with the hopes of many on their shoulders?
Youre talking about unpaid laborers that can be labeled as heroes. Unfortunately, your approach is flawed. sea??h th ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Then is it the vast array of materials that make up my body thats the issue? Or are you worried about the combat data of the Twelve Void Lords that the Exile stealthily stole? Do you think that would cause a split in my personality?
Not at all.
Youre quite mistaken.
The woman before him was smart but not wise. The lack of experience is something that inherited knowledge or information cannot compensate for.
What Im talking about is, cough, intent.
Intent?
The Half King blinked her eyes.
As if she were pondering whether the word had a different meaning from what she knew.
Being an individual isnt just about numbers.
Is this a discussion on a conceptual level?
Huuuuu
Residue exhaled deeply. He roughly wiped away the flowing blood and stood up.
Its similar but different, so please listen carefully, Your Highness.
This mocking tone was something even the Half King couldnt take lightly. Her forehead furrowed slightly.
Youre becoming more displeasing by the moment. If you have something to say, speak clearly.
You lack a sense of self. Youre a conglomeration of external forces, a mass of impurities. In other words, youre severely lacking in purity.
What?
You have no foundation, no history. Youre undoubtedly strong, but thats all there is to you.
Your reasoning is weak. For me, being strong is everything C thats more of a compliment.
The Destructions youll have to fight from now onthe being that controls and commands them is an embodiment of thoroughness. The weaknesses of yours that even I can perceive will be as clear as day to him, like seeing something spread out on his palm.
You speak amusingly. However, I have no weaknesses. Because thats how I was made.
Is that the only way you can assert your strength? I was made strong, therefore I am strong? Hehehe. Even a snot-nosed brat could make a more convincing argument.
The Half Kings expression changed again.
She smoothed her furrowed brow, her face becoming expressionless as she spoke.
Is your goal to anger me?
What do you think I felt when I saw you? When you made knights submit, overwhelmed Void Lords, and killed Destructions?
I felt anticipation, relief, and disillusionment all at once. I thought that maybe, just maybe, this one could truly eliminate all the Destructions. That anticipation led to relief. It was like a sweet poison. It even dulled this bodys once-in-a-lifetime resolution.
The Half Kings very existence stifles the growth of those around her.
But he knew. Even someone as strong as the Half King cannot stop the oncoming Destructions alone.
And that is why.
I cannot accept your existence.
If you cant accept it, what will you do?
Then we fight. Its the only way.
You wont win.
No. Youll taste defeat in this battle.
The Half King remained silent for a moment before speaking.
Indeed, it seems convincing you is difficult. Since time is short, if I succeed in subduing you, Ill have to imprison you.
The conversation was over.
As Residue watched the Half King slowly approach, he had a premonition.
Today,
in this place, I will be defeatedutterly and miserably.
****
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Chapter Season 2 584
Season 2 Chapter 584Translator: Alpha0210
The damp air and humid smell.
Within that, consciousness slowly floated to the surface.
Throb
Immediately, a pain ran through his entire body.
There wasnt a single part of him that was intact.
Well, after being beaten for hours, it was to be expected.
The Half King didnt hold back. Her attitude suggested she didnt care if his entire body was wrecked, as long as his life remained. Though it wasnt certain, it felt like there was an emotion of venting frustration in her violence.
Was it evidence that she was deeply offended? It would be nice if that were the case.
Its not an easy thing, is it?
It wasnt that he lacked resolve. Nor was it a half-hearted decision.
Even taking all that into account, living as Lukas was not an easy task.
It felt like there was a certain malevolence in every situation. Before one problem was resolved, a new one would emerge, and while being momentarily dazed by that, more difficulties would pile on It felt like this kind of thing repeated endlessly.
At this point, going mad was only natural. Even the so-called Absolutes would drown if they faced endless trials like this without respite.
Residue slowly opened his eyes.
And he looked around with an unstable gaze.
An open space came into view. The surroundings were sheer cliffs, but it wasnt the top of a mountain or a hill. There were walls here, and a ceiling as well. The uneven surface was glistening as if coated with oil.
Groundwater. In other words, this is underground.
The ground where Residue lay was isolated like an island in a vast ocean. To reach this place from what seemed to be the entrance, one would have to walk a very narrow and precarious path. A single misstep would result in a fall into an abyss with no visible bottom.
And this is a prison.
There were no iron bars, but Residue was certain of this thought for two reasons.
The first was the presence of chains that firmly bound his limbs. Looking closely, not only his wrists and ankles but also his knees and elbows were tightly restrained.
It was difficult to even move a finger, let alone escape.
And the second reason.
The other beings present in this space besides Residue.
Two unbelievable figures came into view.
The Black Knight and the Red Knight.
They stood with their backs to Residue, as if they had turned to statues, and it was impossible to guess how long they had been standing like that.
Well, well.
Using the 4 Knights as guards, was this also the Half Kings order? She did seem to have babbled something about imprisoning him.
This was a more thorough response than he had expected.
Even one of the 4 Knights would be an impenetrable defense, but two of them were stationed here. At the same time, he felt a sense of annoyance.
Did she not understand the significance of the power held by the 4 Knights?
The Destruction had already begun. Placing them in such a place was an enormous waste of manpower.
There were countless other places where they could be much more effectively utilized. In fact, it would be faster to find a place where they wouldnt be useful at all.
Escape is
Clank
The chains that bound his entire body were firmly secured. It might be difficult to free himself on his own. To properly dismantle them, he would need some time to focus, but if he showed any signs of that, the knights would immediately step in to stop him.
Give up on the thought of escaping.
Just like this.
It was the Red Knights voice.
Her ash-gray hair was visible as she had removed her uniquely shaped helmet.
If you dont want your barely recovered body to be wrecked again.
Hmm.
Did she notice that he had woken up without even turning around?
Well. For them, it wouldnt be a difficult task.
Ah Ah
Residue cleared his throat and slightly nodded his head.
Thanks to the Half Kings merciless assault, his vocal cords, mouth, and even his tongue were in a terrible state, but it seemed he could still speak.
How long was I unconscious?
There was no answer, so Residue speculated alone.
The body that had been completely bloodied had somewhat recovered, so perhaps he had been unconscious longer than he thought.
Surely, it hasnt been more than three or four days. That would mess up his plans.
No.
Residue glanced at the Red Knights waist and then nodded.
It didnt seem like much time had passed.
Why are you here, Red Knight?
Despite the continued questioning, there was no response. Not even a flicker of reaction.
It was enough to make Residue wonder if he had actually spoken.
As if doubting whether he had just said something or not.
You should have been working with the Sun God in the snowy plains.
This time, there was a faint reaction from the Red Knight. She hesitated slightly, as if she was about to turn her head. Her slender jawline briefly came into view before disappearing again.
I dont understand. Why have you all submitted to the Half King? Is your faith in your own strength so lacking?
Youve become unusually talkative since we last met.
A heavy voice cut in.
It was Lucid, the Black Knight. He, too, had removed his helmet, and his appearance was surprisingly intact for someone who was undead.
He looked almost the same as he did in Lukass memories.
You cant even begin to imagine what Ive been through.
When Residue spoke with a mix of provocation, Lucid turned around. His blood-red eyes focused on him.
Lucid closed the distance with long strides and reached out his hand.
Clack
And the mask was removed.
Residues thoughts were simple. So he had still been wearing the mask.
A cold face turned toward him, with an expression full of scrutiny. Residue did not shy away and met Lucids gaze.
Eventually, he spoke.
Youve changed.
Residue faintly smiled.
Yes. That was the most he could conclude. sea??h th N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
No matter how much Lucid had changed, he couldnt think of Lukas as a different person. They had been apart for too long.
And this place was the Void world.
A place where in just one day, a noble saint could turn into a hideous murderer No. Wasnt that true for the Three Thousand Worlds as well?
Residue let out a chuckle.
What happened? What exactly did the Beginning Wizard say to you?
Thats probably what hes thinking.
It seemed like Lucid believed that Lukas had been forcibly brainwashed or suffered some mental side effects after forcibly inheriting the Beginning Wizards position.
He was far off the mark, but there was no need to correct such a misconception.
Do you share the same opinion as the Red Knight?
I asked if youre planning to entrust everything to that newborn baby whos not even a month old.
If thats the case, what of it?
Id say youve changed much more than I have. And not for the better. The title of Sword Emperor would weep.
You still dont understand Her Majesty. Even after your body has been reduced to that state, you havent realized anything.
Lucids voice calmed down again.
Its not about shirking responsibility. We adopted the most efficient plan. Even though the Red Knight and I joined forces against Her Majesty, we couldnt even touch the hem of her robe.
So, youre going to do nothing, just bury yourself in this underground place, guarding prisoners?
When Lucid didnt respond, Residue sensed something strange.
The Lucid that Lukas knew was like the embodiment of responsibility. In the days when Lukas was immature in many ways, Lucid was the man who was most ideologically complete.
For such a man to simply choose submission and abandon all responsibility just because someone stronger than him appeared?
Youre hiding something.
Theres another purpose. Isnt there?
The Red Knight turned her head. She looked at Lucid with an expressionless face.
There is no such thing. And theres no need for further conversation. You will remain bound here until everything is over. That is Her Majestys will.
It was an obvious attempt to avoid the conversation. Clearly, they were hiding something. In a way, that was a relief. It meant they werent just idly sitting by, watching the situation unfold.
From Residues perspective, the worst choice was doing nothing. So, the fact that they had a plan, whether it was pure or impure, wasnt entirely bad news.
Is this to be my grave then? How lonely.
He muttered as if unaware of the situation, while thinking internally.
He had already planted the seeds in the Half King and had intentionally experienced failure. Since despair hasnt set in, the plan can be considered half successful.
Now, the most important issue:
How to escape from this place?
Before he could delve deeply into that thought,
Someone appeared at the end of the narrow path.
Clang
The two knights immediately went into battle stance. The person at the edge raised both hands above their head.
I am not an enemy.
It was a voice he recognized.
[What is your purpose for coming?]
I have something to say to the man bound over there.
[State your business clearly.]
I have no intention of doing that.
As the black and red auras began to rise from the two knights, the voice came again.
I have the Half Kings permission.
[Permission from Her Majesty?]
Yes.
As she spoke, she pulled something out from her bosom.
It was an ornate folding fan, and the two knights were visibly surprised upon seeing it.
[The Twelve Zodiac Fan]
[It belongs to Her Majesty.]
Is this sufficient proof?
[.]
The two knights relaxed their battle stance. They returned to their original positions and stood still like statues.
Residue quietly observed the entire scene.
The visitor.
No, the one who came to see him, stepped onto the precarious path and walked across it.
Finally, she reached him, a masked face standing close.
Its been a while.
The Tamer, the proxy of the beast.
She was someone whose intentions were hard to guess.
This woman had a natural talent for hiding her true thoughts. So much so that even Residues insight, which could see through the 4 Knights and the Twelve Void Lords, couldnt penetrate her.
As he remained silent, she spoke again.
Youve taken off your mask.
Not because I wanted to.
Clang
He showed the chains binding his arms as he responded, and the Tamer nodded.
Then its only polite that I show my real face as well.
What?
Before Residue could say anything, the Tamer removed her mask.
Upon seeing her revealed face, Residue was at a loss for words.
It was a face he recognized.
The face from Lukass memories, the first disciple he acknowledged.
The woman with hair as fresh as greenery was looking at him with a calm expression.
Beniang Argento
No.
The presence he felt was much stronger.
Residue narrowed his eyes.
or Should I say the Seven Fanged Dragon?
*
The Half King sitting on the throne blinked her eyes.
What did you just say?
[That is]
No, never mind. I suppose I didnt mishear.
The Exile quietly lowered his head.
The Half King rested her chin on her hand, deeply pondering something, and muttered.
A messenger has come
[Yes. They introduced themselves as a messenger from the Three Thousand Worlds. The name they gave was Iris.]
Hmm.
A visit from a messenger of the Three Thousand Worlds was one of the expected scenarios. Nothing surprising about that.
Yet, the reason the Half King felt troubled was.
What about the other messenger?
There were not one, but two messengers.
[They introduced themselves as a messenger from Destruction.]
A messenger of Destruction.
The Half King recalled the monster she had killed with her own hands.
Sensing the Half Kings thoughts, the Exile spoke.
[It looked completely different from the assailants weve seen before. It was dressed in clothing, and it didnt have a grotesque appearance. Most importantly it was rational.]
[In other words, it was someone we could communicate with. They said they came to deliver a warning Their intentions are unclear, Your Majesty. I believe it may be dangerous to meet with them.]
Let them in.
[As you command.]
The Exile hesitated for a moment before bowing his head.
I am an apostle.
A calm voice echoed.
The Exile, who had just lifted his head, turned around.
There stood a man.
Its not a messenger, but an Apostle.
[What How did you get in here?]
I thought it would be a long wait, so I took the liberty of entering despite the rudeness.
The man murmured in a composed tone and then slowly began to walk forward.
[]
Just as a strange light flickered in the Exiles Occult Hand, the Half King raised one hand to stop him. At the kings command, the Exile had no choice but to restrain his aura.
The Half King looked at the man with an intrigued gaze.
Ive never met you before.
The man bowed politely, then glanced at the Half King and looked around, as if searching for someone. However, when he couldnt find who he was looking for, he turned his gaze back to the Half King.
It seems you are the representative of the Void world.
And who are you?
I am the Apostle of Destruction. Hmm.
The man paused briefly before adding,
You can call me Frey.
****
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Chapter Season 2 585
Translator: Alpha0210"...I''m not sure. Is telling me your name important at this point?"
"Well, I thought it might make our conversation smoother than constantly calling me ''Apostle of Destruction''."
"Hmm. Fair enough."
The Half King nodded.
"Alright. So, what brings you to the King''s Castle?"
"As your subordinate mentioned."
"To issue a warning?"
"Yes."
The Half King stroked her chin.
"You revealed yourself as the Apostle of Destruction. Does that mean this warning is a precursor to demanding surrender? Like, ''...If you resist, it will only bring more suffering, so accept your fate peacefully!'' or something."
The Half King exclaimed in a dramatic tone, as if she were performing in a play, then changed her expression and smiled broadly.
On the other hand, Frey remained businesslike.
"It seems you''re misunderstanding something. I am not your enemy. In fact, you could say I''m more of a guide."
"A guide? What exactly are you offering to guide us through?"
"How to deal with Destruction effectively. If you follow my guidance faithfully, your chances will increase by about tenfold."
That was something difficult to accept. The Exile looked like he wanted to say something, but given the setting, he couldn''t easily open his mouth.
The Half King, now more intrigued, spoke.
"You said you were the Apostle of Destruction, right? So you must have originated from ''outside.''"
"That''s not incorrect."
"Yet you claim you''re not our enemy, and on top of that, you''re offering to help us... That''s a bit too convenient."
The Half King''s smile turned sinister.
"Are you mocking me?"
"Not at all. I know nothing about you. That''s why I''m a bit curious. All the data on powerful beings is stored in my mind..."
Frey spoke with a slightly puzzled expression.
"According to my expectations, the one who should be here is the Beginning Wizard. Do you know where he is now?"
It seemed that the reason he had looked around earlier was to find him.
The Half King let out a chuckle.
"You won''t be meeting him."
"Did you deal with him?"
"Deal with... Well, it''s a bit rough, but not entirely wrong."
"......"
Frey, who had been staring at the Half King for a while, nodded.
"I can sense a strong ego from you. You have no intention of accepting my help. In fact, you see it as an interference."
"Didn''t I say that from the beginning?"
"At the same time, I can also sense your incompleteness."
The Half King''s expression changed.
"There are several flaws I see in you, but you''re deliberately turning a blind eye to them. It''s a dangerous state."
"...Hmm. What do you mean by that?"
"Even though you''re incomplete, you''re under the delusion that you''re a perfect being. You wouldn''t be able to endure even a single failure. The fight against Destruction is a continuous series of defeats and despair; you are not the right candidate for that."
Frey turned his head.
"I''ll need to find someone else. Someone who can actually benefit from my guidance."
"Haha. An interesting interpretation, I''ve heard it well. But... do you really think I''ll let you leave?"
The Half King''s smile became laced with murderous intent.
"You, who are a puppet of Destruction?"
"Harming me would be an irrational decision. The already slim chances would vanish entirely."
"Then why not clarify your intentions? Why would someone from Destruction like you want to help us?"
"It''s simple. Because the being controlling all Destruction wants it that way."
"A being controlling Destruction?"
The Half King''s gaze turned to the Exile.
Among those present, the one who knew the most about the ''outside'' was undoubtedly the Exile. However, even the Exile shook his head.
A being controlling Destruction?
The Destructions the Exile had witnessed were five, and there was no clear hierarchy among them.
"My subordinate, who has experienced the outside, seems to be unaware of such a thing."
"Of course. What he witnessed is merely a fragment."
"That fellow has been outside hundreds of millions of times more than I know."
"Are you familiar with an ant nest?"
It was a random statement.
The Half King tilted her head, unable to grasp the intent.
"The time an ant has to look around after leaving its nest is limited. If it goes too far, it wont be able to return to the nest, so it can only wander within a very restricted area."
"...And why are you saying this now?"
"No matter how many times, even a hundred million times, he went outside, the area he could access was always the same. The place he set foot in was just a tiny puddle in a vast ocean. With such limited experience, there''s no way he could understand everything."
[.]
The truth that had just been revealed left Exile in shock. He was at a loss for words, unable to even speak.
On the other hand, the Half King wasn''t overly surprised.
"...Even if what you''re saying is true, I can''t just let you go easily. I have to end everything on my own."
"I understand. Your power is specialized for one-on-one combat; if someone interferes, it would only hinder you."
In an instant, one of the fundamental aspects of her being had been discerned.
The Half King narrowed her eyes.
"Now Im certain. You''re dangerous."
"That''s a mistaken judgment"
"No. It''s not mistaken... It can''t be helped. Frey, was it?"
The Half King stretched out her hand.
"For the time being, you''ll have to stay put."
*
The Beast''s proxy, the Tamer. Her true identity was Beniang Argento.
Although it was an unexpected revelation, upon careful reconsideration, it wasnt entirely unrelated. After all, the Seven Fanged Dragon God had fought against the Beast. And it had been a particularly fierce battle.
The issue now was... the cold gaze this woman was sending.
"......"
Is she Beniang Argento right now, or the Seven Fanged Dragon God?
He felt like the two entities were intertwined, but he judged that the dominant personality was likely Beniang.
So, what''s the reason behind this gaze?
The Beniang in Lukas'' memories was an immature woman. She was timid, clumsy, and often made mistakeslike a girl who hadn''t fully grown up.
How about now?
Deeply sunken eyes, an unwavering posture in prayer, and a sense of vigilance.
The once awkward girl had fully matured into an adult.
If Lukas were here, he might have felt a mix of overwhelming joy and a twinge of sadness, but unfortunately, Residue had neither the reason nor the luxury to indulge in such emotions.
"You seem to be struggling, Beginning Wizard."
[...So it was you, after all, Master.]
Because of this, He was slightly startled when he heard two voices simultaneously.
One was a physical voice, and the other resounded inside his mind.
Both belonged to Beniang.
Residue couldnt fully grasp her intentions, and with no particular means to communicate, he remained silent.
...Has Beniang figured out his identity? Or is she merely probing to gauge his reaction?
He don''t know.
If it were anyone else, he might have been able to guess, but this woman''s inner thoughts were unfathomable.
[You don''t need to respond. Those chains are one of the relics left by the Void King. Though incomplete, they can somewhat seal the power of the one they bind.]
A relic left by the Void King, huh.
He thought it was odd that he couldnt muster much strength, and now he understood why.
[Im here today for a brief check on your condition. Please wait. I have a plan.]
"......"
Residue, who had remained silent, thought it was about time to show some kind of response. He nodded slightly and then opened his mouth.
"Tamer, what business do you have with me?"
"Your subordinates are worried about you."
My subordinates... Ah.
She must be referring to Altata and Hyke. Now that she mentioned it, he had completely forgotten about them.
"They think you''re dead, so I came to check on your condition for them."
"...Why you?"
"They don''t have visitation rights."
[In 20 hours.]
Beniang said that and then covered her face again with the mask.
[There will be a disturbance in the Kings Castle. The Half King will likely be away, fully engaged in trying to stop Destruction, so one of the knights will probably have to take charge. There''s a high probability that the Black Knight will be dispatched instead of the Red Knight who doesn''t have a weapon. When that happens, Ill send someone, so subdue the Red Knight and escape.]
"......"
[Ill explain the details when we meet again. Master, please take care of yourself until then.]
"It seems that your life isnt in immediate danger. Now that I''ve checked your condition, Ill take my leave."
With those words, Beniang turned around without hesitation.
The two knights remained where they were, casting only a chilling gaze without showing any other reaction.
After Beniang had completely left, Residue, now alone, felt a sense of unease.
Did I manage to deceive her?
No. It was only because of the peculiar circumstances that he could barely get by.
If Beniang had discovered his true identity at any other moment, it could have been dangerous. He would have surely been flustered, which would have led to agitation, and ultimately, inadequate responses.
He knew about the observational skill possessed by the Dragon. No, more precisely, the observational skill possessed by the Ruler.
Its different from the relatively inexperienced Four Knights.
If it were them, they could recognize both the awkwardness and familiarity in Residue just by observing him.
If they meet again, he would have to be more cautious with his words and actions...
Hmm. But I cant stay confined like this forever.
In 20 hours, huh.
What kind of disturbance is supposed to happen in the Kings Castle at that time?
Could it be the second wave of Destruction? No, thats unlikely. No one can predict the timing of Destructions attacks. No matter how brilliant Beniangs mind and foresight might be, it would be impossible for her to pinpoint that exact time.
Another question.
Who is the person Beniang is planning to send?
"......"
What a life full of things to think about. Residue grumbled inwardly.
Now that he thought about it, Lukas'' cautious words and meticulous considerations might not be innate. After all, when things like this keep happening one after another, anyone would have to think deeply about them.
Sighing internally, Residue closed his eyes.
What he could do right now.
Was to conserve his strength.
*
He lost consciousness again and then woke up. This time, he had deliberately chosen to sleep, so a part of his consciousness remained awake, allowing him to clearly sense the passage of time.
''I slept for 10 hours.''
His physical condition seemed to have slightly improved.
There were now 10 hours left until the event Beniang mentioned. If he continued to rest until then, he might recover enough to use the powers of a Demigod.
Yet, the reason he didn''t keep sleeping and woke up is simple.
He had realized that another visitor had arrived.
"......"
Someone was standing in front of him. Although Residue kept his eyes closed, he could sense their presence.
At that moment, he felt a cool touch on his face. It was a careful touch. Like someone handling a fragile glass artifact, the touch was tentative, unable to go beyond a light tap.
What kind of state is this... Father.
A voice that sounded like it was being squeezed out was heard.
Is it Sedi Trowman?
Residue did not open his eyes. He thought that engaging in conversation with her would be too risky.
There were no further words from her. As he continued to feign unconsciousness, Sedi soon left.
It wasnt by her own will; the knights had exerted an invisible pressure on her.
Residue slightly opened his previously closed eyes. Sear?h the N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
...Several people were taking risks to visit him.
Even though it''s not certain that the being behind the mask is Lukas, just because it might be him...
The influence that guy had is felt so vividly it''s almost tangible.
At the same time, doubt crept in about himself.
''Was this really your best choice, Lukas?''
Entrusting everything to him.
.
It wasnt something he intended to dwell on at this point.
Residue once again fell asleep to recover.
And this time, he woke up in less than an hour.
He had no choice but to wake up.
[.]
[.]
The two knights took their stances. At the same time, an even more aggressive aura was unleashed than when Beniang had appeared.
An undeniable presence was felt beyond the entrance, in the pitch-black cave.
Step by step, someone walked out of the darkness.
Hello there!
The moment a lively voice that contrasted sharply with the ominous presence echoed, Residue couldnt help but tense his entire body.
Without a doubt, it was the most dangerous, the one person to avoid at all costs.
She had recently been with Lukas, knew him inside and out, and possessed senses sharper than a beasts, along with monstrous strength.
A woman who was surely more troublesome than the Half King.
There you are.
The Blue Knight, Pale, grinned slyly.
Chapter Season 2 586
Translator: Alpha0210The Exile, left alone in front of the throne, stood blankly, lost in thought.
Frey, the Apostle of Destruction.
Is it really possible for such a being to exist?
The existence from the ''Outside'', that is, Destruction, should be something utterly incomprehensible to those within the ''Inside''. Something they mustn''t and couldn''t possibly understand...
But what was that form I just saw?
It had intent, attempted to communicate, and even fled when words failed to connect?
At that very human-like behavior, the Exile felt a profound sense of disappointment.
Was that truly the Apostle of Destruction?
Could it have been someone acting out of malice, trying to deceive them with a performance?
[.]
No. At this point, that theory held no significance. What reason would anyone have to claim to be the Apostle of Destruction? It would be an insane act that only a lunatic would commit.
Then, could it really be
As the current Beginning Wizard said?
Had something happened in the Outside, in a realm that even the Exile couldnt observe?
Step
At that moment, someone entered the castle''s interior.
The Exile recognized who it was and immediately knelt.
[Your Highness.]
"Hmm."
The Half King returned with an unscathed face.
It was the same composed appearance as when she had set out to pursue the fleeing Frey.
[The Apostle of Destruction]
"Escaped. He fled using a method I''ve never seen before."
Even though the Half King had personally taken action, she had failed.
Was Frey truly capable of such abilities?
I could have captured him if I continued the chase, but I judged that we couldnt afford to spare any more time.
[.]
Would you care to follow me for a moment?
The Half King said, turning around first. The Exile gazed at her back for a moment before following.
And so they arrived at a place next to the broken castle roof, which was also the impact point of Destruction.
Sitting beside it, the Half King looked up at the sky and spoke.
What about the other Void Lords?
[Ive ordered them to return to their territories.]
Did they comply?
[Most of them did.]
So, there are some who didnt.
[The Everlasting Plum Sword, the Executor, and the Death Worm. Those three, in particular. Additionally, it seems there are some pretending to return while plotting something else.]
The Half King fell silent.
What happened to the envoy from the Three Thousand Worlds?
[He was not in a position to have an audience with Your Highness.]
So, you sent him back.
The Exile bowed his head.
The Half King gazed at the Exiles strange head with a curious expression.
Her eyes, somehow different from usual, slowly opened her lips.
What do you think of Freys words?
[Your servant is too dull to understand his true intentions.]
He spoke of cooperation.
[.]
Theres something I realized when I subdued the Beginning Wizard. Perhaps
[Your Highness.]
The Exiles voice grew lower.
Soon, he knelt and bowed down.
[Your Highness, you stand above all others.]
The Half King remained silent.
[You must reign alone, bearing all burdens. Didnt you already resolve to do so long ago?]
Thats right.
[This servant heard nothing. Please keep this moment of indiscretion to yourself.] Sar?h the N?vel(F)ire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
I misspoke.
The Half King looked up at the sky again.
It seems that the claim that Destruction has split is not wrong.
[Pardon?]
Look at the sky.
The Exile, who had been bowing, straightened his back and looked up.
From the hole in the sky, light flickered. At first, it appeared so rarely and briefly that it seemed like an optical illusion. But soon, the light began to pour down intensely.
A meteor shower rained down.
The irregular trails of light shaped a sight never before seen in the human realm. The way they gathered in a circle around the dark hole resembled a cluster of lights being sucked into a vortex, leaving an ephemeral impression.
As the Exile stared blankly at the scene, he suddenly turned his gaze to the Half King.
[Your Highness?]
Tears were streaming down the Half Kings cheeks. But she wasnt crying.
A smile still lingered on her lips.
Isn''t it a sight so beautiful that it brings tears to your eyes? The spinning beams of light spread across the skyall subjects on this land must be witnessing it.
[.]
But what each of those beams contains are terrifying fragments of Destruction. The ignorance of those unaware of this truth is, in a way, admirable.
Frey, the Apostle of Destruction who had revealed his name.
Even in the midst of the tiresome chase, he constantly attempted to converse. Despite herself, the Half King couldnt help but recall the words she had been forced to listen to.
Among those words, one stood out most prominently:
You must have already experienced the first signal of Destruction. Always keep your eyes on the sky. Soon, it will come in full force. If I were to name it
The First Wave.
The Half Kings body floated up toward the sky.
The long and arduous war against Destruction.
The first battle had begun.
***
The air grew cold.
The two knights had fully entered combat mode.
[Halt.]
It was the Black Knight who issued the warning first.
Ah. Its been a while, Black Knight. This is the first time weve met since the execution, isnt it?
Tap, tap. Pale smiled brightly as she spoke, yet she didnt stop walking.
El is here too? I guess I made a useless detour to the snowy plains for no reason~
Srrrng
Lucid had now drawn his sword.
[I said, stop, Blue Knight. What business do you have here?]
Im here to find my man.
[...Your man?]
Lukas! Im here!
She waved her hand energetically.
At that moment, Residue felt grateful for the chains that bound his body so tightly. If his body were free, he would have had to react somehow, and he wasnt certain what kind of response would be appropriate right now.
Pales eyes scanned over Residuesno, Lukas'' body.
Her smile remained, but the playful glint in her eyes vanished.
Back when Lukas had been going through repeated regressions, that expression had always been a signal of the worst kind of crisis.
It seems Lukas owes quite a bit to you guys. Were you the ones responsible?
[And if we were?]
Well, if thats the case, you bastards, Ill pay you back tenfold.
Srrrng
In an instant, Pale drew her sword and kicked off from the ground. The earth violently shattered, and droplets of water that had been clinging to the cave ceiling came crashing down.
The moment the two blades clashed, a tremendous shockwave radiated in all directions.
[...So the rumors were true!]
To think she would draw her sword without a moment''s hesitation! Did she not understand the massive aftermath a battle between knights could bring?
The saying that she was an unpredictable being was no exaggeration.
Kwagwagwang!
The clash of the Four Knights brought about a massive storm. Walls and the ground were sliced through like tofu, and the underground space trembled as if it would collapse at any moment.
In other words, it still didn''t collapse despite all that.
''It''s a solid space.''
He could tell that the durability of this underground cave was not ordinary.
Although the Four Knights werent fighting at their full strength, the fact that the space was holding up against their battle was impressive.
''Was Pale the reinforcement Beniang mentioned?''
No, there shouldnt be any connection between them. And it was still far earlier than the time Beniang had indicated.
In other words, this situation was an unforeseen development, triggered by Pales independent judgment.
''It''s an opportunity, but.''
Lucids attention was entirely focused on Pale. But there wasnt just one knight.
And the other knight was still standing right beside Residue.
''Can I shake she off?''
The Red Knight.
Residue had never seen her fight before.
Of the Four Knights, she was the one with the least information available. He couldnt tell what she was thinking. Even when she wasnt in her knightly form, she showed no expressions, and her voice was always dry.
Why isnt she cooperating with Lucid?
To prevent Residue from escaping? That seemed like the most plausible explanation.
But in her mind, his threat level was likely far less than half of what Pale posed.
If the battle between the Four Knights escalated any further, it would result in a catastrophe far worse than Residue''s escape.
Clang! Clang!
However, soon Residue realized something.
The intensifying battle,
It seemed that way on the surface, but it''s a bit different.
Residue realized that the two knights were not fighting at full power. One piece of evidence was that Pales face was exposed.
She wasn''t wearing her helmet. This meant she hadnt fully unleashed her power, in other words, she wasnt in her true Blue Knight form.
Even now, she twisted her lips and swung her crude yet sharp sword, but occasionally a cold, calculated gleam appeared in her eyes.
She looks like a madwoman, but theres a rational side to her.
Thanks to Lukas'' memories and the experiences he had shared with her, Residue could understand Pale to some extent.
So, what was Pale aiming for? Was there another ally coming? Perhaps Sedi Trowman, or maybe she truly was working with Beniang.
It was at that moment.
The Red Knight, who had been silent until now, shifted her posture slightly.
Her movement, combined with the form of her agile-looking full body armor, made her look like a beast about to begin a hunt.
Whoosh, the Red Knight''s figure vanished momentarily and reappeared right next to Pale. Her outstretched hand struck toward Pale''s waist with the sharp force of a spear.
Hahaha!
Pale let out a laugh as she twisted her body. The outstretched hand missed, swiping through the air meaninglessly.
It was only then that Residue realized why the Red Knight had remained still until nowshe had been waiting for the perfect moment to launch a surprise attack. Pale had known this too, which is why, even while fighting Lucid, she hadnt let her guard down toward that side.
Boom!
Lucids sword clashed heavily with Pales.
The power etched into Lucid''s black blade was formidable. Pale, holding her sword with both hands, tried to push back, but she couldnt endure for long and was sent flying backward.
Thud.
Pale planted one hand into the ground, resisting the momentum. She chuckled softly and tapped the second sword strapped to her waist.
El, sorry to say this after borrowing your sword, but if you interfere, Im not giving it back.
[You''re reminding me of the saying, ''Repaying grace with betrayal.'']
Hmm-hmm, my apologies.
[I will not accept that. I think it would be better to join forces with the Black Knight and subdue you right here.]
At that moment, Lucid handed the sword at his waist to El.
El hesitated before speaking.
[This is?]
[Deukid. Its the sword I used when I was alive.]
[Why are you giving it to me?]
[Im lending it to you. Until weve subdued the Blue Knight.]
Lucid had always wielded two swords.
One was Deukid, a famous sword he used in life as Lucid the Swordmaster.
The other was Hartnight, the demon sword he used after becoming the Black Knight in death.
[.]
El nodded and accepted the sword.
Hmmm
Pales face showed signs of discomfortthis situation seemed to be outside of her expectations.
Uh, but isnt a 2v1 a bit unfair, considering we are knights and all?
[.]
[.]
Her complaint fell on deaf ears. Unfortunately, neither of the two knights was in the mood for jokes.
Seriously, I never understand what real knights are thinking.
Pale muttered, voicing the same thought that every other knight had when they saw her. Then, as if some idea struck her, she smirked.
Alright! Since its two swords against me, I guess Ill
Schwing
Pale drew another sword from her waistthe red sword, which clearly belonged to El.
A sword?
It was a bizarre-looking weapon, barely recognizable as a sword at all.
The part that should be called a blade felt so dull that if it were just a bit thicker, one might mistake it for a club. Moreover, there was no guard between the blade and the hilt, and the hilt had something resembling a trigger attached to it. The blunt tip of the sword had a hole in it, and the overall shape reminded Residue of a certain type of weapon.
Its like a cross between a sword and a gun.
Clack
Pale aimed the red sword at the two knights.
Bang.
She pulled the trigger.
BOOM!
An overwhelming blast of firepower, completely incompatible with Pale''s cute voice.
It hit the Black Knight and the Red Knight.
What the hell
And even Residue was caught in the explosion.
Chapter Season 2 587
Translator: Alpha0210It was the Red Knight''s black Pistol Sword. While this weapon, which integrated a firearm and blade into one, could be considered a versatile weapon capable of both close and mid-range attacks, the reality was somewhat different.
This was because its practicality was considerably lacking. It''s surprisingly common to lose everything when trying to catch two rabbits at once.
The Pistol Sword, also known as the Gunblade, was that kind of weapon.
The most important aspects of a sword, cutting and stabbing, were significantly downgraded, and because it contained gunpowder and mechanical components, the weight inevitably increased. As the structure became more complex, its durability naturally decreased as well.
Then, did it at least fulfill its role as a firearm? That part was also ambiguous.
Extreme critics would mock the Pistol Sword, saying it was less practical than a bayonet. Even those who werent as critical often suggested that it would be far better to carry a sword and gun separately.
But the Red Knights weapon was different.
It had the potential to overturn all of the above criticisms.
Cough!
Residue exhaled hot breath along with dust.
This crazy bitch!
How had I judged that woman again?
She looks like a madwoman, but there''s a rational side to her?
No! Not at all!
That woman was just a plain lunatic! Residue now swore to firmly establish that fact as an undeniable premise.
Was she really trying to kill me?
The firepower from the Red Knights sword was at a level that Residue, whose entire body was bound by chains, couldnt withstand. Even if Residues body had been in perfect condition, it would have still been dangerous.
The only reason he survived was because of one thing.
Death Worm.
One of the Twelve Void Lord, Death Worm.
That man had shielded Residue from the storm of flames that raged toward him.
To be exact, he had become a barrier.
It wasnt clear where he had been until now, but Death Worm had hidden himself so well that not even Residue, nor the Four Knights, noticed his presence. S~ea??h the novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Residue was incredibly fortunate.
It wasn''t that there was no way to counter it, but the method Residue had thought of just before the flames hit would have caused significant damage to himself as well. Because of the damned chains limiting his power, the risk would have been at least three times greater.
Residue looked at Death Worm again.
Considering he had taken such massive firepower head-on, it was hard to believe that Death Worm, regardless of how much life force he had left, would have escaped without severe damage.
Did he bring in more worms?
Death Worm was now almost half-charred. Frankly, it was a sight too horrifying to look at with both eyes.
His blackened flesh was not much different from that of a corpse left to rot for too long, and even the parts that hadn''t been directly hit by the flames couldn''t escape being burned, with yellow fluid oozing out.
But that ghastly appearance lasted only for a moment.
Soon, Death Worm''s form began to naturally return to its original state.
Are you alright?
Unable to bring himself to say thank you, he asked that instead.
Impressive.
What?
Only then did Residue realize that Death Worm hadnt once looked at him since his arrival. His vacant eyes were fixated on Pale. It wasnt a jokehe was truly and completely captivated by her.
Residue couldnt understand what part of such a woman could possibly be attractive. Frankly, he didnt even want to know.
No, if strength was considered a necessary quality in a partner, then perhaps it wasnt completely incomprehensible, but still, wasn''t there a limit to such thinking?
Sigh
Residue cooled his somewhat agitated mind.
Now, he admitted it.
He truly had emotions, and they fluctuated as fiercely as any mortal''s.
So he should learn. Learn how to control emotions.
He knows the fate of those weaklings who are swayed by their emotions. Every single one of them died a dog''s death. For someone with Residues pride, it''s an end he could never accept.
Then what kind of death would I find acceptable?
Before his unnecessary thoughts could continue any further, Residue shook his head and brought his focus back to the present.
First, the biggest question.
Wasnt the Blue Knight completely infatuated with this virgin?
Hadn''t he seen her flirting as if she wanted to give him her heart and soul?
But then, what was that attack just now?
It almost swept away not only the two knights but also the bound Lukas.
Was it because she had stolen the weapon from the Red Knight and didnt anticipate that much firepower being unleashed?
Wow~ this is awesome!
Hearing that airheaded voice, it didnt seem like that was the case. Pale was gazing at the devastation she had caused with a pleased expression, as if she were admiring her own handiwork.
Witnessing that attitude, Residues worst suspicions naturally started heading towards the most dreadful conclusion.
Does Pale know my true identity?
If she had considered me, who is chained up, as an enemy from the start, then it all adds up.
Above all, wasnt she the only one who knew about the lingering presence of the Lightning God inside Lukas?
But thats overthinking it.
Pale didnt have enough evidence to deduce his true identity.
After showing up, she had only glanced at him from a distance and waved her hand vaguely, as if greeting him casually. How could she know Residue''s identity when they hadn''t even had a proper conversation?
Moreover, when their eyes met, didn''t she properly call him ''Lukas''?
Bang!
At that moment, two knights emerged, pushing through the dust and lingering flames. Their bodies were cloaked in heat waves as they walked forward. Pales smile faded as she saw them.
She sheathed Els sword back at her waist and drew her own blade.
And once again, the battle resumed.
Sword auras filled the surroundings.
Fragments of the broken ground and sparks flew everywhere.
Every time the swords clashed, the sound of thunder echoed, and the ground shook as if an earthquake had struck.
If this continues, he''ll get caught up in this fight.
After a brief moment of contemplation, Residue spoke.
Hey, cant you cut these chains?
Hey, look at me. Look over here, you blockhead.
At his words, Death Worm finally turned his gaze towards him.
"Males who space out aren''t popular. Get your act together."
Huh?
He still didnt seem fully in his right mind, but Residue quickly spoke while he had Death Worms attention, even if only for a moment.
Nows your chance. This is the perfect opportunity to show her what a charming man you are.
How?
Its simple. Just show her how strong you are. Do you see these chains that are binding me?
Yes. I see them.
Death Worm replied with a voice that was now relatively calm, nodding his head.
These chains withstood even the tremendous blow that sent the Blue Knight flying. Its clear they were made from extraordinary materials with a special forging technique.
Though they were almost broken, the important thing is that they withstood it.
If you break them, shell start paying attention to you again.
Really?
Of course. Why would I lie about something like this?
Residue spouted whatever came to mind that seemed convenient.
Humans, by nature, are attracted to those who can accomplish what they themselves cannot. In other words, this situation is a golden opportunity, delivered to you on a silver platter. Come on, Death Worm, are you the kind of idiot who would kick away such a perfect chance thats come knocking on your door?
No.
Fire blazed in Death Worms eyes.
Im not an idiot!
Death Worm strode over, clenched his fist tightly, and struck the chains.
Clang!
However, to his surprise, there was no effect at all.
This time, Death Worm grabbed the chains with both hands and struggled to break them. This, too, had no effect. The durability seemed to have weakened somewhat from the earlier attack, but for it to still be this strong? Residue couldn''t help but click his tongue inwardly.
After a brief moment of thought, Death Worm spoke.
Itll take some time, but it cant be helped.
Creak-
As he said that, he placed his index finger against the chain, and immediately, a small hole appeared at the tip of his finger. From that hole, worms began wriggling out.
There were more than expected, and soon they swarmed over the chains, covering them in their color.
Crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch-
And then they began gnawing away.
It was a revolting sight, but Residues expression remained unchanged. Because it was working. Slowly, but surely, the chains were being eaten away, bit by bit, disappearing.
Hm? Hmmm! Hmm
What is it?
No, these chains Theyre definitely something extraordinary. If I absorb and analyze them, I might be able to use them
And he becomes absorbed in his meal(?), occasionally making strange sounds to himself.
Residue looked at him with a pitiful gaze before turning his head away. He judged this wasn''t the kind of look he should give to the only ally he could definitely trust in the current situation.
Regardless, Death Worm''s method of attacking the chains was showing clear results.
Given enough time, he could definitely free Residue.
Yes, if only they had time.
Would nothing happen until then?
Residue turned his gaze back to the battlefield once more.
What was unfolding before him was more of a war than a mere battle, and it was reaching its climax. Was it the intense movement of their bodies that was causing the temperature to rise?
Clang!
At that moment, a helmet covered Pale''s face.
For the first time since the fight began, she had become the ''Blue Knight''.
And then, the figures of the three knights instantly vanished.
Theyve entered the Minimal Time Zone.''
The moment Residue realized this fact.
After a brief pause
!
A tremendous roar, an explosion of sound.
It was a noise so massive that no adjective could do it justice, shaking the sky and earth. It was the kind of sound you might hear if countless compressed explosions had been held silent for an eternity and then released all at once in perfect harmony.
At the same time, light engulfed everything, and within it, the figures of the three knights emerged.
None of the three knights were in perfect condition. Armor, which wouldnt normally show even a scratch under any ordinary impact, crumbled away like old ceramic.
The one most severely wounded was Pale. Her helmet was half-destroyed, and blood was visibly trickling from inside the cracked helmet.
Hoooo
Pale exhaled deeply, then removed her helmet entirely. Her hair, matted with blood, flowed down like a waterfall.
The helmet wasnt completely unusable.
For the Four Knights, their swords and armor were manifestations of their consciousness. If their bodies and minds recovered, their weapons and armor would also return to their unscathed forms.
Handling two knights at once is tough after all. Hmm.
She could afford to complain like that only because the two knights she was facing werent in perfect condition either.
The Red Knight without her weapon,
And the Black Knight, who had not yet fully adapted to the power of the Four Knights.
Of course, Pale might have chosen all-out battle because she was aware of this fact too.
Im getting kinda hungry
As Pale tapped her stomach, El spoke.
[Be careful from now on.]
[Careful?]
Lucid asked back, not fully understanding.
Pale was certainly strong.
And that strength was positioned at the exact opposite end of the spectrum from the kind of strength Lucid had pursued in the past.
There was no finesse in her swinging blades. Everything was spontaneous and impulsive. In other words, it was incredibly difficult to predict her moves. That was the strength of an unrefined sword.
The Blue Knight was different.
That sword wasnt the result of training, nor did it carry any conviction, yet it was more overwhelming than any swordsmanship Lucid had ever encountered in the past.
But.
In the recent clash, the advantage was on his side.
Pales strength wasnt enough to completely overpower the two knights.
However, El spoke in a much calmer voice than before.
[A hungry beast is more dangerous than a wounded one.]
[.]
[From now on, things will start getting troublesome with the Blue Knight.]
Just locking eyes with her was enough to heighten the tension.
The heat gradually built up, increasing the pressure, and at the peak of that tension, the battle resumed once again.
And at that moment.
Clank!
Its over.
Death Worm''s work was finished, and Residue was freed.
It wasnt an easy task but I did it.
Yes, truly impressive.
But it seems she isnt looking at my magnificent form Whats going on, Beginning Wizard?
Ah. Shes fighting those two knights because she wants to come to you, isnt she? Shes finally realized your true worth. She might even make the first move to court you.
Ah. I see.
Stand tall and greet her in style.
Thanks for the advice, my friend.
Residue nodded and thought.
Now, what should I do next?
The answer came as soon as he thought of it.
''Escape.''
Chapter Season 2 588
Translator: Alpha0210Calling it an ''escape'' rather than ''running away'' was Residue''s last shred of dignity. In reality, there was little difference in meaning, but isn''t that how words work - seemingly similar yet subtly different?
''Escape'' sounds slightly better than ''running away''. At least it implies a bit of initiative. Damn it. Residue became depressed, sensing that his thoughts and emotions had become almost like those of a mortal.
In the past, he had witnessed countless beings who were once absolute entities fall to the level of mortals. Every time, he had laughed at them. It was hard not to burst into laughter when watching those fools deny reality, unable to accept it.
Residue knew this.
When the place where you stand changes, the scenery changes as well.
Even Residue, who was once a Ruler, had changed significantly now.
He thought he had recognized and accepted this fact.
But it was a bit different. Sar?h the N?velFire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
While he had recognized and accepted it, he hadn''t become aware of all the changes.
That''s why, from time to time, when he confirmed a newly changed side of himself like this, Residue became depressed.
Am I drifting further away from perfection?
Or was he being degraded?
He wanted to shout that it wasnt true.
He wanted to shout to his ''past self'' that a Ruler was never actually a perfect being.
But was there any basis for that claim?
Wasnt it just a desperate cry to deny the current situation? The world called that kind of thing an excuse.
Residue couldnt tell if the path he was currently walking on was the correct one. Such wandering caused him to lose consistency in his actions, and as a result, it became difficult even for him to predict his next move.
Participating in the Twelve Void Lords'' meeting as the Beginning Wizard.
That was the plan up to that point, and everything that happened afterward was beyond Residue''s expectations.
The Void Lords plotting a conspiracy,
The appearance of the Half King,
Destruction''s attack,
The subsequent imprisonment and the emergence of the knights.
Indeed. Each incident, even viewed individually, was significant enough not to be easily ignored. Perhaps it was only natural to feel confused.
But.
Should I, of all beings, be surprised or flustered just because something happened that I didnt predict?
Should he harbor fear over such things?
No.
At least, in the past, it wasnt like that.
Back then, Residue had enjoyed unforeseen situations.
The mere fact that he was having such thoughts now meant that Residue had already changed.
The point was simple.
Until now, Residue had only found his newly changed self disgraceful.
***
Deciding to escape was easy, but figuring out which route to take was tricky.
The only apparent exit from this underground place was the spot where Pale had entered, but that place had already turned into a battlefield where the three knights were fighting, neither side giving an inch. Unless he had a few hundred spare lives, it was a completely hopeless deathtrap.
So Residue looked at the man beside him who seemed to have ''a few hundred spare lives''.
But Death Worm, how did you know I was here and come to find me?
When I came in contact with you, I remembered your scent. You smelled like the old bookshelf.
.
That was information he really didnt want to know.
Because I remembered that, I was able to follow you.
How did you get in?
I compressed myself into a small worm and rode the river. Then I crawled up the cliff.
Hm? River?
Down below.
Death Worm pointed below the cliff. A place so dark nothing could be seen.
Theres a river flowing down there?
Yes.
Concentrating his hearing as Death Worm spoke with certainty, indeed, he could faintly hear the sound of flowing water.
Where does that river flow?
I dont know. The geography of this world is constantly changing right now. The current may have formed entirely differently from when I rode it.
.
He had a point.
The Great Fusion was still in progress. It would take quite some time before everything settled.
Although I dont know where the current will lead
Anywhere would surely be safer than here. For now, distancing himself from Pale was the urgent priority.
However that would only buy him time in the end.
Even if he managed to get past this moment, what about next time? That crazy woman would undoubtedly stop at nothing to pursue Lukas to the ends of hell. She had more than enough obsession and persistence to do so.
Pale appeared to be completely engrossed in the battle, but that was wrong. Surely, part of her consciousness was still focused in this direction.
If Residue willingly jumped into the river, she might grow suspicious.
Of course, there was a way to deal with that.
Death Worm.
What is it?
Would you push me
It was at that moment.
Thud
A heavy vibration was felt.
Residue stopped speaking.
It sounded like the footsteps of a giant, echoing from a great distance.
Thud
Thud thud
The intervals between the vibrations were growing shorter.
Everyone in the vicinity stopped simultaneously.
Not just Residue and Death Worm, but even the three knights who had been fighting to kill each other.
They all raised their heads in unison, looking up at the cave ceiling. The source of the vibrations was beyond that ceiling.
This is
Residues expression stiffened.
He knew the presence he was sensing right now.
Not just knowing ithe was intimately familiar with it.
But why at this point in time?
Thud thud thud!
As the sound grew louder, the calm on Residues face disappeared.
"Hey. How much reserve ''Worm'' do you have?"
If youre asking about how many lives Ive got, Id say a few thousand.
Then spread them out above us as a membrane right now.
Hm?
Hurry. We dont have time.
Death Worm hesitated for a moment, but sensing the urgency in Residues voice, he nodded.
The worms, which had emerged from the back of his neck, spread upwards toward the ceiling.
Almost at the same time,
Crack!
The cave ceiling completely collapsed.
Through the falling rocks and dust, the cause of the vibrations revealed itself.
Countless thorns, both large and small.
The Black Horned Demon God!
The moment Residues eyes widened, recalling the creatures name,
The pitch-black thorns rained down like a torrential storm.
***
A long time ago,
During the very early days of the history of the Three Thousand Worlds,
In a certain universe, there existed a certain primitive race.
Though they were still in the developmental stage, they had established a civilization, possessed high intelligence, and, most importantly, they were strong.
They were a powerful warrior race, so strong that even on planets as massive as entire small universes, they ranked among the top three in terms of strength.
In terms of potential alone, they were comparable to the absolute races that roamed the universe as their own dominion, like the Perfect Ones, or the Giant Spirit Clan, natural absolutes born from planets as their matrix.
Moreover, they were rough, fierce, and loved to fight. Of course, what they loved even more than that was victory. They traveled across their vast planet as individuals, searching for an opponent worthy of clashing with their strength for their entire lives.
Achieving that goal was almost impossible.
Each individuals strength was far greater than that of most entire species.
Hundreds of years passed, and they came to reign as the rulers of the planet. And the moment there was no longer anyone left to fight, their desire for battle naturally turned toward each other.
The planet rapidly descended into death.
Though it wasnt a war, the clashes between individuals were so intense that the environment changed moment by moment.
Perhaps someone realized that if this continued, their species would face complete annihilation.
When their population dropped to less than half, a mutation was born.
This mutant, who possessed the races inherent strength but was smarter than any of them and thoroughly calculative, soon rose to prominence as a great warrior, earning the reverence of all the other species.
The great warrior forcibly ended the conflicts, and soon after, became known as the Great Chief.
For the first time, winds of peace blew across the planet.
And about a year later, the Great Chief was found dead, pierced by thorns.
The primitive race murmured in shock.
The death of the Great Chief was not even a shocking event to them. Even the strongest warrior could die at any timethat was the life they knew.
What mattered was the expression.
The Great Chief had died with a look that their race had never made before.
It was a look they had seen countless times when they massacred and subjugated other races.
The face of those who pathetically begged for their lives, knelt in submission, and, if asked, would even be willing to lick their feetthe face of a defeated being.
The Great Warrior had died with a face full of fear and cowardice.
''Who threw these thorns?''
Half in excitement, they began their search.
The battle instincts that the Great Chief had suppressed were now revived.
There was no fear or dread.
To those who had been yearning for a new battle, the appearance of the being that killed the Great Chief was like rain after a drought.
I will kill the owner of this thorn!
No, it will be me!
Where are you? Where are you hiding?
They couldnt have gone far.
The warriors searched every corner for the thorns owner, and the next day, all of them were found dead.
Like the Great Chief, they were impaled by thorns, their faces twisted in fear.
After this happened more than ten times, even the survivors began to wear the same expression as the dead.
Those who remained finally learned fear.
Though their legs kept moving, their goal had changed. No longer were they looking for the owner of the thorn. All of them chose to run away instead.
But they couldnt escape.
The entire tribe was impaled by thorns and died.
Soon, every living thing on the planet met the same fate, and eventually, even the planet itself became a lifeless, thorn-pierced star.
Even if they had realized the truth, nothing would have changed. From the beginning, they had misunderstood.
They werent supposed to search for the owner of the thorn.
The culprit was ''the thorns themselves''.
[.]
The moment the thorns had completely dyed the planet in their color, they awakened a clear sense of self for the first time.
Simultaneously, it realized what kind of being it was.
It was the birth of the Ruler, the Black Horned Demon God.
***
Plop plop. Small rocks fell to the ground.
The rain of thorns, which had poured down like a storm, finally stopped.
Residue first checked his own body. Thankfully, he wasnt hurt. It was thanks to the barrier of worms that Death Worm had created.
What about Death Worm, though?
Hey, are you alright?
Ive died three thousand and seven times.
What?
Ive died three thousand and seven times.
.
Does that mean hes okay?
Residue decided to interpret it that way for now.
He surveyed his surroundings.
The flames had subsided, thanks to the rain of thorns and rocks from the sky, but the entire area had turned into an even more chaotic wasteland.
The gaping hole in the cave ceiling was so dark, it felt as if one were looking not up, but down into an abyss, where nothing could be seen.
Residue first took his eyes away from there and focused on the knights.
The 4 Knights are beings who harbor instinctive hostility toward Rulers... This means it wouldn''t be strange if they took any impulsive actions from now on.
But the Red Knight has already cooperated with the Sun God before.
The Black Knight, Lucid, hadnt been a knight for long.
Perhaps that was why they merely stood there, staring up at the hole, showing no sign of being overwhelmed by hostility.
That left Pale.
The odd thing was, she too was standing still, not making any moves.
No, she was different from the other knights.
Clank
Pale removed her helmet once again.
Then, looking up at the ceiling, she shouted.
"Ahaha. You''re late!"
.
At that moment, someone appeared through the hole in the ceiling.
A girl with jet-black hair and a long, flowing dress.
Her crimson eyes gleamed even more vividly in the dark cave.
Sedi Trowman?
No,
''Is it the Black Horned Demon God?''
Chapter Season 2 589
Translator: Alpha0210As mentioned several times before, if there''s anything still intact in the current Residue, it would be his eye for judgment. Especially his insight in seeing through others'' strength was the most outstanding, and because of that, he could tell.
The power Sedi displayed now was clearly beyond the level of a mere Void Lord.
The oppressive aura she exuded was on par with his past self and the Four Knights present here. In other words, it was Ruler-level.
''Did Pale fail to eliminate the Demon God''s will?''
He assumed she would succeed since she had the Red Knights sword. He hadnt noticed anything unusual with Sedi during the meeting either.
No, the reason for his confidence above all was Pales attitude. He knew how seriously she took Lukas requests.
Thats why he thought, with her usual lively demeanor, that Pale had fulfilled Lukas request.
But was that not the case?
Residue couldnt continue his train of thought.
Isnt that enough?
A curt voice sounded. It wasnt the Demon Gods voice. Nor was it his way of speaking.
It was Sedi Trowman, descending slowly from the sky.
Lucid and El, who were watching her, spoke in turn.
The 0th Demon.
Theres another aura besides that.
They had removed their helmets.
While their fighting spirit hadnt been completely extinguished, the battle had paused. Sedis appearance alone had been enough to create a significant impact.
Pale had even put her sword away, grinning widely.
What should I make of you? A Void Lord? Or
A Ruler.
Sedi was the first to speak that word.
I know you wont believe me, but Ill say it anyway. Im not one of their lackeys.
And remember, this is the first and last time Ill make this claim.
What do you mean?
"It means I don''t want to explain things over and over to people who won''t understand."
El remained silent.
Yes. The point was simple.
If they didnt believe her from the start, any arguments or evidence she provided would be pointless. Sedi had anticipated their response and drew a line in advance.
Your goal.
"To rescue the person you''re guarding."
"Do you think you can succeed?"
It feels like Im already halfway there.
Was that taken as provocation?
A red haze began to rise again from Els armor.
Stop it. I didnt come here to fight with you.
You wont achieve your goal without a fight.
How about showing a little flexibility? You dont have any reason to obey the Half Kings orders.
Then a cold sneer appeared on Els face.
And what exactly is this flexibility you speak of? Just ignoring the fact that a Void Lord has become a puppet of the Ruler?
"Did you think we would simply let it pass because destruction is approaching? Did you think the position of 4 Knights was that light?"
Its funny hearing that from you. Werent you the first of the Four Knights to join hands with the Ruler?
Even at those words, El showed no sign of surprise or emotion.
She simply lowered her gaze slightly and murmured.
[Make quick judgments]. That was my fathers teaching.
Father?
Did the Four Knights have someone like that? Or was it just a metaphor?
As Residue pondered, Sedi also muttered in a low voice.
Father, huh.
Her crimson eyes turned this way.
For a brief moment, her gaze met Residues, but only briefly.
Is that your motto? I quite like it. So, how does it look? This current situation, as judged by that quick decision of yours.
"That woman and I are..."
Sedi glanced at Pale with a complicated expression, then spoke reluctantly.
So-called allies.
As Pale''s face brightened with a radiance like morning dew on fresh grass, Sedis expression, in contrast, seemed to wither like a weed exposed to poison.
A Red Knight without even a weapon, and a Black Knight still struggling to adapt to his own power. Neither of them are opponents you can take lightly.
"Just that much."
What?
"Just not easy opponents. I have no intention of backing down for merely that much."
I see.
Sedi let out a sigh.
"The Blue Knight said you would say something like that."
At this rate, what was the point of making such a dramatic entrance?
Putting aside such complaints, she continued.
Thats why we hurriedly called in one more reinforcement.
Residue felt he already knew who this reinforcement was.
Splash.
The sound of rushing water.
He was aware of the river flowing beneath this cliff, but suddenly the sound grew louder, echoing clearly in his ears.
SPLASH!
Unlike Sedi, who had broken through the ceiling upon her arrival,
this time, the source of the commotion emerged from the dark depths of the cliff. A dragon-shaped torrent of water surged upward from below, reaching for the sky.
The sight could only be described as a waterspout.
Atop the head of the water dragon stood a lone figure.
She, Beniang Argento, wore a far calmer expression than the two who had appeared before her.
There is no need for any further unnecessary conflict.
And in a voice as composed as her expression,
Please, withdraw.
She declared an end to the battle.
*
The Black Knight and Red Knight truly did withdraw.
In a word, it was an anticlimactic ending, but Residue felt a lingering unease from their demeanor. It was as if they had been waiting for the situation to unfold in this manner.
What was clear was that their departure wasnt necessarily a good thing for Residue. The knights had been his captors, his wardens, but theyd also served as a reliable buffer.
If he had known things would turn out like this, he might have taken the risk to attempt an escape earlier.
At long last, the time has come.
The Death Worm, oblivious to the gravity of the situation, trembled with excitement, taking a deep breath.
He then looked straight at Pale, who was walking towards him, and spoke with wide eyes.
Come here, my mate. Weve been separated for a long time, but now the time has come for us to unite. Together, let us bring forth the greatest offspring in the history of the universe, one that even surpasses the Half King
What are you talking about?
Crack! The Death Worms body was crushed on the spot.
Good grief. Pale had swung her fist like a hammer, slamming it down on his head. His head sank down between his shoulders, and he couldnt make another sound as he perished.
Well, not that he was actually dead.
Despite being one of the Twelve Void Lords, he was subdued without putting up any resistance. It seemed he no longer had any spare lives left, as he didnt resurrect.
With that, Residues final line of defense vanished.
And in an instant, danger closed in around him.
Master, are you alright?
Father.
Beniang Argento and Sedi Trowman approached him simultaneously.
Cold sweat dripped down the back of Residues neck.
He couldnt take these two at face value.
In other words, to the current Residue, the two people approaching him appeared not as Beniang and Sedi, but as the Black Horned Demon God and the Seven Fanged Dragon God.
Lukas!
And as if to assert her presence, yet another voice joined in.
How have you been? Are you alright? Didnt you miss me?
.
Residue realized. All the crises he had faced up to now had merely been a prelude.
The true danger began now, in this very moment.
*
The Three Thousand Worlds and the Void World.
When these two worlds, like opposites on either side of a mirror, merged, which side experienced more turmoil?
Without a doubt, it was the people of the Three Thousand Worlds.
Unlike the Void World, which was aware of the existence of the other world, they had no knowledge that the Void World even existed.
Only a select few among the Absolutes knew of the Void World, a place referred to as the ''universe''s dumpsite''.
However, there was someone who knew of the Void World despite not being an Absolute, and who had even predicted that the two worlds might merge.
Hmmm.
In some ruins in the middle of a desert,
Snow, sitting on a broken pillar, scratched her cheek with a troubled expression as she looked at the woman before her.
It seems things didnt go well.
Her tone wasn''t accusatory.
But the fact that she had achieved no results was clear, and Iris Peacefinder lowered her head heavily.
Hm
Snow quietly observed Iris.
Shes a capable woman.
No, she wasnt someone to be evaluated with such a condescending gaze.
Iris was a hero who had lived for over 4,000 years. She was a figure who could be called a living history itself, equipped with experiences and wisdom that matched the passage of time.
Over that long period, she had shown meticulousness and daring enough to deceive Demigod Lords, while also maintaining the composure to pursue her goals steadily.
Even if Snow held the noble title of Elf King, it would be ridiculous to describe such a legendary hero as merely ''a capable woman''.
In fact, Iris was the only one who remained unshaken by the ''World Fusion'' and was the most clear-headed analyst of the situation.
In the immediate aftermath of the fusion, there will be significant chaos, and its likely to take the form of war.
However, we lack the deterrent power to end a war.
Theres only one solution: find a representative of the other world and negotiate.
Thus, in the merged world, Iris set out on a search, using her abilities to track down someone she could negotiate with. Only now did she realize how reckless and grueling that mission had been.
Just how vast and wide this world had become.
Even her ability to manipulate space didnt lessen the overwhelming task of searching.
Unknown forces, and mysterious enemies with unique abilities, constantly appeared to obstruct her path.
She survived close calls more than once. She even suffered injuries severe enough to bring her near death.
But Iris never took a moment to rest.
This wasnt a mere metaphor.
When was the last time you closed your eyes to rest?
When she had once asked her that question, Iris hadnt answered. She simply gave a faint smile and turned away.
Perhaps her self-destructive search had finally paid off,
because Iris was able to locate the Kings Castle at last.
Throughout history, a castle has always been the place where an Absolute resides. Iris also sensed the unusual aura emanating from that castle.
Thats where he was.
The ''King of the Void World'', whom Iris had searched so desperately for, would be there.
Her prediction was correct.
But.
Get lost. You are not qualified to have an audience with the King. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
A figure with a bizarre appearance and an even stranger right arm issued a cold dismissal. Though Iris couldn''t accept it, it wasn''t someone she could reason with.
And she couldnt overcome him by force, either.
The opponent possessed monstrous strength along with peculiar special abilities, enough that he could effortlessly neutralize even Iriss spatial powers.
Relax your face. Its not as if the world has ended.
Are you trying to console me? How kind of you.
For someone on the brink of collapse, her mouth was still working just fine.
Since youve found the destination, take a rest for now. I and others will strategize the next move together.
Hm In that case, I suppose Ill leave it to you this time.
She responded with a faint smile, though it was a thin lie.
This woman had no intention of resting. She was probably already thinking about second and third options even now.
Since it wasnt something she could force, Snow almost let out a sigh.
For now, lets head back hmm?
Her white eyebrows twitched.
What is it?
Theres someone here.
With that, Snow leapt down from the pillar she was sitting on and strode off purposefully. Iris hesitated for a moment, then followed after her.
They ventured deeper into the ruins.
Although they were using this place as a temporary shelter, theyd already confirmed that no one lived here. It was essentially a half-buried relic in the middle of the desert.
In the heart of the ruins, a man was standing.
Ah
Iriss eyes widened in shock. Snow felt it was one of the rare times shed seen her so visibly shaken.
Perhaps the man heard her voice.
The man, who had been staring blankly up at the sky, turned around to face them.
You are
At the moment her gaze met his emotionless eyes, Iris flinched again.
Hmm. People from the Three Thousand Worlds, I see. Recognizable faces from the intelSnow De Predickwood and Iris Peacefinder.
The man with gray hair,
Frey, nodded to himself, then spoke in a businesslike tone.
You two will do. Would you mind having a brief conversation?"
Chapter Season 2 590
Translator: Alpha0210It had been some time since Residue inherited Lukas''s body.
But in truth, it had only been a short period, less than a month, and during that time, there hadn''t been a single occasion when he had fully acted like Lukas. After all, there was no one around who had known Lukas.
Everyone on the Magic Planet was the same. They wouldnt have sensed anything strange about Residue. It was only natural, since they didnt know what kind of being Lukas had originally been.
Even after that, Residues attitude did not change.
The Twelve Void Lords, including the Death Worm, the Void King, the knights, yes, even his old friend Lucid, he didn''t need to be overly cautious in his speech or actions around them. It had been quite a long time since they had last seen Lukas.
So using change as an excuse, he acted quite freely.
Master?
Its fine. sea??h th N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Now, he could no longer do that.
From this moment on, Residue decided to devote all of his attention to recreating ''Lukas Trowman''. Not just his manner of speech, but also his tone, gaze, expressions, gestures, and even the occasional lighthearted attitude.
First, looking at Beniang, he forced himself to put on a faint smile, even though he truly didnt want to.
Its been a while, Beniang.
Yes.
Beniangs expression was relatively calm, but her voice was not. It trembled faintly, like a candle flickering in the breeze. Looking closely, even her eyes were the same.
It was absurd.
Residue knew that this woman was capable of hiding her emotions more skillfully than anyone in the world if she wanted to.
And yet, just from hearing a greeting from ''Lukas Trowman'', she was this shaken.
.
Residue fell silent at this crucial moment. An emotion he couldnt easily ignore was welling up inside him.
Just before the silence could turn awkward, someone interrupted.
Father, dont you have anything to say to me?
Only then did he look at Sedi.
Her face was filled with discontent.
It brought to mind the time when she had shown a furious obsession in some timeline. Her affection and obsession toward Lukas had manifested in a dark way, where she tried to bind him, imprison him, and even ruin him if it meant keeping him by her side.
In the current Sedi, those anxious symptoms were no longer visible.
She only looked displeased that he had spoken to Beniang first, but that was all. Compared to the darkness she had shown back then, this was a mere, endearing pout.
Even in this moment, Residue thought about how Lukas would act, and when he arrived at the answer, his expression almost stiffened.
''Damn it.''
It was something he could never do with a straight face, but he had no other choice.
Residue reached out his hand.
Rustle-
He placed his hand on Sedis hair. The soft sensation of her hair felt rough and uncomfortable, like gritty sand.
Because of the horn that grew near her temple, even petting her required a bit of finesse.
"Ah, come on. Dont do stuff like this.
Sedi grumbled, keeping a sullen face, but it didnt seem like she was genuinely upset. Pretending to give in to her complaint, Residue withdrew his hand and sighed inwardly.
We have a lot to talk about, dont we?
Yes. But it doesnt seem like this is the right place to have a conversation.
Due to Sedis grand entrance, the ceiling was nearly caving in. Though the area had been sturdy enough to withstand the battles of the Four Knights, it wasnt a suitable place to stay in for long.
Lets go up for now.
He nodded in response to Sedis suggestion.
He now had a short reprieve. Since escape was no longer an option, he needed to shift his thinking.
To survive among these monsters, he would need a camouflage.
*
The moment they emerged from the underground cave to the surface, Residues face twisted at the scene that unfolded before him.
.
They were in the middle of a dark jungle.
It was a little hot, humid, and he could even sense the presence of living creatures around.
The aftereffects of the Great Fusion.
A shifting, unstable coordinate system had similarities to the original Void World, but there was one decisive difference: the entire area wasnt divided into ''territories''.
And life force.
Unlike the desolate Void World of the past, now this place was brimming with life. Thick vines grew in clusters, towering ancient trees shot up, and in the darkness, the occasional rustle of insects and the distant howls of beasts could be heard.
If there was one thing that hadnt changed, it was probably the sky, though even that looked slightly different.
The ominous black hole, as if embodying misfortune, still loomed there, but now, countless meteor showers surrounded it, shining so brightly it was almost blinding.
Residue knew what those were, and it made his skin crawl.
Destruction.
Each of those meteors was a small-scale Destruction.
It was a revolting, disgusting sight.
It looked like countless tadpoles writhing, as if being sucked into a thick, filthy vortex.
They just keep circling like that.
Sedi noticed where Residues gaze was directed and spoke up.
They dont fall, nor do they veer off course.
Is that so.
By the way, the location has changed again since the last time I came. We werent that far from the Kings Castle, but now I dont even know where we are.
.
Its because the Great Fusion has tangled up space so badly, right?
She looked at him, seeking confirmation.
It was a natural reaction. Lukas was known for his mastery of spatial manipulation. Among those here, he should be the one with the most specialized knowledge in that area.
It would have been best if he could respond with Lukass insights, but despite possessing the Lightning God''s knowledge and perspective, he wasnt particularly well-versed in spatial matters. So he just gave a slight nod.
At this rate, I dont even know where Demonsio is.
All residents of a territory should at least know the location of their own territory. Even if they were thrown to the other side of the world, they would be able to sense it and find their way back, a perception that would manifest the moment they were bound to their territory.
And right now, Sedi was a Territory Lord.
Not just of any ordinary territory, but of Demonsio, a territory that ranked within the top ten in terms of size even within the Void World. Yet, her sensory perception was so scrambled that she couldnt locate Demonsio.
And it looks like a storm is brewing.
Weather changes in this world?
Though she hadnt been here long, Sedi knew enough to understand how absurd that was, and she let out a dry chuckle.
Hold on a moment.
Beniang pulled something out from her robes.
It was a small stick, but upon closer inspection, Residue realized it was actually a very short staff.
She waved it.
No, rather than waving it it was more like she was using the staff as a brush, drawing something in the air. Staring a bit longer, the staff began to look like a conductors baton.
A gentle breeze blew, causing Beniangs hair to flutter.
What are you doing?
A summoning.
A summoning? Of what?
A dragon.
"...Huh?"
It was in that bewildered moment that Sedi noticed something stirring at the edge of the gloomy sky.
CRACK! Just then, a bolt of lightning illuminated its form.
It was, just as Beniang had said, a dragon. It was massive, nearly as large as half of a castle.
Was she suggesting they use that to travel? But was that really necessary? None of them here lacked mobility enough to need a dragon for transport.
However, the moment the dragon approached, Sedi realized she had been wrong.
Boom!
Its mere landing created a powerful gust, bending the trunks of trees. Yet, the four figures, those in human form who stood at barely half the height of these massive trees, did not budge an inch.
On the dragons back, there was something. Something that could not have formed naturally, something that could only have been crafted by human hands- a structure.
In other words, the dragon was carrying a large mansion on its back. There were even ladders and ropes hanging down from it.
Shall we board?
Beniang lightly leapt up and landed effortlessly in front of the mansions entrance, several dozen meters above. After hesitating for a moment, Residue glanced up at the sky that looked like it might start pouring at any moment, and then followed her. Only then did Sedi finally move.
The last to act was Pale, who, despite having the best physical abilities of anyone present, deliberately climbed up one rung at a time on the ladder.
"Please come in. There won''t be any discomfort."
The mansion was a four-story structure, and as Beniang had said, it looked perfectly suitable for a temporary stay.
Phew.
Click. As soon as everyone entered and the door closed, Beniang let out a low sigh. It was only then that the others noticed her face looked extremely fatigued.
Lets head to the main room first.
The room she led them to was fairly spacious and furnished properly.
There was a suitable table and, as if someone had anticipated this situation, exactly four chairs. Before Beniang could even guide them, Pale had already claimed one of the seats. Sedi took a seat a little distance from her, and Beniang
Beniang?
Ah, yes.
Beniang responded a bit belatedly.
She was rubbing her eyes as if she were drowsy.
It seems Ive overexerted myself. Since I succeeded in rescuing Master, Ill take a little rest. Ill leave the general explanation to someone else.
To someone else?
"Yes... that is... well... who would be..."
Beniang struggled to continue speaking, fighting to stay awake, but in the end, her head drooped.
In that instant, her hair started to change color, beginning from the ends.
From green to blue.
The atmosphere changed, too.
When she raised her head again, a cold voice emerged.
Ill take over the explanation from here.
Her facial features hadnt changed, but Beniang now looked like a completely different person.
Residue let out a quiet breath inwardly.
One of the other six personalities, then.
The dragon had lost six of its seven fangs and fallen from the position of Ruler.
Yet, in order to preserve the identity of the ''Seven Fanged Dragon'', it had scoured the entire universe to gather souls with matching frequencies. One of those souls was the half-dragon, ''Beniang Argento''.
In other words,
Theres one among the seven personalities who possesses the personality and memories of the [Dragon].
Residue felt an odd sense of kinship. This fallen state of the dragon wasnt all that different from Residue himself, who was but a remnant.
But despite these emotions, this was also the person he had to be most cautious of. It might even be better than talking to Beniang, who knew Lukas well, but
As he pondered this alone, a cold gaze turned in his direction.
Youre not surprised, are you? The only one here who hasnt met me before is the woman sitting back there.
.
The other blue-haired woman was sitting with a faint smirk on her face.
As she had said, Sedi didnt seem surprised by the shift in personality either.
Its tiring to crane my neck, so why dont the two of you take a seat already?
At the curt suggestion, the remaining two also took their seats.
Inside the mansion, there was no sense of shaking. Considering that this was a structure built on the dragons back, the ride should have been very uncomfortable, but there was no sign of that.
Thanks to this, a silence settled in the room, creating an intense stillness.
The first to speak was Beniang.
No, it was Dragon.
Meeting again like this brings back memories. Was the last time we met at the Great Field?
.
A lot has changed since then. In more ways than one.
Yes.
In many, many ways.
Before we start talking, it seems like its been a long time since father and daughter have reunited. Would you like to take some time to catch up? Its an urgent situation, but I can allow a bit of time for that.
Forget it.
Hm, then lets get straight to the point.
The Dragon nodded.
"Though we don''t completely understand everything about each other, let''s first focus on your perspective, Lukas, as we proceed with the discussion."
That was not a very welcome suggestion.
Chapter Season 2 591
Translator: Alpha0210So, the fact that they sent the Blue Knight means they already understood the peculiar situation Sedi Trowman was in
Exactly. Theres only one thing Im most curious about Sedi.
Not wanting to make things more awkward by remaining silent, Residue decided to cut off the dragons words to take the initiative.
Fortunately, the dragon didnt seem displeased. Instead, it stopped talking and showed a willingness to listen to what he had to say.
What happened to the Black Horned Demon God? Is Sedi still his puppet?
Thats not the case.
Sedi spoke, seemingly feeling that she needed to answer this question herself.
He can no longer bind me. Ive regained control over my life and death, and my will is free. Theres nothing for Father to worry about anymore.
It was a relief to hear.
Though the questions werent fully answered.
Then what about that power?
The power she displayed in the underground cave far exceeded what a mere puppet could wield. It was strong enough that, for a moment, Sedi could have been mistaken for the Black Horned Demon God.
A faint hesitation flashed across Sedis face.
The Demon God has had a change of heart. He decided to become my sponsor instead of my ruler.
What?
Our interests aligned. Ah, well, that was technically true before as well, but you could say we renegotiated things in a way that benefits me more. What I mean is, um
Sedi began rambling with a strangely flustered expression. Her words, devoid of substance, flowed out like a fog, further adding to Residues confusion.
It was only after a moment that he realized Sedi didnt seem particularly willing to delve deeper into this matter.
However, for Residue, or rather, for Lukas this wasnt something that could be easily brushed aside.
Sedi.
When he spoke with a lowered voice, Sedi flinched visibly.
I dont intend to let this matter slide. So, explain it clearly.
Ugh. Well, thats
Even then, she continued to hesitate and stammer.
Should he press her further? Or should he remain silent and wait?
As Residue was deliberating, a new voice interjected.
Sedi already explained it.
It was Pale, who had remained silent for quite a while.
She was resting her chin on her clasped fingers, smiling softly.
She somehow borrowed the sword from El and used it to completely expel the Demon Gods power. At that moment, the Demon God made her a proposal. He said hed lend her his power, but only if they collaborated in areas where their interests aligned.
Collaboration?
Even finishing the word felt difficult. Residue suddenly felt a wave of dizziness. It was a relief he was sitting down; otherwise, he might have staggered.
The Black Horned Demon God, a Ruler, had proposed collaboration?
Could there be two words in existence that were more mismatched?
It was likely the final conclusion reached after several overlapping factors. Hes not plotting anything.
The dragon said this, then fell silent for a moment before shaking its head.
No. He might be plotting something. But if so, its only a contingency. At the very least, he has no intention of harming us.
And you expect me to believe that?
Believe it. Because its the word of me, a former Ruler.
That statement was the trigger. Residue felt a surge of emotion well up uncontrollably.
For a brief moment, he lost control of himself and glared at the dragon.
You
Are you claiming to know them better than I do?
He forcibly swallowed the words that had risen to his throat. His tightly clenched fists trembled as he pressed them against the table.
Father?
The sound of Sedis voice finally helped Residue calm himself down.
To add one more thing, I had a one-on-one conversation with him. My goal was to persuade him, and I achieved that partially. Afterward, for some reason, the Demon God summoned the Lightning God and the Giant for some kind of discussion. I suspect that led to some change in his values.
How could someones values change so easily?
Residue swallowed those words as well.
"...I see. I understand."
Not at all, not even by a fraction, did he accept it, but he had no choice but to say it that way.
At the same time, he realized something.
The inability to fully express his emotions was a far more painful constraint than he had ever imagined.
The core information regarding Sedi Trowman is all there is. It seems like the biggest question has been answered, so I suppose I should explain my situation now. Do you have anything you wish to ask me?
Why did you take on the role of the Tamer, proxy of the Beast?
Hmm? Didnt Chorong already tell you?"
Chorong referred to Beniang.
Under normal circumstances, Residue would have scoffed at such a ridiculous nickname, but right now, he had no leisure left for such reactions.
What do you mean?
Exactly what I said during the meeting. I was the only one who could communicate with the Beast. Thats why I participated as its representative.
"Did you think I was lying?"
Naturally, he did, once he learned that the Tamers identity was Beniang.
This was an unexpected twist, to say the least.
Beniang wasnt infiltrating the meeting for some secret purpose. She could truly act as a representative and even had the legitimate right to participate in the meeting in that capacity.
However, if what the dragon said was true, another question arose.
How were you able to communicate with the Beast?
After fighting it solely for the purpose of establishing communication for over ten days, it eventually acknowledged me.
So that fight with the Beast at the last moment had been for that reason? Still, there was something that didnt add up.
There had been a lingering question ever since he learned about the fight between the dragon and the Beast:
The Twelve Void Lords were undoubtedly powerful, but not powerful enough to defeat a Ruler. In this world, only the four knights were strong enough to match a Rulers strength.
In other words
The Beast cannot defeat you.
Ive been wondering all along. Seven Fanged Dragon. Who was it that defeated you and caused your fall?
When I encountered the Beast, I was already weakened. As you know, the Void World was originally a place where we could not exist. However, I endured the penalties and roamed throughout this world. It wasnt long before I reached my limit, and it was around that time that I fought the Beast.
If it was meant to provoke sarcasm, it worked.
Residue twisted his lips into a cold smile.
Thats a weak excuse. Do you really think Id accept that?
Or are you trying to claim that the entire situation was intentional?
I was the first among all beings in the Three Thousand Worlds to take notice of the Void World. I believed it would eventually pose a threat. While I didnt foresee the current situation at the time, there was enough reason to intentionally experience defeat
To desire defeat a contradictory desire.
The dragon fell silent.
The truth is much simpler. You merely sought a thrill. A moderate amount of stimulation to make your monotonous life more entertaining. Its an arrogant wish. Even while longing for defeat, part of you was convinced it could never happen.
What do you think happens when such a being truly experiences defeat?
Residues smile grew even sharper.
They dress it up. They boast that it was intentional. They put on airs, claiming it was part of some grand plan. So, do me a favor and stop pretending to be noble?"
Kurrrung.....
Thunder rumbled outside.
Sedi, overwhelmed by their conversation, suddenly turned to look out the window.
Rain was pouring down. Tap, tap. The sound of raindrops striking the window was so sharp it bordered on irritating. While the ride itself was flawless, the soundproofing seemed to fall short of that level.
You
Eventually, the dragon spoke.
Her hair, by now, had taken on a darker hue.
You seem to know quite a bit about the Rulers. Even more than the Demon God.
Her manner of speech had changed.
Shall we talk for a moment?
"Aren''t we doing that now?"
Just the two of us.
At those words, Residue suddenly calmed and glanced at Sedi out of the corner of his eye.
It was meant to be a quick glance to gauge her reaction, but Sedi seemed to take it as a request for permission. She gave a slight nod.
And Pale?
She wasnt looking at Residue at all.
Her head was slightly bowed, with just the corners of her mouth lifted in a faint smile. Her long hair fell down, obscuring her eyes from view. Every now and then, for reasons only she knew, she would stifle a giggle, as though quietly enjoying some private amusement.
What an unnerving woman.
Residue couldnt easily admit to himself how much her demeanor sent a chill down his spine.
"Very well."
Following the dragon, he stepped out of the room.
However, the place she led him to was not another room within the mansion. She opened the front door and walked outside.
Shwaaaaaa-
Naturally, they were instantly confronted by the raging storm.
And before Residue could stop her, the dragon stepped out of the mansion. Her delicate frame was exposed to the storms ferocity without hesitation.
Under such a tempest, even a giant several times her size would have to cling to a tree like a beetle to avoid being swept away. Yet, the dragon''s robe merely fluttered lightly, and she walked gracefully along the dragon''s back, her steps steady and unaffected.
Residue had no choice but to follow her precarious stroll.
For a time, neither of them spoke. They simply walked. The dragons back was incredibly vast, comparable to the size of a garden belonging to a grand estate. To leisurely circle around it might take an hour or so.
Of course, neither of them had that kind of time to spare.
The dragon stopped near the base of its tail.
Her subdued eyes were fixed on the ground below.
Though the dragon was soaring several thousand meters above the ground, her gaze effortlessly pierced through to the surface below, where a war was raging.
I heard about what happened at the Kings Castle.
By now, her hair had changed color again.
This time, it was a sunset hue. A color that clashed entirely with the raging storm around them.
Residue slowly recalled the personas of the various dragons he had encountered so far.
Was the main persona of the Seven Fanged Dragon among them, or had it yet to reveal itself?
At the Kings Castle?
The three-way war.
Fear, loss. These are the most effective tools to spur short-term growth in people. And nothing incites those emotions better than chaos.
Get to the point already.
You were more polite in the past.
That was true.
In the Great Field, Lukas had shown respect to the Seven Fanged Dragon. He had undoubtedly used honorifics back then. Even though the dragon had been in a fallen state, Lukas had treated it with reverence.
But what had Lukas Trowman experienced since then? How much had he changed?
If its just empty courtesy you want, I can oblige.
No, that wont be necessary. I simply find it regrettable how much youve changed.
You must have gone through something you yourself dont fully understand. But you certainly dont know the whole truth.
You speak with certainty.
Isnt it obvious? If you did, you wouldnt have proposed something like the three-way war.
Residue tried to grasp the hidden intent behind those words, but the dragon gave him no time to dwell on it, continuing without pause.
For me, attending the Twelve Void Lords conference was a decision fraught with significant risk.
That much, Residue already understood.
The dragon might have supreme confidence in its ability to remain hidden, but even that wasnt enough to make its presence in the Kings Castle safe. The place was far too dangerous.
Not only were the Twelve Void Lords present, but even half of the knights had shown up.
Yet there was a reason that made the risk worth taking. Everyone is saying the same thing now. The onslaught of Destruction has only just begun.
The dragons gaze turned skyward.
Perhaps she was looking at the scene beyond the storm clouds: the pitch-black void, surrounded as if protected by a rain of meteorsthe apocalyptic sight of Destruction.
"That statement is wrong."
What do you mean?
Theyre all missing the most important point. Surely you know about the joint operation between the Red Knight and the Sun God on the frozen plains?
The dragon chuckled bitterly.
Destruction hasnt arrived yet Then what do you think it was they were trying to stop? What was so catastrophic that it required both a Knight and a Ruler to join forces?
Residue hesitated.
It was something hed forgotten amidst the flood of things to think about. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
But he did know.
Through the Spring, he had seen what the Red Knight called the First Destruction.
However, if what they were trying to stop was truly Destruction, then a contradiction arose. At that point in time, Lukas had yet to venture Outside. So how could Destruction have already begun?
Most people think the monster that emerged after breaking through the roof of the Kings Castle was the first appearance of Destruction. Even the Red Knight and the Sun God, who blocked it on the frozen plains, probably think the same. They likely believe their efforts to seal it off were successful.
No way.
A sudden realization crossed Residues mind, and his expression shifted.
What if thats not the case? What if Destruction had already begun appearing long before that? So secretly, so subtly, that even those tied to the Void World couldnt detect it
The dragons gaze shifted back to the ground.
Residue took a sharp breath at the scene unfolding in his eyes.
It was, without a doubt, the most grotesque transformation in history.
Simultaneously and in unison, the bodies of those who had been fighting as though trying to kill each other began to distort.
Faces split open. Chests ripped apart. Spines fractured. And from those grotesque wounds emerged membranes of flesh, which quickly enveloped their entire bodies. Their forms became encased in something resembling cocoons made of flesh.
Puhwaaak!
And in the briefest of moments, they were born.
Tearing through the membranous cocoons with their hands, they revealed their fully transformed forms.
Destruction.
The dragon had been right.
Everyone had been mistaken. Their eyes had been overly fixated on the meteor showers that filled the sky.
But catastrophe didnt only descend from the heavens.
The three-way war.
The stage of growth that Residue had envisioned had begun in the worst possible form he could have imagined.
Chapter Season 2 592
Translator: Alpha0210Strange beings of peculiar appearance began to emerge one after another.
Their unfamiliar and unprecedented forms bore a resemblance to the monsters of the ''Void World'', but the feeling they evoked was entirely different.
If the monsters wandering the Void World could be considered merely ''forgotten beings'', these creatures exuded the unmistakable aura of ''entities that should not exist''.
Feelings of disgust or repulsion are sensations one can only afford to feel when there is enough composure to fully take in the opponents appearance and engage in minimal observation. When confronted with beings one cannot properly face, humans are left with no choice but to feel terror.
The humans of the two worlds, who had been wielding swords in blind hatred toward each other, froze in place when faced with this sudden intrusion, what could only be described from their perspective as the embodiment of Destruction.
They couldnt even think of uniting. Two dandelions leaning on each other couldnt hope to withstand the storm.
Some sought God. Some crawled on the ground. Some fled in tears.
If they had forgotten the word ''enemy'', all that remained was a massacre. The gruesome sight was enough to stir a pang of melancholy even in the heart of Residue, who had once encouraged war.
The three-way battle he had hoped for,
But in this chaos, could a hero truly bloom?
There was something else that he could not understand.
"Why aren''t they finishing them off completely?"
Eleven forms of Destruction had revealed themselves.
Even just one of them could annihilate tens of thousands of humans in an instant. The disparity in power was so stark, and yet, the creatures were moving their limbs sluggishly.
I have observed them in this world longer than anyone else. This child was even created specifically to study them.
The ''child'' he spoke of referred to the dragon carrying the mansion on its back.
Recently, their behavior has changed significantly.
Changed? In what way?
Their behavior used to be entirely chaotic and unpredictable, but at some point, they began exhibiting coordinated movements as if guided by some purpose. Look at them now. Eleven Destruction entities revealing themselves simultaneously? Thats unprecedented.
Since when?
Approximately a week ago.
A week.
Something came to mind.
Residue recalled the image of the man who must be controlling the Destruction from outside the world.
But there was no time to dwell on him. The Destruction entities, though slow, were steadily and methodically exterminating the humans.
What happened next was the most astonishing sight of all.
Those things
They began to absorb the corpses scattered around them. The scene, which looked more like cleaning than feeding, might not have been surprising if that were all.
But then, the next moment.
Gurgle.
Their forms began to change.
Gurgle, gurgle, gurgle
Flesh, blood, entrails, and bones were crushed and kneaded as though handled by an invisible, massive hand. They started blending with one another.
Waves of flesh. Waves of blood. Waves of entrails.
It was undoubtedly the most repulsive wave Residue had ever seen. The mixing didn''t take long to end.
The battlefield, which until moments ago had been a scene of scattered blood and flesh, was now marked only by scars upon the earth. Standing there were eleven human-like figures.
They were both the victims slaughtered by Destruction and Destruction itself.
Their faces shifted rapidly, forming a myriad of expressions.
Joy, sorrow, anger, delight and many others. Expressions appeared and disappeared in quick succession.
But could anyone call those faces expressions? It was as if they were alternating between masks made from flayed human skin.
Yet, the grotesqueness of their faces was nothing compared to the movements of their bodies.
As their faces continuously morphed, they began to move their entire bodies as if dancing.
Crack.
From time to time, they would move their joints beyond the limits of their anatomy, causing bones to fracture or muscles to tear. It was as if they were testing the range of motion of a newly acquired doll.
As even the sound of rain grew faint, BOOM! Thunder roared violently. The sudden flash of lightning illuminated the grotesque theater performed by the eleven, pushing the eerie performance to its climax.
Residue and the dragon remained silent.
In the meantime, those creatures finished examining their own bodies and adopted an eerily blank expression. Without saying a word to each other, they began walking in different directions.
And then it happened.
Flash.
The dragon stretched her hand downward.
Her pupils sank coldly, and her clothes and hair began to whip violently in the air.
Kwoooooooosh-
From behind her, a dark green mist exploded forth and swiftly formed the shapes of dozens of dragons. The moment Residue narrowed his eyes, the dragons plunged toward the ground with ferocious momentum.
BOOM!
What followed was a series of brutal impacts. The earth heaved, and an ear-shattering roar spread in all directions. The chaos was so overwhelming that it seemed even the torrential rain and the black clouds might retreat.
Swoooooosh-
As the rising dust began to settle, the sound of the rain returned.
Not a single living thing remained on the exposed ground.
The entities of Destruction had been annihilated.
Even if they were weaker than the ones the Half King fought.
The destructive power was still astonishing.
How many fangs has the Dragon recovered now?
Residue turned his attention to the remains of the monsters.
Were they imitating humans in that way only to reveal their true form at a decisive moment and ambush their surroundings?
The act itself was no different from predatory hunting techniques. Even beasts were capable of using camouflage during a hunt.
What sent a genuine chill down Residues spine, however, was the fact that these mindless creatures were capable of such acts.
There is almost no way to discern them,
Dragon said, breaking the silence.
Its not just about stealing appearances or mimicking actions. They can replicate everything about the beings they absorb. Until they decide to stop imitating, they can essentially become that very existence.
Do you know whats most terrifying? Its that we cannot discern any principle behind their behavior.
Residue, understanding the weight of her words, remained silent.
Until they reveal themselves, they never stop mimicking under any circumstances or conditions. Threats to their life? Intimidation? Danger? Haha. Such concepts mean nothing to them. Not even death serves as a reliable method of identification.
It wasn''t wrong.
The Destruction entities that had transformed into nearby humans still retained their human forms even at the moment of death.
In other words,
Killing a human-shaped Destruction would leave one feeling awful.
What if the one killed wasnt a Destruction entity but an actual human? That faint seed of doubt would grow sharper with each Destruction slain, and even those with the most impenetrable minds would eventually succumb to its influence.
Exactly. And the most critical point is this: I still havent been able to figure out the condition that makes them stop mimicking.
Residue closed his eyes and recalled the creatures that had been imitating humans moments ago.
Indeed, it wasnt just their outward appearance. Their presence, their minor habits, even their gestures, everything had changed.
If everything the Dragon said was true, they would have absorbed memories too, so even interrogation couldn''t determine the truth.
"...You said there''s almost no way to identify them." Sarch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Residue spoke again.
Does that mean there is a way?
Its not a definitive method, but yes, there is one.
The dragon reached into her belongings and pulled something out.
What she revealed was a necklace.
However, it gave off an unsettling, ominous aura that made ones skin crawl.
The crimson, round gemstone set in the necklace bore an uncanny resemblance to an eyeballno, to an actual eye.
"It''s an item made by processing a fragment of a God''s eyeball."
God
Yes. While the exact reason is unknown, as far as I know, this is the only tool capable of identifying Destruction.
The exact reason, huh.
Residues knowledge led him to form two hypotheses.
The first was that the Primordial God, who had created both the Three Thousand Worlds and the Void World, had the ability to detect impurities from the ''outside''.
The second was that the Primordial God might have been one of the ''outside'' beings themselves, causing the artifact to resonate with Destruction due to their shared origin.
However, its effectiveness is extremely limited. It only works once per day, and its range is just 5 meters. If a Destruction entity is within that range, the necklace emits a faint vibration.
Based on the artifacts reaction, the latter hypothesis seemed more likely.
The dragon spoke in a heavy voice.
After obtaining this necklace through an accidental encounter, I began using it as efficiently as possible. I started by identifying and verifying the authenticity of those who must never become Destruction.
The dragon closed her eyes.
But every one of them was someone in a position that was nearly impossible to meet. Naturally, thats to be expected, they were the strongest beings in this world.
Each of them ruled a territory, and countless followers surrounded them.
The 5-meter range of the necklace meant that she had to meet them one-on-one, a condition that was extremely difficult to fulfill.
But recently, all of them gathered in one place. Seizing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, I went there, even at some personal risk, and without hesitation, used the necklace.
Once per day,
A range of 5 meters,
The strongest individuals in this world,
All gathered in one place.
As these different words connected, a certain scene flashed through Residues mindthe meeting.
You might say it wouldve been better not to use it. After all, there are truths in this world that are better left unknown.
The dragon said this with a faint, bitter laugh.
The phrase ''truths better left unknown''. How laughable such a saying would have been to those who were once rulers. In the past, they mocked every proverb in existence. They were beings who rightfully deserved to do so.
Now, that''s no longer the case.
And so, the self-deprecation in her voice was something only Residue could perceive.
"The Twelve Void Lords'' meeting."
At Residues words, the dragon nodded.
Three.
She held up three fingers.
From what I could ascertain, at least three of the Void Lords present were Destruction in disguise.
*
After providing a few additional explanations, the dragon returned to her mansion.
Residue, however, remained where he was, standing still.
Ssshhhh-
Rain poured down, drenching his face as he thought.
The necklaces functionality was far from precise.
For example, if ten people gathered in one place and only one of them was Destruction, the frequency displayed by the necklace would be the same as if all ten were Destruction. In other words, it couldnt make detailed distinctions.
And yet, the dragon had been able to state with relative confidence that at least three Void Lords were Destruction.
The reason was simple.
Before the meeting took place, the dragon had personally visited each of the Void Lords domains. However, she also mentioned that there wasnt a single one among them she could be entirely certain was Destruction.
...The situation is far worse than expected. Even calling it the worst case scenario seems insufficient.
Where should he even begin? How should he untangle this mess?
Direct threats, indirect threats, and even threats he hadnt yet identified.
Could it be possible to account for all of them?
What about solutions?
It wasnt shocking that Destruction had already taken root on this land. After all, they were beings that existed outside the concept of time. If one considered that the result preceded the cause rather than the other way around, it made sense.
If it was destined for Lukas Trowman to become Destruction and command them, then it wouldnt have been surprising if smaller instances of Destruction had already descended upon the world long ago.
The problem was from now on.
Lukas Trowman.
He had always been the embodiment of rationality, but he was never a man who could become completely cold-blooded.
After all, he was human, and he couldnt entirely let go of human emotions.
But even setting that aside, his narrative had always been heroic.
Efficient combat, utilization of available cards, flexible strategies depending on the opponent, number games, boldness, patience...
Even possessing just a few of these traits would earn someone the title of a great general in war. Lukas was a man who possessed all of them, not just adequately, but beyond perfection.
Such a man,
A man who couldn''t be deterred by failure or death, now had ''Destruction'' - cards that were nearly unlimited in potential.
And, as if he had been waiting all this time, he began his conquest of this unified world with the most effective methods possible.
At this moment, Residue finally grasped the true weight of what it meant to have Lukas Trowman as an enemy.
...He had no intention of exaggerating.
Yet, deep within his heart, there had been a part of him that underestimated Destruction.
A sudden question surged forth.
Can humanity truly stop Destruction?
Rumble-
Just then, thunder roared once more.
Standing amidst the torrential downpour, Residue looked up at the sky.
This will be interesting.
The unusually loud sound of the rain,
he hoped, might at least drown out his own pitiful bravado.
Chapter Season 2 593
Translator: Alpha0210After organizing his thoughts to some extent and returning to the mansion, Residue found Sedi standing at the entrance.
She wore her characteristic sullen expression, arms crossed, but upon seeing Residue soaked to the bone, she let out a deep sigh.
Its not exactly weather for a walk, is it?
Hmm.
I had some things to think about.
The words he added in a low voice sounded so much like an excuse that he almost laughed out loud.
At that moment, something fluttered through the air. Carefully catching it with his hand, he found it was a soft, fluffy towel.
Where did this come from?
The bathroom.
An unexpected answer came.
Had she read his expression? That wouldnt be a good sign.
This time, lets talk for a bit. I have some things I want to ask as well.
Another interrogation session. Really, no time to catch a break.
Though, among the interrogators lurking in this mansion, Sedi was probably the easiest to deal with. That fact, however, wasnt much of a comfort.
Ill wash up first.
Using his drenched appearance as an excuse, he bought some time. Sedi nodded silently, without any further words.
Second floor, to the right.
She must mean the location of the bathroom.
Residue went upstairs to the second floor and turned to the right. What greeted him wasnt a simple place one could merely call a bathroom. The interior was spacious, and a warm mist was gently wafting in the air.
As he turned his gaze slightly, he saw a bath.
And it was quite large.
Of course, there wasnt enough time to leisurely soak in it, so he decided to quickly dry off the water on his body.
Swooooosh-
Residue turned on the warm water and closed his eyes.
The words the dragon had spoken crossed his mind again.
At least three of the Twelve Void Lords are Destruction.
If thats the case, theres also a chance that the 0th Demon, Sedi Trowman, is Destruction.
Lukas Trowmans adoptive daughter? Thats no guarantee of safety.
On the contrary, Sedi, who is connected to both the Void World and the Three Thousand Worlds, could potentially become a highly useful piece if she could be used as a pawn of Destruction.
But Residue shook his head at this conjecture.
The necklace the dragon had. It can only be used once a day, it said.
This mansion was likely the dragons mobile base and, most probably, a hideout that needed to remain secret.
Allowing Pale and Sedi into such a location must mean that, at the very least, their innocence had been proven.
If thats the case, are they allies?
At the very least, could they be used as cards to fight against Destruction?
That would depend entirely on Residues discretion.
These three were absolute allies of Lukas Trowman. So if Residue could perfectly mimic Lukas borrowing their strength wouldnt be too difficult.
But.
Residue suddenly paused as a thought struck him.
But what?
What was he trying to say next?
Could it be that, at this point, he was starting to feel burdened by pretending to be Lukas? Or was he being overwhelmed by guilt at the thought of deceiving others?
No, that''s not it.
Such human-like sentiments wouldnt shake Residue.
The hesitation he felt now was something far more fundamental.
Is this method truly right?
Imitating Lukas Trowman.
The power, experiences, memories, and relationships he had built
Was mimicking all of that truly the most correct approach to tackling Destruction?
Because.
You were the most perfect.
To Residue, Lukas had been the answer.
A man who made mistakes, wandered, struggled, and broke down in disgrace,
Yet ultimately found a path he could accept.
However, just moments ago, when he glimpsed the presence of Destruction, cracks had begun to form in that belief.
No, lets be more honest.
Just moments ago, Residue had arrived at a conviction he should not have.
Just acting as ''Lukas Trowman'' won''t be enough to defeat Destruction (Lukas Trowman).
Swooooooosh.
For a while, he stood blankly, letting the warm water pour over him.
What does one do when they realize the guidepost theyve trusted is wrong?
No, more importantly.
If I dont imitate Lukas Trowman, what should I do?
What do I have right now?
What am I without Lukas Trowman?
You are no longer a Ruler. Youre nothing but scum. Know your place.
The voice of the Lightning God resurfaced in his mind.
It was a wound he thought he had overcome and fully healed. But the moment he suddenly looked down at his own body, he realized that the scar had instead rotted horribly, festering and worsening.
Had it gotten infected?
No.
It was probably just that the painkiller called ''Lukas'' had momentarily allowed him to forget it.
He had been someones imitation, and now he was trying to become someone elses imitation again.
Looking into the mirror, he saw the image of a man drenched in water.
Who are you?
He whispered in a low voice.
Who am I?
It wasnt a question but rather a search for an answer.
Residue wished this wasnt just him talking to himself.
If the man in the mirror, Lukas, the one who had been Residues sole answer, would respond in any way, it would have been a relief.
Swooooosh-
Residue closed his eyes again.
And came up with the answer alone.
Neither Lukas Trowman nor the Lightning God. Just Residue.
From the very beginning, that had been his identity.
It feels like a distant memory now.
The memories of when he was the Lightning God were faint.
At this point, he wasnt even sure he fully understood what confidence was anymore.
***
He couldnt afford to waste any more time. Residue stopped indulging in sentimental thoughts and decided to leave the bathroom.
He admitted that he was more unstable and shaken than ever before, but even so, his arrogance still remained. At this point, that battered pride was the only sturdy pillar supporting Residues sense of self.
However, the moment he opened the bathroom door and stepped out,
He almost had a heart attack.
Standing in the changing room was Pale.
She didnt look the slightest bit flustered. Her calm demeanor made it seem as though she had been waiting for someone.
Why is she here, what does she want from me? What is she thinking?
Could it be that she has discovered my true identity?
Did you wash thoroughly?
Pales sudden voice snapped Residue out of his spiraling thoughts.
Even when faced with ''Lukas'' standing there naked, she didnt blush or look the least bit embarrassed. On the contrary, her unwavering gaze made him feel self-conscious. Sar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
"...Ah, yeah."
"That''s good!"
Pale giggled in a cheerful tone.
Residue had assumed she was waiting to talk about something important, but as soon as he emerged, she turned as if she was about to leave.
And indeed, she really did start walking away.
Ah, right.
Just as he thought that, her head peeked back through the door.
I almost forgot. I put the thing you left behind back inside.
Her crescent-moon-shaped eyes curved with a playful smile.
And with that final remark, Pale truly left this time.
Residue stood frozen in place, unable to move easily. After a moment, he finally checked the wardrobe.
On top of the clothes he had haphazardly tossed aside earlier, there was a mask, the mask of the Beginning Wizard.
***
"You look better after washing up."
The words came as soon as Residue returned to the room where Sedi was waiting.
Suppressing the urge to impatiently brush back his bothersome bangs, Residue replied.
"Did you wait long?"
Not really.
Sedi was sitting on the bed.
Seeing her like that reminded Residue of a scene from the distant past, where Lukas sat beside Sedi on a bed. A memory that belonged to someone else, not him.
As Residue moved to sit beside her, Sedi shifted slightly to make room for him.
Whats your relationship with that woman, Pale?
So thats what Sedi was curious about, after all.
Im not asking about her identity. I already know shes the Blue Knight of Famine, one of the Four Knights of the Kings Castle.
Since she became one of the Twelve Void Lords anyway.
Sedi briefly added, then spoke again.
What Im asking is, what kind of relationship does she have with Father?
"Is that what you''re most curious about?"
There are other things I want to ask too. Like how you knew about my condition. And also
She didnt finish her sentence, but the unspoken words lingered clearly in the air.
She must have wanted to know what he thought of her now. Residue hated it, but once again, he placed his hand on her head.
Perhaps it was because there was no one around to watch, but Sedis demeanor was far gentler than it had been earlier. It was like looking at a cat that had let its guard down.
What did Pale say to you?
"...Nonsense about calling her mother and such. So father, surely you and that woman didn''t"
Nothing happened.
The situation Sedi was worried about had never come to pass.
If Pale had stayed by Lukas side instead of leaving, who knows? Her persistence was no joke. Enough to shake even Lukas Trowman, who had absolutely no knowledge about women''s hearts.
"Ah, I thought so."
Sedi let out a deep sigh of relief.
"I knew it. Well, I obviously thought it was nonsense, but that woman''s attitude was just so confident."
.
He secretly observed Sedi''s profile as she grumbled. Though she was furrowing her brow in displeasure, she didn''t seem to outright hate Pale.
To begin with, Sedi was oddly weak against people with blunt attitudes, honesty, or overwhelming displays of affection. In that sense, Pales existence might even be considered her natural enemy.
Ah. I suddenly feel so tired.
Sedi flopped onto the bed.
She was completely defenseless. This, too, must be because she saw Residue as Lukas.
"You look very tired."
Hmm. Ever since becoming the 0th Demon, I havent really felt fatigue.
It must be the aftermath of the Great Fusion. Get some rest.
Maybe I will.
Sedi murmured in a drowsy voice.
The interrogation had ended much more anticlimactically than hed anticipated. Should he leave the room before she fell asleep? He was about to rise from his seat when,
Father are you there?
Yes.
Residue paused and sat back down.
Okay
Im glad to see you again.
Those were her final words.
Her breathing became steady, her expression soft and relaxed.
Sedi had fallen into a deep sleep.
She truly looked gaunt, Residue belatedly realized.
Why hadnt he noticed earlier?
Beniang had been the same. All of them had pushed themselves far past their limits trying to rescue the Lukas Trowman who had been imprisoned by the two knights.
Residue rose from his seat and reached out to pull the blanket over her, but then stopped midway. Without even realizing his expression had stiffened, he quietly left the room.
Even though hed just dried himself off, he felt like plunging into the stormy rain again.
A frustration hed never felt before swelled within him, making him irritable, but more than that, he felt like a stranger to himself. Was this pitiful existence truly who he was?
Residue wandered the mansion with unsteady steps.
At the end of the hallway, someone was standing there.
Blue Knight Pa
Smack!
The sensation of his stomach caving in, followed by a feeling as if his insides had been completely overturned, hit him all at once. While he wasnt excessively shocked or scared by the pain, he couldnt help but be startled by the fact that he hadnt been able to react in time.
"First, your expression."
Her voice was sharp and cold, like icicles piercing his eardrums.
"Lukas couldn''t have looked at me so calmly. Of course not. Right after ''doing that'' and parting ways."
Before he could properly gather his senses, the second and third blows came flying.
A kick to his knee, a strike to his throat.
Gahk!
His kneecap shattered into pieces, and his throat was crushed, rendering him unable to speak. As he gasped and collapsed to the ground, his head was yanked back by the hair, forcing him to look up.
At first, I tried to chalk it up to the situation, thought you were just flustered. But after that, you kept making mistake after mistake, over and over again. Did you realize it yourself? I doubt it. Yeah, Im sure you havent.
Her ominous eyes like an inverted crescent moon stared directly at Residue.
Ill ask just two questions.
Pale said with a slight smile.
Where is Lukas, and who are you?
Chapter Season 2 594
Translator: Alpha0210It was before he could even respond.
This time, his head snapped to the side. He had been slapped. Though it seemed like a palm strike, his vision went dark as if he''d been hit by a hammer.
She had asked those questions only to follow it up with violence again.
It might seem absurd, but instead of trembling in anger, Residue realized another truth.
Pale appeared to be asking questions, but she had no intention of engaging in a conversation.
Her words just now werent directed at anyone but herself. They were more like murmurs, or perhaps complaints.
Smack Thud Smack.
The violence continued.
This indiscriminate and chaotic violence tore Residues body apart irregularly. The punches, devoid of any consideration, didnt hesitate even when they struck lethal vital points.
The pain was excruciating.
Yet even amidst the unbearable waves of pain, his mind remained clear. And because of that, he could be certain of one thing.
He couldn''t play dumb.
He couldnt say things like, Im Lukas Trowman, what are you talking about? Dont misunderstand.
He couldnt even spit out such empty excuses.
The certainty in Pales beatings left no room for doubt.
As mentioned before, he understood how this woman thought of Lukas.
If even the slightest part of her thought he was Lukas, there was no way she would unleash such violence, which was no better than venting her rage.
Smack!
A fierce kick landed squarely in the center of his chest.
Residues body was flung like a cannonball, smashing through the walls of the mansion and thrown outside. He fell from the second-floor height, rolling down the back of the dragon.
Cough.
A pain so intense, it felt as if his heart had stopped.
No, it might have actually stopped. Even breathing was a struggle.
Shhhhh
The torrential rain continued to pour down.
As Residue tried to stand up, coughing blood, his hand slipped, and he fell face-first to the ground again.
...Really hate this weather.
In the meantime, Pale jumped down from the second floor.
Clank, her entire body became encased in a pale suit of armor. Only her helmet remained absent. Her disheveled hair, soaked from the rain, clung to her face almost immediately.
"Speak."
"......"
"I said speak. Who are you?"
A muttered voice reached him.
The nerve of her, demanding answers without giving him a chance to speak.
Staggering, with unsteady steps that looked like she might collapse at any moment, Pale closed the distance.
There was no longer any choice.
She was one of the Four Knights, and this body belonged to Lukas, and because he knew their history
If he tried to avoid this fight any longer, he might truly die here.
So he had to fight.
Tsszzzt!
Electricity sparked. Rumble, as if resonating with Residues will, thunder crackled within the storm clouds the dragon was weaving through.
Flash! In that moment, a streak of lightning lit up Pales face.
!
Residue,
Lowered his hands.
Smack!
This time, he was kicked again. It felt like hed lost a molar. It hurt.
Before he could spit out the fragments of his broken teeth, he was hit on the opposite side. The shattered teeth scraped the inside of his mouth like glass shards. It hurt.
Gag. Unable to hold back, he coughed out a sticky, unpleasant mixture of blood.
Where is he?
His arm was stomped on.
Crack, the bone shattered like withered leaves.
Where is he?
Next, his left shinbone was crushed.
Since his right knee had already been destroyed earlier, standing on both feet any time soon seemed impossible.
Where is he?
Finally, his neck was grabbed.
Pales hand gripped his throat like a hook, refusing to let go. Truly a deranged woman. His airway was nearly blocked, making it difficult not just to speak but even to breathe. Even a creature with ten lungs wouldnt be able to utter a word in this state.
But on the other hand,
Even if he could speak, what could he say?
This wasnt someone he could reason with in the first place.
You can''t meet him anymore
Even so, Residue forced himself to croak out the words.
Hes gone
Even if you kill me that fact wont change
Smack! Before he could finish his sentence, a searing pain exploded across his face.
Pale had headbutted him. It felt like his nose had been shattered.
"Cut the bullshit and talk. How did you get your hands on this body?"
"Blue Knight Pale. You should already know." Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
At least his throat loosened up a bit, allowing Residue to speak more clearly than before.
"Do you think its even possible to steal his body? Even the Ruler couldnt manage such a thing."
"."
"He handed it over willingly to me"
Smack.
This time, her fist slammed into his solar plexus.
The punch, tightly wrapped in her gauntlet, carried the kind of force that left no doubt about its power. Residue doubled over, dry-heaving in pain.
"Where is he?"
Like a broken doll, she kept repeating the same question.
Through his flickering vision, Residue looked up at her.
"...First."
"What?"
"The first reason you said it was the expression."
"."
He was referring to the basis on which she had seen through his identity.
Of course, it wasnt the time to be saying such things, but he smiled anyway, baring blood-stained teeth.
"Then, whats the second and third reason?"
The corners of Pales lips twitched.
It seemed like she wanted to laugh, or at least produce a sneer. But such a thing was impossible. Since the moment she stepped out of the mansion, there was no room left for a smile on Pales face. Residue knew that the water dripping down her face wasnt just rain.
"There aren''t any."
''Stupid woman.''
As Residues grin deepened,
The violence descended upon him once again.
***
The mind and body are indeed tightly connected.
For someone like Residue, who had spent so long as a transcendent being, it hadnt been a significant truth. But now, things were different. He wasnt existing in flesh and blood; he was inhabiting a body.
He acknowledged it.
The mind could not be entirely free from the influence of the body.
Smack!
He didnt even have the strength to open his eyes.
How much time had passed?
Residue neither resisted nor acted out to protect himself.
Curling up to reduce the pain even slightly, wasn''t that too unsightly?
Thud, thud, smack
However, he couldn''t remain silent forever.
It wasnt that he had succumbed to the violence. He simply felt that if this continued, he might really die.
And that was a result he absolutely had to avoid. So, Residue opened his mouth to speak.
Lukas left for a faraway place to prevent the Destruction, and now his responsibilities have fallen to me.
He couldnt reveal everything.
But at the same time, he couldnt lie completely either.
In the end, Residue seemed to cobble together an explanation within the limits of what he could safely say.
The reaction he received was cold.
Who are you to do that?
Don''t you already know....... Who I am.......
.
In that moment, as he watched Pales expression, Residue clearly felt the inherent instability of the Four Knights.
The storm of emotions passed in an instant, leaving behind a flood of questions.
Why did he leave?
If he left, where did he go?
Why didnt he say anything to me?
Did he not trust me?
Why, why, why, why?
.
.
Why did he entrust it to someone like you?
Squelch.
His face was pressed into a puddle of water.
Residue was surprised to realize he was still alive. But there were two reasonable explanations for that.
The first was that Lukass body was far sturdier than expected. A body honed through countless hardships in his lifetime, indeed.
The second was that Pales violence lacked purpose.
She wasnt trying to destroy him,
Nor was she trying to disable certain parts of his body,
And she certainly wasnt trying to kill him.
There was no intent behind her actions.
Staggering, Pale approached again. As she came close, Residue braced himself for the next wave of pain.
"."
But no matter how long he waited, the pain didnt come.
Squelch. The sound of water splashing echoed once more.
Forcing his barely responsive eyes open, Residue saw Pale, kneeling on the ground.
Shhhhh-
Through his half-lidded eyes, Residue gazed at her.
"Everyone looks at me the same way."
"."
"Did you know? I can tell. I can always tell what someone is thinking when they look at me. Its not much of a skill, really. Anyone could develop it, living like I have for a time far longer than billions of years."
Her voice was hollow, void of life, a tone that didnt suit her at all. She sounded like someone whose vitality had completely drained away.
"Fear and suspicion arent things you can hide with a fake smile. Just because your voice doesnt tremble, doesnt mean you can conceal your unease?"
Like encountering a wild beast in a dark forest, or realizing youre standing next to a bomb just before it explodes.
Whether weak beings, strong beings, or all other beings, they all treated Pale that way.
As if she were an uncontrollable mad dog.
Except for one person.
But now
"When you, with that body, that face, and those eyes, looked at me in that way, how do you think I felt?"
She could tolerate it from anyone else.
From anyone else, it didnt even itch anymore, not after all this time.
But there was one person who shouldnt have done so.
Even if it was a stolen body, a borrowed body, or as he claimed, an inherited body.
Not with that face. Not with that face.
"I know."
Her voice now seemed on the verge of breaking.
"I know this is really Lukas''s body. How could I not know? So."
Pale stopped speaking and took a small, deliberate breath.
In that fleeting moment, Residue caught a glimpse of her eyes. For the first time, he clearly saw her emotions.
Because he was once the Ruler, he couldnt miss it.
Fear.
"I''ll believe everything, so tell me. Where is Lukas?"
It was then that he understood.
This woman didnt believe a word he had said.
She wasnt convinced by the explanation that he had gone to a ''faraway place''. Instead, she was considering the worst possible scenario.
Death.
"."
If Residue were to speak the truth here,
if he said that Lukas Trowman, the only person capable of controlling the Destruction, had gone ''outside'' to handle it, and that Residue had inherited his body.
Pale would believe him.
Her interest in Residue would vanish in an instant, and she would no longer concern herself with him. From Residues perspective, this would be the most advantageous outcome.
However,
afterward, this woman would leave for the ''outside'' without hesitation.
Without considering the cost, without delay, she would leave.
And then she would die.
She would meet the most miserable end imaginable at the hands of Lukas, who had now become the Lord of Destruction.
"."
Residue chose silence.
Even knowing how Pale might interpret this silence, he kept his mouth shut.
Shhhhh-
The sound of rain.
The irritating sound of rain hammered at his eardrums.
The silence stretched on. It felt impossibly long. At least, to Residue, it did.
Eventually, his consciousness began to fade. He felt like he might pass out at any moment.
He had lost too much blood.
No, perhaps it wasnt just blood he had lost.
"uh."
Just as his awareness blurred further, a faint voice seeped into his waning consciousness.
"Ugh, hic, hng."
Forcing his eyes to move, Residue looked up at Pale.
It would be a lie to say he wasnt surprised in that moment.
"Uah, aah, uh, ah."
Her voice came out in short, broken bursts, disconnected and intermittent.
"Uah, aah, ah"
And then, as it connected, it turned into the sound of a childs cry.
Her reddened, swollen eyes faced the heavens as she opened her mouth wide,
and Blue Knight Pale burst into tears.
"Uwaaaaah-"
Her wailing was so loud that even the torrential rain and the rumbling thunder couldnt drown it out.
Like a child who had lost their parents, trembling in vague fear without understanding the full extent of what theyd lost,
Pale sobbed uncontrollably as she was overcome by an all-consuming fear.
"I... hate... this."
Her voice, interrupted by hiccups, continued.
"I dont want this. I hate this Lukas."
It was a voice choked with tears.
"Give him, back. Give him, back. Please."
Residue recalled their brief conversation from earlier.
''...There aren''t any second or third reasons?''
What an obvious lie.
If she wanted to, this woman could list over a hundred reasons to explain the unease she had felt about Residue.
...The sound of the downpour had stopped, but an even more irritating sound could be heard.
Residue closed his eyes while looking at the ink-black sky.
Really hate this weather.
Chapter Season 2 595
Translator: Alpha0210Tok-
Cold.
Residue regained his consciousness with a strange sense of dj vu.
''Looks like my lifeline is still intact- for now.''
The fact that he could think meant as much.
At this moment, Residue''s mind was tightly linked to his physical body.
When an ordinary mortal''s body ceases all biological activity, their soul either transitions to the afterlife or reincarnates, following the laws governing existence.
This is the most fundamental principle forced upon a soul after death.
Residues case, however, was a bit different.
For fragments of consciousness that were nothing more than lingering remnants, the principles of death did not apply. Perhaps the ''Void World'' might have become his afterlife, but since the boundaries of the world had already collapsed, that was a meaningless thought.
Now, whether he liked it or not, Residue was bound to share his fate with this body.
The death of the body meant the death of the soul.
The death of the soul meant the annihilation of his existence.
No. It might not only apply to Residue.
Now that Destruction had arrived, death could deliver nothingness to all beings.
Even while aware of such a risk, why did I not fight?
Tok-
Residue stopped his unproductive musings and tried to open his eyes. It wasnt easy. The swelling hadnt subsided completely. Left with no choice, he attempted to move his body by relying solely on his senses, but even that didnt go as he intended.
It wasnt due to his injuries.
Of course, his physical state was terrible, but this body had fairly decent regenerative abilities. Even his shattered bones had partially healed.
So the reason was simple.
Clink-
His entire body was restrained.
Was this the source of the dj vu? It felt as if hed experienced something similar not long ago. S~ea??h the ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Residue realized he was once again captured, now confined even more securely than before.
The cool, metallic sensation of the chains binding him was somewhat familiar.
These were the same chains that had held him captive in the underground cave. Death Worm hadnt devoured all of them but when had they been retrieved?
Guh
His throat was burning. His mouth was as parched as a desert. Considering how much blood he had lost, it wasnt surprising.
Most of his wounds had been left untreated, though the truly life-threatening injuries seemed to have been tended to with some basic first aid. If theyd left even a single glass of water, it wouldve been perfect.
After taking a moment to calm himself, he made another effort to open his eyes. Soon enough, despite the swelling, he managed to discern his surroundings to some extent.
It wasnt a prison not exactly a barren place.
The space resembled an old storage room. It was dark and damp but well-maintained, with no significant buildup of dust.
Plop-
The only exception was the ceiling, from which water droplets were falling.
Residue felt one of the drops land on the bridge of his nose, trickling down past his philtrum to his lips. He tasted it with his tongue before spitting it out.
Rainwater.
This likely meant that the room was at the very top of a building, perhaps an attic or something similar.
When he listened more carefully, he could faintly hear the sound of rain. It''s really pouring down as if there''s a hole in the sky. After having such a useless thought he chuckled to himself as he realized that there really was a hole in the sky right now.
Of course, he couldnt laugh for long, as the pain in his chest made sure of that.
He was thirsty. Should he not have spat out the water? He was already dehydrated.
So then
What now?
The situation was dire, and his physical and mental states were far from ideal, but the one solace was that he now had some time to think.
The first thing that came to mind was the Blue Knight, Pale.
The image of her, like a child, breaking down in tears as she screamed at the sky, was still vivid in his mind. Perhaps that was the closest anyone could get to the essence of what Pale truly was.
I hope she stays disheartened.
But she wasnt someone who would remain on her knees forever.
He didnt know how long despair would hold her down, but eventually, she would rise and take action.
Yes, the crucial part was what she would do once she pulled herself together.
Knowing Pale, it wouldn''t be strange if she suddenly broke down that door, drew her blade and declared she''d cut off his head first before thinking about anything else.
That''s when it happened.
Creaaak The door opened, and a someone''s silhouette appeared. Residue flinched involuntarily, wondering if his imagination had just become reality, but it wasnt the Blue Knight who revealed herself.
It was Sedi Trowman.
She stood in the doorway for a long while, completely still.
The distance from the entrance to where Residue was confined was about ten steps.
There didnt seem to be any other reason for her to visit this old storage room, so it was only natural to conclude that Sedis business lay with Residue.
Of course, ten steps wasnt quite the right distance to resolve her purpose.
Step.
After a brief pause, Sedi began to walk. Slowly, taking one step at a time. Residue noticed that she seemed to be wavering, caught between conflicting emotions.
Her gait resembled that of someone who absolutely didnt want to move but had no other choice. And yet, no matter how reluctant the steps, with every step taken, the distance grew smaller.
The gap closed, and soon they stood face-to-face, only a short distance apart.
Even from her cold, lifeless gaze, he could tell.
Sedi now knew his true identity. Did the Blue Knight tell her? Or had it been because he was beaten so thoroughly and conspicuously?
"Was it fun?"
"It must have been amusing. Pretending to be that person, observing my reactions, watching how pathetic I looked getting worked up over every little gesture."
Sedis face twisted with anger, her tightly clenched fists trembling as if she were grasping a blade that cut into her palms.
"Ruler. You people, do you enjoy deceiving people like this?"
Residue remembered the Sedi Trowman of the past. She was a loyal servant of the Demon God, even proud of her subservience.
In the eyes of the Lightning God, she had been just one of many insignificant Absolutes, unworthy of even remembering.
If she hadnt been an Absolute dispatched to kill Lukas, her existence wouldnt have even left a trace in his memory.
Not anymore.
Now, she could propose negotiations to the Rulers, and depending on the situation, she could even express her hatred and resentment towards them.
Had she grown?
You probably dont even understand the concept of guilt. To you, anyone who isnt one of your own is nothing more than a pawn on a chessboard. Always, always like this. Even in this situation, you can''t grasp the concept of unity."
There were several things that needed to be corrected.
First, Residue was not a Ruler. He was nothing more than the remnants stained with traces of a Rulers power.
Second, he had never found Sedi, Beniang, or Pale amusing. On the contrary, seeing their faces filled him with a deep, almost visceral discomfort, as if he were wading through a swamp. He disliked even meeting their eyes.
That in itself was a surprising change, even to him. If he were truly a ''Ruler'', as Sedi claimed, then their struggles would have likely been an endlessly entertaining source of amusement.
But he didnt voice those excuses. Even thinking about the reasons made him laugh bitterly.
It was purely because of his pride.
And that pride was important.
Residue sneered at himself, finding his own situation utterly ridiculous. Though his scorn was directed at himself, Sedi interpreted it differently.
I hate you all so much.
Her crimson eyes burned with hatred.
I want to kill you in the most horrific way I know and then bury you in a place so far away that youll never appear before my eyes again.
Then why dont you?
For the first time, Residue spoke.
His gaze fell to the basket that Sedi had brought. It was filled with supplies like bandages and hemostatic agents, as well as the water flask he had so desperately longed for.
In that moment, it became clear who had provided the first aid that his body had received. It couldnt have been Pale, her handiwork wouldnt have been this neat.
What state is my fathers consciousness right now?
At those words, Residue slowly closed his eyes. It was difficult for him to keep them open for too long.
Lukass consciousness
For a moment, he considered things from Sedi Trowmans perspective.
She mistakenly believes that the one occupying Lukass body is none other than the Lightning God. Its a natural assumption, considering her own similar experiences.
Does she think that the Lightning God is controlling this body while Lukass consciousness slumbers deep within?
If so, another question arises.
What about the Blue Knight?
Surely Pale knows about the Lightning Gods remnant, Residues existence.
Has Sedi not discussed this with her?
Thats none of your concern.
As he stared at her steadily, Sedi muttered ''damn it'' under her breath.
Shes locked herself in her room. Shes not responding, and she doesnt seem to have any intention of talking to anyone. Well, I suppose I can understand that now. After spending the last few weeks being forced to endure how that woman feels about my father, its become painfully clear.
Sedi opened the water flask.
Then, with careful motions, she poured some into Residues mouth.
Her gaze was still cold, and her expression as sharp as ice, yet her actions in offering water carried an almost gentle care. Of course, that reverence wasnt directed toward Residue but toward the owner of this body.
Residue quietly moved his throat, replenishing his fluids.
I overheard a little of what you and that woman were talking about.
You said my father is gone. Was that a metaphor?
Apparently, Residues earlier assumption had been wrong.
Sedi had a far more composed understanding of the situation than he had expected.
If I told you the truth, would you believe me?
The truth, huh. Thats a word that doesnt suit you.
Sedi pulled the flask back.
Even so, I wont bother to listen. To be honest, your circumstances dont really matter to me. I just wanted to make something clear.
What?
"Even if by chance everything you said is true, I won''t accept it."
My father might have cooperated with you. He might even have entrusted everything to you before leaving. I dont know everything that happened in the time I was unaware, so perhaps he did. Perhaps he even managed to change a Ruler in the end.
Residue simply remained silent.
But that doesnt change anything. I cannot accept his final decision. The fact that, of all things, he entrusted everything to someone like you.
...Those words cut deep.
Of all the words Residue had heard so far, none had shaken him as deeply as these. All he could do was avoid showing any reaction.
Im not the only one who feels this way. Anyone who knows my father would think the same. No one will accept your existence, nor will they acknowledge you. While I respect his judgment... at his final moment, he made the worst possible decision."
Perhaps what Sedi said was true.
Residue suddenly felt as if he understood Lukass intent, belatedly and faintly.
One of the conditions that guy mentioned, to act as ''Lukas Trowman''. ...Yes. That might have been his foresight, anticipating situations like this.
For a while, silence lingered between them.
Sedi remained quiet as she continued tending to Residues body.
She changed his bandages, applied hemostatic agents and medicine, and even wiped his body clean with a towel.
Only after finishing everything did she stand up and speak.
"...Perhaps the right to decide your fate belongs to that woman more than me. I won''t do anything."
What will you do now?
Sedi didnt answer and simply left the room.
Bang! The door shut firmly behind her.
Once again, Residue was left alone.
In the stillness, he suddenly noticed something. The dripping sound of water had stopped. Though he couldnt see the outside, he could sense it.
The rain had stopped.
***
Left alone, Residue continued to ponder.
Pales questions, Sedis questions.
Their questions were so valid that they naturally became Residues own.
Why me?
There was a time when he didnt harbor even the slightest doubt about Lukass judgment. He had even regarded it as the most rational decision. That was because he had confidence in himself.
Now that the gilding had worn off, a chain of doubts began to surface.
Because our minds were connected? Because I was once an absolute being called a Ruler? Was there no one else he could entrust it to?
None of these answers were satisfying, leaving Residue confused.
The current version of himself was a fragile and feeble existence.
He had believed that even without power, as long as he had the will, he could achieve anything. He thought that he, too, could accomplish what Lukas had proven countless times to be possible.
But it was a bit different. His self-assessment had not been entirely accurate.
He hadnt just lost power.
Residues will itself had weakened.
What if the task entrusted to me wasnt to stand against Destruction?
What if that role had, in fact, been meant for someone else?
I respect his judgment, but... at his final moment, he made the worst possible decision.
Sedis parting words lingered in his mind, refusing to fade.
Residue instinctively thought of a certain existence.
Someone even Lukas Trowman could not have foreseen.
An ultimate weapon, created solely to stop Destruction, crafted for that singular purpose.
The Half King.
Residue couldnt deny that he felt a certain instability in her. But when it came to strength, there was no room for doubt.
If the Half King exists,
then perhaps my role isnt needed at all.
Chapter Season 2 596
Translator: Alpha0210We know the impact confinement has on living beings.
A being deprived of freedom inevitably grows weaker over time. Even for a trained human, no, especially for a trained human, this is more true.
When ones entire body is restrained, without even the slightest freedom of movement allowed, no matter how rigorously ones body has been trained, its strength will crumble. Its akin to a dam with a cracked foundation, destined to collapse.
Of course, Lukas Trowmans body didnt possess the same properties as that of a trained martial artist.
For him, this doesnt even qualify as confinement.
For Lukas Trowman, every moment was the same.
Even if he were in a state not merely bound by chains but with all his limbs severed or his entire body paralyzed.
Lukas wouldnt feel any sense of restriction. For him, only the power of thought was most important.
Residue.
He was well aware that the time he had been physically confined wasnt particularly long. Up until today, it had only been about a week.
However, in that short span of time, his mind had noticeably weakened, even by his own perception.
Was his mind influenced by the weakening of his body? Or was it because he was inherently such an insignificant being?
He didnt know.
During the period of his confinement, the only person who had visited this place was Sedi Trowman. But no conversations had been exchanged between them.
It was an unpleasant treatment.
The only thing Sedi cared about was this body.
It was like cleaning the house while her father was away, ensuring it would always be ready for him to rest when he returned.
Her devotion was directed solely at this body.
That drained Residue more than simple neglect, mockery, or hatred ever could. At the same time, in this moment, he couldnt help but admit the truth.
His emotions were no longer those of an absolute being.
''If [Lightning God] saw my current state, it would be quite a sight.''
In the end, wasnt everything going exactly as he had predicted?
Residue wanted to laugh, feigning nonchalance. His body had been recovering to the point that laughing was no issue, but he didnt. He could sense, even without touching his face, that his expression had frozen stiff.
Whats happening outside?
The assault of Destruction had already begun, yet the world still seemed to maintain its form.
Why?
Was it truly because the Half King and the Twelve Void Lords had succeeded in perfectly defending the world with the supreme creature they had created?
Was it because the advance of Destruction that Lukas, who was ''outside'', had let flow was weaker than expected?
Or perhaps the world was already being turned into a wasteland, even as he pondered these thoughts.
He didnt know.
In this bound state, he couldnt observe, nor could he be certain.
The inability to move, things going against his will, irrational grievances, and the stress that arose from it all.
It felt strange, having always existed at the center of all events.
He had always grasped every major and minor occurrence across the Three Thousand Worlds and had the power to intervene.
What about now?
He knew nothing, nor could he influence anything.
Ignorant and powerless. It felt as if he alone was living in a different time.
''...I see.''
Had the majority of those who were not chosen been living with this powerlessness all along?
He closed his eyes.
Though his body was confined, his mind was free, allowing him to reflect on the experiences he had lived through.
That became a rather pleasant journey.
Though it wasnt his first journey, memories that had been unremarkable and thus unremembered began to take on vivid colors.
The world within Lightning Gods memories, and the lives of the weak who resided there.
What kind of eyes did this body use to look upon those things?
It had been purely out of interest. And for their utility.
If something or someone piqued his interest and seemed somewhat useful, he would bring them under his control. But once that happened his interest would vanish. The world would revert to being monochrome.
He felt as if he might drown in the monotony.
On the other hand, the lives of the weak were always absurdly intense. In his memories, they were always struggling.
Against others, against the world, or even against themselves.
Certainly, it must be because the world is inherently unfair. Its a statement anyone could say, but how many have truly grasped its essence?
Those who come to know the truth generally react in one of two ways.
They either compromise with reality or fight until the end.
Then, as someone who had now become weak, must Residue also adhere to their rules?
For Lukas Trowman, his dear friend, the life he desired would undoubtedly have been the latter.
Then what kind of life did Residue desire?
I
He could not bring himself to accept the fact that he was nothing but residue.
Because arrogance still lingered within him. Yet even that was not truly his. This humiliation, too, was nothing more than something copied from Lightning God.
Ultimately, every element that constituted Residue was a mere copy.
Perhaps that was why he had accepted Lukass request.
To inherit from him,
To live like him,
Thinking that perhaps some part that could be called ''me'' might emerge.
Did it turn out that way?
Residue cautiously reflected on himself.
The memories, brief but more intense than anything, replayed in his mind.
There, within that,
If only he could find even a single speck of ''me''.
And finally, it felt as though he had come to understand what kind of existence he was.
Empty.
So perfectly, so utterly empty that he couldnt even deny it.
A copied personality, an imitated ideal, and inherited burdens.
None of them could truly be called Residues own.
Keuk keuk
It was the first sound of his voice in about a week.
A laugh, a laugh that wouldnt come even when he wanted to laugh, spilled out from the depths of his being the instant he reconfirmed his pitiful state.
Kahaha
How could he not laugh?
It was the same mocking laughter he had let out in the past, back when he was Lightning God, as he observed the wretched and pitiful weaklings.
The laughter in the damp attic continued for a very long time.
*
The coldness of the chains dug into his very bones.
From that day onward, Residue stopped keeping track of the passage of time. In the pitch-dark attic, a part of his consciousness had always been dedicated to counting time. But he had given up on that.
That didnt mean there were no ways to estimate time.
Twice a day,
Sedi would visit the attic.
Mechanically, he would accept the food she gave him, move in a way that made it easier for her to clean his body, and never once met her gaze until she left.
Sedi seemed to sense something in Residues changed demeanor, but she still didnt speak a word.
Time passed.
As The Beginning Wizard, during the meetings of the Twelve Void Lords, Residue had regarded time as his most precious resource. He couldnt waste even a single second, always moving and thinking without pause.
Now, the exact opposite was true.
He wasted it as though he were throwing away something valuable.
And his emotions had died to the point where that fact didnt even make him flinch.
It didnt matter anymore.
The world still hadnt been destroyed.
Yes. If so much time had passed and yet it remained intact, wasnt it now obvious?
-The Half King was truly standing alone against Destruction.
Had he not known of her existence, perhaps he wouldnt have fallen into such a stupor.
The Half Kings existence was both salvation and despair to Residue.
She was the thief who had stolen the duty he thought only he could fulfill, and the noble saint who endured that agony all on her own.
A being who was a perfect superior version of Residue had appeared, and so his role had vanished. And a doll that had lost its purpose was always thrown into storage. Wasnt it perfectly in line with his current state, trapped in an attic?
Creaaak-
At that moment, the door opened.
Residue lifted his head slightly.
Was it Sedi? But she had just left moments ago. Could she have forgotten something?
Step, step. Without giving him time to think, the figure that had opened the door slowly walked toward him.
It wasnt Sedi. The physique and gait were entirely different.
Beniang Argento.
Or perhaps, the Seven Fanged Dragon God.
.
Judging by her light green hair, it seemed she was currently closer to being Beniang. If that was the case, then Residue could also guess the reason for her visit.
Surely, by now, this woman must have realized it too, that he was not Lukas Trowman.
She stood still, looking down at him.
Residue could sense hesitation in her demeanor.
Reproach me.
So he said.
It was a voice coarse and cracked, like bark from an old tree.
It had been a truly long time since Residue had spoken.
You may hate me. You may even resort to violence though I doubt Sedi Trowman would welcome that.
What are you talking about?
Im saying that you have the right to do so.
Residue had unilaterally deceived Beniang. No matter what circumstances or grand purpose might exist, the fact remained unchanged.
It wasnt particularly unreasonable, so he felt no great emotion about it.
The Blue Knight has awakened.
.
"After about a month."
Residue suddenly felt a sense of incongruity and raised his head. The moment he locked eyes with Beniang, he was startled. There wasnt a trace of discomfort or negative emotion in her gaze.
Rather, her eyes were as calm and serene as a still lake, without even the slightest ripple.
Awakened, you say? Does that mean the Blue Knight had been unconscious all this time?
Finding it strangely difficult to hold her gaze for long, Residue averted his eyes as he asked.
That differs a bit from Sedi Trowmans testimony.
Strictly speaking, its not wrong. For several days after fighting you, she remained conscious before collapsing.
''I see. So it was at that point that Sedi relayed information to Residue.''
Anything that happened afterward, he couldnt have known. After all, not a single word had been exchanged between the two since.
She seems to have done a lot of thinking while she was unconscious and come to a conclusion. This is just my prediction, but theres about a 90% chance it will come true.
Beniang whispered in a low voice.
Before the day ends, she will come here to kill you.
.
It wasnt particularly shocking news.
It was one of the scenarios Residue had already anticipated.
Even if she doesnt kill you, its clear the situation will deteriorate further.
Step. Beniang closed the distance between them even more. Her blue hair cascaded down like a curtain, momentarily obstructing Residues view. For a fleeting moment, a few thoughts crossed his mind.
Perhaps she had come to finish him off before the Blue Knight could. Or maybe she intended to kill him herself
Clink-
It was none of those things.
What are you doing?
Sympathizing.
Beniang was holding the chains that bound Residues body.
For a brief moment, Residue was stunned, but then he let out a faint chuckle.
Kukuk You mean sympathizing with this body?
She didnt answer. Instead, her gaze lowered, focused intently.
Her slender hands worked to dismantle the chains.
It''s irritating. sea??h th N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
A faint spark flickered within the cold embers of Residues deadened heart.
You must know by now what kind of existence I am.
A fallen Ruler, a remnant of the Lightning God. And probably
Beniang trailed off, leaving the sentence unfinished.
But her previous words had already made it clear how much she understood.
Yes. You know far more than the Blue Knight or Sedi Trowman.
Once, Lukas had told him.
In the world where only thought was permitted, where he had spent 4,000 years,
the most effective way to avoid losing oneself was to let rage explode.
In other words, rage was the most vivid and intense emotion, one that carried the most unmistakable color.
Then you must also know this. You, of all people, must understand what your pity means to me. Even if no one else does.
Clink. Her voice mixed with the sound of the chains.
We are the same.
Perhaps so. Both of us fell from great heights to crash into the dirt. But there is one fundamental difference.
Beniangs transparent eyes turned toward him.
Your failure was something you intended. But my failure is different. This body no, I
Residue spoke his true feelings in a voice crushed with bitterness.
I never wanted this kind of situation, not even a little.
.
Clink.
The twisted chains were now almost fully undone.
Drip.
At that moment, something wet fell onto his cheek.
Was it rain leaking through again? No, that couldnt be. The rain had stopped long ago.
What wetted his cheek was far thicker than rainwater, carrying an intense, metallic scent.
You.
Residues eyes widened in shock. Only now did he realize that Beniangs hands were covered in blood.
Why hadnt he noticed it sooner?
The chains werent something that could be easily undone, not even by him, nor by the Death Worm. There was no way they could be dismantled without leaving a mark
Why would you go this far?
I dont know.
Beniang replied calmly.
If I had to put it into words, Id call it a whim. Right now, Im just doing what I feel like doing. Ive given myself over to impulse. What do you think? Doesnt that seem quite human?
Didnt you hate me?
I do. But thats just an emotion dictated by the situation. If someone, anyone, had taken over my masters body, even if they were the hero who saved the world, I wouldnt be able to help but hate them. But putting that factor aside
After a brief silence, Beniang spoke again.
I dont dislike you. Someone like you.
Clatter. The chains fell powerlessly to the floor. Residue was now free, but he couldnt move easily.
!
At that moment, both of their gazes shifted toward the door.
A powerful presence was approaching.
It was the Blue Knight, Pale. She was on her way.
That was close. You should leave now.
And you?
Ill try to buy some time. If you flee like this, youll be caught in an instant.
"...I no longer have any reason to live."
Is that so? I dont care.
Beniangs tone was indifferent, almost cold.
This is all the help Im offering. From now on, no matter what happens, I wont interfere with you. Like I said, this was just a whim.
.
But Residue still couldnt move.
Was it because he had been confined for so long? Or perhaps,
Thud.
At that moment, Beniang placed her hand on Residues shoulder and gave a gentle push.
Despite the softness of her motion, Residues body was struck with tremendous force and was sent flying. He crashed through the mansion walls, past the dragons back, and finally into the open sky.
Ah
At that moment, he caught a glimpse of Beniang smiling faintly.
Almost instinctively, Residue reached out toward her with his hand.
Why Why would she go this far?
Amid the unresolved questions swirling in his mind, Residues body slowly began to fall.
Chapter Season 2 597
Translator: Alpha0210
The dragon was flying above the highest clouds.
Thats why the sight of Residue crashing through the mansion and being flung outside appeared so dramatic. It would have been even more so under the moonlight. At least in terms of theatrics.
The sky still looked dim.
The sinkhole torn into the heavens and the meteor shower around it, the meteor shower
Had noticeably decreased.
That meant the numbers of Destruction had decreased.
Residue stared at the diminishing meteors with lifeless eyes, silently counting them, lost in thought. Had the Half King truly succeeded? Had she really managed to hold them off all on her own?
It was as he had expected, but the bitter reality of it all left a sour taste.
As always, there was no role left for Residue to play.
Cutting through the clouds, he fell and continued to fall.
As Residue plummeted from the highest of heights, a certain sensation crept into his mind. It felt as if the conceptual idea of "falling from grace" had been directly realized in physical form.
The descent seemed endless, but eventually, the end drew near.
The ground came into view. From this height, the impact of the fall would be devastating. If he did nothing and simply loosened all the tension in his body, perhaps he could shatter into pieces and die cleanly.
However, just before he hit the ground, Residues fingers twitched.
BOOM!
He landed with a heavy thud. The impact still lingered, but his body suffered no damage. Right before the collision, he had wrapped his entire body in a cushion of wind.
It was a reaction even he couldnt understand.
Why?
Hadnt he wanted to see Lukass body torn into pieces and scattered?
Or was he still clinging to life?
Hoo.
He didnt want to think about it any further.
!
He felt someone approaching him hastily, their voice urgent but he couldnt be bothered to care.
Wrapped in suffocating ennui, Residue closed his eyes.
*
[Due to the current ituation, the Destruction Countermeasures Headquarters is not iving measures easing the expectations for their purpose]
Bzzzzt. Bzzzt.
The static-filled voice grated on his ears, prompting Residue to open his eyes.
A cracked ceiling greeted his gaze.
Recently, hed been waking up in this sort of manner often. He first tested his arms, giving them a little swing. They moved just fine. Then, he surveyed his surroundings.
It was a desolate room.
No, it was difficult to even call this a room. In this space, no larger than about 10 pyeong (33 square meters), old dust and rough sand were scattered haphazardly. The wallpaper was peeling off in patches.
There wasnt anything one could call proper furniture either. A broken table, a chair, and a bed missing part of its frame The place that looked like a balcony or rather, a veranda, was wide open without a door, exposing the dreary sky and the cityscape.
The front door was completely shattered. Judging by its condition, it had been broken and abandoned a long time ago.
He wasnt restrained or imprisoned.
But Residue had no memory of landing in a place like this. In other words, someone must have brought him here. Was it the figure he had seen before closing his eyes?
[Additionally, the headquarters regarding countermeasures for identifying Hide is still ing significant difficulties declared that they would exert tmost effort in addressing the situation however, the citizens is.]
The static-filled voice continued to flow from a radio on the broken table.
Its bent antenna was managing to catch the broadcast, surprisingly.
Residue got up and reached out toward the radio.
Hmm. If I were you, I wouldnt touch that.
A voice rang out. He wasnt even startled.
Residue had been aware of that presence ever since hed opened his eyes.
A petite girl stood at the front door. She wore a bakers cap pulled down low and held a massive bag that was almost the size of her upper body.
That thing took me two days to tune to the right frequency. If you mess with it even a little, itll turn back into a piece of junk. Just saying.
Residue glanced at the girl, then turned his gaze back to the radio. Reaching out, he casually flicked the antenna with his finger.
"Ah, what are you..."
The girl exclaimed in surprise, but in that brief moment, a faint spark of electricity flickered at his fingertips.
[Furthermore, the Void Lords still seem to display a negative stance on cooperation. Even with the emergence of Destruction in the 216-15 region, they have yet to withdraw their support for the Half King]
Ohhh.
The girl hurriedly came over and examined the radio from various angles.
Its way clearer now? Howd you do that? Are you, by any chance, some kind of mechanic or something, hyung?"
Hyung, huh.
Looking closer, it seemed the girl wished to be perceived as a boy.
In truth, she was still quite young. Her loose-fitting clothes and the hat pressed low over her head made it difficult for most people, unless they had particularly sharp eyes, to discern her true identity.
Without responding, Residue stood up and strode toward the girl. Startled, she flinched as he snatched the bag from her arms.
H-Hey
While she was still caught off guard, Residue pulled a water canteen out of the bag and gulped it down. His thirst seemed to subside a little.
That was valuable
The girls expression turned crestfallen, and she meekly expressed her grievance, but Residue ignored her completely.
He then returned to the torn-up bed he had been lying on earlier and sat down once again.
Get lost.
After saying that briefly, he closed his eyes again.
Sleeping wasnt such a bad activity. At least it allowed him to stop thinking for a while. Sarch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
His lingering fatigue hadnt yet fully subsided. Wanting to rest until his mind cleared, Residue allowed his consciousness to drift into a loose, hazy state.
*
About a month.
The dragon had been flying swiftly through the skies for nearly a month.
Initially, the location had been prepared simply as a place to take shelter from the rain, or perhaps as a temporary gathering spot for conversations. However, even after the original purpose had been fulfilled, Beniang did not stop the dragons flight.
Residue, pondering the meaning behind such behavior, arrived at a thought.
Perhaps the Seven Fanged Dragon God was observing and trying to comprehend the fused worlds.
In truth, except for the final day, she hadnt even shown her face. This was evidence that she had something else she was focusing on.
Then what was the situation now?
The dragon and Beniang had fought against Pale to protect Residue. He wondered just how far their battle had escalated.
And what about Sedi? She was also someone who would likely disapprove of Residues escape.
Of course, that would make sense.
After all, she was the woman who had abandoned her own Territory just to care for Lukass body. Over time, Lukas Trowman had grown to occupy either part, or perhaps all, of her life.
''You did something unnecessary, dragon.''
Residue was drowning in deep fatigue and lethargy.
He felt like a drifter aboard a rudderless ship, letting himself float aimlessly with no destination. He lacked even the motivation to throw himself into the sea, leaving everything to the currents as he drifted along.
If, somehow, Pale managed to find him again and came to take his life
That didnt seem like such a bad ending, he thought.
*
When he opened his eyes, Residue felt a pang of disappointment. Even while sleeping, his thoughts hadnt stopped.
Damn it. Even dreaming? Ive truly become just another wretched mortal.
He sighed as he pushed himself up into a sitting position.
Then he realized that the last command he had given before falling asleep hadnt been followed.
In other words, the girl was still in the room.
Having given up the bed to the guest Residue, she had curled up on a chair with no legs and fallen asleep.
The air was quite chilly, likely because the sun had disappeared from the sky. On a planet where the sun didnt exist, it was hard to imagine fragile creatures like these being able to survive.
Residue sat on the edge of the bed for a moment before noticing a weight inside his robe. As he rummaged through its inner pocket, a few items emerged.
One was the mask of the Beginning Wizard.
The other was
A necklace. He had seen it before.
It was the necklace Beniang had possessed, the one she had said could discern Destruction, crafted from the God''s Eye.
''When did she put this in?''
Was it when she made contact to remove the chains? That mustve been it.
But why would she give this to me?
Residue stared at the necklace with a complicated expression before sighing and roughly shoving it back into his robe.
He stood from the bed and walked toward the veranda.
The cityscape unfolded before him, and he realized that the room he was in was located on the mid-upper floors of a high-rise building.
Ruined buildings, houses with roofs peeled back as if bombed, smoke rising from every block, and broken-down vehicles strewn about the roads like crumpled cans. The movements of the people wandering the streets were damp and heavy with an oppressive air.
Amid the darkened city, remnants of what once seemed to be an advanced civilization could faintly be seen.
Residue, however, quickly lost interest. His face reflected disinterest as he turned back toward the room.
Thats when his gaze met the girls.
The girl, who had been sitting on the chair, was staring at him with wide, alert eyes. Though he hadnt made an effort to conceal his presence, he had moved fairly quietly.
She seemed to have a rather sharp sensitivity.
Are you feeling better?
At the same time, she was annoyingly brazen.
I brought some food. Want some?
At her words, Residue suddenly became aware of the hunger he had forgotten about.
Just one day without eating, and his stomach was already growling. This body was so inconvenient.
And hunger, it always reminded him of a certain unpleasant woman. Irritated by the thought, he reached for the bag on the table.
Before he could grab it, the girl quickly snatched it up first.
Ahem. Im happy to share, but lets chat a bit, shall we?
Seriously, hyung. Are you always this quiet?
The girl asked again, now looking visibly exasperated.
Quiet, huh.
No one had ever described him like that before.
I dont have a habit of spewing unnecessary words.
Residue gave a half-hearted response, too annoyed to bother explaining further.
Despite his curt reply, the girl let out a giggle, as if something about it amused her.
Maybe its not unnecessary this time? If you dont talk to me, no bread for you.
Did this girl even realize it?
That someone without power could never truly hold the upper hand.
And that Residue could erase her very soul as easily and lightly as a flick of his finger.
But then again, growling at a rabbit was just as undignified. So instead of reacting, Residue merely stared at the girl.
Perhaps she thought this meant he was finally ready to talk, as she smiled brightly.
My names Luca! What about you, hyung?
Luca.
Residue briefly shifted his gaze to the dark blonde strands of hair poking out from beneath her hat. It felt like an irritating coincidence.
I dont have one.
Huh? What dont you have?
A name.
He wasnt in the mood to say his name ''Residue''.
Luca blinked a few times, then nodded to herself. She seemed to think, Well, I guess thats possible. Thats the impression she gave off.
I see. Then
Why did you save me?
Residue recalled the moment right before he had lost consciousness.
After falling from the sky, he had landed somewhere in a slightly better-off city than this ruin. The one who had found him in that state was this girl, Luca, and she had gone so far as to move him to this desolate room.
It was an excessive amount of kindness to show to a stranger, someone she had never met before.
However, in response to Residues question, Luca only looked confused.
Does a person need a reason to save another person?
A hypocrite, huh? At such a young age, no less. How pitiful.
Residue sighed and tore a piece off the bread he held, popping it into his mouth.
It tasted disgusting. He wasnt sure, but it seemed like it might even be moldy.
Ah! My bread, when did you?
"Don''t involve yourself with me."
Residue said briefly.
Why not?
Because you dont understand how dangerous I am.
How dangerous are you?
She asked so directly that even Residue found himself momentarily speechless, unable to come up with a response.
Chewing on the bread, he soon decided to change his approach.
Alright then, kid. Who do you think is the worst villain you can imagine?
Uh Thanos?
What did he do?
He killed half the living beings in the universe.
Thats a strong contender.
If he was such a prominent figure, Residue felt like he should have at least heard the name before, but it was completely new to him.
But.
Im more dangerous than he is.
You sound really confident. Have you killed people before?
Something like that.
How many?
So many I cant count.
At that, Luca gave him a big grin.
Then, hyung, youre just like me.
Were the same.
For a brief moment, Beniangs face overlapped with Lucas in his mind.
The unpleasant experience made Residue frown deeply.
Stop being a nuisance and get lost.
After stuffing the rest of the bread into his mouth and swallowing it, he lay back down on the bed.
Yeah yeah, she replied lazily, her tone a bit flippant.
Chapter Season 2 598
Translator: Alpha0210
Residue continued to live a gloomy life.
It had been like this ever since that day.
His mind felt murky, as if filled with dark clouds, and the sound of torrential rain never left his ears. Sometimes, those sounds would roar like thunder, violently shaking his skull. During such moments, the excruciating headaches would leave his nerves frayed and on edge.
"Looks like it''s going to pour soon."
So, when Luca suddenly muttered those words, they were neither welcome news nor something Residue could ignore.
Pour? What do you mean by that?
Residue''s rare response caused Lucas expression to brighten instantly.
The little brat relaxed her expression and raised both hands toward the sky in an exaggerated motion, like she was introducing a guest.
Of course, I mean rain. What else could it be?
How do you know that?
The worlds, each governed by their own unique laws, were now intricately intertwined, barely maintaining their forms. The current state of the world was like a cluster of tangled worlds precariously supporting one another, as if it wouldnt be surprising if everything shattered in an instant.
Conventional logic had become twisted, and the variables were so numerous and diverse that they couldnt even be calculated.
As a result, even the most precise mechanical devices found it nearly impossible to predict weather conditions.
Well... I dont know. A hunch? And besides, its about time for it to happen.
Luca answered with an awkward shrug, then opened a shabby drawer in the corner of the room. From within, she pulled out a rather large cloth.
The cloth was adorned with images of women in swimsuits, striking various poses.
I know what youre thinking, but this is just a backdrop.
I found it at the dumpsite. Luca added with a snicker.
Sure enough, there was an empty space in the middle, just big enough for a person to fit.
What are you planning to do with that?
Its thick and has some weight to it, so its perfect for blocking wind and rain. If we leave it as it is, this place will end up looking like a flooded mess, and weve got to prevent that.
Residue realized that this trash-filled room wasnt just a temporary hideout, it was Lucas actual home.
Ugh
Standing on tiptoes clumsily, Luca tried to stretch the ends of the backdrop and attach them to the balcony.
I dont think thats going to be enough to block the rain. sea??h th n?vel_Fire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Right? But still, its better than nothing.
It wont do much for soundproofing either. The sound of the rain will still leak in.
Ah, come on, hyung. Are you seriously trying to kill my motivation right now? If youre not going to help, at least keep quiet
When Luca grumbled, Residue replied curtly.
Step aside, kid.
What?
Grrrk.......
At that moment, the walls began to tremble faintly. Or perhaps it wasnt just the walls, it felt like the entire building was shaking.
An earthquake? Luca, startled, let go of the cloth she was holding. The very next moment, the cement floor shot upward like a rapidly growing tree and crashed straight into the ceiling.
Uh
As a result, the space that could be called a balcony disappeared. To be precise, the wall now completely blocked the area between the room and the balcony.
But then, how are we supposed to look outside?
Even while flustered by the sudden turn of events, Luca brought up a practical issue.
With a single gesture from Residue, a thin line appeared on the cement wall.
Screeeech-
A sound like something being cut echoed repeatedly, and the single line quickly multiplied into four.
It formed the shape of a rectangle, almost like a door.
When Luca hesitantly pushed on the rectangle to test it, it moved without much resistance.
Wow.
Seeming quite pleased, Luca spent some time opening and closing the newly made door.
In the meantime, Residue created a similar opening in the front door and then plopped down on the bed, tearing open the envelope Luca had brought.
By the way, cant you make a window too?
The greed of humans truly knows no bounds.
Ignoring Lucas request, Residue pulled out a can of soup, opened it, and scooped out the watery contents with a spoon.
It tasted horrendously bad.
*
Approximately two weeks had passed.
Since Residue had regained consciousness, he hadnt left this room even once.
Once, he had been a being so colossal that only the Great Universe could contain him, a mighty Ruler who could extend his authority to the darkest corners of the cosmos. Yet now, his range of activity had been reduced to a cramped, dusty 10 pyeong room.
And yet, information still reached his ears.
Of course, this wasnt because he was exerting his powers or had subordinates delivering news to him.
It was all thanks to the battered old radio.
Though most of the static was gone now, Residue still found the faint electronic noise unpleasant.
[Additionally, the Secretary-General of the PFA suggested that the Unexplored Zone may exist on a scale anywhere from hundreds to tens of thousands of times greater than what has currently been discovered.]
[While most intelligent life forms have established temporary alliances, groups that still hold negative views toward unity have yet to change their stance]
Still, if he had truly found it unbearable, he could have smashed the radio long ago.
Perhaps this meant that Residue hadnt completely lost interest in the world yet.
[Approximately one month after the Great Fusion, it is estimated that over 10% of the identified population has died, and if the missing are included, this figure approaches 30%.]
[Under current circumstances, the most effective response is to establish management and defense systems at the city level, rather than relying on national systems. This conclusion is based on data showing that the spatial disasters following the Great Fusion have not exceeded a range of several dozen kilometers]
[As a result, cities are electing Mayors to represent their interests and are maintaining only the minimal amount of material exchanges with other cities.]
[However, some experts criticize this as merely replicating the closed territorial systems that once existed in the Void World]
It was remarkable.
Even in a world so thoroughly shattered, humans had adapted in no time.
They possessed a unique talent, the ability to turn even the extraordinary into the ordinary.
But at the same time, this was also a curse.
These unfortunate creatures had a knack for adapting to even the most harsh absurdities and injustices.
The radio broadcasted a wide variety of news, and through it, Residue naturally came to understand both the widespread truths and the hidden truths.
First and foremost, the First Destruction was not over yet.
Fragments of meteorites continued to fall from the sky, crashing into the ground and annihilating life forms in their vicinity. These events were occurring simultaneously and on a global scale.
The once-secret spectacle that only Residue and Beniang had witnessed was now known to the entire world.
A world where casting suspicious glances at strangers upon first meeting was no longer rude, it was considered polite.
The lifeforms imitating destruction were apparently being called Hyde by the people.
Hyde. Hide. The word had a dual meaning.
While they werent exactly like creatures with split personalities, there was a shared trait: behind their smiling, talkative faces lay a completely different essence.
Opinions on how to deal with the Hydes were deeply divided. However, the group that had achieved the most significant results and exerted the strongest influence was the Void World, or more precisely, the Half King.
Naturally, this was only possible because they had the power to enforce their will.
Of course.
According to Residues estimates, the Half Kings combat power exceeded even that of the Ruler. Moreover, with her two knights and the half-portion of the Twelve Void Lords under her command there wasnt a single group in existence that could surpass their physical power, unless all the Absolute Beings, including the Ruler, joined forces.
The next thing that caught Residues attention was a certain organization.
Joining the PFA is my dream.
This was exactly the 28th time hearing those words.
It had been exactly two weeks since he got to know this girl. This meant that she had brought up the same topic twice a day on average.
PFA.
The acronym for PeaceFinder Armlet.
It was a name Residue had heard before, and if that was the case, it was obvious who was leading it.
President PeaceFinder is a true hero!
President PeaceFinder.
The Black Witch, Iris PeaceFinder.
One of Lukas Trowmans connections.
She found representatives from every universe who could voice their opinions, gathered them all together, mediated, and coordinated their stances, all in just one week!
It wasnt unreasonable for people to express admiration for her.
Even amidst the chaos of the times, Iris had an unparalleled ability to identify the core of the situation. Not only that, but she also devised highly efficient countermeasures.
Establishing rules and creating her own flow in a world as tumultuous as this There was no denying that she was a woman with the qualities of a hero.
She must have predicted this situation long before the omens of the Great Fusion began to appear. And she must have thought about it more deeply and for a longer time than anyone else.
Of course, even with all that in mind, her current measures felt too perfect. Did she have other helpers?
Residue found himself curious, but he had no desire to meet her.
To be more precise, he didnt want to meet anyone connected to Lukas.
Ah.
Luca suddenly spoke up.
Its raining again.
Residue turned to look outside. Beyond the small window that Luca had insisted on creating, dark clouds were rolling in.
Throb-
His headache worsened.
*
Shhhhhh-
Dim lights flickered sporadically in the rain-drenched city. It seemed the city, which had lost the concept of daytime, had designated rainy days as the new night.
Right. When dark clouds gather, its always darker than usual.
Even so, the silhouettes of people hadnt disappeared from the wet city streets.
Residue knew this because he was standing on the balcony, gazing down at the scene. In other words, it was his own choice to observe them.
Why?
Because their figures were like a reflection of himself.
Look at the streets.
Trash with no purpose wandered aimlessly, searching for a reason to end their lives as they staggered through the streets. If Residue were to walk alongside them, no one would find it strange.
At least, thats what he thought. But there was one difference.
Just a little more, please. I havent had a taste in a week.
The basics of trade are exchange. What do you have to offer, sir?
How about this gold watch?
In a slightly darker alley,
Within the ruins of a collapsed building, secret deals were taking place.
Food, weapons, drugs, or even people.
It all fit perfectly into the scenery of the city.
What was strange, however, wasnt the buyers, but the sellers.
Even in a world that had fallen apart, they were still striving to climb higher. Despite having secured some level of financial stability and safety, they couldnt let go of their greed.
Was this a wise decision?
Perhaps the addicts, who emptied their pockets for a moment of happiness, were making the more rational choice.
After all, who knew when they might die?
Phew. Its really pouring out there.
Soaking wet like a drowned rat, Luca returned.
When Residue glanced at her, Luca flinched, hastily brushing off her hat before pressing it back onto her head.
"Oh. You weren''t sleeping."
Technically, Residue had been woken up by the rain.
Scratching her cheek, Luca dusted off her hands and said,
Today was a bust. Its way harder to find food when its raining.
Ugh. Sorry about that.
Luca even apologized under Residues indifferent gaze.
Finding the sight unpleasant, Residue turned his eyes away.
Dont you dislike the sound of rain?
What are you doing?
Listening.
Listening to what?
The radio was off, so Lucas eyes briefly darted toward the desk.
You said it was hard to find food?
Yes.
It seems like theyre trading food over at that building.
Huh?
Luca narrowed her eyes as she stood on the balcony, facing Residue.
Beyond the rain-soaked streets, about a few kilometers away. A place so distant that people appeared as tiny as ants, let alone being able to hear any voices from there.
Dont joke arou- Gasp!
But by the time Luca had visually confirmed the shape of the building, her face had turned pale.
Oh my god, UMC! P-put your hand down!
Whats that?
University of Meltown Crossguard!
Luca lowered her voice and spoke while glancing around nervously.
That used to be the main building of a prestigious university, but now its been taken over by the mayor of Meltown and his subordinates.
It was the first time Residue had learned that the name of this city was Meltown.
Tucker, the mayor over there, is the king of this place. Theres a rumor that he singlehandedly killed all five thousand soldiers who were originally stationed in Meltown. Of course, its probably exaggerated.
Anyway, if you want to buy or sell goods at UMC, you need to meet their qualifications. A kid like me would get shot on sight just for approaching the place.
Luca made a gesture with her hand, mimicking the act of spraying bullets from a submachine gun.
It was an utterly unhelpful story.
If there was no food, then they simply wouldnt eat.
Residue thought as much and looked at Luca again, but then noticed something off.
One side of Lucas cheek was slightly flushed red. Upon closer inspection, the inside of her mouth and her lips were swollen as well.
The marks of a beating.
When their gazes met, Luca pulled her hat down low and avoided eye contact.
Ah. I just wish the rain would stop already.
Residue stared at Lucas side profile as she tried to change the subject, then spoke curtly.
"Just once."
"What?"
Residue looked at Luca and said,
Ill help you just once. At the time you need it most, Ill grant the thing you want the most.
W-what do you mean by that?
You helped and supported me. You''ve earned that much."
Maybe it was just a whim.
Residue laid himself back down on the springless, uncomfortable bed to waste more time.
Seeing how this musty smell now felt familiar and comfortable, he thought perhaps he was already beyond saving.
Chapter Season 2 599
Translator: Alpha0210
Tucker despised foolish people the most, which essentially meant that he harbored hatred for the majority of the world.
From his childhood, ever since he had gained the ability to think, this had been his constant sentiment. The people around him always seemed unbearably stupid. At times, they felt like nothing more than hairless mutant chimpanzees.
It wasnt about basic knowledge, memorization skills, or conversational ability.
What Tucker valued above all else was human relationships and the positions that were formed within them.
There could be no such thing as an equal relationship. No matter how close two people were, there was always a hierarchy, someone above, someone below. Those who failed to hold the initiative were inevitably controlled.
Parents who seemed to have a perfect bond, twins born on the same day, or even best friends willing to lay down their lives for each other
Even in relationships that appeared equal at a glance, there was always an unspoken hierarchy.
And these differences were the decisive keys that ultimately determined their fates during critical moments.
The power Tucker valued most was adaptability. In other words, the ability to handle situations and establish relationships. He was innately talented in such matters.
If he so wished, he could turn the kind and gentle young man working at a flower shop into a parricidal outcast who abandoned his elderly parents overnight. Likewise, he could transform a sadistic murderer into a benevolent neighbor without breaking a sweat.
Handling situations, deceiving the masses, and inciting them was easier than breathing for Tucker.
But intelligence wasnt the only thing he had.
Tucker was naturally strong.
For someone who could become a leader with just his mind, possessing monstrous physical strength as well was almost unfair. It was no wonder that Tucker managed to seize control of an entire city in this chaotic world.
This isnt enough.
Of course, he had no intention of being satisfied with this.
In the deans office,
Tucker had renovated and expanded the office of the prestigious universitys dean to suit his own tastes, converting it into a private room.
What do you mean by that, sir?
A man in a suit cautiously spoke.
His name Tucker couldnt quite recall it. For now, it wasnt important enough to remember.
I mean that my assumptions are correct.
...?
The PFA is a golden lifeline.
As Tucker spoke with a smile, the man hesitated for a moment before giving his opinion.
Forgive me, but there are still several mayors who maintain a negative stance toward the PFAs peaceful actions
At that, Tuckers laughter grew louder.
The man unconsciously swallowed dryly, knowing from experience that nothing good ever happened when Tucker laughed like that.
Peace and force are intimately connected, my friend.
Pardon?
The PFAs goal isnt to promote voluntary peace. Do you know what President PeaceFinder did after gathering the absolute rulers of various universes in one place?
The mans unease grew more pronounced.
He tried to hide the sweat on his palms as he nervously glanced toward the door.
"Did she advocate harmony? Give a grand speech? Did the powerful leaders present shed tears and give her a standing ovation out of sheer inspiration? Hahaha. All of those guesses are wrong, do you understand? That woman forced her will upon us, and we had no choice but to obey. From the moment we stepped into that conference room, she held absolute control over our lives and deaths.
Of course, this was an extremely classified secret.
Almost no one knew, and it was a truth that should never be revealed.
Certainly not to someone like the man standing before Tucker, a mere servant of his.
By the way, friend, whats your name?
S-sir, please spare me
The man fell to his knees and pressed his forehead to the floor.
I asked for your name.
If Ive made a mistake, please Please forgive me
Your name.
S-sam
Only then did Tucker nod.
Alright, Sam. Ill remember that.
For the rest of the day, at least.
Tucker then slowly pressed his shoe down onto Sams head. Sam struggled in terror as the pressure increased. The sensation of his entire bodys blood rushing to his skull felt unbearably grotesque, almost nauseatingly so.
The struggle didnt last long. Soon, Sams head burst like an overripe fruit.
Tucker looked down at the faceless corpse for a moment before summoning someone to dispose of it.
Two attendants entered, their gazes laced with fear, and obediently followed Tuckers orders.
Hm.
Tucker didnt particularly enjoy killing. It wasnt as though he felt any aversion to it, but he found the filth left behind, bloodstains, the stench, just ordinarily repulsive.
Even so, there was one reason why he killed Sam over something so trivial.
To instill fear.
Wasnt it a simple matter?
By crushing a weak subordinate, someone incapable of proper resistance, someone insignificant, someone whose presence or absence made no difference, he could increase the loyalty of his organization members and invigorate them.
By the time Sams corpse had been removed from the deans office, Tucker had already forgotten about him entirely.
Instead, his thoughts had moved on to the senior member of the PeaceFinder Armlet who was set to visit this city soon.
The President is far too busy to come, so one of her subordinates will be there.
Who could it be? If it were someone from the inner circle of the council, things would proceed much more smoothly.
Lost in thought, Tucker suddenly let out a low chuckle.
In truth, it didnt matter who came.
* Sarch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
He was having a nightmare.
It was a place where a meteor shower rained down like a torrential downpour.
Residue stood blankly on the surface of the water, staring up at the sky.
He couldnt move. Not even a single finger. For a moment, he felt as though a hollow laugh might escape him. To think he was being swayed by something as insignificant as a fleeting dream. How fragile had his mind become?
He couldnt continue his train of thought.
Sploosh.
Without a sound, one of the falling meteors plunged into the waters surface. A spray of droplets rose into the air as ripples spread outward.
Moments later, at the center of those ripples, a human figure emerged.
A single face, two arms, two legs.
The figure had an uncertain body, like a mass of clay dripping endlessly. Its face bore no expression, only an eerie shadow flickering unsettlingly across it.
The figure spoke.
For the fool who deludes himself as the "Thunderous Lightning God", Ill say this clearly.
Residue sucked in a sharp breath at the sound of the Lightning Gods voice.
You are no longer a Ruler, you trash. Know your place.
His breathing quickened.
Meanwhile, the meteors continued to fall, one after another, with no end in sight.
The clay figure rose again.
One, two, three, four until there were too many to count.
Now they had become a group, walking toward Residue.
Where is Lukas, and who are you?
When you looked at me like that, with that body, that face, those eyes How do you think I felt?
The figures wavered like candle flames flickering in the wind, waving their hands.
Their gait reminded him of the walking dead.
Even if everything you say is true, I still cant accept it.
I cannot accept his final choice. That he entrusted everything to someone like you.
The voices emanating from within them He had never once forgotten them.
No one will ever accept you or acknowledge your existence. I respect his judgment, but in his final moments, he made the worst possible decision.
Yes.
Now, even Residue himself agreed with that thought.
''Trash.''
''It shouldn''t have been you.''
''What did you think you could possibly do?''
''Pathetic. How intoxicated were you with your own sense of self?''
Even words he had never heard before became arrows piercing into him.
And yet, Residue was still fine.
Yes, its fine. He could endure this.
If it was only to this extent if the nightmare ended here.
But there was still one last meteor left in the sky.
...It was falling.
Thud.
The final clay figure rose from the waters surface. Its appearance was no different from the others.
And yet, Residue couldnt take his eyes off this one. So much so that he couldnt even notice the other figures encircling him.
A shadowed, grotesque face but within its hazy features, someones distinct countenance flickered faintly.
!
The moment Residue realized the figure''s identity and widened his eyes in shock, the clay doll closed the distance in an instant. Clench.
Guhk.
His throat was being strangled.
Residue still couldnt move.
I should never have entrusted it to you.
The man whispered.
Giving it to you was the biggest mistake of my life.
A face filled with hatred stared directly at him.
Out of all the faces he had ever seen, it was this one that hurt the most to look at.
Im truly disappointed in you, Residue.
Stop.
Stop it.
He doesn''t speak like that.
He doesn''t make such expressions either.
''Do you really think so?''
Now, yet another voice whispered.
''Do you think he couldve foreseen how pathetic youd turn out to be?''
''You should have done better.''
''You couldn''t unite the Void Lords, nor could you keep the secret thoroughly from those left behind.''
''You fulfilled neither Lukass role nor the Beginning Wizards role.''
''Look at yourself now. In this city drowning in endless rain, confined to a room smaller than ten pyeong, what exactly are you trying to do?''
What followed was always the same.
He struggled, but nothing changed. The clay dolls clawed at his entire body. Dissatisfied with merely tearing at him from the outside, they melted into a murky mess and invaded his body from within. Residue suffered unbearable pressure, both inside and out, until the brink of waking.
And yet, Residue accepted all that pain as something he deserved.
*
Fortunately, he didn''t wake up from the nightmare dramatically.
Residue woke up quietly.
However, as he sat up on the bed, he had no choice but to acknowledge a truth he had been avoiding until now.
He was hungry.
Had it been two days since he last ate? As expected, having a physical body was an annoying inconvenience.
The rain hadnt stopped yet. Of course, it hadnt. If not for that damn torrential downpour, he wouldnt have had such a nightmare in the first place.
Residue shook his head and looked at the legless chair.
It was where Luca slept. When had he last seen her? Probably two days ago. Since Residue hadnt left this room during that time, it naturally meant Luca had been away for two days as well.
That was a first.
Of course, it didnt matter to him whether that bothersome girl with the irritating name had gotten into a fight with someone, been beaten up, or collapsed and died on the streets.
But he was thirsty.
Food was one thing, but if he didnt drink something soon, it would start to become dangerous.
Residue got up from his spot.
He opened the door and took his first step outside the room.
Though he hadnt counted himself, it was his first time leaving in exactly three weeks.
*
Ssshhh
The moment he stepped outside, the sticky humidity clung even more persistently to his skin.
Splash. Residue walked through the puddle-filled streets.
But it wasnt just the humidity that clung to him.
In the dark streets, amidst the broken window frames and the flickering streetlights, the lifeless eyes of the citys residents were fixed on Residue.
Well, it wasnt surprising, considering his attire was different from theirs.
In these times, when everyone had curled up to survive under Hides oppression, such a reaction was only natural.
Residue thought that far and then suddenly realized something odd.
In a world overflowing with suspicion and wariness, Residue was an outsider who belonged nowhere.
Why, then, has Luca never once doubted me, a suspicious man who fell from the sky out of nowhere?
Ah, stop. Stop.
As Residue reached his destination, a man standing at the entrance waved both hands dramatically.
Residue looked up at the building indifferently.
It was one of the places he had noted from the balcony earlier as a building that probably had a lot of food.
What business do you have here, outsider?
Im hungry.
At Residues response, the man looked dumbfounded for a moment before smirking slyly.
"I guess our sign does make this place look a bit like a restaurant."
RUMBLE!
At that moment, the sky flashed, and thunder roared.
Residue felt his dull headache intensify several times over in an instant, and he frowned deeply.
Hey, Bill. The guy says hes hungry. Escort him politely to the dining hall. Oh, and take care of his clothes and belongings first.
You heard him. Come here.
The dark-skinned man standing behind the first one grinned broadly as he pulled something from his coat and aimed it.
A handgun.
If you cooperate, no one has to bleed. Got it?
Rainy days are the best. Makes cleaning up bodies so much easier.
Several others, who had been hiding nearby, emerged and began laughing mockingly.
There were seven of them in total, each armed in some way.
Residue turned his attention back to the man he had first spoken to and said,
Ill say this only once, so listen carefully. A girl around fifteen years old No, a boy. He wouldve come here. If youve detained him, release him. If not, tell me where he went.
What?
And prepare food. Enough to last two people for about a month. Preserved food would be preferable. Lastly, Im thirsty, so bring me a glass of water right now.
The expressions of the men subtly shifted.
Then, the man closest to Residue let out a sigh and took a few steps back.
Bill?
A crazy bastards not even good enough to use as a grunt.
Bang!
The guns muzzle flared with fire.
Chapter Season 2 600
Translator: Alpha0210
The gunshots rang out five times. In other words, they had absolutely no intention of subduing their opponent.
Bills shooting skills were top-notch. Even though it seemed like he was firing indiscriminately, at least three out of the five bullets were undoubtedly lodged in vital spots.
Shwaa-
However, by the time the final gunshot completely subsided and the sound of rain once again filled the air, Residue was still standing there, unmoving.
Of course, Bill was well aware from his accumulated experience that not everyone hit by bullets reacted dramatically. Sometimes, when a single shot took a life, the target would remain standing like a scarecrow for a moment before their body tilted and collapsed.
But in this torrential rain, it was clearly strange for a lifeless piece of flesh to remain upright for several seconds.
Huh
The moment Residue took a step forward, the uneasiness felt by the men began to take on a definite form.
No one felt it more intensely than Bill. As the shooter, it was only natural for him to sense it most keenly.
Closing the distance in no time, Residue reached out toward the man closest to him. Up until the moment his collar was grabbed, the man seemed unable to comprehend what was happening to him.
You said you liked rainy days, didnt you?
At that moment, the man instinctively realized that something was seriously wrong. He wanted to tightly shut his eyes in the face of the fear rushing toward him, but the gaze of his watching comrades forced him to shout instead.
L-let go of me!
However, the voice that escaped was far too pitiful to be considered a triumph over fear.
What is it that you like about it? The sound? The smell? The atmosphere? Answer me.
I-I cant breathe
Let him go, you bastard!
At Bills cry, the men around him simultaneously aimed their guns.
Without even sparing their antics much attention, Residue raised three fingers.
Dont move!
If you try anything stupid.....
From the Adams apple of the man on the far left to the Adams apple of the man on the far right.
Residue traced a line with his fingers.
That was all.
Thud. Seven heavily armed mens heads slid off their necks, and their now-ownerless bodies collapsed in a heap. Sticky blood pooled on the ground.
W-what just happened
The man held in Residues grasp, Carlos, mumbled in a daze before belatedly realizing the severity of the situation.
This was a person who should never have been provoked!
Carlos knew well about people like this, and he had believed himself capable of identifying such figures at first glance.
Until today. Until this very moment.
Why hadnt he realized? Damn it! It was because of that damned alcohol
W-wait please, wait a moment. What is it you want?
Thats for you to remember. Are you trying to make me repeat myself?
Well, um
Carlos desperately searched his memory.
Fortunately, his moderately sharp brain still managed to perform its role even now.
Yes! It was a months worth of food. Enough for two people! Ill get it for you right away. So please, let go of my hand
Residue released his grip, tossing Carlos aside as if discarding trash. Carlos fell onto the cement floor, coughing as he hit the ground hard.
Without sparing the pitiful sight a single glance, Residue plopped down onto a nearby stack of boxes. He grabbed a beer can rolling across the table, popped it open, and spoke.
Pshhh-
Ill give you three minutes. Dont even think about wandering off elsewhere.
Carlos, still on the ground, scrambled backward to put some distance between himself and Residue before frantically nodding his head. Then he hurriedly ran underground.
The underground area was where their entire groups food supplies were stored.
Three minutes. Three minutes. 180 seconds
Carlos compulsively counted the seconds as he snatched a backpack lying near the entrance and began stuffing it with cans of food without a second thought.
The image of his comrades, whose heads had been severed without any real resistance, replayed in his mind. The horrifying sight refused to leave, as if it had been permanently etched onto his retinas.
Damn it, what the hell just happened?
That guy Hes someone we should never get involved with.
As thoughts of those eyes, dulled with boredom, crossed his mind, Carlos''s heartbeat quickened violently.
Someone who kills without hesitation, such a person was not rare. In fact, Carlos himself, Bill, and all the members of their organization fell into that category.
But this man He wasnt killing anyone for a clear purpose. He didnt even have a trashy excuse like "to pass the time" or "for fun", which society would rightfully condemn.
More than anything, it was impossible to read what he was thinking.
What was on his mind?
Despite being so strong, someone who could massacre this building and the entire organization with a single finger, why had he made an offer? Why didnt he just take what he wanted by force?
And what would he do once he was given the supplies?
There was no doubt in Carlos''s mind that this man was capable of doing far more if he wanted.
The boss and the main unit should be back soon.
Carlos briefly considered the odds of victory if the boss and their elite unit were to face this man. The answer came quickly.
Total annihilation.
Crunch.
Carlos stuffed the final can of food into the backpack, pressing it down as hard as he could before heading back up to the first floor.
Residue was sitting in the same position he had been in when Carlos left, but now a few more empty cans lay scattered around him.
H-here. I brought it.
Carlos handed over the backpack with the caution of someone handling a newborn baby. Residue snatched it away roughly without even bothering to check its contents.
Then, he quietly stared at Carlos.
Do you want something more Oh!
It was then that Carlos remembered. This man hadnt only asked for food.
In that moment, Carlos felt like kissing his own head for recalling something that might have saved him from losing it. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
You said you were looking for a boy about fifteen years old? Thats not much of a clue to go on, though
Hes about 150 cm tall, always wearing a flat cap. His dark blonde hair isnt very visible because of the hat. He would have been here a day or two ago. His name is Luca.
Ah, Luca. So thats who you were looking for.
When did he come by?
Residue had already confirmed that the boy wasnt in the building, so he asked quietly.
A-around 8 p.m. yesterday. He came to get some food like usual, but food is scarce on rainy days
Youre spouting nonsense. The food in your underground storage is enough to feed 100 people for three years.
H-how do you know that?
Normally, Luca did odd jobs for us in exchange for food. But on rainy days, theres almost no work to give him, so
W-was that boy an acquaintance of yours?
Where did he go?
Carlos swallowed hard before answering.
UMC.
*
He''s someone you must never cross if you want to survive in this city.
Joel K. Tucker.
The mayor of Meltown, a butcher, a big boss.
The man who ruled this city was known by many names.
Of course, such facts had no bearing on Residues actions. Slinging the backpack full of food over his shoulder, he headed straight for UMC.
What used to be the site of a prestigious university had now been transformed into something resembling a military facility. Barbed wire surrounded the fences, watchtowers were stationed at regular intervals, and beyond the artificial lights, shadows moved with discipline, armed to the teeth and diligently patrolling.
These people were different from the random thugs Residue had faced earlier. There was an unmistakable sense of systematic, trained movement among them.
Residue made his way to the nearest main gate, or checkpoint.
When he was about twenty steps away, the irritating floodlights fixed their beams on him. At least five pairs of eyes locked onto him.
What is your business here?
The guard at the gate seemed to think of himself as a soldier.
Im looking for someone.
Residue stated curtly.
The downpour showed no signs of stopping. Residue silently hoped that there would be no thunder this time.
"Someone? Who are you talking about?"
A boy named Luca. About fifteen years old
Residue repeated the same description he had given to Carlos earlier.
The soldier fell silent for a moment before giving a curt reply.
Please leave now.
Not even a we havent seen him, but an outright dismissal.
Residue pressed his fingers against the corners of his eyes and spoke.
Ill say this only once, so listen carefully. Bring Luca to me. This place seems quite large, so Ill give you thirty minutes, taking that into consideration.
The soldier stared blankly at Residue for a moment, then grabbed the radio in his hand.
Theres an unauthorized trespasser at Checkpoint Four.....Wait! What are you doing?!
Before the soldier could finish speaking, Residue snatched the radio from his hand and crushed it with his fingers.
"Your decision probably doesn''t represent this entire group."
Since explaining things one by one didn''t suit his temperament.
As Residue muttered in a low voice, faint sparks of electricity began to form at his fingertips. The soldier felt a strange sense of unease and instinctively moved to steady his submachine gun.
Huh? That car
From deeper within the compound, accompanied by a faint noise, another light flickered. A four-wheeled vehicle glided smoothly over the well-paved asphalt.
Screeech!
As the car came to a halt, the soldier, who had been on the verge of firing his submachine gun, froze in place.
B-boss?
Isnt today Tuesday?
Open the gate! Now!
The soldiers acted as though they had seen the grim reaper himself. The car door opened, and a man stepped out.
He was a middle-aged man with deeply etched eye wrinkles.
The soldiers referred to him as Boss.
In other words, this man was Joel K. Tucker, the ruler of this city.
The rain doesnt seem to want to let up. Ah, no need to be so tense.
B-boss, what brings you here
The soldier who had spoken with Residue saluted as he spoke, but before he could finish, Tucker gave a soft smile and fired his gun.
Bang!
The bullet lodged directly into the mans forehead, and he collapsed with the same saluting posture still frozen on his face.
"Today I''d prefer to be called Mr. Mayor. It''s that kind of day."
Punishment first, warnings later. That was one of Tuckers twisted habits. Adding to the difficulty, his mood changed daily, so no matter how cautious his subordinates were, it never seemed to matter.
The icy silence didnt last long.
The people nearby moved swiftly and efficiently to clean up the corpse. Their movements were practiced and precise.
Meanwhile, Tucker sniffed the barrel of his gun once before holstering it. Then he turned to Residue and gave a bright smile.
If you dont mind, I hope this suffices to forgive my friends rudeness?
Whether or not Residue would forgive the man was irrelevant, he was already dead.
Of course, this didnt pose much of an issue for Residue.
The only one being rude here is you. Do I need to repeat myself again?
!
As Residues annoyed voice broke the silence, those around them inhaled sharply. They could swear they had never imagined there could be a person who would dare to speak to Tucker like that.
But what was even more surprising was Tuckers reaction.
Haha. No problem at all. I already know what your business is.
Tucker motioned toward his car with a nod.
Shall we discuss it inside?
*
The cars interior was spacious and tranquil, and it remained that way even after the vehicle began moving.
It was unlike the inside of a typical vehicle. The sofas were arranged lengthwise, and the lighting was soft yet exuded an air of luxury.
Come in.
Residue plopped down on the expensive-looking sofa, his robe dripping wet from the rain. He didnt bother wringing it out, and the dampness made one of the aides sitting stiffly nearby flinch slightly.
Before the aide could say anything, Tucker stopped him with a gesture, opening a small refrigerator with his other hand.
Care for a drink? The selection isnt vast, but its something.
Water.
Ah, simple and to the point. Simplicity is best, indeed.
Tucker let out a low chuckle as he pulled a bottle of mineral water from the small fridge and handed it to Residue. Without hesitation, Residue opened the cap and poured it down his throat. But the thirst didnt seem to go away.
"The boy Luca is safe."
Tucker said, breaking the silence.
Residue cast a sideways glance at him.
Tucker smiled warmly, baring his bright white teeth.
Not a scratch on him. I guarantee it.
Why did you detain him?
My subordinates only responded appropriately to the situation. In fact, they were more gentlemanly than usual. Normally, food theft would result in an immediate execution, no warnings given. The only reason hes alive is because of his age.
Well, thats fortunate.
Tuckers expression shifted subtly.
Was it too much to interpret Residues remark as carrying a double meaning?
Residue downed the rest of the water in the bottle and then looked at Tucker.
Talk. What do you know?
This mans attitude was far too cautious and polite for someone dealing with a trespasser or a rogue. Even if only half the rumors surrounding Tucker were true, such behavior made no sense.
In other words, Tucker must know something about him.
This city is mine.
Tucker began, pouring himself a glass of wine from the fridge.
"And I suffer from an obsessive need to know exactly how much is in my pocket."
Not just cash, down to the very last coin. Tucker added this in a nonchalant tone before his expression grew more serious.
What you did in Scorpion was impressive.
Residue blinked at him silently, and Tucker let out a dry laugh.
Dont tell me you killed them without knowing anything about them?
Am I supposed to know the names of every insignificant fly I swat?
Of course not but Scorpion is one of the top five organizations in this city.
It was only then that Residue realized Scorpion referred to the group he had encountered just before arriving at UMC.
So, youve been watching me.
If that made you uncomfortable, I apologize.
This conversation is dragging on. Get to the point already.
Hmm. This isnt the kind of talk that others should overhear. Would you mind continuing it in my office?
Tucker smiled slyly just as the vehicle came to a halt.
Looks like weve arrived.
*
Tuckers office was enormous.
Even for someone who might deal with a mountain of paperwork every day, this amount of space seemed excessive. In other words, the office blatantly screamed luxury, especially with the unnecessary artworks that filled the room.
Ive already sent word, so youll likely reunite with your companion shortly. At most, within fifteen minutes. Which means we have just enough time to finish our discussion.
[The hardest thing is finding someone you can trust to keep at your side.] Thats something my father used to say often.
Residue found Tucker irritating.
His roundabout way of talking, throwing out unnecessary topics before finally getting to the main point, was especially annoying.
In the past, I agreed with him. I thought finding someone trustworthy was the most difficult thing. But as you know, after the world turned into this mess, my perspective shifted. Its much harder to find someone strong than someone trustworthy.
Get to the point.
This was the second time.
At Residues sharp demand, Tuckers expression turned serious.
I need your strength. On a day thats approaching soon, I want you to stand by my side. For just one day.
Youre proposing a deal?
Thats right.
And if I refuse?
Tuckers expression grew somber, and he turned his gaze out the window.
They say tragedies often happen on rainy days. For some reason, I cant help but wonder if something unfortunate might happen to your companion whos on their way here. Of course, theres no clear causal relationship but you never know.
Residue smiled for the first time.
He looked at Tucker with an amused expression and said,
Youve made two mistakes.
What?
First, that kid means nothing to me. Even if he dies a miserable death in the tragedy you mentioned, it wouldnt bother me in the slightest.
And second, negotiations are led by the party that holds the clear advantage.
Youre saying Im not in that position?
Would you deny it?
This is my castle.
Yes, a place where 1,200 armed pieces of trash are concentrated. Are the men stationed in the adjacent rooms and above and below us the specially selected trash you handpicked?
Tuckers composure cracked. His smile disappeared, and his face openly displayed his bewilderment.
The man he thought he could easily manipulate now loomed over him like a towering giant, making him feel small and insignificant.
1,200 - that was the exact number of armed personnel stationed at UMC. Only five people, including Tucker himself, knew this number.
How did he find that out?
And even knowing it, was this attitude just bravado or was it genuine confidence?
Tucker hesitated for a brief moment before coming to a swift conclusion.
I apologize for my rudeness up to this point.
His tone changed. His attitude shifted.
But Residues expression remained unchanged.
Ill concede the upper hand to you. If theres anything else you want, just say the word.
Theres nothing.
To be more precise, even if he said what he truly wanted, it wasnt something a mere mortal like Tucker could provide.
In that case, Ill have no choice but to explain my situation honestly and ask for your understanding.
Residue gave him a look that seemed to say, Talk all you want. Whatever Tuckers dire situation was, it wasnt enough to compel Residue to help him.
That is, until an interesting name caught his attention.
In one week, someone from PFA will be visiting.
Peacefinder Armlet.
Thats right.
Tucker nodded.
Formally, its a goodwill visit. But in reality, its an attempt to exert influence and assess our strength. A rather dull game of reconnaissance.
I want to turn the purpose of their visit on its head.
What, are you asking me to kill them?
Tucker flinched at the question.
Peacefinder Armlet was one of the most powerful organizations in the world. It wasnt as if Tucker didnt understand the implications of provoking them.
No, no. Didnt I already tell you? All I want is for you to protect me for that one day. I plan to say a few things they might find impolite.
If you agree to my proposal, Ill grant you anything you want.
Such as?
What do you desire? Money, power, people In this city, theres nothing I cant obtain. But you dont strike me as someone interested in worldly things.
That was accurate. Tucker was at least quick-witted.
Residue reconsidered. Just moments ago, he had planned to obliterate this entire compound along with Tucker. But the mention of one particular name had made him pause.
Peacefinder Armlet.
Fine. I dont see why I cant entertain your proposal. But only if you offer me adequate compensation.
Name it.
Your arm.
What?
One arm should suffice.
Crunch. A second later, Tuckers arm was crushed.
Urgh!
Tuckers eyes widened as pain shot through him. With his remaining hand, he pressed against the bleeding stump to stop the flow of blood.
At least youre not making a big fuss about it. I appreciate that.
Residue smirked and stood up, striding toward Tuckers desk. He reached out toward the electronic device resting there. Bzzzt. A surge of electricity ran through the device, automatically bypassing the password and unlocking the screen.
W-wait
Move, and you die.
Residues voice was cold as he warned Tucker, then began scanning the windows that appeared on the screen.
As expected, there was information about Peacefinder Armlet.
Their founding purpose, organizational structure, members, allied groups, and even personal notes left by Tucker.
Residue wasnt interested in any of that.
What caught his attention was the exact date of their visit and the list of members who would be coming.
[This is unexpected. I thought they would send a mid-ranking board member at best.]
[Did their route align with their next plan? Or do they have some other agenda?]
[It doesnt matter either way. In fact, this is good. This could be an opportunity.]
[An opportunity to leave an impression on the president of Peacefinder.]
Iris Peacefinder.
One week from now, she would visit this city.
At that realization, Residues lips curled into a faint smile.
Chapter Season 2 601
Translator: Alpha0210
At that moment, there was a knock on the door.
.
Tucker glanced at Residue, letting out a deep sigh as he murmured softly.
Come in.
He regained his composure in an instant. Even though his arm had been crushed just moments before, there was barely any tremor in his voice. His ability to maintain his composure was quite impressive. At the same time, it became somewhat easier to understand his behavioral principles.
He had lost an arm without even putting up proper resistance. For the leader of a group, this was an unforgivable mistake and a disgrace. Tucker wouldnt want his subordinates outside the room to discover this.
This judgment on Tuckers part accurately pinpointed the core of the environment he had created.
A group collapses when its leaders dignity crumbles.
This is even more true for a man like him who actively relies on a reign of terror.
Click.
The door opened, and two soldiers, along with a young girl, entered the room.
Tucker''s subordinates, and Luca.
Hyung?
Luca flinched upon noticing Residue in the room. Residue briefly scanned Lucas body, assessing her condition.
Though Luca looked slightly thinner, she wasnt much different from when they had last parted ways. There were no visible signs of abuse or violence. It seemed that Tuckers earlier claim of treating her respectfully wasnt a lie.
"Ma-Mayor sir...?"
Your arm.
The soldiers gazes finally landed on Tuckers crushed arm.
Tuckers complexion was pale, and he was sweating profusely, but that was all. He even managed to calm his subordinates with a soft smile.
Its nothing. When negotiations dont go smoothly, voices tend to get raised, and sometimes they even escalate into scuffles.
A scuffle.
He was putting on quite the bravado for someone who had lost an arm in a one-sided exchange. Of course, Residue didnt bother to correct that statement. Not because he wanted to preserve Tuckers dignity, but simply because he had no interest in such things.
Lets go.
Residue addressed Luca briefly.
Luca hesitated for a moment before silently approaching him. He felt the weight of her grip on the edge of his robe. He considered shaking off that hand but decided against it.
As they were about to leave the room, a voice called out from behind.
Wait, how will I contact you?
Ill come when the time is right.
Irresponsible.
One piece of advice: dont try to monitor me. Unless youre confident I wont notice.
.
Leaving the speechless Tucker behind, Residue exited the room. Just before turning his gaze away, he saw Tuckers face distort. It felt like he had finally glimpsed the mans true nature in the end.
How many steps had they taken?
Bang Bang.
The sound of two gunshots echoed from behind them.
How thorough. Residue smirked coldly.
*
The two of them remained silent until they had completely left the UMC. Residue looked up at the sky. It seemed as though the rain had weakened a little. At least there was no longer any sign of thunder or lightning, which allowed him to quietly relax.
You were able to leave the room?
What?
I thought maybe hyung had been tied to that room.
Tied, huh? What do you take me for?
A ghost
It was an amusing interpretation, though it didnt seem like she was merely stating facts.
Perhaps Luca had considered him to be not just a ghost, but some kind of malevolent spirit.
Have you ever heard of a ghost that eats food?
Well, thats true but. Hmm. Even so, there are just too many mysterious things about you.
Even just now. As Luca quietly added this, Residue stopped in his tracks.
Yeah. Youre sharp enough to notice that much, kid.
Turning around, Residue saw Luca fidgeting under the brim of her hat. She seemed a bit surprised by Residue''s sudden change in attitude.
Then why did you accept me?
"That''s... when it comes to people helping people..."
No reason is needed. First of all, let me make it clear that such hypocritical attitudes are of no use in the conversations were about to have.
.
Youre someone who can take care of yourself just fine. In this filth-covered city, being able to earn a meal every day means youre a fairly capable individual.
Luca didnt respond.
Residue turned his body and began walking again.
Splash. After a brief pause, he could sense Luca following a step behind him.
What do you think is the most important thing to survive in a place like this trash heap?
Strength.
Not a wrong answer.
So, its not the correct answer either?
Residue turned his gaze toward a towering abandoned building. It looked precarious, to say the least. Against the backdrop of the dreary sky, it seemed as though it could collapse and be swept away by the rainwater at any moment.
Having mediocre strength thats not overwhelming only becomes the root of problems. Im not talking about arrogance. Being strong means there are many things you can do, and in a place like this city, tangled in countless conspiracies, theres always a shortage of hands willing to do the dirty work.
You didnt have to look far to see an example, Tucker was proof of this.
That man had regarded Residue as merely a powerful entity. He might have thought Residue was stronger than anyone else in this city, but even so, Tucker had been confident he could control him.
Had Residues strength fallen within Tuckers expectations, regardless of how much power or intention he had, he would have ended up dancing to Tuckers tune.
In the end, Tuckers assumptions were wrong.
Though Residue had indeed grown desperately weaker, he hadnt fallen to the point where he could be swept up in the schemes of mere mortals. He still possessed enough power to crush this city under his thumb with a single finger.
Then what is more important than strength?
Doubt and vigilance.
Residue entered the building and headed toward the stairs.
Doubt in the first meeting. Do not lower your guard even after becoming acquainted. Even when someone shows trust, never let your guard down. And you, as far as I can see, have a sufficient amount of that vigilance.
.
The very fact that Luca was still alive was proof of this. If she had let her guard down even for a moment or had been less cautious, she wouldnt have survived.
However, this was the part Residue found contradictory.
Ill ask again. Why did you accept me?
Without any suspicion, why did you let your guard down the moment we first met?
Residue didnt voice the latter part of his thought, but the meaning was clear enough.
.
Click, click.
Of course, the elevator didnt work in this place, so they climbed the stairs. Lucas home was on the 22nd floor.
Luca didnt say a word.
From the 1st floor to the 22nd, as they climbed hundreds of steps, not a single word was spoken.
Residue was silent as well.
When they finally reached the 22nd floor, they walked down the hallway, opened the door, and Residue quickly dried his rain-soaked robe before placing the backpack he had been carrying on the table.
Clatter-
As the loosely tied knot came undone, a few cans rolled out.
When Lucas puzzled gaze turned toward the table, Residue flopped down on the bed and spoke.
Its a months worth of food. I requested enough for two adults, so if you ration it carefully, it should last you three months.
What?
This isnt me helping you. I just brought it along on the way. The same goes for saving you.
I dont quite understand what you mean
A week, kid.
What?
Residue responded with his eyes closed.
Think about what you want in that time.
.
Once again, Luca fell silent.
Her eyes, filled with unease, looked back and forth between the table and Residue.
Why a week?
Residues chilling gaze turned toward the girl. Surprisingly, this time, Luca didnt avert his eyes.
Truly a resilient creature.
Or have I grown weaker?
Either way, it wasnt a bad thing.
Residue acknowledged that, regardless of the secrets Luca was hiding or her current situation, he liked this girl more than he expected.
That''s why he could say without hesitation:
"Because in a week, I will die."
*
Tucker had a clear understanding of his strengths and weaknesses.
His strengths were meticulousness, composure, cunning, scheming Though it felt a bit self-indulgent to say so, he could fill an entire sheet of paper listing them.
But what about his weaknesses?
Humans are a species that struggles to recognize their own flaws. Their conveniently biased minds blur their ability to objectively self-assess.
Even taking that into account, Tucker didnt believe his weaknesses outnumbered his strengths. However, if he had to choose the absolute worst among them, he could name one.
Tucker never forgets a grudge. He cannot forget.
He had always been this way, again and again, dozens of times over.
The fact that cracks had appeared in his carefully laid plans, that hed failed to read the actions of someone he thought he could control, and that this failure had cost him the humiliation of losing an arm.
Even one of these things would have been enough to drive him mad. But three of them, all at once?
He had to admit it.
Right now, Tucker was incapable of remaining calm. sea??h th novlF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
And thats why he had called this man.
You must understand what it means to summon me.
A voice, tinged with amusement, rang out.
And at that moment, Tucker felt the fury and excitement that had been violently pounding in his chest just moments ago turn cold as ice.
This monster, just ten seconds ago, had been in a city tens of thousands of kilometers away from Meltown.
Yes. Of course, I fully understand.
Thankfully, his voice didnt tremble.
But I had no other choice. I had no option but to seek out the strongest individual I know.
Is he that strong? That outsider?
He is.
How strong?
Hes skilled enough to deceive my judgment. Even at the very least, Id place him at the level of an Absolute.
At that, the man chuckled softly.
If hes merely at the level of an Absolute, then Ill erase this city myself.
.
The joke was so absurd that Tucker could barely force a smile. As expected, having established a connection with Neil Prand had been a wise decision.
After a brief hesitation, Tucker cautiously spoke.
He gave me a feeling similar to you.
.
Hearing that, the man slightly lifted his head.
A feeling similar to me?
Its just my intuitive impression, but
And intuition is often the most trustworthy. Whats his name?
I didnt hear it.
I see.
The man let out a soft laugh.
Congratulations, mortal. Youve succeeded in piquing my interest.
Does that mean
Ill help you. This sounds like it could be an entertaining diversion.
Th-thank you, Lightning Lord.
Hmph. That title Ive never quite gotten used to hearing it.
The truth was, Tucker didnt know this mans name.
Therefore, he had no choice but to make excuses.
The Twelve Void Lords, Absolutes who rule over the Void World. I swear, they are the most horrifying despair Ive ever witnessed in my life. And the power you wield is in no way inferior to theirs. Thats why the title Lord of Lightning
"I know the origin well enough. I just don''t like it."
Then what should I call you?
At that moment, the man stood up and began to walk forward.
Finally, the dim light began to illuminate the figure that had been hidden in the darkness.
Zeus, Jove, Jupiter, Iuppiter I have many names.
The man pulled down his jet-black sunglasses and smiled.
But for now, you can call me Retip.
Chapter Season 2 602
Translator: Alpha0210
The rain did not stop.
And the frequency of Residues nightmares was increasing.
Wandering through dreams was simply horrifying. Even while accepting that this pain was his own, a contradictory feeling coexisted, a desperate wish for it to end quickly.
However, whenever he woke up, drenched in cold sweat, laughter always escaped his lips.
One minute, one hour, one day...
Regardless, time was flowing even at this very moment.
That meant the final moment was approaching as well.
-Iris PeaceFinder.
When he heard her name in Tuckers office, Residue saw his own end as vividly as if he could reach out and grasp it.
What would happen if he revealed himself before her? The answer was obvious.
Hadnt he already witnessed countless times how those expecting "Lukas" reacted upon seeing him instead? Especially considering that Iris and Lukass relationship, in a certain way, ran deeper than even Pales.
Nine times out of ten, Iris PeaceFinder would try to kill him.
Because she could no longer stand by and watch an impurity like Residue defile Lukass body- because she could not accept it. Yes. She was more than qualified to do so.
Residue was savoring his final vacation in pain.
Did you read the news? PeaceFinder''s Director is coming to Meltown in person! My gosh!
If only this brat werent here, he could enjoy it even more.
Residue glanced at Lucas innocent face, about to spit out a bitter remark, but shut his lips when she suddenly offered him a water bottle. As their eyes met, she grinned foolishly with slightly parted lips. She had a strange knack for noticing things.
Recently, Residue had been waking up drenched in sweat every time, leaving him in a constant state of dehydration.
He opened the bottle and took a gulp, the refreshingly cold water slid down his throat just right. Since this room had neither a refrigerator nor ice, she must have left it on the balcony to cool. A thoughtful touch.
Arent you hungry? How about we eat out? Business has been pretty good lately, so one day shouldnt be a problem.
Ever since that day, jobs have been coming in steadily. It even feels like Im being treated better. My old workplace must have moved or something, though, I havent seen anyone around
Since he had saved her when she was captured by UMC, Luca had been clinging to him even more annoyingly.
It was not a good thing for Residue.
After all, the color of this girls hair reminded him of the source of his nightmares. Her face and personality were completely different, but still
Ignoring her outright or threatening her to shut up didnt work, so few options remained.
He could always use force to silence her, but...
Residue quietly closed his eyes.
So, the last job was scavenging the ruins in the northern district. And there, I found these gloves
The sound of the rain gradually faded
The rain that neither vanished while awake nor in sleep seemed to grow faint whenever Luca spoke.
Residue murmured in a drowsy voice.
Why are you dressing as a man?
!
Lucas eyes shook violently. Did she really think she wouldnt get caught?
S-Since when?
From the very first time I saw you.
Why didnt you say anything?
You never asked.
And watching you struggle to keep your secret was just too amusing.
Wow Thats the real reason, isnt it?
Residue didnt answer, merely blinking slowly.
Luca hesitated before letting out a deep sigh.
Like you said before This city is complete trash, right? Its too harsh for a powerless, pretty girl to survive in.
Have you ever looked in a mirror?
Of course! I know Im not pretty!
She wasnt ugly.
It was just that her messy hair and the way she wore her cap obscured her features.
I see. So youre afraid that men might lust after you.
That is part of it, but Id appreciate it if you phrased it a little more delicately.
Residue could solve Lucas problem.
Want me to give you a burn scar? I can design it to look as ugly as possible.
Haha, thats a great idea.
Luca trailed off mid-sentence.
Youre not joking, are you?
I dont speak empty words.
At least, not usually. He swallowed the unnecessary remark.
Lucas face turned pale, and she waved both hands frantically.
No, no. Its fine. Im good.
Is that so.
The conversation came to an abrupt halt.
Shhhhhh-
And then, the sound of the rain grew louder again. Residue turned his blurry gaze to the outside.
Youre not going to sleep again, are you?
I just woke up.
Hmm, then lets at least talk for a bit.
He was about to ignore her again when he suddenly realized that today marked the fifth evening. Residue had only about two days left, and Luca still hadnt voiced her request.
It was probably about time he forced it out of her.
Still, he remained lying on the bed, lazily opening his mouth.
Talk about what?
Hmm, you know. This and that
Mumbling, Luca took off her cap.
Phew, thats better. You shouldve told me sooner.
Her long hair cascaded down like a waterfall. For a moment, Residue forgot what he was going to say and just stared at her.
She does resemble her, doesnt she?
Noticing his gaze, Luca struck a pose as if a thought had crossed her mind.
Hey, dont go falling for me now.
N-No, just kidding.
Residues silent stare made her blush and lower her voice.
He let out a deep sigh.
Did your parents give you that name?
"Huh? Um... no."
Then who did?
Thats oh, wait. Speaking of which, whats your name?
Last time, you said you didnt have one, but come on, theres no way someone in this world has no name.
There were plenty.
Those who had nothing but life,
Those who were born only to exist,
Those who werent even granted a name,
And those who died without ever being remembered.
There were far more of them than this young girl could ever imagine.
Residue.
Residue? Thats your name?
It is.
Hmm, thats a cool name. Sounds like it has a deep meaning
She wasnt good at lying.
It was a wonder she had managed to keep her disguise from others for so long.
By the way, you-
Are you going to keep calling me that?
Huh? You mean hyung? Why, all of a sudden Ohhh.
Luca grinned mischievously.
Do you want me to call you something else? I heard thats what guys usually like.
Then, how about oppa-
Call me whatever you want.
Residue firmly shut down her joke.
Come to think of it, when had he become such a boring person? He wasnt this serious all the time before.
This body really must be cursed.
More importantly, are you finally ready to talk?
Talk about what?
Your request.
Oh yeah. Ive decided.
She had decided.
It was the words Residue had been waiting for the most, so he nodded gladly. It had taken much longer than expected, but there were still two days left.
Whatever this mortal wished for, he had more than enough time to grant it. Most things wouldnt even take ten minutes.
However, Lucas request was not within the realm of what he had expected.
Stay here.
J-Just stay like this. Ill handle food, drinks, all the annoying stuff.
You got caught last time doing that.
That was just a mistake I wont mess up again.
Residue had already sensed that Lucas kindness and attachment to him felt strangely unnatural.
Even so, thats not happening.
Luca flinched at Residues cold words, then cautiously asked,
Why?
Because Ill be dead soon.
What, do you have some kind of incurable disease?
No.
Then what? Theres no way youd be killed by someone. Youre way too strong. You walked into Tuckers building and came out without a single scratch!
Do you really think thats impressive?
Huh?
Their perspectives were too different.
That was not difficult at all, kid. From my view, you and the man called Tucker are no different. Both of you are immature, weak brats.
Immature. Weak brat.
Luca felt like she had just heard the most mismatched words in existence to describe Tucker. And on top of that, she wasnt much different from him?
So you just dont want to be around me?
Are you that desperate to understand my intentions?
Some humans prefer to reveal their secrets to build trust with each other. How about it?
I dont quite get what you mean
If you want to know my true thoughts, start by revealing what youre hiding.
Luca fell silent.
She remained silent for a long time.
Shhhhh-
Once again, the sound of rain filled the space. Residue looked at her with weary eyes. He wasnt forcing her to confess. His interest in Luca was still half curiosity, half indifference.
If she chose to keep her silence until the end, he had no intention of pressuring her further.
In fact, he thought that outcome was far more likely.
Luca had always been extremely cautious and sensitive when it came to her secret. Expecting her to spill it to Residue, whom she had known for less than a month, was far too optimistic.
I
However, breaking his expectations, Luca opened her mouth.
My memories are blurry.
What?
I mean, my memories
Residue abruptly sat up. Then, he strode toward Luca.
The sudden movement made her entire body freeze stiff.
Uh
She couldnt even form proper words as he approached, only for Residue to pass her by completely.
His destination was the balcony.
Standing where he could see the city in full view, he gazed toward the farthest edge of the rain-drenched skyline.
Space was slowly distorting.
Was this one of the effects of the Great Fusion? No something was different.
Shhhk-
At last, the space split apart, and from within, someone emerged.
A woman with jet-black hair, sharp features, and a face weighed down by exhaustion.
Iris PeaceFinder
Residue had been expecting her face.
But wasnt this too soon?
Tucker had said she wouldnt arrive in the city for another two days.
And she wasnt alone.
Several figures accompanied her, likely high-ranking members of PeaceFinder Armlet.
Yet, among them, one particular person caught Residues attention even more than Iris.
Why is he here?
Hyung?
Luca, who had finally gotten up, cautiously approached the balcony.
Residue issued a brief warning.
Stay back.
Then, he looked out toward the city again.
Immediately, he sensed an unease, and realized why.
-The man had disappeared.
Ah. Here you are.
Hrrk!
A voice suddenly echoed from inside the room, and Luca screamed.
The voice hadnt come from outside.
Residue, his expression hardening, turned to face forward.
A man stood in the dim, damp room.
A man with gray hair. Sarch* The n??el Fire.nt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
A being that had once been Lukass Avatar spoke.
Ive been looking for you for a while.
Frey Blake said.
Chapter Season 2 603
Translator: Alpha0210
Frey Blake.
His breathing was ragged, making it difficult to even utter a mere two words properly.
At that moment, the emotionless eyes turned toward him.
You are-
Frey''s gaze narrowed slightly, as if analyzing him, then he gave a slight nod.
You are one of the most distinct faces in my memory.
What do you mean by that?
Exactly what I said.
Despite the cold voice, Residue found it difficult to remain calm.
What brings you here?
I did say I had been searching for a long time, didnt I? Though it was more of a muttered remark, to continue, yes. I came here because I was looking for something.
At those words, his heart sank.
Could it be that Frey was a watcher sent by Lukas?
Did Lukas send him to check whether he was properly carrying out his tasks?
The moment such doubts arose, Residue felt an emotion he had never experienced before. Standing here felt uncomfortable and burdensome, and he had the impulse to break down the door and flee at once.
Shame.
It was a weak emotion, one he wouldn''t have felt if he didn''t consider himself disgraceful, and yet he experienced it despite not even standing face-to-face with Lukas himself.
Do you have something to say to me?
The only reason he was able to turn the situation around by asking in that manner was because he still had remnants of his pride left.
At that, Freyor at least, that was what he was calling himselflooked puzzled.
Something to say to you? Me?
Then, he shook his head firmly.
I have nothing of the sort.
Then why are you here?
At that moment, Residue realized that ever since Frey had arrived, he had not been the one Frey was focusing on.
I could sense they were in this vicinity, but I didnt know the exact location. So I decided to search every city nearby one by one, but to think they would be in the first city I checked. In crude terms, would you call this dumb luck?
He had no interest in the foolish jargon of mortals.
Residue heightened his vigilance and spoke.
What nonsense are you spouting? Who are you? And what is your goal?
Calm yourself. As you can see, I only have one mouth and one tongue, so I lack the ability to answer multiple questions at once.
I apologize for the late introduction. I am the Apostle of the First Destruction hmm.
After a brief moment of contemplation, Frey continued.
My name is Frey Blake.
His expression twisted slightly, as if rolling rough grains of sand around on his tongue. His reaction was somewhat awkward for an intelligent being, it was as if he was not accustomed to saying his own name.
So, how should I address you? Your real name? Or the name of that body? Perhaps a name you held in the past, or another name you are currently using, any would be fine. If you have a preference, I will comply.
Call me whatever you want. More importantly, tell me who you really are and what your purpose is.
It was then that Residue realized his sleeve was trembling. But it was not he himself who was shaking.
Lucas face was filled with fear.
H-hyung. We have to run.
What?
That man is dangerous.
Hmm
Frey stroked his chin, gazing at Luca as if observing something.
I dont know what criteria youre using to assess danger, but I dont think Im the person you should be saying that to.
Did the two of them know each other?
Perhaps sensing the question on Residues face, Frey opened his mouth again.
I am-
Boom!
In an instant, Freys body bent violently as if he had been struck by something, and he was hurled backward with immense force. The impact was so fierce that not only did the asphalt wall Residue had constructed collapse like a sandcastle, but even the hallway wall shattered.
Residues gaze turned to Luca.
Was that you?
If so, it was unbelievable.
Residue hadnt foreseen what had just happened. That meant if Luca had truly been the one responsible, he hadnt noticed her intent to attack until the very moment she acted.
Run.
Without giving him a chance to respond, Luca grabbed his hand and started running.
And for some reason, Residue couldnt bring himself to resist that touch.
***
They ran through the rain-drenched streets, their sprint continuing until they entered the interior of a building.
It was a place that had long been untouched by human hands.
A cracked floor with wild grass growing fiercely between the gaps, shattered windows
Thudududuk-
But the most unique feature was the glass ceiling. Fortunately, it seemed sturdy enough to keep the torrential rain at bay, but as a result, the noise was much louder.
Haa, haa
Luca panted heavily. Soaked in rain and sweat, she looked wretched and pitiful, but Residue couldnt help speaking in a cold tone.
Why did you run away?
Luca kept her lips tightly shut.
Was it from the cold, or from fear? She was still trembling.
I dont know.
You knew who that man was just now, didnt you?
I dont.
If you dont know him, then why did you run?
Residue voiced a possibility he was reluctant to acknowledge.
Did you deceive me?
At that, Lucas head snapped up. Her eyes, on the verge of tears, stared at Residue.
No.
Then why?
I just just felt like I had to
Residue fell silent.
He wouldnt be fooled by tears. His knowledge and experience ran too deep for that. The same went for the voice laced with emotion.
The likelihood that Luca was lying was high. Probably from the very beginning.
Realizing that, a cold sneer rose from deep within him.
So even this mortal, whom he believed he had figured out completely, had been toying with him?
You must know how absurd your claim sounds. If you want me to believe you, at least give me an explanation.
Thududuk
The sound of the rain grew louder. Only silence filled the space between them.
Luca lifted her head.
She seemed to be gazing at the glass ceiling where the raindrops fell, but her eyes were fixed beyond it.
Beyond the falling rain, the dark storm clouds, the sky that had lost its daylight,
A pitch-black hole.
Hyung can you be sure of what you are?
!
His heart sank again.
Twice in one day.
But this time, the shock was far greater than when he faced Frey.
Of all moments, of all people, he hadnt expected to hear a question that struck at the very core of his own uncertainty from Luca.
What are you talking about?
I have no memories.
You asked for my name, didnt you? I dont know. There was just just a name engraved in my mind. The most distinct one. But it didnt feel like mine. So, thats why
Residue had a feeling he knew what Luca was trying to say.
You took it.
That name was-
Lukas Trowman.
Kururung.
The storm clouds had now become thunderclouds, and lightning began to crack the sky. Under the sudden flash of natural illumination, Residue felt a sharp headache.
And it wasnt just because of the thunder.
My first memory is of falling. I was falling from the sky. From an incredibly high place, for an incredibly long time and then, I crashed into a child.
Luca clutched her head.
A soft, broken laugh slipped through her lips.
And then I ate that unconscious child. I stole everything, the personality, the way of speaking, the memories, the very identity. Thats how Luca was born.
You know what people call beings like me, dont you, hyung?
Of course.
From the moment they first met, Luca had shown familiarity toward Residue.
Despite being someone naturally wary of strangers, she had been at ease with him, Residue, who had also fallen from the sky.
For most people, encountering someone who had fallen from the sky and was dressed suspiciously would be enough to arouse suspicion.
But for Luca, those traits only made her feel a sense of kinship.
''Hide.'' (TL Note: I think I translated it previously as Hyde but now it is changed to Hide)
That was what beings of Destruction like her were called,
Because all of them had fallen from the sky.
Because they were all beings shrouded in suspicion.
But Luca was different from the usual Hide.
Those creatures possessed intelligence and perhaps even a semblance of self-awareness. However, they completely lacked subjectivity in their actions. More artificial than a machine, they functioned with a mechanical, AI-like nature.
A being like Luca, one who displayed such human-like traits, should not exist.
Exactly.
Creatures like them did not contemplate their own existence.
And Residue he had a strong sense of self.
At least, he appeared to.
Luca must have believed that made him different from the usual Destruction.
She was completely mistaken, yet, unfortunately, she had no way of realizing that.
Hyung, I My wish is
My wish iiiiis, uuuuugh.
Her voice started to stretch, as if it were distorting.
Drip
And then, Lucas body began to melt.
Literally.
Like a figure made of mud under the scorching sun, she started to disintegrate.
Residue couldnt move.
That awful feeling crept over him again,
The feeling of standing at yet another crossroad.
Why? Again?
He didnt want to be involved with anyone anymore. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
She wasnt deceiving you.
At that moment, a man entered the building.
Frey Blake.
Unscathed.
He casually brushed raindrops off his shoulder as he continued speaking.
There are exceptions to everything. A being of Destruction can also possess self-awareness. Just like me.
Are you saying youre also one of them?
Well, not exactly the same but biologically and conceptually, I am closer to them than to you.
Frey placed a hand over his chest.
I should have reintroduced myself sooner. I am one of only two beings of Destruction who possess true self-awareness.
The first to ever fall.
Thats why Iris PeaceFinder calls me Firstfall.
Residues gaze darkened.
...Then Luca is.
Did you know? The first wave of Destruction is nearing its end. It happened far faster than the Master predicted, and with far less devastation. Honestly, its surprising.
His eyes flashed with a strange light.
Was it because humanity''s resistance was fiercer than expected? Did their unity at a decisive moment produce a miraculous outcome?
No, nothing so dramatic happened.
Of course.
Residue had long understood the limits of miracles.
All of this was thanks to the Half King.
What do you mean?
You dont know? She single-handedly defeated over 99% of the invading Destruction.
Residue froze.
What?
In other words, the Destruction that reached this world amounted to only 1% of its full force.
Residue found himself in complete shock, for two reasons.
First, that the Half King had truly held off almost the entirety of the first wave alone.
And second, that the catastrophe currently devastating the world, what all of humanity perceived as an unprecedented disaster, was, in reality, merely 1% of what should have come.
...Was the world they ruled over this weak?
The world he had once ruled,
So weak that it could suffer irreparable damage from just 1 percent of the first Destruction''s forces.
But the First Destruction isnt over yet. And theres only one reason why, it hasnt been finished. Because the finale hasn''t been achieved."
"Finale?"
Among all beings of Destruction, only the First and the Last can possess true self-awareness.
The man who was undoubtedly the First declared,
"Since I know your purpose, our interests seem to align. I request your cooperation, Residue."
Frey pointed at Luca,
The ''Last''.
"Let''s end the ''First Destruction'' together."
Chapter Season 2 604
Translator: Alpha0210
He had witnessed many sights that were deemed disgraceful.
However, never once had he felt any deep emotion while observing them from beginning to end. It was partly because Residue possessed an unshakable mental fortitude, but that wasnt the only reason.
Most of those events had nothing to do with him.
For Residue,
There was no family, no friends, and no lover.
Perhaps there was no real difference between ruling over everything and merely watching from afar.
Puhwaak!
A tentacle-like thing made of mud lunged at Residue.
He stood there blankly, unable to think of blocking or dodging. A wall rising from the ground blocked the attack.
Do you intend to die here?
Frey spoke in a cold voice.
Residue lowered his head and muttered weakly, sounding fragile even to himself.
No. That child is not my death.
Then fight. If you lend us your strength, finishing this wont be impossible.
Why me, of all people? Is there no one else you can ask for help?
The moment he uttered those words, Residue regretted them. Those were the words of someone trying to evade responsibility.
Frey stared at him piercingly for a moment but did not criticize him for it. Instead, he simply said,
You saw the ones who came with me. But more than anyone from PeaceFinder Armlet, you are the strongest. Their power is still in its growth phase.
Residue looked at Luca once again.
The figure of the girl was no longer there.
Her melting body had swollen nearly tenfold, lashing out with countless tentacles while occasionally letting out beast-like howls.
He didnt want to be involved.
He hadnt foreseen this ending, but even so, he didnt want to be involved. Not just with Luca, but with anyone.
But fate wouldnt allow that, because to live was to be entangled with others. No one could live in complete isolation.
Residue
"...Let me ask one last thing."
Go ahead.
Does that thing still have consciousness?
At those words, Frey hesitated for a brief moment.
Kwaang! Kwaang!
The attacks grew fiercer. Cracks formed in the wall Frey had created, and it began to crumble.
Dragging out time would be of no advantage. That thing still couldnt fully control its own power. If they were to end it, now was the time.
With that judgment, Frey nodded.
Yes.
Residue regretted asking the question. And he accepted the reality that there was little he could do now.
Patzzt. A web-like current of electricity enveloped his entire body.
***
This was Residue''s first time directly fighting Destruction. The thought of it now seemed utterly ridiculous.
According to Frey, the first wave of Destruction was nearly over. Among the five great waves, the first was reaching its conclusion, and yet, up until now, Residue had done practically nothing.
If things had gone as they should have, Residue should have been the most formidable barrier standing against Destruction. Lukas would have expected that as well.
Wasnt it laughable?
Kwaaang!
This Destruction had no definite shape.
It could shift freely between liquid and solid, and the reverse was just as true. It even seemed capable of adjusting its volume and mass at will.
The most troublesome part, however, was its method of attack.
It was impossible to believe that all these attacks stemmed from a single entity.
If forty tentacles shot toward Residue, only ten would maintain their tentacle form to the end.
Another ten would transform into weapons.
Ten more would morph into beastly jaws.
And the last ten would become pure elements.
Each attack moved with the precision of a seasoned master wielding their weapon, all converging upon Residue.
Residue analyzed all forty attacks in a fleeting moment and categorized them in his own way.
The first tentacle, the second tentacle, a spear, a crescent blade, a tigers maw, flames, lava.
The fifth tentacle, the seventh tentacle, a sword, a saber, a dragons maw, water, ice.
The eighth tentacle, the tenth tentacle, an axe, a flail, a bears maw, lightning.
At first glance, it seemed as though each attack was independent, but that was not the case. Residue classified the forty attacks into seven distinct forms and responded with seven counterattacks of his own.
The abilities he unleashed simultaneously were advantageous in terms of compatibility against the attacks Luca had launched.
Kwaaang!
That didnt mean there was no aftermath.
The barely-standing ceiling collapsed, causing rain-mixed shards of glass to rain down.
Residue then turned his attention to Frey. His approach was much more aggressive than Residues, rather than merely blocking Luca''s attacks, he was constantly closing the distance.
Naturally, Lucas focus and aggression intensified toward Frey as a result.
[Step back.]
Papapang!
The moment Frey murmured in a low voice, Lucas tentacles, which had been rushing in from all directions, exploded like gunpowder.
Was this the end?
Having closed the gap in that instant, Frey thrust his hand into Lucas slimy body without hesitation.
Residue felt a sense of dj vu.
That mans fighting style was astonishingly similar to Lukas. No, it wasnt just similar, when he fought, it was as if Lukas himself had come back to life.
Crunch, crk, crk...
Frey''s hand moved violently inside the body. He was likely attacking directly, as though igniting a fire within the flesh.
A horrifying scream rang out.
Bubbles of heat formed and burst from the muddy flesh. Their frequency increased rapidly, growing more erratic until,
Residue sensed danger.
"Get away-"
Before he could finish speaking, a massive explosion erupted.
Frey''s body was hurled backward, but Residue could no longer afford to look at him.
The muddy mass that exploded had been torn into thousands of fragments.
Those fragments clung to the floor, the walls, and the shattered ceiling, wriggling as they slowly grew, until they reached the size of a human.
[Kkeoooooh-]
A sorrowful wail escaped.
Luca had split into thousands, scattering in all directions.
Its the final struggle.
Freys voice reached him. His forehead was cracked and bleeding slightly, but he didnt seem to have any serious injuries.
Final struggle? Already?
It seems its combat abilities are not particularly impressive. Or perhaps-
Frey, deep in thought, glanced at Residue before shaking his head.
"...Those beings'' combat power isn''t negligible. But there must be one core entity. And I can pinpoint its location."
How?
Frey flexed and uncurled his hand, which was covered in slime.
I left a mark inside when I made contact.
So you knew how to deal with it from the start.
Yes. Now, all thats left is to track it down and finish this.
Residue remained silent for a moment before speaking.
So my role is to clean up the remaining clones?
I could tell you the core entitys location and switch roles with you if you prefer
Freys clear gaze met his.
But I dont think thats what you want.
Residue was unable to respond.
Before he could, Frey had already left, as if he knew there was no time to waste, or perhaps as if he already knew what Residue''s answer would be.
Watching his figure fade into the distance irritated him, but the deeper sense of self-reproach kept him silent.
Then, Residue turned to face the countless writhing masses around him.
Scattered fragments of the girl he had shared idle conversation with just hours ago.
The most painful cleanup had begun.
***
This was cleanup. No, it was extermination.
Destruction likely never had a will to begin with.
The Luca that Residue remembered was nothing more than a small anomaly born from the collision between Destruction and a young girl.
So perhaps, though it was late, Residue was only now doing what had to be done.
-Among all forms of Destruction, only the first and the last can possess self-awareness.
Shut up.
Residue erased the unnecessary information he had heard from Frey from his mind.
Crunch. And then, he erased the monsters before him as well.
As he killed them, creatures that were no longer Luca, creatures he could no longer see as anything but monsters, his heart was dying along with them.
Thats why I told you.
Over and over again, I warned you.
To stay away, to not come any closer. To not get involved with me.
And yet, are you going to say this was my fault?
Are you going to blame me for not pushing you away more forcefully?
Fine. I know the truth.
If I truly hadnt wanted to be involved, I should have just left that small, filthy room.
I should have shouted at you, used force if necessary, to shut your mouth.
But I didnt.
Residue hadnt.
So this was his sin to bear.
[Kkeoooh-]
The monsters screams overlapped with Lucas voice.
At that moment, the rain carried warmth. -No, it wasnt rain.
It was weeping in place of a child who could no longer cry.
No.
Even that was just an excuse.
Residue despised himself for trying to find another reason for his sorrow.
What was your wish?
He asked the final remaining lump of mud.
It looked exactly like the monsters from his nightmares, humanoid in shape, yet not human, the very beings that clawed at his mental scars.
A grotesque, unsettling coincidence.
[Kke, uh, uh]
The lump of mud could only let out broken, stuttering sounds.
It looked as if it were reaching out.
Residue took the filthy hand and let it extend toward his neck.
But the mud had no strength.
Its body soon began to collapse, as if dissolving in the downpour.
And finally, the last remnant of Luca disappeared.
Sssshhh-
The rain left no trace of Luca behind.
It poured down as if it intended to wash away the entire world, carrying the mud with it.
Thud.
Residue sank to his knees, unable to remain standing.
You.
With a cracked voice, he addressed the man who had completed his task and returned.
"What kind of being are you? What did you receive from Lukas?"
After a brief silence, Frey answered.
The Master assessed this worlds overall level and realized that, when the inevitable Destruction arrived, the chances of stopping it were close to zero. So he needed something, a guide that was as close to the correct answer as possible to combat Destruction.
He gestured toward himself.
That is me. I came to this world for that purpose, carrying my own will. And I have been passing down his teachings to those connected to the Master, those with the potential to grow, those who werent in the records but were strong enough to fight Destruction.
So this man was another countermeasure left behind by Lukas.
Realizing that, Residue impulsively spoke.
What about me?
He asked.
Did he leave me with nothing?
But the moment the words left his mouth, he regretted them.
So what if you hear it?
What are you planning to do with that information?
Look at yourself right now.
No matter what he might have left behind, do you really think it would mean anything to the person you are now?
And yet despite that, Residue''s gaze remained fixed on Freys lips.
Conflicting emotions coexisted within him.
Even just a single word.
Just one word, if Lukas had left anything for him, even if it wasnt encouragement.
Even if it was harsh criticism, a reprimand, an outburst mixed with disappointment and anger.
If he could just hear Lukas message,
Maybe just maybe, this miserable state he was in would change.
Maybe it would shake him out of his resignation.
"There is nothing." S~ea??h the ovelFire.et website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
That fragile hope was shattered in an instant.
"I have nothing to say to you."
Without sparing a single glance at the frozen Residue, Frey lifted his gaze back to the sky.
The first Destruction has not been completely eradicated. Since it has been concluded, it will no longer multiply or expand, but we must remain vigilant against Hide in the coming second and third Destruction.
Frey added that the truly dangerous entities would not reveal themselves until the decisive moment.
Then, he continued,
In two days, we will eliminate the core entity we captured. By then, the rain should have stopped. After that
His murmuring voice grew distant.
At some point, his words became little more than a monologue, and before Residue realized it, Freys presence had completely faded away.
Residue remained slumped between the ruins of the broken buildings.
The cold rain chilled his body.
He didnt want to think anymore.
"It doesn''t stop easily?"
But there were always those who approached him in times like this.
The bothersome sensation of the rain against his skin suddenly disappeared.
Someone was shielding him from it.
Residue slowly turned around.
And there, drenched but holding an umbrella, stood a woman.
"...Will you follow me?"
Iris PeaceFinder asked.
Chapter Season 2 605
Translator: Alpha0210
When he opened his eyes.
Residue realized that he had lost consciousness once again. It was now a reality where even a wry smile wouldn''t come. However, what made this more serious than the previous times was that he couldn''t clearly remember the moment when he lost consciousness.
There was another difference as well. Every time he had regained consciousness until now, Residue had always been greeted by unfamiliar scenery.
This time was different.
It was a ceiling he recognized, a place he was familiar with.
A damp, dusty, cramped, and messy room.
The shabby place that Luca had called home.
Residue lay on a mattress with flattened cushions. It was a slightly uncomfortable softness that now even felt somewhat nostalgic.
Why am I here?
Could it be that everything that had happened until now was just a dream?
If so, where did the dream start and where did it end? What part of it should be a dream for him to consider himself lucky? It was a hopeful speculation that wasnt even worth a bitter laugh.
Scratch, scratch-
At that moment, there was a sign of movement. Residue flinched and quickly sat up.
"Luca?"
The room was dimly lit by candlelight.
An office desk Was there ever such a thing in this room?
And the figure sitting in front of it, swaying in the flickering light, was far too mature to be Luca.
It was a woman dressed in black, her posture so straight that it was almost admirable. She was writing, and upon hearing Residues voice, she turned her head slightly.
A woman who peered at him through glasses, her gaze devoid of warmth, Iris PeaceFinder.
Only then did Residue remember the moment just before he had collapsed.
"."
Iris stared at him briefly before turning her attention back to the desk.
Scratch, scratch-
The soothing sound of her writing resumed.
It was the sound that had drifted into Residues ears in his half-asleep state.
You.
"Please wait a little longer. I still have some approvals to finish."
"."
Residue fell silent. Then, he noticed a water bottle placed to his left on the mattress.
Did Iris leave this here?
Such an act of consideration only reminded him of a girl whose face he wished to forget, causing an ache in his heart.
When he had emptied about half the bottle, a voice spoke again.
"You must have frequent nightmares."
It was a voice steeped in exhaustion.
Residue, now with a clearer vision than before, looked at the side of Iriss face.
What should I say?
Her impression had changed significantly from what Lukas remembered.
Of course, he understood that humans were ever-changing beings. He also knew that she had the ability to alter her appearance freely beyond just her hair or eye color.
But this was a different kind of change.
Her outward appearance remained mostly the same.
The Iris PeaceFinder before him now looked like a weathered statue eroded by countless storms.
She was covered in scars, with no shortage of broken parts. But in a certain sense, it gave her an aura more difficult to touch, something almost sacred, more so than when she had been unblemished.
That impression shattered in the next moment.
Finishing her paperwork, Iris pulled something from her pocket and placed it between her lips.
Sizzle-
A small flame flared up and then vanished, and she exhaled a slow puff of thick smoke.
"Haa."
"."
Tobacco.
It somehow both suited her and didnt.
Looking again, the eyes behind her glasses were not just sunken but utterly lifeless. The mysterious atmosphere that Lukas had found so memorable in her was now nearly nonexistent.
The Iris before him was someone who had been battered by the storms of the world, worn down by its filth, and exhausted to the core.
Only those utterly drained by life could emit such a weightless, detached aura.
Residue didnt know what to say.
It wasnt that his mind went blank or anything like that, but no matter how much he thought, no words came to him.
Iris was supposed to be the woman who would bring his death.
That was what he had wanted, what he had resolved himself for.
And yet, at this moment, he found himself hesitating to reveal his identity and bring about his own end.
Luca.
In the end, that child has even managed to shake my resolve.
"Your answer?"
Iris spoke again.
Was she asking about his nightmares? He hadn''t slept, he had passed out. But either way, it wasnt something he wanted anyone to see.
Something like that.
I see.
Once again, the conversation fell into silence.
Iris didnt shift her gaze back to the desk. Instead, with a languid expression, she exhaled smoke and stared blankly out the window.
Residue spoke.
The PeaceFinder Armlet.
Huu.
A slow stream of smoke drifted into the air.
It swirled, mixed with itself, scattered, then faded into the raindrops outside as the wind carried it away.
"Was that organization established on Frey Blake''s advice?"
I had always considered establishing it. I had already anticipated that the world would turn out this way.
She said it as if it were nothing, but it was an incredible foresight.
Tap, tap.
Iris flicked the ashes off her cigarette and continued.
Freys advice was actually more relevant afterward.
Afterward?
The purpose of its foundation, the structure of the organization, the direction of its activities.
So you didnt just get a strategy guide for Destruction from him.
For a moment, their eyes met.
Her pitch-black irises held almost no light.
The Iris Residue knew wouldnt have looked at Lukas with such eyes. She was not the kind of woman who could.
"You heard. About what happened to Lukas."
"Yes."
"So what do you plan to do now?"
"About what?"
Residue was starting to find Iriss feigned ignorance more and more irritating.
Are you seriously asking that? Look properly. See who it is thats inside the body of the man you love.
I inherited this body. Lukas Trowmans body, and even his mind. And yet, look at me. You seem well-informed about world affairs, so you must know. I contributed nothing to the First Subjugation of Destruction.
Iris gazed at him wordlessly before speaking.
And?
You still dont understand? He entrusted me with the after. He wanted me, in this body, to stand at the forefront, to be a vanguard against Destruction, or perhaps a commander who would annihilate them completely. And yet, after Destruction launched their full-scale invasion, do you know what I did?
Residues lips twisted into a cold smirk.
I observed. Then I ran away. And as a result, I ended up like this. How much time do you think I wasted?
While you were founding an organization to fight Destruction, implementing practical countermeasures, applying them, pushing forward relentlessly, sacrificing sleep, exhausting yourself until you became like this, wandering the world I was-!
Boom!
Residues fist slammed into the floor.
I was holed up in this tiny, cramped room the entire time.
A storm of unquenchable rage swirled within him. He was glaring at Iris as he spoke, but the anger wasnt directed at her.
All of Residues fury was aimed at himself. That was why he could neither forget nor escape it.
So, Iris PeaceFinder. Dont you think its time to change your attitude?
Say it.
Say that you cant forgive me.
Say that youll kill me.
He stared at her with desperation.
But the moment he saw her pitch-black eyes, he knew, his expectations would be betrayed.
There are times when one cannot forgive themselves.
She murmured in a low voice.
"Sleep is perhaps the best option at such times. Yes. According to your own words, you are currently in the middle of running away."
Thats right.
And now you want me to be your executioner.
He hadnt expected her to read him that far.
However, in hindsight, Residue''s voice had been far too emotional.
For a woman like Iris, who possessed such keen observational skills, grasping his true intent wouldnt have been difficult.
So what will you do then? Does my attempt to seek liberation through death bother you? Do you wish for me to continue living and enduring this suffering?
No.
Surely, youre not feeling any sympathy for me?
Not at all. I have little emotion toward you.
Then why? Is it simply because, no matter who I am inside, this is still Lukas body? And so you hesitate to damage it?
I cant deny that.
Iris let out a sigh.
Thats only one of the reasons, though. Let me ask you something.
Her pitch-black eyes turned toward Residue.
Did Lukas say that?
What?
Did he tell you to be the vanguard against Destruction? To become a commander and devise strategies? To devote everything to stopping it, did he ever say that to you?
Residue was momentarily at a loss for words.
It wasnt a question he had ever considered before.
Lukas what had that guy said to him?
As I said earlier, Mark Trowman, the Beginning Wizard, is one of those who understands me the deepest.
And the other is you. Thats right, Residue.
A sharp pain shot through his head.
A voice he thought he had forgotten, or rather, one he actually had forgotten, echoed in his mind.
You can''t continue like this forever. But for now, even if its just for a while, I want you to live as Lukas.
Lukas didn''t wish for Residue to continue living as himself indefinitely.
Then what was it?
What was the role he had entrusted to him,
If its you, I can trust you. So Im asking you, Residue. Be my last arrangement.
Residue sat frozen in place.
Lukas Trowmans final arrangement.
That was his role.
He wasnt that kind of man?
For the first time, there was emotion in Iris voice.
With bitterness laced in her tone, she continued murmuring.
I wont take your life.
Then what? What do you want me to do?
Residue spoke in a weary voice.
I need your help.
Iris voice was the clearest it had been since their meeting.
The PeaceFinder Armlet No, the entire world is suffering from an extreme shortage of manpower. There are few we can trust, and even fewer who are strong. Because of that, no matter how many bodies we have, its never enough.
"Are you suggesting that I become your subordinate?"
"To put it clearly, yes."
Residue let out a deep sigh.
You must have heard from Frey. The Destruction you managed to hold back was, at most, a mere one percent of the whole.
Yes.
And yet, even that was enough to leave the world half-destroyed. I can see it clearly. This city, this trash heap, crawling with all kinds of vermin, is actually one of the better places, on average.
Beyond the city, the world would be overflowing with blood and death.
Every landscape would resemble hell itself.
The corpses strewn on the roadside would outnumber the weeds.
The second wave of Destruction will be even worse. Perhaps the Half King will fall, and something hundreds of times larger and stronger than what youve faced will descend. And yet, you still intend to fight? With that frail body of yours?
Its not fighting. That concept doesnt even apply anymore. This is struggling.
Iris fell silent for a moment before adding,
Even so, I have to do what I can. After all, he went out of his way to keep me alive.
Residue said nothing.
Then, he closed his eyes.
This is hopeless.
This woman, without a doubt, she was someone who deserved to be called a hero.
She understood the nature of sacrifice.
She comprehended the immense weight carried by those with power.
And, most importantly, she bore the responsibility of not turning away from it.
But Residue
Even as he watched the noble declaration of a hero, he felt nothing.
As if his heart had died, his emotions didnt even stir.
Had she realized his true thoughts once again?
Iris no longer pressed the matter and simply rose from her seat. Looking down at Residue, she spoke.
Theres still a lot of paperwork left. Ill be staying in the next room for the next two days to take care of it.
Two days.
Yes. In two days, I have a meeting with this citys mayor.
Glancing briefly at the classic watch on her wrist, she murmured,
Two days. If you change your mind, come find me anytime.
Residue thought to himself that it would never happen.
Just before leaving, Iris suddenly spoke, her back still turned as if the thought had only just occurred to her.
One last question.
What is it?
Can Lukas come back?
Lukas had said see you again, but Residue knew better now.
He understood just how impossible those words truly were.
He couldnt lie.
Its almost impossible.
I see.
Residue had expected her to finally show some emotion this time.
He thought there would be an outburst, some visible reaction from this woman who was dead in a different way than he was.
But no.
Iris stood there for just a moment longer, then walked away.
***
The difference between a child and an adult lies in maturity.
Then what is maturity?
It is the ability to hide one''s emotions.
By that definition, Pale was not mature. In other words, she was still a child. She was someone who had to express everything she felt.
When she was sad, she cried. When she was happy, she laughed. When she was angry, she had to break something.
An infinitely pure but therefore dangerous being.
Iris was different.
Residue realized that now.
Scratch, scratch-
As the night deepened, Residue stood silently in front of Iris room.
Unaware of his presence, she sat at her desk, her wrist moving steadily.
She looked just as she had when he first woke up.
Except for a few small details.
Iris absently wiped her eyes.
It seemed like she was rubbing them to fight off drowsiness, but little by little, her wrist grew damp.
That was the beginning.
Drip. Drop.
Fragments of emotions she could no longer suppress stained the pages.
Without a single sob, Iris continued wiping her eyes.
Her movements werent those of someone overcome by sorrow, but of someone who had long since been consumed by it.
Residue understood.
Iris PeaceFinder was well-acquainted with endurance.
Her life itself had been built on it.
She had lived that way for so long that it had become an inseparable part of her existence, binding her like shackles.
Can Lukas come back?
She had tried to ask casually, as if it wasn''t important.
But the years, the emotions, the longing buried within that question, Residue couldnt even begin to grasp them. Sarch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
Nor could he truly comprehend what she must have felt in response to his answer.
The collision between her physical body desperately wanting to pour out emotions and her mind absolutely refusing to allow it created a tragic scene.
Even as she wiped her eyes, her hands never stopped working.
It would have been better if she had just cried.
If she had screamed as if the sky itself were collapsing, it would have been easier.
Residue watched for a while, then left.
Because he didnt want to see it anymore.
Because he didnt want to feel the weight of the soundless sobbing anymore.
Chapter Season 2 606
Translator: Alpha0210
He wasnt sure if coming outside had been the right choice. The weather remained dreary, with rain pouring down relentlessly, and the temperature had dropped even further. A sudden thought crossed his mind, was the world getting colder by the day?
After all, the sky had lost its sun.
Perhaps the inexplicable sense of despair and gloom that humanity was feeling stemmed from that very loss.
Phew.
Residue loosened his robe slightly and stepped into a puddle of rainwater. Squelch. Droplets splashed as the murky water seeped into his boots.
But more than the unpleasant sensation, what truly unsettled him was the turmoil within himself, something that refused to settle.
The sound of rain only intensified that feeling, pouring down fiercely as if to aggravate him further,
Ah.
A sudden thought struck him. He wanted to erase the clouds.
Residue reached out toward the sky.
How should he erase them? There were many ways.
Should he burn them all away with fire?
Should he rip them apart without a trace using a raging storm?
Or perhaps he could simply cut them down altogether?
But Residue withdrew his outstretched hand.
He could, but he chose not to.
Did that mean he was exercising patience? Or had he given up?
Even that, he couldnt easily determine. Because he wasnt certain of himself.
With angry strides, he walked through the gray streets. Seeking a place where the sound of rain was slightly less intrusive, he found himself gradually entering the deep, shadowy parts of the city.
Beneath the gloomy sky, the abandoned concrete buildings, left neglected for ages, stood cracked and crumbling, barely holding onto their former height.
As he absentmindedly gazed up at the scene, the towering structures strangely reminded him of ancient, overgrown trees. In that sense, the phrase concrete jungle felt paradoxical yet oddly fitting.
Residue walked through that jungle.
As mentioned before, the buildings bore no signs of maintenance, but that didnt mean the streets were empty.
He could feel the gazes of those who lurked in the shadows, watching him.
He had sensed it during his brief outing last time as well, outsiders were not welcomed here.
"Hey there, friend."
"Lost your way?"
But they werent outright rejected, either.
A group of thugs blocked his path. They flashed their knives and firearms in plain sight, grinning deliberately.
Even through the rain, their yellowed teeth were clearly visible, disgusting.
Annoying, but not as much as the ceaseless sound of rain ringing in his head.
So, for once, Residue decided to be merciful.
He intended to simply walk past them.
"Ah, hold on. Hold on."
"Why the rush? Theres nothing up ahead anyway."
"Lets have a little chat."
But the world was full of fools.
The kind who barely escape an arrow by sheer luck, yet remain oblivious and willingly throw themselves back into the battlefield.
Fools who deserved no second mercy.
"Thats an interesting-looking raincoat."
"Why dont you take it off? Let us have a closer look."
"Heh heh."
Of course, it wasnt entirely their fault.
Or was it?
"Why do you even continue living?"
The words escaped his lips half on impulse.
Once spoken, he found himself genuinely curious.
They must know that the world was ending. They must know it would only get worse.
And yet, these idiots still clung to life.
"...What?"
"What the hell is this lunatic talking about?"
Residue instinctively reached out and flicked his finger against the forehead of the man who had questioned him.
A simple forehead flick, as it was commonly called.
Paang!
But the result was far from ordinary.
The man''s head exploded like a watermelon.
Just as Residue had expected, a light, empty head.
Huh?
"What the?"
"The more chaotic the world becomes, the greater a sin ignorance becomes. You understand that, dont you?"
"Of course not. You ignorant trash."
"You crazy bastard!"
"What the fuck are you even talking about?!"
Only then did the men assume battle stances and rush toward him, but it was far too late. And in truth, there wasnt much difference from when they had been swaggering around just moments ago.
Theres no need for you bastards to feel wronged about dying today.
Pa-pa-pang!
The mens heads exploded all at once. Upon closer inspection, it seemed there had been two women among them. But that was of little interest to Residue.
He resumed his walk down the street.
Annoyingly enough, more trouble kept finding him.
They approached with smiles, only to disappear without them.
In the blink of an eye, the street was painted with blood.
Residue had lost count of how many he had killed.
Wandering aimlessly, he suddenly caught his reflection in a puddle.
Staring back at him, bloodied and drenched, was Lukas face.
And in that moment, an undeniable truth struck him,
No matter where he ran, no matter how long he closed his eyes, he could never escape himself.
Those eyes would follow him wherever he went, always watching.
But they would never answer his questions.
Was death, in the end, the only true liberation?
Hahaha.
Residue let out a silent laugh and continued killing the vermin.
Or perhaps, they were even less than vermin.
Even on a stormy day, insects knew to still their wings and wait for the right time. Yet these pieces of trash lacked even the basic caution found in the smallest of creatures.
How long had he painted the streets with blood?
Just as the last traces of human presence were truly beginning to vanish,
For the first time, Residue saw someone who wasnt trash.
Two figures stood in what had once been a city plaza.
They sat atop a wide stone slab at the center of a fountain, now filled with murky rainwater.
Even as the rain poured down on them, they didnt budge an inch, so still that for a moment, he mistook them for statues.
In fact, it seemed like there had once been statues on that stone slab.
Splash-
Residues footsteps didnt change in the slightest.
Neither hurried nor slow, he walked for several more seconds until he reached the fountain.
And then, the man and woman finally spoke.
Hoh.
Interesting
They smiled faintly in amusement.
Residue sighed at the sight.
What a pain.
These two were incomparably stronger than the worms he had just slaughtered.
Even stronger than Tucker, the ruler of this city.
And Residue recognized the aura they exuded.
So this is the kind of filth that was enough to summon us to a place like this.
Youre slightly better trash than expected. Might be good for killing time.
No, this wasnt just recognition of their aura.
He knew their faces as well.
A rare experience.
To see two insignificant insects, who had always looked up at him, now looking down on him instead.
Dont hold a grudge, mortal.
There will be pain, but if youre lucky, youll die quickly.
Ah, your body is fine, but we need to keep your face intact. We have to take it to that mortal and show him.
Residue looked at them and spoke.
Tian. And Volcast.
!?
The two beings flinched violently, their expressions twisting in shock.
Who are you?
How do you know our names?
Yeah, you fucking idiot duo. Even after all this time, I cant say Im happy to see your faces.
A strange twist of fate.
To see the ones he had once taken in, like this.
Flash!
A brilliant light erupted from both of Residues hands, causing the two to instinctively recoil.
Residue knew everything about them.
Naturally, he also understood the nature of their external power and their very essence.
They were beings born of pure darkness, meaning they had an aversion to intense light.
Of course, this alone wasnt enough to kill them.
But it did create an opening.
And for Residue, such a flaw was far too fatal to overlook.
Slash-
Both of their heads were severed.
But even a rotting Absolute is still an Absolute. Those who possess a Transcendent Body wouldnt die from something like this.
Residue applied a variation of the Blade Tempest technique he had used before, imbuing the whirlwind with the power to cut through anything.
Kwoooo-!
A violent gust roared, and the two Absolutes glared at Residue with wide, furious eyes. That was the only form of resistance they could muster.
Moments later, their bodies collapsed, reduced to mere pools of blood, merging with the murky rainwater in the fountain.
Just like that, the two Absolutes met their end in an instant.
Residue gazed down at their corpses indifferently.
Even though he had just slain two former subordinates, he felt nothing. Sar?h the ovlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
It had been the same when he was the Lightning God.
- Youre not one to be taken lightly, it seems.
When a new voice rang out, Residue wasnt surprised.
Of course.
Even if you clean up one batch of vermin, another will always take their place. He already knew that.
But this time, the ones who appeared were not vermin.
They were not beings he could dismiss so easily.
Who told you about us?
A cold voice.
Turning around, he saw two women standing there.
Not faces you see every day.
Residue muttered quietly, and their gazes sharpened even further.
Tian, Volcast. Just like the Absolutes you killed just now, do you know about us as well?
Are you asking if I know your names? Of course, I do.
Residue smirked.
Symetra. Tell me, whos managing that Hunting Planet you cherished so much while youre here?
At that, Symetras expression hardened.
Then, the woman standing a step behind her spoke up.
That appearance Ive heard of it before. Our Master often mentioned you. Said there was one Absolute he wished to recruit, but he simply wouldnt listen.
Ill ask you directly, are you the Madman?
The Madman.
Right.
Now that he thought about it, it was the Lightning God who had first given Lukas Trowman that name.
Kuh Kuhaha
Residue let out a hollow laugh.
He truly hadnt expected this.
The alias he had once bestowed had circled back and found its way to him.
Yes.
Yes And the fact that you two sisters are here reminds me of a rather troubling possibility.
Residues gaze sharpened.
That must mean Retip is nearby as well.
At his words, their faces hardened even further.
But they quickly masked their expressions, responding coldly.
That has nothing to do with you.
Youre going to die here by our hands.
No, thats not going to happen.
Residue chuckled darkly.
You two arent worthy of being my death.
However, unlike the battles before, he knew he wouldnt be walking away from this one unscathed.
Among the Absolutes once gathered under the Lightning God, there were those who stood at the very peak, the Ruler-class.
And even among them, a select few had distinguished themselves.
There were thirteen in total.
The Lightning God had granted each of them dominion over thirteen universes.
To distinguish them from ordinary Rulers, he had named them the Thirteen Thunderclouds.
Retip, the man who had been the Lightning Gods right-hand, sat at the head of the Thirteen.
Symetra and Sera
They were also among the Thirteen Thunderclouds.
Very well.
Residues lips curled into a sharp grin.
Lets fight.
So fiercely that his head turn white, that the sensation of rain disappear, that the thunder can''t be heard.
And he was curious.
How far could the current Residue go against two of his former elite subordinates?
Among the Thirteen Thunderclouds, against two of its strongest?
***
Iris suddenly opened her eyes.
And she was startled to realize she had dozed off.
How long had it been since she last closed her eyes, even for a moment?
''...Have I become lazy?''
Perhaps her tension had eased a little.
Not because she had reunited with him, but because she had found traces of him.
No. More than that,
There was no time to waste.
She quickly checked her wristwatch.
Fifteen minutes had passed since she last checked.
Fortunately, it didnt seem like she had been out for long But even so, Iris let out a deep sigh.
Just as she was about to grab a cup of coffee to shake off her grogginess,
You slept well.
A sudden voice made her flinch, and she quickly turned around.
A middle-aged man with long, unkempt hair, a rough beard, and a pair of sunglasses sat casually on the bed. His sharp features gave her a menacing look.
You seemed to be in a deep sleep, so I didnt wake you.
Since when?
Lets see About an hour ago, maybe?
Iris managed to keep her expression neutral, but a chill ran down his spine.
An hour ago?
That would mean this man had been here while she was still working on paperwork.
Not when she was dozing off, but when her mind had been completely alert.
And yet, she hadnt noticed this mans presence?
Iris PeaceFinder hadnt noticed?
Theres no need to feel so defeated.
The man smirked.
One of my brothers possesses an item thats quite exceptional at concealing ones presence. I simply borrowed its power.
He adjusted his sunglasses.
You know what it is, dont you? It was originally a helmet, but I found it too cumbersome, so I had it reforged into sunglasses.
Kynee.
As expected of the administrator of the Void Records. Theres nothing you dont know.
The man chuckled.
Iriss expression turned cold.
That was true. There was almost nothing she didnt know.
Which meant she also knew exactly who this man was.
What brings you here, Retip?
I had some personal business to take care of.
Retip stretched his neck, rolling his shoulders lazily.
But then my Master suddenly issued a new order.
He sighed, as if displeased.
So I decided to leave my personal matters to my children for now and carry out my new orders first.
Then, in an almost reluctant tone, he added,
For starters, Ill have to kill you.
Chapter Season 2 607
Translator: Alpha0210
Among the ranks of the Absolute Beings, the proportion occupied by [Lords] is extremely low.
From the beginning, the majority of Absolute Beings never even manage to escape the lowest rank, [Assistant]. Though they are called Absolute Beings, in reality, they are nothing more than intergalactic troubleshooters traveling between worlds to resolve conflicts according to a system designed by the gods.
From [Manager] onward, the situation changes.
Unlike the Assistants at the very bottom, they no longer wander between universes. While they are not entirely free from such duties, they are entrusted with responsibilities far more significant.
They manage universes.
Each Manager is given one or more universes to oversee directly, along with the power to shape those universes according to their own desires.
For example, if an Absolute Being values ''struggle'' as the highest virtue, then all life forms in their universe will regard strength and victory as the greatest honor. If an Absolute Being cherishes love and virtue, then the beings in that universe will generally have an inclination toward goodwill...
Moreover, there are no restrictions on their involvement in the universe.
If the universe does not develop in the direction the Manager desires-
In extreme cases, they can annihilate all existing civilizations and restart from zero.
This is why most Absolute Beings become satisfied once they reach the rank of Manager. Unless something extraordinary occurs, they focus on managing and protecting their universe, leaving them with little opportunity to travel to other universes.
Then what about the Lords?
Not only do they own their universes, but they have also resolved multiple universe-scale catastrophes in the so-called ''Great Universe'', enough to earn even the recognition of the Rulers.
Unlike most Managers who are content with their position, the Lords still possess a lingering desire for advancement. Although compared to the fierce ambition of mortals, theirs was but a faint, flickering flame-
The Rulers saw potential in this.
They thought that those who still maintained their pride even after hundreds of millions or billions of years might become Rulers themselves.
But that expectation was utterly shattered.
While it was true that Lords had not forgotten their ambition, the majority of them never considered becoming Rulers as their ultimate goal. They did not even dare to imagine such a thing.
The Lord of Lords,
The right hand of the Ruler, known as the Conqueror, at best, that was the highest position they aspired to.
The Rulers were inevitably disappointed, yet they understood.
From the moment the Three Thousand Worlds came into existence until now, the number of Rulers had never wavered from four.
Until very recently, that is.
The Seven Fanged Dragon God.
Regardless of what her plans were, she had become too weak to claim the title of Ruler, even temporarily.
For the first time, the number they believed to be absolute and unchanging had a gap.
[The Great Game]
Some Absolute Beings realized that it was a plan to select a new Ruler, but the majority reacted with indifference.
Because they already knew.
The overwhelming gap between the Rulers and themselves,
How fundamentally different their very nature was from birth.
But that belief began to crack.
4 had become 3.
A Ruler had fallen, and an empty seat had been left behind.
The shock that swept through the Absolute Beings was on a completely different level from when they first heard rumors of the Great Game.
A being so overwhelming, so transcendent, so utterly beyond reach and comprehension.
For the first time, they could see the edge of that unreachable summit.
The Rulers were not, in fact, perfect and invincible!
The world was stirring violently.
For mortals, this was a cause for despair, but for the Absolute Beings, it was different. After all, their status was only attainable by standing at the very pinnacle of a universe.
Though it had been an unfathomably long time, they still retained a sense of pride. They had once possessed soaring self-esteem and an unshakable sense of self.
But over the eons, their spirits had weakened, and they had no choice but to submit to the Rulers.
...Now, however, the situation had changed slightly.
The ones who felt the strongest impact were, of course, the Lords.
Countless Absolute Beings who had long been seated beneath the Rulers suddenly began to think.
Perhaps now, in this era, it might be possible?
To become the next Ruler.......
*
I knew what you were thinking.
The being that was once the Lightning God gazed at his former subordinates with dull eyes.
Symetra and Sera.
Undisputed Lords, and among the Absolute Beings who had once relied on the Lightning God, they ranked within the top ten in strength. In the past, their fangs had never even come close to reaching him, but now, things were different.
Now, they had a chance of victory even against the Rulers. Not Residue. He was referring to the current Rulers who still stood aloof, observing from above the universe.
Though that so-called chance was as faint as the likelihood of sand on a beach swept by waves randomly forming a sandcastle, that was not the important part.
In the entire universe, the most difficult step was always the transition from 0 to 1. That was why the moment this world was created was considered the greatest of all.
Thus, Residue did not underestimate this battle. He did not take it lightly.
To put it simply.
They had grown stronger,
And he had grown weaker.
Whoosh-
Symetra pulled out multiple daggers.
Were they designed to fit between her fingers? The handles were much thinner than usual. But they were certainly no ordinary weapons. At the very least, they were divine artifacts capable of holding external force, and there was a good chance they were Soul Weapons.
Weapons Residue didn''t know about,
In other words, Symetra had obtained them very recently.
How troublesome.
He didn''t know the functions of those weapons, , but he was well aware of Symetras external force and the concept she governed. If those two elements were to align perfectly, this battle would become significantly more troublesome for Residue.
As expected, it would be best to kill Symetra before dealing with Sera.
Tzzzt.
As Residue finished his judgment, electricity surged through his body.
The two Absolute Beings watching this sight simultaneously frowned.
I see.
As Ive heard, its an unpleasant power.
Srrng.
Sera unsheathed her sword. The shield hanging near her waist she wasnt even thinking of using it. Was she underestimating him? If she wasnt planning to go all out from the beginning, that worked in his favor.
Pak!
In an instant, her blade was at his throat. Residue tilted his head to the side. The cold steel grazed his cheek, leaving a thin cut.
Residue saw the openings in Seras upper body. It seemed like he could easily penetrate by just extending his hand.
But because the trap was so obvious, he decided against it. Instead, he changed his approach,
Something fresh.
Drip.
He caught the blood dripping from his cheek in his palm and flung it toward her.
The blood mixed with the rain and splattered toward Sera.
For a brief moment, she seemed taken aback, as if she hadnt expected him to use the wound she inflicted as a weapon. However, she quickly regained her composure and swung her sword once more.
Blood smeared onto the blade.
!
Seras eyes widened.
Her highly developed eyesight allowed her to see it clearly, the blade had failed to cut through the blood droplets.
Instead, the blood clung to the blade as if it possessed an intense viscosity.
Residue took exactly five steps back and snapped his fingers.
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The blood exploded.
He had simultaneously invoked the power of blood and the power of explosion, powers once held by a demigod.
A deafening roar and a cloud of dust enveloped the area, temporarily impairing both sight and hearing.
Of course, his opponents were Lords. They could freely shift into their transcendent forms, so such physical constraints were meaningless.
Residues body shot into the sky.
Almost at the same time, daggers cut through the dust and came into view.
Four of them, aimed at his vital points, shot toward him like arrows.
By twisting his body midair, he narrowly avoided them.
But that wouldnt be all.
The moment he dodged all four, he made his assessment and unleashed a surge of electricity throughout his body.
Like an intricate web, the current spread widely, illuminating the surrounding terrain and revealing the shape of the incoming attacks.
As expected, three more daggers were flying toward him.
One from each side and one from behind,
Their presence was so faint, they were even less noticeable than the raindrops falling from the sky.
Anyway, once their position was identified, there was no need to be afraid.
Residues body ascended even higher into the sky.
Then, as if the daggers had a will of their own, they twisted midair and pursued him.
Of course they would.
Symetra was a hunter, and she was also the Lord of the Hunt. Naturally. Naturally, she possessed every skill necessary for hunting to absolute perfection.
Accuracy, tracking ability, stealth, trap design and
The moment Residue sensed something off, he felt the currents he had spread in all directions get severed in an instant.
Turning around in midair, he found Sera suddenly behind him. She gripped a two-handed sword in reverse and was driving it down with the force to skewer his entire body.
Rather than swinging it like a sword, it felt more like she was thrusting a spear with her full weight behind it.
It was too late to dodge, so Residue reached out with his hand.
Thuck!
The blade pierced through his palm.
Blood splattered across his eyes, but he didnt even blink. Instead, he pushed his hand further, gripping the guard of the sword.
Tighten.
His forearm tensed. His eyes turned crimson, and his muscles suddenly swelled dramatically. His strength multiplied by hundreds of times in an instant.
He attempted to hurl Sera toward Symetras daggers with brute force, but it wasnt easy.
Flash!
Seras eyes glowed golden. A similar radiance flowed through the blade.
Residues left hand immediately ignited in flames.
Hm
At that moment, he sensed Symetras daggers drawing near, almost within striking distance.
Too late to evade.
Thud! Thud!
Two daggers embedded themselves in his back.
At the last moment, he twisted his body, narrowly avoiding a fatal strike.
Residue caught the final dagger with his remaining hand and then severed his own left hand.
Fwoosh!
At the same time, his burning left hand turned to ash and vanished.
If he had hesitated even a moment longer, the flames would have spread across his entire body.
Residue, now with only one hand, swung the dagger and engaged in a brief skirmish with Sera.
He had no time to maintain his levitation, and their bodies, which had risen to the height of a building, were now gradually descending toward the ground.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
In the chaotic aerial battle, a short weapon like a dagger had the advantage.
Moreover, Residue was seamlessly integrating martial arts with the powers of a demigod, causing wounds to accumulate rapidly across Seras body.
Sera didnt seem surprised that she was being pushed back.
That only deepened Residues sense of unease.
The ground was now approaching fast.
Seras body was nearly drenched in blood.
But the injuries werent particularly significant.
More than that,
Even as he clashed with Sera, Residues mind was elsewhere.
This dagger he was using it was a fine weapon. Hard yet razor-sharp, a rarity among blades. Its thin hilt was a distinct feature of Symetras weapons.
A total of four daggers could fit between five fingers. Since Symetra had two hands, that meant she wielded eight daggers in total.
How many daggers had he dodged so far?
At that moment, Seras chest split open, and a dagger shot out from within.
There had been no indication whatsoever.
And that dagger, was incomparably faster than any of the ones he had faced before.
He was too close to Sera to dodge or deflect it.
In that fleeting moment, Residue kicked Seras chin upward, using the recoil to spin his body.
But he couldnt avoid contact entirely.
Boom!
The long yet brief descent ended as their bodies crashed into the ground.
From a distance, Symetra observed the scene and spoke.
What happened?
Shhhk.
Seras form appeared behind Symetra.
She was still covered in blood, and the wound on her chest remained.
Even after a coordinated attack by two Lords, this was the extent of the damage.
As expected, he was
I saw the dagger strike a vital point.
I see. Even so-
-Do not let your guard down.
From within the dust cloud, Residues voice echoed.
Moments later, his figure emerged.
Is that what you were about to say? For someone who looks down on mortals, youre being awfully cautious.
Residue stepped forward from the settling dust.
A dagger was still lodged in his chest.
Didnt it pierce a vital point?
A ridiculous thing happened.
Residue pulled out the mask of The Beginning Wizard from inside his robe.
Made from an unidentified material from the ''Outside'', this mask had an astonishing level of durability, so much so that even Symetras trump card had failed to leave a single scratch on it.
Symetra. An Absolute Being who possesses all the virtues of a hunter Ive felt a sense of unease for a while. I was slow to realize it. But then again, I was never particularly interested in you lot.
The essence of hunting is composure. Perhaps because of that, you have always been cautious. That, at the very least, was impressive.
Even at the moment she pledged allegiance before the Ruler, Symetras gaze had remained icy.
But.
That same you has been showing emotions all day. You didnt flinch before the Ruler, yet now, in front of someone you call a mere mortal, youve lost your cool. The reason? Simple. Your behavior right now is a lie.
Yes. A lie.
From start to finish, everything was.
They had offered Tian and Volcast, those foolhardy duo, as sacrifices, all to reduce any sense of unease Residue might feel.
You all knew about me from the start. You understood perfectly well who I was and what state I was in. Yet, despite that, you put on a pathetic act, pretending to be pushed into a corner.
Sera was no exception.
Residue had assumed that she wasnt fighting at full power because she hadnt drawn her shield, but that wasnt it. That was simply what she wanted to make him believe.
The goal was to plant the illusion that she wasnt going all out.
What confirmed it was the recent aerial battle.
In that brief skirmish, Sera had fought with everything she had. She had given her all.
Not once had she harbored any arrogant belief that her opponent was a mortal unworthy of her full strength.
Residue spoke.
You came here fully prepared to kill me.
And youre not the only ones, are you? Let me ask, has the entire Thirteen Thunderclouds gathered here?
No.
Symetras tone shifted.
They are not the only ones. Those gathered here today are all contenders for the position of the next Ruler. Their numbers-
At that moment, the presence of others began to be felt from all directions.
From the entrance of dark alleyways,
Beyond shattered window frames,
Atop crumbling rooftops,
Hidden behind the clouds,
And even beneath the very ground.
Residue began counting their numbers, but before he could finish, Symetras voice rang out.
Sixty-nine in total. All of them, of course, are Lords. Now then, do you think this is enough to hunt you down?
Symetra smiled.
-O former Ruler.
Chapter Season 2 608
Translator: Alpha0210
Had there ever been a time when sixty-nine Lords gathered in one place?
No.
At least, as far as Residue, the former Lightning God knew, such an event had never happened. There were only a few universes capable of encompassing such beings. At most, a similar number might gather when the [Council of Absolutes] convened to discuss an agenda with universal implications in a ''top universe''. But historically, even that had never occurred.
And now, Residue was witnessing a scene perhaps rarer than the full attendance of the Council.
This city,
A small city that could barely accommodate a million people, was densely packed with Absolutes, gathered close enough to be taken in at a glance.
Their gazes were fixed on Residue as if locked in place. Residue, too, took in their appearances.
Symetra had stated that the total number of Lords gathered here was sixty-nine, but the count Residue had confirmed was fifty.
So were the remaining nineteen hiding? Or was the number sixty-nine a lie to begin with? If so, were more of them concealed, or had the number been inflated as mere bluffing?
There were quite a few familiar faces.
For beings at the level of Lords, it was only natural that Residue, in his days as the Lightning God, had taken note of them at least once.
However, among them, there were some he was seeing for the first time. They might have merely altered their appearances but who knew? It wasnt a good sign. Residue had no way of discerning the powers of those whose faces he did not recognize.
Phew
Symetra slowly exhaled. It wasnt a sigh but a deep breath.
At the same time, one of her knees bent. Her eyelids gradually lowered over her eyes, and soon, a radiance akin to moonlight began to emanate from her body.
A stream of light extended from the crown of her head toward the Absolutes. As if accustomed to it, they accepted the connection.
"."
It was undoubtedly one of Symetras powers, ''Shared Perception''. Normally, this was an ability she used only on the divine beasts she raised.
Residue was surprised twice, once upon seeing Symetra use it on the Absolutes, and once more at how they accepted it without hesitation. He then realized her role in this battle.
Symetra would not personally take part in the fight. Instead, she would focus entirely on grasping the battles progress and directing it.
At that moment, the presence of half of the fifty Absolutes disappeared. Just as Residue was about to pinpoint their locations precisely, the remaining half amplified their presence even further.
Kwaaaah!
At least ten Absolutes charged toward Residue. Their force was so immense that it was difficult to perceive with the naked eye.
They had abandoned their physical forms, clashing against Residue as transcendental entities. But that was not all. Their charge was also highly coordinated. A dozen or so Absolutes filled Residues field of vision, advancing shoulder to shoulder like a well-organized cavalry unit.
An unimaginable spectacle was unfolding before him.
Yet, without changing his expression, Residue extended his sole remaining hand. He stepped back slightly, taking in the sight of the Absolutes. There were exactly eleven, six of whom he recognized.
''Puppet, Storm, Seawater, Filth, Whip, Glass.''
From Residues palm erupted substances or concepts that could be considered the natural adversaries of the six identified Absolutes. These elements intertwined without interfering with each others presence and then shot toward the Absolutes.
Residues power clashed with the transcendental entities.
"!"
The next moment, Residue withdrew his outstretched hand. The carefully selected combination of powers had shattered and dissipated, as futile as wind crashing against a rock.
Did it have no effect? No, that wasnt it.
"Shared Transcendence?"
"That is correct."
Symetras cold voice rang out. There was even a hint of laughter mixed in.
Kwaang!
Residue violently collided with a Transcendental Being. In reality, from his perspective, it was no different from being struck. This was power on an entirely different level than an ordinary body slam. Their very forms were the physical manifestations of powerful powers, and the moment he allowed contact, the numerous concepts they governed tore apart both his mind and body like rags.
Residues body shot into the air. His eyes rolled back, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. He had, of course, lost consciousness, and his state made it seem as though he would die at any moment. But the Absolutes'' assault did not end.
The eleven Transcendental Beings quickly reformed their formation, making a wide arc before launching themselves at Residue once more.
Those waiting in optimal positions unleashed long-range attacks, and the Absolutes who had been in hiding finally revealed themselves, reaching for Residues vital points. Their coordinated attack unfolded as if they were a single entity.
Residue shot something toward the sky. No, not into empty air.
An Absolute specializing in concealment, one who governed the concept of hiding, felt his heart sink. He barely managed to twist his body in time to evade the attack.
"As expected, you are remarkable! Do you still have more tricks up your sleeve?"
The Lord of concealment twisted his mouth.
Residue did not respond. Instead, he clenched his outstretched hand tightly and muttered,
"Scatter."
"!"
A massive explosion erupted from behind.
The Absolutes did not react with shock or confusion. Even in the face of unexpected developments and great commotion, they moved exactly as planned. They merely glanced at the source of the explosion with a flicker of their eyes.
It was a rain of weapons.
From the site of the explosion, a torrential downpour of weapons poured forth. There were too many to count, weapons of all kinds, each brimming with undeniable power.
They were not something that could simply be ignored and pushed through. This was undoubtedly one of Residues trump cards.
The Absolutes had no choice but to divert their paths to avoid the rain of weapons. The long-range attacks they had been launching were also mostly intercepted by the ominous metal weapons.
At that moment, Residue opened his eyes.
Papat!
A spear and a small sword, falling from the sky, landed in his hands. Residue kicked against the air and cut the throat of the nearest Lord. Kwajik! As the Lord''s head fell, the weapon shattered as well. It was an expected outcome, he had swung it recklessly without considering durability.
It didnt matter. Wasn''t there an endless rain of weapons falling around him?
Amid the downpour of steel and rain mixed together like a torrential storm, Residue fought on, covered in blood.
Even though these were weapons of his own creation, they were not safe for him. If he was cut by one, he too would be wounded.
And yet, Residue evaded every single weapon falling around him by the slimmest of margins. Not only that, but he also used them as stepping stones, kicked them to strike his enemies, or timed his movements perfectly to use them as shields against enemy attacks.
"."
Symetra stared at the sight, speechless.
What kind of combat style is this?
Even she, who had lived an eternity that to mortals would seem endless, could not help but be taken aback by the battle unfolding before her eyes.
At the same time, she felt a shudder run through her.
His opponents were no mere rabble.
They were Lords. Lords.
Beings who had saved at least dozens of universes and managed no less than five.
Even the youngest among them had lived for tens of thousands of years.
And yet, against these dozens of Lords, this man, fighting with such weak and unimpressive powers, was holding his own, if not surpassing them.
Her last shred of doubt disappeared.
This man was truly once a Ruler.
Puhwaak!
Another Lord''s head was severed. That made five now. Even though dozens had launched a perfect encirclement attack, five Lords had already lost their lives.
And that was the best result Residue could achieve.
The rain of weapons, which had seemed like it would pour endlessly, finally ceased. With that, the restrictions on the Absolutes'' movements began to disappear.
But they did not act hastily. Nor did they show any signs of panic at the loss of another Lord.
As planned, according to the operation.
They slowly tightened the pressure, pushing him further into a corner.
"."
Residue gasped for breath, his breathing rough as if he would collapse at any moment. His entire body was so drenched in his own blood that from a distance, he might have looked like nothing more than a mass of flesh.
There were no more weapons left. Only what he held in his hands. As he attempted to swing his mace, his arm suddenly lost all strength. He felt it, the sensation of decay, as his forearm turned pitch black.
''Lord of Curses.''
The moment Residue realized the cause, a Lord who had approached right in front of him drove a fist into his abdomen.
"Kuheok!"
The full force of the ''Lord of Strength'' was contained in that blow, twisting his organs as if wringing them out. Residue coughed violently, as if he were about to vomit out his intestines.
With trembling hands, he grasped the wrist buried in his abdomen. The moment he glared at his opponent, his vision suddenly blurred on one side. His left eyeball began to melt, oozing like pus.
''Lord of Dissolution''
His knees lost all strength. Residue collapsed on the spot.
"Is it over?"
"No. Don''t let your guard down. It''s not strange for him to still have a few tricks left."
"."
Residue looked up at them and smiled faintly.
Yes. Youre exactly right.
He didn''t have many tricks left.
But at least, he had one.
Gugugugk!
The space around Residue began to distort. The Absolutes, sensing an ominous premonition, stiffened and instinctively stepped back.
"Fall back!"
"If you get caught in it, you might die!"
The twisted space soon formed into a swirling vortex, as if something was pulling it inward. Residues body disappeared beyond that space.
By the time the distortion ended, he was no longer there.
"He vanished"
"How?"
"Did he die?"
"No. I dont think so."
A quiet ripple of unease spread among the Absolutes.
One of them turned to look at Symetra. She was the one most capable of grasping the situation accurately.
"Symetra, what just happened?"
"...Spatial control."
Symetra muttered in a surprised voice. Had he really hidden such power? It was astonishing but that was all. Soon, she smiled faintly.
"But its incomplete. Given how unstable it was, just using it must have put an immense burden on him. Also, he hasnt escaped far. Hes still in this city. I''ve already marked him, so theres no need to rush."
"His location?"
"Ill share it with you."
Symetra looked up at the sky and murmured,
"As I said, dont kill him. Theres still much left to be done."
*
Splash, splash-
Residue ran through the rain-drenched streets. His consciousness was fading. Had he lost too much blood? If he passed out now, the result would be unlike anything before. He instinctively felt that losing consciousness now meant losing his life.
And yet, if he thought about it,
This situation wasnt necessarily bad for him.
Death, which he had long desired, was now within reach.
Then why am I running away?
Why am I like this?
What am I doing?
What meaning does this action have?
Without understanding himself, he just kept running.
His breath was caught in his throat. Even the robe clinging to his body felt heavy. He could even feel the weight of the rain pouring down on him.
Heavy.
Every raindrop, unbearably heavy.
Kwajik-
At that moment, a searing pain shot through his ankle, accompanied by an eerie sensation of emptiness. A pickaxe-like weapon had flown in from somewhere, cleanly severing his ankle.
Residue stumbled, unable to take his next step.
Thud! He crashed face-first into a puddle formed by the rainwater.
"Kuugh"
Residue choked on the muddy water, coughing violently. His legs had no strength left. Relying on his blurred vision, he clawed forward with his hands, dragged himself with his knees, and forced his body to move.
Thud.
Something stabbed into his back.
A dagger? An arrow? Or something else?
He couldnt tell.
Before he could even check what had pierced him, the head he had been barely holding up was forcibly shoved back into the muddy water.
It wasnt because he had lost strength. A powerful grip suddenly seized the back of his head. Someone had grabbed a fistful of Residues hair and shoved him into the puddle once more.
Residue thrashed desperately, unable even to catch his breath.
"Enough."
A cold voice rang out, and only then was Residue allowed to lift his head.
"Ah. Now you''re finally ready to talk."
"."
Residue looked up at the woman, Symetra''s face, with one eye closed. Through the pouring rain, her mask-like face came into view.
And it wasnt just her.
Absolutes surrounded him from all sides.
"Kuhk."
Residue coughed up a mixture of rainwater, mud, and blood.
And then-
"Puhuh."
A sound, like air escaping, leaked out.
"Pfft, puhah. Ah. Excuse me. But this is just too."
It was Symetra.
She seemed to be trying to suppress her laughter, but in the end, she couldnt hold back and burst out laughing.
A near-maniacal laugh echoed beyond the rain.
"Hahaha Ahahahaha"
Her laughter spread like wildfire.
The Absolutes surrounding Residue also broke into twisted grins, laughing loudly as they looked down at him.
"This is amusing. Truly amusing. What is this? What are you? What is that pathetic state of yours? Hahaha"
"."
"You were once a Ruler. A being who stood above all things. And now, look at you. Face down in the mud, drinking it in, only to cough it back up Hahaha Pathetic."
Kwa-jik.
A foot stomped down on his head. Residue coughed violently as he was shoved into the mud once again.
His hair was grabbed once more, lifting his head back up. It was as if they were repeatedly waterboarding him.
Symetra leaned in close, staring directly at Residue. They were so near that their breaths could reach each other. In a whisper, she murmured,
"Beg for your life."
"."
"Go on, plead for mercy. Say, ''Please, spare me.'' The more pathetic your face, the better. Surely you dont want to die? If you did, you wouldnt have run so desperately."
Yes. Thats exactly my question, too.
Residue muttered inwardly.
"Didn''t you hear me? If you refuse to beg, will you do something else? How about kneeling and slamming your forehead into the ground in apology? Tell us how sorry you are for daring to resist. Or perhaps, youd rather drink up all this mud? Think carefully, former Ruler. The more miserable you appear, the more effective it will be."
"...rain."
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"The rain."
Residues voice was cracked and dry.
"All this time, constantly. More than your laughter, more than your mockery, this damn rain has been irritating me."
Symetra''s expression hardened.
"I never took you for someone so talkative. If you have more to say, then by all means, keep talking. In fact, I welcome it. Your nonsense drowns out the sound of the rain, after all. I suppose even useless garbage has its uses."
"."
"You seem unnaturally obsessed with humiliating and defiling this body. Your intentions are so transparent. Do you think this kind of petty torment will erase the fear of a Ruler? Thats the kind of thought only a worm would have. Its so ridiculous I cant even bring myself to speak."
"Well see about that."
Symetras voice was cold.
"This will certainly be an interesting experiment, breaking the mind of a former Ruler."
"."
Residue looked up at them with lifeless eyes.
And so, in the rain-drenched streets,
The cruelest and most relentless beating began.
*****
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Chapter Season 2 609
Translator: Alpha0210
The sixty-ninth lords were, of course, powerful. Residue could not overwhelm them. There were many reasons for this...
His overall condition was in such a terrible state that even calling it complete mess would be an understatement. His mind and body were intricately connected, and his tattered mind negatively affected his body. Consequently, his deteriorated body gnawed away at his mind once again.
This horrific, inescapable cycle of decline was weakening Residue at this very moment.
The cause of his defeat was not solely his own doing.
The lords, who appeared to be mocking Residue.
Their sneers were not entirely false, but at the very least, they were not being careless. They had not been from the beginning, nor were they now.
They acknowledged Residue as an undeniable superior being and, after devising systematic tactics and strategies, launched a relentless assault. Anyone familiar with the nature of absolute beings would find this scene unbelievable. The lords were pressing Residue with an unprecedented level of caution and persistence.
Proud absolute beings would not even coordinate to this extent in the face of a universal catastrophe. The higher their rank, the more this held true.
While they were not as extreme as the Rulers, who completely rejected the concept of cooperation, the lords below them still harbored infinite confidence in their own strength.
Smack!
Residue''s face was sent soaring toward the sky. He saw a spray of blood and fragments of teeth scattering into the air.
His jawbone might have been broken.
There was no time to count the shattered pieces of his teeth, as the beating resumed once more.
Swoosh-
The rain was ice-cold.
It was proof that his body temperature had dropped drastically, a warning that there was truly little blood left in his system. Because of this, Residue forcibly swallowed the rising blood once again.
The stench of blood.
And perhaps because stomach acid had mixed in, he felt a bitter and astringent taste in his throat.
Enough.
At that moment, Symetra quietly put an end to the violence. Leaving the panting Residue alone for a moment, she first glanced around at the faces of the lords standing nearby.
Their faces were flushed with excitement. Their expressions, betraying an uncharacteristic giddiness, were unbefitting of their long-lived dignity.
It was understandable.
Fundamentally, the emotions of absolute beings were like vast lakes, unaffected by mere pebbles tossed into them.
But now, a massive boulder had been thrown in.
It was the right to unilaterally beat down a former Ruler.
The lords, swept up in primal emotions, realized anew just how satisfying violence could be.
Symetra looked down at Residues face once again.
He was not someone whose spirit could be broken by mere violence or torture. The beating just now had been for their own sake.
So what should they do next?
How could they drag this former Rulers mind even deeper into the abyss?
What you just said is not wrong.
We have yet to surpass the Rulers. Of course, thats only natural. We were subordinate to them for so long that we forgot ourselves. The fear imprinted in our instincts cannot be easily overcome That is why we still maintain a cautious attitude toward you. However.
Without warning, Symetra kicked Residue. His solar plexus caved in. Residue spat out yet another mouthful of blood, for who knew how many times.
A being derived from them. No matter how weak you have become, you are still a fragment of a Ruler. The mere act of driving such a being into a corner is meaningful in itself.
Symetra smiled brightly.
If we kill you, our potential will multiply.
Residue coughed violently and spoke.
You plan to overthrow the existing Rulers and take their place?
Well, that is still undecided. Becoming a Ruler is not the only path. As you said, we can seize the existing positions or create new ones Both are viable methods.
Ill acknowledge that you have evolved. But the approach you are taking has a fundamental flaw.
I can guess what you are going to say. And of course, we are aware of it as well.
Symetra spoke in a slightly lower voice.
No matter what we do, not all of us can become Rulers. The number of seats at the top of the universe is extremely limited
And knowing that, you still band together?
Does it look like we are merely banding together? Do you not yet understand, O once-great being? We have come to a true understanding of cooperation.
Residue looked up at Symetra with his cloudy eyes.
He muttered as if the words were passing by, just like the falling rain.
"It''s not cooperation, but fusion."
"!"
"Symetra, you''ve used an unification method based on your sense-sharing. Did you reference the circumstances under which the ''Dragon'' came to be?"
This time, Symetra was truly shocked.
The method Residue mentioned was the lords hidden trump card, their final resort. Naturally, it was kept strictly confidential, never to be leaked beyond their group, not even by the slimmest chance.
In other words, Residue had deduced the truth purely through conjecture.
"It doesn''t seem like an effective method. The beings that formed the foundation of the Dragon had a clear unity and a shared goal. Moreover, they had an intermediary, Doom Dragon, a being so powerful it was once called a universal catastrophe."
"We lack an intermediary, but our will is just as strong."
"Do you truly believe that? While your desires may be pure, your colors are different."
"What do you mean?"
"It means you can never truly merge."
Swoosh-
Symetra''s expression hardened. Raindrops trickled down her jawline and dripped from her chin.
She knew what kind of being Residue was.
Although he had grown weak, the analytical skill, judgment, and foresight he possessed as the Lightning God had not disappeared.
That was why she found it so difficult to accept.
Symetra had never intended to keep the concept of fusion a secret from him until the very end. She had planned to bring it up when the conversation ripened, expecting to see his face twist in shock or disbelief.
But the opposite had happened.
Residue had instantly seen through their methods, and rather than showing admiration, he had only responded with bitter words.
"The Twelve Void Lords."
Because of that, she ended up revealing something she had no intention of sharing.
"We''ve come to know about beings called by that name. They are indeed powerful. Do you know? The [Giant] said that the reason the Void Lords are so strong is because ''the power of the absolute beings in the Three Thousand Worlds is concentrated into those twelve individuals.''"
"."
"He added that it was just a guess, but I thought it made sense. The Void World is like the mirror opposite of the Three Thousand Worlds. It wouldn''t be strange if not only the ''total existence'' but also the ''total power'' were identical."
If that were the case, then the existence of the Four Knights might have been an inevitable consequence under similar circumstances.
"And so."
"What if we killed one of the Void Lords?"
Residue fell silent.
Interpreting that silence in her own way, Symetra smiled again.
"Let me make this clear, it was a direct confrontation. And yet, we won. Against a being so powerful that even the strongest Lord couldn''t guarantee victory. Simply put, we have already transcended our previous limitations once."
"."
"The first time is always the hardest. Now that we know how to break through our limits, we can do it a second time, a third time. We will continue to evolve, and one day, we will become Rulers."
Symetra reached out her hand.
"After we kill you, we plan to target the [Seven Fanged Dragon God]. Unlike you, who has completely fallen, he will be a far more difficult opponent. That trial will push us to evolve once more. Ah. I almost forgot."
Her extended hand fumbled through Residues chest area.
"Come to think of it, you had something interesting. That mask that blocked my attack, it didnt seem like an ordinary object"
Residue twisted his body.
Seeing his reaction, Symetra laughed again.
"Do you not want to lose it? I see. That means it''s something precious to you. Now Im even more intrigued."
Clink. Symetras hand grasped the shape of the mask. As she pulled it out, something else got caught and came out with it.
Thud.
The item fell into the muddy water, glowing a vivid red.
"Ah."
Residue unknowingly let out a sound.
Symetra picked up the necklace.
"And what is this?"
"Don''t touch it."
He didnt even know why he had said that.
For a brief moment, the faces of Yong and Beniang flashed in his mind, bringing an indescribable emotion.
More than losing the Beginning Wizard''s mask, it was the necklace that unsettled him.
Smack.
Residue''s head snapped to the side. His cheek was struck hard, splitting his lip.
"Do not give orders. Do you still think you have the right to do so?"
"."
"Now answer me. What is this? It looks like a necklace Hmm. It seems to have the same properties as this mask."
"."
"If you refuse to answer, thats fine as well. Ill take it and analyze it myself."
Symetra looked down at Residue.
This was the final moment. She took a few steps back and then spoke.
"Sera, finish him."
Sera nodded and drew her sword.
She looked down at Residue, her expression a mix of excitement and tension. She even felt gratitude toward her longtime friend, Symetra, for entrusting her with the final blow to this ''once-great being''.
Crunch-
And then, Sera was crushed.
"."
It wasnt an illusion.
Symetra blinked.
She couldn''t comprehend what had just happened. She couldnt even think to wipe off the blood that had splattered onto her face.
It was a mass with a strange, shimmering hue, like countless layers of transparent glass stacked upon each other. A slick, unpleasant mucus oozed over its surface.
Where had it come from? The sky?
"It''s coming again!"
The moment someone screamed in panic, more masses began to fall from above. This time, not just one, but many.
Only then did Symetra realize, they had the shape of enormous, thick tentacles.
"What is this?!"
"It''s [Destruction]!"
"Attacks arent working! Symetra, what do we do?"
Panic spread among the absolute beings. They were not ones to easily lose their composure, but encountering Destruction was a different matter entirely.
Destruction had the power to invoke dread in all existence.
"Symetra!"
Should we fight?
But something was strange about these tentacles.
A Destruction entity capable of crushing a Lord in a single strike, she had never heard of such a thing. Moreover, she could sense that, even now, the lords who had been linked through shared perception were vanishing one by one.
''Ugh.''
Having reached a decision, Symetra bit her lip.
"We retreat. Maintain formation and fall back. Transform into transcendent forms and withdraw."
The Lords followed Symetra''s command without hesitation. They moved in perfect unison, showing not the slightest shame in choosing to flee.
"."
Residue watched the entire scene unfold. He was just as shocked. With his mouth slightly open in a daze, he stared at the tentacle that had crushed a Lord.
It was a tentacle that extended from somewhere far away. Unlike what Symetra and the other Lords had initially assumed, it had not fallen from the sky. Its roots were connected to the city center.
And Residue recognized its appearance.
The Destruction that heralded the end.
If Frey was the Destruction that marked the beginning, then this was the one that signified the end.
Lastfall.
Gurgle, gurgle.
The ominous aura emanating from the tentacle was so overwhelming that even Residue couldn''t grasp its depths.
It looked at him.
It was nothing more than a single tentacle, without eyes, without a nose, yet Residue felt as if their gazes had met.
Swish
And then, it left.
It had devoured eight absolute beings, yet it did not so much as graze Residue before vanishing.
Swoosh-
The rain poured down once again.
Residue lay submerged in the muddy water for a long while before muttering in a low voice.
"Luca."
He turned his gaze toward the direction the tentacle had extended from.
UMC.
The place where the ruler of this city resided.
Thump-
His heart began to pound violently.
Thump, thump-
Even after coughing up enough blood to be on the brink of death, his body, cold and lifeless, was now beginning to radiate heat.
Thump, thump, thump-
-Something,
was about to change.
*
"Huff, huff"
Having retreated from the area, Symetra gasped for breath.
She had been serving as the intermediary that connected the senses of all the absolute beings. Normally, this power was invaluable for grasping the battlefield situation and directing forces, but in this case, only its drawbacks had surfaced.
The fear and terror felt by the absolute beings had overlapped and surged into Symetra all at once.
Her shoulders trembled violently. Grasping both of them tightly, she took a long moment to calm herself.
Its fine.
She had experienced fear far greater than this before.
She could overcome it. She could overcome it
After a while, having finally regained her composure, she looked around. The other Lords, like her, seemed to have regained their calm, appearing more stable than they had a moment ago.
"This city reeks of danger. Itd be best if we left as soon as possible."
One of the Lords murmured in a heavy voice.
Symetra let out a sigh.
"We haven''t yet accomplished our objective."
"Havent we at least achieved the minimum goal?"
"Thats true, but"
The fact that she hadnt been able to finish him with her own hands left a bitter taste in her mouth.
What should she do? Should she consult her father, Retip?
But her father had always viewed her plan negatively. That was why he had chosen not to participate in the hunt.
"That necklace It feels ominous. Why not just get rid of it?"
One of her fellow Lords spoke up.
"Necklace? Ah."
Only then did Symetra realize she was still holding the necklace in her hand. It had cracked, perhaps from hitting something while they were fleeing.
She agreed it felt unsettling, but she wasnt sure if discarding it was the right decision.
As she hesitated, she unconsciously tightened her grip around the necklace.
Flash-
The necklace emitted a sudden glow, and a faint light seeped through the cracks. At the same time, she felt a subtle vibration, almost imperceptible.
What kind of mechanism is this? Symetra couldn''t understand the source of the glow.
Focusing her attention on the gem inside the necklace, she saw faint beams of light shooting out, pointing in various directions.
She lifted her head and scanned her surroundings.
Aside from her fellow Lords, no one else was present.
Then was this a tool designed to detect the presence of absolute beings?
"This is a necklace that the former ruler had treasured dearly. It must have some purpose. I''ll hold onto it for now."
It was then that Symetra suddenly realized something.
The atmosphere had grown eerily silent.
The lords around her had all fallen silent, standing expressionless as they stared at her.
"What is it?"
"."
"Do you have something to say?" Sear?h the N??elFir.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
"."
Symetra glanced around, her lips parting slightly.
A brief moment of confusion flickered in her eyes.
"Wait, wait a moment. You Cursed."
She called out the name of one of the Lords.
"Why are you here? Weren''t you annihilated during the battle just now?"
The Lord known as Cursed, the one who governed curses, had perished in the fight against Residue.
Symetra had witnessed the exact moment of his annihilation, yet somehow, he was now standing among the lords, completely unharmed.
Cursed tilted his head.
"Was I?"
"What?"
"Wa-was I-I?"
"What?"
"W-w-wa-was I-I-I-I?"
Symetra took a stiff step backward.
And then-
Thud.
She bumped into someone.
Turning around with a face twisted in fear, she saw Sera standing there.
Sera, who had been crushed by the tentacle, annihilated without leaving a trace, was standing before her, perfectly intact.
"You all dont tell me"
And then, Sera grinned.
"Heehee."
"Ah."
Symetra closed her eyes.
"The Ruler-"
Crunch-
*****
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Chapter Season 2 610
Translator: Alpha0210
This body.
He thought it would no longer move. Functionally speaking, that was the case. It wasn''t just a matter of broken bones and damaged muscles. The body, ravaged by multiple Lords, had been destroyed so thoroughly that healing was impossible.
However, Residue moved.
With creaking knee joints, he took another step forward, his arm, with bones jutting out, swayed limply. Each breath felt as if his lungs were being torn apart, yet he continued to breathe.
Residue was still alive.
"."
Suddenly, he felt his cheeks growing wet.
Residue didnt know why he was shedding tears. Was it because his situation was too bleak? Or had he suddenly become afraid of death?
I
Splash
He collapsed forward, his face plunging into a puddle. Residue abruptly lifted his head. Then, he saw his reflection in the water. His appearance was so pitiful that it was almost laughable.
Residue suddenly recalled memories of the past and tried making different expressions in front of the puddle. However, his facial muscles wouldnt move as he wanted, as if they were paralyzed.
Rumble
A sound of something collapsing came from the city. This wasnt the first time. Residue had heard a similar noise more than five times in the short distance he had walked.
Rumble, the ground trembled as if it were terrified.
In the meantime, he saw a massive tentacle rising toward the sky from the UMC headquarters. Could that even be called a tentacle? It looked more like the largest tree trunk in the world. The tree continued growing explosively, rapidly increasing in size, until it finally reached beyond the sky.
To the entrance of Destruction, to that abyss.
"."
The rain stopped. In truth, it was merely blocked by the tree.
And Residue stood up once again. Perhaps because the rain had ceased, he found it easier to move his legs than just moments before.
R-run away!
The apocalypse is here! The end has come!
Aah O God.
As he walked a little further, he saw humans.
They were fleeing in a frenzy, running in the opposite direction of the tentacle tree. Not a single one showed any intent to fight.
Of course.
Even if one searched the entire world, there would be only a handful of humans capable of walking toward that thing.
But if that were the truth, then why had Lukas gone beyond Destruction? Why had he been willing to erase himself to become their god?
Now, Residue knew. Losing oneself was the most terrible punishment of all.
Hyung!
Residues steps halted at the familiar form of address. Someone suddenly grabbed his forearm.
Its dangerous if you go that way!
Luca?
Residue slowly turned his head.
Of course, it wasnt that child.
This boy was a little younger than Luca, had short, cropped hair, and most importantly, he was truly just a boy.
That way is dangerous, so you have to run this way! The other direction.
Residue
had nothing to do with this child. The boy didnt know Residue either.
Strangers, unrelated.
And yet, this boy had stopped a man walking mindlessly into hell and tried to lead him to safety. It wasnt an action taken for personal gain. One could call it the most beautiful instinct.
Yes. The world calls those who do things without seeking any benefit good people.
Go.
Huh?
Im fine, so go.
Residue muttered, and the boy responded with confusion. Residue gently shook off the boys hand.
Ah, hyung, hey!
The boys urgent voice called out, but he was soon swept away by the fleeing crowd. Residue faintly smiled at the boy.
Once the evacuating humans had disappeared, Residue walked for a long while once more.
Rumble
Aah! My child, my child.
And yet, there were still those who were not evacuating.
A mother was digging through the rubble of a collapsed building with her bare hands, tears streaming down her face. Her nails had peeled off, her fingers were broken, yet she did not stop.
Residue watched her for a moment before moving his fingers slightly.
Whoosh-
The pile of debris that had once formed an entire building suddenly floated into the air. The mother, stunned by the miraculous sight, froze for a moment before spotting her child beneath it.
Aah, my daughter!
She rushed toward where her daughter lay. After confirming that she was still alive, she broke into uncontrollable sobs.
Crunch-
Meanwhile, Residue completely annihilated the floating debris in the air.
Then, he walked away.
Thank you!
A voice rang out from behind him, causing Residue to stop in his tracks.
Y-you saved my daughter, didnt you? Thank you! Thank you so much!
"."
Does a person need a reason to save another?
A phrase he thought he had forgotten suddenly resurfaced in his mind.
Ah. I see.
In that moment, Residue felt as if he had realized something.
Thank you! Thank you!
The mother expressed her gratitude in a cracked voice, continuing to do so until her voice faded into the distance as Residue walked on, out of her sight.
He looked toward the UMC once again.
Those tentacles there, they seemed calm for now, but for how long? It wouldnt be surprising if they suddenly spread in all directions and wiped out every living creature.
If that happened, then saving that mother and daughter would have been meaningless.
Trivial thoughts, unresolved reflections continued to flow through his mind.
Then, he saw another group of humans.
Grab your weapons!
So what if the world is ending! Weve got nowhere else to go anyway!
Defend the city! We cant let that monster turn Meltown into ruins!
It is already in ruins, though!
You bastard, what did you just say?
Hahaha!
"."
There were those who did not run away.
Residue had to admit that he had underestimated humans. Surprisingly, there were still people who had prepared themselves to fight against Destruction.
They climbed onto their vehicles and charged toward the UMC, roaring like beasts. He didnt need to see the outcome to know their fate. They would be annihilated without leaving so much as a scratch on those tentacles. A meaningless death. Sar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
And yet the sight of them rushing toward their deaths with smiles overlapped with the image of Symetra, who had tucked tail and fled at the sight of the tentacles.
Lords and humans.
What was the difference between them?
Because they were weaker than the Lords? Because they were ignorant? Because they were fools who didnt even comprehend the gap between them and their enemy, was that why they could fight?
Symetra, is that how you would justify yourself?
Rumble
Once again, the ground trembled.
Residue snapped out of his thoughts and, as if entranced, began following them.
But what stopped his steps this time was not a human.
It was a building. A towering, abandoned structure, leaning slightly as if it might collapse at any moment.
A place that was clearly unfit for human habitation, reeking of dampness after having been neglected and left unmaintained for an incredibly long time.
And yet, for someone, it had been home.
Perhaps this place could have been Residues home as well.
Why?
Residue muttered.
"Why did you leave that group of Lords?"
He turned around.
Standing there was Retip, covered in blood. His clothes were torn, his sunglasses shattered, and a massive bruise darkened his chest, gruesome even to look at.
When their eyes met, Retip let out a deflated chuckle.
No reason.
"."
I just didnt feel like it. I didn''t want to run into you either. And I certainly didnt want to see you in this weakened state.
I am not the Lightning God. Your misconception is fundamentally wrong."
Yes. But you have broken away from him. That much is undeniable.
We were originally the same being, how ridiculous. Just because of that fact, you couldnt suppress your emotions? A man like you?
What can I do? Thats just how my heart feels.
Retip let out a sigh. His expression was serious, yet there was something strangely playful about it.
Residue watched him for a moment before declaring,
The Lightning God has no deep feelings for you.
Is that so? Thats a bit disappointing but, well, its not like I served him expecting anything in return.
"."
Seeing him, Residue thought.
Perhaps, back when he was the Lightning God, he had lacked the ability to see people for who they were. After all, could an ants thoughts be understood simply by bending down to its level?
Leave this city.
Retip spoke in a serious tone.
As far away as possible. The Lightning God has no intention of relentlessly hunting you down.
"."
That thing is expanding its territory. It likely wont stop until it engulfs an entire small planet. At the very least, you should move beyond its range. In any case, that monster will be taken care of by the Half King.
What happened to the Black Witch?
Residue asked.
How did you know I had any business with her?
I didnt know. But she mentioned that she planned to stay in this building for about two days. And then, not far from here, I found you. A bit too strange to call it a coincidence, isnt it?
I see. So thats how it is.
Retip let out a small chuckle.
My original purpose was to kill her. The Lightning God doesnt seem to be fond of the fact that she came into contact with the Void Record.
Did you fail?
If you look at the results, yes But to begin with, if that witch is determined to flee for self-preservation, then there isnt a single person in the world who could kill her. I thought today might be a special case since I even borrowed a sacred weapon for the occasion.
Retip laughed again.
Shes a meticulous woman. Even when she sleeps, she takes triple, quadruple precautions.
To wield the power of space with such proficiency
It wasnt just a matter of improving her skill. From the start, the ability had been well-suited to Iris PeaceFinders nature.
Residue glanced down at Retip briefly before turning his gaze back toward the UMC.
Are you still going?
Yes.
Youll die.
To be honest.
Residue spoke.
I want to run away right this moment.
At the candid confession, Retip blinked in surprise.
He looked as if he couldnt comprehend what he had just heard.
My fear is making it hard to move my legs. But Im forcing myself to walk anyway.
Why?
I figured maybe this way, Id understand something.
"."
Take care of yourself.
Residue said shortly and started walking again.
What?
A step too late, Retip questioned him.
Residue could feel the bewildered gaze on his back, as if he were some bizarre phenomenon, but he said nothing and simply continued forward.
"Well. Indeed......"
A quiet murmur came from behind him.
Splash-
The rainless street felt different simply due to the absence of rain. For the first time, Residue didnt find this place entirely suffocating.
He checked his body once more.
To his surprise, his condition had visibly improved. Come to think of it, at some point, he had stopped limping.
Before he knew it, he had arrived at the UMC.
Now, even if he tilted his head back at a ninety, degree angle, he could no longer see the tentacle tree. That meant he was close.
There were no strict guards. The presence of life was almost nonexistent here. The ground bore marks as if an enormous worm had slithered across it.
Residue crossed the checkpoint.
He kept walking.
Then, when he happened to look up at the sky, he saw someone fighting against the tentacle tree.
The Black Witch.
Bloodied, she was locked in battle with hundreds of writhing tentacles. No, rather than fighting it seemed more like she was desperately holding them back with all her might.
Was this the reason the tentacle tree had been relatively calm?
I made the wrong judgment.
Residue turned his head.
Lying there, covered in blood, was Frey Blake.
With a gaping hole in his chest, he leaned against the wall, clinging to the last threads of life. His lifeless eyes suggested he wouldnt last much longer.
It wasnt an unexpected outcome.
Frey was the one who had driven Luca into a rampage, and he was also the one who had taken the child away. And now, Luca, the last Destruction, was running wild without restraint. It would be difficult to consider Frey unharmed.
I cant understand its intentions. That thing is not something that can be stopped at this point. It will likely continue growing in size, spreading trials across this world. Countless lives will be lost, but through that, it will only grow stronger.
"."
I dont know why youve come here. But right now, you have two choices.
Choices?
The Black Witch is not someone who is meant to die here.
Freys voice, clearer than Residue had ever heard before, cut through the air.
The abilities and knowledge she possesses will be crucial in dealing with the Destruction that is to come. It is a role that no one else can replace. So, Residue.
"."
Save Iris PeaceFinder. Even if it costs you your life.
That was his final voice.
Freys head slowly drooped.
Residue had the sudden thought that perhaps he had been holding on until now just to say those words.
For some reason, the sight of him collapsed there overlapped with the image of Lukas.
Frey had said,
There were two choices.
One was to die in Iriss place.
And the other, the unspoken choice, was likely the same as Retips proposal.
To run away from here.
Which was the right choice?
Before he could think.
Taah-
Residue soared toward the darkened sky.
*****
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